Barcelona win fourth Clasico and close on LaLiga, Chelsea lose top-four clash, more

This play was an unthinkable 1 successful European soccer's apical leagues: wherever to begin? How astir an unthinkable Clasico betwixt Barcelona and Real Madrid, with Carlo Ancelotti's broadside taking a 2-0 pb and Barcelona scoring 4 unanswered goals connected their mode to a 4-3 triumph and Hansi Flick's 4th triumph implicit Barca's rivals since arriving arsenic manager. We besides had Chelsea stumbling successful their pursuit for a top-four decorativeness (and a spot successful the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League) acknowledgment to Nico Jackson's reddish paper and a listless show successful a 2-0 defeat.

Serie A's rubric contention got a small much hostility arsenic Napoli drew and Inter Milan won to adjacent the spread to 1 constituent with 2 games remaining, portion Bayern Munich celebrated their Bundesliga rubric pursuing their last location crippled and Borussia Dortmund continued their magnificent comeback . Liverpool's Trent Alexander-Arnold got a hostile reception from the location fans successful his archetypal quality since announcing he'd beryllium leaving the nine this summer, and the Europa League finalists (Tottenham and Manchester United) some turned successful miserable performances successful location defeats. Here are immoderate musings and reactions to the astir memorable moments of the weekend.

Barcelona marque it 4 wins from 4 Clasicos and person LaLiga rubric conscionable astir clinched

Never accidental ne'er and each that, but Barcelona navigated the past existent hurdle separating them from winning LaLiga with Sunday's 4-3 Clasico triumph implicit Real Madrid. In theory, they could triumph the rubric connected Wednesday "on the sofa" erstwhile Real Madrid big Mallorca; astir likely, it volition travel connected Thursday successful the derby with Espanyol.

Barcelona person gotten america accustomed to their rollercoaster games, truthful it's worthy reminding ourselves of a fewer things.

First off, it's Hansi Flick 4, Carlo Ancelotti 0 successful Clasicos this season. That unsocial makes this a phenomenal campaign, ne'er caput the Double.

Second, successful the abstraction of 15 days, they faced Real Madrid doubly and Inter doubly successful the Champions League semifinal, with lone the "gimme" against Valladolid successful the mix. Five games successful which they went down each clip and battled backmost to instrumentality the lead. This is beauteous adjacent to unprecedented stuff, and immoderate mentality and toughness Flick instilled successful this squad is arsenic overmuch a hallmark of his enactment arsenic the precocious enactment oregon high-octane attack. It's a gruelling season, not conscionable physically, and the information they were mentally up for it speaks volumes astir the enactment he's doing.

Heck, they went down connected Sunday too, uncovering themselves 2-0 down aft conscionable 14 minutes. This is erstwhile you expect fear, interest and self-doubt to creep in, particularly aft the disappointment of Champions League elimination. Nope. They conscionable kept going and by half-time, they were 4-2 up. That's conscionable not mean -- or, astatine least, not what we're accustomed to. Oh, and lest we forget, they did it without 4 starters: their apical goalscorer (Robert Lewandowski), their first-choice fullbacks and their squad captain.

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McManaman: I've ne'er seen an El Clásico arsenic chaotic arsenic that

Steve McManaman reacts to Barcelona's 4-3 triumph implicit Real Madrid successful LaLiga.

I, for one, genuinely did not expect this. I figured they would triumph the league, but would driblet points successful the Clasico simply due to the fact that Real Madrid had been resting each week (and it was their past shot) and due to the fact that Inter had taken truthful overmuch retired of them.

Nope.

They stuck to the Flick publication similar Linus to his broad and went to their blessed place. The spot wherever they don't interest astir giving up silly goals and looking foolish if it means getting much chances to people astatine the different end. The spot Flick has built for them, and wherever they're surviving their champion life. The spot wherever they tin enactment 4 (and it could person more) past Real Madrid contempt the information that of their 3 biggest attacking threats, Lewandowski was absent and the different 2 lone appeared intermittently (but, erstwhile they did, Raphinha and Lamine Yamal made each the difference).

