₦airaland Forum

Dortmund captain Reus won and converted a penalty after 21 minutes and Can doubled the lead with five first-half minutes remaining with a long-distance shot from outside the box.

The win was Dortmund's 10th from 10 matches in 2023 and switched the pressure back to previous leaders Bayern Munich, who travel to Stuttgart on Saturday.

After the match, Reus told DAZN "we had to hold on at the end" but said "our goal was to steal the lead on top of the table back and we did it".

A "very satisfied" Dortmund coach Edin Terzic said his side "played a really good game in the first half and in the second half defended passionately".

"The second half was of course frustrating but you can see that it's not really easy to score goals against us," he said.

"Today the two most in-form teams in the Bundesliga played each other."

Leipzig boss Marco Rose said the result "was difficult to accept" and credited Dortmund's "efficiency".

"We've got to do more to perform at this level consistently, but I think we also showed what we are capable of," he added.

Both sides were hit by late withdrawals in the lead-up to the game, with Leipzig striker Timo Werner forced to the bench through injury and Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel injured in the warm-up.

Julian Brandt had the ball in the net for Dortmund after 15 minutes when he controlled a superb lofted pass from Jude Bellingham and put the ball past RB 'keeper Janis Blaswich.

However, a VAR review showed the Germany midfielder handled the ball before unleashing his shot.


Reus on the spot
Reus was fouled in the box just five minutes later and won the spot-kick despite not going to ground.

He dispatched the ball to the left of Blaswich's outstretched hand to put Dortmund 1-0 in front.

Marcel Halstenberg had a chance to equalise after 35 minutes when he connected with an expert cross from Sweden midfielder Emil Forsberg, but the Germany defender blasted over.

Former Liverpool midfielder Can doubled Dortmund's advantage before the break, driving a long-range shot through a crowded penalty box and into the goal.

Leipzig, who had lost only one of their last 22 games heading into Friday's clash, found their fluency in the second half, with Portugal striker Andre Silva going close a minute after the break.

Dortmund goalkeeper Alexander Meyer denied Silva again midway through the second half, but Leipzig continued to push and cut the deficit in the 74th minute through Forsberg.

Germany wingback David Raum, who came off the bench in the 60th minute, cut a sliding pass through Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck's legs, allowing a diving Forsberg to pounce.

Rose, who sat in the Dortmund dugout in the same fixture last season, brought on Werner in search of an equaliser.

The former Chelsea striker almost snatched a point for the visitors with an injury-time shot but his Germany team-mate Schlotterbeck chested it away from danger.

Lionel Messi is crowned with his second The Best award. 2022 may have crowned Messi at the top of football history. In a year that came on leaps and bounds, the Argentine finally put the icing on the cake by winning his second 'The Best' award, after having already won it in 2019.

The start of 2022, i.e. the second part of the Argentine's first season at PSG, was not the best possible. The Argentinian could not avoid a devastating elimination in the Champions League round of 16 against Real Madrid. The number '10' missed a penalty in the first leg and was unable to prevent 'Los Blancos' from winning at the Santiago Bernabeu, which confirmed the nightmare of the Parisian team.

However, from that moment on Messi began to feel more comfortable in the Parc des Princes team and in June he won his first Ligue 1 title. The Argentine revealed in the summer that he found it difficult to adapt to his new life in Paris but also commented that he was beginning to feel more comfortable and that as a result his performances were starting to improve.

The 2022/2023 season began and in Messi's mind there was only one priority, the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Undoubtedly, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner knew that he had to be in top form for the World Cup, which began in winter, so he set about destroying the defences of the Ligue 1 teams that stood in the way of PSG, along with Neymar, who was also on fire.

December finally arrived and with it the last chance for the former Barcelona player to be crowned world champion with Argentina. And he certainly made the most of it. The '10' led the 'Albiceleste' to their third World Cup after last winning it in 1986 in the Maradona era. The PSG player was key in leading Scaloni's team to World Cup glory, scoring seven goals (including one in the final) and providing three assists.

Only one can be named champion. They all had a stellar 2022, with Benzema scooping the Balon d'Or, Mbappe getting a hattrick in the World Cup final, and Messi getting the World Cup itself. Who's going to take the trophy home?

The Best 2022, LIVE: Perfect ending for Scaloni?

Argentina manager has just been handed a new contract this afternoon, so can he top off a magical 2022 by scooping The Best award?
The Best 2022, LIVE: Those are all the nominees

Take a look at all the nominees for tonight's award ceremony, as we can only have one winner from each category

Best men's player

Karim Benzema

Leo Messi

Kylian Mbappé

Best Female player

Beth Mead

Alexia Putellas

Alex Morgan

Puskas Trophy

The fact that a player like Leo Messi's future is still up in the air is something that is tempting a lot of European clubs. The Argentine star's contract with PSG runs out at the end of this season and, for now, there's been no renewal.

And it's not even because the Parisian outfit haven't offered him it, as an offer has always been on the table. However, the man from Rosario is sure that he doesn't want to rush and is thought to be weighing up several options.

