Looking for Soccer News?

Kenya international Michael Olunga failed to win a trophy to crown a stellar season after Kashiwa Reysol went down 2-1 against FC Tokyo in a J-League Cup match on Monday.

The domestic encounter was the only chance for Olunga and teammates to finish the season with at least a trophy but Tokyo denied them that glory after winning the cup.

Weverson Leandro opened the score for Tokyo in the 16th minute before Yusuke Segawa equalised for Olunga’s side in the 45th minute.

 Adaìlton da Silva, who came on in the second half, scored the winning goal for the away side in the 74th minute.

If Kashiwa Reysol would have won the title, it would have crowned Olunga’s year in Japan in style.

The former Gor Mahia forward finished the season as the Most Valuable Player as well as emerging as the league’s top scorer. The Harambee Star scored 28 goals in 32 matches even though it was his maiden season in Japan’s top-tier.

Olunga explained how he was able to find the back of the net in all those occasions during an earlier interview.

“It was a great season for me in 2020,” Olunga stated. “I was able to score a lot of goals. I would like to thank the people at Kashiwa Reysol for their support. I am very honoured to be Kashiwa Reysol's first top scorer and the first African MVP.

“I hope that what I have achieved will have a positive impact on Japan and on the rest of the world.

“I hope that the J1 League will continue to have the best football in Asia and that more and more African players will play in it.”

Football Kenya Federation president Nick Mwendwa praised the former Tusker and Thika United centre-forward and urged him to aim for more success.

We are very proud of Michael [Olunga] and I know he can still do more,” Mwendwa told Goal earlier. “We congratulate him for the award and also urge him to work even harder.”

Olunga did not take part in Kenya’s November African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Comoros after his teammates were infected with the coronavirus.

Thiago Silva has admitted he is at a loss to explain Chelsea's form after their humbling at the hands of Manchester City.

Chelsea slipped to eighth in the Premier League table after suffering their fifth defeat of the season on Sunday evening.

City ran out 3-1 winners at Stamford Bridge thanks to first-half goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Phil Foden and Kevin de Bruyne, with Callum Hudson-Odoi a consolation for the hosts in the dying minutes of the game.

The final scoreline flattered Chelsea as Pep Guardiola's side squandered a number of other clear chances, and Frank Lampard conceded that his team were completely outplayed in his post-match interview.

"Today was painful in the first half in football terms because their level of play shows where we need to aspire to," he told BBC Sport. "In the second half I saw a reaction but the work needs to be done."

Even summer signing Silva, who has enjoyed a strong start to his career at Stamford Bridge, was found wanting against City, but he still thinks the Blues have enough quality within their ranks to turn their fortunes around in the second half of the season.

Asked to pinpoint what's gone wrong for Chelsea in recent weeks, the Brazilian told RMC Sport: "No, I don't understand what's wrong. If I understand before, I think I could have given some advice, but that's how it is, it's football, it's the Premier League, one of the toughest championships around the world.

"You have to be careful, work harder, be stronger as a team, but I think the team is good, the second half was much better than the first in my opinion.

"We tried to play a little more, we managed to play. I think we were superior in possession of the ball in the second half, sometimes it does not work as we want, as we have prepared, but hey, that's how it is football. We must prepare for the next match when it arrives."

Silva and his team-mates must pick themselves up quickly before their FA Cup third-round clash against League Two outfit Morecambe on January 10.

The Blues are scheduled to resume their latest Premier League campaign five days later, with a London derby clash against Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Angolan team Sagrada Esperanca have reportedly withdrawn from their first round, second leg Caf Confederation Cup tie against Orlando Pirates.

The match was scheduled to take place at the Orlando Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Bucs won the first leg encounter, away in Angola, 1-0, thanks to a Thembinkosi Lorch goal.

There will however now be no return leg, with Sagrada Esperanca vice president Bruno dos Santos having issued a letter explaining his club's withdrawal.

According to the letter, the reason behind the withdrawal is the new strain of Covid-19 which has been uncovered in South Africa, which has driven a wave of new infections.

"The risks related to team's stay in South Africa would be very high for the health of athletes, taking into account the magnitude of the contagion level and extreme lethality of the new version of the Covid-19 virus, which is prevalent in that country," read part of the statement (translated from Portuguese).

