₦airaland Forum

Clubs spent a total of £295 million - the second-highest amount ever spent in the winter transfer window - according to figures from finance company Deloitte.

The five sides currently at the bottom of the English top flight spent more than 50 percent of the total.

Newcastle were the biggest spenders as they flexed their financial muscle under the club's new Saudi-led ownership while Liverpool were the only side in the top four to significantly strengthen.

The most eye-catching move was Brentford's signing of former Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen, just seven months after he suffered a cardiac arrest at Euro 2020.

Winners
Liverpool
The Reds beat off competition from Tottenham for Colombian international winger Luis Diaz for a fee that could rise to 60 million euros (£50 million).

Liverpool's front three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, who have served Jurgen Klopp so well, are all out of contract in 2023, by which point they will all be more than 30 years old.

Diaz appears a natural replacement for Mane as a right-footed wide player who plays on the left side of the attack and has an eye for goal.

He scored 14 times in 18 league games for the Portuguese giants this season and was top-scorer alongside Lionel Messi at last year's Copa America.

Kylian Mbappe's future will be revealed in the coming months. The French footballer's contract at PSG expires in June, with Real Madrid trying to sign the striker.

Lots of people have spoken about what will happen and the truth is that only the footballer knows what will happen in the new future. All of that while PSG and Real Madrid shower him with praise.

Fernando Morientes, who knows what it is like to play for Real Madrid and in Ligue 1, thinks the attacker will play for the La Liga outfit next season.

"Kylian will go to Real Madrid next year. I've listened to the club and to Florentino a lot," the former Real Madrid striker told 'RMC.

Comments which make it clear that Mbappe is liked by Florentino Perez: "The president adores him because he's different. He can play for many years at Real Madrid."

Mbappe has said repeatedly that he will wait until after the Champions League tie between PSG and Real Madrid in February and March before deciding on his new destination.

It is worth remembering that the French striker has been free to negotiate with whichever club he likes since 1st January as he has less than six months left on his contract.

Messi, Xavi, Busquets and Jordi Alba formed an incredible group in the Barcelona dressing room during the club's glory days. The footballers will bring very good memories back to Barca fans.

Some of the best memories supporters have at Barca include these four people who all used to play together and understand each other perfectly on the field of play.

Their friendship has not ended ever since they were together in the same team. Therefore, 'TV3' reports in its programme 'Onze' that the group were spotted having dinner together at a well known restaurant in Barcelona. They were with their partners and Messi's right hand man Pepe Costa.

Nevertheless, Juan Ignacio Gallardo, director of newspaper 'Marca', quickly came out to deny that it had anything to do with Messi returning to Barca. It was simply a dinner that the group of friends had been planning.

Xavi also celebrates his 42nd birthday this Tuesday and it could be the perfect excuse for the meeting. Social media took little time in spreading the news and dreaming about Messi possibly returning to the Camp Nou now Xavi is the coach.

Eight dead in Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon stadium crush
Eight dead in Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon stadium crush
Eight people were killed and many more injured in a crush outside a Cameroonian football stadium Monday ahead of an Africa Cup of Nations match.
Crowds attempted to enter through a southern entrace at Olembe stadium in the capital Yaounde to watch the host nation play Comoros.

Although the stadium's capacity of 60,000 has been limited over coronavirus fears, the 60 percent cap is raised to 80 percent when Cameroon's Indomitable Lions play.

"Eight deaths were recorded, two women in their thirties, four men in their thirties, one child, one body taken away by the family," according to a preliminary health ministry report obtained by AFP.

The ministry said victims were "immediately transported" in ambulances, but "heavy road traffic slowed down the transport".

State news had said earlier there had been "half a dozen deaths and dozens have been injured", but there was no further information from the ministry about the number hospitalised.

A baby was also reportedly trampled by the crowd, the ministry added, although the infant was "immediately extracted and taken to Yaounde General Hospital" and is in a "medically stable" condition.

Tournament organisers had earlier confirmed to AFP that casualties had been recorded without providing further details.

Africa Cup of Nations organising committee spokesperson Abel Mbengue told AFP: "There was a crush as can happen when there is a stampede. We are waiting for reliable information on the number of casualties in this tragic incident".

The Confederation of African Football, which runs the continent's flagship competition, said it was "investigating the situation and trying to get more details on what transpired".

