Points from the Weekend

EREDIVISIE

Game of the Weekend: Go Ahead Eagles 0-4 Feyenoord

Feyenoord defeated Go Ahead Eagles to secure their first victory since the opening day of the Eredivisie season.

Fred Rutten’s side were in the midst of their second worst start to an Eredivisie season, and had been knocked out of the KNVB Cup by the Eagles days before the game.

The visitors also entered the game having scored just four goals – making them the least efficient team – but managed to double their season’s efforts in a matter of 90 minutes.

The match began at a tepid pace. Feyenoord kept possession and dictated the tempo, but couldn’t cut through the Eagle’s defence and often settled for passes back to Kevin Vermeer. Colin Kazim-Richards utilised his pace to force a couple of corners, but both came to nothing.

The Eagles pressed the visitor’s back-line and tried to force mistakes, one of which Lewis almost capitalised on. The AZ loanee pounced on a defensive mistake and charged ahead. He dragged his final effort past the far post, but the Feyenoord defence had been warned.

The game went from one-end-to-the-other as both sides lacked the attacking prowess to create something, and both defences remained organised. The best chance during this period fell to Karim El Ahmadi, whose long-range effort refused to dip and thundered over the crossbar.

As the match progressed, Feyenoord began to find more options focusing on the left flank and the talents of Elvis Manu. The Dutch-born Ghanaian thought he’d scored in the 26^th minute: Lex Immers delivered a ball into the area that looped over the defence and he stroked it into the bottom left corner. The linesman, however, had already indicated for offside.

The Eagles, however, did not heed this warning, and another threat from the left-side cost them the opener. Just one minute after Manu’s offside goal, he charged along the flank and cut a cross into the box; Kazim-Richards skewered his shot and the ball ran towards Immers near the post; and Giliano Wijnaldum ended up pushing it into his own net while trying to stop it reaching the Feyenoord midfielder.

Fernando Lewis almost equalised as the match reached the 30 minute mark. Luke Wilkshire stood guard on the left post during a corner, and ended up blocking Lewis’s close-range header.

As half-time beckoned, Manu capitalised on Sven Nieuwpoort slipping and found Toornstra with a great cross. The former Utrecht midfielder completed a simple header and sent Feyenoord in with a two goal advantage.

The visitors began the second-half as they’d begun the first, but it was obvious the team was moving with more confidence and the Eagles struggled to put them under pressure as they had done.

Kazim-Richards extended their lead in the 57^th minute, holding the ball on the edge of the D, turning into space, and smashing an effort past Cummings from 20-yards out.

The rout was completed with three minutes remaining: Manu spurred a sudden counter-attack, using his speed and strength to beat his marker, before putting a through ball between the last defender and the keeper that Te Vrede tapped in.

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Go Ahead Eagles: Cummings; Vriends, Linden, Nieuwpoort, Wijnaldum; Overgoor, Duits, Lewis, Ooijen, Reimerink; Kolder

Subs: Bondt (Reimerink 45) Rijsdijk (Ooijen 63) Lambooij (Duits 75)

Feyenoord: Vermeer; Wilkshire, Kongolo, Nelom, Beek; Clasie, El Ahmadi, Immers, Toornstra; Kazim-Richards, Manu

Subs: Karsdorp (Wilkshire 78) Te Vrede (Kazim-Richards 84) Basacikoglu (Toornstra 89)

LA LIGA

Ancelotti tests against Elche

Carlo Ancelotti adopted a more experimental starting line-up against Elche: Keylor Navas replaced the under-pressure Iker Casillas; Illarramendi formed a centre midfield partnership with Toni Kroos; and Bale and Ronaldo featured as strikers. A 4-4-2, in the traditional sense, had Isco on the left flank and James Rodriguez on the right. Ancelotti has struggled to find balance for the attacking side – they’re among the bottom teams in the goals conceded column – and, despite being able to beat Deportivo 8-2, there are still concerns after the shocking comeback from Real Sociedad and the derby defeat to Atletico.

Casillas has taken the brunt of the blame from the Bernabeu faithful – he’s made mistakes but Pepe and Sergio Ramos deserve as much criticism. Then there are the roles of Marcelo and Carvajal: both bombed up the flanks during the Elche game and the former has made three assists from his four starts for the 10-time Champions League victors. There’s no doubting the Brazilian’s attacking contribution – that’s not the issue. There are concerns about his defensive reliability, which were also raised during the World Cup and his dreadful performance in their semi-final destruction. He drifts out of position and Elche formed their best attacks with Rodrigues on the right flank.

Due to the inclusion of Illarramendi in a more holding role, Kroos was freed up to pose a more attacking threat – he charged into the area on a couple of occasions and one shot bounced off the crossbar. The German looked more natural in this role and could use his bursts of pace to passing to support the front pair and create some chances of his own. The duo seemed to make for a better balance and Elche struggled to create chances through the centre.

James had a rather anonymous game for Madrid on the right flank – he’s struggling to fit in a team that isn’t built around him (like Colombia at the World Cup) – but Isco brought his usual bag of tricks; dribbling through the Elche lines and finding those openings that make his passes so dangerous. Although, on paper, both were on the flanks, they seemed to drift into more central positions – Marcelo and Carvajal provided the width and crosses.

Bale didn’t look as suited to the central striker role as Ronaldo. Both are free spirits in attacking roles – one minute they’re on the flanks, next they’re in the centre – but the star man offered more threat than Benzema. He scored another four goals – that’s nine in four league starts – and created three chances. His first major contribution, however, was giving Elche an early penalty.

A furious response met the referee’s decision seconds after Ronaldo had accidently kicked Mosquera – he had been attempting to clear a corner before the Elche midfielder charged into the path of his foot. Ronaldo later admitted the decision was correct. Bale equalised a couple of minutes later, a glancing header knocking James’s cross into the net.

Madrid then benefitted from a scenario similar to Ronaldo’s penalty: this time, both Mosquera and Marcelo reached out for the ball; the Brazilian fell over and the referee deemed it enough contact to warrant a penalty; and Ronaldo stepped up to put Madrid ahead.

The reigning Ballon d’Or grabbed another three: he leaped to head in Marcelo’s cross, added another from the spot, and ran onto a through ball before tapping it past Herrera Yague.

Stats Assessment: Jose Luis Gaya

Thanks to some much-needed investment from Peter Lim and a team in form, Valencia are threatening to challenge the top three teams in La Liga. While much of the praise has been heaped on clinical striker Paco Alcacer and on the Benfica loanee Rodrigo, a 19-year-old left-back has also established himself as a key part of the side and has put in a claim for a place in the Spain squad.

Jose Luis Gaya featured in games against both Cordoba – a comfortable 3-0 victory – and Real Sociedad – a much tighter 1-1 draw – in the past week. Both performances offered opposing pictures of the left back.

He had more freedom at home to Cordoba, using the space in front to help Valencia’s attacking options. He had one shot on target, and that was the second goal of the evening: he out on the left-flank as Pablo Piatti tried to find room to shoot; charged in to capitalise on a block that rebounded into space; and slammed a thunderous effort into the bottom left corner. Juan Carlos had no chance. He also aided Piatti in finding space and using short passes to create openings. Gaya completed 21 of his 27 passes – a decent enough rate – but also made a successful tackle, a headed clearance, a couple of interceptions and clearances in the box. The one area he struggled in was aerial duels – losing both – although that could be put down to his diminutive stature – he’s just 5ft 7inches.

