تحدث بيب جوارديولا، مدرب فريق مانشستر سيتي، عن المواجهة المرتقبة ضد ريال مدريد في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

وأجرى الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم، أمس الجمعة، مراسم قرعة مرحلتي ربع ونصف نهائي البطولة، 2023/24.

وأسفرت قرعة ربع نهائي البطولة عن مباراة ساخنة بين مانشستر سيتي وريال مدريد.

وقال جوارديولا في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ياهو سبورتس” العالمية: “مواجهة ريال مدريد دائمًا ما تكون تحديًا صعبًا، لا يمكن لأحد أن ينكر ذلك”.

وأضاف: “إنه نادٍ استثنائي، ريال مدريد يستطيع التحكم في أشياء كثيرة في تلك البطولة بفضل الخبرة التي اكتسبها في الماضي”.

وواصل: “لقد اتخذنا خطوات في السنوات القليلة الماضية ولكن قد يكون الأمر صعبًا للغاية”.

واستمر: “سيكون الأمر صعبًا للغاية، وكما حدث في الموسم الماضي، ستكون هناك لحظات لهم، وستكون هناك لحظات لنا، وكلما تمكنا من الاحتفاظ بلحظاتنا، سنكون أقرب، نأمل أن نتمكن من الوصول في أفضل لحظة”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. موعد مباراتي ريال مدريد ومانشستر سيتي في دور الـ8 من دوري أبطال أوروبا

وأكد: “نحن لا نتنافس فقط ضد ريال مدريد، برشلونة، بايرن ميونخ، وحتى ميلان أو إنتر ميلان أو أندية النخبة، أو باريس سان جيرمان، باريس لم يفز بالبطولة بعد، ولكنه كان منافسًا دائمًا”.

واستطرد: “عندما تلعب مع هذه الأندية الكبرى، فإنك تحتاج إلى الوقت، كان لدى الإدارة الصبر لمنحنا الوقت للقيام بذلك، وفي النهاية يمكننا أن نكون هناك ونريد الاستمرار هناك، مع العلم أن ريال مدريد فريق صعب”.

وتابع: “ولكن هذه المنافسة صعبة جدًا، برشلونة أو بايرن ميونخ أو آرسنال أو أي نادِ، هناك كذلك أتلتيكو مدريد، شاهدت مباراتهم ضد إنتر ميلان، لهذا السبب قلت – حسنًا، خصمنا هو ريال مدريد؟ نعم، سنحاول مجددًا -“.

وعن لاعب ريال مدريد جود بيلينجهام، قال: “لقد كان تأثيره هائلًا، إنه فريق مختلف عن الموسم الماضي، تأثيره واضح، وعلينا أن نحاول اكتشاف ما يفعله للسيطرة عليه”.

As Newcastle United ready themselves for their first Champions League campaign in two decades, excitement levels have well and truly ramped up this week.

Amid talk that deals are being worked on for Sandro Tonali and Federico Dimarco, of AC Milan and Inter Milan respectively, it appears a new centre-back could also be incoming at St James' Park.

Are Newcastle interested in signing Joachim Andersen?

The Daily Mail reports that Newcastle have enquired about Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen, who has been a Premier League regular at Selhurst Park for the past two seasons, having also impressed in his solitary season with Fulham.

Andersen is considered one of the finest defenders outside of the top six clubs and still has three years to run on his contract, though Football Observatory suggests he could be available for £13m this summer.

That is potentially a sticking point, however, with the report suggesting Newcastle are waiting to hear back on Palace's true valuation for the 23-cap Denmark international

Is Joachim Andersen a good option for Newcastle United?

Fabian Schar and Sven Botman were Newcastle's most-used central defenders last season, with the latter's 6.7 rating by WhoScored the same as that of Andersen. That gives a rough indication of the Dane's quality, though may not exactly get Newcastle supporters' pulses racing.

