تلقى جيرارد بيكيه، مدافع برشلونة، بطاقة حمراء مباشرة في مواجهة فريقه أمام فيرينكفاروس.

واحتسب حكم اللقاء ركلة جزاء لصالح الفريق المجري، وسجلوا منها هدفًا لتصبح النتيجة (3-1) لصالح برشلونة.

وجاء طرد بيكيه في الدقيقة 68 من عمر المباراة الجارية بمنافسات الجولة الأولى لدور مجموعات دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وبالتالي يغيب بيكيه عن مواجهة برشلونة أمام يوفنتوس، المقرر لها الأسبوع المقبل (يوم الأربعاء) في الجولة الثانية لدوري الأبطال.

شاهد لحظة طرد بيكيه

أكد فرينكي دي يونج، لاعب وسط برشلونة، أن وجود ليونيل ميسي في الفريق، يعطي الفارق دائمًا، متحدثًا عن مواجهة الكلاسيكو المرتقبة أمام ريال مدريد.

ويستضيف برشلونة نظيره ريال مدريد، غدًا السبت على ملعب “كامب نو”، في الدوري الإسباني.

وعن ليونيل ميسي، قال دي يونج في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “سبورت” الإسبانية: “من الجيد أن يكون لديك لاعب مثله، لأنه الأفضل في العالم”.

وأضاف: “نحن نعلم أنه يستطيع التسجيل أو المساعدة من أي مكان في الملعب، يمكنه إنشاء فرصة أو تسجيل هدف أو مساعدة أحد زملائه في الفريق، وبالتالي وجوده معنا يعد ميزة كبيرة لنا”.

وتابع دي يونج: “يمكنك دائمًا منح الكرة لميسي، لأنه نادرًا ما يخسرها، وسيخلق بالتأكيد شيئًا ما، لذا فإن مهمتنا هي تسهيل الأمور عليه حتى يتمكن من إحداث فرق”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. دي يونج: ريال مدريد منافس عظيم.. وأريد تجربة شعور الفوز بالكلاسيكو

بالنسبة إلى الهولندي، ساعد وصول المدير الفني رونالد كومان أيضًا في تغيير وجه الفريق، وأكمل: “لقد شعر كومان بالراحة مع الفريق، إنه يعمل كثيرًا على الطريقة التي يجب أن نلعب بها في كل جلسة تدريبية، حتى الآن كان كل شيء إيجابيًا معه”.

وعن عودة فيليب كوتينيو للبارسا، أكد دي يونج: “إنه لاعب لامع، من الناحية الفنية هو مثير للإعجاب ويعمل بجد، من الجيد أنه معنا مرة أخرى لأنه أحد أفضل اللاعبين في العالم.”

واعترف لاعب خط وسط البلوجرانا أن الموسم الماضي كان مخيبا للآمال مواصلاً: “عندما تلعب لناد مثل برشلونة ولا تفوز بأي لقب، يكون الأمر كذلك ونريد أن نعوض الأمر، الموسم الماضي كان معقدًا، لكننا نأمل أن يكون القادم أفضل”.

وأتم: “نحن واثقون، المجموعة تنمو وهناك العديد من الأفراد، في الواقع، لدينا العديد من أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، لذلك إذا كنا أقوياء كمجموعة مع هؤلاء الأفراد سنرفع الألقاب، وهذا ما هو متوقع من نادٍ مثل برشلونة”.

Steven Fletcher has been in incredible form in recent weeks hasn’t he Owls fans?

The forward has scored five goals in his last six games which has helped to propel Sheffield Wednesday into a position where they can launch a late push for the play-off positions this season. Benefiting significantly from the arrival of Steve Bruce as manager in January, Fletcher has been nothing short of exceptional for the Owls and so his impending absence for Saturday’s clash at Stoke City due to a groin injury (via the Star) could be a bitter blow.

However, despite the Scotland international’s overwhelming presence up-front, Wednesday’s hopes of finishing in the top six are far from finished. Bruce’s side’s latest victory against Blackburn Rovers saw four different players score with two of the strikes coming from Atdhe Nuhiu and Marco Matias who are both more than capable of filling in for Fletcher up front.