Gaya’s performance against Real Sociedad. Green indicates succesful defensive actions (tackles, blocks etc.) (FourFourTwo StatsZone)

Against Real Sociedad he had a tougher task: Carlos Vela. In the end his performances earned some Man of the Match recognition. He made eight successful tackles, blocked one effort on the line, made five clearances, intercepted the ball on three occasions, and even won his single aerial duel – he had a fantastic game. Vela struggled to have much effect on the game. He contributed more from corners than he did from crosses, completed just three of his 11 take-ons on that right-flank, and, aside from an early chance at goal, he didn’t threaten Diego Alves.

Vela’s performance against Valencia. Red indicates failed moves (passes, take-ons etc.) (FourFourTwo StatsZone)

If Valencia can keep up their current run of fine form, it’s likely that they’ll have a high finish and their best players will come under the transfer spotlight next summer. Gaya will be among those names.

SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP

St Johnstone blunt in attack

I’ve written before about St Johnstone losing Stevie May, and the effect that has had on their attacking play. However, since then, Steve MacLean has been forced to have knee surgery, and he could be out injured for another four months. Thankfully for Tommy Wright, Brian Graham has come in on loan from Dundee United and, while he doesn’t have the attributes of May, he’s been chipping in on the goal front. Due to the loan restrictions, he couldn’t play against his parent club on Saturday and that meant St Johnstone had to play attacking midfielder Michael O’Halloran as the solo frontman – a position he’s not natural in.

The Saints haven’t won a league game in September, losing 1-0 to Dundee, 2-1 to Inverness, and 2-0 to United. For a team who have aspirations of another top six finish, they need to be picking up some points against other bigger teams, and certainly beating the likes of Dundee, who, along with Kilmarnock and Hamilton, could replace them in the top half of the table.

Against Dundee they struggled to create any chances, as the newly-promoted side kept the ball and refused to allow St Johnstone to hit them on the counter-attack. Although they improved against Inverness, they still didn’t threaten enough and offered little in attack.

At Tannadice, St Johnstone had more shots in total – seven compared to the six United registered – but only one was on target. United had lost their previous four games against the Saints and hadn’t scored. The opener came in the 23^rd minute: Nadir Ciftci, making his return after suspension, led a counter-attack; turned into space and released a ball into the path of the onrushing Chris Erskine; and the Premiership’s joint top-scorer rifled the ball into the bottom left corner. O’Halloran’s best effort rattled off the post. He capitalised on a mistake from Morris and smashed the ball past Cierzniak, but the post denied an equaliser. The Arabs wrapped up all three points thanks to some quick passing play. Ciftci found Watson, who immediately crossed the ball into the box, and Paton ran to meet the ball and send it past Mannus.

Some fans have been critical of chairman Steve Brown, and his role in the club’s current situation. At the end of last season the club picked up their first Scottish Cup and the streets of Perth filled with people turning out to see the players. That support hasn’t be capitalised upon. Brown promised funds for Wright but has yet to deliver. Recent reports suggest that James McFadden is training with the team and could sign for them depending on his fitness. Although the Scottish striker has had his moments, he didn’t convince at Motherwell and his emergence at McDiarmid Park signals a club down to its bare bones.

 

Motherwell finally feeling effects of transfer policy

Stuart McCall has often received praise for his difficult job at Motherwell. The Steelmen have sold their best players summer-after-summer, and he’s managed to replace them and achieve high finishes. Perhaps it’s ironic that Well were demolished 4-0 by Hamilton: the former produced great players – that they had to sell – and are now suffering for that system; the latter have retained much of the same squad that helped them reach the Premiership – opting not to bulk-buy like Dundee – and are enjoying the advantages of using a regular team.

Losing to the Accies is no embarrassment. The newly-promoted side are second after the win and are unbeaten since their opening day loss to Inverness. However, losing 4-0, at home, is unacceptable – especially for the club that finished second last season. And it wasn’t just four well taken goals; Hamilton controlled the game, had the better chances, and it was an emphatic victory.

Redmond, Crawford and Andreu all had good opportunities before the latter did so in the 34^th minute. Francis-Angol attempted an over-the-head clearance but he made a poor connection and gifted the Frenchman a golden chance. Andreu slotted past Twardzik and opened the scoring.

The hosts struggled to contain the Hamilton attack and rarely threatened to even create something at the opposite end – the visitors ended up having 23 shots at goal compared to nine from McCall’s men. Crawford doubled the lead before half-time: Ziggy Gordon’s through ball slid past four Well players, Crawford had a burst of speed to reach the ball before Lawson, and he tucked an effort to the right of Twardzik.

McCall had opted to rest Sutton and Reid but the enthusiastic announcement of their substitutions elicited a small cheer – based on their first-half performance, there was little for the Well fans to be enthusiastic about. For the opening minutes there seemed to be an injection of pace and hope in the side, but Hamilton’s back-line remained structured and organised, and refused to be breached.

Sutton had a chance to change the game: he almost reached McHugh’s quick cross and should’ve beaten McGovern had he done so. Erwin then had a clear chance at goal, but he sent his header into the side-netting.

All doubt ended from the penalty spot. Longridge charged into the box and tumbled at the slightest of contact from Fraser Kerr. Antoine-Fortune coolly placed the ball down the centre, sending Twardzik to the right, to send Hamilton three clear of their hosts.

The fourth and final goal came as the match came to its climax – and as fans poured out of Fir Park – when Crawford grabbed his second of the game. He received the ball on the edge of the box, ran in, unchallenged, and shot into the bottom right corner to give Hamilton a big win.

Weekend Preview

Aberdeen v Inverness

Inverness’s almost-perfect start to the season met a roadblock at Firhill – Partick earned three points in a disappointing game for John Hughes’ side – but Caley regained their form thanks to a comfortable win at struggling St Johnstone. Aberdeen are the personification of inconsistent – their record in the league is loss/win/loss/win/loss/win – but there has been improvement in an attacking sense over the last three games.

In their first three games of the season the Dons scored just two goals and struggled to create chances against the capable defences of St Johnstone and Dundee United. Wins at home to Partick and Ross County, and the close loss at Celtic Park, generated six goals, and Derek McInnes seems to have worked out his attacking system. David Goodwillie is showing positive signs – it’s too early to suggest he’s back to his old Dundee United best – alongside Adam Rooney. It’s difficult to make too many assumptions based on a good performance against Ross County – Jim McIntyre’s side are still rooted to the bottom of the Premiership on zero points – but the pair linked up well and utilised their individual attributes to good effect.

Inverness still possess the strongest defence in the Premiership – especially after Dundee’s capitulation against their neighbours – and should provide a test for the Goodwillie/Rooney pairing. Games between the sides were incredibly tight last season – excluding the Aberdeen’s 4-3 victory, only two goals were scored from their other three meetings in the league – and the later corresponding fixture ended in a goalless draw.

Ryan Jack is Aberdeen’s only significant miss after he suffered an injury during their mid-week thrashing of Livingston.

Athletic Bilbao v Eibar

Which Basque club has the highest position in La Liga? Is it Champions League club Athletic Bilbao? No. Is it Real Sociedad? No. It’s Eibar – the smallest club in La Liga history. The Armeros have been establishing themselves as a formidable outfit: they are structured, organised and hard to break down. The recently promoted side have the joint-fifth best defence in the league at the moment and have already beaten one of their Basque rivals. Real Sociedad travelled 50km along the E-70 to the town on the opening day of the season and went back to San Sebastian with no points. Eibar now have the opportunity to collect their second Basque scalp, as they travel to the San Mames.

Athletic finished fourth last season, taking a Champions League spot and finishing comfortably above Sevilla and Villarreal. Aside from their exploits in the Champions League – an impressive qualification victory over Napoli and securing a group stage spot – Ernesto Valverde’s side have struggled so far this season. Los Leones defeated Levante but suffered losses to Malaga, Barcelona, Granada and Rayo Vallecano.

