Game Recaps

Liverpool kind-of, sort-of, maybe are starting to look like what Jurgen Klopp wants them to look like.

This should terrify everybody. 

Liverpool played Hull on Saturday, but really "play" is the wrong word, because there was nothing playful about how hard they ran and scrapped and clawed whenever Hull had the ball.

Let's try again: Liverpool worked Hull on Saturday, both in terms of destroying Hull on the scoreboard and working all game, both with and without the ball.

Barcelona traveled to Gijon on Saturday for a difficult match against Sporting. Barcelona made their travels without Lionel Messi, who will be sidelined for three weeks with a groin injury suffered against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.

In his stead, Neymar and Luis Suarez inspired their side to a resounding 5-0 victory. Neymar registered a brace and Luis Suarez scored Barca's opening goal in the 29th minute.

Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez’s preference for the tactically astute Vernon Anita at right-back has made league minutes tough to come by for DeAndre Yedlin. However, a three-match suspension for Anita opened the door for the 23-year-old American.

Yedlin was preferred to the Spaniard Jesus Gamez on Saturday for Newcastle’s league encounter with Aston Villa. The American seized his opportunity with a man of the match display but was unfortunately subbed off due to an apparent ankle injury in the 73rd minute.

You want a match summary?

Chichagol. Chichagol. Again, Chichagol.

A remarkable hat-trick from the man, the myth, the legend Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez lifted Bayer Leverkusen to a 3-2 victory over Mainz on Saturday.

While we rang the Manchester United death knell and witnessed as the club bore the skeletons of their proverbial dead (Wayne Rooney taking a spot on the bench for this match), the Red Devils conspired to play out 20 minutes of sensational football — the likes of which haven’t been seen at Old Trafford since the Alex Ferguson days.

Paul Pogba was imperial. Marcus Rashford continued his blistering start to the season and Wayne Rooney’s demotion was entirely vindicated. The champions were simply outclassed.

For Manchester United’s 659 million fans, it’s a chance to dream. They’re just one step away from an appearance in the English Football League Cup quarterfinals. It’ll take another performance like the spirited one that saw off the mighty Cobblers of Northampton Town, but things are looking up following a week that consisted of one fresh hell after another.

Let me explain what I mean by "Sergio Ramos Hat Trick" before you guys get mad at me online. A Sergio Ramos hat trick does not occur when Sergio Ramos scores three goals. A Sergio Ramos Hat Trick occurs when Sergio Ramos concedes a penalty, gets a yellow card and scored from a set piece, creating the ultimate Sergio Ramos performance.

That's what happened against Villarreal Wednesday.

Borussia Dortmund made it a sensational 17 goals in their last three matches following their 5-1 victory over Wolfsburg on Tuesday. This match, combined with their 6-0 weekend victory over Darmstadt and 6-0 Champions League triumph against Legia Warsaw, makes them the hottest team in Europe.

Dortmund climbed to the top of the Bundesliga table, albeit momentarily as they’ve played one more match than Bayern Munich, and Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang couldn’t hide his excitement.

One of the most fun things about the EFL Cup is when big clubs get upended by Championship and lower-level clubs, like Everton going down to Norwich City earlier today. Watching giants get humbled by minnows is a delight to everyone not a fan of that particular giant, and it's of particular amusement to fans of giants that made it through to the next round.

September 15, the USWNT dominated Thailand 9-0 in Columbus, Ohio. It was the first time we saw star player Megan Rapinoe kneel-down as the rest of the players and stadium admired America by standing for the national anthem. Rapinoe did not start in the game against Thailand for reasons that are unknown. This week Rapinoe continued her protest by kneeling during the national anthem before the USA beat the Netherlands 3-1.