Weekend Highlights: Macclesfields Stunning Upset and McTominays Stellar Performance for Napoli
Winners: Macclesfield
This modest club made headlines over the weekend as they captured the attention of countless fans. The determined team, under the guidance of John Rooney—who happens to be Wayne Rooney’s younger sibling—pulled off a surprising 2-1 victory against the FA Cup champions, Crystal Palace.
Competing in the sixth tier, Macclesfield achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first side from outside the top five professional or semi-professional leagues to eliminate the reigning champions from this historic football competition since the 1908/09 season, when… Crystal Palace themselves ousted Wolverhampton Wanderers in the first round.
Loser: Kevin Behrens
For Kevin Behrens, Lugano’s friendly match against Viktoria Plzen was anything but ordinary. In the second half, the forward directed his frustrations at his attacking partner.
Georgios Koutsias was taken by surprise when Behrens knocked him down and then unleashed a tirade of insults, reportedly yelling: “Be quiet, you little brat,” at the former Wolfsburg player.
Other teammates quickly intervened to deescalate the situation, leading to Behrens being substituted shortly after. Lugano has since issued a statement pledging to investigate the incident and consider disciplinary measures.
Winner: Younes Ebnoutalib
Younes Ebnoutalib experienced a rapid career shift on Friday, revealing how quickly fortunes can change in football. The 22-year-old forward kicked off the new 2024/25 season in the sixth division of Germany with Giessen. After a notable year in the second tier with Elversberg, he secured an €8 million transfer back to his childhood club, Eintracht Frankfurt.
Not only was this a significant accomplishment, but Ebnoutalib also made an immediate impact by scoring on his debut against Dortmund, helping his team secure a thrilling 3-3 draw.
Loser: Ricardo Pepi
PSV striker Ricardo Pepi experienced a mix of emotions during the match against Excelsior, leaning heavily towards the negative. He found the net with his team’s second goal in the 23rd minute but unfortunately fell awkwardly and sustained a broken forearm. This injury will keep him on the sidelines for a minimum of two months.
Just several days prior, PSV had turned down a €25 million offer from Fulham for Pepi, hoping for a bigger return. With his injury, the club will need to seek out a replacement, though the silver lining is that he should recover in time for the World Cup.
Winner: Antoine Semenyo
Pep Guardiola avoided the pitfalls faced by Oliver Glasner during Crystal Palace’s FA Cup match against lower-tier Exeter City by fielding a robust lineup.
Among the starters was Antoine Semenyo, who had recently joined from Bournemouth. He made an immediate impact, notching both an assist and a goal within his first hour on the pitch, contributing to a resounding 10-1 victory for the team. This made him the first player since Sergio Aguero to both score and assist on his Manchester City debut since August 2011.
Losers: Joao Palhinha and Lass Kourouma
Typically, the festive break brings a sense of calm, but Joao Palhinha and Lass Kourouma seemed to have missed that memo…
The Tottenham midfielder was incited by Morgan Rogers’ celebration following Aston Villa’s FA Cup victory, leading to him grabbing the striker and igniting a larger altercation.
In Spain, Girona’s Kourouma, who had just entered the game against Osasuna, attacked Aimar Oroz while he was on the ground, causing a mass confrontation on the pitch.
He received a red card, giving him extra time for reflection, though he had been struggling for playing time anyway. Coach Michel, however, displayed sportsmanship by apologizing to Ortiz for his player’s antics.
Winner: Robin Roefs
While Macclesfield’s achievement was the talk of the town, the FA Cup weekend highlighted other standout performances, including that of Robin Roefs.
Despite James Garner scoring past the Sunderland goalkeeper from the penalty spot, Roefs became a hero by saving all three penalties in the shootout—including Garner’s—and thereby advancing his team to the next round.
Losers: Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg began the new year with a disastrous loss to Bayern Munich. Kamil Grabara did his best, yet the team conceded eight goals in an 8-1 defeat, marking Wolfsburg’s worst loss in Bundesliga history. Compounding the issue, their defenders recorded four own goals in their last three matches.
On a minor positive note, Wolfsburg maintained a scoring streak, having found the net in their last nine Bundesliga matches, their longest run since a stretch of twelve games from November 2, 2024, to February 2, 2025.
Winners: Scott McTominay and Raphinha
Both players delivered exceptional performances, each netting two goals to create unforgettable moments for their supporters. Raphinha scored the first and third—his match-winning goals—against Real Madrid, enabling Barcelona to claim their first title of the year: the Spanish Super Cup.
Meanwhile, Scott McTominay’s two goals were instrumental in earning a vital draw for his team in Milan against Inter, keeping the Serie A title race wide open and providing Napoli with hope to defend their championship. McTominay became the first player to score against Inter in three different Serie A matches.