Football
Bangladesh Football team leaves Dhaka for Sri Lanka
Bangladesh national football team will leave Dhaka for Sri Lanka on Friday morning to participate in the Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksha Trophy Four Nations International Tournament scheduled for November 8-17 .
During the national team’s practice session on Wednesday at Fortis Academy ground in Badda, Bangladesh captain and players assured BFF President Kazi Salauddin of their determination to win the trophy.
Bangladesh team will play the opening match against Seychelles on November 8, the Maldives on November 11 and hosts Sri Lanka on November 14.
Top two teams of the four-nation meet, will play in the final on November 17.
A total 16 players and team officials will fly for the Island nation Friday morning from Dhaka while remaining seven booters of the squad with five officials, were in Uzbekistan for playing the AFC U-23 Asian Cup Qualifiers, already reached Sri Lanka Thursday afternoon.
Bangladesh squad: Anisur Rahman Zico, Ashraful Islam Rana, Shahidul Alam Sohel, Tapu Barman, Yeasin Arafat, Rezaul Karim, Riadul Hasan Rafi, Rahmat Ali, Tutul Hossain Badsha, Susanto Tripura, Yeasin Khan, Atiqur Rahman Fahad, Mohammad Ibrahim, Obaidur Rahman Nawab, Saaduddin, Jewel Rana, Jamal Bhuiyan, Rakib Hossain, Mehdi Hasan Royal, Sumon Reza, Mohammad Hridoy, Mahbubur Rahman Sufil and Foysal Ahmed Fahim.
Atalanta vs. Man Utd: Magnificent Cristiano Ronaldo saves Manchester United once again
Manchester United held Atalanta to a 2-2 draw thanks to an injury-time strike from Cristiano Ronaldo. The Red Devils had a little advantage in ball possession, but La Dea created more chances during the match. Manchester United lead the Group F points standings after four matches, followed by Villarreal, who defeated Young Boys 2-0 on the same evening. Atalanta and Young Boys are now third and fourth in this group, respectively. The match report of Atalanta vs. Manchester United is discussed in this article.
Match Report: Atalanta vs. Man Utd
Cristiano Ronaldo has proven to be a savior for Manchester United since making his second start at Old Trafford. He scored twice in the encounter against Atalanta, including a stoppage-time goal to snatch a point away from home. This point did not guarantee a spot in the Round of 16 of the Champions League 2021/2022 season. However, Manchester United remained top of Group F with 7 points as a result of the outcome.
Atalanta pressed hard in the first 30 minutes and equalized in the 12th minute of the game. Atalanta's Duvan Zapata was outstanding on the night. He was a constant danger to Man United's defense. Zapata set up a nice assist for Josip Ilicic, who smashed the ball into the net to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Read Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland
Manchester United coach Ole had to adjust his formation because of an injury to defender Raphael Varane. The visitors made a valiant effort to equalize, and courtesy to some excellent teamwork in the injury time before halftime, they were able to do it. Ronaldo hammered the ball into the right corner after receiving a through pass from compatriot Bruno Fernandes.
It didn't take long for Atalanta to regain the advantage. Atalanta seized a 2-1 lead in the match with a goal by Duvan Zapata in the 11th minute of the second half. He raced down the left-wing, breaking past Harry Maguire, and placing the ball into the right corner of the net.
The Manchester United players tried to throw away the lead after that, but they were unable to create a consistent effort in the opposition quarter. Conversely, Atalanta executed a number of counter-attacks and they had better chances than Man United.
Read AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh concede 0-3 goal defeat against Saudi Arabia
Then, in the 91st minute, Cristiano Ronaldo slammed a thunderous low volley into the bottom left corner of the net, beating the goalkeeper to tie it up at 2-2. Manchester United did not leave the field empty-handed thanks to Ronaldo's strike.
Match Statistics: Manchester United vs. Atalanta
Manchester United had 53 percent ball possession, while Atalanta had 47 percent, according to the match statistics. The visiting team made 566 passes, while the home team made 504 passes.
Manchester United had a passing accuracy of 82 percent, while Atalanta had an accuracy of 83 percent. Man Utd attempted 13 shots and had four of them hit the target. On the other hand, Atalanta made 10 efforts and had four shots on target.
