Skip to main content

PSG’s dominance makes Messi a pure luxury in Ligue 1 Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain are already surging clear towards the Ligue 1 title in France even as Lionel Messi has so far been held back for the Champions League, in which he got his first goal for his new club in midweek. Messi’s majestic strike sealed a 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City that sent out a statement to the rest of Europe, PSG confirming that they are leading contenders to go all the way in the Champions League. That is why they signed Messi, as they look to win the European Cup for the first time, and that is why Messi came to Paris following his departure from Barcelona, convinced that the Qatar-owned club offered him the best chance to get his hands on a trophy that has eluded him since 2015. It was just the third time the 34-year-old Argentine had started alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the PSG attack since he made his debut off the bench in a 2-0 Ligue 1 win at Reims in late August. Indeed Messi has played the sum total of 100 minutes in domestic competition and yet that has not mattered one jot to Mauricio Pochettino’s side, such is their superiority in France. As they look to reclaim the Ligue 1 title from reigning champions Lille, PSG are already nine points clear of Lens in second after just eight games. They have a 100 percent record in the league, only the third time ever in France that a team has won its first eight matches of a campaign. The first was Olympique Lillois in 1936, while the last was…PSG, who won their opening 14 games in 2018 under Thomas Tuchel. PSG go to Rennes on Sunday, where a full house of close to 30,000 will hope to catch a glimpse of Messi while also hoping the capital side can be brought down a peg or two. Messi sat out PSG’s last two games with a knee knock as he was kept back in preparation to face City, but he should feature at Roazhon Park before jetting off to Argentina for a gruelling series of three World Cup qualifiers. If anyone can stop PSG then maybe it should be Rennes, who spent 80 million euros ($92.6m) on new signings in the summer, more than anyone in France including PSG. Messi, of course, arrived on a free transfer, too good an opportunity for the Parisians to pass up in their pursuit of Champions League glory. In Ligue 1 they barely need him. Player to watch: Seko Fofana The captain of Lens has been outstanding for his side, who climbed to second in the table with a thrilling 3-2 win at Marseille last weekend. In fact the midfielder has been superb ever since joining Lens from Udinese last year. Born in Paris, he joined Manchester City as a teenager but never broke through at the Etihad Stadium. However, on current form the Ivory Coast international will soon be attracting interest from some of the continent’s very biggest clubs. “I am lucky to play with great players who allow me to shine,” he said modestly after the win in Marseille. Key stats 8 – PSG have won all eight Ligue 1 games so far this season. 14 – Lille have won all 14 Ligue 1 matches in which Canadian striker Jonathan David has found the net since the start of last season. They play Marseille on Sunday. 0 – Saint-Etienne go into the derby against Lyon without a win to their name this season and bottom of the table. Claude Puel’s side have picked up not a single point in their last five games. Fixtures (times GMT) Friday Lens v Reims (1900) Saturday Montpellier v Strasbourg (1500), Nice v Brest (1900) Sunday Rennes v Paris Saint-Germain (1100), Angers v Metz, Lorient v Clermont, Monaco v Bordeaux, Nantes v Troyes (all 1300), Lille v Marseille (1500), Saint-Etienne v Lyon (1845)


Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain are already surging clear towards the Ligue 1 title in France even as Lionel Messi has so far been held back for the Champions League, in which he got his first goal for his new club in midweek.

Messi’s majestic strike sealed a 2-0 win over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City that sent out a statement to the rest of Europe, PSG confirming that they are leading contenders to go all the way in the Champions League.

That is why they signed Messi, as they look to win the European Cup for the first time, and that is why Messi came to Paris following his departure from Barcelona, convinced that the Qatar-owned club offered him the best chance to get his hands on a trophy that has eluded him since 2015.

It was just the third time the 34-year-old Argentine had started alongside Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in the PSG attack since he made his debut off the bench in a 2-0 Ligue 1 win at Reims in late August.

Indeed Messi has played the sum total of 100 minutes in domestic competition and yet that has not mattered one jot to Mauricio Pochettino’s side, such is their superiority in France.

As they look to reclaim the Ligue 1 title from reigning champions Lille, PSG are already nine points clear of Lens in second after just eight games.

They have a 100 percent record in the league, only the third time ever in France that a team has won its first eight matches of a campaign.

The first was Olympique Lillois in 1936, while the last was…PSG, who won their opening 14 games in 2018 under Thomas Tuchel.

PSG go to Rennes on Sunday, where a full house of close to 30,000 will hope to catch a glimpse of Messi while also hoping the capital side can be brought down a peg or two.

