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The Uefa Nations League is in full swing. Below we run through all the fascinating stories and match results from the latest round of matches from UEFA’s newest competition.

How does the Uefa Nations League work?

Every Uefa nation is split into four leagues with each league made up of four groups of either three or four teams.
Each team plays each other home and away and the top team of each group goes into the league play-offs.

The winner of each league’s play-off qualifies for Euro 2020, unless they have already qualified through the separate qualification process, then their place goes to a lower-ranked team.

Similarly, there’s also relegation and promotion processes as well as an overall champion who tops the league.
It’s a new football qualification system designed and adopted by UEFA that all football followers should take a look at.

LEAGUE A
Round 1
 Germany 0-0 France
 France 2-1 Netherlands

Round 2
 Netherlands 3-0 Germany
 France v Germany

Germany’s poor run of form remains unending as they were beaten 3-0 by Netherlands on Saturday night.
The 2014 World Champions underwent a difficult summer at the World Cup, and they team failed to recover in Amsterdam as they succumbed to a 3-0 loss against Nations League Group 1 opponents.

Holland captain Virgil van Dijk scored before the break, with Liverpool’s Giorginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay netting too to take the tally to three.

World champions France occupy top spot in the group with four points and faces Germany on Tuesday at home. How France will fare against a demoralized Joachim Low’s side will be known at the end of match proceedings.

Group 2
Round 1
 Switzerland 6-0 Iceland
 Iceland 0-3 Belgium

Iceland have been a major force in football since their shocking defeat of England in the last Euro Nations Cup of 2016.
However, their performance in the ongoing Nations League has been terrible and embarrassing following a 6-0 hammering by Switzerland and a 3-0 defeat to Belgium.

Group 3
Round 1
 Italy 1-1 Poland
 Portugal 1-0 Italy

Round 2
 Poland 2-3 Portugal
 Poland 0-1 Italy

Poland are the first team to be relegated from League A after they suffered back-to-back home losses to Italy and Portugal this week.
Cristiano Biraghi’s late strike gave the Italians the win on Sunday night, hence worsening Poland’s state.

The significance of the goal means Italy still have a chance of seeing out Portugal to the finals, though the Azzuris have to win at home on November 17, and hope Portugal fail to get a favorable result against Poland.

Group 4
Round 1
 England 1-2 Spain
 Spain 6-0 Croatia
Round 2
 Croatia 0-0 Spain
 Spain 6-0 Croatia

Spain are top of this group following a 2-1 win against England at Wembley with a six hammering of Croatia in the first round of matches.
Luis Enrique’s side fail maintain their winning streak as they lost last night to England at Seville.

Croatia are seemingly battling to avoid relegation - though they technically can still win the group.

Monaco have sacked manager Leonardo Jardim due to club’s poor form.
The France’s Ligue 1 club have been poor this season and occupy the 18th spot on the ‘French Elite Division’ table.

Monaco haven’t won a game in all competitions since after their opening day victory over Nantes.
The team went on to lose their last four matches raising questions on the state of the team.

Owing to this poor showing, Monaco have replicated same outcome at the Uefa Champions League. Their performance has threatened their chances of qualification from the group.

Monaco’s recent home defeat to Angers made matters worse for the French club as they failed to register a single shot on target.
It is bizarre, then, that many are shocked by Jardim and Monaco’s parting of ways.

And stranger still that this appears to be a genuine case of mutual agreement, with everyone leaving on good terms.
That this is the case speaks volumes for the amazing work that coach Jardim has done in the past four years at the club.

Monaco have in the past four seasons qualified for Champions League, finishing third on two occasions, and second once.
In the 2016/2017 season, Jardim led the little-believed, inexperienced Monaco side to doing the unthinkable – winning the Ligue 1 league, ahead of the mega-rich PSG.

It was so great and rewarding a season for Monaco that they reached the semi-final of the Champions League.
Though many saw Leonardo Jardim in first couple of seasons as an adept defensive-minded tactician, the title-winning campaign showed that he was equally able to implement an exciting, attacking style when the tools are in his disposal.

Aside on-flied success, Jardim’s greatest legacy is off the pitch.
His ability to transform young talents into some of the best footballers in the world has paid out, not only for the players themselves but for Monaco’s coffers.

The sale of stars like Yannick Carrasco, Benjamin Mendy, Anthony Martial, Geoffrey Kondongbia, Lavvin Kurzawa, Bernardo Silva, Tie’moue’ Bakayoko, Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, and Fabinho have brought in more than £700m.

Sadly and rightly said, things are not just working out behind the scene at Monaco. Jardim has been unable to motivate his young and old players to raise their game at a period like this.

His departure is clearly the best solution for all involved, and an €8 million pay-off will certainly sweeten the pill for him.
Monaco club president Dmitri Rybolovlev and Vice-president Vadim Vasilyev will always be grateful to Jardim for what he helped the club achieve. The fans are not left out in pouring encomiums on the coach, and despite the disappointing season, his stocks remain high.

Every journey that has a beginning always surely has an end; and for Jardim at Monaco, the end has come.
The development potentially paves the way for Thierry Henry to become their next manager after their former striker was linked with the role.


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Bayern Munich

After four games without a win, including a shock 3-0 home defeat at the weekend, there has been talk about a "crisis" at Bayern Munich.
So what's gone wrong? And is new head coach Niko Kovac at fault? Or are there deeper issues? James Walker-Roberts takes a look...
"Hello, Jupp, it's us again…."

Carlo Ancelotti
After sacking Carlo Ancelotti less than two months into the 2017/18 season, Bayern could be about to axe another manager, with Niko Kovac said to be "fighting for his job" after a 3-0 home defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach.

The loss extended Bayern's winless run to four matches and came just days after president Uli Hoeness said Kovac was putting "his neck on the line" with his rotation policy.

The defeat also comes just weeks after Bayern looked set to equal a club record by winning their first nine games of the season - a record set by the 2012/13 treble-winning side of legendary manager Jupp Heynckes, who came to the rescue to replace Ancelotti last season. So, what's gone wrong?

For starters: Kovac was not Bayern's top target when they looked for a manager to take over from Heynckes at the end of last season.

Hoeness’ words
Hoeness said the club tried for a "very, very long time" to persuade Heynckes, now 73 years old, to stay on, before turning to Thomas Tuchel, who instead opted for Paris Saint-Germain. Kovac all of a sudden became their "preferred candidate".

Kovac’s Achievements
Kovac spent two seasons as a player at Bayern from 2001-2003, but as a manager his CV lacks the silverware that Heynckes, Ancelotti and Pep Guardiola have won.

His biggest achievement was winning the German Cup last season with Eintracht Frankfurt - the club's first trophy success in 30 years - beating future employers Bayern 3-1 in the final.

Despite any potential doubts, initial noises were positive. Bayer Leverkusen coach Heiko Herrlich described Bayern as "venomous" after a 3-1 defeat at the Allianz Arena.

Franck Ribery told kicker that Kovac has "great qualities" and "the character to coach a big team".

David Alaba said Kovac brought "clear and fresh ideas" to Bayern. Seven wins in a row to start the season seemed to offer weight to Kovac's appointment.

Player Rotation Policy

However, the mood has shifted in recent weeks. One of the apparent issues is the regular rotation, with Kovac yet to name the same team for consecutive league matches.

In the last five matches there have been five different line-ups and there have also been tweaks with the formations.
In fact, only two players - Manuel Neuer and Joshua Kimmich - have started all seven league matches as previously regular starters are spending more time on the bench than they might have expected.

Hoeness' view on the situation was: "It's up to the coach. In the end, he's putting his neck on the line for it."
German newspaper Bild, though, has claimed that some players are unhappy. James Rodriguez reportedly exclaimed "we're not at Frankfurt here" after not featuring in a 1-1 draw with Augsburg.

The Colombia international, who is on loan from Real Madrid, was dropped for the match after scoring, and producing a positive display, in Bayern's previous match.

Rift at the club
Kovac has denied reports of a rift but there have also been suggestions that some players do not like the manager speaking in Croatian rather than German to his coaching staff.

Bayern players are all encouraged to learn and speak German, but it is reported that Kovac speaks Croatian with his assistant coach, who is his brother Robert, and his goalkeeping coach and sporting director.

"The atmosphere in the dressing room is a positive one," said Kovac in response to a question about rifts.
"Some are of course disappointed not to play, and we're also disappointed with recent results. Nevertheless, there is a real sense of unity in the team."

CL game against Ajax
Recent performances have not helped Kovac's cause. Bayern were outplayed by Ajax at the Allianz Arena in the Champions League and fortunate to escape with a 1-1 draw.

There was also some alarming defending as Monchengladbach scored their third goal at the weekend, with players standing still and watching as Patrick Herrmann - one of only two Gladbach players in the box - controlled the ball and then fired past Neuer.

Asked on Saturday if he feared the sack, Kovac said: "I cannot answer that. I know the mechanisms in football, in the Bundesliga and in Bavaria.

I know that I'm at Bayern and the time here is different than maybe elsewhere. We have played seven games well and four not. We have shown that we can do it.
I am convinced that we will be back and I want to do my part."

There are potentially-tempting candidates available if Bayern did decide to make a change, including Zinedine Zidane and Antonio Conte.
However, Hoeness has given his support to Kovac, saying: "I clearly stand behind him. No matter what happens in the coming weeks."

Those comments - made in the wake of the 3-0 loss to Monchengladbach - should provide some relief for Kovac as he tries to deal with Bayern's underlying issues.