Whereas other sides in the Championship rely heavily on one player to deliver the goods, the Owls have a multi-dimensional attack which contains a number of different match-winners. Therefore, the void left by Fletcher shouldn’t concern either Bruce or the club’s supporters as Wednesday are more than capable of continuing their ten-match unbeaten run in the Championship and securing a play-off position.

With Fernando Forestieri, Gary Hooper and Lucas Joao all back in training, the Owls could benefit from competition for places as it could lead to an even further increase in performance which will be needed when they face the likes of Leeds United and Norwich City in the coming weeks. Victories over both of these sides will lead Wednesday to fear no one and provide them with real belief that they can finish in the top six this season before achieving promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in May.

What do you think Owls fans? How much of a blow is losing Fletcher to injury? Could other players step-up in his absence to fire your club to promotion? Let us know below.

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Leeds United fans on Thursday were reminiscing about the Champions League quarter-final first leg victory against Deportivo La Coruna exactly 18 years after the match took place.

Leeds demolished Deportivo on the night in a 3-0 win with goals from Alan Smith, Ian Harte and Rio Ferdinand putting them fully in control heading into the second leg.

The Champions League run of 2001 seems a long way away now but the good times may be on their way back to Elland Road as the Whites are on the verge of returning to the Premier League for the first time since 2004 under the management of Marcelo Bielsa.

Leeds would eventually be dumped out of the Champions League by Valencia in the semis but the win against Deportivo is regarded as one of the proudest moments in the club’s storied history.

Fans of the Yorkshire club still have fond memories of that night and they were quick to share them on Twitter.

Here’s what Leeds fans had to say on social media…

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Leeds United’s Under-23 side played out a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace’s Under-23s on Monday afternoon and there was another goal for Ryan Edmondson.

Edmondson has now found the back of the net on 18 occasions this season, which has led to a number of Leeds fans calling for him to be involved in the first team.

The 17-year-old has played twice in the Championship this season, but his last involvement was against Birmingham City back in September.

It does seem unlikely that first-team boss Marcelo Bielsa will call for the teenager at this stage of the campaign when considering what is at stake.

However, some of the Leeds supporters feel that the forward should be given the opportunity to prove himself before the end of the campaign.

It really is a huge period of the season for the Whites, who have won their last two in the Championship against Preston North End and Sheffield Wednesday.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Next up for Bielsa’s team is a home game against Wigan Athletic on Friday, where they will be looking to consolidate their spot in the top two.

A selection of the Twitter reaction in relation to Edmondson’s latest performance can be seen below:

In their first game of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s permanent managerial reign, Manchester United scraped through a win like the old days. They were outworked and outwitted, but swift counter-attacks along with surprisingly stern defending from the back four allowed them to see through the result.

David Moyes signed Juan Mata back in January of 2014 and it’s safe to say he proved to be a genius signing.

However, United couldn’t move as quickly as they wanted to, mostly due to Juan Mata’s lethargic display as their No 10. The Spaniard made his first start since the Liverpool draw and was extremely unconvincing in being the key to unlock Watford’s defence.

Indeed, he was poor in movement, often slowing down United’s attack with his predictable passing. Undoubtedly one of the most gifted playmakers we’ve seen in the Premier League in recent years, perhaps this is a season too far for a player so clearly on the wane.

While Mata did link-up well with Anthony Martial, he could never churn that killer pass to his forwards, something so natural to him a few years ago. After being taken off, his replacement Jesse Lingard’s swiftness into action allowed United to seal the deal when he laid Martial’s winner after coming on. Sadly, the England international’s incisiveness is not something Mata can replicate anymore.

In the system Solskjaer prefers, the Spaniard is turning into a liability. He can’t just sit in one place and dictate games like he used to. Under the Norwegian, he’s only assisted one goal in seven games and he isn’t agile enough nor creative enough to actually make the forward runs and dictate the tempo of United’s fast-paced system.

