Chelsea have received plenty of criticism – some justifiably – for their transfer policy over the last few years.

However, while the club have certainly made their fair share of poor signings, and perhaps even sold some players they shouldn’t have, they’ve also acquired some brilliant young talents.

The likes of Andrey Santos, Jorrel Hato and Estevao could all come good and lead the team to real success in the coming years.

The latter gem, in particular, is seen by many as a future superstar, but the club now looks to have secured the future of another youngster who could be just as good, if not better, and a future rival for Lamine Yamal.

Why Estevao coule be a world-beater

Chelsea beat a number of other top European sides to Estevao’s signature in the summer of 2024, but due to his age, the young Brazilian had to wait another year before joining up with Maresca’s squad.

The teenage sensation made good use of that time in his homeland, scoring 12 goals and providing five assists in 37 appearances for Palmeiras last season, which took his total output with the club to an impressive 27 goals and 15 assists in 83 appearances.

Since arriving on these shores, the Franca-born gem has wasted no time showing fans of English football just why he’s so highly rated and is seen as a “future Ballon d’Or winner” by respected analyst Ben Mattinson.

Appearances

83

Minutes

5610′

Goals

27

Assists

15

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

133.57′

For example, he proved a real threat when coming off the bench to make his Premier League debut against Crystal Palace in the Blues’ opening game of the season.

Then, just a couple of weeks later, he made his full debut for the club, starting against West Ham United and running their defence ragged.

The East Londoners just could not live with his brilliant close control, quick decision-making and turn of pace, which allowed him to provide his first assist of the campaign to Joao Pedro.

Since then, the youngster has continued to impress in bursts, with a particularly mercurial piece of dribbling getting Stamford Bridge on their feet against Benfica.

In all, it does feel like Estevao is destined to make it to the very top of the game, and now it looks like Chelsea have got their hands on another prospect who could not only rival him, but Yamal as well.

Chelsea's future Yamal rival

There is no sign of Chelsea slowing down their pursuit of some of the most exciting youngsters in world football, and the next gem everyone could be talking about is Dastan Satpayev.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

The Blues agreed a deal to sign the incredibly exciting prospect from the Kazakhstani side Kairat Almaty in February of this year for a fee of around €4m, which is about £3.5m.

However, as was the case with Estevao, he cannot join up with the squad until he is 18 years old, which will be next August.

The 17-year-old is in the news somewhat at the moment, as he has now made his Champions League debut, playing against Sporting CP and Real Madrid.

The youngster played a key role in the club, even making it into the competition proper, scoring three goals and providing one assist in the seven qualifying games, which saw them ultimately beat Celtic to make it.

There is an enormous amount of excitement over what the Almaty-born dynamo could achieve in the coming years, so much so that one scout labelled him “a future Ballon d’Or winner” and not only that, but “a future rival to Lamine Yamal.”

That might sound like too much pressure to put on a youngster’s shoulders, but he’s shown no signs of being even remotely fazed by senior football.

For example, in 30 appearances this season, totalling 2146 minutes, the “incredible” prospect, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has scored eight goals and provided 13assists.

In other words, he has maintained an average of a goal involvement every 1.42 games, or every 102 minutes, despite only turning 17 in August.

Ultimately, there is a long and winding road ahead for Satpayev, but as things stand, he appears to be a future superstar, someone who could potentially push Estevao at Chelsea and possibly even rival Yamal for the biggest individual honours.

Chelsea sold a Gittens upgrade who's now playing "better than Saka"

Chelsea and Enzo Maresca made a big mistake.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 2, 2025

The England captain was nursing a cramp and didn’t bowl on day four at Old Trafford

Matt Roller26-Jul-20252:53

Trescothick: Need to limit the overs Stokes bowls

England are “hopeful” that Ben Stokes will be fit to bowl them to a series win on Sunday after KL Rahul and Shubman Gill exposed their reliance on his old-ball threat in Manchester. Stokes, the leading wicket-taker in the series, was deemed too “stiff and sore” to bowl during the first 63 overs of India’s second innings at Old Trafford and will be assessed overnight by England’s medical team.Rahul and Gill added an unbroken 174 for the third wicket in 62.1 overs as India recovered from a nightmare start to bat through two full sessions unscathed. Barring one drop at backward point by Liam Dawson off Brydon Carse, England’s seamers struggled to create chances once the ball went soft and missed Stokes’ ability to break the game open.Stokes prepared to face India with a gruelling rehabilitation programme following hamstring surgery in January and has bowled 129 overs in the series so far, his personal record for a Test series. He retired hurt on the third day after suffering cramp in his left leg but returned later in the evening, going on to score his first Test century in more than two years on the fourth day.Related

