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Last Weekend: Big games galore, titles clinched and more

Last Weekend: Big games galore, titles clinched and more

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From Belgium to Brazil and Spain to Serbia, there were derbies and big rivalries wherever you looked across Europe and the world this weekend. We were treated to a couple of days of non-stop entertainment in the world of football, which we will be attempting to recap in this edition of Last Weekend.

By Neel Shelat

🇪🇸 Spain: Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona

Eight matches into the new league campaign and it was time for the first Clásico of the season in Spain. Real Madrid and Barcelona went into the match level on 22 points, so the visitors were only leading the standings thanks to their superior goal difference.

The match was played out in a manner that many had foreseen, with Barcelona keeping hold of more possession, but Real Madrid posing a serious threat on the break. Vinícius Júnior proved key in such situations and the Brazilian was involved in the build-up to Madrid’s two first-half goals. It was his ball carrying skill that was on display before Karim Benzema’s opener as well as when Federico Valverde struck later in the half.

Barcelona looked increasingly threatening after going two goals down and even more so after substitutes were introduced to the game, but their finishing let them down in front of goal. Ferrán Torres was able to pull one goal back with seven minutes on the clock, but Real Madrid killed the game in stoppage time as Rodrygo won, and then converted a spot-kick.

So, its advantage Real Madrid after the first Clásico, and a troubling times for Barcelona as their Champions League campaign is also in jeopardy.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City

The Premier League’s biggest rivalry of the modern era was rekindled when Liverpool hosted Manchester City, who were the only side with an unbeaten record in the Premier League going into this weekend. The hosts, on the other hand, had endured a terrible start to the season that left them 13 points behind their opponents prior to this match.

We were treated to an enthralling end-to-end affair that has become a regular occurrence when these two sides collide, as both went back and forth throughout the 90 minutes. After a goalless first half, the match reached its peak of freneticism in the early stages of the second period, which was a real celebration of football.

First, Mohamed Salah went through on goal but had his effort graze off Ederson and go narrowly wide. The referees did not notice the save so a goal kick was awarded, which eventually led to Manchester City scoring at the other end. There was another twist in the tale, though, because VAR found a foul in the build-up and ruled the goal out. Back at the other end, Salah created a wonderful chance with a sumptuous trivela cross, but the header went out off the crossbar and the offside flag was eventually raised.

The decisive goal also involved similar end-to-end action. Kevin De Bruyne took a free-kick for Manchester City which was caught by Alisson, who quickly launched a long ball forward for Salah. João Cancelo was the only man back for City, and he decided to challenge for the ball, allowing Salah to get past him on the turn, go through on goal again, and slot the finish past the onrushing goalkeeper.

There were many more great chances, frenzied action, refereeing mistakes and incensed reactions from the players, staff, and the packed Anfield crowd. But finally, the match ended with Liverpool celebrating a hard-fought win after 10 minutes of additional time.

The bad news for them, though, is that Jürgen Klopp was sent off and will face a suspension, and more worryingly – they suffered yet another injury in the attacking department as Diogo Jota had to be stretchered off towards the end of the match. The real winners, therefore, are Arsenal, who escaped Elland Road with three points earlier that day and now have a four-point lead at the top of the table.

🇫🇷 France: PSG 1-0 Marseille

Over in France, Le Classique was the headline act on Sunday night as Paris Saint-Germain hosted Olympique Marseille. The hosts unquestionably had a significantly stronger side on paper, but Marseille had hope because they had kept step with them 10 games into the season with just a three-point deficit, and more pertinently, PSG’s seemingly never-ending internal issues were the talk of the town again after reports emerged in midweek that Kylian Mbappé was displeased about unfulfilled promises.

One of those, reportedly, was that PSG would sign a pure striker in the transfer window who would be a regular starter, enabling Mbappé to play in his favoured position on the left. Evidently, that did not happen, because the French international has been playing down the middle in Christophe Galtier’s 3-4-2-1 system with Lionel Messi and Neymar behind him.

Perhaps for this reason, Galtier changed to a 4-3-1-2 formation in this match that brought Mbappé closer to the left flank, while Neymar operated in a deeper and more central role.