Andersen ranked particularly highly for touches last season, with The Analyst placing him in the top 14% of all defenders across Europe's top five leagues, showing he is comfortable with the ball at his feet.

In fact, Andersen is very alike to another ball-paying defender in Manchester City's Ruben Dias. According to FBref's player comparison tool, Dias is the eighth-most similar centre-back to the 27-year-old in terms of their statistical profile.

That includes metrics such as touches per 90 minutes in the defensive third (39.9 for Andersen, 39.7 for Dias), dribblers challenged (0.52 v 0.50) and blocks (0.91 v 0.95).

Dias is unquestionably the better passer, completing 92.7% of his passes to Andersen's 79.2%, but only three others in the Premier League can better the Spaniard in that regard.

Besides, Andersen shines in other areas, such as aerial duels won per 90 minutes (2.82 v 1.98) and goals scored (one compared to Dias' zero last season).

Assuming Newcastle do not want to spend £90m on Dias – and that Man City would cash in to a serious rival – handing over a more reasonable sum for Andersen seems a smart choice.

While he may not be the biggest of names, Robbie Earle summed it up well when labelling Andersen as "underappreciated". Should a move to Newcastle go through, that will surely not be the case for much longer.

Liverpool have had a long-term interest in Nicolo Barella and now a new update has emerged from a reliable source on the club's pursuit of the player now that the summer transfer window is in full swing.

What's the latest on Liverpool's interest in Nicolo Barella?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool are "monitoring" the Inter Milan midfielder.

Romano claimed on his YouTube channel on Saturday morning:

"Keep an eye on Liverpool, because Liverpool have always been following the player, Jurgen Klopp has always been a big fan of Barella and so let's see what happens at Liverpool.

"They are speaking to agents of many midfielders because they will sign at least another important midfielder this summer, but they are also informed on the situation of Nicolo Barella."

The transfer expert followed up his video with a tweet that simply stated:

"Liverpool monitoring Barella — no way for £50m"

Who would Nicolo Barella replace in the Liverpool team?

There is no doubt that the Serie A sensation would be a phenomenal signing for Liverpool this summer and would be a huge statement of FSG's intent to provide Jurgen Klopp with quality replacements in midfield.

Indeed, the Reds have bid farewell to a number of midfielders with Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain leaving the club upon the expiry of their contracts, but also have trusted midfielders remaining who are reaching the latter stages of their careers.

Both Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson are well into their 30s at this point – with the latter celebrating his 32nd birthday this weekend – so it will be important to start planning for the next generation of talent needed to keep Liverpool in a position to be competitive at the highest level.

As a result, the signing of Barella would be a major coup for Liverpool and could provide the German coach with a player who can comfortably replace Henderson in the box-to-box midfield role sooner rather than later, which would ultimately result in a decline of first-team football for the club captain.

Over 35 Serie A appearances, the 26-year-old Champions League finalist – hailed as a potential "game-changer" for Liverpool by journalist Dean Jones – has scored six goals, registered six assists and tallied up an 85% pass completion rate.

As well as averaging 1.6 key passes, 1.4 tackles, 1.1 successful dribbles and 4.4 duels won per game, proving he is both potent in attack and a prolific ball-winning midfielder with a high work rate.

In fact, Barella has comfortably outperformed the Liverpool skipper in a number of attributes this season including progressive passes (214 v 189), progressive carries (76 v 37), shot-creating actions per 90 (4.17 v 3.13), take-on success (57.1% v 52.2%), aerial duels won (57.1% v 52.4% and tackles and interceptions (61 v 53), as per FBref.

Rumours of a £50m price tag being set for the Euro 2020 winner have been quickly dispelled this week, with £70m being closer to what Inter Milan will expect to consider parting ways with their talisman, according to Football Insider.

With that being said, it will be interesting to see if Liverpool finally act upon their strong interest in Barella as he would be a more than worthy successor to replace Henderson and significantly improve the midfield performances next season.

Everton are the latest team to throw their hat into the ring for Romain Faivre, according to a report from Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness.

