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New York Red Bulls sign Kyle Duncan to season-long loan

Braga 3-3 Leicester City: Vardy seals Europa League progression in frantic fashion

Jamie Vardy's 95th-minute equaliser against Braga proved enough to send Leicester City into the knockout stages of the Europa League.

Jamie Vardy scored a last-gasp goal amid a dramatic finale as Leicester City clinched their place in the knockout stages of the Europa League in an enthralling 3-3 draw at Braga.

With AEK Athens losing to Zorya Luhansk in Group G's other game on Thursday, the Foxes needed a point to book their place in the last 16, and thought they had it when Luke Thomas scored his first senior goal in the 78th minute to make it 2-2.

Yet Braga, who led at half-time thanks to goals from Al Musrati and Paulinho either side of Harvey Barnes' equaliser, seemed to have snatched the win when substitute Fransergio slotted in on the counter.

It was not to be, with Leicester's talisman Vardy on hand to tuck home Marc Albrighton's cross in the final minute of stoppage time and claim a precious, progression-sealing draw.

Braga were ahead inside four minutes when, after Iuri Medeiros saw two efforts blocked, Musrati arrowed a thumping strike into the left-hand corner.

Leicester drew level with their first meaningful attack when Barnes lashrf in from a tight angle, but Braga's lead was restored when Ricardo Horta skipped past Schmeichel before squaring for Paulinho to finish.

Cengiz Under squandered a swift chance to equalise and Leicester would have been made to pay if not for a fantastic double stop from Schmeichel to deny Paulinho and Horta.

Vardy's introduction after the hour sparked life into Leicester and – after Jonny Evans had sliced wide – the pressure told, with substitute James Maddison drilling in a cross from which Thomas nudged home.

With Zorya cruising in Athens, Leicester appeared to be through but, at the culmination of a counter-attack, Fransergio powered a finish over Schmeichel to seemingly put the Foxes' progression on hold.

Vardy, however, had other ideas and, after leading a charge down the left flank, kept his position to latch onto Albrighton's delivery and side-foot into a gaping goal.


What does it mean? Foxes into last 32

Leicester had been hunting a club-record fourth straight European win, though in the circumstances this result will no doubt feel like a victory.

While their place in the knockouts is secure, Brendan Rodgers' side still have first place in the group to play for, though they can at least afford themselves some wiggle room in the final two fixtures.

Unplayable Vardy keeps on rolling

No player has scored more goals for Leicester City in major European competition than Vardy, who is now level on four with Riyad Mahrez.

The 33-year-old has scored 10 goals from 10 appearances in all competitions already this season.

Praet passed by 

Rodgers elected to play Dennis Praet in a deeper midfield role than the Belgian – who was taken off at half-time – is accustomed to, but the former Sampdoria playmaker failed to impress, managing just 23 touches and attempting only 22 passes, with only four of those coming in Braga's half.

Key Opta Facts

- Braga have lost just one of their last 11 home games in European competition (including qualifiers – W6 D4), scoring 24 goals in total.
- Leicester have conceded three goals in consecutive matches for the first time since December 2019, when they did so against Manchester City on Liverpool.
- Thomas, aged 19 years and 169 days, became Leicester's youngest goalscorer in a European competition.
- Portugal forward Paulinho has had a hand in eight goals in 12 Europa League appearances for Braga since the start of last season (seven goals, one assist).

What's next?

Leicester host struggling Fulham on Monday, while Braga face Farense in their next league outing.   

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Five things Liverpool must address following the World Cup

The West Africans profited from their numerical advantage to gain a comeback triumph over their visitors on Thursday evening

The Ghana women's team fought back from a goal down at home to secure a 3-1 comeback win over Morocco in the first leg of the two-legged international friendlies in Accra on Thursday.

The Black Queens went into the tie on the back of a nine-month hiatus since their second-place finish at the Turkish Women's Cup in Alanya, Turkey in March before the coronavirus lockdown. 

The Atlas Lionesses, on their own part, were playing their first international game since they won the second edition of the Unaf Women's Cup held in El Kram, Tunisia earlier in February.

Mercy Tagoe-Quarcoo's team made a false start to the contest as they conceded an early penalty which Chebbak Chizlane made no mistake to convert for Morocco after just five minutes.

The hosts almost got the equaliser when Sandra Owusu Ansah found space on the edge of the box but ended up firing straight into the arms of Morocco goalkeeper Zouhair Assia in the 10th minute.

The West Africans continued their search for the leveller and this time, Faustina Kyeremeh was in a good position to break the deadlock but her header went inches wide five minutes later.

In the 26th minute, Kyeremeh found the much-anticipated breakthrough after her initial attempt was denied as the Immigration Ladies star created space inside the box to hit the back of the net.

Having seen their early lead from the spot cancelled, the Moroccans gradually lost their cool over calls made by the centre referee. Naweal Quinekh was later sent off for dissent in the 45th minute.

With the numerical advantage, Ghana made the best of it as Linda Eshun gave them an important lead, with her superbly lobbed free-kick from distance before the sound of the half time whistle.

After the restart, the visitors stepped up their game in a bid for a comeback despite being reduced to 10 players but Ibtissam Jraidi could not convert most of her opportunities in front of goal.

The Black Queens, however, wrapped up their triumph when substitute Georgina Ayisha was set up from the left flank and did not miss netting her chance in the 63rd minute to guarantee her side's victory.

Despite the win, Ghana will eye a double against the Morccoans when they meet again at the same venue on November 30.

With the scrapping of the 2020 Africa Women's Cup of Nations, the two teams will maintain their build up ahead of the 2022 edition, which serves as qualifiers for the 2023 Women's World Cup.

Original author: Samuel Ahmadu
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Onyango and four players who ditched Gor Mahia for Simba SC

The France internationals took to Twitter to voice their outrage after a video of officers attacking a man in Paris circulated on Thursday

Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe has spoken out after footage emerged of French police beating a music producer.

Barcelona attacker Antoine Griezmann, Manchester City full-back Benjamin Mendy and Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette also highlighted the incident on socal media.

There are now calls for France's interior minister Gerald Darmanin to take strong action. Darmanin confirmed on Twitter that an investigation has been launched, while the three officers involved have been suspended.

The victim, who has only been identified as Michel, is said to have been returning to his studio in Paris when three officers pushed him through the front door, forced him against a wall and proceeded to beat him. 

The incident was caught by CCTV on the premises and shows the officers - two in uniform and one in plain clothes - punching him on the head and hitting him with a baton. 

Michel also claims he heard several racial slurs throughout the encounter.

