ردت المحكمة الرياضية الدولية، على تظلم نادي بيراميدز بشأن أزمة مباراة القمة بين الأهلي والزمالك في الدوري المصري الممتاز.
وكان بيراميدز، قد تقدم بطلب للمحكمة الرياضية بالنظر للتظلم باجراءات استثنائية بشأن قرار رابطة الأندية المصرية، باحتساب الزمالك فائزًا فقط وعدم خصم 3 نقاط من الأهلي بسبب انسحابه من المباراة.
طالع.. الزمالك يتلقى إخطارًا من المحكمة الرياضية الدولية بشأن أزمة انسحاب الأهلي
وأكد الإعلامي إبراهيم فايق، عبر قناة “إم بي سي مصر 2″، أن المحكمة الرياضية رفضت نظر تظلم بيراميدز بإجراءات استثنائية وقررت مناقشته بالإجراءات الطبيعية.
وأوضح أن قرار المحكمة الرياضية جاء بعد أن أرسل الأهلي والرابطة واتحاد الكرة، أن هذا الأمر لا يستحق أن يناقش بالشق المستعجل، لذلك الموضوع سيأخذ وقتًا.
ويحتل الأهلي في الوقت الحالي صدارة جدول ترتيب مسابقة الدوري برصيد 55 نقطة بفارق نقطتين عن بيراميدز صاحب المركز الثاني وتتبقى مباراة واحدة لكل منهما.
De maneira heroica, o Juventude venceu o Avaí, por 2 a 1, na noite deste domingo (15), pela sexta rodada do Brasileirão Série A de 2022. Os gaúchos saíram na frente com gol de Óscar Ruíz, mas levaram o empate ainda no primeiro tempo. Na etapa final, Chico foi expulso, porém Vitor Mendes conseguiu marcar o segundo gol dos visitantes, que ainda perderam Paulinho Moccelin, também por cartão vermelho, mas seguraram o resultado.
Agora, as duas equipes voltam a campo no próximo final de semana, ambas pelo Campeonato Brasileiro. No sábado (21), o Juventude recebe o Palmeiras, às 19h. Enquanto isso, no domingo (22), o Avaí visita o Athletico-PR, às 19h.
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> Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS
ALEGRIA DUROU POUCO O começo do jogo na Ressacada foi de muitas faltas e pouca bola rolando. Com ela nos pés, o Juventude se mostrou um pouco afobado e César chegou a ficar duas vezes pressionado pelos atacantes do Avaí, mas conseguiu se livrar.
Já mais para a metade da etapa, o jogo se desenroscou e ambas as equipes conseguiram um gol. Aos 24 minutos, Óscar Ruíz aproveitou bola na área e colocou o Juventude na frente. Entretanto, a festa dos visitantes não durou muito. Isso porque, três minutos depois, Bissoli emendou linda finalização e deixou tudo igual. Antes do intervalo, o Avaí quase ampliou com Cortez, mas César fez a defesa, levando o 1 a 1 para os vestiários.
HAJA CORAÇÃO! O segundo tempo na Ressacada foi de fortes emoções para ambos os lados. Perigoso nas suas chegadas, o Juventude vinha dando trabalho para a defesa do Avaí, mas viu Chico ser expulso após entrada dura e revisão do árbitro no VAR.
Entretanto, o Avaí não teve nem tempo de aproveitar o jogador a mais. Aos 24 minutos, Vitor Mendes subiu mais que a defesa da casa e recolocou o Ju na frente. Depois de ficar novamente na frente, os gaúchos recuaram e os mandantes colecionaram chances desperdiçadas. Na reta final do confronto, o Juventude teve Paulinho Moccelin também expulso, mas segurou a pressão com defesas de César e desarmes da defesa, garantindo os três pontos.
FICHA TÉCNICA AVAÍ 1 X 2 JUVENTUDE Local: Ressacada, em Florianópolis (SC) Data e hora: 15/05/2022 – 18h (de Brasília) Árbitro: Douglas Marques das Flores (SP) Assistentes: Evandro de Melo Lima (SP) e Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira (SP) Cartões amarelos: Raniele, Bressan (Avaí), Yuri Lima, Rodrigo Soares, Paulo Miranda, César, Guilherme Parede (Juventude) Cartões vermelhos: Chico, Paulinho Moccelin (Juventude)
AVAÍ (Técnico Eduardo Barroca) Douglas Friedrich; Kevin, Bressan, Arthur Chaves e Bruno Cortez; Raniele (Jean Pyerre, aos 20’/2°T), Bruno Silva e Eduardo (Dentinho, aos 35’/2°T); Muriqui (Rômulo, aos 37’/1°T), Morato (William Pottker, aos 20’/2°T) e Bissoli.
