#Premier League Man City beat Barcelona

[cityzenchick]

In anticipation of City's eagerly awaited Champions League match tomorrow in Wankdorf (wonder if it has the same meaning in other languages?!!) ....... here are some match facts courtesy of TalkSport

Young Boys vs Man City: Match Facts

This is the first ever competitive meeting between Young Boys and Manchester City – the Swiss side won their most recent home against Premier League opposition, beating Man Utd 2-1 in the 2021-22 UEFA Champions League.

Manchester City's only previous meeting with Swiss opposition came in the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League – they won 4-0 away before losing 2-1 at home to Basel in the round of 16.

Young Boys have played more games in the UEFA Champions League without ever keeping a clean sheet than any other team (14). The Swiss side have conceded 29 times across their 14 matches, at an average of 2.1 per outing.

Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 15 matches in the UEFA Champions League (W10 D5), with only Manchester United ever having a longer run without defeat among English teams in European Cup/Champions League history (2 runs of 16, and a 25-game run between 2007 and 2009).

If Manchester City avoid defeat in this match, Pep Guardiola will equal his longest unbeaten run as a manager in the UEFA Champions League (currently 15 unbeaten). He went 16 games without defeat in charge of Barcelona between 2011 and 2012, in a run which also included lifting the trophy (beat Manchester United in the 2011 final).

Young Boys have averaged just 8.8 opposition passes per defensive action (PPDA) in the UEFA Champions League this season; the lowest of any team across the first two matchdays.

Manchester City have had 55 shots in their two UEFA Champions League games this season, while only facing six opposition shots in return. Indeed, that was the biggest differential for any side across the opening two matchdays, while they also had the best xG difference in terms of chances created and conceded (+5.2 – 6.4 xG for and 1.2 xG against).

Man City’s Julián Álvarez has been directly involved in four goals in two UEFA Champions League games this season (three goals, one assist); the most of any player in the first two matchdays. As well as being the joint top scorer in this period (3), no player created more chances than him (8) across the opening two rounds.

Filip Ugrinic has been directly involved in a goal in both of Young Boys’ games in the UEFA Champions League this season (one goal, one assist), while no player has ever done so in three consecutive appearances for the Swiss side in the competition.

Through the first two matchdays in the UEFA Champions League this season, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland has the highest xG (1.95) of any player yet to score in the competition (12 shots, 0 goals). Indeed, his current run of five games without a goal in the Champions League is his longest to date.

[whatsonmedia]

Thrilling Sports Matches Await This Week!

Get ready for a week of edge-of-your-seat sporting action as top teams and athletes prepare to clash in a series of exhilarating matches. From cricket's T20I fireworks to the Champions League's European showdown, this week promises an unforgettable sporting spectacle. So grab your snacks, settle in, and prepare to be amazed. Cricket India v Australia - 2023/24 Men's T20I Series : India and Australia, two cricketing giants, will lock horns in an epic T20I series, with the second and third matches set to electrify the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram and the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, respectively. Brace yourselves for a flurry of boundaries, electrifying catches, and nail-biting finishes as these cricketing titans clash on the pitch. >India vs Australia ( 2nd T20 )০ Date : Sunday 26 November, 2023০ Time : 19:30 PM০ Venue : Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram>India vs Australia (3rd T20)০ Date : Tuesday 28 November, 2023০ Time : 19:30০ Venue : Barsapara Cricket Stadium, Guwahati Bangladesh v New Zealand - 2023 Men's Test Series : The Sylhet International Cricket Stadium will witness a grueling battle of wills as Bangladesh and New Zealand go head-to-head in the first Test of their series. Expect a clash of cricketing styles, with Bangladesh's spin prowess facing off against New Zealand's batting might. >Bangladesh vs New Zealand (1st test)০ Date : Tuesday 28 November, 2023০ Time : 09:30 BDT০ Venue : Sylhet International Cricket Stadium, Sylhet Football Women’s Super League : The Women's Super League continues to raise the bar with two exhilarating matches this week. Chelsea Women and Leicester Women will lock horns at Kingsmeadow, while Bristol City Women and Man Utd Women will clash at Ashton Gate. Prepare to witness a display of athleticism, skill, and unwavering determination as these women take center stage. >Chelsea Women vs Leicester Women০ Date : Sunday 26 November, 2023০ Time : 09:00 GMT০ Venue : Kingsmeadow>Bristol City Women vs Man Utd Women০ Date : Sunday 26 November 2023০ Time : 07:30 GMT০ Venue : Ashton Gate Champions League : The Champions League heats up this week with two marquee matchups. Barcelona, the Spanish giants, will host Porto, the Portuguese powerhouse, at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. Meanwhile, PSG, the French champions, will welcome Newcastle, the English upstarts, to the Parc des Princes. Expect a night of attacking brilliance and defensive masterclasses as these European giants battle for supremacy. >Barcelona vs Porto০ Date : Tuesday 28 November, 2023০ Time : 15:00 GMT০ Venue : Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys>PSG vs NewCastle০ Date : Tuesday 28 November, 2023০ Time : 15:00 GMT০ Venue :  Parc des Princes Ligue 1 : PSG, the Ligue 1 juggernaut, will face off against Monaco, the principality's pride, at the Parc des Princes. Buckle up for a clash of titans, with PSG's attacking prowess set to test Monaco's defensive resilience. >PSG vs Monaco০ Date: Friday 24 November, 2023০ Time : 20:00০ Venue : Parc des Princes Premier League : The Etihad Stadium will be the stage for a blockbuster encounter as Man City, the reigning champions, take on Liverpool, the Merseyside giants. Expect a high-octane affair, with both teams showcasing their attacking prowess and tactical brilliance. Meanwhile, Everton will host Man Utd at Goodison Park, promising a clash of passion and determination. >Man City vs Liverpool০ Date : Saturday 25 November, 2023০ Time : 12:30০ Venue : Etihad Stadium>Everton vs Man Utd০ Date : Sunday 26 November, 2023০ Time : 11:30০ Venue : Goodison Park Basketball The NBA action continues this week with two exciting matchups. The Nets, led by their star-studded lineup, will face off against the Heat, a team known for their gritty defense, at the Paycom Center. Meanwhile, the Magic and the Hornets will clash at the Amway Center, promising a night of high-flying dunks, buzzer-beating shots, and electrifying plays. >Nets vs Heat০ Date : Sunday 26 November, 2023০ Time : 4:00 AM০ Venue : Paycom Center>Magic vs Hornets০ Date : Monday, November 27, 2023০ Time: 5:00 AM০ Venue : Amway Center Read the full article

[fadistans]

Blue Lock Characters and the International Football Teams They Would Support (plus some extra headcannons) Part 1

Isagi Yoichi - Barcelona FC

- He started liking football since he was really young, around their peak in the late 2000’s, and so he was like ‘Oh they’re winning i’ll support them! Messi is cool and amazing!’ etc etc

- He’s one of those football fans that has a closet full of football jerseys. He owns like one or two not-football-related shirts and if you ask him to casually hang out he will always appear in a football jersey.

- He also has a really wide array of jerseys from different clubs and leagues. He has at least one jersey from all the popular clubs. He doesn’t have his name on any of them except his Barcelona jerseys because he feels like it’s betraying his favourite team, so most of them are just really popular players or plain club name jerseys.

(Edit: I forgot Noel Noa existed when I made this so assume this part is in another universe or replace Messi with Noel Noa)

Bachira Meguru - Borussia Dortmund FC/Leicester City FC

- I think he’d like Dortmund because he probably started liking football around 2011 (around the time they won the Bundesliga ). Dortmund is pretty strong and they almost always make top 3? And so Bachira likes them because he hopes they’ll finally break through and beat Bayern again one of these seasons.

