₦airaland Forum

Ronald Koeman's future at Barcelona is a big question mark at the moment. The performances, the team's play and the open confrontation with the board mean that the hero of Wembley is on the edge and could be dismissed in the middle of a sporting crisis unprecedented in recent years at the Camp Nou.

In order to calm the situation a little, as 'AS' reports, president Joan Laporta wanted to bring the Dutch coach closer to his side after the draw against Cadiz at the Nuevo Mirandilla.

According to the report, both sides tried to iron out their differences, with Laporta trying to explain that the club cannot control rumours about possible replacements and that Koeman's own statement was not necessary. For his part, the coach noted his surprise at the lack of support from the institution.

Despite this rapprochement, the truth is that Ronald Koeman's continuity in the Barcelona bench is by no means guaranteed and the club is trying to find a reliable replacement, with Xavi Hernandez and Roberto Martinez being the best positioned to take over the position.

Laporta knows that it will not be easy to convince any of the candidates to take over the Barcelona helm in the middle of the season and that is why he will try to seduce the possible replacement with names for the team's near future.

According to 'El Nacional', the president wants the next coach to be the visible head of a winning project that could have four new faces of the highest level: Paul Pogba, Franck Kessie, Paulo Dybala and, of course, Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian is seen by Laporta as the ideal player to lead the new Barca on the pitch and, at the same time, bring the club back to the forefront in terms of marketing, thus palliating the departure of Leo Messi, whose departure seriously affected the club in this area.

The other three wishes of the Barcelona president would also be great market opportunities, as they all finish their contracts with their respective clubs and Barcelona would save the payment of a transfer, as it did last summer with the incorporations of Memphis Depay, Kun Agüero and Eric García.

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Premier League
Man. City
Chelsea face Man City test as Liverpool, Man Utd bid to keep pace
BeSoccer
BeSoccer
6 hours ago
2.6k
Chelsea face Man City test as Liverpool, Man Utd bid to keep pace. AFP
Chelsea face Man City test as Liverpool, Man Utd bid to keep pace. AFP
Chelsea host Premier League champions Manchester City in a stiff test of the leaders' title credentials on Saturday as Liverpool and Manchester United bid to keep pace with Thomas Tuchel's side.
Matchday 6
Man. Utd
Man. Utd
12:30

Aston Villa
Aston Villa
25 Sep 2021
The Blues look well-equipped to end the season as English champions for the first time since 2017 after signing Romelu Lukaku to add a cutting edge to their attack.

But Liverpool, the 2020 title winners, and Manchester United are matching them, with all three teams locked on 13 points after five games.

AFP Sport takes a look at some of the talking points ahead of the weekend action.

No fears for Tuchel's Blues

Even though the season is still young, former England captain turned TV pundit Alan Shearer predicts Chelsea are going to be difficult to stop.

Tuchel's team beat Manchester City three times last season -- including in the Champions League final.

Since then they have signed Lukaku from Inter Milan and have also been miserly at the back -- conceding just one goal in the league.

"Lukaku is not the only reason they are so formidable," Shearer wrote in his BBC Sport column.

"They won the Champions League in May without him. But his arrival means they don't have a weak link in their team, and they have such strength in depth too."

It is too soon to call the match at Stamford Bridge a title decider, but City boss Pep Guardiola will not want to leave London six points behind one of his main rivals.Norwich have lost their past 15 Premier League games under Daniel Farke -- the longest losing run by any side in English top-flight history under a single manager.

That horror streak encompasses the end of the 2019/20 season, when the Canaries were relegated to the Championship. They immediately bounced back.

Erlin Haaland is trendy thanks to his numerous goals. The stats suggest that every time he scores, he will most likely score a brace... or more.

His scoring ability has made of him, the dream signing for Liverpool and Madrid, among many. Steve McManamanbelieves that Liverpool should forget about the 21year-old striker. "If I see Liverpool in the race for Haaland next summer? No...", he claimed for 'horseracing.net'.

"I believe there is a huge chance he goes to Madrid. The player likes the club and the lifestyle of playing for 'Los Blancos', he added.

He believes that the transfer fee is not the problem for Liverpool: "I don't think Haaland's price tag is the isssue for him not signing with Liverpool. The problem are other variables, wich come in when signing a player of this magnitude".

He also used that space to warn anyone interested in Dortmund's player. "He will ask for a high salary and, when you pay salaries like his, others in your team will ask the same. His agent is also there, Mino Raiola is goint to ask for a lot of money too... Not just for Haaland but for himself too. I believe Liverpool don't want to be part of that".

Luis Suarez scored twice, including a 90th-minute winner, to complete a late turnaround against Getafe on Tuesday and return the reigning champions to the top of the La Liga table.

They would quickly surrender first place to Real Madrid, who put six past Mallorca a day later, but the sight of Suarez settling games again rekindled memories of what took Atleti to the title three months ago.

Suarezs 21 goals were the driving force but there have been concerns about the Uruguayan this season, his fitness, sharpness and ability to stoke the fires that burned so bright after his bitter departure from Barcelona.

Scruffy touches and rusty finishing have been symptomatic of Atletico overall, a flatness raising suspicions these players may lack as champions some of the hunger and tenacity they had as challengers.

"We're not where we want to be," said Diego Simeone on Tuesday.

Atletico can still defend they have conceded five times in their opening seven games and their knack of snatching points in the dying minutes remains very much intact. Suarezs late winner against Getafe came after goals in the 90th minutes against Villarreal and Espanyol.

Unlike Real Madrid and Barcelona, Atletico were bolstered not weakened in the summer transfer window, with Antoine Griezmann and Rodrigo de Paul arriving and the framework of last seasons side left almost entirely untouched.

