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Tottenham are set to miss out on signing a heavily-linked wonderkid for manager Ange Postecoglou, with another club swooping in and agreeing a January deal.

Spurs continuing busy transfer window

Following the signings of attacking midfield ace Timo Werner, who joined on loan from RB Leizpig with an option to buy, Spurs also sealed a permanent move for defender Radu Dragusin to the tune of £25 million.

Spurs ready to battle major club for 6 foot 4 star praised by van de Vaart

The north Londoners have entered contention for his signing.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 24, 2024

The two additions, made earlier this month, bolster Postecoglou's options significantly as the Australian attempts to guide his club to Champions League qualification and a top four finish. Tottenham had previously been suffering from a serious lack of depth behind their traditional starting eleven, and especially at centre-back, where both Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero were absent for long periods before this month.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy, technical director Johan Lange, Chief Football Officer Scott Munn and the wider recruitment team have moved quickly to secure much-needed January additions, which is in stark contrast to previous years under different managers.

Widespread reports indicate that Tottenham are also in talks to sign Antonio Nusa from Club Brugge on a buy-to-loan-back deal, a similar move which brought the likes of Destiny Udogie and Pape Matar Sarr to north London in recent seasons.

Despite already being busy, with the club also sealing a plethora of loan moves away for members of their squad, Spurs appear by no means finished as we approach deadline day.

Postecoglou is thought to be keen on signing a new midfielder, though a lot could depend on Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and whether Levy can negotiate a permanent exit for the Dane this month. Links continue to surround Chelsea star Conor Gallagher, as there are rumours Postecoglou is a huge fan of the 23-year-old, but one midfielder Spurs look certain not to sign is Royal Antwerp sensation Arthur Vermeeren.

Tottenham "set to miss out" on Vermeeren

The Belgian has earned admirers at Spurs in recent months, with some reports previously suggesting that Tottenham had set their sights on signing Vermeeren.

The 18-year-old, who has amassed a growing reputation due to his excellent performances at Antwerp this season, now appears to be on the move elsewhere. Indeed, as per widespread claims and journalist Graeme Bailey, Tottenham are set to miss out on Vermeeren to Atletico Madrid as the La Liga side agree a deal for the midfielder.

The teenager has started 21 league games for Antwerp as a mainstay of their midfield this season, but waved goodbye to his club last night as he nears a move to Spain.

League Two side Newport have confirmed the appointment of Premier League winner Christian Fuchs as their new manager. The Exiles relieved David Hughes of his duties over the weekend after a 1-0 loss to Shrewsbury left the club four points from safety at the foot of England's fourth tier. The appointment marks Leicester City legend Fuchs' first managerial job since calling time on his playing career in January 2023.

• Fuchs takes up first managerial role

  The Austrian left-back was a key member of the Leicester team that claimed their 5000-1 Premier League title triumph in 2016 before he left the Foxes for Charlotte FC in 2021. Fuchs then retired in 2023 to take up a role as assistant coach for the MLS side, but has now stepped out on his own and accepted the top job at Newport.

  The Exiles are in danger of dropping out of the football league after winning only three of their opening 16 games in the 2025-26 season. The defeat to Shrewsbury means they sit bottom of League Two with just 11 points to their name, and four points off Harrogate Town in 22nd.

  "Newport County is delighted to announce the appointment of Christian Fuchs as the club’s new manager," Newport posted on their official X account on Thursday afternoon. "Welcome to Rodney Parade, Christian"

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  'Christian wants to manage in the Premier League'

  On the decision to appoint Fuchs as Hughes' successor, Newport chairman Huw Jenkins said: "We see Christian as the sort of man to lead our club forward. I believe he matches our ambition and goals for Newport County.

  "I do feel we can now look forward with a great deal of optimism. We'll look to improve our current situation in League Two and take things from there. Christian is ambitious and wants, one day, to manage in the Premier League. We believe he shares our strong belief in what Newport County can eventually become."

