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Brazil v Argentina: can Messi inspire world champions at the Maracana? Preview, expected line-ups and prediction

Jon Fisher
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Brazil v Argentina: can Messi inspire world champions at the Maracana? Preview, expected line-ups and prediction

The State of Play

It’s arguably the most glamourous game in international football – two global heavyweights slugging it out for the right to call themselves top dogs in South America. The 69,000 tickets were sold out in hours.

Yet, both teams come into this encounter on the back of defeats. Brazil were beaten by two Luis Diaz goals for Colombia on an emotional night in Barranquilla while Argentina suffered their first defeat since winning the World Cup in going down at home to Uruguay.

Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina still top the qualifying section with 12 points from five games but the situation does look a little more perilous for fifth-placed Brazil, even though six teams go through automatically into the expanded, 48-team World Cup in 2026.

The five-time champions are in a relative crisis. They have taken one point from their last three games – they’ve lost four of the eight matches they’ve played in 2023 – and are without a raft of key players for the visit of Lionel Messi and Co to the Maracana, a ground on which the visitors won the 2021 Copa America title.

Check out our other sports stories:
Southgate happy despite England draw
Davis Cup Finals preview
When is the next international break?

Team News

Brazil are without five key players – Neymar, Vinicius Jnr, Casemiro, Danilo and Richarlison. Coach Fernando Diniz will likely stick with the bulk of the team that played well against Colombia until Diaz struck twice late on. Gabriel Jesus trained fully over the weekend and could start.

Scaloni has stressed no changes will be made to his team due to poor performances against Uruguay but he is likely to freshen up his attacking options with experienced duo Angel Di Maria and Lautaro Martinez expected to come in to replace Julian Alvarez and Nico Gonzalez.

Expected line-ups

Brazil: Alisson; Emerson, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Renan Lodi; Bruno Guimaraes, Andre; Raphinha, Rodrygo, Martinelli; Gabriel Jesus

Argentina: E Martinez; Molina, Romero, Otamendi, Tagliafico; De Paul, Fernandez; Mac Allister, Messi, Di Maria; L Martinez

What They Said

Diniz on facing Lionel Messi
“You can’t help but worry about a player of his stature. But we have to play him. We can’t escape his characteristics but at the same time [we have to] try to contain him and the creative capacity he has.
“I expect a great game. They are a quality team and have one of the greatest players in history. We have prepared a lot for the game and hope to play a great match.”

Scaloni on the chance to bounce back from the Uruguay defeat
“We have analysed why the defeat happened, we have our ideas and the important thing is to digest it quickly. We are lucky that we have another game right away. It would be harder to not see each other for a while. Now we have to bounce back, that is the most important thing.
“If you watch Brazil’s game against Colombia, you can say they were beaten but they played a good game until the 76th minute. The result was misleading. Brazil are a good team.”

When and how to watch

The game kicks off at 0030 UK time, in the early hours of Wednesday morning. It is not being screened live in the UK.

Prediction

Brazil will be desperate to get out of their recent slump, and who better to do it against than their eternal rivals? But Argentina are a tough nut to crack and it’s unlikely they will lose two on the bounce. Expect a score draw that will satisfy both teams.

Cannabis farm discovered and arrest made in Rochdale

Helen Greaney
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Cannabis farm discovered and arrest made in Rochdale

A cannabis farm worth thousands of pounds was discovered in Rochdale during simultaneous warrants on Monday.

It was an early morning wake-up call for the occupants, as officers from the local neighbourhood team made a rapid entry into both the houses on Daventry Way.

In one, a cannabis farm which included plants at different stages of their grow cycle was discovered. This included numerous paraphernalia and material used to grow and maintain the plants, such as fans, heaters, and pots. The farm will be dismantled, with all the plants destroyed.

One man, aged 43, was arrested on suspicion of cultivating cannabis and abstracting electricity. He remains in custody for questioning.

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Sergeant Damieon Hartley-Pickles, from Greater Manchester Police’s Kirkholt and Castleton neighbourhood team, said: “When we receive intelligence of illegal activity and criminality in our area, we will act. This morning’s result was a fantastic find and ensures we keep drugs off of our streets.

“The plants within the property, once fully cultivated and prepared, would have had a potential street value of thousands of pounds. However, they have now been sent off to be destroyed and are out of circulation.

