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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

The start of the new season was definitely a mixed bag for the boys from the Spanish capital.

And even though we are only seven games in the ongoing La Liga campaign, Real Madrid have already faced a number of tough opponents.

In the domestic competition, they went through clashes with Sevilla and Atletico Madrid, winning the former and drawing the latter, while they also faced off against Paris Saint-Germain in Europe, suffering a heavy defeat in the process.

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By all accounts, there have been some stern challenges thrown in front of them already but their weekend clash against Granada at the Santiago Bernabeu might still be the toughest one yet.

And sure, this does sound a bit weird considering we’re talking about a newly promoted team and especially when taking into consideration all the titans we’ve mentioned.

But Granada are a very capable team. After all, they’ve beaten Barcelona 2-0 at home and are currently sitting second in the standings, just one spot below Los Blancos themselves.

And this is before we add Real Madrid’s injury woes into the equation.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

As it currently stands and according to the latest reports, Zinedine Zidane won’t have a single left-back available for the Saturday’s clash with all three of Marcelo, Ferland Mendy and Nacho out with a fitness issue.

Needless to say, this might pose a huge selection problem for the Frenchman but it will also show us exactly where Real Madrid are as a team.

These kinds of games usually separate the best from the rest and if the Galacticos want to stay true to their name and retain their first spot in the table, winning despite obvious problems is a must.

For that reason, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the clash against Granada might be their toughest challenge yet, and overcoming it might prove a huge point to all of their critics out there.

Let’s see if they manage to do exactly that.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

Carlos Corberan has a plethora of options available to him at U23 level.

Before last week, Leeds’ young stars had gone unbeaten and even beat Watford 6-0 while including players like Luke Ayling and Eddie Nketiah in the starting XI.

Previously at FFC we’ve analysed how this policy could have a negative impact on those coming through at academy level, but those who could be hindered most come in an attacking area.

Leeds only have two out-and-out strikes in their first team but Marcelo Bielsa’s favouritism of Patrick Bamford has meant Nketiah has also been reduced to chances in the academy.

Not only has this seen Ryan Edmondson struggle for opportunities after scoring a hat-trick in pre-season, but it’s also limited Kun Temenuzhkov, who could now be facing an uphill battle to make an impact.

The Bulgarian is a player with enormous promise, so much in fact that he was once in the famous La Masia academy at Barcelona.

You don’t grow up coming through the ranks in Catalonia without an abundance of talent. After all, it’s an academy that’s developed the likes of Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta.

Temenuzhkov isn’t close to possessing the same level of quality as those types of players but he does have great ability, something that was detailed when he was named as one of The Guardian’s 60 best young players in football for 2017.

A profile was given which compared him to the teenager’s idol and one of the current crop at Barcelona: “Temenuzhkov is deservedly regarded as one of Bulgaria’s hottest football prospects. Growing up idolising Luis Suarez, the pint-sized prospect has shown the same predator’s instinct in the penalty area as the Uruguay striker.”

That was fine praise indeed for the 18-year-old who has only featured on one occasion for the Leeds senior team after making the move from Spain.

Eligible to play for the Iberian country and Bulgaria, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that he’ll ever get a chance to stamp down his authority.

Not only does he have Bamford and Nketiah to get past but the striking options within the U23s is hotly contested.

Temenuzhkov is battling Edmondson and new signing Liam McCarron which has seen him reduced to substitute appearances more than anything else.

Having recently been rewarded with a new contract Leeds clearly rate the prospect highly but they must now prove there is a route to the first team.

This deal is a huge display of faith but his lack of opportunities so far this term isn’t too promising.

After scoring 30 goals in as many games for Barcelona’s Juvenil B team once upon a time, it seems foolish not to try and unearth more of his talents.

So far, it’s proving an uphill battle for the youngster and it’s unlikely to get any easier in the immediate future.

Leicester City missed a huge opportunity to stop the Liverpool train on Saturday afternoon.

Indeed, the Foxes were level at 1-1 with Jurgen Klopp’s side heading into the final exchanges of the Premier League affair.

