03
Apr
2023
Last Weekend: Dortmund’s Klassiker disaster, City thrash Liverpool without Haaland, and more

Last Weekend: Dortmund’s Klassiker disaster, City thrash Liverpool without Haaland, and more

Men’s club football returned in some style after a two-week international break, as we had some huge fixtures and results across the continents. As ever, we have picked out the best of the bunch in our weekly column, which features our newly-added match momentum graphs for the first time!

By Neel Shelat

🇩🇪 Germany: Bayern München 4-2 Borussia Dortmund

Bayern Munich beat the league leaders to take top spot in the Frauen-Bundesliga last week, and their men’s team have repeated the trick this time around.

Their match against Borussia Dortmund was being billed as the biggest Klassiker in about a decade, so the importance of the occasion only heightened when Bayern parted ways with Julian Nagelsmann and hired ex-Dortmund head coach Thomas Tuchel in his place during the international break.

The hosts did not get off to the most dominant of starts, but they did not need to. As Dortmund have done all too often in such big matches throughout the last ten years, they were the masters of their own downfall.

An absolute howler from the otherwise-solid Kobel gave Bayern the lead 13 minutes in, in a manner no one could have envisioned. Within the next 10 minutes, the hosts found themselves three goals to the good thanks to two Thomas Müller goals from close proximity to the net. Kingsley Coman added a fourth early in the second half to kill Dortmund’s hopes for good, so Emre Can’s penalty and Donyell Malen’s late effort counted for mere consolation.

As the match momentum graph shows, this was far from a totally dominant display from Bayern. However, they were gifted the three points by some terrible mistakes, which they gladly accepted.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Manchester City 4-1 Liverpool

A pivotal fixture in the title race marked the return of the Premier League on the other side of the men’s international break. Second-placed Manchester City took on Liverpool, who were fighting to pop up in the top-four race.

The home side were without star striker Erling Haaland for this fixture as he continued to recover from an injury that kept him away from the international action as well. They made no changes to their overall system, though, continuing to operate in a 3-2-2-3 shape in possession with Julián Álvarez selected as the central attacker.

Pep Guardiola’s side dictated proceedings throughout the match, but were the ones who conceded first to Mohamed Salah. Their World Cup-winning striker equalised within 10 minutes, and the scores remained level at half-time.

City made their dominance count in the second half, though, taking the lead through Kevin De Bruyne in a matter of seconds. İlkay Gündoğan soon gave them a buffer, and Jack Grealish put the result beyond doubt with about 15 minutes of regulation time left.

After the match, Guardiola called his side’s display one of the best performances in his seven years at the club. Given how they bossed proceedings against such high-quality opposition, it is easy to see why.

Arsenal’s comfortable win over Leeds United means the gap at the top of the table remains five points, but City’s performances seem to suggest that they will take the title race right down to the wire.

🇮🇹 Italy: Napoli 0-4 Milan

The Serie A title race is certainly not going to go down to the wire given the vast lead Napoli have, but their match against defending champions Milan was quite an important one. Beyond the symbolic significance of the champions-elect playing the current holders, this was a dress rehearsal of an upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie.

There was a fair bit of intrigue when the two line-ups were announced. Napoli were without star striker Victor Osimhen, while Milan seemed to be returning to a 4-2-3-1 formation. They had used such a system en route to the title last season but had diverted to a back-three for the last couple of months in the midst of a very poor run of results.

And suddenly, Milan started to look like their former selves again. Although they kept under 40% of possession, the Rossoneri looked solid defensively and packed a real punch when attacking. Their main danger man was Rafael Leão, who ended an 11-match goal drought in some style.

The Portuguese international seemed to struggle a bit as he was forced to play in a more central role when Milan switched to their back-three system, but he was unleashed again out on the left wing in this match. He bagged a brilliant brace with a goal in either half, with the other two strikes coming from Brahim Díaz and Alexis Saelemaekers.

This result does little to dent Napoli’s title chances, but it could prove to be a decisive win for Milan’s quest to finish in the top four. Of course, it also gives them a huge confidence boost ahead of the aforementioned Champions League quarter-final.

🇪🇸 Spain: Cádiz 0-2 Sevilla

Much like in Serie A, the title race in La Liga seems to be done and dusted as well, but we could be in for an all-timer of a relegation battle. Going into this weekend, a mere three points separated 13th-placed Getafe from 19th-placed Almería.

In the middle of all that, Europa League quarter-finalists Sevilla and their local rivals Cádiz were level on points with the Andalusian derby scheduled for Saturday evening. To add to the drama, Sevilla changed managers during the international break. Jorge Sampaoli – who was only hired in October – was replaced by José Luis Mendilibar, a veteran of many La Liga relegation battles.

Mendilibar is not known for having his teams play the most attractive brand of football, but he does have a record of getting results when they are needed. That is presumably the quality that caused Sevilla to go in for him, and he has delivered the goods in his first assignment.

By all measures, there was very little to separate the two sides in this rather dull clash, but the visitors scored two crucial goals in the second half. Lucas Ocampos drew first blood in the 51st minute, and Youssef En-Nesyri put the result beyond doubt in the 74th.

With this result, Sevilla have opened up a four-point gap to the relegation zone, but they are far from safe yet. They have a tough run of fixtures coming up in the league against sides challenging for Europe with their Europa League tie against Manchester United in the middle of all that.

🏆 CAF Champions League: Al Ahly 3-0 Al Hilal Omdurman

The final round of the 2022/23 CAF Champions League’s group stage was held over the course of the weekend, but there was not a lot to play for. Seven of the eight quarter-final spots had already been decided, but there was one big showdown left.

In Group B, South African champions Mamelodi Sundowns had secured their spot in the last eight. Behind them were Sudanese side Al Hilal, who held a three-point lead over Al Ahly. The two were set to face off on Saturday night in what was a must-win match for the Egyptian giants.

To put things into perspective, Al Ahly have won four CAF Champions League titles and made seven finals in their last eleven campaigns. Al Hilal have not reached any continental final since the turn of the century, with their last CAF Champions League knockouts appearance coming in 2015.

Being eliminated in the group stage was something that the Egyptian league leaders and their fans could not bear to see, so they were determined to avoid such a fate. The club appealed to the authorities to allow 50,000 fans into the Cairo International Stadium for this crucial fixture, and tickets were sold out within two days after the approval was granted.

It was up to the players to deliver under some serious pressure, and they did not disappoint. Mahmoud Kahraba’s exquisite control and finish sent the fans into raptures after a dominant first 25 minutes. In the second half, substitute Hussein El Shahat scored a brace to ease any nerves, securing Al Ahly’s spot in the quarter-finals.

The Red Devils were the defeated finalists last season, so they will hope to go one better this time around.

🇩🇰 Denmark: FC København 2-1 Nordsjælland

In Denmark, the regular group stage of Superligaen drew to a dramatic close last week. After that, the table was split in half, and the two play-off rounds commenced this weekend.

In the Championship play-off, league leaders FC Nordsjælland faced a tough trip to the capital to face defending champions FC København, who were hot on their heels with just a one-point deficit.

FCK’s season got off to a terrible start as they found themselves down in 9th place with six losses from their first 10 games. At that point, the board decided to act and did so by firing Jess Thorup and promoting assistant manager Jacob Neestrup to the hot seat.

Under the 35-year-old Dane, København slowly climbed up the table and entered the top half in time for the long winter break. On the other side of it, they have seemingly returned to their dominant best, while Nordsjælland have been slipping up a fair bit.

Therefore, this match was billed as a potential title-decider already for København, who were surely not going to get caught if they took the top spot in the table.

Nordsjælland put up a fight and took the lead in the 35th minute through Mohamed Diomande, but were ultimately defeated. Just after the hour-mark, Mohamed Daramy equalised with a superb finish. Late on, substitute Diogo Gonçalves netted a deserved win for the side that looked more threatening over the course of the match.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Posted by Bill Biss
31
Mar
2023
This Weekend: Man City vs. Liverpool, Napoli vs. Milan and Der Klassiker

This Weekend: Man City vs. Liverpool, Napoli vs. Milan and Der Klassiker

The best matches to follow this weekend

By Bill Biss

Saturday

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The International Break is over, and with no further gaps planned until the European summer, it’s time to buckle up for the business end of the season in all of the top leagues. Not least in England, where we could see another pivotal set of results come in over the weekend.

