Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • Messi a doubtful starter for Argentina; Vinicius back with Brazil for World Cup qualifying


Messi a doubtful starter for Argentina; Vinicius back with Brazil for World Cup qualifying

Brazil's Neymar, center, jokes with Richarlison as teammates Rodrygo, left, and Vinicius Junior, right, look on, during a training session in Cuiaba, Brazil, Tuesday. Brazil will face Venezuela in a World Cup 2026 qualifying soccer match on Thursday. (AP)
Short Url

https://arab.news/pt79b

Updated 11 October 2023
AP
Follow

Messi a doubtful starter for Argentina; Vinicius back with Brazil for World Cup qualifying

  • The World Cup champions are due to host Paraguay on Thursday at Buenos Aires
  • The Selecao will take on Venezuela in Cuiaba
Updated 11 October 2023
AP

SAO PAULO: Lionel Messi is again a doubtful starter for Argentina in the next World Cup qualifying match against Paraguay.

The Argentina captain scored in the opening 1-0 win over Ecuador but skipped the 3-0 win at Bolivia last month because of muscular pains that have also sidelined him from several matches for Inter Miami in the MLS.

The World Cup champions are due to host Paraguay on Thursday at Buenos Aires.

Vinicius Jr. missed Brazil’s first two games in South American qualifying but is back in the starting lineup after recovering from an injury.

Argentina and Brazil are 2-0 in qualifying for the 2026 World Cup after victories last month. The continental archrivals are due to meet in November.

Colombia are in third spot in the 10-team standings with four points. Uruguay and Venezuela each have three points, followed by Paraguay, Peru and Chile with one point each.

Ecuador have not registered a competition point despite their 2-1 win over Uruguay on Sept. 13. Ecuador started the qualifying tournament at -3 after having points deducted by FIFA for the falsification of birth information of defender Byron Castillo, who is of Colombian origin.

The next World Cup in the US, Mexico and Canada is expanding to a 48-team format, meaning direct entry to the top six teams in South America. The seventh-place team will contest an intercontinental playoff for a berth.

Elsewhere, there were celebrations for Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay after FIFA’s decision to award the three countries the opening matches of the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

ARGENTINA vs. PARAGUAY

The 36-year-old Messi missed four MLS matches for his club plus the US Open Cup final. He played 10 minutes on Saturday in Inter Miami’s 1-0 loss to Cincinnati. Tuesday’s training suggested he will face Paraguay, but it wasn’t clear whether he’d start or come off the bench.

Coach Lionel Scaloni didn’t indicate who would replace Messi if he doesn’t start. He will also have to make other selection decisions, including whether to start Nicolas Tagliafico or Marcos Acuña at left-back, or Julián Álvarez or Lautaro Martínez up front.

Argentina will not count on Angel Di María, who is recovering from injury. Nico Gonzalez is likely to be the veteran’s replacement once more.

Paraguay’s new coach Daniel Garnero will have his debut against Argentina. He took over from Guillermo Barros Schelotto last month after the first two qualifiers.

The 54-year old Garnero, an Argentine like Schelotto, has coached several Paraguayan teams since 2016 and shown preference to more balanced teams in a country where defending is seen as an art.

“We need to play it clever, use the strategy of our coach for this match and take one point. And why not three?” defender Junior Alonso said. His hopes are not false; Argentina has failed to beat Paraguay in the two latest editions of South American World Cup qualifying.

BRAZIL vs. VENEZUELA

Brazil’s new coach Fernando Diniz showed at Tuesday’s training that Vinicius Jr. is fully recovered from injury and will start against Venezuela in the city of Cuiaba. Raphinha was the starter at right-wing in the two first matches but is now injured.

The status of the 23-year-old Vinicius at home has grown since the last World Cup, as he continues to thrive at Real Madrid and fans see Neymar playing in a pro league in Saudi Arabia.

“Vinicius is important for his club, he is important for the national team. And he is only a boy,” striker Gabriel Jesus told a press conference. “He came back from injury scoring goals and helping Real win matches. He is just great.”

Renan Lodi, who is also out due to injury, is likely to be replaced by Guilherme Arana.

Richarlison is expected to start against Venezuela despite his goal drought for the national team. His most recent goal for Brazil came in the 4-1 win against South Korea in the round of sixteen of the World Cup in Qatar.

Also on Thursday, Colombia will face Uruguay, Bolivia will host Ecuador, and Chile will take on Peru.

