Page 117 – The Pulse of Football

Mar

2023

Serie A Review: Three takeaways from Round 24

Juventus won the Turin Derby, on Tuesday night, Milan kept a fourth straight clean sheet, and a couple of Serie A’s superstar players returned from injury. All that, and more, is covered in our review of the latest action in Italy.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Milan’s Revival

Milan won their fourth game in a row over the weekend by defeating Atalanta 2-0 in convincing fashion. It was also their fourth clean sheet in a row after the January from hell, which saw them endure one of their worst run of forms in the 21st century. Since then, manager Stefano Pioli has been able to get the team back on track by switching the formation he’s been using ever since taking over the job. The 3-4-3 seems to have worked wonders on the team. For one, it’s allowed the young centre-back Malick Thiaw to explode onto the scene and show his worth. Secondly, it seems to be getting the best out of key players like Theo Hernández, who are able to play a bit further forward and also tuck inside to be in a better position to shoot on goal. Theo’s magnificent volleyed effort from outside the box is worth a look if you haven’t seen it already.

It also helps that important players are finally coming back into the team from long injury layoffs. Goalkeeper Mike Maignan started his first game since September, and it instantly changed the entire backline. The defenders seemed to play with more aggression, knowing that they had a world class goalie like Maignan to bail them out in case they made a mistake. The Frenchman makes Milan’s play out of the back much slicker. Maignan is so comfortable on the ball that at times he looks like an outfield player. His command of the area and role as a vocal leader seems to have inspired the defence to reach new heights.

The second player to come back from injury was none other than the legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Despite having surpassed 40 and suffering a slew of injuries, the striker has still had an important role behind the scenes, acting as a mentor for the younger players and an unofficial assistant to Stefano Pioli. Now that he’s healthy again, he can give Olivier Giroud a much needed rest in the rotation and provide a different skillset. Ibra doesn’t need to move to have an effect on the game as his technique is still so brilliant that he can unlock a defence with his passing or shooting ability.

All of this bodes well for Milan’s chances to not only secure a top four spot in Serie A, but also achieve a positive result in their second leg Champions League clash in North London against Tottenham.

Juventus thrill in the Derby

Juventus beat Torino 4-2 in what was one of the more entertaining Turin derbies in recent memory. The game won’t be remembered as much for the score as it will for the return of Paul Pogba after nearly a year out of competitive football. Pogba’s debut came in the second half, off the bench, and he right away looked to try out one of his audacious attempts as he struck a ball beautifully on the volley. And it would’ve been goal-bound had it not taken a deflection.

Pogba’s return comes only a month after we saw Federico Chiesa finally come back from his own lengthy injury. These two players are arguably the best Juventus have at their disposal, so it’s a completely different dynamic once they’re both fully fit enough to start from the first minute.

Juve manager Max Allegri has been criticized for being too pragmatic at times, with critics questioning why Juventus have so often played so defensively with just a one goal advantage or even when the score is level. This did not seem to be an issue against Torino, as Juve matched the intensity normally seen from Ivan Jurić’s Torino.

Aside from Pogba, the other headline came with Filip Kostić’s play. The Serbian winger once again dazzled on the left flank with his direct approach and pinpoint crossing. Kostić set up two of the Juventus goals, terrorising the Torino full-back Wilfried Singo throughout the night. Kostić has a team high seven assists, and has looked like a shrewd signing given that he has very different characteristics from anyone else Juventus can play in that position.

Bologna’s quiet rise

Bologna’s magnificent 2023 is going somewhat under the radar but it’s pushing them into the top half of the table where a Conference League spot is suddenly a possibility. The team has only lost once in their last six games under the attack-minded manager, Thiago Motta. Their win over Inter this past weekend was perhaps their most impressive of the season, as Bologna looked by the far better side and massively deserved the three points against the team placed second in the Serie A table.

What’s even more impressive is to get this sort of result without their best player, striker Marko Arnautović. The Austrian veteran has had his most successful seasons since joining Bologna two years ago – scoring 22 goals over 48 Serie A matches and being a talented reference point for the tricky wingers to play off. Other than him, it’s been the talented but inconsistent winger, Riccardo Orsolini to step up and lead the front line. Orsolini is one of those players who feels like he’s been on the verge of a true breakout season for quite some time, but never really reached that new level of star power. As a right-winger, he has consistently scored 7-8 goals a season with his patented cut inside on his favoured left foot. Aside from Federico Chiesa, he’s probably the best Italian dribbler in the league, always finding room for a cross or shot with his explosive acceleration and technical ability.

Aside from the attacking players, Scottish central-midfielder Lewis Ferguson has had a solid season and drawn interest from bigger Italian clubs. Ferguson looks like a brilliant piece of business from Bologna’s scouting department, as they signed him for only €3.5m from Aberdeen. Another signing from last season’s summer transfer window who has quickly fit into Serie A is defender Jhon Lucumí. The Colombian was brought over from Belgian side Genk and has been another example of Bologna’s recent savvy business deals, which has involved plucking players from smaller European leagues, who have then gone on to see their stock rise dramatically.

Closing thoughts…

Cremonese finally won their first Serie A game of the season by beating Roma in Cremona. The newly promoted side have had a curious season to say the least – they’ve knocked both Napoli and Roma out of the Coppa Italia and finally won a domestic game by beating a team that was gunning for a top four finish. Go figure!

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Serie A season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2023

LaLiga Review: Madrid Derby finishes all square while Barça are stunned at the Power Horse

There were some unexpected results in Spain over the weekend so join us for a full round-up of the latest action AND a look ahead to this week’s El Clásico in the Copa del Rey.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

Madrid Derby ends even

Real Madrid and Atlético drew 1-1 in the derby at the Santiago Bernabéu on Saturday. Both goals were scored with headers late in the game, from set pieces, and by Uruguayans: José Giménez for Atlético; youngster Álvaro Rodríguez for Real.

Álvaro had come off the bench to equalise in the 85th minute in what was only his second appearance in LaLiga. On his first, he won the ball back and set up Marco Asensio for Madrid’s second goal at Osasuna the previous weekend. “From next season, Alvaro will be with the first-team squad,” coach Carlo Ancelotti said of the 18-year-old. “Few have his quality.”

But most of the talk after the game centred on the red card given to Atlético’s Ángel Correa for an elbow to the chest of Madrid defender Antonio Rüdiger, which looked extremely harsh. “It would be good if we could all compete in the same way,” Diego Simeone said afterwards. And Atleti complained on social media, too. “Nothing new at the Bernabéu,” they said on Twitter.

Meanwhile, Madrid looked tired after their big effort at Anfield against Liverpool earlier on in the week. “I don’t think it was physical tiredness,” Ancelotti said. “It was more mental tiredness because this was our 17th game in 50 days.”

Asked if the result meant goodbye to LaLiga this season, Ancelotti said: “It’s a little bit more difficult now, but it’s not goodbye. We will fight to the end.”

Barcelona miss chance to extend lead

On Sunday, Barcelona had the opportunity to move 10 points clear at the top, but Xavi’s side lost 1-0 at Almería and saw their lead cut to seven after 23 rounds of matches in LaLiga.

