It’s European football weekend, and as we approach the end of the season, a number of clubs have one hand on the cutlery, and others who managed to earn their name with both hands!
On Sunday, Bayer Leverkusen won their first Bundesliga title, ending Bayern Munich’s dominance in the league. Manchester United beat Chelsea to triumph in the Women’s FA Cup final, and Arsenal beat Bristol City in the Women’s Super League.
On Saturday in Spain, Real Madrid picked up their win over Mallorca, moving them one step closer to the La Liga title, while Barcelona beat Cadiz to get in shape ahead of the UEFA Champions League second leg against PSG in midweek.
In Germany, Bayern Munich belatedly celebrated the birthday party of Bayer Leverkusen’s victory in the Bundesliga with their victory over Cologne and in Wales the birthday party, as Wrexham secured another promotion, this time to League One.
Let’s take action.
– ESPN Broadcast: LaLiga, Bundesliga, (USA)
Thousands of fans flooded Leverkusen’s BayArena on Sunday night, celebrating the club’s first win in the German league. Bayer Leverkusen’s historic crusade has reached its first peak, with two more titles, the DFB-Pokal and the UEFA Europa League, within its reach. Obviously, Xabi Alonso’s call has been on everyone’s lips, given the way the former world-class midfielder has transformed Leverkusen into a probably unbeatable team.
But for all the praise the 42-year-old rightly receives, he couldn’t have done it without a remarkable player organization. Arguably, the player who has inspired the most this season is Granit Xhaka. Arsenal to Leverkusen last summer felt like a step backwards for an ageing midfielder who saw the writing on the wall as Arsenal chased Declan Rice.
But it turns out that the move to Leverkusen was the best thing for Xhaka, who had already played for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga at the beginning of his career. Rather than simply being a support figure at Arsenal, Xhaka found himself in a leadership role. In the past, the Basel venue has made headlines for its outspokenness and politically charged statements. But he has yet to be a true leader or helping hand for Alonso since his arrival.
In addition, he has shown that he can perform as an Alonso-type midfielder within Leverkusen’s tactical system. Throughout the season, Xhaka has shown that he can read the pitch exceptionally well and make very few mistakes in the build-up to matches. Florian Wirtz and others have benefited greatly from Xhaka’s assistance outside the backfield. With his footballing IQ and consistency in his performances, Xhaka embodies what Leverkusen did so effectively with Alonso.
Heading into the FA Cup semi-final, the story between Manchester United and Chelsea can be described as one-sided: the Blues were the dominant team in all previous meetings with the Red Devils. But at noon on Sunday, the hosts in Despite everything, after a 2-1 win, got a good result in their W column.
A United goal after 40 moments of equalising helped to upset the asymmetrical balance between the two. It was the first chance and the first shot in the first minute, and Lucía García took advantage of it with aplomb. A momentary chance, after a lively cross, came to the hosts 22 minutes later and this time it was Rachel Williams who headed into Hannah Hampton’s net. The hosts’ line-up and tactics were perfect, with the first two chances culminating in a lead that, despite their most productive efforts, Chelsea were unable to overcome.
A goal from Lauren James, which denied Mary Earps a blank slate when the two teams met, in the middle of first-half stoppage time, may have heralded or deserved to herald the comeback, but time and time again the visitors came up empty. A much-needed round of applause for Earps, who made two sublime saves, as well as for his tireless defence who strove to make life more difficult for the visitors. Even after Chelsea manager Emma Hayes threw the metaphorical sink of the game, replacing 3 strikers in the mix, there was no draw and all too soon, the Blues found themselves out of the race thanks to another piece of silver.
For Chelsea, the match deserved to have provided a chance to react after their last game (a final defeat in the League Cup), but the ball was never that smart for the visitors, their aim towards Earps’ goal was never entirely believable, even when they were. dominating, as they were for large parts of the game.
A back-to-back moment awaits United at Wembley and a first chance to dominate the day’s clashes, and United’s Marc Skinner, who has been under fire all season, a chance to test his tactical acumen with a view to emerging victorious. . tall, just opposite Chelsea. – Sophie Lawson
After winning the Tires Continental League Cup in their last match, Arsenal showed their ruthless and consistent peak functionality for 90 minutes in the Women’s Super League this season, beating Bristol City 5-0 at the Mangata Pay UK Stadium. Beth Mead and Alessia Russo both scored twice along with Ella Powell’s own goal that contributed to the Robbins’ demise, extending the gap to fourth-placed Manchester United to nine points.
It’s never been an easy task to break through Bristol City’s low block, a quick domain where Arsenal have struggled, but the Gunners have shown they can find all the answers and be artistic to break down even the most organised defence. The link up on the left flank between Australian duo Steph Catley and Caitlin Foord proved to be Arsenal’s ultimate productive attacking threat, with opportunities stemming from their dominance.
Returning from a break abroad, a team may lack team spirit and connection, having spent the last 10 days with other national teams. However, for Arsenal, they represented the symbol of a connected team.
