Klopp great for youngsters, says Critchley

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Liverpool under-23s coach Neil Critchley defended Jurgen Klopp's decision not to take charge of Liverpool's FA Cup fourth-round replay against Shrewsbury on Tuesday and give all of his senior players the night off.

Critchley will instead lead a very youthful side similar to the one that lost 5-0 to Aston Villa in the League Cup in December when Klopp and the senior side were at the Club World Cup in Qatar.

However, Critchley hit back at criticism Klopp should at least be in the dugout at Anfield, even if he stands by the decision to give his players get a full two-week winter break.

"He supports the young players unbelievably well, as he has shown so far this season," said Critchley. "His presence, even if he isn't there, is always felt by our younger players and by myself.

"I also think maybe one percent that came into his thinking with his decision was the way we played against Aston Villa, he maybe thought the boys deserved another opportunity."

The side beaten at Villa Park contained five debutants and an average age of 19.

"People say an under-23 team but we're not, we're going to be under-19, under-20 at best," added Critchley.

"Is there maybe more pressure now on Shrewsbury to win the game because of the team that we have out? Possibly. But that might work in our favour."

Liverpool are 22 points clear at the top of the Premier League and cruising towards a first top-flight title for 30 years.

However, Klopp took the decision not to attend Tuesday's game as it falls in Liverpool's two-week winter break from Premier League action.

"If we react how we always react and find a way to do it, then nothing will change," Klopp said last week. "I have to make decisions that aren't popular, based on the situation we are in."

PSG coach Tuchel plays down spat with Mbappe

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Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel on Monday attempted to play down a touchline spat with Kylian Mbappe which overshadowed the French champions' big weekend win over Montpellier.

"There is nothing personal between him and me. These things happen," said Tuchel after Mbappe reacted angrily to being substituted midway through the second half of PSG's 5-0 victory at the Parc des Princes, with Mauro Icardi taking his place.

"It was between a player who does not want to come off, and a coach who had his reasons for doing something, and who wanted to give a game to players who deserved it."

After Saturday's match, Tuchel admitted that the reaction of Mbappe "doesn't look good" and pointed out that: "This is football, not tennis, and you have to respect everyone."

The 21-year-old World Cup winner, who had scored his 14th league goal of the season in the victory, exchanged words with Tuchel as he came off, and then stormed to his seat on the bench, throwing away a training top in disgust.

Tuchel said he discussed the matter again at training on Sunday, with the player and with Leonardo, the club's sporting director.

"I spoke about it yesterday with Leo, of course, and with the squad, as we generally do. But what I said will remain in the dressing room," added Tuchel, speaking before PSG return to league action on Tuesday away to Nantes.

Returning to the incident, he added: "We had the game wrapped up, and it was a chance to take off Pablo (Sarabia) and Kylian, and put on Mauro and 'Edi' (Cavani), who deserved to get some minutes.

"I know it is hard to accept for some players, but these are sporting matters that they should be able to understand."

With PSG returning to action in midweek, and also having a Champions League clash with Borussia Dortmund looming ever closer on the horizon, Tuchel could also be excused for being less than impressed with Neymar's latest off-field antics.

The Brazilian -- who sported a pink hair-do in the win against Montpellier -- organised a lavish celebration ahead of his 28th birthday at a Parisian nightclub in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower on Sunday, including an all-white dress code.

Tuchel insisted that the event, to which Neymar invited all his team-mates, would not have an influence on his team selection for Tuesday's trip to face a Nantes side who sit ninth in the table.

The Brazilian, however, will not be risked due to a rib complaint, the club said late on Monday.

"I always protect my players, and I really love my team. With this party, I accept that it is a bit difficult to protect the players, but the context is not simply black or white," Tuchel said.

"Is it the best way to prepare for a match? No, clearly not. Is it the worst thing in the world? No.

"It is a shame, because we are giving people the chance to speak badly of us. We need to adapt to the situation, but I am not going to leave a player on the bench or at home because they went out and celebrated."

PSG, who are 12 points clear of Marseille at the Ligue 1 summit, do have defensive injury problems just now, though, with Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Juan Bernat and Colin Dagba all out of Tuesday's game.

New: 10,000 international matches from 150 years

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England - Germany 1991

The worldfootball database has grown: From now on, you will find all historical international matches of all European national teams from 150 years of international match history on our pages - 10,000 matches with line-ups, goal scorers, substitutions and many statistics.

