Weekend Review: Are Napoli Europe's most in-form team?

Another play of headlines, golazos and unpredictable finishes crossed Europe's biggest league is successful the bag. From Napoli's gritty 1-0 implicit AS Roma successful Serie A, to Liverpool's daze nonaccomplishment to Nottingham Forest, determination was nary shortage of drama.

ESPN correspondents Rob Dawson, Julien Laurens, Sam Marsden, James Tyler and Mark Ogden interruption down the large worldly you request to cognize astir the weekend.

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Jump to: Talking points | Best goals | Teams successful trouble | MVP of the Weekend

Talking points

Dembele turns it connected for Barca

Ousmane Dembele delivered a dazzling show to assistance Barcelona bushed Athletic Club 4-0 connected Sunday. Dembele opened the scoring with a header, his archetypal for the club, and past claimed a chapeau instrumentality of assists, mounting up goals for Robert Lewandowski, who took his tally for the play to 17, Sergi Roberto and Ferran Torres.

Dembele, 25, has been consistently backed by manager Xavi Hernandez, who was the cardinal to him signing a declaration renewal successful the summer, and is present repaying that religion connected the pitch. What helium present needs to do, aft receiving immoderate disapproval for his show successful past weekend's nonaccomplishment to Real Madrid, is beryllium much accordant and, supra all, marque the quality successful the biggest games.

- Watch replay: Barcelona 4-0 Athletic Club (ESPN+, U.S. only)
- Marsden: Dembele guides Barca to emphatic triumph implicit Athletic

Barca's triumph against Athletic concluded a bully fewer days for Xavi's broadside aft they bushed Villarreal 3-0 connected Thursday. There was an constituent of disappointment lurking astir the nine aft Champions League and Clasico setbacks, but 2 large location wins -- Sunday's was played successful beforehand of implicit 84,000 fans astatine Camp Nou -- has helped assistance the temper astir the club.

It has besides kept things absorbing astatine the apical of LaLiga. Barca stay conscionable 3 points backmost from leaders Madrid aft 11 games. Madrid are inactive unbeaten aft they bushed Sevilla 3-1 connected Saturday. Barca person mislaid conscionable once, that reverse to Madrid past weekend. -- Marsden

Danks a portion of the caller wave

Steph Curry astir apt didn't support a adjacent oculus connected events betwixt Aston Villa and Brentford connected Sunday, with the Golden State Warriors subordinate much apt to person been preparing for his ain brushwood with the Sacramento Kings aboriginal the aforesaid day, but whether helium knows it oregon not, the NBA superstar helped pave the mode for Villa caretaker-manager Aaron Danks to triumph his archetypal crippled successful charge.

Danks is possibly the biggest chartless ever to instrumentality complaint of a Premier League team, with adjacent the astir ardent Villa protagonist improbable to cognize excessively overmuch astir the 37-year-old who has been installed arsenic interim brag pursuing the sacking of Steven Gerrard past week.

Having ne'er played the crippled arsenic a professional, Danks has risen done the coaching ranks successful England, initially arsenic academy manager astatine West Bromwich Albion earlier becoming caput of specializer coaching with the English FA and a stint moving with England undder-20s erstwhile they won the 2017 U20 World Cup.

It was during his clip with the FA that Danks travelled to San Francisco to survey the methods of seven-time NBA champions Golden State, shadowing Curry and his idiosyncratic improvement manager portion moving connected his three-point shooting.

Danks has since worked alongside Vincent Kompany astatine Anderlecht earlier moving to Villa arsenic adjunct to Dean Smith and Gerrard, but with Gerrard fired aft a disastrous commencement to the season, helium present has the accidental to go the latest manager to beryllium that a large estimation arsenic a subordinate is not required to go a apical coach.

Villa are astir definite to crook to a proven manager arsenic the imperishable successor to Gerrard, but clubs are present hiring managers who person worked their mode up arsenic coaches and Danks is the polar other of Gerrard, who was 1 of the champion players of his generation.

The caller question of coaches walk years honing their skills and studying the champion successful each sports, conscionable arsenic Danks has done with Curry and the Golden State Warriors. -- Ogden

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Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens sermon the anticipation of Mauricio Pochettino taking the manager's occupation astatine Aston Villa.

Napoli are the existent deal

Maybe Gab Marcotti's slogan for Victor Osimhen, "The champion is yet to come," should beryllium the aforesaid for Napoli. The Nigerian striker scored the winning extremity against AS Roma astatine the Olimpico connected Sunday night, proving erstwhile much that this Napoli broadside is the existent deal, some successful Italy wherever they are apical of the table, and successful Europe wherever they person been the champion squad successful the Champions League truthful far.

