Page 168 – The Pulse of Football

Jun

2023

Serie A Review: Maldini vs. Milan break-up, Fiorentina lose the UECL Final, and more

It’s been another typically busy week in Italian football so, as always, we turned to our friend Matteo Bonetti for his insights on the big talking points. And we even let him pick a Serie A best XI.

By Matteo Bonetti

Milan’s earthquake at the top

The start of the summer didn’t go to plan for Milan, as the directors, Ricky Massara and Paolo Maldini parted ways with the club after a turbulent meeting with owner Gerry Cardinale. Recent reports had suggested that there were a few factors that led to the divorce between the two parties. Simply put, Paolo Maldini wanted a larger investment from Cardinale into the club than the proposed €50m for the summer transfer window. Maldini has gone on record that the club cannot truly compete in two different competitions without a larger investment from the top. Other factors also played a role; the ownership was not happy with last summer’s transfer window, especially with the two disappointing signings of Charles De Ketelaere and Divock Origi, both of whom had virtually no impact on the squad.

Milan’s star players seem to be on the side of Maldini and Massara, as evidenced by social media posts from the likes of Rafael Leão and Mike Maignan. Maignan posted a photo of him and the two directors while Leão went with a confused emoji on Twitter, as a response to the whole debacle.

Suddenly, Milan’s transfer strategy has become the great unknown, given that the recent events will lead to a new vision for the Rossoneri this summer. Presumably, that vision falls more in line with what the ownership wants – young players that don’t cost a lot of money but have room to grow in value.

It’s not an ideal start for Milan’s summer plans. The club is back in the Champions League next season as they took full advantage of Juventus being docked points. Maldini was right about the club having to invest more seriously to be able to challenge in Serie A and return to the elite in European competitions. The proposed €50m isn’t enough to reinforce a squad that had key weaknesses in the lineup and a rather thin bench when they had to rotate because of injury.

Fiorentina lose Conference League final to West Ham

Fiorentina had two finals which would’ve resulted in silverware and a ticket to the Europa League next season. First, they lost the Coppa Italia to Inter. Only days after that, they were scheduled to meet a West Ham team that has slogged along in the Premier League this season. They were expected to be slight favorites over West Ham, who played a poor domestic campaign and only finished in 14th place under the cautious David Moyes.

Fiore played this match the way most expected – with a majority of the possession. After all, the Viola have the second best possession in Serie A, behind only league winners Napoli. On the flip side, the Hammers are ranked 18th best, with a paltry 41% possession throughout the course of the season.

Fiorentina weren’t able to do much with that, though. Out of the 17 total shots they took, only one troubled goalkeeper Alphonse Areola. It was a rewind back to the first half of the season, where Fiorentina would often dominate games but couldn’t get any production out of their front strikers, Luka Jović and Arthur Cabral. The moments of danger came from the always steady trio of Jack Bonaventura, Nico González and Sofyan Amrabat. Bonaventura’s lone goal to make it 1-1 was a moment of magic. The Italian midfielder settled the ball perfectly to find a sliver of space past Declan Rice, then proceeded to unleash a perfect shot into the bottom corner from the volley.

The West Ham winner which came in the 90th minute was a blow to Fiore’s tactical game. With Lucas Paquetá being further up in possession, the technical Brazilian slipped through the perfect through ball to find the run of Jarrod Bowen. Bowen just outran the fresh legs of Igor, the defender who had only recently come on for Fiorentina, and finished his counter with a one-on-one chance against the keeper, Pietro Terracciano.

The winning goal conceded was a reminder of the dangers of Vincenzo Italiano’s system. They play with the highest defensive line in Serie A, which means there are acres of room for the opposition to run into. By pinning West Ham so deep in their own half, it also meant that the Viola wingers had limited space to operate in. Sometimes, Fiorentina’s attack can look predictable. Tons of crosses from out wide or shots from distance, without an ability to consistently play those balls into the box as there are simply too many defenders there close together in a low block.

Despite the disappointing end to Fiorentina’s season, there’s a sense of something special brewing with Vincenzo Italiano. That is, if the club can actually keep him long term. The Italian manager has been on a meteoric rise, starting in the fourth division and working his way up to saving Spezia from relegation in his first adventure in Serie A. His move to Fiorentina has led to the team playing some of the best football in the league and reaching two cup finals.

