Page 151 – The Pulse of Football

Apr

2023

Bundesliga Review: The best season in years!

It’s been a season of shocks, from Union Berlin topping the table back in September to Hertha Berlin’s freefall to the very depths of the league since March.

However, it was April that proved to be the most eye-opening month so far in what has been a crazy Bundesliga season. Just when you thought they wouldn’t, Bayern München went full FC Hollywood and now Dortmund sit poised to deliver the dream.

By Chris Williams, our Bundesliga expert

Sorry, what?

Indeed – it was the question of the day, the month, and maybe even the year. Thursday 23 March seemed to be like any other day until Bayern decided to pull the trigger on Julian Nagelsmann’s time as head coach.

Just as we were all settling down for bed, Fabrizio Romano tweeted that the Bavarians were considering parting ways with their then-current coach, in favour of Thomas Tuchel.

It came out of nowhere really, granted there were a few questions about the team’s performance under the 35-year-old, but surely they wouldn’t sack him just before a crucial game against Dortmund, and an even bigger matchup against Manchester City on the horizon, would they?

The answer was yes, less than 24 hours later the unpopular skier come skateboarder was out on his ear and Tuchel was at the helm. If that wasn’t crazy enough what followed was jaw-dropping.

Under the ex-Dortmund, PSG and Chelsea boss, Bayern tore their nearest rivals apart. The Schwarzgelben were the most in-form team in Europe prior to their trip to Munich, unbeaten in 10 they’d amassed 28 points from a possible 30, but inside the Allianz Arena they leaked three goals in 10 minutes, eventually restoring some pride but they left having been pumped 4-2.

A perfect start for Tuchel, but it was also the perfect end – days later they were dumped out of the Pokal at home by Freiburg with almost the last kick of the game, then Pep Guardiola did to Bayern what he’d done to plenty of other sides when in the München dugout, he oversaw a total demolition.

Within 10 days Bayern had gone from treble dreams to scraping for a Bundesliga title, and still, the pain wasn’t over. Four points from a possible nine gave the advantage back to Dortmund and as we approach the final five matchdays it is now theirs to lose, Bayern are not in control of their own destiny.

Maybe, just maybe

Dortmund have sniffed the aroma of Meisterschale glory a couple of times over the last few seasons, but just as the sweet smell of victory drew closer they invariably punched themselves in the face, breaking their nose in the process.

Dropped points at VfB Stuttgart, whilst leading by two goals and with a man advantage, brought the memories of yesteryear flooding back, but with Bayern adopting the persona of traffic policemen and handing out three points to their opposition at will, Dortmund found themselves with a chance to go top and by a point.

This time there would be no mistake, a prolific and professional display against Eintracht Frankfurt resulted in a 4-0 win and with it four players in the Fotmob Matchday 29 team of the week.

Donyell Malen’s performance saw the Dutch international pick up a 9.0 rating, thanks predominantly to two goals from four shots, all finding the target and giving Eintracht’s Kevin Trapp something to do all afternoon.

It was the second week in a row the 24-year-old had made the Matchday’s top 11 and he looks to have found a spot of form at the most crucial time.

Brilliant Bayer Leverkusen

Yes, you did read that correctly. Leverkusen have been superb of late, completely transformed by Xabi Alonso, the Werkself were bottom on Matchday Two and 17th on Matchday Eight when Gerardo Seoane was sacked.

Now, with four weeks and five games to play the team from Germany’s industrial heartland are sixth, and look real contenders to sneak into the all-important fourth spot taking the final Champions League place on offer in the Bundesliga.

They are also Europa League semi-finalists, 180 minutes against AS Roma stands between them and the final in Budapest’s Puskás Aréna.

Losing just once in their last 10 league outings, Alonso’s side are playing some of the best football in Germany. Five straight victories saw them climb five places, with wins against Bayern – and most recently Leipzig – highlighting their impressive transformation under the Spanish tactician.

Florian Wirtz’s return from a cruciate ligament tear bolstered Leverkusen’s ability to control and dictate matches, but the 19-year-old missed their fixture versus Leipzig with an illness, Alonso and co. will be hoping the German international isn’t missing for much longer.

With nine goals and eight assists, Moussa Diaby tops the Leverkusen stats for most goal involvements. The Frenchman has been an integral cog in the Bayer wheel of late and a player his head coach has looked towards both domestically and on their European adventures.

The strongest league in years?

This month I’ll end with a question, is this the best Bundesliga season we’ve seen in a while? Some food for thought as we await the final five games in what is shaping up to be an epic title fight, and I don’t ask this purely because Bayern are stumbling.

At the opposite end of the table, Hertha Berlin currently sits bottom, but the Big City club are not cut adrift. Previous seasons have seen a whipping boy, a team so bad they have been effectively relegated in January.

Just two years ago Schalke 04 ended the campaign on 16 points, 15 behind their nearest rivals. Before that Greuther Fürth finished 10 points worse off than 17th-placed Arminia Bielefeld, and in season 2019/20 the gap from Paderborn 07 to Fortuna Düsseldorf was also 10 points, this time it’s all a little different.

As we approach May, seven points is the slim difference between Hertha at the foot of the table and TSG Hoffenheim in 14th, a normally regarded safeish position. Such is the tightness of the Bundesliga currently that should results fall their way Hertha could still mathematically finish as high as 10th, and Borussia Mönchengladbach who currently reside in 10th could finish as high as fifth or as low as 18th.

For the first time in a long while we have 18 strong teams, and the permutations for who finishes in the European placings and who gets relegated are wild to say the least.

(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.

Apr

2023

Serie A Review: Atalanta push for Europe and Rafael Leão hits form at just the right time

Our regular Serie A expert takes us through three top talking points from the weekend round in Italy’s top flight.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Atalanta remind everyone about their Top 4 ambitions

Often forgotten about, Atalanta’s game against Roma on Monday was a reminder to the rest of the league that they can still make a serious push for a top four finish. Atalanta managed to beat the side from the capital 3-1 in Bergamo, which was a win against a direct competitor for a Champions League spot.

It’s quite incredible that Atalanta are even here to begin with, given the issues they’ve had up front. Their two leading goal scorers from the last few seasons, Duván Zapata and Luis Muriel, have only managed a combined two goals in 43 matches. This has meant that they’ve had to earn results via other sources. Fortunately for La Dea, it’s come in the form of two summer arrivals from last year. The Ademola Lookman / Rasmus Højlund pairing has combined for 20 goals this season and demonstrated once again just how astute Atalanta’s scouting department is. This is a club that has had to consistently replenish its roster after losing key players in the transfer market. The one constant has been their manager Gianpiero Gasperini, who has now become the longest serving active manager in the league since taking over in 2016. Atalanta can also look above them in the table and see that all the other teams in contention for that fourth spot are also juggling European competitions. Milan and Inter in the Champions League and Juventus and Roma in the Europa League. Atalanta have only the league to focus on, so being four points shy of fourth spot suggests that goal is attainable.

