Luis Díaz helped Colombia to a solid 2-0 victory over Germany in their friendly match. Díaz scored the game’s first goal in the 54th minute with a header past goalkeeper Marc-André ter Stegen.

Díaz played almost the entire 90 minutes. It was Colombia’s first victory against Germany.

In the EURO qualifiers, captain Andy Robertson played the whole game as Scotland continued their impressive winning streak. They have now won all four qualifiers. The last was Tuesday against Georgia. The Scots now have a clear lead at the top of Group A.

Portugal narrowly edged Iceland 1-0, with Diogo Jota on the bench as a substitute.

Iceland’s defeat came in the 80th minute when Willum Thor Willumsson received a second yellow card, reducing his squad to 10 men. Cristiano Ronaldo then scored a controversial goal in the 89th minute to clinch victory.

The goal was initially flagged for offside, but after a lengthy VAR check, Ronaldo was barely considered to be onside and the goal was therefore conceded. This gives Portugal a perfect record in four qualifying matches, keeping them top of Group J.

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LIVERPOOL JUST SOLD ‘BIG TALENT’ WHO COULD HAVE BEEN THEIR OWN JAMES MADDISON

Premier League giants Liverpool have just sold a player who has “very similar qualities” to James Maddison, while Leighton Clarkson secures his permanent transfer to Aberdeen.

In 2021, after the diminutive midfielder invaded Jurgen Klopp’s first-team thinking, the Liverpool boss drew comparisons between Leighton Clarkson and a certain Philipp Lahm for his intelligence on the ball and tactical flexibility.

The England Under-20 international has scored six goals and provided nine other assists. His creative streak and exquisite long-range shooting led Dons legend Willie Miller to mention Clarkson in the same breath as a man who has come a long way since his brief stint at Pittodrie.

“Clarkson is a huge talent who reminds me of James Maddison,” Miller told Press and Journal. “When I see what Maddison has accomplished, I think Clarkson has done the same.”

Maddison, who spent the second half of the 2016/17 season at Aberdeen, is now an England regular, not to mention his £50m target for Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. Liverpool sell Leighton Clarkson to Aberdeen

“It sets the bar high when you start comparing Clarkson to Maddison,” Miller adds. “But why not? Clarkson has very similar qualities to Maddison. He’s also great on the ball, can score from set pieces and has a huge impact on games.

“Clarkson is a hugely exciting talent with his whole career ahead of him. Securing the midfielder on a long-term contract until the summer of 2027 is a fabulous deal from Aberdeen. Anyone who has seen the midfielder play will realize that he has enormous talent.

“That was pretty clear on his debut for Aberdeen, when he scored a sensational goal in the 4-1 win over St Mirren in August.”

Aberdeen reportedly battled competition from Rangers, Celtic and a number of English Second Division clubs before signing Clarkson for an undisclosed fee. A deal that had Dons boss Barry Robson grinning from ear to ear.

“There’s no doubt that Leighton was a positive influence during his time with us last season,” Robson told the Dons website.

“It is hugely encouraging that he has now chosen this club as his home. “He’s a bright young player and exactly the type of player we want here at the club.

He’s young, hungry and technically very good.
“He was much admired for his creativity on the pitch. And (he) showed a real affinity with the fans during his time at Pittodrie last season.

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Trent Alexander-Arnold stuns bitter Liverpool rival over Steven Gerrard claim

Trent Alexander-Arnold collected the number 10 shirt for England against North Macedonia

Bukayo Saka could have won the match point for his hat-trick against North Macedonia at Old Trafford on Monday night, but Liverpool defender and midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold impressed again during this recent international break.

Even having shone in his new hybrid role at Anfield and beyond, it was shocking to see his name alongside the No.10 shirt on England’s squad list ahead of beating Malta on Friday night. It was hardly a surprise, however, that in 180 minutes he made his mark again.

Alexander-Arnold, in an even more advanced position than his recent move to Liverpool, was among Valletta’s star performers and just over 72 hours later the club’s academy graduate was back with another performance composed and elegant in the engine room.

It was enough to make Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and even former Chelsea captain John Terry purr as they watched the current squad routinely knock out admittedly limited opponents. Although these three could still read between the lines, Alexander-Arnold successfully played between them.

After seven goals ahead of him, Alexander-Arnold underlined what he has to offer with an assist that helped Saka earn a hat-trick. Queue up the high-level response on social media.

No sooner had the goal come – England’s fourth of the night – than Liverpool hero Carragher tweeted: “Trent v Saka will be one hell of a combination.” Terry followed with his endorsement on the same platform.

In Saka Chat, Channel 4’s team of respected pundits also discussed before the match what Alexander-Arnold can offer his club and country in central midfield, as Gerrard himself took off his suit to appear at Old Trafford on Monday night.

He said: ‘When you play in matches against Malta and you play against another team [North Macedonia] who play with a compact block, Trent [Alexander-Arnold] is someone who can open the door at any moment because he has such a range good of passages.

“I think he has a lot of trust and confidence from Jurgen Klopp in this role and it’s very interesting to see that Gareth [Southgate] has given him a chance. But what Trent has done is he’s gone and I thought it was man of the match Friday night.

“He played with confidence and that defensive responsibility was taken away from him because he was under pressure and there was a lot of attention for him in that role.”

Alexander-Arnold would not be declared man of the match against North Macedonia on Monday night. After being ignored by England for so long, he could be their man of the hour.