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Ligue 1 teams competing in the Champions League on Tuesday night experienced contrasting fortunes in the penultimate games of the group stages.  Monaco ended their dismal run of form with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa while Liverpool beat Lille 2-1 to maintain their 100 percent record in the tournament.

Wilfried Singo scored Monaco’s winner early in the first-half to take the side to 10th in the 36-team division with 13 points from their seven games.
After hosting Rennes on Saturday in Ligue 1, Monaco play Inter Milan next Tuesday at the San Siro in the final tie of the group stages.
“I’m really happy about this victory,” said Monaco boss Adi Hütter whose side had not won a game since beating fifth division Union St Jean in the last-64 of the Coupe de France on 22 December.

“We were in a difficult situation but I have to say compliments to the team. They fought from beginning to the end against a top team from the Premier League. I hope it helps to give them their confidence back.”
Monaco were playing their fourth game in a punishing January schedule.
They started their travails on 10 January with a 2-2 draw at Nantes in Ligue 1. They lost their last-32 Coupe de France tie against Reims four days later.
And they went down 2-1 to Montpellier in Ligue 1 on 17 January.

Monaco host Rennes in Ligue 1 on 25 January before travelling to Italy to face Inter Milan at the San Siro on 29 January in their final game in the group stages.
Lille began the penultimate round of matches in the 36-team division in eighth place – the final berth for automatic qualification to the last-16 knockout stages. 
But they dropped into one of the 16 slots for a play-off place in the last-16 following the setback at Anfield. Mo Salah gave Liverpool the lead in the 34th minute.

On the hour mark, Jonathan David levelled for the visitors who had just been reduced to 10 men after the dismissal of Aissa Mandi for two bookable offences.
But parity lasted only briefly. In the 67th minute, Harvey Elliot restored Liverpool’s advantage and the Merseysiders held on to register their seventh successive win and qualification to the knockout stages.

On Wednesday night, two more Ligue 1 sides feature in European club football’s most prestigious competition. Brest, who are playing in the Champions League for the first time, continue their campaign at Shakhtar Donetsk.
Brest boast 13 points from their six games and go into their seventh match in a far healthier state than Ligue 1 pacesetters Paris Saint-Germain who entertain Manchester City at the Parc des Princes.
PSG, lie 25th with in the division with only seven points from their six games. They have no chance of surging into the top eight places and they are in danger of failing to occupy one of the 16 play-off spots.

Manchester City also languish in the table. They are 22nd with eight points and in need of points to progress. 

“We know it will be difficult against Manchester City,” said PSG striker Ousmane Dembélé. “We know that it is a crucial game if we want to stay in the Champions League this season so we have to do everything to get the three points.”

The game will pit the PSG coach Luis Enrique against his former Barcelona teammate Pep Guardiola. “It will be a  pleasure to see Pep again,” said Enrique.
“I don’t think anyone would have predicted that either Manchester City or PSG would be in this situation. But here we are.
“This is the reality of the new format of the Champions League. Both teams will deploy their best weapons to get the three points.”

Barcelona have kept their unbeaten run going in the Champions League, somehow. They played out an epic against Benfica at the Estadio da Luz, with the match finishing in a 5-4 win for Hansi Flick’s side

It was a dreadful start for Barcelona, as Spanish left-back Alvaro Carreras delivered a wonderful cross for Vangelis Pavlidis to smash into the back of the net – Wojciech Szczesny, who is making his first Champions League appearance for Barcelona, was left with no chance whatsoever of stopping it.

However, Barcelona were only behind for 11 minutes. Alejandro Balde made a fine run into the Benfica the penalty area before being fouled by Antonio Silva. Nothing was given on-field, but after a VAR check, a foul was awarded. Robert Lewandowski stepped up from 12 yards, and he made no mistake to score his 102nd Champions League goal.

Barcelona took control from that point, but Benfica went back ahead after a howler from Wojciech Szczesny, who gifted Pavlidis the chance to score his second goal, which he took. The Greek striker would get his hat-trick goal soon after from the penalty spot after a foul inside the area from the Polish goalkeeper, whose Champions League return has been a disaster.

Raphinha had made it 3-2 in bizarre circumstances after heading into the net from an Anatolii Trubin clearance, although Ronald Araujo turned the ball into his own net for Benfica to get their fourth of the evening only a few minutes later. However, Barcelona did manage to get back to within one as Lewandowski scored his second penalty of the evening, and then Eric Garcia headed home for the equaliser.
Incredibly, the match wasn’t done there. Moments after Benfica claimed a penalty, Raphinha broke up the other end and fired into the back of the net, sparking wild scenes among the visitors.

