#italy correct scores this weekend

[magalidragon]

lucky charm | a Jonerys drabble

YAY ITALY! 🇮🇹 Congrats @youwerenevermine ! Here’s a little silly for you in celebration and because you made that comment that Emilia was the lucky charm for Italy because she’s there now. 🤣 Wrote this in an hour so it’s silly and dumb but oh well!

“Dany!  Dany where are you!?”

Missandei, her best friend, was on the phone with her, heard the shouting, and chuckled, “He alright?”

“Oh he’s fine, it’s almost time for the Winterfell game.”

“Huh?”

“Football.” Dany tugged the blue football jersey over her shoulders, picking up the phone and placing it back to her ear, now that she’d put on her uniform.  She sighed, leaving her office even though there was still work to be done.  She had a ton of stuff she’d brought home from work, thinking stupidly she’d be able to tackle it, but she’d also forgotten that this weekend was a big one for the Winterfell Wolves.  

She was grateful they didn’t have to go out to the pub, since it was an away game.  When it was away games, they got to stay home.  When it was home games, they had had  to go to the Lone Wolf pub and she would need to stand there for however long the game lasted, whether it went into a shootout or drew or whatever.  She was from Essos; they didn’t have football as big as it was here in Westeros.  

And she’d met and fallen in love with a man who seemed to be completely normal on the outset.

Then she’d met him when the Wolves played.

He turned into a beast.

She also happened to be there the day that they won the first game in over 100 years to the Casterly Lions.  They were well on their way to being engaged, had spoken about moving in together, marriage, the whole lot of it, and if she hadn’t already had those conversations with him, she would have thought him proposing mid-fuck later that evening—one of the best ones they’d ever had honestly, she should tell the Wolves to win more often—was only because he was so happy that his beloved team had won for first time in 100 years.

And a few months later when she ended up at the dentist with a chipped tooth from tripping over her fucking cat Drogon, the Wolves had lost the worst game they’d ever lost in centuries.  

Jon was positive it was because she wasn’t there with her.

It didn’t matter there were times they lost when she was there.  He found an excuse.  She was in the bathroom, he didn’t have the right beer, they were at the wrong person’s house, maybe her hair was in the wrong type of style as it was the day, they beat Casterly, whatever.  

She loved it about him.  It was just a little quirk that made her look at him with a knowing smile, a slight shake of the head, and she’d kiss him and murmur she loved him, and she’d allow him to put her in a Wolves jersey and sit her on the couch or the correct pub chair or whatever.  

The television was already on in the living room when she entered and Ghost had his jersey on, sitting on his massive pillow bed with a new bone.  “Who are we playing tonight?” she asked, pretty sure he’d told her, but she couldn’t remember.  

“Highgarden.”  He pulled her in his lap, passing her a beer.  She took a sip and made a face; it was a Northern brand she really didn’t like but tolerated because she’d taken a sip against the Dornish Snakes and the Wolves came back from a nil-four goal deficit.  He kissed her temple.  “How is Misssandei?”

“Wondering why I cut her off to come down and watch this game with you.”

He grinned, his dark curls tugged from his face, in his ancient, threadbare, with holes on the edges jersey that she was sure he’d had since childhood.  He tugged her towards him for another quick kiss.  “Because it’s the game.”

“Which game is this exactly?”

“Regular game, but the Westeros Cup is coming up.”

“That the big one that’s every four years?”

He looked horrified at her.  “No!  That’s the WestEssos Cup where we play Essosi teams and we go by provinces, not individual teams.  The Westeros Cup is where each province plays each other to determine who is the superior football player in all of Westeros and it is clearly the North and that starts in two weeks.”  

“I’m so sorry darling.”  She kissed his temple, chuckling.  “Ah, so that means the Crownlands will be playing.”

An instantly suspicious look fell over his face, his gray eyes narrowing.  “Aye.”

She smiled sweetly.  “Well I’m from the Crownlands.”

“Hmm…you’re from Essos.”

“I was born on Dragonstone.  Does that not make me Westerosi?”

“It does.”  He looked confused now, brow wrinkling, unsure whether he was going to accidentally offend her with what he probably was getting into.  “Um…but you live in the North.  With me.  A Northerner.”

She giggled; she was just fucking with him and hugged her arm around his neck, stealing a quick sip of beer and passing it to him again.  “Just fucking with you.  Let’s watch this game, huh?”

“My lucky charm.”

“If you’re a good boy I’ll show you the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow when the game’s over.”

He turned pale pink.  “I was drunk when I said that.”

“Yes, I remember, your pot of gold is good too.”  She was never going to let him live that down.  Especially since he told everyone that she was his lucky charm.  She was why the Wolves won, not that he’d put all his faith in just her alone.  He did support the talent of the team, their coach, and everyone who made it go.

But mostly he believed she was the reason they won.

And she loved that about him.  Her superstitious little wolf.  

“And the North plays in this cup coming up, huh?”

“Yes, we’re going to win.”

“Hmm.”

“Because I have you.”  He pressed a hard kiss to her lips, just as someone on the television scored.  He whooped, almost throwing her clear off him to cheer, as the Wolves had scored within a minute of the game starting.  She sighed, falling into the couch cushions and made eyes with Ghost, who gave her a well we do love him face.  

That we do, she thought, getting up to get herself a proper drink at the next commercial break.

Several weeks later, Dany made all of Jon’s dreams come true.

Not only did she secure him tickets to the final of the Westeros Cup via her brother’s connections—it paid sometimes to have a brother who was in politics—where the North were playing against the West, but just before the Wolves won in a shootout, she passed him a small bag with something she purchased before they arrived.  

Jon, slightly distracted as the Northern player lined up for the kick, glanced in the bag.  “Oh, another shirt?  That’s nice, but…not now.”  Her quiet wolf sucked in his breath as the player kicked and he clutched her tight.  

And he scored.  

The stadium went insane, every Northerner fan throwing up their blue and white scarves, t-shirts, hats, and waving the Northern gray and white flag, screaming hysterically.  

Jon was almost in tears, holding onto her tight and screaming in his excitement.  She grinned and jumped and down with him, lifted clear off the ground, his arms hoisting her up, so she was downright climbing him like a tree.  “We did it!  You did it!  My lucky charm!  My Dany!  We won!  We won!”

Dany smiled, thinking of the bag with the infant t-shirt she’d purchased, that he had barely registered.  She’d tell him later; she didn’t think she was the lucky charm this time, but something else.  

“Sure Jon,” she teased, kissing him hard, mumbling.  “You’re my lucky charm too.”  

[modiggs811]

Bernardeschi: Little by little we were losing our values. This is a wake-up call

Federico Bernardeschi is sitting on his balcony in Turin. The sun is shining. “It’s 20 degrees,” he says. One of his bulldogs, Spike, barks in the background. The 26-year-old politely introduces us over our video call and gives the pooch a pat on the head. “He’s got a ball now. He’s happy.”

It’s a picture of normal life in abnormal circumstances. As of the weekend, there have been almost 200,000 cases of COVID-19 in Italy. Bernardeschi’s Juventus team-mates Daniele Rugani, Paulo Dybala and Blaise Matuidi all tested positive. But the country is turning a corner and after nearly two months of lockdown, the government has announced it will begin lifting some restrictions next week.

The crisis has left a profound impression on Bernardeschi, who remains in self-isolation but doesn’t live in a bubble. “Every morning at 8:30, I turn on the news. It’s the first thing I do,” the winger tells The Athletic. “Information is really important. You have to be aware of what’s going on around you and I always hold out hope there’ll be some good news when maybe yesterday, there wasn’t any. Gradually, we’re coming through the other side of it but we’re still in for the long haul.”

The Athletic is talking to Bernardeschi on April 25 — Liberation Day in Italy, commemorating the victory of the resistance at the end of World War II. Later in the afternoon, Italy’s president Sergio Mattarella cut a lonely but dignified figure walking down the steps of the Vittoriano monument in Rome in a protective mask after laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. At the same ceremony a year ago, he called the liberation Italy’s second Risorgimento (Resurgence) after the unification of the states into one country in 1861. Freedom from COVID-19 could yet be its third.

“I get goosebumps talking about the doctors and nurses, and everyone who is risking their lives to help their neighbour,” Bernardeschi, who has scored four goals in 24 appearances for the national team, says. “I have to say what our healthcare workers have done and continue to do is a miracle of humankind.”

Bernardeschi donated €50,000 to the Gradenigo hospital in Turin and raised another €80,000 through GoFundMe for eight sub-intensive care beds and other necessary equipment. Perplexingly, having a social conscience is something Bernardeschi and former Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio have been criticised for in some quarters. They have been called “buonista” — virtue-signalling, politically correct do-gooders — by an element of Juventus’s ultras, who seem to have a problem with them using their platforms to shine a light on a variety of different social issues, not to mention calling out anti-immigration rhetoric.

“When someone, as you say, calls me ‘buonista’, for me, it’s a compliment,” Bernardeschi insists. “The world today needs more humanity and less selfishness when it comes to all the choices and big decisions we make at government and political level. Right now, we should be thinking about the families going through hard times rather than just looking at our own backyard. I hope this situation makes us understand that.”

The economic repercussions of the pandemic are placing ordinary households under tremendous stress and strain. Some are struggling to put food on the table and the footage from supermarkets of customers breaking down in tears, unable to pay for groceries, moved Bernardeschi. “I was watching a video on my phone with my partner (Veronica) and we both said to each other, ‘Damn, this is a major emergency’. We saw people who were unable do their shopping because they’d run out of money.”

It made Bernardeschi think of Caffe Sospeso, an time-old Neapolitan tradition of paying not for one coffee but two, so someone less fortunate than you can get one on the house. He wondered if the same might be possible in supermarkets — a Spesa Sospeso — whereby customers could make a donation of between €2 and €5 to cover the cost of essential groceries such as pasta, rice, milk and bread for those in need. Carrefour agreed to partner with him, as did Banco Alimentare, a charity that redistributes unsold food to the homeless. They’ll be delivering the Spesa Sospeso to the most vulnerable.

“I know what it means to see your parents struggling because it’s the end of the month and there’s no money left,” says Bernardeschi. “And all the while, they’re still doing everything to help you realise your ambitions and make your dreams come true.”

Bernardeschi became a father in August and one silver lining of lockdown is the time he has got to spend with his daughter, Deva. “I get up, get ready and make breakfast. I pick my baby girl up and get her to help me. I show her everything I’m doing. I’m with her for about an hour and then I do my first training session of the day. I shower, have some lunch and then, from one till six, I’m with her all afternoon. We play and then I put her down for a nap and watch some TV, like La Casa de Papel (Money Heist on Netflix). I started (basketball documentary) The Last Dance.”

Bernardeschi reaches for the guitar, too. “More than playing it, I’d call it plucking at it. I strum. I’m a big AC/DC fan. Back In Black is on the playlist when we run out at the Allianz Stadium. I like the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Nirvana…” Bernardeschi’s desire to nail Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here on guitar — the Italy international’s favourite song — was probably a bit too ambitious. “I need a teacher,” he says.

Art fascinates him. His former Fiorentina team-mate Manuel Pasqual is a collector and shares former England manager Fabio Capello’s love of Lucio Fontana’s slashed canvases. “Berna” is more a street art kind of guy, though. “Banksy’s a genius,” he says. “Usually, artists only make it big after they die but Banksy’s managed to do it while he’s still alive. He’s famous and yet no one knows who he is. It’s madness. The man’s a genius in art and in marketing.”

At six o’clock, Bernardeschi trains again. Revised government guidelines indicate teams will only return to practice on May 18 and even then, it’s unclear whether group sessions and ball-work will be permitted. For now, the commute to Juventus’ Continassa facility will have to wait. “After the session, we have some dinner together, I put my daughter to bed and we put a film on. We go to bed destroyed. My daughter destroys us,” Bernardeschi laughs. “We’re in bed by 10. Then the morning comes and it starts all over again.”

As Italy’s sports papers speculate about his future with Juventus, Bernardeschi thinks about his daughter’s. Fatherhood has given him a renewed sense of purpose and perspective. “I work today for the world she’ll live in tomorrow. That’s how I think about it,” he says. “Doing something positive for her and every generation that comes after us.”

The pause caused by the pandemic presents a chance to rethink how we behave as a society and what we prioritise. It could serve as a teachable moment. “Little by little, we were losing our values,” Bernardeschi says. “For a long time now, we haven’t respected the environment, we haven’t respected ourselves, we haven’t respected our neighbours. We’ve been selfish. I think this situation will make us reflect on what the world could be like in the future. It’s a wake-up call for everyone. We’re guests on this planet. We have to ensure everything that surrounds us is in harmony with nature.”

Bernardeschi hopes the solidarity and compassion of the last couple of months lasts long after the pandemic is over.

“It was really emotional seeing all of Italy on their balconies at six o’clock singing the national anthem,” he says. “It means we are united as a country, that we’re a beautiful country. I hope that, as soon as this is all over, we can go back to the piazze (squares) and celebrate, sing, shout and rejoice at having got through it all.”

[newstfionline]

Thursday, October 15, 2020

Teen well-being (The Atlantic) Teens who participated in a 1,523 respondent survey between May and July this year were assessed for various mental well-being measures including life satisfaction, happiness, depression symptoms and loneliness. Their responses were then compared to the results of the same survey in 2018, and much to the surprise of the researchers, the teens were pretty much on par, and the percentage of teens depressed or lonely was lower in 2020 than in 2018. This is not to say that teens escaped the malaise that gripped the nation, far from it: 63 percent were concerned about catching the virus, 27 percent said a parent lost their job, 29 percent knew someone who caught the virus. No, the reason for the shift is that those considerable sources of anxiety were compensated for by the fact that teens were finally sleeping the correct amount of time: in 2018, just 55 percent of teens slept seven or more hours a night, and this year 84 percent slept seven or more hours a night while school was in session.

Cruise ship dismantling booms after pandemic (Reuters) Business is booming at a sea dock in western Turkey, where five hulking cruise ships are being dismantled for scrap metal sales after the COVID-19 pandemic all but destroyed the industry, the head of a ship recyclers’ group said on Friday. Cruise ships were home to the some of the earliest clusters of COVID-19 as the pandemic spread globally early this year. In March, U.S. authorities issued a no-sail order for all cruise ships that remains in place. On Friday, dozens of workers stripped walls, windows, floors and railings from several vessels in the dock in Aliaga, a town 45 km north of Izmir on Turkey’s west coast. Three more ships are set to join those already being dismantled. Before the pandemic, Turkey’s ship-breaking yards typically handled cargo and container ships, Kamil Onal, chairman of a ship recycling industrialists’ association, told Reuters. “But after the pandemic, cruise ships changed course towards Aliaga in a very significant way,” he said of the town.

Europe tightens rules as virus surges (AP) Governments across Europe are ratcheting up restrictions to try to beat back a resurgence of the coronavirus that has sent new confirmed infections on the continent to their highest weekly level since the start of the pandemic. The World Health Organization said Tuesday there were more than 700,000 new COVID-19 cases reported in Europe last week, a jump of 34% from the previous week. Britain, France, Russia and Spain accounted for more than half of the new infections. Italy and France are restricting parties and putting limits on restaurants and bars. The Netherlands went further and ordered the closing of all bars and restaurants, And to discourage partying at home, it banned the sale of alcohol after 8 p.m. The Czech Republic is closing all schools until Nov. 2, while Latvia is ordering teenagers to switch to distance learning for a week. And Britain unveiled a three-tiered system for deciding what restrictions to impose, based on how severe the outbreak is in certain areas. Those moves reflect a new approach to containing the virus among governments wary of hurting already fragile economies. Officials are eager to avoid the total lockdowns they imposed in the spring that resulted in heavy job losses. Instead, they are relying on a patchwork of regional or targeted restrictions that have sometimes caused confusion and frustration by those affected. The U.N. health agency appeared to support the new approach, with WHO spokesman Tarik Jasarevic saying lockdowns should be a “last resort.”

With winter on the way and windows open, Europe’s students prepare for the cold (Washington Post) With winter on its way and coronavirus guidelines advising teachers to keep classroom windows open, students across Northern Europe are preparing for the chill by packing blankets in their school bags and layering up in warm clothing. There is increasingly a consensus among experts that good ventilation is one of the best ways to prevent the virus from spreading. Anthony Costello, a former director at the World Health Organization, said last month that children “can survive a bit of cold, and they’re going to have to, because ventilation is so important.” With temperatures in Germany frequently dropping to freezing, children in the city of Bochum are bracing for a crisp learning environment as officials advise teachers to open the windows for fresh air every 20 minutes. Children have been told to bring blankets and wrap up. Although some schools struggle with the advice that the cold air needs to be brought in, schools in Denmark and other Nordic education systems are taking lessons—and young students—outside. More than half of about 200 Norwegian schools surveyed in a poll by researchers Ulrich Dettweiler and Gabriele Lauterbach last month said they were holding more classes outdoors—a move some already had planned on that was further propelled by the pandemic.

Belarusian crisis escalates (Foreign Policy) Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has demanded that President Aleksandr Lukashenko resign by Oct. 25 or face nationwide strikes. “[On] Oct. 26, all enterprises will begin a strike,” she said in a statement, “all roads will be blocked, state-owned stores will no longer have any sales.” Tikhanovskaya is hugely popular among protesters but fled to Lithuania in the aftermath of the controversial Aug. 9 election, which saw Lukashenko win by a landslide amid allegations of electoral fraud. Tikhanovskaya’s ultimatum is part of a wider escalation of tensions between Lukashenko and anti-government protesters. On Monday, the government authorized police to use lethal force against protesters after the ninth consecutive Sunday of massive protests in the capital of Minsk.

