February 2022 – Page 2 – Football Flame

Month: February 2022

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LALIGA

Carles Puyol is loving Xavi’s work at Barcelona

Ousmane Dembele in front of Xavi Hernandez during the FC Barcelona training session previous at Copa del Rey match between Atletico de Bilbao at Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper on January 19, 2022 in Barcelona. Barcelona legend Carles Puyol was happy to offer his thoughts on Xavi’s team after Thursday’s impressive 4-2 win over Napoli in Italy.The Catalans put in a superb performance at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League 5-3 on aggregate.Puyol let slip on Twitter after the game that he’d had a little bet when Xavi took over Barcelona and is really liking what he’s seeing from the Catalans.When Barça hired Xavi, I said we would win the league, I bet a dinner, I don’t know if I’ll pay for it, but what I know for sure is that I like this team. And I...
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NEWS

Dortmund crash out of Europa League after 2-2 draw with Rangers

Jude Bellingham of Borussia Dortmund in action during the Champions League Knockout Round Play-Offs Leg Two match between Rangers FC and Borussia Dortmund at the Ibrox Stadium on February 24, 2022 in Glasgow, Scotland. Borussia Dortmund drew 2-2 Thursday with Rangers in a UEFA Europa League knockout round playoff match in Glasgow, but the German club's European quest ended for losing the tie.Rangers’ Dutch manager Giovanni van Bronckhorst's men previously shocked Dortmund 4-2 in the first leg at Germany's Signal Iduna Park to bag an advantage for the return match at Ibrox Stadium.Rangers captain James Tavernier, who plays as a right back, scored double including a first-half penalty as the Scottish team's English captain led them to the next round in the Europa League.Dortmund's English mi...
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TRANSFERS

Report: Atletico Madrid to rival Premier League clubs for Georginio Wijnaldum

Georginio Wijnaldum of Netherlands celebrates after scoring his teams 3:0 goal during the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifier match between Netherlands and Montenegro at Philips Stadion on September 4, 2021 in Eindhoven. Atletico Madrid are reportedly keen to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum during this summer's transfer window.The 31-year-old has been a regular for PSG during the 2021-22 campaign, making 27 appearances in all competitions, contributing three goals and two assists in the process.However, there has recently been speculation surrounding his future, with a number of clubs believed to be keen to sign him ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.Newcastle United, West Ham United and Aston Villa are among the Premier League teams said to be keen on the Netherlands internat...
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UCL

UEFA to hold extraordinary meeting amid Russia’s intervention in Ukraine

UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin during the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 draw at O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester. Picture date: Thursday October 28, 2021. UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin on Thursday called an extraordinary meeting of the Executive Committee "to evaluate the situation" and "take all necessary decisions" after Russia's military intervention in Ukraine.The meeting will be held on Friday, UEFA said on Twitter.The military action has put at risk the 2022 UEFA Champions League final scheduled to take place at the Gazprom Arena in St. Petersburg on May 28.The European football's governing body earlier told Anadolu Agency that it is "closely monitoring the situation" between the two countries.UEFA is constantly and closely monitoring the situation and any decision would be made in ...
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TRANSFERS

West Ham in transfer battle for in-demand winger

Jonathan Bamba of Lille in action during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Lille OSC at Stamford Bridge on February 22, 2022 in London, England. West Ham are looking to revisit a transfer deal for Jonathan Bamba after failing to sign him last summer.After missing out on signing Jesse Lingard on a permanent transfer last year, The Hammers turned their attentions to Lille winger Bamba. A deal never materialised but according to Gazzetta dello Sport, the London club may revisit this opportunity in the summer. After winning Ligue 1 with Lille, Bamba attracted the interest of multiple European clubs.West Ham will however face tough competition to secure the signature of the Frenchman, despite him failing to find the net at all this season.Lille have...
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UCL

Manchester United scrape late draw against Atletico Madrid in Champions League

Manchester United's Swedish forward Anthony Elanga (L) and Atletico Madrid's French midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia hug a the end of the UEFA Champions League football match between Atletico de Madrid and Manchester United at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium in Madrid on February 23, 2022. After a tepid start to their round of 16 tie against Spanish giants Atletico Madrid, Manchester United came from behind the snatch a late 1-1 draw in the Champions League, thanks to young academy product Anthony Elanga.The 19-year-old scored with his first touch in the 80th minute after coming onto the pitch to replace Marcus Rashford five minutes earlier, latching onto a slicing transition pass by Bruno Fernandes and slotting low and hard beneath Atlético goalkeeper Jan Oblak.It was more than what United d...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Liverpool rout Leeds to revive title bid

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Leeds United at Anfield on February 23, 2022 in Liverpool, England. Liverpool routed Leeds United 6-0 at Anfield on Wednesday night to cut Manchester City’s lead in the Premier League to just three points.The hosts took the lead before 15 minutes when Mohammad Salah dispatched a spot-kick resulting from a Stuart Dallas handball.Salah then set up Joel Matip for Liverpool’s second goal before scoring his penalty spot after Sadio Mane was judged to have been fouled in the penalty box.Jurgen Klopp’s side was rewarded for the relentless pressure with Mane adding a pair of late goals before Virgil van Dijk struck to complete a convincing win.Coming into the match, Leeds had conceded at least twice in each of their l...
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SERIE A

