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Tottenham welcome Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund to Wembley on Wednesday, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side are perfectly poised to ruffle a few feathers.

On the chalkboard

“It’s the history of Tottenham,” said Giorgio Chiellini shortly after his Juventus side broke north London hearts in the Champions League at Wembley last season.

“They always created many chances to score so much, but at the end they miss always something to arrive at the end.”

12 months later, and Mauricio Pochettino’s side have been forced to adapt after injuries to multiple key players, and they are now one of Europe’s most mentally strong teams.

Dortmund meanwhile have drawn their last three games in normal time (one was a cup fixture that they lost on penalties), and Spurs’ new-found mentality could well be the difference in this epic Champions League showdown.

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Mentality is key, just ask Real Madrid!

Confidence and form is everything in a Champions League knockout fixture, where a couple of quick goals can decide the tie in a matter of moments, and Tottenham couldn’t have asked for better timing on this one, of course barring a date that would allow Dele Alli and Harry Kane to take part.

The Lilywhites have won their last four league fixtures, all without Kane and three of those without Alli, and if not for Heung-min Son’s last-gasp goal against Leicester all of those games would have been decided by just one goal.

Pochettino’s side have the quality to win while playing beautiful football, but the injury crisis may actually have improved their chances in the Champions League, where the killer mentality they have now developed can go an awful long way.

In fact, one could argue what has separated Real Madrid from the rest of the contenders in recent years is their sheer belief that they will win every game they play.

While Dortmund were blowing a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 with Hoffenheim this weekend, Spurs were battling it out for another deserved three points, and Chiellini’s comments on the “history of Tottenham” are well and truly just that – history.

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Crystal Palace were unable to build on a fantastic away performance at Burnley as they were beaten 2-1 by bitter rivals Brighton at Selhurst Park – a defeat which compounded their woeful home form further.

The Seagulls took the lead through Glenn Murray, who, aside from his first-half strike, gave a masterclass in target man play – Roy Hodgson must hope that Christian Benteke was taking notes from the bench.

On the chalkboard

Veteran hitman Murray gave Chris Hughton’s side the lead after making no mistake in capitalising on a James Tomkins error, although there was far more to his excellent performance than that.

Drafted in at the last minute after Florin Andone suffered an injury in the warm up, the former Palace striker looked worthy of a start from the off – he dominated Tomkins and Scott Dann, winning 6 aerial duels.

The 35-year-old was essential to the visitors’ game plan – soaking up pressure and hoofing it to the big man up front – as they gave Palace some of their own medicine.

The Eagles have been successful playing in such a way in previous campaigns although the collapse of Benteke’s confidence in front of goal, combined with Hodgson’s less direct style and the arrival of countryman Michy Batshuayi, has seen the Belgian frozen out of the starting XI.

Lesson for Christian

The former Villa striker established himself as one of the Premier League’s most lethal aerial threats prior to arriving at Selhurst Park and looked to be a great signing in the 2016/17 season – the big number 17 chalked up 17 goals in all competitions.

However, he has been a shadow of that player since and has scored just three times. The 28-year-old may not be clinical in front of goal but at least he used to offer a physical presence up front. However, particularly this season, he has been far less effective in the air and his knock-downs are rarely into the path of a teammate.

Which player with “no potential” has just been named Crystal Palace’s worst ever January signing? Find out in the video below…

Murray, though, did everything Palace fans want from Benteke on Saturday and the Eagles man, who watched most of the tie from the bench, should have been taking tips from his opposite number if he is to ever work his way back into the first team.

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David Davis made his first appearance of the season in Birmingham City’s home Championship match with Bolton Wanderers on February 12.

Birmingham lost 1-0, but even the defeat would not have dampened the occasion for Davis, who came on for the final 10 minutes of the match.

The midfielder fractured his left ankle during a training session last July and underwent surgery to repair the problem.

The 27-year-old has made 168 appearances for Birmingham and his return at this stage of the season is absolutely huge for the club.

There is no question that Birmingham will use him sparingly in the final months of the season, but the chance to play again at this level after such a serious injury has been branded ‘a blessing’ by the man himself.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Indeed, Davis took to social media over the weekend to comment on his return, which led to a number of Birmingham fans lavishing praise on the Englishman.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

Celtic maybe unsettled off the pitch but on it, they’re eight points clear and have another great chance of securing the treble.

