O Fluminense perdeu para o Vasco nos pênaltis e foi eliminado da Copa do Brasil na semifinal. O jogo terminou 1 a 0 para o Tricolor no tempo normal, nas penalidade 4 a 3. Após o resultado, Nonato falou em entrevista coletiva sobre a despedida de Thiago Silva com os jogadores.
continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasFutebol NacionalVasco x Fluminense termina em confusão no gramado do MaracanãFutebol Nacional15/12/2025FluminenseZubeldía lamenta eliminação do Fluminense na Copa do Brasil: ‘Vasco passou merecidamente’Fluminense14/12/2025Fora de CampoTorcedores do Fluminense apontam culpado por eliminação para o Vasco: ‘Bizarro’Fora de Campo14/12/2025
➡️ Tudo sobre o Tricolor agora no WhatsApp. Siga o nosso canal Lance! Fluminense
— Pelo que entendi, o Thiago (Silva) deixou em aberto essa decisão. Ele, como líder do elenco, sempre fala em pós-jogo. É uma voz que está sempre no vestiário. No meu ponto de vista, ele deixou em aberto, que ele iria definir a situação dele e desejou boas férias para todo mundo – disse Nonato.
Fim da temporada para o Fluminense
Com o resultado, o Fluminense encerra sua temporada de 2025. O Tricolor foi finalista do Campeonato Carioca, ficou na quinta colocação do Brasileirão, semi-finalista do Mundial de Clubes, parou nas quartas da Sul-Americana e na semifinal da Copa do Brasil.
continua após a publicidade
O elenco Tricolor entra de férias a partir dessa segunda-feira (15) e se reapresenta em dois grupos no ano que vem. O primeiro, no dia 2 de janeiro. O segundo, no dia 8 de janeiro. Esses dois grupos ainda serão divulgados oficialmente. A primeira parte terá jogadores da base e outros com menos espaço no elenco principal.
American business tycoon John Textor – who heads the ownership of Botafogo, Lyon, Crystal Palace and Molenbeek – has now lifted the lid on West Ham United transfer talks to sign a “dynamic” player as he makes an interview admission.
West Ham scouring market for new striker amid Fullkrug worries
Summer signing Niclas Fullkrug arrived to shore up the under-fire Julen Lopetegui’s striking options, with West Ham spending £27 million to sign the 31-year-old from Borussia Dortmund after his 16-goal haul in all competitions across 2023/2024.
How Lopetegui is frustrating crucial West Ham figures and creating problems
The Spaniard is hanging by a thread.
ByEmilio Galantini Nov 7, 2024
However, it’s been a nightmare start for the German, who was sidelined with a persistent Achilles tendon injury back in September. West Ham are getting compensation from FIFA for Fullkrug’s injury, considering his problem arose on international duty, and Lopetegui is yet to welcome back the forward.
Instead, the Irons have been forced to rely on the aging strike force of Michail Antonio and Danny Ings, two players who are out of contract next summer, with reports suggesting that technical director Tim Steidten could look to solve this problem in the transfer market.
West Ham Results: 2024/25
Match
Date
Opponent
Competition
Result
#12
02/11/2024
Nottingham Forest (A)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#11
27/10/2024
Man United (H)
Premier League
2-1 win
#10
19/10/2024
Tottenham (A)
Premier League
4-1 loss
#9
05/10/2024
Ipswich (H)
Premier League
4-1 win
#8
28/09/2024
Brentford (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#7
25/09/2024
Liverpool (A)
Carabao Cup
5-1 loss
#6
21/09/2024
Chelsea (H)
Premier League
3-0 loss
#5
14/09/2024
Fulham (A)
Premier League
1-1 draw
#4
31/08/2024
Man City (H)
Premier League
3-1 loss
#3
28/08/2024
Bournemouth (H)
Carabao Cup
1-0 win
#2
24/08/2024
Crystal Palace (A)
Premier League
2-0 win
#1
17/08/2024
Aston Villa (H)
Premier League
2-1 loss
There are even claims that West Ham may try to cut their losses on Fullkrug in January, though we think this may be a tad premature.
In any case, the prospect of a new West Ham striker in the winter has been heavily mooted by sections of the press. Indeed, there are a few interesting options who Steidten is reportedly considering.
Ex-West Ham recruitment chief Mick Brown, speaking to Football Insider recently, claimed Greek striker Vangelis Pavlidis is still in their thinking. The Benfica star’s brace at Wembley last month helped secure his nation their first-ever win over England, and it is believed West Ham could remain keen on him.
