Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)
Manchester City defeat Inter Milan 1-0 in Istanbul to secure their first Champions League trophy at the same time as completing an impressive treble following their Premiership and FA Cup successes.
City started off nervous with several players misplacing passes. It looked like the weight of the favourite tags were weighing on them. Inter were working hard to put City players under pressure with Matinez and 37 year-old Dzeko, playing in his first final, putting the pressure on from the front. A misplaced pass and a mix up between Akanji and the goalkeeper resulted in Martinez cutting in from the left but he could not get the ball past Ederson who stood up and gave the Inter striker no angle at all.
Midway through the first half Kevin De Bruyne went down injured and was replaced by Phil Foden. This was a huge loss to the City midfield and for the rest of the half it was very tight with Inter giving City no time on the ball. A burst of pace from Haaland near the end of the first half helped create a chance for City but his shot from an acute angle was well saved by Onana to keep it at 0-0 going into the break.
Into the second half and the final finally came to life in the 68th minute after a spell of City pressure in and around the Inter penalty box. Bernado Silva rolled the ball to Rodri who calmly side footed his shot around two Inter defenders from 16 yards out to make it 1-0.
Inter, however, did not lie down. Lukaku came on with 20 minutes to go and Inter went more direct. It was not long until he had a chance from six yards out but he headed it down and it somehow hit off Ederson’s leg and was headed clear. Inter continued to press and towards the end were unlucky when they hit the cross bar and Ederson made another great save to his left punching the ball clear with seconds to go.
City however hung on for a famous victory and their players and fans greeted the final whistle with a mixture of relief and joy. After an incredibly long season they have not only achieved their first Champions League win but managed a treble at the same time, the first in England since their red neighbours managed it back in 1999.
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Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)
Inter Milan secured a convincing 2-0 first leg “away” victory against neighbours AC Milan in the first leg of the Champions League Semi Final.
The atmosphere inside the famous Stadio Giuseppe Meazza (aka the San Sir) was red hot with 75,000 Milanese fans packed inside. The majority of the fans were dressed in the famous red and black from AC Milan, given their status as home team in the first leg.
However it was Inter who came flying out of the blocks. They went at AC and were ahead inside just eight minutes with the forgotten man Edin Džeko rolling back the years. The 37-year old popped up in the box to put Inter 1-0 up with a powerful side-foot volley following a corner kick.
Before AC had time to recover, Henrikh Mkhitaryan made it 2-0 for Inter inside 11 minutes. Inter broke forward at pace and ex Man United player side-footed into the net after breaking into the box and finding himself one on one with the keeper.
Just four minutes later it could have been all over as Hakan Calhanoglu hit a blistering 20-yard shot towards goal. Luckily however for Milan the shot smashed off the post. VAR then came to AC Milan’s aid after forcing the referee to reverse his decision to give Inter a penalty. AC Milan were very grateful to go into the break with no further damage done after a tortuous first half for them.
AC looked stronger in the second half and were unfortunate not to get a goal back after hitting the post. However Inter still had their chances to kill the contest with Džeko forcing a great save from the AC keeper after finding himself through one on one.
Inter look strong favourites to advance to their first Champions League Final since 2010 as they host their neighbours next week in the same stadium in the second leg with a commanding 2-0 lead in the tie.
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The Champions League gets back underway this week following the international break with several sides in desperate need of victories to spark their European campaign into life.
Group A
Napoli will travel to Amsterdam looking to maintain their perfect start against an Ajax side smarting from their late defeat against Liverpool. The Italians have arguably been the standout side in the competition so far and can take a giant leap towards qualification with a victory in the Dutch capital.
Elsewhere it will be a first ever meeting of Liverpool and Rangers at Anfield with both sides needing wins for different reasons. Liverpool will look to Europe to gain some form after stuttering in the league while Rangers are yet to get off the mark in their return to the top table.
Group B
Club Brugge have arguably been the biggest surprise package in the tournament so far and will look to claim another scalp when they host Atletico Madrid.
The Belgians have made a perfect start and another victory would open a big gap between themselves and third place in the group.
Porto will be aiming to get off the mark after two defeats in their first two games when they host Bayer Leverkusen. The Germans are struggling domestically but did defeat Atletico last time out so they’ll have some belief travelling to Portugal.
Group C
Bayern Munich have once more made an impressive start to a Champions League group stage and will get the action underway on Tuesday when they host Viktoria Plzen in the early kickoff.
The German champions defeated their two biggest group rivals in September and will be expecting to dispatch of their Czech visitors to maintain their lead in the group.
Inter Milan meanwhile will host Barcelona in what is the biggest game of the week.
Both sides came up short when facing Bayern and both defeated Plzen so they’ll view these two upcoming games as the key to deciding who will follow Julien Nagelsmann’s side into the last 16.
Group D
Sporting are another side who have impressed, taking six points in what looked the most open group on paper.
They travel to Marseille on Tuesday who desperately need a win if they are to stand any hope of reaching the next round. The French side have started well in the league but have struggled badly in Europe in recent years and will be desperate to give the home support something to cheer.
Tottenham will visit Eintracht Frankfurt in the other Group D clash looking to bounce back from their weekend defeat to bitter rivals Arsenal and take steps towards qualification. It will be far from easy against the Europa League winners who will also have their sights on the latter stages.
Group E
AC Milan head what has been a very tight and unpredictable Group E and will host Chelsea on Wednesday night with injuries to key players disrupting their preparation.
French pair Mike Maignan and Theo Hernandez will miss the clash against Graham Potter’s men who needs points themselves having stuttered in their opening two games.
