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The 11 players that took the field for NorthEast United against Jamshedpur had a single objective - a win.

They had gone seven games without a win and that run had cost Gerard Nus his job as head coach. The players needed to step up and they needed to find motivation from somewhere. 

Enter Khalid Jamil. The experienced Indian coach, known for scripting history with the I-League-winning Aizawl years ago, seemed to have given the players a booster dose of motivation. The Highlanders delivered a solid performance on the field and defeated Jamshedpur 2-1 to end their winless run. 

The Highlanders had the intent and desire to be aggressive on the field right from the off. Federico Gallego was the boss in the centre of the park and his influential display and technical quality allowed the Highlanders to be always one step ahead of the Men of Steel. He was the deserved man of the match, having assisted both his team's goals.

Not only did the Jamshedpur attack struggle to break the gritty NorthEast defence, individual errors and defensive lapses cost them twice. 

Ashutosh Mehta showed upcoming footballers how to attack a corner-kick and head the ball into the net. He rushed to the near post to meet Gallego's inswinging corner-kick delivery and sent a powerful header into the net past TP Rehenesh to break the deadlock. 

Isaac Vanmalsawma gave the ball away cheaply and allowed Gallego to release debutant Deshorn Brown into plenty of space in behind the Jamshedpur defence to make it 2-0 in the second half. 

Brown, who said he felt 'restricted' at his former club Bengaluru in an interview he gave to Star Sports after the game, kicked off his stint at his new club in style. He came off the bench, latched onto a through-ball, entered the box and neatly slotted past a hapless Rehenesh to double his team's advantage. Whatever Idrissa Sylla has struggled to do in recent games, Brown showed that he can get it done.

Jamshedpur lacked desire and couldn't match the Highlanders' intensity. They were up against an opponent who just needed to win the game more. Nerijus Valskis, who has scored eight out of the team's total of 13 goals this season, had an off-day in front of goal. Peter Hartley headed in his first goal in the ISL but it was nothing more than a consolation at the end of a lacklustre performance. 

This was Jamshedpur’s third game in eight days and also their third consecutive defeat. Their last victory came against Bengaluru FC on December 28th, 2020 and following a break of about 12 days, they seem to have lost their way instead.

As the interim coach, Jamil is off to a good start. They needed to win a game and they have now done that. NorthEast United now need to kick on and string a few wins together. 

After a top performance in the midweek against Jamshedpur FC where they took control of the game from the kick-off, FC Goa once again left it for a late intervention, this time once again by Ishan Pandita to pick a point against ATK Mohun Bagan.

Before the Jamshedpur tie, the Gaurs had made it a habit of being forced to throw the kitchen sink at the opposition towards the end of games. They seemed to have put that issue behind them against Jamshedpur where they scored early and maintained control of the games. But the issue cropped up again on Sunday.

Against ATK Mohun Bagan, the Gaurs had played 488 passes out of which they successfully completed 354 passes. They had 63 per cent ball possession and took 19 shots on goal out of which eight were on target. Granted that on two occasions, the goal post and the crossbar came in between but they still could have killed the game long back.

Ferrando decided to keep the winning combination as it is and hence kept star forward Igor Angulo on the bench. Jorge Ortiz, who had a terrific outing as a number 9 against Jamshedpur, could not replicate that performance against the Mariners.

Ortiz, as usual, was extremely hard working and was often seen tracking back to create chances but was equally wasteful in front of the goal. On three occasions he came close to scoring but eventually failed to bury the chances which a clinical finisher like Angulo might have done better with.

Alberto Noguera, involved in two of their three goals scored against Jamshedpur, was kept silent for the majority of the game by ATK Mohun Bagan's Carl McHugh. The Irish midfielder once again showed how important he is to Antonio Habas' side as FC Goa could hardly make any effective move down the middle.

The Mariners started the match on a brighter note. Habas switched back to his familiar 3-5-2 formation with Prabir Das starting as a right wing-back. But their enterprising start soon faded and they withdrew into their shell in defence after the first 20 minutes.

Attack wise this was ATK Mohun Bagan's worst performance this season as the team managed to play just 221 passes in 90 minutes and completed only 114 passes! Except for Subhasish Bose's header in the first half which hit the crossbar and came back, the Kolkata side did not have any major goal-scoring chances.

The Green and Maroons need a major overhaul in their style of play if they still dream of topping the league and getting the AFC Champions League slot this season. The approach must change and Habas should consider utilising the attacking prowess of his side.

Barcelona star Antoine Griezmann said the La Liga giants are "screwed, angry, upset" after being upstaged by Athletic Club in the Supercopa de Espana final.

Lionel Messi was sent off for the first time in his Barca career as the Catalan club lost 3-2 to Athletic following extra time in Seville on Sunday.

Near the end of extra time, Messi played a pass and took a swing at Asier Villalibre as the Athletic forward ran across his path, demonstrating the frustration Barca felt after losing the lead twice in regulation.

