El Clásico: Barcelona Vs Real Madrid, Predicted Lineups, Team News And Injury Update

Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to clash in their first La Liga El Clásico of the season for the fourth consecutive year in late October. Both teams aim to gain an early advantage in the league. Real Madrid holds a slight edge in their head-to-head history with 77 wins, 35 draws, and 74 losses. However, Barcelona could take pride in their 2-1 victory in the last encounter, which played a crucial role in securing their 27th league title.

A win in this match would propel Barcelona above Real Madrid in the league standings, even though Barcelona remains the only team yet to suffer a loss in La Liga this season, boasting seven wins and three draws. Their recent 2-1 Champions League triumph over Shakhtar Donetsk further showcased their unbeaten run in all competitions, with ten wins and three draws.

Barcelona has been dominant at home, winning all five of their La Liga fixtures, with four of them ending with clean sheets, although their last three victories required late goals, including a memorable 23-second strike by 17-year-old Marc Guiu against Athletic Bilbao. The team's injury concerns may lead to the inclusion of several young talents in the lineup.

Barcelona Predicted Lineup

On the other hand, Real Madrid has only suffered one loss this season in competitive matches, securing 11 wins and one draw. Their recent 2-1 victory over Braga saw Rodrygo ending a goal drought, with Vinícius Júnior playing a pivotal role. The team appears to be in top form as they approach this highly anticipated fixture.

Despite some concerns about Jude Bellingham's late withdrawal, Real Madrid's manager Carlo Ancelotti remains optimistic. Real Madrid has enjoyed success in recent away matches against Barcelona, with only one loss in their last six meetings, including a resounding 4-0 victory in the Copa del Rey semi-final second-leg last April.

Key players to watch include Ferran Torres, who has been influential in Barcelona's recent matches with three goal contributions in his last three league games against Real Madrid. Vinícius Jr has a history of breaking the deadlock in El Clásico matches, as he opened the scoring in Real's 4-0 win last season.

Both teams have displayed an exciting trend of scoring goals in both halves in their last six La Liga head-to-head encounters, with Real Madrid winning four of those matchups.

Chelsea Vs Brentford: Predicted Lineup, Team News And Injury Update

Chelsea, after a shaky start to the season, are demonstrating significant improvement under the guidance of Mauricio Pochettino. This progress was notably evident in their recent match against Arsenal, where they held a two-goal lead but settled for a 2-2 draw. While Pochettino expressed disappointment over not securing a win, he also took pride in extending their unbeaten streak to four matches in all competitions (W3, D1).

One consistent theme in Chelsea's recent performances is their early-game strength. They are among the rare few teams in the Premier League that have not trailed at half-time this season. Additionally, their attacking prowess has significantly improved this month, with eight goals scored in just three October matches, in contrast to only one goal in September.

Their upcoming opponents, Brentford, share the distinction of not conceding before half-time in Premier League matches. Despite their struggles to maintain results in the past, Brentford gained momentum with a 3-0 victory over Burnley in their last match, ending a six-game winless streak (D3, L3).

Chelsea Predicted Lineup

The journey to Stamford Bridge from Brentford is relatively short, and Chelsea's home record has not been particularly strong, with just one win in 12 Premier League games (D6, L5). Remarkably, Brentford has won both of their previous head-to-head encounters at Stamford Bridge since their promotion to the top flight.

Key players to watch include Chelsea's Mykhailo Mudryk, who has scored both of his goals against London opponents (Fulham and Arsenal), and Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo, who played a crucial role in their recent away victories against Chelsea and contributed to three goals in those matches (G1, A2). He was also on the scoresheet in the win against Burnley last weekend.

A notable statistic is that only two of the last ten head-to-head meetings between Chelsea and Brentford saw both teams scoring.

Chelsea vs Arsenal: Predicted Lineup, Team News and Injury Update

Arsenal will face Chelsea in the most exciting and anticipated London Derby on Saturday 21st October at Stamford Bridge. The Blues will once again push to get another win this Saturday but it won't be easy for them as the Gunners have been in good form since the beginning of the season.

The return of Recce James and Badiashile from injury is a great boost for Chelsea.

Unavailable players include Ben Chilwell (Thigh injury), Chukwuemeka (knee injury), Wesley Fofana (knee injury), Romeo Lavia (Ankle injury), Christopher Nkunku (Knee injury), and Timber J (knee injury).

