FotMob TOTW – Round 15
With Salah & Núñez clicking for Liverpool and Tielemans & Maddison pulling the strings for Leicester, can we expect both to continue their rise up the table? It’s Maddison that takes our top rating after the win over Everton (9.1).
Who missed out? Have your say in the comments on Instagram.
In truth, we could write a column’s worth of words about the MLS Cup final and still not do it full justice, but we’ll try to cover some other matches too. Those include Aston Villa’s win over Manchester United, some big rivalries across Europe and the J.League title decider.
By Neel Shelat
Well, where do we even begin? Let us set the scene first: The Banc of California Stadium hosted the MLS Cup final between LAFC and Philadelphia Union on Saturday. The knockout format of the MLS Cup has often drawn criticism (especially from purists), but on this occasion, it was the two sides who finished level on points in the Supporters’ Shield, so the winner would certainly be fully deserving of the accolade.
If you had to pick a favourite, you would probably say LAFC as their squad looked stronger on paper and their underlying numbers over the course of the regular season looked more impressive too. They started the match on the front foot and were eventually rewarded for their efforts when Kellyn Acosta’s free-kick took a deflection off the wall and went in just before the half-hour mark.
The Union were forced to be more attacking in the second period, so they kept more possession on the other side of the half-time break and tried to make things happen. They got exactly what they wanted in the 59th minute, as Daniel Gazdag equalised after a set-piece. A little later, the madness began.
Jesús Murillo was celebrating in the 83rd minute after scoring a go-ahead goal from a corner from LAFC, but before the home fans had somewhat calmed down, Jack Elliott responded in kind after a set-piece to take the game to extra time.
The first 20 or so minutes were relatively uneventful, but then there was a massive twist in the tale. LAFC had a man sent off after Maxime Crépeau took out Cory Burke in a bid to reach a loose back pass, but more concerningly, he suffered a horrific injury in the process. That led to a long break in play which left us with eight minutes of stoppage-time, where Elliott scored from a set-piece situation again to seemingly win the Cup for Philadelphia.
The 10 men of LAFC desperately searched for an equaliser, and somehow, they eventually found one in the 128th minute through summer signing and extra time substitute Gareth Bale, who has quite a habit of scoring important goals in the biggest games. That meant that after 120 minutes of drama, we were off to penalties.
Crépeau’s injury meant that Philadelphia-born John McCarthy was in goal for LAFC. In his time with the Union, he had made a name for himself as a penalty specialist, and that reputation was set to be tested against his hometown club on the biggest of stages. Both sides failed to convert their first attempt, but then McCarthy rose to the occasion as he made two saves while his teammates buried their next three attempts, sealing the MLS Cup in the process.
With that, LAFC lifted their first-ever piece of postseason silverware, and also became the eighth side to do the Supporters’ Shield-MLS Cup double.
Sunday marked the return of Unai Emery to the English Premier League, almost three years since he was sacked by Arsenal. After a successful stint at Villarreal, the Spaniard returned to England when Aston Villa came calling after dismissing Steven Gerrard.
Emery named his first XI in what could be described as a 4-2-3-1 formation.
However, the usage of Jacob Ramsey and Emiliano Buendía in the wide attacking positions meant that this system looked quite unique in possession. Those two players are midfielders by trade so they tucked infield to the half-spaces, creating quite a narrow shape. This was not too dissimilar from what he had done at Villarreal.
Another similarity to his work at Villarreal was Aston Villa’s defensive shape, which was a compact 4-4-2 block. That worked pretty well, as Manchester United were restricted to an xG tally of 0.52 from 8 shots, scoring only through an own goal.
To be fair, Villa themselves did not look exceptional going forward as they only managed to get 6 shots away, but half of them went in including Leon Bailey’s early strike, Lucas Digne’s free-kick and Jacob Ramsey’s finish early in the second half. That was enough for what was just Aston Villa’s second win since the start of October.
Next up, they will be facing United again in the League Cup in midweek before travelling to Brighton for their last pre-World Cup league fixture. Then, a six-week break should give Emery enough time to implement his ideas properly with this squad.
It was time for De Topper in the Netherlands, as league-leaders Ajax hosted second-placed PSV on Sunday.
The home side started off well, but 23 minutes in, a typical PSV goal that saw Cody Gakpo deliver a right-footed cross from the left to a tall man in the box (namely Luuk de Jong on this particular occasion) gave them the lead. A few minutes into the second half, this advantage was doubled when Erick Gutiérrez netted from close range after a corner. Substitute Lorenzo Lucca pulled one back for Ajax in the 83rd minute, but by then it was a case of too little too late.
Tempers did flare up on a couple of occasions in this match as there were some scuffles from time to time including after the full-time whistle, but some relatively lenient refereeing enabled everyone to avoid a sending-off. So, despite creating little in the way of attack, PSV came away with a crucial win that takes them to top of the table.
Sunday was derby day in Serie A, as two huge fixtures were scheduled back-to-back. First, Roma took on Lazio in the Derby della Capitale, and after that, it was time for the Derby d’Italia between Juventus and Inter.
Both sides had begun the season in an underwhelming fashion which left them 13 and 11 points away from the league leaders Napoli respectively, so if either of them still harboured hopes of participating in the title race, they were already close to must-win territory.
