Champions League Drama on Final Group Day Gives us Interesting Knockout Round Match-ups
Not sure these were the match-ups that UEFA was imagining when they laid out this new Champions League format. Sure Liverpool, Barcelona, Arsenal, Inter Milan, Leverkusen are all automatic qualifiers in the top 8 but just look at the huge teams having to battle just to get to the final 16? Real Madrid vs Man City in the Knockout Stage ?? Are you kidding? Of course some would argue how could City even make this stage after only winning 2 games in the first 7? Knockout rounds start the 2nd week of Feb while the top 8 wait around till March to play.
Why Don’t The Soccer Gods Get it ?
It certainly was an exciting Champions League Final Group stage day with all the games being played at the same time – serious drama as Man City stayed alive, & AC Milan fell out of the top 8. Too bad you could only watch a couple of them (seriously I had 3 TVs with 2 games with American’s and the Golazo show on). Man you futball/Soccer IDIOTS sure could learn a lesson about actually putting on a tournament. You can’t play all the games at one time – people can’t watch them. Its STUPID!) Imagine starting the games at say 4 pm in Europe, then 6:30, then 8:30, then 10 pm? That’s 4 primetime slots – where the entire world could try to watch say 3 or 4 games at a time. Hey Para+ maybe a 4 way split screen like the NCAAs? You could show 4 games at a time per time slot. European Futbol is so far behind the NFL in this sense – its laughable.
Big TV Games this Weekend
Lets Start with Arsenal vs Man City Sun 11:30 am – of course its on Peacock not USA – thanks NBC – NOT. Anyway can Arsenal keep their hold on 2nd in the table or will they let Man City climb back in the race?
At the same time on Sunday we get the Milan Derby – as Inter and AC Milan face off in the San Siro at 12 noon on CBS Golazo and Para+ – AC Milan fell from 6 to 13th in the Champ League table with their horrific loss Wed despite Christian Pulisic’s 4th Champion’s League goal this campaign (an American record). AC seems to be reeling under new coach Canseco – as most of the players are complaining he’s too mean and has lost the lockerroom? Of course AC was in disarray the last time two faced each other in the Cup when Pulisic saved the day and they won 3-2. Full layout of Americans overseas in games below including Tyler Adams & Bournemouth playing Liverpool Sat at 10 am on USA Network. Bournemouth stands in a tie for 6th with Chelsea and is playing some of the best ball in the EPL now that a healthy Tyler Adams at Dmid. He’s honestly one of the top #6s in the league when healthy. Dortmund and Gio Reyna travel to Heidenheim needing a win Sat at 9:30 on ESPN+. Gio got 26’ off the bench midweek against Shaktar Donetsk and contributed a lovely Backheel assist as BVB went on to win the Champions League match 3-1.
Huge Congrats to Former Carmel FC Player Maverick McCoy son of former CFC Coach Wade McCoy for signing a USL Academy contract with Indy 11. In fact he started in the preseason friendly yesterday.
GAMES ON TV
USMNT weekend viewing guide: Leading the way
USMNT players aren’t just making the squad, they’re being recognized as leaders
Saturday
Watford v Norwich City – 7:30a on Paramount+
Josh Sargent scored two goals last weekend in his first start since returning from injury two weeks ago. The USMNT needs Sargent to stay healthy and regain his scoring form as they are likely to be down a couple of options for the Nations League competition in the March window.
Udinese v Venezia – 9a on CBSSN and Paramount+
Gianluca Busio and Venezia played Hellas Verona to a draw last weekend and remain four points back of them for safety. Venezia have just sixteen points through twenty-two matches and look likely to head back to Serie B next Fall. They will be facing eleventh place Udinese on Saturday who are looking to snap a five match winless streak.
Stuttgart v Borussia Monchengladbach – 9:30a on ESPN+
Joe Scally was back in the starting lineup, one week after getting a rare day off. Borussia Monchengladbach won the match 2-0 to move to eighth in the table and they will now travel to fourth place Stuttgart looking to string together some wins.
