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Liverpool fans have taken to Twitter to call on the club to sign Ajax wonderkid Matthijs de Ligt, after the teenage sensation put in yet another commanding performance on the biggest stage, this time against Real Madrid.

The Netherlands international was unlucky to be on the losing side against the Champions League holders, as the hosts had a goal chalked off by VAR before seeing the Spanish giants score a late winner through Marco Asensio’s strike – two away goals for Los Blancos mean the Eredivisie giants have it all to do at the Santiago Bernabeu in the second leg.

Despite the loss, 19-year-old de Ligt’s performance was eye-catching once again, and Liverpool fans certainly took notice.

The Reds are currently having huge problems in defence, as both Joe Gomez and Dejan Lovren are injured whilst Joel Matip is extremely inconsistent.

As a result of that, fans of the Merseyside outfit on Twitter have pleaded with the club to sign the rising Dutch star…

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Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago Alcantara produced an eye-catching display as his side secured what could prove to be a crucial 0-0 draw against Liverpool in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie, and his performance certainly didn’t go unnoticed by Reds fans.

The experienced 27-year-old lined up alongside Javi Martinez as Robert Kovac went with a 4-2-3-1 system at Anfield, and it certainly worked as the duo were two of the best players on the pitch on Tuesday night.

Thiago showed plenty of neat touches and composure when in possession of the ball, and while he did job effectively from a defensive point of view, he also proved his capabilities as a deep-lying playmaker as he showed his eye for an incisive forward pass, too.

Jurgen Klopp has a plethora of central midfield options right now, but there is no doubt that adding the quality of the Spaniard would significantly improve it.

Liverpool supporters took to social media to have their say on the former Barcelona man’s display, and while one said “Thiago would fit beautifully next to Fabinho”, another said “Thiago live was a joy to behold”.

Here is just a selection of the Twitter reaction…

Jurgen Klopp has gotten quite inventive with his excuses this season. FFC’s James Jones think he has no one but himself to blame for Liverpol’s poor form in the video below…

Scott Sinclair has been a remarkable talent for the Celtic since making the switch from the Premier League in 2016. However, with his contract set to expire this summer, and little evidence that the club are willing to renew, it could be time to welcome some fresh talent to the club.

Having amassed a very respectable 60 goals and 34 assists in 150 appearances for the Hoops, and some very memorable moments to boot, it will be a difficult day for fans when they finally wave goodbye to their mercurial winger Scott Sinclair (source: The Scottish Sun).

But they should not despair.

The departure of one player opens the door for another, and considering Celtic are the dominant force in Scotland, with access to Champions League football, there will be no shortage of suitors.

Something we are sure will excite fans is a prospective return from Manchester City prospect Patrick Roberts.

Roberts was touted as the next best thing when he swapped Fulham for Manchester in 2015 but has since failed to make a meaningful impact in Pep Guardiola’s first-team.

His latest loan-spell at La Liga outfit Girona has likely not been as fruitful as the player and club would have hoped for, either, and we imagine time is slowly running out for Roberts to fulfil his potential.

Celtic could be that saving grace.

Late last year The Scottish Sun reported that winger is likely to cut ties with Manchester City at the end of the season, opening an opportunity to make an emphatic return to Parkhead, and what a welcome sight he would be.

As far as we are concerned, Roberts played his best football in Scotland and his position in the team was duly valued. He looked confident in possession, maintained Celtic’s offensive style of play and showed signs of becoming a world beater.

There was trust and love for the player; a following of loyal supporters who would support him through thick and thin.

It is this kind of passion that goes long way towards helping accelerate player development, and Celtic should pull out all the stops to bring this one back to the club to reinforce their already exciting youthful offensive unit.

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Crystal Palace were unable to stop the steam train that is Manchester United on Wednesday, as the Eagles fell to a 3-1 defeat at Selhurst Park. Romelu Lukaku scored a brace and Palace’s centre-back pairing, James Tomkins and Martin Kelly, could hardly contend with the big hitman.

Mamadou Sakho was absent through injury and the Eagles backline looked considerably less organised without the Frenchman, who is a guaranteed starter when fit.

Last time out, Roy Hodgson’s side made light work of Leicester, with Wilfried Zaha scoring a brace although, against United, it was Palace’ full-backs who were centre-stage. Patrick van Aanholt had a fairly poor game, while Joel Ward got on the end of Jeffrey Schlupp’s cross to head the ball in and thus put his side back in the game.

Schlupp’s assist, though, wasn’t enough to spare him from scathing remarks made by the Selhurst Park faithful after the game, who criticised the former Leicester man for his poor defensive positioning in the build up to Ashley Young’s decisive strike late on.

