The defeat of the cup character – Newspaper Kommersant No. 5 (7450) of 01/13/2023
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On Wednesday, two notable events took place in European football. The first is the misfire of Manchester City, which managed to fly out of the English League Cup, losing – 0:2 – to the crisis Southampton. The second is the return from vacation after the triumphant World Cup in Qatar, Lionel Messi, who immediately scored a goal for PSG against Angers. He lost to the grandee with the same score with which the Southamptons beat the Manchesters.
English League Cup
Cup competitions are always full of surprises, but the one that happened in the quarter-finals of the English League Cup still has a special touch. It seemed that the level of the opponents was so different that no tournament specifics would help the hosts here. Manchester City is a mighty giant that hunts for all the prizes that are in the access zone without exception. And Southampton is the complete opposite.
What you need to know about this club is that in November, after a bad start in the championship, hinting at a future disaster, he changed his coach – Ralph Hasenhüttl to Nathan Jones. But it only got worse. During the time that Jones led the team, she dropped from 18th line in the national championship table to 20th, below which there is nothing. She approached the clash with Manchester City with a series of six defeats in the championship, and her fans were so tired of this hopelessness that the half-empty stands of Southampton’s home stadium turned into an absolutely familiar phenomenon. As well as the constant whistle of those fans who did not leave the club, addressed to Jones.
At the same time, it cannot be said that Manchester mentor Pep Guardiola somehow helped his rivals. The League Cup is the third most important tournament in England, and for its matches, the leading teams often field lineups that are far from combative. But that was clearly not the case. Erling Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne were absent from the core of Manchester City, but most of the other superstars – Kyle Walker and Emric Laporte, Jack Grealish and Ilkay Gundogan, Joan Cancelu and Phil Foden – found themselves in it, and Holanna was replaced as a striker by the championship hero peace in Qatar Julian Alvarez. Yes, and Erling Haaland with Kevin de Bruyne on the field after the break, when it already smelled of fried with might and main, appeared.
An additional flair, or something, gave the character of the game a sensation. Otherwise, it is difficult to characterize it as anomalous. “Manchester City” had almost three times the superiority in possession of the ball. But the one who, having missed the match, saw these numbers and thought that it was a matter of disgusting realization of chances, would point his finger at the sky. Yes, there was, in fact, no chance for Manchester. For the entire match, they struck seven shots on the opponent’s goal (against a dozen at Southampton), on target, for the first time in 275 matches – not a single one! The last time Manchester City players did not hit the opponent’s goal in the Champions League quarter-final match against Liverpool (0:3), which took place on April 4, 2018. The chances were exclusively with the hosts. They used two in the first half, and in the second, despite the release of Haaland and de Bruyne, they confidently guarded the reserve.
Southampton will face Newcastle in the semi-finals of the League Cup. The other pair of semi-finalists were Manchester United and Nottingham.
French Championship
Private for the flagship of French football PSG, the match of the 18th round of the national championship against Angers attracted increased attention for a very understandable reason. It was in him that Lionel Messi returned from a gift given to him after the magical World Cup in Qatar by the club management of the vacation. And Parisian coach Christophe Galtier, it seems, was surprised himself that he returned after all these endless celebrations about gaining football immortality so physically well prepared that he could, at his level, that is, the level of the best player on the planet, hold a whole meeting and even score in the second half Goal.
The goal, by the way, came out quite important. PSG quickly opened the scoring, but in the second half they became too cautious, and Angers began to show their teeth. In such situations, trouble can sneak up unnoticed. But just then Messi aptly struck from the penalty area.
Championships and cups of European countries
French Championship
18th round. Lorient – Monaco 2: 2 (Ouattara, 75; Moffi, 77 – Embolo, 61; Bay Yedder, 90 + 2). Strasbourg – Lens 2: 2 (Prcich, 13; Gameiro, 16 – Claude-Maurice, 11; Openda, 33). PSG – Angers 2:2 (Ekitike, 5; Messi, 72). Clermont – Rennes 2:1 (Kie, 31; Gastien, 90 + 4 – Kalimuendo, 74). Troyes – Marseille 0:2 (Mbkemba, 10; Veretout, 46). Command position. 1. PSG – 47 points. 2. Lens – 41. 3. Marseille – 39. 4. Rennes – 34. 5. Monaco – 34. 6. Lorient – 32.
Spanish Super Cup
“Real”– “Valencia” 1: 1 (Benzema, 39 (pen.) – Lino, 46); penalty shootout 4:1.
Real Madrid are in the final.
English League Cup
1/4 finals. “Nottingham Forest”– Wolverhampton 1:1 (Boli, 18 – Raul Jimenez, 64); penalty shootout 4:3. Southampton 2-0 Manchester City (Mara 23; Genepo 28).
Nottingham Forest and Southampton advanced to the semi-finals.
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