Market: Under 3.5 goals
Odds:
With German football once again taking center stage this weekend from behind closed doors, Erzgebirge Aue will make the trip to relegation scrappers Nurnberg on Friday evening.
Starting with the hosts, after crashing out of the Bundesliga last season, it has been nothing short of another disastrous campaign for Nurnberg this time around. Marking their return from the enforced break with a late 1-0 defeat away at St. Pauli last weekend, Head Coach Jens Keller has seen his side now lose three of their last four Bundesliga II outings. Opening Friday s contest holding just a single point buffer from slipping into the relegation play-off spot, a huge part of Der Club s continued issues this year have come down to some glaring inconsiste…
Lionel Scaloni said playing alongside countryman Lionel Messi is better for Inter star Lautaro Martinez amid growing links to Barcelona.
Martinez has been tipped to swap Serie A side Inter for LaLiga champions Barca in the off-season following his exploits in Italy.
The Argentina international forward scored 16 goals in 31 matches across all competitions before the 2019-20 season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As speculation grows over Martinez s future, Argentina head coach Scaloni discussed the 22-year-old.
If he plays with Messi he is better, no doubt. Beyond that later he will have to fight for the position as he did in Inter, Scaloni told TyC Sports.
We have to be calm. If he changes clubs, maybe he does not have to be the und…
Italian giants Juventus will take a stab at European glory for the second time this season when they meet Dutch heavyweights Ajax in the first-leg of their Europa League tie on Thursday.
The last 32 clash is a rematch of the 1996 Champions League final, which saw the Italian club triumph over then holders Ajax in a penalty shootout 4-2 after it finished 1-1 at the end of normal time.
With the Amsterdam side nine points off league leaders PSV Eindhoven and Juventus trailing first-placed Inter Milan by 16 points, the Europa League represents their last chance at winning a major title in 2010.
Juve s French midfielder Jonathan Zebina conceded that another Serie A title is out of the club s reach but that his team would give their all to win the trophy.
We …
Reigning champions Italy arrived in South Africa on Wednesday to defend their crown after tournament favourites Spain showed off their firepower as they scored six times in their final warm-up game.
Coach Marcello Lippi s Italian squad, which includes nine of the players in the squad which triumphed four years ago in Germany, were guarded by dozens of police after their plane touched down at Johannesburg airport.
They headed off to the Leriba Golf Lodge, just outside Pretoria, to prepare for their opening Group F match against Paraguay in Cape Town on Monday.
The Italians arrival ups the tempo two days before Friday s big kickoff when the host nation take on Mexico in front of 90,000 spectators including former president Nelson Mandela at Johannesburg s Soccer C…
Chelsea star Eden Hazard warned his team against complacency, urging them to stay focused in their Premier League title bid.
Antonio Conte s men are five points clear at the top of the table, but were beaten by Tottenham last time out in the league.
Hazard said they still had work to do as they prepare for a trip to Leicester City on Saturday.
We know this league is difficult – you never know – anything can happen, the Belgium international told talkSPORT.
Now, we are top of the league, but the other teams are very strong and they want to close the gap and comeback quickly.
We have to be ready for everything, we are in this position and we know what to do.
Hazard helped Chelsea to the league title in 2014-15 before they finished 10…
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has backed Juventus to succeed where his side failed by beating Barcelona in the Champions League.
The Italian playmaker featured in both legs of PSG s Round of 16 tie with the Spanish champions, which ended 6-5 on aggregate and saw Luis Enrique s men progress after the most dramatic comeback in the competition s history.
Juventus beat Porto 3-0 on aggregate to set up a quarter-final clash with Barca, and Verratti reckons his country s champions, who are unbeaten in their last 14 games in all competitions, can continue their quest for a league, cup and Champions League treble this season.
After playing in Italy s 2-0 win over Albania on Friday, Verratti told TMW Radio: Juve has a good chance to progress as they have …
Jadon Sancho has long been linked with a move to Manchester United.
The former Manchester City youngster is reportedly ready to return to his native England after starring in the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund.
With United s Champions League status confirmed, the Red Devils are ready to strike a deal.
TOP STORY – UNITED STEPPING UP SANCHO PURSUIT
Manchester United are prioritising the signing of Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho as they cool on Aston Villa captain Jack Grealish, according to Sky Sports.
United are determined to bring Sancho to Old Trafford after securing Champions League qualification, though both clubs are yet to come to agreement on a transfer fee – Dortmund are reportedly holding out for €120m (£109m).
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Megan Rapinoe, Lucy Bronze and Alex Morgan lead the nominees for the 2019 Ballon d Or Femenin in the award s second year.
Publication France Football revealed their 20-woman shortlist on Monday, acknowledging the successes of Lyon and United States in particular.
Women s Champions League winners Lyon have six players in the running, including Bronze and 2018 winner Ada Hegerberg, though the latter is not thought to be among the favourites given her World Cup absence.
United States lifted the trophy in France and four of their squad have been nominated, with Tobin Heath, Rose Lavelle, Morgan and Rapinoe flying the USA flag.
Rapinoe is regarded by many as the favourite, however, with the Reign FC star inspirational in the World Cup campaign, finishing joint…
Barcelona coach Josep Guardiola, who has led the club to seven trophies in two seasons, will sign a one-year contract extension on Wednesday, the Spanish champions revealed.
The expected announcement of Guardiola?s continued presence on the bench is a reality, said the club in a statement posted on their website.
Guardiola s contract expired on June 30 but the 39-year-old agreed in January to extend it by one season while Joan Laporta was still the president of the club.
Barcelona s new president, Sandro Rosell, said shortly after he was elected on June 13 that he would try to get Guardiola to sign a six-year contract extension.
The lack of a written contract fuelled media speculation at the end of last season that the coach could leave the Catalan gian…
Too miserable to boo
What would have been a totally meaningless friendly international for England against Hungary at Wembley on 11th August took a new significance with the abysmal performance of the side at the World Cup.
Culls
Now we will be watching and waiting to see if Fabio Capello brings in new young faces and culls the so called ‘Golden generation’ or whether the likes of Terry, Lampard and Gerrard retain their places.
Despite the game having some significance the Football Association are well aware that the football watching public in England are at a low ebb in terms of love for their national side.
Director
Managing director of ‘Club England’, Adrian Bevington told the FA website,
We accept it is going to take t…