  In the wake of the choice to axe Hughes last week, Jenkins admitted that the decision was "disappointing" despite change being needed. "Everyone is disappointed that it didn't work out with David Hughes," the Exiles chairman said.

  "He's a genuine person who's interacted with the supporters, and we could see what he was trying to do on the pitch but with a small budget and a lot of injuries too. But football is a results business and we haven't won enough points – and the performance especially in the second half at Shrewsbury on Saturday was very flat.

  "Everyone was thinking we need to change something and usually the attention turns to the manager."

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  Fuchs' first game comes against Oldham

  Fuchs kicks off his time as Newport boss with a trip to Oldham, who sit nine points above the Exiles in League Two. The Latics have won just one of their last seven league matches following their 0-0 home draw with Crewe last weekend, though in turn have lost only once in that time.

  Micky Mellon's side are unbeaten in five at Boundary Park, but have won just the once at home in League Two this season. Following the trip to Oldham on Saturday, Fuchs then oversees his first home game as Newport boss when they welcome Barrow to Rodney Parade to see out November.

  Barrow saw a seven-game unbeaten run come to an end at high-flying Bromley last time out, and they'll seek to return to winning ways when they face Cambridge this weekend ahead of their trip to Newport.

• Former side Leicester struggling in mid-table

  Fuchs' former side Leicester aren't faring particularly well in the Championship this season, with the Foxes currently 12th in England's second tier. Head coach Marti Cifuentes took over at the King Power Stadium over the summer following Ruud van Nistelrooy's exit, but the Midlands side's season isn't quite going as many had hoped.

  A 2-1 win at lowly Norwich ended a five-game winless run, and was just Leicester's second in their last 11 league matches. Cifuentes will hope to oversee a second successive league victory when his Foxes side host high-flying Stoke on Saturday afternoon.

  Leicester then round off November with a trip to Southampton and a home game against relegation-threatened Sheffield United. 

Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall has provided updates on injuries to Lionesses stars Beth Mead and Lotte Wubben-Moy, ahead of Champions League qualifying.

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• Mead & Wubben-Moy absent again in pre-season
• Arsenal start Champions League qualifying next week
• Gunners boss Eidevall provides update on injuries

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mead and Wubben-Moy were not involved in the last match of the Gunners' pre-season tour of the U.S. and then missed the team's final friendly of the summer on Saturday, a 3-0 win over Championship side Southampton. Goalkeeper Daphne van Domselaar, who signed from Aston Villa in July, and defender Steph Catley were also absent at the weekend.

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  The absences will have no doubt caused concern among Arsenal fans as their side are in action in Champions League qualifying in just a few days' time. The Gunners face Scottish giants Rangers on Wednesday, September 4, needing to win to progress. If victorious, they will then take on either Rosenborg or, more likely, Atletico Madrid on Sunday, September 7, for a place in the second round of qualifying.

• WHAT EIDEVALL SAID

  Speaking to about player availability ahead of a big week, Eidevall confirmed that forward Lina Hurtig and midfielder Victoria Pelova will miss those qualifiers, but said of his other absentees: "The rest are all in contention for the Champions League. This game here came too early but they are not far off either, so we need to see in the next couple of days."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  The coach also explained why striker Stina Blackstenius, competing for the striker spot with Alessia Russo, was subbed off just 20 minutes after coming on against Southampton. "Stina was pre-planned," he said. "She was ready to do 20 minutes, I just preferred to make those 20 minutes at the beginning of the second half because we never know with extra time and so on so I didn’t want to take any chances with the minutes being more, so we were strict with that."