This fixture marks the first time the clubs have met in the league. Although San Mames is seen as a fortress and one of the toughest grounds to get a point from in La Liga, Granada managed to pick up three points in Athletic’s previous home game. Eibar also have a decent away record, having beaten Elche 2-0 and pushing Atletico to the limit in a tight 2-1 loss.

Go Ahead Eagles v Feyenoord

Feyenoord dominated Ajax in the first De Klassieker of the Eredivisie season, but the result summed up De Trots van Zuid’s problems. Fred Rutten’s side controlled possession and had 18 shots at goal compared to Ajax’s five, however, it was Ajax who scored and came away with all three points.

The result left Feyenoord in 15^th, having picked up a measly five points from their opening six games. The opening day win against Den Haag was followed by two draws and losses at home to both Utrecht and Willem II. All the stats should indicate a team in the ascendancy – they have the second highest possession rate, the third highest pass accuracy, and have taken more shots per game than any other team – but one key statistic stands out: four goals for. That’s the same amount as bottom-of-the-table Heracles.

Obviously, losing defenders the calibre of Bruno Martins Indi, Daryl Janmaat and Stefan de Vrij isn’t a good thing, but Feyenoord have only conceded six goals so far this campaign – the joint-second fewest in the league. The real loss has been that of Graziano Pelle. The Italian striker notched a staggering 50 goals in 57 league appearances during his tenure at the club, and most clubs would struggle to replace a danger-man as clinical as he. Neither Colin Kazim-Richards nor Mitchell te Vrede have offered enough upfront considering the ammunition they are getting.

Feyenoord are travelling to De Adelaarchorst this weekend and, quite simply, it’s a must win fixture. The away side are unbeaten in their previous nine away games and Feyenoord demolished GAE in their previous meeting 5-0.

The hosts are missing Alex Schalk, Deniz Turuc and Lesly de Sa through injury. Feyenoord are still without Khalid Boulahrouz and Lex Immers, with Jens Toornstra likely to fill in again for the latter.

Points from the Weekend

Game of the Weekend: Dundee 1-4 Dundee United

Dundee United took the bragging rights and top spot in the Premiership after thrashing the Dees in convincing fashion.

Dundee came into the match undefeated and boasting the best defensive record in the division – the Arabs were comfortable in breaking both those feats.

The clash had been billed as a battle between Jackie McNamara’s attacking four and Paul Hartley’s defence, both of which had been influential in their respective side’s good starts to the campaign.

However, the battle was a one-sided affair, as goals from Callum Morris, Keith Watson, Ryan Dow and Mario Bilate marked a dominant display by the visiting side, while Thomas Konrad ended up taking an early bath thanks to two yellow cards.

A late strike from Greg Stewart – the final action of the match – ruined Radoslaw Cierzniak’s clean sheet, but it wasn’t enough to diminish the enthusiasm of the Arab support.

Unsurprisingly, the match began at a high tempo. A tight offside decision – a correct one nonetheless – stopped United from taking a lead one minute in: Bilate cut through the Dees’ defence and latched onto a through ball, but the linesman’s flag made his final effort irrelevant.

Both keepers were tested early on: Harkins pushed the ball to the right and McGinn’s cross forced a nervous clearance from Cierzniak; Dow, replacing the suspended Nadir Ciftci, had a hard shot from a tight angle but Letheren looked assured as he caught it first-time; and Chris Erskine, who troubled the home defence throughout, then had a shot that ran just wide of the left post.

As the game began to settle, United retained possession and dictated the pace. Dundee’s resolute defence marked the Arabs’ attacking four tightly, offering them little space to manoeuvre and isolating Bilate. That lasted until the 23^rd minute.

Paton executed a well-time tackle that released Gary Mackay-Steven. The pacey winger cut inside the box – Irvine was caught out of position – and charged at Konrad. The German mistimed his tackle, the referee pointed straight at the spot, and Bilate swept the ball into the bottom left corner to hand United the advantage.

Dundee had a chance to equalise minutes later: a poor Paton tackle handed the hosts a free-kick on the edge of the box, but Harkins smashed his effort straight at Cierzniak. The United defence made a series of similar errors as the match reached the half-hour mark but the hosts didn’t capitalise from the set-pieces, and United continued to retain a slender lead. McAlister had the best chance from a free-kick, his header looping over Cierzniak but also over the crossbar.

As controlled and composed as the Dundee defence had been, the attack offered little and their best chances came from counter-attacking situations. Roberts had a good effort in the 37^th minute: the Dundee attack surged ahead as Harkins prepared for a cross; he aimed for the back-post as Roberts charged in; but Dillon closed down the space and his shot bounced off the side netting. Dundee had a more attacking outlook as half-time loomed – Roberts and Harkins troubled on the flanks – but the Dees failed to create any clear chances.

Dundee continued to push as the second-half kicked off: the attack linked-up to create space; McGinn put a weighted ball into the box; but no Dundee attacker had thought to make a run and the ball ran out of play.

The Dees hadn’t conceded more than one goal in a game this season – that changed after a poor pass from McGowan. An under-pressure Konrad had the ball nicked off his toes by Dow. The 23-year-old cut inside, remained composed as he searched for an opening, and slotted home the visitor’s second.

The Dees wrapped up the points in the 58^th minute: Paton put in a brilliant free-kick from the left side; Konrad couldn’t keep up with a strong Callum Morris; and the defender hammered a header past Letheren.

Dundee looked shell-shocked and disheartened after the quick double – United continued to assert their dominance and added a fourth in the 78^th minute. The returning Stuart Armstrong earned a free-kick next to the corner flag on the left side; the cross reached the far post and Watson, Stewart not attacking the ball, headed in from close range.

United could have extended the embarrassment minutes later: a counter-attack caught the Dundee defence out of position and it took some well-timed tackles to halt the move. Then, seconds after being announced as the Man of the Match, Mackay-Steven dribbled past one Dundee player and found released a through ball for Smith, whose effort stung the palms of Letheren.

For Konrad the match went from dreadful to abysmal in the 89^th minute. Scott Smith deceived the defender with his pace, and a late challenge earned Konrad his second yellow.

As Dundee fans piled out of Dens Park and the referee prepared to end the tie, Stewart hit a quick shot that caught Cierzniak off-guard and curled into the bottom corner.

Dundee: Letheren; McGinn, McPake, Konrad , Irvine; McGowan; Roberts, Ferry, Harkins, McAlister; Stewart

Subs: Tankulic (Roberts 56) Wighton (Harkins 65) Boyle (Ferry 74)

Dundee United: Cierzniak; Watson, Morris, Fojut, Dillon; Rankin, Paton; Dow, Mackay-Steven, Erskine; Bilate

Subs: Armstrong (Erskine 57) Spittal (Bilate 66) Smith (Paton 81)

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Playing out of the back costs Cambuur

Cambuur began the match as the only undefeated team in the Eredivisie; PSV had collected 12 points from their opening four games before a surprise 3-1 defeat to Zwolle ended their perfect run to the start of the campaign. Cambuur had also earned a point from the same fixture the previous season. All of this seemed to indicate that the game would be a competitive one.

Cambuur dominated possession in the opening 15 minutes and controlled the tempo of the game as they passed their way through the host’s midfield. Despite this, there was some indication that the defence wasn’t as assured as the rest of the side: simple passes between Nienhuis and the centre-backs didn’t instil confidence. The keeper fumbled a light shot from Luuk de Jong and Bijker got himself booked for a stupid challenge. The subsequent free-kick from Maher found de Jong in the box, and the summer signing headed in the opener against the run of play.

As comfortable as Cambuur looked playing short passes in the midfield – even if the front three didn’t create enough chances or threaten Zoet – the defence appeared nervous using the same system. PSV capitalised on Cambuur’s defensive fragilities and pressured them to force errors. Ridder caused Bruma and Rekik the most problems, charging at the back-line and earning some free-kicks, but Hemmen had little impact and Ogbeche wasted his best chances.