One of them has always been the MLS. Messi has always expressed his desire to play in the league and he even owns property in Miami, so the club owned by David Beckham is supposedly in the race to get him on board.

However, the 'happy ending' option is to return to Barcelona. The Catalan side have always said that their doors are open to their old number '10'. Having said that, Leo's entourage and his own Dad are thought to have considered this as off the cards.

Despite that, and according to 'Cataluyna Radio', Jorge Messi and Joan Laporta met last Thursday to speak about several things. Among what was discussed was, logically, a possible return to the Camp Nou. What's more, in said meeting, they spoke about a possible hommage to the Argentinian as well as Messi's brother Mateo's controversial words.

As well as that, journalist Gerard Romero went even further. He did not claim that anything was even close to be agreed, but he did claim that both sides are getting closer on negotiations to be able to carry out the move.

On his Twitch channel, the 'Jigantes' presenter added that, in a hypothetical return to Barcelona, Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets would automatically stay at the side. Having said that, the two players would considerably reduce their wages to make the move possible. Xavi is also in the loop about it all.

Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah had given the hosts a perfect start in a repeat of last season's Champions League final. But Vinicius struck twice to level by half-time and, after Eder Militao had given Carlo Ancelotti's men the lead, Benzema's double put the holders well on the way to the quarter-finals. Madrid's 1-0 victory when the sides met in Paris last May was overshadowed by chaotic scenes outside the Stade de France that put the lives of supporters at risk.

An independent report into the organisational failings published last week found UEFA to bear "primary responsibility" for failures which "almost led to disaster". To rub salt into the wounds of supporters, UEFA had initially tried to pin the blame on fans for arriving late despite tens of thousands having been held for hours outside the stadium.

The Liverpool support responded by drowning out the Champions League anthem with a chorus of boos, while a series of banners in the Kop stand took aim at UEFA and the French authorities. Once the action got underway, the players produced the spectacle expected of a clash between two clubs with a combined 20 European Cups. Liverpool have suffered a huge hangover from missing out on both the Premier League and Champions League by the finest of margins last season.

Jurgen Klopp's men sit eighth in the Premier League but briefly turned back the clock to explode out of the blocks. Nunez produced a magical finish to flick home Salah's pass inside four minutes. Thibaut Courtois broke Liverpool hearts in Paris with a string of stunning saves that earned the Belgian man-of-the-match. Madrid overcame two-goal deficits to Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City on their road to a 14th European Cup last season and were forced to do so again by their normally solid goalkeeper.

Christian Atsu was one of the victims of the deadly earthquakes in Turkey. After looking for him for several days, the player has been found dead under the rubble.

The player's agent, Nana Sechere, announced the news on social media. "It is with the heaviest of hearts that I have to announce to all well wishers that sadly, Christian Atsu's body was recovered this morning," he wrote.

"My deepest condolences go to his family and loved ones. I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their prayers and support. Please respect the privacy of the family during this very difficult time," Sechere added.

The Hatayspor playewas found 11 days after many people all over the world prayed for him and hoped he would be found alive. Sadly, those prayers were not answered.

The club the footballer played also expressed their immense sadness. "We're saddened by his loss. Atsu, who lost his life under the rubble, will be repatriated to his homeland, Ghana. We won't forget you. May peace be with you, beautiful person. There are no words to describe our sadness. Rest in peace," Hatayspor wrote on social media.

Some clubs in Turkey, like second tier side Kocaelispor, have also commented on the news after reading the tweets from Atsu's agent. "We lost you. May God have mercy on Atsu, who died aged 31. Our condolences to his family, Hatayspor and to all their fan," the club wrote on Twitter.

Since the earthquakes, there had been conflicting reports on Atsu's wellbeing. It ended up being reported that the player had been found alive, but that news was later denied.

The player was in a nine storey building when it collapsed because of the earthquakes. Three days ago, some miners went into the area as they heard three sounds.

Atsu was about to leave Turkey and go to France: "He had to go there to see his family, but as he was playing well and he scored against Kasimpasa, he cancelled the flight ticket," Nana Sechere revealed a few days ago.

During his career, the right winger played for Porto, Rio Ave, Chelsea, Vitesse, Everton, AFC Bournemouth, Malaga, Newcastle and Al Raed before moving to Hatayspor.

Sadly, Atsu's career and life were cut short and he was one of the more than 35,000 people to lose their lives in the earthquakes. Rest in peace, Christian.

The Portuguese sensation is making light work of the Saudi Arabian top flight. Crisitano Ronaldo has just added a second assist to his account for the evening, giving his side a 2-1 lead over Al-Taawoun.

A powerful shot came in from behind, which the ex-United man cushioned in its tracks. His touch was enough to lay it off to teammate Madu, who was ready to pounce on the loose ball.

After getting a spectular quadruple against Al Wehda, Ronaldo adds to his goal contribution tally, this time with an assist. It's already his second in the game, after grabbing the first in the opening forty-five.

Check out the teamwork master-piece below. This puts Al Nassr in the lead with just under five minutes to go.

Liverpool will face a bittersweet end to the season after a run of poor results. Klopp's side could still come back in the Premier League if they get positive results.