- I could also see him liking Leicester just because they’re so unpredictable? One moment they’re at the top of the Premier League table and next they’re at risk of delegation? He thinks that it’s really exciting so he supports them.

Kunigami Rensuke - Bayern Munich FC/ Liverpool FC

- I could see him liking Bayern because they’re always really strong and all their players are really good. He especially likes Robert Lewandowski and always talks about his 5 in 9 thing.

- I also think he’d like Liverpool. He thinks the players are really inspiring and I could see him singing You’ll Never Walk Alone to himself before a game. Since Blue Lock takes place around 2018-2019, I could see him bragging about their Champions League win.

Mikage Reo - Manchester City FC

- Since he’s pretty new to football, he chose to support Man City because he probably started around when Pep Guardiola got hired, and that was around when they started winning league titles. I also think his family probably has affiliations to the club so he probably has a lot of collector’s merch.

Edit 11/9/21 : I think he’s a man united fan now because i just learned his favourite player is ronaldo😭 Also idt he would support a club that his family supports because he doesn’t like his family.

Nagi Seishirou - N/A

- This man could not care less about watching football. Whenever someone asks him what team he supports, he just tells them to fuck off.

- ‘Who the fuck would just watch football when you can play it yourself’

- I don’t think he would even play FIFA tbh. I see him more playing shooter games like COD, than fantasy league games like FIFA or PES.

[your-dietician]

Over 270,000 people sign petition for France vs Switzerland to be replayed

New Post has been published on https://tattlepress.com/sports/over-270000-people-sign-petition-for-france-vs-switzerland-to-be-replayed/

Over 270,000 people sign petition for France vs Switzerland to be replayed

Switzerland’s goalkeeper Yann Sommer (R) saves a penalty by France’s forward Kylian Mbappe during the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16 football match between France and Switzerland at the National Arena in Bucharest – GETTY IMAGES

Over 270,000 fans have signed a petition calling on Uefa to replay the Euro 2020 last-16 match between France and Switzerland because “the rules (of the game) were not respected” when Swiss goalkeeper Yann Sommer saved Kylian Mbappé’s decisive penalty.

Mbappé’s miss resulted in the world champions crashing out of the tournament in Bucharest after leading their eventual conquerors 3-1 at one point in the match.

But a petition was launched by a disgruntled French fan, Pierre, in the aftermath of the penalty shootout, demanding that Uefa replay the tie because Sommer’s feet were over the line as Mbappe struck the ball. Goalkeepers need to keep at least one foot on the goal-line when facing a penalty, otherwise the spot-kick can be retaken.

Neither the referee nor Var intervened on Sommer’s save but more than 270,000 people signed the petition – which has now been closed – despite several different angles showing that Sommer’s foot was on the line when Mbappé kicked the ball.

The hosts of the petition, leslignesbougent.org, wrote that “Uefa had been officially approached to gauge its position on the matter”, and that Pierre had informed the host site that he wished for the petition to be closed after the angles showing the legality of Sommer’s position came to light. “Our servers exploded,” the site added.

The original petition read: “During the penalty shootout of the France v Switzerland match, goalkeeper Sommer was not on his line ahead of Mbappé’s shot. We ask that Switzerland’s qualification is cancelled so that the match can be replayed.

“Sport must be played within the rules and that evening the rules were not respected.”

02:53 PM

Czech Republic v Denmark

Denmark coach Kasper Hjulmand says the team is looking to Christian Eriksen as an inspiration ahead of the match against the Czech Republic in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals.

Story continues

Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening game of the tournament. Team-mates were left shaken after seeing him receive emergency medical treatment on the field.

Hjulmand says “we’ll play with that heart of Christian Eriksen once again.”

The winner will face either England or Ukraine in the semi-finals.

AP

02:49 PM

Masterful Jordan Pickford has joined an elite band valued more by his country than his club

Unlike at Everton, when Pickford wears an England shirt he looks like he is sure he belongs out there, the undisputed No 1.

Jamie Carragher’s latest column for Telegraph Sport.

Jordan Pickford celebrating England’s last-16 win – GETTY IMAGES

02:38 PM

The Battle of Rome

Paul Ince’s bloody headband, chaos in the stands – and Southgate’s dark side.

England’s last trip to the Italian capital, in 1997, was another game they could not contemplate losing. David Seaman looks back on that momentous night.

Paul Gascoigne (L) and a topless Paul Ince (R) – GETTY IMAGES

02:20 PM

England get to work…

… with the quarter-final against Ukraine just over 24 hours away.

Kalvin Phillips of England trains during the England Training Session at St George’s Park on July 02 – GETTY IMAGES

Mason Mount of England trains during the England Training Session at St George’s Park on July 02 – GETTY IMAGES

Tyrone Mings shifting some tin – GETTY IMAGES

01:56 PM

Boris Johnson says he has no plans to reduce Euro 2020 stadium crowds

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday he did not plan to order a reduction in crowds attending the remaining Euro 2020 matches due to take place at Wembley.

Crowd capacity at Wembley will be increased to more than 60,000 fans for the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020 under a pilot scheme announced last week.

“Of course we’ll follow the scientific guidance and the advice if we receive any such suggestion,” Johnson said in response to a question at a news conference, alongside German Chancellor Angela Merkel who said she was worried about Uefa’s decision to let more people into stadiums.

“But at the moment… the position is very clear in the UK, which is that we have certain events which we can put on in a very careful and controlled manner with testing of everybody who goes there.”

01:34 PM

England fans in Rome

The first pictures are beginning to filter back home…

Fans gather in Rome ahead of Ukraine v England – Rome, Italy – July 2, 2021 – REUTERS

12:20 PM

Germany’s Kroos announces retirement from international football

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos has announced his retirement from international football after his team’s exit from the European Championship, the 31-year-old said on Instagram.

The 2014 World Cup winner earned 106 caps for his country, contributing 17 goals and 19 assists.

Kroos said it was clear to him “for a long time” that he would not be available for the World Cup in Qatar next year.

He said his priority now would be to focus on his club career with Real Madrid and spending time with his family.

Reuters

12:16 PM

The eight defining games of Raheem Sterling’s England career

From scapegoat to star man, Sterling has been the object of anger and criticism but is now England’s most experienced player and one of Euro 2020’s pre-eminent players.

Here, Sam Wallace runs down the eight matches that have defined his international career to date.

England’s forward Raheem Sterling celebrates the first goal during the UEFA EURO 2020 round of 16 football match between England and Germany at Wembley – GETTY IMAGES

12:00 PM

Emma Hayes signs new Chelsea deal

A revealed by Telegraph Sport in May, Emma Hayes, who has starred as a pundit at Euro 2020, has signed a new deal to remain as manager of Chelsea, the Women’s Super League champions have announced.

The 44-year-old has been with the club since 2012 and guided them to four WSL titles, two FA Cups and two League Cups. Hayes’ side were also Champions League runners-up last season.

She said on Chelsea’s official website: “Everyone knows what this club means to me.

“The work we’ve done together over the last nine years has been hugely rewarding, full of growth of the women’s game, accompanied with winning, which is one of the club’s key values. I really look forward to keep building on the successes we’ve already achieved and I’m delighted to have extended further.

Emma Hayes the manager of Chelsea Women lifts the Barclays FA Women’s Super League trophy after the Barclays FA Women’s Super League match between Chelsea Women and Reading Women at Kingsmeadow on May 09, 2021 in Kingston upon Thame – GETTY IMAGES

“It’s been a year and a half without fans, so I can’t wait to welcome them back to our home and share with them the wonderful team we’ve built together.”

Having retained the WSL trophy and the League Cup in 2020-21, Chelsea fell short of adding the Champions League as they were beaten 4-0 by Barcelona in the final in Gothenburg.

