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quinta-feira, 13 de fevereiro de 2020

Dortmund look to Haaland to help reboot Bundesliga title bid

Dean Mouhtaropoulos, getty

Borussia Dortmund must tighten their defence and trust teenage striker Erling Braut Haaland to provide the goals at Bundesliga giant-killers Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday after a "week to forget".

Dortmund conceded two goals inside 82 seconds late on during last Saturday's 4-3 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen which left senior club bosses fuming.

After eight goals in his four previous games, it was the first time new signing Haaland, 19, had failed to score for Dortmund.

Former captain Sebastian Kehl said the Leverkusen defeat capped a "week to forget", four days after being dumped out of the German Cup with a 3-2 loss at Werder Bremen.

"We're conceding too many goals, which often means we lose the reward for our work as we're scoring enough," said sporting director Michael Zorc.

The league and cup disappointments leave third-placed Dortmund lagging four points behind leaders Bayern Munich.

It will be no easy task to reboot their title challenge at Frankfurt, while they also have Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg against Paris Saint-Germain looming on the horizon.

Bayern suffered a humiliating 5-1 defeat in Frankfurt last November, and second-placed RB Leipzig went down 2-0 at the Commerzbank Arena in January.

Dortmund coach Lucien Favre has been correcting defensive flaws in training after neither Manuel Akanji nor centre-back partner Mats Hummels covered themselves in glory in Leverkusen.

"It takes time to correct a few things, but it's coming," said Favre, who comes under more pressure with each defeat.

"I don't see any other solution apart from work, work, work."

In the four Bundesliga games since the winter break, Dortmund have scored 18 goals but conceded eight.

January signing Emre Can urged his teammates to "play dirty -- a foul here, defend better there".

Eintracht welcome back Dutch striker Bas Dost after a stomach bug kept him sidelined for last weekend's 5-0 thumping of Augsburg.

Bayern could be without captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer at Cologne on Sunday as the Germany skipper has a virus, with reserve keeper Sven Ulreich on stand-by.

The reigning champions are bidding for a seventh win in eight league games, after being held to a goalless draw by Leipzig last Sunday.

The spotlight falls on Hertha Berlin's new caretaker coach for Saturday's league game at bottom side Paderborn after Jurgen Klinsmann's midweek bombshell, with the former Germany striker quitting after just 10 weeks in charge.

Having agreed to coach Hertha for the rest of the season, Klinsmann explained his abrupt decision by hinting at a power struggle with Hertha general manager Michael Preetz.

However, Hertha investor Lars Windhorst issued a damning rebuke of Klinsmann's behaviour.

"You can do that in your youth, but not in professional business, where you have to fulfil agreements," said the wealthy businessman.

Nouri, who has been sacked by Bremen and second-division Ingolstadt in recent seasons, has his work cut out rebuilding confidence as last Saturday's 3-1 defeat at home to Mainz pushed Hertha towards the relegation places.

36 - Number of goals Haaland has scored this season in 27 games for Salzburg and Dortmund.

7 - Goals Dortmund have conceded in their last two games.

76 - Days that Jurgen Klinsmann spent as head coach of Hertha Berlin.

Fixtures (all times 1430 GMT unless stated)

Hazard returns for Real as Barcelona struggle to keep their sparkle

Angel Martinez, getty

Real Madrid could welcome back their priciest Galactico this weekend at home against Celta Vigo, while Barcelona must adjust to life without yet another of the most expensive members of their squad as they entertain Getafe.

Eden Hazard cost Real 100 million euros ($108.4 million) last summer, eclipsing the initial fee paid for Gareth Bale.

So far, Real have not got much for the money they paid Chelsea.

The Belgian started the season with a hamstring problem, then broke a bone in his foot against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in late November. He has not played since.

He is expected to be on the bench against Celta.

The Galicians climbed out of the relegation places last Saturday with a home win over Sevilla. But Celta's victory was their only win in six games while Real, on a run of five straight wins, are the hottest team in league.