The first meeting of two national teams took place on 30th November 1872 - England, the motherland of football, and its neighbour Scotland played 0:0.

From now on, you can find the beginnings of international football on worldfootball as well as legendary victories, unforgotten defeats or milestones in the history of international matches. We have recorded the international matches of the 55 current UEFA associations as well as the matches of national teams that no longer exist (e.g. GDR, USSR, Saarland or Yugoslavia).

How do I find the matches?

a) through the competition

The international matches can be accessed via the competitions World Cup, World Cup Qualification, European Championship, European Championship Qualification or friendly matches. The friendly matches of the year 1982 can be found via the following path: 'Worldwide'>'Friendlies'>'Schedule'>'1982'

b) through the national team

The profile pages of the national teams can be found using the search in the upper left corner. Important: After entering the country, the search parameter must be changed to 'Team'. The further path, e.g. to the friendly matches of the national team, is: 'Fixtures & Results'>'1982'

Any errors?

We have collected the data about the matches and the players from many decades from various sources. Even though we have tried to collect all line-ups with the greatest possible care, we have certainly made mistakes here and there.

If you notice wrong or missing data, confusion of names etc., please report it to us. You find the button 'Report an error' at the bottom left of every page on worldfootball. You can use this link to inform us about mistakes – you are welcome to add the reference to your source.

Five talking points in European football this weekend

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Erling Braut Haaland and Romelu Lukaku were again among the goals, while Kylian Mbappe and Neymar left their coach irritated and it was another fascinating weekend in Spain.

worldfootball.net looks back at some of the main talking points from around Europe:

Real Madrid and Barcelona may have pulled away as La Liga's title contenders this season but the division's key battlegrounds remain remarkably close.

Three points separate first and second after Madrid and Barca beat Atletico Madrid and Levante respectively. Getafe and Sevilla are level on points in third and fourth.

Valencia, the next closest challenger for the last Champions League spot, are only two points back while Atletico are one further point behind in sixth.

At the bottom, Leganes' victory over Real Sociedad lifts them two places to 18th, in the relegation zone below Mallorca, but only on goal difference.

As a topsy-turvy season nears its final straight, everything is still to play for.

While RB Leipzig's draw at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach allowed Bayern Munich to go top of the Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund are only three points adrift of the summit as they continued their whirlwind start to 2020.

Erling Braut Haaland scored twice on his first start for Dortmund as his side thumped Union Berlin 5-0. The teenage Norwegian sensation now has seven goals in three appearances, finding the net once every 19 minutes since moving from RB Salzburg.

Dortmund have scored five goals in each of their three outings since the winter break, with another teenage sensation, Jadon Sancho, taking his tally to 12 for the season.

Lucien Favre's team are motoring with a Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain coming into view.

"We know we're going to come up against sides with even more quality in the weeks to come, but that's good for us because they like to attack and we'll find even more room than we have in these games," said Marco Reus.

Romelu Lukaku's two second-half goals at Udinese means the Inter Milan ace has 12 goals in 11 appearances away from home this season.

He scored 12 times altogether for Manchester United in the Premier League last season, but is on 16 in Serie A, and 20 in all competitions for Inter. Coach Antonio Conte believes the 26-year-old can do better.

"Lukaku has really important qualities, and is a decisive player for us, but aside from his brace, today wasn't his best match," Conte said after the 2-0 win.

Second-placed Inter are unbeaten away this season with nine wins and two draws, and Lukaku warned: "I'm also going strong at the San Siro." They face Milan there in the derby next.

Paris Saint-Germain moved 12 points clear atop Ligue 1 after trouncing Montpellier 5-0, a result which left them unbeaten in 19 games.

Neymar, with his hair dyed pink, inevitably stood out, while Kylian Mbappe was among the scorers, and on the surface everything certainly looks rosy for PSG ahead of that upcoming Dortmund tie.

However, coach Thomas Tuchel was later forced to handle questions about his superstar duo, with Mbappe reacting angrily to being substituted and Neymar taking headlines for staging a birthday bash at a Parisian nightclub, 48 hours before his team play again.

"These are distractions, and they give the impression we are not serious, not professional," Tuchel said when asked if he would attend Neymar's party.

Of his touchline spat with Mbappe, he admitted: "It doesn't look good."