It is an unbelievable victory from Barcelona, who were trailing 4-2 with 15 minutes to go. That result also secures their place in the last 16 of the Champions League

Carlo Ancelotti dismissed claims that he intends to leave Real Madrid at the end of the campaign, adding that he hopes to remain at the club for “another four years”. The 65-year-old has been in charge of the La Liga giants since 2021, and since won two La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns. Ancelotti was speaking ahead of Real’s Champions League encounter against RB Salzburg.

Carlo Ancelotti dismissed speculation that he intends to leave Real Madrid at the end of the season. 

It had been widely reported that Ancelotti was planning to leave Real at the end of the season, despite his current deal set to expire in 2026.

The Italian has been in charge of Los Blancos since 2021 and has in that time led the club to two La Liga titles and two UEFA Champions League crowns. 

Speaking ahead of Real’s Champions League encounter against Red Bull Salzburg at the Bernabeu on Wednesday – live on TNT Sports and discovery+ – Ancelotti insisted he planned to remain with the Spanish giants for “another four years”.

“I will never decide to leave Real Madrid,” said the Italian.

“This day will come, but it won’t be me the one who decides. It could be tomorrow or in five years. The plan is to be here with Florentino [Perez] for another four years and say goodbye.”

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, who joined Real on a free transfer last June, admitted that a “mentality issue” prevented him from finding his best form at the start of the season.

The 26-year-old struggled at times in the wake of his high-profile move, at one point netting just three times in 11 appearances.

That run included costly misses against Liverpool in the Champions League and Athletic Bilbao in La Liga.

“I believe it was a mentality issue and that was a point I realised that I had to work harder,” said Mbappe.

“I was thinking too much about how to do things. Whether to go into space, whether to go to Vini’s [Vinicius Jr’s] area of the pitch, to Rodrygo’s area. When you overthink, you don’t focus on your game.

“I was fine physically and with the group but I knew I had to do more. That was the time to change the situation.

“I couldn’t do any worse, so when you hit rock bottom you can only go up.”

Liverpool have arguably cemented themselves as the best team in Europe and failure to win the Champions League would most likely be self-inflicted, Reds expert David Lynch has claimed.
The Merseysiders emerged as 2-0 victors against Brentford last Saturday, returning to winning ways after two consecutive draws, and they are set to host Lille at Anfield on Tuesday in their seventh Champions League match of 2024-25.

Arne Slot’s side are the only team to have won all six of their Champions League games so far, and need only one more point to automatically qualify for the round of 16.
Liverpool’s position is an advantageous one, but Lynch does not believe that Slot will look to make fundamental changes to the team that beat Brentford, telling Sports Mole: “I’ve heard the talk that [Slot] would rotate for this one – I completely disagree with that suggestion. I think he will go as strong as he possibly can for this one. Maybe there will be a few changes in there that he can make.
“Left back [could be an area of change], maybe Diaz [gets a] rest out of that centre-forward role and he throws Nunez in there, but I don’t expect to see the likes of Chiesa or Harvey Elliott start this one because it’s an important game for a few reasons.
“Champions League wins are worth a lot of money and when you’re trying to renew three contracts, every penny counts, so there’s value there. Also, if Liverpool win and Barca slip up, then Liverpool would have sealed top spot with a game to spare, which [would] turn that PSV Eindhoven game into a dead rubber that, if you feel when you get to that one that you want to make changes, you absolutely can and it doesn’t matter too much.”

Lille should not be underestimated as they come into the clash unbeaten in 21 games, and are currently third in Ligue 1, so they will undoubtedly pose some challenges at Anfield.

Liverpool have only conceded one goal in this season’s Champions League, and that record makes them the competition’s joint best defensive side.

The Reds have also beaten the likes of Real Madrid, RB Leipzig and AC Milan this term, and were deserving winners in all three of those fixtures.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch expressed his view that Slot should not be afraid of any team they might draw in the round of 16, saying: “In most seasons Manchester City [would be a team to avoid] but it’s in doubt whether they’re going to go through or not, so even if they hit a bit of form – which I find very hard to see even with the January signings – they’re still going to have huge midfield issues. I discount them from the thinking.
“In terms of who [Liverpool] might worry about, you’ve got your traditional big hitters. Real Madrid are freaks in this competition and they should always be scared of that. Barcelona [are] a bit up and down in their form recently, but they’ve got quality on the wings that could really hurt Liverpool. Bayern Munich obviously – real quality there that could hurt you if they’re on a good day.
“But I don’t think [there’s] anyone Liverpool should fear. For me, they are playing like the best team in Europe at the moment – Thomas Frank said [Liverpool are the] best team in the world, and those two things go hand in hand.”
Liverpool are first in the Premier League and have a relatively healthy squad compared to rivals like Real Madrid, while others such as Manchester City have significantly regressed in terms of performance level.

