Month: January 2023

Juventus claimed their spot in the Coppa Italia quarter-finals with a 2-1 win over Monza thanks to Federico Chiesa’s sublime strike.

Chiesa, a second-half substitute in Thursday’s clash at the Allianz Stadium, curled in off the post with 12 minutes remaining.

Moise Kean had given Juve an early lead but his effort was cancelled out by Mattia Valoti.

Kean saw what he thought would be a winner disallowed for offside, but Chiesa struck just after to settle the tie.

Nicolo Fagioli spurned a glorious chance for Juve in the opening moments but that miss mattered little as Kean headed Weston McKennie’s cross into the far corner in the eighth minute.

Against the run of play, Valoti struck his third goal in as many Coppa Italia rounds to restore parity – Mattia Perin only able to push the forward’s header into the roof of the net.

Juve’s youngsters responded well, Samuel Iling-Junior firing wide and Matias Soule forcing a diving save from Alessio Cragno, but the hosts could not retake the lead before the break.

Kean came close to a second four minutes after the restart, bounding forward into the area, though Cragno was again on hand for Monza.

Juve had the ball in the back of the net after Danilo’s shot deflected off Pablo Mari and against the crossbar, with Kean heading the rebound home, only for the offside flag to cut his celebrations short. 

The pressure finally told in the 78th minute, with Chiesa finding room down the left-hand side of the box and curling an effort in off the right-hand post.

What does it mean? Juve have hope

Juve’s Serie A hopes look all but over after they were thrashed by Napoli last week, but their chances of cup success are very much alive.

A second-string side seldom looked in control, having fair less possession (38.6 per cent), though they did manage two more shots than Monza (11 to nine), and Chiesa delivered the quality when it mattered.

Chiesa back on the goal trail

Last year was a tough time for Italy international Chiesa, who spent the majority of it sidelined after he sustained a knee injury that kept him out of action for a prolonged period.

His wait for a goal has been even longer too, but with his victorious strike, he finally netted in a competitive game for the first time since January last year.

If Juve are to claim some silverware this season, Chiesa is likely to be crucial.

Monza left to rue missed opportunities

Though they tied matters up in the first half after initially conceding, the visitors left it too late for a second wind after the interval in the end.

That will frustrate them, particularly given their dominance of possession, but they mustered only three attempts on target.

What’s next?

Both sides return to Serie A action on Sunday, with Juventus facing Atalanta and Monza preparing to meet Sassuolo.

Dani Ceballos’ late goal saw Real Madrid beat Villarreal 3-2 and complete a stunning comeback in the Copa del Rey on Thursday.

Madrid were beaten 3-1 by rivals Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final on Sunday and found themselves two goals down at the break at Estadio de la Ceramica after goals from Etienne Capoue and Samuel Chukwueze.

But Vinicius Junior halved the deficit with a composed 57th-minute finish before Eder Militao prodded home from close range.

With the last-16 tie seemingly heading for extra time. Ceballos proved Madrid’s unlikely hero as he lashed in to keep Madrid’s hopes of winning a 20th Copa del Rey title alive.

The hosts were ahead inside four minutes, Capoue latching onto Gerard Moreno’s clever flick before powerfully firing past Thibaut Courtois from a tight angle.

Federico Valverde and Rodrygo both failed to convert after Ferland Mendy’s good work to set them up, and Villarreal made Madrid pay when Moreno dinked a delightful throughball into Chukwueze, who made no mistake.

Vinicius hauled Madrid back into it after some slick interplay put the Brazil international in on goal, and parity was restored 12 minutes later. 

Filip Jorgensen palmed Karim Benzema’s header straight to Militao, and he duly tapped in.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team would not let their momentum slide, and had their winner when Ceballos calmly placed the ball past the diving Jorgensen with four minutes left to play.

Madrid were well-beaten by Barcelona on Sunday, and they looked to still be carrying the weight of that defeat as a slow start allowed Villarreal to race out to a 2-0 lead.

But Ancelotti’s side were much improved after the break and ended up being deserved winners as Ceballos’ strike secured their progression into the quarter-finals having registered 1.96 xG (expected goals) to Villarreal’s 1.21.

