28 Oct Soccer Insights – October Vol. 2
End of the MLS regular season, Aubameyang in top form, Cup upsets in England and more. The latest news in the soccer world in our brand new edition of Soccer Insights:
UEFA Champions League
The most anticipated game of the week, Paris Saint-Germain versus Real Madrid, ended with a kinda disappointing goalless draw. The game had is emotions, though, with Madrid testing PSG defensive line during most of the game. Big figures Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic failed to influence the game despite some good efforts.
It was Arsenal’s victory over Bayern Munich what made it to the UCL headlines. The Gunners faced their most desperate hour, if they didn’t win that game their qualification hopes would practically disappear following two defeats in the previous games. Bayern couldn’t show their mighty attack, and it proved costly during the final minutes, when Olivier Giroud and Mesut Özil beat Manuel Neuer to secure a vital win.
UEFA Europa League
Borussia Dortmund are being missed in the Champions League. In the meantime, they are showing off in the Europa League, where they are have dominated the group stage with thrilling performances. Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang was their latest hero in the tournament, scoring three goals in their victory against Qäbälä.
A lot of eyes were watching eagerly as Jürgen Klopp debuted in Anfield as Liverpool manager against Rubin Kazan. He had never won his European first game with any of his previous teams, and this time it wasn’t different. A second half goal by Emre Can let them avoid defeat in front of their people.
Premier League
Results
| Manchester United | 0-0 | Manchester City |
| Arsenal | 2-1 | Everton |
| West Ham | 2-1 | Chelsea |
| Sunderland | 3-0 | Newcastle |
| Bournemouth | 1-5 | Tottenham |
| Liverpool | 1-1 | Southampton |
| Aston Villa | 1-2 | Swansea |
| Leicester City | 1-0 | Crystal Palace |
| Norwich | 0-1 | West Brom |
| Stoke City | 0-2 | Watford |
Table
| 1 | Manchester City | 22pts |
| 2 | Arsenal | 22pts |
| 3 | West Ham | 20pts |
| 4 | Manchester United | 20pts |
| 5 | Leicester | 19pts |
Talking points
- Manchester derby disappointed. Neither United or City seemed to be too worried about winning, and in the end the draw was slightly more convenient for the Citizens, who maintained their spot atop of the league.
- Last week was particularly good for Arsenal. The Gunners ar now co-leaders with Manchester City, and have showed serious title intentions after a weak start.
- Chelsea’s situation is reaching a boiling point. Their defeat against West Ham was a complete disaster, and their hopes of defending the title have practically vanished.
Capital One Cup
The Capital One Cup left some surprises, as both Arsenal and Chelsea were knocked out by seemingly weaker teams. The Gunners’ case was the most surprising, as they fell to Sheffield Wednesday by 3-0, an impressive result if you keep in mind that Wednesday is a second division club. Chelsea was beaten by Stoke City in penalty kicks, and their overall season performance has put coach Jose Mourinho in a dangerous position.
La Liga
Results
| Celta de Vigo | 1-3 | Real Madrid |
| Barcelona | 3-1 | Eibar |
| Atlético de Madrid | 2-1 | Valencia |
| Athletic Club | 3-0 | Sporting de Gijón |
| Levante | 0-4 | Real Sociedad |
| Las Palmas | 0-0 | Villarreal |
| Granada CF | 1-1 | Real Betis |
| Sevilla | 5-0 | Getafe |
| Málaga | 2-0 | Deportivo de La Coruña |
| Rayo Vallecano | 3-0 | Espanyol |
Table
| 1 | Real Madrid | 21pts |
| 2 | Barcelona | 21pts |
| 3 | Atlético Madrid | 19pts |
| 4 | Celta de Vigo | 18pts |
| 5 | Villarreal | 17pts |
Talking points
- Luis Suarez celebrated his first year at Barcelona with style. The Uruguayan scored a hat-trick for Barcelona’s come back against Eibar.
- Real Madrid beat Celta de Vigo and shares the lead with Barcelona, being closely followed by Atlético and Ceta themselves.
