If you have not heard the name of Gabigol at some point during 2019, then you are not paying enough attention to football. Or maybe you’re just living under a rock, completely unaware of your surroundings. Either way, every football fan should at the very least know who he is by now.
Currently playing for Flamengo, Gabriel Barbosa Almeida – his full name – has been one of the best players in both the Brazilian Serie A and the 2019 Copa Libertadores, scoring goals for fun and looking like a dominant attacker who is ready to takeover Europe. The numbers speak for themselves and do not merit any sort of analysis. He has 19 goals in the Serie A, seven more in the Copa Libertadores, and two in the Brazilian Cup. He also added seven in 12 Campeonato Carioca appearances.
Put those numbers together, and Gabigol has scored an impressive 35 goals in 48 appearances. That’s a goalscoring record European sides would dream about, especially considering the striker is only 23 years old. He has several years left to develop before hitting his prime. But this isn’t the first time Barbosa is heavily linked with a move to Europe, nor the first time he plays on a European side.
Gabigol has always been considered as a highly-touted prospect ever since he was at Santos’ youth ranks. Gabriel Barbosa – who has said multiple times he doesn’t like the ‘Gabigol’ nickname – was seen as Brazil’s best striker since the days of Adriano, and he came up to O Peixe’s first team in an era where Brazil was seriously lacking a real scoring threat in the National Team. He was always expected to be La Selecao’s striker of the future. His first move to Europe, however, didn’t go as expected…
But something happened along the way. He signed for Inter Milan back in 2016, but registered just one goal in nine appearances. Therefore, Gabigol moved to Benfica on loan, and his fortune didn’t change – just one appearance and no goals. Looking to re-gain his confidence, the striker returned to Santos in 2018. The move would be benefitial, as he netted 18 goals in 35 league appearances for O Peixe. He entertained the idea of returning to Europe, but Flamengo had an offer on the table, and Gabigol chose to stay home for another year.
That turned out to be the right choice for him. Keep in him he’s still on loan from Inter, though. So the Serie A side will have to decide what they’re going to do with him come January time. Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton have expressed interest in signing him, while Inter are open to make business. The Serie A giants already have Romelu Lukaku, Lautaro Martinez and Alexis Sanchez on their squad. Adding another high-profile striker might not be the best course of action.
Don’t be surprised if Gabigol leaves Inter this summer and moves elsewhere. But one thing is absolutely clear. He’s ready to move to Europe and start writing his own story.
Marcus Rashford put in a sparkling performance as Manchester United progressed past Chelsea to reach the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
The England forward gave the Red Devils a deserved lead midway through the first-half as he scored from the penalty spot, after Daniel James was fouled. Chelsea toiled throughout the first-half but were much-improved following the break, with Michy Batshuayi hauling them level with a fantastic solo strike.
That goal was topped by an absolute stunning free-kick from Rashford in the 73rd minute as the Red Devils reclaimed the lead and progressed to the last-eight of the competition. Rashford nets from penalty spot
Scott McTominay was right in the thick of the action early on for Solskjaer’s men as he picked up a booking for a foul on Mateo Kovacic before lashing a low corner wide of the upright.
The visitors then had a wonderful chance to open the scoring as James jinked into the box and was tripped by Marcos Alonso in the box. After missing his spot-kick at Norwich at the weekend, Rashford did not shirk the responsibility this time around and sent Willy Caballero the wrong way to net the opener. Hudson-Odoi the threat for Chelsea
They held their slender lead surprisingly comfortably throughout the first-half but Chelsea really should have equalised shortly after the restart. Callum Hudson-Odoi got on the end of Christian Pulisic’s testing cross but could only pull the ball wide. The young Englishman had another opportunity soon after but his dipping half-volley lifted over the crossbar.
Frank Lampard’s men did eventually find a way through. Sloppy defending from United, Harry Maguire in particular, saw Batshuayi power through the defence and rocket a low shot into the bottom corner from outside of the area. Stunning free-kick puts United ahead again
Just as the momentum was swinging in Chelsea’s favour, the Red Devils once again snatched the lead and it was in unbelievable style. Fred was fouled 35 yards out from goal and Rashford, brimming with confidence, absolutely smacked the ball into the top corner, leaving Caballero with no chance once again.
Substitute Anthony Martial could have sealed the game late on but curled a speculative effort just wide of goal. It mattered not however as Chelsea struggled to build up a head of steam in the closing stages, allowing United to become the final team to take their place in the quarter-finals.
There has not been much to smile about at Manchester United this season. In truth, the start of the campaign has been a woeful one by previous high standards set in years gone by.
The Red Devils form has led to question marks over the future and ability of boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. However, a recent run of three straight wins in all competitions is a sign that United are not dead and buried just yet. The form of England youngster Marcus Rashford is one of the biggest encouraging factors from recent games. On a scoring streak
He may not know what competition he is playing in (look it up if you don’t understand that reference), but he has certainly rediscovered the path to goal. The forward, who celebrates his 22nd birthday today has now scored four times in his last four appearances for United.
A brace on Wednesday night in a 2-1 win over Chelsea helped the Red Devils into the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup. His second goal, a long-range free-kick was a spectacular strike that has led to comparisons with former United star Cristiano Ronaldo.
The current particular run of form is a familiar one for Rashford. As a young player, Rashford will go through peaks and troughs. People often forget he is still relatively young and still maturing as a top-level player. His record of a goal every other game in the top-flight this season is not a terrible one, especially playing in a struggling United team. Can forge a good partnership with Martial
Rashford seems to have a good on-field relationship with French forward Anthony Martial. The pair both have the ability to play as central strikers or out wide, so they can interchange positions, which can cause defences massive headaches.
French international Martial has endured a stop-start season due to injury. He recently returned to the United team from injury and instantly his understanding with Rashford was evident.
The recent 3-1 win at Norwich could have been a far bigger win, with both players having penalty kicks saved by Canaries goalkeeper Tim Krul. However, the pair seemed to be a danger to the Norwich defence every time either had the ball.
Both players are quick, so when on form they can be devastating on the break. It seems Solskjaer prefers to play a counter-attacking style of play, which the pair ideal players to fit the Norwegian’s system. If Martial can stay injury-free, the partnership can flourish.
There has been talk of United needing a new striker. However, maybe if Rashford can stay consistent, then he could be United’s long-term striking solution. Rashford’s form important to any potential revival
Manchester United have won just once in their last five top-flight matches. The run of form has seen the Red Devils slip to odds of 7/2 to clinch a place in the Champions League this season. United are currently six points outside the top-four, but there is still plenty of time left for Solskjaer’s team to rescue their season.
They would need a major improvement in displays and form to mount a realistic top-four challenge, though. More consistent displays from Rashford can only help the Red Devils chances of recover this season.
The fact that the men from Manchester are relying on a player who has just turned 22 to win them games illustrates how far the team has fallen in recent years. United are showing signs of turning the corner, but they will need to start winning league games, starting with their trip to Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime.
