Defending champions Italy secured their place at Euro 2024 after a battling goalless draw with Ukraine.
The fixture, which was played at Bayer Leverkusen’s BayArena due to Ukraine’s ongoing war with Russia in their homeland, was not short of chances, but Serhiy Rebrov’s men failed to find the winner they required to send them automatically through to next year’s tournament in Germany.
It means Ukraine must contest a play-off in March, while Italy boss Luciano Spalletti can reflect on a job well done after they clinched the point they needed to finished second behind England in Group C.
The equation was simple for both teams, but any hint of caution was thrown to the wind during an action-packed start with Viktor Tsygankov testing Gianluigi Donnarumma from…
Best odds: 23/25
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Looking to bounce back from their shocking defeat at home to Atalanta in the Europa League in mid-week, Liverpool will host Crystal Palace at Anfield on Sunday with the aim of staying in with a chance to win the Premier League title.
Palace, meanwhile, travel to the north-west of England on the back of facing defending champions Manchester City at home in a game they lost 2-4. As things stand, the Eagles are trying to earn valuable points to help them stay away from relegation zone.
Liverpool
It was a truly woeful performance Liverpool put in against Atalanta, thoroughly disappointing from the players who are supposed to see off manager Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season in the strongest way possible. Gianluca Scamacca str…
Best Odds: 3/5
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Getting their Nations League adventure underway on Thursday night, European champions Spain will travel over to Belgrade when they meet Serbia.
Serbia
Starting with the hosts, although Serbia might have opened up this summer’s European Championships with the mood in their camp at a real high, the Eagles endured real frustration over in Germany. Getting their summer adventure underway with a close-fought 1-0 loss at the hands of eventual finalists England, Dragon Stojkovic’s men failed to muster a single victory from any of their three Group C appearances. Eventually finishing rock-bottom of the standings and coming under a huge amount of scrutiny, Serbia should be bracing themselves for a heavyweight challenge when they get their N…
Best Odds: 13/8
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Looking to extend on their recent flurry this weekend, Real Madrid will welcome Osasuna to the Spanish capital on Saturday afternoon.
Real Madrid
Starting with the hosts, while Real Madrid might have come under plenty of scrutiny last month as they were hit with an infamous 3-1 loss at the hands of bitter local rivals Atletico, Los Blancos have come roaring back in some style. Making it back-to-back Champions League victories earlier in the week as they claimed a 3-2 win against reigning Italian champions Napoli, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be smelling the chance to lay down another marker here. With their sights firmly set on snatching back their La Liga crown this season, the former AC Milan boss has seen his superstar squad win ea…
The United States has officially submitted a declaration of interest to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, US Soccer Federation Sunil Gulati said Monday.
The announcement came on the day set by world football s governing body, FIFA, for countries to declare their interest in hosting the global football tournament in either or both years. FIFA will select the hosts of both tournaments in December of 2010.
We have formally advised FIFA that it s our intention to bid for the 2018/2022 World Cups, Gulati said from Chicago in a media teleconference.
Gulati said the United States would be happy to host in either year, but added that with all the necessary infrastructure in place sooner is better.
The United States, which hosted the World Cup in 1994, jo…
Real Madrid and Spain midfielder Xabi Alonso says he is looking to achieve big things in 2012 at both club and international level.
Going into the mid-season break, Jose Mourinho s side sit three points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table and will compete in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Meanwhile, the Spanish national side have the chance to defend their European Championship crown in Ukraine and Poland in the off-season.
Alonso said he is looking forward to the challenges ahead.
This year, we are very excited because there nothing like achieving something big, the 30-year-old told GQ.
They re all the ingredients and now we have to see if the recipe works and the end product is good.
Real Madrid rest…
AC Milan s unbeaten start to 2018 carried into the Europa League as Patrick Cutrone, Ricardo Rodriguez and Fabio Borini fired them to a 3-0 victory at Ludogorets on Thursday.
Gennaro Gattuso s men had won four and drawn two of their six matches in all competitions ahead of their trip to Bulgaria, and Cutrone s 13th goal of the season set them on the road to a comfortable win.
Rodriguez added a penalty before Borini struck in stoppage time to give the Serie A side an enviable cushion heading into the second leg of the last-32 tie.
Cutrone s headed opener came at the end of a first half in which both sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, but Milan had one foot in the next round when Cosmin Moti was deemed to have pushed the striker in the box.
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Sonia Bompastor has promised there is more hard work to come for her Chelsea players after they readied themselves for the Women s Super League season with a 9-0 hammering of Feyenoord.
Bompastor marked her first match at Kingsmeadow in fantastic fashion on Saturday, with the WSL champions proving far too good for their Dutch opponents.
Sandy Baltimore and Mayra Ramirez struck inside the opening 10 minutes, with Feyenoord s Celainy Obispo subsequently seeing red.
Chelsea were 4-0 up by the break thanks to finishes from Sjoeke Nusken and Wieke Kaptein, with Millie Bright heading home a fifth after the restart.
Substitute Aggie Beever-Jones netted a second-half hat-trick, with Maika Hamano also getting in on the act in a resounding victory.
A gd aft…
Denmark and Belgium paused play after 10 minutes of their Euro 2020 clash to applaud stricken Christian Eriksen.
The Inter midfielder was given CPR on the pitch during the first half of Denmark s Group B opener with Finland last Saturday after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Eriksen remains in hospital in Copenhagen and assured fans on Tuesday that he is fine – under the circumstances as he continues to be monitored.
Denmark were in action on Thursday for the first time since that shocking incident and opponents Belgium wanted to celebrate Eriksen s survival and improved health.
Romelu Lukaku revealed ahead of the match at Parken Stadium that the Red Devils intended to bring the game to a halt after 10 minutes – 10 being Eriksen s shirt number.
L…
Atletico Madrid s new 35-year-old goalkeeper Gregory Coupet said Tuesday that he hopes to still be part of France s squad during the 2010 World Cup as he was officially unveiled by the Spanish club.
Asked if he intended to be France s keeper at the tournament in South Africa, he said: Playing for Atletico and the possibility of playing in the Champions League allow me to continue to think, to dream of the French squad.
Coupet, who had been linked to English League Cup winners Tottenham, said he had come to Spain to try to show that I have a place in the starting line-up to defend .
Atletico signed Coupet for the next two seasons. He represented France at Euro 2008 and has been capped 34 times.
The Spanish side are in the qualifying round of the Cham…