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“He’s a bit stiff and sore,” Marcus Trescothick, England’s assistant coach, said when asked if Stokes would bowl on Sunday. “He’s had quite a big workload in the last few weeks, and then batting in the first innings, he was getting quite a bit of cramp. We are hoping that with another night’s rest and a bit more physio work overnight, he’ll be back and doing a bit tomorrow.”Stokes was seen clutching his hamstring while chasing a ball in the outfield, but Trescothick played down the concern. “It’s just a build-up,” he said. “It’s just such a heavy workload, from where he’s been to what he’s doing. It’s just trying to monitor it, and obviously the cramp that he was getting yesterday, you have that little bit of worry… We’ll see what he’s like tomorrow.”After managing his workload carefully across the first two-and-a-half Tests, Stokes bowled 19.2 overs on the final day of their win at Lord’s last week and said he spent “four days in bed” recovering. He bowled another 24 overs across the first two days in Manchester, taking 5 for 72, but appears to have struggled to recover from such a high volume of overs.1:25

‘Very few cricketers in history with the ability of Stokes’

Trescothick suggested that England had never planned to bowl Stokes on the fourth afternoon in the belief that his body would benefit from a break, and said that he had gone out to field despite his stiffness to ensure that he is allowed to bowl on the fifth day. “If he was off the field [today], then he wouldn’t be able to come back and bowl tomorrow,” he explained.Stokes will skip the Hundred next month and has not played a white-ball international for nearly two years, meaning that he may not play competitively between the end of the fifth Test at The Oval next week and the start of the Ashes in November.Michael Vaughan, the ex-England captain, said that England’s hopes in Australia would rest on Stokes’ fitness. “We saw today how much he is missed,” he said on the BBC’s . “My fingers are crossed that we don’t have a moment before the Ashes or in that first Test in Perth.”I honestly look at this England side and everything they’re delivering and think, in Australia, they have a great chance if he’s fit. If Ben Stokes is injured […] and can just be the batter, it has a huge impact on the outcome of an Ashes series overseas.”

There are so many questions going into the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and New York Yankees. Can Aaron Judge step up on the massive October stage? Will Cleveland's elite bullpen be able to navigate through if this thing goes to six or seven games? Is Jose Ramirez poised to become a household name after years of excellence? How much trust should Yankees fans really have in Carlos Rodon?

And finally, will Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce be in attendance for any of the action?

We have clarity on that last issue as Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters that he'd heard the power couple would be in the Bronx for Game 1.

Kelce grew up near Cleveland and has thrown one of the worst ceremonial first pitches in the franchise's history. Swift has been largely focused on football fandom over the past few years but like Bo Jackson, is extremely versatile.

It will be interesting to see just how often the TBS broadcast cuts away to their seats for reactions during play. The urge will be extremely strong but there are also some people who won't like that very much to consider.

Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa narrowly missed out on earning a $200,000 performance bonus this season after he was not in the lineup for the team’s final game against the New York Yankees on Sunday, but the 29-year-old said after the game that he had been given the option to play in the game and decided against it.

Kiner-Falefa’s contract included a clause that would pay him $200,000 if he made at least 500 plate appearances during the season. After batting leadoff in Saturday’s game in the Bronx, he was sitting on 496 plate appearances. If he had been slotted into the same spot in the lineup for Sunday’s season finale, he almost certainly would have gotten the requisite number of plate appearances to earn the bonus. But Kiner-Falefa wasn’t in Sunday’s lineup—partly due to his own choice.

Kiner-Falefa said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show that he had seen the lineup for Sunday’s game the night before and when he saw he wasn’t in it, he “had no problem with it.” About an hour before the game was set to start, once the team realized how close he was to triggering the bonus, he was offered a spot in the lineup. Kiner-Falefa passed it up.

