Which side in Italy can boast a deeper range of options at so many positions? Bologna found this out to their cost“Every match is a voyage into the unknown,” insisted Luciano Spalletti on Saturday, yet his team keep arriving at the same destination. Sometimes the path is bumpy, and sometimes it is smooth, but at the end Napoli always find the three points they were looking for.This weekend brought a 10th consecutive win, extending a sequence that has carried them to first place in Serie A and their Champions League group. On paper, a home game against Bologna – who began the weekend one spot above the relegation zone – looked straightforward. In practice, it was the windiest road yet....
The Spaniard got off to a flyer last week but a 5-1 thrashing at Frankfurt has revealed the true size of his taskThis was it. The start of the Xabi Alonso-as-coach story, where one of the most natural schemers in a midfield would prove himself as adroit and successful with the backdrop of the touchline. If there was any assumption that his former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard would be a certain type of manager based on his assurance as a player, that perhaps goes double for Alonso on the back of three seasons of displaying his philosophy at Real Sociedad’s B team.The view for a while has been that Alonso is so cerebral that he should be on an inexorable...
Thirty years after they beat Leeds, Rangers go from being biggest fish in a tiny pond to chasing shadows against LiverpoolFor Rangers, Wednesday 4 November 1992 was as good as it got in movies such as this. As Mark Hateley smashed the Scottish champions in front inside five minutes at Elland Road, cross‑border needle which had extended to the press box morphed into outright celebration. Rangers and their fans felt they were not sufficiently praised for a first‑leg victory in this Champions League clash with Leeds United. Hateley’s goal, later backed up by an Ally McCoist strike before Eric Cantona claimed a Leeds consolation, secured the tie for Walter Smith’s side – a side, that is, which was dominated by...
Robert Lewandowski is sorely missed and the spectre of Thomas Tuchel now hangs over the Bayern managerManuel Neuer has been the hero on so many occasions but here, he very nearly found a new way to be so. His 95th minute header from Joshua Kimmich arrowed towards the corner but his opposite number, the outstanding Rafał Gikiewicz, twisted on his line and dived to push it away with his left hand. Seconds later, Neuer lurched at the ball after Alphonso Davies lifted it back in, and Gikiewicz palmed away again, to the fevered acclaim of his teammates. The plaudits belonged to the Polish goalkeeper, rather than the German one, this time.But since when were Bayern reduced to this? Neuer’s very...
New manager at Monza enjoyed an astonishing senior bow in the dugout as things went from bad to worse for AllegriNot even Raffaele Palladino’s own boss could provide insight into his management style at the start of the weekend. “I don’t know him well enough to give comparisons,” said Monza’s president, Silvio Berlusconi. “He has worked for a while in our youth system. With our tireless support and technical advice, just like we offered to coaches at Milan for 30 years, I believe he will do well.”The sentiment was echoed by Berlusconi’s right-hand man, Adriano Galliani, who evoked Arrigo Sacchi as evidence of how well things could go when they make “courageous choices” together. Even this, though, was comparing apples...