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Jamshedpur FC gave up a two-goal lead to share spoils with Odisha FC in their second match of the season on Sunday.

A gripping encounter saw Nerijus Valskis and Diego Mauricio scoring a brace each for their respective teams and Jamshedpur custodian Rehenesh TP was sent off for handling the ball outside the penalty box.

Jamshedpur boss Owen Coyle pointed out that his team's inability to pass properly throughout the game allowed the opposition to stage a comeback but he was not convinced about Rehenesh's red card as he felt the decision was harsh.

"In the first half, we were brilliant. Two-nil up. Could have been three or four up too. We were in total control of the match. Even at half time, we stressed on continuing the momentum. We were not passing at our best in the first half and that continued in the second half. For Odisha, that allowed them to come back into the game. They had nothing to lose at 2-0 down and we could have managed ourselves better.

"In the end, it all boils down to the red card (that Rehenesh got). Was it a hand outside the box!? Maybe, maybe not. I am yet to watch the highlights. But was it a red card? I think a yellow would have sufficed, just the way the Odisha player got a yellow card when they conceded a penalty for a handball to stop a goal. 

"But that said, it's disappointing considering that we were leading 2-0, we should have done better to see the match through to get the three points. We didn't pass the ball around well in the second half. That's something to work on. If we replicate our first-half performance we can beat anyone," said the Jamshedpur manager. 

Hailing Rehenesh's performance, Coyle said, "I think he was a little bit unfortunate. I think it was Ricky who just missed the ball with his studs and it came bouncing to Rehenesh and it could have bounced anywhere. The bad luck was more with the ball bouncing to his hand than anywhere else.

"But regardless of what happened, whether you are an experienced player or a young player, you have to deal with it. I think Rehenesh was terrific. He had just made a terrific save from Onwu a few minutes before the sending off and was commanding so well."

The Jamshedpur boss admitted that the red card somewhat spoiled his plans but he felt his team should have done a better job after taking the lead.

"It's always difficult to defend with a man down. Especially with Odisha throwing everything they have. We need to have a cool head and see the game out by passing the ball well. We put in a couple of substitutions to try and see out the game. But when a goal like the one scored by (Diego) Mauricio is scored (Odisha's equaliser), there's nothing the defenders or the goalkeepers could have done. It was a wonderful strike.

"But regardless, when you are 2-0 up, you need to do better. We were in a winning position and we should have seen the game out. It's not about individuals making mistakes but we are all in this together. It's early in the season, but it certainly feels like two points dropped. Our next game against Hyderabad is in two days and we will surely be ready to go in that game," Coyle signed off.

Andre Ayew impressed for Swansea City in their 1-0 victory over Sammy Ameobi’s Nottingham Forest in Sunday’s Championship game.

Ayew was handed his 12th league start and played a significant role as the Swans secured their seventh win of the season, although he could not continue with his goalscoring form in the encounter.

The winger bagged a brace for Ghana in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifying game against Sudan before netting a decisive goal against Sheffield Wednesday to save Swansea from defeat.

Anglo-Nigerian Ameobi was afforded his 14th appearance for Nottingham Forest across all competitions and gave a good account of himself, although his effort was not enough to help his side avoid their eighth defeat.

The game started with both sides aiming to open the scoring in the early minutes but missed a number of chances.

Moments before the half-time break, however, Connor Roberts broke the deadlock with a fine strike which proved vital.

Despite efforts from Nottingham Forest to level proceedings in the second half, Swansea held on to their lead and secure all three points in the encounter.

Ayew made 54 touches on the ball, struck four shots, made two crosses and had a 62 per cent successful pass rate in the game.

Ameobi, meanwhile, completed four dribbles in his quest to open the Swansea defence, made one key pass, and had 48 touches on the ball.

Ayew featured for the duration of the game while the Anglo-Nigerian made way for Will Swan in the 76th minute.

With the result, Swansea moved to fourth on the Championship table with 26 points from 14 games while Nottingham Forest dropped to the 21st spot with 12 points from the same number of matches.

Ayew and Ameobi will hope to help their respective clubs secure positive results in their next league game in December.

Watching Manchester United is "not good for your health", according to the Red Devils’ former captain Roy Keane.

United have endured a mixed start to the 2020-21 season as, despite appearing to be on course to qualify from a tough group in the Champions League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side have disappointed in the Premier League.

A scrappy 1-0 win over West Brom last week was their first home success in the league this season, while they delivered a frustrating first-half display away to Southampton on Sunday.

Both Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes wasted golden opportunities to score, while at the opposite end, Southampton proved clinical from set-pieces. Jan Bednarek opened the scoring when glancing home a corner from James Ward-Prowse, who then curled home a free kick, which United keeper David de Gea was unable to keep out.

