Higuain starts for Juventus in Serie A opener against Parma

Signing Liverpool striker Andy Carroll is still West Ham s top priority over the off-season, according to club manager Sam Allardyce.

The 24-year-old forward spent last season on loan at Upton Park, scoring seven goals in 24 Premier League appearances.
Carroll s impact was not just limited to goals, with West Ham delighted with the all-round play of the most expensive British player ever, who cost Liverpool 35 million pounds from Newcastle in 2011.
Allardyce has reportedly made a bid of 15 million pounds for the striker, who is currently weighing up his options.
At this moment in time, our first priority is signing Andy Carroll, if we can, Allardyce told the club s official website.
Carroll declared at the end of the season that West Ham was a great club and that he had been o…

Market: Granada draw no bet

Odds: 4/6 @

Hoping to extend their stay in the automatic promotion places on Sunday evening, Granada will make the trip to relegation scrappers Sporting Gijon this weekend.

Starting with the hosts, although Sporting Gijon might have been last seen snatching a 1-1 draw away at play-off contenders Las Palmas, Miguel Ramirez’s men find themselves at the heart of another Segunda relegation scrap. While the Rojiblancos might have clung to their second-tier status last season, the Asturias-based outfit have claimed just a single victory from any of their last nine second-tier appearances a run that stems all the way back to January 22nd. Firmly looking over their shoulder at the drop zone, the one-time Internacional boss will have a growi…

Carlo Ancelotti professed his love for Real Madrid and appeared to allay worries about his future at the club after Sunday s 6-0 demolition of Real Valladolid.

The experienced Italian has been strongly linked with the vacant head coach role with the Brazil national team, who have been searching for a new boss since Tite s exit at the end of the World Cup.

Several Brazil players have publicly backed Ancelotti for the job with the Selecao in recent weeks, and Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ednaldo Rodrigues also confirmed an interest.

Ancelotti declared a desire to stay with Madrid on Friday, but then caused a little concern in some circles when adding that the future is unknown .

After seeing Karim Benzema inspire a big win on Sunday with…

Megan Rapinoe only apologised for her swearing as she reflected on a promise not to visit the White House if the United States win the Women s World Cup.

Rapinoe had already drawn criticism from US president Donald Trump for not singing the national anthem in protest when a video was published of her insisting she had no intention of visiting the White House.

USA are the defending champions and among the favourites to win the World Cup again in France, but Rapinoe told Eight by Eight: I m not going to the f****** White House.

Trump responded by telling Rapinoe to win first but invited the team to visit regardless of victory at the tournament.

However, Rapinoe repeated she will not be attending and urged her team-mates to also miss out.

Speaking b…

Joel Matip is facing around three weeks on the sidelines due to a groin injury sustained against West Brom, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has confirmed.

Matip was forced off on the hour mark against the Baggies on Sunday, with Rhys Williams coming on in his place.

The defender s absence was felt as Semi Ajayi snatched a late equaliser for West Brom, and the former Schalke man was not in the squad when Liverpool faced Newcastle United on Wednesday.

It proved to be another frustrating match for the Reds, who drew for a second successive fixture as they were held to a 0-0 stalemate – the first goalless game between Newcastle and Liverpool since 1974.

Following the draw at St James Park, Klopp confirmed he is set to be without the centre-back for approximatel…

Jurgen Klopp praised Liverpool s players for a nearly perfect season after they secured a second successive top-four finish in the Premier League.

A routine 4-0 victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday made sure of the final qualification spot for next season s Champions League, albeit nearest rivals Chelsea ended up losing 3-0 away at Newcastle United anyway.

Mohamed Salah scored the opener at Anfield, taking his tally for the league campaign to 32 goals, a new record for the competition in a 38-game season, as the hosts cruised to victory.

After Dejan Lovren doubled Liverpool s lead with a powerful header before the break, Dominic Solanke and Andy Robertson grabbed their maiden goals for the club in the second half.

What the boys did this season…

On Wednesday night, French international forward Antoine Griezmann starred as Atletico Madrid recorded a comfortable 3-0 win over Marseille in the Europa League final in Lyon.

While Atletico’s organisation and defensive set-up were once again strong, it was the performance and the football intelligence of Griezmann that won the game for Diego Simeone’s side. Incredibly, it was the forward’s first trophy with Atletico in his four years in the Spanish capital.

For a while, Griezmann has been on the cusp of becoming a player of the highest order, in the Lionel Messi/Cristiano Ronaldo category. Maybe he is now ready to move up to that level.

Griezmann now highly consistent

Antoine Griezmann spent much of his Real Sociedad career playing as a winger or a wide …

Paul Pogba has signed a new deal at Juventus that will keep him at the Serie A champions until 2019.

The France international joined the Turin giants from Manchester United in 2012 and has since become a mainstay of the Juve midfield alongside the likes of Andrea Pirlo and Arturo Vidal.

Pogba s original contract was due to expire at the end of the 2015-16 campaign, with speculation continuing to grow in recent weeks that the two parties were close to an agreement.

And on Friday the club announced the 21-year-old had agreed terms for an extra three years.

Pogba won the Scudetto in each of his first two seasons in Turin and scored seven league goals in 36 appearances in 2013-14 as, under Antonio Conte, Juve romped to the title by 17 points ahead of Roma.