Liverpool are in pole position to sign Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi should he decide to push for an exit from Selhurst Park this summer.
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Yorkshire 276 for 3 (Lyth 97, Root 65*, Brook 44*, Masood 40) vs DerbyshireEngland duo Joe Root and Harry Brook shared an entertaining and unbroken fourth-wicket partnership of 71 as Yorkshire dominated Derbyshire on day one of the Vitality County Championship clash at Headingley.Root and Brook came together during the afternoon with the score at 205 for 3 after Yorkshire had been inserted at the start of this Division Two fixture, and they built on the early good work of in-form opener Adam Lyth, who made 97, to help their county close the day on 276 for 3 from 59 overs.When bad light intervened just before 4pm – there was no further play as rain followed – Root was 65 not out and Brook 44.Root was accumulative in 99 balls and Brook much more aggressive – savage even – in 37 against a wilting Derbyshire attack, frustrated by four dropped catches either side of lunch, including Lyth on 22 and 80.All of the catches went down behind the wicket, three in the slips, and it could have been a completely different story had Derbyshire been able to expose Yorkshire’s superstar duo to a much newer ball.The two counties came into this fixture level on 28 points after three games towards the foot of the table. Yorkshire had drawn two and lost one, the latter against Middlesex at Lord’s last week. Derbyshire had drawn all three.Batting was not easy in overcast conditions with movement through the air and off the pitchDespite creating chances, Derbyshire weren’t at their best with the ball, offering up too many boundary opportunities.Their former overseas player Shan Masood, Yorkshire’s captain, hit 10 fours in a 25-ball 40, for example.The first wicket to fall had a whiff of controversy about it. Fin Bean was trapped lbw by Anuj Dal for 18 – 46 for 1 at the start of the 15th over – the ball after he had picked up three to long-on at the end of the previous over.Replays have shown that fielder Pat Brown slid into the rope trying to save the boundary, but the call of three runs stood. Had it been given four, Bean would not have been on strike to the ball he fell to.In the grand scheme of the day, it mattered little as Bean’s opening partner, Lyth, led the way on Yorkshire’s dominant day.Lyth was strong on both sides of the wicket in hitting 15 fours in 157 balls, narrowly missing out on a third century in four Championship matches this season when he edged Zak Chappell behind, leaving Yorkshire 205 for 3 in the afternoon.Chappell was one of the Derbyshire bowlers taken to task by Masood during an action-packed morning. At one stage, he hit seven fours in 10 balls across two overs from Dal and Chappell, taking Yorkshire to 89 for 1 after 20 overs. Masood then edged left-arm seamer Luis Reece’s second ball to second slip – 92 for 2 in the 22nd.From there, Lyth and Root shared 113 inside 27 overs for the third wicket.Root’s innings was in complete contrast to Masood’s as he hit just two fours by the time he reached 40.Later, Brook was even more aggressive than Masood. He drove with power and precision and lofted Reece for a straight six.Not that Root was completely becalmed. Having reached an 86-ball fifty during the latter stages of the afternoon, he reverse swept Alex Thomson’s off-spin for four.The weather came less than two overs later, at least giving Derbyshire some respite.