In a statement online, the organisation said it had sent its secretary general to "visit the supporters in hospital in Yaounde".

"We had a good game, we took three points," said PSG manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Earlier, Nice briefly cut the gap with a 2-0 win at Metz. But three of the teams just behind them lost.

Messi, returning from Covid, started on the bench while Kylian Mbappe returned to the starting lineup after a groin strain while Ramos made only his second league start of the season.

Marco Verratti put PSG ahead in the final minute of a sluggish first half, drilling home his first Ligue 1 goal since May 2017.

"It's good that a player who doesn't score often, does," said Pochettino.

PSG upped the tempo after the break.

Ramos, who arrived from Real in the summer, scored his first goal for the club. The central defender reacted quickest to a loose ball from a PSG corner. After his first shot was parried by Predrag Rajkovic, the Spaniard reacted fastest again to slam home the rebound.

"I am happy to have played 90 minutes and I am personally happy because it is my first goal with PSG, I hope there will be many more," said Ramos.

"It's been three weeks since I started playing normally with the group," he said. "We have the cup, we have the league, we have the Champions League, this is the best time to arrive in shape."

Pochettino was happy with the goal.

"It's good that he scored like Marco. He had a good game," said the manager.

That goal brought Ramos level with Messi on one league goal this season, it also acted as the cue for Pochettino to send Messi on.

The German interim boss has steadied the ship since taking over from the sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer but United are languishing in seventh place, 22 points behind leaders Manchester City.

The five-time world player of the year has called for a change of mindset within the dressing room to address United's poor form, which resulted in a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Wolves in their most recent league outing.

"Manchester United should win the league or be second or third," Ronaldo told Sky Sports. "I don't see any other position for Manchester United".

"In my heart, I don't accept that our mentality be less than being in the top three in the Premier League, in my opinion.

"I think to build up good things sometimes you have to destroy a few things. New year, new life, I hope that Manchester can be at the level people want, especially the fans. We are capable of changing things now".

"We can do it better, all of us. I don't want to be here in the club to fight to be in sixth or seventh place. I am here to try to win, to compete. I believe if we change our mind we can achieve big things".

Rangnick was brought in until the end of the season after Solskjaer was dismissed in November following a run of heavy defeats.

The German has won four of his seven games in charge in all competitions but the team's style of football has still attracted criticism and there have been reports of disquiet within the squad.

United produced another disjointed display in their FA Cup third-round tie against Aston Villa on Monday but managed to scrape through 1-0.

Ronaldo backed Rangnick to turn things around but pleaded for patience ahead of Saturday's league trip to Villa Park.

"He arrived here five weeks ago," said the Portugese superstar. "He changed many things but he needs time to put his ideas through the players and on the pitch".

"It takes time but I believe that he is going to do a good job. We know we don't play the best football, as we should do, but we have many games to improve. Since he arrived I think in some points we are better, but he needs time."

The 28-year-old left-back played 127 games and scored six goals for Everton after joining from Barcelona in 2018.

"When Lucas became available we jumped at the opportunity to bring him to the club," said Villa manager Gerrard.

"To sign a player of his pedigree and quality in the January window is a great addition to our squad and his arrival excites me and everyone associated with Aston Villa."

Everton said Digne had joined Villa for an undisclosed fee.


HOME
NEWS
MATCHES
EXPLORE
COMPETITIONS
TEAMS
PLAYERS
TRANSFERS
TELEVISED
Google Play
App Store
Huawei AppGallery
Search...

Premier League
Everton
L. Digne
Lucas Digne joins Villa from Everton
BeSoccer
BeSoccer
1 hour ago
1.2k
Lucas Digne joins Villa from Everton. AFP
Lucas Digne joins Villa from Everton. AFP
Aston Villa announced the signing of Lucas Digne from Everton on Thursday, with the France defender becoming Steve Gerrard's second signing of the January transfer window.
The 28-year-old left-back played 127 games and scored six goals for Everton after joining from Barcelona in 2018.

"When Lucas became available we jumped at the opportunity to bring him to the club," said Villa manager Gerrard.

"To sign a player of his pedigree and quality in the January window is a great addition to our squad and his arrival excites me and everyone associated with Aston Villa."

Everton said Digne had joined Villa for an undisclosed fee.

