Scott Murray's Blog, page 102
June 15, 2020
The Fiver | Spreading happiness and joy from the highlands to the lowlands
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Today marks the 24th anniversary of the famous Euro 96 showdown between England and Scotland. You’ll no doubt remember it well. Alan Shearer headed England ahead just after half-time. With 13 minutes remaining, Tony Adams brought down Gordon Durie and Scotland were awarded a penalty. Gary McAllister ran up to take the kick, but just before he made contact, the ball moved a little.
Related: Hearts begin legal action against SPFL as Premiership relegation is confirmed
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June 13, 2020
Real Mallorca 0-4 Barcelona: La Liga – as it happened
Barcelona scored after 65 seconds and never looked back, despite some spirited play by relegation-threatened Mallorca
11.04pm BST
Next up for Barcelona: Leganes at Camp Nou. That should be another three points for the reigning champions. Mallorca will certainly hope so, with Leganes two points below them in the relegation zone. Mallorca meanwhile go to Villarreal. Both of those games will be played on Tuesday, the matches coming thick and fast now. Speaking of which, we’ll hopefully see you here tomorrow as Real Madrid look to close the gap at the top back to two points by beating Eibar. Thanks for reading this MBM!
10.59pm BST
Suarez nearly makes it five, but come on, have a heart. He can’t force the ball home from a tight angle on the left, and Mallorca are spared the indignity of shipping a fifth. Not that it matters. Barca go five clear at the top, at least for one night, while Mallorca stay in the relegation zone. But while Barca were deserved winners, and scored some lovely goals, the hosts didn’t play like a relegation side tonight, no matter what the scoreline tells you.
10.57pm BST
90 min +4: The four goals don’t flatter Barcelona. But Mallorca don’t deserve to lose by four. Does that make any sense whatsoever? It surely must.
10.56pm BST
Messi wanders across the face of the Mallorca box, in the insouciant George Best style, drops three defenders, and lashes a shot into the top right. Easy as that.
10.55pm BST
90 min +1: But in the first of five added minutes, Salibur curls a cross in from the right and finds Abdon, who heads wastefully wide from ten yards. He should have scored. Mallorca have been beaten fair and square by the better team ... but they’ve had several chances to score, and will wonder how they’ve passed them all up.
10.53pm BST
90 min: Gamez goes on a power run down the middle. He should have a dig, why not, but there’s to be no spectacular end to a 60-yard run. He feeds Salibur on the right, and the move quickly peters out.
10.51pm BST
89 min: Barca stroke it around as the clock does its thing.
10.50pm BST
87 min: Lago Junior twists gracefully down the inside left, turns infield and curls a fine effort inches wide of the top-right corner.
10.49pm BST
86 min: Rodriguez clips Rakitic’s heel and is booked. He’ll miss the game at Villarreal on Tuesday. Meanwhile De Jong is replaced by Firpo.
10.47pm BST
84 min: A double change by Mallorca, as Salva Sevilla and Budimir make way for Salibur and Abdon.
10.44pm BST
82 min: Suarez should make it four, latching onto a loose ball and driving at an increasingly tired Mallorca defence. He glides infield from the left and blazes wildly over, just as we all expected a delicate chip.
10.43pm BST
80 min: Another lengthy pause for a VAR check. Was Alba offside? No. We play on.
10.42pm BST
A refreshed Messi dinks a ball down the inside-left channel to release Alba, who reaches the box, gives Reina the eyes towards the far corner, and threads it into the bottom left instead.
10.41pm BST
77 min: It’s the second cooling break of the evening.
10.39pm BST
76 min: The excellent Kubo drives down the left and wins a corner off Pique. Ter Stegen flaps it clear. Pozo sends it back, a first-time curler towards the bottom left. Just wide, and the keeper had it covered anyway. On another day, Mallorca could have plundered a goal or two.
10.38pm BST
75 min: Barca allow Mallorca to knock it around the middle of the park. The hosts go nowhere, and the clock ticks on.
10.36pm BST
73 min: Alba is booked for a cynical bodycheck on Pozo, who was racing down the right touchline, about to be sent into a lot of space by Baba. Shame, because that was a nice flowing move by the hosts, Kubo involved as he has been in most of Mallorca’s best moments.
10.33pm BST
71 min: A double change for Barcelona. Sergio Roberto is replaced at right back by Semedo, while Arthur comes on for Busquets in the midfield.
10.32pm BST
69 min: Corner for Mallorca, out on the left. Salva Sevilla sends it in with a lot of whip. Pique is forced to slash out for another corner. That one leads to head tennis in the six-yard box. Raillo waits to head home at the far post, but Rakitic gets in the road. A third corner, which leads to nowt. It’s not as though Mallorca have been without chances this evening.
10.30pm BST
67 min: But Mallorca aren’t out of this quite yet. Lago Junior sashays down the left and gets the better of Pique. But his cross-cum-shot doesn’t reach Budimir, six yards out, and Barca hack clear.
10.29pm BST
66 min: Messi opens up Mallorca with a pass down the left channel. Suarez cuts back from the byline, but can’t tee up Messi or Braithwaite. Rakitic tries to revive the move, and Messi ends it with a wild slice from a tight angle. After a fallow period, Barca are now pressing for the third that will put an end to this once and for all.
10.27pm BST
64 min: Barca ping it about for a bit. Now it’s Mallorca’s turn to misplace their mojo.
10.25pm BST
62 min: Fran Gamez and Sergio Roberto clank together in an aerial challenge. The Barca man comes off the worst. He’s only winded, though, and up again soon enough.
10.24pm BST
60 min: Messi plays a cute ball around the corner to find Braithwaite on the penalty spot. Braithwate shakes off Pozo and flicks towards the bottom left. Reina brilliantly deflects wide of goal. From the resulting corner, Messi fires across the face of goal from the left. Suarez can’t flick home, and coming in from the right, the full debutant Araujo scuffs a shot onto the base of the post and away!
10.21pm BST
58 min: And so they make another change, replacing Griezmann with Suarez. Mallorca meanwhile replace Pedraza with Baba.
10.21pm BST
56 min: A couple of corners are wasted by Mallorca. Then Kubo is sent racing down the right, but his cross can’t find Budimir in the middle. Barca haven’t found their rhythm at all since the restart.
10.20pm BST
54 min: A pause as some buffoon runs onto the pitch. This is quite the scene seeing there’s no crowd. The prissy policy of not televising this sort of carry-on means we’re light on details, but all the players seem to find it amusing enough. In the distance, someone’s carted off down the tunnel.
10.15pm BST
52 min: Busquets tries to send Alba clear down the left. He’d have achieved his aim, too, had the ref not clumsily got in the way. The whistle goes for a drop ball. Busquets has the good grace to find the situation amusing. Many wouldn’t.
10.13pm BST
51 min: Barca take the second-half sting out of the game by stroking it around the back awhile. Clever game management.
10.13pm BST
49 min: Barca are still in the dressing room. Lago Junior lifts a ball into the mixer and Pique is forced to clang a header out for a corner. From the set piece, Rodriguez whips in from the left, but with Budimir lurking, Pique sends a header the other way up the pitch. This is a fine start to the second period by the hosts.
10.11pm BST
48 min: Close again! Kubo dribbles down the right and shifts the ball inside for Rodriguez, who drives further. He plays a pass across the face of the Barca box for Budimir, who unleashes a shot of great fury towards the bottom left. It’s beaten Ter Stegen, but flies an inch or two wide of the post.
10.10pm BST
47 min: A lot of space for Rodriguez in the middle of the park. He screams for the pass that would set him free on goal. Kubo tries to oblige, but overcooks it and the ball races through to Ter Stegen. So close to the goal the hosts require to change the complexion of this match.
10.08pm BST
Mallorca get the second half underway. A reminder that both teams can make up to five substitutions, and probably will, so a fair chunk of the rest of this MBM will be taken up by admin. Hey, I don’t make the rules. On this subject: Mallorca have made two half-time changes, replacing left-back Sastre with Fran Gamez, and sending on left-winger Lago Junior in place of Hernandez. Barcelona meanwhile have replaced the opening goalscorer Vidal with Rakitic.
9.57pm BST
Half-time entertainment. This is a marvellous, bittersweet tale, wonderfully told. Please don’t miss out on it.
Related: The forgotten story of … Jimmy Hasty, Irish football's one-armed wonder
9.53pm BST
Barca have been the better side ... but Mallorca have had their moments. The champions should open up a five-point lead over Real Madrid from this position, but if Mallorca get the next goal, we might have a game on our hands. We beg you: go nowhere!
9.52pm BST
45 min +4: Messi nearly gets on the end of a one-two with De Jong. Had he taken down the return pass, sent along the inside-right channel, he’d have been one on one with Reina and Barca would likely be three goals to the good now. So close to putting this game to bed.
9.51pm BST
45 min +2: Messi dribbles hard down the inside-right channel and makes it into the box. A thrust of elegant danger. But just as he’s shaping to shoot, Raillo slides in to take the ball off his toe. That is a quite spectacular intervention by the centre-back, perfectly timed and executed.
9.49pm BST
45 min +1: In the first of four extra minutes, Kubo crosses from the right. Budimir, who has two goals against Barca to his name already this season, flashes a header wide left. He should have worked Ter Stegen for sure; he probably should have scored, if we’re being honest with ourselves.
9.48pm BST
45 min: Messi drives at a furiously backpedalling Mallorca defence. He lays off to Alba on his left. Alba clanks a heavy touch, perhaps intended as a first-time pass to Griezmann, straight into touch. Goal kick.
9.46pm BST
43 min: Vidal goes in the book after standing on Rodriguez’s foot. He doesn’t bother complaining. Anyway, what do you reckon about this virtual audience? Charles Antaki’s report is in. “The CGI crowd is unobjectionable enough. Might be more engaging if they included people wandering up and down the steps, some balancing drinks in both hands, others looking for their seats etc.” It’d be quite nice if one bellicose sprite was clearly paying no attention whatsoever to the match, instead flicking Vs at the little computer people in the adjacent block. Get on it, boffins.
9.44pm BST
41 min: Messi was possibly trying to set himself up in the build-up to that goal, nudging his header into space. But Braithwaite wasn’t hanging about, and we’ll never know for sure.
9.42pm BST
39 min: There’s a long VAR check, as there’s a suggestion the ball had grazed Griezmann’s arm during the penalty-box bounce-a-round. But there’s nothing in it. The referee whistles to restart the game, and the champs are two up.
9.41pm BST
Yep, momentum regained. And how! A melee in the box. Messi goes in for a header, the ball squirting towards Braithwaite on the penalty spot. Braithwaite immediately lashes a rising right-footed shot into the top left. That’s his first league goal in a Barca shirt!
9.39pm BST
36 min: But now it’s all Barca again, as Sergio Roberto busies himself on the right and sends in a cross that sparks a game of head tennis. Eventually Salva Sevilla gets the ball away, but only just. Momentum regained?
9.37pm BST
35 min: That break came at a good time for Barca, with Mallorca beginning to ask some questions. The hosts have done extremely well to slow Barcelona’s early momentum.
