Jonathan David and Alphonso Davies both ended lengthy goal droughts, while Bim Pepple helped keep up Plymouth Argyle’s fight for a playoff place in League One.
Here’s a look at Canadians in Europe over the weekend.
Jonathan David, Juventus
Much has been made of Jonathan David’s struggles at Juventus this season, his first in Serie A, but the Bianconeri got a glimpse of what he does so well in the team’s 2-0 over Bologna on Sunday. It was an important win for Luciano Spalletti’s side as it helped firm up their Champions League aspirations with only five matches to play in the season.
Juventus played the match with a heavy heart. The team held a pregame tribute for Alex Manninger, the goalkeeper who spent four seasons with the club from 2008 to 2012. Manninger was killed in his native Austria on Thursday when a train struck his car. He was 48.
The home side were ahead quickly, thanks to David. On the front foot, Juventus worked the ball down the left before Emil Holm found Pierre Kalulu with a pass about 30 yards out. The France centre-back sent an inviting cross into a crowded area that David did well to redirect with a glancing header to open the scoring in just the second minute. The goal was David’s sixth of the season and first since Feb. 1, ending a 10-match drought across all competitions. Khephren Thuram would add a second in the 57th for a 2-0 victory.
While the goal was an important one for David, the result was hugely important to the Bianconeri and their Champions League aspirations for next season. Winners of three straight and now undefeated in seven, Juventus has opened up a five-point cushion over Como for the final spot in Europe’s most elite competition.
But the Champions League is the bare minimum for a team of Juve’s size and ambitions. Sitting fourth in the table, the Old Lady trails leaders Inter by 15 points. Italy’s record champions with 36 Scudetti, Juve’s title drought is set to reach six years, their longest stretch without a Serie A crown in 15 years.
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Alphonso Davies, Bayern Munich
It was celebration time at the Allianz Arena on Saturday as Bayern Munich wrapped up yet another Bundesliga title with a 4-2 win over Stuttgart. It was Bayern’s second straight title, 13th in 14 seasons and 35th overall. Making his first start in nearly two months, Alphonso Davies had a hand in the victory.
Heading into the match, Bayern held a 12-point lead on second-place Borussia Dortmund with seven matches to play, so the title victory seemed inevitable, but the visitors threatened to put the champagne on ice early on. In the 21st minute, Stuttgart opened the scoring. Morocco midfielder Bilal El Khannouss set up Chris Fuhrich on the right with a deft pass into the area for Germany winger to latch onto and beat Jonas Urbig from a sharp angle to make it 1-0.
It took only 10 minutes for the hosts to fight back and fight back they did. Bayern scored three in a seven-minute span to take control of the match and get the party started. Reeling from the goals coming fast and furious, Stuttgart couldn’t get back into the game.
In the 31st, Jamal Musiala skipped through a pair of defenders, far too easily, and came into the area down the right. His precise cross across the face of goal was met by Raphaël Guerreiro to make it 1-1. The Portugal left-back thumped the ball into the roof of the net with his right foot.
Two minutes later, it was Guerreiro who got the move started to help Bayern take the lead. Passing the ball up to Luis Diaz, the Colombia winger led Bayern on a 3v1 break. Just as he appeared ready to shoot and getting both centre-back Julian Chabot and goalkeeper Alexander Nübel to commit, Diaz slotted the ball over for Nicolas Jackson to calmly sweep home in the 33rd to make it 2-1.
It was Davies’ turn to join the party in the 37th. With Stuttgart completely under the cosh, Leon Goretzka’s cross wasn’t handled by the visiting backline. It ping-ponged around the area until it fell to Diaz, who found Davies just behind the penalty spot. His left-footed volley ricocheted off of Chabot and in, making it 3-1. The goal was Davies’ first of the season in 11 league appearances and his first goal in all competitions since a Mar. 3, 2025 marker against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League.
Each team found a goal in the second half. Harry Kane scored his Bundesliga-leading 32nd goal of the season in 52nd minute. Later, Chema grabbed a consolation goal in the 88th for Stuttgart.
With the title win, Davies has now won seven Bundesliga championships and Bayern might not be done for the season. The team currently still has a treble lined up. On top of the league title, Vincent Kompany’s side is in the semifinals of the DFB-Pokal, where they will meet Leverkusen on Wednesday, and in the final four of the Champions League, set to meet holders Paris Saint-Germain over two legs on Apr. 28 and May 6. Bayern has previously claimed trebles in 2013 and 2020.
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Bim Pepple, Plymouth Argyle
Plymouth Argyle’s hopes of finishing in the League One playoff places aren’t over just yet. The Pilgrims earned a crucial 3-1 victory over Wimbledon on Saturday with Calgary’s Bim Pepple once again finding the scoresheet. With the four teams directly in front of them dropping points, as well as the two right behind them, on the weekend, the drive for a top-six place with three matches remaining is still on.
With a job to do, the Pilgrims opened the scoring on the road early on. From a corner, Malachi Boateng tried to score from a back heel at the near post. The ball skipped across the goalmouth where it was met by Alex Mitchell at the far post to poke home and make it 1-0 in just the sixth minute. That would be the only scoring of the half, despite a number of fine chances for both sides.
The hosts evened matters a little over five minutes after the restart. With Nathan Asiimwe controlling play down the right, the Dons worked the ball just outside the area until James Tilley took a shot from the left side. His effort was redirected by Alistair Smith to make it 1-1 in the 51st.
Argyle would retake the lead in the 68th and wouldn’t relinquish it. After Pepple’s wild swing at a cross wouldn’t connect, Wes Harding chipped a ball to Lorent Tolaj on the edge of the 18-yard box. Tolaj struck his one-time volley with his left shin, but he still got enough of it to make it 2-1.
Pepple found his goal in the 76th with Argyle catching Wimbledon flat-footed at the back. Xavier Amaechi won a ball in the area, flicking forward for Tolaj near midfield. Breaking forward in a 3v2, Tolaj used the run of Pepple to draw away Ryan Johnson before spotting the trailing Owen Dale. With acres of space, Dale kept a step on Smith to slide a ball across for Pepple to slot home and make it 3-1. The goal was the 23-year-old Canada forward’s 14th league goal of the season and second in three matches.
The reality is, Argyle will still need help to finish in the top six. Sitting in seventh, the Pilgrims trail Stevenage by two points. Plymouth faces a tall task in their next time out in a visit to fourth-place Bradford City. The Pilgrims sit six points behind the Bantams.