Messi sat out PSG’s last two games with a knee knock as he was kept back in preparation to face City, but he should feature at Roazhon Park before jetting off to Argentina for a gruelling series of three World Cup qualifiers.

If anyone can stop PSG then maybe it should be Rennes, who spent 80 million euros ($92.6m) on new signings in the summer, more than anyone in France including PSG.

Messi, of course, arrived on a free transfer, too good an opportunity for the Parisians to pass up in their pursuit of Champions League glory. In Ligue 1 they barely need him.

Player to watch: Seko Fofana

The captain of Lens has been outstanding for his side, who climbed to second in the table with a thrilling 3-2 win at Marseille last weekend. In fact the midfielder has been superb ever since joining Lens from Udinese last year.

Born in Paris, he joined Manchester City as a teenager but never broke through at the Etihad Stadium. However, on current form the Ivory Coast international will soon be attracting interest from some of the continent’s very biggest clubs.

“I am lucky to play with great players who allow me to shine,” he said modestly after the win in Marseille.

Key stats

8 – PSG have won all eight Ligue 1 games so far this season.

14 – Lille have won all 14 Ligue 1 matches in which Canadian striker Jonathan David has found the net since the start of last season. They play Marseille on Sunday.

0 – Saint-Etienne go into the derby against Lyon without a win to their name this season and bottom of the table. Claude Puel’s side have picked up not a single point in their last five games.

Fixtures (times GMT)

Friday

Lens v Reims (1900)

Saturday

Montpellier v Strasbourg (1500), Nice v Brest (1900)

Sunday

Rennes v Paris Saint-Germain (1100), Angers v Metz, Lorient v Clermont, Monaco v Bordeaux, Nantes v Troyes (all 1300), Lille v Marseille (1500), Saint-Etienne v Lyon (1845)



from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/39UzUsA
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Where to find Colombia vs. Ecuador on TV and streaming If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Colombia vs. Ecuador, you’ve come to the right place. With the national teams in the CONMEBOL region continuing their path to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, the latest game in the World Cup qualifying features Colombia vs. Ecuador, live on U.S. streaming and pay-per-view television. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it via legal streaming and pay-per-view television: Who: Colombia vs. Ecuador What: CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier When: Game kicks off at 5pm ET / 2pm PT; Thursday, October 14, 2021 Where: Live exclusively on fubo Latino, fuboTV and pay-per-view   Broadcasts of games are available in English-language and Spanish-language. The only legal and exclusive ways to watch Colombia vs. Ecuador live are fubo Latino, fuboTV and pay-per-view. With fubo Latino, it’s $32.99 per month. Plus you get over 25 live TV channels. With fubo Latino, you can watch the game(s) on your PC or Mac as well as Roku, iPhone and Android phones, Amazon FireTV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Android TV, Samsung Smart TV and Xbox One. If you connect any of these devices to your TV, you can watch the game on your big screen. In addition to live and exclusive coverage of all of the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifiers, fubo Latino also includes: • Univision • TUDN • FOX Deportes • ESPN Deportes • beIN SPORTS • And, in all, over 25 live channels of the TV you love. Courtesy of World Soccer Talk, download a complimentary copy of The Ultimate Soccer TV And Streaming Guide, which features details on where to watch all of the leagues from around the world on US TV and streaming. SEE MORE: Schedule of World Cup qualifiers on US TV and streaming To find out when soccer games are on, download the free Soccer TV Schedules App which includes listings of all of the live soccer matches available in the United States (available on Apple iOS devices and Android devices).  

If you’re trying to find out how you can watch Colombia vs. Ecuador, you’ve come to the right place. With the national teams in the CONMEBOL region continuing their path to qualify for the 2022 World Cup, the latest game in the World Cup qualifying features Colombia vs. Ecuador, live on U.S. streaming and pay-per-view television. Here are all of the details of where you can watch it via legal streaming and pay-per-view television: Who: Colombia vs. Ecuador What: CONMEBOL World Cup qualifier When: Game kicks off at 5pm ET / 2pm PT; Thursday, October 14, 2021 Where: Live exclusively on fubo Latino , fuboTV and pay-per-view   Broadcasts of games are available in English-language and Spanish-language. The only legal and exclusive ways to watch Colombia vs. Ecuador live are fubo Latino , fuboTV and pay-per-view. With fubo Latino, it’s $32.99 per month. Plus you get over 25 live TV channels. With fubo Latino, you can watch the game(s) on your PC or Mac as well as Roku...
Post a Comment
Read more

