Month: November 2024

Football is, indeed, a funny old game.

Given the regular twists of fate the football calendar can throw up, it should perhaps be little surprise to see the start Marco Rose has been handed after being appointed RB Leipzig head coach this week.

The first two Bundesliga games for Rose will be against his former clubs, Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach, either side of a trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to play Real Madrid in the Champions League.

We all play in the same league so we ll face every team at some point, he said after he was announced by Leipzig. It s definitely special and exciting, but I have a lot of work to do here so the scheduling isn t very important. We ll take it as it comes.

And he s right. Domenico Tedesco s replacement …

Liverpool equalled the Premier League record for the biggest win after putting Bournemouth to the sword with a 9-0 victory at Anfield – becoming only the fourth side to score nine goals in a game in the competition after Manchester United, Leicester City and Tottenham.

Striker Roberto Firmino opened his account for the season with a brace to hit a landmark 100 goals for Liverpool, while elsewhere in England s north west Manchester City won a Premier League game after being 2-0 behind at the break for the first time, beating Crystal Palace 3-2.

Manchester United secured a second win in a week with a 1-0 win against Southampton, ending a run of seven-consecutive away defeats in the Premier League, and 10-man Chelsea beat Leicester City 2-1 – which saw back-to-back dism…

Second-half goals from Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka fired Premier League leaders Arsenal to a 3-1 win over 10-man Tottenham in an entertaining North London derby on Saturday.

Arsenal were rewarded for a bright start when Thomas Partey produced a stunning long-range finish after 20 minutes, but Harry Kane swiftly levelled with a penalty.

The impressive Gunners hit the front again when Jesus bundled home following Hugo Lloris mistake, and Tottenham s hopes of a comeback were dashed when Emerson Royal was sent off.

Xhaka then drilled into the bottom-right corner as Mikel Arteta s rampant side moved four points clear of Manchester City and consigned their fierce rivals to a first Premier League defeat of the season.

Both goalkeepers were called into action…

Pep Guardiola was left both relieved and pleased as Manchester City overcame Chelsea on Sunday to banish last season s Stamford Bridge demons.

City and the Blues played out a chaotic 4-4 draw in the corresponding fixture last term, but no such issues were present on matchday one of 2024-25 as Guardiola s side kicked off with three points.

Erling Haaland delivered a well-taken opener on his 100th competitive appearance for City, with his 91st goal for the club paving the way for a routine triumph.

Mateo Kovacic put the result beyond all doubt six minutes from time, powering forward before steering an eye-catching finish into the top-left corner against his former club.

With key midfielder Rodri absent after a late return to training and Phil Foden only fit…

Iran coach Carlos Queiroz is not expecting any tips from his former Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson on how to beat an England team he rates as a genuine World Cup contender.

Queiroz enjoyed two spells as Ferguson s assistant at United between 2002 and 2008, aiding the Scotsman as the Red Devils won six trophies over that period, including the 2007-08 Champions League and three Premier League crowns.

Although Queiroz resumed his own managerial career in 2008 as he took over the Portuguese national team for two years, he and Ferguson have remained friends.

On Monday, Queiroz s Iran side will go up against England in their Group B opener, and the former Real Madrid head coach will be taking full credit if he can mastermind a surprise win, with Ferguson seemingl…

Luis Suarez has joined Brazilian club Gremio on a two-year deal.

The Uruguay striker was a free agent after leaving his boyhood club Nacional and will continue his career in Brazil.

Suarez was wanted by Mexican side Cruz Azul, but Gremio have won the race for his signature.

Porto Alegre-based club Gremio confirmed the signing of the 35-year-old on New Year s Eve.

Suarez helped Nacional to win the Primera Division title after returning to his homeland following his Atletico Madrid exit.

The veteran won four LaLiga titles during a hugely successful spell with Barcelona and claimed another with Atleti in the 2020-21 campaign.

He also lifted the Champions League trophy at Barca in 2015.

Suarez won the Copa America with Uruguay in 2011…

Netherlands boss Ronald Koeman has included Roma striker Justin Kluivert in a 30-man squad for their forthcoming Euro 2020 qualifiers.

Netherlands, who sit third in Group C, host Northern Ireland in a crunch match on October 10 before travelling to Belarus three days later.

Northern Ireland and Germany are three points clear of Koeman s side, although they have both played a game more.

Twice-capped 20-year-old Kluivert, son of Dutch great Patrick Kluivert, has scored twice in his last three appearances for Roma. 

He was a late call-up in September after injury forced Steven Bergwijn out of the matches against Germany and Estonia.

| Ronald Koeman heeft 30 spelers opgenomen in de voorselectie voor de wedstrijden tegen Noord-Ierland en Wit-Rusland…

England wrapped up qualification for Euro 2024 with two matches to spare as Harry Kane’s brace helped Gareth Southgate’s side secure a 3-1 comeback win against Italy.

Having kicked off Group C with an impressive victory in Naples, it has long been a case of when rather than if the unbeaten Euro 2020 runners-up would seal their spot in Germany.

Italy stood in their way of early progress as these nations met at Wembley for the first time since they pipped Southgate’s men to European Championship glory on penalties.

qualification: secured

The are heading to Germany next summer!

— England (@England)

England have come a long way in the intervening 27 months and emphatically bounced back from former West Ham striker Gianluca Scamacc…

A goal and an assist from Rodrigo de Paul helped Atletico Madrid record their first home win of the season in LaLiga as they beat Celta Vigo 4-1 on Saturday.

Diego Simeone s men were made to work for their victory, with Celta more than a match in most areas for the hosts in the first half, but they could not keep up in the second.

Angel Correa gave Atletico the lead in the opening 10 minutes, before De Paul s deflected effort early in the second half and a superb run and finish from Yannick Carrasco confirmed the win.

Substitute Gabriel Veiga pulled a goal back for the visitors, but an own goal from Unai Nunez ended any hopes for them.

Jan Oblak missed out for Atletico, despite playing in the dramatic midweek Champions League victory against Porto after…

Brian Schmetzer s message was simple to Seattle Sounders ahead of St. Louis City s visit in MLS, with the home side s coach demanding more of the same.

The Sounders are on a five-game winning run across all competitions, having edged out Austin FC with a 1-0 road triumph last time out.

That run of form has helped Seattle up to seventh in the Western Conference standings, four points clear of 10th-placed Austin and the playoff-chasing pack.

Head coach Schmetzer just wants his side to keep delivering as they aim for a post-season challenge.

We ve got a good squad. They believe that they can win, Schmetzer said.

The coaches have done a great job of getting the players to all understand what we want, and the players have been delivered.

Guy…