Stand out news
Bayern star Coman signs contract extension until 2027
Rudiger changes his mind: wants to stay at Chelsea
Insigne to become the best paid player in the MLS
Ref Sikazwe blows twice for full-time early and Tunisia refuse to come back out

Digne made his unhappiness clear at the way he had been treated.

"What has happened and some things that was said about me in the last month has made me very sad," Digne wrote on Instagram.

"But I'll not enter a war of words with anyone.

"Sometimes it only takes one person from outside to destroy a beautiful love affair."

Digne will join Brazil international Philippe Coutinho, who completed a medical earlier this week ahead of a loan move from Barcelona.

Confidence and peace of mind at Real Madrid. With less than six months left on Kylian Mbappe's contract with PSG, the board can negotiate to bring him in for next season without paying a transfer fee. After weeks in which no new reports surfaced suggesting the Parisians were trying to avoid doing so, 'Le Parisien' leaked that the Parc des Princes' offices still harboured hopes of extending his contract.

Three days later, 'L'Équipe' reported that 'Los Blancos' bosses are confident that the striker will be part of the Spanish side from June onwards. Despite the French side's attempts to keep the Frenchman in their squad or, at the very least, force a juicy offer from Chamartin to sign him on a transfer rather than as a free agent, the Spaniards are not worried at all.

It is worth remembering, in this regard, that Florentino Perez's leadership already tried to add the player to their ranks last summer by paying a sum of around 200 million euros. These approaches showed that the financial situation at the Santiago Bernabeu is ideal for closing any type of deal, however demanding it may be.

From Mbappe's point of view, it is difficult to discern where he stands. It has always been stated from France that playing for Real Madrid is one of his dreams, although he has kept quiet since before the start of the current season. The striker respects PSG and will give his all as he works out his future.

The Gunners, who travel to Liverpool on Thursday for the first leg of their League Cup semi-final, are fourth in the Premier League as they seek to qualify for the Champions League after five seasons outside Europe's elite club competition.

Despite consecutive eighth-place finishes in the past two seasons and no European football to offer, Arsenal were the highest spenders in England during the summer transfer window, bringing in a number of players including Aaron Ramsdale, Ben White and Martin Odegaard.

There has been much speculation in recent weeks about interest in 21-year-old Serbia international Vlahovic, who has scored 16 Serie A goals this season.

Arsenal manager Arteta said on Wednesday he would not comment on transfer rumours but told reporters that the north London club remained an attractive destination for elite players.

"Historically this club has always been targeting the best players in the world and the best players in the world were always interested to come here and I can say that situation hasn't changed," he said.

"Every time I have spoken to any player, they were so willing to come. I haven't faced any other situation and that's one of our biggest powers.

NAIJABET AFCON THOUSANDNAIRE PROMO!!!

�Predict And Win A Share Of 20K And Free NaijaBet Jerseys!

�To Participate:
➡Predict on this comment section
➡Predict with your username and tag 3 friends
➡Share this post on your timeline.

N.B All entries must come in before 2pm.
NaijaBet.com

Barcelona have finally completed the most urgent task they had pending. On Tuesday evening, the LaLiga website already reflected the registration of Ferran Torres as a Barca player.

Xavi Hernandez will therefore be able to count on the former Manchester City striker for the Spanish Super Cup semi-final against Real Madrid. An idea that the coach already had clear in his head, as he stated in the press conference prior to the game.

It should not be news, and even less so at a club the size of Barca, when a reinforcement player is registered. But the serious economic problems that the club is going through have jeopardised what should have been nothing more than a formality. In fact, in the offices they had to work hard and against the clock to achieve it.

The icing on the cake was the renewal of Samuel Umtiti. The centre-back, who does not count for the club and is in the exit plans, extended his contract until 2026 on the condition that he reduces his salary, a margin that Barcelona have used to be able to count on Ferran.

Joan Laporta, president of Barcelona, tested positive ahead of the team's trip to Linares for the Copa del Rey. The president had been in contact with some infected people, so he isolated himself and took an antigen test, which was negative. Later, in a PCR test, he found out he was positive.

"Due to the fact that he has been in direct contact with people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last few hours, this morning - on 4th January - president Joan Laporta underwent an antigen test which was negative and, in the afternoon, a PCR test which was positive," reads the text issued by the Catalan side.