“I was afraid. I thought it was my last day," he added. "I kept saying: ‘I haven’t done anything’, and they kept shouting for me to get down on the ground.”

After the officers were bundled out of the building by Michel and others who came to help, they smashed a window and threw a teargas canister through it. 

Michel was arrested and held for 48 hours before he was released without charge.

The footage went viral on social media on Thursday morning and sparked outrage in France, where members of parliament recently voted in a new law to increase police powers.

Mbappe published a note on Twitter in response to the footage.

"Unbearable video, unacceptable violence," he wrote.

"'My France has values, principles and codes ... My France for me does not live in lies.

"With heart and rage in the light, not in the shadows.

"My France to me, is a mixture, it's a rainbow.

"She bothers you, I know, because she doesn't want you as a role model.

"Stop racism."

Griezmann, meanwhile, shared the video with the message: "My France hurts", and Mendy asked: "Without the videos what would have happened to Michel? We would have preferred to believe the version of the police under oath?"

Lacazette's tweet consisted of angry emojis in response to footage of the video being circulated on social media.

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Gor Mahia elections to take five minutes – Chairman Ogoye

The Gunners youngster - who is in talks over a new contract - scored the third goal during Thursday night's 3-0 win at Molde

Mikel Arteta says Folarin Balogun ‘wants to stay’ at Arsenal.

The Gunners boss was speaking after seeing the youngster score his first goal for the club during Thursday night’s 3-0 win at Molde in the Europa League.

Balogun struck just 37 seconds after replacing Eddie Nketiah in Norway, finishing well after being picked out by fellow academy graduate Emile Smith Rowe.

It was his first senior goal in only his second first-team appearance and it comes amid increased speculation over his future.

Balogun is out of contract in 2021 and had looked set to leave last summer after talks over a new deal broke down.

But negotiations have now been resumed with the attacker and Arteta says that the 18-year-old’s desire is to remain in north London.

“He wants to stay, we want him to stay,” said the Arsenal manager. “We gave him the opportunity and he took it straight away.

“It’s well deserved for the boy. He’s working really hard.

“He had some difficult months with all the speculation around him, he’s handled the situation in a really mature way.”

Victory in Molde secured Arsenal’s passage through to the knockout stages of the Europa League with two games to spare.

Nicolas Pepe sent them on the way with an excellent opening goal before Reiss Nelson and Balogun rounded off an impressive night’s work for Arteta’s side.

It was the perfect response from Pepe following his red card at Leeds on Sunday and Arteta was delighted with the Ivory Coast winger’s performance.

“I am really pleased,” he said. “Obviously after the disappointment, something negative, you want to see a reaction and to stand out really quickly.

“I could see from the first minute, from his body language, that he was ready to act. I think he had a great performance. He scored a goal, he could have scored another one or two. He created some great moments in the game and worked really hard for the team. I really liked it. I am really pleased with that.”

The Spaniard added: “We all know where his level is and all the time the question is how often he can get to that level - and how he contributes to other aspects of the game.

“That should be the level that he needs to hit and from there he needs to keep improving, because he is capable of doing it and you can see that every time he gets in those positions, in the final third, he is a real threat and a really difficult player to control.

“He can come with his feet, he can go inside, outside, he can shoot and create crosses. He can go in behind you as well. That’s what we expect from him.”

Original author: Charles Watts
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ISL 2020-21: Five derby debutantes who can make an impact

GOAL lists out five players who can single-handedly decide the fate of the marquee clash...
Original author: Soham Mukherjee
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Inter could have done more against 'mediocre' Real Madrid - Capello

The former Italy boss felt Antonio Conte's side failed to turn up in the first half of their Champions League clash with the Blancos

Inter could have done more against a "mediocre" Real Madrid side in their latest European outing, according to Fabio Capello.

The Nerazzurri's awful start to their latest Champions League campaign continued on Wednesday night as they were beaten 2-0 by Los Blancos at San Siro on Wednesday night.

Eden Hazard calmly slotted home a penalty kick to open the scoring with just seven minutes on the clock after Nico Barella was adjudged to have fouled Nacho in the box.

Inter thought they'd won a penalty of their own just after the half-hour mark when Vidal appeared to be tripped by Raphael Varane as he bore down on goal, but match referee Anthony Taylor waved the home side's appeals away.

Vidal couldn't accept the decision though, and was shown two yellow cards in quick succession for his aggressive protests, leaving the Italian giants with a mountain to climb in the second half.

Madrid made their numerical advantage count when Rodrygo came off the bench to volley home at the back post in the 59th minute, although his effort ultimately went down as an own goal after taking a heavy deflection off Achraf Hakimi.

Zinedine Zidane's side held on for a comfortable victory to move three points clear of Shakhtar Donetsk in second in Group B, having picked up seven points from a possible 12 to date.

Antonio Conte, meanwhile, was left contemplating the prospect of seeing his team exit Europe's elite competition at the earliest possible stage for a second successive year, with Inter sitting bottom of the pool on two points.

Ex-Italy boss Capello, who also took in successful spells with Juventus, AC Milan, and Madrid at the height of his managerial career, thinks the Nerazzurri let themselves down against the reigning La Liga champions, who he believes are no longer an elite force.

“Inter started badly and without the right application, in the first half they were always in difficulty," the former Blancos head coach told Sky Sports post-match.

“In the second half with four defenders, I liked Inter more. Against this mediocre Real Madrid, Inter could have done more.”

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Mutebi, 12 KCCA FC stars return positive coronavirus results ahead of AS Kigali showdown

Mourners and police clashed at the funeral of Diego Maradona as thousands gathered to bid farewell to the football legend on Thursday.

The Argentina and Napoli great, who underwent brain surgery earlier this month, died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

His body is lying in honour at Casa Rosada - the presidential mansion in the heart of Buenos Aires - during three days of national mourning in his homeland.

Maradona's coffin was draped with Argentina's national flag and football shirt, which bared his trademark number 10 on the back.

Thousands of people wishing to pay their respects joined the line at the Plaza de Mayo square, with the first in line allowed to enter the building at 06:00 local time (09:00GMT). 

The wake was scheduled to last for 10 hours, with the first few reserved for Maradona's family and former team-mates.

However, as the numbers continued to swell, officers in riot gear struggled to contain the crowds and Argentine outlet Clarin reported tear gas and water cannons being used.

Footage emerged on social media of bottles and fences being launched near Maradona's temporary place of rest.

Maradona is to be buried at the Jardines de Bella Vista cemetery on the outskirts of the city, which is reportedly where his parents were laid to rest.

