This weekend was an incredible one in European soccer’s top leagues. Where to begin?
How about an incredible Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side taking a 2-0 lead before Barcelona scored four straight goals on their way to a 4-3 win and Hansi Flick’s fourth victory over Madrid since arriving as Barca manager. We also had Chelsea stumbling in their chase for a top-four finish (and a place in the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League) thanks to Nico Jackson’s red card and a listless display in a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle.
Serie A‘s title race got a little more tension as Napoli drew and Inter Milan won to close the gap to one point with two games remaining, while Bayern Munich celebrated their Bundesliga title following their final home game, and Borussia Dortmund continued their magnificent comeback. Liverpool‘s Trent Alexander-Arnold got a hostile reception from the home fans in his first appearance since announcing he’d be leaving the club this summer, and the Europa League finalists (Tottenham and Manchester United) both turned in miserable performances in home defeats. Here are some musings and reactions to the most memorable moments of the weekend.
Barcelona make it four wins in four Clásico and have LaLiga title just about clinched
Never say never and all that, but Barcelona navigated the last real hurdle separating them from winning LaLiga with Sunday’s 4-3 Clásico win over Real Madrid. In theory, they could win the title on Wednesday “on the sofa” when Real Madrid host Mallorca; most likely, it will come on Thursday in their derby with Espanyol.
Barcelona have gotten us accustomed to their roller-coaster games, so it’s worth reminding ourselves of a few things.
First off, it’s Hansi Flick 4, Carlo Ancelotti 0 in Clásico this season. That alone makes this a phenomenal campaign, never mind the double.
Second, in the space of 15 days, they faced Real Madrid twice and Inter twice in the Champions League semifinal, with only the “gimme” against Valladolid in the mix. Five games in which they went behind each time and battled back to at least tie the game, losing only one of them. This is pretty close to unprecedented stuff, and whatever mentality and toughness Flick instilled in this team is as much a hallmark of his work as the high line or high-octane attack. It’s a grueling season, not just physically, and the fact that they were mentally up for it speaks volumes about the work he’s doing.
On Sunday, they found themselves 2-0 down after just 14 minutes. This is when you expect fear, worry and self-doubt to creep in, especially after the disappointment of Champions League elimination. Nope. They just kept going, and by halftime, they were 4-2 up. That’s just not normal — or, at least, not what we’re accustomed to. Oh, and lest we forget, they did it without four starters: their top goal scorer (Robert Lewandowski), their first-choice fullbacks and their team captain.
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McManaman: I’ve never seen an El Clásico as chaotic as that
Steve McManaman reacts to Barcelona’s 4-3 win over Real Madrid in LaLiga.
I, for one, genuinely did not expect this. I figured they would win the league but would drop points in the Clásico simply because Real Madrid had been resting all week (and it was their last shot), and because Inter had taken so much out of them.
Nope.
They stuck to the Flick script like Linus to his blanket and went to their happy place. The place where they don’t worry about giving up silly goals and looking foolish if it means getting more chances to score at the other end. The place Flick has built for them, and where they’re living their best life. The place where they can put four (and it could have been more) past Real Madrid despite the fact that of their three biggest attacking threats, Lewandowski was absent and the other two only appeared intermittently (but when they did, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal made all the difference).
You can look back at this game and note that Real Madrid could have won it, too. They had chances and were unlucky in some situations, but they also abandoned the script that had given them the lead, instead sitting deeper at 2-0 up and trying to play out rather than go long, which played further into Barcelona’s hands. Kylian Mbappé got a hat trick to pass Lewandowski in the goal-scoring table, and yet it only served to get the haters out in force, pointing out that Paris Saint-Germain got better when he left, and Real Madrid got worse when he arrived.
It’s a simplistic reading; of course it is. There are plenty of things Real Madrid did wrong last summer (and in January) that made them a poorer side. But the Mbappe-Vinícius conundrum won’t go away, and it’s something the club need to resolve next season if they are to compete in any way.
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Laurens: You can’t tell me Mbappé is Madrid’s problem with almost 40 goals
Julien Laurens sticks up for Kylian Mbappé after his hat trick in Real Madrid’s 4-3 defeat to Barcelona in El Clásico.
From here, the Carlo Ancelotti Era ends in a whimper, albeit with 15 trophies in the bag spread over a total of six seasons and, just as important, a sense of dignity and reality until the very end. That very sense of dignity (note the perpetual and preemptive Real Madrid TV attacks on referees) and reality (thinking you can assemble a team as if you were assembling Panini stickers and it would still work) that has been lacking elsewhere at the club.
