The capture of Ribéry on a free was the most unlikely move of the Italian window. Already, it looks one of the bestThis time Fiorentina did not blow it. You could forgive supporters at the Stadio Artemio Franchi for thinking they were about to, when Sampdoria’s Federico Bonazzoli forced the ball into their net in the 79th minute of Wednesday’s game. Fiorentina had been 2-0 up and cruising: exactly as they were at the corresponding point of what became a 2-2 draw against Atalanta three days before.The Viola were established experts in finding ways not to win. They had not tasted victory in Serie A for 220 days – since beating Spal on 17 February. Not since 2018 had they...
Antonio Conte’s side won the Milan derby and while he still has much to work on at Inter the San Siro worry lines belong to his Milan counterpart Marco GiampaoloAntonio Conte never went home on Tuesday night. He was too angry – too “seriously pissed off”, in his own words – to imagine that he could get a good night’s sleep after Inter’s Champions League draw with Slavia Prague, so he went directly from San Siro back to his club’s training ground instead. The only way to work through his frustrations, was to work.“Head down and keep pedalling.” That was the mantra Conte gave at his introductory Inter press conference in July, and which he has returned to several times...
The former Chelsea player has the skill and the attitude to succeed at the Bernabéu even if the club is still a little infatuated with the former owner of the No 7 shirtEden Hazard’s first start for Real Madrid on Wednesday night was always likely to be a fascinating subplot for anyone who followed his progress in England.Predictably Hazard was miles off the pace in Paris. This was his first start in a proper football match since June, and his first outing in the full white-noise glare of Champions League-issue Real Madrid. Related: For decadent, deficient Real Madrid the problems start in midfield | Jonathan Wilson Related: Real Madrid relieved to hold on for nervy win after Levante fightback Continue...
The team were incapable of the basics against PSG and it is a wonder Spanish clubs have not exploited the weaknesses moreAs Thomas Meunier and Juan Bernat capered through the open savannah that archaeologists believe was once populated by the Real Madrid midfield, the mind was drawn to another Parisian night two and a half years ago, when Ángel Di María orchestrated an even more emphatic victory for Paris Saint-Germain over a Spanish side. As it turned out, that 4-0 win over Barcelona didn’t turn out particularly well for PSG but, more generally, what on earth is going on with midfields in La Liga?On a night when Atlético twice conceded goals on the break at home to Juventus, the issue...
Bundesliga title pretenders were battered by the champions but stole a draw and know now how much they must improveIt had promised so much, and yet had been such hard going. “It was,” said Leipzig’s coach, Julian Nagelsmann, “like a run in the forest without much football” for his team. For all the pre-match excitement that they might be facing Bayern Munich at the right time, catching them before they were settled into their season stride, much of this felt ominously familiar for those hoping for a meaningful Bundesliga title race again. The leaders versus the champions looked, for a large chunk of early Saturday evening, like the also-rans against the lords of the manor.This was no evening for anybody...