Bayern’s last CL trophy
When Bayern last won the Champions League in 2012/13 they had seven players in the starting line-up who are still first-team regulars.
There has been some investment in youth in recent years but Bayern still heavily rely on the "old-guard".

The youngest players in the starting line-up against Borussia Monchengladbach were 23-year-olds Kimmich, Niklas Sule and Leon Goretzka.
There were five players aged 29 or older, and one of the half-time substitutes was 35-year-old Ribery.

It is not surprising that Bayern have the oldest average age in the Bundesliga this season (28 years and 66 days).
Only two teams in the Premier League - Burnley and Watford - can top that, while Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, the current top two in the Bundesliga, have average ages of 25 years and 131 days, and 24 years and 181 days respectively.

Bayern are getting old. The stats show that, as do the performances against Monchengladbach and Ajax.
Yet there wasn't much done in the summer to address it. Goretzka was the only signing - on a free transfer - while Renato Sanches and Serge Gnabry returned from loan spells.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge
CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge explained that Bayern have a "different philosophy to some European rivals" and "buying just to please the audience does not work".

However, the lack of transfer activity, coupled with a shortage of successful youth products in recent years, has ultimately left Kovac with a small squad - particularly after injuries to Corentin Tolisso, Kingsley Coman and Rafinha - and also an ageing one.

That's not a winning combination and it hasn't been helped by a dip in form from goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has the second-worst save rate in the Bundesliga, and an apparent lack of defensive organization.

At the other end of the pitch, Bayern have had 53 shots in the last three games and scored just once.

In the game against Monchengladbach, Robert Lewandowski had just 12 touches, which is his lowest-ever total in the Bundesliga.
There are clearly issues that need fixing, but changing manager might not be the solution, even if Heynckes did pick up the phone...



visit: https://www.sportsfora.com

Libya are billed to arrive Uyo on Friday for their 2019 Africa Cup Nations qualifying fixture against the Super Eagles of Nigeria billed for this Saturday at the Akwa Ibom International Stadium Uyo, according to Sportsfora.com

The Libya players and their officials, Sportsfora learnt, will fly straight to Uyo from Tripoli for the Group E clash with the Super Eagles
The Mediterranean Knights will have a feel of the playing turf of the Akwa Ibom International Stadium the same day.

The North Africans so far remain unbeaten in the qualifying series with a win and draw from their opening two games against Seychelles and South Africa.

Libya occupies top position in Group E of the 2019 AFCON qualifiers with four points from two games. South Africa are next with same number of points but have an inferior goal difference.

The Super Eagles of Nigeria sit in third position with three points, while Seychelles who lost their opening two games are yet to get a point.

Last month, Libya played a draw against the Bafana Bafana in South Africa and afterwards promised to humble the Super Eagles in Nigeria.
Libya squad vs Super Eagles

Badr Hassan Ahmad (Ahly Tripoli), Ahmad Fahim ben Ali (Crotone), Rabia Ramadan el Chadi (Al-Ittihad), Moaid Salem Ellafi, Mohamed Saleh Solah- Mahrek (Bahrain) Hamdou Mohamed el Houni (Desportivo Aves).

Ismael Tajouri-Shradi ( New York City), Mohamed Noureddine Zaabia (Al-Ittihad), Anis Mohamed Seltou (Ahly Tripoli), Salem Fathi Belaid (Al-Ittihad), Khaled Majdi Mrimi.

Mohamed Fathi Nachnouch (Al Ahly SC Tripoly), Ahmed Abdessalem Arraka ( Al Madina), Mourad Boubaker al Ouhichi (Al Hilal), Ahmed Kamel Terbi (Al-Ittihad), Sanad Massaoud Mohamed ( Raja).

Tarek Nassr Jemal (Al-Ittihad), Ali Maatoug Omran (Ahly Tripoli ), Mootassem Massaoud Sabou (Al-Ittihad), Mohamed Abdessalem Khalifa (Orlando City), Ahmed Mohamed Maksi (Al-Ittihad), Ali Al Musrati (Vitoria Guimarães).
Libya will host Nigeria in the reverse fixture on October 16 in Sfax Tunisia.


visit: www.sportsfora.com

David De Gea is ‘fed up’ with Jose Mourinho’s reign at Manchester United, according to reports.

Mourinho is under pressure to turn around United’s current muddle as the team have not won in their last four games.

They were booed off the pitch by some supporters after their goalless draw with Valencia in the Champions League on Tuesday evening.

Mourinho is also losing his battle in the dressing room, with reports claiming that several United players believe that the 55-year-old will be sacked.

Paul Pogba was involved in a tense exchange with Mourinho during training last week and was also told by the manager that he would never captain United again.

Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, and Eric Bailly have also been publicly criticized by Mourinho, while the United manager has also angered Alexis Sanchez after dropping the Chilean from the match day squad for the defeat to West Ham last Saturday.

According to ‘The Sun’, De Gea is now among the United players who have grown tired of Mourinho’s tenure and the report claims that the Spanish goalkeeper is ‘fed up’ with the current situation at Old Trafford.

The 27-year-old, who has won United’s Player of the Year award four times in the last five years, has entered the final year of his current contract, although United do hold the option of a 12-month extension.


Speaking last month about a possible extension, De Gea said: ‘I feel really loved at his club from the fans from all the people who are for this club.

‘I am really happy to play for this club, one of best clubs in the world, so for me really good to be part of this club.’ United have the chance to end their slump when they host Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday.

Manchester United sit 10th on the Premier League table behind Leicester, Watford, Cardiff and Wolves and will hope to push up the ranking after the weekend’s game.


"It would be nice for us to count some players among those who were given awards, but football is a team sport and we will face this Champions League with great determination."



visit: www.sportsfora.com

Cristiano Ronaldo has dismissed as "fake news" accusations by a US woman who alleges she was raped by the Portuguese footballer in 2009.

In an Instagram video, Ronaldo said: "They want to promote [themselves] by [using] my name. It's normal."

Ronaldo's lawyers say they will sue Germany's Der Spiegel magazine, which originally reported the allegations.

The magazine wrote that Kathryn Mayorga had claimed Ronaldo, 33, raped her in a hotel room in Las Vegas.

Ms Mayorga, 34, is reported to have filed a rape report with Las Vegas police shortly after the alleged incident.

In 2010, she reportedly reached an out-of-court settlement with Ronaldo involving a $375,000 (£288,000) payment for agreeing never to go public with the allegations.

Her lawyers are now seeking to declare the non-disclosure agreement void.

In a statement, Ronaldo's lawyer Christian Schertz said "the reporting in Spiegel is blatantly illegal".

He added that he had been instructed to seek compensation for "moral damages" over "probably one of the most serious violations of personal rights in recent years".

Ronaldo joined Italy's Juventus from Real Madrid for £99.2m earlier this year.

The Portuguese international is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time.


visit: https://www.sportsfora.com

The owner is happy, the players are happy, the fans are happy.

Maurizio Sarri may only be six league games into his Chelsea tenure - and faces his biggest challenge yet when his side meets leaders Liverpool on Saturday - but he has already achieved a level of harmony at Stamford Bridge that was clearly lacking last season.

From putting treats on the menu to embracing players' opinions and transforming their style of play, it has been a cultural revolution implemented in double-quick time.
So what exactly is different at Chelsea this season? And how has Sarri gone about making those changes?

Gregarious, tactile and left-leaning - Sarri the man and the manager
Sarri, along with former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona coaches Thomas Tuchel and Luis Enrique, were the men in contention to succeed Antonio Conte - but the Italian's work and style at Napoli swiftly made him Chelsea's prime target.

Chain-smoking, notoriously superstitious and a former banker who did not enter management until he was 40, Sarri's feats in his home city, where he was treated with reverence, brought lavish praise from his peers.
Arrigo Sacchi, twice a European Cup winner at AC Milan, described him as "a genius", while Manchester City's Pep Guardiola declared he was "in love with Napoli" after watching his side.

The trio shared dinner in Italy in the summer as Sarri plotted his next move after taking Napoli to within four points of champions Juventus in Serie A.
Sarri's coaching career has been a slow burner but his rise to prominence has been rapid. Just four years ago he was coaching unfashionable Empoli but performed with such distinction in Naples that he was Serie A coach of the year in 2017.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's eye was caught by Sarri's methods and attractive playing style. He did not have a trophy to his name but this was not a concern for the Russian as he was convinced this was a coach who had proved his worth.

Sarri's personality means he is less likely to become involved in the tensions that led to unrest last season, resulting in Conte's departure.
Those close to him believe he is happiest putting his imprint on his squad, at ease working with players on the training ground and that will be his main focus.

He will have his transfer targets in mind - but will not be as rigid as Conte, who could become discontented when his number-one target was not acquired. Sarri is not regarded as over-demanding on transfer matters.

Chelsea have backed Sarri with the arrival of one of his key Napoli cohorts, Jorginho snatched away from Manchester City in a £50m deal, as well as by spending a world record £71m on Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to replace Thibaut Courtois.
Sarri, seen by those around the club as a gregarious, tactile and humorous man, has established a good early relationship with Abramovich and key director Marina Granovskaia, who is his day-to-day point of contact.

The club ensured Sarri acted quickly on his appointment to clear up controversy over criticism he received for sexist and homophobic remarks he made while in Italy - and since then he has made an instant impact at Chelsea and on the Premier League.
Sarri loves politics, with a personal leaning to the left, and likes to indulge his love of cinema, reading poetry and books - but they have been set to one side as he focuses his sights on moulding the Blues in his style.

