Blog (Page 210)

[ad_1] Barcelona host Athletic Club on Sunday night in a meeting between representatives from two of Spain’s biggest autonomous communities; Catalonia and the Basque Country. The Catalans produced one of their most encouraging performances in a 3-0 victory over Villarreal in midweek, quelling the “negative dynamic” set in motion by Champions League disappointment against Inter and a Clasico defeat at the hands of Real Madrid. Under the stewardship of former Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde, Athletic Club have recorded their best start to a league season since 2013 – during Valverde’s first spell at the club. Here’s everything you need to know about the meeting betweenRead More →

[ad_1] Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has stressed that he is keen to move on from Cristiano Ronaldo’s latest disciplinary breach and welcome the Portugal striker back into his squad. Ronaldo has been dropped for Saturday’s trip to Chelsea after refusing to come off the bench in the recent 2-0 victory over Tottenham and leaving Old Trafford early – an act which he admitted saw him caught in ‘the heat of the moment’. Amid calls for Ronaldo to be released from the club immediately, Ten Hag insisted he has no issue with the striker and is keen to keep him around for the remainderRead More →

[ad_1] Paris Saint-Germain eventually made light work of promoted Ajaccio in a 3-0 victory in Ligue 1 on Friday evening. Christophe Galtier was pitted against his son Jordan, who works as a coach for Ajaccio. His son’s employers started brightly and did well to unsettle PSG early on. That didn’t last long, though, as PSG took a 1-0 lead into half-time thanks to Kylian Mbappe. For the amount of chances they spurned, though, there was cause for concern. Les Parisiens were wasteful in front of goal and were only let off the hook through a combination of confident defending and the limitations of Ajaccio. Ultimately,Read More →

[ad_1] Pachuca triumphed 5-2 over Monterrey in the chaotic first-leg match of the 2022 Liga MX Apertura semi-final series on Thursday.  Pachuca earned the initial lead with a goal from Nicolas Ibanez, before Rayados equalized the score only seven minutes later. It became a game of catch up for the visitors, with Luis Romo canceling out Romario Ibarra’s strike to secure the 2-2 draw heading into halftime.  The second 45 saw Pachuca find the back of the net seconds after the whistle, exerting their dominance. But as frustrations grew high on the pitch for Rayados, right-back Erick Aguirre committed a foul that left the teamRead More →

[ad_1] Erling Haaland’s agent Rafaela Pimenta has welcomed the prospect of him penning a new contract at Manchester City, amid reports already surfacing about his potential exit. The Norwegian forward joined City in summer from Borussia Dortmund in a deal worth £51 million and has enjoyed the perfect start to life in England. Haaland has already bagged 20 goals in all competitions for City, needing just 14 games to reach the figure, settling into Pep Guardiola’s side seamlessly. There were doubts over whether or not Haaland would be able to slot into the intricate system that has developed at City with many believing that itRead More →

[ad_1] Manchester United are pleased with the progress being made by its women’s operation, which has now been further boosted by the formal appointment of Polly Bancroft as the club’s first ever dedicated head of women’s football. United failed to run a senior women’s team from 2005 until 2018 at a time when the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City were rapidly developing both their own operations and furthering the progression of the women’s game in England. But although late to the party, United have fairly quickly made up some of the ground on the WSL’s elite and have been keen to build aRead More →

[ad_1] Tottenham Hotspur host an in-form Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. Spurs were on the end of an impressive Manchester United display in midweek, falling to their second defeat of the league season which prompted Antonio Conte to lament his side’s struggles in “high-level games”. Supercharged by controversially sourced and cleverly implemented millions, Newcastle are threatening to become another “high-level” opponent. The Magpies are unbeaten in six matches and boast the best defensive record in the division. Here’s everything you need to know about this intriguing encounter. Tottenham: 3 WinsNewcastle: 0 WinsDraws: 2 Tottenham: DWWWLNewcastle: DWWDW Despite Richarlison’s immediate fears, the Brazilian’s calf injury isn’t deemedRead More →

[ad_1] Southampton host league-leading Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon. The Saints ended a five-match wait for victory with what Ralph Hasenhuttl described as “an important win” against Bournemouth in midweek. Arsenal have won all but one of their 14 matches across all competitions during a blistering start to the season, securing their Europa League qualification on Thursday night. Here’s everything you need to know about the meeting between this pair. Southampton: 2 WinsArsenal: 2 WinsDraws: 1 Southampton: LLLDWArsenal: WWWWW Armel Bella-Kotchap dislocated his shoulder during Southampton’s draw with West Ham last weekend. The impressive young centre-back will be sidelined until early November at the very least. RomeoRead More →

[ad_1] FC Cincinnati’s incredible 2022 campaign finally came to an end on Thursday but for Pat Noonan, this is just the beginning. After three successive Wooden Spoons, the Orange and Blue finally qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs, finishing fifth in the Eastern Conference and even coming from behind to beat the New York Red Bulls 2-1 away in Round One. Confidence was high as Noonan took his side to the familiar surroundings of Subaru Park to face the Philadelphia Union but, in the end, the top seed in the East proved too strong thanks to a second-half goal from Leon Flach. While many willRead More →

[ad_1] Wolves captain Ruben Neves has hinted at interest in joining Barcelona after admitting that “all players want to play” at Camp Nou. The 25-year-old has again impressed for Wolves this season despite their struggles, excelling both as a midfielder and as a makeshift centre-back. Neves has been linked to a number of bigger clubs for years but those links are now stronger than ever with talk of Barcelona wanting him. With Sergio Busquets set to leave at the end of the current campaign, Xavi and the Barcelona hierarchy are on the lookout for a replacement, and Neves is one of the potential successors underRead More →