Após a eliminação do Cruzeiro na semifinal da Copa do Brasil, contra o Corinthians, torcedores vandalizaram um muro com a imagem de Gabigol, localizado na Toca da Raposa I. O jogador desperdiçou uma cobrança de pênalti e deu caminho para a classificação da equipe paulista.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCruzeiroEstratégia de Jardim dá errado em decisão por pênaltis de Corinthians x CruzeiroCruzeiro14/12/2025Fora de CampoJornalistas reagem ao pênalti perdido por Gabigol em Corinthians x CruzeiroFora de Campo14/12/2025
Em imagens divulgadas pela rádio “Rede 98”, o rosto de Gabigol foi pintado com tinta amarela, enquanto a inscrição “vai embora, lixo” apareceu pichada ao lado do nome do atleta. O mural integrava uma ação de marketing realizada no começo da temporada, durante o anúncio da contratação do camisa 9 pelo clube celeste.
Cruzeiro e Corinthians fizeram uma semifinal eletrizante neste domingo (14). Na Neo Química Arena, o time mineiro dominou a partida até o início do segundo tempo, abriu 2 a 0 no placar, dois gols de Arroyo, mas viu o Corinthians diminuir com Matheus Bidu na etapa final. O 2 a 1 levou a decisão para os pênaltis.
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Nas penalidades máximas, Cássio defendeu o primeiro pênalti, cobrado por Yuri Alberto. Gabigol teve a chance de fechar as cobranças, mas perdeu sua cobrança. Nas alternadas, Walace também errou e o Corinthians garantiu sua vaga na decisão.
➡️Pênalti perdido fecha temporada decepcionante de Gabigol pelo Cruzeiro
Em toda sua carreira, Gabriel Barbosa perdeu apenas nove pênaltis no tempo normal, convertendo 53 de 62 penalidades. Pelo Cruzeiro, este foi o terceiro perdido de oito que cobrou.
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Bangladesh could look to strengthen their batting in Dhaka, while West Indies, who have embraced the conditions well, will want to add to their good work from the second game
Mohammad Isam22-Oct-2025Big picture – Another game of patience?The batting line-up that deals with the spin better on these Dhaka pitches will clinch the ODI series – it’s almost that simple.West Indies pinched a one-run win against Bangladesh in the Super Over after 213 played 213 in the second ODI after 92 overs of spin couldn’t find a result, which speaks of how the batters had it.To West Indies’ credit, they have embraced the Dhaka conditions, many of them showing greater belief than their Bangladesh counterparts. They doubled down on bowling spinners, completing the entire innings in the second ODI with only slow bowlers. They didn’t use Justin Greaves even for one over. Interestingly, it was the part-time offspinner Alick Athanaze, who was West Indies’ best bowler, with 2 for 14 from his ten overs.Related
Akeal Hosein – 4am arrival followed by Super Over heroics
Rishad makes light work of dark Mirpur pitch
Akeal Hosein, Roston Chase and Khary Pierre bowled decent spells, though Gudakesh Motie went for plenty, especially in the death overs. West Indies will expect improvement in the spinners’ economy rate, but they will look for a bit more from their batters too.Shai Hope struck a fifty but several middle- and lower-middle-order batters fell after getting starts. Athanaze and Brandon King will be expected to give them a strong start, with Keacy Carty for support at No. 3. Hope will need help from Sherfane Rutherford and Chase among the more experienced batters too. Ackeem Auguste wasn’t convincing on his ODI debut, so another opportunity beckons for the youngster.Bangladesh would also have to give their batting line-up another go, although they would have initially thought scoring 213 on this pitch was a worthy effort. Crucially, they have a dot-ball percentage of 62.04, which demands better strike rotation from them in the third ODI.It is also high time that Bangladesh’s top three contributed more significantly. Soumya Sarkar top-scored with 46 in the previous game but Saif Hassan and Najmul Hossain Shanto haven’t made a big score. The middle order has contributed but with moderate scores and mini partnerships. Bangladesh needed Rishad Hossain’s big-hitting lower down to boost their run-rates in the death overs.Their bowling attack was slightly