South Africa lost their practice T20 match, but Nadine de Klerk felt there were “more positives than negatives”
Valkerie Baynes25-Jan-2024
Ellyse Perry scored 145 off 137 balls in a 50-over WNCL match last week•Getty Images
Australia Women are looking to press on from their successful white-ball campaign in India during what allrounder Ellyse Perry describes as a “landmark” tour by South Africa.Having swept the three-match ODI series and beaten India 2-1 in T20Is over the New Year period, Australia will host South Africa in the first of three T20Is on Saturday in Canberra, the first time the sides will meet in the format outside the World Cup arena and the first bilateral series between them since a five-match ODI in 2016 (Australia’s planned white-ball tour of South Africa in 2020 was abandoned amid the Covid-19 pandemic). Three ODIs will follow before a maiden Test between the two nations closes out the tour in Perth in mid-February.Perry said Australia were making good progress on finding their desired approach to T20 batting, having bounced back from an opening-match defeat in India and as they prepare to face South Africa for the first time since defeating them in the T20 World Cup final almost a year ago.”Really pleasingly, we’re starting to nail down exactly what that looks like for us,” Perry said. “That’s broadly speaking for the team, but also for every individual within the batting line-up. Someone like Phoebe [Litchfield] had a phenomenal series over in India, both in the one-dayers and the T20s, but I think everyone took some really great strides forward and it’s a great chance again to start this series with T20 to just look at continuing to expand that.”They’re coming pretty hungry after the World Cup final last year. It’s nice to play them again. They’re a wonderful team, they’ve got some seriously world-class players in that group. They’ve been competitive for a long period of time. We’ve had some great tussles against them, none more so than that World Cup final, so it’s nice to host them here in Australia and looking forward to the challenge.”Litchfield notched two half-centuries and a hundred opening in the ODIs against India before posting scores of 49, 18 not out and 17 not out in the middle order during the T20Is. Australia have stuck with Grace Harris in their squad for the T20I leg of South Africa’s visit, boosting their batting firepower as they did in India, before she makes way for legspinner Alana King in the ODIs.Meanwhile, Perry, who scored 145 off 137 balls for Victoria in a 50-over Women’s National Cricket League match against Australian Capital Territory last week, expected captain Alyssa Healy to be fit to play on Saturday despite not training fully on Thursday due to illness.”I think Midge was just feeling a bit crook today,” Perry said. “She was cleared of Covid, so didn’t test positive for that, but probably just needs a day or so to take it easy. As far as I know, she should be available for Saturday without anything untoward happening.”Nadine de Klerk smacked an unbeaten 48 off just 24 balls against Governor General’s XI•Getty Images
South Africa warmed up for the series with a practice T20 against Governor General’s XI at North Sydney Oval. Batting first, they lost three wickets inside the powerplay, including captain Laura Wolvaardt for a duck, before Nadine de Klerk’s unbeaten 48 off just 24 balls lifted them to 149 for 7. Chloe Tryon, who returned to the side after a groin injury suffered during the WBBL, was the tourists’ second-highest scorer with a handy 39 from 29 balls, sharing a half-century stand with Sune Luus, who scored 31 off 28.But the hosts chased down the target with four balls to spare. Opening the innings, captain Sophie Molineux led with 59 off 41 to take her side to a four-wicket victory despite Masabata Klaas’ impressive 3 for 16 from four overs.”Results isn’t the only thing to look at,” de Klerk said. “Tough loss, but I think there are more positives than negatives, so we’ll definitely take that into the first couple of games. It really put us on the back foot losing those early three wickets, but I think we bowled really well. They had a few partnerships going and I think we lost it probably a little bit towards the back end. Probably the bowlers would look to tidy up on those death plans and back end and when the batters are getting going and I think that’s pretty much it.”She was also full of praise for the experience shown by Tryon and Luus to help South Africa to a competitive total.”Chloe was out there for quite a while before she actually got going and I think that was what was needed on the day,” de Klerk said. “I know it is T20 cricket and you want to be expressive and really aggressive as well, and I think Chloe just took a bit of time, and the same with Sune. They both batted beautifully and laid some sort of platform for the rest of the batters to come. I think they had quite a decent partnership there. It makes a massive difference. We were 19 for 3… so it just shows that if one or two batters put their heads down and bat for just a little period, it does become a little bit easier.”I was a bit nervous, to be honest, when I went out to bat. It looked a bit tough early on, but I just tried to take my time and obviously got some good advice from Chloe as well when I came in. So it was just about giving myself some time. It’s a great start to the series and you want to go in with a lot of confidence starting on Saturday so yeah, it’s been great fun to be out there and I’m so glad it was a good contest. I think we, as a team, got out of it what we wanted.”
GOAL looks at the best players from the Gold Cup, which culminated in Mexico's 10th trophy after beating USMNT in final
The 2025 CONCACAF Gold Cup was one for the books. Mexico were crowned champions for the second straight edition, defeating the U.S. men's national team 2-1 in the final and capping the final competitive tournament for the region ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Edson Alvarez, Raul Jimenez, and Luis Malagon were all terrific for s their trio of reliable veterans helped Mexico lift the trophy for the 10th time. They weren't the only top performers, though. For the U.S., defender Chris Richards had a fantastic tournament and was arguably the best center-back throughout the Gold Cup.