The first of Saturday’s seven fixtures is a case in point: Manchester City host Liverpool, the two main title protagonists over the past few campaigns and while that might not be the case this season, Liverpool could still have a say in the destination of this year’s silverware. City sit second, eight points down on Arsenal, but with a game in hand, they need to keep the pressure on. Liverpool’s need for the three points is just as great as they currently sit sixth, seven points short of Tottenham, in fourth.

Recent form shows City unbeaten in 10 across all competitions but Pep Guardiola will be wary of a Liverpool side who may well have lost to Bournemouth last time out in the league, but were able to stifle City, and Erling Haaland in particular, to record a 1-0 victory against them back in October.

Playing later in the day, Arsenal will have the benefit of knowing City’s result but with points already on the board, the Gunners will no doubt just want to continue their recent form – 8 wins and 2 draws in their last 10 meetings – against their opponents, Leeds United.

Brighton vs. Brentford, the battle between the sides level on points and placed seventh and eighth in the table should be intriguing – especially with the winners likely to move into the top six, should Liverpool slip up at City. And then there’s Chelsea vs. Aston Villa, two more sides who find themselves level on points, albeit stuck a little further down in mid-table.

🇩🇪 We’ve been talking up this edition of Der Klassiker all through the International break but only because the Bundesliga title race was so beautifully set up after the last set of games. With nine rounds to play, the leagues’ two biggest clubs meet each other, separated by a single point in the table, and for once – it’s the 10-time defending champions Bayern who are sitting below rivals Borussia Dortmund.

That was after Dortmund continued their 10-game unbeaten run since Christmas with a 6-1 thrashing of FC Köln while Bayern slipped to a 2-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen. But what have Bayern gone and done about that in the interim period? They’ve sacked Julian Nagelsmann and replaced him with former-Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel. Honestly, this game couldn’t come at a better time.

Union Berlin, meanwhile, will continue their pursuit of the top two, or at least a third place finish, when they take on bottom side Stuttgart.

🇪🇸 Barcelona, like Arsenal in England, have a sizeable advantage in LaLiga. They return to action with a 12 point lead on nearest (and dearest) rivals Real Madrid, who they beat, thanks to an injury time winner, just prior to the break. Confidence should be high then, regardless of events off the field, when they go to bottom side Elche. Unsurprisingly, this is a meeting between the leagues worst defence – Elche – and the best, with Barcelona still only having conceded nine goals in 26 games played.

Incidentally, Barcelona meet Real Madrid again, in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final this coming Wednesday (Barca lead 1-0 on aggregate).

🇮🇹 Serie A, among the top five leagues in Europe, is undoubtably the closest to being done and dusted (more on Napoli later), but nevertheless there are key games for two of the league’s big names on Saturday. Inter have been disappointing of late – losing three of their last four league games despite progressing to a Champions League semi-final during that same period. It’s a run of form that has allowed others in to the race for the runners-up spot and which has frustrated fans, and coach Simone Inzaghi alike. They therefore need a result against an in-form Fiorentina side who’ve won each of their last seven competitive games.

For Juventus, this season has become all about putting themselves in the best position they can in case they are given back the 15 points deducted from their tally for off-field improprieties earlier in the campaign. They’ve lost just once in their last 12 but remain seventh, outside of the European picture, ahead of Saturday’s home tie with relegation threatened Verona.

🇺🇸 In MLS, where we did not stop for the international break, the season continues at pace. With five rounds played only new franchise club St. Louis City can boast a 100% record – which is the best ever start recorded by a new side entering the league. This week, they’ll test that at home to Minnesota United, who are also unbeaten having played a game less, winning two, and drawing the other two.

Elsewhere LA Galaxy will be looking for their first win of the campaign in a tough looking fixture against Concacaf Champions League holders Seattle Sounders, and their inform striker Jordan Morris, who has seven goals from his first five games of 2023. Defending MLS Cup holders LAFC go to winless Colorado Rapids in the Western Conference while Eastern leaders New England Revolution take on NYCFC.

Sunday

🇮🇹 Serie A champions elect Napoli clash with the outgoing champions Milan in Italy’s biggest game of the weekend. This game will mark a changing of the guard domestically (with the home side 19 points clear of second placed Lazio) and also give us a preview of the Champions League semi-final between these two that is taking place later this month.

Milan currently sit fourth, four points further down on Lazio, and come in to this game having lost momentum. They won four games on the bounce in February only to lose to Fiorentina and Udinese, and draw at home to Salernitana in March. For the Partenopei though, all looks rosy, the only blot on their recent copy book a 1-0 defeat to Lazio three rounds ago. They haven’t conceded so much as a goal in the other eight games that they’ve played in the last two months.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Back in the Premier League, there’s just two further fixtures on Sunday (with Everton vs. Spurs held over to Monday night). First, there’s an all-important six pointer between West Ham United and Southampton – two of the three sides occupying a place in the relegation zone heading in to the weekend. With four points separating the bottom nine, a positive result could see either side leap up the table.

Then, to follow, there’s Newcastle United vs. Manchester United, fifth vs. third, and a re-run of the Carabao Cup Final played a little over a month ago. The Red Devils won that day at Wembley but have consequently looked poor in the league – losing 7-0 to Liverpool and drawing with Southampton – but strong in both their FA Cup and Europa League knockout games. Over the same period Newcastle have lost to City but beaten Wolves and Nottingham Forest.

🇪🇸 In LaLiga, Sunday is a day for the chasing pack. At the top of that, second placed Real Madrid prepare for the midweek Copa semi-final second leg against Barcelona with a home game against Real Valladolid, a side they have not lost to since FotMob started, and therefore our archive began, in the early 2010s.

Then, there’s the clash between sixth and fourth – Villarreal vs. Real Sociedad followed by the battle between third and fifth as Atlético Madrid host Real Betis. With a five point gap separating the top six from the sides below them and 10 points from Atlético in third to Villarreal in sixth, this is probably going to be the make up of the final places. We just need to work out where everyone slots in in terms of Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League qualification.

🇫🇷 Ligue 1’s headliner on Sunday evening sees leaders PSG host wildcards Lyon. Despite sitting down in 10th, Laurent Blanc’s side have the ability to disrupt in the league thanks, in part, to the goalscoring exploits of a revitalised Alexandre Lacazette. They’re currently unbeaten in five, a run that includes draws with Lille and Nantes, a side they face again in the semi-finals of the Coupe de France this coming week.

PSG were knocked out of that competition, along with the Champions League, so must now focus on securing what would be their ninth league title in 11 seasons. Incidentally, the race for the Ligue 1 golden boot may prove to be more interesting than the title run in!

🇩🇪 Lastly, we return to the Bundesliga for another notable match-up, this time between Rhine River rivals FC Köln and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The Billy Goats and the Foals don’t get on so with nothing else to play for in terms of the league table we could be in line for another goalfest. The last five meetings between the sides have averaged 4.6 goals per game.

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

Posted by Bill Biss
28
Mar
2023
Harry Kane is going under the radar this season

Harry Kane is going under the radar this season

It is an odd thing to say about a player who recently became the top scorer for England when he netted in the win over Italy, but it is true. The goalscoring exploits of Erling Haaland for Manchester City have cast a shadow over every other attacker in the Premier League. The Norwegian goal machine has 28 goals to his name already and looks destined to shatter the existing record of 32 goals in a 38-game campaign. 

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

With everyone focusing on the City No.9 and his numbers this term, Kane is being overlooked. The Spurs talisman has already found the back of the net on 21 occasions and looks set to have his most prolific campaign since his 30-goal haul during the 2017/18 season. 

He missed out on the Golden Boot then as well with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah setting a new record with 32. 

There are parallels to that season. The new goalscorer in the league is going to shatter an existing record and prevent Kane from adding to his individual trophy cabinet. 

Prior to this season, the 82-cap England international had scored 20 or more in just one of his last four Premier League campaigns. It is by no means an issue but in his first four full seasons with Spurs, Kane netted 20 or more goals. In three of them, he managed 25 or more. 

Kane had 105 goals to his name across those first four campaigns but just 75 in the following four. He was still one of the best goalscorers in the Premier League but he wasn’t anywhere near as prolific as he was in those early days.  