'If Conte is 24 hours a day, he is 48 hours a day' - Sarri the training-ground obsessive
Sarri is one of management's more rounded individuals, provided in part by his background as a currency trader, but he is currently obsessed with the re-evaluation of Chelsea.

The Italian has been spending up to 14 hours at Chelsea's Cobham training base virtually every day since his arrival, testimony to his meticulous approach and eye for detail.

Italian journalist Stefano Boldrini, London correspondent for Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport, told BBC Sport: "If Conte is 24 hours a day, Sarri is 48 hours a day.
"In the first two months at Chelsea he spends 10 to 14 hours every day between the technical ground at the computer or TV watching other teams because the English league is a big fight for him."

Sarri has a more collective approach to management than his fiery predecessor, with Boldrini saying: "With Conte it is a vertical structure. He is the boss and there is only one boss. Sarri is open. He speaks every day with his assistants and at the end he decides. He is open, talking with the players.

"Conte says: 'I am the boss, I decide.' Sarri will say: 'I am the boss but I will discuss with you.' Sometimes Conte's style may be better with different personalities. Sarri is a different culture, another story."

Much was made of Conte's dictatorial style at Chelsea last season and the tensions which arose as a result, with Willian one player who publicly admitted he would have left had he stayed.

Sarri's man-management skills have already made Cobham a more relaxed place and he is always willing to engage with various strands of the club - but he is not a fan of anything that keeps him away from the training pitch or the complex where he works behind the scenes.
He has already earned a reputation inside Chelsea as a manager who attacks his task in minute detail and, while he does canvas opinion from his trusted team, in truth he is the sole strategist.

Chelsea icon Gianfranco Zola, back as assistant manager, is also vocal - but it is Sarri running the show on the training ground.
He has also made adjustments away from the training pitch that have won favour within Chelsea's powerful dressing room.

Let them eat cake... and maybe some ice cream
When Chelsea's players walked into a side room at an Austrian motel in July 2016 and found themselves confronted by a selection of seeds, nuts and dried fruit, many assumed they had simply taken a wrong turn.

It was, in fact, the first sign of the dietary iron discipline Conte wanted to enforce on his Blues squad - and who can question the results with a Premier League title and an FA Cup in his two seasons at Stamford Bridge?
Sarri, however, is a different beast.
Discipline is high on his agenda but the rules are now relaxed and Cobham has seen some of the more austere aspects of life lifted after regime change.

Sarri's big message is that Cobham must be a place players want to come to work - serious, but also fun.
And the lighter touches can even be found on the dining tables, with the return of "luxuries" such as ketchup, salt and butter. Chefs now even prepare cakes for the players to enjoy and on away trips Chelsea's players often have cartons of ice cream placed in a bowl.

Sarri trusts his players not to over-indulge and will act if they do - and it is an attitude that now extend beyond the training ground.
In recent years, not just under Conte, Chelsea players often met at Stamford Bridge to go to a team hotel the night before home games, retiring to their rooms after dinner and a team meeting.
The following morning brought a walk and a stretch around Chelsea Harbour but there was an element of "dead time" that often led to frustration.

Sarri has changed that routine and now trusts his players with nights at home with their families before home games, a quick win for the Italian and one guaranteed to gain approval from his players.
The results have been a much happier Chelsea camp this season, reflected in their impressive start to the Premier League season, where they are unbeaten in their first six games. They also reached the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday by coming from behind to beat Liverpool.

How Sarri has changed the face of Chelsea
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is another peer prepared to express his admiration for Sarri's work, describing his transformation as "the biggest change in style I have ever seen in such a short space of time. Wow. Style completely changed. What a manager he is".
So what has Sarri actually done to bring such admiration from a man also regarded as one of the world's elite coaches?

Sarri's preferred style of 4-3-3 carries more risk than Conte's 3-4-3 but he wants to reap the rewards and a look at the stats shows just how that transformation is playing out and how "Sarri-ball" is beginning to emerge in west London.

While formation is key, it is another fundamentally simple tweak that is making a difference - his players' physical positions on the pitch.
Sarri has moved Chelsea's play further up the field this season by more than three metres. Last season, on average, they started sequences of possession 40.9m from their own goal, the eighth best record in the division. In 2018-19 their passages of play start from 44.1m, second behind Manchester City.

Helped by that more advanced positioning, Chelsea are only allowing the opposition to advance an average of 10.13m with the ball before attempting to make a defensive intervention.

This is the best figure in the Premier League, whereas last term they were eighth, behind clubs including Bournemouth, Southampton and Watford, allowing 12.8m of progress.

"I prefer to defend as far as possible up the pitch," said Cesar Azpilicueta, who has been at the club for six years. "It's different. You can see we press very high and the defensive line is very high, but that's what we want.

"It helps that he tells you very clearly what he wants and we analyse every game to see where we can improve. Defensively he says we want to be looking at the ball the whole time, high pressing. We're all working in training to get it as good as possible."

Another marked change has been the way Chelsea keep the ball, highlighted against West Ham by the statistic that Jorginho attempted 180 passes, more than any other players in a Premier League game since Opta began recording that data.

It is certainly true that Sarri's side keeps possession for long and employs a less direct style this season. In 2017-18, Chelsea completed sequences of 10 or more passes 14 times per game on average. This season the figure stands at 25 times per game.
And their total of 147 sequences of 10 passes or more is just two short of Manchester City, who have the highest figure, and more than double Arsenal's.

Chelsea's match-winner at Liverpool Eden Hazard, who Sarri held back from starting until he hit full match fitness, says: "I like to have the ball, not in my own half but in the last 30 metres. I like that type of game. It is completely different from Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho before."
[b]Can Sarri bring success to Chelsea?

Chelsea does not set managers pre-ordained targets. The goal is simply to ensure they are in contention for major prizes and the Champions League towards the end of the season.[/b]

Sarri's arrival at Chelsea, a club which history proves is demanding on many levels, caused some surprise in Italy but he follows in the line of fellow countrymen such as Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Roberto di Matteo and Antonio Conte.

Boldrini says: "At the beginning a lot of people thought it would not be easy for him because Chelsea is not an easy club. It demands a lot but now after two months of work people think it may be better and he could win."

The meeting with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday will tell us more about how much early progress Chelsea have made under their latest Italian manager - and how much more needs to be done.


visit: www.sportsfora.com

The owner is happy, the players are happy, the fans are happy.

Maurizio Sarri may only be six league games into his Chelsea tenure - and faces his biggest challenge yet when his side meets leaders Liverpool on Saturday - but he has already achieved a level of harmony at Stamford Bridge that was clearly lacking last season.

From putting treats on the menu to embracing players' opinions and transforming their style of play, it has been a cultural revolution implemented in double-quick time.
So what exactly is different at Chelsea this season? And how has Sarri gone about making those changes?

Gregarious, tactile and left-leaning - Sarri the man and the manager
Sarri, along with former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona coaches Thomas Tuchel and Luis Enrique, were the men in contention to succeed Antonio Conte - but the Italian's work and style at Napoli swiftly made him Chelsea's prime target.

Chain-smoking, notoriously superstitious and a former banker who did not enter management until he was 40, Sarri's feats in his home city, where he was treated with reverence, brought lavish praise from his peers.
Arrigo Sacchi, twice a European Cup winner at AC Milan, described him as "a genius", while Manchester City's Pep Guardiola declared he was "in love with Napoli" after watching his side.

The trio shared dinner in Italy in the summer as Sarri plotted his next move after taking Napoli to within four points of champions Juventus in Serie A.
Sarri's coaching career has been a slow burner but his rise to prominence has been rapid. Just four years ago he was coaching unfashionable Empoli but performed with such distinction in Naples that he was Serie A coach of the year in 2017.

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's eye was caught by Sarri's methods and attractive playing style. He did not have a trophy to his name but this was not a concern for the Russian as he was convinced this was a coach who had proved his worth.

Sarri's personality means he is less likely to become involved in the tensions that led to unrest last season, resulting in Conte's departure.
Those close to him believe he is happiest putting his imprint on his squad, at ease working with players on the training ground and that will be his main focus.

He will have his transfer targets in mind - but will not be as rigid as Conte, who could become discontented when his number-one target was not acquired. Sarri is not regarded as over-demanding on transfer matters.

Chelsea have backed Sarri with the arrival of one of his key Napoli cohorts, Jorginho snatched away from Manchester City in a £50m deal, as well as by spending a world record £71m on Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to replace Thibaut Courtois.
Sarri, seen by those around the club as a gregarious, tactile and humorous man, has established a good early relationship with Abramovich and key director Marina Granovskaia, who is his day-to-day point of contact.

The club ensured Sarri acted quickly on his appointment to clear up controversy over criticism he received for sexist and homophobic remarks he made while in Italy - and since then he has made an instant impact at Chelsea and on the Premier League.
Sarri loves politics, with a personal leaning to the left, and likes to indulge his love of cinema, reading poetry and books - but they have been set to one side as he focuses his sights on moulding the Blues in his style.

'If Conte is 24 hours a day, he is 48 hours a day' - Sarri the training-ground obsessive
Sarri is one of management's more rounded individuals, provided in part by his background as a currency trader, but he is currently obsessed with the re-evaluation of Chelsea.

The Italian has been spending up to 14 hours at Chelsea's Cobham training base virtually every day since his arrival, testimony to his meticulous approach and eye for detail.

