Serge Gnabry, with a hat-trick, Alphonso Davies, Konrad Laimer, Noussair Mazraoui, Dayot Upamecano, Leroy Sane, Raphael Guerreiro, Ryan Gravenberch, Kingsley Coman and Sadio Mane were the other players to score.
Bayern Munich, who have been linked with Kane this summer, beat the same opposition 23-0 in 2019.
Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel was not in a charitable mood on Tuesday as he fielded a full-strength XI for the first match of pre-season. A star-studded team featuring Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry and Joshua Kimmich took the field at the Stadion am Birkenmoos and gave fans plenty of value for their โฌ10 tickets.
Die Highlights vom 27:0-Sieg im Testspiel gegen Rottach-Egern. ๐
He managed to keep Sadio Mane frustrated right until the 89th minute, when the former Liverpool forward finally blasted in. His face did not show even a flicker of satisfaction, however, as he jogged back to the half-way line.
Bayern are no strangers to smashing a truckload of goals past wholly unsuitable opposition. In fact, they have made a habit of trouncing Rottach-Egern in the summer, having rolled them over 23-0 in 2019 and 20-0 in 2016.
Title Race in Top Five European Leagues: What are the equations?
What are the equations in the title race for the top five European leagues? How many points do the leaders need to secure the title? Sportz Point explores this scenario.
European football has gifted us numerous memorable moments and matches this season, and we can expect more to come in the upcoming months.
The top five European Leagues โ Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1 have different title chase scenarios as the leagues are entering the final lap, leading the clubs to their fate in the 2024-25 season.
England, Germany, and France have witnessed a one-sided battle for the league title this season, except for Spain and Italy, where the champions might be decided even in the closing matchday this season.
In this article, we will examine the league table scenarios, possible equations for the league leaders to secure the title, and the contention for the continental competitions such as UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League for next season.
Premier League
(Image Source | Givemesport)
Liverpool are currently atop the Premier League 2024-25 table, having bagged 73 points in 30 matches. The Reds are edging closer to the title as Arsenal, the second-placed side, dropped points against Everton in a 1-1 stalemate yesterday.
Liverpool have a chance to extend their lead at the top with a win against Fulham this evening, which will see them going 14 points ahead of the Gunners.
The Mikel Arteta-led side has earned 62 points in 31 games so far. As of now, Liverpool only need 11 points from their last eight games to secure the Premier League title for the 20th time in their history.
Liverpool are just four wins away from being crowned Premier League champions.
If it plays out like that, they could win the title at Anfield vs. Spurs then receive guard of honours from both Chelsea and Arsenal ๐คฏ pic.twitter.com/MVDmpDzRhi
Nottingham Forest have been a surprise entrant for a top-four finish in the Premier League, charging for a UEFA Champions League berth next season. The Forest are now third with 57 points in 31 games โ five points clear of the fourth-placed Chelsea.
Fifth-placed Manchester City (51 points in 30 games) and Aston Villa (51 points in 31 games), now sixth, will throw a tough challenge for the Champions League and Europa League berth, whereas seventh-placed Newcastle United (50 points in 29 games) might surpass City and Villa in the race.
Barcelona are currently atop the table with 67 points in 30 matches, four points clear of Real Madrid with 63 points in the same number of games. The title race might go down to the last matchday as these two teams will meet in the fierce El Clasico, scheduled for May 11th, which could decide the potential champions.
Despite failing to take full advantage of Real Madridโs slip-up, Barcelona remain ๐๐๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ to win the LALIGA title - according to @OptaAnalyst ๐๐ pic.twitter.com/uUQ5lu6uir
Fourth-placed Athletic Bilbao (53 points in 29 games) are already five points ahead of Real Betis, now fifth (48 points in 30 games) with one game in hand. Sixth-placed Villareal (47 points in 28 games) could pose a challenge for both of them for UCL and UEL qualification, with two games in hand to match Betis' tally.
