European soccer news: Arsenal go fast, Real Madrid stay top

Ah, another weekend of football in Europe’s biggest leagues is fast approaching, which means jubilation, heartbreak and a bit of schadenfreude – depending on who you support, of course.

The weekend started in the Premier League with Arsenal securing a somewhat mixed victory, while Manchester United were edged out by a superior Newcastle United. In La Liga, Toni Kroos produced a splendid comeback for Real Madrid while Girona – the surprise No.2 in the table – staged a thrilling comeback. The Bundesliga was partially snowed in and, in Serie A, Christian Pulisic scored to give AC Milan a comfortable victory.

There’s a lot to do, so why not stop procrastinating and get to it then?

– Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga and more (US)
– Read on ESPN+: Can other teams copy Aston Villa’s top four?

SATURDAY REVIEW

Saturday’s lead: Arsenal finally get off to a fast start, but still keep their cool in win over Wolves

There has been a lot of talk around Arsenal this week about ‘states of the game’ – and that will continue despite Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday at the Emirates Stadium.

Manager Mikel Arteta has put the lack of fluidity in some of the Gunners’ games this season down to their inability to score early and change the state of a match in their favor, creating tensions they might otherwise have avoided. After beating Lens 6-0 in midweek, it looks like Arsenal have made further progress as they improved on their fast start on Saturday by taking a 2-0 lead over Wolves after just 13 minutes.

To underline the point Arteta made, Saturday was the first time this season they had scored in the first 15 minutes of a Premier League match – and some of the football Arsenal played was sublime. Bukayo Saka continued his influential form by weaving his way through the Wolves defense to score on six minutes. A magnificent team goal brought Oleksandr Zinchenko and Gabriel Jesus together for a pullback, which Martin Odegaard converted with aplomb.

Yet although Wolves offered little threat, Arsenal managed to inject some danger into a game that had been there for a long time. Zinchenko lost the ball cheaply in his own area, allowing Matheus Cunha to shoot four minutes from time to set up an unnecessarily nervous finale. Substitute Eddie Nketiah missed a glorious chance to finish off Wolves two minutes later, hitting the post while in net.

Although no damage has been done, Arteta will know that there is still work to do to transform Arsenal into the same ruthless machine that Manchester City have long been in matches like this. That said, the Gunners spent Saturday night enjoying a four-point lead at the top of the table with Luton in midweek. -James Olley

Saturday Talking Points Around Leagues

Kroos turns back time and leads injured Real Madrid to another victory

Injuries mean Real Madrid are currently without Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga and Luka Modric in midfield – but as long as Toni Kroos is at the heart of the team, they don’t have too much to worry about.

Yes, the German’s legs aren’t getting any faster at 33 – coach Carlo Ancelotti compensates for Kroos’ lack of pace by playing perpetual motion machine Fede Valverde alongside him – but his speed of thought remains unmatched .

At the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday, Kroos provided a moment of exceptional quality in Madrid’s 2-0 La Liga win over Granada with a contribution that showcased his ability to execute faster and with more precision than anyone other. In the 26th minute, Kroos met Brahim Díaz’s pass infield with a cushioned first-time ball that split Granada’s defense and put Diaz one-on-one with replacement goalkeeper André Ferreira.

Diaz’s finish was calm and precise, but the fact that so many teammates – including David Alaba, Antonio Rüdiger and Jude Bellingham – ran to congratulate Kroos before turning to celebrate with Diaz spoke volumes. That was as much Kroos’ goal as Diaz’s. And it was a demonstration of why, whenever he can, Ancelotti always finds a place for Kroos in midfield.

It wasn’t just the help. Kroos has made more touches (148) and completed more passes (124 out of 132 attempts) than any other player on the pitch at the Bernabeu.

There were also notable roles for Bellingham – who will have been disappointed not to score – and Rodrygo Goes, too, who followed up when the Englishman’s second-half shot was saved to score his seventh goal in five games .

But the star was Kroos. Let’s enjoy him while we still can. -Alex Kirkland

Manchester United’s defeat against Newcastle raises a question: where is Varane?

Of all the problems currently facing Manchester United (and there are many), the disappearance of Raphaël Varane from manager Erik ten Hag’s plans is a significant one.

Against Newcastle on Saturday, Varane was left on the bench again as Ten Hag selected Harry Maguire and left-back Luke Shaw as central defenders. Midweek against Galatasaray, Victor Lindelöf was selected ahead of him and, since the 3-2 defeat to the Turkish champions at Old Trafford on October 3, Varane has started just one of United’s last 11 games.