It should be noted that while Liverpool boast the joint best defensive record in the competition, Kylian Mbappe missed a penalty at Anfield on November 27, with Andrew Robertson fouling Lucas Vazquez in the box when the Reds were leading 1-0.
Robertson has been the subject of criticism this season, though left-back Kostas Tsimikas has at times failed to show the consistency needed to claim a starting spot.
Lynch told Sports Mole that he believes that Liverpool’s greatest obstacle to Champions League glory would be themselves, saying: “I’m not dead set on Liverpool necessarily needing to sign someone in January, [but] the one area they could do something that would move the dial is left-back – I just don’t expect that that will happen.
“I think they’ll win the league regardless, they can absolutely mask that problem, but in a Champions League tie where it’s tight and moments matter and the odd goal can decide it, I worry about one of the left-backs having a bad game and it costing [Liverpool] massively in a big moment.

That’s my only concern, but if that doesn’t happen and Liverpool can mask that issue successfully over the remainder of the competition, they’re favourites to win it for a reason. They are, by every metric at the moment, the best team in Europe.
Liverpool have overcome adversity domestically – losing just twice all season – and given Slot has often found ways of adapting to different challenges, it would not be surprising if he managed to mitigate any potential weakness on the left side of defence.

We are six games into the UEFA Champions League action with the league phase ready for two more rounds of games before the knockout phase. The field is still relatively open, although teams have now started to book their places in the latter rounds — although no team is absolutely 100% certain of a round of 16 spot ahead of the midweek slate. Leaders Liverpool are most likely and have a knockout place already assured, but they have not yet locked up more than playoff access despite having a significant edge over everyone else. Barcelona are also in pursuit but right now there are more eliminated teams than there are qualified ones.
We take a look at the state of play as Champions League action returns for the final two rounds this week and next.

Liverpool are already guaranteed a top 24 finish which is at least a playoff spot but Arne Slot’s Premier League and Champions League leaders should now become the first team to confirm their presence in the round of 16. The Reds can confirm that status with just one more point from games against Lille OSC and PSV Eindhoven and it is difficult to see the Merseysiders throwing things away over these last two games. If anything, they are more likely to finish the league phase with eight wins from eight games given their impressive 100% winning record so far which is on the line against a side unbeaten in five this midweek vs. LOSC.

Barcelona are just below Liverpool with five wins from six having lost their opening game and the Catalan giants are currently the most likely candidates to either edge the Reds to top spot or immediately follow them into the round of 16. For now, both have at least guaranteed a knockout phase appearance although Arne Slot’s side are more likely to go straight to the round of 16 given their three-point lead over Barca with two to play. Arsenal, Bayer Leverkusen, Aston Villa, Inter, Stade Brestois 29 and Lille also make up the top eight with two games to go although none of those sides are yet to be in a position to have officially reached the knockouts despite it looking likely for most of them — if not all. It would take a big results swing to change that, but Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Milan are close by on 12 points with Atalanta and Juventus on 11.

Neither advanced nor eliminated, there are a handful of sides who are as close to the top eight as they are the elimination places — Benfica, Monaco, Sporting, Feyenoord and Club Brugge are all on 10 points which means that their next win, or loss, could have massive ramifications. Real Madrid and Celtic perhaps sneak into that conversation given that they are only one point further back of that same tally but the other big names below the Scottish giants have significant work ahead of them with two games left.

Surprisingly, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain are both in this band along with PSV Eindhoven, Dinamo Zagreb and VfB Stuttgart who are all hovering around the cut-off point with two games left. In a tantalizing twist, the French giants face the Premier League champions as well as the Bundesliga outfit in their two final games which arguably holds the cards to this year’s big name possibly stumbling early on. Both PSG and City could yet avoid it but both will be desperate to not have to wait for the final day when they can likely assure themselves of their knockout place with a win in the penultimate round of games when they meet at Parc des Princes on Wednesday.

Round of 16: Liverpool secure a top eight finish with a draw or better vs. Lille while a win for Barca virtually secures them a round of 16 spot too.

Knockout playoffs: Arsenal, Leverkusen, Villa, Inter, Brest and Lille are sure of at least a top 24 finish and there at minimum a knockout berth with at least a point this midweek. However, to secure the top 8 now requires a complicated web of 10 results — as illustrated by Brest’s situation below.

Brest can only secure top 8 this week if: They beat Shakhtar, Liverpool beat Lille, Bologna beat Dortmund, Feyenoord beat Bayern, Leverkusen beat Atletico, Girona beat Milan, Atalanta avoid defeat vs. Graz, Juventus draw with Brugge, Benfica do not win vs. Barca, Monaco do not win vs. Villa or Sparta beat Inter and Sporting do not win vs. Leipzig.