better than the visitors’ in the second game, even though a tie doesn’t suggest that.Soumya Sarkar has been the best of the Bangladesh batters on show•BCBForm guideBangladesh LWLLL West Indies WLWWLIn the spotlight – Soumya Sarkar and Akeal HoseinSoumya Sarkar hung around for nearly two hours on the tricky Dhaka pitch in the second ODI. He fell short of a fifty, but it wasn’t a very convincing effort. This, despite hitting a couple of lovely shots, including one of his signature inside-out strokes. Soumya was sent back in the Super Over, where he couldn’t connect properly. It was a tough ask for the enigmatic batter, who has been in and out of the Bangladesh team for the last ten years. Nothing much has changed, but he could do with a bit of spotlight.Akeal Hosein raced to Dhaka to be part of the second ODI, where he played a big role in West Indies levelling the series. He bowled a couple of wides and a no-ball in the Super Over, but managed to keep the Bangladesh batters tied up. He had earlier bowled economically in his return to the ODI setup after two years. That he was playing an international match after very little sleep wasn’t evident. Hosein will continue to exert influence in the rest of the tour, as he is expected to take the new ball in both ODIs and T20Is.Akeal Hosein has hit the ground running•AFP/Getty ImagesTeam newsBangladesh could look at Tanzid Hasan, Jaker Ali and Shamim Hossain for a shake-up of their batting line-up.Bangladesh (probable): 1 Soumya Sarkar, 2 Saif Hassan, 3 Najmul Hossain Shanto, 4 Towhid Hridoy, 5 Mahidul Islam, 6 Mehidy Hasan Miraz (capt), 7 Nurul Hasan (wk), 8 Rishad Hossain, 9 Nasum Ahmed, 10 Tanvir Islam, 11 Mustafizur RahmanWest Indies have Amir Jangoo if they want a change in the top six.West Indies (probable): 1 Brandon King, 2 Alick Athanaze, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Shai Hope (capt, wk), 5 Ackeem Auguste, 6 Sherfane Rutherford, 7 Roston Chase, 8 Gudakesh Motie, 9 Justin Greaves, 10 Akeal Hosein, 11 Khary PierreRishad Hossain has been sparkling, with ball and bat•BCBPitch and conditionsWhat the ICC match officials report about the Shere Bangla National Stadium pitch will be something to watch out for. It resembles a puzzle-board with different types of turn and different levels of bounce, apart from being two-paced.Stats and trivia Bangladesh played their first tied game in international cricket in the second ODI. Towhid Hridoy and Shai Hope are the only batters to score fifties in the series so far. The two sides combined to bowl 92 overs of spin in the second game, the most in any ODI. Quotes
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca is poised to be without a key man for their upcoming Champions League clash against Barcelona, with the Italian facing a selection headache.
Maresca has already been forced into 93 first team rotations this season, the highest number of any team in the Premier League, and it is safe to say his squad depth has been stretched to the bare bones at times.
There were major worries surrounding fitness repercussions after Chelsea’s involvement in the Club World Cup last summer, which saw them play a grand total of 65 matches in a 53-week season.
This was an unprecedented number of matches for the Blues, with Chelsea also reaching the Conference League final beforehand and going on to win Europe’s third-tier tournament.
While they became the first club in history to win all five UEFA club competitions, and took home north of £80 million in prize money from the CWC, their extensive schedule appears to be having a dire effect on the players.
So far, Chelsea have lost Levi Colwill, Cole Palmer, Benoit Badiashile, Enzo Fernández, Pedro Neto, Dario Essugo, Liam Delap, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, Tosin Adarabioyo, Trevoh Chalobah, Andrey Santos and Josh Acheampong to injury or suspension at various points this season, and a few absences have been seriously felt.
This all being said, Maresca deserves praise for navigating this storm of injuries and guiding Chelsea to third in the Premier League table, where they’re just six points off league leaders Arsenal and could be considered outside contenders for the title this season.