“From what I know the likes of West Ham are looking for a striker, and have looked at him before,” said Brown.
“I’ve also heard that that interest could still be there and I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see their name in the running if he is to move again.”
West Ham hold talks to sign Igor Jesus
Speaking to Brazilian news outlet O Dia, via Sport Witness, Botofogo chief Textor has now admitted that West Ham have held talks over signing Igor Jesus.
“I spoke to West Ham, I spoke to four other Premier League teams, two from La Liga and a German team. But I told them that he (Igor Jesus) is focused on the championship,” said Textor.
Igor Jesus for Brazil.
“He is the prototype of the perfect striker, he turns, moves, is dynamic, runs, has finishing. He impressed many people.”
The 23-year-old earned his first ever caps for Brazil last month, scoring on his international debut against Chile, and then notching an assist in their 4-0 win over Peru just days later. While he is focused on his current surroundings, a move to the Premier League could be tempting in the near future.
أكد لاعب وسط الفريق الاول لكرة القدم بنادي آرسنال، ميكيل ميرينو، أنهم قادرين على الإطاحة بأي فريق قبل مواجهة ريال مدريد في ربع نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وتأهل آرسنال بعد الفوز على آيندهوفن في دور الـ 16، بينما تغلب ريال مدريد على جاره أتلتيكو مدريد بركلات الجزاء الترجيحية.
اقرأ أيضًا | مقابل 3 أضعاف راتبه الحالي.. النصر يستهدف التعاقد مع لاعب آرسنال
وتحدث ميرينو لصحيفة “جارديان” البريطانية عن المواجهة المرتقبة، وقال: “نعلم تاريخ ريال مدريد، لكن يجب أن نؤمن أيضًا بأننا فريق قوي، وأننا نتطور، ويمكننا هزيمة أي خصم”.
وأضاف: “نحن متحمسون للغاية، سيطرنا على معظم المباريات، وقدمنا أداءً رائعًا في البطولة، وتمكنا حتى من إراحة بعض اللاعبين في مباراة الإياب ضد آيندهوفن، لدينا ثقة كبيرة بأنفسنا”.
وأشار ميرينو إلى قدرة ريال مدريد على قلب الموازين في دوري أبطال أوروبا، قائلاً: “أمر فريد، من الخارج، يبدو أنهم يعيشون على حافة الهاوية، لكن ربما الأمر مختلف داخل الفريق”.
وتابع: “الحفاظ على الهدوء عند مواجهة الصعوبات ميزة بحد ذاتها، امتلاك النضج والاستقرار لإدارة اللحظات الصعبة دون أن تتحول إلى أزمة، ومن ثم قلب الأمور لصالحهم”.
واستمر: “لديهم لاعبين أصحاب إمكانيات فنية عالية، لكن أيضًا الأهم هو امتلاكهم عقلية ذهنية قوية والتي تجعلهم يؤمنون بأن فرصتهم ستأتي، وعندما تأتي، سيستغلونها، والتجربة أثبتت صحة ذلك”.
وعلق ميرينو على دوره الحالي كمهاجم في آرسنال بسبب الإصابات: “لا يمكننا استخدام الإصابات كعذر، ولكن لا يمكن تجاهل تأثيرها على الموسم أيضًا، أن ألعب كمهاجم لم يكن في الحسبان”.
وعن المنافسة على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي: “ليفربول يقدم مستوى رائعًا ويفوز في معظم مبارياته، بينما فقدنا نحن بعض النقاط المهمة، لكن عقليتنا مختلفة في دوري أبطال أوروبا، وهذا ما صنع الفارق”.
واختتم حديثه عن مباراتي ريال مدريد: “مشاهدتهم عبر التلفزيون أمر مختلف عن مواجهتهم على أرض الملعب، نعلم أنهم فريق صعب، لكننا متحمسون، ننتظرها”.
Pakistan ticked several boxes as they wrapped up a fourth win in four games at the T20 World Cup
Sreshth Shah02-Nov-20212:55
Have Pakistan arrived at the perfect batting template for these conditions?
With one foot in the semi-final already, and having an opportunity to tick off some other boxes before the knockouts, Pakistan did exactly that by opting to bat first, putting on a total of 189, and then defending the score with ease.Pakistan’s 45-run win over Namibia has now confirmed their final-four spot, leaving only Scotland in their path to a 100% group-stage win rate.Watch cricket live on ESPN+
Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the Men’s T20 World Cup live in the US. Match highlights of Namibia vs Pakistan is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).
