This weekend had another slew of top-class matches to watch, but that didn’t mean that the tables changed much. But first, I’m going to go over the polls from the last article.
Poll Results
Last weekend there were four different polls. The first was Leicester City vs Manchester City. The final score of this game was 3-1 Man City. You guys really got this one right. Five of you voted for Man City win while two others voted for a draw. Next was Dortmund vs Leipzig. This match ended in 3-3 draw and, overall, you guys got this one right too. Three people voted for a draw, while two people voted for the other two options respectively. El Clasico was the third poll and it ended, unceremoniously, in a 0-0 draw. Two people voted for a draw and Real Madrid win each, while one person predicted a Barcelona win. Lastly was Fiorentina vs Roma, which finished 4-1 in Roma’s favor. Two people voted for a Roma win and a draw respectively. Then, one other person voted for a Fiorentina victory.
Concacaf Champions League
We had the Champions League round of 16 draw last week, and now we have the Concacaf Champions League matchups. Below are the matchups and the times for each fixture. Thanks to the strength of some of the MLS teams, like Los Angeles FC and Atlanta United, it’s a possibility we finally see an MLS win. Also, with the earlier start to the MLS season, we could see those MLS players being fit sooner and in turn better prepared for the CCL.
Tuesday, Feb. 18
Cruz Azul at Portmore United (8 p.m.)
Atlanta United at Motagua (10 p.m.)
Los Angeles FC at Club Leon (10 p.m.)
Wednesday, Feb. 19
Montreal Impact at Saprissa (8 p.m.)
Tigres UANL at Alianza FC (8 p.m.)
Club America at Comunicaciones (10 p.m.)
Thursday, Feb. 20
New York City FC at San Carlos (8 p.m.)
Seattle Sounders at Olimpia (10 p.m.)
Tuesday, Feb. 25
Motagua at Atlanta United (8 p.m.)
Portmore United at Cruz Azul (10 p.m.)
Wednesday, Feb. 26
San Carlos at New York City FC (6 p.m.)
Saprissa at Montreal Impact (8 p.m.)
Alianza FC at Tigres UANL (8 p.m.)
Comunicaciones at Club America (10 p.m.)
Thursday, Feb. 27
Olimpia at Seattle Sounders (10 p.m.)
Club Leon at Los Angeles FC (10 p.m.)
Premier League
The Premier League table hasn’t really changed, but the matches that happened could have ramifications for later in the season. The only big change right is that Sheffield United — yes Sheffield United — is now fifth. That’s fun. But other than that the top four is the exact same. However, Manchester City closed the gap on second-place Leicester City thanks to the previously stated 3-1 victory. Jamie Vardy continued his outstanding season and goal-scoring streak, but the power of Manchester City was just too much. That gap is now only one point. Liverpool is still only 10 points clear thanks to having no Premier League match over the weekend. The Reds were in the Club World Cup over the weekend against Flamengo and won another trophy thanks to an extra-time winner from Roberto Firmino.
Bundesliga
RB Leipzig now is in full control of the Bundesliga thanks to a win against Dortmund and a Monchengladbach draw. Their lead is at two points over their second-place counterparts. At third-place, continually rising, is Bayern Munich. Only two weeks ago Bayern was seventh on the table and now it’s third. That’s a tremendous rise for the German giants, and it wouldn’t be out of the question that they continue it and challenge for the title. They are only four points behind the leaders currently and have more than half of the season left.
La Liga
The points were shared between Real Madrid and Barcelona, and that feels weird to say. El Clasico is usually a 4-3 or a 3-0. Not 0-0. Thanks to a Barcelona victory in the weekend fixture and a Real Madrid draw, Barca took a two-point lead in the league. But this league is far from over. Lionel Messi has continued his stranglehold on the lead in multiple statistics in the league. He has 13 goals, which gives him the sole lead, and six assists, tying him for first with Ever Banega and Luis Suarez. Even with age and his sixth Ballon D’Or, Messi is still playing like the best player in the world, but I wonder why that is. Oh yeah, because he is the best.
Serie A
In the Italian league, Juventus closed the gap on league leaders Inter Milan with a victory and Inter draw. The funny thing about Inter Milan and Juventus is they both have the exact same record, 13-3-1. Inter has allowed fewer goals and scored more, but Juventus still has the same point total. However, it’s still Cristiano Ronaldo, so anything is possible even if the statistics show one team should be doing much better than another. It’s not like the stats are very different, though, as goals scored is only five less and goals allowed four more.