Massimiliano Allegri’s side were arguably having the worse season so far as they also crashed out of the Champions League in the group stage, but they had some reason to be positive of late. In these tough times, youth team players such as Fabio Miretti, Nicolò Fagioli, Samuel Iling-Junior and Matías Soulé were coming to the fore and helping the side get some good results.
Miretti has somewhat become a regular starter, while Fagioli was given his full league debut in this match after scoring the winner against Lecce in midweek. He made the most of this opportunity by getting on the scoresheet once again late on in the match to cap off Juventus’ victory after Adrien Rabiot scored the opener in the 52nd minute.
Truthfully, the story of this match was more about a really bland performance from Inter than a great showing from the home side. The 2020/21 title winners missed some big chances in the first half, but more concerningly, showed a real lack of fight after going down and looked well beaten by the end.
This result leaves Inter down in seventh and outside the European spots as it stands, so perhaps they should shift their focus from gunning for the title to securing a Champions League spot next season.
Juventus vs Inter might not have had all the feistiness you would typically associate with a derby, but over in Spain, El Gran Derbi more than made up for it. Fourth-placed Real Betis were hosting Sevilla, who were down in 19th going into this fixture but were looking to set things right under recently-appointed head coach Jorge Sampaoli.
After a relatively peaceful first half an hour, the drama kicked off after the referee was called to the monitor by VAR to review a dangerous tackle by Sevilla right-back Gonzalo Montiel, who was subsequently sent off. Jesús Navas was sent on to plug the gap, but he ended up scoring an own goal with his (inadvertent) first touch of the ball.
There was more to come before half-time, as Nabil Fekir was sent off in stoppage time following a VAR review for a stray arm in an opponent’s face. So, Betis began the second half a goal up but with 10 against 10 in terms of players on the pitch – although that quickly changed when the referee completed his VAR-assisted hat-trick of red cards in the 49th minute. This time, Borja Iglesias was given his marching orders for stamping on an opponent’s foot.
With a 10-9 numerical advantage on the field, Sevilla then proceeded to pepper the Betis goal with shots, but some poor shooting and great defending meant that they could only score once through Nemanja Gudelj’s long-range screamer in the 81st minute and had to settle for a disappointing draw.
If you think this was a crazy game, wait until you hear about what happened between Boca Juniors and Racing Club in the Trofeo de Campeones final in Argentina, which saw just the 10 red cards at the end of extra time.
The headline act of the final matchday of the J.League season was the title race, which had gone right down to the wire after leaders Yokohoma F.Marinos were really stumbling over the line. Having lost two and drawn one of their last five league fixtures, they missed the chance to seal the title with a little breathing room to spare, so the pressure was well and truly on now.
They still maintained a two-point lead over Kawasaki Frontale, so their task was to visit Kobe and come away with at least a point, which would most likely have been enough for the title thanks to their goal difference advantage. The equation for Kawasaki, therefore, was to beat FC Tokyo and hope for a huge favour from Vissel Kobe.
Toru Oniki’s side held up their end of the bargain in the first half by taking an early lead, although going down to 10 men thereafter was not ideal. The trouble for them was that the Marinos took the lead before the half-hour mark too, but Kobe equalised in first half stoppage-time to make things really tense.
The numerically disadvantaged Kawasaki Frontale fought admirably in the second half where they clawed the lead back on two separate occasions after conceding an equaliser, but their efforts were in vain because Yokohoma F.Marinos retook the lead in the 53rd minute, and went on to add a third 20 minutes later to effectively seal the title.
So, Frontale’s bid to win a third-consecutive title failed as the Marinos lifted their first league title since 2019, and their fourth in club history.
Cover Image from IMAGO
It was more of the same this weekend in the Premier League as the title challengers both picked up maximum points while those vying for the Golden Boot added to their tallies. But what were the biggest talking points?
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Liverpool went into their game against Tottenham Hotspur knowing they had a great opportunity to claw back some points on rival teams. They went into the half-time break 2-0 up courtesy of a Mohamed Salah double.
The prolific wide forward now has 10 goals in his last 10 appearances across all competitions and 17 goal involvements in 18 matches. For a player who got off to a sluggish start, something we covered in a recent feature, this is an impressive return.
He put on a finishing clinic at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium. His two goals had an xG value of just 0.45, but his xG on target total was 1.15. Salah made the most of his chances with some expert finishing.
Unai Emery got off to a winning start as manager of Aston Villa as he watched his side romp to a 3-1 win over Manchester United at Villa Park.
However, the game wasn’t quite as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. The hosts racked up opportunities worth just 0.66, just slightly higher than Manchester United’s haul of 0.52. Some superb finishing was the difference on the day, with Leon Bailey, Lucas Digne and Jacob Ramsey all confidently firing the ball past David De Gea.
Emery will no doubt be happy with how his side limited the visitors. This was a United team unbeaten since the 6-3 loss to Manchester City over a month ago. However, he will probably be looking at his team to carve out more repeatable chances moving forward. Still, it was a huge three points and an encouraging performance.
At the time of writing this, Ralph Hasenhuttl is still the manager of Southampton. According to reports though, it is a matter of when and not if the Austrian tactician is removed from his post at St Marys (UPDATE: he has now gone!).
The 4-1 loss to Newcastle United on Sunday means the Saints find themselves in the relegation zone. They have just one win in their last eight, a 1-0 win over Bournemouth, and things are not looking good. Only three teams have scored fewer goals (12) this season while only five teams have conceded more (24).