9.36pm BST
34 min: Sippy cups drained and discarded, we go again.
9.35pm BST
32 min: Kubo thrashes the free kick low and hard, around the wall. It’s straight at Ter Stegen, but hit with such venom that the keeper can only scoop it up and away in a very inelegant fashion. Barca hack clear, and it’s time for drinks.
9.33pm BST
31 min: London Buses dept. The next foul comes along in short order, as Vidal clatters into Rodriguez, just to the right of the Barca D. This represents a very good opportunity for the hosts.
9.32pm BST
29 min: The first foul of the game! It’s Alba on Pozo. Not often you have to wait so long to hear the ref’s shrill whistle.
9.31pm BST
28 min: Kubo flicks cutely down the right to send Pozo on a touchline skitter. Pozo crosses deep in the hope of finding Budimir, but Pique clears. Marbella come straight back at them, though, Hernandez trying a snapshot amid a penalty-box muddle. That’s blocked, but Kubo has another go. His pea-roller is claimed by Ter Stegen without fuss or ceremony.
9.28pm BST
26 min: The first lull of the game. Drinks break soon?
9.27pm BST
24 min: That’s given Mallorca succour. Sastre goes bowling down the left, cuts infield and shapes to shoot. But then he pauses to think, and there’s no time for any of that nonsense. Vidal comes across and block-tackles him. Sortie over.
9.25pm BST
22 min: And yet they could so easily be level. Kubo skedaddles dangerously down the right and glides inside, sashaying past Araujo with ease. He whips a fierce shot towards the top left, but Ter Stegen, at full extend, palms the ball around the post. What a run, what a shot, what a save. Great football all round, and a warning to Barca that they might yet not have it all their own way.
9.24pm BST
20 min: Messi slices Mallorca open with a precision pass down the right for Sergio Roberto, who has been rampant since the get-go. But his low cross is behind both Griezmann and Braithwaite. Mallorca are hanging on.
9.21pm BST
18 min: Messi slides a ball down the inside-right channel for Vidal, who is racing into a lot of space. But for once the great man’s radar is wonky, his pass way off, and Raillo is able to clear.
9.19pm BST
16 min: Mallorca stream forward, Hernandez and Budimir leading the charge. The ball’s sent wide right towards Kubo, who diddles Alba but can’t get past Griezmann. The resulting corner, Mallorca’s first of the game, is a complete non-event.
9.17pm BST
14 min: Messi slips a ball down the right for the incessant Sergio Roberto. A low cross leads to a melee in the middle, but despite the best efforts of Griezmann and Braithwaite, there’s no shot on goal. Mallorca clear with great desperation.
9.15pm BST
12 min: Messi nutmegs Pozo to pass to Griezmann down the left. Griezmann pulls the ball back for Messi, who had kept running. Messi takes a whack. It’s deflected out for another wasted corner. Barca are really pushing to get their second goal. It feels like it’s coming soon.
9.14pm BST
11 min: Messi sends De Jong scampering down the inside-right channel. De Jong shuttles the ball wider for Sergio Roberto, whose low cross is nearly met by Griezmann in the middle. Not quite, but a game of bagatelle ends in a corner for Barca. Nothing comes of the set piece, but that was another big chance for Barca.
9.12pm BST
9 min: Kubo tries to make amends for his early error by tearing down the right at great speed. He’s got Alba on the back foot, but his cross is no good. Cleared. He comes again, testing Alba once more. This time Alba sticks to him and blocks his attempted pass towards Budimir. Much better from the highly-rated Real Madrid loanee.
9.10pm BST
7 min: An awful lot of room for Sergio Roberto out on the right. He crosses low. Griezmann dummies for his strike partner, just to the left of goal, ten yards out. Braithwaite fizzes a low shot well wide of the left-hand post. He should have made it two.
9.09pm BST
6 min: Barcelona are totally dominant, a goal up already, and Messi has yet to feature. This could be a long evening for Mallorca.
9.06pm BST
4 min: Barcelona pass it around the back awhile, just because they can. Mallorca, no doubt shocked by that early blow, are chasing shadows at the minute.
9.05pm BST
After 65 seconds, the champions take the lead! Kubo is robbed by De Jong, 25 yards from his own goal. The ball’s sent wide left for Alba, who crosses. Vidal stoops and guides a header into the bottom left, giving Reina no chance. What a start!
9.04pm BST
Barca get the ball rolling! An early touch for the 21-year-old Araujo, who is making his full debut tonight. He’s played once before for the Barca first team, coming on as sub against Sevilla before getting himself sent off after a 14-minute cameo. Hope he has a better day today.
9.02pm BST
The teams are out! A lot of noise at the Estadi de Son Moix - or the Visit Mallorca Estadi as it’s been re-branded - though at the moment that’s all down to the unnecessarily ear-splitting PA system. There’ll be some altogether more soothing Fifa 2020 sonics, plus full stands in the virtual style, when we kick off. But first a minute’s silence for the souls lost to Covid-19.
8.50pm BST
Some pre-match reading ... courtesy of the Good Doctor and one of the Guardian’s most famous readers, now a director at Mallorca.
Related: Graeme Le Saux: 'When the players came back, they were like kids in a sweet shop'
8.47pm BST
Kit and caboodle. Mallorca play in red shirts, so ...
8.33pm BST
There was some good news for relegation-haunted Mallorca earlier today. Villarreal won 1-0 at Celta Vigo thanks to a late goal by Manu Trigueros. Celta’s defeat means they remain just one point ahead of Mallorca in 17th. Should Mallorca cause an upset this evening by taking all three points, they’d bust out of the relegation zone, leapfrogging Celta and Eibar into the relative safety of 16th. But worst case, they’ll not lose any ground on Celta after a weekend they’ll have realistically written off. A free hit, then.
8.24pm BST
The big team news: Lionel Messi has fully recovered from his thigh strain and starts; Luis Suarez isn’t quite back up to speed yet, though, and only makes the bench. But with each team allowed five subs, there’s a fair chance Suarez will get a run-out in the second half. Meanwhile young Uruguayan centre-back Ronald Araujo is selected ahead of Samuel Umtiti, who like Suarez isn’t 100 percent fit.
Mallorca will pin their hopes on leading scorer Ante Budimir, who has nine league goals to his name this season, two of them coming at Camp Nou. That’s one more than Antonie Griezmann has managed, but two fewer than Suarez and a whole ten behind Messi. Another stat to illustrate the gap between first and 18th: midfield kingpin Salva Sevilla has made 1170 successful passes so far this season, Mallorca’s only man to reach four figures; Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique have both clocked up over 1800.
8.05pm BST
Real Mallorca: Reina, Raillo, Valjent, Sastre, Pozo, Pedraza, Dani Rodriguez, Kubo, Salva Sevilla, Budimir, Cucho Hernandez.
Subs: Parera, Sene, Xisco Campos, Abdon, Lago Junior, Baba, Gamez, Salibur, Trajkovski, Chavarria, Sedlar, Febas.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen, Sergi Roberto, Pique, Araujo, Jordi Alba, Busquets, De Jong, Vidal, Messi, Braithwaite, Griezmann.
Subs: Neto, Inaki Pena, Semedo, Junior, Umtiti, Monchu, Rakitic, Arthur, Riqui Puig, Collado, Suarez, Ansu Fati.
5.26pm BST
As La Liga resumes, reigning champions Barcelona are in pole position. They’re two points ahead of Real Madrid as they pursue title number 27. Lionel Messi has recovered from a thigh strain picked up in training last week, while Luis Suarez is available again after his January knee surgery. By contrast, tonight’s opponents Mallorca, promoted last season, are in a relegation scrap this time around. Barca saw them off with ease, 5-2, at Camp Nou back in December; they’ve scored 14 goals in their last three meetings with the Balearic Islanders. This is surely only going to end one way.
But there’s always hope in football. Mallorca were on a decent run before lockdown, with two wins and a draw in their last four matches. Barca, meanwhile, will still be smarting from a 2-0 loss in the clasico back at the start of March, and they’ve only won one away match in the league since the start of December.
Continue reading...June 11, 2020
Sevilla 2-0 Real Betis: La Liga resumes after shutdown - as it happened!
Sevilla eased past city rivals Betis as Spain’s top division resumed with El Gran Derbi
12.31am BST
Related: Can you hear the drums, Fernando: Sevilla triumph on silent return
11.08pm BST
Sevilla’s victory in the derby puts them on 50 points, four clear of fourth-placed Real Sociedad. They’re now six behind Real Madrid, eight behind Barcelona, albeit having played one more game. Second place shouldn’t be a pipe dream, not quite yet, though it’s extremely unlikely that both of the leaders will slip up and gift Sevilla their first La Liga title since 1946. Closing in on Champions League football is the important thing, and they’ve taken their first step tonight, throwing the gauntlet down at the feet of Real Sociedad, Getafe, Atletico Madrid and Valencia. Real Betis meanwhile remain in 12th, eight clear of relegation bother. Anyway, thanks for reading this MBM, and welcome back La Liga! Nighty night.
11.01pm BST
Sevilla have won the 131st Gran Derbi! Deservedly so: they were the better side for just about the whole piece, with Ocampos, Diego Carlos and Munir particularly impressive. They cavort in glee, third place consolidated, a place in next year’s Champions League a little closer.
10.58pm BST
90 min +5: From the set piece, Kounde sends yet another header wide of goal. That’s hat-trick of good chances missed. But the young defender’s getting into good positions. One will fly in soon enough at this rate.
10.56pm BST
90 min +4: Navas and Suso combine to drive down the right. Suso drops a shoulder to zip into the box, and attempts a curler towards the top left. It’s deflected out for a corner.
10.55pm BST
90 min +3: A corner for Betis out on the left. Fekir floats it into the mixer. It’s half cleared. Joaquin tries to steer a volley back towards goal, but the ball flies miles over the bar.
10.54pm BST
90 min +2: The first couple of added minutes are a scrappy nonsense. Sevilla will be more than happy, given Betis had finally woken up.
10.53pm BST
90 min: There will be six added minutes.
10.53pm BST
89 min: Bartra grabs at the back of his leg. Hopefully not a hamstring issue. Cramp, it looks like. But he does walk off the field, gesticulating towards the bench on the other side, hoping to be subbed. But Betis have used all their subs, so the visitors are down to ten.
10.50pm BST
87 min: Betis show their fangs for the first time this evening. Joaquin sends Fekir scampering down the left with a lovely curled pass. Fekir reaches the box and checks back, teeing up Joaquin for a shot towards the bottom right. The shot’s deflected, nearly into the path of Pedraza, but once again Diego Carlos is on hand to deal with the danger, hooking clear, a perfectly timed challenge inside his own box. Why haven’t Betis played with this verve and intensity before?
10.48pm BST
85 min: A sudden intricate burst from Lainez nearly opens Sevilla up on the right, but Diego Carlos steps across to usher him away from the danger zone with gentle power.
