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Gabriele Marcotti, Senior Writer, ESPN FC
The European soccer weekend is over, but we have so much to talk about as a result — where to begin? How about Barcelona‘s young stars visiting Real Madrid in El Clasico and emerging 4-0 winners to take a six-point lead atop LaLiga? Still not enough? How about Manchester United losing in dramatic fashion at West Ham and then sacking manager Erik ten Hag on Monday morning?
Still insufficient? There was a lot to admire from two high-profile, top-of-the-table draws — Inter Milan 4-4 Juventus in Serie A, Arsenal 2-2 Liverpool in the Premier League — and talking points galore around Manchester City, Chelsea, Napoli, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and many, many more.
It’s Monday. Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of soccer.
Flick’s leap of faith pays off as Barcelona dole out a beatdown for the ages in El Clasico
Two clubs, two different attitudes towards risk. For Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, you limit the risk with two banks of four in defense and midfield while you wait for your superstar strikers, Vinícius and Kylian Mbappé, to do something at the other end. (More on this later.) For Hansi Flick and Barcelona, you embrace risk by playing a ridiculously high defensive line, compressing the spaces and going direct whenever you can.
Yet, it’s a bit simplistic, but the broad brush strokes paint an accurate picture. Flick didn’t change his approach one iota, even as he was going into the Bernabeu knowing that defeat in the Clasico would leave his side level on points. (Instead, the 4-0 win means they’re six points clear.) And it was especially risky because a high line against roadrunners like Mbappé and Vinicius is — conventional wisdom would say — downright foolish. So is going direct (and therefore turning over the ball frequently) while attempting to counterpress with a 36-year-old Robert Lewandowski up front.
But heck, it’s what Flick’s done all season on the pitch and, in fact, leaps of faith and taking risks are what he does. Not so much by stuffing the lineup with kids from “La Masia” — injuries and the club’s precarious financial state forced his hand. Rather, by departing from the club’s long-held and much vaunted possession-oriented DNA, and transitioning to this version of pinball-and-pressing football, designed to maximize the skills of guys like Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
On the night, it worked a charm. Real Madrid’s forwards were caught offside no fewer than 12 times, Lewandowski scored twice — he could have had four — and the psychological blow inflicted on Barca’s age-old adversary with the 4-0 away win will resonate for a long time.
By the way, let’s be clear here. Flick isn’t just some high-risk/high-reward gambler, and there’s a ton of hard-work behind his game plan.
Those same Barca kids whom everybody lauds grew up in an academy where they preach a very different type of football. It’s a credit to his coaching — and their coach-ability — that they adjusted so quickly to his approach. And there were important tweaks, too. You can’t play a high line without pressing from the front and, with Lewandowski’s legs being what they are, the way Fermín López ran around for the first 45 minutes was critical to Barca’s success.
Equally, you can only play the offside trap if your back line is disciplined and well-marshalled: that comes from the training pitch. Sending on Dani Olmo once Madrid were 2-0 down and forced to gamble was critical, too: he was instrumental in the third goal.
As for Real Madrid, Ancelotti said they were evenly matched until the first goal, but “were not efficient.” He’s right. But the reality is that Real Madrid are rarely efficient this year if, by efficiency, we mean the ability to dominate opponents with your patterns of play, controlling games and creating chances. We’ve said it before — heck, Ancelotti has said before — this is a team still striving for balance.
There’s no escaping the fact that Vinicius and Mbappe both do little work off the ball and both gravitate toward similar spaces. And with Toni Kroos gone and Luka Modric now literally the oldest player in the history of the club (he came on at the hour mark: having started in midweek you couldn’t ask any more of him), there’s a serious dearth of creativity coming from the middle.
And so Real Madrid become what some have called “a team of moments” — moments of genius and brilliance from Mbappé or Vinicius, or Jude Bellingham, or Fede Valverde or whomever. With so much firepower, the keep-it-tight-and-wait-for-something-to-happen game plan may be uninspired, but it’s probably the right choice. Except on this night, there were no “moments” because the offside went against them. (Would this match have turned out differently without VAR and a single human with a flag deciding on the sideline whether or Mbappe was onside? We’ll never know: it’s one for the VAR-haters to mull over.)
Also, their back line was anything but tight. Ferland Mendy played Lewandowski onside for the opener, Éder Militão and Antonio Rüdiger lost him for the second goal, and there was no Thibaut Courtois (injured) to deliver miracles between the sticks.
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Laurens: El Clasico loss damaging for Kylian Mbappé
Julien Laurens reacts to Kylian Mbappé’s “nightmare” performance against Barcelona.
This Madrid team needs a pick-me-up, and they need in double-quick time. Perhaps realising they were two goals down at home to Borussia Dortmund and understanding just how the pieces aren’t fitting together would be a good start.