If he does lose his job following the defeat to Champions League-chasing Newcastle, Hasenhuttl can count himself somewhat unlucky. The Saints had more shots and had an xG total that was double that of their visitors. The Magpies scored four of their seven chances in what was a freak result, all things considered.
Arsenal looked a little uneasy a couple of weeks ago. They eked out a 1-0 win over Leeds United and then played out a 1-1 draw with Southampton. The performances matched the results too, the Gunners weren’t as confident or as dominant as they had been.
Yet they have put in two back-to-back statement performances over recent weeks. They followed up the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest with a 1-0 win over Chelsea. Their performance at Stamford Bridge, however, deserved much more.
They had chances worth 2.11 Expected Goals and on another day it could’ve been yet another humbling defeat for Graham Potter and his side, just a week after the 4-1 loss to Brighton.
Arteta’s men are serious about their title challenge.
Manchester City are serious about their title challenge too.
Pep Guardiola’s side were down to 10-men inside half an hour at the Etihad on Saturday after João Cancelo was shown a straight red card. The resulting penalty was converted by Andreas Pereira and Fulham had over an hour to find a winner away to the reigning champions.
Erling Haaland started the game on the bench but was introduced with a little under 30 minutes remaining. He had the ball in the back of the net soon after but it was disallowed for offside. The goal machine eventually scored the winner, in the fifth minute of added time, after a controversial penalty was awarded. Antonee Robinson was adjudged to have fouled Kevin De Bruyne and Haaland’s tame effort somehow managed to wriggle past Bernd Leno.
It is the sort of result that people look back on at the end of the campaign and claim that is when they knew they’d win the title. It would be hard to argue with that.
Back-to-back wins have lifted Leeds into 12th position. They managed to build on their momentum following victory over Liverpool last weekend, but at half-time on Saturday it was a different story.
Rodrigo had given the hosts an early lead from the penalty spot but Bournemouth went into the break 2-1 up. Dominic Solanke then added a third not long after the break and it looked as though things could get messy at Elland Road.
The hosts netted twice during a frantic six-minute spell around the hour mark to restore parity and then it felt like a knockout game for the remaining 30 minutes, with both teams going for a win.
Leeds won it, with Crysencio Summerville again proving to be the match-winner, and you have to say they probably deserved it on the day, with more shots and better opportunities.
(Images from IMAGO)
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The best action to follow this weekend
🇪🇸 We start this week with the final game in the long career of one of the all-time great defenders; Gerard Piqué. The Barcelona legend announced his surprise – but perhaps not shocking – decision to retire on Thursday evening. Out of favour this season, and booed by his own fans, the most surprising aspect of Piqué’s statement was that his retirement was imminent – coming straight after Saturday’s home game against Almeriá.
So, Camp Nou will have a one final chance to pay tribute to a player who has won three Champions League, eight LaLiga titles, seven Copa del Reys, three FIFA Club World Cups and countless Super Cups with the club. And Gerard Piqué can go out with Barcelona sitting on top of LaLiga once more, should they beat the recently promoted side.
🏴 There are five games lined up for Saturday in the Premier League, starting with Manchester City‘s home clash with Fulham. Having successfully rounded off their Champions League group unbeaten thanks to Wednesday’s comeback win over Sevilla, City can now concentrate on their domestic title challenge – with just this game and next weekend’s round of fixtures coming before the World Cup break.
Brighton are the only other top half club involved as they go to a Wolves side still struggling for goals – they’ve scored just six in thirteen games to date. The day’s late kick-off comes at Goodison Park, where Everton entertain Leicester in a meeting between two of the league’s more inconsistent teams.
🇮🇹 Serie A provides a top of the table clash as Atalanta welcome Napoli to Bergamo. The hosts have the best defensive record in the division but go in to the game five points worse off than their unbeaten opponents. Napoli had gone 17 games without defeat across all competitions since the start of the season until they finally came unstuck, in the Champions League contest at Liverpool, on Tuesday night – not that the result stopped them progressing to the round of 16 as group winners.
Champions Milan also secured their place in the Champions League knockout stages during the week, and they get back to their title defence with a home fixture against Spezia – a side they lost to in the corresponding fixture last season.
🇩🇪 In the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund will be looking to extend their five game unbeaten run when they play local rivals Bochum in what is referred to as a minor Revierderby. Bayern can play their now weekly game of leapfrog with leaders Union Berlin, by going top of the table, with a win at Hertha – Union’s neighbours in the capital. Plus there’s the ‘derby’ between the German sides that fans love to hate – Hoffenheim (7th) vs. RB Leipzig (6th).
🇺🇸 Saturday also provides the culmination of the 27th season in MLS: The MLS Cup Final between LAFC and Philadelphia Union. Neither side have ever reached this stage of the traditional post-season jamboree but there can be no denying they were the two best performers during the regular season – LAFC winning the Western Conference, and Philadelphia doing the same in the East. Fitting then, that the top two seeds made it through the potential lottery of the play-offs.
The Los Angeles side may have won more regular season points to secure the Supporters Shield but the Union did score at a higher rate, and conceded less goals per game than their rivals, in the final. This one could be too close to call – especially with their one previous meeting this season ending in a 2-2 draw back in May.
🇹🇷 In Turkey, two of Istanbul’s three giant clubs face each other in one of the Süper Lig’s most anticipated fixtures. Fifth placed Galatasaray ‘entertain’ fourth placed Beşiktaş with both sides hoping a win will maintain their respective title bids as city-rivals, Fenerbahçe watch on – basking in their three point lead at the top of the table.