As football fans, we tend to get angry, excited and often frustrated by our team’s efforts on the pitch. This tends to spill over anger on social media sites, which some fans take far too far. Some of the things typed by keyboard warriors make you question humanity at times. It is only a small majority of people, but social media seems to bring the worse out of some people. Granit Xhaka situation
When Granit Xhaka was substituted during Arsenal’s 2-2 draw at home against Crystal Palace, he gestured to the fans and used profanity to the fans who had booed him off the pitch. As captain of Arsenal, Xhaka should have known better than to act in that way.
However, sometimes fans forget that footballers are human beings. They have the same emotions as the rest of us. There has been plenty said of Xhaka since the incident.
The player himself recently revealed that he has received all sorts of person abuse since the Palace game. People talking about horrible things relating to his wife and child. There is a line that shouldn’t be crossed and that sort of abuse is way beyond that line.
I have seen some excuse the behaviour by saying stuff like ‘well, he is a public figure he should expect that’. The thing is these people are highly unlikely to say these horrible things to Xhaka’s face. They only do it online, as they are relatively anonymous.
These comments are usually from sad, delusional people who are angry at the world. Unfortunately, social media has become a forum for these horrible comments and cowards to thrive. Xhaka is not a great footballer
To me, there is big a difference between criticising somebodies football ability or form and launching personal attacks. For example, I have seen a lot of Xhaka for Arsenal, as I covered Arsenal in a professional capacity for four years until last summer.
He arrived with a reputation as the sort of defensive midfielder Arsenal needed. His billing was that he was more than just a midfield destroyer and that he could play a bit. Since his arrival in north London, his displays have been erratic.
Every time he tackles, he seems to foul his opponent and he can be incredibly rash in the tackle. At times he can be a liability to the team. There you go I have criticised his football ability. I don’t know the Swiss international personally, so I couldn’t criticise him personally.
However, I can give my opinion on his performances on the pitch, which to be fair have not been great. I wouldn’t wish him any harm off the field, though, because at the end of the day he is just a footballer. He is there to do a job. Social media is a blessing and a curse in the modern game
The advent of social media is both a blessing and a curse in the modern game. It gives players an avenue to address the fans and engage in conversation. That way fans feel like they are more connected with these multi-millionaires than before.
However, social media can also be a player’s worse nightmare. Some players stay off the likes of Twitter after a defeat because of the amount of abuse they would receive on a daily basis. The fact that the players earn so much money should not be an excuse to abuse players and expect them to say nothing.
We have had numerous occasions where fans have clashed with players in the past. However, these sorts of situations tend to die down pretty quickly. Whether Xhaka will be an Arsenal player much longer is unclear. It seems unlikely that he will face Wolves this weekend, in a game that the Gunners are odds of 3/4 to win.
One thing that is clear is that even on social media people should attempt to keep a touch of common decency, as things often escalate very quickly when people believe they believe they are anonymous and it is not clever to abuse somebodies’ families, just because they are a footballer.
Manchester United’s winning run was halted by former player Josh King as Bournemouth won 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Cherries took a shock lead just before the break as the former United forward netted a stunning goal. United put their hosts under some severe pressure but Eddie Howe’s men held on to claim their first victory against the Red Devils since December 2015. Long range shots pepper Ramsdale’s goal early on
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s troops had a more comfortable start to the game on the South Coast and could have opened the scoring but Andreas Pereira slipped just as he was about to shoot from Daniel James’ cross. Fred also had an effort from the edge of the area but his powerful drive was deflected over.
The hosts had a penalty appeal in the early stages of the match as Ryan Fraser went down in the box but neither the referee or VAR awarded anything.
United continued to create the better opportunities though and James was the next to go close as he sent an effort fizzing wide. Goal fit for a King
Despite their long wait for a goal, it was actually Eddie Howe’s troops that took the lead. Adam Smith’s cross was well-taken by King and he stayed composed to control the ball, flicked it over Aaron Wan-Bissaka and finish coolly underneath David De Gea.
The Cherries could well have doubled their lead on the hour as the ball deflected into the path of King again but he could not beat De Gea again. The ball then fell to Harry Wilson but the Spanish goalkeeper reacted well to deny the on-loan Liverpool man.
With United pressing for an equaliser, they were always susceptible to the counter-attack and Wilson almost profited as he cut inside and forced another excellent low stop out of De Gea. Cherries hold firm to claim victory
The Red Devils continued to come on strong in the final few minutes and youngster Mason Greenwood almost snatched a point as his close-range effort cracked the post. Fred also had one final opportunity from outside of the area but Ramsdale hold firm as Bournemouth secured an impressive win to rise to sixth in the Premier League table.
For a long time, Everton’s game against Tottenham at Goodison Park on Sunday was a non-event. Then came the inevitable VAR debate, with a number of incidents slowing the game down to a snail’s pace.
However, how most will remember the game for is a horrific injury to Everton’s star Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes, after a reckless challenge from Spurs South Korean international Heung-Min Son.
However, Spurs full-back Serge Aurier also produced a poor tackle after Son’s challenge. In reality, it looked as if Gomes got his foot stuck in the turf before his clash with Aurier. The Ivory Coast international challenge did not help Gomes’ cause. Question marks over Son’s red card
On first viewing, referee Martin Atkinson decided to show Son a yellow card. VAR decided to overturn the decision to a red card, as the Tottenham star endangered an opponent. Son was obviously out for a touch of retribution after a clash with Gomes just before the injury.
However, as many have said Son will not have wanted to injure the Everton man. His reaction to the injury said a lot, as he was visibly upset after the incident. Even as an Evertonian, I am not sure it was a red card. Challenges like that happen in virtually every game, usually resulting in yellow cards. Unfortunately, circumstances were against Gomes. VAR plays a big part AGAIN
The VAR debate is becoming boring now, but once again it was a major talking point at Goodison Park. Referee Martin Atkinson is one of the Premier League’s most experienced referees as commenters keep telling us. That just means he has had longer to become more incompetent at his job.
The fact that he is still refereeing in the English top-flight shows the poor state of English officials. However, in this game, VAR Anthony Taylor did not help him by deciding to interfere in so many incidents. Not only did he interfere in so many incidents, but he also took an age to make a decision on almost every incident.
The strange thing is that he decided to back up Atkinson on every decision. In short, the delays were for absolutely no reason. Arguably, the decisions he made were questionable as well. Dele Alli got away with a handball. Some will say that Yerry Mina had made contact with the midfielder, but that was not considered a foul by the Colombian.
On paper, VAR has the potential to be a good tool to make the correct decisions. It works very well in other leagues and even other sports. It is just the sheer incompetence of the people using the system that makes it look poor. Both teams struggling this season
Aside from Gomes’ terrible injury and the VAR talk, both teams produced poor displays really. Everton may have shown great professionalism to get the late equaliser from Cenk Tosun, but they were poor against a Spurs team low on confidence. They continue to struggle to find form under Marco Silva.
