"We know what we're up against with Koln," he said. "They may be a promoted team but they're very attacking and want to have a lot of possession. They also switch play quickly and try to get in behind the defence. "The respect for them is there, but obviously we want to play our game and win. It's a derby and also very important for the table. "A win would help us to travel to Leipzig next week and start the new year in a good position."
The best strikers in the world are the most valuable people in the game. The most difficult thing in football is to score goals so naturally, the best players in the world are going to be the ones who find the net more than your average guy. The transfer market would certainly agree and of course, being a striker isn't just about finishing anymore: you also have to hold up, link play, press, run the channels and bully defenceswhich makes judging the position particularly tough
The best right-wingers in the world might be the most difficult task of any position on the pitch. Historically, a certain Argentine has been king of lists ranking the best players in the world, but as Lionel Messi winds down, there are certainly plenty of stars waiting to assume his crown, with the top half-dozen sides in the world each having an elite star in that position.
Bayern Munich will host Mainz 05 in what should be a match for the Bavarians to rotate heavily as the Hinrunde winds down. Bayern Munich has been very good of late after an iffy November where the team just did not look in sync. Now, though, the Bavarians are rolling once again and Mainz 05 looks like it is going to run into a buzzsaw.
According to a report from TEAMtalk, the three Premier League clubs are monitoring his progress, and they could look to make a move in future. Chelsea could use more quality and depth, and the side and the 15-year-old would be a long-term investment. They have shown a willingness to invest in talented young players, and they are looking to add Pereira da Gama to the formidable pool of young talent already at the club. The report claims that Chelsea are determined to secure his signature.
Non-league Macclesfield's FA Cup third round tie with holders Crystal Palace will be televised live on BBC One on Saturday, 10 January (12:15 GMT kick-off). The all-Premier League tie between Tottenham and Aston Villa will also be shown on BBC One on the same day (17:45 kick-off). Both matches will also be shown on the iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app. Macclesfield play in the sixth-tier National League North. Premier League Crystal Palace beat Manchester City in last season's final to win the FA Cup for the first time.
"I was the first to receive offers from Inter Miami," Silva, 39, told the El Camino de Mario podcast. "I met with [Inter Miami president David] Beckham in Manchester, but I told him I still wanted to compete in Europe. Then I had many other offers: Japan, Qatar ... but then I prioritized my personal life and I felt very ready to compete."
Riccardo Calafiori is suspended for Arsenal, while Max Dowman (ankle), Cristhian Mosquera (ankle), Leandro Trossard (knock), Gabriel (thigh) and Kai Havertz (knee) are all set to miss out. Declan Rice (illness), William Saliba (knock) and Jurrien Timber (knock) add to Arsenal's worries but could still each feature. For Wolves, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde may be unavailable after being forced off during the loss to United. Rodrigo Gomes (groin), Marshall Munetsi (calf), Leon Chiwone (knee) and Daniel Bentley (ankle) will not play.
Starting with the hosts, eventually storming their way to what was a routine 4-1 romp away at rock-bottom Wolves last time out, Manchester United will be dreaming of a repeat performance here. However, although Ruben Amorim's men might have suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous nine consecutive Premier League appearances, it is no secret that the Red Devils are still searching for some much-welcomed stability.
As first reported here for the Daily Briefing, the Eagles are making Diomande a top target to replace Marc Guehi, who continues to be targeted by Liverpool and other big clubs around Europe. Sporting don't want to sell Diomande and are pointing to his 80m release clause, which one imagines could prove problematic for Palace, but perhaps less so for Chelsea.
"We had our way of playing when we started the season and maybe our opponents were not that familiar [with it]," he said. "Now they start to see how we want to play, how they stop that. Again, we need to evolve our things that can counter what the opponent is doing. "The basics and the foundations of how we do things are at a good level. Now, we need little tweaks - when we attack, how we can be more balanced in defence, attacking the box, how we can find this final pass. "The basics are there, the foundations are there, the principles are there."
Is Xabi Alonso's time up at Real Madrid, why is everyone talking about Paul Pogba's camels, how is Turkish football headed into 'panic', can Lens push PSG for the Ligue 1 title and what on EARTH is going on in the Polish league this season? It's a packed Euro Leagues episode as Mina Rzouki, Guillem Balague and Julien Laurens join Steve Crossman to go through all the best stories across the continent in the last week.
Basel: Hitz, Tsunemoto, Adjetey, Daniliuc, Schmid, Metinho, Leroy, Bacanin, Traore, Shaqiri, Otele. Subs: Salvi, Pfeiffer, Vouilloz, Koindredi, Broschinski, Soticek, Salah, Ajeti, Barisic, Ruegg, Cisse, Ze. Aston Villa: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Lindelof, Digne, Bogarde, Onana, Guessand, Buendia, Sancho, Malen. Subs: Wright, Oakley, McGinn, Tielemans, Watkins, Garcia, Maatsen, Rogers, Kamara, Hemmings. Celtic: Schmeichel, Trusty, Scales, Tierney, Yang, McGregor, Engels, Tounekti, Nygren, Maeda, Hatate. Subs: Sinisalo, Doohan, Balikwisha, McCowan, Iheanacho, Kenny, Bernardo, Murray, Donovan, Ralston. Roma: Svilar, Mancini, N'Dicka, Hermoso, Celik, Soule, El Aynaoui, Rensch, Pisilli, El Shaarawy, Ferguson. Subs: De Marzi, Gollini, Angelino, Cristante, Pellegrini, Tsimikas, Kone, Dybala, Ziolkowski, Bailey, Franca, Ghilardi.
The UEFA Women's Champions League will play its final matchday of the new-look league phase on Dec. 17, and all nine games kick off at the same time at 3 p.m. ET (8 p.m. GMT). All 18 teams have been battling to progress since early October and we now have a rough idea which 12 teams will be able to seal progress to the knockout stages, either automatically or via a playoff.
He's slotted into the side brilliantly, especially this season after what was a slow start, and obviously was key in the team that won the FA Cup last year. He is another example of what I think is the best thing about Crystal Palace, he works hard for the team, plays his role and there's no ego or arrogance about him.
Copenhagen continued their unlikely tilt for the knockout stages of the Champions League by beating Villarreal 3-2 at El Madrigal on Wednesday. Villarreal are still winless, just as Copenhagen had been through their first four matches of the league phase before following up a win against Kairat Almaty last time out with this victory. Copenhagen led after just 71 seconds as Mohamed Elyounoussi volleyed in a left-wing cross, and they protected that advantage until half-time.
