🇮🇹 Relegation-battling Frosinone thrashed by newly-crowned champions Inter Milan.
🇵🇹 Chaves confirmed their relegation.
🇪🇸 Real Madrid’s first action as champions was confirming Granada’s relegation.
🏴 Manchester City will become league champions for the 4th straight season by winning their next two league games.
🏴 Burnley and Luton Town lose in London and confirmed their relegation
🇩🇪 FC Köln staged comeback from being two goals down to stave off relegation for the day and give themselves a fighting chance to secure the relegation playoff spot in the final round
🏴 Arsenal beat Manchester United to maintain their momentum and keep pace with Manchester City in the title race.
🇮🇹 Atalanta is closer to picking up the fifth Champions League qualification spot in Serie A.
🇩🇪 Leverkusen stayed unbeaten with a 5-0 win at Bochum.
🇫🇷 Clermont confirmed their relegation after a 1-0 defeat at home to Lyon.
Friday, May 10, 2024
🇳🇱 Dennis Bergkamp turns 55, 🇫🇷 Sylvain Wiltord turns 50, 🇳🇬 Emmanuel Emenike turns 37, 🇧🇷 Richarlison (Brazil) – 27.
🇪🇸 Alavés ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) Girona (spanish la liga):
Jon Guridi scored two equalizing goals for Alaves to prevent a home defeat against a Girona side that is looking for a second-place finish in the league. Guridi’s second goal came in the dying moments, in the ninth minute of added time. The result maintains Alaves’ unbeaten streak in their last four league games, albeit ending a three-game winning streak as well.
🇮🇹 Frosinone ( 0 ) – ( 5 ) Inter Milan (italian serie a):
Relegation-battling Frosinone faced a tough challenge in hosting Inter Milan, who had nothing at stake after securing the league title. Inter Milan was coming off a defeat against Sassuolo, so they didn’t want to develop a bad habit of losing games after becoming champions. Frosinone put up a decent fight in the opening half but were down by a goal at halftime. Inter Milan stepped up their game in the second half, adding four goals to their lead to leave with a 5-0 win. This is the outcome we anticipate when a newly-crowned champion faces a side hovering above the relegation zone.
🇩🇪 Augsburg ( 0 ) – ( 1 ) Stuttgart (german bundesliga):
Serhou Guirassy’s 26th goal of the Bundesliga season secured a victory for Stuttgart in Augsburg. The narrow ‘1-0’ win keeps Stuttgart in the running for a second-place finish in the league on the final day of the season.
🇫🇷 Brest ( 1 ) – ( 1 ) Reims (french ligue 1):
The best Brest could get at home was coming from a goal down to take a 1-1 draw into the halftime break, a score line that was unchanged for the remainder of the game against Reims. This outcome essentially guaranteed that Monaco would finish in second place, leaving Brest still vulnerable to the possibility of concluding their season outside of the top four.
🇫🇷 Nice ( 1 ) – ( 0 ) Le Havre (french ligue 1):
Jeremie Boga’s goal in the 12th minute stood as the sole goal of the game, granting Nice a victory over Le Havre. Le Havre was seeking a positive outcome to steer clear of the risk of landing in a relegation playoff spot in Ligue 1. With Metz suffering defeat against Strasbourg, this result will do.
🇵🇹 Chaves ( 0 ) – ( 1 ) Famalicão (portuguese primeira liga):
Chaves confirmed their relegation at home, succumbing to a 1-0 defeat against Famalicão. Gustavo Sa netted the game’s only goal in the dying minutes of the first half (45+2’).
Saturday, May 11, 2024
🇲🇽 Alberto García Aspe turns 57, 🇪🇸 Andrés Iniesta turns 40, 🇵🇹 Miguel Veloso turns 38, 🇫🇷 Abou Diaby turns 38, 🇲🇽 Giovani dos Santos turns 35, 🇧🇪 Thibaut Courtois turns 32, 🇪🇸 Pablo Sarabia turns 32.
