Top 10 Performances from Around the World for Weekend of May 15-17
This time around, we get to add the spice and excitement of relegation and titles to our usual look at the best performances from the most recent weekend of world football.
We have scoured the top leagues in Europe, the Americas and beyond to bring you the fixtures that mattered and the performances that won them—taking into account opposition quality, the outcome and overall impact on the league table to rank our chosen 10.
These are the winners of the weekend, unsurprisingly featuring more than one side that clinched silverware and some that took huge points toward beating the drop.
10. Sporting CP
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We begin with the Primeira Liga in Portugal, where Sporting Lisbon racked up a dominant and impressive 4-1 win over Sporting Braga, placed just one spot below them in the table.
Braga haven't been in good form but led from the penalty spot early on, only for Sporting to net a penalty of their own before the break. The second half was controlled by the home team, and Islam Slimani scored the game's last goal in the last minute to continue his fine scoring season, totalling a dozen in league play now.
Sporting will end the season in third place.
9. Crystal Palace
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Liverpool's final home match of the season in the Premier League was supposed to be all about a farewell for outgoing club captain Steven Gerrard, but Crystal Palace turned up in no mood to be accommodating. The away side set about taking another impressive three points.
Yannick Bolasie and Jason Puncheon were tormentors-in-chief as Palace ran out 3-1 winners, even though their second and third goals—offside and a penalty awarded for a foul outside the box, respectively—were debatable indeed.
Palace rise to 45 points for the season, still in 12th place, but they could yet sneak into the top half on the last day.
8. Orlando City
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Orlando City's third win of the 2015 MLS season has been a long time coming, but Kaka and Co. hit form to smash a depleted LA Galaxy side 4-0 on Sunday.
Brazilian star Kaka picked up an assist and a penalty goal of his own to impact the game, while Brek Shea also put in a performance to remind everyone of his early promise and ability. In fairness, the Galaxy were without a host of names, including Robbie Keane.
Orlando rise to fifth in the Eastern Conference with the win.
7. Marseille
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Marseille have endured a roller-coaster season in Ligue 1: leading the table while playing frenetic, exciting football, then falling away dramatically from a title tilt and now rediscovering form and scoring touch—perhaps just a few weeks too late.
They beat eighth-placed Lille by a 4-0 scoreline away from home on Saturday, starting the game well and largely dominating throughout. The result keeps the pressure on third-placed AS Monaco as they battle with Marseille for the final Champions League spot.
Marseille stay in fourth, two points adrift of Monaco and level with Saint-Etienne, who also won on Saturday. The three clubs' Champions League fates will hang in the balance this weekend.
6. Melbourne Victory
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Melbourne Victory earned some silverware Down Under by beating Sydney 3-0 in the grand final of the A-League on Sunday.
The top two in the regular season, it was fitting that these sides contested the final—and perhaps it was equally fitting that Victory lifted the trophy, given they finished three points clear after 27 regular-season matches.
Besart Berisha scored yet another goal to get the ball rolling, while two late additional goals and a red card for Melbourne's Carl Valeri added some drama in the closing stages.
5. Granada
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Granada looked dead and buried in La Liga just a few short weeks ago, having managed only four league wins in 34 games all season long. Yet somehow, from absolutely nowhere, they have suddenly racked up three consecutive victories and climbed outside the drop zone.
Getafe, Cordoba and now Real Sociedad have fallen victim to the Andalusian side, who won 3-0 on Sunday thanks to goals in the last 15 minutes from Youssef El-Arabi, Robert Ibanez and Ruben Rochina.
Granada currently sit two points above the relegation zone, and they will play Atletico Madrid on the final day of La Liga. Their late surge might just save them.
4. Wolfsburg
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Wolfsburg are almost there, taking second place in the German Bundesliga and the automatic Champions League spot that comes with it.
On Saturday, they beat the team that finished in that position last time around, Borussia Dortmund, whose rise toward Europe was halted by the 2-1 scoreline. Naldo hit the winner in the second half in a back-and-forth encounter. Wolfsburg are now two points clear of third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach heading into the final game.
We also give a nod of appreciation to the result and performance of Freiburg, who beat Bayern Munich 2-1 and were unlucky to miss out on our top 10. Had their victory not come against a Bayern side with little motivation, having already sealed the league title weeks ago, Freiburg would surely make our list.
3. Pachuca
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A fittingly crazy finish to a mad two legs in the Liga MX play-off stage saw Pachuca progress at the expense of Apertura winners Club America, 4-3 on the night and 7-5 on aggregate.
An 88th-minute Michael Arroyo strike for America made it 3-2 on the night and had the tie going to extra time despite them being down to 10 men, but in the final moments of the match, Pachuca scored twice and America went down to nine men with a second red card, this time for Pablo Aguilar.
Pachuca progress in the Liguilla and into the semi-finals.
2. Southampton
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Southampton blitzed FA Cup finalists Aston Villa with a five-goal salvo in the first half, complete with a new Premier League record.
Saido Mane made it 1-, 2- and 3-0 in the space of just two minutes and 56 seconds—the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history—en route to a 6-1 victory for his team. Shane Long added two and Graziano Pelle scored late on to complete the absolute pummelling of Villa, who had been resurgent of late.
Saints will end the season in the top seven and could still finish as high as fifth.
1. Barcelona
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It might not have been the most free-flowing performance or the highest goal tally in 90 minutes. All three members of Barcelona's preferred strike force may not have been on the pitch, as Luis Suarez sat out with a hamstring injury. But Barca went to the home of reigning champions Atletico Madrid, beat them and kept a clean sheet—sealing a La Liga title of their own in the process.
Lionel Messi's goal for the 1-0 win came a year to the day after the roles were reversed, with Diego Godin scoring to give Atleti the title at the Camp Nou. This time, it was all about Messi, Luis Enrique and the treble-chasing Blaugrana.
A massive win both in terms of the fixture and the eventual destination of the trophy.