“At that point, I had kind of already checked out,” Kiner-Falefa said. “I didn’t think it was fair to take Peggy [Liover Peguero] or one of the young guys who hasn’t had the opportunity to play at Yankee Stadium away from them.

“I got hurt this year and missed a month. If that doesn’t happen or we’re actually in a real (playoff) race, I crush those incentives by a long shot. At the end of the day, I feel like I didn’t deserve it. From that aspect, it was nothing the team did. They tried to make it right at the end. That meant a lot to me right there.”

Pirates manager Derek Shelton said he was impressed with how Kiner-Falefa handled the situation.

“When I did find out about that situation, I called him in and said, ‘Hey, you’re this close. I’ll be more than happy to adjust the lineup,’” Shelton told SportsNet Pittsburgh. “I think that speaks to the leader that he is. He said no. We had multiple conversations about it. I wanted to make sure that he was in a spot that he understood that we would make that adjustment, that I would make that adjustment.”

Kiner-Falefa’s pursuit of the bonus drew extra attention because the Pirates released first baseman Rowdy Tellez last week when he was just four plate appearances shy of triggering a $200,000 bonus. General manager Ben Cherington said the looming bonus had “zero factor” in the decision to cut Tellez, who batted just .116 in the month of September.

Kiner-Falefa was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays just before the deadline. He is under contract for one more season and will earn $7.5 million next year.

Manchester United are now determined to sign a “tremendous” midfielder, with it being revealed they are willing to make a £61m offer.

Man Utd want to sign new midfielder with Mainoo heading for exit

It has now emerged that Kobbie Mainoo could now be heading for the exit door, having failed to start a single Premier League game this season, with Napoli close to getting a deal over the line after a recent round of talks.

Ruben Amorim clearly isn’t fully convinced by Mainoo, having opted to give Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro the nod in the middle of the park for the most part, and doubts remain over Manuel Ugarte, who received heavy criticism after the EFL Cup defeat against Grimsby Town.

With that in mind, the Red Devils have set out to bring in a new midfielder, and Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton recently moved ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba on the list of targets.

According to a report from Spain, however, a different midfielder has now emerged as Man United’s top target, with it being revealed they are willing to make a €70m (£61m) offer for Athletic Club star Oihan Sancet.

United are determined to get a deal for Sancet done, as they believe he fits their desired profile perfectly, and scouts have been sent to watch the Spaniard in action on a number of occasions.

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The Red Devils are now readying a big offer for a January signing, with Ruben Amorim personally very keen.

1 ByDominic Lund Oct 22, 2025

The attacking midfielder hasn’t ruled out an exit, but his current employers are working on a new contract, in an effort to stave off interest from elsewhere.

Sancet enjoyed "tremendous" 2024-25 campaign

Many of the Red Devils’ other midfield targets, such as Baleba, Wharton and Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson, play in slightly deeper midfield roles, but the Athletic Club star has an attacking mindset, enjoying a fantastic 2024-25 campaign.

Indeed, the 25-year-old was a constant threat on the front foot in La Liga, amassing 20 goals and assists in all competitions, which impressed Athletic Club sporting director Rafa Alkorta, who described him as “tremendous”.

Sancet clearly has the ability to succeed at Old Trafford, but given his attacking mindset, the Pamplona-born star wouldn’t be a like-for-like replacement for Mainoo, who appears to be heading for the exit door.

Anderson, on the other hand, is accustomed to playing in a deeper midfield role, and the Nottingham Forest star recently displayed his ability to control matches, in what was a remarkable performance for England against Latvia.

Statistic

Number completed

Accurate passes

121/130 (93%)

Key passes

2

Tackles

4

Duels won

7

Despite spending over £100m on new additions during the summer transfer window, Tottenham Hotspur failed to address the issue at the top end of the pitch.

The likes of Mohammed Kudus and Xavi Simons arrived in North London, bolstering the ranks, but neither are natural centre forwards, which has left Thomas Frank short in such an area.

Richarlison has operated in such a role for the majority of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign, but he’s often failed to deliver – as seen by his run of eight games without a goal.

Dominic Solanke is another option the Dane will have been hoping to rely upon, but the club-record addition, who cost £65m last summer, has been sidelined since August after undergoing ankle surgery.