LaLiga 2024-25 Table
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Barcelona
30
21
4
5
83
29
54
67
2
Real Madrid
30
19
6
5
63
31
32
63
3
Atlรฉtico Madrid
29
16
9
4
47
23
24
57
4
Athletic Club
29
14
11
4
46
24
22
53
5
Real Betis
30
13
9
8
41
37
4
48
6
Villarreal
28
13
8
7
51
39
12
47
7
Celta Vigo
30
12
7
11
44
43
1
43
8
Rayo Vallecano
30
10
10
10
33
35
-2
40
9
Mallorca
30
11
7
12
29
37
-8
40
10
Real Sociedad
29
11
5
13
27
31
-4
38
11
Sevilla
29
9
9
11
33
39
-6
36
12
Getafe
29
9
9
11
26
25
1
36
13
Girona
30
9
7
14
37
46
-9
34
14
Osasuna
29
7
13
9
33
42
-9
34
15
Valencia
30
8
10
12
34
47
-13
34
16
Espanyol
29
8
8
13
31
40
-9
32
17
Alavรฉs
30
7
9
14
33
44
-11
30
18
Leganes
29
6
9
14
28
46
-18
27
19
Las Palmas
29
6
8
15
33
48
-15
26
20
Valladolid
29
4
4
21
19
65
-46
16
Serie A
(Image Source | X)
Serie A 2024-25 might witness one of the greatest showdowns in the title charge in the league's history, as league leaders Inter Milan dropped points in a 2-2 draw against Parma last night.
Defending champions Inter Milan are currently topping the table with 68 points across 31 games, having played one game more than second-placed Napoli, who have accumulated 64 points in 30 games. If Napoli ends this week with a win, the gap between these two teams will be just one, leading the teams to walk the wire in the final matchdays.
๐จ After Interโs draw vs Parma today, the Serie A title race is wide open!
Napoli and Inter are neck and neck โ and with only a few games left, neither side can afford to drop points.
The pressure to finish in the top four have also intensified in Italy. With Inter and Napoli confirmed to finish in the top four, third-placed Atalanta (58 points in 30 games), fourth-placed Bologna (56 points in 30 games), fifth-placed Juventus (55 points in 30 games), and sixth-placed AS Roma (52 points in 30 games) will battle it out for the last two UCL berths.
Serie A 2024-25 Table
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Inter
31
20
8
3
69
30
39
68
2
Napoli
30
19
7
4
47
24
23
64
3
Atalanta
30
17
7
6
63
29
34
58
4
Bologna
30
15
11
4
50
34
16
56
5
Juventus
30
14
13
3
46
28
18
55
6
Roma
30
15
7
8
45
30
15
52
7
Lazio
30
15
7
8
51
42
9
52
8
Fiorentina
31
15
7
9
49
32
17
52
9
Milan
31
13
9
9
47
37
10
48
10
Udinese
31
11
7
13
36
42
-6
40
11
Torino
30
9
12
9
35
35
0
39
12
Genoa
31
9
11
11
29
38
-9
38
13
Como
31
8
9
14
39
48
-9
33
14
Verona
30
9
3
18
29
58
-29
30
15
Cagliari
30
7
8
15
31
44
-13
29
16
Parma
31
5
12
14
37
51
-14
27
17
Lecce
31
6
8
17
21
49
-28
26
18
Empoli
30
4
11
15
24
47
-23
23
19
Venezia
31
3
12
16
23
43
-20
21
20
Monza
31
2
9
20
25
55
-30
15
Bundesliga
(Image Credit | Getty)
As of now, only six points separate league leaders Bayern Munich and second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, though Bayern might attain the Bundesliga 2024-25 title and a first trophy for Harry Kane โif they manage to accumulate 13 from the 18 points available.
Bayern Munich are now ahead with 68 points in 28 games, whereas reigning Champions Bayer Leverkusen have managed 62 in the same number of matches, practically confirming their participation in next season's Champions League.
Bayern are leading in the Bundesliga title race. (Image Credit | ESPN)
However, the race for two other UCL berths will draw Eintracht Frankfurt (third, 48 points in 28 games), FSV Mainz (fourth, 46 points in 28 games), RB Leipzig (fifth, 45 points in 28 games), and Borussia Monchengladbach (sixth, 43 points in 27 games) into a battle, looking for places in continental competitions.
