The Euro Preview: Real Madrid surge, Napoli and Bayern look unstoppable
Real Madrid have been surging in recent weeks, while Napoli and Bayern Munich continue to dominate their respective domestic competitions.
La Liga
Left for dead after struggling to stay in the top four for much of the season, Real Madrid are on an impressive run, scoring 11 goals in their last two league games as their shooting accuracy improved dramatically after the Christmas break.
In 30 of their 37 games in all competitions this season, Real Madrid put fewer than 50 percent of their shots on target Spanish sports daily MARCA reported. In their last two matches, a 7-1 victory against Deportivo La Coruna and a 4-1 win against Valencia, their accuracy improved — to 50 percent against Deportivo and 57 percent versus Valencia.
This comes as Zinedine Zidane’s side have come under fire for the way they’ve played, with much of the heat falling on Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese star, tasked with scoring goals on a team loaded with individual talent but unable to mesh at times, has just eight goals in 16 Liga matches. By comparison, Barcelona, who are in first place, are led by Lionel Messi’s 20 goals in 21 games.
Looming for Real is a round of 16 Champions League clash against PSG. The game is do-or-die for Real. A defeat would mean elimination from the Champions League, a tournament they won the last two years.
Real, currently in fourth, will look to rout Levante on the road this Saturday, hoping to surpass third-place Valencia in the process. Barcelona, who play city rival Espanyol on Sunday, maintain an 11-point lead atop the table and a 19-point gap over Real Madrid.
Serie A
Italian soccer is rarely (if ever!) without controversy. This season is no different. While Napoli lead Juventus by a single point, the Partenopei look like they can win their first league title since the 1989-90 season. Getting in their way? Well, coach Maurizio Sarri has some theories. After defeating Bologna 3-1 last weekend on the road, Sarri bemoaned Juve playing games the day before, or even hours earlier, compared to his side.
“The calendar? Looking at the fixtures, Juventus have several winnable games ahead and this could put pressure on us,” Sarri said in an interview with Sky Sport. “They will be playing before us a lot over the course of the next few weeks. These things should be looked at beforehand, and we should look to find a better solution. It is done in good faith, I’m sure, but I have some doubts over the credibility of those who decide such matters.”
Juventus host Sassuolo on Sunday, while Napoli play at regional rival Benevento later the same day.
The schedule isn’t the only controversy swirling around the league. Several teams, such as Lazio, have complained about video-replay system. Several incidents last weekend, which led the sports daily La Gazzetta dello Sport to talk of a “black Sunday for referees and VAR,” surrounded an AC Milan goal against Lazio which both coaches agreed was handball, and a disallowed, last-minute match-winner for Crotone against Cagliari.
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Bundesliga
Bayern Munich continue to dominate the German top flight with a 16-point advantage over second-place Bayer Leverkusen. The question isn’t whether Bayern will win the title, but by how many points and with how many matchdays left to play?
While that remains to be seen, Bayern are setting records. Their coach, the legendary Jupp Heynckes, is currently the best performing manager in Europe — even better than Pep Guardiola and his record-setting Manchester City!
Heynckes’ record in his first 13 league games since returning to the Bayern bench, after Carlo Ancelotti was fired following a dressing-room revolt, at the start of October has him with 36 points from a possible 39. Guardiola, who previously coached the German giants, clinched the first of three Bundesliga titles on his watch in record time, with six games to spare and bettering the previous campaign by one.
Bayern Munich will be looking to pad their large lead on Saturday when they play on the road against Mainz, while Bayer play at the same time at SC Freiburg.