"For this reason, he will not travel with the team to Linares, this Wednesday, or to Granada, next Saturday, and will remain confined as indicated by the health authorities. The president is well and without any symptoms. First vice-president Rafael Yuste has tested negative in the PCR test, but, as a precaution, he will not travel to Linares on Wednesday with the first football team", it continues.

The coronavirus is affecting Barcelona, where not only the president but also several players have also tested positive, which has reduced Xavi Hernández's chances. The coach did, however, manage to secure victory in the league game against Mallorca. It was thanks to a goal from Luuk de Jong.

Spurs were unable to fulfil the December 9 fixture due to a swathe of Covid-19 cases in the squad.

No agreement could then be reached between the clubs for a rearranged date before the deadline of December 31.

As a result Tottenham finish third in the section behind group winners Rennes, who progress directly to the last 16, and Dutch side Vitesse who now face Rapid Vienna in a knockout play-off.

"The Uefa Appeals Body took the following decision: to declare the 2021/22 UEFA Europa Conference League group stage match between Tottenham Hotspur FC and Stade Rennais FC, that was initially scheduled to be played on 9 December 2021, as forfeited by Tottenham Hotspur FC, who is therefore deemed to have lost the match 0-3," read the UEFA statement.

The match in London was called off after Spurs manager Antonio Conte announced on the eve of the game eight of his players and five members of staff had tested positive for Covid-19.

Rennes accused Tottenham of creating a "London fog" as the game was postponed shortly after they had landed in the English captial.

According to UEFA rules, a match should be played as long as both teams have 13 fit outfield players and a goalkeeper.

"We are disappointed by the ruling of the UEFA Appeals Body and the refusal to allow more time for the match to be rescheduled," Tottenham said in a statement.

"We have to accept this ruling, however, and our focus now turns to the competitions we remain in."

Spurs have been one of the hardest hit English clubs by the resurgence of Covid-19 as case numbers across the country surge due to the emergence of the Omicron variant.

Tottenham's recent league games against Brighton and Leicester were also postponed.

However, unlike many of their domestic rivals, they returned to action this weekend in a 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

https://guardian.ng/sport/tottenham-out-of-europe-after-uefa-award-rennes-victory

A spate of positive Covid tests prompted coach Carlo Ancelotti to bring Hazard in from the cold yet his team could not find a way through against a determined Cadiz side at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The stalemate reduced Madrid's lead at the top of La Liga from eight points to six at the end of the weekend, after second-placed Sevilla snatched a late victory over Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

Three straight league defeats means Atletico, the defending champions, are now 14 points off the top while Barcelona, who beat Elche on Saturday, are seventh, 16 points adrift.

Hazard's last start for Madrid had come in the humiliating Champions League defeat by Sheriff Tiraspol on September 21th, with the Belgian's season again interrupted by injury and a lack of fitness.

But form has been a key factor too, after Ancelotti stated clearly he "prefers other players" while admitting Hazard would have to show patience and perseverance to earn back his place.

Hazard could even depart as early as January if a significant bid arrived but this was an encouraging night for the 30-year-old, who made little impact from the right wing in the first half but improved immeasurably when moved more centrally in the second.

It remains to be seen if any of of Marco Asensio, Rodrygo and Gareth Bale - all unavailable due to positive Covid tests - are available for Wednesday's game away at Athletic Bilbao, but Hazard will hope he did at least enough to continue his latest attempt at a revival.

Luka Modric was also absent, allowing Fede Valverde a chance to impress in midfield, but Madrid missed the Croat's creativity, especially early on.

The 29-year-old has been fitted with a pacemaker, ruling him out of playing in Italian football, but leaving the door open in other championships.

"Inter and Christian Eriksen have decided to terminate the current contract by mutual consent, as he's officially not allowed to play in Serie A with defibrillator," the Italian club said.

Eriksen will now be free to consider his options with other potential clubs, and has recently been in training with his boyhood club Odense. The former Tottenham man suffered a cardiac arrest in Denmark's opening game at Euro 2020 against Finland in Copenhagen on June 12 and had to be resuscitated on the pitch.

Televised live to a stunned nation, Denmark then rode a wave of emotion at the tournament, making it to the semi-finals. The Inter Milan playmaker spent several days in hospital and had a pacemaker implanted to regulate his heartbeat, which would rule him out of even going to a gym in Italy.