Bayern Munich v Holstein Kiel – 9:30a on ESPN+
John Tolkin saw his first Bundesliga minutes last weekend in a substitute appearance for Holstein Kiel who held Wolfsburg to a 2-2 draw. Kiel remain two points back of Heidenheim for the relegation playoff position and will face a stiff challenge this weekend as they face league leading Bayern Munich.
Heidenheim v Borussia Dortmund – 9:30a on ESPN+
Gio Reyna was an unused substitute last weekend in his first match under new management but got 26’ off the bench midweek against Shaktar Donetsk and contributed a lovely Backheel assist as BVB went on to win the Champions League match 3-1. Dortmund have just one win in their last eight league matches and currently sit in eleventh place though just six points back of fourth place Stuttgart. They face a Heidenheim side that are flirting with the relegation zone with just fourteen points through nineteen matches.
St. Pauli v Augsburg – 9:30a on ESPN+
James Sands has started the past two matches for St. Pauli, both wins, and the six points have pulled the club up to thirteenth place, six points clear of the relegation playoff position. They will face Augsburg who are one spot, but five points, ahead of them in the Bundesliga standings. It has been a quick transition for Sands who joined St. Pauli in January
AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool – 10a on USA Network
Tyler Adams notched two more assists last weekend in Bournemouth’s 5-0 thrashing of third place Nottingham Forest last weekend. The Cherries are now in seventh place and will face league leading Liverpool on Saturday morning. Adams has started three straight for Bournemouth who are undefeated in their last eleven matches. Liverpool won the first match between the two sides, 3-0 back in September before Adams had returned from his offseason injury.
Newcastle United v Fulham – 10a on Peacock
Fulham and Antonee Robinson fell to Manchester United 1-0 last weekend with Robinson once again wearing the captains armband for the Cottagers. Despite the loss Fulham remain in tenth place, they are eight points back of this weekends opponent, Newcastle United, who are in fifth place following their win over Southampton last weekend.
Leeds United v Cardiff City – 10a on Paramount+
Brenden Aaronson started and went the full 90’ yet again for Leeds United last weekend in their scoreless draw with third place Burnley. Aaronson has started every match since Leeds’s third game of the season and is already over 2,300 minutes in league play. Leeds remain in first place, with a two point advantage over Sheffield United, heading into their matchup this weekend against eighteenth place Cardiff City who defeated Derby County last weekend and are undefeated in their past seven league matches.
Union Berlin v RB Leipzig – 12:30p on ESPN+
Jordan Pefok started yet again last weekend for Union Berlin but has yet to find the back of the next this season. Berlin fell to St Pauli 3-0 and they have suffered defeat in seven of their last nine matches, with just one win in that period. Berlin face fifth place RB Leipzig who are tied on points with Stuttgart.
NEC v PSV – 3p on ESPN+
Ricardo Pepi started for PSV on Wednesday scoring a goal and adding an assist in a 3-2 victory over Liverpool in Champions League play. Unfortunately Pepi was injured before coming off and is now set to miss the next 1-3 months, likely knocking him out of Nations League action. The Pepi injured, combined with Malik Tillman already missing out may mean that Richard Ledezma is the lone American suiting up for PSV as they take on NEC in league play, looking to maintain their five point advantage over second place Ajax.
Sunday
Juventus v Empoli – 6:30a on Paramount+
Weston McKennie wore the captains armband for Juventus midweek and Tim Weah played the full 90’ at rightback as the team fell to Benfica 2-0 but still qualified for the knockout stage of the Champions League. Juventus fell to first place Napoli last weekend 2-1, suffering their first Serie A defeat of the season.
