Tag Futebol

Everton fell to a disappointing 1-0 defeat in the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday evening. The Toffees had their chances to win the game but failed to capitalise, and the hosts’ second-half strike was enough to earn them all three points.

There was an early scare for Everton. Their experienced centre-back and hero of the last Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, James Tarkowski, came very close to getting a red card for a dangerous tackle on Alexis Mac Allister. However, it was deemed a legal challenge by VAR.

The Toffees’ biggest chance of the night fell to Beto, who got on the end of pass upfield after a Liverpool corner. The Everton striker evaded the swinging challenge from Virgil van Dijk and was clean through on goal. However, his shot could only rattle the woodwork, in what was a huge opportunity to give his side the lead.

Liverpool took the lead eventually in the 57th minute. It was Portugal international Diogo Jota who broke the deadlock with some clever footwork, shifting the ball from his right foot to his left and back to his right. From there, he fired a low shot home past Jordan Pickford to break Everton hearts.

The Toffees never really created that golden opportunity to get themselves back in the game, and Liverpool held on for the win. Despite the result, there were some good performers in an Everton shirt.

Everton’s standout performers vs. Liverpool

Derby day defeats are never nice, but the Toffees showed spirit and fight despite the result. One of the players who performed well was left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko, who came up directly against Mohamed Salah.

However, he did an excellent job of keeping the Liverpool number 11 quiet, as the stats reflect. According to Sofascore, he won four out of five tackles, the same number of ground duels, and made eight clearances. It was a heroic effort.

Another of the Toffees’ standout players at Anfield was attacking midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure. The experienced Everton number 16 was always looking to be positive and drive his side forward. In fact, it was his pass that set Beto free, from which he struck the woodwork.

The 32-year-old’s hard-working performance was also noted by GiveMeSport journalist Callum Altimas. He gave Doucoure a 7/10 for his efforts and explained that ‘he looked the most likely to create something’ for Everton.

As well as the likes of Mykolenko and Doucoure played at Anfield, a couple of Toffees players struggled, including one man in the middle of midfield.

The Everton midfielder who struggled vs. Liverpool

It was not an easy night in the middle of the park for James Garner tonight. The Everton number 37, who revealed this week that he “was a Liverpool fan” during his childhood, did not really have much of an impact on the game, which passed him by in many ways.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

That is a sentiment that was certainly shared by Altimas. The journalist gave Garner a 5/10 for his efforts at Anfield, explaining that he was ‘more of a passenger than an active participant’ for much of the game, brutal words indeed.

That is certainly something that the stats back up, however. The former Manchester United man had just 31 touches, fewer than Toffees goalkeeper Pickford (44), and completed just nine from 14 passes. Off the ball, he was disappointing too, winning just two from ten ground duels.

Everton are almost certainly safe from relegation this season, despite the loss to Anfield. However, David Moyes is surely looking to build a side capable of challenging for European spots in the Premier League, and will want to lay good foundations this season.

Perhaps he will decide to rotate Garner out of the side for the Toffees’ next game, a tough outing against second-place Arsenal. If he struggled to impact the game against Liverpool, it might well be a similar story against the Gunners.

There are options at Moyes’ disposal, too. Tim Iroegbunam, who replaced Garner at Anfield, could come into the starting lineup. Alternatively, the returning Iliman Ndiaye could start, with Doucoure playing a deeper role.

It will be interesting to see if Garner keeps his place in the Everton team for Saturday afternoon’s clash with Mikel Arteta’s side. If he does, the midfielder will certainly need to impact the game more in the middle of the park.