For Nagorno-Karabakh’s Dueling Sides, Living Together Is ‘Impossible’ (NYT) Armenians and Azerbaijanis lived side by side in the Soviet days, until conflict over the disputed mountain territory called Nagorno-Karabakh exploded in the late 1980s into riots, expulsions and a yearslong war. The violence left personal wounds festering for decades, as stubborn as the tan and gray stone ruins of Azerbaijani villages still scattered in the Armenian countryside. In the last two weeks, those unhealed scars have erupted into a modern-day conflagration of trench warfare, drone strikes and artillery bombardments. More than 500 Armenian soldiers have died, along with scores of civilians and an unknown number of Azerbaijanis. A cease-fire brokered in Moscow over the weekend has failed to hold, and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan has threatened a further escalation of his offensive. For the region’s populace, the war is a continuation of on-off strife over both territory and history, with roots going back more than a century. The days when the Soviet Union kept a lid on such conflicts, and Azerbaijanis and Armenians mostly lived together in peace, feel like an irrevocably lost world. “Each wants to say that he is the master of this land,” said one refugee who left Azerbaijan in 1989. “To live together is, put simply, impossible.”

China’s Xi lays out plan to build Shenzhen into global rival to troubled Hong Kong (Washington Post) Chinese leader Xi Jinping announced plans to make Shenzhen an international trade hub and talent center, setting up the mainland metropolis as a business alternative to its politically troubled neighbor, Hong Kong. In a speech on Wednesday, Xi called for Shenzhen to take the lead in developing high-value innovative industries and drawing international talent. He said Shenzhen will develop its finance sector and international trade capabilities—which are Hong Kong’s economic strengths. The top-level support for Shenzhen was a clear message for Hong Kong, which lies just across a river from Shenzhen, said Victor Gao, a chair professor at China’s Soochow University and a former Foreign Ministry official. “If you do not have stability, if you are caught up in revolution, or great turmoil, or anarchy, then you will lose out on whatever advantages and resources you may have previously had,” Gao said. “Then your economic development will reverse course.” Hong Kong, which was supposed to enjoy self-governance in most of its affairs until 2047, has become a thorn in Beijing’s side because of large-scale public protests against China’s tightening control.

Japan’s navy adapts to the digital generation (Times of London) Japan’s navy is to launch a new, scaled down warship to compensate for a drop in recruitment among young people who cannot tolerate long periods at sea without access to their smartphones. The 30FFM frigate is designed for a crew of about 90 sailors, half that of the older vessels. The smaller crews reflect the crisis in recruitment faced by the Maritime Self-Defense Forces. The navy is struggling to fulfill its recruitment quotas, and in 2018 reached only 60 per cent of its target. In that year, it raised the upper age limit for recruits from 26 to 32. It has also taken steps to overcome the principal disincentive to would-be sailors—enforced isolation from the outside world. Sailors can now send emails from their mobile phones and have limited wireless internet access.

Thailand declares emergency after unprecedented protest (AP) Thai authorities declared a strict new state of emergency for the capital on Thursday, a day after a student-led protest against the country’s traditional establishment saw an extraordinary moment in which demonstrators heckled a royal motorcade. After the pre-dawn declaration, riot police moved in to clear out demonstrators who after a day of rallies and confrontation had gathered outside Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s office to push their demands, which include the former general’s stepping down, constitutional changes and reform of the monarchy. The protest Wednesday in Bangkok’s historic district, not far from glittering temples and royal palaces, was the third major gathering by student-led activists who have been pushing the boundaries of what is considered acceptable—and legal—language by publicly questioning the role of Thailand’s monarchy in the nation’s power structure.

Southeast Asia flood deaths near 40 as new storm approaches (Reuters) Nearly 40 people have died in Vietnam and Cambodia and scores more were missing, including rescuers, due to prolonged heavy rain and flash flooding as tropical storm Nangka edged towards the Vietnamese coast on Tuesday. Heavy rains since early October have caused deadly floods and landslides in several provinces in central Vietnam and displaced thousands of people in western Cambodia, officials and state media said. The floods are expected to worsen over the coming days, with tropical storm Nangka forecast to dump more rain as it makes landfall in Vietnam on Wednesday.

Coronavirus lockdown 2.0 deepens divisions in Israel (AP) When Israel went into lockdown last spring, Jerusalem pub owner Leon Shvartz moved quickly to save his business—shifting to a delivery and takeaway model that kept him afloat throughout the summer. Then came the second lockdown. With restaurants and shops shuttered again, Shvartz’s business is struggling to survive. He has laid off 16 of his 17 employees. By contrast, Israeli software maker Bizzabo, which operates in the hard-hit conference-management sector, quickly reinvented itself last spring by offering “virtual events.” It has more than doubled its sales and is expanding its workforce. Such tales of boom and bust reflect Israel’s growing “digital divide.” Even before the pandemic, Israel had one of the largest income gaps and poverty rates among developed economies, with a few high earners, mostly in the lucrative high-tech sector, while many Israelis barely get by as civil servants, in service industries or as small business owners. Those gaps have widened as the second nationwide lockdown, imposed last month, dealt a new blow to an economy already hit hard by the first round of restrictions. The fallout from the pandemic has also deepened long-simmering divisions among Israeli Jews, pitting a largely secular majority against a powerful ultra-Orthodox minority.

[pk77m]

England suffer shock 4-0 home loss to Hungary as Nations League misery continues

England are staring at the prospect of relegation from UEFA Nations League Group A3 after suffering their worst home loss since 1928 with a 4-0 defeat to Hungary at Molineux on Tuesday.

Roland Sallai found the net in both halves to propel the visitors to their first away win against England since a famous 6-3 win at Wembley in 1953. England's misery was compounded in the final 10 minutes as Zsolt Nagy and Daniel Gazdag scored further goals and John Stones was shown a second yellow card to make it one of the worst nights of Gareth Southgate's reign.

Olley: Gareth Southgate's popularity tested in historic England loss to Hungary

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England remain winless and at the bottom of their Nations League group with two points from four games, including a 1-0 defeat to Hungary in the reverse fixture earlier this month. Hungary top the group on seven points, ahead of Germany and Italy. The group winners go to the Nations League finals next June while the bottom team are relegated.

Southgate made nine changes from the team that drew with Italy at the weekend to give some fringe players a chance. But despite dominating possession, England created few chances, and the experiment backfired leading to loud boos from the home support.

"It's not pleasant," Southgate said. "The irony is that the pressure we've had and the reputational comments have come in the two Nations League campaigns, and in neither campaign have we been anywhere near able to pick our strongest teams for the games. The matches where every other England manager has been judged, we've had the best performances for 50 years.

"So there is a balance in my head. I'm really clear. But I totally understand the response tonight. I totally understand there's been this narrative all week. I didn't think that was correct after the Germany game. But tonight, I can't dress up what's happened tonight in any way, shape or form. But if we're judged on the matches with our full strength players, then I think it's a different assessment.

[tkmedia]

Watching someone fall in love with football made my Euro 2020

Saturday 12th June. The Euros are just over 24 hours old and it feels like Christmas. Me, my housemates and selected others are letting our hair down for the weekend, blaring out music and knocking back cans in the basement of our shared house. Bored of listening to Flo Rida and the Black Eyed Peas on rotation, like some hellish flashback to my secondary school prom, I decide to queue some classics on Spotify. A minute later, the opening notes of ‘Three Lions’ begin to echo around the low ceilings. To me, this choice feels fitting – England are playing Croatia the next day after all. ‘World in Motion’ and ‘Vindaloo’ follow, each song belted out by the lads in attendance with arms spread and the atmosphere becoming increasingly euphoric. Well, almost. Stood in the corner of the room are two of my female housemates and their faces are a picture. More accurately, one looks bemused while the other is eyeing me in a manner that suggests I’ve bathed myself in dog shit and used the remnants as face paint. Fast forward four weeks to before the final and I’m having a long phone conversation with the latter about tactics, formations and debating whether Italy or England had the stronger subs bench. Proof, if nothing else, that a lot can change in a month. Euro 2020 was a tournament for the ages, probably the best I’ve ever experienced in real-time. It ticked all the boxes of an all-time classic – loads of goals, attacking football, matches we’ll be talking about for decades to come, drama and excitement everywhere you looked, underdogs doing well, engaging storylines from the first whistle and worthy champions. Even England rose to the occasion, making the final and giving the nation a chance to bathe itself in lager. Football didn’t come home, but that shouldn’t detract from what Gareth Southgate’s young team have achieved over the past month. But my favourite part of these Euros? Seeing non-football fans become swept up in the event. One person stands out in particular. Living in the same house for the past two years, me and Nicole overcame initial indifference to form an incredibly close connection. There were enough differences between us to keep things interesting but we shared plenty in common – a similar music taste, love of animals and cooking to name but three – and generally got on like a house on fire. But football? Football was rarely a topic of conversation. Nicole simply didn’t show any interest in the sport. After clocking my disappointment following West Ham’s defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup last February, her attempts to console me veered strongly towards ‘chin up, it’s only a game’ territory. On one hand, this was very annoying and a masterclass at missing the point. But I also saw the wider perspective and appreciated having someone close outside of the football bubble. And, like most things, she was right. It is only a game. But none of this led me to expect the Euros would capture Nicole’s imagination in the manner it did. • • • •

READ: 28 iconic moments that tell the story of a magnificent Euro 2020 • • • • From unpromising beginnings (basement, Three Lions, dog shit), her interest in the tournament grew organically. Noticing the emotionally charged atmosphere at the Denmark-Belgium game. Asking me to tilt my laptop screen so we could watch Croatia play the Czech Republic together. Admitting to checking the score on her phone while out for the first half of England against Scotland. It was Nicole that took the executive decision to switch from Wembley to Hampden Park at half-time during the final group match and wonder at Luka Modric’s piss-taking goal. This was weighed with sympathy as Scotland were brushed aside by a grizzled Croatian team. By now she was hooked and wanted to watch a game in town. Living in Manchester, there’s no shortage of options but work commitments and difficulty booking a table meant finding the right time was proving impossible. We eventually settled on Slovakia against Spain, a fine choice considering her love of Spain and Spanish culture. Arriving late, and convincing the bar owners to show the game instead of Sweden v Poland, we ended up missing Martin Dubvraka’s spectacular own goal but saw Spain stroll through the second half towards a 5-0 victory. It was only natural to stay and watch the conclusion of Group F afterwards. Missing key moments became a theme of the tournament. Denmark’s rollicking win over Russia? Attending to Nicole’s pet horse. The madness of extra-time between Italy and Austria? Squabbling over making brownies. England battering Ukraine in the quarter-finals? Missed the first three goals after trying to find our mate’s house in the city centre and ending up in the outskirts of Altrincham (which, I humbly admit, was entirely my fault for entering the wrong directions). But there was still plenty to savour, such as laughing at Sam Matterface as he shrieked “RONALDO WANTS THE BALL!!” during one desperate Portugal attack. Then there was watching France’s incredible defeat to Switzerland on my laptop as Love Island went ignored on the main television. And who could forget Harry Kane, spilt pints and seeing England beat Germany at our local with a big group of mates? SCENES! Harry Kane puts England two-up against Germany! #ENG 2-0 #GER 📺 Watch live: https://t.co/0Sp2UauTpF#bbceuro2020 #euro2020 pic.twitter.com/KXU7RQgCSl — Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 29, 2021 Interest in the tournament didn’t wane despite moving house before the quarter-finals. Watching games together was replaced with cross-country phone calls and messages as the matches grew in importance and tension. Nicole had the infuriating habit of making correct predictions. It was her that called the Czechs beating Holland, Italy knocking out Belgium and every game from the semi-final onwards. Classic case of beginner’s luck, but I suspect I won’t be allowed to forget it for another three or four decades. These mystic tendencies were matched by her astute calling of matches. Italy did resort to dirty tactics (Chiellini on Saka especially) while other teams played cleaner. England did back off after scoring in the final. And it was hard not to feel sorry for Ruben Vargas and Alvaro Morata after their missed penalties. Ultimately, that’s the point about these tournaments. There’s a certain snobbery towards non-football fans from die-hard supporters, but the joy of international football is feeling part of a national event. Take the emotional rollercoaster of Kane’s penalty against Denmark for example. Only sport can produce those moments, ones you share with half of the entire country. That’s why the international game will always feel more important than club football. I’ll ignore Nicole’s threats to carry on watching football as Manchester United’s newest fan, probably the single most thing that would boil my piss. Because these fantastic Euros were enriched by sharing them with somebody close who’s not usually interested in the game. By Michael Lee More from Planet Football 28 iconic moments that tell the story of a magnificent Euro 2020 Euro 2020’s top chance creators, passers, dribblers, tacklers and more Away Days: 479 days later, a trip to the match at last; now I want the real thing Can you name the top scorer at every European Championship since 1992? Read the full article

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Soccer Prediction, Bet lines and tips for Today's matches. | Betting Hits

Soccer Prediction, Bet lines, and tips on Soccer Games being played today. We cover most of the popular games including top leagues...

Soccer Prediction, Bet lines, and tips – Do you love free tips? I sure do, which is why I curate the top football betting tips every day and offer them to you for free.

Well actually it is all not free, I mean the tips are free but you know we all have to make money somehow so when you register for any offers via our site, we make affiliate income which is why we can manage to offer the rest of the services for free.

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The Top Soccer Prediction, Bet lines and tips for today

Below are some of the most popular soccer tips for today and how to bet them.

1X2 betting tips

soccer Accumulator tips

BTTS tips (Both teams to score tips)

BTTS and win tips

Over / Under

Correct score tips

Combo bets

MLS betting tips

Premier League betting tips

La Liga Betting tips

Bundesliga Betting tips

French Ligue one betting tips

Series A betting tips

Champion League Betting tips

Soccer Props

1. 1X2 Betting tips

This is the most common of wagers which is used to predict the match-winner after 90 minutes excluding extra time. Basically one predicts if the home team (1) will win or the visiting team will win (2) or the match will end in a draw (X). For a bet, nothing could be more simple.

2. Soccer Accumulator tips (ACCA Tips)

The Accumulator bet is the most lucrative in soccer betting due to its nature of having high odds, one only has to invest a small amount to hit big on their bets. Below is a good example of an accumulator ticket. This is a 10 match premier league accumulator that would yield $2448  from a $20 investment.

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3. BTTS Tips (Both teams to score tips)

A BBTS wager is a prediction on if both teams will score in a match. it does not take into account wins or losses, just the scores.

The variant to this bet is if both teams do not score as seen in the diagram below. In this example, the BTTS wager is either a choice for yes or no. The GG stands for goal-goal and NG stands for no-goal.

So the question being asked here is will both teams score (GG) and if the answer is yes then the odds given are 1.59. If the answer is no (NG) then the odds given are 2.16.

The BBTS Yes odds are lesser because both these teams have terrific offenses and while Liverpool is clearly the better team this season, and thus might win this game, Chelsea plays very well at home and score often which means there is a high probability of them scoring in this game.

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4. BTTS and win tips

BTTS and Win wagers are a combination of both BTTS and Win, the wager comes in two combinations.

BTTS and win – Both teams to score and win

BTTS and Win no goal – Both teams to not score or one team to score and win.

5. Over / Under

The over-under wager predicts how many goals will be scored in a match and the tipster bets the over or under amount. Since even numbers make it difficult for bookmakers to determine the odds, a half-point was added to each margin which why you will see these bets showing a .5 at the selection for example over 0.5 represents 1 goal, Over 1.5 represents 2 goals, and so on as seen in the diagram below.

6. Correct Score Soccer Bet lines

As the title suggests, this wager determines the correct score of a particular match which is no easy feat and which is why this bet is very lucrative for the punter. It is the most exciting bet to entertain.

7. Combo bets

Combo bets are football bets that combine more than one outcome in a single ticket. Unline an Acca, a combo bet can be any ticket that has more than one wager on it. for example how many corners were taken and how many red cards in a game.

8. MLS betting tips

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The MLS is gaining more popularity in the US and so is the MLS betting craze, we offer MLS betting tips on all the league games and other competitions during the season and offseason friendlies.

9. Premier League betting tips

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Get the top betting tips on the premier league throughout the season. With the best odds and outcomes from our betting experts. The premier league is a different type of animal to bet on so check out our tips from people who understand this league well.

10. La Liga Betting tips

Nothing is more exciting than betting on Barcelona, Real Madrid, El Classico, Lionel Messi, and the other stars of the Spanish league La Liga. Would you like futures to bet on how many goals Messi will score in a season or who will win the Balon?. You have come to the right place for that.

11. Bundesliga betting tips

Bayern has been dominant in the Bundesliga for a long time but the past few years they seem to be on the decline and some of the other teams are making a run for the title, teams to look out for are Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. With 4 losses already this season, this might be the year the king gets knocked off the crown and we are here to share it all with you.

12. French League one betting tips

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The dynamic duo that is Neymar and Mbappe lead the stars of the French Ligue as they seek relevancy in the champions league and the respect of their peers. This motivation leads to terrific bet opportunities for these clubs and players.

13. Italy Serie A betting tips

When Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2019 to join Juventus, it created a paradigm shift for the Italian league which some would say was floundering but he has single-handedly arguably brought some fresh excitement back to the league and we are on for the ride. Bet on him every time for success.

