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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.
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.
Criticism for Gravenberch as Liverpool struggle
In Liverpool’s current slump, attention is falling on key figures such as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, while manager Arne Slot is also facing criticism. Analysts have noted that Ryan Gravenberch is likewise a shadow of his usual self.
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.
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.
Remarkable request: Lewandowski was told by Barça not to score anymore
A book about Robert Lewandowski has caused quite a stir in Spain and Poland. In the book Lewandowski: The Real One, it emerges that the Polish striker had to stop scoring for Barcelona in the 2022/23 season, because otherwise the club would have had to pay extra money to Bayern Munich.
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).
The grand return of Gerard Moreno
The striker has now scored in four consecutive matches after returning to action two months later.
Former Man City prospect swapped football for Oxford
Gabriel Willhoft-King retired from football at 19 to study law at the University of Oxford.