Toni Kroos is by now a true legend of Real Madrid.
After all, we’re talking about a player who’s already played a total of 244 games donning the royal white of Los Blancos.
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During that time, even though that is nowhere near his primary role, he scored 15 goals and assisted further 61 under his belt in the process. By all means, quite an impressive tally for the German.
But just recently, the midfielder hit another great milestone by playing his 100th career game in the Champions League.
This arrived in the game against Galatasaray a couple of days ago and to make things even better, Kroos scored the only goal on the night that sealed the deal for Real Madrid and gave them the all-important three points.
Of course, shortly after, he took to Twitter to celebrate – as most players do these days – and many of the Madridistas were simply showering him with praise, congratulating him on this milestone and just drooling over him in general.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s Off the Bench series, which places in-game managerial decisions and squad selections under FFC’s microscope.
Real Madrid hosted Club Brugge at the Santiago Bernabeu in their mid-week Champions League clash and were held to an embarrassing 2-2 draw by their visitors.
But it was a half-time substitute who ended up saving the day.
Snapshot
Just like their opener in the European competition against PSG, the follow-up game proved to be another disappointment for Los Blancos.
Even though they were most likely expected to get the job done without too much trouble, Real dropped the ball completely, going 2-0 down before the first 45 minutes were even over.
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That made for a rather stressful second half as Zinedine Zidane’s troops looked to find a way back into the game.
And sure, with the efforts of Casemiro and captain Sergio Ramos, they clawed back and rescued a point.
But it was actually Alphonse Areola who pulled his weight and made sure Real exited Santiago Bernabeu without a chastening defeat.
Super-sub
Zidane revealed in the post-match press-conference that Thibaut Courtois had to be substituted due to some sort of discomfort. The Belgian simply couldn’t continue and the coach was forced to make the change.
But it was still a brilliant move and exactly what the doctor had ordered for the Galacticos.
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Courtois conceded some sloppy goals in the first half, that much was even acknowledge by Zidane himself who called the first goal “a joke”, while Areola came in and made a brilliant save, making sure Real Madrid didn’t go 3-0 down.
If that had happened, it would likely have been game over for Los Blancos. But the loanee from PSG performed when he was called into action and this should already be posing some serious questions to the big boss on the sidelines.
Areola ended the game with one save from inside the box, 92% passing accuracy and with a total of 18 touches.
And even though Real conceded two, none rattled the inside of the net while the Frenchman was on the pitch, meaning he already has two clean sheets to his name in the two games he played so far for his new club across all competitions.
Courtois appeared to be turning a corner after back-to-back clean sheets having previously gone without one since February, but the contrasting fortunes of both goalkeepers on Tuesday night should really have Zidane thinking about who continues between the sticks for Real Madrid going forward.
This article is part of Football FanCast’s In The Pipeline series, which takes a look at some of the most promising young talent either linked with clubs or emerging from their academies…
West Ham have had success with youth players in recent years, and Nathan Holland is in the right environment to make the step up.
That means that all is required from the forward is consistent performances, and so far this campaign he is doing everything right.
After a slow start to his youth career which resulted in him being let go by Everton, his goal productivity has improved year after year and if he continues to perform as he has done then he has a great chance of breaking into the Hammers’ first-team.
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For the U23s he has two goals and three assists from six games, despite often playing on the wing, but has shown the pace and finishing ability required if he is to succeed at the top-level.
With Manuel Pellegrini in charge, he will likely get his chance to impress. The 21-year-old has already featured twice for the first-team, including a start against Oxford in the League Cup this term, but with only two first-team strikers in the squad he may get more chances.
Declan Rice and Grady Diangana are examples of young players given a chance by Pellegrini. The latter is a similar type of player to Holland, and broke through despite a record for the U23s that doesn’t match Holland’s, with only three goals and two assists in 17 Premier League 2 games, though that came at a younger age.
Importantly for Holland, he should fit into Pellegrini’s passing style, which was best evidenced in the move that resulted in Sebastien Haller’s goal against Crystal Palace.
Holland has a great touch and his ability to cut inside and find a teammate or go for goal makes him the type of wide player the Chilean prefers, with both Andriy Yarmolenko and Felipe Anderson tending to play in such a style.