“We remain committed to tackling criminality wherever it presents itself and will tackle drugs– which can have incredibly harmful consequences – when we can. If you have information, please do get in touch with us. You can do this by calling us on 101, or reporting information at gmp.police.uk.

“You can also call the independent charity Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.”

Law firm ramps up housing team with 70 new jobs

Helen Greaney
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Law firm ramps up housing team with 70 new jobs

 A law firm has announced the creation of 70 jobs in its housing disrepair (HDR) department, as it looks to become the leading firm in the sector.

In the next six months, Veritas Solicitors will double its housing head count to meet the growing needs of those seeking justice against their landlords.

The firm based at Cardinal House will recruit more solicitors, trainee solicitors, admins, team leaders and staff for its litigation and client onboarding departments.

The expansion has been a result of the firm’s success in dealing with housing disrepair cases and a surge in its monthly caseload.

Quick growth

Managing partner Faraz Fazal, said the firm has grown quickly but shows no signs of slowing down.

He said: “Our commitment to providing unparalleled legal services is unwavering.

“The decision to double our staff in the HDR department is a strategic investment in our capabilities and also a result of more and more people seeking justice for the dire living conditions they find themselves in.

“We believe it will enable us to deliver even greater value to our clients, ensuring we continue to meet and exceed their expectations and most importantly secure the justice they deserve.”

With previous plans to recruit more people into the firm, Veritas Solicitors envisions itself opening more departments to cover immigration, industrial disease, commercial and employment law.

To accommodate growth, the firm is now occupying three floors at its Manchester HQ making it one of the fastest growing businesses in the city.

New chapter

Mr Fazal added: “At Veritas Solicitors, our clients are at the heart of everything we do.

“This expansion marks a new chapter in our journey, one where we continue to set the standard for legal excellence.

“With a strengthened HDR department, we are poised to navigate the complexities of tomorrow’s legal challenges and deliver outcomes that exceed expectations.

“Along with my incredible team, our commitment to innovation and client satisfaction remains steadfast, and we look forward to the positive impact this expansion will have on the services we provide.”

Keep This Cracker gears up for Christmas with support from Business Growth Hub

Helen Greaney
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Keep This Cracker gears up for Christmas with support from Business Growth Hub

A Salford company that creates reusable crackers is enjoying the benefits of support from GM Business Growth Hub ahead of its busiest time of year.

Keep This Cracker was founded by Bea Thackeray (pictured) in 2013 with the ambition of creating Christmas crackers that could be kept and reused to minimise waste.

With an estimated 100 million crackers pulled in the UK every year, that is enough to reach the North Pole eight times if laid end-to-end.

Use and keep

“My thinking was on how to create that product and to make it something people will want to use and keep,” said Bea.

“I decided to do some product trials and tests to see whether it was something I could get manufactured at a larger scale here in the UK. That’s really where the idea came from.

“And then at one point I thought, now I need to go full time and give this a go. I’m tackling this from so many different angles. They come flat packed, which means that the packaging is minimal. The packaging is also compostable and reusable, you can store them away after you’ve used them back into the packaging. And one of the main advantages is you can put your own gifts inside. I’ve got customers that are telling me they’re still using them five years on.”

Support

During the pandemic, Bea started to access support through webinars, before signing up for the Enterprising. You programme through the Hub, and benefitting from support from experienced eco-innovation specialists.

She added: “It really helped having the initial assessment of where are my strengths are, and where are my weaknesses are. We identified a lot of inefficiencies in my business and I needed to streamline a lot of the operations.

“My business adviser on Enterprising You was great. He put me in touch with the departments I needed to speak to within the Business Growth Hub, such as the Eco Innovations team, which is how I ended up on Eco-FORCE workshops.

“From there I completed the Journey to Net Zero programme as well, which was fantastic because I’ve learnt how to write an environmental policy statement and put a plan in place. it’s been great learning curve.

“I’ve had a lot of advice from the Digital Innovation team. My brand new website went live in August. The team have helped with fine tuning and I have now added a trade shop where B2B customers can order direct. It’s been great to have that level of support.”

Plans to expand

Bea’s plans for the future include expansion in 2024, supplying the hospitality industry and developing the corporate gifting side of the business which will give the product more exposure – as well as taking on additional staff or using third party resources to help with her production.

Yvonne Sampson, head of enterprise at GM Business Growth Hub, said: “Small businesses like Keep This Cracker have such an important role to play in our journey to net zero.

