Football – The 592 Dugout

592 Dugout’s Premier League Fixture of the Week Preview .

Image via The Sun

Liverpool host rivals Man Utd at Anfield on Sunday, needing a victory to keep up their hopes of a top four Premier League finish in 2022-23. We look ahead to the big match with our Opta-led preview and prediction..

Liverpool vs Man Utd: The Quick Hits

Liverpool the favourites with the Opta supercomputer to continue their great recent home form versus Man Utd and defeat their rivals on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah needs one more goal to equal Robbie Fowler’s club record tally of 128 goals for Liverpool.
Man Utd looking to do the Premier League home/away double over Liverpool for the first time since 2015-16.

Match Preview

Manchester United and Liverpool renew their rivalry this weekend, with the two most successful English clubs meeting in the Premier League at Anfield. It’s the biggest fixture in the English football league calendar, and the 180th such league meeting between the pair – only nine fixtures have been more commonly played in EFL history.

A fixture fuelled by the close proximity and industrial rivalry of the two cities, this is considered one of the biggest in English league football – so much so, that most fans would consider this bigger than their respective local derbies against Manchester City and Everton.

Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool side are unbeaten in their last six league games against Man Utd at home (W3 D3) since a 1-0 defeat at Anfield in January 2016. This is their longest run without defeat against the Red Devils at home since a nine-game sequence between 1970 and 1979. In all competitions, Liverpool have conceded just once in their last seven home games against the Red Devils, including three clean sheets in a row most recently – keep another one in this game and they’ll have shutout Man Utd in four successive meetings at Anfield for the first time since 1992.

With this his 15th Premier League meeting with Manchester United (three more than any other Liverpool boss in the PL era), it’ll come as little surprise that a win in this match would see Klopp victorious against Man Utd more often than any other Reds’ boss – a record he currently shares with Gérard Houllier (five wins).

No team have won away at Anfield in the Premier League more often than Manchester United (12), while Erik ten Hag’s side are looking to complete the home/away league double over Liverpool for the ninth time in Premier League history in this match, having defeated the Merseyside side 2-1 at Old Trafford in August. They haven’t achieved this in the competition since winning against Liverpool at both Anfield and Old Trafford in 2015-16.

Previous Meeting

Man Utd 2-1 Liverpool – 22 August 2022 (Premier League)

Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat to Man Utd at Old Trafford in August saw them winless in their opening three games to the 2022-23 Premier League season (D2 L1) – the first time that they’d suffered this feat since 2012-13 under Brendan Rodgers. It was their first defeat in 22 Premier League matches and the first time that they’d lost a league game in 2022.

This game also saw Erik ten Hag become the first Manchester United manager to secure his first-ever competitive win at the club with a victory over rivals Liverpool.

Jadon Sancho opened the scoring, before Marcus Rashford hit the first of his 28 goals in 2022-23 for club and country in the 53rd minute. That strike also saw Rashford score for the fifth time in the Premier League for Man Utd versus Liverpool; a tally that only Wayne Rooney (six) has more than.

Mohamed Salah scored a late consolation past David de Gea with nine minutes to go. It was the Egyptian forward’s 10th goal in all competitions against Man Utd, the most of any Liverpool player in this fixture in history.

Recent Form

Since the resumption of Premier League football following the 2022 FIFA World Cup, no side have averaged more points in the competition than Man Utd (2.30). The Red Devils have lost just one of their last 11 games – one of these coming pre-World Cup, 10 after – with eight wins and two draws. The only defeat in this run was a late 3-2 loss to Arsenal in London in January.

Man United’s current scoring run of 15 successive Premier League games is the longest in the competition and their longest such a run of 17 matches between February and October 2020.

After a terrible run of winning one point in four games (D1 L3) to kick off 2023 in the Premier League, Liverpool’s midweek win over Wolves means that they are now unbeaten in four games and have kept a clean sheet in each match (W3 D1). Should Liverpool avoid defeat in this game, it’ll be their first five-game unbeaten streak in the Premier League this season. Liverpool’s current run of four clean sheets in a row is their best in the Premier League since April 2022 (five in a row).