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14. Champions League Betting tips

All these stars of all these top leagues only get to play against each other in the Champions league which creates a lot of fireworks. We are here to provide betting tips for each and every champions league match from the group stages to the playoffs and the elimination rounds.

15. Soccer Props betting tips

Betting on individual players’ accomplishments has become a very entertaining and profitable affair. Our prop bets cover all the top players within gameplay and futures bets like the golden boot winners and scoring champions. The in-game bets would be Messi scoring at any time for example in the anytime goalscorer accumulator.

Free Soccer prediction,  bet lines for Today matches

as we said earlier all our soccer tips for today are free and will always be free, we have no intention of charging you a single cent so don’t worry and enjoy our tips for your benefit and profitability.

Best Soccer Prediction, Bet lines for today

The best and easiest soccer tip we would like to offer today is this. each sportsbook has its own internal mechanisms of determining how they produce odds and one should never be married to just one of these guys. To find value and profitability, one has to shop around for the best deal. do that and you will come out a winner more times than not.

In fact, one of the surest ways of winning a bet is called arbitrage betting which is rooted in the fact that you have to shop around to various sportsbooks.

Soccer prediction and Bet lines for Tomorrow matches

We don’t just offer today’s matches, but we offer tomorrow’s matches as well so you don’t need to be stuck checking our today matches when you can plan ahead for a multiday Acca if that’s the bet that you are interested in making.

Weekend soccer prediction

Most leagues play matches on weekends and that’s when most betting takes place so we have you covered with our weekend betting tips that will help you win your money back, so stay tuned because we have you covered 7 days a week.

Rubah4d kini hadir dengan menyajikan diskon untuk pemasangan togel terbesar yang berlaku untuk semua pasaran togel yang pernah ada dan ternama masa kini.

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Headlines

Historic blast of polar vortex sets scores of records, scatters rare May snow in Eastern U.S. (Washington Post) A blast of Arctic air marched south across the eastern Lower 48 to start the weekend, bringing winterlike temperatures to millions of people and even a confetti of snowflakes. Records fell like dominoes as the icy air mass spilled south, first lapping at the Midwest before surging all the way east to the Atlantic. It’s one of the most prolific late-season cold outbreaks on record, thanks to a piece of the low-altitude polar vortex breaking off and meandering uncharacteristically far south. From Texas to Maine, record lows for May 9 fell in every state in the eastern half of the Lower 48 north of Florida. Several locations also registered their lowest May temperatures ever recorded and coldest weather this late in the season. Lows dipped into the 20s in 20 states.

A distinct possibility: ‘Temporary’ layoffs may be permanent (AP) In late March, Britney Ruby Miller, co-owner of a small chain of steakhouse restaurants, confidently proclaimed that once the viral outbreak had subsided, her company planned to recall all its laid-off workers. Now? Miller would be thrilled to eventually restore three-quarters of the roughly 600 workers her company had to let go. “I’m being realistic,” she said. “Bringing back 75% of our staff would be incredible.” Call it realism or pessimism, but more employers are coming to a reluctant conclusion: Many of the employees they’ve had to lay off in the face of the pandemic might not be returning to their old jobs anytime soon. Some large companies won’t have enough customers to justify it. And some small businesses won’t likely survive at all despite aid provided by the federal government.

One-Third of All U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Are Nursing Home Residents or Workers (NYT) At least 27,600 residents and workers have died from the coronavirus at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities for older adults in the United States, according to a New York Times database. The virus so far has infected more than 150,000 at some 7,700 facilities. Nursing home populations are at a high risk of being infected by—and dying from—the coronavirus, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, is known to be particularly lethal to older adults with underlying health conditions, and can spread more easily through congregate facilities, where many people live in a confined environment and workers move from room to room. While just 11 percent of the country’s cases have occurred in long-term care facilities, deaths related to Covid-19 in these facilities account for more than a third of the country’s pandemic fatalities.

Coronavirus shuts the Mexican beer industry down, and the country is running dry (Washington Post) During the bone-dry days of Prohibition, Americans slipped over the border to guzzle beer in Mexico. A century later, Mexican towns are the ones going dry. The government has largely shut down beer production, saying that it is not essential during the country’s coronavirus outbreak. The last bottles of Tecate, Corona, Modelo Especial and Dos Equis for Mexican consumption rolled off the lines in early April. “Many people are desperately searching for beer,” said Raúl Funes, the head of a craft-brew association in Tijuana, just south of San Diego. “It’s like toilet paper.”

The red flags of Colombia (Washington Post) When the food supply at the community shelter had dwindled to a single package of Swiss chard, Robinson Álvarez Monroy stepped outside and hung a red scarf. Across Colombia, the red flag—or scarf, or towel, or T-shirt—has come to symbolize an urgent need for assistance. It’s a cry for help. In some places, the scarf, towel, or T-shirt has been waving for more than a month. Colombia had reported more than 10,000 cases of the coronavirus and 420 deaths as of Friday night, far fewer than South American neighbors Peru, Ecuador and Brazil. But lockdowns have devastated the region’s fragile economy, and the informal laborers who must work to eat. People in the slums say help comes from those who see the flags and stop to give them food.

Pandemic shows contrasts between US, European safety nets (AP) The coronavirus pandemic is straining social safety nets across the globe—and underlining sharp differences in approach between wealthy societies such as the United States and Europe. In Europe, the collapse in business activity is triggering wage support programs that are keeping millions on the job, for now. In contrast, in the United States more than 33.5 million people have applied for jobless benefits and the unemployment rate has soared to 14.7%. Congress has passed $2 trillion in emergency support, boosting jobless benefits and writing stimulus checks of up to $1,200 per taxpayer. That is a pattern seen in earlier economic downturns, particularly the global financial crisis and the Great Recession. Europe depends on existing programs kicking in that pump money into people’s pockets. The U.S., on the other hand, relies on Congress taking action by passing emergency stimulus programs. Economist Andre Sapir, a senior fellow at the Bruegel research institute in Brussels, said budget policy in the U.S. plays partly the role that Europe’s welfare system plays because the American welfare system is less generous and a recession can be much harsher on workers.

French parents anguish over sending children back to school (AP) As France prepares to start letting public life resume after eight weeks under a coronavirus lockdown, many parents are deeply torn over a question without a clear or correct answer: Should I send my child back to school? Due to the slow startup, as well as ongoing fears about COVID-19 in hard-hit France, school attendance will not be compulsory right away. Parents and guardians may keep children at home and teachers will provide lessons like they have during the nationwide lockdown. Returning students will find their classrooms running differently. Teachers will wear masks and remind children to social distance from each other and to wash their hands several times a day.

Italy has long been Europe’s wild card. The coronavirus has upped the risk. (Washington Post) After two months of ambulance sirens, mourning and isolation, this is the damage report from Italy: The novel coronavirus death toll has surpassed 30,000. The country is hurtling into its steepest recession in modern times. Tourism has gone bust. Many restaurants and shops lack the cash to ever reopen. The government’s brittle finances are becoming ever more stretched. All the while, many Italians feel embittered and alienated. They are disappointed in the continent’s early response to the pandemic and its fallout. Anti-European sentiment has spiked. So has the uncertainty about what might happen next in Italy’s topsy-turvy politics. Even before it was hit by one of the world’s deadliest outbreaks, Italy was seen as the wild card of Western Europe—flirting on-and-off with populism, sometimes seeming to be only one mismanaged crisis away from becoming the continent’s next Brexit or Greek-style debt disaster. Now that crisis has arrived, and what hangs in the balance is not just Italy’s stability but that of Europe, as well.

In Japan, pandemic brings outbreaks of bullying, ostracism (AP) The coronavirus in Japan has brought not just an epidemic of infections, but also an onslaught of bullying and discrimination against the sick, their families and health workers. A government campaign to raise awareness seems to be helping, at least for medical workers. But it’s made only limited headway in countering the harassment and shunning that may be discouraging people from seeking testing and care and hindering the battle against the pandemic. Apart from fear of infection, experts say the prejudice against those even indirectly associated with the illness also stems from deeply rooted ideas about purity and cleanliness in a culture that rejects anything deemed to be alien, unclean or troublesome. Medical workers risking their lives to care for patients are a main target, but people working at grocery stores, delivering parcels and carrying out other essential jobs also are facing harassment. So are their family members.

Infections rise in Asia (AP) China and South Korea reported new spikes Sunday in coronavirus cases, setting off fresh concerns in countries where outbreaks had been in dramatic decline, and new protests against pandemic restrictions erupted in Germany despite the easing of many lockdowns in Europe. Worldwide, health officials are anxiously watching to see just how much infection rates rise in a second wave as nations and states emerge from varying degrees of lockdown. Later Sunday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was expected to take a different tack, keeping most restrictions in place as he reveals a ‘road map’ for the future of the country that has the most official virus deaths in Europe at over 31,600.

Virus Forces Persian Gulf States to Reckon With Migrant Labor (NYT) The Kuwaiti talk show panelists were holding forth on an issue that the coronavirus has pushed to the forefront of national debate: whether their tiny, oil-rich monarchy should rely as heavily as it does on foreign laborers, who have suffered most of the country’s infections and borne much of the cost of its lockdown. “Go to malls in Kuwait—would you ever see a Kuwaiti working there?” said one guest, Ahmad Baqer. “No. They’re all different nationalities.” Not long after, a South Asian man slipped into the camera frame, serving tea to each panelist from a tray. He appeared three times during the program, his presence unacknowledged except by one panelist who waved away a fresh cup. In the Middle East’s wealthiest societies, the machinery of daily life depends on migrant laborers from Asia, Africa and poorer Arab countries—millions of “tea boys,” housemaids, doctors, construction workers, deliverymen, chefs, garbagemen, guards, hairdressers, hoteliers and more, who often outnumber the native population. They support families back home by doing the jobs citizens cannot or will not take. But as oil revenues plummet, migrant labor camps become coronavirus hot spots and citizens demand that their governments protect them first, the pandemic has prompted a reckoning with the status quo. “The two things that Gulf countries depend on the most, oil prices and foreign workers, these two have been hard hit with the coronavirus,” said Eman Alhussein, a fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington. “The coronavirus has unleashed all these issues that have been put on the back burner for a long time.”

South Africa’s alcohol ban during lockdown reveals its deadly drinking habits (Washington Post) South Africa has taken some of the most drastic measures in the world to curtail the spread of the novel coronavirus, but one has generated fierce debate like no other: a ban on the sale, and even transport, of alcohol. On one side: drinkers who say their rights are being impinged on and bottle shop owners and liquor companies that are going broke. On the other: a public health system that is unburdened by thousands of monthly hospitalizations resulting from accidents and violence attributed to drunkenness. More than 5,000 fewer admissions to trauma units per week can be attributed to the alcohol ban, according to Charles Parry, director of alcohol research at the South African Medical Research Council. The council’s data also shows a decrease in excess deaths in South Africa, suggesting that the lockdown, with its alcohol ban and decrease in vehicle use, may have saved the lives of more South Africans than the 186 that the coronavirus is confirmed to have killed so far. “Instead of patching people up with stabbing wounds, nurses can focus on training how to handle covid cases,” Parry said, referencing covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus. “Based on our model, at least 15 people who would have otherwise died from alcohol-related traumas are being saved every single day.”

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New Post has been published on https://www.freenews.today/2021/04/05/bayern-get-the-job-done-to-set-up-ninth-straight-title/

Bayern get the job done to set up ninth straight title

A fine weekend of football saw Bayern take control of the German Bundesliga title race with a win over rivals RB Leipzig, while Atletico Madrid’s defeat to Sevilla saw La Liga’s blown wide open. In England, Liverpool destroyed Arsenal as Manchester City continued their march to the title and, in Italy, Inter Milan took advantage of another Juventus slip up.

Sadly, the headlines in Spain were also dominated by an allegation of racism directed at Mouctar Diakhaby as Valencia walked off the pitch in solidarity, only to return shortly after without him

It’s Monday, and Gab Marcotti reacts to the biggest moments in the world of football from the past weekend of internationals in Europe.

Jump to: La Liga, Spanish FA miss chance | Dortmund UCL hopes hit | TAA at his best | Mbappe, Neymar misfire | Solskjaer hairdryer? | Guardiola’s Plan B | Atletico lose, title race open | Asensio shines | Inter close on title | Juve game in hand vital | Chelsea’s issues | Mourinho mistakes | Milan drop more points | Imanol shows his joy

Bayern show they can gut it out, nine in a row looms

Bayern Munich may well have set up their ninth straight Bundesliga title on Saturday with that 1-0 victory over Leipzig, but it was neither easy, nor pretty. And on a different day — with better finishing from Julian Nagelsmann’s side, especially early in the second half — it could have turned out differently. So while Nagelsmann is correct when he says a draw would probably have been a correct result, there is no argument about who the better side is overall: not his.

What struck me was how well Bayern held up physically and mentally against a hugely motivated opponent that flew out of the gate early. Clashes immediately following an international break are usually marked by physical and mental fatigue — Leipzig’s XI amassed a total of 10 starts on international duty over the previous 10 days; Bayern’s had a whopping 19 — yet while they conceded the bulk of possession, they never felt as if they were being outworked.

– Stream ESPN FC Daily on ESPN+ (U.S. only) – ESPN+ viewer’s guide: Bundesliga, Serie A, MLS, FA Cup and more

Credit Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka for their leadership in the middle of the park; credit Thomas Muller, who set up the winner (hey, at least he was well rested … Danke, Jogi Low!); credit Hansi Flick for his solution to Robert Lewandowski‘s injury-enforced absence. Flick could have shuffled things around, inserting Serge Gnabry or Jamal Musiala into the mix (or moving Muller up front). Instead, he went like-for-like with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting. Not in terms of quality or goal-scoring obviously (fun fact: Lewandowski has scored more league goals in the past 18 months than Choupo-Moting has managed in his 13 year career), but as far as intensity and movement are concerned. This allowed Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman and Muller to operate as they usually do, which they did to great effect.

As for Leipzig, it will go down as a missed opportunity, but also perhaps a lesson on the value of big-game experience. I’m loath to cite this, because I tend to think — despite what so many football folk who know more than me say — it often gets overrated. However, if there was a game when it felt like Bayern made it count, it was this one. There’s no shame in finishing second to a side like this.

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ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop talks the latest shameful display of racism towards Mouctar Diakhaby in La Liga.

La Liga, Spanish FA miss chance to act over racism

Sometimes, every detail can be correct according to the letter of the law, but the outcome is a hugely flawed big picture. And in a business where optics matter, the major takeaway from Valencia‘s game at Cadiz is the image of Mouctar Diakhaby sitting alone in the stands, having been substituted after alleging that he was racially abused by an opponent, Juan Cala.

That image is a stain on the game, and the details of how we got there matter. The referee, David Medie Jimenez, did not have the authority to take action against Cala because, as his report notes, neither he nor his assistants heard the alleged abuse. Diakhaby complained to him, but unless Cala was going to confirm it, the referee — however wrong it feels — could not do anything.

Nor was there any basis to abandon the game, as might have been the case if the abuse had come from the stands and been clearly audible. Nope, this alleged abuse was the most pernicious and cowardly kind, one-on-one, with no immediate third-party witnesses. (Though at least one of Diakhaby’s teammates, Jose Gaya, says he heard it.)

Valencia walked off the pitch in protest and, according to their statement, only returned 20 minutes later because they were told that they risked forfeiting the game if they did not, and because Diakhaby himself urged them to continue.

Again, strictly based on the letter of the law, it’s true that if you walk off the pitch you risk a forfeit, but this feels like a collective failure and a missed opportunity. For example, in those 20 minutes, perhaps Valencia might have come to the conclusion that a stand might be more important than a mid-table game late in the season.

Moreover, perhaps somebody at La Liga and/or the Spanish FA might have picked up the phone and said something to this effect: “These are exceptional circumstances. The world is watching us. We’re going to have a full investigation, of course, but more than that, if you don’t feel comfortable continuing under these circumstances, we will back you 100%.” On Monday, league president Javier Tebas said there will be an investigation.

In comments on Monday, Cala said that “apparently the presumption of innocence doesn’t exist in this country,” adding: “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hide.” Nevertheless, there is a process and it says he is innocent until the facts can be established. He’s entitled to that.

But Diakhaby is also entitled to not endure the humiliation of needing to be substituted, then sitting on his own in silence for reporting that he had been racially abused.

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Jurgen Klinsmann joins ESPN FC to have his say as to where Erling Haaland should play next season.

Dortmund’s Champions League hopes hang by a thread

It was just about a playoff for the Champions League. Win and you get within a point, with plenty of momentum behind you. Lose and you’re seven back, with seven to go.

Well Borussia Dortmund contrived to lose 2-1 against an Eintracht Frankfurt side led by a manager, Adi Hutter, who doesn’t get anywhere near as much love as he should and a striker, Andre Silva who — say it softly — has outscored Erling Haaland in the Bundesliga this year.

Germany’s top division is on ESPN+. Can Bayern Munich stay on top, or will the likes of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig take over? ESPN+: Live games and replays (U.S. only) Bundesliga home | Schedule | Standings

Let’s leave Haaland to one side, for now. (There will be plenty of time to discuss the road show and speculation over his future elsewhere, but gut instinct still says he’ll be around next season, even if they’re in the Europa League.) Let’s focus instead on how a team with the second-highest wage bill in the Bundesliga can find themselves in this position.

