Manchester United have managed to get a more consistent run of form together under Ruben Amorim. It took a long time, a year into the Portuguese manager’s reign at Old Trafford, but results have improved in recent weeks, even if consistent performances are yet to follow.

However, one issue United continue to have this season is the fact that they can’t stop conceding goals. The 18 they have let in so far in the Premier League this term are better than just five sides, all of whom occupy 16th to 20th in the top flight.

Despite the defensive frailties, one of the men at the back, Matthijs de Ligt, has been a standout player.

The numbers behind De Ligt's form for Man Utd

It has been a superb second season in red so far for Netherlands international De Ligt. The 26-year-old has been a key man in Amorim’s back three, showing versatility as a central centre-back and a right-sided centre-back.

The Ajax academy graduate has been ever-present in the Premier League. He’s played 90 minutes in all 11 of the Red Devils’ top-flight games, and has surely cemented himself as Amorim’s most trusted defender.

Not only has De Ligt been a colossus at the back, winning 3.55 aerial duels per 90 minutes in the Premier League, but he came up clutch at the weekend. The Dutch defender headed home a stoppage-time equaliser to secure United a late point away to Tottenham Hotspur.

His exceptional performances have not gone unnoticed. Rio Ferdinand, who knows a thing or two about being a top defender for United, was full of praise for the Dutchman recently.

He said De Ligt has been “magnificent” and is “probably the first name on the teamsheet” under Amoirm at the moment.

The defender has been excellent in 2025/26, but it is one of his teammates who could actually be seen as United’s new Nemanja Vidic.

Man United's new version of Vidic

When you think of United’s former captain Vidic, there are a few different things which might spring to mind. He was a colossal defender, and, of course, formed half of that legendary duo with Ferdinand at the heart of United’s defence.

Well, the modern-day version of Vidic under Amorim could be Brazilian legend Casemiro. Of course, he is a midfielder, whereas the former Red Devils number 15 was a centre-back, but there are plenty of similar traits shared by the pair.

Casmeiro, for example, brings a wealth of experience to the United side, which is something Amorim has leaned heavily on this season.

He’s played ten times in the Premier League this season, only missing one game due to suspension after getting sent off against Chelsea.

Casemiro game stats in 2024/25

Stat

Number

Games

10

Games started

9

Minutes

620

Minutes per game

62

Goals and assists

4

Stats from Transfermarkt

The former Real Madrid star is also a leader. Of course, he isn’t the club captain, with that title belonging to Bruno Fernandes. Yet, the 33-year-old is a five-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid, and has played under great managers and alongside great managers.

He certainly brings bags of leadership to United’s squad, just as Vidic did all those years ago.

One of the dangers Vidic brought was his set-piece threat. He scored 21 times for United, with many of those bullet headers from a corner or free kick. Casemiro brings the same threat, and even scored from a corner two weeks ago away to Nottingham Forest.

It is easy to see how there are similarities between Vidic and United’s current number 18. The pair are warriors on the pitch, who bring years of experience and a brilliant and important sense of leadership, too.

Casemiro, described as a “monster” player by Statman Dave, has been crucial at Old Trafford under Amorim. Having a player of his calibre in the squad has certainly been vital to their good run of form in recent weeks.

Related Man Utd star who was "awful" last season is now more important than Mbeumo

Manchester United continue to reap the rewards of this fantastic signing, who could go on to be a future Red Devils captain.

Posts ByKelan Sarson Nov 9, 2025

The Philadelphia Phillies pulled off a major trade on Wednesday night ahead of MLB's deadline, sending two prospects to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for closer Jhoan Duran. He has a 6-4 record this season with 16 saves and a 2.01 ERA. He was ranked No. 4 on list of trade candidates ahead of Thursday.

About an hour prior to being shipped to Philly, Duran spoke about the possibility of being traded, and relayed a heartfelt message about his team and the city of Minnesota.

"That’d be hard," he said, via Dan Hayes. "Got a couple years here and I feel like here is my family so if that happens, that’s maybe breaking my heart a little bit."

After signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks organization in 2014, Duran was traded to Minnesota in '18, made his MLB debut in '22, and has been in the Twin Cities every since.

While it'll seemingly be an adjustment, the 27-year-old is heading from a 51-57 Twins team to a Phillies team tied for first place in the National League East—and desperate for an everyday closer.

At one point during the international break, it appeared as if both Napoli and Atalanta would have new coaches in place for this weekend's meeting between the two sides at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona. However, while the Bergamaschi inevitably sacked Ivan Juric the day after their shocking 3-0 defeat at home to Sassuolo, Antonio Conte remains in charge of the Partenopei – which is actually something of a surprise.

Conte may have led Napoli to just their fourth Serie A title six months ago, but his relationship with his players appears to be even worse than their results right now, with the coach comparing his team to a corpse after exhibiting zero signs of life in their latest loss at Bologna.

So, what on earth is going on with the Italian champions? Has Conte really lost the dressing room? Or is he simply trying to provoke a reaction out of his underperforming team by casting doubt on his future?

Getty Images Sport'Great knowledge of what football really means'

Conte is obviously no stranger to controversy. The notoriously combustible coach has repeatedly fallen out with his employers – and usually over perceived parsimony in the transfer market. His legendary lament at Juventus that "You cannot eat at a €100 restaurant with €10 in your pocket" has become a part of the lexicon of Italian football. Even by Conte's standards, though, it was jarring to hear him bemoaning a lack of investment before he'd even taken charge of his first match as Napoli coach last year.

In that particular instance, though, Conte did have some cause for complaint, as the horribly handled Victor Osimhen affair held up the club's summer recruitment for far longer than it should have done. The equally-outspoken Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis also acknowledged that last season's Scudetto success was made all the more remarkable for the fact that Conte had had to deal with the sale of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for financial reasons midway through their title challenge.

"He managed through incidents and injuries to make do with what he had, using not one, but four or five different tactical systems," De Laurentiis enthused at the trophy parade in May. "Conte showed the whole world that systems are useless and that all you need is a great knowledge of what football really means. So, for him who took us all the way to win the second Scudetto in three years, I ask for an applause, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

AdvertisementGetty Images Sport'There had been errors'

However, in the very same speech that De Laurentiis used to thank Conte, he also wished him "continuing success in his professional life" – which appeared to confirm rumours that the coach had already decided to part company with the Partenopei after just one season in charge – and return to Juventus.

Conte insisted all along, though, that he wouldn't make a decision on his future until after he had spoken to De Laurentiis and, after showdown talks with the president, he revealed that he would continue as coach because the club had acknowledged that certain mistakes had been made over the course of the campaign.

"I think everyone is aware of what happened in January," Conte told in June. "During the season, some things didn't really make me happy. New players arrived only in the last week [of the summer window]: (Scott) McTominay, (Billy) Gilmour, (David) Neres and (Romelu) Lukaku. Honestly, I didn’t like that.

"But I believe I was good at accepting the situation and not giving excuses to my players and myself. When you sign [a contract], there are honours and duties. But when we spoke, they admitted there had been errors. It happens, though, in the first year of marriage, so once I was reassured on certain things, we agreed to continue and now we must defend the Scudetto."

Getty Images Sport'Nine new players are too many'

Unfortunately, this particular marriage could very easily end in divorce – but not because of any fresh tension over transfers between Conte and the club.

Napoli pretty much gave Conte everything they wanted during the summer, signing eight players for a combined cost of roughly €200 million (when the obligatory fees are taken into account), while at the same time making free agent Kevin De Bruyne their second-highest earner after Lukaku. By Serie A standards, this constituted a colossal spending spree – and yet Conte has used Napoli's recruitment as an excuse for his side's patchy performances so far this season.

"Last year we won a championship where the players pushed themselves to the limit; we had unity in every way," Conte told after a shocking 6-2 Champions League loss at PSV. "In my opinion, nine new players are too many.