One player they will be very eager to welcome back at the earliest opportunity is superstar forward Palmer, who’s been battling a niggling groin injury all campaign.
The England international hasn’t featured at all since he limped off in a 2-1 defeat at Man United nearly two months ago, with Maresca stating back in mid-October that he’d be out for another six weeks.
Optimism then followed that he could actually be back and ready to start against Barcelona next week, but according to journalist Simon Phillips, hopes of a return against the La Liga champions have all but diminished.
Chelsea star Cole Palmer now likely to miss Barcelona through injury
According to Phillips, via his Substack, Palmer is now likely to miss Chelsea’s clash with Barça, and a more realistic timeframe for his return could be their London derby at home to Arsenal at the end of this month.
The 23-year-old has been cut and above their superstar man since joining from Man City for what now feels like an absolute bargain fee.
Gus Poyet and others have even tipped Palmer for an eventual Ballon d’Or, highlighting his meteoric rise since leaving Eastlands.
Palmer spearheaded Chelsea to a double (CWC and Conference League) and Champions League qualification with 18 goals and 14 assists in 52 appearances for the west Londoners last season, and once he returns, the forward will provide Maresca with an almighty boost.
However, it appears they could now have to cope without him for one of their biggest games of the season so far against Hansi Flick’s Spanish giants.
Manchester City are closely monitoring Ezri Konsa, with it being revealed Aston Villa may now be forced to cash-in on the defender.
Despite the 1-0 loss against Villa last time out, Bernardo Silva was impressed by City’s performance in possession of the ball, but the attacking midfielder made it clear he thought they struggled at the opposite end of the pitch.
Silve said: “I would say we played quite well with the ball. Our offensive concepts were quite good. Even if we didn’t score, we had chances. We made them defend deep, and they struggled in some moments. On the other side of the game, we were really bad defensively.”
That performance may have been a one-off, considering the Blues have conceded just two goals in their last five matches in all competitions, while also keeping a total of seven clean sheets already this season, which suggests they are relatively strong at the back.
However, John Stones is well-known to be injury-prone and Abdukodir Khusanov struggled against Swansea City in the EFL Cup on Wednesday night, making one error leading to a shot and receiving a 6.1 SofaScore match rating, the lowest of any Man City player.
Man City now closely monitoring Ezri Konsa
Consequently, it could make sense to bring in a new centre-back, and City are now closely monitoring Konsa, according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Aston Villa may be forced to cash-in on the centre-back due to financial issues.
Villa are reluctant to sanction the departure of one of their key players, but PSR regulations may force them into a sale, at which point they would be looking to receive a fee of around £40m – £45m.
A whole host of Premier League clubs are in the race for the England international, however, including Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea, so there may be fierce competition for his signature.
The centre-back recently put himself in the shop window with a solid performance against City, keeping a clean sheet and bringing Erling Haaland’s remarkable 12-game scoring streak to an end in his side’s 1-0 win at Villa Park.
The 28-year-old made 12 defensive contributions, the joint-highest number of any player, which kept Haaland at bay, while also recording a pass-completion rate of 95%, indicating he could be an ideal fit in a Pep Guardiola system.
Konsa vs City
Number completed
Clearances
6
Blocked shots
2
Interceptions
3
Tackles won
1
The Villa star, who is also capable of playing at right-back, received high praise from Jamie Redknapp last year too, with the Sky Sports pundit saying: “I think he’s shown he’s a versatile player. He’s got a great appetite for the game. He’s also got a lot of desire, tremendous work ethic.”
Konsa, who is represented by the same agent as Omar Marmoush, could be a solid addition to Man City’s backline, but there are doubts over whether he would be a necessary signing, given that Guardiola already has the likes of Stones, Khusanov, Ruben Dias and Josko Gvardiol to choose from.
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Celtic are on the lookout for a new manager this week after Brendan Rodgers officially resigned from his role with the Scottish Premiership champions on Monday night.