However, the English side are already working on reinforcing the squad for next season. They want to make several changes to the squad for the 2023/24 season.

Joel Matip could be one of the players to leave Liverpool in mid-2023. The board will try to make the most of the signing of the defender, who has a contract with the club until 2024. According to 'Football Insider', Klopp's team will ask for 18 million euros for him.

They have already started planning for next season. Several players will have to leave the squad in order to bring in new signings and achieve more.

Chelsea are not going through a good moment. The London club are in tenth place in the Premier League and their last hope this season is the UEFA Champions League.

Moreover, one of their new players had an attitude that angered fans on social media. Mykhailo Mudryk was the one who caused a stir.

ADVERTISING

The Ukrainian striker liked a post criticising his teammate Marc Cucurella, with whom he had an incident in the last game against West Ham. The Spanish player did not pass the ball to Mudryk in the match and the Ukrainian showed his frustration on social media.

The post criticised the former Brighton full-back for ignoring the former Shakhtar midfielder to generate chances. Chelsea fans were angered by this 'like' and began to criticise him on Twitter. The 22-year-old decided to remove the 'like' so as not to generate more controversy.

Chelsea face a tough trip to West Ham, with Graham Potter forced into a juggling act after an influx of expensive new players, while Manchester United take on Leeds for the second time in five days.

AFP Sport looks at some of the key talking points ahead of the action.

Can Arsenal hold their nerve?
Arsenal travelled to Goodison Park last week as hot favourites to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League but left after suffering just their second league defeat of the season. Mikel Arteta's men - chasing the Gunners' first league title for 19 years - struggled to silence the doubters earlier this campaign, even after starting at a sprint. But in recent weeks they have shown their mettle, drawing against Newcastle before beating Tottenham and Manchester United.

Arsenal take on in-form Brentford at the Emirates on Saturday before hosting Manchester City next week. The Gunners' recent record against the reigning champions is woeful - they have lost the past 10 league meetings, with an aggregate score of 26-3. Arteta said after the Everton defeat that his players were not feeling the pressure, and they were helped by City's loss at Tottenham the following day. But he knows he must keep Pep Guardiola's seasoned winners at arm's length.

Derby test for faltering Liverpool
Liverpool need to find their mojo quickly after three heavy defeats in four Premier League matches left them floundering in mid-table but Jurgen Klopp will be wary of a reinvigorated Everton. The Blues travel to Anfield on Monday with a spring in their step after last week's shock win against Arsenal in Sean Dyche's first match at the helm. Liverpool's home record against relegation-threatened Everton is impressive - before their defeat at Anfield in 2021 they had not lost to their neighbours at home for more than two decades.

But if Everton can repeat the energy and intensity they showed against Arsenal, they will fancy their chances against a Liverpool team short of confidence after a terrible run. A team once hailed by Klopp as "mentality monsters", who came agonisingly close to winning an unprecedented quadruple last season, have lost their way quickly. The German described last week's 3-0 defeat by Wolves as the "pinnacle of our problems". He will hope that gives him a vantage point to see the way ahead.

Can Joao Felix get Chelsea on the goal trail?
Graham Potter's new-look Chelsea kick off the weekend's Premier League action at the London Stadium on Saturday with Joao Felix likely to be back in the fold after serving a three-game ban. The forward, on loan from Atletico Madrid, was sent off in his first appearance for the Stamford Bridge club at Fulham last month. He will return to find a very different dressing room from the one he experienced in the Fulham match, which Chelsea lost 2-1.

The club splashed the cash in spectacular style last month - bringing in eight new faces in total, including wingers Mykhailo Mudryk and Noni Madueke, and breaking the British transfer record to sign Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez. Potter knows his team must gel quickly if they are to have any hope of closing the 10-point gap to the top four. They will have no chance unless they boost their disappointing return of just 22 goals in 21 Premier League matches.

Jadon Sancho scored for Man Utd for the first time since 15th September. A goal which saw the Red Devils get a point against Leeds at Old Trafford.

Man Utd coach Erik ten Hag was very happy with the performance of the English international, who had not been at his best in recent months.

"I'm really happy he's in the right direction. I hope he can keep this momentum going and I'm sure that will strengthen him and motivate him even more," the Man Utd boss said in a press conference. Ten Hag added that Sancho is a "brilliant footballer who could become an outstanding one."

"Now we have a team who can play more in opponent's halves and he likes that. It's in his own hands and if he wants, he can do it. It's obvious he's been through a difficult period, but I'm happy and proud of what he's done, so I'll support him. The coaches and the team will support him," the Dutchman concluded.

Sancho himself was also happy about the goal he scored against Leeds: I can't tell you how much I've missed this feeling! Team showed great character to stay in the game, we go again on the weekend," he wrote.