De Jong put in another impressive performance for PSV. His willingness to drop into deeper positions and create chances for his teammates has made him a crucial cog in the system. The former Monchengladbach and Newcastle striker also appears to have regained his confidence in front of goal, contributing three goals in the league and another three in European competition.

The second goal came from a calamitous mistake from Nienhuis: Willems crossed the ball into the box, the Cambuur keeper flapped, and the cross bounced over him and into the net. Minutes later Bijker got himself sent-off. He attempted a short pass that De Jong intercepted – he reacted by holding the PSV striker and the referee showed a second yellow. It became clear Nienhuis had lost the confidence of his defence: Andriuskevicius cleared a free-kick coming into the box out for a corner despite not being under pressure, and he looked furious that his keeper hadn’t told him this.

Cambuur ended the first-half two goals behind and one man short. The defence and Nienhuis had done more damage than the PSV attack – the hosts had only had three shots on target.

The visitors started off the better side in the second-half but the same problems were noticeable: PSV put Cambuur under pressure as they passed the ball about in defence and came close to snatching a third. It was clear that the manager hadn’t told the defence to alter their costly short-passing style. As the second-half progressed PSV began to trouble Cambuur and test Nienhuis.

The third came from a corner, Bruma jumping to meet the cross and head the ball into the top right corner – Cambuur didn’t help the situation by having no defenders on the posts. The fourth came minutes later: Maher headed in a quick cross for his first in the league.

 

The Eredivisie’s next star attacker: Memphis Depay?

There’s almost a mythological aura surrounding an Eredivisie attacker, generating the sort of excitement usually reserved for announcements heralding the signing of a Brazilian ‘wonderkid’. It’s a tantalising prospect: perhaps your club has just added the next Luis Suarez or Christian Eriksen to their ranks.

Suarez arrived at Anfield after a tremendous spell at Ajax – 111 goals in 159 appearances – and for the relatively small sum of £22.8 million – compared to the £50 million spent on the unproven Carroll. He evolved as an attacker – his tenacious attitude and clinical finishing made him perhaps the most dangerous striker in European football last season – and earned a transfer to Barcelona for £75 million. Liverpool gained four-and-a-half years with one of the best strikers in Europe, helping them reach the Champions League, and a £50 million profit: what manager wouldn’t want a player like that at their club? Attackers like Suarez have given Dutch football a reputation for finding and honing these rare talents. However, like Jo or Robinho disappointing for their English clubs, there’s an element of trepidation in signing a top scorer from the Netherlands.

One player summarises this fear: Afonso Alves. The Brazilian became the Eredivisie top scorer in his first season at Heerenveen – Romario and Ronaldo the only other Selecao stars to achieved that goal – and finished runner-up in the European Golden Boot table behind Roma legend Francesco Totti. Such a dominant spell attracted interest from numerous European clubs. Middlesbrough forked out a fee thought to be around £16 million for the striker – the return was a mere ten goals in 42 games. Mateja Kezman was another former Eredivisie top scorer – three times in four seasons to be exact – and his form earned him a move to Chelsea after their ‘Russian Revolution’ and influx of funds. He had one season at Stamford Bridge and scored four times. There’s an element of risk in purchasing attackers from the Eredivisie, in part because the defences are much more attacking themselves – the game is much tighter in English football and defences keep space limited.

The latest acquisition for the Premier League from the Eredivisie is Dusan Tadic. The former Twente winger joined Southampton after their summer exodus, and has earned plaudits for his performances and his role in the Saints’ good start to the campaign. He’s made four appearances in the league so far, making two assists and contributing an average of over two key passes per game. Thanks to influence Christian Eriksen has had in the Tottenham midfielder, and if Tadic continues to impress for Southampton, it might not be long before the eyes of the Premier League turn back to the Eredivisie. One quick look at the top scorers table highlights the most obvious candidate for a big money transfer next summer: Memphis Depay.

The 20-year-old ended transfer speculation over the summer by signing an improved contract at PSV that should keep him at the Philips Stadion until 2018. Depay has made five league appearances for Rood-Witten so far this season but has already scored five goals and contributed one assist. His style reminds me of Raheem Sterling last season for Liverpool – before he was transformed into a more central attacking midfielder: he charges at defenders with no fear and appears cool as he dribbles past them at speed; he finds space and has the intelligence not to run into cul-de-sacs; and he’s confident cutting inside and picking either a pass or a shot. One criticism – although not a rare one for an attacking player his age – is that he needs to be smarter when choosing whether to shoot. He’s also got a sharp free-kick.

Depay is going to miss the next couple of months of action thanks to a groin injury, but if he can return in the same rich rein of form he has begun the season in it’s almost a certainty he won’t be playing in the Eredivisie next season.

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Set-pieces key to Atletico success

In a pounding Camp Nou Alexis Sanchez put the hosts ahead in the title decider: Fabregas chipped a ball into the box; Messi, his back to goal, chested the ball into the path of an onrushing Sanchez; and the Chilean smashed in the opener from a tight angle. Diego Simeone’s side needed at least one point to escape Catalonia with the title, but had lost both Arda Turan and Diego Simeone – their creator and scorer – to injuries, and Sanchez had dimmed their hopes. Then, in the 49^th minute, Godin rose and headed Gabi’s corner into the net: Los Colchoneros had their goal, and it was enough to break the stranglehold Barcelona and Real Madrid had on the title.

Atletico Madrid are a pragmatic side: Diego Simeone likes his team to defend and hit on the counter-attack. He also likes structure and organisation, and both those elements are crucial in set-pieces. And perhaps no side in European football are as dangerous from set-pieces – or exploit these moments – as much as the Spanish champions. The summer has seen some important players depart the Vicente Calderon – Costa, Filipe Luis, Courtois – and some replacements brought in – Moya, Mandzukic, Cerci, Griezmann – so it’s understandable that it’s taking time to form a cohesive unit (it’s arguable the same thing is happening at Liverpool).

The former Munich striker missed the 2-2 draw at home to Celta Vigo having suffered a broken nose in the Champions League. That meant the focus was on Raul Jimenez. The 15 million euro arrival from the Mexican team America has struggled to settle in so far, neither holding up the ball to support the attacking players around him – Griezmann started alongside the 23-year-old – nor putting himself in positions to trouble defences. It’s meant that Atletico’s goals so far have come from other sources.

Chances created from set-pieces by Atletico. Yellow indicates a goal was scored (FourFourTwo Statszone)

Five of the six goals that Atletico had scored this season have come from set-pieces. Miranda is the current leading scoring – on two goals – and Godin, his centre defence partner, also has one – it’s hard to imagine them not scoring at least ten goals between them this season. Atletico’s strength from set-pieces proved vital against Celta Vigo. From the 15 chances they created during the game, only four came from set-pieces. They converted half of those, and earned a point from the game. Celta had opened the scoring thanks to an amazing strike from Hernandez. Planas put a cross into the box but, being marked tightly, the Chilean couldn’t get in front for the header. In a moment of brilliance, Hernandez let the ball go over the defender and hit a first-time back-heel volley, sending the keeper one way, and the ball into the back of the net. Atletico equalised soon after: Miranda headed Koke’s free kick in from close range. The home side then snatched the lead from another set-piece; this time Godin heading in Gabi’s corner. Celta earned a point thanks to a clumsy challenge by Miranda. The Brazilian barged Planas to the ground, and Nolito converted from the spot.

