Sports
Wazupnaija – Naija Entertainment blogs & Forums – Sports
‘It was annoying’ – Euro 2020 star reacts to what Rangers did to him
Wolfsburg defender Kevin Mbabu spent the second half of 2014-15 on loan at Rangers while at Newcastle United but did not make a single first-team appearance for the Light Blues. The 26-year-old was never included in any of Rangers’ matchday squads and has revealed that it did hurt him. Mbabu will be playing in the Champions League with the Bundesliga side next term and has already caught the eye at Euro 2020. The Switzerland international put in an impressive shift during yesterday’s 1-1 draw against Wales and has reflected on his horror loan spell at Ibrox. “The club told me we had an opportunity with four others to go on loan to Rangers and help them to go back to the first division,” Mbabu told The Athletic. “I thought, ‘I need to play men’s football and get some experience’. I was happ...
Netherlands vs Ukraine – Euro 2020 Group C Preview, H2H, Team News, Players to Watch & Predicted Line-ups
The Netherlands’s Euro 2020 Group C campaign gets underway on Sunday as they take on Ukraine at the Johan Cruijff Arena. The last time the Netherlands played a match at a major tournament at this venue, they failed to get on the scoresheet, bowing out to Italy on penalties in the Euro 2000 semi-finals. Meanwhile, the Ukrainians have never made it out of the European Championship group stage as a sovereign country. Note: You can watch all Euro 2020 games via live streaming. The Netherlands vs Ukraine Head-To-Head The Netherlands and Ukraine have never faced each other in a competitive match before, let alone at a major international tournament. However, the 1988 European Championship winners have avoided defeat in their previous friendly meetings, claiming a 3-0 win in 2008 before bein...
PSG midfielder shines in enthralling fixture – Netherlands 3-2 Ukraine Player Ratings
Netherlands came out on top after a frantic second half in their opening game against Ukraine. Netherlands made an explosive start to the game, and will have been disappointed to not go into the break leading. Memphis Depay almost opened his account in the second minute, but was denied by Georgi Bushchan after a solo run. Bushchan had to be at his best again shortly after when Georginio Wijnaldum played Denzel Dumfries in on goal. Moments later, the roles were reversed, with Dumfries crossing to Wijnaldum. However, Paris Saint-Germain’s newest recruit could only fire over the crossbar. The former Liverpool man would continue to threaten, and had a powerful volley well saved by Bushchan after a small deflection. The best chance of the first half came five minutes before the break, and again...
€45m-rated attacker agrees to join Barcelona, announcement expected next week – report
Netherlands international Memphis Depay is set to complete his long-awaited move to Barcelona next week, Spanish outlet Sport claims. The Dutchman has been a long-term target for the Blaugrana, and he was fancied heavily to join them last summer before the move broke down. He will be a free agent when his contract with Lyon expires next month, and it is reported that the Blaugrana are set to land his signature. Georginio Wijnaldum recently made a surprise U-turn as he turned down advances from the Blaugrana to join Paris Saint-Germain for a higher salary. There have been fears that Depay could follow suit with interest from Juventus, but Sport claims that the Blaugrana have now sealed the deal. Depay’s contract offer has been reduced from three to two years with a higher salary than initia...
Ian Wright and David Seaman drool over Leeds star after latest display for England
Leeds United midfielder Kalvin Phillips shone as England opened their Euro 2020 campaign on Sunday. Former Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright showered heaps of praise on Phillips following his impressive performance. Granny Val watching down with the biggest smile @Kalvinphillips ❤️ Phenomenal performance 🏴👏🏾👏🏾 @England @LUFC pic.twitter.com/gHlLxLnAmG — Ian Wright (@IanWright0) June 13, 2021 Former England goalkeeper, David Seaman, has also praised the 25-year-old midfielder on Twitter. Yesssssssz!!!!! #goal Yorkshire Pirlo Assist!!! #eng #EnglandvsCroatia #EURO2020 — David Seaman (@thedavidseaman) June 13, 2021 Gareth Southgate’s side controlled the game well, but there we...
Report: PL rival set to make £15m bid for Leeds and Newcastle target
Crystal Palace are interested in signing Conor Gallagher from Chelsea. According to The Sun, Palace are planning a £15 million bid for the midfielder this summer. The 21-year-old spent last season on loan with West Bromwich Albion but could not help the club avoid relegation. The report claims that the youngster wants to impress Thomas Tuchel to be part of his long-term plans. However, the Blues could be willing to offload him if they receive a good offer. SL View Leeds United and Newcastle are reportedly keen to sign Gallagher. However, Palace may make the first move despite their managerial situation remaining unresolved. Frank Lampard has been linked with the job, and Gallagher could be tempted to link up with the former Chelsea boss. Newcastle are likely to operate on a ...