Biggest talent since Rooney: Everton line up shock deal for £25m star

Everton are ready to make some ambitious moves under David Moyes this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

Apr 1, 2025

Abrar picked four wickets while Naseem took three to bowl Sri Lanka out for 166 on day one

Madushka Balasuriya24-Jul-2023

Pakistan dominated in all facets and ended day one of the second Test trailing Sri Lanka by just 21 runs. Abdullah Shafique was unbeaten on 74, and alongside him was Babar Azam on 8, as Pakistan raced to 145 for 2 off 28.3 overs, before bad light brought an end to play.As for the hosts, they were architects of their own downfall, capitulating for 166 before tea after batting first on what looked like a pretty good surface. It was not the performance Dimuth Karunaratne envisioned when he elected to bat following a delayed start due to rain.A combination of poor shot selections and outstanding fielding saw just four Sri Lankan batters reach double figures before the innings folded. Of those, only Dhananjaya de Silva passed fifty, top scoring with 57. For Pakistan, Abrar Ahmed ended with 4 for 69, while Naseem Shah picked 3 for 41, as they ran roughshod over the Sri Lankan batters. But it was once again Pakistan’s fielding that was the highlight.Shan Masood, whose 47-ball 51 would assert Pakistan’s dominance later in the day, set the tone at the start of the game itself, effecting a direct hit to run Nishan Madushka out in the third over of the day. He would repeat the trick to run Prabath Jayasuriya out towards the close of the innings.Abrar Ahmed picked four wickets to dismantle Sri Lanka•AFP/Getty Images

In between, Sadeera Samarawickrama was caught expertly at short leg for the third time in as many innings, while Dhananjaya was also dismissed courtesy of a sharp catch in the deep.And when Pakistan weren’t producing such brilliance on the field, Sri Lanka’s batters were offering up gifts, such as when Angelo Mathews edged through poking outside off, or when Kusal Mendis carved straight to point, as well as Dinesh Chandimal top-edging gently to midwicket. You could include Ramesh Mendis in this as well, but by the time he fell, any prospect of the innings being salvaged was all but gone.At this point, it was already clear that Sri Lanka had squandered good conditions, but to ram home the point further, Pakistan sprinted along at nearly seven an over for large parts of their innings.After Imam-ul-Haq was caught out cheaply, looking to fend off a short one, Shafique and Masood proceeded to dismantle the bowling. No area of the ground was safe, but both particularly favoured the straight boundaries, with three sixes being pummelled down the ground. The pair put together 108 runs at a rate of 5.58 before Masood top-edged one for Kusal at midwicket to take a sharp catch with the ball falling over his shoulder.While Pakistan’s rate of scoring reduced considerably following this dismissal, that was just as likely down to the skies darkening and the day winding to a close.Sri Lanka didn’t help themselves either, failing to take up a review on a lbw that was turned down against Masood, with replays showing that it would have been overturned. Then Shafique, who had earlier been dropped on the return by Jayasuriya, was saved by DRS just prior to stumps when he was given out lbw on-field, but replays showed the ball bouncing over.Pakistan have been brave with their approach, and it could be a long day in the field for Sri Lanka if the visitors continue with the same approach.

The transfer saga involving Joan Garcia and Barcelona seems to be coming to a close, with the Espanyol goalkeeper set to join the Catalan rivals.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Garcia close to joining BarcaWill complete cross-city transfer for €25mEspanyol star snubs interest from ArsenalFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona are close to signing Espanyol goalkeeper Garcia, per , with the deal expected to be finalised soon for €25 million (£21m/$28m), the goalkeeper's release clause. Garcia, also pursued by Manchester City and Arsenal, prefers a move to Barca but will consult his family before making a final decision.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The transfer is emotionally complex due to his deep ties to Espanyol and the fierce rivalry between the two Catalan clubs, making such moves rare and controversial. Garcia has rejected the option of a loan in the event his transfer is complete and is ready to compete immediately for the No. 1 spot, challenging Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Barcelona are expected to activate his €25m release clause soon, viewing the 24-year-old as one for both the present and the future.

DID YOU KNOW?

The report further added that the club also plans to hold discussions with Ter Stegen to clarify the situation and manage potential dressing-room tensions. With both goalkeepers expected to compete for the starting role, new manager Hansi Flick could face a delicate balancing act next season. For his part, the German international has already ruled out a departure this summer.