Jose Mourinho suspended for two matches for insulting referee

AS Roma coach Josè Mourinho is shown a red card by the referee during the Serie A match between AS Roma and Hellas Verona FC at Stadio Olimpico on February 19, 2022 in Rome, Italy. Jose Mourinho was suspended for two matches on Tuesday after being sent off for an angry stoppage-time outburst at the referee in Roma’s Italian first-division draw with Verona.Mourinho shouted at referee Luca Pairetto and mimed a phone call, an enigmatic gesture that earned him a red card.Italian media reported that Mourinho was unhappy with how little time had been added Saturday, at the end of a Serie A game in which Roma fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2.Roma fell six points behind Juventus, which currently holds the fourth Champions League place.Italian media suggested that the gesture questioned ...
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Uncategorized

Bayern Munich’s Thomas Müller says he’s feeling fine after positive COVID test

Thomas Müller of FC Bayern München smiles with team mate Robert Lewandowski during a training session at Saebener Strasse training ground on February 15, 2022 in Munich, Germany. It was announced on Monday by Bayern Munich that Thomas Müller had tested positive for coronavirus for the second time. He first had it in February of 2021, which caused him to miss the FIFA Club World Cup, which Bayern won 1-0 over Tigres UANL in Qatar.As it stands, he will have to isolate for at least seven days as a vaccinated player and he could be allowed out of isolation if he tests negative and is still symptom free after those first seven days. He will miss Bayern’s visit to Eintracht Frankfurt this weekend, but could be back in time for the match against Bayer Leverkusen ahead of leg two in the Champions ...
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SERIE A

USMNT’s McKennie out for 8-12 weeks

Weston McKennie of Juventus is assisted from the field of play after an injury on a challenge by Pervis Estupinan of Villarreal CF during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg One match between Villarreal CF and Juventus at Estadio de la Ceramica on February 22, 2022 in Villarreal, Spain. Juventus and United States midfielder Weston McKennie is looking at a lengthy spell on the sidelines after sustaining a broken left foot in Tuesday's 1-1 draw against Villarreal in the UEFA Champions League.Multiple sources with direct knowledge of McKennie's injury confirmed that the midfielder suffered fractures to the second and third metatarsals in his left foot, which will leave him sidelined for 8 to 12 weeks.The injury occurred in the 80th minute of the first leg of the round-of-16 tie whe...
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UCL

Chelsea find scoring touch without record signing Lukaku

Kai Havertz of Chelsea celebrates with teammate Antonio Ruediger after scoring their team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg One match between Chelsea FC and Lille OSC at Stamford Bridge on February 22, 2022 in London, England. Chelsea rediscovered some of their fluent attacking form as they beat Lille 2-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.But the talk at Stamford Bridge was more about the striker who did not play than the ones who did.Record signing Romelu Lukaku sat on the bench as an unused substitute while fellow strikers Kai Havertz and Christian Pulisic claimed the goals that put reigning champions Chelsea in the driving seat to advance to the quarter-finals.On Saturday, against Crystal Palace, Lukaku had the fewest touc...
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UCL

Vlahovic not enough as Juventus slip at Villarreal

Raul Albiol of Villarreal CF clahses with Dusan Vlahovic of Juventus during the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg One match between Villarreal CF and Juventus at Estadio de la Ceramica on February 22, 2022 in Villarreal, Spain.Dusan Vlahovic lived up to the hype by scoring 32 seconds into his Champions League debut on Tuesday but Juventus have work to do to make the last 16 after being held to a 1-1 draw by Villarreal in the first leg.Vlahovic found the corner with just his second touch of the game at La Ceramica but a sensational start for Juve and the Serb's Champions League career was not enough for victory.Instead, Villarreal's Dani Parejo steered in a deserved equaliser midway through the second half to leave a compelling contest in the balance ahead the return leg in Turin.A...
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PREMIER LEAGUE

Kane has to play for Spurs even on one leg: Conte

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur applauds during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on February 19, 2022 in Manchester, United Kingdom.Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte needs Harry Kane to recover from a back injury at all costs and play in Premier League match at Burnley after the striker’s stunning performance helped them beat Manchester City. Two goals from Kane, including a stoppage-time winner, blew the Premier League title race wide open as Tottenham beat league leaders City 3-2 in a rip-roaring match at the Etihad Stadium.Tottenham, eighth in the table on 39 points after 23 games, face Burnley in a rescheduled fixture after their November meeting was called off due to heavy snowfall at Turf Moor.Harry had a hit on his b...
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UCL

