European soccer news: Barca continue winless streak, Tottenham shock Arsenal

There are solely a few weeks till we ring within the new 12 months however, earlier than that, there may be some soccer motion to be determined all throughout Europe to complete off 2023 on a excessive. As all the time, this weekend noticed some surprising outcomes, drama, and pleasure that’s ever so current within the continent.

On Saturday, Tottenham achieved a historic 1-0 win over their north London rivals Arsenal within the Women’s Super League, Barcelona have been unable to grab all three factors in a 1-1 draw in opposition to Valencia, Borussia Dortmund continued to lose floor within the Bundesliga race following a 1-1 draw to Augsburg, and Lyon earned an vital 1-0 win over Monaco that helps them within the battle to flee the relegation zone in Ligue 1.

Here is your look again in any respect the enjoyable from the weekend.

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SATURDAY REVIEW

The Saturday lead: Tottenham earn historic north London win

The North London Derby has a particular place within the English soccer calendar, though on the ladies’s aspect, it has been a moderately one-sided affair with Spurs enjoying catch up having solely been promoted to the highest tier in 2019. Aside from a draw, grabbed in stoppage time again in 2021, Arsenal had reigned supreme within the derby, outscoring Spurs by 24 objectives to a few, notching 5 wins alongside the way in which.

Having performed one another in a midweek cup sport that ended 3-3, Spurs made only one change for the tie as Arsenal recalled 9 gamers again into the beginning XI, exhibiting their power in depth. Indeed, the workforce that simply bested Chelsea 4-1 to inject some spice into the title race, had the lion’s share of the ball and probabilities in opposition to a Spurs workforce combating accidents.

With the guests having missed numerous probabilities, the hosts streaked ahead simply earlier than the hour, with Celin Bizet’s work to beat the defence and feed the ball by way of important for Martha Thomas to ship house and break the impasse.

From there, Spurs solely received deeper. Manager Robert Vilahamn’s substitutes have been used to strengthen the overworked defence who hadn’t tasted a win within the league since October. Defending for his or her lives was not fairly the brand new philosophy Vilahamn has endeavoured to evangelise since taking cost over the summer time.

Yet, the influence of the coach has been felt from prime to backside as his workforce has taken sizable steps within the league, their potential to carry on by way of greater than 12 minutes of stoppage time testomony to their evolution.

Although there might be questions round why Arsenal could not do extra with their 31 pictures, all that mattered for the followers chanting “Glory, glory Tottenham Hotspur” at full-time was the primary win Spurs had managed over Arsenal within the WSL. — Sophie Lawson

Saturday speaking factors across the leagues

Barcelona continue lackluster winless run

Barcelona’s lack of a scientific edge as soon as once more value them as they prolonged their winless run to a few video games with a 1-1 draw at Valencia in LaLiga on Saturday. João Félix gave Barça a Fifty fifth-minute lead at Mestalla, however Hugo Guillamón’s sensible strike earned them some extent and additional dented the guests’ title hopes. Barça started the weekend seven factors adrift of leaders Girona and 5 behind second-placed Real Madrid. Those gaps will develop additional if Madrid and Girona win their respective video games in opposition to Villarreal and Alaves over the subsequent two days.

After back-to-back defeats in opposition to Girona and Antwerp, Barça coach Xavi Hernández had known as the journey to Valencia a “final” with the strain growing on each him and his workforce following a run of 4 defeats in 9 video games. An even first half ended goalless, with each groups squandering probabilities, however Barça improved after the break. João Félix tapped within the opener after a superb go from Frenkie de Jong performed in Raphinha, however some passive defending, taking nothing away from Guillamón’s positive end from the sting of the field, let Valencia again into the sport.

