It’s been another busy weekend of European football, so here’s a recap of all the results, stories and talking points from La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and beyond.
La Liga
Following Sunday night’s thrilling Clásico at the Bernabéu, we can safely say: ¡No Hay Liga!
Real Madrid ran out 3-2 winners in the 257th instalment of el Clásico, but that doesn’t begin to tell the whole story.
Andreas Christensen headed in an early opener for Barcelona, but they weren’t ahead for long, with Pau Cubarsí bringing down Lucas Vázquez, before Vinícius Júnior converted the subsequent spot-kick.
Then came the controversial moment, when Lamine Yamal believed he had restored Barça’s advantage, flicking a corner towards goal, with Andriy Lunin scooping the ball out for a corner, but did he do so in time?
La Liga does not have goal-line technology, which is frankly farcical, so it was left to VAR official José María Sánchez Martínez to decide whether or not the whole ball had crossed the whole line and, after what felt like an age of deliberation, decided he could not conclusively prove it was a goal, so 1-1 it remained.
The Catalan side did then get back in-front mid-way through the second half, Fermín López firing home from close-range on the rebound and, at this moment, we had a title race on our hands.
However, los Blancos hit back soon after, Vázquez crashing in at the back post, before that man Jude Bellingham would prove to be the hero once more.
Having scored a stoppage time winner at Montjuïc, he did so again here, getting on the end of Vázquez’s low-cross, before firing into the roof of the net, out of reach for Marc-André ter Stegen.
This snatched a 3-2 victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s team, extends their unbeaten league streak to 26 matches, and leaves them 11 points clear, an unassailable advantage considering there are only 18 points left to play for.
Bellingham is the first los Merengues player to score in their first two La Liga Clásicos since Ruud van Nistelrooy 17 years ago, while this is the first time ever Barça have lost a league Clásico in which they led twice.
So, the title race is now all but mathematically done, with Real Madrid now aiming to both the league and Champions League in the same season for only the fifth time, after 1957, 1958, 2017 and 2022.
On the flip side, Xavi’s final Clásico certainly did not go to plan and, in six games time, he will depart the club following a trophyless campaign.
Away from the big game, immediately before it in fact, Mendizorroza witnessed a huge shock as struggling Alavés beat Atlético Madrid 2-0, with Carlos Benavídez and Luis Rioja the scorers.
Luis García Plaza’s side had lost three on the spin beforehand, making this a major boost to los Blanquiazules’ survival hopes, all but ensuring Alavés will remain in the top division.
On the flip side, Atleti have now lost 11 away games in all competitions this season, their highest tally under Diego Simeone, beaten in ten of their last 15 fixtures on the road against top-flight opposition.
Luckily for los Colchoneros, they remain in fourth place by virtue of the fact that Athletic Club slipped-up again on Friday night, this time held to a 1-1 draw by second-bottom Granada at San Mamés.
Ernesto Valverde’s team have already picked up the Copa del Rey, ending Athletic’s 40-year wait for silverware, and will climb into the top four with victory next Saturday, given that they travel to the Metropolitano.
Girona look home and hosed as they seek to rubber stamp their Champions League tickets, making it four successive wins at Montilivi by hammering Cádiz 4-1, leaving Míchel’s men ten points clear of Athletic.
Elsewhere, Real Betis leapfrogged Valencia in the Europa Conference League place, courtesy of a 2-1 win at Mestalla on Saturday, with Ayoze Pérez the scorer of a brace.
At the bottom, Cádiz are now six points adrift safety, after Celta de Vigo hammered Las Palmas 4-1 at Balaídos.
El Submarino Amarillo’s remaining fixtures are Mallorca (H), Real Madrid (A), Getafe (H), Sevilla (A), Las Palmas (H) and Almería (A), so Mauricio Pellegrino’s team will feel they can certainly pick up points.
Should fourth-bottom Mallorca win at Sevilla on Mondauy night, the likelihood off three Andalusian clubs being relegated would significantly increase, ahead of los Bermellones’ huge trip to Nuevo Mirandilla on Sunday.
Real Madrid to win a 15th UEFA Champions League trophy
UEFA Champions League
Serie A
At time of publication on Monday lunchtime, the two biggest matches in Serie A this weekend are both yet to be played.
On Monday night, the top two meet in, what could turn out to be, an historic Derby della Madonnina.
That’s because Internazionale, the away team on this occasion, will become the city’s first 20-times Scudetto winners, should beat fierce rivals AC Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza.
Since Simone Inzaghi’s side beat Juventus on 4 February, it’s been a formality that Inter will win the title, but the prospect of doing so against their neighbours is a tantalising possibility.
