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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Monthly Review series, which analyses what managers can learn from the previous month and what the coming month could have in store.

The start of the new 2019/20 La Liga campaign really hasn’t been the best for Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane.

But as we moved forward and Los Blancos finally found their groove, their fortunes suddenly started changing. And now, as we are slowly but surely stepping into October, Zidane can look back and see some major positives.

End of defensive woes

This is quite a big one.

Even before the season had started, Real Madrid already looked doomed. They had their worst pre-season in 39 years, conceding a total of 16 goals in just five games before the new La Liga campaign.

And it didn’t stop there. Zidane and co. couldn’t keep a clean sheet for the next five games running across all competitions, drawing two and losing 3-0 to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League in the process.

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By their standards, that was not nearly good enough. But as we were coming to the end of September, the Galacticos finally started showing their true colours.

In the last three La Liga clashes they faced, they kept three clean sheets, propelling themselves to the very top of the table and leaving both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona behind them.

Of course, there’s still a long way to go but it seems that Real are slowly improving their defensive record.

Discovering the youth

The other thing that should make Zidane very happy is actually the depth of his bench.

Both Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes have been expensive purchases in Real Madrid’s recent ventures in the transfer windows but neither had seemed to excel.

But if some of the latest clashes are any indication, Zidane is finally finding spots for them in the squad.

Interestingly enough, both Brazilian talents were on the scoresheet when Real Madrid welcomed Osasuna at the Santiago Bernabeu on matchday six. Neither of them have been used that much, considering Vinicius has only 279 minutes so far in La Liga this season and Rodrygo is on just 19.

But simply knowing he has valuable assets on the bench should make Zidane a very happy man.

This article is part of Football FanCast’s In Numbers series, which takes a statistical look at performances, season-long form and reported transfer targets…

We are still some time away from the winter transfer window but that doesn’t mean that the big clubs are hibernating and doing nothing.

In fact, if the latest reports coming out of Marca are to be believed, Real Madrid have identified their potential purchases come January already, and two names seem to be the priority at the moment: Christian Eriksen and Donny van de Beek.

And this is also not really anything particularly new.

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After all, Los Blancos have been linked with Eriksen before and despite the great Danish midfielder not signing a new contract with Tottenham Hotspur just yet, Zinedine Zidane didn’t pull the trigger during the summer.

But now, as the same source states, the deal should benefit both parties equally – Spurs can cash in on their player since they probably don’t want to lose him for free once his contract expires and Real Madrid can get their Galactico and a much-needed reinforcement in the middle of the park.

Still, for all his skill and pedigree, Eriksen has been struggling a bit as of late.

This season, the 27-year-old midfielder has only scored and assisted once in a total of ten games played across all competitions.

Things have also not been so rosy in the Premier League specifically. Spurs are struggling and currently sit sixth in the table with just 11 points from seven games played.

And while the individuals can hardly be blamed for the poor display of the team as a whole, Eriksen’s numbers have underwhelmed and when a highly influential player like himself is not at his best, the whole squad can suffer.

This season, he averaged 1.6 shots, 1.9 key passes and 83.3% passing accuracy so far as opposed to 2.4 shots and 2.1 key passes per game in the 2018/19 Premier League campaign.

Still, Real Madrid fans should definitely keep tabs on the great Dane this weekend as Spurs face Brighton in the Premier League.

With the reports about the Galacticos eyeing that transfer coming out, it would be good for them to get to know the player that just might be joining them soon.

And this is a good opportunity for Eriksen to show what he’s all about. Brighton play an expansive game under Graham Potter, averaging 53.8% possession this season but have only six points and ten conceded goals to show for it.

Eriksen, then, should get the space to cause some real problems this Saturday and demonstrate exactly what he can offer this Real Madrid team.

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Southampton embark on their fifth Premier League game of the season this Saturday when they make the trip to Bramall Lane, where they’ll take on a Sheffield United side who have enjoyed an excellent return to the top-flight.

