What a weekend of soccer fun across Europe’s top five leagues! The Premier League’s big game involved two title-chasing London sides and it played out to a fiery, tempestuous 1-1 draw that should leave Chelsea and Arsenal fans happy … even though it won’t. In Spain, Xabi Alonso continues to make heavy work of evolving Real Madrid into his style, as they dropped yet more points in a draw with…
Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmatí is set for a spell on the sidelines after breaking a bone in her leg ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Nations League final second leg against Germany in Madrid. The Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] confirmed on Sunday that the three-time Ballon d’Or winner “fractured her fibula” in training this weekend. Bonmatí, 27, will now return to her club Barcelona for further tests which will determine how long…
Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde is on the radar of Manchester United after a bust-up with his manager, while Paris Saint-Germain are considering a move for United striker Marcus Rashford, who is on loan at Barcelona. Join us for the latest transfer news and rumors from around the globe. Transfers home page | Men’s grades | Women’s grades – Xabi Alonso: Madrid dressing room ‘solid’ despite rift talk – Slot…
Daniel Farke suggested Manchester City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma went down with a “fake injury” that allowed Pep Guardiola to give his players a team talk before they rallied to snatch a 3-2 Premier League win over Leeds. After City bossed the first half at the Etihad Stadium, leading through Phil Foden’s goal just 59 seconds in before Josko Gvardiol doubled the advantage, momentum shifted entirely in the second half as…
Iran has decided to boycott the 2026 World Cup draw in Washington next week because the U.S. denied visas to members of its delegation, the state-run IRNA news agency reported on Friday. The agency quoted Iranian soccer federation spokesman Amir-Mahdi Alavi as saying that officials faced visa obstacles that go beyond sports considerations. There was no immediate comment from the White House. – FIFA alters WC draw format so top…
Germany were once again haunted by their greatest weakness: wastefulness in the final third. On paper, they outperformed Spain in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Nations League final, yet their inability to convert a host of promising chances left them with only a 0-0 stalemate, leaving everything to play for in the second leg. Ordinarily, a goalless draw against the reigning world champions in the opening leg of…
Joshua Kimmich has said that Paris Saint-Germain are the toughest team Bayern Munich have played this season despite the 3-1 Champions League defeat to Arsenal, claiming Mikel Arteta’s side “rely on set pieces” and “love to play long balls.” Bayern suffered their first loss of the season on Wednesday after goals from Jurriën Timber, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli at the Emirates Stadium. But while Vincent Kompany’s men beat reigning…
And then there was one. With five games played, Arsenal are the only team in the UEFA Champions League with an unblemished record. The Gunners’ impressive 3-1 win over Bayern Munich on Wednesday saw to that, but what of the other results this week? What can we read into Chelsea’s confident 3-0 win over Barcelona? What does Liverpool’s 4-1 capitulation at the hands of PSV Eindhoven — at Anfield no…
Manchester United will look to bolster their options at wing-back next summer, sources have told ESPN, alongside their pursuit of a central midfielder. United are assessing their options to strengthen their midfield. Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, Carlos Baleba are all among the names in the frame. Work has also been done to assess Wolves pair João Gomes and André, as well as Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller and Atletico Madrid’s Conor Gallagher.…
SAN DIEGO — When one single goal can be the difference between glory and failure, taking risks isn’t for everyone in soccer. Across the globe, some teams are specifically built to avoid any hints of hazard. Knowing that on-the-field pragmatism can pay off with conservative bets, it’s tempting for many tactical architects to play with caution. In a sport that’s demonstrated time and time again to be fickle, clubs often…