Mali forward El Bilal Touré scored the game’s only goal when he crashed a powerful shot in off the post in the first half after running clear of the Barcelona back line. It was only the eight time Barça had conceded in LaLiga this season, and only their second loss in the competition this term.

Still missing Pedri and Ousmane Dembélé through injury, Xavi rotated in defence as the likes of Sergi Roberto and Eric García came in. But it was a poor performance from the league leaders, who were also knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United on Thursday.

“It was our worst game of the season,” Xavi said. “We lacked [ball] circulation, intensity, rhythm… we didn’t show the passion to win the game.” But Almería coach Rubi was delighted. “It was a historic day,” he said.

Almería are in 15th place, just two clear of the drop zone, but all of their wins in LaLiga have come at the (amusingly named) Power Horse Stadium this season and their home record is the fourth best in the competition.

El Clásico is up next

Madrid and Barcelona now meet at the Santiago Bernabeu in the first leg of the teams’ Copa del Rey semi-final on Thursday night, before returning to action in LaLiga next weekend.

“We’ll pick ourselves up,” Xavi said. “Nobody thinks we’ll win LaLiga easily. We’re competing with Real Madrid. We need more passion, intensity and rhythm.” On Thursday night, his team will be expected to find all of that.

And ahead of the Clásico, Ancelotti said: “Right now, the Copa game is the most important one because it’s on Thursday. We’re close to a title and at this moment, that is the important thing.”

Valencia get first win under Baraja

At Mestalla, protests continued against Valencia owner Peter Lim ahead of their LaLiga game against Real Sociedad. But inside the stadium, the fans got behind their players and Igor Zubeldia’s own goal late in the first half gave new coach Rubén Baraja a much-needed win.

That lifted Valencia out of the relegation zone and ended a miserable run which had seen the club pick up just one point in their previous eight matches, but wins for Cadíz and Almería saw them drop back to 18th and there is plenty of hard work still left if they are to avoid going down this season.

Elsewhere, Osasuna secured an impressive 3-2 win away to Sevilla to move up to eighth, while Girona beat Athletic Club by the same scoreline at San Mames and youngster Gabri Veiga scored twice for Celta Vigo in their 3-0 victory at home to Real Valladolid.

Reinildo and Fekir out for the season

Two of LaLiga’s outstanding players this season will play no further part in 2022-23 after suffering serious injuries at the weekend. Atlético left-back Reinildo Mandava will be out for up to six months after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in the derby away to Real Madrid on Saturday and Real Betis midfielder Nabil Fekir will be sidelined for around the same amount of time after he was struck down with a similar injury in his side’s 3-2 win at Elche on Friday. The Frenchman’s problem may be slightly less serious after he played on through the pain for the last 15 minutes, but his club have confirmed he will miss the rest of the season.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 LaLiga season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2023

Last Weekend: Manchester United’s first trophy since 2017, Al Hilal’s ACL domination and more

We had a properly packed weekend of football, featuring matches of all sorts from all over the world. We will go over the pick of the bunch in this week’s edition of Last Weekend, including a cup final, a big city derby and a reminder of football’s place in wider society.

By Neel Shelat

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Manchester United 2-0 Newcastle United

The Carabao Cup is very much the secondary cup competition in England, and therefore not always regarded in high value. This year, though, the final was set to be a huge match, mainly due to what winning a trophy would mean for either side.

In fact, just being there was a pretty big deal in itself for Newcastle United, who were participating in their first cup final since the turn of the century. Winning would have been even bigger, as it would have yielded their first major trophy since 1969. Of course, the chief catalyst behind their turnaround has to be the Saudi Arabia-led takeover.

Their opponents Manchester United have also enjoyed a positive upturn in fortunes this season, but they have not had a change of owners (not yet anyway). For them, the arrival of Erik ten Hag seems to have had as good an impact as anyone might have imagined, leading them to the brink of a title race in the league along with this League Cup final.

The Dutch manager has also revitalised the performances of a number of players in the United squad, which has obviously, in turn, helped the team get better as a whole. And a couple of them played a decisive role in this match.

Luke Shaw assisted the opener with a set-piece delivery for summer signing Casemiro, after which Marcus Rashford got his 25th goal of the season for Manchester United to put them 2-0 up going into half-time. That allowed them to ease off a little in the second half, where Newcastle’s failure to score meant that they could coast home to the victory.

So, Manchester United lifted their first trophy since the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League. Of course, their ambitions will be much loftier than a Carabao Cup title, but this is a concrete indicator of the progress they have made this season.

🏆 AFC Champions League: Al Duhail 0-7 Al Hilal

This one is going to take a bit of explaining, but the West Zone semi-final for the 2022 AFC Champions League was finally played this weekend.

The reason we are still playing last year’s edition of the tournament is that its schedule will change from a year-round (spring to autumn in the Northern hemisphere) format to an inter-year format (autumn to spring in the Northern hemisphere) from the subsequent season, which will be 2023/24. Mind you, this is only the latest schedule change – not to be confused with the format change that takes effect in 2024, which is a story for another day. Under the current format, the participating teams are split into the East and West Zones, with the only overlap coming in the final which features one team from each zone.

The long and the short of it is that while the East Zone knockouts were held quite a while back, the West Zone knockouts only started about a week ago. They were all one-legged ties played in Qatar, which boiled down to the semi-final between local outfit Al-Duhail and Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal, who are one of a select few multiple-time winners of the competition and have featured in two of the last three finals.

Prior to these knockouts, Al Hilal were in Morocco as they participated in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year (time is a social construct after all!). They made a historic run to the final where they went down fighting against Real Madrid, but that might have caused some to wonder if they would be a little vulnerable in the Champions League due to tiredness.

Their wins against Shabab Al-Ahli of the UAE and Foolad Khuzestan of Iran were pretty comfortable but not exactly convincing by their standards, so Qatar Stars League leaders Al-Duhail would have been expected to put up a properly tough fight at the very least.

They got absolutely blitzed, though, finding themselves five down before half-time due to goals from ex-Manchester United striker Odion Ighalo, ex-Porto forward Moussa Marega and Saudi Arabia’s World Cup hero Salem Al-Dawsari. Ighalo went on to complete his hat-trick and score one more in the second half, capping off an absolute trouncing to continue Al Hilal’s title defence.

For now, Al Hilal must turn their focus back to domestic proceedings because the final is still a couple of months away. That will be a two-legged tie against Urawa Red Diamonds, whom they have faced in this exact position twice before.

🇪🇸 Spain: Real Madrid 1-1 Atlético Madrid

Real Madrid find themselves right in the thick of a very hectic fixture schedule packed with big games. They visited Anfield in midweek and came away with a resounding 5-2 win, before returning to Madrid for two back-to-back matches against domestic rivals.

The defending LaLiga leaders were eight points behind Barcelona, who they would be hosting on Thursday night. First up, though, they had to face near-neighbours Atlético on Saturday.

As these matches often tend to do, the game got off to a very cagey start. Neither side seemed willing to commit too many bodies forward, leading to a goalless half-time highlight reel, which had very few chances of note anyway. The game only really sprung to life in the 64th minute, when Ángel Correa was sent off for a supposed elbow to the chest of Antonio Rüdiger, who definitely made the most of the contact.