For Hazard, and for Real, Celta are not the target, nor are mid-table Levante who they face next Saturday.

The date ringed on their calendars will be February 26 when they face Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

After a difficult autumn, Zinedine Zidane has his team purring and the endless questions over Bale's role are a sideshow he can ignore.

The other team in what is turning into a traditional Spanish two-horse race are looking less comfortable.

Barcelona were top as recently January 25. Now they trail Real by three points.

They also face a traditional also-ran at home this weekend. But Getafe are the surprise of the Spanish season and have won four straight matches to climb to third and can cut the gap to second to four points with a first league victory away to Barcelona.

"Everything is possible," said Getafe defender Allan Nyom.

Last week, against Real Betis, Lionel Messi assisted all three goals, setting up midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets and defender Clement Lenglet.

"When he doesn't score he gives assists," said Nyom.

Of the players Barcelona have bought to provide creativity and goals alongside Messi, only Antoine Griezmann, who started on Sunday is available. Philippe Coutinho is on loan to Bayern Munich, Luis Suarez is recovering from a knee injury and the club confirmed this week that Ousmane Dembele is out for the season.

Lenglet will be missing too. Seven minutes after scoring his second league goal of the season he was sent off. He also picked up a red when Barcelona won at Getafe in a bad-tempered match in September.

While Barcelona and Real have another week to prepare for their return to the Champions League, Atletico Madrid host Liverpool next Tuesday and Valencia play Atalanta in Milan on Wednesday.

Conveniently they were scheduled to meet this weekend in Valencia and La Liga has brought the game forward to Friday. Their Champions League opponents are both playing league matches on Saturday.

If they want to return to the competition next year, Friday's meeting could prove crucial. Atletico are clinging onto the fourth Champions League place only on goal difference from Sevilla while Valencia are just two points back in seventh.

Barcelona are making noises about asking for an exemption to buy a striker because of their injury problems.

Real Sociedad's Willian Jose, a 28-year-old Brazilian who has gone from journeyman to must-have striker in the last month, and Moron, a 26-year-old who has only established himself in the Betis team in the last 18 months, are reportedly top of the list.

They can improve their value by adding to their modest eight league goals each this season on Sunday. Willian's Real Sociedad make the short trip to Eibar and Betis visit Leganes.

14: Lionel Messi is the top scorer in La Liga

11: Lionel Messi is the top assist provider in La Liga

75: Yellow cards Getafe have accumulated, most in La Liga. They collected four against Barcelona in September, but Barcelona edged them with four yellows and a red

Wolverhampton Wanderers vs Leicester City preview: All Midlands affair at Molineux

After a two-week winter break, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leicester City return to Premier League action on Friday night, as the two sides meet in an all-Midlands affair.

Nuno Espirito Santo's Wolves side have performed well once again in the league whilst also contending with the UEFA Europa League and could move back into the top six with a win at Molineux.

Meanwhile, after a stuttering start to 2020, Leicester City have begun to rediscover their form from the start of the season and a win in the West Midlands on Friday could see them leapfrog Manchester City into second and tighten their grip on a UEFA Champions League spot.

Key Battle

Adama Traore is enjoying a great run of form in Wolves colours and is quickly making a name for himself as one of the players of the season. With four goals and seven assists to his name, the former Barcelona academy graduate is finally living up to his potential and could be the key to unlock a stern Leicester backline.

Brendan Rodgers' side also possesses a threat of their own on the wing in the shape of Harvey Barnes. The talented 22-year-old, fresh from scoring in the 2-2 draw against Chelsea has impressed fans with his displays at the King Power Stadium this season.

There have been talks of Barnes also being in contention for a first call up to the England squad during March's International break and Gareth Southgate will reportedly be at Molineux on Friday to assess Barnes' performance.

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Last Meeting

The previous encounter between the two teams was on the opening day of the season where both sides couldn't be separated in a 0-0 draw.

Despite the game being evenly contested, it was Wolves who initially thought they would be leaving the East Midlands with all three points after Leander Dendoncker's header however VAR disallowed the goal after it showed the ball had hit the arm of Willy Boly in the build up.

