Prediction: Paris Saint-Germain to win 2-0
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Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to kick off their 2020-21 Ligue 1 campaign in style on Thursday evening when they take on Lens away from home at Stade Bollaert-Delelis. The match is scheduled to take off at 8pm UK time, and PSG will head into the encounter as firm favourites and will be expected to pick up all three points with ease. PSG are without doubt the best team in France, and, like in previous seasons, they will be expected to run away with the Ligue 1 title.
Lens won promotion from Ligue 2 at the end of last season with 53 points from 28 matches. It was not a regular season, as the campaign had to be called early due to the coronavirus pandemic, and Franck Haise’s side cli…
Mikel Arteta suffered his first defeat in charge of Arsenal after late goals from Jorginho and Tammy Abraham earned Chelsea a dramatic 2-1 victory at Emirates Stadium.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang s second goal in as many games put the Gunners ahead and it looked as though Arteta s arrival had rejuvenated the Arsenal midfield as they dominated large spells of Sunday s game.
But a mistake by Bernd Leno allowed Jorginho – arguably fortunate not to have been sent off – to equalise with seven minutes of normal time left on the clock and Frank Lampard s eventful first season in charge of the Blues took another twist when Abraham scored a breakaway winner four minutes later.
The victory is only Chelsea s third in their past eight Premier League matches but relieves…
Liverpool midfielder Harvey Elliott believes their challenge for the Premier League and in Europe will benefit from a disappointing FA Cup exit to Manchester United as it will free up space in the calendar.
The 20-year-old tried to put a positive spin on their chaotic 4-3 extra-time quarter-final defeat at Old Trafford by suggesting it will allow them extra days for recovery.
Manager Jurgen Klopp admitted in the aftermath of defeat it was the first time he had seen his players struggle physically as they played their 46th game of a season which has at least another 12 fixtures and potentially more if they get past Atalanta in the Europa League’s last eight.
HARVEY ELLIOTT
This team just never give up!
— Emirates FA Cup (@EmiratesFACup)
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It all seemed too perfect. Just moments after Robert Lewandowski had dragged Poland back into it at the other end, Alvaro Morata had the chance to once again prove his critics wrong.
But with the goal gaping, Morata was unable to convert, as Spain followed up a 0-0 stalemate with Sweden with a 1-1 draw against Poland, La Roja failing to win their first two group games of a European Championship since Euro 1996.
Yet it had all been going well for Morata, who opened the scoring in the 25th minute when he prodded in from Gerard Moreno s cross-shot, with VAR awarding the goal after the linesman s incorrect offside flag.
Morata had charged off to celebrate with Luis Enrique, who came to the defence of Spain s forward after Monday s frustrating draw with Sweden in t…
German midfielder Torsten Frings has been signed by Major League Soccer outfit Toronto FC.
The acquisition of Frings, 34, and Dutch forward Danny Koevermans, 32, was announced on Wednesday as the pair became two of Toronto s designated players , meaning they can be paid outside the salary cap.
Frings was signed from Bundesliga side Werder Bremen, while Koevermans departs Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven.
The MLS transfer window opens on July 15 and both Frings and Koevermans will be rushed into the squad as Toronto attempt to climb from the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
We have added two very important players with significant experience and technical ability, Toronto manager Aron Winter said in a statement.
Torsten and Danny will make an imme…
The Football Association is standing by the controversial design of the new England shirt despite criticism from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
The shirt’s manufacturer Nike has altered the appearance of the St George’s Cross using purple and blue horizontal stripes in what it called a “playful update” to the shirt ahead of Euro 2024.
Sunak warned Nike “should not mess” with the flag while Starmer urged Nike to “reconsider” the design.
The FA said it was “very proud” of the red and white St George’s Cross but gave its support to the new design.
“The new England 2024 home kit has a number of design elements which were meant as a tribute to the 1966 World Cup-winning team,” a spokesperson said.
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Emile Heskey has backed England manager Roy Hodgson to stay on, despite their first-round exit at the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Hodgson watched on as his side went down 2-1 to Uruguay in Sao Paulo on Thursday, a defeat that left England s qualification hopes in the balance.
Elimination was then confirmed on Friday when Group D rivals Costa Rica beat Italy 1-0, meaning England failed to reach the second round of the tournament for the first time since 1958.
But Heskey, part of the squad for both the 2002 and 2010 finals, believes Hodgson is the right man to take England forward.
I think he should be spared until the next tournament to really push a new generation of players coming through, he told the Sony One Stadium website.
You can t keep chan…
Julio Cesar basked in his redemption after helping host nation Brazil to the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup.
Goalkeeper Cesar famously made a crucial error as his side crashed out of the showpiece in South Africa four years ago against Netherlands.
But he atoned for that disappointment somewhat with two saves as Brazil beat Chile 3-2 on penalties at the Estadio Mineirao in Belo Horizonte on Saturday.
That was enough to give Luiz Felipe Scolari s men a place in the last eight, Neymar s spot-kick proving the winning one following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes.
For Cesar, the result represented a complete turnaround from the emotions he felt in 2010.
He said: Four years ago, I took one, upset, sad emotional interview. And now I am repeating (it) …
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed the Bundesliga champions are in talks with Borussia Dortmund over the sale of Mario Gotze.
The Germany international joined Bayern from BVB in 2013, but has thus far largely failed to live up to the high expectations at the Allianz Arena and struggled for first-team football under Pep Guardiola last season.
The 24-year-old has been heavily linked with a move away from the Bavarians in recent months, but he initially dismissed talk of a return to Signal Iduna Park or a switch to Liverpool where he would be reunited with former BVB coach Jurgen Klopp.
However, it now appears that Gotze may be on the move with Bayern in talks with their German rivals over a transfer.
I can confirm that talks with Bo…
Norwich City have made a £10m bid for Fulham striker Ross McCormack, .
The Canaries are looking to strengthen their squad as they look to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, and have identified the Scotland international as their number one target.
Fulham are reluctant to let their star striker go without a fight, and are likely to only entertain offers closer to the £12m mark, £1m more than the fee they paid for him two years ago.
McCormack has played one hundred times for the London outfit in all competitions, scoring forty-two goals, a tally which includes the twenty-three league goals that saw him clinch the Championship Golden Boot in the 2013/14 campaign.
The twenty-nine year old has spent the last eight seasons …