Griezmann scored twice, including the 40th-minute opener, but his goals were cancelled out on both occasions at Estadio de La Cartuja.

Athletic's Oscar de Marcos equalised in the 42nd minute before substitute team-mate Asier Villalibre forced extra time at the death, after Griezmann had restored Barca's lead with 13 minutes remaining.

Inaki Williams then scored a sublime goal in the third minute of extra time to secure Athletic's third Supercopa crown and first since 2015, with Messi's red card for lashing out at Villalibre adding to Barca's woes in the dying moments.

"How do you think we are?" Griezmann replied when asked how Barca felt post-game.

"We're screwed, angry, upset. When you lose a final, these are all the bad feelings you have.

"Athletic pressed very well. They gave everything until the last minute, and then what happened, happened. We have made mistakes in our strategy and we'll have to work on it during the week.

"We didn't defend well, we didn't communicate. When the ball comes out someone needs to shout."

France star Griezmann has scored five goals in his past four finals in all competitions for club and country.

He has also been directly involved in seven goals in his past four appearances for Barca across all competitions, after failing to score or assist a goal in any of his previous seven matches.

In La Liga, Ronald Koeman's Barca are third and seven points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid – who have two games in hand.

Barca will next turn their attention to the Copa del Rey, where they will face Cornella in a last-32 match on Thursday.

Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo has criticised the display of his players after the 2-0 loss against Inter on Sunday.

The San Siro club raced into the lead through Arturo Vidal in the first half before Nicolo Barella added a second soon after the break.

Defeat leaves Juve fifth in the Serie A standings, seven points behind co-leaders AC Milan and Inter.

Pirlo launched an attack on his players following the match.

“It’s a bad defeat, we could not have played worse than this and it was unexpected, but we have to lift our heads and prepare for Wednesday and the Supercoppa against Napoli,” he told Sky Sport Italia.

“We got the attitude wrong from the start and when you don’t have the determination to win duels, it becomes difficult," he continued.

“We just didn’t step onto the pitch, we were timorous, afraid of Inter’s attacking play, so in our minds we only focused on defending and weren’t even very aggressive with that either. We allowed Inter to take the initiative and they became devastating in those circumstances.

“Individual quality can only shine if you first match the opposition in terms of aggression and determination. We didn’t do that and it showed.”

Pirlo is not about to admit defeat in the race for the title, though.

“Our ambitions remain the same,” he said. “It’s a slip-up against a strong opponent, these things happen, but what I am disappointed by is the attitude. A side like Juventus must come here with a certain confidence and ambition, the desire to take the initiative and steer the game in a certain direction, but we were too timid.

“We were too slow in our passing and above all did it with our defenders rather than the midfielders. We wanted to create the situation where [Federico] Chiesa could take men on or [Aaron] Ramsey could go between the lines. That didn’t happen, because we moved it too slowly and too deep, so we never really pulled Inter players out of position. We were too predictable.

“The coach is always the first to take the blame, because if the team didn’t do what we planned, it means we didn’t understand the plan.

“We were disorganised on the opening goal, didn’t follow their through runs and were caught out. It all became more difficult from there.”

Olympique Lyon bowed 1-0 to Metz in Sunday’s French Ligue 1 encounter with Aaron Iseka scoring the winning goal.

The hosts had gone on a run of 16 games without defeat, however, they were shocked at home by the visiting Maroons through the Belgian striker of Congolese descent.

Manager Rudi Garcia started Toko Ekambi, Tino Kadewere and Memphis Depay upfront and the trio caused the visitors headache right from the blast of Stephanie Frappart’s whistle.

Their first chance came in the third minute but Kadewere could not connect to a cross from Lucas Paqueta. Another opportunity beckoned in the 18th minute but Marcelo’s header off Leo Dubois free-kick sailed over the crossbar.

Lyon continued to dominate ball possession and in the 37th minute, Toko Ekambi forced a great save from Algeria international Alexandre Oukidja when he latched onto a pass from Depay.

Three minutes before the half-time break, Lamine Gueye’s shot off Farid Boulaya’s cross bounced back off the crossbar.

In the 48th minute, John Boye denied Kadewere a clear sight of goal. Seven minutes later, the Maroons had Thomas Delaine forced off with injury and it looked as if they would be helpless due to the hosts’ pouring attack.

Toko Ekambi found the net in the 74th minute but his volley was ruled out as Houssem Aouar was adjudged to have been in an offside position.

Islam Slimani who signed an 18-month deal from Leicester City was handed his debut 14 minutes from time and he soon set up Aouar for another chance that impressive Oukidja stopped.

Nevertheless, it was the visitors who had the final say as Iseka darted behind the hosts’ backline, seized onto Farid Boulaya’s pass before rounding goalkeeper Anthony Lopes. That was the youngster’s third goal of the 2020-21 campaign.