Panama's Ismael Diaz was named the top scorer of the competition, earning the Golden Boot and making a name for himself among CONCACAF's attackers. Who else stood out in this year's tournament?
GOAL US looks at the top 10 performers, including a few new breakout stars.
Stream Gold Cup games live on fuboFind the best deals
MatériaMais Notícias
Se não vai poder contar com Eduardo, suspenso pelo terceiro cartão amarelo, contra o Goiás, Luís Castro pode ter um retorno no setor para o Botafogo. Patrick de Paula treinou com o grupo em atividade realizada na tarde desta quinta-feira no Espaço Lonier, CT do clube.
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+Botafogo vai criar base de observação na Argentina e tem lista de jogadores ‘na mira’
O camisa 8 desfalcou o Glorioso nas últimas três partidas por conta de uma paralisia facial. O meio-campista foi diagnosticado com a Paralisia de Bell e estava tomando medicações com substâncias que poderiam ser contraindicadas pelo antidoping.
Patrick não foi a única novidade na atividade. O volante Del Piage e o lateral-esquerdo Carlinhos também colocaram as chuteiras e participaram das atividades com o elenco.
Rafael, que sofreu um afundamento na face, participou da atividade sem máscara. O defensor também correu pelo campo e fez exercícios com os outros jogadores.
O Botafogo enfrenta o Goiás na próxima quarta-feira, às 21h45, na Serrinha, pela 28ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.
MatériaMais Notícias
Depois de três jogos complicadíssimos chamados de “finais antecipadas” do Brasileirão, o Palmeiras finalmente encerrou essa “prova de fogo” rumo ao objetivo de conquistar o título. O empate com o Fluminense, no Maracanã, fez o clube somar cinco pontos nessa sequência e manter a invencibilidade como visitante.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAbel Ferreira valoriza empate do Palmeiras, mas diz: ‘Tivemos mais medo do que coragem’Palmeiras27/08/2022VídeoVÍDEO: veja os melhores momentos do empate entre Palmeiras e Fluminense pelo BrasileirãoVídeo27/08/2022PalmeirasANÁLISE: Palmeiras sai do Maracanã com grande resultado, mas atuação ruim era evitávelPalmeiras27/08/2022
GALERIA
> Confira os públicos do Palmeiras no Allianz Parque em 2022
TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
A primeira partida dessa série foi diante do Corinthians, a qual o Verdão venceu por 1 a 0, fora de casa, e aumentou a vantagem em relação ao rival na liderança, já que na época era o segundo colocado.
Em seguida, foi a vez de receber o Flamengo, no Allianz Parque, e empatar em 1 a 1, mantendo a liderança e os nove pontos de vantagem para o Rubro-Negro, que havia entrado naquela rodada como o vice-líder do campeonato e principal adversário pelo título.
No último sábado, o Alviverde foi até o Maracanã para enfrentar o Fluminense, novamente um vice-líder do Brasileirão. Na partida derradeira dessa sequência, mais um empate em 1 a 1 e nova manutenção da vantagem em relação ao segundo colocado.
Dos nove pontos em disputa nesses três jogos, o Palmeiras ficou com cinco, mas mais importante do que isso foi manter a distância confortável para os adversários. São oito pontos à frente do Flu e, se Flamengo e Corinthians vencerem, ficarão no máximo sete e oito pontos, respectivamente, atrás do time de Abel Ferreira na tabela.
Outro aspecto que o Verdão conseguiu manter com esse empate importante no Maracanã foi a sua invencibilidade como visitante no Campeonato Brasileiro. São 12 jogos, sete vitórias e cinco empates até aqui, o único que ainda não perdeu fora de casa na competição. São 72,2% de aproveitamento contra 51,5% do Atlético-MG, que é o segundo melhor quando joga longe de seus domínios no Brasileirão.
