One other weekend of European soccer supplied loads of drama, pleasure and objectives. When you checked the field scores, you’d assume there have been few surprises because the weekend’s motion obtained underway, however these full-time figures inform solely half the story.
On Saturday, Harry Kane starred for Bayern Munich in his first Bundesliga Der Klassiker, Chelsea ladies dominated Aston Villa within the Girls’s Tremendous League earlier than information broke that their supervisor Emma Hayes will depart on the finish of the season, and Paris Saint-Germain‘s Warren Zaïre-Emery continues to shine in Ligue 1. Lastly, Barcelona left it till late to clinch a winner towards a tricky Actual Sociedad facet.
Right here is your look again in any respect the enjoyable from Saturday.
– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, extra (U.S.)
SATURDAY REVIEW
The Saturday lead: Kane shines for Bayern Munich towards supposed rivals Borussia Dortmund
The expectations going into one other version of the Der Klassiker had been that Borussia Dortmund had a practical probability of beating Bayern Munich for the primary time in a league recreation since 2018. Munich had simply suffered an embarrassing defeat towards third-division facet Saarbrücken within the German Cup just a few days prior and supervisor Thomas Tuchel was coping with vital damage woes in his squad. However even a considerably diminished Bayern facet had been capable of ship an illustration of power by beating Dortmund 4-0 on the Sign Iduna Park.
After scoring three objectives towards Darmstadt the earlier weekend, Kane as soon as once more bagged a hat trick, as he’s the primary participant within the historical past of the Bundesliga who has scored 15 objectives within the first 10 video games of the season. The England captain was certainly one of a number of Bayern gamers who displayed a pointy efficiency towards an at occasions overwhelmed Dortmund crew. Notably, the primary 10 minutes went catastrophic for the house crew, with Kane and Dayot Upamecano scoring for an early 2-0 Bayern lead, which put much more stress on Dortmund who wanted a while to regain confidence and produce something offensively.
Harry Kane has damaged the all-time report for probably the most objectives in a participant’s first 10 Bundesliga appearances (14).
What a season he is having pic.twitter.com/BP6UTrExlS
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 4, 2023
Of all of the Dortmund gamers, Marco Reus regarded just like the one which was on eye degree with the company, however as so usually in his lengthy profession, Reus couldn’t stop a defeat within the Klassiker. In a means, his missed probability within the early stage of the second half, as he was denied by Manuel Neuer, appeared like a déjà vu second for the Dortmund captain. Reus and Neuer have had so many battles over time which normally resulted in favour of the Bayern goalkeeper who completed his second league recreation after his return from damage with one other clear sheet.
Dortmund had been capable of present glimpses of offensive firepower after the halftime break however their effort was not sufficient to make this recreation an in depth affair. Through the second half, Tuchel had the audacity to make use of Leon Goretzka as a centre-back. Granted, he felt pressured to make use of the midfielder on this unfamiliar function as a result of Upamecano didn’t have sufficient within the tank to play the total 90 minutes after his current damage. It nonetheless is astonishing that Bayern completed the ultimate half-hour of their recreation at Dortmund with Goretzka in defence and 19-year-old rookie Aleksandar Pavlovic in midfield and nonetheless had been capable of rating two extra objectives.
Whereas Dortmund stay within the title race after this upsetting loss, they can’t merely transfer on from this recreation as nothing has occurred. Bayern had been there for the taking however Dortmund nonetheless regarded someway overmatched throughout stretches of the sport in entrance of a disenchanted house crowd contained in the Sign Iduna Park. At this price, the Klassiker will lose its attract fairly quick. — Constantin Eckner
Saturday speaking factors across the leagues
Barça strike late at Actual Sociedad to return to successful methods
Ronald Araújo scored a dramatic 92nd-minute winner as Barcelona bounced again from final weekend’s El Clásico defeat by beating Actual Sociedad 1-0, though the scoreline doesn’t inform the total story.
La Actual bossed a lackluster Barça for big elements of the match, notably within the first half, however a mixture of wasteful ending and good goalkeeping from Marc-André ter Stegen stored the house facet out. Take Kubo, enjoying towards his former facet, was particularly vivid, however because the minutes handed and the sport remained goalless, Barça sensed there may very well be a late winner within the match for them.
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Ronald Araujo’s diving header in stoppage time wins it for Barca
Barcelona steals three factors at Actual Sociedad due to Ronald Araujo’s aim within the second minute of second-half stoppage time.
It regarded like they’d missed their probability, although, when Gavi‘s shot was brilliantly saved by Álex Remiro in stoppage time after Pedri, on his return from two months out of motion, had fed the Barça midfielder. Nonetheless, there was nonetheless time for Ilkay Gündogan to pick Araujo, who headed previous Remiro. The flag went up instantly, however a comparatively fast VAR examine revealed the Uruguayan defender was onside, prompting the Barça gamers to pour into the nook to rejoice in entrance of their supporters.
You may sense within the celebrations that they felt they’d obtained out of jail right here. It was outcomes like this — they recorded 11 1-0 wins in LaLiga final 12 months — which helped them win the title final season. None of these 1-0s had been maybe as excessive as this one, however it’s a outcome that can restore confidence after final week’s defeat to Actual Madrid. It retains Barça 4 factors off high spot after Girona, joined leaders with Madrid earlier than the weekend, gained 4-2 at Osasuna earlier on Saturday. — Sam Marsden
Chelsea ladies shine as Villa’s woes proceed
It might be an understatement to say it has been a tricky begin to the season for Aston Villa, however dealing with all of final season’s high three of their first 5 was all the time going to be gruelling for the crew from the Midlands. Nonetheless with out key midfielder, Kenza Dali, the crew who’ve been on the improper finish of 4 straight league losses solely sunk decrease towards the reigning champions on Saturday afternoon. Whereas Villa put in a stronger defensive exhibiting towards Man United and Arsenal, they collapsed with out a lot stress from Chelsea because the Blues ran riot within the rain, hitting the hosts for six.
The primary two got here objectives got here within the first half, with Millie Vivid pouncing at a nook Rachel Daly cleared off the road, earlier than Fran Kirby made it two after Danielle Turner cleared the preliminary effort from the road. Issues went from unhealthy to worse after the break as Chelsea turned on the model, leaving the Villa midfield decimated, the rejigged defence failing on the fundamentals as Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Ashley Lawrence and Aggie Beever-Jones had been allowed copious quantities of room so as to add the third, fourth and fifth objectives.
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Lawson: Hayes-USWNT hyperlink makes a whole lot of sense
Sophie Lawson discusses Emma Hayes’ rumored hyperlink to the USWNT head coach job after she introduced she’s going to depart Chelsea on the finish of the season.
Chelsea had the depth, expertise and tenacity to punish Villa time and again, stamping their authority on the sport and making a press release after a lower than convincing begin to the season. The hosts regarded misplaced, marking left at house as heads dropped throughout the pitch, full time lastly placing an finish to the distress for Villa as our bodies dropped to the sodden turf on the whistle.
The job for Carla Ward now about choosing the crew up forward of a midweek journey to Sheffield within the League Cup, as they head into what ought to be a run of fixtures they will use to get again on monitor, however a return to fundamentals might be key. — Sophie Lawson
Zaïre-Emery shines once more for PSG
What had been you doing at 17? You is perhaps too younger to recollect, however what Zaïre-Emery is doing in the meanwhile is harking back to prodigies like Michael Owen, Kylian Mbappé and Wayne Rooney. After two assists towards Milan 10 days in the past and a aim at Brest final weekend, he scored once more on Friday night time towards Montpellier on the Parc des Princes.
The Paris born and bred midfielder is strolling on water. He’s a phenom who amazes everybody along with his expertise, maturity (bodily and mentally) and work price. He led his Paris crew to an outstanding 3-0 win and his aim was a particular one once more, summing up his high quality. He drove the ball ahead, performed a one-two with Ousmane Dembélé earlier than smashing the ball within the internet from seven yards.
Supervisor Luis Enrique waxes lyrical about him whereas Didier Deschamps is about to name him as much as the French nationwide crew (he was the U21 captain till now this season). On an evening when Mbappé was quiet, PSG relied on their wonderkid who’s exhibiting no indicators of slowing down.
