Category Uncategorized

Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat against Brentford was the “worst” of their four-game losing streak in the Premier League, according to manager Arne Slot. The Reds were unable to build on their thumping Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in midweek, with the Dutchman saying their latest reverse was more damning than the defeats against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Manchester United.

Frankfurt win proved to be false dawn for Slot and Liverpool

Having come from behind to record an impressive win in Frankfurt on Wednesday, the result ultimately proved to be a false dawn for Slot’s side. The reigning league champions were put to the sword by Brentford trio Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago as Keith Andrews’ men earned all three points at the Gtech Community Stadium. Milos Kerkez and Mohamed Salah responded in either half for Liverpool but they were unable to find a third goal as they slipped to another defeat in the top flight.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot labels Brentford defeat as the 'worst' in Reds' losing run

In a loss which has brought further question marks regarding Liverpool’s title credentials, Slot has since labelled the Brentford defeat as the most concerning in his side’s poor run of form.

"You cannot compare all of them [the four league defeats] but the most concerning thing is that you lose four times in a row,” Slot told after the game. “Afterwards you can judge the performance and today was the worst in my opinion from all the four. Again, conceding a set-piece and not scoring one makes it hard to win a game of football.

"We didn't do the basics right in the first half and parts of the second.

"They won more duels than us, they won more second balls than us and if you come here and you know if you are going to concede goals then one of them may be a set-piece and a counter-attack is also one of their biggest strengths and that's how we conceded two goals.”

Dutchman felt Liverpool were 'unlucky' to concede penalty

Despite branding the defeat as the worst in what is a troubling period for Liverpool, Slot felt his team were unlucky to concede the penalty which led to Thiago’s all-important winner for Brentford. The Bees were awarded the spot kick after the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) adjudged defender Virgil van Dijk had fouled forward Ouattara inside the box, with replays showing the incident occurred on the line of the penalty area.

Slot said: ”We were unlucky with the penalty we conceded. I'm not sure the referee would have given them the penalty if he thought it was inside the box at the time. He thought it was a soft contact, but it was outside the box. Let's give them a free-kick, but it turned out to be inside, so the VAR had to overturn it, as that's his job.

"After going 3-1 down, we tried, made some substitutes, but maybe if I am completely honest, them scoring at that moment in time was more likely than us to make it 3-2.”

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportEx-Liverpool man McManaman tells Slot what he should do next

In a summer which saw Liverpool attempt to build on last season’s title victory by signing a host of new players, including the eye-catching arrivals of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, Slot’s new-look side have struggled to click of late. And speaking after the final whistle at Brentford, former Reds midfielder Steve McManaman urged Slot to go back to the players he trusts in a bid to arrest the club’s sudden slide.

"They have to get back to what they did last year, playing as a unit and together,” McManaman told “It's all hit-and-miss at this moment in time. Everybody is running around all over the place, and they're not solid in midfield.

"They're trying to jam players in there when they should probably be taken out of the side and left at the moment. Slot has to go back to the players he really trusts and knows can do it.

"Liverpool have home games coming up and they have to turn this around. They had all the platitudes last season, when they were winning the league easily. Now, they have to take the criticism on the chin and they have to respond.”

Arsenal kept up the pressure on their Premier League title rivals with a hard fought 1-0 win at Fulham courtesy of Leandro Trossard's second-half goal. The Gunners never looked like dropping points and relied on their prowess from set-pieces to get the job done, with Bukayo Saka, who caused the hosts all sorts of problems during the 90 minutes, creating the winning goal with a delicious corner.

Mikel Arteta's side had picked up just one point from their last two visits to Craven Cottage and they struggled again in a scrappy first half, with Viktor Gyokeres' effort which was well saved by Bernd Leno the only shot on target either side could muster.

The visitors improved after the interval, however, and got the crucial breakthrough just before the hour mark – with a set-piece again making the distance. Saka's corner was flicked on by Gabriel, with Trossard turning the ball in from close range.