The meeting cannot be held online as per the rules under which the BCCI is registered as a society

PTI11-Sep-2020The BCCI has indefinitely postponed its Annual General Meeting, supposed to be held by September 30, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as the meeting cannot be held online.BCCI secretary Jay Shah wrote to the state units about the postponement. The Indian board is registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, and is required to hold an AGM before September 30 each year.”Owing to the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic, the Registration Department, Tamil Nadu Government, has extended the period for a registered society under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act, 1975, to conduct an Annual General Meeting by three months, from September 2020 to December 2020,” Shah wrote in the letter accessed by PTI.”The Press Release further states that an Annual General Meeting of a registered society cannot be conducted online. It refers to a Government Order no. 89 dated 16th June 2020 issued by the Commercial Taxes and Registration Department (‘Notification’) which reiterates the above [sic].”After getting a legal opinion on the subject, the BCCI decided to postpone the AGM. The BCCI’s apex council meetings have been conducted virtually during the pandemic.”We also sought legal opinion regarding the applicability of the Press Release and the Notification on BCCI and as per their view, the same is applicable and BCCI is not required to conduct its Annual General Meeting by 30 September 2020 [sic],” the letter stated. “We will keep you informed regarding the date of the Annual General Meeting.”The previous BCCI AGM was held in October 2019, when Sourav Ganguly took over as president, ending a 33-month-long tenure of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators.

Lance Morris has been released from Australia’s Test squad and could play for Scorchers against Brisbane Heat on Saturday

Alex Malcolm06-Jan-2023Perth Scorchers fast bowler Jhye Richardson has been ruled out for two to three weeks with a hamstring strain but coach Adam Voges is hopeful he could be back for the BBL finals if Scorchers qualify.Richardson injured his hamstring while bowling in the loss to Sydney Thunder on Wednesday night.Scans on Thursday confirmed he had suffered only a minor strain but Scorchers are likely to be cautious with him given his soft-tissue injury issues in the past two seasons.”It’s on the very minor end of hamstring strains, two to three weeks,” Voges said on Friday. “We’re certainly hopeful that we’ll see him before the end of the tournament again.”I think you need to [be cautious], certainly with someone of Jhye’s calibre. But we’ve got a world-class medical staff here. And I’ll trust them to put the work in with Jhye over the next two weeks. And hopefully, we’ll see him back and we’ll get him back on the park as soon as possible.”Richardson has already had an interrupted summer. He was carefully managed by Western Australia prior to the BBL; he only played two of the first six Sheffield Shield matches of the summer battling a variety of niggles including a bruised heel.Scorchers have received a boost with Lance Morris being released from Australia’s Test squad to return to the BBL. Morris and Marcus Harris flew out of Sydney on Friday to play in the BBL for their respective teams. Harris has flown to Melbourne to link up with Renegades ahead of Saturday’s clash with Hobart Hurricanes at Marvel Stadium. Peter Handscomb has left Renegades to join the Australia squad in Sydney as a replacement for Harris if Australia’s Test side needs a concussion substitute or a substitute fielder for the remainder of the Sydney Test.Morris has flown to Perth and is a chance to play for Scorchers in Saturday’s clash with Brisbane Heat at Perth Stadium.”We’ll see how he pulls up,” Voges said. “He’s done a heap of work, obviously, preparing for Test match cricket. I know he’s had a white ball in his hand over in Sydney in the last couple of days, starting to prepare to come back to us. So we’ll see how he pulls up from his plane trip today. There’s every opportunity for him tomorrow.”Scorchers also have the option of picking Gloucestershire left-arm seamer David Payne, who has joined the squad as the overseas replacement for Tymal Mills after he was ruled out of the tournament due to a family emergency.”He [Payne] arrived just in the new year,” Voges said. “He’s settled in really well. He’s had a couple of training sessions with us. And we’ll have another hit out today. Quality left-arm seamer, who can swing the ball. And if he gets his opportunity tomorrow, I’m sure he’ll do a really good job.”Scorchers also have to replace Faf du Plessis at the top of the order against Heat after the South African batter has left to play in the SA20 league which starts next week. Englishman Adam Lyth will play against Heat but is also set leave after that to head to the ILT20 in the UAE. Middlesex batter Stephen Eskinazi has joined Scorchers as an overseas replacement.

It's still early in the season, but it would be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur have not got their Premier League campaign off to the greatest of starts.

