Fabrizio Romano has posted the official Ballon d’Or rankings, from 20th place to 16th place.

In 20th place is Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez, 19th goes to Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, 18th is Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham, 17th is Napoli and Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and in 16th is Al-Ittihad striker Karim Benzema.

Three of the five in this list have recently moved clubs this summer, with 19th place Harry Kane joining Bayern Munich from Tottenham, 18th place Jude Bellingham joining Real Madrid from Dortmund, and 16th place Karim Benzema joining Al-Ittihad from Real Madrid.

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?? Ballon d’Or official ranking.

2??0?? Lautaro Martínez
1??9?? Harry Kane
1??8?? Jude Bellingham
1??7?? Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
1??6?? Karim Benzema pic.twitter.com/CHv1fZDFVO

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) October 30, 2023

Martinez scored 28 goals in 57 games in the 2022/23 campaign for Inter Milan, helping them reach the Champions League final.

Kane scored 32 goals in 49 games in the 2022/23 season for Tottenham, also providing five assists. Since joining Bayern Kane has scored 14 goals in his first 13 games, also providing seven assists.

Bellingham has had an electric start to life at Madrid, scoring 13 goals in his first 13 games from an attacking midfield position. He has also provided three assists.

Kvaratskhelia helped lead Napoli to the Scudetto in the 2022/23 season, scoring 14 goals and providing 17 assists in 43 games in all competitions.

Karim Benzema made 43 appearances for Real Madrid in the 2022/23 season, scoring 31 goals and providing six assists. He has also started life with Al-Ittihad with five goals in his first nine games, also providing three assists.

The post Ballon d’Or official rankings 20th-16th appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Harry Kane may have just scored one of the goal of the season for Bayern Munich.

The German giants have ran riot ever since Kane opened the scoring in the 51st minute against Darmstadt.

They have gone on to score 7 goals in 30 minutes with Kane picking up a brace and an assist so far.

But it was Kane’s second which has been the best of the bunch. Following a Darmstadt attack, Bayern cleared the ball, and with the opposition’s goalkeeper far from his goal, Kane took a shot from just inside his own half, catching the keeper by surprise.

A stunning strike, indeed. Watch the goal below:

HARRY KANE FROM HIS OWN HALF ARE YOU SERIOUS ?

ABSOLUTELY WORLD CLASS ?

HIS SECOND GOAL OF THE MATCH! pic.twitter.com/yDej9XhUFd

— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) October 28, 2023

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Former Spurs striker Harry Kane continued his insane goal scoring form for Bayern Munich against Darmstadt.

Bayern were down to 10 men after Joshua Kimmich picked up a straight red in the 4th minute of the game.

But Kane broke the deadlock early in the second half with a diving header past the keeper. Musiala does brilliant to skip past a couple of defenders before feeding Mazraoui who puts in a cross inside the 6 yard box.

And who else to come meet it but Kane who went diving in to head past the keeper.

Watch the goal below:

??| GOAL: Harry Kane opens the scoring for Bayern.

Bayern Munich 1-0 Darmstadt

pic.twitter.com/P3S2zhYlKV

— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) October 28, 2023

The post Video: Harry Kane scores a diving header to open the scoring for Bayern Munich vs Darmstadt appeared first on CaughtOffside.

At present, Tottenham Hotspur seem to be getting along just fine without a traditional centre-forward, with the loss of Harry Kane to Bayern Munich not affecting them at all.

Ange Postecoglou has had a brilliant start to his managerial career in the Premier League and after the Friday night win over Crystal Palace, the Australian could celebrate going five points clear at the top with his players.

Still unbeaten, Spurs are playing some sparkling stuff, and there’s a real feel good factor surrounding the club at present. Much of that has to be attributed to Postecoglou and the way he wants his teams to play.

There will still be room for improvement and tweaks to be made, and the north Londoners have been following one player in particular for a while now.

Twenty-two year old Santiago Gimenez has been on fire for Feyenoord this season, and he already has 18 goals in 13 games in all competitiions according to WhoScored.

That sort of form has seen Europe’s best sniffing around too, and something could happen regarding a transfer in January according to CaughtOffside columnist, Fabrizio Romano.

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‘What I can tell you after speaking to direct sources is Santiago Giménez has no agent or intermediary, there is no one taking care of his business other than his father – it’s important to verify that,’ he wrote in his exclusive Daily Briefing.

‘From what I’m hearing, something around €45m could be the right fee to get a deal done, so let’s see if that’s in the January window or in the summer.

‘Tottenham scouts have been following the player since last year and surely he’s interesting for them – but also for many other clubs around Europe. This is why decisions will be made in the next month but, at the moment, no statement from the player’s father on this.’