Saka thought he had a penalty soon after when he was tripped by Kevin, but after awarding the spot-kick referee Anthony Taylor overturned his decision after a VAR review deemed that the Fulham substitute had got the ball first. The Gunners would hold on for the win that now makes it five on the bounce in all competitions, with the three points ensuring they'd take back their lead at the top of the Premier League table.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Craven Cottage…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (6/10):

Didn't have a save to make all evening. Looked after his box well when called upon.

Jurrien Timber (6/10):

Looked to get forward and support Saka when he could, but lacked that quality in the final third when he got into some good positions. Solid defensively as always.

William Saliba (7/10):

Solid enough and dealt quite well with Raul Jimenez whenever it was his turn to pick him up. 

Gabriel Magalhaes (6/10):

Looked unusually nervy early on. Played a couple of loose balls out from the back and played Arsenal into trouble. Tough physical battle against Jimenez. Got the crucial flick-on for Trossard's goal.

Riccardo Calafiori (7/10):

Just a crazy player to watch. A left-back who looks more like a No.10. Would have scored one of the goals of the season had it not been for the offside flag. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMidfield

Martin Zubimendi (7/10):

Kept things ticking over nicely. Tidy in possession as always and protected the back four well.

Declan Rice (7/10):

Typical Rice performance. Never stopped working and looking to drive the team on. Whipped one shot just wide of the post late on in the first half.

Eberechi Eze (6/10):

Not at his best. A bit sloppy at times, although it was very hard for him to find any space in what was a very congested central area.

Getty Images SportAttack

Bukayo Saka (8/10):

Ryan Sessegnon played him quite well, but Saka still looked a threat. End product was just a bit off in the first half. Much better after the interval, caused Fulham so many problems when he got on the ball.

Viktor Gyokeres (6/10):

Had one shot saved by Leno in the first-half after a nice run into the box. Another hard-working display, with little to show for it. Blazed one good chance over in the second half after using his strength well to work a shooting position and had another effort saved late on.

Leandro Trossard (7/10):

Was the one player who found any space in the first half over on that left-hand side but was unable to make it count. Was in the right place at the right time to turn home Gabriel's flick-on and break the deadlock.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty Images SportSubs & Manager

Mikel Merino (6/10):

Helped Arsenal see the game out.

Gabriel Martinelli (6/10):

Saw a good a good chance saved by Leno late on.

Christian Norgaard (N/A):

Replaced Gyokeres in injury time.

Mikel Arteta (7/10):

Not his side's best performance by any means but it's three valuable points after the international break. 

Not for the first time, Peter Handscomb returned to haunt his old county as Leicestershire kept their noses in front on an absorbing day two against Middlesex at Lord’s.Handscomb made only two 50s in 21 innings over two seasons for the Seaxes, but added to his century here last season with a defiant 87. It marked his 100th score of 50 or more in first-class cricket. Ian Holland (37) and Ben Green (36) lent support in stands of 93 and 59 respectively to carry the visitors to 274.Former Pakistan international spinner Zafar Gohar kept the hosts in touch with figures of 4-34, but the missed stumping off his bowling which reprieved Handscomb on 54 may yet prove costly.Middlesex openers Sam Robson and Max Holden survived a nervy four over before the close, reducing their arrears by 10 runs in the process.Leicestershire were initially bogged down as the new ball regularly whistled past both edges of the bat. Sol Budinger opted to counter-attack, depositing one from Dane Paterson over mid-on for six, but the former South African international reaped rapid vengeance, bowling him with a beauty which clipped off-stump.Toby Roland-Jones came on as the day’s first change and struck with his second delivery, a lack of footwork from Rehan Ahmed, coupled by a tentative poke at the ball resulting in an inside edge onto the stumps.With the hosts now on top, debutant Naavya Sharma should have enjoyed a dream start, finding the edge of Lewis Hill’s bat in his opening over in first-class cricket, only for the usually safe hands of Sam Robson to grass the chance at first slip. Hill though didn’t make the most of the reprieve, Roland-Jones bowling him off the inside edge soon afterwards.Handscomb though found an ally in Holland as the early afternoon developed into a game of patience, stoic defence resisting frugal bowling by the hosts. Thirteen runs were squeezed out in 11 overs before a lovely cover drive by Handscombe raised the 50-stand and Holland mimicked his captain’s shot as the scoreboard began to tick over.Another boundary took Handscomb to his landmark half-century, but he should have gone on 54, wicketkeeper Jack Davies missing a stumping chance after he gave Gohar the charge. A huge lbw shout to the next delivery also went unheeded, after which Handscombe re-entrenched.His stand with the obdurate Holland reached 93 before the all-rounder was bamboozled by one from Gohar which beat his defences and dislodged the off-bail.It was part of a lovely spell by the left-arm spinner either side of tea in which he also snared Ben Cox and Logan Van Beek, both leg before.At 197 for 7, Middlesex were even scenting a narrow first-innings lead, but new batter Green opened his shoulders, clubbing Hollman over the short boundary.The new ball was dispatched with similar distain, a straight drive back past Roland Jones, one of the shots of the day.Handscomb appeared to be inching towards his century, but was undone on Australia’s unlucky number 87, lofting the first ball of Gohar’s new spell to the hands of mid-on.Green’s enterprising innings ended when he was pinned in front by Higgins, before Sharma returned to scatter Tom Scriven’s stumps and claim the maiden first-class wicket he should have had earlier in the day.