Italian journalist Stefano Boldrini, London correspondent for Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport, told BBC Sport: "If Conte is 24 hours a day, Sarri is 48 hours a day.
"In the first two months at Chelsea he spends 10 to 14 hours every day between the technical ground at the computer or TV watching other teams because the English league is a big fight for him."

Sarri has a more collective approach to management than his fiery predecessor, with Boldrini saying: "With Conte it is a vertical structure. He is the boss and there is only one boss. Sarri is open. He speaks every day with his assistants and at the end he decides. He is open, talking with the players.

"Conte says: 'I am the boss, I decide.' Sarri will say: 'I am the boss but I will discuss with you.' Sometimes Conte's style may be better with different personalities. Sarri is a different culture, another story."

Much was made of Conte's dictatorial style at Chelsea last season and the tensions which arose as a result, with Willian one player who publicly admitted he would have left had he stayed.

Sarri's man-management skills have already made Cobham a more relaxed place and he is always willing to engage with various strands of the club - but he is not a fan of anything that keeps him away from the training pitch or the complex where he works behind the scenes.
He has already earned a reputation inside Chelsea as a manager who attacks his task in minute detail and, while he does canvas opinion from his trusted team, in truth he is the sole strategist.

Chelsea icon Gianfranco Zola, back as assistant manager, is also vocal - but it is Sarri running the show on the training ground.
He has also made adjustments away from the training pitch that have won favour within Chelsea's powerful dressing room.

Let them eat cake... and maybe some ice cream
When Chelsea's players walked into a side room at an Austrian motel in July 2016 and found themselves confronted by a selection of seeds, nuts and dried fruit, many assumed they had simply taken a wrong turn.

It was, in fact, the first sign of the dietary iron discipline Conte wanted to enforce on his Blues squad - and who can question the results with a Premier League title and an FA Cup in his two seasons at Stamford Bridge?
Sarri, however, is a different beast.
Discipline is high on his agenda but the rules are now relaxed and Cobham has seen some of the more austere aspects of life lifted after regime change.

Sarri's big message is that Cobham must be a place players want to come to work - serious, but also fun.
And the lighter touches can even be found on the dining tables, with the return of "luxuries" such as ketchup, salt and butter. Chefs now even prepare cakes for the players to enjoy and on away trips Chelsea's players often have cartons of ice cream placed in a bowl.

Sarri trusts his players not to over-indulge and will act if they do - and it is an attitude that now extend beyond the training ground.
In recent years, not just under Conte, Chelsea players often met at Stamford Bridge to go to a team hotel the night before home games, retiring to their rooms after dinner and a team meeting.
The following morning brought a walk and a stretch around Chelsea Harbour but there was an element of "dead time" that often led to frustration.

Sarri has changed that routine and now trusts his players with nights at home with their families before home games, a quick win for the Italian and one guaranteed to gain approval from his players.
The results have been a much happier Chelsea camp this season, reflected in their impressive start to the Premier League season, where they are unbeaten in their first six games. They also reached the Carabao Cup fourth round on Wednesday by coming from behind to beat Liverpool.

How Sarri has changed the face of Chelsea
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is another peer prepared to express his admiration for Sarri's work, describing his transformation as "the biggest change in style I have ever seen in such a short space of time. Wow. Style completely changed. What a manager he is".
So what has Sarri actually done to bring such admiration from a man also regarded as one of the world's elite coaches?

Sarri's preferred style of 4-3-3 carries more risk than Conte's 3-4-3 but he wants to reap the rewards and a look at the stats shows just how that transformation is playing out and how "Sarri-ball" is beginning to emerge in west London.

While formation is key, it is another fundamentally simple tweak that is making a difference - his players' physical positions on the pitch.
Sarri has moved Chelsea's play further up the field this season by more than three metres. Last season, on average, they started sequences of possession 40.9m from their own goal, the eighth best record in the division. In 2018-19 their passages of play start from 44.1m, second behind Manchester City.

Helped by that more advanced positioning, Chelsea are only allowing the opposition to advance an average of 10.13m with the ball before attempting to make a defensive intervention.

This is the best figure in the Premier League, whereas last term they were eighth, behind clubs including Bournemouth, Southampton and Watford, allowing 12.8m of progress.

"I prefer to defend as far as possible up the pitch," said Cesar Azpilicueta, who has been at the club for six years. "It's different. You can see we press very high and the defensive line is very high, but that's what we want.

"It helps that he tells you very clearly what he wants and we analyse every game to see where we can improve. Defensively he says we want to be looking at the ball the whole time, high pressing. We're all working in training to get it as good as possible."

Another marked change has been the way Chelsea keep the ball, highlighted against West Ham by the statistic that Jorginho attempted 180 passes, more than any other players in a Premier League game since Opta began recording that data.

It is certainly true that Sarri's side keeps possession for long and employs a less direct style this season. In 2017-18, Chelsea completed sequences of 10 or more passes 14 times per game on average. This season the figure stands at 25 times per game.
And their total of 147 sequences of 10 passes or more is just two short of Manchester City, who have the highest figure, and more than double Arsenal's.

Chelsea's match-winner at Liverpool Eden Hazard, who Sarri held back from starting until he hit full match fitness, says: "I like to have the ball, not in my own half but in the last 30 metres. I like that type of game. It is completely different from Antonio Conte or Jose Mourinho before."
[b]Can Sarri bring success to Chelsea?

Chelsea does not set managers pre-ordained targets. The goal is simply to ensure they are in contention for major prizes and the Champions League towards the end of the season.[/b]

Sarri's arrival at Chelsea, a club which history proves is demanding on many levels, caused some surprise in Italy but he follows in the line of fellow countrymen such as Gianluca Vialli, Claudio Ranieri, Roberto di Matteo and Antonio Conte.

Boldrini says: "At the beginning a lot of people thought it would not be easy for him because Chelsea is not an easy club. It demands a lot but now after two months of work people think it may be better and he could win."

The meeting with Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday will tell us more about how much early progress Chelsea have made under their latest Italian manager - and how much more needs to be done.


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[color=#000000]Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have become a feared force across Europe, but are they the best attacking trio in the world? We take a look at the competition with a view active and goal-threatening this bunch of trios would be.

The Champions League is back, and with a blockbuster of a clash between last year's finalists Liverpool and French champions Paris Saint-Germain to get us up and running.
[/color]
[color=#000000]Tuesday's encounter at Anfield pits two of Europe's most exhilarating forward lines against each other, but who possesses the very best triumvirate? Are there better strike trios elsewhere in Europe? Scroll down to vote for your pick![/color]

Liverpool - Firmino, Salah, Mane
[color=#000000]It was not just the Premier League that brought the best out of Firmino, Salah and Mane last season. In 2017/18 Liverpool became the first team to have three players - Salah, Mane and Firmino - score 10 or more goals each in a single European Cup/Champions League campaign, on top of their combined 57 league goals.

The Champions League quarter-final clash with Premier League champions Manchester City is where fans were treated to Liverpool at their high-octane best. Jurgen Klopp's terrifying trio scored four times between them over the two legs, but it was Liverpool's relentless running and pressing that blew City away early on at Anfield in the first leg.[/color]

"You go back to Barcelona at their very best, you sat back and enjoyed their passing and moving football - but it was easy to overlook their work-rate," Sky Sports Graeme Souness said after Liverpool's win over Tottenham at the weekend.

"It's the same with this Liverpool team. You admire the goals and creativity but can overlook the intensity they play."
While Mane has begun this season in fine fettle with four goals to his name, Salah has so far been unable to replicate his heroics of last season as he, and Firmino, have found the net just twice each.

[color=#000000]No disaster at this stage, but having set the standard last season, simply continuing in the same vein will be the minimum expected by Klopp.[/color]

PSG - Neymar, Mbappe, Cavani
[color=#000000]Another year, another Ligue 1 domination by the world's most expensive forward line in 2017/18.

This season, both Kylian Mbappe and Neymar have been used sparingly by new PSG boss Thomas Tuchel but, of course, Neymar, Mbappe and Edinson Cavani have still scored 12 goals between them already, more than 17 other Ligue 1 clubs after five games.

The three complement each other perfectly. Cavani is the focal point in the middle, and loves a goal against English clubs, having scored eight goals in 14 appearances in the Champions League against teams from England.[/color]

[color=#000000]Neymar brings the sublime skill and finesse, having delivered 15 assists over the last three seasons in the Champions League, three more than any other player [Cristiano Ronaldo 12), with dynamo Mbappe causing many a problem on the other flank.

PSG's problem, partly down to their attacking trio, has been replicating their league form on the continent. They have just one Champions League semi-final appearance to their name, in 1994/95.

Last campaign, spearheaded by goals from their forwards, the group stage showed promise, but Real Madrid proved insurmountable in the last 16. One goal over both legs from their front three said it all.[/color]

Juventus - Ronaldo, Dybala, Mandzukic
[color=#000000]There is one big reason why Juventus have to be considered challengers for this season's Champions League.[/color]
[color=#000000]
The capture of the Champions League's all-time top goalscorer Ronaldo certainly turned heads in the summer, with many fascinated to see if the 33-year-old can still produce heroics. With 15 goals in last season's competition, five more than anyone else, there's plenty of life in the old dog yet.[/color]

Paulo Dybala has failed to show his best form alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina, but could have been saving it for his compatriot's nemesis. Only four players created more chances in the Champions League than Dybala last season, service Ronaldo will relish.

Mario Mandzukic is not getting any younger, but proved that even after being forced through three successive extra times in the World Cup for the summer; he still has plenty to offer in front of goal.