While the goalscorers will get the plaudits, the much-improved second-half defensive display restricted the hosts to no shots on target in the second half, while managing five of their own.

Ceballos seizes his chance

The former Arsenal midfielder has started just three LaLiga matches this season, but he certainly grabbed this opportunity in the cup with both hands.

Aside from his brilliant finish for the winner, Ceballos finished joint-top among Madrid players for shots (two), chances created (two) and assists (one).

Benzema not at his best

Despite playing a part in Madrid’s equaliser, the reigning Ballon d’Or winner fell short of the lofty expectations he has set for himself with a blunt display.

Benzema could not score with either of his two shots, while he failed to win any of his four duels or complete a successful dribble as it was left to the likes of Vinicius and Ceballos to provide Madrid’s attacking output.

What’s next?

Both teams return to LaLiga action on Sunday, with Madrid facing Athletic Bilbao while Villarreal will host Girona.

Barcelona sailed comfortably into the Copa del Rey quarter-finals thanks to a second-half splurge of goals in Thursday’s 5-0 win over third-tier Ceuta.

The Blaugrana started slow at Estadio Alfonso Murube, but ultimately had few issues in sealing a place in the last eight.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice in the second half, either side of goals from Ansu Fati and Franck Kessie, to ensure Barca’s progression was routine enough, with Raphinha having put the visitors ahead before the interval.

LaLiga leaders Barca are well in the hunt for a domestic clean sweep after their Supercopa de Espana victory over Real Madrid.

Despite naming a side littered with top-tier talent, Barca did not impose themselves as well as might have been expected throughout the first half.

The visitors struggled for clear-cut opportunities despite posting an overwhelming 69.8 per cent possession figure.

It was a piece of individual brilliance that unlocked their hosts four minutes before half-time, when Raphinha curled beyond Tomas Mejias.

Barca doubled their lead five minutes after the break, when Kessie picked off a wayward pass deep in Ceuta territory to set Lewandowski up for an easy finish.

Fati capped a fine solo run with a deft touch to put Barca 3-0 up, with Kessie turning from provider to scorer as he headed in from Raphinha’s cross seven minutes later.

Lewandowski got his second in the 90th minute, drilling low into the corner to cap off an emphatic win after Kessie, Fati and Jordi Alba had gone close.

What does it mean? Barca proceed in style

Against the lowest-ranked side left in the Copa del Rey, Barca were never likely to be at risk of a major shock, even as they struggled to find the back of the net early on.

Their five-goal margin of victory may have been something of a disservice to their hosts, who Barca had met on three previous occasions before this tie, winning all of those games, but it nevertheless is a worthy result of their talents as they continue their revival under Xavi.

Alarcon another fresh face

Cup clashes with lower-league opposition are always a good proving ground for new blood, and so it was again as Barcelona handed a debut to teenager Angel Alarcon.

The Spain youth international spent all of the 2021-22 season sidelined after rupturing his ACL, but made his senior bow late on as a replacement for Raphinha, who led Barca for chances created, along with Kessie and Alba (three each).

Kessie key to success

Amid a first half short on chances, it was the Ivory Coast international who set up Raphinha’s opener before going on to run the show for Barca.

In addition to a goal of his own, he provided two assists and had a game-high four shots. He was central to this win.

What’s next?

Barca return to LaLiga action with the visit of Getafe to Camp Nou on Sunday.

Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe may have faced off against one another in the World Cup final in Qatar, but they line up in the same XI in FIFA 23’s Team of the Year.

While Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the tournament’s showpiece match, it was Messi’s Argentina who lifted the World Cup for a third time with a penalty shoot-out victory following a 3-3 draw after extra-time.

The Paris Saint-Germain team-mates have both made FIFA 23’s Team of the Year, though, with the selections made from over 10 million votes from fans.

Despite Argentina’s World Cup win, Messi is the only player from Lionel Scaloni’s team to be included, with Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema completing the front three after scoring 44 goals in 46 matches in the 2021-22 season to help Real Madrid to a LaLiga title and Champions League win.

Kevin De Bruyne finished third in the Ballon d’Or rankings and is part of the midfield, alongside the evergreen Madrid star Luka Modric and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, with the latter playing a key role for England at the World Cup at the age of just 19.