 

Rakitic and Mathieu: a statistical assessment

It’s no secret that Barcelona didn’t have the best 2013-14 campaign. All indicators seemed to point to the end of an era – the end of their ‘Golden Generation’. There had been criticisms of their defence and of their lack of a second strategy: what to do if the tiki-taka style wasn’t generating results. For me, one of the main reasons behind their brief downturn in fortune was their poor transfer policy during their amazing spell of success.

Pep Guardiola’s first season ended in Champions League and la Liga triumph: the emphatic destruction of Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in the final signalled the beginning of something special. A huge part of that success was two partnerships: Gerard Pique and Carlos Puyol in the heart of defence, and Xavi and Iniesta in the centre of midfield.

As Xavi and Puyol aged and suffered repeated injuries, the team’s lack of depth in those roles was outstanding. However, the club seemed more interested in spending ludicrous sums on Neymar and other attackers. This summer marks the first time the club has focused on filling those roles. Mathieu arrived from Valencia to some undeserved criticism from the fans who thought he didn’t suit the style – neither did Puyol, but that’s why he was so effective next to Pique – and Rakitic signed from Sevilla to fit in Xavi’s position. Both have been influential in Barcelona’s incredible start to the season.

Barcelona visited Levante with the only 100% record in the league and having conceded no goals; the hosts hadn’t scored a goal and languished at the opposite end of the table. Pre-match predictions suggested this would be a one-sided demolition – those ended up being correct.

Rakitic’s passes against Levante (FourFourTwo Statszone)

Rakitic had a dominant game as the right-sided centre midfielder – perhaps his best in Barcelona colours. The Croatian was the central hub of the side, with three of the top five passing combinations involving him – he and Dani Alves linked up 54 times in total on the right side – and completed 113 out his 124 passes (a 91% success rate). The biggest moments of his game were at opposite ends of the park: a last-ditch tackle stopped Levante from almost certainly ending Barcelona’s clean sheet streak, and, in the 43^rd minute, he added the Catalan’s second goal. A headed clearance bounced into the path of an onrushing Rakitic, and the midfielder smashed his shot through the legs of Diop and into the bottom left corner from 25-yards-out.

Mathieu, despite making the mistake that led to the chance Rakitic had to block, had another decent game in the heart of the defence. The Frenchman isn’t the traditional Barcelona player – he’s a safe pair of hands. He blocked one shot, made two headed clearances, intercepted the ball four times, and won his one aerial duel. Obviously, a Levante side that hasn’t scored a goal this season is going to be one of the easier tests he’ll face, but he performed well and controlled his area.

Weekend Preview

Dundee v Dundee United

Sky Sports 3 – 12:00 (12:15 KO) Sunday

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A mere 52 metres separate the corner of Dens Park’s Bob Shankly Stand – the brother of Bill and the only manager to have led Dundee to the League title – and the corner of Tannadice’s Shed. It’s the closest derby in British football, and arguably one of the fiercest.

There’s been a lot of speculation this week surrounding the future of both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Paul Hartley. The Cardiff manager resigned from his position on Thursday, hours after Dundee released a statement discussing the future of their boss.

 “Regarding the recent speculation and reports out of England/Wales. The club would like to confirm that manager Paul Hartley has long term plans to stay at Dundee Football Club. Paul is committed to the club and is looking forward and focused on the upcoming derby matches this week. As a club, we are not surprised that speculation linking Paul to other clubs has come up due to the fantastic job he continues to do at Dens Park. The club and Paul see the solid foundation which has already been put in place as the beginning of a long term plan which will see Paul at the helm of the club for years to come.”

The statement is a huge boost heading into the first Dundee derby of the season, and it’s important that the club managed to quash the rumours before the important fixture. As the club makes clear, it’s no surprise that Hartley is in such demand: Dundee are three points behind their neighbours and are the single undefeated team in the Scottish Premiership.

The Dees head into the game coming off the back of three impressive performances; picking up six points from games at St Mirren and St Johnstone, and earning a point – and more deserving of the three – at home to Celtic. The visitors – the minute walk along Tannadice Street shouldn’t require a coach – have looked impressive in the three games since their trashing at Celtic Park: wins against the bottom two, St Mirren and Ross County, and a draw last week at home against league leaders Hamilton.

The most intriguing battle will be United’s versatile attack against Dundee’s compact defence. The Arabs have scored seven in those three matches but also conceded three. Dundee may have not been as dangerous in front of goal – one complaint so far this season is that they aren’t putting teams away when in the lead – but they’ve been solid and composed in defence. From their previous three games they’ve conceded just one, against Celtic – compared to the six shipped by United at Parkhead – and have scored one in each game. James McPake has been an influential and solid figure at the back for Dundee and he’s looking like one of the best signings of the summer. Dundee haven’t received enough credit for their style, keeping possession, making smart passes and pressuring to force errors – St Johnstone couldn’t manage one shot on target at McDiarmid Park – and that could cause problems in midfield for Jackie McNamara’s team.

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The last time the rivals met in the league was in early 2013, as Dundee held the home side to 1-1 draw at Tannadice. However, the two matches before then ended in comfortable 3-0 victories – both home and away – for the Orange side of Dundee. You can’t read too much into these scores though, as Dundee were rushed into the league in 2012 after the sudden relegation of Rangers. The club were unprepared for promotion and suffered immediate relegation as a result. This time is different, as Hartley has helped create a structured and determined team

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Nadir Ciftci is out after a ridiculous hand-ball earned him a second yellow against Hamilton, and Jackie McNamara’s side could have an even tougher game if Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Dow are both out. As versatile as United’s attacking players are – and it’s the one area they have some depth in – they could struggle without the inventiveness of the Turkish striker and the creative abilities of Armstrong.

Feyenoord v Ajax

Sky Sports 5 – 13:20 (13:30 KO) Sunday

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The biggest derby in Dutch football: de Klassieker (the Classic). The match takes place just weeks after the shock announcement that Kenneth Vermeer had signed for the Rotterdam club from Ajax. The keeper had found himself limited to sporadic appearances thanks to the performances of Jasper Cillessen cementing his position as de Godenzonen’s number one, but his deadline day transfer across the divide surprised the fans as the feud is intense and Vermeer had been in the Ajax team since his promotion from the youth side in 2005.

It sets the backdrop for what is already a strong rivalry – so intense that away fans are barred due to violence in the past. The cities of Amsterdam and Rotterdam are as much of the feud as the clubs: the former is regarded as a cultural hub, while the latter is seen as a working city. The feud picked up in the seventies, as both clubs were among the best in the world. Feyenoord won the European Cup in 1970 and the Eredivisie the next year. Not to be outdone, Cruyff’s Ajax won three successive European Cups and dominated the domestic league for most of the decade.

Ajax come into this match four days after holding PSG to a 1-1 draw at the Amsterdam ArenA, so the reigning champions might not be as fresh as their hosts. Feyenoord have had a poor start to the season and lost their previous game 2-1 at home against Willem II. They are yet to pick up three points at De Kuip, having lost to Utrecht and drawn against Heerenveen. Ajax, on the other hand, are still in dodgy form. Despite beating Heracles after losses to PSV and Groningen, the performance was nervy, and their defence doesn’t instil confidence in the fans.

Feyenoord have scored just four goals this season – the joint second fewest – and Ajax have scored the joint second most goals. On the other hand, Feyenoord, despite being 14^th, have conceded just five goals, the joint second fewest in the league. Games involving the hosts have the lowest number of goals this season – an average of 1.8 per-game – compared to Ajax, who have the second highest after PSV.

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Ajax have won the three previous encounters between the two sides, including a 2-1 win at De Kuip earlier this year. In fact, Feyenoord have won just two of their league clashes since 2006. The evidence, along with their current form, suggests it’s hard to look past another Ajax win.