Barcelona - Messi, Dembele, Suarez
[color=#000000]Compared to his usual super-human efforts, Messi's goal return last season was not anything particularly special, having scored just six goals from 10 appearances on the continent.[/color]

However, normal service has been resumed this season in La Liga, with Messi sitting atop the scoring charts. As usual, Messi has a team-mate alongside him at the top of the charts, but not just the usual protagonist.

Ousmane Dembele has as many [three] goals already this season as he managed i an injury-ravaged campaign in 2017/18, the same as two-time Golden Boot winner Luis Suarez.

[color=#000000]Both will have to improve on their solitary strikes in last season's Champions League if Barca are to go all the way.[/color]

Real Madrid - Benzema, Asensio and Bale
[color=#000000]How do you fill a void the size of Ronaldo? Well, when you have burgeoning talents like Marco Asensio waiting in the wings, it is pretty straight forward. [/color]

[color=#000000]Against World Cup finalists Croatia last week, Asensio became only the second player in the last 10 years to assist three goals for Spain in one game - his goal in that 6-0 win was not bad either.

Ronaldo's departure has opened the door for Bale to become the main man in the Spanish capital.

With four champions League crowns, it has hardly been a torrid time for Bale to date, but there is still the lingering feeling that despite his double in the final last year, there is still so much more to come from him.

Karim Benzema has had his fair share of criticism over the years, but has started this season in fine form, leading the La Liga scoring charts alongside Messi with four goals.[/color]

Manchester City - Sterling, Aguero, Sane
[color=#000000]As Manchester City sauntered to a record-breaking Premier League success last season, the goals flowed from all around. Sergio Aguero remained the attacking figurehead, but there was more than commendable support in that role from Gabriel Jesus.[/color]

[color=#000000]Only Kevin De Bruyne accrued more Premier League assists last campaign than Leroy Sane, while Raheem Sterling enjoyed his best goalscoring season by a long, long way. On the continent, Sterling has scored eight goals and delivered six assists in his last 15 Champions League starts for City.

However, while Liverpool's front three were breaking European goal-scoring records, City's first-choice forward line managed 12 goals between them before Liverpool sent City crashing out at the last-eight stage.

To be considered an elite club, City must mount a serious tilt for a maiden European crown, and goals from their prolific trio up will help their cause no end.
[/color]


[color=#000000]source:[/color] www.dabbsports.com

[color=#000000]Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino says goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was "lucky there was no consequence" of his drink-driving - but he will keep the Spurs captaincy.

The 31-year-old was fined £50,000 and banned from driving for 20 months after admitting the offence.
"It is a lesson, a massive life lesson," Pochettino said.

"But he has the capacity to move on and to learn and be focused on football."
Pochettino added: "He already knew in the moment that it was a big mistake. Lloris is very conscious about what happened and of course you cannot remove.[/color]

[color=#000000]"He said he is sorry and he is the first to regret about everything and all that happened is not good. He doesn't feel great.

"Everyone can make a mistake, he made a mistake and he is suffering. He is punishing himself."

Police caught Lloris driving his Porsche at 15 mph in a 30mph zone, veering towards parked cars and driving through a red light. He was twice the legal drink-dive limit.[/color]

[color=#000000]Magistrate Amanda Barron said it was "pure luck" no pedestrians were injured.
Asked if Lloris would retain the Spurs captaincy, Pochettino said "of course" but the Argentine admitted the France captain would have accepted being stripped of it.

Pochettino said: "Of course, lucky there was no consequence. That is important.
"He apologised to everyone. We had a conversation and he said 'any decision that you take gaffer or the club I think is fair'. He pleaded guilty and that is it."[/color]

The World cup winner missed Tottenham's Premier League game at Watford on 2 September and both of France's matches during the international break with a thigh injury. He is expected to be out for several weeks.

[color=#000000]Spurs midfielder Dele Alli will also miss Saturday's game against Liverpool after injuring a hamstring and Pochettino said the player may also miss the game against Inter Milan in the Champions League.

He added: "Lloris will have another scan to see the evolution of his injury. Hopefully it will be OK and he will be available again soon like Dele Alli."

Tottenham are fifth in the Premier League after they lost 2-1 to Watford, while Liverpool are top, having won all four games.[/color]


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[color=#000000]We might only be four games into the new Premier League season, but that means 11% of the competition's matches have already been played.

So while it is still early days, we thought we would use the international break to look at what we've learned so far.
Has David de Gea's performance level really dipped? Have new managers Maurizio Sarri and Unai Emery had much of an impact on their teams' styles of play? And is the modern left-back the new number 10?[/color]

De Gea is nowhere near his best
[color=#000000]Scuffed drag-backs against Leicester notwithstanding, Alisson has begun his Liverpool career in fine form and heads the Premier League in both clean sheets and save percentage[/color].

Cap tips to Alex McCarthy at Southampton and Neil Etheridge at Cardiff, who have both made five saves from clear-cut chances.
But at the bottom is David de Gea, having saved only 50% of the shots on target he's faced this season - the lowest figure in the top flight.

It is a continuation of his World Cup form rather than a resumption of the kind of performances that saw him save an additional 13 goals in 2017-18, based on Opta's expected goals model.

The Spain international has conceded 14 of the 27 shots on target he has faced for club and country since the start of the World Cup and, in the Premier League, he has conceded 0.88 goals more than would have been expected, the third-worst rate in the division.

[color=#000000]London's two most successful football clubs both appointed new managers in the summer. Unai Emery replaced the Premier League's third ever foreign boss at Arsenal while Maurizio Sarri became the sixth Italian to coach Chelsea.

The former was supposed to stiffen Arsenal's approach, while the latter had to take the reverse journey with a squad wound to breaking point under the intense Antonio Conte.

The two played out a curious match in week three, both sides defending appallingly at points as Chelsea won 3-2 but how are they doing overall and are they altering their teams' styles?[/color]

[color=#000000]Chelsea are the only Premier League team to have had 100 sequences of 10 passes or more so far. That's an average of 25 per game, not far off double their average of 14 per game under Conte.[/color]

They have also completed more passes than any other side, with their average of 669 per match 197 more than last season.
If that shows a major change to Chelsea's style, it is also interesting that that figure of 25 10+ pass sequences per game is more than twice as many as an Arsenal side previously renowned for their passing style but who have looked disjointed at numerous points.

Sequences can also be used to examine the types of chances teams are creating, be they build-up attacks or direct attacks.
 Build-up attacks - An open-play sequence that contains 10+ passes and either ends in a shot or has at least one touch in the box.
 Direct attacks - An open-play sequence that starts just inside the team's half and has at least 50% of movement towards the opposition's goal.

Arsenal have had only two fewer build-up attacks than Chelsea, despite having far fewer 10-pass sequences. This means that when they do manage to get on the ball, they are generally making progress and getting into dangerous areas. It suggests Emery is starting to unearth the club's once-feared cutting edge.

For those who still rely on goals as their only metric of choice, it should be noted that despite having only half as many points as Chelsea, Arsenal have scored only two goals fewer. Clearly there is continued philosophical work to be done at both clubs, but they may not be as far apart as some may think.

Watford are safe - and their success is built on solid foundations
Three teams boasting 100% records after four games is not common (occurring most recently in 2009 and 1969), yet Liverpool and Chelsea doing so in 2018 doesn't seem wildly unrealistic.

But not even the most fevered Watford fan would have imagined their side keeping pace into mid-September.
The Hornets are the first team from a town (as opposed to a city) to start an English top-flight season with four wins since Ipswich in 1974-75 and no side has ever been relegated after a start like this. So the Hornets are safe… but how?

Javi Gracia's team have developed a fearsome defence, currently boasting the lowest expected goals against figure and rating fifth for passes per defensive action (the average number of passes a team allows their opponents in the defensive and middle third before making a defensive intervention).

What does this mean though? It tells us that Watford are working extremely hard to disrupt their opponents and even when they are breached, the chances created against them are not great.

It seems fanciful to think that Watford can carry on like this - they started well last season under Marco Silva before fading - but this is an early season built on solid foundations.

Left-backs are key attacking weapons
[color=#000000]Between them, Benjamin Mendy, Jose Holebas, Andy Robertson and Marcos Alonso have 12 Premier League assists already. Luke Shaw has played himself into favour with Jose Mourinho as well as scoring his first ever goal as a senior professional and setting up Marcus Rashford's goal England’s Nations League game against Spain on Saturday[/color].

[color=#000000]We are, it seems, into the glorious age of the creative left-back.
Mendy has produced more open-play crosses than any other player (27, followed by fellow full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold, Kieran Trippier and Cesar Azpilicueta), while new Scotland captain Robertson has created as many chances this season as Mesut Ozil and Paul Pogba combined.

Last season 21% of the assists in the Premier League came from defenders, a proportion that has climbed to 37% in 2018-19.
Five-time Tour de France winner Bernard Hinault once said "as long as I breathe, I attack", and this is clearly now the official motto of left-backs up and down the country[/color].

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Liberia president George Weah played in an international friendly for his country on Tuesday - at the age of 51.

Weah, the first African footballer to win Fifa's World Player of the Year award, featured for 79 minutes of a 2-1 home defeat by Nigeria in Monrovia.

Liberia arranged the friendly to retire their number 14 shirt, worn by Weah at his playing peak.

The former AC Milan striker, sworn in as president in January, received a standing ovation as he was substituted.

Nigeria fielded a reasonably strong team, including Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi and fellow midfielder Peter Etebo, of Stoke City. Ndidi's club-mate Kelechi Iheanacho featured as a second-half substitute.

