Market: Ferrol win
Odds: 11/10 @
Looking to extend on their recent purple patch this weekend, Ferrol will welcome Burgos to the Estadio Municipal de A Malata on Sunday afternoon.
Starting with the hosts, while Ferrol might have only made their second-tier return this season, the Green Devils are in the midst of a stellar Segunda romp. Last seen putting in another stellar performance as they secured a 2-1 victory away at Mirandes, the mood in Cristobal Parralo’s camp appears to be at a red-hot high. Leading the chase in the top-six hunt and riding a major wave of momentum, the Galicia-based outfit will be looking to make another statement here. Extending on their Copa del Rey adventure earlier in the month as they secured a 3-1 win away at Marbella, the former …
Kevin De Bruyne claimed his 50th Premier League assist in Manchester City s trip to Bournemouth on Sunday, reaching that mark in record time.
When City s Belgian talisman is in full swing, there is little question he is heading in the direction of being regarded a Premier League great.
The statistic behind his assist for Sergio Aguero s opener at the Vitality Stadium is the case in point, as he set a new record for the fewest matches needed to create 50 goals.
Ironically, he surely cannot claim to have meant this one as his scuffed shot fell to Aguero who swept home, but it has seen De Bruyne reach the 50 mark in just 123 games, nudging to the top of a list of illustrious modern-day players.
50 Kevin De Bruyne has now made 50 assists in the Premier Lea…
Roy Keane has returned to Nottingham Forest after being named assistant to manager Martin O Neill.
It means O Neill and Keane are re-united after a five-year spell with the Republic of Ireland that ended in November after the country suffered relegation to Nations League Group C.
O Neill took over at the City Ground earlier this month following the departure of Aitor Karanka and it was widely expected Keane would follow.
The 47-year-old made over 100 appearances for Forest before establishing himself as one of the best midfielders in world football during a trophy-laden spell at Manchester United.
All smiles on Roy’s return
— Nottingham Forest FC (@NFFC)
He moved into management with Sunderland in 2006, leading the Wearsiders to pro…
Antoine Griezmann will remain focused despite fresh speculation he could leave Atletico Madrid for Barcelona, according to France head coach Didier Deschamps.
Griezmann has scored 18 goals in all competitions for Atletico this season but Saturday s loss at Athletic Bilbao leaves them 10 points behind LaLiga leaders Barca.
Atletico crashed out of the Champions League last week, despite having established a 2-0 first-leg lead against Juventus, and Girona knocked them out of the Copa del Rey in January.
Barca have long been linked with Griezmann and the striker made a television documentary before the World Cup in which he mulled over his future at length before committing to Atletico.
But reports in Spain have indicated Griezmann is becoming unsettled …
Pep Guardiola hailed Jurgen Klopp s exceptional achievements as the Liverpool boss comes under increasing pressure amid their slump in form.
Klopp conceded the title following Liverpool s 3-1 defeat to Leicester City on Saturday, admitting that the gap to Guardiola s Manchester City which stands at 13 points ahead of City s game in hand with Everton on Wednesday was too much for the defending champions to make up.
The Reds, who face RB Leipzig in the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, are in danger of missing out on playing in that competition next season.
Liverpool s loss at the King Power Stadium was their third successive defeat in the Premier League and they sit sixth in the table, two points behind fourth-placed Chelsea and fifth-placed West Ham.
H…
Luis Enrique issued a strong defence of Alvaro Morata after a 0-0 draw with Portugal that saw debutant Aymeric Laporte impress the Spain boss ahead of Euro 2020.
The 2012 winners were unable to find a way through against the reigning champions as the two neighbouring nations met in a friendly fixture as part of their preparations for this year s tournament.
However, Spain saw Morata fail to convert a glorious late chance at the Wanda Metropolitano, his attempt when clean through hitting the crossbar.
It was one of four shots by the striker during proceedings, of which only one ended up on target. Still, he did make two key passes and, despite the crowd getting on his case following the miss, his head coach was more than happy with what he saw.
I am not w…
Best odds: 13/15
Bookmaker:
Inter Milan s upcoming match against Hellas Verona presents an opportunity for them to claim the top spot with exactly half the season gone in the Serie A. A point in this match, scheduled for Saturday at San Siro, would do in that respect.
However, it s not very likely that the Nerazzurri would be happy with anything but the whole prize against relegation-threatened Verona in front of their own supporters.
Inter Milan
Inter Milan had an eventful 2023, showcasing a commendable performance by winning the most Serie A matches (27) among all teams. In Europe s top five leagues, only Manchester City managed to secure more victories (29). Their overall triumphs, including clinching the Coppa Italia in May, marked a successful year…
Pep Guardiola tried in vain to persuade Vincent Kompany to spend one more season with Manchester City.
Kompany ended an 11-year association with the club by captaining them to an unprecedented domestic treble in England last season.
The 33-year-old Belgium defender netted an unforgettable long-range effort to seal a pivotal 1-0 win over Leicester City in what would prove to be his final competitive appearance at the Etihad Stadium, with Guardiola s men going on to pip Liverpool to the Premier League title by a point.
It has been a different story this time around, with City falling way off the pace set by the Reds.
Their defence has been shaky in the injury absence of Aymeric Laporte and, if Guardiola had his way, Kompany would still be an option for him …
Prediction: Sevilla to win 3-2
Odds:
Bookmaker:
Two of the favourites for this year s UEFA Europa League crown, Sevilla and AS Roma, clash on Thursday evening as they face off in the Round of 16.
Both teams will be aiming to lift the trophy in a couple of weeks time, with this rearranged fixture giving the winner a chance to face either Wolverhampton Wanderers or Olympiakos in the quarter-finals.
Sevilla
Serial winners of the Europa League having lifted the trophy on five occasions throughout their history, Spanish side Sevilla are the most successful side in the competition, ahead of the likes of Juventus, Inter Milan, Liverpool and Atletico Madrid. Once again, they will be aiming to reach the quarter-finals, which before last season s defeat…
Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker:
Hoping to extend on their top-six charge in midweek, Brighton will travel to Kenilworth Road Road on Tuesday night when they meet Luton.
Luton
Starting with the hosts, while Luton might find themselves firmly at the heart of a relegation scrap, the Hatters have certainly gained plenty of admirers since making their famous Premier League return. Extending on their FA Cup adventure over the weekend as they snatched a last-gasp 2-1 victory away at Everton, the mood in Rob Edwards’ camp should be at a continued high. Despite signing off 2023 with an action-packed 3-2 defeat at home against Chelsea, that is the only loss that Luton have suffered from any of their previous seven domestic appearances across all competitions. With that exte…