European Club Update: England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain
by Richard Farley on Apr 13, 2010 12:37 PM EDT
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The gap between Barcelona and Real Madrid is less Messi-Ronaldo, more Xavi-Sneijder.
On Saturday, Barcelona won their fourth consecutive match against Real Madrid, with two exquisite passes from Xavi Hernández distinguishing the Blaugrana, 2-0. Lionel Messi was the beneficiary of the first, chesting down a Xavi chip before slotting the opener under Iker Casillas. A through ball by Xavi from the center circle, rolled twenty-five yards for Pedro created the insurance goal.
Real Madrid's only entry into attack was through Cristiano Ronaldo - playing the ball into the channel between Gerard Piqué and right back (in the first half) Carles Puyol, relying on Ronaldo to make something (anything) happen. Each time I saw the ball reflexively put wide left, my thoughts drifted to Wesley Sneijder.
Sneijder is plying his trade for Internazionale, having moved to Milan after being discarded this summer by Real Madrid. His skill in distribution was brought center stage in Champions League when Inter downed Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. While not on the same level as Xavi when it comes to distirbuting, creating - maintaining the tempo that is vital to Barcelona's attack - Sneijder's presence would have helped on Saturday.
Instead of solely relying on potential Ronaldo brilliance, Sneijder could have served as a midfield link that would have seen players like Gonzalo Higuaín and Rafeal van der Vaart more involved.
Instead, van der Vaart was in that role. While we saw him play well at Hamburg with similar responsibilities, he is not on the same level as Sneijder. We see this for the Netherlands' national team. We saw it when the two played together last year for Real Madrid.
Van der Vaart is a fine player, but on the club soccer biggest stage imaginable, he was invisible, possibly a bit miscast.
This is where Kaká's name is supposed to come up, but van der Vaart has been better than the Brazilian this season. Perhaps a Kaká at his peak would have made the difference, but on Saturday, it's unlikely this year's Kaká would have been more effective than van der Vaart. Neither would have been the playmaking presence the Merengues needed.
Obviously, Real Madrid has no Xavi Hernández, but what cost them on Saturday is that they have nobody approaching his talent or skillset. Barcelona was their typical brilliant selves, but Real Madrid was not so far off. With Cristiano Ronaldo working as hard as anybody on the pitch, it was a matter of finding a way to utilize their best resource.
Xavi did that when he found Messi for the opening, deciding goal. Real Madrid never put Ronaldo in a similar situation.
League-by-league, after the jump.
Spain
Surging: Barcelona, now three points clear of Real Madrid, also have the tiebreaker: points won in head-to-head matches. They are on pace for a staggering 95 points, and while they are unlikely to reach last year's total for goals scored (105, they have 77 through 31 matches), they're on pace to allow twelve fewer than the 35 they allowed a year ago (only 19 allowed thus far).
Falling: Deportivo la Coruña snapped a four match losing streak but was drawn at home against Racing Santander. Depor has fallen from the edge of Champions League to the outskirts of Europe, now sitting in ninth place. They are unlikely to get a reprieve with this mid-week trip to Camp Nou.
Look out for: Villareal, who won their third straight with a 1-0 win over Sporting Gíjon. Juan Carlos Garrido has the Yellow Submarine on the verge of Europe, only two points behind Athletic Bilbao's sixth place spot.
Total Home Away
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A D P
1
Barcelona
31
25
5
1
77
19
15
14
1
0
43
9
16
11
4
1
34
10
+58
80
2
Real Madrid
31
25
2
4
83
28
16
15
0
1
50
15
15
10
2
3
33
13
+55
77
3
Valencia
31
16
8
7
50
35
15
9
5
1
27
11
16
7
3
6
23
24
+15
56
4
Mallorca
31
15
6
10
49
36
15
13
0
2
36
10
16
2
6
8
13
26
+13
51
5
Sevilla
31
15
6
10
45
36
16
8
6
2
25
14
15
7
0
8
20
22
+9
51
6
Athletic Bilbao
31
14
6
11
45
42
15
10
2
3
30
20
16
4
4
8
15
22
+3
48
7
Villarreal
31
13
7
11
46
41
16
11
3
2
30
13
15
2
4
9
16
28
+5
46
8
Getafe
31
13
5
13
43
40
15
8
3
4
24
17
16
5
2
9
19
23
+3
44
9
Deportivo La Coruña
31
12
7
12
33
39
16
8
3
5
21
20
15
4
4
7
12
19
-6
43
10
Atlético Madrid
31
11
7
13
47
48
15
9
3
3
30
17
16
2
4
10
17
31
-1
40
Italy
Surging: Roma is in first after their their 2-1 win over Atalanta on Sunday. That result came a day after Internazionale were drawn in Florenace against Fiorentina. It was the fifth straight win for the Giallorossi, expending their Serie A unbeaten streak to 23 matches. Their last five matches of this season: the derby at wit Lazio, Sampdoria, at Parma, Cagliari, and at Chievo. Wouldn't it just make Lazio's difficult season if they can win on Sunday and knock Roma out of the top spot?