🇪🇸 Mallorca ( 1 ) – ( 0 ) Las Palmas (spanish la liga):
The reverse fixture concluded in a ‘1-1’ draw, and another draw would suffice for Las Palmas, but Mallorca required more to bolster their advancement. Mallorca secured a 1-0 victory against Las Palmas, narrowing the gap between the two teams to just two points. While both clubs are relatively safe, they aimed to accumulate extra points to further distance themselves from the threat of relegation.
🇪🇸 Villarreal ( 3 ) – ( 2 ) Sevilla (spanish la liga):
Villarreal secured a narrow 3-2 victory over Sevilla, with Alexander Sorloth scoring a brace, including netting the winning goal. Despite Youssef En-Nesyri’s brace for Sevilla, Sorloth’s decisive strike, supported by Yerson Mosquera’s goal, ensured the win for Villarreal.
🇪🇸 Granada ( 0 ) – ( 4 ) Real Madrid (spanish la liga):
Real Madrid’s first action as champions was confirming Granada’s relegation. Granada entered the match in desperate need of points to bolster their slim chances of avoiding relegation. However, facing off against Real Madrid, who were in high spirits celebrating their league title success and advancement to another Champions League final, proved to be a formidable challenge.
🏴 Fulham ( 0 ) – ( 4 ) Manchester City (english premier league):
In the reverse fixture, Manchester City triumphed by a margin of 4 goals (5-1), and they replicated this success in their latest encounter. Manchester City visited Fulham and secured all three points with a commanding 4-0 victory.
Defender Josko Gvardiol opened the scoring in the 13th minute and added another goal in the 71st minute, putting him on track for a hat-trick. Phil Foden also found the back of the net in the 59th minute. Julian Alvarez made a late entrance into the game in the 82nd minute and sealed the victory by converting a penalty in the 6th minute of added time.
Manchester City will become league champions for the 4th straight season by winning their next two league games.
🏴 Tottenham Hotspur ( 2 ) – ( 1 ) Burnley (english premier league):
Tottenham ended a run of four straight league defeats with a ‘2-1’ home win against Burnley. A result that confirmed Burnley’s relegation.
🏴 West Ham United ( 3 ) – ( 1 ) Luton Town (english premier league):
West Ham United ended a run of four league games without a win with a 3-1 home win against Luton Town. A result that confirmed Luton Town’s relegation.
🏴 Nottingham Forest ( 2 ) – ( 3 ) Chelsea (english premier league):
Nottingham Forest suffered a 3-2 defeat at home to Chelsa but their path to safety became automatic after Burnley and Luton Town were defeated in their matches.
🇮🇹 Napoli ( 0 ) – ( 2 ) Bologna (italian serie a):
Napoli find themselves without a league victory in their last five games, extending their winless streak to nine league matches. While, Bologna qualified for Champions League football, and in contention for a top-three finish in the league.
Both of Bologna’s goals arrived within the opening 12 minutes of the match, providing them with an ideal start against last season’s champions. Matteo Politano had an opportunity to reduce the deficit but was unable to convert from the penalty spot in the 22nd minute.
🇮🇹 AC Milan ( 5 ) – ( 1 ) Cagliari (italian serie a):
Cagliari aimed for points to aid their push out of a relegation battle, but they faced an AC Milan team that had failed to win in their last six matches (4 league games), despite being poised to finish in second place. AC Milan showed no mercy and dismantled Cagliari with 5 goals to their one.
🇩🇪 Borussia Mönchengladbach ( 1 ) – ( 1 ) Eintracht Frankfurt (german bundesliga):
Mönchengladbach earned a point, mathematically removing themselves as an option for the relegation playoff spot.
🇩🇪 FC Köln ( 3 ) – ( 2 ) Union Berlin (german bundesliga):
FC Köln staged a remarkable comeback from being two goals down, scoring two late goals in the dying minutes of the match to stave off relegation for the day and give themselves a fighting chance to secure the relegation playoff spot in the final round of the Bundesliga season.
Entering the match battling against direct relegation, FC Köln faced Union Berlin, who were also seeking points to avoid relegation playoffs. Had Union Berlin left Cologne unbeaten, FC Köln would have faced relegation. However, with this crucial win, FC Köln remain alive going into the final match day of the season.