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Team News

Wolves are expecting the in-form Traore to have recovered from a shoulder injury sustained in the draw against Manchester United two weeks ago.

Ruben Vinagre is the only confirmed absentee for Wolves with a hamstring injury leaving Nuno Espirito Santo with a near full-strength squad to select from.

Foxes fans meanwhile will be hopeful that Wilfred Ndidi will be fit to play at Molineux after Brendan Rodgers confirmed he was a doubt with an ongoing knee injury. Nampalys Mendy is definitely ruled out through injury whilst Wes Morgan could return to the bench after recovering from illness.

Deadline day signing Ryan Bennett - signed on loan from Wolves - will also have to wait to make his debut as he is ineligible to play against his parent club.

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Predicted Line-Ups

Wolves: Patricio; Saiss, Coady, Boly; Doherty, Neves, Moutinho, Jonny; Traore, Jimenez, Jota.

Leicester: Schmeichel; Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell; Ndidi, Tielemans, Maddison; Barnes, Perez, Vardy.

Manager's Thoughts

Wolves' Nuno Espirito Santo is expecting a difficult game against Leicester and had a lot of praise for the opposition.

Nuno said: "We need to compete well. Leicester have done a fantastic job. Everybody can see the quality they have.

"They have a lot of quality players and a clear idea of football."

Leicester boss Rodgers knows that a win on Friday could extend the gap between the Foxes and fifth placed Sheffield United to 13 points but the Northern Irishman is aware there is still a long way to for him and his side.

Rodgers said: "We go into every game and give it our best. We know what we want to achieve. The players have been brilliant.

"In the last numbers of games, we’ve made some mistakes. There’s lots of learning that they will continue to make. It’s a very competitive league.

"There are still 39 points to play for, which is a lot. We don’t want to change. We can’t be thinking about being in the top four.

"We just need to concentrate on the next game. We want to be the best we can be."

Fortaleza estreia na Sul-Americana contra Independiente

O Fortaleza enfrenta o Independiente nesta quinta-feira, às 21h30, no Estádio Libertadores da América, em Avellaneda, pela primeira fase da Copa Sul-Americana. Com direito a invasão da torcida tricolor em solo argentino, esta será a primeira vez que o Leão entrará em campo numa competição internacional.

As duas equipes se encontram em momentos opostos. O Fortaleza vem de vitória diante do Santa Cruz pela Copa do Nordeste. Já o Independiente, por sua vez, quer a recuperação depois de perder o clássico para o Racing no Campeonato Argentino.

Virando a chave

O Independiente não vive um bom momento na temporada. Depois da saída de Sebastián Beccacece, a equipe vive um momento de reestruturação sob o comando de Lucas Pusineri. Ídolo do clube como jogador, o atual técnico do Rei de Copas não deve mexer na estrutura do time que vem atuando pelo campeonato nacional.

Logo, é provável que o Independiente entre em campo com a seguinte formação: Campaña; Bustos, Franco Barreto e Sánchez Miño; Lucas Romero, Blanco, Braian Romero e Cecilio Domínguez; Fernández e Silvio Romero.

Fazendo história

Enquanto o adversário detém sete títulos da Taça Libertadores e duas conquistas da Copa Sul-Americana, o Fortaleza aparece como estreante em competições internacionais. Entretanto, a equipe comandada por Rogério Ceni se mostra preparada para encarar os desafios da nova jornada, diante do Rei de Copas.

Sem nenhum desfalque, o Leão deve ir a campo completo: Felipe Alves; Gabriel Dias (Tinga), Quintero, Paulão e Bruno Melo; Michel, Juninho e Mariano Vázquez; Romarinho, Osvaldo e Wellington Paulista.