- Sevilla’s 5-0 win came with a few curious facts, but the most relevant was that it was the first time in years that a team had been awarded three penalty kicks in the same game, all of them converted by different players.
Bundesliga
Results
| Bayern Munich | 4-0 | FC Köln |
| B. Dortmund | 5-1 | FC Augsburg |
| B. Leverkusen | 4-3 | Stuttgart |
| B. Mönchengladbach | 3-1 | Schalke 04 |
| Mainz 05 | 1-3 | Werder Bremen |
| Hannover 96 | 1-2 | Frankfurt |
| SV Darmstadt 98 | 0-1 | VFL Wolfsburg |
| Ingolstadt 04 | 0-1 | Hertha BSC |
| Hoffenheim | 0-1 | Hamburger SV |
Table
| 1 | Bayern Munich | 30pts |
| 2 | Borussia Dortmund | 23pts |
| 3 | Schalke 04 | 19pts |
| 4 | VFL Wolfsburg | 18pts |
| 5 | Hertha BSC | 17pts |
Talking points
- Bayern Munich registered their 1000th Bundesliga win. The party was completed with Arjen Robben’s return from a long injury and free beer for all the fans at the Allianz Arena.
- Pierre-Emeric Aubameyang extended his goalscoring streak for this season. He has 20 goals and six assists in 17 official games.
- Bayer Leverkusen came back from a 2-0 score to win 4-3 against Stuttgart. Mexican star Javier Chihcarito scored their third goal, and seems to be pretty comfortable in the Bundesliga.
Serie A
Results
| Fiorentina | 1-2 | Roma |
| AC Milan | 2-1 | Sassuolo |
| Juventus | 2-0 | Atalanta |
| Palermo | 1-1 | Inter Milan |
| Empoli | 2-0 | Genoa |
| Sampdoria | 4-1 | Hellas Verona |
| Udinese | 1-0 | Frosinone |
| Lazio | 3-0 | Torino |
| Chievo Verona | 0-1 | Napoli |
| Carpi | 1-2 | Bologna |
Table
| 1 | Roma | 20pts |
| 2 | Inter Milan | 18pts |
| 3 | Napoli | 18pts |
| 4 | Fiorentina | 18pts |
| 5 | Lazio | 18pts |
Talking points
- AS Roma climbed up to the top of the table following a crucial win against Fiorentina. Salah and Gervinho were their goalscorers in that game.
- 16-year-old Donnarumma made his debut as professional GK for AC Milan. He was chosen over the experienced Diego López, and his coach bet went well with the Rossonneri claiming victory.
- Juventus seems t have found their form this season following a slow and exasperating start. They’re still far away from the top positions, but their fans still have some title hopes.
Ligue 1
Results
| PSG | 4-1 | St. Etienne |
| Reims | 0-1 | Monaco |
| Lille | 1-2 | Marseille |
| Bourdeaux | 1-0 | Troyes |
| Lorient | 1-1 | Rennes |
| Angers | 0-0 | Guingamp |
| Montpellier | 2-0 | Bastia |
| Caen | 0-2 | Nantes |
| Lyon | 3-0 | Toulouse |
| Ajaccio | 3-1 | Nice |
Table
| 1 | PSG | 29pts |
| 2 | Angers | 22pts |
| 3 | Caen | 21pts |
| 4 | Lyon | 19pts |
| 5 | St. Etienne | 19pts |
Talking points
- Unsurprisingly enough, Paris Saint-Germain is dominating the league. They crushed Saint Etienne and now sit seven points clear from Angers.
- Lyon recent good form has them sharing cups with the top teams of the league. They may not be title candidates, but could fight for a UCL spot.
- Angers and Caen have maintained their good forms, keeping their places in the general table despite many expecting them to have dropped ore points by now.