Given their current position and way of playing, Tottenham will surely be a very attractive proposition for the youngster, and their attentiveness towards him over the past few months may seal the deal in their favour.

The post Tottenham will need to pay €45m for hot-shot with 18 goals in 13 games says transfer expert appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Harry Kane poked home from close distance to put his 2-1 up against Galatasaray.

The Turkish giants play host to Bayern Munich in a game which will decide who gets to sit atop the group for the time being.

The German giants opened the scoring via Kingsley Coman before Mauro Icardi’s ice-cold penalty levelled it up right before the break.

Kane has now poked his side ahead with 15 minutes to go after his neat backheel deflected off the defender before dropping to his feet 3 yards out.

Harry Kane bags another #UCL goal for Bayern Munich pic.twitter.com/ut7fLrD4Xm

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 24, 2023

The post Video: Harry Kane puts Bayern Munich ahead appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Former Manchester United midfielder Kieran Richardson admits he’s a bit baffled as to why his old club didn’t pay big money for the transfer of Harry Kane while he was still at Tottenham.

Kane ended up moving from Spurs to Bayern Munich this summer, and he’s been in superb form since then, showing once again that he really is up there with the very finest players in world football.

It seems obvious that the Red Devils needed a top signing up front this summer, but instead of going for Kane they invested in the future with Danish youngster Rasmus Hojlund.

Richardson is surprised United weren’t prepared to spend more on Kane when they’ve splashed the cash on some other less impressive players in recent times, but he also questioned if Old Trafford is simply not a happy place to be right now, which might have put Kane off joining in the first place.

“I don’t know how on earth Manchester United didn’t go and get that great player that is Harry Kane,” Richardson exclusively told Ladbrokes Fanzone.

“It bemuses me… you know, you see how much some players have cost United in recent windows, Casemiros and Antonys… Harry Kane is a proven Premier League goalscorer. They needed him, and they didn’t get him – I don’t know the reason why that move didn’t happen, but they definitely dropped a bomb with that one.

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“He was the ideal fit, and Man City were in for him 12 months prior to Erling Haaland turning up, which shows you the level that he’s at. He’s the best English striker out there… they definitely should have got him, and it’s a big blow that they didn’t.

“The only thing I can think of is that maybe he didn’t want to go there. Maybe he didn’t want to enter that whole toxic environment. It’s a hard place to go, that side of Manchester, right now.

“They just need to concentrate on making it a good vibe around the whole place. When you go there now, you just don’t get that energy anymore. Fans are on edge, players are on edge, the manager is constantly under pressure… it’s just a really bad time.”

The post “Toxic environment” at Man Utd may be why they missed out on important transfer, says ex-Red Devil appeared first on CaughtOffside.

England managed to beat Italy 3-1 in their EURO qualifying game, to secure their qualification to EURO 2024.

After Italy took the lead in the 15th minute, England battled back to win the game 3-1 with goals from Harry Kane (x2) and Marcus Rashford to secure their qualification to EURO 2024 with two games to spare.

Read on for our England player ratings, and who helped the Three Lions secure qualification…

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Jordan Pickford – 7 – Pickford made three saves, including two from inside the box, and made 40 accurate passes. Not much he could do about the Italy goal, was a shot from very close range,

Kieran Trippier – 6.5 – Trippier played left back which he has done on many occasions for England despite being a natural right back. Made two clearances, one interception and two tackles, and made one key pass.

Harry Maguire – 7 – Was solid throughout, made two clearances, one block, one interception and two tackles, as well as making 69/74 accurate passes, and completing six out of ten long passes.

John Stones – 6.5 – Played 63 minutes, only having to make two defensive actions (one block and one interception). Was still getting on the ball a lot in build up with 61/64 accurate passes, and winning two out of his three ground duels.

Kyle Walker – 7 – Kept things quiet down the right flank, making two clearances, one block, and two interceptions. Walker also made three out of three long balls.

Declan Rice – 6.5 – Not as much to do as usual for Rice, only making one clearance and one tackle in the middle of the park. However he won both of his duels (2/2) and had a 93% pass accuracy, keeping it simple in the middle.

Kalvin Phillips – 6 – Had a few rash challenges, picking up a yellow and could have had another to make it red. Just looked a few seconds off the pace on the night. Only made one tackle and one interception.

Marcus Rashford – 7.5 – Scored a lovely goal to give England a 2-1 lead. Took four shots (two on target and two off target), completed two out of three dribble attempts, and won five out of his eight duels.

Jude Bellingham – 9 – Ran the game playing slightly further forward again for England in attacking midfield. Won the penalty to get England back in the game, and then broke free in midfield to release Rashford for the second goal. Made two key passes, had one shot on target and completed three out of his four dribble attempts.

