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Analyzing Arturo Vidal’s Performance vs. Liverpool
Going into the first leg against Liverpool, the biggest question for Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde laid in midfield: Arthur Melo or Arturo Vidal. While the Brazilian has seamlessly transitioned to life in Catalonia after his summer move from Grêmio, the Chilean has been a force of nature for Antonio Conte’s Juventus, Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich,…
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Top 7 players to watch out for at the Women’s World Cup
Women’s football this year has come leaps and bounds, from record-breaking attendances in the stands to record-breaking feats on the pitch – whether that be in the Women’s Super League or the La Liga. The level of entertainment on display has been simply sumptuous and this summer, on June 7th, for fans of the sport,…
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The rise and redemption of Tiémoué Bakayoko at AC Milan
He was a rising star and an integral part of Leonardo Jardim’s Monaco, he conquered Ligue 1 and advanced to the Champions League semi finals. He made his international debut for France in March 2017 to face Luxembourg and Spain, after Paul Pogba was injured in training. He was one of the most sought after…
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Analyzing João Félix’s performance against Eintracht Frankfurt
Predicting the success of a teenager is not easy. There are several factors to keep in mind, and it’s more than just evaluating talent and individual quality. From the opportunities given to the way a young footballer adapts to the professional level, there are so many dependent variables that determine a player’s success. For the past six…
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Jordan Pickford’s World Cup hangover
On July 3, 2018, at around 10 p.m, the whole of England went crazy; the Three Lions finally won a penalty shootout in a World Cup. Yes, Eric Dier scored the winning penalty, but it was a skinhead from Sunderland who was the real hero: Jordan Pickford. His penalty save and passionate celebrations propelled him…
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Arkadiusz Milik – From an accident waiting to happen to becoming Napoli’s talismanic forward
Shades of Dennis Bergkamp prevailed as Arkadiusz Milik opened the scoring in Napoli’s 4-1 demolition of Roma on Sunday. The Polish forward has basked in the personal glory of a superb season already, and as his side cruised to a comprehensive victory at Stadio Olimpico, he took the vast bulk of headlines. Milik opened the…
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Neymar at PSG: unfulfilled promise, injuries, and stagnation
“I want to write history here. This is the only reason. There are new challenges, and I want to help write the history of the club. Our biggest challenge is the Champions League, but there are other trophies too.” On August 4, 2017, a beaming Nasser al-Khelaifi unveiled Paris Saint-Germain’s newest recruit. The man he had…
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Gedson Fernandes: The latest gem from Benfica’s academy
With recent transfer speculation linking Gedson Fernandes with several elite European clubs, let’s take a closer look at the man making waves for Benfica in Liga NOS. Fernandes in action for SL Benfica Yet another fine product of Benfica’s famed Seixal academy, the São Tomé and Príncipe-born central midfielder has been fast-tracked…
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Emi Buendía: The £1.5m playmaker driving Norwich to the Premier League
Norwich City are heading for the Premier League. They are sitting pretty at the top of the Championship, with a five-point lead over third-place Leeds United, and much of their progress owes to intelligent recruitment in the transfer market. Several players have burst onto the scene at Carrow Road this season, but few have epitomised…
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Joachim Andersen: Sampdoria’s Answer to Milan Škriniar
Finding undiscovered talents is something that football’s smaller clubs have to do to survive. While the giants of the sport can spend lavishly on the best players in the world, those with much smaller budgets need to be shrewder in their recruiting. Italian side Sampdoria is one of those clubs, and the Doriani have…