It appeared that Brendan Rodgers’ outfit had done enough to pick up a brilliant point, but Liverpool had other ideas and secured a huge win in the 94th minute when James Milner held his nerve to score from the penalty spot.

Watch Leicester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Dennis Praet was handed his second successive start in the middle of the Leicester midfield, and the club’s fans were pleased with his performance on the afternoon.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old boasted pass success statistics of 85%, whilst he won four tackles before being substituted in the 73rd minute of the match.

Despite the defeat at Anfield, a number Leicester fans were upbeat after the match, and many were particularly impressed with Praet’s Merseyside outing.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Having signed Joelinton from Hoffenheim, Newcastle’s deadline day signing of Andy Carroll certainly raised a few eyebrows.

Yes, he had been a hero during his first spell on Tyneside, scoring 33 goals in 91 outings, but his miserable luck with injuries underlined his status as a major gamble; he missed 24 games in total in 2018/19. There is also the question of whether the Englishman can play second-fiddle to the club’s record signing.

But, after catching a brief glimpse of the pair playing together towards the end of the Premier League clash against Brighton last weekend, Steve Bruce may find it worthwhile to get the duo into the starting line-up at the same time.

The Premier League has often shied away from the old-school 4-4-2 combination in favour of a more continental, possession-based approach.

What Newcastle have on their hands, however, is a pair of centre-forwards who are unlike anything in the division. And that could be the secret to their success this season.

On the chalkboard

Both standing at over six feet tall, Joelinton and Carroll could provide a real throwback to the strike partnerships of yesteryear.

The latter’s bread and butter throughout his storied career has been throwing himself into battle with the opposition’s centre-backs, physically bullying them and dominating them in the air – look no further than the fact he has won 6.2 aerial duels per game as a career average.

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The man he could partner, Joelinton? Well, the Brazilian has won 4.2 aerial duels per game this season, and playing the two of them up top would give Newcastle a platform to build from. The Magpies aren’t blessed with an abundance of nimble, tricky players who want to engage in intricate passing.

What they do have, however, is some wide-men who have a real penchant for getting deliveries into the box.

The likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Christian Atsu and Matt Ritchie could provide incredible service from the flanks – the latter two, in particular, have both averaged more than a cross per game this campaign. Atsu has 1.3 and Ritchie has 1.7. Saint-Maximin has played just 57 minutes but has yet to have his crossing statistics recorded by WhoScored.

So what could a potential line-up with both Joelinton and Carroll in it look like?

More than anything, having such a physically dominant duo up top would give opposition teams something else to think about.

Going more direct, winning headers and second-balls in and around the box would cause havoc, and it would give Bruce’s side a far greater attacking threat.

It may be old-school, but it could be exactly the new approach Newcastle need.

[ad_pod ]The season has only started but Manchester City have already shown that they are adamant in making this campaign as much of a success as the last one was.In the first three games, the Citizens have tallied two wins and a draw, putting them in second place on the table for the moment, just behind their biggest rivals, Liverpool.Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And if one player was a standout performer in the last couple of fixtures, then it was definitely Raheem Sterling.

Pep Guardiola’s young forward has already bagged five goals in those three games he played and is looking to continue the trend moving forward.

After the weekend’s game, he took to Twitter to post about the victory and soon he was swarmed by fans’ comments as they “demanded” that he scores more goals since they all apparently have him in their Fantasy Premier League team.

Of course, all of the people who did captain the forward when he bagged a hattrick on the opening day get a lot of points in the online competition but Sterling explained that he won’t be able to do that every single week.

The whole situation seemed to amuse him and while he made it clear he won’t be scoring three goals every single game, he was happy they chose to put him in their virtual XIs.