Manchester United v Crystal Palace – 9a on Peacock
Crystal Palace fell to Brentford 2-1 last weekend though Chris Richards did get his fifth straight start. Palace are eleven points clear of the relegation scrap and two points behind this weekends opponent, Manchester United who are coming off a 1-0 win over Fulham.
AC Milan v Inter Milan – Noon on Paramount+
Christian Pulisic scored yet another goal, his twelfth across all competitions this season, on Wednesday. Unfortunately, Yunus Musah received his second yellow of the match less than forty minutes in and Milan would fall 2-1 playing down a man the rest of the way to Dinamo Zagreb. Pulisic also scored last weekend in Milan’s 3-2 win over Parma. They will now host Inter Milan who are in second place, three points back of Napoli. AC Milan has defeated Inter twice this season, once in league play as well as in the Supercoppa Italiana final with Pulisic scoring in both matches.
Olympique Marseille v Olympique Lyon – 2:45p on beIN Sports
Tanner Tessmann has not made it off the bench in Lyon’s past two league matches but did get the start on Thursday as they face Ludogorets Razgrad in Europa League action. Lyon are in sixth place and taking on second place Marseille this weekend.
Real Betis v Atheltic Club – 3p on ESPN+
Real Betis defeated Mallorca 1-0 last weekend with Johnny Cardoso getting his fifth straight start and once again playing the full 90’. Betis pulled into tenth place with the victory and will now host fourth place Athletic Club.
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USA
Pepi injured, wild Champions League week for Yanks, Tessmann’s award, Miggy returns, and more
Pulisic scores, Musah sent off as AC Milan falls to Dinamo Zagreb in Champions League
Christian Pulisic scores, but Yunus Musah’s red card …
Pulisic scores, Musah sent off in AC Milan Champions …
Ricardo Pepi injures knee after scoring Champions League winner for PSV Eindhoven
US striker Ricardo Pepi to be sidelined ‘a long time’ with knee injury
Analysis: Assessing January camp after USMNT downs Costa Rica 3-0
Crystal Dunn signs 2-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain after departing Gotham
Inside Naomi Girma’s move to Chelsea: From early success to breaking transfer records
Jenna Nighswonger departs Gotham for Arsenal
With another USWNT player going abroad, should NWSL panic?
Champions League
What worked? What didn’t? Reflecting on the UCL league phase ESPNFC
Carlo Ancelotti plans key defensive injury return against Manchester
Diego Simeone unconcerned by potential Real Madrid ‘double game’
The road to Decimosexta is more challenging than ever for Real Madrid
Photo – Ex Bayern Munich Veteran Celebrates Inter Milan 3-0 Monaco Champions League Win: ‘We Are Top 8!’
Manchester City will face Real Madrid again as a rivalry is renewed in the Champions League
Champions League draw: Manchester City to face Real Madrid in knockout phase
Manager: It’s an exciting prospect to take on one of Europe’s top teams
Champions League play-offs draw analysed: Manchester City face Real Madrid, relief for Bayern Munich, Milan and Juventus
By Sam Lee, Rory Smith, Oliver Kay and more Jan 31, 2025
It has been a Champions League semi-final three times over the past decade and a quarter-final once, but this time Manchester City will face Real Madrid in the competition’s new play-offs round — with the winners over two legs next month advancing to the last 16 in March.That blockbuster tie coming at such an early stage of the competition is surely not what UEFA envisaged when it revamped the tournament’s structure this year, meaning only the top eight sides from the 36-team opening phase qualified automatically for the last 16.But City and Madrid have paid for their poor performances in Europe this season, with the English champions particularly close to going out altogether as they trailed in the last of their eight games.Now, both have the chance to make amends by knocking out opponents they will see as major rivals in their bid to go on and win the competition.Elsewhere among the eight ties, Celtic meet Bayern Munich and there is an all-French contest between minnows Brest and serial domestic champions Paris Saint-Germain.The first legs of the play-off matches will take place on February 11 and 12, with the returns a week later.Sam Lee, Rory Smith, Oliver Kay, Seb Stafford-Bloor and Dermot Corrigan analyse the key talking points from today’s draw.