Questionable players include Badiashile, Recce James, Armando Broja, Cole Palmer, Chalobah, Disasi, and Bettinelli for Chelsea. While for Arsenal, Saka, Saliba, and Trossard. These are players who are not 100% fit but are available for selection depending on the decision of the Head coach to play them.

Kavanagh C. is the Official Referee for the match.

Sheikh Jassim's Bold Manchester United Bid rejected by the Glazers.

After intense negotiations with the Glazers, he falls short of meeting their valuation, leading to the bittersweet decision to withdraw from the purchase process. While his team remains tight-lipped due to confidentiality constraints, they've confirmed this unexpected turn of events.

Sheikh Jassim's proposal was nothing short of remarkable. He pledged over $1.5 billion for the club's development, including a new stadium, top-notch training facilities, player acquisitions, and community revitalization projects. His vision was to become the "dream owner," relieving the club of its financial burdens.

What set Sheikh Jassim apart was his offer to buy the entire club, unlike other potential investors like Jim Ratcliffe, who aimed for a minority stake. This ambitious endeavor aimed to pave the way for a new era at Manchester United.

As we await the Glazers' decision, the football world holds its breath. Will they opt for Ratcliffe's minority offer, or will Sheikh Jassim's audacious dreams continue to echo in the hearts of Manchester United fans? The future remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Sheikh Jassim's vision has left an indelible mark on the footballing landscape. ⚽✨

All you need to know about Osimhen's Penalty Drama and Napoli's TikTok Controversy.

Osimhen’s missed penalty kick in last weekend’s stalemate at Bologna was then followed by a bizarre post on Napoli’s official TikTok account.

The video was said to have appeared to mock the Nigeria international, with the forward threatening to take legal action late Tuesday.

However, Osimhen brushed off the scrutiny to end his four-game goal drought with a smart finish in the 39th minute in Naples to fire the hosts up to seventh in the table.

After the penalty kick drama of Sunday, it took Napoli only a quarter of an hour to be awarded another penalty kick when Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was fouled inside the area.

Video assistant review (VAR) was called, and eventually, the penalty was awarded, but instead of Osimhen, Piotr Zielinski took responsibility. He rolled the ball into the bottom corner after 19 minutes to make it 1-0 at Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

Garcia’s out-of-form side were firmly in the ascendancy now, with Kvaratskhelia, Osimhen and Mario Rui forcing saves from Marco Silvestri in the Udinese goal.

Silvestri had no answer to Osimhen in the 39th minute when Matteo Politano slipped through last season’s leading marksman, who drilled into the net for his fourth goal this season.

Osimhen was initially reluctant to celebrate.

But after some anxious glances towards the assistant referee, no offside flag was raised, and he embraced his teammates while feeling the support of a raucous home crowd.

Further applause followed in the 63rd minute when Osimhen was replaced by Giovanni Simeone, who would find the net but not before Kvaratskhelia.

Napoli release official statement in response to Victor Osimhen case 🔵🇳🇬

“Calcio Napoli, wishing to avoid any exploitation of the issue, point out that we never wanted to offend or mock Victor Osimhen, who is a treasure of this club”.

“As proof of that, during the summer training retreat, the Club firmly rebuffed every offer that was received for the striker’s transfer abroad”.

“Social media, in particular TikTok, has always used an expressive form of language with a light heart and creativity, without wanting to, as in the case with Osimhen as protagonist, have any intention of insult or derision”.

“In any case, if Victor perceived any offence towards him, this was not what the club intended”.

Victor Osimhen decides to release personal statement about Napoli case 🔵

“Coming to the City of Naples in 2020 was a wonderful decision for me. The People of Napoli have shown me so much love and kindness, and I will not allow anyone to come between us”.

“The passion of the People of Naples fuels my fire to always play with my heart and soul, and the love for the badge is unwavering as I wear it with pride”.

“The accusations against People of Naples are untrue. I have a lot of friends that are Napolitans and have become part of my family and everyday life. I appreciate Nigerians and everyone for leading their voices to support and reach out to me”.

“I’m forever grateful. Let’s support unity, respect and understanding”.

“FORZA NAPOLI SEMPRE”, Osimhen added.