MATCHES
NEWS
BETS
EXPLORE
COMPETITIONS
TEAMS
PLAYERS
TRANSFERS
TELEVISED
IDIOMAS
EN
ES
FR
IT
PT
Google Play
App Store
Huawei AppGallery
Vinicius Jr.
FIFA Club World Cup
Real Madrid
Real Madrid make Club World Cup final despite Al Ahly scare
Paul Singh
Paul Singh
17 minutes ago
Real Madrid edged into the Club World Cup final. EFE
Real Madrid edged into the Club World Cup final. EFE
Real Madrid set up a date with Saudi Arabia side Al Hilal in the FIFA Club World Cup final after a 1-4 victory over Egyptian side Al-Ahly in Rabat. Real Madrid were in control after goals from Vinicius and Valverde, but an Al-Ahly penalty with 25 minutes remaining set up a nervy finish. Ancelotti's side then struck twice in added time as Al-Ahly threw players forward.
End
Semi-final
Al-Ahly
Al-Ahly 1-4 Real Madrid
Real Madrid
08 Feb 2023

Real Madrid are in the Club World Cup final, but it was far from straightforward. Ancelotti's side were the better team and hit the front just before half-time when Vinicius took advantage of a defensive error. Fede Valverde looked to have ended the contest when he struck moments into the second half, but Al-Ahly got a lifeline when Camavinga gave away a penalty. Maaloul converted to set up a nervy finish and the African side nearly levelled through a Mohamed header, but Lunin saved. Rodrygo and Arribas then sealed the win in added time after Modric had seen a spot kick saved.

Burkina Faso has launched an investigation into the deaths of Nigerian Muslim pilgrims who were allegedly killed while travelling by bus to Senegal, foreign minister Olivia Rouamba said Monday.

The PUNCH had earlier reported that the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), condemned the killing of Nigerian pilgrims who were travelling to Kaolack, Senegal.

The incident had allegedly happened as the bus was passing through Burkina Faso.

During a meeting with the Nigerian ambassador, Mistura Abdulraheem, Rouamba assured that “investigations are opened to clarify the situation.”

“For the moment, no concrete information or evidence has been recorded on the ground that proves the veracity of the facts,” the minister said in a statement.

Rouamba added that Burkina Faso “fundamentally disapproves of the accusations made against our defence and security forces”, referring to allegations made about its army being responsible for the attack.

Burkina Faso is one of the poorest and most volatile countries in Africa.

Graham Potter's time at Chelsea could be numbered. The Englishman is a long way from the numbers achieved by his predecessor, Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked at the start of the season.

Despite having a squad full of top players, the London side are not having a good season in the Premier League. In fact, the Blues invested 350 million euros in the last winter transfer window in new players to try to reach the Champions League.

New additions such as Mudryk, Joao Felix and Enzo Fernandez, among others. In short, a squad worthy of a place on the London Walk of Fame. On the other hand, the team are in ninth place.

Therefore, according to 'Sport', the best man to replace the current coach in the dugout would be Luis Enrique. The former Spain coach has been chosen by the club for next season.

Despite the Blues' clear interest, Atletico Madrid would not be far away. In a chat with streamer Ibai Llanos, the Asturian commented that he would be motivated to return to coaching a club.

Graham Potter's time at Chelsea could be numbered. The Englishman is a long way from the numbers achieved by his predecessor, Thomas Tuchel, who was sacked at the start of the season.

Despite having a squad full of top players, the London side are not having a good season in the Premier League. In fact, the Blues invested 350 million euros in the last winter transfer window in new players to try to reach the Champions League.

New additions such as Mudryk, Joao Felix and Enzo Fernandez, among others. In short, a squad worthy of a place on the London Walk of Fame. On the other hand, the team are in ninth place.

Therefore, according to 'Sport', the best man to replace the current coach in the dugout would be Luis Enrique. The former Spain coach has been chosen by the club for next season.

Despite the Blues' clear interest, Atletico Madrid would not be far away. In a chat with streamer Ibai Llanos, the Asturian commented that he would be motivated to return to coaching a club.

The alleged breaches span a period from the 2009/10 season to the 2017/18 campaign. The defending champions are alleged to have breached league rules requiring provision "in utmost good faith" of "accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club's financial position".

The Premier League said the accurate financial information required related to "revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs".

The second set of breaches listed refers to alleged breaking of rules "requiring a member club to include full details of manager remuneration in its relevant contracts with its manager" related to seasons 2009/10 to 2012/13 inclusive. The club's manager between December 2009 and May 2013 was current Italy boss Roberto Mancini.

The second set of alleged breaches also refers to requirements for a club to "include full details of player remuneration within the relevant contracts". The third section deals with alleged breaches of Premier League rules requiring clubs to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.

City were banned from UEFA competitions for two years by European football's governing body for alleged breaches of its FFP regulations in February 2020, but the sanction was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July of the same year.

The alleged breaches span a period from the 2009/10 season to the 2017/18 campaign. The defending champions are alleged to have breached league rules requiring provision "in utmost good faith" of "accurate financial information that gives a true and fair view of the club's financial position".

The Premier League said the accurate financial information required related to "revenue (including sponsorship revenue), its related parties and its operating costs".

The second set of breaches listed refers to alleged breaking of rules "requiring a member club to include full details of manager remuneration in its relevant contracts with its manager" related to seasons 2009/10 to 2012/13 inclusive. The club's manager between December 2009 and May 2013 was current Italy boss Roberto Mancini.

