Manchester City star Oleksandr Zinchenko believes in Ukraine’s chances of surpassing England in the Euro 2020 quarter-finals this Saturday. In an interview with The Independent, Zinchenko maintained England’s strength and squad depth but insisted Ukraine will fancy their chances in Rome. “I watched almost all of their matches at the Euros except for (Germany),” he said. “I know many players of the team personally, thanks to the matches in the Premier League. “It is very difficult to score for this team. It is a great team with a fantastic selection of performers. “If you look at their bench, there are players worth, probably, like three national teams of Ukraine. “But this should not frighten us, but rather motivate us. I have already felt that everything in this life is real. I will perso...
Manchester United want to sign Rangers right-back and skipper James Tavernier, according to 90min. Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion and Norwich City are also interested in bringing him back to the Premier League. The Rangers star ended last season with 15 goals and 10 assists across all competitions and helped the Ibrox side win their 55th Scottish Premiership title. Tavernier impressed in the domestic league and the Europa League, and it seems he has attracted the Red Devils and co. However, Celtic legend Chris Sutton has rejected the idea on Twitter. This is unlikely… https://t.co/vEX1SguswI — Chris Sutton (@chris_sutton73) June 30, 2021 Sportslens View Although the 29-year-old is undoubtedly the best right-back in the Scottish top-flight, the report linking him with a move to Man Utd...
Paris Saint-Germain have joined Roma and Juventus in the race to sign Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka this summer, Il Romanista report. The Switzerland international has been with the Gunners for the past five seasons, but he has been fancied to head for the exit door this summer. He has reportedly agreed personal terms with Roma, but there has been no progress over a transfer as they have yet to meet the Gunners’ demands. Juventus recently joined the pursuit of the 28-year-old, and it is now reported that Roma could face more competition in the form of Paris Saint-Germain. Sportslens view: Xhaka recently spoke glowingly about new Roma head coach Jose Mourinho and talked about his admiration for Rome. Mourinho has been a long-term admirer of Xhaka as well, and a move to the Giallorossi wou...
The Copa America group stages have ended, and we now know our line-up for the knockout rounds. This is where things get incredibly interesting. One poor game, and it’s all over. It’s all about the result. Ahead of the quarter-finals, here are our predictions for the last eight ties. Peru vs Paraguay Can Peru get past Paraguay? Peru surpassed expectations in the group stages. Aside from one 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Brazil, they enjoyed a strong showing, finishing in second place. Paraguay also gave a good account of themselves in their group. They managed to pull off a surprise win against Chile and suffered narrow defeats to Argentina and Uruguay. They finished in third place. It’s a difficult one to call. Both sides have fairly similar records, scoring five in their four group outing...
It happened folks! England finally got the job done in a big game against Germany on Tuesday. The Three Lions just about deserved their 2-0 win, although it wouldn’t be England if there weren’t a few scary moments along the way. In our latest Euro 2020 Diary, we look at a couple of talking points around the game and assess what lies ahead. England unites People have had a tough time of things over the last year and a bit, but football is once again proving how it has the power to lift everyone. The viewing figures for England’s game highlight that point to perfection, and they are likely to increase if the team goes further. Peak TV audience on @BBCOne for the England game yesterday was 20.6m = 80.1% of audience. — Simon Stone (@sistoney67) June 30, 2021 The atmosphere at Wembley Stadium w...
As the group stages came to a close, the knockout rounds of Euro 2020 begun, and the round of 16 certainly didn’t disappoint. We’ve had everything you could possibly want. Penalty shootouts, giant killings, last gasp winners, eight-goal thrillers, screamers, VAR drama – it’s what we live for as football fans. Here are our picks for the best XI from the round of 16. Jordan Pickford (GK) – England’s goalkeeper position has been the subject of debate for a while now, with many of the fans preferring the likes of Nick Pope and Dean Henderson over the Everton stopper. However, Gareth Southgate stuck with Pickford and has been rewarded for his faith. Against Germany, the 27-year-old was on top of his game, making crucial saves to deny Timo Werner and Kai Havertz at 0-0. Cesar Azpilicueta (R...