Topics: World Cup qualify match Lionel Messi Vinicius Junior

Related

Football
Messi and Miami eliminated from MLS playoff contention
Sport
Vinicius out of Brazil’s World Cup qualifying matches, Raphinha in

Spurs thrash Man City 4-0 to end 52-match unbeaten home run

Updated 23 November 2024
AFP
Follow

Spurs thrash Man City 4-0 to end 52-match unbeaten home run

  • James Maddison struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Pedro Porro rubbed salt in the wounds of his former club and Brennan Johnson completed the rout
  • City’s first defeat on home soil from open play since the eve of the 2022 World Cup leaves them still five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool
Updated 23 November 2024
AFP

MANCHESTER: Manchester City crashed to a stunning fifth consecutive defeat as Tottenham won 4-0 at the Etihad to end the English champions’ 52-game unbeaten home run on Saturday.
James Maddison struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Pedro Porro rubbed salt in the wounds of his former club and Brennan Johnson completed the rout.
City’s first defeat on home soil from open play since the eve of the 2022 World Cup leaves them still five points adrift of Premier League leaders Liverpool, who play their game in hand at bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Sunday.
A great day for Tottenham eases the pressure on Ange Postecoglou as they climb into the top six.
City boss Pep Guardiola has committed himself to turning around the poorest run of his managerial career after extending his contract till 2027 this week.
But hopes his new deal could revitalize a City side, that have won an unprecedented four consecutive Premier League titles, proved short-lived.
Rodri paraded his Ballon d’Or trophy to the home fans before kick-off as his name was lit up across the Etihad pitch by firelight in an ostentatious show of support for the Spanish midfielder.
The 28-year-old is not expected to play again this season after suffering knee ligament damage in September and his absence has been at the heart of City’s demise.
Guardiola’s men did start strongly as Guglielmo Vicario denied Erling Haaland and the Norwegian had another shot deflected wide.
But the momentum of the match completely swung on Tottenham’s first serious attack after 13 minutes.
Dejan Kulusevski’s teasing cross picked out Maddison who applied a cool first-time finish.
Maddison had found himself frozen out of Postecoglou’s starting line-up in recent weeks and was keen to prove a point to his manager.
Son Heung-min’s inventive pass freed the England international inside the box and he dinked the ball over the advancing Ederson to double Spurs’ lead.
Inconsistency has been the scourge of Tottenham’s season so far.
A 2-1 home defeat to Ipswich before the international break saw Postecoglou’s men slip to 10th in the table.
But they have now twice won comprehensively in Manchester after a 3-0 win over United at Old Trafford.
Dominic Solanke was denied by a fine Ederson save with the chance to make it 3-0 before half-time.
Spurs, though, were not to be denied seven minutes into the second period.
The excellent Kulusevski crossed for Solanke and he patiently laid the ball back for Porro to blast home from close range.
Haaland clipped the bar from an almost impossible angle as City labored to find a response.
Instead, they were hit with one final sucker punch as Timo Werner eased past Kyle Walker and crossed for Johnson to tap home at the far post.
The one glimmer of hope for City may be the return of Kevin De Bruyne after a two-month injury absence as a late substitute.
However, Guardiola has to find solutions fast if his side’s title defense is to be maintained into the new year.
A daunting trip to face Liverpool at Anfield is next up in the Premier League, where City have not won in front of a crowd since 2003.

Topics: Manchester city Tottenham Hotspur Pep Guardiola James Maddison

Related

Football
Pep Guardiola reportedly agrees to contract extension at Man City
Sport
Man City will ‘struggle’ to overcome injury crisis, says Guardiola

Odegaard inspires Arsenal to reignite title hopes

Updated 23 November 2024
AFP
Follow

Odegaard inspires Arsenal to reignite title hopes

  • Victory at the Emirates lifts them to 22 points, level with third-placed Chelsea
  • Captain Odegaard was making his first appearance at the Emirates since late August and showed what a huge miss he was for Arsenal
Updated 23 November 2024
AFP

