European soccer review: Barcelona miss chance to push Real Madrid further in title race

While Liverpool's nonaccomplishment connected Sunday was a setback successful their tally to what appears to beryllium an inevitable Premier League title, Southampton person wasted nary clip successful swiftly exiting the league arsenic the fastest squad to ever beryllium relegated.

Meanwhile, Real Madrid's nonaccomplishment this play near an opening for Barcelona to propulsion distant further successful the LaLiga rubric race, but Barcelona stumbled connected Saturday, keeping the array adjacent capable that it's inactive anyone's trophy.

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich's dominance continues, but astatine the hefty outgo of a Jamal Musiala wounded that the German powerhouse nine astir apt can't afford.

All that and much successful this variation of Weekend Review arsenic Luis Miguel Echegaray, Alex Kirkland and Constantin Eckner look crossed Europe for the large takeaways and highlights from the weekend.

Premier League

Top takeaway: Southampton the fastest squad to beryllium relegated successful history

We've covered Liverpool's 3-2 nonaccomplishment to Fulham and the worst Manchester derby successful years already, truthful let's crook our attraction present to the bottommost of the table. Southampton person go the archetypal nine -- and quickest successful past -- to endure relegation aft losing 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur connected Sunday.

For Saints fans, not lone bash they present cognize they'll beryllium playing successful the Championship adjacent season, but they besides person to travel to presumption with the anticipation of earning the undesired grounds of statistically ending the run arsenic the worst squad successful Premier League history. After their nonaccomplishment to Spurs, Southampton person 10 points aft 31 matches, lone 1 constituent down the unwanted grounds held by Derby County backmost successful 2007-08, erstwhile they managed lone 1 victory.

With Ipswich Town (loss vs. Wolves) and Leicester City (host Newcastle United connected Monday) besides surely connected their mode backmost down, determination is an statement to beryllium made that determination has ne'er been a wider spread betwixt recently promoted teams and the remainder of the league.

Best match: Aston Villa 2-1 Nottingham Forest

A scintillating lucifer astatine Villa Park betwixt 2 beardown teams gave america a communicative of 2 halves.

The hosts took afloat power with a 2-0 pb aft lone 15 minutes acknowledgment to Morgan Rogers and Donyell Malen. At the break, Forest were down but not retired knowing they are inactive warring for a historical Champions League place, and they came retired roaring, forcing Villa backmost astatine each opportunity. Jota Silva, who became the villain of the time against the Villans, teased and bothered astatine each crook and yet got his reward successful the 57th minute.

The people became 2-1 and arsenic Villa had to clasp on, it was a wholly antithetic match. More play arrived successful stoppage clip arsenic Murillo smashed a tremendous effort that deed the crossbar, lone to beryllium followed by a Marcus Rashford effort that was denied by goalkeeper Matz Sels.

In the end, Villa recorded their seventh consecutive triumph successful each competitions, keeping live their hopes of Champions League shot for adjacent season.

Best goal: Morgan Rogers vs. Nottingham Forest

A delicious extremity that opened the scoring for Aston Villa against high-flying Forest successful the 13th infinitesimal astatine Villa Park. There were 3 peculiar moments of beauty. First, Youri Tielemans fed the shot to Rogers from midfield with a fantastic ball. The English planetary past took it successful his stride acknowledgment to a slick archetypal interaction with the extracurricular of his close foot, which placed itself for him to decorativeness it with his left, putting the shot done Sels' legs. A cold, acold finish.

Morgan Rogers 🥶 pic.twitter.com/sEHYHiwT12

MVP of the weekend: Calvin Bassey and Alex Iwobi (Fulham's 3-2 triumph vs. Liverpool)

I'm handing retired the grant to 2 players this play due to the fact that I deliberation the MVP grant rightly and arsenic belongs to the Nigerian internationals. Iwobi and Bassey were magnificent against the league leaders, helping Fulham gain a tremendous triumph implicit Liverpool and ending their 26-match unbeaten tally successful the Premier League.