My Serie A Team of the Season

Goalkeeper: Ivan Provedel (Lazio). Most clean sheets in the league.

Right-back: Giovanni Di Lorenzo (Napoli). The tireless warrior in Napoli’s defence. Bulletproof reliability, and an improved touch with his final ball.

Centre-back: Kim Min-jae (Napoli): The replacement for Kalidou Koulibaly turned out to be the ideal defender for Napoli. Lightning quick, smart reading of the game and an imposing presence. Kim was the best defender in the league.

Centre-back: Alessandro Bastoni (Inter): Out of Inter’s back three, Bastoni was the only constant. A unique defender who could also push up and trouble teams with his left foot.

Left-back: Theo Hernández (Milan): One of the best attacking full-backs in Europe, Theo is impossible to stop when he gets going. His coast-to-coast goals, passing ability and improved defending have made him one of Milan’s primary weapons

Midfield: Nicolo Barella (Inter): Back to his best form, Barella was Inter’s whirling buzzsaw of energy. Stamina, defensive work and a soft touch with his passing. He was pivotal to the success Inter had in controlling games.

Midfield: Stanislav Lobotka (Napoli): The champions were the side with the best possession in the league and that was in large part due to the fantastic holding midfield presence of Lobotka. Virtually impossible to dispossess, Lobotka was the brains of Luciano Spalletti’s dominant Napoli season which saw them win their first Scudetto in more than three decades.

Winger: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli): Double digit goals and assists. The winger came in from the Georgian league last summer to replace Lorenzo Insigne and won league MVP. Unstoppable dribbling, clever passing and an eye for goal, Kvara quickly became a household name and one of the most exciting players to watch in Europe.

Winger: Rafael Leão (Milan): Leão’s second half of the campaign was simply world class. He saved his best performances for some of the most important games, especially for Milan’s unexpected run to the Champions League semi-finals. There aren’t many players who are as terrifying for a full-back to defend one-v-one.

Striker: Lautaro Martínez (Inter): Lautaro was Inter’s best striker this season, carrying his club to a top four finish and a Champions League final. His movement was brilliant, adding to that a clinical shot with either foot and the technique to be able to create his own space against a defender.

Striker: Victor Osimhen (Napoli): The Serie A Capocannoniere finally got to show his worth in a season where he didn’t pick up a freak injury like we’ve seen in the past. Explosive pace, an ability to score all over the pitch and perhaps the best aerial game in Europe. Osimhen was virtually unstoppable.

(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.

Jun

2023

Erling Haaland: The transfer that changed Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City

Football transfers are all about execution.

A lot of transfers may work in theory but executing the idea on the pitch isn’t always as straightforward as people might think.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Everyone assumed Erling Haaland would arrive at Manchester City and somehow take them to new heights. He had been a goal machine for Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund, both domestically and in European competition. Adding him to a dominant Man City side should’ve, at least on paper, made them even more ruthless as a team.

But there were a number of things to consider.

Firstly, Haaland was susceptible to the odd injury and his time in the Bundesliga was disrupted by stints on the sidelines. There were no guarantees he would easily adapt to the physical demands of the Premier League.

Pep Guardiola didn’t have the best of records with pure No.9s. He is a manager who favours tactical fluidity and often loads his starting XI up with versatile players. Haaland’s link-up game wasn’t exactly something he was known for and he was still fairly raw in possession.

The biggest unknown in all of this was how City would adapt to having Haaland lead the line for them while the player himself was still adapting to a new league.

There are countless examples of teams signing goalscorers and then completely misusing them.

Safe to say that this wasn’t the case with City and Haaland.

The 22-year-old had a debut season to remember in the Premier League. In fact, it has been a season to remember in general with Guardiola’s side just one win away from completing a historic treble.

They face Inter in the Champions League final later this week in a competition Haaland has scored 12 times in just 10 outings this term.

Haaland has been a revelation for the Premier League champions. He broke the record for most goals in a 38-game campaign having netted 36 times in just 2,779 minutes. The No.9 notched four hat-tricks throughout the season in the English top flight, a feat that only Alan Shearer has bettered (five).