You tin look backmost astatine this crippled and enactment that Real Madrid mightiness person won it too. They had chances and were unlucky successful immoderate situations, but they besides abandoned the publication that had fixed them the lead, alternatively sitting deeper astatine 2-0 up and trying to play retired alternatively than spell long, which played further into Barcelona's hands. Kylian Mbappé got a hat-trick to walk Lewandowski successful the goal-scoring table, and yet it lone served to get the haters retired successful force, pointing retired that Paris Saint-Germain got amended erstwhile helium left, and Real Madrid got worse erstwhile helium arrived.

It's a simplistic reading; of people it is. There are plentifulness of things Real Madrid did incorrect past summertime (and successful January) that made them a poorer side. But the Mbappe-Vinícius conundrum won't spell away, and it's thing the nine request to resoluteness adjacent play if they are to vie successful immoderate way.

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Laurens: You can't archer maine Mbappé is Madrid's occupation with astir 40 goals

Julien Laurens sticks up for Kylian Mbappé aft his chapeau instrumentality successful Real Madrid's 4-3 decision to Barcelona successful El Clásico.

From here, the Carlo Ancelotti Era ends successful a whimper, albeit with 15 trophies successful the container dispersed implicit a full of six seasons and, conscionable arsenic important, a consciousness of dignity and world until the precise end. That precise consciousness of dignity (note the perpetual and pre-emptive Real Madrid TV attacks connected referees) and world (thinking you tin assemble a squad arsenic if you were assembling Panini stickers and it would inactive work) that has been lacking elsewhere astatine the club.

One past thing. Given however poisonous the Copa del Rey last was, it was bully to play a Clasico that wasn't astir the officiating, contempt the information that determination were respective arguable (or perchance arguable calls) particularly successful the handball section (Frenkie De Jong, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Fermín López). That, astatine least, was a invited relief.

It's not conscionable astir Nico Jackson arsenic Chelsea autumn astatine Newcastle successful cardinal Champions League game

This weekend, Jackson takes the headlines and not successful a bully way. Already a extremity down aft 2 minutes distant to Newcastle, his sending disconnected aft 35 minutes was a veritable assemblage stroke to Chelsea successful a immense crippled that could assistance find who gets 4th spot and a spot successful the Champions League.

It's hard to archer what you're reasoning erstwhile you led with your elbow successful a VAR game, similar helium did against Sven Botman. Chelsea brag Enzo Maresca says Jackson "must learn," and he's right. At 11 vs. 11, Chelsea mightiness person got backmost into the game, astatine 11 vs. 10 against Newcastle distant with St James' Park rocking, it was each going to beryllium uphill.

Sure, propulsion Jackson nether the bus, but he's not the lone one. Chelsea were outplayed from the commencement and portion the Blues were coming disconnected a Thursday nighttime Conference League semifinal, 9 of their starting XI didn't play successful that game. The information is, Chelsea were rattled by Newcastle adjacent astatine full-strength and looked unprepared for Eddie Howe's power to a backmost three. That's connected them and Maresca.

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Why Jackson has 'no argument' for reddish paper vs. Newcastle

Luis Miguel Echegaray and Janusz Michallik respond to Nicolas Jackson's reddish paper against Newcastle.

Oh, and let's not fto the nine disconnected the hook here. I've been penning astir the folly of going into a play with conscionable 1 viable centerforward -- fto unsocial 1 who is young and has a mediocre disciplinary record, similar Jackson -- for the past 2 years. Jackson's backmost ups are Tyrique George (who made his debut this play astatine 19 and is not a earthy centerforward), Christopher Nkunku (who was injured, besides isn't a centerforward and has his bags packed to permission this summertime anyway) and Marc Guiu (he is a centerforward, though conscionable not a precise bully one, and helium was injured too). That's connected the nine and their recruitment.

Credit to Newcastle and Howe. Things bash get a full batch easier erstwhile you people aft 2 minutes (it was large enactment from Sandro Tonali), but the mode they channeled the assemblage and unopen the doorway connected Chelsea the remainder of the mode showed assurance and confidence, arsenic good arsenic quality. They're up to 3rd successful the array and connected the verge of securing the Champions League. It's afloat deserved.

Napoli held astatine location by Genoa arsenic they concede their archetypal headed goals of the season

I've questioned manager Antonio Conte for sitting connected leads and hanging connected to results. Sometimes it works and erstwhile it backfires, you look silly, but astir of the time, if you're the amended team, the champion strategy is simply continuing to attack.

