All posts by rastrear-estafeta.com

This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…

The Champions League is something every big team in Europe aspires to win.

In many ways, it represents the best that club football has to offer and for that exact reason, it wouldn’t really be a stretch to state that Barcelona desperately want to get their hands on the trophy once again.

Last time that happened was in 2014/15 when the team was under Luis Enrique and ever since that moment, they’ve been extremely underwhelming in Europe.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Of course, by now everyone knows about their hiccups in Turin, Rome and Liverpool respectively as the Catalans have strung together quite an impressive series of humiliating losses.

And even though it was far from a real disaster, their latest Champions League clash was underwhelming as well, to say the least.

Barcelona travelled away to Slavia Prague and after a night filled with blood, sweat and tears, they somehow snatched away all three points with a narrow 2-1 victory.

But it was all but comfortable as Marc-Andre ter Stegen had to put a heroic display to keep the hosts away from their net and strikes from Lionel Messi and a lucky own goal sealed the deal.

Watch Lionel Messi and Gareth Bale answer the internet’s weirdest questions in the video below…

Ter Stegen himself spoke to Movistar Plus (via Goal) after the game and was clearly upset and even stated that they have a lot to discuss after such a horrible performance.

Another star that wasn’t happy was Frenkie de Jong, who lauded their victory as “lucky”.

And despite both of them being spot on with their assessments, this game could still be a blessing in disguise for the Blaugrana.

After all, it seems they are all aware of the problem and are willing to work on finding the solution as soon as possible. Besides, it’s better for these kinds of games to happen now, in the group stages, than later on when the Catalans can’t really afford another hiccup along the way.

By all standards, the squad is still experiencing big issues and it will be up to Valverde to try and find the necessary solution in the near future.

But the clash against Slavia Prague, no matter how uncomfortable or even embarrassing it was, can serve the purpose of being a wake-up call of sorts, an alarm bell ringing in their ears and signalling that something has to change.

Of course, we’ll have to wait and see if Barcelona get the message and patch up the holes in time.

If they don’t, we all know what could be coming in those knockout stages.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen De Gea display this facet of his game, with the 28-year-old also showcasing his quick feet in a Premier League fixture against Fulham in 2012.

It seems that Barcelona and Real Madrid will have to wait a bit longer for their first big clash of the season.

El Clasico is now officially postponed amid the unrest in Catalonia due to the heavy protests that have been raging for the last couple of days.

And since the whole situation would not be safe for both the fans and the players playing at the Camp Nou, the best course of action is to wait until the coast is clear and safety can be guaranteed for everyone.

Watch Spanish Football Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Even though the moving of the match to a later date is not ideal for many of the supporters who had already booked their tickets and the ones eagerly expecting the first Clasico of the season, it will be quite good for Ousmane Dembele, Barcelona’s 22-year-old star.

The Frenchman received a direct red card from referee Mateu Lahoz in Blaugrana’s last clash against Sevilla and with a two-game ban to his name, he was bound to miss the game vs Real Madrid.

But since the clash is being moved, Dembele should be eligible to play against Los Blancos if everything goes according to the plan.

Needless to say, many Barcelona fans were thrilled upon hearing this update but some are still sceptical and are saying that there’s still time for Dembele to get injured along the way.

This was a dig at his recent injury woes and his inability to stay fit.

You can see their mixed reactions down in the tweets below:

Rangers are continuing to keep tabs on Lawrence Shankland, according to a report by The Daily Record.

According to Chronicle Live, the Light Blues were reportedly interested in signing the prolific forward in the summer once his contract with Ayr United came to an end, however the 24-year-old decided to move to Scottish Championship outfit Dundee United.

Whilst Rangers had scout Billy McLaren keeping an eye on his performances at Tannadice – in which he witnessed Shankland hit his latest hat-trick in their win against Morton at the weekend – Old Firm rivals Celtic are also said to have had one of their club officials in attendance.

Valued at £405k by Transfermarkt, Shankland’s stock within Scottish football has continued to rise immensely over the last 12 months or so as he has proven to be rather lethal when it comes to finding the back of the net.

According to the Glasgow Evening Times, the 24-year-old has already managed to bag 15 goals this season – taking his tally to 78 over the last three campaigns.

Those performances have brought in some suggestions that he should be rewarded with a Scotland call-up by Steve Clarke, as Mark Hendry believes there would be no harm in trying him out at that level because of the position in which they find themselves in their Euro 2020 qualifying group.

Indeed, with the current goalscoring exploits of Alfredo Morelos and Jermain Defoe (22 goals between them across all competitions so far), there may not be a need for a new striker at Ibrox just at this moment. However, adding a player of Shankland’s quality would only have to be considered a good thing for Rangers as there are not any other options available to Gerrard.