"We opened the transfer window because we were forced to do so. We tried to strengthen the squad but it takes time and patience. Bringing nine new players into the dressing room isn't easy. The old guys, myself and those from last year, need to step up our game and find unity again."

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AFPDe Bruyne blow

However, while Napoli looked like their old selves in beating Inter four days after being embarrassed in Eindhoven, they've struggled ever since to score goals due to a general lack of cohesion and creativity.

The loss of De Bruyne to a serious hamstring injury sustained while converting a penalty in the Inter game has understandably had a devastating impact on Napoli's attack, and partly explains why the goals have dried up for Rasmus Hojlund in recent weeks – which is a major problem given Lorenzo Lucca is looking like a poor signing and Lukaku is still not back to full fitness. Indeed, Napoli have now failed to score in their last three games in all competitions.

However, what's really troubling Conte is his team's work-rate, as the Partenopei are not playing with anything like the same dynamism as last season. The obvious explanation is that a team unburdened by European football last season is still getting used to the added stress and strain of competing in the Champions League. Some supporters and pundits are pointing the finger at Conte, though.

He always had explosive potential and shots all around the ground. Now he knows when to sit back and when to pull the trigger

Deivarayan Muthu29-Apr-20252:39

Cricinformed: PBKS’ opening fireworks

It certainly takes something special to outdo Glenn Maxwell at his own game. On Sunday, Maxwell pulled off the switch-hit against Varun Chakravarthy, but it was Prabhsimran Singh’s switch-hit off Sunil Narine that left our collective jaws on the floor.Prabhsimran is usually an intent machine in the powerplay, but on an Eden Gardens pitch that was described as “very, very slow”, he tempered his natural instincts and didn’t overhit the ball. He was on 34 off 32 balls. He was up against one of the best bowlers in T20 cricket.Narine darted a good-length delivery on middle and leg. It’s the kind of ball that has tied batters down for years. Prabhsimran, though, played a sensational switch-hit and launched the ball over the cover boundary, well away from the reach of deep point. When Prabhsimran attempted another switch-hit, off a no-ball, he miscued it to cover, but the choice of the shot had already messed with the line, length and plans of Narine.Related

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• Prabhsimran and Arya, more than just a bold experiment

The free-hit ball was on a hard length and wide of off, but Prabhsimran reached out and flat-batted it over Narine’s head for six. He ran away with the momentum and finished with 83 off 49 balls.Prabhsimran has always had explosive ability. Punjab Kings (PBKS) were so excited by his raw potential that they outlaid INR 4.8 crore for him at the IPL 2019 auction. At the time, Prabhsimran had not played a T20 match in senior representative cricket, but his ability to bash the ball interested the scouts. PBKS’ management kept cycling through coaches and captains, but they held onto Prabhsimran. Six years on, he has come of age as a T20 batter.He isn’t just a hard hitter in the powerplay. He has evolved into a versatile disruptor of bowlers and fields. He now has the nous to sit back and accumulate when conditions are difficult for batting. He also knows when to pull the trigger.When PBKS’ net bowler, an offspinner, tried to attack Prabhsimran’s pads during the nets at Chepauk on Tuesday, much like Narine had done at Eden Gardens, Prabhsimran swapped his hands on the bat handle and swatted him over cover. The crack off Prabhsimran’s bat reverberated around the empty stands, taking some of Chennai Super Kings’ net bowlers and reserve players by surprise. PBKS’ team management, however, were probably not one bit surprised.Prabhsimran Singh enjoys playing unorthodox shots•Associated Press”We are all waiting for him to play it,” James Hopes, PBKS’ fast-bowling coach, said on the eve of their match against CSK in Chennai. “[Against KKR], we thought it was going to come a lot earlier than it actually did. I think the way they [KKR] were moving the field at that time, especially that guy at deep point and they were all waiting for it as well.”Yes, he got his first one away and as soon as it happens, you are never going to put two guys out there [on the boundary]. So, there’s a big part of the field that’s left unprotected and Sunny is a world-class bowler. It’s a different game that some of these boys play right now. No surprise from my end and my team’s end because every training session we see him 50 times batting left-handed.”Prabhsimran’s T20 invention and power-hitting has also wowed his head coach Ricky Ponting when PBKS’ new head coach saw Prashmiran, one of the team’s retained players, before the start of the season. Matthew Hayden said as much on commentary.”A very excited Ricky Ponting came up to me at the Kings’ first match in Ahmedabad and said, ‘Haydos, I’ve found myself a beauty’. Now Ricky Ponting rarely gets excited about too much, but he went, ‘this kid, he is just magic – he’s got dust, and it’s covered in gold… just such talent and class.'”In that match against Gujarat Titans, Prabhsimran got twitchy after a slow start and went too hard at Kagiso Rabada, holing out to short third for five off eight balls. Fast-forward to Eden Gardens: another slow start for Prabhsimran, but this time he was prepared to absorb good balls on a tricky surface; once he got a measure of the conditions, he even lined up Narine.3:26

Ganga: New generation of Indian batters think about how to hit every ball for six

Wasim Jaffer, who has worked with Prabhsimran at both PBKS and Punjab in domestic cricket, is also impressed with his charge’s growth into a more rounded T20 batter.”I think he must have worked out who are the bowlers that he can target,” Jaffer said on ESPNcricinfo’s TimeOut show. “He generally takes a few deliveries before he starts getting into that ultra-aggressive mode. But yeah, he’s been a little smarter. Obviously, playing in this league for a few seasons also has helped. He’s one of the integral parts of that Punjab batting. That responsibility has shown the way he’s approached in games and that is a very good thing to see a different change in Prabhsimran.”He’s got shots all around the ground, whether square, whether straight. It’s just him picking the right balls to hit. And once he gets that big boundary or big sixes, just for him to rotate the strike and take it to the next over.”In the lead-up to the IPL, Prabhsimran had cracked three successive hundreds in the 50-overs Vijay Hazare Trophy, including an unbeaten 150 against Mumbai. But not too many fans follow cricket outside of internationals and the IPL. To them, Prabhsimran was perhaps just another uncapped player until IPL 2025.On Wednesday, he could be the top attraction among four uncapped openers who will be on show at Chepauk. If he continues to level up, he could well become a capped player by the next IPL. Only time will tell.

تحدث خوسيه لويس مينديليبار، المدير الفني لفريق أولمبياكوس اليوناني عن المباراة المرتقبة أمام ريال مدريد، ولم يقلل من قدرات خصمه مؤكدًا في الوقت ذاته على إمكانية الفوز، وأبدى رأيه بشأن وضع تشابي ألونسو مدرب الفريق الملكي مع لاعبيه.

ويستقبل أولمبياكوس خصمه ريال مدريد غدًا الأربعاء، في إطار مباريات الجولة الخامسة لمرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، وتحدث مينديليبار في مؤتمر صحفي، نشرته صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية.

وعن فرصة أولمبياكوس في الفوز، في ظل إصابات ريال مدريد، وما سيقوله للاعبيه لإقناعهم، رد: “ما تقولونه جميعًا شيء، وما نعتقده في داخلنا شيء آخر، وهما مختلفان تمامًا، إنها مباراة صعبة، ولا يهم أي فريق سيلعب من ريال مدريد، لأنهم جميعًا جيدون جدًا، ولن يمنحونا أي أفضلية؛ علينا الفوز بها بأنفسنا”.

وأضاف: “لا أعتقد أننا سنفاجئهم، كما لا أعتقد أنهم سيفاجئوننا، من هنا، علينا أن نكون أفضل، وإذا كان السبيل إلى ذلك هو أن نكون أول من يهاجم، فهذا أفضل، لكن ليس الفريق الذي يصل إلى هناك أكثر من مرة هو الفائز دائمًا، بل من يستغل فرصه على أكمل وجه”.

