Sports

Alisson’s error costs Liverpool to fall again, beaten 1-3 by Leicester

Published

4 years ago

February 13, 2021

Trends Admin

It never rains but pours, for Liverpool, and no thanks yet again to Alisson Becker’s error.

If anything could sum up the Reds’ season then here it was, all wrapped in one horrific, seven-minute bundle.

All of a sudden, the world’s best goalkeeper has started making mistakes.

After his two howlers against Manchester City last weekend came another at the King Power Stadium, as Leicester struck a crucial blow in the battle for a top-four place with a 3-1 victory that was as farcical as it could be damaging, for Jurgen Klopp’s champions.

Liverpool looked on course for three vital points, 1-0 up with just 12 minutes remaining. Mo Salah’s wonderful finish, from a sublime Roberto Firmino assist, had given them a deserved advantage, reward for an enterprising and surprisingly-confident performance away from home.

They’d even had a bit of fortune, too, with Jamie Vardy hitting the crossbar when clean through and VAR overturning a penalty awarded for a foul on Harvey Barnes by Thiago Alcantara. Things were looking up.

And then they weren’t.

First, James Maddison’s free-kick, awarded instead of the Barnes spot-kick, found its way into the far corner. Up went the flag, but after a lengthy review, VAR deemed that Firmino had played Leicester’s onrushing men, none of whom got a touch, onside. It was 1-1.

OK, so a point away from home to a rival can’t be sniffed at, yeah? Think again. Within three minutes, the Reds’ world had caved in.

There appeared to be little danger when Youri Tielemans aimed a diagonal in the vague direction of Barnes, right to left.

Ozan Kabak, the debutant, looked to have it covered, but Alisson raced from his line to confuse the situation. Kabak, stretching, got to the ball, but steered it against his goalkeeper and straight to Jamie Vardy, who virtually walked the ball home for 2-1.

Vardy strummed the corner flag like a guitar, while goalkeeper and defender simply looked at one another. Everyone else, meanwhile, wondered what the hell had just occurred. “A misunderstanding,” Klopp called it. You could say that.

There were only nine minutes remaining and yet somehow it got worse for his side. Alisson had to make a genuinely incredible double-save to deny Barnes and Vardy almost immediately, and he was left exposed once more as Barnes latched onto Wilfried Ndidi’s pass to finish confidently for his 12th goal of the season.

From 1-0 up to 3-1 down, in the space of seven absurd minutes; Klopp looked like he could strangle someone on the touchline, and no wonder.

He argued with somebody behind him in the stands, and looked incredulously at those on the pitch; no answers, no explanation. What on earth is happening to his team?

They had looked decent for the most part, too. They’d pressed well, created opportunities and fashioned a superb goal for themselves.

They’d done the hard bit but, as against City last week, they finished the game dreadfully and paid the price, conceding three times in the blink of an eye.

They’re under pressure now for a Champions League spot, make no mistake about that. They are woefully out of form and their destiny is no longer in their own hands. If the teams below them win their games in hand, they could fall to ninth. Ninth!

Everton, who face the Reds next weekend, will be licking their lips. They haven’t won at Anfield since 1999, but they may never have a better chance to end that particular hoodoo.

-Goals,com

Sports

Barcelona go three points clear after beating Osasuna

Published

2 days ago

March 28, 2025

Trends Admin

Barcelona go three points clear after beating Osasuna

Barcelona beat Osasuna in their rearranged La Liga fixture to move three points clear at the top of the table.

The game was meant to be played on 8 March but was called off 20 minutes before kick-off after the death of Barcelona’s first-team doctor Carles Minarro Garcia.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick criticised the timing of this rescheduled match, coming a day after the end of the international break – with 27-goal Raphinha missing out after travelling back from Brazil duty.

“It’s disrespectful to the club to schedule that match on that date, no matter what club it is,” Barca defender Jules Kounde told DAZN.

“I think that beyond the lack of respect for the clubs, it’s a lack of respect for the players, because we have to understand that we’re not machines.”

Kounde played a full 90 minutes plus extra time and penalties in France’s victory over Croatia in the Nations League on Sunday.

Barcelona go three points clear after beating Osasuna

Sports

Messi-less Argentina thrash Brazil 4-1 to secure World Cup qualification

Published

4 days ago

March 26, 2025

Trends Admin

Messi-less Argentina thrash Brazil 4-1 to secure World Cup qualification

Argentina qualified for the 2026 World Cup with a stunning 4-1 victory over archrivals Brazil in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.

Julian Alvarez, Enzo Fernandez, Alexis MacAllister, and Giuliano Simeone clinched an impressive victory for the world champions, who had already been assured of a World Cup spot following Bolivia’s 0-0 draw with Uruguay earlier Tuesday.

The goalless draw created a joyous mood at the Estadio Monumental before a ball was kicked, and Argentina continued the party with a scorching performance.

Alvarez of Atletico Madrid opened the scoring after only six minutes, latching onto Thiago Almada’s through cross and finishing from close range beyond Brazil goalkeeper Bento.

Argentina’s fortunes improved six minutes later when Chelsea’s Fernandez scored the hosts’ second goal of the night after Brazil’s back four failed to deal with a low cross.

Messi-less Argentina thrash Brazil 4-1 to secure World Cup qualification

Sports

Nigeria’s Super Eagles falter in W’Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe, S’Africa lead, Egypt, Morocco qualify

Published

4 days ago

March 26, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigeria’s Super Eagles falter in W’Cup qualifiers against Zimbabwe, S’Africa lead, Egypt, Morocco qualify

Nigeria’s Super Eagles on Tuesday conceded a last-minute goal that dealt a major blow to their 2026 World Cup qualifying hopes.
While the Nigerian team failed to beat Zimbabwe in their sixth game played in
Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Bafana Bafana of South Africa defeated Benin 2-0 to consolidate the top spot.

The South African team leads with 13 points from six rounds, five clear of Rwanda (which drew with Lesotho 1-1) and Benin. Nigeria stayed fourth in the group with just seven points.
Elsewhere, Egypt and Morocco all but booked their places at next year’s tournament.
In the game between Nigeria and Zimbabwe, Victor Osimhen with a powerful header put the Super Eagles on course to claim just their second win in Group C after Friday’s 2-0 victory over Rwanda had rekindled their qualification hopes.
But the 21-year-old Chirewa, a late substitute, equalized in the 90th minute to earn Zimbabwe’s draw.
Eric Chelle, Super Eagles coach, named the same line-up that started the team’s 2-0 win over Rwanda on Friday.
Washington Arubi, the Zimbabwean goalkeeper, produced a couple of impressive saves to keep Nigeria at bay.
The goalkeeper clawed out a swerving header from Osimhen before denying the striker a few minutes later with another acrobatic dive to save a shot fizzing into his top corner.
Nigeria’s Super Eagles have three more matches in September and October to finally determine their fate for the next World Cup proper.
They are to meet Rwanda, South Africa and Lesotho on September 8, October 6 and October 13 respectively.
Only the nine group winners secure automatic qualification. The four best-placed runners-up will compete to be the African contender in FIFA’s six-country playoff for the last two qualification spots at the World Cup next year in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

How They Stand Now

South Africa — 13 points
Rwanda — 8 points
Benin Republic — 8 points
Nigeria — 7 points
Lesotho — 6 points
Zimbabwe — 4 points