Read UEFA Champions League 2021/2022: GroupWise Favorites to qualify for Round 16
Atalanta were penalized for 11 fouls but received no cards. On the other hand, Manchester United committed 14 fouls and received one yellow card.
Aftermath
Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær was under fire coming into this match after a devastating 5-0 loss to Liverpool just a few days ago. Though his team made an unbelievable comeback earlier this week, winning 3-0 at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium against Spurs.
However, Man United showed once again on Wednesday (November 2) against Atalanta that they are not a strong enough team to win big games. Instead, they rely heavily on their star player Cristiano Ronaldo, who saved the Red Devils for the third time in the Champions League this season.
Read Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: Who made the strongest start with the new clubs?
Manchester United's next encounter is on November 23 against Villarreal, while Atalanta will face Young Boys on November 24. The outcome of these two games might determine the group's fate.
Sepp Blatter, Platini indicted for fraud in Switzerland
Former FIFA officials Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini were charged with fraud and other offenses by Swiss prosecutors on Tuesday after a six-year investigation into a controversial $2 million payment.
The 85-year-old Blatter and 66-year-old Platini now face a trial at federal criminal court in Bellinzona. They could be jailed for several years if found guilty, though Swiss cases often take years to reach a conclusion.
"This payment damaged FIFA's assets and unlawfully enriched Platini," Swiss federal prosecutors said in a statement.
The case was opened in September 2015 and ousted Blatter ahead of schedule as FIFA president. It also ended Platini's campaign to succeed his former mentor.
It centers on Platini's written request to FIFA in January 2011 to be paid backdated additional salary for working as a presidential adviser in Blatter's first term, from 1998-2002.
Blatter told FIFA to make the payment within weeks. He was preparing to campaign for re-election in a contest against Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, where Platini's influence with European voters was seen as a key factor.
"The evidence gathered by the (attorney general's office) has corroborated that this payment to Platini was made without a legal basis," prosecutors said.
Both Blatter and Platini have long denied wrongdoing and cited a verbal agreement they had made, now more than 20 years ago, for the money to be paid.
Blatter has been charged with fraud, mismanagement, misappropriation of FIFA funds and forgery of a document. Platini has been charged with fraud, misappropriation, forgery and as an accomplice to Blatter's alleged mismanagement.
Fraud and forgery charges can be punished with jail sentences of up to five years.
"I view the proceedings at the federal criminal court with optimism — and hope that, with this, this story will come to an end and all the facts will be worked through cleanly," Blatter said in a statement.
Platini, was not placed under formal investigation until last year, and months later the more serious allegation of fraud was included against both men.
The three-time Ballon d'Or winner, who was captain of his national team when France won the European Championship in 1984, said Tuesday he was "perfectly confident and calm" about the outcome.
"I fully contest these unfounded and unfair accusations," Platini said in a statement.
Platini has long said, and Blatter repeated Tuesday, that he declared the payment and paid taxes on it in Switzerland.
Prosecutors had opened criminal proceedings against Blatter ahead of a police raid at FIFA headquarters in Zurich on the day he and Platini attended a meeting of the soccer body's executive committee.
That came four months after a sweeping U.S. Department of Justice corruption investigation into world soccer was revealed with early-morning arrests of officials from the Americas at luxury hotels in Zurich in May 2015.
In the fallout of those hotel raids, and only days after being elected FIFA president for a fifth time, Blatter announced his plan to resign and call another vote to find a successor.
Platini had long been the expected FIFA heir but his campaign was derailed by the police visit to FIFA's offices even though he was not yet a suspect.
The FIFA ethics committee soon suspended both men for several weeks before banning each for six years.
Platini's ban was later reduced to four years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport on appeal, and he was cleared to return to soccer duty in October 2019. He had been linked to seeking a seat on the executive board of FIFPRO, the global group of soccer player unions.
Blatter has been in poor health and a final round of questioning by Swiss investigators was delayed until August.
After undergoing heart surgery last December, Blatter spent a week in an induced coma.