Ange Postecoglou's side kicked things off with a 1-1 draw away to Leicester City, then beat Everton 4-0 before losing 2-1 away at Newcastle United.

Now, there is still plenty of time for the North Londoners to have an excellent year, but they will need their stars like James Maddison to be firing on all cylinders and their squad players like Richarlison fit and ready to contribute when called upon.

However, as talented as those two are, they have actually been shown up by a former Spurs player who left the club last year to little fanfare.

Maddison and Richarlison's recent form

So, let's start with Richarlison, who has been in North London for a season longer, and while he's a talented forward, it would be hard to describe his move as a success at this point in time.

In his first campaign with the Lilywhites, the former Everton ace could only muster up a paltry return of three goals and four assists in 35 appearances. He did improve last season, netting 12 goals and providing four assists in 31 games, but when looking at both campaigns together, he maintained an underwhelming average – for a centre-forward – of a goal involvement every 2.86 games.

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, this unremarkable rate of return saw the club splash £65m on Dominic Solanke this summer, thus relegating him to a squad role for the foreseeable future.

Now, while the Nova Venécia-born marksman is set to see his minutes limited this season, Maddison certainly isn't, so long as he can stay fit, that is.

The Englishman joined the North Londoners for £40m last summer, and while he had a slightly mediocre end to the year, which was no doubt in part due to his injury issues, he still scored four goals and provided nine assists in 30 matches for Postecoglou, equating to a goal involvement every 2.30 games.

However, even though the former Foxes star was able to show his true quality at points last season, he and Richarlison have been shown up for different reasons by a former Spurs ace who left the club last summer.

Lucas Moura's recent form

Yes, the mystery man is Lucas Moura, who, after spending five and a half seasons with the Lilywhites, moved back home to his first club, São Paulo, on a free transfer last August.

The 32-year-old's final few seasons in North London saw his role in the team reduced to being an option off the bench, as while he played 3173 minutes of football in his first full season with the club, his final campaign saw that number come down to just 394 minutes across 19 appearances.

However, while the Brazilian ace didn't quite live up to the potential he had at the club, he will always be remembered by the fans for his magical hat-trick against Ajax in May 2019, which booked the club a place in their first-ever Champions League final – the less said about the next game, the better.

Since returning to São Paulo, the 5 foot 8 "superhero", as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, has become an integral part of the club, outperformed Maddison last season, and while his output matches Richarlison's, he has him beat in another area.

For example, in his 33 appearances last season, the right-footed ace scored nine goals and provided seven assists, comfortably beating out the Englishman's haul of 13 goal involvements and matching his compatriot's tally of 16.

However, he has the former Toffees star beat because while the 27-year-old was dropped by the Brazilian national team back in May, he has just been named in the squad once again.

Ultimately, Moura's exit from Spurs last summer has worked out for him, and while he's outperformed Maddison on the pitch and claimed a spot in the Selecao's squad where Richarlison hasn't, the North Londoners probably aren't interested in bringing him back anytime soon.

Spurs flop was sold by Conte in 2022, now he's outscoring Solanke

The attacking talent has just secured a lucrative transfer.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Sep 5, 2024

Joao Felix's start to life at AC Milan has been a mixed bag so far, with the Rossoneri making an early decision regarding a permanent summer swoop.

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• Milan make Felix transfer decision
• Has failed to score in eight games since making his debut
• Could buy Portuguese forward for €45m this summer

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Joao Felix made an instant impact after signing for AC Milan on loan from Chelsea in the January transfer window, scoring a wonderful goal after coming off the bench against Roma in the quarter-finals of Coppa Italia. It was Felix's debut for Milan, which caused excitement among fans as well as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the club's senior advisor.

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  However, a new report from Calciomercato has revealed that the Rossoneri are in two minds regarding the permanent transfer of Felix. Since his debut, the Portuguese forward has appeared in eight matches but has yet to score, with his only contribution being a single assist in last week’s 3-2 victory over Lecce.