He didn’t have to be though. His role within the Spurs team had evolved and he was combining goals with assists, playing as a well-rounded centre-forward. Kane notched 23 assists across the 2020/21 and 2021/22 Premier League campaigns. While he wasn’t scoring as often, he was still heavily involved in the team’s output. 

For example, he may have scored 30 in 2017/18 but he assisted just two goals to take his goal involvement tally to 32. During the 2020/21 campaign, he scored seven fewer goals but assisted 14 times to take his involvement total to 37. Last season, he scored 17 times and assisted nine times. The goals may have dried up a little but he’s still been contributing to 30 goals per season over recent seasons. 

He’s currently on 23 this season in just 2,508 minutes. He’s assisted just two goals this season, reverting back to the Kane of yesteryear as the pure goalscorer. But this alone highlights how flexible he is as a player. Goal-getter or goal-creator, he can adapt to different situations. 

Kane has an Expected Goals (xG) total of 15.6 this term so there has been an overperformance in this particular area. He’s over five goals better off. However, when you look at his Expected Goals On Target (xGOT) total (17.8), it does go some way to explaining why he’s scoring at the rate he is. 

He is finishing well due to his shot placement. However, you can’t use these figures to forecast what he going to happen. All this does is highlight that Kane has been adding value to his shots this season with his placement. A reason for this might be that he’s getting opportunities in better situations this season. 

For context, last season Kane had just 14 shots from inside the six-yard box last season – 10.5% of his shot total. This season, he’s already surpassed the 14 shots (16) of last year and shots from within the six-yard box account for 15.5% of his total so far. 

The Spurs No.10 is able to scale up his underlying numbers because he’s in better situations on a more regular basis. It sounds fairly straightforward but getting the ball to your centre-forward in higher-value areas is easier said than done, but Spurs are doing it and Kane is reaping the rewards. 

What makes this all even more impressive is that the three-time Golden Boot winner is managing to do this during what is an inconsistent season for Spurs. Performances and results have been patchy, Antonio Conte was sacked during the international break and there is still doubt over the striker’s future with the club. 

His current deal expires in 2024 and he is believed to be a transfer target for both Manchester United and Bayern Munich. If Spurs don’t nail their next managerial appointment, Kane may opt to leave and the club could be forced to cash in on the striker this summer rather than allow him to leave for free 12 months later. 

All of this could impact a player’s performance, yet Kane has been at his prolific best. There’s every chance he finishes with 30 Premier League goals for only the second time in his career. He could fire Spurs into the top four while simultaneously proving he’s still a clinical goal machine. If it is his last season with Tottenham, he’s set himself up to go out on a high.

(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.

Posted by Bill Biss
27
Mar
2023
Last Weekend: New Frauen-Bundesliga leaders, WSL title race blown open, and more

Last Weekend: New Frauen-Bundesliga leaders, WSL title race blown open, and more

Although most of the men’s top-flight leagues are not in action thanks to the international break, we have no shortage of matches to look back on this weekend. Our selection includes some potential title deciders in major women’s leagues, as well as some clashes from men’s leagues.

By Neel Shelat

🇩🇪 Germany: Bayern München 1-0 Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg and Bayern München have finished in the top two of the Frauen-Bundesliga in each of the last eight seasons, and that streak looks set to continue. The big question, however, is what order they finish in.

Wolfsburg have won the league in seven of the last eight seasons, meaning Bayern have almost always had to settle for the runners-up spot. They occupied that familiar position once again going into the weekend, but had a golden chance to change things as they hosted their rivals with just two points between them.

With just six matches left after this one, both sides recognised this is a potentially season-defining match. The hosts were the ones who needed to win, so they seemed to be the more imposing side in the match. A little after the half-hour mark, they were convinced they’d scored after a corner when the ball was cleared off the goal line, but the referees did not agree. With no VAR or goal-line technology, there was no way to be certain, so everyone had to go with the on-field decision.

We seemed to be headed for a goalless draw, but with just a few minutes left on the clock, a major refereeing decision went Bayern’s way. Lena Lattwein was penalised for handball inside the penalty area, meaning Alexander Straus’ side had a glorious opportunity to win all three points from the penalty spot. Georgia Stanway stepped up, and she scored with no signs of hesitation.

This crucial victory puts Bayern in the driver’s seat as we approach the end of the season. Both sides’ run-ins look fairly similar in terms of fixture difficulty, so the title is Bayern’s to lose now.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Manchester City 2-0 Chelsea

This was Women’s Football Weekend in England, and it did not disappoint. The spoils were shared in the Merseyside derby on Friday night, Arsenal thrashed North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday, and yet, the best had been saved for last. League-leaders Chelsea visited Manchester City, who were once pronounced out of the title race after a poor start to the season, but now found themselves within two points of their opponents. Chelsea do have a game in hand as well, it should be said.

For that reason, this game was billed as a must-win for City if they wished to keep up their unlikely title bid. They showed that they knew that right from kick-off, imposing themselves on the game and forcing Chelsea back. The home side could not really create any big chances after getting to the final third, but their attackers decided they did not need any.

In the 21st minute, after a high turnover, Lauren Hemp found FIlippa Angeldal on the right side of the box. The Swedish international realised that there was no one to close her down, so she picked out the far corner and left the goalkeeper rooted to her spot. Nine minutes later, a cross from the right broke for Hemp, who thrashed it home to take City two goals to the good.

Chelsea had looked comfortably second-best to that point, so much so that Emma Hayes felt the need to make a couple of changes in the 36th minute. Puzzlingly, though, one of the players who came off was danger player Lauren James. Unsurprisingly, Chelsea did not look any better without her, so City cruised home and came away with all three points.

That really makes things interesting in the WSL title race, which will surely go down to the wire. The fixture schedule is looking great from an entertainment point of view because the penultimate matchday has a Manchester derby and a London derby between the four main title rivals.

🇪🇸 Spain: Barcelona 1-0 Real Madrid

We’ve been treated with back-to-back Clásico in the space of a week. After the men’s sides went at it last weekend, it was time for the women this Saturday. The picture in Liga F was quite similar to LaLiga too, as Barcelona took a 10-point lead into this game. Maintaining that would not be enough, though, as they were looking to preserve their 100% record in the league this season.

It was goalless at half-time, though, and Barcelona did not look all that threatening. Of course, they kept more of the ball and looked the better side, but did not seem to have their usual cutting edge in the final third. As the match wore on, people certainly began to wonder if this was the day Barcelona’s winning streak was snapped.

It would have been quite a big occasion in that case. Not only would this be the first time Barcelona dropped points in the league, but it would also be the first time they would do so in 58 Liga F matches! A world record winning streak would come to an end, while Real Madrid would also register their first-ever Clásico point!

But, that was not to be. As we entered the last 15 minutes of regulation time, Salma Paralluelo was brought down in the box by Athenea del Castillo. Fridolina Rolfö stepped up to take the resulting spot-kick which she coolly converted to keep the Barcelona train chugging along.

This win takes Barcelona closer to yet another league, which could well be theirs by this time next month.

🌐 Euro 2024 Qualifiers: France 4-0 Netherlands

Defeated World Cup finalists France were back in action for the first time since that painful night at the Lusail Stadium, as they began their Euro 2024 qualification campaign against Netherlands. Not a lot had changed for them, except the fact that Hugo Lloris had retired so there was a new captain: Kylian Mbappé.

The Dutch had also fallen to Argentina in a dramatic quarter-final at the World Cup, which proved to be Louis van Gaal’s last match in management as he announced his retirement thereafter. So, the KNVB had to search for a new national team manager, and they decided to go back to Ronald Koeman.

His preparations for his first match back might have been rather ruined by a few cases of food poisoning in the squad which meant that a number of key players were sent home ahead of this fixture. Nonetheless, the ex-Barcelona manager was able to name a pretty strong line-up that should have been expected to give the French a run for their money.

But they didn’t. France scored twice within the first eight minutes and added a third in the 21st minute to effectively seal the result then and there. Unsurprisingly, Mbappé was the star of the show. He set up Antoine Griezmann for the opener, before starting and finishing a counterattacking move for the third. In between those, Dayot Upamecano bundled home a free-kick.

The Dutch seemed well beaten at the time in spite of Koeman’s attempt to change things with a first half tactical substitution, so France could take their foot off the pedal in the second half. Nevertheless, Mbappé decided to add another late on after toying with a couple of defenders before finding the bottom corner from the edge of the box, capping off a fantastic win for France.