Reflecting on United’s first-half performance, Keane suggested that watching Solskjaer’s team should come with a health warning.

"United have had chances,” Keane told Sky Sports. “It's not good for your health watching Manchester United. They've given away a couple of bad goals, but there's goals here for them. 

"The problem is that you just don't know what you are going to get with this United team. We heard Ole and De Gea say before the game that they need consistency, but they are just not backing it up."

Keane has previously been critical of De Gea, who was replaced at half-time by Dean Henderson after banging his knee against the post when trying to prevent Ward-Prowse’s free kick crossing the line.

However, on this occasion, Keane pointed the finger of blame at Fred after the Brazilian midfielder conceded the free kick by tripping Moussa Djenepo.

When asked if De Gea was at fault for the second goal, Keane replied: "I would be more critical of Fred, giving away the free kick.

“I wouldn't expect my goalkeeper to be beaten from there, but he [Ward-Prowse] is certainly one of the best in Europe with that type of delivery. It was a fantastic set-piece.

“I would be disappointed with my goalkeeper, but l would be more annoyed with Fred for being so lazy and so sloppy."

Kariobangi Sharks condemned Wazito FC to a 4-0 defeat in their Football Kenya Federation Premier League opening tie at Moi International Sports Complex, Kasarani on Sunday.

Daniel Sakari, Erick Kapaito and Julius Masaba scored the goals that took Kariobangi Sharks to the top of the table.

Sakari gave Kariobangi Sharks the lead in the 34th minute with the hosts looking a more comfortable side in how they dealt with their opponents.

Francis Kimanzi made a first-half change in the 41st minute when he withdrew former Kakamega Homeboyz defender Ronald Omino for winger Kelvin Kimani. The tactical change did not bring a much-needed edge at the front as Wazito went into the break trailing by a 1-0 margin.

In the 54th minute, Amos Asembeka and Whyvone Isuza were substituted and their places were taken by Ali Hassan and Kennedy Owino.

Kapaito, the newly-named Kariobangi Sharks captain, scored the second three minutes after the hour mark. The concession of the second goal pushed Kimanzi to make another two changes; Musa Masika and Clinton Okoth replaced Kevin Okumu and Boniface Omondi.

The changes did not stabilise Wazito as Kapaito grabbed his second in the 78th minute to give Kariobangi Sharks a healthy cushion going into the last 10 minutes.

Masaba scored in the 89th minute to ensure Kariobangi Sharks downed their Nairobi opponents by a 4-0 margin.

In another match, KCB went second after a 3-0 win over Posta Rangers in an early kick-off at Kasarani.

Goals from new signing Derrick Otanga and Henry Onyango together with Enock Agwanda were enough to hand the Bankers the win.

Otanga scored the opener in the 19th minute before he assisted Onyango to get the second in the 70th minute. Agwanda added the third in the 87th minute to condemn Posta Rangers to an opening loss.

At the Ole Ntimama Stadium in Narok, Nairobi City Stars started the Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win.

Experienced winger Anthony ‘Muki’ Kimani gave the Simba wa Nairobi the lead in the 16th minute before the former Gor Mahia star Oliver Maloba scored the second in the 18th minute.

The Sugar millers would have denied Nairobi City Stars a clean sheet had Cliff Kasuti successfully converted a penalty in the second half. The former Ulinzi Stars and Sofapaka star was denied by goalkeeper Steven Njuge with a superb save.

Chippa United and Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila drew 1-1 in a Premier Soccer League (PSL) match which was played on Sunday afternoon.

Augustine Chidi Kwem opened the scoring for the Chilli Boys, who dominated the first half, but the visitors restored parity after the restart through Thabo Rakhale. 

The Chilli Boys were looking to bounce back to winning ways after succumbing to a 2-0 defeat to Stellenbosch FC last weekend.

Coach Lehlohonolo Seema's side was without club captain Veli Mothwa, who has reportedly left Chippa for AmaZulu FC and he was replaced by Mlungisi Mazibuko in goal.

On the other hand, Vhadau Vha Damani were hoping to make it two victories in a row after recording their first-ever win in the PSL when they edged Baroka FC 1-0 last weekend.

Seema's counterpart, Joel Masutha opted to name an unchanged team with Justin Shonga, who came off the bench to score against Baroka, named among the substitutes.

The Chilli Boys controlled the match from the start with Peter Maloisane dictating the pace of the game from the middle of the park.

The diminutive midfield general found himself unmarked on the edge of the box and he unleashed a powerful low shot which was well-saved by Washington Arubi in the Tshakhuma goal-posts.