If he is to make the grade, the former Everton youth player may have to follow in the footsteps of Diangana by going out on loan, but if he can have as much success as the 21-year-old is having at West Brom – with three goals and two assists in nine league games – then he will do his chances of breaking into the first-team the world of good.
Wolves’ Europa League journey continues tonight as they welcome Primeira Liga outfit Braga to the west Midlands.
The Portuguese side have ties with a host of players in Nuno Santo’s squad, not least because many of their players hail from Portugal, but Willy Boly and Pedro Neto will be coming up against their former team.
Both sides are enduring a torrid time domestically, lingering around the bottom of the table – Wolves are yet to win any of their five Premier League matches while Braga have picked up just four points from a possible 15.
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By contrast, Nuno’s men won all six of their European qualification ties to get here, so it’s not as if their confidence has taken much of a hit.
But after being thrashed by Chelsea on Saturday, will the Portuguese boss make any significant changes to his lineup?
The best news of the week is probably that Willy Boly will be available for selection after serving a one-match suspension against Chelsea, so he will surely return to the starting XI after they leaked five goals at the weekend.
Jesus Vallejo made his Premier League debut in place of Ryan Bennett, but expect the 29-year-old to return after the Spaniard’s poor showing which was berated by fans.
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Another player who has underperformed so far this campaign is Leander Dendoncker, averaging just a 6.38 rating, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the 24-year-old also dropped to the bench.
That could mean that Romain Saiss is likely to move back into the midfield position that he’s occupied throughout their Europa League campaign.
Matt Doherty could also regain his place at right wing-back after Adama Traore’s struggles against Chelsea, putting in his worst performance of the Premier League season with a torrid 5.86 rating.
Aside from that the rest of the squad should remain the same.
That’s including captain Conor Coady, who Nuno has already revealed will keep his spot despite his woeful performance on Saturday.
In today’s Liverpool roundup, we take a look at what news has been doing the rounds for the Reds. Jurgen Klopp has hailed Harvey Elliot ‘a special player’ after his senior debut, Liverpool chief executive Peter Moore claims they are back on their perch, and the club are set to battle with European giants for the signature of Fabian Ruiz.
Elliot ‘a special player’, says Klopp
Report: As told by the Evening Standard, Klopp has hailed academy graduate Elliot ‘a special talent’ after making his first senior appearance and subsequently becoming the clubs second-youngest player to make their debut, aged 16 years and 174 days old.
The German said: “He will always be a special player for moments, but you see overall with his defending and movements, it is not easy so that is really good.
“His left foot is not too bad. He was a bit unlucky otherwise he would have scored. They are all good, they are all really skilled but that’s why it is important to give them games like this. We will try to continue like this, so we will see.”
Verdict: In his debut against MK Dons, the Surrey-born man obtained an incredible 9/10 performance rating (as per the Liverpool Echo). And although Elliot was guilty of missing a glaring chance early on, his performance was filled with creativity, tenacity, and freedom as he smashed the bar in both halves and put in a magnificent display at Stadium MK.
In truth, the teenager will still have to wait for a regular spot within the Liverpool side, as the usual front three and Divock Origi remain Klopp’s main men. However, Elliot has already impressed this season scoring once and providing three assists in eight games for the youth sides.
The academy star has also put in an admirable return for his country, having scored six goals in nine games for England’s youth teams. He will, however, have to wait a while to break into the first team regularly, but considering he is still many months away from his 17th birthday, the youngster is certainly one for the future.
‘Back on our perch’, says CEO
Soccer Football – Champions League Final – Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool – Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain – June 1, 2019 Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson celebrates with the trophy and teammates after winning the Champions League Final REUTERS/Carl Recine TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Report: Liverpool CEO Peter Moore, has told the listeners at the World Football Summit in Madrid that the club are ‘back on our perch’, almost four months after lifting their sixth major European title.
Moore said, as quoted by BBC Sport: “We are back on our perch, as we famously say. What the Fenway Sports Group have done at Liverpool over the past nine years is nothing short of miraculous.
“They have gone through ups and downs but have stayed the course and never taken a penny out of the club.