Still, Barça created sufficient within the last 20 minutes to win the sport. Substitute Ferran Torres wasted an excellent probability from one other supreme De Jong go. Raphinha was denied by goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili when freed by Robert Lewandowski after which noticed the rebound blocked by Yarek Gasiorowski. Barça ended the sport with 16 pictures and an xG of three.06 to Valencia’s 0.48. Raphinha (xG 0.81) and Lewandowski (xG 0.63) have been essentially the most wasteful. Xavi has blamed his aspect’s failure to take their probabilities for current outcomes and, regardless of a greater efficiency right here, that can once more be his excuse for extra dropped factors.

Next up for Barça earlier than the transient Christmas break within the league is Almeria on the Olympic Stadium on Wednesday. There might be no excuses if they can not return to profitable methods in opposition to the league’s solely winless aspect. — Samuel Marsden

Dortmund continue to slip away from Bundesliga title race

Only essentially the most optimistic fan would say that Borussia Dortmund are nonetheless a reputable contender, however Saturday’s 1-1 draw put paid to any such notion. Despite taking 13 factors from a attainable 15 of their final 5 conferences with Augsburg, this weekend noticed them take pleasure in 64% possession, 24 pictures, and a 2.78 xG on their technique to a irritating end result which means they’re 10 factors behind league-leading Bayer Leverkusen, who host Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Winless of their final 5 video games (all competitions) and presently fifth within the Bundesliga, a tricky second half of the season looms if they continue to be unable to transform scoring probabilities. The summer time exit of Jude Bellingham clearly subtracted loads of thrust and sophistication within the attacking third, however there’s much more to Dortmund’s points than that. Marco Reus was uninspired in attacking midfield and Niclas Füllkrug was wasteful with 4 robust appears to be like at objective contained in the field.

After a mild opening interval, Augsburg opened the scoring after Ermedin Demirovic comfortably shrugged off Nico Schlotterbeck’s defensive effort to transform past Gregor Kobel. BVB would quickly stage with Donyell Malen, whose interaction with Fullkrug was capped by his precision end, sneaking it inside Finn Dahmen’s far publish.

The second half noticed Fullkrug squander two gilt-edge alternatives within the last 10 minutes, firing agonizingly extensive for the primary after which eliciting a shocking save from Dahmen, who tipped a volley onto the publish after an outstanding cross by Thomas Meunier with time operating down.

The end result may swimsuit Augsburg simply positive given their modest ambitions for this season, however Dortmund and their followers all the time count on extra. Their purpose is all the time increased than their expertise ranges, and a run of 1 win in seven Bundesliga video games may imply a grim winterpause for Edin Terzic & Co. — James Tyler

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Finn Dahmen comes up enormous for Augsburg in last 10 minutes

Finn Dahmen makes a trio of saves within the last 10 minutes to maintain FC Augsburg stage with Borussia Dortmund at one.

Lyon earn long-awaited win in Ligue 1

Let’s be sincere, John Textor hasn’t had many nice days since turning into the proprietor of Lyon. It has been a protracted nightmare for him and the membership. However, Friday night would convey the American businessman a uncommon second of pleasure. Away at Monaco, l’OL was on the lookout for back-to-back league wins for the primary time on this disappointing season. It was not going to be simple contemplating how good their hosts have been this season and the sport turned out to be powerful certainly.

Monaco have been the higher workforce from begin to end. Lyon interim coach Pierre Sage, who’s on an expert workforce touchline for the primary time in his profession, may solely watch his aspect being battered and his goalkeeper Anthony Lopes maintaining his teammates within the sport with save after save. Folarin Balogun may have had a hat trick, Krépin Diatta a brace, and Monaco have been placing increasingly strain within the second half.

And simply when it seemed like the one end result could be one other defeat for Lyon, who had solely gained twice in 15 video games earlier than their journey to the principality, Sage made three modifications that might change every thing. In the 83rd minute, Brazilian winger Jeffinho got here on and, on his first contact two minutes later, scored the one objective of the sport off a cross from Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who got here on within the 72nd minute, following a one-two with Tino Kadewere, who entered the sport on the identical time than Jeffinho.