Klopp questions Liverpool attitude after Brighton draw Liverpool (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp criticised the way Liverpool responded to squandering a two-goal lead as Brighton claimed a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Saturday. Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane had put the Reds 2-0 in front after 24 minutes but Graham Potter’s team fought back with goals from Enock Mwepu and Leandro Trossard either side of half-time. It was just the sixth time Liverpool failed to win a Premier League home game after leading by two goals. Yves Bissouma hit the post and Trossard had a late goal disallowed for offside as the Seagulls threatened to complete a remarkable comeback win. “In the second half, we were not good enough. The body language I didn’t like it all,” the German said.  “It was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s really tough’. Yeah, it was clear before the game. “The best way to defend Brighton is to have the ball and play in the spaces where they are exposed, but we didn’t do that and that’s a problem.” Mane and Mohamed Salah had goals ruled out for handball and offside respectively as Liverpool dominated but failed to blow Brighton away in the first half. Klopp’s side remain second but missed the chance to keep pace with leaders Chelsea, who moved three points clear following their 3-0 win at Newcastle and Manchester City’s shock 2-0 defeat to Crystal Palace. “It feels like a defeat, not only because we were 2-0 up and didn’t win. It’s because we scored two of the most beautiful goals I’ve ever seen us score, which were disallowed,” added Klopp. Liverpool host Atletico Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday before visiting fourth-placed West Ham in the Premier League next weekend.

Liverpool (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp criticised the way Liverpool responded to squandering a two-goal lead as Brighton claimed a 2-2 draw at Anfield on Saturday. Jordan Henderson and Sadio Mane had put the Reds 2-0 in front after 24 minutes but Graham Potter’s team fought back with goals from Enock Mwepu and Leandro Trossard either side of half-time. It was just the sixth time Liverpool failed to win a Premier League home game after leading by two goals. Yves Bissouma hit the post and Trossard had a late goal disallowed for offside as the Seagulls threatened to complete a remarkable comeback win. “In the second half, we were not good enough. The body language I didn’t like it all,” the German said.  “It was like, ‘Oh my God, it’s really tough’. Yeah, it was clear before the game. “The best way to defend Brighton is to have the ball and play in the spaces where they are exposed, but we didn’t do that and that’s a problem.” Mane and Mohamed Salah had goals ruled out for handball an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Champions ‘cease operations’ as money problems dog Chinese football Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC have “ceased operations”, the club said on Sunday, underlining the financial problems roiling football in the country. Jiangsu, who won the domestic title for the first time just three months ago, are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italian giants Inter Milan. The demise of Jiangsu, until recently known as Jiangsu Suning, could be followed in the coming days by the closure of fellow CSL side Tianjin Teda. Chinese football has in recent years gained a reputation for lavish spending on foreign players and coaches, as the country pushed to become a world leader in the sport. Jiangsu brought in ex-England coach Fabio Capello and signed Brazilians Alex Teixeira and Ramires for 50 million euros and 28 million euros respectively. In the summer of 2019 they came close to capturing Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale. But, even prior to the coronavirus pandemic, money had begun to dry up across Chinese football. “Even though we are reluctant to part with the players who have won us the highest honours, and fans who have shared solidarity with the club, we have to regretfully make an announcement,” Jiangsu FC said in a statement. “From today, Jiangsu Football Club ceases the operation of its teams.” The club from the eastern city of Nanjing blamed an “overlap of various uncontrollable elements”. “In the past six months the club has been looking around to seek a takeover, trying with utmost sincerity to transfer the club’s equity, not giving up a single opportunity to pass on the club,” it said. Amid reports of financial difficulties, Suning’s chairman Zhang Jindong earlier this month hinted at a pivot away from sport, in comments which also did not go unnoticed in Italy, where Inter are battling rivals AC Milan for the Serie A title. “We will focus on retail business resolutely and without hesitation will close and cut down our business irrelevant to retail,” he said.

Shanghai (AFP) – Chinese Super League champions Jiangsu FC have “ceased operations”, the club said on Sunday, underlining the financial problems roiling football in the country. Jiangsu, who won the domestic title for the first time just three months ago, are owned by the conglomerate Suning — which also owns Italian giants Inter Milan. The demise of Jiangsu, until recently known as Jiangsu Suning, could be followed in the coming days by the closure of fellow CSL side Tianjin Teda. Chinese football has in recent years gained a reputation for lavish spending on foreign players and coaches, as the country pushed to become a world leader in the sport. Jiangsu brought in ex-England coach Fabio Capello and signed Brazilians Alex Teixeira and Ramires for 50 million euros and 28 million euros respectively. In the summer of 2019 they came close to capturing Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale. But, even prior to the coronavirus pandemic, money had begun to dry up across Chinese football. ...
Post a Comment
Read more