“Football is a virtuous cycle,” he said. “You drive revenues so you can afford to buy a goalkeeper or a centre-half that will win you games. When you win games, sponsors want to be part of your story, so they write you a cheque. You take that money and buy better players. They win you more games.”
Verdict: The quote was famously branded by former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who after arriving at Old Trafford in 1986 said his aim was to “knock Liverpool right off their perch”.
The legendary manager went onto win 13 Premier League titles and indeed knock Liverpool off the perch as the first division’s most successful club, by taking United’s tally to 20 league titles compared to the Reds’ 18.
In the time the Scot was the manager he also won two Champions League titles, which put the club on three major European trophies, although, since Liverpool’s triumph last year, they now have six to United’s three.
If the Merseysiders are to truly get back on their perch, they must win a Premier League title, as it has now been 30 years this season since they last won the first division. Of course, Liverpool are miles ahead of the Red Devils both domestically and continentally right now, but unless Klopp’s men can match their European glory with a Premier League trophy, perhaps United will remain top of the tree.
Liverpool in a battle for Fabian Ruiz’s signature
Soccer Football – Serie A – Napoli v Inter Milan – Stadio San Paolo, Naples, Italy – May 19, 2019 Napoli’s Fabian Ruiz celebrates scoring their third goal REUTERS/Ciro De Luca
Report: According to Calcio Mercato, the Reds are facing a battle for the services of Ruiz, with Barcelona, Manchester City and Real Madrid all set to go in for the Napoli man.
Verdict: It seems that the hype surrounding Ruiz is going to continue to rise and rise, with the midfielder initially linked with Liverpool a few weeks back, and now it looks like fellow super clubs have joined the battle for the centre-midfielder.
Ruiz has played an integral part in Napoli’s season so far, playing four times, scoring once and registering an average rating of 7.34. The Italian even earned himself a 7/10 in his side’s victory over the Reds in the opening week of the Champions League.
Currently, the midfield department is not necessarily a position in which Liverpool are low in numbers. Over the last year, Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum, Naby Keita and James Milner have established themselves as arguably the best group of central midfielders across the globe.
However, it is important to remember that Milner is 33 and Henderson will be 30 by the time the season is over. Therefore, bringing in a 23-year-old like Ruiz could only be good news for the Reds.
Legendary Premier League goalkeeper Petr Cech will retire from professional football at the end of the season.
Cech has enjoyed a wonderful career in England with both Chelsea and most recently Arsenal. The former Czech Republic captain has been a fantastic servant for both clubs, operating at the very highest level. The 36-year-old holds the record for clean sheets in the Premier League as well as lifting four league titles and one Champions League crown.
His departure will be a massive blow to the Arsenal dressing room and leaves Unai Emery with a gap that needs to be filled. Adding competition to Bernd Leno in between the sticks will be one of the Spaniard’s top priorities in the summer transfer window. Reports in the Daily Mail suggest that the Gunners could make a move for Burnley’s Nick Pope.
Instead, Arsenal should be aiming higher and make a move for Fiorentina starlet – Alban Lafont. Valued at £11.7m by Transfermarkt, the 20-year-old was earmarked as a star for the future after progressing through the Toulouse youth academy. After breaking into the first-team, he was snapped up by the Italian side this summer, who paid £7m to lure the talented ‘keeper to the Serie A.
Lafont has performed well since making the move abroad, keeping seven clean sheets in the league so far. The France U20 international possesses excellent reflexes and his size allows him to pull off miraculous save. His vast amount of experience at such a young age is extremely rare and should make adapting to life in the Premier League much easier.
Developing and improving with every game, Lafont could prove to be a massive star at the Emirates.
The left-back returned to Everton after the international break, and he immediately shared a snap of him in training and captioned it ‘Back at home’.
He also accompanied it with numerous hashtags, one of which was #Passion.
This type of post will certainly put smiles on the faces of many Everton fans, as one of their most talented players shows that he has a great affinity with the club.
West Ham United are closing in on the signing of Marseille defender Duje Caleta-Car as the January transfer window draws nearer to its close.
What’s the story?
It’s been a slow start to the window for David Moyes’ side, with the Hammers struggling to make any inroads in terms of any incomings, but that appears to be coming to an end very soon.
