Stoppage-time goals for United; Fermin does it for Barca and Inter narrow gap with Lazio
Both trailed early, struggling to settle down. They were up facing opponents who had lost midweek and were looking to aggressively impose themselves from the off. Barcelona found a way, Manchester United held on. The win typified resilience, the last-gasp draw looked and felt like a rescue act symptomatic of life and times at Old Trafford.
Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven after the match (REUTERS)
Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui, Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven after the match (REUTERS)
After a weekend where Jesus de Miguel’s untimely death was remembered at football grounds, Barcelona are on top of La Liga; Manchester United are in relegation zone in Premier League – a first in 40 years. The gap between two former European champions is no longer that; it is a chasm.
Talking of gaps, Lille have really narrowed the distance between them and serial Ligue 1 champions Paris St-Germain. As have Inter on Lazio in Italy after bringing Como to the ground with a thud. With Freiburg as the surprise package, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are locked in an intense race for the Bundesliga and, as club football heads into the year’s final international break, champions Arsenal opened a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League.
Belief, but will that be enough?
Two stoppage-time goals salvaging a point would have been celebrated at another time, another era. Especially if it was a 4-4 draw where Manchester United were trailing by two early goals in both halves. Before the turnaround against Roma, goals from Aston Villa’s Alysson and Nicolas Jackson would have triggered a collapse (Como, Bournemouth, Chelsea take your pick). And yet, as Sunday bled into Monday in India, it felt like the walls were closing in on Michael Carrick.
Like against Roma, United rallied back through Matheus Cunha who won a penalty Bruno Fernandes converted. Youri Tielemans then scored against his former club only for John McGinn and Leon Goretzka to restore their two-goal advantage. Joshua Zirkjee and Patrick Dorgu then struck in stoppage-time to steal a point where United looked to have lost all three.
It is not Carrick’s fault that Diogo Dalot has to be shoe-horned into right-back or that the defender nibbled at Alysson to concede a penalty. Not Carrick’s fault either that Lenny Yoro, after a good night against Roma, would have a brain fade. Or that Senne Lammens, one of the better players at Manchester United this term, would. But when you cannot sack players, or sell them, you change the head coach.
That is the way of the football world. Pierre Sage would know about it. If there is one coach facing the sack more than Carrick it is the French manager at Crystal Palace, the only team below Manchester United (yes, you read that right) in the standings.
Sage’s Palace lost to Liverpool; the 1-3 defeat being their fourth on the trot. Liverpool reversed a two-match losing streak, at home and abroad, with goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak before Eddie Nketiah converted a penalty Liverpool hotly contested.
"I am very upset because the ones in our box they are calling penalties and in the other box they are not. I know we are 3-0 and it's the 95th minute but I'm very upset ...," Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola told Sky Sports. "It's a clash of heads…. it is not the first time this season and you compare ... I'm really upset.”
Since Leicester City in 2015-16, winning the Premier League for a club outside the traditional top-six have seemed impossible. It may still be that after another efficient performance from champions Arsenal who beat Hull City 1-0 (Martin Odegaard; 72) but Brighton are doing their best to try and change that. They are five points behind the leaders.
Sunday’s 2-0 win, more a swatting away of rivals, against Brentford was Brighton’s seventh in 10 matches. Talk of the title? “It’s our job to get them excited,” said Brighton head coach Fabian Huerzler.
No team wins or loses anything in November but conversations about Brighton were amplified after Chelsea lost to Sunderland and Manchester City, having long ignored talks of a crisis after being guilty of financial malpractice, were defeated for the third successive time in the league. Jair Cunha made the most of Josko Gavrdiol’s ponderousness to score and then Liam Delap, who has learnt the ropes at City’s academy, made it 2-0 for Nottingham Forest. Jeremy Doku pulled one back but the relegation-threated team hit on the break through Delap to win 3-1.