How has Romain Faivre played this season?

The midfielder – who primarily plays on the wing but can also feature as a traditional number ten – has spent the 2022/23 season on loan with Lorient and has really caught the eye with his displays. He managed 16 top flight games for the club but produced a superb total of eight goal contributions along the way, with five goals in total and three assists.

hen you consider he only managed 13.8 lots of 90 minutes for the club, it's a superb goal contribution rate for the winger.

He's never managed the same totals for parent club Lyon, although he has also not been able to get onto the field as much with them. Before moving to Lorient, he was given only three starts by Les Gones and managed just the one assist across 2021/22. In fact, he has only managed 12 league starts during the entirety of his time with Lyon.

Now, he could be given the chance to leave France and try his luck in the Premier League. That's because according to a report from Foot Mercato, via Sport Witness, the 24-year-old is drawing interest from several English clubs.

One of the latest to express their eagerness to sign him is Everton, who will have to battle Fulham and Crystal Palace if they want any hope of bringing the player to Goodison Park this campaign.

How much would Faivre cost Everton?

They may already find that to be a struggle, with Lyon also slapping a 15 million Euro price tag on his head (£13m). Whilst that is not an extortionate fee for the midfielder, it is one that the Toffees may currently struggle to pay – and the report adds that whilst they may be able to compete financially more than other interested parties from abroad, they will struggle against other Premier League sides.

He's clearly a player that possesses some real ability too. Those who have watched him have been full of praise for Faivre, with football talent scout Jacek Kulig previously calling the player "pure quality" after a performance back in 2022.

It shows that the 24-year-old has been impressive in France – and if Everton were able to poach him, he would certainly upgrade their midfield and wide options.

Glasgow Rangers have had to resort to finding some bargains from south of the border over the last few years in order to limit lavish spending, and there have been a few gems unearthed by Steven Gerrard and Michael Beale.

In January, Todd Cantwell was signed for just £1.5m having struggled at Norwich City during the early stages of last season, yet he sparked into life upon joining the Ibrox side, registering 11 goal contributions in just 20 matches.

His rise to prominence in the SPFL is reminiscent of Calvin Bassey, who arrived in Glasgow for a compensation fee of just £230k in 2020, and having amassed 65 appearances in his two seasons at the club, he was sold for a remarkable £23m to Ajax last summer, turning out to be an excellent signing in terms of profitability.

Could Beale perhaps repeat that masterclass by making a move for Leeds United defender Charlie Cresswell during the summer transfer window?

According to Football League World, the Gers recently had a bid rejected for Cresswell, yet this shouldn’t stop Beale from pursuing the youngster.

Could Rangers sign Charlie Cresswell?

The Ibrox side have a plethora of central defensive options, with Connor Goldson, John Souttar, Ben Davies and Leon King in the first-team squad, although there has been some interest shown in Davies from the English Championship, and if he did move on, Beale will require another defender in his squad.

Cresswell could certainly follow in Bassey’s footsteps should he make the move to the Premiership, as he has the ability to shine in Scotland and potentially secure the Light Blues a decent profit should he depart after a few years.

The 20-year-old enjoyed an excellent campaign at Millwall during 2022/23 while on loan from Leeds, averaging a Sofascore rating of 7.13/10 for his 28 appearances while adding four goals, suggesting he could be a goal threat.

Across the whole season, he ranked second in the Millwall side for overall rating, accurate passes per game (28.1) and clearances per game (3.1), while also finishing in the top three for interceptions per game (1.3), implying that he could have the maturity to shine in the senior ranks at such a young age – and by moving to a club like Rangers, not only will he challenge for honours, but he may also have the opportunity to play in the Champions League.

The £2k-per-week starlet was lauded as a player who has “amazing attributes” by Gary Rowett, and with Bassey making the move from Leicester City to Rangers and grabbing his opportunity with both hands, Cresswell could soon represent another stroke of genius by the Ibrox side.

