Sports Buzz

Tag: Ivan Perisic

  • ‘Ever seen anything like it?’: Real’s bitter shootout controversy as PL sides progress — CL Wrap

    ‘Ever seen anything like it?’: Real’s bitter shootout controversy as PL sides progress — CL Wrap

    Real Madrid survived a controversial penalty shootout against bitter rivals Atletico Madrid, while Premier League outfits Arsenal and Aston Villa comfortably progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals.

    Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

    – SHOOTOUT CONTROVERSY –

    Real Madrid produced a gritty display to reach the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-2 win on penalties against rivals Atletico Madrid, following a 1-0 defeat after extra time on Wednesday.

    Diego Simeone’s side outplayed the record 15-time champions at the Metropolitano stadium for much of the game, but Madrid have never been eliminated by Atletico in the competition and they battled hard after Conor Gallagher’s first-minute opener to secure a 2-2 aggregate draw.

    Thibaut Courtois made several saves to thwart Julian Alvarez and Vinicius Junior blazed a penalty high and wide for Madrid.

    Atletico seemed likely to end a history of being dominated by Madrid in Europe but Los Blancos have the knack of survival down to a fine art and took the game to penalties.

    In the shoot-out Julian Alvarez scored for Atletico but his effort was ruled out as he touched the ball twice because of a slip as he shot.

    Marcos Llorente also missed for Atletico and Madrid’s Antonio Rudiger struck the winner for the reigning champions.

    Atletico played with caution in the first leg despite trailing, willing to take a single goal deficit back to the fiery Metropolitano stadium, where they believed they could really turn the heat up on their arch-rivals.

    Real Madrid knocked Atletico out in the 2017 semi-finals in the final European game at the Vicente Calderon, with this the first time the derby has been played at Atletico’s new home in the Champions League.

    After defeats by Madrid in the 2014 and 2016 finals, the latter on penalties, and elimination on every other occasion the teams have met in the competition, Atletico were desperate to change the narrative.

    MADRID, SPAIN – MARCH 12: Julian Alvarez of Atletico de Madrid scores the team’s second penalty in the penalty shoot out, which is later ruled out following a VAR Review due to an improper kick, during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 Round of 16 second leg match between Atletico de Madrid and Real Madrid C.F. at Estadio Metropolitano on March 12, 2025 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    They came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just 27 seconds through Gallagher, levelling the tie on aggregate.

    Rodrigo De Paul’s low ball in from the right was not cut out by Raul Asencio and former Chelsea midfielder Gallagher lunged in to beat Courtois from close range.

    Atletico were content to sit deep and soak up pressure as Real Madrid pushed the ball around in their territory but were also ready to spring forward on the counter.

    With a strong hand Courtois batted away a powerful Alvarez effort as Atletico sought a second, then denied the Argentine again at his near post before half-time.

    The Belgian goalkeeper made another save to deny Alvarez soon after the break too, as Atletico continued to threaten and Jan Oblak was still untested.

    – High tension –

    With Atletico controlling the game, Ancelotti brought on Eduardo Camavinga and Lucas Vazquez in search of fresh energy.

    Madrid soon produced their best attack of the game, with superstar trio Vinicius, Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe combining on a rapid counter.

    Mbappe skipped away from Jose Gimenez and then was dragged down by the desperate Clement Lenglet for a penalty before he could shoot.

    After the French forward missed spot-kicks against Liverpool and Athletic Bilbao earlier in the season, Ancelotti said Vinicius was his team’s primary taker.

    So it was the Brazilian forward who stepped up, facing down a red wall of whistling Atletico fans behind the goal, and buckled under the pressure, firing high and wide of the target.

    Correa almost snatched Atletico victory in the last minute but hammered a vicious half-volley over the crossbar, and the match went to extra time.

    Madrid shaded the additional period as both teams looked tired but pushed themselves to their limits with the match on a knife-edge.

    Mbappe stepped up first from the spot and sent Oblak the wrong way, with Bellingham following suit after Alexander Sorloth netted for Atletico.

    Alvarez slipped as he smashed home the hosts’ second penalty and after a VAR review it was ruled out as he had touched the ball twice as he struck it.

    Oblak saved from Vazquez’s weak penalty to put Atletico back on track but it was short-lived as Llorente crashed his penalty off the bar.

    Oblak dived the right way for Rudiger’s decisive penalty but could not keep it out as Madrid marched into the last eight, where they will take on Arsenal.

    – GUNNERS PILE ON NINE –

    Arsenal drew 2-2 with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday to complete an emphatic 9-3 aggregate win and set up a Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

    The Gunners demolished the Dutch champions 7-1 in the Netherlands last week, making the second leg at the Emirates a formality.

    Arsenal, with seven changes from Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Manchester United, were quickly out of the blocks, scoring in the sixth minute through Oleksandr Zinchenko.

    Croatian veteran Ivan Perisic pulled PSV level on the night with a thunderous finish past the sprawling David Raya but midfielder Declan Rice headed Arsenal back in front.

    PSV, seeking to salvage pride after last week’s humiliation, equalised with 20 minutes to go with a fine goal from Couhaib Driouech.

    Arsenal were waiting to find out their opponents after the final whistle because Real Madrid and Atletico were locked at 2-2 on aggregate at the end of normal time.

    The Gunners have never won the Champions League and have not won a European trophy since the now-defunct 1994 Cup Winners’ Cup.

    Mike Arteta’s men, whose Premier League challenge has fizzled out in recent weeks, were quickly in the driving seat in the second leg against PSV.

    Raheem Sterling received the ball on the right of the Arsenal attack and found his former Manchester City teammate Zinchenko, who glided along the 18-yard box before unleashing a superb left-footed shot past Walter Benitez.

    Former Tottenham player Perisic levelled in the 18th minute and Raya had to be alert to produce a fingertip save from the lively Driouech moments later.

    But the home side were back in front in the 37th minute Sterling, who has been out of favour under Arteta despite his lack of forward options, charged down the right and produced a teasing cross that Rice headed home.

    Raya produced another fine save 10 minutes into the second half, diving full length to his left to keep out an effort from Isaac Babadi.

    But PSV were level with 20 minutes to go after Moroccan youth international Driouech, making his first Champions League start, dinked the ball over the onrushing Arsenal goalkeeper.

    The Dutch champions were now on top but neither side could find a winner.

    Barcelona storm into Champions League QF | 00:38

    – VILLA BOOK PSG SHOWDOWN –

    Marco Asensio starred as Aston Villa beat 10-man Club Brugge 3-0 on Wednesday to book a Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain.

    Asensio came off the bench to strike twice in the second half of the last-16 second leg at Villa Park.

    The in-form Spanish forward has netted seven times since joining on loan from PSG in the January transfer window and is set for a reunion with his parent club in the last eight.

    Brugge had Kyriani Sabbe sent off for a professional foul on Marcus Rashford early in the first half and Asensio ensured Villa eventually took advantage.

    Ian Maatsen scored in between Asensio’s brace as Unai Emery’s side romped to a 6-1 aggregate victory.

    With Prince William, a noted Villa fan, celebrating in the stands, the Premier League outfit are through to the quarter-finals of Europe’s elite club competition for the first time in 42 years.

    Their exit against Juventus at that stage in 1982-83 was Villa’s last appearance in the European Cup — the forerunner to the Champions League — until this season.

    Emery’s men are the first team to reach the Champions League quarter-finals in their debut season in the competition since Atalanta in 2019-20.

    Wins against Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Celtic are among the Champions League highlights for Emery’s men this term.

    PSG are next in their sights after the Ligue 1 leaders’ penalty shootout win at Liverpool on Tuesday.

    Facing PSG in April will have extra meaning for Emery, who spent two turbulent seasons in charge at PSG, winning the French title in 2018 but struggling in the Champions League.