I was fortunate enough to be able to interview Atalanta’s co-owner Steve Pagliuca (also part owner of the Boston Celtics) for CBS; where he made clear his team’s intentions stating they are absolutely gunning for a top four spot. Atalanta suddenly has very important financial backers who also have a shrewd understanding of the marketing it takes to spread awareness about the club’s recent success. While Atalanta has historically been a yo-yo team bouncing between Serie A and Serie B, the last seven years has changed their reputation to a side that is always in the mix for a European spot. Hearing Pagliuca’s bullish comments about his side’s future should definitely be enough for their fans to feel confident that this team is one on the rise.

Leão’s MVP form

Rafael Leão is back to looking like the best player in the league. His brace over the weekend, against Lecce, means that he’s eclipsed his 11 goal tally from last season by hitting a career best 12 goals at this stage, with seven games to play. Leão’s inconsistent season seems to be in the past now, as the winger was the primary reason why Milan were able to beat Napoli in the Champions League quarterfinals and in their most recent domestic meeting. It’s not just the statistics with Leão, but the way he’s achieving them. It feels like every single game now has a world class coast-to-coast run from Leão, where he goes 70 yards on his own to either set up a goal or score himself. What’s amazing about his style is that he’s running by players effortlessly and with a smile on his face. When Leão’s in this form, the game looks like it comes so easily to him. In the three matches against Napoli – the team that’s dominated Serie A and made all the headlines this season – it was Leão that looked like the best player on the pitch.

The smartest decision Pioli made this calendar year was scrapping the 3-5-2 formation that he temporarily used to get Milan out of their defensive funk, in favour of his usual 4-2-3-1. Surprisingly, Leão was candid about his struggles in the 3-5-2 formation, complaining that his more central position meant he didn’t feel like he could turn and run into space as easily. As soon as he was utilised in his more natural left-wing position, Leão showed off his MVP form from last season and more. If Milan have any chance in the Champions League, it’ll have to come through his individual play. The simple inclusion of the Portuguese international in the starting lineup may make opposition managers second-guess their defensive approach.

Milan don’t have anyone else with his characteristics. A defence that plays a high line against the Rossoneri also has to deal with the counter-attacking threat that Leão offers. A team’s right-back will also have to play more conservatively knowing that he has a world class winger to contend with.

With Milan still fighting for a top four spot in the league and a chance to make their first Champions League final since 2007, Leão going back to his stellar form from last season couldn’t have come at a better time.

Verona’s last stand

It was only a month ago that Hellas Verona looked destined to get relegated back into Serie B after a lacklustre season which has seen different managers come and go. Their campaign looked doomed from the start. In the summer, the club lost their three top goal scorers from last season in the transfer market – Giovanni Simeone went to Napoli after a personal best goal scoring season, Gianluca Caprari left for Monza, and dynamic midfielder Antonín Barák took his talents to Tuscany to link up with Fiorentina. Without this trio, Verona found themselves in the difficult position of having to replace double digit goals with a meagre budget.

The strikers they did sign have been abysmal. The hulking Bosnian Milan Đurić has only scored once in 21 matches since coming over from Salernitana. Thomas Henry joined from Venezia after his nine-goal campaign with the relegated club, but so far has only found the back of the net twice in 16 matches. The other strikers have somehow fared even worse – Kevin Lasagna, known more for his name than his football, has a paltry one goal in 26 matches for Verona. These types of returns are normally synonymous with a team destined for the second division, but in recent weeks, Verona’s fortunes have seemingly changed. The club has picked up seven points in their last three games, including an impressive scoreless draw away at against league leaders Napoli.

More importantly, their most talented player has finally found his stride. Simone Verdi is coming off a brace in a 2-1 win against red-hot Bologna. Verdi is a strange player. Not long ago, Napoli signed him from Bologna for €25m after the winger managed to score 10 times that season. Verdi has always had bags of talent, but has never been able to consistently express it. Perhaps his most unique skill is that he doesn’t know which is his favoured foot. He has taken free kicks and corner kicks with both his right and left foot. This ability means he is very difficult to mark for a defender, given that he doesn’t have a particular tendency.

However, even though Verdi has also been a very streaky, confidence based winger, he is now finding his form at the most important time of the season. The club are only one point from safety and look like the only side from the bottom three that has a good chance of saving themselves down the stretch.

(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.

Apr

2023

LaLiga Review: Madrid refuse to throw in the towel as Barcelona close in on the title

Ahead of the midweek round of action in Spain’s top flight here’s a recap of the weekend games and an overview of how things stand.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

Barça close in on the title

Barcelona took another big step towards the title by beating Atlético Madrid 1-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday as Ferran Torres’ slick finish from the edge of the area at the end of the first half proved enough to secure all three points for Xavi’s side and take them 11 points clear of rivals Real Madrid with just eight rounds of the competition remaining.

Antoine Griezmann almost gave Atético the perfect start as he hit the woodwork with a lobbed effort in the very first minute, but Barcelona had more chances and ultimately deserved to win the game, although there were a few nervy moments at the end after the ball hit Sergio Busquets on the arm in the area.

Atlético are the only side in LaLiga without a penalty in the competition this season and they did not get one here either. That looked like the right call, though, as Busquets’ arm was raised because he was jumping and he could do little to get out of the way of the ball as it was headed against him by José Giménez from point-blank range.

“It’s a really important win,” Xavi said after the game. “It was key for our objective, which is to win LaLiga. We have beaten a great team. They had chances, but we dominated and we could have scored a second goal, which would have given us calm.”

Asked if Barcelona feel like champions yet, Xavi said: “In the dressing room, they don’t feel like champions and if they did, we would tell them that we still aren’t. Nothing is done yet. We are focused and excited.”

Barça welcomed back Pedri and Frenkie de Jong from injury, but there was no appearance for 15-year-old Lamine Yamal, who was called up to the list for Sunday’s game but will have to wait for another opportunity to become the club’s youngest-ever player in an official game.

Atlético remain in third place and Diego Simeone said: “I’ll stick with the positives. We played a great match. We weren’t sharp enough in front of goal.” And on Barcelona this season, he added: “Being effective in both areas gives you a chance to be champions.”

Real Madrid beat Celta

Real Madrid had given themselves hope of closing some of the gap on Saturday as they beat Celta Vigo 2-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu to reduce Barcelona’s lead at the top to eight points ahead of the Catalans’ clash with Atlético on Sunday.

Goals from Marco Asensio and Éder Militão either side of half-time sealed a routine win for Los Blancos in front of their own fans, but they look unlikely to retain their title as Barça stretched their lead back to 11 the following day.

