This comes as the men's game enters the international break, with Barcelona traveling to Spain's Real Madrid, Bayern Munich visiting Germany's VfL Wolfsburg, and Manchester City defeating Manchester United in the Women's Super League. It was another busy weekend for women's soccer across Europe.
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Not so much Clasico
they call fixtures el clasico (The Classic) and anything that pits Spanish giants Barcelona against Real Madrid carries the weight of the bitter history between the two sides. But when it comes to women repeating soccer's popular grudge matches, they are rarely classics.
In fact, this rivalry was still in its infancy, and Barcelona's overwhelming dominance in Europe meant that close games were rare. Real Madrid manager Alberto Toril said earlier this season that the pair were growing closer, but they remain far apart on the pitch. That was evidenced by Barca's 12-point lead in Liga F this weekend with a 3-0 scoreline.
As Caroline Graham-Hansen, who contributed to Fridrina Rolfe's opening goal, set up Aitana Bommati's second goal and scored her own third, pointed out after the match, the post-match statistics tell their own story. It was telling a story.
Despite home advantage, Madrid tried to play positive football throughout, but this was just another checkmark in Barcelona's history of one-sided matches. Las Blancas. It may be a staple in the calendar for Barcelona fans, but it's still far from a classic. — Sophie Lawson
Harder helps Bayern win Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg had few options ahead of Saturday's battle for top spot against Bayern Munich at the Volkswagen Arena. There is a four-goal difference between the two teams, and a win or walk-off will clinch the Frauen-Bundesliga title.
The hosts got off to a better start, caught most of the balls and were able to convert chances consistently throughout the match. But the 4-0 scoreline told a different story.
Bayern continue to be a little confused. Even if all the pieces were in place, something still wasn't quite right for them, and they relied on their ability to fight back, had some lucky changes of direction along the way, and scored all four goals in the second half. Did.
The real bright spot for the Bavarians was undoubtedly Pernille Harder. Once the world's most expensive female player, the Danish midfielder has been at the heart of Bayern's run of form. Although at 31 years old and perhaps past her best years, she is still a force and whatever the future holds for Bayern with the summer arrival of Wolfsburg's Lena Oberdorf for €450,000, the team is currently It still needs to be shaped around Harder. –SL
Will Manchester United renew Mark Skinner's contract after the derby defeat to Man City?
Manager Emily Keogh is unsure whether Manchester United will renew Mark Skinner's contract at the end of the WSL season after the team lost 3-1 to Manchester City.
Park dazzling as City keep up the pressure in the title race
While waiting for the bus, two buses arrive at the same time. That's the story of Jess Park, who has waited seven years to score for Manchester City in the WSL since joining the league in 2017. However, in the 3-1 Manchester derby win against rivals United, she scored the first and second goals, keeping the pressure on her team. Chelsea in the title race.
Park's first goal should have been disallowed as Khadijah “Bunny” Shaw was grossly offside in the build-up, but her second showed pure brilliance. Her quick runs into the box became City's main attacking threat and Shaw kept her safe with a further goal after exploiting a vulnerability in United's caved-in defence.
United manager Mark Skinner later lamented the lack of VAR in the WSL opening goal dispute, saying: “If we hadn't conceded that goal today, I think it would have made a big difference in the game, but I don't think we should have.'' There wasn't,” he said. Today, it would have been cut off and left to dry. ”
Whether United could have gained anything from a comfortable game against City is debatable, but in any case, Park's valuable contribution kept Chelsea firmly under pressure, and late on Sunday the Blues They defeated West Ham 2-0 and secured their place at the top of the WSL. (+2) on goal difference. — Emily Keogh
Arsenal rebound after Chelsea's goal conceded
Just a week after Soxgate, Arsenal's start to the game was once again in doubt after traffic disruptions delayed the visitors' arrival at Villa Park, delaying kick-off by 45 minutes.
In the end, Arsenal had a WSL record 37 shots against Aston Villa, with 13 on target. When you look at statistics like this, it would be logical to think that they won easily. But in reality, the Gunners were slow to pull off a 3-1 come-from-behind victory. They took the lead in the 81st minute with a header from Lotte Uben-Moy, which was then saved by Stina Blackstenias. The final goal was also embroiled in a VAR controversy before she could score, as Blackstenius was seen to be offside and there was also a possible handball (both missed by the referee).
Yet, regardless of the method, Arsenal needed a reset after last week's 3-1 drubbing at Chelsea. And while there will be concerns about some chances being missed, the three points and relentless attack will give them a much-needed boost ahead of Sunday's Conti Cup final against Chelsea. –El
Tottenham struggle again to seal victory
It may not have been pretty, but Tottenham have learned how to get the job done. For the second week in a row, Spurs scored in the opening two minutes and then fought hard to hold on to a 1-0 lead to win and remain in contention for fourth place.
Bethany England scored her first goal of the season, mirroring last weekend's win over Leicester City against bottom-of-the-table Bristol City in both style and scoreline, but missed many chances. Spurs probably could have added more goals.
Still, early in the season, Tottenham developed a habit of letting their leads slip into draws and losses. Now, Robert Villahamn's side have learned how to protect a narrow lead and get results with a cohesive defence. –El
Chawinga claims
When Paris Saint-Germain defeated Montpellier 3-1 on Sunday night, it was another chance for fans to witness one of the most underrated strikers in world football at his best. It became.
Tabatha Chawinga is no new sensation. The 27-year-old striker spent her career in Sweden helping to keep lowly Kvarnsweden in the top flight nearly a decade ago, before moving to the Chinese Women's Super League on favorable terms in 2018. Since then, the Zambian international has returned to Europe. She has been on loan to Inter and PSG and remains an incredible player.
Already leading 2-0 on Sunday, PSG's third goal was typical Chawinga. The striker charged towards the desired ball from a deep position, incredibly got to it before the defender, and then used his strength to get out of a one-on-one and shoot home. As always, Chawinga is single-minded in his pursuit of his goals.
At a time when women's soccer is gaining notoriety and debate is sparking over who is the best player in the world, perhaps because much of her career has been spent between Jiangsu and Wuhan, Chawinga It remains surprising that he rarely played in games. Despite her ability to be a part of any team, she barged into the conversation. Sunday's exhibit was just another chapter in her history. –SL
Inter's attacking trio shines
For some reason, Inter Milan's talented trio of Annamaria Serturini, Agnes Bonfantini and Lina Magulu did not fit in with what the respective managers of Roma, Juventus and Bayern Munich wanted. However, it was a benefit as Inter were able to bring their best football into the match. Nerazzurre simply.
Inter may be the perfect home for players who have struggled elsewhere, having taken over the Serie B license and made the difficult path themselves to reach the top flight.
The signing of this trio proved to be a great achievement, with Inter surviving a tough encounter in Florence on Sunday, balancing their attack and converting their chances, defeating Fiorentina 3-0 to claim the title. All three players were on the scoresheet when they placed their bets. Champions League qualification in a complex Serie A playoff system. –SL