Belgium gave their Euro 2024 hopes a massive boost with a 2-0 win over Romania on Saturday and a pair of Manchester City stars stood out. 

Kevin De Bruyne snatched many of the headlines with his late goal to kill the game, while the playmaker created three chances and won more duels (12) than any other player on the pitch.

• Belgium 2-0 Romania: Player ratings as Man City man & Arsenal target deliver masterclasses

“Class is permanent,” ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley said during the match and we’re inclined to agree.

However, De Bruyne wasn’t the only Manchester City man to leave his mark on the match.

Teammate Jeremy Doku was a menace throughout, playing a part in the build-up to Youri Tielemans’ 73-second opener, while creating five chances, completing three of eight attempted dribbles, having 11 touches in the box and completing 96% of his passes before being rested on 72 minutes.

Per Squawka, Doku has now completed more take-ons (9) than any other player at Euro 2024, while only four players — Christian Eriksen (11), Joshua Kimmich (8), Kevin De Bruyne (7) and Vladimir Coufal (7) — can better his six chances created at the tournament so far.

Jérémy Doku has completed more take-ons than any other player at Euro 2024 (9), while only three players have created more chances.

Giving defenders nightmares. ?#EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/CmZYZz2wru

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 22, 2024

All to play for in Group E

Belgium’s win on Saturday leaves all four teams in Group E level on three points heading into the final round of fixtures.

Everything is to play for as Slovakia face Romania in Frankfurt and Ukraine take on Belgium in Stuttgart, with the two games taking place simultaneously on Wednesday at 5pm (UK time).

With the best six of eight third-place teams going through at the tournament, there is a massive opportunity for one side in this group to secure an unlikely route into the round of 16.

Belgium will, of course, be expected to top the group from this point, but will not have forgotten their disappointing 1-0 loss to Slovakia in the opening game, serving as a warning ahead of the Ukraine clash.

The post The Manchester City stars posting elite stats at Euro 2024 for Belgium appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Belgium got their Euro 2024 campaign back on track with a 2-0 win over Romania in Cologne on Saturday evening. 

The Red Devils needed a big performance following a shock 1-0 defeat to Slovakia last time out and got exactly what they wanted, with Youri Tielemans opening the scoring from distance after just 73 seconds.

Romelu Lukaku was a threat all night — providing the assist for Tielemans — and saw a third strike of the tournament disallowed by VAR, this time for offside. Nevertheless, Kevin De Bruyne was able to finish the job late on, running behind the Romanian defence and coolly finishing.

The result leaves all four teams in Group E level on three points heading into the final game, blowing things wide open.

Here are the full player ratings on an important evening for Belgium:

Belgium vs Romania player ratings – Euro 2024

Belgium (4-2-3-1)

Koen Casteels – 8/10 – Made some vital saves to deliver three massive points for Belgium.

Timothy Castagne – 7/10 – Focused on his defensive work more in the second half, but provided a good attacking outlet in the opening 45 minutes.

Wout Faes – 8/10 – Needed a big performance after struggling against Slovakia and delivered just that. Made a match-high three tackles, as well as two clearances, two interceptions and two recoveries. Also completed the most passes (65) in the match.

Jan Vertonghen – 7/10 – His experience added much-needed composure to the Belgian backline.

Arthur Theate – 8/10 – Dynamic with and without the ball, making 10 passes into the final third and creating one chance while also registering two tackles, four clearances and five aerial duels won from seven attempts. Limped off near the end but hopefully nothing serious.

Youri Tielemans – 8/10 – Returned to the starting line-up in style with an excellent strike after just 73 seconds. Was dynamic and progressive on the ball throughout.

Amadou Onana – 8/10 – Set the tempo brilliantly in the midfield with some pin-point passing and driving runs. Made three tackles and four recoveries to disrupt Romania. It’s little wonder he’s wanted by Arsenal. According to the Daily Mail, Everton want £50m for Onana. On the evidence of this performance, the Gunners should go and grab their cheque book!

Jeremy Doku – 9/10 – The Manchester City winger was a menace with his pace, attempting eight dribbles and creating a match-high five chances. Was involved in the build-up to Tieleman’s goal, too.

Kevin De Bruyne – 9/10 – Won more duels than any other player on the pitch, with 11 on the ground and one in the air. Created three chances and attempted five shots, finally getting his much-deserved goal in the 80th minute to kill the game. As Clive Tyldesley said in commentary, ‘class is permanent’.

Dodi Lukebakio – 6/10 – Plenty of pace and threat, but fluffed a couple of very decent chances, lacking composure at the vital moment. Suspended for the third group game after picking up another yellow card.