"I know I'll be at Barcelona next year. I'm extremely excited about the coming season because we have a great team that's young, dynamic, and hungry. There's no situation that needs to be discussed," he told at a press conference.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR JOAN GARCIA?

The Espanyol star is currently weighing up his option, although recent reports indicate that a move to Barcelona could be finalised in the coming days. With interest from Premier League, too, in addition to Ter Stegen's assertion that he won't leave Barca, Garcia could well be tempted to move abroad in search of more playing time with an eye on the 2026 World Cup.

Sam Hain 165* sets platform before visitors lose last five wickets for 48 then follow on

ECB Reporters Network15-Apr-2023

Kent 158 (Bell-Drummond 40, Hasan 3-36) and 27 for 1 f/o (Compton 15*, Rushworth 1-7) trail Warwickshire 453 for 4 declared (Hain 165*, Yates 128, Mousley 94) by 268 runsWarwickshire are scenting LV=Insurance County Championship victory over Kent at Edgbaston despite the loss of four sessions to the weather after excellent seam bowling forced the match forward on the third day.In reply to the home side’s 453 for 4 declared, with Sam Hain 165 not out from 269 balls and Dan Mousley scoring 94 from 93 balls, Kent were skittled for 158 before closing the third day on 27 for 1 following on.The visitors’ first innings was cut down by a superb collective effort by the Bears’ seam attack. All five seamers took wickets as Hasan Ali led the way with 3 for 36 and England’s Chris Woakes picked up two wickets in his first Championship match for 19 months.It remains a good batting pitch but Kent have a lot of work to do on the final day to deny Warwickshire what would be a remarkable win after the weather took out sessions four to seven of the match.After Warwickshire resumed on the third morning on 367 for 3, Hain and Mousley extended their partnership to 179 against ultra-defensive fields. With Kent a key bowler down, Matt Quinn off the field nursing the groin injury he collected on the first day, at times all nine outfielders were on the boundary.Runs still came freely and Mousley collected his fourth six with a breathtaking ramp over the keeper’s head off Conor McKerr before falling six short of a maiden first-class century when he hoisted spinner Jack Leaning to long on.Hain and Michael Burgess added a perky 39 from 31 balls to take Warwickshire to maximum bating points at which point they declared to make the earliest possible start on the pursuit of 20 Kent wickets. Chris Rushworth delivered the first two in a textbook new-ball spell as he trapped Zak Crawley lbw for a sixth-ball duck and then pinned Ben Compton in front.When Joe Denly nicked a Hasan outswinger to wicketkeeper Burgess, Kent were 63 for 3 and a good-sized Edgbaston crowd were getting some reward for their patience through hours waiting for the grass to dry.Daniel Bell-Drummond survived a nervous start to unfurl some attractive strokes on his way to 40 but perished just after tea when he sliced a steeply lifting Hasan delivery to gully. Ed Barnard then ousted Jack Leaning, caught at point.At 86 for 5, Kent needed serious shoring up and Jordan Cox and Sam Billings put down some roots in a stand of 24 but a lapse in judgement from Cox triggered another clatter. The 22-year-old left one from Olly Hannon-Dalby which hit off-stump to spark the loss of the last five wickets for 48.Kent’s implosion earned them the unwelcome prospect of an awkward 12 overs to bat second time round. Crawley’s unhappy day continued when he suffered an arguable lbw decision against Rushworth before, much to Kent’s relief, bad light lopped off the last four overs.

Barry Ferguson is the man tasked with leading Rangers for the remainder of the 2024/25 season following the decision to sack Philippe Clement.

The ex-Ibrox captain is in interim charge until the summer and has been joined by former players Neil McCann, Billy Dodds and Allan McGregor as coaches, whereas Issame Charai – who was appointed as Clement’s assistant just last month – has remained at the club.

