Eurotrip. Real Madrid's dominance in El Clásico, Mourinho's challenges, and De Bruyne’s comeback

Over the past weekend, there were a customary plethora of sporting events that will be etched in the memories of avid fans. Noteworthy were the myriad exquisite goals and a substantial number of unexpected outcomes.

Bernardo Silva's masterpiece and De Bruyne's performance

In the latest round of the English Premier League, Manchester City embarked on a visit to Newcastle, delivering a captivating match. Within this spectacle, the winger for the Citizens, Bernardo Silva, crafted a splendid goal in response to Kyle Walker's incisive pass, executing it with elegance using his heel to guide the ball past the goalkeeper. Despite a response from the Magpies through precise strikes by Isak and Gordon, completely overturning the course of the game, the second half saw the emergence of Kevin De Bruyne as a substitute. The Belgian initially leveled the score and, towards the end, orchestrated a flawless assist to Oscar Bobb within the opponent's penalty area, securing victory for Guardiola's charges.

Napoli averts another debacle

In the 19th round of the Italian Serie A, Napoli hosted Salernitana on their home turf. Following a setback in the previous round where the Italian champions faltered against Torino away (0-3), the club's management took extreme measures, confining the team to a hotel. It can't be said that the punishment benefited the footballers, as they found themselves trailing to a modest opponent during the first half. Antonio Candreva, eternal in his prowess, marked the scoresheet for Salernitana. However, just before halftime, Matteo Politano leveled the score by converting a penalty. A stern conversation seemingly transpired during the interval, as the hosts, in the second half, effectively confined Salernitana to their own half. Although a goal seemed imminent, it wasn't until injury time that Napoli secured the victory through Amir Rrahmani's finishing touch, saving them from further complications.

Real annihilates Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup match

In the final clash for the Spanish Super Cup, held in Saudi Arabia's Riyadh, Real Madrid faced off against Barcelona. Both teams wasted no time in creating goal-scoring opportunities, with Lewandowski missing a prime chance as early as the 5th minute. Vinícius demonstrated the art of seizing opportunities, first capitalizing on Bellingham's delivery and then exploiting Rodrigo's assist. While the Catalans had a chance to respond within a minute, Torres' shot hit the crossbar.

Midway through the first half, Robert Lewandowski struck accurately from outside the penalty area, narrowing his team's deficit. However, Real restored their advantage with two goals before halftime. Ronald Araujo committed a foul in his penalty area, and Vinícius completed a hat-trick from the penalty spot.

The second half proved less prolific. Rodrigo extended the lead in the 64th minute, and ten minutes later, Ronald Araujo received a second yellow card, leaving Barcelona with ten men. The Catalans' defense appeared subpar in this encounter, and Real clinched their 13th Spanish Super Cup in the club's history.

Intense battle at Old Trafford

In the 21st round of the English Premier League, Manchester United clashed with Tottenham Hotspur. The match lived up to fans' expectations, concluding with an intense draw.

The Red Devils took the lead in the third minute through a splendid combination between Hojbjerg and Rashford, who struck powerfully into the top corner of Vicario's goal. Tottenham quickly equalized when Richarlison headed the ball into the net after a corner kick.

However, before halftime, United surged ahead again, with Hojbjerg assisting Rashford, who once more guided the hosts to the lead. Early in the second half, Tottenham promptly restored parity. Bentancur managed to score in the near corner, leveling the score. Werner contributed an assist, making a noteworthy impact in his first match for the team after transferring from Leipzig. Subsequently, both teams played cautiously, opting not to take risks, resulting in a predictable draw.

It's worth noting that for the first time, Ratcliffe attended a live match for MU and had the opportunity to converse with Ferguson.

Egypt narrowly avoids defeat to modest Mozambique in the Africa Cup

Egypt, a seven-time champion of Africa, entered the field as the clear favorite against Mozambique but encountered unexpected difficulties in the match. Initially going according to plan, Mostafa Mohamed, Nantes forward, scored for the favorites in the 2nd minute.

However, a real turnaround occurred on the 55th and 58th minutes. Despite their modest status, the Mozambique national team scored twice against Mohammed El-Shenawy. Witi opened the scoring, followed by a precise strike from Clésio Bauque.

Although Egypt managed to narrow the gap with Salah converting a penalty, the favorites lacked the strength and time for a more substantial comeback.

Interestingly, during halftime with Egypt leading 1-0, the odds for Mozambique to win fluctuated in the range of 100-180. A significant upset in the Africa Cup already occurred as Cape Verde defeated Ghana in the final match of the game day.

Mourinho on the brink? Roma, without viable options, succumbs to Milan

Lately, José Mourinho's Roma has failed to produce the expected results. In the past month, the "Wolves" won only two matches, one of which was against the modest Cremonese from Serie B in the Italian Cup. The other victory was against Napoli, more akin to a bright spark than a pattern. Following yesterday's defeat to Milan, the Romans plummeted to ninth place, and the press increasingly speculates about Mourinho's resignation. It seems that the team is not mentally prepared, and the Portuguese coach is not justifying his hefty salary.