Fans of Maradona's former clubs also paid tribute to the legendary attacking midfielder, with makeshift shrines set up in Naples, Seville and Barcelona.

Speaking on Thursday, meanwhile, Maradona's lawyer Matias Morla called for a full investigation into the circumstances that led to his death.

"It is inexplicable that for 12 hours my friend has had no attention or check-up from the personnel dedicated to these ends," he added on the statement on Twitter.

"The ambulance took more than half an hour to arrive, which was a criminal idiocy."

Maradona, who captained Argentina to World Cup glory in 1986 and went on to coach his country, is survived by five children and his former wife, Claudia Villafane, who he split with in 2004.

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Olunga’s effort unable to protect Kashima Reysol from Kawasaki Frontale fightback

The Cameroon international found the back of the net to help the Swiss side secure victory over the Reds

Jean-Pierre Nsame scored the only goal in Young Boys’ 1-0 win over CSKA Sofia in Thursday’s Europa League game.

The 27-year-old was handed his fifth appearance in the European competition at Vasil Levski and delivered impressive showings.

The Cameroon international scored his fourth goal in the tournament which moved Gerardo Seoane’s men closer to the knock-out stage.

The game started with both sides trying to open the scoring but missed several chances in the opening 30 minutes.

Nsame, however, broke the deadlock for the Swiss side in the 34th minute which made the difference in the encounter.

The centre-forward fired his effort past the reach of goalkeeper Gustavo Busatto after receiving a timely pass from Silvan Hefti.

Despite several attempts to level proceedings by CSKA Sofia, Young Boys held their nerves to secure all three points in the match.

Nsame featured for the duration of the game and Guinea international Jules keita was introduced moments before the full time.

With the win, Youn Boys are second on the Europa League Group A after gathering seven points from four matches.

The Cameroon international has now scored nine goals across all competitions and provided five assists in 15 appearances.

Nsame will hope to continue his impressive performances when his side takes on AS Roma in their next outing in the European competitions on December 3.

Before that, Young Boys will square off against Lausanne Sport in a Swiss Super League game on November 29.

Nsame has two caps for the Cameroon national team and his current form could see him make a return to the West African side, having last featured for them in June 2019.

 

 

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye
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Video: Solskjaer's two years in Old Trafford hotseat

Goals from Scott Arfield and Kemar Roofe were not enough as Rangers conceded quick-fire goals to draw 2-2 with Benfica on Thursday.

Rangers let slip a late two-goal lead against Benfica for the second time in a month to draw 2-2 in Thursday's Europa League clash at Ibrox.

Steven Gerrard's men were cruising at 3-1 in the reverse fixture with 13 minutes to go, only to switch off and draw 3-3 to leave the sides level on points in Group D.

History repeated itself in Glasgow as Scott Arfield's early strike and Kemar Roofe's superb second from 20 yards put the home side in control.

However, an unfortunate James Tavernier own goal with 12 minutes to go was followed soon after by a Pizzi drive to help Benfica snatch another crucial point, ensuring Rangers still have work to do to progress to the last 32.

Benfica were without a number of injured and suspended players and fell behind inside seven minutes. Tavernier headed against the crossbar after Roofe's header was well saved but Arfield smashed home the rebound from 10 yards.

The visitors saw plenty of the ball but failed to test Allan McGregor in a first half devoid of any other real chances.

Rangers had a penalty shout for handball against Jan Vertonghen rejected, but they scored a second goal in the 69th minute when Roofe thundered into the top corner after a smart team move.

But nerves were then sent jangling when Goncalo Ramos forced in a close-range shot that hit Gers skipper Tavernier and crossed the line.

The previously quiet Alfredo Morelos had a 20-yarder fumbled onto the bar by Helton Leite and that proved a decisive moment as Benfica levelled up in the 81st minute, Connor Goldson's attempted clearance falling to substitute Pizzi to lash into the roof of McGregor's net.

 

What does it mean? Gers fail to learn their lesson

Gerrard said his side "only have themselves to blame" on the back of their 3-3 draw in Portugal but he was confident lessons would be learned. Not quite.

Benfica may only have managed two attempts on target, four fewer than the hosts, but they still managed to steal a point with that late double.

It leaves the sides locked on eight points apiece at the top of Group D, with Lech Poznan and Standard Liege five points worse off.

Arfield continues scoring streak

The Canada international may have fallen just short of registering double figures for goals in all competitions last season, but he already has six to his name this campaign.

That includes goals in his last three games, although unlike against Hamilton and Aberdeen he could not add an assist to his collection and did not end on the winning team.

Rangers' defence crumbles 

Despite holding a commanding lead, the home side's back four seemed to become incredibly nervous as the game entered its final 15 minutes. Both goals could have been prevented - the first a scrappy own goal and the second coming after Goldson failed to clear the ball. 

In Goldson's defence, though, he won a higher percentage of duels than anyone on the field (83) and no player managed more than his six clearances.

What's next?

Rangers return to Scottish Premiership action with a trip to Falkirk on Sunday, while Benfica are away to Maritimo in the Primeira Liga on Monday.

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Video: Arteta in awe of Everton boss Ancelotti

Tottenham 4-0 Ludogorets: Vinicius off the mark as Winks nets outrageous 54-yard lob

Two goals from Carlos Vinicius and a long-range strike from Harry Winks helped Tottenham to a big win over Ludogorets in the Europa League.

Carlos Vinicius scored twice as Tottenham claimed a comfortable 4-0 win over Ludogorets and edged closer to a place in the Europa League knockout stage.

Brazilian striker Vinicius, on a season-long loan from Benfica, netted for Spurs for the first time with two clinical finishes in a one-sided match on Thursday.

But the pick of the goals belonged to Harry Winks, as a spectacular long-range effort drifted over Ludogorets goalkeeper Plamen Iliev from 53.7 yards, before Lucas Moura added a fourth with a crisp finish.

The win moved second-placed Spurs level with Group J leaders Royal Antwerp on nine points, although the Belgian side are ahead courtesy of their head-to-head record.

Gareth Bale, in search of his 200th career goal, tried his luck with two free-kicks and a long-range effort early after Jose Mourinho made 10 changes from the side which beat Manchester City 2-0 on Saturday.

But it was Vinicius who opened the scoring for Spurs after he got on the end of Dele Alli's deflected pass and calmly slid the ball home.

His second goal owed much to Alli's unselfish play after the midfielder cut the ball back for Vinicius to tap in from close range following Tanguy Ndombele's burst forward.