City in rare position of being underdogs
Real Madrid will hardly be relishing a tie against Pep Guardiola’s men, given how dangerous they can still be, but it is a very different Manchester City this season, one ravaged by basically all of the half-decent teams they have played in the past three months — apart from the Chelsea game last week, when they ruthlessly exploited the spaces afforded to them by their visitors’ high press.
Madrid are unlikely to do that, because they have generally sat back and waited for City and tried to hit them on the break in their recent meetings.
With the remarkable exception of a 4-0 semi-final second leg defeat in Manchester to a side on their way to the treble in 2023, that approach has been enough to undo even City at their top level. This is an “old” City team, in Guardiola’s own words, and they really struggle against counter-attacks.
Guardiola is praying that many of his injured players return between now and the first leg in about 10 days. City can also register three new signings to play in the tie, although as it stands only Omar Marmoush is likely to contribute.
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Madrid are favourites, then — overwhelmingly so if those injured City players do not come back to fitness quickly.
Sam Lee
Real Madrid will hope pace gives them the edge
The stark look on the face of Real Madrid’s director of institutional relations Emilio Butragueno when the draw was made said it all.
Madrid were facing Manchester City yet again — for the fifth time in the past six seasons in this competition — in a play-off round they know they should not really be part of. But Carlo Ancelotti’s defending champions are paying the price for losing three of their eight league-phase games, with the slips away at Lille and at home to Milan now especially damaging.
Ancelotti’s big-name attackers Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe could do a lot of damage to a City defence which has suffered against counter-attacks all year but he said outright this week that he did not want another meeting with City, aware that, whatever happens, they will be two physically and emotionally draining games. Especially with all the focus that ex-Barcelona player and manager Guardiola coming back to the Bernabeu always brings.
Vinicius Jr will be a huge threat to a City defence that has been unusually vulnerable this season (Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
There is also an awareness at Madrid that, should they progress past City, they will either play neighbours Atletico or Bernabeu old boy Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the last 16 — another super high-profile tie which they would rather have avoided at that stage of the competition.
Dermot Corrigan
Bayern avoid City and a nightmare week
Given how Bayern Munich stumbled through the league phase, this could have been a lot tougher.
There is healthy respect for Celtic and their place in the game — RB Leipzig were soundly beaten in Glasgow in November, so nobody will underestimate the challenge ahead — but the two legs of this tie occur either side of a critical Bundesliga game away to champions Leverkusen, and so being drawn against Manchester City really would have made that a nightmarish week. It would also have been appropriate punishment for a sloppy start in this competition. October’s loss to Barcelona was very ugly. The defeat at Feyenoord last week was arguably worse.
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The other German side involved in this draw, Borussia Dortmund, are now under new management, with Niko Kovac appointed this week to succeed Nuri Sahin. They will see their draw as favourable, too, given that Sporting CP are still suffering in the wake of Ruben Amorim’s November departure to take the Manchester United job. Expect to see a more cautious and resilient Dortmund emerge by the first leg.
Two weeks ago, Sporting would rightly have fancied their chances — particularly for the opening game in Lisbon — but with that coaching change and the potential for some new-manager bounce, that is now a much tougher proposition. One caveat, though, is that Kovac won’t have Felix Nmecha. The influential midfielder is out for the rest of the season through injury and, barring some dramatic transfer activity in the coming days, his orchestrating will be extremely difficult to replace.
Still, a very good draw for the German clubs. The two extra games are a burden, but they could have been far more attritional.
Seb Stafford-Bloor
Milan and Juventus breathe a sigh of relief
That sound you can hear is a sigh of relief: relief for Juventus and Milan that they will not have to face each other in the Champions League play-offs; relief for Thiago Motta and Sergio Conceicao, the respective managers, that their team will not have to risk the humiliation of being eliminated by Italian rivals; relief from everyone who sat through the dreadful 2003 final between those two at Old Trafford and is still triggered by the experience.
