The
major matches of the week:
There were
two important matches in Italy last weekend. Juventus was visited by Lazio in
the opening game of Serie A week. The Roman guests were firm in their intention
of taking a point from Turin. They had almost done it last year, but the
substitute Alessandro Del Piero had managed to score the winner in the end of
the match. This time there was no Del Piero, and Marchetti was awesome during
the whole match. The champions even hit the bar once, but the luck was not with
them that evening. The match got famous for Andrea Pirlo’s absence and Simone
Pepe’s presence, who played for the first time this season.
Milan was
visiting Naples. After going down by two goals, Milan’s new hero Stephan El Shaarawy
scored two, strengthening his position as the Serie A topscorer. He has now
scored 10 of Milan’s 20 goals in the league. As it usually happens in matches
of Napoli, there were not too many dangerous moments in front of goals, but
physical battles in midfield. It was not Abiatti’s day, as he could have done
much better to keep the score low. Credit to Milan and El Shaarawy for finding
the right solutions to save the match. The gap between Milan and its next
opponent Juventus is still 17 points.
The most attractive match took place in
London, where Arsenal and Tottenham met in one of the most interesting London
derbies. The match was moving on the direction of become a promising encounter,
as Emmanuel Adebayor scored to his former club. But very soon he turned from
hero to zero, as he was give a straight red card for a nasty tackle. It went
far too easy for Arsene Wenger’s team afterwards, as Mertesacker, Podolski,
Giroud, Cazorla and Walcott scored each.
Highlights
of the week:
- - Barcelona’s
new record: most points earned after 12 matches in the history of La Liga,
- - PSG
lost again. This time it happened in the home match against St. Rennais, which
played with 9 men almost all of the second half. The French League is getting
more interesting now,
- - Mbokani
saved Anderlecht again. His last minute goal brought a win to his team in the
match against Kortrijk,
- - Zenit
is in trouble again: one of the club fans threw a fireword towards the Dynamo
goalkeeper. The champions were awarded a defeat,
- - despite
the bad form in Champions League, Manchester City hasn’t lost in the domestic
league yet. In the last round they crashed Aston Villa, scoring 5 without
conceding, and climbed on top of the table for the first time in the season,
- - the
average domestic position of a Champions League participant is 3,4.
The upcoming
week end:
There are
two top clashes in Russia, where Spartak will meet rivals Dynamo in a Moscow
derby. Champions Zenit will meet leaders CSKA. The number 1 and number 2 in the
Greek league will face each other, as Olympiacos will visit PAOK. Two Champions
League participants will meet in Portuguese and Spanish League matches between
Braga and Porto, and Malaga and Valencia. Schalke 04 will have to fight to keep
the second position in the match against challengers Eintracht. The two biggest
matches of the weekend will take place in England, where Chelsea will fight Machester
City in a match, where both teams have to rehabilitate after a poor Champions