Blatter also faces a separate criminal proceeding related to authorizing a $1 million FIFA payment to Trinidad and Tobago in 2010 into the control of then-FIFA vice president Jack Warner. Two former FIFA officials are also suspects in that investigation.
The Swiss investigations of Blatter, and later Platini, were refocused after prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand joined the case following turmoil in the attorney general's office. The former lead prosecutor, Olivier Thormann, left the federal office in late-2018 after being cleared of a complaint of misconduct in the investigation.
Hildbrand, who is from the same hometown as Blatter, was then brought on to the investigation team with the reputation of having led a previous high-profile case tied to FIFA: the 2001 financial collapse of World Cup marketing agency ISL. Blatter's lawyers failed in court to have Hildbrand removed from the current case.
The attorney general who was overseeing FIFA investigations in Switzerland, Michael Lauber, resigned last year because of misconduct. He was found to have misled an internal investigation into his undeclared meetings with current FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
Infantino was elected to lead FIFA in 2016 after stepping in to be UEFA's emergency election candidate when Platini was suspended and then banned.
AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh concede 0-3 goal defeat against Saudi Arabia
Bangladesh U-23 Football team completed their Group D engagement of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup’ 2022 Qualifiers with a frustrating note losing all the three matches to back home empty handed.
In a do or die last match to decide group runners-up, Bangladesh suffered 0-3 goal defeat against Saudi Arabia at the JAR Stadium in Tashkent on Tuesday.
Read: AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh to face Saudi Arabia on Tuesday
Captain cum defender Soud Abdullah put Saudi Arabia ahead in the 16th minute (1-0) while medio Ziyad Mubarak doubled the margin in the following minute to lead the first half by 2-0 goal.
Another midfielder Aiman Yahya sealed the fate of the match scoring the 3rd goal in the 70th minute for Saudi Arabia (3-0).
In the day’s battle of two winless teams, Saudi Arabia outplayed Bangladesh to keep their hope alive for the 16-team final round as one of the four best runners up team.
Eleven group champions, four best group runners-up and hosts Uzbekistan will play in the 16-team final round.
Earlier, Kuwait smartly clinched the Group D title to qualify for the final round beating Bangladesh by 1-0 goal and Saudi Arabia by 2-1 goal.
Read:AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh suffer 0-6 defeat against Uzbekistan
In the last Saturday, Bangladesh suffered a humiliating 0-6 gaal defeat against hosts Uzbekistan in a Group D international friendly match, results of which not made any impact in the Group D standings as the hosts Uzbekistan have already qualified for the final round as the hosts.
Uzbekistan played to a 2-2 draw with Saudi Arabia in another international friendly match in Tashkent last week.
UEFA Champions League 2021/2022: GroupWise Favorites to qualify for Round 16
The UEFA Champions League 2021/2022 group stage will end in the first week of December. This phase features eight groups and 32 teams. Each group's top two teams will progress to the Round of 16. The first round of the knockout stage will take place in the coming February. Which teams in the group stage have the highest chance of making it to Round 16 in this season's Champions League is discussed in this article. Let's take a look at the latest group phase scenario.
Favorites to advance to the UEFA Champions League 2021-2022 Round of 16
Each team has played three matches so far in the group stage. Let us analyze each group's situation.
Group A
Paris Saint-Germain have earned seven points in three games and they are currently in first place in Group A. They will almost certainly qualify for the Round of 16 if they win their next match on November 3 against RB Leipzig. Manchester City and Club Brugge are battling it out in Group A for second place. They will face off in their next match, with the winner likely finishing in the top two in the points standings.
Verdict: PSG and Manchester City
Read Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: Who made the strongest start with the new clubs?
Group B
If group B leader Liverpool win at home against Atletico Madrid on November 3, they will qualify for the Round of 16 in this year’s Champions League. If Liverpool advance, the battle for second place will be between Atletico Madrid and Porto. Both teams have four points in the standings.
Verdict: Liverpool and Atletico Madrid
Group C
Dutch team Ajax currently lead Group C with 9 points and they are only one win away from securing a place in the Round of 16. Borussia Dortmund of Germany and Sporting CP of Portugal are both vying for second place. The fate of this group might very well be decided on the last day of group stage fixtures.