Martin O’Neill will take interim charge of the Hoops and will be in the dugout for their league clash with Falkirk at Parkhead on Wednesday night.
Football Insider have already reported that the club are planning to make contact with out-of-work former Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou about a potential return to the club.
However, the Hoops are now reportedly looking at another potential replacement for Brendan Rodgers who could be their next version of Postecoglou.
Celtic eyeing move for Championship manager
Following Rodgers’ resignation on Monday night, the board will be compiling a list of possible managers before finalising a shortlist and deciding who they want as their next head coach.
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According to The Scotsman, Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna is one of the people on the club’s list of potential targets to replace Rodgers in the coming days and weeks.
The report claims that the Hoops are considering a swoop to bring the Tractor Boys head coach to Parkhead, and that he is one of the early names under consideration at this moment in time.
It states that he has fans inside the boardroom at Celtic, hence the interest in his services, but it remains to be seen whether or not he would be interested in taking the job.
Why Kieran McKenna would be Celtic's next Ange Postecoglou
The Northern Irish coach, who typically deploys a 4-2-3-1 formation, would be Postecoglou 2.0 for Celtic because he is another excellent coach whose teams play beautiful football.
Gary Neville described Postecoglou’s style of play as “breathtaking” in the Premier League, whilst Hoops supporters saw how exciting it was to watch as their team won five trophies in two seasons with him in charge, per Transfermarkt.
McKenna has earned similar praise for the way that his Ipswich team has played in recent years. Former Barnsley boss Danny Wilson claimed that the Tractor Boys play “sublime football” under the ex-Manchester United coach.
The goal in the clip above provides a taste of the kind of football McKenna’s team can play, with brilliant combination play and movement off the ball to create chances whilst playing through the opposition.
25/26 Championship (11)
16
TBC
24/25 Premier League (38)
22
19th
23/24 Championship (46)
96
2nd
22/23 Championship (46)
98
2nd
21/22 League One(23)
41
11th
As you can see in the table above, the Celtic target took Ipswich from midtable in the Championship all the way to the Premier League, and they are now in the Championship again with an opportunity to get promoted back to the top-flight.
He has improved the Tractor Boys, clearly, during his time there and has been incredibly unlucky not to win two league titles, with 98 and 96 points somehow not being enough for a single title over two seasons.
In the view of his former skipper, Sam Morsy, McKenna’s “one of the best managers around”.
Like Postecoglou, he has a demonstrable style of play that could be exciting for Celtic supporters to watch week-in-week-out, and it is one that has proven to be successful, given the incredible points returns in his two promotion-winning seasons.
Of course, the concern may be that he has not won a league title or done anything of note in a top-flight, but that was also true of Rodgers, who had been sacked by Liverpool, when they first appointed him.
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Therefore, McKenna could be an interesting appointment for the Scottish giants and one that could get fans excited at Parkhead because of his lovely style of play, as Postecoglou did during his time at the club.
Celtic dropped down to second in the Scottish Premiership table on Saturday afternoon as they were held to a drab 0-0 draw by Hibernian at Parkhead.
The Hoops have dropped points in two of their six matches in the top-flight so far this season, and they now sit two points behind Hearts in the table.
Brendan Rodgers made a few changes to the starting line-up to freshen things up after the 1-1 draw with Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League on Thursday night, but the players coming in did not push their case forward to keep a starting berth. Arne Engels was one of those players who did not take their chance.
Why Arne Engels should be dropped by Celtic
The Belgium international was brought into the central midfield mix to replace Benjamin Nygren, who dropped to the bench, but produced an underwhelming performance in the middle of the park.
Engels, who was signed for £11m from Augsburg last summer, was substituted in the 68th minute of the match after failing to register a shot on target or a ‘big chance’ created, per Sofascore.
The 22-year-old flop lost possession of the ball 18 times and only created two chances, neither of which were ‘big chances’, before Rodgers decided to haul him off for the last 20 minutes.