The 26-year-old has impressed playing in central midfield in recent weeks but was moved back to his previous position under Hodgson – left-back – once van Aanholt was replaced by Cheikhou Kouyate. Within minutes, Young had found space on the left flank and fired beyond Vicente Guaita.

It’s safe to say that some Palace fans were less than pleased, as they reacted on Twitter…

The Ghanaian more or less pocketed Paul Pogba and the cross for Ward was an excellent, as was the burst into the box prior to it; it was perhaps unfortunate that the substitution came when it did, but Schlupp had been covering van Aanholt at left-back for much of the game until then so perhaps criticising him for his defending is also a tad unfair.

The number 15 did a lot more going forward than that assist, though, as he completed three key passes – a figure only bettered by Palace captain Luka Milivojevic on the night. Key man Zaha, meanwhile, completed just one.

Taking 63 touches, too, the 26-year-old was willing to get on the ball wherever possible and make things happen for his team – he might not do things as smoothly and cleverly as Max Meyer, who came on in the second half, but the fact remains that he is still making improvements in his new role week on week.

Watch how to cross the road like a boss with freestyler Ben Nuttall in the video below…

Some of the criticism he received was surely unjustified considering the all-round performance he put in.

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Loads of Liverpool fans have been reacting to an injury update, as Fabinho is expected to play centre back against Bayern Munich with Dejan Lovren still out injured.

Lovren did not train with the first team ahead of Tuesday night’s clash against Bayern Munich, the club confirmed on Monday.

The Croatian international has been suffering from a hamstring problem that he sustained during the FA Cup defeat to Wolves, and is not expected to take any part on Tuesday night.

With Virgil van Dijk suspended and Joe Gomez still out injured, that leaves Joel Matip as Jurgen Klopp’s only centre back choice, and Fabinho is now expected to fill in alongside the Cameroonian.

According to The Times, the versatile Brazilian international will get the nod in the heart of defence ahead of Jordan Henderson, who was also considered for the makeshift role.

Lots of fans have been giving their verdict on the news, and you can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

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Aston Villa manager Dean Smith could be tempted to stick with the same starting XI that beat arch-rivals Birmingham City 1-0 in the second city derby at St Andrew’s on Sunday, but one player is really pushing for a start.

On the chalkboard

Following a two-game absence through suspension, key midfielder John McGinn was only named among the substitutes against the Blues with Smith choosing to stick with the trio of Glenn Whelan, Conor Hourihane and Jack Grealish in the centre after the 4-0 win against Derby County previously.

The scoreline was 0-0 when McGinn entered the fray as a 62nd minute substitute against Garry Monk’s men, and he made a clear difference in the final third as the visitors eventually ran out 1-0 victors to boost their play-off hopes.

Their trip to Nottingham Forest – whom they are two points adrift of in the Championship standings – on Wednesday night will be another key test of their promotion credentials and they need their best players on the pitch.

McGinn to start?

In a word, yes.

The 24-year-old has been a revelation following his summer arrival at Villa Park, and while the Midlands outfit impressed without the Scot when they thrashed the Rams, he is the sort of player you want in your ranks – on the road especially.

He has that grit, determination and willingness to put his foot in that will be needed against Martin O’Neill’s hosts in midweek, and the only thing Smith needs to decide is who drops out of the XI to accommodate him.

Grealish looks to be a certain starter given the magnitude of the game, and the easy option would probably be to leave the ageing Whelan on the sidelines.

However, the 35-year-old’s experience could be key against Forest, and therefore it is Hourihane who should drop out.

The former Barnsley man may have got on the score-sheet twice against Derby, but he was far more subdued at the weekend even if he was unlucky to hit the woodwork with a fine effort from just outside the penalty area.

أكد هوجو بروس، المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب الكاميرون، أنه رفض منذ أسبوع، تولي تدريب الزمالك، مُعتبرًا أنها مُخاطرة كبيرة في ذلك التوقيت.

وتولى البرتغالي جايمي باتشيكو، القيادة الفنية للزمالك، خلفًا للفرنسي باتريس كارتيرون.

أقرأ ايضًا.. حوار | موسيماني: الخطيب وضع شرطًا أساسيًا كي أدرب الأهلي.. وأستطيع النجاح مثل جوارديولا

أضاف هوجو بروس، خلال لقاءه عبر برنامج “نمبر وان” المُذاع على قناة “النهار”: “الزمالك تواصل معي الأسبوع الماضي، ولكن رفضت العرض”.