Etebo took the corner from which Simeon Nwankwo headed Nigeria into a 2-0 lead after Henry Onyekuru - on loan at Galatasaray from Everton - had scored the opener. The home side pulled one back with a late Kpah Sherman penalty.


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Part of England's friendly fixture against Switzerland on Tuesday will be broadcast in black and white to honour Kick It Out's 25th anniversary.

The picture will switch from colour to black and white for 25 seconds as the teams enter the pitch at Leicester City's King Power Stadium.
The FA said the idea is to underline the "importance of diversity".

Kick It Out chair Lord Herman Ouseley said he hoped it will be a "powerful reminder of how far football has come".
England players will show their support by warming up in Kick it Out-branded T-shirts and will enter the pitch alongside eight mascots nominated by the organisation.

Paul Elliott, the FA's Inclusion Advisory Board chairman, said: "Kick It Out have been a catalyst for the change in English football both on and off the pitch and we're delighted to celebrate their inspirational work in promoting football for all.

"Hopefully the footage will encourage the millions of viewers at home to spend at least 25 seconds thinking about the importance of diversity in this beautiful game of ours."

Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli has withdrawn from the England squad for Tuesday's friendly against Switzerland with a minor muscle strain.
He picked up the problem in Saturday's 2-1 Nations League defeat by Spain.

The 22-year-old will be treated by his club rather than joining the squad at Leicester's King Power Stadium.
Manager Gareth Southgate had already brought in Leicester’s Ben Chilwell and Demarai Gray from the Under-21s and has not called up a replacement for Alli.

Left-back Chilwell, 21, and forward Gray, 22, could both make international debuts on their home ground.
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw left the camp earlier following the concussion he suffered in a nasty collision with Dani Carvajal at Wembley on Saturday.

He had reported back to St George's Park for monitoring but was released back to his club after showing no ill effects.
England's defeat by Spain was their first match since reaching the World Cup semi-finals in Russia.

Source:www.dabbsports.com

Didier Deschamps says Manchester United's Paul Pogba will not captain France for their UEFA Nations League clashes with Germany and the Netherlands.
Pogba was tipped to wear the armband for his country after stepping up to captain the Red Devils for the first four Premier League games of the season.

With regular France skipper Hugo Lloris missing out with a thigh injury Deschamps says he will be relying on his vice-captains, Blaise Matuidi and Raphael Varane, without altering the hierarchy.

"Although Paul did great things at the World Cup, I do not intend to upset the established order," Deschamps said.

The world champions reported back to their Clairefontaine training base on Monday before they kick-off the new UEFA Nations League on Thursday night when they face 2014 World Cup winners Germany in Munich, live on Sky Sports Football.

Back-up goalkeeper Steve Mandanda was also absent, as the rest of the squad which triumphed in Russia was welcomed back to the training camp with a banner translating to "welcome to our champions" and a two-star-studded carpet.

"We have to manage the title of world champion, but it's not a weight or a burden to carry," said Deschamps. "It's quite the opposite.
"With all the positive aspects being world champion has brought, on the sporting front but also from a human and psychological standpoint, it's a huge boost."

After the Germany game, France host the Netherlands at the Stade de France on Sunday in their first home match since winning the World Cup by beating Croatia in July.

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As a new era is ushered in at the Emirates, it is a signing who arrived to precious little fanfare and has caught the eye for Unai Emery's Arsenal.

Lucas Torreira was expected to grab the headlines after joining Arsenal in the summer, but 19-year-old midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has found himself at the centre of attention.

With just eight top-flight appearances to his name, Guendouzi raised few eyebrows when he joined from Ligue 2 mid-table club Lorient for £7m.
But after starring in Arsenal's 5-1 victory over PSG in pre-season, there were murmurs around north London suggesting he could make an immediate impact.

Keeping Torreira, a player who started all five of Uruguay's World Cup games, out of the Arsenal's midfield for the first game of the Premier League season against Manchester City was beyond expectations. And so was Guendouzi's performance.
"I had never seen this guy, I had heard about him but had never seen him play, so I was very impressed from the first training session," team-mate Henrikh Mkhitaryan told RMC Sport.

"It is a very big, positive surprise with him," echoed head coach Unai Emery.

Guendouzi's bright start was not a fluke. He may have been plucked from relative obscurity but it was the philosophy of the Lorient academy that helped mould his bold traits, which have helped him stand out throughout his upbringing and avoid becoming overawed in his early weeks with Arsenal.

Released by Paris Saint-Germain at the age of 14, he was a key part of the Lorient Under-17 side who were French champions in 2015, and he played in the French youth cup quarter-final defeat to Auxerre as part of their Under-19s two years later.

As happens at every club, others around him faltered while Guendouzi rose through the ranks. Perhaps, the difference was the youngster's determination and single-mindedness - which would later cause as many problems as it solved.
"Lorient have a reputation of playing in a certain style," Arnaud Huchet, a sports journalist covering Lorient for French outlet Oust-France, told Sky Sports.

"Christian Gourcuff [father of ex-Milan midfielder Yoann] was manager of Lorient over two long spells, and was a real football teacher. He is very well-respected in France.

"He developed that style for Lorient, so they had a way of teaching their young players - but Guendouzi has to take most of the credit. He was born like this, and he has had this bravery throughout his upbringing.

"He showed the same strength and quality which he is now showing at Arsenal very early on, which meant he was very confident on the ball, very easy, had good vision and technical ability. He's had all that since the beginning."

Such personality and ability helped Guendouzi impress at every level he has played in, and it was after a handful of appearances for the B team in the fourth tier that head coach Sylvain Ripoll decided he was ready for a step up to the first-team squad at the start of 2016/17.

"He had developed a good reputation with the youth team and it was a natural progression for him," Huchet added. "He has a look, like David Luiz, so in France the first time he went on national television there were some comments passed about that, so he was already getting noticed before people looked at his talent."

When Ripoll was sacked after two months of the new season, replacement Bernard Casoni, a more defensively-inclined coach, was less impressed with his open style, which he of course would not agree to change.

Only when Casoni was sacked and Mickael Landreau took over following relegation in the summer of 2017 did things improve for the midfielder.
By last Christmas, Manchester City and Tottenham were keeping an eye on Guendouzi's progress, but back across the Channel they had little to go on as he had been frozen out of the Lorient squad.

Tempers had frayed after he refused to sign a new deal with the club, and a bust-up with Landreau did little to help.


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Sadio Mane is now convinced he deserves to be part of football's elite, according to Jurgen Klopp.
The Liverpool manager has noted the 26-year-old's new-found confidence in recent weeks and he believes Mane can take the next step in his Liverpool career and join Mo Salah in proving he can reach - and sustain - a world-class level.

"Now he's much more secure that this is his level," said Klopp. "The players surprise themselves sometimes 'Wow, really? That's how good I am?' We all need to show our best and get used to it.

"It's quality. We have to make sure we can show that every week. Who scores the goals is not too important, but it was very important for us and very nice for him that he could do it in the last game."
Mane is now among the favourites to finish the season as Premier League top scorer after getting three goals in the first two games of the campaign.

That comes on the back of a fine performance in the Champions League final where he scored Liverpool's goal and an impressive World Cup with Senegal.

"Sadio is a very consistent player for us. His work-rate is great," Klopp added.
"We have a very strange 4-5-1 formation with Sadio as a midfielder, Bobby [Roberto Firmino] being a midfielder more or less and Mo [Salah] being a striker, even though he plays in a little different position.

"We talk about the defensive work-rate they put in, that's really important."

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Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos says former Germany team-mate Mesut Ozil was talking "nonsense" in his retirement announcement last month.

Arsenal midfielder Ozil, 29, quit international football after Germany exited the World Cup in the group stages, citing “racism and disrespect”.
"Mesut is a deserved international and as a player he deserved a better departure," Kroos told newspaper;Bild
"But the way he resigned was not in order," he added.

Ozil faced criticism after being photographed alongside Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan in May and was one of the players blamed for Germany's disappointing World Cup campaign in Russia.

"I am German when we win, but I am an immigrant when we lose," Ozil said his retirement statement.
Ozil also accused the German Football Association of failing to support him during the row.

"The parts in his statement that are rightly addressed are unfortunately overshadowed by the significantly higher amount of nonsense," Kroos said.

"I think he knows very well that racism within the national team and the DFB does not exist."
Ozil won 92 caps for Germany and was part of the 2014 World Cup winning team. He was voted the national team's player of the year five times by fans.

source:www.dabbsports.com

We assess the challenges facing Jose Mourinho as Manchester United prepare for the 2018/19 Premier League season.
Last season: 2nd
Title odds: 8/1
Relegation odds: 2000/1
Major INs: Diogo Dalot, Fred
Major OUTs: Daley Blind, Michael Carrick
Key player: Alexis Sanchez

There is tension in the air at Manchester United. Jose Mourinho has cut a frustrated figure throughout pre-season, reeling off a long list of complaints about everything from fixture scheduling to transfers during their tour of the United States. "Everything is really bad," he said in one of his prickly media appearances.

Mourinho's mood has dampened any sense of optimism about the new season, and it has also thrown up troubling comparisons with his previous jobs.

Is Mourinho suffering from another case of third-season syndrome? Is his Manchester United tenure heading towards a rocky end?
A strong start to the season would put paid to those concerns, and Mourinho's mood might be improved if he is able to bring in more new faces before the transfer deadline, but at the moment the outlook is far from rosy and supporters are entitled to be worried.