The downside of this formation was that it was quite narrow defensively, so Marseille found a good deal of joy while attacking down the flanks with their wing-backs. PSG’s star men were able to create a number of big chances, though, and they eventually took one on the stroke of half-time as Neymar scored the opener. Marseille worked hard in search of an equaliser in the second half, but just as Igor Tudor tried to influence the game with some attacking substitutes, his side suffered a massive blow as Samuel Gigot was sent off.

That really took the fizz out of the match, as the home side were able to see out the win with relative comfort. Both sides will feel that they could have scored more goals as the final xG tallies read 2.49-1.23, but the result seemed fair.

🇮🇹 Italy: Torino 0-1 Juventus

The big derby in Italy this week was a Turinese affair, as Torino welcomed a misfiring Juventus side to the Stade Olimpico. Massimiliano Allegri’s side were 10 points behind the league leaders going into the match and were yet to win away from home all season. They were also struggling in the Champions League, where five points separated them from the top two, who they are due to play in the upcoming weeks.

Allegri continued to have the backing of the board in spite of bad results and equally concerning performances, but he knew fully well that any embarrassment suffered against their local rivals would be a big issue. With that in mind, he made a big call to bench club captain Leonardo Bonucci after his poor performance against Maccabi Haifa in midweek, while also returning to a 3-5-2 formation that seemingly suits the squad better.

The switch to a three-man midfield also caused problems for Torino’s intense man-to-man defensive system as a centre-back had to step forward to prevent an overload from being created. That allowed Juventus to get at the hosts’ back line fairly regularly, but the issue this time was that they were not taking their chances.

Ultimately, a goal from a corner in the 74th minute proved to be enough for the Bianconeri to come away with all three points, which for once were entirely deserved because they created chances worth 2.27 xG altogether. Could this be a turning point in their campaign? The Champions League matches against Benfica and PSG should be able to quickly provide an answer.

🇳🇴 Norway: Lillestrøm 0-1 Molde

Here in FotMob’s home nation, this weekend put an end to the title race as Molde clinched their fifth-ever league trophy with a win at Lillestrøm.

Earlier this season, the home side had raced to a surprise lead at the top of the Eliteserien table, but we were vary of their xG overperformance, which ended up pulling them quite a way back. Molde, meanwhile, had a shaky start, but their run of 13 consecutive league wins starting close to the midway point of the season has helped them seal the deal with a few games to spare.

They only needed a draw this weekend to start their celebrations, but a last-minute winner meant that they did the job in style. That goal could really hurt Lillestrøm’s challenge for the European spots, though, because they are now three points behind third-placed Rosenborg.

Clearly, the battle for the best of the rest position is still very close, so it is never too late for you to start watching Norwegian football.

🇯🇵 Japan: Ventforet 1-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (5-4 on pens)

On a weekend full of huge matches across the world, by far the biggest upset came in Japan, where the final of the Emperor’s Cup was held.

The favourites were eight-time J. League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who look set to finish third this season behind title challengers Yokohoma F.Marinos and Kawasaki Frontale. Up against them were second-division strugglers Ventforet Kofu, who had not yet secured safety with four matches left to play, and were winless in the league since early August.

For some reason, though, they were giant killers in the cup. They defeated four top flight sides en route to the final with a comeback win over Hokkaido Consadole in the third round, a 3-1 triumph against Sagan Tosu next, an extra-time win in the quarter-final versus Avispa Fukuoka, and semi-final success against Kashima Antlers thanks to the only goal of the match.

Once again, Ventforet looked a completely different side in a cup match as they controlled proceedings in the first half, scoring the opening goal in the 26th minute through Kazushi Mitsuhira. They were not under the cosh in the second half either, but a powerful strike from Takumu Kawamura meant that Sanfrecce equalised with about five minutes of normal time left.

The J. League side dominated thereafter as the match went to extra time, and they looked to have earned a reward for their work close to the two-hour mark when they were awarded a penalty. Kohei Kawata made a crucial save to keep the spot kick out, though, taking the game to penalties.

Everyone was faultless from 12 yards out bar the man who got the equaliser, Kawamura, who was denied by Kowata. That meant Ventforet Kofu lifted their first-ever major trophy in over 55 years of existence, becoming the first football club from the Yamanashi Prefecture to do so.

