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Looking to open their Europa League adventure with a flurry at Old Trafford, Manchester United will host Real Sociedad on Thursday night.
Manchester United
Starting with the hosts, while Manchester United might have found themselves in the midst of a public nightmare when opening the 2022/23 campaign, the former Premier League champions have come roaring back. Last seen over the weekend keeping up their red-hot momentum with a 3-1 romp against Arsenal at Old Trafford, new boss Erik ten Hag should find the mood in his camp at a real high. Shocking almost everyone across England last month as they picked up a 2-1 victory against title contenders Liverpool, the former Ajax boss now finds his side in the midst of a four-match winning run.…
Leonardo Bonucci has confirmed he will not retire from international football, while backing Roberto Mancini after Italy failed to qualify for a second straight World Cup.
Bonucci was part of Mancini s Azzurri side that responded to not making the 2018 World Cup in Russia by winning Euro 2020 late in July last year.
Italy also embarked on a world-record 37-game unbeaten run, which came to an end against Spain in the Nations League semi-final in October, as they aimed to reach Qatar 2022.
However, Mancini s team could not top their World Cup qualifying group and succumbed to a late 1-0 loss against North Macedonia as Aleksandar Trajkovski delivered the decisive strike in the play-off semi-final on Thursday.
That led to speculation over Mancini s tenure a…
Jovic made his professional debut as a 16-year-old for Serbian giants Red Star Belgrade in 2014 before eventually transferring to Benfica two years later.
He struggled to establish himself in Lisbon, eventually moving to Eintracht on an initial two-year loan deal, which became permanent in April as the German outfit made a significant profit on Jovic.
Jovic said: Things have happened very fast for me. A few years ago, I was just dreaming of playing for Red Star. To play in a Europa League semi-final [against Chelsea], to play in a World Cup, and now to move to Real Madrid, it is incredible.
But I think the most important thing for a striker is confidence. I ve never doubted my worth. I just feel like I have a quality that I was born with, and I will never doubt …
´What more can I ask for?´ – Suarez overtakes Messi as record scorer in South American World Cup qua
Luis Suarez reflected on a special night after overtaking Lionel Messi as the top-scoring player in South American World Cup qualifiers during Uruguay s win against Chile.
The Atletico Madrid striker scored an impressive bicycle-kick to open the scoring in Tuesday s contest before Federico Valverde added a late second in the 2-0 victory.
That goal sealed a third-placed finish for Uruguay behind Brazil and Argentina as La Celeste qualified for the World Cup for a fourth edition running, and a fifth time in six attempts.
Suarez has now found the net 29 times for his country in 62 World Cup qualifiers, one goal more than Messi having played two games more.
Next on the list is Bolivia striker Marcelo Moreno, who has 22 goals in 58 games, followed by Chile s …
Mats Hummels will help to remedy a lack of quality that hampered Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga last season, according to team-mate Marco Reus.
Experienced defender Hummels returned to Signal Iduna Park for a second spell in June, making a €30.5million switch from Bayern Munich just three years after leaving Dortmund.
In the years without Hummels, Dortmund finished third, fourth and second in the Bundesliga while Bayern clinched consecutive titles, but the gap between the two sides was just two points at the end of a tense 2018-19 campaign.
Reus, who played alongside Hummels for four seasons at club level and for eight years in the national team, said his return could make the difference as Lucien Favre s men go in search of their first title since 2012.
Chelsea head coach Maurizio Sarri claims he knows nothing about the club reportedly being ready to buy Kepa Arrizabalaga for a world-record fee.
The Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper is said to be close to joining the Premier League side after they agreed to pay Athletic his €80million release clause.
That would make Kepa the world s most expensive shot-stopper, eclipsing Alisson after the Brazil international s move from Roma to Liverpool last month.
Kepa s arrival would likely free up Thibaut Courtois to join Real Madrid, the Belgian having entered the last year of his Chelsea contract, while making no secret of his desire to return to the Spanish capital, where he played on loan for Atletico Madrid from the Blues between 2011 and 2014.
But speaking at a new…
Kylian Mbappe can go on to be the equal of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo after his hat-trick saw Paris Saint-Germain destroy Barcelona 4-1 in the Champions League.
That was the gracious take of Mbappe s France team-mate Antoine Griezmann, who was on the receiving end of his countryman s heroics at Camp Nou in Tuesday s last-16 first leg.
Messi gave Barca the lead from the penalty spot to score in Europe s top competition for a 17th consecutive season, matching a record set by Real Madrid great Raul.
From then on, however, it was the Mbappe show as Barcelona suffered another humiliating outing on the biggest stage.
A superb equaliser created by Marco Verratti meant it was all square at the interval and Mbappe fired Mauricio Pochettino s men ahead afte…
Barcelona are preparing a new contract for Marc-Andre ter Stegen, according to .
It wasn t an easy situation for the 27-year-old goalkeeper upon his arrival at the club. Having spent four years with Borussia Monchengladbach, Ter Stegen came to the Camp Nou in 2014 as someone who was supposed to put some pressure and give competition to the number one choice Claudio Bravo, but the German went on to do much more than that as he completely pushed Bravo out of the picture.
He has made a total of 200 appearances since then, and despite his current deal, signed in 2017 and set to run until 2022, the Catalan club have decided to reward his 526 saves with fresh, improved terms.
Ter Stegen was recently involved in a public spat with Bayern Munich CEO Uli Hoeness, having …
Roberto Donadoni has signed a new contract to extend his stay as Bologna s head coach until the end of the 2018-19 Serie A season.
Donadoni has been in charge of the club since being appointed in October 2015 following the sacking of Delio Rossi and he led Bologna to 15th place last season.
The 53-year-old s assistant coaches have also agreed new terms to commit their future to the club.
Donadoni is a former coach of the Italian national team, leading the Azzurri to the quarter-finals of Euro 2008, with Napoli, Cagliari and Parma among his previous clubs.
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Simon Kjaer says LaLiga leaders Sevilla do not fear Lionel Messi or Barcelona ahead of Saturday s top-of-the-table clash.
Sevilla travel to Camp Nou this weekend with a one-point lead ahead of reigning champions Barcelona after eight matches.
Only Barca have scored more goals than Sevilla this season, with Kjaer s side enjoying a remarkable start to 2018-19 thanks to five wins – including a stunning 3-0 victory over Real Madrid last month.
Barca captain Messi has hit the ground running this term with six LaLiga goals and 11 in all competitions but Kjaer and Sevilla do not fear the five-time Ballon d Or winner or his team-mates as they prepare to take the game to the holders.
Are there any more words in the world to use to describe Messi? He is simply a…