Chris Wilder’s men will pose a tough challenge to Ralph Hasenhuttl this weekend, having already taken three points from fourth-place Crystal Palace, while also fighting back from 2-0 down to grab a late point against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

We recently detailed how the former RB Leipzig boss should stick with his 4-2-2-2 system to combat the Blades’ 3-5-2 formation, so let’s take a look at the eleven players who Hasenhuttl should select…

After earning a point against Manchester United last time out, you could forgive Hasenhuttl for sticking with the same lineup for the match against the Blades – however, changes are a must.

We think that the Austrian boss should drop two men from the XI that started against the Red Devils.

James Ward-Prowse, who has been quiet so far this season with no goals and no assists despite starting all four games, should drop out for Stuart Armstrong.

The former Celtic man offers a bit more dynamism with his long-range shooting ability and engine – we saw how dangerous he can be from range against Fulham last season, and Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe stated at the time that it is a quality the Saints must look to utilise more.

We have also already outlined how Ward-Prowse could become a casualty of Hasenhuttl playing a 4-2-2-2 system, so it makes sense for Armstrong to be given a chance.

Having said that, we would have chosen either Nathan Redmond or Moussa Djenepo to play in his place given the fact they’ve both already scored this term, but the former is still out with an injury whereas Hasenhuttl said that the chances of the latter playing at the weekend “are not that big”.

Away from the attack, Ryan Bertrand should return to the XI at left-back after a period of absence through injury, although the boss said that he would’ve dropped the 30-year-old for the trip to Brighton regardless of his ankle injury – so perhaps not all is well between the two.

Summer signing Kevin Danso had been playing in his place, but the 20-year-old is suspended after picking up two yellow cards against United.

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Portugal picked up their first Euro 2020 qualification win on Saturday night as they recorded a 4-2 victory away to Serbia.

The important success saw the Euro 2016 winners move onto five points in Group B – eight points behind leaders Ukraine, who have played two games more.

William Carvalho, Goncalo Guedes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Bernardo Silva scored the goals for Fernando Santos’ side in Belgrade.

Watch Manchester City Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

And the Portugal fans were particularly delighted with what they saw from Manchester City’s Bernardo during his 90 minutes on the field.

As well as his goal, the attacker, who has become a key member of Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad Stadium, provided the assist for Ronaldo to register 10 minutes from time.

The 25-year-old is already off the mark in terms of Premier League goals for the English champions this season – scoring against Brighton & Hove Albion last time out.

And a number of Portugal fans picked him as the star player against Serbia:

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…

Jackie McNamara has told Football Insider that he thinks Jozo Simunovic might want to leave Celtic this summer, and he could well be right.

What’s he said?

The former Celts star McNamara has spoken of Simunovic’s Parkhead future, with the defender being heavily linked to Ligue 1 side Lille.

Simunovic has been a key part of the Parkhead side since Neil Lennon came back to the club in February but has had to deal with added competition for places.

The arrival of Christopher Jullien, as well as Nir Bitton performing well as a makeshift centre-back, has meant that the 25-year-old has a serious fight on his hands.

This is the main reason as to why McNamara thinks that he may be interested in a move away from Celtic Park this summer, as he stated: “They’ve got options, they’ve brought in Jullien and there are others still in the squad who will probably want off and maybe one or two out on loan.

“It’s hard to keep everyone happy, like Simunovic, you’ve got Jack Hendry there as well.

“(In the starting XI) You’ve got Ajer, Jullien – they’ve got a lot of options there. In some sense there will be players there who want to move out, that maybe aren’t going to feature so they’ll want to go out and play and they’ll (Celtic) use that to strengthen other areas.”

Is he right?

Simunovic has seen his chances of getting a regular starting berth under Lennon dented, with Jullien’s arrival likely forcing him down to the pecking order, as the Frenchman and Ajer look to form a partnership. In moving club, the defender might see his chances of becoming a key player increase.

Financially it would make sense too, with Football Insider previously reporting that the French side would double his Celtic wages. The money factor, coupled with the prospect of playing in the Champions League group stage (something that isn’t yet guaranteed for the Celts) could turn his head.

It probably isn’t the best time from a Celtic standpoint for someone who played 30 times last term to be considering a transfer. Despite it being early August, their season could be defined by the next month or so.