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Both teams are missing important players. Lex Immers is injured and will be a key miss in the centre of Feyenoord’s midfield, while Lasse Schone, after scoring the equaliser against PSG, is a doubt after sustaining a groin injury in the Champions League game.

Atletico Madrid v Celta Vigo

Sky Sports 5 – 19:00 (19:00 KO) Saturday

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The top four of the Liga BBVA table doesn’t offer up any surprises: Barcelona are the only team on full points from the opening three games, ahead of Valencia, Sevilla and Atletico who each have seven points. In fifth, though, are Celta Vigo. Os Celticos have progressed from a team often in-or-around the relegation zone to a comfortable mid-table side, and, despite losing Luis Enrique to Barcelona, Eduardo Berizzo has guided Celta to decent start to the campaign: points against both Cordoba and Real Sociedad, and all three at home against Getafe. Atletico are their first real test of the season; Diego Simeone’s men coming off the back of their significant Madrid derby win.

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Atletico aren’t a team that dominate the weaker sides – they don’t often cruise to a 6-0 demolition like Barcelona or Real – and their games against Celta have often been close affairs. The same fixture last season resulted in a tight game, goals from Diego Costa sealing 2-1 victory for the home side. Four of the previous six meetings have been decided by one goal, and Celta have taken all three points on just one occasion.

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There will be one major absence in the Atletico line-up, as Mario Mandzukic looks set to be out for a couple of weeks after breaking his nose in the Champions League. This could mean Alessio Cerci making his first full competitive debut for Simeone’s side. Nolito has spent the week training separately from the rest of the squad after suffering an injury in the 2-2 draw against Sociedad, although the club are hopeful he’ll start at the Vicente Calderon. Berizzo will have to do without Augusto Fernandez, after picking up a thigh injury while on international duty with Argentina.

Points from the Weekend

INVERNESS’S STREAK COMES TO AN END

No streak lasts forever, and for Inverness the demise of their early-season undefeated – and clean-sheet streak – came to an end in the game of the Thistles.

Inverness took the lead thanks to a 13^th minute strike from Aaron Doran – his third from two starts. The goal came from a brilliant team-effort: Raven dribbled on the right, beating one Partick player, before passing to Watkins and cutting inside; Watkins passed to McKay, who let the ball pass through his legs and into space for the onrushing Raven to collect; Raven tapped the ball to Doran on the edge of the box; and the Irishman turned and shot a hard effort into the bottom left corner.

The clean-sheet streak came to an end six minutes later, as Lawless cut inside and curled a shot into the bottom corner – most keepers would’ve struggled to stop it. Partick continued to pressure the Inverness defence and added a second four minutes later, Osman rising high to head home Higginbotham’s corner. McKay had a couple of good opportunities to equalise but, for the most part, Inverness didn’t create enough clear chances. Higginbotham finished the scoring in the 72^nd minute, smashing the ball past Brill from outside the box.

As much as the result will disappoint John Hughes, it’s been a fantastic start to the season and it’s perhaps won over some his doubters. Inverness’s form dropped under his management last season and Hughes was criticised for favouring flair and style – his ‘Barcelona’ vision – over the structure and solidity that had worked so well under Terry Butcher. He seems to have found the correct balance this time round, and the fact that they kept five-straight clean sheets confirms that he’s developing as a manager.

For Partick this result comes off the back of stuttering start to their season. An emphatic 4-0 win over Ross County on the opening day of the season was followed by a deserved point at Dens Park. The Jags then succumbed to successive defeats to Hamilton – who are now top of the Premiership – and Aberdeen. Along with Kilmarnock, Partick should push for a top six place if the likes of St Johnstone and Motherwell continue their faltering starts to the campaign.

THE MOMENTS OF MADNESS OF NADIR CIFTCI

“There is no great genius without a mixture of madness” – Aristotle

Perhaps it’s a little strong to compare Nadir Ciftci to a genius, or a madman, but the Turkish striker certainly demonstrated he has elements of both in locker as Dundee United were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Hamilton. His control of the ball, vision and moments of magic remind me of Luis Suarez – a Scottish Premiership version (meaning not as good) nonetheless, and without all the biting.

Ciftci had a shot blocked on the line in the opening minutes, his looping header cleared by Canning. The Turk then punished the visitors for a mistake in the 17^th minute: a loose touch from Gillespie pushed the ball out for a throw-in; Bilate took it quick to release Ciftci; and the striker dribbled round both Canning and McGovern before tapping the ball in for the opener. Tannadice erupted in recognition of both the goal and the amazing effort and skill that went into making it – a moment of genius.

Then came the other side of his personality. The referee booked both Ciftci and McKinnon as the pair got tangled up and, like children, stubbornly refused to be the one to break the hold. After goals from Antoine-Curier and Andreu put Hamilton into the lead, it seemed as though Ciftci had equalised after capitalising on some poor set-piece defending from the Accies. However, as all five Hamilton players defending the free-kick suddenly pointed towards their arms, it became clear something wasn’t quite right. Luckily the referee had spotted Ciftci punching the ball into the net, and punished him with a second yellow card and a sending off.

The punishment means United will miss the erratic striker in next week’s Dundee derby, which, considering the form both teams are coming into the game in, should be a tight contest.

AJAX NEED TO TIGHTEN DEFENCE

Ajax made hard work of beating Heracles; the team currently bottom of the league with not one point to their name. The international break couldn’t have come at a better time for Ajax – they’d been convincingly beaten by both PSV and Groningen in back-to-back games – and a game against Heracles should have been a comfortable return back to league football. However, come the 90^th minute, and the atmosphere inside the Amsterdam Arena was palpable as the tense Ajax fans tried to hurry the full-time whistle. As much as three points is better than nothing, it was not a display that inspired confidence.

There remain important issues at the back. Joel Veltman is out of confidence – it’s hard to imagine him not struggling against Ibrahimovic in Ajax’s Champions League tie against PSG – and he’s been culpable of a couple of mistakes in recent weeks. He’s one to choose a safe option or a pass back to the keeper and, as comfortable as Cillessen is on the ball, under pressure that could cause more problems. I’m still unconvinced by Moisander as captain – he doesn’t command his box enough for me – and there’s still questions about van Rhijn’s defensive capabilities.

There are still positives to be taken from the game: El Ghazi continues to utilise his pace to bamboozle defenders, although he needs to learn when to beat a man and when to look for a pass; Schone put in a good performance, creating opportunities and testing Telgenkamp on a couple of occasions; and Arkadiusz Milik, on loan from Bayer Leverkusen, opened his account with two well-taken goals. For the first he held off a defender and tucked the ball under the keeper, and for the second he cut inside and curled an effort in the bottom corner.

EIBAR LACK FIREPOWER TO AVOID RELEGATION FIGHT

Some 50km east of Bilbao, nestled in the heart of Basque country, lies the small city of Eibar. It’s an unspectacular city, with a population just less than 30,000, and a stadium that holds just 5,000 supporters of the local club. Sociedad Deportiva Eibar were one of those teams that drifted back-and-forth between the Spanish second and third divisions, until a sudden run of fortune guided them to back-to-back promotions and a place La Liga. The Armeros – meaning ‘The Gunsmiths’ as the city was once the centre of the north’s armaments production – shot to the top of the 2013-14 Segunda, losing just nine games and conceding just 28 goals. However, despite their two point gap at the top of the league, promotion wasn’t assured.

Eibar are the smallest club ever to have played in the league, and the Spanish FA didn’t seem keen on letting them feature in their premier division. The FA ordered the club to raise 1.7 million euros in capital value by August 6^th, and if they didn’t, they’d be relegated to the third tier. The club issued 34,000 shares at 50 euros each and received help from the likes of Xabi Alonso, but club rules allowing a maximum holding of 2% limited the aid even he could provide. Thanks to social media and the issue being given international coverage, people all over the world purchased the shares and the club secured their La Liga future.

