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Last Weekend: Spain and Germany’s stalemate, Georgian title race goes down to the wire and more

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All eyes are on the FIFA Men’s World Cup, so may we interest you in the Georgian title race? Don’t worry, we will also be touching on some of the proceedings in Qatar, but alongside that, we will bring you some results and stories that you might have missed over the weekend.

By Neel Shelat

🏆 World Cup: Spain 1-1 Germany

Over a week has passed since the start of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and at the time of writing, 28 matches have been played at a frantic rate of four games a day for the most part. Arguably the best game of the tournament was the latest one, which pitted Spain against Germany.

The stakes were high – the Spaniards knew that a win would seal their progression to the Round of 16 with a game to spare, but such a result would leave the 2014 Champions under serious threat of elimination from the group stage for a second time in a row. There were a couple of nice goals too, but it was not the most open game in terms of entertainment.

What really stood out, though, was the tactical aspects and technical ability on show. The level this game was being played at was almost indistinguishable from a UEFA Champions League knockout tie between two top sides, which is quite something to say for a game of international football. Given the fact that some of the world’s most talented players were in action with the guidance of two very good managers, it is clear to see how this was possible.

Neither side started the match with an out-and-out striker in their line-up so we had to wait for a little over an hour to see goals, which were both scored by substitutes. Álvaro Morata struck first for Spain fairly quickly after coming on, but Niclas Füllkrug fulfilled Germany’s quest for an equaliser in the 83rd minute. The two sides had to settle for a draw in the end, which was a fair result on the balance of play.

This means that neither team can afford to relax on Thursday, when their last group games will kick off simultaneously. Spain need at least a point against Japan to progress, while Germany must win, potentially by a big margin too, in order to ensure that they reach the Round of 16.

🇬🇪 Georgia: Samgurali Tsqaltubo 1-1 Dinamo Tbilisi

Georgia unsurprisingly did not even come close to qualifying for the Men’s World Cup, but football fans in the country have something quite significant to look forward to at this time. The Erovnuli Liga is one of the few European top flight leagues not stopping for the World Cup because they have a title to decide.

The two contenders are defending champions Dinamo Batumi (who won their first league title last season), and the country’s most successful club, Dinamo Tbilsi, who have 18 Erovnuli Liga titles to their name. They are in a great position to return to the top, but encountered a significant scare on Saturday.

Dinamo Tbilisi had a three-point lead when all matches kicked off simultaneously, but their opponents, third-placed FC Samgurali Tskhaltubo, were a threat as they had won in Batumi last time out. Indeed, they drew first blood by opening the scoring in the 21st minute. A few minutes later, Dinamo Batumi took the lead in their match, consequently going to the top of the table as things stood thanks to their superior goal difference.

The defending champions would go on to win their match with relative comfort, but crucially, Dinamo Tbilisi equalised in the second half to come away with a draw, so they remained at the top of the table with a point’s gap.

It has been quite a topsy-turvy title race in Georgia this year, and the twists keep coming right till the end. After a crucial face-off between the top two in the end of July that Dinamo Tbilisi lost, they have gone on an unbeaten run in the league and dropped points just twice prior to this weekend, whereas Dinamo Batumi did not win half of their last 12 league games.

The final matchday of the 2022 season will be played next Saturday when the equation for Dinamo Tbilisi will be simple: match Dinamo Batumi’s result and the title is theirs.

🇫🇷 France: Paris FC 2-3 Lyon

After their midweek triumph over FC Zürich that kept them well in contention for the Women’s Champions League knockouts, Lyon turned their attention to domestic matters on Sunday, when they faced a tough test against third-placed Paris FC.

The Parisians were unbeaten in their eight league games since the start of the season, but Lyon knew that they would have to end that record to return to the top of the table since Paris Saint-Germain had temporarily nicked that spot by beating Guingamp on Saturday.

Centre-back Wendie Renard got things off to a positive start for the visitors by scoring in the 17th minute, but Paris responded quickly through Mathilde Bordieu. She got on the scoresheet again just seconds into the second half to put her side in front, but Renard responded from another corner in the 70th minute to set up an open finish.

The decisive moment came 10 minutes later when Delphine Cascarino pounced on a major defensive lapse to put Lyon back in front and deliver the three points to them. That restores Lyon’s two-point advantage at the top of the table, but they look set to be locked in a close title race with PSG all season.

🇪🇸 Spain: Las Palmas 3-1 Tenerife

Right after Saturday’s World Cup action ended, it was time for the main event of the day – the Canary Islands derby. The last time these two sides faced off was in the promotion play-off semi-final at the end of last season, where Tenerife prevailed with a 3-1 aggregate score.

This season, Tenerife are not up there with the sides vying for promotion as they started this game down in 14th, but Las Palmas were occupying a podium position before kick-off. Given the way this season has played out for both clubs so far, it was not much of a surprise to see the hosts look the better side right from the start.

Former Sevilla man Pejiño opened the scoring a few minutes before half-time after a nice set-up from Enzo Loiodice. The French midfielder would also go on to supply Pejiño before the second goal a little before the hour-mark, and went on to complete his hat-trick of assists late on for Florin Andone’s goal.

