Arriving into the weekend, Internazionale were perfectly poised to implode as only they can. One of Italy’s most consistently self-defeating clubs, the Nerazzurrri had spent mid-week losing (at home) to the third-best team from Israel. Far from being a freak result, the Milanese club had been thoroughly outplayed.
A glance at the current Premier League table reveals an improvement of sorts for Chelsea. Their catastrophic title defense last season resulted in them finishing 10th, while their defense, so renowned for their frugality, shipped 53 goals — more than 15th-place Crystal Palace.
This season, Antonio Conte has been charged with returning Chelsea to their domineering displays of old. The problem for Conte is that Chelsea are nowhere near their peak personnel wise. John Terry, while still a force, will turn 36 in December.
In the intense and sometimes ruthless environment that is modern day soccer, depth is no longer a unique trait that teams can do without. It is a necessity. Unfortunately for Barcelona, they were one of the latest and greatest examples of this new reality.
Last season was shaping up to be one of the best for the Blaugrana, with their striking trio on top form and the rest of the starting XI playing their part. However, by Barca’s ridiculously high standards, things didn’t necessarily go to plan over the final few months of the season.
A historic fourth season for the NWSL has been competitive down to the final week. With five matches left in the regular season, four teams still have everything to play for. We took look at the weekend ahead and the NWSL Playoff scenarios for each team.
Leicester City players are not your typical footballers. Their game is different, and in many respects, very simplistic. Yet, it’s just that simplistic style that may have given them an edge over other teams – and qualified them for the Champions League.
Christian Pulisic will eventually be crowned the USMNT’s best player ever.
This hot take is backed with circumstantial evidence in the form of raw talent, technical superiority and a nurturing environment for tactical growth.
The 2016-17 Premier League season is still young, but we don’t want to let that little detail keep us from making a few early predictions about who might fill the shoes of Riyad Mahrez and take home the EPL Player of the Year trophy.
People can hope and cheer but, judging by the way things look at Leicester City right now, a repeat is about as far from happening as Tim Howard becoming president.
Taking that into account, we can rule out two of last year's front runners for the EPL's ultimate individual accolade, Mahrez and Jamie Vardy.
Openly disdained by most Premier League clubs and truly loved by only a small sub-section of society (read: Sevilla), the Europa League has always been the Boo Radley of European football — it’s believed to be a horrible thing for everyone who comes into contact with it. Rumor has it that it’ll even ruin your domestic title chances while decimating your entire squad with injuries.
Tuesday’s 1-1 Champions League draw between Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal yielded two story lines which have gone on to dominate this morning’s headlines. It’s just a matter of perspective: either David Ospina, selected to start over normal Arsenal No. 1 Petr Cech, earned Arsenal a point, or PSG striker Edinson Cavani squandered all three for the home side.