Tottenham’s FA Cup joy, Bayern win again, Barca’s Salma scores four،
Whether it was the Cups (English FA Cup), the Cup in France, the Italian Coppa or simply the top of the table matches in Germany and Spain, it was a week that will impact the silverware distributed this season on the continent.
Let's take a look back at another eventful weekend in women's football across Europe.
The “magic of the Cup” on full display in England
The upset of the FA Cup round came in the final match of the quarter-finals at Brisbane Road, where Spurs faced Manchester City and won 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw .
Tottenham's progress against Manchester City, especially since going 7-0 in their first meeting at the Joie Stadium last year, has been palpable. And yet, this clash in Manchester was a bit of an oddity, with every shot seeming to end up in the back of the net. With each subsequent meeting (all played in London), the Lilywhites continued their growth under the leadership of Robert Vilahamn, improving a little each time. From a 2-0 defeat in the league to a 1-0 defeat in the league cup, perhaps a Spurs victory in their fourth meeting was always against the odds, but it wasn't completely out of the question. question.
Falling to a Mary Fowler goal in the opening minutes, the hosts were significantly better in the second half and although their 94th-minute equalizer came from a mix-up between City goalkeeper Khiara Keating and defender Laia Aleixandri, Spurs deserved it. From there, the shootout came down to experience versus youth: one goalkeeper (Becky Spencer) enjoying a long career against another (Keating) who was just beginning her journey in top-level football, Spencer made two saves from Keatings' one and sent Spurs into their first ever FA Cup semi-final.
Everton continue to work hard
Everton are not a bad team: that has to be said every time they play. They endured nearly a full season mired in an injury crisis, making them arguably one of the weakest teams in the league on paper. Yet manager Brian Sørensen always seems to be putting together an Everton team capable of competing for 90 minutes, and that was the case again against Chelsea in the cup quarter-final.
In the end, their periods of dominance passed with several wasted chances and, once again, Cat Macario came off the bench to make the difference in a matter of minutes. The Chelsea striker was in the right place, unmarked, to finish from close range and give Chelsea a 1-0 victory.
Chelsea have been disappointing this year, with glimpses of their abilities in the middle of a season that was far from vintage. Injuries to Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel have unbalanced the team, but Macario's return from his own ACL injury appears to be the perfect tonic. Whether it's stealth victories or victories, they are always finding the most important goals and that should worry their league and cup rivals by the end of the campaign.
Man United progress with well-deserved rout
Brighton, who had been so good in their first meeting against Manchester United this season, ended up looking particularly hapless against the team trying to salvage their season. Indeed, Saturday's 4-0 away win was one of the Red Devils' most dominant performances this season, with much better pace and intensity as they tore apart the Reds' backline time and time again. Seagulls, with Millie Lawson, Nikita Parris, Lucía García and Lisa Naalsund. all finding the net.
United's season has been a bit derailed in 2024, with just seven points from a possible 15 marking the end of their WSL clash and defeat to Man City in the League Cup. Still, the win and safe passage to Tuesday's semi-final draw should provide some breathing space for coach Marc Skinner and his team.
A bit of “Coupé magic” in France too
Since the creation of the Coupe de France under the name Challenge de France in 2001, Lyon has only missed four finals – or rather was case ahead of this weekend's semi-final against mid-table Fleury.
Lyon have not lost in the league all season and are preparing for next week's UEFA Champions League quarter-finals, but they regressed against Fleury in stale passages of play and frustration set in. After 90 minutes without a goal, the match went to penalties and even then the team that had been so powerful from 12 yards out was suddenly knocked out of the competition, beaten 5-4.
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The second semi-final, between Paris FC and PSG, took place the following day and could not have been more different from the first as an eventful affair in the French capital which saw the teams share six goals before to go to penalties. In the end, Gaëtane Thiney and Clara Matéo missed for the hosts, depriving the fans of a guaranteed first Cup victory. From there, PSG will be the big favorite.
And, in Italy, a little “magic of the Coppa”
Trailing after losing to Fiorentina in the first leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final, Juventus – shortly after parting ways with manager Joe Montemurro – might have hoped for the instant rebound that comes with a change of direction. However, the second leg – and the overall draw – quickly slipped away from them. As well as two goals from Swedish striker Madelen Janogy and a penalty from Veronica Boquete, there was a commanding performance from Katja Schroffenegger between the posts, thwarting Juventus at every turn and capping an unforgettable week for the team. Bianconere.
Elsewhere, Roma's dominant 5-2 victory over Milan in the second semi-final second leg (7-2 aggregate win) set up a grandstand final between Italy's two in-form teams, and dare I say , the two teams whose players seem to be having the most fun on the field.
Bayern stays on course in Germany
There's a bit of Schrödinger's cat at Bayern this season: are they good, are they bad, do you dare to open the box and find out? Away at Frankfurt at the weekend, Bayern took the lead after some free-flowing attacking play that raised questions about Eintracht's credentials, but failed to really put the sword to their sword. opponents.
And then, as has happened so often this season, their opposition found the equalizer. It came from one of the best sustained pressures the Eagles have mustered this season against strong opposition, but just when it looked like the hosts were going to go on and shock Bayern, the visitors hit back with a quick counter and Lea Schüller scored the winning goal. .
That could simply be down to weariness – thanks to the cumulative minutes for so many players playing in back-to-back summer tournaments – but there's also a sense that manager Alexander Straus' tactics are still too muddled. In his second year at the helm of the team, after what seemed like a promising development last season, questions of regression are already being raised.
So, are Bayern good? Well, they're top of the table with yet another win under their belt and for the most part, that's all that matters.
Salma can't stop scoring
There is always one Barcelona player who will light up the pitch when he plays, it doesn't have to be Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas or Caroline Graham Hansen, but someone will invariably stand up every game and shout “look how good I am.” !”
In the league this weekend against Real Sociedad, who were a shadow of their former self, it was Salma Paralluelo who tore up the field, scoring four of Barcelona's seven goals to take her tally to 13 for the season.
We've seen Salma's continued growth this season after a stellar World Cup, and she's adapting to the system so well: the playmakers around her consistently find Salma in the attacking third, where she's able to humiliate opposing defenses. As Barcelona head towards another league title, the increasingly reliable 20-year-old's goal contributions cannot be overlooked even though, like her teammates, she has woven herself into the complex tapestry of Barcelona.