The former Molde forward is the fastest player to ever score 25 goals under Pep Guardiola, doing so in 20 games to beat Lionel Messi (28), Samuel Eto’o (30), Sergio Aguero (35) and Thierry Henry (41).

Not only did Haaland have his most productive season in terms of goals, but he also set a new career-high for assists with eight to beat his tally of seven from his final season with BVB.

The 23-cap Norway international wasn’t just on a hot streak either. He had the highest Expected Goal return in the Premier League (28.7) and was comfortably ahead of Mohamed Salah in second (21.7). He was in the right place at the right time all of the time and his ruthlessness in the box improved the chances City created for him. It was a match made in heaven.

Haaland had the highest Expected Goals per 90 average with 0.93 and the highest Expected Goals + Expected Assists per 90 average in the entire league (1.03). What makes this all the more impressive is that he slotted into this City team.

A lot of the time when a player goes on this sort of goalscoring run, their individual numbers spike and they average north of five shots per 90. It means everything is funnelled their way and it isn’t exactly sustainable because once the opposition limit the volume, the threat disappears. The former BVB man ranked fourth for shots per 90 with four. Darwin Nunez (4.5) led the way with Julio Enciso (4.3) and Aleksandar Mitrovic (4.2) attempting more than the Golden Boot winner.

There are no guarantees in football. This remarkable season should not be downplayed because Haaland was a goal machine elsewhere and City win most things every single year. The fact Guardiola and his coaching staff have managed to execute this transition with the No.9 leading the way is nothing short of remarkable.

Treble or not, this has arguably been City’s best season under the Catalan coach because of this.

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow The Champions League Final live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2023

To complement the FotMob team of the week, we have picked five players who stood out, for various reasons, on Matchday 17 of Major League Soccer.

Whether that be by playing a major role in securing a result for their team, or hitting the headlines as their stock continues to rise, these are five players among numerous standout performers who were especially notable in the previous round of games.

We begin with one of the form teams in the league and their most conspicuous player of the latest matchday.

By James Nalton, MLS expert

Julián Carranza (Philadelphia Union)

The month of May saw Philadelphia Union exit the Concacaf Champions League at the semi-final stage to Los Angeles FC and go out of the US Open Cup as soon as it had entered after losing on penalties to Minnesota United.

In MLS, though, Jim Curtin’s side has turned a corner, showing why despite being one of the lower-spending teams in the league, the Union is one of the best-assembled outfits and remains a contender for the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup.

Carranza is the epitome of this. Picked up from a troubled Inter Miami side initially on loan in 2022, the 23-year-old Argentine soon signed permanently and has seven goals and two assists as the Union has gone on a run of nine games unbeaten in MLS.

He attempted nine shots in his team’s most recent game against CF Montreal, scoring twice. The second took a few deflections on its way in, and he should probably have had a hat-trick given the chances that came his way, but it was his shot that also led to the game’s other goal for Mikael Uhre.

The Union has seven wins and two draws in that nine-game unbeaten run and in Carranza, Uhre, and Daniel Gazdag, boast one of the most feared attacking lineups in the league and with nine goals in MLS in 2023, Carranza leads the way.

Daniel (San Jose Earthquakes)

Brazilian goalkeeper Daniel pulled off two outstanding saves to make sure the Earthquakes avoided defeat to a Colorado Rapids side languishing at the bottom of the Western Conference.

A first-half save from a close-range Cole Bassett header that had a post-shot xG of 0.70 was a highlight, showing excellent concentration, positioning, and reaction speed to tip it wide.

At the start of the second half, Daniel was down well to save a long-range effort from Bryan Acosta that looked like it might have been deflected on its way through, making it more difficult.

He went on to save a penalty later in the half, diving to his left to stop Connor Ronan’s effort from 12 yards. It added to his highlight reel but more importantly, meant his team weren’t embarrassed by a Colorado side that went down to ten men in the second half.

When San Jose needed him, didn’t Daniel deliver, with his second standout performance in as many games.

Christian Ramirez (Columbus Crew)

Four Columbus Crew players were among the best of the Matchday per FotMob ratings. Lucas Zelarayán registered an assist as part of six chances created, while Cucho Hernández and Max Arfsten both notched a goal and an assist each in a 4-2 win against Charlotte.