Shankland continues to be in fine goalscoring form despite having moved from Ayr United to Dundee United this summer and is continuing to build his profile within the domestic game, therefore making it hardly surprising Rangers are maintaining an interest in him.

Indeed, should the Light Blues look to bring the 24-year-old hitman to Ibrox in the future, they may have an advantage over some of the other competition as the forward has admitted it would be a dream move for him to play for the club he supported (Evening Times).

Rangers fans, would you like to see Shankland at Ibrox in the future? Let us know your thoughts by sharing them in the comments section below!

Liverpool earned a thrilling 4-3 victory over Red Bull Salzburg on Wednesday, but despite their first Champions League win this season, many fans share concerns over the performance of Joe Gomez.

The 22-year-old made only his fourth start of this campaign, excluding the Community Shield, but the Reds’ defence looked more fragile with him alongside Virgil van Dijk compared to Joel Matip, who has impressed many this term.

That could be a worry for some ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Leicester at the weekend, particularly as they put five past Newcastle in their last game.

Watch Liverpool Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Despite impressing in terms of stats, with five tackles, three interceptions, and a pass accuracy of 84%, Gomez was often caught out defensively due to his poor positioning, according to fans.

As a result, he played a role in the visitors coming back level with three goals, before Mo Salah struck the winner.

Some supporters have acknowledged the fact he hasn’t played often this season, but others have overlooked his lack of fitness and decided to criticise the defender, as the following reactions show…

[ad_pod ]

Manchester City got the first trophy of the season on the board on Sunday, but Liverpool fans have found a reason to be optimistic despite their title rival’s success.

Liverpool clawed themselves back to the top of the league this weekend, drawing 0-0 at Old Trafford in a really poor match.

Manchester United offered very little going forward barring the odd set piece flashed across goal, and Jurgen Klopp’s side were equally incapable of breaking down their opponents.

Meanwhile, their title rivals beat Chelsea on penalties to retain the Carabao Cup, with ex-Red Raheem Sterling scoring the winning spot kick.

It wasn’t all plain sailing for Pep Guardiola’s side though, as both Aymeric Laporte and Fernandinho left Sunday’s cup final, and Guardiola confirmed they could have serious problems.

“(They both) felt something, muscular, they will be out for some weeks,” the Spaniard said, as reported by GOAL.com’s Sam Lee.

Laporte has become City’s most trustworthy centre back this season, while Fernandinho’s absence could be an even bigger loss – the Brazilian missed the defeats to Crystal Palace and Leicester.

You can find some of the best Twitter reactions down below…

[ad_pod ]Danny Mills believes Leeds United need to score more if they want to secure promotion to the Premier League. In other news, one-legged ducks swim in circles.It doesn’t take a genius to realise that those who want to emerge unscathed from the bloodbath that is the 46-game Championship season need to bag a fair amount of times in order to do so.Norwich City, last year’s title winners, topped the charts with 93 goals. Before them, Wolves finished on 82. Heading further back, Newcastle United secured their promotion to the Premier League with 85 in 2016/17. Keep looking back and you’ll notice a trend: goals are important, who would have thought it?Watch Leeds United Live Streams With StreamFootball.tv Below

Leeds’ draw against league strugglers and rivals Derby County was disappointing. Statistically speaking, the game should’ve gone to the hosts, who registered 63 per cent possession and 13 attempts at goal, five of which were on target.

But it didn’t, and the Rams left Elland Road the happier of the two sides once more (lest we forget the play-off tie).

Former Elland Road ace Mills weighed in on the performance with his elite punditry skills…

Aston Villa winger Trezeguet could still leave the club over the coming weeks and has interest from Turkey, according to Birmingham Live.

The Lowdown: Trezeguet’s injury-hit season

Trezeguet, who Gregg Evans felt was the ‘scapegoat’ early in his Villa career, has made just one appearance all season.

The Egyptian has missed the majority of the campaign with a knee problem, with Steven Gerrard describing the 27-year-old as a ‘unique situation’ last month.

He’s currently away with his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, where Egypt are in the final against Senegal, and it seems as if his time in the Midlands could be up this month.

The Latest: Interest from Turkey

According to Birmingham Live, Trezeguet may still depart the club this winter and has interest from Turkey, with their transfer window not closing until Tuesday.

He has been included in Gerrard’s revised Premier League squad list for the second half of the season but now has two days to seal a move to Turkey.

The Verdict: Time to go?