The Tshakhuma defence was struggling to deal with crosses which were played into the box and Sandile Mthethwa's header was brilliantly saved by Arubi on the goal-line.

Pressure mounted on Vhadau Vha Damani and the deadlock was broken five minutes before the half-hour mark and towering defender Mthethwa was involved.

The Orlando Pirates loanee set-up Augustine Chidi Kwem, who tapped home to make it 1-0 to Chippa as the hosts' hard work and pressure finally paid off.

However, the hosts took their foot off the pedal and this allowed Tshakhuma to launch attacks as they looked to restore parity.

Chippa were able to contain the visitors and the score was 1-0 at half-time. 

Tshakhuma were the better side after the restart and they grabbed an equalizing goal just five minutes into the second-half through Thabo Rakhale.

The home side failed to clear their lines and Rakhale pounced onto a loose ball and beat Mazibuko with a well-taken shot to make it 1-1 for the visitors.

However, Vhadau Vha Damani suffered a blow as they were reduced to 10 players after Meshack Mphangule was sent-off after receiving his second yellow card of the match.

Seema reacted by introducing Cameroonian centre forward Bienvenu Eva Nga, who scored the first hat-trick of the season when he netted three times against Maritzburg United earlier this month.

The Chilli Boys pushed for the winning goal, but the visitors, who were numerically disadvantaged, sat back and defended too deep in the closing stages of the match as they looked to hold out for a draw. 

Tshakhuma stood firm at the back with Alfred Ndengane working tirelessly in defence and ultimately, the encounter ended in a 1-1 draw with the two teams sharing the spoils.

The draw left Tshakhuma and Chippa placed ninth and 11th respectively on the league standings.

Both teams will be in action next weekend with Chippa facing Baroka FC on December 6, while Tshakhuma are scheduled to take on AmaZulu FC on December 5.

Lionel Messi paid an emotional tribute to Diego Maradona by revealing a Newell's Old Boys shirt after scoring for Barcelona against Osasuna.

The forward looked close to tears during the minute’s applause for Maradona, who died of a heart attack on Wednesday, prior to the game kicking off.

Barca were back to somewhere near their best in the 4-0 win over Osasuna, and Messi found his way onto the scoresheet after 73 minutes. He was found on the edge of the box by Francisco Trincao and made space for himself before firing home.

Upon finding the target, his first in open play this term, Messi took off his Barcelona shirt to reveal a Newell’s Old Boys jersey, with the No.10 on the back in tribute to Maradona.

Messi pointed to the sky while displaying the Newell’s kit, in a show of emotion for his fellow Argentinian.

In accordance with the rules, Messi was subsequently shown a yellow card for taking off his Barca shirt.

Messi spent a spell in his youth at Newell’s, a club Maradona represented for one year towards the end of his career.

The pair shared the pitch together in 2005, in an exhibition match featuring some greats of Argentina football. Neither was anywhere near their peak, with Messi 18 and Maradona 45, but they had great respect for each other’s talents.

Maradona coached Messi for a spell at international level, when he was in charge of the Argentina team from 2008 to 2010.

Along with Pele, Maradona and Messi are in the conversation over the greatest footballer of all time - although the latter once dismissed any comparison between himself and the two.

“Even if I played for a million years, I’d never come close to Maradona,” Messi said. "Not that I’d want to anyway. He’s the greatest there’s ever been.”

Messi will look to carry the momentum from Sunday’s win into a busy period of the season. Barca remain some way off the pace in La Liga, but they can make ground with positive results in games against Cadiz, Levante, Real Sociedad, Valencia, Valladolid and Eibar before the turn of the year.

Rarely have Real Madrid been more in need of the strong character and determination that has underpinned some of their greatest successes when they travel to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday evening.

Los Blancos were on the receiving end of one of the worst results in their recent history on Saturday when they were defeated at home by minnows Deportivo Alaves.

The reigning Spanish champions have been exposed in recent fixtures as they were defeated emphatically by Valencia in early November, before being held 1-1 by Villarreal in La Liga action a week ago.

However, neither of those performances were as troubling as the 2-1 home defeat by Alaves, as Lucas Perez and Joselu scored in each half before Casemiro pulled one back late on for Madrid.

They lacked confidence and control at the back, while Zinedine Zidane will have been left frustrated by the struggles of his attackers, who failed to find the cohesion and intensity required to break down the resilient Alaves backline.

Madrid have now been defeated in three of their last five home matches—as many as in their previous 31 games—and as if things couldn’t get any worse, they were struck a blow when Eden Hazard was replaced with a thigh injury in the first half.

While it isn’t yet clear how long the Belgium superstar will be sidelined for, and he did work indoors on Sunday, Zidane acknowledged after the match that he was at a loss to explain Los Merengues ’ struggles against Alaves.

