Victors and Vanquished: Leverkusen’s Stellar Finale, Alli’s Dissent, and a Tough Week for Simeone

The final weekend of matches ahead of the international break delivered a thrilling spectacle. Bayer Leverkusen showcased their trademark flair once more, while Diego Simeone faced yet another disappointing result in quick succession. Vedat Muriqi and Dele Alli also made headlines, albeit for contrasting reasons.

After a record-setting season where Leverkusen were untouchable in Germany, only memories of that success linger. They have recently suffered two defeats to Bayern Munich in the Champions League, coupled with a loss to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, greatly diminishing Xabi Alonso’s prospects for silverware in 2024/25— all within a fortnight. However, this past weekend, Leverkusen reminded fans of their captivating style, delivering a dramatic finish.

In Sunday’s clash against Stuttgart, Leverkusen found themselves down 3-1 following an own goal from Granit Xhaka. Despite less than half an hour remaining to turn things around, Alonso’s squad dug deep. Not only did they manage an equaliser, but in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Patrik Schick clinched an astonishing 4-3 win.

This victory allowed the side from North Rhine-Westphalia to extend their remarkable unbeaten run on the road, with 30 consecutive Bundesliga matches since they last returned from an away fixture without a win—a 3-0 loss to Bochum back in May 2023.

Diego Simeone has had a tough few days. It all began with Atlético Madrid letting a win slip against Getafe in La Liga, followed by a heart-wrenching penalty shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League Round of 16.

On Sunday, a top-of-the-table encounter emerged that could have solidified Atlético’s title ambitions if they could overcome Barcelona at home. Up until the 70th minute, things were looking rosy. Simeone’s team led 2-0, but from that point, they faced a nightmarish collapse.

The Atlético players conceded four unanswered goals and were left reeling from a comprehensive defeat that has severely dented their La Liga title hopes.

Jagiellonia, fresh off advancing to the quarter-finals of the Conference League, found themselves up against the Ekstraklasa leaders Lech Poznan, who enjoyed a rest and were favoured in this clash.

Adrian Siemieniec’s team endured a draining encounter with Cercle Brugge in the Round of 16 of the Conference League on Thursday. Despite a 2-0 loss, they advanced to the quarter-finals thanks to a 3-0 home victory. The match began positively for Lech, who opened the scoring, but ultimately it was Jagiellonia who triumphed 2-1 and climbed to second in the league.

Jagiellonia’s impressive run in Polish football shows that it is indeed possible to compete in European cups while still battling for the national title. Many Ekstraklasa managers struggle to juggle multiple competitions, but Siemieniec continues to push boundaries.

Losers: Liverpool and Arne Slot

Arne Slot and Liverpool can also be counted among the weekend’s losers. After their exit from the Champions League, they faced Newcastle in the EFL Cup final. The Dutchman had a golden opportunity to at least partially make amends for the defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.

However, this match proved no consolation for The Reds. Just weeks ago, it appeared Liverpool were in a strong position to contest for four titles, with their Premier League lead enabling them to focus on the Champions League and domestic cups. Now, however, maintaining their Premier League advantage is all that remains, as their chances for any other trophy have evaporated.

This season, Real Mallorca, managed by Jagoba Arrasate, is delighting fans by vying for a European spot. While the American ownership seems to dampen the mood, the league table speaks for itself.

The clash against Espanyol was crucial, but the second half got off to a disastrous start for the hosts, thanks to Muriqi’s own goal. He had a chance to redeem himself from the penalty spot but missed.

A minute later, Takuma Asano equalised, but Muriqi still felt immense pressure. However, in the dying moments of the match, he took another penalty, this time finding the back of the net, igniting euphoria in the stands.

Before celebrating, Muriqi humbly apologised to the fans and later joined in the jubilation with his teammates.

The story of Dele Alli has been a poignant one for many fans. Once seen as a prodigious talent with a valuation around €100 million, his career has steadily declined. In 2023, he opened up about significant mental health struggles, an addiction to sleeping pills, and painful past experiences. His situation became so dire that he contemplated retirement.

This backdrop has led to widespread hope for the young (still only 28) player to return to the elite level of football. His chance for redemption came at Como, where he has the opportunity to help the struggling club.

Alli made his debut against Milan, coming on in the 81st minute but was sent off just 10 minutes later for a challenge on Ruben Loftus-Cheek. Milan’s Kyle Walker pleaded with the referee not to issue a red card, but fate had decided otherwise.

Fortunately, Loftus-Cheek recovered, but the question remains: Will Dele Alli find his form again? It’s undoubtedly a rocky start at his new club, but hope is not lost. Perhaps with continued training and recovery, he can rediscover his rhythm.

Alassane Plea made history in the Bundesliga on Saturday by becoming only the second player to score an away hat-trick against the same team multiple times, netting three goals against Werder Bremen.

This feat was previously achieved by the legendary Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, who repeatedly found the net against Borussia Monchengladbach—the team Plea now plays for. While a race with Harry Kane for the top scorer might be out of reach, Plea could certainly aim for a spot in the top 10 or even the top five. Is this the beginning of a remarkable end to the season for the forward?

The clash between Montpellier and Saint-Etienne started with a bang, as Lucas Stassin from Saint-Etienne opened the scoring in the 11th minute, adding a second shortly after halftime, despite being down to ten men after Maxime Bernauer’s red card.

This ignited the home ultras, who, with half an hour left in the match, resorted to throwing smoke bombs and firecrackers onto the pitch while lighting flares in the stands. A fire even broke out in the lower sections. The match was promptly abandoned, and despite police intervention, it could not be resumed.

Montpellier now finds itself in a precarious position in Ligue 1, facing consistent losses and heading toward the second division. Such chaotic behaviour from fans certainly won’t help the club’s dire circumstances.