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By Tom Gott | Oct 23, 2020, 7:33 PM GMT+1

Few players on this planet are as good at getting the ball in the back of the net as Harry Kane. He scores goals with breathtaking ease and has created countless memorable moments in the attacking third.

However, on 23rd October 2014, he created one in the defensive third…and it wasn’t the best.

The visit of Asteras Tripolis to White Hart Lane was a fun one for Spurs fans. On paper, it always looked like it was going to be an easy win for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, and when they were 2-0 up at half time, fans were already celebrating.

Kane netted one of those goals and added another two after the break. Life could hardly have been better, but in the 87th minute, disaster struck.

Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was shown a red card, and Spurs had just used up their third substitution to give Aaron Lennon some pointless minutes. Spurs needed a hero to step up and try their hand in goal, and who better than the man who’d netted three down the other end?

Throwing on Lloris’ shirt, Kane’s first task was to keep out a free kick. Clearly feeling a bit guilty, Asteras’ Jerónimo Barrales sent a tame effort low and directly at Kane. It was the kind of shot the striker-turned-goalkeeper would have been relieved to see come at him.

? OTD in 2014, Harry Kane had a moment to forget in the Spurs goal! ?

Don’t quit your day job, Harry ?pic.twitter.com/mlJRe88hbI

— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) October 23, 2020

Unfortunately, having spent so many years ensuring all his talent went to his feet, Kane soon realised that his arms were not there to help.

He got his body behind the ball, but his arms weren’t listening and spooned the ball over the line and into the back of the net to give Asteras a consolation goal after 87 minutes of being decisively thumped.

Kane simply stood there shaking his head, smiling as chants of England’s Number One began to fill up the stadium. He’d scored three goals but knew full well the headlines wouldn’t mention any of them tomorrow.

Thankfully, his incredible performance in attack meant literally nobody cared about his mishap in between the sticks.

Well, actually, everyone on social media cared, and they continue to do so. It was iconic.

Since then, Kane’s stuck to scoring goals down the right end of the pitch, and to his credit, he is England’s number one these days… just not in goal. Never in goal.

For more from ​Tom Gott, follow him on ​Twitter!

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El Clasico. It’s probably the biggest game in world football each season, and it always throws up some sort of drama.

Be it needless pushing and shoving, theatrics or mesmerising goals, matches involving Real Madrid and Barcelona, two of the biggest clubs in the world, always deliver.

There have been a fair few thrashings over the years, too. Here are the biggest wins for both Real and Barça.

We start off with a few convincing wins rather than utter thrashings. One such result came in 1998.

Sonny Anderson, Luis Figo and Giovanni were the scorers that day as Barça cruised to victory at Camp Nou.

Meho Kodro, who has managed Bosnia and Herzegovina and Sarajevo since retiring as a player, got two goals in this steady 3-0 win. Luis Figo grabbed the other.

Barça finished the 1995/96 season seven points adrift of champions Atletico Madrid.

It’s always nice to go to your rivals’ back yard and smash them, isn’t it?

Barça did that back in 1984 as strikes from Steve Archibald and Ramon Caldere, alongside Angel’s own goal, sealed a statement victory.

Jaime Sospedra was at the double in this fixture, with all three of Barça’s goals coming in the second half.

Jose Valle got the other.

Lionel Messi didn’t even start this game but by the time he was introduced as a substitute, Barça were three goals to the good.

Luis Suarez, Neymar and Andres Iniesta had the Catalan giants cruising before the hour mark, with Suarez adding a fourth in the 74th minute.

Isco came on as a substitute for Real and then got sent off. Funny.

This was an ill-tempered affair, with Zoltan Czibor and Jose Santamaria both dismissed in the 74th minute.

However, the game as a contest was over by that point courtesy of Evaristo’s hat-trick, while Juse Tejada added a fourth late on just for good measure.

Philippe Coutinho’s first playing spell at Barcelona didn’t go down too well, so it’s funny looking back to see he opened the scoring in this thrashing in 2018.

It soon became the Luis Suarez show as the Uruguayan scored a hat-trick, with Arturo Vidal netting late on. Marcelo did get one for Real, but obviously that wasn’t enough.