Real Madrid might have the outstanding player in the league in Karim Benzema but Atletico arguably have the best squad. Against Athletic Club last weekend, Simeone was able to bring on Suarez, Joao Felix and Yannick Carrasco in the second half.
But while those changes revealed a strength in depth they also demonstrate some fuzzy thinking from Simeone so far, the Argentinian yet to solve a conundrum that could make or break the defence of their title.

Suarez, Felix, Griezmann and Correa is an attacking quartet that would be the envy of most teams in Europe, let alone Spain, yet none of the combinations picked have quite convinced.

Suarez was renowned at Barcelona for needing time in August and September to find fitness and sharpness, and the hope will be after his intervention against Getafe that he is almost there.

There are fewer flickers of form though from Griezmann, who is still adapting to a very different Atletico to the one that he left. He is a different player as well, with scar tissue perhaps unavoidable following a turbulent two years at Camp Nou.

- Scrutiny -

Simeone has said Felix is still getting back to his best after an ankle injury, his recovery process not helped by a petulant red card against Athletic Bilbao last weekend. Correa is trusted by his coach but lost rhythm after spending two weeks away with Argentina.

Ronald Koeman came into the game under pressure following Barcelona's chairman, Joan Laporta, words "If we have to make decisions, we'll make them". The president's words came after Ronald Koeman read an statement and stormed off, instead of having an 'average' press conference.

Unfortunately for Barcelona fans, Koeman's side played a slow and defensive first half, where both teams didn't create a single chance. Both teams were organized defensively and Barcelona dominated the ball, but failed to create anything at the last third of the pitch.

Ter Stegen was undoubtedly the man of the match. His saves helped Barcelona to not drop more points tonight at the Nuevo Mirandilla. During the 46th minute, the German goalkeeper dived to make an spectacular save to stop Negredo's trivela shot from outside the box. Memphis Depay missed a good chance as he saw Cadiz's goalkeeper, Jeremias Ledesma, save his left-footed shot.

Barcelona had a great start to the second half, but everything changed when Frenkie De Jong got his second yellow for a miss-timed tackle. A controversial tackle that for many shouldn't be a yellow as the Dutchman touches the ball before making contact with Cadiz's player.

Both teams had their best chances during the stoppage time, with Depay firing off after Gerard Pique's great pass.

Busquets got booked in the 96th minute for kicking a ball towards where the match ball was at. Ronald Koeman got sent off after arguing with the referee.

Manchester United said goodbye to the EFL Cup and all eyes were on Solskjaer as he left Cristiano Ronaldo out. Without the Portuguese superstar, the 'Red Devils' lost their spark and ended up paying with a defeat.

West Ham advanced after Lanzini scored the only goal of the game. After the final whistle, the Norwegian coach was asked about Ronaldo's absence.

"Cristiano arrived and changed everything, but the season is really long", said Solskjaer as he wants Cristiano to stay in form until the end of the season.

Solskjaer said that Ronaldo "always wants to play" but that it is impossible as the season has many games left to be played.

In summer 2019, Real Madrid signed Takefusa Kubo. He came through the La Masia academy at Barca and Madrid detected the Japonese's talent. That saw him move to the Santiago Bernabeu.

Despite the fact he is still young and has still not had the opportunity to make his debut in a competitive game for Real Madrid, 'Los Blancos' think he has a long term future at the club. Therefore, 'El Larguero' says that they are thinking of renewing him.

This season, Kubo is on loan at Mallorca. This Wednesday, he played at the Bernabeu for the first time, although this time on the opposition side. Real Madrid, his parent club, did not take their eyes off him.

Madrid were so happy with what they saw of Kubo in that match that they are now thinking of renewing his contract. And that is despite his current deal running until 2024, but Madrid want him to be at the club for more time than that.

And Kubo would be delighted with that. Last summer, the previously cited source says that the Japanese had the opportunity to move to other European clubs, but he preferred to stay at Real Madrid and move elsewhere on loan. He saw a loan deal at Mallorca as the perfect place to grow.

At Real Madrid they are awaiting his return. Kubo is getting the game time needed to do great things in La Liga. Real Madrid are in no doubt that he has a lot to offer them.

Lewandowski drops hint on future as Bayern head to bottom side Fuerth. AFP
Robert Lewandowski has hinted he could finish his career at Bayern Munich as the Bundesliga leaders prepare for Friday's away match at bottom side Greuther Fuerth.
Lewandowski won Europe's "Golden Shoe" on Tuesday as top scorer in European football after he scored a Bundesliga record 41 goals in 29 games last season.

The Poland forward is already the German league's joint top-scorer this season alongside Dortmund star striker Erling Braut Haaland with seven goals in five league games.

The 33-year-old Lewandowski has a Bayern contract until June 2023 and despite having often been linked to a move to Real Madrid in the past, he told reporters that he "doesn't need to prove myself in another league".

"I can compete with the best from other leagues in the Champions League. I'm 100 percent focused on Bayern Munich - I don't think about anything else, but my team," he added.

Lewandowski caused a stir when he brought his newly-won Golden Shoe award to training on Wednesday and his Bayern team-mates queued up for photos with the trophy.

The Bavarian giants grabbed top spot in the Bundesliga last weekend with a 7-0 demolition of Bochum.

Bayern have chalked up 38 goals in their first eight games this season in all competitions and more goals are expected at Fuerth on Friday.

Since winning promotion last season, Fuerth have taken one point from a home draw against Bielefeld in their first five Bundesliga games.

Defending champions Bayern start as clear favourites, but wait on the fitness of Serge Gnabry, who was absent with flu on Wednesday, as was attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala and reserve goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, who picked up ankle and knee injuries respectively after colliding in training at the start of the week.