LONDON: Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal team “flows in a different way” when Martin Odegaard is playing after the Gunners crushed Nottingham Forest 3-0 on Saturday to end their winless run.
Stunning strikes from Bukayo Saka and Thomas Partey and a first Premier League goal for teenager Ethan Nwaneri gave Arsenal a first victory in five league games, reigniting their title challenge.
Arsenal, Premier League runners-up for the past two seasons, started the campaign strongly but their form dipped and they kicked off on Saturday nine points behind leaders Liverpool.
Victory at the Emirates lifts them to 22 points, level with third-placed Chelsea.
Arsenal took the lead in the 15th minute when Saka exchanged passes with Odegaard on the edge of the area before lashing a left-footed shot into the roof of the net.
Captain Odegaard was making his first appearance at the Emirates since late August and showed what a huge miss he was for Arsenal during his two-month injury absence.
Time and again the Norwegian found space in the penalty area with his quick feet and he teed up Gabriel Jesus, who curled narrowly wide, before linking up with Saka again.
Partey doubled Arsenal’s lead early in the second half after collecting Saka’s pass 20 yards out and taking a touch, before curling his shot away from the dive of Matz Sels and inside the far post.
Seventeen-year-old Nwaneri tucked away Raheem Sterling’s cutback to wrap up an emphatic win in the 86th minute.
“I think we started really well,” Arteta told the BBC. “The sense I was getting in the last 48 hours after the international break, the boys coming together and were all at it.”
Speaking about Odegaard, who returned to action at Inter Milan earlier this month, he said: “It’s not a coincidence. The team flows in a different way when he is playing.”
And he also had warm words for Nwaneri.
“He is the second-youngest (Premier League goalscorer) in our history,” Arteta said. “That’s a story in itself.
“He’s brave. You see the reaction of fans and they were singing ‘He’s one of our own’. I think we have to put brick by brick and make sure the cement doesn’t get dry. Hopefully we can build a beautiful thing with him.”

Topics: Arsenal english Premier League Martin Odegaard

Related

Sport
Arsenal, Man City and Bayern advance to Women’s Champions League quarterfinals
Sport
Arsenal Premier League hopes hit as Isak scores winner for Newcastle

Leipzig lose ground on Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen win

Updated 23 November 2024
AFP
Follow

Leipzig lose ground on Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen win

  • Hoffenheim came from a goal down to equalize three times and hit the lead with four minutes remaining on a wild debut for new manager Christian Ilzer
  • In Dortmund, the home side won 4-0 over Freiburg thanks to goals from Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt and Jamie Gittens
Updated 23 November 2024
AFP

DORTMUND: RB Leipzig continued to lose ground on Bundesliga league leaders Bayern Munich with a 4-3 defeat at lowly Hoffenheim on Saturday, while Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen registered big wins.
Hoffenheim came from a goal down to equalize three times and hit the lead with four minutes remaining on a wild debut for new manager Christian Ilzer.
Hoffenheim’s Adam Hlozek collected a brace while Tom Bischof scored a clever free kick and Jakob Bruun Larsen was responsible for the winner in the 86th minute.
Leipzig’s efforts came through Willi Orban, Antonio Nusa and an own goal from Hoffenheim’s Stanley Nsoki.
Equal on points with Bayern just three matchdays ago, Leipzig have lost two and drawn one and now sit eight behind the league leaders.
Leipzig had only conceded five goals in the league season before Saturday’s outing.
Eintracht Frankfurt can leapfrog Leipzig into second place and close the gap on Bayern to six points when they host Werder Bremen later on Saturday.
In Dortmund, the home side won 4-0 over Freiburg thanks to goals from Maximilian Beier, Felix Nmecha, Julian Brandt and Jamie Gittens, while the visitors finished with nine men.
Under fire and sitting outside the European placings coming into the match, Dortmund’s one saving grace this league campaign has been their home form, with five wins from five.
The hosts got on track early, when Beier, who scored a double for Germany’s under-21s against France this week, opening the scoring seven minutes in.
Midfielder Nmecha, who scored for Germany’s senior side in their 1-1 draw in Hungary midweek, added a second with a superb long-range effort on the 40th-minute mark.
Freiburg’s hopes of a comeback were snuffed out after 63 minutes when Patrick Osterhage picked up a second yellow card for a rough tussle with Marcel Sabitzer.
From the ensuing free kick, Dortmund’s Brandt curled the ball home and England winger Gittens curled in a fourth to seal the match with 13 minutes remaining.
Freiburg’s Junior Adamu saw straight red for striking Dortmund’s Waldemar Anton in stoppage time, reducing his side to nine men.
Dortmund have now won their past six against Freiburg, scoring 24 and conceding five.
Defending champions Leverkusen came from two goals down to win 5-2 at home against Heidenheim thanks to a hat-trick from Patrick Schick.
Heidenheim, who host Chelsea in the Conference League on Thursday, were two goals up within 21 minutes, with Niklas Dorsch and Mathias Honsak taking advantage of some sleepy defense.
World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios pulled one back on the half-hour mark before Schick, in for the injured Victor Boniface, scored three unanswered goals to wrestle back control of the match before Granit Xhaka added a fifth with eight minutes remaining.
Last season’s runners-up Stuttgart scored two second-half goals through Chris Fuehrich and Justin Diehl to win 2-0 at home over last-placed Bochum, who have just one point from 11 games this season.
Elsewhere, Wolfsburg’s Ridle Baku scored the only goal as his side defeated Union Berlin 1-0 at home.