Things actually weren’t looking good for Barça when Alfredo di Stefano scored in the sixth minute here.

But La Blaugrana didn’t panic, responding with two goals from Justo Tejada and further strikes from Cesar Rodriguez, Moreno and Manchon.

All great names, those.

Fancy trying to deal with a young Lionel Messi, the ever threatening Thierry Henry and the outrageously good Samuel Eto’o?

No, of course not, and Real Madrid’s defenders didn’t either on this night in 2009.

Henry and Messi scored two apiece, while centre back partners Carles Puyol and Gerard Pique also helped themselves as Barça racked up six.

Lionel Messi hasn’t had too many better games than this one, even if he was getting smacked about throughout. The Argentine set two goals up but actually wasn’t among the scorers.

Instead, David Villa got two, with Xavi, Pedro and Jeffren also chipping in.

His Wikipedia page may read similarly to a League Two journeyman, but Romario was brilliant pretty much wherever he went, especially in his one full season at Barcelona.

The Brazil legend scored a hat-trick in this clash, with Ronald Koeman and Ivan Iglesias also cashing in on some lacklustre Real defending.

This was around the time that Johan Cruyff was strutting his stuff as one of the best players in world, so of course he led Barça to a massive win at Real in 1974.

The Dutchman scored twice that day, with Juan Manuel Asensi joining him with a brace.

This was a second-half blitz if ever there was one.

Cesar Rodriguez put Barça ahead in the 41st minute and added another just after the break before Jose Bravo, Jose Escola and Jose Gonzalvo added some gloss to the scoreline.

A massive day out here for Martin Vantolra, who scored four times to lead Barça to an emphatic victory.

Jose Escola also netted that day.

What a truly glorious scoreline for Barça fans.

This historic win was down to the efforts of Mateu Nicolau Gar and Marcos Aurelio, both of whom scored twice, alongside Cesar Rodriguez, Jose Gonzalvo and Basora.

Despite the thumping victory, Barcelona would only finish fourth, with Atletico Madrid topping the 1950/51 table.

Real knew they had a little bit of work to do here, having lost the first leg of the Supercopa 2-1 at Camp Nou.

Fortunately for them, Raul came of age with two goals before Predrag Mijatovic and Clarence Seedorf put them firmly in command of the tie.

Giovanni did pull one back late on, but Los Blancos still secured the Supercopa 5-3 on aggregate.

Again, Real had to come from behind to win this Supercopa clash as Jon Andoni Goikoetxea struck the first blow in the 20th minute.

Emilio Butragueno had the scores level around a minute later before edging Los Blancos ahead just before half time.

Hugo Sanchez and Santi Aragon then scored in the second half to wrap up a 5-1 aggregate victory.

Este 16 de octubre cumple 81 años Don Amancio Amaro, futbolista del Real Madrid entre las temporadas 1962-63 y 1975-76. Leyenda absoluta del Club y del fútbol español, disputó 472 partidos y marcó 155 goles. Felicidades a nuestro ex jugador y entrenador.
? Archivo Real Madrid. pic.twitter.com/i3VEPf0k1z

— Rancoma (@Rancoma_) October 16, 2020

Amancio is great name for a footballer, we can all agree on that. He’s a legendary figure at Real, perhaps due in part to his hat-trick against the old enemy in this 4-1 win.

Fernando Serena netted his side’s fourth, though Cayetano Re had reduced the deficit earlier in the game.

Pahiño y Miguel Muñoz en el Celta de Vigo, años antes de ir ambos al Real Madrid pic.twitter.com/QNSb9ZWuNH

— Alberto Cosín (@albertocosin) November 20, 2013

Barcelona finished this season in fourth while Real Madrid could only manage ninth, which makes this result a little puzzling.

Regardless, it was a fun day out for Jesus Narro, who grabbed a hat-trick, while Pahino also got in on the act.

Gaspar Rubio was one of Spain’s best forwards in his heyday, ending this particular season with 19 league goals, just one shy of top scorer Guillermo Gorostiza.

He was on the scoresheet twice here, with Francisco Lopez, Jaime Lazcano and Barça’s Carlos Bestit also netting.