Eliminated: Bologna will be eliminated if they fail to win their two remaining games and even six points might not be enough if City, PSV and/or Dinamo claim one point or better from their two remaining games. Salzburg, Red Star, Girona and Graz can take things to a final day with a win only — a draw will not be enough as it leaves them at least four points adrift of the top 24. Sparta and Shakhtar can still have a shot for their final games if they draw this week but it will be the slimmest of hopes. PSG nor Stuttgart will be officially eliminated until they play each other should they get a point or better this week but a man combination of nine results elsewhere could doom Paris in the event that they lose to City at home.

PSG can only go out if: They lose to City, Real beat Salzburg, Celtic beat Young Boys, Benfica avoid defeat vs. Barca, Monaco avoid defeat vs. Villa, Sporting avoid defeat vs. Leipzig, PSG beat Red Star, Feyenoord avoid defeat vs. Bayern, Brugge avoid defeat vs. Bayern and Dinamo beat Arsenal.

Those teams who can, mathematically at least, still make the knockouts but need a minimum of four points from their two remaining games include Shakhtar Donetsk, Sparta Praha, Sturm Graz, Girona, Red Star Belgrade, Red Bull Salzburg and Bologna. Many of these sides are just waiting to finally be confirmed as out of the running despite some having made encouraging starts. However, at least for now, they are not 100% guaranteed to not see the knockout phase and that is further evidence of the value that the adoption of this new league phase has brought with it.

Going home

Confirmed: RB Leipzig, Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava.

Red Bull’s flagship side Leipzig was the first to fall this edition which was a surprise as Aston Villa confirmed that premature exit with a home loss in the sixth round of games. Salzburg are expected to follow shortly although Young Boys and Slovan Bratislava were the next two after the Germans. All three of those eliminated sides are on zero points with Bologna the next to likely drop out given that they are on two points which means that they can only tally eight by the end of league phase play which is still two short of the estimated 10-point barrier to reach the estimated 10-point barrier to reach the knockouts. Although it mathematically adds up right now, it is unlikely to remain the case for the Italians who you can argue do not have their fate in their own hands even if they were to win both of their remaining games.

Last season’s quarterfinalist Atletico Madrid is not just vying for a deep run in the Champions League but hoping to keep its good form alive and win the competition, manager Diego Simeone said ahead of Tuesday’s clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

Atletico Madrid is the only team to reach three Champions League finals without winning the trophy, including two defeats to rivals Real Madrid under Simeone in 2014 and 2016.

The host is set to welcome high-flying Bayer Leverkusen, which is on an 11-match winning streak across all competitions, while Atleti’s own run of 15 consecutive victories was ended by a 1-0 LaLiga defeat by Leganes on Saturday.
Two Champions League matches remain in the new league phase of eight, with the top eight teams qualifying automatically for the last 16.
Asked how important the game was in their push for the top eight, Simeone said: “We will compete with our goal in mind. The club has never won this Champions League, and our objective is to reach that final, which is so desired and cherished by us.”
Teams finishing ninth to 24th will compete in two-legged knockout playoffs to secure their spot in the last 16.
Xabi Alonso’s side Leverkusen is fourth in the Champions League standings with 13 points from six games, and Atleti sits 11th, a point behind Leverkusen.

Leverkusen won its first Bundesliga title last season, undefeated, and Simeone heaped praise on Alonso, who was also formerly a midfielder for rivals Real Madrid.

“Xabi is doing an excellent job, as he showed last season and he is on track to repeat it. He has a reference for how he saw football from the center of the pitch, which is where it is best seen,” he added.
“He had great coaches (as a player). We will have to take the game in a direction where we think we can do the damage on Tuesday.”
After hosting Leverkusen, Atleti is set to travel to Austria on Jan. 29 to face Salzburg.

David de Gea is outperforming Andre Onana in pretty much every metric, prompting the question: were Manchester United right to replace him?

The Spaniard left Old Trafford after 12 years in the summer of 2023 after failing to agree terms on a new contract.
He was replaced by £43million signing Andre Onana, who had just reached the Champions League final with Inter Milan and used to play under Erik ten Hag at Ajax. 

Onana has arguably been among United’s better performers this season but a series of high-profile blunders over his 18-month stay, including one leading to a goal against Brighton on Sunday, have seen him questioned. It doesn’t help that United are 13th in the table. 
The Cameroonian has already made four errors leading to goals this season, whereas De Gea has made none at Fiorentina, who he joined over the summer.
In 29 appearances, Onana has shipped 41 goals, whereas in 19 appearances, De Gea has conceded 22. Both have kept seven clean sheets, but Onana has done so in 10 games more. 

It is not uncommon for elite goalkeepers to stay at the biggest clubs into their late 30s. Manuel Neuer is still Bayern Munich’s go-to man at 38. Gianluigi Buffon stayed with Juventus until he was 43. 

