After suffering their fourth defeat in their past six contests across all competitions, Manchester United will celebrate Christmas in a way they haven’t done since the 1980s — and no, we don’t mean by blaring Wham!’s “Last Christmas” at Carrington.
In Spain, there are new league leaders. While Real Madrid have been chasing down Barcelona in recent weeks, it’s Atlético Madrid who now sit at the top of the table after securing a comeback win over the Catalans on Saturday.
And in the Bundesliga, while Bayern Munich have been shaky in recent weeks, they dusted themselves off when RB Leipzig came to the Allianz Arena on Friday. The Bavarians restored their self-belief by demolishing their closest title rivals.
What else did you miss around Europe this weekend? ESPN’s Sam Tighe, Alex Kirkland and Constantin Eckner recap all the action in this edition of Weekend Review.
Top takeaway: A historic Christmas for Man United
Manchester United made history on Sunday — just not for the right reasons. Their 3-0 loss at home to AFC Bournemouth condemned them to spending Christmas in the bottom half of the Premier League. It’s the first time since 1989 that this has happened — before the inception of the Premier League.
It was a terrible afternoon filled with all-too-familiar issues: They conceded from a set piece again, their ninth of the season (only Wolves, with 14 have conceded more from these situations). They missed four big chances and slipped into negative goal difference for the campaign (-1).
The Ruben Amorim revolution has had the odd positive early moment, but four losses from six — and more alarmingly, 14 goals conceded in six — confirms there’s copious work to be done to turn things around.
It’s absolutely crucial that work begins with defensive set pieces. When Dean Huijsen rose to head home the Cherries’ opener, a knowing groan swept around Old Trafford in response. It seems unlikely that United can make great strides forward under their new manager while presenting such an Achilles heel to opponents.
Best match: Tottenham Hotspur 3-6 Liverpool
When is the best match not at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium? A nine-goal thriller went end to end without pause, as Mohamed Salah, Luis Díaz & Co. ran riot. They took advantage of a makeshift defense and a terribly bold Spurs strategy to score repeatedly — then had to fend off a late flurry to secure the points.
1:28
Is Ange Postecoglou’s stubbornness backfiring on Tottenham?
The ESPN FC Live crew discuss Tottenham’s defensive problems following their 6-3 defeat to high-flying Liverpool.
Best goal: Morgan Rogers vs. Man City
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross for Díaz’s opener against Spurs was sensational, but as far as sweeping team moves go, nothing beats Rogers’ incredible effort against Man City. He started things off deep in his own half, beating three men before laying it off, getting it back and finishing sharply off his weaker left foot.
MVP of the weekend: Alexander Isak, Newcastle United
Isak’s first-ever Premier League hat trick led Newcastle to a crushing victory over Ipswich Town that deserves no shortage of praise. He did well to keep his first effort down and bounce it into the net. Then, his next two displayed his composure in the box. It capped a perfect week for the Magpies. — Sam Tighe
Top takeaway: Sørloth leads Atlético past Barça to the top of LaLiga
Atlético Madrid will top the LaLiga table at Christmas after Alexander Sørloth’s 96th-minute winner gave them a 2-1 comeback win over Barcelona at Montjuïc, in one of the most significant results of the season so far. Atlético are flying, with 12 consecutive wins in all competitions. Barça, by contrast, are in crisis, with 16 points dropped in seven league games.
Back when that run started, Atletico were 10 points behind Hansi Flick’s then-leaders. Now, it’s Diego Simeone’s side who looks like the team to beat.
“We’ve found ourselves along the way,” Simeone said after the match. “The greatest strength we have is the group, what players do when they come off the bench. It’s our way of competing with two monsters at the top: Barça and Madrid.”
Nobody embodies that philosophy better than Sørloth. He’s now scored eight goals in LaLiga this season, but the past five have come as a substitute, and four of those came in the 83rd minute or later.
“He’s cold,” Simeone said, when asked about the Norway international’s finishing. “We talked to him [about his role] three or four weeks ago. I think he understood it in the best way.”
Antoine Griezmann and Julián Álvarez up front, with Sørloth in reserve. It’s a recipe that’s fired Atlético to the top of the table. Now they just need to stay there until May.
Best match: Leganés 2-5 Villarreal
Three penalties, two red cards and a hat trick from Villarreal’s Thierno Barry mean there’s only one contender for game of the weekend in LaLiga. Twice, hosts Leganés went ahead, but by the end, they were down to nine men — Óscar Rodríguez and Jorge Saenz dismissed — as Villarreal secured all three points to stay in the hunt for a top-four spot.
Best goal: Federico Valverde vs. Sevilla
Kylian Mbappé’s opener against Sevilla in Real Madrid’s 4-2 win on Sunday was a stunning shot from a distance, a sign that Mbappé is now feeling confident and operating close to his best. But Valverde’s second, scored ten minutes later, might have been even better — struck harder and from further out. Nobody hits a ball better than the Uruguay international.