For so long, Dortmund have been praised for their ability to attract and develop young stars that, maybe, you wonder if they’ve come to believe their own hype a little too much. You can’t dump everything on the manager, whether it’s your lame duck veteran (Lucien Favre) or his in-over-his-head (equally lame duck, because you hired Marco Rose to replace him in mid-season) placekeeper, Edin Terzic. Not when you’re assembling a team like a child playing FIFA; not when your senior players go missing; not when you have rotating keepers by necessity; not when you employ Thomas Meunier.

If you think Rose is going to fix everything, think again. This is a collective failure, and even a top-four finish or a Champions League run won’t change that.

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Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens get heated when discussing Trent Alexander-Arnold’s Euro 2020 hopes.

The real Alexander-Arnold stands up

For much of the season, Trent Alexander-Arnold had well below his best. Blame injuries elsewhere in the back four, blame the month he missed in November, blame the fact that he only turned 22 the month before that and, when you’re that young, even with three campaigns at the highest level under your belt, sometimes you can drop off. But he roared back in a big way on Saturday as Liverpool pummelled Arsenal 3-0.

Jurgen Klopp said Alexander-Arnold had been “devastated” at being excluded from Gareth Southgate’s England team during the international break. It’s unusual for a manager to come out so strongly in favour of his player particularly when — you’d assume — Southgate had reached out to him and told him he was still very much in his plans for Euro 2020. (And if that assumption is wrong, well, that’s on Southgate).

England may have a bunch right-sided defenders — Kyle Walker, Kieran Trippier, Reece James — but none come close to an Alexander-Arnold at his peak. You would assume this would be obvious and it’s hard to see a guy like Southgate, who is routinely praised for his man-management, somehow being insensitive in breaking the news to Alexander-Arnold. Just as, you’d assume, Klopp would be happy to not see another of his players away on international duty.

Whatever the case, a sterling performance from Diogo Jota against a limp Arsenal sent Liverpool on their way. That second half especially showed how 4-2-4 might be a viable option for Klopp, particularly if Fabinho continues to dominate the midfield. As for the Gunners, manager Mikel Arteta said he was “in shock” and took “responsibility” for the performance, saying it was his “fault” since he set up the team. Yes, Arsenal really were that bad, and the absence of David Luiz, Granit Xhaka, Bukayo Saka and Emile Smith Rowe weighed heavy.

But think about it for a minute. Luiz turns 34 next month and is out of contract in June; it wasn’t that long ago that Xhaka was seen as the root of all that ails this club; Saka and Smith Rowe are 19 and 20 respectively, and the folks who played in their place are high-priced veterans. Responsibility here goes well beyond Arteta, even if he’s willing to be the fall guy.

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Alejandro Moreno says Neymar will never learn to be a leader after his red card for PSG vs. Lille.

Mbappe, Neymar misfire as Lille regain top spot

First off, credit to Lille. The fact that this side are top of Ligue 1 despite racking up enormous debts, changing owners and losing over $300m worth of talent (Nicolas Pepe, Gabriel, Victor Osimhen, Rafael Leao) over the past 18 months is a testament to manager Christophe Galtier’s work.

On Saturday, he outcoached Mauricio Pochettino, thoroughly deserving the 1-0 win, which came courtesy of Jonathan David (who, with all due respect to Alphonso Davies, probably deserves the unofficial title of ‘Canadian Men’s Footballer of the Year’, at least for a season). That said, Pochettino was let down badly by the absence of the injured Marco Verratti, the performance of Kylian Mbappe and the silliness of Neymar, who got himself sent off late on.

Verratti can’t help being hurt, and we can write off Mbappe’s game as a bad day at the office, but Neymar is harder to accept. This was his first start in nearly two months, so some ring rust is understandable. Less understandable is picking up two foolish yellow cards, both for reacting to opposition fouls; first with a hand to the face and then with a shove to the back. I get it. He’s frustrated at being fouled and, maybe, at not being fully match fit.

But it’s been 12 years since his debut and he regularly gets manhandled every time he goes on to the pitch. That’s nothing new … and most of the time, he handles it. That’s why he’s one of the highest-paid players in the world. At 29, he’s there to provide experience and leadership as much as quality. He let himself, and his teammates, down badly. Now, another ban looms as PSG slipped three points back in Ligue 1 and Monaco close in behind them.

Hard to buy Solskjaer’s hairdryer treatment

Did Ole Gunnar Solskjaer channel his inner Sir Alex Ferguson after a first half which saw his Manchester United side a goal down and thoroughly outplayed by Brighton? He hinted as much when he said: “Sometimes after international breaks it takes time [to regain your rhythm] and then maybe the fireworks have to be lit at half-time… Sometimes you’ve got to raise your voice.”

He was grinning when he said this, so take it with a pinch of salt. Some managers shout all the time; some are generally more composed so when they do shout, you tend to pay attention. And some are simply very difficult to picture reading the riot act. Solskjaer is in this latter category.

If he did rant at half-time, it would be dangerous for him to think that made the difference. United were only marginally better in the second half, coming back thanks to Brighton errors and the superior individual quality of their goal scorers (Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood) and goal providers (Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba). And, even then, Brighton should have had a late penalty when Harry Maguire clattered into Danny Welbeck.

Still, on a purely practical level, in a COVID-ravaged season United are second and will likely record their second-highest points total of the post-Sir Alex era. And there’s still a Europa League trophy to play for. At some point it has to all come together…

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Janusz Michallik reflects on the performances of Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero against Leicester.

Pragmatic Pep has a Plan B

The two most common knocks on Pep Guardiola were that he was too dogmatic (that old Johan Cruyff quote — “If Plan A isn’t working, Plan B is to stick to Plan A and do it better” — haunts him to this day) and he occasionally overthinks things. They always struck me as a bit contradictory and Manchester City‘s win on Saturday offered evidence that while the latter may still be true, the former definitely is not.

Read all the latest news and reaction from ESPN FC senior writer Gabriele Marcotti.

Returning from international break against Leicester City was an obvious banana skin. Brendan Rodgers’ side are third for a reason, and while they may be a tad more predictable without the injured Harvey Barnes and James Maddison, they remain a legitimate threat. So Guardiola mixed things up. We saw two holding midfielders — Rodri and Fernandinho — in front of the back four, to mitigate the threat of the counter. And, up front, we saw Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus: while the latter began out wide, it had been ages since the pair started a game together and they helped tie up Rodgers’ back three.

It meant the likes of Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva, Joao Cancelo, John Stones, Phil Foden and Raheem Sterling could all be on the bench after their international efforts. And it unleashed guys like Fernandinho and Aguero, both of whom have played little this season and therefore are not short of motivation (and energy). City neutralized Leicester while waiting for their superior quality — check out Kevin De Bruyne‘s defence-splitting pass for the second goal — to decide the match.

It’s not necessarily what we’re used to seeing from Pep, but it worked a treat.

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Julien Laurens questions Diego Simeone’s tactics after Atletico Madrid’s 1-0 loss to Sevilla in La Liga.

Sevilla blow Liga race open as Simeone faces tough calls

The signs were there before, but Marcos Acuna‘s goal (after some great work from the ageless Jesus Navas) to give Sevilla 1-0 win this weekend meant Atletico Madrid have collected 11 points from their last eight games. That’s mid-table form and to make things more frustrating they’ve dropped points against teams like Levante and Getafe during that run, while also being played off the park by Chelsea in the Champions League.

Atletico have been playing badly too — this game was one way traffic and goalkeeper Jan Oblak had to save a penalty as well — and while we’re used to Diego Simeone churning out results with minimum effort, this feels different. They looked confused, shell-shocked and insecure, three traits you don’t usually associated with Simeone sides.

Atletico are very much still in the running and the interesting call to make is whether to stick with the old script of defending and grinding (which yielded results in the past) or continue to pursue playing your way out of it, even though that too hasn’t really worked either.

Asensio shines as Real Madrid win

League games sandwiched between an international break and Champions League knockout round are classic “minimum effort, maximum result” fare, particularly, as was the case for Real Madrid‘s game with Eibar, when you’re pitted against supposedly lesser opponents.

This isn’t Zinedine Zidane’s first rodeo and he could only have been delighted by how things went in the 2-0 victory. He deployed his back three without incident (a set-up with the added bonus of giving Marcelo a run-out without putting him in a position where he does damage defensively), rested Raphael Varane and Toni Kroos, and got to enjoy a solid performance from Marco Asensio, his “on-again, off-again” would-be superstar.

Asensio has scored in each of the last three games and while it’s too early to anoint him as an alternative to Karim Benzema, he looked as sharp and effective as he has in a while. He’s as good a candidate as any to take some pressure off Benzema while Zidane waits for Eden Hazard (to get fit), Rodrygo (to mature) and Vinicius Jr. (to learn the art of the end product).

Inter take big step towards title, but Conte right not to be pleased

With Milan dropping points, Inter took a huge step towards their first Serie A tittle in 11 years thanks to their 1-0 win over Bologna — courtesy of Romelu Lukaku‘s 20th league goal of the season — and are now eight points clear with a game in hand.

Italy’s top division is on ESPN+. Can Juventus make it 10 straight league titles? If not, will the Milan clubs, Napoli or Atalanta take over? ESPN+: Live games and replays (U.S. only) Serie A home | Schedule | Standings

You can make the point that, at this stage, results are all that matter and maybe you’d be right. But this was hardly a sparkling performance and it’s no coincidence that manager Antonio Conte continued to wave his arms and pace up and down like a caged gorilla in the second half.

Simply put, Inter scored first and then went to play on the counter, sitting deep. Bologna had the bulk of possession but lacked the quality to create chances. You can play this way in Serie A against young, mid-table sides like Bologna but not against better sides (and not in Europe). Sometimes, especially post-international break, you just have to take the three points and move on. And that’s what Inter did.

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Gab Marcotti looks ahead to Juventus and Napoli’s crunch game in the race for a Champions League spot.

Juventus’ game in hand now a UCL six-pointer

Juventus were held 2-2 by Torino and it could have been worse if their crosstown rivals had been awarded a penalty when Matthijs De Ligt appeared to hack down Andrea Belotti. It’s easy to point to individual errors (Dejan Kulusevski, Wojciech Szczesny) and individual bad decision-making (Weston McKennie, Arthur and Paulo Dybala were all left out after violating COVID restrictions at a party), but when so much of it goes on — and not for the first time this season — there’s a bigger failure.

Andrea Pirlo had called for a reaction after Juve’s shock defeat against Benevento. Fine, the players go away for the international break, they have time to mull it over and this is how they react? By partying as if it was pre-COVID and slipping from one blunder to the next? It’s fair to question Pirlo’s ability to keep his players in line and motivated and that’s not good news for him since the other part of the equation — the new philosophy he was going to install — has been slow in coming as well.

On Wednesday, they have their game in hand against Napoli (Stream LIVE on ESPN+ in U.S.) and the stakes are obvious. Lose and you’re out of the top four, two points back with nine games to go. Pirlo won’t be spared scrutiny either. Juventus are committed to the project and they say they’re committed to him. But a top-four finish is non-negotiable. And the minute they feel that’s in serious jeopardy, you’re no longer safe. Pirlo can ask his old New York City FC teammate Frank Lampard about how Chelsea felt about that…

Chelsea suffer defensively, but issues are further upfield

When you concede five goals — twice as many as you’ve conceded since Thomas Tuchel took over — at home to the second-bottom side in the league, fingers, rightly, get pointed at the defence. Fair enough. Thiago Silva got himself sent off; Kurt Zouma was atrocious; Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic struggled in front of them. But, make no mistake about it, Chelsea’s 5-2 defeat against West Brom wasn’t simply a case of a red card after half an hour and Keystone Kops defending gifting the visitors’ goals.

Chelsea were outplayed by Sam Allardyce’s side and seemed unable to keep the ball at the other end of the pitch. Tuchel’s insistence on a “lightweight” front three led by Timo Werner after his hellish international performances (maybe he thought it would offer a confidence boost?) is also hard to understand against an opponent like this.

The fact that, by the start of the second half, Tuchel had already been forced to burn two substitutions — with Thiago Silva’s red and Christian Pulisic‘s weird muscle issue — further limited his options. Is it just a blip? Probably. But given the teams behind them in the table — and, if West Ham win on Monday night, ahead of them — the margin for error is narrowing.

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ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop anticipates the end of the line for Tottenham Hotspur and Harry Kane.

Sometime Mourinho makes mistakes, too

After conceding a late goal against Newcastle United that turned a 2-1 win and fourth place into a 2-2 draw, Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho was asked by BBC Radio why his teams of yesteryear were so good at preserving leads, while this Spurs team has all the solidity of a cardboard battleship. He replied: “Same coach. Different players.”

Undoubtedly true. Joe Rodon and Davinson Sanchez won’t be mistaken for John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho anytime soon. The question is whether it benefits anyone to point out their flaws in public. Maybe Mourinho just made a mistake. Like he appeared to do when he noted that Toby Alderweireld and Serge Aurier were unavailable because, after returning from international duty, they failed to complete their COVID-19 tests in time for training on Friday.

(“I don’t want to say indiscipline … I don’t want to say this …” he said, perhaps oblivious to the fact that he mentioned the “I” word, not the interviewer.)

The curious thing is that, as Belgian journalist Kristof Terreur pointed out, Tottenham’s own social media account featured pictures of Spurs’ training on Friday which showed Alderweireld happily joining in. Evidently it’s not just his defenders who make honest mistakes; it’s also the manager.

Milan drop more points as big hitters struggle

All season we’ve heard how even just getting in the top four would be success for Milan. It is probably true and their early run at the top of Serie A was perhaps destined to come to an end, but the 1-1 draw with Sampdoria should serve as a reminder that, maybe, this squad was deeper than some realize.

On a day when Theo Hernandez gifted the opposition a goal, when Hakan Calhanoglu looked lost, when Ismael Bennacer failed to dictate play and when Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked all of his 39 years, Milan struggled even after the opponents were reduced to 10 men.

Yet when manager Stefano Pioli loosened the shackles and we saw the likes of Jens Petter Hauge, who notched the equalizer, and Pierre Kalulu, Milan looked sharper and even came close to grabbing the winner.

A draw was a fair result, but if there’s one thing you take from it is that, perhaps, they could go even further in trusting some of their kids. And that maybe they shouldn’t be held to ransom over some contract extensions…

Copa winner Imanol shows why it means more for some

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Real Sociedad’s Imanol Alguacil chants in his post-match press conference after clinching the Copa del Rey title.

Real Sociedad are the 2019-20 Copa del Rey champions, beating Athletic Bilbao thanks to a Mikel Oyarzabal penalty. They’ll only get to call themselves holders for two weeks because, on April 17, Athletic Bilbao (again) play Barcelona in the 2020-21 final. (Thank COVID for that quirk).

To many neutrals, though, the day will be remembered for what happened after, when La Real coach Imanol Alguacil slipped on a club jersey during the post-game press conference and let out a classic. (It would have worked better in a room full of media rather than over Zoom, but — again — you know what to thank for that.)

Imanol joined the club in 1988, a few months after they won their previous trophy. He played there for 10 years and returned in 2011, working first at youth level and then for the B-team before finally getting his crack at the top job in December 2018, initially on an interim basis and then permanently.

He loves the club. It’s his local club. In an age of itinerant bosses and polarized leagues where money builds success and reputations, you can see why one Copa del Rey at Real Sociedad means as much as 10 trophies elsewhere.

Source

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Champions League: What has happened so far this season?

Robert Lewandowski, Erling Braut Haaland, Adrian and Josip Ilicic enjoy all played huge roles – some appropriate and a few unfriendly – in the Champions League this season

The Champions League returns on Friday – and it feels fancy a lifetime in the past because the community levels and early knockout fits.

The remaining four closing-16 ties will doubtless be played this weekend, with the remainder of the tournament then going down in a chain of 1-off games in Lisbon.

What has already came about this season? BBC Sport recaps among the principle storylines.

A brand unique famous person emerges – whereas a faded enjoys his entirely season

Robert Lewandowski has scored a Champions League plan every 48 minutes this season, whereas Erling Braut Haaland averages one every 55 minutes

Two avid gamers enjoy reached double figures in the Champions League this season – after correct six and eight games respectively.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has scored a excellent 11 targets in six fits.

He netted towards Crimson Star Belgrade, twice towards Tottenham, twice and as soon as towards Olympiakos, four events in Belgrade, modified into as soon as rested towards Spurs and then scored as soon as towards Chelsea.

The 31-year-feeble Poland global is taking part in the entirely season of his profession, with 51 targets in 43 fits for Bayern – along with one every 81 minutes in the Bundesliga.

He is one sure of Erling Braut Haaland, who had perchance the most spectacular commence as a lot as Champions League lifetime of any player.

Haaland, who entirely became 20 in July, scored an fabulous 10 targets in eight games (one every 55 minutes) – despite being knocked out of the tournament twice.

He grew to become the first player to find eight targets in his first five appearances in the Champions League – nonetheless Crimson Bull Salzburg went out in the neighborhood levels with defeat by Liverpool, despite scoring 16 targets. Handiest three teams scored more on this season’s community levels.

Haaland then joined Borussia Dortmund, and struck twice towards Paris St-Germain to attach 10 targets in seven games, four games sooner than any other player in the competition’s historical previous.

The Norway global did now not find as they went out in the 2nd leg – nonetheless he has soundless managed as many Champions League targets this season as Barcelona.

He’ll pretty most certainly elevate out as 2nd high scorer, with the modified layout that approach teams entirely enjoy a maximum of three or four fits left. The next high scorers soundless in the tournament are Bayern’s Serge Gnabry and Dries Mertens of Napoli, who enjoy six every.