“I liked the team,” Carlo Ancelotti said. “I liked the attitude of the team. That allowed some of the players to shine, like Asensio and [Eduardo] Camavinga.”

The Frenchman, who played at left-back again, earned applause from the fans and acclaim from his coach. “He has extraordinary quality in all facets,” Ancelotti said. “He’s improving. He can play anywhere. In central midfield, at centre-back… he always does well.”

Asensio, meanwhile, is into double figures in a season for the fourth time as a Madrid player and needs just one more to match his best mark of 12, which came last term.

With eight games left in LaLiga, two legs of a Champions League semi-final against Manchester City and a Copa del Rey final versus Osasuna ahead in the coming weeks, Ancelotti is likely to rotate his squad as much as he can.

But the Italian is not giving up on LaLiga. “Looking at the quality of the two teams, there is not an 11 points difference,” he said. “Small details have determined that distance, which we want to reduce in the next few games.”

Hope for Valencia as Athletic join European race

Valencia beat bottom club Elche 2-0 away from home in a vital victory which has boosted their hopes of staying in LaLiga. Rubén Baraja’s side remain in 18th place, but are now level on points with Almería above them.

That was after Almería lost 2-1 at home to Athletic Club and the Bilbao outfit are very much in the race for Europe following a decent run of results in recent weeks. Ernesto Valverde’s side are now just a point behind sixth-placed Villarreal (beaten 2-1 at Sevilla) and two adrift of Real Betis (3-2 losers at Osasuna) in fifth.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad’s 2-1 win over Rayo Vallecano saw them open up a four-point gap in fourth place over Betis. Sevilla are eight points clear of the drop zone in 12th after their win over Villarreal, but Espanyol remain in trouble in 19th place following a goalless draw at home to Cádiz.

Midweek Fixtures coming up…

Real Madrid travel to Catalonia on Tuesday to face Girona, while Barcelona are in the capital to play Rayo Vallecano on Wednesday. Also on Tuesday, fourth-placed Real Sociedad visit the team below them in the table: Real Betis. Atlético are at home to a resurgent Real Mallorca on Wednesday. Valencia meet Real Valladolid in another crunch clash for both teams on Thursday, while Athletic host Sevilla at San Mames that same night.

(Cover image 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.

Apr

2023

Premier League Review: Arsenal snatch a point and Newcastle United smash six past Spurs

It has been a regular occurrence over recent weeks but this round of fixtures could prove to be pivotal in the grand scheme of things. Title challengers dropped points while top four hopefuls made a statement with not only their results but also their performances.

With that in mind, a look at the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

More dropped points

For the third successive week, Arsenal dropped points. Though this one might feel a little different. Having thrown away 2-0 leads in consecutive weeks, the Gunners came from 3-1 down this time around to salvage a point against bottom of the table Southampton.

Martin Odegaard scored in the 88th minute before Bukayo Shaka levelled things up in the final minute of normal time. The England international was the standout performer on the day, creating five chances and finishing with a FotMob rating of 9.0.

Arsenal now travel to the Etihad needing to take maximum points to wrestle back control of their destiny.

The goal drought is well and truly over

Diogo Jota failed to score for over a year but now have four goals and an assist in his last two appearances for Liverpool.

He netted twice in the 6-1 win over Leeds United during the mid-week and added another two in the 3-2 in over Nottingham Forest. He was the difference-maker at Anfield on Saturday, finishing the match with four shots – the joint highest – and an Expected Goals haul of 1.51 – the most of anyone in the match. He also found a teammate 93% of the time, an impressive tally for a player often criticised for his looseness in possession.

Liverpool aren’t favourites for a place in the top four but if Jota keeps scoring, their late rise up the table could go under the radar.

The Foxes stun Wolves

Leicester City fell behind to an early Matheus Cunha goal but rallied to complete a turnaround that ensured they picked up a well deserved three points. Dean Smith’s charges amassed an xG of 2.43 and are now out of the relegation zone on goal difference.

Everton replaced them in the bottom three and with momentum on Leicester’s side, they could beat the drop. It would be a remarkable turnaround for a team that looked dead and buried a couple of weeks ago after parting ways with Brendan Rodgers.

The Toon trounce Tottenham

Few would’ve envisaged such a result. Newcastle lost 3-0 to Villa last weekend while Spurs fell to a last minute defeat to Bournemouth. Both sets of supporters would’ve expected a reaction in their pursuit of a top four finish but only one team delivered.

Newcastle United found themselves 5-0 up after 21 minutes with both Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak netting early doubles. A shell-shocked Spurs had no reply until after the break when Harry Kane netted his 24th of the season.

Callum Wilson added a sixth for the Magpies. In all honesty, it was completely deserved. Eddie Howe’s men finished with an xG of 3.85 and created seven big chances to one.

Newcastle now find themselves in third spot in the Premier League, six points clear of Spurs with a game in hand. It would take a remarkable collapse from here for the Magpies not to be playing Champions League football next season.

The Hammer blow

West Ham powered past Bournemouth to lift themselves up to 13th in the Premier League table. David Moyes’ men are now six points clear of the drop and though they aren’t mathematically secure, this win makes it much more likely that they’ll be in the English top flight next term.

They leapfrogged the Cherries with this emphatic away victory. The game was much closer than the score line suggests though with the hosts finishing with an xG of 1.52 while the Hammers carved out chances worth 2.43.

The difference maker was Declan Rice. He finished with a pass success rate of 88% having created two chances and having one shot. He recovered the ball on 12 occasions, won five of his nine ground duels and won 50% of his tackles on his way to a 8.6 FotMob rating.

(Cover image 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.

Apr

2023

This Weekend: Barcelona vs. Atlético, Juventus vs. Napoli plus the FA Cup, and UWCL semi-finals

The best matches to follow this weekend

By Bill Biss

Saturday

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏆 Wembley Stadium plays host to both of this weekend’s FA Cup semi-finals and first up there’s the meeting between the sides currently sat second in the Premier League (Manchester City) and second in the EFL Championship (Sheffield United).

You can never downplay the importance of a semi-final on such as a massive stage for both the players, and the fans, but this game does come at an awkward moment for the two sides. City have that all-important title showdown against Arsenal coming in the league next Wednesday night and the Blades need just one more win to secure promotion back to the top flight – something that could be confirmed against West Brom in a game also taking place on April 26.

As we have an official partnership with Sheffield United, we’ll declare our support here, and wish good luck to Paul Heckingbottom and his side!

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Back in the day-to-day melodrama of the Premier League itself, there are five games taking place. These include Liverpool‘s clash with Bournemouth, at Anfield. The hosts will be looking for some continuity after the 6-1 thrashing of Leeds while it’s a nervous time for Forest having been sucked back in to the relegation zone after a run of no wins in ten.