Para se ter uma ideia, o Palmeiras perdeu apenas dois jogos fora de casa em toda a temporada. Os dois foram para o São Paulo, no Morumbi, sendo um na ida da final do Paulistão, e outro na ida das oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. Ou seja, é muito difícil bater a equipe de Abel Ferreira como visitante. Aliás, o Alviverde perdeu apenas cinco jogos em 2022, sendo um deles para o Chelsea.
Confira os números do Palmeiras fora de casa no Brasileirão 2022:
12 jogos
7 vitórias
5 empates
0 derrotas
72,2% de aproveitamento (melhor visitante)
16 gols marcados (melhor ataque como visitante)
6 gols sofridos (melhor defesa como visitante)
Confira os números gerais do Palmeiras como visitante em 2022:
27 jogos
15 vitórias
10 empates
2 derrotas
67,9% de aproveitamento
45 gols marcados
18 gols sofridos
MatériaMais Notícias
Aos 35 anos e com contrato com o Corinthians até o fim da próxima temporada, o goleiro Cássio ainda não pensa em aposentadoria, nem se planejou para quando ‘pendurar as luvas’.
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+Confira 12 momentos marcantes do goleiro Cássio com a camisa do Corinthians
– Não sei o que vou fazer quando parar de jogar futebol. A gente tem que se preparar. Não posso parar sem saber o que vou fazer, mas é um processo. Alguns jogadores não se preparar e se atrapalham um pouco, porque muda a rotina. Agora me dedicar ao trabalho e mais pra frente pensar no que fazer – disse o goleiro durante entrevista coletiva concedida nesta sexta-feira (29).
O atleta completou 603 partidas com a camisa corintiana na última quarta-feira (27), se tornando o arqueiro com mais jogos pelo clube, além do terceiro que mais vestiu a camisa alvinegra entre todos os atletas que defenderam o Timão.
Em entrevistas recentes, o Gigante, como é chamado pela Fiel Torcida, já disse em oportunidades recentes que deseja atuar profissionalmente até os 40 anos de idade. Ainda assim, o atleta destacou que o seu pensamento esta a cada temporada.
– Pensar ano a ano. Como falo, essa é a minha 11ª temporada. As vezes a gente perde o foco do momento. É fazer o melhor hoje. Hoje comemoramos o 603 jogos. Se olhar atrás, jogadores atuavam até 35 anos, hoje jogam mais, mudou muito. Somos mais profissionais – destacou o goleiro.
Cássio não descartou a possibilidade de se tornar treinador após encerrar a sua carreira como atleta, mas destacou que para isso acontecer ele precisará se preparar e ter pessoas de confiança ao lado dele.
– Sobre ser treinador, pode ser que aconteça. Quando eu parar tem que ter um estudo. Tive o privilégio de trabalhar com grandes treinadores, aqui (no Corinthians) e na seleção, de repente fazer estágio. Tenho muito a aprender. Ser treinador é outra situação. Para um treinador é importante ter pessoas de confiança. Se no futuro for trabalhar preciso ter essas pessoas. Mas, honestamente, não sei o que fazer, tenho alguns anos pra jogar e o foco é esse ano, terminar a temporada bem. Estamos fazendo uma temporada boa, chances de títulos e conquistas – salientou Cássio.
+ Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro e simule os próximos jogos
AUGE?
No Timão desde 2012 e tendo conquistado nove títulos no período, entre eles a Libertadores e Mundial de Clubes há 10 anos, como protagonista, Cássio evita falar sobre auge, mas sabe que caso termine 2022 conquistando os três títulos que o Corinthians disputa, poderá considerar o topo da sua carreira.
– Me sinto em um momento bom. Quando você fica mais experiente tem mais sabedoria, tanto do lado positivo, quanto negativo. Difícil falar sobre auge. Eu nunca ganhei três títulos em um ano, se ganhar pode ser que aconteça. Me sinto muito bem, fisicamente e tecnicamente. Cabeça aberta, mesmo com 35 anos, em ambição pra melhorar. Difícil falar em auge. Teve anos que consegui Copa do Mundo e não ganhei nada, anos que ninguém dava nada e ganhamos títulos. Me cuido para bater recorde, metas e ser melhor que o ano anterior. Ambição de ser melhor a cada ano – destacou o ídolo corintiano.