The letter also mentioned the need to "fundamentally preserve the lives of the athletes".

The Sagrada Esperanca management also reiterated their willingness to participate in Caf fixtures, but only "in perfect health security conditions,"

Angola recently shut their borders to travelers from Australia, Nigeria, South Africa and the UK.

They did however make an exception for Kaizer Chiefs, who take on Primiero Agosto in a CAF Champions League match on Tuesday, with the Amakhosi contingent already having landed in Angola.

There has not yet been any official word from 2015 Confederation Cup finalists Orlando Pirates nor from the Confederation of African Football (Caf), as per Monday morning.

Should the match not go ahead, it would likely be seen by Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer as some welcome respite in the middle of a frenetic fixture schedule.

The recently crowned MTN8 champions suffered a 1-0 league loss to Mamelodi Sundowns last weekend.

Their next domestic fixture is against Swallows FC on Sunday 10 January. After that they play Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila on the 13th, Black Leopards on the 17th, Golden Arrows on the 20th, Maritzburg United on the 23rd, TS Galaxy on the 26th and Kaizer Chiefs on the 30th.

Rangers midfielder Bongani Zungu has warned his teammates against complacency as they continue their push for the Premiership title.

The Gers extended their unbeaten league run to 22 matches on Saturday with a 1-0 victory over Celtic, thanks to Callum McGregor's own goal in the 70th minute.

Zungu came off the bench as an 87th-minute substitute for Ryan Kent in the fixture which stretched their lead in the table to a 19-point gap above second-placed Celtic.

 The 28-year-old said they are starting the New Year as a new season to continue their impressive run of results.

“This is not over. There is a lot of work still to be done and a lot of games still to be played,” Zungu told Glasgow Times. “From that point of view, we need to keep our feet on the ground and focus immediately on the next game.

“We have told ourselves already that we need to start the New Year as if the league has just started. That has to be our starting point and our motivation for the second half of the season.

“In our minds we are back to zero points and we go again. Everyone is hungry, everyone wants to play and everyone wants success.”

Zungu, who is on a season-long loan from French Ligue 2 club Amiens, is unfazed by the substitute role he has been limited to in Steven Gerrard's team.

The South Africa star is yet to start a league match in Scotland, but he has played 109 minutes of league football in eight appearances.

“One thing for me is that people are rightly talking about how important our bench is this season," he continued. “We are strong, we have a lot of quality, not just on the park but on the bench and in the squad.

“We have quality but we also have a strong mentality. I can’t speak about what happened before, but I know that anyone can come on and do a job for the team.

“We have players who can contribute. We know we need to play for the badge, we know we need to represent the club and the supporters.

“People are pushing for places and if you are not performing on the pitch then the gaffer knows he has options that he can bring on.

“At the end of the day we know we didn’t perform to our best against Celtic but we got the three points and that’s all that matters. We now move onto the next game.”

Zungu alongside Nigeria duo Leon Balogun and Joe Aribo will be hoping to help Rangers extend their unbeaten streak when they travel to Aberdeen for their next league match on Sunday.

Kevin De Bruyne is “one of the best midfielders we’ve ever seen in the Premier League” says Micah Richards, with the Manchester City talisman considered to be “a complete footballer”.

Those qualities were showcased again in the Citizens’ last outing, as they swept aside Chelsea with the minimum of fuss at Stamford Bridge.

De Bruyne made one and scored another for Pep Guardiola’s side as they downed their fellow title hopefuls 3-1 to pile more pressure on Frank Lampard.

De Bruyne is now looking to push City back into title contention this season having claimed the PFA Player of the Year award in 2019-20, and Richards says he is destined to secure a place in history as an all-time great.

The former Citizens defender told Sky Sports: “I've talked about De Bruyne for so long, he's just incredible to watch. He says he's played there before. He's just a complete footballer. 

“He can do both attacking and defensive work. It takes some beating to be better than him, it's just absolutely incredible. I think he's consistent. 

“He's so passionate and he wants to show the world what he can do because he's an absolute gem of a player. He's one of the best midfielders we've ever seen in the Premier League.”

While De Bruyne continues to set the standard for City, Guardiola has plenty of other superstar performers at his disposal.