That was a first appearance in the final for the Blues – who reached the semi-finals in 2018 and 2019 – and the first by an English club since Arsenal, who had Hayes as assistant manager at the time, won the competition in 2007.

11:24 AM

Some more Premier League news…

Chelsea midfielder Billy Gilmour has joined Norwich on a season-long loan deal.

The 20-year-old impressed for Scotland in a goalless draw against England at Euro 2020 on June 18, before then having to self-isolate after returning a positive Covid-19 test.

Following his performance at Wembley it was reported that several Premier League clubs were interested in signing Gilmour on a temporary basis.

Newly-promoted Norwich have won the race for his signature and Canaries boss Daniel Farke feels Gilmour is a “perfect fit” for his Canaries team.

“We are really happy to have brought Billy in,” said Farke, who saw midfielder Emiliano Buendia leave for Aston Villa for £33million last month.

“We must say a big thank you to Chelsea and all those involved for making this deal happen. I think it helped that in the past we have shown that young players with potential are in good hands here at Norwich City.

Billy Gilmour – GETTY IMAGES

“He will help us to achieve our targets. We still have to keep in mind that he is an unbelievably young guy and that he hasn’t played regularly on this level. We have to give him some time and space to improve and find his rhythm.”

Gilmour made 11 appearances for Chelsea last season, starting three Premier League matches.

The former Rangers youth player was an unused substitute in both the FA Cup and Champions League finals as Thomas Tuchel’s side lost the domestic showpiece to Leicester but beat Manchester City to become champions of Europe.

PA

11:10 AM

The England team Gareth Southgate should pick to defeat Ukraine

Telegraph football writers pick their XIs – and you can too, by clicking here.

We have asked our writers to pick who they would like to see face the Ukrainians, especially bearing in mind that four of the England squad are on yellow cards.

10:50 AM

How England can beat Ukraine and take another step to glory

What do we know about England’s opponents? What are their strengths and what are the areas to exploit? Who are the players to watch out for?

Telegraph Sport spoke to Ukranian football expert Andrew Todos and former Norther Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, who masterminded a win over Ukraine at Euro 2016.

You can read our big match dossier by clicking here.

Graphic depicting England and Ukraine’s star players

10:30 AM

England at full strength for Ukraine

Gareth Southgate’s 26-man squad all trained on the eve of England’s Euro 2020 quarter-final against Ukraine.

The reward for Tuesday’s 2-0 last-16 win against Germany at Wembley is Saturday’s clash against Andriy Shevchenko’s side in Rome.

The Three Lions fly to Italy on Friday afternoon and the full squad trained at their St George’s Park base that morning.

Mason Mount and Ben Chilwell were among those in action, having left isolation on the day of the Germany match after coming into contact with Chelsea team-mate Billy Gilmour, who tested positive for Covid-19 after playing for Scotland against England.

Harry Maguire, Declan Rice, Kalvin Phillips and Phil Foden are a booking away from a suspension heading into the quarter-final.

Manchester United defender Maguire, who was named man of the match on Tuesday, is set to join manager Southgate at Friday evening’s press conference in Rome.

10:23 AM

Captain Kane reporting for England training

JULY 02: Harry Kane of England trains during the England Training Session at St George’s Park on July 02, 2021 in Burton upon Trent, – GETTY IMAGES

10:08 AM

In Premier League news…

From our reporter, Mike McGrath.

09:44 AM

Achilles

No, not the Trojan war hero, but the cat that lives in St Petersburg’s Hermitage museum. He chose Spain while attempting to predict the result of tonight’s quarter-final.

Probably no need to play tonight now – the cat’s called it…

Achilles the cat, that lives in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage museum, chooses Spain while attempting to predict the result of the UEFA Euro 2020 quarter final match between Switzerland and Spain during an event in Saint Petersburg, – REUTERS

Achilles the cat, that lives in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage museum, chooses Spain while attempting to predict the result of the UEFA Euro 2020 quarter final match between Switzerland and Spain during an event in Saint Petersburg, – REUTERS

Achilles the cat, that lives in St. Petersburg’s Hermitage museum, chooses Spain while attempting to predict the result of the UEFA Euro 2020 quarter final match between Switzerland and Spain during an event in Saint Petersburg, – REUTERS

09:23 AM

De Bruyne and Hazard

Belgium boss Roberto Martinez will give Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard until the last minute to prove their fitness ahead of tonight’s Euro 2020 quarter-final clash with Italy.

Manchester City star De Bruyne suffered an ankle injury during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Portugal, during which Real Madrid’s Hazard also limped off with a muscle problem, and neither was able to train with the rest of the squad on Thursday morning.

However, speaking at his pre-match press conference ahead of the game in Munich, Martinez said: “We all know that we are fighting against time, but we’re going to take until the last minute to make the decision.

“Every day that goes by, every time they can sleep and get three meals and get some treatment, we see an improvement, and then we’ll see [today] if they can be involved or not. Unfortunately at the moment, we cannot make a decision.

“Obviously it will be difficult for [today] – a soft tissue injury in Eden’s case, maybe is difficult for a game like tomorrow, and for Kevin, having a ligament problem maybe is a bit different.

“But it’s more a medical decision. At the moment, it’s not a football decision; [today]it will become a medical decision in the afternoon and then we’ll make a football decision after that.”

De Bruyne left the pitch looking dejected in Belgium’s win over Portugal – GETTY IMAGES

Martinez could do with having all his most potent weapons available for a clash with an Italian side which is unbeaten in 31 matches, while both teams are bidding to become the first to win 15 consecutive European Championship matches since the start of qualification.

PA

09:06 AM

In case you missed it…

Neil Diamond told The Telegraph yesterday how “thrilled” he was that England fans were singing his famous ‘Sweet Caroline’ song at Wembley.

“Well, I hope you can do it again – here’s to England”, he told The Telegraph.

The 1969 song has featured in every England victory celebration at Euro 2020 and was a high point of celebrations after the team beat Germany 2 – 0 in the round of 16.

After the match, striker Harry Kane and coach Gareth Southgate both told the media how much they enjoyed hearing fans belt out the song in unison.

08:52 AM

Tournament odds

The bookies have England now as Euro 2020 favourites – even at 2/1 in some outlets.

Then come Spain (3/1) followed by Italy (4/1), with Ukraine the outside shot with bookmakers at 33/1.

08:41 AM

Magic Monday

A look-back at the day that proved internationals reach parts that the club game cannot.

As if Spain 5 Croatia 3 wasn’t enough, Switzerland and France also served up a classic on Monday night. What made it so memorable?

Read Thom Gibbs’ excellent breakdown here.

08:30 AM

RIP Charlie

08:16 AM

Predictions for this evening

Let us know in the comments below!

I’m going Spain and Italy to progress… just.

08:14 AM

Alvaro Morata

As Sam Dean writes, Alvaro Morata has scored 21 goals in 44 appearances for his country. He has won 14 major trophies in club football. He has played for four of the biggest clubs in the world and he has been transferred between them for a combined total of more than £170 million. If he finds the net against Switzerland on Friday, he will become the highest scorer in Spain’s European Championship history. Everything about his CV, and his list of accomplishments by the age of 28, suggests that Morata must be one of the continent’s elite forwards. And yet, for many people, the former Chelsea striker still seems to be regarded more as a punchline than as a top-level predator.

Read about how Morata has emerged from the darkness in a bright, dangerous Spain side.

Spain’s Alvaro Morata celebrates after scoring his side’s fourth goal during the Euro 2020 soccer championship round of 16 match between Croatia and Spain at the Parken Stadium in Copenhagen – POOL GETTY

07:59 AM

Can Switzerland do it again?

A reminder of how the Swiss got there in the first place.

They knocked out the world champions, France, on penalties, after fighting back from 3-1 down.