10.46pm BST
83 min: Betis probe, but to no great effect. Sevilla seem quite happy to let them sniff around, before dealing with any hopeful ball that’s pumped into the box.
10.43pm BST
81 min: Two more changes by the home side, as Vazquez and Escudero come on for Reguilon and Torres.
10.43pm BST
79 min: Pedraza comes on for Moreno, and is quickly in the action, giving Vaclik something to do at last. It’s a pea-roller from the edge of the box, and easily gathered by the keeper, but small acorns and all that.
10.41pm BST
77 min: A gilt-edged chance for Loren, who snatches at Emerson’s ball from the right, ten yards out, with Sevilla’s defence at collective slumber. That could have seeded a few doubts in Sevilla minds. Still time for Betis to get back into this, even if they’ve yet to make Vaclik do any serious work.
10.39pm BST
76 min: A fine cross-field move as Suso, out on the right, shuttles inside for Banega, who in turn finds Torres, who finally finds Reguilon on the left. Reguilon’s low cross is snaffled by Robles.
10.37pm BST
75 min: It’s the end of the road for Munir, who limps off after a fine display, to be replaced by Suso.
10.36pm BST
73 min: Munir is down, having taken a whack to his calf. The teams take the opportunity to tuck into a few restorative pouches of water.
10.34pm BST
71 min: Sevilla finally grab a piece of this hot substitute action, as the excellent Ocampos and the not-so-impressive De Jong make way for Banega and En-Nesyri.
10.32pm BST
70 min: Two more changes by Betis, as Borja and Alena are replaced by Joaquin and Loren.
10.32pm BST
68 min: Betis finally string a few passes together in Sevilla territory. Canales and Moreno complete a couple of triangles down the left, Fekir has a look on the right. Finally Moreno whips a cross from a tight spot near the left-hand corner flag, but Borja can only skim a header wide right from eight yards. Betis have been awfully blunt up front.
10.30pm BST
66 min: Betis stroke it around the back, but not in particularly competent fashion. Feddal is nearly closed down and stripped of possession by De Jong, a few yards from his own goal. He’s fortunate that the ball clanks out for a goal kick.
10.27pm BST
64 min: Fekir embarks on a promising run down the right, but with options in the middle, holds onto the ball for one shimmy too many, and he’s dispossessed. Betis’s star signing has been very quiet this evening.
10.26pm BST
A corner for Sevilla out on the right. Jordan swings towards the near post. Ocampos, his back to goal on the edge of the six-yard box, backflicks towards Fernando, who stoops bravely to guide a header into the right-hand portion of the net! A fine goal, and Sevilla are in control of this derby now. Deservedly so.
10.24pm BST
61 min: Torres, out on the left, shifts the ball quickly to fox Canales, and whips into the box for Kounde, who misses another header from close range. Betis are rocking here.
10.23pm BST
60 min: A second change for Betis, as Lainez comes on for Tello.
10.21pm BST
58 min: Munir embarks on a couple of power skitters down the left. Betis look collectively shocked to have fallen behind. They’ll need to regroup quickly.
10.19pm BST
Ocampos smacks the penalty firmly into the bottom right, sending Robles the wrong way. That was a soft penalty award, and Betis aren’t happy, but Bartra did have his forearm on the back of De Jong’s neck as the pair battled in the air, so they can’t complain too much.
10.18pm BST
55 min: Philosophical debates. Penalty coming soon.
10.17pm BST
53 min: PENALTY FOR SEVILLA! After a couple of wasted corners, a third. Bartra climbs all over De Jong and the referee points straight at the spot!
10.16pm BST
51 min: Guido is robbed by Torres, who tears off towards a light-handed Betis defence. He earns a corner, but before it can be taken, there’s a VAR check over some coming together or other in the back-chasing pack. Nothing doing, so we move on.
10.12pm BST
49 min: Emerson picks up the first booking of this new era, deserved punishment for an out-of-control slide towards Munir.
10.11pm BST
47 min: Sevilla should be leading. Navas scampers down the right with great poise and purpose. He fizzes a low cross inside for Jordan, who should slam home from the penalty spot. His effort is 99 percent fresh-air swipe, one percent contact, the ball clanks between his legs, and the danger is over. What a dismal effort. What a waste of a fine chance!
10.09pm BST
46 min: Betis start fast again. Tello switches play with a glorious left-to-right sweep. Fekir makes his way down the wing and curls infield. Diego Carlos meets the cross with a powerful clearing header.
10.07pm BST
Here we go again! Sevilla get the ball rolling for the second half. A reminder that both teams can now make five substitutions from a bench of 12. Betis have used up one of those swaps at half-time, replacing Sidnei with Feddal at the heart of their defence.
9.54pm BST
Half-time infotainment. Here’s the good doctor Sid Lowe on La Liga’s hopes of getting the fans back sooner rather than later ...
Related: La Liga hopes to open doors to supporters before end of season
Related: BT Sport reveals plans to tackle fan-free TV football spectacle
9.51pm BST
Ocampos tests Robles from long distance, but the keeper easily pads the ball away. And that’s the end of the first half. So far, this is a resumption for the purists.
9.48pm BST
45 min: Ocampos hustles down the right and earns himself a corner. It’s Sevilla’s fifth of the game. The ball’s worked out to Reguilon, on the edge of the D. He lobs forward, in the hope of finding De Jong, but Sidnei bashes a header clear. There will be two added minutes.
9.47pm BST
43 min: The highly impressive Munir skedaddles in from the left and plays a neat reverse pass that nearly releases De Jong. Munir has the Betis defence in a panic every time he gets the ball.
9.44pm BST
41 min: De Jong loops a cross in from the right. Reguilon brings it down as he scampers in from the opposite flank. For a second it looks as though he’s going to break through a couple of challenges and make space to shoot, but he loses control and accidentally handles. Peep!
9.43pm BST
39 min: Canales creams a long-distance shot high and wide of the top-left corner. That was from the best part of 30 yards, at the very limit of realistic ambition, but then nobody in green and white was offering an option, so he was within his rights to roll the dice.
9.42pm BST
38 min: Now Munir tries a clever flick and turn to the right of the Betis D, and nearly fooled Bartra ... but not quite, as the big defender stands firm. Munir has been excellent so far, immediately back up to speed.
9.40pm BST
37 min: Munir spins cutely into space down the left yet again. He’s got the mental edge on Emerson. His low cross is slapped out for a corner, from which nothing of interest occurs.
9.38pm BST
35 min: Ocampos barrels down the right before spraying a fine pass wide left for Reguilon, who is in acres. He’s got too much time to think, and once he’s carefully opened up his body to curl towards the top right, he’s closed down. A wasted opportunity to work Robles in the Betis goal at the very least.
9.37pm BST
33 min: And we’re back, all nicely hydrated. Fekir drops a shoulder with a view to tearing into the Sevilla box down the right, but Diego Carlos comes crunching across to tackle hard, and put a stop to his gallop.
9.34pm BST
31 min: A break as everyone takes on some cooling, calming, delicious, life-giving water.
9.33pm BST
29 min: Alena clumps Jordan in unceremonious fashion. The referee is definitely giving everyone special derby privileges this evening.
9.30pm BST
27 min: Munir spins elegantly down the left, foxing Emerson and flicking a glorious cross towards De Jong, who should do better from eight yards than heading harmlessly right of goal. That was sensational wingplay from Munir, who should really be chalking up one hell of an assist.
9.28pm BST
25 min: Another derby challenge as Reguilon comes through the back of Fekir, who was in the process of turning him out on the right-hand touchline. The referee remains patient, but for how much longer?
9.27pm BST
23 min: Ocampos comes sliding in on Emerson at great speed. He’s lucky that Emerson opts to leap the tackle, because any proper contact would have led to a booking at least.
9.26pm BST
21 min: A Sevilla corner out on the right. It’s whipped towards the near post, and Kounde must surely score, meeting the ball with a downward header six yards out. But he misses to the right. What a chance that was.
9.26pm BST
20 min: Despite the lack of RUN HARD and GO banners, the virtual crowd looks and sounds just fine. It’s certainly better than staring at an empty stand. Not perfect, but this is where we are, and it’ll do. Just meet it halfway.
9.22pm BST
18 min: Betis win their first corner of the game as Moreno sashays down the left and pings the ball off Navas. Tello plays a risible ball along the byline, Ocampos prepares to blooter clear, and he’s battered from behind by Iglesias. Very poor. “If I had my way, they’d superimpose crowds from some crappy 1980’s 8-bit computer game like Daley Thompson’s Decathlon,” writes Stephen Carr. “It’d look great - the same six characters endlessly repeated, some holding banners with pithy slogans like ‘RUN HARD’ and ‘GO!’.” Good idea. Yes please. But if we’re really going back to the eighties, there should be a bug in the game, too, like there was in International Soccer on the Commodore 64, where you’d be guaranteed a goal if you shot from a certain position near the corner flag. High-scoring thrillers guaranteed, if a little repetitive. The TV companies would be delighted.
9.19pm BST
16 min: Betis haven’t exactly been under the cosh, but most of the game has been played in their half. They take the sting out of things with some sterile passing around the back.
9.17pm BST
14 min: Betis fail to clear their lines and allow De Jong another dribble down the right. He wins the second corner of the game. De Jong meets it himself, but his looping header is easy meat for Robles.
9.16pm BST
12 min: In fact I’ve undersold that Ocampos effort by describing his run as merely making good down the channel. In fact he dribbled hard towards the right-hand edge of the six-yard box, and creamed that shot from a super-tight angle. It would have been a spectacular goal had he kept the ball a couple of inches lower.
9.14pm BST
10 min: Ocampos makes good down the inside-right channel and unleashes a rising shot that beats Robles but, instead of nestling into the top-right corner, rattles the crossbar. A huge let-off for Betis, who were the better side for the first 90 seconds or so but have seriously lost their way since.
9.11pm BST
8 min: Space for Regulion on the left. He fizzes low and hard towards the near post, where Sidnei hooks clear. The home side are beginning to impose themselves now.
9.09pm BST
6 min: Sevilla have found their rhythm now. De Jong probes down the left flank, and his low cross nearly confuses Bartra, but the Betis defender hoicks away in time.
9.08pm BST
4 min: De Jong drives down the right and earns the first corner of the post-shutdown season. Jordan takes, but to little effect. Robles gathers without too much fuss. “It’s a beautiful day,” trills Peter Oh. “Even with Bono only on the bench, Sevilla probably have The Edge tonight.” A round of applause for Peter, ladies and gentlemen. He’s here all week. Try the oranges.
9.06pm BST
2 min: Betis are on the front foot in these early stages. Sevilla haven’t quite got going yet.
9.04pm BST
And we’re off! Betis get the ball rolling. La Liga is back, baby!
9.03pm BST
But before we start, there’s a period of solemn reflection, in honour of all the souls lost to Covid-19, both in Spain and around the world. The teams gather around the centre circle for a minute’s silence. They’re also paying respects to former Sevilla captain Marcelino Campanal, who passed away in May.