    It is only the second time Emery has made it past the Champions League last 16 after he took Villarreal to the semi-finals in 2022.

    A repeat of their famous European Cup-winning campaign in 1982 might prove beyond Villa, but they have created memories of lifetime in their fairytale run this season.

    – Songs of praise –

    As fireworks crackled over Villa Park before kick-off, fans in the Holte End unfurled a huge flag emblazoned with the motto “Prepared”.

    It was a message their team initially seemed to ignore.

    Brugge captain Hans Vanaken glanced a header just wide of the far post in a confident start from the visitors.

    Raphael Onyedika’s goal-bound was blocked by Villa defender Ezri Konsa, a chance that provoked anxious groans from fretting fans.

    Villa lost 1-0 at Brugge in the league phase and needed two goals in the final eight minutes to take control in the last-16 first leg.

    But Brugge had never won in England in 14 trips and those nervous Villa supporters need not have worried as the tension was lifted in an instant by Rashford’s blistering pace.

    Accelerating onto Emiliano Martinez’s long punt in the 17th minute, Rashford was hauled down by Sabbe on the edge of the area, with the Brugge defender dismissed for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

    From the free-kick, Youri Tielemans’ drive forced Simon Mignolet to make a sprawling save low to his right.

    Emery made an inspired double substitution at the interval, sending on Asensio and Leon Bailey in a move that paid immediate dividends.

    The pair combined to break the deadlock in the 50th minute as Bailey’s pass reached Asensio inside the Brugge area and he swivelled to finish with aplomb.

    Asensio should have scored again moments later, but the 29-year-old’s shot cannoned back off the post.

    With Villa fans singing songs of praise to Emery, Maatsen doubled the lead in the 57th minute.

    Morgan Rogers’ nimble footwork worked space for a cross to Maatsen, whose close-range effort deflected past Mignolet.

    Asensio wrapped up another memorable European night for Villa four minutes later, meeting Rashford’s low cross with a clinical finish from six yards.

    Utd eyes historic move from Old Trafford | 01:24

    – DORTMUND FIGHT BACK –

    Borussia Dortmund recovered from losing an early goal to fight back and beat Lille 2-1 in France in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Wednesday, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and a place in the quarter-finals.

    Jonathan David gave Lille an early lead on the night, putting the French club ahead in the tie after last week’s 1-1 first-leg draw.

    However, Emre Can squared things by converting a penalty for Dortmund on 54 minutes, and Maximilian Beier then fired in a fine winner for last season’s runners-up.

    Dortmund will now face Barcelona in the quarter-finals next month, having already lost 3-2 at home to the Catalans during the league phase in December.

    The result is a huge boost for Dortmund and their recently-appointed coach Niko Kovac, coming as the club languishes in 10th place in the Bundesliga.

    “For the whole 90 minutes we controlled the game. It was a fantastic performance,” Kovac told UEFA.com.

    He will now come up against a Barcelona side coached by Hansi Flick, his former assistant at Bayern Munich.

    The result is a massive disappointment for Lille, who were hoping to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history after an outstanding performance during the league phase.

    They finished seventh out of 36 teams, beating both Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid on the way, while also holding Juventus and putting six past Feyenoord.

    – ‘Frustration’ for Lille –

    Their coach Bruno Genesio insisted it had been a “satisfying” campaign despite the exit, but club president Olivier Letang was unhappy about the decision to award the penalty from which Dortmund equalised.

    “I want to emphasise how good a run we had, even if we are frustrated,” before questioning the decision to appoint as referee Sandro Schaerer, a German-speaking Swiss.

    “I don’t think it was a penalty and it changed the game,” he said. “When I saw who was appointed referee, and that he was a German-speaking Swiss, I thought it was a bit strange. And at half-time he was speaking to the Dortmund players exclusively in German.” Lille appeared to be in a strong position after coming from behind to draw in Dortmund last week, and they went in front in the tie when Canada forward David scored in the fifth minute.

    Ismaily’s low ball in from the left was swept towards goal by David, somehow going in through the legs of Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

    It was David’s seventh goal in this season’s Champions League, but it seemed to galvanise the visitors.

    They were denied an equaliser by a remarkable double save from Lille ‘keeper Lucas Chevalier in the midst of a goalmouth scramble on 20 minutes.

    Dortmund applied pressure and were rewarded when they won the penalty shortly after half-time as Serhou Guirassy went down under contact from Thomas Meunier.

    It appeared a soft decision, but Can fired in the spot-kick, and Karim Adeyemi then hit the bar for Dortmund before they found what proved to be the winner on 65 minutes.

    Guirassy, who has 10 goals in the Champions League this season, was the provider but Beier still had work to do as he controlled the ball in the box before firing a lethal shot high into the net.

    Lille could not recover from that blow as they went out in the last 16, just like in their two previous appearances at this stage of the competition, in 2007 and 2022.

    Source link

  • ‘Stop crying your heart out’: City on brink as Real pull off epic comeback in spicy CL clash

    ‘Stop crying your heart out’: City on brink as Real pull off epic comeback in spicy CL clash

    One of the best rivalries in modern football produced another classic, or you might even say “clásico”, as a 92nd minute Jude Bellingham winner handed Real Madrid a 3-2 win in the first leg of their Champions League knockout playoff against Manchester City.

    Get all the latest football news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!

    The Etihad Stadium was left stunned as English star Bellingham tapped into an empty net to steal victory for the Spanish giants.

    Vinicius Junior set up the decisive goal with the Brazilian stealing a pass from Mateo Kovacic that was intended for Rico Lewis, drawing City goalkeeper Ederson out and lobbing him, but the ball was sailing wide before Bellingham got their in time to finish off his teammate’s brilliant work.

    It was the first time Real have claimed victory in regular time away at Manchester City – they won on penalties after the second leg of last year’s quarter-final – and they are well-placed to eliminate Pep Guardiola’s side, and book their own place in the Round of 16, in the second leg at the Bernabeu next week.

    City led twice, through superstar Erling Haaland on both occasions, and the home crowd were jubilant when his 80th minute goal from a penalty, won by Phil Foden who was brought down just inside the box by a clumsy Dani Ceballos challenge, made it appear as if they may head to Madrid with a lead.

    But one of their own academy products that came back to haunt them.

    Brahim Diaz, who left City for Real Madrid back in 2019, and had a four-year loan spell at AC Milan, came off the bench to score an 86th minute equaliser.

    Diaz pounced on a ball that spilled off Ederson’s chest after a Vinicius Jr. strike, and the 25-year-old slotted it into the far corner, and in a classy touch opted not to celebrate.

    Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said pre-match that his side’s clashes with the Premier League giants “seems like it’s a clásico” due to the quality and frequency of their meetings, like the La Liga leader’s rivalry with Barcelona.

    It is only the fourth time that two teams have met in the Champions League in four successive seasons – after Deportivo v Juventus (2000-04), Liverpool v Chelsea (five in a row from 2004-09) and Real Madrid v Atletico Madrid (2013-17) – but this battle was arguably Real and City’s spiciest.

    It was their first meeting since Real’s infamous Ballon d’Or boycott last October, and the home fans were eager to remind them of it.

    A massive banner with a picture of City’s Spanish maestro Rodri kissing the trophy accompanied by the words ‘stop crying your heart out’, in reference to the song by big City fans Oasis, was unveiled in the terraces before kick off.

    Rodri, who is sidelined with an ACL injury, was even spotted capturing a photo of the banner on his phone, while Real’s sensational forward Vinicius Jr., who they believe was the deserved winner, was met with boos and jeers every time he was involved in play.

    The noise did not seem to bother the Brazilian however as he was superb all night, but went without the reward of getting on the score sheet despite his impressive creativity.