Salzburg are unbeaten thus far but have also yet to win but a victory over Dinamo Zagreb at home would put them in good stead heading into the turn in the group. The Croatians will be aiming for another surprise victory having stunned Chelsea last month.
Group F
Holders Real Madrid have made a serene start to their title defence and host Shakhtar on Wednesday looking to maintain their 100% record.
The visitors have also made a good start to the group and look favourites to join their hosts in the next round.
Celtic will travel to Leipzig looking to build on their credible draw against Shakhtar last time out and will need to get something to keep their qualification hopes alive as will the bottom side from East Germany.
Group G
Erling Haaland has been in utterly sensational form this season with 17 goals so far and the visit of FC Copenhagen will offer the Norwegian another chance to add to his tally.
The Danes picked up a draw against Sevilla three weeks ago but will be up against a Manchester City side brimming with confidence after sticking six goals past their local rivals Manchester United.
Sevilla have made a terrible start in La Liga and need to get something at home to Borussia Dortmund to avoid being cut adrift in terms of qualification. Victory for the Germans will see them move five points clear of their hosts with just three games to play.
Group H
Benfica have been another surprise outfit this season, winning nine of ten games in all competitions and two 100% records will go head to head in this group when they host PSG.
The Lisbon side claimed a stunning victory away at Juventus last time out and even a point here at home to the French champions will boost their chances of repeating what they did last year when they knocked Barcelona out in the group stages.
Juventus will be looking to avoid the same fate as the Spaniards and nothing less than three points against Maccabi Haifa in Turin will do, with manager Max Allegri under all sorts of pressure.
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Inter Milan’s 1-0 victory at Anfield wasn’t enough to prevent Liverpool from advancing to the Champions League Quarter Finals following their 2-0 victory in the San Siro three weeks ago.
Inter Milan came to town 2-0 down from the first leg but they did not enter the pitch ready to roll over and with five in midfield they made life very difficult for Liverpool. It was not the fast-flowing red machine that Liverpool fans have been getting used to seeing at home this season. Having said that Liverpool nearly put the tie to bed early on from a set piece. A Trent Alexander-Arnold corner from the Anfield Road end whizzed into the box and Joël Matip got his head on it but somehow his header hit the underside of the crossbar and stayed out.
It was a close tense affair with some tackles flying in. Alexis Sanchez received a yellow for a high tackle on Thiago. Liverpool lifted the pace of the game at the start of the second half with Mo Salah hitting the post and again the ball flying off to safety for Inter. The Italians were throwing bodies in the way with some last-ditched defending at times but also looked dangerous on the break themselves.
That danger turned into a great goal when Matip gave the ball away cheaply and Lautaro Martinez came in off the right and hit a right foot screamer into the far top corner of the Liverpool net with nearly 30 minutes to play. However less than 2 minutes later Alexis Sanchez made a tackle on Fabinho and got the ball first but then caught the man too and the referee deemed it a second yellow card. The Inter bench were up in arms about the decision forcing them to go down to ten men and the control of the game went back to the men in red.
Salah hit the post again and somehow Luis Diaz did not score at the death. The ball cleared off the line again and Liverpool could not get the ball into the net to secure a late equalizer on the night.
Inzaghi, the Inter manager, admitted after the match that his team were undone by a bad finish to the game in the first leg in Milan but was ultimately proud of his team for fighting back after the disappointing result at home.
“We have got to this stage for the first time in 11 years and ended up playing perhaps the strongest team in Europe and we were their equals.”
Liverpool’s impressive run of 12 wins in a row in all competitions they have played in this calendar year, including picking up a first domestic cup in ten years’, finally came to an end. However Klopp wasn’t too disappointed.
“If you are going to lose a game 1-0 this season this was the one to lose”
Liverpool survived to be in the pot for the last eight draw on Friday 18th of March.
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At 5pm on Saturday 12th June, Denmark and Finland kicked off their opening Euro 2020 game of Group B in Copenhagen expecting a good Scandinavian battle like no other. No one ever thought or saw what was going to happen coming by any means.
In the 41st minute, Inter Milan’s Christian Eriksen collapsed on the pitch as a throw-in was taken towards him and was given CPR by the medical team who came onto the scene whilst the football world went into shock. It was revealed a day later that he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
As a result of which, the Denmark players and medical staff then made the decision to cover what was going on from the media and public whilst Eriksen was being treated by the medics. A decision applauded to give privacy to Eriksen and his family at this time in their hour of need.
For many watching this event unfold live, this brought back memories of Fabrice Muamba who ended up having collapsed in March 2012 whilst playing for Bolton Wanderers against Tottenham in a televised FA Cup match. Fabrice thankfully recovered despite his heart having stopped for 78 minutes but was told to retire immediately upon doctors advice and ultimately saw his career over.
Muamba himself even tweeted this in reference to Eriksen with many fans hoping the Dane would recover like the former-Arsenal trainee did.
Fabrice has moved onto speaking out openly about what he went through alongside other issues in football given the platform he has been given since that awful day in March 2012 when his career came to an unforeseen halt.
Please God
— fabrice muamba (@fmuamba6) June 12, 2021
Fans and players alike were sending tweets out to Eriksen in hope he makes a speedy recovery. Marcus Rashford being just one of many players who sent their support out to the Denmark national team and Eriksen.
????
— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) June 12, 2021
For those in the UK, BBC’s coverage of the game stopped at 6pm with non-football programmes shown instead for the time being before being moved back on at 7.20pm following a special BBC News bulletin. The BBC themselves apologised to their viewers for showing the moving images of the aftermath that had gone on before they cut it back to the studio to get reaction from their pundits.