This was a season that saw Real and Barça finish in the top two league positions, and Los Blancos’ two wins over their fierce rivals ultimately proved pivotal.

While the fixture at Camp Nou ended in a closer 3-2, Real ran away with the game at the Bernabeu as Henning Jensen scored twice.

As a defender in the olden days, it must have been nightmarish lining up against both Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo di Stefano.

Both scored in this thumping win, with Puskas notching a hat-trick.

This game was wrapped up by the 50th minute, with Luis Valle, Josep Samitier, Luis Regueiro and Eugenio all scoring.

It was Athletic Club’s season, pipping Real to the league title by two points.

Uh oh, Puskas and Di Stefano are up to their old tricks again.

In this fixture in 1963, the Hungarian legend scored three in a thoroughly one sided contest.

These defences, man. Someone should have had a word.

Anyway, Luis Molowny was on top form here, scoring once and setting up another three en route to another 5-1 win.

You didn’t see this game? Really? Why on earth not? Ah yes, because it took place in the year 1930. Fair enough.

Two goals from Gaspar Rubio and three from Jaime Lazcano had Real up 5-0 in the 72nd minute, with Goiburu pulling one back for the visitors.

January 8th 1994: Barcelona 5 – 0 Real Madrid

January 7th 1995: Real Madrid 5 – 0 Barcelona

Complete turnaround almost exactly a year apart, the difference? Michael Laudrup left Barca and joined Real pic.twitter.com/8NVi2JLDej

— Bongani_Cartel (@Pena_Cartel) May 6, 2020

Right then, here are a few Real players you might have heard of.

Ivan Zamorano was the main man here, scoring a first-half hat-trick before Luis Enrique and Jose Amavisca netted.

Among the Barça players that day were Ronald Koeman, Pep Guardiola, Gheorge Hagi and Hristo Stoichkov.

Funnily enough, Michael Laudrup had been on the Barça side that beat Real 5-0 just the season before.

ON THIS DAY: In 1953, Real Madrid beat Barcelona 5-0 at the Santiago Bernabéu, with Alfredo Di Stefano scoring twice. pic.twitter.com/Zf3BQDATk8

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) October 25, 2014

Los Blancos legend Alfredo di Stefano was one of the showstoppers back in 1953, scoring twice in this 5-0 win.

Roque Olsen also netted a brace, with Luis Molowny grabbing the other.

Striker Pahino helped himself to three goals here as Real went six goals up inside 70 minutes.

Jose Gonzalvo did pull one back late on for Barça, but obviously it wasn’t enough to save a embarrassing defeat.

Neither Real nor Barça would win the title that season – instead, Atletico Madrid helped themselves to their third title.

Here it is. The biggest victory in Clasico history, and it belong to Real Madrid.

They might not batter Barcelona by ludicrous scorelines too often nowadays, but on one February night in 1935 they ran riot against their Catalan opposition.

Fernando Sanudo scored four and Jaime Lazcano added another three, with Luis Regueiro making it an even eight.

This was the last time Barcelona had lost 8-2 prior to the humiliating loss to Bayern Munich in the 2019/20 Champions League.

Let’

By Tom Gott | Oct 23, 2020, 6:42 PM GMT+1

The international break has come and gone and, unfortunately, it’s claimed some of our European Player Power Rankings favourites. Who would have thought that letting players travel around the world during a global pandemic would be a bad idea?

Cristiano Ronaldo, Andrej Kramarić and a handful of others are taking an enforced break from starring on the pitch, but that means there’s a few extra spots on this list up for grabs.

We need all the support we can get, so it’s time to call on the cinematic magic of 2007 for inspiration. Let’s get ranking.

“Cometh the moment, cometh the man.” (Goal II: Living the Dream)

Zlatan Ibrahimović missed four games after contracting COVID-19, only to return and net two goals in the Milan derby.

His AC Milan side stormed to a 2-1 win over rivals Inter, ensuring Zlatan wrestled back his spot on the throne at San Siro.

“This is the best deal you’re going to get. I won’t tell you that you can save yourself, because you can’t.” (No Country for Old Men)

At 33 years old, Sassuolo striker Francesco Caputo is finally living his best life.