Liverpool knocked out – in a sport with bigger ramifications

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‘Depressed choice’ to stage Atletico sport in March

Liverpool had been hoping to attach a Third consecutive Champions League remaining nonetheless fell to Atletico Madrid in beyond neatly-liked time in the closing 16 on 11 March.

That modified into as soon as the first time they competed in the tournament with out reaching the relaxation since 2014-15.

Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, Liverpool took the tie to beyond neatly-liked time at Anfield because of Georginio Wijnaldum’s plan, earlier than Roberto Firmino gave them the combination lead. An Adrian error then talented the first of three extra-time targets to Atletico, who obtained 3-2 on the evening and 4-2 on mixture.

But the sport would perchance perchance perchance also effectively scoot down in historical previous for different causes. Some 3,000 Atletico fans flew over from Madrid, despite the metropolis having virtually half of of Spain’s coronavirus instances at the time and being in partial lockdown.

That modified into as soon as the closing famous match played in England for bigger than three months. Two days later, the Champions League and Premier League had been among the many many competitions suspended.

A Sunday Instances yarn claimed 41 deaths in the Liverpool location had been linked to the sport as data gathered from hundreds of thousands of volunteers chanced on rates of instances domestically “elevated several-fold”.

Steve Rotheram, the mayor of Liverpool Metropolis Space, called for an investigation into whether or now not the sport must ever enjoy came about.

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There must be an inquiry – Rotheram

Entertainers Atalanta come support from the brink

Atalanta’s choose in Valencia modified into as soon as played in the support of closed doorways – a cost of things to come support

Atalanta had been hoping to manufacture an affect in their first Champions League marketing campaign after scoring 77 targets in Serie A, bigger than any other crew, to elevate out third the earlier season.

But they looked doomed after losing their first three games – along with a 4-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb and 5-1 thrashing by Manchester Metropolis – and picking up one point in their fourth.

But they beat Zagreb 2-0 and Shakhtar Donetsk 3-0 to become the first side to qualify for the subsequent spherical after losing their opening three fits since Newcastle United in 2002-03. They are also the first debutants to attach the knockout levels since Leicester Metropolis in 2016-17.

They confirmed why they are thought to be one of Europe’s most provocative teams – they scored 98 targets in Italy’s high flight this season – with an 8-4 mixture choose over Valencia in the closing 16.

They obtained 4-1 at the San Siro in Milan, their Champions League dwelling because their floor would now not meet Uefa requirements. Josip Ilicic then scored four targets in Spain in a 2nd leg played in the support of closed doorways – because the remainder of the tournament will doubtless be.

This modified into as soon as one more tie with huge ramifications, with the mayor of Bergamo – where Atalanta play – calling the first leg “a biological bomb” because the metropolis went on to become one of many worst-hit areas in Europe.

Ajax knocked out – despite some memorable games

Donny van de Beek’s 55th-minute plan gave Ajax a 4-1 lead at Chelsea, earlier than the London membership fought support to plan

Ajax’s speed to the brink of closing season’s Champions League remaining – earlier than Lucas Moura’s closing-gasp winner for Spurs in the semi-finals – modified into as soon as a myth for the romantics.

But they had been predictably asset-stripped by Europe’s elite, with famous person children Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt going to Barcelona and Juventus respectively.

And so they went out this season despite having a yarn (10 functions and a plan distinction of six) that would perchance perchance perchance enjoy taken them thru in five of the eight teams.

They beat Lille and Valencia 3-0 and led 4-1 at Chelsea after an hour, earlier than ending with nine males and drawing 4-4.

A dwelling defeat by Valencia in their remaining community sport intended they dropped into the Europa League, from which they enjoy since been eradicated.

German teams 17-3 London sides

Serge Gnabry grew to become the first player to find four targets in the 2nd half of of a Champions League sport when Bayern obtained 7-2 at Spurs

Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig enjoy enjoyed their fits towards London sides this season – with five wins out of 5, and the closing-16 2nd leg between Bayern Munich and Chelsea yet to come support.

Gnabry’s six Champions League targets this season enjoy all are available two games – four in a 7-2 choose at Spurs and two in the three-0 first-leg choose over Chelsea.

Bayern Munich beat Spurs 3-1 in their remaining community match, with every side qualifying for the closing 16. Sadly for Spurs, they met one more German crew at that stage – with Leipzig winning 1-0 in England and 3-0 at dwelling.

Leipzig will doubtless be missing one of their goalscorers when they play Atletico Madrid in the quarter-finals. Timo Werner has already linked up with Chelsea, though he cannot play for his unique membership in their 2nd leg towards Bayern, or any sport this season.

Closing Champions League closing-16 fixtures

Friday, 7 August

Juventus v Lyon (0-1 first leg)

Manchester Metropolis v Right Madrid (2-1 first leg)

Saturday, 8 August

Barcelona v Napoli (1-1 first leg)

Bayern Munich v Chelsea (3-0 first leg)

All games kick off at 20: 00 BST

Sight your complete Champions League ratings and fixtures

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Soccer Prediction, Bet lines and tips for Today's matches. | Betting Hits

Soccer Prediction, Bet lines and tips for Today’s matches.

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Well actually it is all not free, I mean the tips are free but you know we all have to make money somehow so when you register for any offers via our site, we make affiliate income which is why we can manage to offer the rest of the services for free.

So if you find an offer to your liking here, be a good sport and pass on the good karma by signing up. Thank you.

The Top Soccer Prediction, Bet lines and tips for today

Below are some of the most popular soccer tips for today and how to bet them.

1X2 betting tips

soccer Accumulator tips

BTTS tips (Both teams to score tips)

BTTS and win tips

Over / Under

Correct score tips

Combo bets

MLS betting tips

Premier League betting tips

La Liga Betting tips

Bundesliga Betting tips

French Ligue one betting tips

Series A betting tips

Champion League Betting tips

Soccer Props

1. 1X2 Betting tips

This is the most common of wagers which is used to predict the match-winner after 90 minutes excluding extra time. Basically one predicts if the home team (1) will win or the visiting team will win (2) or the match will end in a draw (X). For a bet, nothing could be more simple.

2. Soccer Accumulator tips (ACCA Tips)

The Accumulator bet is the most lucrative in soccer betting due to its nature of having high odds, one only has to invest a small amount to hit big on their bets. Below is a good example of an accumulator ticket. This is a 10 match premier league accumulator that would yield $2448 from a $20 investment.

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3. BTTS Tips (Both teams to score tips)

A BBTS wager is a prediction on if both teams will score in a match. it does not take into account wins or losses, just the scores.

The variant to this bet is if both teams do not score as seen in the diagram below. In this example, the BTTS wager is either a choice for yes or no. The GG stands for goal-goal and NG stands for no-goal.

So the question being asked here is will both teams score (GG) and if the answer is yes then the odds given are 1.59. If the answer is no (NG) then the odds given are 2.16.

The BBTS Yes odds are lesser because both these teams have terrific offenses and while Liverpool is clearly the better team this season, and thus might win this game, Chelsea plays very well at home and score often which means there is a high probability of them scoring in this game.

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4. BTTS and win tips

BTTS and Win wagers are a combination of both BTTS and Win, the wager comes in two combinations.

BTTS and win – Both teams to score and win

BTTS and Win no goal – Both teams to not score or one team to score and win.

5. Over / Under

The over-under wager predicts how many goals will be scored in a match and the tipster bets the over or under amount. Since even numbers make it difficult for bookmakers to determine the odds, a half-point was added to each margin which why you will see these bets showing a .5 at the selection for example over 0.5 represents 1 goal, Over 1.5 represents 2 goals, and so on as seen in the diagram below.

6. Correct Score Soccer Bet lines

As the title suggests, this wager determines the correct score of a particular match which is no easy feat and which is why this bet is very lucrative for the punter. It is the most exciting bet to entertain.

7. Combo bets

Combo bets are football bets that combine more than one outcome in a single ticket. Unline an Acca, a combo bet can be any ticket that has more than one wager on it. for example how many corners were taken and how many red cards in a game.

8. MLS betting tips

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MLS bet lines

The MLS is gaining more popularity in the US and so is the MLS betting craze, we offer MLS betting tips on all the league games and other competitions during the season and offseason friendlies.

9. Premier League betting tips

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soccer bet lines

Get the top betting tips on the premier league throughout the season. With the best odds and outcomes from our betting experts. The premier league is a different type of animal to bet on so check out our tips from people who understand this league well.

10. La Liga Betting tips

Nothing is more exciting than betting on Barcelona, Real Madrid, El Classico, Lionel Messi, and the other stars of the Spanish league La Liga. Would you like futures to bet on how many goals Messi will score in a season or who will win the Balon?. You have come to the right place for that.

11. Bundesliga betting tips

Bayern has been dominant in the Bundesliga for a long time but the past few years they seem to be on the decline and some of the other teams are making a run for the title, teams to look out for are Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. With 4 losses already this season, this might be the year the king gets knocked off the crown and we are here to share it all with you.

12. French League one betting tips

📷

The dynamic duo that is Neymar and Mbappe lead the stars of the French Ligue as they seek relevancy in the champions league and the respect of their peers. This motivation leads to terrific bet opportunities for these clubs and players.

13. Italy Serie A betting tips

When Ronaldo left Real Madrid in 2019 to join Juventus, it created a paradigm shift for the Italian league which some would say was floundering but he has single-handedly arguably brought some fresh excitement back to the league and we are on for the ride. Bet on him every time for success.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKt16yEhBRw

14. Champions League Betting tips

All these stars of all these top leagues only get to play against each other in the Champions league which creates a lot of fireworks. We are here to provide betting tips for each and every champions league match from the group stages to the playoffs and the elimination rounds.

15. Soccer Props betting tips

Betting on individual players’ accomplishments has become a very entertaining and profitable affair. Our prop bets cover all the top players within gameplay and futures bets like the golden boot winners and scoring champions. The in-game bets would be Messi scoring at any time for example in the anytime goalscorer accumulator.

Free Soccer prediction, bet lines for Today matches

as we said earlier all our soccer tips for today are free and will always be free, we have no intention of charging you a single cent so don’t worry and enjoy our tips for your benefit and profitability.

Best Soccer Prediction, Bet lines for today

The best and easiest soccer tip we would like to offer today is this. each sportsbook has its own internal mechanisms of determining how they produce odds and one should never be married to just one of these guys. To find value and profitability, one has to shop around for the best deal. do that and you will come out a winner more times than not.

In fact, one of the surest ways of winning a bet is called arbitrage betting which is rooted in the fact that you have to shop around to various sportsbooks.

Soccer prediction and Bet lines for Tomorrow matches

We don’t just offer today’s matches, but we offer tomorrow’s matches as well so you don’t need to be stuck checking our today matches when you can plan ahead for a multiday Acca if that’s the bet that you are interested in making.

Weekend soccer prediction

Most leagues play matches on weekends and that’s when most betting takes place so we have you covered with our weekend betting tips that will help you win your money back, so stay tuned because we have you covered 7 days a week.

Rubah4d kini hadir dengan menyajikan diskon untuk pemasangan togel terbesar yang berlaku untuk semua pasaran togel yang pernah ada dan ternama masa kini.

Visit at :- https://bettinghits.com/

[chrismdthings]

a lifetime of laughter

pairing: chris dixon x reader warning(s): none note: by far one of my favorite things i have ever written / 4,890 words

Years Later 

When Chris told you he wanted to do something different for New Years Eve, you weren’t exactly sure what he had in mind. In the previous years you and Chris had spent the day various ways in various cities and locations- once in Bratislava watching the fireworks over the Danube River, one in a Stratford Halo party with your friends, and the other at home as you two fell asleep at ten thirty. So any idea that Chris had would be new to you. Maybe you two could escape to NYC and take in the insane ball-drop when midnight hits, maybe it could be a small gathering at a friends and set off fireworks in the garden, or maybe it could be a night in to countdown in the living room while drinking wine and sharing a kiss before falling asleep in the comfort of being together.

When the day was nearing close, right after Christmas, Chris finally told you his plan. Two years ago you two gushed about wanting to go somewhere new and somewhere different to ring in the New Year, and you had talked about one place in particular- Paris. Even though you two lived in Jersey, just one ferry away to France, you fell in love with the New Years celebrations in Paris; the people, the fancy champagne, fireworks at the Eiffel Tower as it dazzled in lights, and the chocolate, papillottes that pop like firecrackers when you tear off the wrapping; it was incredible in your eyes.

As Paris was just one short flight away, Chris booked two tickets and a hotel in the city for the three-day weekend celebrations. The plans of dinner on a boat along the Seine River, climbing to roof tops and admiring the view of buildings and streets below, a show at Moulin Rouge, exploring and admiring the art in The Louvre, all of those ran through Chris’ mind. 

In the early years of your and Chris’ relationship, you two were taking a lot of holidays and random adventures together. You two took trains across southern France one summer, drove through the country side of Spain, took a bus through Italy, and various other locations. Sadly the past few years had been lacking any sort of rush of adventure- you had completed your time at university after four years and scored a job that kept you in close ties with Jersey, and Chris found it hard to have free time as his Youtube career was staying steady.

So with every single cent of money Chris had saved for the past two months, he was going to make sure the New Years Eve trip was absolutely worth it. 

While your friends ushered off to Rio, Miami, and even Australia, you and Chris left on the last week of December on a flight to Paris with nothing but two suitcases and bright smiles.

You and Chris arrived in Paris just two hours later, landing at the airport to be whisked away in a cab to your hotel, the Shangri-La Hotel Paris. It was one of the hardest places to book in the city during the holiday season, but as Chris promised, he was “on top of his game.” The Shangri-La Hotel was incredible- just outside of the city, mosaiced columns and thick greenery wrapped around the gate outside that complimented the iron-wrought balcony’s to each room with overflowing baskets of red flowers. It was overwhelming, and the fact that you were staying there was hard to wrap your mind around.

“Welcome to Paris.” Chris hummed, placing a hand on your lower back, causing you to smile at him before walking inside to the lobby with your bags in hand.

The lobby had grand marble floors, thick columns carved with architecture held up the tall ceiling, and nearly everything was gold or had a golden trim. Everything about the Shangri-La reeked elegence and wealth. 

You followed behind Chris to the front desk where he checked them in to their room, right on the top floor with a suite. When the receptionist said the word “suite” you felt all of the air suck out of your lungs like someone punched you in the throat.

“Christopher,” you whispered, grabbing his elbow to catch his attention. Chris, with his credit card in hand, turned you and quirked a brow. “Suite?”

“The imperial suite.” He corrected with a grin, sliding his credit card along the marble counter and to the receptionist. 

Once the receptionist took the card, you huffed, knowing there was now no turning back. “You didn’t have to do that. We could have stayed in one of the regular rooms.” 

As the receptionist typed in Chris’ information, he smiled and guided his arm around your shoulders. “I wanted us to have the best holiday, for you.” He insisted, looking down at you. You watched his eyes flicker from your eyes to your lips and then back up. “Just trust me.” You stubbornly nodded and he pecked your lips before finishing the check in.

After checking in and getting the room key, you and Chris took the lift up to the very top floor of the hotel. Each second you pictured the room awaiting for you- you wondered if the trim was going to be gold like the rest of the hotel, or if there was a large balcony. Stepping off the lift, Chris scanned the key, letting the scanner turn green before he opened the door and you two stepped in.

Pulling your suitcase behind you, you stepped into the imperial suite and nearly choked on your spit.

“Chris..”

The suite had a large main room with suede sofas, a large glass table, and a diamond chandelier dripping from the ceiling. Even the bedroom was huge- a large king sized bed with a plush white duvet and dozens of pillows, several chairs and wrap-around windows with a perfect view of Paris. Hell, even the bathroom was nice- luxury bath with jets and a television emitted on the glass above the bath. 

It was too much.

“Don’t you say a thing.” Chris said, walking up behind you and wrapping his arms around your torso. You huffed and shifted in his arms, turning around to face him. “It may be too much, or a little bit extra, but that doesn’t matter. I told you I would make this the best holiday we have ever been on.”

You shook your head as a laugh tempted your lips. “It’s just.. insane.”

“I know, I know.” Chris chuckled, tilting his head back to look through the windows to the rooftops and of buildings around them. The Eiffel Tower is within a perfect distance and broad in the horizon. He smiled and looked back at you. “Do you like it?”

“Do I like it? Chris, I’m in fucking love with this room, not to mention this city.” You laughed, sliding your arms around his neck to rub the space between his shoulders. “But we could have stayed in some random hostel and I would been just as happy to be here with you.”

Chris grinned before tipping his head down and letting his lips meet yours. You smiled against his lips as he kissed you, and when he tightened his grip on your hips, you felt him guide you back and then you fell onto the plush duvet.

Chris fell on top of you, causing you both to laugh when your bodies bounced on the mattress. You loved the sound of his chuckles- it gave you a sense of warmth and comfort.

“We have dinner reservations in two hours.” Chris said after glancing at the watch on his wrist, and then pecking your lips before guiding his lips across your cheek to your jaw. 

You teetered your head back and forth, a teasing grin finding its way onto your lips as you ran your fingers along his jaw. “I can think of something we can do to waste time.” 

“Oh really?” Chris grinned, looping an am around your waist and pulling you flush against him. “Because I have something in mind too.”

The first two days in Paris flew in the blink of an eye. 

