#joao felix prompt

[b4sorex1a]

idk why but something about joão gives off really submissive and i feel like he lovessss getting eaten out

he also has the ass for it 🤭

tw: nsfw, minors dni.

— João Félix Prompt

I love João with all my heart but yeah he behaves like a pillow princess,, most of Spaniard culés call him nena because of how he acts

it’s really sexy tho, because he’s pretty and would be needy too! He wants all of his top’s attention, you can’t look away from him because he’ll get mad…

He’d love to get eaten out! He’d push his lover’s head towards himself when receiving it, Félix would enjoy being stretched by a hot wet tongue so bad.

And if he has a girlfriend, she’s pegging him.

#fc barcelona #football rpf #football rpf smut #smut #smut prompts #fc barcelona smut #rpf #football rpf imagines #joao felix prompt #joao felix smut #bottom joao felix #felix

[httpsdana]

Hey!!! I absolutely adore your writing, you're so talented!!!!

Can I request a joao felix fic where he and the reader are friends but he's in love with her? Maybe he doesn't tell her until he sees she's getting the attention of other guys and fears he's losing her and stuff. Like the prompt 70 on your list <333

Ps. You're like my fav writer here I hope you have a great day ❤️

Scared~João Felix

*GIF isn't mine. credits to the owner*

thank you so much for the feedback.thats super cute <3 I hope you enjoy this one <3

you can request from my prompt list

this is my master list

players/drivers I write for

70-"you really love her don't you?"

It was almost too obvious for everyone that João was in love with y/n. To everyone but her. A lot of his friends have tried to get him to confess, convincing him that she shares the sad feeligs as him, but he was too scared to do that.

They met through mutual friends. y/n was a close friend to almost everyone on the Portuguese National Team. João and y/n specifically met in 2019, after Portugal won the UEFA Nations League, in the after party. They seemed to click immediately and have been close friends ever since. but João couldn't help but feel something more for her, hoping she would feel the sane but also afraid to ask her about her own feelings

The team had a reunion after the 2022/2023 season was over. Training together for some friendly matches against other teams.

y/n thought she'd pay them a visit at one of their training sessions. As soon as she stepped on the field, her eyes met João's. He smiled widely at her, his face lighting up as soon as she smiled back at him. He was about to walk up to her before someone beat him to it. That someone being Ruben Dias. Someone João would never admit to anyone that he is jealous of.

y/n's eyes averted from João when someone stood in front of her. She looked up and saw Ruben, one of her closest friends aside from João.

"Ruben! I missed you" she hugged him tightly, him doing the same thing back

"I missed you more angel" he said into her hair.

She laughed at the nickname, only making him smirk back

"to what do I owe the visit? you suddenly remembered you knew a Portuguese football team?" he joked, making her laugh, her eyes averting to João for a spilt second, noticing his gaze at them, before she looked back at Ruben

Ruben glanced back at where she was looking, only to see João glaring at him.

"ohh you came to see your boy" Ruben smirked making y/n snap her eyes towards his with burning cheeks

"my boy? we're just friends" she shrugged her shoulders, avoiding Ruben's intense gaze on her

João was wondering why y/n was blushing so hard. What has Ruben said that made her that shy? He felt a knot forming in his stomach. What if she ends up dating Ruben and forgets about him? What if he never gets to see her again because Ruben wouldn't allow that? What if he ends up losing her forever?

He didn't want that. Not now not ever.

He hasn't realized he was still staring at her until Bernardo Silva came and nudged his shoulder

"stop staring João" he said, making João turn his eyes away from the girl.

"I'm not staring" he mumbled under his breath, playing with the ball between his legs

"oh you so are. tell me what's with the frown" Bernardo insisted, making João let out a sigh

"its just...y/n seems to really enjoy Ruben's company. And I'm just scared that she might forget about me if she starts dating him. I mean I know he's better looking and older and stronger or whatever but I just...I don't want to lose her" he confessed, his eyes being fixed on y/n the whole time.

Meanwhile, Bernardo was looking at João with a smile on his face

"you really love her don't you?" he said, smiling as if he's the one in love

João's cheeks only turned red in respone, nodding his head slightly

"yeah I do" he mumbled, looking up at y/n, only to see her looking back at him. She smiled and waved, before she atrted walking to him

João started to panic not knowing what to do.

"don't panic. Just tell her you love her and everything will be fine" Bernardo tapped his shoulder before walking away

"hey João. how are you handsome?" she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. He hugged her back tightly, before they both pulled away

She was about to say something, but was interrupted by João

"I love you" he blurted out, and the look in his eyes told y/n he wasnt just saying that as friends

y/n stood there in shock before she was able to talk

"you do?" she asked, still in shock

"yes. and seeing you with Ruben earlier, all red and blushing made me realize how much I love you and don't want to lose you" he confessed, feeling a weight shift off of his shoulder

"you're such a dumbass. the only reason I was all red was because Ruben called you 'my boy' and that I only came here to see, but between us, you are the reason I came here to day. and I love you too you idiot" she said, making him grin widely

He hugged her tightly again, before pulling away and quickly attaching his lips to hers. Before she had the chance to kiss back, João pulled away and ran to Bernardo, just to tell him what he did.

#football #football blurb #football imagine #football one shot #football x reader #footballer imagine #portugal national team #portugal #joao felix one shot #joao felix imagine #joao felix x reader #joao felix blurb #joao felix x you #joao felix x y/n #joao felix fluff #joao felix fic #joao felix fanfic #joao felix #joão félix x reader #joão felix x reader #joão félix #ruben dias #bernardo silva

[purinfelix]

gorgeous ˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚

pairing: reader x joao felix summary: when a new player joins the team you manage media for, you're eager to make a good impression - that is, until you actually catch a glimpse of him warnings: none! w/c: 1k

a/n: i've actually had this fic in the works ever since i started this blog but never managed to finish it ... i had planned for it to be longer but i like this idea too much to spoil it through overwriting so here you go <;33

♪ now playing: gorgeous by taylor swift ♪

“I just,” you pause for a bit, eyes wondering around the empty locker room as you search for the right words, “I just don’t like him, alright?”

“Yeah, you’ve made that very clear by the fact that he’s all you’ve spoken about for the past fifteen minutes,” Pedri said sarcastically as he slung his bag over his shoulder.

You could only huff in response, fiddling with the ‘media advisor’ pass hanging from your neck. You were leaned against the doorframe of the locker room entrance, waiting for him as he did the final checks to make sure no one had left anything behind.

“What’s it to you anyways?” you piped up, trying your best to sound nonchalant as you did.

“He’s one of our newest players, and you’re part of our media team. It would certainly make things easier if the two of you got along.”

“Look, it’s not like I’m making a big deal out of it. I shook his hand, I smiled, and I took his pictures like I was supposed to. But that isn’t going to stop me from getting bad vibes from him, okay?”

“Alright, whatever you say,” Pedri said, though the slight upturn of his lip told you otherwise. Catching a glimpse of this expression prompted you to smack his shoulder playfully as you followed him out of the room and down the dimly lit hallway.

The ‘him’ in question was none other than one of Barcelona’s newest loan players: Joao Felix, to whom you had just been introduced to during an afternoon training session, and Joao’s first with his new team. Of course, the media crew had spent most of it following the pair of Joaos around, taking an endless slew of pictures and videos to commemorate their arrival.

The ‘him’ in question was no other than one of Barcelona’s newest loan players - Joao Felix, to whom you had just been introduced to during an afternoon training session, and Joao’s first with his new team. Of course, the media crew had spent most of it following the new pair around, taking picture after picture to commemorate their arrival, much to the dismay of the other players. You could’ve sworn you overheard Gavi mumbling to Fermin about how ‘unfair’ it was that the two newbies were getting so much attention and you couldn’t help but partially share his sentiment.