Despite this increase in funding, Eibar have retained their core team and spent £143,000 on signings. That majority of that money was spent on former Barcelona B winger Dani Nieto, and the remaining £11,000 funded the arrival of Javi Lara – their other 14 signings are either loans or free transfers. The latter has been a revelation and helped spur Eibar to an important opening day victory.

The first visitors to the Ipurua Municipal Stadium were none other than their Basque rivals from San Sebastian: Real Sociedad. The game was a tight affair for 45 minutes, with Eibar’s best chances coming from the flanks. Then, with a minute remaining of the first half remaining, Lara hammered a free-kick from an almost corner-like angle into the top right corner. The goal proved enough as Eibar held on for a famous 1-0 win.

The Armeros next encounter was at the Vicente Calderon against the reigning champions. Despite Minero Fernandez reducing the deficit in the 33^rd minute, early goals from Miranda and Mario Mandzukic guided Atletico their first three points of the season. On Monday they faced Deportivo and a 13^th minute strike from Juan Dominguez was enough for the Brancoazuis to escape with the win.

Eibar have a tough season ahead if they are to retain their hard-fought La Liga status. The hosts dominated Deportivo in possession – almost 59% of the ball – and had 14 attempts on goal compared to the visitors’ four. Of those, only two were on target and forced a save – both were hit right down the centre. A majority were also hit from outside the penalty area – just two came from inside the box. Rodrigo Diaz, leading the line for Eibar, had one shot at goal, and even that was blocked.

Eibar’s shots against Deportivo (FourFourTwo Statszone)

From a defensive perspective, Eibar were good. They completed 14 interceptions in their half and 12 tackles. They nullified the Deportivo attack for most of the game – a dominant spell from Deportivo brought the early goal – and limited them to just four chances. For a newly promoted team these stats are both impressive and damning. At the back Eibar are confident and composed, but it’s clear that unless they find a striker capable of finishing chances they are going to struggle to avoid a relegation fight.

Weekend Preview

Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid

The glamorous ‘El Clasico’ earned the attention of football fans from around the world as an exciting Barcelona side faced a Real Madrid team searching for their elusive tenth Champions League. The results-driven and pragmatic Jose Mourinho v the attractive tactics promoted by Pep Guardiola. The sculptured, football-machine: Cristiano Ronaldo v the little genius: Lionel Messi. Atletico Madrid were the side that had off-field issues, suffered from fluctuating form, and became the running joke of Spanish football – the team that could never compete.

Diego Simeone changed that. He built a structured team and infused it with his passion. Atletico aren’t Borussia Dortmund: Simeone uses pragmatic, counter-attacking tactics, and his team can play dirty. Under his management Atletico have broken those embarrassing records and stunned Spanish football. They broke the duopoly on the La Liga title and reached the Champions League final. They came up against their arch-rivals and, in Carlo Ancelotti, a coach who specialises in collecting Champions League medals. Diego Godin’s 36^th minute goal was almost enough for Simeone’s men to break Real hearts – they repelled wave-after-wave of Real attack until the 90^th minute. Sergio Ramos headed Luka Modric’s corner past Thibaut Courtois and opened the floodgates as Real scored another three extra-time goals.

That form has attracted the attention of the European giants to Atletico’s star players: Thibaut Courtois’ three-year loan ended, and he was joined at Stamford Bridge by Diego Costa and Filipe Luis. Using the funds generated, Simeone has brought in French winger Antoine Griezmann, former Munich striker Mario Mandzukic, Polish stopper Jan Oblak, striker Alessio Cerci, and attacking prospect Raul Jimenez from Mexico club America.

Real also dipped into the transfer market, and, having scouted the World Cup, added the tournament’s top scorer, James Rodriguez, Germany’s midfield maestro Toni Kroos, and Costa Rica’s Keylor Navas as back-up to Casillas. More controversially, they’ve sold Xabi Alonso and Angel di Maria.

It’s been less than one month since these teams collided. In the Supercopa Atletico claimed a second-leg victory and perhaps demonstrated they are not going to be a flash-in-the-pan. Since then both teams have had mixed form. Madrid’s third team, Rayo Vallecano, held an unconvincing Atletico, before the reigning champions defeated Eibar in a close 2-1 game at home. Real, on the other hand, looked comfortable at home to Cordoba, but collapsed as Real Sociedad came from behind to beat Ancelotti’s men 4-2. Di Maria made 18 assists in the league last season – an astonishing number – but it’s Alonso’s cheap sale to Munich that seems to have hurt Madrid. His defensive contributions were overlooked and, as the Sociedad comeback proved, Madrid now lack cover for the back-line.

Ronaldo should return after missing the Sociedad game through injury, but injuries sustained by Sami Khedira and Dani Carvajal during the international break mean they won’t feature. For Atletico, Arda Turan is an injury doubt and Simeone himself is still serving his touchline ban.

It should be a tight game: Real are undefeated in 16 of their last 17 home games against Simeone’s side; Atletico are undefeated in 14 of their last 15 league matches; and five of the last six games between the two at the Bernabeu has seen under three goals.

 

Dundee United v Hamilton

Hamilton made a bold choice in retaining the core of the team that guided them to promotion. Rather than reshaping the entire squad – ala Dundee – Alex Neil remained confident in the abilities of his side. It could’ve been a tremendous disaster – comical defending cost them as Inverness strolled to a comfortable 2-0 win on the opening day of the season – but even the most optimistic of Accies fans couldn’t have imagined sitting second in the table heading into the international break. Four consecutive victories, 12 points, one goal conceded – numbers that put them clear of strugglers St Mirren and Ross County.

Their toughest challenge so far comes in the shape of a visit to Tannadice. Jackie McNamara’s side are third, also on 12 points – the dire 6-1 drubbing at Celtic Park ruining their goal difference – and also in fine form. The clubs haven’t collided since Hamilton’s last spell in the Premiership in 2011. An injury-time strike from Jon Daly handed the Arabs a 2-1 win and cost the Accies a crucial point.

The game could either be tight or open – I hope that clears things up. Discarding the six slotted past them against Celtic (for United) and Inverness’s two strikes (for Hamilton) both sides have conceded just one goal each. On the other hand, United are also the league’s joint-highest scorers, while Hamilton are just one behind after scoring nine. In four of their last five league meetings one goal has decided the game and United have taken all three points on three occasions.

The Arabs’ left-back Conor Townsend is going to be out for one month and a shortage of replacements could be a problem for McNamara. United might also have to do without the injured Stuart Armstrong and Ryan Dow, although the flexibility of their attacking players should cover for any issues.

 

SC Cambuur v Groningen

It’s going to be an interesting affair at the Cambuur Stadium as the Eredivisie’s fourth place team host Groningen, who are one point ahead in second. The teams share a ‘friendly’ rivalry, which has more to do with them being from the two largest cities of the northern region and less to do with on-the-park moments.

Cambuur cruised to victory in the same fixture last season, smashing Groningen 4-1as Wout Droste, Ramon Leeuwin, Erik Bakker and Michiel Hemmen guided them to three points. Aside from Leeuwin, who signed for Utrecht over the summer, all three should line-up this weekend. Erwin van de Looi is still missing the injured Lorenzo Burnet and Martijn van der Laan – the latter misses facing his former club courtesy of a groin injury.

Groningen come into the game having won 12 of their previous 14 games, including an impressive and deserved 2-0 win over Ajax before the international break. In Cambuur they face one of the three Eredivisie teams yet to taste defeat. After two successive draws against Twente and Vitesse, Cambuur pulled off tight victories over Heracles and Den Haag.

