Barcelona and Athletic share spoils in goalless draw
Champions Barcelona were left frustrated as they squandered a chance to close the gap with LaLiga leaders Real Madrid after being held to a lacklustre 0-0 draw at Athletic Club on Sunday.
With Real dropping points on Saturday following a 2-2 draw at Valencia, Barca were hoping to secure the win that would help them to close the gap with the pace setters and also enable them to leapfrog Girona into second place in the standings.
Instead, Sunday’s stalemate meant they still trail Real by eight points and remain one-point adrift of surprise package Girona, who are on 59 after suffering a 1-0 loss at Mallorca earlier in the day.
Barca suffered two injury blows, with midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Pedri forced out in the first-half.
De Jong was carted off the field in the 26th minute after he landed awkwardly on his right foot following a challenge with a rival player.
Moments before halftime, Pedri left the pitch in tears after suffering what looked like a right leg injury.
It is the ninth leg muscle injury sustained by the 21-year-old midfielder since the end of the 2020-21 season.
“It is a sad day,” Xavi told Movistar Plus.
“We’ll know more about their injuries between today and tomorrow, but it doesn’t look good. We were affected by that and I imagine that both will be out for several matches.”
Barca’s Joao Cancelo came closest to scoring in a tepid first half when his shot from near the halfway line arched over Athletic’s goalkeeper but was cleared away by a defender.
The home side who were more aggressive following the interval, with Inaki Williams and Alex Berenguer a constant menace.
But they were frustrated by a solid Barca defence that withstood the late pressure to secure a point against an in-form team who are bidding for a top-four finish.
Athletic, who entered the contest on the back of a 10-match winning streak at home in all competitions, are fifth in the standings with 50 points, five behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid.
Late Raspadori strike earns Napoli 2-1 home win over Juventus
Substitute Giacomo Raspadori scored an 88th-minute winner as champions Napoli beat visitors Juventus 2-1 in Serie A on Sunday to secure their first back-to-back wins in five months and boost their slim hopes of a late charge into the top four.
Napoli moved up to seventh in the standings on 43 points, three points behind sixth-placed Atalanta, four adrift of AS Roma in fifth and eight behind fourth-placed Bologna.
Juventus remained second with 57 points after 27 games as their cushion over third-placed AC Milan narrowed to a point. They are 12 points off leaders Inter Milan who host Genoa on Monday.
Napoli, who on Wednesday demolished Sassuolo 6-1 to celebrate their first win under new coach Francesco Calzona, won consecutive league games for the first time since they beat Udinese and Lecce in September.
“By winning this match the team gave a signal that it wants to reach important positions,” Calzona told a press conference.
“Miracles cannot be achieved in 10 days, it would take time that we don’t have. I ask the boys to learn quickly, which they are doing and which I am very happy about even if by nature I am never happy.”
Napoli next host mid-table Torino on Friday while Juventus, who beat Frosinone 3-2 last weekend for their first Serie A win in five games, take on Atalanta next Sunday.
Foden is best player in Premier League, says Guardiola
Phil Foden is the best player in the Premier League on current form and will become a Manchester City legend, manager Pep Guardiola said after his second-half double inspired a crucial 3-1 comeback win against Manchester United on Sunday.
City were utterly dominant but still trailing to a spectacular eighth-minute pile-driver by Marcus Rashford when forward Foden took centre stage in the second half.
The 23-year-old local boy struck a sublime left-foot shot into the roof of the net in the 56th minute and then beat Andre Onana with a precise finish after 80 minutes.
Erling Haaland’s 18th league goal of the season rounded things off in stoppage time — his sixth goal of the week — but nothing could steal the limelight from Foden who now has 11 league goals this season, equalling his record.
“It is the amount of games he is playing. He was always a talented player but now he is more mature and understands more the game, especially defensively,” Guardiola told the BBC.
“He can play middle, right, make moments and cut inside, play in the left, scoring from the left. What can I say? He is the best player in the Premier League right now for the amount of things he does. Unbelievable.”
Foden’s quality and level of consistency is making him undroppable even in a squad laced with world class players. His current form also makes it unthinkable that he cannot be accommodated in Gareth Southgate’s England side.
“We don’t negotiate over that,” Guardiola said when asked about Foden’s defensive discipline. “The guy who doesn’t do that doesn’t stay in the team. He loves football, he lives for football. He is a joy and his work ethic is unbelievable.”
Guardiola was no less effusive in his praise of Foden when talking to Sky Sports.
“He will already be a legendary player because in a short age, the games played, the minutes, the goals scored, the titles won and he is from the home and that is why the connection with the fans is unbelievable,” Guardiola said.
“He is the player of the season. No-one has been so decisive for us as him this season.”
City are now unbeaten in 19 matches in all competitions and will head to Anfield next weekend for a blockbuster against leaders Liverpool who are one point better off.
Arsenal can move to within two points of Liverpool if they win at bottom club Sheffield United on Monday.
“Will we do it? I don’t know,” Guardiola said when asked whether his side will land a fourth successive league title.
“We have today more points at this stage than last season. The difference is Liverpool have I don’t know how many more points than this stage last season. When the opponent is behaving like this, what can I say, congratulations so far.
“We will continue to try game by game.”
Leverkusen go 10 points clear after 2-0 win over 10-man Cologne
Bayer Leverkusen went 10 points clear of second-placed Bayern Munich with a 2-0 Bundesliga win over struggling neighbours Cologne, who were reduced to 10-men in the first half of a hotly-contested Rhein derby on Sunday.
Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run to 34 games in all competitions this season and now have 64 points. They extended their lead over Bayern, who drew 2-2 at Freiburg on Friday.
Leverkusen, looking to win their first league title, made the short trip across the Rhine river, where the only relaxed figure in the raucous stadium was Cologne’s mascot Hennes the goat who munched happily pitchside oblivious to the tension.
Tempers flared in the 12th minute after a foul from behind by Thielmann on midfielder
Leverkusen, with 10 matches left, they will now be expected to go from “Neverkusen” to taking the crown away from Bayern, winners of the last 11 Bundesliga titles, despite their players urging caution for now.
“There are still a few games to play. We have seen in the past what else can happen,” defender Jonathan Tag told Dazn.
“It’s important to maintain focus.”
World Cup was expanded to help Scotland qualify, FIFA’s Infantino jokes
FIFA’s decision to expand the 2026 World Cup to 48 teams was made to give Scotland a chance to return to the finals after nearly 30 years, FIFA President Gianni Infantino joked as he hailed their qualification for the Euro 2024 in Germany.
Scotland last appeared at the World Cup in France in 1998 where they finished bottom of Group A behind Brazil, Norway and Morocco. They have failed to qualify for the last six editions of the global tournament, which featured 32 teams.
After reaching a second successive Euros this year, the Scots are hopeful of making it to the 2026 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico – the first finals to be played with the expanded format.
“Scotland qualified quite brilliantly for the European Championship,” the FIFA president told BBC Scotland on Saturday after attending St Mirren’s 2-1 home win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership following an IFAB meeting in Loch Lomond.
“Letting you in on the secret, we decided to increase from 32 to 48 to allow Scotland to participate.
“Scotland will have a great chance and if they do qualify I’m sure Scotland fans will have great fun.”
Scotland missed out on the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, losing to Ukraine in the semi-finals of the European playoffs.
In the eight editions of the World Cup they have played, Scotland, who have the second oldest national FA in the world after England, have never got past the group stages.