Koeman and his men will need to perform a lot better than that if they intend to keep step with France in Group B. The good news for them is that they have Gibraltar next, so they will definitely get points on the board and likely erase their negative goal difference.

🇺🇸 MLS: Columbus Crew 6-1 Atlanta United

In spite of the men’s international break, we had a full round of MLS fixtures this weekend. That meant that some sides had to make do without key players, and that had quite an adverse effect on one of them.

Atlanta United’s season had gotten off to a very good start. With three wins and a draw, they went into this weekend sitting pretty at the top of the Eastern Conference. Their star man definitely was Thiago Almada, who had four goals and as many assists to his name in just four games. He did not make the trip to Columbus, though, as he was away with the Argentina squad celebrating their World Cup triumph back home. Six of his club teammates were away on international duty as well, including Greek striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.

These absences seemed to significantly weaken Atlanta’s attack, as they managed just two shots all game. Meanwhile, at the other end, they were leaking goals. They were just one down at half-time when left-back Andrew Gutman went off injured. It all went south thereafter, as Atlanta United suffered their worst-ever defeat in franchise history.

The Crew were also missing some key players such as Lucas Zelarayan and injured striker Cucho Hernández, but they clearly had no problems. Their youngsters have taken them through this international break in style, as four of their five scorers are aged 23 or younger. They will hope this serves as a launchpad for their bid to make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, when they ended up winning the whole thing.

🇧🇷 Brazil: Internacional 1-1 Caxias (agg. 2-2, 4-5 on pens)

In Brazil, the regional championships are drawing to a close. We have reached the play-off stage in most places, including the Campeonato Gaúcho. The second legs of both semi-finals were played this weekend, and there was one huge upset.

First, Grêmio needed penalties to get past Serie C side Ypiranga RS and book a berth in the final. Their opponents would either be Internacional or Caxias. They had played out a 1-1 draw in the first leg at the home of the fourth-tier side, so it was all to play for at the Estádio Beira-Rio.

Last year’s Serie A runners-up drew first blood through Maurício in the 21st minute, but they could not hold on to their lead till half-time. Three minutes into first half stoppage-time, Eronildo equalised with a header. There were no goals to come in the second half, so the tie was to be decided by penalties.

Both sides’ takers were faultless as the first eight spot-kicks were scored, but Internacional’s fifth attempt was clawed away from the corner by Bruno. So, Wesley stepped up with a chance to send his side through to the final, and he did not disappoint.

There were some unsavoury scenes at the end of the shootout as some of the Internacional players were unhappy with their opponents’ celebrations and caused quite a scuffle, which resulted in two sendings-off after the final whistle had been blown. Still, that should not mar what otherwise was a brilliant night for Caxias, who will now have the chance to win just their second Gaúcho title.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Posted by Bill Biss
21
Mar
2023
Bundesliga Review: The title race is on

Bundesliga Review: The title race is on

The Bundesliga is now whistling like a kettle on the hob; we are at boiling point, but the international break now signals an 11-day pause in proceedings. Who have been the winners and losers over the last four weeks, and what joyous events are just over the horizon?

By Chris Williams, our Bundesliga expert

Four become two

It may have been a question of when not if, but the league’s two big clubs look set to fight it out over the remaining nine matchdays to see who holds the Meisterschale aloft come Saturday 27 May.

Season-long surprises Union Berlin and Freiburg have eventually dropped their phenomenal pace, something that should not be held against them but it was always going to be a massive ask for either to mount a sustained challenge to Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund. 

For the club from Germany’s capital, it has been a tough challenge to balance the rigours of Europen football with that of domestic necessity. Dropping out of the Europa League came amongst a run of five Bundesliga games that yielded only one victory. 

That set of results has left them off the pace of the top two but it keeps them in third, Champions League qualification for next season is very much in their hands. The only worry that brings is the step up in quality they would then face with automatic qualification to the group stages.

Step forward Dortmund

Since the league restarted in January, the Schwarzgelben have kicked into a different gear, ahead of any other club around them. Edin Terzić’s side were sixth post-World Cup and looked like a team nowhere near a title challenge. 

But, with an all-important fixture against Bayern due in 12 days, they now sit atop of the league edging out a one-point gap to the Bavarians in second. 

It’s a run of form that has seen them take 28 points from the last 30, whilst scoring 30 goals in the process. Having dispatched Freiburg and Hertha with ease already this season, Matchday 25 saw FC Köln make the short trip to the Westfalenstadion, it turned out to be an absolute mauling for the Billy Goats.

A 6-1 rout showed Dortmund flex their title-dreaming muscles. Smashing four goals inside 45 minutes they were simply too hot to handle and the night belonged to Marco Reus. Netting twice the captain sailed past one-time player and now Sporting Director, Michael Zorc, on the Black and Yellow scoring charts.

His second was the 161st goal for the club while also reaching the milestone of 150 Bundesliga goals, not bad for a player who frequently finds himself as a left winger. 

But, it’s not just Reus who Dortmund can thank for their recent set of results – Raphaël Guerreiro’s performance has been off the charts. His showing at Schalke and Köln typified his quality and his 9.0 and 9.2 ratings were no fluke. 

Scoring the opening goal in the Köln crushing he went on to put in a man-of-the-match performance while also creating the most chances over the 90 minutes. 

The only mark on Dortmund’s recent run of Bundesliga results has been a 2-2 draw with struggling Schalke, but the Revierderby is well known for ripping up the formbook. Whilst defeat to Chelsea saw their Champions League exploits come to an end at the Round of 16.

Yet none of that will matter now, the title lies in their own hands – you cannot ask for more than that with nine games to play. 

Step backwards Bayern

Championships aren’t won in January but many are lost, and Julian Nagglesmann will be thinking long and hard about a New Year period that has left Bayern looking upwards. 

The Rekordmeister’s recent results haven’t been too bad, but such is the run Dortmund are on, only taking four points from the 12 available at the turn of the year now sees them playing catch up.

Defeats to Borussia Mönchengladbach, and this weekend at Bayern Leverkusen, have left staff at the club fuming. Sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic blasted them as “inferior in all areas” while Nagglesmann suggested post-Leverkusen that their 1 April fixture against Dortmund has become season-defining. 

“If we don’t win, or in the worst case we lose, then it will be difficult to win the title considering their current form,” the head coach prophesied.

Even with the temporary doom and gloom around Säbener Straße, Bayern still have quality in depth.

Jamal Musiala has 19 goals and assists combined (11 and 8 respectively) while Joshua Kimmich has an average rating of 7.86 from his 24 league matches and tops the charts as the Bundesliga’s highest-average rated player on FotMob. 

(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.

Posted by Bill Biss
20
Mar
2023
Serie A Review: Lazio win the Rome Derby while Juve triumph in the Derby d’Italia

Serie A Review: Lazio win the Rome Derby while Juve triumph in the Derby d’Italia

This weekend gave us not one but two of Italian football’s biggest games and we saw a Champions League draw that gives one of the remaining Serie A sides a huge opportunity to reach the Final.

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Rome’s fierce rivalry

Once again, the Rome Derby between Lazio and Roma did not disappoint. This is one of the most hate-fuelled matches anywhere in Europe, and to truly get a sense of the intensity of this rivalry, it’s one you must experience in person, should you ever get the chance to do so.

Lazio won the latest edition 1-0, courtesy of a fantastic goal from the highly talented left-winger Mattia Zaccagni, who curled in a finessed finish to the back post from a tight angle. Sadly, the referee had a big part to play as he influenced the game in the first half by handing out a second yellow to Roma centre-back Roger Ibañez in the 32nd minute. The call looked harsh, given the unwritten rule that a second yellow usually carries a slightly different severity than the first one. A warning or ‘talking to’ was expected rather than the second yellow that was brandished, fundamentally changing the course of the game. After that sending off, the remainder of the match was littered with skirmishes and verbal battles any time there was a foul. Ibañez’s red wasn’t the last either, as two more players were sent off just before the final whistle.

Following the red card, Roma’s first substitution didn’t come until after halftime, when José Mourinho’s assistant Salvatore Foti surprisingly put in centre-back Diego Llorente for Paulo Dybala. Dybala is unquestionably Roma’s best player and even though he had been quiet in the first half, it felt like more of a product of Roma’s play as a whole; they had less possession and were pinned back in their own half. Having a player like “La Joya” means you only need half a yard of space for him to create magic out of nothing. Taking out that creativity ensured that Roma were playing to keep the score at 0-0, which backfired significantly when they went down a goal and were suddenly chasing the comeback without their attacking force. 