To secure their Bundesliga status, FC Köln will need to secure an away win against Heidenheim by at least 3 goals, while also hoping that Union Berlin is defeated at home by Freiburg.
🇩🇪 Mainz ( 3 ) – ( 0 ) Borussia Dortmund (german bundesliga):
Mainz, in search of points to help them move out of the relegation playoff spot, faced a daunting task as they hosted a Borussia Dortmund side riding high after qualifying for the Champions League final.
Mainz got off to a great start, with Jae-Sung Lee scoring a brace to add to Leandro Barreiro’s goal in the 12th minute. Mainz were 3-0 up before the 25 minutes mark, and held that score line to pick up three points with a win. The result marked eight unbeaten league games in a row for Mainz, with 4 wins and 4 draws.
All Mainz has to do to stay out of the relegation playoff spot is to stretch this run to nine games.
🇵🇹 Portimonense ( 2 ) – ( 2 ) Rio Ave (portuguese primeira liga):
Helio Varela scored in the 7th minute of the final added time (90+7’) to see Portimonense avoid defeat at home against Rio Ave. This result keeps alive Portimonense’s chance of finishing above the relegation playoff spot. They will need an away win against Farense and hope that Estrela de Amadora is beaten at home by Gil Vicente.
🇵🇹 Vizela ( 4 ) – ( 0 ) Estrela da Amadora (portuguese primeira liga):
Vizela, already relegated, did not allow Estrela da Amadora to pick up points to help their objective of moving further from the relegation playoff. Vizela secured a 4-0 win, pulling Estrela da Amadora into the relegation playoff spot.
🇵🇹 Estoril ( 0 ) – ( 1 ) Sporting CP (portuguese primeira liga):
Sporting CP’s first match after becoming champions was a 1-0 away win against Estoril. Second-half substitute Paulinho scored the game’s only goal in the 81st minute.
🇵🇹 Vitória de Guimarães ( 2 ) – ( 3 ) Braga (portuguese primeira liga):
Vitória de Guimarães entered the game challenging Braga for fourth place, while Braga was also contending with Porto for second place. The game seemed headed for a 2-2 draw until Rony Lopes, who came on in the 86th minute, scored the winning goal in the third minute of added time to secure all three points for Braga in a 3-2 away victory. This result ensures Vitória de Guimarães will finish the season in 5th place, while Braga still has a chance at finishing 3rd.
Sunday, May 12, 2024
🇧🇷 Marcelo turns 36, 🇳🇱 Frenkie de Jong turns 27
🇪🇸 Cádiz ( 1 ) – ( 0 ) Getafe (spanish la liga):
Although they still find themselves in the relegation zone, this win is crucial for Cadiz as they strive to climb out of it. Ruben Alcaraz scored from a penalty in the 35th minute, which turned out to be the sole goal of the match, securing a victory for Cadiz against Getafe.
🏴 Manchester United ( 0 ) – ( 1 ) Arsenal (english premier league):
Arsenal’s goal is to maintain their momentum and keep pace with Manchester City in the title race. They traveled to Manchester and secured a narrow 1-0 victory against Manchester United, City’s local rival. Leandro Trossard scored the game’s only goal in the 20th minute, ensuring that the Premier League title winner won’t be determined until the completion of the last round of the season.
🇮🇹 Genoa ( 2 ) – ( 1 ) Sassuolo (italian serie a):
Sassuolo took an early lead through a penalty in the 31st minute but conceded twice to Genoa in the second half, with the second goal being an own goal. While Genoa is poised for a mid-table finish, Sassuolo is striving to avoid relegation.
🇮🇹 Hellas Verona ( 1 ) – ( 2 ) Torino (italian serie a):
Torino secured a 2-1 away victory against Hellas Verona, with all three goals coming from a second-half substitute.
Karol Swiderski came into the game in the 62nd minute and found the back of the net five minutes later, giving Hellas Verona a lead that held for approximately 10 minutes, before Zanos Savva equalized for Torino in the 77th minute after entering the game just 8 minutes earlier. Pietro Pellegri then scored the winning goal for Torino in the 83rd minute.