تابع: “لا أريد أن تكون هناك مخاطرة كبيرة في 3 أسابيع، مطلوب مني في هذه المدة أن أصل لنهائي إفريقيا وأنهي الدوري في المركز الثاني، وأنا لا أعرف اللاعبين وإمكانات الفريق، والفارق بين الزمالك وبيراميدز في الدوري قليل، وهناك مخاطرة”.

وواصل: “لو لم أحقق هدف الوصول لنهائي دوري أبطال إفريقيا مع الزمالك كان ذلك سيكون شيء غير جيد، ففي فترة 3 أسابيع لن تكون كافية لكي أحقق الهدفين الوصول لنهائي إفريقيا وتحقيق المركز الثاني، فرضت عرض الزمالك حتى لا أخاطر باسمي في افريقيا”.

استكمل: “لم يكن هناك تواصل معي من قبل الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم بعد رحيل هيكتوبر كوبر”.

أوضح: “عرضت سيرتي الذاتية من خلال وكيل أعمالي على اتحاد الكرة لتولي مهمة المنتخب المصري ولكن لم يتواصل معي أحد”.

أردف: “لا يجوز أن أتفق مع الزمالك على شيء ولا يحدث، وأمر لن يكون جيد في مشواري التدريبي”.

وعن حدوث مفاوضات معه من قبل الأهلي أو بيراميدز، قال: “لم يكن هناك اي تواصل مع من الأهلي أو بيراميدز”.

اختتم: “أطمح لوجودي في مصر، كنت على بعد خطوات أن أكون مديرا فنيا للزمالك، ولكن نظرا لضيق الوقت لم أحضر”.

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Raul Jimenez has been a revelation for Wolves this season and his goal against Chelsea on Sunday only reaffirmed to supporters of Nuno Santo’s team just how much of an instant hit he has become.

Jimenez is currently on loan at the club, having joined from Benfica in the summer, but Wolves could make the deal permanent in an apparent €41m deal, according to AS.

If the deal went through it would make him the most expensive Benfica sale in history, eclipsing what Manchester City paid for goalkeeper Ederson, and Wolves’ new club-record signing.

Wolves fans are keen for their club to make the deal permanent whatever the fee and although the reported price would be a large sum to pay, his contribution to the team this season has been vital in the West Midlands side’s instant adjustment to Premier League life.

The Mexican’s goal at the weekend was his 12th this term and saw him overtake Steven Fletcher’s previous Premier League goals record for Wolves of 11 in a season.

It isn’t just his goals that have Wolves fans craving a permanent transfer for Jimenez. His overall contribution to the team has also been outstanding, claiming six Premier League assists to date too.

His performances so far in a Wolves shirt have made supporters think he’d be a bargain and an absolute must transfer. Here’s what they’ve had to say.

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Brendan Rodgers has hinted that two of his injured stars could be available for next week’s return tie against Valencia.

Injuries have hampered Celtic all season with all of their first choice defenders recently sidelined.

Kieran Tierney hasn’t played since December 13th but has now had more than a week involved in full training and a return to competitive action could be imminent – although Rodgers stopped short of directly naming the players who could be available for selection next week.

Speaking after the first leg defeat against Valencia, the BBC reported Rodgers as saying:

You have to have that belief [for the second leg]. We’ve got good players, we might have one or two back as well next week. We need to defend and concentrate well, especially in key moments of the game. If we can get the first goal, it could set us up for a really good second leg.

Olivier Ntcham hasn’t played this year but like Tierney seems to be getting close to a comeback.

Filip Benkovic, Tony Ralston and Tom Rogic won’t be back in action until March, while there is no word on when Leigh Griffiths will return after taking time out due to personal issues.

Changes are anticipated for this weekend’s clash against Kilmarnock, with Kris Ajer a likely candidate to come into the side for Jozo Simunovic. Timothy Weah is also strongly pushing for a starting place in Celtic’s ninth match since returning from their winter break in Dubai.

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Alan Hutton will see his contract with Aston Villa expire this summer.

And there are question marks over whether he will turn out for the club again when considering that he could miss the rest of the campaign through injury.

Indeed, Hutton picked up a knee issue in the early stages of Saturday’s clash with Stoke City.

According to Villa boss Dean Smith, the injury is not as bad as first feared, but he will miss ‘a number of weeks’, which could mean anything really.

Smith hopes to have the Scot back before the end of the campaign, but that is far from certain at this stage.

Thogden has ranked his top 5 sets of Championship away fans for Pl>ymaker FC. Did your club make the list? Find out in the video below…

The 34-year-old has played 33 times for Villa this season and 201 times in total since arriving at the club from Tottenham Hotspur in 2011.

The Villa fans have been on social media discussing whether the defender is deserving of a testimonial.

And it would be fair to say that many have differing views on the situation.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: