In this week’s edition of the European Football Wrap, Damien looks at pressured Bayern coach, the Manchester derby in the FA Cup final, Dortmund’s Donyell Malan and more!
Arsenal surrender Prem League initiative
Arsenal’s insane 3-3 draw with Southampton has left me somewhat vexed. I hear the narrative that celebrates their courage under fire. Not many teams would have had the mental fortitude to come back in the dying embers of that match.
But just look at the broader context. Arsenal have now dropped six points in their last three matches. They could have actually been going into this crunch City game with a near insurmountable 11-point lead. I think it may be slightly presumptive to say that they are ‘bottling’ it.
But it’s hard to really fathom another word when you see Aaron Ramsdale inexplicably giving Southampton a goal in the first 30 seconds of the match. Using Zinchenko as an inverted midfielder has been one of Arteta’s most inspired moves. It almost brings to mind the way Pep utilized the combustible Joao Cancelo.
The difference is this: Cancelo has a semblance of defensive nous. Arteta would be wise to deploy Kieron Tierney for the City game as the pugnacious Bernardo Silva looks to terrorize that right-hand side.
3 - Only Southampton (1) have kept fewer clean sheets in home matches in the Premier League this season than Arsenal (3). Leaky. pic.twitter.com/2eE44hy5rJ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) April 21, 2023
Manchester sides set up mouth-watering derby final
It almost feels like the footballing gods are blessing us this season. I was just beginning to wrap my head around the idea of a Derby della Madonnia in this year’s Champions League semi-finals.
But now they have potentially topped that with the first ever Manchester derby in FA Cup final history. And how crucial it could prove to be. This may be United’s chance to derail City’s dreams of a treble.
This obviously has significant weight for the only club to ever achieve the feat. Guardiola’s machine breezed past Sheffield United with the ruthless efficiency that you would expect from them.
‘Striking Viking’ Erling Haaland looked happy to play second-fiddle to an absolutely inspired Riyad Mahrez. It was the perfect preparation ahead of their blockbuster league encounter with Arteta’s flagging Gunners.
United took a far more taxing route to the showpiece match. They had to rely on penalties to see off a stubbornly organized Brighton and Hove Albion. Brighton really bossed large parts of the game.
I’m sure United fans are desperate for their side to finally dominate a match from start to finish. At least they managed to iron out some of those shocking defensive frailties that popped up in Sevilla last week.
But their inability to control the ball for concerted periods of play is worrying. They are going to have to essentially do an Ole Gunnar Solksjaer and hit City on the counterattack. It doesn’t really fit into Ten Hag’s footballing DNA but it’s the only way I can see them taming this City juggernaut.
Man City are the first team ever to reach the FA Cup final without conceding a SINGLE goal 😲🏆 pic.twitter.com/f1tyuzMVPO
— 433 (@433) April 24, 2023
Tuchel under fire
I knew that Bayern’s decision to terminate Nagelsmann’s contract would come back to haunt them. And the decision to replace him with the volatile Thomas Tuchel never sat right with me. Nagelsmann’s dynamic fluidity had its drawbacks.
But Tuchel’s rigidity just doesn’t vibe with a Bayern team full to bursting with young talent. Their shock 3-1 defeat at Mainz has handed the Bundesliga initiative to arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. The German Rekordmeister have been in a real downward spiral since Tuchel took charge.
They have been dumped out of the German Cup and Champions League in unceremonious fashion. And now they have surrendered their grip on their ‘bread and butter’. Their situation was made all the worse by the news that electric full-back Alphonso Davies will miss the rest of the season due to injury.
Dortmund pounced on their opportunity with aplomb, taking down Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0. Jude Bellingham put his indifferent recent form to bed with a quality showing in the middle of the park. He seemed to be galvanized by Bayern’s result and opened the scoring for the Blacks and Yellows.
But it was the link-up play between Malen and Adeyemi that really impressed. Their fluid interplay and dynamism make this Dortmund side one of the most exciting attacking outfits in all of Europe.
FC Bayern: out of the champions league, out of the domestic cup and the bundesliga title is not easy unlike previous years. I can't see the "improvement" done with Tomas Tuchel. @FCBayernEN #FCBMCI #tuchel #UCL pic.twitter.com/wQs44BDh2R
— Raed Gerges (@rgerges1) April 19, 2023
Barca edge closer to La Liga title
You can’t help the feeling that there’s something just a little anticlimactic about this year’s La Liga. Barca ground out a tough 1-0 victory against Atletico to go one step closer to recording their first title since 2019.
But there just seems to be a miasma of toxicity around the club at present. Rumours are linking Raphinha with a move and Robert Lewandowski is currently experiencing his worst goal-scoring drought in ages.
Xavi will feel happy that the talismanic Pedri has recovered from his two-month injury layoff. But you just get the feeling that the Barca legend is dealing with plenty of drama behind the scenes. Perhaps the biggest drama of the Spanish weekend came via Man United’s European conquerors Sevilla.
The Europa League dons followed their humiliation of the Red Devils with a last-gasp 2-1 victory over the Villarreal. That result puts a severe dent in the Yellow Submarine’s European prospects. They now sit seven points behind 4th placed Real Sociedad in the race for champions League football.
Xavi is the first Barcelona coach to beat Atletico Madrid home and away since 2014/15. #fcblive pic.twitter.com/gBIZP2B2wC
— BarçaTimes (@BarcaTimes) April 23, 2023
Juventus back in the game
How can you lose your weekend match and still be the ones with smiles on your faces? Get your 15 points reinstated, of course. The decision to give Juventus their 15 points back on appeal has thrown the Italian top four race into total turmoil.
Juventus now look nailed-on to finish in the top four alongside Napoli and Lazio. And that after losing 1-0 to impending champions Napoli. This is a decision that could have huge ramifications for the league. The fire-sale that was to accompany their failure to qualify for Champions League football will likely be put on ice.
The likes of Dusan Vlahovic may indeed stay in Turin over the summer. But it also means that there are now four sides fighting for that final qualification spot. Obviously Inter and AC Milan have been side-tracked somewhat by their European odysseys.
But what about Roma? Last night was a perfect opportunity for them to solidify their European hopes with victory at Atalanta. But Jose Mourinho’s men couldn’t build on their Europa League semi-final qualification and may indeed need to win that tournament to advance to the Champions League.
NAPOLI CLINCH IT AT THE DEATH! 👏
— SuperSport Football ⚽️ (@SSFootball) April 23, 2023
Juventus had two disallowed goals, before Raspadori stepped up in added time 🔥#SerieA pic.twitter.com/Z9jjlKzZpP
Player of the Week – Donyell Malen
Dutch winger Donyell Malan has been one of the most consistent young wingers operating in European football this season. He has scored 8 goals and made a further 6 in all competitions. Just contrast his form with that of welterweight champion Sadio Mane.
He and Adeyemi have created a pacy, vibrant frontline that could give Dortmund the edge in this nail-biting Bundesliga race. He scored another two goals as Dortmund put Eintracht to the sword this weekend.
