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Having secured the Championship title and an instant return to the Premier League last season by securing 94 points, Newcastle United fans would have been hopeful of a successful top flight campaign – as long as Rafa Benitez stayed with the club.

That wasn’t a certainty even after they went up, with the Spaniard unhappy that he hadn’t been backed by owner Mike Ashley during the January transfer window as he looked to get the players in that he felt would ensure promotion.

However, just days after they secured the trophy, the 57-year-old held positive talks with Ashley and decided to stay after the duo agreed on their summer transfer strategy.

It is fair to say that strategy probably didn’t go to plan though, and while he would have been happy to bring the likes of Joselu, Jacob Murphy, Mikel Merino and Florian Lejeune to St James’ Park, he would have been disappointed that he didn’t strengthen his team even further with more players with Premier League experience.

Benitez would certainly have liked to have brought in a new goalkeeper, and it certainly wouldn’t have been a surprise if he wanted a left-back and another striker as well.

However, that never happened and the former Liverpool and Real Madrid boss had to make do with what he had at his disposal to January.

Things weren’t looking good after the opening two Premier League matches with two successive defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and fellow newly-promoted side Huddersfield Town with no goals scored.

Their fortunes soon changed though and three straight wins followed against West Ham United, Swansea City and Stoke City as the Magpies moved into the top-half of the table.

Following another disappointing 1-0 defeat against the team they narrowly beat to the Championship title – Brighton and Hove Albion – Newcastle would have known that they needed to bounce back again, and once again they succeeded.

Draws against Liverpool and Southampton were followed by a much-needed three points against Crystal Palace in October – the last time the Tyneside outfit won a top flight match.

Since then, they have only taken one point from the possible 18 available and while they have suffered somewhat expected defeats away against Manchester United and Chelsea, home defeats against Watford, Bournemouth and a loss at Burnley were more disappointing.

With 15 matches of the season gone, Newcastle have been beaten by Huddersfield, Brighton, Burnley, Bournemouth and Watford and while it may be understandable given matches between teams outside of the top six have been so tight, Benitez and the club’s supporters will also be disappointed.

While it is clear to see that the Magpies don’t have the best team or squad in the English top flight and things are complicated off the pitch with owner Mike Ashley putting the club up for sale , those fans may have expected that with the experienced Spaniard at the helm that they would be doing better than they are right now.

Having led Liverpool to Champions League success and managed other big clubs like Real Madrid and Napoli in his career, Benitez should have the experience and know-how to not only get the best out of his players, but also to pick up positive results.

The 57-year-old should also be experienced in getting teams out of slumps, and that is exactly what Newcastle find themselves in right now.

Quick-fire home matches against Leicester City and Everton at St James’ Park this week give the Tyneside outfit the perfect opportunity to do just that, and Benitez needs to show his managerial class and experience to help the Magpies to at least four points with difficult-looking fixtures against Arsenal and leaders Manchester City on the horizon before 2018.

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When Manchester United and Chelsea faced off last season, it was a tale of two games. United were soundly thrashed by the Blues at Stamford Bridge, before it was the Red Devils’ turn to inflict damage to Antonio Conte’s title-winners

Their 4-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge actually sparked something of a revival for Jose Mourinho’s side, when they went on a long – if fairly unproductive – unbeaten run, whilst the 2-0 defeat for Chelsea at Old Trafford was their final defeat of the Premier League season, and they won every other league game.

It’s hard to imagine the styles of the two sides being significantly different next season. Conte will surely have to rotate his side more as European football becomes a factor, whilst you’d expect Mourinho to be a little more adventurous, but other than that, both sides will look to be solid in defence and explosive on the counter-attack, just as they were last season.

And yet, the summer could be vitally important on that level.

For one thing, both sides could find themselves harbouring two new strikers. Romelu Lukaku is said to have turned down approaches from Manchester United to favour a move to Chelsea, whilst United themselves look to have been busy on the transfer front, with reported moves for defender Victor Lindelof as well as Alvaro Morata.

What that means in practice is that United could have a new centre-back pairing of Eric Bailly and Victor Lindelof. Both men are physical and pacey as well as cool and composed on the ball, which hints that United could be well-built to deal with the threat that physical strikers like Lukaku cause.

Chelsea, meanwhile, will presumably stick to the back three formation which captivated English football last season. It remains to be seen whether Chelsea will have to change that in order to be less predictable next year, but if they don’t, they could be in for problems against teams like Manchester United, who, with the arrival of Morata, would be set up quite nicely to take advantage of an obvious weakness of the system.