Phil Foden has taken an elite standing at just 20 years of age, with Richards expecting big things from an academy graduate who has shown that he deserves regular starts.

Richards said after seeing the England international find the target against Chelsea: “I just want to see Foden play every single week. He's played like this before and has been left out of the team. Every time he plays he does affect the game.

“He gives so much more to the team than just goals and assists - his energy, his work rate, his desire, he's got absolutely everything.

“I've been saying this for years. I'm not comparing him to David Silva. He's an incredible talent but he deserves to be playing every single game.”

Mumbai City are in a rich vein of form but coach Sergio Lobera feels that they will be in for a tough challenge when they take on Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL) on Tuesday.  

Although the Islanders recorded a 2-0 win against Hyderabad and Kerala in their last two games, Lobera thinks that it will not be easy to score as Bengaluru are a tough nut to crack. 

"I think it's going to be a different game than the last two. Bengaluru are very compact and very good in defence. It will be difficult for us and we need to manage the situation," said the Spaniard.

"Obviously, as a coach, we need to analyse. The most important thing is not only the result but to analyse how to win. In the last game, we started very well, scored two goals but after that provided Kerala with opportunities to score. We had very good chances to close the game. A 3-0 is a very difficult result (scoreline to overcome) for any team.

"We need to improve to convert our chances and when you are leading 2-0 it's not good to concede chances for the other team to score. But I am very happy with my squad. We are improving, we are winning and we need to continue working in the same way," he added.

ATK Mohun Bagan have gone a point clear of Mumbai City after their win against NorthEast United. But with a game in hand and an opportunity to beat the Kolkata giants on January 11, Lobera wants to put no pressure on his side to reclaim the top spot. Currently, he does not want to look at the table and instead is focussing on the next match. 

"We need to enjoy playing football and put out focus in every game. Our focus now is on the game against Bengaluru. Step-by-step, game-by-game, we need to improve. At the end of the season, the table is important but now the most important thing is the next game. We don't feel any pressure. We are playing good football and we have had very good results until now. 

"I think all motivation depends on ourselves more than other teams. This doesn't depend on ATK [Mohun Bagan] or other teams' results. We need to work and improve our level in every game. The start of the season was very good for us but in this season you can see that it can change in a few games. ATK are doing a very good job but there are good teams in the competition and everything can change any time." 

Mumbai are on an enviable seven-match unbeaten streak but the former Las Palmas manager has blown away any room for complacency. 

"I'm not worried (of complacency). I have a very good team with experienced players. They know how to improve in difficult conditions. For example, we play again two days later against another big game but my players know the situation and they want to improve day by day. I'm very happy about this situation."

The former Goa coach is also unperturbed about his lacklustre record against Bengaluru (W1, D1, L4).

"The past is the past and it doesn't affect the future. These are different teams and different players. We are preparing in the same way. We need to know the small details of the opponent team that can help us. It's always very difficult to play against Bengaluru but the most important for us is to give our best."

Meanwhile, midfielder Rowllin Borges feels that the squad has adapted to Lobera's philosophy quite well and is ready to perform according to the demands of the situation.

"It was not very difficult (adapting) with players like [Ahmed] Jahouh and [Hugo] Boumous. They are quality players also for the style of play the coach wants to play.

"Every match is important for us and we are going for three points. There is pressure for me to perform in every match and I will try to help the team in every possible way I can. The formation and the role has been the same. It's just the demand of the game. If the game demands me to attack or defend, I do that. It depends on the game," the Goan stated.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have named a squad of 20 players for the Mapinduzi Cup tournament in Zanzibar.

The annual competition will kick-off on January 4 to 13 and has attracted top teams from the Mainland Premier League including Simba SC, Azam FC, and defending champions Mtibwa Sugar.

According to a list of Yanga players obtained by Goal, Kenyan keeper Farouk Shikhalo has made the cut alongside Angolan winger Carlos Carlinhos, who is returning from injury after missing most of the first-round matches in the league.

The Jangwani giants under coach Cedric Kaze, will, however, miss the services of their captain Lamine Moro and Balama Mapinduzi who are both out injured.