In spite of their numerical disadvantage, the visitors scored first with just over 10 minutes of normal time left, as José María Giménez headed in Antoine Griezmann’s set-piece delivery. Real Madrid subsequently fought back to come away with a point after young forward Álvaro Rodriguez scored his first goal for the club from a corner.

Ultimately, the draw didn’t do too much good for either side. Real Madrid missed the chance to close the gap to Barcelona in the title race, while Atlético missed the chance to leapfrog Real Sociedad and move up to third.

🇩🇪 Germany: Hoffenheim 0-1 Borussia Dortmund

This was a massive weekend in the Bundesliga’s title race due to the showdown between Bayern Munich and Union Berlin, which was rather disappointing for the neutrals. We have given a fair bit of coverage to both of those teams in the past, though, so let us cast a glance at the third side in the mix.

Borussia Dortmund had the chance to spend a night at the top of the table when they played on Saturday – a day prior to their title rivals’ clash. They were visiting Hoffenheim, who surprisingly found themselves in the midst of a relegation battle and had recently changed head coaches to bring in Pellegrino Matarazzo. The hosts went into this match on the back of a five-match losing streak, so a response was necessary.

They put up a fairly strong defensive performance, preventing Edin Terzić’s side from creating clear-cut chances from open play. From set-pieces, though, they looked far from secure and gave away a number of golden opportunities, which Dortmund frustratingly squandered. On the stroke of half-time, though, Marco Reus’ free-kick delivery bounced off the back of a ducking Julian Brandt but remained on course for the net, giving the visitors the lead.

As Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga in recent years, Dortmund have frustrated their own fans and neutrals alike with their tendency to crumble under pressure or give away cheap goals to throw away straightforward wins. This year, though, something seems to have changed. This was BVB’s ninth win in as many matches since returning to action after the winter break, which obviously is the best run of form in the country.

Tougher tests await the Schwarzgelbe as they will face Leipzig and Bayern in their next five fixtures, which also includes the second leg of their Champions League tie against Chelsea. However, they definitely seem to be serious contenders in this season’s title race, both on the basis of their points tally and their performances.

🇺🇸 MLS: Austin 2-3 St. Louis City

A new season began in MLS this weekend with a round of just 13 fixtures. The headline match, El Tráfico, was postponed due to unfavourable weather, but that allowed some of the other fixtures to steal the spotlight. Among those was the debut of expansion side St. Louis City.

Their life in MLS started on the road in Texas, where they faced Austin FC, who had made the playoffs last year before losing to eventual champions LAFC. They were certainly going to provide a tough test to the newcomers, so this was poised to be an intriguing match.

Indeed, things got off to a very interesting start as the visitors drew first blood 24 minutes in through Tim Parker, who headed Eduard Löwen’s ball into the back of the net. Bradley Carnell would have been preparing for a positive half-time team talk, but a stoppage-time equaliser from Sebastián Driussi might have changed it a bit.

The score stayed level 25 minutes into the second half, so we were in for an exciting finish. The hosts seemed on course for all three points when they took the lead in the 72nd minute, but there would be a late twist in the tale. Jared Stroud equalised in the 78th minute after a terrible defensive giveaway, before an 86th-minute winner from João Klauss ensured that St. Louis City got off to a winning start.

🇹🇷 Türkiye: Fenerbahçe 4-0 Konyaspor

About two and a half weeks after two devastating earthquakes hit the southern region of the country, domestic football returned to Türkiye.

Naturally at such a time of widespread destruction and grief, the sport had very much taken a backseat in the country as there were many more serious matters to be concerned with. At the same time, though, we could see the power of football to have an impact on wider society when various clubs and fan groups aided the rescue efforts by doing things like setting up fundraisers.

Of course, football and those connected to it were among the things affected by the earthquakes. Süper Lig sides Gaziantep and Hatayspor have withdrawn from the season due to the damage caused by the disaster, which tragically include lost lives.

As with all things in life, though, the show must go on, so top-flight football was back in the country this weekend. There were poignant pre-match scenes in all the matches, including the first one between Fenerbahçe and Konyaspor, where the home team brought out a banner that read “We will heal the wounds together”.

The fans also had some messages, including a pre-match banner that read, “Teary eyes will be filled with hope”. After staying silent for the first 4 minutes and 17 seconds after kick-off to mark the time the first earthquake hit (4:17 PM), the supporters in the stadium chanted in unison against the government, who have been accused of being negligent in both their preparations and response to this disaster.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Feb

2023

Premier League Review: Spurs heap further misery on Chelsea and some key results at the bottom

The Carabao Cup final meant there was just eight Premier League matches to keep tabs on this weekend. There weren’t goals galore but, as usual, it was a deeply entertaining round of matches. So let’s take a look at some of the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Another defeat for Chelsea

It is ironic that Chelsea spent all that money in January but now can’t buy a win. The Blues have one win in their last 10 matches across all competitions and their last victory in the Premier League was well over a month ago. They are five without a win in the English top flight now and luck is very much against them.

They had more shots against Spurs but the hosts finished with an Expected Goals haul that was almost double that of Graham Potter’s side. It was fairly even poised until Oliver Skipp’s effort from distance rattled in off the underside of the bar having clipped Kepa’s fingertips. After that, Chelsea had a number of speculative efforts but nothing that dangerous before Harry Kane added the second for the home side.

The Gunners continue their title charge

Arsenal’s match against Leicester was not one for the neutral. There weren’t many high-value opportunities for either side – in fact, the Foxes managed just one effort in the entire match and it was a shot from 30-yards out with an xG value of 0.02. But Mikel Arteta won’t mind that at all. The Gunners have now recorded back-to-back wins and kept a clean sheet – their first since the middle of January.

Leicester, meanwhile, are back in a relegation battle following a second successive loss.

Rice, Rice baby

West Ham United are out of the relegation zone following a comprehensive 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest. The hosts scored four times in the final 20 minutes to blow away the visitors. Danny Ings scored twice but the star of the show was Declan Rice.

The skipper put in a dominant display, creating four chances, completing 98% of his attempted passes, recovering the ball on 11 occasions and scoring the third goal. There was talk this week that Rice might be leaving the club at the end of the season but on the evidence of this display, he’s still firmly focused on keeping the Hammers in the Premier League.

That new manager bounce

Leeds recorded their first Premier League win since November as they beat fellow relegation battlers Southampton 1-0 at Elland Road. In what was Javi Gracia’s first mach in charge, the hosts controlled the game, limiting their opponents to an xG total of just 0.38.

It was a new-look side for the home team with Gracia opting to use Brenden Aaronson as part of a three behind Patrick Bamford. Despite having an array of attacking talent on the pitch, it was left-back Junior Firpo who scored the deserved winner with just 13 minutes left to play.

The Toffees become unstuck

Sean Dyche’s first game in charge of Everton was that 1-0 win over Arsenal. They then lost the Merseyside derby but beat Leeds at Goodison Park. If they were going to stay up, Goodison was going to have to become a fortress. Their 100% record there under Dyche came to an abrupt end on Saturday as Aston Villa ran out 2-0 winners.