Tottenham, without star striker Harry Kane, maintained decent possession. However, they seemed to lack the ability to break the Everton defence down, with Dele Alli’s goal a rare piece of quality attacking play from the north London team. The draw means that Tottenham have failed to win in 12 away games in the Premier League.
A top-four finish this season is already looking in major danger. In fact, Tottenham are now odds of 7/4 to qualify for the Champions League. Pochettino claimed he was happy with his team’s performance on Sunday. Just like his team, his standards must have seriously dropped this season.
The game, in the end, took a back seat to Gomes injury and we, of course, wish the midfielder well in his recovery. It may have also bought Everton boss Marco Silva some breathing space.
Manchester City were well aware of the fact that they were always going to have a tough game on their hands in Italy, but they probably couldn’t have imagined just how stressful it was going to be. After one of the most bizarre endings to a Champions League encounter we’ve seen in a while, and that includes Chelsea vs Ajax last night, City walked away with a point from their clash with Atalanta. An odd night
They were able to start off like a house on fire courtesy of Raheem Sterling who managed to knock them into the lead after just seven minutes. Sterling has had to deal with a series of rumours over the course of the last few days after it was reported that he could be involved in some kind of trade with Real Madrid & Gareth Bale, but he certainly put the focus back on the pitch in a big way here.
Gabriel Jesus then had the opportunity to extend their lead from the penalty spot, but unfortunately for the travelling faithful, he was unable to do so as Atalanta kept their slim hopes of getting anything out of the game alive. Then, early in the second half, they were able to pop up and stun the Champions of England as on-loan Chelsea star Mario Pasalic put the Italians back onto level terms. The unthinkable moment
Then, the chaos began. After substitute goalkeeper Claudio Bravo was sent off for City in what would prove to be a bit of a questionable decision, defender Kyle Walker was forced to go in goal. As the outfield player in goal klaxon sounded off around the country, it became clear that City were more than capable of killing the momentum of the game – ensuring that Atalanta didn’t really get more than one or two attempts at trying to score past the right back.
Pep’s men somehow managed to hold on and secure a result that will almost certainly feel like a win for them at this stage. They’ll now turn their attention towards Sunday’s mammoth trip to Anfield to face Liverpool, whereas Atalanta will be making the journey to face Sampdoria.
Liverpool v Manchester City on Sunday is set to be a massive game. This game could have a big effect on the English game. A Liverpool win would put the Merseysider’s nine points clear of the reigning champions, which would be a huge gap to bridge considering that Liverpool have won ten of their 11 league games this season. Liverpool have a history of blowing title leads
We all know about Liverpool’s history of snatching victory out of the jaws of defeat in recent years. However, when it has come to title races, they seem to snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory. They have a reputation for blowing seemingly unassailable leads.
Last season was a good example. Jurgen Klopp’s team headed into the reverse fixture between these two teams seven points ahead of City. A 2-1 win for the Citizens seemed to unsettle the players and led to a collapse that saw the men from Manchester nick the title by just a single point. A massive opportunity for the Reds
The game on Sunday at Anfield is a chance for the home side to send out a signal that they are not going to slip-up this time in the title race. That they are determined to stretch their lead and not allow City back in.
Nerves will be jangling amongst the fans and they need their players to maintain their cool. The Reds have rather been crawling over the line in games of late. Klopp’s team cannot afford not to be at their best against the reigning champions. Despite injury problems, the Citizens still have a number of quality players.
The injury problems are in key areas of the field, especially against Liverpool’s potent forward line. Pep Guardiola’s team have struggled in defence since French centre-back Aymeric Laporte sustained a long-term injury. To add to their woe’s Spanish defensive midfielder Rodri is also ruled out also due to injury.
The key absentee could be Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson. The former Benfica stopper had to come off at half-time in the midweek Champions League game. The absence of their first-choice goalkeeper will do little to settle a very vulnerable backline. Everybody connected with City will be hoping that Ederson recovers, as his back-up Claudio Bravo is nowhere near the same standard as the Brazilian. You have to fancy Liverpool for the win Liverpool actually heads into Sunday’s game as underdogs at odds of 13/8 to beat Manchester City. On current form those odds make little sense. City have injury problems, plus the Citizens tend to struggle at Anfield.
The fact that Liverpool have built up outstanding winning momentum coupled with the Reds 43-game unbeaten run on home soil in the Premier League, you have to fancy the home side to emerge victorious.
However, there are sneaking little factors that may be in the back of the mind of those Reds playing. They have not been convincing of late in every game, while they may be distracted by a similar sort of scenario last season, which eventually proved fatal to their title bid.
Liverpool have to head into this game feeling confident. If they are to finally end that long title draught, then this is the game they have to win. These are the games that champions win. Whatever happens, the game should be a highly fascinating encounter between two teams that are simply streets ahead of the other teams in the Premier League.
Bayern Munich dominated Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker. A brace from Robert Lewandowski, a strike from Serge Gnabry and an own goal from Mats Hummels lifted Die Roten to a huge win. Dortmund looked outmatched from start to finish. Lewandowski puts Bayern on top in a dominant 45-minute spell
Bayern Munich quickly established supremacy, and it was clear they were the more positive side early on. That edge was translated rather quickly, as Die Roten only needed 17 minutes to score the opening goal. A first-time cross from Benjamin Pavard allowed Robert Lewandowski to find the back of the net with a close-range header past Roman Burki.
Bayern didn’t stop attacking once they scored the opener, though. Both Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman looked impressive on the flanks, and both created several clear chances during the initial 45 minutes. In fact, Gnabry scored the second goal for Bayern but the VAR ruled it out due to an offside.
As for Dortmund, they didn’t do much during the first half. The biggest news was Jadon Sancho’s injury and a free kick from Raphael Guerreiro. Aside from that, The Yellow Bees failed to complicate Bayern’s makeshift defence. The first half ended with a deserved 1-0 lead for Bayern. Bayern sealed the deal in the second half
Die Roten would seal the deal during the second half, and they only needed two minutes to double their lead. This time, it was Gnabry who made it 2-0 for Bayern. The Germany international placed the ball into the back of the net after a swift counter-attacking sequence. Bayern could have added a third goal two minutes later, but Lewandowski had his strike ruled out for another VAR decision.
The Poland international, however, had his revenge. The former Dortmund star made it 3-0 in the 76th minute with a finish from close range after a great lobbed pass from Thomas Muller. By that point, Dortmund had no answers defensively to contain Bayern, neither they were posing a threat on the attacking end.
To make things even worst, Bayern’s fourth goal came on an own goal from Mats Hummels. The former Bayern Munich centre-back deflected a cross from Ivan Perisic into his own net to seal the deal in the 80th minute.
The match was a one-sided affair. and Bayern dominated from start to finish. If they wanted a dominant effort to enter the international break on a high note, then they certainly accomplished that here.