Only five games of the previously scheduled 10 are due to take place on Saturday and Sunday, taking the total number of postponed top-flight fixtures over the past week to nine. The English Football League -- which oversees the second, third and fourth tiers of the game -- has also been badly hit as numbers of coronavirus cases rocket in Britain.

The BBC reported that Premier League clubs were due to meet on Monday to discuss the spiralling crisis, with the busy festive season approaching. Even the matches that went ahead on Thursday were disrupted. Liverpool were without Fabinho, Virgil van Dijk and Curtis Jones for their 3-1 win over Newcastle following suspected positive tests for Covid.

Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi missed their 1-1 draw with Everton after testing positive. Brentford manager Thomas Frank, whose side have had matches with Manchester United and Southampton postponed, on Thursday led calls for the top flight to be suspended.

Arteta, whose Arsenal side are due to be in action at Leeds on Saturday, said Friday that decisions had to be based on what was best for the competition and the health of everybody involved. Arsenal's opening game of the season went ahead at Brentford even though they had a number of positive cases in the squad.

"We need more clarity on why those games are not being played and what you need to not have a game played, so you can maintain the fairness of the competition," said Arteta. "We have been here on the other side of the table (at the start of the season) where we had all the arguments in the world to not play a football match and we ended up playing it."

Real Madrid confirmed the outbreak of coronavirus in the squad. After detecting the positive cases of Marcelo and Luka Modric, the club decided to do PCR tests on all their players and coaching staff on Wednesday.

All members of the Real Madrid squad waited in their respective homes until finding out the result of the tests. That was the reason why the club decided to delay Thursday morning's training session.

In an official statement, Real Madrd announced publicly that there are more COVID cases, as 'Cadena COPE' journalist Miguel Angel Diaz had already announced.

The four players Ancelotti will be missing are Bale, Lunin, Rodrygo and Asensio. These players will quarantine at home and wait until they test negative before returning to training.

In addition, assistant coach Davide Ancelotti has tested positive. Coach Carlo Ancelotti's test came back negative so he will be able to keep on coaching the team.

It is a debate almost as old as the competition itself – who is the best striker to grace the Premier League?

Let's be honest, there are many different ways of looking and none are absolutely nailed-on.

However, one area that many might point to is goals frequency.

It stands to reason. The aim of football is to put the ball in the net and the player who does it most regularly must be pretty good.

That's where Sergio Aguero comes in.

The Manchester City great announced on Wednesday that he has retired from the game due to health reasons, having had a heart issue detected over the past month and a half.

It has cut his career disappointingly short given, at 33, he seemingly still had plenty to offer – but it does provide the opportunity to look back on one of the best goalscorers of recent times.

Haaland struck either side of half-time before Dutch striker Donyell Malen grabbed Dortmund's late third goal.

The home victory allows Dortmund to peg back the points gap behind Bayern, who remain on course for a 10th straight league title after thumping Stuttgart 5-0 on Tuesday.

Haaland has scored 19 goals in 15 games for Dortmund this season and the towering Norwegian again shone at Signal Iduna Park.

His early well-timed pass in the box saw Thorgan Hazard hit the net, but the goal was ruled offside.

Dortmund are also six points ahead of third-placed Leverkusen, who were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Hoffenheim on Wednesday.

Czech striker Patrik Schick scored twice to put Leverkusen 2-0 up with an hour gone, but Hoffenheim scored late goals from Angelo Stiller and Munas Dabbur to claim a point.

Leverkusen finished with ten men after Moussa Diaby was shown a second yellow card for lashing out at Hoffenheim defender Florian Grillitsch in stoppage time.

Brentford's match with Manchester United was called off on Tuesday after Covid-19 cases at the Old Trafford club and the Burnley v Watford fixture on Wednesday became the third game in a week to be postponed.

Britain is battling record numbers of coronavirus cases as the Omicron variant takes hold.

The country on Wednesday recorded a record 78,610 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases, with scientists predicting even higher rates as Omicron is believed to spread much faster than the Delta variant.

Brentford have Covid-19 issues in their own camp ahead of Saturday's trip to Southampton and the Dane would like to see a break in play to help manage the situation across the league.

"We think we should postpone the full round of Premier League games this weekend," he said on Thursday.