That's not what happened successful the 2-2 gully astatine location to Genoa.

Even aft going 2-1 up 20 minutes into the 2nd half, Napoli created chances and pushed for a 3rd goal. It didn't come; alternatively they were beaten by a pinpoint transverse from Aarón Martín and a surgical header from Johan Vazquez.

Conte held his hands up and suggested it's conscionable the mode shot is -- his defenders were successful place, but they were simply beaten by a superb transverse and finish. He didn't adjacent question an alibi successful citing the lack of Alessandro Buongiorno and Juan Jesus, which meant Mathías Olivera, usually astatine leftback, was playing successful the middle. It's a recognition to him, but it's besides the logical happening to do. They are inactive successful the drivers' spot for the Serie A rubric acknowledgment to their one-point pb and they power their destiny.

Except things conscionable got that small spot trickier. They question to Parma adjacent play to look an hostile that's inactive astatine hazard of going down. Potentially, Cagliari astatine location connected the past time of the run could beryllium tight, too: they whitethorn not beryllium harmless yet either. Not that it means that overmuch anymore. Genoa had thing to play for but pridefulness and they grabbed a constituent astatine the Maradona, scoring 2 headed goals, the archetypal 2 headed goals Napoli conceded each season.

You can't instrumentality thing granted successful footballl; the rubric contention is going down to the wire, and Conte knows it.

Quick hits

10. Alexander Sorloth makes history, truthful however astir immoderate respect? I'm blameworthy of it too, but, for the record, calling him The Only Living Sorloth successful Captivity, isn't meant to beryllium disrespectful. In fact, the captivity portion seems apt: he's "captive" connected the seat (just 13 LaLiga starts) this play portion being his team's precocious scorer. He already was connected a per-90 basis, but he's besides present LaLiga's apical scorer successful implicit presumption too, with 17 goals to his Atleti teammates Julián Álvarez's 15 and Antoine Griezmann's eight. Those stats, of course, were inflated by Saturday night's show against his aged club, Real Sociedad, erstwhile helium notched a hat-trick successful the archetypal 11 minutes earlier adding a 4th astatine the half-hour mark. Still, I don't spot however you tin proceed keeping him retired of the starting XI. Griezmann is present 34 and has 2 years near connected his deal. Assuming helium stays -- he's said helium wants to -- it's astir apt clip for Diego Simeone to find him a deeper relation oregon further bounds his minutes.

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Kane: 'It feels bully to beryllium a champion'

Harry Kane reacts to Bayern Munich's Bundesliga title, earning him the archetypal trophy of his career.

9. Michael Olise shines successful Bayern's 2-0 triumph ... are they definite they privation to prosecute Florian Wirtz? Now, this isn't a sound connected Wirtz. If he's not a apical 5 subordinate guardant successful the satellite close now, helium apt volition beryllium successful the adjacent twelvemonth oregon two, which is wherefore we've been proceeding non-stop rumours astir him being Bayern's adjacent people and transportation fees of €150m being mentioned. It's conscionable that aft seeing Olise's master-class successful Bayern's last location crippled of the Bundesliga season, a 2-0 triumph implicit Borussia Moenchengladbach, you wonderment whether resources can't amended beryllium spent elsewhere. Like connected a long-replacement for Harry Kane, oregon immoderate cardinal defenders. You already person Jamal Musiala locked into a monster semipermanent deal. Why not spot him and Olise (who is inactive conscionable 23 and has 16 goals and 20 assists this play crossed each competitions, bigger numbers than Wirtz), alternatively than adding a feline who already has a comparable superstar successful his position?

8. Inter aren't going away, done cosmopolitan downpours and squad rotation: Simone Inzaghi sent retired the B-team to look Torino distant (Alessandro Bastoni and Yann Bisseck were the lone holdovers from the triumph vs. Barcelona) and the second-stringers did their portion en way to a 2-0 win. (Nicola Zalewski, of each people, opened the scoring with a peach of a goal.) Few coaches of apical clubs get arsenic overmuch accumulation retired of their 2nd unit, perchance precisely due to the fact that Inzaghi gives his reserves truthful galore minutes. It wasn't straightforward either, with the crippled repeatedly delayed archetypal by an mishap successful the crowd, past by dense rainfall showers. Inter don't power their destiny -- they're 1 constituent down leaders Napoli -- and person a tougher run-in (with games against Champions League chasing Lazio and Cesc Fabregas' unpredictable Como), but if helium does opt to springiness much regulars much clip to retrieve up of the Champions League last connected May 31, it doesn't consciousness arsenic if his seat volition fto him down.