It was also announced that England’s Harry Kane and Gareth Southgate would not be doing their press conference as a result of the events given Kane like many others in the England squad, including that of Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier, had played with Eriksen during their days at Tottenham. As had many of the squad played against Eriksen during his Premier League days.
But it goes without saying that whilst many fans felt that the game should be rescheduled for a later date, it was eventually decided as stated in this tweet below that the final four minutes of the game were to be played followed by a five minute interval before continuing the game whilst also stating that the scheduled Belgium vs Russia game in St Petersburg was going to be played as scheduled.
UEFA had emergency talks whilst the break of nearly two hours progressed before continuing once more and it eventually emerged that Eriksen was sent to hospital and was also seen leaving with his head up whilst carried out which was a positive sign of recovery. They finally announced the news.
Following the request made by players of both teams, UEFA has agreed to restart the match between Denmark and Finland tonight at 20:30 CET.
The last four minutes of the first half will be played, there will then be a 5-minute half-time break followed by the second half.
— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020) June 12, 2021
Both teams were welcomed back out to a standing ovation of applause at 7.05pm before restarting at 7.30pm and it was felt by many that the remain four minutes of the first half was played out rather under a sentimental stance before the second half offered the full competitiveness that we had seen prior to Eriksen’s collapse.
However after the second half started, things got underway with Joel Pohjanpalo striking a header in from Jere Uronen’s cross beyond Leicester keeper Kasper Schmeichel. The goal coming at the hour mark of the game and whilst it was Finland’s first ever goal at an international competition (unless you count their participations at the 1912, 1936, 1952 and 1980 Summer Olympics Football tournaments in which they have scored a total of 14 goals and conceded 29 overall).
But to most people, the result won’t matter. Denmark still have a chance to qualify for the knock out stages providing they win their next two group games. All that matters is the health of Christian Eriksen and he is guaranteed a good recovery whilst in hospital.
For Finland either way, given their Scandinavian neighbours in Denmark, Norway and Sweden have all achieved glory and success at one point or another in international competitions over the past 100 years, only them and the Faroe Islands hadn’t reached the European Championships Group Stages given Iceland had taken part in the 2016 competition for the first time so this victory over their local neighbours in Copenhagen despite the events that had taken place on it unexpectedly and unforeseen, will remain part of Finland’s footballing history.
Like some teams in the tournament, some took Finland to be a side that are just happy to be here but this rather shock victory over Denmark has seen them into second place. Providing they get at least another point, there is nothing to say they can’t force their way through into the knockout stages via the third place route.
But for many across the world, the fear remains that we could yet see more similar cardiac arrests like that of Fabrice Muamba and Christian Eriksen in the future at matches amid the hotter summers and more pressure on games to be played by players over a short time frame.
The fact UEFA permitted an increase from 23 man squads to 26 is evident that players have been pushed to the limits over the past 15 months in terms of their fitness and playing across an action-packed season that includes league, continental cup, international and domestic cup competitions taking place across a short span of time. More so as a result of the break caused by Covid-19 which is why this seasons Championships are taking place now and not as they should’ve been held over a year ago.
There will now be an expected rise in defibrillators being bought or purchased for those clubs who are unable to pay out for one whilst in the UK, this tweet below saw a vast amount of attraction as people highlight the importance of CPR and cardiac arrest with knowing what to do in their time of need.
There is a FREE Sudden Cardiac Arrest training course that you can take on the FA’s website.
I encourage anyone and everyone to take sometime out of their day to complete it.
This could happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. BE PREPARED.
Link: https://t.co/Dyof7d4Tav pic.twitter.com/DKJ3wkYGib
— Amy (@amypurser_) June 12, 2021
Christian Eriksen like his fellow-former Premier League player Fabrice Muamba is now recovering as best as he can following what happened to him. And whatever happens between now and the rest of the tournament, expect Denmark to be playing in honour of their fellow countryman who has accomplished 527 club appearances in his career alongside a monumental 109 appearances for his country. Just 20 appearances behind record holder Peter Schmeichel.
We wish him all the best and hope he has a speedy recovery. We also send our best wishes and support to Eriksen’s family and friends at this time.