After making the decision to bring Ferguson back to Ibrox, Rangers CEO Patrick Stewart said: “I also want to welcome Barry back to the club. We appreciate him and his team stepping into the role at this difficult time. Myself, the board and the executive team will give them our full support for the rest of the campaign.”

Rangers are currently way adrift of rivals Celtic at the top of the Scottish Premiership, but Ferguson will have the chance to take on Jose Mourinho and Fenerbahce in the last 16 of the Europa League.

Related Philippe Clement sacked: 6 things the new Rangers manager must do at Ibrox

The next Rangers manager will have a big to-do list.

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Feb 24, 2025

Ferguson, who knows what it takes to come through the Gers’ academy, may look towards the future and the club’s youth ranks, especially in the final weeks of the season should Celtic seal another Premiership crown with games to spare.

With Clement arguably only taking advantage of the Light Blues’ youthful talents when absolutely necessary, Ferguson’s arrival could represent an opportunity to fully integrate these youngsters into the first team.

With that in mind, we’ve looked at five Rangers prospects aged 21 or younger who Ferguson could now unleash at Ibrox between now and the end of the season.

1 Ross McCausland 21 years old

Ross McCausland has played less than 700 minutes of football all season at Ibrox, turning out on the left and right under Clement.

The Northern Irishman, who came through Rangers’ academy, started his last Scottish Premiership match back in October and has hardly been seen in 2025.

He does have four goal contributions to his name, so Ferguson may see McCausland as someone he can improve between now and the end of the campaign, giving him more minutes in the process.

2 Paul Nsio 18 years old

Central midfielder Paul Nsio could be another Ferguson looks to use more, with the interim boss himself a former midfielder. Nsio made his Scottish Premiership debut earlier in the year, coming on as a late substitute in a win at Dundee United.

The teenager was also given the nod from the bench by Clement in the Europa League win over Union SG at the end of January.

During pre-season last year, Nsio was reportedly impressing Rangers’ coaching staff with his work ethic, guile and creativity in the middle of the park, so perhaps he will feature more under Ferguson.

Related Rangers' most expensive sales of all time

Who left Ibrox for the most money?

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Oct 9, 2025 3 Findlay Curtis 18 years old

More of an attacking midfielder than Nsio is Findlay Curtis, who can also play out wide if needed. The Scot has made five matchday squads in the Europa League, even playing 30 minutes at Old Trafford against Man Utd in January.

2025 has been a positive year so far for Curtis, who had also been making Clement’s squads in the Scottish Premiership in the weeks prior to the Belgian’s dismissal.

Curtis has also signed a contract extension and was praised by Technical Director, Nils Koppen, who said: “Findlay is a player who has progressed through our youth system since the age of six and his development towards the first team is testament to his own commitment and the hard work of all the coaches who have played a part in his journey.”

4 Bailey Rice 18 years old

Bailey Rice was just 16 years of age when Michael Beale labelled him “a heck of a player”, but since then, the defensive midfielder has found senior game time hard to come by.

The Scotland U19 international has been threatening to make a first-team breakthrough this season, making five of his eight first-team appearances in 2024/25.

Ferguson, previously a no-nonsense midfielder, may look to take Rice under his wing over the coming months and give him more regular opportunities as Rangers look to potentially plan for the future.

Related The 10 best players in the SPFL right now – ranked

A look at the best players in the Scottish Premiership.

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Feb 21, 2025 5 Zander Hutton 18 years old

Full-back Zander Hutton is still awaiting his Rangers first-team debut, and he may be hoping it is just around the corner after being named as a substitute for the final two rounds of the Europa League’s league phase against Man Utd and Union SG.

A regular in Rangers’ B team, Hutton, who can play as a right or left-back, helped the club beat Celtic 3-2 in the Glasgow Cup Final at the end of 2024.

Ferguson has a number of full-back options including Ridvan Yilmaz, Jefte, Dujon Sterling and captain James Tavernier, but who knows, he could be tempted to throw Hutton in before May.

As the Friedkin Group look to make their mark once again, Everton are reportedly already working on a £21m deal to sign an attacking talent ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool this summer.