“I don't have an explanation,” Real told journalists after the match. “Tonight we alternated good moments with bad moments.

“When they scored a goal after three minutes, things get very complicated for us,” he added. “The other day in Milan we played a good game and today...It is reality, our reality today.

“What we have to do is keep working, recover players and change the dynamics,” Zidane concluded. “We don't have consistency.”

Zidane may well need more from young stars such as Rodrygo—who came off the bench to replace Hazard against Alaves—Vinicius Junior, and Marco Asensio.

Rodrygo impressed against Inter in the UCL—netting twice—and could be a key figure as Real look to improve their fortunes.

The World Cup winner will be desperate to ensure Los Blancos start strongly away at Shakhtar, having been undone early on against Alaves before struggling to find top gear.

“It's the worst start of the season,” Zidane acknowledged. “We couldn't change the dynamics of the game and that bothers and worries me.

“I have to find the solution with the players. I am not going to say it here,” he concluded. “We must not only think about the negative. We also have to see what we did well and try to be more consistent.”

Even though Real won their only previous match away against Shakhtar—a 4-3 triumph under Rafael Benitez in November 2015—they were defeated 3-2 at home against the same opponent in the first match of their group-stage campaign.

Encouragingly, however, Real have a strong record away in Ukraine, having lost only one of their previous seven games away in the Eastern European country—not losing since 1999.

They’ll also be confident of maintaining the strong form they demonstrated in their recent victory over Internazionale against a Shakhtar side who are without a win in their three previous UCL matches, having taken just one point since they defeated Real.

Three points for Real would be enough to reach the UCL knockouts for a record 24th consecutive season, and they’ll be encouraged by the limitations of a Shakhtar defence that has conceded four goals or more in their last two UCL games.

Even without Hazard, Real should have enough going forward to dispatch the Moles and progress to the Round of 16.

Funeral workers who took a picture with the coffin of late Argentine football legend Diego Maradona say they have received death threats.

There has been an outpouring of grief following the death of the 1986 World Cup winner, aged 60, earlier this week.

Emotions have been especially high in Argentina, where he achieved a remarkable status for what he achieved with the national team.

Claudio Fernandez was pictured beside the coffin along with his son, who had his thumb raised. It has caused outrage in Argentina.

"My son, like every kid, raised his thumb and they took the photo," he told Radio 10. "I know that many people have been offended, they have taken it badly. They say they are going to kill us, break our heads.”

Meanwhile, the owner of the funeral parlour, Matias Picon, admits that the incident has seriously saddened them.

“The family has total confidence in us, that's why we are so affected,” he told TN. “My father is 75 years old and he is crying, I am crying, my brother too, we are destroyed.”

Maradona’s playing career saw him turn out for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli and Sevilla.

It was during his time with Napoli, though, that he struck his peak. He led the Naples side to a raft of titles, including two Serie A crowns, a Coppa Italia and the UEFA Cup.

His most iconic moments on the field, however, were reserved for Argentina in their World Cup quarter-final encounter with England in 1986.

First, he scored his famous ‘Hand of God’ goal then minutes later embarked on one of the greatest goals in history as he left a slew of Englishman in his wake before rounding Peter Shilton and planting the ball into the net from an acute angle.

Argentina went on to win the 1986 tournament in Mexico, before reaching the final again four years later in Italy, only to lose 1-0 to West Germany.

Following his retirement from the game, he enjoyed a coaching career. He led Argentina at the 2010 World Cup finals and also charge of Al-Wasl, Fujairah and Dorados de Sinaloa. At the time of his death, he was the head coach of Gimnasia de La Plata in his homeland.

Antoine Griezmann starred and Lionel Messi paid tribute to Diego Maradona as Barcelona beat Osasuna 4-0 at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Ronald Koeman had called on his players to produce a performance befitting the former Barca and Argentina star, who died this week.

They duly delivered, Griezmann scoring the pick of the goals in a fine performance against a side who won 2-1 at this ground in July.

There were also goals from Martin Braithwaite, Philippe Coutinho and Messi, who honoured compatriot Maradona with his celebration after scoring the fourth.

A brilliant goal-line clearance from Unai Garcia stopped Coutinho from opening the scoring after Griezmann teed up the Brazilian.

The breakthrough eventually came in scrappy fashion. Messi's pass split the defence, Jordi Alba found Coutinho, Sergio Herrera saved his shot and Braithwaite's rebound, but the latter managed to bundle the ball over the line with Messi's help.

Ante Budimir turned past Marc-Andre ter Stegen after a brilliant double save by the keeper, but the goal was correctly ruled out for offside against Oier Sanjurjo.