Liverpool opened up a eight point lead at the top of the Premier League as they defeated Manchester City 3-1 at Anfield on Sunday evening.
The hosts snatched an early lead and it was a controversial one as Fabinho netted a stunner only seconds after City had seemingly strong appeals for a penalty turned down. Jurgen Klopp’s men doubled their advantage only six minutes later through a cool header from Mo Salah. A quickfire third came just after the half-time break as Sadio Mane nodded in from close range.
The visitors got on the scoresheet late on through Bernardo Silva as he shot into the near post but it did not matter as for all their endeavour, City weren’t quite able to threaten Liverpool enough, allowing the Reds to open up a huge gap at the top of the Premier League. Electric start for Liverpool
Predictably, the game begun at an absolutely frantic pace with Manchester City appealing for a penalty from a handball by Trent Alexander-Arnold. Those shouts were waved away though and the hosts broke up the other end, with Fabinho hammering the ball into the bottom corner as it fell to him on the edge of the penalty area.
Their second goal also had a little controversy about it. Andrew Robertson’s stunning ball in was nodded firmly past debutant goalkeeper Claudio Bravo by Salah, sending Anfield into raptures. VAR intervened to check a tight offside call but the Egyptian was ruled to be in line and was awarded his sixth Premier League goal of the season.
Pep Guadiola’s troops attempted to respond, with Sergio Aguero going the closest in the opening quarter of the match as he forced Alisson into a good stop. Full-back Angelino also went close as he bustled through the Liverpool defence only to see his effort bounce off the base of the post. Reds begin to edge away
Both sides continued to look particularly dangerous before the break in what was an encapsulating clash on Merseyside. Roberto Firmino tested Bravo with a low drive before Aguero again put an excellent opportunity wide of the far post. Salah also went close with a curling shot from outside of the penalty area that the City goalkeeper was equal to.
That third goal did eventually come and it was another brilliant cross that was the key just after the break. This time it was Jordan Henderson who whipped in an excellent cross to Mane at the back post and he headed into the back of the net. Bernardo Silva gives City a slight life line
Manchester City did remain dangerous and they really should have reduced the deficit through Aguero but he completely fluffed his lines from De Bruyne’s cross.
They did eventually get a goal in the closing stages as Angelino’s low cross trundled all the way through to Bernardo Silva at the far post and he powered the ball into the bottom corner to reduce Liverpool’s lead to just two.
Kyle Walker could even have earned another for City but ballooned his header high over the crossbar. Guardiola’s men enjoyed the majority of the possession late on but weren’t able to grind out any clear cut chances to trouble Liverpool’s lead any further.
Sometimes it happens in football that a club which is among the most successful ones in history goes through a phase of such low that they cannot be recognized. The wheels of time don’t stand still and the changes of generations are unforgiving, and those still remembering the AC Milan teams that were always the favorites for titles, both domestically and in Europe, are getting few.
Juventus welcomed the Rossoneri to the Allianz Stadium in Turin on Sunday evening, to do battle in the 12th round of this season’s Serie A campaign, from the second place in the table with two points less than Inter Milan. But a win would see them reclaim the top, charging towards what would be their ninth consecutive title should they win it. On the other hand, Milan were in 13th, with 13 points from previous 11 games and already on their second manager of the season.
Nonetheless, a clash between Juventus and Milan is still a clash between two of three clubs that have won the most Serie A titles, Inter being level with their city rivals. Team News
Juventus boss Maurizio Sarri was worried about the availability of Cristiano Ronaldo for this clash, but the former Real Madrid star expectedly recovered from a knee problem he had picked up midweek. The same goes for centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, with the Dutch youngster back from an ankle problem. Giorgio Chellini was, however, out.
Wojciech Szczesny was in goal. Leonardo Bonucci and Matthijs de Ligt were the centre-back partnership, with Juan Cuadrado as the right-back and Alex Sandro as the left. Miralem Pjanic anchored the diamond midfield, with Rodrigo Bentancur and Blaise Matuidi in the box-to-box roles. Federico Bernardeschi was in the No. 10 role, behind the attacking partnership of Gonzalo Higuain and Ronaldo.
Stefano Pioli in the away dugout was without winger Samu Castillejo, but lucky for him, Suso was back in contention.
Gianluigi Donnarumma stood between the posts. Alessio Romagnoli and Leo Duarte formed the heart of defence, with Theo Hernandez on the left and Andrea Conti on the right. Ismael Bennacer was there to provide the protection for the back line, with Rade Krunic and Lucas Paqueta in advanced positions. Striker Krzysztof Piatek was flanked by Suso and Hakan Calhanoglu. The First Half
The visitors tried to catch the hosts off guard with some quick, direct play early on, but to no result, and Juventus soon took control of the possession. But there were no real chances at either end until the 14th minute.
Then Ronaldo set Higuain up with a cunning pass into the six yards, but Donnarumma managed to deny the Argentine from a tight angle. Juventus followed that up with consecutive corners and tried to increase the pressure, but the Rossoneri soon broke free and in the 17th minute, Piatek wasted a great chance as he headed a pin-point cross by Suso wide of the target.
Basically, Milan were keen to show the Serie A champions that they could hit them hard at any moment and they took initiative away from the home side for a few minutes after that chance. They pressed high and made it difficult for the players in black-and-white to get the ball across the halfway line, and though it didn’t last long, they managed to completely disrupt Juventus’ usual game and even came very close to a lead again in the 25th minute, when Szczesny made a very difficult save to deny Paqueta’s header.
It was mostly an evenly matched contest in the first half, with Juventus having the ball more and winning space gradually, while the Rossoneri took a much quicker approach and often managed to get from back to front within a few seconds. There were still no clear-cut chances, with both sides occasionally resorted to long-range shooting, but neither Bernardeschi nor Hernandez at the other end managed to hit the target around the half-hour mark. Defences were mostly fully focused and made no mistakes.
It was interesting to note that Ronaldo mostly went wide to the right, leaving the central attacking position to Higuain, while the space on the left was often left for Sandro and Matuidi to try and exploit. In the 42nd minute, Matuidi got the better of Conti on the left and had both Ronaldo and Higuain in the box, but his cross went nowhere near the two forwards. In the next attack Ronaldo tried his luck from 30 yards, but Donnarumma was alert.
Two minutes later, Milan hit back down their right as Paqueta combined nicely with Suso and Conti, but Conti’s squared ball found no-one but Hernandez far from the goal. Nonetheless, the left-back let one fly and burned the palms of Szczesny. Piatek managed to do the same in the last moments of the half from a tight angle, but no more. The Second Half
After the break, the game went on much in the same way, but in the 52nd minute, Juventus could have really done more than they did as Higuain took advantage of a stolen ball and charged down the left. He involved Bernardeschi who was coming in through the middle, but although there were options on both sides, Bernarderschi fired one far from the target. Matuidi came much closer soon afterwards, but his shot from the edge of the box went just wide of the far post.