"It's a frustrating defeat. You have to be efficient against this kind of team and we weren't. We thought we'd scored with Karl's goal, but we were surprised to see it ruled out. But we won't hide behind this - we should have done better,” manager Garcia said after the game.

Despite the slump, Lyon sit in the third position having garnered 40 points from 20 games - two points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain. They would be hoping to return to winning ways when they visit Saint-Etienne on January 24.

Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta was full of praise for Granit Xhaka, saying the midfielder has been "phenomenal" since last month's red card against Burnley.

Xhaka was shown a straight red card against Burnley after he grabbed Ashley Westwood by the neck . The Gunners would go on to lose the match 1-0, continuing a horrible run that saw them down near the relegation spots.

Arsenal's form has improved of late, with Arteta's side having won three and drawn one of their last four league games to move up to 11th in the table. 

Following his ban for his red card, Xhaka has come back into Arsenal's team and has started his side's last four league games. Xhaka has impressed his manager, who is happy with how the Swiss international has bounced back.

“After the red card and with the history that he had, he was in a difficult place and we had to try and bring him back where we believe he can be and where he should be – which is being one of the leaders of the team and giving us stability and the presence he can provide to the team and to the club," Arteta said.

“I think since he’s been back he’s been phenomenal; he’s playing really, really well. Against Palace, he had some really important moments and he’s still young. He’s still a player who can evolve. It’s great for us to have him back.”

Arsenal are set to face Newcastle on Monday and ahead of the game, the Gunners provided injury updates on a number of players, including Kieran Tierney and Gabriel Martinelli.

"Gabi is now back in full training and is available for selection," a statement on the club's official website explained with regards to Martinelli.

"Kieran has recovered from his tight calf and is back in training with the squad. Kieran will be assessed and tested ahead of Monday’s match."

The news was not as good on defender Pablo Mari, who is still sidelined with a calf strain.

"Pablo has sustained a mild strain to his calf and will continue to rehabilitate in the coming days," the Gunners website said.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are more or less neck-and-neck when it comes to certain statistics - goals, Ballons d'Or and so forth - but one area where there is no comparison is discipline.

The Barcelona captain and the Juventus star are both fierce competitors and they are known for letting their tempers spill over on occasion when opponents manage to get into their heads or, indeed, if things aren't going their way on the pitch.

Messi was controversially sent off in Argentina's Copa America 2019 third-place play-off victory against Chile in July following a heated confrontation with Gary Medel. It was his first time seeing red in 14 years.

But just how exactly does the Barca forward measure up to his arch-rival when it comes to crossing the officials?

Ronaldo's red card record is much more damning than that of the Argentine, whose contentious dismissal against La Roja was just his second red card in his senior career.

Cristiano Ronaldo & Lionel Messi red cards

Messi's first red card came on his Argentina debut against Hungary in 2005. The Blaugrana star replaced Lisandro Lopez on the 64th minute, but his international bow ended after just two minutes when the then-18-year-old was deemed to have struck Vilmos Vanczak - who was pulling the attacker's shirt. He was shown his first Barcelona red card after he lashed out in the Super Cup final in 2021.

By contrast, Ronaldo has been sent off on multiple occasions while playing for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus. Notably, the Portuguese has shown himself to be somewhat prone to losing his cool in derby matches.

For example, while playing for the Red Devils, Ronaldo was sent off in Manchester derbies in 2006 and 2008, a totally reckless foul on former Man Utd legend Andy Cole earning him his marching orders on the first occasion.

During his time at Real Madrid, Ronaldo was sent off in the 2013 Copa del Rey final against Atletico Madrid, a game in which he also scored, but one that Los Blancos ultimately lost.

He also has the distinction of being sent off in a Clasico match, having been shown red in the first leg of the 2017 Supercopa de Espana, which was a classic in the Messi vs Ronaldo genre.

When Ronaldo put Real Madrid 2-1 up on the 80th minute - incidentally cancelling out Messi's equaliser three minutes before - the Portuguese removed his shirt and held it up to the Camp Nou crowd in defiance.

Of course, that shirtless display of provocation earned him a booking and the Catalan crowd were given some solace two minutes later when referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea showed the Madrid man a second yellow for diving.

A red card famously reduced Ronaldo to tears in 2018 when he was sent off less than half-an-hour into his first ever Champions League match for Juventus.

With 29 minutes on the clock against Valencia at Mestalla, the Portuguese collided with Jeison Murillo and the altercation resulted in referee Felix Brych showing the Juve forward a red card.

Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo: Red cards head-to-head

As you can see from the tables above, Ronaldo has a much poorer disciplinary record than Messi, with 11 red cards being shown to him during the course of his senior career against the Argentine's three.

Of Ronaldo's 11 red cards, four came at Manchester United, six were shown when he wore the colours of Real Madrid and one came in a Juventus shirt. Seven of those dismissals were straight reds.