In-form Aston Villa visit out of form Brentford in one of the afternoon kick-offs, a game that will give us a great opportunity to compare two strikers who are competing for a regular place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad. Ivan Toney has scored more goals this season but with the Bees now winless in five, it’s Ollie Watkins who is coming good at the tail end of the campaign – he has 11 goals and two assists in his last 12 appearances.

🏆 It’s also semi-final time in the Women’s Champions League. On Saturday, Chelsea clash with Barcelona in the first leg of their tie, a repeat of the 2021 final, won convincingly by Barça. Domestically, Chelsea have two games in hand but sit second, four points behind Manchester United as they look to retain the WSL title. And in Liga F, Barcelona remain dominant having won all 25 of their games with an average of 4.2 goals scored per game. They’ve racked up 105 goals in total having conceded just five.

🇩🇪 There are six rounds left to play in the Bundesliga and with just two points between leaders Bayern Munich and chasers Borussia Dortmund any slip-ups now could prove very costly. Traditionally, it is Dortmund who seem to struggle at such crunch times – see Der Klassiker won by Bayern earlier this month as a prime example. But that game was one of just two that Bayern have won in their last seven in all competitions and they have been prone to more that the occasional stumble this season.

Bayern have an afternoon kick-off at eighth placed Mainz to contend with this weekend, while Dortmund will no doubt be watching on ahead of their evening kick-off, at home, to seventh placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

🇪🇸 Meanwhile, in LaLiga, Real Madrid will get back to league action following their successful dismantling of Chelsea in the Champions League during midweek. With the other two sides in the top three playing each other on Sunday, a win in their game against inconsistent Celta Vigo would move Madrid within eight points of Barcelona, with eight to play.

Sunday

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏆 The second FA Cup semi-final comes on Sunday and pits Premier League high-flyers Brighton against Manchester United, the twelve-time winners of England’s oldest Cup competition.

United will come into the game after a shockingly poor performance in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final away at Sevilla, on Thursday. In a tie where they had led 2-0 before scoring two own goals at the end of the first leg, a combination of defensive errors led them to lose 3-0 on the night.

Erik ten Hag will need to get his side back up for the fight against a Roberto De Zerbi team that have proved so successful against England’s big six this season. The Seagulls beat Chelsea just last weekend and have claimed wins over United in their previous two meetings – the most recent being at Old Trafford back in August. The two meet again in the league at the start of May.

🇪🇸 As mentioned, Sunday’s big headline game in LaLiga will see leaders Barcelona take on third placed Atlético Madrid. Depending on Madrid’s result on Saturday, Atlético will know whether they have a chance to overhaul their rivals while for Barça, a win would maintain their relatively comfortable cushion at the top.

Xavi won’t want his side to feel that comfort though, not after back-to-back goalless draws in the league plus the capitulation against Madrid in the second leg of their Copa Del Rey tie before that. Barça therefore come in to this game on their stickiest run of the season while Atlético have been resurgent since the start of 2023, winning their last six straight league games, and going 13 unbeaten since these two last met back in January. That game ended in a 1-0 away win for Barcelona thanks to a goal from Ousmane Dembélé.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 In the Premier League, there are crucial games set to impact both ends of the table. At the right end, it’s fourth against fifth as Newcastle United welcome Tottenham Hotspur to St. James Park. Last time out, the Magpies lost by three clear goals for the first time this season, a result (against Aston Villa) that finally saw some damage to their claim of being the best defensive unit in the division. In the same round of games, Spurs went down to a 95th minute winner at home to Bournemouth. So, we should see two teams who want to see some kind of positive response to that as both look to continue their fight for Champions League qualification.

At the other end, Bournemouth will be looking to make it three wins in a row when they go up against West Ham United. The two sides sit 13th and 14th in the table, six and four points clear of the relegation zone respectively. The Hammers are unbeaten in four games themselves having beaten Fulham, drawn with leaders Arsenal, and beaten Gent over two legs to progress to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

🇮🇹 It’s been a busy week for the top Italian teams – Milan and Inter triumphed in the Champions League to set up a mouthwatering Derby della Madonnina in the semi-finals, Fiorentina made it to the final four of the Conference League, and both Roma and Juventus did the same in the Europa League. On top of that, Juventus’ 15-point deduction was overturned and they were shot straight back up to third in the Serie A table. That means that, as it stands, both Milan and Inter are not in the qualification places for next season’s Champions League!

And it tees us up for an action-packed Sunday where the one side who did not progress in Europe during the week – leaders Napoli – now face Juventus. The Partenopei are 14 points clear with eight rounds to play but won’t want to delay their coronation for too long and will no doubt be looking to burst Juve’s bubble at the end of a successful week for the Old Lady.

The Milan sides, bumped down in the table, are also in action – Inter go to Empoli while Milan have home advantage for their game against Lecce.

🏆 Back in the Women’s Champions League, Sunday takes us to Germany for the second semi-final where Fraun-Bundesliga leaders Wolfsburg take on Arsenal, the UK’s only previous winners of the competition. You have to go back to 2007 for that though and it’s the German side who have more pedigree in the competition – reaching five finals since Arsenal’s win, coming out on top in two of those in 2013 and 2014.

More recent history also suggests that Wolfsburg start this tie as favourites – they beat the Gunners over two legs in last season’s quarter-finals.

🇳🇱 Feyenoord appear to be closing in on the league title in the Netherlands, boasting an eight point lead in the Eredivisie table with five games to play. A win, against Utrecht, on Sunday would all but seal it. But that does depend on another of the day’s results as fellow giants PSV and Ajax go head-to-head. The rivals sit second and third, locked on 62 points to Feyenoord’s 70. Should there be a winner in that game, we could yet see another twist in the tale of what’s been an exciting title race.

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

Apr

2023

Can Arsenal finish the job and win this Premier League title?

Arsenal are still in complete control of their destiny this season. You might be forgiven for thinking otherwise having seen the reaction to their two consecutive draws but the Gunners just have to match Manchester City’s results for the remainder of the campaign to clinch the title.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Granted, it shouldn’t be as close as it is now. Arsenal have taken 2-0 leads in their last two outings but in both matches, they failed to convert these good starts into maximum points.

In truth, both games followed a similar pattern. Mikel Arteta’s men started well and had complete control up until they didn’t. A goal against the run of play seemed to knock the confidence of the Premier League leaders and they weren’t able to properly recover.

At Anfield, Liverpool dominated the second half, racking up an Expected Goals total of 2.88 after the break in a game they created eight big chances. West Ham didn’t dictate proceedings in the second half but the match was a lot more even than Arsenal would’ve liked, with both teams creating three big chances.

It may sound odd to say this given Arteta’s side had won seven successive Premier League matches ahead of their trip to Merseyside, but these sorts of results have been on the cards.

