Manchester City champion, PSG is almost there, Borussia Dortmund takes control

2023-05-22 10:43:15

The European championships are entering their home straight. Manchester City have won the crown in England while PSG are just one step away from doing so in France. In Germany, the title race is more indecisive than at any time in the last decade with Borussia Dortmund in a leading position with one game remaining.

PSG almost guaranteed to be champion, Lens to be second

It’s not mathematically official but PSG can already celebrate. A double from Kylian Mbappé gave PSG a victory at Auxerre (2-1) on Sunday, which allows the capital club to be only a tiny step away from their 11^e title of champion of France. With its six-point lead over Lens and a clearly favorable goal difference (+50 against +34) two days before the end of the season, it would now take an unlikely scenario to deprive Christophe Galtier’s troops of the crown. Mbappé and his teammates are expected to officially surpass Saint-Étienne’s title record (10) next week.

In Lens, second place should crown a brilliant exercise with a direct ticket to the Champions League as a reward. The Sang et Or are not very far after their victory in Lorient (3-1). In the aftermath of OM’s setback in Lille (2-1), they did not miss the opportunity to fly away and seriously complicate the task of the Olympians, still third but now relegated to five lengths behind Lensois. Surprised by the opening of the quick score of Lorient signed Romain Faivre (6^e), the Northerners did not gambergé, folding the case thanks to Florian Sotoca (20^e), to Adrien Thomasson (25^e) and captain Seko Fofana (87^e).

Barring a spectacular failure during the last two matches of the championship, against Ajaccio and Auxerre, Lens is therefore on the way to returning to the group stage of the most prestigious of European competitions, for the first time since the 2002-2003 season, leaving OM to struggle with a third preliminary round and then possibly a jump-off to access it.

On the other hand, the suspense is still alive with regard to the ticket for the Europa League Conference. Reindeer (6^e) thus clings to the hope of winning the 5th^e position after crushing Ajaccio (5-0), thanks in particular to a hat-trick from Amine Gouiri, returning to one point from Lille (5^e).

Bayern Munich lose and Borussia Dortmund take control

An unprecedented defeat at home against Leipzig (1-3) on Saturday and a shipwreck: Bayern Munich opened the door wide to Borussia Dortmund, who did not ask for so much.

The Munichers had however taken the meeting by the right end, logically leading the score after 25 minutes on a goal from Serge Gnabry. But then it ran out of steam, apart from a header from Kingsley Coman off target. In the second half, Leipzig logically completely reversed the course of the match in half an hour, by Konrad Laimer (65^e), announced on the side of Bayern next season by certain German media, then on two penalties conceded by Benjamin Pavard and Noussair Mazraoui, and transformed by Christopher Nkunku (76^e) and Dominik Szoboszlai (86^e).

This defeat of Bayern was an opportunity for Borussia Dortmund, who rushed into it, to end six consecutive matches (four in the league, one in the Champions League and one in the Cup) without success away from their base. Borussia Dortmund went on Sunday to win on the lawn of Augsburg 3-0, with a double from Sébastien Haller and a goal from Julian Brandt, and seized the lead of the Bundesliga one day from the end of the season.

With 70 points, Edin Terzic’s men are two points ahead of Bayern Munich before 34^e and last day. Success at their Westfalenstadion against Mainz in six days, regardless of Bayern’s result in Cologne, would hand Dortmund their first German league title since 2012.

The specter of a first year since 2011 without a trophy hovers more and more over Munich, at the end of a stormy season: the leaders took the risk of dismissing Julian Nagelsmann and replacing him with Thomas Tuchel at the end of March, just before the final sprint.

Atlético Madrid grab second place, no winner in Seville derby

Atlético Madrid overtakes Real. The Colchoneros outclassed Osasuna 3-0 on Sunday for the 35^e day of La Liga and thus grabbed second place ahead of Real Madrid, beaten 1-0 in Valencia under a rain of insults towards Vinicius.

