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EURO WRAP: Liverpool crisis deepens, Real Madrid lose more ground in LaLiga and more!

Damien Kayat looks back on the past weekend’s European football action which saw Liverpool’s crisis deepen, Real Madrid lose more ground on Barcelona and more!
Kaoru Mitoma of Brighton

Damien Kayat looks back on the past weekend’s European football action which saw Liverpool’s crisis deepen, Real Madrid lose more ground on Barcelona and more!

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Liverpool crisis deepens

There seems to be a reticence amongst some Liverpool fans to acknowledge the crisis that they find themselves in. And I get that. Jurgen Klopp’s infectious personality has helped him connect with the fans in a rare and powerful way.

And they came within a whisker of completing an unprecedented quad last year, taking part in every match in the footballing calendar. But the Reds have now lost nine games out of 31 this season. They only lost four in 63 last year.

It’s tempting to use last season as the ultimate excuse. You know the deal- they are currently in the midst of a footballing comedown. And you can legitimately look at their deep injury concerns.

But the eleven they put on the field are simply not performing. Their FA Cup exit at the hands of Brighton- who beat them for the second time in nine days- has left the Champions League as their only ‘realistic’ chance of silverware.

What has happened to Mo Salah? I don’t think I have ever seen the Egyptian look so utterly ineffectual. But let’s just take one second to congratulate Brighton.

The seaside club have become a true wonder in the modern-day footballing climate, with a recruitment program that never fails to replace quality with quality.

The recent loss of Trossard and murmurings regarding Caceido would damage a lesser club. But Kaoru Mitoma’s MOTM performance allayed any fears that this Brighton side is in any danger.

Gunners crash out of Cup

It is a sign of how far things have come under Mikel Arteta that an FA Cup defeat to Pep Guardiola’s City is actually something of a surprise. To be fair, Arteta certainly mixed things up a bit as he looked to rotate his more limited squad.

And they actually started the match really well. Leandro Trossard was exploiting the space vacated by Rico Lewis in the right-back position. And Granit Xhaka and Thomas Partey seemed pretty comfortable against a flat De Bruyne and sloppy Rodri.

Ortega was much the busier keeper in the first half while the likes of Haaland and Mahrez underwhelmed. Star winger Bukayo Saka actually had one of his poorest games in some time. I wonder if Arteta would do well resting him on occasions such as this.

The breakthrough for City came through an unusual route, with Nathan Ake latching on to a Jack Grealish pass and placing it into the net with surgical precision. Props must also be given to the utility back for keeping the lively Saka quiet all game.

Napoli one step closer

Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli don’t seem to be at all gun-shy in their quest to end their 33-year title drought. The Partenopei have negotiated a sticky set of recent fixtures with utter professionalism.

Their latest victory- a 2-1 home win over Jose Mourinho’s erratic Roma- helped give them a sizable 13-point lead in the current Scudetto race. And I know this gets boring, but Nigerian international Victor Osimhen is just a goal-scoring machine.

He is essentially the Serie A Haaland. His neat chest and volley was his 14th goal of an increasingly prodigious Serie A campaign. But this weekend in Italian football was ultimately defined by two shock home defeats. Stefano Pioli’s Milan were humbled 5-2 at home by lowly Sassuolo. And Max Allegri’s embattled Juventus side were completely insipid in their 2-0 home defeat to Monza. Clearly still reeling from their shock 15-point penalty for financial malpractice, the Bianconeri looked leaden and disturbingly typical of the Allegri 2.0 era. They have conceded 10 goals in their last three league matches. What is the point of having Allegri as your manager if you have no defensive stability? The club are in an existential crisis that doesn’t look to have easy solutions.

Barca remain rigid while Real lose pace

Barca opened up a five-point lead in La Liga courtesy of a third successive 1-0 victory. Xavi’s men have really focused on eliminating the defensive errors that dogged them throughout last campaign and the beginning of this one.

Their ability to edge games- even when they are not necessarily at their best- is a positive sign for a side looking to win a LaLiga title.

This was far from their most accomplished performance, with mid-table Girona putting out the mother of low blocks. It was only when Jordi Alba and Pedri came on that they were able to wrestle away some control in midfield.

On the other end of the spectrum, Carlo Ancelotti’s side looked far more accomplished but could only manage a 0-0 draw with high-flying Real Sociedad.

Football can be strange sometimes. Militao was a defensive behemoth while Tony Rudiger is slowly starting to eradicate the howlers that have plagued his game.

Camavinga was sensational in midfield, showing the outrageous amount of depth that Los Blancos currently have in that area. And Vinicius Jr was characteristically dynamic.

They just couldn’t quite apply the final touches in what must have been a painfully frustrating watch for the phlegmatic Ancelotti.

Bayern looking stagnant after another stalemate

Julian Nagelsmann seems to have fallen victim to his own cleverness. Honestly, the amount he tinkers around with his side- both in selection and formation- is frightening.

Just this week he decided to drop Musiala into a deeper midfield role. He also promoted Muller into the side, dropped Pavard to the bench, and benched Gnabry in favor of Coman.

There is little to no chance that any team can generate cohesion with this schizophrenic selection policy. Their 1-1 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt was their third consecutive Bundesliga stalemate.

It has helped enliven a title race that was starting to look somewhat predetermined. Dortmund, Leipzig and Union Berlin are currently surging, making this arguably the most interesting German title race in years. Will Nagelmann’s relentless interference be the ultimate undoing of this Bayern side?

Player of the Week- Gregor Kobel

The Dortmund shot-stopper was at his imperious best as The Black and Whites beat Leverkusen 2-0. The keeper has been a critical cog in their recent resurgence up the table. He made six saves against Leverkusen (including a couple of outstanding efforts to deny the Leverkusen offensive line).

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