So we’re 10 match days into Serie A action and the stupid levels of excitement coming out of Italy show no signs of abating. After Wednesday’s midweek matches, we find Napoli at the top of the table with INTER MILAN two points back. Right behind them we have six-time defending champions Juventus and then Lazio. We’d be remiss not to mention Roma as well — they still have a game in hand on the clubs above them.
Barcelona defeated Olympiakos 3-1 in the Champions League despite having defender Gerard Pique sent off in the 42nd minute. A Dimitris Nikolaou own goal, Lionel Messi free kick and Lucas Digne insurance strike were enough to overcome their Greek opposition on a wet and wild night at the Camp Nou. Messi’s goal was his 100th overall in European competition with 97 coming in the Champions League and three in the UEFA Super Cup.
When PSG agreed to shell out a reported $528 million total for Neymar Jr. (a $263 million transfer fee, plus a five-year, $265 million contract) many people thought the club was crazy. If they're crazy, perhaps they're crazy like a fox. So far for PSG, in only eight appearances, Neymar has racked up eight goals, seven assists and six man of the match ratings. This week, we saw a beautiful Neymar free kick from 35 yards out.
With only three matches remaining in the regular season, the Seattle Sounders are looking to gain a bit of momentum heading into the 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs — the same formula that saw them lift the 2016 MLS Cup. Seattle has dropped only one of their past 13 games, but they’ve also drawn five over that period.
Demetrio Albertini enjoys a legendary status amongst those who watched AC Milan and the Italian national team in the 90s, but the midfielder’s remarkable talent isn’t widely recognized outside of that sphere. As a ball-winning midfielder that orchestrated play from deep, Albertini doesn’t have a massive highlight reel with regards to goals, although he did score a number of long-range screamers and some gorgeous free kicks.