Lionel Messi was sent off for the first time in his Barcelona career after Inaki Williams scored a sublime goal that gave Athletic Bilbao a shock 3-2 win in the Supercopa de Espana final.

The Catalan giants were on the brink of a record-extending 13th triumph in the competition after Antoine Griezmann scored twice, either side of Oscar De Marcos' equaliser, to put Barcelona 2-1 up late on in normal time.

But Athletic, who knocked out holders Real Madrid in the semi-finals, equalised through substitute Asier Villalibre in the 90th minute and Williams scored early on in the additional period to turn the tie on its head.

Captain Messi was then dramatically sent off in the dying moments of extra time when VAR spotted an off-the-ball incident involving Villalibre, as the Argentinian violently knocked the Athletic player to the ground.

Barca were seeking their silverware under Ronald Koeman but it proved to be a night they would want to quickly forget.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen palmed Ander Capa's long-range drive over the crossbar from the game's first short on target as Athletic threatened after 26 minutes.

Barca slowly found their rhythm and took the lead through their first meaningful attack, Griezmann drilling home after Messi's shot from a Jordi Alba cutback was blocked.

It took Athletic just a minute and 33 seconds to respond through De Marcos, who ghosted in to guide Williams' impressive pass over the top away from Ter Stegen.

And Garcia thought he had given his side the lead just before the hour mark, only for his header to be rightly ruled out for offside following a VAR check.

Athletic lost 3-2 to Barca when the sides met in LaLiga less than two weeks ago but they continued to look the more threatening as Williams blazed wide from inside the box.

Koeman's men appeared to have won the game in normal time when Alba again got in behind and teed up Griezmann to steer home, yet there was to be a late twist.

Captain Iker Muniain sent a free-kick into the box and Villalibre, having kept himself just onside, fired past Ter Stegen to salvage an additional 30 minutes.

Williams' moment of magic arrived three minutes into extra time as he cut inside Oscar Mingueza and curled the ball away from Ter Stegen into the top-right corner.

Barca had time to take the game to penalties but Griezmann volleyed wide at the back post from the best of their remaining chances.

What does it mean? Opportunity missed for Koeman

This competition may be fourth on the list of Barcelona's priorities this season, but Koeman targeted victory in this four-team tournament to strengthen his claims that the club are on the right track under his stewardship.

Having won four in a row in all competitions, including a penalty shoot-out victory over Real Sociedad in the semi-finals, they entered this match with momentum on their side and as heavy favourites.

Athletic may be 13 points below their opponents in LaLiga but they more than held their own in this final, outshooting their opponents 12-10 over the 120 minutes and showing a little extra cutting edge when it mattered most. The Messi red card was an alarming blight on an already desperately disappointing night for Barcelona.

Antoine at it again

Griezmann scored from two of his five shots and has now been directly involved in seven goals in four games, having failed to score or assist in his previous seven outings.

He has also scored five goals in the last four finals he has played for club and country - two for Atletico Madrid, one for France and now two for Barcelona.

Messi's moment of madness

In what was his 753rd appearance for Barcelona in all competitions, Messi was shown his first red card for an off-the-ball swing at Villalibre.

Even before that incident it was a frustrating day for the Argentina international on his return from a short lay-off as he failed to find the target from any of his three attempts.

What's next?

Barcelona switch focus to the Copa del Rey on Thursday with a trip to Cornella, though that last-32 tie could be in doubt due to reports of a coronavirus outbreak in the opposition's camp.

Athletic are up against lower-league opposition on the same day, too, as they take on Ibiza for a place in the last 16.

Chelsea head coach Frank Lampard has admitted that Timo Werner is being hard on himself after a run of 10 Premier League games without a goal.

Mason Mount scored the winning goal at Fulham on Saturday evening but after coming off the bench, Werner missed several chances to add an insurance goal as the Blues would hold on for a 1-0 win.

Werner broke a 13-game goal drought for club and country with an FA Cup goal against League Two side Morecambe last weekend, but his bad run in the league rolls on.

Lampard, along with Ben Chilwell and Billy Gilmour, were pictured trying to lift a disappointed Werner after the final whistle. The Blues boss said that he and his players must support Werner during his bad run.

"He may be hard on himself because any striker the level that he is who is worth their salt ... will be hard on themselves," Lampard told reporters after the match.

"That's how you get to the top with the desire to score goals. I was happy when he gets on and gets into the positions to score goals, particularly the one that went wide as that's where I have seen him score so many goals in his career so far. He will score those in future.

"Him being hard on himself is not a problem, but I hope he feels my support. The only way out of a hard patch is to train and train, keep your attitude right and stay positive. Sometimes you need help with that.

"That can come from me or his team-mates; we all want him to do well. We have a really competitive nature in the group with options in forward areas so they are all willing each other to do well.

"Timo will get there no problem, he can be hard on himself and he has my support."