9.00pm BST
The teams are out! Sevilla wear all white, while Betis sport their green and white vertical stripes. No fans here tonight, of course, but that doesn’t mean there’ll be no atmosphere. The folk behind the Fifa 20 game, EA Sports, will whack on some crowd noise, while virtual fans will be superimposed onto the stands using some fancy/scary TV sorcery. It’s not ideal, but it’s better than nowt, surely. La Liga returns in a couple of minutes!
Related: The Fiver | TV sorcerers whipping up a delicious computerised lie for La Liga
8.50pm BST
Pre-Match Post-Lockdown Patter with our old MBM pal Simon McMahon, jonesing hard for Dundee United. “I’ve been waiting for this night for a while. To be honest, I’ve taken bad during lockdown having to actually interact with other humans in my family, but now that midweek La Liga is back I feel I can legitimately ignore them and pretend I’m sending work emails. I don’t think I’ve ever looked forward to a Gran Derbi quite so much. God only knows what I’ll be like when Aston Villa and Sheffield United walk out the tunnel next week.”
8.30pm BST
Many years of history decanted from an extremely small pot. Sevilla are the dominant partner in this rivalry. They’ve won 61 derbies, scoring 205 times, compared to the Betis record of 38 wins and 157 goals. Both clubs have won La Liga once, Sevilla in 1946, Betis even further back in 1935. Sevilla have five Copa del Rey wins to Betis’s two. And Sevilla storm it in Europe: they hold the all-time record for Europa League / Uefa Cup wins with five, while Betis can only boast a couple of quarter-final appearances in the old Cup Winners’ Cup, and they were soundly beaten on both occasions by Dynamo Moscow (1978) and Chelsea (1998).
8.22pm BST
Sevilla leave a couple of big names on the bench in Ever Banega and former Liverpool starlet Suso. Meanwhile it looks as though Betis are taking the La Liga promotional hashtag #BackToWin seriously, naming an attacking side spearheaded by Borja Iglesias with French World Cup winner Nabil Fekir pulling the strings.
8.05pm BST
Sevilla: Vaclik, Navas, Kounde, Carlos, Reguilon, Jordan, Fernando, Torres, Ocampos, Munir, De Jong.
Subs: Bono, Gomez, Lopes, Nolito, Banega, Suso, En-Nesyri, Escudero, Vazquez, Mena, Genaro, Juanlu.
Real Betis: Robles, Emerson, Bartra, Sidnei, Moreno, Rodriguez, Alena, Canales, Fekir, Tello, Iglesias.
Subs: Martin, Barragan, Mandi, Feddal, Edgar, Pedraza, Carvalho, Guardado, Rodri, Joaquin, Lainez, Loren.
12.59pm BST
Welcome to the Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán, as La Liga follows the Bundesliga in taking its first tentative steps back to normality. After a 93-day hiatus, Spanish football resumes with one of the biggest matches of the season, as Sevilla welcome their city neighbours Real Betis for the 131st Gran Derbi. ¡Esta encendido!
This is the start of a 40-day, 110-game burst of action that will wrap up the covid-interrupted 2019-20 season. Will Barcelona or Real Madrid win the title? Can Espanyol save themselves from ignominious relegation? And who will grab the third and fourth Champions League spots? Only five points currently separate third and seventh: Sevilla, Real Sociedad, Getafe, Atletico Madrid and Valencia will scrap it out over the next five weeks.
Continue reading...The Fiver | TV sorcerers whipping up a delicious computerised lie for La Liga
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Last weekend, television coverage of the Bundesliga was enhanced by artificial crowd noise that drowned out the squeaky-trainers-in-school-hall soundtrack for a more satisfactory ambience. It wasn’t perfect, but it proved an artistic decision that pleased everyone, one way or another: either an aural comfort blanket during unsettling times and a baby step back towards reality, or an opportunity for an iconoclastic hot whine on the old social media disgrace. Thank you, TV sorcerers! What would supporters worldwide, and indeed your severely uninspired Fiver, do without you?
Related: La Liga restart preview: silent Seville derby kicks off Spain's new normal | Sid Lowe
Continue reading...June 10, 2020
The Fiver | At least Evertonians won’t have to boycott the match
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It’s nearly 10 years since Everton beat Liverpool. Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta were the matchwinners at Goodison Park back in October 2010, as Mr Roy stood on the touchline, stroking his chin in the intellectual style, trying extremely hard to look like he was mentally processing complex tactical data and was not in any way whatsoever being slowly consumed by doubt followed by a thundering professional breakdown. By contrast, over in the other dugout, David Moyes cut a dash. Here was a manager going places, a highly regarded talent in total control, right at the top of his game. Yes sir, he really looked like he knew what he was doing.
Related: Merseyside derby given go-ahead to be staged at Goodison Park
Continue reading...June 6, 2020
Bayer Leverkusen 2-4 Bayern Munich: Bundesliga – as it happened
Leverkusen took an early lead, but the champions stormed back to move ever closer to their 30th German title
5.35pm BST
Related: Bundesliga: Bayern sink Leverkusen while Dortmund and Hertha take knee
4.36pm BST
Bayern’s impressive win over Leverkusen puts them ten clear of Borussia Dortmund, at least for a couple of hours. Leverkusen stay in fifth, on Borussia Moenchengladbach’s shoulder in the race for the final Champions League spot. Dortmund take on Hertha Berlin in an hour’s time, hoping to close the gap at the top to seven points, though the way Bayern are carrying on, it feels a futile pursuit. The big sell for John Brewin’s MBM, right there. He’s waiting for you, so off you pop. Thanks for reading, and please stay healthy.
Related: Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin: Bundesliga – live!
4.32pm BST
Today’s other Bundesliga action ...
4.25pm BST
And that, me old Bundesliga buddies, is that. Bayern responded to falling behind early doors with great style, and edge ever closer to their 30th German title.
4.24pm BST
90 min +4: Hradecky punches Kimmich’s corner clear with great feeling.
4.23pm BST
90 min +3: Perisic crosses from the left. Bender is forced to hack behind for a corner with Lewandowski making his presence felt.
4.22pm BST
90 min +2: The small margins, though. Imagine if Diaby’s decision-making had been a little better today ...
4.21pm BST
90 min +1: Imagine if Leverkusen get another quicksmart! Volland tries to set up the unthinkable, by lashing a speculative shot goalwards from 30 yards. Neuer isn’t caught cold.
4.20pm BST
90 min: There will be four extra minutes.
4.20pm BST
Oh this is delightful! Volland and Paulinho shuttle the ball left to right across the face of the Bayern box. Paulinho feeds the youngster Wirtz, who takes a touch, opens his body, and curls a glorious shot across Neuer and into the top left. The 17-year-old making a big statement against the champs.
4.18pm BST
87 min: Diaby glides down the left and slings a low ball across the face of the Bayern goal. There’s nobody in red to take advantage, and Alaba clears.
4.16pm BST
86 min: Lewandowski goes on a power-dribble down the left, barging his way past a couple of half-arsed challenges only to overrun the ball just as a shooting opportunity presented itself.
4.14pm BST
85 min: Davies makes way for Hernandez.
4.14pm BST
84 min: Muller sends in another dangerous cross from the right. Lewandowski winds back his neck with a view to powering in number 31, but Bender eyebrows away brilliantly at the last.
4.13pm BST
82 min: Both teams appear to have declared. All the substitutions haven’t helped. Nothing’s happening.
4.11pm BST
80 min: More space for Diaby down the left. His floated cross is easily whacked clear by Alaba. Not great. Perhaps this explains his earlier decision-making process.
4.10pm BST
78 min: This is poor again from Diaby, who attempts to chip Neuer from a tight angle on the left while Volland waits at the far post for a tap-in. Volland hoofs the post in frustration.
4.09pm BST
76 min: Leverkusen make their final switch, replacing their goalscorer Alario with Volland. “If someone learns to do crowd noises the way Percy Thrower did bird noises,” begins contemporary culture vulture Gary Naylor, “and can, therefore, react in real time to the play, they’ll be on more money than Cristiano Ronaldo. Partly because they can also drown out Glenn Hoddle.” No need to thank us for this sort of patter, internet kids. A back-and-forth about Gilbert Harding coming soon.
4.04pm BST
74 min: Dragovic is booked for a cynical tug on Goretzka. That’s the last action for the Bayern midfielder, who is replaced by Martinez. Bayern also swap Gnabry for Thiago.
4.02pm BST
72 min: Perisic comes on for Coman.
4.01pm BST
70 min: Leverkusen continue to ping it around, refusing to compromise their pretty principles. It’s almost Wengerian. They go nowhere.
4.00pm BST
68 min: That’s Lewandowski’s 30th Bundesliga goal this season. Just another ten to match Gerd Muller’s 48-year-old record, 11 to beat it. But he’s suspended for the next game, so he’s only got three matches and 22 minutes left to find them. Good luck with that.
Related: Gerd Müller merits exalted place in history whatever Lionel Messi does
3.57pm BST
This is simple brilliance. Muller curls in from the right. It’s a perfect cross for Lewandowski, who plants a header into the bottom right, Hradecky with no chance. Hats off to Goretzka, who would have been within his rights to head for goal himself, but heard his team-mate’s cry from behind and left him to it.
3.55pm BST
64 min: Coman skitters down the left and pulls back for Gnabry, who sends a screamer meant for the top left high and wide. That would have been a hell of a goal had it whistled into the corner.
3.54pm BST
63 min: Diaby dribbles with grace and speed down the inside-left channel. He should slip Demirbay through, but again makes the wrong choice, shanking a wild shot high and wide. Demirbay looks at him in very loud silence.
3.52pm BST
62 min: Goretzka whips the corner towards Muller, who flashes a header straight at Neuer. Then Leverkusen make their fourth change, swapping Baumgartlinger for Paulinho.
3.51pm BST
61 min: Davies drives down the left and finds Coman on the penalty spot with a fizzing pass. Coman can’t trap to shoot, and Tapsoba is able to bang the ball out for a corner.
3.49pm BST
58 min: Leverkusen ping it around like Real Madrid circa 1960. But they’re being forced to dig so deep in their own final third, Bayern pressing rabidly. They keep possession wonderfully, when one mistake could be fatal. Great football from both sides.
3.46pm BST
56 min: Diaby curls gloriously from the left towards Alario at the far post. Alario’s header comes off the back of Davies and pings out for a corner. That’s a lucky deflection for Bayern, because that header was on target and might have seriously tested Neuer. Nothing comes from the corner.
3.44pm BST
54 min: A free kick for Leverkusen out on the left. Demirbay sends a fine ball bouncing along the corridor of uncertainty, but nobody in red chances their arm, and everyone in blue is able to usher it out for a goal kick.
3.43pm BST
53 min: Coman and Lewandowski chase another long pass down the middle. Tapsoba does extremely well to stick out a leg and poke the ball away from the pair’s reach. Fine last-ditch defending.
3.42pm BST
52 min: Leverkusen string a few passes together in the midfield. They don’t really go anywhere, but small acorns and baby steps.