One last thing: Given how poisonous the Copa del Rey final was, it was nice to play a Clásico that wasn’t about the officiating, despite the fact that there were several controversial (or potentially controversial calls) especially in the handball department (Frenkie de Jong, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Fermín López). That, at least, was a welcome relief.
It’s not just about Nico Jackson as Chelsea fall at Newcastle in key Champions League game
This weekend, Jackson takes the headlines, and not in a good way. Already a goal down after two minutes away to Newcastle, his sending off after 35 minutes was a veritable body blow to Chelsea in a huge game that could help determine who gets fourth place and a spot in the Champions League.
It’s hard to tell what you’re thinking when you lead with your elbow in a VAR game, like Jackson did against Sven Botman. Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca says Jackson “must learn,” and he’s right. At 11 vs. 11, Chelsea might have gotten back into the game, at 11 vs. 10 against Newcastle with St James’ Park rocking, it was all going to be uphill.
Sure, throw Jackson under the bus, but he’s not the only one. Chelsea were outplayed from the start, and while the Blues were coming off a Thursday night Conference League semifinal, nine of their starting XI didn’t play in that game. The fact is, Chelsea were rattled by Newcastle even at full strength and looked unprepared for Eddie Howe’s switch to a back three. That’s on them and Maresca.
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Why Jackson has ‘no argument’ for red card vs. Newcastle
Luis Miguel Echegaray and Janusz Michallik react to Nicolas Jackson’s red card against Newcastle.
Oh, and let’s not let the club off the hook here. I’ve been writing about the folly of going into a season with just one viable center forward — let alone one who is young and has a poor disciplinary record, like Jackson — for the past two years. Jackson’s backups are Tyrique George (who made his debut this season at 19 and is not a natural center forward), Christopher Nkunku (who was injured, also isn’t a center forward and has his bags packed to leave this summer anyway) and Marc Guiu (he is a center forward, though just not a very good one, and he was injured too). That’s on the club and its recruitment.
Credit to Newcastle and Howe. Things do get a whole lot easier when you score after two minutes (it was great work from Sandro Tonali), but the way they channeled the crowd and shut the door on Chelsea the rest of the way showed assurance and confidence, as well as quality. They’re up to third in the table and on the verge of securing the Champions League. It’s fully deserved.
Napoli held at home by Genoa as they concede their first headed goals of the season
I’ve questioned manager Antonio Conte for sitting on leads and hanging on to results. Sometimes it works. When it backfires, you look silly, but most of the time, if you’re the better team, the best strategy is simply continuing to attack.
That’s not what happened in Napoli’s 2-2 draw at home vs. Genoa.
Even after going 2-1 up 20 minutes into the second half, Napoli created chances and pushed for a third goal. It didn’t come; instead, they were beaten by a pinpoint cross from Aarón Martín and a surgical header from Johan Vazquez.
Conte held his hands up and suggested it’s just the way football is; his defenders were in place, but they were simply beaten by a superb cross and finish. He didn’t even seek an alibi in citing the absences of Alessandro Buongiorno and Juan Jesus, which meant Mathías Olivera, usually at left back, was playing in the middle. It’s a credit to him, but it’s also the logical thing to do. They are still in the drivers’ seat for the Serie A title thanks to their one-point lead, and they control their own destiny.
Except things just got that little bit trickier. They travel to Parma next weekend to face an opponent that’s still at risk of going down. Potentially, Cagliari at home on the last day of the campaign could be tight, too: They may not be safe yet, either. Not that it means that much anymore. Genoa had nothing to play for but pride and they grabbed a point at the Maradona, scoring two headed goals, the first two Napoli conceded all season.
You can’t take anything granted in football. The title race is going down to the wire, and Conte knows it.
Quick hits
10. Alexander Sorloth makes history, so how about some respect? I’m guilty of it too, but for the record, calling him The Only Living Sorloth in Captivity isn’t meant to be disrespectful. In fact, the captivity part seems apt: he’s “captive” on the bench (just 13 LaLiga starts) this season while being his team’s high scorer. He already was on a per-90 basis, but he’s also now LaLiga’s top scorer in absolute terms too, with 17 goals, compared to Atleti forwards Julián Álvarez’s 15 and Antoine Griezmann’s eight. Those stats, of course, were inflated by Saturday night’s performance against Sorloth’s old club, Real Sociedad, when he notched a hat trick in the first 11 minutes before adding a fourth at the half-hour mark. Still, I don’t see how you can continue keeping him out of the starting XI. Griezmann is now 34 and has two years left on his deal. Assuming he stays — he’s said he wants to — it’s probably time for Diego Simeone to find him a deeper role or further limit his minutes.
