Bundesliga
Star Movements Ahead of UEFA Champions League
At least, 22 clubs are already assured of places in the 2017/2018 UEFA Champions League. The transfer market has been bubbling with ins and outs of players as the clubs are restrategising ahead of the most keenly followed continental league in the world.
As presented by UEFA, below are the movements of the stars so far:
- James Rodríguez moves from Real Madrid to Bayern Munich on loan
- Romelu Lukaku departs Everton for Manchester United
Anderlecht (Belgium)
- In: Matz Sels (Newcastle United, loan), Pieter Gerkens (Sint-Truiden), Sven Kums (Watford), Uroš Spajić (Toulouse, loan made permanent), Henry Onyekuru (Everton, loan)
- Out: Aaron Leya Iseka (Zulte Waregem, loan), Michaël Heylen (Zulte Waregem), Stéphane Badji (Kayserispor, loan), Youri Tielemans (Monaco), Sebastian De Maio (Bologna)
Atlético Madrid (Spain)
- In: none
- Out: Tiago (released), Óliver Torres (Porto, loan made permanent), Alessio Cerci (released), Theo Hernández (Real Madrid)
FC Barcelona (Spain)
- In: Marlon (Fluminense, loan made permanent), Gerard Deulofeu (Everton)
- Out: Jordi Mboula (Monaco), Christian Tello (Real Betis), Jérémy Mathieu (Sporting CP)
Basel (Switzerland)
- In: Ricky van Wolfswinkel (Vitesse)
- Out: Jean-Paul Boëtius (Feyenoord), Daniel Høegh (Heerenveen), Marc Janko (Sparta Praha), Nicolas Hunziker (Thun), Robin Huser (Winterthur, loan)
Bayern München (Germany)
- In: Corentin Tolisso (Lyon), Kingsley Coman (Juventus, loan made permanent), Niklas Süle (Hoffenheim), Serge Gnabry (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Rudy (Hoffenheim), James Rodríguez (Real Madrid, loan)
- Out: Holger Badstuber (released), Medhi Benatia (Juventus, loan made permanent), Philipp Lahm (retired), Tom Starke (retired), Xabi Alonso (retired)
Benfica (Portugal)
- In: Haris Seferović (Eintracht Frankfurt), Filip Krovinović (Rio Ave), Martin Chrien (Viktoria Plzeň), Chris Willock (Arsenal), Bruno Varela (Vitória Setúbal), Cristián Arango (Millonarios)
- Out: Ederson (Manchester City), Victor Lindelöf (Manchester United), Marçal (Lyon), Daniel Candeias (Rangers), Luka Jović (Frankfurt, loan)
Beşiktaş (Turkey)
- In: Caner Erkin (Inter, loan made permanent), Pepe (Real Madrid)
- Out: Gökhan Inler (released)
Borussia Dortmund (Germany)
- In: Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Maximilian Philipp (Freiburg), Ömer Toprak (Bayer Leverkusen), Dan-Axel Zagadou (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Out: Adrián Ramos (Dangdai), Pascal Stenzel (Freiburg), Matthias Ginter (Mönchengladbach)
Chelsea (England)
- In: Willy Caballero (Manchester City), Antonio Rüdiger (Roma)
- Out: Asmir Begović (Bournemouth), Christian Atsu (Newcastle United), Dominic Solanke (Liverpool), Juan Cuadrado (Juventus, loan made permanent), Bertrand Traoré (Lyon), Nathan Ake (Bournemouth), Charlie Colkett (Vitesse, loan)
Feyenoord (Netherlands)
- In: Jean-Paul Boëtius (Basel), Sofyan Amrabat (Utrecht)
- Out: Warner Hahn (Heerenveen), Dirk Kuyt (retired), Eljero Elia (İstanbul Başakşehir), Pär Hansson (Helsingborg), Rick Karsdorp (Roma)
Juventus (Italy)
- In: Rodrigo Bentancur (Boca Juniors), Medhi Benatia (Bayern, loan made permanent), Juan Cuadrado (Chelsea, loan made permanent)
- Out: Paolo De Ceglie (released), Kingsley Coman (Bayern, loan made permanent), Simone Zaza (Valencia, loan made permanent), Dani Alves (released), Federico Mattiello (Spal, loan), Neto (Valencia), Emil Audero (Venezia, loan)
Manchester City (England)
- In: Bernardo Silva (Monaco), Ederson (Benfica)
- Out: Angus Gunn (Norwich City, loan), Bacary Sagna (released), Enes Ünal (Villarreal), Gaël Clichy (released), Jesús Navas (released), Pablo Zabaleta (West Ham United), Willy Caballero (Chelsea)
