Skip to main content

Messi looking to prove a point in Ligue 1 after seventh Ballon d’Or Paris (AFP) – Lionel Messi was awarded a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or on Monday, but for the first time in his illustrious career, there was a mixed reaction to his success. The Argentinian great has made a slow start to life in France after a turbulent year which saw him bid a tearful farewell to Barcelona and join Paris Saint-Germain. But there have been sparks of life in recent weeks, with his first Ligue 1 goal followed by three assists in PSG’s 3-1 win at Saint-Etienne on Sunday. Messi admitted his latest Ballon d’Or win was largely down to leading his country to a major international title for the first time in the Copa America, although he did also finish as La Liga top-scorer last season in a weak Barcelona team which has since stumbled from crisis to crisis. After scoring just four goals in 11 appearances this term for PSG, the 34-year-old will need an upturn in fortunes to be named the world’s best player again next year. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was among the leading football figures to express surprise that Messi beat Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski to the prize. But PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino was in no doubt that his player deserved to become the first from the French side to win the Ballon d’Or, despite failing to fully fire for the capital club. “He totally deserves the Ballon d’Or. There is no debate on this subject,” Pochettino insisted ahead of PSG’s game against high-flying Nice on Wednesday. “I can understand that in other countries some do not agree, but I think he deserved it. “We also hope that it is the first day of the makings of what can become an eighth Ballon d’Or. We are all delighted to have Messi here.” Messi, along with midfielder Leandro Paredes, did not train on Tuesday due to illness, but he will want to be fit to face third-placed Nice, especially with Neymar sidelined for up to eight weeks by an ankle injury. PSG are already 12 points clear of second-placed Rennes in the French top flight, despite a series of underwhelming performances this season after a raft of high-profile signings. Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have scored only 11 times in 31 league appearances between them. They will need to improve to make a mark in the Champions League, where they had to settle for second in their group behind Manchester City. Nice, bankrolled by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos, will be no pushovers this week though, despite a shock home loss to lowly Metz last weekend. Player to watch: Amine Gouiri Nice forward Gouiri enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season with 12 Ligue 1 goals and has continued to go from strength to strength this term. The 21-year-old already has eight goals and has been a key player in Nice’s impressive start under coach Christophe Galtier, who led Lille to the title earlier this year. Gouiri will be hoping to make a mark when he lines up against some of the world’s best players at the Parc des Princes. Key stats 4: Messi failed to muster a goal or assist in his first five Ligue 1 matches. He has four in two games since (one goal, three assists). 4: Brest were in the drop zone after failing to win any of their first 11 games. They have won their last four. 12: Years since Nice beat PSG at the Parc des Princes. Fixtures (all times GMT) Wednesday Angers v Monaco, Brest v Saint-Etienne, Metz v Montpellier, Strasbourg v Bordeaux, Troyes v Lorient (all 1800), Clermont v Lens, Lyon v Reims, Nantes v Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain v Nice, Rennes v Lille (all 2000)


Paris (AFP) – Lionel Messi was awarded a record-extending seventh Ballon d’Or on Monday, but for the first time in his illustrious career, there was a mixed reaction to his success.

The Argentinian great has made a slow start to life in France after a turbulent year which saw him bid a tearful farewell to Barcelona and join Paris Saint-Germain.

But there have been sparks of life in recent weeks, with his first Ligue 1 goal followed by three assists in PSG’s 3-1 win at Saint-Etienne on Sunday.

Messi admitted his latest Ballon d’Or win was largely down to leading his country to a major international title for the first time in the Copa America, although he did also finish as La Liga top-scorer last season in a weak Barcelona team which has since stumbled from crisis to crisis.

After scoring just four goals in 11 appearances this term for PSG, the 34-year-old will need an upturn in fortunes to be named the world’s best player again next year.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was among the leading football figures to express surprise that Messi beat Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski to the prize.

But PSG coach Mauricio Pochettino was in no doubt that his player deserved to become the first from the French side to win the Ballon d’Or, despite failing to fully fire for the capital club.

“He totally deserves the Ballon d’Or. There is no debate on this subject,” Pochettino insisted ahead of PSG’s game against high-flying Nice on Wednesday.

“I can understand that in other countries some do not agree, but I think he deserved it.

“We also hope that it is the first day of the makings of what can become an eighth Ballon d’Or. We are all delighted to have Messi here.”

Messi, along with midfielder Leandro Paredes, did not train on Tuesday due to illness, but he will want to be fit to face third-placed Nice, especially with Neymar sidelined for up to eight weeks by an ankle injury.

PSG are already 12 points clear of second-placed Rennes in the French top flight, despite a series of underwhelming performances this season after a raft of high-profile signings.

Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe have scored only 11 times in 31 league appearances between them.

They will need to improve to make a mark in the Champions League, where they had to settle for second in their group behind Manchester City.

Nice, bankrolled by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos, will be no pushovers this week though, despite a shock home loss to lowly Metz last weekend.

Player to watch: Amine Gouiri

Nice forward Gouiri enjoyed a breakthrough campaign last season with 12 Ligue 1 goals and has continued to go from strength to strength this term.

The 21-year-old already has eight goals and has been a key player in Nice’s impressive start under coach Christophe Galtier, who led Lille to the title earlier this year.

Gouiri will be hoping to make a mark when he lines up against some of the world’s best players at the Parc des Princes.

Key stats

4: Messi failed to muster a goal or assist in his first five Ligue 1 matches. He has four in two games since (one goal, three assists).

4: Brest were in the drop zone after failing to win any of their first 11 games. They have won their last four.

12: Years since Nice beat PSG at the Parc des Princes.

Fixtures (all times GMT)

Wednesday

Angers v Monaco, Brest v Saint-Etienne, Metz v Montpellier, Strasbourg v Bordeaux, Troyes v Lorient (all 1800), Clermont v Lens, Lyon v Reims, Nantes v Marseille, Paris Saint-Germain v Nice, Rennes v Lille (all 2000)



from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/3o8gwjW
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