Month: October 2019

The Reds travel to Naples looking for a second win in as many European games, having overcome French powerhouses Paris Saint-Germain last time out

Liverpool have the opportunity to stretch their lead at the top of Group C on Wednesday as they take on Napoli in the Champions League at Stadio San Paolo.

The Reds were 3-2 winners at home to Paris Saint-Germain in their opening European tie thanks to an injury-time strike from Roberto Firmino, with Daniel Sturridge and James Milner also on the scoresheet.

Napoli, however, were held to a 0-0 draw away at Red Star, leaving them with ground to make up going into the second round of fixtures.

The Serie A side have a 100 per cent home record so far this season but face a difficult task against Jurgen Klopp’s side, who are unbeaten across their eight games on the road this term.

Game	Napoli vs Liverpool
Date	Wednesday, October 3
Time	8pm BST / 3pm EST
Stream (US only)	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

---

---

In the United States (US), the game can be watched live and on-demand with fuboTV (7-day free trial).

New users can sign up for a free seven-day trial of the live sports streaming service, which can be accessed via iOS, Android, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku and Apple TV as well as on a web browser.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

US TV channel	Online stream
Univision Deportes	fubo TV (7-day free trial)

In the United Kingdom (UK), the game can be watched live on BT Sport 1 and streamed on BT Sport Live.

UK TV channel	Online stream
BT Sport 2	BT Sport Live

---

---

Position	Napoli players
Goalkeepers	Meret, Ospina, Karnezis
Defenders	Rui, Luperto, Maksimovic, Hysaj, Chiriches, Albiol
Midfielders	Allan, Callejon, Ruiz, Ounas, Hamsik, Zielinski, Insigne, Koulibaly, Diawara
Forwards	Malcuit, Verdi, Mertens, Rog, Milik

Vlad Chiriches and Amin Younes will both miss the game, though Marco Rui is available to play on Wednesday despite being sent off against Juventus at the weekend.

Dries Mertens is on the bench despite being directly involved in nine of Napoli’s last 14 Champions League goals at the Stadio San Paolo, scoring six whilst assisting three, and will be hoping to add to that against Liverpool.

Confirmed Napoli XI: Ospina, Maksimovic, Koulibaly, Albiol, Mario Rui, Allan, Hamsik, Fabian, Callejon, Milik, Insigne.

Bench: Karnezis, Hysaj, Diawara, Rog, Zielinsk, Mertens, Verdi.

Position	Liverpool players
Goalkeepers	Alisson, Mignolet, Grabara
Defenders	Clyne, Gomez, Van Dijk, Moreno, Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Lovren
Midfielders	Jones, Fabinho, Milner, Keita, Shaqiri, Wijnaldum, Markovic, Henderson
Forwards	Sturridge, Firmino, Mane, Salah, Solanke

Mohamed Salah keeps his place in the starting XI despite struggling to make an impact this season and being replaced during Liverpool’s draw with Chelsea last time out.

Sturridge may be called upon, though his manager still has his reservations about whether or not the forward can last the full game.

“It must always be the target of a player to play with the highest intensity over 95 minutes,” Klopp said of Sturridge following his 72 minutes against PSG. “I don’t know (if he can do it) because we haven’t tried it yet. He 100% understands the need to do that.”

Meanwhile, Naby Keita is back in midfield, replacing Jordan Henderson.

Confirmed Liverpool XI:  Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Milner, Keita, Wijnaldum; Salah, Firmino, Mane

Bench: Mignolet, Fabinho, Lovren, Henderson, Sturridge, Moreno, Shaqiri

---

---

Liverpool are priced at 23/20 to win, according to bet 365, while a draw is available at 13/5. A win for Napoli is priced at 5/2.

Click here to see all of bet 365’s offers for the game, including goalscoring markets, correct score predictions and more.

---

---

Liverpool and Napoli met in Dublin ahead of the 2018-19 campaign, with the Premier League side claiming a 5-0 friendly win. Little will be taken from that meeting, however, with both sides now searching for domestic and European success.