Bundesliga 2024-25 Table
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
Bayern
28
21
5
2
81
27
54
68
2
Leverkusen
28
18
8
2
63
34
29
62
3
Eintracht Frankfurt
28
14
6
8
55
42
13
48
4
Mainz
28
13
7
8
46
32
14
46
5
RB Leipzig
28
12
9
7
44
35
9
45
6
Mรถnchengladbach
27
13
4
10
44
40
4
43
7
SC Freiburg
28
12
6
10
38
44
-6
42
8
Dortmund
28
12
5
11
52
43
9
41
9
VfB Stuttgart
28
11
7
10
51
44
7
40
10
Werder
28
11
6
11
45
53
-8
39
11
Augsburg
28
10
9
9
31
39
-8
39
12
Wolfsburg
27
10
8
9
49
41
8
38
13
Union Berlin
27
8
6
13
25
40
-15
30
14
Hoffenheim
28
6
9
13
34
52
-18
27
15
FC St. Pauli
27
7
4
16
22
33
-11
25
16
Heidenheim
28
6
4
18
32
53
-21
22
17
VfL Bochum
28
5
5
18
28
59
-31
20
18
Holstein Kiel
28
4
6
18
39
68
-29
18
Ligue 1
The redesigned Ligue 1 trophy. (Image Source | X)
Paris Saint-Germain have claimed the 2024-25 Ligue 1 title after beating Angers 1-0 last night, ensuring their fourth successive title with 74 points in 28 games. The Luis Enrique-managed side have been crowned champions with six matches remaining and are now 24 points ahead of the second-placed AS Monaco (50 points in 28 matches).
PSG have clinched another milestone, winning the league title without losing a single game so far, and with six matches remaining, they will look to embrace the 'invincible' tag by ending the season without a single defeat.
PSG have won the 2024-25 Ligue 1. (Image Credit | Getty Images)
If Les Parisiens complete an unbeaten league season, they will join a special group of clubs from Europe's top five leagues that have achieved this feat. This group includes Bayer Leverkusen in 2024, Juventus in 2012, Arsenal in 2004, AC Milan in 1992, Perugia in 1979, and Preston North End in 1889.
However, the race to qualify for next season's UCL will go down to the wire between six teams who are differentiated by only four points โ AS Monaco (50), Olympique de Marseille (49), Olympique Lyonnais (48), OGC Nice (47), Lille OSC (47), and RC Strasbourg (46).
Ligue 1 2024-25 Table
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
GF
GA
GD
Pts
1
PSG
28
23
5
0
80
26
54
74
2
Monaco
28
15
5
8
54
35
19
50
3
Marseille
27
15
4
8
54
36
18
49
4
Lyon
28
14
6
8
54
38
16
48
5
Nice
28
13
8
7
52
35
17
47
6
LOSC
28
13
8
7
42
30
12
47
7
Strasbourg
27
13
7
7
45
35
10
46
8
Brest
28
13
4
11
44
43
1
43
9
Lens
27
11
6
10
31
30
1
39
10
Auxerre
27
9
8
10
38
39
-1
35
11
Toulouse
27
9
7
11
35
33
2
34
12
Rennes
27
10
2
15
38
37
1
32
13
Nantes
28
7
9
12
33
47
-14
30
14
Angers
28
7
6
15
26
46
-20
27
15
Reims
27
6
8
13
29
41
-12
26
16
Le Havre
27
7
3
17
29
57
-28
24
17
St-รtienne
27
6
5
16
28
63
-35
23
18
Montpellier
27
4
3
20
21
62
-41
15
(*all stats are accurate as of the time of publishing this article.)
Thomas Muller set to leave Bayern Munich after spending 25 years with the club
Thomas Muller has played 743 games for Bayern Munich, scoring 243 goals. He will leave the club after spending 25 years with the club, where he won 32 senior trophies.
Former German footballer Thomas Muller has announced that he will leave Bayern Munich at the end of the 2024-25 season.
The 35-year-old striker has played 17 seasons for the club. Bayern Munich is the only club he has played for in his career. Muller has played 743 games for Bayern Munich, scoring 243 goals.
Muller had already retired from international football during the Euro 2024, after featuring 131 times for the national side, where he scored 45 times.
After playing 88 matches for both the under-19 team and Bayern II, Muller made his senior Bayern Munich debut in the 2008-09 season. In the next season, Muller scored 19 goals and had 16 assists in 52 senior appearances. This helped him become a mainstay at the club.
In his 17 years with the club, Thomas Muller won 32 trophies for the German giants. His trophy cabinet includes 12 Bundesliga titles, 11 of which came in consecutive seasons from 2012 through to 2023.
