Tag Futebol

[ad_pod ]

Maxi Gomez has been a target for many big clubs as of late and a recent Daily Star report further confirms this thesis, putting the young striker in the jaws of Tottenham Hotspur among the interest of some other clubs.

Spurs are reportedly leading the pack in the efforts to sign the talented Uruguayan but only partly because Liverpool have chosen to opt out of the brawl, which is an interesting turn of events in itself.

So what’s the word?

The latest report coming from the Daily Star claims that Tottenham Hotspur are now leading in the race for the Celta Vigo ace after Liverpool chose to back away.

Gomez has impressively bagged 13 goals and provided five assists in the 2018/19 campaign and his £43m release clause might be his ticket into the Premier League.

While Spurs could really use a striker of Gomez’s credentials and talent, the Reds might have made a real statement following their bold choice of dropping the pursuit altogether.

Right call from Liverpool

It seems that Gomez would join Tottenham purely as a Harry Kane’s substitution and, of course, a bet for the future once he develops enough to warrant a better position within the squad. Liverpool, on the hand, might also have made the right call by opting out of this race.

Gomez is definitely a gem worth polishing and one that almost any big team could use but Jurgen Klopp might not need that at the moment. What he could probably use more is a well-rounded forward with enough experience and skill to either replicate or complement the impact of Roberto Firmino.

Chasing young starlets is a great way to bank on the future but Liverpool would profit more from a developed striker that gives established quality right here and right now, especially considering the Reds only need a piece or two to fully complete the jigsaw and push Man City even closer next season.

After all, they are not among the biggest spenders in the Premier League and they often choose their targets rather carefully. Rushing into a transfer scramble with Spurs, for a player who still needs some time to develop, doesn’t do anybody on Merseyside any favours.

West Ham United could finally be about to land a striker that is more than capable of spearheading their attack! Hallelujah!

It is well documented that David Gold and David Sullivan have had their troubles in trying to bring someone to the club that is able to find the back of the net on a consistent basis and take them to the next level. It has to be said, winning the lottery has appeared more likely at times.

However, the co-owners may have finally been able to find their man and continue to build on the good times that have just started to begin at the London Stadium!

According to a report by Portuguese newspaper A Bola (via the guys at Sport Witness), Moussa Marega is believed to be on his way to the Hammers this summer.

They claim the Porto man is set to leave the club in the transfer window and, in no uncertain terms, have stated that West Ham is the ‘destination’.

Now, there will always be an element of doubt regarding transfer rumours until they are actually finalised and a player is shown holding the club’s shirt, however, there is no detracting from the fact that this would be a very good deal for the Premier League side if it were to happen.

Marega has been in rich goalscoring form for the last two seasons whilst with Porto, having recorded goal tallies of 23 and 21 in those campaigns.

The Mali international would fit the playing style and system that Manuel Pellegrini likes to adopt, whilst he is incredibly powerful in the air and on the ball, whilst possessing bundles of pace to make life that bit harder for his defender.

Certainly a player that the Irons would benefit having in the team, the 28-year-old powerhouse would provide the Hammers with a reliable forward option and one that has all the potential of making himself a nuisance in the Premier League.

West Ham, bring Marega to the London Stadium and you could have an excellent campaign next season.

West Ham fans, what are your thoughts on Marega? Do you think he would have a significant impact on the team? Let us know below!

[ad_pod ]

Leeds fans have fired back at Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder after his comments about the media backing Leeds have received ahead of their potential promotion to the Premier League.

These comments come just a week after Henry Winter produced an article on why the Premier League needs Leeds United, which gushed over the history of the club and their fanbase.

The Sheffield United boss clearly isn’t a fan of the media’s obsession with Leeds and, after the Blades returned to the driving seat in the race for promotion, he revealed his frustration.

Wilder told the Sheffield Star: “Most of the media want Leeds to go up. We’re determined to make them eat their words”

Leeds fans took issue with Wilder’s statement saying that he is off the mark after the club’s treatment around the Spygate saga, whilst other fans had a problem with the fact Wilder addressed it despite the fact it doesn’t affect what happens on the pitch.

Here’s what Leeds fans have been saying in response to the promotion-chasing manager on Twitter…

أكد سمير هاندانوفيتش، حارس مرمى إنتر ميلان الإيطالي أن فريقه كان قادرًا على الفوز أمام ريال مدريد لكنه افتقر للعزيمة.

وفاز النادي الملكي على النيراتزوري بنتيجة (3-2) على ملعبه “ألفريدو دي ستيفانو” ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة لدور المجموعات بـ دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وقال هاندانوفيتش لشبكة “سكاي سبورت إيطاليا”، في تصريحات أعقبت المباراة: “هناك الكثير من المرارة، لقد أعدنا المباراة إلى المسار الصحيح وأردنا الفوز، كان هذا هو الإحساس الذي شعرنا به داخل الملعب”.