Other players who will miss the tournament because they are currently with the Tanzania national team Taifa Stars in Cameroon for the Chan tournament include Feisal, Kaseke, Yasin Mustapha, Farid Mussa, Bakari Mwamnyeto, and Ditram Nchimbi.

Goal also understands striker Yacoub Songne will not make the trip to Zanzibar because of injury and will thus miss the one-week tournament.

Songne, who is the current Yanga top scorer with four goals and has provided a total of four assists, injured his leg during the league match against Ihefu where they won 3-0, at Sokoine Stadium in Mbeya.

Yanga will start the tournament with a clash against Jamhuri FC at 2.15 pm on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Azam Information Officer Zakaria Thabit has revealed their readiness to win the trophy this season.

The ‘Ice Cream Makers’ have been drawn in Group C alongside Mlandege and Malindi teams, from the islands and will start their campaign against Mlandege, which will take place on January 08, at 10.15 pm before facing Malindi on January 10, at 2.15 pm, with all matches to be held at Amaan Stadium.

“The players are fine and everyone needs to show what they have so the fans can support us in achieving the goals we have set for ourselves,” Thabit told reporters in Dar es Salaam.

“We are fighting for all trophies on offer, we don’t want to leave out any trophy so we are ready to fight and return to Dar es Salaam with the trophy.”

Yanga are heading into the tournament leading their domestic league table on 44 points from 18 matches.

Former Gor Mahia and Sports Club Villa midfielder Erisa Ssekisambu has joined Tarxien Rainbows of Malta after he left Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA FC) in 2020.

Ssekisambu was among the players who were let go by KCCA during the last transfer window, and now the midfielder has landed a home in Malta.

The news of Ssekisambu’s move to Europe were attributed to his agent Ronnie Santos who is quoted by Sports Nation as saying the player has joined the club for one year.

The Ugandan will be joining what will be his seventh club in a career he launched nine years ago at SC Villa. He has also featured for Uganda Revenue Authority (URA FC) and Express FC in the Premier League.

The midfielder, in 10 appearances, scored two goals for SC Villa between 2011 and 2012. He then joined Express where his goal tally improved to four goals in 13 matches in the years 2012 and 2013.

Ssekisambu left for URA and played for them for one year where he scored seven goals in 14 matches before joining SC Villa again in 2014 to 2015 and managed to put the ball into the net 14 times in 31 games

He also played for Vipers SC – where he enjoyed personal brilliant moments – as he scored 46 goals in a total of 78 matches.

The performance for the Jogoos convinced the Kenyan Premier League giants Gor Mahia to sign him.

He had to fight for places with Nicholas Kipkirui, Jacques Tuyisenge and Francis Mustapha but the stiff competition limited his playtime a great deal as he returned to Uganda with KCCA offering him home for one year.

Both Jacques Tuyisenge and Mustapha, his fierce rivals at Gor Mahia then, have also left and it is only Kipkirui who is still plying trade with the Kenyan heavyweights.

Tarxien Rainbows is Ssekimbu’s first club outside the continent and has a huge task awaiting him ahead as the club is struggling and lie at the 14th spot of the 16-table team. They lost the previous game with a huge margin of 5-0 against Hamrun Spartans.

Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has claimed Jadon Sancho lost his focus amid links with Manchester United, admitting the winger had "already prepared for a change".

Sancho's future at Westfalenstadion was the subject of much speculation during the summer transfer window after United identified the 20-year-old as their primary target.

Negotiations went on for a few months but Dortmund ultimately stood firm on their €100 million (£90m/$123m) valuation of the winger, which the Red Devils refused to meet due to the financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Sancho's form has dropped significantly since the conclusion of the saga, with the England international only managing to score five goals in 19 appearances for Dortmund in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

Watzke thinks talk of a potential move to Old Trafford served to distract a talismanic figure who had previously played without any pressure on his shoulders.

"Subconsciously, Jadon had probably already prepared a little for a change," the Dortmund chief told Kicker. "I think he had at least thought so much about it that he lost his ease. I have found him trying very hard for weeks."

Watzke added on Sancho's struggles this season: "The biggest difference is that he used to not think about his next ball action. Now he thinks about it, and the tenth of a second that he misses is often exactly the one in which the opponent is already on his feet.

"The more you try as a creative person, the more difficult it often becomes."