The game itself was fairly even when looking at the xG – 1.71 to 1.94 in favour of the away side, but they did have a penalty. Everton had more shots on the day (15 to 9) but lacked a ruthlessness to convert these chances. That is an issue which has plagued them all season and will continue to do so until Dyche is able to bring in a reliable centre-forward. The issue for him is this might be when the club is in the Championship.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Premier League season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2023

This Weekend: Madrid Derby, Le Classique, Carabao Cup Final and the return of MLS

The best matches to follow this weekend

By Bill Biss

Saturday

🇪🇸 Tomorrow in LaLiga, the Santiago Bernabéu plays host to the latest edition of the Madrid Derby. Hosts Real Madrid have had a brilliant week, returning from Anfield with a 5-2 aggregate lead in their Champions League tie with Liverpool, which is even sweeter when you consider they were 2-0 down after 14 minutes.

They come in to this game against their city rivals having not conceded a league goal since lifting the Club World Cup earlier in the month. And having recovered to beat Atlético in a Copa del Rey quarter-final match as recently as January. That game finished 3-1 to Real despite Atleti taking an early lead but since then, Diego Simeone’s side have gone four games unbeaten, winning three of those by a 1-0 scoreline. And now with the added threat of Memphis Depay linking up with an in-form Antoine Griezmann up front there’s renewed hope for a top four finish this campaign.

Splitting Real (who sit second) and Atlético (who sit fourth) in the table, Real Sociedad also have an intriguing game on Saturday. They travel to a relegation threatened Valencia side who have just one win in their last 10 competitive games and will be plagued by fan protests against owner Peter Lim before, during, and after this fixture.

🇺🇸 This weekend marks the start of the 2023 MLS season. And typically, they’re starting with a bang. Okay, so the first fixture to kick-off features Nashville SC vs. NYCFC, both play-off finishers last season, and there’s also the clash between Eastern Conference holders Philadelphia Union and Columbus Crew. But there’s no denying the biggest game of the weekend: El Tráfico, LA Galaxy vs. LAFC, which is being played at the iconic, 90,000 capacity, Rose Bowl. That’s the stadium that hosted the 1994 World Cup Final, an event which, in turn, led to the formation of the league we know today.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In the Premier League where the title race appears to swing one way, then the next, each match day there’s games for the two main protagonists. Leaders Arsenal, their lead now down to two points, go to Leicester City, a side who’s recent good form was halted somewhat abruptly by a 3-0 defeat at Manchester United last weekend.

Meanwhile, Manchester City are also on their travels. They visit seventeenth placed Bournemouth, a side they’ve beaten in each of their last 12 meetings with an aggregate goals total of 36 scored to just six conceded.

Elsewhere, Liverpool must raise themselves after their biggest ever home defeat in European competition to continue their rebuild in the league. Back-to-back 2-0 wins against Everton and Newcastle preceded the loss to Madrid but they could be tested by recent draw specialists Crystal Palace – they’ve got a point from four of their last five.

And the bottom two are set to meet as Southampton visit Leeds United. The two sides both sacked their managers this month and they’ll meet with only Leeds having named a permanent replacement – former Watford and Valencia coach, Javi Gracia. The Saints, meanwhile, have given Rubén Sellés their top job, at least until the end of the season. The Spaniard earned his chance having taken charge of last weekend’s victory at Chelsea.

🇮🇹 Fresh from a 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt in their Champions League R16 tie and basking in their current 15-point lead at the top of Serie A, times are good for Napoli. And they’ll be even better if they can continue their six game winning streak at mid-table Empoli on Saturday. They will, however, come up against one of the best rated goalkeepers in the league – Guglielmo Vicario’s save percentage of 70.7% in the league isn’t far behind Napoli’s Alex Meret (75.4%), despite the fact he plays behind a far leakier defence.

🇩🇪 The biggest game taking place in the Bundesliga on Saturday gives Borussia Dortmund the opportunity to temporarily move three points clear at the top of the table.

Going in to the weekend level on points with leaders Bayern and Union Berlin – who play each other on Sunday – Dortmund can make it nine wins on the bounce with victory at Hoffenheim. Elsewhere, fifth meets sixth as RB Leipzig take on Eintracht Frankfurt at the end of a week where both featured in the Champions League – Leipzig drawing with Manchester City while Frankfurt lost that game to Napoli.

Sunday

Sunday is shaping up to be a massive day in the calendar with huge games taking place everywhere.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Perhaps top of the bill, which historically isn’t always the case, is the Carabao Cup Final. England’s League Cup competition is making waves this season, mainly due to the fact that Newcastle United have made the final – their first under their new ownership and also their first this century! Could we finally see the Magpies lift what would be a first major trophy since 1969?

Their opponents, Manchester United, couldn’t come into the game off the back of a better result having recovered to knock Barcelona out of the Europa League on Thursday evening. There are signs that Erik ten Hag is building something special at Old Trafford and United will start the final unbeaten in nine.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 It’s League Cup Final day in Scotland too, and for the 16th time in the competition’s history, we’ve got a meeting between arch-rivals Rangers and Celtic. This latest battle between the Old Firm comes nearly two months after they last met, at Ibrox in January, when Celtic equalised late on in an entertaining 2-2 draw.

In the league, Celtic currently boast a nine point lead as they look to retain the title but historically speaking, the Gers have the upper hand in the League Cup – winning nine Old Firm Finals to Celtic’s six.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Back in the Premier League, they’ll be no love lost when Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur face his former club, and London rivals, Chelsea. The man himself, however, will not be present as he continues to recover from his recent surgery.

The pressure is certainly on Graham Potter, the current incumbent of the Chelsea job, but a win at fourth placed Spurs would at least go some way to earning him a bit of credibility amongst a disillusioned fanbase.

🇫🇷 If it wasn’t for Lionel Messi’s 95th minute free-kick winner against Lille last weekend, we could have been going in to Sunday’s Classique with just two points separating PSG and Marseille at the top of Ligue 1.

Instead, PSG go into this contest against their nemesis in French football with the relative comfort of a five point gap. But with injuries to key players mounting up and the upcoming return leg against Bayern in the Champions League to distract them, L’OM might just fancy their chances. After all, they did defeat their rivals just a matter of three short weeks ago in the Coupe de France and they come in to the game with one competitive defeat in 12 games since the post-World Cup restart.

There are other important games elsewhere in Ligue 1 with third placed Monaco (who are no means out of the title race) facing Nice plus the clash between great Breton or Western rivals Nantes and Rennes.

🇩🇪 As mentioned, Sunday also sees the clash between title rivals in the Bundesliga, with Bayern hosting Union Berlin.

With the leaders losing at Gladbach last weekend, Union drawing, and Dortmund winning we were left with the quirk that all three sit level on 73 points. Bayern’s vastly superior goal difference (+40!) means they’ll start this game as favourites, although they may not be leading the table come kick-off, depending on Dortmund’s earlier result. For their part, Union have nothing to lose – they’ve already exceeded all expectations this season, even qualifying for the Round of 16 in the Europa League, following victory over Dutch heavyweights Ajax in the week. They remain unbeaten in 2023.