🏴 The Premier League has some treats lined up for you with another five games scheduled for Sunday. Current league leaders Arsenal face London rivals Chelsea in a contest that hasn’t produced a draw in the last six meetings. With Chelsea unbeaten at home in 11 games and smarting from last weekend’s debacle at Brighton, can Graham Potter’s side test Arsenal’s mettle as the number one ranked side away from home this season?
Later in the day, we’ll have Unai Emery’s Aston Villa taking on Manchester United, in-form Newcastle against Southampton and third placed Spurs clashing with Liverpool. Which Reds side will turn up for that one – the one who lost to Leeds in the league last weekend, or the version that ended the unbeaten run of the all-conquering Napoli side in midweek?
🇮🇹 It looks like being a mouthwatering day of action in Italy as two of Serie A’s biggest fixtures take place. Il premo comes in the form of the Rome Derby with José Mourinho’s Roma having the hosting duties against Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio in their shared Stadio Olimpico home. The sides are separated by just a point in the table, with Roma sitting directly above Lazio in fourth and in the Champions League places.
Later, il secondo or main course is provided by the Derby d’Italia – the battle between the nation’s two most successful powerhouses: Juventus and Inter. Or, as it appears this season – two underperforming sides currently sat sixth and seventh and struggling for consistency. Not that you’ll notice much difference from the squads that contested May’s Coppa Italia Final, a game won by Inter after extra-time.
🇪🇸 Sunday is also derby day in LaLiga, where Real Betis meet Sevilla in el Gran Derbi. The city rivals have fared fairly differently this season – Betis building on last season’s Copa del Rey triumph to challenge for the Champions League places, while Sevilla are still struggling despite ending Julen Lopetegui’s successful reign at the club and replacing him with former manager, Jorge Sampaoli.
Results initially looked to have improved under Sampaoli but defeats in their last two league fixtures mean that they’ll start the derby in the relegation zone.
Elsewhere on Sunday, Atlético look to bounce back from recent disappointments – something we referred to as the week from hell in last week’s LaLiga review – when they meet Espanyol, and fifth placed Real Sociedad play Valencia.
🇳🇱 Similarly to Italy, the Netherlands is also looking forward to a big national rivalry in the guise of De Topper, Ajax vs. PSV. If you only take a passing interest in the Eredivisie, you may not be surprised to hear that the historic rivals are once again sitting first and second in the table. Two-time defending champions Ajax currently lead the way – but only by a single point, although they do also have the benefit of a game in hand.
🇩🇪 As has been the case in recent weeks, Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin will be playing catch-up on Sunday due to their participation in the Thursday-based Europa League – and that will remain the case after Christmas after their second placed finish in Group D. Returning to domestic duties, they’ll be looking to regain top spot with a win at Bayer Leverkusen – a side who’ve performed so badly at home, but who remain involved in Europe with a transfer from the Champions to the Europa League coming next for them.
🇫🇷 Finally, we’ll leave you with a tasty looking fixture from Ligue 1 where PSG travel to Breton club Lorient. Les Merlus have surprised all but the most ardent students of French football with a sustained run of form that even saw them challenging PSG for top spot during the first few months of the season. Three games without a win has seen Lorient slip down to fourth but this fixture is still looking like the next best bet in terms of when, and where PSG will next drop points. The champions remain unbeaten, drawing just two of their 13 games to date.
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Cover Image from IMAGO
With Round 12 done and dusted, it’s time we talked about the potential of a fully fit Victor Osimhen, the prospect of a refreshed Juventus squad, and whether or not, Roma can sustain a challenge for a top four finish.
By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert
“Victor’s on fire, your defence is terrified” was heard around the Maradona Stadium over the weekend, and it was the perfect tune to encapsulate just how lethal Napoli’s attack has been. With Osimhen finally healthy, the Partenopei have a much more dynamic weapon up front – the type of striker that puts fear into a defender because of his devastating pace and movement when he gets in behind. It isn’t just the raw speed that makes Osimhen so special, look at his clever movement inside of the box. He has a poacher’s instinct of knowing how to free himself at the last second from his marker and make himself a viable option for one of his teammates to pass to.
Against Sassuolo this weekend, Osimhen recorded his first ever Serie A hat-trick, continuing his incredible partnership with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Finally back from injury, Osimhen has scored six times in the five matches during the month of October. In the last two rounds, he scored both the winning goals – a sensational volley against Roma, and the go ahead goal the week before versus Bologna.
The question was never about Osimhen’s ability on the field. The only issue so far has been his injury problems, which have prevented him from playing a full season with Napoli after he became their most expensive ever transfer at €70m. Osimhen managed to score 24 goals total in his first two seasons at Napoli in only 39 league starts – a tally that makes you wonder just how great he can be if he manages to stay healthy and avoid these freak injuries (the orbital fracture against Inter comes to mind) which have taken away large chunks of his season.
At the moment, he’s healthy and scoring at an outrageous clip – 7 goals in 649 minutes of Serie A action is a world class return for any striker. Napoli need him more than ever with the Champions League knockouts coming up. Osimhen is the type of striker that can expose a modern attacking side that plays with a high back line. There aren’t many better players on the counter, at timing their run in behind, and punishing a defensive line that leaves gaps at the back.
After an embarrassing exit from the Champions League group stage, Max Allegri has finally given the green light to several players from the youth team who look ready to contribute on the senior squad.