Ludogorets struggled to get out of their own half and were unable to register a single shot in the first half, with goalkeeper Joe Hart touching the ball just seven times before the break.

Bale got himself into a good position after the interval only to be denied by Iliev at the far post following Matt Doherty's knockdown.

Iliev was embarrassed after 63 minutes, though, when Winks collected the ball from a throw-in on the left flank and remarkably picked out the top-right corner, via the crossbar, with the Ludogorets keeper off his line.

Alli and Vinicius were both involved again when Spurs notched a fourth, Moura the beneficiary as some clever link-up play allowed him to fire home.

Iliev at least partially redeemed himself late on when he saved from substitute Harvey White from close range, but Tottenham eased to another three points.

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’Yanga SC will win league title’ – Niyonzima roars after extending stay

The Red Devils will not be allowed to welcome fans into their stadium for the time being until the area enters Tier 2

Manchester United will be involved in the first Premier League game of the 2020-21 season to have fans in attendance, but it will be a while longer before Old Trafford can open its doors to spectators.

The Red Devils' trip to the London Stadium to face West Ham on December 5 will mark the return of supporters to a top-flight match in England for the first time since before the league was suspended in March following the first wave of Covid-19 infections in the country.

Regions in England have been placed in different tiers of lockdown as the country continues to battle the pandemic. As of December 2, Teams in Tier 1 areas, which have the least intense restrictions, will be permitted to allow up to 4,000 fans in attendance, Tier 2 cities can welcome 2,000 into their stadiums and matches in Tier 3 zones will continue behind closed doors.

London has been put into Tier 2 for the time being, meaning some supporters can take in the clash between the Hammers and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team, but United fans will not be allowed entry.

As United are in an area that falls under Tier 3, fans are still barred from attending matches at Old Trafford but the club hopes to open the doors once again in the near future.

"Manchester United notes the government decision to keep Trafford in the Tier 3 category of Covid-19 restrictions," a statement on the club's website read.

"This means games at Old Trafford will continue to take place behind closed doors until further notice. Our plans for safely welcoming fans back to Old Trafford are well advanced and we look forward to doing so, as soon as we are given the go-ahead.

"We will continue to work with local authorities on finalising our plans so that we can move quickly when our area comes out of Tier 3.

"Some of our forthcoming away games in Tier 2 areas may take place with a limited number of fans in attendance. However, under current guidelines, away fans will not be permitted to attend."

Before the match between West Ham and United, Arsenal's Europa League meeting with Rapid Vienna will host some supporters.

Fans will also be allowed in for Chelsea's home game against Leeds later on December 5.

Original author: Goal
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How to trade in FIFA 21 Ultimate Team: Best coin-making tips and tricks

Goal's complete guide on the best ways of making money on the transfer market in FUT

FIFA Ultimate Team is all about building your dream squad. However, unless you can afford the players, that squad will only stay in your dreams.

You can spend real money to buy packs in the FIFA Store but many gamers trade on the transfer market to make coins and if done correctly, can earn you thousands or millions of in-game currency.

Trading may seem daunting at first, but there are some easy ways to get into it like the Bronze Pack Method or investing in Team of the Week players.

The simpler trading methods will make small profits, but follow Goal's expert guide to trading to make even more coins in FIFA 21.

Contents

What is the Bronze Pack Method? What is sniping? Which players are best to trade in FIFA Ultimate Team? Which players are good short-term investments? Which players are good long-term investments? Which SBCs give the best pack rewards?

The 'Bronze Pack Method' has long been the most effective way of making a small profit in FIFA.

It's a low risk, low reward strategy, but is quite simple to do if you have the time to invest into listing and re-listing players on the market.

The steps are straightforward: buy the cheapest packs in the store and sell their contents.

Each basic Bronze Pack contains 12 items, including one rare item for 400 coins. They usually have around three or four players in them and you will use these players to make a profit.

Previous editions of FIFA sometimes had rare fitness cards which could be sold for around 1,000 coins, but fitness cards have been removed in FIFA 21.

Rare bronze players are now the most valuable commodity in bronze packs, particularly special players like Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores players.

Usually, you can quick sell everything in the pack except players for around 30 coins and then if even two players sell for the lowest Buy It Now (BIN) price of 200, you will have made a profit.

Higher-rated players or players who have good links to leagues and nations can be worth more than 200, so use the Compare Price option or a site like FUTbin to check prices before listing your players.

You may have to keep listing your players over and over to get them to sell, but most players will sell eventually.

Many people list their players at a lower price than they are worth, either to sell them quickly as they need coins or else because of mistakes or not knowing the proper value of players.

As a result, you can sometimes pick up some bargains to add to your squad or to instantly flip at a higher price on the transfer market.

The best way of finding underpriced players is to use specific filters to repeatedly search the transfer market and buy them as soon as they are listed. This process is known as sniping.

You need to set a Buy It Now (BIN) price in the filter at the maximum price you are willing to pay and then search. If your search shows no results, search again and again until it does.

However, each time you search, you should change at least one of the filters (the minimum Bid Price is usually easiest) to make sure the search shows new results rather than the same ones as your previous search.

When your player finally appears as a search result, you need to be quick as someone else might be searching as well and could snipe before you!

Most traders make their profits on the transfer market from investing in a small number of players and selling them at the right times.

Trading the same few players over and over again allows you to get to know when are the best times to buy and sell and how much you should pay for each card.

The market fluctuates during the week and prices are usually highest in the evenings and at weekends when more people are online and are looking to improve their teams.

Prices are usually lowest overnight and early in the morning when people are sleeping and thus not playing FIFA 21.

When starting out, look at players in leagues you are familiar with already. This way, you know what players are popular, e.g. full-backs from the Premier League or forwards with high pace.

Some players with lower ratings are more popular than their higher-rated counterparts as their attributes, weak foot or skills are better suited to FIFA 21. As a result, these players can sometimes be listed cheaper than usual by people who only look at the overall rating and do not use the Compare Price function before selling.

Correctly predicting upcoming Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) is a good way to make a profit.

The easiest SBCs to predict are usually Marquee Matchups and Champions League Marquee Matchups. These require players from upcoming clashes in top leagues and the Champions League. The FIFA community on reddit, Twitter and the EA Forums often have discussions about which matches are most likely to be included.

For example, a Marquee Matchup SBC requiring a Manchester United player can increase the price of all Manchester United's players, particularly the lower-rated ones.

Additionally, predicting which players are in Team of the Week can be profitable. When a player is included in Team of the Week, their regular version is no longer in packs and this makes those cards rarer for the week while their In-Form card is in packs.

