After an exciting international break, European club football is back!
Manchester City extended their lead at the top of the table by defeating Liverpool in the Women's Super League on Saturday. In the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen pulled off a late come-from-behind victory and Bayern Munich lost to Borussia Dortmund, making the title race all but certain.
Meanwhile, Tyler Adams made his long-awaited return to the Premier League with Bournemouth, as Barcelona secured a win over 10-a-side Las Palmas in La Liga.
– Stream on ESPN+: FA Cup, NWSL, La Liga, Bundesliga and more (US only)
saturday review
Lead: Bayern Munich falls short, Dortmund ends the game classic car On a losing streak
A day after Xabi Alonso announced he would remain at Bayer Leverkusen, and hours after the team achieved yet another come-from-behind victory, Bayern Munich were tasked with defeating Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Dare classic car This is to keep the slim chance of winning alive. Prior to Saturday's match, Dortmund had suffered nine consecutive away defeats to Bayern, but Edin Terzic's side bucked the trend and defeated Bayern 2-0 with a near-perfect performance at Munich's Allianz Arena. Ta.
It was Karim Adeyemi's early go-ahead goal that really helped the rather defensive-minded guests. Thomas Müller lost the ball early in the match, allowing Dortmund to mount a counterattack, and eventually Julian Brandt found Adeyemi on the left flank, allowing Matthijs de Ligt to break through and replace the injured. He poured the ball past goalkeeper Sven Ulreich. Manuel Neuer.
Miracles always happen! Dortmund wins the Bundesliga in Munich for the first time in 10 years! pic.twitter.com/eTliygTwDk
— Archie Lind Tutt (@archiert1) March 30, 2024
In the aftermath of Dortmund's opener, Bayern looked desperate at times to find a way through their guests' defense. The defending champions missed the presence of Aleksandar Pavlovic in central midfield. The 19-year-old has made just 13 appearances so far, but has been a creative driving force in Bayern's development. With Pavlovic absent due to illness, Bayern's two midfielders in the 4-2-3-1, Leon Goretzka and Konrad Reimer, could do little to break down Dortmund's defensive structure.
And if Bayern were able to penetrate Dortmund's penalty area, Mats Hummels was ready to clean up. The 35-year-old has once again shown incredible composure and positional awareness in a high-profile game, which could further increase calls for selection for Euro 2024 by Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann.
Thomas Tuchel, who will replace Nagelsmann at Bayern, has to overcome another setback this season as the home defeat left his team 13 points behind Bundesliga leaders Leverkusen with seven games remaining. Must be. Meanwhile, Dortmund have consolidated their position in fourth place and Terzic has his sights set on qualifying for next season's Champions League. — Konstantin Ekner
Saturday league topics
Barça continue to put pressure on Real Madrid
Barcelona's resurgence since coach Xavi Hernández announced he would step down in the summer began on Saturday with a 1-0 win over 10-a-side Las Palmas at the Olympic Stadium, moving them five points clear of La Liga leaders Real Madrid. It was reduced to Rafinha scored the only goal, making Barça unbeaten in 11 games since Xavi announced his decision.
Victory against Las Palmas was never in doubt as away goalkeeper Álvaro Vallés was sent off for a foul on Rafinha in the 24th minute, but Barça still have to work hard to secure the three points. I had to. Rafinha's goal had been ruled out for offside before Valles' sending off, but the Brazilian fired a shot wide of the target and, after the keeper was given his marching orders, Robert Lewandowski hit the bar from an opportunity. .
The opener finally came on the hour mark, when Joao Félix cut in from the left and delivered a perfect cross that Rafinha expertly slotted into the top corner. Felix then went from hero to villain as he smashed the two-yard bar to widen the goal, thanks to Jules Kunde. But despite the late pressure from Las Palmas, the Portuguese forward was not made to pay for his mistake, even though Alberto Moreiro grabbed the equalizer.
Rafinha heads home to score the first goal.
Rafinha headed home a beautiful pass from Joao Félix to give Barcelona the lead.
Given the team's recent upturn in form and the big challenges ahead, including the upcoming Champions League quarter-final match against Paris Saint-Germain and the trip to Madrid later this month, Xavi will likely be able to take advantage of the team's prolific attack here. would approve. He achieved five consecutive clean sheets in the league.
Barça still have 10 days left until the first leg in Paris, with La Liga suspended ahead of next weekend's Copa del Rey final, but Lewandowski and Joao Cancelo have been booked on the cheap and will be in the squad for the second half. It seems like he's already focused on the match. Exclude them from the next league match. It will be a trip to Cadiz sandwiched between two big games for PSG, meaning Lewandowski and Cancelo will be able to give their full attention to Luis Enrique's side. — Sam Marsden
Citizens march against Liverpool
After less than 10 minutes at Prenton Park, Manchester City turned a midfield stalemate into a 3-0 advantage, but Liverpool were unable to make a comeback and ultimately lost 4-1.