Lewandowski was not the only Bayern star to win an award this week as club captain Manuel Neuer was on Wednesday awarded the Bavarian Order of Merit for his services to the southern German state.Â

During the ceremony, Neuer said his goal is to win the World Cup again and repeat Germany's 2014 trumph in Brazil. "That's something that's on my to-do list."

Asensio shines against his former team and Benzema is a spectacle. EFE
Carlo Ancelotti's side easily beat Mallorca. Fourth consecutive win in La Liga and sole leader to complete a great start to the season. The Balearics tried to get back into the game, but Madrid were very solid throughout the match. They now top the table with 16 points. Asensio scores a hat-trick and Benzema a brace.
End
Matchday 6
Real Madrid
Real Madrid 6-1 Mallorca
Mallorca
22 Sep 2021
Real Madrid completed the 6th La Liga matchday with a victory and as sole leaders. 'Los Blancos' played a great game in their new stadium and the fans were able to enjoy a thrashing from the front line.

The game started in their favour in the second minute, when Josep Gaya slipped and left Benzema alone in front of Manolo Reina. When it comes to Benzema, there can be no doubt that he is one of the best strikers in the world and he proved just that. Without being a bit nervous, he scored perfectly in front of the goalkeeper to score the first goal of the match.

Real Madrid's total control of the match continued until the second goal of the match in the 24th minute. This time, it was Marco Asensio who took advantage of being well placed in the six-yard box to take advantage of a Rodrygo pass and score his first goal of the game. But if this was going to be a drab affair, it seems Mallorca didn't agree.

Just a minute after Asensio's goal, in the 25th minute, Take Kubo was the cleverest of the 22 players and he quickly made his way into Courtois' box, assisted for Kang-In Lee who scored a left-footed strike from the edge of the area. Thibout could do nothing and Mallorca were thinking of an equaliser.

September 22, 2021
Then in the 29th minute, another Asensio strike made it 3-1 to Madrid. In just 30 minutes we had already had 4 goals, and it didn't stop there. Asensio's second goal started from the defensive line, a great pass from Eder Militao to Benzema, who assisted Asensio with a first touch and he scored a perfect goal.

Barcelona's under-pressure coach Ronald Koeman delivered a bizarre press conference on Wednesday as he read a pre-prepared statement before leaving without answering questions.
Matchday 6
Cádiz
Cádiz
21:00

Barcelona
Barcelona
23 Sep 2021
Koeman's position is fragile, after Barca followed up a 3-0 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week with a 1-1 draw at home to Granada in La Liga, with the team's tactics and style coming under scrutiny. In his press conference, Koeman sat down and was introduced by the club's press officer, who said the Dutchman wanted to read a short statement.

Reading from a piece of paper, Koeman said: "Hello everyone. The club with me as coach is in a situation of rebuilding. "The financial situation of the club is connected to the sporting activities and vice-versa. This means we as a team have to rebuild the team without being able to make any big financial investments. This needs time.

"The young talent today could be the next big world stars in just a few years. To rebuild this team, young players will be given opportunities like Xavi and Iniesta had in their day. But we must ask for patience. "Achieving a high ranking in La Liga is a great success. In the Champions League we can't hope for miracles. The defeat by Bayern Munich last week has to be analysed with that perspective.


"The process we're in now with the staff and the team deserves unconditional support, in words and actions. I know the press recognises this process. "It's not the first time in Barcelona's history this has happened. We count on your support in these difficult times. "As staff and players, we are very happy with the great support of the fans, like we had in the match against Granada. Visca Barca, thanks to everyone."

Several names, including Xavi Hernandez, Roberto Martinez and Antonio Conte, have been mentioned as possible successors to 58-year-old Koeman, whose relationship with club president Joan Laporta has been strained in recent weeks. After the defeat at home to Bayern, Laporta posted a video addressed to Barcelona supporters in which he said: "I am as disappointed and upset as all of you are... Do not doubt we will resolve this situation."

Koeman was asked about the club's loss of identity after the draw against Granada on Monday. His team had delivered 54 crosses and ended the game with central defenders Gerard Pique and Ronald Araujo playing up front. "If you see the list of players, what do you do? Play tiki-taki? Tiki-taki when there are no spaces?" said Koeman.

"We did what we had to do. We tried to win another way. We don't have players one-on-one or with speed. We're talking... I'm not going to say more because it seems I have to argue about everything." Barcelona head to Cadiz on Thursday in La Liga, having won two and drawn two of their opening four league games.

Barcelona's under-pressure coach Ronald Koeman delivered a bizarre press conference on Wednesday as he read a pre-prepared statement before leaving without answering questions.
Matchday 6
Cádiz
Cádiz
21:00

Barcelona
Barcelona
23 Sep 2021
Koeman's position is fragile, after Barca followed up a 3-0 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League last week with a 1-1 draw at home to Granada in La Liga, with the team's tactics and style coming under scrutiny. In his press conference, Koeman sat down and was introduced by the club's press officer, who said the Dutchman wanted to read a short statement.

Reading from a piece of paper, Koeman said: "Hello everyone. The club with me as coach is in a situation of rebuilding. "The financial situation of the club is connected to the sporting activities and vice-versa. This means we as a team have to rebuild the team without being able to make any big financial investments. This needs time.

"The young talent today could be the next big world stars in just a few years. To rebuild this team, young players will be given opportunities like Xavi and Iniesta had in their day. But we must ask for patience. "Achieving a high ranking in La Liga is a great success. In the Champions League we can't hope for miracles. The defeat by Bayern Munich last week has to be analysed with that perspective.