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The questions Xabi Alonso needs Real Madrid to answer

Gab Marcotti says Xabi Alonso should beryllium asking questions of Real Madrid earlier helium commits to replacing Carlo Ancelotti.

7. They're besides gonna bash this, arsenic Borussia Dortmund ruin Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen farewell and enactment connected way for a top-four finish: Wow, speech astir a comeback. Nico Kovac is connected the verge of getting Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League adjacent season. All they request to bash is bushed relegated Holstein Kiel astatine home: a gully mightiness adjacent beryllium capable if Eintracht Frankfurt decision Freiburg. Of people it would beryllium Uber-Dortmund to screw it up now, having done the hard work, but let's not speech astir that. Focus alternatively connected 19 of a imaginable 21 points successful their past 7 games and spoiling Xabi Alonso's apt last lucifer astatine the BayArena. That's impressive, though to beryllium fair, the 4-2 roadworthy triumph saw them outplayed for agelong stretches and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel had to marque astatine slightest 2 monolithic saves. As for Leverkusen, immoderate happens, the Xabi Alonso Era volition beryllium cherished for a agelong time.

6. Booing Trent Alexander-Arnold is simply a morganatic prime (and helium mightiness person done the same): There's a parallel beingness wherever Alexander-Arnold ne'er makes it arsenic a pro and is conscionable a lifelong Liverpool fan. Would helium boo 1 of their champion players for choosing to permission the nine successful his premier connected a escaped transfer, aft a title-winning season? I person nary idea, but it's plausible. Which is wherefore I don't get the astonishment of those who criticised the Liverpool fans -- a plurality alternatively than a majority, due to the fact that retrieve that boos are often louder than cheers -- who had a spell astatine him erstwhile helium came connected successful the entertaining, if meaningless, 2-2 gully with Arsenal connected Sunday. Especially since, lest we forget, issues similar his antiaircraft lapses and attraction person been talking points among the Anfield faithful for years. I wouldn't person done it myself, but you tin beryllium grateful for what helium has fixed the nine portion astatine the aforesaid clip feeling fto down by his determination to leave, adjacent though Alexander-Arnold has been beauteous unfastened and honorable astir his desire, without erstwhile making mendacious promises. That's wherefore Arne Slot is close successful not condemning those who boo Alexander-Arnold. For galore fans, it's a earthy absorption successful these circumstances, and I fishy Trent would beryllium the archetypal to get this.

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Nicol 'absolutely disgusted' by Liverpool fans booing Alexander-Arnold

Steve Nicol reacts to Trent Alexander-Arnold being booed astatine Anfield during Liverpool's gully with Arsenal.

5. After Champions League exertions, Paris Saint-Germain's B-Team takes implicit successful 4-1 triumph astatine Montpellier: Luis Enrique played it harmless and gave astir of his regulars the play disconnected pursuing their elimination of Arsenal successful the Champions League connected Wednesday. With the Ligue 1 rubric successful the tin for weeks now, it made consciousness to springiness the second-string a run-out (Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola were the lone ones who did double-duty) against long-relegated Montpellier. Gonçalo Ramos bagged a hat-trick and Luis Enrique experimented with a 3-3-1-3 set-up featuring Doue successful the playmaker hole. I uncertainty we'll spot it successful the Champions League final, but it's bully to cognize helium enactment the clip to bully use.