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Atlanta 68points – Remaining fixtures –Sassuolo (A) , Parma (A), Benevento (H), Genoa (A), Juventus (Coppa Italia Final), AC Milan (H) Form WDWWW
Gian Piero Gasperini’s men continue to delight and excite. The top scoring team in Serie A seized the initiative in the top four battle with a recent 1-0 victory over Juventus. Sassuolo will provide a tough challenge but after this Atalanta face three teams in the bottom half of the table. Parma are likely to be relegated by then, while Genoa should be safe and have nothing to play for. Win three of these four games and Champions League qualification for a third consecutive year ought to be secured. This would be a fantastic achievement for La Dea cementing them as a powerhouse in Italian football. Second place in Serie A and a Coppa Italia win would be the most successful season in Atalanta’s history. Prediction 2nd
Gian Piero Gasperini’s Atalanta could secure their best ever season. (Credit: Atalanta.it)
Napoli 66points – Remaining fixtures – Cagliari (H), Spezia (A), Udinese (H), Fiorentina (A), Verona (H) Form WWDWL
Gennaro Gattusso is rumoured to be leaving at the end of the season but he has galvanised Napoli in recent weeks with a valuable point against table topping Inter followed up by a huge 5-2 win over top 6 rivals Lazio. Results elsewhere see Gli Azzurri now sit in the box seat for Champions League qualification. On paper they have the easiest run in. Cagliari and Spezia are fighting for their Serie A lives whilst Udinese, Fiorentina and Verona are stuck in mid-table mediocrity. Expect Napoli to pick up at least ten points from the remaining fifteen to return to Europe’s elite competition after missing out last season. Prediction 3rd
Gatusso’s future may be in doubt but Napoli look a good bet for the top four. (Credit SSCNapoli.it)
Juventus 66points – Remaining fixtures – Udinese (A), AC Milan (H), Sassuolo (A), Inter (H), Atalanta (Coppa Italia Final), Bologna (A) Form DWLWW
Finishing outside the top four would be a disaster for Juve, whose gamble hiring Andrea Pirlo has not paid off. For all his titles, elegance and plaudits as a player, Pirlo is clearly still learning what it means to be a manager at the top level. This is worrying for I Bianconeri considering their current position and remaining fixtures. A massive game against AC Milan awaits on May 9th, which could essentially be a winner takes all clash for fourth place. Juventus then have a tough trip to eighth place Sassuolo followed by Inter at home. Having likely been crowned champions by then, Antonio Conte’s side and their fans would love nothing more than to deliver a killer blow to their bitter rivals’ Champions League hopes. The next six games will be the truest test of Pirlo’s fledgling managerial credentials. Winning the Coppa Italia is unlikely to save him, with the rumours of Massimiliano Allegri returning to the Juve bench refusing to go away. Prediction 5th
Juve’s top four hopes and Andrea Pirlo’s job are at risk. (Credit: Juventus.com)
AC Milan 66points – Remaining fixtures – Benevento (H), Juventus (A), Torino D (A), Cagliari (H), Atalanta (A) Form LLWWD
Milan topped the table in January, however maintaining the breakneck pace of their 27-game unbeaten following Serie A’s resumption in June was always going to be a tough ask for the young Rossoneri. Long term injuries to experienced heads Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alessio Romagnoli haven’t helped, and Stefano Pioli’s side come into this crucial stretch in bad form. Milan will be looking to beat lowly Benevento comfortably next before a huge game against Juventus. Crucially, Ibrahimovic should be back by then. Win this and Pioli’s side will be in a strong position and will be hoping to secure a top four finish before a tough trip to Atalanta on the final day. Prediction 4th
Stefano Pioli’s young AC Milan side hope for positive end to the season. Credit: acmilan.com
Lazio 61points – Remaining fixtures – Genoa (H), Fiorentina (A), Parma (H), Roma (A), Torino (A), Sassuolo (A) Form WLWWW
Simone Inzaghi’s side have an outside change of gate-crashing the top four with last week’s convincing 3-0 win over AC Milan keeping their hopes alive. A five-point gap and an inferior goal difference to their rivals is a tough handicap to overcome, however all of Lazio’s remaining games are against sides below them in the table and they do have a game in hand. Le Acquile are in great form, winning four out of their past five games with deadly striker Ciro Immobile back in form. The teams above them will drop points, with Milan facing both Juventus and Atalanta in the remaining games. However, Lazio will likely need five wins out of six to secure a back-to-back top four finishes. Prediction 6th
Can Simone Inzaghi and Lazio force their way into the top four? (Credit SSLazio.it)
Don’t forget……. Roma
Roma are all but eliminated from qualifying for the Champions League via Serie A. But are Italy’s sole remaining representative in this season’s European Club competitions. Should they overcome Man Utd in the Europa League semi-finals, they will face Arsenal or Villareal in Gdansk on May 26th for a chance to qualify for the Champions League.
]]>In a twist of beautiful irony, the day after the proposed European Super League collapsed, two of its Italian ‘founding members’ faced opposition with a footballing history and purpose the proposed structure would’ve quite happily rendered obsolete.
Spezia Calcio are playing in the Italian top division for the first time in their 114-year history. So surprising was promotion from Serie B last July for Gli Aquilotti – the Little Eagles, they had to borrow a ‘home stadium’ for the first two months of this season whilst their intimate ground on the Ligurian coast was renovated to Serie A standard.
On Wednesday, Spezia drew 1-1 at home with Inter Milan. They are currently 15th, five points clear of the relegation zone. Staying in Serie A would be a monumental achievement and with five games to go Spezia are in a strong position to achieve this.
In 2006, US Sassuolo were competing in Serie C. A decade later they qualified for the Europa League group stage after finishing sixth in Serie A. I Neroverdi – the Green and Blacks were promoted to the highest division for the first time in their history in 2013, have not been relegated since and have established themselves as a Serie A side.
Current Sassuolo coach Roberto De Zerbi has been widely lauded for developing young Italian talent and his high pressing tactics. In his pre-match press conference prior to Wednesday night’s fixtures he was so outraged at his upcoming opposition’s dalliances with the Super League that he said he’d rather not play the game at all.
Sassuolo did play. And they won. Coming from behind to beat AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro. A consecutive eighth place finish in Serie A beckons for De Zerbi’s side who on the pitch at least have become the model for so called smaller Italian sides to follow.
The ‘founding members’ at least got one win on Wednesday. Juventus beat Parma 3-1. This has not been a season to remember for Juve, who are in danger of finishing outside the top four in Serie A. Alongside only Real Madrid and Barcelona, Juventus are still yet to officially withdraw from the ESL project, at least they’ll have this tri-way round robin to fall back on if they don’t qualify for the Champions League.
But Juventus aren’t the real story here, nor Inter, nor Milan. Earlier in the week De-Zerbi put it best, saying:
“It’s like the son of a labourer can’t dream of becoming a surgeon, a lawyer or a doctor. It’s as if they had told me as a kid in the schoolyard, that ball’s mine. I’m taking it.”