What a story.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Last Weekend: Big games galore, titles clinched and more

From Belgium to Brazil and Spain to Serbia, there were derbies and big rivalries wherever you looked across Europe and the world this weekend. We were treated to a couple of days of non-stop entertainment in the world of football, which we will be attempting to recap in this edition of Last Weekend.

By Neel Shelat

🇪🇸 Spain: Real Madrid 3-1 Barcelona

Eight matches into the new league campaign and it was time for the first Clásico of the season in Spain. Real Madrid and Barcelona went into the match level on 22 points, so the visitors were only leading the standings thanks to their superior goal difference.

The match was played out in a manner that many had foreseen, with Barcelona keeping hold of more possession, but Real Madrid posing a serious threat on the break. Vinícius Júnior proved key in such situations and the Brazilian was involved in the build-up to Madrid’s two first-half goals. It was his ball carrying skill that was on display before Karim Benzema’s opener as well as when Federico Valverde struck later in the half.

Barcelona looked increasingly threatening after going two goals down and even more so after substitutes were introduced to the game, but their finishing let them down in front of goal. Ferrán Torres was able to pull one goal back with seven minutes on the clock, but Real Madrid killed the game in stoppage time as Rodrygo won, and then converted a spot-kick.

So, its advantage Real Madrid after the first Clásico, and a troubling times for Barcelona as their Champions League campaign is also in jeopardy.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City

The Premier League’s biggest rivalry of the modern era was rekindled when Liverpool hosted Manchester City, who were the only side with an unbeaten record in the Premier League going into this weekend. The hosts, on the other hand, had endured a terrible start to the season that left them 13 points behind their opponents prior to this match.

We were treated to an enthralling end-to-end affair that has become a regular occurrence when these two sides collide, as both went back and forth throughout the 90 minutes. After a goalless first half, the match reached its peak of freneticism in the early stages of the second period, which was a real celebration of football.

First, Mohamed Salah went through on goal but had his effort graze off Ederson and go narrowly wide. The referees did not notice the save so a goal kick was awarded, which eventually led to Manchester City scoring at the other end. There was another twist in the tale, though, because VAR found a foul in the build-up and ruled the goal out. Back at the other end, Salah created a wonderful chance with a sumptuous trivela cross, but the header went out off the crossbar and the offside flag was eventually raised.

The decisive goal also involved similar end-to-end action. Kevin De Bruyne took a free-kick for Manchester City which was caught by Alisson, who quickly launched a long ball forward for Salah. João Cancelo was the only man back for City, and he decided to challenge for the ball, allowing Salah to get past him on the turn, go through on goal again, and slot the finish past the onrushing goalkeeper.

There were many more great chances, frenzied action, refereeing mistakes and incensed reactions from the players, staff, and the packed Anfield crowd. But finally, the match ended with Liverpool celebrating a hard-fought win after 10 minutes of additional time.

The bad news for them, though, is that Jürgen Klopp was sent off and will face a suspension, and more worryingly – they suffered yet another injury in the attacking department as Diogo Jota had to be stretchered off towards the end of the match. The real winners, therefore, are Arsenal, who escaped Elland Road with three points earlier that day and now have a four-point lead at the top of the table.

🇫🇷 France: PSG 1-0 Marseille

Over in France, Le Classique was the headline act on Sunday night as Paris Saint-Germain hosted Olympique Marseille. The hosts unquestionably had a significantly stronger side on paper, but Marseille had hope because they had kept step with them 10 games into the season with just a three-point deficit, and more pertinently, PSG’s seemingly never-ending internal issues were the talk of the town again after reports emerged in midweek that Kylian Mbappé was displeased about unfulfilled promises.

One of those, reportedly, was that PSG would sign a pure striker in the transfer window who would be a regular starter, enabling Mbappé to play in his favoured position on the left. Evidently, that did not happen, because the French international has been playing down the middle in Christophe Galtier’s 3-4-2-1 system with Lionel Messi and Neymar behind him.

Perhaps for this reason, Galtier changed to a 4-3-1-2 formation in this match that brought Mbappé closer to the left flank, while Neymar operated in a deeper and more central role.