Topics: Borussia Dortmund Leipzig Bayer Leverkusen Bundesliga

Related

Sport
Kane hat-trick sends Bayern eight points clear
Sport
Leverkusen’s Boniface sidelined with leg injury

Ancelotti says ‘ugly’ to speculate about Mbappe mental health

Updated 23 November 2024
AFP
Follow

Ancelotti says ‘ugly’ to speculate about Mbappe mental health

  • Mbappe has scored just one goal in his last seven Madrid games across all competitions
  • “What a question — I don’t have the impression that he has any mental health problems,” Ancelotti said
Updated 23 November 2024
AFP

MALAGA: Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said Saturday it was “ugly” to speculate about the mental health of superstar striker Kylian Mbappe.
Mbappe has scored just one goal in his last seven Madrid games across all competitions and is also involved in a multi-million euro pay dispute with former club Paris Saint-Germain.
Ancelotti was asked at his weekly press conference if the striker was struggling with pressure.
“What a question — I don’t have the impression that he has any mental health problems,” Ancelotti said.
“I see him as happy to be here, if he is, he doesn’t show it, but I think speculating about problems of this type is a bit ugly.”
The forward was left out of France’s squad for recent Nations League matches for the second time in two months, and was linked to a rape investigation in Sweden, which Mbappe has denied.
France coach Didier Deschamps did not select the 25-year-old for matches against Israel and Italy, saying “it was better that way.”
Ancelotti said he was confident Mbappe, who joined Madrid this summer at the end of his PSG deal, would find the net at the weekend away at minnows Leganes.
“There are always bad moments, all the great strikers have been through them, but he’s motivated and happy, and that’s all I can see,” continued Ancelotti.
“I’m convinced that he’s going to play a great match tomorrow and that all this will come to an end.
“He has extraordinary qualities, it’s just a matter of time.”

Topics: Real Madrid Graduate School Carlo Ancelotti Kylian Mbappé

Related

Sport
Mbappe left out of France squad for November internationals
Sport
Kylian Mbappe’s representatives say reports footballer faces rape probe are ‘false’ and a ‘slanderous rumor’

PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest

Updated 23 November 2024
AP
Follow

PSG beat Toulouse 3-0, Akliouche double gives Monaco home win over Brest

  • The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half
  • The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich
Updated 23 November 2024
AP

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain retained a six-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 after a labored 3-0 home win over Toulouse on Friday.

The defending champion dominated the first half but it took until the 35th minute to open the scoring.

Young Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves spun to meet a cross from the right and struck a superb half volley from just outside the box.

Lucas Beraldo got a second with six minutes remaining when he pounced on loose ball and fired home.

Vitinha made it 3-0 in stoppage time when he showed fine footwork inside the box to finish off a quick counterattack.

The scoreline was harsh on Toulouse, who came into the game in a more even second half.

Only Vitinha’s last-gasp tackle stopped Zakaria Aboukhlal from equalizing after 69 minutes and then Shavy Babicka blazed over from close range a minute later when he should have hit the target.

The win was a confidence boost for Luis Enrique’s side ahead of next Tuesday’s Champions League encounter at Bayern Munich.

PSG lie in 25th place in the 36-team Champions League table with one win in four matches and outside the playoff spots.

Monaco beat Brest

The win came immediately after second-placed Monaco beat Brest 3-2 to briefly close the gap at the top to three points.

Brest, who face Barcelona next week in the Champions League, turned in another inconsistent French league performance and not the sparkling form they have shown in Europe.

Brest have struggled in Ligue 1, where they remain 12th, but shone with three wins from four in their first-ever Champions League campaign.

It was behind after just five minutes on Friday when Maghnes Akliouche scored with a superb airborne volley, and 2-0 down after 24 minutes thanks to Aleksandr Golovin.

The Russian striker seized on a poor pass just outside the Brest penalty area and his low shot was perfectly placed to sneak in off the post and give him his first goal in nine league appearances.

On-loan Brighton striker Abdallah Sima used his 1.88-meter frame to outjump the Monaco defense four minutes into the second half and cut the deficit but Akliouche restored Monaco’s two-goal cushion when he brilliantly finished a quick counterattack in stoppage time.

Ludovic Ajorque got a second for Brest in the sixth minute of added time but it was not enough in a second half most notable for the red card shown to Brest coach Eric Roy.

Latest updates

COP29 draft deal would have rich nations pay $300 billion in climate finance
How should Arab Americans deal with Trump administration?
Spurs thrash Man City 4-0 to end 52-match unbeaten home run
Odegaard inspires Arsenal to reignite title hopes
PM Sharif says nation stands with security forces after killing of militants amid surge in attacks

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.