In the last competitive meeting between these two sides in November 2010, Liverpool won 3-1 at Anfield courtesy of a Steven Gerrard hat-trick, while the only previous meeting in Naples finished goalless in October 2010.

Reds winger Xherdan Shaqiri, who played at Stadio San Paolo when he represented Inter Milan during a brief period in 2015, knows how daunting the atmosphere can be at the gladiator-style arena and has warned his team-mates against complacency

“It’s always special to play in Naples,” he told the Evening Standard. “With Inter that time it was a big derby – they hate each other.

“Before the game, on the bus, it was hard and they have crazy fans. They are a good team, they’ve played together (for) many years.

“We played them in pre-season and won 5-0, but this game will be totally different to go there and take three points. 

“They are used to playing together many years now, it’s similar to Tottenham. It will be a hard game. It’s always difficult to win a game away in Naples.

“We played them in pre-season and won 5-0, but this game will be totally different to go there and take three points.”

Ashley Williams is expected to resume his captaincy duties against Spain but Ryan Giggs backed Gareth Bale as a future skipper.

Wales and Real Madrid star Gareth Bale has been tipped to become a future captain of the country by manager Ryan Giggs.

Bale wore the captain’s armband for the first time in Wales’ Nations League defeat against Denmark after Ashley Williams was rested last month.

Williams, 34, is expected to resume his captaincy duties when Wales face Spain next week but Giggs has backed Bale to skipper the nation.

“Going forward, definitely,” Giggs said.

Bale is in the squad as Wales prepare to host Spain in an international friendly at the Principality Stadium on October 11 before facing the Republic of Ireland in the Nations League five days later.

The 29-year-old missed Madrid’s shock 1-0 loss to CSKA Moscow in the Champions League on Tuesday due to a groin injury.

“There’s no pressure to play Gareth,” said Giggs. “He had a little groin strain but the scan came back all clear and he expects to be involved at the weekend, which is good.

“With every player, you get the feedback of where they’re at. We do a lot of work between camps logging the minutes certain players have played.

“We then try to get it right regarding training and game time, so we do as much homework as we can to see where the players are and to know what’s best for the player and for us.”

Giggs added: “It’s not easy for Gareth. He’s in the middle of the Champions League, so there’s a midweek game, and at Real Madrid, you have to win every game.

“Every game is huge and it’s just getting that balance right. How many minutes he plays, whether he misses a game and what’s best for us and Real Madrid. Ideally, I want him to play every minute of every game.”

 

 

 

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

The Fulham boss believes the 18-year-old can play in any position down the left for his country.

Fulham boss Slavisa Jokanovic expects Ryan Session will be called up to the England senior squad imminently.

Gareth Southgate has given youth a chance during through his tenure as Three Lions boss and has already been on hand to watch Sessegnon this season.

Sessegnon was briefly considered a contender to be included in England’s World Cup squad following a fine 2017-18 season as the West Londoners were promoted to the Premier League.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

But despite being overlooked for the finals in Russia, Jokanovic expects his prized asset to earn full international honours.

“Truly, I believe it will be soon that he will be part of the English national team,” he said.

“I never spoke to (Gareth) Southgate (England manager) about him. I spoke to people from the FA, before the World Cup.

“Some people think he’s a winger and some think he’s a full-back. He can play perfectly in both positions.

“His numbers are fantastic, as we check how many metres he is running in high intensity. You can be impressed with his physical performance.

“He is clinical in the opposite box and can score goals easy.”

Southgate will unveil his latest England squad for October’s Nations League games against Croatia and Spain on Thursday but it remains to be seen whether Sessegnon will be involved.

The 18-year-old has already been capped at Under-16, Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 level.

Luke Shaw and Danny Rose were selected as the left-backs in the squad which faced Spain and Switzerland earlier this month and both are in line to be retained.

Southgate could yet wait until November when England face the United States in a friendly, before taking on World Cup runners-up Croatia for a second time, to call on Sessegnon.

At just 1.78m (5ft 8in) Sessegnon is small in stature but Jokanovic has no concerns over his ability to play in a defensive role.