The downside of this formation was that it was quite narrow defensively, so Marseille found a good deal of joy while attacking down the flanks with their wing-backs. PSG’s star men were able to create a number of big chances, though, and they eventually took one on the stroke of half-time as Neymar scored the opener. Marseille worked hard in search of an equaliser in the second half, but just as Igor Tudor tried to influence the game with some attacking substitutes, his side suffered a massive blow as Samuel Gigot was sent off.

That really took the fizz out of the match, as the home side were able to see out the win with relative comfort. Both sides will feel that they could have scored more goals as the final xG tallies read 2.49-1.23, but the result seemed fair.

🇮🇹 Italy: Torino 0-1 Juventus

The big derby in Italy this week was a Turinese affair, as Torino welcomed a misfiring Juventus side to the Stade Olimpico. Massimiliano Allegri’s side were 10 points behind the league leaders going into the match and were yet to win away from home all season. They were also struggling in the Champions League, where five points separated them from the top two, who they are due to play in the upcoming weeks.

Allegri continued to have the backing of the board in spite of bad results and equally concerning performances, but he knew fully well that any embarrassment suffered against their local rivals would be a big issue. With that in mind, he made a big call to bench club captain Leonardo Bonucci after his poor performance against Maccabi Haifa in midweek, while also returning to a 3-5-2 formation that seemingly suits the squad better.

The switch to a three-man midfield also caused problems for Torino’s intense man-to-man defensive system as a centre-back had to step forward to prevent an overload from being created. That allowed Juventus to get at the hosts’ back line fairly regularly, but the issue this time was that they were not taking their chances.

Ultimately, a goal from a corner in the 74th minute proved to be enough for the Bianconeri to come away with all three points, which for once were entirely deserved because they created chances worth 2.27 xG altogether. Could this be a turning point in their campaign? The Champions League matches against Benfica and PSG should be able to quickly provide an answer.

🇳🇴 Norway: Lillestrøm 0-1 Molde

Here in FotMob’s home nation, this weekend put an end to the title race as Molde clinched their fifth-ever league trophy with a win at Lillestrøm.

Earlier this season, the home side had raced to a surprise lead at the top of the Eliteserien table, but we were vary of their xG overperformance, which ended up pulling them quite a way back. Molde, meanwhile, had a shaky start, but their run of 13 consecutive league wins starting close to the midway point of the season has helped them seal the deal with a few games to spare.

They only needed a draw this weekend to start their celebrations, but a last-minute winner meant that they did the job in style. That goal could really hurt Lillestrøm’s challenge for the European spots, though, because they are now three points behind third-placed Rosenborg.

Clearly, the battle for the best of the rest position is still very close, so it is never too late for you to start watching Norwegian football.

🇯🇵 Japan: Ventforet 1-1 Sanfrecce Hiroshima (5-4 on pens)

On a weekend full of huge matches across the world, by far the biggest upset came in Japan, where the final of the Emperor’s Cup was held.

The favourites were eight-time J. League winners Sanfrecce Hiroshima, who look set to finish third this season behind title challengers Yokohoma F.Marinos and Kawasaki Frontale. Up against them were second-division strugglers Ventforet Kofu, who had not yet secured safety with four matches left to play, and were winless in the league since early August.

For some reason, though, they were giant killers in the cup. They defeated four top flight sides en route to the final with a comeback win over Hokkaido Consadole in the third round, a 3-1 triumph against Sagan Tosu next, an extra-time win in the quarter-final versus Avispa Fukuoka, and semi-final success against Kashima Antlers thanks to the only goal of the match.

Once again, Ventforet looked a completely different side in a cup match as they controlled proceedings in the first half, scoring the opening goal in the 26th minute through Kazushi Mitsuhira. They were not under the cosh in the second half either, but a powerful strike from Takumu Kawamura meant that Sanfrecce equalised with about five minutes of normal time left.

The J. League side dominated thereafter as the match went to extra time, and they looked to have earned a reward for their work close to the two-hour mark when they were awarded a penalty. Kohei Kawata made a crucial save to keep the spot kick out, though, taking the game to penalties.

Everyone was faultless from 12 yards out bar the man who got the equaliser, Kawamura, who was denied by Kowata. That meant Ventforet Kofu lifted their first-ever major trophy in over 55 years of existence, becoming the first football club from the Yamanashi Prefecture to do so.

What a story.

Cover Image from IMAGO