The Derby d’Italia as well as the Man City vs Liverpool encounters both ended in draws while Rodrygo inspired Madrid to a La liga win. This and more in this week’s European Football Wrap!
City and Liverpool share spoils in tepid ‘showstopper’
Billed as the footballing equivalent of an Ali-Frazier classic, Saturday’s clash of Premier League title rivals felt more like the Fury/Ngannou bout. The decision to schedule that game as an early Saturday kickoff- particularly given the latest gruelling international window- was baffling.
And the Premier League reaped what they sowed, with both sides lacking the necessary sharpness to match some of the recent City-Liverpool classics. City quietly dominated proceedings, with Erling Haaland putting them ahead in the match to become the fastest player to 50 goals in Premier League history.
But Trent Alexander-Arnold- who certainly had his fair share of problems with the effervescent Jeremy Doku down that left-hand side- levelled matters in typically decisive fashion. I think both sides will be secretly happy to have this match in the rearview.
With the Sword of Damocles that is the 115 charges looming over their shoulders, City played with decent assurance but occasionally struggled to break down an obstinate Liverpool backline. Liverpool weren’t as deadly in transition as usual, with Nathan Ake and co doing a pretty decent job of nullifying the ever-present Salah threat.
Arsenal ended up being the biggest winners in this captivating three-way title race, grinding out a gutsy 1-0 victory at Brentford. It was a performance ripped right out of the George Graham playbook, with much-maligned German Kai Havertz coming on to secure all three points with a last-gasp back post header.
They haven’t been at their best in recent weeks but the Gunners are still doing enough to get the job done. Gabby Jesus doesn’t look fully fit yet and Martinelli looked frankly shattered following international duty. But Declan Rice has given them the type of midfield steeliness that is pretty much essential if you want to win the Premier League crown.
Who would have thought that Mikel Arteta- who has twice led Arsenal to eighth place finishes in his tenure- would make it to 200 matches as Arsenal manager?
Kane juggernaut rolls on but Bayer Leverkusen stand firm
Harry Kane is proving unstoppable in German football, scoring his 18th Bundesliga goal in just his 12th match to give Bayern Munich a narrow 1-0 victory at Koln. But despite Kane’s herculean goal-scoring feats, it is still Bayer Leverkusen who top the Bundesliga standings.
Xabi Alonso’s sensational side comfortably beat Werder Bremen 3-0, matching Per Guardiola’s 2015/2016 Bayern side to become the joint-fastest starters in Bundesliga history (11 wins and 1 draw). This doesn’t just feel like a flash-in-the-pan type of positive spell: there’s something a little special about this Leverkusen outfit.
They have won 16 of 17 matches in all competitions this season and they have become the first side in German football history to score two or more goals in their first 12 matches of a season. The wingback duo of Frimpong and Grimaldo- who both scored at the weekend- are arguably the deadliest fullback combination since Robertson and Alexander-Arnold tore teams apart in Liverpool’s more conventional 4-3-3 system.
Leverkusen’s style is very much in keeping with the DNA of its manager and they currently lead the Bundesliga in pass completion. Could they finally do what Dortmund have threatened to do in the post-Klopp era?
Rodrygo inspire Real while Barca stumble
Los Blancos temporarily leapfrogged surprise package Girona to top spot in the La Liga standings, producing a polished away performance at Cadiz this weekend. Jude Bellingham returned to action following an injury absence and his penetrating midfield runs proved a constant threat.
But it was Rodrygo who truly shone this weekend, scoring a wonderful brace in the absence of fellow tearaway Brazilian Vini Jr. It was an extremely comfortable afternoon for Real Madrid and they now sit four points ahead of eternal rivals Barcelona (who have played a game extra).
Xavi’s men were extremely lacklustre at Rayo Vallecano, heaping more pressure on Xavi ahead of their crunch Champions League fixture with Porto. The decision to play Romeu as the midfield fulcrum baffles me.
Sure, he does offer you a pretty sure foot at the base of midfield. But he really offers next to nothing in an attacking sense. De Jong surely has to play a deeper role, allowing Gundogan to operate in more aggressive areas.
Inter held by Juventus in dire Derby d’Italia
This was a weekend of disappointing European blockbuster clashes, with Serie A pacesetters Juventus and Inter playing out to a 1-1 draw in Turin. Dusan Vlahovic gave the hosts the lead only for Inter captain extraordinaire Lautaro Martinez to almost immediately equalize.
Inter will be pleased with the fact that they were able to dictate the tempo of the match on Juventus’ patch. Allegri must be somewhat disheartened with the lack pf creativity in this current Juventus squad. Relying on a strong defensive unit to guarantee 1-0 victories isn’t as easy as it used to be in the late 80’s and early 90’s.
They will need to find some more creative inspiration if they truly wish to push Inzaghi’s Inter. Elsewhere, Walter Mazzari enjoyed a perfect new manager bounce as Napoli picked up an impressive 2-1 victory at Atalanta. I feel a bit sorry for Rudi Garcia.
Osimhen is now back and raring to go and victory over Inter next weekend will take them to within five points of Inzaghi’s men. Milan scraped through by virtue of a Theo Herandez penalty in their match against Fiorentina. The most notable aspect of that match was the debut of Francesco Camarda, who at 15 years, two months and 16 days became the youngest player in Serie A history.
Player of the Week – Rodrygo
Brazilian winger Rodrygo was inspirational at Cadiz this weekend, scoring two stunning goals and creating another in a virtuosic display of incisive wing play. He drifted menacingly from the left flank to the right, seemingly liberated by the absence of the injured Vini Jr. Rodrygo is to Real Marid what Roberto Firmino was to Klopp’s vintage Liverpool side: the unsung hero.
He quietly goes about his business, racking up brilliant numbers without the rabid media frenzy attributed to the likes of Vini Jr and Bellingham. Perhaps this is the chance for Rodrygo to emerge from their shadows to finally attain the adulation his so richly deserves.