It was a memorable weekend for Sadio Mane as he bagged his 100th goal for Liverpool and became the first Premier League footballer to score in nine consecutive matches against the same opponent.
End
Matchday 5
Liverpool
Liverpool 3-0 Crystal Palace
Crystal Palace
18 Sep 2021
The reigning African Footballer of the Year netted in the opening half of a 3-0 triumph over Crystal Palace at Anfield.

All the goals came from African stars with Egyptian Mohamed Salah notching the second and Guinean Naby Keita scoring with a superb volley.

Here, AFP Sport highlights Africans who starred in the five major European leagues.

ENGLAND

SADIO MANE (Liverpool)

His close-range strike just before half-time made him the 18th man to bring up a century of Liverpool goals. "A massive achievement in the glorious history of this club," said Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp.

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The two-time African Footballer of the Year scored for the fifth time in six matches this season as Liverpool eased to victory. Salah struck 12 minutes from time, then whipped his shirt off in celebration. He also played a role in Mane's 100th goal when his header from a corner was turned in by the Senegal star.

NABY KEITA (Liverpool)

The midfielder scored his first Liverpool goal since July 2020. Returning to form after a difficult period, he came off the bench to complete the scoring. In the 89th minute, he unleashed a sublime left-foot volley from the edge of the area that flashed past goalkeeper Vicente Guaita.

England great Jimmy Greaves, who took his incredible goalscoring talents to Chelsea, Milan, Tottenham and West Ham, died on September 19.
Jimmy Greaves is among the finest players England has ever produced and remained one of the great entertainers long into retirement.

Tottenham, Chelsea and England icon Greaves died on September 19 at the age of 81.

A naturally clinical finisher with both feet, who terrorised defences throughout a record-breaking career, the inside forward is the leading goalscorer in the history of the English top flight.

The World Cup winner found the back of the net a staggering 357 times in 516 First Division games and ended six seasons as the highest scorer.

He is also Spurs' record goalscorer, having notched an incredible 266 goals from 379 appearances, and is fourth on the list of England's leading scorers, with 44 from 57 matches – including a record six hat-tricks.

His status as the highest scorer in the top five European leagues was only lost as recently as 2017, when Cristiano Ronaldo surpassed his haul.

Greaves glided past opponents with a sharp turn of pace and exhilarating skills, and would caress the ball beyond goalkeepers with ice-cool composure.

The prolific maestro pounced on opportunities in a flash, could conjure up chances for himself out of nothing and provide assists with moments of magic.

Born in Manor Park, East Ham, Greaves signed for Chelsea as a junior in 1956 and shattered a club record by bagging 114 goals for the youth team.

He got his first-team chance on the opening day of the 1957-58 season and grabbed it with both hands, scoring a brilliant solo goal in a 1-1 draw against Tottenham, aged 17.

Greaves helped himself to 13 hat-tricks for the Blues – within a stunning overall haul of 132 goals in 169 games – before making a switch to Milan, where he also demonstrated his goalscoring prowess but swiftly returned to London with Spurs after failing to settle in Italy.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his fourth goal in three matches since his return to Manchester United on Sunday before Jesse Lingard grabbed a late winner on his return to West Ham in a 2-1 win.
End
Matchday 5
West Ham
West Ham 1-2 Man. Utd
Man. Utd
19 Sep 2021
Ronaldo tapped in to cancel out Said Benrahma's opener and substitute Lingard appeared to have won the match for the visitors in the 89th minute. But there was time for late, late drama when the home side were awarded a penalty for a Luke Shaw handball in added time. Mark Noble came on to take the spot kick but United goalkeeper David de Gea dived to his left to keep it out, sparking a frenzy among United players.

United move into second place in the table, level on points with Liverpool. Ronaldo was jeered and whistled by the home fans at the London Stadium as he tried his trademark stepovers and feints but proved a handful throughout at the point of United's attack. The Portuguese superstar was supported by Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood, with no starting place for Jadon Sancho, who has struggled to make an impact since his big-money move from Borussia Dortmund in July.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is still trying to work out how best to juggle his impressive forward resources and United are still seeking fluency despite a bright start to the Premier League season. West Ham proved a stern test for the visitors just five days after 10-man United crashed to a 2-1 defeat against Swiss side Young Boys in their Champions League opener.

Both sets of players lined up before kick-off as the stadium observed a minute's applause for England great Jimmy Greaves, who died on Sunday at the age of 81.West Ham, without suspended forward Michail Antonio, engineered the first clear opening of the game when De Gea was forced to save with his legs from a Jarrod Bowen shot. As the game opened up, West Ham goalkeeper Lukas Fabianski got his fingertips to a rasping Fernandes shot, touching it onto the post.

But it was West Ham who took the lead in the 30th when Benrahma's effort from the edge of the box took a huge deflection off Raphael Varane and completely wrong-footed De Gea. The goal galvanised the visitors and they were level just five minutes later, with Ronaldo poking the ball past Fabianski after the goalkeeper had saved his initial shot following a Fernandes cross.

Nikola Vlasic went close to restoring West Ham's lead, flashing over following a cross by Aaron Cresswell. Fabianski was called into action early in the second half racing off his line to block Ronaldo's effort when he had seemed destined to score. Both sides pushed forward as the second half wore on but there were few clear-cut openings.

Lingard, who spent a period on loan at West Ham last season, got a warm reception from the home fans when he came on as substitute alongside Sancho with 17 minutes to go, replacing Greenwood and Pogba. But he left the home fans with a bitter taste in their mouths when he curled a beautiful shot into the top right corner, which ultimately proved to be the winner.