Refresh yourself on events in Bucharest by clicking here.

Kylian Mbappe missed the crucial penalty for France – GETTY IMAGES

07:35 AM

The Swiss are back!

Remember this bloke?

Swiss fan reacts to their victory over France

Topless and fully clothed, desperate and ecstatic: a Swiss football supporter has become a viral sensation after cameras zoomed in on his rollercoaster emotions watching his team beat France in the Euro 2020 tournament.

Found by Swiss media after images of him yelling and grimacing during Monday’s match went round the world, Luca Loutenbach has already amended his Twitter account to describe himself as the “Nati’s official meme since 28.06.2021.”

The Nati is the nickname for Switzerland’s national football team.

Loutenbach, 28, told Switzerland’s Blick TV that he was “just a normal fan”.

But those filming the game thought otherwise, zooming in on him several times during the play as he perfectly encapsulated Swiss fans’ ecstasy, dejection and frenzied joy – starting off wearing the Swiss red shirt and ending up topless and screaming.

The images quickly went viral, with London Mayor Sadiq Khan tweeting one with the comment “man of the match”.

“A star is born,” Swiss public television RTS said.

“Thanks for all your messages, what is happening to me is unreal,” he wrote Wednesday on Twitter.

“I’m actually quite discreet, even if that wasn’t on show during the game. So this is fun for one or two days, but I hope it will ease off a bit after a while,” he told Swiss TV.

Such is his fame that Switzerland’s airline Swiss has gifted him a free ticket to Russia to see his team play Spain in the quarter finals on Friday in Saint Petersburg.

The country’s tourism agency has also contacted him via Twitter to offer a relaxing weekend away in Switzerland.

07:18 AM

Good morning!

Hello and welcome to Telegraph Sport’s live coverage of the build-up to quarter-finals day, with the first two last-eight games kicking off tonight. Switzerland face Spain in St Petersburg at 5pm before Belgium take on Italy in Munich at 8pm.

England midfielder Jack Grealish said captain Harry Kane is the best player he has ever played with and tipped the Tottenham Hotspur forward to break the Premier League scoring record.

Kane drew a blank in each of England’s three group games at Euro 2020 but scored the second goal in Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Germany which put them into a quarter-final clash with Ukraine in Rome on Saturday.

Grealish said Kane, or “H”, was a deadly finisher but also praised his work outside the box.

“No one here would ever doubt ‘H’,” Grealish told British media on Thursday. “He’s the best player I’ve ever played with.

“He’ll break the Premier League record and the England one but he’s not just a goalscorer. He’s unbelievable when he drops deep and finds passes and puts it through people’s legs.”

Alan Shearer is the Premier League’s all-time leading scorer with 260. Kane is seventh on the list with 166.

Grealish came off the bench to play a role in both goals in the win over Germany but the 25-year-old said he was uncertain if he would start against Ukraine, given the attacking options at coach Gareth Southgate’s disposal.

“It’s difficult. I’m always playing every minute at Villa. I have to be realistic about myself and the talent that we have, especially in my position,” he said.

“You’ve got six players that play either side of Harry that, in reality, could play for most clubs in the world — myself, Jadon (Sancho), Marcus (Rashford), Raheem (Sterling), Phil (Foden) and Bukayo (Saka),” he said.

“That’s scary how good us six are. That’s not being big-headed. That’s just the truth.”

Reuters

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[bettingsitestop]

A Preview of the Champions League Final

The stage is set for an English affair in the Champions League final in Istanbul on May 29th. In the semi-finals, Manchester City got a 2-0 win (4-1 on aggregate) over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) while Chelsea got a 2-0 win (3-1 on aggregate) over Real Madrid. The final will be played in the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul. A double in the second leg from Riyadh Mahrez propelled Man City into the Final, while Timo Werner and Kai Havertz scored the goals for the city. Both teams have the firepower to win the biggest competition in club football. This is Chelsea’s first Champions League final since 2012, while it is the first final for Man City. Tomas Tuchel will be in the final again after reaching it with PSG but losing to Bayern Munchen last year. Meanwhile, this will be Pep Guardiola’s first Champions League final since reaching it with Barcelona in 2011. Both Man City and Chelsea are entering the final on the back of the great form. Man City has almost secured the Premier League title needing only one more win while also having won the Carabao Cup. Chelsea, on the other hand, while not in the best position in the league, have already booked a place in the FA cup final beating Man City in the semis. Both teams have the star power to win the league with Man City featuring names like Fernadinho, Kevin De Bruyne, Ederson, Sergio Aguero, even a youngster like Phil Foden, just to name a few. Chelsea also boasts a plethora of international stars including Mason Mount, Timo Werner, Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva, and many more. Betting on the final can be a great way for you to earn some money. With betting odds, you can place bets with favorable odds and earn money. Betting Best Odds is a well-renowned betting website that offers bonuses for betting websites, where you can place bets on Premier League matches. The company offers bonuses for a plethora of betting sites including Paddy Power, Betway, Bet365, Coral Bet, William Hill, 888 Bet, and many more.

[thefinishedarticle]

Depth

In Jules Verne’s novel of the same name, the protagonists journeyed Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. The title is popularly thought to refer to the ocean’s depth, but actually refers to distance travelled: the greatest depth actually reached is four leagues.

In my analysis of the depth of European national teams, I’ve gone one further: I’ve looked at Europe’s top five leagues, home to the fifteen top-ranked teams under UEFA’s club coefficients. They’re all familiar names. The top tier is Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus, and Man City. The next rung is made up of Atlético Madrid, PSG, Manchester United, and Liverpool, Sevilla, followed by Arsenal, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund, Spurs, and Roma.

I have looked only at regular players. This means at least 25 appearances so far in the 2020/21 season, including all competitions and sub appearances - these teams have all played over 40 games, so this allows a fair discount for rotation.

Only three national teams can make up a 23-man squad from these teams. 

This will come as a surprise to many. In the build up to Euro 2020, there has been plenty of discussion about the teams to watch. One of the first names on anybody’s list is Belgium, who are seen to have some of the best depth of any squad. They don’t even come close to making the cut. They only have five regular players in the top 15.

This is not the last decade, when every Premier League club seemed to have a Belgian star. Courtois and Mignolet kept goal for Chelsea and Liverpool respectively. Kompany and Vermaelan were the rocks at the heart of City and Arsenal’s back lines, and Alderweireld joined Vertonghen at Spurs. Hazard, de Bruyne and Lukaku were the centre of Chelsea, City and United’s attacks. The same clubs picked up Boyata, Fellaini, Januzaj, Chadli, Benteke, Origi and Bashuayi as part of the world’s new footballing superpower.

Courtois now plays for Real Madrid, and Alderweireld and de Bruyne are still in place, but other than Origi’s spot on Liverpool’s bench the rest have fallen out of the spotlight. Eden Hazard has struggled with injuries since his own move to Madrid, but most have simply passed their prime, or failed to realise their potential. 

Leicester City are leading a second wave with Tielemans, Praet and Castagne.  Mertens is 33 and still a regular at Napoli. Lukaku deserves recognition at Inter Milan, whose coefficient should be higher. Hazard’s brother Thorgan has 19 appearances for Dortmund. But by the terms of this search, only his teammate Meunier and Atleti’s Carrasco join Courtois, de Bruyne and Alderweireld in making the list. They still have some big hitters, but the wave of talent has passed.

Portugal are another team considered amongst the favourites. They have Man City trio Cancelo, Dias and Bernardo Silva, Liverpool’s Jota and United’ Fernandes, some of the best players in the league this year, together with the likes of Atlético’s Felix and Juventus’s Ronaldo. But again, they are nowhere close to having a whole squad of top level players. Only 9 make the list. As with Belgium, they make up the rest of their squad from their own domestic league, and players from second-string teams (including what seems like half of the Wolves squad).