MLS
Latest Results
| Chicago Fire | 1-2 | New York Red Bulls |
| FC Dallas | 2-1 | San Jose Earthquakes |
| Columbus Crew | 5-0 | DC United |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 3-0 | Houston Dynamo |
| Montreal Impact | 2-1 | Toronto FC |
| New York City FC | 1-3 | New England Revolution |
| Philadelphia Union | 1-0 | Orlando City SC |
| Portland Timbers | 4-1 | Colorado Rapids |
| Seattle Sounders | 3-1 | Real Salt Lake |
| Sporting Kansas City | 2-1 | LA Galaxy |
Tables
Eastern Conference
| 1 | NY Red Bulls | 60pts |
| 2 | Columbus Crew | 53pts |
| 3 | Montreal Impact | 51pts |
Western Conference
| 1 | FC Dallas | 60pts |
| 2 | Vancouver Whitecaps | 53pts |
| 3 | Portland Timbers | 53pts |
Talking points
- New York Red Bulls won their second Supporters’ Shield in three years following an outstanding regular season where only FC Dallas could match them.
- Sebastian Giovinco secured the Golden Boot with 22 goals. He also had the most assists, serving 16 goals for his teammates. He will surely be elected as this season’s MVP, ending his first MLS year on a high note with the MLS Cup play-offs still to be played.
- Didier Drogba has been under the spotlight after his outstanding contribution for Montreal Impact. The Ivorian scored 11 goals in his 11 games with the Canadian side. He, however, declared that MLS has still a lot of things to improve in order to really compete with Europe’s top leagues.
Liga MX
Results:
| Pumas UNAM | 2-3 | Chiapas |
| América | 0-1 | Querétaro |
| Monterrey | 3-1 | Tijuana |
| Veracruz | 3-2 | Toluca |
| Santos | 1-2 | Cruz Azul |
| Pachuca | 2-0 | Morelia |
| Dorados | 0-0 | Tigres |
| Puebla | 1-0 | León |
| Atlas | Suspended | Chivas |
Table
| 1 | UNAM | 28pts |
| 2 | Toluca | 26pts |
| 3 | América | 24pts |
| 4 | León | 24pts |
| 5 | Tigres | 23pts |
| 6 | Puebla | 23pts |
| 7 | Veracruz | 22pts |
| 8 | Monterrey | 20pts |
Talking points
- Chiapas took Pumas by surprise and beat them in front of their fans. UNAM had an unbeaten streak of six games at their home ground without conceding any goals.
- The Clásico Tapatío between Atlas and Chivas was not played due to the impact of Hurricane Patricia in Mexico.
- Cruz Azul won their first game since the arrival of Tomas Boy as new coach. Their qualifying hopes are almost non-existent, but they still must redeem themselves with their fans.
What to look out for this weekend
Premier League: Chelsea vs Liverpool – Saturday, October 31 on NBCSN/Telemundo at 8:45 a.m. ET.
La Liga: Real Madrid vs Las Palmas – Saturday, October 31 on beIN Sports/beIN Sports en español at 11:00 p.m. ET.
Bundesliga: Wolfsburg vs Bayer Leverkusen – Saturday, October 31 on Fox Sports 2/Fox Deportes at 1:30 p.m. ET.
Serie A: Inter Milan vs AS Roma – Saturday, October 31 (no TV in the U.S.) at 3:45 p.m. ET.
Ligue 1: Rennes vs Paris Saint-Germain – Friday, October 30 on beIN Sports/beIN Sports en español at 3:30 p.m. ET.
MLS Cup Playoffs: DC United vs New England Revolution – Tuesday, October 28 on UniMás at 7:30 p.m. ET.
MLS Cup Playoffs: Seattle Sounders vs LA Galaxy – Tuesday, October 28 on UniMás at 10:00 p.m. ET.
Liga MX: Toluca vs América – Sunday, November 1 on Univisión Deportes at 1:00 p.m ET.
UEFA Champions League
- Real Madrid vs PSG – Tuesday, November 3 on Fox Sports 1/ESPN Deportes at 2:45 p.m. ET.
- AS Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen – Wednesday, November 4 on Fox Sports 2/Fox Deportes at 2:45 p.m. ET.
- Bayern Munich vs Arsenal – Wednesday, November 4 on Fox Sports 1/ESPN Deportes at 2:45 p.m. ET.