Forest Green Rovers manager Robbie Savage has made waves after making a quadruple substitution in the first minute of his team's match against Wolverhampton Wanderers' Under-21s on Tuesday in the National League Cup. The ex-Premier League star took advantage of an obscure loophole to make wholesale changes to his team straight after kick-off and saw Forest Green go on to win 3-2 at the New Lawn stadium.

• Savage exploits rules with instant changes

  Savage, who enjoyed spells in the Premier League as a player with clubs like Blackburn and Derby, lined up his Forest Green side against Wolves' academy team and left fans scratching their heads as he immediately replaced Tom Knowles, Kyle McAllister, Neil Kengni and Abraham Kanu with Akai Bonnick, Will Merrett, Yahya Bamba and James Balagizi.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Why Savage made four changes in the first minute

  National League Cup rules state that clubs must name at least four players who started the previous league game in their line-up. The rule has been designed to try and protect the integrity of the competition and prevent teams from making wholesale changes between league and cup games. Savage took advantage by making seven changes to the XI that drew with Scunthorpe last time out and then replaced another four players straight after kick-off, effectively changing his entire team for the fixture.

• Savage hails 'learning experience' for youngsters

  Savage was a happy man after the game and says the fixture is a great learning experience for his team's young players. He told the club's media after the game: "What a night for the youngsters again. Six points in the competition, learning experience for them. What a learning experience for them to be in the first-team dressing room, seeing how first-team players conduct themselves. It was a very good night and a good performance all around."

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Savage to repeat trick with Forest Green Rovers?

  Savage has used a similar tactic before, making two changes in the opening minutes against West Brom's Under-21s in August, and may do so again. Forest Green Rovers will play their next National League Cup fixture in October against Leicester City's Under-21s.

Juventus are in talks to sign Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain, aiming to sign the forward regardless of Dusan Vlahovic's situation.

• Juventus offering €10m loan with €45m option
• PSG asking for obligation
• Vlahovic might stay at Juventus

