European soccer news: Real Madrid reclaim first place, Liverpool fail to go top

There are only a couple of weeks until we ring in the new year but, before that, there is some football action to be decided all across Europe to finish off 2023 on a high. As always, this weekend saw some shocking results, drama and excitement that is ever so present in the continent.

On Sunday, Real Madrid thrashed Villarreal 4-1 to take top spot in LaLiga from high-flying surprise outfit Girona, who don’t play until Monday. In the Premier League, Liverpool racked up over 30 shots but scored no goals as they settled for a 0-0 draw with rivals Manchester United, while Arsenal made surprisingly light work of Brighton to go top of the table. In Germany, Bayern Munich kept pace behind Bundesliga leaders Bayer Leverkusen with a 3-0 rout of Stuttgart, and there was joy for U.S. international Sergiño Dest as he scored in PSV Eindhoven’s huge win vs. AZ Alkmaar.

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With Saturday’s wrap at the bottom of this file, here is your comprehensive look-back at all the fun from the weekend.

SUNDAY REVIEW

The Sunday lead: Real Madrid thrash Villarreal to go top again in Spain

Real Madrid’s 4-1 win over Villarreal on Sunday was more evidence that they’ll have no problems scoring enough goals to go all the way in LaLiga this season, even without an established centre-forward, as they reclaimed top spot over Girona.

The front three of Jude Bellingham, Rodrygo Goes and Brahim Díaz all got on the scoresheet — joined by Luka Modric — to make it a team total of 38 goals scored in 17 games, as many as any team in LaLiga. First-half injuries to David Alaba and Ferland Mendy, with Alaba’s looking serious, were the only sour notes on what was a comfortable win under the Santiago Bernabeu’s new closed roof, with next summer’s arrival, Endrick, watching on in the stands.

Bellingham started the show in the 25th minute, heading Modric’s ball past Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen — that’s now an absurd 13 goals in 15 league games for the England star. In the 21st century, only Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski — one of the deadliest finishers of the modern era — reached that figure faster. Rodrygo made it 2-0 before half-time. Another player in form, his early-season goal shortage is now long forgotten, with eight scored in his past eight Real Madrid games.

Diaz’s goal to make it 3-0 — after José Luis Morales had pulled a goal back for Villarreal — was the moment of the night, skipping through the visitors’ defence with delicate footwork before a cool finish. Opportunities were limited for the former AC Milan playmaker earlier in the season, but he now has two goals and an assist in his past three league games, and increasingly looks like he has the quality to be a useful player in this squad.

Modric’s reaction to scoring the fourth goal was joyous, perhaps a release of the frustration he has felt at having such an unusually limited role this season. It was his first club goal since February. With a 4-1 scoreline and victory all but assured, coach Carlo Ancelotti was able to substitute Bellingham, who’d been fired up by a refereeing decision going against him minutes earlier, and should be protected at all costs.

Ahead of surprise contenders Girona’s game with Alaves on Monday, Madrid are a point clear at the top of LaLiga. Even all those injuries to key players — with Alaba and Mendy joining Thibaut Courtois, Éder Militão, Dani Carvajal, Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Güler and Vinícius Júnior on the sidelines — haven’t been able to derail their season so far. — Alex Kirkland

Sunday talking points around the leagues

Liverpool blow their chance to go top

Liverpool created 34 chances against Manchester United, but failed to score any of them as Jurgen Klopp’s team blew the chance to claim top spot ahead of next Saturday’s title clash against Arsenal.

Having put 11 goals past United on their last meetings at Anfield, Liverpool were just as dominant as recent clashes, with manager Klopp saying his team had even more control of this game than last season’s 7-0 win. But despite being without so many key players because of injury and suspension, United fought a rearguard action and could have snatched a win had Rasmus Hojlund converted the best chance of the game in the second half to score his first Premier League goal for United.