  Milan are skeptical about signing Felix permanently, with the Serie A outfit deciding against entering any negotiations with Chelsea. However, if things change between now and the end of the season, they could buy Felix for €45 million. Another option would be to extend his loan for another year with an obligation to buy him for around €30-35m in 2026.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Securing a permanent transfer for Felix would require massive financial investment. Milan may need to sell some key players in order to facilitate a move for the 25-year-old, with Rafael Leao heavily rumoured to leave the club at the end of the season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR JOAO FELIX?

  Felix will be expected to feature in Milan next's game, which is a crucial Serie A encounter against Como on Saturday, March 15. Sergio Conceicao's side are having a subpar domestic season as they currently occupy ninth place in the league and are in real danger of missing out on a Champions League spot for the 2025-26 season.

Alyssa Healy will miss the ODIs with a calf injury; Kim Garth and Phoebe Litchfield both included

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Dec-2022Meg Lanning will return to captain Australia in the ODI series against Pakistan next month following her extended break from the game and appears likely to be available for the T20 World Cup in February.However, Alyssa Healy, who took over the captaincy for the recent tour of India, will miss the series following the calf strain she picked up in Mumbai. Beth Mooney will take the keeping gloves.Lanning stepped away following the Commonwealth Games in August for personal reasons, missing the WBBL and the five T20Is in India.Shortly after the squad announcement, Lanning posted on Instagram about her experiences of the last five months.”Sometimes you just have to hit pause, step back and take a breather,” she wrote. “That’s certainly what I needed. The past 6 months have taught me a lot. I’ve learnt so much about myself and who and what is important to me.”I’ve always played my cards pretty close to my chest. This experience has given me a greater appreciation of how opening up and talking to the people that care about you really can make the tough times feel easier. It’s ok to ask for help and admit that you don’t have everything under control.”Having enjoyed some time and space, I feel refreshed and ready to play the game that I love in teams that I love. It’s such an exciting time for the game and I can’t wait to be part of it!” Shawn Flegler, the national selector, said: “Meg brings so much to the side both on and off the field, and it’s pleasing to welcome her back at such an important time with the T20 World Cup just over a month away. While we welcome Meg back, Alyssa won’t have recovered from her calf injury in time, so that presents an opportunity for Beth to take the gloves in her absence.Jess Jonassen has been included but will need to prove her fitness having picking up a hamstring injury in India.Kim Garth and Phoebe Litchfield have been retained from the T20I squad but Heather Graham, who took a hat-trick in the final match, Grace Harris and Amanda-Jade Wellington have been left out.Tahlia McGrath, who captained the final T20I in India after Healy’s injury, will continue as vice-captain.Australia will have a new-look opening pair with Healy and the retired Rachael Haynes absent from the side that played the ODI World Cup final against England in April.The three ODIs against Pakistan will take place on January 16, 18 and 21 with the first two matches at Allan Border Field in Brisbane and the last at North Sydney Oval. They are followed by three T20Is on January 24, 26 and 29 before the teams head to South Africa for the World Cup.Australia squad for Pakistan ODIs Meg Lanning (capt), Tahlia McGrath, Darcie Brown, Nicola Carey, Ashleigh Gardner, Kim Garth, Jess Jonassen (subject to fitness), Alana King, Phoebe Litchfield, Beth Mooney, Ellyse Perry, Megan Schutt, Annabel Sutherland

Looking to make up for their summer failure, Newcastle United and PIF have now reportedly been offered the chance to sign a big-money striker in 2025, who would take Eddie Howe’s frontline up another level entirely.

Newcastle transfer news

It’s no surprise that the Magpies are already looking to steal the headlines on the transfer front after such an inactive summer left them without some much-needed reinforcements. Howe may be desperate to see his side boosted by fresh faces in both the January transfer window and next summer amid links emerging to the likes of Antoine Semenyo and Bryan Mbeumo in recent weeks.