Muller also went on to win two UEFA Champions League titles, one in 2013 and another one in 2020.
In 2023, Muller signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich till June 2025. With Bayern not deciding to renew his contract, both parties mutually agreed to terminate the contract.
"The club has consciously decided not to negotiate a new contract with me for next season,โ Muller said.
โEven if this did not correspond to my personal wishes, it is important that the club follows its convictions. Even after all these years, regardless of the minutes I play, I still have a lot of fun being on the pitch with the boys. I could have easily imagined playing this role next year as well.
โI respect this step, which the board and supervisory board certainly did not take lightly. I understandably did not like the back-and-forth in public over the past weeks and months. However, I treat it like I do my own football: It wasnโt always characterised by perfection either, but rather with a positive, forward-thinking approach to the next move. After a bad pass, it is important to win the ball back and be unified. We have achieved this in recent days with honest discussions on this matter as well," Muller added.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 Second Leg Round Up: Liverpool, Atletico bow out; Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG, Bayern advance
PSG knocked Liverpool out to progress, as Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich sealed their place in the Quarter Finals after the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 Second Leg.
The UEFA Champions League 2024-25Round of 16 Second Leg has ended, concluding the round with eight teams that have earned their qualification into the Champions League Quarter Finals this season.
Paris Saint-Germain stunned Liverpool in the second leg, managing a 1-0 win in the regulation time before knocking the league phase leaders out of the competition following a 4-1 win on penalties.
Barcelona dominated over Benfica, earning a 3-1 victory at home to secure the quarter-final place with a 4-1 aggregate. Bayern Munich also clinched a 2-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen, advancing to the quarters with a 5-0 cushion across two legs.
Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid fought till the last minute as Atletico managed a 1-0 win to equalize the tie, but Los Blancos secured a 4-2 victory on penalties to advance to the quarters.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 Second Leg Round Up
FC Barcelona 3-1 Benfica (4-1 Agg)
Raphinha and Lamine Yamal led from the front to help FC Barcelona win 3-1 against Benfica in the return leg, accumulating a 4-1 aggregate to progress through to the quarter-finals.
Raphinha opened the scoring in the 11th minute, as Otamendi equalized just two minutes later. However, a world-class strike from Lamine Yamal and Raphinha's second goal produced a dominant win for Blaugranas, despite a goalless second half.
Barcelona will take on Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals.
Inter Milan stamped a well-deserved 2-1 victory over Feyenoord at the San Siro, winning the tie on a 4-1 aggregate to advance to the quarter-finals.
Marcus Thuram netted an early goal in the eighth minute, that was canceled out by Jakub Moder, who equalized from the spot in the 42nd minute. However, Hakan รalhanoฤlu fired the winner with a boastful penalty in the 51st minute.
Inter Milan will go against Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain (1-1 Agg, 1-4 pens)
Arguably, this tie has produced the most gripping and absorbing footballing actions across two legs in the RO16 this season. After a fighting 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain at Parc de Princes, Liverpool crashed out of the UCL 2024-25 following a 1-4 defeat on penalties.
Ousmane Dembele drew the first blood early in the 12th minute, but almost 110 minutes of football afterwards failed to decide a winner, ending the tie on a 1-1 aggregate.
However, Gianluigi Donnarumma became a wall between PSG's sticks in the penalties, saving two penalties of Darwin Nunez and Curtis Jones to hand PSG the advantage in a nail-biting shootout. Desire Doue netted the winning penalty for PSG, taking them to the quarters.
Les Parisiens will meet Aston Villa in the quarter-finals.
Bayern Munich had another composed victory over Bayer Leverkusen, beating them 2-0 to progress through the next stage with a commendable 5-0 aggregate.
Harry Kane and Alphonso Davies scored in the 52nd and the 71st minute respectively, leading the German side to the UCL 2024-25 quarter-finals.
Borussia Dortmund pulled off a sensational comeback against Lille OSC in the second leg, winning 2-1 against the French side to qualify for the quarters with a 3-2 aggregate.
Jonathan David opened the account for Lille only 5 minutes into the game, as the first half ended with Lille leading 2-1 in the tie. However, Emre Can converted the spotkick in the 54th minute to equalize the game, as Maxilmilian Beier netted a sublime curler in the 65th minute to hand Dortmund a comeback victory.
Dortmund will lock horns against FC Barcelona in the quarter-finals.