"Covid cases are going through the roof at all Premier League clubs. Everyone is dealing with it and having problems.

"To postpone this round and also the Carabao (League) Cup round would give everyone a week at least, or four or five days to clean and do everything at the training ground so everything is clean and you break the chain."

Frank was informed of four more Covid cases overnight -- bringing the current total involving players and staff at the club to 13 -- midway through his Thursday morning press conference.

And he believes a decision to halt this weekend's round of top-flight fixtures could be enough to ensure the busy festive programme will be able to go ahead largely as planned.

"We fully respect that we want to play and it is important football keeps going, and this way we can make sure Boxing Day keeps going, I'm 100 per cent sure of that," added Frank.

"This Omicron variant is running like wildfire around the world and I think we need to do all we can to protect and avoid it. I think we can do a lot by closing down training grounds for three, four or five days, and then we can go again."

capacity crowds as the Omicron variant sweeps across Britain.
Tottenham's trip to Brighton and Manchester United's visit to Brentford have been postponed due to outbreaks in the Spurs and United camps in recent days.

Aston Villa, Leicester and Norwich have also reported positives as part of a record 42 cases of Covid-19 among Premier League players and staff in the past week.

That figure is the highest since testing began in May 2020 when top-flight football in England returned after a three-month delay caused by the pandemic.

For over a year the action continued on the field in front of empty stands until a loosening of restrictions allowed the Premier League to return to capacity crowds in August.

There were no restrictions for supporters at most stadiums, although Brighton, Chelsea and Tottenham did introduce the mandatory checks for vaccination or proof of a negative test that will now deployed across England for crowds of over 10,000.

The spectre of Covid loomed in the background even as tens of thousands of unmasked fans mixed in close quarters to watch Steven Gerrard's return to Liverpool as Aston Villa manager on Saturday.

A pop-up testing centre offered free lateral flow tests to the passing crowds.

Newly deployed "Covid stewards" were positioned around Anfield to offer advice on how to download vaccination status onto a smartphone in preparation for Thursday's first match under the new rules against Newcastle.

Liverpool fans have already been affected by problems with the club's new e-ticketing system that saw long queues to get into the stadium in the early weeks of the season.

In a statement on Tuesday, United said: "Victor is currently undergoing a series of precautionary investigations. He has recovered well from the episode he experienced in the match against Norwich.

"All indications are that this is not linked to any Covid outbreak within the club."

United's Premier League match away to Brentford, scheduled for Tuesday night, was postponed after a number of positive Covid-19 tests among players and staff led to the closure of their Carrington training complex on Monday.

15:05: The UEFA ceremony has begun!

15:03: Benfica v Real Madrid could stay!!! Draw delayed!

14:53: Minutes away from the Champions League re-draw!

14:41: "Following a technical problem with the software of an external service provider that instructs the officials as to which teams are eligible to play each other, a material error occurred in the draw for the UEFA Champions League Round of 16," UEFA said in a statement.



December 13, 2021
14:33: A reminder that the 16 clubs are split into two pots. The group winners are in one pot and the runners-up in the other. The group winners will host the second leg. It begins at 15:00 CET.

14:32: The first leg of these matches will be played on 15th, 16th, 22nd and 23rd February while the return matches will take place on 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th March.

14:30: A reminder that teams from the same country or who met in the group stage cannot face each other in the last 16.

14:29: Pot 2: Atletico Madrid, Benfica, Chelsea, Inter, PSG, Salzburg, Sporting and Villarreal.

14:29: Pot 1: Ajax, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool, Lille, Man City, Man Utd and Real Madrid.

14:28: A reminder that the 16 clubs are split into two pots. The group winners are in one pot and the runners-up in the other. The group winners will host the second leg. It begins at 15:00 CET.

14:26: Real Madrid are furious as their tie with Benfica is also being re-drawn despite that tie not being affected by it. It's the wrong decision for me as that tie was drawn fairly, but there we are.

The two-time African Footballer of the Year has netted 14 league goals this season -- five more than Leicester City veteran Jamie Vardy.

Salah is one of three Africans among the top eight sharpshooters with another Liverpool star, Senegalese Sadio Mane, and Nigerian Emmanuel Dennis from Watford bagging seven each. Here, we highlight African players who starred in the major European leagues.