Randal Kolo Muani was added to the Lilywhites squad in the summer, only joining on loan from PSG, but he’s only started one game across all competitions to date.

However, the board could be about to back the new manager during the upcoming January transfer window, with numerous names already appearing on the club’s shortlist.

Latest on Spurs' striker search

Over the last couple of days, Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović has been mentioned as a possible target for Spurs in January, with returning Sporting Director Fabio Paratici likely playing a key role in the deal.

The Lilywhites have been named as one of the sides pursuing a move for the 25-year-old, who’s already found the net three times in Serie A throughout 2025/26.

Any deal for the Serbian international could prove to be a cut-price one, with the talisman’s current contract with the Serie A outfit set to expire at the end of June next year.

However, he’s not the only attacker currently in their sights, with Porto talent Samu Aghehowa another option currently being considered by Frank and Paratici.

According to TEAMtalk’s latest report, the Lilywhites have been closely monitoring the Spaniard over the last couple of months and are considering a potential approach in January.

The article also states that the 21-year-old could be an expensive addition for the Lilywhites this winter, especially considering the talisman has a £87m release clause in his current deal in Portugal.

As previously mentioned, it’s clear the board are targeting a new number nine in the near future, but any addition will have a near-impossible task of filling the void in North London.

Why Spurs’ latest target could be Frank’s own Harry Kane

The likes of Richarlison and Solanke have often been given a hard time by the Spurs supporters over recent seasons – no doubt due to the levels produced by Harry Kane before them.

The England international was so often the key man for the first-team during his decade-long spell in North London, with the figures he produced nothing short of breathtaking.

He netted a total of 280 goals in his 435 competitive outings for the Lilywhites, a tally that sees him sit at the top of the club’s all-time goalscoring charts.

Breaking down his numbers further adds yet another dimension to his quality, with the England international scoring over 30 goals in 50% of his seasons in England’s top-flight.

However, he was sold to Bayern Munich for a reported £82m in the summer of 2023, leaving the Spurs squad without that clinical centre-forward they so often turned to in moments of struggle.

As a result, Frank has been unable to work with the 32-year-old, but he could be handed his own version of the talisman, should the club complete a deal for Aghehowa.

The Spaniard has become known for his goalscoring ability in Portugal over the last 12 months – as seen by his incredible tally of 36 strikes in his 56 appearances.

He’s already managed to register 11 goals in his first 14 appearances, which has led to talent scout Jacek Kulig labelling him as “one of Europe’s most prolific players”.

Aghehowa’s underlying stats further highlight the all-round talent he possesses in attacking areas, subsequently making him the perfect player to fill the void Kane left a couple of years ago.

Samu & Kane – league stats in 2025/26
Statistics (per 90)	Samu	Kane
Games played	8	8
Goals scored	6	12
Shot on target accuracy	60%	57%
Short pass accuracy	86%	85%
Take-on success	50%	46%
Progressive carries	2.3	1.1
Carres into 18-yard box	0.9	0.6
Aerials won	1.2	1.1
Stats via FBref

He’s achieved a total of 2.4 shots on target per 90, a total which ranks him within the top 5% of all players in the Liga Portugal for the ongoing campaign.

The youngster has also completed 81% of the passes he’s attempted, whilst winning 58% of the aerial battles he’s entered – arguably making him the perfect focal point for Frank’s men.

Despite being a target man, the Spaniard has also demonstrated tidy footwork over recent months, as seen by his total of 1.3 successful dribbles per 90 in 2025/26.

It’s unclear if Porto would be willing to negotiate a deal lower than his release clause, but Paratici should be working tirelessly to complete a deal for his signature.

Should he make the move to North London during the winter months, it certainly will hand Frank the talisman he’s craved – potentially allowing the Dane to have his own version of fan-favourite, Kane.

Forget Johnson: "Unacceptable" Spurs flop now looks finished under Frank

Thomas Frank now has a Tottenham Hotspur player who looks finished in North London.

By
Ethan Lamb

Oct 30, 2025

Chelsea midfielder Roméo Lavia had only just returned to fitness and Enzo Maresca was easing him back into the team gently, but the Belgian could now be set for another spell on the sidelines in what is a frustrating blow.

