Por primera vez en la historia, la Premier League vivirá un parón invernal. No será, eso sí, como ocurre en el resto de ligas, en período navideño. El fútbol en navidad es sagrado y tanto es así que los clubes han aplazado el parón hasta casi mediados de febrero.
Este descanso en la competición, acordado hace año y medio, se hace además de manera especial. Se divide en dos fines de semana, asegurando al espectador un mínimo de partidos y a los equipos un mínimo descanso.
De este modo, los equipos que jueguen este fin de semana no lo harán el siguiente, y viceversa, asegurando que todos disfruten de su parón invernal.
Everton-Crystal Palace, Brighton & Hove Albion-Watford, Sheffield United-Bournemouth y Manchester City-West Ham serán los encuentros de este fin de semana, mientras que el resto jugará la semana que viene.
¿El porqué de esta parada en la competición? Acabar con el manido argumento de que los equipos ingleses fracasan en las etapas finales de la temporada por el cargado calendario que acumulan, entre la liga, las dos copas y Europa.
Sin embargo, esta iniciativa no ha recibido solo apoyos y entrenadores como José Mourinho la han criticado por no adecuarse a sus peticiones.
"Sería mucho más normal para nosotros jugar este fin de semana y no tener que jugar justo ante de enfrentarnos al Leipzig en la Champions. Pero no, tienes un descanso y luego juegas contra el Aston Villa un domingo, no un viernes o un sábado, el domingo. Te dan diez días de descanso pero luego te hacen jugar un domingo cuando tienes que volver a jugar un miércoles", dijo el portugués.
Y es que este parón llega justo antes de los cruces de octavos de final de la Liga de Campeones para algunos y justo después de los desempates de la FA Cup para otros. Es el caso del Liverpool, cuyo entrenador, Jürgen Klopp, decidió boicotear el 'replay' contra el Shrewsbury Town por estar en medio del parón.
El alemán no acudió al partido que su equipo ganó por 1-0 y el técnico del sub-23 alineó un equipo sin ningún jugador de la primera plantilla.
La queja de Klopp llegó porque no aceptaba tener que jugar este encuentro en mitad del parón, a lo que la federación inglesa respondió que los desempates en esta ronda de dieciseisavos fueron acordados en la reunión previa al inicio de temporada.
Muchos futbolistas han aprovechado el receso en la competición para irse de vacaciones o para trasladarse a los campos de entrenamiento que los equipos han dispuesto en lugares como Marbella o Dubai.
[(Santos Laguna) Strength]: 1. Santos Laguna forward Cristian Dajome scored a goal in the last league game, marking his second consecutive game with a goal, demonstrating highly active recent form.2. Santos Laguna forward Ramiro Sordo, who was suspended due to a red card in the last league game, will be eligible to return for this game.3. Santos Laguna's home performance has been decent, with both...
[(Nottingham Forest) Strength]: 1. According to reports from Fabrizio Romano, Premier League club Nottingham Forest have reached an agreement with Brazilian club Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas for the transfer of goalkeeper John Victor.2. Nottingham Forest drew 1-1 against Crystal Palace F.C. in the last game. They kept unbeaten in the last two games with 1 win and 1 draw, being in good form.3. Not...
[(Borussia Dortmund) Strength]: 1. Borussia Dortmund will play at home in this match, so they are undoubtedly motivated to take home advantage to secure their first win.2. Borussia Dortmund's 3 goals in the last game were scored by different players, showing multiple scorers on offense.[(Borussia Dortmund) Neutral]: 1. The Athletic reports that Brentford's offer of approximately 45 million pounds ...
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[(Vitoria Guimaraes) Strength]: 1. Vitoria Guimaraes lost their last game. This time, back at home, they definitely want to shake off their losing streak and are highly motivated to win.2. Vitoria Guimaraes won all the last 3 home games with an outstanding ability.3. Vitoria Guimaraes kept unbeaten in their two league encounters last season with 1 win and 1 draw.[(Vitoria Guimaraes) Neutral]: 1. V...
[(Bristol City) Strength]: 1. Bristol City midfielder Scott Twine currently shares the top spot on the scoring charts with 3 goals, having netted 3 times in the last three EFL Championship games. The player is in excellent scoring form.2. Bristol City scored a total of 7 goals in the last 5 games. The team's performance in the attacking department has been relatively stable, and they were able to ...
[(Nashville SC) Strength]: 1. Nashville SC currently sit in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference standings, trailing league leaders Philadelphia Union by 4 points. The team are determined to secure a victory in this game to narrow the gap, and their motivation is undoubtedly high.2. Hany Mukhtar performed well in the last game. He scored 2 goals and provided 1 assist in a win over Orlando City.3. N...
[(Club Leon) Strength]: 1. 9th placed Club Leon are eager for points to climb up in the table, fully motivated in this game.2. In-form Ismael Diaz has scored in the last two games.3. Club Leon drew 1-1 against C.F. Pachuca in the last game. They grabbed 1 win and 1 draw in the last two games with good form.4. Club Leon achieved 6 wins, 3 draws and 1 loss in their last 10 encounters, being at a men...
[(Sporting CP) Strength]: 1. Sporting CP currently share the top of the table with FC Porto, both on 9 points, but lead due to a superior goal difference. The team are determined to secure all three points in this game to defend their top position, with no doubt about their motivation.2. Pedro Goncalves delivered an outstanding performance in the previous game, scoring a hat-trick and providing on...
[(Watford F.C.) Strength]: 1. Watford F.C. forward Luca Kjerrumgaard has scored 2 goals in the first three rounds of the EFL Championship, making him the team's top scorer currently. He is expected to continue in the starting lineup for this game.2. Watford F.C. drew 1-1 away to Swansea City A.F.C. in the last game. Despite failing to extend their winning record, the team bounced back in form.3. W...
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