Europe

Ex-Ajax Youth Vaclav Cerny Resurgent At Twente

Vaclav Cerny was once among the highest-rated prospects at Ajax.

The young Czech winger, who broke into the first team at the Amsterdam Arena as a 17-year-old, scored 31 goals and assisted 25 for Ajax's U-21 side. He was valued as highly as $2.2 million in July 2016, according to Transfermarkt. After a bright start in the senior squad under Frank De Boer, Cerny suffered an ACL injury, which kept him out of action for nearly a year.

One To Watch: RB Leipzig Faces Off Against Borussia Mönchengladbach On Saturday

Julian Nagelsmann and first-place RB Leipzig will head to North Rhine-Westphalia to take on Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.

Newly-Promoted Cadiz Surprising Everyone In LaLiga

After a long spell in the purgatory that is the Spanish third division, Cadiz CF is flourishing in LaLiga.

The Yellow Submarine is hoping to avoid a repeat of its last spell in the top division, which ended in immediate relegation. Eight games into the 2020-21 campaign, the club has laid itself a solid foundation to prolong its stay this time around. As the Friday games of round eight come to a close, Cadiz sits in second place on 14 points, which would have surprised even the most optimistic of supporters heading into the season. 

Belgium Forced To Move 3 Matches Over New Covid Curfew

BRUSSELS — Belgium has been forced to move its three soccer internationals in November from Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium to nearby Leuven because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The friendly against Switzerland on Nov. 11 plus Nations League matches versus England on Nov. 15 and Denmark on Nov. 18 will now be played at Den Dreef in Leuven, some 30km from the Belgian capital.

The switch comes after a 10 p.m. curfew was imposed on Brussels as the Belgian government battles with a dramatic rise in novel coronavirus infections.

Liverpool Strained At The Back After Losing Virgil Van Dijk

Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp were dealt a massive blow after Jordan Pickford's reckless challenge on Virgil van Dijk saw the towering defender suffer ligament damage which will likely rule him out for the rest of the season.

Club Coaches, Sporting Directors Question Need For International Break During A Pandemic

In a press conference this week, Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc mentioned the feelings of the club regarding international breaks during the midst of the ongoing pandemic. 

Zorc said that if it were an option, Dortmund would consider not sending players on international breaks given the current situation. He lamented that clubs unfortunately do not have much of a choice as refusal to release players to their national teams could cause the players to face punishments and suspension.

Analytics Has Brought A New Star Striker To Brentford

The scouting department at Brentford looks to have secured another gem in striker Ivan Toney. 

Brentford has become well-known in recent years for its use of football analytics to scout and sign high-potential players, who the club then sells on for a large profit after a time. This summer's transfer window proved no exception as the Bees sold forwards Ollie Watkins, a $2.2 million arrival in 2017, to Aston Villa for $33.8 million and Saïd Benrahma, who cost the club $1.8 million in 2018, to West Ham for $25.4 million. 

Yet Another Clean Sheet For Rangers In Europa League Victory

Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has overseen a stunning start to the season by his side.

Through the first three months of the season, Rangers have conceded just four goals. Not until Week 8 did any Scottish Premier League side manage to breach the Gers' defense and score. After 17 games, Gerrard's side has won 15 and kept a stunning 14 clean sheets in the process. It is now the sole remaining unbeaten team across the top divisions of England and Scotland.  

The 'Next Iniesta’ Tag Is Cursed, But 17-Year-Old Pedri Might Actually Be That Good

Barcelona's 17-year-old midfielder Pedri may not have got on the scoresheet in his side's 2-0 Champions League win over Juventus but the teenager was the unmistakeable star in a victory that gave life to his wounded side and put him on the map.

Given a second start in a row despite looking fazed in Saturday's 3-1 defeat by Real Madrid, Pedri played with ambition and bravery against the Italian champions, driving Barça's play with slick passing and confident dribbling.

Revealed: Who Can Run The Fastest, Farthest In Football

Speed kills. Take one look at the fastest soccer players 2020 according to the UEFA Champions League technical report and you’ll find some of the world’s most devastating attackers — players like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Kingsley Coman.

However, it also says a lot about the changing tactics of the modern game that you’ll also find “defenders” who can more frequently be found going forward — think Alphonso Davies, Ferland Mendy and Kyle Walker. 

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