Ajax beat traditional rivals PSV Eindhoven 1-0 with a Quincy Promes goal to stay three points clear atop the Eredivisie, but the real challenge to the reigning champions is coming from elsewhere this season.

AZ Alkmaar hammered RKC Waalwijk 4-0 to keep up their chase of Erik ten Hag's team. Teenage top scorer Myron Boadu was again on target for AZ as they made it a ninth win in 11 outings, a run that included beating Ajax in December. The sides meet again in Amsterdam on March 1.

Can Guardiola salvage Man City's season?

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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola conceded the Premier League title to Liverpool long ago, but his side's profligate attack and porous defence are becoming worrying trends.

A sixth defeat of the campaign, at Tottenham on Sunday, means City have now lost as many times this season as in their previous 84 league games under Guardiola and are relying on cup competitions to salvage their season.

Guardiola's men are into a third consecutive League Cup final, where they will be heavy favourites to beat Aston Villa on March 1. They face Sheffield Wednesday in the fifth round of the FA Cup.

However, City's season will now be judged on how they fare in the Champions League, with the might of 13-time winners Real Madrid awaiting them in the last 16.

An inability to progress beyond the quarter-finals in Guardiola's three seasons at City so far has been the major disappointment of an otherwise hugely successful reign.

"I will be judged, if we don't win it in my final period here, that I will be a failure here. I know that," said the City boss ahead of this weekend.

If they are to be crowned European champions, City need major improvements at both ends of the pitch, but tightening up at the back is the most pressing priority.

In their back-to-back title winning campaigns, Guardiola's men conceded 27 goals in 2017/18 and 23 last season. With 13 games still to play this season, they have already conceded 29.

The loss of Aymeric Laporte for most of the season with a serious knee injury and failure to replace the departed Vincent Kompany has left Guardiola short on reliable centre-backs due to the erratic form of John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi.

Laporte is back fit, although he has been bedded in slowly after making his return in a 1-0 win at Sheffield United nearly two weeks ago.

The Frenchman still has another three weeks to get up to speed before City visit Madrid on February 26, but needs to get back close to his best if the visitors are to escape from the Bernabeu unscathed.

Guardiola also has to decide who he trusts to start at left-back against Madrid. Oleksandr Zinchenko cost his side the game at Tottenham by getting sent off for a second yellow card with half an hour to play.

Benjamin Mendy has not won back Guardiola's trust in another season dogged by fitness problems and poor form, while Angelino, who started some of City's biggest games of the season, against Liverpool and Manchester United, was shipped out on loan to Leipzig last week.

The 2-0 defeat in north London on Sunday was only the second time City have failed to score in the league this season.

They have still scored five more goals in the league than Liverpool, who are 22 points clear at the top and streaking towards the title.

However, a failure to take their chances has also been a recurring theme of City's season. Against Spurs they had 18 shots to Tottenham's three, missed a penalty and a series of other sitters.

"Always I believe and, today more than ever, you are closer to win the games when you create more chances and concede few," insisted Guardiola.

"Maybe one day we make a click and we change it. I think the team is good, I like the way my team play but it is not enough."

Guardiola has garnered a reputation as one of football's all-time great coaches after winning 28 trophies in three different countries with Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City.

A true test of that greatness will be whether he can turn the tide in the next few weeks to avoid City's season ending limply.

Barcelona's Dembele out with badly torn hamstring

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French international forward Ousmane Dembele has suffered a badly torn hamstring, his club Barcelona announced on Tuesday.

"Tests carried out on Tuesday on Ousmane Dembele have shown that the player has a complete proximal hamstring tear in his right thigh," the club announced. "In the next few hours a decision will be made on the treatment to be followed for his recovery."

The 22-year-old has struggled with hamstring problems. He had only just returned to training from an injury to the right thigh he suffered in November before suffering a fresh problem in training on Monday.

Dembele joined Barcelona from Borussia Dortmund in August 2017 in a deal worth up to 147 million euros. He has played 21 times for France and was part of the squad that won the World Cup in 2018.

That year he was also criticised for his lifestyle by France coach Didier Deschamps.

"It's up to him to be aware of all the demands of top-level football," Deschamps said. "I don't think he's fully aware of them."

The latest injury is similar to one Dembele suffered in 2017, in his first league start for Barcelona. Then he was out for five months with a ruptured tendon in his left thigh.

There was instant sympathy from another young French striking star.