In the 55th minute, Ronaldo was replaced by Paolo Dybala. Though the Portuguese had problems with his knee ahead of the game, he didn’t seem happy with the decision of the head coach as he walked off the pitch.
The game was now being played much quicker. The ball went very lively from one end to the other, and in the 58th minute Milan had a great chance. Calhanoglu employed Piatek on the right with a lovely through pass and the Polish striker hit it hard, low and on target, but Szczesny made an excellent save.
On the hour-mark, Pioli withdrew Krunic who was already on a yellow card and was potentially getting close to a second. Giacomo Bonaventura came on, at the same time as Douglas Costa who replaced Bernardeschi for Juventus.
As the game went on, the Rossoneri were growing in confidence, while the home side’s frustration started to show. Sarri’s men simply weren’t finding a way to cause danger for Donnarumma, and being obviously considered favorites before the match, they didn’t like it. Even when they did create something, like when Matuidi was allowed to shoot freely from 15 yards unmarked in the 66th minute, they couldn’t hit the target. Right after that, Pioli made his second move of the game by replacing Piatek with Rafael Leao.
Dybala was trying to make a difference since he came on. Whenever the ball came his way he looked lively, but those moments seemed far apart. Sarri’s last substitution was a forced one – Matuidi got hit in the chest and made way for Adrien Rabiot with 20 minutes to go.
The introduction of Leao gave the visitors a new dimension in attack. The Portuguese is much faster than Piatek and he often pulled out wide, looking to burst down the byline and leave the space in the middle open for the other attacking players to run into, but Juventus’ back line is far too experienced to be fooled by such a trick.
In the 75th minute, Calhanoglu won a free-kick over 30 yards out and took it himself. It was a rocket, but it went too close to Szczesny. Milan could also have done more straight after when Rabiot’s loose pass got intercepted by Bonaventura, but Bonaventura’s pass for Leao was too strong. And then – they got punished.
It’s one of the main qualities of this Old Lady team that they can seem lame for an entire game, and then score when least expected. Higuain found Dybala with a good pass and Dybala pulled away from Romagnoli as he entered the box, and slotted past Donnarumma from just inside the box. 1-0.
The goal seemed to give Juventus players a big morale boost. Costa, Dybala and Higuain suddenly looked like dancing with the ball and the Rossoneri had a lot of trouble adjusting to this change of step. At the other end, Calhanoglu burned the palms of Szczesny a few more times from range, but the rest of his team just weren’t on the same wavelength.
Nonetheless, Pioli’s men had nothing to lose in the final minutes. Midfielder Paqueta left the pitch to make way for winger Ante Rebic and Milan attacked. In the 87th minute, Leao pulled a low cross back across the six yards and a scramble ensued, but Juventus survived.
Milan were now taking huge risks all the time with both fullbacks practically playing as wingers. Their passing had to be inch-perfect because any interception would have meant terrible danger for Donnarumma, and it created a lot of pressure on Bennacer. Sensing this, Juventus employed high pressing in the last minute and won the ball high up, but Higuain ruined the moment with a powerful blast over the bar.
The visitors tried to make something happen in the four minutes of stoppage time, but nothing worked. In the end, Dybala almost made it two as he charged alone at Romagnoli and Duarte, but Donnarumma saved his shot. The Afterthought
The outcome of the game is probably a bit harsh on the Rossoneri. They matched Juventus on every point for the largest part of the 90 minutes, and even looked more dangerous going forward. However, the Bianconeri did what great teams do in such games – they found a way to win.
When Sarri pulled Ronaldo out it seemed the moment would cause endless discussion, but now, given that the man who replaced the five-time Ballon d’Or winner scored the goal that settled the game, it’s questionable if Ronaldo himself will care, let alone anyone else.
As for Milan, they can potentially look at this game as a blueprint for the rest of the season. Against any other team, it would have probably ended quite differently, but Juventus are simply too strong at the moment.
It is very hard to criticise Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola. The Catalan boss is one of the best bosses of the modern era and his trophy collection proves it. He is also one of my favourite head coaches, mainly from his time at Barcelona.
Sunday’s 3-1 defeat at Liverpool left the reigning champions nine points behind the Reds in the Premier League. While Liverpool are devastating going forward, the game illustrated City’s defensive vulnerabilities. City failed to sign a centre-back in the summer
Manchester City lost the influential figure of club captain Vincent Kompany in the summer. The Belgian left to become player-coach at boyhood club Anderlecht. The years may have been hard on his body, but he was still crucial to City last season.
His leadership and know-how played a key role in the Citizens winning the title. City really needed to attempt to replace him in the summer. However, Guardiola insisted that he had enough centre-backs in the shape of Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi.
The fact that Stones had been in and out of favour last season and that Otamendi was not a regular either made the decision not to sign a new centre-back all the stranger.
Then Laporte sustained a serious knee injury at the end of August, leaving City with just two senior centre-backs, neither of whom were first choice last season. They have shown in the last few weeks why they were not first-choice in the previous campaign.
City have quite simply been shocking in defence at times in recent weeks. The current situation shows why they should have signed a centre-back. Laporte is, without doubt, their best centre-back. It is the equivalent of Liverpool losing Virgil van Dijk for long time. Will not win the title this season
Take away the fact that Liverpool are nine points clear of them, City look like they are a million miles away off winning the title this season. Leicester and Chelsea both moved ahead of the Citizens at the weekend, as the reigning champions dropped to fourth-place.
Guardiola’s team still play fantastic football and have superb attacking players. However, most title-winning teams are built on solid defensive foundations. City in the last few seasons have been outstanding in defence, mostly because they have so much of the ball.
Now though, teams are seeing that City are vulnerable and some are going at them. They no longer look like the formidable team that has dominated the majority of Premier League games for the last few seasons. The fact that they are vulnerable in defence gives teams hope that they can get at the men from Manchester. Previously, they did not look like they had a weakness, now the defensive weakness is there for all to see.
The Liverpool game aside, Wolves, Norwich and Spurs have all scored two or more goals against Guardiola’s side in the top-flight this season. They have also failed to keep a clean sheet in their last four outings in all competitions.
Guardiola should not be above criticism, as nobody is perfect and nobody in this world should be above criticism if they make errors. For me, the Manchester City boss made a giant error last summer by not signing a centre-back.
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is regarded as one of the brightest young players in the European game. He has burst onto the Premier League scene in the last year, but due to injuries, his development has slightly curtailed. However, with the right handling, Hudson-Odoi has the potential to become a truly top player in the future. Chelsea faced losing the youngster
Prior to the summer arrival of Frank Lampard as Chelsea boss in the summer, it looked likely that Hudson-Odoi was set to leave the club from south west London. His contract at Stamford Bridge expired next summer.
German giants Bayern Munich saw multiple bids turned down for the winger in the last year or so. Media reports suggested that he had a big interest in heading to the Bundesliga next summer. However, that was due to a lack of first-team opportunities under previous boss Maurizio Sarri.