At 34, De Gea still has a lot to give. He won the Premier League golden glove in his final season at Old Trafford. Fiorentina are benefiting from his presence, sitting sixth in Serie A. 
According to Opta, De Gea is saving an average of 72.5 per cent of shots on target, a total that would put him among the Premier League’s top performers.
By contrast, Onana’s record of 63.7 per cent sees him rank among the lowest of all Premier League goalkeepers this campaign. 
Diving deeper, De Gea is making three saves per 90 minutes whereas Onana is only managing 2.5. The Spaniard is also managing more saves from shots inside the box as well as from longer range.
He has nailed down the number one spot with La Viola, producing a series of memorable moments. 
Against Como in November, he made a spectacular triple save to help his side to victory.

The ball then fell perfectly to defender Federico Barba in acres of space but the ex-United keeper displayed brilliant reactions to thwart him, before managing to hook away a third effort on the line.
Fiorentina’s boss Raffaele Palladino was left stunned by De Gea’s remarkable saves, suggesting he is looking like the sge age he was when he left Atletico Madrid for the Red Devils in 2011.

‘We are Beltran who chases down opponents and runs like a defender. We are Riccardo Sottil who comes on and makes the difference. We are De Gea who makes reaction saves as if he’s aged 20,’ Palladino told DAZN.
De Gea has also saved two of the three penalties he has faced, whereas Onana has only stopped one of four – still a decent effort. 

Part of the reason why United brought in Onana was for better distribution, but his has only been marginally better than De Gea’s. Onana has hit 72.89 per cent of his passes accurately, while De Gea stands on 70.9 per cent. 

And the Spaniard’s long-range passing has been much better. A grand total of 47.18 per cent of his long balls find their man, compared to 32.46 from Onana.  

Another topsy-turvy weekend of European football is in the books, and there are talking points galore across the big leagues.
Atletico Madrid slumped to a shock defeat at Leganés and Barcelona could only manage a draw against Getafe. That left the door open Real Madrid and Los Blancos duly obliged; smashing four past Las Palmas and shifting into top spot in LaLiga in the process.
In England, Tottenham Hotspur’s season went from bad to worse, shipping three goals against a previously toothless Everton, while Justin Kluivert inspired AFC Bournemouth to a surprise win at Newcastle United.
Elsewhere, there were stunning goals from Tim Kleindienst and Javier Puado, and Romelu Lukaku made sure that Napoli’s Serie A title charge wasn’t derailed by the departure of “Kvaradona.”
Sam Tighe, Alex Kirkland and Constantin Eckner take a look at what you might have missed this weekend.

Toon fans have been on cloud nine lately — nine wins in a row, Alexander Isak scoring in eight straight games, a dominant midfield combination and clean sheets aplenty — but they were brought hurtling back to earth on Saturday as AFC Bournemouth dismantled Newcastle United 4-1 at St. James’ Park.

It was an astonishing performance from the Cherries, who remain in the thick of a chase for the UEFA Champions League places despite being racked by injuries. They have quite literally run out of right-backs, forcing a central midfielder to deputise there, and their bench consisted of six teenagers, a 20-year-old, a 21-year-old they recalled from loan last week, and a goalkeeper. For them to continue to play with such fluency, aggression and confidence was remarkable; that they overcame an opponent in such good form, at such an imposing stadium, almost defied belief.
Some conversation has since ensued over manager Andoni Iraola’s achievements and where that might lead him in the near future: A “big six” club? A top European club? He’ll rightly dismiss anything of the sort and focus on the here and now, of course, but it’s fair to say he (and his team) are starting to get some richly deserved recognition.

Best match: Everton 3-2 Tottenham Hotspur

To put it bluntly, Everton’s attack this season has been downright anemic, so to watch them race into a three-goal lead by half-time against Spurs was quite the eyebrow raiser. Spurs battled back with a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes, forcing the Toffees to hold their nerve in order to see out a first win under new (old) boss David Moyes.

Best goal: Dejan Kulusevski vs. Everton

The scene that preceded Kulusevski’s strike against Everton was carnage: A mad scramble in the box, goalkeeper off his line and a defender on the line.
What do players usually do in that scenario when the ball lands at their feet? Smash it as hard as they can.

What did the Spurs winger do? Deftly guide the ball into the top corner with the utmost care, accuracy and precision. A beautifully calm moment of play from inside a maelstrom.

MVP of the weekend: Justin Kluivert

There were plenty of top performances across the league, but nothing beats a hat trick of goals from open play. We make the “open play” distinction because Justin Kluivert scored a hat trick in December consisting solely of penalties, causing some to dismiss it. However, there’s no dismissing this effort.
Three great goals (particularly the last one) provided the cutting edge that converted Bournemouth’s excellent performance into an excellent, comprehensive win.