You could argue that it’s more important to have five world-class players than 50 decent ones, and that’s a fair point, but it’s not what I’m looking at here. I’m talking about squad depth, and Portugal simply don’t have it. Neither do Belgium, despite what many of us suspect, given our recent memory of their players’ dominance.

There are two other sides of a similar class. Wales, Scotland, Croatia and Denmark have three players on the list, which is an interesting comparison to Belgium’s five (although, as noted above, a dominant midfield was enough for Croatia’s first team to go far in the 2018 World Cup). Portugal, on nine, are sandwiched between two other big footballing nations: the Netherlands (7) and Italy (11). 

The former aren’t exactly a shock, given that they met Portugal in the 2019 Nations League final. But after the break-up of the Ajax side that starred in that year’s Champions League, they look a little less secure. They should really have another player on the list in the form of de Vrij, with Inter Milan harshly marked down, like we saw with Belgium and Lukaku. But the injury to van Dijk is a massive blow, like Hazard is to Belgium, and they are otherwise fielding a lot of squad players: Bergwijn, van de Beek, Wijnaldum and Ake all technically play for the Premier League’s biggest teams, but they aren’t exactly their star players. They have de Jong at Barca and de Ligt at Juve, but not a great deal more.

It’s perhaps unsurprising that the top five teams represent the top five leagues. You could say it’s inevitable, that even the biggest teams will have a preference for domestic players and so these nations will have players at those teams. You could argue that Portugal and the Netherlands might be better represented if only Porto or Ajax had made the cut. 

Indeed, 7 of Italy’s 11 come from Juve and Roma, with PSG contributing Kean, Verratti and Florenzi and Chelsea’s Jorginho making up the set. Not that half the Juve team is something to be lightly dismissed, and if anything there can be an advantage to having a squad used to playing together. But Juve aren’t quite what they were, and that famous Italian rear-guard are well past their prime, with Barzagli retired, Chiellini and Buffon warming the bench and Bonucci now 33. 

Italy also have the benefit of players at other domestic clubs, like the two Milan teams who are at least the equal of a Porto or an Ajax, and others like Lazio’s Immobile. They’re short on star-power, but they have an actual world class manager in Roberto Mancini, and their recent results have been consistently impressive. They are one of four teams with a chance of winning the 2021 Nations League after the Euros are done, but everybody seems to write them off because they lack Portugal’s big names.

Germany have a similar story. Their list is much larger, jumping from 11 to 21 players, but again there is a domestic advantage: nine of those players come from Bayern, and a further four from Dortmund. But as Bayern may be the best team in the world, having nine of their regulars less a caveat and more of a boast, with that same advantage of having existing relationships and fluency. Adding the likes of Toni Kroos, Ilkay Gundogan and Julian Draxler to Bayern’s midfield, and Germany are as impressive as any team in the world.

But again, they aren’t really rated as one of the sides to watch in the tournament. This might be because of how the numbers are distributed: having 21 players at top sides is impressive, but they can only play three or four midfielders at a time, so having nine or so of the best midfielders in Europe doesn’t really help them more than Portugal having a few of them. They also have three of the best goalkeepers, but look a little bare in defence and up-front, not helped by the decision to exile Boateng, Hummels and Muller since 2018 (a self-inflicted punishment no other nation has to face).

France are the first team to clear the hurdle of 23 players for a squad, with one to spare. They are also the first to have those players spread relatively evenly over all of the required positions. In fact, their squad depth is deeply impressive. Using only Premier League players, they could select a fairly decent group: Lloris, Areola, Fofana, Zouma, Digne, Laporte, Mendy, Saliba, Doucouré, Mendy, Guendouzi, Kante, Pogba, Ndombele, Sissoko, Martial, Lacazette, Giroud. Not all world-class footballers, but that would still be one of the top handful of sides in the Euros.

But then they have players across the rest of Europe. As well as two Man City defenders, they have two defenders at most of Europe’s biggest clubs. PSG just beat Bayern Munich with Kimpembe and Dagba in their backline, and played Kurzawa against Barcelona in the previous round. Bayern have Hernández and Pavard, who won the 2018 World Cup final on either side of Barcelona’s Umtiti, since displaced by Lenglet, and Real Madrid’s Varane, who shares his club with Ferland Mendy.

Further forward, those four teams provide the firepower of Mbappe, Toilsso and Coman, Dembele and Griezmann, and the exiled Karim Benzema (as with Germany, a self-inflicted punishment, although in this case it doesn’t seem to hold them back). A.C. Milan, currently top of the Italian league, have another two defenders in Hernandez and Kalulu. Atlético Madrid have Lemar and Moussa Dembele. Juventus have Rabiot. 

Then there are highly rated players like Upamecano, Aouar, Fekir and Ben Yedder at other sides across the German, French and Spanish leagues. I went with regulars from the top 15 clubs as a rough metric for the best 159 European players, on the basis that football is a meritocracy and the best players tend to either increase the standing of their club or move to a bigger one, but obviously there are big fish in small ponds as well - the exceptions to the rule, and much harder to quantify.

France could probably field two or three squads and they would all make it out of the group stage. Before Belgium and Portugal, they are the first team which get mentioned in terms of Euro 2020 squads, and in their case the hype is fully vindicated. But, strangely enough, they are only third in terms of this list. England pip them by just one player, although that’s two if you subtract Benzema.

Weirdly, England are ahead of them. Again, this is thanks to having a lot of domestic teams in the selection, and indeed almost none of the English players are abroad: Tripper at Atléti and Sancho and Bellingham at Dortmund are the only three of the twenty-five, and they might not even make the squad. That’s less than any of the other comparable nations. 

But the Premier League contingent are also spread out between the teams, so there is no teamwork advantage like Germany have with Bayern. Instead, there is the potential disadvantage that England’s team is made of club-level rivals. As with Germany, the distribution of the players is a problem. It is no good having 50 players on the list if they are all strikers, and England’s list of 25 has five right-backs and no goalkeepers (the opposite of Germany).

The English list is forward-heavy, and most of them won’t make the squad. Kane, Rashford, Sterling, Sancho, Foden, Saka, Nketiah, Hudson-Odoi and Abraham appear for the top clubs in the same positions, and face competition from the likes of Grealish and Calvert-Lewin from elsewhere in the league. In the absence of the injured Joe Gomez, England really only have two top centre-backs, with Curtis Jones and Rob Holding unlikely to even appear as subs. 

The base number is therefore not as impressive as it seems, and about eleven of these players aren’t in Gareth Southgate’s plans. But perhaps that is testament to the depth at other club sides, with players like Rice, Phillips and Lingard appearing in midfield as well as those up front. It’s also true that England only have four players in the top 5 clubs, compared to five for Portugal, ten for France and Spain, and twelve for Germany. They may have more decent players, but fewer superstars. 

That’s right: Spain are top. They have a massive 29 players on the list, and only 14 of those are at Real, Barca, Atléti and Sevilla. Every team on the list has a player with the exception of Liverpool and Dortmund, and even they have Thiago and Morey just a few appearances short. That shows the depth they have even beyond this list. Chelsea’s Kepa and Alonso, City’s Garcia, Arsenal’s Mari, United’s Mata also don’t make the cut, and neither do 17 players who have appeared for Barcelona or Real Madrid this season.

They could make a back line of Gerard Piqué, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Dani Carvajal and Sergi Roberto, with the likes of Isco and Ansu Fati ahead of them, and that’s on top of the 29 players who appeared enough to make the list. Atlético have even more, and most sides in La Liga are predominantly Spanish, with the likes of Iago Aspas and Gerard Moreno (one of the most in form strikers in Europe) further down the table. Spain aren’t mentioned in the same breath as the likes of France, Portugal and Belgium when discussing favourites for the tournament, but I think a lot of people are sleeping on the sheer depth they have available. 

