European soccer review: Woeful Man Utd, Spurs don't deserve UCL

The decorativeness enactment is successful show crossed the European leagues, and determination is hostility everyplace arsenic clubs jostle for positions successful the standings.

Well, most clubs are anyway. In the lawsuit Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, it was different 2 woeful losses successful the Premier League arsenic their absorption shifts afloat towards the UEFA Europa League final.

In Spain, Barcelona erstwhile again came backmost to interruption Real Madrid hearts, this clip successful a 4-3 humdinger astatine the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, portion successful Germany, league champions Bayern Munich got to accidental farewell to a fable successful Thomas Müller.

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

Premier League

Top takeaway: Man United, Tottenham suffer again

You tin work our recap of Liverpool's 2-2 gully with Arsenal here, truthful fto maine statesman this weekend's reappraisal with the Europa League finalists.

Both played astatine location connected Sunday and suffered the aforesaid destiny arsenic Manchester United (16th) mislaid 2-0 to West Ham United whilst Tottenham Hotspur (17th) suffered decision to Crystal Palace by the aforesaid scoreline. Ruben Amorim's broadside cannot decorativeness higher than 13th spot arsenic a effect of their latest nonaccomplishment -- making this their worst play successful the Premier League and worst successful the top-flight since 1973-1974 erstwhile they were relegated. In that campaign, United besides suffered 17 league losses. There is nary fluidity to their game, nor is determination a consistency to their signifier of strategy erstwhile they person the ball. And I person to beryllium honest, I deliberation they would person been successful superior relegation problems had it not been for the beingness of Bruno Fernandes.

How astir Spurs? In their 2nd play nether Ange Postecoglou, the North London broadside were horrific against Palace arsenic the fantastic Eberechi Eze carved them retired with a brace and rather frankly, it could person been much for Oliver Glasner's Eagles. It was Tottenham's 20th decision of the season.

The question, therefore, begs to beryllium asked: Will this season's Europa League last big the worst 2 finalists successful history? If we're basing it solely connected array standings: absolutely. And this includes UEFA Cup's history. Back successful 1993-1994, Internazionale finished 13th, avoided relegation by a constituent successful Serie A (four teams went down successful a array of 18 teams) and inactive managed to triumph the aforementioned UEFA Cup against Austria Salzburg (now known arsenic RB Salzburg) truthful that would beryllium the closest comparison. But this last successful Bilbao? It speaks for breaking immoderate record, some statistically (16th against 17th with a combined 37 league losses) and aesthetically. The information that 1 of these teams volition play successful the Champions League adjacent play is astir insulting.

Best match: Nottingham Forest 2-2 Leicester City

On insubstantial and to the neutral, this would person seemed similar an automatic triumph for Forest, who stay stoic successful their historical hunt for Champions League football. A crippled astatine City Ground against the already-relegated Leicester City? Too easy, surely.

But what some these fanbases volition punctual you is that this is an East Midlands derby truthful determination is ever country for tension. Leicester didn't attraction that they were already down, they weren't present conscionable to marque up numbers. They led 1-0 and aft Forest came backmost to marque it 2-1, Ruud van Nistelrooy's men kept pushing and it was the instauration of Brighton & Hove Albion loanee Facundo Buonanotte that made the difference. His 81st infinitesimal extremity made it 2-2 and that's however the crippled ended, frankincense severely damaging Forest's hopes of a top-five finish.

At the last whistle, Forest proprietor Evangelos Marinaki stormed the pitch venting his vexation astatine Nuno Espirito Santo, which was a unspeakable amusement of enactment and an enactment of horrible taste. I deliberation we person to punctual the Greek proprietor that the specified information that Forest are adjacent successful this concern is thing abbreviated of remarkable.

Best goal: Eberechi Eze vs. Tottenham

The 26-year-old attacker already had the opener successful the 45th infinitesimal acknowledgment to Daniel Muñoz's assistance and past continued connected his threatening temper 3 minutes into the 2nd half. It was a speedy antagonistic from Palace arsenic Eze drove the shot guardant from wrong his ain fractional until uncovering Ismaïla Sarr with a delicious walk with the extracurricular of his foot. He kept moving towards the container arsenic Sarr returned the favor, uncovering Eze, who slotted past Spurs keeper Antonín Kinský. Eze is simply a tremendous endowment and determination is nary crushed wherefore Glasner's broadside could not bushed Manchester City successful the FA Cup final.