It was an actual smash-and-grab for Lyon. They had 5 pictures, two on track, and that was sufficient. Monaco had nearly twice extra xG and 19 pictures nevertheless it was simply not their day. It was one to have fun for Textor although. — Julien Laurens

Americans Abroad: Sabbi stands out for Le Havre

Emmanuel Sabbi stole all of the headlines for the Americans Abroad on Saturday as he was instrumental in serving to Le Havre upset title-challenging Nice because of his two objectives in a 3-1 win. The end result strikes the not too long ago promoted Ligue 1 aspect as much as ninth place in the intervening time, with Sabbi racking up his first two objectives for the membership since becoming a member of from OB from Denmark in the summertime.

In England, Chris Richards performed your entire match for Crystal Palace as they have been capable of snatch some extent in a 2-2 comeback draw in opposition to Manchester City because of Michael Olise’s stoppage-time penalty.

In Germany, a few Americans have been capable of snatch unbeaten leads to the Bundesliga as Gio Reyna performed 32 minutes in Borussia Dortmund’s 1-1 draw in opposition to Augsburg and Kevin Paredes performed the final three minutes in Wolfsburg’s 1-0 win over Darmstadt. It wasn’t a constructive end result for BVB nonetheless as they continue to slide within the title race presently fifth within the desk, whereas Wolfsburg goes to ninth place.

And lastly in Spain, Celta Vigo received a vital 1-0 win over Granada that noticed Luca de la Torre play 18 minutes and assist his aspect escape the LaLiga relegation zone to get solely their second win of the season, their first since September after they beat Almeria 3-2. — Roberto Rojas

News of the day

• Luton Town defender and membership captain Tom Lockyer is in a “stable” situation in a hospital after going into cardiac arrest on the pitch throughout his workforce’s Premier League match in opposition to Bournemouth. The match was deserted Saturday after Lockyer collapsed on the pitch after 59 minutes. “Our medical staff have confirmed that the Hatters captain suffered cardiac arrest on the pitch, but was responsive by the time he was taken off on the stretcher,” the membership mentioned in a press release. “He received further treatment inside the stadium, for which we once again thank the medical teams from both sides. Tom was transferred to hospital, where we can reassure supporters that he is stable and currently undergoing further tests with his family at his bedside.”

• Sevilla formally sacked supervisor Diego Alonso after his workforce’s winless streak in LaLiga continued with a 3-0 house loss to Getafe on Saturday. “We would like to communicate that Diego Alonso has been relieved of his duties as first-team head coach. We thank him for his efforts and wish him the best for the future,” the membership mentioned in a press release.

And lastly, on Saturday …

Our shock of the day takes us to Manchester as Crystal Palace snatched some extent in a 2-2 comeback draw because of Michael Olise’s stoppage-time penalty in opposition to Manchester City.

Despite being with out Erling Haaland within the beginning lineup as a result of damage, Pep Guardiola’s aspect was capable of begin on the appropriate foot, with a Twenty fourth-minute objective from Jack Grealish and 9 minutes into the second half, Rico Lewis doubling their lead that allowed the defending English and European champions cruising to a win, or so that they thought.

That second…#CPFC pic.twitter.com/6b7bpj9KSG

— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) December 16, 2023

That all modified within the second half as Jean-Philippe Mateta snatched one again 14 minutes from time. Then, late in stoppage time, Palace received a penalty following Phil Foden’s foul within the field on Mateta, which allowed Olise to step up and rating from the spot and allowed Roy Hodgson’s workforce to earn a priceless away level.

With this end result, Manchester City did not make up important floor within the Premier League race over Aston Villa, Arsenal, and the workforce they’re now three factors behind: league leaders Liverpool. Guardiola’s aspect sit in fourth place within the desk and now journey to Saudi Arabia to compete and attempt to win their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup whereas Palace are in fifteenth place, eight factors above the relegation zone. — Rojas