As for Barcelona, Flick deserves to bask in the glory of the win. You’ve probably seen the numbers. Six players aged 21 or younger (including two 17-year-olds, Marc Casadó and Yamal) in the starting lineup. Three projected starters on the bench (Gavi, Frenkie De Jong, Olmo) and another two (Ronald Araújo, Marc-André ter Stegen) out injured. A goalkeeper (Iñaki Peña) so mistrusted that when ter Stegen went down hurt, they persuaded Wojciech Sczcesny to come out of retirement. A 33-year-old central defender (Iñigo Martínez) who arrived as a free agent last year and started just 13 games. A superstar, Raphinha, who many wanted out in the summer because he was a “sellable asset.” A centerforward, Lewandowski, who looked cooked late last season.
And here they are.
The challenge now for Flick is integrating the likes of Olmo, Gavi and De Jong into the starting lineup without losing momentum or upsetting the balance. But at least he has the balance — the sort of balance Ancelotti would kill for right now.
Erik ten Hag is gone. What’s next for Man United?
If you only watched selective highlights of Sunday’s trip to West Ham, you might even feel a bit bad for Erik Ten Hag getting fired after a game in which Manchester United created a ton of chances and only succumbed to a very controversial late penalty (which saw referee David Coote inexplicably change his mind following the on-field review). If you watched the game, you’d probably agree that, a bit like at Brentford, United collapsed badly after the break as evidenced by the Expected Goals: 1.72 to 0.04 to United in the first half, 2.97 to 0.62 in the second. (Even if you exclude the dubious penalty, that’s still way too one-sided.)
Besides, grown-up clubs do not sack coaches based on one result, and I don’t want to believe that now they have grown-ups in charge — Dan Ashworth, Omar Berrada, Jean Claude Blanc, Dave Brailsford, Jason Wilcox and, of course Jim Ratcliffe — they pulled the trigger based on Coote’s decision. There’s not much point in looking back at this stage, other than to note the earlier mistakes — like not parting ways earlier and giving him a contract extension and making Ten Hag looks silly with his “fairytales and lies” comment — so let’s look forward.
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Ogden: Ten Hag sacking suggests INEOS don’t know what they’re doing
Mark Ogden reacts to the timing of Man United’s sacking of Erik ten Hag.
Broadly speaking, there are two options. You either appoint your long-term coach in the coming weeks, or you find an interim guy and take your time to find the right person for next season. With Thomas Tuchel (now with England) off the table, the list of credible bosses available right now basically amounts to Graham Potter, Roberto Mancini (freshly sacked by Saudi Arabia), Max Allegri, Xavi, Gareth Southgate (except he’s already said he wants a sabbatical) and not many others. It’s not the most inspiring list and all of them, other than Mancini, were available in the summer, which suggests they were passed over once before.
So do you go the season-long interim route with Ruud Van Nistelrooy (or someone else) and put all your eggs into luring a top name? Maybe, but that has its cons as well. You want your club to be building towards something, and that’s hard to do with an interim boss. And you still need to get results on the pitch — at least good enough to qualify for meaningful European football next season — otherwise you’ll take a hit commercially (and in terms of your rebuilding budget) and risk impairing your ability to attract talent.
It’s a big call to make.
The good news is that this United squad is ripe for a rebuild. Victor Lindelöf, Harry Maguire, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are all free agents come June, which gives you flexibility on the wage bill, and there is a legitimate young corps of talent in Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho, Manuel Ugarte, Amad Diallo and Joshua Zirkzee: they might not all work out, but they all have something to give. With the clock ticking on Ratcliffe’s time in charge of the football side, this will be one of the biggest calls he makes.
Inter Milan and Juventus serve up an eight-goal thriller, so why is Simone Inzaghi so glum?
I’m kidding. I know why! It’s because Inter were 4-2 up at home with 20 minutes to go and had to settle for a point. This is still Serie A we’re talking about; you can be the most progressive, innovative guy (and Inzaghi remains one of the most underrated coaches out there), but you’re still stuck to the old canons and unwritten rules. So when Inter concede a goal, like Kenan Yildiz‘s first (which made it 4-3) because the centerbacks are way up the pitch counter-pressing, you look stupid. And you look stupid when, at 4-2, you create a ton of chance that you fail to convert.
Defensive errors will happen, especially when you take risks. You hope Inzaghi remembers that — just as he remembers that Hakan Calhanoglou’s absence weighs heavy, too. It’s not that Piotr Zielinski did a poor job replacing him, just that he’s a different sort of player. If you want to nitpick and play the grouch after a thrilling like this, then point the finger at Lautaro Martínez having one of his poorest outings of the season. But that too can happen, and it’s beyond Inzaghi’s control.