Rangers "should be in a place" within a week to "cement" their deal for Los Angeles FC's Jose Cifuentes and get him "through the door", claims transfer insider Dean Jones.

Ranger transfer news – what's the latest on Jose Cifuentes?

The opening weeks of the summer transfer window have already seen a flurry of new faces make their way to Ibrox, such as Ben Davies from Liverpool and Ridvan Yilmaz from Besiktas.

In total, the Teddy Bears have already spent £12.42m on new arrivals and welcomed ten new players to the club.

This busyness has somewhat slowed the club's pursuit of Ecuadorian midfielder Cifuentes. However, with much of their dealings now complete, the club can focus their attention back towards the dynamic midfielder.

The player will be entering the final six months of his contract with the Californian club from July 1st and will be free to sign a pre-contract with the Glaswegian giants.

The Daily Mail has reported that Rangers expect the 24-year-old to 'pen-to-paper' with them next month, from which point they will attempt to negotiate a fee for his early release from the American side.

What has transfer insider Dean Jones said about Jose Cifuentes to Rangers?

Jones was confident the deal would soon be completed, and the Gers would have their man.

Speaking to Football FanCast, he said: "I think in a week we should be in a place where Rangers are looking to cement this one and get Cifuentes through the door."

How good is Jose Cifuentes?

The Major League Soccer season is currently underway, so there is slightly less data on his most recent campaign to comb through.

Still, according to WhoScored, the Ecuadorian international has averaged a respectable match rating of 6.78 across his 15 games so far this term, assisting two goals along the way.

He has garnered high praise from his own countrymen as well, with Ecuadorian football expert Benedikt Duda saying:

"Cifuentes is a no.8, who is physical and strong in defence with a tendency to get involved in the attack.

His assistant manager Marc Dos Santos went a step further, suggesting the player could offer even more going forward, saying:

"Cifuentes is a bit more forward-thinking and is best suited as a no.8 or even as a no.10. I would describe him almost as a half-eight."

Dos Santos might just be onto something as well, as according to FBref, the 24-year-old gem averages 1.21 successful take-ons,0.21 expected assists, 0.17 non-penalty expected goals, 2.69 touches in the oppositions penalty area and 4.24 sho-creating actions, all per 90.

Those characteristics could help him take the Scottish Premiership by storm and help Rangers reclaim the league title from their cross-city rivals, Celtic.

If the Gers can get this deal done, they could have a burgeoning star on their books.

Wolverhampton Wanderers' Max Kilman just isn't of a good enough level to join a club like Liverpool this summer, Paul Machin believes.

The Reds are said to be keen on strengthening their back line, with David Lynch of Football Insider recently confirming the club's plans to add a centre-back before the start of next season, ideally, one who is comfortable playing on the left.

Having played on the left side of Wolves' centre-back pairing 37 times last season, Kilman is a name that makes a lot of sense and will likely be one that Jurgen Klopp's side has considered.

What is the latest Liverpool transfer news?

The Reds have plenty of work cut out for them in the transfer market, having to replace key figures like Roberto Firmino, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with all three departing after lengthy spells at the club.

The club has been linked to Manu Kone, after Fabrizio Romano detailed their intention to prioritise signing the midfielder over previous target Ryan Gravenberch.

Klopp's side have also been repeatedly linked with OGC Nice's Khephren Thuram, with the midfielder potentially set to leave the Ligue 1 side this summer.

One of the club's biggest tasks is to recruit a new centre-back, with a worrying lack of depth in the position threatening to cause them problems next season, but according to Mathin, Kilman isn't the level of player they should be recruiting.

What has Paul Machin said about Max Kilman?

While the Reds need a left-sided centre-back, Machin thinks they should aim higher than Kilman, and doesn't believe he's of the required level they'll necessarily need to add.

Speaking to Football FanCast, the Redmen TV host said: "I don't think he's of the level that Liverpool would be looking for."