ENGLAND
MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

He scored his 21st goal this season in all competitions to fire Liverpool to a 1-0 win against Villa. Salah netted with a 67th-minute penalty after being fouled by Tyrone Mings. The 29-year-old's 15th consecutive successful penalty left Liverpool one point behind leaders Manchester City.

PATSON DAKA (Leicester)

The Zambia striker helped Leicester crush Newcastle 4-0 with his seventh goal of the season at the King Power Stadium. Daka scored in the 57th minute to put Leicester two up with a cool finish from a Harvey Barnes pass.

EMMANUEL DENNIS (Watford)

The winger grabbed his seventh goal in 15 Premier League appearances, but it wasn't enough to stop the lowly Hornets crashing to a 2-1 defeat at Brentford. Dennis headed lowly Watford in front in the 24th minute to maintain his impressive run since signing from Club Brugge in the close-season.Â

AISSA MANDI (Villarreal)

The Algeria defender helped 13th-placed Villarreal to a 2-0 La Liga win over high-flying Rayo Vallecano. He finished at the back post to give Villarreal the lead in the first half before Gerard Moreno made it two.

Miura, known as "King Kazu", extended his record as Japan's oldest footballer this year, turning out for Yokohama FC in the J-League's top division.

But the veteran's contribution was minimal, managing only one minute of league action all season as his side finished bottom of the table.

Now he is considering a new challenge, with offers from two fourth-tier teams reportedly on the table.

Miura said Yokohama FC has also offered him Japan's golden oldie 'King Kazu' eager to play on at 54, but he is determined to sign for a team "with a clear vision".

"I've been saying for the past 10 years that if there's a team that wants me and needs me, I'll go regardless of what division they're in, and that hasn't changed," the Nikkan Sports daily reported Miura as saying in Osaka, where he is training to keep in shape.

"As long as I still have the passion, of course I want to go for it" he said. "I still have the passion."

A comfortable victory at the Santiago Bernabeu, aided by Nicolo Barella's red card in the 64th minute when Inter were one goal down, sends Madrid through top of Group D, five points ahead of the Italians, who advance as runners-up. Inter had to win to claim first place but after weathering an early storm, Madrid were superior, Kroos' goal putting them in control before Barella's sending off and then a superb strike from Asensio made the result secure.

Madrid's reward is they are guaranteed to avoid the likes of Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Manchester City when the draw for the knock-out stages is made on Monday, although Lionel Messi's Paris Saint-Germain will be among those in the runners-up pot. Other than the shock defeat away at Sheriff in September, Madrid's group stage has been relative plain-sailing, with five wins, including two victories over Inter.

But the challenge now for Carlo Ancelotti's team will be to show they can still mix it with the very best in the latter stages, after they were outplayed last season by Chelsea in the semi-finals. Karim Benzema was absent after picking up an injury against Real Sociedad on Saturday and while Luka Jovic filled in, Madrid will hope to have Benzema back for the derby at home to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on Sunday.

Leicester coach Brendan Rodgers said his side's errors have cost them dearly before they head to Napoli on Thursday needing just a draw to secure a Europa League last 16 place.
Group C. MD 6
Napoli
Napoli
18:45

Leicester
Leicester
09 Dec 2021
Rodgers' side have won just twice since the end of October.

The Foxes lost 2-1 at Aston Villa on Sunday after conceding from a second-half corner as they failed to win for the sixth time in eight games since winning at Brentford on October 24.

"Defending set-pieces, it's really starting to hurt us. It starts to sap our confidence when you concede the goals we've been conceding. That's a big concern," Rodgers told the BBC.

"The story for us is we can play well but we have to cut out mistakes. Even if we've won games recently we've made some mistakes. It's a worry for us. But we'll find a solution," he added.

Napoli, who lost top spot in Serie A at the weekend for the first time since late September, need to match Spartak Moscow's result at Legia Warsaw due to their superior goal difference, to claim a knock-out spot.

Luciano Spalletti's team were also beaten at the weekend, losing 3-2 to Atalanta, as AC Milan moved into the top spot.

Spalletti could be without up to eight players through injury for match against Leicester at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium.

One positive for the home side is the expected return of Greece international centre-back Kostas Manolas who returned to training on Tuesday.

Spalletti backed his outfit to compete despite the long list of absentees.