The Spanish striker is, essentially, a focal point. He’s not as immobile as Ibrahimovic, but he does lead the line in a way that easily enables link-up play with his teammates. He’ll work the channels and create space for others, and against a back three, that could see centre backs pulled out of position.

It will also allow pacey wide players – Henrikh Mkhitaryan and probably even Marcus Rashford – to run beyond their striker. That means exploiting the spaces in behind the wing-backs and either side of the centre backs – that space which was so often seen as a weakness in Chelsea’s system last season, though most pointed to a vulnerability to aerial dominance rather than pace.

The other big aspect to the first meeting between these two sides next season is the timing of the encounter: it will take place at Stamford Bridge just days after the fourth Champions League group stage games. And so the draw could be crucial in deciding if either side can play a weakened team or will have to travel a long distance to play a European game.

Like all of the fixtures announced, there are so many variables before we get to the game, but the summer will be crucial: if United can add a man to link up their counter attacks, and Chelsea only add players who fit with their 3-4-3 sort of system, that’s the kind of thing that can decide games like this one.

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This weekend sees two Premier League giants go toe-to-toe as Arsenal head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United.

United will be desperate to get one over on their rivals and close the gap on fourth place, which the Gunners currently occupy.

The occasion will also be made all the more heated by the presence of managers Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger, with the two rarely seeing eye to eye in the past.

Earlier in the week, we ran a poll asking United fans which Arsenal players they would like to see Jose Mourinho sign in the coming transfer window.

With Arsenal outperforming United in the league over the past few seasons, there were naturally a few assets the Red Devils supporters are keen on recruiting.

A number of fans put aside their bias and had their say on which of Wenger’s men they would have in the United first team.

We can exclusively reveal the results of our poll with a rundown of the top five!

5. SHKRODAN MUSTAFI

At number five we have Arsenal new boy, Shkrodan Mustafi.

The £35m signing has adjusted to life in the Premier League very quickly and looks to have solved the centre-back problem that has plagued the Gunners backline for so long.

United currently have something of a defensive problem themselves with Chris Smalling in inconsistent form of Eric Bailly facing a long spell on the sidelines. It would appear some United fans are regretting not signing the dominant German themselves.

4. LAURENT KOSCIELNY

Rather than just bringing in one of Arsenal’s centre-backs, it seems United fans would rather have the whole partnership as Koscielny comes in at number four.

It’s only natural they would covet the Frenchman, who has arguably been the most consistent defender in the Premier League over the past five years.

The 31-year-old would immediately shore up a United defence that has kept only four clean sheets in eleven games this season and is just preferred to his German partner.

3. ALEXIS SANCHEZ

Alexis Sanchez is one of the few world-class players in the Premier League, and it is therefore a surprise to see him down in number three.

The Chilean boasts an impressive 33 goals in 73 games for Arsenal despite often playing as a winger and has adjusted to his new striker position well this campaign, hitting six goals in ten games.

Sanchez would undoubtedly be an improvement on Marcus Rashford for United’s left-wing spot and on current form would even oust Zlatan Ibrahimovic up top.

2. HECTOR BELLERIN

At number two we have Arsenal’s flying right-back Hector Bellerin.

The Spaniard has possibly beaten the more prestigious Sanchez because he has the potential to improve so much in the future, despite already being a regular in the Gunners first team.

At 21 years of age, he is already a more accomplished right-back than both Antonio Valencia and Matteo Darmian.

Fortunately for United fans, Bellerin is set to miss out Saturday’s game (and the next few weeks) due to injury.

1. MESUT OZIL

Finally, at number one, we have Mesut Ozil.

Despite having a difficult time with form and injury early in his Gunners career, Ozil has become not only one of the key players for Arsenal, but also one of the most accomplished in the Premier League.

There are very few teams the playmaker wouldn’t command an immidate place in at the moment and it appears United fans would jump at the opportunity to have him orchestrating their attacks.

Ozil also enjoyed some of the best form of his career under Jose Mourinho at Real Madrid, racking up an incredible 47 assists in three seasons.

Click the next button to see the results in full.

FINAL RESULTS

David Beckham, Gary Neville and the rest of Manchester United's Class of '92 who co-own Salford City are looking for new investors for the club.