JUVENTUDE (Técnico: Eduardo Baptista) César; Rodrigo Soares (Thalisson Kelven, aos 42’/2°T), Vitor Mendes, Paulo Miranda e Busanello (Paulo Henrique, aos 50’/2°T); Yuri Lima (Jean, aos 0’/2°T), Jadson e Chico; Óscar Ruíz (Guilherme Parede, aos 26’/2°T), Pitta (Vitor Gabriel, aos 26’/2°T) e Paulinho Moccelin.
Sam Smith and George Dobson were on target as Wrexham battled to a 2-2 draw at Cambridge United in League One.
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Dobson handed Wrexham the lead
Smith scored an equaliser in the second half
Wrexham held Cambridge to a 2-2 draw
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Wrexham got off to a flying start as George Dobson opened the scoring in the fourth minute. The midfielder intercepted a clearance from a Cambridge defender and found the back of the net with a brilliant low shot from the edge of the box.
The Red Dragons dominated proceedings after taking the early lead but failed to increase their tally in the first half. Just a few minutes before the half-time whistle, Liam Bennett scored the equaliser. The right-back's initial header was parried out by Arthur Okonkwo, but he eventually slotted the ball home as the Wrexham defenders were caught napping.
The visitors conceded a penalty just a couple of minutes after the match result as Lewis Brunt brought down Ryan Loft inside the area. Josh Stokes took the resulting spot-kick and handed his side the lead for the first time in the game.
Phil Parkinson's side were quick to react as they responded with an equaliser within 10 minutes. Ryan Longman kept an inch-perfect cross inside the Cambridge box from the right side Sam Smith found the back of the net with a clinical header.
With Wycombe dropping points at Shrewsbury, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's side continue to push for direct qualification to the Championship and a third promotion on the trot.
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THE MVP
Smith turned hero for his side as he rescued a crucial point with a clinical header just before the hour mark. His equaliser helped Wrexham maintain their three-point lead over their closest competitors Wycombe.
THE BIG LOSER
The Wrexham backline had a night to forget as they conceded two very poor goals. During the first goal, the defender took a long time to react after Okonkwo had saved Bennett's header. This allowed the player to score from the second ball. The equaliser completely disrupted the team's momentum that they had gained after going ahead early in the match.
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WHAT COMES NEXT?
Parkinson's side will be back in action in League One this Saturday as they take on Burton at home.
The heated Italian rivals settled for a draw in the opening leg of their semifinal clash
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AC Milan and Inter draw 1-1 in leg one of Coppa Italia semifinals
USMNT's Pulisic started as No. 10
Leg two of tie arrives in late April
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AC Milan and Inter played to a 1-1 draw Wednesday evening in the first leg of their Coppa Italia semifinal. U.S. international Christian Pulisic started for Sergio Conceição’s side, while national team compatriot Yunus Musah was not included in Milan’s squad.
After a tense but scoreless first half, the match came to life in the final 45 minutes.
struck first, with Tammy Abraham finding the net less than two minutes into the second half with a well-taken finish. However, Inter responded midway through the half as Hakan Çalhanoğlu unleashed a stunning 25-yard strike to bring the Nerazzurri level.
With 15 minutes remaining, Pulisic made way for Mexico international Santiago Giménez, as the two CONCACAF stars swapped roles.
Milan had a golden opportunity to snatch the win in the 85th minute when Rafael Leão curled a shot toward goal, but his effort drifted just wide. With that, the first leg ended in a draw.
The two sides will meet again in late April, with the winner advancing to the Coppa Italia final.
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DID YOU KNOW?
AC Milan have not won the Coppa Italia since the 2002-03 season.
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THE MVP
Tammy Abraham:
The England international has now scored in every stage of the competition this season, coming up clutch throughout their Coppa Italia run. The 27-year-old scored a delightful goal and was rather effective in the final third throughout his cameo.
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THE BIG LOSER
Christian Pulisic:
The U.S. international was deployed centrally as an attacking midfielder and struggled without having the width of a winger role like he normally would. Despite completing 13 of 14 passes on the pitch, he registered just 30 touches on the ball and was rather anonymous throughout the evening.
It's tough to pin the entire blame on him, though, as Sergio Conceicao lined him up in a position that does not get the most out of him.