As his contract runs down this summer (as per the Sun), the Red Devils shouldn’t bother renewing it. Mata doesn’t suit Solskjaer’s shape at all, as he should be allowed to leave and be replaced with an emerging youth academy star.

David Moyes signed Juan Mata back in January of 2014 and it’s safe to say he’s proved to be a genius signing, despite his quality levels dropping in recent times at Old Trafford.

United fans, would you be disappointed to see Mata leave in the summer? Join the discussion by commenting below…

There are surely changes already shaping up to take place at Newcastle United.

Be it at upper-level management or the squad itself, a new-look Magpies unit could be on display next season. Indeed, Rafa Benitez, however, will only want to keep the best and restructure the squad to his style in order to succeed, if he does extend his stay on Tyneside.

The Spaniard will be ruthless when cutting talents, but he’ll want to make some beneficiary additions as well. According to reports (via Football Insider), he wants to reunite with an old friend in Fulham’s Ryan Babel. Having returned to English football after years, the Dutch winger’s been a (fairly) bright figure in the Cottagers’ shallow attack.

While Babel couldn’t stop their inevitable drop, he’s created some special moments since arriving in January. Be it his whirling movement down the left, dribbling ability or incisiveness to get behind defenders, he’s entertained fans by at least trying to trick the opposition. The Dutch international’s scored 4 goals and assisted 3, a somewhat decent return.

Granted, it’s not overly inspiring for the Mags reading this. However, the Toon Army needs attacking reinforcement and a move for a man Benitez knows well would make sense.

He can actually fit in really well at Newcastle to add that cutting edge to their attack. Obviously, he doesn’t have many years in him, but his understanding with Benitez and ability to add that extra spice in attack could work wonders at St. James’ Park.

The Duch winger’s addition could allow Benitez to tweak his formation to a more attacking one. Having lacked a menacing figure down the left, Babel could bring pace, creativity and that irresistible eye for goal which has lacked among the Magpies’ wingers this season.

Newcastle fans, would you be pleased with Babel’s reuniting with Benitez? Join the discussion by commenting below…

أكد فابيو روديا، طبيب لاتسيو الإيطالي، أن النادي لديه بعض الشكوك بشأن المسحات التي خضع لها الفريق الخاصة بفيروس كورونا، من قبل الاتحاد الأوروبي قبل رحلة كلوب بروج.

وتنطلق مباراة دوري أبطال أوروبا في بلجيكا الليلة في العاشرة بتوقيت القاهرة، لكن تم ترك 12 لاعباً في روما ولا يوجد حتى الآن بيان رسمي يوضح السبب.

وقال الدكتور روديا لراديو “لاتسيو ستايل”: “وفقًا لبروتوكول الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، فإن الفريق لديه مسحات مضادة لكورونا قبل يومين من المباراة”.

وأضاف: “في اختبارات يوم الإثنين ، ظهرت بعض الحالات، ومن أجل الحماية وضع النادي على الفور الحالات المشكوك فيها في منازلهم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. لن يواجه ميسي.. كورونا يحرم رونالدو من المشاركة مع يوفنتوس أمام برشلونة

وأردف: “خلال الأيام القليلة المقبلة سنجري المزيد من الاختبارات لتقييم الموقف وتوضيحه، كان على النادي اتباع بروتوكول الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم وترك هؤلاء اللاعبين في منازلهم، على الرغم من وجود بعض الشكوك حول النتائج، الآخرون بخير، نشعر بالتفاؤل والاستعداد لهذه المباراة”.

كان إنتر غاضبًا بالفعل من الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم “يويفا”، في الأسبوع الماضي عندما تم استبعاد أشرف حكيمي من مباراة بوروسيا دورتموند باختبار كورونا.

اتضح أن اختبار يويفا كان يحتوي على حمولة فيروسية منخفضة للغاية، لدرجة أن اختبارين آخرين خلال اليومين التاليين جاءا سلبيين.