The earlier meeting between these two ended in a 1-1 draw back in September.

🇮🇹 The two Milan clubs feature in Serie A, bookending the day’s action, with Inter starting early and Milan headlining.

Inter (2nd), Napoli’s nearest but distant title rivals, travel to eighth placed Bologna unbeaten in six, a run in which they’ve conceded just twice. They also took a vital 1-0 lead over Porto in their Champions League R16 game on Wednesday night, albeit, coach Simone Inzaghi was left ruing the fact that they didn’t score more.

Their title defence now all but over, Milan (4th) need to concentrate on gaining a top four finish and they come up against one of their rivals for that – Atalanta – who currently sit sixth but only three points below them. After a woeful start to the year, Stefano Pioli has steadied the ship and Milan have now won 1-0 in each of their last three fixtures while Atalanta have lost three of their last four.

🇪🇸 In Spain, Barcelona need to shake off any lasting effect of that Europa League defeat at Manchester United and concentrate on what matters most, regaining the league title after a three year barren spell. They start the weekend eight points clear of Real Madrid and they’ll be confident of at least retaining that advantage as they go to Almería, who only sit outside of the bottom three by virtue of a superior head-to-head record against their relegation rivals.

To read more about what’s coming up in LaLiga this weekend, you can read our league specific preview – here.

If you want to follow any of the games mentioned above, click on the relevant link and tap the bell icon to receive all the key match updates.

Or join us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to discuss all the important football going on this weekend!

Cover Image from IMAGO

Feb

2023

LaLiga Preview: Barça must concentrate on the league while Madrid prepare for the Derby

It’s been a busy week for Spain’s top teams so join us as we review the mixed fortunes for Barcelona and Real Madrid while also looking ahead to this weekend’s action in LaLiga.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

Can Barcelona lift themselves after Old Trafford?

Winning LaLiga this season has assumed even greater importance for Barcelona following another European disappointment. The Catalan club were knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United on Thursday night following a 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford and will now seek solace from the domestic competition.

“We have to pick ourselves up,” Xavi said after the game. “Tomorrow afternoon, we train. On Saturday, we go to Almería and on Sunday, fortunately, we have a game. We have to react. We are well positioned in Liga, in the Copa [del Rey] and we have to change the chip.”

Barcelona meet fierce rivals Real Madrid over two legs in the Copa del Rey in March and April and in LaLiga, Xavi’s side lead Los Blancos by eight points at the top of the table.

The Blaugrana beat Cadíz 2-0 at Camp Nou last Sunday in a routine win at Camp Nou and will now hope to bounce back from their European disappointment with all three points at 17-placed Almería.

Xavi’s side have conceded only seven goals in LaLiga this season, but let in four over two games against United. “I don’t know why [there is such a difference],” the coach said. “We have played against big teams, really strong rivals. We have competed, but we missed out because of details. We’ll try again next year.”

Barça have not won LaLiga since 2018-19 and a 27th title would still represent a positive season after a period of transition at Camp Nou. Pedri and Ousmane Dembélé remain sidelined through injury.

Real and Atlético get set for Derby Day

It was a far happier week for Real Madrid in Europe. Los Blancos produced an amazing comeback at Anfield on Tuesday night to beat Liverpool 5-2 after finding themselves 2-0 down after 14 minutes in the first leg of the teams’ Champions League last-16 tie.

Real now host Atlético in the Madrid derby at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, a fixture Diego Simeone’s side won both times during Carlo Ancelotti’s first spell in charge. Atlético went on to win at the Bernabeu in 2015-16 as well to record three consecutive derby wins at their rivals’ stadium for the first time ever, but they have not won there since.

Madrid beat Osasuna 2-0 away from home last weekend, while Atlético were 1-0 winners at home to Athletic Club at the Metropolitano in a game which was also notable for their tribute to the Basque side. Atleti were founded by three students from Bilbao in 1903 as a branch of the Basque club and in the year of Athletic’s 125th anniversary, the Madrid side wore orange at home to allow the visitors to play in red and white.

There will be no such grand gestures against Real Madrid, whose fans will remember how Atlético refused to give Los Blancos a guard of honour in LaLiga last season. Atlético released a statement to say the guard of honour was no longer a sign of respect, as it had been previously intended, but “an attempt at ridicule” and “an exaggerated, artificial controversy.”

While Madrid need a win to stay in the title race, Atlético are now just two points behind Real Sociedad in third and will also look to consolidate their place in the Champions League positions. The Rojiblancos are currently four ahead of fifth-placed Real Betis.

Valencia and Villarreal need to turn it around

Valencia remain in big trouble after a 1-0 defeat at Getafe on Monday night. New coach Rubén Baraja was unable to stop the rot as the club fell to their seventh defeat in eight games and against Real Sociedad at Mestalla this weekend, there will be more protests against unpopular owner Peter Lim.

“I respect opinions, but we think that, through hard work and making the players believe that the situation can be turned around, we can do it,” Baraja said after the loss to Getafe.

Valencia face a difficult run of fixtures, with Real Sociedad, Barcelona and Atlético in their next four games.

Nearby Villarreal are also struggling and coach Quique Setien is under pressure after four consecutive defeats. The Yellow Submarine are at home to Getafe on Monday.

The latest round of matches gets underway tonight, with Real Betis in action at bottom club Elche, still with just one win to their name in LaLiga all season.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 LaLiga season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2023

Marcus Rashford: Manchester United’s not-so-secret weapon

Marcus Rashford is the most in-form player in Europe right now.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Since returning from the World Cup, the 25-year-old has scored 16 goals and chipped in with four assists in just 17 appearances across all competitions. He’s the only player across Europe’s top five leagues to have 20 goal involvements during this period, seven clear of Karim Benzema in second.

What is frightening about this run of form is that the England international hasn’t just racked up impressive figures in a single match to skew the numbers. He’s scored or assisted in all but two games. Right now there is an air of inevitability about the Manchester United No.10.

All things considered, it has been a meteoric turnaround. Last season, Rashford finished with just four Premier League goals. Granted, he was plagued by a shoulder injury for a significant part of the campaign and then utilised in various roles as Ralf Rangnick tried to put his stamp on things during his time as interim manager. The majority of his minutes arrived on the right side of the pitch for the Red Devils.

By comparison, the majority of his minutes have arrived from the left post-World Cup, though he did start the match against Leicester City as a centre-forward. Rashford is much more comfortable when allowed to cut inside, so the left-wing berth suits his game and skill set.

Erik Ten Hag has managed to get Rashford back on track after a difficult two-year spell. Having scored a career-high 17 Premier League goals during the 2019/20 campaign, he managed just 15 across the next two seasons.

“He has so many skills, such high potential and I think there can be even more. When he works well, he will even score more goals because he can score with his left, right and his head.”

Speaking after Rashford netted a double in the 3-0 win over Leicester to take United to within three points of neighbours Manchester City, Ten Hag heaped praise on his prolific attacker, saying: “He has so many skills, such high potential and I think there can be even more. When he works well, he will even score more goals because he can score with his left, right and his head.”