Even so, as a member of the team’s media crew you were determined to do your job to the best of your ability and make the best first impression possible. After the session itself had ended, you found your opportunity when you spotted Felix sitting alone, sipping from his water bottle. You walked over as casually as you could manage, and as non-awkwardly as a first-interaction between ‘coworkers’ could be. You only managed to get a few steps in his direction before he was alerted of your presence, causing his attention to turn from his bottle onto you, gaze locking onto yours.

You couldn’t describe the feeling as anything but pure shock. The greeting you had been planning in your head all afternoon seemed to disappear into thin air as soon as his eyes made contact with yours, and all that came out of your mouth was a soft, sort of strangled-sounding noise. You were frozen in place, fists clenching at your sides as your mind raced for something, anything to do.

Something to do about the embarrassing blush spreading across your face. About the quickening of your heart as it pounded in your chest. About the fact that he was looking right at you, and the fact that he was so … gorgeous. So insanely gorgeous and insanely smug, once he realised that your reaction was in fact his own fault - evidenced by the smirk spreading across his face.

“Can I help you?” his tone was low, teasing almost. He seemed to notice that you were frozen in place, standing up from his spot on the bench and deciding to meet you halfway, with smooth, easy movements. It all seemed to annoy you so much, that he could stand there and look so gorgeous, and be so seemingly aware of it too.

“Ah- well,” you began to struggle, internally cursing yourself for how flustered you sounded, “I just wanted to introduce myself, you know, since I’m part of the media crew here.”

You extended a shaky hand out to him, which he took, and you tried not to focus too much on the way his much larger hand enveloped your own.

“I’m Joao, but I’m guessing you already knew that,” the slight peak in his tone and raise of his eyebrow as he ended his sentence prompted you to return his firm grip as the two of you shook hands.

“Yeah, I did,” you say, a little sterner than you intended, all facade of civility having melted away and been replaced by pure irritation. Something about this guy, and his stupid smirk, and his dumb hair, and sparkling eyes, and strong hands and-

“Hey, Joao!” came the voice of one of your coworkers, who waved the player over with a clipboard in hand, likely to snap some more photos for the team’s social media. You felt his hand pull away from yours, ashamed at the momentary feeling of reluctance that struck you as it did. His gaze was still on you though, which you were so harshly reminded of as you locked eyes for a couple more excruciatingly difficult seconds.

“I’ll see you around then, nice to meet you.” One last flash of that smug smile was all you got before he was jogging off to your coworker, leaving you standing there, slack-jawed, cheeks flushed, hands a little sweaty yet clenched in frustration.

#joao felix #joão félix #joao felix x reader #joao felix x you #joao felix fluff #joao felix oneshot #joao felix fic #fanfic #football #oneshot #fc barça #fc barcelona #jet writes ★ #purinfelix

[loviingpedri]

meet me in the afterglow joao felix.

prompt: you blew things out of proportion

warnings: grammar issues, fight between a couple (fluff at end)

credits to owners for images

you felt terrible about how you treated joao. so many things stressed you out like work, babysitting, and other things like your period. the last thing you wanted to do was hurt the only thing that can cause you happiness.

he was having a rough week himself. he was missing you as both of your schedules were very contrasting. he couldn’t focus knowing that he hasn’t seen your smile or heard your voice in a few days. he felt relieved after finding out you were both off on the same day. you felt exhausted from the night shift in the hospital before. all you wanted to do was relax, eat dinner, and hang out with your boyfriend.

things quickly took a turn after you couldn’t even figure out what to eat. joao kissed and hugged you when you got home, but as he was trying to figure out what you wanted, it was a big challenge.

“do you want pasta?” you shook your head no once again. he was starting to run out of ideas for your supposedly romantic date tonight.

“what about american? i know you would love a hamburger.” the thing is, you didn’t even know what you wanted. you wanted food, but everything seemed so unappetizing. “y/n, it’s really hard to read your mind right now. what are you craving?” joao’s face of defeat made you smile a little bit.

“maybe steak?” you looked at joao as his mouth turned into a little frown. out of all the things he suggested, your craving was the one thing he did not want. “okay, fine. you look like you don’t want it.”

“no, it’s fine. let’s just go.” he didn’t wanna stress you out, as you were already hangry.

“i’m not gonna make you eat something you don’t want. let’s go eat somewhere else.”

“well, if you want steak then let’s go.”

“joao, i am not going to push your feelings aside. i know we’ve already been separate enough but for the love of god can we agree on something together for once.” ouch. he knew the gap in the relationship was already getting bigger as time passed, but it became unbearable.

“well, i’ve been trying this whole time. you’ve denied every single one of my ideas. i’m trying to listen to you, regardless of what i crave.”

“do you even know me anymore? this is a relationship. our ideas are suppose to come together. yeah, so what we can’t decide on what to eat. you’re really gonna give up that easily? try harder already.” you should’ve chosen your words wisely. joao has already heard that last sentence way too many times in his life. he didn’t think he would have to hear it coming from the love of his life.

joao’s heart broke. it was already a difficult time during practice, but he didn’t want to bring negativity into his home, his safe place. instantly, you regretted what came out of your mouth. joao went into your shared bedroom as you were telling him to wait. you pushed your feelings behind. you sat down on the floor, thinking about the stupid fight that happened. both of you weren’t in the best mental state. you appreciated that joao tried to fix everything, and you just shut him down.

you knocked on the door, trying to get his attention. “joao? i’m sorry for what i said. i didn’t mean it. it’s on me, and i burned this down. i’m sorry that i hurt you.”

he opened the door. “hey, it’s on me too. i don’t wanna fight with you either. we’re just fine.”

“you’re all i want joao. i don’t wanna break your heart. after all, you’re my afterglow.”

————————————————

author’s note: not my best work, but just a little something. more stories yet to come throughout the week. love you guys and safe reads <3.

#football x reader #football fanfic #football imagine #spotify #fc barca #fc barcelona #joao felix x you #joao felix x y/n #joao felix x reader #joao felix imagine #joao felix #joao felix fanfic

[the-offside-rule]

Joao Felix (Chelsea) - Unrequited Love

Requested: yes

Prompt: Reader loves Joao but he loves somebody else

Warnings: it's soooo sad

No matter how much you would try, you always found yourself being the second option for someone. "I love you Y/n but-" That's how itt always ended. They always promised to stay friends but that never happened and they never really bothered you. That was of course until you met Joao. He was probably the first ever human being to consider you as a first choice. He didn't treat you like anyone else did. You'd stay up late almost every night to just talk about anything and everything. You cried together, laughed together, basically did everything. Life was great, love was great, you felt healed it seemed and then that fake kingdom of hope shattered and crumbled to the ground once she came along.

You walked to Joao's apartment and knocked on the door. Today was the day you were going to tell him exactly how you felt and nobody was going to stop you. Your shoulders lifted as you saw the door opening, only to droop when your eyes landed on a beautiful brunette girl with blue eyes and a practically perfect body. The words got stuck in your throat as you tried to speak. "Can I help you?" the girl asked. "I- erm. Is Joao here?" you asked, fighting back the tears. "He's actually gone out to the gym. He'll be back soon though. Would you like to come in?" You shook your head. "No thanks. Could you just tell him that Y/n was looking for him?" you requested. "Oh my god! You're Y/n?" You nodded your head slowly. "Joao has told me so much about you! I'm Mila. I'm so sorry about your love life sis." You faked a smile and clenched your jaw. "Yeah well, it happens sometimes doesn't it?" You hated her already. "I'm sure you'll find someone one day." Mila reassured you. "I thought I found someone once before but it appeared that he wasn't the one." You said, sounding hurt. "Well, I should get going." You began walking away only to stop in your tracks and turn around. "Actually-" Mila reopened the door and looked at you. "What is that feeling when you finally find that person?" She smiled, remembering the very first time she realised she loved Joao. "Like nothing else would matter anymore. That's how I felt anyway." The smile on her face was telling youu she wasn't lying. She was completely and utterly in love. "I'll keep that in mind then." You chuckled. "When you do find the one, dont let him go. Never, ever let him go." Well sorry Mila, but for your sake I'm going to have to let him go.