Ahead of the World Cup, we did a feature on this Arsenal side looking at whether this push for the title was sustainable. At the time, everything pointed towards this team being different to its predecessors. There weren’t any signs that this group would fall off towards the end of the campaign.

They had the joint-best defensive record in the league, conceding just 0.78 goals per game, while they were keeping pace with Manchester City in attack, averaging 2.35 goals per game. In their opening 14 matches, the Gunners had dropped points in just two matches and were running at a rate of 2.64 points per game – enough for a 100-point season.

Only one team in Premier League history has hit 100 points so it would’ve been safe to assume Arsenal would slow down at some stage and they have. They’re now averaging 2.38 points per game – enough for a 90-point campaign. It would still make them one of the most dominant teams ever in the English top flight.

Post-World Cup, the Gunners haven’t been quite as dominant.

Their goals-per-game average has remained fairly similar but they are now conceding more goals. They still have the third-best defensive record in the Premier League behind Newcastle United and Manchester City.

But their goals-against average has risen from 0.78 to one per game. What is particularly interesting though is that in 14 games prior to the World Cup break, Arsenal conceded two or more goals in just three matches. So, in 21% of their games, the Gunners conceded two or more.

In the 17 games following the World Cup, Arteta’s side have conceded two or more in seven games. When converted into a percentage this is a staggering 41%.

So while the belief is that William Saliba’s absence is the reason for dropped points recently, this drop-off in defensive resilience started with him in the team. The Frenchman has been one of the best defenders in the league this season but the stats speak for themselves. Even with him in the starting XI, the Gunners have started to concede more goals. They got away with it at the start of the year but this is now catching up with them.

Simply put, the more goals conceded, the more pressure is on the forwards.

Instead of needing to score two goals to win a game, they’re needing to score three or four to claim maximum points. Eventually, it is a bit too much.

Arsenal dug deep in games against Manchester United, Bournemouth and Aston Villa, scoring in stoppage time to complete three comeback victories over a nine-game span. This sort of thing just wasn’t sustainable long-term. Eventually, the attack wouldn’t be able to get the team out of trouble.

The Gunners have kept just five clean sheets in 15 outings since the turn of the year. Prior to that, they had kept seven in 16. It might not seem like much of a difference when written like that but in terms of percentages, Arsenal kept a clean sheet in 43% of their games prior to the turn of the year, they have kept a clean sheet in 33% of their Premier League games in 2023.

If Arsenal are to see this season out and claim the title, they are going to have to go into safety mode and stop the opposition from scoring. Do that and they will have more than enough quality to score the goals needed to win these games.

(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.

Apr

2023

Champions League Review: Italian Teams Special, part two

As we did following the quarter-final first legs, we thought we’d ask our regular Serie A expert for his take on this week’s return ties involving Napoli, Inter, and Milan.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Milan’s amazing Champions League run

The last time Milan made the Champions League semi-finals was back in 2007, when they got their revenge against Liverpool in the final. Since then, the team has had one of the darkest decades in its history in the 2010s, including a seven year stretch where they didn’t even qualify for Europe’s premier competition.

Fast forward to 2023 and the Rossoneri are this season’s biggest UCL surprise. They beat Napoli 2-1 on aggregate, only weeks after winning 4-0 at the Maradona against the Partenopei in Serie A. Just like in the first leg, Milan were able to weather the early storm against Napoli’s press and possession. Once they got through the early onslaught, Milan were able to hit out on the counter through Rafael Leão, who put in another stunning run up the pitch to set up Olivier Giroud’s goal. This strategy worked once again for them – play a bit deeper and let Leão run rabid at a defence that just couldn’t cope with his pace. It was Tanguy NDombele’s poor control that allowed Leão to get on the ball to begin with. The French midfielder was only playing because of Zambo Anguissa’s suspension, and his involvement turned out to play a key role in the final result of the game, but not necessarily for the reasons Luciano Spalletti will have wanted.

Milan’s return to the Champions League’s final four only a year after winning the Serie A Scudetto shows how impressive the plan has been at the top of the club. While the Rossoneri cannot spend like a Premier League giant, they’ve been shrewd with their investment by focusing on quality youth and allowing them time to develop. There’s no better example of this than the careers of the aforementioned Rafael Leão, and Sandro Tonali. Both joined Milan at a young age and had a hard time settling in at first. It took 16 months for Tonali to finally show his importance. For Leão, the first two seasons of his career in northern Italy were summarised by rare flashes of brilliance outweighed by many inconsistent performances. Milan showed patience with both players. Instead of sending them on loan, they believed in the vision and allowed both Leão and Tonali to grow with the club until they finally expressed their full potential. The results have paid dividends – Leão is the reigning Serie A MVP and just had two world class performances against Napoli in the Champions League, while Tonali has become one of the best box-to-box players in Italy.

For Napoli, Victor Osimhen was finally back from injury but kept under tight control by the fantastic Simon Kjær, who had one of his best games of the season. Only in the final minute of the game was Osimhen finally able to get a decent chance on target, a header which he smashed in. There’s no shame in Napoli’s exit. The club has already done the unthinkable this season, going from 25/1 underdogs to win the Scudetto to a double digit lead at the top of the standings for the last few months. The Neapolitan faithful still have a reason to be upset at some refereeing decisions in both legs, though. There was the unfair sending off of defender Kim Min-jae, which meant Serie A’s best centre-back was suspended for the second leg. In the last game, there was also a penalty appeal not given, as Rafael Leão made contact with Chucky Lozano’s boot before going through the ball. Fortunately, Napoli’s first Serie A scudetto in three decades will mean that these decisions will be quickly forgotten.

Inter knock off Benfica

Back in Milan, Inter ended up beating Benfica comfortably in the Champions League quarter-finals, with a 5-3 aggregate win that was never really in doubt.

Inter’s European run comes during a stretch where they’ve lost four of their last five in Serie A, including an abysmal attacking record where they’ve taken 113 shots and only scored once from open play. These offensive troubles have vanished in the Champions League, where suddenly the Nerazzurri look unstoppable in the final third. Five goals in two matches against a Benfica side that went toe-to-toe with PSG in the group stages is a surprising achievement given the recent domestic form.

Against Benfica, three players in particular stood out from an Inter perspective. The man of the match was Nicoló Barella, who scored a stunning goal by faking a shot on his favoured right, cutting it back onto his left and curling it into the top corner. Adding to the goal, is the fact that he has looked like his the best version of himself, the one that played under Antonio Conte in Inter’s Scudetto winning season.

The left wing-back Federico Dimarco had also had a wonderful tournament, as he’s currently the second best assist man in the Champions League behind only Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. Dimarco recorded two assists on the night and was a constant threat getting forward on his left. The Italian was able to showcase what he does best – attacking the final third. Sometimes he has been criticised for leaving his defensive responsibilities in favour of making runs down the flank any time an opportunity presents itself, but against Benfica he was able to showcase all of his strengths.