3.41pm BST
50 min: Leverkusen are very nearly punished, as Coman dribbles down the right and cuts back for Muller, who from the edge of the box sends a forensic shot inches wide of the bottom right. Hradecky’s feet were planted, so had that been on target, this game was done and dusted.
3.39pm BST
48 min: Now they win a corner, centre-back Alaba dribbling along the byline to the left of goal. Goretzka’s corner is no good, and Leverkusen sweep up the other end on the counter. Diaby whizzes down the left, and should find young Wirtz, free at the far post. But he slashes a selfish shot wide instead. A real chance for the hosts to get back into the game spurned.
3.37pm BST
47 min: Goretzka nearly barges his way through the middle. Bayern obviously haven’t declared yet.
3.36pm BST
We’re off again! A triple substitution by Leverkusen: Wirtz, Demirbay and Wendell come on, replacing Amiri, Bellarabi and Bailey. Bayern get the ball rolling for the second half.
3.20pm BST
Half-time ambient chit-chat.
3.18pm BST
Bayern took the best part of half an hour to turn up. Yet look at the score! That’s why they’re champions ... and why they’re going to be champions yet again.
3.17pm BST
But now it’s redemption for Gnabry, and this one’s straight out of the Charles Reep handbook. A raking Kimmich pass down the middle. Gnabry tears clear and lobs Hradecky with ease. Leverkusen can’t deal with the long ball at all.
3.15pm BST
44 min: Gnabry is sent clear down the inside right. He’s one on one with the keeper ... but hits it straight at Hradecky. Redemption for the keeper.
3.13pm BST
... with Leverkusen chasing back in a panic. Coman flicks cutely down the right and Muller forces the ball infield for Goretzka, who shoots towards the bottom right. Hradecky should probably save, though it’s a well-placed shot with just enough strength to smack the keeper’s hands aside and creep into the corner.
3.11pm BST
41 min: A corner for Leverkusen down the right. Bailey whips it towards the near post. Another corner. He goes deep with this one, but it’s easily cleared and Bayern break upfield ...
3.10pm BST
40 min: Muller is booked for acting up, as he stops Tapsoba taking a quick free kick. He’ll miss Bayern’s next game, too.
3.09pm BST
39 min: It’s end to end now. Diaby has a crack from distance, an easy save for Neuer. Then Alaba chips smoothly down the right, allowing Lewandowski to chest down and lash a shot across the face of goal.
3.08pm BST
37 min: Lewandowski chases after another long pass. Leverkusen look susceptible to the direct pass. Hradecky races out to blooter clear, just in time.
3.07pm BST
35 min: Bellarabi is booked for a rake across the ankles of Davies. The ref, whose yellow card appears to be in Toaster Mode, has a word with both managers. This doesn’t seem a particularly bad-tempered match, but there you go.
3.05pm BST
34 min: Diaby makes good down the left and nearly threads a ball across the front of the six-yard box for Bellarabi, but Davies hoicks clear just in time. That’s the first time Leverkusen have shown anything in attack for a while.
3.04pm BST
32 min: Lewandowski is booked for a clatter on Bender, and that puts him out of the next game. Beating Gerd Muller’s record 1971-72 Bundesliga scoring record of 40 goals, already a big ask, looks even more unlikely now.
3.01pm BST
31 min: Kimmich fizzes it direct and low towards the bottom left. Easy for Hradecky. What a waste.
3.00pm BST
30 min: Amiri goes in the book for a crude slide on Davies, just to the left of the Leverkusen box. He’d been beaten all ends up by Davies’ dropped shoulder. This is a free kick in a very dangerous position.
2.59pm BST
29 min: Leverkusen were asking for that, having sat back upon taking the lead. Bayern were allowed to get their first foothold into the game, and the equaliser seemed inevitable.
2.58pm BST
Yep, this had been coming. And it’s a simple one. Tapsoba gives the ball away in the centre circle. Goretzka takes over and slides a pass down the inside left, setting Coman free. Coman reaches the box, draws Hradecky, and curls an assured shot round the keeper and into the bottom right. What a lovely finish.
2.56pm BST
26 min: Muller nearly latches onto a long pass down the middle. He can’t quite control and Hradecky gathers. Bayern are getting closer and closer to an equaliser.
2.55pm BST
24 min: Some strange slow-motion juggling in front of the Leverkusen goal. Muller chips a ball in from the right. Lewandowski sticks out a high leg in the hope of steering into the top right. He only sends it left to Coman, who cushions a header back to the striker. Lewandowski, rocking backwards, tries to head home but it’s a soft effort and gathered with ease by Hradecky. Chances are the offside flag would have gone up anyway, but play goes on.
2.53pm BST
23 min: Pavard sends in a half-cross, half-shot from the right. It’s easy meat for Hradecky, who hasn’t been forced into any serious work yet. But the league leaders are asking a few questions now.
2.52pm BST
21 min: There’s a lot of space and time for Gnabry down the right. Several blue shirts queue up in the middle, waiting for a low cross and a tap-in, but Dragovic does extremely well to get a block in.
2.51pm BST
20 min: Muller waltzes down the inside-right channel before sweeping a ball wide left for Coman, who takes a first-time shot that’s blocked. Bayern are beginning to come at the hosts now.
2.48pm BST
18 min: This disembodied crowd noise is alright, once you make your peace with it.
2.46pm BST
16 min: This is a great game. Coman sashays in from the left and tries a long-distance swerver towards the top right. It’s all wrong, but full marks for ambition.
2.45pm BST
15 min: Bayern respond through Muller, who busies himself down the right to earn a corner. Goretzka meets the set piece with a header that’s easily snaffled by Hradecky. Leverkusen go straight up the other end, Bellarabi storming down the right and whipping into Neuer’s hands.
2.44pm BST
14 min: The first corner of the game leads to the second, which is cleared at the near post by Lewandowski. Leverkusen have been very lively in these early stages.
2.43pm BST
13 min: Bailey slides a ball down the left for Diaby, who drives towards the byline before sending in a low cross. Boateng is forced to slam behind for the first corner of the game.
2.42pm BST
11 min: A pause as there’s a VAR check for offside. It’s tight, but the goal stands. That was a lovely flicked assist by Baumgartlinger. The three-in-a-row is on!
2.41pm BST
A throw down the left wing. Alario is sprung clear down the channel by Baumgartlinger, Boateng stepping up, playing the offside too late. Alario takes a couple of strides into the box and slips a shot into the bottom-left corner!
2.38pm BST
8 min: The first booking of the afternoon. It’s for Coman, who fell limply to the right of the D, in the hope of winning a cheap free kick with a couple of red shirts around him. Nobody touched him, and he can’t have any complaints.
2.38pm BST
7 min: A strong burst by Alaba down the inside-right channel nearly opens Leverkusen up. Not quite, but again Lewandowski was waiting for the killer pass.
2.35pm BST
5 min: Now it’s Bailey’s turn to overcook a cross, from the Leverkusen left. Bellarabi tries to bring it down near the right-hand corner flag, but has no chance.
2.34pm BST
4 min: Kimmich hoicks a ball into the Leverkusen box from the right. It’s not particularly good. Shame for Bayern, because Lewandowski was lurking, hopeful of number 30.
2.33pm BST
2 min: A quiet start. Although having said that, BT Sport are transmitting crowd noise to enhance the audio experience. It sounds hollow, a state of affairs that qualifies as arch statement. The world gets stranger by the day.
2.32pm BST
And we’re off! Leverkusen get the ball rolling.
2.30pm BST
The teams are out! Leverkusen are in their first-choice red, while Bayern are in third-choice blue. Several subs have taken to their seats wearing Black Lives Matter t-shirts. Solidarity. We’ll be off in a minute.
2.14pm BST
While we’re waiting ... here’s the latest Bundesliga news, courtesy of your super soaraway Guardian.
Related: Timo Werner's transfer U-turn in keeping with his bumpy rise to top | Andy Brassell
Related: 'Absolute joke': Jadon Sancho reacts after being fined for home haircut
1.58pm BST
A shame we won’t get to run the rule over gossip-column regular Kai Havertz, who has been linked with just about every club under the sun. The 20-year-old prodigy limped off towards the end of the game at Freiburg, having scored the match-winning goal. Leverkusen manager Peter Bosz had insisted his leading scorer (11) would be back up and running for this one, but apparently he aggravated a muscle tweak in training, so that’s that. But the hosts will be giving it a good go regardless: they’ve thrown three up front, and it’s worth remembering that Leon Bailey has been Bayern’s chief tormentor of late, with three goals in the last two meetings. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are Bayern Munich.
1.45pm BST
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky, Tapsoba, S Bender, Dragovic, Amiri, Aranguiz, Baumgartlinger, Bailey, Bellarabi, Alario, Diaby.
Subs: Ozcan, Tah, Paulinho, Demirbay, Wendell, Weiser, Palacios, Wirtz, Volland.
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Gnabry, Muller, Coman, Lewandowski.
Subs: Ulreich, Odriozola, Thiago, Martinez, Perisic, Hernandez, Singh, Zirkzee.
1.42pm BST
A big blow for Leverkusen, as Kai Havertz misses out with a muscle injury. He’s one of four changes to the side selected for the 1-0 win at Freiburg. Daley Sinkgraven is also missing, while Jonathan Tah and Florian Wirtz drop to the bench. Stepping up: Edmond Tapsoba, Karim Bellarabi, Lucas Alario and Moussa Diaby.
Bayern make one change to the XI that thrashed Fortuna Dusseldorf 5-0 this time last week. Jerome Boateng replaces Lucas Hernandez at the back.
12.16pm BST
It’s fourth versus first as Bayern Munich, closing in on their 30th German championship, travel to Bayer Leverkusen. The reigning champions have won all four of their matches since the big restart, to the aggregate tune of 13-3. They’ve won 18 of their last 19. And Robert Lewandowski is bang in form, to the point where everyone’s wondering whether he can find 12 goals in the last five Bundesliga fixtures to top Gerd Muller’s record 40-goal haul of 1971/72. Their hosts, by comparison, lost their last home fixture 4-1 to Wolfsburg. Bayern are favourites today, as they usually are.
That’s one way of painting it. Another would be to point out that Leverkusen are on a two-game winning run against Bayern, and are looking to make it three in a row for the first time in their history. They won this fixture 3-1 last season, and beat Bayern 2-1 on their own turf in November. Leon Bailey, a goalscoring hero in both of those matches, might not even get into the Leverkusen XI today. Leverkusen are pushing for a Champions League spot, level on points with fourth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, and with a game in hand. And then there’s Kai Havertz, German football’s newest big hope, who can see Lewandowski’s four goals since the restart, and raise him with five.
Continue reading...June 5, 2020
The Fiver | Crank up the Liquidator, cue Des O’Connor and let’s party!
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There won’t have been a day of celebration like it on London’s famous Kings Rahd since Hughie Gallacher popped into the World’s End one Thursday morning in 1933 and was sent flying back through the saloon doors at 2.57pm on Saturday, before picking himself up from the gutter, dusting himself down and giving a man-of-the-match performance in a 6-0 win over Dirty Leeds. That’s because Chelsea, second placed in the Women’s Super League, have been awarded the trophy on a points-per-game basis, while the men appear to have won the race to sign Timo Werner. Crank up the Liquidator, cue D1ck a Dum Dum by Des O’Connor, and let’s party!