“Somebody says he is not strong enough to be a defender and they are completely wrong,” he added.

“He’s actually seven kilograms bigger than when he started working with us, that’s seven kilograms of muscle on his body. You can detect a big difference.

“I don’t know a winger or a defender who is stronger who can stop him. He must use this power in a legal way, with the experience he will use the body, use more physical contact.

“It’s weird we are talking about an 18-year-old player. I try talking about this when you are talking about men.

“He’s a kid with a body like a man. His limit is high.

“Close to the goal or far from the goal he can defend perfectly against any player, and still I am talking about an 18-year-old kid.

“I cannot compare, but I remember myself when I was 18 and I could not play in any position.”

The teenage Paris Saint-Germain striker has seen his achievements, which include a World Cup win, recognised by a prestigious American magazine

Kylian Mbappe has become just the fourth footballer after Lionel Messi, Neymar and Mario Balotelli to grace the cover of Time magazine, with the Paris Saint-Germain striker being hailed as “the future of soccer”.

At just 19 years of age, the Frenchman has become a global superstar and achieved more than most players do over the course of an entire career.

Already a two-time Ligue 1 title winner and World Cup champion, the talented teenager is also among the nominees for the 2018 Ballon d’Or.

His standing as an iconic figure of the present and future has now been recognised by a prestigious American publication, with Time giving him top billing in their latest offering.

They have been quick to hail both the sporting and social impact of a man whose stunning rags-to-riches tale has seen him transcend his chosen profession.

Few footballing figures have been afforded such coverage down the years, with Mbappe now part of an exclusive club which includes some of the most colourful and decorated personalities in the game.

“My life has been totally turned upside down,” the PSG starlet told Time on his meteoric rise to prominence.

“I am happy, and I am living the life I always dreamed of.”

Mbappe counters that by saying: “I think I might have missed out on something.

“I did not have the moments of so-called normal people during adolescence, like going out with friends, enjoying good times.”

Mbappe is enjoying himself right now, though, and there seems little chance of him being swept up in the hype which continues to rage around him.

Despite all that he has accomplished, with his profile now stretching to every corner of the globe, he remains grounded and as driven as ever to ensure that he is the best version of himself he can possibly be, on and off the field.

He added: “I have learned that the biggest stars and the greatest players are the most humble ones, the ones who respect people the most.

“You always have to keep some lucidity.

“There are three criteria: respect, humility and lucidity.”

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

The former Arsenal and Barcelona forward has been been in talks to take over at the Championship club, with John Terry mooted as his assistant

Aston Villa have held talks with Thierry Henry as they look to bring in a new manager to replace sacked Steve Bruce, Goal can confirm.

Bruce had led the Championship side to the promotion play-offs in the 2017-18 season, eventually losing to Fulham in the final, but a rapid dip in form in the new term forced the Birmingham club into action.

One particularly disgruntled supporter threw a cabbage at Bruce in his final match in charge, a 3-3 draw with Preston North End after relinquishing a two-goal lead.

Operating in much the same way as he did during talks to take over at Bordeaux, Henry has been seeking assurances over his influence over transfers and player budget should he take over at Villa Park.

The Frenchman will need guarantees from the Villans, however, with the former Arsenal and Barcelona striker having turned down the Bordeaux role due to financial reasons.

Joe DaGrosa, head of GACP, Bordeaux’s owners, told L’Equipe at the time: “We had hoped to reach an agreement with Thierry Henry, but sometimes reasonable people can disagree. That’s what happened. I have a lot of respect for him. 

“He was a great player and he has a very interesting career plan, but we took a financial decision and not an emotional one.”

John Terry, who most recently turned out for Villa before failing to secure a move to another club, announced his retirement from playing football on Sunday and has been mooted as Henry’s assistant.

There are no certainties over whether Terry will be offered the role, though the former Chelsea captain has made no secret of his desire to turn his hand to coaching.

Elsewhere, Brendan Rodgers, who had come under some scrutiny following Celtic’s poor start to the season, has ruled himself out of the running for the job.

