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Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FC
Another weekend is in the books, and Europe’s top soccer leagues certainly delivered. We had another shocking Barcelona defeat in LaLiga as Real Madrid close the gap at the top, we got Arne Slot’s Liverpool cruising past Pep Guardiola and Manchester City in the Premier League’s big game, and we saw Harry Kane hobble off hurt as Bayern Munich drew with Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker.
We also saw more chaos for RB Leipzig, a dominant win by Chelsea (over Aston Villa) and Arsenal (over West Ham), late drama for Juventus and former Man United midfielder Scott McTominay looking the part in Napoli’s latest 1-0 victory to keep them top of Serie A. (Oh, and in a non-Europe bonus, we’ve got some analysis of Botafogo’s first Copa Libertadores trophy — and what a game it was.)
So let’s get to it. It’s Monday, and here is Gab Marcotti’s first big batch of reactions to the most memorable moments in the world of soccer.
A big defeat with big consequences, but let’s not panic over Barcelona just yet
Is it a big deal that little Las Palmas ruined Barcelona’s 125th birthday, beating them 2-1 on the road and leaving them just one point clear of Real Madrid at the top of the table, but having played one more game? You bet.
Does it necessarily mean the wheels are coming off for Hansi Flick? I’m not sure.
Saturday’s defeat was different from some of the previous lacklustre outings. Barcelona didn’t play particularly well, but still put together an xG of 2.30 (to 0.50) while outshooting Las Palmas 27-5. There were two penalty shouts (on Pau Cubarsí and Pau Víctor) that, on a different day, may well have gone Barça,’s way. Both goals were as much a function of the much talked-about “high line” as they were individual errors (yes, you, Hector Fort).
Perhaps most importantly, Hansi Flick’s football needs chemistry. He lost Alejandro Balde early, opted for Pablo Torre and Fermín López instead of Dani Olmo and Lamine Yamal (with a view towards midweek fixtures, presumably) and started Gavi in a holding midfield position, replacing Marc Casadó. That’s a lot of change for a side that played the same people week in, week out for the first two months of the season.
Flick’s football is high risk, high reward. That’s just the way it is; you play that way because you think, over time, it gives you the best results. When you slip up, sure, you look silly, but that doesn’t mean you rip up the blueprint. Rather, you figure how to best integrate your returning stars, and you certainly don’t freak out over losing a match you pretty much dominated.
Bayern Munich drop points vs. Borussia Dortmund, but Der Klassiker draw underscores the gap between the two sides
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Should Bayern Munich have stopped play in the lead up to Musiala’s goal?
The ESPN FC crew discusses whether it was unsportsmanlike from Bayern Munich not to stop play in the lead up to their goal vs. Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern manager Vincent Kompany may well find that he got some decisions wrong. Mathys Tel (making his first Bundesliga start in three months) and, to a lesser degree, Leroy Sané were curious choices to take on a Borussia Dortmund side who had won back-to-back games when you had Michael Olise and Kingsley Coman available. So too was the choice of Thomas Müller to deputize at centerforward after Kane came off injured. (At that stage, just move to Tel to play through the middle and send on a winger: you can always call on Müller later.)
But one of the nice things about managing Bayern is that you’re loaded with talent and you have players who rarely deliver a stinker for 90 minutes, which is sort of what happened.
After a tame first half that saw Bayern manage just four shots (one on target), they came alive after the break, even before the introduction of Coman with half an hour to go. A Jamal Musiala header — his sixth this season, which is a ton for a little guy — was all they reaped in terms of goals, but they could have had more.
Until Aleksandar Pavlovic returns, Kompany’s options in the middle of the park remain limited so, to some degree, you can give him a pass in that department. But Musiala and the crop of wingers (not to mention Kane) ought to be more than enough against most teams.
As for Dortmund, they squandered the lead that Jamie Gittens gave them with his gorgeous goal: befuddling Konrad Laimer, racing down the wing and then beating Manuel Neuer (who probably should have done better) with his weaker foot. Losing Waldemar Anton during the game was a blow and there’s no Julian Brandt, but thinking this team is solid enough to take a lead against Bayern and simply defend it at home is just deluded. Yet that seemed to be coach Nuri Şahin’s game plan and inviting the pressure backfired badly.
