On May 23rd, the UEFA Cup final was in full swing, and the new Bundesliga champions Leverkusen were seen as the favorites to win the title. The team's excellent performance at the beginning of the season raised expectations, and Javi Alonso's 51-game unbeaten streak made people believe that they were unbeatable. However, veteran manager Gian Piero Gasperini's team gave Leverkusen a 3-0 blow, and Javi Alonso's unbeaten streak came to an end.
In the first half, Atlanta's midfield workhorses exerted immense pressure on Xavi Alonso's side. In the battle of individual breakthroughs, Atlanta showed more aggressiveness and autonomy, completely overpowering Leverkusen's dominance. Zappacosta assisted Luqman's opener, who then added a second with an individual effort. In the second half, Frimpong missed a good opportunity, but Luqman broke the goal again, Leverkusen finally lost.
Leverkusen's form has dropped significantly this season, and although they are still putting pressure on Bayern, their overall form, self-confidence and star power have all declined compared to last season. On the contrary, Atalanta's consistently excellent performance has allowed them to not only excel in the Champions League, but also lead the way in the Serie A. The strength of the team is praiseworthy. Key players such as Lukman and Ederson have also become the favorites in the transfer market, and the strength of veteran manager Gaspérini should not be underestimated.
On June 2, Real Madrid stepped onto the stage for the final of this season's Champions League after beating Bayern a month ago. Facing Borussia Dortmund, also from the Bundesliga, Real Madrid didn't encounter too much pressure and advanced easily. It also helped them take home their 15th Champions League trophy in team history, making them the absolute frontrunners in the soccer world.
In the first half, Adeyemi missed a single chance to make Dortmund regret. If he had capitalized on this chance, they might have been able to compete with Real Madrid. However, chances are fleeting, and even more so when talking to the best of the best. In the second half, goals from Carvajal and Kroos helped Real Madrid seal the win, and Vinicius won the FIFA Man of the Year award for his performance.
On July 6, Shanghai Shenhua faced Shandong Taishan at their home ground in the 18th round of the Chinese Super League. The two teams were equal in strength and it should have been a great match. However, Shanghai Shenhua beat Shandong by 6-0, and swept the opponent by a total score of 9-0 in two rounds, making Cui Kangxi lose face.
Shanghai Shenhua seized the opportunity right from the start of the match, with a header from Kim Soon-Kai giving his team the lead. An assist from Manafa and a header from Malelai increased the lead to 3-0, and in the second half, goals from Wu Xi and Andre Luiz made it 5-0 and eventually 6-0, a defeat that left Shandong fans devastated.
On July 15, the UEFA Europa League final was staged at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, with Spain and England battling it out. The match started with a battle to the death. Luke Shaw's sideways breakthroughs helped England, but Rodney's injury withdrawal seemed to give Southgate a better chance of winning. However, Spain completed the comeback with a goal from Yamal to win the title with a 2-1 victory over England.
Just shortly after the Europa League final, the Copa America final started immediately after. The match was delayed for more than an hour due to ticket inspection problems. The match started with both sides based on defense, not giving their opponents a chance to shoot. With Lionel Messi out injured, the Colombians were galvanized and for a while they overpowered Argentina. However, the two sides eventually went into extra time with a score of 0-0.
Lautaro Martinez's substitute appearance gave Scaloni a chance in the 112th minute. Paredes instigated a counter-attack in midfield, Lo Celso slotted home and Inter captain Lautaro Martinez completed the fatal strike to become Argentina's first winner of the tournament.
On September 5, Japan faced the national football team on their home turf in the 1st round of Group C of the third phase of the Asian qualifying round of the World Cup. Despite the huge difference in strength between the two teams, the match ended with a score of 0-7, giving the national soccer team a humiliating defeat. After the match, the national soccer team suffered tremendous social pressure.
On the night of November 14th, the Chinese men's football team challenged Bahrain on the road in the fifth round of Group C of the third phase of the World Qualifying Tournament in Asia. Considering the team's points situation before this, and the promotion rules of the 2026 World Qualification Asian Zone, the only way for the national soccer team to have a chance to continue to fight for promotion is to win over their opponents and get three points. In the end, the national soccer team won 1-0 against Bahrain with Zhang Yuning's goal, laying a solid foundation for their next road to promotion.
In the past, Guardiola has been synonymous with the Premier League and Pep Guardiola. However, this season, plagued by injuries, Guardiola seems to have lost his former accuracy and has no advantage in the local tournament. For example, in this Nov. 24th game vs. Tottenham, a home game, they surprisingly lost 0-4 to their opponents, making supporters feel strange.
In the opening 13 minutes, De Guerracin created a break down the wing for Kuluszewski and Maddison's backheel was a bit of luck, but City's back four was just too wide open, leading to them dropping points. Just seven minutes later, a Gwadior error was taken by Son, who gave way to Maddison to again assist his teammate's goal.
In the second half, Guardiola did little to solve the problem as Spurs quickly finished off the third point. It was a familiar counter-attack for them and Polo's burst was so violent that Guardiola could only sigh. Late in the game, goals from Grealish and Werner sent City to a 0-4 defeat, which had the talk of the town buzzing about when City would recover.