They have lost just one of their last 35 Premier League matches at Anfield (W26 D8 L1), averaging 2.46 points per game on home soil across that period. Their only home defeat in this run came against Leeds United in October 2022 (2-1).

Only bottom-half teams Nottingham Forest (76.0%), West Ham United (73.9%) and Leeds (72.7%) have won a higher proportion of their Premier League points in home matches than Liverpool have so far in 2022-23 (69.2%).

Across all competitions in their last five games, Liverpool’s only defeat came in a 5-2 loss at Anfield to reigning Champions League winners Real Madrid, in a game that they led 2-0 thanks to goals from Darwin Núñez and Mohamed Salah.

Players to Watch

Liverpool: Mohamed Salah

It’s hard to look past a man that’s scored in each of his last five appearances against Man Utd as Liverpool’s key player for this match. Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s all-time highest scorer in matches against the Red Devils (10), with nine of those strikes coming in those last five games versus them.

Eight of his 10 goals against United have come in the Premier League, with only Alan Shearer (10) scoring more against them in the competition.

Most Premier League goals against Man Utd

Salah is also on the search for yet another record in this match, with his current tally of 127 Premier League goals for Liverpool only one behind Robbie Fowler’s record tally of 128 for the club in the competition.

With 29 goal involvements in all competitions in 2022-23 (20 goals, nine assists), Salah is by far Liverpool’s most dangerous attacking threat. In fact, the only other players to have reached double figures for goal involvements this season for the Reds are Darwin Núñez (16) and Roberto Firmino (13). With Sadio Mane departed to Bayern Munich, Luis Diaz still out through injury and Diogo Jota having spent large spells of 2022-23 on the sidelines, Salah’s goal threat has been even more important to Klopp.

Manchester United: Fred

It’s taken five seasons and the appointment of Erik ten Hag as manager to do it, but Fred is finally showing his importance to Manchester United and winning the adoration of their fans.

With fellow midfielders Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro often stealing the limelight, Fred has slowly become a key part of United’s midfield in recent months, and he’s begun adding important goals and assists to his ball-winning qualities.

He’s been involved in seven goals in his last 10 appearances (four goals, three assists), including a vital goal against La Liga leaders Barcelona in the Europa League at Old Trafford a few weeks ago and a midweek FA Cup strike versus West Ham.

Since the resumption of club football post-World Cup, Fred’s been one of the most crucial players in Man Utd’s open play attacking sequences, with 6.2 involvements per 90 and only Casemiro (45) has put in more tackles than he has (43) across all competitions.

Liverpool vs Man Utd Prediction

The Opta supercomputer’s heavy lean towards a Liverpool win in this fixture may surprise you. They are favourites and have been given a 55.4% chance of victory in this match, with Man Utd winning less than one-in-five of the thousands of match simulations played out by the machine.

However, Liverpool’s record at Anfield against Man Utd in recent years is excellent, with their six successive league meetings without a defeat there their longest such run since the 1970s.

United have also picked up just one point in their three away games this season versus the ‘big six’ – defeats against Arsenal and Man City, plus a 1-1 away draw at Chelsea in which they were rescued by a 94th minute Casemiro equaliser.

Liverpool have been strong in matches against fellow ‘big six’ sides in recent memory at Anfield, too. Unbeaten in seven such matches there (W3 D4) and losing just two of their last 35 games against ‘big six’ opposition at Anfield in the Premier League (W20 D13 L2), it’s not an easy place for any opponent to travel to.

Klopp’s side really need a win in this game to keep up their aspirations of a top four finish in the 2022-23 Premier League table. The Opta supercomputer currently rates those chances at 33.0%, which is the fifth highest behind the current top four sides.

Manchester United have already all but secured Champions League football for next season, with an extremely high chance of a top four finish in our Premier League predictions (95.9%), while they have a very outside chance of mounting an exceptional title charge and winning the Premier League (2.2%) behind Arsenal (51.3%) and Man City (46.4%), but ahead of rank outsiders Newcastle United (0.2%).

