Market: Monaco win
Odds: 3/4 @
Hoping to lay down another marker on their travels this weekend, Monaco will make the trip to the Stade Francis-Le Blé when they face off against Brest on Sunday afternoon.
Starting with the hosts, managing to snatch a flattering point against defending champions Lille last weekend, there is no doubt that Brest will be desperate to build off of those positives. Only just about managing to extend on their Ligue 1 status last season thanks to a one-point buffer, Les Pirates once again find themselves at the heart of another relegation scrap. Opening up this weekend s fixtures sat three points adrift of safety, Head Coach Michel Der Zakarian will know that his side face a stern test on home soil here. Showing a host of issues prior …
Roberto Mancini has urged his Italy players to have fun as they bid to set two national records in their Euro 2020 last-16 clash with Austria at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
The Azzurri shone in the group stage, scoring seven goals – the most they have scored across their first three games of a major tournament since 1998 – in wins over Turkey, Switzerland and Wales.
Mancini s team have won 11 games in a row without conceding a goal, their clean sheet streak lasting 17 hours and 35 minutes since Donny van de Beek scored for the Netherlands in October 2020.
One more clean sheet will see them equal their record for consecutive games without conceding (12), set between 1972 and 1974, while also surpassing the previous total of minutes (1,143) without letting…
Bolton defender Gary Cahill is feeling the pressure at the Reebok.
Bolton s dreadful start to the season took another turn for the worse on Saturday as fellow strugglers Sunderland struck two late goals to consign Owen Coyle s side to a fifth straight home defeat.
And England international Cahill, who was linked with a 15 million pound transfer to Manchester United in the summer, believes he and his team-mates must do something, and quickly, to halt the slide.
Cahill joined the club in the midst of a bitter relegation battle in January 2008 and he is concerned those days could be back if they do not find an immediate remedy to their poor form.
It has been the hardest start to a season I have ever been involved in, Cahill told The Bolton News.
I…
In case you missed it, England pulled off a stunning 1-0 victory against Spain on Saturday.
But the most impressive part of the win was that England featured many of their upcoming youngsters in the squad.
The likes of Danny Welbeck (Manchester United), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur), Jack Rodwell (Everton) and Theo Walcott (Arsenal) were all featured by Fabio Capello.
That raises the question, should Fabio Capello take a risk and take youngsters to Euro 2012?
For more information on this topic, be sure to read my colleague David Nugent s editorial.
Despite matching Spain s all-time record for international caps on Saturday, longtime Spain and Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas felt the result did …
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini is facing a striker shortage over the festive period
According to reports from a number of papers yesterday Manchester City are set to play the festive period with a ‘false number nine’, as they are currently in the midst of a striker crisis.
All three of City’s senior strikers are currently out injured, leaving the Citizens with just Spanish youngster Jose Pozo.
The champions face Crystal Palace at the Etihad Stadium in the early kick-off on Saturday and could start the game without a recognised striker.
Injured
Star striker Sergio Aguero is currently sidelined for at least six weeks with a knee injury, while Bosnian striker Edin Dzeko has a calf injury and Stevan Jovetic is struggling with a muscle p…
Manchester City boss Manuel Pellegrini has targeted success in this season s FA Cup, ahead of a third-round clash with Sheffield Wednesday.
City have reached the final of the competition twice in the past four seasons, beating Stoke City 1-0 in 2011 but succumbing to a shock defeat to Wigan Athletic two years later that ended Roberto Mancini s managerial reign at the Etihad Stadium.
Wigan now a second-tier side also dumped City out of last season s competition in the sixth round and the Premier League champions face another potential banana skin on Sunday when Wednesday who sit 10th in the Championship head to town.
Pellegrini s side are currently riding the crest of a wave, however, after a 3-2 victory over Sunderland on New Year s Day moved them level with Prem…
Record Liverpool signing Mohamed Salah says he has dreamed of joining the club ever since playing as them on the PlayStation.
The Egypt international moved to Anfield from Roma in July in a deal that the Serie A club confirmed could cost the Reds as much as €50million.
Salah, who is poised to make his competitive debut against Watford in the Premier League on Saturday, scored four times during an impressive pre-season campaign with his new side.
And the former Basel star is hoping Liverpool can challenge for trophies as the new campaign gets underway.
It is a great club. It was a dream for me when I was young to play here one day, he told Sky Sports. When I had the chance to come, I was thinking about whether I should stay in Rome or move here but beca…
Crystal Palace have confirmed that Glenn Murray has signed a new one-year extension at the club.
Glenn Murray has signed a one-year extension to his contract at Crystal Palace.
The striker had been linked with a move away from Selhurst Park during the transfer window, but has now committed himself to the club for another season.
Murray joined Palace from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2011, arriving on a free transfer from the club s fierce rivals.
The 31-year-old struggled for game time in recent times, making just four Premier League starts over the past two seasons.
Murray spent a short spell on loan at Reading earlier this term, but has now featured in three of Alan Pardew s first four games in charge in all competitions.
Palace host Ever…
Hope Solo believes hosts France pose the biggest challenge to the United States Women s World Cup defence.
Solo helped the USA to glory in Canada four years ago and was named the leading goalkeeper in the tournament for the past two editions.
The 37-year-old will look on as a spectator this time around, following the end of her international career in 2016, and feels Les Bleues could come to delight the home crowd when the World Cup kicks off next month, despite them being placed fourth – behind the States, Germany and England – in FIFA s official rankings.
France, I think is the best team in the world right now, but they don t have the number one ranking, Solo told Omnisport, speaking courtesy of Street Soccer USA.
They are incredible, t…
Milan Skriniar has signed a new contract which is set to keep him at Inter Milan until the summer of 2023, the Serie A club have .
The defender started his career with MSK Zilina in Slovakia, and also spent some time on loan at Zlate Moravice. He arrived to Italy in the summer of 2016 when he joined Fiorentina on a four-year deal, but he moved to Inter for a reported fee of €20 million plus striker Gianluca Caprari only 12 months later, which made him the most expensive Slovakian player in history. He has so far played 84 games for the Nerazzurri and scored four goals.
His future has been an object of much speculation recently, with a number of top clubs (including Juventus and Manchester United) reportedly interested in his services. However, this new deal will cert…