As for Juve, coach Thiago Motta was beaming and rightly so. To get this sort of reaction after one of the poorest outings in recent memory (the Stuttgart debacle) means a lot. Unleashing Weston McKennie through the middle was also inspired, and the decision to take off Dusan Vlahovic was both brave and vindicated by the outcome. And then there’s Kenan Yildiz, still just 19, but with quality and personality. Let’s leave the Del Piero comparisons to one side for now, but the kid is special. Oh, and lest we forget, this is a Juve side without their defensive leader (Bremer) and two of their top summer singings (Teun Koopmeiners, Nico Gonzalez).
Motta is different, for better or worse. Just enjoy the ride.
Arsenal show personality, Liverpool show staying power and humility in 2-2 draw
Defeat at Bournemouth, an ugly win at home to Shakhtar Donetsk, three defenders missing (and another two, Jurriën Timber and Gabriel, who would join them shortly), no Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka just coming back after a two-and-a-half week layoff … and the Premier League leaders, Liverpool, coming to the Emirates. Slip up and you’re fifth in the table. So much for challenging Manchester City.
The stakes were high for Arsenal, and Mikel Arteta found the right blend of players to get the reaction he needed. Arsenal outworked Liverpool for long stretches and went into half-time with a deserved 2-1 lead. When Timber went off, leaving them with a back four of (from right-to-left) Thomas Partey, Ben White, Jakub Kiwior and Myles Lewis-Skelly, they had no choice but to go into lockdown mode. They gave up Mohamed Salah‘s equaliser, but otherwise mitigated the damage, limiting Liverpool’s chances.
It might have felt like two points dropped to some, but the reaction and spirit they showed will stick with Arteta’s men for a long time. They are for real.
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Echegaray: Liverpool will definitely be happier with the point
Luis Miguel Echegaray and Janusz Michalik debate which team will be happier with a point as Liverpool come from behind to earn a draw against Arsenal at the Emirates.
As for Liverpool, Arne Slot showed Arsenal respect by switching to a 4-3-3 formation, dropping Dominik Szoboszlai and putting Curtis Jones in midfield. That shouldn’t have come as a surprise as Slot himself, when asked about the club’s excellent start, pointed out that they hadn’t faced many top sides. Nearly three months into his tenure, it’s pretty obvious that he’s more pragmatic than his predecessor and that’s frankly what Liverpool need right now. There will be time to get fancy down the road…
Quick hits
10. Sometimes you wonder if it’s “Pinocchio Pep” in charge: Manchester City beat Southampton at home by a single scrambled goal from Erling Haaland (who could easily have had a hat-trick) on Saturday, with the visitors hitting the woodwork. Still, it was surprising to hear Pep Guardiola call Southampton — who are dead last with one point from nine games — “so demanding” and “one of the best teams in the Premier League” given not just the chances missed, but the final xG that favoured City 2.73 to 0.21. Pep said he admired the way Southampton kept possession, blunting City’s press (“defending with the ball,” he called it). Isn’t the point of defending not to concede quality chances? (Southampton have the second worst xG conceded in the league.) Sometimes you wonder if Pep is just overly polite towards colleagues, or perhaps having a secret giggle to himself with some of his post-game comments.
9. Bayern vent post-Barcelona frustrations on little Bochum: They overcame an early brain fart from Min-Jae Kim (who did very well to recover) and then it was lights out: Bayern’s 5-0 away demolition of Bochum felt like a side with something to prove. It’s not just the score and the opponent — Bochum are terrible, winless in the Bundesliga while losing seven of eight — but the quality of the goals, from Michael Olise‘s free kick to Leroy Sané‘s curler to Kingsley Coman‘s long-range effort. Plus, of course, Jamal Musiala. He didn’t start in midweek, but this time scored a rare header and his mazy run set up Harry Kane‘s goal. Normal service resumes.
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Echegaray loved Pedro Neto’s performance in Chelsea’s win vs. Newcastle
Luis Miguel Echegaray reacts to Chelsea’s win over Newcastle and a strong showing from winger Pedro Neto.
8. It’s not just about Cole Palmer as Chelsea are now a point out of third place: Palmer has been phenomenal (his pass, his goal, he’s just great) this season, but what you saw in Sunday’s 2-1 win over Newcastle was a team continuing to develop an identity and not just winning because of individuals. There’s a ways to go — they lost the xG battle against a Newcastle side who are nothing to write home about right now — and it’s not a great sign they look better with Romeo Lavia than Enzo Fernández in midfield because this remains a poorly put together squad. However, coach Enzo Maresca has put his stamp on the side and for the first time in a while, there’s a real sense of positivity at Stamford Bridge.