وواصل: “في كرة القدم، الأمر ليس مسألة حياة أو موت، إنه أمر مهم، وإذا خسرنا، فسيكون من الصعب جدًا التواجد ضمن أفضل 24 فريقًا، لكن دعونا نركز على المباراة، نتحدث عما نفعله في كل مباراة، ونؤكد أنه ضد هؤلاء الخصوم لا يمكنك ارتكاب أي أخطاء، لأنهم سيستغلونها، إذا تغلبوا علينا، فيجب أن يكون ذلك لأنهم أفضل، وليس لأننا نرتكب أخطاءً يستغلونها”.

وتجنب التعليق على فينيسيوس وغضبه لحظة استبداله في الكلاسيكو، وأفاد: “لا، لا (مبتسمًا) لقد مر وقت طويل منذ أن غضب من استبداله، لا أتذكر حتى!، لكن هذا ما يحدث في ريال مدريد وأي نادٍ كبير، بمجرد تحقيق نتيجتين سيئتين، تبدأ المشاكل بالظهور… حتى لو لم تكن موجودة! لكنها تبدأ بالظهور”.

وأوضح: “بهذا المعنى، اللاعبون وتشابي يدركون حقيقة الأمر، إنهم يُعانون، لكنهم في صدارة الدوري؛ لذا لا يُمكن أن يكون أداؤهم سيئًا لهذه الدرجة، تشابي يتمتع بعلاقات جيدة داخل النادي؛ ولن يُمانع في البقاء وبذل قصارى جهده، إنه مدرب رائع وقد أثبت جدارته، ليس لديّ ما أضيفه”.

وسُئل مينديليبار في المؤتمر الصحفي عن كيفية إيقاف مبابي، فأجاب ساخرًا: “إنه متوقف بالفعل، أليس كذلك؟ إذا لم يسجل في آخر ثلاث مباريات، فهو متوقف، أليس كذلك؟ إذًا فليستمر على هذا الحال”.

ودافع عن تشابي ألونسو في ظل الأجواء النقدية المحيطة بريال مدريد قائلاً: “هل يُشكك فيه أم تُشكك فيه؟” (يجيب الصحفي: “كلاهما”)ـ حسنًا، لقد قلت كل شيء، لا أملك أي نصيحة لأقدّمها له، فهو يعرف ما يفعل؛ إنه في وضع جيد داخل النادي ولن يواجه أي مشكلة في البقاء”.

اقرأ أيضًا | كاريراس يوضح تفاصيل العلاقة بين لاعبي ريال مدريد وألونسو.. ويؤكد: لا يستمتع أي فريق بمواجهتنا

وبشأن نتائجه السابقة ضد ريال مدريد وفوزه عليهم كمدرب، رد: “لقد خسرنا أكثر بكثير مما فزنا، لقد فزت مرتين، ولا أعرف كم مرة خسرت، 12، 16، إذا لعب ريال مدريد بشكل جيد، يكاد يكون من المستحيل التغلب عليهم، لديهم لاعبون رائعون، من بين الأفضل في العالم، عليك أن تحاول منعهم من اللعب بشكل جيد، وعليك أن تتجنب ارتكاب أي أخطاء”.

وأشار: “فرقٌ مثل ريال مدريد أو نحن هنا، إذا لم نفز بمباراتين نواجه نفس الضغط، وعلينا أن نفوز كل يوم، نعلم ذلك، ولكن علينا التحلي بالهدوء اللازم للتعامل مع كل هذا، وريال مدريد كذلك، نحن في بداية الموسم، الشهر الثالث أو الرابع، والجزء الأصعب لم يأتِ بعد، لن يتوتروا، وعلينا أن نضغط عليهم حتى لا يتمكنوا من تقديم أداءٍ أفضل، نظريًا، لدينا فرصة أفضل للفوز عليهم، من الصعب جدًا مجاراتهم، لكننا نريد الاقتراب منهم أكثر فأكثر، وهذا يتحقق باللعب ضدهم، وبالتطور”.