Romelu Lukaku – 8/10 – What does Lukaku have to do to get a goal in these Euros? Five more attempted shots and his third disallowed strike of the tournament for a narrow offside. At least registered an assist for Tielemans’ opener.

Substitutes: 

Leandro Trossard (56′, for Lukebakio) – 3/10 – Drew visible fury from his teammates for holding onto the ball too long on multiple occasions. Could have had a couple of assists if he’d just played the simple pass at the right time.

Orel Mangala (72′, for Tielemans) – 6/10 – Didn’t see much of the ball but helped Belgium see the result out.

Yannick Carrasco (72′, for Doku) – 7/10 – Provided a good boost for the final quarter of the match. Should have been played in by Trossard.

Zeno Debast (77′, for Theate) – 6/10 – Did exactly what was required to keep Romania out.

Romania (4-1-4-1)

Florin Nita – 7/10 – The scoreline would have been much worse for Romania without the efforts of Nita in net.

Andrei Ratiu – 5/10 – Tried to offer an attacking outlet but was all too often pinned back by Doku.

Radu Dragusin – 7/10 – Put his body on the line to try and keep Romania in the game but needed help from those around him.

Andrei Burca – 4/10 – Failed to deal with a long ball down the middle on the De Bruyne goal, summing up the struggles he had up against a fluid Belgian attack.

Nicusor Bancu – 5/10 – Found it tough dealing with Belgium’s pace and dynamism.

Marius Marin – 5/10 – Tidy with the ball but looked all at sea without it. Dribbled past three times and committed three fouls.

Dennis Man – 4/10 – Fluffed a few decent chances in the second half and lost 10 of his 14 combined ground and aerial duels.

Razvan Marin – 7/10 – Romania’s best player with the ball and made four tackles and four recoveries to try and keep Belgium at bay.

Nicolae Staniciu – 6/10 – Tried to provide some composure on the ball but was often swept aside by a much more athletic Belgian midfield.

Valentin Mihaila – 5/10 – Provided a threat with his pace but continuously fluffed his lines in the vital moments, especially with his miss inside the box just after half-time.

Denis Dragus – 4/10 – Failed to attempt a shot or create a chance. A very isolated figure.

Substiutes: 

Ianis Hagi (68′, for Mihaila) – 6/10 – Looked busy but unable to provide a defining touch.

Darius Olaru (68′, for Marin) – 6/10 – Offered a little more quality on the ball but couldn’t find a breakthrough.

Denis Alibec (81′, for Dragus) – 6/10 – One shot on goal, but nothing else.

Deian Sorescu (90′, for Ratiu) – 5/10 – Not enough time to get into the game.

The post Belgium 2-0 Romania: Player ratings as Man City man & Arsenal target deliver masterclasses appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester City were out on the streets of Manchester to celebrate their historic fourth consecutive Premier League title. 

The open-top bus parade saw the players and staff in party mood as they drank, sang and celebrated another successful season.

Typically, Jack Grealish was at the centre of all celebrations. However, he was spared off an unfortunate disaster, as he was saved from falling off the top of the bus, not once but twice during the celebrations.

His teammates, Jeremy Doku and Ruben Dias came to his rescue, grabbing hold of him in time to save him from falling over.

Watch the clips below:

Jeremy Doku saving Jack Grealish from falling off the City bus! ?? pic.twitter.com/PNPENBA7JD

— mcfc lads (@mcfc_lads) May 26, 2024

Jack Grealish just came VERY close to falling off the bus ? Doku saved his life pic.twitter.com/kvQVLE2Gb1

— BeanymanSports (@BeanymanSports) May 26, 2024

Courtesy Beanyman Sports

Thanks Ruben

pic.twitter.com/VOaY5Krw6A

— Drunk Jack Grealish (@DrunkGreaIish) May 26, 2024

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The post Watch: Jeremy Doku saves Jack Grealish from falling from the top of the bus during parade appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester United have been praised for their ‘perfect’ performance to beat rivals Manchester City in yesterday’s FA Cup final at Wembley.

The Red Devils have mostly had a pretty poor season, but at least ended the campaign with silverware thanks to a surprise 2-1 win over Man City, with Fabrizio Romano discussing the result and what it means for Erik ten Hag’s future in the latest edition of his exclusive Daily Briefing column for CaughtOffside.

Man Utd fans will be celebrating the result today, but there’ll still be plenty of uncertainty about what the future holds for Ten Hag, whose performance as manager at Old Trafford so far is likely to leave fans divided.

Even if the Dutch tactician has delivered a domestic trophy in each of his two seasons in charge of the club, there’s no doubt that this season’s 8th place finish is far from good enough, while the team were also very disappointing in the Champions League, finishing bottom of their group.