7. Another 1-0 win for league-leading Napoli, but this was better: Against Empoli, a week ago, things could have gone the other way. This time, Antonio Conte is correct when he says his team dominated. Sure, it would be better if they converted their chances (looking at you, Romelu Lukaku … still far from his best) but it was nice to see him rotate and the second-stringers pull their weight. It’s a cliche, but with no European football, this season seems tailor made for Conte. And with Inter and Juventus sharing the spoils, the lead is up to four points.
6. Leverkusen drop points (again), but is Xhaka right to rage? Xabi Alonso’s side drew 2-2 away to Werder Bremen, twice giving up the lead. Unlike other outings, the xG went against them (1.33 to 1.60), they only equalised thanks to a weird sliced botched clearance and they’ve now won two of their last six games in all competitions. Team captain Granit Xhaka let it all out, and not for the first time: “This feels like a defeat … We all need to give 10-20% more … I have to be careful what I say … but we need to face reality.” As a journalist, you love it when players are honest. If I were a club official (or Xabi Alonso) though, I might not appreciate such bluntness. But he’s right about facing reality: this year’s version of Bayer is several notches below last year’s.
5. Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs take a big step backwards: A week ago, I praised Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou for turning the game around and beating West Ham after taking off one of his midfield ballers (James Maddison) for the more physical and athletic Pape Sarr. This time, a goal down against Palace, he didn’t just take off Maddison, but also his other creative midfielder, Dejan Kulusevski, ending with a kind of 4-2-4 formation that simply didn’t work. Yeah, the absence of Heung-Min Son weighs heavy, but changes like that — when you throw out the baby with the bathwater — don’t help either.
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Michallik left ‘very disappointed’ by blunt Spurs in loss to Crystal Palace
Janusz Michallik assesses a disappointing showing from Tottenham after Ange Postecoglou’s men are beaten 1-0 by Crystal Palace.
4. Le Classique is over after 20 minutes as PSG cruise to victory: It would have been nice to see the Roberto De Zerbi vs. Luis Enrique clash fully blossom on Sunday, but in essence we never did. Gerónimo Rulli‘s early mistake gave PSG the lead and Amine Harit‘s red card (harsh, in my opinion) left Marseille a man down and without the brains of the operation midway through the first half. PSG scored twice more before the break, and it was lights out as the champs ran out 3-0 winners. As a neutral, it’s a shame and it’s probably a shame for Luis Enrique too. The three points are great, but he didn’t learn too much about his team given the circumstances.
3. Álvarez isn’t working as Atlético Madrid slip to fourth place with defeat at Real Betis: It’s not all on him obviously (it wasn’t his uncoordinated attempted clearance that led to the own goal) but in some ways, Julián Álvarez is the symbol of Atleti’s current strife: a team caught between two identities who spends big in the summer and now can’t commit to either. We can debate the Álvarez fee until the cows come home, but what’s clear is that at Manchester City he had 10 other guys looking to get him the ball in dangerous areas (and succeeding) — now, he doesn’t. The basic plan of putting a gigantic Norwegian (Alexander Sorloth) next to him at half-time is also predictable and ineffective (one shot on target after the break) when the rest of the team doesn’t execute.
2. Everton be warned! Friedkin circus continues in Roma after 5-1 defeat to Fiorentina: When you substitute uninjured players after half an hour, you’re either Jose Mourinho looking for some motivational boost, or something is seriously wrong. It was the latter in Roma’s case Sunday, and it did not prevent a resounding 5-1 defeat for Ivan Juric’s team. Roma fans can be a difficult bunch, but it’s safe to say their anger at the club and their owners, the Friedkins — more than Juric and more than the players, though they’re obviously on the hook too — has never been higher. The vibe is that of absentee landlords who weigh in occasionally with rash decisions. It’s not just the sacking of Mourinho and then, shortly after giving him a long term contract, Daniele De Rossi — it’s the way the whole front office has been a continual revolving door, with the Friedkins’ horrendous communications only making things worse. (It’s not that they never speak — some owners don’t like to — but that nobody speaks on their behalf … not credibly, anyway.) To their credit, they have poured a ton of their own money into the club, but their relationship with the city and the fanbase has deteriorated severely, and the fact they’re on the verge of buying another club, Everton, isn’t helping allay fears that Roma is going to be further neglected.
1. No bounce-back from Dortmund, and no surprise either: You know the old trope about falling down and getting back up? Well, Borussia Dortmund only sunk deeper after the debacle at the Bernabeu, throwing away an early lead against Augsburg and losing 2-1. More than the result, we saw another lame performance: Serhou Guirassy getting little service (though at least he makes the most of what he does get), the midfield going AWOL and the usual defensive frailty. Coach Nuri Sahin is on the hot seat.