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• Beckham, Neville and Co, own Salford
• Group looking for investors
• Club currently 19th in League Two

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The League Two side are co-owned by key members of the famous Red Devils squad, including Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Phil Neville, alongside brother Gary and Beckham. Butt, who took over as the club's chief executive from Gary Neville in October 2022, has announced Salford's pursuit of "strategic partners" to take advantage of "major opportunities" and boost the club's growth.

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  WHAT BUTT SAID

  Salford's CEO said in a statement: “We are backing Salford City with as much commitment and confidence as ever. We have achieved very special things here but there are major opportunities in front of us and we want to make sure we have the right mix of investment and strategic partners to take advantage of those opportunities. We had an original 10-year plan and with strong foundations now in place, it was always the intention to explore options for the next phase. That includes potentially bringing in new partners to help us grow the club and best serve the fans and community.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Beckham, Neville and Co have helped increase the capacity at Salford's Peninsula Stadium from 3,000 to 5,000, as well as securing four promotions since their takeover of 2014. The Class of '92 co-owned side now share a league with Wrexham, whose co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are currently aiming for back-to-back promotions. The Hollywood duo have been lauded for their growth of the Wrexham community as well as the club through strategic partnerships, and it is fair to assume they may serve as inspiration for Salford and their owners.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SALFORD?

  Salford did celebrate a memorable win over the Red Dragons earlier this month, recording a 3-1 victory at the Peninsula Stadium. However, their league form has been underwhelming elsewhere, as they sit 19th in the League Two table and nine points clear of safety after 34 games. Salford's next match comes on Tuesday at home to Colchester.

The striker looked out of ideas and missed a sitter as Erik ten Hag's side fell apart in a nightmare first away game of the 2023-24 campaign

Manchester United had a strong sense of deja-vu in their first away trip of the season as they slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham after a particularly shoddy second-half display.

Marcus Rashford was desperately disappointing, missing the target with a free header but above all failing to trouble Tottenham's defenders as he again looked out of place at centre-forward.

United began the game brightly and had a strong penalty appeal for handball turned down, while Bruno Fernandes also spurned a free header. Spurs dominated the second period though, and took the lead when Pape Matar Sarr pounced in the area before a Lisandro Martinez own goal doubled their advantage and summed up United's miserable performance.

GOAL rates Man Utd's players from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Andre Onana (6/10):

  Took calculated risks on the ball and played some smart long-range passes. Made a good reaction save to thwart Destiny Udogie after the goal, which he could do little about.

  Aaron Wan-Bissaka (5/10):

  Looked solid for the opening 45 minutes then things took a downward turn and he was hooked for Diogo Dalot.

  Raphael Varane (6/10):

  One of the few players who did not play with lead in their feet.

  Lisandro Martinez (3/10):

  Some good early interventions were overshadowed by his mishaps for both goals. A weak block sent the ball to Pape Sarr for the first, then another sent it trickling into his own net.

  Luke Shaw (5/10):

  Left his left flank unguarded for the first goal. At least showed some character and tried to spark a response from his side.

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  Midfield

  Bruno Fernandes (5/10):

  Decent in the first half but missed the biggest chance of the game, somehow sending his free header over the bar.

  Casemiro (5/10):

  Struggled to impose himself on the game and lost the battle with Yves Bissouma.

  Mason Mount(5/10):

  Was good defensively in the first half and pressed aggressively while also linking up well with Alejandro Garnacho and Antony. Like his team-mates, faded after half-time.

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  Attack

  Antony (5/10):

  Worked hard in the first half and was close to equalising in the second when his shot clattered the bar. Removed after 66 minutes.

  Marcus Rashford (4/10):

  Headed a clear chance over the bar after a fine pass from Fernandes. Struggled once more playing up top by himself. Had a strop on the bench after being substituted.

  Alejandro Garnacho (5/10):

  Had a couple of bright moments in the first half but soon faded. Poor defensively for the goal.

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  Subs & Manager

  Christian Eriksen (5/10):

  Unlike against Wolves, he could do little to stop the rot.

  Jadon Sancho (6/10)

  An upgrade on Garnacho and should have started in his place.

  Diogo Dalot (5/A):

  Could have done more to prevent the second goal.

  Anthony Martial (N/A):

  Only came on in the 85th minute.

  Facundo Pellistri (N/A):

  Didn't have enough time to make an impact.