Given that I Nerazzurri have won their last five meetings with I Rossoneri, including a 5-1 drubbing back in September, it promises to be a memorable night for the away fans located in the Curva Nord.
Before that, in Monday’s amuse-bouche slot, there’s also a key fixture in the race for Champions League qualification, as fourth takes on fifth at Stadio Olimpico.
Bologna have not featured in the Champions League since 1964, or any UEFA competition for that matter since 1999, but are currently fourth, albeit Thiago Motta’s team have endured back-to-back scoreless draws.
Having won five of six Serie A home games under Daniele De Rossi, Roma kick off just four points behind, having played one game fewer, set to complete the final 20 minutes of their abandoned trip to Udinese on Thursday.
Boosted by the knowledge that the top five will secure Champions League qualification, both will be full of confidence, although points are important given that they’re being hunted down by a chasing pack.
Atalanta, like Roma, have a Europa League semi-final to look forward to, with la Dea now just two points below I Giallorossi, following a hard-fought 2-1 win at Monza on Sunday night.
Lazio are only two points behind them, managing to beat Genoa 1-0 on Friday night, Luis Alberto the only scorer at Stadio Luigi Ferraris, although I Biancocelesti continue to be very inconsistent.
Speaking of inconsistent, Napoli are in serious danger of missing out on Europe for the first time since 2009/10, this time beaten 1-0 at Empoli, meaning last season’s champions have won just one of their last six.
Juventus’ miserable form continued on Friday night too, coming from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Cagliari, but Massimiliano Allegri’s team have claimed just two wins in 12 Serie A outings, dating back to mid-January.
At the bottom, Sassuolo’s survival hopes suffered a huge set-back, smashed 3-0 by Lecce at home, while Frosinone’s goalless draw at Torino means they complete the bottom three, alongwith doomed Salernitana.
Empoli’s aforementioned victory over Napoli, as well as Hellas Verona’s win over Udinese, also 1-0, are massive results for those two sides.
This mid-week, we will learn the identities of the two Coppa Italia Finalists.
On Tuesday, having won the first leg 2-0 in Turin, can Juventus complete the job in the capital, or can Lazio produce a remontada against an out-of-form la Vecchia Signora at the Olimpico?
The following night, last season’s runners-up Fiorentina lead 1-0 as they travel to Bergamo, but Atalanta will fancy their chances of overturning that deficit, dreaming of ending their 61-year wait for silverware.
Under 2.5 goals
Lazio vs Juventus
Atalanta to qualify
Atalanta vs Fiorentina
At 5/2, a £10 bet would return £35.53!
Coppa Italia double of the week
Bundesliga
Not so long ago, Bayer Leverkusen were known in a derogatory way as ‘Neverkusen’, although that has flipped and it’s now more appropriate to refer to them as Neverlosin’.
Having already rubber stamped the title a week earlier, die Schwarzroten maintained their unbeaten record on Sunday, courtesy of Josip Stanišić's 97th minute equaliser at Westfalenstadion.
So, amazingly, Xabi Alonso’s side are still undefeated in all competitions, that’s 45 games and counting, a new record for a team from Europe’s ‘top five’ leagues, surpassing Juventus’ 43-game sequence from 2011/12.
Die Werkself will take on Kaiserslautern, second-bottom of the second-division, in May’s DFB-Pokal Final, while they’ll also meet Roma in the Europa League semi-finals, as was the case 12 months ago.
Back in the Bundesliga, Bayer are just four games away from becoming the first side to go an entire season unbeaten since German reunification, which isn’t bad considering this is their first-ever Meisterschale.
Bayern Munich, who’ve relinquished the title, are simply seeking to prepare for their Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, smashing Union Berlin 5-1 on Saturday.
Harry Kane curled home a free-kick at Stadion An der Alten Försterei, his 33rd goal in the Bundesliga, needing seven more from the remaining four fixture to match Robert Lewandowski’s single-season record.
Elsewhere, VfB Stuttgart’s Champions League hopes suffered a bit of a set-back, beaten 2-1 by Werder Bremen, with RB Leipzig now just four points behind, following their win at Heidenheim.
The Bundesliga will almost certainly have five team’s in Europe’s premier club competition next season, which is great news for fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund, ahead of their trip to Leipzig next weekend.
Eintracht Frankfurt moved closer to Europa League qualification by beating Augsburg 3-1 on Friday, with Freiburg, Augsburg and Hoffenheim battling for the two potential remaining European spots.
At the bottom, Darmstadt are doomed and they could be taking Köln down with them, as the bottom side left RheinEnergieStadion 2-0 winners, which could have catastrophic consequences for die Geißböcke.
Mainz though are out of the bottom three for the first time since August, moving above Bochum courtesy of a 1-1 draw with Freiburg, while die Unabsteigbaren were defeated at Ralph Hasenhüttl’s Wolfsburg.
Bayer Leverkusen to win the DFB-Pokal and UEFA Europa League
Bundesliga
Ligue 1
This week could see coronation day in Ligue 1, given that Paris Saint-Germain are now 11 points clear at the top, set to pick up a tenth title in 12 seasons since the Qatari takeover.
On Sunday night, les Rouges-et-Bleus smashed Lyon 4-1 at Parc des Princes, with all the goals coming in the first half, 2-0 up inside six minutes, before Gonçalo Ramos bagged a brace.
So, PSG will be champions again as soon as Wednesday night, should they beat Lorient and Monaco fail to win at home to LOSC Lille later that same evening.
This 4-1 drubbing does not bode well for those of us who are hoping to see an exciting Coupe de France Final between PSG and Lyon at Stade Pierre-Mauroy on 25 May.
Olympique Lyonnais, who are currently just below the European spots, having only conceded 4+ in the first half of a Ligue 1 game twice this century, but both have come against PSG this season.
Elsewhere, in the race for Champions League qualification, Monaco leapfrogged Brest into second by beating them 2-0 at Stade Francis-Le Blé, with goals from Denis Zakaria and Takumi Minamino making it three successive wins for les Monégasques.
LOSC Lille complete the top four, with Jonathan David’s goal downing Strasbourg on Sunday, leaving les Dogues five points clear of fifth-placed Nice, despite les Aiglons’ 3-0 hammering of Lorient on Friday.
Lens and Stade Rennais round-out the European spots, after they were both victorious on Saturday, beating Clermont Foot 1-0 and Nantes 3-0 respectively.
At the bottom, Metz climbed out of the bottom three courtesy of a 1-0 victory at Stade Océane, Giorgi Mikautadze the only scorer, a defeat that plunges Le Havre into the relegation play-off place.
László Bölöni’s team were the only side in the bottom six to pick up any points this weekend, meaning les Grenats occupy a safety position for the first time since January.
Lastly, a word on the thrilling 2-2 draw at Stadium de Toulouse, in which the home side thought they’d won it through Yann Gboho, only for Faris Moumbagna’s 95th minute overhead kick to pinch a point for Marseille.
OM are now without a win in four in Ligue 1, but are through to the Europa League semi-finals, set to face Atalanta, and Jean-Louis Gasset’s team may have to win that competition to be back in Europe next season.
Paris Saint-Germain to win and Kylian Mbappé to score anytime
Lorient vs Paris Saint-Germain
Both teams to score
Olympique de Marseille vs Nice
Both teams to score
Monaco vs LOSC Lille
At 9/2, a £10 bet would return £55.22!
Ligue 1 acca of the midweek
Anything else?
KNVB Beker glory for Feyenoord
Lastly, to the Netherlands, where it was cup final weekend, with Feyenoord beating NEC Nijmegen 1-0 in Sunday’s KNVB Beker, with Igor Paixão the match-winner at De Kuip.
This is the fifth time NEC have reached the cup final, but they’re yet to hoist aloft the trophy, beaten by NAC Breda in ‘73, Ajax in ‘83, Feyenoord in ‘94, Roda JC in 2000 and again at the weekend.
On the flip side, it’s the 14th time Feyenoord have won the KNVB Beker, and first since 2018, ensuring Arne Slot’s side will not end the season empty handed, given that they’re nine points adrift run-away Eredivisie leaders PSV Eindhoven.
It is also good news for struggling Ajax, as their current position of fifth will be enough to guarantee European football, a low bar as they’re currently set to enter the Europa League second qualifying round.
NEC though are just a point behind in sixth, while the teams in sixth, seventh, eighth and nine will contest the Europa Conference League play-offs, as NEC seek to qualify for Europe for the first time since 2008/09.
While we’re on Dutch football, it’s worth mentioning Vitesse Arnhem, who were deducted 18 points this week, sending them to the bottom of the table, thereby on -1 points, confirming their relegation to the Eerste Divisie.
Put succinctly, it is alleged that Vitesse have been secretly bankrolled by Roman Abramovich for many years, thereby breaking the KNVB’s license rules, which is quite the fall for a club who beat Spurs in the Europa Conference League just two seasons ago, reaching the round of 16 of that competition.
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