Ralph Hasenhüttl has belief in the match-winning debutant who ‘only brought one pair of boots with him from England’It could have been all so different for Diego Forlán. So he thought, at least. Some years back he famously told an interviewer the tale of his last match for Manchester United, against Chelsea in 2004. Sir Alex Ferguson told him to wear boots with soft-ground studs but, feeling more comfortable in moulded, low studs, he ignored his boss. Late on, Forlán lost his footing in front of goal and missed a chance and was never picked again. After RB Leipzig’s late win at Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday, it appears that Fussballgott is very much on the side of Ademola Lookman. Three...
A win at Crystal Palace will give City 19 league wins on the trot, a feat the coach also achieved in Munich. How do Pep’s record breakers compare?Manchester City managers of the future have a problem. The football played at the end of 2017 will always be the standard to which they are held. This month, City fan Noel Gallagher, a man not known for his compliments and somebody that has seen 250,000 people at Knebworth sing his name, described what is going on at the Etihad as “the greatest thing I’ve ever seen in my entire life”.Hyperbole perhaps, but if you do not agree that Pep Guardiola’s side are playing the best football of the Premier League era, then...
A swarm of clutch finishes marked out the final round of games before the winter break, including drama for leaders Bayern in their win at StuttgartThe memo, it appeared, was widely received. As the Bundesliga’s Hinrunde – the season’s first half – came to a close, there was plenty to offer succour for the four weeks ahead. There were 36 goals rattled in across the nine games and a swarm of clutch finishes that owed as much to Hollywood as they did to Berlin.Augsburg, one of the surprise overachievers of the opening half, looked like finishing with a whimper as they went into the 90th minute 3-1 down at home to a revitalised Freiburg. No problem – two stoppage-time finishes...
Four games ago, Bayern trailed Borussia Dortmund by five points – but victory on Saturday has now put them six points clear at the top of the BundesligaIt was the sort of evening after which crumbs of comfort had to be searched for, and Borussia Dortmund’s website did exactly that after Saturday’s defeat by Bayern Munich. “BVB edge stats despite defeat,” said the headline, before going on to explain how their team had the upper hand in terms of shots, corners and pass completion. The players, it seemed, were in no mood for gentle consolation. “We weren’t ready to play,” said Christian Pulisic, one of the team’s few bright spots, after the game. “Bayern did whatever they wanted.” Gonzalo Castro...
The returning Jupp Heynckes has breathed new life into Bayern, but with their rivals spluttering, it is hard to judge by exactly how muchWhen Jupp Heynckes agreed to retake the position of head coach at Bayern Munich for the remainder of the season, it seemed impossible he could enhance his reputation. Just over three weeks later – five games, five wins, and only one goal (a penalty) conceded – and maybe he has begun to do just that, at the age of 72.All is far happier in the house of Bayern, certainly, with Saturday’s 2-0 win over Leipzig taking the champions back to the top of the table, in combination with Dortmund’s loss at Hannover, before Der Klassiker at Westfalen...