The standout of the four was Ramirez who netted two goals as well as an assist for Arfsten (even though the American still had plenty to do to get his name on the scoresheet).

It remained a team effort, though, and the pick of the goals was Zelarayan’s scooped pass over the Charlotte defence to Hernandez who showed skill and bravery to finish.

Wilfried Nancy moved to Columbus from Montreal at the end of last season and has since shown why the Ohio team made the move for the French head coach.

The Crew has the highest average possession in MLS and has scored the most goals. If it can tighten up at the back, the team could become a Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup contender.

Iván Angulo (Orlando)

Facundo Torres took the headlines after scoring twice in Orlando City’s 3-0 win at New York Red Bulls, but Colombian attacking midfielder Angulo was arguably Orlando’s best player on the night.

The 24-year-old opened the scoring when it was still 11 v 11 (Andres Reyes was sent off early in the second half for New York) having the confidence to finish one-on-one against Red Bulls goalkeeper Carlos Coronel and the awareness to realise the teammates to his left may have been offside had he passed.

He also added an assist to his night’s work, sprinting half the length of the field past Frankie Amaya in what was an impressive show of speed. This time he squared for Torres who slotted past Coronel for his second.

Djordje Petrović (New England Revolution)

The Serbian stopper’s stock continues to rise thanks to two high-profile saves against New York City in the Bronx.

Gabriel Pereira’s long-range effort from outside the area may have been taken from a low xG position on the field, but the post-shot xG was 0.53 and required a wonderful save at full stretch from the 23-year-old.

It was the type of shot many goalkeepers will just watch and hope drifts wide or over, or dive late and not get anywhere near, but Petrović was well positioned and then athletic enough to get his fingertips to it to tip it over.

Petrović saved again from Pereira in the second half from closer range. It was similar to a stop he made in the first half from Santi Rodriguez who turned out to be offside, but neither player knew that until after the play had ended.

Petrović is being monitored by several European clubs. Both Manchester United and Liverpool have been linked via the transfer rumour mill, but they aren’t the only sides keeping an eye on the Serbian.

Matt Turner’s impressive performances in New England earned him a move to Arsenal, but in Petrović Bruce Arena’s side has found a replacement who is arguably better than the man he replaced. They might have to find another replacement soon.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023 MLS season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Jun

2023

LaLiga Review: Valladolid suffer final day heartbreak and Benzema signs off with a goal

The final round of the season in Spain’s top flight saw drama at the bottom, podium places decided, and European qualification secured. Here’s our expert with the main talking points.

By Ben Hayward, LaLiga expert

Agony and ecstasy in Valladolid

When the final whistle sounded at the José Zorilla on Sunday night, Getafe’s players celebrated as Valladolid’s sunk to their knees. The goalless draw meant survival for the visitors, but relegation for the home side. In an evening of tension on the final day of LaLiga, they were the losers in a dramatic six-way relegation battle.

With Elche and Espanyol already down, six teams went into the final round of matches with the same goal: to finish 17th or higher. Valladolid started the day in 18th place on 39 points, but survival was in their hands. And they were at home.

All six clubs went into their last match depending on themselves. Cádiz, Getafe and Valencia started the day with 41 points, with Almería and Celta Vigo on 40 and Valladolid on 39. Cádiz were away to Elche, with Valencia up against Real Betis in Seville and Almería in action at Espanyol. Meanwhile, Celta were at home to champions Barcelona and Valladolid hosted Getafe in the only direct meeting between teams still involved in the fight for survival.

Many had picked Celta to go down. The Galicians had lost seven of their last nine LaLiga games and looked vulnerable, but their record at home to Barcelona has been strong in recent years and this was a good time to be facing the champions. Apart from Marc-André ter Stegen seeking a new clean sheet record, Xavi’s side had little to play for. Franck Kessié looked to have put Barça in front early on, but was marginally offside. Balaídos breathed a sigh of relief. Then, young Gabri Veiga made himself a hero with two goals either side of the break which were enough to seal a 2-1 win for Celta despite an Ansu Fati header late in the game. The midfielder’s second had been a mishit cross, but who cares? Certainly nobody at Balaídos.