The real story on Wednesday night was Spezia, De-Zerbi and Sassuolo taking that ball back in the only place and way that matters; on the pitch with sporting merit.
Proving that despite what the ‘founding members’ thought, that when the first whistle blows we are all equal and that anything can happen in the 90 minutes that follows which is after all the true essence of football.
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At 11:30 pm on Sunday the 18th of April, the mill of rumours finally had some concrete proof that the beautiful game
as we know it was about to change.
Throughout all of Sunday, a new Super League was announced. After almost 13 years of predictions, promises and proposals, the scheme looked to finally be on the way to the game. An idea which reshapes every level of professional football, from the ‘Big Six’ to your local club in the lower tiers of English football, the game is about to change.
The idea has been spearheaded by Real Madrid president and now president of the Super League, Florentino Perez, who stated in the later hours of Sunday night that:
“We will help football at every level and take it to its rightful place in the world. Football is the only global sport and our responsibility as big clubs is to respond to their desires.”
Taking a look through social media, not a single fan of the game wants this movement to follow through. The majority doesn’t desire a Super League, watching Leicester face Atletico Madrid after being on the verge of Championship football two seasons ago is why the Champions League is such a good model, it’s based on performance and not merit.
If this is the first that you are hearing of the new Super League, the proposition on paper is quite simple, a new midweek competition would showcase the richest and biggest clubs facing off against each other, in a 20-team format. This would then for those sides, replace the Champions League, whilst remaining in their current domestic leagues.
The league would be locked to the elite clubs though, with the 15 founding members all guaranteed a spot in the tournament each year for being a founder of the league with a further five teams joining through qualification. However, no information has been revealed about how teams can qualify.
We know the 12 clubs currently agreeing to the proposal as AC Milan, Arsenal FC, Atlético de Madrid, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, FC Internazionale Milan, Juventus FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid CF and Tottenham Hotspur.
A further three clubs are set to join the league as founders, reports swirled that the German elites, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund and also PSG had rejected invites as well as Porto and RB Leipzig.
UEFA, FIFA and national football federations and authorities have further rejected this idea. It is believed that clubs will be banned from European competitions in the future if plans do not succeed, titles will be stripped, clubs banned from their domestic leagues but arguably the most devastating if the plans go through, players who participate in the new league will be banned from competing in international competitions such as the European Football Championship and the World Cup.
With UEFA president Aleksande Ceferin threatening that:
“The players that will play in the closed league will be banned from playing in the World Cup and Euros. They will not be allowed play for their national teams.”
It very well could mean that the English national squad runs the risk of losing the majority of their capped players who potentially will be taken to the Super League, therefore, completely changing the national squad.
Ben Dixon looks at the potential England line-up we could see for an international competition, should these changes be implemented.
Line-up
The most recent England squad for the European qualifiers consisted of 26 players, 15 of which play for clubs in the new Super League, not including Jesse Lingard of Manchester United. Lingard is currently on loan at West Ham United, therefore, he wouldn’t be eligible next season onwards for international competitions if he didn’t move away from Old Trafford.
Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund also currently doesn’t count, whose team potentially could join the league but is looking extremely unlikely to take up the offer.
For many years it’s been claimed that the England set up has always had this bias towards these ‘Big Six’ clubs and with the proposals and threats that players of these clubs won’t play internationally again, there is potential that there could be an England team without the bias.
In part one of this series, the attention is on the defensive aspects of the squad.
Goalkeeper
Nick Pope – Burnley FC
For the past four years, Nick Pope has consistently been pivotal to Burnley and has often been linked with moves away from Turf Moor, this season no different with the ‘keeper being linked to Chelsea and Spurs.
Pope has been exceptional for Burnley and was rewarded with a call-up to the national squad in the most recent set of qualifiers alongside Dean Henderson and Sam Johnstone.
Statistically brilliant, the 29-year-old has kept nine clean sheets this season in a team threatened with relegation. It is nothing short of incredible, with Pope’s continual efforts arguably the reason why Burnley haven’t been in the relegation zone for the majority of the season.
Pope first received a call up to the national side in March 2018 and was named in Gareth Southgate’s 2018 World Cup squad. Burnley’s number one made his Three Lions debut in June prior to that tournament as a substitute against Costa Rica in a friendly but would have to wait until November 2019 for his first competitive appearance.
A 4-0 victory over Kosovo in the final game of the Euro 2020 qualifiers saw Pope impress but would struggle to get the number one shirt from Jordan Pickford in competitive games until recently due to Pickford’s drop in form.
Pope was favoured by Southgate in the recent international qualifiers to be his starting ‘keeper and showed why he deserves the spot ahead of the Euro’s this summer. In the three games, he kept two clean sheets conceding one against Poland in the final game.
Key Domestic stats:
Saves per game: 3.7 (75%)
League team of the week appearances: three
Clean sheets: 9
Right-back
Matty Cash – Aston Villa
The Villa full-back has stepped up to the level required for the Premier League and has consistently performed. The Villa backline has been one of the best defences in the league and the best excluding the ‘Big Six’ keeping 14 clean sheets and Matty Cash has been involved in 10 of those.
The decision for Cash to be in the squad is also because of his role going forward and the system that both Villa and England play requires progressive full-backs with Cash averaging 37.29 passes per game aiding his team forward.
Defensively the former Nottingham Forest star also excels, the full-back hasn’t made a single error leading to goals in the 2096 minutes of football he’s played this season.