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , Juventus have proposed a €10 million (£9m/$11m) loan with an option to buy for €45m (£39m/$52m) for Kolo Muani, while PSG are pushing for an obligation to purchase him at the end of the season. Several Premier League sides, including Tottenham and Manchester United, reportedly showed interest but the French striker rejected them as he is determined to move to Juventus and is even willing to give up part of his salary in order to boost his hopes of returning to the Serie A side.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kolo Muani joined Juventus on a six month loan in January and went on to score 10 goals and provide three assists in all competitions. His performances have made him a priority target for new coach Igor Tudor. The 26-year-old joined PSG in 2023 but started just 21 games across Ligue 1 and the Champions League across his season-and-a-half in the French capital before heading to Turin.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Juventus have been looking to offload Dusan Vlahovic, who has entered the final year of his contract. The striker’s €12m (£10m/$14m) net salary weighs heavily on the club’s balance sheet. AC Milan, now coached by Massimiliano Allegri who previously worked with Vlahovic at Juventus, have shown interest, though no move has materialised. Juventus also attempted to include Vlahovic in a swap deal for Sandro Tonali, but Newcastle rejected the proposal. At this stage there remains a strong possibility that Vlahovic will stay in Turin for the season.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  After opening the 2025-26 Serie A season with a win, Juventus are counting on the arrival of Kolo Muani to add extra firepower to their attack, while also remaining hopeful that a suitable offer arrives for Vlahovic.

Newcastle United travelled all the way to Australia to face fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in a post-season friendly on Tuesday, just days after the 2023/24 campaign drew to a close.

Eddie Howe’s side managed to claim a 1-1 draw against Ange Postecoglou’s outfit, eventually winning the game on penalties, in a meeting that featured various young talents.

Alex Murphy and Garang Kuol were just two of the Magpies youngsters who featured during the encounter, allowing the boss to have an added look at his talents before making any decisions about their immediate futures.

The latter has endured a tricky loan spell away from St James’ Park this season, only managing one goal in 15 appearances during his temporary stint at Eredivise side FC Volendam, who suffered a return back to the second tier after two years in the Dutch top-flight.

However, one other youth talent was handed an opportunity down under, with his performance certainly giving Howe food for thought about his future during the 2024/25 campaign.

Joe White’s stats against Tottenham Hotspur

Following his loan spell at Crewe Alexandra for the first half of the 2023/24 campaign, midfielder Joe White was recalled in January to provide squad depth following the club’s awful injury record.

He made four brief substitute appearances, for the Magpies before being handed the opportunity to play for 45 minutes in the second half against Spurs yesterday.

The 21-year-old replaced Brazilian midfielder Joelinton at the break, with the first-team regular still building up his fitness levels following his recent return from his long-term thigh issue.

White grabbed the opportunity with both hands, completing 100% of the 14 passes he attempted in the meeting – finishing the game with the best pass completion rate of any player who played at least 45 minutes.

The youngster also impressed out of possession for the Magpies, winning three tackles and making two interceptions during the score draw in Australia.

Minutes played

45

Passes completed

14/14 (100%)

Tackles

3

Interceptions

2

Duels won

3/5 (60%)

He also won three out of the five duels that he entered, demonstrating his qualities at both ends of the pitch for Howe’s side – earning a 6/10 match rating from the Shields Gazette's Dominic Scurr.

Despite it only being a friendly, it was a very impressive display for the Newcastle talent, with his performance potentially allowing the club to avoid splashing the cash on one midfielder during the summer window.

Why Joe White must be unleashed in 24/25

Although it would be an almighty jump from League Two to the Premier League, White's outing against top-flight opposition is evidence he can thrive when called upon.

Newcastle announced they suffered losses of over £70m during the previous financial year, with any signings potentially pending on outgoings before being completed.

Howe’s side have previously been linked with a move for Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, but with his excellent campaign – in which he supplied 15 league goals and assists – the playmaker there’s no surprise that he would cost the Magpies upwards of £50m this summer.

It wouldn’t be unheard of for the club to stick with and trust youth players as demonstrated with Lewis Miley and Elliot Anderson during the 2023/24 season, with the “creative” White, as described by Howe himself, potentially the next on the conveyer belt of youth players who can cement their place in the first-team – thus removing the need to splash the cash on the likes of Gibbs-White.

The club still have multiple friendly matches of their current post-season tour, with Howe desperately needing another look at the youngster to evaluate his chances of featuring under him at St James’ next season.

PIF eye Newcastle move for £35m talent who'd be "superior" to Ramsdale

The club are actively looking to improve their current goalkpeeing situation.