The club are reportedly working on a new deal for the academy graduate with his current one expiring after the 2023/24 campaign comes to an end. They will be desperate to tie him down to see exactly how he can develop under the former Ajax manager.

United have worked on a system to get the versatile forward much more involved this term. For example, last season, Rashford finished the campaign with an Expected Goals per 90 average of just 0.23. He was attempting 1.6 shots – fewer than a number of United players including Paul Pogba – and significantly behind the four racked up on a per 90 basis by Cristiano Ronaldo.

When the legendary Portuguese forward returned to Old Trafford, everything was geared towards him and it meant others, like Rashford, suffered. It is no coincidence that since his departure, the United No.10 has seen his averages spike.

His Expected Goals per 90 average has almost doubled (0.43) as have his shots per 90 (three up from 1.6). Simply put, he is now much more of a threat and United are reaping the rewards. Rashford has a clean striking technique and is one of the purest finishers in the Premier League when he’s confident. This is backed up by the numbers too. His Expected Goals haul for the Premier League season is 9.9 but his Expected Goals on Target (xGOT) total is 12.2. The latter stat takes into account where the shot hits the target and assigns a value to that as opposed to assigning a value to where the shot is taken from.

If a player’s xGOT is higher than their xG, their shot placement is adding value to the efforts. Given we’re 24 matches into the season, you can confidently say this is more than just a purple patch.

So Ten Hag is giving his best finisher more opportunities. It doesn’t take a genius but the Dutch tactician deserves plaudits for creating an environment for Rashford to flourish. A consequence of this is United find themselves in a title race and still competing for all four trophies in February.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Premier League season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2023

Serie A Review: Three takeaways from Round 23

This week we focus on contrasting seasons for Simone Inzaghi’s in-form Inter Milan and the goal shy Fiorentina class of 2022/23. And with Milan now boasting three clean sheets in a row, German centre-back Malick Thiaw has been catching the eye.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Inter are clearly the second best team in Serie A

Inter have been in fine form domestically having only lost twice in their last 15 league games. They’ve now emerged as the clear number two in the league behind Napoli, who are currently 15 points above second place. What the Nerazzurri have done so well under Simone Inzaghi this season is battle adversity. Consider that the club has only gotten two goals from star striker Romelu Lukaku and has seen their best midfielder Marcelo Brozović miss a large chunk of the season. On paper, these two issues should’ve had a bigger effect on the club, but the replacements have stepped up in stunning fashion. Most notable, Hakan Çalhanoğlu has completely redefined his game under Inzaghi. An inconsistent player who alternated between left wing and attacking midfield at Milan, he’s become a much more solid player in a deeper role at Inter. He’s been especially impressive filling in for Brozović in that deep lying playmaker role right in front of the defence, so much so that Inter have hardly missed the Croatian during his time on the sidelines.

Another player who has benefited from the injuries has been the 34-year-old Henrikh Mkhitaryan. “Miki” was brought in last summer to give Inter a more offensive midfield weapon off the bench after the departures of Arturo Vidal and Matias Vecino, but he’s been a regular in the lineup playing alongside Çalhanoğlu and the box-to-box Nicolo Barella. There were questions about Mkhitaryan’s salary given that he should be entering the twilight of his career, but his intelligence and tactical awareness has given Inzaghi’s 3-5-2 a more technical look in midfield.

While Inter were favourites to win the Scudetto last season, they’ve taken a backseat along with everyone else in the league to a historic Napoli side that is currently dominating the league. Even without a Scudetto, you could argue the Nerazzurri season has been a success. They demolished their rivals Milan to hoist the Italian Super Cup, got out of the Champions League group stage, and will face Juventus in the Coppa Italia semi-finals.

Fiorentina’s poor season

23 rounds in and Fiorentina are creeping dangerously close to a relegation spot in Serie A. A sluggish 1-1 draw to Empoli over the weekend has continued their meek form. They’ve been perhaps the biggest disappointment of the season in Italy. From a Conference League finish last season under the exciting manager Vincenzo Italiano, to this disappointment of a campaign that’s seen them pick up only two points from a possible 18 in 2023. The problems are evident and quite simple to identify – goalscoring.

Simply put, Fiorentina has not been able to replace the stellar form of Dušan Vlahović, who was sold to rivals Juventus a year ago. Since then, they’ve been sputtering up top in a system that should be beneficial for a striker. Italiano’s Fiore have some of the best possession and passing statistics in the league. They’re a team that plays with a high defensive line and wants to keep all of the possession in the opponent’s half of the pitch.

The issue is that they force teams into a low block and have no one who can score on the endless amount of crosses they send into the box. Luka Jović has been a disappointment so far – three goals in 20 appearances (with an xG of nearly 5).The other strikers haven’t fared much better. Arthur Cabral was signed for €14m from Basel where he was terrorising the Swiss League, but hasn’t been able to get anywhere near his goal scoring totals at his old club, having only found the back of the net six times in 32 league matches. Compare this to Dušan Vlahović’s form at Fiore – 17 goals in 21 matches in his final season in Tuscany, and the team’s struggles in the league become easy to understand.

The Viola also have three very quick and tricky wingers in Jonathan Ikoné, Riccardo Sottil and Nico González. The problem for them is they have no space to run into. Teams playing Fiorentina are essentially pinned back into their own final third, which creates no room for these wide players to operate in. This wouldn’t be nearly as glaring an issue if they had someone finishing off all of the chances, and it would probably highlight things Fiorentina do well, like their passing and strong midfield play.

The President Rocco Commiso isn’t shy about voicing his opinion, and you’d expect wholesale changes if Fiorentina end the season near the drop zone.

The rise of Malick Thiaw

Milan’s nightmarish start to 2023 has finally ended and they’ve now won three consecutive games with a 1-0 scoreline, including the all-important first leg against Spurs in the Champions League. The new constant? Thiaw started from the first minute in each of those three clean sheets.

The 21-year-old German centre-back needed some time to finally be trusted by coach Stefano Pioli. He hardly saw any minutes in the first half of the season, but injuries to Fikayo Tomori and the inclusion of a three man back-line meant there was suddenly space for the youngster to show off his ability. Thiaw had considerable experience before joining Milan – he played an entire season in the German second division with Schalke as well as 18 games in the Bundesliga. Milan took advantage of Schalke’s relegation woes by signing him last summer for a measly €7m, a fee that now looks to be a bargain with how well Thiaw has answered the call and slotted into Milan’s new look defence. What’s even more impressive with him is how comfortable he looked in his Champions League debut against Tottenham. Thiaw not only looks intelligent from a positional standpoint and imposing in the air, but he’s also confident on the ball. It was the centre-back’s long pass down the flank to Theo Hernández that set up the only goal of the game.

As it stands, Thiaw seems to be following a path similar to that of Pierre Kalulu last season. Kalulu only got his starts after Simon Kjaer went down with a serious injury, and quickly did well partnering Fikayo Tomori and leading Milan to their first Scudetto in more than a decade. Now, we may see both Tomori and Kalulu welcome a new impressive young defender in Thiaw to play alongside them.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Serie A season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2023

Bundesliga Review: The title race just got interesting

The pressure had been building over the last few months, but now we have a fully-fledged title race in Germany. Dropped points, extraordinary runs and top gears. Strap in, the Achterbahn is mid-loop.