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Once again, there has been plenty of big stories to break in world football over the past five days. We have seen big transfers confirmed, lawsuits threatened and shortlists for the biggest individual rewards revealed. Here, we take a look at 10 of the biggest pieces of news to come to light during the past week…

On Friday evening, there was a big breakthrough in the saga that is Harry Maguire’s prospective move to Manchester United. BBC Sport reported that the Red Devils had agreed a fee of £80m, which would be a world record fee paid for a defender. The 26-year-old is expected to complete his medical over the weekend. Finally, it seems, we might be able to put this one to bed.

After a long and successful career in Europe during which he has become the most decorated player in football history, Dani Alves has returned to his homeland of Brazil. The 36-year-old right-back has signed a three-year deal with Sao Paulo. The latter’s president Carlos Augusto de Barros e Silva said of the deal, “Daniel Alves is the embodiment of what this management envisions for Sao Paulo. He is also a socially engaged citizen and passionate about our country. Sao Paulo, therefore, wins on every possible front.”

Despite reportedly having a transfer budget of just £45m, Arsenal have still somehow managed to smash their transfer record by signing Nicolas Pepe from Lille. The Gunners have paid a fee of £72m for the Ivory Coast international, who has signed a five-year deal with the club. Pepe arrives at the Emirates Stadium on the back of a successful season in Ligue 1 during which he scored 22 goals in 38 games.

It is proving to be a difficult transfer window for Lille, with this week seeing not one, but two star players depart the club for pastures new. Along with Pepe, Rafael Leao also completed a move away from Les Dogues and signed for Serie A outfit AC Milan. The Rossoneri are believed to have paid £32m for the Brazilian, with the 20-year-old signing a five-year deal with his new team.

It is sometimes hard to keep track of Kevin-Prince Boateng. This week, he was once again on the move, this time swapping Sassuolo for Fiorentina. La Viola becomes the former Ghana international’s 11th club after Hertha Berlin, Tottenham, Borussia Dortmund, Portsmouth, AC Milan, Schalke 04, UD Las Palmas, Eintracht Frankfurt, Sassuolo and Barcelona…. and breathe!

Our next big story from the week comes from Germany. On Tuesday, Bayer Leverkusen confirmed the signing of Nadiem Amiri from Hoffenheim, with the 22-year-old signing a five-year contract with the club. The former Germany U21 international is just the latest player to leave Hoffenheim so far this summer, with nine others having departed on a permanent or short-term basis.

The nominees for the Best FIFA Men’s Player have been revealed this week, with three Liverpool players included on the shortlist. Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Sadio Mane have been joined by Barcelona pair Lionel Messi and Frenkie De Jong, Tottenham striker Harry Kane, Real Madrid winger Eden Hazard, PSG’s Kylian Mbappe and Juventus’s Matthijs de Ligt.

After just one year at the Camp Nou following his switch from Bordeaux, Malcom has completed his move to Zenit St Petersburg. The Russia outfit have paid an initial fee of €40m (£36.6m). “I want to do my best in St. Petersburg and show everyone what I can do,” said the 22-year-old upon signing for the club. Malcom scored four goals in 22 appearances for the Blaugrana.

In one of the more bizarre bits of news to emerge in the past few days, South Korea football fans are to seek compensation after Cristiano Ronaldo failed to take the pitch in a pre-season friendly. The Portugal international was contracted to play 45 minutes against the K-League All Stars for Juventus, organisers says, but the former Real Madrid man didn’t even make it onto the field.

We end this gallery with a bit of positive news for progressiveness and inclusion. It has today been revealed that Stephanie Frappart will become the first woman in history to take charge of a major European men’s football final when she referees the UEFA Super Cup final between Chelsea and Liverpool in Istanbul. There will also be two female assistants: Manuela Nicolosi and Michelle O’Neill,

حذر المدرب الألماني، يورجن كلوب، المدير الفني لنادي ليفربول، من خطورة مُهاجم فريق ليستر سيتي، جيمي فاردي، قبل مباراة الفريقين في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، كما ألمح إلى إمكانية مشاركة أحد ثنائي دفاع الفريق الجديد.

ليفربول يحل ضيفًا على ليستر، ظهر غدًا السبت، على ملعب “كينج باور ستاديوم”، ضمن لقاءات الجولة الرابعة والعشرين من البريميرليج.

