European soccer news: Leverkusen stay top, Cole Palmer shines

After the latest spherical of home cup matches throughout Europe, league soccer returns with thrilling performances and shock outcomes occurring within the Premier League, Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga and Ligue 1.

On Saturday, we noticed Chelsea edge Fulham 1-0 after Cole Palmer put away a penalty whereas Manchester City delivered a 3-2 comeback victory in opposition to Newcastle United. Elsewhere, Bayer Leverkusen beat Augsburg to retain their maintain on the high of the German league.

Meanwhile within the Women’s FA Cup, Aston Villa’s woes continued after struggling a 3-0 defeat to Everton. And lastly, in Italy, Napoli gained their first recreation since Dec. 16 and are a far cry from their title-winning heroics final season.

Here is your look again at yet one more roller-coaster weekend in European soccer.

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, extra (U.S.)

SATURDAY REVIEW

The lead: Leverkusen win ugly and stay high

The outdated adage is that you must win ugly in an effort to win championships. And league leaders Bayer Leverkusen snatched a last-gasp win at FC Augsburg on their return after the Bundesliga restart, retaining their four-point lead over perennial champions Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen had acquired a probably crushing blow a number of days earlier than the resumption with the information that star striker Victor Boniface had suffered a severe adductor harm. Initially anticipated to be absent for only some weeks to play on the Africa Cup of Nations, the Nigerian, who has scored 10 targets in 16 league video games, will now probably stay on the sidelines till early April.

BAYER LEVERKUSEN WIN IT IN STOPPAGE TIME 😱

THEIR INCREDIBLE SEASON CONTINUES 👏 pic.twitter.com/g0ANSklJnq

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) January 13, 2024

Manager Xabi Alonso opted for a two-man strikeforce with Czech internationals Patrik Schick and Adam Hložek, whereas Florian Wirtz remained on the bench till the 62nd minute due to a niggly harm. Following Bayern Munich’s snug 3-0 win in opposition to TSG Hoffenheim on Friday night, Leverkusen aimed to duplicate their success however struggled to search out the web regardless of quite a few probabilities. In the second half, a resolute FC Augsburg practically capitalized on a break, however Augsburg captain Ermedin Demirović missed an important alternative that might have handed Leverkusen their first defeat of the season.

Instead, within the fourth minute of added time, Alejandro Grimaldo discovered Exequiel Palacios within the field. Palacios, an unusual presence in that space, capitalized on being unmarked, taking sufficient time to shift the ball onto his left foot and slot a valuable winner previous goalkeeper Finn Dahmen. The resounding cheers from the Leverkusen gamers echoed by Augsburg’s WWK Stadion. Alonso’s unwavering emphasis on his group’s have to carry out at their peak to stay atop the Bundesliga desk was unquestionably validated by their hard-fought victory in Augsburg. — Constantin Eckner

Saturday speaking factors across the leagues

Where would Chelsea be with out Cole Palmer?

Chelsea secured their third consecutive Premier League victory on Saturday with an unconvincing 1-0 win over Fulham at Stamford Bridge. No prizes for guessing who made the distinction. Cole Palmer’s stoppage-time penalty is his 18th objective involvement (11 targets, seven assists) in all competitions this season, the third-highest tally for a participant 21 or youthful throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues. Only Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham (22) and Bayer Leverkusen’s Wirtz (20) have had a better affect.

When Palmer misfires, as he did in midweek in opposition to Middlesbrough, Chelsea are inclined to battle. Here, he was the brightest spark in one other largely laborious show which ended with some frantic defending in opposition to a group that had not gained at Chelsea since 1979. There will likely be some concern over how reliant the Blues presently are on a 21-year-old, however on the identical time, he supplies hope a group can but emerge from Chelsea’s expensively-assembled components.

The recreation was additionally notable for a weird PR stunt wherein seven identically dressed males stood up at varied occasions close to the dugout to both learn a ebook, clear their tooth or test their watches. It was all designed to assist promote a movie involving an organization related to Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly, who was in attendance to observe such unusual exercise going down a number of yards away from Pochettino. The Chelsea boss afterwards mentioned he was conscious of the incident but it surely did not detract from the efficiency. In reality, he desires an invitation to the premiere. The lead actor will do effectively to duplicate Palmer’s star high quality. — James Olley

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Pochettino hopes Chelsea can ‘develop’ after gritty win

Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea are “one of the better teams” within the Premier League during the last month following their 1-0 win over Fulham.

Everton first into the hat for fifth-round FA Cup draw

With 9 and 11 factors within the Women’s Super League respectively, each Aston Villa and Everton welcomed the FA Cup as a much-needed distraction from poor league kind, however for hosts Villa it was extra of the identical sub-standard soccer. As for the Toffees, who have been buoyed with the morning bulletins of a mortgage deal for Arsenal’s Katherine Kühl and the signing of Rikke Madsen, there have been extra causes to be optimistic coming into the conflict.

On the pitch, Villa pale early on, and Everton started to dictate the tie, though they’d little to indicate for it come the deadlocked half-time whistle. After the break, the guests managed to make their higher play rely and, simply earlier than the hour, Karoline Olesen gave them the lead with a hammered effort off the bar. A seven-minute brace from Katja Snoeijs wrapped up Everton’s development into the fifth spherical with relative ease and can give Brian Sørensen’s group extra to construct on when the Women’s Super League recommences subsequent weekend.