After arriving and christening the suite the first day, you and Chris got dressed in fine suits and a gown for dinner. He had surprised you with a dinner cruise along the river- the two of you sitting on the lower deck at a white-clothed table, smiling while sipping wine and eating the finest French dinner before sneaking off to the upper deck to admire the view from the front of the boat. You two stood at the front boat with his arm tucked around you, admiring the view of the buildings and the sunset as the boat gently carried under bridges and through the water.

The second day was filled with exploration. Waking up early that morning, you two set out for the entire day dedicated to sight-seeing and learning. 

You and Chris roamed through The Louvre and admired the art, in which Chris couldn’t help but make a few puns at and say, “it’s nice, but you are the real masterpiece here.” Or something along those lines to make you laugh and shake your head at him. And then you two stumbled upon Champs Elysees and Arc de Triomphe before taking a twenty-minute train to Versailles before coming back for only a few Euros. 

Later that night, after dinner and catching a show at Moulin Rouge, you and Chris had a few drinks and roamed the streets hand-in-hand. It was just past ten at night, but in Paris, that was still early.

Tourist and natives were still lively as ever- roaming the streets, snapping photos, diving in and out of cafes, and stopping at food vendors for the finest French pastries. It was so foreign to everything you and Chris knew.

Paris was even more beautiful at night than it was during the day time. Lights of orange, yellow, and green were shimmering across buildings and reflecting off the cobblestone streets. A warm breeze carried through the narrow street and you could hear the clink of wine glasses from a nearby restaurant followed by chatter and laughter.

You smile and clutch Chris’ hand tighter before you two come upon the Seine River again. You two slowly cross the bridge, looking at the lights on the rippling water before continuing to the other side. There was a man with a guitar perched on a bench just next to the river, his guitar case open with a few Euros inside. The man was singing something in a foreign tongue, even though you couldn’t quite understand, he had a beautiful voice. You reached into the pocket of your peacoat and fished out a couple of coins, tossing them into his guitar case as you and Chris passed him. The man paused his singing for a moment and smiled at you. You nodded at him before carrying on.

You and Chris made fun of the other tourist, specifically those in American-flag shirts with selfie-sticks before carrying on down the street and stumbling upon a staple of Paris; Notre-Dame Cathedral. 

The cathedral looked as if it had stepped out of a Disney fairytale- the French Gothic architecture, archways and greenery. It was incredible.

“Wow,” you breathed out, once again feeling the breath shoot out of your lungs at the beauty. There was a few others lingering around the staple, but they were feet away around the edges, leaving you and Chris alone.

You admire the entrance- the hundreds of figures carved into layers in three archways just in front of you. 

You felt Chris squeeze your hand tighter, and you turned your attention to him. He was already looking at you, then nodded his head forward. “Come here,” he whispered before pulling you along.

The heel of your booties clicked against the stones as you two neared the front of the cathedral. Stopping right at the entrance, you tilted your head back and admired it up close. 

“It’s incredible.” You continued, unsure of why Chris brought you closer. 

“Not that.” Chris said, abrupting your thoughts. You looked back at him with a quirked brow. “Look down.” 

Your eyes left Chris’ face and you looked down, noticing that you were standing in the middle of a small stone circle. In the center, directly below your feet was a copper octagon with a star in the middle. There were words engraved in the stone; POINT ZÉRO DES ROUTES DE FRANCE. 

“It’s point zero.” Chris said, rubbing his thumb along the top of your hand as he stood outside of the circle. “It’s the point from all of the other roads in France.” You looked back up at him and looked at his wide smile. “It’s the beginning of everything.” 

You felt a shiver run up your arms as Chris stroked your hand. Years had passed but each day with him felt the like the first. A simple stroke of the thumb on your hand gave you chills, and when he smiled at you, butterflies filled your stomach. 

“You did your research.”

Chris shrugged, playing it off. “I learned that years ago in school.” He admitted. “I knew you would love it.” 

“I do.” You nodded subtly.

“Now,” Chris lightly dropped your hand and took a step back to distance himself from you. “You have to make a wish.”

“What?” 

Chris tucked his hands into the pocket of his jacket and smiled. “Feet in the middle, close your eyes, and make a wish.” 

You nodded, tucking a lock of hair behind your ear before positioning your feet in the center of the star. With one deep breath, you straightened your posture and closed your eyes.

A small gust of wind caught under your peacoat, and a shiver run up your spine, making you feel alive. 

As you stood there, on the center of the star, in the middle of Paris, you were unsure of what you could wish for. You wonder to what you want in life, but that was a loaded question. 

You wanted to grow; in your profession and as a person. You wanted to travel more, live freely, and be happy. You wanted to do other things- write a book, teach, own a company. You wanted to return to Paris as well, maybe even live there one day. All of those were dreams. 

All of those were loaded wishes too. 

There was one other thing; Chris. Him being there beside you gave you a sense of comfort that you didn’t have years ago. 

Fingers twitching at your sides, you knowingly reached out in the direction you knew Chris was last standing, holding a hand out to him. You heard his faint chuckle before his hand found yours again, and his fingers latched around yours, and a smile tugged on your lips at the assurance that he was there and at the sound of his laugh to your ears. 

You thought about Chris as you stood there with two feet on the star. He was everything that you had prayed for at one time in your life, and then more. He was your best friend, the love of your life. You loved him like you loved waking up in the morning, like you loved sunsets, like he loved football, and like you loved laughing. 

And suddenly, you knew that to wish for.

Taking another deep breath, you put the words together in your head;

I wish for a lifetime of laughter with the love of my life. 

You slowly open your eyes and look at Chris. He stood with his feet planted outside of the circle, an arm extended to meet yours, and he was smiling at you.

You step out of the circle and into Chris’ arms, letting him hug you as you place a kiss on his cheek. He is talking when you two start walking again, but you aren’t paying attention. Then he laughs at something and your heart flutters. 

The last day in Paris would be capped off with a bang, literally. It was the last day of December and the clock counted down to midnight with an eerie tick. Midnight would be there soon, and then within a split second everyone in Paris would be launched into the new year once and for all.

You and Chris spent most of the day in the suite- ordering room service while lounging in the white robes supplied by the hotel, and lounging around while preparing for the night. You two planned to stay out for most of the night, or for as long as you two could stand it, so you both decided to relax with the time remaining.

Soon, the time did come though.

Chris had booked a reservation for dinner just inside of Paris, near where you two would be ringing in the New Year later on. Following the dress code for the night, you two dressed in the fanciest and nicest outfits you brought. 

Chris was in a simple suit with a pressed black blazer and tie, and you were in a fitting, long-sleeved red dress. It had a plunging neckline that revealed almost too much to the eye, and a slit up the gown that revealed your shimmering heels. You had bought the dress nearly a year ago, but this was the first time it was getting put to use. 

Of course, as you two were dressed to a T, the mirror pictures and selfies ensued. There were the typical photos that you both took, and then there were a few “different” ones as well. Those “different” ones would never see the light of day as long as you two were concerned.

Right after all of the photos were taken, the night truly began. 

You two whisked away from the hotel in a cab, taking you two to the restaurant. It was a luxurious restaurant with the white table cloths, low chandeliers and thousand-euro centerpieces filled with roses, dim lighting with candles, and the finest dishes imaginable. You weren’t exactly sure how much the dinner would cost, especially with the two bottles of wine ordered throughout the night, but you weren’t exactly sure that you wanted to know.

Soon enough, as the clock ticked down to an hour and half before midnight, you and Chris left the restaurant and headed to the destination of the NYE celebrations- Palais de Challiot. It was a building across from the park, and across the river from the Eiffel Tower, but it had the most amazing view of the tower. As thousands packed into Trocadéro Gardens to get a view of the fireworks, you and Chris, along with a couple other hundred people, decided on Palais de Challiot instead. There were large steps that lead down into the gardens, perfect for photos or for sitting in cases like these.

With quite a large walk, you and Chris eventually made it to Palais de Challiot. There was quite a large group of people there, but it wasn’t overwhleming. Hand-in-hand, Chris guided you through the groups of people on the tile and to the edge where the steps dipped down, heading towards the gardens. Down a few steps, in to the middle, perfectly in line with the Eiffel Tower, you and Chris sat down on the steps.

Within a few minutes, as midnight was just now twenty minutes away, the crowd around you grew in size. The couple hundred turned into several hundred as other tourist squeezed their way onto the steps. However, it wasn’t nearly as crowded as the gardens below, where you could see people standing shoulder-to-shoulder for the perfect view.

“Are you ready for this?” Chris asked, turning away from the dazzling Eiffel Tower to you, on his right. 

You turned to him and smiled. “Of course.” You said, looping your arm through his as his elbow rested against his knee, and then you scooted closer to him. “I don’t think you know how excited I am.” You continued, leaning against him.

One holiday that you adored more than any other was New Years Eve. You loved Christmas since it brought everyone together, including your family, but New Years was special to you. It resembled a new life, and a way of starting over. It gave you a full year to change, to grow, and to start over. The thought of that was something you loved.

“Good,” Chris said leaning over to kiss your cheek. “I’m just happy that you are happy.” 

“Why wouldn’t I be?” You asked with a shrug, gazing out onto the crowd of thousands below your feet, and then back to Chris. “I am in the City of Light, celebrating my favorite holiday with my favorite person. I would take this over rainy Jersey any day.”

Chris chuckled. “So I’m guessing you don’t want to go back anytime soon?”

“Not if I’m honest.” You laughed. “But that’s where our lives are, you know. We can’t exactly leave that behind.” 

“One day though, love.” Chris said with a nod, smiling at you softly. 

The corners of your lips tugged into a smile, revealing your white teeth behind your ruby red lips. “One day.” You repeated before leaning over and kissing him gently.

As the conversation continued, the clock continued to tick. With each second, the new year was approaching faster and faster. 

In the middle of saying something, you two were quickly broken apart by the deafening sounds of yelling. Together, it sounded like millions of people collectively chanting at once. You and Chris quickly dropped the conversation and looked up at the tower.

The once dazzling tower of lights had then faded into something else- one side of the tower was lit in red, and the other half was blue, as a single light on top of the tower waved around wildly. 

The tension in the city began to grow as that was a sign the new year was just minutes away. Chris turned and fished his phone out of his pocket, looking at the time to see that it was only three minutes before midnight. 23:57. He looked at you and you two smiled as it really began to set in.

The Eiffel Tower became a light show- different effects with the country’s colors danced along the tower in rapid movements and transitions. 

As the new year was just moments away, you felt nervous. The past year had been so great to you. You were promoted at your job after years of working towards one along with several other personal victories, you and Chris moved into a bigger and better home than the one you two bought when you first moved into together, and adopted another dog. It seemed like everything was finally coming into play for you. 

But you knew that the upcoming year was also full of more possibilities and had more open doors than you could imagine. You didn’t know what was waiting for you in the new year, but whatever it was, you were ready for it. 

You leaned into Chris, and then the countdown began.

“Cinq!” Five.

“Quatre!” Four.

“Trois!” Three. The large group of natives and tourist shouted around you.

You turned your head and looked at Chris, both of you smiling wide. Your arms untangled and he reached over, gently placing a hand on your back to pull you closer, and you leaned in, guiding a hand across his cheek. You two stared heavily at each other, feeling his breath fan against your neck.

“Deux!” Two.

With a wide smile, you tilted your head and let your lips ghost over Chris’. He chuckled at your teasing move.

“Un!” One.

Your hand slipped to the back of Chris’ head, and you pressed your lips against his in a hungry fashion. His lips tasted faintly like red wine and chocolate from the papillottes, and you were sure yours did the same. 

Either of you could contain your smiles. It was like the first New Years kiss you two had shared years ago when Chris was so eager that he kissed you at the fifteen second mark during the countdown. 

The Eiffel Tower turned white and dazzled in the lights as people began to yell and chant, and the fireworks next to the tower popped in the sky in ranges of colors and designs.

Your lips moved in sync with Chris’, taking in the moment you two were in. Around you both, couples and complete strangers were ringing in the new year and celebrating by either kissing each other, or kissing the rim of their drinks.

You could see the colors explode and dance across your eyelids as you held Chris close. It was a heated moment, more than you two expected, both clinging on to each other like it’s your last breath. The kiss was so full of love and passion it was almost unbearable. It was the kind of kiss that inspired the stars to climb into the sky and light up the world. The kind of kiss that took forever, yet no time at all.

Both of you laughed, sharing one more subtle kiss because you could. You turned away for a second, letting Chris rest his forehead against your temple as you admired the view. The Eiffel Tower was dancing in light, and fireworks were exploding in the sky in arrays of different colors.

“Bonne Année!” Happy New Year, everyone was shouting in every direction. In the mix of languages, many rang your ears; "Feliz Año Nuevo!" and "Feliç any nou!" with "Buon anno!" echoing in the background. It was an intense moment filled with a rush of happiness and joy for everyone around.

Watching the fireworks, hearing them explode and pop against your ears, you smiled and basked in the moment of pure bliss.

Chris leaned his head back and looked at you. He watched as the colors of the tower and fireworks danced across your soft features, and the way your eyes stared up at the sky like fairy lights. He looked and looked at you, like you were the only person in Paris with him at that moment. Right there he knew that he loved you more than anything he had ever imagined in the world.

You were achingly beautiful and that was something Chris thought from the moment he met you. Years had passed and he thought the same, and years from now, he would still think that.

You were sitting on the steps in Paris with your dress crumpled at your knees, and your faded lipstick, but you were as vibrant as every star in the night sky.

He loved you when you first met- a plain tee and frizzy hair with smeared makeup. He loved you months later in the mornings with sleepy eyes and wrinkled pajamas. He loved you now when he came home in the evenings to find you asleep on the sofa, cuddled with the dog.

And then there was the future. Chris didn’t know exactly what the future held for you two, but he was sure he would love you just as much then too.

Chris watched you turn to him, still with the same smile. He felt his heart race, and that was the moment Chris knew what he wanted a sliver of his future to hold. He wanted to be the last person to ever hold you, tell you that he loves you. You were it. This was it for him.

Without the thinking, the words spilled out of his mouth; “I want to marry you.”

Hearing those words ring your ears, you looked at Chris in a moment of confusion. Your brow knitted together, and then you realized that you heard him correctly.

You studied him for a moment, soft eyes and parted lips. His posture was off- shoulders leaning into towards you, and he wasn’t paying attention to the firework display, but instead focused on you like he had never looked away. After realizing you heard him correctly, your heart beat quickened and your heart pounded against your chest. The moment was overwhelming.

He wanted to marry you.

He wanted to marry you.

He didn't want anyone else in the world. He chose you.

It had ran through your mind a million times, you wondered if the time would ever come, and it finally did. And you knew exactly what to say.

You couldn’t form any other words than what slipped past your lips next; “I want to marry you too.”

There was no thinking, no pondering, it was the truth spilling from your lips.

Chris felt weight lift off his shoulders and he smiled. All of your emotions running high, you weren’t able to process a sentence or anything, so all you did was kiss him. You reached out, holding onto his face as you brought your lips to his and he chuckled before looping both arms around your torso and pulling you onto him. Neither of you cared if anyone was watching on, this was your moment.

“Chris?” You whispered against his lips before kissing him again. He hummed a repsonse back, nose nudged against yours and you laughed, leaning your forehead against his. “I fucking love you.”

He grinned. “Good, because I fucking love you too.”

[kbrooks0806]

Intro to PR #8 ‘Bundesliga returns!’

Bundesliga Soccer Returns!

Over the past weekend (May 16-17) one of European soccer’s major leagues, the Bundesliga (German 1st division) officially restarted its 2019-2020 season following the postponement due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The competition restarted with a game which attracted millions of viewers worldwide, with traditional Rivals Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke battling it out at Dortmund’s infamous Signal Iduna Park.

Picture Below: Borussia Dortmund’s usually full Signal Iduna Park, can hold up to 82,000 fans

Who was running the event?

The Bundesliga as mentioned is Germany’s topflight in football, they are also apart of Europe’s big 4 soccer leagues, the other 3 being the English Premier League, Spain’s LaLiga Santander and Italy’s Serie A. The games played this weekend in the Bundesliga included Borussia Dortmund vs FC Schalke, Hoffenheim vs Hertha Berlin, RB Leipzig vs FC Freiberg, Augsburg vs Wolfsburg, Dusseldorf vs Paderborn, Frankfurt vs Monchengladbach, FC Koln vs Mainz and Union Berlin vs Bayern Munich.

Picture Below: Borussia Dortmund Striker Erling Haaland celebrates a goal in an empty Signal Iduna Park while maintaining social distancing

Major PR Tools used

As the Bundesliga was the first professional sports league to return for a hiatus they knew they would have the medias attention worldwide, even in places like Australia where the Bundesliga is usually rarely spoken of. Knowing they would have this amount of attention they utilised it to the best of their ability, by offering extended coverage of all games across major sports channels they got the Bundesliga broadcasted to countries which had most likely never even heard of the Bundesliga. Also, just by chance, all the games held were extremely entertaining and really showcased what German football has to offer to the world.

Picture Below: Raphael Guerreiro scores twice as Dortmund beat Schalke 4-0

Where did I find this news?

Being a massive supporter of soccer/football I follow every leagues major social media channels, the Bundesliga posted that they would be returning on May 16, this post gained millions of likes within the first couple of hours and it proved that the Bundesliga had put together a solid plan to be the first league back, which would inevitably increase viewership globally.