More importantly than anything else, Lautaro Martínez finally scored a goal. The Argentine had gone eight matches in all competitions for Inter without finding the back of the net, which seems to have become a pattern in his career. While there’s no doubting the striker’s talent, he’s also an extremely streaky goalscorer. Take a look at Lautaro’s goal scoring logs throughout the last few seasons and a pattern emerges. He can go two months scoring a goal-a-game then follow it up with a two-month dry spell. Inter desperately needed their star man up front to finally find his form in the most important moment of the season thus far.

Inter now face Milan for a Derby Della Madonnina, Champions League edition that is tricky to predict. Both teams are in poor form domestically, mostly because of line-up rotations where they’re resting their best players for this European competition. Inter have already beaten Milan twice during the campaign ; a 1-0 win in Serie A and a 3-0 drubbing of their city-rivals in January’s Super Coppa. That was also during Milan’s worst run of form of the 21st century. The team looks completely different now under Stefano Pioli, playing much more like the side that won Serie A last season.

Serie A state of play

In Serie A, Juventus have had their 15 point deduction reversed (our league standings will be updated ASAP!), meaning that Inter and Milan currently sit outside the top four. The Bianconeri now jump back up the table and sit third going in to the weekend. The court’s decision can still be appealed, meaning that the true scope of the punishment might have to wait until next season.

(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.

Apr

2023

LaLiga Review: Barcelona stall in the sun, Madrid close the gap, and Athletic Club win the Derby

Following Monday night’s mid-table clash between Celta Vigo and Mallorca (won by the visitors), it’s time for our review of the main talking points from the weekend in Spain’s top flight.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

Barcelona draw again

Barcelona drew 0-0 for the second LaLiga game in a row at the weekend. Following last Monday’s goalless game against Girona at Camp Nou, the Blaugrana were held by Getafe at the Coliseum on Sunday and have seen their lead at the top of the table reduced to 11 points.

Raphinha and Alejandro Baldé both hit the post in the same move as Barça came close to scoring in a quick break after 25 minutes. Robert Lewandowski, whose form has dipped in the second half of the season, also saw a header well saved by David Soria in a game of few clear-cut chances.

Xavi was unhappy with the state of the pitch. “It affected us,” he said. “But we knew that. Yesterday we trained on dry grass in Barcelona because we knew about this situation. I have been criticised a lot for talking about playing surfaces, but it’s very difficult for the players when it’s in that state. It’s bad for the spectacle and even for Getafe, because the ball gets caught up.”

During his playing days, Xavi regularly referenced poor pitches after things had not gone Barça’s way, but here he had another surprising complaint. “We’re used to playing without the sun,” he said. “Again, without wishing for it to sound like an excuse, we are used to playing night games.”

Getafe coach Quique Sánchez Flores responded. “The pitch was the same for us both,” he said. “They leave it very short at their ground and very fast. Everyone plays with their own tools.” And on Xavi’s remarks about the weather, he quipped: “Nivea and Aftersun.”

Despite back-to-back draws, Barcelona still boast a considerable lead in the table with nine rounds remaining. “It’s another point at a difficult ground due to the circumstances,” Xavi said. “We have to recover our feeling and also our best play. Nothing is done yet.”

Real Madrid win in Cádiz

Karim Benzema hit bar and post as Real Madrid missed a number of chances in the opening hour away to Cádiz on Saturday night. Goalkeeper David Gil also made a number of fine saves as Los Blancos were denied until the final stages of the match, when the breakthrough finally arrived for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

It took something special as Nacho Fernández, playing against his brother Álex, drove a fierce low shot into the corner from outside the box after 72 minutes. And shortly afterwards, Marco Asensio finished off a move which had started with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to wrap up an ultimately convincing win.

“We played well, with attitude and commitment,” Ancelotti said after the game. “We deserved to score earlier.”

Sandwiched between their two Champions League quarter-final matches against Chelsea, this was potentially a banana skin for Real Madrid. “We showed a lot of energy on the pitch,” Ancelotti said. “This was a tricky one, but the players went out with great concentration.”

Benzema and Éder Militão both played the 90 minutes in an otherwise heavily rotated team ahead of the game at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday and Ancelotti said: “It’s true that they played a lot of minutes, but the team is in good shape physically and they will be fine to play on Tuesday.”

Madrid are 11 behind Barcelona with nine games left, while Cádiz sit just four points above the drop zone after this defeat.

Atlético beat Almería

Atlético Madrid continued their recent fine form with another win, this time at home to Almería. But for the second week in a row, it was a nervy one for the Rojiblancos. Diego Simeone’s side almost had to settle for a draw as Rayo Vallecano pressured late in their previous match and held on again here through some anxious moments in the closing stages.

Antoine Griezmann opened the scoring with a header from close range after five minutes and added a second just before half-time following a lengthy VAR check for offside to restore Atleti’s lead after José Giménez had deflected a shot from Léo Baptistão into the net. The Brazilian, formerly of Atlético, did not celebrate his goal.

Griezmann came close to a hat-trick as he hit the post in the second half, but VAR checked for a possible penalty in the final minute for handball. After a pitchside look from the referee, it was not given and Simeone went running down the tunnel at the final whistle.

Atlético have won 11 of 15 in LaLiga since the World Cup break and have lost just once in that time. “Some people thought we were dead,” Simeone said. “But the race finishes in the last round.”

Atlético are just two points behind Real Madrid in third place and 13 adrift of leaders Barcelona. “The 27 points in play give us a chance of winning the championship,” president Enrique Cerezo said. It is a slim one, however. Atlético travel to leaders Barça at Camp Nou next weekend.

Valencia in the mire

Valencia’s 2-0 defeat to fellow strugglers Sevilla on Sunday leaves Los Che in big trouble. Rubén Baraja’s side are down in 18th place and are now three points adrift of Almería above them. They face bottom club Elche next and have to start winning soon.

At Mestalla on Sunday, Valencia were furious with the officials after a number of key decisions went against them. The home side were unhappy with what they believed was a foul in the build-up to Loïc Badé’s opening goal in the second half and also after they were not given what looked like a clear penalty for handball by Sevilla’s Fernando at 1-0 down.

“We ask for respect because there is a lot at stake,” Baraja said. But he remains confident his side can beat the drop. “There are a lot of points left,” he added. “We’re just one win away from getting back into the fight. Nobody is giving up.”

Athletic win Basque Derby

Iñaki Williams scored a goal in each half as Athletic Club beat Real Sociedad 2-0 at San Mames to win the Basque derby on Saturday. The first was a scrappy effort scrambled home after he had initially miscontrolled, his second a beauty as the Ghana forward hit a fierce strike into the top corner from a tight angle.