Verdict: Ajax and Borussia Dortmund
Read AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh suffer 0-6 defeat against Uzbekistan
Group D
Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova upset Real Madrid with a 2-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabéu. They presently have a 6-point in Group D's point standings. However, the fate of this group will be decided on the final day of the group stage round as Inter Milan, Real Madrid, and Sheriff Tiraspol are all in the Round of 16 race.
Verdict: Real Madrid and inter Milan
Group E
Bayern Munich remained unbeaten in Group E at the end of matchday 3. If Bayern beat Benfica on Tuesday, they will advance to the Round of 16. Then FC Barcelona and Benfica will fight for a second-place finish in this group. It will most likely be determined who finish second in the points standings when both clubs play at the Camp Nou on November 23rd.
Verdict: Bayern Munich and FC Barcelona
Read Who can replace coach Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona?
Group F
Manchester United are in first place with six points after three games. Their spot in the Round of 16 is far from certain. Man Utd must fight hard till the end against Villarreal and Atalanta in order to finish top two in the points standings. It will undoubtedly be a fascinating race between them.
Verdict: Manchester United and Villarreal
Group G
Red Bull Salzburg have shocked everyone by grasping the lead in Group G's point standings. They have 7 points after three games. If Salzburg defeat Wolfsburg on November 2, they will qualify for the Round of 16 in this year's Champions League. Therefore, Sevilla, Lille, and Wolfsburg will battle it out for a spot in the first knockout round till the end.
Verdict: Red Bull Salzburg and Sevilla
Read Man United humiliated: Salah hat trick in 5-0 Liverpool rout
Group H
The fight for a spot in the Round of 16 is heating up in Group H. Juventus are presently in first place with 9 points, followed by Chelsea (6 points), and Zenit Saint Petersburg (3 points). If Juventus defeat Zenit on November 2 at home, they will advance to the next round.
Verdict: Juventus and Chelsea
Bottom Line
When looking at the current situation of each group, it is evident that PSG, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, and Juventus are in better positions. If they win their next group stage matches, they will all qualify for the Round of 16 in the UEFA Champions League 2021/2022 season.
The final games in the group stage generally have a lot of twists and turns. There is a strong possibility of several exciting contests in this season's final few fixtures. However, the team with the best overall performance will advance to the first knockout round of Europe's most popular club-level competition.
Read Madrid wins 2-1 at Barcelona in first post-Messi ‘clásico’
Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo: Who made the strongest start with the new clubs?
Following the news that Lionel Messi would be leaving Barcelona after 21 years, all of Europe's big teams contacted his representative to make inquiries about signing him. He ended up signing a three-year contract with PSG. On the other side, Cristiano Ronaldo wanted to leave Juventus for a new challenge after Messi's surprising move to Paris Saint-Germain. He was finally signed by Manchester United in the summer 2021 transfer deadline. Let's take a look at how Messi and Ronaldo have performed so far this season for their respective clubs.
Lionel Messi's Season up to this point for PSG
Lionel Messi picked no. 30 as his PSG jersey number, the same number he wore for FC Barcelona when he made his senior debut in 2004. Messi made his PSG debut on August 29 against Reims in Ligue 1 after an almost three-week wait. He was brought on as a substitute in the second half. Leo made his home debut against Olympic Lyon On September 19, and on September 15, he made his UEFA Champions League debut against Club Brugge.
Read AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh suffer 0-6 defeat against Uzbekistan
Messi had to wait a month for PSG to score his first goal. He scored his debut goal against Manchester City at Parc des Princes on September 28. Messi made his customary run into the opposition half, played a one-two with Kylian Mbappe, and then blasted a superb finish to the top left corner. Lionel Messi has appeared in eight matches and scored three goals as of October 31. Mauricio Pochettino is trying to adjust his formation to get the best out of Messi, who has yet to show his true potential with Paris Saint-Germain.