Neither Milan nor Juventus needed that sort of strain at what has become a distinctly delicate point in their seasons. For the first time since he took charge in the summer, there is a scintilla of pressure on Motta, the man tasked with restoring Juventus to some sort of primacy at home and abroad.
His unbeaten domestic record fell at the weekend, as Juventus surrendered a lead at Napoli; all of a sudden, the 13 — yes, 13 — draws his team have registered in 22 Serie A matches look less like a platform for an imminent recovery and more like a sign of ongoing decay. Remaining in the Champions League for as long as possible is vital not just for the financial rewards, but for morale. A free-running PSV pose a challenge, but not an insurmountable one.
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Milan, too, will see Feyenoord as the least worst option. Conceicao has only recently been installed as manager, replacing Paulo Fonseca at the turn of the year, and results so far have been mixed. Not as mixed as Feyenoord’s, though: Brian Priske’s side beat Bayern Munich 3-0 last week, then collapsed to a 6-1 loss at Lille. The chances are Priske will not still be in charge by the time Milan travel to Rotterdam for the first leg.
In truth, though, neither of these two looks likely to be the last Italian side standing in the 2024-25 Champions League.
Atalanta, having missed out on automatic qualification for the last 16 only by a point, would have been confident of beating either of their potential opponents Club Brugge and Sporting. Although the Belgians are probably the more exacting of the two, Gianpiero Gasperini’s team stand as overwhelming favourites to go through.
If they do get through to play Aston Villa or Lille in the round of 16, it’s fair to say nobody left in the competition will want to face them.
Rory Smith
Liverpool, Barcelona and plotting a path to the final
There are still a lot of either/ors, but at this stage it feels like the potential benefits of finishing first and second in the league phase are becoming clearer for Liverpool and Barcelona.
Another draw on February 21, after the play-off round is completed, will determine which of those two will play the winners of the Brest-PSG tie and which will meet either Monaco or Benfica. Beyond that, one of them could potentially face Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund, Lille or Sporting in the quarter-finals, while the other could potentially be up against Villa, Dortmund, Atalanta or Club Brugge.
Eighteen Champions League games, one unusual assignment: watch every match (in five-minute segments)
Nobody will want to play PSG in the next round — and Liverpool know from bitter experience in the Europa League last season what difficult opponents Atalanta can be — but it feels like finishing in the top two has brought a slightly easier-looking passage to the semi-finals.
By contrast, whoever gets through that Manchester City vs Real Madrid tie will face either Bayer Leverkusen or Atletico Madrid in the round of 16 and then, if they progress again, one of Juventus, PSV, Arsenal and Inter in the quarter-finals.
I’m just looking at the bookmakers’ odds to win this competition and City’s and Madrid’s are drifting. That sounds about right.
Oliver Kay
The draw in full
Brest v Paris Saint-Germain
Monaco v Benfica
Juventus v PSV
Feyenoord v Milan
Manchester City v Real Madrid
Celtic v Bayern Munich
Club Brugge v Atalanta
Sporting CP v Borussia Dortmund
(Top photos: Getty Images)
USMNT Player Tracker: Pulisic on the spot, commanding Adams and Sargent sticks to the plan
Jan 27, 2025
34
Christian Pulisic’s spot-kick composure, Tyler Adam’s unstoppable momentum and Josh Sargent’s sparky revival all play a part in this week’s USMNT player tracker.
Throughout the season, we will bring you updates on the USMNT players plying their trade in various leagues around Europe.
With a home-soil World Cup on the horizon, we’re keeping tabs on how they perform every weekend.
Issue of the weekend
Cometh the hour, as usual, cometh the man.