They won the 2020 Nations League group they shared with Germany, beating them 6-0 in November, and underperformed in the 2018 World Cup having sacked their manager on the eve of the tournament. They also won all of the games they played at home, and will be playing most of their Euro 2020 games in Bilbao. The host advantage is often a huge factor for international tournaments, and this time around Italy, the Netherlands, England, Spain and Germany will have an edge. In the group of death between Germany, France and Portugal, could playing in Munich make the difference for the Bayern contingent?

[podcastfcshow]

388: Premier League Matchday 29 Review

Premier League Matchday 29 Review

In this week’s episode, we start off with the North London Derby which saw Tum’s beloved Arsenal take home a 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur.

The fellas transition and discuss Manchester United’s 1-0 victory courtesy of a Craig Dawson own goal which saw Ole’s man command the game very well and Dean Henderson keeping another clean sheet between the sticks to make it 4 in a row in the Premier League for the Red Devils.

The guys move on to talk about Manchester City putting the stop on a hot Fulham side 3-0 which saw Sergio Aguero score his first Premier League goal in 14 months as well as the rumors suggesting Sergio Aguero being signed by Barcelona on a free transfer.

The boys also discuss Chelsea drawing Leeds 0-0 and discuss the rumors surrounding Christian Pulisic as Fabrizio Romano reports that Pulisic is not happy at Stamford Bridge.

The lads move to quick touch which saw Leicester City smack Sheffield United 5-0 behind a Kelechi Iheanacho hat trick, Burnley surprising Everton with a 2-1 win including a Dwight McNeil wonder strike, Brighton FINALLY getting a well deserved victory as they beat struggling Southampton to a 2-1 win, Crystal Palace winning 1-0 as Wilfried Zaha refused to kneel before the match against relegation fodder West Brom, and finally Newcastle United and Aston VIlla drawing 1-1.

The cast close off with a quick preview for Liverpool and Wolves and for world news discuss the rumors suggesting Legendary Striker Cristiano Ronaldo being available for $35 million dollars.

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Check out this new episode!

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Man City beat Barcelona, Juventus and Raptors in new stadium rankings | Football | Sport

The stadium, which was opened in 2003, beat nine other grounds to the title, pipping Barcelona‘s Camp Nou to top spot.

The rankings, which were published by Footy.com, were based on seven criteria the site thought most important to fans on matchdays.

They include season tickets prices, eco-credentials, average price of a pint, smart technology and accessibility.

Transport time and links, seating capacity, distance from nearest city and time it would take to walk were also considered, with the Etihad coming out on top with a score of 70 out of a possible 90.

The Camp Nou came second with 63, followed by Bayern Munich‘s Allianz Arena (54), while Benfica’s Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica and Zenit St Petersburg’s Gazprom Arena both scored 53 points.

Red Bull Salzburg’s Stadion Wals-Siezenheim (51) beat the Parcs des Princes (48), home of PSG, to sixth place, with Juventus FC‘s Allianz Stadium finishing seventh a score of 44.

The Turk Telekom Stadium (43), which hosts Galatasaray’s home fixtures, was ranked ninth, while Genk’s Luminus Arena (42) rounded out the top 10.

The Etihad not only ranked first out of Champions League teams, but took the crown for the best stadium overall, beating Atlanta United’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium and FC Shakhtar Donetsk’s current home, the Metalist Stadium.

Maine Road’s successor also fought off competition from America in the form of the Gillette Stadium, home of Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots, and the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park.

The Scotiabank Arena and Enterprise Center, which are called home by the Toronto Raptors and St Louis Blues respectively, were also included in the study.

Full rankings for Champions League stadia (score):

1. Etihad Stadium – Manchester City (70)

2. Camp Nou – Barcelona (63)

3. Allianz Arena – Bayern Munich (54)

4. Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica – Benfica (53)

5. Gazprom Arena – Zenit St Petersburg (53)

6. Stadion Wals-Siezenheim – Red Bull Salzburg (51)

7. Parc des Princes – Paris Saint-Germain (48)

8. Allianz Stadium – Juventus (44)

9. Turk Telekom Stadium – Galatasaray (43)

10. Luminus Arena – Genk (42)

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EPL: Guardiola makes honest confession as Man City fail to beat Newcastle

EPL: Guardiola makes honest confession as Man City fail to beat Newcastle

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola has admitted that his team did not have control following their Premier League 3-3 draw against Newcastle United on Sunday. Guardiola said that Newcastle made it difficult for Man City, adding that the Magpies were so aggressive. The former Barcelona coach also heaped praises on Newcastle manager, Eddie Howe, for the top-class job he has done at St James’…

[bones-of-magni]

Aunt Mee warns ETH Premiership is not easy – getting De Jong may not survive

Teddy Sheringham thinks Erik ten Hag has a lot of work ahead of his Manchester United debut. United first season Including warnings about trying to grab Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona

Ten Hag successfully managed Ajax to win three of the Dutch league titles in the last four years and he has now decided to take over the Red Devils on a three-year contract.

last season man United had one of the worst Premier League performances in the club's history. In terms of  แทงบาคาร่า collecting points as low as 58 points with finishing 6th in the table

Ten Hag has a lot of work ahead as the team releases a number of out-of-contract players. But now they don't have a single new player to add.

However, they are now heavily linked with Barcelona's midfielder de Jong. and former Ajax team of Ten Hag

Sheringham commented on the situation of the former agency that “There is a big reinforcement job ahead of Manchester United.”

“Eric Ten Hag needs to add players with the right character. And it has to be a player who understands the challenges of playing in the Premier League.”

“Where would he get a player like that from? I saw rumors about Frenkie de Jong, he never played in the Premier League and played for Barcelona. A team that is expected to beat every opponent.”

“Many of Barca's league opponents surrendered to them. That definitely doesn't happen in the Premier League. Every game is a battlefield.”

“What is the speed and quality of the league that makes Tenn? Hag and players like De Jong are shocked, United have the right to have another tumultuous season.”

Then the former striker also said that “We're looking at 5-6 players, you need players with the right character. Accepting to work hard in bringing Man United is back where it should be.”

“It's a serious challenge. from the point of view of the players If you had to choose between City or United However, now you have to choose City.”

“As a player you want to play with the best players. The top players would want to play with De Bruyne or the world-class players that City have a lot of. They are champions and will challenge every competition next season.”

“When you look at Manchester United you don't see that. Now no one can show their form. I thought and was very hopeless.”

“If Ten Hag takes over and can turn the situation around right away. Everything is going to change very quickly too,” he said.

Ten Hag's first game in charge of Manchester United in the Premier League is against Brighton on August 7

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Liverpool Football Club’s exciting XI if Reds beat Tottenham to cover Philippe Coutinho transfer reunion

According to the latest reports in Spain, Philippe Coutinho is related to the unexpected return to Liverpool Football at the transfer window. Here, Express Sport looks at how they will line up if Jurgen Klopp’s team beats Tottenham Hotspur to bring the Barcelona man back to Premier League Football.

Premier League Football fans from worldwide are called to book Premier League Football Tickets from our online platforms, WorldWideTicketsandHospitality.com. Fans can book Liverpool Football Tickets on our website at exclusively discounted prices.

Coutinho’s agent Kia Joorabchian is working hard to secure a transfer for his client, and Tottenham Hotspur is considered the most likely destination. But according to Sport Witness quoted World Sports Mundo Deportivo, Liverpool Football is also interested in reuniting with the 29-year-old player.

According to reports, if Coutinho loses an active star in the transfer window and Barcelona is open to a loan or permanent deals, then Coutinho will receive the attention of the Red Army. So, let's see how Klopp started his team with Coutinho back in the lineup.