Report: UEFA may move Champions League Final from Russia

ITALY - 2022/02/16: A microphone bearing the logo of UEFA Champions League and the logo of Amazon is seen at the end of the UEFA Champions League round of sixteen first leg football match between FC Internazionale and Liverpool FC. Liverpool FC won 2-0 over FC Internazionale.UEFA is exploring the possibility of moving the 2022 Champions League final from Saint Petersburg “amid concerns over the possibility of military conflict between Russia and Ukraine,” according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden.The match is currently set to be held in the Krestovsky Stadium on May 28. However, this location of the Champions League final is now in doubt due to growing tensions between Russia and Western governments.The UK government and the European Union have served notice in the past 24 hours of a readiness to imp...
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NEWS

Neymar hopes to play for US club in future

Neymar of PSG during the warm-up before the UEFA Champions League Round Of Sixteen Leg One match between Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid at Parc des Princes on February 15, 2022 in Paris, France.Neymar hopes to play in the United States one day, more than he wants to return to his Brazil homeland. The 30-year-old striker recently extended his contract with Paris Saint-Germain to 2025. I don't know if I will play in Brazil again. I have a lot of will to play in the U.S., that I do want. At least for one season, Neymar told podcast “Fenômenos" in a video posted late Sunday. In Brazil ... I don't know. Sometimes I want it, sometimes I don't.” The striker jokingly said he wants to play in the U.S. “because the championship is quick, so there's four months of vacations. That's how...
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TRANSFERS

Real Madrid considering move for Liverpool forward

Sadio Mane and Jordan Henderson captain of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on February 21, 2022 in Kirkby, England.La Liga heavyweights Real Madrid are reportedly keen on signing Sadio Mane from Liverpool, either this summer or next year.According to a report by Spanish outlet Fichajes, Sadio Mane is the subject of interest from Real Madrid over a possible move in the summer transfer window. The Merengues have been primarily considering signing the Liverpool forward next summer but could accelerate their efforts if they fail to sign Erling Haaland or Kylian Mbappe.Sadio Mane was already widely regarded as one of the most promising attacking prospects in the Premier League during his two-year stint with Southampton. But the Senegalese international has stepped his...
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UCL

Struggling Atletico look to reignite the fire against Man United

Luis Suarez of Atletico de Madrid warms up during the Santander La Liga match played between Atletico de Madrid and Levante UD at Wanda Metropolitano stadium on February 16, 2022, in Madrid, Spain. If winning La Liga caused Atletico Madrid to soften their edge or lose their identity, a Champions League tie against Manchester United could be a chance for them to get it back.From the highs of winning their second league title in 25 years, have come the lows of humiliating defeats, unprecedented fragility in defence and introspection over style and application that has left even Diego Simeone's future in doubt.And yet amid all the soul-searching and despair, there have been pockets of resistance, a handful of rare but uplifting performances dotted across a miserable season, each of them ...
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Uncategorized

Osimhen scores late for Napoli in draw at Cagliari

Victor Osimhen of Napoli scores his goal of 1-1 during the Serie A match between Cagliari Calcio and SSC Napoli at Sardegna Arena on February 21, 2022 in Cagliari, Italy.Substitute Victor Osimhen headed in a late equalizer and Napoli drew at relegation-threatened Cagliari 1-1 on Monday to move within two points of the Serie A lead.Cagliari dominated for long periods before Osimhen redirected a long cross from Mario Rui in the 87th minute.Gaston Pereiro put Cagliari ahead near the hour mark with a long, bouncing shot, after which the Sardinian club had numerous chances to add to its lead.Napoli moved level with second-placed Inter Milan — which has a game in hand — two points behind leader AC Milan.Cagliari remained in the drop zone.
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BUNDESLIGA

Dortmund injury boost as Haaland edges closer to Rangers return – report

Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund in the stands during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Mönchengladbach at Signal Iduna Park on February 20, 2022 in Dortmund, Germany.Borussia Dortmund have been handed an injury boost after Erling Haaland trained today for the Bundesliga giants ahead of Thursday’s Europa League clash against Rangers at Ibrox.According to German outlet RevierSport, the Norway superstar completed the full session as he steps up his recovery from the injury that kept him out of the first leg.While much of Marco Rose’s side were given the day off after thrashing Borussia Moenchengladbach 6-0 yesterday, Haaland was put through his paces alongside the Bundesliga giants’ reserve squad.With 23 goals in just 20 games this season, Haaland has continued h...
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NEWS

Marseille shocked at home in Ligue 1

27 Mohamed BAYO (cf63) during the Ligue 1 Uber Eats match between Marseille and Clermont at Orange Velodrome on February 20, 2022 in Marseille, France.Second-placed Marseille have suffered a surprise 2-0 home defeat to Clermont, missing the chance to close the gap on Ligue 1 leaders Paris Saint-Germain.Mohamed Bayo opened the scoring in the 13th minute, his 10th goal of the season, and substitute Jim Allevinah doubled the visitors' advantage at Stade Velodrome in the 84th to move them up to 27 points and 15th on the ladder.Marseille remain on 45 points, 13 behind PSG.I think we need to change something about our attitude, because it's a question of mentality," Marseille goalkeeper Pau Lopez said.We need to change now because we're entering the most important moment of the season.Second spo...
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