Weekend Highlights: Milestones for two Bayern goalkeepers and a promotion story
Goal of the Weekend
The Romanian league showdown between FCSB and CFR Cluj didn't exactly offer a goal feast, with the crowd seeing only one goal. But it was worth it! Nigerian Philip Otele, who has scored 17 league goals this season, decided the match with an awesome bicycle kick. But FCSB players were doubly angry, as defender Valentin Cretu was hit in the head in the process.
Fail of the weekend
There are few worse feelings in football than losing to a rival and scoring an own goal. So spare a thought for Lech Poznan, who scored two own goals against Legia Warsaw on their way to defeat. First, Miha Blazic put the ball in his own net, and then Bartosz Salamon followed his lead just before the break. The first half could have been even worse for Lech, as Legia scored a goal that was disallowed and also gave away a penalty. They ended up losing the game 2-1.
Social media highlight
Two Bayern Munich goalkeepers enjoyed big milestones over the weekend. Manuel Neuer joined an exclusive club, becoming only the fourth goalkeeper in history to start 500 Bundesliga games. He came off in the 74th minute of the match against Wolfsburg and was replaced by Israel's Daniel Peretz, who in turn enjoyed his first game in Germany's top division.
"It's a great honour to share my Bundesliga debut with my idol. He is the best goalkeeper of all time and a man with even more character," Peretz said on Instagram.
Stat of the weekend
On Friday, one of the biggest (and most predictable) pieces of news of the football season was released to the world, with Kylian Mbappé announcing that he will leave PSG in the summer.
"For me, he is the best player in the club's history," the legendary Thierry Henry said. Many have wondered how true his opinion is, but the statistics support his statement. Mbappé is only 25 years old, but he leaves the Parisians as the greatest goalscorer in their history. At the time of the announcement, he had 255 goals to his name and added one more in the loss to Toulouse on the weekend.
Story of the weekend
A traditional club is climbing back towards the elites. Deportivo La Coruña, a team who won the LaLiga title two decades ago, spent this season in the third tier of Spanish football. But with a 1-0 win over Barcelona's B team, they confirmed their return to the second-highest division.
The story is all the sweeter because the promotion-clinching goal was scored by experienced campaigner Lucas Pérez. The former Arsenal player has been a La Coruna fan since he was young and when he saw his beloved club slipping, he decided to do something about it.
So he voluntarily left first-division Cadiz and set out to dig Deportivo out of the mud. He even paid half the transfer fee out of his own pocket. His devotion to his beloved club bore fruit.
Photo of the weekend
Celtic took an important step towards yet another Scottish title when they beat city rivals Rangers 2-1 in the prestigious Old Firm Derby. Joy engulfed the green and white part of Glasgow so much so that the players and fans drew one of the organisers into the celebrations.