وأضاف: “أتيحت لنا فرصتان ولم نستغلهما، بينما فعل ريال مدريد ذلك، والأحداث صنعت الفارق، في النهاية، كانوا أكثر تصميمًا”.

تعرف على ترتيب مجموعة ريال مدريد في دوري أبطال أوروبا بعد نهاية الجولة الثالثة

واستطرد حارس النيراتزوري: “في الانتصارات والهزائم، هناك دائمًا شيء إيجابي نتخذه، لكن علينا أن نكون أكثر تصميمًا، لأننا شعرنا حقًا أنه كان بإمكاننا الفوز بها وهذه ليست المرة الأولى التي نختبر فيها هذا الموقف”.

وأتم هاندانوفيتش: “أعتقد أننا كنا على قدم المساواة مع ريال مدريد، حتى أننا كنا متفوقين لفترات طويلة، علينا أن ننمو من حيث العقلية، وأن نكون أكثر تصميماً عندما نشعر أن المباراة بين أيدينا، أعتقد أن هذا كان الفارق الرئيسي بين الفريقين الليلة”. أهداف مباراة ريال مدريد وإنتر ميلان

[ad_pod ]

Liverpool have been linked with Napoli midfielder Piotr Zielinski again, who Jurgen Klopp tried to sign way back in 2016 and was linked with again last year.

What’s the story?

According to reports in Italy, via Sport Witness and CalcioNapoli24, Liverpool are ready to go all in on trying to sign Zielinski this time.

Klopp is clearly a huge fan. The Reds had a bid rejected for the Polish midfielder when he was at Udinese in 2016, per BBC, and he eventually joined Napoli instead, where he has been exceptional.

After links cropped up again last summer, the Italian press are claiming Liverpool are preparing a whopping €60m (£51.8m) offer to secure his services this time.

Is he good enough?

Zielinski was a player with great potential when he took pictures wearing a Liverpool shirt way back in 2016 in the hopes of securing his dream move to Anfield.

Who has the loudest fans in Europe? PSG certainly state their claim in the video below…

He is no longer just “potential” now though, and has blossomed into one of the most technically gifted and intelligent players in Europe.

Known for his ability to weave in and out of tight spaces and find passes between the defensive lines, the 24 year-old has completed 90 per cent of his passes across 30 league showings this season, averaging one dribble and 1.6 key passes per game as well as 1.1 tackles per game (Whoscored).

Having played plenty of times on the left side of midfield this campaign and displaying excellent dribbling, acceleration and vision from midfield, he could be Klopp’s replacement for the creativity that walked out the door with Philippe Coutinho.

Should they pull the trigger?

Quite simply, if Jurgen Klopp thinks Zielinski is a good fit for his style and system, then the Reds should waste no time in making this deal happen.

There were doubts over Andy Robertson. There were doubts of Georginio Wijnaldum. There were even doubts around the price tags of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

The Reds boss has shown time and time again that he and his transfer team are very specific in picking targets who suit their exact specifications, and if Zielinski is the man they see filling the Coutinho-shaped hole in the squad then it feels foolish to suggest otherwise.

Liverpool fans, do you think Zielinski would be a good signing? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below…

يحل فريق ليفربول ضيفًا على نظيره فريق إيفرتون، ظهر اليوم السبت، في بطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز وذلك بعد انتهاء فترة التوقف الدولي.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد والقنوات الناقلة لمباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون اليوم في الدوري الإنجليزي

وتُقام المباراة في ملعب جوديسون بارك، معقل التوفيز، في إطار منافسات الجولة الخامسة.

ويخوض ليفربول تلك المباراة بعد خسارته المذلة في الجولة الماضية، أمام أستون فيلا في ملعب الأخير، بسبعة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

في حين أن إيفرتون فاز في الجولة نفسها على برايتون بأربعة أهداف مقابل هدفين.

ويحتل إيفرتون صدارة جدول البريميرليج في الوقت الحالي بـ 12 نقطة، أما ليفربول حامل اللقب فيتواجد في المركز الخامس بـ 9 نقاط. معلق مباراة ليفربول وإيفرتون

يعلق حفيظ دراجي على المباراة.

يمكنك المطالعة علي مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنا.

[ad_pod ]

Leeds United striker Patrick Bamford says the pressure is now on Sheffield United, in post-match comments reported by The Yorkshire Post, following the Blades’ 1-0 win at Elland Road on Saturday, and he has pulled off a genius masterstroke with his comments.

What’s the word, then?

Well, the Whites had the opportunity to extend their lead over their Yorkshire rivals to five points when they hosted them at the weekend, but instead they ended up on the losing side meaning they now trail Chris Wilder’s men by a point.

With eight fixtures left to play it is very much still to play for in the automatic promotion race in the Championship, and Bamford was keen to put some pressure on the Blades, as reported by The Yorkshire Post.