For Villa, it was extra disappointment and underwhelming soccer from a group that rode so excessive final season and has not simply did not construct this marketing campaign, but in addition has regressed and routinely fallen right into a disconnect on the pitch, elevating questions in regards to the suitability of its favoured however simply bypassed 4-3-3. — Sophie Lawson

Napoli clinch late winner win to finish dismal run

The Italian champions have had a rotten season thus far and for 95 minutes within the derby in opposition to Salernitana on the Diego Maradona Stadium, it regarded probably it could proceed to be a foul one for Napoli. And then out of nowhere Amir Rrahmani scored the winner deep in harm time to reward his group its first win in 5 matches!

They wanted a victory so badly and the celebrations confirmed it. For now, they will not fear that they have been a objective down in opposition to the worst group within the league thus far. They will not thoughts that they’re nonetheless enjoying fairly common soccer below Walter Mazzarri whose run earlier than this win was one of many worst within the membership’s historical past.

For now, it’s all about Saturday’s end result, which takes them to sixth place within the desk for now earlier than Sunday’s video games. After the humiliation within the Italian Cup in opposition to Frosinone (4-0), the battering by Torino final weekend (3-0), Rrahmani is likely one of the uncommon sources of pleasure Napoli can smile about this season.

After 4 losses (Inter Milan, Juventus, Roma and Torino) and a draw (0-0 in opposition to Monza), that is solely the Neapolitans’ second win in Serie A of their final seven matches! They will gladly take it contemplating they’re with out star striker Victor Osimhen who’s on the African Cup of Nations. Let’s see if they’ll proceed profitable after they face Fiorentina within the Italian Super Cup on Thursday in Riyadh after which Lazio within the league on Jan. 28. — Julien Laurens

Americans overseas: Balogun and Reyna battle as Dest notches help

Both Folarin Balogun and Gio Reyna got here on as substitutes for his or her respective sides this weekend, however with out making an impression.

Balogun has scored 4 targets this season for AS Monaco in 15 appearances, an underwhelming sum in comparison with his 21-goal tally final season for Stade de Reims. The 22-year-old got here on for Monaco within the forty sixth minute on Saturday, however was unable to make an impression as his facet misplaced to Reims 3-1.

In the Bundesliga, Reyna has struggled for minutes this season at Dortmund and got here on within the 88th minute, solely to come back away with a yellow card in his group’s 3-0 victory. Reyna is but to attain and help this season, and a transfer elsewhere within the January switch window might be his greatest choice to get into high kind earlier than this summer season’s Copa America.

Finally, Sergiño Dest continues to ship for PSV, who sit 13 factors forward of second-place Feyenoord within the league, after helping Luuk de Jong in a 3-1 win over Excelsior. Dest has been sensible this season for PSV in defence, and has a objective and three assists in 19 appearances.

News of the day

• Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino has performed down strategies that the membership have to signal a striker in January and dismissed rumours a couple of hyperlink to Brighton ahead Evan Ferguson. Sources have informed ESPN that the Blues are concerned with Napoli’s Victor Osimhen and Brentford’s Ivan Toney, however each offers are seen as extraordinarily troublesome to finish this month. Pochettino responded to those claims by saying: “I never said that we need a centre-forward. No, because after that we create a problem, me with my people. I never said that. The most important thing is this club is ready to act in one or another direction but I never said we need to add another player in the squad.”

• Roma supervisor Jose Mourinho referred to as himself “Jose ‘Harry Potter’ Mourinho” and steered he has raised expectations of what the membership can obtain. “The Roma fans are the most incredible I have seen. Their coach is Jose ‘Harry Potter’ Mourinho and he raises expectations,” he mentioned. “I don’t know how many derbies I’ve played, 200, 150, they are always special matches. I’ve won, I’ve drawn, I’ve lost, always with a different experience.” Roma are 4 factors off fourth-place Fiorentina within the race for a spot in subsequent season’s Champions League and have additionally certified for the knockout phases of the Europa League.

• Pep Guardiola hailed Kevin De Bruyne as a “legend” after the midfielder registered a objective and an help on his Premier League return to assist Manchester City to a dramatic 3-2 win over Newcastle United. “He is a legend,” mentioned Guardiola. “I had the feeling he is not ready for 90 minutes after five months so we have that situation, impact in the last minutes.The goal and the assist, he is loved by our people and hopefully in the last months he can help us be there to the end.”

And lastly on Saturday …

On mortgage from Manchester United, Jadon Sancho — on his second debut for Borussia Dortmund — made an help in BVB’s 3-0 victory over Darmstadt 98. The 23-year-old spent 4 seasons within the Bundesliga from 2017 to 2021, and after asserting his return to the membership with a nod to Michael Jordan, Sancho’s begin is a cheerful one after a bitter spell at Old Trafford and a public row with supervisor Erik ten Hag.

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Sancho units up Reus in his return to Borussia Dortmund

Sancho units up Reus in his return to Borussia Dortmund

Wearing the No. 10 shirt, Sancho got here on within the fifty fifth minute earlier than squaring a ball from the proper flank for Marco Reus to faucet in for the group’s second objective after 77 minutes. Will we see extra of the Sancho from his prior stint at Dortmund?