    He released Kylian Mbappe in the 11th minute but Edersen pulled off an excellent save.

    One minute later he again almost had an assist but Nathan Ake cleared Ferland Mendy’s shot off the line, and shortly after he may have been awarded a penalty if not for the offside flag being raised, and later in the half a deflected shot of his hit the crossbar.

    Real’s electricity in the front half made them look the more threatening of the two sides early, but it was City who scored first through who else but Haaland in the 19th minute.

    Jack Grealish, who was subbed off after a half an hour with what appeared to be a hamstring injury, lobbed an excellent ball into the box to Josko Gvardiol who chested it down to Haaland and the Norwegian goal scoring machine calmly put the ball over Thibaut Courtois with his left foot.

    There was a lengthy VAR check for offside, but the video referee eventually awarded Haaland his first goal against Real Madrid, in his fifth attempt.

    Completing a brace later also added further to his remarkable Champions League record with 49 goals from 48 matches.

    City took a 1-0 lead into the break but there easily could have been more goals as a Manuel Akanji header from a Kevin De Bruyne corner hit the bar, and Mbappe squandered a late chance by launching a shot over the bar.

    The French superstar made up for it in the 60th minute, however, as a complete miskick sailed into the back of the net to equalise.

    Federico Valverde blasted a free kick into the City defensive wall, but the ball rebounded to Dani Ceballos who put a superb dink pass over the top to Mbappe inside the box and his acrobatic volley came off his shin, but a wrongfooted Ederson could only watch as it slowly looped into the far corner.

    The second half momentum was mainly with the visitors as Bellingham also had a couple of near misses, and having had almost double the amount of shots, 20 to 11, they could not help but feel like they should be returning home with a lead.

    But they were eventually rewarded for their persistence with Diaz and Bellingham’s late goals.

    – Clinical PSG, Juve and Dortmund lead –

    PSG put one foot in the Round of 16 with a dominant 3-0 victory away at fellow Ligue 1 side Brest.

    The hosts were always up against it with the Parisian giants boasting a 31 game unbeaten run against them, Brest’s last victory came in a league match in 1985, and the visitors put the foot down from the start.

    Vitinha converted a penalty in the 21st minute to open the scoring before Ousmane Dembele continued his stunning recent form with a brace either side of half time.

    The Frenchman has now scored 18 goals in his last 11 games in all competitions for PSG, making him the most prolific goal scorer in Europe’s big five competitions since the start of December.

    The second leg will be held at Paris’ Parc de Princes next week.

    Elsewhere, a 82nd minute Samuel Mbangula winner handed Juventus a 2-1 win in Turin against Dutch outfit PSV.

    Weston McKennie opened the scoring for the Italian giants, but Ivan Perisic levelled shortly after half time.

    Borussia Dortmund had a comfortable win away in Portugal against Sporting CP with a 3-0 victory courtesy of goals to Serhou Guirassy, Pascal Grob and Karim Adeyemi.

    Source link

  • ‘Something’s off’: Ange fears over Spurs ‘barb’… and the issue that ‘refuses to go away’ — UK View

    ‘Something’s off’: Ange fears over Spurs ‘barb’… and the issue that ‘refuses to go away’ — UK View

    UK football experts are backing Ange Postecoglou to lead Tottenham back to the Champions League promise land — but not all are convinced with backfire fears raised over his stunning, public swipe of the club’s fans last season.

    Postecolgou’s second Premier League season in charge kicks off at newly promoted Leicester City on Monday (Tuesday morning AEST) and many experts are confident that it will be the beginning of a top-four campaign.

    But The Daily Mail’s Nathan Salt believes Postecoglou may come to regret his comments following his side’s 2-0 loss at home to champions Manchester City in the penultimate game of last season.

    Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today.

    The former Celtic boss is well versed in passionate derbies but he expressed his disappointment with some Spurs fans wanting their team to lose to City to prevent rivals Arsenal from winning the league.

    Salt wrote that Postecoglou has now added more pressure onto his own shoulders which could heavily impact the upcoming campaign.

    “Something feels off, 7th,” Salt said.

    “Ange Postecoglou publicly called out Tottenham and their supporters for a ‘fragile’ mentality at the back end of last season and the need to win a trophy only becomes of greater importance after such a barb from the boss.”

    The Australian was heaped with praise for implementing an attacking style last season but his side ran out of steam late to finish fifth and miss out on a Champions League berth by two points.

    Postecoglou demanded the signing of a proven Premier League goalscorer and his command was fulfilled when they signed Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth for an initial £55 million ($106.5 million).

    United not ‘ready’ for season to begin? | 00:43

    Solanke scored 21 goals last season, including 19 in the Premier League, and will join Son Heung-min, Richarlison and Timo Werner in attack – who all attempted to fill the void left by Harry Kane up front at times but Son in particular is arguably more suited to playing on a flank.

    Postecoglou’s attacking style ensures that Spurs create plenty of chances and having another accomplished finisher inside the box has filled many pundits with confidence that they will pile on the goals.

    Manchester United and England legend Gary Neville tips Tottenham to be the beneficiaries of a potential Liverpool slide following Jurgen Klopp’s departure from Anfield and join Manchester City, Arsenal and his former club in the Champions League spots.

    “I think that Tottenham fell away badly (last year) but they’ve got something,” Neville said on the Stick to Football podcast. “I think they’ve got something and I’m going for Tottenham (above Liverpool).”

    The Guardian’s football writers agreed that Tottenham will finish fourth with deputy football editor Sachin Nakrani praising Postecoglou’s tactics as the reason why Spurs can improve.

    “Tactically Tottenham are, to use that most modern of football phrase, in a good place,” Nakrani said.

    “There is collective buy-in to the bold, positive approach Ange Postecoglou established in his debut campaign, providing as it did a much-needed contrast to the negative drudgery of the Mourinho and Conte years and almost proving enough to secure a top four finish.”

    A focus of Spurs’ off-season squad management has been cleaning out players that do not suit Postecoglou’s style of play.

    Mbappe leads Madrid to Super Cup win | 01:04

    In addition to Solanke, highly-touted 18-year-olds Archie Gray and Lucas Bergvall have been signed while Werner’s loan deal has been extended for another season and South Korean winger Yang Min-hyuk will join Tottenham in January after the K League 1 season.

    Meanwhile midfielders Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Marseille) and Eric Dier (Bayern Munich), as well defender Emerson Royal (AC Milan) and winger Ivan Perisic (Hajduk Split) are among 15 players to have been loaned, sold or released to find new homes where they are more suited.

    The formation of the squad to Postecoglou’s liking led to the Telegraph’s Matt Law – two of the Telegraph’s six experts predicted Tottenham to be in the top four – to suggest that more players will be out the door in the coming weeks.

    “The plan is for more exits before the transfer window shuts and just who leaves may dictate any remaining incoming business,” Law said.

    The addition of European football – the Europa League – to Tottenham’s schedule this season has raised concerns about clearing out too many players and their squad depth however.

    Spurs battled to cover their injuries in the second half of last season – particularly in defence where at times they played without a recognised centre back – and Europa League games on a Thursday night demands greater squad flexibility.

    The Guardian’s Sachin Nakrani believes they need to add in “most notably a high-class winger, with a left-back and centre-back also required to bolster resources”.

    The need for further defensive signings combined with Postecolgou’s aggressive playing style sometimes leaving them exposed at the back are the main reasons the detractors are not tipping improvement from Spurs.

    Bruno Fernandes re-signs with Red Devils | 00:30

    Defending set pieces continues to be a struggle and Bayern Munich exposed it once again in their pre-season friendlies.

    “Spurs conceded 16 times from set pieces last season, which put them level with Burnley and Aston Villa,” The Athletic’s Jay Harris said.