Everton transfer news

The Toffees have certainly had more reason to be positive since the return of David Moyes, having steered clear of the relegation zone and onto likely safety in the Premier League. Meanwhile, Friedkin haven’t exactly had a bad start away from the action – welcoming Carlos Alcaraz on loan from Flamengo in what should hand Moyes an exciting player in central midfield.

Whilst defeat in the FA Cup did bring their momentum to a frustrating halt, the Toffees have the perfect chance to bounce back when they host the final ever Merseyside derby at Goodison Park on Wednesday. It’s there that they’ll have the chance to prevent rivals Liverpool from going as many as nine points clear in the Premier League title race – at which point it would undeniably be theirs to lose.

It’s not just on the pitch that those at Goodison Park could stand in the way of the Reds, however. According to reports in Spain, Everton are already working on a deal to sign Rayan Cherki ahead of Liverpool this summer in a transfer that would be worth €25m (£21m). Reportedly in pole position, the Toffees look set to swoop in on a player who has long been linked with their rivals.

His value has risen £35m: Everton will rue selling "monster" Ndiaye upgrade

This former Everton talent has turned into a superstar of a player.

By
Angus Sinclair

Feb 11, 2025

The young attacking midfielder, who can also play on both the right and left-hand side of a front three, looks destined to leave Lyon even after he was denied the chance to do so and join Borussia Dortmund in the January transfer window.

Given Lyon’s desperate financial situation, they won’t be able to remain firm forever and will likely have no choice but to sell if the likes of Everton come calling. With Liverpool also reportedly interested, meanwhile, the French club could quickly commence quite the race between the two Merseyside clubs.

"Special" Cherki would ignite Everton's attack

Whilst Moyes has so far managed to get an electric tune out of what was a choir-like attack under Sean Dyche, there’s no denying that he still needs fresh faces within his frontline. And that’s where Cherki should come in.

The 21-year-old has been one of the most highly-praised talents in European football at times this season, including from Ben Mattinson. The analyst went as far as to say that the Lyon man is a “special creator” who is “creative from all areas of the pitch” last month.

The stats certainly only add credit to that verdict too. In a struggling Lyon side, Cherki has been involved in 17 goals in all competitions so far this season – finding the back of the net six times himself and creating another 11 goals.

The Frenchman looks destined for the top, which could yet feature a summer switch to the Premier League and Everton.

“If it’s there, then remove the rule – as simple as that. The ones who have a problem, good for them; it’s fine”

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2022

India allrounder Hardik Pandya is fine with bowlers running non-strikers out if they stray out of the crease. Speaking on , ahead of the start of the T20 World Cup in Australia, Hardik also said he isn’t fussed about spirit-of-cricket debates around the mode of dismissal.”We need to stop making a fuss about this. It’s a rule – [as] simple as that,” Hardik said. “To hell with the spirit of the game. If it’s there, [then] remove the rule – as simple as that. The ones who have a problem, good for them; it’s fine.Related

