Posted at 8:00 a.m.
SPAIN
Real Madrid have regained their throne. And laid a 35and Spanish crown on his head.
Their 4-0 victory on Saturday against Espanyol, Barcelona’s other Catalan opponents, confirmed what had been in doubt for a long time.
Because yes, this triumph in La Liga, at the end of the 34and match out of 38, was accomplished in mastery. The White House only missed five days on the top step of the championship podium.
Who to credit first? There is coach Carlo Ancelotti, who returned to the club last summer, for whom this title means that he has become champion in the five major European leagues.
There is the emergence of Brazilian Vinícius Juníor, with 14 goals and 9 assists. A record acquired for the benefit of all these imbalances which disconcerted his opponents.
There is also the addition of Austrian defender David Alaba in the off-season. An acquisition that proved essential, given its stabilization of the Madrid defense.
But above all, above all, there was Karim Benzema. He reigned as king and master of the championship all season. As evidenced by his 26 goals and 11 assists in 30 games. That’s one goal every 96 minutes in La Liga.
Yes, the regularity of Real Madrid largely explains its success. There was still a 15-game unbeaten streak in all competitions between October 24 and December 22.
But conversely, in the end, he was helped by the irregularity of his rivals. Atlético de Madrid, champions last year, have been lagging behind all season.
And FC Barcelona had a very chaotic start to the calendar before the arrival of Xavi. These two clubs, along with Sevilla, are still battling for a Champions League spot.
There will also be a derby – especially critical for Atlético – between the two big clubs in Madrid next Sunday. It should suck.
ITALY
We play it nervously in Italy. We play it tight. In Milan, more precisely.
AC Milan opened hostilities on Sunday, winning 1-0 against Fiorentina at home. Not without difficulty.
Stefano Pioli’s men worked hard and worked hard to find the back of the net. But the ball seemed to have an inverted pole magnet facing the Florentine ropes. Theo Hernandez, Olivier Giroud, Rafael Leão paid the price, before the latter broke the bad spell in the 82and. The Portuguese resumed a completely failed clearance from the Fiorentina goalkeeper, then closed the funnel by carrying the ball into the box. His right-footed shot found its way, and made it 1-0.
The San Siro exploded, AC Milan regained a five-point lead (77 points) at the top of Serie A.
But that was before Inter Milan complied and won 2-1 at mid-table club Udinese.
From the 12and minute, the Nerazzurri were beginning to accomplish their crucial task. Ivan Perišić opened the scoring with a good header from a corner. Argentinian Lautaro Martínez doubled the lead in the 39thand on a complicated penalty, but confirmed.
After a defeat against Bologna in the middle of the week, this victory allowed Inter to pick up 75 points, two points behind their eternal rivals.
The end of the season will be sparkling in Italy.
ENGLAND
Everyone follows each other in England. Liverpool wins… then Manchester City follows suit and regains the lead.
Tottenham wins and takes fourth place giving access to the Champions League… then Arsenal does the same and sits back in its European seat.
So let’s take a look at the very bottom of the rankings this week.
“I have an Everton who does not want to die”, as Renée Martel (most certainly) sang.
No need to dwell on the bad fortunes of the other Liverpool club this morning. Let’s just note that Frank Lampard’s men were in very, very bad shape before Sunday’s game against Chelsea. In a relegation position, even, with only 29 points, ahead of Watford (22 points) and Norwich (21 points).
But that was before the prowess of striker Richarlison and goalkeeper Jordan Pickford at Goodison Park.
An almost unexpected 1-0 victory that puts Everton back in the running, just two points behind Leeds with a game in hand.
Skies were stormy gray in this part of Liverpool ahead of Sunday. There is now reason to believe in an imminent clarification.
EUROPE
We have to write a few words about the tantalizing return matches of this week’s Champions League semi-finals.
Liverpool will extend their 2-0 lead at Villareal this Tuesday at 3 p.m. to try to make their way to Stade France in Paris for the final.
PHOTO PHIL NOBLE, REUTERS ARCHIVES
Liverpool’s Sadio Mané battles for the ball against Villareal’s Raúl Albiol
If the Yellow Submarine is far from the feat accomplished in the quarterfinals by eliminating Bayern Munich, the deficit against the Reds is not entirely insurmountable either. Unai Emery’s men will nonetheless have to tap into the same tactical and mental well that allowed them to cause one of the biggest upsets in European qualifying history.
And if not, there is this clash Real Madrid against Manchester City, at the Santiago Bernabeu. What more can be said ? The first leg had offered the ultimate entertainment of the biggest European scenes: goals, stars who impose themselves, the wind which turns more than once, fireworks, spectacle.
Manchester City won 4-3, Benzema’s Real never being beaten by the brilliance of Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden and other soldiers of Pep Guardiola.
Don’t look for soccer fans around you, Wednesday at 3 p.m.