Mbeumo would be a particularly impressive move. The Brentford star has been in excellent form throughout the current campaign and represents a player who would offer Newcastle an instant upgrade on their right-hand side. This time around, Paul Mitchell will be hoping to get his targets over the line too, having spent the majority of last summer on a failed chase to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace.

With attacking options in mind, meanwhile, the Magpies could welcome what would be their most impressive transfer yet under PIF. According to reliable reporter Lee Ryder of Chronicle Live, PIF and Newcastle are among those set to be offered the chance to sign Victor Osimhen next summer.

Development: Newcastle given boost over injury return of £90,000-a-week ace

A major boost for the Magpies.

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Nov 9, 2024

The Galatasaray star – on loan from Napoli – looked destined to join Chelsea or complete a move to the Saudi Pro League last summer before neither move came to fruition. Frozen out at Napoli as a result, Galatasaray emerged as a shock destination for the Nigerian international, who has a £113m release clause.

Thriving ever since under Jose Mourinho, Osimhen will once again be among the headlines when his loan spell comes to an end in Turkey at the end of the season and Newcastle potentially strike.

"Fantastic" Osimhen would take Newcastle up a level

The prospect, alone, of Osimhen and Alexander Isak’s potential partnership is enough to send Newcastle into a dreamland which could yet become their reality in 2025. Of course, Osimhen’s reported £113m release clause doesn’t exactly make the deal an easy one to pull off, especially amid profit and sustainability concerns at St James’ Park, but the Nigerian would undoubtedly take Howe’s side up a level or two.

Scoring six goals and assisting a further four in eight games as a Galatasaray player so far this season, Osimhen earned deserved praise from Mourinho, who told reporters as relayed by The Independent: “Osimhen is a fantastic player, he is a player that if I was in a club with the potential to pay £70-75m I would buy.

“He is a fantastic player. Of course, he came [to Turkey] in different circumstances but it doesn’t matter the circumstances. What matters is that Galatasaray have got a really fantastic player.”

When next summer arrives and Osimhen once again has his sights set on a big move away from Napoli, Newcastle should do everything in their power to secure his signature and deal the likes of Chelsea a major blow in the process.

The Rayados-Whitecaps match couldn't be played at Estadio BBVA because of a Shakira concert held at the stadium

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• Ramos' first goal in the Champions Cup couldn’t prevent elimination
• The Spaniard has scored three goals in three games for Rayados
• The aggregate score was 3-3, but Vancouver advanced due to away goals

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rayados de Monterrey were eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup after a 2-2 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps in the second leg of the Round of 16. The aggregate score ended 3-3, but the MLS side advanced to the next round due to the away goals rule.

  After the elimination, former Real Madrid player Sergio Ramos didn’t hold back, saying his team has a lot to improve on heading into the remainder of the Clausura 2025, and Rayados' participation in the Club World Cup.

  "In the end, you learn much more from defeat. We need to be self-critical because, regardless of being eliminated today, we know we can give much more. We have time to prepare for the next match and move past this, which is not pleasant for anyone," Ramos said after the match, in which he scored a goal.

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  All eyes were on Ramos' debut in theChampions Cup. The defender had enjoyed a great start with his new team, but the club suffered their first disappointment, despite the Spaniard scoring his third goal in three matches for Rayados.

  After taking the lead against Whitecaps, Monterrey became overconfident and ultimately were eliminated in the Round of 16. The Rayados-Whitecaps match couldn't be played at Estadio BBVA because of a Shakira concert held at the stadium.

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  WHAT TATO NORIEGA SAID

  "I don't want to speak hastily, but this is a very sad, dark night for the history of this great club. We have to take responsibility, this can't happen," said the Tato Noriega, sporting director of Rayados, regarding Martín Demichelis future as the team's coach.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MONTERREY?

  Monterrey must now focus on Liga MX, where they will visit Pumas next Sunday, aiming to climb up the overall standings. The team coached by Martín Demichelis sits in the ninth place with 16 points.