It seems the picture has changed under new boss Lampard. The fact that the former Derby boss is an advocate for playing younger players helped sway Hudson-Odoi’s decision to sign a new five-year contract in September. It was crucial for the Blues that they tied down the youngster. Now back from injury
The 19-year-old missed the first six games of the Premier League season through injury. However, he has now featured in the last six top-flight games, although he has started just two. The lack of starts is more down to the teams recent excellent run. It is very rare a boss changes a starting line-up when the team is in such good form.
Now he is back to full fitness, Hudson-Odoi is likely to feature a lot for the rest of the season. The youngster has produced three assists in his six appearances, which is a decent ratio considering his last three appearances have been cameos off the substitutes bench.
The winger has stated that boss Lampard has reassured him that he believes in him as a player, which was enough to convince him to stay. However, he will realise he will have to be patient to start games, with the form of USA international Christian Pulisic especially good in recent weeks.
Like most at Chelsea at the current time, Hudson-Odoi now seems happy to wait for his opportunity under a boss who will give him a fair chance to play first-team football. Under previous boss Sarri, there were reports that he wanted to move on to play on a more regular basis.
Lampard seems to be a player who gets through to young players. Hudson-Odoi seems eager to learn, so it could well prove a dream partnership. Early signs are good for the Blues
Chelsea are enjoying a fine debut campaign for boss Lampard. The Blues are currently third place in the Premier League table, nine points clear of the team in fifth-place. It seems the bookmakers now firmly believe that Hudson-Odoi and co. will claim a Champions League spot, as Chelsea are now odds of 2/9 for a top-four finish this season.
Hudson-Odoi may not yet have played much of a part in their season so far. However, there will come a time later in the season were the winger’s considerable skills will prove a useful asset. He may not yet be a key player for Chelsea, but at least with the Blues tying him down to a long-term contract, there is now a chance that he will fulfil his potential in the English capital, rather than Bavaria.
It was inevitable that England would qualify for Euro 2020. The Three Lions tend to coast through qualifying. A 7-0 win over Montenegro at Wembley on Thursday night confirmed England place at next years tournament.
Like most of their group games, England dominated and ran out comfortable winners. The victory was the Three Lions biggest home win in 32 years. One notable thing was the age of Gareth Southgate’s starting line-up. At an average age of 23 years and 255 days, it was England’s youngest ever starting eleven in a competitive game. England have improved since the World Cup
The Three Lions may have made the semi-finals of last years World Cup, but the football on display was not great. Southgate’s team majorly threatened from set-pieces in Russia. However, they very rarely threatened in open play.
During qualifying for Euro 2020, England have looked like a far better-balanced team, with more skill, creativity and invention. Of course, the level of opposition in Group A has not been great. However, the group games have given Southgate a chance to integrate some younger players into the team, who have impressed. New players looking the part
England now seem to have a highly promising generation of young players. The likes of Ben Chilwell, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jadon Sancho have grasped their opportunity at international level. All three have not looked out of place and seem set to cement their starting places in England’s starting line-up.
That is without even mentioning Marcus Rashford, who is still only young in terms of years. However, he has played a lot of football for both club and country in the last year or so.
The game against Montenegro saw the likes of Harry Winks and Mason Mount impress from the start, while in-form pair James Maddison and Tammy Abraham produced typically impressive performances as substitutes. The Leicester star provides flair and creativity from the number ten role. He and Mount are two top options to have in the number ten role.
Both have suddenly become viable options for Southgate. Abraham meanwhile grabbed his first international goal after coming off the bench as a second-half replacement for captain Harry Kane.
The Chelsea youngster could provide England with a perfect alternative to the Tottenham star, as he is maturing into a fine forward player. His exposure to first-team football at Stamford Bridge has no doubt helped his development. England need to deliver on the big stage
In recent years, England have cruised to qualification for the majority of recent international tournaments. The fact that most of their opposition has failed to put up much of a fight against the Three Lions has made it hard to judge the quality of the current team.
Next years tournament will be a real test of the current England team. The Three Lions are odds of 9/2 to win Euro 2020, which makes Southgate’s team one of the favourites to triumph.
On paper, England look to have a highly talented young squad of players. Southgate now has good options in a number of positions, especially going forward, which if used right should give England a good chance of success at Euro 2020.
For too long England have underachieved at international level. Last years World Cup showed that they can go far in tournaments. However, maybe they can not only go far in Euro but do it with the sort of swagger they have produced in qualifying.
Saudi Arabia’s capitol city, Riyadh, hosted a new edition of one of international football’s biggest rivalries, as Argentina met Brazil for a friendly match ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers that will start next year. But the contest ended being far more intense than what one would expect from a friendly.
Just like it has happened in the previous meetings between these two sides, things were tight, and the goals were scarce. The lone goal came in the 13th minute thanks to Lionel Messi. That was enough to give La Albiceleste the win, while extending Brazil’s winless streak to five games. Two early penalties put Argentina on top
Both sides started the match with a positive approach although Brazil had the best chance to open things up in the ninth minute. Leandro Paredes brought Gabriel Jesus down inside the box, and Matthew Conger called the penalty. The Manchester City stepped in front of the ball, but he sent his effort wide when the keeper was absolutely beaten.
Argentina had the exact same chance a few minutes later, and they wouldn’t waste it … or at least, they would find the back of the net. Alex Sandro fouled Messi inside the box and although Alisson stopped the penalty, the Barcelona star converted the rebound to put Argentina up 1-0.
The rest of the first half didn’t have many clear chances, as both sides didn’t give an inch to the other. The clearer scoring opportunity before the break came in the 37th when Danilo tested Esteban Andrada from long range. The Boca Juniors goalkeeper, however, made an excellent save to deny the full-back from scoring what would have been his first international goal with La Selecao. The first half ended with a 1-0 lead for Lionel Scaloni’s men. Brazil’s lack of ideas prevented a comeback
Brazil tried to shake things off at the break, and Tite sent Philippe Coutinho to replace a struggling Lucas Paquetá. Brazil began to have slightly more possession, but couldn’t create much in the final meters.
Due to a high number of substitutions and stoppages, the flow of the game was constantly disrupted after the break and while Brazil made several substitutions, these didn’t have an impact on the game. Richarlison and Rodrygo Goes struggled once they came off the bench.
Argentina had the best chances late in the second half, mostly through Messi and Lautaro Martinez. Messi tested Alisson twice from outside the box, but the Liverpool goalkeeper was excellent on both instances. Martinez could’ve scored with a header following a corner kick in the 82nd minute, but his effort went over the bar.
In the end, Argentina held on. Brazil didn’t find a way to turn things around, and Argentina settled for a win that could act as revenge for the semifinal defeat in the 2019 Copa America earlier this year.
The Netherlands booked their spot at next year’s European Championships with a 0-0 draw against Northern Ireland in Belfast.