The second set of alleged breaches also refers to requirements for a club to "include full details of player remuneration within the relevant contracts". The third section deals with alleged breaches of Premier League rules requiring clubs to comply with UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.

City were banned from UEFA competitions for two years by European football's governing body for alleged breaches of its FFP regulations in February 2020, but the sanction was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in July of the same year.

Even though his role at Barcelona has become somewhat of secondary importance for Xavi, Ansu Fati has still got plenty of clubs after him. Since he recovered frm his injury, he has not played the same role.

The footballer is not shining as before when the boss includes him in the starting eleven. Therefore, the manager has opted to drop him as a wake-up call, just like this Wednesday's clash with Real Betis. The striker barely played 10 minutes.

According to 'Sport', Manchester United are thought to have asked about the Spaniard ahead of the next transfer window. As they did with Frenkie de Jong, the 'Red Devils' are going to try again for another Barcelona player. This time, it is Ansu Fati.

For now, the Catalan side are certain what their stance on the matter is. They do not want to listen to offers for Ansu Fati, even though they know that interest will rise in the next few months, and it could become a deal in the summer.

Under contract until 2027 and with a buy-out clause of €1 billion, as well as inheriting the number 10 shirt from Messi when he went to PSG, the player is one of Barcelona's big unknowns. Gavi and Pedri, younger than Ansu Fati, are other talents that Barcelona have offered new contracts to recently to avoid them going to another big side.

Real Madrid went into the game needing a win over 14th placed Valencia in order to maintain their five point gap on leaders Barcelona. Ancelotti's side were able to do this after a convincing 2-0 win.

The tie got of to an impressively energetic start, the first half providing bucket-loads of enterainment, with both sides going close. The Madrid side definitely had the better of the first period's chances, as Asensio had a few promising attempts on goal. The visitors certainly had clearly come with intent in their bellies, though, as they were not any shrinking violets, as they have put Courtois under a bit of pressure too.

The climax of the home side's pressure came just before the break. Tall centre-back Rudiger was denied the opener on 45 minutes, as Benzema's elbow was adjudged to have hit a Valencia defender's face just beforehand. It was a tough blow for a Madrid side who deserved something out of the first forty-five.

The home side came out for the second half determined, and they got two quick-fire goals to kill off any hope the away side had. First up was Asensio with a superb strike from outside the box which saw the visiting keeper stranded, powerless to do anything. You would be hard pressed to say the Spaniard did not deserve this contribution after he had been hassling Mamardashvili is the Valencian goal all night long.

Just minutes later, Vinicius joined in the festivities. The Brazilian was gently threaded through into the left-hand side of the box before he opened his body up, ready to calmly slot the ball past a sprawling visiting goalkeeper.

Things soon went from bad to worse for the visitors, who saw themselves down to ten men. The guilty man was Gabriel Paulista, who hacked down goalscorer Vinicius in a violent manner, slicing his legs from out from beneath him. This undoubtedly left what was an already very slim chance of a comeback completely out the window.

All Manchester United needed to reach the final was not to lose their three goal lead. It proved an easy task for the home side, as they saw out the semi-final second leg 2-0.

Anthony Martial and Fred scored the goals for Erik ten Hag's men in the final 17 minutes as United booked their place in a first League Cup final for six years. The damage was done for the Red Devils in last week's 3-0 win at the City Ground in the first leg as Ten Hag was able to rotate his squad with United still involved in four competitions.

Ten Hag made six changes from the side that beat Reading 3-1 in the FA Cup fourth round on Saturday with Marcus Rashford among those left on the bench, but Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes did start despite the heavy schedule. United failed to reach the heights of their first leg performance but were let off the hook by Forest in the first half as Brennan Johnson and Emmanuel Dennis missed big chances to reduce the visitors' arrears in their first major cup semi-final since 1992.

Wout Weghorst opened his account for United when the sides last met and the giant Dutch striker was inches away from his first goal at Old Trafford as he headed Casemiro's cross off the post just before half-time. Ten Hag was handed a limited budget in the January transfer window after spending over £200 million in the summer with just the loan signings of Weghorst, Marcel Sabitzer and Jack Butland.

But the return of Jadon Sancho comes at just the right time to bolster United's attacking options. The England international had been sidelined since October due to a combination of mental and physical issues, but made his return just after the hour mark. Rashford and Martial were introduced alongside Sancho and made an instant impact.

The Frenchman slotted home after Rashford's initial effort was blocked to open the scoring. Three minutes later it was 2-0 as this time Rashford teed up Fred for the simplest of finishes into an empty net. A much tougher test lies ahead for Ten Hag's men against high-flying Newcastle, but the former Ajax boss is just one game away from his first goal of ending United's six-year trophy drought.

Barcelona visit Real Betis in La Liga 17th round on Wednesday 1st February 2023. The match will be played at the Benito Villamarin stadium.

The match was postponed due to the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where Xavi Hernandez's side won their first title of the season after beating Real Madrid in the final.

The Catalan club have already announced their squad for this exciting La Liga clash between the 'Cules' and Betis. First of all, Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres are back after their respective suspensions.

There is also another addition, that of Gavi, who with the number 6 jersey on his back has been called up for the first time as a first team player.

