Lionel MESSI, Sergio AGUERO and FRanco CERVI weren’t the only Argentine players to score for a team in a top European league as Lucas ALARIO scored the match winner in Bayer Leverkusen’s 1-0 win against Pforzheim.
https://youtu.be/Mu_3vrTRxQo
The former River Plate man scored a penalty in the win and has fallen off the radar the past year. Since joining the German club, ALARIO scored 9 goals in 23 league matches. The likes of Dario BENEDETTO, Mauro ICARDI and more recently Giovanni SIMEONE have been selected ahead of him for the Argentina National Team.
PSG are reportedly open to listen to offers for Argentina international Giovani LO CELSO.
Per a report by L’Équipe, the league champions are willing to let go of Giovani LO CELSO, since he is not in the plans of new coach Thomas THUCHEL. Still only 22, the former Rosario Central man joined PSG back in January of 2017 and playing minutes did gradually go up under previous coach Unai EMERY.
The reason for TUCHEL preferring other players over LO CELSO has more to do with his profile rather than his talent. The rumored buy-out clause is that of €40 million. He has a contract until 2021 with the club but at the moment, no offers have come in for the Argentine midfielder.
Former Argentina and Inter defender Walter SAMUEL will reportedly join the Argentina staff.
Per a tweet by CL Merlo, Walter SAMUEL has everything agreed with the AFA and will join interim Argentina coach Lionel SCALONI as one of his assistants. As we reported a few days ago, there were rumors that SAMUEL would join the staff.
Walter Samuel acordó con AFA y será uno de los ayudantes de campo de Lionel Scaloni. Como defensor, jugó 55 partidos con la selección argentina y convirtió 5 goles. Luego de una larga… https://t.co/ZAyygYrrs0
Sergio AGUERO opened his account for the season by scoring a hat trick for Manchester City while Facundo FERREYRA scored his first for Benfica.
A chipped goal Lionel MESSI would be proud of, a rebound and a flick off the foot gave Sergio AGUERO his three goals in Manchester City’s 6-1 win vs. Huddersfield. After not scoring last weekend, AGUERO scored his first of the season with a chip off his left foot from outside of the area to give City a 1-0 lead.
At 2-0, AGUERO added a third as he pounced off a rebound and finished it. Manchester City’s all team leading goal scorer made it 5-1 after a ball was sent into the area and a little flick off the foot beat the goalkeeper. The hat trick was the 13th of his career.
He is now tied for first as the league’s leading goal scorer with three goals. Speaking to Manchester City’s official website, here’s what the number 10 had to say:
“Hat-trick number 13? Wow! I am very happy to get any hat-trick, but for me it’s important we get the win.
“I made two or three attempts before I scored my third goal and when one hit the post, I thought it might not come, but in the end, I did get the goal.
“With Benjamin MENDY, I always know his crosses will be good, so I just wanted to be there.
“I train hard and then you see what the manager does for this team, but when I play I try to be the best I can.”
Coach Pep GUARDIOLA was full of praise when he spoke to Sky Sports:
“Since he came back, I saw it from the first second, from the first minute, wow, he came back perfect. The surgery from Dr [Ramon] CUGAT helps us a lot because he feels free now and he suffered the last years with some problems.
“It’s not just that he scores goals… he creates chances, moves, assists, passes. He never stops. When this happens, Sergio is one of the best, best, best, best strikers in the world, without a doubt. This period since we arrived, the Community Shield, Arsenal, today, it’s perfect.”
Over in Portugal, Facundo FERREYRA scored his first for his new club in their 2-0 win against Boavista. FERREYRA won the ball off the defender and held him off as he turned and his right footed shot gave Benfica the 1-0 lead.
Eduardo SALVIO and Franco CERVI who are both called-up for Argentina’s friendly matches next month started for Benfica.
Geronimo RULLI had six saves and Ramiro FUNES MORI had one big blunder as Real Sociedad picked up a 2-1 win against Villarreal.
Two names back in the Argentina squad after missing out on the FIFA World Cup, Geronimo RULLI and Ramiro FUNES MORI both started (as well as Santiago CASERES who had an assist) both started for their respective clubs. It was the yellow submarines who opened the scoring with a Santiago CASERES assist and Gerard MORENO beat RULLI with a low shot.
Real Sociedad equalized before half time with a terrible back pass from Ramiro FUNES MORI as the ball fell to Willian JOSE who beat the goalkeeper to draw Sociedad level. Juanmi scored Sociedad’s second and the match winner with a shot from outside the area.
Should RULLI maintain this level of performance, there’s no reason why he can’t become Argentina’s undisputed starting goalkeeper. As for FUNES MORI, it wasn’t his best match but he has shown in the past with the Argentina National Team that he can be up to the task when asked upon.