United have lost 34 goals in 21 matches in all competitions – including 14 in five Champions League games – and the French World Cup winners are still unable to get a game.

It’s possible that by January, Ten Hag will also have Lisandro Martínez and Jonny Evans fit and available – and it would be no surprise if there was significant interest in Varane in the next transfer window. The 30-year-old has been linked with moves to Bayern Munich and the Saudi Pro League and if other clubs are calling your name, you might understand the temptation to make a fresh start elsewhere.

Yet Maguire’s resurgence has shown that, even in the most unlikely of cases, there is a way back for Ten Hag players – but Varane would have every right to fidget on the bench. –Rob Dawson

Girona’s thrilling return, the latest clue that La Liga’s joint leaders are set for a special season

Something special is cooking in Girona – and not just the huge paella served to supporters outside the stadium ahead of Saturday’s thrilling late victory over Valencia at Montilivi.

Michel’s team plays up front and after scoring a goal in Valencia, they have not abandoned their principles. They insisted until the end and got their reward in the final 10 minutes, with substitute Yan Couto setting up Cristhian Stuani for both goals.

“They move you around and play with you,” Valencia striker Hugo Duro said at full-time. “They’re a magnificent team. There’s a reason they’re at the top.”

The winning goal sent Michel rushing to the touchline to celebrate with his players in front of a packed house of 13,343 spectators. With Girona tied on points with Real Madrid in the La Liga table, the belief that they can achieve something historic this season is growing. With 38 points out of a possible 45, it’s not difficult to understand why.

They once again end the weekend as joint leaders with Real Madrid. Next Sunday? The small matter of a trip to Barcelona’s Catalan neighbors. -Sam Marsden

Americans Abroad: Koleosho Scores First Premier League Goal; Pulisic reaches Serie A goals record for USMNT

Fans of the U.S. men’s national team may not have heard of Luca Koleosho, but after this weekend, that could change. The American-born winger scored his first Premier League goal on Saturday in Burnley’s victory against Sheffield United. It was the fourth goal in a five-goal loss, but it remains a milestone for Koleosho.

The 19-year-old was born in Connecticut, but moved to Spain at a young age to pursue his football career, where he found himself in Espanyol’s youth system and joined the senior team last year . He joined Burnley during the last summer transfer window on a four-year contract.

Koleosho is eligible to represent the United States, Canada, Nigeria and Italy. He made a few appearances for the USMNT at youth level, but since then he has represented Italy, making his debut for the under-21 team last month.

Burnley beat FIVE against Sheffield United in a dominant performance at Turf Moor! pic.twitter.com/24S2iahRdl

– NBC Sports Football (@NBCSportsSoccer) December 2, 2023

Meanwhile, Christian Pulisic scored his fifth league goal for AC Milan since joining the club in the summer, netting the winner as Milan beat Frosinone 3-1 on Saturday in Serie A.

Pulisic has five Serie A goals in 12 appearances, matching Weston McKennie’s 2020-21 season for Juventus, which remains the most American league goals in a single season. -Caitlin Murray

News of the day

• The draw for the 2024 edition of the European Championship took place on Saturday, and Spain and France were both placed in difficult groups. All Euro groups, as well as analyses, are here.

• The UEFA Women’s Champions League format will undergo a major overhaul for the group stage from the 2025-26 season, while a second-tier competition will be launched, the UEFA Women’s Champions League has announced. UEFA on Saturday. The UWCL’s new format will consist of “an 18-team league stage with three home and three away matches followed by the round of 16”, UEFA said, with more details on the new competition to be found. come.

• A frustrated Luis Enrique said on Saturday that his Paris Saint-Germain side were not simply relying on striker Kylian Mbappé to score goals. The coach was asked about the big gap in goal production within the team, but dismissed his concerns: “There are a lot of players who have scored. We don’t just depend on Kylian,” a- he declared in part.

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EURO 2024 draw reaction: You want to be the best, you have to beat the best

ESPN’s Mark Ogden gives his immediate reaction to the Euro 2024 draw, with England in Group C with Denmark, Slovenia and Serbia.

And finally …

Bayern Munich’s match against Union Berlin, scheduled for Saturday at the Allianz Arena, had to be postponed due to heavy snowfall, which also led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights in Germany.

Look at the photos and it’s easy to see why, although a Snow class It could have been fun.

Squint your eyes and you can see workers on the roof of the Allianz Arena clearing snow. Safety first! -Murray