Similarly, Ones to Watch (OTW) card trading is very popular as people invest ahead of a player's games in the hope they have a good performance and they can sell during the initial hype period before the card gets automatically upgraded due to Team of the Week.

The best time to buy OTW cards is when they are left on the bench for their team's games or during a bad performance when it is obvious they will not be upgraded by the next Team of the Week release.

Most players will not rise in price as the FIFA 21 season progresses. Each Team of the Week, Player of the Month SBC and promotional event such as FUTmas sees more and more high-rated players added to the game.

Therefore, people move on from their existing players and sell them on the transfer market, driving prices down across the board.

However, some players can prove to be good long-term investments in FIFA 21, especially if you are willing to tie your coins up in assets to make a small-to-medium profit weeks or months down the line.

Many of the lower-rated players in each Team of the Week (TOTW) can make you a profit in the future. Each player has a discard or quick sell price and often, the TOTW players with ratings 82 or lower will be available on the transfer market for just above their quick sell value.

This means that you can always quick sell the player for nearly 10,000 coins even if you only bought them for around that value initially. However, if you keep them in your club, their values will likely rise when they are no longer in packs, especially if a popular SBC requires people to submit a TOTW player.

Road to the Final (RTTF) cards may also see their price increase during the season as teams progress further in the Champions League and Europa League. Each time a player's team progresses to the next round, their RTTF card will be given an upgrade, which can make their value rise. Similarly, their value can also rise when the draw for each round is made as people look to predict the outcomes.

The best Squad Building Challenges (SBCs) for traders to complete are the ones which offer tradeable packs as rewards.

The various League SBCs used to very good for trading, but in FIFA 21 give untradeable packs, which cannot be turned into profit.

Now, the most useful SBCs to complete are Marquee Matchups and then any promotion-based SBC which is available for a limited time.

It is always worth checking the SBC solutions on FUTbin to see which challenges are affordable and which offer the best pack rewards. Each SBC also has a user rating where the website's members can give a thumbs up or thumbs down to indicate whether the challenge is worth doing or not.

Original author: Ronan Murphy
  224 Hits

Tanzania Cup: Simba SC handed Dodoma Jiji as Yanga SC to face Mwadui FC

The Argentine football icon died at his home on Wednesday November 25 after a period of ill health, and mourners are queuing to pay their respects
Original author: Goal
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U.S. had talks with Balogun over switch - Hudson

Tanzania 8-1 Somalia: Kelvin John on hat-trick as his team enter Cecafa U20 semis

Ngorongoro Heroes join the Hippos of Uganda in the last four of the annual competition

Tanzania have sealed their place in the Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) U20 Championship semis after defeating Somalia 8-1 on Thursday afternoon.

The unstoppable hosts scored their goals courtesy of Kelvin John who scored a hat-trick, Abdulhassan Suleiman, Ben Starkie, Kassim Shaaban, Frank George, and Anuary Jabir. Sahel scored the consolation for Somalia.

Ngorongoro Heroes started the game on a high and it took them just three minutes to open the scoring. Abdulhassan Suleiman controlled the ball from the right well before going past several defenders and finding the back of the net.

Three minutes later, Somalia were on level terms; Tanzania lost the ball from the attacking position and Sahel was fed on the left. He did well to go past his marker before firing past the goalkeeper.

Germany-based Ben Starkie put the Heroes back in front in the 15th minute when the defenders failed to clear a dangerous ball in their 18-yard area. The defender headed the ball and it fell on the path of the forward who had an easy time beating the goalkeeper from less than 12-yards.

Kelvin John fired from close range in the 28th minute to make it 3-1 in favour of his team before scoring his second of the game six minutes later after the opponents left him free in the danger zone.

After the break, Ngorongoro Heroes showed no signs of slowing down as they pushed for the fifth. A good solo run from Kassim Shaaban delivered the goal in the 47th minute with the defenders failing to stop him.

On the hour mark, Kelvin John completed his hat-trick after racing clear and rounding the goalkeeper before putting the goal in an empty net.

Somalia looked lost and confused, with their opponents having a walk in the park. There was no surprise when Frank George added the seventh five minutes later after beating his marker on pace.

The final goal came in the 87th minute when a good cross by David Kameta was converted by Anuary Jabir.

The Hippos of Uganda also sealed their place in the last four after defeating Burundi 6-1 on Wednesday.

Original author: Seth Willis
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More complete, more versatile: Sadio Mane is Africa's best player in 2020

The Argentina icon, who won two Serie A titles with the Naples club, was a "unique, inimitable champion", according to the Italian team's boss

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis says it would be "right" to rename the club's stadium in honour of club legend Diego Maradona following his death on Wednesday. 

Maradona – widely considered to be one of football's greatest ever players – died at the age of 60 after a suspected heart attack. 

A World Cup winner with Argentina, Maradona enjoyed stunning success in Naples, where he guided Napoli to unprecedented Serie A glory in 1986-87 and 1989-90 – the Italian team are yet to add to their only two Scudetto honours.

As Napoli fans and Naples natives mourn the death of Maradona, De Laurentiis confirmed the Stadio San Paolo is likely to be named after the football icon.

In a letter written to Maradona on Napoli's official website, De Laurentiis said: "You leave us with a great testament of what it means to be a man of fragility, strength and absolute love for life and one's neighbour. A unique, inimitable champion.

"Your weaknesses, your imperfections, your mistakes are tantamount to your immense greatness, though none of that compares to your legend.

"Many have said you represent the synthesis of genius and unruliness. An artist of the beautiful game, your unique brushstrokes are to be remembered in the pantheon of the greatest exponents. Like a restless work of Caravaggio, whose indomitable and unruly nature is forgiven for its immense greatness.

"I believe it is right to name the San Paolo after you, so we can keep you with us as a witness of the excellent path this team has taken.

"Your years here remain indelible in the memories of the people of Naples – symbolic of a coveted redemption and yearned-for resurrection. Thank you, Diego. You are, and will always be, with all of us."

Maradona won 91 caps for Argentina between 1977 and 1994, scoring 34 goals at international level.

He started his career with Argentinos Juniors before joining Boca Juniors and went on to play for BarcelonaSevilla and Newell's Old Boys, as well as Napoli, before returning to Boca in 1995.

Maradona also had stints in charge of Textil Mandiyu, Racing Club, Al-Wasl, Fujairah and Dorados de Sinaloa in Mexico before being appointed head coach by Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata last year.