With the victory on their belt, Jonas Eidevall’s team is comfortably in contention for a place in Europe next season with 4 games remaining. –Emily Koegh
It was a quiet Sunday for U. S. players overseas. Few players played or stood out, including Fulham defender Antonee Robinson, who helped his team win 2-0 over West Ham United. The Cottagers are 12th in the table and Robinson has been instrumental in their wins this season.
Elsewhere, Christian Pulisic came off the bench in the 65th minute for AC Milan in a thrilling 3-3 draw with Sassuolo. However, Pulisic controlled just one shot for the Rossoneri, who lead Internazionale in thirteen numbers with just six games remaining. in the season. – SherShah Atif
Chelsea’s American owner Todd Boehly is confident the club will not breach the Premier League’s profit and sustainability (PSR) rules, despite its most recent accounts showing losses of £89. 1 million ($111 million) for the financial year ending in June 2023. The club continues to strike a balance between good luck on the pitch and the monetary imperatives of complying with UEFA and Premier League monetary regulations,” Boehly said in the accounts. “The club has been delivering on this since its inception in 2012 and hopes to do so in the near future. “
Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana says he needs to “start rewarding” the club’s players for their performance at the start of the season. Onana has had an eventful start at United, marked by high-profile mistakes. I got a lot of positive messages when I got here and when I faced difficulties here, [the] message from the fans, from the Manchester United players [through] the overall total was: ‘Andrew, take your time. We know who you are and everything will be fine,” Onana said.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp lost to Crystal Palace on Sunday to Crystal Palace. “It’s possible,” Klopp replied when asked if the result was due to a hangover from the defeat to Atalanta. “If you take a look at my groups over the years, I think you can just say that our urgency is good, the counter-urgency is there. In the first half [against Palace] we were open, how can that happen?” And finally, on Sunday. . .
Have we ever wondered what the “and finally. . . ” of this Sunday?Bayer Leverkusen players were doused with beer after their celebrations in the dressing rooms, corridors, press conferences and on the pitch. The one in the middle of the club’s historic title, Alonso, was not spared either. -Atif
WE LOVE YOU XABI! ? #Winnerkusen #DeutscherMeisterSVB @XabiAlonso pic. twitter. com/haCil7N4fH
Real Madrid’s holiday in Mallorca in La Liga was going to be a tricky test, stuck in the middle of the Champions League quarter-finals and facing a team with no problems at the back of the table. He proved it, with Aurelien Tchouaméni’s long goal. A long-range goal, which appeared to deflect significantly, made the difference between the two teams, giving Madrid a valuable 1-0 win and another step towards the league title.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s decision to make five changes, putting Vinícius Júnior, Rodrygo, Toni Kroos, Eduardo Camavinga and Dani Carvajal on the bench, is understandable in the context of the draw against Manchester City. But the result was a bumpy first half that saw Madrid Cree only give a partial chance when Jude Bellingham’s shot hit the crossbar.
In the second half, things got better. Tchouaméni gave Madrid the lead in the 48th minute, and the team’s attacking risk increased after an hour when Ancelotti brought on Camavinga and Vinicius. The Brazilian striker was immediately on the verge of scoring two goals. before Federico Valverde created quicker footwork, who circled goalkeeper Predrag Rajkovic before his shot was blocked off the line.
At the other end, goalkeeper Andriy Lunin had to prevent Sergi Darder from maintaining the madridista lead. There were only a few minutes left for the comeback of Éder Militão, also brought on as a late substitute in stoppage time, but not enough to recommend the match. The centre-back is vying for a starting spot against City on Wednesday.
In the end, a win that all of Madrid needed, in what was never going to be an easy game against a team from Mallorca, suffered defeat on penalties in last weekend’s Copa del Rey final. Thanks to Tchouameni and a stroke of luck, controlled to do so. -Alex Kirkland
Joao Felix’s brilliant move on a motorbike earned Barcelona a 1-0 win over Cadiz at the Nuevo Mirandilla on Saturday, while remaining 8 points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid ahead of next Sunday’s Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Felix scored the match goal in the 37th minute, acrobatically finishing off a corner to take his tally to 10 goals in all competitions this season.
The Portuguese winger also hit the post in the second half, although it was a late signal for offside, and was to blame for some of Barca’s most productive moments in a rather mundane match.
He hopes his functionality will guarantee him a place in the squad for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain at the Stadio Olimpico, which Barca will play with a 3-2 lead.
However, the fact that he is here suggests he would possibly have to settle for a place on the bench, as wingers Lamine Yamal and Raphinha were two of eight players to leave the winning team in Paris when coach Xavi Hernandez announced the changes.
Despite those rotations, Barça had the task accomplished against Cadiz, who remain in the bottom three, of extending their unbeaten streak in all competitions to thirteen games.
In addition to Felix, Barça also have goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen to thank for the problems suffered by Cadiz. The German goalkeeper took advantage of a very good save from Diadie Samassékou in the second half to add to his team’s clean sheet in the league. Six games.
