Looking for Soccer News?

RB Leipzig defender Angelino believes the pressure is on Liverpool ahead of their second leg Champions League clash in Budapest on Wednesday.

The Reds have a 2-0 advantage going into the rematch, with away goals from Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane positioning Liverpool towards the quarter-finals.

But Angelino has said RB Leipzig are very much still in the tie, adding that he thinks the German side will embrace their role as underdogs.

What did Angelino have to say?

"It was tough because I thought we played a really good match," the RB Leipzig defender said while reflecting on the first leg.

"We were a few times behind their full-backs. [Trent] Alexander-Arnold on the ball is unbelievable but he is too offensive. But that is his best [quality] so we have to exploit the weakness and hopefully we can get a few more chances like we did in the first game. That was our mistake that we did not put them away.

"We could have put some pressure on them [by] scoring some of the chances we got. We felt we gave them two mistakes and a team like Liverpool, with the quality they have got, they kill you if you give them just a little bit.

"But we are positive because we played a strong match. If we don't make mistakes and we put our chances away, it can turn around, the situation. There is still 90 minutes to go and we will be focused and ready to go again. The pressure, I would say, is more on them than us. We are the underdog so we go from behind."

Liverpool's struggles

Liverpool have faltered since the start of the new year, falling all the way out of the Premier League title race and perhaps even the race for a spot in the top four.

The club's freefall has come in the wake of an injury crisis, headlined by injuries to Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Jordan Henderson.

Liverpool have struggled with issues in central defence all season as a result, with Van Dijk's absence in particular proving damning for the defending Premier League champions.

And Angelino says that Liverpool are a different team without the Dutch star.

"Obviously, he was very important for them at the back. He was so strong. In the end, they don't have many changes. They have their very strong eleven," he said.

"They did not win the Champions League and the Premier League for nothing. You cannot be perfect all the time but they have an unbelievable team, great qualities. Great quality up front and when they have Van Dijk at the back, he is unbelievable.

"But every team has their ups and their downs. They can beat anyone when they have their day and everybody is fit so you just have to be very focused and stick to the plan.

"Individually they have great players and for sure they will compete again and get back to their best. Hopefully not in their next match against us. They can wait a little bit longer."

Further reading

Lorenzo Insigne’s agent says the striker is flattered by interest from “top clubs” but the forward’s focus is on having a successful end to the season with Napoli.

The 29-year-old’s contract has just under 18 months to run and talks are ongoing with regard to an extension.

Insigne scored twice in Napoli’s 3-1 win over Bologna on Sunday, and his focus is on the final couple of months of the season as opposed to transfer speculation.

What was said?

“Of course, there are top clubs interested in him,” his agent Vincenzo Pisacane told Radio Punto Nuovo. “We are flattered by the interest of these clubs, but we are focused on finishing the season. There will be time to discuss the contract extension.

“The only thing he is thinking about is Napoli and the qualification for the Champions League. He feels the responsibility of being captain.”

Who would be interested in Insigne?

Manchester City would be an obvious place to start, as they were linked with the forward last summer and are still to find a replacement for Sergio Aguero. Insigne is not a striker in the mould of Aguero, but can operate in a number of positions in attack.

The possible issue would be Insigne’s age, as he will be 30 before next season gets underway and he would likely be a stop-gap solution as opposed to a long-term replacement for Aguero.

The flip side to that is City boss Pep Guardiola could view Insigne as a transitional option, ahead of bringing in younger legs further down the line.

Aside from loan spells away at the fledgling stage of his development, Insigne has spent his entire career with the Partenopei. As such, it would be a huge wrench for him to leave the club for another team in Serie A - and his agent may be leveraging his position in negotiations.

Further reading

Kai Havertz admitted his first months at Chelsea "were difficult" but said his play in a 2-0 win over Everton on Monday could provoke a strong finish to the campaign that silences his doubters.

Playing as a false nine against the Toffees, the summer transfer from Bayer Leverkusen won a penalty, forced an own goal with a deflected shot and had a would-be goal ruled out by VAR in one of his best Blues performances to date.

Such a complete effort should be the standard rather than the exception, Havertz said, as "it's time to perform" after getting seven months to settle in.

What has Havertz said?