Mount hadn't scored in the league since September before netting twice in two games this week. Lampard, who was known for scoring goals from midfield during his playing career, said he is working with the England international to add more goals to his game.

"I have a lot of conversations with Mason. I think he can get a lot more goals from midfield and at Derby, he got goals that year," Lampard said of the 2018-19 season when he coached Mount at Pride Park.

"I think there was a feeling even then that he could get more. I am always on him about it and it was big in my game.

"I have alluded to it that my goalscoring came into my game when I was 25 or 26 at Chelsea. I don't want to measure Mason against myself but I just understand that you develop it. I understand that he offers so much on and off the ball for us.

"My feeling is that he needs to get in the 18-yard box more. There are times when we have the ball wide and he can be higher up the pitch in the box. Those are things that he can work on and develop. As he gets older, he will come to understand the moments that he can get in there.

"Look at him tonight; he got in there a lot of times. If you keep getting in there through numbers and quality with the smartness of his play, then he will get chances and score more goals.

"That's why I am really happy for him today because to score that type of goal is a big deal for him, rather than the 25-yard one last week.

"It is goals in the box where Mason can add to [his game]. I want to think that Mason Mount will be a player of the highest level in all sense and get 10 to 15 goals a season."

Pep Guardiola refused to be drawn into talk of the Premier League title despite closing to within two points of the summit thanks to Manchester City's victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday. 

City recorded their fifth consecutive league win with a 4-0 victory to move above both Leicester City and Liverpool in the standings. 

John Stones hit once in each half for the hosts, while Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling also netted in an emphatic win at the Etihad Stadium.

Guardiola's charges have not lost in the top flight since November 21, and would go ahead of current leaders Manchester United if they win their game in hand. 

But Pep is not thinking about his side's title aspirations with less than half of the 2020-21 season completed. 

"I don't want to send any messages. It is Aston Villa on Wednesday. it is one game at a time," Guardiola, who turns 50 on Monday, told BBC Sport.

"A few weeks ago we were points behind Liverpool and we win a few games and that's what we have to do. Now I will drink a good glass of wine and then think about Aston Villa.

"Birthday plans? I'm up early tomorrow - yes I will drink something, alone because the family is away but it's a good present for the players."

While the City manager was happy with what he saw across the pitch he singled out the contribution of Stones, who has been criticised in past years for his performances at the back.

"Stones' revival? That belongs to him," Guardiola said. "If there's one guy who deserves it, it is John. He has struggled for many reasons in the past, it belongs to him how he overcame this.

"It's just minutes for him. He deserves to play, he doesn't make mistakes and he's created a good partnership with Ruben Dias."

Pep added to Sky Sports: "We didn't concede, we had to be patient and Palace defended really well. We were so stable, it is an important victory.

"When we handle top teams we are fortunate to have this quality. In the final third when Kevin De Bruyne makes the assist, Ilkay Gundogan and Raheem Sterling put it in the top corner, and John Stones was on fire in the box. It's easy for me when you have these players.

"We try to play the same way we have in the last few seasons and in the back four we don't make mistakes. Last year we made a lot.

"If there is one player I am more than pleased that everything is going well, it's John Stones. He is playing because he deserves it."

Argentina's Copa Diego Armando Maradona comes to a close on Sunday with the final between Boca Juniors and Banfield in San Juan's Estadio Bicentenario.

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. 

The Copa Superliga was scheduled to follow on from the regular campaign, but was scrapped after just one game as football came to a halt.

This season’s action began with a new cup format, renamed after Diego Maradona following his death in November, where six groups of four teams competed for 12 places in the Campeon de Copa phase.

That next step consisted of two groups of six teams, which were won respectively by Boca and Banfield to earn a place in the final.

The winner of the Campeon phase will qualify for the 2021 Copa Libertadores, although Boca have already earned their passage by virtue of winning the last league tournament.

There is also a Sudamericana spot open to the sides disputing the Complementary phase, which is exactly the same in format and includes all the teams that failed to qualify for the Campeon phase.

Velez Sarsfield prevailed in Saturday's Complementary final against Rosario Central and go on to meet the loser of Sunday's decider to determine who enters the competition.

It is expected that the new season of the next Primera Division will then follow in February 2021.

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 Boca vs Banfield on US TV

Having won the league back in March, Boca are now on the cusp of completing a domestic double.

That success, however, has been overshadowed by the Xeneize's woes in the Copa Libertadores. 

On Wednesday Miguel Angel Russo's charges were thrashed 3-0 by Santos in the semi final after a 0-0 draw in the first leg, ending their hopes of winning a first Copa since 2007. 

Rivals River Plate also went out despite a spirited comeback against Palmeiras, meaning that Argentina is left with no participants in January 30's final. 

With that failure fresh in the mind, Boca will be keen to bounce straight back after clinching top spot in their group last week over River and Argentinos Juniors. 