Barca doubled their lead just two minutes later, Griezmann walloping a volley past the motionless Herrera after Alba's cross had been cleared to the edge of the box.

Griezmann turned provider 11 minutes into the second half, teeing up Coutinho for a tap-in after good work from Braithwaite to win back possession in the Osasuna half.

A good outing for the Catalans was soured when they suffered another defensive injury, Clement Lenglet unable to continue after apparently taking damage to his ankle.

Roberto Torres rattled the post before Ousmane Dembele had a goal ruled out for offside, but Messi soon made it 4-0 with a fierce strike from the edge of the box, the Argentine then removing his Barca shirt to reveal a Newell's Old Boys jersey emblazoned with the number 10.

What does it mean? Barca edge closer to leaders

Barca's victory moves them into seventh place, three points behind champions Real Madrid in fourth, with a game in hand.

They can take some confidence into coming league matches with Cadiz and Levante before the meeting with leaders Real Sociedad on December 16.

Osasuna are 15th, three points above the relegation places.

A turning point for Griezmann?

Griezmann seemed to vent months of frustration with his emphatic volley, but he had already looked Barca's brightest attacking player before then.

The France star hit the target with three of his four shots, completed more passes than any other forward (69) and looked, at last, to be enjoying himself.

Defensive worries abound

Any serious injury to Lenglet would leave Barca without a fit senior centre-back, with Gerard Pique, Samuel Umtiti and Ronald Araujo all sidelined.

Osasuna offered scant attacking threat, with five shots on target and all those in the second half, but there are tougher opponents to come in December.

Key Opta Facts

- Barcelona have scored 13 goals in their past four games in all competitions (3.2 on average) after scoring 19 in the first nine games under Ronald Koeman (2.1 on average).
- Lionel Messi has scored 23 goals in 19 LaLiga games against Osasuna and has scored at least one goal in his previous seven league games against them at Camp Nou (15 goals in total in this streak).
- Antoine Griezmann has been involved in six goals in his past six games in all competitions (four scored, two assisted) after being involved in only one in the previous 20.
- Martin Braithwaite has scored two goals with just five total shots this season in all competitions (60 per cent accuracy). No other Barcelona player has a better shot conversion rate so far.
- Philippe Coutinho attempted six shots in this game, his best figure of the season and the best in the same game for Barcelona in all competitions since April 2019 (six versus Levante).
 

What's next?

Barca, who have already qualified for the Champions League last 16, visit Ferencvaros on Wednesday before next Saturday's league trip to Cadiz. Osasuna have a week to prepare for a home game against Real Betis.

Gor Mahia captain Kenneth Muguna believes his charges have learned their lesson after falling 2-1 away to APR Rwanda in the first preliminary round of the Caf Champions League.

Niyonzima Seif and an own goal by Andrew Juma gave the hosts victory while the only goal for the Green Army was scored by Charles Momanyi. The 24-year-old has stated it is time to focus on the forthcoming assignment after the Kigali disappointment.

"The match in Kigali is now a past chapter," Muguna said after the team landed from Rwanda.

"We have to focus ahead on the return leg and stop talking about a match that’s already played. We recognise our mistakes and we know what to do in the return leg."

Philemon Otieno, who was making it back to competitive football after a lengthened stint in the sidelines continued.

"The team spirit is high and the away goal will motivate us," the Harambee Stars defender said.

"We expect to give our very best in the return leg at home. We know if we win that match, it will give us a good platform to start off the season on a high."

In the game against APR, Boniface Oluoch made a key save to keep the score at 0-0 in the seventh minute, but Gor Mahia conceded three minutes later when they went down to a Seif strike.

K’Ogalo equalised in the 27th minute when defender Momanyi rose to meet Kenneth Muguna’s free-kick and superbly found the back of the net.

With the equaliser, the Kenyan side looked a more stable side and dealt with attacks from their hosts with palpable calmness.

Gor Mahia made a change in the 53rd minute when Bertrand Konfor, who was making his competitive debut, paved the way for winger Clifton Miheso.

Miheso saw his 56th-minute attempt from outside the box fly just wide as APR introduced Jacques Tuyisenge to face a side he won three Premier League titles with before he left in 2019.

Gor Mahia went behind again in the 63rd-minute when Juma, signed from Mathare United to replace Joash Onyango, conceded an own goal.

The Kenyan side made a change in the 67th minute as another debutant, Tito Okello, was substituted and Nicholas Kipkirui was brought on in order to fire up the attacking department.

The changes made by stand-in coach Sammy 'Pamzo' Omollo did not pay off with a goal, but the one scored away may end up being vital in the return leg in December at Nyayo Stadium.