In terms of Henry’s current role as assistant coach of the Belgium national team, it is understood that the FA will not stand in the 41-year-old’s way if he decided to take Villa up on their offer.

As yet, however, the country’s governing body have not received a formal approach from the Championship side.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

The World Cup-winning forward put in a stunning showing against Lyon on Sunday, but he feels he could have contributed even more to the cause

Kylian Mbappe netted four times in a stunning showing for Paris Saint-Germain against Lyon, but he believes he should have contributed even more.

The 19-year-old, who now has 10 goals in seven appearances this season, put in a remarkable second-half performance at Parc des Princes on Sunday.

Mbappe struck an incredible four times in just a 13-minute spell, with PSG hammering their Ligue 1 rivals 5-0.

Mbappe was delighted to walk away with another match ball, but still feels that he could have done even better.

“There have been a lot of things in this game that will make us remember it,” the France international told CanalPlus.

“I should have scored more goals, it’s part of the steps I have to go to get to the top. But at no time [have] I doubted. As long as an attacker creates opportunities, everything is fine.”

Mbappe was also involved in PSG’s opening goal against Lyon, as it was he who won the penalty which presented Neymar with an opportunity to break the deadlock.

The World Cup winner took charge from that point and can expect to add a Ballon d’Or nomination to his ever-growing list of achievements.

There is little chance of the humble teenager being swept up in the hype which surrounds him, though, with collective success of greater importance to him than individual accolades.

Mbappe added after helping PSG to a history-making ninth successive Ligue 1 win to open the season: “The most important thing is the work of a whole team and the record of the day.

“I will insist on the collective. We wanted to win and make history in this championship. We wanted this record. We have a new coach, a new philosophy, and we’ve shown that we can adapt.

“When we make the effort for each other, it makes the difference.”

Liverpool are the only side PSG have failed to beat this season, with the Reds having claimed a dramatic 3-2 victory at Anfield on matchday one of the 2018-19 Champions League.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

The Schalke midfielder enjoyed a stellar week for his club team, but will now miss USA friendlies against Colombia and Peru with an injury.

Weston McKennie’s excellent week, which included a game-winning goal in Champions League play and another goal on Saturday, came to a disappointing halt after suffering a right adductor strain that will now keep him out of the U.S. national team’s October friendlies.

McKennie joins Christian Pulisic and Tyler Adams on the list of starting USMNT midfielders who have been sidelined by injuries that will now keep all three out of matches against Colombia, on October 11, and Peru, on October 16.

Pulisic has been sidelined by a torn calf muscle, while Adams was forced out of the upcoming USMNT camp with a back injury.

Interim USMNT coach Dave Sarachan has called in Toronto FC midfielder Marky Delgado to replace McKennie on the roster.

The 20-year-old American was forced out of Schalke’s 2-0 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf in the 79th minute with an injury, but not before scoring the opening goal in the match, his first career goal in Bundesliga play. That goal came just three days after he headed home a late winner in a crucial Champions League win against Lokomtiv Moscow.

McKennie has started every match he has been available for with the USMNT, going back to his goal-scoring debut against Portugal in November. With McKennie, Pulisic and Adams sidelined, Sarachan will need to turn to a collection of central midfield options that includes Michael Bradley, Wil Trapp, Kellyn Acosta, Delgado and Julian Green.

The USMNT convenes in Tampa, Florida for training camp before facing Colombia on Thursday at Raymond James Stadium. A week later, the Americans travel north to take on Peru on October 16 in a friendly at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hoartford, Connecticut.