Something had to change. A lot of the players Juventus have signed in the past few seasons have looked overrated and overpaid, a stark contrast to the hungry players from the “primavera” that seem to understand the pride and “weight” of the Juve badge when they step on the pitch.
The Juve manager has been harshly criticised this season, and rightfully so, but he deserves credit for the team selection against Lecce over the weekend. The two 19-year-olds Matias Soulé and Fabio Miretti both got the start as the creative forces behind the striker Arek Milik. The other youngster, Nicolo Fagioli, was brought on in the 46th minute for the disappointing Weston McKennie, and proved to be the deciding factor. Fagioli’s lone goal was a brilliant curling finish into the top corner which brought back memories of Alessandro Del Piero. Samuel Iling-Junior, the 19-year-old English winger, has also seen more time this last week, both in the Champions League and Serie A, bringing a much needed spark and dynamism.
With these four players from the youth team, Juventus looked quicker and sharper. New ideas from the creativity of Miretti and Soulé, the confidence of Fagioli and raw dynamism of Iling-Junior gave Juventus a much needed change from their stale form this season.
The biggest question now is whether or not this was simply a rotation round or a sign of things to come, a dramatic shift from Max Allegri knowing that what he’s done so far this season has been an utter disappointment.
Very quietly, Roma have won four out of their last five Serie A game, with the lone loss coming against red hot Napoli (a result you can forgive, if we’re being honest). The Giallorossi have also had an injury crisis of their own, with their two biggest summer signings, Paulo Dybala and Gini Wijnaldum, both missing through injury. This has meant that other attacking players have had to step up, which had led to mixed results.
Perhaps the most disappointing player has been Tammy Abraham. The English striker scored 17 times last season and was brutally unlucky, hitting the post or crossbar more than any other player in the league. This campaign has brought very different results – he’s been wasteful, not unlucky. Abraham’s xG (expected goals, which tell you how many goals a player should have scored given the chances they’ve had) is nearly three times higher than what he’s actually been able to score himself. Two league goals when he should be in the capocannoniere race tell you a lot of the story, Abraham hasn’t just lacked a clinical touch, but he’s missed sitters that look more like a player out of sorts mentally rather than from a talent standpoint. Abraham’s wide open chance on goal vs. Hellas Verona that he inexplicably sent wide was probably his worst miss of the season, with another shot clanging off the post right before halftime. Roma desperately need their talisman from last season to break out of this funk and start producing if they want to cement their place into the top four.
Apart from Abraham, Nicolo Zaniolo has also been an enigma. A few years ago considered the top Italian U21 talent, two brutal knee injuries in back-to-back seasons have seen his goal scoring touch all but disappear. The 23-year-old attacker only managed two goals in 28 appearances last season, and he only just now scored his first goal of this current campaign against Verona. Their star midfielder Lorenzo Pellegrini also hasn’t scored from open play in over a year.
The glass is half full though if you look at the bigger picture. Roma are in fourth place now despite the devastating injuries and lack of goal scoring from Zaniolo and Abraham. Once two key players like Dybala and Wijnaldum are fit, and their teammates are playing at the level we know they’re capable of, it seems like a top four place should become more of a certainty.
(Images 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.
It was a weekend of contrasting results for Spain’s big three – we round up all of that, plus the rest of the main talking points from around the league, as Round 12 comes to a close.
By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert
Barcelona may be out of the Champions League, but the Blaugrana are very much in the fight for LaLiga. Xavi’s side lost 3-0 at home to Bayern Munich last Tuesday, having known when they kicked off at Camp Nou that they were already out of the competition after Inter beat Viktoria Plzeň in Group C. But they picked themselves up in a tough fixture away to Valencia on Saturday night to claim a vital win thanks to Robert Lewandowski’s strike in added time.
Both Barça and Valencia had efforts ruled out in the game at Mestalla, which seemed set to be heading for a stalemate until Lewandowski stuck out a boot to divert a delightful Raphinha pass into the net. It was another big win for the Blaugrana and another clean sheet – a 10th in just 12 LaLiga games.
“We played with anxiety,” Xavi said after the game. “Our Champions League elimination affected us.” But it was the result that mattered most. “It’s very important for the team,” the coach added. “They deserved it. We go to sleep tonight as leaders. We want to finish games well and put pressure on Real Madrid.”
That they did. Barça’s win saw them move above Los Blancos on goal difference ahead of the champions’ game against Girona on Sunday and their form in LaLiga remains strong. “We have improved a lot,” Xavi said. “We’re on the right track.”
The numbers back that up. Xavi arrived at Barça as coach last November and has now taken charge of 38 LaLiga games – which is the equivalent of a full campaign – across two seasons. In that time, his record reads: 38 games, 27 wins, six draws, five defeats, 87 points. Incidentally, Real Madrid claimed LaLiga last season with 86 points and 87 was the number won by Pep Guardiola – Barça’s most successful coach – in his debut campaign at Camp Nou.
Real Madrid missed the chance to move three points clear of Barça at the top of the table as they were surprisingly held to a 1-1 draw at home to promoted side Girona on Sunday. After both sides had hit the woodwork in the first half, Vinícius Júnior slid in to give Los Blancos the lead following a Fede Valverde cross in the 70th minute. But the Catalans came back into the game following a contentious penalty award nine minutes later, when Marco Asensio was penalised for handball following a VAR check and the dependable Cristhian Stuani converted from the spot. There was still time for more late drama too as Rodrygo had what he thought was the winner ruled out for a foul on Girona goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga and Toni Kroos was sent off for a second bookable offence.