It was Pakistan’s first time winning a game while batting first in this tournament. Their captain Babar Azam mentioned that as their main objective at the toss and he backed his words up with a 49-ball 70 as well. His opening partner Mohammad Rizwan complimented him with 79. And an all-round bowling effort saw them cruise to victory.The only box Pakistan did not tick was in testing their bench strength. Pakistan played the same XI like their first three games, and Azam said that was because the Namibia contest was their first in Abu Dhabi. Although Pakistan’s bowlers could take only five wickets in Namibia’s chase, they did well to restrict their opponents to 144 with Imad Wasim and Hasan Ali going at economies of less than six.Azam-Rizwan develop a century habitPakistan’s start was not fluent. Left-arm seamer Ruben Trumpelmann beat Rizwan’s outside edge thrice in the first over to start off with a maiden. Rizwan then struggled with his timing as he either missed or mis-hit his shots. With the Namibia seamers – JJ Smith and David Wiese, along with Trumpelmann – all bowling change-ups on a sticky deck, Pakistan could only muster 29 in the first six overs. That was the fourth-lowest powerplay score in all T20Is for a team that lost no wickets.But while Rizwan was looking off-colour, Azam kept finding the gaps with his controlled aggression and together they reached 59 in ten overs. At that stage, Azam was on 43 and Rizwan 16 in 25 balls.But with ten wickets in hand, and only ten overs left, the duo had the liberty to up the risks. Azam’s 70 took them to their fifth T20I century stand – the most by any pair in the format’s history – before the first wicket fell in the 15th over. But by then, Pakistan were at 113.Mohammad Rizwan: at the top of his game•ICC/Getty Images
Rizwan changes gearsAggression was the only way to approach the last five overs. But Fakhar Zaman did not last long, caught by the wicketkeeper Zane Green as he dived to his left after being briefly wrong-footed. That brought in Mohammad Hafeez at No. 4, and he began with an assault that saw him make 32 in 16 balls that included five fours. Most of those boundaries were deft shots, either scooping fours past short fine leg or threading late cuts between backward point and short third man.In Hafeez’s company, Rizwan finally found his hands. Before the final over, he was on 55 off 44 balls. And then he decided to break loose. The last over from Smit went for 24 off Rizwan’s bat and Pakistan’s late hitting took them to 189 for 2. Namibia leaked 130 in the back half after conceding only 59 in their first half.Hasan finds his footingAlthough Hasan hasn’t been horrendous by any means, the success of the other bowlers in the Pakistan set up so far meant that he was the least impressive bowler in the XI coming into the game.On Tuesday night, he – instead of Imad – was given the new-ball duties alongside Shaheen Shah Afridi, and struck in his first over by getting a full ball to swing in and dislodge left-hand batter Michael van Lingen’s stumps.That set the tone for his first spell, where he conceded just nine runs in two powerplay overs. He returned for another two overs later in the innings, and conceded only 13 in those 12 balls to finish with 1 for 22. It was just the kind of return Pakistan needed from Hasan for his own confidence moving into the business end.Too much for Namibia to doAlthough Namibia lost just five wickets, they were never really in the chase. Craig Williams batted for 37 balls, but he could eke out only 40. Stephen Baard made a run-a-ball 29 before being run out. Gerhard Erasmus’ 10-ball 15 looked promising, but he was snuffed off by Imad before he could cause big damage.With three overs to go, Namibia’s chances of a win according to ESPNcricinfo’s forecaster was 0.67%. And despite the ultra-aggressive hitting from David Wiese it kept dipping even further. Wiese did the best he could to ignore the match situation and entertained the crowds with his two sixes and three fours to finish unbeaten on a 31-ball 45.
A atacante Glaucia, destaque e artilheira do time feminino na última temporada, renovou contrato com o São Paulo por mais dois anos, até o final de 2023.
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Na penúltima partida do ano, válida pela terceira rodada do Brasil Ladies Cup, contra o Internacional, Glaucia sofreu uma lesão no joelho direito e terá de passar por uma intervenção cirúrgica para reparar o ligamento cruzado anterior.
A artilheira do Tricolor marcou ao todo 12 gols, contra São José (2), Minas Brasília (1), Internacional (1), Pinda (1) e Nacional (2), Santos (2), Realidade Jovem (1) e Red Bull (1), e foi a maior goleadora do São Paulo no estadual, fechando com sete gols.