Mohammed Dauda scored a late consolation goal for Tenerife, but they were well-beaten in the end in a match that underlined the change of fortunes for the two Canary Islands clubs from last season to this.

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Slavia Sofia 1-2 Ludogorets

Bulgaria’s First Professional League is not in full swing through the World Cup as most teams are currently enjoying their winter break, but defending champions Ludogorets Razgrad are still in action. 

Ludogorets have won each of the last 11 top-flight titles in the country, but their streak is under threat this season from the nation’s most successful club, CSKA-Sofia. CSKA had a five-point lead at the top of the table after the last round of fixtures, but Ludogorets were due to play two games in hand before December.

The first of those saw them face Slavia Sofia on Saturday, in what proved to be a tough fixture. Ludogorets took the lead within ten minutes through their top scorer of the season, Matías Tissera, but Slavia did not let the game slip away and even equalised early in the second half. So, the visitors needed a late strike from Kiril Despodov to win the match and keep their chances of finishing the year at the top of the table alive.

Whether that happens will be decided on Thursday, when Ludogorets host Levski Sofia.

🇮🇹 Italy: Palermo 0-1 Venezia

Our last fixture for this week comes from Serie B, featuring two teams you will likely have heard of.

Palermo were playing in the top flight as recently as six years ago, but slumped down to the third tier for ‘administrative irregularities’ after a change in ownership. Now a part of the City Football Group umbrella, they bounced back to Serie B by winning the play-offs last season. Venezia were also newcomers in the second division in 2022/23, but they dropped down from Serie A.

It will surprise you to learn, therefore, that Venezia were at the foot of the table heading into this fixture. They were in a rotten run of form, having picked up just one point from their last seven matches, which obviously meant that they lost six of those.

They finally broke that streak on Sunday, but a good deal of luck was needed along the way. Finnish international Joel Pohjanpalo broke the deadlock on the 65th minute, but Palermo had a great chance to respond soon thereafter. Matteo Brunori’s penalty was saved, and he somehow missed the rebound from just a few yards out with the gaping goal at his mercy. His side were then celebrating a supposed equaliser in the 83rd minute, but VAR intervened with an offside call.

So, Venezia held on to the win, which also gave Paolo Vanoli his first points since taking charge of the club. They move up to 19th place with this result, while Palermo are also sucked in to the relegation zone with just three points between the two famous sides.

Cover Image from IMAGO

Last Weekend: Spain and Germany’s stalemate, Georgian title race goes down to the wire and more

All eyes are on the FIFA Men’s World Cup, so may we interest you in the Georgian title race? Don’t worry, we will also be touching on some of the proceedings in Qatar, but alongside that, we will bring you some results and stories that you might have missed over the weekend.

By Neel Shelat

🏆 World Cup: Spain 1-1 Germany

Over a week has passed since the start of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup, and at the time of writing, 28 matches have been played at a frantic rate of four games a day for the most part. Arguably the best game of the tournament was the latest one, which pitted Spain against Germany.

The stakes were high – the Spaniards knew that a win would seal their progression to the Round of 16 with a game to spare, but such a result would leave the 2014 Champions under serious threat of elimination from the group stage for a second time in a row. There were a couple of nice goals too, but it was not the most open game in terms of entertainment.

What really stood out, though, was the tactical aspects and technical ability on show. The level this game was being played at was almost indistinguishable from a UEFA Champions League knockout tie between two top sides, which is quite something to say for a game of international football. Given the fact that some of the world’s most talented players were in action with the guidance of two very good managers, it is clear to see how this was possible.

Neither side started the match with an out-and-out striker in their line-up so we had to wait for a little over an hour to see goals, which were both scored by substitutes. Álvaro Morata struck first for Spain fairly quickly after coming on, but Niclas Füllkrug fulfilled Germany’s quest for an equaliser in the 83rd minute. The two sides had to settle for a draw in the end, which was a fair result on the balance of play.

This means that neither team can afford to relax on Thursday, when their last group games will kick off simultaneously. Spain need at least a point against Japan to progress, while Germany must win, potentially by a big margin too, in order to ensure that they reach the Round of 16.

🇬🇪 Georgia: Samgurali Tsqaltubo 1-1 Dinamo Tbilisi

Georgia unsurprisingly did not even come close to qualifying for the Men’s World Cup, but football fans in the country have something quite significant to look forward to at this time. The Erovnuli Liga is one of the few European top flight leagues not stopping for the World Cup because they have a title to decide.

The two contenders are defending champions Dinamo Batumi (who won their first league title last season), and the country’s most successful club, Dinamo Tbilsi, who have 18 Erovnuli Liga titles to their name. They are in a great position to return to the top, but encountered a significant scare on Saturday.