  Erik ten Hag (4/10):

  Played the same starting XI that had performed poorly against Wolves and his many substitutions failed to turn things around.

The 18-year-old has become a regular starter over the course of the 2022 season, with Newcastle also reportedly monitoring his progress.

With the World Cup now just a matter of weeks away, fans and pundits the world over are starting to consider who should be their picks to lift the trophy on December 18. The consensus pick right now seems to be Brazil.

The record five-time winners head to Qatar with perhaps the deepest squad of any country, and it is likely that there will be players who miss out on being called-up by Tite who would probably start for the majority of the other nations at the tournament.

But if you thought selection might be about to get easier for Brazilian coaches of the future, then think again. The country's current generation of 16-19-year-olds is regarded as the best anywhere on the planet, with a number having already begun making their mark on first teams both at home and, in some cases, abroad.

It was perhaps no surprise, then, when five Brazilians appeared among the top 11 names on the CIES Football Observatory's list of the best footballers aged 18 and under back in September.

The highest-ranked was Flamengo midfielder Victor Hugo, who placed fourth, having grown into the Brasilerao's most impactful young players.

But what makes him so special? NXGN explains all…

• Where it all began

  Victor Hugo was born in Bento Ribeiro, a neighbourhood in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro that is perhaps best known for also being the birthplace of 'O Fenomeno', Ronaldo.

  And it soon became clear that Victor Hugo had the potential to follow a similar path to the legendary striker, with his father, Welington, having begun placing a ball at his son's feet from the age of three.

  "Since he was a child, one of the main pillars that we passed on to him was discipline and determination, and that he would have to give up some things," Welington tells GOAL.

  "For example, when he was younger, he had to give up parties and his friends' birthdays, because the next day he would have to wake up very early, whether to train or even play."

  By the age of six, the boy was showing enough ability with his left foot that he joined the Madureira futsal team, before being picked up by Vasco da Gama.

  There he played as a left-back as he made his first steps from the futsal court to the football pitch, before Flamengo swooped in at the age of 12 to bring Victor Hugo across Rio.

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  The big break

  Flamengo were keen for Victor Hugo to play further forward, and handed him the No.10 shirt during his development as he won countless trophies for the club's age-group team.

  He was also called-up to numerous Brazili youth squads before catching the eye of Flamengo manager Paulo Sousa, who in turn handed the midfielder his first-team debut in May against Altos in the third round of the Copa do Brasil.

  Introduced for the final 20 minutes, Victor Hugo laid on the assist for Joao Gomes to net the winner in Flamengo's 2-1 victory, though it was in the second leg that he truly announced himself to the wider public.

  On the day of his 18th birthday, the teenager scored with an 86th-minute header to seal his side's progression in a competition that they would win five months later.

• How it's going

  Sousa was actually sacked a month after Victor Hugo's debut, but his replacement, Dorival Junior, has certainly taken a liking to the youngster over the course of the campaign.

  Rather than play him as a No.10, Dorival has chosen to move Victor Hugo back into a more conventional midfield position, in part to cover for the loss of Andreas Pereira, after he joined Fulham following his loan spell in Brazil.

  He has thrived in the role, becoming a regular starter in the Brasilerao as well as contributing to both Flamengo's Copa do Brasil and, most recently, Copa Libertadores triumphs.

  "The role he has been playing is fundamental to my style," Dorival, who previously coached a young Neymar, said of Victor Hugo's impact. "He has been brilliant in every way."

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  Biggest strengths

  “He has good ability to interpret spaces, plays well with his back to goal and physically he has good explosiveness," Sousa said of Victor Hugo before he left the Maracana.

  "He has a very good reading of the game and is a player who can make his presence known in the area with a goal."

  Being moved back by Dorival since Sousa's exit might be a reason why Victor Hugo has scored just twice in the league this season, but all of those other attributes are clear when you watch him play.

  The quintessential Brazilian midfielder player, he is technically gifted and possesses excellent close control and a good passing range.

MatériaMais Notícias

Neste sábado carnavalesco, o São Paulo interrompeu o jejum de três jogos sem vitória e goleou o Oeste por 4 a 0 em Barueri, pela sétima rodada do Campeonato Paulista, com Antony esteve em campo. Mais cedo, ele foi anunciado pelo Ajax-HOL e prometeu dar a vida para conquistar o título estadual antes de rumar ao continente europeu.