In the other 1400 GMT kick-off, Brighton beat Leicester 2-1 to move up to third in the table ahead of the late kick-off between Tottenham and Chelsea, both former clubs of Greaves. Neal Maupay converted from the penalty spot with 10 minutes remaining of the first half following a handball by Jannik Vestergaard.

Danny Welbeck doubled the lead five minutes after half-time, flicking a near-post header past Kasper Schmeichel following a Leandro Trossard free-kick. Leicester pulled a goal back through Jamie Vardy but it was not enough.

Real Madrid moved to the top of La Liga on Sunday after scoring twice in two minutes to pull off an incredible late comeback against Valencia.
End
Matchday 5
Valencia
Valencia 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Madrid
19 Sep 2021
Valencia looked set for victory at Mestalla when Hugo Duro scored against his former club in the second half but the in-form Vinicius Junior equalised in the 86th minute before Karim Benzema headed home in the 88th for a 2-1 away win. Real Madrid remain unbeaten this term, having now won five and drawn one of their first six matches in all competitions under returning coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Valencia, who stay third, have also enjoyed a strong start under new coach Jose Bordalas but leave hugely disappointed not to have taken three points from this game, let alone one. Madrid sit two ahead of Atletico Madrid after Atletico were held to a goalless draw by Athletic Bilbao on Saturday, and six in front of Barcelona, who have two games in hand, the first against Granada on Monday.

Benzema already has six goals this season but the real bonus for Ancelotti has been the form of Vinicius, who has five goals himself, already more than the 21-year-old managed in the whole of the last campaign. Both teams were hampered by early injuries as Real Madrid's Dani Carvajal had to be replaced by Lucas Vazquez while Valencia lost both Carlos Soler and Thierry Correia, with Yunus Musah and Toni Lato coming on.

The 25-year-old French international is expected back in training within two weeks, said coach Julian Nagelsmann.

"He had a slightly irregular heartbeat, a minor heart irregularity. We did a long-term ECG and carried out this operation," said Nagelsmann.

"He's doing very well and he has little wound pain. Once the wound is healed then he will be able to start with rehab training and it won't be more than ten days to two weeks before he's back in full training."

Coman will miss the next two Bundesliga games against Bochum and Greuther Fuerth while he is also unlikely to feature in Bayern's next Champions League clash with Dynamo Kiev.Despite concerns over players' heart welfare following Denmark midfielder Christian Eriksen's cardiac arrest at the European Championship in the summer, Nagelsmann was keen not to exaggerate Coman's condition.

"It sounds much more dramatic than it is," said the coach.

"It's not so blatant, several people have that," he said in reference to Coman's recent breathing problems.

"But it makes a difference whether my greatest effort is to go to the refrigerator and get a cool light beer - or whether I'm a competitive athlete."

Ronald Koeman is adamant Barcelona will be better soon but he heads to Granada in La Liga on Monday under pressure, with his team accused not just of losing but of losing their identity.

Barca were outplayed in a 3-0 defeat by Bayern Munich on Tuesday, the gulf in class so obvious that Bayern eased off in the second half.

By the end the home fans at Camp Nou were more interested in keeping up an inflatable ball than keeping up with what was on the pitch.

Koeman's team failed to muster a single shot on target, had less of the ball – once the club's signature statistic - and have now registered three consecutive losses at home in the Champions League, with 10 goals conceded.

After the string of summer sales and the departure of Lionel Messi, nobody was shocked Bayern were better. Few expect Barcelona to trouble either the Champions League's latter stages or any of its chief contenders this season.

But as Barca look ahead now to some kinder assignments -Granada on Monday, then Cadiz and Levante- the debate has begun about the manner of the decline and whether Koeman is the right coach to close the gap.

"It is what it is, we are what we are," said Gerard Pique after the game in midweek, a sentiment Koeman said he agreed with. "We have to be realistic," he added.

Yet that growing sense of resignation has irked many around Camp Nou, who feel the line between realism and acceptance is being blurred. While Barca are not expected to beat Bayern, there is a way to lose - courageously and while rebuilding in the process.

Last season, Koeman was given margin for error, his insistence that the team were "not in a position to win anything" reluctantly absorbed by the club and fans, after senior players had left and youngsters began to emerge.

The key, though, was also a base level of results and performance, which eventually won Barcelona the Copa del Rey, put them in contention to win La Liga and saw a degree of resistance offered against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Borussia Dortmund coach Marco Rose says he will do everything to keep Jude Bellingham and Erling Braut Haaland at the Bundesliga club as the young stars attract the attention of Europe's top clubs after forging an impressive partnership.
Dortmund, third in Germany's top flight, host Union Berlin on Sunday looking to build on their four-match winning streak, including a 2-1 Champions League victory at Besiktas on Wednesday where Bellingham was man-of-the-match.

The England midfielder, who turned 18 in June, scored the opening goal with a superb finish, then waltzed through the defence to set up Haaland, 21, to claim his 21st Champions League goal in 17 games.

Haaland's contract expires in 2024, a year before Bellingham, but both are targets for Europe's top clubs, leaving Rose to face repeated questions about transfer speculation.

"The two boys (Haaland and Bellingham) are currently players with us... anything else is just rumours," said Rose.

"I will do everything to ensure they stay," added Rose, who mused over whether to "tie them down" to new contracts.

Haaland has scored 66 goals in 66 games for Dortmund, but a release clause in his contract becomes active next year, meaning he could leave for 75 million euros ($88 million).

Magazine Sport Bild claims Dortmund already have Chelsea striker Timo Werner top of their list as a replacement.

