Steve Nicol was happy that Manchester City came back from two goals down to earn a draw. (1:02) It was a tense weekend of games in Europe, with the title races in the English and Italian leagues going down to the wire and the battle for spots in the top flight playing out in almost every league. Manchester City showed resilience to keep their bid to repeat in the Premier League on track, Luis Suarez wore his heart on his sleeve in his farewell to the Atleti Madrid faithful, and Erling Haaland said that Stuttgart pulled off a great escape to stay in the Bundesliga. All you need to know from around Europe is what Mark, Alex, Sam, Rob, and James Tyler have to say. You can watch the FC daily on the US version of the network.
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Talking points, best goals, teams in trouble, and the most valuable of the weekend.
Man City show their mettle...
The character of this Manchester City team has been called into question following the heartbreaking defeat to Real Madrid, but they came up with an answer against West Ham United on Sunday.
The way the team fought back after being down 2-0 at the London Stadium is something that can be proud of. If they had lost, the title would have been in their hands on the final day of the season.
City have an array of the best players in the world capable of scoring goals out of nothing, but it's unfair to suggest they don't have the stomach for a battle. The evidence of their fight and determination was there for all to see against West Ham, despite the fact that the team had been defended by their coach.
... but Mahrez will rue his miss
Had Ryoko scored an 84th minute penalty, which would have given City a 4-2 win and a six-point lead over their rivals, the title would have been a formality.
If City fail to defeat Villa next Sunday, then the title will be won by the Reds, but only if they win against Saints and Wolves on the final day.
Social media was abuzz with questions as to why the formerLeicester City player took the penalty rather than Kevin De Bruyne, who scored from the spot. Pundits made the same observation.
Statistics show that he is the best spot-kick taker for City and that is the reason why he took the penalty.
Prior to the miss at the London Stadium, he had scored seven from seven for City this season and it was his first failure to convert a penalty since he shot over the bar in October.
The miss seems to have given the reputation of a unreliable penalty taker to the man, but the reality is somewhat different.
Gabriel Jesus has scored one and missed one of the three penalties he has taken. He scored it, but he only took one.
With a 100% strike rate from seven this season, he was the obvious taker at West Ham. He has earned the right to be the man in those situations.
Stuttgart's remarkable great escape
It wasn't just title races and top-four finishes that served up last-second drama at the other end of the table on Saturday, it was the last kick of the game that gave Stuttgart their fate.
The club has had a difficult few seasons, with two years in the 2. It was the first time since the mid-1970s that the Bundesliga was demoted. They needed a victory on the final day of the season in order to get another year in the German league. With Hertha losing at Dortmund, the push for that winning goal went on until the last second.
STUTTGART SCORE A 92ND MINUTE WINNER TO STAY IN THE BUNDESLIGA!!! 😱 pic.twitter.com/MSCfun2LSg
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 14, 2022
Midfielder Wataru Endo popped up unmarked at the far post to nod in Hiroki Ito's flick-on and preserve Stuttgart's top-flight status on goal difference. New Jersey-born manager Pellegrino Matarazzo and his team completed the victory thanks to Hertha's reversal. After a nine-game winless run that included seven defeats, Die Roten only lost two of their final 10 games to give themselves a chance to stay up.
Stuttgart were forced to wait until the last second before they were rendered useless by a dominant xG of 4.10 to 1.26 and 24 shots. Enjoy the feeling of staying up, friends.
SCENES IN STUTTGART! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/861UZCngC8
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 14, 2022
Suarez's tearful goodbye
The farewell at the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday was emotional, but it didn't make up for the fact that Luis had only been there for two years.
The banner they held up during the second half of their draw with Sevilla said "Thank you, Luis, for making us champion" and so did he.
He was angry at the way he was treated by Barcelona and wanted to prove his former club wrong. He scored 21 goals in the league title for Atleti.