Romano is not yet sure what United will do with Ten Hag, as he played down reports that the former Ajax boss’ future had already been decided even before this impressive cup final victory.

Ten Hag and Man Utd – what happens next?

“Congratulations to Manchester United as they won the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City. I was there at Wembley for this very special moment especially for the young goal-scorers Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, but also for many other players who showed great leadership and made it a perfect afternoon for Man United at Wembley,” Romano said.

“I thought it was an excellent performance by Man United, it was not easy at all but they were perfect on the day and I think deserved to lift the trophy. Man City were just not on their best day, probably tired after such a big effort to win the Premier League title.

“But it’s also an important moment for Erik ten Hag, who has won another trophy with United after also picking up the Carabao Cup last season, while the result also brings the Red Devils into the Europa League for next season. Still, it comes amid uncertainty around Ten Hag’s future, so what’s the situation?

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“Firstly, Ten Hag was not happy with some of the media reports that he was already 100% out of Manchester United before even playing this game. He doesn’t understand how it’s possible to see rumours like this coming out before a cup final, it’s not respectful to his job.

“But also the reality is that United never communicated anything to Ten Hag – they never informed him of any decision to sack him, there hasn’t been any formal process yet. Behind the scenes at United, there have been some meetings with representatives of some managers who wanted to understand what is the situation with Ten Hag, so although United have started some of the process to find a new coach, they never decided what to do with Ten Hag.

“It remains an open situation and let’s see what happens after this special afternoon at Wembley, but at the same time I can confirm that United had conversations with representatives of managers to explore a potential new era without Ten Hag at the club.”

The post Exclusive: Man Utd praised for ‘perfect’ cup final performance vs City as expert discusses Ten Hag’s future appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester City have pulled one back with 3 minutes of normal time left to play. 

The goal comes as a result of poor goalkeeping from Manchester United Andre Onana.

Jeremy Doku, who came on in the second half, receives the ball on the left-hand side from Foden.

The Belgian winger then cuts inside onto his right-foot, evading a couple of tackles before firing in a low left-footed strike towards the bottom-corner.

Onana manages to get a hand to it but fails to keep it out as it creeps into the back of the net.

It is poor keeping from the Manchester United goalkeeper who has allowed Manchester City a late lifeline.

Watch the goal below:

They won't go down without a fight ?

Jérémy Doku squeezes in for @ManCity!#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/tonoW2g3A7

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) May 25, 2024

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Man City started their game against Aston Villa with the bit between their teeth, and it was no surprise when Rodri slammed them into an 11th minute lead.

A brilliant move from the hosts bamboozled their visitors, with Rodri not picked up as he sauntered into the area.

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It handed Pep Guardiola’s side a vital early advantage in what is a must-win game for the Cityzens.

Unai Emery’s Villa still have a chance to finish the season in the Champions League places but will not want to see their goal difference suffer too badly if they ultimately end up losing the match at the Etihad Stadium.

Slick, precise and typically Man City! ?

Rodri gives the champions the lead! ?

? @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/9GRcTc8W6r

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) April 3, 2024

Rodri SCORES!!

? 1-0 Manchester City vs Aston Villa

WATCH EVERY GOAL ? https://t.co/2w98QqADfX#PL #PremierLeague pic.twitter.com/bu8FcUz4J1

— FuboCanada ?? (@fuboTVCanada) April 3, 2024

Rodri opens the scoring at the Etihad for Manchester City!

? @peacock | #MCIAVL pic.twitter.com/WfZzMJprQ6

— NBC Sports Soccer (@NBCSportsSoccer) April 3, 2024

Pictures from TNT Sports, fuboTV and NBC Sports Soccer

The post Video: Brilliant Man City move finished off by Rodri as Aston Villa bamboozled appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Manchester City player Jeremy Doku has claimed he understands why Liverpool fans are angry at him.

The Belgian player was involved in an incident late in the game against Liverpool that could have ended up in a penalty for the Merseyside club.

The Man City star fouled Alexis Mac Allister and many people thought that Jurgen Klopp’s men would be awarded a late penalty. However, the referee decided against it.

The match ended in a draw and both the teams shared the points in what was a big clash as far as the Premier League title race is concerned.

Liverpool could have won against Man City

The Reds would have had a chance to win the game and earn massive three points if the call had gone their way.

The decision was closely analysed in the days that followed the game. The majority thought Liverpool had been extremely unfortunate.

It has to be acknowledged that not everyone believed it to be a penalty. But based on statements Doku made this week, even the City player appears to believe he got away with one.