Wolfsburg will remain top if they make it five wins from five league games at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Fresh from their mid-week Champions League win at Barcelona, second-placed Bayern Munich are favourites at home to Bochum in their first meeting since 2009/10.

Bayern go into the clash buoyed by news that Germany midfielders Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich have extended their contracts.

The reaction in France to the all-star Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League bow against Club Brugge in midweek has been unforgiving.
Matchday 6
PSG
PSG
19:45

Olympique Lyonnais
Olympique Lyonnais
19 Sep 2021
PSG, football's new galacticos following the arrival of Lionel Messi, were dismissed as "ghost-like" by sports daily L'Equipe as they escaped with a 1-1 draw against the Belgian champions on what was the Argentine's first start for his new club.

Messi teamed up with Kylian Mbappe and Neymar for the first time but, as Le Parisien put it, "the dream of seeing the 'MNM' together almost turned into a nightmare".

A draw away to, on paper, the weakest team in their Champions League group puts Mauricio Pochettino's side -among the leading pre-tournament favourites to win European club football's biggest prize -up against it just to reach the last 16.

They play Manchester City next and still have to face RB Leipzig, two teams that beat PSG in last season's Champions League.

The game in Bruges served as a reminder that the Qatar-owned club cannot simply rely on Messi, Neymar and Mbappe to win games, even if the latter set up their goal for Ander Herrera.

They desperately missed the suspended Idrissa Gana Gueye and the injured Marco Verratti in midfield.

Angel di Maria was suspended. At the back, Sergio Ramos has still not played because of injury.

"We must improve, we know that," said Pochettino.

"We have a magnificent squad, but we need balance, to be creative going forward but solid at the back. We need time for that."

It is concerning when compared with Pep Guardiola's City, who thumped Leipzig 6-3 in midweek and come to Paris later this month.

AC Milan bounce straight from one massive game to another on Sunday when they travel to fierce rivals Juventus still reeling from defeat in their first Champions League match since 2014.
The seven-time European champions came away from Anfield with some lessons to learn after spending the vast majority of their 3-2 defeat to Liverpool on the back foot.

In the opening 20 minutes Stefano Pioli's side looked overawed by the occasion and a full, pulsating stadium after playing their domestic matches in grounds kept at 50 percent capacity as according to Italy's Covid-19 regulations.

And once 2-1 ahead against the run of play at half-time through goals by Ante Rebic and Brahim Diaz they then crumbled in the face of Liverpool pressure after the break and could have lost by more.

"The fact that we were in the game until the end is a sign of the level we have reached," Pioli said after the match.

"We're talking about a really high standard and we're not quite there but we'll use this match to grow and gain more experience."

They have an immediate test at the Allianz Stadium in probably the biggest match of the Serie A season so far, as Juve try to build on their 3-0 win at Malmo and crack Milan's perfect start to the league campaign.

Massimiliano Allegri's side were considered the pre-season favourites for the Scudetto but the sudden departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and only one draw to show from three matches has left them in disarray, eight points behind Milan, Napoli and league leaders Roma.

They will likely benefit from the absence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who said on Thursday he wasn't sure he would recover from an Achilles tendon injury in time for the trip west.

The Swedish star picked up the knock after scoring in an impressive 2-0 win over Lazio last weekend, his first match in over four months, and missed the trip to England.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he sees light at the end of the tunnel for the club despite suffering their worst start to a season for 67 years.
The Gunners climbed off the bottom of the Premier League table with their first goal and first points of the campaign by beating Norwich 1-0 last weekend. However, Arteta's position is still under scrutiny ahead of Saturday's trip to Burnley after spending £150 million ($207 million) on new players during the transfer window.

The Spaniard claimed after beating Norwich he had enjoyed the "best 10 days of his career in this industry" during an international break when his side were rock bottom of the table. And Arteta was equally optimistic on where Arsenal are headed with all six of his summer signings aged 23 or under.
"I'm telling you I'm very positive most of the time. I've seen the light and I can see bright lights," he said at his pre-match press conference on Thursday. "There can be bumps in the road within that light, but I can see a lot of light."

Arteta is also hopeful the criticism his squad suffered after defeats to Brentford, Chelsea and Manchester City will only serve to make them stronger. "It's tough because it hurts, because you want to see something different. But what you want is not always what happens," he added. Things happen for a reason and maybe what is happening had to happen and it's going to be really good for the club and really good for myself and everybody experiencing that situation. We have to believe that."

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UCL
Real Madrid
Rodrygo
Rodrygo punishes wasteful Inter with late winner for Madrid
BeSoccer
BeSoccer
9 hours ago
1.3k
Rodrygo get Madrid the win in the 89th minute. AFP
Rodrygo get Madrid the win in the 89th minute. AFP
Rodrygo sank wasteful Inter Milan with the last-gasp winner in a 1-0 triumph at the San Siro which gives Real Madrid the perfect start to their Champions League campaign.
End
Group D. MD 1
Inter
Inter 0-1 Real Madrid
Real Madrid
15 Sep 2021
Italian champions Inter are trying to make the competition's knockout rounds for the first time since 2011/12 but they were punished for letting a series of opportunities slip by before Brazilian Rodrygo's beautifully struck goal in the final minute of the Group D clash. It was a harsh result for Inter against Carlo Ancelotti's Madrid, who up to that point had shown little of the attacking verve which has brought them 13 goals in four La Liga games so far this season.

"We deserved much more from the game, but if you don't score goals you're not going to win games," said Edin Dzeko to Amazon. "We deserved more, we played really well against a great team, and we had the chances to win the game... It's a real shame as you can't lose a game like that."