Em 2022, Cássio esteve em 39 partidas. Segundo a plataforma Footstats, o atleta fez 94 defesas na temporada, sendo 35 considerada difíceis.
SUCESSORES
Cássio deixou claro que dá todo o suporte necessário para os goleiros reservas do Corinthians. Ainda assim, o atleta entende que a gestão de carreira dos mais jovens corresponde somente a eles.
-Nós temos uma safra muito boa de jogadores. Assim como o Alessandro (gerente de futebol), que está aqui, estava lá no Grêmio quando subi, nós estamos aqui para dar suporte, ajudar, orientar para, de repente, eles não cometerem os mesmos erros que a gente comete. Mas o responsável pela carreira é eles. A gente dá suporte, mas o responsável por treinar, dedicar-se e ser melhor é o atleta. Assim como aconteceu comigo, quando era mais novo, acontece com todos. Tentamos sempre ajudar, mostrar – disse o camisa 12.
Cássio avaliou Carlos Miguel e Matheus Donelli, goleiros que tiveram chances recentes, contra Atlético-MG e Ceará, respectivamente. O primeiro foi contratado no ano passado, após fazer a base no Internacional, já o segundo é cria corintiana.
– O (Carlos) Miguel chegou há pouco tempo, o Donelli já está há mais tempo, é um menino que tem 20 anos e pulou etapas. Se pegar outros meninos que jogaram, demorarm dois anos para entrar no processo e no nível que têm hoje. Tenho certeza que é um menino que vai evoluir muito, crescer. O (Carlos) Miguel fez um grande jogo contra o Atlético-MG. No que eu puder ajudar, até com outros goleiros da base que vêm treinar com a gente, eu faço. Foi o que muitas pessoas fizeram comigo lá atrás – salientou o Gigante.
No início da temporada, o Timão contratou o goleiro Ivan, promessa da Ponte Preta, com passagem, inclusive, pela Seleção Brasileira. A ideia era ter o atleta como um sucessor de Cássio. No entanto, o jovem, de 25 anos, foi emprestado ao Zenit, da Rússia, no processo que trouxe o centroavante Yuri Alberto ao Timão.
A cessão de Ivan ao clube russo é válida até junho do ano que vem. Caso o Zenit queira permanecer com o atleta, terá que desembolsar 5 milhões de euros (R$ 26,4 mi, na cotação atual).
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Manchester United played out an entertaining 2-2 draw away from home against Everton on Saturday afternoon, in their final Premier League trip to Goodison Park, one of English football’s most historic stadiums.
For about 70 minutes, the Red Devils were poor. Everton went into the halftime break 2-0 up, thanks to goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure. The Toffees striker scored after a messy clearance from a corner by United gifted him the ball in space. It was a well-controlled finish from the 27-year-old.
Doucoure also scored from a bad bit of defending from United. He outjumped Harry Maguire, following a parry from Andre Onana, to nod over the Cameroonian goalkeeper and double the Toffees’ lead.
United started the second half just as poorly, but, the introduction of Alejandro Garnacho and young striker Chido Obi changed the game. They seemed much more fluid and three-dimensional in attack.
Captain Bruno Fernandes got his side back into the game, scoring a well-directed freekick. Just moments later, Manuel Ugarte picked up a loose ball on the edge of the box, and, after bringing it down on his chest, slammed home to equalise.
Everton were perhaps unlucky not to have a penalty at the death. Former Red Devils captain Ashley Young went down under pressure, but after initially being given on the pitch, the decision was overturned.
United’s standout player was, as usual, Fernandes.
Fernandes’ performance vs. Everton
Over the years, no matter how dire the circumstances, there has always been one player United can rely on. It is none other than their “Portuguese Magnifico”, Fernandes. Against Everton, it was no different.
