European Super Football

Bayern Munich extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table with a straightforward win at Greuther Furth. Thomas Muller opened the scoring before Joshua Kimmich doubled their advantage. Bayern were reduced to 10 men after the break when Benjamin Pavard was sent off, but they added a third through a Sebastian Griesbeck own goal. Furth did score a consolation late on but Bayern move three points clear of Wolfsburg. Bayern are in great form at the moment and have scored 29 goals in their last six games in all competitions. Very few people would bet against them retaining their Bundesliga crown. More football news can be found here Reaction This is what the Bayern manager had to say after the victory. He is obviously happy that his side have built on their impressive start to the season and will be looking forward to them returning to Champions League action during the week. 🎙 Hear what head coach @J__Nagelsmann has to say after #SGFFCB ⚽ 📺 https://t.co/0wEN6vxhee #FCBayer

A cult hero is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as... a writer, musician, artist, or other public figure who is greatly admired by a relatively small audience or is influential despite limited commercial success. Diego Forlan is definitely a cult hero in the football world.  Forlan signs for Manchester United Forlán was signed for Manchester United by Sir Alex Ferguson for just under seven million pounds back in January 2002. He made his debut on 29 January as a 76th-minute substitute for Ole Gunnar Solskjær in a 4–0 away win at Bolton Wanderers.  He made his first start in 4–0 home victory over Tottenham Hotspur on 6 March. Forlán made 13 Premier League and five UEFA Champions League appearances in the 2001–02 season but did not score. Becoming a cult hero During a two month period in the 2002/2003 season, Forlan became a legend in the eyes of many Manchester United fans. On 1 December, he scored his first brace for the club with goals in the 64th and 67th minute of an away 2–1 Prem

Karlan Grant scored a late winner for West Bromwich Albion to send his side back to the top of the Championship table On-loan Watford striker Andre Gray had fired QPR ahead after just 43 seconds. The away side still held that lead with 15 minutes left. Karlan Grant then scored twice in those final 15 minutes to secure Albion a hard fought three points. 🤩 SCENES 🤩 pic.twitter.com/tzLJXULKvs — West Bromwich Albion (@WBA) September 24, 2021 West Brom will be delighted that they've returned to the top of the league (even if it's only on a temporary basis) and QPR will be pleased with many aspects of their performance but annoyed that they wasted an opportunity to take points off a potential promotion rival. Reaction West Bromwich Albion head coach Val Ismael spoke with the media after the match. He said: "I am here to make decisions. I know exactly what I am doing. Making subs is all about having an impact. Not bringing on a sub for the sake of it. We had a clear idea of

Lionel Messi now plays for PSG. Very few people would have anticipated him ever leaving Barcelona but here we are. Just after the announcement of his departure, News Ball UK published this article looking at Messi's best ever moments at Barcelona.        His debut At 16 years, four months, and 23 days old, Messi made his first team debut when he came on in the 75th minute during a friendly against José Mourinho's Porto in November 2003. His career has been extraordinary. Let's take a look at some of his best moments.  April 18, 2007 Messi emulates fellow Diego Maradona with this amazing goal, ghosting through half of Getafe’s side while his teammates could only watch in awe. It was at this time when people started to talk about him being one of the world's best. How good is this goal? See Messi at his best by watching the video below. Some have argued that this is his best goal.  OTD in 2007 📅 Lionel Messi did his best Diego Maradona impression v Getafe 🐐 His best eve

As Manchester United prepare to host Aston Villa in the Premier League, we are looking at one of the most memorable encounters between the two clubs.  This article was originally posted on Greater Manchester Football. You can read that here What happened on the night? Manchester United were 2-0 down and seemingly heading out of the FA Cup when a Dutch legend answered Man United's alarm call from the substitutes' bench. On this day 17 years ago... Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sparked a dramatic 3-2 FA Cup win for United away to Aston Villa in 2002 2-0 down, Solskjaer scored in the 77th minute before Van Nistelrooy scored two late goals to seal a remarkable comeback #mufc pic.twitter.com/US4ytm74vV — United In Focus (@UnitedInFocus) January 6, 2019 In a stunning five-minute spell, Villa's 2-0 lead was turned on its head. It was a nightmare for Villa and a wonderful evening for all associated with Manchester United. Incredible following from Manchester United This match went d

West Ham gained revenge for Sunday's defeat against Manchester United by knocking them out of the Carabao Cup at Old Trafford. Manuel Lanzini's ninth-minute effort, his first goal in almost a year proved enough to take David Moyes' men into the last 16 of the competition. Watch the extended highlights below. It was the first Old Trafford triumph for the Hammers since Carlos Tevez's winner in 2007 kept them in the Premier League. It was their first victory over Man United at Old Trafford in a cup competition since Paolo di Canio scored the only goal in 2001. The defeat for the Red Devils came after Solskjaer picked a completely different side  to the one that was on duty at the London Stadium only a few days earlier. He now has tough decisions to make about some of his fringe players. Read more - EPL: West Ham United 1 - 2 Manchester United None of this will bother Moyes and his West Ham team, who kept their hosts at bay very well. They face Manchester City in the next