He said: “The gap is not massive. It is tight and having been up there all season we have dealt with the pressure pretty well. Now the pressure, I think, will turn on Norwich and Sheffield.

“Norwich have been handling it, but for Sheffield it is the first time they have been in this position. It will be interesting to see how they cope with it, no longer being the underdogs and being in that pole position.”

Are fans being priced out of the Championship as well as the Premier League? The angry Bolton fan in the video below certainly believes so…

Brilliant from Bamford

On the back of such a disappointing result, the former Chelsea man has played this one very well.

While everyone will be talking about Leeds bottling promotion, the 25-year-old has spiced things up with his comments on Sheffield United.

Of course, the Bramall Lane-based outfit found themselves in a similar position earlier on in the campaign last term before fading away, and despite being heavily involved in the automatic promotion race in recent weeks the hub of the focus has still largely been on Leeds and Norwich.

Now Bamford has put the pressure on the Blades and taken some off of the Whites as result, and now we must wait and see until the end of the month to see how they deal with it.

Pep Guardiola’s return to Germany certainly wasn’t as routine as he had hoped following an incredible 3-2 victory over former rivals Schalke.

Indeed, it took City until the dying minutes of the game to rescue all three points and save face against a far weaker (on paper at least) Schalke side.

Manchester City started the game in typically explosive style.

A well worked free-kick routine saw Aguero’s first effort of the game saved in theatrical style by the flying hands of German stopper Ralf Fahrmann, before the latter’s dangerous pass was dispossessed on the outside of the area and placed easily into the open net by the awaiting Argentine.

VAR had its first decision of the game when the ball was ruled to have struck the arm of Otamendi in the box. Penalty to Schalke duly despatched by Nabil Bentaleb.

The hosts continued to pressure and saw their efforts pay off when a freekick floated into the area saw one of their players pulled to the ground. Second penalty of the half, second goal for Bentaleb.

Nicolas Otamendi was shown his first red of his Manchester City career in the 68th minute after an unnecessary foul from behind making his side’s task all the more difficult.

Despite their best efforts, it would take until the dying minutes of the game before Guardiola’s men restored normality. Substitute and former Schalke player Leroy Sane unleashed an absolute peach of a free-kick to level things up before Ederson’s Hail Mary found the feet of Sterling who duly dispatched.

You’ve got to say that Nicolas Otamendi really let his team down.

The penalty wasn’t really his fault, but the second yellow card was avoidable, and he’s given his manager a bit of a headache going into the next fixture because of it.

A special mention should also go out to Fernandinho, as well, who really looked off the boil compared to his usual self.

His tug on Sane in the box to give away the second penalty was silly and, as an experienced player, the Brazilian should have known better not to make needless contact in the box. Especially with VAR on the prowl.

[ad_pod ]

Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to a worrying piece of pre-Bayern news, as Roberto Firmino was absent from training on Monday.

Firmino did not participate in Liverpool training on Monday, reports The Liverpool Echo’s James Pearce.

The Brazilian international is suffering from a virus, per Pearce, and the Reds are sweating over his fitness for Tuesday night’s epic Champions League showdown.

Firmino has not been ruled out completely, but it seems very unlikely that he will be 100 per cent by Tuesday evening if he was unable to train on Monday.

With Virgil van Dijk suspended and Joe Gomez still out injured, that makes three Liverpool regulars that are expected to miss the game.

Of course, the last time Liverpool welcomed a European giant to Anfield without Firmino it was Daniel Sturridge who got the nod, and the striker bagged the opener in a 3-2 win over PSG.

Still, Liverpool fans are fearing the worst about facing one of Europe’s biggest and best teams without another star man, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

Chelsea owner Todd Boehly ranted at Raheem Sterling last season in an "embarrassing" dressing room incident, as he urged the winger to improve.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Sterling was targeted by owner
• Chelsea paid £50m ($63m) for England winger
• Has struggled to hit top form at Stamford Bridge

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a new report from the Telegraph, Boehly stormed into the dressing room last April, after Chelsea lost 2-1 to Brighton at Stamford Bridge, and made a beeline for Sterling. He both told the squad that they were in "embarrassing" shape, and also told Sterling that he was a world-class player who needed to bring more to the table in terms of his form and leadership.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sterling is said to have taken the criticism well, accepting that Boehly was within his rights to give him his opinion, and has been receptive to feedback throughout his time at Stamford Bridge. However, his form has been patchy since he arrived from Manchester City, scoring 16 goals and registering 12 assists in 68 games. That amounts to a goal contribution every 0.4 games.

• Getty Images
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Sterling has not scored for Chelsea in the Premier League since November, when the Blues lost 4-1 to Newcastle. He has provided three assists since then, but one has to think that boss Mauricio Pochettino is expecting more from the Three Lions star.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Sterling will next be in action for Chelsea against former club City on Saturday. The 10th-placed Blues could climb as high as eighth if they win.