Cristiano Ronaldo's performance in Manchester United
Cristiano Ronaldo has been given the iconic number 7 shirt to wear in his second stint at Manchester United. Ronaldo played his first game of the season against Newcastle United on September 11. He scored a brace in his debut match. Cristiano scored a late winner in a vital UEFA Champions League group stage match against Villarreal on September 29. Manchester United won the contest by 2-1. He also came out as a rescue for the Red Devils in their most recent Champions League match against Atalanta. His 83rd-minute header secured a dramatic 3-2 win over Atalanta.
Read Who can replace coach Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona?
Cristiano Ronaldo has now more focus on scoring goals, that’s why he has become a penalty box forward over the last three seasons. Overall, he has scored 7 goals in 10 appearances for Manchester United thus far. Ronaldo is manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's main striker, and so far he has done a good job as no.9.
Way Forward
The football world was shocked when Lionel Messi signed a contract with PSG in the last summer transfer window. However, his performance for Paris Saint-Germain hasn't been up to the mark so far. The diminutive Argentine has struggled to adjust to the new system, and experts think he will require more time to bond with his new teammates.
Read Man United humiliated: Salah hat trick in 5-0 Liverpool rout
On the other hand, the Portuguese superstar Ronaldo has enjoyed a good start with Manchester United. He has already had an impact on the team. The charismatic forward has aided Manchester United in securing a number of dramatic victories. In that perspective, Cristiano Ronaldo has gotten off to a better start with his new club than Lionel Messi.
AFC U-23 Asian Cup: Bangladesh suffer 0-6 defeat against Uzbekistan
Bangladesh suffered a humiliating 0-6 goal defeat against hosts Uzbekistan in a Group D match of the AFC U-23 Asian Cup’2022 Qualifiers held at Pakhtakor Stadium in Tashkent on Saturday.
But the results of the match will not make any impact in the Group D standings as the match was earlier given International Friendly status due to pre qualifications of the hosts Uzbekistan in the final round of the meet.
In the day’s match, captain Khoshimov Ulugbek struck twice in the 12th and 16th minutes while Begimov Eldorbek, Toshtemirov Asliddin, Abbosbek Fayzullaev and Odilov Alisher netted one goal each in the 15th, 26th, 63rd and 87th minutes respectively for the home team.
The FIFA Ranking of Uzbekistan is 103 while Bangladesh’s ranking is 187.
In the day’s other, Kuwait U-23 team beat their Saudi Arabian counterpart at the same venue.
Bangladesh, which conceded 0-1 goal defeat against upper ranked Kuwait in the last match, will face another giant Saudi Arabia on November 2 to decide the fate of the Group D.
Who can replace coach Ronald Koeman at FC Barcelona?
Ronald Koeman came under pressure after losing the El Classico earlier this week. There was a buzz in Spain that the coach will be replaced if he fails to produce against Rayo Vallecano. The rumor came true after failing to win a rather easy La Liga fixture on Wednesday (October 27). Following the defeat, the club stated in an official statement that first-team coach Ronald Koeman has been fired after 14 months in command. Let's take a look at the top candidates for Ronald Koeman's replacement at FC Barcelona.
Ronald Koeman's Potential Successors at FC Barcelona
Barcelona's newly elected president Joan Laporta extended Koeman's contract for another season earlier this summer despite his unimpressive style of play. However, he fell short in terms of decision-making. Under his leadership, Barcelona has only 15 points from ten La Liga games this season. His team also lost twice in the ongoing UEFA Champions League group stage.
The Barcelona board was increasingly frustrated with Koeman's poor managerial performance, and his termination was on the cards after the defeat against arch-rival Real Madrid. Here are a few prospective Koeman replacements.
Read Man United humiliated: Salah hat trick in 5-0 Liverpool rout
Jordi Cruyff
Jordi Cruyff, the son of former Barcelona legend Johan Cruyff, is one of the leading contenders for the position. He is quite knowledgeable about Blaugrana's style. Because his father was the main architect of Barcelona's famed tiki-taka style of play. Jordi understands exactly what Barcelona expect from him.
Jordi has previously held managerial positions with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Shenzen FC, and the Ecuadorian national team. Currently, he is serving as the sports advisor at Barcelona. It will not be a bad choice if the club names Jr. Cruyff as the next Barcelona first-team coach.