Dinamo Tbilisi had a three-point lead when all matches kicked off simultaneously, but their opponents, third-placed FC Samgurali Tskhaltubo, were a threat as they had won in Batumi last time out. Indeed, they drew first blood by opening the scoring in the 21st minute. A few minutes later, Dinamo Batumi took the lead in their match, consequently going to the top of the table as things stood thanks to their superior goal difference.

The defending champions would go on to win their match with relative comfort, but crucially, Dinamo Tbilisi equalised in the second half to come away with a draw, so they remained at the top of the table with a point’s gap.

It has been quite a topsy-turvy title race in Georgia this year, and the twists keep coming right till the end. After a crucial face-off between the top two in the end of July that Dinamo Tbilisi lost, they have gone on an unbeaten run in the league and dropped points just twice prior to this weekend, whereas Dinamo Batumi did not win half of their last 12 league games.

The final matchday of the 2022 season will be played next Saturday when the equation for Dinamo Tbilisi will be simple: match Dinamo Batumi’s result and the title is theirs.

🇫🇷 France: Paris FC 2-3 Lyon

After their midweek triumph over FC Zürich that kept them well in contention for the Women’s Champions League knockouts, Lyon turned their attention to domestic matters on Sunday, when they faced a tough test against third-placed Paris FC.

The Parisians were unbeaten in their eight league games since the start of the season, but Lyon knew that they would have to end that record to return to the top of the table since Paris Saint-Germain had temporarily nicked that spot by beating Guingamp on Saturday.

Centre-back Wendie Renard got things off to a positive start for the visitors by scoring in the 17th minute, but Paris responded quickly through Mathilde Bordieu. She got on the scoresheet again just seconds into the second half to put her side in front, but Renard responded from another corner in the 70th minute to set up an open finish.

The decisive moment came 10 minutes later when Delphine Cascarino pounced on a major defensive lapse to put Lyon back in front and deliver the three points to them. That restores Lyon’s two-point advantage at the top of the table, but they look set to be locked in a close title race with PSG all season.

🇪🇸 Spain: Las Palmas 3-1 Tenerife

Right after Saturday’s World Cup action ended, it was time for the main event of the day – the Canary Islands derby. The last time these two sides faced off was in the promotion play-off semi-final at the end of last season, where Tenerife prevailed with a 3-1 aggregate score.

This season, Tenerife are not up there with the sides vying for promotion as they started this game down in 14th, but Las Palmas were occupying a podium position before kick-off. Given the way this season has played out for both clubs so far, it was not much of a surprise to see the hosts look the better side right from the start.

Former Sevilla man Pejiño opened the scoring a few minutes before half-time after a nice set-up from Enzo Loiodice. The French midfielder would also go on to supply Pejiño before the second goal a little before the hour-mark, and went on to complete his hat-trick of assists late on for Florin Andone’s goal.

Mohammed Dauda scored a late consolation goal for Tenerife, but they were well-beaten in the end in a match that underlined the change of fortunes for the two Canary Islands clubs from last season to this.

🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Slavia Sofia 1-2 Ludogorets

Bulgaria’s First Professional League is not in full swing through the World Cup as most teams are currently enjoying their winter break, but defending champions Ludogorets Razgrad are still in action. 

Ludogorets have won each of the last 11 top-flight titles in the country, but their streak is under threat this season from the nation’s most successful club, CSKA-Sofia. CSKA had a five-point lead at the top of the table after the last round of fixtures, but Ludogorets were due to play two games in hand before December.

The first of those saw them face Slavia Sofia on Saturday, in what proved to be a tough fixture. Ludogorets took the lead within ten minutes through their top scorer of the season, Matías Tissera, but Slavia did not let the game slip away and even equalised early in the second half. So, the visitors needed a late strike from Kiril Despodov to win the match and keep their chances of finishing the year at the top of the table alive.

Whether that happens will be decided on Thursday, when Ludogorets host Levski Sofia.

🇮🇹 Italy: Palermo 0-1 Venezia

Our last fixture for this week comes from Serie B, featuring two teams you will likely have heard of.

Palermo were playing in the top flight as recently as six years ago, but slumped down to the third tier for ‘administrative irregularities’ after a change in ownership. Now a part of the City Football Group umbrella, they bounced back to Serie B by winning the play-offs last season. Venezia were also newcomers in the second division in 2022/23, but they dropped down from Serie A.

It will surprise you to learn, therefore, that Venezia were at the foot of the table heading into this fixture. They were in a rotten run of form, having picked up just one point from their last seven matches, which obviously meant that they lost six of those.

They finally broke that streak on Sunday, but a good deal of luck was needed along the way. Finnish international Joel Pohjanpalo broke the deadlock on the 65th minute, but Palermo had a great chance to respond soon thereafter. Matteo Brunori’s penalty was saved, and he somehow missed the rebound from just a few yards out with the gaping goal at his mercy. His side were then celebrating a supposed equaliser in the 83rd minute, but VAR intervened with an offside call.

So, Venezia held on to the win, which also gave Paolo Vanoli his first points since taking charge of the club. They move up to 19th place with this result, while Palermo are also sucked in to the relegation zone with just three points between the two famous sides.

Cover Image from IMAGO