This is the official Barcelona squad to visit Betis: Ter Stegen, R. Araujo, S. Sergio, Gavi, Pedri, Lewandowski, Ansu Fati, Fernando, Inaki Pena, Christensen, Marcos A., Jordi Alba, Kessie, S. Roberto, F. De Jong, Raphinha, Kounde, Eric, Balde, Pablo Torre, Arnau Tenas and A. Alarcon.

Surprise on the final day of the January transfer window. Arsenal have moved very quickly and reached a last minute agreement with Chelsea for the signing of Jorginho.

The Italian international, whose Chelsea contract expires in June, will continue his career at the Gunners for 12 million pounds.

Fabrizio Romano reports that an agreement has been reached between the two London clubs and the 31 year-old midfielder will sign a contract until 2024 once his medical has been reached.

Arsenal were planning to sign a reinforcement in midfield in this transfer window. Moises Caicedo of Brighton was the first option. However, as a result of Brighton's refusal to sell the player, the Arsenal board went for Jorginho, one of the best midfielders in the Premier League.

Manager Mikel Arteta was fundamental to persuading the footballer to accept the offer of the Premier League players. In the coming hours, the news will be made official.

Barcelona will look to increase their lead at the top of La Liga to eight points when they travel to the Estadio Benito Villamain to face Real Betis on Wednesday.

The two teams secured slender 1-0 away victories in the top flight last time out, with Barca beating Girona and Betis coming out on top against Getafe.

After losing three successive matches in all competitions, albeit two of those on penalties, Real Betis returned to winning ways with a narrow one-goal victory over relegation-threatened Getafe on Saturday.

In a contest which lacked quality in the final third, the deadlock was eventually broken in the 86th minute by Borja Iglesias, who converted from the penalty spot to end his seven-game drought without a goal.

Manuel Pellegrini’s side have won only three of their last nine La Liga matches, but they are still in contention to qualify for next season’s Champions League as they currently sit sixth in the table and just three points behind Atletico Madrid in fourth with a game in hand.

Betis head into Wednesday’s fixture seeking revenge against Barcelona after losing 4-2 on penalties in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals three weeks ago following a 2-2 draw in 120 minutes.

Indeed, Betis have lost seven of their last eight meetings with the Catalan giants, conceding at least three goals on six of those occasions, with their only victory during this run coming in December 2021 – a 1-0 away victory courtesy of a late strike from Juanmi.

October 26 was the last time that Barcelona tasted defeat in any competition – a 3-0 Champions League home loss to Bayern Munich – and since then they have put together a 13-game unbeaten run, including victories in each of their last eight matches.

Xavi’s side have come out on top by a 1-0 scoreline in their last three games against Getafe, Real Sociedad and Girona respectively, beating the latter on Saturday thanks to a second-half strike from substitute Pedri, who has now scored three goals in his last four appearances.

After rivals Real Madrid dropped points at home to Real Sociedad on Sunday, Barca have moved five points clear at the top of La Liga after 18 matches, and they will now seek to extend their lead with back-to-back fixtures against Sevillian opposition in the form of Real Betis and Sevilla.

Barcelona’s improvements in defence have been a significant factor behind their success in La Liga this season, keeping 14 clean sheets in 18 games and conceding only six goals in the process, with three of those conceded in the El Clasico loss to Real Madrid in mid-October.

The Catalan giants will be confident of securing maximum points at the Estadio Benito Villamain on Wednesday, as they have won eight of their last 10 away visits to Betis across all competitions, including their last five in a row in La Liga.

Real Betis La Liga form:
DLDWLW

Real Betis form (all competitions):
WWLLLW

Barcelona La Liga form:
WWDWWW

Barcelona form (all competitions):
WWWWWW

We say: Real Betis 1-3 Barcelona
While Barcelona’s defence have excelled so far this season, they have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last nine meetings with Real Betis, which bodes well for the hosts heading into Wednesday’s contest.

However, with Lewandowski expected to return in attack, the Catalan giants should have enough firepower in their side to outscore their opponents and extend their impressive winning streak to nine matches.

SEARCH
Daily Post Nigeria
Daily Post Nigeria

SPORTAl-Nassr: Ronaldo invites four Man Utd stars to join him in Saudi ArabiaPublished on January 29, 2023By Don Silas


Al-Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly invited four of his former Manchester United teammates to come to Saudi Arabia to see him play for his new club.


According to the Sun, the four players are Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Raphael Varane.

The Portugal captain has been in touch with the four players who are his closest acquaintances and has invited them to join him on holiday, either in Saudi Arabia if their schedules permit, or back in Portugal, where Ronaldo is in the process of building a large mansion in Lisbon.

Ronaldo left Old Trafford in acrimonious circumstances last November, which denied him the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends and colleagues at Manchester United.


SEARCH
Daily Post Nigeria
Daily Post Nigeria

SPORTAl-Nassr: Ronaldo invites four Man Utd stars to join him in Saudi ArabiaPublished on January 29, 2023By Don Silas


Al-Nassr forward, Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly invited four of his former Manchester United teammates to come to Saudi Arabia to see him play for his new club.