Read Madrid wins 2-1 at Barcelona in first post-Messi ‘clásico’
Antonio Conte
Italian coach Antonio Conte is the most well-known name on the market. He resigned as manager after winning Serie A with Inter Milan last season.
Conte has a particular vision and approach to the game. He has the capability to bring out the best in his players and can help Barcelona to regain its glory. One major issue is, Conte's ideology may not be completely aligned with FC Barcelona's. Barcelona might be considering him as an alternative for Koeman if they are unable to convince their other main targets.
Read European soccer leagues oppose FIFA biennial World Cup plan
Man United humiliated: Salah hat trick in 5-0 Liverpool rout
There was a pick of moments that confirmed Manchester United’s humiliation against Liverpool.
Maybe it came with Mohamed Salah completing his hat trick by the 50th minute. Or in the celebrations as Liverpool defender Andy Robertson was heard repeatedly shouting “Keep going” at his teammates when they were already 5-0 up showing no mercy.
Or there was the sight of Alex Ferguson shaking his head, sighing in the Old Trafford directors’ box at seeing the shambles unfolding in the team he once led to so much glory. Close by was his one-time Liverpool managerial adversary, Kenny Dalglish, beaming in delight.
Fewer United fans were there to witness the final embers of the embarrassment unfolding on Sunday, having already booed the players off at halftime.
Once Paul Pogba — United’s only change when trailing 4-0 at halftime for the first time in a Premier League match — was sent off for a lunging tackle with 30 minutes remaining, the home fans started streaming away. Hundreds could be seen already outside of the stadium, heading home to leave a scene of an epic humbling.
Inside all the singing was coming from the visiting Liverpool section, mostly to taunt Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“Ole’s at the wheel,” they sang, mockingly adopting the lauding of the manager adopted by United after being used by former player Rio Ferdinand.
“Ole, give us a wave,” they urged.
How much longer after this 5-0 rout until United waves goodbye to a manager who has benefited from more than $500 million in player spending in three years but looks far from delivering a first Premier League trophy since the retirement of Ferguson in 2013 after collecting his 13th? Even Liverpool has won the title more recently, in 2020, to end a 30-year drought.
Solskjaer was the biggest gamble by the owning Glazer family of the post-Ferguson appointments — David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho — given his lack of experience coaching an elite club, gaining this job based on his status as a title-winning player under the Scot.
There’s only so much that nostalgia can shield you from the brutal assessments at a club without a trophy since Mourinho won the Europa League in 2017.
“We know we are rock bottom,” Solskjaer said. “It can’t feel any worse than this.”
Not even the return of Cristiano Ronaldo from the Ferguson glory years has engineered a resurgence. Late comebacks have masked the cracks, like Ronaldo grabbing a late winner against Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Ronaldo did put the ball in the net against Liverpool, only for VAR to scrub it out for offside. The 36-year-old returning hero was also fortunate not to be dismissed for petulance, twice kicking the ball into the midriff of Curtis Jones when the whistle had blown and the Liverpool midfielder was on the turf.
“The whole performance was not good enough,” Solskjaer said. “I have come too far, we have come too far as a group. We are too close to give up now.”
Given the further investment in the squad over the last year, this rout feels even more crushing for Solskjaer than the 6-1 implosion against Tottenham here last October.
United’s defense was completely run ragged against Liverpool, conceding after five minutes. It was a scene of abject failings that Solskjaer has consistently provided little evidence he can rectify.
Salah had just received the pass from Roberto Firmino. To his left was Robertson. To his right, Naby Keita. Only Luke Shaw was in front of them as the last line of United resistance. The ball was put through by Salah to Keita who slotted past David De Gea.
It was Diogo Jota who slid in to stab the ball over the line in the 13th from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross after a muddle between Harry Maguire and Shaw.
The first of Salah’s goals -- allowing the striker to score in a 10th successive Liverpool game -- came after his shot was initially blocked by Maguire. The loose ball fell to Keita who cut it back for Salah to strike high into the net.
And just before the halftime whistle blew, Salah was able to send United in at the break on the receiving end of another slice of misery after sidefooting in from Jota’s pass.