According to French publication L’Équipe du Soir, Caleta-Car should be on his way to the London Stadium shortly, and that while fellow Premier League sides Wolves and Newcastle were interested in him, it’s West Ham who have won the race for him.
First major signing for West Ham
With the injury struggles the Hammers have had this season, particularly in defence, the addition of an experienced defender like Caleta-Car is welcome news for West Ham fans.
The 25-year-old has been a regular for Marseille in recent seasons, but he has been in and out of the side this term, with Jorge Sampaoli seemingly favouring Arsenal loanee William Saliba as the right-sided central defender.
Despite the lack of game-time, Caleta-Car has shown the kind of imposing centre-back that he is, winning a monstrous 74% of his total duels in Ligue 1 this year, and winning 75% of those contested in the air – exactly the kind of return that Moyes will surely love.
Indeed, former Liverpool defender and Caleta-Car’s Croatia teammate Dejan Lovren has tipped the centre-back to shine in the Premier League, claiming: “He is physically very strong, stronger than other players. He will explode in a few years and become even stronger.”
The 20-cap star would be a fine addition to the West Ham defence for the second half of this season.
Meanwhile, West Ham have made their “first offer” for this Ligue 1 striker…
Matt O’Riley was the final man through the door last month, and it could have been more, with Michael Nicholson in talks with Benfica and Tottenham regarding permanent deals for loanees Jota and Cameron Carter-Vickers.
As we know, full-time transfers are yet to go through for the pair, but Celtic still have the option to purchase both at a combined fee of £12.5m.
The Latest: O’Rourke’s comments on Jota
O’Rourke was talking to GiveMeSport in a story shared on Monday evening.
He admitted that Celtic are ‘confident’ of finalising a move for Jota and added that there wasn’t a rush to push through a deal last month, saying: “I think Celtic are confident they can get this deal done. There wasn’t any major urgency to do it in January.”
The Verdict: 1st summer signing?
It appears as if Jota could well be the club’s first summer signing following this update, which would be brilliant news for all involved at Celtic Park.
The Portuguese winger has been one of a number of impressive attackers for the club this season, contributing to 15 goals in 24 games. He has been Postecoglou’s go-to option on the left-hand side of a front three and has also turned out on the right when required.
Therefore, should a permanent transfer go through, Jota could nail down the left-wing role for years to come alongside Kyogo Furuhashi in the middle and Liel Abada on the right, which has already proven to be an exciting front three.
In other news: ‘Seen the reports’ – Kieran Devlin ‘surprised’ as Celtic now move for nine-position ace
Leeds United are still eyeing up ‘three to four midfielders’ in the January transfer window, according to journalist David Anderson.
The Lowdown: Leeds desperate for a midfielder
The Whites have been plagued by injuries throughout this season and they currently look light in the middle of the park, in terms of options.
Kalvin Phillips’ hamstring injury has left a gaping void in that area of the pitch, while Adam Forshaw has to be managed carefully after a long absence of his own.
Leeds have been linked with signing a number of midfielders this month, including Cagliari’s Nahitan Nandez and Huddersfield Town’s Lewis O’Brien.
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The Latest: Journalist makes fresh claim
Speaking to Give Me Sport, Anderson claimed Victor Orta and co are looking at a move for a midfielder, even though money is hard to come by at present:
“What I’m being told is that they’re looking at three to four midfielders.
“They want to sign at least one. It’s a delicate one because they don’t have pots of cash because they don’t really plan to spend money in January. Normally they like to spend in summer.”
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The Verdict: At least one needed
It would be a huge surprise if January ticked by and no midfielder came in, with Phillips’ absence making it essential that more depth is added.
In fact, one signing should be the bare minimum, with a relegation battle potentially on the cards and another possible injury setback for Forshaw giving Marcelo Bielsa even fewer options.
The hope is that someone of Nandez or O’Brien’s ilk arrives in the coming weeks, in what would be a much-needed boost, with an injection of fresh blood required.
Both of those aforementioned players would add tenacity and quality, averaging two and 2.8 tackles per game in their respective leagues this season.
In other news, Leeds are reportedly ‘pressing’ to complete one piece of transfer business. Read more here.