+ Veja e simule a tabela do Campeonato Paulista

Após o triunfo no interior do estado, o camisa 11 reiterou a declaração e celebrou o resultado.

– Como eu disse, o meu objetivo é sair com um título, é um sonho que eu tenho, que é conquistar um título pelo São Paulo, não só eu, mas o time todo está nesse objetivo. Vamos lutar até o último para que dessa vez ele não escape e dê tudo certo – disse Anotny, que projetou os próximos jogos do Tricolor:

– Essa vitória nos dá mais confiança, uma semana de paz, vamos trabalhar muito, agora é pensar na Ponte (Preta) e depois na Libertadores, todo mundo está ansioso pela estreia na Libertadores, mas como eu disse é passo a passo. Primeiro a Ponte, depois os jogos da Libertadores, para que a gente venha com humildade, pés nos chão para dar tudo certo.

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O São Paulo enfrente a Ponte Preta no próximo domingo, às 16h, e estreia na competição continental na quinta-feira, às 21h, contra o Binacional pela primeira rodada da fase de grupos.

Antes da vitória convincente deste sábado, o time de Fernando Diniz vinha sendo criticado pela baixa conversão em bolas na rede em finalizações. Antes da partida deste fim de semana, a equipe de Fernando Diniz havia chutado mais de 100 vezes à meta, mas feito apenas seis gols no Paulistão.

– Eu penso em aproveitar as oportunidades de gol, como nós fizemos hoje, então não importa se chutou 30 ou 40 bolas, o importante foi a vitória, 4 a 0, time está de parabéns – disse Antony, minimizando os números.

Neste sábado, o São Paulo, especialmente a partir de tramas do camisa 11 pelo lado direito com Daniel Alves e Juanfran, criou muitas chances de gol. Um time torto? Não para Antony.

– Diniz é um treinador que nos deixa muito à vontade, temos jogadas pela direita, pela esquerda, mérito não só do lado direito, mas do time todo, muito feliz pela vitória, pela entrega do time – disse o meia-atacante, disputou o primeiro jogo do ano pelo São Paulo após período com a seleção brasileira sub-23 no Pré-Olímpico:

– Muito feliz pela volta, estava ansioso para jogar, e hoje podendo voltar da melhor forma, ganhando de 4 a 0, conquistar os três pontos, é muito importante, e agora é desfrutar cada treino, cada partida, aproveitar o máximo possível e, se Deus quiser, sair com um título.

A vitória sobre o Oeste deixou o São Paulo na liderança do Grupo C do Campeonato Paulista, com 12 pontos. A equipe do Morumbi volta a campo no próximo domingo, contra a Ponte Preta.

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain, even though the next World T20 is four years away

Firdose Moonda29-Mar-20163:53

‘SA stars will feel this missed opportunity’

Faf du Plessis has committed to staying on as South Africa’s T20 captain even though the next World T20 is four years away. Du Plessis, who is 31, considers himself “on the right side of 30,” to keep playing international cricket in the foreseeable future.Du Plessis is one of four South African players to have reached 1,000 T20 runs – the others being JP Duminy, AB de Villiers and Hashim Amla – and has led them since February 2013. All four players play in all three formats and are among a group that also includes Dale Steyn and Imran Tahir, who are expected to give up some formats of the game in the near future.”The wrong side of 30 would be over 35. I am 31. That’s the right side of 30 and see myself playing a big role,” du Plessis said. “I haven’t thought of stopping playing T20 cricket. I feel my performances speak for themselves.”Du Plessis fined for dissent

South Africa captain Faf du Plessis has been fined 50 percent of his match fee after he was found guilty of showing dissent at an umpire’s decision. It is his second such offence in 12 months – the first came against India in Chennai in October 2015 – and a third before October 2016 would lead to a suspension.
The incident had occurred during South Africa’s final World T20 match against Sri Lanka, when du Plessis was ruled lbw by umpire S Ravi in the 13th over. Replays later indicated that there was an inside edge before ball hit the pad. An ICC release said Du Plessis showed dissent “by occupying the crease for a period of time before leaving the field while looking at his bat and shaking his head.” After the match, du Plessis admitted to the offence and accepted the sanction proposed by Match referee Jeff Crowe.