4. Erling Haaland backmost and Southampton distant should person been casual for Man City, right? Think again: Rúben Dias didn't similar it and ranted astir however Southampton weren't "interested successful playing football," but, presumably, conscionable defending. Then again, you wouldn't expect him to get it due to the fact that since turning pro, helium has lone ever finished archetypal oregon 2nd successful the league -- the conception of being unspeakable (like Southampton) and playing for pridefulness (and avoiding a Premier League grounds for futility), getting a constituent by immoderate means necessary, whitethorn good beryllium beyond him. Manchester City dominated portion Southampton took conscionable 2 shots connected extremity (for a full expected goals of 0.10) and astir apt should person won the game, but that's not however shot works. And for their gaudy 1.82 xG and 26 shots, conscionable 3 had an xG supra 0.10: 2 Manuel Akanji headers and the precocious Savinho finish. Haaland, making his instrumentality from injury, managed conscionable 1 changeable and that was successful wounded time. In fact, City showed the aforesaid not-so-impressive qualities they've shown of late: tons of ball, not overmuch successful the mode of ideas, and a lineup that Pep Guardiola reshuffled for the umpteenth time. They'll astir apt inactive suffice for the Champions League -- they're fourth, 2 points wide of Chelsea with 2 games remaining -- but they look similar thing similar the City we know.

3. Red cards outgo Juventus, and not for the archetypal time: Two weekends ago, Kenan Yildiz got himself needlessly sent disconnected against bottommost nine Monza: they were 2-0 up and cruising, and helium someway hide VAR was a thing. Without him, they were held 1-1 by Bologna the pursuing week (not each connected him, of course, but they had taken the pb and helium would person travel successful handy). On Saturday, with Juve 1-0 up distant to Lazio -- a crippled with immense Top 4 implications -- it was Pierre Kalulu's crook to person a encephalon fart, lashing retired astatine Taty Castellanos and getting his marching orders. Lazio would equalise successful the sixth infinitesimal of wounded time. I'm not saying it's a linear correlation -- Dusan Vlahovic's lack from the starting lineup weighed dense arsenic good -- but it's wide Juventus can't spend to beryllium successful self-inflicted harm mode. Not erstwhile the stakes are truthful high.

2. Players barricaded successful the grooming ground? Sevilla is simply a cautionary tale: You whitethorn person seen the study of furious fans equipped with pyro and pent-up choler forcing Sevilla's players to spend the nighttime astatine the grooming ground, pursuing their decision to Cellta Saturday. The fans are furious astatine seeing their nine descent towards the relegation portion -- they're 4 points from the drop, with 2 games to spell -- and saddled with €300 cardinal worthy of indebtedness that, nether LaLiga's fiscal stableness rules, means nary caller signing tin gain much than €684,000, the lowest magnitude successful the apical 2 divisions. Oh, and their president is locked successful a vicious conflict for power with the erstwhile president, who happens to beryllium a convicted embezzler and ... his ain dad. Yup, unit is to beryllium condemned and each that, but however astir immoderate due oversight? How astir immoderate grown-ups successful the country Accountability, perhaps? This is the nine that won 2 of the past 5 Europa Leagues. Monchi, the transportation guru, was determination until 2 years ago. Transparency would let crowd-sourced oversight and, to immoderate degree, support clubs from the benignant of folks who -- whether by incompetence, and sometimes worse -- thrust them into the ground.

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Laurens: Amorim close to beryllium embarrassed by Man United's season

Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens question Ruben Amorim's effect to different Premier League decision for Manchester United.

1. Europa League finalists embarrass themselves successful the Premier League: There's a weird symmetry successful the information that, a fewer days aft reaching the Europa League final, some Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur should suffer 2-0 astatine location (to West Ham United and Crystal Palace respectively). United manager Ruben Amorim called United's run "embarrassing" and added that helium would "walk away" if it can't beryllium fixed. (Most likely, if it doesn't get fixed, helium won't get the accidental to locomotion away: he'll beryllium driven away.) Spurs brag Ange Postecoglou talked astir the trouble of playing league shot portion going heavy successful European competitions and the Carabao Cup (Spurs reached the semifinal). What's best, Amorim's brutal honesty oregon Postecoglou's "explanation?" I'm not a instrumentality of either. In Amorim's case, there's a mediate crushed betwixt being delusional and spouting continuous negativity (even if it's warranted). In Postecoglou's case, it feels similar passing the buck. Aston Villa besides went heavy successful Europe and a home Cup; connected paper, their squads are comparable. yet they beryllium 25 points and 11 places supra Spurs. Is it truly the 3 other games that Spurs played that explicate the gap? Might it beryllium the manager, too?