Manchester United (England)
- In: Victor Lindelöf (Benfica), Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
- Out: Josh Harrop (Preston North End), Wayne Rooney (Everton)
Monaco (France)
- In: Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Jordi Mboula (Barcelona), Jordy Gaspar (Lyon), Soualiho Meïté (LOSC), Youri Tielemans (Anderlecht), Terence Kongolo (Feyenoord)
- Out: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Valère Germain (Marseille), Nabil Dirar (Fenerbahçe), Brighton Labeau (Amiens), Paul Nardi (Cercle Brugge, loan), Corentin Jean (Toulouse), Kouadio-Yves Dabila (Lille), Tristan Muyumba Nkita (Cercle Brugge, loan), Jonathan Mexique (Cercle Brugge, loan), Chano Boukholda (Lille), Guévin Tormin (Cercle Brugge, loan)
Paris Saint-Germain (France)
- In: Yuri Berchiche (Real Sociedad)
- Out: Maxwell (released), Dan-Axel Zagadou (Dortmund), Félix Eboa Eboa (Guingamp), Salvatore Sirigu (Torino), Jean-Kévin Augustin (Leipzig), Youssouf Sabaly (Bordeaux), Jonathan Ikoné (Montpellier, loan), Fodé Ballo-Touré (Lille), Wilfried Kanga (Angers)
Porto (Portugal)
- In: Óliver Torres (Atlético, loan made permanent)
- Out: Laurent Depoitre (Huddersfield Town), André Silva (AC Milan), Andrés Fernández (Villarreal, loan made permanent), Rúben Neves (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Willy Boly (Wolverhampton Wanderers, loan)
RB Leipzig (Germany)
- In: Bruma (Galatasaray), Ibrahima Konaté (Sochaux), Philipp Köhn (Stuttgart), Yvon Mvogo (Young Boys), Konrad Laimer (Salzburg), Jean-Kévin Augustin (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Out: Davie Selke (Hertha Berlin), Rani Khedira (Augsburg), Agyemang Diawusie (Wiesbaden, loan)
Real Madrid (Spain)
- In: Theo Hernández (Atlético to Real Madrid)
- Out: Pepe (Beşiktaş), Mariano (Lyon), Fábio Coentrao (Real Madrid to Sporting, loan), James Rodríguez (Bayern, loan)
Roma (Italy)
- In: Héctor Moreno (PSV Eindhoven), Rick Karsdorp (Feyenoord), Lorenzo Pellegrini (Sassuolo), Maxime Gonalons (Lyon)
- Out: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Francesco Totti (retired), Seydou Doumbia (Sporting CP, loan), Federico Ricci (Sassuolo), Leandro Paredes (Zenit), Antonio Rüdiger (Chelsea), Ervin Zukanović (Genoa)
Shakhtar Donetsk (Ukraine)
- In: Davit Khocholava (Chornomorets Odesa)
- Out: Anton Kanibolotskiy (released), Olexandr Kucher (released), Vasyl Kobin (released), Andriy Boryachuk (Mariupol, loan), Ruslan Malinovskiy (Genk, loan made permanent), Oleg Danchenko (Anzhi, loan)
Spartak Moskva (Russia)
- In: Georgi Tigiev (Anzhi, loan made permanent), Marko Petković (Crvena zvezda)
- Out: Sergei Pesyakov (Rostov), Evgeni Makeev (Rostov), George Melkadze (Tosno, loan), Aleksandr Zuev (Rostov, loan), Denis Kutin (Tosno, loan)
Tottenham Hotspur (England)
- In: none
- Out: Nabil Bentaleb (Schalke, loan made permanent)
Bayer Leverkusen pulled off a stunning Bundesliga comeback when they twice fought back from a goal down as Victor Boniface netted a 93rd-minute winner in a 4-3 home victory over VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.
Second-placed Leverkusen have nine points from four games, level with SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankurt and two ahead of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, who play later on Sunday.
Despite taking home the three points, it was far from a convincing performance from the champions, with midfielder Granit Xhaka criticising his side’s defending.
“This is a huge wake-up call for all of us. We can’t continue with this performance,” Xhaka told DAZN.
“We can’t defend so naively. That’s not good enough and shouldn’t happen at this level. A top team doesn’t concede two goals in nine minutes! It was all far too easy.”
