Gab Marcotti muses over how Paris Saint-Germain will integrate their injured stars back into the lineup. Steve Nicol weighs in on the rumours Barcelona may try to swap Antoine Griezmann for PSG’s Neymar. Craig Burley and Shaka Hislop say Neymar’s performance on the field is the only way to win fans back after a dramatic
Clubs
The ESPN FC crew analyse Barcelona’s performance sans Antoine Griezmann in their 4-0 win over Sevilla. Steve Nicol weighs in on the rumours Barcelona may try to swap Antoine Griezmann for PSG’s Neymar. Frank Leboeuf explains why Lionel Messi and Antoine Griezmann’s on-field relationship won’t improve any time soon. The FC crew choose which of
The Serie Awesome crew discuss the strengths of Stefano Pioli ahead of his expected appointment at AC Milan. Alexis Nunes and Gab Marcotti detail Milan’s dramatic 2-1 win over Genoa. AC Milan have named former Inter boss Stefano Pioli as the replacement for Marco Giampaolo, who was sacked on Tuesday. Pioli’s last role in management
12:18 PM ET Atletico Madrid lost ground to La Liga leaders Real Madrid as they were held to a 0-0 draw away to Real Valladolid on Sunday, their third goalless draw in four games, after the hosts squandered a penalty in the first half. Striker Sandro Ramirez sent the ball flying over the crossbar from
From as early as I can remember, football was always the great equalizer. By now, everyone knows I have obsessive compulsive disorder and Tourette’s syndrome. It hasn’t been easy. But on the pitch, nobody cared. My facial tics, the coughing, none of it mattered as long as I stopped the ball from ending up in
The FC guys break down how Wolves shut down a potent Manchester City attack in their 2-0 upset at the Etihad. Craig Burley says Manchester City need to get healthy after falling eight points behind Liverpool. Manchester City have caught Liverpool once in a Premier League title race and can do it again, according to
Craig Burley and Mark Donaldson give you five overreactions from the weekend in European football. The European Cup holders return to first place, ahead of three defending league champions. Meanwhile, Germany’s surprise leaders are a new entry. Dropping out: Manchester City, Inter, Granada Agree? Disagree? Let us know, and watch Shaka defend his picks on
Bastian Schweingsteiger has called time on his football career. Chicago Fire midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has announced his retirement from professional football. In a statement released on social media Schweinsteiger announced his decision and thanked his former teams as well as his wife, former tennis player Ana Ivanovic. “Saying goodbye as an active player makes me
Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool are setting a relentless early pace in the Premier League. Eight games into the 2019-20 Premier League season, Liverpool have made a record start by winning all eight fixtures so far to sit eight points clear of the chasing pack heading into the international break. For Jurgen Klopp’s team, the season
The ESPN FC crew analyse Barcelona’s performance sans Antoine Griezmann in their 4-0 win over Sevilla. Spain manager Roberto Moreno announced his squad last Friday in the now fashionable, social-media-friendly manner at which the Spanish FA has become pretty good. It’s ironic that it was Moreno, a Catalan, a self-declared Barcelona supporter and someone who
Arsenal are up to third, and Craig Burley says Unai Emery’s side can still go to another level. David Luiz nets his first goal for the Gunners in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth. Craig Burley and Stevie Nicol say Nicolas Pepe looks like “a flash in the pan” after failing to live up to the
Alexis Nunes and Julien Laurens break down Real Madrid’s 0-0 draw with derby rivals Atletico Madrid, including an underwhelming effort from Eden Hazard. Craig Burley says Atletico Madrid are good enough to defeat Real Madrid despite getting off to a slow start in league play due to a strong midfield. ESPN FC’s Steve Nicol and
As Man United continue to slip in the table, how long will Ole Gunnar Solskjaer remain with the team? The ESPN FC crew question if Man United can defeat lowly Newcastle despite their injuries and poor form. ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop assesses potential Man Utd transfer targets Callum Wilson and Mario Mandzukic. Manchester United’s struggles
Another busy weekend in Europe means it’s time for another bumper edition of Monday Musings. Gab Marcotti is here to recap the big stories around soccer. Jump to: Juve too good for Inter | Man City in crisis? | Barca ride their luck again | Man United go from bad to worse | Real continue
An angry Jurgen Klopp says Hazma Choudry should have been sent off for his tackle on Mohamed Salah. James Milner’s stoppage-time penalty against Leicester extends Liverpool’s unbeaten run to 17 matches. Steve Nicol says Liverpool deserved the win against Leicester despite the sides being level for 94 minutes. Mohamed Salah suffered a twisted ankle in
SOUTHAMPTON, England — In the latter stages of Chelsea’s 4-1 win against Southampton, their fans launched into an adapted version of their hosts’ favoured song, greeting the sight of home fans streaming for the St Mary’s exit with a rousing chorus of “Oh when the Saints go marching out.” This was not merely terrace banter,
Ousmane Demebele was sent off for protesting a teammate’s red card. Ousmane Dembele is poised to miss the Clasico after being sent off for telling referee Mateu Lahoz he was “very bad” in Barcelona’s 4-0 win over Sevilla. The France forward scored the third goal as Barca moved second in La Liga behind Real Madrid,
Arsenal did well to seal the win, but would have wanted more goals. Arsenal made it eight games unbeaten in all competitions as they edged past Bournemouth with a 1-0 win at the Emirates. David Luiz headed in the early winner from a nice Nicolas Pepe corner and, while they came under pressure, the result
5:12 PM ET Juventus ended Inter Milan’s perfect record in Serie A and took over top spot as Gonzalo Higuain‘s superb late strike earned a 2-1 victory in the San Siro on Sunday. The Argentine striker, on as a substitute, applied a clinical finish to a flowing move in the 80th minute. Paulo Dybala had
11:42 AM ET Borussia Dortmund twice squandered the lead and conceded a 90th-minute own goal from Manuel Akanji to draw 2-2 against Freiburg on Saturday for their third consecutive league draw. Axel Witsel‘s sensational volley from a corner put the visitors in the driving seat but Freiburg levelled through Gian-Luca Waldschmidt after a fine combination