Here, we look at three of the key challenges facing Mourinho as the big kick-off draws closer.
Focus on what matters
Mourinho's outspoken approach to press appearances is nothing new, but the negativity is becoming stifling at United and there is a sense that he is picking battles needlessly.

His criticism of Anthony Martial, who left their pre-season tour to attend the birth of his second child, felt too strong.
[b]
Sort out the defence
One of Mourinho's biggest gripes is that he feels he is not getting the backing he wants in the transfer market, but United have already spent vast sums under his watch. Would he be better served trying to get the best out of what he has already got? [/b]

His priority should be to steady the ship and focus on improving the team. That's his best hope of closing the gap on City.
Manchester United only conceded 28 Premier League goals last season but it would have been a lot worse if it wasn't for David De Gea.
The Spaniard performed wonders for United, making brilliant saves on a regular basis and, according to Opta's Expected Goals metric, preventing more goals than any other Premier League goalkeeper.

United can't rely on De Gea to bail them out indefinitely, however, so it's up to Mourinho to give him more protection.
He is hoping to bring in at least one new centre-back, with Tottenham's Toby Alderweireld and Barcelona's Yerry Mina on his shortlist, but he has already spent a combined total of more than £60m on Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof. Can he coax?

Unleash Pogba
Paul Pogba showed flashes of what he is capable of last season, scoring six goals and providing 10 assists in 27 Premier League appearances, but after two years back at Old Trafford it still feels as though United are waiting to see the very best of pogba.
His strained relationship with Mourinho has not helped, but his performances for France at the World Cup showed what he can do if the circumstances are right.

It's down to Mourinho to create those same circumstances at United. Pogba has struggled to meet Mourinho's demands at times in the last two seasons, but he should be helped by the arrival of Fred, who could provide a platform for him to attack with greater freedom.

Phil Thompson’s words
I'm not so sure about what's happening at Manchester United and I think alarm bells will be ringing on a commercial front with the manager and the team not really operating in the way the fans want.

I think we will see more of Alexis Sanchez, though. He's a very good player but he doesn't like to be told to stay in one position, whereas Mourinho likes structure, so his having a better season that will be crucial.

They've still got De Gea, the player of the year again, which says everything, but getting a defender in of the quality of Maguire or Alderweireld might be key to really improving them. I think Maguire has all the attributes to be a top defender.


source:www.dabbsports.com

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said he "doesn't know" when forward Anthony Martial will link up with the squad after his side beat Real Madrid 2-1 in the International Champions Cup.

Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Ander Herrera earned United a first 90-minute win of their United States trip, but they had to do without Martial in Miami after he left the tour last week to be at the birth of his daughter.

Mourinho questioned why the France international did not return for Saturday's 4-1 defeat by Liverpool.
Asked if Martial would be part of his squad for Sunday's game against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena - five days before the start of the Premier League season - he said: "I don't know."

Martial has been linked with a move from Old Trafford and it is understood the club would be willing to let him leave for a team outside the Premier League.

Mourinho did confirm attackers Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku and defender Phil Jones had volunteered to return to training three days early in a bid to ensure they are fully fit for the Premier League opener against Leicester on 10 August.

Chile forward Sanchez impressed against Real in the final match of United's five-game trip, scoring their first goal and creating the second when he nodded Juan Mata's cross into the path of Herrera, who finished with a first-time shot.

Summer signing Fred started in midfield, while goalkeeper David de Gea returned to the team.
Gareth Bale started for Real but his only chance of note was a curling shot that went wide.
Karim Benzema, the only player who began the Champions League final win over Liverpool to start in Miami, pulled one back in first-half stoppage time.

Man Utd: De Gea; Darmian, Bailly, Fosu-Mensah, Shaw; Herrera, Fred (Tuanzebe 68), McTominay (Mitchell 79); Mata (Garner 82), Alexis, A Pereira.

Subs not used: Grant, J Pereira, Williams, Hamilton, Gomes, Chong, Bohui, Greenwood.

Real Madrid: Casilla (Lunin 46); Odriozola (Sergio Lopez 62), Vallejo (Nacho 77), Sanchez, Hernandez (Reguilón 46); Llorente (Asensio 77), Valverde (Isco 77); Bale (Odegaard 46, Kroos 77), Ceballos (Raul de Thomas 62), Vinicius Junior (Oscar Rodriguez 62); Benzema (Mayoral 46).

Subs not used: Navas, Carvajal, Vazquez, Bernal, Zidane, Franchu, Seoane, De la Fuente.
[/b]

[b]source:www.dabbsports.com

The arrival of Jorginho means a new role for N'Golo Kante in Maurizio Sarri's Chelsea system but it is one that he will relish, writes Adam Bate.

The signing of Jorginho was crucial for Maurizio Sarri. It means that the new Chelsea head coach has the playmaker from his Napoli team, the man who made more passes than any other player in Europe's major leagues last season.

[b]Jorginho's presence should set the tempo for Sarri's Chelsea and increase the chances of implementing his style of play.
With Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis accusing Sarri of wanting to take his "whole team" to Stamford Bridge, it is only natural to wonder whether a complete overhaul is being planned.

But there is somebody at Chelsea whom Sarri appears anxious to retain. Keeping N'Golo Kante at the club could be the difference between success and failure this season.
The World Cup winner is reportedly a target for Barcelona and Real Madrid but Sarri will have a role for him.
The Italian is associated with free-flowing football but intensity is central to his system too and in Kante he has the perfect foil for Jorginho. The pair could forge a brilliant midfield partnership.

It does not require any great leap of imagination to envisage how Sarri will look to use Kante. At Napoli, it was Brazilian midfielder Allan who was entrusted with the box-to-box midfield role, featuring in all 38 league games for the club last season.
He was the team's ball winner alongside Jorginho in Sarri's trademark 4-3-3 formation.[/b]

"Allan is an important player," said Sarri in 2015. "He has great dynamism, excellent ability to intercept and an understated quality.
He is a complete player." Former Chelsea boss, and Sarri's replacement at Napoli, Carlo Ancelotti, has already compared Allan to Gennaro Gattuso but it is the similarities with Kante that are most apposite here.

No midfielder in Serie A made more tackles than Allan last season. He also ranked third for duels won, fifth for blocked passes and seventh for ball recoveries.
Perhaps the statistic most indicative of his high pressing was that he won possession of the ball in the final third of the pitch more times than any other midfielder in the competition.

[b]This mirrors the way that Kante was used by both Leicester and Chelsea in the player's back-to-back Premier League title wins.
At the World Cup, he showed that he could operate as a more conventional holding midfielder for his country, but his best performances at club level have come when he has been allowed to go foraging for the ball.

Kante's engine is already the stuff of Premier League legend. His ability to snuff out opposition counter-attacks, provide support for full-backs out on the flanks and pressurize opponents high up the pitch makes everybody else's job easier.
"When he is at his best you have a 95 per cent chance to win the game," said Eden Hazard recently.

Kante has recovered possession of the ball 913 times over the past three seasons - far more than any other player in the Premier League.
It was a feature of his game when partnered with Danny Drinkwater or Nemanja Matic, letting them play as the pivot while he went in search of the ball. He could now revert to that role, albeit with even more expected of him[/b].

Some still choose to underestimate Kante and suggest that he would not be ideally suited to the possession game that Sarri prefers. But these aspects of his game have improved during his time at Chelsea. Despite last season being his first in England that did not end in title glory, his own numbers hinted at his progress in other areas of the game.

Kante made more passes and increased his passing accuracy as well. He completed more dribbles and created more chances too. He has evolved as a player and is far more than a mere ball winner.
He is a perfect fit for the Allan role in Sarri's midfield. In fact, he's an upgrade. Kante's role will change but expect his influence at Chelsea to be as big as ever.

source:www.dabbsports.com

Uruguay's in-form striker Edinson Cavani is expected to miss this match with the calf injury he suffered in their win over Portugal.
Former Middlesbrough forward Cristhian Stuani is expected to be drafted in to play alongside Luis Suarez.
France coach Didier Deschamps must decide who replaces the suspended Blaise Matuidi in midfield. Corentin Tolisso appears to be the front runner, having started their opening match against Australia.

Overview
The quarter-finals of the 2018 World Cup get underway with a fascinating clash of styles between two teams laced with world-class players. Uruguay boasts as the joint meanest defence along with Brazil so far, having let in just a solitary goal in four games, while France, after an insipid start, threw off the shackles in some style to eliminate Lionel Messi’s Argentina.

Uruguay's fearsome forward duo of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani grab many of the headlines, but going into this match only Portugal's Pepe had managed to breach La Celeste's defence.
There is no doubt, though, that France will pose an altogether different test, especially now that they look to have found their attacking élan. Kylian Mbappe’s performance in the last 16 could turn out to be a seminal moment in his career. He became the first teenager since Pele in 1958 to score twice in a World Cup match.

Opinions from both camps
Uruguay head coach Oscar Tabarez: "France's strongest points are the attackers, (Antoine) Griezmann and (Kylian) Mbappe. If you allow the French side have space it will be very difficult."
France head coach Didier Deschamps: "I am preparing my team as if Cavani plays. If he plays or not, I will only know 90 minutes before the game."
"They (Uruguay) have so many assets, so many qualities. They defend as a unit, they play together and they love to do that."