Il Napoli sbanca San Siro: contro l'Inter decisivo Fabian Ruiz

Nel match valevole per la semifinale d'andata della Coppa Italia 2019/2020 il Napoli espugna San Siro battendo l'Inter 1-0. A decidere una sfida piuttosto scorbutica e poco brillante un gran gol di Fabian Ruiz nella seconda frazione di gioco. Vittoria di fondamentale importanza e di prestigio per i partenopei che riscattano subito il k.o. con il Lecce. Le fatiche del Derby, invece hanno pesato notevolmente sul rendimento della squadra di Conte, incapace di creare occasioni degne di tal nome. Il match di ritorno si giocherà al San Paolo il 5 marzo.

IL RACCONTO DEL MATCH

Per quanto concerne il capitolo formazioni 3-5-2 per l'Inter con il tandem offensivo composto da Lautaro Martinez e Lukaku mentre il Napoli risponde col 4-3-3 ed il tridente d'attacco formato da Callejon, Mertens ed Elmas.

Match molto tattico e piuttosto noioso nella prima frazione con le due squadre corte, prevedibili ed incapaci di creare occasioni degne di tal nome. Buon approccio dell'Inter attraverso il lungo possesso palla ma, col passare dei minuti, la squadra di Conte abbassa il baricentro lasciando il pallino del gioco nelle mani della squadra partenopea con ritmi piuttosto bassi. L'unico squillo degno di nota, per così dire, arriva nel finale di tempo con Zielinski, servito da Mertens, si presenta davanti a Padelli calciando col destro ma l'estremo nerazzurro salva. La prima frazione, ammesso che ce ne sia stata una, si chiude senza emozioni e senza reti.

Nella ripresa Inter più aggressiva ma al 57' è il Napoli a passare in vantaggio grazie a Fabian Ruiz che scambi con Demme e fulmina Padelli con un gran mancino da fuori area, 0-1. Conte manda subito in campo Eriksen per Sensi ma l'Inter fatica ad abbattere il muro partenopeo attraverso il palleggio. I nerazzurri, dopo settanta minuti, esplorano la soluzione "tiro da fuori" proprio con il centrocampista danese ma il suo destro dai 25 si perde a lato di poco. Conte manda in campo anche Sanchez passando al 4-3-3 e al 76' i nerazzurri sfiorano il pareggio con un batti e ribatti furioso all'interno dell'area ma la conclusione di Lukaku viene bloccata in qualche modo da Ospina. Nel finale assedio confusionario da parte dell'Inter, il Napoli non rischia nulla portando a casa un successo di fondamentale importanza. I partenopei vincono la semifinale d'andata di Coppa Italia espugnando San Siro, il 5 marzo il match di ritorno.

Previa Valencia - Atlético de Madrid: lucha por los puestos de Champions

Dos rivales directos como lo son Valencia y Atlético de Madrid tendrán que disputar el partido que mantenga la pugna por los puestos europeos de la clasificación de La Liga Santander.

El último encuentro que cruzó a estos dos equipos acabó en tablas en el marcador (1-1) con goles de Diego Costa (de penalti) y con el empate de Dani Parejo en el 82'.

Se espera que el duelo de este viernes sea intenso por parte de los dos conjuntos, ya que está en juego la disputa por la clasificación en la UEFA Champions League. Ambos equipos son rivales directos, puesto que tan sólo dos puntos de la clasificación los separan. El Atlético de Madrid se encuentra cuarto con 39 puntos y el Valencia séptimo con 37 puntos. Aunque los rojiblancos estén ahora mismo en puestos de Champions, nada está escrito y al finalizar este partido la situación puede cambiar y dar un vuelco de 180°.

El Atlético de Madrid llega a este encuentro con muchas bajas en la plantilla como ya lleva semanas acarreando con ese problema. Los únicos que parecen averse recuperado y que tienen muchas posibilidades de entrar en la lista de convocados son Morata y Arias, los cuales han acabado su recuperación y están en condiciones de poder afrontar el partido en Mestalla.

La dinámica deportiva del club colchonero no es que sea muy positiva en cuanto a resultados se refiere, ya que es cierto que en su último partido ganaron al Granada por 1-0, pero si miramos más atrás el equipo no gana desde el pasado 9 de enero en un encuentro contra el Barça en la Supercopa de España.