Pulisic was a game-changer yet again for Milan in their important win on Sunday. The USMNT star became his club’s joint top goalscorer in the league as he whipped in the penalty that got them back on level terms with Parma in a close contest they eventually won 3-2 in added time.
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It was proof that Milan can count on him to lead by example when the chips are down.
“It is our job to score, we want to help the team in any way, through goals or assists,” he told broadcaster DAZN afterwards. “We have to keep going like this.”
Pulisic places the ball on the spot before equalising for Milan against Parma (Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)
The 26-year-old’s display was not perfect. He was guilty of a few overhit crosses (unusually, none of his five deliveries found their target) and had a complete air swipe when Alvaro Morata’s ball found him in the area early on.
But the man who has never missed a penalty in his senior career had the guts to make the difference when it counted and the example set with his nerveless sixth Serie A goal of the campaign inspired the team.
Pulisic wasn’t the only American making the difference as Milan gave their top-four hopes a boost at San Siro. It was Yunus Musah’s cute pass in the 92nd minute that slipped through the Parma defence to allow Tijjani Reijnders to make it 2-2 before Samuel Chukwueze secured the dramatic winner three minutes later.
Musah’s pass carving through the Parma back line was his second assist of the season. Milan are now only five points behind Lazio, who are fourth with a game in hand on the Roman club.
Musah provided an assist (Nicolo Campo/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Player of the weekend
Tyler Adams is performing at a level for Bournemouth that is turning heads across the Premier League.
His two assists in their emphatic 5-1 thrashing of title dark horses Nottingham Forest on Saturday made him the first American to create three goals across successive Premier League games.
Adams has spoken about thriving within coach Andoni Iraola’s controlled chaos and he is a key part of the surging momentum that is currently overwhelming opponents.
Adams celebrates with Justin Kluivert (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
His tigerish display at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday, as compelling defensively as it was creatively, wrote his name into most pundits’ teams of the weekend.
It is perhaps no coincidence that Bournemouth’s impressive run of form, which has them seventh in the table and in contention to qualify for European competition, stems from his return from injury in November.
USMNT’s Tyler Adams is back to his best as thoughts turn to World Cup
Quote of the weekend
“If you could see his eyes looking at me when we’re about to replace him after that second goal, he was not satisfied with that,” said Norwich’s Danish head coach Johannes Hoff Thorup. “That was not what he wanted.
“But we had a plan beforehand that it was a maximum 65 minutes with him, no matter what, because we cannot take any risk. The last thing we need is to have another injury with him. We need to still be careful, but 65 minutes, two goals, that’s a step in the right direction.
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“He’s a quality player. It’s not even up for discussion. So of course when we lose him and he’s not available, it will mean a difference to the team. Simple as that. He’s quality and he’s also quality for the players.
“He’s a big voice in the dressing room and he always responds well to the way that we prepare the game. He’s able to suggest some adjustments or small details that we can correct when he’s in the game. To have him around the team means so much to the group.”
Thorup explained to local news outlet The Pink ’Un why he was willing to upset USMNT striker Josh Sargent to ensure the club carefully managed his return to full fitness after the 24-year-old’s brace in Norwich’s 5-1 Championship win over Swansea City.
Sargent scored a brace against Swansea (Stephen Pond/Getty Images)
Jeff Rueter’s graphic of the weekend
Last week, Michael Cox took no pleasure in examining the 10 most wasteful shooters in Europe’s top five circuits.
The cutoff was 22 shots, a figure reached by an unfortunate Bundesliga defender. On Saturday, another player in Germany’s top flight upped his “shots in vain” tally to 22 attempts and has a pedigree that really makes us all expect a better return.
Jordan Pefok was a shrewd dual-national commitment during Gregg Berhalter’s time as USMNT manager. Before Folarin Balogun made his decision between the USMNT, England and Nigeria, it was Pefok who gave the strike corps fresh reinforcements ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
He was in form with Swiss giant Young Boys and a move to Union Berlin in the months preceding the Qatar tournament was supposed to, if nothing else, see another U.S.-eligible forward in good standing to challenge.