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Kane: ‘It feels good to be a champion’
Harry Kane reacts to Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title, earning him the first trophy of his career.
9. Michael Olise shines in Bayern’s 2-0 win; are they sure they want to pursue Florian Wirtz? Now, this isn’t a knock on Wirtz. If he’s not a top-five forward in the world right now, he likely will be in the next year or two, which is why we’ve been hearing nonstop rumors about him being Bayern’s next target and transfer fees of €150m being mentioned. It’s just that after seeing Olise’s masterclass in Bayern’s final home game of the Bundesliga season, a 2-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, you wonder whether resources can’t better be spent elsewhere. Like on a long-replacement for Harry Kane, or some central defenders. You already have Jamal Musiala locked into a monster long-term deal. Why not trust him and Olise, who is still just 23 and has 16 goals and 20 assists this season across all competitions (better numbers than Wirtz), rather than adding a guy who already has a comparable superstar in his position?
8. Inter aren’t going away, through universal downpours and squad rotation: Simone Inzaghi sent out the B team to face Torino away (Alessandro Bastoni and Yann Bisseck were the only holdovers from the win vs. Barcelona), and the second-stringers did their part en route to a 2-0 win. (Nicola Zalewski, of all people, opened the scoring with a peach of a goal.) Few coaches of top clubs get as much production out of their second unit, possibly precisely because Inzaghi gives his reserves so many minutes. It wasn’t straightforward, either, with the game repeatedly delayed first by an accident in the crowd, then by heavy rain showers. Inter don’t control their destiny — they’re one point behind leaders Napoli — and have a tougher run-in, with games against Champions League chasing Lazio and Cesc Fabregas’ unpredictable Como. But if he does opt to give more regulars more time to recover ahead of the Champions League final on May 31, it doesn’t appear his bench will let him down.
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The questions Xabi Alonso needs Real Madrid to answer
Gab Marcotti says Xabi Alonso should be asking questions of Real Madrid before he commits to replacing Carlo Ancelotti.
7. Borussia Dortmund ruin Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen farewell and stay on track for a top-four finish: Wow, talk about a comeback. Nico Kovac is on the verge of getting Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League next season. All they need to do is beat relegated Holstein Kiel at home: a draw might even be enough if Eintracht Frankfurt defeat Freiburg. Of course, it would be Uber-Dortmund to screw it up now, having done the hard work, but let’s not talk about that. Focus instead on 19 of a possible 21 points in their past seven games and spoiling Xabi Alonso’s likely final match at the BayArena. That’s impressive, though to be fair, the 4-2 road win saw them outplayed for long stretches, and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel had to make at least two massive saves. As for Leverkusen, whatever happens, the Xabi Alonso Era will be cherished for a long time.
6. Booing Trent Alexander-Arnold is a legitimate choice (and he might have done the same): There’s a parallel universe where Alexander-Arnold never makes it as a pro and is just a lifelong Liverpool fan. Would he boo one of their best players for choosing to leave the club in his prime on a free transfer, after a title-winning season? I have no idea, but it’s plausible. Which is why I don’t get the surprise of those who criticized the Liverpool fans — a plurality rather than a majority, because remember that boos are often louder than cheers — who had a go at him when he came on in the entertaining, if meaningless, 2-2 draw with Arsenal on Sunday. Especially since, lest we forget, issues like his defensive lapses and concentration have been talking points among the Anfield faithful for years. I wouldn’t have done it myself, but you can be grateful for what he has given the club while at the same time feeling let down by his decision to leave, even though Alexander-Arnold has been pretty open and honest about his desire, without once making false promises. That’s why Arne Slot is right in not condemning those who boo Alexander-Arnold. For many fans, it’s a natural reaction in these circumstances, and I suspect Trent would be the first to get this.
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Nicol ‘absolutely disgusted’ by Liverpool fans booing Alexander-Arnold
Steve Nicol reacts to Trent Alexander-Arnold being booed at Anfield during Liverpool’s draw with Arsenal.