As for the victors, Lazio’s win is massive for the top four race. While the Biancocelesti have been inconsistent of late, other contenders for the Champions League spots have also squandered precious points. The three taken here mean that Maurizio Sarri’s team now sit alone in second place, having leapfrogged Inter. The race will get even more interesting if Juventus get their 15 points back and knock off one of the current contenders.

Juventus show character while Inter stumble again

Ever since the 15 point deduction, Max Allegri’s side has rallied together and played some of their best football all season long. The Bianconeri have only lost once in their last 12, and picked up another fine result over the weekend by beating Derby d’Italia rivals, Inter 1-0 at the Giuseppe Meazza. It was also another game that was filled with controversy, as Filip Kostić’s goal was preceded by an apparent handball by Adrien Rabiot, which was not called by the referee or VAR. Even so, it never really looked like Inter were in the game. Simone Inzaghi’s side has seemed frail from a mental standpoint, which is evidenced by their wildly inconsistent performances throughout the season, often proving difficult to piece together with any semblance of analysis. 

Against Juve, they looked out of ideas against an organised low block that was led by the surging centre-back Federico Gatti, who had a performance reminiscent of the days of Giorgio Chiellini. Another Juventus youngster who stood out was the midfielder Nicolo Fagioli, who seems to be in his element against one of the best teams in the league. He showed a creativity with his touches far beyond his years, with impressive vision and composure when he was on the ball.

The big issue with Inter is that they seem to lack a creative dribbler (like Ivan Perišić), who can find space against a tight defence. The endless crosses into the box provided no danger whatsoever for a Juve backline that was impenetrable. That’s now five defeats in Inter’s last nine games, a troubling statistic that puts a ton of pressure on Simone Inzaghi and his team’s chances of finishing in a Champions League spot.

Another startling trend is the involution of Inter’s midfielder Marcelo Brozović. He’s unrecognisable from the player who was one of the finest midfielders in the league for the past few seasons. Against Juve, Brozović looked slow and clumsy, unable to pick apart the Juve defence or offer any sort of spark to invigorate his team. Up front, there was little connectivity between the two strikers, Lautaro and Lukaku, who had formed a solid bond under Antonio Conte in the Nerazzurri’s Scudetto winning season. Lautaro was voted the worst player in the match by the Italian media – citing poor movement and no link up play to speak of. 

If Inzaghi can’t turn it around and get Inter playing like the side we all expected to see before the season, they risk a Champions League quarter-final exit and a finish outside the top four in Serie A. 

Italy’s great chance in the Champions League

The Champions League quarter-final draw couldn’t have been set up any better for Serie A teams to show their talent on the world stage. All three Italian teams are on the same side of the bracket, meaning we’re guaranteed one of them in the semi-final and there’s a good chance Napoli can go on to make the final. 

It’s been 12 years since an Italian team won the Champions League – that was José Mourinho’s treble winning Inter side, that instantly made him a club legend for eternity. Since then, Juventus made the UCL final twice but lost both times against better teams, and there hasn’t really been much of a hope since then that a team from Italy had much of a chance in the modern era where we’ve seen the Premier League turn into a financial behemoth.

Napoli have shown the importance of intelligence and quality scouting in the transfer market, compared to blindly throwing hundreds of millions around in the hoping that one of the signings stick. It’s unheard of in this era for a team to reduce their wage bill and get rid of their best players only to improve dramatically with new, unproven and cheaper signings. Napoli are a heavy favorite to beat an inconsistent Milan side in the last eight, while Inter have a much tougher task against Portuguese side Benfica, who looked very strong in the group stage and has only lost one league game all season. 

Benfica drew both of their group stage matches against PSG, while beating Juventus twice – an ominous sign for an Inter team that has been struggling to maintain any sort of consistency in their performances. All of this would point to a potential semi-final between Napoli vs. Benfica, which could be a dream for the neutrals given both sides play open, expansive and aesthetically pleasing attacking football. 

Conversely, two upsets in the quarters could also give us a Derby Della Madonnina semi-final between Inter and Milan, which we haven’t seen since the 2002/03 season when the Rossoneri beat their city rivals on away goals and then defeated Juventus in the final on penalties. That was a different era though – the Premier League didn’t have a fraction of the monetary power it has now through their gargantuan TV rights deal, and state owned super teams scattered throughout Europe weren’t even an idea. 

While Italian football still has plenty of issues and cannot compete financially with the true might around Europe, this is a strong signal that the clubs have found other ways to remain competitive on the biggest stage, and it has to indicate an upwards trend in the overall quality of the league.

(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.

Posted by Bill Biss
20
Mar
2023
Premier League and FA Cup Review: City and United set for Wembley semi-finals while Arsenal concentrate on the title

Premier League and FA Cup Review: City and United set for Wembley semi-finals while Arsenal concentrate on the title

With the top action in England split between the Premier League and the FA Cup quarter-finals we thought a bumper review was in order.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

First, the main talking points from the reduced run of Premier League fixtures.

Managerless Eagles have their wings clipped

Crystal Palace decided to part ways with Patrick Vieira on Friday in what was a shock dismissal. The Eagles didn’t necessarily react well to this and lost 4-1 to Arsenal at the Emirates. 

However, it wasn’t ever a 4-1 sort of match. Mikel Arteta’s side overperformed their Expected Goals total of 1.57 and the visitors actually had more big chances (two to one). It was a finishing clinic by the hosts. 

The star of the show was Bukayo Saka with the Arsenal No. 7 scoring twice and assisting once to take his tally to 22 Premier League goal contributions this season. 

Smash and grab at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea were looking to make it four wins on the bounce as they welcomed struggling Everton to Stamford Bridge. In truth, they probably deserved all three points on Saturday but Sean Dyche’s men found a way and picked up an important point in their fight for survival.

The hosts had 20 shots and almost 70% of the ball. They were in complete control and limited Everton to an xG of just 0.06 in the first half. The visitors remained in the game and scored a late equaliser with Ellis Simms netting his first goal for the Merseysiders after Kai Havertz had put Graham Potter’s side ahead via the penalty spot late on.

It has been the story of Chelsea under the former Brighton manager, with chances not being taken on a regular basis.

Carnage at Molineux

Somehow, Leeds United claimed a 4-2 win over Wolves on Saturday. 

The hosts had an xG of 2.78 and peppered the Leeds goal with 23 shots. By comparison, the away side managed just 1.62, had fewer shots and fewer big chances. 

Javi Gracia’s side took their opportunities though and his subs changed the game, with two of them finding the back of the net. They were also aided by some questionable calls by the referee. The three points help Leeds in their fight for survival while also dragging Wolves back into the relegation conversation.

Spurs implode

With just 16 minutes left to play, Spurs were 3-1 up and looked in complete control – Pedro Porro had scored before the break, Harry Kane added to his impressive haul for the season before Ivan Perišić appeared to put the game to bed.

And then they collapsed. In fairness, Southampton deserved their point. They had more shots, more big chances and a higher xG. In fact, they had over double the xG of Spurs in that second half.

James Ward-Prowse’s penalty in added time salvaged a well deserved point, though they are still in trouble in the Premier League.

Spurs are now needing Newcastle to drop points to maintain their grip on the final Champions League spot.

The Magpies take control of their own fate

Eddie Howe’s side came from behind to claim a deserved win away to Nottingham Forest. 

Alexander Isak netted a double and kept his cool to convert a last minute penalty. He also created a chance on his way to an 8.9 rating. Newcastle are now just two points off of a Champions League spot with two games in hand.

It is now back to back 2-1 wins for Newcastle as they appear to be heading out of their poor run of form.

We now know the FA Cup semi-final schedule after a memorable quarter-final round of fixtures.

Another Erling Haaland hat-trick

That was some week for Erling Haaland. The Manchester City forward scored five times against RB Leipzig in the Champions League and then netted a treble against Burnley.

The No. 9 scored three goals from five shots. In fact, he had more shots than he did completed passes (five to four). 