Since the turn of the new year, Celtic have been in the mood to charge towards another league title.

That looks to be something they will again obtain this season and that’s down to the hard work put in by the players on the pitch.

Even without the boss who brought them a double treble Brendan Rodgers, Celtic have all they need to still strive towards completing an unprecedented ‘treble treble’.

Whether they complete it or not, Celtic will hope to bolster their squad given the chance this summer.

As yet another quality midfield option, the Hoops would do well to acquire the services of Preston’s Alan Browne.

Browne, (who is valued at £450k on Transfermarkt) is someone who has enjoyed a strong season on a personal level, which could make him a person of interest for a team like Celtic.

The Hoops must be desperately trying to find ways of improving their team and even though midfield is not a position of concern, Alan Browne could offer Celtic something new and original.

The 23-year-old has been a great positive for Preston this season, as he’s scored 11 goals and registered four goals from the centre of midfield.

That is a record any striker would be happy with so it just shows what an impact Alan Browne has made to Preston’s season.

With domestic titles always possible to win, Celtic want to focus on improving their chances in Europe. With that in mind, Browne has without a doubt shown the form capable of bettering the Hoops’ side and that’s a deal all involved should look to pursue this summer.

Do you agree… Let us know!

عاد كلاوديو برافو حارس المرمى التشيلي من جديد للدوري الإسباني،  بعدما رحل في 2016 من برشلونة إلى مانشستر سيتي، قبل أن يعود عبر بوابة ريال بيتيس.

ويواجه ريال بيتيس نظيره ريال مدريد مساء اليوم، ضمن الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى.

وقال برافو في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية: “فترتي مع برشلونة كانت رائعة، شاركت غرفة الملابس مع لاعبين رائعين وأشخاص رائعين، لذلك لدي ذاكرة كبيرة لكل شيء عشته هناك”.

وأضاف: “لقد حققت كل شيء في برشلونة، ثم انتقلت إلى مانشستر سيتي، لم يكن هناك اختلاف كبير في أدواري، لكن لا يمكن لأي حارس مرمى اللعب لهذه الفرق”.

وأوضح: “في مانشستر سيتي وبرشلونة هناك متطلبات مختلفة، يجب أن يكون حارس المرمى مدافع آخر، يجيد اللعب بالقدم، ويساعد على بناء اللعب، لن يغفروا لك على إبعاد الكرة خارج الملعب بسهولة، الأهم ألا تجعل الجمهور يشعر بالتوتر لأنك لا تستطيع التحكم بالكرة”.

وأكمل: “في مانشستر سيتي، بيب جوارديولا كان يطلبني بأن أبدأ بالكرة من الخلف، يمكن أن يكون لديك تمرير أكبر عدد من الكرات للمهاجمين، وإذا لا تفهم آليات اللعبة، أو متى تمرر الكرة وأين، فلا فائدة منك”.

واختتم: “لقد انتقلت إلى ريال بيتيس والأمر كان سهلًا، كان وجود بيليجريني مهمًا للغاية، مانويل مدرب رائع، أردت العمل معه من قبل، وأعتقد أنه يمكنني التعلم من اللعب معه الآن”.

تقدم عدد كبير من الحكام بشكوى شفاهية لرئيس اللجنة باتحاد كرة القدم بخصوص المشاكل التي تواجههم في استخدام تقنية الفيديو.

وتسببت تقنية الفيديو في إحداث بعض الأزمات لدى الحكام خلال المباريات بسبب ضعف جودة التصوير الأمر الذي يؤدي إلى صعوبة إتخاذ القرار ومن ثم تتم مهاجمتهم من المسؤولين دائما.

وعلم بطولات أن الحكام اشتكوا إن الزوايا التي تكون مُتاحة لهم في إعادات لقطات الڤار غير كافية، بجانب إن الصورة تكون جودتها ضعيفة وهذا يعود إلى أن أغلب المباريات تُنقل بكاميرات SD وليس HD.