"I won't. Don't worry." You both bid your farewells and walked back to your car. You looked blankly at the windscreen and smiled slightly before finally letting the plank break and allowing your eyes to finally drain the tears she had been fighting in for so long. You hated this feeling, this love thing. So many times you got it wrong and when you got the formula right finally, you couldn't have it. What was the reason?

Why? Why did it hurt so much?

Why? Why was she angry?

Why? Why? Why?

"I now pronounce you Mr and Mrs Felix." The crowd erupted into cheers and claps, which included you up near the front, watching the scene unfold before you. Joao pulling Mila closer and kissing her. He pulled away from the kiss and looked around, catching eyes with you. You stuck your thumbs up, showing your approval which made him laugh. What a beautiful day. The wedding day. Everything seemed so perfect, much like the couple themselves. The dance went perfectly, the dinner went perfectly, the only thing left to do was basically cut the wedding cake and that would be it. However, everyone just wanted to talk for a while instead. You sat drinking your little glass of cola, minding your business when youu felt a hand on your shoulder, belonging of course to Joao. "Whats up?" you asked. "Let's go to the balcony." he said. "Why?" you lightly y chuckled. "Please? I want to talk with my best friend." Ouch. Best friend. You got up and followed him, walking out to a beautiful balcony view. "So, what do youu want to talk about?" you asked as he poured a glass of champagne. "Just nothing, like we used to."

Drrink after drink, you found yourself getting that little bit drunker but you didn't care. It was fine. "You deserve it Joao." you croaked. Thankfully he didn't notice how down youu sounded. "I'm going to feel bad leaving you out of something though." he replied. "Psh, it's fine Joao. I promise. I think you could use being away from me for a while anyway." Joao laughed and sipped the last of his drinnk before sthanding up. "We should get going. The cake is going to get cut soon."

"Yeah, I'll follow you in a minute."

"Y/n, my cake!" He laughed as you stayed sat down. "I'll be in soon. Don't worry about me." You smiled. Joao walked back over and kissed your hair. "Well don't spend too long out here. It's freezing." he whispered. "I'll see ya, yeah?" You nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you Joao." Joao smiled again and walked back in to his beautiful bride. You finally stood up and looked in at how happy he was. Laughing, talking, holding hiss perfect bride. You couldn't help but feel jealous at this scene because no matter how much youu told yourself otherwise, they were perfect for each other and itt tore you up inside. That's when you made your decision; to leave for good. You took one of the pieces of paper that you are supposed to write good luck messages to the married couple and wrote everything, absolutely everything on your mind before placing it under the glass and creeping out. And just like that, youu disappeared into thin air, never to be heard from again.

#joao felix #joao felix x you #joao felix x reader #chelsea #football #football blurbs #football imagines

[footballerimaginess]

Buying Gifts

30 Day Challenge My daily challenge with prompts, these fics will not be tagged only if they were requested by an account and they’ll be under 500 words. 8. Buying gifts  Joao Felix  Word Count: 306 It was your 3rd anniversary with Joao and you finally had time to spend with him. It had felt like you’d been away from him for ages due to him being in London as well as you in Portugal.  “Hi” you smiled as you stretched as you laid beside him.  “Morning my love, happy anniversary” he mumbled as he placed a kiss on your bare shoulder blade.  You sat up, leaning your head on the head board as Joao quickly jumped out of bed to go and grab you something.  “Here” he smiled, passing you a large bunch of red roses.  “Oh wow, these are so beautiful. I love the colour too, thank you so much” you smiled as you laid them down gently on the bed, as you leaned across the bed as you picked up the bag of presents from the floor.  “Happy anniversary” you smiled as you handed him the bag.  “Oh thank you, babe you didn’t need to get me anything” you shook your head.  “I had to get you something because you deserve it ”you grinned as he pulled open the small box.  “This is so beautiful wow” he whispered as he pulled out the small gold chain from the box.  “You didn’t need to, I love it” he leaned in and kissed your lips.  “Turn it over, did you see the engraving?” he turned over the necklace gently as it had a small heart on.  “Oh it has our initials on, that is so cute. I feel like I need to do better with presents now” he laughed as he went in for another kiss.  “You don’t need to do that, it is perfectly fine” you smiled as you snuggled in bed for the rest of the day.  “Love you” he whispered as he pressed a kiss on your temple. 

#hayleys30daywritingchallenge #joao felix x reader #joao felix imagine #football imagine #football imagines #football one shots #football one shot #futbol imagines #futbol imagine #football x reader

[kykymbapp3]

hope you’re doing amazing!! can you write a prompt in which joao felix catches the reader without panties? ily :)

TEASING

summary; joao caught you at a party without panties on.

content; SLIGHT smut

a/n; hi loves!! this is mainly just a blurb if anything 😭

”joao are you almost done?” you said into his bathroom door. you both were getting ready for a party tonight. “almost baby” he laughed. you couldnt be late. it was already bad enough that he got a red card in his debut game for chelsea, and now being late for a party meant for the best football players?

you sighed, “babe! hurry were gonna be late!” you whined. “we’ll be fine darling” he tried to calm you. he walked out of the bathroom and saw him. “joao, you look amazing” you said fixing his tie. “you look beautiful darling” he smiled and kissed you. you wore a short red dress, but tonight you felt like teasing him. you didnt have any panties on. you wanted him to realize later on in the night, not now. “come on, lets go” you said pecking his cheek. he smiled at you and kissed you. he grabbed your ass, but this time was different. he couldn’t feel your panties. he didnt mention it.

after a while you both got bored of the party. you had already done everything you usually did at parties. grind on joao, eat, casually tease him. you know, the basics.

“did you have fun?” you asked him. “of course i did amor” he smiled at you. “but you were being a bad girl tonight.” he grinned. “what do you mean?” you stuttered a little. “amor, did you really think i wouldn’t notice?” he said. you didnt say anything. “you were begging me to fuck you all night long.” he smirked. “no i wasnt” you pleaded. “baby, your not wearing panties right now” he said as he played with your clit. “you’ve a bad girl, dont you think?” he asked. you nodded. “words baby” he cooed at you. “yes ive been a bad girl” you said between moans. “you deserve a punishment” he grinned. it was gonna be a long night for you.

#joao felix #smut #footballsmut #football #soccersmut #soccer #football blurb #fyp #fypシ

[allfifaworldcup]

Joao Felix to decide future after World Cup as Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United circle-FIFA WORLD CUP

Joao Felix to decide future after World Cup as Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United circle-FIFA WORLD CUP

Felix has starred for Portugal in Qatar, scoring two goals on their way to a quarter-final tie against Morocco on Saturday. It is a different story at Atletico, though, where Felix has fallen out of favour under head coach Diego Simeone. That has prompted Atletico to look at selling him in January, with Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United all admirers of the forward, who has an £86million…

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#Arsenal #Atletico Madrid #Chelsea #circleFIFA #Cup #decide #Felix #future #Joao #Joao Felix #man #Manchester United #United #World

[thegeekx]

Man Utd 'in three-way Joao Felix transfer battle as Atletico Madrid name their price after fallout with Diego Simeone'

Man Utd ‘in three-way Joao Felix transfer battle as Atletico Madrid name their price after fallout with Diego Simeone’

JOAO FELIX is in the middle of a reported three-way tug of war for his signature after falling out with boss Diego Simeone. The Atletico Madrid star is believed to have fallen out with his manager, prompting the club to name their price for the attacker. 2 Joao Felix is reportedly wanted by Manchester UnitedCredit: Getty 2 Felix has supposedly fallen out with manager Diego SimeoneCredit:…

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[sunshinecoastqldnews]

Ronaldos sister leaps to celebritys defence following Portugal defeat

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sister has jumped to her brother’s defence after his poor exhibiting in Portugal’s 1-0 defeat to Spain final night time which prompted an unprecedented wave of criticism in his homeland. All Portugal needed to do to qualify for the subsequent stage of the UEFA Nations League was draw the match however a late purpose from Alvaro Morata despatched the Spanish via to the ultimate 4 of the event. This didn’t go down properly in Portugal as their gifted nationwide aspect have been knocked out of one other competitors, with a lot of the criticism being directed at their captain. In keeping with the Mirror, Portuguese media referred to as for Ronaldo to be dropped for Tuesday night time’s conflict with Spain and people emotions grew stronger after the defeat. That prompted Ronaldo’s sister, Katia Aveiro, to publish a prolonged message on social media leaping to her brother’s defence. Aveiro lashed out at Portugal followers additionally, accusing them of being “sick”, “petty” and “endlessly ungrateful” in the direction of their captain while additionally labelling the 37-year-old “one of the best participant on this planet” as she posted an Instagram story of him sat on the bottom trying dejected throughout Portugal’s defeat. Ronaldo was annoyed throughout Spain match Ronaldo’s sister defends the celebrity with social media publish “He has his household and those that love him by his aspect. They are going to at all times be by his aspect, it doesn’t matter what,” Aveiro wrote of Ronaldo through the Mirror. “However the present instances don’t shock me in any respect. The Portuguese spit on the plate they eat [from]it has at all times been that approach. That’s why when somebody seems from the ashes and adjustments mentalities, it bothers… With you at all times, my king. Relax.” The publish continued by attacking her brother’s detractors, including: “It’s mandatory to provide a hand to those that have at all times given theirs to Portugal. However the Portuguese are sick, petty, soulless, silly, ungrateful and endlessly ungrateful. This man who’s sitting, he’s on his knees… There’s nobody to provide him a hand.” Extra Tales / Newest Information This isn’t the primary time Ronaldo’s sister has publicly defended her brother and it has develop into considerably of a operating joke inside the soccer neighborhood when issues go mistaken for the Portuguese celebrity. The 37-year-old’s kind ought to be an enormous fear for Portugal followers heading into the World Cup as he’s sure to start out although it might be extra helpful to the aspect to drop the Man United star. The Portuguese are blessed with different ahead abilities comparable to Diogo Jota, Rafael Leao and Joao Felix all of whom are worthy starters for the nationwide aspect. Originally published at Sunshine Coast QLD News

#Sunshine Coast QLD News

[fleursbae]

hi everyone, i’m ellie, i’m 18 and a huge swiftie and formula 1 fan. i’m not new to tumblr but this time i thought about giving my writing a chance so here i am.

please have in mind that english is not my first language so there will be mistakes, even thought i’ll try my best to do everything grammatically correct!

i really enjoy writing stories inspired by taylor swift songs but i’ll write anything really, so feel free to submit a ask with a prompt! here’s my prompt list!

i’m mainly writing for:

• daniel ricciardo.

• charles leclerc.

• george russell.

• joao felix.

i’m also writing for: sebastian vettel, pierré gasly, tom holland, mick schumacher, lewis hamilton and others but is not my main focus.

but if you have someone else in mind please let me know and i’ll try my best! let’s be mutuals!!

#daniel ricciardo x reader #lando norris x reader #charles leclerc x reader #sebastian vettel x reader #pierre gasly x reader #tom holland x reader #timothee chalamet x reader #daniel ricciardo #charles leclerc #lando norris #sebastian vettel #pierre gasly #fleursbae first post #mick schumacher #mick schumacher x reader #george russell x reader #ask me #taylor swift prompts #joão félix x reader

[b4sorex1a]

I was once again thinking about the doms that I like most in this universe of football players that I follow, I'm going to make a top 5 and I would really like to know yours

5th-Fermin, I think he's a good dom but I still can't see him being dom with the players above him

4th-João Felix-I see him as a dom, but I still think he would be versatile with some people(joão cancelo🤩)

3th-Jude Bellingham, the only Madridista I sympathize with. I can see him dominating many and being a sub to specific people

2th-A draw between Ferran and Pedri. If they were a couple they would fight to see who would dominate who. They are both doms on the same level (they would look for a sub togethef cofcof gavi cofcof)

1th-Robert Lewandowski, my favorite dilf. He would bring everyone down on that list to their knees for him, it could be a soft dom or a hard dom but it would be a true dom

Honorable mentions

Ronald Araújo-His big cock says all

Erling Haaland-he would be Jude's dom

Inigo Martinez-He must be vanilla and shouldn't even know what a dom or sub is😭, but gavi call him daddy…

Leo Messi-Controversial, but I see him as a dom but many see him as sub

tw: implied nsfw, minors dni.

—

Ohhh yeah I’m into this top 5 of doms thing! My order of your doms goes like this!

5th — João Félix and Fermín López

I see Félix as a Top but not really as a dom! He’s too lazy for that lol! But yeah he can be a dom if he’s all pissed off! Fermín is a sweetheart I don’t see him being a Dom, but if he is, he’s a soft dom!

4th — Jude Bellingham

Yeah he can be a dom definitely! He’s a little bit controlling of his sub, doesn’t like for them to do or say stuff without his permission. “Sir” play, chained up play, rope play…

3rd — Pedri González

I love Dom! Pedri, it’s like a drug, he has dominant vibes EVERYWHERE, his way of presenting himself, his look, his eyes, he can put you in your place while he destroys your insides and he wouldn’t even bat an eye. He’s a sadist for sure, pain play, rough play,,,

2nd— Ferran Torres

Fuck he’s a man, a man, a maaan 😩. Yeah he can dominate anyone, he’s 6’1 and all muscle. He’s a sweet dom tho! Likes to impose himself but doesn’t hurt his sub. Daddy Kink play, public sex, passionate fucks, big dick energy…

1st— Robert Lewandowski

I agree! He’s like the dom, all calm but controlling, could make you beg. I see him as a hard dom, putting his sub in his place. Major bossy dom vibes. His sub needs to ask him for permission to touch themselves and to cum, if they don’t, they’re going to get punished hard. He has really good chemistry with bratty subs like Gavi because their dynamic connects so well!

I dare to say even age play goes well with him and Gavi, playing with the sinful fact that he’s older than his sub and that Pablo is so little and doesn’t know much about sex,, corruption kink vibes!

• Honorable mentions:

Yeah Araujo 😩, I don’t see Haaland as a dom but he’s topping for sure! Iñigo Martinez aaaa yes he’s so hot, and Gavi literally irl called him daddy so yeah daddy kink confirmed 100%.

Also let me tell you this.

Leo Messi 🇦🇷 is a top.

He’s dominating guys like Neymar like crazy. He’s a top guys. He’s even topping Cristiano Ronaldo idgaf my precious king Messi is a top.

—

Do you agree/disagree with my top 5? Let me know 🩷

#fc barcelona #football rpf #football rpf smut #real madrid smut #top 5 beatdown #rpf smut #rpf prompts #Robert lewandowski prompt #pedri gonzalez prompt #fermin lopez prompts #joao felix prompt #ronald araujo smut #Ronald Araujo prompt #top joao felix #top Pedri gonzalez #top ferran torres #top robert lewandowski #top Ronald Araujo #top jude bellingham #smut prompts #top fermin lopez #dom! fermin? hot #bottom pablo gavi #pablo gavi prompt #leo messi prompt #top leo messi #football players smut #football rpf imagines #football smut

[bad268]

Hitlist

Here is the complete list of who I write for.

My requests are OPEN

@ship268 is my masterlist account

I write one-shots and I do so for these fandoms and select characters;

RPF (CC!)

(FCB)

Joao Felix

Hector Fort

Pablo Gavi

Fermin Lopez

Pedri

(Formula 1)

Felipe Drugovich

Pierre Gasly

Liam Lawson

Charles Leclerc

Lando Norris

Oscar Piastri

Kimi Raikkonen

Daniel Ricciardo

George Russell

Logan Sargeant

Robert Shwartzman

Max Verstappen

Sebastian Vettel

(Formula 2/3)

Andrea Kimi Antonelli

Paul Aron

Ollie Bearman

Dino Beganovic

Juan Manuel Correa

Dennis Hauger

Arvid Lindblad

Pepe Marti

Sebastian Montoya

Theo Pourchaire

(Indycar)

Marcus Armstrong

Pietro Fittipaldi

Christian Lundgaard

David Malukas

Pato O’Ward

(Miscellaneous) 

BigPuffer

Corpse Husband

ElasticDroid

Grizzy

Pezzy

Chris Sturniolo

Matt Sturniolo

(The Misfits)

GoodGuyFitz

SwaggerSouls

iNoToRiOuS

(NFL)

Joe Burrow

Justin Herbert

Brock Purdy

(Sam and Colby & Co)

Sam Golbach

Colby Brock

Seth Borden

Nate Hardy

**Inspo for them is hit or miss fyi**

(World Endurance Championship)

Ralf Aron

Jenson Button

Callum Ilott

Arthur Leclerc

Clement Novalak

Mick Schumacher

~~

Rule for requesting:

1. Read the Hitlist. You are here. Is the person on there? If not, don’t request it. If they’re in the same category, ask and I’ll think about it. I’ll try my best to write for anyone.

2. Please don’t ask for 18+/smut. I am asexual. I don’t associate with that shit.

3. I’m open to part 2s (and so on) of stories previously written, just give me a prompt or something to go off of. Please don’t be “part 2 pls”, give me something to work with lol

4. No male readers please! I do gender neutral or female reader :)

5. No female characters. I don’t swing that way.

6. 99% of the time I’m open to anything. Just ask :)

Thank you <3

-BAD268

#masterlist #bad268 #RPF #Formula 1 #Formula 2 #Formula 3 #FRECA #youtubers #Sam and Colby #the misfits #nfl #indycar #fc barcelona #sturniolo triplets #x reader #ship268 #thing268

[purinfelix]

joao fluff where him and the reader decorate their house for christmas together and then bake cookies + watch christmas movies + cuddle afterwards! it’s okay if yoy don’t celebrate christmas, i could request a diff prompt :) I LOVE UR WORK AND UR USER AS WELL 💗

love actually, is all around ₊˚⊹♡

pairing: joao felix x reader (established relationship) summary: just some good old christmas-themed fluff !! warnings: none w/c: 1k

a/n: like i said with the Gavi one, i had completely misunderstood how soon christmas actually was so i'm so so sorry for how long this took and how late it is (but also the joao Christmas tree decorating vid lowk came out at a perfect time)... still anon tysm ily and thank u for being patient !!! hope you enjoy and have a good christmas !! <3

“No, look here Joao,” you sigh, squinting at the back of the empty cookie-mix box, “it says to put the eggs in after the butter.”

“Now why on earth would I do that,” he sighs, already grabbing two eggs from the carton and cracking them both in before you can stop him. If you weren’t so focused on the fact he cracked them both with one hand with such ease, you probably would’ve been more upset about the fact he was sabotaging the gingerbread cookies you two were attempting to make.

But even if he did, you were in no mood to be upset today - in fact, it was virtually impossible to be anything but utterly content at the scene you two had set out for yourself. You and your boyfriend had spent the better part of the afternoon decorating your apartment in time for the holiday season. And several fights with tangled Christmas lights, uncooperative sticky tape and broken baubles later, you had managed to make your shared space festive enough. Even from the kitchen you could spot the tree, who’s soft glow gave your living room an ambience and your heart a warmth that made all your efforts worth it.

You had even managed to talk your boyfriend into dressing the part, the two of you were wearing matching plaid pyjama bottoms. Meanwhile, Floki pattered around in a tiny reindeer outfit Joao had bought for him on a whim and seemed way too excited to see him in. And you couldn’t help but share his beaming smile once he finally wrestled the dog into the suit.

Watching Floki jump around your feet had distracted you from the issue at hand until you heard the sound of wet batter slapping onto itself, causing you to whip your head up to where your boyfriend stood tightly gripping a wooden spoon.

“Should it be this,” he paused, eyebrows furrowed as he searched for the right word, “wet?”

“I don’t think so …”

You leant in a little closer, worry growing in you as you looked at the concerningly runny batter. However your boyfriend was determined to go on, simply shrugging as he dumped it out onto the floured counter with a small huff. Before you could stop him he was already hands deep in the brown mush, face twisted into an almost adorably focused expression complete with a bottom lip jutted out just enough to form a pout. You found yourself resigned to just watching him as he worked through the dough, an endeared smile spread across your face - at least until he turned to you, hands covered with sticky residue and a look that had morphed from focus to frustration, and you decided you would lend a hand.

Once your gingerbread cookies, or at least your attempt at gingerbread cookies, were in the oven and the two of you had cleaned the stubborn remnants of the dough off of your hands you found yourself curled up on the couch beside your boyfriend. The combination of the pyjama pants and Christmas sweater he had insisted on wearing made Joao the embodiment of a heat pack, and the perfect thing to snuggle up to given the cold weather outside - even if he was more concerned with picking the perfect movie for the two of you to watch than reciprocating your hugs.

Still, you let out a soft hum of happiness once he finally picked one after what seemed like an eternity of searching and could set down the remote to wrap an arm around you and pull you even closer - which you had thought was physically impossible given how you kept shuffling up next to him. As the movie opening played, you felt his hand come up to catch on a strand of your hair, wrapping it around his finger to twirl it. It was a half-thought out action and a habit he had developed in quiet moments like these the two of you spent alone, a silent way of expressing his love.

“This is nice,” you heard him say softly, not needing to raise his voice anymore above a whisper given how close the two of you were. It was an obvious enough statement, but said in a way that conveyed a second message - one that said “This is nice, and I’m glad I get to experience it with you.”

“It is,” you mumbled in response, feeling the temptation of fatigue tugging your eyelids closed. Joao noticed this, and only let out an amused chuckle as he pushed your hair away from your face and offered more of his shoulder for you to lean on.

“I hope we get to have many more Christmases together,” he breathed, watching you try to fight your urge to sleep with nothing but love in his eyes.

“We will,” you said in response, which, even through your haze of sleepiness, sounded as definite as a sure fact.

You recognised the familiar feeling of Joao’s lips gently pecking your forehead as you drifted off to sleep, curled up next to him. You could just make out faintly the smell of ginger, cinammon and all the other spices you had used in your cookie batter still clinging to him. You could hear Floki pattering around in the background, the bells on his reindeer costume jingling softly, as well as the steady beat of Joao’s heart. You couldn’t remember the last time you had felt so content, so at peace, so calm, and the last thought that graced your mind was about how you would give anything to make sure you could relive this moment a thousand times again.

At least, it would’ve been - if you hadn’t been woken up rudely by the loud beeping of your kitchen timer, the distinct smell of something burning, and Joao cursing under his breath as thick clouds of smoke squeezed their way out of your oven from your gingerbread cookies, or at least what remained of them.

#joao felix #joão félix #joao felix x reader #joao felix x you #joao felix fluff #joao felix oneshot #joao felix fic #fanfic #football #oneshot #fc barça #fc barcelona #jet writes ★ #purinfelix #jet answers ✧

[loviingpedri]

scooby doo - joao felix

warnings: cursing, halloween decorations such as fake blood being mentioned, drinking, grammar issues

prompt: halloween special with joao.

“joao! our costumes came in. come try it on. i even got floki something.”

“what are we even suppose to be?” joao picked up the white shirt and orange fabric in confusion. he was trying to piece the idea together, but it didn’t make sense.

“how do you not know what scooby doo is?” looking at him in pure disgust for not knowing the most iconic show.

“isn’t it that one show with that dog and haunted house stuff.” he got the idea, but he still seemed unsure.

“yeah it is. look, i even got floki the collar that scooby wears. try on your outfit!” halloween being a close second to your favorite holiday. mostly for dressing up without any embarrassment. and, spending it while hanging out with your soulmate.

this year was your turn to host the halloween party. fake hand prints of blood on all of your walls. brownies with zombie hands with skeleton cake pops. this event was too good to only happen once every year. little toy spiders hanging that cause floki to bark. stickers of bats that seem to lead inside the house from the front door.

without joao, your ideas would’ve never made it out of your head. it seemed only right you were celebrating a festive day with someone who matched your energy.

“our house is nice. we did good.” joao stood next to you with his hand on your waist. admiring the house in your couples costume. “you know what’s nicer?”

interrupting your thoughts, “what?” you thought you messed something up for a second.

“how good you look in purple.”

you quickly turn flustered at his words. laughing off his flirtatious comment, it was still time to get the house prepared for your guests and trick-or-treaters.

joao put on floki’s scooby doo collar as you made sure the drinks were cold for the night.

—————

more guests flowed in throughout the night. both you and joao taking shots for entertainment, careful not to get drunk so easily.

beer pong being a popular game. it reminded you of college, except you didn’t have to rush to class the next day. everyone was so happy, making you even happier.

setting aside with your boyfriend. it was finally time for some pictures. modeling for the camera as he held onto you tightly.

“i wish i could pause time right now.” he spoke gently, but loud enough for you to hear.

“how come?”

“i don’t think any other halloween can compete with this one.” joao was never the type to really sink in with the decorations. he only admired you being happy. you were glad he understood where the deep connection came from.

the door bell rang. more trick-or-treaters were coming often. opening the door as joao was getting the bucket of candy, you weren’t ready for the surprise.

joao almost dropped the bucket as in front of the door were two kids also dressed as fred and daphne. making eye contact with your boyfriend, you could only see what he was thinking about.

“trick or treat!” the two kids yelled as your heart melted.

“it’s our twins. very nice costume young man.” joao bent down to give them extra candy for their costumes. something about the kids warmed your heart.

as they said their thank you and you closed the door. you and joao shared a smile, knowing that you both wanted to spend the rest of your life together.

#football x reader #football fanfic #football imagine #joao felix x you #joao felix x y/n #joao felix x reader #joao felix imagine #joao felix #fc barcelona #joão félix #fc barca #barca

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/03/08/real-madrid-keep-la-liga-race-wide-open-lessons-from-man-united-vs-man-city-how-bayern-beat-dortmund/

Real Madrid keep La Liga race wide open, lessons from Man United vs. Man City, how Bayern beat Dortmund

Another wild weekend in soccer passed with drama across Europe’s top leagues. In La Liga, Real Madrid‘s derby draw with Atletico helped keep La Liga’s title race open, though it benefits rivals Barcelona (who won again this weekend), who are just three points off the summit. The Premier League had a remarkable sixth straight defeat for Liverpool, a stunning derby win for Man United over Man City (though don’t read too much into it), and the renaissance of Gareth Bale, who marked a third straight league start for Spurs with two goals in a big win over Crystal Palace.

– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only) – ESPN+ viewer’s guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

In the Bundesliga, Bayern Munich and Robert Lewandowski swatted past Borussia Dortmund and Erling Haaland in “Der Klassiker,” plus Juventus and Milan muscled to victories in Serie A and Kylian Mbappe‘s latest winning turn for PSG only prompted more questions over the French star’s future.

It’s Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football from the past week.

Jump to: Real leep La Liga race open | Lessons from United’s derby win | How Bayern beat Dortmund | Klopp’s gamble backfires | Barca keep winning | Juve’s confidence boost | Arsenal going in right direction | Milan’s impressive depth | Leipzig keep pressure on | Is Bale “back?” | Gladbach woes continue | Mbappe’s future

Benzema keeps La Liga title race wide open

If Atletico Madrid somehow do not win La Liga this season, it might be down to this game and that moment, when Karim Benzema and Casemiro reminded the world that Real Madrid — even the limp, emasculated version we’ve seen too many times this season — is going to fight and claw with their fingernails to not relinquish the title. Even if Sunday’s 1-1 draw means — and it might do — sending it over to Catalunya, where Barcelona keep winning, at least in La Liga.

Diego Simeone had set things up according to the tenets of “Cholismo 2.0.” With Kieran Trippier (back after his betting ban) and Yannick Carrasco powering the flanks, Real Madrid were successfully kept on the back foot and Atleti were doing what they’d promised to do: keep players around Luis Suarez and not leave him isolated. And, indeed, it was the Uruguayan who opened the scoring, with the sort of improbable outside of the boot diagonal finish that befuddled the outstanding Thibaut Courtois after a lung-bursting run from Marcos Llorente.

2 Related

Everything about that Suarez goal summed up what a veteran striker can bring: from the movement between the defenders, to the way he checked his run not to end up offside, to the confidently executed finish that few would have chosen from that position.

The momentum was squarely in Atleti’s favour during the first half. Zidane’s “winger bingo” had turned up Marco Asensio and Rodrygo, but neither was effective as they had to spend so much time tracking back. The veteran midfield of Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro was being stretched by Thomas Lemar and Koke. Just after the break, Atleti could have added to their total, but Courtois came up big at least twice. (Thought: if Real’s recent glory years were about the “BBC” of Gareth Bale, Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo, this season it’s about the “BCC” of Benzema, Casemiro and Courtois.)

And then, around the hour mark, Simeone made the changes that have likely been haunting him for the past 24 hours. On came Saul for Lemar and Joao Felix for Carrasco. You got the logic behind the moves: fresh legs in the middle of the park, wide spaces for the Portuguese forward to run into. Except it weakened the midfield — Lemar had been outstanding — and harmed the thrust of the left flank. Meanwhile, Zidane had sent on another midfielder (Fede Valverde for Asensio), allowing Real Madrid to establish a permanent supremacy at the heart of the game.

– Report: Benzema goal earns 1-1 draw – Real Madrid ratings: Casemiro, Benzema stand tall in derby

As a result, Atletico were pushed back, certainly more than Simeone would have wanted and Real grew into the game. And the Bezema-Casemiro partnership — after forcing another great save from Jan Oblak — snatched the late draw.

It was a classic game of two halves, but also one that showed the depth of Real Madrid’s mental and technical resources, as well as the fact that, yes, Zidane can read a game tactically, much better than some of his detractors might suggest.

Benzema’s late goal earned Real Madrid a point vs. Atletico, a result that kept the title race hanging in the balance. Helios de la Rubia/Real Madrid via Getty Images

The draw also means that the big talking point — Felipe‘s handball that was flagged by VAR, but overruled by the referee — somehow becomes less important. I think that’s a good thing. Contrary to what we hear, directives on handball are just that: directives on how you should interpret handling in the box. The key word here is “interpret.” Yes, his arm was away from his body and yes, it struck him below the shoulder. But there remains room for discretion, and most reasonable people would interpret that handball as not sanctionable, particularly given the fact that he was on his way down from jumping and it was very much part of a natural motion.

The fact that it would have fallen to a Real Madrid player had it not struck his arm — as some have argued — is irrelevant. So too is the fact that other officials have given penalties similar to it in the past (including at least one high-profile one against Real Madrid when they played Valencia). That doesn’t make it correct. A maniacal, literal interpretation where directives become laws is not in the spirit of the game and not what IFAB intended.

play

1:18

Janusz Michallik praises Karim Benzema after his late equaliser against Atletico Madrid kept Real’s title hopes alive.

And so La Liga’s title race remains open not just for Barcelona, who are three points back, but also to Real Madrid, five points behind. And given the amount of head-to-head clashes left — including El Clasico round 2 in early April — it will stay open even if Atletico win their game in hand against Athletic Bilbao in midweek. So sit back and enjoy the ride.

What Man United’s win vs. Man City means, and what it doesn’t mean

Manchester United fully deserved Sunday’s 2-0 win in the Manchester derby, which halted City’s streak at 21 consecutive victories in all competitions. United took an early lead, defended very well throughout, were excellent in transition, and if Anthony Martial‘s aim had been any better, they might even have scored more.

The fact that they did it without their three highest-paid players — goalkeeper David De Gea, midfielder Paul Pogba and forward Edinson Cavani — doesn’t mean they can comfortably do without them, or without strengthening the side in the summer. (Just in case you were getting any ideas, Joel and Avram Glazer ��) Rather, it simply underscores how when United can play to their strengths and do the things they do well, they can beat arguably the best team in Europe, and relatively comfortably, too.

What was so striking about the win was how different they looked relative to Wednesday night against Crystal Palace when, after a decent opening half-hour, they fell away physically and competitively and were held to a 0-0 draw. That version of United looked spent and fatigued; the United we saw Sunday looked as if they were willing to run through a brick wall.

– Man United’s win shows how far they’ve come, have to go – Man United ratings: Shaw, Martial superb – Man City ratings: Jesus 5/10 as winning streak ends

I have no idea if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer used Wednesday night as some sort of motivational tool, and I wouldn’t expect United to maintain this work rate every game. But knowing you can play like this — physically and athletically — is a tremendous confidence boost. Because being able to run and work is one-third of the formula. The other two elements are technical ability — here, especially in some areas, there’s plenty of room for improvement — and tactical nous (which is Solskjaer’s department). You���re not going to improve the former until the summer at the earliest, and the latter has been steady, rather than spectacular.

play

1:00

Julien Laurens reveals what Manchester United’s tactics were against City following a post-match interview with Harry Maguire.

You assume Solskjaer won’t get carried away, nor should he. Seven of the XI he started with are the same guys who floundered at Selhurst Park. Scoring after two minutes (like they did Sunday) is a manna from heaven for a club like this one: it remains to be seen how they do when it doesn’t happen, or when the opposition sits deep. But it doesn’t change the fact that, barring some improbable late collapse, they’ll finish in the top three for two straight seasons under Solskjaer, which is better than any of his predecessors since Sir Alex Ferguson managed.

As for City, you imagine Pep Guardiola will treat it like a blip and he’ll be right. Too many of his key men had poor games — namely Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Joao Cancelo — and they paid a dear price for individual errors. They’re still the best team around, alongside Bayern Munich, and still have a very legitimate shot at a Quadruple.

But as I pointed out last week, Man City will likely finish the domestic season as one of the lowest-scoring sides Guardiola has ever managed. They’re recording the lowest Expected Goals (xG), the lowest total shots and the lowest xG/shot since he’s been at the Etihad. And it’s not just due to the lack of a productive center-forward, either. The derby may have been an extreme example, but of the 23 shots on goal they had, only two (Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling) looked like legitimate chances. Most of the rest were shots from distance, with little credible build-up.

play

0:50

Frank Leboeuf says Bayern Munich are UCL favourites over Man City because of how both teams responded to being 2-0 down.

Guardiola himself pointed out that they played far better against United than they did against West Ham (when they won 2-1), so you know he wasn’t getting lulled into a sense of security by the win streak. The question will be whether it’s something that can be fixed between now and the end of the season. And, if it is sorted, how much better City will be.

Bayern vs. Dortmund reflected their respective seasons (and Bayern won)

Talk about cramming six-plus months into 90 minutes. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund showed all the darkness and light of their 2020-21 campaigns into Saturday’s Der Klassiker showdown. Erling Haaland bagged two goals in the first 10 minutes, monstering Jerome Boateng in the process and reminding you just what all the hype is about (and how justified it is). Bayern’s back four took early knocks (and not just them, because they defend from the front, so Boateng & Co. can share responsibility with the likes of Leroy Sane).

– Report: Lewandowski leads Bayern to big win vs. Dortmund – Rae: Lewandowski reminds Haaland of Bundesliga’s pecking order

But as so often happens, Bayern worked their way back and it was 2-2 at half-time. First, it was down to individual quality — Sane leaving Nico Schulz on the spot to set up Robert Lewandowski — and then, it was a penalty that annoyed Dortmund, but that probably was legit (and that — who else? — Lewandowski converted).

When the second half began, we told ourselves that somehow, Edin Terzic would find the words and savvy to push his young guns to reverse the momentum. For a while, they did, and it looked as if we’d be heading to a 2-2 draw. But then, Bayern took over and it felt like a matter of time until the natural order of the Bundesliga was restored. Sure enough, when Leon Goretzka — who, in a non-Lewandowski universe, would have been Bayern’s Man of the Match — rifled home from the edge of the box. That left just enough time for Lewandowski to add a fourth in garbage time, taking his seasonal total to 37 and his Bundesliga total to 31. He’s nine behind the league record set by Gerd Muller, with 10 games to go, and he’s on pace to break it.

play

1:34

Jurgen Klinsmann praises the mentality of Bayern Munich after they stormed back from two goals down to beat Dortmund.

In many ways, then, this game reflected what we already knew. Bayern are vulnerable defensively, especially early in games, and that includes Manuel Neuer. But they have a scarily good midfield that, when the front four are clicking, can become almost unplayable. And they have individuals who can routinely win one-on-one battles at any time, from Sane to Alphonso Davies to Kingsley Coman.

Oh, and then there’s Lewandowski …

As for Dortmund, the absences of Raphael Guerreiro and Jadon Sancho weighed heavy (as did those of Manuel Akanji and Axel Witsel), and they have serious defensive issues of their own. The way they dropped deeper and deeper in the second half only invited more pressure, and whether you choose to blame interim boss Terzic or the lack of veteran leadership in the middle of the park — even after Emre Can moved into midfield — the outcome is the same: this team feels flimsy.

The top four is four points away, and they simply need to get into the Champions League next season if they want to avoid a fire sale of young talent before it fully blooms (and before they can get full whack for it). It would be pretty ironic if Marco Rose leaves a Champions League side for one that will be playing on Thursday nights.

Klopp’s approach vs. Fulham could have backfired spectacularly as Liverpool woes continue

Having already set a new, unwanted record of five consecutive home defeats this season, Liverpool bettered it (or, more aptly, “worsened” it) on Sunday, falling 1-0 at Anfield to Fulham to make it six in a row. Make no mistake about it, though: this one was different.

Jurgen Klopp opted to “freshen up” the side (his words) by making seven changes. Officially, two (center-forward Roberto Firmino and defender Ozan Kabak) were enforced (though they seemed more like precautions) but the likes of defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, midfielders Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones, and forward Sadio Mane were all left out by choice.

– Liverpool ratings: Salah 5/10 as Reds slump continues – Six points of note about Liverpool’s six-game losing streak

You assume Klopp’s thinking was twofold. On the one hand, give the reserves a chance to show you what they can do and exploit the fact that they’re better rested. On the other hand, offer a much-needed day off to a number of your key players, perhaps with a view to the Champions League last-16 second-leg with RB Leipzig (Liverpool lead 2-0 on aggregate) this week.

The problem with this approach is that if you get it right, you reap the benefits. People like Nat Phillips, Xherdan Shaqiri and Neco Williams emerge feeling more confident and self-assured. Diogo Jota confirms he’s fully recovered after his long injury. The rested players have more juice not just against Leipzig, but down the stretch, too.

But if you lose, as happened Sunday, you get the opposite effect. You’re reminded — the players are, too — again, of the gap in quality between your first- and second-string (or third-string, in some cases). And you, willingly or not, send two negative messages. One, to Fulham, that you reckon your B-team is good enough to stuff them (and look silly when that doesn’t happen) and another to your players: that you have so little confidence in your team’s ability to defend a 2-0 lead at home against Leipzig that you feel the need to make sure they get a full week’s rest.

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Frank Leboeuf lays into Liverpool’s performance vs. Fulham after they lost yet again at home.

It was a gamble, and it blew up in his face, possibly because he’s in uncharted territory here. He’s never been in a situation this “extreme” (his words) and there’s no playbook to get out of it. The reality now, though, is that they’re down to eighth in the Premier League table — ninth if Aston Villa win their games in hand. The top four is just four points away as of Monday morning, but the problem is the four teams ahead of them all have games in hand too. The margin of error is getting increasingly slimmer here.

It would be extraordinary if Liverpool’s best chance of being in the Champions League next season — a year after winning the league so emphatically — were to go out and win it this year, but we’re not that far off from this scenario.