The Madrid theme running through the line-up continues at the back, with Thibaut Courtois between in goal and Eder Militao at the heart of the defence.

Virgil van Dijk joins Militao, while Theo Hernandez and Achraf Hakimi, who enjoyed excellent World Cups with France and Morocco respectively, fill the full-back roles.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice yet Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe helped Paris Saint-Germain defeat Riyadh All-Stars 5-4 in a thrilling friendly.

The exhibition at King Fahd International Stadium on Thursday saw 21 shots on target, nine goals, a red card for Juan Bernat and a penalty miss from Neymar.

Having had his debut for new club Al Nassr delayed due to a domestic ban carried over from his time at Manchester United, Ronaldo’s first game since moving to Saudi Arabia came for a hybrid XI that also contained players from Al Hilal.

It set up a reunion with long-time rival and fellow multiple Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi in what was their first meeting on the pitch of any sort since Juventus beat Barcelona 3-0 in the Champions League group stage in 2020.

Messi came out on top in terms of scoreline in this 37th encounter between the pair, with PSG pulling away in a game that the hosts levelled on three occasions, but Ronaldo outscored the 2022 World Cup winner.

Neymar, Mbappe and Messi all combined for the latter to open the scoring inside the opening three minutes, but Ronaldo equalised from a penalty he himself won after being caught in the face by Keylor Navas.

PSG lost Bernat to a straight red card for his last-man challenge just inside the opposition half, though they were soon back in front through a close-range Marquinhos finish from Mbappe’s assist.

Neymar missed the chance to extend PSG’s lead when having a tame penalty saved, and that proved costly when Ronaldo glanced in a trademark header on the stroke of half-time.

PSG still could not shake off their opponents after Sergio Ramos’ strike, teed up by Mbappe, was cancelled out by Jang Hyun-soo’s header less than three minutes later.

Mbappe capped an impressive display with a goal of his own from the penalty spot on the hour mark. He was then subbed off, along with Messi, Neymar and Ronaldo.

The tempo of the game dropped from that point but the entertainment continued until full-time as Anderson Talisca pulled back a late goal after Hugo Ekitike had seemingly put PSG out of sight, though the Riyadh All-Stars could not equalise for a fourth time.

Memphis Depay was given permission by Barcelona to train with Atletico Madrid on Thursday as the teams negotiate a transfer.

Netherlands international Depay has struggled for playing time at Barca under Xavi and his contract ends at the end of the season.

Widespread reports this week suggested Atleti are prepared to pay an initial €3million for Depay, potentially rising to €4m with add-ons.

While a deal has yet to be struck between the clubs, Atleti have confirmed talks are at an advanced stage, with Depay now training alongside his soon-to-be team-mates.

“Memphis, with permission from Barcelona, trained for the first time in Majadahonda while both clubs close their transfer,” Atleti posted on their official Twitter page.

Depay joined Barcelona on a free transfer from Lyon ahead of the 2021-22 season, linking up again with Ronald Koeman, for whom he had played for with the Netherlands.

But Koeman was fired by the Blaugrana in October 2021 and his successor Xavi never appeared to have the same trust in the former Manchester United and PSV attacker.

Depay’s first 11 LaLiga appearances were all as a starter, but after Xavi’s appointment only nine of his next 17 top-flight outings came from the start.

He is set to become fourth-placed Atletico’s first signing of a January window that has so far seen Joao Felix leave for Chelsea on loan and Matheus Cunha join Wolves.

Should the deal go through in time, Depay could make his debut against Real Valladolid on Saturday.

Arsenal must pay a £40,000 fine after an independent commission refuted their appeal over an incident in their FA Cup win over Oxford United.

A double for Eddie Nketiah helped fire Mikel Arteta’s men into the fourth round with a 3-0 victory earlier this month.

But Arsenal were subsequently charged by the Football Association (FA) for failing to control their players after they surrounded referee David Coote protesting for a penalty in the first half.

Arsenal appealed the charge but have now seen their appeal turned down, and will have to pay out the financial sanction.

“Arsenal FC has been fined £40,000 after its players surrounded a match official during the FA Cup tie against Oxford United FC on Monday 9 January 2023,” read a statement from the FA.