لذلك كان اختبار حكيمي “إيجابيًا كاذبًا” ولاتسيو قلقون من أن مثل هذا التفشي المفاجئ في فريقهم قد حدث بسبب موقف مماثل.

يتم إجراء اختبارات مسحة يويفا في مختبر مختلف لاختبارات الدوري الإيطالي، ويبدو أنها أكثر حساسية أو أكثر عرضة للأخطاء.

It’s all come crashing down for Martin O’Neill at Forest and now it’s time for the club to find a replacement. Results in the key stage of the season simply haven’t been good enough.

His side have shown a real lack of character and bottle over the last few months. Their away form has been dreadful, with their last win on the road coming on November 24 against Hull. That’s pathetic and nowhere near the standard Forest fans expect.

Their 3-0 loss at Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday, following their defeat to 22nd-placed Rotherham the week before just proves the wheels have well and truly fallen off, and there’s no way back for O’Neill. He may be a club legend, but he needs to leave.

From a positive position at the start of the year, they’re now six points away from sixth in the tenth spot, alongside with Preston, Hull and Swansea on the same points. That doesn’t seem far, but the sheer number of teams fighting for the play-offs means a slip up is fatal, and they’ve had far too many.

The players just don’t seem to be putting it all in anymore, and it’s a sign that the manager’s time is up. They should find a replacement now so they can start preparing for a promotion push next season.

If they leave it too late, plans won’t be in place for summer and they could face another campaign like this one. It’s not good enough for their play-off hopes to be over already.

The fans know it, the board knows it and Martin O’Neill will know it too.

Forest fans, do you think Martin O’Neill should be sacked and who would replace him? Join the discussion by commenting below…

Huddersfield have had their fair share of lethal strikers over the years yet one in particular still brings a buzz to the club’s supporters when his name is mentioned.

After enjoying an immensely successful start to his career with Bristol Rovers, Marcus Stewart initially attracted the interest of the Terriers after scoring against them in the Second Division (now referred to as League One) play-off final in 1995. Huddersfield would emerge victorious at Wembley Stadium and used their promotion to lure the forward to join them a season later after he once again impressed at the Memorial Stadium.

Under the guidance of then-boss Brian Horton, Stewart made a bright start to life in Yorkshire, scoring 11 goals in all competitions as his side narrowly avoided relegation. The following two campaigns saw the former Rovers ace really start to flourish as he fired in 16 and then 26 goals for the Terriers as they began to establish themselves as a regular First Division side.

The 1999-2000 season saw the arrival of Steve Bruce as manager, who looked certain to secure promotion with Stewart flying up-front. The forward hit the back of the net on 15 occasions in the first half of the campaign which played a huge role in Huddersfield leading the standings at Christmas. However, at the turn of the century, the Terriers experienced an incredible collapse in form, which could be attributed to one event.

After demonstrating an outstanding level of consistency in the first division, Stewart caught the attention of Ipswich Town who decided to swoop in the winter transfer window, offering a fee of £2.5m to Huddersfield. Although Bruce was reluctant to accept, the club eventually agreed a deal which turned out to be a disastrous decision.

Not only did the Tractors go on to achieve promotion later on in the season with Stewart leading their line but it was his absence from the Terriers side that eventually saw them drop out of the promotion hunt as they finished in a disappointing eighth position. Whilst Ipswich would go on to enjoy a successful season the following year in the Premier League, Huddersfield never recovered and as a result were relegated back to the Third Division in 2001, just a year after selling their most prized asset.

Although the move was regarded as controversial at the time, the club’s supporters now regard Stewart as one of the cult heroes. During his five year spell with the Terriers, the marksman scored a total of 58 goals in 133 appearances and provided a number of memorable moments.

In what is a testament to the player, only two other forwards have managed to beat his total of 26 in a single season in the last twenty years.

Now considered a marker in which every Huddersfield striker is judged by, the likes of Karlan Grant and Aaron Rowe will be hoping to reach the levels displayed by Stewart next season in the Championship. If they can do this, there is no reason why the Terriers cannot secure an immediate return to the top flight.