"It is difficult to say [if it is my best performance for Chelsea] but the first few months were difficult for me," Havertz told The 5th Stand. "I hope that I will get a lot of confidence now and carry on like this.

"Of course, it wasn't easy to come here where everything was new. I have been here for seven months now though, so now it is time to perform.

"I know that in myself, I know many people have doubts about me. I just keep on going and working, trying to help my team in every training session and game. That's the most important. I hope this performance will give me a lot of confidence. I hope to continue like this."

The bigger picture

It seems most of what ailed Chelsea in the early months of the 2020-21 campaign has been cured since Thomas Tuchel took charge in January, with Havertz's improvement just one example of a larger trend.

Timo Werner and Marcos Alonso are among the other Blues players to have surged over a nine-game league unbeaten run.

Havertz, though, is a special force in that he lifts everyone around him when playing his best silky link-up play. If he truly is ready to perform consistently, it would be a game-changer for his side's top four hopes.

Further reading

Ini Umotong has shed light on some of the challenges she has faced during her career to date, and has outlined her hopes to return to the international fold with the Super Falcons.

The forward was not involved in the 2019 Women's World Cup, nor the 2020 Olympics qualifiers or recent Turkish Women's Cup, but has rediscovered her goalscoring form at Lewes. 

She has scored three times in four league outings so far, and remains confident that she can impress Nigeria coach Randy Waldrum.

"The new coach I've spoken to, he reached out to me," Umotong told Goal, "I know he's watching and monitoring me, so the better I can do, the better everything else falls into place for everyone.

"I'm just focusing on myself."

Umotong turned professional with Portsmouth in 2014 and netted 54 goals in 45 outings for Pompey, earning a Nigeria call-up in the process.

With Pompey, she scored 54 goals in 45 outings and received a Nigeria call-up following her exploits, going on to fulfill her dreams of playing for Nigeria in 2015 and subsequently featuring at the Women's World Cup in Canada.

"They're unforgettable memories, something that will stick with me," Umotong continued. "That season at Portsmouth kind of propelled my career in football and just gave me the confidence to thrive through my playing career. 

"I've gone on to do better things since then but it all came from that spell at Portsmouth, that gave me the confidence to kind of push forward in my career."

During a later stint at Brighton & Hove Albion, she earned a Nigeria recall for the pre-2019 World Cup camp and finally broke her international duck in a 3-0 win over Romania.

However, she was later overlooked for the final squad, but has still managed to take the positives from the ups and downs of her career, and particularly, her experiences with the Falcons.

"[International football is] a completely different level," she continued, "I'd say it is a lot more mentally challenging than it is physically challenging. Form, especially as a striker, comes and goes.

"When you're on form, it's great, when you're off form, it's mentally trying to get back to the form you're used to," she added. "That level as well as so much more rotation for the teams makes form even more mentally challenging for the striker. 

"There were highs and lows in my performance and form, at that level, but all of those experiences I've learned [from]. They're all learning experiences and made me a better player."

Having left Brighton in January 2020, the Calabar-born striker went on to enjoy a short spell at Vaxjo in Sweden, where she scored twice to help the Damallsvenskan side to top flight safety.

Upon her return to England this January, she teamed up with ambitious FA Women's Championship side Lewes on an 18-month deal and expressed her delight at retuning home. 

"It’s really nice. It’s nice being home," Umotong concluded. "I had a great experience in Sweden.

"I loved it, but the opportunity came up in England to study an MBA in Football Industries which I couldn’t pass up."

Thomas Tuchel says that Christian Pulisic has been "unlucky" not to start for Chelsea as the Blues boss has full trust in his former Borussia Dortmund player.

Chelsea have dominated since Tuchel took over for Frank Lampard in January, with the most recent triumph coming in a 2-0 win over Everton.

Under Tuchel, Chelsea are now unbeaten in nine games, but Pulisic has contributed little, having been left out of every one of Tuchel's Premier League starting line-ups since his hiring.

Tuchel on Pulisic

"I can say nothing else but good things about him. Maybe his biggest problem is that I know him from Dortmund and I think he started only in the cup games," Tuchel said at his postgame press conference.

"It is my responsibility and it is a bit unfair but I know what impact he can have in the last 20 or 30 minutes.