Even if they do, Roma's seat atop Serie A represents the first time since 2006 a team other than Inter has led the Italian league this late in the season.
Falling: Genoa lost their derby with Sampdoria 1-0 on Sunday. Although only four points back of seventh place Napoli, Genoa has one win in their last seven matches and are letting a return trip to Europe slip away.
Look out for: Parma, who won at Napoli 3-2 on Saturday and have regained some of the form that made them the league's early season surprise. Parma now has four wins and four draws in their last eight matches. On Saturday, they scored two goals in a match for the first time since December 13.
Total Home Away
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A D P
1
Roma
33
20
8
5
59
36
17
14
1
2
33
14
16
6
7
3
26
22
+23
68
2
Internazionale
33
19
10
4
63
30
16
12
4
0
33
11
17
7
6
4
30
19
+33
67
3
Milan
33
18
10
5
54
33
17
10
5
2
33
20
16
8
5
3
21
13
+21
64
4
Palermo
33
15
9
9
49
41
17
12
5
0
30
12
16
3
4
9
19
29
+8
54
5
Sampdoria
33
15
9
9
41
38
16
10
6
0
26
9
17
5
3
9
15
29
+3
54
6
Juventus
33
15
6
12
49
47
17
8
4
5
27
23
16
7
2
7
22
24
+2
51
7
Napoli
33
12
13
8
44
40
17
8
7
2
24
16
16
4
6
6
20
24
+4
49
8
Fiorentina
33
13
7
13
46
39
17
9
2
6
27
17
16
4
5
7
19
22
+7
46
9
Parma
33
12
10
11
35
41
16
9
4
3
17
11
17
3
6
8
18
30
-6
46
10
Genoa
33
12
9
12
52
53
17
10
5
2
40
26
16
2
4
10
12
27
-1
45
11
Bari
33
11
10
12
40
41
16
9
4
3
24
13
17
2
6
9
16
28
-1
43
England
Surging: Manchester City has outscored their last two opponents 11-2 and have one hand on - I'm sorry. This silverware metaphor is not going to work. We're talking about fourth place, not first. Better to say they have one foot in Europe, now with a four point lead on Tottenham Hotspur. Hosting Birmingham City on Sunday, the Citizens got braces from Emmanuel Adebayor and Nedum Onuoha to record their third league win in a row.
Falling: Manchester United was drawn nil-nil at Blackburn, incurring a big hit to their title hopes. Expected to take advantage of the mid-table Rovers and leapfrog Chelsea into first place (with the Blues in FA Cup action), United's attack was nonexistent. The Red Devils now face a must-win match Saturday at Eastlands, the Manchester Derby.
Look out for: Everton, who didn't play this weekend and sit four points behind Aston Villa for what looks to be the final Europa League spot (pending Pompey's long shot chance to get out of administration and into Europe). Villa has a match in hand and Everton only plays four more, but the Villans' 3-0 loss at Wembley to Chelsea in the FA Cup semifinals showed a tired and vulnerable team. For a Toffee side that has been better in 2010 than 2009, the gap is not insurmountable.
Total Home Away
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A D P
1
Chelsea
33
23
5
5
84
30
16
14
1
1
52
14
17
9
4
4
32
16
+54
74
2
Manchester United
34
23
4
7
77
27
17
14
1
2
45
11
17
9
3
5
32
16
+50
73
3
Arsenal
33
22
5
6
75
34
17
14
1
2
44
15
16
8
4
4
31
19
+41
71
4
Manchester City
33
17
11
5
69
41
16
11
4
1
38
17
17
6
7
4
31
24
+28
62
5
Tottenham Hotspur
32
17
7
8
58
32
16
11
2
3
35
10
16
6
5
5
23
22
+26
58
6
Liverpool
34
16
8
10
54
33
17
12
3
2
40
13
17
4
5
8
14
20
+21
56
7
Aston Villa
32
14
12
6
44
32
16
7
7
2
26
13
16
7
5
4
18
19
+12
54
8
Everton
33
13
11
9
52
44
17
9
6
2
32
20
16
4
5
7
20
24
+8
50
France
Surging: For months I bemoaned no teams stepping to the forefront of the Ligue 1 race. Today, it is with great satisfaction that I thank Didier Deschamps for his early season stubbornness, the results of which have Olympique Marseille at the top of the French league. After a 4-1 win over Nice on Sunday, Marseille has a two point lead and a match in hand over second place Auxerre, and it was Deschamps' early season commitment to attacking football - a commitment that rarely wavered in the face of mixed results - that has made l'OM the best team in France for over the last month. Their 58 goals now lead the league, and with a relatively easy run-in (no offense, Auxerre and Lille, but you're not OL and Bordeaux), Deschamps' return to the coaching ranks is likely to end with success.
