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In another busy weekend for women’s football across Europe, Wolfsburg’s defeat to Hoffenheim was the big surprise. Elsewhere, Chelsea shot back at Arsenal, I raised sank to another draw and the second phase of the Italian season began.
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Nüsken fills Chelsea striker void
After the loss of the star forward Sam Kerr Due to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, one of the problems Chelsea have had this season is the lack of balance due to not having a natural center forward on the field. Emma Hayes’ first choice as a false number 9, loren jamesShe has shown some adaptability in scoring goals, but ultimately she is not the right type of player to keep opposing centre-backs busy, as her natural game involves moving freely.
Since the loss of Mia Fishel Apart from their own ACL injury and the club record signing of Mayra Ramirez, to an unspecified groin/abductor problem, Chelsea have once again found themselves without an obvious striker and their form has suffered.
In Friday’s 3-1 victory over Arsenal in the Women’s Super League, Hayes opted for utility player Sjoeke Nüsken, who last week occupied the central defender position, as the focal point up front. The tactic paid off and Nüsken not only scored a rare brace, including a shot that deflected off his backside, but also allowed his teammates to take the positions that kept the Gunners under pressure in what was a vital and dominant victory. for the league. leaders.
Liverpool win again at home
Liverpool’s home form suffered as they were eliminated from the FA Cup by city of leicester at Prenton Park last week, extending their streak to four games without a win. In fact, the Reds hadn’t won at home since November, although that was largely due to the schedule that has seen them away from home so much this calendar year.
But they returned to winning ways at home on Sunday when Liverpool eased their pace to beat West Ham 3-1 in what was a frustrating day for the Irons.
Save for the impact of summer signings Sophie Roman Haug and Marie Höbinger, it was a victory that felt like Liverpool’s last season, with Ceri Holland and Missy Bo Keans shining for the hosts. And it was a victory that kept the Reds in fifth place, tied on points with manchester unitedto approve his development since his return to the league and suggest more will come next season.
Villa advances to seventh place
It has been a season to forget for Villa so far, as the team that challenged the top end of the table last season have moved further and further away from a European finish this time around. Call it an overcorrection in a high-performance season (as we’ve seen so often from WSL teams over the years), but the Villains’ slide this year has been harsh and unrelenting.
However, Villa have still managed to find moments to build and, against a team plagued by chronic injuries Everton team, the visitors achieved their sixth victory of the season to move up to seventh place and away from danger. Kenza Dalione of last season’s best players, scored her first goal of the season, showing how disconnected Villa’s attack has been this year and how much work is needed over the summer.
Wolfsburg falters
Coming into the weekend one point behind Bayern Munich At the top, with a home game against the Bavarians scheduled for next Saturday, Wolfsburg were hurt by a 2-1 loss to third-placed Hoffenheim.
After a run of 11 competitive unbeaten games (a 2-1 loss to Bayern in November), the Wolves had gained some momentum and reasserted themselves as one. GermanyThe first two. However, the defeat to Hoffenheim is just another indication of Wolfsburg’s state of decline, with too much polarization between those in the team who are wary of retirement and those with promise for the future.
Wolfsburg have plenty of up-and-coming talent, but most of those players have yet to reach their potential and Bayern have invested well, including €450,000 to sign the Wolfsburg midfielder. Lena Oberdorf this summer, and they are the team currently making all the noise in the Frauen Bundesliga.
Levante loses ground
It was always going to be a difficult season for Levante, with budgets cut and players leaving (like Ramírez to Chelsea) or preparing to leave in the summer. With everything happening off the pitch as a backdrop, maintaining form and winning consistently to keep their European qualification hopes alive was always going to be a difficult task.
But against bottom-placed Sporting Huelva, who have just one win in their 20 league games this season, Levante faltered once again, surrendering a 1-1 draw that leaves them winless in their last four games.
Still in third place, the difference with the fourth placed Madrid CF has been reduced to a single point and the Frogs will feel both them and Atlético Madrid breathing down their necks for the rest of the season. at home for Real Betis Next time, Levante will have to get out of this nosedive before falling further.
PSG gets going again
Back in Champions League action in midweek and after a near miss against Paris FC in the 3-3 draw in the French Cup last time, Paris Saint Germain achieved a convincing 5-0 victory over Saint-Etienne this weekend.
In the midst of a season of ups and downs, the clean sheet will be a boost and see Marie Antoinette Katoto, Tabitha Chawinga, Grace Geyoro and Jade Le Guilly Scoring goals while ensuring their attacking partnerships work is key ahead of a difficult visit to BK Häcken.
Häcken built his success in the Champions League group stage on his defensive strength and will likely look to frustrate PSG and obstruct the areas they like to attack. But with PSG coming off a healthy win, the French giants should feel comfortable imposing their position and tearing apart Häcken’s defense.
Sublime DellaPeruta for Sampdoria
In the first week of the Serie A relegation and championship mini-seasons, Sampdoria were the big winners, destroying Pomigliano at the back, with 19-year-old Victoria DellaPeruta stealing the show against her former team in a 5-3 win -0.
With a cushion of 14 points over the last two, Napoli and Pomigliano, it could be said that Sampdoria is not in danger of relegation. But DellaPeruta managed to pull through, scoring four goals in the second half in what was just his first start for the club since he signed in January. The icing on the cake for DellaPeruta was that his older sister Talia, who signed at the same time, was the one who prepared her for her fourth game.
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