Another fantastic week of football comes to an end. It had been a week where some teams smiled, while others were left in thinking what went wrong……
WINNERS
Valencia
Valencia against all odds lifted the Copa del Rey in front of Barcelona, beating the Blaugrana 2-1 in the final. Kevin Gameiro and Rodrigo scored the goals early on and Marcelino’s tactics worked out perfectly in giving Barcelona the minimal offensive chances.
It has been Valencia’s first trophy since 2008, when they also won the Copa del Rey, making it eight in their history.
Bayern Munich
Niko Kovac was under fire back in autumn, miles away from Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, and struggling in the Champions League. Six months later, Kovac and everyone at Bayern had the last laugh, picking up an unexpected domestic double. On the weekend, they lifted the DFB-Pokal after demolishing Leipzig 3-0.
Robert Lewandowski netted twice, with Kingsley Coman getting the other goal, to secure more silverware for the Bavarians.
Atalanta
The miracle is complete. Atalanta will play the Champions League for the first time in their history.
It is so deserved for La Dea, who struggled in the opening fixtures of this Serie A campaign, but then started playing a wonderful brand of football, aesthetically pleasing and productive.
They scored more than anyone in the league.
Atalanta great mental focus in the final game of the season, going down 1-0 to Sassuolo, but reacting and managing to secure a top-four finish with a 3-1 victory.
LOSERS
Barcelona
From a potential Treble, to “just” having won La Liga. All in the space of a couple of weeks. Barcelona went from hero to (almost) zero, crumbling at Liverpool in the Champions League, and then losing to Valencia in the Copa del Rey final.
Lionel Messi’s moment of magic wasn’t enough to complete the comeback in the final, meaning the Blaugrana had to pick up the silver medals and end this season with yet another disappointment under Ernesto Valverde.
AC Milan
The Rossoneri got the job done against SPAL, but all the points dropped in previous games means they won’t be in the Champions League next season.
Quite a disappointment, considering Gennaro Gattuso’s men were in third above Inter before the Milan Derby two months ago. It’s all gone terribly since, and despite the final victory of the season, the Rossoneri will end up playing in the Europa League.