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Atlanta United 2-2 NE Revolution: Player ratings as Adam Buksa cancels out efforts by Almada and Araujo

The relationship between the Argentine sensation and the Catalan club has disintegrated but the presidential hopeful wants to honour their star player

Barcelona presidential candidate Emili Rousaud has promised to hold a referendum on renaming the club's stadium after star player Lionel Messi.

The Catalan side will elect a new president in January to replace Josep Maria Bartomeu, who resigned from his post last month as the entire board - including Rousaud - stepped down.

Pressure on Bartomeu increased over the summer after Messi announced his desire to leave the club. The Argentina international criticised the president when he announced in an exclusive interview with Goal he would be staying at Camp Nou for another season.

While Messi has given no indication that he wants to remain at Barca beyond the end of the current campaign, Rousaud has promised to honour the icon by naming Camp Nou after him.

"We will hold a referendum to change the name of the stadium to Camp Nou - Leo Messi," he told reporters.

Rousaud has also pledged to add more star quality to the Blaugrana squad if he is elected, promising to bring Neymar back from Paris Saint-Germain

"We're going to sign two top players, one of them is Neymar," he added. "We are working to bring him back to Barcelona if he withdraws the lawsuit he has against the club.

"We hope to be able to announce soon the name of the other big-name player we want to bring. It will not leave anyone indifferent. We have a direct line to the player."

The entrepreneur hopes to incorporate former Barca stars into the organisation to bring the club back to help recreate their glory days.

"If we win, we want to count on Xavi [Hernandez], [Andres] Iniesta and [Carles] Puyol and give them a strong link with the club, the team and La Masia," he added. "I do this out of enthusiasm, commitment and experience. I want to rebuild the team, the club and the economy. I will leave my skin to make Barca, once again, the best team in the world.

"I have known the house for five years and have business experience."

He has also picked out a potential replacement for coach Ronald Koeman as well as a new technical director.

"We respect Koeman a lot, but if he doesn't continue, we have closed one who is active and is training one of the best teams in Europe," he said. "We have the best technical director in place, but we cannot announce him yet because he is active [at another club]."

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What is the ePremier League and how do I qualify in FIFA 21?

The 2020-21 ePremier League kicks off in February but registration opens in December on both PlayStation and Xbox

The ePremier League is back for another season, with all 20 Premier League clubs taking part once again.

Each club will have an entrant on both PlayStation and Xbox and entry is open to all United Kingdom residents over the age of 16.

The overall prize pool is £40,000 this season and the winners will also be able to qualify for the EA Sports FIFA 21 Global Series (FGS) European Playoffs.

The ePremier League is set to kick off on February 15, 2021 but registration and qualification begin in December and January ahead of the new season.

What is the ePremier League?

The ePremier League is the esports version of the Premier League, where all 20 current English top-flight teams compete in FIFA 21 to be crowned champion.

All 20 teams compete with the highest-ranking teams advancing to the ePremier League Finals which are scheduled to take place in spring 2021.

The ePremier League is part of the FIFA 21 Global Series and is open to gamers from the United Kingdom, who can register to represent their favourite team.

The first ePremier League was held in 2018 for FIFA players on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Despite the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X arriving in stores in 2020, the 2020-21 ePremier League season will remain on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

There is a prize pool of £40,000 available to the best-performing players in this season's ePremier League.

Who has won the ePremier League in the past?

The first ePremier League took place in 2018-19 and was won by Donovan ‘Tekkz’ Hunt who represented Liverpool's esports team.

The coronavirus pandemic meant that the 2019-20 ePremier League playoff finals could not be held as a live event, but was completed online where Thomas ‘Hashtag Tom’ Leese emerged victorious for Watford.

Leese defeated Bournemouth's Marc "MarcMarleyyy" Marley 2-1 on aggregate in the cross-console Grand Final, with one game taking place on each console.

"I would recommend the competition to FIFA players as ePL is a massive tournament with a lot of people watching," Leese told the ePremier League's official website.

"It also gives you the unique chance to try and represent your favourite Premier League team. And if you're looking to break into professional FIFA then this is the perfect opportunity for UK gamers to showcase their talent."

How do I register for the ePremier League?

Registration for the ePremier League opens on December 3 and will remain open until December 15.

You can register at https://e.premierleague.com from 5pm GMT on December 3.

Registration is open to anyone in the United Kingdom who plays FIFA 21 on PlayStation 4 or Xbox One and is over 16.

Each player who registers will be able to compete to represent their chosen Premier League club, with a representative for both PlayStation and Xbox being chosen for all 20 English top-flight clubs.

How do I qualify for the ePremier League?

Once you have registered for the ePremier League, you can qualify by playing online in FIFA 21 in January.

The qualification process opens on January 4 and ends on January 31.

Many of the players who qualify are professional esports players but the open nature of the competition means anyone can qualify to represent their club if their results are good enough.

"ePremier League is a great platform for players of all abilities and a real mix of competitors have progressed to the final stages of both tournaments so far," Premier League commercial director Will Brass said. 

"This includes some of the highest-ranked professional FIFA-gamers in the world and relatively inexperienced players who have proved they can take on the very best."

This season's qualifying tournament requires players to play in 90-rated Online Friendlies mode using their favoured Premier League club.

How do I watch the ePremier League?

This season's ePremier League Finals are set to take place in March or April 2021.

The ePremier League Finals will be broadcast on Sky Sports in the UK as well as on EA Sports' social media channels and on Twitch.

Over the past two seasons, over 22 million fans watched the ePremier League Finals on television or through streams.

What rewards do I get for watching the ePremier League?

If you fail to qualify for the ePremier League or are not eligible to enter, you can still benefit from keeping track of the competition.

Anyone who watches the ePremier League Finals on Twitch will be eligible to receive various rewards as the tournament progresses.

These include random drops of player packs or special Ultimate Team cards if you have linked your EA Sports account with your Twitch account.

As well as the random drops, FIFA Global Series Swap cards will also be awarded, which can be used in Squad Building Challenges to trade for various reward packs.

Original author: Ronan Murphy
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'Maradona was a hero for all of us' - Former Napoli star Jorginho thanks Argentina legend for his impact on Italian city

The Chelsea midfielder has paid tribute one of the greatest players of all time following his death at the age of 60
  265 Hits

LIVE: Lille vs AC Milan

44' Rebic makes a good diagonal run towards the right and he looks to be in behind, but Dalot under-hits his attempted through ball and it's cut out by Botman.

43' Good save Donnarumma! Araujo is finding his range now, and he latches onto another loose ball at the edge of the area. This time, he curls a left-footed effort towards the top-left corner, and the Milan keeper flies across to tip it around the post.

