Marseille vs Metz 2018 (Marseille-Metz 2018)
Final score and result:- Marseille vs Metz 6-3 (Thauvin*3, Sanson, Germain, Mitroglou/Mollet*2, Niane)
Stade Velodrome, France- 2 February, 2018- Friday- 19.45 UK KO
The highest scoring league game in France this season, with nine goals, sees Marseille beat struggling Metz 6-3 thanks to Florian Thauvin’s hat trick
Borussia Dortmund have opted to include Belgian forward Michy Batshuayi over Swiss defender Manuel Akanji in their Europa League squad for the knockout stages of the tournament. The rules of the tournament meant that manager Peter Stoger had to effectively chose between his two winter signings- a club can nominate only ONE player who has played a previous European Cup game (CL/EL) for another side (Batshuayi for Chelsea and Akanji for Basel in this case) in the same season.
BVB have therefore opted for Batshuayi, who joined them on loan from Chelsea as part of the deal that saw Aubameyang go to Arsenal and Olivier Giroud go to Stamford Bridge.
Stoger’s decision might have been influenced by BVB’s greater depth in defence- Dortmund have the likes of Sokratis, Toprak and Zagadou available to deputise for Akanji, while their striking options are more limited.
Dortmund will face Italian outfit Atalanta in the knockout stages of the EL, with both ties to be played later this month.
The decision will come as a disappointment to Akanji, who would’ve been playing Man City in the Champions League had he stayed with Basel. The Swiss outfit finished second in their group but Dortmund, who were drawn in a group of death alongside Spurs and Real Madrid, could not make it to the round of 16.
Tottenham Hotspur have officially completed the signing of Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain for £23m. The Brazilian star joined PSG from Sao Paulo in 2013 for £33.5m but found opportunities increasingly limited in Parc des Princes this season. He failed to make the starting XI even once and was restricted to six appearances from the bench across all competitions. His solitary goal for the Parisians came back in September 2017, in a 5-1 win over Metz.
The move re-unites Lucas with former PSG teammate Serge Aurier, the right back who joined Spurs earlier this summer.
What will be Lucas’ shirt number at Spurs?
Lucas will wear the No.27 jersey at Tottenham
Is Lucas Moura eligible to play in the Champions League for Spurs?
Lucas did not make a single appearance in the CL this season for PSG, so yes, he is eligible to play for Spurs so long as they registered him before the deadline.
Why did PSG want to sell Lucas Moura?
There is definite quality in the Brazilian, so acquiring him for £23m looks like a steal for Spurs in this inflated looking market. Paris SG boss Unai Emery apparently thought him to be “one of the leaks” to the media, which may have played a role in the club shipping him out.
Moura has signed a long term contract that will tie him to the Lilywhites till 2023