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Friday, January 8, 2016

10 things that happened in the football world this week that will leave you wondering

Capital One Cup, Copa del Rey, Serie A games, Zinedine Zidane replacing Rafael Benitez as Real Madrid's head coach, we've had a pretty busy week so far. As always, football games, football news always leave us wondering. I mean, I know you spend time in the shower thinking how did Neymar do that move?

Or spent time trying to digest the fact that Zizou is now Madrid's coach on your bed last night. It can't just be me.

Read The Game gathered 10 things that happened in the football world this week that will keep your mind entertained on your way to work today.

1. Liverpool's injuries

Okay, Liverpool injuries problem won't entertain you but it will make you go "Wow."

Liverpool currently have 11 injuries (seven hamstrings) 12 if you count Kolo Toure cramping up after the game against Stoke on Monday. "Kolo was a cramp, that's not a problem," coach Jurgen Klopp told the team's website. "But after three days it's not possible to play the next game."

This next game is against Exeter City on Friday in the FA Cup, just two days after their last match. With the most injuries in the Premier League they have the tightest schedule, their next game after Friday is on Wednesday against Arsenal.

Klopp has to deal with 12 unavailable players Friday, that's over a quarter of his 37 men roster.

2. Caceres the hero

Scoring goals is a great skill in football, not stopping your opponent from scoring when he's shooting right at you is even a better skill. Watch Martin Caceres dodge to allow his teammate Leonardo Bonucci's header get in the net:




Bonucci didn't even point at Caceres or hug him, he ran away from him. That's an assist for Caceres in my book.

3. Enrique said he can't remember his incident with Zidane in 2003

13 years ago Luis Enrique got into an argument with Zidane during El Clasico, in which the Frenchman grabbed the former Barcelona player's face. Watch it for yourself:


Now those two men will stand by each other during the next Clasico. Enrique says he doesn't remember the clash.

"I haven't seen the images and I don't remember any exchange with Zidane," the Spaniard said. "But for sure we were defending our teams."

Which means that the two managers will shake hands at the next Clasico.

4. Is Pique right or wrong here?

19-year-old Marco Asensio was the assist man for Espanyol lone's goal against Barcelona on Wednesday in a game that ended 4-1.

Gerard Pique was defending the teenager on top of the box on the play, he chose to contain instead of going for the tackle. Then Asensio passed the ball to Felipe Caicedo, who beat Javier Mascherano before hitting the ball past keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.


Mind you, Pique is moving as fast as he can backyard-sideways here, if he goes for the ball he's easy to beat.

But it's not impossible for Pique to tackle the guy here (specially with the length of his legs). And he didn't have to go for the ball, he could've fouled the kid. Pique is not really the last defender, Mascherano is there with him and he wasn't on a yellow card.

Pique, right or wrong? Either way Barca won, Pique scored the third goal.

5. Joe Allen: Pass or shot?

In football, sometimes our passes are so bad that they look like shots. Or our shots are so terrible that they look like passes. Or I don't know, our throw-ins look like goal-kicks. Nah, that's a different level.

Allen, the "Welsh Pirlo", the "Welsh Xavi" as they call him, assisted Jordon Ibe's goal on Monday for Liverpool. This will probably be the most controversial assist the midfielder will ever provide in his career.

Some said it was a brilliant no-look-pass. Others said he miss-hit his shot. But if Allen is shooting why is he looking away from the goal. No-look-shot? Or if he's passing, why would he pull his leg so far back? Or why would he even pass the ball when he's in a great position to shoot?

I don't know, let's watch it again:


6. Milan vs Bologna, 11 yellow cards!

Milan had six yellow cards, Bologna had five. The players were too busy fouling each other that they didn't have time to score, Emnuele Giacherini scored the only goal of the game for Bologna.

You can make a whole starting XI with yellow carded players. 4-3-3.

Defenders: Philipe Mexes, Ignazio Abate, Mattia De Sciglio, Adam Masina.

Midfielders: Riccardo Montolivo, Amadou Diawara, Matteo Brighi.

Forwards: Anthony Mounier, Mattia Destro, Luiz Adriano.

Goalkeeper: No keepers got a yellow but Milan midfielder Juraj Kucka is 6' 1, he can stand between the posts.

7. Don't always think you didn't score, my friend

Simone Pepe hit a free kick for Chievo Verona against Roma in the 85th minute as the score was 3-2 in favor of Roma. Keeper Wojciech Szczesny saved Pepe's free-kick after the ball rattled off the post.

The 32 year-old winger put his hand over his mouth and had a serious depressing look on his face, thinking that he was this close to give his side a late-equalizer. Pepe turned around, his eyes opened wide in disbelief: the referee signaled GOAL.

The Italian ran and jumped like a madman, his teammates celebrated with him. We watched the replay: the whole ball crossed the line before Szczesny saved the shot. Thank you, goal-line technology.

Here it is, play it from 4:53:



Keepers, don't always think you saved the shot.

8. Lazy Yaya?

Yaya Toure has won the African Player of the Year from 2011 to 2014, yet the Ivorian has always been criticized for being "lazy" on the pitch. For the midfielder often appear as if he's slowly jogging on the field.

Manchester City's manager Manuel Pellegrini claimed that all the criticisms about Toure being under-active are wrong on Tuesday. "A lot of people criticize his body language and the way he runs," the Chilean coach said. "But, if you had all the statistics of Yaya after every game, he is the one player that runs more."

The 32-year-old four time African Player of the Year is 6' 2 weighing 198 pounds. You might want to really examine him on Saturday as City plays Norwich or get a hold of some running stats before calling him lazy.

9. Top two goals of the week: Number 2

Not really top two goals of the week, the week isn't done yet. More like top two goals of the business days of this week. Well, Friday isn't done yet. Anyways...

Leonardo Pavoletti pushes the ball up to get away from the defender before flicking it over the keeper and heading it in the net.


He probably plays a lot of football tennis.

10. Top goal

Lorenzo Insigne loops the ball over the keeper from outside the box.




We got a lot of wondering to do this weekend, football lovers.

Sources: goal, liverpoolfc.com, PhysioRoom.

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