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Engels should, therefore, be dropped from the starting line-up after he failed to take his chance to impress. However, the Belgian was not the only underperformer for the Hoops, as Kelechi Iheanacho was even worse than him.
Why Celtic should drop Kelechi Iheanacho
The Nigeria international was brought into the starting line-up to replace Daizen Maeda in the number nine position after he came off the bench to score in the draw with Red Star Belgrade.
As you can see in the clip above, the former Sevilla striker did brilliantly to take the ball under control and find the top corner between two defenders to put the Hoops ahead in that match.
Unfortunately, the left-footed attacker was unable to follow that up with an impressive performance from the start against Hibernian, as he wasted several chances to find the back of the net.
Vs Hibernian
Kelechi Iheanacho
Minutes
67
Shots
4
Shots on target
1
Big chances missed
2
Passes completed
9/10
Key passes
1
Big chances created
0
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Iheanacho spurned the two big chances that he had, one of which was a tap in that he struck the crossbar with from close range.
The worst part of his performance was that the one chance that he did take, finding the back of the net with a nice finish, was offside because he mistimed his run across the front post.
Along with his poor play in front of goal, Iheanacho also lost 100% of his duels (1/1), per Sofascore, which shows that he did not compete with and make it hard for the Hibs defenders.
This is why he was even worse than Engels, who won more duels (two), created more chances (two), and missed fewer ‘big chances’ (one) than the striker, per Sofascore.
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Both of Iheanacho’s goals for Celtic so far have come as a substitute. This, perhaps, suggests that coming off the bench to make an impact should be his role for now, which is why he must be ditched from the starting XI against Braga.
Thibaut Courtois has launched a scathing attack on La Liga president Javier Tebas for censoring player protests and called the league's actions “manipulation”. The Real Madrid goalkeeper also fired back at Barcelona president Joan Laporta’s insinuations about refereeing bias ahead of a crucial run of fixtures, including Juventus and El Clasico.
La Liga protest controversy takes centre stage
Courtois has hit out at La Liga after players across the division staged silent protests at kick-off this past weekend, opposing the league’s plan to take Villarreal vs Barcelona to Miami on December 20. Players stood motionless as a symbolic act of resistance but broadcasters avoided showing the protests, instead cutting to aerial shots of stadiums with the message “Commitment to peace”.
Adding fuel to the backlash, La Liga and match organisers Relevent have now officially cancelled the proposed fixture in the United States, citing a lack of preparation time and uncertainty within Spanish football. Despite its cancellation, the controversy has already left its mark fans were angered, players made their stance clear, and the debate over league decision-making intensified.
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Courtois calls out Tebas and censorship
Courtois spoke in a tense press conference ahead of Madrid’s Champions League game against Juventus and did not hold back in his accusations.
"La Liga does whatever it wants because it suits them,” said the Belgian. “This decision distorts the competition. Playing at home is not the same as playing away. In La Liga, playing away is very difficult, as we saw against Real Sociedad and Getafe. Villarreal away is tough. It’s not fair to change the rules mid-season without consulting us.
“Hiding the protests and trying to change the narrative is censorship and manipulation. I don't know what surprises you. They've been doing this for a while. I've already said I've never seen a president speak the way he does… It's censorship, it's manipulation, it's serious."
The ex-Chelsea star also contrasted La Liga’s plans with the NBA and NFL, who regularly play matches abroad: “The NBA has 82 games, and the NFL’s owners collectively approve these decisions. Here, La Liga acts unilaterally. It’s not the same."
Laporta, referees and Courtois’ sharp reply
The debate escalated further when the goalkeeper directly responded to comments made by Barcelona president Laporta. After Barca’s win over Girona, Laporta hinted at unfair refereeing by referencing a “white hand” influencing decisions. He claimed their coach Hansi Flick had been unfairly suspended and suggested external forces were favouring Madrid.
“Are you talking about a white hand? If there isn’t one, it looks very similar. Our coach won’t be there for the next match, although the club is going to appeal Hansi Flick’s suspension,” said the Barca president.
