Truth be told, this was a weekend of high drama but only modest consequence for most of Serie AThis was not a good weekend for those Serie A fans who prefer to leave a game early and beat the traffic. Cagliari salvaged a point at home to Roma with a goal in the 95th minute. Fiorentina left it even later away to Sassuolo, Kevin Mirallas dragging them level in the 96th. That was the same minute in which Lazio took a 2-1 lead at home to Sampdoria. Somehow, they finished all square as well.The timing of those goals offers only a glimpse of the drama. Cagliari had trailed 2-0 to Roma as late as the 84th minute. Even after Artur...
After a difficult week, the English teenager scored the winner against Schalke as Borussia Dortmund continue their chargeIt was dark when Borussia Dortmund’s bus arrived back at the club’s training ground in Brackel but it couldn’t get in. It was blocked by several hundred supporters, chanting and lighting the winter night with pyro. A couple of the players, Axel Witsel and Achraf Hakimi, got off the coach and joined them.This may already be shaping up to be a special season for Dortmund but if you wondered what this dream start – unbeaten in the Bundesliga, soaring above champions Bayern Munich having beaten them in Der Klassiker last month, through to the Champions League last 16 – was missing, then here...
A baffling decision not to review a clear foul on Nicolò Zaniolo cost Roma a penalty and added to frustration with technology“There’s nothing to say,” lamented Francesco Totti. And then he said it anyway. “We’re all here asking ourselves how the guys in the VAR booth didn’t see [a foul on Nicolò Zaniolo inside the penalty area]. It’s an embarrassment. What are they doing?”The incident occurred shortly after the half-hour mark in Roma’s game at home to Inter. Receiving a pass with his back to goal on the edge of the box, Zaniolo turned and weaved past Danilo D’Ambrosio. The defender stuck out a foot and brought him down. Related: Nagelsmann and Tedesco fly flag for Bundesliga's young and reckless...
The 21-year-old has appeared disengaged and immature at Barça – but he has a habit of scoring when it mattersBy night, he plays video games and eats junk food; by day, he rides to the rescue, saving the same men who have been trying to save him from himself.Ousmane Dembélé’s national team manager says arriving late is “a little habit of his”, and it’s one that the manager of his club is trying to get him out of, his teammates too, but on Saturday he arrived just in time. Related: Ousmane Dembélé’s last-gasp goal saves draw for Barcelona at Atlético Madrid | GOAL! | ICE COLD OUSMANE DEMBELE ️The winger brings the Barcelona level against Atletico Madrid, 1-1! pic.twitter.com/bNXuwPOlEx| GOAL!...
Before the match, Real Betis’s manager had to apologise for his admiration for Barça. After beating them, Barcelona’s players spoke of their admiration for him In the final moments before the first half began on Sunday afternoon, Real Betis’s manager, Quique Setién, approached Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets and asked him for his shirt. He wanted to frame it, he said. Busquets nodded and smiled, so Setién thanked him and headed out towards the bench at the Camp Nou. As he went, he also had a word with Lionel Messi, whose shirt already hangs on his wall, alongside that of Luka Modric. Messi was returning to action after three weeks out with a broken arm, today of all days, and Setién...