The win was deserved and sees Athletic back in the race for Europe, four points behind sixth-placed Villarreal. Real Sociedad remain fourth, but are now just three ahead of Real Betis, 3-1 winners over struggling Espanyol at the weekend.

It was Athletic’s first win at home since early February. “We needed to back up our good away form,” coach Ernesto Valverde said. “We showed a good level against the fourth-placed team in the league.”

For their part, Real Sociedad will be hoping they can hang on to the final Champions League spot, but the San Sebastian side would be 11th if only results in the second half of the season were taken into account and will need to improve on that to claim fourth place.

(Cover image 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.

Apr

2023

Premier League Review: Arsenal drop points, more stoppage-time woe for Spurs, and Liverpool get back to winning ways

This is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing Premier League campaigns in recent memory. The destination for the Premier League is still undecided, and a handful of clubs still feel as though a top-four finish is within their grasp while eight teams will still be fearful of relegation this season. A round-up of the biggest taking points from what could well be a season-defining weekend for a number of clubs.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Missed opportunities

For the second successive week, Arsenal failed to convert a 2-0 lead into all three points. The Gunners found themselves 2-0 up inside 10 minutes against West Ham United courtesy of goals from Gabriel Jesus and Martin Odegaard.

However, the leaders were pegged back just before the break after Said Benrahma scored from the spot. Bukayo Saka had the chance to establish a two-goal advantage when Arsenal were awarded a penalty but his effort failed to hit the target. Just moments later, Jarrod Bowen scored the equaliser.

Mikel Arteta will likely be frustrated by his side’s inability to create anything in the second half. It was the same story at Anfield last week. The Gunners mustered an Expected Goals total of 0.41 when the penalty is excluded. You would expect a much higher total with the Premier League title on the line.

Why aren’t Arsenal looking for winners?

Haaland is inevitable

It was always a matter of when and not if Erling Haaland would match the Premier League record for goals in a 38-game campaign. Mohamed Salah held the record with 32 but Haaland tied that with his double against Leicester City.

Prior to the game on Saturday, Haaland had gone on to score two or more goals in 44% of the games in which he had scored a single goal for City. Pep Guardiola subbed Haaland off at half-time, preventing him from breaking the Premier League record with yet another hat-trick.

He now has the chance to set a new English top-flight record in the potential title-deciding clash with Arsenal.

Even though he only played for 45 minutes, he was the top-rated player on the FotMob app with 8.5.

Stoppage-time Spurs

For the third time in their last four Premier League matches, Spurs dropped points in stoppage time. Had they been able to hold out in all of these games, they would be five points better off and sat in fourth position in the Premier League.

Instead, Cristian Stellini’s side are fifth, three points off the Champions League pace having played a game more.

Spurs perhaps didn’t deserve to lose against Bournemouth on Saturday but it is what happens when you miss chances while allowing the opposition to create dangerous moments throughout. The hosts had 24 shots and missed two big chances while the Cherries had just nine shots but converted all three big chances.

Injuries have limited what can and cannot be done by Stellini during his interim time in charge but the inability to see out games needs to be addressed while Spurs still have a chance of qualifying for the Champions League.

Villa’s rampant run continues

Aston Villa have now won five consecutive matches in the Premier League and are unbeaten in eight. The way in which they put an in-form Newcastle United side to the sword was perhaps their most impressive performance under Unai Emery. Heading into the game, Eddie Howe’s side had won five on the spin, scoring 13 in the process and conceding just four goals.

After a blip in February, they had firmly established themselves as a genuine contender for Champions League football yet they were blown away by an in-form Ollie Watkins.

Villa romped to a 3-0 win and in the process became the first team in the Premier League to score three goals in a single game against Newcastle United this season. Watkins netted a double against the Magpies and now has 11 goals in his last 12 appearances.

The new manager bounce

Chelsea fans expected a new manager bounce when Frank Lampard replaced Graham Potter at the helm. Yet three matches into Lampard’s spell as interim boss, the Blues are winless. In fact, they have scored just one goal – Conor Gallagher’s deflected effort against Brighton on Saturday – and they have conceded five goals.

The worrying thing for Chelsea is that the Seagulls arrived at Stamford Bridge and dominated. Roberto De Zerbi’s side had more of the ball, had three times as many shots as the hosts and racked up an empathic Expected Goals haul of 2.94. The away team created five big chances to Chelsea’s zero in what was no doubt a humbling defeat for Lampard in front of a home crowd expecting a response.

A new look Liverpool

The Trent Alexander-Arnold experiment continued for Liverpool in their 6-1 win over Leeds United. Though the Reds started in their traditional 4-3-3 shape, Alexander-Arnold once again played as an inverted full-back, forming a double pivot alongside Fabinho when the away side had possession.

The No66 put on a passing clinic, finishing the game with a 91% success rate from the 136 passes he attempted at Elland Road. He also claimed two assists in one of his most dominant on ball displays of the season. Could it be the new norm for Klopp’s men?

(Cover image 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.

Apr

2023

Last Weekend: Larne’s long wait ends, Arsenal slip up again, Cremonese and Gorica plot great escapes, and more

We are fast approaching the end of the 2022/23 season in most parts of Europe, so the stakes are getting higher and higher. This weekend saw some very meaningful results in various parts of the continent, including one title that was decided in the United Kingdom.

By Neel Shelat

Northern Ireland: Crusaders 0-2 Larne

We will go to London soon, but we will first go across the Irish Sea as there was a big development in the Northern Irish Premiership. With two rounds of fixtures still to play, the fate of the title has already been decided.

It is a historic outcome too, as the newly-crowned champions Larne lifted the first top-flight title in their 134-year history. They have secured first place ahead of defending champions Linfield – the most successful club in the country. Cliftonville were also involved in the title race early on, but have now fallen to fourth.

This triumph is the culmination of Larne’s resurgence in the last few years. Before that, the club lost its senior status at the time of the establishment of the Premiership in 2008. It was only in 2016, when the Championship was established as the second-tier, that they regained their senior status. Two years later, they had an ownership change and were back on the up, winning promotion to the top flight in the very first season after the takeover. A few years and some smart investment later, they found themselves in a title race, where they took the trophy out of Belfast for the first time in about two decades.

Consequently, Larne will make their debut in the Champions League qualifiers next season. Given the fact that no Northern Irish side has ever featured in the group stage of Europe’s premier competition, they should not have high hopes. But, a full European debut might yet be on the cards in one of the lower-tier competitions.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: West Ham United 2-2 Arsenal

The most watched game in the UK this weekend was probably the all-London clash between West Ham and Arsenal, which had implications at either end of the Premier League table.

In spite of their continued Europa Conference League exploits, West Ham found themselves embroiled in a relegation battle in the league. They were within striking distance of the sides in the relegation zone going into the weekend, so they could not afford to give away anything cheaply. Their visitors found themselves in a similar situation but for different reasons, especially after their draw with Liverpool last weekend gave Manchester City the chance to be the writers of their destiny in the title race.