Chelsea’s Champions League campaign continued on Wednesday night with a hard-fought 2-2 draw away to Qarabag, a result that leaves the Blues frustrated but relieved after squandering a 1-0 lead and facing a difficult fightback against the Azerbaijani minnows.

Maresca’s side started brightly and took an early lead through teenage sensation Estevao after dominating possession and probing Qarabag’s defence.

However, just before halftime, Qarabag stunned Chelsea by turning the game on its head. The visitors struggled to contain Qarabag’s growing threat, and they capitalised with two goals in quick succession. Qarabag’s first equaliser came from a well-placed finish, and 10 minutes later, a second goal from the penalty spot put them unexpectedly 2-1 ahead at the break.

The swift turnaround rattled Chelsea, with the home side taking advantage of poor defensive lapses.

Estevao

8.2

Alejandro Garnacho

7.5

Leandro Andrade

7.4

Matheus Silva

7.0

Marko Jankovic

7.0

via WhoScored

Luckily for the west Londoners, half-time substitute Alejandro Garnacho was quickly on hand to spare their blushes with a clinical finish into the bottom corner just minutes after the restart. Estevao, Enzo Fernández and Facuno Buonanotte all made attempts to win the game for Chelsea, with Garnacho also seeing an added-time effort saved from inside the area.

It was close but no cigar for Chelsea who ended up sharing the spoils, and Garnacho saved them from what would have been an historic loss, as no English team has ever lost to the Azerbaijani side before.

It was an evening of serious reflection for Maresca, who watched on as his side struggled defensively yet again amid reports that Chelsea are prioritising the signing of a centre-back in January.

The occasion was also marred by yet another injury blow for Lavia.

The 21-year-old was given his first starts of the season against Nottingham Forest and Ajax recently as Maresca slowly edged him back into the fold after his recovery from a muscle strain. Chelsea’s boss handed Lavia the nod again at Qarabag, but Lavia was hauled off after just eight minutes with what looks like a quadricep injury.

Going by the player’s own reaction, Lavia’s latest injury might not be minor.

What Roméo Lavia did moments after being taken off against Qarabağ

The Belgium international looked in visible disarray after being taken off against Qarabağ.

Lavia was spotted throwing a water bottle in anger as he made his way for Chelsea treatment, and given how much action he’s missed since joining Chelsea, this could also be put down to pure frustration on his part.

The midfielder, who was signed for around £58 million from Southampton in 2023, missed almost all of his debut season – bar 32 minutes against Crystal Palace – with ankle and hamstring problems. He was forced to sit out a grand total of 226 days last term as well, with Maresca and supporters now anxiously waiting for a more definitive update on his condition.

It’s a crying shame for a player who Maresca branded one of world football’s “best midfielders” when fit and available, but his patches of readiness to play are simply too few and far between.

For BlueCo and the board, an uncomfortable conversation may need to be had soon.

