I feel annoyed about having to devote any extra mental energy to Sunday’s Manchester derby. But it was certainly a brilliant advertisement for how far these two clubs have fallen off.
Manchester in decline- Manchester derby ends 0-0 in soporific stalemate
United’s are in the middle of a generational falloff that has seen them become prototypical midtable fodder (if that). Ruben Amorim has enjoyed fleeting success thus far, with players just not buying into his highly specialized 3-4-3 formation. The Red Devils simply have no threat at the top of the pitch, managing just a single shot on target against Guardiola’s stumbling City. United need to move hell and high water to bring in a Bonafide striker this coming summer. City’s dominance of English football wasn’t going to last forever. I just didn’t think that they would relinquish their title so tamely. City have looked flat all season, with some January signings helping to inject some life into a stagnant group of players. City could only muster an xG of 0.35 on Sunday, a number far removed from the swashbuckling heights of recent seasons. With KDB set to leave City at the end of the season, Guardiola will need to make a few massive signings if he wishes to regain their much-vaunted fluidity.
Sidenote: Despite losing 3-2 at Fulham, Arne Slot’s Liverpool look destined to claim a record-equalling 20th top-flight trophy. They are currently eleven points clear with seven games to go. Arsenal laboured to a 1-1 draw at Everton, nursing their squad ahead of Wednesday’s crunch Champions League fixture with Real Madrid.
Bayern relentless in Bundesliga title race
Bayern were far from their best on Friday night, battling to a 3-1 victory at a rapidly improving Augsberg side. Vincent Kompany’s side found themselves 1-0 down after half an hour but managed to wipe out the deficit just before the break, with creative dynamo Jamal Musiala netting the equalizer. Bayern slowly wrestled away control of the match, with in-form English marksman Harry Kane giving the German pacesetters the lead on the hour mark. Augsberg netted an own-goal in extra time to add a bit of gloss to Bayern’s victory. The three points came at a potentially huge cost for Die Roten, with Jamal Musiala sure to miss tonight’s Champions League quarterfinal clash with Inter due to a hamstring issue. Thomas Muller- who recently announced that he will leave Bayern at the end of the season- could be the man to step into Musiala’s shoes. Leverkusen narrowed the deficit to the top of the table to six points, winning 1-0 at Heidenheim. Alonso’s side have lost some of their carefree effervescence (they are probably still trying to process their embarrassing German Cup exit at the hands of 3rd-tier surprise package Arminia Bielefeld).
Real suffer shock home defeat to hand Barca further initiative in La Liga race
Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid failed to show up this weekend, losing 2-1 at home to Valencia to cede more ground to table-topping Barcelona. It was the latest in a worrying set of recent results that will give Mikel Arteta plenty of hope of a Champions League upset. And it all could have been
so different. Madrid had a chance to take an early lead on Saturday, with Mbappe clipped in the box in the early stages of the match. Vini Jr opted to take the spot-kick (a strange decision considering Mbappe’s recent scoring form). Vini Jr missed the penalty and Valencia were quick to capitalize on the error, taking the lead through a thumping header by Mouctar Diakhaby. Vini Jr did make amends for that miss, neatly finishing from Jude Bellingham’s flick-on to equalize in the 50th minute. But try as they might, Real could not find a way past an inspired Giorgi Mamardashvili (the Georgian looks like he will be marvelous competition for Allison next season). Real were made to rue their missed chances, as Valencia snatched all three pints with virtually the last kick of the match.
Barcelona managed to take advantage of Real’s slip-up (well, sort of). They were also far from their imperious best this weekend, drawing 1-1 at home to a resurgent Real Betis. To be fair, Barca were playing their 4th game in the space of nine days. They started the match well, with Gavi finishing off a wonderfully intricate bit of build-up play (it was pure Barca). But the lead didn’t last long, as Betis equalized just ten minutes later. Barca just couldn’t find their rhythm for the remainder of the match, eventually settling for a point. There was some frustration amongst the Barca players, with Raphinha looking particularly distraught after being yanked in the 2nd stanza. Still, I think Hansi Flick will be quietly pleased as Barca extended their La Liga lead to four points (especially as they get ready to host Dortmund in Champions League action on Wednesday night).
Napoli miss out on golden opportunity to make up Serie A ground
Simone Inzaghi’s Inter Milan appeared to stumble in their bid to retain their Scudetto crown, throwing away a two-goal lead against Parma on Saturday. Inter looked like they were in for a comfortable ride ahead of tonight’s trip to the Allianz Arena, with goals from Matteo Darmian and Marcus Thuram giving them a seemingly comfy 2-0 halftime lead. But Adrian Bernabe halved the deficit on the hour mark. The hosts then levelled matters nine minutes later, with Jacob Ondrejka’s strike deflecting past Inter keeper Yann Sommer. It was an uncharacteristically sloppy showing, indicating that Inzaghi’s men were feeling the heat of competing on multiple fronts. It was ultimately of little consequence, as Antonio Conte’s Napoli were denied a chance to close the gap to one point at Bologna on Monday night. Napoli- without their suspended manager- looked set to capitalize on Inter’s slip-up, with Andre-Frank Anguissa’s silky run and finish giving the Partnopei a slim halftime advantage. Conte’s side went into hibernation mode in the 2nd half and were made to pay for it, with Dan Ndoye cheekily flicking the ball in with his left heel from a low cross. This was a gilt-edged opportunity and Napoli blew it. I may be wrong, but I just don’t see Inter slipping up like that again this season.
Player of the Week- Giorgi Mamardashvili
Liverpool singed the 24-year-old Georgian keeper last summer and immediately sent him out on loan to Valencia. He is returning to his parent club this summer, with Kelleher apparently eager to leave and find regular first-team football. He was in inspired form at Real Madrid, making eight saves- including a penalty- as Valencia put a major dent in Los Blancos’ title challenge. Mamardashvili has electrifying catlike reflexes and some much-needed attitude (goalkeepers do seem awfully dull these days).