Leeds United can enjoy Christmas Day knowing that they are in the automatic promotion places in the Championship after their win over Oxford United on Saturday.
The Whites beat the visitors to Elland Road 4-0 and remained in second place in the table, as they aim to get promoted back to the Premier League at the second time of asking.
Dan James, Jayden Bogle, Brenden Aaronson, and Manor Solomon all got their names on the scoresheet in the emphatic win for the West Yorkshire outfit.
Daniel Farke’s side fell short of their objective of earning promotion back to the top-flight when they were beaten 1-0 by Southampton in the play-off final at the end of last term.
They will, therefore, be eager to avoid the lottery of the play-offs this time around, and they are currently on course to do that by finishing in the top two.
The German head coach has won automatic promotion from the Championship twice before, both times with Norwich City, and had the phenomenal talent of Emiliano Buendia to help him in both seasons.
Emi Buendia's title-winning form for Farke
The Argentina international, who currently plays for Champions League side Aston Villa in the Premier League, was a crucial part of the Canaries team that won the second tier in the 2018/19 and 2020/21 campaigns.
Buendia was a target for Leeds in the summer transfer window but Angus Kinnear confirmed that the player did not want to drop back down to the Championship, and Villa were unwilling to let him go at the time.
Signing the Argentine wizard from the Villans would have been a huge coup for the Whites because his form for Norwich under Farke in the second tier was incredibly impressive.
As you can see in the clips above, his two seasons at Championship level with the Canaries were littered with sensational moments of magic from the diminutive forward, who could create and score goals with relative ease.
Buendia played a key role in both promotions with his contributions in the final third, although it was his form in the 2020/21 campaign that earned him a big move to Aston Villa in the summer of 2021.
Appearances
38
39
Goals
8
15
Big chances created
7
18
Key passes per game
2.4
3.1
Assists
12
16
As you can see in the table above, the Norwich star provided regular quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals, particularly in the second title-winning season.
His form in the 2020/21 campaign also illustrates why Buendia may not want to return to the Championship, as the magical dynamo has already proven that he is too good for that level.
Former Norwich attacker Emi Buendia.
Farke could, however, unearth his next version of the Argentine ace by swooping for one of Leeds United’s reported transfer targets in the upcoming January window, which officially opens for business next week.
Leeds United linked with Premier League star
It was reported in November that the Whites are preparing a move to sign Manchester City attacking midfielder James McAtee on loan next month.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
Cityzens boss Pep Guardiola opted to keep hold of the England U21 international in the summer, but he has only made two appearances as a substitute in the Premier League this season, which suggests that the Spanish boss overestimated how much he would need the midfielder.
The Whites are now hoping that the Premier League champions change their mind and make him available for a loan move in the second half of the season, so that they can swoop in and bolster their squad for a promotion push.
Speaking to Football Insider in November, ex-Leeds goalkeeper Paul Robinson claimed that the club have made an offer to sign the English dynamo, but added that there are other clubs in the race to secure his services.
The former Premier League goalkeeper said: “Leeds have made an audacious bid for him. He’s had two really good loans at Sheffield United, West Ham have been in the mix and he’s been linked with Fulham, but it’s not just going to be them.”
It now remains to be seen whether or not a loan move for McAtee is realistic for Leeds in January, but he could come in as a Buendia-esque option for Farke in the second half of the season if the club can get a deal over the line for him.
Why James McAtee could be Emi Buendia 2.0
Like the Argentine sensation, the Manchester City outcast is a diminutive playmaker with superb close control who can provide a threat as both a scorer and a creator for his teammates.
The 22-year-old spent the 2023/24 campaign on loan with Sheffield United in the Premier League and showed signs of promise at the top level, with three goals and three assists in 20 starts.
His form in the 2022/23 season in the Championship, during his first loan spell with the Blades, is what suggests that he could come in as an excellent signing for the West Yorkshire outfit in January, though.
James McAtee
McAtee’s performances were impressive enough for Blades striker Carl Asaba to compare him to Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who has been named in the PFA Team of the Year in the Premier League in each of the last two seasons.
Asaba said: “He’s like Odegaard. You play him in midfield so he’s defending for you, he’s another body for them to try and navigate away from but he likes the ball 30 yards out because he can go past you like you’re not there.”
That is incredibly high praise, when you consider that Odegaard scored 23 goals and provided 17 assists in his last two full league seasons, and illustrates how impressive the Englishman was during his time at Bramall Lane.