ByEthan Lamb May 22, 2024

Newcastle United are interested in completing the signing of a “magic” player in the summer transfer window, in a deal that could be worth under £5m.

Newcastle transfer news

The Magpies could revamp their squad once a disappointing campaign reaches its conclusion in May, with reinforcements arguably needed all over the pitch. Long-term injuries to centre-back pair Sven Botman and Jamaal Lascelles mean that defensive additions are essential, not only centrally but also at full-back, considering Kieran Tripper and Dan Burn are now 33 and 31 years of age respectively.

According to a fresh report, Newcastle are interested in acquiring the signature of Real Sociedad centre-back Robin Le Normand, but face stiff competition from Napoli, who could snap him up by offering as little as £1.7m more than the Magpies.

Rumours continue to link them with Sporting CP duo Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande, too, with the Portuguese giants already thought to be planning for life without at least one of their young defensive gems.

Away from the back-line, Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra has been lined up as a target for Newcastle this summer, with the Spaniard likened to his legendary compatriot Xabi Alonso. In goal, Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale could head to St James' Park, too, coming in and providing great competition for Nick Pope. Eddie Howe knows him well from their time together at Bournemouth.

Newcastle want to sign "magic" shot-stopper

According to The Telegraph's Mike McGrath and John Percy, Newcastle are keen on signing Middlesbrough goalkeeper Seny Dieng this summer, with the report stating that Boro want to sell him for double the £2m they paid for him in 2023.

The 29-year-old is believed to have caught the eye of numerous Premier League clubs, including Crystal Palace, while Championship leaders Ipswich Town are also interested.

Assuming Newcastle don't go and buy Ramsdale this summer, Dieng may represent a really shrewd backup option to Pope, but having all three in Howe's squad could feel needless.

Seny Dieng's key career stats in British football	Matches	Goals conceded	Clean sheets
Queen Park Rangers	121	162	30
Doncaster Rovers	32	32	10
Middlesbrough	29	38	9
Dundee	18	33	1
Stevenage	16	21	5

The Middlesbrough man is now a hugely experienced player who has made 145 appearances in the Championship, not to mention winning five caps at international level for Senegal. Former manager Michael Beale once hailed a brilliant moment in which he scored a late equaliser for QPR against Sunderland in 2022/23, saying: "Seny is a modest young man, says a few words.

"What a magic moment for him. He is the first goalkeeper to score for QPR and the 900 or so fans who have made the round trip with the train strike, they get to say I was there. He has made a couple of great saves as well."

Newcastle now leading race to sign “orchestrator” likened to Xabi Alonso

An approach has been made.

By
Henry Jackson

Apr 4, 2024

Dieng would surely jump at the opportunity to move to Newcastle, given their status as one of the biggest teams in the Premier League, and he would also likely be content with playing second fiddle to Pope, pushing him for playing time but accepting that he isn't first choice straight away.

Head coach Simon Katich adds that the team ‘ran out of steam’