5. After Champions League exertions, Paris Saint-Germain’s B team takes over in 4-1 win at Montpellier: Luis Enrique played it safe and gave most of his regulars the weekend off following their elimination of Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday. With the Ligue 1 title in the can for weeks now, it made sense to give the second string a run-out (Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola were the only ones who did double-duty) against long-relegated Montpellier. Gonçalo Ramos bagged a hat trick and Luis Enrique experimented with a 3-3-1-3 setup featuring Doue in the playmaker hole. I doubt we’ll see it in the Champions League final, but it’s good to know he put the time to good use.
4. With Erling Haaland back, Southampton away should have been easy for Man City, right? Think again: Rúben Dias didn’t like it and ranted about how Southampton weren’t “interested in playing football,” but, presumably, just defending. Then again, you wouldn’t expect him to get it because since turning pro, he has only ever finished first or second in the league — the notion of being terrible (like Southampton) and playing for pride (and avoiding a Premier League record for futility), getting a point by any means necessary, may well be beyond him. Manchester City dominated while Southampton took just two shots on goal (for a total expected goals of 0.10) and probably should have won the game, but that’s not how football works. And for their gaudy 1.82 xG and 26 shots, just three had an xG above 0.10: two Manuel Akanji headers and the late Savinho finish. Haaland, making his return from injury, managed just one shot, and that was in injury time. In fact, City showed the same not-so-impressive qualities they’ve shown of late: lots of ball, not much in the way of ideas, and a lineup that Pep Guardiola reshuffled for the umpteenth time. They’ll probably still qualify for the Champions League — they’re fourth, two points clear of Chelsea with two games remaining — but they look like nothing like the City we know.
3. Red cards cost Juventus, and not for the first time: Two weekends ago, Kenan Yildiz got himself needlessly sent off against bottom club Monza: they were 2-0 up and cruising, and he somehow forget VAR was a thing. Without him, they were held 1-1 by Bologna the following week (not all on him, of course, but they had taken the lead and he would have come in handy). On Saturday, with Juve 1-0 up away to Lazio — a game with huge Top 4 implications — it was Pierre Kalulu‘s turn to have a brain fart, lashing out at Taty Castellanos and getting his marching orders. Lazio would equalise in the sixth minute of injury time. I’m not saying it’s a linear correlation — Dusan Vlahovic‘s absence from the starting lineup weighed heavy as well — but it’s clear Juventus can’t afford to be in self-inflicted damage mode. Not when the stakes are so high.
2. Players barricaded in the training ground? Sevilla is a cautionary tale: You may have seen the report of furious fans armed with pyro and pent-up anger forcing Sevilla’s players to spend the night at the training ground, following their defeat to Cellta Saturday. The fans are furious at seeing their club slide towards the relegation zone — they’re four points from the drop, with two games to go — and saddled with €300 million worth of debt that, under LaLiga’s financial stability rules, means no new signing can earn more than €684,000, the lowest amount in the top two divisions. Oh, and their president is locked in a vicious battle for control with the former president, who happens to be a convicted embezzler and … his own dad. Yup, violence is to be condemned and all that, but how about some proper oversight? How about some grown-ups in the room Accountability, perhaps? This is the club that won two of the last five Europa Leagues. Monchi, the transfer guru, was there until two years ago. Transparency would allow crowd-sourced oversight and, to some degree, protect clubs from the sort of folks who — whether by incompetence, and sometimes worse — drive them into the ground.
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Laurens: Amorim right to be embarrassed by Man United’s season
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens question Ruben Amorim’s response to another Premier League defeat for Manchester United.
1. Europa League finalists embarrass themselves in the Premier League: There’s a weird symmetry in the fact that, a few days after reaching the Europa League final, both Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur should lose 2-0 at home (to West Ham United and Crystal Palace respectively). United manager Ruben Amorim called United’s campaign “embarrassing” and added that he would “walk away” if it can’t be fixed. (Most likely, if it doesn’t get fixed, he won’t get the chance to walk away: he’ll be driven away.) Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou talked about the difficulty of playing league football while going deep in European competitions and the Carabao Cup (Spurs reached the semifinal). What’s best, Amorim’s brutal honesty or Postecoglou’s “explanation?” I’m not a fan of either. In Amorim’s case, there’s a middle ground between being delusional and spouting continuous negativity (even if it’s warranted). In Postecoglou’s case, it feels like passing the buck. Aston Villa also went deep in Europe and a domestic Cup; on paper, their squads are comparable. yet they sit 25 points and 11 places above Spurs. Is it really the three extra games that Spurs played that explain the gap? Might it be the manager, too?
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