Barcelona manager Ronald Koeman caused more controversy after he refused to answer questions before walking out of a press conference The under-pressure Barca head coach delivered a short, pre-prepared statement before leaving. This pressure recently increased after a poor Barca performance against Granada CF. Koeman's statement in full Hello everyone. The club with me as coach is in a situation of rebuilding. The financial situation of the club is connected to the sporting activities and vice versa. This means we as a team have to rebuild the team without being able to make any big financial investments. This needs time. The young talent today could be the next big world stars in just a few years. To rebuild this team, young players will be given opportunities like Xavi and Iniesta had in their day. But we must ask for patience. Achieving a high ranking in La Liga is a great success. In the Champions League, we can't hope for miracles. The defeat by Bayern Munich last week

Manchester City came from behind to thrash Wycombe Wanderers and reach the last 16 of the Carabao Cup. The visitors took a shock lead through Brandon Hanlan, but Kevin de Bruyne levelled seven minutes later. It was all City from then onwards. Mahrez claimed a double on either side of half-time, with Phil Foden and Ferran Torres also scoring past goalkeeper David Stockdale. The youngster Cole Palmer added the sixth with his first goal for the club after coming on as a substitute.  Watch the highlights or click here to read more news from the English Football League. Manager and player reaction Both managers spoke with the national media after the game alongside their club outlets:  Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said: "I am just going to say thank you very much to all the Academy. They have many good players, not just one or two.  "We can count on them absolutely. With their skills and desire, they have got it at this club. I am so proud to be manager of this club.&q

 Derby County have been docked 12 points by the English Football League, sending them to the bottom of the Championship. (A picture taken from outside their ground in 2012) The club has also confirmed the appointment of administrators. Wayne Rooney’s side had picked up a credible 10 points from eight games but are now six points adrift of second-bottom and rivals Nottingham Forest. The chief executive of the English Football, Trevor Birch, added in a statement: “I appreciate that this is a challenging and concerning period for everyone associated with the club, particularly the staff and supporters, and it is our intention to work proactively with the administrators and all relevant parties with the objective of securing a long-term and viable future for Derby County.” Click here to read more news from the English Football League A truly bleak situation for the club Derby also stands to be deducted a further nine points, and given a suspended three-point deduction, for a separate bre

Students studying the media studies GCSE this academic year will analyse Marcus Rashford's role as an influencer. The syllabus will take a look at the use of social media and how it has been used to speak out on issues such as free school meals and racism. The Manchester United and England forward has already been awarded an MBE and is seen as a role model by many within the education system. He has already had a fantastic career so far. Rashford made his debut in a Europa League match in 2016, scoring twice. This was the start of things to come. Since first coming onto the scene, he has won the FA Cup , League Cup and Europa League. He also runners up medals in the FA Cup and Europa League alongside the same medal in the European Championships. Of course, Marcus Rashford is far more than a footballer now. A former teacher of his said: "On the pitch, he is a fantastic player and off the pitch, he is speaking up and standing up for the rights of children. It is important for

FC United of Manchester were knocked out of the FA Cup in the second qualifying round after losing 2-0 to Blyth Spartans at Broadhurst Park on a Tuesday night in North Manchester Read more about the FA Cup here The original match was played on Saturday and finished in an entertaining 1-1 draw and FC United fans thought they could one better in this replay. You can watch Saturday's match in the video below.  Report from the replay Connor Thomson scored twice - a goal in each half - was enough to send Blyth side through at the second attempt.  FC United had 75% possession throughout the match but could only muster five shots on target and, most importantly, couldn't find the back of the net. The Northumberland visitors were content to sit back and hit United on the break twice to seal their place in the third qualifying round where they will travel to Guiseley.  We're through to the next round after 180 minutes 🙌 #FACup | #HowayBlyth 🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/KlSu9YZaFZ — B

Whilst Wembley Stadium was hosting the England games during their victorious World Cup campaign, various other grounds across the country hosted matches.  Old Trafford hosted this match between Portugal and Bulgaria and it featured one of the greatest players of all time, Eusébio. Head to Greater Manchester Football to read the original story. Some wider context In the North West of England, Old Trafford and Goodison Park played host to Group 3 of the 66 World Cup. It was a group that contained some of the best players around at the time.  The group saw the two-time defending champions Brazil finish in third place behind Portugal and Hungary, be eliminated along with Bulgaria. Brazil were beaten 3–1 by Hungary in a classic encounter before falling by the same scoreline to Portugal in a controversial game.  Click here to read more from the archives The Portugal side contained Eusébio and they appearing in the finals for the first time, and made quite an impact.  They won all three of

Chelsea extended their unbeaten Premier League run to five games as they deservedly beat Tottenham. Let's have a look at some of the best reaction from the match     Chelsea looking unstoppable  Many people are starting to see Chelsea as favourites for the title. This is a view shared by MOTD pundit Alan Shearer:  "Thomas Tuchel's side look seriously impressive right now, but they have done since he took charge in January. "Even when they are not playing well or things go wrong - like it did when Reece James was sent off at Anfield last month - Chelsea still give very little away."  Read more on the BBC here  One Chelsea fan spoke to European Super Football and said: "It was a superb performance. We are on the way to creating something very special this season." Worrying signs for Spurs  Tottenham would have been very disappointed with their second half performance. Harry Kane was one of several players criticised. They had a great start to the seaso