Liverpool’s failure to win mean that they end the weekend one point behind Arsenal in second place, so they are well placed to move top and have the distinction of being league leaders at Christmas. But if Liverpool are to beat Mikel Arteta’s side and establish themselves as leaders and title favourites, they have to be more ruthless in front of goal than they were against United. — Mark Ogden

Bayern Munich swat aside Stuttgart in tricky Sunday clash

Thomas Tuchel & Co. just need to keep moving forward. It’s that simple.

With Bayer Leverkusen — led by the dazzling, flavour-of-the-month manager, Xabi Alonso — continuing to collect points at the top of the table, Bayern’s Bundesliga challenge might be a lot like last year’s in that they just need to match results and wait for an opening. Sunday’s game — the visit of fourth-place Stuttgart, who’d gone seven games without defeat — promised to be a challenge and yet, Bayern just kept moving.

Harry Kane scored after just two minutes, Bayern had two goals disallowed by VAR before half-time, Kane bagged a second early in the second half and Kim Min-Jae headed in his first goal for the club as the Bavarians ran out comfortable 3-0 winners. Despite allowing their opponents nearly 70% of the ball, Bayern took their chances and played brilliantly on the counter, racking up 17 shots (on 2.81 xG) to leave little doubt as to whether they deserved their victory.

With Leverkusen also winning 3-0 (over Frankfurt) this weekend, Bayern didn’t make up any ground at the top, but that’s not the point. Just keep moving. — James Tyler

Arsenal beat Brighton to wrap up a good weekend in the title race

Arsenal’s inability to maintain last season’s league lead over Manchester City only increases the test of self-belief this time around and in that context, this was something close to a perfect weekend for the Gunners. Man City drew at home to Crystal Palace, Liverpool failed to beat Manchester United and, in between, Arsenal finally found a way to beat Roberto de Zerbi’s Brighton side at home. They end this weekend five points clear of City and top of the table heading into a hectic run of games over the Christmas period.

Things can change quickly, of course, but such a commanding display against a team that has caused them so many problems in the past — having lost this fixture in the previous two years — will engender confidence for the challenges that lie ahead. As it happened, Sunday’s 2-0 win ended a run of 32 consecutive league matches in which Brighton have scored, and Arsenal were full value for their dominance. Mikel Arteta’s side restricted Brighton to one shot on target — their first of any description in the 64th-minute — as Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz struck to get the Gunners back on track after last weekend’s defeat at Aston Villa.

There were signs that Arsenal still should pursue a forward in January — on another day, their profligacy could have been punished — but Arsenal are seeking validation as perennial title challengers after blowing an eight-point lead last season and this matchweek strengthen their conviction in that regard. — James Olley

Asensio’s moment of madness cost PSG

It was the 94rd minute on Sunday evening at the Stade Pierre Mauroy in the north of France. Paris Saint-Germain, already assured of being “winter champions” after Nice’s 3-1 defeat on Saturday at Le Havre, were seeing out the game at Lille with a 1-0 lead courtesy of a Kylian Mbappé penalty.

Everything was going fine for the Parisians. They were dealing well with some late pressure from the hosts. It was far from a vintage performance from the current champions, but four days after the draw in Dortmund in the Champions League that secured their spot in the last-16, they would have been very happy with a win even by the smallest of margins.

And that’s when Marco Asensio, who had just come on to replace Ousmane Dembélé in the 81st minute, decided to do something silly. After recovering the ball near his corner flag, the former Real Madrid forward played a senseless ball toward Warren Zaïre-Emery. It was intercepted and five seconds later, Lille were level thanks to an easy finish by Jonathan David!

There was no need, no logic and no reason for Asensio to play that ball at that time, yet his choice cost his team a win and two more points. At the end of the day, it is not too disastrous — PSG are five points clear of Nice with a much better goal difference (plus-26 compared with plus-8) — but it really frustrated his manager, Luis Enrique, and his teammates. — Julien Laurens

Americans Abroad: Sergiño Dest, Lynden Gooch score stunners

First up, let’s look at what USMNT full-back Sergiño Dest is doing in the Netherlands with PSV Eindhoven. On Sunday, he combined with U.S. up-and-comer Malik Tillman before coolly converting into the bottom corner, his goal helping PSV on their way to a comfortable 4-0 road win over AZ Alkmaar.