Via The Analyst

Barcelona need extra time to beat third-tier Intercity in Copa del Rey

Former Barcelona junior Oriol Soldevila scored a hat trick against his old club but still ended on the losing side as third tier InterCity took the LaLiga giants to extra time before losing 4-3 in a dramatic Copa del Rey tie on Wednesday.

InterCity, promoted to the third division last season, came from behind three times to force extra time after a 3-3 draw at the end of 90 minutes, but were then knocked out when substitute Ansu Fati netted a 103rd-minute winner in Alicante to put Barca in the round of 16.

Ronald Araujo, Ousmane Dembele and Raphinha were Barcelona’s other scorers while the 21-year-old Soldevila netted his three goals in a 25-minute second-half spell including a dramatic third in the 86th minute to take the tie to extra time.

Soldevila spent two years at the Barcelona academy before moving to England for two seasons at Birmingham City, where he failed to break through into the first team.

“The Copa is like this, we know it, it’s not easy,” Araújo said. “It’s important that we learn from it and correct our mistakes.”

The game was played not long after Spain’s administrative court for sports upheld a three-game suspension for Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski in the Spanish league, taking him out of the league match against Atletico Madrid on Sunday. He had not been in the squad for the Copa match against Intercity.

The suspension had been lifted by a court of disputes after an appeal by Barcelona. The Poland striker had been allowed to play in last weekend’s 1-1 league draw against Espanyol, which later challenged the result of the derby saying it was harmed by the unexpected decision by the Madrid court to temporarily lift the suspension.

Barcelona, Real Madrid, Valencia and Real Betis had not played until this round because they are part of the Spanish Super Cup that will begin next week.

Dani Alves accused of sexual assault in Barcelona

Brazil international Dani Alves was formally accused of sexual assault at a nightclub in Barcelona last week, a Catalan police source confirmed to the news agency EFE.

A spokesman for the local police in Barcelona told ESPN a complaint was filed on Monday relating to an incident at Sutton, a popular night spot in the city, but could not confirm the identities of those implicated.

“The investigation is still ongoing,” the spokesman said.

ESPN has also contacted Alves’ camp for comment.

EFE reported that a woman has filed a police report against Alves, alleging that he touched her inappropriately under her clothes without consent during a night out on Dec. 30.

After the incident, the woman says she told security what had happened and local police were informed and took witness statements.

Alves, 39, was in Barcelona following his participation at the World Cup with Brazil in Qatar. He had spent time in the city training with Barca’s B team in the lead-up to the finals and returned following the Selecao’s elimination..

He is now back in Mexico, where he plays for Pumas UNAM following a 22-year professional career that has seen him play for Bahia, Sevilla, Barcelona, Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paulo.

(Story from ESPN FC)

GFF President makes donation to Albouystown youths

On January 1st, 2023, President of the Guyana Football Federation, Wayne Forde, visited Albouystown and interacted with a number of budding young footballers. During the visit, Forde handed over a quantity of Balls, Cones and Bibs to Coach Clifford Anthony aka Zebulun who is a senior member of the community and for many years has been volunteering his time as a coach and mentor to young Boys and Girls.

***GFF President Wayne Forde hands over the gear to Coach Clifford “Zebulun” Anthony (GFF Photo)***

During his interaction President Forde also played in a 5 V 5 Mini competition.
“I know how important football is to all of you and I can see how well you can play because of the many hours you spend in the streets playing. I want ask you a big favor – please also spend some of that time on your school work in the evening. Education is your safest bet to having a better life”.

“I will continue to provide Coach Zebulun with more equipment to do this important work and will be back here to officially launch a inter- street weekend knock out competition for Boy, Girls and adult players as well. It is my intention to visit many more inner city communities and support the work of community Coaches”.

The visit to the community was coordinated by Coach Sampson Gilbert, who is a Coach educator assigned to the GFF.