“We are conceding too many goals unfortunately and we need to improve that,” City boss Enzo Maresca told the BBC. "Use the international break to understand why and try to avoid in the future. Always concerned but we need balance - seven wins in a row then three (defeats) in a row. Need the balance. No panic. We need to understand but no panic."
Barca on top
There was no panic at FC Barcelona either but defeats to PSG and Real Madrid can hardly be a good build-up for another visit to Madrid especially when they knew Atletico could go top with a win. On Sunday, Giuliano Simone seemed to have sent the home team on their way with an early strike, running in to meet Julian Alvarez’s ball after neat combination play from Marcos Llorente and Lee Kang-in.
Before the goal, Julian Alvarez failed to beat Joan Garcia in a one-on-one situation, Alex Baena came close and Marc Pubill headed into the framework. Alvarez tested Garcia again, found David Hancko who shot wide and then the Barcelona goalie had to deny Lee.
The game could have been over by then and Jan Oblak, a veteran of many campaigns for the home team, said as much emphasising on the need to take their chances. Gradually, Barca took control on the ball. Pedri then found Fermin Lopez for the equaliser.
As they did against PSG, Barcelona controlled the second half. Atleti had their chances through Alvarez and Baena but as the home team got tired, Barcelona took charge. Lamine Yamal found Lopez and after a 2-1 win, Barcelona took pole position on 33 points after 12 rounds.
"Things got difficult in the first half, but we managed to turn it around and played a great match," Lopez told Movistar+. "We weren't quite at our sharpest, but the goal helped us feel more at ease."
Como lose
Surprise leaders Lazio stayed on top of Serie A with a 1-1 draw against Napoli but Inter Milan crept up to a point behind with a 2-0 win against Como through goals from Francesco Pio Esposito and Marcus Thuram. The result ended a six-match winning run for Como including a 9-1 victory against Lens in the Champions League.
"Today we played well in every aspect. We put pressure on their build-up and accepted that they could cause us problems," said Inter coach Cristian Chivu. "We counter-attacked with ferocity and were clinical in front of goal. I applaud my players for a performance of maturity and quality." With AC Milan winning beating Genoa 2-1, Como slipped to fifth in the standings where six points separate the first five teams.
Ancelotti keeps up heat on PSG
After 10 rounds, things are close in Ligue 1 too with only three points between leaders PSG, second-placed Lille and Paris FC who are next. Coached by Davide Ancelotti, Carlo Ancelotti’s son, Lille moved to 21 points after beating Rennes 2-1 with 19-year-old Soriba Diaoune and Nathan Ngoy’s strikes in each half and on either side of Boulaye Dia’s goal.
Illia Zabarnyi’s goal was enough for PSG to beat Troyes who are 17th and Paris FC rode Lassine Sinayoko’s second-half strike to go past Auxerre 1-0.
Lille have conceded only seven goals in the league with Turkish goalkeeper Berke Ozer being outstanding between the posts. "His desire for success can decide things," Ancelotti said of 26-year-old Ozer. In Kolkata for India’s friendly against Brazil, former France international Vikash Dhorasoo had said this could be the season when PSG stumble. Lille have ensured that they feel the heat. At least, going into the break.
Freiburg on the rise
What Lille and Paris are doing in France, Dortmund and – surprise, surprise – Freiburg are doing in Germany. An own-goal by Rani Khedira and one from Yuito Suzuki helped Freiburg beat Union Berlin 2-0 and move to third, two points behind leaders Bayern for whom goalkeeper Manuel Neuer will be out of action for two months with a foot injury.
This is the highest Freiburg have ever been in the Bundesliga. "We had to be very patient and yet we remained very confident. We didn't have many opportunities, but we allowed very little ourselves,” said Freiburg coach Julian Schuster said. Only Bayern (29 goals) and fourth-placed RB Leipzig (27) have scored more than Freiburg (20). The win was Freiburg’s fourth straight in all competitions.