Sancho bounced back by scoring in Dortmund's 2-0 victory at home to Wolfsburg at the weekend, and Watzke hopes an improved performance will serve as a springboard for the young attacker to get back to his best.

"I think he needs two or three success stories in a row, then things will quickly improve again," he said. "He is still one of the greatest talents there is."

Dortmund and Sancho will be back in action when they travel to RB Leipzig on January 9, with little margin for error remaining as they chase down current Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

Manchester United have completed their transformation from “shocking” also-rans to serious title contenders, says Roy Keane.

It has been some time since those at Old Trafford dared to dream that another top-flight crown could be captured.

Sir Alex Ferguson walked away on the back of a 13th triumph in 2013 and had to watch on as a lot of his good work unravelled under David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is now charged with the task of delivering and, having faced plenty of uncomfortable questions during his tenure, he is starting to turn the tide.

United have overcome a slow opening to their 2020-21 campaign to draw level with defending champions Liverpool at the top of the table with a game in hand.

Keane believes “confidence” has returned to the Red Devils’ ranks, with consistency finally being established after pulling home form into line with an impressive away record.

The United legend, who played in seven title successes, told Sky Sports of the battle for domestic supremacy in England this season: “There's a few [contenders]. Liverpool are the strongest, they've been slacking off, a bit sloppy.

“United have sorted out their home form. Tottenham had a good home win. You can't write Man City off. 

“We've criticised them recently because they've set such high standards over the years, but there are five to six teams who can challenge.

“[United], if they keep winning football matches. We were really critical at the start of the season. Their home form was so bad, it was shocking. Some of their performances and results. 

“Away from home they were fantastic. Even their last few victories, a bit of luck – penalty against Villa, injury-time winner against Wolves. They'll be getting confidence and belief they can at least challenge Liverpool.”

United are about to turn their attention away from Premier League matters, with their next two outings knockout meetings with Manchester City and Watford in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup competitions.

Following the cup clashes, United's next Premier League fixture is against Burnley on January 12, after which they will face rivals Liverpool at Anfield.

Hans-Joachim Watzke has expressed his belief that Erling Haaland will stay with Borussia Dortmund for at least one more season.

Haaland has been a revelation since completing a €20 million (£18m/$25m) move to Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg in January 2019. The Norwegian frontman has hit 33 goals in as many appearances for the German club, including 17 in the first half of their latest campaign.

He drew a blank in his first game back after recovering from injury on Sunday, with Manuel Akanji and Jadon Sancho grabbing the goals in a 2-0 home win over Wolfsburg.

However, interim head coach Edin Terzic will likely include Haaland in his starting XI again for a crucial trip to RB Leipzig next weekend as Dortmund aim to close the gap on current Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

The 20-year-old's list of admirers has grown since his move to Westfalenstadion, with Real Madrid now reportedly eager to bring the forward to Santiago Bernabeu as a potential long-term successor to Karim Benzema.

Manchester United and Manchester City have also been heavily linked with Haaland, but Watzke says he should try to follow the same path as Robert Lewandowski, who spent four years with Dortmund before accepting an offer from Bayern.

Asked if the former Salzburg star could depart in 2021, the Dortmund CEO told Kicker: "I don't think that will happen. Erling and his advisor Mino Raiola know what they have in us. I can only advise him to do things like Robert Lewandowski."

Watzke added on Haaland needing more time to develop his game before seeking a new challenge at a higher level: "Haaland gave himself the time to mature into an absolute world-class player in Dortmund. You won't be able to do that in a year.

"Because it is clear that if Erling should leave us at some point, then he will only go to an even bigger club, and so many are not considered.

"If you join a club like - just for an example - Real Madrid, you have to be world-class."

Haaland is contracted to remain on Dortmund's books until 2024, but it has been reported that a €75 million (£67m/$92m) release clause was included in that deal which is due to become active in the summer of 2022.

Youssef El-Arabi struck twice as Olympiacos silenced AEK Athens 3-0 in Sunday’s Greek Super League outing.

The hosts, who are chasing a record 46th Greek Super League title triumph, sailed to their 11th win of the season to stay unbeaten after 13 matches in the 2020-21 campaign.

From the blast of Danny Makkelie’s whistle, Pedro Martins’ men controlled all departments of the game as the visitors were restricted to their own half.