Related: Chelsea handed Women's Super League title on points-per-game basis
Continue reading...June 2, 2020
The Fiver | Bland news, please! Is that too much to ask?
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With giggling incompetents in Downing Street and a real length of tube in the White House, The Fiver has got to the point where it no longer hopes and prays to hear of good news, merely to be informed of stuff that isn’t catastrophically bad and monumentally depressing. Bland news, please! Is that too much to ask? Thankfully some has just arrived with the welcome announcement that Southampton boss Conan O’Br … hold on, will you … that Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhüttl has signed a new four-year contract with the club, and will be staying put until 2024. It’s all we’ve got today, and it’s more than good enough. Ah, delicious vanilla pabulum.
Related: Hasenhüttl given new contract after turning Southampton around
Continue reading...May 30, 2020
Bayern Munich 5-0 Fortuna Düsseldorf: Bundesliga – as it happened
Bayern went ten points clear at the top after routing sorry Fortuna
7.20pm BST
Tick, tock, tick, tock ... and that’s your lot. No injury time to speak of, the referee putting Fortuna out of their misery. Bayern go ten points clear at the top. The best you can say about Fortuna is that the scoreline could have been a whole lot worse, and they don’t have to play the champions-elect again this season as they battle against relegation. Thanks for reading this MBM; stay healthy, everyone.
Related: Werder Bremen beat Schalke to raise hopes of Bundesliga survival
Related: Wolfsburg thrash Cologne as Frauen Bundesliga bucks trend with restart
7.18pm BST
90 min: A yellow card for Suttner, who had been yapping away at the referee. There will be four added seconds.
7.16pm BST
88 min: But Batista Meier is enjoying his debut, and he nearly outstrips Giesselmann down the right. He draws a foul, and it’s a free kick that’s essentially a corner. Kimmich whips it in to nobody in particular. Fortuna half clear, allowing Zirkzee to probe down the other flank. He reaches the byline and arrows towards the near post, where Kastenmeier gathers.
7.15pm BST
87 min: A real sense that everyone just wants to go home now.
7.13pm BST
85 min: Given the way this match has gone, Fortuna have done reasonably well to keep the score down to five.
7.13pm BST
83 min: Davies earns a corner down the left. From the set piece, Goretzka slams wide right from 12 yards. But there was a deflection, so it’s another corner. And from that one, a big comic-book cloud of dust is kicked up in the six-yard box, several hobnail boots sticking out of it, as Bayern attempt to force the ball home, while Fortuna try to clear. The defence eventually wins out, but it took plenty of hoofing and fresh-air swiping.
7.10pm BST
81 min: But this is nice from Cuisance, who draws a couple of players on the right and slips Odriozola away down the wing. The resulting pull back is no good and Fortuna clear.
7.09pm BST
80 min: Cuisance has plenty of time, 30 yards out, but his attempt to slide Perisic clear down the left clanks out for a goal kick. He’s had a couple of rushes of blood since coming on.
7.06pm BST
78 min: Gnabry is replaced by Oliver Batista Meier, a 19-year-old German-born Brazilian winger making his debut for Bayern.
7.05pm BST
77 min: Bayern stroke it around the back, just because they can.
7.03pm BST
75 min: Muller, who has had a fine match, departs to a smattering of applause. He’s replaced by Zirkzee.
7.02pm BST
73 min: Pledl comes on in his place. Meanwhile Kimmich tries to score direct from a corner. It’s that sort of game now. Nearly, but not quite.
7.00pm BST
72 min: Sobottka has picked up an injury after a coming together with Davies. It doesn’t look as though he’ll be able to continue.
6.59pm BST
70 min: No idea how Bayern haven’t scored their sixth here. Davies nearly bustles clear down the inside left, but the door closes just in time. Then Gnabry works his way into the box from the right and whacks a low shot towards the bottom left. Kastenmeier parries, but only manages to tee up Lewandowski, six yards out. However the striker gets his legs in a tangle and can’t quite get his shot away. Eventually Hoffmann manages to hoick clear. This is absurd. Fortuna are a total shambles at the back.
6.57pm BST
68 min: Davies has a bash, just inside the box on the left. His shot is well parried by Kastenmeier, and it turns out Davies was offside anyway.
6.56pm BST
67 min: Cuisance tries to catch out Kastenmeier, standing in the middle of a crowded box, with a quick direct free kick from 30 yards. Nope!
6.55pm BST
66 min: Another double change by Fortuna. Suttner and Zimmer replace Zimmerman and Thommy.
6.53pm BST
65 min: Berisha busies himself to win a corner out on the left. The ball comes back to Giesselmann, who pearls a low screamer towards the bottom right from 25 yards. It’s a glorious hit, and heading in, but Neuer reacts extremely well to tip it around the post. He must have seen that very late, it’s a great save. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
6.52pm BST
63 min: It should be six. Alaba threads a lovely diagonal pass, left to right, through a crowded area to Muller on the edge of the six-yard box. Muller must score, but wildly slashes his shot wide right. He’s livid with himself, and so he should be, not that it matters.
6.50pm BST
62 min: Now Bayern make a double change, to shake things up. Odriozola and Perisic come on for Pavard and Coman.
6.50pm BST
61 min: Bayern can be forgiven for thinking the job is done. And so Thommy is allowed some space and time for a shot. It’s high and wide right.
6.48pm BST
60 min: Zimmerman storms down the right and curls a gorgeous cross into the Bayern box. It’s right on Hoffmann’s head ... but he somehow heads over the bar from six yards! Bang goes the chance of a consolation.
6.47pm BST
58 min: Zimmerman nearly turns the Bayern corner into his own net from a couple of yards. The ball squirts inches wide left. The second corner is hacked clear. This is a complete mismatch.
6.46pm BST
57 min: Before the corner can be taken, Fortuna make a double change. On come Berisha and Sobottka, while Morales and Stoger have the good grace to look embarrassed as they depart.
6.45pm BST
56 min: Pavard creams a shot towards the bottom right from 25 yards. It’s a pearler, and Kastenmeier does extremely well to turn it around the post.
6.44pm BST
55 min: Number six is just a matter of time. Lewandowski heads over from six yards, and scrunches up his face, knowing full well he could really go to town this evening.
6.42pm BST
54 min: In between those two goals, Cuisance took a hysterical shot from a good position on the edge of the box. It could easily be six. Bayern are seriously impressive, but Fortuna are a rabble.
6.41pm BST
Stoger fannies around on the edge of his own box, just to the left of the D. Davies strips him of possession and dribbles past Bodzek and Zanka, neither of whom can be bothered to make any sort of chllenge. Davies bashes the ball past Kastenmeier, he can’t miss.
6.39pm BST
You wait for ages for one goal against Fortuna, etc. Coman dinks a clever pass wide right for Gnabry, who fires low towards Lewandowski. One elegant backflick later, and the ball’s nestling into the bottom right.
6.37pm BST
48 min: Coman and Gnabry combine down the left. Coman hooks into the centre. Fortuna clear under more Lewandowski pressure. Then another phase as Gnabry sends Alaba swanning down the left. His low, hard cross is smothered by Kastenmeier, who will have earned his money today.
6.35pm BST
47 min: Lewandowski nearly bullies Hoffman off the ball, as the Fortuna central defender struggles to deal with a long pass. He eventually manages it, just about, heading the ball away in undignified fashion, while on all fours. This could be a long half for the visitors.
6.33pm BST
Here we go again, then! Fortuna get the second half underway. Bayern have made one half-time change, replacing Hernandez with Cuisance.
6.18pm BST
Half-time entertainment.
Related: Werder Bremen beat Schalke to raise hopes of Bundesliga survival
6.18pm BST
The players trot off. Fortuna coach Uwe Rosler stays in the dugout, looking stunned. His team have been eviscerated. They’re usually better in the first half than the second, too, so he’s got plenty to think about. Perhaps too much.
6.15pm BST
45 min: Fortuna were the only current Bundesliga side who Robert Lewandowski hadn’t scored against. That’s that box ticked, then.
6.14pm BST
This is such a magnificent goal. Alaba slides a pass down the inside-right for Lewandowski, who immediately flicks it around the corner to send Kimmich scampering into space. He reaches the six-yard box and pulls back for Muller, who flicks cutely inside, allowing Lewandowski to smash home from ten yards. Such a smooth move!
6.12pm BST
41 min: A long ball down the right nearly releases Karaman, but the efficient and exciting Davies brings it down from the air and strides off gracefully.
6.10pm BST
39 min: Gnabry, chancing his arm down the left, brings down a high ball with an exquisite touch. He turns and makes his way along the byline, his cross-cum-shot pinballing into the arms of Kastenmeier at the near post. Bayern are getting closer and closer to the third goal that’d put this game to bed.
6.08pm BST
38 min: Gnabry glides in from the left and makes enough room to have a pop from 25 yards. He looks for the top right, but his shot is high and wide. A lovely run, though. That’d have been a picture-book goal.
6.07pm BST
36 min: Another decent Fortuna attack, as Karaman grooves down the right and crosses low towards Thommy. But the ball flies behind his team-mate, a poor pass. Pavard is able to clear as a result. Signs though that relentless old Bayern are human after all.
6.06pm BST
35 min: Coman stepovers his way down the right and fires low towards the near post. Gnabry nearly gets there before Kastenmeier, but the keeper holds on.
6.04pm BST
33 min: Thommy crosses from the left. Bayern’s defence is all over the shop, and Karaman can take a touch on the spot before firing towards the bottom right. Neuer’s never getting there, but Davies sticks out a leg to block brilliantly. Bayern’s two-goal lead remains intact, but that will have given Fortuna heart, and a little hope.
6.02pm BST
31 min: That’s Pavard’s fifth goal of the season. Can Fortuna stage another two-goal comeback here? Right now, it looks unlikely. Bayern are sashaying about like they own the place, which they sort of do.
6.00pm BST
Pavard needed some help from Zanka earlier, but he’s managed to score now. He meets the right-wing corner with a downward header that bounces up towards the top right. Kastenmeier is late to react, and can’t scoop clear. In it goes!
5.58pm BST
28 min: Pavard strides down the right and curls a lovely cross to the near post, where Muller belts towards the bottom right. Kastenmeier does extremely well to turn the ball round the post for a corner. But ...
5.57pm BST
26 min: A rare sortie into enemy territory for Dusseldorf. Karaman chases after a chip down the left, but in his attempt to bring the ball down, boots Hernandez on the nip end. It’s clumsy, and a slightly harsh booking. But in the book he goes, his fourth yellow of the campaign.
5.55pm BST
24 min: Goretzka has a whack from distance. Blocked. Then Muller, out on the right, crosses towards Lewandowski at the far post. Just a little bit too much on it, and it’s a goal kick, some blessed relief for Fortuna, who are being stretched to the limit here.