The Red Devils skipper scored a brilliant freekick to kickstart his side’s comeback at Goodison Park. From 20 or so yards out, shooting from the left-hand corner of the box, Fernandes directed his effort into the far corner, with Jordan Pickford rooted to the spot. It was a smart finish.
Samuel Luckhurst, a journalist for The Manchester Evening News gave Fernandes a 7/10 for his efforts. He praised the United skipper for the way he ‘galvanised the team’ in the final throes of the game.
Indeed, Fernandes’ stats on Sofascore show just how influential he was on the game for United. Their number eight had 109 touches, created two chances and won seven out of 13 duels. His all-round contribution was vital, and he had more touches, and the second-most number of touches across all players.
Stat
Leader
Most touches
Fernandes – 109
Most accurate passes
Fernandes – 64
Most key passes
Harrison – 3
Most tackles
Gueye – 11
Most successful dribbles
Fernandes – 3
Most duels won
Gueye, Mazraoui – 11
Possession lost
Fernandes – 29x
On the whole, though, it was a poor performance from the rest of United’s side. In particular, the defenders struggled against the Everton attackers.
The United defender who struggled vs Everton
It was a tough day at the office for several Red Devils defenders. Noussair Mazraoui played well but was substituted after seemingly picking up a slight knock. Maguire did not have his best game after a spell of good form
However, Matthijs de Ligt was someone who really struggled. He arguably looked out of his depth against the fantastic Beto and was one of the culprits for bringing down Young in the overturned penalty decision.
Luckhurst gave him a 2/10 for his efforts, a scathing review. The journalist said he looked ‘overwhelmed’ and was ‘easy prey’ against the Toffees attackers, who really got the better of him across the game.
He did not place very highly in many of the key stats from the game, as per the table above. Defensively, he only won five from nine duels, less than 11 players on the pitch, and only managed one tackle. He played a backpass out of play, too.
Incredibly, the Dutchman was not a player United wanted to bring in last summer. According to ESPN’s Mark Ogden, the Red Devils, and their new ownership group, INEOS, “didn’t want” to sign the defender from Bayern Munich, in a deal that cost them £38.5m up front and £4.3m in add-ons.
It certainly makes you question, will the Dutchman be a long-term option for Ruben Amorim? If United’s board didn’t want to bring him in, there is no saying that De Ligt is someone the Portuguese manager might view as a long-term fit for his system.
After performances like that against Everton, it could well be the case that he is not someone who is a long-term option for the club.
Man Utd considering first offer to sign £53k-p/w ace who may replace Onana
Onana has struggled at times this season…
ByTom Cunningham Feb 22, 2025
Ex-Germany stars Lothar Matthaus and Didi Hamann have claimed that Florian Wirtz will become a fan favourite at Liverpool after he joins the club.
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Wirtz set to reject Bayern for LiverpoolMatthaus and Hamann understand decisionHamann feels that Wirtz will be Liverpool favouriteFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Wirtz has been one of Europe's most sought-after players ever since the German youngster starred in Bayer Leverkusen's Bundesliga title win last season. Manchester City and Bayern Munich had been discussed as the most likely destination for Wirtz, however, progress has been made over the last few weeks by Liverpool to sign him, and they have reportedly agreed on personal terms with the 22-year-old.
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Matthaus and Hamann have claimed that they understand why Wirtz has seemingly decided to reject the opportunity to stay in Germany with Bayern Munich in favour of heading to Liverpool. The former Bayern stars have also claimed that Wirtz could become a fan favourite at Anfield in the coming years.
Getty/GOALWHAT MATTHAUS AND HAMANN SAID
Speaking with , Matthaus said: "He's taking on a big challenge. It's not just a new club. It's a new mentality, a new language. But: This step also shows that he's not afraid. Florian Wirtz believes in himself 100 percent – and rightly so. I have absolute confidence in him that he will succeed at Liverpool and in the Premier League."
Hamann then interjected: "Liverpool is a global club. They demonstrated that during the negotiations. We've had contact for a long time, and we've never heard anything. That certainly impressed the Wirtz family as well. Discreet, quiet, everything in the background."