Since his £15 million move in the summer, he’s only gone from strength to strength and has proved his ability to perform at this level. His performances have led to Villa entering contract discussions with the 23-year-old as they look to tie Cash down.
Cash hasn’t yet had an opportunity to play for England despite shouts suggesting he should have been in the squad recently but with the three called up right-backs (Walker – Manchester City, Trippier – Atletico Madrid and James – Chelsea) all playing for clubs in the Super League, Cash rightly should be in line for a call-up.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 10
Tackles per game: 2.6
Errors leading to shots/goals: None
Right centre-back
James Tarkowski – Burnley FC
Tarkowski is the second Burnley player in this line-up and it’s completely deserved, like Pope, Tarkowski has been pivotal to Burnley’s fight to stay up this season and his partnership with Ben Mee has been brilliant for a number of years now.
His brilliance was summarised by West Ham United’s persistence to sign the centre-half last summer with the East London club submitting bids of up to £30 million. However, none reached Burnley’s valuation of their 28-year-old centre half which was closer to the £50 million mark, a fee which also put Leicester City off.
Tarkowski is a player that potentially may have not been in the line-up if he chose a different national team route given his eligibility to play for Poland through his grandfather. However, he never took the opportunity and should surely be in line for a call-up to the English national team.
Tarkowski has never really been given much of a chance in an England shirt and has often been overlooked by those players of the ‘Big Six.’ Tarkowski has featured for England already in a friendly against Italy in 2018. Furthermore, he also was named as a standby player for Southgate’s Euro 2018 squad but had to withdraw proving that Southgate sees him as an option.
This season Tarkowski has proved his reliability by playing 30 of Burnley’s 32 games, only missing the two opening games through injury. Since then he has not missed a minute, keeping nine clean sheets in this time.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: Nine
Clearances per game: 4.3
Duels won per game: 7.3 (69%)
Left centre-back
Tyrone Mings – Aston Villa
Mings is a player who is familiar with the set-up and recently received another call up for the World Cup qualifiers. He most recently featured for the national side against San Marino where Mings got 45 minutes of game time in a match England would win 5-0.
There were shouts that the spot deserved to go to his Villa teammate, Ezri Konsa but, Mings’ ability to play on the left side of the defence and him being left-footed means that this spot is his for the taking.
Under Southgate we have seen Maguire and Stones favoured, both able to play passes short and long fitting the playing style that he wants his England squad to play. Whilst Stones and Maguire are both stronger on their right, Mings as the starting centre back offers a larger versatility if England switch between a 4-2-3-1 and a 3-5-2 which have been the go-to formations due to him being left footed.
Mings has also been one of the favoured centre-halves under Southgate and this just furthers the reasoning why he is likely to get a spot in the squad, without or without the ‘Big Six’.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 13
Clearances per game: 4.8
Accurate passes per game: 35.7 (77%)
Left-back
Aaron Cresswell – West Ham United
There are a plethora of left-backs that could take this position with the void being left by Ben Chilwell and Luke Shaw, but the one who has impressed most is Aaron Cresswell.
Cresswell has been nothing short of incredible this season and his resurgence as a player has seemingly come out of nowhere with credit due to the 31-year-old for that.
The former Ipswich man is a player that for many seasons has been overlooked at West Ham but this season he has shown why he is still one of the best English left-backs.
Defensively Cresswell is a sound option, with no errors leading to goals in the 31 games he has played, 10 clean sheets, 2.1 clearances per game and committing only 0.4 fouls per game displaying the discipline and quality a defender at this level requires.
However, it is going forward where Cresswell has excelled this season, the full-back averages 1.5 key passes per game, an astounding stat for a full back, in addition to this, he has created 10 big chances creating a total of seven assists.
Key Domestic Stats:
Assists: Seven
Clean sheets: 10
League team of the week appearances: Four
Backup options
Although the four above may start, there are also players that deserve a mention due to the excellent form they have been in this season.
Goalkeeper
Sam Johnstone – West Bromwich Albion
Johnstone has been a player that has shocked many in the Premier League this season, keeping six clean sheets and being a standout player in a Baggies side that has looked like relegation favourites since the first day of the campaign.
At times, Johnstone has won points for the club due to him making 124 saves this season, the most of any goalkeeper in the Premier League, but he has also conceded 57 in his 30 appearances an average of 1.9 goals conceded per game.
Furthermore, the West Brom number one has a total of 876 passes averaging about 29.2 passes per game and for an England side that progresses from the back, this is a vital statistic for any England ‘keeper.
Key Domestic Stats:
Saves: 124
Passes per match: 29.2
Clean sheets: 6
Right-back
Luke Ayling – Leeds United
After the club’s promotion to the Premier League, there were potential doubts of whether Luke Ayling would be at the standard required for the league, however, the full-back has put any doubts behind him and has played a key role in Leeds’ season.
With the third most amount of tackles behind Pierre-Emile Højbjerg and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Ayling is the highest tackler outside the ‘Big Six’ clubs, averaging 2.7 tackles per game, and with eight clean sheets, he’s a valuable asset to Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
Furthermore, the former Yeovil defender fits the mould of a full-back that suits the England system, with superb stamina through the murderball training at Leeds but also with the ability to play in the centre of defence makes him a prime candidate to be in the European Championship squad.
Key Domestic Stats:
Touches per game: 89.5
Tackles per game: 2.7
Clean sheets: 8
Centre-back
Conor Coady – Wolverhampton Wanderers
Conor Coady is already an England international and is deservedly so, with the Wolves captain enjoying another good campaign and featuring in all but one of Wolves’ games.