Nottingham Forest v Derby

In the tenth minute of this tie, fans of both Nottingham Forest and Derby County will unite in applause to mark a decade since the death of one of Britain’s most successful managers: Brian Clough. ‘Cloughie’ built his reputation at Derby, leading them to the First Division title in 1972, and, after brief spells in charge at Brighton and Leeds, took the reins at Forest, where he remained for 18-years.

The East Midlands derby has become one of the most significant games of the Championship season in recent years, as both look to regain Premiership status. The Rams damaged Forest’s promotion charge at the end of last season, thrashing them 5-0 at the Pride Park Stadium. The same clash last season finished 1-0 to the hosts, a Jack Hobbs handing Forest the three points.

Forest are currently top of the Championship, undefeated and on 13 points – they dropped points thanks to a 2-2 draw at Bolton – under new manager Stuart Pearce. Steve McClaren’s side were favourites for the title, but have endured a more mixed beginning to their season. The Rams are seventh after losing to Charlton and settling for points against Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday.

Dunfermline’s attack & deadline day signings (Scottish lower leagues round up)

UGWU AND MOFFAT KICK START THE PARS’ PROMOTION CHARGE

Rangers cruised to the League One title last season, meaning the Pars had to settle for a play-off spot. Dunfermline reached the final, only to be comprehensively dispatched by their Fife rivals Cowdenbeath. Jim Jefferies’ side have been active in the transfer market, being precautious as they bid to secure the automatic promotion spot in comfortable fashion and avoid a similar situation to the end of last season.

Dunfermline already have the advantage of being one of the league’s full-time clubs – Morton being the other – and spent the summer using a smart recruitment policy, not only bolstering their squad, but weakening those that might challenge them. The most obvious example of this was the signing of Michael Moffat. The striker was in majestic form for Ayr United last season, almost single-handedly dragging them into the play-offs, where they suffered a 5-2 (on aggregate) defeat to the Blue Brazil. The 25 goals he scored in the league played a vital part in that promotion charge, so it makes complete sense that the Pars made him one of their first signings of the summer. The Pars also added Andy Stirling from 3^rd place Stranraer – the flexible midfielder made his competitive debut for the club against Stranraer, coming on as a substitute after suffering a hamstring injury in pre-season – and centre-back Gregor Buchanan from Airdrie.

The Pars also recruited a couple of players from England: defender Stuart Urquhart from League One outfit Coventry, and striker Gozie Ugwu from Reading. The 21-year-old Nigerian joined Dunfermline after a series of unimpressive spells out on loan at various lower league English clubs, scoring eight times in 37 appearances for the likes of Ebbsfleet United and Yeovil Town. Coming to Dunfermline, it’s fair to say he had no expectations on his shoulders.

Ugwu didn’t start against Brechin and could only watch on as the visitors held Dunfermline to a dull, uneventful draw on the opening day of the season. He did start alongside Moffat, however, against Forfar, but neither opened their accounts as the Pars slumped to a disappointing 2-0 defeat. After the two opening games, Jeffries’ side had one point and no goals. Since then, however, Dunfermline have racked up six points from matches against Airdrie – currently rock-bottom of the table – and fellow promotion hopefuls Stranraer. The Pars scored five times in those two games, the attacking duo of Moffat and Ugwu grabbing all five.

Both have unique qualities that have demonstrated in the two victories: Moffat is composed and experienced; Ugwu is energetic and uses his hulking frame to trouble defenders and hold-up the ball – both are clinical in front of goal.

Dunfermline started off stronger against Airdrie, a couple of efforts lofting over the crossbar and some crosses clearing those in the box. The first came from a rapid counter-attack: Moffat took possession and released El Bakhtaoui on the right; the French-Moroccan winger’s cross reached Geggan on the far post; and he headed the ball to Ugwu, who smashed in an effort from close range. The second also came from a counter-attack, although the Airdrie defence gifted Moffat his first Dunfermline goal. Geggan met El Bakhtaoui’s cross but his header bounced off the crossbar; fortunately for the Pars, the Diamonds’ defence stood around and did nothing as Moffat charged in and opened his account. Ugwu wrapped up the three points, dribbling past a pair of opponents, before coolly slotting a shot past McNeil.

Ugwu, fresh from that double against Airdrie, took just five minutes to add to his tally at Stranraer. A free-kick was headed into the box by Buchanan, and the striker did well to hold the ball-up, turn against his marker, and strike into the bottom corner. The Pars came under pressure after Gibson’s equaliser, but earned the points in the 65^th minute. Moffat received a pull-back from Williamson, dragged the ball past one defender, and, composed as can be, curled an effort past the keeper.    

The flourishing attacking partnership – and the resulting goals – has masked concerns that the Dunfermline defence still arouses. Airdrie had a number of clear chances at East End Park, and a more clinical attack would’ve punished the Pars’ defence for sloppy passes and moments of indecision. Stranraer, on the other hand, should have taken at least one point from their encounter. The Blues cut through the back-line a number of times, one chance leading to the red card and the free-kick that brought about the equaliser. Craig Malcolm, in a moment of madness, should’ve converted a cross to equalise a second time; instead, he punched the ball past the keeper and earned himself a sending off.

Jim Jefferies has had to rebuild and reorganise the defence after the losses of Callum Morris and Danny Grainger – the former joined Dundee United and the latter signed for Carlisle – but the current defensive partnership of Buchanan and Lewis Martin looks capable of shipping a couple of goals. However, if Ugwu and Moffat continue their current run of form at the opposite end of the park, it’s hard to imagine them not leading the Pars to the automatic promotion place.  

 

DEADLINE DAY TRANSFER BUSINESS

Manchester and Ayr United had something in common: both needed a striker. Unfortunately Falcao couldn’t agree terms with The Honest Men, and the Old Trafford club swooped in for a shocking £16 million loan deal. Time running out, Mark Roberts opted for another experienced attacker, one looking to regain form after a series of injuries: Craig Beattie. The former Celtic, Hearts and St Johnstone striker might not have the speed he once possessed but he’s still a decent finisher and, at this level, he could play a role in Ayr’s promotion push. There’s also the fact that in Allan Forrest and Peter McGill United have pace coming in from the flanks, so his more cumbersome approach might not be such a concern.

Seven clubs from the Championship, League 1and League 2 have benefited from an exodus of loanees from Ibrox. Cowdenbeath signed striker Calum Gallagher in a deal that lasts until January. The 19-year-old is a versatile prospect, capable of playing through the centre – he scored four goals in nine appearances for East Stirling and Rangers last season – or on the right flank, using his pace to beat defenders and put crosses into the box. The Blue Brazil also added Pat Scullion – released by Clyde last week – and Anthony Higgins.

Their Fife rivals, Raith Rovers, drafted in Barrie McKay from the Gers despite his unimpressive loan spell at Morton last season. The Ton haven’t let that experience stop them from loaning another Rangers youngster; Robbie Crawford should bring some invention to the Greenock club’s midfield.

Stenhousemuir managed to secure loans from both Hearts and Rangers. While attacking midfielder Tom Walsh signed from the Gers, most of the focus will be on striker Gary Oliver. The 19-year-old scored against Stenny in League Cup last week and it’s a surprising move as some expected him to start making regular appearances for the Hearts first-team.

Allan Stubbs has signed Celtic midfielder Dylan McGeouch and Southampton striker Jake Sinclair. With Hibs currently languishing in 8^th and Farid El Alagui, their best attacker and star man so far this campaign, out injured after suffering a serious Achilles tendon injury, Stubbs must be frustrated after the club failed to strike a deal for Leigh Griffiths.

Clyde brought in three players on deadline day, including East Kilbride midfielder Craig McLeish on a permanent deal. Kilmarnock midfielder Euan Smith and Rangers defender Craig Halkett both arrived on loan deals.