Connect with us

Soccer

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL WRAP: Salah dazzles, Bayern wobble and more!

Salah dazzles, Bayern wobbles and Barcelona blues – Damien Kayat looks back at an action-packed weekend of European football.

Mo Salah of Liverpool
Image Copyright - Steve Haag Sports

Mo Salah dazzles, Bayern wobble and Barcelona's blues compounded - Damien Kayat looks back at an action-packed weekend of European football.

Two women looking excitedly at cellphone

Big boy football at Anfield

Wow. That was intense. The likes of Manchester United and Arsenal got a rude reality check yesterday, with Liverpool and City underlining their undeniable superiority with a clash for the ages.

On the balance of play, City will probably feel like they did enough to win. Seriously, I think that James Milner may need some therapy to deal with the memories of Phil Foden skinning him alive. Bernardo was playing like prime Messi while Gabriel Jesus is revelling in his new role as a utility forward.

But with Mo Salah in your team- you always have a fighting chance. His exquisite goal showcased all of his best qualities. The heady combination of robust determination and twinkle-toed dexterity makes him one of the most consistently compelling players to watch.

Chelsea will be thrilled to set atop the table (especially considering their upcoming fixtures). But something tells me that even Thomas Tuchel will admit that these two sides are still operating on a slightly different wavelength.

United are currently experiencing the mother of all comedowns, as the euphoric buzz of Ronaldo-mania gives way to the stark reality of McFred. And their upcoming fixture list is nothing short of brutality

LaLiga Blues

I think it’s fair to say that Spanish football is in a slightly precarious state. Real Madrid’s Champions League defeat to the mighty Sheriff just perfectly encapsulated the problems facing the elite Spanish clubs.

Messi’s departure has taken away some of the pixie dust that was papering over the cracks in the league. Ronald Koeman must be on the brink of losing his job after another tame defeat to reigning champions Atletico Madrid.

As if an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to Benfica wasn’t enough. This is the same Atletico that have been struggling to score of late. To add insult to serious injury, Luiz Suarez scored and got the chance to troll Koeman in iconic fashion, brandishing an imaginary cellphone and reminding Barca fans that Koeman was integral in his ignominious departure.

Diego Simeone revelled in Koeman’s misery, whipping the crowd into mass hysteria in typically self-aggrandizing fashion. It will be fascinating to see if the elite Spanish clubs can get a grip and reassert themselves on the

Serie A heating up

Serie A is fast becoming the most intriguing and competitive league in Europe. Luciano Spalletti’s Napoli have worked their way into top spot despite little fanfare. They are perfect after seven games; two points clear of a resurgent Milan.

Stefano Pioli’s Milan side pulled off another thrilling victory against the dangerous Atalanta. Atalanta seem to be struggling to juggle the dual commitments of European football and domestic competition. Juventus picked up an unremarkable away victory against Torino, but don’t be surprised if the Old Lady of Italian football slowly creep into Scudetto contention.

Inter also won while Joe Mourinho’s Roma broke a winless streak with a nice, comfy victory over Empoli. I think that people need to have realistic expectations for Mourinho’s stint at Roma. The squad is a strange amalgamation of youth and jaded experience. This project will take a few windows to really come to fruition.

Bayern wobble

I didn’t see this coming. Bayern have started to look imperious in recent weeks, with Robert Lewandowski seemingly scoring at will. But no one could have foreseen their home defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

They just lacked their typical incisiveness, with Lewandowski forced to feed on scraps. Dayot Upamenaco had a mare, making two huge mistakes (one of them was punished with a goal). Nagelsmann was caught a bit flat footed: he really should have introduced the electrifying Jamal Musiala a tad earlier.

Bayern are now level at the top of the table with a tearaway Leverkusen. This year’s surprise package won emphatically away from home, putting four past a hapless Arminia side. Dortmund were ultimately slightly fortunate to scrap though 2-1 against Augsburg. I

say fortunate because they were ridiculously profligate in front of goal, lacking the usual clinical edge provided by a certain Norwegian talisman. Haaland missed the game with a thigh strain and will have nod doubt buried a few of those gilt-edged opportunities.

Player of the week: Mo Salah

Match of the Day made an especially bold move yesterday, seeing it fit to award a dual man-of-the-match award for the first time ever. It was a fitting decision, with Mo Salah and Phil Foden shining in a feast of footballing pyrotechnics.

To be fair, it was probably Foden who shaded the overall game. However, Mo Salah’s wondergoal truly underlined his status as one of the world’s leading players. There seems to be a pervasive media bias that tends to diminish his amazing achievements.

There are rumours that he has Timberland boots and that he’s lazy. I honestly don’t know where these fantasies were concocted. His close control- at full speed- reminds me of peak Hazard. I just think that it’s time that people embraced Salah for the great player that he is.

Register Now with Hollywoodbets Mobile
Related Topics

More in Soccer

Official Partners

Hollywoodbets Durban July
Brentford FC
Dolphins Cricket
Hollywoodbets Greyville
Hollywoodbets Scottsville
Sharks Rugby
Netball SA
La Liga
Hollywoodbets Kings Park
Hollywoodbets Kingsmead
HWB Super League
Hollywoodbets Kenilworth
Hollywoodbets Durbanville