In the end, Celta were the only team of the six to win. Cádiz drew 1-1 at Elche and Valencia tied Betis by the same scoreline in Sevilla, despite falling behind inside a minute at the Benito Villamarín. That was enough for both to move clear of the drop zone. And as the minutes ticked away, attention turned to events in Barcelona and Valladolid.

Almería led early against Espanyol but trailed twice to the Catalans. At 2-1 and 3-2 down, they were heading for relegation because even though their goal difference was better than Valladolid’s, their inferior head-to-head record in the matches between the two teams this season saw them drop below the Blanquivioletas.

But Adri Embarba brought Almería back into it with two equalising goals and his second, from the penalty spot after 87 minutes at Espanyol, sealed a 3-3 draw which was enough to earn his team a place in LaLiga next season at the expense of Valladolid. Unable to find a way past a stubborn Getafe, Paulo Pezzolano’s side head to Segunda. In any of the past three seasons, 40 points would have been enough to stay up, but not this time.

“Together, we will be back,” the club said in a statement after the game, vowing to “work tirelessly” to return to the top flight. Valladolid were also relegated two seasons ago and bounced back straight away. A repeat of that would be handy next season.

Benzema signs off with a goal as Real Madrid pip Atlético

Karim Benzema started for Real Madrid earlier on Sunday in his final appearance for the club after it was announced that the French forward will be leaving this summer. And the 35-year-old signed off with a goal, his 354th for Los Blancos, which earned his side a 1-1 draw at home to Athletic Club and was enough for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to finish second as Atlético were denied a win by Villarreal in added time at the Estadio de la Cerámica.

“I have coached one of the best in the world,” the Italian said of the Frenchman. “Not just as a striker, but as a complete footballer. He’s a great person, friendly, humble, serious… We can’t be happy, but we have to respect it. He has earned the right to decide. He has done legendary things, unforgettable things.”

Benzema’s penalty came after 72 minutes, with Athletic having seen a spot-kick of their own denied as Mikel Vesga’s shot was saved by Thibaut Courtois early in the game. The French forward’s goal cancelled out Oihan Sancet’s goal for the Basques after 49 minutes and the 35-year-old went off to an ovation from the Bernabéu moments later. His final contribution as a Madrid player also saw Real finish above Atlético.

Diego Simeone’s side trailed early on to a Nicolás Jackson goal at Villarreal, but turned the game around thanks to a brace from Ángel Correa. The Rojiblancos later had Axel Witsel sent off with 20 minutes left for a foul on Giovani Lo Celso when the Argentine was through on goal and ended up conceding in the 92nd minute as 20-year-old striker Jorge Pascual netted his first goal for the club.

Osasuna qualify for Europe

Two goals from Ante Budimir early in the second half set Osasuna on their way to a 2-1 win over Girona and saw the Pamplona-based side secure a seventh-placed finish in LaLiga, two points ahead of northern rivals Athletic Club.

Osasuna, Copa del Rey finalists earlier this season and already qualified for next season’s Supercopa, will take their place in the Europa Conference League next season as European football returns to El Sadar.

Europa League winners Sevilla will join Barcelona, Real Madrid, Atlético and Real Sociedad in next season’s Champions League. Meanwhile, Villarreal (fifth) and Real Betis (sixth) have qualified for the Europa League. It should be fun.

(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.

Jun

2023

Last Weekend: Barça Femení reclaim their European crown, 3-way title race drama in Belgium, and more

The football world was kind to offer lots of great picks for our first-anniversary edition of the Last Weekend column after a weekend filled with major finals, title deciders and season-concluders. As always, we have whittled everything down to the six biggest matches and results, so here they are.

By Neel Shelat

🏆 UEFA Women’s Champions League Final: Barcelona 3-2 Wolfsburg

Without question, Barcelona Femení have been the best team in Europe in recent years, so their failure to defend their UWCL crown against Lyon last year must have stung quite a bit. They did not slow down at all this season though, and found themselves in their third consecutive Champions League final.

Their opponents this time, in Eindhoven, were two-time champions Wolfsburg, who were looking to make up for their loss in the Bundesliga title race by winning Europe’s most prestigious club competition for the first time in a decade.