City put on a finishing clinic against the Championship leaders as Vincent Kompany’s return to the Etihad ended in a 6-0 defeat. The Premier League champions actually created seven big chances and had an xG of almost four in one of the most emphatic results of the season.

Sheffield United leave it late

Tommy Doyle struck a last minute winner to set up a semi-final tie with Manchester City, the team he’s on loan from. 

Despite being above Blackburn Rovers in the table, Sheffield United weren’t at their best and actually had a lower xG and created fewer big chances. However, two goals in the final 10 minutes booked a trip to Wembley, with Oli McBurnie levelling things up before Doyle’s wonder strike.

It capped off a fine performance from the 21-year-old midfielder as he claimed a FotMob rating of 9.1.

The Seagulls cruise in to the final four

In what was one of the most one-sided matches in FA Cup history, the Premier League outfit racked up an xG of 4.01. Grimsby put up a fight but the difference in quality was evident for all to see.

The star of the show was Evan Ferguson, he scored twice and created one opportunity for a teammate as he put in an eye-catching performance for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.

A minute of madness at Old Trafford

Fulham had Manchester United on the ropes. 

They had a 1-0 lead at Old Trafford and had opportunities to add a second, only to be thwarted by David De Gea. With just 18 minutes left to play, however, it all changed. 

Willan was sent off for a handball, Aleksandar Mitrović was sent off for his reaction, as was manager Marco Silva. Bruno Fernandes converted the penalty and minutes later United had the lead courtesy of a Marcel Sabitzer goal. 

Fernandes added a second in stoppage time to add gloss to the scoreline but that minute of complete madness lost Fulham the tie as Erik Ten Hag’s side booked yet another trip to Wembley. 

(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.

Posted by Bill Biss
20
Mar
2023
Last Weekend: Barcelona take a decisive step towards the title, Feyenoord’s statement win and more

Last Weekend: Barcelona take a decisive step towards the title, Feyenoord’s statement win and more

Club football went out with a bang ahead of the men’s international break, as there were huge derbies all over the world this weekend. We’ve picked out the best of the lot for our column, which also features a title decided in India.

By Neel Shelat

🇪🇸 Spain: Barcelona 2-1 Real Madrid

The headline fixture of the weekend was undoubtedly El Clásico. Barcelona hosted Real Madrid with a nine-point lead at the top of LaLiga, so Los Blancos knew that they had to win to keep the title race alive.

The match got off to a great start for them, as they took the lead nine minutes in when Ronald Araújo inadvertently headed a cross into his own net from a very tight angle while attempting to make a block. They created next to nothing in terms of goal-scoring chances for the remainder of the first half, though, while Barcelona slowly began to turn up the pressure. It finally told on the stroke of half-time, when Sergi Roberto equalised by sweeping home a loose ball in the box.

The second half was a bit more even as both sides looked to trouble the opposition goalkeeper, but there were no goals as we entered the last 10 minutes of regulation time. Then, Real Madrid were celebrating a potential winner in the 81st minute as Marco Asensio turned a low cross home, but it was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR check. There was yet more late drama to come, as Barcelona won it in stoppage time when Franck Kessié guided Alejandro Balde’s delivery into a gaping goal.

That late twist in fortunes widened the gap at the top of LaLiga to 12 points. With as many rounds of fixtures left for the end of the season, it surely is just a matter of time now before Barcelona lift their first league trophy in four seasons.

🇳🇱 Netherlands: Ajax 2-3 Feyenoord

On any day, De Klassieker is regarded as the biggest rivalry in the Netherlands, but their match on Sunday was an even higher-stakes affair than usual. Beyond the two sides’ general animosity towards one another, this was a potentially pivotal fixture in the Eredivisie title race.

After a terrible start to 2023 that led to the sacking of Alfred Schreuder, Ajax seemed to be back to their dominant old selves under Johnny Heitinga. Although they did suffer elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Union Berlin, they had won each of their nine domestic fixtures in the 39-year-old head coach’s tenure before the big one.

Feyenoord capitalised on their rivals’ struggles by knocking them off their perch at the top of the table. They were unbeaten in all competitions since October and had dropped just eight points in the league since the turn of the year in spite of having faced Ajax in the reverse fixture, AZ, PSV and FC Twente. They had a three-point lead going into this match, but a loss would see them slip to second.

They would not have been worrying about that five minutes in, when Santiago Giménez silenced the Johan Cruyff Arena with an emphatic finish from close range. Ajax needed just over 10 minutes to respond from a set-piece thanks to Edson Álvarez, kicking off a story that had become all too familiar for Eredivisie fans in the last few years. Dušan Tadić’s goal in the 37th minute saw them lead at the half-time break, topping the live table as a result.

Feyenoord would not have been too down at the time, though. They have been comeback kings this season having picked up 21 points from losing positions in the league before this game – the highest such tally in Europe’s top 10 leagues. They took a huge step in adding to that tally just seven minutes into the second half by equalising through Sebastian Szymański, but there was more to come.

The period between the 84th and 86th minutes could well have been title-defining. First, Mohamed Kudus began to wheel away in celebration after striking a shot goalwards which looked to be going in for all the world, but Feyenoord’s second-choice keeper Timon Wellenreuther somehow got a fingertip to it. After successfully defending the subsequent corner, Feyenoord went up the other end and won one for themselves. Lutsharel Geertruida got on the end of it, and he scored yet another late winner for Feyenoord!

As AZ and PSV dropped points later on Sunday as well, Ajax kept hold of second place in what seems to be a two-horse title race now. Feyenoord have a six-point lead as well as a significantly easier fixture list on paper, so they have to be considered the favourites to win the Eredivisie for the first time since 2017.

🇩🇪 Germany: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Bayern München

The Bundesliga title race is not half bad either this season, as Borussia Dortmund are keeping Bayern on their toes. Their draw in the Revierderby last weekend saw them slip a couple of points behind, but a lot can change in a weekend.

Dortmund spent Saturday night at the top of the table after thrashing Köln 6-1, applying a little bit of pressure on Bayern. The Rekordmeister had a tough fixture on Sunday against Bayer Leverkusen, who seemed a side transformed under Xabi Alonso after a historically poor start to the season. They still were ninth in the league but had just secured a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals in midweek.

There were few chances at either end in the first half, but a strike from Joshua Kimmich was good enough to give Bayern the lead and place them on course to return to the top of the standings. It was far from a convincing performance from them, but Germany is quite used to seeing Bayern edge out close games en route to titles over the last decade.

However, there was a big twist in the tale in store for us in the second half.

In the 53rd minute, Amine Adli went down in the box and attracted a booking for perceived simulation, but VAR showed the referee that he had actually been fouled. So, the decision was overturned and Leverkusen were given a penalty, which Exequiel Palacios dispatched. About fifteen minutes later, the exact same sequence of events was repeated as the hosts ultimately ended up taking the lead, and crucially held on to it.

This was an important victory for Die Werkself as they are within striking distance of the top six now, but of course, it also had major implications at the top of the table. Bayern have slipped behind Dortmund for the first time since September.

In other news, their first fixture after the international break sees the top two clash in Der Klassiker.

🇮🇹 Italy: Lazio 1-0 Roma

Not to be outdone, Serie A scheduled not one but two big derbies this weekend. The Derby d’Italia between Juventus and Inter rounded off the weekend’s action, so the first big battle was set in Rome.

Just two points separated Lazio and Roma in third and fifth respectively going into the fixture, so this was also going to be a key clash in the race to finish in the Champions League spots.

The eternal entertainer José Mourinho was not on the sidelines for this game as he served a four-match suspension, but he had done his part in adding fuel to the fire by taking a pop at Lazio’s Europa Conference League elimination in midweek while his side advanced to the Europa League quarter-finals. He’d still find a way to make the news after this game, but more on that later.

The match itself was more of a scrap than a game of football. The quality of chances being created was really poor, and of course, the players got involved in a fair few tussles. The pivotal moment came 32 minutes in when Roger Ibañez saw a second yellow card and was made to head down the tunnel, leaving his side a man short for the rest of the game.

Lazio were able to control proceedings thereafter, and they finally took the lead in the 65th minute thanks to Mattia Zaccagni’s pinpoint effort to the bottom corner. Roma thought that they had equalised from a set-piece within a couple of minutes, but the goal was ruled out for offside. And that was that for the noteworthy goalmouth action in this game, as Lazio came away with a 1-0 win.