Here is the current 23-player USMNT roster taking part in training camp for the October friendlies:

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Atlanta United FC), Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge), Zack Steffen (Columbus Crew)

DEFENDERS: John Brooks (Wolfsburg), Reggie Cannon (FC Dallas), Cameron Carter-Vickers (Swansea City), Aaron Long (New York Red Bulls), Matt Miazga (Nantes), Antonee Robinson (Wigan Athletic/), Ben Sweat (New York City FC), DeAndre Yedlin (Newcastle United)

MIDFIELDERS: Kellyn Acosta (Colorado Rapids), Jonathan Amon (Nordsjælland), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Marky Delgado (Toronto FC), Julian Green (Greuther Fürth), Fafa Picault (Philadelphia Union), Kenny Saief (Anderlecht), Wil Trapp (Columbus Crew), Tim Weah (Paris Saint-Germain)

FORWARDS: Andrija Novakovich (Fortuna Sittard), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Bobby Wood (Hannover 96)

Having previously branded the 29-year-old the weak point of the Gunners and Germany, the Bayern director has backtracked on his remarks

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has admitted that he was wrong to call Mesut Ozil “sh*t”, saying he should have instead labelled the playmaker “crap”.

Speaking in August, Hoeness had said that Ozil was using accusations of racism as a distraction from his poor form with Germany, having previously gone on a spectacular rant about the player.

Indeed, the Arsenal playmaker was the subject to widespread criticism as Joachim Low’s side crashed out of World Cup 2018 at the group stage, having lost matches against Mexico and South Korea.

Hoeness was one of many to take aim at the 29-year-old, though he regrets his decision now.

“I should not have said sh*t, but crap,” he admitted. “My opinion of Mesut is clear: I wanted to make a point of diverting the conversation back towards sport. I wanted to divert it away from racism and integration.”

Ozil has since quit the international game amid accusations of institutional racism, though Germany’s fortunes have not picked up any. Indeed, Low’s side face the prospect of being relegated from the top tier of Nations League sides after suffering successive defeats against Netherlands and France over the course of the previous week.

At the time, this was welcomed by the Bayern boss, who told Sport Bild: “He had been playing sh*t for years.

“He last won a tackle before the 2014 World Cup. And now he and his sh*tty performance hide behind this picture.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

“Whenever [Bayern] played against Arsenal, we played over him because we knew that was their weak point.

“His 35 million followers – that don’t exist in the real world – are convinced he has played sublimely when he completes a pass.

“The development in our country is a catastrophe. You have to go back to what it is: sport. And from a sporting point of view, Ozil has no place in the national team for years.”

Prior to the competition, he had been photographed with controversial Turkish president Tayyip Erdogan along with Ilkay Gundogan, sparking a backlash in his homeland. 

DFB president Reinhard Grindel urged him to explain the incident, but Ozil replied to the repeated attacks by claiming he had been made a scapegoat for the country’s failure and been the target of racial abuse.

Hoeness also admitted that he had gone too far with his criticism of Karim Bellarabi last month when he called on the Bayer Leverkusen player to be given a lengthy ban for kicking Rafinha.

The Germany international received a four-game suspension, but it was not enough for what Hoeness saw as an “insane violation” and an example of “stupidity”.

After reflecting on it, though, he conceded he let his emotions get the better of him.

“Sometimes you are emotionally upset after the game,” he said. “I should not have said he was insane.”

Bob Bradley’s expansion side earned their place in the playoffs with dominant win, while Philly and SKC both locked up spots as well

A trio of teams booked their spots in the MLS playoffs on Saturday as LAFC, the Philadelphia Union and Sporting KC picked up victories to lock up postseason berths.

LAFC became the fifth expansion team to seal postseason soccer thanks to a 3-0 victory over the lowly Colorado Rapids. The match was headlined by a brace from Adama Diomande, who followed up on a goal from Walker Zimmerman to officially clinch a spot in the postseason.

The victory has LAFC sitting third in the Western Conference, ahead of the Portland Timbers, who picked up a 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake to move closer to clinching their own spot. The Timbers’ win keeps the team in fourth place.

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey

Sporting KC, meanwhile, sealed their spot in the postseason once again thanks to a 1-1 draw with the LA Galaxy. Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored from the penalty spot in the 25th minute, but the Galaxy could not hold on as Johnny Russell scored with seven minutes remaining to earn Sporting KC a point.