Die Wölfinnen got off to the perfect start, as Ewa Pajor opened the scoring less than three minutes in with a thunderous strike from outside the box. After defending for most of the subsequent half an hour and just about keeping Barcelona at bay, the Germans got a second goal after Pajor found the head of Alexandra Popp with a cross, which was only going to hit the back of the net thereafter.

So, Wolfsburg went into half-time with a two-goal lead despite attempting no more than three shots, one of which was from around the centre circle. Barcelona, meanwhile, failed to get anything to show for their 15 attempts, but they would not be denied for long.

A quickfire double from Patricia Guijarro brought them back level within five minutes of the second period, and from there on, only one outcome seemed inevitable. After some questionable defending, Fridolina Rolfö was the one who got the would-be winner for Barcelona in the 70th minute.

The Spanish champions comfortably held on thereafter, securing a deserved victory to lift the UWCL trophy for the second time in three years.

🇧🇪 Belgium: Genk 2-2 Royal Antwerp

For the first time since 1999, we had a three-way title decider on the final day in Belgium.

Royal Antwerp were in pole position because they finished the regular season on an even points tally (it’s a long story), so the equation was simple for them: win, and get your first league title since 1957. Their opponents Genk also had a chance to win the title by beating them, but they also needed Union Saint-Gilloise to drop points in the other game.

Antwerp also had the chance to wrap up the title in their last game against USG, but they conceded a late equaliser and only managed a draw to set up this decider. They seemed to have recovered from that disappointment, though, as they looked the better side and created the better chances in the first half.

But it was Genk who struck first on the stroke of half-time with their very first attempt of the game, which was scored by Toru Arokodare. So their fans were the happiest during the half-time break, but they received some bad news before the second half even kicked off. Union had scored seconds after the break in their game, jumping up to first in the table as things stood. Worse yet for Genk, Gyrano Kerk equalised in the 58th minute. The title remained in Union’s hands as things were, but there would be a lot of late drama.

Bryan Heynen put Genk back in front in the 75th minute, but they still needed a favour from Club Brugge. The outgoing champions had looked second-best all game, but they managed to grab an equaliser in the 89th minute to turn the helicopter carrying the trophy away from Brussels and send it towards Genk.

Indeed, the champions were decided in the Cegeka Arena, but it was not the hosts. In the fourth minute of stoppage time, local boy Toby Alderweireld picked out the top corner from outside the box to pull Antwerp back level, winning them the title because Union slipped up.

So, the great celebrations at the Bousilstadion kicked off as Antwerp won their first title in 66 years and sealed their first-ever league-cup double – something that seemed impossible just a few years ago when they were in the second division. Genk were left bitterly disappointed having watched the title slip away from their hands, while USG suffered such heartbreak for the second year in a row.

🏆 CONCACAF Champions League Final: LAFC 0-1 León (1-3 agg.)

A raucous BMO Stadium welcomed the two contestants of the CONCACAF Champions League final for its second leg on what was set to be a historic day, as one of them would lift their first-ever continental title.

Club León held the advantage from the first leg, but might have been a little disappointed with how it ended. They were two goals to the good at half-time and thought they’d scored a third at the end in stoppage-time, but it was ruled out by VAR. Just a couple of minutes later, LAFC went up the other end and pulled one back to not only halve the deficit but also get a crucial away goal.

For that reason, it was crucial for León to score again here, and they did. Lucas Di Yorio capped off a nice team move in the 20th minute to give the visitors the lead on the night, thereby forcing LAFC to score at least twice to stay alive in the tie.

The MLS champions went on to create a fair few chances with a couple of pretty good ones at that, but they simply failed to put the ball in the back of the net. So, they tasted defeat for the second time in a CONCACAF Champions League final, while León became the fourteenth different Mexican club to lift the trophy (in its various guises)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Manchester City 2-1 Manchester United

The scheduling of the FA Cup final drew much ire as it kicked off at the exact same time as the UWCL final, but anyone having a dilemma about which game to watch had all their confusion cleared up within 12 seconds.

Manchester City scored the fastest-ever goal in an FA Cup final to take the lead almost straight from kick-off, as İlkay Gündoğan’s volley hit the back of the net before Manchester United could even get so much as a solid touch on the ball. The Premier League champions were the clear favourites for this fixture, and having taken the lead so quickly, they were surely going to coast home.

