Month: November 2024

Struggling Premier League heavyweights Liverpool and Chelsea played out a goalless draw at Anfield in Jurgen Klopp s 1,000th game in management.

The clubs find themselves level on points in mid-table and Saturday s 0-0 result does neither side s hopes of challenging for the top four any good.

Kai Havertz thought he had given Chelsea the lead inside three minutes, only for VAR to rule it out for a tight offside, while Benoit Badiashile wasted a good opportunity.

New signing Mykhailo Mudryk was handed his debut in the second half and also went close for Chelsea, but there was to be no breakthrough at either end.

Congratulations, Jurgen will mark an incredible achievement for the boss

— Premier League (@premierleague)

Havertz turned the…

Inter Miami had their six-match unbeaten streak snapped by New York Red Bulls, who cruised to a 4-0 victory in MLS.

Former Manchester United utility Phil Neville – current head coach of the franchise co-owned by ex-Red Devils team-mate David Beckham – had overseen a club-first run of three consecutive victories.

Inter Miami were also in the midst of their best undefeated run in the team s young existence, having kept four straight clean sheets for the first time in their history.

However, 10-man Inter Miami crashed back down to earth at the hands of the visiting Red Bulls on Friday.

Patryk Klimala opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Red Bulls team-mate Omir Fernandez doubled the lead just past the half-hour mark at DRV PNK Stadium, where Inte…

Cristiano Ronaldo has become the first ever player to score in five different World Cups after finding the net for Portugal against Ghana on Thursday.

The 37-year-old, who is currently without a club after mutually parting ways with Manchester United on Tuesday, converted a second-half penalty to give Portugal the lead.

That was Ronaldo s eighth World Cup goal, each of those coming in the group stage – the most of any player yet to score in the knockout stages.

Pele, Uwe Seeler and Miroslav Klose have all netted at four World Cups, but Ronaldo is now out in front in that regard after scoring at a fifth finals.

Here, Stats Perform looks at each of Ronaldo s previous seven goals on the biggest stage of them all, three of which came in one game.

Port…

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp accepted their lack of goal threat failed to put enough pressure on Atalanta to help turn their Europa League quarter-final back in their favour.

Mohamed Salah’s seventh-minute penalty had raised hopes of a Barcelona 2019-style comeback but the Egypt international missed a relatively straightforward lob to make it 2-0 towards the end of the first half and they faded badly after the break as they exited the competition 3-1 on aggregate.

That meant for only the third time in the 21st century, England have no teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League or Europa League/UEFA Cup.

Virgil van Dijk reflected on the disappointment of our exit from the at the quarter-final stage despite a second-leg victory over Atalanta

—…

Xavi Simons is on his way to RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The well-known and well-respected Italian journalist has claimed that Simons, who can operate as an attacking midfielder or as a winger, will undergo a medical early next week.

Romano wrote on : “Xavi Simons to RB Leipzig from PSG, here we go! Medical booked early next week for Xavi.

“Simons has also informed Bayern in the recent hours, he’s returning to Leipzig… despite Premier League clubs late calls.

“As revealed in April, it will be loan move. NO buy clause.”

Simons spent the 2023-24 season on loan at RB Leipzig from Paris Saint-Germain. The 21-year-old Netherlands international star was superb for the German club …

There was plenty of excitement in Wednesday s Premier League matches but little to change the outlook of the season.

Manchester City remain rampant, Chelsea are just a little more secure in the Champions League places and opponents Leeds United look increasingly doomed.

Norwich City are already down, of course, and again came away empty handed against Leicester City.

Watford – Norwich s Championship rivals next term – at least stopped the rot in perhaps the least interesting of four fixtures broken down here in Opta data.

Wolves 1-5 Manchester City: Four for De Bruyne, history for leaders

Only a City slip-up can breathe new life into the title race. That does not look likely right now, though, given Pep Guardiola s men have now won five consec…

Liverpool central defender Virgil van Dijk has not made a decision on his future, according to Fabrizio Romano. The well-known and well-respected Italian journalist has claimed that Van Dijk will 

Romano told : “What I am being told is that it’s a really similar situation to Salah, there will be conversations over a new contract for Van Dijk. This is what sources say about the story.

“Before making any decision on his future, the defender will talk to Liverpool; and before making any decision on their future plan, the club will have negotiations with Van Dijk over a new deal, over their project, over the length of a potential new contract and the salary the Dutch star will receive. 

“There are a few points to discuss, of course, but crucial points. All…

Ronald Koeman has branded Barcelona his dream club but a potential route back to Camp Nou will not become clearer until after Euro 2020.

Royal Dutch Football Association director Nico-Jan Hoogma last month revealed the existence of a clause in Koeman s Netherlands contract enabling him to quit the post if Barca come calling.

The former Valencia and Everton boss confirmed Hoogma s account in an appearance on Dutch television but said the clause is not yet in effect and that he has no plans to leave in the immediate future.

Koeman won four LaLiga titles with Barca as a player and would be among the favourites to take over as head coach if the club parts ways with the under-pressure Ernesto Valverde.

It s only about Barcelona and also about a time after th…

Rob Page believes Wales have a “great opportunity” to reach Euro 2024 after being handed two possible home ties in the qualification play-offs.

Wales will welcome Finland to the Cardiff City Stadium on Thursday, March 21 following Thursday’s draw at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.

Victory in that single-leg semi-final would see the Dragons take on either Poland or Estonia at the same venue five days later, with a spot at next summer’s tournament in Germany up for grabs.

The 6 play-off semi-finals will be played on 21 March 2024

The 3 play-off finals will take place on 26 March 2024

— UEFA EURO 2024 (@EURO2024)

Manager Page was relieved to avoid a rematch with Ukraine, who his side beat in a play-off to qualify for las…

As a replacement for the injured Igor Denisov at Euro 2016, Russia have called up Artur Yusupov who concedes he is not in the best condition after two weeks on holiday.

Dynamo Moscow midfielder Denisov was ruled out on Monday with a hamstring injury, a major blow coming just two weeks after it was confirmed Alan Dzagoev would miss out with a broken metatarsal.

Those injuries have opened the door for Zenit s Yusupov, who was enjoying a holiday in the same Monaco hotel as his international colleagues.

Yusupov admits he is unprepared for the tournament to the extent he had to borrow a pair of boots from a team-mate in order to train.

I didn t even have boots, [Roman] Neustadter gave me some. We are the same size, he said.

Being in the national…