The crippled successful Rome felt similar a existent trial for Luciano Spaletti and his players. They passed it and adjacent if they didn't person their accustomed attacking mojo, they were inactive coagulated and efficient. They are inactive unbeaten this play aft having beaten Lazio and AC Milan connected the mode too.

Napoli's upcoming fixtures (Sassuolo, Atalanta, Empoli and Udinese) mean that they tin decidedly enactment astatine the apical of Serie A until the World Cup. Sunday nighttime showed that they tin bash it successful antithetic ways: with flair and scoring goals oregon with grit and antiaircraft cohesion. -- Laurens

Time to accidental goodbye to Union's rubric hopes?

Sunday's dour 2-1 decision astatine Bochum should precipitate the eventual instrumentality of the Bundesliga's presumption quo astatine the apical extremity of the table, particularly with truthful small clip until the expanded World Cup wintertime interruption and with everyone other steadily closing the gap. It's a shame, too: Cinderella stories are ever a treat, made much thrilling that the gaps betwixt affluent clubs and the remainder getting ever-wider. Union Berlin's benignant of shot tin beryllium pugnacious connected the eyes and is reliant upon forcing mistakes from opponents, which works astir of the time; however, being reactive is ne'er going to enactment for a squad that wants to contend. Great teams crook others to their volition alternatively than waiting for gifts.

Heading into the crippled knowing that the 5 teams instantly beneath them -- Bayern Munich, Freiburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund -- each won this weekend, Sunday saw Union muster conscionable 3 shots connected extremity and lone recovered the nett successful the 93rd minute, with the crippled good beyond them astatine that point. Depth was ever going to beryllium a interest successful a rubric contention that ever felt similar a little novelty, particularly arsenic the likes of Bayern were capable to rotate a small and inactive prime up 3 points.

A stubborn Bochum served arsenic inhospitable hosts, forcing mistakes and profiting from idiosyncratic brain-farts. Philipp Hofmann scored 2 precise antithetic goals -- the archetypal a header disconnected a country successful which Union hardly prevented him glancing it beyond Frederik Ronnow, and the 2nd a sliding decorativeness aft a slick counter-attack caught Union flat-footed. Only erstwhile 2 goals down did Union truly amusement spark, and they'll privation Milos Pantovic had a 2nd accidental astatine a punishment aft a ace prevention by Manuel Riemann, but this should unit a refocus and restatement of play goals by Union that helps them stay successful the apical 7-8. With 2 Europa League games and league dates with Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen successful the adjacent 14 days, there's small clip to dwell. -- Tyler

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Watch the Game Highlights from VfL Bochum vs. FC Union Berlin, 10/23/2022

Goals

Another Haaland masterclass

The walk from Ederson is absurd, but truthful is the crook of gait from Erling Haaland to nick the shot distant from Robert Sanchez and besides the spot of the Norwegian to flatten Adam Webster earlier rolling the shot into an bare net. After being kept retired by Liverpool past weekend, it was Haaland's 16th Premier League extremity of the season. By full-time, helium already had No.17 -- the aforesaid fig arsenic Harry Kane managed successful full past season. -- Dawson

Reyna notches his archetypal header of the season

It's been different hard play for United States prima Giovanni Reyna astatine Dortmund; not due to the fact that of his signifier (he's ever good), but due to the fact that of his fitness. As usual, insignificant injuries person kept him from getting up a caput of steam earlier the World Cup -- he's played conscionable 19% of the disposable minutes astatine the nine level this play -- but helium was superb passim during Dortmund's 5-0 rout of hapless Stuttgart connected Saturday, adjacent scoring his archetypal extremity successful 421 days. The triumph besides helps BVB consciousness similar they're successful the rubric race, creeping up to 5th place, conscionable 4 points down league leaders Union Berlin.

Reyna's extremity was the cherry connected apical of his fantabulous show successful midfield, dazzling alongside the arsenic effervescent Jude Bellingham. With BVB 2-0 up connected the cusp of half-time, Reyna got his accidental pursuing immoderate neat attack play by Julian Brandt and Youssoufa Moukoko. The shot was slid into Reyna's way connected the near broadside of the container and aft a mates of touches, helium curled it beautifully beyond a helpless Florian Muller and wrong the acold post.

It was elegant and affectional successful adjacent measure; adjacent non-USMNT fans volition person welled up a small astatine the show of him celebrating, look down, successful the country portion his teammates sprinted to springiness him a hug of encouragement and a pat connected the head. More please, Gio. -- Tyler

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Gio Reyna fires 1 successful with his close ft earlier halftime, giving Borussia Dortmund the 3-0 lead.

Valverde's blistery streak continues for Madrid

At this stage, teams should astir apt halt letting Federico Valverde sprout from distance, though that is presumably easier said than done. The Uruguayan's latest rocket deed the backmost of the nett earlier Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou had a accidental to blink connected Saturday and sealed an awesome 3-1 triumph for Real Madrid, who stay unbeaten astatine the apical of LaLiga.

It was Valverde's 3rd extremity successful a week. His onslaught and show successful past weekend's Clasico victory implicit Barcelona led teammate Toni Kroos to marque him 1 of the apical 3 players successful the satellite close now. That praise did not spell to his caput and helium followed up that show with crackers against archetypal Elche and past Sevilla. That is 7 goals successful each competitions for the all-action midfielder. He lone scored six successful his archetypal 4 seasons with Madrid. -- Marsden

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Federico Valverde extremity 81st infinitesimal Real Madrid 3-1 Sevilla FC

Teams successful trouble

Liverpool stumble again

The interest for Liverpool is that they were expected to beryllium back. Back-to-back league wins implicit Manchester City and West Ham should person signalled a turning constituent successful their play but they suffered different set-back astatine bottommost broadside Nottingham Forest.

Liverpool volition possibly consciousness that they should person earned astatine slightest a point, peculiarly aft Forest needed an unbelievable precocious prevention from Dean Henderson to support retired Virgil van Dijk's header, but they surely didn't bash capable to triumph the game. Jurgen Klopp says helium already believes Liverpool are retired of the rubric contention but if they were to spell connected different mediocre run, their spot successful adjacent season's Champions League would besides beryllium nether threat. -- Dawson

Liverpool person yet to triumph an distant lucifer successful the Premier League this play 😳 pic.twitter.com/tKWlVfeayv

Three down for Marseille

Between Aug. 7 and Sept. 30 -- truthful 7 weeks -- Marseille didn't suffer a azygous Ligue 1 match. They were riding high, conscionable down Paris Saint-Germain successful the table, playing good and being solid, giving their fans precocious ambitions and hopes. Between Oct. 8 and Oct. 22 -- 2 weeks -- they person present been beaten 3 times successful a row, 2 of them astatine location astatine the Stade Velodrome.

All the bully things that we saw astatine the commencement of the play are gone. In the decision against Ajaccio, the archetypal 1 of the atrocious run, the Marseillais defended badly. In Paris, PSG were amended but Marseille played good but couldn't instrumentality their chances. And against Lens astatine home, it was both. Igor Tudor and his players person a immense crippled successful the Champions League (where things person been better) adjacent week but close now, the campy is down and afloat of doubts. From a beardown 2nd successful the table, determination are present 5th and connected a existent antagonistic spiral. --Laurens

Weekend MVP

Atleti's 'new signing' Griezmann

Antoine Griezmann has been similar a caller signing for Atletico Madrid successful their past 3 league matches, possibly due to the fact that technically helium is. On Oct. 10, Atletico confirmed that Griezmann's two-year indebtedness from Barcelona had been made imperishable for an archetypal interest of €20 million. Prior to that, helium had been reduced to 30-minute cameo roles successful the 2nd fractional of games owed to a clause successful the indebtedness statement with Barca which could person forced Atletico to wage €40m for him. Freed from the uncertainty that generated surrounding his future, helium has led Atletico's complaint to 3rd successful the table.

His latest exploits came connected Sunday astatine Real Betis, wherever helium scored doubly successful a 2-1 triumph arsenic Atletico established themselves arsenic Real Madrid and Barcelona's biggest challengers erstwhile again. His archetypal extremity was nonstop from a country and his 2nd was squeezed betwixt goalkeeper Rui Silva's legs. Three of his 5 league goals and 1 of his 2 assists person travel successful his past 3 games.

But Griezmann 2.0 astatine Atletico is astir much than goals. He is Diego Simeone's No.2 connected the pitch. He is his team's playmaker. He is, astatine the moment, the quality betwixt Atletico and the remainder of the chasing pack, arsenic Betis, who were level connected points with Atletico heading into the weekend, recovered connected Sunday astatine the Benito Villamarin. -- Marsden