MVP of the weekend: Pablo Durán, Celta Vigo
Celta Vigo’s exciting, unpredictable side are packed with homegrown talent this season. One of those youngsters, Durán, earned Celta all three points against Real Sociedad on Saturday, scoring twice in six minutes. They were 23-year-old Durán’s first ever goals for the team. He’s another player to watch, in a team full of them. — Alex Kirkland
Top takeaway: Bayern get back on track by thrashing Leipzig
RB Leipzig arrived at Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena on Friday with ambitions of making a statement, but Marco Rose’s side retreated into a defensive shell, offering little resistance against the Bundesliga leaders. Leipzig surrendered possession at every opportunity, allowing a previously faltering Bayern team to rediscover their swagger just before the league’s traditional winter break.
The Bavarians wasted no time taking control, opening the score in the very first minute. By the time the final whistle blew, a dominant 5-1 victory had been secured, with the last goal coming in the 78th minute. For Leipzig, it was a humbling reminder of the gap that still exists between themselves and a Bayern side capable of finding top form when it matters most.
Harry Kane made his comeback after a minor hamstring injury sustained in the Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund last month. Yet, it wasn’t the England captain stealing the show at the Allianz Arena. Instead, Jamal Musiala, who had seemed off the boil in recent weeks, lit up the cold Munich evening with a dazzling performance. Equally impressive was Canada left-back Alphonso Davies.
For Leipzig, the weeks ahead promise to be anything but comfortable around the Red Bull Arena.
Just days ago, sister club RB Salzburg parted ways with manager Pep Lijnders after a disastrous UEFA Champions League campaign that saw them lose five out of six league-phase matches. Leipzig fared even worse, losing all six of their games and crashing out of the competition altogether. While Rose’s side salvaged some pride with two Bundesliga wins and a DFB-Pokal victory after a dismal November, Friday’s capitulation in Munich did little to ease the pressure. Rose’s position is under scrutiny, with Leipzig’s lackluster display raising serious questions about the team’s direction.
Rose set his team up in a defensive 5-3-2, abandoning the high-pressing style that was once a hallmark of Red Bull teams, especially Leipzig. While injury issues may offer some explanation, RBL still fielded quality players, including the likes of Benjamin Sesko and Loïs Openda leading the line.
In the past, Leipzig’s identity was defined by their relentless pressing game, a system that thrived regardless of individual player profiles or market values. High-intensity pressing doesn’t necessarily require technical brilliance from every player, making Friday’s passive approach all the more puzzling.
Best match: Bayer Leverkusen 5-1 SC Freiburg
On a matchday with several lopsided results — four games ended with a margin of three or more goals — Leverkusen’s win over Freiburg may have been the high point of the weekend. Freiburg defended bravely during the first half, but they eventually succumbed to the firepower of Patrik Schick and Florian Wirtz. Leverkusen secured their eighth consecutive success, underlining once again that the reigning Bundesliga champions remain the only viable challengers to Bayern this year.
Best goal: Shuto Machino vs. FC Augsburg
Holstein Kiel celebrated a much-needed win before the Christmas break, thrashing fellow strugglers Augsburg 5-1 at home. It seemed that almost every one of Kiel’s shots on goal found the back of the net. The most beautiful strike happened in the 39th minute when Machino hit an exquisite 30-yard free kick, curling it beautifully inside Nediljko Labrovic’s near post. The fans inside Holstein-Stadion erupted, knowing that their team was well on its way to its second win of the season.
MVP of the weekend: Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich
The 24-year-old left-back was in scintillating form during the demolition of Leipzig. Davies not only found the net but also set up another goal and added two crucial last-ditch tackles to his standout performance. Speculation had linked the former Vancouver Whitecaps standout with a move to Real Madrid, but reports now suggest he’s nearing a new deal with Bayern — a potential turning point in his career. If he continues to deliver displays like Friday’s, Davies could cement his place among the Bavarian giants’ all-time greats. — Eckner
What else you missed this weekend
Genk fight to stay top in Belgium
Just like the Bundesliga, the Jupiler Pro League in Belgium saw a top-of-the-table clash shortly before Christmas, as Genk hosted Anderlecht on Sunday. While Genk, managed by former Bayern midfielder Thorsten Fink, were going into the 18th matchday as league leaders, the Blauw-Wit certainly had in the back of their heads that they didn’t fare that well in previous clashes with their title rivals. Only one week earlier, Genk had lost 2-0 to Club Brugge, allowing Brugge to close the gap in the standings. And a few weeks before that, Genk suffered a devastating 4-0 defeat to Union Saint-Gilloise.
Eyes were on Genk goalkeeper Hendrik van Crombrugge and goal scorer Tolu Arokodare because both committed mistakes during Genk’s previous loss. Both performed very well, though, with Van Crombrugge keeping a clean sheet and Arokodare scoring the go-ahead goal in the first half, as Genk not only beat Anderlecht 2-0 but did so in a decisive fashion. Anderlecht’s attack, featuring former Sevilla striker Kasper Dolberg, was shut down for almost the entirety of the game. It was a much-needed win for Fink’s team, who will stay top of the league table over Christmas.
