Raphinha – a symbol of Barca's revival, Battle of the Buffet relived, MLS season change?

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Hello! Barcelona gave us a lesson in banishing demons yesterday.

Soon:

🌟 Raphinha and Barca inspire

🍕 When pizza hit Fergie in the face

🔀 Big changes in the MLS season?

🏠 Plush pillows in Madrid

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Raphinha revived: The Brazilian's three-pointer shows Barca's individual and team improvement

Barcelona does not have a proud history against Bayern Munich. They had lost six times in a row against the Bundesliga club, including the infamous 8-2 defeat in the quarter-finals of the 2020 Champions League. The Catalans will have to secure a win against Bayern for the last time in the semi-finals of the 2014/15 competition.

But with Hansi Flick, the man responsible for the 8-2 humiliation, now in the Barca dugout and led by a resurgent Raphinha, Barcelona celebrated a 4-1 victory yesterday.

In the last two summer transfer windows, Raphinha was one of the players Barca were willing to listen to offers for. On Tuesday he spoke about the “disrespect” he felt on social media this summer when Barca pursued Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams. On Wednesday he scored a hat trick and captained his team to victory. A real turning point.

The 27-year-old is emblematic of the progress made under Flick. In addition to the collective progress under his wise leadership, individuals have also improved significantly. Perhaps none more so than the Brazilian, who has 17 goal involvements (nine goals, eight assists) in 13 games this season.

Pol Ballus, who operates on the left wing or as a number 10, explains how the Raphinha feel liberated under Flick, knowing he will often play 90 minutes and be given plenty of opportunities to show his skills.

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Barca bravery

This newfound confidence was perhaps best expressed in Raphinha's second goal, when he attacked Bayern's defense and then curled a shot into the corner of the net with his weaker right foot (above).

In fact, all three goals he scored came from fast runs in which he exploited the spaces behind Bayern's defensive line.

Our tactics expert Michael Cox explains that this was helped by Flick's “almost comically aggressive” defensive setup. Effective play on the halfway line, in addition to the central midfielders, led to quick turnovers and allowed Raphinha to shoot backwards.

With nine La Masia graduates there to help Barca chase away Bayern's demons, Raphinha summed up the state of play well. “It’s time to forget the past and think more about the present we have,” he said.

And the future? That's a trip to the Bernabeu on Saturday to face Real Madrid and Ballon d'Or favorite Vinicius Junior – fresh from his own hat-trick in the Champions League. How brave will Barca's defensive line be then? This will be fascinating.

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Haaland finds a new way to score

Elsewhere in Europe, Erling Haaland drew comparisons to Zlatan Ibrahimovic with his acrobatic, improvised finish (above) in Manchester City's 5-0 win over Sparta Prague (with the centre-backs literally running towards their own goal at times to bait it). Czech side). Even if you watch it in slow motion, it's hard to see how Haaland contorts his body to reach the ball, let alone direct it into the goal.

Liverpool continued their good start to life under Arne Slot and achieved their eleventh win in twelve games this season with a 1-0 win against RB Leipzig. It's the club's best start to the season in 132 years and our predictions put the chance of going straight to the round of 16 at 79 percent. They are at the top of the Champions League table with Aston Villa.

🎙️ Liverpool face Arsenal on Sunday – a game that is already feeling seismic for the Gunners. Our team talked about it in the latest Handbrake Off podcast.

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News summary

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Battle at the buffet: The day United and Arsenal argued – and Fergie got hit by the pizza

They no longer do Premier League rivalries like Arsenal and Manchester United did in the early 2000s. The pair were the best in the country, led by Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson.

The games were characterized by brawls, brutal challenges and sheer disgust. Or as former Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein put it: “If you look at it today, there probably would have been four or five red cards.”

Their meeting on October 24, 2004 – 20 years ago for those of you paying attention today – can certainly be described as delicious, even if that may be a bit on the nose.

Arsenal's Invincibles tried to go 50 games unbeaten but a typically volatile affair ended with a 2-0 win for United, a massive collision in the tunnel and a flying slice of pizza for Ferguson.

The perpetrator remained a mystery for years until Cesc Fabregas put his hands up in 2017 and admitted that as a fresh-faced 17-year-old, he was the infamous pizza slinger.

The Athletic has compiled an oral history of the Battle of the Buffet, retold by those in the thick of it.

My personal favorite quote is from former United and USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard about his teammate Wes Brown: “It was a sea of ​​people. Just a sea. Too many people in too small a space and you didn't know who was who. It was crazy. Wes loves fighting. Wes could start a fight in an empty house, so he definitely enjoyed it.”

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Season change? MLS plans aim to synchronize with Europe

Big changes could be coming to the MLS. The league is considering changing its calendar to a fall-spring season, Paul Tenorio reports.

Why? MLS executives believe the changes would help maximize the league's participation in the global transfer market by synchronizing the US window with Europe.

It could also help draw more attention to the MLS Cup playoffs, which compete for viewers with the existing schedule with MLB, college football, the NFL, the NBA, college basketball and the NHL . The changes could be introduced as early as after the 2026 World Cup.

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What kind of finca is this?

Who are your neighbors?

Move to La Finca, dubbed “Madrid's Beverly Hills,” and you can count Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham and Toni Kroos among your nearby residents. However, you'll need some change to secure a spot at this exclusive private resort. Luxury apartments range from €2.5 million ($2.7 million, £2.08 million) to over €10 million.

Private swimming pools, gyms, saunas and cinema halls are part of the territory. Interestingly, Mbappe actually lives on the property that once belonged to former Madrid striker Gareth Bale – golf putting green and all.

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All about Athletic FC

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Catch a match

(Selected games, all Paramount+, ViX/TNT Sports)

12.45/5.45 p.m. kick-off

Europa Conference League, league phase: Hearts vs. AC Omonia, Larne vs. Shamrock Rovers, Panathinaikos vs. Chelsea, St. Gallen vs. Fiorentina; Europa League, league phase: Roma against Dynamo Kiev, Real Betis against FC Copenhagen.

3:00 p.m./8:00 p.m. kick-off

Europa League, league phase: Athletic Bilbao against Slavia Prague, FC Porto against Hoffenheim, FC Twente against Lazio, Fenerbahce against Manchester United, Lyon against Besiktas, Malmö against Olympiakos, Rangers against FCSB, Tottenham Hotspur against AZ Alkmaar.

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And finally…

Think you're out of luck? Think of Angelholms FF, the Swedish sixth division club that went undefeated and kept a clean sheet for an entire season – and still finished second. Fortunately, they can still make amends in the promotion play-offs.

(Photo: Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty Images)