Iwobi scored and assisted, creating implicit havoc against Arne Slot's side. And what astir Bassey? My goodness. It felt astatine times determination were 3 of him connected the pitch. The defender worked truthful hard to support Mohamed Salah quiescent -- not precisely the easiest occupation -- and did it wonderfully. He was truthful dedicated and fearless successful protecting and adjacent going guardant successful bid to alleviate immoderate benignant of pressure. A gutsy, passionate, astute show from some players, who epitomized Fulham's enactment ethic Sunday. -- Echegaray

LaLiga

Top takeaway: Barcelona miss accidental to propulsion Real Madrid further from title

Real Madrid's 2-1 decision to Valencia connected Saturday felt similar the extremity of the LaLiga rubric race, until Barcelona's 1-1 gully with Real Betis brought it backmost to life. A spread which could person been six points betwixt leaders Barça and second-placed Madrid is present conscionable four. There are 8 games left, and there's inactive a Clásico to come, though fixed however those person gone this season, that's small consolation for Madrid.

Madrid's show against Valencia wasn't each atrocious -- Kylian Mbappé was a threat, contributing six of Madrid's 21 shots, with the squad generating an xG (expected goals) of 3.47 compared to the visitors' 0.76 -- but they weren't precisely convincing, either. Vinícius Júnior had a punishment saved and was whistled by immoderate of the crowd. Madrid were underpowered successful midfield, contempt the champion efforts of Federico Valverde, and defended some of Valencia's goals poorly.

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Natan's header brings Betis level astatine Barca

Natan's header brings Betis level astatine Barca

"We inactive person a chance," manager Carlo Ancelotti said, and aboriginal connected Saturday, Barça's gully with Betis proved him right.

Betis are demanding opponents, adjacent without the suspended Isco, but Barça were acold from their best, personified by Robert Lewandowski, who had conscionable 23 touches and 1 changeable successful 90 minutes. After Gavi's aboriginal opener was cancelled retired by Natan's header, Barça weren't capable to make different truly wide chance, arsenic overmuch arsenic they pushed. Raphinha ended the crippled truthful frustrated that neither Hansi Flick, nor Marc-André ter Stegen, were capable to calm him down.

So Barça, 4 points clear, are inactive favourites to triumph the league. But there's conscionable capable uncertainty to support things interesting.

Best match: Real Mallorca 1-2 Celta Vigo 2

We've already praised Valencia's triumph astatine the Bernabéu -- their archetypal successful 17 years -- truthful let's item different 2-1 distant win, for Celta Vigo astatine Mallorca. The location broadside went up early, but Celta responded with 2 classy second-half strikes from Alfon González and Fer López to spell seventh successful the table, and supply much grounds of their presumption arsenic 1 of the astir amusive teams to ticker successful Spain.

Best goal: Lucien Agoumé vs. Atletico Madrid

Sevilla midfielder Lucien Agoumé, 23, had ne'er scored a elder goal, ever. Sunday's thumping decorativeness against Atletico Madrid -- 1 infinitesimal of prime successful an different underwhelming crippled which Atleti won 2-1 precocious connected -- was a bully spot to start.

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Lucien Agoumé smashes successful his archetypal extremity for Sevilla vs. Atlético Madrid

Lucien Agoumé rockets a onslaught into the nett for his first-ever nine goal, putting Sevilla astatine an aboriginal lead.

MVP of the weekend: Giorgi Mamardashvili, Valencia

Goalkeeper Mamardashvili made 8 saves against Real Madrid, including stopping a Vinicius Junior penalty, and -- successful peculiar -- 1 fierce effort from Mbappé. Mamardashvili's prima crook continued successful the mixed portion afterwards, erstwhile helium told ESPN that he'd stake Vinícius 50 euros that he'd prevention the forward's spot kick. "He hasn't paid maine yet," the keeper said. -- Kirkland

Bundesliga

Top takeaway: Bayern determination to person to rubric triumph but suffer Musiala

Augsburg person made their sanction successful caller times arsenic an astir unconquerable antiaircraft side, with goalkeeper Finn Dahmen astatine 1 constituent keeping cleanable sheets for implicit 11 hours crossed games. But Dahmen and his backmost enactment succumbed to Bayern Munich's relentless unit connected Friday, though Dimitris Giannoulis scored the pb for Augsburg aft a rapidly taken escaped footwear wherever helium escaped the attentions of Konrad Laimer.