O São Paulo vem renovando o contrato de suas jogadoras e já havia anunciado nesta terça-feira (25), a extensão do vínculo com a lateral-esquerda Clara.
Ireland captain opens up on dealing with the uncertainty of playing or not, and isolation in hotel rooms
Vishal Dikshit07-Jan-2022
Ireland captain Andy Balbirnie is worried about the effects repeated Covid tests have on the mental health of players•Sportsfile via Getty Images
The Ireland squad that has moved from Florida to Jamaica is not only dealing with the challenges of a depleted squad – they have left Paul Stirling and Shane Getkate behind – but also with the mental challenges of dealing with Covid-19, which cancelled their recent ODI series against USA after a spree of positive cases.Captain Andy Balbirnie said the team’s morale is now “pretty good” compared to how it was in Florida, but opened up on the stressful time the squad went through as positive cases spread in the camp.The touring Ireland side now prepares for three ODIs and a lone T20I in Jamaica, starting on Saturday. A string of Ireland players had tested positive before the T20Is against USA last month and once the ODIs were called off, Stirling and Getkate tested positive as well. They are expected to join the squad in Jamaica on Sunday.Related
Shamarh Brooks sparkles on ODI debut as West Indies go 1-0 up
Balbirnie: 'We're a Test member but at the moment it only really feels like a name'
USA-Ireland ODI series cancelled due to Covid-19 outbreak
Paul Stirling, Shane Getkate test positive for Covid-19
“The morale is pretty good, it’s better than Florida,” Balbirnie told reporters during a virtual press conference a day before the first ODI. “It was very difficult, some of us had to leave our family members in Florida and come here for this series. I was one of them.”But as soon as we got into training and international series mode, your focus comes back. You can’t dwell too much on what’s happened. If you do that you’re going to some pretty dark places. We’re lucky we get these opportunities to bounce back on a regular basis.”Playing with Covid is more challenging off the pitch than on the pitch because you’re worrying about tests, then told to stay in the room till the tests come back and you’re told it’s going to be delayed and you’re literally sitting on the edge of your seat in your room wondering if you have it. At the same time we’ve got a job to do once we cross the white line, no matter what’s going on.”Even though a lot of players around the world are now vaccinated and squads live in bio-bubbles to play international cricket, Balbirnie said the stress of going through tests again and again was draining and affects players’ mental health.”It’s hugely challenging. It has a massive effect on your mental health. Like getting a PCR test and sitting in your room for 24 hours, not knowing if you’re going to miss the whole series and to spend 14 days in a room with no balcony, it’s not healthy. I don’t really think you can continue [like that], there need to be ways to look after the players’ welfare or they’ll decide not to go on tour and that’ll be completely understandable. You have to look after them first and foremost as an individual before a cricketer.”With Stirling and Getkate unavailable for the opening ODI, Balbirnie said it would give one of the youngsters a chance to shine, especially in Stirling’s absence. He also confirmed Ireland would stick to the same top three that played in the warm-up against Jamaica on Wednesday in a five-wicket loss.”It’s very strange [to be without Stirling],” Balbirnie said. “I think I played a series against Scotland back in 2014 which was the last time I lined up in an ODI without him. It’s massively disappointing to lose him for the first game but at the same time it means someone has to step up now. We need to produce match-winners. Hopefully one of the young guys can have the experience of winning a game for Ireland, that’s why you play the game.”
أعلن الجهاز الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بالنادي الأهلي، عن قرار مفاجئ بشأن المباراة القادمة أمام طلائع الجيش، المقرر لها اليوم ضمن منافسات كأس الرابطة المصرية.
ويلتقي الأهلي مع نظيره طلائع الجيش، على ملعب الكلية الحربية، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الثالثة لمسابقة كأس الرابطة.
وقال مراسل قناة النادي الأهلي: “من المقرر خوض فريق شباب الأهلي 2005 بجهازه الفني بالكامل، مباراة طلائع الجيش، اللاعب الوحيد الذي انضم من الفريق الأول لتدريب فريق الشباب هو حارس المرمى مصطفى مخلوف”.
طالع أيضاً.. بتروجيت يصعق الزمالك بثنائية في الوقت القاتل بـ كأس رابطة الأندية “عاصمة مصر” (فيديو)
وأضاف: “طاهر محمد طاهر انتهى من البرنامج التأهيلي وأصبح في المرحلة الأخيرة وسيكون جاهزًا للمواجهة أمام الهلال السوداني”.
