Welcome back to the 90 Minute Breakdown! We’re entering the last stretch of the season, and the intensity is certainly present.
Games
Last week ended with the highlight of the break: the South American clasico, Brazil vs. Argentina. Argentina, the reigning world champions delivered a masterclass, and won 4–1, even playing without Messi. Argentina’s goals came from Julián Álvarez (4’), Enzo Fernández (12’), Alexis Mac Allister (37’), and Giuliano Simeone (71’). Brazil's lone moment came with Matheus Cunha’s goal in the 26th minute. Rodrygo and Vinícius barely touched the ball. With the next World Cup just 435 days away, Argentina’s situation looks more dangerous than ever.
In the FA Cup, Aston Villa beat Preston with a Marcus Rashford brace and a goal from Jacob Ramsey. They’ll face Crystal Palace in the semis, while Manchester City meets Nottingham Forest after pulling off a comeback against Bournemouth.
Serie A saw Inter extend their lead over Napoli in the standings after beating Udinese 2–1. Napoli, however, remain in the title race after beating AC Milan.
Over in La Liga, Barcelona won back-to-back games to stay top of the table. Madrid beat Leganés, and Atleti drew with Espanyol. The standings: Barca first, then Madrid, followed by Atlético.
The Seville derby brought fireworks as Real Betis beat Sevilla 2–1 at home, with goals from Johnny Cardoso and Cucho Hernández lighting up the stadium.
Players
Viktor Gyökeres is making waves. After scoring a brace for Sporting CP, the Swede now has 39 goals across all competitions this season — joining the ranks of Salah and Lewandowski. Rumors say Arsenal are eyeing him for the next transfer window.
Kylian Mbappé hit a surprising milestone: his first-ever free kick goal, scored in Madrid’s win over Leganés. It’s hard to believe he hadn't done it before, but the strike was worth the wait.
And then there’s Giuliano Simeone — my personal favorite this week. The Atlético forward is coached by his dad, Diego Simeone, which only adds pressure, yet he consistently gives his all. During international duty, he scored a scrappy, never-give-up goal versus Brazil, squeezing it in from a nearly impossible angle. Passion like his is rare and refreshing.
Opinion
Barcelona has kicked off a brutal stretch of five games in under two weeks — more than any of their league rivals, including Real Madrid.
There have been complaints from some of the Barcelona coaching staff that having so many games scheduled in such a short period of time is detrimental for the health of the players and the performance of the team, especially after a tough international break for most of their starting players. During and after the international break, Barca counted two injuries: Pau Cubarsí and Dani Olmo, who will be out for a few weeks.
The fixture pile-up started when Barca had to reschedule a Liga match after the death of team doctor Carles Miñarro. That match against Osasuna was squeezed in post-break, forcing the team to rotate heavily.
With a Copa del Rey second leg versus Atlético and a Champions League quarterfinal versus Dortmund up next, the pressure is real.
It’s time for leagues and federations to coordinate better. Overstuffed calendars hurt players, unbalance competition and risk long-term consequences. Players are human too — they need rest to perform at the level fans expect and deserve.