Starts
21
35
Goals
9
8
Big chances created
6
7
Assists
3
12
Dribbles completed per game
1.1
1.4
As you can see in the table above, McAtee produced similar numbers to Buendia’s 2018/19 form in his Championship promotion-winning season with the Blades, with the same number of goals and ‘big chances’ created combined.
The English dynamo ranked within the top 1% of midfielders in the division that term for non-penalty xG and Expected Assisted Goals per 90 (0.50), and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.41).
This shows that he was one of the best midfielders in the Championship at making an impact at the top end of the pitch, with his ability as a goalscorer and a creative threat shining through for Paul Heckingbottom’s side.
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Leeds United are interested in a swoop to sign the defensive midfielder in January.
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Leeds must, now, persuade Manchester City to loan McAtee to them for the second half of the season, so that Farke can unearth his next 2018/19 version of Buendia at Elland Road.
Beuran Hendricks and Heinrich Klaasen have been dropped from the 16-man list
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Mar-2022
Janneman Malan has made a bright start to his ODI career, scoring 759 runs in 13 innings at an average of 69.00•Gallo Images/Getty Images
Janneman Malan and Keegan Petersen are the new faces in CSA’s list of contracted men’s players for the 2022-23 season. The two from last year’s list to miss out are left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks and wicketkeeper-batter Heinrich Klaasen.Malan and Petersen have been rewarded for making excellent starts to their South Africa careers in white- and red-ball cricket respectively. Malan has been outstanding at the top of the order in ODIs since his debut in February 2019, scoring 759 runs in 13 innings at an average of 69.00, with three hundreds and a best of 177 not out against Ireland. Those run-scoring feats also won him the ICC’s award for Emergin Men’s Cricketer of the Year for 2021.ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Petersen, meanwhile, was Player of the Series in South Africa’s 2-1 comeback win over India at home earlier this year, contributing 276 runs at 46.00 and scoring three fifties in six innings in consistently difficult batting conditions. In the process, he caught the eye of numerous observers including AB de Villiers, who took to Twitter to enthuse about the “composure, skill and technique” Petersen had shown “against one of the best attacks in the world.”In five Tests so far, Petersen has scored 320 runs at an average of 35.55.”It has been an exceptional season for the white-ball team that has not lost a series under the leadership of Temba Bavuma,” CSA’s newly appointed CEO Pholetsi Moseki said. “One of the biggest upcoming highlights for us is the 2022 ICC T20 World Cup in Australia and we are looking forward to supporting Temba and his men as they look to make history later this year.”The Test team has grown and shown significant improvement under the strong leadership of Dean Elgar. This season will see the Proteas play even more Test cricket, which is vital for the growth of the players, the format in our country, as well as the accumulation of points towards the ICC World Test Championship.”We at CSA are big advocates of rewarding excellence and I am pleased to be the first to congratulate Janneman Malan and Keegan Petersen on their newly awarded contracts.”The contracts for South Africa’s women’s players will be announced after the conclusion of the ongoing ODI World Cup in New Zealand.
A £35,000-a-week Leeds United player could be set to leave the club in January despite forcing his way back into the squad in recent weeks. The Whites are back in action on Saturday against Derby County, looking to bounce back from their disappointing defeat to Blackburn Rovers over the weekend.
Big boost for Farke as Leeds plot January spending spree to seal promotion
Daniel Farke and co. could be in for a very busy January transfer window.
2 ByBrett Worthington Dec 2, 2024 Leeds United transfer news
The Yorkshire side are firmly in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League, and the January transfer window is an opportunity for them to strengthen areas of the team that may be weak.
One player Leeds have their eye on ahead of the New Year is Motherwell’s Lennon Miller. He is a top talent who is gaining admirers from the Premier League as well as the Championship due to his impressive performances in Scotland this season. Miller is said to be valued at £5 million, but it is unclear if Leeds will make this a priority signing in January.
But a move for Miller could be feasible, as it’s been reported that the Leeds hierarchy are preparing to make more money available for Daniel Farke in January. Club chiefs are laying the “groundwork” for a winter transfer “spree,” as Farke looks to get Leeds over the line and back into the top tier.
Indeed, Farke and co. will be looking to strengthen the squad in January and not weaken it, but they could have a fight on their hands to keep hold of one of their senior players.
£35k-p/w Leeds ace could leave in January
According to Austrian newspaper Kurier, relayed by Sport Witness, Leeds United’s Maximilian Wober is wanted by Red Bull Salzburg, his former club. The 26-year-old joined in January 2023 from the Austrian side and became an important player right away, as they tried to beat the drop in the Premier League.