Coady is a player that Southgate has worked with on the international stage before and he fits the mould of Southgate’s system to a tee. A vocal, ball-playing defender that has the ability to play out from the back and is versatile enough to play in either centre-half position or as a holding midfielder, Coady is a must for Southgate’s squad.
Key Domestic Stats:
Accurate passes per game: 42.6 (88%)
Clean sheets: 10
Accurate passes in own half per game: 33.5 (94%)
Centre-back
Ezri Konsa – Aston Villa
Konsa’s brilliant season has prompted many to already want his name included in the squad, regardless of any sanctions imposed on others. Compared to Eric Dier, who has had a poor season for Spurs, Konsa has delivered consistently for Villa and an England debut should follow.
Konsa has averaged a 7.0 rating in the Premier League this season in the 28 games he has played and is often one of Villa’s standout performers. The 23-year-old averages 0.5 fouls per game showing the defenders discipline at such a young age meanwhile his ability to play right-back will favour Southgate’s need for versatility.
Key Domestic Stats:
Fouls per game: 0.5
Clean sheets: 11
Errors lead to goals/shots: 0
Left-back
Matt Targett – Aston Villa
Matt Targett is another player that has excelled for Villa this season and they fully deserve the credit they are getting, defensively they are excellent and look a different side to last season at the back something that Dean Smith made sure to focus on.
Targett has been involved in every clean sheet that the side has kept this season and has the second most tackles, after Luke Ayling, by non ‘Big Six’ players in the league. With a 48% tackle success rate he has proved his brilliance in the Aston Villa defence and would look set to get a call-up to the England side if the Super League participants were excluded.
With James Justin out with cruciate ligament damage, the case Matt Targett’s inclusion only stregthens and the full-back could soon make his England bow if his performances continue.
Key Domestic Stats:
Clean sheets: 14
Tackles: 66
Clearances per game: 2.17
Summary
A defence largely dominated by players in claret and blue, the defence features only two consistently called upon English internationals, the domination of the so-called ‘Big Six’ clear to see. The roots of the defence originate in the EFL with the majority of the defence playing in the Championship or lower at some points in their careers just showing the progression system in this country.
Despite the lack of internationals, if the threats are followed through, England would still be able to field a strong defensive line-up at the Euros.
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Another important instance though was that Christian Eriksen was handed his first league start since mid-December to make it five as he played a part in Inter’s 4-0 victory over Benevento on Saturday night.
The 28-year-old scored his first goal of the season and the winner against AC Milan in the quarter-final of the Coppa Italia with a late free-kick and assisted the own goal that opened the scoring against The Sorcerers.
Eriksen was happy to hear the former Juventus boss insisting that he is part of Inter’s future plans after the Coppa victory:
“For a month now I have been repeating that this is Inter, no one will arrive and no one will leave but you don’t want to believe me
“He is part of the project, I am happy that today he scored that goal, I urged him to shoot because we know what quality he has.
“I hope this goal will help him a bit, he is a decent boy, perhaps too much, and we all love him in the locker room.
“We keep him close, he is part of the project.’’
Unfortunately, it appeared that it might just be more than being part of the project, perhaps taking the right and more fitting part of it.
Despite not being on the touchline following a suspension, the Inter manager fielded a different league side.
Keeping the likes Eriksen and Ivan Perisic after a convincing Coppa Italia performance, all while resting the regulars for the cup semi-final clash against Juventus on Tuesday.
Inter opened the scoring early on at the 7th minute, with Eriksen contributing to the Nerazzurri for the second consecutive time. A free-kick that passed everyone eventually took a slight deflection to be marked down as an own goal from Improta.
Nevertheless, at the early stages of the contest the Dane seemed restricted by the deep midfielder role, and simply uncomfortable. Which is natural considering his box-to-box identity, it looked like he should have filled Arturo Vidal’ shoes and not Marcelo Brozovic’s, who is the usual laid back central player.
A complication that could prove more challenging in the near future as this is where Conte sees his player: ‘’We are working with Christian from a tactical point of view to find an alternative to Brozovic, which is something we don’t have in the squad.
“He is working on it, footballing wise he is very intelligent and has quality.’’
Though when he felt appropriate to advance, he was nothing but effective and intentional. In a small time span, the midfielder set Roberto Gagliardini through toward the box before the Italian was fouled. A few minutes later, he put a first-time curl destined for Achraf Hakimi’s head at point-blank range from the goal. And at the start of the second half, he approached the box aimed at the goal with a deflected shot hitting the crossbar. Ultimately as the game approached the end, he dribbled a couple of Benevento players and hit the target, right at the goalkeeper sadly for him.
According to SofaScore, he had the best rating right after the goal scorers, keeping a 90% passing accuracy rate, a shot between the sticks, two key passes, two interceptions and hit the woodwork once.
A popular demand among supporters and pundits is that the midfielder would start, though not in this position, instead with him playing alongside Brozovic and Barella. It is worth noting that the former is the side’s most creative player and has proved crucial.
Former Inter defender and legend Beppe Bergomi is of the same opinion: “In Conte’s head he is not a starter, he is someone who can come in off the bench.
“For me he is not an alternative to Brozovic.
“That position is delicate and while we know Eriksen’s skills with the ball, he lacks dynamism and in this role you need to be very careful when you don’t have the ball.” Bergomi told Sky Sports.
Conte is still determined nevertheless which is why Eriksen is having to, in a sense, settle for this position if he wants to get time on the pitch. Something he showcased decently on Saturday, although a home game against Benevento might not be the best way to test his qualities.