“They have the innovative ideas and drive to create products that will help us all reduce our own carbon footprints, so we are thrilled to help Bea continue to grow her business and get her crackers on more and more tables for many Christmases to come.”

Mayor’s charity and Together partner up for 1000 Beds for Christmas campaign

Helen Greaney
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Mayor’s charity and Together partner up for 1000 Beds for Christmas campaign

Greater Manchester is encouraged to dig deep to help support those experiencing or at risk of homelessness as the winter weather sets in.

The Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity’s pioneering ‘1000 Beds for Christmas’ fundraiser is back for the third year running – and the team is on a mission to smash last year’s total.

It’s hoped that around £30,000 will be raised help fund 1,000 nights of accommodation for the those at risk of homelessness and rough sleeping.

It’s all part of their overarching A Bed Every Night, an ongoing programme to provide emergency wrap-around support to those rough sleeping, offering guaranteed food and shelter, as well as continued support to help them get back on their feet and onto more stable accommodation.

This year, the team is once again partnering with Together, the property finance specialist, which is pledging to match every donation for the first £20,000 raised.

Financial pressures

With the ongoing cost of living crisis alongside the ever increasing demand for housing and spiralling housing costs, the financial pressure on families and individuals has rarely been higher, putting them at risk of losing their homes and a night on the streets.

Andy Burnham, Greater Manchester mayor said: “As the cold winter nights approach it is vital that we can offer a bed to anyone sleeping rough that needs one. And with the cost-of-living crisis set to continue, more people could find themselves facing incredible difficulty to make ends meet. That means the safety net that A Bed Every Night gives, with its wraparound support to everyone who needs it, is as important as it ever has been.

“The impact of A Bed Every Night has had is remarkable, and so much of that is down to the generosity and spirit of the people of Greater Manchester. If you can, please help us fund 1,000 beds this Christmas, and help the most vulnerable this winter get back on their feet. With the public’s support we can offer a crucial place of safety to all who need it.”

Immense success

The ‘1000 beds for Christmas’ campaign enjoyed immense success last year, raising £47,954 through public donations and through the generosity of Together’s matched funding.

It helped fund more than 1,500 nights of accommodation and overall support from the scheme over the festive period.

But, the current financial crisis is seeing the region face increasing tough challenges. In 2022, rough sleeping increase by 9% in Greater Manchester, though this was against a steeper increase of  26% nationally. The charity remains resolute that it can address the challenges against increasing adversity.

Support

Sarah Nield, group chief compliances officer at Together said: “Christmas can be a difficult time for those who do not have a safe place to call home. A Bed Every Night is such a worthwhile initiative, helping those who face exclusion from existing services.

“Supporting at the heart of the community is embedded in everything we do here. I am proud that Together is match funding this campaign for a second year and working with Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity in its mission to end the need for rough sleeping and tackle homelessness in Greater Manchester.”

Every contribution, large or small, helps make a huge difference in tackling one of the region’s most pressing challenges.

If you’d like to support the campaign, donate here: www.justgiving.com/campaign/1000beds2023

Image credit to Fuzzy Duck

Southgate lauds ‘excellent’ England mentality despite uninspiring draw

Kyle Goldsmith
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Southgate lauds ‘excellent’ England mentality despite uninspiring draw

Gareth Southgate believes England showed an “excellent” mentality as they were held to a 1-1 draw by North Macedonia in Skopje on Monday.

England fell behind in the first half through an Enis Bardhi rebound after his initial penalty was saved by Jordan Pickford, needing a 58th-minute equaliser to get back on level terms before they were unable to find a late winner.

The Three Lions still qualify having finished top of Group C, and Southgate feels his players showed a great mindset on Monday despite the underwhelming result.

Check out our other England stories here
North Macedonia 1-1 England: Three Lions held
Lewis makes England debut at 18

“The really big results were in March, winning in Italy and the result against Ukraine,” Southgate told Channel 4. “It meant coming here tonight was a different test, given we’ve qualified and everything was achieved.”

“The mentality of the players was excellent, the quality with the ball was good on a very difficult pitch and a lot of positive performances.”


Making his England debut the day before his 19th birthday, Rico Lewis was very unfortunate to be harshly penalised for the first-half penalty, though he recovered to put in a very solid display.

The Manchester City man was proud of his work, saying: “Obviously, overall I’m very happy.