Celtic lost for the fourth time in five games in all competitions as Andrew Shinnie's goal lifted Livingston off the bottom of the Scottish Premiership. They are now seven months without an away win domestically. They rarely looked like ending that run here. Shinnie put the home side ahead in a first half where the visitors failed to test goalkeeper Max Stryjek.Celtic did improve after the break but could not salvage a point that they really would not have deserved.  Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou spoke with media outlets after the match: "We didn't start the game well and we paid the price. After they scored we dug ourselves into a little bit of a hole. We just weren't aggressive enough. "It's not good enough. If we want to be successful we can't continue not picking up results in these games. That's the test for us." More football news from around Europe can be found here.  Livingston manager David Martindale added: "Andrew Shinnie remin

It's time to have a look at another football icon.  This is a slightly altered version of an article first published here on Greater Manchester Football. (Gullit played for Sampdoria between 1993 and 1995) Ruud Gullit is a Dutch legend who played professionally in the 1980s and 1990s. Early career In 1978, Gullit signed professionally for HFC Haarlem. He made 91 league appearances for Haarlem and scored 32 goals. He made his debut for the club at just 16 years old, becoming at the time the youngest player in the history of the Eredivisie. In his first season at the club, they finished bottom of the Eredivisie, but bounced back the following season winning the Eerste Divisie. Gullit was named as the best player in the Eerste Divisie that season. Click here to read about more football icons In the 1981–82 season, Gullit was in fine form as Haarlem finished fourth and qualified for Europe for the only time in their history.  First two transfers The young Gullit was considered as a

Brighton's great start to the Premier League season continued as they held off a late Leicester City rally to move up the table. The away side thought they had rescued a point in the closing stages but Ademola Lookman and Wilfred Ndidi both saw goals chalked off for Harvey Barnes straying offside. Brighton dominated the opening hour of the match but  they needed a controversial penalty to set them on their way, Neal Maupay scoring his third goal of the season from the spot after Jannik Vestergaard's handball. Danny Welbeck than made it 2-0 on the 50th minute. The former Manchester United and Arsenal forward gave his thoughts to the Brighton Twitter account after the match finished. Dat Guy Welbz. 🤳💫 pic.twitter.com/9w5XmzoZ7S — Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 19, 2021 After that poor first 60 minutes, The Foxes finally sprang into life. Jamie Vardy reduced the deficit by side-footing Youri Tielemans' first-time cross in from close range after a lo

There was a dramatic ending to the match at the London Stadium. First, Jesse Lingard came off the bench to score a late winner against his old side. David de Gea then saved an injury-time penalty as Manchester United clinched the victory in incredible circumstances.  West Ham had taken the lead on the 30th minute. Said Benrahma's strike from outside the area went in after taking a huge deflection off defender Raphael Varane. Things were soon level after Cristiano Ronaldo converted his fourth goal in three games since re-signing for Manchester United, poking home from close range on 35 minutes after Lukasz Fabianski had failed to hold onto the initial effort. The win ensures Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side remain unbeaten in the Premier League this term with four victories and a draw. West Ham suffered their first loss of the campaign. West Ham United reaction This was the tweet posted by West Ham at the end of the dramatic encounter. One fan replied: "Got absolutely robbed!&q

Everyone at European Super Football was saddened by the death of Jimmy Greaves Greaves is often regarded as one England’s greatest strikers and a member of the squad that won the 1966 World Cup During his career, Greaves scored 132 goals for Chelsea in 169 matches between 1957 and 1961. He then moved to Tottenham and becoming their all-time top scorer with 266 goals in 379 appearances. He also scored 44 England goals in 57 appearances – including six hat-tricks. A statement on the Tottenham website read : “We are extremely saddened to learn of the passing of the great Jimmy Greaves, not just Tottenham Hotspur’s record goalscorer but the finest marksman this country has ever seen.” It goes onto say: "there’s no question that Jimmy’s arrival in N17 made us an even better team. He was a natural goalscorer, always in the right place at the right time to add the finishing touch to another well-worked move, while he could also create his own goals, as he did on numerous occasions by g

Manchester City could not find a way through a resolute Southampton side and they were fortunate to get a draw despite the noisy backing of their home fans.  City did not manage a single shot on target until the 90th minute. They were sloppy also in possession and lacked their usual spark in attack. Southampton will feel they should have left Manchester with all three points, not just one. See the highlights of the match in the video below. Social media reaction The Manchester City view The City manager said: "We didn’t win because the balls forward were not good. They had four or five in the box, they were there. That is not the reason. It is because we didn’t do our process with the back four and Ferna. Those five players have to bring the ball forward for the others." PEP 💬 You can be set back and counter attack or you can be direct. Our process is to pass the ball from defence through midfield to the wingers. In that process you move all together. It was difficult, t