وجاء ذلك من أجل محاولة منح اللاعبين الشباب فرصة للمشاركة في المباريات الرسمية، وأيضاً انشغال بعض لاعبي الفريق الأول بالمشاركة مع المنتخبات في تصفيات كأس العالم.
ويتواجد فريقا الأهلي وطلائع الجيش في المجموعة الثالثة من بطولة كأس الرابطة، التي تضم أيضًا أندية إنبي وفاركو.
ويحتل الأهلي المركز الرابع في المجموعة بدون نقاط، بينما يتصدر إنبي المجموعة برصيد 3 نقاط، ويأتي طلائع الجيش وفاركو في المركزين الثاني والثالث برصيد نقطة لكل منهما.
As last season ended and Arsenal sat two points behind Manchester City, they entered the summer transfer window knowing they probably didn’t need a whole lot in order to go one better next time.
Improvement was necessary, though. They sought that in the form of Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori – someone who had shone at Euro 2024 – and Spain’s Mikel Merino, a man who lifted the trophy at the end of the competition.
Raheem Sterling also signed late in the day, arriving from Chelsea on loan in the dying embers of deadline day.
While Calafiori and Merino have earned plenty of game time since arriving, Sterling has not, despite the problems Mikel Arteta has faced on the flanks.
Arsenal's issues out wide
In years gone by the wide areas of this Arsenal team have been some of the most exciting. In the 2022/23 campaign, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka were livewires in attack and it was very difficult for many defences to contain them.
Saka ended that year with 15 goals and 11 assists to his name while Martinelli ended it with the same number of goals and six assists.
However, while Saka has kicked on since that moment, scoring 17 the following season, the Brazilian’s fall-off has been concerning.
In 2023/24, the bargain £6m signing only found the back of the net eight times in all competitions and went through large patches without contributing much in the final third.
It’s been a similar story this time around for the 23-year-old whose lack of cutting edge has left Arteta visibly frustrated at times.
He has missed a heap of golden opportunities, notably firing straight at Kepa Arrizabalaga when the score was still 0-0 in the defeat to Bournemouth and spurning a similar opportunity against Chelsea last time out.
Martinelli did eventually score a vital goal at Stamford Bridge but that was just his third in 11 Premier League outings.
So, improvement is needed, specifically on that left flank but as we’ve found out, Saka’s fitness has waned this term and he cannot be expected to play a whole season on the right again without much rest.
Arsenal's solution on the wing
The easy thing to do would be sign more depth and quality in the January transfer window. Over the summer they were linked with a move for Spain’s Nico Williams but he showed very little will to force through a move from his boyhood club Athletic Bilbao.
It’s likely any move for him would have to wait until the summer. But what about Real Madrid’s Rodrygo?
Martinelli’s fellow Brazilian was touted with a move to the Gunners a few months ago as he fell into the shadow of Vinicius Jr and Kylian Mbappe at the Bernabeu.
Since those summer links, the 23-year-old has played 11 times in LaLiga and scored on three occasions, matching Martinelli’s league tally.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Rodrygo initially began the season as a starter on the right of Carlo Ancelotti’s attack but over the last month has found himself as more of a substitute due to a switch in formation which has seen Vinicius and Mbappe act as a two-prong attack.
So, it’s rather likely that Rodrygo may struggle for regular starts over the course of the rest of the season. Step forward, Arsenal, who could see the door open on a mesmerising Martinelli rival or replacement.
One problem is his likely valuation. CIES Football Observatory suggest it may take something in the region of £146m to prise him away from the Spanish capital, although it’s likely a deal could be brokered at a lower price.
Though, as data analyst Ben Mattinson put it, he could be an “Alexis [Sanchez] 2.0 signing”. The Chilean was stuck in the shadow of the likes of Neymar and Lionel Messi at Barcelona before moving to the Gunners where he became the main man, eventually leaving north London having scored 80 times in 166 matches.
So, why would Rodrygo be such a captivating signing?
Martinelli vs Rodrygo (2024/25)
Stat (per 90 mins)
Martinelli
Rodrygo
Goals
0.39
0.41
Assists
0.26
0.14
Key passes
1.58
2.43
Progressive passes
1.97
4.46
Shot-creating actions
2.77
4.87
Goal-creating actions
0.26
0.54
Successful take-ons
1.84
1.89
Take-on success %
40%
44%
Progressive carries
5.13
4.19
Carries into penalty box
2.11
2.30
Stats via FBRef.