Courtois responded firmly to Laporta’s claims, pointing out that such comments were linked to the ongoing Negreira refereeing scandal surrounding Barcelona.
"[Laporta] says that because he has to, because of the Negreira case. I've never noticed that at Madrid, quite the opposite. I don't feel like they've benefited us at any point," he said.
The tension between both clubs adds yet another layer to an already hostile atmosphere ahead of El Clasico. Laporta’s remarks were made during Barcelona’s General Assembly, increasing political pressure within the club and casting refereeing narratives into the spotlight.
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What this means ahead of Juventus and El Clasico
The 33-year-old is preparing for his 300th appearance for Los Blancos when they host Juve in the Champions League. A win would help them maintain control of their European campaign and boost morale ahead of El Clasico. Key returns such as Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ferland Mendy are expected, but doubts remain over Dani Carvajal and Dean Huijsen, who are racing against time for fitness.
El Clasico remains the real focus for Madrid. Barcelona are just two points behind and have regained form after a 6-1 Champions League win over Olympiacos. A defeat for Madrid could see their lead at the top disappear, placing extra pressure on Xabi Alonso’s squad management during a demanding week.
Beyond injuries, Alonso will emphasise composure amid rising political noise surrounding referees and league decisions. Madrid edged past Getafe 1-0 in their last game, aware that even minor lapses could prove costly in a title race this tight. With tensions rising between club presidents and players now speaking publicly, El Clasico at the Santiago Bernabeu promises more than just football it’s a battle on and off the pitch.
Barcelona have revealed a Clasico kit with an Ed Sheeran logo ahead of their La Liga clash with Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu. The Catalans have done it again, and this time, they’ve called in one of the biggest names in pop to headline El Clasico as they unveiled their latest show-stopping kit for their trip to the Spanish capital: an emblazoned jersey with none other than Sheeran’s “Play” album logo.
Barca rock the music world as Ed Sheeran takes centre stage
In what’s become an unmissable pre-Clasico tradition, Barca’s ongoing partnership with Spotify has produced another jaw-dropping shirt design, and Sheeran is the latest megastar to take centre stage. Following in the footsteps of Drake, Rosalía, The Rolling Stones, and Karol G, the British singer-songwriter has now become the first male solo pop artist ever to appear on the Barcelona jersey. The special edition shirt will make its first appearance on October 19, when Barca’s women’s side face Granada, before stealing the global spotlight on October 26, when Hansi Flick’s men take on their fiercest rivals at the Santiago Bernabeu.
AdvertisementGoal ARSheeran fascinated with the Barcelona collaboration
For Sheeran, who’s long worn his love of football on his sleeve, the collaboration marks a personal milestone. Speaking after the reveal, the Grammy-winning musician couldn’t hide his delight: "Seeing my new album, Play, on the Barça shirt is one of those moments I can hardly believe. I’ve loved football my whole life, so bringing my music to such an iconic stage and sharing it with fans everywhere means a lot to me.”
It’s not the first time Sheeran has mixed music with football. The Suffolk-born singer sponsors his local club, Ipswich Town, but even that can’t compare to the global roar that accompanies an El Clasico. This time, his logo won’t just be heard, it’ll be seen by hundreds of millions when the world tunes in for football’s fiercest rivalry.
Inside the Barça dressing room, Sheeran’s music already has a strong following. Robert Lewandowski, the club’s star striker, revealed that the singer’s tracks often blast through the speakers before big games.
“Ed’s songs have been part of our dressing-room playlist for a long time, so seeing his new album on our shirt for El Clásico is really special," he said. "Music and football unite fans in powerful ways, and I’m proud to represent that connection on the pitch.”
The club confirmed that exclusive collector’s editions of the Sheeran x Barça kit will go on sale from October 15 at official Barca Stores. Given the global hysteria surrounding previous artist collaborations, these shirts are expected to sell out in record time.