    “Only Luton Town, Sheffield United (both 19) and Nottingham Forest conceded more (23). Bayern exposed this weakness twice on Saturday. It is a problem that refuses to go away.”

    The Independent’s writers were split 50/50 on whether Tottenham would improve this season and assistant sports editor Karl Matchett has his concerns about Spurs’ defending despite predicting them to be in the top four.

    “I’m leaning (towards) Tottenham, as they have really good attacking depth, but Newcastle will also be back in the hunt this year if they land Marc Guehi and another attacker,” Matchett said.

    “They maybe aren’t as good overall as Spurs, but can be defensively more resolute and importantly have no European midweek football, which given their injury issues last year will be a huge differentiator for that squad. Spurs are ‘better’ but that doesn’t always mean they’ll finish ahead. Villa will drop off a bit with Champions League to deal with, United and Chelsea are nowhere near it right now.”

    Source link

  • Italy overcome 23-second disaster; 16yo Spain star makes history in vital win over rivals: Euro Wrap

    Italy overcome 23-second disaster; 16yo Spain star makes history in vital win over rivals: Euro Wrap

    Spain made a dream start to Euro 2024 on Saturday by beating Croatia 3-0 in Berlin, after Switzerland kicked off their campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory against Hungary while Italy had to come from behind to overcome a resolute Albania.

    Three-time European champions Spain tore apart a disappointing Croatia at the Olympiastadion in the German capital, with Alvaro Morata breaking the deadlock just before the half-hour mark.

    Get on board Kayo and watch every game of every round of the NRL + AFL Seasons live and ad break free during play. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

    Fabian Ruiz soon made it 2-0 and Dani Carvajal got the third goal just prior to the interval as Spain seized control of a difficult Group B which also contains reigning champions Italy and Albania.

    The day was also notable for Lamine Yamal, Spain’s Barcelona winger, becoming the youngest player in the competition’s history at 16 years and 338 days old.

    Morata’s goal was his seventh at the European Championship, a tally which allowed him to move joint-third on the all-time list alongside Alan Shearer and Antoine Griezmann.

    Only Cristiano Ronaldo, with 14, and Michel Platini, who got all of his nine goals on France’s run to glory in 1984, are ahead of them.

    Ruiz, the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder who set up Morata’s opener, produced a lovely finish from just inside the box for the second while Carvajal — who also scored in Real Madrid’s recent Champions League final win — prodded in a Yamal cross for the third.

    Croatia, the 2022 World Cup semi-finalists for whom Luka Modric started but came off on 65 minutes, were stunned and could not come back.

    They thought they had claimed a consolation when substitute Bruno Petkovic tapped in after his penalty was saved by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon.

    But the goal was ruled out by VAR for encroachment by Ivan Perisic as Spain added a clean sheet to an almost perfect outing.

    “Very happy with the win, for my (Euros) debut,” Yamal told Spanish broadcaster La 1.

    “We’ve got confidence, we’re a very efficient team and we’re showing it. We’re happy because all the work from the last few months has borne fruit.”

    Alvaro Morata was on the scoresheet for Spain. (Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP)Source: AFP

    MORE COVERAGE

    Horror challenge cruels underdogs’ upset bid as Germany make emphatic Euro statement

    Italy recovered from conceding the fastest goal in the competition’s history to get their defence of the European Championship title off to a winning start on Saturday as they came back to beat Albania 2-1 in front of a partisan crowd.

    Nedim Bajrami stunned the Italians and delighted a huge Albanian support in Dortmund as he smashed in the opener after just 23 seconds, his strike pulverising the previous record for the quickest goal at the Euros of 67 seconds by Dmitri Kirichenko of Russia in 2004.

    Italy’s Federico Dimarco took a throw from the left-back position but played it loosely back into his own box. Bastoni was caught on the back foot, and Bajrami — who plays in Italy for Sassuolo — pounced to control and fire past Gianluigi Donnarumma at the goalkeeper’s near post.

    Yet Italy’s response to falling behind was quick too, as Alessandro Bastoni headed the Azzurri level on 11 minutes and Nicolo Barella’s glorious effort put them ahead just past the quarter-hour mark.

    From then on Luciano Spalletti’s team looked much more assured but then sat back.

    Sadly for the underdogs, Albania did not manage another attempt on target and the second-lowest ranked nation in the competition could not find an equaliser despite their best efforts late on.

    Substitute Rey Manaj came closest after getting in behind in the 90th minute, but he could not beat Donnarumma.

    Nicolo Barella scored what proved to be the winner for Italy. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP)Source: AFP

    In Cologne, Kwadwo Duah and Michel Aebischer scored their first international goals as Switzerland — beaten on penalties by Spain in the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 — saw off Hungary in Group A.

    Duah opened the scoring in only his second international appearance after making his debut earlier this month.

    The London-born 27-year-old, who plays for Bulgarian club Ludogorets Razgrad, holds dual citizenship with Ghana and Switzerland, who will be relieved he opted to represent them on the evidence of a dynamic display.

    After providing the assist for Duah’s opener, Bologna midfielder Aebischer netted his maiden Switzerland goal with an eye-catching long-range strike just before the interval.

    Barnabas Varga’s seventh goal in nine starts for Hungary set up a tense finale, but Breel Embolo struck in stoppage-time to seal the points.

    “I liken football to chess and today we got our tactics right. We used this formation for a particular reason,” Swiss coach Murat Yakin said of his team’s line-up which featured a back three.

    “We focused on making the most of our strengths and we made our opponents’ lives very hard in the first half.” Hosts Germany thrashed 10-man Scotland 5-1 in the same group in the tournament’s opening match on Friday in Munich, and Switzerland face Scotland next on Wednesday, while Hungary play Germany the same day.

    “We play Germany in four days. I dare anybody to bet one Hungarian forint on us. As of today that looks impossible,” said Hungary coach Marco Rossi.

    Source link

  • EPL 2024: Tottenham transfer news, Conor Gallagher Chelsea, Aston Villa, latest, rumours, Premier League transfer window

    EPL 2024: Tottenham transfer news, Conor Gallagher Chelsea, Aston Villa, latest, rumours, Premier League transfer window

    Ange Postecoglou’s overhaul of his Tottenham Hotspur squad has taken a key step forward with four players released by the club, as the Australian manager looks to clear space to bring in new arrivals – including a bid for a $96m Chelsea star.

    Eric Dier, Ivan Perisic, Japhet Tanganga and Ryan Sessegnon all departed Spurs at the end of their contracts, with a club statement reading: “We thank Eric, Ivan, Ryan and Japhet for their service to the Club and wish them all the very best for the future.”

    30-year-old Dier played 365 times for Spurs, but departed on loan to Bayern Munich in January – joining ex-Spurs captain Harry Kane at the German giants. He’s set to sign permanently there.

    Don’t miss all the 4K action this weekend on Kayo including selected NRL, AFL, SSN games and every qualifying session and F1 race. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today>>

    It’s a similar situation for Ivan Perisic, who signed in 2022 and played 50 times for the club before leaving for Hajduk Split on loan in January.

    25-year-old centre-back Japhet Tanganga was a highly-touted Spurs academy product who debuted for the senior team back in 2019 and went on to play 50 times before being sent out on two loans this season, including a fine stint with Championship side Millwall in the back half of the season. Spurs opted not to extend his deal by a further year which would have given them the chance to push for a transfer fee, something that seemed likely given widespread interest in his services.

    France, Spain win in Euros warm ups | 00:47

    Sessegnon’s exit raises a few eyebrows given his undeniable talent – despite injuries having cruelled his career of late.

    Sessegnon broke into the Fulham senior side at 16 and became a key player as they earned promotion to the Premier League, before signing for Spurs for £25m as a 19-year-old. That was back in 2019, but things haven’t quite gone to plan since. He played 23 games last season and 21 the year before, but the gifted left wing-back suffered a horror year with injury that required two hamstring surgeries and limited him to just one appearance this campaign.