Looking back at Liverpool's past business, Machin used the club's track record when recruiting from smaller Premier League clubs, and poaching their best players, to highlight why Kilman doesn't quite fit that profile, saying: "I think if Liverpool are buying players from the Premier League, they need to be the best player in that team. Or certainly in that class.

"You know, in years gone by, even recently, I think Alexis Mac Allister falls into that category, Virgil van Dijk falls into that category. Sadio Mane fell into it, and to some extent Adam Lallana too."

How does Max Kilman compare to Liverpool's current defenders?

One of the biggest problems Liverpool's defence has faced in recent years is the ability to stay healthy. The club has regularly been forced to chop and change their back line as various defensive personnel within the squad struggled with injuries.

Having played in all but one of Wolves' Premier League games last season, Kilman demonstrated a level of availability that the Reds could value deeply, with Trent Alexander Arnold the only Reds defender to play as often as the 26-year-old.

The £15k-per-week Kilman's averaged more tackles per 90 minutes than Liverpool's Van Dijk over the previous campaign but did not manage to record more than that of Joel Matip (via FBref).

However, the Wolves ace did trump the Liverpool pair when it came to blocks per game and recorded a higher aerial duel win percentage than the Cameroonian defender, Matip.

Asela Gunaratne, who struck 84 runs in a match-winning effort in Geelong, said the support Sri Lanka received during the first two T20s helped win the series

Andrew Fidel Fernando19-Feb-2017A partisan Melbourne crowd played its part in Sri Lanka’s exquisite series victory, Asela Gunaratne said after his unbeaten knock of 84 from 46 balls in only his sixth T20 international propelled Sri Lanka to their 174 target in Geelong.Partisan because although the first two T20s were ostensibly away matches, Sri Lanka’s limited-overs games in Melbourne have long attracted booming support from the large Sri Lankan population in the city. Most of the 41,000 in attendance at the MCG on Friday had been Sri Lanka supporters, and the Geelong – an hour’s drive from Melbourne – crowd had been no different. “Papare” music was heard in the stands, which also produced roars of delight when the winning runs were struck as Gunaratne’s team-mates charged the field to hoist him up on their shoulders.”There was so much support, it was like we were playing in Sri Lanka,” Gunaratne said. “That’s a huge strength for us – the way they were always cheering. It helped us finish the match.”We had a chance to win the series, and if we had missed that chance, it would have been a big waste. I was really happy. Winning a series in Australia is something special.”A Sri Lanka victory seemed unlikely for a large portion of the chase, because by the end of the fifth over they were reduced to 5 for 41. The required rate then climbed to ten by the halfway stage, but Gunaratne felt there always seemed a “good chance of winning” so he plotted Sri Lanka’s way out of the hole they had got themselves in.First came the 52-run stand with Chamara Kapugedera, which allowed Gunaratne to settle at the crease – even if those runs had come at only 6.5 an over. From there, Gunaratne worked to put Sri Lanka within striking distance in the final overs. When 36 runs were required from the last 12 balls, he sprung spectacularly into action.Asela Gunaratne struck three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over as Sri Lanka clinched a memorable series win•AFP”My plan with two overs left was to hit 20 runs in that over – preferably without running at all,” Gunaratne said. “Thankfully, 22 came in that over and when it got down to 14 off the last one, that was much easier. Well, no matter how tough it is, it’s something that had to be done. In the end, it worked out.”Gunaratne had been kept scoreless off the first ball of that penultimate over, but struck sixes off each of the next three balls to loosen Australia’s grip on the game. He was constantly shuffling to the offside to open up leg, and said he always had a good idea where his best boundary options were.”I was always looking to target those small boundaries” he said. “The longer sides were obviously going to be harder to hit to. It all paid off and I’m very happy, because all I thought of was finishing the match.”Sri Lanka No. 3 Dilshan Munaweera said Gunaratne’s innings made his team-mates’ “dreams come true”.”From a Sri Lankan, I think that’s the best T20 knock I’ve seen,” Munaweera said. “He was hitting such good bowlers – the Australian bowlers have recently played the Big Bash, so they were on rhythm. He made it count and batted through the innings. We [the players] were like supporters [in the dugout] and he made our dreams come true.”Sri Lanka are yet to lose a T20 international in Australia after five matches there. Though they do not have a flagship T20 domestic tournament like Australia do, Munaweera said Sri Lanka have a natural inclination to the shortest format.”Altogether we have played so much competitive cricket in T20s – not just here,” he said. “If you look at our stats, we’ve been to plenty of finals in the World T20, and we have won once. I think it doesn’t matter where we play. The format is suited to us, and our boys are on the game.”