Ronald Koeman’s men were not at their best throughout the evening and Steven Davis really should have given the hosts the lead from the penalty spot in the first-half but blazed his effort over the bar. There were chances for both sides to earn three points but neither were able to be clinical enough to get the win. As it happened though, that was enough for Holland to book their place at the Euros, whilst Northern Ireland are at least assured of a playoff place. Early chances pass hosts by
Northern Ireland had some great opportunities to take the lead early on in Belfast but somehow missed them all. First, Corry Evans chased down Jasper Cillessen and saw a ricochet bounce off of him and wide of goal. Then, Leicester defender Jonny Evans somehow put a header wide from a corner. Josh Magennis also spurned a fantastic opportunity as his header dropped just off target.
The hosts were also made to pay for those missed chances as the Netherlands almost claimed the lead. Quincy Promes showed fantastic feet to dribble into the Northern Ireland area and cut the ball back for Steven Berghuis. However, the Feyenoord man sent his effort onto the crossbar. Ryan Babel also had a sight of goal but sent a weak effort straight at Bailey Peacock-Farrell. Davies misses from the spot
The theme of missed chances then continued for Northern Ireland and this time it was from the penalty spot. Awarded a spot-kick for a handball by Joel Veltman, Davis claimed the huge responsibility but somehow lifted the ball high over the Dutch crossbar, when a lead really would have been crucial.
Improved after the break, the Netherlands created a few chances to make the hosts rue that penalty miss. Babel forced a good stop out of the goalkeeper with a tricky downward header.
They continued to tire their hosts but with a draw good enough for Dutch qualification, they did not commit too many men forwards in the search of a winning goal. Hence, they were able to frustrate their hosts and limit them to few chances throughout the second-half.
At the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Monday evening, Ireland welcomed Denmark in what was the last game of their respective Euro 2020 qualifying campaigns, and a huge contest the result of which would directly determine the occupant of a spot at the tournament next year, as the two teams battled it out to finish among the top two in Group D.
There was absolutely no chance for both of them to make it with Switzerland wedged firmly in between in the table, and having to lose away to Gibraltar (plus an Ireland win here) for that to happen. Let’s face it – it was never going to pan out that way. Team News
Ireland boss Mick McCarthy had earlier revealed that Brighton winger Aaron Connolly wouldn’t play in this game, while captain Seamus Coleman was suspended.
Darren Randolph was in goal. Stand-in captain Shane Duffy and John Egan held the control of the back line, extended to the left by Enda Stevens and to the right by Matt Doherty. Glenn Whelan and Connor Hourihane sat deep in midfield, with the trio of Alan Browne, Jeff Hendrick and James McClean the trio behind striker David McGoldrick.
Denmark head coach Aage Hareide chose the following team to start:
Kasper Schmeichel stood between the posts. Mathias Jorgensen and Simon Kjaer formed the heart of defence, flanked by Jens Stryger Larsen on the left and Henrik Dalsgaard on the right. Thomas Delaney and Lasse Schone played as the double pivot in the middle, with Christian Eriksen as the number 10 flanked by Martiin Braithwaite and Yussuf Poulsen. Andreas Cornelius led the line upfront. The First Half
Ireland were expected to start strong, but they were still surprisingly dominant in the opening minutes. They controlled the ball well and combined nicely, looking to get through the Danish defence. Nonetheless, the visitors held out through the early pressure, but their intention of slowing the pace of the game down wasn’t easy to achieve. Ireland’s high pressing gave them trouble, but Hareide was more concerned by what happened to Delaney in the ninth minute.
The midfielder went down with a painful grimace after stepping awkwardly, and the Danish medical team quickly judged that he wouldn’t be able to continue. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg came on from the bench.
Denmark tried to play more directly in order to break through the press, but their passing accuracy left a lot to be desired with even Eriksen wasting a few arguably promising moments. But as time wore on, they pushed the hosts further towards Randolph and with about a quarter of the game gone, they finally became the team in control of the proceedings. The Irish, who seemed like they had a plan before, suddenly started panicking and giving the ball away far more frequently than they’d have liked, even in their own half.
As the 26th minute expired, Cornelius headed the ball down for Eriksen to hit on the volley, but Duffy put his head in the way of the shot. Hareide had another worry from that situation as Cornelius clashed heads with Egan and needed bandaging. Unlike Delaney earlier, he was allowed to play on, but just a few minutes later he went off holding his hamstring, making way for Kasper Dolberg.
The newcomer hadn’t even broken a run when Hourihane had a great chance to open the scoring at the other end. He took advantage of slight indecision in the Danish defence and broke into the box, but his shot simply wasn’t good enough to trouble Schmeichel.
The moment gave the home side a boost and they threatened again quickly with McGoldrick bringing the ball down for Browne to hit from around 20 yards, but the winger failed to hit the target. McGoldrick then decided to try one from range himself, but like Browne, he missed the frame of the goal. In injury time, Stevens and McClean caused the visitors some problems down the left flank, and following a corner from that side, Whelan almost found the head of Duffy at the far post with a good cross, but Kjaer defended it very well. The Second Half
Egan remained in the dressing room after the break, continuing the line of players substituted due to injury, and was replaced by Ciaran Clark.
Ireland charged forward again, swinging in a couple of crosses and winning a few corners straight away, and in the 49th minute, Hourihane whipped a highly dangerous ball into the six yards which surprised Schmeichel, but McClean failed to divert it into the net.
The Irish offensive continued and Denmark was forced to defend with their lives for a while, but defend they did. They only occasionally tried to hit on the counterattack, but to no use with their passing still abysmal. The pressure on their back line seemed to be mounting with every minute gone, and there came a point where it started looking like it’s only a matter of time before they broke. Browne and McGoldrick both came close in this period and it seemed only luck kept Schmeichel’s net intact.
With a quarter of the match to go, McCarthy replaced Hourihane with forward Callum Robinson, adding more firepower upfront.
With two substitutions wasted through injury, Hareide was reluctant to use up his last one, but he instructed his players to come out and press higher up, and it produced results. Ireland weren’t able to carry the ball unchallenged across the halfway line anymore and mistakes started creeping in on them. And in the 73rd minute, the change of balance cost them dearly.
Denmark kept the ball in the opposition half for a while and Dalsgaard whipped in a cross in behind the Irish high line. Braithwaite caught both Duffy and Clarke on their heels, ran in and diverted the ball past Randolph to the dismay of almost every person in the stands. 0-1.
The players in green shirts (Ireland) exploded with nerves, and the visitors knew how to take advantage of that. They intensified contact, playing constantly on the edge of foul which seemed to drive the hosts crazy for a while. But eventually, Denmark lost the power to keep the battle far from Schmeichel and they fell back, with even Dolberg and Eriksen playing just outside their own box.
With six minutes to go, Hareide finally realized his back line needed strengthening, and he sent on Andreas Christensen instead of Schone. But the Irish attacks continued and less than a minute after Christensen came in, the score was level. Stevens whipped a cross from the left and Doherty made amends for his mistake earlier by flying through the air and slamming past Schmeichel. 1-1.