With just 10 minutes gone, they were presented with a fine chance to take the lead but El Arabi missed from close range. Three minutes later, he made amends by giving his team the lead - sending a superb header past goalkeeper Panagiotis Tsintotas from an assist from French midfielder Yann M'Vila.

AEK almost equalised few minutes later but Petros Mantalos’ effort did not threaten goalkeeper Jose Sa. In the 30th minute, Olympiacos nearly doubled their lead after Bruma narrowly missed the target.

Despite boasting lots of possession, the Legends could not add to their goal tally as they went into the half-time break with a slim advantage.

The visitors were presented another remarkable chance to level matters in the 51st minute but Andre Simoes could not complete his side’s counter attacking move despite having just goalkeeper Sa to beat.

After failing to convert from few centimetres five minutes earlier, El Arabi completed his double in the 68th minutes after slotting into an empty net as Tsintotas fumbled a save.

In the closing seconds of the game, substitute Mathieu Valbuena sealed the victory from the penalty spot having been fouled by Simoes in the penalty area.

Thanks to his double, former Caen and Granada man El Arabi now boasts of 13 league goals in 12 games so far. He was in action from start to finish alongside Senegal’s Ousseynou Ba. Guinean midfielder Mohamed Mady Camara was handed a starter’s role but was substituted for Tiago Silva while Egypt's Ahmed Hassan, Senegal's Pape Abou Cisse and Algeria's Hillal Soudani played no role.

Olympiacos lead the log with 35 points from 13 games - six ahead of second placed Aris who have played a game less. They are guests of Asteras Tripolis in their next outing on Wednesday.

Ghana international Patrick Twumasi opened his goal account for Hannover 96 with a double in a 4-0 home win over Sandhausen in the German Bundesliga II on Sunday.

A second half substitute, the attacker made the most of his minutes on the pitch to help his side secure all three points at HDI Arena.

It was his 11th league appearance and his eighth substitute appearance for The Reds whom he joined in a three-year deal last September.

Marvin Ducksch opened the scoring for the home side, slamming a rebound into the net after Rick Wulle paried out the first shot.

At the start of the second half, Twumasi was introduced into the game following an injury to Valmir Sulejmani.

The Ghanaian took just three minutes to announce his presence, pouncing on a Ducksch ball inside the box to hit a first-time shot beyond the goalkeeper.

Ducksch was not done for the day just yet as he netted to make it 3-0 in the 52nd minute after goalkeeper Wulle failed to hold on to an earlier shot.

A minute to full-time, Twumasi grabbed his second goal of the game, racing into the box to send a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

The win has propelled Hannover to ninth on the league table while Sandhausen sit trapped in the relegation zone.

Twumasi joined Hannover from Spanish side Deportivo Alaves who acquired him from Kazakh outfit Astana in 2018.

The attacker struggled for game time with the La Liga side in his first season, necessitating a loan move to Turkish outfit Gaziantep last term. In the Super Lig, he made 26 league appearances, starting 17 of the games and scoring six times.

He will hope to get rewarded for his fine performance with a start when The Reds play away to Darmstadt in their next game.

The 26-year-old will also hope to continue his good showing to earn the attention of Ghana coach CK Akonnor for a recall to national duty.

He was last with the national team for a 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in 2019.

Sadiq Umar found the net on three occasions as Almeria defeated SD Ponferradina 3-1 in Sunday’s Segunda outing.

The former Nigeria U23 star beat goalkeeper Jose Antonio Caro thrice in the first-half as Jose Gomes’ team began 2021 on a flying note.

Having bowed 2-1 to Espanyol their last time out, the hosts went into the clash in search of all maximum points which would do their Spanish topflight promotion bid a lot of good. And within two minutes after kick-off, Umar gave them a well-deserved lead following an assist from Ager Aketxe.

In the 21st minute, the former AS Roma forward doubled his side’s advantage by volleying home after Nikola Maras had finished off a corner-kick played by Jose Lazo.

Eight minute later, he completed his treble will a cool finish inside the six-yard box as Almeria took a three-goal lead into the half-time break. Before then, Umar had missed the chance to make it four as his shot kissed the woodwork after controlling the ball with his chest.