Should Trezeguet leave, Gerrard would be left with four wingers, two on either side, which should be more than enough for the remainder of the season. Ollie Watkins has also turned out on the wing under Gerrard, so a move away for Trezeguet could be best for all parties involved.

Johan Lange will have to be quick, though, especially as sides in the Super Lig have until Tuesday to finalise their winter business.

Villa forked out £9m for Trezeguet back in 2019 and he is still valued at that figure, so you’d expect Villa may be looking at recouping the majority of that in any permanent transfer.

In other news: Villa and Lange now set to sign another young gem for Gerrard; personal terms agreed. 

A worrying injury setback has emerged involving Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar…

What’s the latest?

According to The Chronicle, the Switzerland centre-back has pulled out of his country’s matches over the international break after suffering a knock this week. The report claimed that the Magpies are set to assess his situation in the coming days to get a grasp on the severity of the issue.

Injury expert Ben Dinnery tweeted: “The Swiss Football Federation confirms Fabian Schar will play no part in the upcoming friendlies against England and Kosovo due to an adductor problem.”

Scrambling

This update will surely leave Eddie Howe scrambling, as losing Schar would be a huge blow to Newcastle heading into the final couple of months of the Premier League campaign.

The defender has been in fine form since the turn of the year and has established a strong partnership with Dan Burn at the back. His performances recently led to Howe saying: “Fabian is someone I’ve always admired. A really good footballing centre-back. The most important thing for me is, if you take away the football side, he’s defended very well.”

Schar has played 10 Premier League matches in 2022 and played a crucial role in the club’s rise from the bottom three to 14th in the table as it stands. Newcastle have lost just two of his 10 outings this year and both of them came in 1-0 losses, away to Chelsea and Everton respectively.

He went unbeaten in his first eight games of the year as the Magpies won six out those matches, keeping three clean sheets along the way. Schar also played his part at the other end of the pitch, scoring in the win over Brighton and setting up Joe Willock’s goal to beat Brentford.

In 19 league appearances this term, the Swiss tank has averaged a solid SofaScore rating of 6.87. He has been a reliable performer throughout the campaign, and the Magpies’ recent record with him in the team suggests that it would be a huge blow to lose him as they have been stringing together excellent results of late.

Therefore, Howe will be scrambling to ensure that Newcastle get the best possible treatment for Schar in order for him to be back fit and ready to play as quickly as possible. Based on the defender’s performances in the top flight, the Magpies will surely be fuming if he is unable to select the 30-year-old in the club’s upcoming fixtures.

AND in other news, NUFC eye £49.5m-rated “phenomenon” who’s a “work of art”, he’d ignite St James’ Park…

On the back of a strong campaign last year, West Ham United have continued to move in the right way this season. With a good start, they have put themselves into contention for the top four in the Premier League, and also made big strides in Europe, qualifying top of their Europa League group.The Europa League success they are having, in particular, is a strong highlight for them. Despite a long list of very strong Champions League teams entering the competition, the latest UEFA Europa League odds have West Ham at 9/1, which makes them joint-fourth favourites to win the competition.There will be a lot of focus on West Ham, but also elsewhere, with the likes of Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and Sevilla all now in the Europa League, and sure to feature amongst Europa League betting tips in the future. The task for West Ham has become a lot harder since the arrival of those Champions League big names, and others, but it is a sign of just how far West Ham have come and how much they’ve impressed in this competition, that they are still near the top of the betting.You only need to go back a couple of years and fans would not have thought this was possible.

West Ham’s European Success

West Ham were one of the highlights of the group stage, qualifying top of the group to avoid the forthcoming playoff round and finishing with 13 points. That was incredibly important for the Hammers, as that means they avoid the big Champions League teams, for now -Âthose who finished second in the group stageÂhave to face one of those.

They averaged almost two goals per game and conceded just three in the group stage, against some good teams for the level and in some tough environments when they played away from home. Their first game was perhaps the toughest, and resulted in a good 2-0 away win over Dinamo Zagreb, to kick off their campaign in style and give the team a lot of confidence.

Premier League Growth

While the top four may be a little out of reach this season, despite a very strong start, the top six is certainly on, and that would mean a return to European football next season, regardless of where they finish in the Europa League. Of course, winning the Europa League would mean a place in the Champions League next season, which would be huge for the club.

The biggest question for West Ham may be whether they can keep up their challenge in both competitions. In theirÂ2-0 loss to Arsenal, West Ham looked a little tired and struggled in the game, things are only going to get worse.

At some point, the club may have to prioritise one over the other and rest some players for a game they would rather not. However, the fact that West Ham are even making these decisions should be seen as a positive to how they have played recently, and where the club currently is.

Image from: unsplash.com