Damien Kayat looks back at the weekend’s football action as Spanish gaints battle it out at the top, VAR controversy in Italy, British Football to Resume and more form Europe’s biggest football leagues.
The FA has announced that Premier League matches will resume this weekend following the Queen’s passing. However, a few critical matches will be suspended due to funeral arrangements.
Ironically, I think both Graeme Potter and Jurgen Klopp will be secretly satisfied that the Chelsea-Liverpool match has been delayed. Sure, I know this will cause massive fixture congestion in an already chaotic year (World Cup, anyone). But Jurgen Klopp needed a few weeks to reintegrate his injured players back into the fold. Potter- on the other hand- has probably inherited the most poisoned chalice in world football at Chelsea.
He will need all of his footballing nous to implement his brand of possession-based football with that kaleidoscope of talent. Where does Pierre Emerick Aubameyang fit in a Graeme Potter system? There’s a bit of a riddle. Man United’s grudge match against old enemy Leeds has also been canceled. You may wonder why on earth they would cancel a match that is far away from the funeral procession in London.
The truth is that United-Leeds is an intense rivalry that is considered a category 1 security risk. This would have meant that security necessary for the Queen’s funeral would have had to have been diverted to a possibly tempestuous match at Old Trafford.
The Premier League returns but Liverpool, Chelsea, Man United and others remain postponed.
— Optus Sport (@OptusSport) September 12, 2022
Seven of the ten Premier League fixtures this weekend will be played, with #BHACRY, #CHELIV and #MUNLEE postponed due to events surrounding The Queen’s funeral.#OptusSport #PL pic.twitter.com/JtVAOmz6Wi
Italy VAR debacle
Did you think that a weekend sans Prem League would mean no VAR controversy? Well, you were wrong. Because the Juventus-Salernitana battle had one of the most baffling VAR decisions that I have yet to see.
Firstly, Allegri’s side were 2-0 down at halftime at home against a relegation-threatened Salernitana side. It was the first time in 18 years that Juventus were two goals down at home in the first-half of a Serie A match. But the Bianconeri showed plenty of resilience to level the match at two goals apiece. And they thought they had got the winner when Milik rose powerfully to header home in the dying embers of the game.
But VAR then adjudged Leonardo Bonucci to have interfered with play from an offside position. But images from Sky Italia showed that Candreva had actually played absolutely everyone on side. This resulted in pandemonium, with four red cards brandished deep into the ensuing chaos. This included a 2nd yellow for Milik after he removed his shirt when he thought he had scored the winner. Juventus manager Allegri was also shown his marching orders. That means the Old Lady of Italian football have now drawn four of their first six matches.
They only languish four points off the lead of Serie A due to the crazy machinations of the league. But dropping points at home to relegation-threated opposition isn’t going to do much to ease the pressure on Allegri (especially following their defeat against PSG in last week’s Champions League).
Juventus had a 95th minute winner disallowed last night because VAR only checked for offside on players in the box, ignoring Antonio Candreva playing everyone onside on the wing! 😱🤬 pic.twitter.com/WDkZFhDZvm
— SPORF (@Sporf) September 12, 2022
Spanish Giants in Control
The Spanish super-clubs were in fine fettle this weekend. Hell, even Atletico joined in on the action. Real, Atletico and Barca all scored four goals in an ominous weekend for the rest of La Liga.
Real had to make do without talismanic striker Karim Benzema. And they were in some discomfort, going a goal behind to Real Mallorca just after the half-hour mark. But an absolute screamer from Valverde leveled matters just before the break. Los Blancos then wore Mallorca down with an assiduous 2nd half display.
Vinicius Jr scored in his 5th consecutive match in what has been an electrifying start to the campaign. Barcelona blew away Cadiz with a swashbuckling 2nd half performance that featured all the off-the-ball movement demanded by Xavi.
Frenkie De Jong seems to be a man reborn while Lewandowski looks like he has played for the Catalan giants for three seasons. Atletico’s 4-1 home victory against Celta Vigo was a much-needed salve following an erratic start to their campaign.
I was actually surprised by the depth of Simeone’s squad as their substitutions came on and truly influenced proceedings. I just can’t see this stoic Atletico side keeping pace with the well-oiled Real and the effervescent Barcelona. But we shall see.
Valverde magical goal for Real Madrid against Mallorca
— St.Gabriel Dunsworth 🤌🏻🪡📂 (@DunswortGabriel) September 11, 2022
Always a top level performer in: defense, midfield and attack and that’s he always starts ahead of Marco Asensio
Such an engine—a complete footballerpic.twitter.com/fzNPqXLfsg
German giants at Inflection point
This could be a monumental week for German sides in European competition. Ordinarily, at this stage of the Champions League group stages, Bayern would have firmly established themselves as the head honchos in the Bundesliga.
But Nagelsmann’s side slumped to their 3rd consecutive draw in German football this weekend, conceding late to allow Stuttgart a well-deserved share of the spoils. I think that Nagelsmann is guilty of incessantly tinkering with his current squad. Playing Thomas Muller as an out-and-out centre forward in that game was a strange one to me. I’m sure that the likes of Mane and Sane will be in from the start as they host an ebullient Barcelona this week.
Dortmund had a nightmarish weekend, going down 3-0 away to Leipzig on the eve of a trip to Manchester City. To make matters worse, former manager Marco Rose had just taken charge of RB Leipzig following their miserable start to the campaign. That sort of disastrous reunion isn’t ideal for a side on the eve of a reunion with former star Erling Haaland. RB Leipzig travel to Real Madrid in what could prove a pivotal match if they retain any Champions League aspirations.
They were absolutely humbled in their opening match by Shakhtar Donetsk (the result that proved to be the final nail in the Domenico Tedesco coffin).
Bayern Munich extended their winless run to three matches in the Bundesliga after playing to a 2-2 draw against Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena.
— Kick Off (@KickOffMagazine) September 10, 2022
WRAP ➡️ https://t.co/qcAxg34kHp pic.twitter.com/YrmpnFHm36
Player of the Week- Pablo Dybala
Many thought that Pablo Dybala’s move from Juventus to Roma was perhaps a symbolic representation of his growing irrelevance. The 28-year-old Argentine wizard battled with injuries and inconsistency in the final stages of his Juve career. But he looks like a man reborn under the guidance of Mourinho.
Roma desperately needed a result in their away trip to a nuggety Empoli. They were recently humiliated at Udinese before an equally poor outing in Europe against the ‘mighty’ Ludogorets. But Mourinho had the Argentine playmaker to thank for an inspired performance away at Empoli.
He scored an opener that was eerily reminiscent of fellow countryman Leo Messi. He then chipped the most delightful of crosses into Tammy Abraham to help restore Roma’ advantage.
I have always been a fan of the mercurial Dybala and hope that he really embraces this new lease on life.
A work of art by Pablo Dybala.pic.twitter.com/9o9nWm5a52
— Planet Football (@planetfutebol) August 8, 2022
