Author Archives: Ian Plenderleith

[EUROPEAN LEAGUES] It was a weekend of surprise results around the lesser-regarded European leagues, with Champions League- and UEFA Cup-participant teams faltering in France, Switzerland and Belgium. Yes, it’s early fall, that time of the perpetually congested European season when coaches can already begin to make excuses about their players being too tired.

[SPAIN] Barcelona looked majestic again, dismantling Atletico Madrid, 6-1, at the Camp Nou. There were big wins too for Sevilla and Malaga, while Real Madrid was held at home by Espanyol.

[ENGLAND] Liverpool is threatening to do something it hasn’t done in two decades — look like a title-winner. The Reds came from 2-0 down at Manchester City to take all three points and stay level with Chelsea at the top.

[GERMANY] Another high-scoring weekend in the Bundesliga, as Bayern Munich failed to win for its third successive game, and Hamburg became the latest leader in a league no team wants to dominate.

[ITALY] Juventus and Roma continued the trend in Serie A this season of big teams losing to lesser names, with Palermo and Siena the beneficiaries. Lazio and AC Milan were also unable to beat lower-placed teams.

[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] Romanian champion Cluj held Chelsea to a draw in Wednesday’s Champions League action, while two late Lionel Messi goals earned Barcelona a win over Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.

[UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE] There were easy wins for Arsenal and Manchester United in Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League group action. But Belarus side BATE Barisov gave Juventus a fright, holding it to a 2-2 draw.

[ARGENTINA] River Plate defender Facundo Quiroga scored with a spectacular overhead kick at the weekend. Typifying the club’s fortunes so far this season, it went into the back of his own net.

[ENGLAND] Bolton Wanderers and Hull City tried different approaches to playing on the road at much stronger teams Saturday. The lesson was clear, as Hull took plaudits and points from its thrilling 2-1 win at Arsenal.

[GERMANY] Not even Bayern Munich losing its second successive game can keep Hoffenheim out of the headlines. After a making a comeback from three goals down, the newly promoted team lost out to free-scoring Werder Bremen by the odd goal in nine.

[SPAIN] Barcelona continued its revival with a third successive win, but after Leo Messi‘s controversial last-kick penalty winner in the 2-1 victory at 10-man Espanyol, the team was more concerned with condemning the behavior of its own fans.

[ITALY] Sunday’s Milanese derby was a classic, in the sense that it was a typically disappointing spectacle. Milan came out on top in a querulous clash thanks to a sweet Ronaldinho header.

[EUROPE] Never mind the quality, feel the breadth. Europe’s soccer governing body UEFA will vote Friday to expand the European Championships from 16 to 24 finalists, beginning 2016.

[GERMANY] The remarkable rise to the heights of the Bundesliga by German small-town team 1899 Hoffenheim has had its ugly side too. The team’s local benefactor Dietmar Hopp has been subject to sustained verbal abuse from opposition fans, but he’s not the kind of man to take it lying down.

[SPAIN] Anything Barcelona can do, Real Madrid can do better. After the Catalans scored six at the weekend at bottom side Sporting Gijon, Real showed no pity and smashed the same team for seven at the Bernabeu.

[ITALY] Juventus was held at home by visitors Catania Wednesday in a refreshingly open game on an evening of few surprises in Serie A. Both Milan sides scraped wins by single-goal margins.

[GERMAN CUP] Energie Cottbus can’t win in the Bundesliga, but took advantage of no less than three penalty kicks in Tuesday’s German Cup tie to beat Borussia Moenchengladbach, which did not use American midfielder Michael Bradley. Americans who did see action were Hannover’s young midfielder and 1860 Munich’s veteran defender.

[ARGENTINA] Reigning champion River Plate has made a stumbling start to the new Argentine season. On Sunday, it lost to unfancied opposition, while its main rival, Boca Juniors, fell at home for its first defeat of the season.

[ENGLAND] This weekend’s big game in the English Premier League ended, predictably enough, in a stalemate. But Manchester United’s visit to Chelsea was never less than absorbing.

[GERMANY] It was a wild weekend in the Bundesliga. Not only were there goals aplenty, but champion Bayern Munich was hammered 5-2 on its own turf by longtime rival Werder Bremen.

[ITALY] Relief for AC Milan as it finally won its first game of the season on the back of a sumptuous goal from Kaka. Ronaldinho only came off the bench once the game was effectively won.

[SPAIN] All those chances that Barcelona missed in its first two games of the season were just warm-up shots. On Sunday the Catalans quit showing mercy and hit Sporting Gijon for six, with Lionel Messi scoring twice.