“[It was] unfortunate with the result and the decision that went against me, [but] it’s a lovely birthday present. To do it with these people around me, it couldn’t have been better.”

North Macedonia 1-1 England: Three Lions held in another lacklustre display

Kyle Goldsmith
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North Macedonia 1-1 England: Three Lions held in another lacklustre display

England were held to a 1-1 draw away at North Macedonia in Skopje on Monday as a Jani Atanasov own goal was required to ensure the Three Lions finished their Euro 2024 qualification campaign unbeaten.

Gareth Southgate’s men were disappointing in edging past Malta at Wembley Stadium on Friday, and Enis Bardhi’s 41st-minute rebound after a saved spot-kick had North Macedonia dreaming of a huge scalp against a side ranked fourth in the world.

England would hit back in the second half, Atanasov turning into his own net with just over half an hour to play, but North Macedonia would hold firm to earn a draw despite the Three Lions’ late efforts to find a winner.

England still qualify and finish top of Group C, but it’s another below-par display from the Three Lions, one that will hardly spark fear among their Euro 2024 rivals ahead of the tournament in Germany next year.


After having a goal ruled out against Malta, Declan Rice was inches away from finally opening his England account with a long-range effort, though his shot came back off the post as England looked for an early lead.

Ollie Watkins then miscued with a free header, while North Macedonia saw a penalty shout come and go at the other end as a clumsy Harry Maguire challenge felled Elif Elmas.

The hosts would take the lead against the run of play thanks to a very controversial intervention from VAR, debutant Rico Lewis harshly punished somewhat for catching Bojan Miovski with a stray arm as he tried to head clear.

The penalty was awarded, and though Jordan Pickford got down to save Bardhi’s initial spot-kick, the Trabzonspor man was alert to tap home the rebound to send North Macedonia into the break a goal up.

England thought they had levelled after less than two minutes of the second half as excellent work from Bukayo Saka ended with him curling a cross towards the back post for Jack Grealish to tap home, though VAR again stepped in, ruling the Manchester City man offside.

Harry Kane replaced Watkins with 58 minutes gone, and his first act was to be the target of a Phil Foden inswinging corner. Kane’s presence troubled Atanasov, and the ball came off the North Macedonia man before nestling into the back of the net as England got back on level terms.

Saka continued to threaten down England’s right, seeing a shot blocked after a clever pass from Lewis as the Three Lions pressed for a winner while growing increasingly frustrated with the officials.

But North Macedonia would hold on, ending their qualification campaign on a high having missed the opportunity to make it to Euro 2024, while Southgate will be left with plenty to think about as he tries to finally get England over the hump at a major tournament.

MAN OF THE MATCH – Bukayo Saka

The Arsenal man was lively the entire game, and it appeared his neat footwork and cross had hauled England back into the contest moments before half-time before Grealish was ruled offside.

If England were to find a winner, Saka would likely have been involved as he continues to become one of Southgate’s key players and one that he needs fit and firing heading into the Euros.

KEY MOMENT

Things could have been so much worse for England, still behind with nearly an hour gone and yet to really trouble Stole Dimitrievski.

But the introduction of Kane in the 58th minute immediately paid dividends as his presence played a part in Atanasov turning into his own net to level.

Kane gave England more of a focal point up top, and though he was unable to find a winner, he again proved his importance for the Three Lions by making an almost instant impact off the bench.

Lewis to make England debut at 18-years-old

Kyle Goldsmith
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Lewis to make England debut at 18-years-old

Rico Lewis is set to make his England debut against North Macedonia on Monday at the age of just 18.

With England having already secured a place at Euro 2024, as well as top of the group, Gareth Southgate has decided to hand Lewis his maiden cap, becoming the second-youngest Manchester City player to play for the Three Lions behind Micah Richards.

The youngster will start at left-back in a four-man defence with a centre-back pairing of Harry Maguire and Marc Guehi, while his club team-mate Kyle Walker will captain the side at right-back.

Lewis will be keen to impress, with left-back a potentially problematic position for Southgate with Euro 2024 around the corner. Luke Shaw has been a mainstay for England but has missed the last three months with injury, while Ben Chilwell has also struggled for fitness.

Elsewhere for England, Ollie Watkins gets the chance to impress from the start as captain Harry Kane is named as a substitute, while Bukayo Saka and Jack Grealish both return to the starting XI having come off the bench in the underwhelming 2-0 win over Malta at Wembley Stadium on Friday.