Sergio Ramos will officially leave Real Madrid on a free transfer when his contract expires at midnight. Paris Saint-Germain have been tipped to sign the Spaniard, and L’Equipe claims that the club have intensified talks with the player’s agents. However, there remains a stumbling block over the contract length. Ramos is adamant that he wants a two-year contract worth €13 million per year. Les Parisiens are reluctant to meet his demands after his injury-plagued final season at Madrid. They are offering a one-year deal with the option for another 12 months. Negotiations are ongoing between both parties, but Marca claims that there are two more clubs in the running to sign the 35-year-old centre-back. Meanwhile, Ramos’ regular central defensive partner Raphael Varane could also be ...
Napoli defender Nikola Maksimovic is set to be a free agent this summer and the player has received offers from West Ham United and Crystal Palace. The likes of Real Betis and Sevilla have submitted offers for the experienced centre-back as well. According to reports via Area Napoli, the defender is still undecided on his future and he is hoping that Napoli will come forward with a contract offer for him. The Hammers need to add more defensive depth to their side and signing the 29-year-old on a free transfer would be a superb move for them. They certainly have the resources to fend off the competition from the likes of Crystal Palace, Real Betis and Sevilla. Furthermore, the London club will be able to offer him Europa League football as well. The chance to move to the Premier League coul...
Rangers star Glen Kamara is a wanted man in the Premier League, and according to Give Me Sport, Everton and West Ham United have both joined the race for his signature. The Finland international has just two years left on his deal at Ibrox, and is also attracting the likes of Arsenal, Watford and Brentford. Although Rangers and Kamara have held talks about a new deal, both parties have not been able to reach an agreement, and GMS say Everton and West Ham have gotten in contact with his representatives to enquire about what type of deal he would be looking at this summer. Sportslens View Rangers are offering the 25-year-old Champions League football and another chance to win the Scottish Premiership title next season, but could those be enough to keep him at Ibrox beyond the summer? The Pre...
Some Manchester City fans on Twitter hailed the performance of Oleksandr Zinchenko during Ukraine’s 2-1 win over Sweden at Euro 2020. The 24-year-old has had a fantastic tournament and he played a key role for his nation last night with a goal and an assist against Sweden. He opened the scoring for Ukraine in the 27th minute. He unleashed a powerful shot on the half volley after a clever cross from Andriy Yarmolenko. Zinchenko, who started at left wing-back, was lively throughout the game, and he eventually produced a moment of brilliance for the winning goal. The game appeared to be heading for penalties at 1-1 before Zinchenko came up with sumptuous long-range cross that was headed in goal by Artem Dovbyk. With just two minutes left, Sweden had no time to respond. Ukraine reached the qua...
England end a 55-year wait for a knockout tie victory over Germany after winning 2-0 on Tuesday afternoon at Wembley. Gareth Southgate’s side earned a memorable victory with Raheem Sterling and skipper Harry Kane scoring for the home side to put them through to the quarter finals. Sterling, who scored the winners against Croatia and the Czech Republic in the group stage, gave England the lead after slotting home a Luke Shaw cross from the left in the 75th minute. Kane opened his scoring account of the tournament after heading in from substitute Jack Grealish’s perfect delivery. Jordan Pickford was sensational once again, with the Everton goalkeeper yet to concede a goal in the tournament. He made two crucial saves from Timo Werner and Kai Havertz in eac...
Leeds United are close to signing Junior Firpo from Barcelona this summer. Several clubs across Europe have shown interest in signing the Barcelona left-back, but Leeds have stolen a march on their rivals. Italian media outlet Calciomercato reported that the 24-year-old left-back will undergo his medical at Leeds next week. The highly talented defender is expected to sign a five-year deal with the Premier League club. Catalan newspaper Sport have added a few more details that should excite Leeds fans. The report claims that Leeds had been targeting Firpo for a while now, as the club were planning to sign a left-back this summer. Both Marcelo Bielsa and Victor Orta spoke to the player, with the Argentine personally convincing him to move to Elland Road. Bielsa feels that the former Rea...