42' Dalot crosses from the right and his team-mates appeal for handball as it's blocked just inside the area. It was at point-blank range, so it would have been a harsh penalty to give if it had struck the defender's hand.

41' This game does seem to be opening up a little now, which is good news. Both sides clearly want to attack, so one goal might just open the floodgates.

40' Yazici gets around Kjaer at the left side of the area, leaving the defender tumbling backwards as he bursts into the box. With Gabbia approaching he goes for goal, but it's a fairly simple save for Donnarumma to tip it away.

39' Hernandez looks to fizz the ball down the left and Hauge dummies it in behind, so the defender is left to chase down his own pass. He puts on the afterburners but Fonte has a big head-start on him and wanders over to pick up the loose ball.

37' A shot on target! Dalot's pass in the Milan half is cut out and it comes to Araujo on the right, just outside the area. His curling effort is too central to really trouble Donnarumma but it does loop up awkwardly, so the keeper tips it over his crossbar for a corner.

36' Castillejo throws himself to the ground after a slight touch from behind by Reinildo - just as he had complained about Xeca doing five minutes ago. He wins a free-kick in midfield.

35' Kjaer gets across to his right to shut down a run in behind from Bamba, but the offside flag is up anyway.

34' Araujo siezes on a loose ball by the right corner flag and fires in a cross to David, but it comes to the forward at an awkward height and he can't control it. 

32' Castillejo vents his frustration as Xeca goes down in his own area and wins a free-kick. He leaped up to contest a high ball and clattered to the ground after the slightest touch in the back from the Milan winger.

30' David runs at the Milan defence with the ball for the first time, coming infield from the left. The back four retreat away from him, inviting a shot from range with deflects clear off the ankle of Dalot.

28' Plenty of huffing and puffing from both sides in the first half an hour, but they've only managed one shot each - and neither was on target. Niggly fouls are starting to disrupt the flow of things, too.

26' Calhanoglu is starting to drop deeper for Milan, with that chance for Hauge a good example of why that might be their best bet. Most of the game has happened in the central third so far, with the visitors not really able to find their playmaker in attacking areas.

24' A great chance goes begging for Milan. Calhanoglu sets Hauge free with a perfectly weighted ball in behind down the right channel. He gets into the area and cuts onto his left foot but, with two team-mates wide open for a tap-in, seems to stumble slightly and Fonte is able to get over and intercept his pass. It's good defending from the Portuguese veteran, but that should be 1-0.

23' Milan have had most of the ball, but it has been a very even contest so far. Neither side has quite showed the guile to break down the other just yet, with most moves breaking down in midfield.

21' Tonali almost wins possession for Milan just outside the Lille area, but Fonte races out to hammer the ball away. He absolutely spanks it straight into Bennacer's face. Ouch.

20' Reinildo shepherds the ball out of play for a Lille touchline after Dalot looked to pick out Castillejo with a long ball. 

18' Yazici has had Lille’s only sight of goal so far, and he is the man they will want the chances to fall to. He has two hat-tricks in the Europa League already this season. Diogo Jota got two last season for Wolves, while Radamel Falcao is the only man to have notched three in a single campaign, a decade ago during his time leading the line for Porto.

16' Araujo holds off the challenge of three Milan players by the right touchline in his own half, before looking to open play up with a chipped pass forward to Yazici. Milan are wise to his tricks by now, and Bennacer is on hand to intercept.

14' Tonali does well to keep hold of possession with Andre and Bamba pressing him in midfield, and he finds Castillejo out on the right. He can't find space to cross so passes backwards to Rebic, who gives the ball away with a loose touch.

13' Despite being top of the group at kick-off, Lille haven’t won any of their last 14 matches at home in major European competition. Their last such victory came against Belgian side Gent in a Europa League match way back in December 2010.

11' Yazici gets the first half-chance for Lille as Andre robs Tonali just outside the Milan area. It comes to Yazici at the right corner of the area and he bends a first-time left-footed effort past the far post, before Donnarumma admonishes his defence.

10' Hernandez finds space on the left flank and picks out Rebic with a low cross from the byline, but the forward can't connect with his half-volley on the penalty spot and it bounces harmlessly through to Maignan.

8' Castillejo's corner is in towards Kjaer but Maignan does well to come out and punch it clear with one fist. There's a foul in the penalty area anyway, and Lille get a free-kick.

7' Milan get the first corner of the match on the right. Castillejo finds Rebic and his shot from the edge of the area is blocked behind by Botman.

6' It has been a fairly nondescript start to the game, with no chances created in the opening minutes. The intent to get the ball forwards has been evident from both sides, though, which is promising.

4' Tonali is told off by referee Craig Pawson for a high foot, but he gets away without a yellow card. The player he collided with, Araujo, had his boot up high as well, which may have saved him.

3' Milan boss Pioli isn't on the touchline tonight after he recently tested positive for Covid-19. Former defender Daniele Bonera has taken his place.

1' We're off!

The teams are on their way out onto the pitch and we're nearly ready for kick-off. 

Milan’s 3-0 defeat to Lille at the start of November was their worst ever home defeat in European competition. Lille have scored six goals in their two games since then and Milan have netted five, so we could be in for a high-scoring affair.

Renato Sanches misses out for Lille after picking up a muscle injury on international duty but Reinildo, Fonte and Yilmaz all return after missing their most recent match through suspension. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is ruled out with a thigh problem and Rafaeo Leao is also injured, so it looks to be Rebic leading the line for Milan.

SUBS: Lorenzo Colombo, Daniel Maldini, Franck Kessie, Andrea Conti, Rade Krunic, Leo Duarte, Brahim Diaz, Ciprian Tatarusanu, Alessio Romagnoli, Pierre Kalulu Kyatengwa, Davide Calabria, Antonio Donnarumma.

AC MILAN (4-2-3-1): Gianluigi Donnarumma; Theo Hernandez, Simon Kjaer, Matteo Gabbia, Diogo Dalot; Ismael Bennacer, Sandro Tonali; Jens Petter Hauge; Hakan Calhanoglu, Samu Castillejo; Ante Rebic.

SUBS: Burak Yilmaz, Isaac Lihadji, Tiago Djalo, Timothy Weah, Jonathan Ikone, Boubakary Soumare, Domagoj Bradaric, Adama Soumaoro, Orestis Karnezis, Cheikh Niasse, Lucas Chevalier.

LILLE (4-4-2): Mike Maignan; Reinildo, Sven Botman, Jose Fonte, Jeremy Pied; Jonathan Bamba, Benjamin Andre, Xeka, Luiz Araujo; Yusuf Yazici, Jonathan David.