Ben Charlesworth top-scores as experience counts at Guildford

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay08-Aug-2025Ollie Sykes struck a defiant 97 off 94 balls but Surrey were still overpowered by a far more experienced Gloucestershire at Guildford in the Metro Bank One-Day Cup.Ben Charlesworth hit four sixes and top-scored with an 83-ball 80 in Gloucestershire’s 293 for 9, before Josh Shaw spearheaded an excellent collective display with ball to restrict Surrey to 208 all out in reply.Fast bowler Shaw produced a five-over new ball spell of 3 for 19 as Surrey slumped initially to 33 for 3, but 20-year-old Sykes – in just his eighth List A game – belied his youth to counter-attack with two sixes and 12 fours and add 99 for the fourth wicket with Josh Blake.Blake top-edged Graeme van Buuren’s slow left arm to short fine leg on 26 to leave Surrey 155 for 5 in the 31st over and Sykes’ departure four overs later made it just a matter of time before Gloucestershire wrapped up the lower order.Ollie Sykes (file photo) fell just short of three figures•Getty Images for Surrey CCCVan Buuren and Ollie Price, bowling his offspin cannily, had built pressure on Sykes for several overs and their reward was a charge down the pitch to what became a legside wide from van Buuren and an easy stumping for keeper James Bracey.Surrey’s innings had begun with Ryan Patel skying a catch to backward point off Shaw, who then saw Tommy Boorman fling himself to his right at short fine leg to cling on to a full-blooded flick off his pads by Rory Burns.Burns made 15, Patel 16 and debutant Nikhil Gorantla was soon gone for a third ball duck, athletically caught and bowled by Shaw in his follow through inches from the turf.Adam Thomas was then held in the cover roles for 6 and Shaw finished with 3 for 29 and Jack Taylor, who cleaned up Surrey’s tail, 3 for 16.Gloucestershire’s total, a decent effort on a used pitch, was built around Charlesworth’s superbly-judged innings, which ended when he was fifth out in the 39th over.At halfway, on 125 for 3, there was a danger that Gloucestershire would post a below-par score for a ground with such short square boundaries but Charlesworth was joined in a timely 54-run partnership in ten overs by van Buuren once Jack Taylor had been brilliantly caught in the outfield by a diving Thomas off Steel.Van Buuren’s 33 was then followed by further useful late-innings knocks from Boorman (22), Daz Ahmed, who launched two sixes in a 21-ball 29, and Matt Taylor’s hard-hit 27 from 11 balls.Taylor thumped a six and four fours in the closing overs, topping off an innings which had begun with Bracey driving Yousef Majid’s left-hand spin for two straight sixes but which looked like losing its way once Bracey (24) had been spectacularly caught by a sprawling Gorantla at backward point.Cameron Bancroft was bowled for 18 by a beauty from James Taylor, Surrey’s stand-out bowler with 3 for 42 from his ten overs, and Price fell for 26 when he was bowled by Majid.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Corinthians venceu o Coritiba por 2 a 0 na noite desta quarta-feira (6), no Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR) pela 38ª e última rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Fausto Vera e Ángel Romero marcaram os gols da vitória do Timão, ambos no primeiro tempo.

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➡️Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

Com este resultado, o time comandado por Mano Menezes encerrou o Brasileirão na 13ª colocação, com 50 pontos, conquistando uma vaga na próxima edição da Copa Sul-Americana. Já o Coritiba está rebaixado para a Série B, terminando a temporada na 19ª posição, com 30 pontos, à frente apenas do lanterna América-MG.

CINCO LANCES QUE MARCARAM O DUELO

1️⃣ OLHA A BOCA! Com o estádio completamente vazio devido à punição sofrida pelo Coritiba, foi possível ouvir absolutamente TUDO que os treinadores estavam falando à beira do campo, incluindo os xingamentos…

2️⃣PLACAR ABERTO NO COUTO PEREIRA! Aos 10′, Fausto Vera finalizou de fora da área direto para o fundo da rede do Coxa, marcando seu primeiro gol com a camisa do Corinthians.

3️⃣MAIS UM! O Timão continuou pressionando e conseguiu ampliar a vantagem aos 20′. Após a defesa do Coritiba tirar mal a bola dentro da área, foi a vez de Ángel Romero estufar a rede. O paraguaio contou com o desvio de Thalisson Gabriel, que matou qualquer chance de defesa para o goleiro Pedro Morisco.

4️⃣PERDEEEEEU! Aos 37′, o zagueiro Thiago Dombroski teve uma ótima chance de descontar para o Coxa, mas finalizou para fora.

5️⃣FICOU POR AÍ! O segundo tempo seguiu em ritmo de jogo-treino. Sem grandes emoções, as equipes não criaram grandes chances na etapa final. O Corinthians administrou bem sua vantagem, e o Coritiba não conseguiu tirar o zero do marcador.

⏱Como foi o primeiro tempo?

Uma partida entre duas equipes sem objetivos na temporada não poderia ser diferente: ritmo de treino. No entanto, o Corinthians dominou as principais ações da etapa inicial, chegando com mais perigo no ataque. O Coritiba também teve algumas chances, porém não conseguiu aproveitá-las. Fausto Vera abriu o placar para o Timão com chute de fora da área, aos 10′, e Ángel Romero ampliou aos 20′ contando com o desvio do adversário.

⏱E a etapa final?

O segundo tempo não teve grandes emoções. O Corinthians conseguiu administrar bem a sua vantagem, mas também não se postou tanto ao ataque. O Coritiba, por sua vez, também não teve grande poder ofensivo e não conseguiu descontar no Couto Pereira.