Falling: Bordeaux stinks. Really, they do. This is more than a slump, the Girondins losing 3-1 at Paris Saint-Germain this weekend. Bordeaux has won once in six league matches and have allowed seven goals in three. Laurent Blanc's side has the talent to get back into this title race, but sitting four points back of Marseille, they no longer control their own destiny.
Watch out for: It may seem inconsistent to say "no offense" to Auxerre and then make them my team to watch, but with the best defensive record in the league and nine matches without a loss, they have to be considered. You could see remaining matches against Marseille and Lyon as a tough run-in, but it also represents opportunity. Unlike Bordeaux, they control their own destiny.
Total Home Away
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A D P
1
Olympique Marseille
31
18
8
5
58
31
16
11
3
2
31
13
15
7
5
3
27
18
+27
62
2
Auxerre
32
17
9
6
32
25
16
10
3
3
20
13
16
7
6
3
12
12
+7
60
3
Olympique Lyon
32
16
10
6
52
33
16
9
4
3
25
16
16
7
6
3
27
17
+19
58
4
Montpellier
32
17
7
8
43
36
16
11
3
2
21
9
16
6
4
6
22
27
+7
58
5
Bordeaux
30
17
5
8
48
28
16
10
3
3
29
11
14
7
2
5
19
17
+20
56
6
Lille
32
16
7
9
57
34
16
11
3
2
34
12
16
5
4
7
23
22
+23
55
7
Stade Rennes
32
14
8
10
47
32
16
10
2
4
28
14
16
4
6
6
19
18
+15
50
8
Lorient
32
14
8
10
47
33
16
8
6
2
31
16
16
6
2
8
16
17
+14
50
Germany
Surging: Werder Bremen rebounded from their loss at Dortmund (no shame in that) to plaster Freiburg 4-0. Bremen has not been shutout in three months. Over the last four matches, they have 12 goals. Thanks to a string of ten matches in which they've lost one (been drawn three times), Bremen's recovered from a disastrous December and January. Now, they sit three points out of Champions League. Unfortunately, their four match run-in sees contests against other European aspirants: Wolfsburg, Schalke, and Hamburg.
Falling: Schalke was in first place two weeks ago, but losses to a ten-man Bayern Munich followed by this weekend's 4-2 defeat at Hannover have Felix Magath's side chasing a two point deficit. Magath has criticized has team for being soft, which is code for young, given this Schalke team. Though they could still win the Bundesliga (particularly with Bayern still juggling Champions League responsibilities), this is a learning process for the Royal Blues. In the long run, Schalke will be better for Magath being honest about his team's failings.
Watch out for: Stuttgart and Wolfsburg are closing-in on the struggling Hamburg for sixth place and a European birth. I wasn't long ago that HSV was in fourth place, but all of Dortmund (4th), Bremen, Stuttgart and Wolfsburg have surged. Meanwhile, Hamburg got their first win in a month Sunday at Bochum. Stuttgart has won four in a row, Wolfsburg has won three, and while each have difficult matches on Saturday (hosting Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen, respectively), Hamburg must start taking league as seriously as they've taken Europa. Else, their only part back to Europa will be winning this year's cup.
Total Home Away
# Team MP W D L F A MP W D L F A MP W D L F A D P
1
Bayern München
30
17
9
4
58
28
15
10
4
1
29
12
15
7
5
3
29
16
+30
60
2
Schalke 04
30
17
7
6
49
28
15
10
2
3
26
12
15
7
5
3
23
16
+21
58
3
Bayer Leverkusen
30
14
12
4
59
34
15
10
4
1
33
13
15
4
8
3
26
21
+25
54
4
Borussia Dortmund
30
15
7
8
48
35
15
10
2
3
27
12
15
5
5
5
21
23
+13
52
5
Werder Bremen
30
14
9
7
63
37
15
7
5
3
32
20
15
7
4
4
31
17
+26
51
6
Hamburger SV
30
12
12
6
50
34
15
7
6
2
21
11
15
5
6
4
29
23
+16
48
7
VfB Stuttgart
30
13
8
9
44
37
15
7
4
4
24
18
15
6
4
5
20
19
+7
47
8
VfL Wolfsburg
30
13
7
10
58
51
15
6
2
7
34
34
15
7
5
3
24
17
+7
46
9
Eintracht Frankfurt
30
12
8
10
40
44
15
7
4
4
22
22
15
5
4
6
18
22
-4
44
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Comments
As a Chelsea fan I'm torn on that game
Citeh winning would all but wrap up the title, but Utd winning would certainly make it more likely Citeh misses out on the champions league again (and therefore hopefully limits who is willing to come there).
Reyes, Thole, Wright, Beltran, Bay, Davis, Martinez, Tejada...
by Stephen Schmidt on Apr 15, 2010 10:35 AM EDT up reply actions
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