Borussia Dortmund’s Sebastien Haller back in training after cancer battle

Borussia Dortmund striker Sebastien Haller has returned to training after undergoing surgeries and chemotherapy to treat a testicular tumour that was discovered in July.

“Happy New Year to all! And it’s off to a great start for me because it means getting back on the field,” the 28-year-old Ivory Coast international wrote on Twitter, posting images of himself working out at the gym.

“2022 wasn’t the easiest year but it prepared me for all the new challenges that 2023 will bring.”

German side Dortmund signed Haller for an initial fee of €31 million during the close season after the striker scored 34 goals last season for Dutch champions Ajax.

Dortmund said Haller would be “carefully introduced” back into the team.

The club are sixth in the Bundesliga, nine points behind leaders Bayern Munich. The season resumes later this month, with Dortmund taking on Augsburg on Jan. 22.

(Story from Reuters)

Regions 4 & 3 set up One Guyana President’s Cup Final encounter for Jan 1

A star studded Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica) side thrashed Region 5 (Mahaica-Berbice) 8-1 to set up a date in the One Guyana President’s Cup Final with Region 3 (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) who came out 5-2 victors over Region 7 (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

In semi-final one, played at the National Track & Field Center in Leonora, Region 4 bossed the game throughout and the winner was never in doubt. Braces from Nicholas McArthur (17′, 30′) and Omari Glasgow (51′, 55′) along with strikes from Kelsey Benjamin (45′), Daniel Wilson (53′), Samuel Garnett (71′) and Jeremy Garrett (42′) condemned Region 5 to defeat. Abumchi Benjamin was the lone goalscorer for the losers, netting in the 84th minute.

***Action in semi-final one between Regions 4 & 5 (One Guyana President’s Cup Photo)***

Semi-final two at the same venue, saw Region 7 come up against Region 3, this match provided a more entertaining game but in the end Region 3 would persevere. Momentum swung both ways throughout the game as Region 7 took an early lead thanks to the boot of striker Whitney Welcome after just 3 minutes of play. However Region 3 tied things up in the 24th minute when Delon Lanferman struck, the eventual winners would take the lead seven minutes later through veteran Trayon Bobb. Shortly after the start of the second half, Lanferman extended his side’s lead with his second goal of the night in the 55th minute. Region 7 would then give their fans hopes of a comeback when Andrew Simmons found the back of the net in the 69th minute. However, Region 3’s Jamal Perreira put those hopes to bed when he made it 4-2 just 3 minutes later, Colwyn Adams 80th minute strike for the leaders was the proverbial nail in the coffin for Region 7.

With the semi-final win, Region 3 earned $400,000 to take their total to $1M in the tournament so far.

Region 4 also earned $400,000, putting their prize-tally to $1.2M, having played unbeaten in their four game Group-stage.

The two sides will collide on Sunday, (January 1, 2023) at the National Track & Field Center, Leonora where the winner will pocket $2M while the losers will walk away with $1M. The tournament’s MVP will receive a House Lot, compliments of the Government of Guyana, and highest goal scorer one Honda XR.

GFF & FIFA+ TO BRING LIVE GUYANESE MATCHES TO THE WORLD

Guyana Football Federation and FIFA+, the new one-stop digital destination for football fandom, have teamed up to take Guyana football to the world. As part of its mission to give fans engaging and innovative ways of interacting with the beautiful game, FIFA+ offers free access to live football action from every corner of the globe, which now includes matches from the GFF Pro-League, GFF Women’s League, GFF Men’s Super 16 Cup and the GFF Women’s Super16 Cup.

The platform, which is available on the web, as a mobile app and on select connected devices, and is now accessible in ten languages, represents a ground-breaking approach to showcasing live football from men’s, women’s and youth leagues and cups to a global audience.

“This is a monumental forward leap for the development of Guyana’s Football. More importantly however, is the level of exposure our players will enjoy throughout the football season. Displaying our football pedigree before a global audience will vastly increase the chances of our players, both males and females securing international scholarships and professional contractual opportunities. This level of exposure will also drive the GFF to lift the standards of our football infrastructure, facilities and game management protocols, so that the viewing experience would be the best we have to offer.” President Wayne Forde.