According to the Sun, the four players are Harry Maguire, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Raphael Varane.

The Portugal captain has been in touch with the four players who are his closest acquaintances and has invited them to join him on holiday, either in Saudi Arabia if their schedules permit, or back in Portugal, where Ronaldo is in the process of building a large mansion in Lisbon.

Ronaldo left Old Trafford in acrimonious circumstances last November, which denied him the opportunity to say goodbye to his friends and colleagues at Manchester United.


The 37-year-old left Man United in November after criticising the club’s ownership in a TV interview with British broadcaster Piers Morgan and subsequently joined Al-Nassr in a deal worth £170 million per season.

After his departure from Man United, Ronaldo organised for his luxury cars to be moved to Portugal, where they will take up residence at his new place in Lisbon.

Al-Nassr’s next fixture sees Ronaldo’s team travelling to Al Fateh on Friday.

Real Madrid and Barcelona already know their opponents for the decisive semi-final tie of the Copa del Rey 2022-23. And as fate would have it, Carlo Ancelotti's side and Xavi Hernandez's side will meet once again this season.

After the great final of the Spanish Super Cup, in which the Catalans won the trophy, in the Copa del Rey semi-finals we can also enjoy an exciting 'Clasico', the most followed match by football lovers all over the world.

On that occasion, in Saudi Arabia, Barcelona overcame a Madrid side that vanished from the pitch. The 'Cules' took a 3-0 lead thanks to goals from Gavi, Lewandowski and Pedri. Only Karim Benzema's goal in the 93rd minute was able to make up for the image offered by the Madrid side, who ended up losing 1-3.

Following the draw held in the Luis Aragones Hall at the Ciudad del Futbol in Las Rozas, fortune has decided that the 'Merengues' will be paired with the 'Cules' for a semi-final in which the classic two-legged ties return. The first leg will be played at the Santiago Bernabéu and the second leg at the Camp Nou.

Unless there is a surprise at the last minute, Leo Messi will renew at PSG. The Argentine's contract expires in the summer and, after the Qatar World Cup, some media outlets highlighted the possibility of him not staying at the Parc des Princes, but 'Sport' denies this is true with a post which takes for greanted that the former Barcelona man will sign for one or two seasons in Ligue 1.

The main reason is that the number 30 has not received a firm offer from everyone apart from PSG to renew. Barcelona, who publicly flirted with the idea of bringing back Messi, never had enough money to carry it out. That is understandable given the figures that would have been involved in the deal.

Another option that was talked about was him moving to the USA to play in the MLS. A report in the American press did not take long to go viral and that gave MLS fans hope of seeing the star close up. The most likely outcome is that the World Cup winner stays in France for longer. He reached his peak during the World Cup in Qatar.

It would be ideal for PSG to complete Leo Messi's new contract soon because they went for him when he left Barcelona and he is a key player in their project. The aim, as always, is to win the Champions League. They have yet to satisfy Kylian Mbappe's ambitions and the striker has been in the headlines in recent months as he is reportedly not 100% happy in Paris.

Barcelona are already working on signings for next season. One of their main targets for strengthen the attack in Brazilian youngster Vitor Roque.

'Mundo Deportivo' have reported that the club are working to get him in for the 2023-24 season. At the moment, he is playing in the South America U20 Championship with Brazil.

Deco, Barcelona's Brazilian advisor, has given rave reviews of the youngster. What is more, Andre Cury, who Barca have good a relationship with, is the Athletico Paranaense player's a​gent.

At just 17 years of age, he has already played in a Copa Libertadores final, and is one of the Brazil U20's stars. His jump across the pond to Europe seems to be just a matter of time, and Barcelona want to get ahead of everyone else.

The young fopotballer, according to the source, would be the medium-term replacement for Robert Lewandowski, considering the problems the Catalan side have to strengthen in the transfer window due to the 'Financial Fair Play'.

FC Barcelona's reserve team, Barca Atletic, are looking for reinforcements and scouts have set their sights on Wesley, a young defender from Flamengo. The board have already set up a meeting with his agents to see if he would be willing to try out for the 'Cules' youth team.

Filipe Luis, Wesley's teammate, does not know whether or not he will go to Spain, but believes he could do well at Barca. "He has things to improve, but he would learn them faster there," the former Atletico man told 'Mundo Deportivo'.

For the Brazilian, Wesley is "a great player". "Up front he's a beast, it looks like he's on a motorbike. He has a good dribbling, defensively he's very strong and quick," added the left-back to the description of the Catalan giants' target.

And, on the issues that need to be improved, Filipe Luis listed the following: "He has to improve the issue of closing down spaces. He has to work especially in defence, but at a tactical level, not physically".

He admits that he would like him to stay with him in the team, although he has no doubt that he is ready to make the leap to any big club. "I wish he could stay longer at Flamengo because he is a player who is going to succeed," he said.