By Chris Williams, our Bundesliga expert

Three-way fight

That’s right, we’ve gone from a two-way scrap to a three, the end of Matchday 21 saw Bayern lead the way at the top of the table, but only by virtue of their better goal difference.

Borussia Dortmund and Union Berlin are keeping tabs on the record champions as the three clubs are locked on 43 points each. Freiburg are fourth on 40 and don’t rule out RB Leipzig just yet – Marco Rose’s side sits fifth on 39.

Out of the five sides which make up the breakaway bunch at the summit, it is Dortmund who raised eyebrows the most with a stunning set of results – the Schwarzgelben are now on an eight-game winning streak, which includes a robust performance in the UEFA Champions League against Chelsea as the Round of 16 got underway.

Beautiful Borussia

Dortmund’s ascendancy over the last few weeks has been down to their versatility and goals from all areas on the pitch. Sébastian Haller continued his tremendous recovery by bagging his first Bundesliga goal in front of the Yellow Wall on World Cancer Day.

Karim Adeyemi did his best Roadrunner impression, leaving Chelsea with a European headache, but these are areas in which you’d expect Dortmund to be scoring from. However, it is their spread of goals which has seen them bring a challenge to Bayern München more seriously this season.

The departure of Erling Haaland has meant Edin Terzić has had to adapt, and that is just what the head coach has done, with 33 goals from eight different players and from all three outfield areas, they are no longer relying on one pair of boots to deliver their wins.

Gladbach might be a little further down the table, they might have lost their number one goalkeeper to Bayern, but Daniel Farke’s men are still the Bavarain’s bogey-team.

A 3-2 win at home against Julian Nagelsmann’s side means The Foals are unbeaten in their last five matches against their old foes, but this particular iteration left the Bayern head coach apoplectic, for reasons explained later.

But as it is, Borussia Mönchengladbach created the storm that now sees the title race well and truly on!

The Midfield

Starting slightly below the midfield of the table, well rock bottom, are Schalke. The Gelsenkirchen side are without a doubt the most boring club to watch. In their last 360 minutes of football they have neither scored or conceded a goal, a run of four 0-0 draws continues to mark them out as German dishwater, favourites for the drop to 2.Bundesliga, they need a miracle once again to stop their all-but-certain descent down.

Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen are locked in the mid-table positions and continue to flatter to deceive.

Xabi Alonso’s pharmaceutical-backed Werkself played out a nailbiter of a fixture in their Europa League knockout first leg against AS Monaco, but were left deflated by Axel Disasi’s 90+2 minute 3-2 winner. They then fell by the same score – in almost the exact same way – to Mainz, Marcus Ingvartsen with a late penalty to heap on the misery.

Werder find themselves 11th but oddly enough have the Bundesliga’s top scorer in their ranks, Niclas Füllkrug tops the charts with 13 goals. However, the 30-year-old hasn’t found the net in his last three matches, and his nearest rival Christopher Nkunku came back from an injury lay-off to assist a goal in Leipzig’s 3-0 win in Wolfsburg.

Refereeing Spotlight

It’s not something we’re that used to in the Bundesliga, controversial decisions – certainly not to the frequency seen in other leagues across Europe, but we have seen a few the last two weeks.

Firstly there was a small uproar in Bochum as Jamie Bynoe-Gittens was adjudged to have deliberately handled the ball in the box during the Bochum Dortmund DFB Pokal match. The penalty was converted but Dortmund won so the afters were quickly forgotten, but Matchday 21 saw a cracker – or not, depending on your viewpoint.

Bayern felt harshly treated in their defeat to Gladbach after Dayot Upamecano was dismissed just eight minutes into the match, denying an obvious goal-scoring opportunity for Alassane Pléa.

The touch from Upamecano on Pléa was so slight that many, including the Bayern head coach, thought it was not at the threshold considered a foul, namely normal football contact. One man didn’t and that was Tobias Welz who defended his decision on German TV the day after.

“Of course, it was a very close call. There are arguments for both sides. The contact on the shoulder was the decisive argument for me” Weltz said, Naggelsman didn’t agree and now faces a charge from the DFB after storming the officials’ changing room after the match, for which he later apologised.

As we say goodbye for another few weeks, what awaits us next? Will Union continue their heroics in both the Bundesliga and Europa League, will Dortmund go a bit Dortmundy after all, and can Bayern be toppled? We’ll just have to wait and see.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Bundesliga season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Feb

2023

Last Weekend: PSG’s turnaround against Lille, WWC Qualification drama and more

There seems to be an ever-increasing amount of football every weekend as new competitions keep popping up while ongoing ones are only heating up, so we are getting spoilt for choice in terms of matches to pick for our weekly column. Once again, we have managed to whittle our list down to six, including a Women’s World Cup qualification playoff.

By Neel Shelat

🇫🇷 France: PSG 4-3 Lille

After their defeat to Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek, Paris Saint-Germain had to turn their focus back to domestic proceedings as they hosted an impressive Lille side who were sure to provide a tough test.

Paulo Fonseca’s side did have the best of starts to the season, but the Portuguese tactician managed to find a successful formula from an asymmetrical 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Lille lose just one of their 11 matches post-World Cup. That run propelled them up from seventh during the break to the European spots, but Rennes remained hot on their heels.

A trip to the Parc de Princes is always tough, especially when PSG have each of their three attacking superstars on display. Kylian Mbappé was making his first start since his recent muscle injury, and he stole the show early on by bulldozing past the Lille defence on their right before squeezing his finish in at the near post. A few minutes later, Neymar made it 2-0 at the end of the nice team move, and the hosts seemed in control.

Set-pieces would prove to be their undoing, though. Bafodé Diakité pulled one back from a corner in the 24th minute, and in the early stages of the second half, Marco Verratti gave away a penalty from a similar situation, which Jonathan David scored. The Italian midfielder was also at fault for the third goal as he lost the ball in midfield, which ultimately led to Jonathan Bamba going through on goal and finding the back of the net.

At this point, PSG looked in real trouble. They were on course for their fourth-consecutive defeat which would cut their league lead down to a couple of points ahead of Le Classique next weekend, which in turn would provide Marseille with the chance to leapfrog them. Worse yet, Neymar had gone off with a nasty-looking ankle injury which could well keep him out for a few weeks.

But, the defending champions still had a couple of world-class players on the pitch, and they turned the match around late on. Mbappé equalised in the 87th minute before Lionel Messi won a free-kick in a dangerous position deep into stoppage time. Obviously, he was going to take it, and what happened next seemed inevitable.

Performance-wise, there still should be a lot of questions asked of PSG, but this late turnaround could be season-changing. Their five-point buffer at the top of the league has been maintained, so they have a bit of breathing room that could prove crucial in being able to rest players ahead of the all-important second leg against Bayern Munich.

🏆 Women’s World Cup Inter-Confederation play-off: Chinese Taipei 2-2 Paraguay (2-4 pens)

It’s barely been a couple of months since the 2022 World Cup ended in Qatar, but it is already time to look forward to the next one. We already know 29 of the 32 teams that will be competing in Australia and New Zealand this year, so all that is left is to decide the three remaining contestants.