"He was a bit unlucky in the last few games. It isn't a lack of trust or quality, it is just that he will have to be patient.

"I have another guy who I would love to mention in Emerson [Palmieri] who suffers from bad decisions by me. He does not play but he is an amazing guy who trains at the highest level and he never lets the team down with his mentality. It was a super hard decision today to have him out of the squad, the same with Tammy [Abraham].

"It is like this, we have a strong group. The guys have to keep on fighting. There's no other way." 

Pulisic this season

After emerging as one of Chelsea's stars after the restart last season, Pulisic has struggled to replicate that form this campaign.

The U.S. men's national team star battled injuries to start this season and has never truly reached the heights of his 11-goal debut season in London.

Pulisic has only found the back of the net twice in 24 appearances this season and has now fallen out of the starting XI since Tuchel's introduction.

Tuchel, who previously managed Pulisic from 2016-17 while the two were both at Borussia Dortmund, has said that he believes that Pulisic deserves to start for Chelsea but has yet to select him as a starter in the Premier League.

Further reading

Jose Mourinho has lavished praise on Gareth Bale for breaking down a “psychological barrier” and heading back towards peak form.

Bale’s return to Tottenham on loan from Real Madrid threatened to be a damp squib, as he struggled for playing time in the early stages of his second spell at the club.

His influence has grown in recent weeks, however, with four goals in his past three appearances highlighting his increased importance.

What has been said?

After a superb display in Spurs' 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, Mourinho said Bale was getting due reward for working through his injury problems.

“It is not that we have challenged him or anything,” Mourinho told AS. “We have only supported him. 

“I found psychological scars in him. When you are a couple of seasons with many injuries, the important thing is not only the muscular scars, but also the psychological ones, which bring fear and instability. 

“There is a moment when you are working well and when everyone around you is supporting you to the maximum. At that moment the psychological barrier is broken. 

“And he has done it. It was him, not us."

Bale’s resurgence

There were fears through autumn and the early part of winter that Bale was done at the top level.

He was handed fleeting minutes by Mourinho and made little impact when given the chance.

However, his fortunes have turned around in the past month. The 31-year-old has six goals to his name in as many games, including doubles against Burnley and Palace.

Mourinho said recently that Bale is now comfortable and confident about playing two games a week, albeit with a tailored pattern that often sees him limited to just over an hour of action.

It seems to be a schedule that suits player and club, and if he can continue to show good form and remain free of injury, he may persuade Spurs to extend his stay.

Further reading

Argentine football begins its program for 2021 with the playing of the Copa Liga Profesional.

All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.

Boca was crowned 2019-20 league champions in March after coming out on top during the 23-game season, and also triumphed in the following Copa Diego Armando Maradona, which ended in January. 

In lieu of beginning a new league season, the Argentine footballing authorities have instead sanctioned another cup competition, which will run from February to May.

The 26 Primera Division clubs have been split into two groups, with each side playing each other once. 

In addition there will be one inter-zonal game every week, where Boca and River, Racing Club and Independiente and the rest of Argentina's Clasico rivals will face off in a series of clashes. 

The top four teams from each group then advance to a play-off stage, which will take place in a straight knock-out format in order to yield a single winner.

Fanatiz has the rights to the Copa de la Liga Profesional worldwide, excluding Argentina, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Israel, Russia, Sweden and the Balkans.

How to watch River vs Argentinos

River began the Copa on a low note, going down 2-1 to Estudiantes in their opening game.

Since then the Millonario have hit their stride, dispatching Rosario Central and neighbours Platense to rise up the standings in Group A.

An emphatic 5-0 victory over Racing Club on Thursday, moreover, clinched the Supercopa for Marcelo Gallardo's charges, the coach's 12th trophy since taking over in 2014.

Coached by former Barcelona star Gabriel Milito, Argentinos Juniors are in desperate straits.

The Paternal side slumped to their third straight defeat against Velez Sarsfield last weekend and are still waiting for their first point in the competition. 

Live Stream: Fanatiz English ( stream now )

River vs Argentinos team news

Gallardo named the same squad that triumphed over Racing for Monday's clash, with Gonzalo Montiel (mononucleosis) and Javier Pinola (fractured arm) River's only absentees.