    Spurs had the option to extend the now 24-year-old’s contract for one more season, but opted not to.

    Sessegnon wrote on Instagram: “Spurs, thank you. I would like to thank everyone associated with Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. I joined at 19 and have met some very special people along the way that have supported and guided me.

    “From my teammates, to the backroom staff to my coaches – thank you! I’ve got memories and friends for life. From making my debut to scoring in the Champions League. I’ll always cherish these moments.

    “Unfortunately things didn’t work out the way I or the club wanted during my time here. It broke my heart that I couldn’t play in front of you a lot more.”

    Meanwhile, another defender in Djed Spence appears likely to depart, with the 23-year-old in talks to sign a permanent deal with Genoa.

    City set to SUE Premier League! | 00:42

    Spence, who signed for Spurs in 2022 for £20 million ($A38.5m) but played just six games, had been hoping for a new chance at Tottenham when Postecoglou arrived. But he soon fell out of the first-team picture in pre-season and was sent on two loan deals – the latter to Genoa in January. Selling Spence to the Italian club, as Fabrizio Romano is reporting, could help raise crucial funds for Postecoglou.

    And high on the Australian’s shopping list is Chelsea captain Conor Gallagher.

    Aston Villa held talks in recent days with the Blues over signing the star 24-year-old, but Tottenham is also reportedly preparing an offer.

    According to reports, Chelsea will seek at least £50m ($A96m) for the England midfielder – and that price could quickly rise even further if he impresses at the upcoming Euros.

    Gallagher is a Chelsea Academy graduate and is not pushing for a move, but the Blues need to offload players after their outlandish spending spree in recent windows.

    Source link

  • Wild stat behind Ange’s drastic rebuild as big rule change could decide Spurs’ fate

    Wild stat behind Ange’s drastic rebuild as big rule change could decide Spurs’ fate

    When Ange Postecoglou took over at Tottenham before the Premier League season kicked off, the appointment was met with surprise and even dismay in some quarters – from those who have not followed his career, at least.

    The big question was simple: How far could he – and his bold tactical approach – take the team in his maiden campaign in the world’s top league?

    Postecoglou exceeded all expectations with a 10-match unbeaten run to send them top of the table early in the campaign, playing a blinding brand of attacking football.

    The Australian won Premier League manager of the month in each of August, September and October. Then injuries and suspension decimated Spurs, who lost four of their next five matches.

    Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

    Postecoglou steadied the ship and has lost just once in their seven matches – even with a couple of key players at the Africa Cup of Nations or, like South Korea’s Son Heung-Min, at the Asian Cup for a month.

    Tottenham currently sit fifth on 44 points, with 13 wins, five draws and five defeats.

    To put that into perspective, that tally through 23 rounds would be good enough to comfortably sit in the top four in every season going back to 2018/19 (when, coincidentally, they finished fourth in the last full season under Mauricio Pochettino).

    It hasn’t all been smooth sailing for Ange at Spurs – but he’s laying the foundations for long-term success.Source: AFP

    It’s fair to say that they’ve confounded the critics so far. That’s especially true considering the club’s talismanic captain Harry Kane, who had scored at least 20 goals in each of his last nine seasons, was sold before the season kicked off.

    But Kane’s departure may have proved a blessing in disguise for Postecoglou. Firstly, it provided him with funds to splash in the transfer market. Kane was sold to Bayern Munich for a German-record €100m plus €10m in bonuses. Postecoglou used that to sign winger Brennan Johnson (22) and James Maddison (26) for almost exactly the amount Kane earned the club – then made another seven signings.

    Of the nine permanent arrivals, just two were aged over 25: Maddison and goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario (also 26).

    And besides Kane (30), he allowed three other players to leave on permanent deals – 30-year-old Lucas Moura, and 27-year-old duo Harry Winks and Davinson Sanchez. 27-year-old Tanguy Ndombele was sent on loan, as was 26-year-old Sergio Reguilon (all ages above are at the time of the deal).

    It was a drastic reshaping of the side with the future firmly in mind.

    Despite having his season hampered by injury, Maddison has been an excellent signing so far.Source: Getty Images

    MORE COVERAGE

    ‘Inspired’ Matildas boss reveals surprise Ange visit as crunch Olympic qualifier looms

    Sin bins and ‘cooling-off’ periods? How bonkers proposals could finally end fiery PL scuffles

    South Korea’s 64-year hoodoo remains as world No. 87 causes all-time Asian Cup boilover

    Tottenham’s average age of the starting XI (across every match) last season was 27.5 years old, while the average age of the entire squad was 27.1 – the fourth-oldest in the competition.

    This time around, the average age of the starting XI is just 24.9, with the entire squad averaging 25.3 years old – the fourth-youngest in the competition.

    In Spurs’ last match (2-2 against Everton), all of the substitutes were aged 21 to 23 years old.

    The starting XI for that match included seven players who have arrived at Spurs this season.

    The oldest player in the team, 28-year-old Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, is an outlier – and Postecoglou had him up for sale in January only for the player to reject an exit. Tottenham were reportedly hoping to replace him with Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher, who turned 24 this week.

    Compare that to the top of the table clash between Arsenal and Liverpool on the weekend, where the teams fielded a combined total of five signings from this season in the 22 men who took to the field for kick-off.

    Manchester City, as another example, started just one new signing in their 3-1 win over Brentford: 22-year-old left back Josko Gvardiol.

    Postecoglou has not only signed a host of young players, but entrusted them to play regular minutes.

    And in the January transfer window, he took the process a step further – being far more active than any of his top-half rivals.

    Out the door went the likes of 37-year-old gloveman Hugo Lloris, 34-year-old Ivan Perisic, and 29-year-old Eric Dier. In came 21-year-old centre-back Radu Dragusin, with Spurs beating plenty of rival interest to land the talented youngster.

    In a massive boost for the future, Spurs also won the race for 18-year-old Swedish midfielder Lucas Bergvall, who turned down Barcelona to join Postecoglou’s side at the end of the season.

    There was also one of the most surprising deals of the window: a loan deal for 27-year-old striker Timo Werner with an option to buy at the end of the season for around £15m. The German was a flop at Chelsea before returning to RB Leipzig, having been all-but written off in England.

    Werner managed 10 Premier League goals in 56 appearances for the Blues.

    Werner (R) has two assists in three Spurs appearances.Source: Getty Images

    Postecoglou has never shied away from bold transfer moves – like at Celtic, where he raided Japan for a series of players after his successful stint coaching Yokohama F. Marinos in the J-League.

    He also has a strong record of helping maligned players to discover top form, something he has demonstrated this season with the resurgence of Richarlison.

    The Brazilian striker scored just one Premier League goal in his first season at Tottenham, but has already bagged 10 under Postecoglou this campaign – just three behind his best-ever haul at Everton.

    If he continues scoring at his current rate, he’ll easily reach personal-best figures by the end of the season.

    And if Postecoglou can get the most out of Werner, it could be another Ange act of genius.

    Richarlison scored twice against former team Everton.Source: Getty Images

    THE BIG CHAMPIONS LEAGUE CHANGE THAT COULD DEFINE SEASON

    Now, the January transfer window has closed and the Premier League finish line is beginning to loom.

    Spurs are fifth, seven points off title leaders Liverpool (51 points) with 15 games to play. Reigning champions Manchester City are second but have a game in hand and could leapfrog the Reds, while Arsenal are currently third – also on 49 points.

    That trio appear poised for a gripping title race. One spot further back is Aston Villa (46 points) in fourth, ahead of Tottenham (44), Manchester United (38) and West Ham (36).

