On Friday, we looked ahead to the weekend’s football.
IN ENGLAND
• Will a new boss benefit Villa?
Not yet. Tim Sherwood’s first Premier League game in charge was a home game against mid-table Stoke City. Villa started brightly, going ahead through Scott Sinclair, but Stoke were level by the interval and emerged victorious through an injury-time penalty scored by Victor Moses.
The normally-upbeat Sherwood was despondent afterwards, admitting that the result had left him low.
IN GERMANY
• Could away fans be banned in the Bundesliga?
After Cologne followers invaded the pitch during the derby game at Borussia Monchengladbach last Saturday (see above), there were warnings that further incidents could see the Bundesliga get tough on the club.
A heavy fine or even stadium closure were among the possible punishments for this most recent transgression.
Fortunately, Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Hanover passed off peacefully.
IN ITALY
• Can Samp do the double over city rivals?
In the event the weather was the winner, with the referee Gianluca Rocchi forced to abandon Saturday’s game after heavy rain made the playing surface at Genoa’s Luigi Ferraris stadium unplayable.
Initially, there were hopes that the game could be staged on the Sunday, but heavy rain prevented this. Serie A officials are yet to confirm when a replacement fixture will be played.
IN SPAIN
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring against Elche.
• Can Cristiano Ronaldo rediscover his mojo?
After going five games without scoring, Cristiano Ronaldo was back among the goals on Sunday. Having set up teammate Karim Benzema for the opener, the Portuguese forward powered home a header from an Isco cross to ensure a comfortable 2-0 lead for the league leaders.
