Key takeaways, talking points from European football this weekend

Every week, theScore will handpick the best stories from the top five leagues and beyond, giving bite-sized accounts of the things you need to know from around European football.

Serie A can’t get anything right

The average Italian citizen has bigger worries than the Serie A schedule. The spreading coronavirus has claimed more than 30 lives and infected more than 1,500 people. The government has responded swiftly and aggressively, closing down establishments and restricting movement in northern Italy.

Still, when it came time for Serie A to respond, the league embarrassed itself completely. Officials flip-flopped all week, first ordering games in vulnerable areas to be played behind closed doors, then postponing them altogether. On Sunday, they decided one of the matches in question, Sampdoria’s clash with Hellas Verona, would go ahead without spectators. Hours later, officials scrapped that one, too.

Serie A’s reckless behavior affected a lot of people. Fiorentina found out their game against Udinese was postponed mere hours before kick-off. Verona were also left stranded after making the journey to Genoa.

“I find this whole situation shameful and disrespectful for everyone involved,” Verona midfielder Miguel Veloso said on Instagram. “In such a delicate and important moment for all Italian families, authorities could at least avoid saying the opposite of one another and treating people and sports teams as if they were toys.”

The Italian government said it was safe to stage matches in empty stadiums. Serie A decided not to. But it acted alone, without consulting all of the clubs or calling an emergency meeting. It spat in the face of conventional wisdom. Meanwhile, in Italy’s second tier, games went ahead as planned, even in Venice, one of the most infected areas in the country.

What if the situation doesn’t improve? The number of cases continues to rise by the day and the threat of more postponements is very real. A precedent has now been set: playing behind closed doors is off the table. No one wants to lose matchday revenue or any advantage they’d get as the home team. So Serie A will continue scramble as the weeks go by. Don’t be surprised if the season doesn’t finish on time.

Liverpool’s run was destined to end

Liverpool tempted fate one too many times. Adam Lallana (of all people) saved them at Manchester United. Last-minute goals turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 victory against Aston Villa. Just last week, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane led a second-half charge to conquer West Ham.

For much of their 44-game unbeaten run, Liverpool produced just enough to avoid defeat. But enough isn’t a guarantee.

That streak ended Saturday with a 3-0 loss to Watford, but it was a long time coming. The Reds rarely looked truly unbeatable over the past year of Premier League football. Often, they bailed themselves out in the final 15 minutes, scoring late to keep the streak going; it’s why they’re nicknamed the “Mentality Monsters.”

But what’s in an unbeaten season? Liverpool remain 22 points clear at the top of the table, on course for a first Premier League title in club history. In all likelihood, they’ll end a run of 30 years without a domestic title. That matters more than invincibility.

“I see it rather positive,” manager Jurgen Klopp said. “Because from now on we can play free football again. We don’t have to defend or try to get the record. We just can try to win football games again.”

Bundesliga’s priorities are out of whack

If only Bundesliga clubs dealt with racism with the same gusto that Bayern Munich showed for an unrelated incident over the weekend.

Bayern walked off the pitch when a group of their own ultras began hurling insults at Dietmar Hopp, the billionaire Hoffenheim owner who’s drawn criticism as one of the Bundesliga’s few majority owners. Most of the league follows the 50+1 rule, leaving clubs in the hands of the fans.

Officials used the same three-step protocol that’s usually reserved for racism to try to bring the match under control. Bayern’s players and head coach, Hansi Flick, pleaded for the fans to stop. Then, in a farcical display, the two sides traded meaningless passes for 10 minutes in protest of the fans’ behavior.

In a show of solidarity, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge joined Hopp on the sidelines. After the match, Rummenigge called it a “dark day for football.”

Where was all of this righteous indignation when Hertha Berlin defender Jordan Torunarigha was racially abused? Torunarigha was actually sent off for his reaction to the abuse. He left the pitch in tears.

It could have something to do with the fact that SAP, the software company that Hopp owns, is one of Bayern’s “platinum” sponsors. It seems certain authority figures only take meaningful action when people attack one of their own.

Vinicius Junior’s time is now

Vinicius Junior’s last two games were fun to watch. Against Manchester City, the Brazilian ran circles around Kyle Walker and played without fear. Four days later, Vinicius took on and burned defenders in El Clasico, deciding the game on one spellbinding run.

This is his moment. With Eden Hazard out injured, Vinicius is carving out his place in Zinedine Zidane’s XI. He’s spent a year-and-a-half on and off the bench, but now, the opportunities are plentiful. And he’s taking each one.

Madrid had been patient with the 19-year-old. They made him play with the youth team to gain some experience, but he outgrew his surroundings fairly quickly.

In the last week alone, Vinicius has enlivened Madrid’s attack. He’s dared to dribble, even if he’s failed more times than he’s succeeded. His confidence is striking. Just ask Gerard Pique; the Spaniard couldn’t close down Vinicius in time to prevent him from scoring the winning goal.

Sarabia can hang with PSG’s best

Pablo Sarabia has played all across the front line and in every competition with professionalism and grace. He’s Paris Saint-Germain’s handyman, capable of filling in the cracks when one of the club’s superstars is injured, suspended, or just out of form.

Sarabia scored his ninth goal of 2020 in PSG’s 4-0 win over Dijon on Saturday. No other PSG player has more. Sarabia hasn’t exactly fed off the crumbs in and around the penalty area – he’s produced some world-class bangers. Take a look at the Spaniard’s strike from distance against Montpellier. PSG went on to win 5-0.

No one really expected much from the 27-year-old. He arrived from Sevilla as nothing more than depth, but he’s performed better as a starter than he has in relief. PSG manager Thomas Tuchel often sees Sarabia as a tactical pawn, relying on him to press and open space.

PSG needed a serviceable player like Sarabia for quite some time. In a team of stars, he’s the supporting cast.