Speculating about why Wirtz rejected Bayern, Hamann added: "Perhaps that was also a consideration: At FC Bayern, Jamal Musiala is actually the number 10. Perhaps he doesn't want to share the position."
Matthaus also speculated about the reasons for Wirtz's rejection, saying: "Liverpool doesn't yet have that kind of game-changing player in his position."
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WHAT NEXT FOR WIRTZ?
Wirtz is set to seal the deal with Liverpool soon, as the Premier League champions are said to be in the final part of their discussions with Bayer Leverkusen.
After much hype and anticipation, Celtic’s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich ultimately ended in defeat.
On Wednesday night at Parkhead, despite a late rally, the Hoops were narrowly beaten 2-1 by the Bundesliga leaders in the first leg of their tie, leaving Brendan Rodgers’ side on the brink of elimination as they head to Bavaria next Tuesday.
Nevertheless, many of the Celts’ most impressive players did put in an eye-catching performance, with one of Ange Postecoglou’s finest buys seeing his stock continue to rise.
Celtic's Japanese connection
When Postecoglou was appointed Celtic manager in the summer of 2021, barely anyone in the entire western hemisphere had ever heard of him.
The Aussie had a big job on his hands upon his arrival, considering the Bhoys had finished a whopping 25 points behind Rangers the season before, enduring a first trophyless campaign for over a decade.
Off the pitch, with no director of football in place, he was tasked with leading the recruitment, and 14 players arrived during that first summer, to replace the ten who departed, including Scott Brown, Odsonne Édouard, Kristoffer Ajer and Ryan Christie who, between them, made 1,121 appearances for the club.
Many of Postecoglou’s signings were roaring successes, but it was his knowledge of the Japanese market that really came to the fore.
Having won the J1 League title with Yokohama F. Marinos, Ange convinced the Celtic board to sign Vissel Kōbe striker Kyōgo Furuhashi for £4.5m, and what a piece of business this would prove to be.
Kyōgo scored a hat-trick on his home Premiership debut against Dundee, bagging 16 goals in the first half of his first season at the club, including a brace during the League Cup final victory over Hibs, and his impact, in business terms, would essentially prove to be proof of concept, as a Japanese influx was to follow.
Six months after Kyōgo’s arrival, another trio of Japanese players joined him in Glasgow, namely Yosuke Ideguchi, Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda in January 2023, before both Yūki Kobayashi and Tomoki Iwata were signed the following season too.
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So, now that Kyōgo has departed for Stade Rennais, another of the Japanese contingent has really come to the fore and proved to be an exceptional value-for-money signing.
Celtic's current best player
Daizen Maeda’s header against Bayern Munich this week, following on from his hat-trick against Raith in the Scottish Cup on Saturday, took his tally to 22 goals for the season, as well as 51 for the club in total.
Having previously netted against Slovan Bratislava, Borussia Dortmund and Club Brugge in the league phase, Maeda has become the first Celtic player since Joe Craig in 1977/78 to score four or more goals in a single European Cup campaign.
In the intervening years, Mo Johnston, Henrik Larsson, Chris Sutton, Kenny Miller, Georgios Samaras and Moussa Dembélé had all reached three; Adam Idah’s last chance to join his team-mate on four is likely to come at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
Given that Maeda has now scored 11 goals across all competitions since Boxing Day, right-back Alistair Johnston described him as “one of the most in-form players in Europe”, while analyst John Walker praised his “elite pressing and work-rate”.
Speaking on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club, former Hearts and Hibs midfielder Michael Stewart notes that Maeda has “stepped up a level” in recent weeks, adding he has become “top class”.
So, let’s compare the Japanese forward to some of Celtic’s other top strikers of the last decade.
Maeda
145
51
24
194
Kyōgo
165
81
19
126
Édouard
179
87
38
140
Dembélé
94
15
81
121
Griffiths
261
123
51
118
As shown in the table, Maeda’s statistics are comparable to Celtic’s best forwards of the past decade, which is impressive considering he’s predominantly been deployed out-wide.
Having been signed for just £1.6m, transfermarkt believes Maeda is now worth over four times that, £7m, proving to be one of the Hoops best value editions of recent years.
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