Talking points from the weekend in European soccer leagues:
NETHERLANDS
IT’S NOT OVER BY ANY STRETCH OF THE IMAGINATION
Victory for PSV Eindhoven away at Dutch champions Feyenoord on Sunday extended their 100% start to the season to 14 games and increased their lead to 10 points.
But for those pundits, supporters and even players who think the title race is close to being settled, PSV coach Peter Bosz issued a rebuttal: “Nonsense. We’ve played 14 games but there are another 20 to come. We’re not even halfway. You can lose three games in a row and suddenly your lead is down to just one,” he said after the victory.
PSV scored twice in the space of three minutes in the second half to take the lead before Feyenoord pulled one back in the 81st minute through Santiago Gimenez, top scorer in the Dutch league with 16, for a nervy finish.
GERMANY
BAYERN POSTPONEMENT
Bayern Munich can reclaim the lead in the Bundesliga when they play their postponed match against Union Berlin after leaders Bayer Leverkusen slipped up at home with a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern are now three points behind Leverkusen in second place on 32 and with a better goal difference and have a game in hand after Sunday’s match was postponed due to heavy snowfall in the Bavarian capital.
A new date for the game has yet to be announced.
SPAIN
BARCELONA STAY IN THE HUNT
Barcelona managed to get an important 1-0 win against fellow title contenders Atletico Madrid on Sunday, as forward Joao Felix, on loan at Barca, scored the winner against his parent club and celebrated like someone who is not looking forward to go back to where he came from.
Under pressure from demanding fans not satisfied with the form of Xavi Hernandez’s team who have failed to win four of their last eight LaLiga matches before Atletico’s visit, Barca put on clinic for most of the match, before running out of gas due to the relentless pace they imposed.
Barca moved to third place in the LaLiga standings on 34 points, four from leaders Real Madrid and Girona, as Atletico are fourth on 31 points, but with a game in hand over all their main rivals.