Ahora parece haber un cambio en esta dinámica, y los de Simeone necesitan buenos resultados para encarar así un buen partido contra el Liverpool, que tan necesario es para ellos.

En la otra cara de la moneda, el Valencia que viene de caer eliminado en la Copa del Rey ante el Granada, y de perder también ante el Getafe de Bordalás que anotó 3 goles a un Valencia hundido.

No hay mejor manera de apaciguar las aguas para los valencianistas que ganando mañana en casa ante un rival directo como el Atleti y a su vez meterse en puestos europeos.

Todo está por ver, pero de lo que sí podemos estar seguros es que será un auténtico partidazo en el que Europa estará en juego.

Posibles alineaciones:

Valencia: Jaume; Wass, Magnala, Gabriel, Costa; Ferran, Kondogbia, Parejo, Carlos Soler; Maxi Gómez, Gameiro.

Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Arias, Felipe, Savic, Lodi; Koke, Llorente, Thomas, Saúl; Vitolo, Correa.

Analysis: Iniesta masterclass stuns starstruck JDT

Kobe: Barcelona and Spain legend Andres Iniesta showed the passing of time has done nothing to dull his ability as he shone on his and club Vissel Kobe's AFC Champions League debut in a 5-1 defeat of Malaysia's Johor Darul Ta'zim.

For 16 years, Iniesta shone in Europe and on Wednesday Asian fans got a chance to view the now 35-year-old Spanish maestro perform on the their own Continental stage.

And the man from Fuentealbilla did not disappoint.

Enter Andres

It took Iniesta just 12 minutes to make his presence known to the AFC Champions League fans, with a sumptuous pass from his own half that perfectly picked out Keijiro Ogawa running through on goal to open the scoring for Vissel.

And that was to set the tone for the rest of the tie, with Iniesta dictating play from all around the field for the hosts.

The Spaniard ended proceedings with a 91.5% passing accuracy, six chances created for his side and two assists thanks to another fine pass for Ogawa's third of the game with 18 minutes remaining.

Johor coach Luciano Figueroa admitted that his players had been "starstruck" by the former Barcelona midfielder. "They were not coming in like usual and they were looking at him more, and that ball watching punished us," he admitted ruefully.

Ogawa's night to remember

While Iniesta was putting on a passing clinic, there still needed to be a finisher on the end and Keijiro Ogawa was that man for Vissel.

Although it might have come as a surprise to regular watchers of the side. The 27-year-old has had a far from a prolific career, bar a fruitful 2013 season, and his hat-trick on Wednesday already sees him nearing his entire return for the 2019 season.

While Ogawa spent most of the match on the right flank, he showed a knack for knowing when to make his runs and popping up in the right place at the right time. Of his four shots, one was off target and the rest resulted in goals; two with his left foot and one headed home from close range.

The first was particularly memorable as he anticipated Iniesta's pass, split the two Johor centre-backs, and lifted the ball first-time across the opposing goalkeeper. He then punished slack defending twice in the second half to complete a Continental debut that will live long in his memory.

Safawi flickers on tough night for JDT

Last year, JDT's star Safawi Rasid carved his name into the AFC Champions League with a stunning strike away at Shandong Luneng, a goal that was voted the second best of the competition.

Although memorable, it was his only return of the 2019 campaign, a tally he had already matched inside the half hour in Kobe after coolly dispatching a penalty following Thomas Vermaelen's handball. That moment of joy for Johor was snuffed out within a minute however, when Kyogo Furuhashi replied in style.

With all eyes on Iniesta, Safawi's own contribution was largely muted by comparison but he did remain JDT's best outlet. His three created chances is more than the rest of his teammates put together, while of the visitors' three shots on target, two came from the boot of Safawi.

While it would have been a chastening night of football, if the 22-year-old can learn from the clinic on show from Iniesta it can only be to the benefit of JDT and Malaysian football as a whole.