    While Villa still hold out hope of a late-season title charge, it’s more likely that Unai Emery’s men will be targeting a top-four finish – and the all-important boon of Champions League qualification.

    Having been dumped out of the FA Cup and League Cup, Tottenham’s hopes of ending their long silverware drought this season rest on claiming an unlikely Premier League crown. But like Villa, qualifying for the Champions League is the desperately-sought aim in the final 14 rounds.

    Qatar through to Asian Cup Final | 01:35

    But next season the Champions League will look very different, and it could have a huge impact on Spurs.

    The Champions League will adopt the so-called Swiss Model, which means four more teams will now compete (36 in all).

    The two leagues whose clubs perform best in European competitions this season (across the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League) will each get one additional place next year.

    Had the rule been in place for this season, Liverpool and Atalanta would have qualified for the group stage – both teams having finished fifth in their respective leagues last campaign.

    So instead of the top four teams on the league ladders from England, Spain, Germany, France and Italy all qualifying, two of those nations will instead have FIVE teams automatically qualify – based on which nation’s teams do the best in Europe this year.

    For Premier League fans (and indeed Tottenham fans) there’s room for optimism since England has finished in the top two nations in Europe in six of the last seven seasons.

    Sometimes, the coefficient points (aka the ranking of each country) are so close that the top two nations are decided by the result of the final. In 2019-20, the Premier League finished third in the coefficient points only because of Bayern Munich beating PSG 1-0 in the final – meaning Germany leapfrogged England.

    This raises the spectre of Spurs finishing fifth and relying on a Premier League rival, such as their North London neighbours Arsenal, to win the Champions League final in order for Postecoglou’s men to qualify.

    That would truly be a day of mixed emotions for the Spurs faithful.

    Tottenham lost the 2019 Champions League final to Liverpool – and have qualified for the top continental competition just once since then.Source: Getty Images

    SON RETURNS AHEAD OF BRUTAL RUN HOME

    For now, however, Postecoglou is focused on the task at hand – getting back to winning ways, having won just one of four matches while Son has been absent at the Asian Cup.

    The South Korean star decided to fly straight back to England once his team was knocked out of that tournament and could feature against Brighton on Sunday morning (2am AEDT).

    Postecoglou will be hoping his star man can hit the ground running and show the kind of form he demonstrated against the Socceroos, having won a late penalty before scoring an excellent extra-time free kick to eliminate Australia in the quarterfinal.

    Having exceeded all expectations to this point of the season, and having arguably won the January transfer window with their bold actions, Postecoglou is well-poised for a late Premier League charge.

    Son Heung-min was heartbroken after South Korea were dumped out in the semi-finals.Source: Getty Images

    But finishing in the top four and sealing the major financial and reputational boost of Champions League qualification won’t be easy – especially since Spurs have a brutal four-game run of games to look forward to from mid-April.

    They face Newcastle, Man City, Arsenal and Liverpool in consecutive matches before finishing their season against Burnley and Sheffield United.

    That four-game run could make or break Spurs season. But even if they do miss the top four (or five) and Champions League qualification, Postecoglou has proven his brand of football can cut it in the league – and he’s laid the groundwork for long-term success.

    Source link

  • EVERY Premier League transfer in January window as deadline looms

    EVERY Premier League transfer in January window as deadline looms

    The Premier League’s January transfer window is almost complete, with clubs racing to finish their dealings before the window slams shut at 11pm local time (GMT) on February 1.

    That’s 10am on Saturday morning AEDT.

    Ange Postecoglou’s has landed two big targets at Tottenham this window, signing former Chelsea flop Timo Werner from RB Leipzig on a loan move with an option to buy at the end of the season as well as 21-year-old centre-back Radu Dragusin.

    Meanwhile, Manchester City offloaded Kalvin Phillips to West Ham on loan, while Donny van de Beek left Manchester United for Eintracht Frankfurt on loan and teammate Jadon Sancho returned to Borussia Dortmund on loan.

    While they are the biggest deals so far, here’s the list of every move from each club this window!

    This story will continue to be updated until the window closes 10am Saturday AEDT.

    Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

    Arsenal teammates go at it at full-time | 00:40

    MORE TRANSFER NEWS

    PL dark horse ‘closing in’ on Aussie as chance with world’s best set to boost stunning rise

    Aussie star signs with Ronaldo’s Saudi team as ex-Socceroo returns to Melbourne

    Arsenal

    In

    Marquinhos [Nantes] Loan return

    Out

    Tyreece John-Jules [Derby County] Loan

    Mika Biereth [Sturm Graz] Loan

    Aston Villa

    In

    George Hemmings [Nottingham Forest] Undisclosed

    Kosta Nedeljkovic [Red Star Belgrade] £7.8m – (loaned back to Red Star Belgrade)

    Kaine Kesler-Hayden [Plymouth] Loan recall

    Out

    Leander Dendoncker [Napoli] Loan

    Kerr Smith [St Johnstone] Loan

    Finn Azaz [Middlesbrough] £2m

    Ben Chrisene [Blackburn] Loan

    Rico Richards [Stockport] Loan

    Bournemouth

    In

    Owen Bevan [Cheltenham Town] Loan return

    James Hill [Blackburn Rovers] Loan return

    Out

    Billy Terrell [Dartford] Loan

    Jack Wadham [Worthing] Loan

    Joe Rothwell [Southampton] Loan

    Hamed Traore [Napoli] Loan

    Emiliano Marcondes [Hibernian] Loan

    Nathan Moriah-Welsh [Hibernian] Undisclosed

    Guardiola weighs in on Barca pressure | 01:06

    Brentford

    In

    Sergio Reguilon [Tottenham] Loan

    Ryan Trevitt [Exeter City] Loan return

    Yunus Emre Konak [Sivasspor] Undisclosed

    Ben Krauhaus [Bromley] Undisclosed – (loaned back to Bromley)