Saturday’s 1-1 result made it abundantly clear that until something changes, that 10-point gap between BVB and Bayern won’t go away.
Down to 10 men inside two minutes and 2-0 up at half-time, Botafogo win their first Copa Libertadores
When Gregore got himself sent off for an ugly foul after just 64 seconds, it looked as if a 2-0 half-time lead for Botafogo seemed about as probable as November snow in Buenos Aires. Having to play virtually a whole game with a man down usually leads you to hunker down, but Luiz Henrique was in the right place at the right time — and with the right reaction speed, unlike the Atletico Mineiro defence — and he was there again, winning a penalty courtesy of Éverson’s rash challenge in the box, which Alex Telles put away.
Credit Luiz Henrique as the man-of-the-match, credit Artur Jorge (following in the footsteps of the late great “other” Artur Jorge) and credit Botafogo, but Atletico Mineiro can also blame themselves. It wasn’t just their poor defending, either. Even with an extra man, there was very little urgency in the first half and what little drive they could muster came after the break, when substitute Edu Vargas pulled one back and squandered the chance to equalize. Botafogo even added a third in garbage time to win 3-1.
When you have 20% possession and are a man down, limiting your opponent to four shots on target is a testament to your defending. And Botafogo — who have a three-point lead in Brazil’s Serie A — can complete a historic Double as early as this Wednesday.
STILL TO COME: Thoughts on Liverpool 2-0 Manchester City, Edo Bove and more after the Gab & Juls Show…
Quick hits
Atlético Madrid suddenly turn into xG and possession monsters: Eleven goals, 37 shots, and nearly 7 xG in their last two outings tell their own story. Sure, Salzburg in midweek and Valladolid on Saturday are pretty tame opposition, but the Atlético of the past, even against poor teams, would have scored and sat on the lead, maybe nicking something on the counter. This iteration kept hammering away and, in Antoine Griezmann and his goal of the season contender, had an inspired leader showing the way forward. There have been so many false dawns I’m not going to be fooled into announcing “Cholismo 2.0” from Diego Simeone, but surely the confidence you built up from playing this ought to teach you something?
Leipzig’s nightmare continues… when does the accountability begin? Are we seeing more cracks in the famed Red Bull model? Leipzig contrived to lose 5-1 at home to Wolfsburg, which means that in six Bundesliga and Champions League games in November, they managed five defeats and a scoreless draw. Sure they have some injuries — above all, Xavi Simons — and in certain games they’ve paid an outsized price for individual errors, but Saturday was a different story. Despite 62% possession at home, they were outshot (13-9) and handily lost the xG battle (2.33-1.07). Manager Marco Rose has the vote of confidence (for now), but sporting director Rouven Schroeder has left for sister club Salzburg who, incidentally, aren’t doing great either, sitting sixth out of 12 clubs in the Austrian top flight. Incoming Red Bull Group supremo Jurgen Klopp has his work cut out for him.
Is Yunus Musah Milan’s “Equalizer?” Manager Paulo Fonseca hailed Milan’s comprehensive 3-0 win over Empoli as “balanced.” There’s little argument there: they created plenty and held the opposition to zero shots on target. (However, with Theo Hernández and Emerson Royal as fullbacks, you’re always going to be a little on edge.) The key here might be Yunus Musah, who lined up in a nominal right wing position, but in fact rampaged up and down the flank, turning into an auxiliary rightback off the ball. Why is that important? Because it allowed Milan’s back line to slide across and compensate for the left side, which is manned by Hernandez and Rafael Leão. The latter is Milan’s most gifted player and biggest threat, but his shortcomings out of possession are well-chronicled. With centerforward Álvaro Morata and Christian Pulisic in the No.10 position turning into busy worker bees when Milan are defending, it allows the Rossoneri to keep Leão as an outlet. Not only does it keep him fresh, but it avoids asking him to do things he just doesn’t do well. It’s not a permanent fix, but it worked both away to Real Madrid and home to Empoli, opposite ends of the footballing spectrum.
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How Arsenal made Premier League title statement vs. West Ham
Recap Arsenal’s dominant 5-2 win vs. West Ham in the Premier League.