Argentinos will be without Jonathan Sandoval and Fausto Vera, both suspended after receiving second yellow cards during the defeat to Velez.

Watch all this weekend's Copa Liga Profesional matches on Fanatiz  with a 7-day free trial.

What other Copa Liga Profesional matches are available on Fanatiz?

All games are live streamed on Fanatiz and you can sign up to watch free here.

Thomas Tuchel was full of praise for Kai Havertz after the German midfielder shined as a false nine in Chelsea's 2-0 win over Everton.

Havertz helped create the opening goal of the game, with his shot deflecting off Ben Godfrey and into the back of the net to give the Blues the lead.

The former Bayer Leverkusen man also saw another goal waved off due to a handball call, but Tuchel was thrilled with Havertz's performance as Chelsea moved one step closer to solidifying a top four place.

Tuchel on Havertz

"We deserved to win. It was a very difficult first half but we controlled it completely. Second half we increased our level and had a lot of dangerous attacks," Tuchel told BT Sport.

"Very pleased with Kai. It was the trust we gave him and he used that trust. He is a player who has all the ability to be a dominant figure in the offence and he stepped up.

"You see the quality of the players and the club. It is a pleasure to be on the sideline and work with the team. Everybody in the club is doing everything to compete at this level."

Havertz at Chelsea

Havertz moved the Chelsea during the summer transfer window, signing from Bayer Leverkusen in a £70 million ($91m) deal that includes add-ons.

The 21-year-old German international emerged as a star during his time in the Bundesliga, but has struggled to truly replicate that form since making the move to London.

Havertz has played 28 times for Chelsea in all competitions, scoring five goals.

However, just one of those goals has come in the Premier League this season as Havertz has been unable to truly shine in league play.

Up next for Chelsea

With Monday's win, Chelsea remain in fourth place, three points behind third-place Leicester City.

The Blues are set to travel to Elland Road to face Leeds this weekend in their next league match, but will then turn focus towards the Champions League.

As things stand, Chelsea maintain a 1-0 lead over Atletico Madrid as La Liga's leaders prepare to visit Stamford Bridge on March 17.

Further reading

Thomas Tuchel continues to earn plaudits for his start to life at Chelsea, and the win over Everton on Monday saw him etch his name into the record books.

The Blues are unbeaten in 11 games under the German, while the 2-0 shutout of Everton saw him become the first manager in Premier League history to see his side keep a clean sheet in each of his first five home games in charge in the division.

And while Tuchel secured a personal piece of history on Monday, not conceding meant Chelsea have now kept five clean sheets in a row at home in the league for the first time since 2015.

History made

While forwards thrive on goals, a clean sheet to a defender and goalkeeper is just as important. The Blues repelled the threat of Everton with relative ease on Monday.

Blues goalkeeper Edouard Mendy only faced one shot on target, and at the other end an own goal from Ben Godfrey and a Jorginho penalty sealed the three points that reinforced Chelsea’s position in the top four.

Tuchel’s view

The Blues have only conceded two goals in 11 games since the German took charge, and he says it is down to a collective effort and mindset.

“It is about desire,” he said. “Defending is about effort. Sometimes it is necessary to defend midfield. It is about reliability, trust, courage, bravery. 

“They guys around you must help you, principles, reliable, having your backs covered.”

Further reading

Mamelodi Sundowns defender Lyle Lakay has admitted he is hurt by being overlooked for the South Africa national team but is not worrying himself much about the snub by coach Molefi Ntseki.

The Bafana Bafana coach last week named a 26-man squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Group C rivals Ghana and Sudan later on this month.

But Lakay who went on to be included in this week’s Caf Champions League Team of the Week did not feature in Ntseki’s selection.

Ntseki went for Innocent Maela who has not featured in Orlando Pirates’ last four games while on the bench as Josef Zinnbauer opted for Paseka Mako.

The South Africa coach also considered veteran national team left-back Sifiso Hlanti who recently claimed a starting place for Swallows FC.

“Obviously as a player you want to represent your country especially when you are playing week in, week out and contributing to your team’s success,” said Lakay on SA FM.

“But it is what it is. I can’t worry about it, I have to focus on the positives and continue to work hard and hopefully it will come. On the positive side, I will get to spend time with my family now. We have been away [with Sundowns], we have been travelling so during the Fifa break I will get time to spend at home.

“My daughter will be two-weeks-old tomorrow [March 9] so I will get time to spend with her because I haven’t been here for the last two weeks.”

Ntseki defended his decision to leave out Lakay saying he needed tried and tested players against Ghana.

Lakay has conceded he is disappointed at missing the next national team selection after being part of the last camp for back-to-back matches against Sao Tome e Principe last November.

“Yes, it does [hurt not being called-up to the national team]. Every player wants to represent their country. I will just continue to work hard and hopefully, I will get the call-up the next time,” Lakay said.

“It is always good when the coach says something about you. He is thinking about me, so I will just continue to work hard and at the end of the day, he will call me when the time is right.

“Yes, I do [understand that Ntseki needed experienced players]. Obviously, we have to qualify and we all know that. He has his reasons and I have to respect that at the end of the day."

Yanga SC have reportedly terminated the contract of first-choice keeper Metacha Mnata just a day after the team fired the entire technical bench.

Goal can exclusively reveal Mnata, who also plays for the Tanzania national team Taifa Stars, has confirmed his exit to close friends after he was asked to leave the club.

A source, who did not want to be named, has confirmed to Goal more players could be released from the club following the decision to fire coach Cedric Kaze owing to poor results.

“It is true Yanga and Mnata have parted ways after the two discussed and reached an agreement to terminate the existing contract,” the source told Goal. “In fact, Mnata bid farewell to the players in training today, signalling his final day with the team.”

Mnata also wrote a farewell message to the Yanga family confirming his exit from the team on his Instagram page, which he later deleted.

On Sunday, Yanga confirmed they had fired Burundian Kaze and his technical bench after the team posted a 1-1 draw against Polisi Tanzania in a Mainland Premier League match which came after the team had suffered their first defeat of the season to Coastal Union in a 2-1 defeat last Thursday.

As reported by Goal earlier on, Yanga have approached FKF Premier League side AFC Leopards seeking the services of their head coach Patrick Aussems.

Goal exclusively revealed the Jangwani-based giants have already contacted Ingwe for the services of the former Simba SC coach but the response was not positive.

“Yanga reached out to AFC Leopards on Monday and they want to hire Patrick [Aussems] to take over the mantle at the club,” the source, who did not want to be named, told Goal.

“The club came with an offer of buying out his contract which he signed a few months ago and they are ready to give AFC Leopards everything contained in the deal before they take the coach.

“AFC Leopards have refused to listen to Yanga, they have told them they are not ready to let go of their coach, but Yanga have gone back and promised to return again, maybe with an improved offer for both sides.”

Goal understands, Yanga have already settled for former Kagera Sugar coach Mecky Maxime to work as the deputy of Aussems, should AFC Leopards agree to release the coach.

Aussems has enjoyed a good run of results since he joined the Den, and after losing his first game in charge against Bandari 2-1, the Belgian has gone ahead to win three consecutive matches – 1-0 against Ulinzi Stars, 2-1 against Kakamega Homeboyz and 1-0 against Nairobi City Stars.

Juventus President Andrea Agnelli says he has had "productive arguments and fights" with UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin over football's future as he believes that fans care about the game in a different way than yesteryear.

Agnelli believes that high-level football is at a "crossroads" amid talk of a UEFA Super League and the ongoing coronavirus pandemic that has impacted finances throughout the sport.

And Agnelli says that he believes that too many matches are not competitive, turning fans away from the game and towards other forms of entertainment.

What's been said

“We have to put the fans at the centre. The current system is not delivering for modern fans," Agnelli said at the ECA General Assembly

“Researches show that many traditional assumptions about fans need to change. If we look at the research, we can say a third of fans globally follow at least two cubs, which is very different from a few years ago.

"Also, 10 per cent of fans follow players and not clubs, 2/3 follow football more for a modern fear of missing out or just because they like big events, 40 per cent of the 16 to 24-year-old fans, the famous Gen Z, have no interest in football whatsoever.

“There are too many games that are not competitive, both at a domestic and international level.

“Fans can’t be taken for granted and we have to deliver the best possible competition for them or we risk of losing them.

“That’s why I welcome the conversation that us, as ECA, have had in the last couple of months with UEFA for the development of the game.

“Although not present here, I’d like to thank President Ceferin for the arguments and almost the fights we had from October to December.

“But they have been very productive arguments and fights.”

Finance in football

With fans unable to attend matches for nearly one whole year, clubs all over the world have reported massive financial losses.

However, several of the world's top clubs have been reported to be interested in forming a highly-lucrative European Super League that would change the face of football forever.

“I look at the governance projects, or some of the projects developed in some countries, or the backing of JP Morgan for the leaks that we’ve had over a European Super League," Agnelli said.

“That has been on the media and is common knowledge to everybody. If there is an interest from these kinds of players and big financial institutions, it means there is a potential for a bright future within our industry.

“These individuals, contrary to some of our most common stakeholders, are not too interested in solidarity, but their interest is in return on investments.

“It means that our industry is an industry which his highly palatable for return in investments and that means if we change ourselves, we can look forward to those return in investment ourselves.

“Football, finance and governance are at a crossroads and this has been evident and exacerbated by the pandemic.

“It is our duty to intercept and act or else the risk is the one of imploding.”

Further reading

Riyad Mahrez has been named Manchester City Player of the Month for the first time in the 2020-21 campaign.

The 30-year-old Algeria international beat Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva and Spain international Rodrigo after accruing 79% of the votes.

“The Algerian winger has been in sizzling form and his efforts have been rewarded with the latest Etihad Player of the Month award, voted on our Cityzens platform,” a statement from the club website read.

“And with almost 30,000 votes registered in total, Mahrez took a huge 79% of the poll, with Bernardo finishing second and Rodrigo third.”

The former Leicester City man was in fine form during the month under review that saw Pep Guardiola’s men unbeaten.

He also assisted crucial winning goals against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium and against David Moyes’ West Ham United.

Moreover, Mahrez scored a sublime strike in the 3-1 defeat of Carlo Ancelotti’s Everton at Goodson Park – his sixth strike in the 2020-21 campaign.

His Spanish boss recently waxed lyrical about his performance in the five-goal thriller against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolverhampton Wanderers.

“The last games were outstanding. He played really well. He has a special quality,” Guardiola told Manchester City website.

“He is a guy who dances on the pitch. He doesn’t lose balls on the pitch. He makes the extra pass. He attracts opponents on the pitch and after he makes a pass in behind.

“He makes fantastic crosses. We knew it.

“At Leicester, he was outstanding with Jamie Vardy. That’s why we pushed for him. We hope he can continue.”

The 2019 Africa Cup of Nations winner has been a revelation since his £60m move from King Power Stadium on July 10, 2018 – a move which made him the most expensive African footballer at that time.

Since his arrival, he has contributed 24 goals in 81 Premier League games, picking up one top-flight title, one FA Cup and two Carabao Cups along the way.

With City losing 2-0 to Manchester United on Sunday, Mahrez is expected to lead the league leaders’ attacking setup when they face Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton on Wednesday.

Leeds United have insisted they have not received any offers for Raphinha, with the club describing the speculation as ‘clickbait’.

The Brazilian midfielder joined Leeds from Rennes last year, and he has proved to be an excellent piece of business for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.

Reports have suggested both Liverpool and Manchester United are keeping tabs on Raphinha , but the club’s director of football Victor Orta has moved to ease fans’ concerns by insisting no approach has been made.

What has been said?

“To be clear, we have not had any approach for Raphinha and we would not welcome one,” Orta told BBC Radio Leeds .

“It is for clickbait to create business for the websites.”

Orta’s comments were echoed by Whites chief executive Angus Kinnear.

"We have a fantastic coach, fantastic coaching setup, fantastic squad and we give all the players every reason to stay at Leeds United,” Kinnear said . “And we think we have got enough ambition to match their ambition.

“At the moment, from Raphinha he loves playing for Leeds United. And the only thing he does not love about Leeds United now is there are no fans.

"We have a lot more to see and a lot more to come from him.”

Raphinha’s importance to Leeds

After finally securing promotion to the Premier League last year, Leeds required a personnel boost to reflect their new-found position in the elite division.

Raphinha was identified as a player capable of performing in the Premier League, and he has not disappointed. 

A left-footed winger who prefers to operate down the right flank, Raphinha has caused headaches for full-backs with his pace and skill.

If Leeds have ambitions of challenging towards the top of the division, they need to make statements of intent by keeping a player such as Raphinha and bringing in similar talents to complement their impressive Brazilian.

Further reading

Mamelodi Sundowns president Patrice Motsepe says he is not yet regarding himself as Caf president despite a vote of acclamation waiting for him at Friday’s elective annual general meeting in Rabat, Morocco.

Motsepe is all but confirmed as the new Caf boss, since the Court of Arbitration for Sports maintained outgoing president Ahmad Ahmad’s ban by Fifa on Monday. The Malagasy only had his sanction reduced from five to two years.

With the other three Caf presidency hopefuls Ivorian Jacques Anouma, Senegal Football Federation boss Augustin Senghor and Mauritanian Yahya stepping aside at the weekend to back Motsepe, Ahmad was the remaining stumbling block to Motsepe's ascendancy to the Caf throne. 

The South African is, however, not rushing to view himself as Ahmad’s successor.

“I was always taught that don’t count your chickens before they hatch‚” said Motsepe as per Sowetan Live.

“At the right time, we will come and talk to the media because I have a duty to the media and the people of this country who love football. We had a press conference recently with all the people from the continent where Dr Irvin Khoza and Dr Danny Jordaan made some excellent remarks.

“There are some legitimate issues where I have a duty to engage‚ so we will have time to sit down and really deal with all of these issues. So‚ we will have a press conference at the right time.”

After talks brokered by Fifa president Gianni Infantino in recent weeks, a pact was reached which will see Senghor Yahya assuming the roles of Caf first and second vice-president respectively.

Anouma exchanged his candidature for the post of special advisor.

Motsepe is now set to succeed Ahmad whose tenure proved to be eventful but largely unsuccessful.

If confirmed on Friday, Motsepe will become the first South African to head the continental football governing body.

For a second straight term, Motsepe would also become another Caf president from the Cosafa region to lead African football after Madagascan Ahmad.

Motsepe is also set to relinquish his role as Mamelodi Sundowns president, with the task handed to one of his sons as per his announcement during the launch of his manifesto.

Friday’s Caf elective annual general meeting will now see the polls for the executive committee and Fifa council members taking place in Rabat, Morocco.

Peter Crouch has said Liverpool are in a “horrible cycle” and that manager Jurgen Klopp needs his charges to once again find their confidence before it will end.

The Reds’ season hit a low point on Sunday with a 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham, with the result their sixth loss on the spin at Anfield.

Liverpool can now turn their attentions away from the domestic scene, as they face RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday, but Crouch is concerned as they do not look the same side with Jordan Henderson absent.

What has been said?

“I watched Liverpool on Sunday and couldn't believe I predicted in November this team would retain the title,” Crouch said in his column in the Daily Mail. “They had played so professionally and with such class against Manchester City that day, I couldn't see how they would be stopped.

“What I see in front of me now bears no resemblance. Mohamed Salah is the only forward who looks like he will score and even against Fulham his opportunities were few and far between. Teams have found a way of playing against them, especially at Anfield.

“The attacking threat has fallen down because of what has happened in the middle of the pitch. Without Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, they don't press as high, the full-backs don't get forward and the defence is vulnerable.

“When you have that mixture, it leads to confidence draining. When you don't have confidence, you don't want to shoot as often and you snatch at chances. 

“It's a horrible cycle to be in and now Jurgen Klopp needs it to stop.”

Liverpool’s ‘horrible cycle’

The Reds topped the table by three points after 16 games of the season, but the wheels have fallen off in 2021.

Injuries have played a part, but the loss of star defender Virgil van Dijk in October did not hamper them.

Their long unbeaten run domestically, dating back to the 7-2 mauling by Aston Villa in October, was snapped with a 1-0 reverse at Southampton.

Since the loss to Saints on January 4, the Reds’ only wins in the league have been away from home at Tottenham, West Ham and Sheffield United.

Home defeats to Burnley, Brighton, Manchester City, Everton, Chelsea and Fulham have seen them drop to eighth in the league, four points adrift of fourth-placed Chelsea having played a game more.

Further reading