One look at the Bundesliga table — with Borussia Mönchengladbach currently on top — tells you that it’s been a wild season so far in Germany. But that adjective doesn’t come close to describing the scenes that unfolded at the end of today’s match between SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Schwarzwald-Stadion.
Hellas Verona defeated Mario Balotelli’s Brescia 2-1 today, but the lasting images of the match all pertain to the former Manchester City striker. In the 54th minute, Balotelli took possession near the corner flag and with the ball still in play, he responded to racist chanting by picking it up and punting it into the stands of the Stadio Marc'Antonio Bentegodi.
Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin faced off for the first time ever in the Bundesliga on Saturday. The momentous occasion will live long in the memory of Berliners, but it could have been memorable for the wrong reasons had it not been for a save made by Union keeper Rafal Gikiewicz — one made after the final whistle.
It’s a mutiny, folks. It's a mutiny.
Arsenal blew a two-goal lead to Crystal Palace on Sunday at the Emirates Stadium, settling for a 2-2 draw despite early goals from centerback pairing Sokratis and David Luiz. While manager Unai Emery has come under intense criticism for Arsenal’s recent displays and for his standoff with the increasingly beloved Mesut Özil, supporter fury today was aimed at club captain Granit Xhaka.
The life of a goalkeeper is a difficult one. If any other player on the field makes a mistake, they are usually forgiven pretty quickly. Goalkeepers, on the other hand, are expected to be perfect. Even the smallest mistake could ruin a keeper's entire career. Robert Green is a perfect example of this.
Despite having a portion of the Vasil Levski Stadium closed by order of UEFA for “racist behavior” from Bulgaria supporters during a June qualifier against Kosovo, the buildup for today’s match between England and Bulgaria in Sofia was centered around how Three Lions players would respond to the inevitable racist abuse that would come their way.
On Sunday, during a crunch Euro 2020 qualifier between Wales and Croatia in Cardiff, there was a terrifying moment in the 14th minute when highly touted Welsh winger Daniel James — somewhat stooping to win a header in the middle of the park — caught a flying knee to the back of the head from Croatian defender Domagoj Vida.
AC Milan has made its worst start in Serie A in 81 years this season. Winning just two and losing four games out of six, under-fire manager Marco Giampaolo is under even more pressure to get the Rossoneri up and running.
The former Sassuolo manager replaced Gennaro Gatuso as manager over the summer and the move was lauded by fans. Now, things don’t look as good.
AC Milan has not lost four games in its first six matches since 1938. Almost all of these losses have come to lesser opponents: Udinese, Inter, Torino and, now, Fiorentina.
Fresh off blowing a two-goal lead in a draw with Atlético Madrid in the Champions League at midweek, Juventus conceded an early penalty kick back at home to Hellas Verona in Serie A. What then transpired was a ridiculous Miguel Veloso goal vs Juventus, the exact same type of bullshit that makes you hate and love the FIFA video game series at the same time.