And Arsenal seemed to mean business. They got off to an absolute flyer, racing to a two-goal lead within ten minutes thanks to Gabriel Jesus and Martin Ødegaard. Given their complete and utter dominance to that point, everyone expected them to easily see out the win thereafter.

Once again, though, there was a twist in the tale. In the 33rd minute, West Ham won a penalty after a turnover in midfield. Saïd Benrahma stepped up to take it, and he brought his side back into the game by halving the deficit.

After that, it was all West Ham as they searched for an equaliser. Unfortunately, for them, they could not find one before half-time, and a few minutes into the second period, Arsenal won a penalty of their own. The in-form Bukayo Saka was poised to take this one, but he missed the target altogether and kept Arsenal’s lead very precarious indeed.

That precarity did prove costly too, as Jarrod Bowen equalised just a couple of minutes later. Having thrown away yet another two-goal lead, Arsenal seemed shaken and never looked like they were going to bounce back. So, in spite of maintaining close to three-quarters of possession, the Gunners lost control of the match and lost two points along with it.

This result cuts the deficit at the top of the standings to just four points, and Manchester City have a game in hand as well. Of course, most crucially, the top two will face off in about ten days’ time in what will almost certainly be the most important match in this title race.

🇩🇪 Germany: Stuttgart 3-3 Borussia Dortmund

After ten years of disappointment, only a fool would harbour hopes of Borussia Dortmund succeeding in a title race again Bayern Munich.

Of course, they were going to lose the pivotal Klassiker in the silliest manner possible. Of course, they would fail to capitalise when all sorts of drama was going on behind the scenes at Bayern. Of course, they would refuse to hold on to a seemingly comfortable lead to go level on points with the Rekordmeister.

The two title contenders kicked off their matches simultaneously on Saturday evening, with Bayern hosting Hoffenheim and Dortmund visiting Stuttgart. Both would have been pleased at half-time, as Bayern had a lead thanks to Benjamin Pavard while Dortmund found themselves two goals and a man up.

It was all smooth sailing until the 71st minute, when Andrej Kramarić brought Hoffenheim level with a direct free-kick to the back of the net. As things stood, Bayern and Dortmund would be level on 59 points, but of course, things were not going to stand.

The only thing more inevitable than a Bayern victory was a Dortmund collapse, and that is indeed what we got. In spite of their numerical advantage against the relegation battlers, Dortmund conceded twice in the last 15 minutes of regulation time. They even went on to retake the lead in stoppage time, but again, only a fool would harbour hopes of Borussia Dortmund in a title race. Of course, they threw the game away by conceding again in the last minute.

So, after all that, Bayern’s two-point advantage was maintained even though they dropped points. Meanwhile, this was also a significant result in the relegation battle, as Stuttgart climbed back up into the play-off spot on goal difference.

🇪🇸 Spain: Athletic Club 2-0 Real Sociedad

With the title effectively wrapped up and on its way to Barcelona, the next meaningful battle in LaLiga is the race for Europe. We had an important fixture relevant to that this weekend, which also happened to be the Basque derby.

Seventh-placed Athletic Club hosted fourth-placed Real Sociedad, who were looking to end an almost decade-long absence from the Champions League. They only had a four-point lead over fifth-placed Villarreal, so the margin for error was getting smaller and smaller.

Their hosts and near neighbours were playing catch up, so the pressure on them to get results was slightly greater. Their current position in the table would only grant them a European spot if Osasuna fail to win the final of the Copa del Rey against Real Madrid. Of course, they would not want to leave their fate out of control, so they were chasing a spot in the top six at least.

The match was an intense affair, but one with few noteworthy chances. Both sides played narrow formations and clogged up the centre of the pitch, making it very difficult to access the dangerous areas of the opposition penalty box. The winner was surely going to be the side that made the most of limited opportunities, and that proved to be Athletic Club.

Iñaki Williams did their bidding with a goal either side of half-time. First, he turned home a corner from a pretty good position, and then, he scored from a pretty tight angle at the end of a fast break. That goal, scored in the 70th minute, effectively sealed the result and gave Athletic Club the all-important three points.

The good news for Real Sociedad is that Villarreal also lost their match this weekend, so they have been overtaken by Betis who are four points behind Imanol Alguacil’s side. Four points is a relevant figure for Athletic Club too, as that is their new gap to sixth place.

🇮🇹 Italy: Cremonese 1-0 Empoli

Great escapes seem to be becoming a bit of a theme in Serie A. Last season, it was Salernitana who came back from the dead and survived by the skin of their teeth. This year, Cremonese seem to be on course to follow suit, though there is a long way to go yet.

It should be noted that the dramatic effect of Salernitana’s escape was heightened by the existential issues they faced relevant to their ownership, for from a purely sporting perspective, they remained relatively quite close to safety for most of the season. Cremonese, however, looked dead and buried at the turn of the year having failed to win a single league match.

In fact, their winless run continued till the last day of February – a time when they were rooted so far down at the bottom of the table that even doubling their points tally would not get them out of the relegation zone. They then recorded a memorable win over Roma, but followed that up by losing four of their next five games.

If Cremonese do somehow end up surviving, the turning point will likely be remembered as their match against Sampdoria last weekend. Thanks to a stoppage-time goal which gave them a 3-2 win away from home, Davide Ballardini’s side hauled themselves off the foot of the table and into the fight for survival.

Their win over Empoli this weekend was far from entertaining, but all that matters to them is that they got the job done and held on to the early lead given by Cyriel Dessers. That brings them to within seven points of safety, and given the fact that they will face three of the four sides above them before the end of the season, including 17th-placed Spezia, they certainly still have a chance.

🇭🇷 Croatia: Šibenik 0-4 HNK Gorica

Sticking to the theme of potentially miraculous escapes, we have a similar story from Croatia. The 10-team Hrvatska nogometna liga only has one direct relegation spot at the bottom of the table, but that does not deprive us of some greatly entertaining scraps.

Unlike Cremonese, HNK Gorica did manage to get a win to their name quite early on in the season in August, but then came their long drought. They too went winless till their last match of February, before which their tally of nine points was less than half of what ninth-placed Šibenik had.

After that win over NK Lokomotiva, Gorica have only lost one league match to date. Among their recent results is an incredibly dramatic 5-4 win over NK Istra, and a draw with league leaders Dinamo Zagreb. All of that brought them to within four points of safety ahead of this weekend’s crunch clash against Šibenik, which they simply had to win.

Gorica did just that, putting four past the surprise cup finalists in the first half, including three goals in the first 18 minutes. Thereafter, they had no reason to risk anything, so they simply sat back and saw out a massive win.

Cover Image from IMAGO