Hardik Pandya: unflustered, indifferent, and the gold standard for an allrounder

India not looking to rest players, says bowling coach Paras Mhambrey

Starc calls for short-run penalty if non-striker strays out of crease

MCC moves to de-stigmatise non-striker run-outs

Buttler queries 'wishy-washy' law

“Personally, I have no problem. If I am walking out [of the crease], and someone runs me out – fair enough. It’s my mistake, not the bowler’s. He is taking the rules to his advantage – [as] simple as that. That’ll not make a big deal.”The debate surrounding the spirit of cricket and fairness of such a dismissal was reignited last month when Deepti Sharma ran Charlie Dean out at Lord’s in the deciding ODI of the series between England and India. England were nine down and needed 17 off 39 balls before Deepti flicked the bails off to catch Dean short.Earlier this March, the MCC had de-stigmatised running non-strikers out by shifting the move of a player being run out by the bowler while backing up from Law 41 (which deals with unfair play) to Law 38 (which deals with run-outs) in its recent update. More recently Australia quick Mitchell Starc suggested umpires use on-ground cameras to make “short-run” calls if the non-striker tries to gain an advantage. Starc spoke after informally warning Jos Buttler about the England batter leaving the non-striker’s end before he released the ball. Starc felt that docking the batting side a run in such circumstances would leave “no grey area”.”Every time the batter leaves the crease before the front foot lands, dock them a run. There’s no grey area then,” he had said. “And in T20 cricket where runs are so handy at the back end and games can be decided by one, two, three runs all the time, if all of a sudden you get docked 20 runs because a batter’s leaving early, you’re going to stop doing it, aren’t you?”Bowlers like R Ashwin have been vocal about promoting the use of the dismissal, having run Buttler out the same way in an IPL game in 2019. Running a non-striker out has historically been one of cricket’s most controversial and opinion-dividing topics. In the past, bowlers who practiced running non-strikers out – like West Indies’ Keemo Paul, for example, at an Under-19 World Cup game – have taken a step back from doing so after receiving backlash over their decision.

MatériaMais Notícias

A próxima quinta-feira será importante para o Sport, que tenta somar três pontos diante da Ponte Preta, na Arena de Pernambuco.

– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B

Dentro do G-4 da Série B, o time de Gilmar Dal Pozzo terá a missão de quebrar a maré negativa do sistema ofensivo.

Nos últimos dois confrontos, o Leão não balançou a rede contra Novorizontino e CRB e ligou o sinal de alerta.

Vale citar, que em nove jogos disputados até o momento, o Sport anotou seis gols.

RelacionadasSportSport quer se consolidar no G-4 da Série BSport31/05/2022FortalezaFortaleza tem desfalque e retorno para encarar o CearáFortaleza31/05/2022GrêmioElkeson fala sobre ‘ansiedade’ do Grêmio durante a má faseGrêmio31/05/2022

MatériaMais Notícias

Três jogos em nove dias, sendo apenas um na Neo Química Arena. Essa é a sequência que o Corinthians irá fazer na próxima semana, com dois duelos pelo Brasileirão, e um na Libertadores.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasBrasileirãoInternacional x Corinthians: prováveis times, desfalques e onde assistirBrasileirão13/05/2022CorinthiansTrio se recupera e reforça o Corinthians contra o Internacional; veja os relacionadosCorinthians13/05/2022CorinthiansEntenda como o Corinthians perdeu Lucas Pires para o SantosCorinthians13/05/2022

> GALERIA – Jogos do Corinthians na Neo Química Arena com a volta do público

O primeiro deles é neste sábado, às 19h, no Beira-Rio, contra o Internacional, pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão.

Se por um lado o Timão é dominante em casa com Vítor Pereira, o mesmo não pode ser dito quando a equipe joga longe da Neo Química Arena.

São cinco derrotas, dois empates e apenas três vitórias longe de casa com o treinador português, com um aproveitamento de 26%. O elenco sabe que precisa melhorar o desempenho longe de seus domínios, e Fábio Santos contou que o técnico cobra essa melhora dos atletas.

-Jogar fora de casa é uma das coisas que o Vítor preza bastante da gente, cobra bastante, tentar manter o mesmo rendimento que temos dentro da Arena. Sabemos que é difícil, jogar do lado do nosso torcedor faz uma grande diferença, mas temos tentado achar esse equilíbrio, conquistar pontos importantes fora de casa. Uma equipe que quer títulos, seguir nas três competições, tem que achar esse equilíbrio, jogar bem dentro e fora de casa – disse o lateral.

O camisa 26 também fez uma análise do confronto contra o Internacional, que vem de dois jogos seguidos com empates, e ocupa o9º lugar na tabela do Brasileirão.

-Se criou uma rivalidade muito grande nos últimos anos entre Inter e Corinthians. Sabemos que é um jogo duríssimo, jogar no Beira-Rio é sempre complicado. Queremos aproveitar o bom momento para nos mantermos na liderança – afirmou o atleta.