Well, as you can see, he betters Martinelli in a heap of statistics, but most notably he comes out on top in chance creation.
That’s been quite the problem for Arteta’s side in 2024/25 to date, with Arsenal sitting seventh in the Premier League this season for goal-creating actions (30) which is an average of 2.73 per 90. When it comes to shot-creating actions (268), they are down in tenth.
As such, the fact Rodrygo is producing far better numbers than Martinelli in those two areas should boost the squad significantly.
While both produce an impressive number of progressive carries and take-ons per 90 minutes, Rodrygo does so while proving far more decisive in the final third. On that evidence, he’d be a seriously good signing if Arsenal revived their interest over the winter.
Arsenal target winter move for £90m Trossard & Martinelli upgrade
Arsenal are looking at ways to strengthen their attack over the winter.
Na noite de quinta-feira, o Red Bull Bragantino volta a campo pelo Campeonato Paulista e o adversário da vez é o Água Santa.
– VEJA A TABELA DA SÉRIE A DO BRASILEIRÃO
O jogo serve para o Massa Bruta se recuperar do baque pela derrota diante do São Bernardo e para manter o retrospecto positivo do clube paulista no torneio estadual dentro de casa.
Até o momento, nos três jogos no Nabi Abi Chedid, o Red Bull obteve 100% de aproveitamento contra Guarani, São Paulo e Inter de Limeira.
Além do bom retrospecto dentro de casa, outro ponto que vale chamar atenção é o número de gols. São nove gols em três jogos. Sendo que, diante do São Paulo e Inter de Limeira, os comandados de Barbieri marcaram oito gols.
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Liverpool’s enthralling campaign has been put on hold as international action is ushered in once again. It feels like the term has been heavily punctuated by these annoying breaks, but it’s a good chance for certain players to grow in confidence.
Liverpool team photo
Certain players such as Curtis Jones. The 23-year-old has made impressive headway for the Reds in recent weeks and was justly rewarded with his England debut as Lee Carsley’s side came up against Greece. It was a must-win fixture, and Jones was his nation’s life-juice in the middle.
Curtis Jones thrives on Three Lions debut
England needed to win. It wasn’t seamless football, but this Lions side, lacking a plethora of key parts, succeeded, and Jones was at the beating heart as he enjoyed a sensational national debut.
Some showing. The deft backheeled flick to stretch England’s lead to three goals in the late stage was a thing to behold and made a telling comment on the confidence that positively oozes from the Scouse-born star right now.
Injuries notwithstanding, there’s seemingly nothing that can stifle this man’s style right now, and after admitting that he’s personally loved the switch from Jurgen Klopp to the more control-focused Slot, it’s clear he’s reaching new levels.
Jones wouldn’t be the only one. Over 1000 miles westward, France played out a drab draw against Israel, but Ibrahima Konate was imperious once again.
Ibrahima Konate was immense once again
Ryan Gravenberch has been excellent for Liverpool this season, really stepping up, but so too has Konate dug into his skill set and unearthed qualities scarcely seen across his first three campaigns on Merseyside. Slot is taking his athletic prowess and fashioning it into something of the top drawer.
Ibrahima Konate for France
Arsenal’s William Saliba was kept out of the Les Bleus starting line-up once again as Konate struck his stake deeper into French soil, daring Didier Deschamps to drop him.
Against Israel, Konate proved to be a brick wall once again, and though there was one moment of tension when Raz Shlomo arced off the 6 foot 4 titan’s side and fired at shot-stopper Mike Maignan, his crisp and crunching defensive authority was on full show once again.
Ibrahima Konate: Performance vs Israel
Match Stats
#
Minutes played
90′
Clean sheet
1
Touches
85
Shots (on target)
3 (0)
Accurate passes
69 /75 (92%)
Tackles
3
Interceptions
2
Ground duels (won)
3 (3)
Aerial duels (won)
2 (2)
Stats via Sofascore
The 25-year-old’s spatial awareness and recovery speed were discernible once again, with Konate covering large swathes of ground and showcasing boldness that saw him wade into attacking territory as he looked to break the visitors’ resolve.
Regarding the job description, he performed admirably, completing most of his passes and winning each of his duel and tackle contests. Such command, such quality. It was an almost flawless showing, surpassing the still impressive effort of his English teammate Jones.
Playing beside Virgil van Dijk with regularity, you’re bound to learn some neat tricks. Konate is going from strength to strength this season, and now, entering the ostensible prime of his career is beginning to look like one of the meanest defenders in the business – for club and country both.
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