Qualification to the Champions League would be important and could go some way in convincing potential targets to sign and the likes of Simunovic to stay. And with a Glasgow derby and a League Cup tie to be played before the window closes, Lennon won’t want to be dealing with transfer confusion at such a crucial time.

If McNamara is right, which he very well may be, then it’s going to be a worrying wait for the Celtic supporters between now and the French transfer window closing on September 2.

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وجه أسطورة نادي سيمبا بطل تنزانيا، متيمي رمضاني، نصيحة لمدرب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم في الوقت الحالي، ديديه جوميز، للتغلب على الأهلي في الجولة الثانية من مجموعات دوري أبطال إفريقيا.

ويستضيف سيمبا نظيره الأهلي بطل دوري أبطال إفريقيا وثالث كأس العالم للأندية، يوم 23 فبراير الجاري على ملعب “بنيامين مكابا” في العاصمة التنزانية “دار السلام”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. مدرب سيمبا: الأهلي الأفضل على الورق

وتحدث متيمي عن وجهة نظره في مباراة الأهلي وكشف عن نصيحته لمدرب سيمبا، في تصريحات نقلتها صحيفة “MWANANCHI” التنزانية، وقال: “كان يعتمد على موجولو وكاجيري في الهجوم، لكن هذا لا يكفي أمام الأهلي وعلى المدرب تغيير أسلوبه”.

وتابع: “الأهلي اختلف كثيرًا عن الفريق الذي جاء قبل عامين للعب هنا في دار السلام، لاعبوه يتمتعون بلياقة بدنية كبيرة”.

واختتم: “مع الفريق الحالي للأهلي، يجب على لاعبي سيمبا بذلك قصارى جهدهم للتغلب على المنافس واستغلال عامل الأرض، لأن في مصر الأمر صعب للغاية لتحقيق أي فوز”.

أعلن الاتحاد الأوروبي لكرة القدم إقامة مباراة مانشستر يونايتد وريال سوسيداد في الدوري الأوروبي على ملعب يوفنتوس أرينا، في إيطاليا.

وكانت التقارير تشير إلى إمكانية نقل المباراة التي من كان من المفترض أن تقام في إسبانيا، وذلك بسبب السلطات الإسبانية، وصعوبة دخول وافدين إلى أسبانيا من الدول التي تعاني من كورونا.

طالع أيضًا.. تقارير: نقل مباراة آرسنال وبنفيكا في الدوري الأوروبي إلى روما

الاتحاد الأوروبي أعلن في بيان رسمي، أن المباراة ستُنقل إلى إيطاليا، على ملعب يوفنتوس أرينا، بمدينة تورينو، يوم 18 فبراير.

وقدم الاتحاد الأوروبي الشكر للفريقين، بالإضافة للاتحاد الإيطالي والمسؤولين عن ملعب يوفنتوس، لتعاونهم جميعًا.

جدير بالذكر، أن مباراة الإياب بين الفريقين ستكون 25 فبراير الجاري على ملعب أولد ترافورد في مدينة مانشستر الإنجليزية.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

David Turnbull, one of Celtic’s big summer transfer targets, is set to earn a new contract at Motherwell, as reported by The Scottish Sun.

What’s the story?

Turnbull was on the verge of joining the Hoops last week before a club medical revealed a knee problem that requires surgery.

The deal collapsed, seemingly through no fault of any of the invested parties, and it was later confirmed the 19-year-old will now be staying at the Steelmen to rehab.

How can Celtic improve next season? A Hoops fan tells us how in the video below…

The paper say that in order to soften the blow of his failed move to the Hoops, Motherwell are now set to hand him a new three-year deal at Fir Park, increasing his wages and inserting a transfer release clause into his contract.

It’s said that the release clause will stand at the £3.25m figure Celtic were willing to pay for him before his medical issues.

His injury problems are now expected to keep him out for the rest of the year, but the report states that there should be no long-term problems resulting from the surgery.

January move

Celtic legend Davie Hay has tipped the player this weekend to bounce back from the injury blow and possibly win a move to Celtic Park again.