Memphis Depay can help Barcelona build for the future if he teams up again with Ronald Koeman in La Liga, according to Clarence Seedorf. 

Depay has long been linked with a move to Barca and is in the final year of his contract with current employers Lyon, who will either have to cash in during January or risk losing one of their prized assets for nothing at the end of the season. 

A move in the previous transfer window was rumoured, particularly after Koeman – who worked with the forward at international level during his time in charge of the Netherlands – was appointed as the new head coach at the Spanish giants.  Earlier this month, the Dutch boss refused to rule out a bid for Depay.

While a move to Manchester United earlier in his career failed to work out, with Depay scoring just two goals in 33 Premier League appearances during his 18-month stint at Old Trafford, Seedorf believes his compatriot is now primed for success at one of Europe's major clubs. 

The 26-year-old certainly excelled in the Champions League during the 2019-20 season, scoring six goals to help surprise package Lyon upset both Juventus and Manchester City as they reached the last four. 

"I think Memphis Depay is one of the major talents in Europe at this moment," Seedorf – who made 87 appearances for the Netherlands – told Stats Perform News in an exclusive interview.

"He had a serious injury, but he is a player that has to be at a big club sooner or later. 

"If it is meant to be Barcelona, it will be better for them. Koeman and him worked very well together [in the past].  

"Sincerely, Koeman has done a great job with the national team, and especially with players like Memphis Depay, giving them the necessary trust to come out and show their talent. 

"I am convinced that any big club that signs him will be delighted with his talent." 

Depay discussed his future during the November international break, admitting "everyone would like to play" at a club like Barca. 

"Who wouldn't like to go to Barcelona? It's a top club," he said  after captaining the Netherlands in their recent 1-1 draw with Spain. 

"We'll see what the future holds for me. Barca is one of the biggest clubs and everyone would like to play there, but I'm focused on my club and the national team." 

However, his possible arrival at Barca could be part of a major squad rebuild, with Lionel Messi's future remaining uncertain beyond the current campaign. 

Seedorf, though, feels Depay would provide a solid building block during a period of change at Camp Nou.

"Barcelona is in a transition moment, and whenever they can bring in players like Memphis, they will be getting ready for the future," the former Real Madrid, Inter and AC Milan midfielder said.

Zinedine Zidane did not prepare his Real Madrid side sufficiently well enough to allow them to overcome Alaves on Saturday, according to former Blancos striker and director of football Predrag Mijatovic.

Madrid went down to a 2-1 home loss as goals from Lucas and Joselu consigned the Bernabeu outfit to a shock reverse at their temporary home of the Alfredo Di Stefano.

The display was widely condemned as being disorganised and Mijatovic has hit out at the coach’s preparation for the game.

“He must fix the situation but this begins when you prepare for the match,” Mijatovic argued to Cadena SER. “You should know that Alaves’ three forward players are their strength.

“So if you have Lucas Vazquez, who was more advanced against Inter, when he played a good game, you can’t put him as a full-back today because you have a Militao who could play there. I don’t know what’s happened to that kid because he doesn’t play either as a centre-back or a full-back.

“And then you have Lucas Vazquez as your full-back with Marco Asensio in front of him, when you that Asensio can’t help him as much as any other player.”

The former Serbia international continued: “Preparing for this game, I don’t think they realised that the strong point of Alaves is their left wing and their two forwards, and that is where the problems began.

“Alaves surprised me a lot because they came out with a lot of desire, without fear. I think that surprised Real Madrid, too.”

Los Blancos had been expected to close the gap to Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid at the top of the table to just three points but instead they are six behind, while Diego Simeone’s men also have a game in hand.

Their next challenge is an encounter away from home against Shakhtar Donestk in the Champions League – a match they must not lose if they want to qualify for the knockout phase.

Madrid previously scored a vital 2-0 victory against Inter in the same competition at San Siro.

Former Republic of Ireland international striker Tony Cascarino claims that VAR is destroying the soul of football.

The technology has been in use at the top level of the game several years now, with the 2018 World Cup in Russia introducing the system at a global level.

However, it has been mired in controversy, particularly regarding the handball rule and the interpretation of the offside law, which are widely regarded to have become too precise.

Debates are sparked by its implementation on a weekly basis, with Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Brighton on Saturday the latest to come into focus because of VAR.

Cascarino, who played with Aston Villa, Chelsea and Marseille during his career, says it is spoiling his love of the game.

“Of course I find it perplexing and difficult to explain,” he told Talksport. “Do I like it? No. Does it put me off football? Absolutely, at times.

“The game is beautiful, but unfortunately you are going to get that.