Indeed, they controlled the match, but there was an unexpected twist just after the half-hour mark as Manchester United were awarded a penalty for a very contentious handball call against Jack Grealish. Bruno Fernandes stepped up to convert it, pulling his side level with their first shot on target.

The two sides emerged from the half-time break with the scores level, but they would not stay that way for long. A few minutes into the second period, a more scuffed Gündoğan volley right after a corner saw City retake the lead, which they did not let slip this time. As ever, they dominated the match right till the end and saw out a relatively comfortable win.

With their first FA Cup title in four years, Manchester City have won another domestic double. More importantly, though, this brings them within one step of winning a continental treble as they play in next week’s Champions League final.

🇪🇸 Spain: Real Valladolid 0-0 Getafe

We have been treated to an incredible relegation battle in LaLiga this season, where six teams risked finishing 18th on the final day! In fact, barring Mallorca, everyone in the middle of the table either had the chance to qualify for Europe or were in relegation danger on the final day.

The team occupying the final relegation spot going into the round were Real Valladolid, so they needed to get a result to spice things up. Their opponents, Getafe, were also among the relegation battlers, so this was as much of a six-pointer as any match has ever been.

Getafe’s biggest decision in their bid to stay up was to reappoint José Bordalás in April, hoping that his defensive magic would bail them out. It certainly worked, with Getafe winning three of his six games in charge heading into this one and never watching his team concede more than one goal in a game.

The Azulones knew that a clean sheet here would be enough to stay up, and that is what they played for. They set out in their staunch 4-4-2 block, mostly sat in their own half and thoroughly frustrated Valladolid. Despite keeping just 20% of the ball, the visitors only conceded 15 chances worth 0.9 xG altogether, so there were no high-quality opportunities in there.

So Getafe stayed up without much of a fuss in the end, but there was a lot more drama from the hosts’ point of view. A draw gave them a chance but not a guarantee, so they had to hope for some help elsewhere. They thought they had it when already-relegated Espanyol took the lead for the first time in their match against Almería, but Rubi’s side made it 3-3 from the spot in the 87th minute to stay up and send Valladolid down.

🇦🇺 Australia: Melbourne City 1-6 Central Coast Mariners

The A-League season drew to a close this weekend with the Grand Final, which was held in Sydney despite not featuring a team from the city after a widely-opposed decision made by the APL board. The two contestants were Premier Plate winners Melbourne City, who were playing on the biggest occasion for the fourth consecutive year, and Central Coast Mariners, the team with the lowest budget in the competition.

The Mariners had experienced the thrill of such an occasion in the past, but that was a decade ago. A lot had happened since then, as their success completely fell apart and they consistently finished at or close to the bottom of the table for the next few seasons. Their desperation probably peaked when they gave Usain Bolt a trial when he harboured hopes of playing football professionally and even offered him a contract, much to the ire of A-League fans.

They changed thereafter, though, adopting a much more youth-focused approach and investing in local talent. In the last few years, Mariners have always had the youngest squad in the league, and the kids have delivered for them. They have qualified for the finals in each of the last three seasons, even skipping the first round this time by virtue of finishing second in the regular season.

After getting past Adelaide United in the two-legged semi-final, the Mariners set up a David vs Goliath final against City Football Group-owned Melbourne City. The Premiers had steamrolled the league and naturally were the favourites to lift the trophy, but they were in for a big shock.

Mohun Bagan-bound Jason Cummings scored the opener in his last game for the Mariners in the 20th minute as their direct approach yielded rewards. The Edinburgh-born Socceroo set up the second for Samuel Silvera, but City pulled one back before the half-time break to firmly stay in the game.

The game-changer was Gosford-born substitute Jacob Farell, who won two penalties within ten minutes of coming on. Cummings converted both to not only score a hat-trick but break the seasonal goal-scoring record for CCM, after which Béni N’Kololo and Moresche beefed up the scoreline late on.

Central Coast Mariners’ success is a great story in what has been a difficult season for soccer in Australia due to the Grand Finals decision and its aftermath. As 2013 champion and now-manager Nick Montgomery told his players, they have not only galvanised a club, but a community, a region.

Cover Image from IMAGO