That is being done through an inter-confederation playoff tournament, which kicked off this weekend. The 10 contestants have been into two groups of three and one of four, each of which will see one winner through one-off knockouts. In Groups A and B, Chile and Portugal have been given byes to the final, so Group C is the only one that had two semi-finals. Both were played on Sunday at the site of the World Cup.

The first one pit Chinese Taipei, commonly known as Taiwan, against Paraguay. The former have one Women’s World Cup finals appearance to their name from the inaugural edition in 1991 and were the highest-ranked side in this group. Their opponents have never made it to the World Cup in the past, but they were a side on the up having finished fourth in the latest Copa América.

Paraguay seemed to be in for yet more disappointment as they conceded within a quarter of an hour, and went two down with 15 minutes left. They came roaring back thereafter, though, scoring twice in the space of two minutes to take the game to extra time.

After a goalless half-hour, we seemed on course for penalties until the VAR invited the referee to take a look at a potential penalty incident in favour of Taiwan. It was given, so Hsin-hsuan Pao stepped up with a chance to take her nation through to the playoff final, but she blazed it over.

She would also have her spot-kick saved in the shoot-out after a teammate failed to convert an earlier attempt, meaning Paraguay advanced to the final. They will face Panama, who got the better of Papua New Guinea later that day.

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Feyenoord 2-1 AZ

There was a top-of-the-table clash in the Eredivisie this weekend as the top two squared off, but neither of the sides were called Ajax or PSV. Instead, it was Feyenoord who welcomed AZ to Rotterdam with a two-point gap separating the sides before kick-off.

The hosts went into this fixture on a 13-match unbeaten run in all competitions, and they knew that they would remain at the summit of the standings if they managed to preserve that. Things did not get off to a good start, though, as AZ drew first blood 17 minutes in when Javairô Dilrosun diverted a corner into his own net.

That proved to be a wake-up call that the league leaders really needed, as they dominated proceedings thereafter. Alireza Jahanbaksh equalised on the stroke of half-time, but his side would be frustrated in the second period as they created loads of chances but failed to change the scoreline as the end of the match grew ever closer.

In the last month, Feyenoord have scored some decisive late goals, including against PSV in the league and versus NEC Nijmegen to stay alive in the cup. They needed to repeat the trick here, and did just that thanks to a deflected left-footed effort from right-back Marcus Pedersen, who could not have picked a better occasion to score his first goal for the club.

That late winner could prove to be crucial in the title race come the end of the season, as it enabled Feyenoord to pull five points clear of their opponents. Their main rivals definitely seem to be Ajax, though, and the three-time defending champions are now three points below them.

🇩🇪 Germany: Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-2 Bayern München

The concept of bogey teams is a bit of a puzzling one to explain, but it definitely is a thing. Bayern volunteered to reinforce that this weekend, as they came up against a Borussia Mönchengladbach side that they had failed to beat in their last four encounters – with two draws and two losses.

The reverse fixture in the league this season ended 1-1 thanks to an absolute masterclass between the sticks from Yann Sommer, who made a whopping 19 saves and prevented about three more goals based on the xGOT (Expected Goals on Target) model. He took to the field for this match too, but in Bavarian colours having switched allegiances in the winter transfer window. With that, Bayern would have hoped that the curse would be broken.

Clearly, it runs deeper than that because the decisive moment of the match came just eight minutes in when Dayot Upamecano got sent off for tripping Alassane Pléa, who was otherwise through on goal. Gladbach took the lead through Lars Stindl five minutes later and would have been expected to comfortably see out the win, but that was not to be.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting equalised ten minutes before half-time, so the hosts needed to retake the lead in the second period through Jonas Hofmann. They only really seemed comfortable after Marcus Thuram added a buffer in the 84th minute, which proved to be crucial since Mathys Tel pulled one back in stoppage time but could not change the result.

This result ended a 20-match unbeaten run in all competitions for Bayern, but more importantly, it made their lead assailable. The next day, Union Berlin took on Schalke with a chance to go two points clear at the top, but they could only manage a goalless draw. Borussia Dortmund beat Hertha Berlin later to make it three teams level on points at the top of the table.

🇪🇸 Spain: Atlético Madrid 1-0 Athletic Club

Atlético Madrid got the better of Athletic Club in a close match between two European contenders on Sunday night in LaLiga. This was a match of very few clear-cut chances, decided by a smart run and finish by Antoine Griezmann in the 73rd minute.

That maintains Atlético’s four-point buffer in fourth place, while Athletic Club missed the chance to capitalise on Rayo Vallecano’s slip-up against Sevilla and move into the top six. The reason we decided to discuss this match has little to do with that, though. In fact, it has little to do with the match itself, except for the fact that Atlético were wearing their third kit at home.

The reason behind that was that Atlético were honouring the 125th anniversary of Athletic Club’s foundation (which is technically in July). Indirectly, this was a big occasion for them too since they were initially founded as a subsidiary of Athletic Club in Madrid by a few Basque people studying in the city.

That is the reason why the two clubs’ home strips look so similar. Until they split, Atlético obviously wore the same kits as Athletic, so when the latter changed from a blue and white strip to a red and white strip (which rumour has it has something to do with the club president going to buy shirts in England, failing to find Blackburn Rovers’ kits and returning with Southampton’s instead), they followed suit.

In the present day, the two clubs have had a bit of a rivalry but maintain close relations for the most part, as was evident in the pre-match tribute to Athletic Club at the Wanda Metropolitano this weekend.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 West Ham United

Speaking of bogey teams, Tottenham Hotspur are a curious case study. They famously seem to have Manchester City’s number, but then struggle against West Ham. In three of the last four seasons, they have been defeated in the league by the Irons. Earlier this season, they only managed a draw at the London Stadium, which makes them the only big six club other than Chelsea that West Ham have taken points off this season.

David Moyes’ side surprisingly find themselves in the midst of a relegation battle this season, and they started the match in the drop zone after slipping down as a result of wins for Everton and Bournemouth earlier in the weekend. Their form was decent, though, as they had beaten Everton, advanced in the FA Cup and taken points off Newcastle United and Chelsea prior to this fixture.

Tottenham, on the other hand, endured a tough week as they shipped four to Leicester City in the Premier League before losing the first leg of their Champions League tie against Milan at San Siro. They had the chance to come away with a positive after Newcastle’s loss to Liverpool opened a door to the top four for them.

In the first half, it seemed they would be squandering this opportunity. Neither side managed to create a clear-cut chance so they went in level at the break. Moyes would have been pleased to see that as it meant his decision to switch to a 5-3-2 shape out of possession had paid off.

Spurs would find a way to break through it about ten minutes into the second half, when both their wing-backs made runs into the channels. Ben Davies ran onto a through ball, which he squared for Emerson Royal to score. A little bit later, Son Heung-min came off the bench for just the second time in the league this season and scored again, putting the result beyond doubt.

Ultimately, this was a deserved win for Tottenham which takes them into the Champions League spots – at least until Newcastle play their game in hand. The relegation battle is very real for West Ham, though, so they need to start getting more points on the board.

Cover Image from IMAGO