After South Africa completed their World T20 campaign with a facile victory over Sri Lanka in Delhi, du Plessis suggested de Villiers was fully committed to all formats but told reporters they would have to ask Steyn himself if he wants to continue. Amla had earlier in the week claimed South Africa’s big names still had more to offer and du Plessis has put his name on the list of those who do.”I love captaining South Africa. I think some of the players, yes, won’t be there in four years,” he said. “But there won’t be a lot of T20 cricket in the next while. So we can look at it in terms of a few younger guys coming through and building for the future. It’s impossible to look four years ahead. It’s an incredibly long time but for now I am loving playing T20 cricket and loving captaining South Africa.”South Africa are not scheduled to play their next T20s until a home series against Sri Lanka in January 2017, which means du Plessis will not have to take on much of a leadership role before then while CSA will also undergo an extensive post-season review. Still, he hopes that the progress the T20 side had made in the last few months – which included series wins over Bangladesh India and England – will not be forgotten and they can use that as a springboard to develop their other formats.”The T20 side has been very successful of late. We didn’t produce at an ICC tournament. The T20 World Cup is a tough one. Your easy game is supposed to be Afghanistan and they are just as good in these conditions,” he said. “Our ODI side has also team has improved a lot. Two years ago we were in a bit of a hole and we rebuilt the side, now the Test side is there.”South Africa have come through one of their least successful periods with defeats in successive Test series and the bubble bursting on the fine limited-overs form they built up. Du Plessis believes the foundations for fixing things are there, they just need some fine-tuning.”In terms of ticking the boxes we had all areas covered. We had great variety in pace bowling. We had different combinations to play. We had great spin options, all round options. Everything was there,” he said. “It was just a case of how to you deliver on the day when the pressure is on and that’s the difference between winning a World Cup and getting knocked out.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Poupado do jogo contra o Atlético-MG, o atacante Diego Tardelli voltou ao time do Grêmio nesta quarta-feira, mas não conseguiu ajudar a sua equipe, que saiu de campo derrotada pelo Bahia por 1 a 0.

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Na conversa com a imprensa, o camisa 9 falou sobre o desgaste do Tricolor ao longo da temporada e analisou o revés dentro de casa.

‘Eles queriam uma bola, uma chance, foram lá e fizeram o gol. O time sentiu um pouco o desgaste, deu para sentir muitos jogadores com a perna pesada’, reconheceu.

‘Serve para a gente abrir os olhos, pois teremos jogos que serão pedreiras e precisamos de muito foco’, projetou.

No fim de semana o Grêmio volta a campo e o rival é o Fortaleza. Na próxima quarta-feira, o Tricolor encara o Flamengo, pela semifinal da Libertadores.

MatériaMais Notícias

No encerramento da rodada de terça-feira da Série B, Vitória e Atlético-GO medem forças a partir das 21h30 (Horário de Brasília), na Arena Fonte Nova.

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Em 23 rodadas disputadas, os dois times atravessam situações bem diferentes. Enquanto o Vitória é o 16º colocado, com 24 pontos, o Atlético-GO é o vice-líder do torneio, com 41 pontos.

Como chega o Vitória?

A crise no Vitória parece não ter fim. Quando as coisas pareciam encaixadas no comando de Carlos Amadeu, o time caiu de rendimento, somou derrotas e voltou a flertar com a zona de rebaixamento.

Para o duelo dentro de casa, a principal novidade está no banco de reservas. O técnico Geninho faz a sua estreia e pode contar com retornos importantes, como, por exemplo, Felipe Gedoz e Lucas Cândido. O atacante Caicedo também é um forte concorrente a ficar com a vaga no sistema ofensivo.

Como chega o Atlético-GO?

Diferente do adversário, o Atlético-GO chega a Arena Fonte Nova com a expectativa de encostar no Bragantino e continuar vivo na luta pela tão sonhada liderança da Série B. Nos últimos cinco jogos, o Dragão venceu três e empatou dois.

Sem nenhum problema de lesão ou suspensão, o técnico Wagner Lopes conta com a volta do zagueiro Oliveira, que se recuperou de lesão no pé e forma dupla de zaga com Gilvan.

Prováveis Escalações:

Vitória: Martín Rodríguez; Van, Everton Sena, Ramon e Chiquinho; Baraka, Rodrigo Andrade, Lucas Cândido e Felipe Gedoz; Wesley e Caicedo. Técnico: Geninho.

Atlético-GO: Kozlinski; Jonathan, Oliveira, Gilvan e Nicolas; Moacir, André Castro e Jorginho; Reginaldo, Mike e Pedro Raul. Técnico: Wagner Lopes.