That was not that for all the action surrounding this game, though. There was a bit of a brawl at full-time that saw a player sent off from either side, so their return to the dressing rooms was far from peaceful. Then, as the teams were leaving the stadium, there was reportedly a spat between some players wherein Mourinho and Lazio owner Claudio Lotito got involved, and it could well attract another investigation.

🇲🇽 Mexico: Tigres 0-1 Monterrey

We also had two big derbies in Liga MX this weekend, and they too were played back-to-back! El Súper Clásico between Chivas and Club América is considered the biggest rivalry in Mexico, so it was saved for the late kick-off slot. A couple of hours prior, Tigres and Monterrey kicked off the Clásico Regio.

The hosts had just returned from the United States of America where they knocked Orlando City out on away goals in the CONCACAF Champions League’s Round of 16. They had an even tougher test in store, though, because their great rivals were the league leaders and had a seven-point lead over them.

There was not a lot to separate the two sides and few clear-cut chances were being given up, so it appeared that a moment of magic would be needed to break the deadlock. Mexican international Luis Romo came up with just that in the 68th minute as he struck from a mile out and caught the goalkeeper by surprise with a rocket to the top corner.

 

As the cliché goes, that was a goal worthy of winning any game, so it proved enough for the visitors to come away with all three points here. With that, Monterrey made it an eight-point lead at the top of the table, but more importantly, they now are just a couple of wins away from confirming a top-four spot that will place them directly in the quarter-finals of the play-offs.

🇮🇳 India: ATK Mohun Bagan 2-2 Bengaluru (4-3 pens)

After a little over five months of football, the 2022/23 Indian Super League season drew to a close with the grand finale in Goa. Neither runaway ISL shield winners Mumbai City FC nor defending champions Hyderabad FC made it to this stage, as Bengaluru FC and ATK Mohun Bagan knocked them out in the semi-finals.

So, it was those two who faced off in what turned out to be a penalty-infused final. ATKMB top scorer Dimitri Petratos struck first in the 14th minute to give his side an early lead from the spot, but Sunil Chhetri erased that on the stroke of half-time after Roy Krishna, who conceded the first penalty, made amends in the opposition box.

Krishna went one better in the second half as he headed a corner home to give his side the lead in the 78th minute, but Petratos punched back from the spot again to take the game to extra time. There were no goals in this period, so we went on to penalties.

Bengaluru FC had recent experience of a shoot-out having overcome Mumbai City in this manner, but they faltered first when their third attempt was saved. ATKMB remained faultless, so Pablo Pérez’s sky-bound effort ended up deciding the ISL title

This was ATK Mohun Bagan’s first-ever ISL title, although their ISL predecessors ATK had won three titles in the past. In 2020, they merged in controversial fashion with Mohun Bagan AC – one of the oldest and biggest clubs in India. Technically, the new club was Mohun Bagan’s successor as their registration was used and the ATK entity was dissolved, but the ‘ATK’ prefix added to its name (since the ATK owners held an 80% stake) drew much ire from the Marines’ fans.

After seeing #RemoveATK trend on social media for almost three years, the owners finally budged and announced the club’s renaming in the immediate aftermath of the title win. They will now be known as Mohun Bagan SG, with the suffix standing for Super Giants – a reference to the Indian Premier League (cricket) team that is also owned by former ATK owner Sanjiv Goenka.

It should be said that this change has not gone down well with the supporters of ATK, although they are far fewer in number than Mohun Bagan fans. It appears you can’t keep everyone happy – even after winning a final.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Posted by Bill Biss
17
Mar
2023
This Weekend: El Clásico, Derby d’Italia and the FA Cup quarter-finals

This Weekend: El Clásico, Derby d’Italia and the FA Cup quarter-finals

The best matches to follow this weekend

By Bill Biss

Saturday

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 There is a lot of quality football on offer this weekend but we start with the first quarter-final in the World’s oldest club competition, the English FA Cup. And that game sees Championship League leaders Burnley go to Manchester City. Or as it’s being billed mostly, the chance for the apprentice – Vincent Kompany – to pit his wits against the master, and his former coach – Pep Guardiola. That can’t be missed. Especially not with the prospect of a pent-up Erling Haaland who was withdrawn from Manchester City’s Champions League annihilation of Leipzig before the Norwegian had had the chance to complete his double hat-trick!

Back in the Premier League, Chelsea and Everton meet in a game that will test both sides’ recent improvement in form, and bottom side Southampton will be looking for points against Tottenham Hotspur, who, themselves need the win to maintain their top four challenge.

🇩🇪 It’s not been a good couple of weeks for Borussia Dortmund – first being knocked out of the Champions League from a winning position, then being pegged back by rivals, Schalke, to draw the Revierderby. They remain, however, just two points off Bundesliga leaders Bayern and can at least temporarily go above them should they pick up all three points from a home game against mid-table FC Köln.

🇪🇸 LaLiga’s main event comes on Sunday but there’s also a headline game on Saturday as Valencia travel to Atlético Madrid. Los Che are struggling to keep their heads above the relegation zone and are without so much as a goal in their last five away games but it’s a run they’ll be desperate to end at the Metropolitano. For their part, Atlético are unbeaten in nine and now look best placed to take third place behind Barcelona and Madrid.

🇮🇹 In Italy, the great footballing city of Milan will be celebrating the fact that both San Siro sides confirmed their places in the Champions League quarter-finals and that they were drawn on what looks like the ‘easier’ side of the draw made earlier today – more details on which you can find, here.

On Saturday though, Milan need to get back to business in Serie A as they concentrate on making sure they qualify for next season’s Champions League with a top four finish. They visit Udinese, who haven’t won any of their last 11 home games.

🇺🇸 The new MLS season continues at pace and our pick of the weekend games include LAFC’s trip to Seattle Sounders – the current MLS Cup Champions vs. the Concacaf Champions League holders. Speaking of which, LAFC survived a scare, at home, to Costa Rican side Alajuelense during the week before eventually pulling through to this year’s quarter-finals in that particular competition.

Elsewhere, St. Louis City could record the best winning start ever made by a new expansion side – if they can make it four wins from four against San Jose Earthquakes. And there’s an all-Texan Derby between Houston Dynamo and Austin FC.

🇲🇽 Not to be outdone by their counterparts in Europe (see Sunday’s listings) the powers that be, in Mexico, have ensured that two of Liga MX’s biggest rivalries are scheduled to take place on Saturday night. The Clásico Regiomontano sees leaders Monterrey go up against third placed city rivals Tigres and then it’s the big daddy of them all – the Superclásico between Chivas and América, who are currently sat fourth and fifth in the table.

Sunday

🇪🇸 You might think the authorities running club football are trying to remind us of what we’ll be missing as the international break looms over the horizon. And you would be right because there’s a host of big games lined up for Sunday. Not least in LaLiga where Barcelona and Real Madrid, the top two, meet for what is already the third Clásico of 2023.

Barça have won the previous two – firstly, to lift the Supercopa back in January, and then to take a 1-0 lead from the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final back at the start of March. Should Real Madrid fail to win this game, and therefore make in-roads on Barcelona’s current nine point lead in the title race, they will have the chance to overturn that Copa game as soon as the first week of April.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 The remaining three FA Cup quarter-finals all take place on Sunday and despite the long history (150 years plus) of the competition we’ll still witness something rare when Grimsby Town take on Brighton. The Mariners are just the fifth side from the fourth tier to make it through to the last eight and the first ever to win five consecutive games against teams from a division above. The better omen for Brighton fans is perhaps the fact that none of the previous four teams from Grimsby’s division have gone on to win their quarter-final matches!

Fresh from the completion of their two-legged Europa League win over Real Betis, Manchester United will continue their hunt for a second domestic Cup win of the season when they take on Fulham. And there’s an all-Championship tie between Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers, the sides currently sat second and fifth in England’s second tier.

Just one Premier League game goes ahead as planned on Sunday with leaders Arsenal taking on Crystal Palace. The Gunners will need to move on swiftly from their own Europa League disappointment – the penalty shootout loss to Sporting – as they continue the march towards a first league title since 2004. They may want to watch out for that classic new manager bounce though, as the Eagles dispensed with the services of coach, Patrick Vieira on Friday morning.