Real Madrid man stars in entertaining afternoon – Austria 3-1 North Macedonia Player Ratings
Austria collected three points in their opening game despite an encouraging performance from tournament debutants North Macedonia. It was a strong start from Austria, who got on the front foot early on. And, in the 18th minute, their pressure paid off. Marcel Sabitzer played a brilliant pass to the back post for fellow Bundesliga man Stefan Lainer. The full-back guided his volley into the far corner. The Austrians continued to dominate, with Sabitzer once again the architect. The RB Leipzig midfielder put in another cross this time for Sasa Kalajdzic, but the forward’s finish was disappointing. However, North Macedonia were not deterred, and the underdogs managed to find an equaliser in admittedly fortunate circumstances. After a mix up in the Austria backline, goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann s...
Aston Villa and Wolves interested in defender with 19 goal contributions last season
Arsenal, Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in signing Rangers left-back Borna Barisic this summer, Football Insider reports. Barisic had a splendid 2020/21 campaign for Rangers, registering five goals and 14 assists from 50 appearances across all competitions. The 28-year-old still has three years remaining on his contract, but it is reported that he could make the switch to the Premier League. International broker Simon Conning is said to be playing a key role, having brought several Croatian players to English football in the past. Sportslens view: Barisic is currently with the Croatian national side at the European Championships, and he is likely to play a back-up role. A move to the Premier League could be a lucrative one for him with the prospect of earning h...
Colombia vs Ecuador – Copa America 2021 Preview, Players to Watch & Predicted Line-ups
Colombia’s Copa America 2021 campaign gets underway on Monday as they go head-to-head with Ecuador at the Arena Pantanal. Before thumping Colombia 6-1 in their most recent meeting, Ecuador succumbed to back-to-back H2H losses, drawing a blank on each occasion. The clean sheet theme has highlighted the recent encounter between these two teams as nine of the last 11 have seen one or both sides fail to get on the scoresheet. Colombia Preview Heading into the tournament, Colombia have enjoyed a slight upturn in form, going from back-to-back defeats to two consecutive matches without losing (W1, D1). Despite Colombia’s form wobble, Los Cafeteros have been an exciting team to watch of late, with each of their last six international games featuring over 2.5 total goals. Since lifting ...
James Rodriguez on his Everton future, Carlo Ancelotti and Real Madrid
James Rodriguez has said that he could stay for another season with Everton despite the recent departure of manager Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti played a pivotal role in signing him for the Toffees last summer, but the Italian is no longer at the helm, having returned to Real Madrid. Rodriguez had previously worked with Ancelotti at Madrid and Bayern Munich, but he has ruled out the prospect of another reunion. The Colombia international is looking forward to next season with the Toffees, and admitted his cycle with Real Madrid is now closed. He told Habla Deportes (via MSN): “I don’t know. I think not…. If I stay another year [at Everton] that’s fine.” “I don’t think Ancelotti is going to take me. The cycle for me with Real Madrid is closed.” Sportslens view: Rodriguez had an injury-pl...
Report claims what 28-year-old has told his club amid interest from Arsenal & West Ham
Jesse Lingard wants to continue at Manchester United. The 28-year-old was struggling for regular games last season and joined West Ham on loan in the second half of the campaign. The move turned into a huge success, as he scored nine goals and provided four assists in 16 Premier League games for the Hammers. West Ham, understandably want to sign Lingard on a permanent deal, and the England winger hasn’t ruled out a potential move. Arsenal are also reportedly keen to sign Lingard. Back in April, The Sun reported that the Gunners are planning to sign him, with leading Emirates bosses having made tentative inquiries about him. Lingard has just 12 months left on his current contract, but United have an option to extend his deal to another year. He has now reportedly informed Ole Gun...
Report: Leeds ‘very keen’ on 25-year-old Liverpool target, player wants to leave
Liverpool and Leeds United are reportedly interested in signing Adama Traore this summer. According to a new report from 90min.com, Wolves are looking to offload Traore in the summer transfer window. The report claims that Wolves are willing to sell both Traore and Ruben Neves to raise funds for new arrivals. The 25-year-old hasn’t been at his best in the past 12 months, but several Premier League clubs are still interested in signing the Spaniard. 90min can exclusively reveal that Leeds boss Marcelo Bielsa is particularly keen to land Traore. Liverpool are also interested in signing him and have tracked him for some time. The report adds that Chelsea and Manchester United are also in the mix, but both the clubs have other targets. SL View A couple of seasons ago, he was va...