A new beat in the world’s biggest rivalry
Founded in 1899 and 1902 respectively, the two clubs first clashed over a century ago during the Copa de la Coronacion. Since then, El Clasico has evolved into a cultural and political battleground, a clash of philosophies, pride, and identity. Over the decades, tensions have flared over player signings, refereeing controversies, and league dominance. Icons from Laszlo Kubala and Luis Suarez to Alfredo Di Stefano and Ferenc Puskas have shaped the rivalry’s history. Today, the statistics are as close as ever, with Real Madrid edging out the Blaugrana with 105 wins to 103 victories. With margins this tight, every encounter carries seismic weight, and adding Sheeran’s global brand to the mix only cranks the intensity higher.
If Real Madrid fans thought the first two decades of the millennium had been difficult due to the emergence of a certain Lionel Messi, Hansi Flick’s Barcelona have made sure to turn it into a full-blown nightmare. Under Flick in 2024-25, Barcelona have played with a ruthless, attacking edge, netting 16 goals against Madrid across those four games. No team in history has ever punished Los Blancos so brutally in a single season, smashing the previous record of 13 goals set in 2011/12. The domination reached its crescendo in Saudi Arabia, where Barca lifted the Spanish Super Cup with a 5-2 demolition despite being reduced to ten men for over half an hour.
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koooraYamal’s timely return boosts Flick’s men
As Barca gear up for another titanic showdown at the Bernabeu, they’ve received a crucial boost: Lamine Yamal is back. The 18-year-old sensation, hailed by Zinedine Zidane himself as one of the most exciting talents in world football, has returned to training after recovering from a groin injury. With Barcelona currently two points behind Real Madrid after eight La Liga rounds, the Bernabeu clash could define their season, and Yamal’s dazzling creativity may be the difference-maker.
Arne Slot has been a revelation at Liverpool, bucking the trend of managers falling by the wayside in the Premier League after replacing coaches with long legacies.
Indeed, most thought Feyenoord’s coach would struggle to impress when replacing Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, but he took the reins and led Liverpool to the Premier League title in his first season, so confidently beating off competition.
Swiftly turning doubters into believers, just like the head coach before him, Slot has the minerals to lead this ambitious Liverpool project for many years to come.
Liverpool have now restructured themselves into a global force to be reckoned with, smashing the British spending record this summer, but Klopp built the foundations that Slot’s squad walk on, paving the Dutchman’s trophy-winning success.
Klopp's Liverpool legacy
Klopp didn’t just lead Liverpool to many trophies across his time at the helm, but he took an Anfield outfit in disrepair and shaped it back into a superpower, forming one of English football’s great rivalries with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City.
Premier League
1x
19/20
Champions League
1x
18/19
FA Cup
1x
21/22
Carabao Cup
2x
21/22, 23/24
Club World Cup
1x
19/20
UEFA Super Cup
1x
19/20
Community Shield
1x
22/23
He just got it, did Klopp. The bond he formed with Liverpool was a priceless thing, adding substance to his illustrious career, lifting Premier League and Champions League trophies as Liverpool manager.
The 58-year-old also gave rise to a new level of youth quality, guiding superstars like Trent Alexander-Arnold to the fore and raising the standard of the academy as a whole.
‘Klopp’s Kids’ as they came to be known, played an instrumental role in winning the Carabao Cup during the German’s swansong, and indeed keeping the ship steady amid a wave of injury problems, helping Liverpool back into the Champions League.
Liverpool's Lewis Koumas, Jayden Danns and Trey Nyoni celebrate winning the Carabao Cup with the trophy
Couple that with Klopp’s remarkable midfield rebuild, signing Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch, and you can see why Slot has enjoyed such success over his year on Merseyside.
Many of Liverpool’s academy talents have since moved on, but a few remain. One of whom would be Conor Bradley, who, despite his recent injury concerns, has what it takes to become a leading first-teamer over the coming years.
Slot has hit gold on Conor Bradley
Bradley, 22, burst onto the scene in the 2023/24 season, mesmerising as he soared in the injured Alexander-Arnold’s stead, hitting one goal and six assists across his half-season in the first team.