Saurabh Somani06-Nov-20204:11

‘We ran out of steam with the bat’ – Katich

Royal Challengers Bangalore ended their IPL 2020 season with a six-wicket loss in the Eliminator against Sunrisers Hyderabad on Friday. It was a campaign that began promisingly but fizzled out towards the end. The Royal Challengers had won seven of their first ten games, but then lost five in a row. They batted first in each of those five games, but crossed 160 only once, a fact that captain Virat Kohli put down nerves in the batting group.”Maybe a bit of nerves, a bit of hesitation,” Kohli told host broadcaster Star Sports after the Eliminator. “As I said, we need to be more expressive with the bat. We didn’t probably have any phases in the game where we got away from the opposition. We just allowed bowlers to bowl in the areas they wanted to and didn’t put them under enough pressure I believe. If you look at our last three-four games, we’ve hit a lot of fielders as well. A lot of good shots going to the fielders. It’s been a strange kind of phase of four-five games for us. Tonight, just didn’t have enough on the board.”The Royal Challengers made 131 for 7 after being asked to bat by the Sunrisers on a slow pitch with turn. The expected dew didn’t set in until late in Abu Dhabi, which brought the Royal Challengers’ spinners into greater play, but the Sunrisers got the win with two balls to spare, Kane Williamson (50*) and Jason Holder (24*) guiding the chase. The one opportunity they had to dismiss Williamson was a difficult one, when Devdutt Padikkal at the deep square leg boundary parried the ball back into play in the 18th over before stepping over the rope, but couldn’t come back inside in time to catch it.”I don’t think we had enough on the board,” Kohli said. “We made one hell of a game out of it in the second half, and the position we got ourselves into in the second half – probably with a better execution… it’s a game of margins and if Kane is taken there it’s a different game altogether. But they put us under a lot of pressure in the first innings. A few soft dismissals, a few fortunate ones for them as well.”AB de Villiers – feeling the weight of single-handedly carrying RCB?•BCCIHead coach Simon Katich felt that the batting ‘ran out of steam’ after the strong start.”We felt like we were on track at the 10-games mark, and then heading into the last four games… looking back on it now, it feels like we probably ran out of a bit steam,” Katich said at the post-match press conference. “Particularly with the bat. That’s probably the one area that faded a bit after a really good start to the tournament. Credit to the Sunrisers today, I thought they squeezed us beautifully. They took early wickets and then we were always under pressure trying to play catch up. We always felt if we can get 150 on the board we would be in the game, particularly with the two leggies (Yuzvendra Chahal and Adam Zampa) in the team and seeing the wicket. It was slow and offering a little bit of turn. To stack our batting today and only get 130 was disappointing. Sunrisers thoroughly deserved to go through.”The Royal Challengers maintained a stable opening combination for most of the tournament, starting with Aaron Finch and Padikkal at the top and then replacing an out of form Finch with Josh Philippe, but for the Eliminator, it was Kohli who came out to open with Padikkal.”Yeah look it was settled,” Katich said of the opening combination. “Aaron Finch didn’t get dropped till the 11th game. In terms of a settled combination, we did that for the first ten games. Unfortunately, Finchy didn’t make as many runs as he would have liked. We made the change, Josh Philippe came in, got an opportunity. But when it came to the playoffs, we made a decision that Virat was going to open today. Unfortunately it didn’t work, but realistically, we didn’t chop and change too much compared to the past. It was pretty consistent for the bulk of the tournament. Just ended up being a forced change due to form.”While acknowledging disappointment at not progressing further in the tournament, Katich stressed that it was far from doom and gloom for the Royal Challengers.”While we fell away to the back end of the tournament, I think throughout, we felt like we made some strides on the previous couple of years,” he said. “Plenty of positives in the tournament, certainly not all doom and gloom. We’ve got to make sure that we’ve learned from this experience. Tonight’s a great lesson for our younger guys, to experience the pressure cooker of the playoffs. Obviously didn’t go to plan tonight, hopefully that lesson and experience will hold them in good stead in years to come.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet7k： O Botafogo se empenhou muito, mas não deixou de amargar a sua primeira derrota na Série B. Em jogo muito tenso neste domingo nos Aflitos, a equipe pecou novamente na marcação e foi derrotada por 3 a 1 pelo Náutico, que está com 100% de aproveitamento em 15 pontos. Pedro Castro (contra), Jean Carlos e Paiva marcaram os gols da equipe pernambucana e Felipe Ferreira fez o gol do Alvinegro, que segue com oito pontos após cinco rodadas.

A equipe de Marcelo Chamusca só volta a campo neste sábado para encarar o Sampaio Corrêa, em jogo válido pela sétima rodada. A partida contra o CSA foi adiada porque o Nilton Santos foi cedido para a Copa América.