Charlotte Burr, Director of Strategy, Corporate Development and Digital FIFA, said: “For the first time ever, our MAs can seamlessly tap into a truly global football fan base and grow a direct relationship with it on a daily basis. We are proud to work side by side with the Guyana Football Federation and are excited about helping to really grow the game across Guyana, the Caribbean and beyond.”
Since its launch, FIFA+ has steadily expanded its reach and added exciting new content streams in order to deliver a truly multifaceted digital experience.
Completely free, the platform offers an extensive archive (including all men’s and women’s FIFA World Cup™ matches), thousands of live fixtures every year, interactive games and predictors, and a slate of original documentaries, docuseries, talk shows and shorts.

By the end of 2022, FIFA+ will be streaming the equivalent of 40,000 live games per year from 100 MAs across all six confederations, including 11,000 women’s matches. FIFA+ provides live coverage ranging from Europe’s top-flight leagues to previously unserved competitions from around the world in men’s, women’s and youth football. FIFA+ can be accessed worldwide at fifaplus.com and on major app stores.

Messi magic sends Argentina to World Cup final

Lionel Messi put on a sensational display as he helped Argentina secure a spot in the World Cup final with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Croatia on Tuesday.

Messi opened the scoring with a powerfully hit penalty on 34 minutes — becoming Argentina’s all-time leading goal scorer at World Cup finals — and shortly after Alvarez completed a direct solo run through the heart of the Croatia defence before tapping home to double Argentina’s lead before half-time.

Alvarez added the side’s third, thanks in part to a signature run from Messi who used his change of speed to guide past Josko Gvardiol before sliding the ball back to Alvarez for an easy finish.

Argentina, who have twice won the World Cup in 1978 and 1986, advance to Sunday’s final where they will face either France or Morocco, who play on Wednesday.

Croatia, who finished runners up in Russia four years ago, exit the competition after putting together another shock run to the semifinals.

“Throughout the World Cup it has been incredible what we have experienced. We are going to play the final which is what we wanted,” Messi said.

“I don’t know if it’s my best World Cup, it’s been a long time I’ve been enjoying. This team is crazy. We are going to play one more final, we are going to enjoy all of this.”

Messi’s inclusion in the starting lineup meant he drew level with Germany’s Lothar Matthaeus as joint record holder for most World Cup appearances with his 25th game.

Croatia wanted possession at the start, as they had done against Brazil in their quarterfinal, and circulated the ball well but struggled to find a way into the Argentina box.

Argentina enjoyed a prime chance to take the lead when Alvarez was brought down by Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic in the box for a penalty, with Messi on hand to convert.

But the best was yet to come and it was Alvarez again involved as he picked up a Messi pass in his own half, sprinted 50 metres and weaved his way into the Croatia box, thanks to two lucky bounces and some sloppy defending, before tucking in the second goal.

Livakovic, who had carried Croatia into the semifinals with saves in their penalty shootout wins against Japan and Brazil, did well to stop an Alexis Mac Allister header on the stroke of half-time that could have killed off the game after 45 minutes.

However, unlike their extra-time comeback heroics against tournament favourites Brazil, there was no way back this time for Croatia.

Argentina were in no mood to squander their two-goal advantage as they had done against the Netherlands in the last eight, and they conceded no space.

Alvarez dashed any lingering Croatia hopes in the 69th, tapping in a cutback after Messi tricked his way past defender Gvardiol on the right to pick out his teammate in the box who sealed Croatia’s tournament exit.

“We have gone through some tough situations, some very good ones,” Messi added. “Today we are experiencing something spectacular.

“I’m enjoying it with all these people and with all the Argentinians who are in our country. I imagine it must be crazy.”