O Corinthians tem dois pontos de vantagem do vice-líder Santos, e quer aproveitar os tropeços dos postulantes ao título, Atlético-MG, Flamengo e Palmeiras, para seguir firme na ponta. Caso vença o Inter, será o segundo triunfo consecutivo fora de casa no campeonato.

> TABELA – Confira e simule os jogos do Corinthians no Brasileirão

-Dá para candidatar sim o Corinthians em uma briga por conquista. O elenco, camisa, grandeza do clube, pede isso. Campeonato de pontos corridos, o Corinthians na frente, sabemos que nas rodadas finais faz diferença. Uma equipe acostumada a brigar por títulos. Obviamente que é cedo, agora não muda tanto estar em 1 ou 6, porque a diferença é muito próxima dos jogos, mas queremos nos manter nas primeiras colocações, e na parte final do campeonato, ver o que realmente a gente vai brigar no campeonato – comentou Fábio Santos.

Após a partida em Porto Alegre, a delegação corintiana embarca direto para Buenos Aires, chegando no domingo (15). A situação no grupo é favorável aos brasileiros, e um empate contra o Boca Juniors deixaria uma das vagas no grupo praticamente garantida ao Timão.

Mas nada é simples quando o jogo é em La Bombonera, e o retrospecto do Corinthians jogando fora de casa nesta Libertadores não é positivo. O clube foi derrotado na altitude de La Paz contra o Always Ready-BOL, e empatou contra o Deportivo Cali na Colômbia.

-Classificar o quanto antes é o nosso objetivo, não deixar para a última rodada. Fazer um grande jogo na Argentina para voltar classificado.La Bombonera é um estádio conhecidíssimo, principalmente aqui na América. A gente fala, tem jogadores que sonham em jogar lá. É difícil contar ou passar experiência, tem que ser vivida. Os jovens estão ansiosos para viver esse momento, assim como eu de voltar lá. Só na terça-feira a gente vai matar essa ansiedade – concluiu Fábio Santos.

Após o duelo contra o Boca, o Timão volta a disputar uma partida na Neo Química Arena, mas a pressão será imensa, pois enfrenta o São Paulo no domingo (22), com a torcida pressionando pela primeira vitória em clássicos no ano.

With a tough test at home to a resurgent Newcastle United side on the horizon, Ruben Amorim’s already waning attacking options at Manchester United look set to be even more depleted.

The former Sporting CP boss will be without his captain, Bruno Fernandes, for the visit of the Magpies, following his compatriot’s red card at Molineux, while it would appear likely that Marcus Rashford’s exile will continue amid a four-game absence for the Englishman.

With Mason Mount having also broken down with injury in the Manchester Derby, Amorim will be left to pick between Alejandro Garnacho, Antony and Amad Diallo to operate in those two number ten berths.

It was only a few weeks ago, however, that Garnacho was left out of the trip to the Etihad – having scored just once under the new boss against Bodo Glimt – while Antony, meanwhile, has only netted once all season.

The burden then falls on Amad to create some magic for the Red Devils, although the Ivorian wizard could certainly do with some help in the January window.

Amad's rise at Man Utd

Eyebrows were raised back in October 2020 as reports emerged that United were set to fork out a fee of as much as £37m to sign a raw teenager from Atalanta. This was a player who, at the time, had chalked up just five senior appearances for the Serie A side.

Upon his eventual arrival in Manchester in January 2021, it’s fair to say that it took time for Amad to make his mark, albeit while scoring his first goal for the club with a deft, flicked header against AC Milan toward the end of that campaign.

Comparisons to a certain Lionel Messi hung in the air from his days in Bergamo, although United pleaded patience, ultimately sending the winger out on loan to Rangers in January 2022, before a further temporary stint was secured at Sunderland the following season.