Phil Foden – 7 – Least involved in the front four, but still made one key pass and had one shot on target playing out wide. Linked up well with Bellingham, and completed two out of his five dribble attempts.

Harry Kane – 8 – Scored the penalty to make it 1-1, and then scored the third England goal of the game to secure the victory with a lovely solo goal and wonderful finish. Scored two goals with his only two shots.

Subs: Marc Guehi 5, Jordan Henderson 5, Jack Grealish 4.

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After a comeback 3-1 win over Italy at Wembley, the first time the Three Lions have beaten the azzurri in England since 1977 when Kevin Keegan and Trevor Brooking were on the scoresheet, Gareth Southgate can rest easy after seeing his side book their place at Euro 2024.

On the night, Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham was a standout for the hosts, with two-goal captain, Harry Kane, not far behind.

Let’s take a look at player ratings for those who did their country proud on Tuesday night.

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Jordan Pickford 7

Was quite involved, particularly in the first half. Decent distribution and couldn’t do anything about the goal after being left exposed.

Kyle Walker 5

Not the defender’s best game for his country. Saw his pace in flashes but needed to do more on the night.

John Stones 5

Terrible marking for Italy’s goal, leaving Gianluca Scamacca wide open in the six-yard area. Taken off after tiring around the hour mark.

Harry Maguire 5

Considering his lack of opportunities at club level, the Man United defender did will without turning in a notable performance. His initial nerves were to be expected.

Kieran Trippier 5

Played out of position and found it difficult to adapt. Got a little better as the game wore on, though he’ll not want to be stationed there in Germany.

A SUBLIME solo effort from Harry Kane surely seals @England's spot in Germany ?#C4Football | #ENGITA | #EURO2024 | #MutualRespect @AskNationwide pic.twitter.com/n7190V2pbV

— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) October 17, 2023

Kalvin Phillips 4

An experiment that didn’t work. If Phillips wanted to take advantage of injuries to others in order to give Southgate some food for thought, he failed. Lucky not to be sent off.

Declan Rice 5

His partnership with Phillips on the night wasn’t great. Often caught out of position or in possession, it wasn’t his best game in an England shirt.

Marcus Rashford 6

A brilliant finish for his goal, though the confidence he clearly felt in opening his account saw him take on other chances thereafter when colleagues were better placed. A quiet night for the most part.

The post England player ratings: Star man Bellingham with Kane a close second appeared first on CaughtOffside.

Harry Kane’s second England goal of the night, to take their Euro 2024 qualifier away from visitors Italy, was all his own work.

Receiving a long ball out from the back, the Bayern Munich centre-forward managed to get clear of his marker by the halfway line, beat the covering defender to the ball, hold off another and then slot the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

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It was yet another example of the importance of Kane to this team, and the goal is somewhat fitting if it’s the one that guarantees England’s passage to the finals in Germany next year.

A SUBLIME solo effort from Harry Kane surely seals @England's spot in Germany ?#C4Football | #ENGITA | #EURO2024 | #MutualRespect @AskNationwide pic.twitter.com/n7190V2pbV

— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) October 17, 2023

WHOAHH KANE WHAT A GOAL MANpic.twitter.com/OENQjANT7a

— Dr Yash ? (@YashRMFC) October 17, 2023

GOAL!

Harry Kane scores a penalty to equal Bobby Charlton's record of goals scored at Wembley by an England international.#beINSPORTS #Euro2024 #ENGITA pic.twitter.com/aPuuwVgIbd

— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) October 17, 2023

Pictures from Channel Four, beIN Sports and Viaplay

The post Video: Magnificent individual effort from Harry Kane makes game safe for England appeared first on CaughtOffside.

A rasping finish from Marcus Rashford which saw England take the lead against Italy owed much to Jude Bellingham’s counter attack.

The Real Madrid ace has been enjoying a fine season at club level and his desire and intelligence to firstly win and carry the ball, before delivering it to his colleague and then taking the defender out wide to open up the space was a joy to watch.

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Oct 31 2023, 21:37

Rashford hasn’t had the best time of it at Man United by contrast, and the way in which he leathered the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma sent a clear message to his doubters.

Jude Bellingham & Marcus Rashford that is absolutely OUTSTANDING ??#C4Football | #ENGITA | #EURO2024 pic.twitter.com/D0CEFOrFeC

— Channel 4 Sport (@C4Sport) October 17, 2023

Rashford scores a great goal for England against Italy.

HE'S BACK!!pic.twitter.com/O6S1sKJLp4

— Manchester United Die Hard Fans (@DieHardUtdFans) October 17, 2023

Pictures from Channel Four and Viaplay

The post Video: Superb Bellingham counter sees Rashford slam home England second appeared first on CaughtOffside.