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FOOTBALL WRAP: Record-breaking Ronaldo, Dortmund still in with a sniff and more!

Damien Kayat looks back at a weekend which saw Cristiano Ronaldo break another record, Bayern slip up and more!
Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United

Damien Kayat looks back at a weekend which saw Cristiano Ronaldo break another record, Bayern slip up and more!

Cristiano Ronaldo record breaker

Passing the baton?

Chelsea’s match against Newcastle would have been a fairly run-of-the-mill Premier League fixture prior to the events of this season. But the tectonic plates of fate have shifted dramatically for both clubs.

Newcastle had been in a fairly depressing state for some time under the parsimonious leadership of Mike Ashley. This was only exacerbated by the conservative managerial reign of Steve Bruce.

But the future now looks rosy for the Tyneside institution, with the Saudi purchase giving them the chance of becoming another Manchester City success story. Chelsea is a totally different narrative.

The Abramovich era has redefined the club, making them one of the most successful clubs of the 21st century. But the entire Russian-Ukraine war has brought further scrutiny on the embattled Roman Abramovich, resulting in his decision to sell his beloved pet project.

Kai Havertz may have thrilled the Stamford Bridge faithful with his last-gasp winner, but perhaps this is the beginning of Chelsea’s death rattle, with oil-rich Newcastle looking to usurp them in English football’s power hierarchy.

Italian plot thickens

If you read these articles with any regularity, you will know that I have been quite obsessed with this year’s Scudetto race. There have just been so many twists and turns and possible contenders.

Inter have imploded somewhat since losing that first-leg tie Champions League tie against Liverpool, picking up just five points in their last four Serie A matches.

They needed an injury-time winner from Alexis Sanchez to salvage a draw away at Torino. But they generally seem to have lost momentum in their title challenge.

AC Milan consolidated their thin lead atop the standings, with Kalulu picking up the scraps after an Olivier Giroud free kick.

Napoli kept the dream of a first Italian title in 30 years alive, with a Victor Osimhen brace securing a tough victory away at fair Verona. Roma also needed a late penalty to salvage a draw away at Udinese. 

But I think the real developing story in Italy is the late rise of Juventus. They beat relegation-threatened Sampdoria, extending their Serie A unbeaten streak to 15 matches.

The oft-maligned Alvaro Morata scored a crucial brace that has kept their backdoor hopes of winning the title alive. Juventus also happen to play the current bottom four teams in their Serie A run-in.

Dortmund pounce on Bayern slip

Every time you think the Bundesliga title race is over, a little spanner is thrown in the works. Bayern really should have taken all three points at Hoffenheim.

Die Rekordmeister dominated the match but just seemed to lack that killer instinct (which was surprising considering their 7-1 demolition of Salzburg midweek). Leroy Sane and Thomas Muller were particularly wasteful in the match.

It presented Dortmund with the opportunity to close the gap to seven points with a game in hand. And they scraped by Arminia Bielefeld 1-0, with Marius Wolf tapping in from a Thorgan Hazard cutback in the 21st minute.

Hazard and Donyell Malan really have come a long way this season. But I think the most critical moment of the victory came at the hour mark, with Erling Haaland taking to the field in his much-awaited return from injury.

His presence could prove pivotal if they harbour any dreams of dethroning the Bayern juggernaut.

Barcelona reborn

Barcelona prepared for next week’s Clasico in the best possible way, thrashing Osasuna 4-0 to cruise into the LaLiga top three. This football is a far cry from the stygian gloom that characterized the end of Ronald Koeman’s reign.

It is swashbuckling fare, with Ferran Torres and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang integrating into the squad seamlessly. Dembele has been electrifying of late while Pedri and Busquets look like they were born to play together in midfield.

Barca completely suffocated Osasuna with consistent possession of the football, toying with their narrow 4-2-3-1 formation at will. I know it’s a well-worn cliché, but Xavi has really brought back the identity of the club.

A product of the golden Guardiola era, Xavi just gets ‘it’ (whatever ‘it’ is).

Messi and Neymar booed

PSG’s 3-0 home victory against Bordeaux truly encapsulated the grand PSG paradox. They were utterly dominant, with the blockbuster trio of Mbappe, Neymar and Messi all involved at the business end of the pitch.

Yet the crowd consistently booed Neymar and Messi in primal protest to their dejecting midweek Champions League exit. That’s the Faustian bargain that one makes when joining this Ligue A monopoly.

Everything eventually boils down to capturing European glory. The fact that Lille pinched last year’s Ligue A title barely registers with a crowd baying for European relevance.

I can fully understand why Kylian Mbappe is making subtle overtures to Real Madrid. Outside of ridiculous wealth (which certainly has its charm), this club really offers no real appeal from my perspective.

There is such a razor-thin margin for success. To be fair to the Paris fans, Messi was supposed to be the final piece of the European Cup jigsaw. You can kind of understand their frustration with his limited impact at the club.

But I don’t think that booing a seven-time Ballon D’or winner is going to help ingratiate the club to other prospective targets.

Player of the Week- Cristiano Ronaldo

From one footballing icon under fire to another, Cristiano Ronaldo’s weekend turned out to be far more fruitful than that of his great rival.

He scored a hat-trick in United’s 3-2 win against Spurs, taking his FIFA goal tally to 807 goals in the process.

That makes him the official greatest goal-getter in competitive men’s footballing history, surpassing the mark of 805 held by Josef Bican. And his hat-trick was a perfect distillation of his entire career.

He scored a 25-yard screamer, a poacher’s tap-in and a towering header. It was like watching a Ronaldo greatest hits compilation in one concise package. It was truly like watching prime, 2008 Ronaldo in all his glory.

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