Aston Villa earned a comfortable 3-0 victory over ten-men Club Brugge in the second leg to enter the quarters with a 6-1 score on aggregate.
After a goalless first half, Marco Asensio scored a brace in the 50th and 61st minute respectively, accompanied by Ian Maatsen who found the back of the net in the 57th minute.
Aston Villa will face Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals.
After producing a 7-1 crushing in the first leg, Arsenal shared the spoils in a 2-2 stalemate with PSV in the return leg. Despite the draw, Arsenal are through to the quarters with a massive 9-3 win on aggregate.
Oleksandr Zinchenko scored early in the sixth minute of the game. However, Ivan Perisic equalized in the 18th minute for the visiting side. Declan Rice netted a banger in the 37th minute, but PSV pulled off another equalizing goal in the 70th minute as Couhaib Driouech scored in his first UCL start.
The game ended in a 2-2 draw, as Arsenal progressed onto the quarters, where they will go against the defending champions Real Madrid.
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Real Madrid (2-2 Agg, 2-4 pens)
The Madrid Derby in the return leg gifted another spectacular game of football. Atletico madrid levelled the tie with a 1-0 win after 120 minutes, but Real Madrid emerged victorious on penalties, winning 4-2 to march onto the quarters.
Atletico midfielder Connor Gallagher scored only 30 seconds after the kickoff, but both teams failed to find the net in the remaining minutes, leading the tie to a 2-2 aggregate.
However, Julian Alvarez's spotkick in the shootout was canceled for an apparent double touch. Atletico fell behind, but Real Madrid's fourth penalty, taken by Lucas Vanquez, was denied by Jan Oblak.
Following that, Marcos Llorente had a chance to pull Atletico back in the game, but he hit the woodwork under pressure. Antonio Rugider netted the winning penalty for Real Madrid. Los Blancos will face Arsneal in the quarters.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg Round Up: Liverpool, Barcelona and Real Madrid snatch narrow wins; Bayern, Arsenal are halfway into the Quarters
Liverpool, Barcelona, and Real Madrid snatch narrow wins, whereas Bayern and Arsenal are halfway into the quarter-finals after the UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg.
Following the conclusion of the UEFA Champions League 2024-25Round of 16 First Leg, we can presume the potential entrants into the UCL quarter-finals, whereas the fate of some match-ups will be decided in the second leg.
Liverpool, the league phase leaders, managed a hard-fought 1-0 win against PSG; whereas ten-men Barcelona snatched a narrow 1-0 victory over Benfica. Real Madrid emerged victorious by 2-1 in the Madrid Derby against Atletico Madrid.
On the contrary, Bayern Munich thrashed Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 and Arsenal ran riot over PSV, winning 7-1 to practically secure their advancement to the next round of the competition.
UEFA Champions League 2024-25 Round of 16 First Leg Round Up
Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa
(Image Source | X)
Aston Villa salvaged two late goals to triumph 3-1 over Club Brugge in the first leg of the RO16 tie at the Jan Breydel Stadium in Bruges, Belgium.
Leon Bailey opened the account for Aston Villa in only three minutes into the game. Club Brugge quickly answered with Maxim De Cuyper scoring in the 12th minute.
However, Bruges defender Brandon Mechele scored a cheeky own goal to hand Villa the lead in the 82nd minute. Following that, Marco Asensio scored from the spot in the 88th minute, securing a two-goal lead for Aston Villa in the first leg.
Real Madrid impressively managed a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the 'Madrid Derby' against Atletico Madrid, in one of the biggest fixtures of UCL 2024-25 RO16 this season.
Rodrygo scored a spectacular goal from Los Blancos in the fourth minute of the game, with Julian Alvarez canceling it out with another world-class strike in the 32nd minute.
However, Brahim Diaz scored the winner for Real Madrid in the 55th minute to hand Atletico a one-goal deficit ahead of the second leg.
Arsenal ran demolition over PSV, crushing the Dutch side 7-1 in the first leg at the Philips Stadion in Eindhoven, Netherlands, practically securing their quarter-final tickets.
Jurrien Timber opened the scoring for Arsenal in the 18th minute, as Ethan Nwaneri doubled the lead in the 21st minute. Mikel Merino extended the lead in the 31st minutes, but PSV pulled off a goal from Noa Lang's spotkick in the 43rd minute.