League week. Finally, Italy will be focused on the San Siro match against Milan
and Juventus.
| Club | Last Matches | Next match | Position in the domestic league |
| Ajax (Netherlands) | 17.11 Venlo (H) 2-2
21.11 Borussia D. (H) 1-4 | 25.11 Roda (A) | 4 |
| BATE (Belarus) | 17.11 Slavia (A) 0-0
20.11 Lille (H) 0-2 | 25.11 Shakhter (H) | 1 |
| Anderlecht (Belgium) | 18.11 Kortrijk (H) 1-0
21.11 Milan (H) 1-3 | 24.11 Beerschot (A) | 1 |
| Dinamo Z. (Croatia) | 17.11 Zadar (H) 5-0
21.11 Porto (A) 0-3 | 24.11 NK Zagreb (A) | 1 |
| Arsenal (England) | 17.11 Tottenham (H) 5-2
21.11 Montpellier (H) 2-0 | 24.11 Aston Villa (A) | 6 |
| Man. City (England) | 17.11 Aston Villa (H) 5-0
21.11 Real M. (H) 1-1 | 25.11 Chelsea (A) | 1 |
| Man. Utd. (England) | 17.11 Norwich (A) 0-1
20.11 Galatasaray (A) 0-1 | 24.11 QPR (H) | 2 |
| Chelsea (England) | 17.11 West Brom. (A) 1-2
20.11 Juventus (A) 0-3 | 25.11 Manch. City (H) | 3 |
| FC Barcelona (Spain) | 17.11 Zaragoza (H) 3-1
20.11 Spartak (A) 0-3 | 25.11 Levante (A) | 1 |
| Real Madrid (Spain) | 17.11Athletic (H) 5-1
21.11 Manch. City (A) 1-1 | 24.11 Betis (A) | 3 |
| Valencia (Spain) | 17.11 Espanyol (H) 2-1
20.11 Bayern (H) 1-1 | 24.11 Malaga (A) | 7 |
| Malaga (Spain) | 17.11 Osasuna (A) 0-0
21.11 Zenit (A) 2-2 | 24.11 Valencia (H) | 5 |
| Bayern (Germany) | 17.11 Nurnberg (A) 1-1
20.11 Valencia (A) 1-1 | 24.11 Hannover (H) | 1 |
| Borussia D. (Germany) | 17.11 Gr. Furth (H) 3-1
21.11 Ajax (A) 4-1 | 24.11 Mainz (A) | 4 |
| Schalke 04 (Germany) | 17.11 Bayer (A) 0-2
21.11 Olympiacos (H) 1-0 | 24.11 Eintracht (H) | 2 |
| Benfica (Portugal) | 16.11 Moreirense (Cup)2-0
20.11 Celtic (H) 2-1 | 24.11 Olhanense (H) | 2 |
| Porto (Portugal) | 17.11 Nacional M(Cup)3-0
21.11 Dinamo Z. (H) 3-0 | 25.11 Sp. Braga (A) | 1 |
| Sp. Braga (Portugal) | 16.11 Pampilhosa (Cup)3-1
20.11 Cluj (A) 1-3 | 25.11 Porto (H) | 3 |
| CFR Cluj (Romania) | 16.11 Astra (H) 0-2
20.11 Sp. Braga (H) 3-1 | 24.11 Cluj-Napoca (A) | 6 |
| Galatasaray (Turkey) | 16.11 Kardemir K. (H) 1-3
20.11 Man. United (H) 1-0 | 24.11 Elazigspor (A) | 1 |
| Juventus (Italy) | 17.11 Lazio (H) 0-0
20.11 Chelsea (H) 3-0 | 25.11 Milan (A) | 1 |
| Milan (Italy) | 17.11 Napoli (A) 2-2
21.11 Anderlecht (A) 1-3 | 25.11 Juventus (H) | 12 |
| Montpellier (France) | 17.11 Valenciennes (A) 1-1
21.11 Arsenal (A) 0-2 | 25.11 Bordeaux (H) | 14 |
| PSG (France) | 17.11 St. Rennais (H) 1-2
21.11 Dynamo K. (A) 2-0 | 24.11 Troyes (H) | 3 |
| Lille (France) | 16.11 Lorient (A) 0-2
20.11 BATE (A) 2-0 | 25.11 Marseille (A) | 8 |
| Nordsjæland (Denmark) | 16.11 AGF (A) 2-0
20.11 Shakhtar (H) 2-5 | 25.11Esbjerg (A) | 2 |
| Olympiacos (Greece) | 17.11 Kerkyra (H) 2-0
21.11 Schalke 04 (A) 0-1 | 25.11 PAOK (A) | 1 |
| Shakhtar D. (Ukraine) | 17.11 Arsenal K. (A) 0-2
20.11 Nordsjælland (A) 5-2 | 24.11 Hoverla (H) | 1 |
| Dynamo K. (Ukraine) | 17.11 Metalurg D. (A) 0-1
21.11 PSG (H) 0-2 | 25.11 Arsenal K. (H) | 3 |
| Zenit (Russia) | 17.11 Dynamo M. (A) awarded win to Dynamo
21.11 Malaga (H) 2-2 | 26.11 CSKA (H) | 3 |
| Spartak M. (Russia) | 17.11 Volga (A) 1-1
20.11 Barcelona (H) 0-3 | 25.11 Dynamo M. (H) | 5 |
| Celtic (Scotland) | 17.11 Aberdeen (A) 2-0
20.11 Benfica (A) 1-2 | 24.11 Inverness (H) | 1 |