وأوضحت لجنة الحكام لأعضائها إن هذه المشكلة خارج إرادة اتحاد الكرة بشكل عام، وتأتي بسبب قلة الإمكانيات المُتاحة من التلفزيون.

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Everton star Idrissa Gueye has told L’Equipe that he still wants to move to Paris Saint-Germain after a January transfer ultimately failed to materialise.

The midfielder has revealed he’s hopeful of joining the Ligue 1 giants or another top European club in the near future.

The 29-year-old has made 97 appearances for the Merseysiders and has certainly been a good servant to the club, as their most consistent central midfielder since his move from Aston Villa two-and-a-half years ago.

But the Everton fans have been on social media offering their views on Gueye’s comments and they certainly haven’t gone down well, with many now wanting him to leave.

Indeed, one fan even claimed that the 5ft 9in ace should be put in the reserves – the Under-23s – until the end of the season following his comments to the French media.

A selection of the Twitter reaction from Everton supporters can be seen below:

The Premier League was on fire over the course of this weekend.

Comeback wins, thrilling matches and surprise results, it almost had it all for anyone to have a blast watching it. However, one who wouldn’t be pleased with some of the developments is England manager Gareth Southgate. With the international break approaching, the gaffer has key decisions to make.

While England’s core is more or else settled for their UEFA Euro 2020 qualifiers, the goalkeeping department is still quite open. Southgate must’ve been hoping for some relief through a breakthrough performance from one of the contenders. Yet, Jordan Pickford’s horror-show and Tom Heaton conceding four at Anfield ruined his hopes.

Pickford let in poor goals through him, after conceding a penalty which should’ve resulted in a sending-off. Heaton was blown away at a windy Anfield by a Liverpool storm. While his priorities failed at their job, the other contender in Jack Butland impressed for Stoke City.

Butland gave a heroic performance against Queens Park Rangers, helping a 10-man Stoke side see through a point. Not only did he kept his second successive clean-sheet, yet he made some amazing saves with his towering presence to keep the Hoops at bay.

In current form, the Stoke City custodian looks clear favourite to start for England. However, lack of experience means that Pickford might get the chance. As polarizing performances deter his hopes of pre-selecting his side for the matches ahead, Southgate needs to be careful in selecting the most deserving candidates for what lies ahead.

England fans, who do you feel Southgate should select as the Three Lions goalkeeper? Join the discussion by commenting below. 

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Bournemouth returned to winning ways on Saturday as they emerged 2-0 victors over Huddersfield, with goals from Ryan Fraser and Callum Wilson enough to sink Jan Siewert’s side.

The former was full of praise for the latter, who was making his long-awaited comeback from injury, even saying that the former Coventry striker makes the rest of the team play better individually.

Here’s what Scotland international Fraser had to say via The Bournemouth Daily Echo:

“When you get your important players back, it makes the team feel a bit better. It gives you a bit of encouragement and spark again.

“Cal didn’t look like he had been out for seven weeks. He makes everyone around him better and that’s the kind of player you want in your team.”

The 27-year-old had been out since January with a knee problem and the Cherries have sorely missed him – February saw Eddie Howe’s side endure a woeful run of form in which they lost three out of four games.

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Wilson has chalked up 11 goals – of which his strike against the Terriers was most recent – and seven assists this season and Fraser is certainly right in that the speedster transforms the side when he’s in it.

The pair, plus David Brooks and Josh King, have the makings of a top-half strike-force and, if the south coast outfit are to finish in single digits this season, Wilson’s fitness will be crucial.

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According to The Sun, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice is a summer target for Premier League champions Manchester City.

The report has claimed that City could expect to pay as much as £70m for the 20-year-old, who has been in impressive form for the Hammers this season.

Rice recently signed a new long-term contract with West Ham, meaning that he is contracted to the capital outfit until the summer of 2024.

As a result, the Hammers are in a very, very strong position to negotiate, should a huge bid arrive in this summer’s transfer window.

The West Ham fans have been on social media reacting to the transfer report.

And it would be fair to say that the supporters are absolutely desperate for their club to keep hold of the 6ft 1in midfielder.

Many even feel that £70m would not be enough to sign the London-born youngster.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below: