Soccer Monday: Barca’s Jude awakening, Napoli comes back and Ajax in free fall
Kick off your week with all the action from this past weekend
Great rivalries across Europe highlighted the final weekend of October. Following last week’s Champions League clashes, some of the continent’s biggest clubs took to the field again in search for points.
At the same time, the MLS Cup Playoffs got underway with the start of the first round. If that wasn’t enough, the U.S. women’s team — after playing Colombia to a 0-0 draw just four days ago — managed a convincing 3-0 win against the South Americans.
Here’s a look at the major storylines from this past weekend:
3. Real Madrid wins El Clasico in dramatic style
Jude Bellingham scored twice — including a stoppage-time winner — on Saturday as visiting Real Madrid fought back from a goal down to down rivals Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico.
Barcelona got on the board after just six minutes when midfielder Ilkay Gundogan scored from close range after taking advantage of a bad defensive mistake by the visitors.
Barcelona, however, hit the woodwork twice, while Bellingham made the most of the two chances he had in the second half. First, the English midfielder unleashed an unstoppable strike into the upper-left corner in the 68th minute. Then, in the second minute of injury time, he scored the winner after collecting a Luka Modric pass inside the box.
For Bellingham, it was his 13th goal of the season in as many games. As a result of Bellingham’s heroics, Real Madrid moved top of table with 28 points, tied with surprise-side Girona. Barcelona, at 24 points, fell to fourth.
2. Napoli and AC Milan play to epic draw
It was a tale of two halves (AC Milan dominated the first and Napoli the second) as the last two Serie A champions played to a hard-fought 2-2 draw on Sunday in Naples.
AC Milan took a 2-0 lead at the break thanks to a Olivier Giroud brace. Napoli, however, stormed back for two goals of their own in the second half at the Stadio Diego Maradona.
Napoli — without injured striker Victor Osimhen — found the back of the net with Matteo Politano and Giacomo Raspadori on a terrific free kick. Striker Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could have won the game for Napoli in stoppage time, but his shot was saved by goalkeeper Mike Maignan. AC Milan are third with 22 points, while Napoli remain in fourth with 18.
Inter Milan, in first place with 25 points, downed AS Roma at home 1-0 on Sunday. Marcus Thuram scored the game’s lone goal nine minutes from time. Second-place Juventus, who are just two points back, defeated Verona 1-0 at home on Saturday.
1. Ajax: Fall of a legendary club
Ajax, a 36-time Dutch champion, dropped to the bottom of the Eredivisie table after losing 5-2 at PSV Eindhoven on Sunday for a club record fifth successive league defeat.
It was Monday when Ajax fired coach Maurice Steijn before they lost 2-0 at Brighton in the Europa League this past Thursday. The Amsterdam-based club — under interim boss Hedwiges Maduro — scored the opening goal of the match with Van den Bommen.
But Mexican international Hirving “Chucky” Lozano scored a hat trick to help PSV move five points clear at the top of the table.
Ajax were Dutch champions in 2022 under manager Erik ten Hag, before he became Manchester United manager, but now have just five points from their first eight matches.
In other news: Erling Haaland scored a fine brace as Manchester City grabbed a 3-0 win over city rivals Manchester United on Sunday at Old Trafford. The result put Pep Guardiola’s side into a two-way tie (along with Arsenal) for second with 24 points, two behind league leaders Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs defeated Crystal Palace 2-1 on Friday. … Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw both scored their first international goals as the United States defeated Colombia 3-0 on Sunday in San Diego. Lindsey Horan added a goal for the USWNT in the second of two friendlies against Colombia. … The Lyon team bus was hit with stones before Sunday's game against Ligue 1 side Olympique Marseille as the team made their way to the Stade Velodrome. As a result, French authorities postponed the game. Footage showed damage to the bus windows and coach Fabio Grosso’s face covered in blood.