الريدز في نافذة الانتقالات الشتوية، تعاقدوا مع بن ديفيز وأوزان كاباك، من أجل تعزيز الخط الخلفي، بعد الإصابات التي تعرض لها فيرجيل فان دايك، جو جوميز، وجويل ماتيب.

وعندما سُئل عما إذا كان الثنائي الجديد، كاباك وديفيز مستعدين لمواجهة جيمي فاردي، أجاب: “ربما نعم، جيمي فاردي يمثل تحديًا في هذا الدوري، بسبب الطريقة التي يلعب بها”.

وأضاف في المؤتمر الصحفي الخاص بالمباراة: “ضد جيمي فاردي، عليك القيام بعملك، لأن زملاءه أيضًا يركزون عليه كثيرًا، ولكن لا يُمكنك فعل ذلك بمفردك، يجب على الفريق بأكمله الدفاع ضده، هذه هي الطريقة التي نحاول الدفاع بها ضده دائمًا”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. كلوب يُعلن غياب ثنائي ليفربول أمام ليستر سيتي بسبب الإصابة

وواصل: “في الجلسة التدريبية، ركزنا على بعض الأمور الدفاعية، ولكن بغض النظر عنهما (ديفز وكاباك)، فنحن لدينا لاعبون آخرون مُتاحون، أداء نات فيليبس كان جيدًا حقًا في المباريات الماضية جنبًا إلى جنب مع هندرسون”.

وأردف: “يتعين علينا إيجاد حل لهم جميعًا، هذا الأسبوع في التدريبات، كانت فرصة بالنسبة لي، ليظهروا من جاهز، وأنا عليّ أنّ أتخذ قرارًا غدًا”.

وتابع: “كاباك لا يزال صغيرًا، أعتقد أنّ خوض المباريات بدون جماهير سيكون أمر جيدًا له، لأنه إذا تم ارتكاب خطأ أو أيًا كان، فإنك سترى رد فعل الجماهير كلها، وهذا ليس لطيفًا بالنسبة لك كشاب”.

وأتم تصريحاته قائلًا: “كاباك لا يزال شابًا ولكن لديه خبرة أيضًا، ولعب أمام الكثير من المُشجعين مع شالكه، وهو مُعتاد على ذلك”.

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Yesterday’s Arsenal transfer roundup included La Liga eyes on a star striker, a potential move for a Brazilian winger and rumours surrounding the exit of a club veteran. Today’s edition involves interest in a Real Madrid star, discussions to be held over the club’s transfer budget and an update on the future of a Spanish defender.

Arsenal want Marcelo

According to Spanish outlet Sport, Arsenal are interested in signing Real Madrid left-back Marcelo. However, they are not the only club to do so, with PSG, Juventus and AC Milan also all looking at the 58-cap Brazilian.

Transfer chiefs to talk to Kroenke

Arsenal’s transfer chiefs are to talk to Stan Kroenke in an attempt to get their hands on more funds this summer according to the Daily Mail. It has previously been reported that the Gunners will have just £45m to spend this summer on new recruits, but figures at the club will talk to the owner to try and finance a move for Wilfried Zaha.

Sociedad eyed Monreal

Mundo Deportivo is reporting that Real Sociedad were keen on signing defender Nacho Monreal. However, the veteran left-back will stay in London after Arsenal utilised the one-year extension option in his contract.

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After 12 years, Aaron Ramsey’s time at Arsenal is finally coming to an end and for many fans, it’s still quite incredible the talisman midfielder is actually leaving. Allowing the Welsh midfielder to leave for Italian side Juventus on a free could be a decision that comes back to bite the club in the future, but we’re not here to talk about that.

Over the years Ramsey has not only been one of Arsenal’s most important players but also one of the most productive midfielders in the Premier League since finding his feet in the 2013/14 season, but out of his current Gunners teammates who did the former Cardiff City player enjoy the most success with in front of goal, and who will accordingly miss him the most?