“I don’t like speaking about these things,” Ancelotti said after the game. But he did anyway – and at some length. “The first situation is quite clear: it’s not a penalty because he doesn’t touch the ball with his hand.” And he added: “They invented it.” Asensio also complained on social media and Madrid can consider themselves unfortunate as the ball hit him on the chest first. His arm was indeed in an unnatural position, but at such speed, he had no time to move it and replays do not definitively show the ball hitting his arm anyway.
Ancelotti said he accepted the second decision, with Rodrygo penalised for kicking the ball from under Gazzaniga’s grasp, but continued to vent his frustration at the penalty call and his comments are being investigated by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Whether the decisions were right or wrong, the truth is that Madrid were well below their best. And they should be beating Girona at home. They did not and now lead LaLiga by a sole point from Barcelona. It is close at the top and this was another match when the lack of an adequate substitute for Karim Benzema – who was missing due to muscle fatigue – ended up costing Los Blancos.
Atlético Madrid have endured perhaps their worst week in almost 11 years under Diego Simeone. The Rojiblancos were knocked out of the Champions League after a 2-2 draw at home to Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday as Yannick Carrasco missed a penalty in the ninth minute of added time at the Metropolitano. Had he scored it, his team would be playing for a place in the last 16 at Porto tonight. And on Saturday, Atleti were beaten 3-2 following a late Cadíz goal – in the 99th minute again.
Atlético had conceded inside 30 seconds against Cadíz and went 2-0 down late in the game. Substitute João Félix then looked to have rescued an unlikely point with two quick strikes as his acrobatic effort was deflected in by Cadíz defender Luis Hernández and he blasted in another shot from distance to make it 2-2 in the closing stages. But Simeone could only watch on in frustration and applaud as Rubén Sobrino scored the winner in the dying embers of the game as the ball bounced off his thigh and in at the far post in the ninth minute of added time (when eight had been added).
It was cruel on Atlético. “It was another blow after what happened on Wednesday,” Simeone said after the game. “We have to be stronger, more level-headed, stay calm and read the game better. It’s a learning experience and there is no time to stop learning.”
Atlético remain third, but are nine points behind leaders Real Madrid in LaLiga and could find themselves out of Europe altogether if Bayer Leverkusen (at home to Club Brugge) better their result at Porto. “We have to insist on the mental aspect,” Simeone said. “Right now it’s as if everything is going to end tomorrow, but there’s a long way to go in LaLiga and we can still get into the Europa League. So we need to stay calm because at the moment that quota of luck which is needed is not favouring us.”
In another piece of bad fortune, Atlético lost Álvaro Morata to injury on Saturday, although the Spain striker is expected to be fit in time for the World Cup.
Real Betis left it late to beat Real Sociedad in San Sebastián. Juan Cruz gave Manuel Pellegrini’s side the lead in an entertaining encounter at Anoeta as he fired in from just inside the box after 86 minutes and with the home side committing men in search of an equaliser, Borja Iglesia added a second following a quick counter-attack in added time. Betis are back in fourth and look like strong contenders for the final Champions League place behind Madrid, Barça and Atleti.
Athletic Club might have something to say about that, though. The Basque side edged out Villarreal at San Mames thanks to an Iñaki Williams goal just inside the hour as Ernesto Valverde got the better of Quique Setien in a meeting of two former Barcelona coaches in Bilbao, the latter in his first game since taking over from Aston Villa-bound Unai Emery last week. Athletic are sixth, a point behind Basque rivals Real Sociedad. Villarreal are eighth.
Sevilla finished fourth last season, but the Andalusians are still struggling this term. Jorge Sampaoli has returned as coach following the sacking of Julen Lopetegui and the Argentine appeared initially to be bringing about an upturn in fortunes. However, a 1-0 defeat at home to Rayo Vallecano means Sevilla have picked up just one point from their last three matches and they are back in the drop zone after 12 rounds of LaLiga. Looks like it was the squad planning that was the real problem at the Sánchez Pizjuan.
At the very bottom, Elche are really struggling. Monday’s 1-0 loss at home to Getafe was an eighth defeat in 12 LaLiga games for the team in white and green and the other four were draws. With just four points, Elche are six behind Cadíz, Sevilla and Girona – and they have already changed their coach once this season. It is a long way back from here.
(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.
As we approach the World Cup in November, many summer leagues are drawing to a close. Elsewhere, the big games are continuing to come thick and fast in the big winter leagues around Europe. We will be rounding up all the major action from the last couple of days in this edition of Last Weekend.
By Neel Shelat
The biggest match of the year in South America was played on Saturday night in Ecuador, where the Copa Libertadores final saw two-time winners Flamengo face Athletico Paranaense, who were searching for their first-ever title.
Flamengo were the favourites for this match as they had comfortably progressed through the knockouts with 17 goals scored and just 2 conceded, but Athletico Paranaense were no strangers to succeeding as underdogs. In the semi-final, they got the better of defending champions Palmeiras after holding on for a win at home and then snatching a late away draw.
The final was, of course, a one-match affair, so everything was set to be decided at the Estadio Monumental Banco Pichincha. As expected, Flamengo dominated possession in the opening exchanges, but Athletico defended with discipline and were able to pose a threat on the break. Both sides were incredibly cautious of overcommitting in attack and always kept bodies back to defend, so clear-cut chances were hard to come by.