What turned retired to beryllium a alternatively comfy 3-1 distant triumph came astatine a immense cost, due to the fact that playmaker Jamal Musiala, who equalised Giannoulis's extremity earlier the half-time break, had to permission the tract helped by 2 of the Bayern aesculapian unit successful the 54th infinitesimal and volition apt not beryllium disposable for Bayern's UEFA Champions League clash with Internazionale connected Tuesday. Vincent Kompany's squad had already been injury-ridden aft some Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies suffered season-ending genu injuries during the most-recent planetary break.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen tried to bounce backmost from a disappointing nonaccomplishment to third-division broadside Arminia Bielefeld successful the German Cup semi-final past Tuesday wherever Xabi Alonso's squad did not look similar a superior rubric contender. They didn't truly acceptable the satellite connected occurrence distant astatine Heidenheim, and it looked similar the crippled whitethorn extremity up successful a goalless draw, but Emiliano Buendía, presently connected indebtedness from Aston Villa, scored successful stoppage time, keeping the Bundesliga rubric contention live for the moment.

Best match: SC Freiburg 1-4 Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund person historically performed good against Freiburg, and the hosts ended up being a bully sparring spouse for the Schwarzgelben who volition look Barcelona successful the Champions League successful a fewer days. English midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka got his archetypal commencement for Dortmund and scored the 2-0 soon aft the interval.

Best goal: Jamal Musiala vs. Augsburg

This extremity showed the 22-year-old's genius. He received a walk from Leroy Sané into the container and recovered himself surrounded by 3 defenders. Even though Musiala stumbled, helium inactive retained the shot to past arrow a beauteous changeable past Dahmen.

MVP of the weekend: Stuttgart's Ermedin Demirović

Demirović contributed 3 goals to Stuttgart's 4-0 triumph implicit Bochum. It was a cleanable time for the Bosnian striker who hadn't had the easiest clip successful caller weeks. But Bochum's backmost enactment became the unfortunate of Demirović, who was signed to capable Serhou Guirassy's ample shoes. -- Eckner

What other you missed this weekend

Leeds are successful information of bottling promotion to the Premier League

Leeds United person fallen retired of the nonstop promotion portion of the EFL Championship aft yet different disappointing result. The Daniel Farke-led broadside looked similar the champion squad successful the league lone a mates of weeks ago. But ever since beating Sheffield United distant successful February, The Whites person dropped disconnected successful show rather significantly. Some points were mislaid due to the fact that goalkeeper Illan Meslier committed important mistakes, but successful wide it seems arsenic if Leeds person mislaid their ways, and Farke is incapable to reinvigorate his radical of players.

On Saturday, Leeds lone drew with relegation-threatened Luton Town, portion Burnley won their crippled astatine Coventry, frankincense overtaking Leeds. The archetypal 2 places, presently occupied by Burnley and Sheffield, assistance automatic promotion to the Premier League portion the 3rd promotion spot is decided successful a four-team play-off. Even though Leeds stay inactive intimately down Burnley and Sheffield, the inclination is not their friend, having lone won 1 retired of six games since said crippled against Sheffield. -- Eckner

American owners of Wrexham and Birmingham City radiance successful League One

Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney person overmuch to beryllium blessed astir these days arsenic League One's Wrexham AFC presently clasp 2nd spot and automatic promotion to the Championship.

This past Saturday, the Welsh broadside won 3-0 against Burton Albion and coupled with third-place Wycombe Wanderers' 1-0 nonaccomplishment to Reading, it gives the Red Dragons a six-point pb implicit Wycombe albeit with an other crippled played with 5 matches left. It would beryllium rather an unthinkable accomplishment arsenic it would mean 3 consecutive automatic promotions.

The thought of Wrexham playing successful the Premier League is not arsenic far-fetched arsenic it erstwhile appeared erstwhile Reynolds and McElhenney took over.

Meanwhile, Tom Brady's Birmingham City destroyed Barnsley 6-2 and maintained their pb astatine the apical with 92 points, 11 much than Wrexham, having played 2 games less. One much triumph for Birmingham City guarantees them a instrumentality to the 2nd tier of English football.

There is an evident interaction that comes with star-led wealth and marketability, which is not thing that everyone successful little league shot tin boast astir truthful I wouldn't needfully accidental these are quintessentially-pure Cinderella stories but regardless, contempt the influx of currency and star-power, the shot inactive has to beryllium played and results are yet determined connected the transportation and successful that regard, some these clubs person much than delivered. -- Echegaray