A remarkable save preserved the win for Napoli at Roma. It might yet prove a turning point for a side that had lost three games in fourWe’ll get to Dries Mertens and his two goals. We’ll get to the bit where he dropped on to all fours and cocked his leg towards the corner flag like a dog preparing to empty its bladder, as well. We’ll get to talking about 21-year-old Marko Rog, too, and his star turn in midfield. We’ll get to discussing how Maurizio Sarri nailed his team selection, while Luciano Spalletti’s gamble backfired.To tell the story of Napoli’s triumph over Roma in the Derby del Sole, however, it makes sense to start at the end. Because the...
The whole Schmidt ride at Bayer Leverkusen has been a rollercoaster of soaring peaks and alarming troughs. Alas, the dips had become the normIt ended on a Tuesday night, 21 February. The looks that the Bayer Leverkusen players exchanged on the turf at the final whistle – at least, of those that could bear to make eye contact – after a spirited but vain second-half rally against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League, spelled it loud and clear. It was all over; not only for Leverkusen in Europe but for their coach Roger Schmidt’s tenure.The official end came in a club statement on Sunday morning, backsides still red raw from a 6-2 spanking at Borussia Dortmund. The CEO, Michael Schade,...
The manager did things his way in revealing his departure but, despite all he has achieved in a relentless job, few tears were shed around the La Liga clubAt the press conference before Barcelona’s match with Sporting Gijón on Wednesday Luis Enrique was asked if he felt tired, worn out by the demands of being manager at the Camp Nou. He had been a little edgy of late, after all – even for him. “No,” he said, a little pointedly, which is how he says a lot of things, “I’m pletórico.” Plethoric, full of energy.At the press conference after Barcelona’s match with Sporting Gijón on Wednesday night, they had finished asking Luis Enrique questions when he announced that he was...
Even if Eibar don’t make it into Europe – and, no, they probably still won’t – the fact that there is a chance of them getting there is somethingJosé Luis Mendilibar didn’t see the moment his team drew level with Real Sociedad and took a step closer to a place they’ve never been before. Eibar’s manager had long since left the bench having been sent off for doing what he does – shouting at one of his players – and as the final minute slipped away so did he, leaving his place in the stand too. He was heading to the dressing room, defeated, when he heard a noise. He knew something had happened but didn’t know what. When he...
A crunch win at Betis means the question now being asked is if Sevilla could win a first league title since 1946. Why not?Ramón Rodríguez, ‘Monchi’, walked out the door and refused to look back. Sevilla’s sporting director left the Sánchez Pizjuán after their 2-1 victory over Leicester City on Wednesday night with “mixed emotions”, insisting as he went: “All I’m thinking about now is the derby.” Now? That was all most of them were thinking about already, even before the game – or so it felt. Witness the scene that same afternoon. In the hotel where the squad meets before matches, there were a little under four hours to kick-off on a potentially historic night: the chance to reach...