🇮🇹 Similarly to the Clásico rivals in Spain, Italy’s two most successful clubs – Inter and Juventus – are about to get very well acquainted with each other. This weekend’s Derby d’Italia is the first of three meetings between the two that are taking place over the next month or so as they too, have been drawn together in the semi-finals of the biggest domestic cup competition.

Inter currently sit second in the table (a full 18 points down on leaders Napoli) but a win against their old rivals would help secure that position in the event that Juve are successful in their appeal to overturn their 15 point deduction. With 12 points currently the difference between the two, we’d then – hypothetically speaking – be getting in to goal difference and head-to-head differentials.

Elsewhere, city rivals Lazio and Roma will meet at the Stadio Olimpico. Never one to cool the temperature of an always heated Derby Day, José Mourinho will only have stoked the fire with his comments mocking Lazio after their surprise defeat in the Europa Conference League on Thursday night. That, of course, came after Roma had secured their own place in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Those two huge match-ups aside, Napoli, the actual Serie A champions-elect will be visiting Turin to play eighth placed Torino in a game played earlier in the day.

🇳🇱 Just six points separate the top four in the Eredivisie title race, meaning a clash between any two of those sides could prove crucial. And well, when they also happen to be Ajax and Feyenoord, the two main protagonists, and the nation’s biggest rivals, that is especially the case. Feyenoord smashed seven goals past Shakhtar to progress in the Europa League on Thursday so they come into De Klassieker on a high. And with the benefit of three more points than Ajax, the three-time defending champions.

🇫🇷 PSG have a significantly more comfortable 10 point lead at the top of Ligue 1 and they’ll be back in action on Sunday – albeit they come up against Rennes, a side they’ve only beaten twice in their last six meetings. And elsewhere, Marseille, PSG’s nearest challengers face Stade Reims, the side that Will Still has famously led on a record 18 games unbeaten run since taking over the role of head coach. Can the young, technically under-qualified, Belgian born, Englishman maintain that unbeaten run against one of the giants of French football?

🇧🇷 And last but not least for this weekend’s preview, we take you to Brazil, where the various State Championships are coming to a head before we move on to the full league season proper. In Rio, that means we get the second leg of the semi-final between arch-rivals Vasco da Gama and Flamengo.

Having got the better of Flamengo earlier in the competition, Vasco find themselves 3-2 down heading in to this one after an action-packed first leg played at the Maracanã last week.

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

Posted by Bill Biss
14
Mar
2023
Serie A Review: Napoli’s Georgian super star and the race for Europe

Serie A Review: Napoli’s Georgian super star and the race for Europe

This week we can officially confirm that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is going places. And we pose two questions: 1) What happened to the great Italian no. 9s? And 2) Does anyone, besides Napoli, want to take up the Champions League qualification spots available in Serie A this season?

By Matteo Bonetti, US Serie A expert

Kvara-mania

I’ve seen enough; Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is world class. The recently turned 22-year-old has been one of the most exciting break out stars that the Serie A has had in decades.

His goals this season have been a continuous highlight reel, and the one he scored over the weekend in Napoli’s win over Atalanta was easily up there as one of the best. With three defenders right in front of him, Kvara once again opted to create space with his signature chop to either side. A series of fakes led to him finding that space in an almost comically easy way, where he was then able to unleash a bullet of a shot into the near post.

The goal was an encapsulation of everything the Georgian does so well and the great partnership he’s formed with striker Victor Osimhen, who played the pass that setup the goal. Kvara is virtually unplayable in a one-on-one situation. As a defender, how do you mark a player who is just as comfortable going to either foot? Add to his two-footedness a vision, technique and passing skill that can unlock the best of defences, and you suddenly have one of the most feared players in Europe.

Kvara-mania has swept not just the city of Naples, but his entire nation of Georgia. Every Napoli home game has seemingly hundreds of Georgian fans in the stands. Not only are fans flying from the capital, Tbilisi to Naples on a weekly basis, but he’s filling theatres in his native homeland every single time Napoli plays.

There’s a ton of exciting wingers with fancy dribbles in Europe, but what makes Kvaratskhelia so special is his unique style. He’s a bit of a maverick on the ball. Instead of using step-overs, elasticos or rabonas, he creates space with perfectly timed body feints and chops. It’s what he does when he does find a sliver of room that’s truly impressive though. He isn’t just a one-trick pony, he’s just as clever at setting up his teammates for goals as he is at scoring them himself. 11 goals and a league high 9 assists put his total goal contributions at 20, a remarkable rate for a player who is still supposed to be so inexperienced at the highest level.

The sky truly is the limit for Kvara, and we’re all fortunate to be witnessing his rise to superstardom.

Italy’s no. 9 problem

Taking a slight turn away from Serie A and onto the Italian national team, there’s an issue here that looks more dire than usual – the Azzurri have a huge problem at the centre-forward position. There just aren’t many young Italian strikers who are doing well or getting much competitive football. With Ciro Immobile injured (and let’s be honest, disspointing any time he wears the national team colours), the hope was that there would be a next wave of attacking talent to allow the older Italian strikers to sail off into the sunset.

By far the most talented U25 striker that Mancini should theoretically call upon is West Ham’s Gianluca Scamacca, but he’s hardly played this season under David Moyes, and Roberto Mancini only wants to use players that are in form. It’s perplexing why Scamacca, a tall, skilful striker who scored 16 league goals for Sassuolo last season, would be such a non-factor for his new club after making the €36m move last summer. So far, he’s only started 11 games for West Ham and scored three Premier League goals – not enough to convince Mancini at the moment. It’s unfortunate to see a player as talented as Scamacca being used as a rotational player for a lower half of the table team, when he could be very useful for plenty of Serie A clubs fighting for the Champions League (Milan comes to mind as the ideal team for Scamacca and his quality).

So what are the alternatives? Talented second striker/winger options like Federico Chiesa, Gianluca Raspadori and Wilfried Gnonto aren’t prototypical no. 9s, so Italy’s manager has had to look to foreign leagues in the hopes of finding new players to call up who have Italian blood from generations ago. In comes 23-year-old Italo-Argentine Mateo Retegui, who at the very least has been playing and scoring. Retegui has smashed in 28 goals in 47 league games for Argentine side Tigre in the last two seasons, with his tally at nearly a goal a game in the 2023 campaign. Aside from him, an even more surprising inclusion to the Italian preliminary call-up list was Andrea Compagno, a hulking striker who moved from Italy’s fourth division to Romanian football and has been finding plenty of success scoring goals for Bucharest based club FCSB. 

Italian strikers of years gone by, have usually been playing and scoring regularly in the Serie A so it remains to be seen whether these players can translate their respective domestic goal scoring exploits onto the national stage.

Does anyone want the Champions League spots?

None of the Serie A teams from second to sixth place were able to win their games over the weekend, continuing the narrative that Napoli are in a league of their own and then comes everyone else. Spots two to five are separated by only three points, and that’s without Juventus potentially getting back their 15 point deduction, which would further congest the race for the other three Champions League spots.

Inter somehow lost to struggling Spezia, Salernitana picked up their first ever point at San Siro against Milan, Roma succumbed to Sassuolo in a seven-goal thriller, while Lazio drew to Bologna. These results all scream of a league where pretty much every contender other than Napoli has been underwhelming. Are Napoli really 18 points better than second place in the table, or is it just one of those bizarre seasons where most of the results make little sense and are hard to analyse?

Just look at who the top teams are dropping points to. Only weeks ago, Roma lost to Cremonese, gifting the minnows their first win of the season. This isn’t an isolated case though, as these provincial minnows have somehow been able to steal crucial points from the top teams all season long. In the Premier League, this could make more sense as even lower half of the table sides are able to sign €50m players. In Serie A, the wage bills of some of the bottom half of the table sides mirror what you might find in the English third division. Point being, some of these games really shouldn’t be as competitive as they have been. It’s a minor miracle that these newly promoted sides (a lot of whom have not been able to buy top flight talent), can make games seem like even affairs against teams with 10x their wage bill. It’s a testament to the tactical preparation and discipline of even the smallest sides, and the overall coaching level in the league. 

With all these dropped points from every team not named Napoli, the biggest race to look forward to now in the final months of the season is the one to determine the rest of the Champions League places. 

(Napoli’s dominance is a reminder of all those seasons in the 2010s where Juventus’ dynasty meant there was hardly any competition for the actual Scudetto race.)

(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.

Posted by Bill Biss