5.53pm BST
22 min: Kastenmeier blooters a drop kick straight down the park to Neuer. That’ll boost the shots-on-target stats if nothing else.
5.52pm BST
21 min: Bayern are first to absolutely everything. Muller and Goretzka flick the ball this way and that as they glide down the middle. They can’t work an opening this time, but one’s surely coming soon.
5.50pm BST
19 min: It’s all Bayern now. The game is being played entirely in the Fortuna half. A second goal seems no more than a matter of time.
5.48pm BST
17 min: A job on for Fortuna now. Kimmich and Goretzka probe down the right. Fortuna are only able to hack clear; holding it up is a pipe dream at the minute. Bayern will be coming back at them again, in short order.
5.46pm BST
Fortuna half-clear Kimmich’s corner, but Bayern come straight back at them. Muller, on the left, whips long to Gnabry at the far post. Gnabry drives the ball across the face of goal. Pavard swings and prods goalwards. In fact, it’s going wide left, but Zanka can’t get out of the way and haplessly trundles the ball into his own net.
5.44pm BST
14 min: Davies drives down the left and wins the first corner of the game. From which ...
5.43pm BST
13 min: Pavard drags a shot wide right from distance. It’s good fun, this.
5.42pm BST
11 min: Lewandowski dinks a lovely pass down the inside left to release Gnabry, who is clear in the box with time to shoot. But he dallies and is blocked by Zimmerman ... and he’s well offside anyway. There are goals here, if someone somewhere can just find a final ball.
5.41pm BST
9 min: One long boot forward and Skrzybski races clear down the right. He’s got Thommy in the middle, free, but strangely declines to play a mean ball inside, electing to skitter along the wing by himself instead. Bad decision. He’s eventually closed down by Alaba.
5.38pm BST
8 min: Pavard, Kimmich and Muller flick it around in a very pretty fashion down the right. For a second, it looks as though they’re going to juggle their way through the Fortuna defence. Not quite, but it’s all very elegant.
5.37pm BST
6 min: Kimmich chips down the middle to release Lewandowski, who takes an uncharacteristically heavy touch, allowing Kastenmeier to come out and intercept. Lewandowski clumsily clatters the keeper, and is slightly fortunate to escape a booking. Just a free kick. We could easily have had two or three goals already. This is promising.
5.35pm BST
4 min: Some open early exchanges here. Now it’s Fortuna’s turn to nearly score, Skrzybski sending Karaman tearing down the right. Karaman pulls back for Morales, who attempts to guide a shot into the top left from the edge of the box. It’s easy for Neuer, but Bayern gave up a good chance there.
5.32pm BST
2 min: Bayern should be leading. Gnabry dribbles with purpose down the middle and feeds Davies on the left. Davies slides the ball across goal for Lewandowski, who fails to toe-poke it home. Ah, and it seems both Davies and Lewandowski were offside anyway, needlessly so. Fortuna got away with one there.
5.30pm BST
And we’re off! Bayern get the ball rolling, then knock it about for a bit.
5.29pm BST
Here come the teams! Bayern, who need just four more wins to secure the title, are dressed all in red. Fortuna, who haven’t won here since 1991, are in third-choice black. We’ll be off in a minute, once the players silently remember those who have lost their lives to Covid-19.
5.01pm BST
Yes, first versus 16th ... this should be a shoo-in for the reigning champions, shouldn’t it. Especially as Bayern have won their last nine games in all competitions, and 17 of their last 18, drawing the other. Extra-especially as Bayern won the reverse fixture 4-0 in November. But hold on! Bayern came something of a cropper in this fixture last season, letting a 3-1 lead slip in the last 13 minutes, Dodi Lukebakio (now of Hertha Berlin) salvaging a 3-3 draw by completing a hat-trick. Also, while Fortuna may be battling relegation, their Bundesliga form is good: they’re unbeaten in six, taking ten points from those matches to give themselves hope. So Hansi Flick won’t be counting his chickens quite yet.
4.51pm BST
Bayern pretty much wrapped up the title last week with their win at Borussia Dortmund. Not that they’re taking their foot off the gas quite yet. Just the one change to their starting XI, with Lucas Hernandez taking the place of Jerome Boateng, who drops to the bench.
Uwe Rösler - formerly of Manchester City and Southampton, and the last man to score at The Dell - makes big changes to his Fortuna team. Five of the XI named for the 2-1 midweek win over shambolic Schalke make way: Kaan Ayhan, Markus Suttner, Valon Berisha, Marcel Sobottka and Rouwen Hennings are replaced by Niko Giesselmann, Adam Bodzek, Alfredo Morales, Steven Skrzybski and Zanka.
4.39pm BST
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Pavard, Hernandez, Alaba, Davies, Kimmich, Goretzka, Gnabry, Muller, Coman, Lewandowski.
Subs: Ulreich, Odriozola, Martinez, Cuisance, Perisic, Boateng, Singh, Batista Meier, Zirkzee.
Fortuna Dusseldorf: Kastenmeier, Zanka, Hoffmann, Giesselmann, Zimmermann, Stoger, Bodzek, Morales, Thommy, Karaman, Skrzybski.
Subs: Rensing, Berisha, Ofori, Pledl, Hennings, Suttner, Sobottka, Bormuth, Zimmer.
4.35pm BST
Today’s Matchday 29 results so far.
12.04pm BST
Just so we know where we are ... this is first versus 16th, the equivalent of Liverpool v West Ham, Celtic v Ayr, PSG v Dijon, Barcelona v Eibar, Porto v Pacos de Ferreira, Trabzonspor v Caykur Rizespor, and Zenit St Petersburg v Akhmat Grozny. It’s on!
Kick off: 6.30pm at the home of the soon-to-be eight-in-a-row champions, 5.30pm UK time.
Continue reading...May 27, 2020
RB Leipzig 2-2 Hertha Berlin: Bundesliga – as it happened
Hertha were well worth a point at title-chasing Leipzig
9.48pm BST
Related: Krzysztof Piatek pegs back RB Leipzig with late penalty for Hertha Berlin
7.35pm BST
Leipzig had the chance to move into second spot ahead of Borussia Dortmund, but Ademola Lookman’s clumsy challenge on Matheus Cunha put an end to that. They stay third on 55 points, two behind Dortmund and nine behind the leaders Bayern. Hertha move into tenth, on 35 points, for a couple of hours at least. They’ll be slightly irritated that they failed to put away ten men, but it’s a point they’d have taken at the start of play, and further proof that Bruno Labbadia might stick around a while longer than his predecessors. Thanks for reading this MBM; nighty night!
7.27pm BST
Just enough time for Cunha to pick up a booking for not very much, and that’s it. A draw seems about right.
7.26pm BST
90 min +3: Upamecano is down, winded. The physio will be pretty knackered too.
7.25pm BST
90 min +2: Cunha has a pop from 25 yards. The ball takes a huge deflection and is heading for the top right, but Gulacsi reacts excellently to gather.
7.23pm BST
90 min: There will be four added minutes.
7.22pm BST
88 min: Lookman bustles his way down the inside-left channel and into the Hertha box. He’s about to shoot when Torunarigha toe-pokes it away. Lookman is first to the loose ball, and lays back for Angelino, who blooters a witless cross harmlessly out of play. For a second, Lookman was in, and hoping to right the wrong of the penalty. But not quite.
7.20pm BST
87 min: Hertha pass and probe, probe and pass. Eventually Cunha gets bored and drags a shot wide left from 20 yards. Gulacsi had it covered anyway.
7.18pm BST
85 min: Once the game starts again, Mittelstadt and Piatek combine smartly down the left and nearly open Leipzig up. But Piatek runs the ball out for a goal kick. Leipzig are suddenly hanging on.
7.16pm BST
83 min: The match is yet to restart, because there’s something wrong with the referee’s electric gubbins. Wires are being tweaked.
7.15pm BST
Piatek performs one of those ludicrous tippy-toe shuffles as he approaches the spot, but to be fair dispatches the penalty into the bottom left with great poise and purpose.
7.14pm BST
81 min: PENALTY FOR HERTHA! Cunha dribbles in from the right, and is brought down clumsily by Lookman, who hung out a needless leg.
7.13pm BST
80 min: In between that rugby-union-style slew of substitutions, Dilrosun worked his way down the left and forced Gulacsi to tip a dangerous shot-cum-cross over his crossbar. Nothing came of the corner.
7.12pm BST
79 min: And now a double change for Leipzig, as Werner and Schick are replaced up front by Wolf and Orban.
7.11pm BST
78 min: Ngankam and Maier come on for Skjelbred and Ibisevic.
7.10pm BST
77 min: Upamecano beckenbauers his way down the middle. He slips a pass to Adams on his right. Adams has plenty of time but his low cross is easily dealt with by Torunarigha.
7.08pm BST
75 min: A little bit of treatment for both players. After a while, they’re good to go again.
7.07pm BST
73 min: Cunha jinks delicately down the inside-left channel and nearly bursts clear in the box. But just as he shapes to shoot, Angelino comes in hard but fair. In fact it ends up as a free kick to Leipzig, Cunha having overrun the ball and lunged.
7.04pm BST
71 min: Hertha make a double change, switching Lukebakio and Darida for Dilrosun and Piatek.
7.03pm BST
69 min: There’s a case for giving that as an own goal, you know. Schick’s shot was on target, but Jarstein had saved it, then swiped it into the net with a separate motion.
7.02pm BST
Schick, just to the left of the D, takes a whack towards the bottom right. Jarstein saves, but the ball squirts through his hands. As he desperately grasps for it, he only succeeds in pushing it into the bottom right. Oh dear oh dear oh dear, that was a howler.
7.00pm BST
66 min: Angelino comes on for Nkunku.
6.59pm BST
65 min: Cunha slides recklessly towards Lookman, and is fortunate to miss the player altogether. Both sets of studs were showing there. Not a good challenge, but the referee decides that a bollocking will suffice.
6.57pm BST
63 min: A second yellow for Halstenberg, who brings down an in-flight Cunha in the no-nonsense style. He can have no complaints, especially as he studded the same player before the break.
6.54pm BST
62 min: He’s back up and good to go.
6.54pm BST
61 min: Now Mittelstadt is down receiving treatment. Constant carnage.
6.53pm BST
59 min: Lookman’s quickly into the action, spinning away down the inside right and nearly bursting clear into the Hertha box. It’s a decent run until the ball gets under his feet and he’s forced to check.
6.51pm BST
58 min: Former Charlton and Everton winger Ademola Lookman comes on for Olmo.
6.50pm BST
57 min: Tornuarigha is booked for going into a challenge on Nkunku with a high foot. The resulting free kick is a complete waste of everyone’s time.
6.49pm BST
56 min: Darida has a belt from the best part of 30 yards. Top marks for ambition, if nothing else.
6.48pm BST
55 min: Olmo is this close to releasing Werner free down the middle, but the ball clips the striker’s heel. Leipzig come again, Werner racing down the right and hooking into the centre, where Schick attempts an overly ambitious overhead kick. It’s an easy gather for Jarstein.