Fikayo Tomori had given Milan hope they could make the last 16 with his tap-in just before the half hour mark at the San Siro but a quick reply from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi's nodded finish 10 minutes after the break ensured Jurgen Klopp's side finished Group B on 18 points.

Serie A leaders Milan, who were missing half their starting back four and three other first team players including forwards Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic, failed in ther attempt to make the last 16 for the first time since 2013.

Stefano Pioli's side have looked an accomplished side domestically this season but were punished for picking up just one point from their first four group matches.

Klopp made a raft of changes from the Reds' side which squeezed past Wolves at the weekend but there was still a obvious gulf in class between the two teams.

Milan struggled to put a second-string Reds outfit under much pressure in the tame opening stages.

De Bruyne must fight for Man City spot, says Guardiola
Pep Guardiola has warned Kevin De Bruyne that he faces a fight to win back a regular place in the Manchester City side after a campaign marred by injuries and a coronavirus infection.
Group A. MD 6
RB Leipzig
RB Leipzig
18:45

Man. City
Man. City
07 Dec 2021
The Belgium midfielder returned to action as a substitute against Watford on Saturday but has been told he will start Tuesday's Champions League match in Leipzig, City's final fixture in Group A.

The 30-year-old suffered ankle ligament damage at Euro 2020 that prevented him from starting a Premier League game until late September but was just starting to find his form when he tested positive for Covid-19.

"Kevin, at the moment he got coronavirus, was growing in his physical condition and it was a setback," Guardiola said on Monday.

"But that is normal because people who have suffered coronavirus, in the next days, feel so empty.

"It is step by step. He played his first 30 minutes and tomorrow he will start. We'll see how many minutes he can play."

Despite his pedigree, De Bruyne will have to battle for a starting spot at a club where competition for starting places is intense, with Bernardo Silva described by Guardiola as the best player in the Premier League at the moment.

Liga, four days before needing to win away at Porto in the Champions League - "depression or rebellion."
Group B. MD 6
Porto
Porto
21:00

Atlético
Atlético
07 Dec 2021
Only a victory will do in Portugal otherwise Atletico will go out in the group stage for only the second time under Simeone, who has problems domestically as well. After 15 games, Atletico are fourth, 10 points behind Real Madrid.

Simeone has heard it before, the questions about his methods and relevance, and whether he is still a force for good at Atletico Madrid, who only six months ago were celebrating winning the Spanish title in a car park at Real Valladolid.

More broadly, Simeone is rightly revered for transforming an also-ran team in La Liga into an established member of Europe's aristocracy.

Later this month, it will be exactly a decade since Simeone took over with Atletico 10th in the table and having not finished in the top three for 16 years, except for when they once finished first, in the second division.

In nine complete seasons under Simeone, they have never been out of La Liga's top three.

They have broken the Barcelona-Real Madrid duopoly to win La Liga twice and come within a whisker of two Champions League triumphs, denied only by Sergio Ramos in the 93rd minute and Cristiano Ronaldo in a penalty shoot-out.

It remains highly likely the years immediately after Simeone eventually leaves Atletico will be worse than those that went before.

When Simeone called on Saturday for "rebellion" against Porto, it was a familiar reflex for a coach who in a crisis looks to the psychological elements, demanding more work, concentration, focus, fight and togetherness.

It is why the failures this season have been particularly jarring for an Atletico team so renowned for their discipline and defence.

As recently as 2019, Brazilian Messias was plying his trade in Italy's third-tier Serie C, a past in local leagues and a former job shifting fridges not that far behind him.

However, after making his debut for Crotone in Serie B in the August of that year the 30-year-old's star has risen quickly, an impressive debut Serie A season the following campaign leading to a dream move to seven-time European champions Milan.

Down-to-earth Messias, who emigrated to Italy in 2011, could well find himself playing a part for the visit of Liverpool on Tuesday as the Rossoneri try to make it to the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time since 2013.

"I try to think about working hard and to improve because when you're at this level you need to get used to it," Messias said to DAZN after scoring twice in last week's 3-0 Serie A win at Genoa.

"I got used to it last year, playing for a decent team that unfortunately got relegated... it's a bit different this year because I've found myself in a great team and a huge club –- that gives you an extra push."

It's down to Messias that Milan have a chance of making the knockout stages of Europe's top club competition after he scored his first goal for the club at Atletico Madrid a fortnight ago.