The 35-year-old's body is struggling to meet the demands of top-level football. He was unable to score against Sevilla, just as he has been in every game since the beginning of the season. He came on in the 65th minute and was given a rousing reception by the crowd.
I gave 200% of my income to a club that opened its doors to me, he said.
Atletico Madrid said goodbye to Luis Suarez and Hector Herrera after their last home game for the club ❤️ pic.twitter.com/FiyQCy53Wq
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 15, 2022
En-Nesyri nods Sevilla into the Champions League
Sevilla were under a lot of pressure going into their game. Not only were they yet to secure a place in the playoffs, they also had Real Betis breathing down their neck in fifth place. If they had lost, they would have been overtaken by their local rivals on the final day. A disappointing second half of the season has led to fan unrest and speculation about the future of manager Julen Lopetegui, but En-Nesyri's goal meant Sevilla are at least sure of a top-four finish.
EN-NESYRI HEADS IT HOME AND SEVILLA ARE ON THEIR WAY TO CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUALIFICATION 🔥 pic.twitter.com/0VDexvAfIE
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 15, 2022
Of course Haaland scored in his Dortmund farewell
One of the highlights of the Haaland era was his prolific scoring and the fact that the club couldn't ride his attacking skill to any silverware. He scored a penalty midway through the second half as BVB came back from a goal down to beat Hertha Berlin.
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Was it a great goal? Hardly. It helped lift a stodgy Dortmund out of a sleepy game and put them on course for victory while reminding fans of just how much fun the past two years have been with the giant Norway forward in the team. Tyler is from the Bundesliga: Hamburger SV.
Of course Erling Haaland scores in his final game for Dortmund! 💪 pic.twitter.com/gHIdTg1LZH
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) May 14, 2022
Prats scores crucial goal for Los Piratas
Local hero Abdon Prats will have scored nicer goals in his career, but Sunday's last-minute winner for Mallorca against Rayo Vallecano may prove the most important. Mallorca were set to go into the final week of the season in the bottom half of the table when Prats swept home after good work from Maffeo on the right. The Mallorca-born forward's goal means his side have their destiny in their own hands when they travel to Osasuna next weekend. A win will guarantee their top-flight status, as will matching the result at Alaves, which is already safe.
The Mallorca fans were in a frenzy with a late goal.
Burnley slip back into the red zone
After this weekend, it will be the other way around in the battle to stay in the league. With one week of the season left, they are in the drop zone, because of their defeat to Spurs and the late draw against Seagulls. At this stage of the season, only points which matter and only one more than the other team, is what matters. They have to get something from their trip to Villa on Thursday, or the home game with Newcastle United on the final day, or next season, regardless of what Leeds do on Sunday. It is hard to turn it around when things are not going well at the bottom of the table.
Alaves' joy turns to anguish
The calculation for Alaves going into their game at Levante was simple: a win would give them a fighting chance of survival, if fellow strugglers Cadiz did not beat Real Madrid at the same time. When Joselu scored for Alaves, everything was going to plan, too. They were outside of the bottom three on the live LaLiga table. Their joy was short lived, though, as three second-half goals for Levante condemned Alaves to a 3-1 defeat and promotion back to the second division for the first time since 2016 The Basque club, known as El Glorioso, The Glorious One, and based in the elegant city of Vitoria, will be missed.
Hernandez helps Milan put one hand on Serie A title
AC Milan are on the verge of a first Serie A title since 2011 after TheoHernandez scored a stunning solo goal against Atalanta on Sunday. Milan had taken the lead at the San Siro in the second half thanks to a goal by Rafael Leao, who got the ball in his own half with 15 minutes to go. The left-back did not stop. He beat five opponents as he surged up the pitch, heading for the box before driving a low effort beyond the diving Juan Musso. After going close with a free kick, he finally got his fifth league goal of the season. He was part of a rearguard effort that formed the basis for a win that left Milan one point away from the title. They need a draw in their final game away from home against Sassuolo. They will win their first title in a decade if Internazionale fail to beat Sampdoria.
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