England will face Spain in a highly anticipated rematch at the 2025 Women’s Nations League after the two sides were drawn into the same group. The draw, held today, placed Sarina Wiegman’s Lionesses in Group A3 alongside the world champions from Spain, Belgium, and Portugal. The match-up sets the stage for a thrilling encounter between the two teams, who recently met in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final in Sydney. Spain triumphed 1-0 in that final, securing their first-ever major women’s tournament victory, with Olga Carmona’s stunning goal proving the difference. Now, less than five months later, England will have…
Author: Timi-Zacchaeus Oluwaferanmi
Kylian Mbappé has been left out of the France squad for their upcoming Nations League fixtures against Israel and Italy, with national team coach Didier Deschamps describing the decision as a “one-off.” Despite Mbappé expressing his desire to join the squad, Deschamps chose to omit the Real Madrid forward for this international window. The 25-year-old, who has been in good form for Real Madrid, scoring eight goals in 15 appearances this season, has not been at his best in recent outings. He has scored only once in his past six games, which has led to some scrutiny of his performances.…
It was a Champions League debut that Tyrone Mings will want to forget. The Aston Villa defender, returning from a 14-month injury layoff, was poised to make history as he featured for the first time in Europe’s elite competition. Instead, he ended up making headlines for all the wrong reasons after a bizarre handball that handed Club Brugge a penalty and led to Villa’s first European defeat of the season. The 31-year-old’s error, which came in the 50th minute of the match, left both fans and pundits in disbelief. Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez had played a goal-kick to Mings, who,…
Arne Slot, Liverpool’s new head coach, delivered another emphatic victory at Anfield last night as his side dispatched Bayer Leverkusen 4-0 in a Champions League clash, overshadowing Xabi Alonso’s much-anticipated return. Alonso, a beloved former Liverpool player and now Leverkusen’s head coach, was outmaneuvered as his team struggled to match Liverpool’s pace and intensity. When Jürgen Klopp announced he would leave Liverpool at the end of last season, fans were hopeful Alonso would take the helm, given his success at Leverkusen and strong connection with Anfield. However, Alonso decided to stay in Germany, leaving Liverpool’s hierarchy to select 46-year-old Slot,…
Former Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy will receive most of his withheld salary after a tribunal ruled in his favor. The decision marks a significant step in the legal proceedings that began after Mendy’s suspension in September 2021, when he was charged with rape and sexual assault. Although he was cleared of all charges in 2023, Mendy had been seeking approximately £11 million in unpaid wages. Judge Joanne Dunlop ruled that Manchester City could withhold Mendy’s salary only for the five months he was in custody. However, for the remaining time, when he was under Football Association (FA) suspension but…
Manchester City’s recent struggles continued as they suffered a surprising 4-1 loss to Sporting CP in the Champions League. This marks City’s third consecutive defeat following recent losses to Tottenham in the League Cup and Bournemouth in the Premier League. Midfielder Bernardo Silva expressed the squad’s frustration, describing their current state as “a dark place,” with missed opportunities and defensive lapses becoming common themes in recent matches. City initially took the lead with a goal from Phil Foden, but Sporting responded with a hat-trick from Viktor Gyokeres, including two penalties, and a strike from Maximiliano Araujo. Erling Haaland’s missed penalty…
Ruben Amorim’s last home game as Sporting CP’s manager ended with a resounding 4-1 win over Manchester City in the Champions League, sending off the Portuguese coach on a high note. After four and a half years transforming Sporting, Amorim is set to join Manchester United, with his final Sporting match against Braga before he heads to England. Amorim acknowledged the storybook ending, saying, “It was written it had to be like this.” Sporting’s victory, highlighted by fans’ passionate celebrations and a lap of honor, reinforced Amorim’s significant influence on the club. Although he joked before the game that a…
Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti admits his team “have to be worried” after suffering a second consecutive home defeat, this time a 3-1 loss to AC Milan in the Champions League. With only six points from their first four European games, Madrid’s Champions League campaign now hangs in the balance, as does their La Liga title defense following a humbling 4-0 El Clasico defeat to Barcelona. The latest slip-up leaves Madrid nine points behind their archrivals in the league. The Santiago Bernabeu witnessed another frustrating night, as Milan—led by Paulo Fonseca—clinched a deserved victory. Milan’s Malick Thiaw opened the scoring…
In a surprising development, tennis icon and defending champion Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the ATP Finals, citing an “ongoing injury.” The 37-year-old Serbian star, who holds a record seven titles at the event, shared his disappointment in a heartfelt message to fans on social media. “I was really looking forward to being there, but due to ongoing injury I won’t be playing next week,” Djokovic wrote. “Apologies to those who were planning to see me. Wishing all the players a great tournament. See you soon.” Djokovic’s absence from the tournament marks a significant shift in the tennis world, as…
As Sporting Lisbon prepares to face Manchester City in the Champions League, all eyes are on Viktor Gyökeres—the Swedish striker whose journey from unheralded youth to European sensation has captivated fans and analysts alike. Since joining Sporting in 2023, Gyökeres has scored an astounding 63 goals in 66 appearances, including 20 in 16 games this season. His meteoric rise has drawn interest from Premier League clubs, particularly Manchester United, as rumors swirl following Sporting manager Ruben Amorim’s recent move to Old Trafford. Yet, Gyökeres’s path has been anything but easy. His journey began in Sweden with IF Brommapojkarna, where he…