✅O que vem por aí?

As duas equipes encerram a temporada e só voltam a campo em 2024 para a disputa dos campeonatos estaduais.

⚫FICHA TÉCNICA
Campeonato Brasileiro – 38ª rodada
Coritiba 0 x 2 Corinthians

Data e horário:quarta-feira, 6 de dezembro de 2023, às 21h30 (de Brasília)
Local:Couto Pereira, em Curitiba (PR)
Arbitragem: Jonathan Benkenstein Pinheiro (RS) (árbitro), Tiago Augusto Kappes Diel (RS) e Maira Mastella Moreira (RS) (assistentes), Ivan da Silva Guimaraes Junior (AM) (quarto árbitro) e Daniel Nobre Bins (VAR-FIFA-RS) (árbitro de vídeo)
Cartões amarelos: –
Gols: Fausto Vera (0-1) (10’/1T), Ángel Romero (0-2) (20’/1T)

CORITIBA(Técnico: Guto Ferreira)
Pedro Morisco; Natanael, Thalisson, Thiago Dombroski (Maurício Antônio, após o intervalo) e Jamerson; William Farias (Matheus Bianqui, após o intervalo), Andrey (Diogo Batista, aos 20’/2T), Sebastian Gómez e Gabriel Silva (Lucas Ronier, após o intervalo); Kaio e Edu (Éberth, aos 19’/2T).

CORINTHIANS (Técnico: Mano Menezes)
Carlos Miguel; Fágner, Gil, Caetano e Matheus Bidu; Cantillo, Fausto Vera (Ruan, aos 22’/2T) (Bruno Méndez, aos 35’/2T), Matheus Araújo e Biro (Giovane, aos 21’/2T); Romero (Felipe Augusto, aos 35’/2T) e Yuri Alberto (Wesley, aos 29’/2T).

Liverpool made some eye-catching signings during the summer window and could now be set to enact a surprise double deal involving Real Madrid’s Eduardo Camavinga and Inter defender Alessandro Bastoni.

After a frustrating period of matches, Arne Slot led his side to only their second win in their last eight fixtures against Aston Villa last weekend, offering something to build on ahead of the festive period.

Mohamed Salah’s 250th Premier League goal came as a landmark milestone, and his teammates stepped up after a dip in form, leaving them seven points off Arsenal in the Premier League title race as they gun for more silverware.

Admittedly, the visitors still produced moments of panic within the Liverpool backline. By no means were the Reds perfect last weekend, but three points are the only thing that matters after a dismal run of results that have caused them to drift from top spot.

Club legend Steven Gerrard spoke out in defence of Slot amid recent criticism involving the Dutchman, telling TNT Sports that ‘keyboard warriors’ won’t detract from the fine job he has done at Anfield.

He said: “It’s a great win; he deserves a lot of credit for that. But they come thick and fast, in two days’ time, the pressure will build again as he’ll be expected to beat Real Madrid.

“Compared to when we played there are a lot more people with microphones and cameras in front of their face, there are a lot more keyboard warriors and a lot of unnecessary noise. But it is football in the modern age, you have to take the rough with the smooth, that is life.”

Reds supporters will be fully behind their manager after the return he produced last term, and he could now be set to conclude a couple of lucrative deals to vastly improve his side.

Liverpool willing to bid for Eduardo Camavinga and Alessandro Bastoni

According to reports in Spain, Liverpool are plotting an ambitious double swoop for Eduardo Camavinga and Alessandro Bastoni that could cost within the region of £122 million to complete.

Real Madrid won’t make it easy for Camavinga to leave the building, albeit the Reds’ desire to acquire him is there and they hope that their project could be enough to entice him to England.

In the case of Bastoni, he is viewed as a natural successor to Virgil Van Dijk, something that supporters could get on board with due to his left-sided nature, tenacity and willingness to contribute in all thirds.

The Italy star has registered a goal and three assists in 12 matches this season. On the other hand, Camavinga has notched a solitary strike in nine appearances, featuring either as a central midfielder, in a holding role, and even on the right flank.

Liverpool could earn £132 million to fund Camavinga and Bastoni deals

Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha is also named as a target, though his situation is not as advanced. Either way, expect some notable future transfer dealings at Anfield.