Top takeaway: It’s advantage Real Madrid, again, in topsy-turvy title race

It’s hard to keep track of who’s in crisis in LaLiga this season.
Is it Real Madrid, after their 5-2 thrashing to Barcelona in the Supercopa final? No, there they are now, at the top of the table thanks to Sunday’s 4-1 win over Las Palmas.
Surely it isn’t Barça themselves, having just won that trophy so emphatically? Well, they’ve now dropped points in seven of their last eight league games, a historically bad run — the latest being Saturday’s disappointing 1-1 draw at Getafe.
As for Atletico Madrid, having just won a club-record 15 consecutive games, they were beaten 1-0 at Leganés, with star forward Antoine Griezmann missing a penalty as his side squandered their advantage at the top of the table.

None of these teams are anything close to perfect, and that’s what makes this season’s LaLiga title race so gloriously unpredictable. Barcelona had 78% possession against Getafe but couldn’t make it count. Atletico created three big chances at Leganés, for an xG of 2.42, but weren’t clinical enough. And Madrid were ultimately convincing against Las Palmas, but still managed to concede after just 26 seconds, highlighting the defensive issues that have plagued them all season.
The end result: Madrid are two points clear at the top with Atletico chasing in second, and Barcelona seven points behind. But there’s no guarantee that next week, all that won’t change.

Best match: Real Madrid 4-1 Las Palmas

Real Madrid going behind early at the Santiago Bernabéu tends to be a recipe for a highly entertaining spectacle, and that’s exactly what happened on Sunday. Fábio Silva put the visitors ahead in the first minute before Madrid, led by an irrepressible Kylian Mbappé, turned on the style. Mbappé levelled from the penalty spot, Brahim Díaz made it 2-1, Mbappé added a third, and Rodrygo increased their lead to 4-1.
Mbappé was denied a hat trick by VAR, and both Jude Bellingham and Fede Valverde had late goals chalked off for offside, too.

Best goal: Javier Puado vs. Real Valladolid

Arguably LaLiga’s biggest result of the weekend came on Friday, as relegation candidates Espanyol beat fellow strugglers Real Valladolid 2-1. Espanyol’s opening goal, from Javier Puado, was a masterpiece of flawless technique, as he took one touch to control a difficult ball into the box, and a second to volley left-footed into the net. If Espanyol are to survive this season, they’ll need more goals like this from Puado.

MVP of the weekend: Kike Garcia

There’s only one candidate for LaLiga’s MVP this weekend: Alavés’ Kike García, who scored a brilliant hat trick in their much-needed 3-1 win at Real Betis on Saturday.
García, 35, is more talented journeyman than star and scored just three goals for Alavés in all of last season. Here he matched that tally in one game, with three predatory finishes. His first, an unstoppable penalty; his second, an instinctive, one-touch strike; and his third, a bullet header.

Top takeaway: Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt are worlds apart

The big story going into the first matchday of the Rückrunde (as the second half of the season is called) was the move of Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush to Manchester City. It became clear that the 25-year-old Egyptian would not play against Dortmund on Friday evening while he and his representatives finalized the move. Meanwhile, a report in respected German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung stated that Dortmund manager Nuri Şahin could be sacked before the UEFA Champions League game at Bologna on Tuesday.

Those two events made this game the perfect time for Dortmund’s players to beat a possibly disappointed Frankfurt side and save their manager’s job. Instead, they laid an egg once again in a 2-0 defeat, their third consecutive league loss since the end of the Christmas break.
Dortmund’s back five was disorganized against a reworked Frankfurt attack in which Hugo Etitiké, Marmoush’s former partner up front, played as a lone striker supported by a “double 10” in Mario Götze and Ansgar Knauff. Dortmund could barely stop any effective passing plays that Frankfurt created from the wings and half-spaces.
While the Schwarzgelben can show glimpses of promise in possession, they fall behind on the scoreboard far too often, which stops them becoming a confident, dominant possession side. Şahin certainly has the right ideas of how to transform this Dortmund team and give them an identity, but being in the lower half of the standings is so far away from the club’s expectations that the 36-year-old manager might not have much time left in the job.

Best match: Bochum 3-3 RB Leipzig

Marco Rose’s side scored three goals during the first half away to struggling Bochum, and everything seemed fine for the visitors until Myron Boadu — with the help of Gerrit Holtmann, who came on at halftime — and a couple of others staged a memorable comeback. Boadu scored three goals within 13 minutes, leaving Leipzig in shock as each side took home a point for their efforts.

Best goal: Tim Kleindienst vs. Bayer Leverkusen

The goal was essentially worthless, coming in second-half stoppage with the hosts leading 3-0, yet it was beautiful all the same. Gladbach were down and out at BayArena when, with seconds remaining, Luca Netz used a one-two to break through on the wing before finding Kleindienst with a lateral pass inside the penalty area. The Germany international directed the ball towards the goal with one touch, hitting the lower edge of the bar.

MVP of the weekend: Myron Boadu

At one time, Boadu was poised to break through given his elite talents. After his breakout season at Dutch Eredivisie side AZ Alkmaar in 2020-21, he signed with AS Monaco, where he scored just 10 goals in two-and-a-half years. Even after moving to Bochum on loan last summer in a bid for more playing time, Boadu remained an afterthought. Bochum manager Dieter Hecking was not hesitant to criticize the 24-year-old for his performances in training, indicating that Boadu lacked the fitness to play in the Bundesliga.
“[Hecking] was a bit angry, I was a bit angry,” Boadu said after his three-goal performance against Leipzig on Saturday. Maybe we just witnessed a pivotal point in the young striker’s career.

What else you missed this weekend

Napoli pick up tough win without “Kvaradona”

Napoli could barely have asked for a tougher fixture to face in the immediate wake of star winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia leaving the club for Paris Saint-Germain, but in beating Atalanta 3-2 away from home, they laid the gauntlet back down for their title rivals.
It’s fitting that Romelu Lukaku scored the winner for Napoli late on, too. Not only is he a symbol of Antonio Conte’s best version of football, but he’s clearly the figurehead of this team now. Even before “Kvara” left, much of the play was funnelling through the burly target man, which means he’ll now be an even more important part of what Naples hopes can still be a Scudetto chase. (They lead Inter by five points with 17 games remaining.)

The 2.Bundesliga promotion race in Germany is as close at it gets

Former greats are desperately trying to get back to the Bundesliga, while smaller clubs want to achieve the upset. That sums up the current state of affairs in the 2. Bundesliga, Germany’s second division.
The first matchday after a month-long break culminated in a clash between FC Cologne and Hamburg on Saturday evening. However, the supposed top-of-table game remained lackluster for the majority of the 90 minutes. Playing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd at Volksparkstadion, Hamburg created more chances than the previous table leaders and eventually got the deciding goal thanks to Ransford Königsdörffer.

With that, Hamburg have taken the lead in Germany’s second division where an extremely close race for the promotion spots could unfold in the next few months. At the moment, 12 teams are within six points, with the first two being promoted directly to the Bundesliga and the third-placed team qualifying for the promotion playoffs, where they would face the 16th-ranked team from the Bundesliga.

Ruben Amorim has said his Manchester United team might be the worst in the club’s history following their 3-1 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
United failed to register a shot on target in open play as Brighton dominated at Old Trafford.

The result means Amorim has already suffered four home Premier League defeats since taking over as manager from Erik ten Hag, who was sacked at the end of October.
“We are getting a new coach who is losing more than the last coach,” Amorim said. “I have full knowledge of that. I am not going to change, no matter what.
“I know we can succeed but we need to survive this moment. I am not naive. We need to survive now. We are the worst team, maybe, in the history of Manchester United.
“I know you want headlines but I am saying that because we have to acknowledge that and to change that. Here you go: your headlines.”

After two positive results against Liverpool and Arsenal, Amorim said he would learn more about his players during the games against Southampton and Brighton.

United survived a huge scare against Southampton, the Premier League’s bottom team, before winning 3-1 but were comprehensively beaten by Brighton.
Amorim has now lost seven of his 15 games since being appointed. United are 13th in the table, five places and 10 points above the relegation places.
“Everybody here is underperforming, no matter what the circumstances, we are underperforming and have to accept that,” Amorim said.

“It’s unacceptable to lose so many games. For any Premier League club, imagine Manchester United. So it’s a really hard moment but we have to continue, we have to continue, there is no other way. We need to suffer and continue.”

Kylian Mbappe struck twice and produced a brilliant performance to power Real Madrid to a 4-1 win over Las Palmas and take the reigning champions top of La Liga on Sunday. Los Blancos enjoyed a perfect weekend, overtaking Atletico Madrid by two points after their neighbours slipped up with a shock defeat at Leganes on Saturday, while Barcelona, third, could only draw at Getafe. Mbappe has hit top form in recent weeks after an inconsistent start to life at Real Madrid following his dream switch from Paris Saint-Germain last summer.

The 26-year-old reached 12 league goals with his brace, becoming the Spanish league’s second top-scorer behind Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski.

Mbappe now has 18 goals for the season in 30 appearances across all competitions, and is looking increasingly crucial for his side in attack.
With Vinicius Junior suspended, the spotlight was entirely on the French forward at the Santiago Bernabeu and he delivered with a sparkling performance.

Las Palmas took a surprise early lead in just over 30 seconds when a rapid move sliced open Madrid’s defence.