Madrid however are not top of the group as that honour goes to Sheriff Tiraspol, who downed Shakhtar Donetsk 2-0 in a dream start to life in the Champions League. "This was the toughest game of the group," Ancelotti told Amazon. "Inter kept up a tremendous rhythm in the first half, while we managed to control the game better after the break.

"However I was pleased with the team being able to defend deep. That's a good sign as a team that knows how to get through tough periods is a good one." Inter dominated the early exchanges and should have been at least one goal ahead midway through the first half after getting at a Madrid defence which had conceded six goals in their opening four La Liga matches.

Jordan Henderson's stunning strike ensured Liverpool came from behind to beat AC Milan once more with a pulsating 3-2 victory at Anfield to get their Champions League campaign off to a winning start.
End
Group B. MD 1
Liverpool
Liverpool 3-2 Milan
Milan
15 Sep 2021
The Reds famously came from 3-0 down to beat the Italian giants on penalties in the 2005 Champions League final in Istanbul, but should have made far easier work of disposing of Stefano Pioli's men on their return to top level European football. Seven-time winners, Milan were playing their first Champions League match for seven years and were given a rude awakening to the step up in class but for a two-minute spell before half-time that threatened to take the game away from Liverpool.

Fikayo Tomori's early only goal was scant reward for the home side's early dominance as Mike Maignan saved Mohamed Salah's penalty. But goals from Ante Rebic and Brahim Diaz turned the game on its head completely against the run of play. Salah levelled the scores once more before Henderson's thunderous finish proved a deserving winner 21 minutes from time.

Jurgen Klopp took a risk with his team selection as he rested Virgil van Dijk, while Divock Origi was handed his first start of the season up front at the expense of Sadio Mane. The changes did not disrupt the Reds' rhythm in a blistering start, but the lack of a prolific centre-forward in Klopp's squad was again exposed.

Origi sliced wide a great chance form Andy Robertson's cross before Diogo Jota saw a shot deflected just wide and Maignan made the first of a string of big saves from Joel Matip's header. Liverpool's pressure eventually paid when Trent Alexander-Arnold burst into the box from right-back and his shot was turned into his own net by Tomori.

Cristiano Ronaldo has wasted no time in showing how valuable he will be to Manchester United but Tuesday's shock Champions League defeat at the hands of Young Boys in Bern was a reminder that the Old Trafford side have not been a major player at this level for a long time.
End
Group F. MD 1
Young Boys
Young Boys 2-1 Man. Utd
Man. Utd
14 Sep 2021
Ronaldo got his third goal in two matches since returning to United as the visitors took an early lead at the Wankdorf Stadium, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka's sending-off shortly before the interval was what swung the Group F opener.

Young Boys, the Swiss champions whose most notable performance in the European Cup remains their run to the semi-finals back in 1959, made the most of their extra man as Cameroon's Nicolas Moumi Ngamaleu got a 66th-minute equaliser.

USA forward Jordan Siebatcheu then won it deep in injury time after latching onto Jesse Lingard's misjudged back-pass.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team are now already on the back foot, with Young Boys theoretically the weakest side in a section also featuring Atalanta and Villarreal, who beat United in last season's Europa League final.

"You need 10, maybe 12 points. You need to win your home games and maybe one away. We have lost an opportunity to get three points but we have two home games next," Solskjaer said.

Last season United won their first two matches in a difficult group against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, but still ended up finishing third.

Indeed it is a decade since the Old Trafford club were a genuine force in the Champions League, something they are desperate to put right this season.

Since losing to Barcelona in the 2011 final, United have won two knockout ties in the competition, one against Olympiakos and an infamous victory against PSG in the early days of Solskjaer's reign.

Barça outplayed once again by the German giants. AFP
Barça outplayed once again by the German giants. AFP
Bayern Munich gave Barcelona a brutal demonstration of how far the Catalan club has fallen by strolling to a 3-0 win in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Robert Lewandowski scoring twice in a rout at Camp Nou.
End
Group E. MD 1
Barcelona
Barcelona 0-3 Bayern München
Bayern München
14 Sep 2021
Without Lionel Messi for a first European campaign since 2003, Barca were outplayed by Bayern, who might have scored more but in the end settled for three thanks to Thomas Mueller's deflected opener and Lewandowski's double. When Lewandowski made it two before the hour, the possibility of another humiliation in the mould of last year's 8-2 defeat by the same opponents in Lisbon felt very real.

Instead, Bayern delivered perhaps an even louder message about the gulf in class by easing off in the latter stages, as Barca's fans expressed their anger, dismay and finally a sense of resignation. Sergi Roberto was on the end of the loudest whistles from the home supporters and it was impossible not to wonder if the criticism came in part from disappointment at the lack of progress down the right flank, where Messi once created so much.

Ronald Koeman's position has come under scrutiny in recent weeks and his 5-3-2 formation, that defies Barcelona's attacking traditions, will not have strengthened his hand. Yet the bottom line here was the lack of quality in the Barcelona line-up, coming after their turbulent summer of sales, which was inferior to Bayern's in every department.

Mueller has scored seven goals in six appearances now against the Catalans while Lewandowski has scored in 18 consecutive matches. Julian Nagelsmann's strong start as coach continues - this was a sixth consecutive victory - but he will know Bayern will face tougher Champions League opposition than this.

Cristiano Ronaldo's return to Manchester United lived up to the hype as the five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored twice on his homecoming to Old Trafford in a 4-1 win over Newcastle.
Evergreen Ronaldo makes Man Utd dream
Ronaldo's sensational return mapped out a road to future glory for United rather than a nostalgic trip down memory lane and made them title contenders. Old Trafford was whipped into a frenzy long before kick-off with choruses of "Viva Ronaldo" ringing around the 74,000 crowd. With former manager Alex Ferguson beaming with delight in the stands, United fans could be forgiven for thinking the glory days when Ronaldo won a Champions League and three Premier League titles were back.

