Month: January 2025

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich look to be returning to their clinical best ahead of a clash with Cologne s stubborn defence on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola s side had struggled to finish teams off in the opening exchanges of this term, drawing at Schalke and Hamburg domestically, but they were close to their free-flowing form of old when beating newly promoted Paderborn 4-0 on Tuesday.

Mario Gotze grabbed a double while Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Muller also struck at the Allianz Arena to secure Bayern s biggest win of the campaign so far.

Overall I m pleased because our build-up play has improved, the Spanish coach said after the midweek win. We re top now, but that s not what matters at the moment.

What matters is the way we play.

Bayern t…

Brazilian club Santos have moved to confirm speculations linking them with a January bid for Milan forward Robinho.

Following a promising start to his career at San Siro, the 28-year-old has experienced some problems at the club and has been heavily linked with a return to Brazil.

His former club Santos were believed to be preparing a bid for Robinho’s services, and the Brazilians have now confirmed the talks are ongoing.

“We are in negotiations,” Santos vice-president Odilio Rodrigues told UOL Esporte. “It will be difficult but we are doing everything in our power to realize our fans’ dream.”

Milan chiefs are prepared to cash in on their star player and are thought to be holding out for €7.5 million.

It was at Santos that Robinho m…

Frank Lampard questioned why Liverpool defender Virgil van Dijk avoided a red card in Saturday s Merseyside derby after the Dutch defender s late tackle on Amadou Onana.

The centre-back went into referee Anthony Taylor s book for the 76th-minute challenge, when Van Dijk got his timing all wrong and caught Onana just above the ankle.

A gripping match finished goalless, but a red card at that stage of the game could have lifted hosts Everton for the closing minutes.

Manager Lampard could not understand why Taylor was not called to look at the incident again by the video assistant referee.

He said: If you look at the moment he connects with Amadou s shin and Amadou s foot is on the ground… I m surprised it hasn t gone to VAR and the referee hasn t been a…

Chile will hope to gain momentum ahead of the next round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers when they take on Iraq on Wednesday.

Jorge Sampaoli s men head into the contest at Brondby Stadion in Denmark sitting fourth in the CONMEBOL qualifying section, five points clear of Uruguay, who occupy the intercontinental play-off spot.

However, they next face a tough encounter with Venezuela on September 6, knowing that a win would put them on the brink of securing a place at the finals in Brazil next year.

Their preparations will begin with a test against Iraq, whose own World Cup hopes were ended after they were finally eliminated from the Asian qualifying zone following a 1-0 defeat to Japan in June.

Chile will look to Juventus pairing Mauricio Isla and Arturo Vidal to lea…

Celtic have announced the signing of Cristian Gamboa from West Brom.

The Costa Rica international joins the Scottish Premiership champions on a three-year deal and becomes Brendan Rodgers fifth signing of the transfer window.

Moussa Dembele, Kolo Toure, Scott Sinclair and Dorus De Vries have already completed moves to Celtic as they prepare for their Champions League campaign.

Rodgers side face Barcelona, Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach in Group C, while Gamboa could make his Celtic debut against Old Firm rivals Rangers on September 10.

Right-back Gamboa featured for Costa Rica in their run to the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and has previously played for Fredrikstad in Norway and Denmark s Rosenborg and FC Copenhagen.

…

Leo Messi is gearing up for what could be his last chance of lifting the World Cup trophy.

Argentina have been given a tough test however knowing they’ve been pitted into the arguably toughest group alongside the likes of Croatia, Nigeria and Iceland. The Vikings might be considered Group D’s underdogs but their formidable Euro 2016 run will stand as a warning sign for all who dare underestimate them.

La Albiceleste will have to be on top of their game in order to beat the resilient Vikings and 888sport has them at 4/1 betting odds to claim all three points. This particular new customer offer also gives you a chance to support Iceland at a whopping 100/1 price.

In order to qualify you need to using code 888ODDS and place a minimum €10 on your first depo…

Ajax will meet either APOEL or Qarabag in the Champions League play-offs if they defeat PAOK in the third qualifying round.

Last season s semi-finalists will take on the champions of Cyprus or Azerbaijan in a two-legged tie if they overcome the 2018-19 Greek Super League winners.

Scottish champions Celtic will take on Slavia Prague if they make it through their third-round tie with CFR Cluj.

Porto or Krasnodar will face Istanbul Basaksehir or Olympiacos, while Basel or LASK will meet Club Brugge or Dynamo Kiev.

Swiss champions Young Boys await Red Star Belgrade or Copenhagen, and Dinamo Zagreb or Ferencvaros will play Maribor or Rosenborg.

The first legs of the third-round matches are on Tuesday and Wednesday, with the return games on August 13.

Liverpool and Manchester United are competing for Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, according to journalist Ben Jacobs in . The well-known and well-respected journalist has claimed that the Argentina international midfielder could leave the Seagulls at the end of the season.

Jacobs said: “Alexis Mac Allister is another player to watch, and from Liverpool’s perspective more so than his Brighton teammate Moises Caicedo. 

“Liverpool have long admired Caicedo, dating back to his time at Independiente del Valle, but they didn’t join Chelsea and Arsenal in bidding in January because the price was too high, and for much of the window (until Fútbol División officially started) Caicedo’s agent situation was complicated.  

Like Caiced…

Lionel Messi opted not to speak to the media after Argentina were knocked out of the World Cup by France.

Messi recorded two assists but could not score as Jorge Sampaoli s men bowed out of Russia 2018 following a 4-3 defeat in Kazan.

The Argentina captain only scored once in four matches at the finals and is still yet to score a World Cup goal in the knockout rounds.

And amid speculation he could retire from international football for the second time in his career, Messi did not stop in the post-match mixed zone.

0 Lionel Messi is still yet to win a major senior title with Argentina since his debut in 2005. Adios ?

— OptaJean (@OptaJean)

Messi previously stepped away from international duty following Argentina s defeat in the Copa A…