Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann was relieved to see the Euro 2024 hosts avoid the dreaded group of death at Saturday s draw, but he will not be taking their opponents lightly.
As tournament hosts, Germany were placed into Group A, being joined by Hungary, Scotland and Switzerland.
Germany will face Scotland in the tournament s opening game in Munich on June 14, before taking on Hungary in Stuttgart five days later and rounding off their group against the Swiss in Frankfurt on June 23.
With the likes of Italy, Croatia and the Netherlands lurking outside pot one, Nagelsmann acknowledged Germany could have received a more difficult draw, though he thinks Scotland will pose a particular challenge after impressing in qualifying.
I think it’s a very interes…
Prediction: Bodo/Glimt to win 3-0
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Bodo/Glimt and Klaksvikar Itrottarfelag will face each other in the first leg of their first qualifying round in the UEFA Champions League this week. The match will held at Aspmyra Stadion in Bode, Norway and is scheduled to kick off at 5pm UK time on Wednesday.
Bodo/Glimt
Bodo/Glimt won the 2021 Eliteserien title and earned a place in the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round for the 2022-23 campaign. Kjetil Knutsen’s side ended the 2021 season with 63 points from 30 matches, only three points ahead of Norwegian giants Molde. Bodo/Glimt had won the 2020 Eliteserien title as well.
However, things are not going well for Erling Moe’s side at the moment. Bodo/Glimt are as low as …
Sebastien Corchia is enjoying life in the Sevilla starting XI and has expressed his gratitude to coach Vincenzo Montella for showing confidence in his ability.
Corchia was an off-season recruit from Lille, where he was a mainstay in the team s line-up – playing all 38 Ligue 1 matches in 2016-17 – however the Frenchman struggled to cement himself in Eduardo Berizzo s side, a victim of the Argentine coach s rotation policy.
But since Berizzo s axing in December, Corchia has quickly established himself as Montella s first-choice right-back.
Corchia impressed as Sevilla staged a dramatic comeback to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey quarter-final on Wednesday, securing the club s first win at Atleti in any competition since 200…
Carlo Ancelotti criticised his Real Madrid side for having a lack of balance as they started their LaLiga title defence with a 1-1 draw against Mallorca on Sunday.
Madrid took the lead in the 13th minute through Rodrygo s fine finish, only for Vedat Muriqi to level eight minutes into the second half.
Ancelotti boasted an attack of Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappe, Rodrygo and Jude Bellingham, with the quartet all playing a role in the opening goal of the game.
But Los Blancos struggled in front of goal, registering an expected goals (xG) total of 0.6 from their 13 shots, compared to their opponents 0.96.
Ancelotti bemoaned his side s defensive display, going on to say that his players lost focus after taking an early lead at the Estadi Mallorca Son Moix…
A late Lionel Messi double helped Paris Saint-Germain start their Ligue 1 title defence in inspired fashion despite Kylian Mbappe s absence with a 5-0 rout of Clermont Foot on Saturday.
The Argentinian netted two finishes, including a superb bicycle kick, after goals from Neymar, Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos got the champions off to a dominant start at Stade Gabriel-Montpied.
On the back of last weekend s Trophee des Champions victory over Nantes, it marks two wins from two for new coach Christophe Galtier following his arrival at the Parc des Princes.
But it will be the manner of their result that pleases supporters most despite the absence of star man Mbappe through injury, with the France international yet to play a competitive fixture since committing …
Ousmane Dembele has no regrets about going on strike at Borussia Dortmund, saying such behaviour was necessary to force a move to Barcelona.
France winger Dembele secured a €105million switch to Camp Nou, signing a five-year deal, as Barca sought a replacement for Neymar following the Brazilian s world-record €222m move to Paris Saint-Germain.
As his transfer edged closer, Dembele refused to train with Peter Bosz s side an act which cost him his place in the most recent France squad.
But the 20-year-old has no regrets, and says he would have in fact regretted not going on strike had the transfer failed to materialise.
I was relaxed, Dembele told Sport. It was a question of negotiation between Barca and Borussia.
I knew I had to have patienc…
Aston Villa want as much as £110 million in transfer fees for Douglas Luiz, according to . The report has claimed that Arsenal want to sign the former Manchester City prospect, adding that Villa do not want to sell him in the middle of the season. The Villans value the 25-year-old Brazil international at £110 million.
Luiz is one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League and has been superb for Villa over the years. The 25-year-old is one of the first names on the Villans’ teamsheet. Luiz has scored five goals and provided two assists in 16 Premier League matches,
Villa are third in the Premier League table at the moment with 35 points from 16 matches. Unai Emery’s side are two points behind leaders Liverpool. Meanwhile, Arsenal currently find themselv…
Beth Mead looks likely to make her long-awaited return to Arsenal’s matchday squad when the Gunners host Aston Villa at the Emirates on Sunday, boss Jonas Eidevall confirmed.
The England forward, who won the Golden Boot in the Lionesses’ Euro 2022 triumph, has not played for club or country since rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) late last November.
Mead faces one final training session before her fitness for Arsenal’s third meeting of the new Women’s Super League season is confirmed, but the 28-year-old’s manager was feeling optimistic after seeing her put through her paces on Friday morning.
Eidevall said: “In order to, for squad selection, we have one more training to go. If she goes through that training she should be 100 per cent rea…
Raphael Varane has not spoken to Kylian Mbappe about a move to Real Madrid but hinted that the forward s ambitious streak could lead him to Santiago Bernabeu.
Speculation linking Mbappe with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain is rife as Madrid seek to rebuild in the wake of a disappointing season, but Los Blancos president Florentino Perez claimed not to have spoken to the France international.
After being named Ligue 1 Player of the Season, the 20-year-old said: Maybe it s the time to take on more responsibilities, maybe at PSG of course, or maybe elsewhere with a new project.
Varane, who swapped Ligue 1 for LaLiga when he joined Madrid from Lens in June 2011, refused to be drawn on the likelihood of Mbappe lining up alongside him at club level in 2019-20, bu…
Verdict: Mali win
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Two nations who have their sights firmly set on securing top spot in Group E at this year s African Cup of Nations, Angola will meet Mali at the Ismaïlia Stadium on Tuesday night.
Angola
Starting with Angola, although Head Coach Srdjan Vasiljevic has announced that he still believes his side can book a spot in the knockout stage out in Egypt this summer, it has been a mixed start to life in Group E for the Reds. While many were shocked by Palancas Negras managing to pick up an impressive 1-1 draw against last year s World Cup finalists and Group E favorites Tunisia in their opening clash, their Serbian boss would have been extremely disappointed by his sides showing over the weekend. Watching Geraldo s 90th-m…