Peter Vermes’ team has now made the playoffs in seven consecutive seasons while the Galaxy are currently miss out for the second year running as they chase Real Salt Lake, the Seattle Sounders and the Portland Timbers for the final three spots.

In the Eastern Conference, the Union will be a part of the playoffs for the third time in club history thanks to a 5-1 beatdown of Minnesota United.

The Union battered the Loons early and often with Corey Burke opening the scoring eight minutes in.

Alejandro Bedoya added a second in the 23rd minute before Fafa Picault, recently added to the U.S. national team roster, scored a brace before halftime. Darwin Quintero pulled one back for the visiting Loons, but Ilsinho put an exclamation point on the win for the hosts.

While three teams confirmed playoff soccer, the reigning champion, Toronto FC, was eliminated from postseason contention following a 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps. A fourth-minute goal from Russell Teibert put TFC in an early hole, but Jozy Altidore brought the Canadian side back from the penalty spot in the 73rd. Five minutes later, the Whitecaps were back in the lead for good on a finish from Kei Kamara.

Eastern Conference leader Atlanta United kept rolling with a 2-1 win over the struggling New England Revolution. However, it may have come at a price as Miguel Almiron suffered an injury that could keep him out of action through the last few weeks of the regular season.

FC Dallas also kept it rolling via a win over struggling opposition in a 2-0 victory over Orlando City behind goals from Santiago Mosquera and Victor Ulloa. FC Dallas remains atop the West, four points ahead of Sporting KC, while Orlando City has collected just six points since May 6.

The Montreal Impact took a step towards a playoff berth of their own with a 3-0 win over the Columbus Crew. The win keeps the Impact in sixth-place, good for the final playoff spot, although they remain five points behind the Crew and five points ahead of D.C. United, who have three matches in hand.

In the final match of the evening, the New York Red Bulls stayed on Atlanta’s heels with a 3-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes, who remain dead last in the West. Alex Muyl and Bradley Wright-Phillips provided the first half goals while Aaron Long scored after halftime as the Red Bulls collected a third consecutive win.

There was a bit of silver lining for the Quakes, though, as Chris Wondolowski pulled one goal closer to Landon Donovan’s all-time recor with an 83rd minute consolation finish.

The strike was Wondolowski’s 144th career MLS goal, and leaves him just one shy of Donovan’s all-time mark. 

The 35-year-old will have two more matches this season to catch Donovan, with the Earthquakes set to take on the Colorado Rapids and the Seattle Sounders to close out the campaign. 

Dirk Reimoller, who worked with the forward in the youth ranks at Schalke, feels fierce competition for places in France is holding the forward back

Julian Draxler has “not reached his full performance level by a long shot”, according to his former youth coach at Schalke, with it suggested that he needs a move away from Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite being into his ninth season as a senior star, the Germany international is still only 25 years of age.

He has been lauded as one of European football’s most exciting talents since bursting onto the scene as a teenager and has offered enough to work his way to PSG and make over 70 appearances for the Ligue 1 champions.

It has, however, been suggested that he is yet to fulfil his true potential and that a switch to a side where he can be the undoubted star could be of greater benefit to his ongoing development.

Dirk Reimoller, who helped to put Draxler on the path to stardom at Schalke, told Spox: “He has not reached his full performance level by a long shot. I’m convinced of his footballing and human abilities.”

He added on the competition for places at PSG which is threatening to hold certain players back, as Draxler competes with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria for regular game time: “The situation of the central creative players is becoming increasingly difficult when you look at the top teams.

“For their development, it may even be better if players like Julian or Mario [Gotze] do not play in a top European team, but in a team that depends on them and is unsuccessful without them.”

Reimoller has also acknowledged that Draxler received too much praise when he was making the breakthrough at Schalke, with too much expected of him.

He has still gone on to flourish for club and country, with 48 caps having been secured with Germany.

Draxler formed part of successful squads at the 2014 World Cup and 2017 Confederations Cup and was acquired by PSG in a €36 million (£32m/$42m) deal back in January 2017.

Time is still on his side as he seeks to build on those successes, with his current contract in France set to run until the summer of 2021.