“Of course I agree,” the 21-year-old said with a smile via The Daily Mail. “No, it was a risky challenge. I could have dealt with it differently.

“I still believe it wasn’t a penalty but I know some other referees would have given it. But it wasn’t a penalty so I was a happy.

“Was I worried? For a moment when they were looking at the VAR and maybe looking for a penalty. For me is wasn’t a penalty, but I understand why some people are angry and why the Liverpool fans believe it was a penalty.”

Liverpool missed out a big opportunity to gain advantage

Klopp was furious with the decision made by the referee and felt that his team could have gained an opportunity to lead Man City and Arsenal in the title race.

It is going to be another close title race with both Liverpool and Man City being involved in it. It remains to be seen whether Arsenal will spoil the party for both or not.

A win for Klopp would give him the perfect farewell as he is about to leave the Merseyside club at the end of the season. As for Guardiola, a win would give him a record-breaking fourth consecutive league win.

Whoever wins the league, let’s hope the decisions from the referees don’t dictate the results of the game as it ruins the spectacle for the fans and the discussion is shifted from football to other matters.

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Man City are still very much in the race for an unprecedented fourth Premier League title in a row, and were they achieve it, it appears that Pep Guardiola is set on somehow making his team even better than they are already.

Even if you take the perceived bottomless pit of money that the Catalan has at his disposal into account, to motivate players that have won everything to keep pushing and keep going for more really takes some doing.

Those that just don’t have that fire burning any longer will be dispensed with without a second thought from their manager too.

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Take Jack Grealish for example.

Though he’s injured at present, the England international has gone off the boil when compared to his form in the treble-winning campaign.

It doesn’t matter that he cost the club £100m, Guardiola has had him on the bench for a number of games this season.

Pep is only interested in winning and if you’re not doing the business you’re out of the team, simple as that.

Man City want Rafael Leao

News via Fichajes that City are now preparing to pay €150m for AC Milan’s Rafael Leao could suggest that Grealish’s time at the Etihad Stadium is coming to an end in any event.

Both players like to play off the left side, and with Jeremy Doku also at the club, it’s clear that someone has to make way.

Leao himself hasn’t had the best of seasons in Italy, so a move for him at this point is an intriguing development.

The post Man City ready to shell out €150m on 24-year-old that has underwhelmed in 2023/24 appeared first on CaughtOffside.

In a show of just how strong Pep Guardiola’s Man City side are, the Catalan has been able to bench Kevin De Bruyne for the trip to Bournemouth, alongside Kyle Walker, Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku.

The Cherries have been in reasonable form but they face a City side that know if they emerge with all three points, they’ll be just a point behind leaders, Liverpool.

Man City could move to within a point of Liverpool

For those clubs at the top of the table, to coin a phrase, every game is a final from this point onwards.

Any mis-steps from either City themselves or the clubs around them could have a significant impact on the destination of this season’s title.

Your City side for #BOUMCI ?

XI | Ederson, Akanji, Stones, Dias, Ake, Rodrigo, Nunes, Kovacic, Bernardo, Foden, Haaland

SUBS | Ortega Moreno, Walker, Grealish, Doku, De Bruyne, Gomez, Bobb, Lewis#ManCity | @etihad pic.twitter.com/7dPdE4ea8W

— Manchester City (@ManCity) February 24, 2024

Guardiola is clearly taking no chances, picking Ederson in goal behind a strong back four of Manuel Akanji, John Stones, Ruben Dias and Nathan Ake.

Midfield has a mixture of power, pace and creativity, with Rodrigo, Matheus Nunes and Mateo Kovacic providing a secondary shield when required as well as a supplementary attacking presence.

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In attack, Erling Haaland looks ominously back to his best, and with Phil Foden and Bernardo Silva stationed either side of him, Bournemouth are likely to be up against it from the first whistle.

The post Man City team news: De Bruyne on the bench for Bournemouth test appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Man City hammered Championship side Huddersfield 5-0 in their FA Cup third-round clash on Sunday but the story of the day is the return of the Premier League champions’ main man, Kevin De Bruyne. 

The Belgian picked up an injury on the opening day of the Premier League season against Burnley and has been out of action since.

The midfielder came on after 57 minutes against Huddersfield and it only took the superstar 17 minutes to grab an assist.

De Bruyne made a classic overlap run before chipping the ball back to Doku in the box, who finished the move off to make it 5-0 to Pep Guardiola’s team.

The assist king has returned ?@KevinDeBruyne is back to doing what he does back ?#EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/QI0WQHpEnX

— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup) January 7, 2024

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The post Video: Kevin De Bruyne is back as Man City star grabs classic assist in FA Cup clash appeared first on CaughtOffside.