Memphis Depay and Georginio Wijnaldum were in fine form as they inspired an easy 3-0 win for the Netherlands over North Macedonia on Monday, as the Oranje scored two goals in 10 successive games for the first time ever.
Frank de Boer s men were already confirmed as Group C winners and their opponents Euro 2020 campaign was over regardless of the result in Amsterdam, and although North Macedonia put up a spirited fight, the Dutch outclassed them in the end.
A thrilling first half saw the Netherlands under pressure in spells, with Ivan Trickovski having a goal disallowed and Aleksandar Trajkovski hitting the upright, though the Oranje looked sharp going forward and went ahead through Depay.
The new Barcelona signing then teed up Wijnaldum to make it 2-0 and also pl…
Giuseppe Rossi has hailed Santi Cazorla as an inspiration as the former Villarreal and Manchester United striker targets a return to elite-level football.
Rossi, 32, is back training with his old club Villarreal six years after leaving Spain to join Serie A side Fiorentina.
The 30-cap Italy international has been a free agent since he left Genoa at the end of 2017-18, having escaped a ban after testing positive for dorzolamide a banned substance commonly found in eye drops that Rossi and his legal team insisted was consumed accidentally.
Since then, he has spent time training with United and recently returned to Villarreal to try to build up match fitness, with a view to playing at the highest level again.
Rossi s career has been blighted by serious kn…
Liverpool have a better attack this season than when Luis Suarez starred at the club, according to Steven Gerrard.
Jurgen Klopp s fabulous front three impressed again on Wednesday, leading his side to a 5-0 thrashing of Porto in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.
Sadio Mane scored a hat-trick to go with goals from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino as Liverpool all but sealed a spot in the quarter-finals.
The trio have scored 63 goals in all competitions between them this season and Gerrard feels they are better than the group that almost led Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2013-14 in Suarez, Daniel Sturridge and Raheem Sterling.
Both are excellent. What I would say about the comparisons between Suarez and this current team is t…
Julian Nagelsmann says Bayern Munich have held encouraging contract talks with Robert Lewandowski s agent amid reported interest from Barcelona.
Lewandowski is contracted to the Bundesliga champions until June 2023 and Barca have been linked with a move for the prolific striker.
Bayern s management have met Pini Zahavi, Lewandowski s agent, as the Bavarian giants endeavour to keep the 33-year-old.
Nagelsmann is hopeful that an agreement can be reached.
The Bayern head coach said: I asked if it was a good conversation. And it seems that it was. But there is nothing to report, in any sense.
My position has not changed, we want to keep it as it is and extend his contract.
Nagelsmann is prepared to wait for Lewandowski to come to a dec…
Gennaro Gattuso has taken over from Carlo Ancelotti at Napoli but received advice from the former head coach on how to turn their fortunes around.
Ancelotti was sacked in the hours following Tuesday s 4-0 win over Genk that secured progression to the Champions League last 16, his position having come under intense scrutiny amid poor form and a reported rift between the players and president Aurelio De Laurentiis.
Napoli announced Gattuso as their new boss on Wednesday, and the 41-year-old made sure to reach out to Ancelotti – who he won two Champions League titles under as a Milan player – before he was presented to the media.
We spoke this morning, even though I wanted to talk to him last night. These days were not easy. I knew I had to clarify things wi…
Fabinho applauded Jurgen Klopp s man-management style, convinced the Liverpool boss knows what is best for his players development.
Klopp has earned wide acclaim ever since joining Liverpool in 2015, with the ex-Borussia Dortmund boss introducing an entertaining brand of football and overseeing a notable improvement in team who lead Premier League champions Manchester City by four points at the top of the table.
He has also been praised for his impact on the players themselves, with Klopp putting trust in youngsters and ensuring others have improved.
Fabinho is one of those to have made significant strides, as the Brazilian struggled to get in Liverpool s team initially after joining from Monaco for a reported £44million in July.
There were reservations …
Roberto Mancini was pleased to end his wait for a Serie A win in his second stint with Inter as they beat Chievo 2-0 on Monday.
The head coach had only collected one point from the three league matches since his return to San Siro in November, however he oversaw a victory in Verona.
Mancini previously led the club from 2004 to 2008.
Goals from Mateo Kovacic and Andrea Ranocchia were enough to give Inter a comfortable victory, althouygh the winning margin could have been wider with better finishing.
Mancini did not mind, though, as recording all three points was much more significant to the 50-year-old.
It’s an important win, as clearly we are gaining confidence because despite the difficulties of facing Chievo we didn t concede, he is quoted as…
Market: Augsburg win
Odds: 10/11 @
Looking to make an immediate return to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, Augsburg will welcome Darmstadt to Bavaria.
Starting with the hosts, putting in a flat performance last weekend as they slumped to a routine 2-0 loss away at Freiburg, Augsburg will be seeking an immediate response here. However, while Enrico Maaben’s men might have spent large spells of last season looking over her shoulder at a looming relegation scrap, the Whites have made some improvements since opening up the 2023/24 campaign. Losing just a pair of their previous five Bundesliga appearances and smelling a golden chance this weekend, Augsburg will be excited to make a return to Bavaria on Saturday afternoon. Last seen in front of their own supporte…
Jack Butland has joined Manchester United on loan from Crystal Palace for the remainder of the 2022-23 season.
The Red Devils had been in the hunt for extra competition at goalkeeper after Martin Dubravka was recalled from his own temporary spell by Newcastle United.
United boss Erik ten Hag had confirmed to the media on Thursday that Butland was set to arrive and provide competition to David de Gea and Tom Heaton, and the move was confirmed on Friday.
This is an amazing club and one that I am now proud to represent. I m really looking forward to working with an unbelievable goalkeeping group, supporting each other every day to create the best training and playing environment for the team, Butland told United s official website.
Massive club. Massive opp…
A match between Boca Juniors and River Plate is never short of meaning and when the rivalry between Argentina s two biggest clubs resumes with a Superclasico at the iconic Bombonera on Sunday, the title is potentially at stake.
Boca have been the dominating force in the monstrous 30-team Primera Division that is late Argentine Football Association president Julio Grondona s legacy this season, with River seven points adrift in fifth – a position that would see them fail to qualify for the 2018 Copa Libertadores.
Marcelo Gallardo s side possess a game in hand and victory will reinvigorate the title race, but defeat in the cacophonous Bombonera this weekend is not an option.
A domestic league title is the only thing evading Gallardo, a highly regarded coach who h…