He bagged a goal and an assist in his side’s 4-3 win over Bologna, and now sits on seven goal contributions in just four games.

“Mr. Bankside, I’m not going to waste your time; I’d certainly appreciate it if you didn’t waste mine.” (There Will Be Blood)

Darwin Núñez hasn’t wasted any time establishing himself as a star at Benfica.

After signing in the summer, Núñez has bagged at least one assist in each of his four league games so far, and he added his first three goals for the Eagles in a 4-2 win over Lech Poznan.

“I always wonder if people know when history’s being made. And what they’re doing at the time. This, for instance, could be a historic moment, and you’re sipping a glass of ice water.” (American Gangster)

Thomas Müller looks to be on the hunt for a new Bundesliga assist record (again).

He’s managed one in each of his four league games so far, adding two goals in Bayern Munich’s 4-1 win over Arminia Bielefeld for good measure, and he topped this week off with another assist against Atlético Madrid.

“This is turnin’ into a hell of a mess, ain’t it, Sheriff?”
“If it isn’t, it’ll do until the mess gets here.” (No Country for Old Men)

The Merseyside derby was…eventful.

It all turned into a little bit of a mess for Liverpool, but Sadio Mané returned from a COVID-enforced break to net a goal and earn his side a point.

“Your parents are probably wondering where you are.”
“Nah. I mean, I’m already pregnant, so what other kind of shenanigans could I get into?” (Juno)

Unlike every other 17-year-old on the planet, Ansu Fati continues to raise his profile as a star in Barcelona’s first team.

His league form may have slowed down, but he kept up the good performances by bagging a goal and an assist against Ferencváros in midweek.

“Wait, you changed your name to… McLovin?”
“Yeah.”
“McLovin? What kind of a stupid name is that, Fogell? What, are you trying to be, an Irish R&B singer?” (Superbad)

James Rodríguez looks like a new man since leaving Real Madrid for Everton during the summer.

His electric start to life in England continued this week as he offered up an assist for Michael Keane’s equaliser against Liverpool.

“I can help. I can save you. I can save everybody.” (I Am Legend)

This week was the first in which Steven Berghuis didn’t score for Feyenoord this season, but he still managed to chime in with an assist.

That’s six goals and three assists in just six games for the Dutchman, who has single-handedly dragged his side into the Eredivisie title race this year.

“Oh, I don’t lose. People who bet on me to lose lose. And they lose big.”(Ocean’s Thirteen)

Tottenham may have let a three-goal lead over West Ham slip, but that’s definitely not down to Son Heung-min.

He added one more goal and one more assist to his tally during the game, and now sits on nine and four in just eight games in all competitions.

“I’m the Zodiac.”
“And how did you kill your victims?”
“With a gun. No, with a hammer.” (Zodiac)

Papu Gómez killed off Midtjylland during the week with a thunderbolt of a shot.

Atalanta are one of the most entertaining teams on the entire planet these days, and Gómez is a major part of that. They’re on 18 goals in just five games!

Side note: How great is it to see Josip Iličić back?

“You want a piece of me?! You want a piece?!”
“No! I want…two!” (Transformers)

He couldn’t quite match the four-goal haul he managed against Hertha before the international break, but Robert Lewandowski did bag two against Arminia Bielefeld.

Surprisingly, he didn’t manage to get on the score sheet against Atlético, but we won’t hold that against him.

“I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!” (There Will Be Blood)

Kylian Mbappé has been involved at least two goals in each of his four Ligue 1 appearances this season. He’s feasting.

There were no assists for the PSG man against Nîmes this week, so he had to settle for two goals in a 4-0 win.

“Sir, I’m afraid you’ve gone mad with power.”
“Of course I have. Have you ever tried going mad without power? It’s boring, no one listens to you.” (The Simpsons Movie)

Erling Haaland continued to prove himself as a vital part of Borussia Dortmund’s attack when he came off the bench to bag a crucial assist in the 1-0 win over Hoffenheim.

He now sits on 22 goals and six assists in just 25 games for Dortmund, which is wild.