Picture below: Bundesliga President Dr. Reinhard Rauball

Critical analysis on this event

As a keen sports fan and a massive Borussia Dortmund fan I was extremely excited when this news was announced, they waited until the German government gave them all clear to continue and they did so, specifically maintaining the correct social distancing guidelines in the process. It was hugely beneficial for the Bundesliga to return when they did because they received so much positive media attention from around the world and they will continue to as they are still the only major league of any sport, playing at this stage

[gadgetsrevv]

Transfer news LIVE: Barcelona deal, Real Madrid medical passed, Rangers announce Kent | Football | Sport

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip

Tuesday, September 2

Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas joins PSG on four-year deal

Alphonse Areola heads the other way on a season-long loan

Barcelona midfielder Rafinha has joined Celta Vigo on loan

Rangers complete signing of Ryan Kent from Liverpool

Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has joined Qarabag

Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan has joined Roma on loan

PSG have completed the signing of Inter Milan star Mauro Icardi

Bruno Fernandes remains a Sporting Lisbon player after a long summer of speculation

Man Utd should have signed Mario Mandzukic

Manchester United should have signed Mario Mandzukic, according to ESPN pundit Mark Ogden.

“Anthony Martial missed the game at Southampton at the weekend, so they have two fit strikers,” Ogden said.

“Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood, who’s 17. So that is the problem. They could have signed Mario Mandzukic at the end of the window.

“A deal was agreed with Juventus, it would have cost I think around £14million.

“That for me would have been a no-brainer because yes he’s not the future but he’s a guy that ticks that box of being an experienced pro that the players can turn to and he can be a plan B in the last 20 minutes of a game if you need to score a goal to get back into it. Mandzukic has been around the block.

“They haven’t got any of those players. I understand Solskjaer’s decision to try and change the makeup of the squad and make it a younger squad and more hungry squad.

“But they really need some experience in there and I think there’s going to be some difficult days ahead.”

Transfer news LIVE: Mario Mandzukic didn’t join Man Utd (Image: GETTY)

Alexis Sanchez fires back at Manchester United

Alexis Sanchez believes he wasn’t given an opportunity to impress at Manchester United after leaving for Inter Milan.

“I think that I’m happy when I play for my national team,” he told BBC Sport.

“I was happy at Manchester United too, but I’ve always said to my friends: I want to play.

“If they would let me play I’ll do my best. Sometimes I’d play 60 minutes then I wouldn’t play the next game – and I didn’t know why.”

Transfer news LIVE: Alexis Sanchez left Man Utd for Inter Milan (Image: GETTY)

Ryan Kent on rejoining Rangers

Ryan Kent is delighted to be back at Rangers after completing a permanent move from Liverpool.

He explained: “I am delighted to be back here, it has been a quite a long summer, a lot of things could have potentially happened but I am delighted to be here.

“I never lost hope, there were probably moments when I thought it might not happen but I guess good things come to those who wait.

“I won’t lie it has been incredibly tough over the summer but I am a mentally strong person as it is anyway.

“I knew if I kept myself correct something good would happen soon and I have been ticking over, keeping myself to myself and this has happened now and I’m over the moon.

“I got a feel for what it was to be a Rangers player, I felt like there was unfinished business from last year and I am hoping to put that right.”

Alexis Sanchez backed to succeed over Henrikh Mkhitaryan

Alexis Sanchez is more likely to succeed in Italy than Henrikh Mkhitaryan, according to Liverpool icon Steve Nicol.

Both Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan left the Premier League for Serie A in the past month.

“For Mkhitaryan, I think he’s gone hiding. I think he’s gone,” he said on ESPN FC.

“I don’t believe Sanchez is hiding, I just think he’s not doing well, he’s struggling, he’s lost half a yard.

“As for Mkhitaryan, I am sorry, but I’ve never been so disappointed with a player who, at Dortmund, was incredible, but he’s collapsed since he moved to the Premier League.”

Alexis Sanchez left Man Utd for Inter Milan (Image: GETTY)

Jadon Sancho to Man Utd next summer?

Jadon Sancho has opened up on the prospect of a future move to the Premier League.

The Borussia Dortmund winger, who has been a transfer target for Man Utd, admitted: “I can’t tell what the future will bring but I wouldn’t mind [returning to the Premier league].

“La Liga I wouldn’t mind also, but we don’t know yet.”

Ryan Kent is back at Rangers

Rangers have confirmed the signing of Liverpool youngster Ryan Kent.

Ryan Kent has agreed a four-year contract with Rangers and became a permanent Gers player tonight.

A deal in the region of £7million was announced just minutes after the Scottish transfer window closed, with Kent having agreed personal terms and passed a medical earlier on Monday.

TOP TEN TRANSFERS 

With the transfer window shut, here’s a look at the top ten most expensive transfers of the summer transfer window.

La Liga sides lead the way with the top three signings, and four out of the top ten. 

1) Joao Felix – Benfica to Atletico Madrid – $136.3m [£112.9m]

2) Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid to Barcelona – $129.8m [£107.6m]

3) Eden Hazard – Chelsea to Real Madrid – $106.8m [£88.5m]

4) Harry Maguire – Leicester to Manchester United – $96.5m [£79.96m]

5) Nicolas Pepe – Lille to Arsenal – $86.8m [£71.9m]

6) Romeu Lukaku – Manchester United to Inter Milan – $84.4m [69.9m]

7) Lucas Hernandez – Atletico Madrid to Bayern Munich – $82m [£67.9m]

8) Matthijs de Ligt – Ajax to Juventus – $81.8m [£67.7m]

9) Frankie de Jong – Ajax to Barcelona – $78.8m [£65.3m]

10) Rodrigo – Atletico Madrid to Manchester City – $75.5m [£62.5m]

23:00 UPDATE: TRANSFER WINDOW CLOSED

Clubs in Europe can no longer sign any players, as the deadline has passed.

Bruno Fernandes will subsequently remain at Sporting CP for the rest of the year at least, after his move to Real Madrid failed to materialise. 

PSG have had a strong deadline day, bringing in Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi and Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas, whilst keeping wantaway megastar Neymar. 

Premier League clubs have still been active, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan leaving Arsenal and Chelsea winger Kenedy heading to Getafe on loan. 

22:40 UPDATE: Neymar exit would have been terrible

Several PSG stars would have left the club if Neymar was sold this summer, according to legendary former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.

“I think that he is one of the best players in the world and I am happy that he is staying at PSG,” said Wenger. “Because when you lose one of your two or three best players in the world, the law in our world is that the following year you lose the other.

“It is very difficult to have players who make a difference, even when you have a lot of money. When you have them, you must keep them.

“When you want to keep a player, it is better to convince him how important you are to him, rather than to give him zero chance to leave.”

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

22:25 UPDATE: Done Deal – Icardi signs

PSG have completed the signing of Inter Milan star Mauro Icardi.

The Argentine international will join on a season-long loan having been frozen out by San Siro boss Antonio Conte.

PSG will have the option to make the deal permanent for £59million. Reports add that Icardi will earn £140k per week plus £1.8m in bonuses.

Icardi: “I am going to give my heart and soul to help my new team go as far as possible in all the competitions. PSG has become a stronghold in world football… I thank PSG for their confidence in me.”

22:10 UPDATE: Quick round-up

Leicester winger Rachid Ghezzal joins Fiorentina on loan with option to buy.

Galatasaray sign 33-year-old striker Radamel Falcao on a 3-year contract from Monaco.

Manchester City have announced that Aleix Garcia has joined Royal Excel Mouscron until June 2020.

Lucas Piazon has joined Rio Ave on a two-year loan after singing a one-year contract extension with Chelsea.

Everton winger Yannick Bolasie is on the verge of joining Sporting Lisbon (Image: GETTY)

21:50 UPDATE: Yannick off?

Everton winger Yannick Bolasie is on the verge of joining Sporting Lisbon.

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper A Bola, who claim the 30-year-old will join for the remainder of the season.

Bolasie, who cost Everton £25million in 2016, is surplus to requirements at Goodison Park and spent last season with Anderlecht.

21:40 UPDATE: Neymar whereabouts

There will be no last-gasp deal for Neymar.

As reported a few days ago, the PSG superstar will remain at the Parc des Princes for the 2019/2020 campaign – despite Barcelona and Real Madrid’s pursuits.

The 27-year-old has flown to Miami for Brazil’s friendly with Colombia at the weekend.

21:30 UPDATE: Pedri deal?

It’s been claimed that Barcelona have agreed a fee for Las Palmas youngster Pedri.

Chelsea were thought to be leading the race to sign the 16-year-old teenager – but Marca say the Spanish champions have won the race.

Marca claim Barcelona will pay £4.5million for the midfielder, who has started all three fixtures for Las Palmas this season.

Quick round-up

Italian top-flight side Udinese sign Watford striker Stefano Okaka on a season-long loan.

Fleetwood have signed Burnley defender Jimmy Dunne on loan for the remainder of the season.

Hull striker Nouha Dicko has joined Eredivisie club Vitesse on a season-long loan deal.

Steven Defour has completed his move to Royal Antwerp from Burnley.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

21:15 UPDATE: Ryan Kent agreement

Rangers have agreed a £7m deal with Liverpool to sign Ryan Kent on a four-year deal.

The 22-year-old was on loan at Ibrox last season, and Steven Gerrard has decided to splash the cash in order to bring him back permanently.

The Gers were initially leaning toward another loan deal for Kent, but Liverpool weren’t willing to sanction another temporary move for the youngster.

If the deal is confirmed before tonight’s 11pm transfer deadline, Kent will likely be given the number 14 shirt at Rangers.

21:00 UPDATE: Quick round-up

Roma have signed Nikola Kalinic on loan from Atletico Madrid – the deal can be made permanent for £8million.

Kilmarnock left-back Greg Taylor has joined Celtic on a four-year deal.

Valencia have confirmed the signing of Thierry Correia from Sporting Lisbon for £10m.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

20:50 UPDATE: Kenedy off

Chelsea winger Kenedy has joined Getafe on a season-long loan.

The Brazilian had spells with Watford and Newcastle but will make his first move overseas.

Kenedy has made 27 appearances for the Blues and was an unused sub in the first two games of this season.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

20:40 UPDATE: Bobby Duncan to Fiorentina

Fiorentina have signed Liverpool teenager Bobby Duncan.

Duncan, who is the cousin of former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, arrives for £1.8million with a 20 per cent sell-on clause.

Duncan, 18, joined Liverpool from Manchester City in 2018.

20:30 UPDATE: Quick round-up

Juventus have snapped up North Korean striker Han Kwang Song from Cagliari

Celtic and Kilmarnock have agreed a fee for the transfer of left-back Greg Taylor to the Scottish Champions

Andre Silva has joined Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt with Ante Rebic going the other way on a two-year loan deal

Tottenham have sold England Under 20 international Marcus Edwards to Portuguese side Vitoria.

20:15 UPDATE: Cameron Borthwick-Jackson

Manchester United defender Cameron Borthwick-Jackson has joined Tranmere on loan.

The 22-year-old talent will remain with the League Two for the remainder of the season before returning to Old Trafford.

Borthwick-Jackson, who has made 14 appearances for United’s senior side, spent last season on loan in League One with Scunthorpe.

His last appearance for the Red Devils came in May 2016 against Bournemouth during a 3-1 win.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

20:00 UPDATE: Lewa slammed

Robert Lewandowski should not worry about Bayern Munich’s transfer business and certainly shouldn’t have aired his grievances publicly.

That’s the strong message from Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic, who was clearly irritated with Lewandowski’s plea for more senior players rather than youth prospects.

“He does not have to worry about my job or the job of (CEO) Karl-Heinz Rummenigge or (president) Uli Hoeness – and certainly not in public. He does not have to – I think he understood that”, Salihamidzic told Kicker.

“If we do not do that (invest in young players), it will be difficult for Bayern, we can not spend hundreds of millions every summer.”

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

19:30 UPDATE: One step closer…

Rangers and Liverpool have agreed a fee for Ryan Kent.

Sky Sports claim Steven Gerrard’s side will pay £7million for the 22-year-old winger.

Kent will now discuss personal terms and undergo a medical to secure his long-awaited return to Ibrox.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

19:00 UPDATE: Quick round-up

Arsenal’s Nigerian international Kelechi Nwakali has joined Spanish Segunda Division side, SD Huesca in a permanent deal.

Southampton defender Wesley Hoedt has joined Belgian side Antwerp for the remainder of the season.

Leicester winger Rachid Ghezzal is in Italy undergoing a medical ahead of a proposed move to Fiorentina.

Jese set to leave PSG on loan for Sporting Portugal with an option to buy.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

18:55 UPDATE: No sign of Bruno…

There has been no change in Real Madrid’s pursuit of Bruno Fernandes with around four hours until the La Liga deadline.

The Daily Mail had claimed that the Portuguese international would join for around £63million today – but he remains a Sporting Lisbon player.

The Spanish deadline closes at 11pm tonight.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

18:45 UPDATE: Henrikh Mkhitaryan exit

Arsenal star Henrikh Mkhitaryan has joined Roma on loan.

The Armenia international, who joined the Gunners as part of a swap deal involving Alexis Sanchez, arrives at the Serie A side on a season-long loan.

Mkhitaryan has made 59 appearances in all competitions, scoring nine goals.

“Everyone at Arsenal wishes Micki all the best for his season with Roma,” Arsenal said on their website.

18:30 UPDATE: Quick round-up

Frankfurt star Ante Rebic has joined AC Milan on a two-year loan. The Serie A side have the option to make the deal permanent.

Shakhtar have completed the signing of Yevhen Konoplyanka from Schalke. He’s signed a three-year deal.

Roma have confirmed the signing of Nikola Kalinic from Atletico Madrid on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

Southampton midfielder Mario Lemina has joined Galatasaray on a one-year loan

Transfer News: Frankfurt star Ante Rebic has joined AC Milan on a two-year loan (Image: GETTY)

18:15 UPDATE: Chicharito signs

Javier Hernandez has joined Sevilla.

The Mexico international has been officially unveiled by the Spanish side, who paid West Ham £7million for his services.

He’s signed a three-year contract at Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan Stadium.

He tweeted a farewell message to West Ham fans earlier today, it read: “Thank you West Ham for granting me the opportunity to be my home during these past two years. I leave with the best memories and I wanted to express my total gratefulness to the club, managers, teammates and the fans.”

Transfer News: Javier Hernandez has joined Sevilla (Image: GETTY)

18:00 UPDATE: Done Deal: Schick signs

RB Leipzig have signed Patrik Schick.

The Roma forward joins the Bundesliga side on a season-long loan with the option to make the deal permanent for £26million should they qualify for the Champions League.

Leipzig will pay a £3million loan fee plus an additional £455k in performance-related add-ons.

17:45 UPDATE: Done deal – Begovic signs

Bournemouth goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has joined Azerbaijan Premier League leaders Qarabag on loan.

The 32-year-old completed his move ahead of the closing of the European transfer deadline and will remain with Qarabag until January.

Begovic has not featured this season with Aaron Ramsdale playing all four games in the top flight and Mark Travers starting the Carabao Cup second-round clash against Forest Green Rovers.

17:30 UPDATE: PSG’s Neymar demands

PSG wanted a whopping £273million for Neymar.

That’s according to French newspaper La Parisien, who claim Barcelona simply couldn’t match their demands.

It’s also claimed that PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi told PSG’s players that Neymar wouldn’t be sold this summer unless an enormous offer was submitted.

The report says Al-Khelaifi was confident that the Catalan giants wouldn’t be able to cough up £273m for the Brazilian international.

Transfer News: PSG wanted a whopping £273million for Neymar (Image: GETTY)

17:15 UPDATE: Done Deal – Navas joins PSG

And as expected, Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas has joined PSG for £12million.

The Costa Rica international was announced moments after Alphonse Areola joined Zinedine Zidane’s side on a season-long loan.

Navas, 32, has signed a four-year deal and is expected to slot straight into Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI with Sergio Rico and Marcin Bulka behind him.

“The club wants to show his gratitude and love for his behaviour and his delivery in the five seasons he has defended the Real Madrid shirt,” Real Madrid said in a statement.

“Keylor Navas has been part of one of the most important stages of our history, in which he has won 12 titles, including three European Cups. Real Madrid wishes you the best in your new career.”

17:00 UPDATE: Done Deal: Alphonse Areola signs

Real Madrid have completed the signing of PSG goalkeeper Alphonse Areola.

The 26-year-old French international joins on a season-long loan without the option to make the deal permanent.

PSG tweeted: “Alphonse Areola joins Real Madrid until 30th June 2020. The 26-year-old shot-stopper, capped three times for France, is under contract with Paris Saint-Germain until 2023. The loan deal with Real Madrid does not include a purchase option.”

The announcement is expected to trigger the arrival of Keylor Navas to PSG.

16:45 UPDATE: Mauro Icardi to PSG

Inter Milan striker Mauro Icardi is close to joining PSG.

New boss Antonio Conte has made it clear that Icardi, 26, has no future at the San Siro – despite a phenomenal 124 goals in 219 appearances.

Now, the Argentine will join Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and Edinson Cavani in Paris.

Journalist Fabrizio Romano claims Icardi has arrived in the French capital and is currently undergoing a medial.

It’s said Icardi will extend his contract with Inter before joining PSG on a season-long loan with the option to buy for £63million.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

16:30 UPDATE: No Vertonghen deal

Jan Vertonghen is no closer to resolving his contract situation at Tottenham.

The Belgian international made his first appearance of the season during Tottenham’s north London derby draw with Arsenal having been frozen out by Mauricio Pochettino.

But with only one year remaining on his existing deal at Tottenham – Vertonghen says nothing has changed.