Football FanCast takes a look at the five players Ramsey produced the most joint goal participations with, either setting them up or scoring them himself…

Mesut Ozil – 12 goal contributions

Out of any midfielder still at the club, Ramsey has played alongside Mesut Ozil for the most amount of minutes, and of course, that means goal contributions between the two are largely inevitable.

The majority of their link-ups came in Ramsey’s best season for the Gunners in the 2013/14 season that saw the pair combine six times in that campaign alone. Although the Welshman’s departure will be a cause of concern for Arsenal fans, Ozil is unlikely to lose much sleep due to the fact their last link-up came in the 2017/18 campaign.

Alexandre Lacazette – 8 goal contributions

Alexandre Lacazette might have only been at Arsenal for two seasons, but the French striker has already asserted himself as a fan favourite at the club and a player that has benefited well with playing alongside the likes of Ramsey.

As well as striking a healthy partnership, the duo have knack of linking up against big teams in the Premier League, with Lacazette scoring against Manchester City and Manchester United as well as Tottenham from Ramsey assists, while the Welshman also scored against Arsenal’s north London rivals in March thanks to a pass from the former Lyon man.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – 6 goal contributions

It seems only fitting that one of Arsene Wenger’s lengthiest investments in Ramsey and his most expensive ever signing in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would combine on the iconic Arsenal manager’s final game in charge of the club.

A 1-0 win against Huddersfield was an ideal send-off for Wenger from two players that have made a big impact on the club, with Ramsey being the man to end the Gunners’ trophy drought and Aubameyang looking set to become an Arsenal icon in the future.

Hector Bellerin – 5 goal contributions

The number easily could have been higher had Hector Bellerin not ruptured his ACL this season, but five contributions from the right-back and Ramsey is still a healthy return considering their positions.

The Spanish defender scored against Liverpool in a 4-1 win for the Gunners with the help of a Ramsey assist and Bellerin returned the favour a year later, setting up the Juventus bound midfielder in the north London derby in a 2-2 draw.

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Pundit Charlie Nicholas thinks Celtic should not have chosen Neil Lennon to lead the club forward next season, speaking to Sky Sports on Thursday.

What’s he said?

Lennon’s appointment at the Hoops has yet to be confirmed, but the club announced he had been offered the job in the wake of last Saturday’s Scottish Cup win and the passionate Celtic man is unlikely to say no.

The debate surrounding the decision to try and appoint Lennon has rumbled on all week, with most media voices feeling that the treble winner is the right man to take charge of the Hoops.

Nicholas though feels that the club should have went in a different direction, even though Lennon did a fantastic job of filling in for Brendan Rodgers.

As quoted by Sky Sports, the former Celtic striker said:

I didn’t think it was the right decision. I would’ve went for something a little bit different. I was looking at somebody like [Slaven] Bilic or someone that might have a different creative [approach] but Neil did a fabulous sit-in for Brendan Rodgers.

He’s earned the right to take the position. He’s not agreed it yet, I know that, but I think Neil will be looking forward to it.

C’mon the Hoops throwback to one of the greatest Celtic goalkeepers of all time in the video below…

Should Lennon have been given the job?

Celtic fans may have preferred a big name to take charge. Brendan Rodgers’ arrival undoubtedly raised standards at the club and there are serious question marks about whether Lennon can maintain that.

The evidence is there though that Lennon can and will be a successful Hoops manager.

With a 70% winning record in over 200 matches and multiple trophy wins, his credentials are strong and he’s far less of a risk than appointing someone like Slaven Bilic, as Nicholas suggests.

Winning over the doubters

There’s only one way Lennon is going to get his doubters on board and that’s confidently winning matches during this summer’s European qualifiers.

If he can get Celtic motoring early and perhaps add a few first-team quality players to the squad in the transfer window, Celtic fans will soon forget their concerns and be much more comfortable heading into the domestic season.

Lennon has a lot to prove despite his enormous past success at Celtic, but anyone hoping for a Hoops meltdown should probably look elsewhere.