“I’ll be quite honest with you. I’m torn between breaking your neck here and throwing you down the stairs.” (Atonement)

He might not break necks, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin broke Liverpool hearts with his equaliser in the Merseyside derby this week.

The Everton man rose high to head home his tenth goal of the season, keeping the Toffees at the top of the table for the time being.

“THIS IS SPARTA!” (300)

Harry Kane continues to prove that there is no other player on the planet on a level even close to his right now.

He needed just 16 minutes to score two and assist another against West Ham, helping him reach double-figures in goals already. Add in the fact that he’s managed eight assists in his nine games too, and you’ll see just how complete a striker Kane really is.

For more from ​Tom Gott, follow him on ​Twitter!

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Tottenham fans have been put through the ringer while the club attempted to find decent back-up for star striker Harry Kane.

Vincent Janssen and Fernando Llorente both failed to provide that cover, mainly because neither could actually kick the many opportunities gifted to them into the back of the net. Always a bad sign, that.

With the England captain picking up long-term injuries in previous seasons, the need for an alternative became a necessity for Jose Mourinho this summer – and Spurs might just have hit the jackpot.

Carlos Vinicius made his Tottenham debut on Thursday night in a 3-0 win against LASK in the Europa League, and although the striker didn’t score, there were many promising signs.

The former centre back had a good goalscoring record in the Primeira Liga last season, netting 18 times in 32 appearances, but against LASK the Brazilian showed there’s more than just goals to his game.

Carlos Vinicius is your @libertex_europe Man of the Match! ?#UEL ⚪️ #COYS pic.twitter.com/62oGsbSoFa

— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) October 23, 2020

The debutant displayed excellent vision to create Spurs’ opening goal of the game, squaring a perfectly-weighted ball into the path of Lucas Moura.

He then popped up with another assist when his cushioned header fell into the path of Son Heung-min. The in-form forward made no mistake and fired the ball into the bottom corner to net Spurs’ third and final goal of the evening. Sure, he didn’t get his goal, but Spurs fans were still very encouraged by what they saw from their new man, and rightly so.

Since the start of the season, the definition of the ‘Harry Kane back-up’ role has changed due to the striker’s incredible form.

Kane is given a free role to drop deep and loop balls over defensive lines, with Son in particular benefitting. While Vinicius probably won’t be given the same freedom, he still proved against LASK that he can fill a creative void for Spurs in Kane’s absence.

Of course, the counter-argument will be that it is ‘only’ the Europa League, and the Brazilian needs to prove himself at a higher level – but those chances will come. Standing at 6’3, Vinicius offers something different. He can be a more dominant and physical option for Mourinho, who has recently revealed he can see the Brazilian partnering Kane if he opts to play with two strikers.

Mourinho also now has the luxury of brining Vinicius on from the bench in Premier League matches. This would allow for more tactical flexibility with the option to play with two strikers, or the ability to give Kane a well-deserved rest towards the end of a match.

Let’s not forget, Vinicius also doesn’t speak English. Moura has been helping the striker settle in at Spurs, so if this is what he can offer while still finding his feet, Mourinho could eventually have a real gem at his disposal.

It’s still early days, but the foundations are in place for Vinicius after an encouraging first appearance in a Spurs shirt.

Let’

Premier League champions Liverpool host Sheffield United at Anfield on Saturday evening looking to return to winning ways and close the gap on rivals and surprise leaders Everton.

Jurgen Klopp’s side were held to a controversial 2-2 draw at Everton in the Merseyside derby last weekend, but will be substantial favourites to beat a Sheffield United side with only one point so far this season.

The Blades have struggled for goals so far, managing just two, and have shipped a further seven at the other end.

When Is Kick Off? Saturday 24 October
What Time Is Kick Off? 20:00 (BST)
Where Is it Played? Anfield
TV Channel/Live Stream? Sky Sports Box Office (UK)
Referee? Mike Dean

Virgil van Dijk’s run of 94 successive Premier League starts will come to an end and he will not be the only important Liverpool man missing, with Alisson also sidelined.

Thiago Alcantara could come back into the side after he evaded a serious injury from Richarlison’s red-card tackle in the derby last weekend.