Last season, Wober, who earns £35,000 a week at Leeds, was sent out on loan to Bundesliga side Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he played 25 times, scoring two goals and recording three assists. The Austrian international was linked with a move away during the summer but remained at Elland Road and has now featured for Leeds in the Championship after returning from knee surgery.
This report states that Salzburg, who were keen on re-signing the defender during the summer, are after Wober again in the New Year, as he’s remained on their radar. Wober has returned to action in the last week or so, playing in games against Swansea City and Luton Town but failing to appear in the game against Blackburn.
Max Wober’s Red Bull Salzburg stats
Apps
125
Goals
9
Assists
9
The defender could now leave the Championship in January, as he searches for regular football, and the possibility of returning to a former club may also appeal. Salzburg director Rouven Schröder has addressed the possibility of signing Wober (and Feyenoord’s Gernot Trauner) in January: “They are two very good players. We have a young team, so experienced players are of course, exciting. But a lot of points have to be right, and we’ll examine transfers carefully.”
West Bromwich Albion finally brought to an end their run of six straight draws in the Championship before the international break with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Hull City.
The Baggies went two goals up within just 14 minutes at the MKM Stadium thanks to strikes from forward duo Karlan Grant and Josh Maja. The Tigers pulled one back through Joao Pedro’s header just before the break, but couldn’t find an equaliser as the visitors held on for all three points.
Speaking after the win, West Brom manager Carlos Corberan expressed his delight at his side finally securing a win.
“I saw the team emotionally focused and with a lot of control in the game,” he said. “They achieved the result that they were desperate to achieve.”
The Spanish coach added: “I’m really proud to see how much commitment the players put on the pitch today. Without this mentality, the victory wouldn’t have been possible.”
Josh Maja attracting interest from Spain
Maja’s strike against Hull was his ninth in the Championship this term – a total topped only by Norwich City’s Borja Sainz, who has 11. As a result of his good form, La Liga side Celta Vigo are now reportedly eyeing a January move for the Nigeria international.
According to Super Deporte, relayed by Sport Witness, Celta are “seriously considering” signing a striker after the New Year to replace the aging Iago Aspas, 37, and Maja is on their radar.
The publication claims that West Brom are reluctant to let the 25-year-old go, but if they did, would demand at least £16.7 million. Celta “would be willing” to match the demands, according to the report.
Fellow La Liga side Real Sociedad, who have scored just 11 goals in the Spanish top flight this term, are also understood to be interested in Maja, and have added the forward to their list of targets ahead of the January transfer window.
Plymouth boss Rooney has praised Maja
Maja has been hailed from all angles for his performances this season, including by Corberan, and Crystal Palace duo Eddie Nketiah and Eberechi Eze.
England legend and Plymouth manager Wayne Rooney was also full of praise for Maja after his side’s 1-0 defeat to the Baggies back in September. Maja scored the only goal on the day, tapping in Uros Racic’s low cross in the 62nd minute.
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Josh Maja would love to line up next to this new signing at West Bromwich Albion.
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“He’s an interesting player, difficult to prepare for. He drops in and goes into a false nine position, we were aware of that,” Rooney said of Maja after the match.
“At times I thought we dealt with him OK, but when you are a player who is confident in scoring goals they always seem to get that one opportunity and can make the difference. He’s a good player and West Brom are a good team, very experienced and know how to get results.”
Vincent Kompany defended Bayern Munich's performance after they were forced to share the spoils against Bayer Leverkusen.
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Bayern held to a 0-0 draw by Leverkusen
Were toothless in attack and had just two shots
Kompany claimed that his men "deserved to win"
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WHAT HAPPENED?
Bayern battled to a goalless draw against Leverkusen on Saturday, preserving their eight-point cushion at the top of the Bundesliga despite struggling against their closest rivals. The hosts applied relentless pressure throughout the contest, coming agonisingly close to scoring twice in the first half. Jeremie Frimpong and Nathan Tella both struck the crossbar, but despite their dominance they could not find a breakthrough against Bayern’s resolute defence.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
For the first time since Bundesliga records began, Bayern failed to register a single shot in the entire first half. The visitors found themselves pinned back for large periods, struggling to generate attacking momentum against a determined Leverkusen side. Late in the match, Florian Wirtz had a golden opportunity to clinch victory for the hosts, but his effort was squandered, ensuring Bayern escaped with a point.