    Hakon Valdimarsson [Elfsborg] £2.6m

    Out

    Charlie Goode [Wigan Athletic] Loan

    Myles Peart-Harris [Portsmouth] Loan

    Brighton

    In

    Valentin Barco [Boca Juniors] Undisclosed

    Steven Hall [Adelaide United] Undisclosed

    Kamari Doyle [Southampton] Undisclosed

    Out

    Jensen Weir [Port Vale] Loan

    Jeremy Sarmiento [Ipswich] Loan

    Yasin Ayari [Blackburn Rovers] Loan

    James Beadle [Sheffield Wednesday] Loan

    Adrian Mazilu [Vitesse Arnhem] Loan

    Burnley

    In

    David Datro Fofana [Chelsea] Loan

    Owen Dodgson [Barnsley] Loan return

    Michael Mellon [Morecambe] Loan return

    Benn Ward [Swindon Town] Loan return

    Out

    Dara Costelloe [Dundee] Loan

    Scott Twine [Bristol City] Loan

    Darko Churlinov [Schalke 04] Loan

    Michael Obafemi [Millwall] Loan

    Jez Davies [Salford City] Undisclosed

    Michael Mellon [Dundee FC] Loan

    Chelsea

    In

    Andrey Santos [Nottingham Forest] Loan return

    Cesare Casadei [Leicester City] Loan return

    Diego Moreira [Lyon] Loan return

    Dujuan Richards [Phoenix Academy] Undisclosed

    Out

    Ian Maatsen [Borussia Dortmund] Loan

    David Datro Fofana [Burnley] Loan

    Alex Matos [Huddersfield] Loan

    Toby Beach [Gateshead] Loan

    Jamie Cumming [Oxford United] Loan

    Crystal Palace

    In

    Daniel Munoz [Genk] £8.5m

    Kofi Balmer [Port Vale] Loan return

    Craig Farquhar [Larne] Undisclosed

    Out

    Sean Grehan [Carlisle United] Loan

    John-Kymani Gordon [AFC Wimbledon] Loan

    Tayo Adaramola [Molenbeek] Loan

    Ademola Ola-Adebomi [Burton] Loan

    Daniel Munoz is now a Crystal Palace player.Source: Getty Images

    Everton

    In

    Reece Welch [Forest Green Rovers] Loan return

    Stanley Mills [Oxford United] Loan return

    Out

    Ryan Astley [Dundee] Undisclosed

    Fulham

    In

    Luciano D’Auria-Henry [Cheltenham Town] Loan return

    Out

    Luke Harris [Exeter] Loan

    Luca Ashby-Hammond [Notts County] Loan

    George Wickens [Ross County] Loan

    Olly Sanderson [Sutton United] Loan

    Ollie O’Neill [Leyton Orient] Undisclosed

    Jay Williams [Sutton] Undisclosed

    Liverpool

    In

    Owen Beck [Dundee] Loan return

    Nat Phillips [Celtic] Loan return

    Billy Koumetio [USL Dunkerque] Loan return

    Out

    Nat Phillips [Cardiff] Loan

    Calvin Ramsay [Bolton] Loan

    Fabio Carvalho [Hull City] Loan

    Marcelo Pitaluga [St Patrick’s] Loan

    Vitezslav Jaros [Sturm Graz] Loan

    Luke Chambers [Wigan Athletic] Loan

    Paul Glatzel [Swindon Town] Undisclosed

    Rhys Williams [Port Vale] Loan

    Luke Hewitson [Stalybridge Celtic] Loan

    James Balagizi [Kilmarnock] Loan

    Klopp on VVD and Mo Salah future | 00:53

    Luton Town

    In

    Tom Holmes [Reading] Undisclosed – (loaned back to Reading)

    Fred Onyedinma [Rotherham] Loan return

    Elliot Thorpe [Shrewsbury] Loan return

    Aribim Pepple [Bromley] Loan return

    Out

    Joe Taylor [Lincoln City] Loan

    Tobias Braney [Hayes & Yeading] Loan

    Jayden Luker [Woking] Loan

    Dion Pereira [Dagenham & Redbridge] Loan

    Manchester City

    In

    Claudio Echeverri [River Plate] £12.5 million

    Alex Alcala [LA Galaxy] Undisclosed

    Out

    Kalvin Phillips [West Ham] Loan

    Zack Steffen [Colorado Rapids] Undisclosed

    Lewis Fiorini [Charlton] Loan

    Manchester United

    In

    Alvaro Fernandez [Granada] Loan recall

    Charlie McNeill [Stevenage] Loan return

    Out

    Jadon Sancho [Borussia Dortmund] Loan

    Donny van de Beek [Eintracht Frankfurt] Loan

    Sergio Reguilon [Tottenham] Loan return

    Joe Hugill [Burton Albion] Loan

    Hannibal Mejbri [Sevilla] Loan

    Mateo Mejia [Sevilla] Undisclosed

    Rhys Bennett [Stockport] Loan

    Dan Gore [Port Vale] Loan

    Radek Vitek [Accrington] Loan

    Jadon Sancho has already appeared for Dortmund since returning to his old club.Source: AFP

    Newcastle

    In

    Joe White [Crewe Alexandra] Loan return

    Out

    Javier Manquillo [Celta Vigo] Undisclosed

    Dylan Stephenson South Shields] Loan

    Remi Savage [Inverness CT] Undisclosed

    Cameron Ferguson – Released

    Nottingham Forest

    In

    Alex Mighten [KV Kortrijk] Loan return

    Hwang Ui-jo [Norwich City] Loan return

    Jonathan Panzo [Cardiff City] Loan return

    Out

    Andrey Santos [Chelsea] Loan return

    Gustavo Scarpa [Atletico Mineiro] Undisclosed

    Oli Hammond [Oldham Athletic] Undisclosed

    Emmanuel Dennis [Watford] Loan

    Sheffield United

    In

    Ben Brereton Diaz [Villarreal] Loan

    Sam Curtis [St Patrick’s Athletic] Undisclosed

    Ivo Grbic [Atletico Madrid] Undisclosed

    Out

    Harrison Neal [Carlisle United] Undisclosed

    Benie Traore [Nantes] Loan

    Luke Thomas [Leicester] Loan return

    Harry Boyes [Fleetwood] Loan

    Sai Sachdev [Oldham] Loan

    Tottenham

    In

    Radu Dragusin [Genoa] £25m

    Timo Werner [RB Leipzig] Loan

    Dane Scarlett [Ipswich Town] Loan return

    Out

    Ivan Perisic [Hajduk Split] Loan

    Japhet Tanganga [Millwall] Loan

    Sergio Reguilon [Brentford] Loan

    Eric Dier [Bayern Munich] Loan

    Djed Spence [Genoa] Loan

    Hugo Lloris [Los Angeles FC] Free

    Josh Keeley [Barnet] Loan

    Ashley Phillips [Plymouth Argyle] Loan

    Matthew Craig [Doncaster Rovers] Loan

    Alfie Devine [Plymouth] Loan

    Ange Postecoglou reinforced his defence with Romanian defender Radu Dragusin.Source: AFP

    West Ham

    In

    Kalvin Phillips [Manchester City] Loan

    Out

    Thilo Kehrer [Monaco] Loan

    Krisztian Hegyi [FC Den Bosch] Loan

    Gideon Kouda [Wycombe Wanderers] Loan

    Conor Coventry [Charlton Athletic] Undisclosed

    Thierry Nevers [FC Sheriff Tiraspol] Undisclosed

    Archie Woods – Released

    Callum Marshall [West Brom] Loan

    Kalvin Phillips joined West Ham on loan in search of match minutes.Source: Getty Images

    Wolves

    In

    Fletcher Holman [Eastbourne Borough] Undisclosed

    Harvey Griffiths [Walsall] Loan return

    Alfie Pond [Stockport County] Loan return

    Tyler Roberts [Doncaster Rovers Loan return

    Oliver Tipton [Notts County] Loan return

    Out

    Goncalo Guedes [Villarreal] Loan

    Fabio Silva [Rangers] Loan

    Sasa Kalajdzic [Eintracht Frankfurt] Loan

    Luke Cundle [Plymouth Argyle] Loan

    Dexter Lembikisa [Hearts] Loan

    Louie Moulden [Northampton] Loan

    Joe Young [Buxton] Loan

    Yerson Mosquera [Villarreal] Loan

    Jonny – Released

    Source link

  • ‘Nearly cost me’: VAR leaves Ange fuming as rival star almost gives Spurs boss fresh injury headache

    ‘Nearly cost me’: VAR leaves Ange fuming as rival star almost gives Spurs boss fresh injury headache

    Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou bemoaned VAR’s decision to let Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk off with a yellow card after his horror challenge on Dejan Kulusevski.

    With Brighton up 4-1 and into the final 10 minutes of regular time, Dunk flew into a tackle on Tottenham’s Swedish star.

    Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

    Despite winning the ball, Dunk’s studs went into Kulusevski’s ankle and the challenge left the Tottenham star writhing in pain.

    Thankfully for Postecoglou, Kulusevski was able to return to the field after receiving medical treatment.

    Although Kulusevski was relatively unharmed by Dunk’s bruising challenge — which also forced him out of Brighton’s next match due to suspension — Postecoglou was left fuming at VAR’s inactivity.

    When asked about VAR’s decision to award a penalty in the first half thanks to Kulusevski’s shirt-pull on Danny Welbeck, Postecoglou took aim at the time it took to give a penalty with a tongue-in-cheek response.

    And he most certainly didn’t forget about Dunk’s tackle, either.

    “It (Kulusevski’s foul on Welbeck) was obviously clear and obvious because it only took him (referee Jarred Gillett) three minutes to see it on the screen and VAR picked up everything today except the one tackle which nearly cost me another player,” Postecoglou said in his post-match press conference.