Joel Matip is also pushing for a return after missing out in midweek, although Fabinho’s performance against Ajax could see him keep his place alongside Joe Gomez at the heart of the defence.

Klopp was able to replace all of his front three on the hour mark against Ajax and, despite Sadio Mane being pictured icing his leg after coming off, the trio are expected to start again this weekend.

59′ – A triple-change for the Reds. Salah, Firmino and Mane are replaced by Minamino, Jota and Shaqiri.

[0-1]#AJALIV | #UCL

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) October 21, 2020

Liverpool are by no means the only team with injury issues, and Sheffield United are also without a key centre back for the season with Jack O’Connell needing surgery on a knee issue.

Wilder even went as far as to claim that his side missing O’Connell, John Fleck and Lys Mousset is a ‘bigger blow’ than Liverpool losing Van Dijk.

Max Lowe lasted only 19 minutes of his Premier League debut last weekend before being forced off with concussion, which is expected to keep him out of this match. Ethan Ampadu could therefore return to the back three, with Enda Stevens switching back out to left wing-back.

Wilder could also be tempted to hand Rhian Brewster his full debut against the team he left during the summer.

Liverpool: Adrian; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Fabinho, Robertson; Thiago, Henderson, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane.

Sheffield United: Ramsdale; Basham, Ampadu, Egan; Baldock, Lundstram, Norwood, Berge, Stevens; McBurnie, Brewster.

Last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Everton would almost certainly have left a bitter taste in the mouth of Liverpool fans – not only because of the result, but because of the injustice which accompanied it, both in terms of the injuries suffered and the manner in which Jordan Henderson’s late ‘winner’ was controversially ruled out.

The Reds bounced back in the best way possible with victory in Amsterdam midweek though, as a scrappy own goal saw them make a winning start to their Champions League campaign at Ajax.

While the result is always the most important thing, the significance of keeping a clean sheet without Van Dijk, Alisson or Matip will not be lost on Klopp at a time when so many questions are being asked regarding how the Reds will cope without the former in particular.

Saturday will be Liverpool’s first home league game in almost a month, and plenty has happened since that 3-1 triumph over Arsenal – most notably their 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa and last weekend’s derby draw.

The Blades have scored just twice in their five games this season – the fewest of any team in the division – and are the only team in the top flight yet to have led a match at any stage so far.

Wilder’s side needed a late Billy Sharp penalty to rescue a point at home to fellow strugglers Fulham last time out – a disappointing result but one which at least ended a seven-game losing streak and got them off the mark for the season.

Things do not get any easier either. After Liverpool, Sheffield United face Manchester City and Chelsea in a daunting build-up to the next international break.

The most difficult test, on paper at least, appears to be this one first up, with Sheffield United having lost 19 of their last 23 top-flight visits to Anfield and last winning away to Liverpool in 1994.

“It does get tested, and no bigger test than going to Anfield on Saturday night. We all have to dig in and stick together. We have to believe in the shape and the system.”

The Gaffer on team spirit, listen to his press conference below. ?

— Sheffield United (@SheffieldUnited) October 22, 2020

Liverpool

Ajax 0-1 Liverpool (21/10)
Everton 2-2 Liverpool (17/10)
Aston Villa 7-2 Liverpool (4/10)
Liverpool 0-0 Arsenal (Pens 4-5) (1/10)
Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal (28/9)

Sheffield United

Sheffield United 1-1 Fulham (18/10)
Arsenl 2-1 Sheffield United (4/10)
Sheffield United 0-1 Leeds (27/9)
Aston Villa 1-0 Sheffield United (21/9)
Burnley 1-1 Sheffield United (17/9)

For Liverpool it looks like an ideal contest against the division’s lowest scorers, and with Mohamed Salah in good goalscoring form the champions should return to winning ways in the league.

Sheffield United rarely get heavily beaten, but it looks like a tall order for them to get anything out of the game. The Blades have really struggled so far this season and, while their hosts are weakened by injury, it would still be a major shock if they came away from Anfield with even a point.

Prediction: Liverpool 3-0 Sheffield United

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