CONFIRA A TABELA DA SÉRIE B DO BRASILEIRÃO

da jogodeouro：
SUBIU A TEMPERATURA…

O nervosismo em torno do jogo não demorou a ter uma proporção maior. Irritado após o árbitro optar porque Warley recebeu cartão amarelo ao deixar o braço no rosto de Jean Carlo, o técnico Hélio dos Anjos não poupou reclamações. Sem esconder sua bronca, o comandante do Náutico foi expulso de campo.

TÊM COISAS QUE…

Impetuoso, o Botafogo apostava em lançamentos para Rafael Navarro e chegou a ter um bom momento ao Guilherme servir e Marco Antônio exigir Alex Alves. Porém, em sua primeira grande investida, o Náutico saiu na frente.

Após escanteio marcado equivocadamente pela arbitragem Jean Carlos cobrou para a área e Vinícius cabeceou na primeira trave. A bola desviou em um jogador do Botafogo e também em Pedro Castro, que marcou contra.

LUTANDO NA FRENTE…

O Botafogo não se poupou a se lançar ao ataque. Chay cobrou falta venenosa e Alex Alves esticou-se para evitar o empate. Em seguida, Rafael Navarro tentou de carrinho, mas foi parado pelo goleiro.

… SÓ QUE ERRANDO NA DEFESA

Só que a equipe de Marcelo Chamusca seguia com a marcação muito frouxa. Assim que perdia a bola, o Náutico avançava com liberdade pelos lados e buscava investidas com Vinícius e Jean Carlos. No entanto, a pontaria do Timbu não estava tão inspirada em tentativas de Camutanga e Trindade. Na investida mais clara da equipe, Vinícius cruzou rasteiro, só que Kieza chegou atrasado.

RITMO ACELERADO, MAS… CADÊ O GOL?

O técnico Marcelo Chamusca promoveu no intervalo as entradas de Daniel Borges e Diego Gonçalves nos lugares de Warley e Chay, respectivamente. O ímpeto alvinegro aumentou em tentativa de Pedro Castro e finalizações de fora de área. No entanto, faltava acertar o pé. Após cobrança de escanteio, Pedro Castro chutou e a bola bateu em Alex Alves. Na sobra, ele desviou do goleiro batido, mas acabou acertando o próprio goleiro.

KIEZA NA MARCA DO PÊNALTI

O Náutico ensaiou uma reação em jogadas pela pontas. Vinícius passou como quis pela esquerda e alçou. Kieza completou por cima. Em seguida, veio uma chance preciosa de ampliar.

Erick tentou drible na área e sofreu falta de PV, em pênalti corretamente marcado. Kieza partiu para a cobrança, mas seu chute saiu rasteiro a parou tranquilo nas mãos de Douglas Borges.

EM NOVA VOLTAGEM

As entradas de Felipe Ferreira e Rafael Moura revigoraram o Botafogo. Pressionando mais a saída de bola do Timbu, a equipe logo chegou a um empate. Camutanga hesitou e o He-Man roubou a bola. Diego Gonçalves recebeu passe e serviu Felipe Ferreira, que não titubeou diante de Alex Alves.

A igualdade fez o Alvinegro partir para cima de vez. Rafael Moura e Felipe Ferreira tiveram oportunidades, mas não conseguiram marcar.

NOVO VACILO

Os erros de marcação custaram caro ao Botafogo. Em nova jogada na área, PV deu carrinho em Hereda dentro da área. O árbitro marcou pênalti mesmo com a bola já tendo saído de campo. Desta vez, Jean Carlos correu e cobrou com força para o fundo da rede aos 44 minutos.

TIMBU FECHA A CONTA

Mesmo tentando novas investidas em bolas aéreas, o Botafogo não conseguiu evitar sua primeira derrota na Série B. Aos 50 minutos, Alex Alves cobrou falta e Paiva encontrou espaço para avançar e fulminar a rede. O Náutico segue 100% na competição.