“I know a lot of my friends, and a lot of people listening to this show, who love football but don’t like the form of football today. They don’t like the product.

“I admire the technique, the physical condition of football is extraordinary, it’s beautiful, and the game is being played by teams who are very attack-minded; I love all of that.

“But the side of football that makes it rotten is this, what we are watching and witnessing now.

“I find we’ve lost the soul of the game at the moment, by the decisions that are being made.

“I say this a lot, but you don’t want to sound old school; but where we are in the game today, compared to yesterday, is a million miles away.”

Cascarino pointed to the penalty that Welbeck was awarded for Brighton.

“Danny Welbeck said it was a very soft penalty, and that is the opposition,” he said.

“If you want to make really stupid cases you could argue Danny Welbeck, as he stretches his leg, puts his foot up. That’s a stupid argument, because you want Danny as a centre-forward to try and get the ball.

“I’m seeing a defender who is trying to clear the ball clip the foot of a player. If you think that is clear and obvious as a foul, I am sorry – I don’t understand the game, I don’t understand football.”

Mamelodi Sundowns coach Manqoba Mngqithi has lauded the striking trio of Themba Zwane, Peter Shalulile and Kermit Erasmus, whose partnership has proved to be the team’s biggest trump card in all their games this season.

Between them, the three have scored a combined 10 of log leaders Sundowns’ 12 Premier Soccer League goals in five matches.

The trio’s latest exploits were in Saturday’s 3-0 win over Stellenbosch in which they all scored, with Erasmus also ending the match with two assists, while Shalulile as well set-up Erasmus to score.

Zwane already leads the PSL scorers standings with five strikes including a hattrick against AmaZulu last week.

After the match, Mngqithi spoke about Shalulile and Erasmus adapting to life at Chloorkop, where they arrived just before the start of the season, and added in Zwane into the mix of the trio's selflessness when setting each other up for goals.

“The good thing about both [Shalulile and Erasmus] boys are very positive and easy to comprehend in tactical situations, whenever you want to use them in a certain way they are there and they worked very hard both defensively and offensively in our pressing moments," Mngqithi told SuperSport TV.

“But you know the quality that Kermit will present you with it in terms of scoring goals. But the good thing I like more from Kermit and Peter is that in as much as they are scoring goals even Mshishi [Zwane] in that space they are also prepared to share with others because Kermit could’ve easily decided to take a shot there but he decided to lay it back for Mshishi.

“The same thing happened last week [against AmaZulu]. Kermit played almost the same ball for Mshishi on the inside and Peter Shalulile played two balls for Mshishi and that atmosphere of brotherhood is more important wherein as much as we are all on the race.

“But we make sure we play as a team and play for one another because this is a marathon and we’ve just completed the five kilometres out of the 30 kilometres we still have so when everybody works what we’re trying to achieve. We’re all encouraged.”

Sundowns now prepare for a trip to basement side Maritzburg United next Saturday as the attention remains on the attacking trio to see if they will continue with their fine form.

The fifth iteration of FIFA's The Best awards takes place this winter as football's supreme governing body pays tribute to those who have excelled over the season by handing out individual accolades.

Past players, journalists and fans are all consulted in the process of identifying the best players, with panels convened and online polls established to canvass for opinions.

Past winners include Megan Rapinoe, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, and, despite the unusual circumstances of the past year, there have been plenty of stand-out individual displays, so it will be competitive.

The longlists of nominees were confirmed on November 25 and they will be narrowed down closer to the event.

Here is everything you need to know about the 2020 awards, including the nominees in each category, voting and when it takes place.

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When does The Best 2020 awards ceremony take place?

This year's FIFA's The Best awards ceremony will be held on Thursday December 17, 2020.

It will be a virtual event only, due to the public health measures that are in place across the world to suppress the spread of Covid-19.

As well as The Best Men's and Women's player and coach awards, the winner of the Puskas Award for best goal will also be crowned.

The FIFPro World 11 (Men's and Women's) will be revealed too, as will the winners of the FIFA Fair Play Award and the FIFA Fan Award.

The nominees for the categories can be seen below.

Voting is open to the public until midnight on Wednesday December 9, with the three finalists in each category set to be confirmed on Friday December 11.

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The Best Men's Player of the Year 2020 nominees

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The Best Men's Goalkeeper of the Year 2020 nominees

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The Best Men's Coach of the Year 2020 nominees

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The Best Women's Player of the Year 2020 nominees

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The Best Women's Goalkeeper of the Year 2020 nominees

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The Best Women's Coach of the Year 2020 nominees

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NorthEast United have had positive results in their first two games of the Indian Super League (ISL) as they won against Mumbai City FC and managed a draw with Kerala Blasters. In their next match, they take on ISL Shield winners FC Goa on Monday and coach Gerard Nus is wary of the threat that the Gaurs pose. 

