As the regular football season draws closer to the end, we are bound to witness plenty of drama and this was the case in the just concluded weekend. Here are the winners and losers from around Europe’s big leagues. Bet on football here.
Winners
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich crushed Wolfsburg 6-0 on Saturday to move ahead of Borussia Dortmund and lead the Bundesliga on goal difference for the first time in 2019. With the second leg of the Champions League tie against Liverpool four days away, the Bavarians have shown brutal efficiency. They scored twice in three minutes through Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski late in the first half to take control of the game. Bayern, who have now won 12 of their last 13 league matches, are on 57 points, ahead of Dortmund on goal difference. They now have an opportunity to win the seventh consecutive Bundesliga title and they will want to maintain their momentum.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan’s win at home against SPAL ensured that they stayed on course for a place in next season’s Champions League. The result put them fourth in the table behind AC Milan who have one more point. A loss would have seen them remain on 47 points giving room for the haunted Roma to catch up especially following their exit in the Champions League. They will have to build on this result in the coming days if they are to maintain their European places.
Mario Balotelli
Mario Balotelli is fulfilling all the promise he always exhibited as a youngster with his new team Marseille. The Italian forward switched loyalties from Nice to Marseille in the January transfer window and Les Phoceens are reaping big time from their investment. He scored a late goal to hand his team all three points against his former team. Balotelli’s goal, his fifth in seven outings for Marseille, was enough to cut the gap to third-placed Lyon to three points.
Losers
Borussia Dortmund
Late goals from Christian Pulisic and Paco Alcacer gave Borussia Dortmund a 3-1 victory over struggling Stuttgart on Saturday. However, the result handed over the Bundesliga lead to champions Bayern Munich on goal difference. Dortmund have endured a difficult period in recent weeks and the true test of their character has proved to be wanting. From challenging on three fronts just weeks ago, to exiting the German Cup and the Champions League and now surrendering the lead to Bayern, the week could not have gotten any worse for Lucien Favre and his charges. They still have an opportunity to salvage their season but they will have to win as many games as Bayern and outscore them if they are to claim the title.
Philippe Coutinho
Barcelona were 3-1 winners at home when they hosted Real Vallecano on Saturday, but one of their men will not be happy with his performance on the pitch. Philippe Coutinho has struggled to make an impact since making the switch from Liverpool to Barcelona. The Brazilian has not looked the part in a Barcelona t-shirt and this weekend saw him put up another performance lacking in dynamism and confidence. Performances like this will continue to hamper his involvement in the coming days since he is facing a lot of competition for his role.
Napoli
Napoli lost an opportunity to make second place their own after dropping points away to Sassuolo on Sunday. As a matter of fact, they needed a late goal from Lorenzo Insigne to save them from suffering back-to-back Serie A defeats. If they are not careful the likes of AC Milan and Inter Milan will close the gap and with more than ten games to go before the end of the season, they could be in for a rude shock. Carlo Ancelotti must demand answers from his squad if they are to maintain their position.