وواصل الحديث عن ريال مدريد مؤكدًا: “فريق جيد جدًا، يضم لاعبين رائعين قادرين على إحداث أي ضرر، قد تتغير التشكيلة قليلًا، حيث أصبح بعض اللاعبين الأساسيين بدلاء أو يُستبدلون، لكن هذه أمورٌ على كل مدرب التعامل معها مع كثرة المباريات”.

وأتم: “هناك لاعبون لا يرون الأمر بهذه الطريقة، ليس فقط في ريال مدريد، بل في كل مكان، إنهم يرغبون دائمًا في اللعب، حتى لو كانوا منهكين، ولن يُخبروك بذلك، إنه أمرٌ يحتاج إلى إدارة، لكن من حيث أسلوب اللعب… لم يتغير كثيرًا، ربما لم يتسنَّ لتشايي الوقت الكافي بعدُ لإيجاد فريقه”.

Three-wicket win keeps them in contention at top ahead of clash with champions Surrey

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay11-Sep-2025

Nottinghamshire fended off a strong fightback by Worcestershire to complete a three-wicket win which keeps them at the heart of the race for the Rothesay County Championship title.Chasing a target of 136 at Visit Worcestershire New Road, Haseeb Hameed’s side dipped to 83 for 6 before the lower-middle order stood tall to take them to 136 for 7. After Ben Slater held the chase together early on with a resolute 36 off 94 balls, Liam Patterson-White (23) and Lyndon James (17 not out) held their nerve with crucial contributions when it mattered most.Ben Allison took 3 for 50 as the home side gave it everything but the defeat leaves Worcestershire almost certain to finish bottom of Division One. Meanwhile, Nottinghamshire’s win sets up a huge clash with reigning champions and Division One leaders Surrey at The Oval next week.Nottinghamshire resumed on the final morning on 40 for 1 and, to their delight, the rain that has haunted this match was replaced by gorgeous sunshine. Visit Worcestershire New Road looked as magnificent as ever as Slater and Freddie McCann walked to the crease.McCann was soon making the return journey after lifting a pull to deep square leg. When Khurram Shahzad, in a superb spell from the New Road End (8-5-8-1), trapped Joe Clarke lbw, a few Nottinghamshire nerves were jangling at 53 for 3.They were jangling even more after Allison took two wickets in ten balls. Jack Haynes drove to cover and Kyle Verreynne was late on a ball which arrowed in to knock out middle stump.Slater had resisted with skill and patience for 148 minutes but was lured into driving at a wide one from Tom Taylor and nicked it to supply the bowler’s 49th Championship wicket of the season. As runs dried up – three from the last seven overs before lunch – Nottinghamshire dined at 91 for 6.Lunch arrived at a good time for them. It drained the bowlers of momentum and four quickfire fours from Patterson-White straight after the interval put Nottinghamshire back on the front foot. Patterson-White edged Allison to wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick with 22 needed from the last three wickets but James, completing his excellent all-round match, and Josh Tongue saw their side to a potentially priceless victory.

Martin O’Neill has now confirmed that he will “step aside” when Celtic find their next manager and revealed that there has not been any talks with the club about taking a permanent role.

O’Neill insists he has no idea whether he will remain at the helm for Celtic’s next match against St Mirren amid reports that the Hoops have stepped up their search for a new permanent manager.

The 73-year-old has been in caretaker charge of the Scottish champions for the last four games since Brendan Rodgers resigned two and a half weeks ago.

It has been reported this week that the Celtic board have been interviewing candidates, with Columbus Crew head coach Wilfried Nancy emerging as the new bookmakers’ favourite.

Other names mentioned includes Kieran McKenna at Ipswich Town and Kjetil Knutsen. Whether the Hoops can lure either of those names away from their current positions at Portmand Road and Bodo/Glimt is the question that everyone’s asking.

Reports have claimed that Knutsen wants to at least complete his side’s Champions League campaign, which could end in January in the earliest scenario. Meanwhile, there have been no signs that McKenna will be leaving Ipswich anytime soon.