With injury then impacting much of the 2023/24 campaign for the 22-year-old under Erik ten Hag – aside from his notable FA Cup strike against Liverpool – it looked like it would simply never happen for Amad at Old Trafford. Fast forward a few months, however, and the diminutive talent is now the man of the moment.

A strong pre-season was followed by a rare run of games under Ten Hag, resulting in notable highs such as the opener against Brighton and Hove Albion, although it wasn’t until Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim appointment that Amad began to flourish, having scored twice and registered one assist in just four games under the Dutchman.

Such momentum has been maintained under Amorim’s watch, with it taking just over a minute for the silky left-footer to make his mark at Ipswich Town, surging down the right flank before picking out Rashford with a somewhat wayward cross. When your lucks in.

A further four assists and two goals have since followed – including that winner in the Derby – with Amad’s rising stock epitomised by his status in the pecking order ahead of both Rashford and Garnacho.

Seemingly a perfect fit for one of the two roles behind the striker, the 5 foot 8 sensation could do with a suitable partner next to him. Cue the January window.

Man Utd's search for a playmaker

Funds, it must be said, are likely to be tight at Old Trafford in the New Year, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s succession of rather miserly budget cuts pointing to a quiet window as far as incomings are concerned.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

That said, a potential bargain opportunity could arise before too long, with The Times reporting earlier this week that United are among the clubs on ‘red alert’ should Barcelona’s Dani Olmo become available.

The Catalan side’s own financial constraints mean that there is a chance the Spain international could depart on a free transfer in January, should the club prove unable to register him. Any exit would represent a swift one, considering the 26-year-old, La Masia product only returned to Camp Nou on a £51m deal over the summer.

With Manchester City and Arsenal also in the frame, getting a deal over the line for the ex-RB Leipzig man may be tricky, yet there’s every reason to suggest it would prove a worthwhile investment.

What Dani Olmo would bring to Man Utd

While injury and eligibility has been a factor in an at-times stop-start season for Olmo, the playmaker has still managed to make his mark for Hansi Flick’s side, scoring five goals in just 11 La Liga outings.

In the Champions League, the one-time Dinamo Zagreb star has also chipped in with one goal and one assist in four appearances, with such fine form following his standout Euro 2024 campaign, in which he contributed three goals and two assists en route to La Roja’s glorious triumph.

Capable of operating in a number ten berth, or on the flanks, Olmo appears ready-made for Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up, not least having also played in that system during his days in Germany under Julian Nagelsmann.

It could be said then that the Red Devils missed a trick by not snapping him up sooner, with former United star Louis Saha suggesting as much back in September, while insisting that the Barca man is in a “similar bracket to Bruno Fernandes”.

A playmaking, goalscoring presence like Fernandes – as shown by his 63 goals and assists in 148 games for Leipzig – Olmo could represent the perfect replacement or successor to the Portuguese, with the chance for United’s skipper to also drop deeper into the midfield two.

In essence, having Olmo operating behind the striker would be akin to utilising a right-footed Amad, with the pair deemed to be statistically similar players among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, according to FBref.

Indeed, Olmo averages 0.72 goals and assists per game in 2024/25 so far, while Amad is just behind, having averaged 0.68 in that regard. Equally, the pair are also alike in their work off the ball, with Olmo ranking in the top 17% across Europe for tackles made across the last 365 days, while his United counterpart is just ahead as he ranks in the top 3% in that regard.

That likeness can also be seen in their ability to beat a man down the flank, with Olmo averaging 1.4 successful dribbles per game in La Liga this season, while Amad averages 1.5 for that same metric in the Premier League. It certainly bodes well for what the Barcelona man could bring to the Theatre of Dreams to help bolster Amorim’s creative, attacking options.

Having previously snapped up that man Fernandes in the January window back in 2020, the Red Devils could repeat that trick with another statement signing in 2025.

Amorim wants him: Man Utd frontrunners to sign £58m Rashford upgrade

Man Utd are seeking to acquire a perfect replacement for Marcus Rashford

By
Robbie Walls

Dec 28, 2024