As it was, he didn’t make the World Cup squad and has scored just four goals in 48 appearances with Union. This year, he hasn’t rippled the net in 889 minutes of league action.
Poor Pefok. His latest blank came in his team’s 3-0 reverse at St. Pauli on Sunday. He is getting in dangerous areas — an average shot distance of 11.5 yards is peak centre forward behavior — and only four of his 22 attempts have been blocked. That 0.13 xG per attempt rate is nothing to scoff at either. Among the Bundesliga forwards who average a lower xG per shot than Pefok are Harry Kane (0.12), Lois Openda (0.12) and new Manchester City signing Omar Marmoush (0.09).
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Granted, all three of those men have been more accurate than Pefok’s 31.2 per cent on-target rate.
At 28, Pefok is unlikely to have a better chance to make a World Cup squad than next summer. Form like this will hardly keep him in the conversation given a deep pool of strikers.
Jeff Rueter
How did other U.S. players get on?
Name: Antonee Robinson
Club: Fulham
Position: Left-back
Appearances (all competitions): 23
Goals: 0
The USMNT defender created a chance and won both of his tackles, according to Fotmob, against Manchester United, but the captain could not inspire Fulham to victory at Craven Cottage, as they lost 1-0 on Sunday.
Name: James Sands
Club: St. Pauli
Position: Midfielder
Appearances: 4
The American stood out on only his second start for St. Pauli, writes Seb Stafford-Bloor.
He played 90 minutes against Union Berlin on Sunday evening as his new club won only their second home game of the season. Sands spent the first half in a midfield two with Jackson Irvine, before dropping into the centre of a back three in the second half after an injury in defence.
His big plus so far has been his versatility, particularly with St. Pauli battling injuries in midfield and defence.
Sands (right) leaps into an aerial challenge with Union Berlin’s Andras Schafer (Christian Charisius/picture alliance via Getty Images)
Against Union Berlin, they were missing probably their most influential player, Eric Smith, who usually plays in the middle of the back three and is charged with carrying and distributing the ball. Sands can do much of what Smith does, in both parts of the pitch, and it’s quite a compliment that Smith was not badly missed.
The variation in Sands’ passing was invaluable. The 24-year-old can play short up the pitch and out to the touchline but also possesses the ability to deliver a long diagonal pass to provide a nice switch of play. It was not a coincidence that this was probably St. Pauli’s slickest passing performance of the season and the most balanced attacking I’ve seen from them at Bundesliga level.
By full time, the industrious Sands had also run 11.5km.
James Sands wants to emulate Rodri, take Bundesliga by storm
Name: Johnny Cardoso
Club: Real Betis
Position: Midfield
Appearances: 24
Goals: 1
The 23-year-old helped Real Betis put a three-game losing run behind them as he impressed in the 1-0 win at Mallorca on Saturday. He won eight duels and made four passes into the final third.
Name: Noahkai Banks
Club: Augsburg
Position: Defence
Appearances: 4
Goals: 0
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The 18-year-old dual German and U.S. national was excellent on his full debut for the Bundesliga outfit. According to Fotmob, Banks was the most accurate passer (98 per cent accuracy) to play 45 minutes or more in the 2-1 victory against Heidenheim.
Name: Ricardo Pepi
Club: PSV
Position: Striker
Appearances: 28
Goals: 17
Pepi came on from the bench once again to score an important goal as defending champions PSV beat NEC Breda 3-2.
According to Opta, his 1.45 goals per 90 minutes this season (11 goals in 683 Eredivisie minutes) is the second-highest among players to play at least 500 minutes in the top 10 European leagues this season, behind Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick (1.50).
Pepi (left) celebrates after scoring his team’s third goal against Breda (Jeroen Putmans/ANP/AFP via Getty Images)
The Ole BallCoach 