Arsenal's scoring spree continued in the second half, with Martin Odegaard and Leandro Trossard scoring consecutively in the 47th and the 48th minute. Odegaard completed his brace in the 73rd minute, and Ricardo Calafiori put the final coffin on the nail in the 85th minute.
Borussia Dortmund 1-1 LOSC
(Image Source | BVB)
Borussia Dortmund and Lille OSC shared an exciting 1-1 stalemate in the first leg at the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, with everything to play for in the second leg.
Karim Adeyemi netted an absolute banger in the 22nd minute of the match. Following that, Borussia found the equalizer in the 68th minute with Haraldsson tapping the ball home.
Feyenoord 0-2 Inter Milan
(Image Source | X)
Inter Milan earned a dominant first-leg lead over Feyenoord, winning 2-0 in Rotterdam to manage a two-goal cushion ahead of the reverse fixture.
Marcus Thuram found the breakthrough for Inter in the 38th minute with a volleyed strike. Shortly after the break, Lautaro Martinez doubled the Nerazzurri's lead with a superb strike, also becoming Inter's all-time leading goalscorer in UCL.
The Italian outfit were close to adding a third goal from the spot, but Piotr Zieliลski's penalty was well saved by Feyenoord custodian Timon Wellenreuther.
Bayern Munich 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen
(Image Source | X)
Bayern Munich eased past Bayer Leverkusen in the first-ever all-German tie in the UCL, beating the Bundesliga counterparts 3-0 at the Allianz Arena.
Harry Kane opened the account for Bayern only nine minutes into the game, scoring a powerful header. In the 54th minute, Jamal Musiala extended the lead as he slashed it home from a rebound.
Leverkusen defender Nordi Mukiele was shown a second yellow and was sent off in the 62nd minute, resulting in the third goal for Bayern. Harry Kane completed his brace in the 75th minute by scoring from the penalty spot to hand Bayern a comfortable victory.
Keeper Wojciech Szczฤsny's trusted gloves resisted the fall of a ten-men FC Barcelona against Benfica in the first leg at Estรกdio da Luz, leading them to a slender 1-0 victory.
Defender Pau Cubarsi was sent off in the 22nd minute of the game, following a straight red card. Barcelona were down to ten men, but Wojciech Szczฤsny became unbreakable beneath the sticks, making a massive eight saves on the way.
The only goal of the match came off Raphinha's magical feet, as the Brazilian found the back of the net with a sublime long-ranger strike that went past Trubin through the left-bottom corner.
PSG 0-1 Liverpool
(Image Source | X)
It was another Champions League classic at Parc des Princes as Liverpool salvaged a narrow 1-0 victory against Paris Saint-Germain in an electric encounter.
Liverpool custodian Alisson Becker became absolute impregnable against continuous efforts from PSG attackers, especially Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Alisson was only beaten once in the 20th minute, when a marvellous curler from Kvaratskhelia ended up in the net, but was cancelled for offside.
Alisson made nine saves in the whole game, whereas Liverpool earned the winning goal in the 87th minute as Harvey Elliot fired his strike past Donnarumma, only 47 seconds after coming off the bench.
Five best footballers of 2024 (men's): Vini, Yamal and who?
2024 was a fantastic year for football worldwide, with international tournaments like Copa America and Euro 2024, along with the best leagues. Here are the best five footballers of 2024.
2024 has been a sensational year for football as the world witnessed many memorable performances that will go down in history. Many footballers have emerged as breakout stars while renowned players have continued to grace the pitch with exceptional performances.
However, some footballers have consistently performed well in 2024 with their club or country and continued to stand out among others. In this article, Sportz Point explores the five best footballers of 2024.
Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid)
(Image Credit | Forbes)
Vinicius Jr. has been one of the most instrumental assets for Real Madrid's success in recent years. The 24-year-old Brazilian racked up loads of goals and assists for Los Blancos to enlist himself as one of the best players in 2024.
Vinicius Jr. led Madrid's attack along with Jude Bellingham to clinch the 2023-24 La Liga title, having scored 15 goals while providing 6 assists in 26 appearances. He became a walking nightmare for every defensive line-up in Europe with his sublime ball control, acceleration, and footballing skills.
