Euro weekend round-up: Mbappe masterclass, Serie A title race

Plenty happened across Europe this weekend as Mbappe put on a show for PSG, the Serie A title race is starting to hot up and RB Leipzig cruised past Dortmund.

We’ve dived into the stats from the weekend and have uncovered some interesting underlying patterns and trends. 

 

Mbappe masterclass 

So far this season the trio of Leo Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe haven’t quite hit the heights that were expected of them and it’s been Mbappe doing most of the heavy lifting this season.  

Well, this weekend was the first time we saw each of the trio scoring in the same match. 

It was Mbappe though who will grab most of the plaudits after scoring a brace and setting up the other three goals. 

 

 

The 23-year-old now has 30 goal contributions in 27 league appearances  

PSG’s system is built around providing chances for Mbappe, so far he has averaged four shots per 90 which is more than any other player in Ligue 1. 

Amazingly so, PSG only accumulated an xG of 1.89 against Lorient, despite scoring five goals. 

Both Messi and Neymar rank amongst the top five players in Ligue 1 when it comes to key passes per 90, but neither of them have been having their best goalscoring seasons. 

Neymar has scored just seven goals in all competitions this season and Messi has managed eight. 

Each member of PSG’s trio has actually underachieved their xG this season, Messi has underperformed by 4.7 goals, Mbappe by 1.2 goals and Neymar by 0.4.  

Although this weekend was a reminder of just how deadly they can be when it clicks for the trio. 

 

Serie A title race 

Inter Milan gave their title chances a big boost this weekend with a 1-0 away win at Juventus. 

Hakan Calhanoglu’s penalty at the end of the first half was the difference between the two sides and Inter are now three points off Napoli, with a game in hand. 

It did feel like a smash and grab for Simone Inzaghi’s side though as Calhanoglu’s penalty was their only shot on target.  

Juventus accumulated an xG of 1.93 goals, compared to Inter’s 1.01. 

Dusan Vlahovic couldn’t quite find his rhythm as only one of his seven shots were on target.  

Juventus are still in a strong position for a top four finish as they currently have a five-point lead over Roma, but this defeat rules them out of a late title charge.  

Typically, these have been the sort of matches that Juventus have struggled to win all season. Juve have not won against any of the three sides that are above them in the league, which highlights the gap they need to close next season.  

 

Dortmund disasterclass  

With a six-point lead over Leverkusen in third, Borussia Dortmund look set on a second placed finish, but this weekend served as a reminder of just how inconsistent they have been lately.  

RB Leipzig swept them aside with a 4-1 away victory as they made it seven games unbeaten in the Bundesliga. 

Christopher Nkunku was the star of the show once again as he was involved with three of RB Leipzig’s four goals. 

Leipzig accumulated an xG of just 1.03, which shows how clinical they were.  

Domenico Tedesco’s side are on quite the goalscoring run, having scored 14 goals in their last three away matches. 

Erling Haaland scored three goals for Norway in the international break, but he is yet to score for Dortmund since coming back from his most recent injury. 

The 21-year-old played the full 90 minutes against Leipzig but he managed just one shot across the whole game and only had 27 touches in total. 

RB Leipzig’s win puts them three points ahead of Freiburg and they are now in pole position for a top four finish as their attention will now turn towards the Europa League where they take on Atalanta.