Trent Alexander-Arnold again starts in midfield as he looks to adapt to that role and stake a claim to make the Euro 2024 squad, and he will play alongside the returning Declan Rice in midfield.

Cole Palmer made his debut against Malta but drops to the bench, while Aston Villa’s Ezri Konsa will be desperate to get on the field and win his maiden cap for England.

Benjamin Mendy pursuing legal claim against Manchester City over unpaid wages

Harry Carr
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Benjamin Mendy pursuing legal claim against Manchester City over unpaid wages

Benjamin Mendy has opened a legal case against former club Manchester City to try to reclaim unpaid wages.

The French defender, who left City to join Ligue 1 club Lorient in July, has filed a “multi-million-pound” claim against the club with the Employment Tribunal citing “unauthorised deductions” from his pay after he was charged with rape and sexual assault in 2021.

In July, Mendy was found not guilty of raping a 24-year-old woman in October 2020 and the attempted rape of a 29-year-old two years earlier following a retrial.

He had previously been cleared of six counts of rape and one charge of sexual assault against five women.

Check out our other sports stories here:
When is the next international break?
North Macedonia v England preview
Davis Cup Finals preview

City stopped paying his wages in September 2021, according to Mendy’s KC, and the left-back wants them to be backdated until his contract expired at the end of June 2023.

In a statement issued to Sky Sports News, Nick De Marco KC confirmed he is acting on behalf of the 29-year-old and said a claim has already been filed.

The statement read: “Nick De Marco KC (instructed by Laffer Abogados (Madrid)) is acting for the former Manchester City player Benjamin Mendy in a multi-million-pound claim for unauthorised deductions from wages.

“Manchester City FC failed to pay Mr Mendy any wages at all from September 2021, following Mr Mendy being charged with various offences all of which he was subsequently acquitted of, until the end of his contract in June 2023.

“The claim will come before an Employment Tribunal.”

Mendy joined City from Monaco in a £52million deal in 2017, going on to win three Premier League titles with the club. His last appearance for City came on the opening day of the 2021-22 season in a 1-0 defeat against Tottenham.

The Foundation 92 launches ‘December to Remember’ support campaign

Helen Greaney
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The Foundation 92 launches ‘December to Remember’ support campaign

Salford charity Foundation 92 is launching its 2023 December to Remember holiday campaign to support the community across Greater Manchester.

The charity will deliver free to access activities over the festive period and a Christmas present drop with Foundation 92 co-founders and partners, along with Salford City FC players.

Foundation 92 is aiming to deliver more than 1,700 presents during the week leading up to Christmas Day, supporting the most at need in the community as part of the F92 December to Remember campaign.

Help needed

But the Foundation needs some support from the local community to spread the Christmas cheer.

Drop off points across Salford and Greater Manchester have been set up for gift donations.

Presents could include books, arts and crafts, chocolates, toys, or anything that can bring a smile to a member of the community this Christmas.

Donations will be accepted from November 27 until December 8.

Locations accepting donations

  • University Academy 92, M16 0PU – business hours excluding weekends
  • Foundation 92, St James House, M6 5FW – business hours excluding weekends
  • Hotel Football, M16 0SZ – Every day.
  • 1ST Central Manchester – internal staff collection
  • Kellogg’s Manchester – internal staff collection
  • Kuits Solicitors, M3 2RD – business hours excluding weekends
  • Transport for Greater Manchester – internal staff collection
  • The Corn Exchange, M4 3TR – business hours excluding weekends
  • Sport 92 – internal collection

Head of Foundation 92, Tom Hutton said: “Following the success of previous December to Remember Christmas campaigns, we are really pleased to be able to support local communities once again.

“It is fantastic to see so many businesses working together to support local communities in Greater Manchester.”

Christmas cheer

The Foundation 92 December to Remember initiative is aimed at individuals and families that are going through a hard time this winter, with the aim of spreading some Christmas cheer.

Launched in 2018, Foundation 92 focuses on supporting people to improve their lives through sport with an emphasis on physical and mental wellbeing.

Foundation 92’s partners on this project include Salford City FC, 1ST CENTRAL, Hotel Football, University Academy 92, Kuits Solicitors, Transport for Greater Manchester, Kellogg’s Manchester, The Corn Exchange, Roland Dransfield, and Sport 92.

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