It was a weekend billed as the biggest yet in Serie A. Juventus faced Roma at the Stadio Olimpico, whilst Sunday saw current contenders Lazio face off against the vastly improved Napoli and of course there was the small matter of the Milan derby to contend with.
Middlesbrough's revival has begun under new manager Tony Mowbray after two wins inside a week. First was a win against a struggling Crystal Palace side at the Riverside stadium. Middlesbrough won 2-1 after a late own goal from McCarthy. Then on Tuesday they won 2-0 over Scunthorpe away from home after goals from Kris Boyd and Scott McDonald. These two results lift Middlesbrough out of the relegation zone into 19th place.
“How wrong is the game?” A very short excerpt from the commentary by Blackpools' manager Ian Holloway on the recent Wayne Rooney transfer yarn. Some would call it a rant but I feel that word is belittling to this man.
Every so often the subject of whether or not a player should be playing for his country gets raised. Usually it's a gripe about a player's form, but there are occasions that concern what they are up to outside the game of football.
What once had the promise to be a season of unpredictability in La Liga, following Mallorca’s draw with Madrid and Barcelona’s defeat at home to Hercules, is now in danger of becoming the two horse race that everyone in Spain had once expected.