Sandro Ramirez crossed for Fabio Silva to apply the finishing touch from close range.
Madrid hit back strongly, with Brahim Diaz shooting wide when he should have scored, and Mbappe’s fierce effort tipped away by Jasper Cillessen.

Mbappe, who came in for heavy criticism after missing two penalties towards the end of 2024, levelled from the spot after Sandro clumsily felled Rodrygo.
The striker was involved in Madrid’s second goal, with the rebound from his saved shot falling to Lucas Vazquez, who squared for Diaz to convert.

Mbappe netted his second with a fine finish which arced into the top corner after Rodrygo cut the ball back to him.
The forward thought he had completed his hat-trick before the break but the goal was ruled offside for a position Mbappe took up in the build-up.

Jude Bellingham hit the side-netting early in the second half when he should have scored, but Madrid’s fourth goal did not take long to arrive.
Rodrygo stroked home from Fran Garcia’s low cross after Mbappe played the left-back in.

Bellingham and Fede Valverde had goals ruled out for offside as Madrid continued to dominate, and they were able to welcome David Alaba back as a substitute after more than a year out with a serious knee injury.

Calderwood passed away in the early hours of Sunday morning with devoted partner Yvonne Buchanan and her two daughters by his side.
Calderwood, who also bossed Kilmarnock and Ross County, was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s in 2015.

Two years later he went public with his plight and spoke of his determination to continue enjoying life as much as possible, and he hoped that opening up would help raise awareness of the condition.
The ex-Birmingham City star was, in his prime, one of Scottish football’s most colourful and popular characters.
Heartbroken Yvonne said today: ‘What can I say? I’ve lost the love of my life to a very cruel disease.

‘We shared so many special moments together, especially with my children – Mark, Carla and Jolana – and we are all devastated.
‘We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported and loved him. Your kindness, care and unwavering support meant the world not only to him but to all of us.
‘I’d like to extend my gratitude to the staff at Abbotsford House in Bearsden, Glasgow.
‘We kindly ask for privacy during this incredibly sad time and thank everyone for their thoughts and prayers.’
He arrived at Dunfermline Athletic in 1999 after spells coaching Willem II and NEC Nijmegen in Holland.
The Glaswegian took Pars into the top flight where he improved their position year on year.
Calderwood guided them to the Scottish Cup Final in 2004, guaranteeing the club European qualification.

Dons consistently achieved high-place finishes under Calderwood and reached the last 32 of the UEFA Cup in 2007/08 where his team drew 2-2 with mighty Bayern Munich.
Periods in charge at Killie and Ross County were briefer before a return to Holland with Go Ahead Eagles then De Graafschap.
As a player, Calderwood made over 150 appearances for Birmingham in England’s top division, now the Premier League, and was a teammate of Trevor Francis and Kenny Burns.
He played nearly 200 Eredivisie games for clubs including Sparta Rotterdam and Roda JC.
In Holland, he was a teammate of Louis van Gaal and played against the likes of Johan Cruyff, Frank Rijkaard, Marco Van Basten and Ronald Koeman.

Calderwood has four children – Scott, Kay, Donna and Nikki – from his first marriage to Sue.

He is survived by the family who have cared for him through years of declining health – loving partner Yvonne, her daughters Carla and Jolana and her son Mark.

Lionel Messi has gone viral after responding to the Mexican crowd with a gesture during Inter Miami’s pre-season opener, which ended in victory on Saturday night. The David Beckham-owned club secured a 3-2 win on penalties against LIGA MX giants Club America at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, with Messi, as expected, getting himself on the scoresheet again.

The Herons’ equaliser in the 34th minute was a product of the former Barcelona trio—Messi, Luis Suarez, and Jordi Alba. Alba delivered a cross to Suarez at the back post, and the Uruguayan legend lofted the ball across the face of goal, allowing Messi to head it home. This came just three minutes after the reigning Mexican champions took the lead, with Henry Martin tapping in a pass from former LAFC winger Brian Rodríguez.
Despite the match being a preseason friendly, the travelling Mexican crowd taunted Messi throughout. But his early equaliser provided the perfect opportunity for the Argentine to respond, which he did in fine fashion.

After netting 21 goals in 22 MLS appearances last season, scoring on Saturday night was just another day at the office for Messi. However, this goal came with a twist, as the 37-year-old added a touch of provocation towards the opposing fans. After heading the ball into the net, Messi turned to the Mexican crowd and made gestures that seemed to say: ‘My country has three World Cups, and you? Zero.’

Messi played a pivotal role in one of his country’s World Cup triumphs, earning both the Ballon d’Or and the Golden Ball after Argentina’s 2022 victory over France.

While the Argentine legend has typically let his performances speak for themselves in the past, his later years have unveiled a more provocative side to the seasoned veteran, who has become more willing to taunt supporters trying to get on his back.