Three days earlier than their conflict with AC Milan in Italy within the Champions League, the Parisians produced one other high efficiency, with the ball in addition to out of possession. Enrique has carried out his concepts properly thus far and his crew are high of the desk till Good play on Sunday. However the journey to Italy, after shedding to Newcastle just a few weeks in the past, might be an enormous take a look at of character for this crew. — Julien Laurens
Individuals Overseas: Pepi, Tillman shine off the bench; Reyna not given an opportunity
PSV prolonged their lead on the high of the Dutch Eredivisie after a 6-0 rout of Heracles Almelo. Their trio of U.S. gamers, Sergiño Dest, Malik Tillman and Ricardo Pepi contributed, with the latter two coming off the bench to attain. Pepi (who additionally had an help) and Tillman will hope that is solely the beginning as they search to cement beginning positions for the Boeren.
— Ricardo Pepi (@Ricardo_Pepi9) November 4, 2023
Elsewhere, Gio Reyna was not introduced on in Dortmund’s loss to Bayern Munich after beginning final weekend. The 20-year-old USMNT participant is a superb playmaker, however accidents and a insecurity from head coach Edin Terzic has restricted Reyna’s possibilities to show himself. Every week it appears extra probably that he’ll make a transfer elsewhere.
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Herc thinks Gio Reyna is ‘finished’ at Dortmund
Herc Gomez thinks it’s a case of when, quite than if, Gio Reyna leaves Borussia Dortmund
In Italy, AC Milan had been with out Christian Pulisic on account of an damage scare and suffered a 1-0 loss to Udinese. USMNT compatriot Yunus Musah began the match on the best wing because the Rossoneri had been unable to threaten a cussed Udinese facet. Milan now fall to 3rd place within the Serie A desk, and face PSG in a must-win Champions League group stage tie subsequent.
Information of the day
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With the announcement that Chelsea ladies’s supervisor Emma Hayes will depart the membership on the finish of the season, a supply has confirmed to ESPN that she is about to take the reins of the USA ladies’s nationwide crew. The expectation is that Hayes will juggle each her membership and worldwide duties till the top of 2023-24 Girls’s Tremendous League marketing campaign. The London native is broadly considered top-of-the-line coaches within the ladies’s recreation, main Chelsea to 6 league titles, 5 ladies’s FA Cups and two Girls’s League cups since taking on in 2012. A supply additionally confirmed to ESPN that making Hayes’ wage equal to that of U.S. males’s nationwide crew supervisor Gregg Berhalter was going to be a subject of dialogue on the U.S. Soccer Federation’s Board of Administrators’ assembly.
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Actual Madrid known as experiences claiming they’re holding talks with PSG’s Kylian Mbappé “absolutely false.” There was a long-running saga between the 2 events, however a press release launched by the LaLiga membership on Saturday stated “In the face of news stories broadcast and published by various media, which speculate about supposed negotiations between the player Kylian Mbappé and our club, Real Madrid want to state that these stories are absolutely false and said negotiations, with a player who belongs to PSG, have not taken place.” Madrid did not signal Mbappe in 2021 and had been near signing him in 2022, earlier than the Frenchman determined to remain in Paris.
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Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta known as Anthony Gordon‘s successful aim for Newcastle an “absolute disgrace” and “embarrassing” for the Premier League. Gordon’s Sixty fourth-minute aim on Saturday was awarded by referee Stuart Attwell after three separate VAR checks to evaluate whether or not the ball had gone out of play, if Joelinton had dedicated a foul with a push on Gunners defender Gabriel and whether or not Gordon was offside. The choice to present the aim resulted within the Gunners’ first league defeat of the season. Arteta stated: “We have to talk about how the hell this goal stands up. I feel embarrassed. It is an absolute disgrace this goal is allowed. It’s not a goal — for many reasons.”
And at last, on Saturday …
Manchester Metropolis misplaced Riyad Mahrez and Gundogan in the summertime, however Jérémy Doku‘s arrival has helped the treble winners preserve their stride. The Belgium worldwide scored one and assisted 4 in Metropolis’s 6-1 win over Bournemouth, changing into the eighth participant in Premier League historical past to make 4 assists in a recreation. The wily winger is electrical with the ball at his ft, operating at defenders who wrestle to cease him slicing inside to shoot or delivering a cross.
With this sensible efficiency, Pep Guardiola’s facet go high of the Premier League for now till Spurs play on Monday, who can go first with a win. If Doku continues to torment opposition defenses, he is a candidate for the very best signing of the season and we’ll proceed to see many extra “Griddy” celebrations from the 21-year-old.
1 aim
4 assists
21 years previousAn unbelievable efficiency by Jérémy Doku pic.twitter.com/dSuqzEBDCT
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) November 4, 2023