โ UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) June 3, 2024
However, Vinicius unleashed his ultimate best in Real Madrid's UCL-winning campaign in the 2023-24 season. He earned the UCL Player of the Season award with 11 goal contributions by his name. Vini performed well in the group games as well as in crucial knockout games; the semi-final and final, against Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund respectively.
Lamine Yamal is certainly the most promising young talent in football discussions worldwide. Making his debut for FC Barcelona's senior team in 2023, the 17-year-old winger completed his 50th appearance for Barcelona in April 2024, becoming the youngest footballer to achieve the feat.
However, Lamine's breakout performance for Spain in the UEFA Euro 2024 is the definite highlight of his year. The Spanish teenager, who only turned 17 in July 2024, lifted the 2024 Euro as the youngest winner of the tournament. Lamine won the Young Player of the Tournament award as well, having bagged 1 goal and 4 assists in the competition.
Lamine Yamal has played in the 2023 U17 European Championship and Euro 2024 over the last 14 months.
U17 Euros: โฝ๏ธ 4 goals ๐ค 2 assists ๐ Team of the Tournament
Euros: โฝ๏ธ 1 goal ๐ค 4 assists ๐ Young Player of the Tournament
Lamine has added some more glory to his list of personal accolades in 2024 by winning the 2024 Golden Boy Award and the Kopa Trophy.
The youngster continued his record-breaking stint also for his club, as he became the youngest footballer to score in a Clasico game during Barcelona's 4-0 victory over Real Madrid in October 2024. He has been instrumental for Barcelona since the start of the 2024-25 season as well.It seems that the talented winger will continue to showcase his jaw-dropping capabilities with a football at his feet.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
(Image Credit | BBC)
Mohamed Salah has been one of the most consistent footballers for Liverpool in recent years, and now he is paving the way to enter the globe of all-time Premier League greats.
Since Arne Slot arrived in Anfield as Jurgen Klopp's successor, Salah has been a cheat code for the Reds across all competitions.Although he had a distressing start to 2024, now he has transitioned into an even more complete version of a traditional winger.
The 'Egyptian King' has been responsible for almost 64% of the goals Liverpool scored this season in the league and UCL. It clearly shows his impeccable ability to orchestrate the attack while leading from the front. He has 20 goals and 17 assists by his name in 26 appearances in all competitions so far this season.
The 32-year-old forward has also hit the headlines for breaking Premier League legend Wayne Rooney's record for 36 games with a goal and an assist in a single game.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
(Image Credit | Eurosport)
In a world where the forwards steal all the limelight, it is simply exceptional for others to ensure themselves in consideration of the top performers without a doubt. Jude Bellingham is the kind of footballer who not only plays well but also ensures his dominance everywhere on the pitch.
Bellingham left Dortmund in 2023 and signed for Real Madrid, where he continued to elevate his footballing prowess. The Englishman finished 4th on Laliga's list of most goal contributions with 19 goals and 6 assists. Nevertheless, he was named the 2023-24 La Liga Player of the Season for his dynamic performances.
Jude Bellingham has won the 2023/24 LaLiga Player of the Season! ๐จ๐ช๐ธ pic.twitter.com/NeVcQ8kvuv
However, Bellingham could not play in his natural position in the 2024 Euros. This positional shift restricted his goalscoring proficiency but he continued to offer his physical ability, defensive quality, and accurate passing skills to help England reach the Euro final. He also came out on top to assist Cole Palmer who scored the only goal for England in the final.
The 21-year-old youngster also received the prestigious Lareaus World Breakthrough of the Year Award for 2024 to brighten his list of individual honours. Despite finishing third in the 2024 Ballon d'Or ranking, he was certainly one of the best footballers in 2024.
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
(Image Credit | The Irish Fan)
Harry Kane left Tottenham Hotspur in 2023 to join Bayern Munich, but he did not forget to bring his goalscoring boots to Germany. The 31-year-old striker has comfortably enlisted himself as one of the best footballers of 2024.
The England captain not only possesses lethal finishing skills but also has brilliant positioning sense which helps him to be a very natural number nine. However, Kane found his best version in Bayern and concluded the 2023-24 Bundesliga season with his personal best tally of 36 goalswhich led him to win his maiden European Golden Boot trophy in 2024.
Kane has already scored 20 goals and provided 9 assists in 20 matches in all competitions this season and continued to be one of the best footballers in 2024.
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