Head-to-head
 Uruguay and France are facing each other for the fourth time at a World Cup, but for the first time in the knockout stage.
 The last two World Cup meetings have both ended 0-0 in the group stage in 2002 and 2010. Uruguay beat the French 2-1 in 1966.
 The Uruguayans won the last encounter 1-0 in June 2013. Luis Suarez scored the winner in a friendly in Montevideo.
 France's only victory over Uruguay in eight previous matches was a 2-0 win in a friendly in Paris in August 1985.
Uruguay
 Uruguay could equal a national record by winning five consecutive games at a single World Cup. The last time they won their opening four games was in 1930, which was enough to win the tournament.
 They are aiming to make the semi-finals for a fifth time and for the second time in the last three tournaments.
 La Celeste have won their last two quarter-finals in 1970 and 2010. Their last defeat at this stage came in 1966 when they lost 4-0 to West Germany.
 Of Edinson Cavani's 45 international goals, 12 have been assisted by Luis Suarez.
 Since 1966, only Poland's Grzegorz Lato and Andrzej Szarmach and Germany's Michael Ballack and Miroslav Klose (both five) have combined for more World Cup goals than Cavani and Suarez's four.
 Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera has kept three clean sheets in four games and has made a total of 10 saves so far.
France
o France are aiming to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2006.
o France progressed from four consecutive World Cup quarter-finals until losing to Germany at the 2014 tournament.
o They are unbeaten in their last nine World Cup matches against South American sides (W5, D4), keeping a clean sheet in seven of those games.
o Kylian Mbappe has scored three goals so far this tournament - he is the first teenager to score this many in a World Cup campaign since Pele netted six for Brazil in 1958.
o Only Pele and Germany's Edmund Conen (four goals in 1934) have scored more as a teenager.
o Antoine Griezmann has scored six goals in his last five appearances in the knockout stage of major tournaments (World Cup and European Championship).
o But he has just two goals from 12 attempts in Russia so far and both were penalties.
o France are unbeaten in every game in which Griezmann has scored (W17, D2).


source:www.dabbsports.com

Joachim Low will remain as Germany manager despite their shock early exit from the World Cup in Russia.
The defending champions finished bottom of Group G after losing 2-0 to South Korea - the first time Germany have gone out in the first round of a World Cup since 1938.

Low - who was named Germany manager in 2006 - extended his contract a month ago until 2022.
Germany had reached at least the semi-finals in their last four World Cups.

"I feel, in spite of the legitimate criticism of our departure, generally much support and encouragement," said Low.
"But now I want to design the rebuilding with full commitment," he added. "It all takes time, but everything will happen in time for the start of the new international season in September."

Low, 58, guided Germany to the World Cup title in Brazil in 2014, four years after they finished third in South Africa.
Under his leadership, Germany finished as runners-up at Euro 2008 and reached the semi-finals in 2012 and 2016.

You might say that Germany should have taken in-form Manchester City winger Leroy Sane, who was a surprise omission from the 23-man squad, but that misses the point in two ways. Firstly, because the man, who went instead, Julian Brandt, was probably one of Germany's most impressive players - in the 19 minutes he got at the tournament.
More importantly, this was not down to the absence of any single player.

The loss of leaders, or 'Fuhrungsspieler' as they say in Germany, was a factor. After the 2014 World Cup, captain Philipp Lahm, top scorer in World Cup history Miroslav Klose and key dressing room figure Per Mertesacker all retired. Lahm's successor Bastian Schweinsteiger followed suit in 2016.

The build-up to the last tournament in Brazil for some players shouldn't be ignored either. The 2012 Champions League final defeat by Chelsea was burnt into the memories of the six Bayern players who would start the World Cup final.
By then, they also had the momentum of a win in the all-German Champions League final at Wembley in 2013. It contributed to the feeling that German football was on the up.

[b]Off-pitch politics and 'arrogance
The lead-up to this tournament, on the other hand, might not have helped. Ilkay Gundogan and Mesut Ozil having photographs taken with controversial Turkish president Recepp Tayyip Erdogan in May dominated the agenda - but, then, off-field issues had been present going into the 2014 tournament too.

And, as in the build-up to Russia 2018, there were injury worries to key players as well.
Still, Low told German public broadcaster ZDF that he had been happy with their preparations. The warm-up games against Austria and Saudi Arabia hadn't been good but they had talked things through.

He did admit: "I had the feeling that there was perhaps certain arrogance before the Mexico game [within the camp] - like we would be able to react at the touch of a button when it all starts."
Selection problems

The lack of balance in the side was stark as Germany were continually caught on the counter throughout the tournament. When going forward, they generally lacked both the speed and the precision to break down their opponents.

Individual selections can be questioned, none more so than that of Sami Khedira. It had made sense that he was dropped for Sebastian Rudy against Sweden, having not been quick enough in body or in mind against Mexico.
When the five changes to face South Korea were announced, the strangest was Khedira's return. That he's a key dressing room figure should not be

Under-estimated but within 40 seconds he set the tone for another poor display on the pitch when caught in possession.
Another of those changes was taking out Germany's top scorer at their past two World Cups in Thomas Muller. That was controversial but it looked the right call given his form. Playing new Bayern team-mate Leon Goretzka in his stead did not.

Given how frequently he lost the ball, he will not challenge Muller for a slot at the German champions but that's because Goretzka usually plays in the centre of midfield or at number 10, not as a winger.

Fine margins
Those selections all added up to another incoherent team performance with numerous chances for South Korea - but, as defender Mats Hummels pointed out, Germany had their opportunities too, the best falling to Hummels six yards out.
"If I head the ball in in the 86th minute, safe to say it's a case of 'how awesome, we're through.'"

Instead, it hit his shoulder, bouncing out - just as Germany were about to. It was a sliding doors moment but there were plenty even in their 2014 triumph.
Take their 4-0 opening game victory when Portugal had a two-on-two with the game goalless. Then there was the last 16 against Algeria in which Manuel Neuer saved Germany on several occasions.

Even in the final, had Gonzalo Higuain taken his one-on-one chance it could have been Argentina's name on the trophy.
This is not to say Germany were lucky, more that the margins between success and failure can be incredibly fine. When a team wins a tournament, such moments of doubt get left behind. What stays in the memory instead is Germany's 7-1 demolition of Brazil in the semi-final.

Where next for Germany?
Winning the Confederations Cup last year told of Germany's apparent strength in depth. Seven of the starting XI against South Korea on Wednesday did not feature in Russia last year, for instance. You might remember too, however, that Germany's U21s won the European Championship last summer. Yet none of them were present in Russia this summer, and that is telling.

The next generation of young German talent has not broken through in the same way that Khedira, Ozil, Neuer and Jerome Boateng did at the 2010 World Cup, having also won the Under 21s Euros the year previously.
Their achievements at the top level of club football make the case for dropping them seem absurd but age means those four are likely to have played at their last World Cup.

Questions now surround the future of head coach Low, who just a month ago extended his deal until 2022.
Reinhard Grindel, president of the German FA, said after the defeat that he and the board want Low to lead the upheaval. Low told the press it was too soon for him to answer.
One thing is clear - the phrase 'Turniermannschaft' might be heard a little less before Euro 2020.

source:www.dabbsports.com

South Korea will be without captain Ki Sung-yueng, who has got a calf strain.
Coach Shin Tae-yong knows his side have to win so may pick an attacking line-up as a result.
Germany are without Jerome Boateng after his red card against Sweden, but fellow central defender Mats Hummels is fit again after a neck injury.

Midfielder Sebastian Rudy has been ruled out after having a minor operation on his nose after he fractured it against Sweden.
Never write off the Germans; Toni Kroos' spectacular and dramatic late winner against Sweden kept their hopes of becoming the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962 firmly alive.

But they have a long way to go before they can seal a place in the last 16, let alone dream of another final on 15 July. The permutations of what they need to do could be complex, but in simple terms Joachim Low's side must beat South Korea by two or more goals or better Sweden's result to guarantee qualification.

Their win over the Swedes has been tarnished somewhat by the unsavoury touchline scenes that marred their celebration after Kroos’ goal. The German Football Association (DFB) has suspended two members of staff following the angry exchanges that occurred between both benches.
South Korea are the only side at this World Cup to have lost their first two games but to still be in with a shout of qualifying, albeit a very, very slim one.

South Korea head coach Shin Tae-yong: "We have systemic problems. We must think how we can improve our domestic league and work with young players. We lack experience and that doesn't come overnight."

Germany head coach Joachim Low: "We have a lot of alternatives, that is the structure of our squad. It is about using all possibilities. Those players who did not play will definitely still be needed.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head
 Two of the three matches between South Korea and Germany have been at World Cup finals, with the Germans winning both matches (3-2 in 1994 & 1-0 in 2002). South Korea's only victory against Germany was in a friendly in 2004.

South Korea
 Son Heung-min attempted eight shots in their defeat to Mexico - three more than South Korea managed in their opening match against Sweden.
 South Korea have conceded a penalty in both of their matches - they had conceded just one penalty in their previous 29 World Cup games combined.
 They have lost their last four consecutive World Cup matches, their joint-worst run since they also lost four in a row between 1986 and 1990.

Germany
 Germany have never failed to progress from the opening group stage at a World Cup.
 They have won all five of their World Cup games against Asian opponents, scoring 19 goals in total and keeping clean sheets in each of their last three matches.
 Germany's victory over Sweden was their first at the World Cup after they had conceded the opening goal since the 1998 finals when they beat Mexico 2-1.
 They have won 15 of their last 17 competitive matches (D1, L1) since losing to France at Euro 2016.
 Toni Kroos has been involved in five goals in his last five World Cup games (three goals and two assists).
 Joshua Kimmich has put in 22 crosses, the most of any player at this World Cup after two rounds of matches.


source: www.dabbsports.com