Ronaldo's enduring excellence belies his age and offers the tantalising prospect of a productive connection with compatriot Fernandes and young stars Jadon Sancho, Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford. Yet this embarrassment of riches will force manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to make tough decisions on which players to start, with internationals Anthony Martial and Lingard benched and Rashford recovering from injury against Newcastle.

'Competitive' Bayern head into Europe boosted by Leipzig reinforcements
Bayern Munich start their Champions League campaign Tuesday with a mouth-watering clash at Barcelona as the Bavarian giants confidently head into Europe having plundered reinforcements from Bundesliga rivals RB Leipzig.
While Paris Saint-Germain snapped up stars like Lionel Messi and Sergio Ramos and Manchester United finally signed Jadon Sancho, Bundesliga champions Bayern raided last season's German runners-up RB Leipzig for talent.

Bayern head into Europe buoyed by results, with 10 points from their first four league games, and confident in their current squad despite no big-name signing this summer.

"We are very, very well positioned - we have possibilities and options. We are definitely competitive," Bayern CEO Oliver Kahn insisted last week.

France defender Dayot Upamecano was signed for 42.5 million ($50 million) from RB Leipzig, as was versatile Austria midfielder Marcel Sabitzer, at a bargain price of around 16 million euros, as Bayern's main recruits for this season.

- 'We don't force anyone' -

Ironically, Sabitzer made his Bayern debut off the bench in Saturday's 4-1 win at Leipzig, where he began the season as club captain.

Bayern also reportedly paid Leipzig around 20 million euros to bring the 34-year-old Julian Nagelsmann to Munich as head coach on a five-year contract after two successful years in Saxony.

Kahn rejects the notion that Bayern deliberately set out to weaken Leipzig, who have lost three of their first four league games.

"We always have a clear idea of the players and coaches we think are good," said Kahn.

"When an opportunity arises, we try to make it possible.

Real Madrid came back from a 1-2 deficit at half-time to earn a 5-2 victory in the first football match at the new Bernabeu.
End
Matchday 4
Real Madrid
Real Madrid 5-2 Celta
Celta
12 Sep 2021
Football was back at the Santiago Bernabeu for the first time in 560 days, and with 48,000 fans in the stands, what a great night for every Madrid supporter. Real Madrid came back from behind twice after to earn the three points. A sublime Benzema who scored a hat-trick and gave out an assist was without any doubt the man of the match.

Celta took the lead twice and looked dangerous on the counters, Madrid on the other side were the dominant team from the first minute but were behind not once, but twice. Celta's early goals made Real's defence look shaky, however unlike other seasons, Madrid were lethal on attack. Benzema scored a hat-trick and gave an assist. Vinicius, who had a sensational game, was involved in one of the special moments of the match, when he celebrated with the crowd. Camavinga scored his first Real Madrid goal six minutes into his debut.

Santi Mina opened the scoring in the 3rd minute of the game after a defensive mistake by Nacho and Casemiro, but 20 minutes later, Benzema hit back with a volley coming off Valverde's cross. Madrid's joy didn't last long as Cervi tapped in the rebound after his own backheel shot, a bizarre goal that took Celta Vigo 2-1 up into half-time.

Benzema scored again one minute into the second half. A lovely header after Miguel Gutierrez's precise cross. Great game by the youngster who played as a starter in front of the club's captain, Marcelo.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Cristiano Ronaldo will make his first Manchester United appearance since his blockbuster move from Juventus when Newcastle visit Old Trafford on Saturday.

Portugal superstar Ronaldo returned to United in a shock transfer just before the transfer deadline.

The 36-year-old striker, who left United to join Real Madrid in 2009, has been training with his new team-mates for the past few days.

United manager Solskjaer confirmed on Friday that Ronaldo would play at least some part in the Premier League clash with Newcastle but it remains to be seen whether the five-time Ballon d'Or winner will start or come off the bench.

"He's been having a good pre-season with Juventus, he's played for the national team, he's had a good week with us here," Solskjaer said.

"He will definitely be on the pitch at some point, that's for sure."

Ronaldo won three Premier League titles and the Champions League during six trophy-laden years with United, before going on to shine with Real and Juventus.

His status as one of the world's all-time greats is unquestioned, but initially it seemed United would miss out on a reunion with their former star when Manchester City moved to sign him.

Ronaldo said his relationship with former United manager Alex Ferguson played a key role in convincing him to return to Old Trafford.

Solskjaer, who played with Ronaldo during his first spell at the club, said: "Of course we've followed his career from afar since he left here and I think everyone's very happy to have him back.

"He can speak for himself but he seems like he's happy to be back as well.

'No place to hide' -

Ronaldo's return to Manchester came after Solskjaer had already strengthened his squad with swoops for England forward Jadon Sancho and France defender Raphael Varane.

United will be expected to challenge champions Manchester City for the title after such a productive transfer window.

Solskjaer believes Ronaldo will add a higher level of quality to the squad, both physically and mentally, as they look to win the first trophy of the Norwegian's reign.

"We have grown as a group the last few years. The determination, the desire, the focus has improved over time and bit by bit," he said.

"Even like bringing Raphael (Varane) in, he's come in with a winner's mentality, an unbelievable focus.

"Then of course Cristiano comes in as well and there's no place to hide when you've got winners like them. You can't go into training and give 95 percent or not being focused."

As a former Manchester United player, Newcastle boss Steve Bruce appreciates what an emotional afternoon it will be for Ronaldo and the club's supporters on Saturday.

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