Shifting to England: the goal highlight is available with a quick search, but the U.S. winger was on the scoresheet early Sunday as struggling Stoke City drew 1-1 at West Bromwich Albion in the English Championship. Gooch, 27, might have intended it to be a cross, but his swirling, booming delivery deep on the right wing ended up befuddling everyone — including Baggies goalkeeper Alex Palmer — on its way into the back of the net.

It’s the kind of goal you’ll insist was intentional, no matter what!

Lynden Gooch says the Potters’ point against West Bromwich Albion was a good one to take ahead of the busy upcoming festive period. pic.twitter.com/4bmDFgwlBa

— Stoke City FC (@stokecity) December 17, 2023

News of the day

• FIFA’s revamped Club World Cup planned for 2025 and set to feature 32 teams will be played from June 15 to July 13, while a new Intercontinental Cup will be played annually starting next year, Gianni Infantino, the head of world football’s governing body, said on Sunday.

• Manchester United’s team bus was hit by a glass bottle as it arrived at Anfield ahead of their 0-0 draw against Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday. Video on social media shows a bottle being thrown from the street and hitting the front of the bus as it made its way toward the stadium.

• Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hailed an “incredible performance” from his squad as they dismantled Brighton & Hove Albion

And finally, on Sunday…

We keep overlooking Aston Villa when it comes to discussions of the title race, but after Sunday’s come-from-behind brawl of a 2-1 at Brentford, I think we finally need to acknowledge that, well, they’re in the mix.

Brentford lumbered their way into a first-half lead when Keane Lewis-Potter converted from close range after Villa failed to clear a corner, but a red card for defender Ben Mee midway through the second half turned the tide. From there, Villa regrouped, equalizing seven minutes later when Álex Moreno headed Leon Bailey’s cross beyond Mark Flekken before former Brentford star Ollie Watkins nodded in the winner.

An enthralling mess of a final 15 minutes ensued (including 10 minutes of injury time) before Villa celebrated another impressive win. Villa have beaten Spurs, Man City and Arsenal since Nov. 26, but scrappy wins at midtable sides such as Brentford are the performances that prove they belong in the mix at the top. With Sheffield United, Man United and Burnley on the fixture list before the new year, Unai Emery’s side have a clear run heading into 2024. — Tyler

SATURDAY REVIEW

On Saturday, Tottenham achieved a historic 1-0 win over their north London rivals Arsenal in the Women’s Super League, Barcelona were unable to snatch all three points in a 1-1 draw against Valencia, Borussia Dortmund continued to lose ground in the Bundesliga race following a 1-1 draw to Augsburg, and Lyon earned an important 1-0 win over Monaco that helps them in the fight to escape the relegation zone in Ligue 1.

The Saturday lead: Tottenham earn historic north London win

The North London Derby has a special place in the English football calendar, although on the women’s side, it’s been a rather one-sided affair with Spurs playing catch up having only been promoted to the top tier in 2019. Aside from a draw, grabbed in stoppage time back in 2021, Arsenal had reigned supreme in the derby, outscoring Spurs by 24 goals to three, notching five wins along the way.

Having played each other in a midweek cup game that ended 3-3, Spurs made just one change for the tie as Arsenal recalled nine players back into the starting XI, showing their strength in depth. Indeed, the team that just bested Arsenal, and the team they’re now three points behind: league leaders Liverpool. Guardiola’s side sit in fourth place in the table and now travel to Saudi Arabia to compete and try to win their first-ever FIFA Club World Cup whereas Palace are in 15th place, eight points above the relegation zone. — Rojas