"My brother, I know for you this must be too much and this is becoming unbearable, but you have to stay strong in spite of everything," tweeted Kylian Mbappe of France and Paris Saint-Germain.

"Of course it's easier said than done but I'll always be there to support you and I know you'll come back to amaze us."

Barcelona play Napoli in the Champions League round of 16 on February 25. France kick off their Euro 2020 campaign against Germany in Munich on June 16.

Injuries and poor form have recently reduced Deschamps' attacking options on the flanks and he has used Blaise Matuidi, a central midfielder, and Mbappe in wide positions.

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African players in Europe: Salah double moves Liverpool closer to title

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Egypt forward Mohamed Salah's double helped Liverpool equal Manchester City's record of 20 consecutive Premier League wins and move Jurgen Klopp's side ever closer to the title.

Here is a look at some of the key performances from Africans playing in Europe:

MOHAMED SALAH (Liverpool)

The Egypt forward scored twice in Saturday's 4-0 win over Southampton at Anfield as the runaway leaders took another step towards winning their first English title since 1990. With Jurgen Klopp's side leading through goals from Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jordan Henderson, Salah struck in the 71st minute from Henderson's pass. He scored again from close-range in stoppage-time to make it 42 games unbeaten for Liverpool in the league. Liverpool have equalled Manchester City's record of 20 consecutive Premier League home wins and only Bill Shankly's Liverpool team in 1972 had a longer winning streak on home soil in English top-flight history.

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAYEYANG (Arsenal)

The Gabon striker endured a rare off-day against Burnley as the Gunners were held to a 0-0 draw at Turf Moor. Aubameyang had seven goals in four previous games against Burnley, but he couldn't break the deadlock this time. In his first game back from suspension, he failed to beat Burnley keeper Nick Pope with a chip, then headed wide from Alexandre Lacazette's cross.

MBWANA SAMATTA (Aston Villa)

The Tanzania striker marked his Premier League debut with a goal but couldn't stop his team suffering a damaging 2-1 loss at fellow strugglers Bournemouth on Saturday. Having joined from Belgian club Genk in January, Samatta was making only his second appearance for Villa and he netted in the 70th minute after being named in the starting line-up. With Villa trailing 2-0, Samatta rose to head home from Keinan Davis's deflected shot, making the 27-year-old the first Tanzanian to score in the Premier League.

Nigeria's Kenneth Omeruo scored his first goal for Leganes on Sunday to help his team to a surprise 2-1 win at home to Real Sociedad in La Liga. Omeruo grabbed the equaliser with a guided finish into the bottom corner at Butarque, where he was making his 15th league appearance alongside compatriot Chidozie Awaziem in defence.

OPA NGUETTE/HABIB DIALLO (METZ)

Metz duo Opa Nguette and Habib Diallo combined to score their side's three goals in a 3-1 victory over Saint-Etienne on Sunday. Senegalese midfielder Nguette has now netted four times in Ligue 1 this term after grabbing a double, while his compatriot Diallo is fourth in the scoring charts with 12 goals.

MAMA BALDE (DIJON)

Bissau-Guinean international Mama Balde scored twice as Dijon claimed a crucial 3-0 win against fellow strugglers Brest on Saturday. The 24-year-old now has four goals in his last four league matches.

JEREMIE BOGA (Sassuolo)

Ivorian midfielder Boga's handball threw rivals Roma a lifeline with Jordan Veretout converting the penalty from the spot. But Boga immediately hit back to make amends, cutting inside to rifle in a superb fourth goal for a 4-2 win, his side's first ever in the top flight over the capital side. It was the 23-year-old former Chelsea player's sixth league goal this season for Sassuolo, twice his tally for the 2018-2019 campaign.

BOBBY ADEKANYE (Lazio)

Nigerian Bobby Adekanye came on after the break for just his third league appearance with the 20-year-old former Liverpool youngster tapping in his first Serie A goal to complete a 5-1 rout of rock bottom SPAL for third-placed Lazio.

Bote 'Ridle' Baku (Mainz)

The 21-year-old German-born midfielder - who is eligible for both Democratic Republic of the Congo and Germany at international level - had a golden chance in the second half to bring Mainz within one goal of the German champions but fired wide in Bayern's 3-1 win.

Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund)

The Real Madrid loanee had a quiet game in Dortmund's 5-0 win over Union Berlin, the Moroccan found out of position on more than one occasion - and was substituted in the 64th minute and cut an obviously frustrated figure on the sideline.