“No. I just want to focus on football now,” the Spurs defender said when asked if a new contract was in the pipeline. “I’ve been so long with the guys, I love the club and I just want to play as much as I can.”

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

16:15 UPDATE: One in, one out

Keylor Navas is close to joining PSG.

The Costa Rica international hasn’t played a minute of competitive football under Zinedine Zidane this season and looks set to leave the Bernabeu.

Sky Sports claim the goalkeeper will join PSG before the European transfer window closes today with French stopper Alphonse Areola heading the other way.

According to El Chringuito, Areola has already passed his Real Madrid medical and will play second-fiddle to Thibaut Courtois.

Transfer news LIVE | Express Sport is on hand to bring you all the latest rumours and gossip (Image: GETTY)

16:00 UPDATE: Barcelona agreement

Barcelona midfielder Rafinha has joined Celta Vigo.

The Brazilian star joins the La Liga outfit on a season-long loan deal having penned a one-year extension with Barcelona.

The 26-year-old’s contract was set to expire in June 2020 – meaning Rafinha would have been eligible to sign a pre-contract agreement with clubs outside of Spain.

Marca claim manager Ernesto Valverde accepts that he’s well stocked in midfield and the meteoric rise of 16-year-old talent Ansu Fati provide pivotal in the decision.

Pues una de las bombas que decía Zidane se va a anunciar mañana. Casi cerrado Bruno Fernandes. Llevaban razón en Florencia. @SportsCenter_nt

— Manu Martín ESPN (@manumartin23) September 1, 2019

15:45 UPDATE: Ryan Kent to Rangers

Rangers look increasingly likely to sign Liverpool winger Ryan Kent.

The 22-year-old attacker enjoyed a profitable loan spell with Steven Gerrard’s side last season – scoring six goals and providing nine assists in 43 appearances.

The BBC claim Liverpool and Rangers are currently holding talks and the Scottish Premiership side could secure his signature for £7million.

Kent has only made one competitive appearance for Liverpool – and that came in in January 2016.

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[f1chronicle]

5 Big Moments From The Maiden Tuscan GP!

Not always does one see a race so saddled by accidents as determined by pure race. The ninth round of the 2020 Formula 1 season saw the contingent arrive at the land of Renaissance, as Italy gave us yet another contest to remember, albeit not one that could, in any way, have been predicted.

As one saw yet another triple-header, but one that ended with a Lewis Hamilton win, the ninetieth of the stalwart’s racing career, Mugello might have produced a Mercedes victory, but ensured that key highlights belonged to moments beyond the speculations of any racing pundit.

Such as both Ferrari’s ending inside points in the struggling team’s 1000th Grand Prix, Max retiring for the third time this season albeit bringing up his first back-to-back DNF (starting Monza), or for that matter, Daniel Ricciardo notching up the drive of the day, even as he failed to re-catch the valiant Alex Albon.

But a race that was just as thrilling in the end with Hamilton first coming under pressure from Bottas, whom he’d defy by over 4 points in the end, was equally thrilling from the start, with several retirements occurring inside the opening lap.

Nano-seconds after Lewis Hamilton, who clawed his way to a sensational 95th pole on Saturday, lost his place to a charging Valtteri Bottas (even before turn 1), the back of the field came to tangle in the run down to the first chicane.

It was mayhem at the start, one that would eventually result in several eventual retirements, Verstappen, Grosjean, Sainz, Raikkonen, Vettel, and Gasly all collecting damage as part of a strange skirmish in this twisty track.

But what moments, thereafter, defined the context and fortune of the maiden Tuscan GP?

Source: Espn

No fewer than 8 retirements

Not that safety car deployments fail to make a contest a level-playing field. But what followed the imposition of the first safety car at Mugello was in no way funny and left a rather scary after-thought for there was yet more drama to follow immediately.

As if the shocking retirement of Verstappen, who took a big hit in the gearbox wasn’t enough, the period after the Safety car went out was marked by yet more action reminiscent of a John Wick gun-slinging motion picture.

Max and last week’s winner Gasly had already retired, leaving 18 cars on the grid.

On Lap 6, with much of the grid weaving deliberately to kick in some temperature in the tyres, there was absolute chaos owing to an unforeseeable and utterly weird string of crashes that took place in the midfield.

Kevin Magunussen apparently too slow at the restart, possibly due to Bottas, out in the lead taking his own sweet time to get going, prompted the Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovinazzi to run into the Haas’ rear. Even as Nicholas Latifi took immediate corrective action, avoiding Magnussen by a split-second as he shunted his Williams onto the left, he’d be collected by the crashing Alfa Romeo. Three more drivers consumed at the re-start.

But was that all?

As a result of the sudden bump in fortunes of several drivers, the man who emerged P2 at Monza too, found himself dragged into the unanticipated tussle. What was scary was to see Sainz emerging with a shaky right-hand. Had the incident been any more serious and we could’ve seen something gross at Formula 1’s maiden run at Mugello.

The entire drama prompted the race to be red-flagged, for the second time in a row this season.

But finally, as the action again got underway on Lap 10, it was business-as-usual for Lewis Hamilton, who’d retake the lead, going wide outside of Bottas on Turn 1, storming to the track position exhibiting unfettered authority out in the lead.

With Bottas in second and Ricciardo looking ever so resilient, it was going to be a cracker of 49 laps. And so it was.

Although, Renault lost Ocon in the red-flag period owing to a mechanical malfunction.

Yet so close, yet so far for George Russell

George Russell finished eleventh (P11) in the race, his first-ever taste of going racing at the land of Tuscan wines, which, one reckons, he must get some measure of having driven yet another commanding race, where he started the race from eighteenth on the grid.

Even though he couldn’t make to his first points in Formula 1, having looked at one stage so capable of getting there, as he positioned himself on ninth upon the second restart, Russell drove a race to remember.

The sentimental favorite of the day, the young British driver, didn’t have the race pace to challenge the Alfa Romeos and struggled against Vettel in the en

But his fans may surely have loved that bold move on the outside of Grosjean on the straights to execute a clean overtake, one of the defining moments of the 2020 Tuscan GP.

A driver who, they say, may soon find himself in Bottas’ seat, seeing that determination and consistency, George Russell’s best days are clearly in front of him.

The saving grace for Ferrari

The 1000th Grand Prix is quite a massive occasion for any team, and obviously calls for something massive when it concerns the most popular marquee in Formula 1’s checkered history.

And even though, Ferrari didn’t quite experience a massive moment, none of the drivers managing to collect a podium, having known the team’s woes this season, it was quite a relief to finally spot both Leclerc and Vettel inside the top ten.

While on his part, Leclerc, who stormed to a memorable fifth in Qualifying a day earlier would feel a chance lost given his eventual race position (P8), it wasn’t too atrocious for Sebastian Vettel, who claimed a tenth (P10).

But this was not before Vettel losing a part of his front wing of the SF 1000 early on after which he’d find a way to soldier on until the end.

Leclerc, on the other hand, found himself in business, breaking into the top-three all thanks to sensational acrobatics around the outside of Verstappen inside Lap 1.

But the fine race-pace with fresh tyres at the start would soon wither away, the Ferrari driver pitting twice even before half-way time to explain just some of his difficulties.

But emerging on top of his teammate, yet again, shouldn’t hurt so much- right?

Raikkonen finally gets off the mark

Going point-less in eight Grands Prix before he arrived at the very venue where he’d first tested an F1 car (back in 2000), Kimi Raikkonen finally scored some this season this weekend.

And what a mighty long wait it has been for the oldest man on the grid to finally get underway?

But once again, the only Alfa Romeo running in contention of scoring points, it didn’t take long for Kimi to prove why he’s still got it; moving up on George Russell upon the second restart, but not before he emerged unscathed despite losing some bodywork in the opening lap scramble.

source: racefans.net

The latter half of the incident-marred Grand Prix saw a quicker, more resolute Raikkonen, who despite finding himself strapped with a 5-second time penalty owing to making his way to the pits when the window wasn’t open, wasn’t going to yield.

Much better on the daunting Mugello straights than he’d been at Monza, Kimi sandwiched the two Ferraris in the end, and emerged ahead of his former Ferrari teammate.

At one point it did seem the Alfa Remeo was all set to get Daniil Kvyat’s Alpha Tauri but the Russian Torpedo held on well to defy Kimi with only a few laps to go.

Nonetheless, the unflustered Iceman would see the Tuscan GP drive as a win-win and shall now even see the remainder of the season at scoring some more points, his qualifying pace supporting his talent and endeavor.

A day Alexander Albon shall never forget

Alexander Albon arrived at the maiden Tuscan GP with a mighty fine qualifying performance where he claimed a strong fourth (P4) in qualifying, landing himself just behind teammate Max Verstappen.

But in the latter part of the race, as more and more drama and thrill livened up the Mugello contest, Albon raised his game, vying eventually for that podium spot.

His awesome move over third-placed Daniel Ricciardo with the Thai-British driver going wide outside the Aussie saw the Red Bull driver claim the third spot on the grid, a position which he’d tightly hold onto as if his life depended on it and truth be told, in the context of his Red Bull future, it even did.

But while glory belonged to Lewis Hamilton, who claimed the Grand Slam of this entertaining Grand Prix, the most glorious moment, it could be said, belonged to Albon for his brave third, his patience finally rewarded in the end.

Lest it is forgotten, this was the second race where Albon’s was the only Red Bull that finished the race, Max retiring. Does that tell us something about Albon being a dependable driver- not too hard to guess, right?

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[mancitynoise]

Premier Bet are one of Africa’s biggest betting companies, offering numerous markets on the biggest sports leagues at www.premierbet.com. The Premier Bet website offers a wide range of features for players to use to enhance their betting experience. With a great weekend of football in store, Premier Bet’s resident tipster Mr. Predictor has provided us with his preview to the weekend games.

The first game I’m looking at is Real Madrid v Barcelona in the second El Clasico match of the season. Neither team has been at their best this season but they’re still much better than any other side in Spain. Real are chasing a first win over their rivals since 2017, a result that would put them top of the table. They’re unbeaten at the Bernabeu in La Liga this season but they lost at home to Manchester City on Wednesday (their second defeat in a row). Barcelona have won four league games in a row but they’ve only picked up five wins from 12 away league games this season, although they did get a boost with Gerard Pique expected to be fit to feature. I think that the main aim for both sides will be to avoid defeat. This is the final game on the Football Jackpot King list on www.footballjackpotking.com, where players can win huge cash prizes with 18 correct selections. I’ll be choosing a Draw for this game.

Another game that could ultimately decide the title is in Italy, where Juventus play Inter in the Derby d’Italia. It’s also a clash between the last two men to manage Chelsea. Having been top of the table fewer than three weeks ago, Antonio Conte’s Inter could find themselves nine points behind Juventus after this game. They’re third right now and have lost their last two domestic games. They’ve only beaten the Old Lady once since 2012 and Maurizio Sarri’s side haven’t lost any of their last 33 home games in the Serie A. I see a Home Win but the Both Teams to Score market looks good. Incidentally, there have been a lot of late goals in Inter’s recent games, so this would be a good opportunity to take advantage of the Cash Out feature on the Premier Bet Official Site. You can use this tool to either protect your winnings or minimise your losses by cashing out your bet during the game.

The big game in England is on Sunday as Aston Villa play Manchester City in the EFL Cup final. This is the third year in a row that City will take part in the final, having lifted the trophy in three of the last four seasons. They are obviously huge favourites to do so again, especially after Wednesday’s win over Real Madrid, although they did suffer an injury blow with Aymeric Laporte coming off, as per Sky Sports. Aston Villa have lost all three of their games since they beat Leicester in the semi-finals and their previous meeting with City this season ended in a humiliating 6-1 defeat at Villa Park. I think Manchester City will win comfortably again. Manchester City to Win with Over 2.5 Goals is my tip, while you can also get odds of 1.45 for City to win on the 1:0 Handicap.

There’s also Premier League action this weekend. Newcastle v Burnley is another game on Premier Bet’s Football Jackpot King list. The main concern for Newcastle right now is how to score goals and it’s now been three Premier League games since they last managed to find the net. The Magpies have now won just two of their last ten games in the Premier League and are in danger of slipping toward the relegation zone. Burnley, on the other hand, are tenth after four wins in their last five games. I expect them to beat Newcastle for the second time this season and I think it would be a wise selection for the Football Jackpot King, too.

The late game in the Premier League on Saturday is Watford v Liverpool. As form goes, these sides couldn’t be much different. I’d back Liverpool in most matches and Watford haven’t won any of their last five games in the Premier League. Should Liverpool win, they’ll claim the record for consecutive wins in the Premier League. The Reds have won eight of their last ten games against Watford and I can only see another victory this time. One man to look out for is Mohamed Salah, who has scored eight goals in five games against Watford. You can bet on him to be an Anytime Scorer at odds of 1.85 this time.

*All odds subject to change.

The post El Clásico Match Predictions appeared first on CaughtOffside.

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France 35-22 Italy: Les Bleus remain unbeaten after bonus-point win against Italy

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France 35-22 Italy: Les Bleus remain unbeaten after bonus-point win against Italy

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Highlights: France score five tries to beat Italy

2020 Six Nations France: (23) 35 Tries:Thomas, Ollivon, Alldritt, Ntamack, SerinCons:Ntamack, JalibertPens:Ntamack 2 Italy: (10) 22 Tries:Minozzi, Zani, BelliniCons:Allan 2Pens:Allan

France are top of the Six Nations table after a bonus-point win despite a lacklustre second half against Italy.

The hosts started strongly with tries from Teddy Thomas and Charles Ollivon before Italy’s Matteo Minozzi scored.

A Tommaso Allan penalty cut France’s lead to three, but Gregory Alldritt went over just before the break.

Romain Ntamack’s try sealed the bonus point, before Italy’s Federico Zani scored and France’s Baptiste Serin finished off an individual effort.

Mattia Bellini added a consolation score for Italy, but France held on for a victory which sees them move to the top of the table on points difference from Ireland.

Fast start for France

France have not won the Six Nations since 2010, but their resurgence under new coach Fabien Galthie began with victory against England last weekend.

It looked as if it would be a more dominant win against Italy at the Stade de France as the hosts won a penalty in the third minute because of a high tackle and Ntamack claimed three points.

Shortly after, wing Thomas chased after Ntamack’s grubber kick and managed to get there before any Italian defenders, tapping the ball down for Les Bleus’ first try.

But French fly-half Ntamack missed the conversion and a subsequent penalty as Storm Ciara made her presence known with a swirling wind in Paris.

Scrum-half Antoine Dupont, so pivotal in the win against England, continued to stake an early claim on the Player of the Championship award as the 23-year-old broke through the Italian defence and captain Ollivon went over from close range.

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Ntamack scores bonus-point try for France

The tide briefly turned as Thomas came too far out of the French defensive line, leaving plenty of space for Italy wing Minozzi to score in the left corner.

Allan landed the conversion from the touchline, then added a penalty to cut France’s lead to three.

But Italy prop Giosue Zilocchi was caught off his feet, gifting Les Bleus a penalty in front of the posts, and Ntamack took the chance to extend his side’s advantage.

After more Italian indiscipline, France opted to kick to the corner and it proved to be the correct decision, with Dupont sending a long pass left to Alldritt, who had plenty of room to score.

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Six Nations 2020: All the best bits from the second week

Inconsistencies begin to show after the break

After a slower start to the second half, it was Italy who had the first chance to get off the mark but Allan’s penalty kick went wide.

Then Ntamack breathed new life into the game, taking Thomas’ pass and scything through defenders to score the bonus-point try for France.

With victory seemingly sealed, the hosts appeared to lose concentration and Italy took advantage of their lack of focus as Zani went over from close range.

Replacement scrum-half Serin showed another glimpse of what France are capable of as he took a quick penalty, side-stepped a tackle and gathered his own kick to score.

Les Bleus’ defence looked to have improved under new coach Shaun Edwards last weekend, but inconsistencies began to show against Italy, giving the Azzurri one last chance to score through Bellini before full-time.

France, who are equal with Ireland on points but top the table on points difference, play Wales in Cardiff on 22 February, while Italy host Scotland earlier the same day.

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‘Fantastic’ Dupont pass sets up France’s third try

‘It was frustrating’ – what they said

France lock Paul Willemse on BBC One:“It was frustrating at the end. We got the bonus point so are happy with that but there were a lot of errors, especially discipline which we need to fix as quickly as possible.

“The atmosphere is great in the team. We have a lot of young guys and have a plan we want to follow. It’s about building our own history and we’re starting to do that now.”

Italy captain Luca Bigi, also on BBC One:“We brought a performance and we showed how strong our attack can be. We scored a try with a driving maul and one in the last minute and we never give up.

“That is a positive we can bring to the next game and I’m so proud to be apart of this team. We conceded too many turnovers last week but we were better today. The effort we showed on the pitch was amazing.”

LINE-UPS

France:Bouthier; Thomas, Vincent, Fickou, Rattez; Ntamack, Dupont; Baille, Marchand, Haouas, Le Roux, Willemse, Cros, Ollivon (c), Alldritt.

Replacements:Mauvaka, Poirot, Bamba, Taofifenua, Palu, Woki, Serin, Jalibert.

Italy:Hayward; Bellini, Morisi, Canna, Minozzi; Allan, Braley; Lovotti, Bigi (c), Zilocchi, Zanni, Cannone, Polledri, Negri, Steyn.

Replacements:Zani, Fischetti, Riccioni, Budd, Ruzza, Licata, Palazzani, Bisegni.

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