It’s certainly something the Hoops should consider.

If the contract reports are true then he is not going to cost any more than the fee they were willing to pay for him last week, making any potential deal straightforward.

With any other interested clubs now aware of what it will cost to sign him, Celtic shouldn’t waste any time and follow up their major summer interest with a January move for the player.

Turnbull is a significant midfield talent having scored 15 times last season, winning the SFWA Young Player of the Year award in the process.

The deal is still there to be done and there’s no reason the Hoops should miss out.

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This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…

According to Turkish publication Aksam, Fenerbahce are interested in signing Arsenal centre-back Shkodran Mustafi this summer.

What’s the word?

The report claims the Super Lig giants are lining up a move for the Germany international and that the Turkish side’s sporting director, Damian Comolli, has already made contact with the 27-year-old’s agent.

The news of Fenerbahce’s interest comes after BBC’s David Ornstein revealed on BBC 5 Live Sport that Arsenal have been looking to offload the centre-back ever since he first signed and that Unai Emery had decided “enough was enough” after the Europa League final.

End the misery now

For far too long Mustafi’s name has just become synonymous with calamity and derision. This is a World Cup winner with Germany, consigned to being looked at as not even being worthy of Sunday League football.

His errors and mistakes have been infuriatingly similar, inspiring a horrible case of deja vu. His biggest gaffe this season came at a time when the Gunners simply couldn’t afford it, allowing Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha to waltz on through and end up costing the north London side a precious result in their race for Champions League qualification.

Are Man City better than Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’? Fans discuss in the video below…

The miscommunication was eerily reminiscent of the goal scored by Charlie Austin for Southampton, when the England international ghosted in from behind, when he had absolutely no right to.

In 84 Premier League appearances, the German has seen three errors directly lead to goals and has a questionable disciplinary record too. His tendency to lunge into challenges has seen him pick up 26 yellow cards and commit a total of 103 fouls – more than one a game.

Valued at £22.5m by Transfermarkt, Mustafi is at an age now where the mind-numbing errors should be virtually non-existent. But despite playing at the top level for sides like Sampdoria, Valencia and now Arsenal, the 27-year-old has shown no real sign of improvement.

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After witnessing the Gunners’ defensive struggles in a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium earlier this year, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher fumed: “Mustafi has never been good enough since the day he walked in the door and that’s the reason why all the goals come down there. To see Arsenal defend like that, there’s a big job there for Unai Emery to do.”

The big job Emery has to do is getting Mustafi out the door. If Fenerbahce are willing to take a chance on the blundering defender, then the Gunners by all means should allow them to take it.

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There are less than two month left before the summer transfer window closes on August 8th, and the rumours surrounding the 20 Premier League clubs show no signs of stopping. Today’s Premier League transfer roundup includes updates on Romelu Lukaku, Andre Gomes and Ryan Bertrand.

Lukaku agrees deal with Inter

Romelu Lukaku has already stated this year that he does not know whether he will still be at Manchester United next season. Now, it seems he may have a way out of Old Trafford as it has emerged that the former Anderlecht striker has agreed a deal with Inter Milan. According to the Sun, the Italian giants and the Belgian have agreed a contract worth £180,000 a week, although the two sides are yet to find an accord in regards to the transfer fee, with the Red Devils valuing him at £75m.

Barcelona and Everton find accord for Gomes

Andre Gomes was an important player for Marco Silva’s Everton on loan last season as the Toffees finished in eighth place, making 27 Premier League appearances. And now, it appears the Portuguese will be moving permanently to Goodison Park after the Merseyside outfit and FC Barcelona agreed a deal for the midfielder. According to Sky Sports, the fee is £22m. Gomes is shaping up to be Everton’s second signing of the transfer window so far after Jonas Lössl.

Bertrand on Inter’s and Atletico’s radar

Ryan Bertrand has become a stalwart for Southampton with 171 appearances under his belt. However, the England international could be on the move this summer with both Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid interested in acquiring his services. It is believed that the Saints will demand a fee of £15m for the former Blues man, but both Inter and Atletico hope they can hammer out a deal for a price closer to £10m.