Goalkeeper Alisson

Of course, Alisson will score a goal, this week he signed a new long-term contract with Liverpool Football. The Brazilian goalkeeper is considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the world and is the top priority of the Red Army because they ensure the future of the greatest stars. By signing a new contract for 2027, Allison will help lay the foundation for Liverpool Football's success for many years to come.

Defensive Alexander Arnold, Van Dyke, Konat, Robertson

Trent Alexander Arnold also recently signed a new contract. His teammate, full-back Robertson, is one of the people Liverpool Football wants to contain next. Also on this list is central defender giant Virgil Van Dijk, who will return to the core of Liverpool Football's defense this season with newly signed Ibrahima Konat. For more to know About Arsenal vs Liverpool Tickets.

I hope that 22-year-old Konat can become a long-term solution to the Red Army's bottom line. If Joe Gomez can overcome the injury problem, he will also compete for a spot. Joel Matip will provide a replacement.

Midfielder Fabinho, Henderson, Coutinho

Jordan Henderson was linked to the Paris Saint-Germain interest after contract negotiations stalled. The 31-year-old has only two years left on his contract and there are concerns Liverpool Football could lose the captain of the Champions League and the Premier League Football.

However, it is difficult to see Klopp let go of his captain, Henderson, and Fabinho, another person who has signed a new contract. Which can provide a platform to unleash Coutinho's creativity as a midfielder and attacking link. If Henderson leaves, Klopp can still choose players such as Thiago, Curtis Jones, Nabi Keita, and James Milner. For more to know About Manchester City vs Liverpool Tickets.

Attack on Salah, Jota, Mane

Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino’s contracts at Anfield have expired for two years. But according to The Athletic, what may explain the problem is that Salah and Mane are giving priority to discussing the renewal with them. Firmino received some criticism last season, and his position was threatened by Diogo Jota, who had an excellent start to his career at Anfield before the injury.

If the Brazilian striker wants to leave, his club legendary status will be guaranteed. Because he has played a key role in Liverpool Football's success in recent seasons. But the 24-year-old Jota may be the candidate to lead the Liverpool Football team in the next few years. Next to Salah and Mane, Coutinho may provide ammunition from the midfield.

We are offering tickets for Premier League admirers who can get Premier League Football Tickets through our trusted online ticketing marketplace. Worldwideticketsandhospitality.com is the most reliable source to book Premier League Football Hospitality and Premier League Football Packages.

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FIFA 22: 20 of the best teams to manage in Career Mode

FIFA 22 is here, and Career Mode remains one of the most popular features of the series.Whether it is returning a fallen giant to their former glory, building a small club into a big one, or taking on a fashionable team that everyone loves, there is always a challenge out there.And with FIFA 22 dropping, you can run into a brand new career and feel the innovation of HyperMotion technology with whichever team you choose. HyperMotion implements 11 vs 11 motion capture and adds a new animations - as many as 4,000 of them - to make the game feel more realistic than it ever has.Which team should you choose, though? Here’s a look through 20 of the best teams to manage in FIFA 22 Career Mode…Related Articles

Icon / VideoCreated with Sketch.FIFA 22 Review: Gameplay, FUT, Career Mode, Pro Clubs & MoreIt feels as though EA Sports have really put the work in to improve the most important aspect, gameplay, after a few years of decline - and they've managed it.Sep 29, 2021

Barcelona predicted lineup vs Benfica - Champions League A Barcelona predicted lineup ahead of their Champions League meeting with Benfica. Matt O'Connor-Simpson|Sep 28, 2021

Twitter reacts as Barcelona are humiliated by Benfica in the Champions League The best from social media as Benfica beat Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League.Matt O'Connor-Simpson|Sep 29, 2021

Champions League results: Matchday 2Results for Champions League matchday 2 - including Juventus vs Chelsea, Man Utd vs Villarreal & Porto vs Liverpool.Jamie Spencer|Sep 29, 2021

Athletic Bilbao only use local players / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty ImagesBeing in charge of Athletic Club comes with the caveat of only signing players from the Basque region - otherwise known as its cantera policy.It is the ultimate home-grown challenge.

Gianluigi Buffon is back with Parma / Nicolò Campo/Getty ImagesParma are the epitome of cool because of the cult teams they had during the 1990s. They've had several financial meltdowns over the years and are yet to properly recover from the most recent six years ago.They have been back to Serie A after starting out in Serie D in 2015, but relegation last season means starting 2021/22 in Serie B.

Malmo are Sweden's representatives in the Champions League / David Lidstrom/Getty ImagesSweden has produced countless outstanding footballers over the decades and their national team is a staple of the knockout rounds at international tournaments. Yet their club sides have fallen behind.Malmo have flown the flag in the Champions League a few times in recent years, including this season, and remain the only Swedish club to have played in the final - but that was nearly 45 years ago.

Famalicao are Portuguese minnows / Quality Sport Images/Getty ImagesWith a stadium holding barely more than 5,000, Famalicao are Portugal's minnows and are arguably punching above their weight just being in the Primeira Liga alongside the likes of Porto, Benfica and Sporting CP.Success in Portugal is a notoriously closed club. Only five teams have ever been crowned champions, with two of those just one-hit wonders. Adding a sixth, especially a tiny club like Famalicao, would be historic.

Restore Independiente's glroy days / Marcelo Endelli/Getty ImagesHaving won it seven times, Independiente are the most successful club in the history of the Copa Libertadores. But the last of those titles was back in 1984 and the modern hype is for Boca Juniors and River Plate instead.Why not build a team capable of restoring the glory days? You could even try and persuade Sergio Aguero back - he left for Europe when he was 18 and has said in real life he would like to return.

1860 Munich have disappeared into the shadows / Christof Koepsel/Getty ImagesFounded in 1860, obvious when you think about it, 1860 Munich are one of Europe's most historic football clubs. They've been German champions, won domestic and European trophies, but things haven't been good.1860, now completely overshadowed by city rivals Bayern, haven't been in the Bundesliga since 2004 and were briefly in Germany's fourth tier recently. They're now back in tier three, but can you take then back to the top?

Paris FC split from Paris Saint-Germain in 1972 / DAMIEN MEYER/Getty ImagesUnlike other European capitals like London or Madrid, which have numerous top flight football clubs, Paris has just one: Paris Saint-Germain.But Paris FC exist as a result of a split from PSG in 1972 and have been a longstanding fixture of France's lower leagues. Currently in Ligue 2, they have previously threatened promotion to Ligue 1 and French football needs a top flight Paris derby.

Malaga have fallen on hard times since their 2013 peak / SOPA Images/Getty ImagesRemember when Malaga were in the Champions League quarter-finals and on the verge of reaching the semis? It was only as recently as 2013 but decline since those brief glory years have left them in Spain's second tier.The entire first-team squad was released in 2020 to stave off insolvency. There's rarely a blank canvas like it in football.

Hibernian were Scotland's third best club in 2020/21 / Callum Landells/Getty ImagesThe challenge is simple: break the Old Firm dominance of Scottish football. The reality is probably quite a bit harder but worth a good go.It was 1985 the last time a club other than Rangers or Celtic was crowned champions in Scotland. That was Aberdeen led by a young Alex Ferguson.Hibernian were comfortably third in the Scottish Premiership last season so are probably your best bet.

Sutton United are the newest club in FIFA 22 / Christopher Lee/Getty ImagesSutton are the newest addition to the EFL, so taking them further up the English leader ladder would be an ultimate rags to riches tale.This is the first season they have been included in a FIFA game.

Forest Green are a completely unique club / Pete Norton/Getty ImagesForest Green are a unique side that deserve plenty of attention. They became the world's first vegan club in 2015, before they had even reached the EFL, and have kitted out their stadium with eco-friendly innovations.The New Lawn sadly isn't available in FIFA 22, but the club's jazzy home and away kits are not ones to miss.