6.46pm BST
53 min: Hertha are on the front foot here, snapping away at a ponderous Leipzig. They win a couple of corners. Leipzig eventually clear, but only after a struggle. The hosts need to raise their game.
6.45pm BST
52 min: Ibisevic has an opportunity to spring Lukebakio clear down the inside right, but can’t thread the ball through a big gap in the Leipzig defence.
6.43pm BST
50 min: Mittelstadt has a whack from distance. Despite having plenty of time and space, he sends it well wide right. A better chance than he made it look.
6.42pm BST
48 min: Sabitzer finds Adams in a bit of space down the right. Adams enters the box and drags a weak shot across the face of goal and out for a goal kick. There was a tap-in on offer there, but nobody was following in.
6.39pm BST
47 min: All very scrappy since the restart.
6.37pm BST
Here we go again! Leipzig get the second half underway ... eventually. Hertha took an absolute age to come back out.
6.25pm BST
While you wait for the second half ... why not try our marvellous new podcast?
Related: Jeff Hall: the footballer whose death turned the tide against polio – podcast
6.23pm BST
And that’s the end of an eventful half. As things stand, third-placed Leipzig will be dropping another couple of points at home. They’re making a habit of this, and it’s why they’re not on Bayern Munich’s shoulder.
6.21pm BST
45 min +4: Halstenberg is booked for standing on his former team-mate Cunha’s foot. Maybe he studded a bit of shin too. That looked pretty nasty, he’s lucky the referee didn’t consider that a dangerous challenge. You’ve seen reds given for that sort of thing before.
6.20pm BST
45 min +3: Skjelbred handles Werner’s flick round the corner, just to the right of the Hertha box. Halstenberg takes, going direct towards the bottom right. It’s no good, easy for Jarstein.
6.17pm BST
45 min +2: Neither team is making much use of this extra time.
6.16pm BST
45 min: There will be four added minutes. No wonder, given the amount of stoppages we’ve had.
6.15pm BST
44 min: Olmo nearly releases Werner with a sliderule pass down the right channel, but Jarstein races from his box to hoick clear, just in time.
6.14pm BST
42 min: Pekarik is booked for a Ramos-on-Salah yank at Nkunku’s arm. That was poor form, and Nkunku is fortunate he didn’t land as awkwardly as the Liverpool man did in the 2018 Champions League final.
6.12pm BST
40 min: Cunha and Lukebakio combine crisply down the right, the latter whipping low and hard towards Ibisevic. The veteran striker leans back and blazes over. What a chance that was! He should have hit the target at the very least. He really should have scored.
6.10pm BST
39 min: Olmo and Skjelbred bash into each other out on the left. More work for the overworked physios, and another free kick. The set piece leads to a corner out on the left. From that, Boyata rises highest and aims for the top left. It’s high and wide. It was a good chance.
6.08pm BST
37 min: Sabitzer takes. He whips towards the top left. The ball takes a deflection off Grujic in the wall, and nearly ends up in the top corner. But it’s wide. The resulting corner comes to nothing.
6.07pm BST
35 min: Laimer is brough clattering down by a combination of Skjelbred and Boyata. It’ll be a free kick just to the left of the Hertha D. That’ll come in a couple of minutes, because Laimer is receiving treatment having hurt his shoulder. Everyone’s in a right old state today.
6.05pm BST
34 min: Skjelbred presses a backtracking Sabitzer, who ends up screwing a strange panicked lob over Gulacsi and nearly into his own net. The ball drifts just wide left. Very strange. Nothing much comes of the resulting corner.
6.03pm BST
32 min: Lukebakio tears down the right but slips just as he’s preparing to skip past Laimer. Then Werner has a look down the Leipzig right, but can’t find anyone in the middle. It’s good end-to-end fun, this.
6.02pm BST
31 min: Now Grujic is down, having taken a whack in the grid. I hope the Hertha physio is on piece work. He’ll be coining it in.
6.01pm BST
29 min: Sabitzer should set Werner free down the inside-right, having picked off a dismal pass by Boyata. But the ball flies behind Werner and out for a goal kick. That was a great chance to send his team-mate clean through on goal.
5.59pm BST
28 min: Leipzig started so terribly slowly, but they’re full of belief now. Adams storms down the right and earns a throw. From that, Werner scampers into the box but he’s penalised for a saucy shove in Torunarigha’s back.
5.58pm BST
26 min: Another corner for Leipzig on the right. The ball clatters Torunarigha in the face, and he’s forced to go off temporarily to stem a nose bleed. Poor Hertha really have been in the wars.
5.56pm BST
Anything Hertha can do ... Nkunku curls the corner across the face of goal, and Klostermann guides a clever header across Jarstein, to the keeper’s left and in. Two beautiful goals of great simplicity.
5.54pm BST
24 min: Leipzig’s first corner of the game, earned by Adams out on the right. From which ...
5.54pm BST
23 min: Darida stumbled off looking quite dazed, but he seems to have recovered his poise and is back on.
5.52pm BST
21 min: Another corner for Hertha, this time out on the right. They ping it around, then Darida and Olmo suffer a clash of heads. Darida looks particularly shaky. Hertha are having no luck.
5.50pm BST
19 min: Leipzig waste it pitifully. Nkunku clumps the free kick to his right, taking Adams by surprise. Adams clips a pass down the inside-right channel to ... nobody in particular. Very poor. Another goal kick.
5.49pm BST
18 min: Leipzig ping and probe. Eventually Werner is clipped from behind by Torunarigha, and it’s a free kick, 25 yards out in a central position.
5.47pm BST
17 min: Upamecano quarterbacks from deep, and nearly releases Adams down the right. Not quite. Too much on the pass, and it’s a goal kick. Jarstein hasn’t been put to meaningful work yet.
5.46pm BST
15 min: Cunha skates down the left at great speed. It’s a powerful run and he finds Lukebakio on the other flank with a raking crossfield pass. Lukebakio is entitled to stride into the box and take a shot - he’s got space and time - but instead lays back for Darida, who slams a fierce shot wide right. Had that been on target, Gulacsi was never getting to it, and it’d be 2-0. Leipzig need to wake up quickly.
5.44pm BST
13 min: Nkunku swings a free kick into the Hertha box from the left. It’s easy pickings for Jarstein.
5.43pm BST
12 min: Leipzig have drawn three of their last four at home. Are they beginning to develop a complex?
5.42pm BST
11 min: That’s Plattenhardt’s last contribution. He’s not recovered from that knock to the head, and he’s replaced by Mittelstadt.
5.42pm BST
Plattenhardt whips the corner into the mixer. Grujic, on loan from Liverpool, scores his fourth goal of the season by opening up his body and guiding a powerful shot to the right of a helpless Gulacsi. Simple as that! A fine delivery, and a finish to match.
5.39pm BST
9 min: Space for Lukebakio down the Hertha right. He loops long, forcing Klostermann to head out for the first corner of the game. From which ...
5.39pm BST
8 min: Leipzig are beginning to stroke it around nicely, and at speed too. After some crisp triangles, Werner tries to release Adams down the left but his pass has too much juice. Goal kick.
5.38pm BST
7 min: Laimer takes the first shot in anger, a powerful sidefoot towards the bottom right from 20 yards. It’s gathered well by Jarstein.
5.36pm BST
6 min: Plattenhardt goes down, having clashed heads with Adams. A pause as the pair receive treatment. Both look good to continue. This hasn’t got going yet. Plenty of time, of course.
5.35pm BST
4 min: Some space for Werner down the middle, sent on a determined run by Schick’s flick. But he’s hauled back for handling.
5.34pm BST
3 min: Boyata whacks Werner in the mush. It’s a free kick, but clearly accidental. Not too much going on at the minute.
5.33pm BST
2 min: There’s been a late change to the Leipzig line-up. Kevin Kampl pulled something in the warm-up, and he’s been replaced by Tyler Adams.
5.31pm BST
And we’re off! The visitors get the ball rolling.
5.29pm BST
Here come the teams. Leipzig wear their first-choice white shirts and red shorts, while Hertha are in second-choice black and red halves. A moment’s silent reflection for those who have lost their lives to Covid-19. We’ll be off in a minute.
5.13pm BST
History is very much on Leipzig’s side today. They won the reverse fixture 4-2 in November, their sixth win in seven Bundesliga meetings. They won this fixture 5-0 last March, and have chalked up 26 goals against Hertha, conceding just seven. But Hertha have won at the Red Bull Arena in the past, 3-2 in December 2017, a victory achieved despite playing with ten men for 83 minutes. Things usually happen when these two meet.
4.55pm BST
Anyway, both teams go into this match in good spirits. Leipzig figurehead Timo Werner ended a run of eight games without scoring by banging a hat-trick past Mainz at the weekend. He’s now only three goals behind Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski in the race for top scorer. Hertha meanwhile have won both their games since the restart, to the aggregate tune of 7-0. Matheus Cunha, who left Leipzig in January in search of regular football, has scored in four consecutive games. This could be a lot of fun.
4.49pm BST
And here’s the Fiver’s not-so-expert view. No need to thank us.
Related: The Fiver | Being warned not to perform donuts outside English Heritage properties
4.46pm BST
The title was pretty much decided last night, you’ll have noticed. Here’s Andy Brassell’s expert take on events.
Related: Bayern end title race and reaffirm game's significance in strange times | Andy Brassell
4.44pm BST
One change to the Leipzig team that trounced Mainz on Sunday. Patrik Schick takes the injured Yussuf Poulsen’s place up front.
Hertha beat city rivals Union 4-0 at the weekend, so they unsurprisingly name an unchanged team. That means Vedad Ibisevic keeps his place in attack, while fancy new signing Krzystof Piatek remains on the bench. Matheus Cunha returns to the club he left in January.
4.33pm BST
Leipzig: Gulacsi, Klostermann, Upamecano, Halstenberg, Laimer, Kampl, Sabitzer, Nkunku, Olmo, Werner, Schick.
Subs: Mvogo, Angelino, Orban, Haidara, Forsberg, Adams, Lookman, Wolf, Mukiele.
Hertha Berlin: Jarstein, Pekarik, Boyata, Torunarigha, Plattenhardt, Skelbred, Grujic, Lukebakio, Darida, Cunha, Ibisevic.
Subs: Smarsch, Piatek, Klunter, Dilrosun, Mittelstadt, Maier, Dardai, Ngankam, Samardzic.
1.52pm BST
Welcome to our coverage of third versus 11th in the Bundesliga. As such, it’s the equivalent of Leicester City v Crystal Palace, Motherwell v Hamilton Academical, Sevilla v Osasuna, Internazionale v Sassuolo, Rennes v Angers, Sporting Braga v Boavista, Djurgardens v Kalmar, Weymouth v Hemel Hempstead Town, Fraserburgh v Deveronvale, and Colorado Rapids v San Jose Earthquakes in the MLS Western Conference. Just so we all know where we are. It’s on!
Kick off: 6.30pm in Germany, 5.30pm UK time.
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