Banfield won four of their five Championship Phase matches and pipped Cordoba's Talleres to the summit by a single point, having thrashed San Lorenzo 4-1 in their final match to assure their place at the top. 

Javier Sanguinetti's team is packed with exciting young talent, with only three members of the side that beat San Lorenzo aged 25 or over. 

The Taladro began their Copa Maradona campaign with victory over River, and would love to add Boca's scalp to their collection and win the club's first silverware since James Rodriguez helped them to the 2009 Apertura title.

Live Stream: Fanatiz English (stream now)

Boca vs Banfield team news and preview

Boca coach Russo is set to make a host of changes after his side's Libertadores disappointment midweek. 

Eduardo Salvio, Leonardo Jara, Diego Gonzalez, Lisandro Lopez and Franco Soldano are all likely to be dropped, with Colombia playmaker Edwin Cardona given the chance to shine in San Juan. 

One player who might survive the cull, however, is Frank Fabra, who left his side reduced to 10 men against Santos due to a red card for violent conduct. 

Banfield will welcome back captain Luciano Lollo for the final, after the centre-back sat out the San Lorenzo game due to suspension. 

Alexis Sosa makes way in what will likely be the Taladro's only change from their last outing.

Watch this weekend's Copa Diego Armando Maradona final on Fanatiz in the US  with a 7-day free trial.

Angola international Clinton Mata revealed that Club Brugge ‘stayed efficient’ in Sunday’s 3-0 away victory over Beerschot.

Buoyed by their 2-1 triumph over Sint-Truiden their last time out, Philippe Clement’s men went to the Olympisch Stadium, played and secured a 3-0 victory over their hosts.

Thanks to an assist from Charles De Ketelaere, Bas Dost handed the Blue-Black a 15th minute lead before Odilon Kossounou doubled their advantage four minutes later.

With eight minutes left to the end of the game, Noa Lang killed Beerschot’s ambition of launching a comeback after beating his marker to launch a low shot past goalkeeper Mike van Hamel.

In his post-match assessment of the encounter, the 28-year-old right back who helped Club Brugge keep a second clean slate in their last three outings disclosed that his side re-enacted the attitude exhibited against Peter Maes’ men.

"It's a perfect night, especially considering the current ranking. We knew we could do a good thing here, but also that it would be a tough game,” Mata told club website after the game.

“We had to bring the same mentality of the first half to Sint-Truiden. We've been able to keep this up for 90 minutes.

“The coach reminded us of the lesser second half of last week, but also on the pitch the players knew that we were not allowed to slacken.

“We stayed efficient and managed to kill the match as quickly as possible."

The former Genk, Sporting Charleroi and AS Eupen man has so far featured in 21 games (19 starts) in the ongoing 2020-21 campaign.

Thanks to his team’s latest result, Club Brugge remain at the summit of the log after garnering 45 points from 21 fixtures – seven more ahead of second-placed Genk. For Hernan Losada’s side, they are currently ranked 10th with 30 points from the same number of fixtures.

They would be hoping to continue with their blistering form when they welcome KV Oostende to the Jan Breydel Stadium on Wednesday as they continue their chase for a 17th Belgian elite division diadem. Alexander Blessin’s team parade African trio of Fashion Sakala (Zabia), Makhtar Gueye (Senegal) and Mamadou Thiam (Senegal).

Manchester City had an unlikely goal hero in their 4-0 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday as John Stones scored twice – and the centre-back paid tribute to the vision of team-mate Kevin De Bruyne on his opener.

Stones scored City’s first and third goals in a routine victory that took his side up to second in the table.

One of the major talking points, though, was De Bruyne’s brilliant outside-of-the-boot cross for the centre-back’s opener. Fittingly, it was his 100th assist for the club.

“Kevin De Bruyne has done that over the years he has been here, some outrageous passes where you think 'I don't know how he's done that.' It came straight to me - it's something we can only dream of and he can do it when he wants,” he told Sky Sports.

Meanwhile, Stones reflected on his personal contribution at both ends of the field.

"Two goals for myself, it's been a long time!” he exclaimed.

"My last one was against Manchester United, I know that. I put pressure on myself to score goals, I need to contribute and bring that to my game. Today it clicked and the hard work on the training pitch on set pieces is paying off.”

Stones has worked hard to earn himself a starting berth at the Etihad after a long period on the periphery.

“It's tough when you're not playing or don't perform to your best. I went back to basics, looked at myself first and what I could improve. I had to keep fighting and keep believing in myself. I did that, kept the faith and kept grinding away,” he said.

“I'm still trying to improve.”

Indeed, City’s defensive record has been formidable in recent times – a far cry from the fragile unit their rearguard was previously considered to be.

"If we can keep clean sheets we don't have to come out and score four goals every week. The whole team deserve credit for how they press and stop attacks coming to us,” Stones said.

City are next in action when they tackle Aston Villa at home on Wednesday, with an FA Cup trip to Cheltenham to follow at the weekend.