FICHA TÉCNICA

NÁUTICO 3×1 BOTAFOGO

Data-Hora: 20-06-21 – 16h
Estádio: Aflitos, em Recife (PE)
Árbitro: Wanderson de Souza Júnior (MG)
Assistentes: Ricardo Junio de Souza (MG) e Frederico Alves Vilarinho (MG)

Cartões amarelos: Vinícius, Wagner, Camutanga, Matheus Trindade (NAU), Warley, Rafael Carioca (no banco de reservas), Kanu, Pedro Castro, Guilherme Santos, Rafael Moura (BOT)

Cartão vermelho: Hélio dos Anjos (NAU)

Gols: Pedro Castro (contra), 15/1T (1-0), Felipe Ferreira, 29/2T (1-1), Jean Carlos, 44/2T (2-1), Paiva, 50/2T (3-1)

NÁUTICO: Alex Alves; Hereda, Camutanga, Wagner Leonardo e Bryan; Matheus Trindade, Rhaldney (Marciel, 19/2T) e Jean Carlos; Erick, Vinícius (Matheus Carvalho, 28/2T) e Kieza. Técnico: Hélio dos Anjos

BOTAFOGO: Douglas Borges; Warley (Daniel Borges, intervalo), Kanu, Gilvan e PV; Oyama, Pedro Castro (Rafael Moura, 24/2T), Chay (Diego Gonçalves, intervalo), Marco Antônio (Felipe Ferreira, 24/2T) e Guilherme Santos (Barreto, 33/2T); Rafael Navarro. Técnico: Marcelo Chamusca

Leeds United are currently battling it out to land an automatic promotion place back to the Premier League at the first time of asking this season. The Whites are third in the division as it stands, one point behind Leicester City and two points behind Ipswich Town, with three matches left to play.

Daniel Farke's side will have to go through the lottery of the play-offs, where they could face his former side Norwich City, if they fail to break back into the top two.

If the Yorkshire-based outfit do earn promotion, though, then they could look to bolster their squad, and the latest update on one of their reported targets makes for happy reading for the club.

Leeds United's chances of signing Joe Rodon

According to Football Insider, Tottenham Hotspur are set to sanction a permanent exit for Leeds loanee Joe Rodon in the upcoming summer transfer window, and will "accept (an) offer" from the 49ers Group at Elland Road.

Journalist Pete O'Rourke adds that the Whites would '"love" to sign the central defender on a permanent deal at the end of the season, after his loan move comes to an end. The reporter writes that Spurs are now expected to cash in on the Wales international, who they had signed from Championship side Swansea, later this year.

Football Insider adds that a fee of up to £15m could be enough to secure his services, although it remains to be seen whether or not the club are prepared to offer that for Rodon.

The towering defender shares an agency – CAA Stellar – with current Leeds teammates Patrick Bamford and Daniel James and this, along with the existing loan deal between the two sides, suggests that the Whites already have a relationship in place to negotiate a deal this summer.

Why Leeds should sign Rodon on a permanent deal

Farke has showcased his love for Rodon throughout the Championship season by consistently selecting him at the heart of the defence. The German boss has also hailed him as "excellent" and praised the centre-back's "warrior mentality" at times, with his fantastic performances at the back for Leeds.

He has started 39 of the club's 43 league games this term and played a crucial role in the team having the best defensive record in the division, with just 34 goals conceded.

Appearances

40

Sofascore rating

7.22

Clearances per game

4.5

Interceptions per game

1.2

Ball recoveries per game

4.2

Duel success rate

66%

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old titan has provided consistently impressive displays at the back, dominating opposition attackers with a 66% duel success rate.

No Leeds player has made more clearances per game than Rodon and only Ethan Ampadu (1.4) has more interceptions per match so far this season, which speaks to how important his defensive work has been since his loan switch from Spurs.

Leeds looking at surprise move to sign “quality” striker with 204 goals

The Whites are looking to improve their forward line this summer.

ByJosh Barker Apr 14, 2024

At the age of 26, the Welsh colossus may also have his best years ahead of him, as he has plenty of time to develop and improve under Farke, which means that Leeds signing him on a permanent deal could be a fantastic move in the short-term and for the future at Elland Road.