WHAT KOMPANY SAID
Despite his side’s struggles, Kompany remained positive, insisting Bayern’s ability to grind out a result was proof of their championship mentality.
"We are now eight points ahead, we got one point. We fought in this game," he told . "We can take the result with us. In the first half of the season, we played very dominantly. We actually deserved to win. Today was another fight, but ultimately we took the point and we look forward."
He added: "If a team deserves to go deep against us, then we showed that we can do that. Of course, you always imagine an ideal game and of course it wasn't, but the lads still fought and ran a lot. We've already scored a lot of goals this season, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case today. But the offence supported our defence. Basically, this game also showed that the right teams are at the top."
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WHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?
Sitting eight points behind Bayern before kick-off, Leverkusen knew a victory was essential to keep their title defence alive. However, the draw means they remain at a significant disadvantage with 14 matches left in the campaign. Bayern will now shift their focus to the Champions League, as they prepare to host Celtic in the second leg of their last-16 play-off before welcoming Eintracht Frankfurt in their next Bundesliga fixture.
Sunderland fans will hope their team gets back to their best when Championship football resumes this weekend, with Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats top of the current second tier pile.
It hasn’t been constant sunshine however at the Stadium of Light, as Le Bris’ side have shown some chinks in their armour, with back-to-back away defeats in the league making for worrying reading as the Wearside outfit prepare for their trip to Hull City this coming Saturday.
The already popular Frenchman will just want his players to raise their performance levels for the away game versus the Tigers, to avoid an ego-bruising third straight loss on the road, with the ex-Lorient manager definitely wanting Jobe Bellingham to stand up and be counted more.
Bellingham's form this season
It has been somewhat of a quiet start to the campaign for the Sunderland boy wonder, who announced himself to the Black Cats faithful last season with a stunning seven goals, despite only still being a wide-eyed teenager.
The 19-year-old only has an underwhelming one goal and one assist this time around from seven league clashes, but his performances have been encouraging to view, away from his output slightly drying up.
His showing against Leeds United was particularly impressive, with the Sunderland number seven only misplacing two of his 48 passes on the day coming up against a makeshift Whites midfield, alongside also registering three efforts on Illan Meslier’s net.
The game before this enthralling 2-2 draw also saw Bellingham break his duck for the season with a sublime strike versus Derby County, with the teenager raring to get back on a pitch for his Championship employers and score more stunning strikes, starting with a trip to Tim Walter’s Hull this weekend.
Whilst Bellingham will aim to better his 2023/24 output across this marathon of a campaign to come, on the way to his side potentially making a long-awaited return to Premier League, one former Sunderland man is actually now bettering the starlet’s numbers, despite being very much submerged in the twilight years of his playing days.
The player who is outperforming Bellingham
Amazingly, despite being 35 years of age, ex-Black Cats winger James McClean is currently trumping Bellingham’s numbers, lining up for Wrexham in the league below.
McClean was let go of by the Wearside club 11 years ago, when Sunderland were regularly competing in the top-flight, with Paolo Di Canio selling him on to Championship outfit Wigan Athletic for £1m.
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Assists
Wigan
171
23
27
West Bromwich Albion
112
5
5
Stoke City
111
12
19
Wrexham
56
6
14
He would go on to become a success at the Latics, away from collecting 11 goals and six assists from 70 appearances at the Stadium of Light, with McClean also becoming a household name in the Championship and Premier League with various different clubs away from solely Wigan.
In the here and now, the 104-time Republic of Ireland international has arguably found a new lease of life with Wrexham, even as his playing days begin to wind down.
Last time out, the experienced Red Dragons captain would help himself to two goals and an assist as his Welsh outfit easily brushed aside Northampton Town 4-1, bettering Bellingham’s season numbers in just one League One encounter, with those being his only golden contributions in the league so far.
McClean was an obvious coup for the resurgent team when he put pen to paper on a deal last year, with Wrexham even remarkably having another major player from Sunderland’s recent history in Steven Fletcher on their books now too.
If the tenacious Irishman can keep up his top form, he could end up steering his employers up to the same division as Sunderland, where the two teams could face off if Le Bris’ men don’t also taste promotion themselves.
Whilst Wrexham are proving that age is just a number in the case of their star number seven, the Black Cats operate very differently with a young and hungry core front and centre of their philosophy, as they strive to move back up to the Premier League with this raw group.
Development as Sunderland now make contact over stunning new Henderson move