Whatever Solskjaer said at the break didn’t change anything. Five minutes into the second half, Jordan Henderson sliced through the defense with a pass from the halfway line that Salah ran onto before clipping past De Gea.
The only surprise was that United didn’t concede again, even after Pogba’s red-card lunge on Keita after 15 minutes on the field. The hosts had suffered enough. Nine games into the season, the record 20-time English champions are already seven points behind Liverpool in second place with Chelsea a further point away in the lead.
It’s not like United hasn’t been embarrassed like this before Solskjaer. It’s almost 10 years to the day since Manchester City won 6-1 at Old Trafford. But Ferguson’s side had won the title a few months earlier. And Liverpool is deemed a greater rival than United’s neighbor.
What could save Solskjaer is the fans are yet to turn on him, despite collecting one point from the last four league games.
“We apologize to the fans,” Maguire said. “It’s nowhere near good enough.”
Madrid wins 2-1 at Barcelona in first post-Messi ‘clásico’
David Alaba and Lucas Vázquez scored as Real Madrid beat Barcelona 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday in the rivals’ first “clásico” match since the exit of Lionel Messi.
Defender Alaba turned goal-scorer in the 32nd minute with a wonderful curling shot from the left side of the area that the outstretched Marc-Andre ter Stegen could not stop.
Alaba’s strike came minutes after American Sergiño Dest wasted a great chance for Barcelona, sending his close-range shot soaring over the crossbar.
Vázquez added a second goal in stoppage time on a counterattack with Barcelona desperately thrown forward in search of an equalizer.
Sergio Agüero pulled one back for Barcelona on a cross from Dest in the final seconds.
The victory moved Madrid to the top of the Spanish league, level on points with Sevilla and Real Sociedad. Sociedad can reclaim the lead when it faces defending champion Atlético Madrid later Sunday.
The defeat was another blow to Barcelona which has struggled since its financial troubles kept it from re-signing Messi and other players. Ronald Koeman’s team was left in eighth place at five points adrift.
This was the first “clásico” without Messi and Madrid’s long-time captain Sergio Ramos, who are now teammates at Paris Saint-Germain. The two between them took part in 45 editions of Spain’s top rivalry. In that time Messi led Barcelona to 19 wins while scoring a record 26 goals for the fixture.
Barcelona’s fans reveled in the first match against Madrid since health restrictions for the pandemic were completely lifted to allow full capacity in the 99,000-seat Camp Nou. Face masks were mandatory, but they did not stop the stadium from once again rocking with drums, chants and the occasional jeers from Barcelona fans which grew in the final minutes when frustration set in after witnessing another letdown by their team.
Barcelona’s squad from before the pandemic has undergone a major overhaul because of the club’s financial troubles. Where Messi once linked up with Antoine Griezmann on the right flank, Barcelona’s homegrown youngsters Gavi Páez and Óscar Mingueza now team up with Dest.
But one thing that has not changed is Barcelona’s determination to dominate possession. The hosts controlled the pace from the start, but Madrid is more than used to picking its moments when it comes to playing Barcelona.
Dest had a golden opportunity to break the initial deadlock in the 25th when he fired high from just outside the six-yard box. Memphis Depay broke down the left flank and squared a pass for Ansu Fati, who touched the ball before it found Dest all alone.
It fell to Ramos’ replacement to give Madrid the lead.
Alaba robbed the ball from Depay outside his area and charged forward as part of a quick attack. Two passes later, Alaba looked like a striker when he took aim from an angle and curled a superb strike around Ter Stegen. It was the former Bayern Munich player’s first goal for Madrid.
“That goal was decisive,” said Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets. “In games like this, whoever scores first has a big advantage. Games are decided in the area, and we were not effective today.”
Vázquez added his goal when he was quicker to a rebound than Eric García, as he slid a foot past the Spain defender to tuck the ball into the net.
The goal by substitute Agüero, playing in his third match since joining Barcelona from Manchester City, came far too late to spark a comeback. It is Barcelona’s only goal in defeats to Bayern Munich, Benfica, Atlético and Madrid this campaign.