Arsenal’s mojo is definitely back: Maybe you weren’t convinced by the Martin Ødegaard masterclass against Forest, because that was at home. Maybe the 5-1 road win against Sporting in the Champions League didn’t quite do it for you because, well, their opponents had just lost their manager (Ruben Amorim) to Manchester United. How about a London derby away to West Ham, then? Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka (who already has 10 assists… the Premier League record, held by Kevin De Bruyne and Thierry Henry, is 20) tore the opposition apart in the first 36 minutes as Arsenal raced to a 4-0 lead. It finished 5-2, with all seven goals coming in the first half. The gap with Liverpool (11 points) may be beyond them, but we can definitively say the rough patch is over. They’re clicking just like Mikel Arteta wants them to click.
Real Madrid couldn’t have asked for a better weekend: A bounce-back, no-fuss win over Getafe, Barça, losing 24 hours earlier, another 90 convincing minutes under his belt for Raúl Asencio, Rodrygo back from injury and Kylian Mbappé not just scoring, but looking busy too. Yes, he could have had a hat-trick and settled for just the one goal in the 2-0 win, but after the missed penalty and M.I.A. performance at Anfield, it was important for him to show up. Madrid may be decimated by injuries, but they’re not going away. One more thing: Endrick remained on the bench, which means he has still played just 66 minutes of LaLiga football this season. I’m all for apprenticeships, but maybe it’s time to mull over a January loan just to get him playing time?
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Moreno left wanting more from Mbappé despite Getafe goal
Ale Moreno says Kylian Mbappé fell short of a great performance against Getafe, despite scoring in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win.
Cole Palmer is no longer carrying Chelsea … and that’s a good thing: It’s not that he was subpar — in fact, he offered up his usual threat on the ball and delivered a gorgeous goal to seal the 3-0 win over Aston Villa — it’s just that the supporting cast are now clicking nicely. From Moisés Caicedo (nominally playing rightback, but stepping into midfield in possession) to Enzo Fernández back to his old self, to Nico Jackson scoring again, the supporting cast are stepping up and thriving in Enzo Maresca’s 4-1-4-1 formation. The first half was tighter than the scoreline suggests (Aston Villa also spurned two good chances), but Chelsea’s energy and precision made all the difference after the break. It’s way tight near the top, but they’re second and confidence is growing.
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Michallik admits underestimating Chelsea’s ‘complete player’ Jackson
Janusz Michallik loves what he’s seeing from Nicolas Jackson after his eighth Premier League goal of the season helped Chelsea take down Aston Villa.
Scott McTominay powers Napoli as “Conte Method” drives results: He may not have been everyone’s cup of tea at Old Trafford, but Scott McTominay is thriving in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, and he can thank Antonio Conte for that. On Sunday, they won 1-0 away to Torino in vintage Conte fashion: conceding little, overpowering the opposition physically (yes, it helps a lot when you’re not in Europe) and minimising risks while still creating chances (they could have scored three or four). His use of McTominay — as a hard-working “Mister Bump” in attacking midfield, teaming up with another heavyweight like Romelu Lukaku — gets the best out of him and makes them very awkward to play against. There’s a sense of inevitability, and deja vu, creeping in.
Silly to boo Juventus off the pitch for conceding a late equalizer: It’s a question of identity. You have a fan base largely accustomed to grinding out results for whom giving up leads is a cardinal sin. So when, deep in injury time, with Juventus leading 1-0 at Lecce, Andrea Cambiaso lost the ball leading directly to Lecce making it 1-1, he was bound to be wrecked by the fans, much like his coach, Thiago Motta. Cambiaso made the wrong decision (obviously), but it came from the right place: wanting to add to the lead and having an attacking mentality. Oh, and let’s be clear on where Juventus are right now. They had nine players unavailable, and Nicolo’ Fagioli, who has started all of 25 top-flight matches, was the most experienced player on the bench. Yes, they’re making mistakes, but they’re growing. Slowly, perhaps, but the direction of travel is clear.
STILL TO COME: Quick hits on Manchester United’s win, Paris Saint-Germain’s draw to follow after the Gab & Juls Show…