Another way the ex-Ajax man contributes is through set-pieces as he is in charge of all of them, perhaps with just the exception of penalties. Conte said with a smirk ahead of the weekend: “In rugby, there are players who come off the bench for set pieces,”
He continued: “We are hoping Christian can help us in different situations too.
‘’He can be an extra weapon for us, but a player can’t only stay on the pitch for the free kicks.”
Eriksen will be grateful to have stayed on for the whole game, be that as it may, the chances of him having a decent chunk of the 90 in the Coppa Italia semi-final against Juventus on Tuesday are slim.
The bright side remains nonetheless, he is staying at the club and is having a platform to prove his capabilities and with half a season remaining, a title race and two points below the leaders, he has just the time and the opportunity to move up the pecking order.
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Credit: Inter.it
Juventus defeat for a second time this season in the Serie A. Antonio Conte’s Inter side secure a 2-0 victory over the Old Lady with goals from Arturo Vidal and Nicolo Barella claiming an important three points.
Spring of 2014, veteran midfielder Andrea Pirlo is celebrating Juventus’ 116th league title, under experienced boss Antonio Conte.
Fast forward six and a half years, the student faces the teacher as Pirlo becomes the Old Lady’s manager and Conte is in charge of the blue half of Milan. They faced on the touchline as Inter defeated Juventus by 2-0.
Nicolo Barella shone for the Nerazzurri, author of the cross that helped Vidal open the scoring and the goal that sealed the night early on in the second half.
Fireworks were heard and seen around the stadium, as the players walked in the Giuseppe Meazza, setting the stage for a dramatic and very much tactical 175th Derby d’Italia.
It had all the prospects of an interesting contest, two of Serie A’s finest goal scorers; Cristiano Ronaldo with 15 goals and Romelu Lukaku with 12 goals.
It seemed though, that the visitors had the momentum as they were looking for a fourth consecutive win and a fight for title hopes, meanwhile Inter have only had one win in 2021.
Moreover, it was the best attack in Italy with 43 goals and one of the best in Europe just under PSG with 44 and Bayern Munich with 48; facing the league’s best defence, conceding only 16 goals.
Vidal cut the ribbon by a striking header from close range as Inter found the net from yet another header. Achraf Hakimi proved important indirectly this time, the Moroccan’s experience on the left side with German side Borussia Dortmund increased his versatility.
Cutting inside with pace and creating space for Barella, thanks to Hakimi’s movement, the midfielder had the freedom to put a comfortable and precise cross towards Vidal’s head.
Inter’s number two is everything but a shy defender, scoring six and creating three, proving crucial to Antonio Conte’s side.
His contribution represents almost a quarter of the Black and Blue’s league goals, he was seen on several occasions close to the forward line, almost as if a right-winger, illustrating an exceptional instance of the perfect modern wing-back.
Hakimi’ Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
Conte’s pressing system has been of massive help to the scoreline and season results quite frankly. Three central defenders with ball carrying skills and composure, supported by two wingbacks, making it five defenders on the defensive and on certain occasions a midfielder shielding them.
A resilient midfield with a high work ethic, switching positions with understanding to help when and where needed.
In spite of the different qualities that each of them celebrates, they share the box to box criteria, giving them fewer restrictions and more numbers in the box at the right time, similarly to Vidal’s goal where there was a situation of 4v3 in their favour.
Brozovic’s Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
Barella’s Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
Vidal’s Season Heatmap (SofaScore)
The midfield line is never afraid to move across, up and down the pitch to create more passing opportunities for their teammates.
Finally, a nonstop running pair of strikers horizontally and vertically to cut any passing lanes, reinforced by one or two man-marking central players.
As a result, even if out of position, there’s no need to worry as chances are the ball will be forced towards the touchline, backwards or long increasing the chances of recovery, frustration and desperation for the opponent.
With the lack of options in the away build-up, Ronaldo, the league’s most clinical player, has to drop deep and fit in the role of the playmaker. Meaning that a chunk of threat in the Inter box has been cancelled.
Now this plan might have another outcome where the Portuguese can manage to break the host’s lines, though that was an event that was not witnessed much. By the end of the first half the 34-year-old had 48 touches and only two shots, with one on target, both came in the first half.
Instead, one of the Juventus midfielders would rush into the box to make up for Ronaldo’s absence. Nevertheless, their effectiveness is almost non-existent, to add to it, they leave their space for La Beneamata to counter through.
Another scenario is the following, Juventus playing a high block and pushing players forward in hopes of breaking through, a high-risk manoeuvre with an old and pace lacking defensive line with the absence of Matthijs de Ligt.
That one backfired and Barella was there to give the perfect instance, in the 52nd minute, one pass was enough from Alessandro Bastoni across the whole pitch to the 23-year-old, who outpaced the veterans to double Inter’s lead.
Once again, for all of this to happen, Inter must give up possession. That means making the most out of what could be a few opportunities. Hence why four out of their last ten league goals have come from crosses or corners.
To exemplify that, a simple look at the end of the game statistics can be enough. Despite having the smaller part of possession (48%) the hosts managed 17 shots, five of which were on target while the Bianconeri had nine, with four directed at the goal.
A few moments following the second goal Pirlo introduced Dejan Kulusevski and Federico Bernardeschi to add some energy and skill to get back in the game, however, it was too late for the young coach as the winners were happy to tighten the lines, surround and fill the box and ultimately secure the three valuable points.
The Catenaccio perfector outworked the new boss with an exceptional masterclass to keep his side close to the top and retaining their rivals at a safe distance.
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