The decisive moment came in the 43rd minute when Pedro Henrique received a second yellow card for a silly slide tackle that led him to swipe through the foot of his opponent. Luiz Felipe Scolari opted to wait till half-time to send on a replacement centre-back, but Flamengo capitalised in the meantime as Gabriel Barbosa lurked in to the back post area unnoticed and turned in Éverton Ribeiro’s cross on the stroke of half-time.
The numerical disadvantage made Athletico Paranaense’s quest for an equaliser quite difficult, and although they were able to fashion a couple of openings later in the second half, Flamengo came away with a pretty comfortable victory.
That meant Flamengo lifted their second cup title in the span of about 10 days, having also beaten Corinthians in the Copa do Brasil final recently. The Libertadores will certainly be a far more celebrated title, though, and for the season they have had, they undoubtedly deserve it.
Graham Potter was greeted by a relatively hostile crowd at the Amex Stadium, where he returned for the first time since moving to Chelsea. The Seagulls’ new manager Roberto De Zerbi was yet to pick a win having drawn two and lost three of his first five matches in charge, but this would be a fine occasion to change that.
Brighton absolutely flew out of the traps and were all over Chelsea in the first five minutes, when Thiago Silva made not one but two goal-line clearances to keep the scores level. The hosts went on to take the lead anyway, as Leandro Trossard worked his way past the keeper and beat the defenders on the line after Brighton won the ball back high up the pitch.
10 minutes later, it was 2-0 as Ruben Loftus-Cheek turned a corner into his own net, and by half-time, Chelsea created a record by scoring multiple own goals in a league match for the first time in their history. Trevoh Chalobah was the culprit in this case as he helplessly turned in Pervis Estupiñán’s low ball across the box, giving Brighton a three-goal cushion into the break.
Kai Havertz reduced the deficit a couple of minutes into the second half, but the home side were able to establish a respectable degree of control on the match thereafter, and kept Chelsea from getting any real big chances. So, there were no more goals scored until the end of normal time, and Pascal Groß’s stoppage-time strike only sealed Brighton’s deserved win.
With that, Brighton are eighth in the table and just three points behind Chelsea. Before Potter’s departure, there was talk of them challenging for a European spot, and that possibility could still be on if De Zerbi’s side can keep playing like this.
Sunday was a historic day in Sweden, as Häcken lifted their first-ever top-flight title in 82 years of existence. And what better place to do it than at the home of their local rivals?
Häcken made the short trip to the Gamla Ullevi without their star striker and the league’s top scorer Alexander Jeremejeff in the squad, but they needed just one point to seal the title. They decided to do the job in some style, though, as goals from Blair Turgott, Johan Hammar and Mikkel Rygaard put them in a commanding position half an hour into the match. Rygaard scored again late on to cap off a huge derby victory.
That was Häcken’s fifth consecutive victory in a decisive run of fixtures that also saw them defeat defending champions Malmö, early title challengers AIK and their direct title rivals Djurgården. Prior to that run of fixtures, they were level on points with the second-placed side.
This title is a concrete product of what seems to be Häcken’s golden era. They spent their first four decades in lower divisions before reaching Allsvenskan for the first time in the 1980s but were regularly involved in relegation fights until around 2010. In the last six years, they were able to lift their first two major trophies in the form of cups, but now, they finally have the big one.
At the same time, this title is quite a surprise when you consider the fact that Häcken finished just two spots and four points above the relegation zone last season. Not much changed between the seasons as head coach Per-Mathias Høgmo remained in charge and there were just a couple of major incomings and departures in terms of personnel, so this is quite a remarkable turnaround.
There certainly is a lot of reflection for Häcken to do on this title, but for now, it’s time to celebrate.
It certainly has not been a peaceful week for faint-hearted Atlético Madrid fans because their side has been involved in some incredible late drama.
In midweek, they needed a win against Bayer Leverkusen to stay alive in the Champions League, but the referee blew the final whistle with the scoreline reading 2-2. He was then alerted by VAR about a potential handball in the box, which led to him restarting the match for an Atlético penalty. Yannick Carrasco’s effort was saved, the follow-up came off the crossbar, and the rebound hit the trailing leg of Carrasco just in front of the goal line and somehow stayed out.
Diego Simeone’s side would have hoped to shift focus from this Champions League disaster on Saturday when they travelled to Cádiz to face a side that had just one win this season and was second last in the table. That could only mean one thing: Atléti found themselves trailing in under half a minute.
Cádiz deserve credit for defending resolutely thereafter (albeit against a grossly uninspiring attack), and they seemingly sealed the win in the 81st minute with a second goal. Substitute João Félix had other ideas, though, as he helped halve the deficit when his deflected strike went in for an own goal, and he then scored the equaliser from range in the 89th minute.
Félix then had a gilt-edged chance to grab a stoppage-time winner in the 96th minute, but he sent his header wide. Up at the other end, Rubén Sobrino turned in a cross in the 99th minute to win the game for Cádiz, with the goal surviving a VAR check for handball.
A misfiring attack is not exactly a cause for panic for Atlético Madrid, so what is really troubling is their defence. Based on xG conceded, they have had a top-three defence in the league in each of the previous five seasons, but this time around, they aren’t even good enough for the top half of those standings.