In just his second Premier League match of the season, the young right-back obliterated Chelsea, scoring a fantastic goal and setting up two more.
Hailed by Alexander-Arnold for his “absolutely phenomenal” start to life under Klopp’s wing, this academy talent looked right at home from the off, leaving no doubts in the fanbase’s collective mind that this was a player capable of dazzling in red for years to come.
While Bradley doesn’t have his right-back predecessor’s same incredible range of passing, he is an athletic freak, capable of zipping up and down the wing and contributing with assists and tackles. 58 matches into his Liverpool career, Bradley has chalked up 11 assists.
Injuries limited him to just seven starts in the Premier League last season, but Bradley remains one of the most exciting up-and-comers in Slot’s squad, ranking among the top 3% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 13% for ball recoveries and the top 6% for goal-creating actions per 90, data courtesy of FBref.
Described as a “really special talent” by Northern Ireland boss Michael O’Neill, Bradley has already become a staple for his nation, proving his dynamism by often playing in a more advanced role.
With Jeremie Frimpong having ostensibly replaced Trent in the transfer market this summer and Szoboszlai playing like a man possessed as a makeshift right-back at the moment, Bradley has his work cut out in nailing down a regular starting berth, but he certainly has the potential to do so.
In fact, given the trajectory his career has taken already, Bradley might even be assured of his chances of becoming an even bigger fish in the Liverpool pond, having seen his market value skyrocket since Klopp left.
According to Transfermarkt, the defender’s estimated price tag has actually doubled over the past year, going from £13m to £26m.
Comparatively, this 100% rise is still a rather meagre amount, especially when comparing the player’s value against the most prominent members of Slot’s squad.
Conor Bradley for Liverpool.
But he’s already pieced together too impressive a showreel to be considered anything other than one of the biggest talents in Liverpool’s ranks right now, with his goal against Chelsea the statement.
And, of course, how could we forget that tackle on Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe in the Champions League last year? Technical ability? Check. But passion? Well, he has that in droves.
If Bradley can work his way toward full fitness over the coming weeks and months, Liverpool will unlock another dimension to their backline, reinforcing the defensive structure (and covering the likes of Ibrahima Konate, who has had an up-and-down start to the term).
Then the talent’s value would only grow and grow some more, which is exciting to think about for those of a Reds persuasion. We have only had a taste of this academy gem’s potential.
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خاض منتخب إسبانيا، مساء يوم الثلاثاء، مباراته في إطار التصفيات المؤهلة إلى بطولة كأس العالم نسخة 2026، وذلك ضد نظيره منتخب بلغاريا.
واستضاف ملعب “نويفو خوسيه زوريلا” مباراة منتخبي إسبانيا وبلغاريا، في خضم تصفيات قارة أوروبا المؤهلة إلى مونديال الصيف المقبل، حيث فاز اللاروخا بأربعة أهداف دون رد.
تمكن ميكيل ميرينو من تسجيل هدف أول لصالح منتخب إسبانيا، في الدقيقة 35 من عمر الشوط الأول.
ونجح ميرينو في تسجيل الهدف الثاني له ولصالح كتيبة لويس دي لا فوينتي، إسبانيا، في الدقيقة 57 من عمر المباراة، ليعزز تفوق أصحاب الأرض.
واستفادت إسبانيا من النيران الصديقة بعدما اهتزت شباك بلغاريا بهدف عكسي من لاعبها، آتاناس تشيرنيف في الدقيقة 79.
وفي الدقيقة 91، تحصلت إسبانيا على ضربة جزاء نفذها اللاعب ميكيل أويارزابال وحولها بنجاح إلى هدف رابع، لتقترب إسبانيا من المونديال.
بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد إسبانيا إلى 12 نقطة في صدارة المجموعة الخامسة، بينما ظل رصيد بلغاريا خاليًا من النقاط في المركز الرابع والأخير.