🇮🇹 Juventus ( 1 ) – ( 1 ) Salernitana (italian serie a):
Adrien Rabiot scored Juventus’s goal in the first minute of added time (90+1′) to nullify the lead Salernitana had secured in the 27th minute from Niccolò Pierozzi’s header.
The draw was enough to seal Juventus’s qualification for next season’s Champions League. Juventus have now drawn in their last five league matches, narrowly avoiding a home defeat against relegated Salernitana.
🇮🇹 Atalanta ( 2 ) – ( 1 ) Roma (italian serie a):
Charles De Ketelaere scored two goals in quick succession (18th and 20th minute) to give Atalanta a lead, which was only reduced by Roma when Lorenzo Pellegrini converted a penalty in the 66th minute. The ‘2-1’ win enabled Atalanta to extend their lead over Roma by 3 points, with the added advantage of having a game in hand.
Atalanta entered this match fresh off a victory against Marseille, securing their place in the Europa League final. Meanwhile, Roma came into the match following their elimination in the Europa League semi-final by Bayer Leverkusen. The game unfolded in line with this trajectory.
🇩🇪 Bochum ( 0 ) – ( 5 ) Bayer Leverkusen (german bundesliga):
Bochum, aiming to secure points to distance themselves from the threat of a relegation playoff spot, suffered a heavy defeat, losing 5-0 to Bayer Leverkusen, who are striving to maintain an unbeaten record in their title-winning season.
Bochum’s challenge was compounded when right-back Felix Passlack was sent off after the opening 15 minutes, leaving them with a numerical disadvantage. Five different Leverkusen players found the net during the match.
Bochum’s pathway to staying clear of the relegation playoff spot on the final day of the season hinges on avoiding defeat against Bremen. Alternatively, they can try and rely on Union Berlin losing against Freiburg.
🇫🇷 Clermont ( 0 ) – ( 1 ) Lyon (french ligue 1):
Clermont entered the round aware that their best possible outcome would be securing the relegation playoff spot, although the odds of that happening were not favorable. After a 1-0 defeat at home to Lyon, Clermont’s relegation was confirmed.
🇫🇷 Marseille ( 3 ) – ( 1 ) Lorient (french ligue 1):
Marseille proved to be a formidable challenge for Lorient in their quest for crucial points to avoid what seems like an inevitable relegation. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s brace helped Marseille secure a 3-1 victory against Lorient. As a result, the best Lorient can hope for now is the relegation playoff spot.
Lorient find themselves somewhat fortunate that their final game of the season will be at home against a relegated Clermont Foot, while Metz will face the league champions, Paris Saint-Germain. If Lorient manage a convincing victory and Metz suffer a heavy defeat, there’s a possibility for Lorient to escape the relegation zone and snatch the playoff spot from Metz.
🇫🇷 Nantes ( 1 ) – ( 2 ) Lille (french ligue 1):
Nantes aimed to eliminate the possibility of a relegation playoff with a result against Lille, who are vying for Champions League qualification. Despite Nantes suffering a defeat, their objective was achieved as Metz also experienced a loss, thereby securing Nantes their target.
🇫🇷 Strasbourg ( 2 ) – ( 1 ) Metz (french ligue 1):
Before conceding two goals at the end of regulation time, Metz was on the verge of securing a victory at Strasbourg that would have relegated Lorient, while placing themselves in an ideal position to fend off the relegation playoff spot. However, Strasbourg scored in the 89th minute and again in the first minute of added time, allowing them to come from behind and snatch all three points at home.
🇳🇱 RKC Waalwijk ( 1 ) – ( 1 ) PEC Zwolle (dutch eredivisie):
It almost ended in defeat for RKC Waalwijk. A goal in the first minute of the final added time (90+1’) saved them from a home defeat to PEC Zwolle.
The ‘1-1’ draw means the relegation playoff spot remains an option for RKC Waalwijk as they head into the final round of the season.
🇳🇱 Excelsior ( 4 ) – ( 0 ) Heracles Almelo (dutch eredivisie):
Excelsior’s victory over Heracles kept both teams within reach of the relegation playoff spot, alongside RKC Waalwijk.
A draw wouldn’t have been enough for Excelsior, but it would have been satisfactory for Heracles. Heracles Almelo had attained the required point threshold to evade the relegation playoff, but they still face a mathematical risk due to their inferior goal difference. Avoiding defeat would have secured safety for Heracles, but Excelsior, the current occupants of the relegation playoff spot, ensured their options remained open in the final round of the season.
🇳🇱 Twente ( 7 ) – ( 2 ) Volendam (dutch eredivisie):
In a nine-goal thriller between FC Twente and Volendam, Twente emerged victorious with a resounding 7-2 win against the relegated Volendam, with Sem Steijn scoring a hat-trick.
This result holds significance for Twente’s aspirations to secure a position just outside the top two. Twente aims for third place, with AZ Alkmaar being their sole contender.
🇵🇹 Gil Vicente ( 2 ) – ( 0 ) Farense (portuguese primeira liga):
With only a slight risk of landing in a relegation playoff spot, Gil Vicente secured a home victory, effectively eliminating the possibility altogether.
🇵🇹 Benfica ( 5 ) – ( 0 ) Arouca (portuguese primeira liga):
Benfica closed out their final home league game with a 5-0 win over Arouca.
🇵🇹 Porto ( 2 ) – ( 1 ) Boavista (portuguese primeira liga):
Porto, in the race for a 3rd place finish, hosted a Boavista side fighting for points to steer clear of the relegation playoff. Porto, despite conceding the first goal of the game, rallied to secure a late victory deep into added time, bolstering their aspirations for a third-place finish. Consequently, Boavista remains within reach of the relegation playoff spot in the league standings.
Bruno Lourenço opened the scoring in the 60th minute, putting Boavista on track to secure their safety in the league. However, just four minutes after taking the lead, Boavista was reduced to 10 men as Pedro Malheiro received his second yellow card of the game.
A 10-man Boavista managed to hold Porto at bay for a little over 15 minutes until Ze Pedro leveled the score with a header. The decisive goal came in the 8th minute of added time, with Mehdi Taremi’s header ensuring a 2-1 win for Porto.
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THE TITLE RACE IN THE TOP 7 LEAGUES AFTER THE WEEKEND MATCHES:
🇩🇪 Bundesliga: Bayer Leverkusen are champions.
🇳🇱 Eredivisie: PSV Eindhoven are champions.
🇪🇸 La Liga: Real Madrid are champions.
🇫🇷 Ligue 1: Paris Saint-Germain are champions.
🇵🇹 Primeira Liga: Sporting CP are champions.
🇮🇹 Serie A: Inter Milan are champions.
🏴 Premier League: Arsenal is top of the table leading by a point, with Manchester City sitting second with a game in hand.
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🇩🇪 BUNDESLIGA
In the Bundesliga, the top half of the top six teams added wins to their tally, while the bottom half of the top six dropped points. Leverkusen is on course to reach the 90-point mark. Stuttgart remains hopeful of overtaking Bayern Munich to claim second place. The only undecided race in the Bundesliga is the battle to avoid relegation playoffs.
🇫🇷 LIGUE 1
Paris Saint-Germain’s final league game of the season ended in a 3-1 defeat against Toulouse. While this result doesn’t alter their title-winning season in terms of standings, it may affect sentiments.
Monaco has claimed second place, leaving Lille and Brest to battle for third.
🇳🇱 EREDIVISIE
Twente and AZ Alkmaar are in pursuit of third place at the top end of the table, while Excelsior, Waalwick, and to some extent, Heracles, are striving to avoid participating in a relegation playoff.
🇵🇹 PRIMEIRA LIGA
Porto and Braga will compete for third place, with Porto currently holding the advantage. Meanwhile, Portimonense, Estrela da Amadora, and Boavista are battling to avoid participating in the relegation playoff.
🏴 PREMIER LEAGUE
The title race is set to go down to the wire, with Arsenal being the only club capable of halting Manchester City’s fourth consecutive title win, provided Manchester City drop points. The three relegated teams have been identified, but not officially confirmed, as mathematically Luton Town still has a chance to survive. If Luton Town can secure a victory and somehow bridge the 12-goal difference between them and Nottingham Forest to swap positions in the standings, their survival could be possible.
🇪🇸 LA LIGA
Real Madrid hit the 90-point mark.
Las Palmas, Mallorca, Rayo Vallecano, and Celta Vigo have all built up a comfortable gap in points from the relegation zone. However, all four teams are still mathematically capable of swapping places with Cadiz. With three more rounds remaining, Cadiz needs at least two wins to have any hope of climbing out of the relegation zone.
🇮🇹 SERIE A
Any club with 35 or fewer points is still at risk of relegation.
The top five teams in Serie A will secure Champions League football in the upcoming season. Atalanta is poised to shut the door on Roma and Lazio’s chances of entering the top 5. The two Roman clubs, Roma and Lazio, have confirmed their Europa League qualification through the league.
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Monday, May 13, 2024
🇺🇸 Oguchi Onyewu turns 42, 🇨🇮 Yaya Touré turns 41, 🇧🇪 Romelu Lukaku turns 31.
🇪🇸 Barcelona ( 2 ) – ( 0 ) Real Sociedad (spanish la liga) –
Barcelona bounced back from last round’s defeat against Girona with a win at home over Real Sociedad. Barcelona’s aim will be to finish this season in the best position possible (2nd), ensuring they don’t fall below Girona in the standings.
🏴 Aston Villa ( 3 ) – ( 3 ) Liverpool (english premier league) –
John Duran entered the game in the 79th minute to replace an injured Nicolo Zaniolo and scored twice before the end of regulation time, securing a 3-3 draw for Aston Villa at home against Liverpool.
A goalkeeping error in the 2nd minute gave Liverpool an early lead, which was later equalized in the 12th minute with a goal from Youri Tielemans. Cody Gapko restored Liverpool’s lead in the 23rd minute, and Jarell Quansah doubled their advantage early in the second half, giving Liverpool a 3-1 lead. The result puts Aston Villa in a strong position for Champions League qualification for the upcoming season.
🇮🇹 Lecce ( 0 ) – ( 2 ) Udinese (italian serie a)
A massive three points for Udinese after defeating Lecce. Udinese climbed out of the relegation zone with a 2-0 victory over Lecce, leaving Lecce still under the threat of relegation.
🇮🇹 Fiorentina ( 2 ) – ( 1 ) Monza (italian serie a)
Fiorentina rallied from behind to defeat Monza. The result is beneficial for Fiorentina’s contention for Europa League football qualification through the league.
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MIDWEEK FIXTURES TO TRACK
We have a cup final in Italy, a full scheduled round of La Liga, and league matches that were postponed in Ligue 1 and the Premier League will be played to set everything up for the final round of the season.
The Coppa Italia final is this Wednesday. Atalanta or Juventus will add a title to their season.
Manchester City needs two more wins to become Premier League champions for the fourth straight season. They kick off on Tuesday in London against a Tottenham side that is coming off their first league win in five games.
The chance is slim, but it’s a must-win for Cádiz in their fight against relegation. They travel to face Sevilla for their next points.
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THE WATCH LIST
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
🇪🇸 Osasuna vs. Mallorca \ spanish la liga
🇪🇸 Real Madrid vs. Alavés \ spanish la liga
🇪🇸 Girona vs. Villarreal \ spanish la liga
🏴 Tottenham vs. Manchester City \ english premier league
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
🇪🇸 Rayo Vallecano vs. Granada \ spanish la liga
🇪🇸 Sevilla vs. Cádiz \ spanish la liga
🇪🇸 Celta Vigo vs. Atlético Madrid \ spanish la liga
🇪🇸 Getafe vs. Athletic Club \ spanish la liga
🏴 Brighton vs. Chelsea \ english premier league
🏴 Manchester United vs. Newcastle United \ english premier league
🇫🇷 Nice vs. Paris Saint-Germain \ french ligue 1
🇫🇷 Reims vs. Marseille \ french ligue 1
🇮🇹 🏆 Atalanta vs. Juventus \ coppa italia final
Thursday, May 16, 2024
🇪🇸 Las Palmas vs. Real Betis \ spanish la liga
🇪🇸 Almería vs. Barcelona \ spanish la liga
🇪🇸 Real Sociedad vs. Valencia \ spanish la liga
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