Inter dealt a blow to Juventus' Serie A title defence and moved level on points with leaders Milan by securing a 2-0 victory at San Siro on Sunday.

Former Juve midfielder Arturo Vidal opened his Inter account with a 12th-minute header and Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku wasted chances to increase the Nerazzurri's lead.

The Bianconeri were unable to make the most of those reprieves as an emphatic finish at the end of a route-one move saw Nicolo Barella double Inter's advantage.

It was enough to give Antonio Conte a first Serie A win against Juve – the club he led to three straight Scudetti at the start of their ongoing run of dominance – and move the hosts level with Milan, who play their game in hand against Cagliari on Monday.

Cristiano Ronaldo had a goal correctly ruled out for offside but there was no doubt about Vidal's opener a minute later, as the Chile international rose above Danilo to nod Barella's delivery into the left corner.

Martinez should have doubled Inter's lead in the 23rd minute when he blazed over with the goal gaping after Wojciech Szczesny parried Lukaku's shot straight to him.

Striker Martinez again failed to hit the target with his next opening, while Lukaku placed an effort from Barella's cutback too close to Szczesny before half-time.

Inter finally had a second goal in the 52nd minute, Barella surging into a huge gap in the Juve defence and firing Alessandro Bastoni's ambitious pass into the roof of the net.

Andrea Pirlo responded by sending on Dejan Kulusevski, Federico Bernardeschi and Weston McKennie but Federico Chiesa had their best effort in the 87th minute.

Samir Handanovic kept out Chiesa's powerful drive with a superb reaction as Inter held on for an important victory.

What does it mean? Juve with ground to make up

Juve would have closed to within a point of Inter if they triumphed at San Siro, and they would have still had a game in hand on Conte's men and Milan.

However, they missed their chance to make up ground and are now seven points adrift of Inter.

They will find themselves 10 points off the top if Milan win on Monday, meaning winning their game in hand would still not put them firmly in the title picture.

Brilliant Barella

Italy international Barella put in a livewire performance against the reigning champions, creating a game-high three chances – including the assist for Vidal's goal – and producing an emphatic finish early in the second half. After managing one goal and four assists in Serie A last season, he has already scored twice and set up five more in the league in 2020-21.

Vidal sparks controversy

Pre-game footage showed Vidal embracing Giorgio Chiellini and kissing the Juve badge on his warm-up top. He may have followed it up by scoring his first Serie A goal since clinching the title for Juve in May 2015, but his muted celebrations led to much discussion about where his loyalties lie.

What's next?

Juve face Napoli in the Supercoppa Italiana on Wednesday, while Inter travel to Udinese in Serie A on Saturday.

John Stones scored twice as Manchester City moved into second place in the Premier League by sweeping aside Crystal Palace 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium.

With league leaders Manchester United and defending champions Liverpool sharing the spoils in a goalless stalemate at Anfield, City took full advantage to move within two points of first place.

On top of another top-class defensive display alongside Ruben Dias, Stones broke the deadlock 26 minutes in with his first league goal for City – Kevin De Bruyne the creator with a sensational cross to bring up his 100th assist for the club.

Ilkay Gundogan doubled the lead early in the second half prior to Stones celebrating an unlikely second, and a classy finish from Raheem Sterling wrapped up a fifth successive league win for Pep Guardiola's ever-improving City.

In search of his milestone moment, De Bruyne attempted to tee up Sterling with a quick exchange of passes in the 26th minute, when the Belgian might have been better served to shoot.

Yet his 100th assist did not take long to arrive. His initial poor corner was cleared, but De Bruyne was found by Sterling and, with the outside of his right foot, placed a wonderful cross onto the head of Stones, who turned in his first league goal since he scored for Everton in April 2015.

Gabriel Jesus was unable to beat Vicente Guaita after latching onto Gundogan's flick-on, but the Germany midfielder took matters into his own hands 11 minutes after the restart, robbing Andros Townsend on the edge of Palace's box and dispatching a fantastic finish into the top-right corner.

Jordan Ayew mustered Palace's second shot soon after, though it was blocked by Dias, who then played a key part in City's third.

Dias' header was parried out by Guaita, but the Portuguese's defensive partner Stones was on hand to drill in his second.

Sterling had the final say, the England forward – who missed a late penalty against Brighton and Hove Albion – curling a sublime free-kick into the top corner to add further gloss to a resounding triumph.

Odilon Kossounou scored for the first time in his professional career as Club Brugge defeated Beerschot 3-0 in Sunday’s Belgian topflight clash.

Heading into the encounter at Antwerp’s Olympisch Stadium, the Blue-Black had gone on a run of five games without defeat away from home. Against Hernan Losada’s men, nevertheless, they maintained that form with a notable away triumph.

Bas Dost put the visitors ahead in the 15th minute after profiting from a Charles De Ketelaere pass inside the goal area to slot the ball past goalkeeper Mike van Hamel.

