Erling Haaland claimed his five-goal haul all blurred together after his record-breaking performance steered Manchester City into the Champions League quarter-finals.
The Norway international fired Pep Guardiola s hosts to a 7-0 victory over RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday in the second leg of their last-16 tie.
With a 7-1 aggregate victory overall, City s dominant efforts saw them help their striker to 39 goals across all competitions for the campaign, breaking the club s single-season record for an individual after almost a century.
But pressed afterwards to pick out his favourite finish of the match, Haaland said he could not recall any of them individually after his heroics in a freewheeling display.
It s all a bit blurry in my head, he t…
Antonio Rudiger said the sanctions placed on Chelsea by the UK government were not the reason behind his decision to leave the club.
Germany defender Rudiger has been a crucial player for Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea but has not agreed to a new contract.
The former Roma centre-back will therefore leave at the end of the season on a free transfer, with Real Madrid his likely destination.
Rudiger has helped Chelsea to four FA Cup finals, winning one, and a Champions League success since joining in 2017. The UEFA Super Cup, Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup are also included in his honours.
When confirming that Rudiger had asked to leave Chelsea in April, Tuchel suggested that the sanctions placed on the club s owner Roman Abramovic in the wake of Russia s i…
Mauricio Pochettino said Chelsea’s status as a big club dictates the style that has helped them loosen their goalscoring inhibitions this season.
With nine Premier League games still to play the team have already scored 15 more goals than they managed in the entirety of the last campaign, when they recorded the club’s lowest return in almost a century.
After failing to find the net in three of Pochettino’s first six games in charge, including consecutive blanks against Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Aston Villa, there has been a significant change in the Argentinian’s approach, favouring a more fluid, open style that has seen goals conceded as well as scored.
The 4-3 win against Manchester United on Thursday means there have been a combined 33 goals f…
Harry Kane made little impact as Bayern Munich’s week went from bad to worse following a shock 1-0 loss in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 clash with Lazio.
Ciro Immobile’s second-half penalty proved the difference at Stadio Olimpico to pile pressure on Bayern boss Thomas Tuchel on the back of a damaging 3-0 defeat at title rivals Bayer Leverkusen.
England captain Kane, who is one short of reaching 50 club goals in European competition, barely touched the ball during a tight battle between two former Chelsea managers in the Italian capital.
Ciro Immobile
Lazio lead Bayern…
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
His side dominated possession before Maurizio Sarri’s men snatched a slender aggregate advantage…
Karim Benzema will hope to build upon a return to the international scoresheet when France take on Switzerland in the last 16 of Euro 2020.
Benzema netted both his team s goals in 2-2 draw with Portugal that secured top spot in Group F for Les Bleus last time out – his first since the end of an exile from the national team that began in 2015.
In his only previous appearance against Switzerland at the 2014 World Cup, the 33-year-old Real Madrid forward scored twice and supplied an assist in a resounding 5-2 win.
Indeed, this will be the fifth meeting between the teams at a major tournament and France are unbeaten in the previous four, with their most recent encounter at Euro 2016 finishing goalless.
If the identity of a France front three featuring Benze…
John Barnes backed Liverpool for a top-three Premier League finish next season, although the Reds great believes the title race will be between Arsenal and Manchester City again.
Pep Guardiola s City overcame Arsenal in a two-horse title tussle last campaign, with Mikel Arteta s Gunners already strengthening for next term by signing Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber.
Jurgen Klopp s side were far from their best in the 2021-22 season but battled to a fifth-place finish to secure Europa League football for the upcoming campaign.
Liverpool have bolstered their midfield options by bringing in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, with Barnes expecting the Reds to return to the top four this time round.
As I ve mentioned in the last year the i…
Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker:
Looking to extend on their 100% start to the new season, Manchester City will welcome Fulham to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.
Manchester City
Starting with the hosts, while Manchester City might not have been at their free-flowing best last weekend, the Sky Blues were able to extend on their 100% start to the new campaign. Eventually claiming a late 2-1 victory away at top-flight returners Sheffield United, Pep Guardiola’s men are the only Premier League outfit that have won each of their first three domestic appearances. Opening up the 2023/24 campaign with a routine 3-0 victory away at Burnley on August 11th, the Sky Blues simply have their sights set on making another statement here. Excited to make a return to the Etihad on …
Erik ten Hag set his sights on ending Manchester United s six-year trophy drought after Marcus Rashford s double helped them past Charlton Athletic in Tuesday s EFL Cup quarter-final.
Having replaced Antony – who had given United the lead with a brilliant curling effort – on the hour mark at Old Trafford, Rashford scored twice in the dying moments to seal a 3-0 win over the League One side.
Rashford s brace ensured safe passage to the final four for United, who have not won a major trophy since Jose Mourinho delivered an EFL Cup and Europa League double in 2017.
Ten Hag s hopes of ending that wait have been boosted by back-to-back home wins in the two domestic cups, and the Dutchman is eager for United to go further.
The last four is nothing. It s o…
Best Odds: 1/1
Bookmaker:
With a spot in the final of this season’s Segunda play-offs up for grabs on Wednesday night, Eibar will welcome Real Oviedo to the Ipurua Futbol Zelaia.
Eibar
Starting with the hosts, putting in a gritty performance away at Oviedo over the weekend as they snatched a first-leg 0-0 stalemate, Eibar will be excited to make a return to the Ipurua Futbol Zelaia here. Signing off the 2023/24 campaign with an action-packed 4-3 victory against Los Azules on June 2nd, Joseba Etxeberria s men have suffered just a single defeat from any of their previous six appearances against second-tier opposition. Pencilled in as a standout contender on Wednesday night, the Basque-based outfit will be excited by their remarkable success on home soil. Includ…
Milan have confirmed the appointment of former Lille head coach Paulo Fonseca as Stefano Pioli s successor at San Siro, with the Portuguese coach penning a three-year contract.
Fonseca stepped down from his position at the Ligue 1 side last week against the backdrop of speculation linking him with the Milan job.
The 51-year-old spent two seasons with Lille, finishing fifth and fourth, and has previously coached Porto, Braga, Shakhtar Donetsk and Roma.
Milan s confirmation of Fonseca s arrival comes three weeks on from the 19-time Italian champions announcing Pioli would depart at the end of the 2023-24 season.
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