(Story from ESPN FC/Photos: FIFA)

ONE GUYANA PRESIDENT’S CUP GROUP STAGE MATCH-UP ANNOUNCED

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) on Tuesday announced the draw for the championship round of the prestigious One Guyana President’s Cup during a live press conference at the National Cultural Centre, Homestretch Avenue, Georgetown.
The 10 regional teams now know who they will face in the round-robin group stage, before advancing to the knockout phase of the tournament, to have a chance to become the first One Guyana President’s Cup champions on January 1, 2023.
The teams were first seeded and then placed into two groups of five at the end of the draw conducted by the GFF.

The tournament focuses on expanding the reach of football across Guyana and increasing the player’s population, while at the same time creating opportunities to scout new talent within communities that were traditionally off the formal football grid.

“To have so many young talents take centre stage during the prestigious FIFA 2022 World Cup Season is without a doubt a great source of pride for my administration. Therefore, on behalf of the entire football fraternity of Guyana, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to President Ali and his Government for their investment in the development of football,” shared GFF President Wayne Forde.

The first leg of the tournament kicked off on November 13 and only the top clubs advanced to the December championship round.
“We are happy to see that the players and coaches have committed themselves to this tournament. We are taking notice of the emerging talent on display and our national team players pool will be extremely competitive and full of talent. We now await the decisions of the individual regional scouting teams and look forward to how they manage the selection process inclusive of the minimum requirements of six U20 players. There is now a real pathway into the SMNT and we are excited. Over 3,000 players have auditioned thus
far and now we are full of anticipation of what the Regional Playoffs will reveal,” explained GFF Technical Director Acting Bryan Joseph.
The ten qualified teams will battle in front of crowds at grounds across Guyana, including Leonora National Stadium, West Demerara & GFC.

“The K&S organisation is pleased to collaborate once again with the GFF in staging this prestigious tournament. We believe that our extensive event management expertise compliments very well the disciplined, professional and structured approach President Forde has instituted in the management of football from the inception of his tenure,” K&S Co-Founder Kashif Muhammad stated, adding:
“We are here to play our role in ensuring the success of the inaugural One Guyana President’s Cup.”

**Fixtures for the One Guyana President’s Cup**

Neymar returns as Brazil cruise past South Korea into World Cup quarterfinals

Brazil turned on the style, dancing their way to a one-sided 4-1 win over South Korea in their World Cup round-of-16 match at Qatar’s Stadium 974 on Monday.

Vinicius Junior, Neymar, Richarlison and Lucas Paqueta were all on the scoresheet in a dominant first half as Brazil cruised into a quarterfinal matchup against 2018 World Cup finalists Croatia on Dec. 9.

Neymar, who had missed Brazil’s final two group games after picking up an ankle injury against Cameroon, and Danilo returned to the starting XI for Tite with the Selecao continuing their quest for a sixth World Cup title.

With 82-year-old Brazil legend Pele cheering the team from hospital while recovering from a respiratory illness, Vinicius wasted no time putting his side ahead, settling a cross from Raphinha that found him unmarked at the back post and calmly curling a shot into the side netting.

South Korea’s Jung Woo-Young fouled Richarlison in the area minutes after the opener to give Neymar a chance to double the lead. The Paris Saint-Germain star made no mistake from the spot, sending goalkeeper Kim Seung-Gyu the wrong way to make it 2-0 inside of 15 minutes.

Richarlison made it 3-0 before the half-hour mark, sliding the easiest of finishes into the South Korean goal following some brilliant individual skill and clever interplay with Thiago Silva at the top of the penalty area.

For their fourth goal of the first half, Brazil hit a helpless South Korea with a counter-attack that saw Neymar feed Vinicius, who in turned scooped a cross for the onrushing Paqueta to sidefoot home with his first touch.

Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min forced a great save from Alisson just after the restart and Raphinha was twice denied at the other end as he looked to add to Brazil’s tally.

Despite holding Brazil goalless in the second half and scoring a stunning late consolation goal through Paik Seung-Ho, the damage was already done as South Korea’s World Cup came to an end against the high-flying tournament favourites.

(Story from ESPN FC, Photos from FIFA)