Messi to Alba gets it done and suddenly, Barca are in La Liga’s title race

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Alejandro Moreno credits Barcelona for securing three important points despite a lacklustre performance.

For years, the Jordi Alba to Lionel Messi assist was football’s answer to the John Stockton-to-Karl Malone connection (yeah, I’m showing my age). Messi reversed that against Osasuna Saturday, conjuring up the kind of highlight-reel pass in traffic that you’ll likely see on YouTube for years to come. Alba buried it to give them the lead before 18-year-old midfielder, Ilaix Moriba, made it 2-0 in the second half with a stunning strike.

– Barca ratings: Moriba’s first goal, Alba and Messi 8/10 – New Barca president Laporta: Messi congratulated me

It wasn’t entirely comfortable for Barcelona. Marc-Andre ter Stegen needed his Superman cape on a couple of occasions, Antoine Griezmann still looks “perdu” and Ronald Koeman had to switch to a back four to protect to help protect the heart of a defence that still looks vulnerable.

But it’s forward progress, building upon the win over Sevilla in the Copa del Rey and, after Sunday, leaving them three points behind Atletico Madrid. Given where Barca were not that long ago, you won’t just take it — you’ll say “moltes gracies” and actually mean it.

Pirlo and Juve get a big confidence boost, making changes and winning without Ronaldo

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Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens preview Juventus’ huge game vs. Porto in the Champions League.

Other than the three points — that obviously are not unimportant — Juventus’ 3-1 win against Lazio gave us two big takeaways. The first is that Andrea Pirlo — regardless of what’s happening around him — is unperturbed and unafraid to make changes. Like putting Danilo in midfield, or Federico Bernardeschi at left-back or Alex Sandro in central defence. It’s the sort of fluidity that Pep Guardiola cherishes, and that makes you look like a genius when it works (and it usually does for Pep).

Did it work for Pirlo? Yes and no. For the first 20 minutes or so, Juve were really poor, and their comeback had more to do with individuals than whatever scheme he cooked up. But it does matter that he feels free to make these changes. It shows that he feels the backing of the club, and it proves he has the guts to continue his experiments.

The other big call was resting Cristiano Ronaldo with the do-or-die Champions League last-16, second-leg clash with Porto — Juventus are 2-1 down from the first leg — in midweek and, effectively, winning the game without him. (They were 3-1 up when he came on with 20 minutes to go.)

Ronaldo had made 12 consecutive starts, playing weekends and midweeks, over the previous six weeks. And he’d been substituted only once: with 15 minutes to go in the Coppa Italia semifinal against Inter. Giving him a breather before Juve’s biggest game of the season to date should not have be cause for controversy. And the fact that, without him, they were able to come from behind to beat a side that was a legitimate top-four contender before kickoff, helps snuff out that “Cristiano-dependency” narrative that Juve need like a hole in the head right now.

Confidence matters when you’re rebuilding, and Juve got a big boost in both departments.

Arsenal still taking baby steps, but at least they’re going in right direction

This weekend marked two points dropped for Arsenal against Burnley. It only finished 1-1 thanks to a colossally boneheaded play from Granit Xhaka — who passed it blindly in his own box, his pass deflecting into the net off Chris Wood — and an evident penalty that VAR somehow contrived to miss (the first one on Erik Pieters, I mean — they correctly overturned the second) and yeah, it’s about performance, not just results. And Saturday’s was, on the main, positive.

This is a good thing, because results say Arsenal are 10th and if that doesn’t change between now and the end of the season, you’d have to go back 26 years. That’s why, incidentally, Arteta continues to give the impression of a guy who has put all his eggs in the Europa League basket (hence why we saw Calum Chambers at right-back). After all, winning it is his best chance to get into the Champions League.

Milan show they’ve got more depth than people thought

Milan’s trip to Verona — coming as it did after a laboured draw against Udinese that left them six points behind Inter — was fraught with peril even before you considered the injury list. They were missing Simon Kjaer and Theo Hernandez at the back, Hakan Calhanoglu and Ismael Bennacer in midfield (and Sandro Tonali was banged up on the bench) and Ante Rebic out wide — plus, of course, Zlatan Ibrahimovic up front.

The doom and gloom merchants were out in force; instead, Milan played fast and they played free, and they overwhelmed Verona on their way to a 2-0 win. They played the way they played earlier this season, without Ibrahimovic, when they were churning out results. Credit to Stefano Pioli and credit the players: evidently this team is deeper than some thought it was.

And, evidently, maybe some veterans on expiring contracts — Ibrahimovic, of course, but also Calhanoglu — aren’t quite as indispensable to this club’s future as the media often make them out to be.

Nagelsmann the alchemist keeps RB Leipzig ticking over

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Jan Aage Fjortoft questions if Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller are enough to stop RB Leipzig pushing ahead of Bayern Munich.

Leipzig have eight wins in their past night games — the only time they didn’t was against Liverpool in the Champions League, when they paid a hefty price for individual errors — which means they remain two points back from Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga.

It took them a while to break down Freiburg, who gifted them the opener, but once they got on the front foot, they didn’t look back. We know about Julian Nagelsmann and his big squad and penchant for rotation — goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi, Angelino and Dayton Upamecano are the only players who haven’t been on the bench at least once this season in the league — and on this occasion, it was Kevin Kampl, who hadn’t featured in the Bundesliga in nearly a month, who stole the show.

Having so many weapons and being able to deploy them at any time is a huge bonus in a season like this one.

Is Gareth Bale really back?

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Frank Leboeuf believes Jose Mourinho should get the credit for getting Gareth Bale back in form for Tottenham.

Tottenham loanee Gareth Bale has now made three consecutive league starts for his team, something that had not happened since 2019. What’s more, after spending most of the season either on the bench or playing on Thursday nights in the Europa League, he’s been a significant contributor in each of the past three games, capping it off with two goals in the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday night.

– Mourinho, Spurs reap benefits of being bolder in attack

Cue supporters (including myself) fantasising about what a front three of Bale, Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son and what they might achieve. (We’ll even call them “BKS” in honour of everyone’s favorite K-Pop boy band — think it will catch on?)

I have no idea if this is sustainable. You get the sense that Bale’s body (and maybe his mind) needs to be carefully, patiently and finely tuned, like some expensive medieval violin, if is to produce performances like the stellar ones we’ve seen recently. But I do know it’s a whole heck of a lot of fun while it lasts.

Karma is harsh for Marco Rose, Borussia Monchengladbach

A sterling performance from Moussa Diaby and a goal from Patrik Schick gave Bayer Leverkusen a 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach in a battle of Champions League pretenders. It’s a result that pretty much knocks Gladbach out of the race, and it marks their fifth straight defeat since the club announced that Marco Rose had “opted” to leave them in the summer, despite having a year left on his contract.

There’s no good way to navigate these situations. Managers will move on to what they think are bigger jobs and more attractive employment and, unlike with a player, it would be suicidal for a club to try and keep a manager to his contract. But there’s a good way to leave and there’s a bad way, and quite clearly, we saw the latter in this case.

Whether it’s Rose’s fault or the club’s or both is hard to tell, but this is a whole load of bad karma, and it will stick around until he leaves town.

Mbappe the star again for PSG as we wait for news on his future

Kylian Mbappe scored twice and Pablo Sarabia added a third as Paris Saint-Germain rolled to a 3-0 win over Brest in the French Cup. There’s not much you’re going to learn in these circumstances, but it confirms the fact that Mbappe is in sparkling form, with seven goals in his past five outings.

He’s going to enter the final year of his contract in June, and while there has been plenty of talk regarding an extension, it’s still up in the air. The difficult part is that committing serious funds while dealing with the fallout from the pandemic (and uncertainty over Neymar‘s future) is a huge ask, but that applies to potential suitors as well.

Pre-pandemic, a 22-year-old Mbappe locked into a long-term contract (he would have had it by now) would have fetched at least $150m, maybe a lot more, on the open market. Today? Nobody knows …

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