Make Rochdale interesting / Nathan Stirk/Getty ImagesMake an extremely unremarkable club...remarkable.Rochdale once spent 26 consecutive seasons in the EFL's bottom division without getting promoted or relegated. They've recently had a spell in League One but are back in League Two for the 2021/22 season.Yet this is still the club that had had big names like Rickie Lambert, Grant Holt and Adam Le Fondre pass through in the past.

Blackburn have been out of the Premier League for too long / Alex Livesey/Getty ImagesBlackburn remain one of only seven clubs that have held the Premier League trophy aloft since the new competition was formed in 1992.Yet Rovers haven't been in the top flight for 10 consecutive seasons following their relegation in 2012 and it's about time they returned.Plus there's Chilean sensation Ben Brereton Diaz to manage.

Generations of Nottingham Forest fans haven't seen their club successful / James Williamson - AMA/Getty ImagesTwo-time European Cup winners Nottingham Forest haven't played top flight football for over 20 years since their 1999 relegation from the Premier League. What's more, a good number of those years have seen them finish in the bottom half of the Championship.Restoring the glory days is first and foremost getting back in to the Premier League. Then it climbing the table, challenging domestically and, perhaps ultimately, reigning Europe once more.

Benfica have been cursed for 60 years / PATRICIA DE MELO MOREIRA/Getty ImagesBreak the curse of Bela Guttmann.Achieving domestic success with the Portuguese giants shouldn't be an issue, but the club hasn't experienced European success since 1962 after supposedly refusing legendary coach Guttmann a pay rise.He is alleged to have 'cursed' the club, vowing that they wouldn't be European champions again for 100 years. Given that they have lost five European Cup finals since then, the 'curse' has stuck.

Ajax are a hugely popular club / BSR Agency/Getty ImagesAjax remain one of the most popular clubs in Europe. Historically, they are also tremendously successful but their last Champions League title was back in 1995, although they came close to the final in 2019.Build your own Ajax golden generation and make Amsterdam the heart of Europe once more.

AC Milan need someone to deliver success / Marco Luzzani/Getty ImagesFor being the second most successful club in Champions League history and the third most successful club in Serie A history, AC Milan are currently nowhere near the status they want to be.A sleeping giant for the past decade, the Rossoneri are underdogs in Europe when they were once feared and it doesn't sit right.

Tottenham have been starved of success / Marc Atkins/Getty ImagesA major trophy of any description has eluded Spurs since 2008. They have played in finals in that time but the drought goes on.In 2021, having missed the trophy boat under previous manager Mauricio Pochettino, there is also a rebuilding project to complete, which will make any future successes all the more sweet.

Arsenal are in the midst of an exciting rebuilding project / Clive Rose/Getty ImagesArsenal fans demand success and it will take a skilled manager to deliver it, successfully rebuilding a squad capable of the ultimate goals.It didn't happen right away, but the Gunners rather unsurprisingly fell apart after Arsene Wenger left the club. The rebuild has started and taking over the Emirates Stadium means inheriting some potential, but the process is going to be long and ongoing to yield real success.Arsenal haven't won the Premier League since 2004, haven't seriously challenge since 2008, and have never won the Champions League. Read the full article

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Champions League Predictions and Betting Tips - Free Super Tips

Predictions for todays champions league matches - Champions League Predictions & Betting Tips | Squawka Bet

Bayern Munich aren't going to give full article their hold on the Champions League trophy lightly, judged on a triumph away to Lazio three weeks ago. Hansi Flick's side have since gone on to secure a trio of entertaining Bundesliga victories, although they did fail to keep a clean sheet in any of those games either. An injury-hit Real Madrid returned from Bergamo with a Champions Predictions for todays champions league matches win over Atalanta but the Italian outfit can't be written off just yet.

La Dea were reduced to 10 men after just 17 minutes by the harshest of red cards and are fancied to be link in Spain with a full compliment. Manchester City made light work of beating a struggling Borussia Monchengladbach side in the first leg of predictions for todays champions league matches Champions League last tie. That smooth success meant the Blues have gone over 10 hours without conceding a single goal in Europe's elite club competition.

Barcelona produced the greatest second-leg comeback in Champions League history against PSG four years ago and must attempt a similar feat this term.

Champions League Betting Tips

However, that famous triumph was on home turf and Barca were in far better shape than they are right now, so we fear this is a case of mission impossible. Liverpool's Champions League second-leg clash with RB Leipzig in Budapest presents punters with a fascinating conundrum. Check the latest Champions League odds with Marathonbet as teams battle to reach the final in Istanbul.

Man City have marched to the front of the Champions League outright betting after seizing control of their quarter-final tie with Borussia Dortmund. An early goal for Bayern could make things very interesting at the Parc Des Princes….

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Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. Atalanta 1. Gladbach 0. PSG 1. Barcelona 1. Liverpool 2. RB Leipzig 0. Dortmund 2. Sevilla 2. Juventus 3. Porto 2. Atalanta 0. Real Madrid 1. Chelsea 1. Bayern Munich 4. Dortmund 3. Juventus 1. PSG 4. Olympiacos 0. Lokomotiv 0. Real Madrid 2. Inter Milan 0. Shakhtar 0. RB Salzburg 0.

City 3. Today Grand National Winner Tip. How to bet on the Champions League today Your first port of call should be our free bets page, where you can compare the best predictions for todays champions league matches from all the top bookmakers. How does the Champions League work? Which teams are serie a score predictions the Champions League? When is each stage? The dates for the knock-out rounds are as follows: 16, 17, 23, 24 February — Round of 16, 1st leg 9, 10, 16, 17 March — Round of predictions for todays champions league matches, 2nd leg 6, 7 April — Quarter-finals, 1st leg 13, 14 April — Quarter-finals, 2nd leg 27, 28 April — Semi-finals, 1st leg 4, 5 May — Semi-finals, 2nd leg Our Champions League predictions will cover all these crunch matches in fantastic detail.

When is the Champions League final? Who has won the Champions League most often? New customers only. Offer available from Terms and conditions apply.

The qualifying period runs for 7 days from the date of registration. The likes of Atalanta, Lyon, Manchester City, and even former holders and current Premier League champions Liverpool, will also make the list.

Champions League Outright - Squawka Betting Tip Manchester City. Squawka Betting Tip Chelsea. Squawka Betting Tip Real Madrid. Squawka Betting Tip Bayern Munich. Squawka Betting Tip Liverpool. Teams such as Atalanta, Manchester City and Barcelona score a lot of goals but also concede on a regular basis. Of the 96 group games played last season, 40 predictions for todays champions league matches in a home win, 22 were drawn and 34 were won by the away predictions for todays champions league matches. More away and home wins are to be expected in the group stages than the knock-out rounds.

There are games where the gap between the two sides is a wide one. Place your Champions League Bets at Bet Bayern Munich won the Champions League last season, their first victory since They played 11 games predictions for todays champions league matches won each and every one of them. Lewandowski scored 15 goals for them in their title winning season. The arrival of Leroy Sane from Manchester City gives them even more power up front.

It will be harder though with more visits to the homes of their opponents rather than the Portuguese bubble of Sign-up with Bet Now! PSG long to win the Champions League and are gradually getting closer. Last season saw them reach their first final, only to lose to Bayern Munich It was a major step forward though and they will hope to go one better this season. City thought that hiring Pep Guardiola might get them that Champions League win but they are yet to even reach the final.

Last season was going well for them with a predictions for todays champions league matches over Real Madrid in the last sixteen but then they lost to Lyon in the last eight. City are still prone to an occasional nightmare performance that costs them dearly.