Looking dead and buried, Ponferradina came into the second-half to keep the scoreline respectable. Nevertheless, it was the hosts who were reduced to ten men after referee Eduardo Iglesias gave Sergio Akieme the marching orders for a dangerous play.

The numerical disadvantage gave visiting La Pofe the confidence to push forward and fortunately, they pulled one back through substitute Curro Sanchez with eight minutes left to play.

Umar who now boasts of nine goals from 14 outings in the 2020-21 season was replaced by Juan Villar. For Bolo's side, Mali's Moussa Sidibe and Niger Republic's Yac Magagi were unused substitutes.

Thanks to this result, Almeria climbed to third in the log having accrued 41 points from 20 games - a point behind leaders Espanyol, while Ponferradina remained in seventh position with 30 points from the same number of fixtures.

Umar who has been an instant hit for the Segunda side since joining them on a five-year contract from Serbian club Partizan on October 5, 2020 would be aiming to continue with his blistering form when Almeria take on Numancia in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey fixture.

Four days later, they take on Kenneth Omeruo’s Leganes in a league showdown billed for Estadio Municipal de Butarque.

It was a long wait for East Bengal to register their first-ever win in the Indian Super League (ISL) but they finally did it in their eighth match of the season as they routed Odisha FC 3-1 on Sunday at the Tilak Maidan. However, it wasn't a dominant display as the scoreline would suggest but East Bengal would gladly accept the three points, something for which they have yearned for since the start of the campaign.

It was a game that could have gone either way. Odisha created most of the chances and saw more of the ball throughout but it was East Bengal, who capitalised on their opportunities and sealed the fate of the match.

All three new signings of the January transfer window were introduced by coach Robbie Fowler. While experienced Indian defender Raju Gaikwad, who made a come back to the Red and Golds after five years, started the game, Nigerian forward Bright Enobakhare and Ankit Mukherjee came on as substitutes.

Both Gaikwad and Enobakhare had fruitful outings against Odisha. While Gaikwad's trademark long throw-in contributed to Anthony Pilkington's first goal, Enobakhare made an instant impact with a goal to make a bright start to his East Bengal career.

The Nigerian showed deft touches on the ball and worked hard in the 20-odd minutes he was on the field. He earned plaudits for his cameo appearance from pundits as well, with coach Robbie Fowler stating, "Bright (Enobakhare) was fantastic. He made the game so simple. He looks like an unbelievable player."

While the attack looked sharp and was at their very best, the performance of the East Bengal backline remains a concern for the English manager. The defence looked shaky whenever Odisha countered and had no answers to the threats they posed. Had it not been for Debjit Majumder's agility under the bar combined with the bad run of form for the Odisha attackers, Fowler's side may have had to return empty-handed yet again.

In the absence of Sehnaj Singh, Milan Singh started the match. The Manipuri midfielder had a terrible outing as he failed to put any resistance in the centre of the park and gave away possession cheaply. The return of the suspended Sehnaj will certainly help fix this issue for Fowler. 

While East Bengal finally got their first win of the season, it remained gloomy for Stuart Baxter's Odisha's who are struggling at the bottom of the league table with only two points from their first eight matches.

Baxter kept an unchanged starting lineup for the fourth consecutive match and once again, the move backfired. What message this across to the rest of the players in the squad is anyone's guess. Certainly, it won't help the confidence of the players on the bench as the coach hasn't given them aple opportunities and is persistent with those who haven't performed upto the mark.

Odisha had their moments in the game but their profligacy upfront and a leaky defence haven't helped their cause.

With a relatively young Indian contingent at his disposal, Baxter was heavily banking on his foreign players to click but except for South African midfielder Cole Alexander, none of Odisha's foreign players have delivered so far. The British coach has a tough job at hand - which is to overturn their fortunes. This is Odisha's worst ever start to their campaign and certainly, every team would jump at the opportunity of playing against them in order to uplift their season. 

After playing nine matches, ATK Mohun Bagan sit at the top of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) table with 20 points. They are a point above second-placed Mumbai City who have a game in hand. 

As the Mariners extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a 2-0 win against NorthEast United on Sunday, they also served the rest of the league a reminder. 

