The Champions League threw up some incredible encounters over the last few weeks, but with a gap between now and the next installment of the inter-European tournament that just means teams will be scouting their opponents to find any chinks in the armour before the second leg.
Germany
If Arsenal fans were aghast at their side’s 5-1 thumping at the Allianz Arena in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 encounter with Bayern Munich, perhaps they’re now taking the view that they actually got off lightly.
Arsene Wenger won’t have enjoyed seeing Bayern put eight goals past Hamburg without reply on Saturday. The Gunners didn’t have a game this weekend as their scheduled opponents, Southampton, appeared at Wembley to play in the EFL Cup final, but if that gave Wenger the chance to take in some German action instead, he’ll probably have wished he spent the afternoon on Netflix instead.
Still, if he was watching, he’ll have seen his counterpart Carlo Ancelotti presented with a giant pretzel on the occasion of his 1000th game as a manager. All Wenger got for his 1000th game was a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea. Ingrates.
It was a doubly terrible result for Hamburg, though. Not only did their defeat coincide with Werder Bremen’s victory at the weekend, meaning they slip into the relegation playoff zone, but they also saw their goal difference plummet. They were equal, but now Hamburg are nine goals behind, almost effectively another point to make up in their search for survival.
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At the top, Bayern’s chasers are still – sort of – chasing. RB Leipzig kept the gap to five points after beating Koln 3-1, and Dortmund’s victory over Freiburg means they seem to have recovered from defeat last week, as well as the deficit they have to overcome in the Champions League next week.
France
If Arsenal were quaking in their boots on Saturday watching Bayern, it was Barcelona’s turn on Sunday.
An impressive PSG side taught their bitter rivals Marseille a footballing lesson in a 5-1 victory. It was a harsh and humiliating lesson not only because of the scoreline, but also because Marseille were the home team.
If Barcelona fans were worried, however, West Ham fans must’ve been watching in glee: their side managed to scoop up nearly €30m for a man who’s nearly 30 – and a man who was thoroughly ineffective for his new side in his first Classique.
It wasn’t enough, though, for PSG to close the gap on Monaco this weekend. The Monegasques may have been reeling from their draw with Bastia last week before they conceded five goals – and scored three away goals – at Manchester City, but this weekend in Ligue 1 saw them record an altogether more routine 2-1 victory over Guingamp.
There were chances for the Breton side, though. Monaco’s defence certainly isn’t the strong point of their team, of course, but a defence which conceded five in a topsy-turvy Champions League tie only a few days previously looked like it was still stuttering at points. In the end, though, their two goal lead was enough to keep their noses in front when Guingamp finally did pull one back.
Nice kept up their pressure on the leaders, too. They may not be the name on everyone’s lips any more in Ligue 1, thanks to Monaco’s incredible form, but they’re still level on points with PSG and only three back. They could yet have something to say when it comes to the destination of the title.
Elsewhere, and Lyon picked up where they left off after putting seven past AZ Alkmaar on Thursday: they hit five against Metz on Sunday. They do have a game in hand over Nice in the final Champions League spot, but with the gap at 13 points, it would take something of a miracle to see OL in the CL next season.
Italy
The race for the league title looks increasing done and dusted, as the seven point gap that Juventus hold over Roma isn’t showing any signs of closing. But surely the biggest result of the weekend in Italy came in the race for the final Champions League spot.
Unfancied Atalanta beat Napoli 2-0, in Naples, to go only three points behind Maurizio Sarri’s side who currently sit third. It’s not out of the question, then, that we could see Atalanta in the Champions League next season.
It was also a good weekend for Lazio on that front, too. Their victory over Udinese means they were able to take advantage of Napoli’s defeat, too. The side from the capital are only one point further back than Atalanta, and threatening to chase down Napoli, too.
It was a good weekend for the side in the other remaining Champions League spot, though. Roma’s victory over Inter puts them five points ahead of Napoli and looking comfortable for qualification. Radja Nainggolan was the star of the show with two goals – including a wonderful strike after running almost the length of the pitch – though perhaps Inter will look to their defending more than Nainggolan’s skill.
It also – surely – knocks Inter out of contention for the final place. They are six points back, and only a point ahead of city rivals AC Milan, who beat Sassuolo 1-0.
Spain
This is the part of the season where pressure comes to the fore.
Valencia beat Real Madrid on Wednesday night to turn the heat of the title race up a notch. And Barcelona took advantage this weekend: a late Lionel Messi goal was the difference between they and Atletico Madrid. Then again, Lionel Messi is often the difference between Luis Enrique’s side and every other team on the planet.
It’s always the hard-fought victories that seem to apply the most pressure to the teams at the top of the league, though. As if there’s some psychological advantage gained from winning ugly, or from seeing your nearest rivals battling gallantly. And it wasn’t just Barcelona who piled the pressure onto Real Madrid this weekend.
Sevilla, too, battled back from a goal down to win 2-1 over their bitter city rivals Real Betis. Away to your rivals and 1-0 down isn’t easy, but battling back showed that Madrid and Barcelona may have work to do to shake off the upstart pretender to the La Liga throne this season.
Madrid were put under pressure by themselves, too.
Away to Villarreal is a notoriously difficult fixture in Spain’s top flight, of course. But perhaps this will go down as a huge week for Zinedine Zidane’s side. Losing to Valencia, and then seeing Barcelona Sevilla battle to crucial victories was bad enough, but to find themselves 2-0 down to two quickfire goals after 56 minutes must have felt like the wheels were coming off their title charge.
But, if Lionel Messi, Neymar, and Luis Suarez are the difference for Barcelona, then guess who the difference makers are for Madrid? Real have scored in each of their last 44 games in all competitions, so they weren’t going down without a fight.
Gareth Bale started off the comeback, before a Cristiano Ronaldo penalty – a goal which means he has now scored the most penalties in La Liga history – evened the tie. There was then time for Alvaro Morata to score a late goal and complete the comeback.
But don’t think the La Liga title race is over just yet.
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