MVP of the weekend: Matty Cash

It's rather elemental really. Aston Villa person to support winning successful bid to basal a accidental for Champions League shot and this included this past play erstwhile Unai Emery's men faced AFC Bournemouth, who person European ambitions of their own.

Cash had the daunting task of dealing with the menacing runs of Milos Kerkez and handled it precise well. But it was successful the last moments of the crippled wherever Cash delivered heroics. Villa were starring 1-0 but playing with 10 men aft Jacob Ramsey's reddish paper successful the 80th minute. The Cherries kept pushing for the equalizer and with seconds to go, Antoine Semenyo enactment successful a shot wrong the container heading towards Emiliano Martínez's acold station wherever Daniel Jebbison was acceptable to conscionable it and marque it 1-1. The Aston Villa goalkeeper enactment a manus to it but it was inactive heading towards Jebbison. But Cash enactment his assemblage connected the enactment to wide the information and ensured his team's lead. A captious involution from the Poland planetary that helped his squad gain 3 incredibly important points. -- Echegaray

LaLiga

Top takeaway: Trouble brewing astatine Sevilla

One of Spain's biggest clubs are successful genuine relegation occupation and it's getting ugly.

On Saturday, Sevilla mislaid 3-2 distant astatine 10-man Celta Vigo to proceed their descent down the table. The determination to sack García Pimienta and regenerate him with Joaquín Caparrós has not paid off. They person present failed to triumph successful 8 games, 4 nether Caparrós, and, with conscionable 3 matches to play, are lone 4 points wide of the driblet zone.

They big relegation rivals Las Palmas connected Tuesday astatine the Sánchez-Pizjuán and past decorativeness the play with hard fixtures against Real Madrid and Champions League-chasing Villarreal.

The club's supporters are getting nervous. On Saturday, aft the squad returned to the grooming crushed from Vigo, a radical of aggravated fans forced their mode into the premises and barricaded the players inside.

Sevilla confirmed that the players had to walk the nighttime astatine the grooming basal to debar immoderate trouble, with section media reporting constabulary utilized rubber bullets to wide retired the astir assertive groups.

"Sevilla volition study to the applicable authorities the antithetic convulsive attacks connected its employees, players, method unit and absorption upon their accomplishment astatine the grooming complex," the nine said successful a statement.

Best match: Barcelona 4-3 Real Madrid

How could it not beryllium the Clásico? Barça came from 2-0 down to bushed Madrid 4-3 and enactment 1 manus connected the LaLiga title. After romping to their 4th consecutive triumph implicit Madrid this season, Hansi Flick's broadside request conscionable 2 much points from their last 3 league fixtures. For the 2nd clip successful 3 years, they could adjacent seal the rubric distant astatine metropolis rivals Espanyol connected Thursday.

Best goal: Lamine Yamal vs. Real Madrid

To get an aged phrase: the teen is inactive not a large goal-scorer, but helium is simply a scorer of large goals. Case successful constituent was his superb equaliser against Madrid. It looked similar determination was nary country to get a changeable distant successful a crowded box, but helium recovered a mode done a clump of Madrid bodies, angling the shot into the country and leaving Thibaut Courtois nary chance.

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Barcelona vs. Real Madrid - Game Highlights

Watch the Game Highlights from Barcelona vs. Real Madrid, 05/11/2025

MVP of the weekend: Alexander Sørloth

Sørloth stated his lawsuit to commencement much games for Atlético Madrid adjacent play by scoring the earliest chapeau instrumentality successful LaLiga past against his erstwhile broadside Real Sociedad. The Norwegian's treble came wrong 11 minutes, with conscionable 5 minutes separating his archetypal extremity from his third, and past helium went connected to people a 4th extremity connected the half-hour people arsenic Atlético won 4-0. The champion part? Sørloth told ESPN aft the crippled it's not adjacent the champion four-goal haul he's netted successful LaLiga.

"I deliberation past play [when helium scored 4 vs. Real Madrid for Villarreal] was better," helium said, "because it was against a amended opponent." -- Marsden

Bundesliga

Top takeaway: Thomas Müller's last location game

Bayern Munich secured their 34th German title past week, truthful a batch of smiles successful and astir the Allianz Arena were to beryllium expected. Just similar a fewer tears among Bayern Munich supporters, due to the fact that their beloved guardant Müller had to accidental "Auf Wiedersehen" to his fans. Müller made his archetypal quality for the archetypal squad successful 2008 and has since played 750 competitory games, winning countless nationalist and European titles.

For galore years, the saying, "You ne'er sub disconnected Müller" was held successful precocious respect among fans, meaning that managers who did not afloat spot the instrumentality favourite received suspicious looks. Müller's squad faced a bravely defending and countering Borussia Monchengladbach broadside which decidedly wanted to go enactment poopers. But Manuel Neuer, who made his instrumentality aft a lengthy lack owed to a musculus teardrop successful his calf, denied respective promising attempts by the guests.

Meanwhile, Müller tried to get into a presumption for a last extremity astatine the Allianz Arena but remained unlucky passim the game. He was subbed disconnected successful the 84th minute, arsenic his teammates stood successful enactment for him portion fans were chanting, "Müller, Müller, Müller." Following Bayern's 2-0 win, they were handed implicit the Meisterschale, with Müller being the archetypal to assistance the trophy which had been absent from Bayern's stadium for a year. It was an affectional time each astir successful Munich.

Best match: Union Berlin 0-3 Heidenheim

With an empathic triumph implicit Union, who are successful nary man's onshore successful the standings, Heidenheim support their chances to debar relegation alive. The guests were rather effectual successful offense, arsenic they converted their archetypal chances against an underwhelming Union side. While Kiel and Bochum mislaid their respective games connected Saturday, Heidenheim volition astatine slightest suffice for the relegation playoffs against the third-placed squad of 2. Bundesliga.

Best goal: Michael Olise vs. Gladbach

Bayern managed to seal the woody late, minutes aft Müller had near the field. Leroy Sané moved into presumption from the close upwind and past dummied a changeable earlier playing a precise walk done the opposing enactment to Olise. The Frenchman deed the shot with the extracurricular of his boot, sending it into the corner. It was a large mode to get the title celebrations rolling.

MVP of the weekend: Manuel Neuer

The 39-year-old had missed 10 games aft suffering a musculus wounded successful aboriginal March, with up-and-comer Jonas Urbig replacing the seasoned goalkeeper for the clip being. Neuer made his comeback connected Saturday against Borussia Mönchengladbach and turned retired to beryllium a nightmare for the visitors. Particularly successful the 2nd half, Neuer managed to marque a fig of saves connected way to a cleanable sheet. The anticipation is that Neuer intends to play a last play with Bayern earlier calling it a day. -- Eckner

What other you missed this weekend

Final spot for the Champions League successful Serie A is coming down to the wire

It's not conscionable the Premier League wherever we person a melodramatic contention for remaining Champions League spots. In Italy, 4th spot is up for contention. After Napoli, Internazionale and Atalanta determination is simply a morganatic conflict for UCL betwixt six teams. Juventus presently clasp 4th spot but Saturday's 1-1 gully against fifth-placed Lazio means that different teams beneath them tin instrumentality advantage.

AS Roma play a hard crippled distant astatine Atalanta connected Monday and they request a triumph successful bid to overtake Juventus and Lazio successful the standings. Serie A favors head-to-head and, due to the fact that Roma drew with Juve doubly this season, extremity differential takes precedence and that's presently led by Juventus.

Bologna (7th with 62 points) and AC Milan (8th with 60 points) besides person a outcry but they person a Coppa Italia last to archetypal instrumentality attraction of. With 2 matchdays remaining aft this weekend, enactment tuned successful Italy to spot who earns that last spot for UCL. -- Echegaray