"Goa have the pressure to win. They have a huge squad in terms of quality and talent. They need to get the three points. All the games are in Goa. But we will be brave and go for the game. We are working hard to be competitive in every game. I am not surprised by the way we have played. That's the way we train. It is the resolve, passion and hard work we put in every training session. Everybody is working hard, both players and staff. 

"The morale is really high. We are excited about the previous performances. We definitely have to keep improving in some aspects. We keep the positives from the last two games and are thinking about tomorrow's game. It is a major challenge. Goa is last year's champions for a reason," stated the manager. 

The Highlanders did not enjoy lion's share of possession in both their matches and were happy to chase the opposition. But Nus is not concerned with that and remains focussed on creating goal-scoring opportunities.

"For me, it is not the team that has more possession which controls the game. For me, the team who has more chances has better control. Creating chances is very important. Even results sometimes are not fair. We are strong and we create chances."

NorthEast are training in Candolim and the training ground is smaller than a standard football pitch. However, the former Liverpool academy coach is not sweating over it and is intent on making the most of the facilities. 

"All conditions are different for different teams. Some teams have to travel more. But we are happy that the training pitch is near our hotel. The size is not what it is supposed to be. It cannot accommodate 11 vs 11. But we are not thinking about it. We are trying to get the best from it. We are just trying to get better with each session," he stated. 

Injuries have plagued many ISL sides already this season and Nus opines that rotating players will be key to achieve success as games come in thick and fast. 

"It is a challenge for all teams. Not the ideal recovery time for all players to be at 100 per cent. Therefore, everybody must be ready with fitness and tactics. They have to perform even if they come in for five minutes. It is sad to see injuries in some games. We want to avoid that. As coaches, we can do something about it. Sometimes we don't have any chance. Rotating players will be a key option in my opinion."

He informed that all players are available for selection barring the few, who were in isolation after testing positive with Coronavirus. 

Lalengmawia has been putting in great shifts in the centre of the park along with Khassa Camara and the gaffer heaped praise on the duo for carrying out their responsibilities to perfection. 

"Apuia (Lalengmawia) is a great player. He is talented and is a local player. He is determined to become better in every game and is also one of the captains. He is in the group of captains. I just have positive things to say. I expect so much from him. Khassa and Dylan (Fox) are (also) amazing. So happy about their performance and the leadership in games and training session," signed off the coach. 

FC Goa host NorthEast United at the Fatorda stadium on Monday in their third Indian Super League (ISL) game this season as they continue their search for their first full points.

The Gaurs against Bengaluru FC in their opening game which was followed by a 1-0 loss to Mumbai City FC. Coach Juan Ferrando believes that his side should have picked three points from the game against Bengaluru FC.

"Our mentality all the time is to get three mpoints. Of course, I'm not so happy because against Bengaluru. I think we lost three points because we had more opportunities to win the game. Against Mumbai, it was difficult after Redeem (Tlang) received the (red) card and in the end, we lost the game because of the penalty.

"It was very difficult for everybody but now this is the past. Now our focus is on NorthEast and to get the three points (against them)," said Ferrando.

Meanwhile, NorthEast United are unbeaten in their first two games and have four points to show for their efforts. Ferrando exuded confidence ahead of the tie that his side will have a 'good game' against NorthEast United.

"Every game depends on a lot of details. Our philosophy is the same - to build the game and create space for positional attack. Sometimes, it depends on the moments, the minute of the game or substitutions. I'm very happy about the way the players are working and it's more or the less the same for the opponents. They (NorthEast) have very good players and are very aggressive in one against one. I think we will have a very good game on Monday."

FC Goa's Spanish centre-back Ivan Gonzalez has expressed the disappointment of the loss to Mumbai City ahead of the NorthEast United challenge. He also mentioned that FC Goa's style of play was best seen against Bengaluru when they came back from two goals down to earn a point.

"For me, the experience is very good because I think the level of the league is very good with Indian and foreign players. In the last two games, we have faced some of the best teams of the league and we competed very well.

"It's not easy to play with 10 players against Mumbai. I'm very proud because we did a good job on the pitch and when the game finished, I could see the face of my team-mates and told them 'it's okay' because in football you have another opportunity in two-or-three days. Now Mumbai is the past and we can be focused on NorthEast.

"In our mind, it's [that we play an] attacking style. Against Bengaluru, for me, was perfect for our style and the goals that we scored were with our style. I think against Mumbai, it was difficult because we played with only 10 players but I'm okay with the way we played," assessed the Real Madrid youth product.