Coach Xabi Alonso opted to shuffle his pack, making five changes to the team that beat Feyenoord 4-0 in the Champions League, and Leverkusen suffered a nightmare start as they conceded from a Nordi Mukiele own goal in the fourth minute.
Leverkusen levelled nine minutes later when Florian Wirtz found space on the edge of the box and swept his shot into the bottom corner, before an unmarked Jonathan Tah scored their second with a cool header at the back post.
The lead was short-lived as the visitors equalised from a Sebastiaan Bornauw header before Mattias Svanberg went on a driving run in Leverkusen’s half and curled the ball past goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky on the stroke of halftime.
Leverkusen looked more assured after Alsonso made two changes during the break and their pressure quickly told, as substitute Piero Hincapie headed home a corner in the 49th minute.
Alonso brought on attackers Boniface and Martin Terrier with Leverkusen desperately seeking a winner and Wolfsburg quickly faded under the pressure.
The visitors suffered another blow when substitute Yannick Gerhardt was shown a red card in the 88th minute after clattering into Jeremie Frimpong from behind and then stepping on the defender’s ankle.
Sensing disarray in Wolfsburg’s ranks, the hosts surged forward and Nigerian Boniface, who started on the bench despite scoring twice in Leverkusen’s last league game, pounced on a loose ball in the penalty area and rifled home the winner.
“We knew how Wolfsburg would play and what we were up against… we really wanted to turn the game around for our fans,” Boniface said.
“We managed to do that. Now, of course, we’re very happy.”
The win will fill Leverkusen with confidence ahead of their daunting clash against in-form league-leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday.
-Reuters
Champions Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-1 victory at Hoffenheim on Saturday thanks to a dazzling performance by Victor Boniface that included two goals and an assist.
Leverkusen, who face Feyenoord at the start of the Champions League campaign next week, bounced back after losing to RB Leipzig just before the international break for what was their first domestic defeat in more than a season.
On Saturday they took control quickly and struck twice in the first half-hour, with Boniface twice beating the offside trap to give the visitors a 2-0 lead.
The Nigerian first set up Martin Terrier for a tap-in after 17 minutes and then scored himself in the 30th.
Hoffenheim’s Mergim Berisha, making his first appearances since a knee ligament tear last November, cut the deficit in the 37th and had another chances for a second goal a little later.
Leverkusen, however, never lost control of the game and restored their two-goal lead courtesy of a Florian Wirtz penalty in the 72nd.
Boniface then single-handedly dismantled the Hoffenheim defence with a strong run down the left, powering a shot past keeper Oliver Baumann in the 75th to lift Leverkusen to fourth place on six points.
Borussia Dortmund are top on seven points, with Bayern Munich, on six, visiting Holstein Kiel later on Saturday.
-Reuters
Werder Bremen have suspended Guinea’s Naby Keita for the rest of the season and forced him to pay a ‘substantial fine’ after he refused to play in Sunday’s Bundesliga clash with Bayer Leverkusen.
Keita made headlines over the weekend when he refused to travel with his teammates and instead went home after finding out that he would not make the starting lineup for the game which eventually saw Leverkusen crowned Bundesliga champions.
While reports claim Keita will receive a ‘substantial fine’, an official statement from the club has revealed he will serve a suspension. Keita will be not be selected for games for the rest of this season, while he will also be banned from training with the team and featuring in the dressing room.
Bremen director Clemens Fritz said: “Naby’s behaviour cannot be tolerated for us as a club. With this action, he let his team down in a tense sporting and personnel situation and placed himself above the team.
“We can’t allow that. At this stage of the season we need full focus on the remaining games and a team that is very close together. There was therefore no alternative to our measures.”
The former Liverpool midfielder joined the club as a free agent on a three-year deal in the summer of 2023, following a poor spell at Anfield.
The 29-year-old was keen to defend himself and his professionalism, taking to Instagram to share his point of view. He said: “Ever since I arrived at this magnificent club, I have always shown my professionalism.
“I have always tried to help the club and the great supporters, especially during this time of poor results. Since the start of my career, I have never had problems with my discipline and have always shown an exemplary attitude. I will not accept any person trying to tarnish my image.
“To the supporters, I have always worked hard in training to get the right result at the weekend. In training, I can only give my best.”
Keita has played just 106 minutes for Bremen since moving back to the Bundesliga last summer and now will be unable to secure any further game time during the current campaign.
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