The NWSL season drew to a close with the play-off final on Saturday night at Audi Field in Washington, where the Portland Thorns lifted their league-record third title.
Season MVP Sophia Smith netted her 16th goal of the campaign with great composure in the 4th minute to set her side on course for the win, and their lead was later doubled a little before the hour-mark through an own goal.
The Kansas City Current should be quite proud of their performance and season as a whole, as they made the play-off final in their second year of existence, having finished plum last in 2021. En route to the final, they beat 2020 Challenge Cup champions Houston Dast and this season’s table-toppers OL Reign.
For the Thorns, this is a huge title at the end of what has been anything but a regular season. The club was among those investigated in the Yates report, and its distressing findings would have extracted a toll on the players and the fans. This title and the celebration that comes with it should give them some welcome respite, but there is still lots to be done for the club as an organisation.
Regular readers of the column will remember that we covered Ventforet Kofu’s fairytale cup success in Japan recently, so now, we are bound to highlight a similar story that has developed in Argentina.
Unlike Ventforet Kofu, Patronato did play in the top flight this season, but they were one of the two sides that suffered relegation based on points per match from the last three years’ worth of fixtures. That brought an end to what has just been their second-ever stay in the Argentine top division in their 108-year history.
Meanwhile, in the cup, they were going on a giant killing spree. After beating Colón, they eliminated title contenders Gimnasia La Plata in the Round of 16. Their next two opponents were the big two of Buenos Aires, River Plate and Boca Juniors, who both fell on penalties.
Their opponents in the final were Talleres, who were also searching for their first-ever major trophy in over a century of existence. Having played Copa Libertadores football earlier this season, they were the favourites for this fixture and created more chances too, but a tackle-turned-shot from outside the box helped Patronato score the only goal of the game.
In this most incredible fashion, Patronato lifted the Copa Argentina title. With it, they sealed qualification for next season’s Copa Libertadores, even though they will be a second-tier side. Could they mount another historic cup run?
Cover Image from IMAGO
It was a weekend of statement victories for a host of clubs. An unbeaten start came to an abrupt halt while a 70-game unbeaten record was shattered in spectacular fashion. Here, is a look at some of the standout stats and the most significant talking points.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Erling Haaland missed Manchester City’s match against Leicester City this weekend. Pep Guardiola revealed that the prolific forward has ligament damage and could be missing for their next Premier League outing against Fulham.
In his absence, the reigning champions looked a little blunt. De Bruyne won the match with a spectacular free-kick early in the second half but City created chances with an Expected Goals value of just 0.26 after the break. The xG did slightly favour them (1.03 to 0.71) but it was hardly convincing from the league’s most rampant side heading into this game.
Guardiola will no doubt want his No.9 back in the starting XI as soon as possible and you can understand why.
Brighton had not won a match since the departure of Graham Potter and Chelsea had not lost a match since the one-time Swansea City man swapped the Amex Stadium for Stamford Bridge.
Form very much went out of the window in this as the Seagulls romped to a comfortable 4-1 win. It was a deserved victory too with the hosts having more shots, more big chances and a significantly higher xG total (2.44 to 1.36).
Alexis Mac Allister, a man converted into a midfielder by Potter, ran the show against his former boss, creating five chances. It was a spellbinding performance by the Argentine maestro. This could really kickstart the Roberto De Zerbi era.
Virgil van Dijk was unbeaten at Anfield in the Premier League following his move in January 2018. It was a run that stretched 70 matches. There had been a few scares but Liverpool always seemed to be able to find ways to extend it.
That was until Saturday night when Leeds United scored early in the first half and late in the second half to claim a 2-1 win.
It was a fairly even game when looking at the stats – the xG was almost identical while the Reds had three big chances to the away side’s two. It was by no means a smash-and-grab by Jesse Marsch’s men as their winless streak, stretching back to August, also came to an end.
Newcastle United are just three points off Manchester City and five points off the league leaders. They have the best defensive record in the English top-flight and are currently the team in possession of the final Champions League spot.
What Eddie Howe is doing is nothing short of remarkable.
Their 4-0 win over Villa was as emphatic as they come and the scoreline was reflective of the match. The hosts created big chances at a sensational rate, finishing the game with an xG of 3.44.
Only three teams have more goals than the Magpies this season. In fact, it is now the third time in their last six outings that they have scored four or more in a match. It has clicked for Howe and his players, at the right time too.
Arsenal returned to winning ways following a draw against Southampton last weekend and a loss to PSV in the Europa League.
Ahead of the match against Nottingham Forest, Mikel Arteta said his team need to score more goals. They managed just one in the win over Leeds and then one against Southampton, and their underlying numbers in both outings painted a picture of a team struggling to create.
The Gunners put on a finishing clinic against Forest, running out 5-0 winners. They had an xG of 2.3 and created five big chances as the team responded to their manager. Arsenal needed this performance more than the result.
(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.
Bundesliga TOTW – Round 12
In-form Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting shined once again for Bayern but our top rating went to Wolfsburg’s Lukas Nmecha (9.2). Stuttgart provide three players following their win over Augsburg.
Have your say in the comments on Instagram.
FotMob TOTW – Round 14
The FotMob TOTW for the Premier League features three Arsenal players and two each from Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. Callum Wilson picked up our top rating – a 9.3 vs. Aston Villa. Which is timely with the World Cup just around the corner.
Who missed out? Have your say in the comments on Instagram.
