A quick spot check around the European leagues revealed that things are pretty tight in the EPL, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and the German Bundesliga. If you thought that the title race was neck to neck in Italy then you ain’t seen nothing yet. In France, the top six clubs are all in a position to win the championship with only 4 points separating Olympique Lyon the top club from the 6th placed club Olympique de Marseille.
Last night did not provide any respite at all especially in the Serie A. Inter’s nearest title challengers Roma and Milan both won to keep the pressure on the Nerazzurri who were 3-0 winners over lowly Bologna. With 5 games left to decide who becomes champions, i am right to say that it will be a nerve racking end to the season for most leagues.
As the title race remained unchanged in Italy, a new leader emerged in the EPL. Yesterday’s tie between Manchester United and Chelsea was billed as a battle of domination. Manchester United who have been riding high at home and in Europe thanks to their in form striker Wayne Rooney got a rude shock when they were beaten 2-1 by the Blues.
That defeat capped a rather bad week for the reigning EPL champions where they suffered a huge set back in their quest for European glory on Tuesday losing 2-1 to Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena. Not only did they lose the match, they also lost their top scorer Rooney through a leg injury that will keep him out of the return fixture later on this week.
In Spain, Barcelona bounced back from a midweek 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League to hammer Athletic Bilbao 4-1 at the Nou Camp. Lionel Messi once again returned to what he knows best – scoring. The Argentine scored one to take his taly to 35 goals in all competitions. Youngster Bojan was also on target as he struck twice to ensure Barca remains in the hunt for their 2nd successive title.
Sevilla were also big winners on the night as they trounced Tenerife 3-0 to move up to 4th place in the league standings. Sevilla who had not won a match since Feb 20th are in contention to secure that 4th and last Champions league spot.
In German Bayern Munich beat Schalke 2-1 thanks to goals from their amazing player Ribery. I must admit, i never really was a fan of the Frenchman until last Tuesday. Ribery made me realise just how talented he is. Not even United’s defense was strong enough to contain him. Bayern’s win took them back to the top of the league just a point above Schalke.
In France, Lyon back to the top of the league after beating Rennes 2-1. Bordeaux were surprising losers to Nancy. Playing at home, Bordeaux lost 2-1 to make it their second successive loss in 4 days. Lyon’s win means that the title race lives to see another day. Lyon lead the table with 57 points level with Montpellier while Bordeaux and Auxerre are 1 point behind on 56 points.
