Erik ten Hag has said that it is difficult to effectively integrate new signings into his team so early in the season following his side’s 3-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, adding: “I’m not Harry Potter.” During a fierce defence of his record in what was at times a tense news conference after the game, the Dutchman assured fans his team “will be fine” and have a…
Kylian Mbappé said he hadn’t felt under pressure to score his first LaLiga goal after grabbing a brace in Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Real Betis on Sunday. Mbappé scored twice in the second half at the Santiago Bernabeu — the first after Federico Valverde’s back-heel assist, and the second from the penalty spot — after three league games without finding the net. “The pressure I have is to adapt…
For Europe’s biggest clubs and leagues, the time for transfers in 2024 has come and gone. The transfer window closed at 11 p.m. BST (6 p.m. ET) in England and Spain on Friday, an hour earlier in France and even earlier in Italy and Germany. It remains open in select countries such as the Netherlands, Turkey and Saudi Arabia, but there’s little room for any more major deals. All parties…
Wrexham continued their positive start in League 1 with a 2-0 victory away to Peterborough on Saturday that left them joint-top with Stockport and Birmingham City after four matches. A pair of first-half goals from Jack Marriott and Max Cleworth helped the side to a comfortable victory — their third of the season so far which also maintained their unbeaten start. Paul Mullin and Steven Fletcher came off the bench…
Hansi Flick accepts that Barcelona’s financial situation will prevent them from signing a replacement for the injured Marc Bernal as the transfer window looks set to close without any further additions at the Catalan club. Barça have signed Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor this summer but ideally would also have brought in a holding midfielder, a left winger and another defender if they could do so while complying with LaLiga’s…
One of the striking things about Manchester United’s poor performance in the 2023-24 season was how open they were in midfield, and how easy it was for opponents to play through the lines of manager Erik ten Hag’s team. The lung power of Fred was no longer there, age appeared to have caught up with Casemiro, and Sofyan Amrabat was something of a disappointment — a reminder that players who…
If you watched only the first half of Bayern Munich’s 3-2 victory at VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday with us on ESPN+, you’ll rightly wonder how on earth the Rekordmeister got itself into deep trouble. Why, in coach Vincent Kompany’s first Bundesliga match in charge, was there such a genuine risk of dropping points after a first-half stroll that saw domination to the tune of eight shots to one? The answers…
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has said he is focusing only on enjoying his football and not the fact that his contract with the club expires at the end of the season. Salah, 32, has scored in both of Liverpool’s Premier League wins this season but has been linked with a move away from the Merseyside club, with interest from the Saudi Pro League in particular. “I just came for a…
Vinícius Júnior said he and his Real Madrid teammates are prepared to walk off the pitch if he faces more racist abuse from fans in LaLiga this season. The Brazil international has been targeted by opposition supporters on multiple occasions, including at Valencia’s Mestalla Stadium in May 2023. That incident eventually saw three fans jailed earlier this year, in what LaLiga said was the first guilty verdict of its kind…
As far as most football fans are concerned, this season’s European club competitions will begin when the draws for the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League group stages later this week. But while UEFA’s showpiece events may end in glitz and glamour and a shower of tickertape as the trophies are lifted with hundreds of millions watching on TV nine months from now, they start in more modest settings.…