Rishabh Pant has been named Delhi’s captain for the Vijay Hazare domestic 50-overs tournament that begins on February 25. Pant, 19, takes over from Gautam Gambhir, who led Delhi to the final last season. Delhi coach KP Bhaskar said it was a “consensus decision” to blood Pant for the future.”The selectors are looking at the future and they think Rishabh is the right choice,” Bhaskar told ESPNcricinfo. “They were thinking that there are four-five seniors in the team who can groom him. All the seniors – Gambhir, Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Nehra and Ishant Sharma – are there, and this is the right opportunity, so looking forward to the future.”Bhaskar also said the decision was made with a view to reduce Gambhir’s workload. “We think Gambhir still has a lot of cricket left in him, so let him concentrate on his batting and get runs for us. Let him have a free mind.”Pant has had a breakout season in 2016-17 that saw him finish as the fourth-highest run-getter (972 from eight matches at an average of 81.00 and a strike-rate of 107.28) in the Ranji Trophy. Pant also earned his maiden international call-up for the T20I series against England and made his debut in the final game in Bangalore.Delhi, who have named 42 probables, take on Tamil Nadu in Cuttack in their opening fixture.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is an admirer of Brighton & Hove Albion winger Kaoru Mitoma, according to a recent report from The Daily Mail.

Are Tottenham signing a winger this summer?

Tottenham have now struck a deal to sign former Fulham loanee Manor Solomon on a five-year contract, having agreed personal terms with the Israel international, who was available on a free transfer after leaving Shakhtar Donetsk this summer.

Spurs have also completed the signing of Juventus' Dejan Kulusevski on a permanent deal, with the 23-year-old putting pen to paper on a five-year contract, meaning Postecoglou has already strengthened considerably in wide areas in the current window.

As such, it remains to be seen whether the Lilywhites are keen to bring in any additional wingers, however they have now been linked with a move for Mitoma, who made a name for himself with his fantastic performances for Brighton in the 2022-23 campaign.

According to a report from The Daily Mail, the Japan international has caught the eye of a number of unnamed clubs, and Postecoglou is said to be an admirer, in light of the three years he spent managing in the J-League.

At the moment, there is no indication that Tottenham are set to make a move for the 26-year-old anytime soon, however he is liked by Postecoglou, which hints a move is not out of the question given the boss' success with Japanes signings at Celtic, where the likes of Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi were key to his high-intensity style.

Where would Kaoru Mitoma play for Spurs?

The Brighton star has most commonly been utilised as a left-winger throughout his career so far, however he has also demonstrated an aptitude for playing on the right on occasion, scoring four goals in the six games he's played in that area.

Last season, the Kawasaki-born ace managed to make an instant impact in the Premier League, recording seven goals and six assists in 33 top-flight appearances, while he also impressed during Brighton's run to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.

After his match-winning performance against Liverpool, getting on the scoresheet with a 92nd-minute goal to seal a 2-1 victory, the £10k-per-week winger was lauded as "magical" by GiveMeSport's Terry Flewers.

Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi has also spoken highly of the former Kawasaki Frontale man, claiming that he has "big potential".

With Solomon and Kulusevski set to be at Postecoglou's disposal next season, the manager probably does not need to bring in any more signings in wide areas, but Mitoma should definitely be placed on the shortlist for a potential deal in the future.