Four minutes later, Kossounou doubled the advantage for Philippe Clement’s men as Noa Lang’s long-range shot deflected his way before firing past a stranded Hamel.

That was 20-year-old’s first goal ever for club and country since he commenced his professional career with childhood club ASEC Abidjan in 2019.

Although the newly promoted Belgian First Division side came back stronger, they were unable to reduce their deficit as Club Brugge went into the half-time break with a two-goal advantage.

Despite having eight goal attempts with a balanced ball possession in the second-half, the Purple White Army still were unable to find the net as goalkeeper Simon Mignolet was at his best.

While they pushed further to get a respectable result, Lang scored the third goal in the 84th minute.

Alongside Senegal’s Krepin Diatta and Angola’s Clinton Mata, Kossounou was in action from start to finish for the Jan Breydel Stadium giants.

Senegalese forward Youssouph Badji was brought in as an 84th minute substitute for De Ketelaere, while Nigeria's David Okereke was changed for Lan at the same time. Whereas, Amadou Sagna and Cote d'Ivoire's Simon Deli played no part in the comprehensive away triumph.

For the hosts, Nigeria’s Blessing Eleke was introduced in the 77th minute for Tom Pietermaat as Cameroonian forward Marius Noubissi was substituted for Yan Vorogovsky in the 46th minute.

Thanks to this result, Club Brugge remain at the summit of the log after accruing 45 points from 21 games, while Beerschot occupy the 10th position with 30 points from the same number of league games played so far in the 2020-21 campaign.

Lyon star Memphis Depay has said that he holds the ambition to return to the very pinnacle of the game.

The Netherlands international star had a stint with Manchester United but never really imposed himself at Old Trafford and moved to OL in January 2018.

He has become a cult figure with the Rhone Valley side but his deal is up in the summer and he is unlikely to remain beyond the end of the current season.

Barcelona have been closely linked with a move for him – and he has done little to play down the prospect of a move away from France.

Club-mate Houssem Aouar, meanwhile, has long been tipped with a switch away from OL, the club at which he came through the academy.

Aouar has been especially linked with Arsenal in the Premier League.

Memphis has explained that both stars are eager to take a step up.

“We know we play for a very big club but we want to go to one of the top three clubs in the world,” he told Canal+. “Then you will see Houssem, he will get 10 times better. For me, it’s the same.”

In the short-term, meanwhile, he has expressed his desire to hit the heights at OL, who were the leading side at the midway point of the Ligue 1 season and made the semi-finals of the Champions League last term, knocking out Manchester City along the way.

“It would mean everything to me to win the Ligue 1 title with Houssem Aouar, the team and the president,” he explained.

Aouar has indicated that he would love to play with Memphis for many years to come.

“If this is the last season that I play with Memphis, of course I would be sad because he is a great player and I take enormous pleasure in playing with him,” he said.

Prior to Sunday’s match with Metz, Memphis had scored 11 Ligue 1 goals in 19 outings this season and had chipped in a further five assists for the league leaders.

Aouar, meanwhile, has scored three and supplied three in 15 matches.

Becky Sauerbrunn will be the U.S. women's national team captain moving forward, head coach Vlatko Andonovski confirmed on Sunday. 

The 35-year-old defender is one of the team's longest serving players, having notched 177 caps in her USWNT tenure while winning two World Cup titles and one Olympic goal medal. 

The USWNT has been rotating captains in recent years, but Sauerbrunn will now wear the armband on a permanent basis going forward.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday after Andonovski made the announcement, Sauerbrunn said how honored she was to be the USWNT captain and emphasized that leadership on the team is a collective role.

"[It's an] extraordinary honor to be named the captain," Sauerbrunn said. "I'm going to work my butt off and follow in the legacy of all the people that have worn the armband and been in this role before.

"I also consider myself extremely lucky and that I am on a team that is just full of leaders, and I'm fortunate that the veterans on this team are as experienced as they are."

Andonovski agreed with Sauerbrunn's sentiment that the U.S. has a number of leaders, and said he spoke with three of them in particular, Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan, to ensure they were comfortable with Sauerbrunn being named captain.

"I felt like Becky is the best fit to be captain of the national team but at the same time I had a good conversation with Carli, Pinoe and Alex before I made the announcement and they were very supportive of that," Andonovski said.

"It’s hard to lead this team as an individual. Leadership is a group role and Becky will need them, I will need them and this team will need them."

USWNT midfielder Sam Mewis also agreed that Sauerbrunn is the right choice to be the team's captain, calling her a "moral compass" for her steady leadership.

"Becky has always been one of the leaders of this team, someone that we all look to for guidance both on and off the field," Mewis said.

"I have said in the past, sometimes I look to Becky as my moral compass. Like whatever she is doing I know is right, so I should probably do the same thing."

The USWNT will face Colombia in friendlies on Monday and Friday at Exploria Stadium in Orlando.