“Arsenal FC denied an allegation from the FA that the club had failed to ensure its players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion during the 34th minute, and the club also requested a hearing.

“An Independent Regulatory Commission subsequently upheld the allegation and imposed the club’s fine.

“Its written reasons for these decisions will be published in due course.”

This is the second financial penalty Arsenal have been hit with in January, having also been fined for their conduct against Newcastle United in a Premier League encounter.

On that occasion, the Gunners were also cited for failing to control their players in response to a no-penalty call from the officials in the closing stages of a 0-0 draw.

Premier League leaders Arsenal are breaking new ground under Mikel Arteta this season, with their skipper Martin Odegaard spearheading the charge.  

The Norwegian ace, 24, netted his eighth goal of the season when firing a long-range strike into the bottom corner to help down Tottenham last Sunday.

With the Gunners now holding an eight-point lead in the title race, it is looking increasingly likely that Odegaard will be the man lifting the famous trophy aloft this May.

Ahead of a crunch clash with fellow high-fliers Manchester United this Sunday, we take a closer look at the creative midfielder’s impressive rise.

Real deal

It is hard to believe Odegaard is still in the early stages of his career considering his name has been in the public eye since 2014.

Already training with the first team of Stromsgodset in his homeland as a 13-year-old, the Drammen-born prodigy had made his senior club and national debuts before his 16th birthday.

Those accolades did not go unnoticed, with the starlet invited to training stints at Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Liverpool and Arsenal — though he would eventually head for Spanish shores.

Real Madrid completed a £2.6million deal to bring the wonderkid to the Bernabeu in January 2015 and he would become the LaLiga giants’ youngest ever debutant four months later.

Ultimately, though, his Madrid stint ended up being one of frustration.

Loan spells with Heerenveen, Vitesse and Real Sociedad still left Los Blancos chiefs unconvinced and by January 2021, he was headed for North London.

Turning point

Odegaard’s initial half-season loan switch to Arsenal came at a time when things were not looking quite as rosy as they are now.

The Gunners were planted firmly in the realms of mid-table having lost eight of their opening 20 fixtures, but the new arrival was a strong believer in the manager’s vision.

Upon joining, he said: “I spoke to him [Arteta] before coming here, of course.

“That was very important for me and he seems like a top manager and I liked his ideas, the way he sees football and also the way he is.

“He gave me a great feeling and that was important for me to come here. He was crucial.”

Introduced at the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, Odegaard helped the Gunners to an eighth-placed finish with his 14 top-flight outings resulting in seven wins, three draws and four defeats.

That prompted the Gunners to move swiftly that summer to make his move permanent for a fee around the £30m mark.

At home

Clearly, the opportunity of a fresh start in a settled environment has brought the very best out of Odegaard.

Last term, he was an ever-present after his August arrival, notching seven goals and laying on four assists in 36 Premier League appearances as the Gunners agonisingly missed out on a top-four finish on the season’s final day.

This season, he has taken things to a whole new level.

In 17 top-flight outings, the 24-year-old has scored eight times and set up five more, including a mesmerising run of 10 direct goal involvements in his last 10 games. 

Out of the entire Premier League, Odegaard ranks second for possessions won in the attacking third (21), fifth for big chances created (10) and ninth for final third passes completed (268).

As far as a creative force goes, the No8 is now rubbing shoulders with the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Bruno Fernandes — and arguably even outshining them.

More to come

Such form has naturally gone down well with Gunners boss Arteta, though the Spaniard insists the best is yet to come from his captain. 

Speaking last month, Arteta said: “I was hoping that Martin could show the talent that he has. His attitude, his willingness to learn and his application is always incredible.

“He can be much better. I think physically he can still improve in many areas. The way he can drive with the ball and eliminate people more, his crossing, his passing range can still be better. 

“Defensively, he is improving every single time. And that mentality to go on the pitch and win the game and have that mentality every three days to go and do that. 

“He is still someone who has come from a very specific development process and now he is at a place where he is a very important player.”

Coming of age

Odegaard’s performance against Tottenham perfectly encapsulated the influential figure he has become at the Emirates.

His now trademark clever movement, penetrative passing and devastating finishing all contributed to him scooping the latest Premier League Player of the Month award.