It was a Saturday lunchtime clash of philosophies. With City having a solid starting lineup, the manager emphasized the need to perfect “Plan A,'' rather than lining up Plans B, C, and D. And Matt Beard's Liverpool have adapted throughout the season to balance out their changing opponents and allow them to play in a way that suits the Reds. Beard's plan worked in the first 15 minutes, with City's attack all but ineffective, with Rachel Laws, a spectator in the home goal, unable to clear City's first shot of the match. The hosts immediately pegged back when the ball fell gently to Lauren. Let's put away the hemp at home.
One quick turned into two when Jessica Park scored via the far post after writhing in the final third. Bunny Shaw's first shot of the afternoon was an audacious effort from outside the box that left the hosts wondering how they had gotten away with the game. Each goal had its own personality, but it was a testament to how perfectly City achieved Plan A, how easily attackers and midfielders intersected on the pitch and occupied themselves as they advanced the ball into dangerous areas. It was a testament to how they were able to find space on a daily basis.
Shaw's sharp header started the second half as City chased down WSL leaders Chelsea and looked to extend their goal difference, but Liverpool's adjustments helped to thwart the visitors. Taylor Hynes' late mid-range shot gave the hosts a cheer and restored City's goal advantage over Chelsea to one. The Blues still have a game in hand and the title race is close. — Sophie Lawson
Americans Abroad: Balogun scores twice, Adams gets the win.
tyler adams It was his first Premier League start for Bournemouth since March 2023, and what a comeback it was. The 25-year-old midfielder played 90 minutes and displayed some excellent defensive shifts to help the Cherries secure a 2-1 win against Everton.
He's back 👊 pic.twitter.com/U9PaFcOEnR
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) March 30, 2024
Folarin Balogun AS Monaco came on as a substitute in the 66th minute against Metz and scored two goals. The USMNT striker will be hoping these two games will open the floodgates, as his scoring record (8 goals this season) hasn't been up to the standards of last season, when he scored 22 goals for Reims. Monaco currently sit in second place in the league table, 10 points behind leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
brenden aaronson Union Berlin came on as a substitute in the 65th minute in the goalless draw against Eintracht Frankfurt. Aaronson, on loan from Leeds United, had two shots during the game but was unable to make a difference. He has scored two goals this season for Union, who sit in 12th place.
timothy ware and weston mckennie Both players came on as substitutes in Juventus' 1-0 loss to Lazio. Weir has only scored one goal for the club this season, while McKennie has provided seven assists so far. Saturday's loss drops Juventus to third place behind AC Milan and Internazionale. — Shershah Atif
news of the day
-
Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique is hopeful that Kylian Mbappé could “change his mind” and stay at the club despite being linked with a move to Real Madrid in the summer he said. Sources confirmed to ESPN in February that Mbappé had decided to join Madrid in the summer after his contract with PSG expired.Asked if this will be Mbappe's last chance to play le classic Luis Enrique said: “Why is this his last derby? I've always held out hope that Kylian might change his mind, but so far he hasn't said anything. He might change his mind.” ”
-
Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino accused his players of lacking the hunger needed to compete in the Premier League after Saturday's 2-2 draw at home to 10-man Burnley. did. Despite Cole Palmer's brace, struggling Burnley came from behind twice to win, and Dara O'Shea equalized late on at Stamford Bridge. Pochettino said at the post-match press conference: “Today we failed to show the minimum level of ability, energy and hunger needed to compete in the Premier League.'' “We conceded too many goals defensively, so I'm very upset and disappointed.”
-
Bayern Munich manager Thomas Tuchel says the Bundesliga title race is “clearly” over after Saturday's defeat to Borussia Dortmund left them 13 points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen with seven games in hand. Told. “After today's game, we won't have to count the points anymore. How many points do we have now? Congratulations, Leverkusen.''
And finally on Saturday…
Bayer Leverkusen, led by Xabi Alonso, once again delayed the game and scored the winning goal in stoppage time against Hoffenheim. Leverkusen's Robert Andrich (88th minute) and Patrik Schick (91st minute) came to the rescue and led the team to a dramatic victory after trailing 1-0 for most of the match.
To further illustrate how good the Bundesliga leaders are this season, they scored seven goals in stoppage time in 2024, while Schick scored his fifth goal in the last five games. Leverkusen's momentum shows no signs of slowing down, and they are rushing toward their maiden league championship with unprecedented momentum. — atif
Leverkusen's late heroics extend their unbeaten run to 39 games
Bayer Leverkusen conceded a goal late on and defeated Hoffenheim 2-1, remaining undefeated this season.