Yusuf Yazici scored a hat-trick as Lille ran out 3-0 winners in the reverse fixture at San Siro, leaving the Ligue 1 side one point clear at the top of the group. Lille have seven points to Milan’s six after three games, with Sparta Prague on three and Celtic on one.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this Europa League group stage fixture. Christophe Galtier’s Lille are looking to hold on to top spot in Group H, as they host Stefano Pioli’s AC Milan at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

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LIVE: Molde vs Arsenal

43' CHANCE! Fantastic defensive header from Sinyan as Nelson storms down the left, does a few stepovers to work a yard and cuts back onto his right before crossing into the middle for Nketiah, but the Molde centre-back gets it away!

42' BLOCK! Eikrem smacks a fierce effort at goal from the edge of the box, but Xhaka throws himself in the way to block!

41' OVER! Wingo finds himself in the box on the right and goes for goal, but he gets under the effort and floats it over the bar!

40' WIDE! Nelson cuts in from the left and fires a sweetly-struck effort towards the top-right corner, but it's just the wrong side of the post!

38' Molde press really high as Mustafi plays it back to Runarsson, but Arsenal just manage to work it out from the back and Cedric draws a foul.

36' Nelson gets into the box and is fed by Lacazette. He's completely surrounded by defenders and does well to keep the ball before going down, but a free-kick is given Molde's way, presumably for a stray arm from the winger as he sought to hold off his markers.

34' Hestad puts a fantastic ball in from the left, but James doesn't attack it with any conviction and the ball sails harmlessly through the danger zone.

32' Pepe charges down the right and looks up, but has to wait for support. He and Lacazette play the ball between themselves on the edge of the box before Nketiah takes over and ties to curl one in from distance, but it's a comfortable save for Linde.

30' There's a clash of heads in the area between Sinyan and David Luiz, forcing the game to be stopped briefly. Thankfully, both players appear to be fine and will carry on.

28' WIDE! A lovely cross from the left reaches the back post where Hestad tries to prod it home, but Maitland-Niles gets in the way to turn it just past the post!

27' Arsenal miss a good chance to break as Pepe's run in behind is ignored by Lacazette in favour of Nketiah, who had strayed into an offside position. 

25' Cedric swings a high cross in from the right towards Nketiah, but Linde comes out to claim the ball in the air. He fumbles it the first time, but eventually gathers the loose ball.

23' Arsenal have looked bright, particularly down their left side, and are enjoying a positive spell. Molde still pose a threat on the counter, however.

21' CLOSE! Arsenal counter quickly and Xhaka finds Pepe on the right. The Ivorian cuts inside onto his favoured left foot and goes for the top-left corner, but it's just too high! 

19' OVER! Arsenal win another corner which Pepe swings into the box where Luiz meets it, but the Brazilian sends his header high and wide.

17' SAVE! Pepe cuts in from the right and goes for goal from just outside the box, but it's a little too central and Linde saves and holds on. He needed to make that stick as Nketiah and Lacazette were lurking.

15' WHAT A CHANCE! How are Molde not ahead?! Eikrem plays the ball down the left for Hestad, who fizzes the ball across goal for Sinyan to tap it in from a couple of yards out, but somehow he sends it back across goal where Runarsson keeps it out!

13' SAVE! Nelson and Lacazette play a neat one-two on the left side of the box, with the latter slipping the former into the area. Nelson goes for the near post, but Linde makes the save! The build-up was sharp there.

12' OVER! Maitland-Niles slips the ball out to the right and the cross is floated to the back post where Pepe attempts an audacious outside-of-the-boot volley, but he sends it high over the bar.

11' Maitland-Niles and Nelson link up smoothly down the left as they progress the ball forward and win a corner. The pair have started brightly.

9' A quick pass down the line gives Pepe the chance to run at his man and cut inside, but a slightly loose touch allows his marker to nip in and clear the ball away.

7' Eikrem whips a dangerous ball into the middle from a deeper position, but nobody is able to latch onto it and the danger is seen away by the Gunners.

5' Arteta appears to be experimenting with Lacazette as a number 10 tonight. The Frenchman is dropping off the front and looking to link play between the lines in the early stages, but he does push back up alongside Nketiah to press when Arsenal don't have the ball.

3' SAVE! Nelson drives positively down the left and gets to the byline in the box before laying it back to Maitland-Niles, who dinks a cross towards the back post that Linde has to turn over the bar! It looked like it was heading in!

1' We're underway in Norway!

However, Arsenal have only been beaten once in their last 14 away games in the group stages of a major European competition (W10 D3), against FC Koln in November 2017 in the only game they’ve failed to score in during this run.

Molde had won three Europa League matches in a row before Arsenal beat them 4-1 in the reverse fixture earlier this month – they haven’t lost consecutive matches in the competition since a run of a three games in October/November 2012.

Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta makes sweeping changes following the 0-0 draw against Leeds United in their last outing. Only Willock, Xhaka and Pepe keep their places, with the latter given an immediate shot at redemption following his straight red card in that game.

Molde manager Erling Moe makes two changes from his side's 3-0 win over Stabaek in their last league game. Bynhildsen drops to the bench, but defender Martin Bjornbak misses out through injury. Hestad and Gregersen take their places in the starting line-up.

Arsenal substitutes: Rob Holding, Hector Bellerin, Folarin Balogun, Dani Ceballos, Matt Macey, Miguel Azeez, Ben Cottrell, Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Karl Hein.

Arsenal XI (4-4-2): Runar Alex Runarsson; Cedric Soares, Shkodran Mustafi, David Luiz, Ainsley Maitland-Niles; Nicolas Pepe, Joe Willock, Granit Xhaka, Reiss Nelson; Eddie Nketiah, Alexandre Lacazette.

Molde substitutes: Ola Brynhildsen, Mattias Mostrom, Tobias Christensen, Alex Craninx, Mathias Eriksen Ranmark, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen, Ohikhuaeme Omoijuanfo, Erling Knudtzon, Mathis Bolly.

Molde XI (4-2-3-1): Andreas Linde; Henry Wingo, Sheriff Sinyan, Stian Gregersen, Birk Risa; Fredrik Aursnes, Etzaz Hussain; Eirik Hestad, Magnus Wolff Eikrem, Martin Ellingsen; Leke James.

Arsenal have the opportunity to put themselves in pole position in their Europa League group if they can secure victory over nearest challengers Molde tonight, having won all three of their games so far.

Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of the Europa League fixture between Molde and Arsenal at the Aker Stadion.

Original author: Goal
  262 Hits

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