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Italy avoid old tormentors: the draw for the European play-offs
Italy will face Northern Ireland in the semi-finals of the European play-offs for the four remaining World Cup spots. This was determined by Thursday afternoon’s draw.
Palmer was close to returning for Chelsea
Cole Palmer will miss at least the next three Chelsea games, including the Champions League clash with Barcelona, after suffering a toe injury in a domestic accident just as he was about to return from a groin problem. The 23 year old has already been out for two months and missed 11 matches, and is now expected to be sidelined for a further two weeks.
To win a World Cup, our defensive process will be fundamental
Portugal head coach Bino Maçães urges calm and defensive solidity ahead of the World Cup quarter final with Switzerland, stressing that staying true to the team’s identity will be key.
Thigh muscle injury: Schmied ruled out for Cologne
The 1. FC Köln defense has been plagued by injuries this season. Joel Schmied is sidelined for now, but at least another recently injured player is on his way back into the team.
Marseille thrash Nice and move into provisional first place in France
Marseille crushed Nice 5-1 at the Allianz Riviera, delivering a dominant performance that temporarily put them at the top of Ligue 1. Aubameyang and Greenwood shone in attack, with Greenwood scoring twice to reach 10 league goals, while Weah and Igor Paixão also added to the tally.
Luis Díaz apparently suspended for one Champions League match
Next Wednesday, Luis Díaz will not be available for Bayern in London. After that, he will be again.
Furious Mourinho tears into Benfica players
José Mourinho is not at all pleased with Benfica’s squad. The coach of the Portuguese giants faces Ajax on Tuesday in the Champions League and has fired up his players with a heated tirade. And that after a victory.
PSG lead the ranking for passes in the final third
Paris giants are the most dominant team across the five major leagues, followed by Bayern and Barcelona. Overview of the top five leagues: Arsenal and Bayern are dominant, there is strong balance in Italy, and two pairs stand out in France (PSG and Marseille) and Spain (Real Madrid and Barcelona).
Playing at Camp Nou is very different
Barcelona thrashed Athletic Bilbao 4-0 on their return to Camp Nou, almost three years later. When the stadium first opened in 1957, it was against a Polish team. Yesterday, it was a Polish forward, Lewandowski, who scored the first goal in the new version of the ground.
I would have loved to see a sprint duel between Van de Ven and me in our prime
There is no limit to Micky van de Ven’s speed. The Dutchman is now breaking his own speed records in the Premier League. Still, Jarchinio Antonia, aged 34, believes that in his peak years he could have matched the Spurs sprint phenomenon.