It was Antoine Griezmann who allowed the Colchoneros to open the scoring just before the break (45^e) by offering the 1-0 ball to Yannick Carrasco on a plate. Then Saul Niguez doubled the bet per hour of play (61^e) with a superb sequence of chest control and strikes from the right, before Angel Correa sealed the victory from the right (83^e).

A success that allows the Rojiblancos to mathematically secure their ticket to the next Champions League, for the eleventh season in a row. “In November, we were in the hospital, a doctor came to tell us that we were almost dead. (…) But he came back today (Sunday, editor’s note) to tell us that we are still alive “savored coach Diego Simeone after the game.

In full recovery since the arrival of José Luis Mendilibar Etxebarria, who has experienced only one defeat since replacing Jorge Sampaoli, Sevilla FC received its rival Bétis Sevilla this Sunday. In the end, a sad 0-0 which does not help anyone in the race for the European Cups.

On the Camp Nou side, FC Barcelona celebrated their title of Spanish champion in a funny way. Barca were upset 2-1 by Real Sociedad, their first home defeat of the season in La Liga. The Blaugranas conceded the first goal very early, on a loss of ball from Jules Koundé which allowed Alexander Sorloth to start against and serve Mikel Merino (5^e). The Norwegian then himself concluded a counter generated by Martin Zubimendi (72^e) to seal the 2-0 which brings the Basques (current fourth) closer to the Champions League.

Bad operation for Inter Milan

Inter Milan, beaten by Naples (3-1) five days after winning their place in the Champions League final, made a bad operation in Serie A by leaving third place to Lazio Rome, during the 36^e daytime.

The Biancocelesti took advantage of the largely overhauled Nerazzurri misstep to go ahead in the evening thanks to a narrow victory in Udine (1-0), on a penalty from Ciro Immobile (61^e).

Mitigating circumstance for Inter, in front of the warm Neapolitan public which never ceases to celebrate the scudetto, the team found itself at ten after the expulsion of Roberto Gagliardini for a second yellow card from the 41^e minute. She then resisted but ended up giving in on a goal from Frank Anguissa (67^e).

Romelu Lukaku maintained the suspense by equalizing for Inter (82^e), but without succeeding in preserving this precious point until the end. Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo restored the lead to Napoli (85^e) before Gianluca Gaetano sealed the Neapolitan domination in added time (90+4^e).

The Nerazzurri have three games left before they face Manchester City in the Champions League final on June 10 in Istanbul, including the Italian Cup final on May 24 against Fiorentina.

But to ensure their place in the top quartet of Serie A, synonymous with qualification for the next C1, they will have to fight against AC Milan (5^etwo points) or even against Atalanta Bergamo (6^eto five points).

Lazio has taken an undoubtedly decisive step towards the C1 by maintaining a four-point lead over AC Milan. Without shining, Maurizio Sarri’s team went for three essential points in Udine thanks to a penalty obtained and transformed by their captain Immobile.

Juventus, second with a point ahead of Lazio, can secure their place in the Top 4 on Monday evening if they succeed in Empoli. Even if his destiny is also suspended on the re-examination of his penalty for accounting fraud, also on Monday, by the Court of Appeal of the Italian Football Federation.

Manchester City crowned

Crowned champions without playing on Saturday in favor of Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest, Manchester City celebrated their fifth title in six years by beating Chelsea without forcing. With this success, the Sky Blue are seven points ahead of Arsenal, while having a game less, a gap that masks the fierce battle that the two teams have fought almost to the end.

At the final whistle, the lawn was invaded and then evacuated so that the team and its public, still not satisfied with titles, could commune. But the holidays are still far away for City, which can add an English Cup on June 3 and especially the first Champions League in its history, on June 10, to its list.

Qualified virtual for the Champions League in early April, Tottenham is likely not to be European at the end of the season after their defeat (3-1) at home against Brentford. Spurs were overtaken by Villa and the 8^e the place they currently occupy is the first that does not offer continental qualification.