Barca’s recovery might have come too late to compete in La Liga. They are eight times more than Madrid after their win in Mallorca and a failure in next week’s Clasico would likely end their narrow hopes of winning.
That makes Tuesday’s game against PSG, so Barca are aiming for their first Champions League semifinal since 2019.
With their backs to the wall, Bayern Munich put in a mature performance against Cologne, beating the relegation-threatened side 2-0 thanks to goals from Raphael Guerreiro and Thomas Müller. Bayern delayed Bayer Leverkusen’s almost inevitable victory in the Bundesliga. Xabi Alonso’s side face Werder Bremen on Sunday and have the chance to win their first championship with a win at the BayArena.
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, who was not allowed to train from the bench due to suspension, decided to make several changes to the coaching staff for the match against Cologne, as he intended to rest some players before Bayern’s UEFA Champions League second leg. a quarter-final draw with Arsenal in a few days.
Still, the record-breaking German champions didn’t have to miss any other league games, leaving Cologne with the least imaginable breathing room for the maximum time of the match. As has been observed occasionally this season, Cologne mainly expected chances to hit their opponents at half-time, with speedy striker Sargis Adamyan positioned close to the offside line for the first hour at most. The 30-year-old Armenian had two chances to hurt Bayern early on, but failed to convert.
From there, Bayern took complete command, patiently waiting for Cologne’s defense to make more and more mistakes. Guerreiro scored the go-ahead goal in the 65th minute off a corner kick by Joshua Kimmich, while Müller dispelled the remaining doubts in stoppage time, taking the credit. Bayern would have needed more of a solid performance like Saturday’s throughout the season, although Cologne are clearly a below-average team at the moment.
While Cologne is hoping for a long run in the 2. Bundesliga, local rivals Bayer Leverkusen are on the verge of the biggest luck in the club’s long history. It all comes down to their match against Bremen on Sunday. -Constantin Eckner
It took a while, but Gio Reyna, despite everything, was able to make his first debut at Nottingham Forest, the club where he is on loan at Borussia Dortmund. Despite playing 8 games for the Tricky Trees this season, the USMNT striker was only able to get started on Saturday against Wolves and did not disappoint coach Nuno Espírito Santo, as he managed to lend a hand on a corner to allow Morgan Gibbs-White to score the equalizer in what eventually ended in a 2-2 draw for the hosts.
Forest will take care of every conceivable issue at this stage. With five games remaining in the season, Reyna and Co. are just one point above the relegation zone, while Luton Town are in last place with five games remaining in the season.
Things you love to watch ?Gio Reyna from @USMNT recorded and lends a hand on his first LP starts for @NFFC!??? pic. twitter. com/HV95Lq7JHK
Meanwhile, in Italy, Weston McKennie failed to give Juventus a spark in their futile Derthrough della Mole against Turin, who remain in pole position to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Finally, in the Netherlands, Sergiño Dest and Malik Tillman helped PSV win 6-0 at Vitesse as they moved ever closer to the finish line of an Eredivisie title, and was also boosted by Tillman’s second goal for Peter Bosz’s team.
Manchester City provisionally moved to the top of the Premier League table after beating Luton Town 5-1, in which Erling Haaland also scored his 20th league goal of the season. Pep Guardiola’s side now have 73 goals in six games as a hat-trick. The race for names continues, two points clear of Arsenal and Liverpool, who can overtake City with wins in their respective games on Sunday. Relegation-threatened Luton Town are in 18th place, one point adrift of the group.
Drama erupted in Germany after Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer was denied a hat-trick on Saturday when his penalty against Borussia Mönchengladbach was disallowed by video assistant referee (VAR) after he scored. It was later revealed that referee Florian Badstübner ruled that Omlin had touched the ball before Karim Adeyemi took off, thus invalidating the penalty. Dortmund won 2-1. And despite everything on Saturday. . .
League One says “Welcome to Wrexham!” The Welsh club, co-owned by Hollywood celebrities Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, officially achieved promotion to third place in English for the first time since 2005 after beating Forest Green Rovers 6-0 with two games remaining in the season. the EFL League Two.
While they can technically still earn the Ligue 2 name against the team above them (and the one they have yet to play against them) in County Stockport, Wrexham continue their quest to achieve their purpose of becoming part of the English football pyramid and eventually achieve the Promised Land. It’s the Premier League.
A few years ago, if you told me I’d cry tears of joy at a football match in North Wales, you’d be Rob McElhenney. Congratulations to Wrexham and my crime rate co-chair. Double the city! This is the one I’ve always had https://t. co/gP6Oh2NNl4 ?
However, Reynolds and McElhenney can be proud of the Welsh club and have taken to social media to do so.
With back-to-back promotions from the National League to Ligue 2 and then Ligue 1, back-to-back promotion may mean Wrexham will be playing in the Premier League in 2026. There’s still a long way to go, of course, the dream remains.