As Celtic’s search goes on, O’Neill has continued to roll back the years. In his four matches, the 73-year-old – assisted by Shaun Maloney and Mark Fotheringham – has overseen two Scottish Premiership victories, a Europa League defeat by Midtjylland and an extra-time win over 10-man Rangers in the Premier Sports Cup semi-final.

Celtic now tracking Maeda replacement who Jamie Carragher called "special"

The Bhoys are in search of attacking quality.

ByTom Cunningham Nov 14, 2025

The final against St Mirren takes place on December 14 and there are some who would like to see the veteran remain in charge for the Hampden showdown in order to add to his trophy haul from his glittering first spell in charge in the early Noughties.

O'Neill insists no talks with Celtic board

To no surprise, O’Neill has been questioned a number of times about the Celtic job, but his answer remains the same. He will “step aside” as soon as the club no longer need him and, despite rumours, there have been no talks about the permanent job.

The 4-2-3-1 tactician has done a solid job so far and may yet get the chance to continue that job after the international break, but admitted that he’s not bothered whether he’s in charge for the Scottish Cup final in December, saying: “I am a romantic and have been a romantic all my life. I know the history of football and all of those particular things but that doesn’t bother me one jot.”

Celtic hold talks to sign "talented" manager who's like a young O'Neill

Dominik Szoboszlai has denied taunting Ireland players after the Liverpool midfielder became embroiled in a social media storm following Hungary's World Cup qualifying loss against Heimir Hallgrimsson's side. Ireland dramatically clinched a 3-2 victory in the dying moments as Troy Parrott completed his hat-trick to help his nation secure a spot in the play-offs.

Szoboszlai accused of mocking Irish fans

Liverpool star Szoboszlai was visibly distraught at full-time as Hungary twice gave up the lead to an Ireland side that refused to give in. Daniel Lukacs handed Hungary a third-minute advantage before Parrott scored an equaliser 12 minutes later. Barnabas Varga then made it 2-1 in the 37th minute as Hungary went in at the break with their noses in front.

Former Tottenham forward Parrott, however, had a different plan as he once again equalised in the 80th minute before scoring a last-gasp winner. With three points, Ireland finished second in their group behind Portugal and progressed to the qualifying play-offs, which will be played in March.

After Varga's goal, Szoboszlai was seen making a tear-wiping gesture. The video went viral on social media after the clash, as many believed the Reds midfielder attempted to mock the Irish fans. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSzoboszlai speaks out

However, the Hungary international has claimed his gesture was a joke between his Hungary team-mates. 

Speaking to , the 25-year-old said: "It is still difficult to accept what happened. Unfortunately, we have to live with it and move on. There is certainly a reason why this always happens to us. But we try to take the positives out of the most difficult times. We had a chance until the end; we believed that we could make the playoffs. This (the celebration) is a joke between my own teammates, András Schäfer, Barnabás Varga and Péter Szappanos. If it was meant for the Irish, I would tell them."

Ex-Premier League star's live TV gaffe

Former Ireland international Kevin Doyle, who represented the likes of Wolves and Reading in his playing days, was helping to cover the game for RTE Sports. At full-time, after Parrott scored the match-winning goal, the 42-year-old celebrated wildly inside the studio. RTE posted an edited version of his celebration, but the full scenes were captured off camera – with an uncut video making its way onto social media. 

In that, Doyle appeared to bellow in the direction of Szoboszlai: "Suck on that, you Liverpool c***!" He, however, quickly apologised to former Reds midfielder Dietmar Hamann, who was also on punditry duty.

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AFPWhen will Ireland play in the World Cup play-offs?

Ireland will now take their place in the play-off draw, which will be held on Thursday, November 20. The semi-finals are set to start on March 26, 2026, with the finals taking place five days later.

There are 16 teams that are fighting for just four places at the World Cup finals in North America. Having kept themselves in the hunt for tickets, Ireland could be paired with the likes of Wales, Slovakia, Scotland, Czechia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania and Kosovo. 

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