Tottenham bounced back from defeat to Man City on Thursday with victory over Fulham on Monday night. Fulham were the better side for the first 30 minutes of the contest, but Harry Kane's strike into the far corner right on half-time proved to be the difference. The goal was his 266th for the club and it drew him level with Jimmy Greaves as Tottenham's top all-time scorer. Tottenham were fairly comfortable after that and Kane could have even scored again. In fact, Fulham were lucky to end with 11 men as Joao Palhinha somehow avoided a second yellow on two occasions.

The match began 15 minutes late due to problems on London's tube network and Antonio Conte's side looked like they had not reached the stadium in the first half hour as the hosts were on top. Marco Silva's men applied pressure from the off and Decordova Reid forced a fine save out of Hugo Lloris with 10 minutes on the clock. Then, in the 19th minute, Harrison Reed had a golden opportunity to put the home side ahead when he got on the end of Pereira's cross, but his volley was straight at the goalkeeper.

Heung-Min Son was perhaps lucky to escape with a yellow card for a poor tackle on Tete just before the half hour before Kulusevski had a strong penalty claim turned down after being caught in the face by Diop. Emerson then forced a save out of Leno after the ball struck the corner flag as Tottenham finished the half strongly.

The game opened up just before half-time and Willian was denied by Lloris before Kane's class showed right on the interval. Son passed the ball to Kane on the edge of the box and he turned before shooting into the far corner from inside the D. It was a huge setback for the home side going into the second period.

The second half saw Fulham go out in search of an equaliser and Reid had appeals for a penalty turned down after contact from Ivan Perisic. However, Tottenham were reasonably comfortable and Kane nearly added a second just before the hour mark when Cristian Romero headed a ball back from the by-line, but Bernd Leno pulled off a terrific save to deny Kane.

Fulham were lucky to finish the game with 11 as Joao Palhinha should have seen a second yellow on two occasions for fouls on Kane and Hojbjerg, but referee Paul Tierney let him off. There was concern for Fulham in the closing stages as Alexandr Mitrovic was caught from behind by Eric Dier and he had to limp to the touchline with an injury to his right leg before returning for the remainder of the contest.

Subsititute Solomon nearly levelled at the death with a curling effort into the far corner only to be denied by Lloris. Tottenham saw out the rest of the game to get the victory and a clean sheet. The result sees Marco Silva's men remain seventh while Tottenham are still fifth. Both teams are in FA Cup action next weekend against Championship opposition as Fulham host Sunderland and Tottenham travel to Preston.

Cristiano Ronaldo decided to sign for Al Nassr after leaving Manchester United due to his controversial interview with Piers Morgan. The Portuguese footballer said that he felt betrayed by United and emphasised that he does not respect Erik ten Hag.

The journalist has once again criticised the English team and the Dutch coach after their defeat against Arsenal: "Congrats, Manchester United - that’s what happens when you hire an arrogant coach who disrespects the GOAT so badly he leaves.

"And then replaces him with someone I’ve never heard of who sounds like an Austrian sausage. #Weghorst," he wrote.

These comments show that Piers Morgan has always supported Cristiano Ronaldo, who now plays in Saudi Arabia with Al Nassr.

Leo Messi could be living his last months as a Paris Saint-Germain player. The Argentine's contract with the French club expires on 30th June 2023 and, although it seemed that he was very close to renewing it, there is now rumours to the contrary.

The journalist Gerard Romero, creator and host of the channel 'Jijantes', assured, on Monday afternoon, that the Argentine striker has no intention of extending his contract with PSG. At least, that would be his idea "as of today", as the aforementioned source remarked on several occasions.

Following on from this information, it seems that the World Cup title in Qatar has played a big part in '30's decision. Messi has already lifted the trophy he has longed for and finally led Argentina to the top, so his priorities have reportedly changed in recent weeks.

This information contrasts with what was rumoured before and even during the World Cup. It seemed that PSG, through a huge contract, had convinced the player to stay at the Parc des Princes. In fact, the "yes" was a certainty and all that remained to be decided was the length of the contract, which ranged from one season, two seasons or the famous 1+1.

Eddie Nketiah scored the winner in the dying moments of a pulsating match at the Emirates on Sunday as the home fans were infused with fresh belief that this could be their year. The game against in-form United was seen as a critical test for the Gunners, especially after Manchester City closed the gap at the top of the table to just two points earlier in the day.

It was a challenge they did not fluff, hitting back hard after conceding the first goal, scored by Marcus Rashford, and staying calm after Lisandro Martinez cancelled out Bukayo Saka's strike in the second half. Arsenal, who have made their best-ever start to an English top-flight season, now have 50 points after 19 games - five clear of defending champions City with a game in hand at the half-way point of the campaign.

"I don't think it gets much better than that," said a buoyant Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta. "It was a beautiful moment, a really special one because we were pushing and pushing and pushing and the goal wasn't coming and it came at the end... it was just electric. It was really emotional, really passionate and I lost it."

Arteta said he hopes the result, which follows last week's 2-0 win against Tottenham in the north London derby, gives his team the belief that Arsenal can be crowned league champions for the first time since 2004. But he wants to keep his team's feet on the ground despite a remarkable season in which they have lost just once in the league.

"We know our reality, we know how much we still have to improve," said the Spaniard, who was previously Pep Guardiola's assistant at City.