The fixture against the Highlanders figuratively had the words 'stalemate' written all over it. It was always going to be a battle between two teams that thrived when they defended deep and countered their opponents. 

Before the game kicked off, among all teams in the ISL this season, Bagan's passes and passing accuracy numbers were the lowest. Their opponents NorthEast United had an average possession of 42, lowest by a team this season. 

It was a slow start as expected and the first half went by without the keepers being tested. The NorthEast defence did a decent job of containing the likes of Roy Krishna and David Williams. At the other end, Carl McHugh was once against heavily involved in whatever Bagan did in their own half. 

Bagan pushed mostly through the right flank with Prabir Das marauding up and down the field against Provat Lakra. He was found in space multiple times in the first half but wasn't able to make full use of his chances. On the opposite flank, Ashutosh Mehta was doing a good job of keeping David Williams silent but the control lasted only till the break. 

In the 51st minute, Tiri flicked Edu Garcia's corner-kick onto the path of Roy Krishna who headed in the first goal. Seven minutes later, another Garcia corner found Sandesh Jhingan in the centre of the box but this time the ball was put into his own net by Benjamin Lambot as he attempted to clear the danger. In seven minutes, a goalless, tight contest turned into a one-sided affair. 

Kwesi Appiah's injury meant Nus depended on Idryssa Sylla who was clueless in the final third and didn't have enough support The Bagan defence locked their half down after taking the two-goal lead. The Highlanders were made to work hard to get back into the game and they just couldn't do it. 

Federico Gallego's deliveries into the box were the only danger that Bagan had to deal with but even they were off the mark. The only real attempt from the Uruguayan was from a free-kick which struck the crossbar. Nus made an attacking change in the 77th minute when brought on Luis Machado in place of Khassa Camara but by then, it was too late as Habas' men had taken over the field. 

The Highlanders had plenty of time to get back into the game in the second half but their response was baffling. There was little intent to trouble Arindam Bhattacharya who only had to deal with one straightforward shot on target the entire game. 

Gerard Nus has a lot of pondering to do given that NorthEast United have only won a single game in their last eight ISL outings. While they are struggling to score goals, like most ISL teams, their defence too has been shaky. The Spaniard's team are struggling to replicate or build on their early season promise. They need to start picking up points as soon as possible as the other teams are beginning to close the gap on them. 

Ronald Koeman said Barcelona were missing a target forward as they scored just once from 20 shots on goal in a 1-0 victory over Huesca, and called for the club to sign a new striker.

Lionel Messi returned to the Barcelona side after recovering from an ankle injury and Koeman opted to play him in attack alongside Martin Braithwaite and Ousmane Dembele.

The trio attempted 15 shots between them but it was Frenkie de Jong who scored the decisive goal, volleying Messi's chipped pass into the net after 27 minutes.

Koeman, who sent on Antoine Griezmann for Braithwaite nine minutes from time, admitted that he lacks a natural striker to lead the line in between the creative talents of Messi and Dembele.

"I trust each player in our squad," Koeman told reporters. "But if we choose to have three midfielders there is room for three forwards.

"With Leo we bet on someone with great depth like Dembele, and we have to choose between Martin or Antoine at the top and Martin has done it.

"It's a nine that we're missing in these games but it doesn't mean anything in regards to Antoine's substitution. We have a lot of games and we need all the players.

"We have said several times, at the beginning of the season, that we need someone at the top to have more competition and more goals, more effectiveness, but this depends on many things."

Koeman indicated that he believes improving his striking options will help reduce the pressure on Barcelona's defence, which absorbed waves of Huesca attacks as the hosts sought an equaliser late on at El Alcoraz.

Barcelona were on target with just seven of their 20 shots at goal and Koeman said they must close games out earlier to avoid nervous late spells.

"The second half was not so brilliant," admitted Koeman.

"In the end we suffer a little because they have tried to create and there have been crosses where we have defended well. If you don't close out the game earlier, you always suffer."

Looking ahead to La Liga clashes with Athletic Club and Granada, and a Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Real Sociedad, Koeman added: "This month is very important for our aspirations because we have many away games and if we win them I think we can fight.

"We have come out strong, very focused, and that is the main base we need. If we have those two things we will improve with the ball and if we can also improve in front of goal we can have a very important and good year."