But it still wasn’t enough for Ireland; they needed to win, and McCarthy’s last throw of the dice was to order Duffy to move upfront beside McGoldrick.
Crosses were being flung into the Danish box constantly from both flanks, and even Schmeichel looked rather nervous and earned a booking late on for time wasting. The effort some of the Irish players were putting in at this late stage was incredible, most notably McClean, but in the end, they just couldn’t find a way to win.
Chelsea will find out in December if their appeal against a two-window transfer ban has been successful. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) are reportedly set to decide in the first half of December over the ban. In truth, although it would be good for Chelsea to have the choice to add some new additions to their squad in the January transfer window, it would not be the end of the world. Transfer ban may have been a blessing in disguise
Looking at Chelsea’s current situation, the two-window transfer ban may just have been a blessing in disguise. In the summer the Blues would have been looking at many big-name bosses to fill their vacant managerial role.
However, most top bosses want to bring in their own players. Bringing in club legend Frank Lampard as boss was almost a free-hit for the Chelsea hierarchy. If he failed then no doubt a more experienced boss would have come into the club next summer when they will be allowed to sign players.
As it is though, Lampard is doing a very solid job and there seems to be a great togetherness at the club. If the team continues in a similar vein, the former Blues midfielder may be the man to bring a touch of stability to a club who have not been afraid to change bosses in recent years. Youngsters thriving for the Blues
If a big-name foreign boss had arrived in the summer and had splashed the cash, then would the likes of Mason Mount and Tammy Abraham be starting for the Blues? It seems unlikely, but the pair have thrived under Lampard and their form has led to the pair earning international call-ups.
The pair’s story may have been the familiar one of young English players not getting a chance at big English clubs. They may have struggled for first-team action and then moved on and may have never fulfilled their potential.
The summer lost of Belgian international Eden Hazard was a big blow. However, Lampard has managed to compensate for the winger’s loss by getting the best out of the aforementioned duo and also USA international winger Christian Pulisic.
Another boss may not have got the best out of the youngsters and created such a positive atmosphere around the club from south west London. Lampard’s faith in youth has played a big part in the Blues successful campaign so far. New arrivals may upset the positive atmosphere
At the moment, there seems to be a great atmosphere at Chelsea instilled by Lampard and his coaching staff. The Blues boss may be hoping to strengthen his squad in the January transfer window to aid their chances of climbing a Champions League spot this season.
According to Sky Sports, German giants Bayern Munich are considering former Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino as their next coach. The Argentinian exited the north London club earlier this week, replaced by Jose Mourinho in the Spurs hot seat. However, he was always likely to attract the interest of other big clubs requiring a top boss. It seems that Bayern is among those clubs. No contact yet made
The Sky report claims that there has not yet been any contact between the German club and Bayern Munich. However, he is believed to be at the top of the Bavarian clubs wishlist of prospective new bosses.
Bayern are obviously looking for a high-profile boss after they hired Croatian head coach Niko Kovac last time out. He was hired due to his ability to speak fluent German. However, it seems the criteria has switched to hiring a boss on his coaching ability. He will thrive at Bayern
Mauricio Pochettino did an excellent job at Spurs, producing a team that played attractive, possession-based football on a small budget. His style of football would fit well at the German giants.
Bayern have got better players than Tottenham, so Pochettino’s philosophy and acumen could work even better with the Bavarians than Tottenham. His team certainly played the sort of football that everybody at Bayern appreciates.
Everybody at the German club expects their team to play attacking football and to entertain them. They also expect them to win every game. Pochettino is regarded as a top tactician.
His managerial acumen is unlikely to be needed that much in the Bundesliga, as Bayern do win most of their games in the German top-flight. However, it will be needed in the Champions League. The 47-year-old, of course, guided Spurs to the final of last season’s Champions League final.
Die Bayern usually make it to the latter stages of the competition, with their last triumph coming back in 2013 when they defeated arch-rivals Dortmund in the final. The fans are desperate for more European success, as they have dominated their domestic league in recent years. They are currently not having it their own way in the German top-flight, but always seem to come out on top. Pochettino would win silverware at Bayern
One of the biggest criticisms of Pochettino’s time at Tottenham was that silverware alluded him, despite the unquestionable progress the team made in his five-and-bit years in north London.
At a club like Bayern Munich, it is almost impossible not to win trophies. The Bavarians have won the Bundesliga title for the last seven seasons and despite experiencing a poor start to the season, Bayern are still just four points off the top of the table. The reigning champions remain big favourites to win the Bundesliga title at odds of 4/11.
Many questions have been raised about Pochettino due to how his Tottenham reign ended. A move to a club the size of Bayern Munich would give him a chance to prove his doubters wrong. It would be ridiculous to say he did not do a good job at Spurs.
This season has been poor, but there is no doubt that Pochettino does have managerial talent. The move seems to make sense for both parties involved. It would be fascinating to see what the Argentinian boss could do with the Bayern squad. We may well soon find out.
Luka Modric has been heavily criticized this season. But the 2018 Ballon D’Or Winner appeared for Real Madrid when Los Merengues needed him the most.
The Croatia international chipped in with two assists and one goal during Real Madrid’s impressive 3-1 home win over Real Sociedad this Saturday. Karim Benzema and Federico Valverde scored the other two goals for Los Merengues, while Willian Jose netted for the visitors.
The result keeps Real Madrid at the top of LaLiga standings for one more week but tied with FC Barcelona. Los Blaugranas had won against Leganes earlier this matchday.
It wasn’t an easy game for Los Merengues, though. In fact, Real Sociedad – who would have jumped to second place with a win – quickly broke the deadlock. A terrible back pass from Sergio Ramos allowed Willian Jose to go clean through on the goal, and the Brazilian left Thibaut Courtois down before slotting the ball into the empty net. Out of nowhere, the Donostiarra side jumped ahead on the score. The silence was palpable at Bernabeu just a few minutes into the match.
However, Modric would save the day for Madrid. And he would do it the way he knows best – creating chances for his teammates.
A perfect set-piece delivery from Modric found Benzema, and the Frenchman used his chest to find the back of the net. The former Lyon star has been on fire in recent weeks, as this was his fourth goal in his last four Liga matches. The two sides left the pitch levelled 1-1 at the break, but it was clear the hosts were on top through most of the contest.
Modric would set up Madrid’s second goal just two minutes into the second half. This time, his pass found Valverde who slotted the ball out of the goalkeeper’s reach. The shot did deflect in a Real Sociedad player, but the goal counted either way.
The Croatian playmaker would seal the deal with his own goal in the 74th minute. A cross from the right found Benzema near the far post, and the Frenchman set up Modric for this goal with a perfect strike from close range. It was Modric’s second goal of the campaign. It proved to be vital for Madrid in what turned out to be an easier-than-expected match.
One where Modric showed fans just how valuable and game-changing he can be when he’s on.
