The weekend has been and gone, leaving tons of European soccer action and talking points to break down. In the English FA Cup, Chelsea booked their place in the final with victory over Leeds United just days after firing Liam Rosenior, and will meet Man City there after Pep Guardiola's side rallied to get past Southampton.
On the continent, Inter Milan moved closer to another Serie A title, though the league is facing another difficult refereeing scandal around them. Barcelona took another big step towards LaLiga with a win and a Real Madrid draw, while Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid all rotated their teams ahead of UEFA Champions League play, learning about their depth and resilience along the way.
It's Monday morning, so what better time for some musings? Let's get into it.
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Chelsea are 90 minutes away from another trophy... but will that satisfy anyone?
On Sunday, the Blues beat a resurgent Leeds United -- who were undefeated in seven heading into the game -- to advance to the FA Cup final, where they'll face Manchester City. It ought to be cause for celebration, but the general vibe is one of worry and not just because folks miss Liam Rosenior's public appearances.
It's remarkable how, for a club with a very distinct model, a gaggle of (more or less) successful entrepreneurs in the ownership group and a stacked front office of wise men (five different guys -- most of them hugely respected for their work, at least before joining Chelsea -- acting as de facto sporting directors), there's a terrifying sense of drift. Particularly for a club that won the UEFA Europa Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup last season and could win the English FA Cup this season (not likely, but not impossible either).
That's why the fans are restless. Sunday's game, with interim boss Calum McFarlane at the helm -- at least this time people know who he is since we got to see him before, just a few months ago, when he stepped in for the last sacked Chelsea coach, Enzo Maresca -- was a chance to generate some enthusiasm and forward momentum. It did no such thing, despite the 1-0 win. Chelsea scored a first-half goal with Enzo Fernandez and then hung on, with Robert Sanchez -- the oft-criticized Robert Sanchez -- making some big saves as Leeds created chances after the break.