    Brighton put Ange’s winning run to bed | 01:59

    MORE COVERAGE

    PL Wrap: VAR controversy strikes Gunners; Ange’s Spurs fall agonisingly short in late comeback

    ‘Beyond an A-League club’: Coach’s stunning ‘global corporation’ spray after historic thrashing

    ‘Will never be worse’: PL star’s ‘impossibly’ bad meltdown against former club

    “So that’s their decisions.”

    Had Kulusevski come off worse for wear, it would have robbed Postecoglou of yet another star player in an already-thin squad.

    The Australian boss was once again forced to field a defensive backline comprised of four natural fullbacks after star centre back Cristian Romero suffered a hamstring strain.

    Postecoglou expects Romero to miss “probably four or five weeks”, adding to Tottenham’s well-documented injury woes across the squad.

    With Romero out injured, it leaves Postecoglou without yet another first-team figure as Micky van de Ven, James Maddison, Ryan Sessegnon, Ivan Perisic and Rodrigo Bentancur all remain sidelined through injury while Yves Bissouma is suspended after his red card against Nottingham Forest.

    Although the likes of Van de Ven and Maddison could return in January, it’s unlikely to stop Postecoglou from seeking out reinforcements in the transfer window to add to his threadbare squad.

    Source link

  • ‘Quite a chunk’: Spurs cop another brutal blow as Ange cracks cheeky joke over rival PL job

    ‘Quite a chunk’: Spurs cop another brutal blow as Ange cracks cheeky joke over rival PL job

    Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou revealed Wednesday he’d been dealt another injury setback when confirming Cristian Romero will miss the next four to five weeks with a hamstring strain.

    The 25-year-old Argentina centre-back’s absence is all the more galling for Spurs as Romero only returned from a three-match suspension at the beginning of December.

    Stream Over 50 Sports Live & On-Demand with Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >

    Romero suffered the injury during last weekend’s 2-1 victory against Everton with Postecoglou, speaking ahead of Thursday’s match at Brighton, saying: “Not so great with Romero.

    “He had a scan the other day and has got a hamstring strain. We are looking at probably four or five weeks for him.

    “Disappointing to lose him, for sure. We obviously missed him with the suspension and now we’ve just got him back and he steadied things up.

    “Now he will be missing again for quite a chunk of time.”

    MORE NEWS

    ‘Bedlam’ after magic moment ends 1,000-minute wait as Man Utd make ‘brilliant’ statement

    ‘Never jump out of a plane’: The enigmatic billionaire taking over EPL giants

    Cristian Romero of Tottenham Hotspur looks for the ball whilst under pressure from Callum Wilson of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on December 10, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

    Romero’s fellow central defender Micky van de Ven remains sidelined with a hamstring injury of his own sustained during a 4-1 loss to Chelsea in November.

    Van de Ven suggested last week he could be back training in a fortnight, with a cautious Postecoglou hinting the January 14 trip to Manchester United as a comeback date for the player.

    “He is getting closer,” Postecoglou said. “We will see him some time in January. I don’t think Burnley but Man United on the 14th potentially “I don’t look at comeback dates until I see them training with us and he hasn’t been part of the group.

    “He is not due to be part of the group this week so we’ll see how he is going at the end of this week. Once they start training with the group, that’s when we start thinking about if they are available.

    “He is at the tail end of it, for sure and at some point, middle of January he could be available but how we use him after such a long absence will be depending on where he is at.”

    Micky van de Ven is still weeks from a return.Source: Getty Images

    Tottenham Hotspur have also recalled forward Dane Scarlett from his season-long loan at Ipswich, the Premier League club said Wednesday.

    Scarlett made 12 appearances for the English Championship promotion candidates after he joined in August but struggled for first-team football at Portman Road.

    Spurs are set to be without captain Son Heung-min for a month while he is away on international duty with South Korea at the Asian Cup.

    Tottenham academy graduate Scarlett will provide forward back-up for manager Ange Postecoglou, who remains without James Maddison, Manor Solomon and Ivan Perisic due to injuries.

    Reds on top after downing Burnley | 02:20

    Spurs could leapfrog Aston Villa into third place in the Premier League with victory at Brighton.

    Postecoglou was linked with the Brighton job when Graham Potter left to join Chelsea last September before the Seagulls appointed Roberto De Zerbi.

    But the Spurs boss said there was never a realistic prospect of him leaving Scottish champions Celtic mid-season.

    “No-one knew about me a year ago mate,” Postecoglou joked. “No, look I didn’t have discussions with Brighton at the time and to be honest there wasn’t really the possibility that I would leave Celtic mid-season.

    “I had only been there a year-and-a-half and even though there was nothing real and people weren’t really saying to me that clubs wanted to talk to me, I kind of knew in my mind that if I was going to do it, it would have to be after the second year because I was never going to leave within the year.”

    Source link

  • ‘I guarantee you’: Ange’s perfect response to rebel Super League

    ‘I guarantee you’: Ange’s perfect response to rebel Super League

    Ange Postecoglou has criticised a proposed European Super League, calling it the work of people who are “detached from what this game is all about”.

    A legal ruling on Thursday breathed new life into the idea, with the European Court of Justice criticising UEFA and FIFA for their handling of the breakaway league’s initial announcement in 2021.

    But all six Premier League clubs who signed up to the rebel competition two years’ ago – before it quickly collapsed – have made announcements this week confirming their commitment to the current competitions, effectively ending any chance of the Super League getting off the ground.

    Stumped for gift ideas? This festive season, give the gift that keeps on giving. Gift a Kayo subscription from just $25 a month!

    Postecoglou said fans’ dislike of the concept meant it was unlikely to become a reality.

    “The response it got the first time around is a pretty good indicator of where it sits within the footballing fraternity in general,” he said.

    “That’s always a pretty decent barometer. I always think with these concepts they’re always done in a room with people who sometimes are detached from what this game is all about.

    He added: “It won’t surprise anyone that I’m fairly conservative with these things. I’m a traditionalist. I don’t like the game changing too much, I don’t like rules changing too much.

    “But I guarantee you I won’t be in that room when these kind of concepts are put together. But you have a fairly good barometer of what the most important people – the fans – felt about it and football people in general, so we’ll see what the outcome is.”

    Arnold names 26-man Socceroos squad | 02:51

    MORE NEWS

    36yo and THREE debutants: Socceroos shocks as Arnie names squad for Asian Cup

    Key rule change could revive exiled Roo; ‘crucial’ reason for shock calls: Talking Pts

    Meanwhile, Postecoglou says there is no reason to dwell on the frustration of Tottenham’s lengthening list of absentees, stressing that his job is to come up with answers.

    Fifth-placed Spurs won 2-0 at Nottingham Forest last week but finished the match a man down after Yves Bissouma was shown his second red card this season.

    The midfielder will be suspended for four matches while Destiny Udogie is banned for Saturday’s visit of Everton after he received his fifth booking of the campaign at the City Ground.

    Tottenham boss Postecoglou is already without Micky van de Ven, James Maddison and Rodrigo Bentancur until January, while forwards Ivan Perisic and Manor Solomon have been sidelined since September.

    “I think it is important from my perspective that you don’t deal in the extreme because it is an emotional game,” the Australian said on Friday.

    “There are enough people who get emotional about these things so it doesn’t need me to add to that.

    “My job in all of this is to ultimately find solutions rather than focus too much on the fallout of any issues we’ve had because I guarantee you once we get all the players back, there will be something else.”

    Tottenham have lost just once to Everton in the Premier League over the past decade but Sean Dyche’s side, docked 10 points for a breach of financial regulations last month, have seven wins in their past 10 games.

    Source link