If the 47-cap international can maintain this run of form for the remainder of the domestic campaign, he will assure himself of a place in Gunners folklore.

Though it has taken longer than initially anticipated, the footballing world now fully understands the Odegaard hype.

– West Ham have won three of their last six PL home games, scoring 2+ goals in all those wins
– Everton have conceded at least two goals in seven of their last eight games in all competitions
– Recommended bet: West Ham to win & over 1.5 goals

West Ham can alleviate some of the mounting pressure on David Moyes when they face a sinking Everton side under the stewardship of former Hammer Frank Lampard.

Moyes has not lacked support in the transfer market and he is now close to bolstering his striking options with the signing of Danny Ings, who is on the verge of finalising his switch to the London Stadium.

The Scotsman will hope his new arrival will be confirmed and available ahead of the weekend and that he can maintain his happy knack of scoring against the Toffees when the two sides meet in a relegation scrap.

The Everton players may be glad to get away from the toxic atmosphere that engulfed last weekend’s game against Southampton, who inflicted a third straight defeat on the Merseyside outfit.

But Lampard’s men have been blunt on their travels for most of the season, scoring only once in their last five away league matches.

Team news

Moyes has been rotating Gianluca Scamacca and Michail Antonio with the Italian getting the majority of the starts at home, but Ings could be handed an instant debut, if his deal goes through in time.

Maxwel Cornet is the only injury absentee for the Hammers with Said Benrahma, Ben Johnson, Thilo Kehrer, Kurt Zouma and Flynn Downes hoping to earn recalls.

For Everton, Lampard is expected to set-up with a back five again.

Yerry Mina is the odd man out at the moment with Bed Godfrey and James Tarkowski getting the nod to slot in alongside Conor Coady.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s out-of-sorts performances could lead to a change up front where Neal Maupay and Ellis Simms are the manager’s only other options.

Nathan Patterson is still out and Michael Keane is not expected to be available, but James Garner and Andros Townsend have resumed individual training as they look to recover from injuries.

The stats

Everton have lost four consecutive home league games for the first time since September 1958.

Ings has hit seven goals and provided three assists in 15 previous games against Everton, scoring against the Merseysiders for four different clubs (Burnley, Liverpool, Southampton and Aston Villa).

Everton and West Ham have scored the joint-fewest first-half goals in the Premier League this season (six each), with the Hammers the only side yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of matches in 2022-23.

Prediction

Ings’ addition could prove to be one of the shrewder January moves made by any of the bottom seven clubs as the striker is primed to hit the ground running after playing quite regularly for Aston Villa.

A history of goalscoring against Everton and the fact that the Toffees would dearly have loved to sign him themselves almost makes it inevitable that he will have a positive impact on this game.

Whether he scores or not, Ings can give Moyes’ team a lift and ensure Scamacca and Antonio are kept on their toes.

The Hammers have lost their last three home league games, but none were against teams with away records as bad as Everton’s right now.

The Toffees, who have conceded at least two goals in seven of their last eight games in all competitions, look set to come unstuck again in what could be a hard-fought home win for Moyes’ men.

West Ham have scored at least twice in three of their last six at home, all of which they won, with the hosts available to back at 11/8 with LiveScore Bet for another victory with over 1.5 goals in Saturday’s fixture.

Borussia Monchengladbach have moved fast to bring in a replacement for Yann Sommer after confirming the signing of Jonas Omlin from Montpellier.

Sommer’s eight-and-a-half-year stint with Gladbach came to an end on Thursday when joining Bayern Munich for a fee reported to be in the region of €8million.

Gladbach have turned to fellow Switzerland international Omlin, who made 74 appearances for Montpellier after joining from Basel in August 2020.

The 29-year-old, who earned the most recent of his four Swiss caps last June, has signed a deal at Borussia-Park that runs through until July 2025.

“We believe we have found a very good solution by signing Jonas Omlin,” Gladbach sporting director Roland Virkus told the club’s official website upon confirmation of the transfer. 

“He is a very reliable goalkeeper who exudes confidence, is strong on his line and is good with the ball at his feet.”

Omlin appeared in 14 of Montpellier’s 19 games this season, keeping three clean sheets.