European Super Football

Bolton Wanderers 0 - 2 Oxford United  Josh Murphy's double helped his Oxford United side stun Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final at Wembley. In what was a cagey first half, Oxford took the lead on the 30 minute mark. Josh Murphy curled a deflected strike home from the edge of the box. Murphy had only 11 minutes to wait for his next goal. This came via a Ruben Rodriguez pass that carved Bolton open, as he slotted the ball in at Nathan Baxter's near post. Oxford United finished the game in dreamland. For Bolton Wanderers, it's another season in League One. The scenes at the end of the match displayed those contrasting emotions.   Exciting future plans for Oxford United Joshua Murphy. Immortal. pic.twitter.com/C4k61SPybm — Oxford United FC (@OUFCOfficial) May 18, 2024 With plans for a new stadium on the horizon, Oxford will be hoping that promotion to the Championship with the backing of over 30,000 supporters at Wembley is a reason to be optimistic ab

Hearts 3 - 3 Rangers Hearts clinched a dramatic draw with the final kick of their Scottish Premiership season, ending a five-game losing streak against Rangers. With no stakes on the line, the teams delivered an entertaining match that could have featured even more goals. Lawrence Shankland scored his 31st goal of a remarkable season, putting Hearts ahead. However, their dreadful winless run against Rangers, which had lasted four years, seemed destined to continue as the visitors netted three times without reply after the break. Ross McCausland equalised with a stunning strike, evading two players before firing in off the post from long range. Click here to discover more news and stories from across Scotland Todd Cantwell then found the net, also using the inside of the post to beat Zander Clark, following some excellent play by Cyriel Dessers. Fabio Silva appeared to secure the win with a powerful shot from inside the box, but the match remained frenetic until the very end. Dexte

In the build-up to the final Premier League game of the season, there has been a huge announcement from Brighton.  Head coach Roberto de Zerbi will leave the club after their final Premier League match at home to Manchester United. The former Shakhtar Donetsk coach De Zerbi joined the Seagulls in September 2022 on a four-year deal. However, he won't be seeing that deal out.  De Zerbi arrived after former Brighton boss Graham Potter moved to Chelsea.  In his first season, he led the club to their highest-ever top-flight position and European qualification for the first time in their history. This campaign hasn't been as good but they have never looked in any danger of anything like a relegation battle.  They did have a great run in the Europa League . The Seagulls enjoyed Europa League wins over Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens to top their group before being knocked out eventually by Roma. It remains to be seen where De Zerbi will be going next, but he has been linked with m

 Celtic 3-2 St Mirren The last game of the season at Celtic Park ended with three points for the champions. Matt O'Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma all for the hosts. Mark O'Hara had put St Mirren ahead twice as they threatened to try and spoil the party.  Towards the end of the match, Celtic keeper Joe Hart was substituted and the Celtic goalkeeper looked emotional as he made his way from the field in what is believed to be his final league appearance as a professional footballer. During the trophy celebrations, Hart addressed the supporters. He said: "You guys are absolutely phenomenal. You've made me feel so special. Thank you so much for having me." Celtic make changes, but players impress in an entertaining match. Rodgers made six changes to his starting line-up, and  it's  unlikely that next  Saturday's  Scottish Cup final team against Rangers will look the same. The manager has  mostly depended  on predecessor Ange  Postecoglou's  squad

It's time to explore another football icon. This time it's Bryan Robson.  A former player and manager that is held in high regard by so many in English and world football. The start of a fantastic career Bryan Robson started his career with West Bromwich Albion in 1972, making over 200 appearances and serving as club captain. During his time at West Brom, he scored 46 goals in 245 appearances. In 1981, he moved to Manchester United. This is where he made a name for himself.  Becoming a Manchester United legend He very quickly became the club's longest-serving captain. During his time there, he won two Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one Football League Cup, two FA Charity Shields, and a European Cup Winners' Cup . Known as "Captain Marvel," Robson was voted the greatest-ever Manchester United player in a 2011 poll of former players, conducted for a book celebrating the club's 19th league title. One of his finest performances for the club came in 1

 It's time to explore the season of each Premier League club. We will start  off  at the bottom with Sheffield United. The 2023–24 season marked the 135th year in Sheffield United’s history and their return to the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship last season. Alongside their league campaign, the club also competed in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. On 24 April, they suffered a 4–2 defeat to Manchester United, setting a new record for the most goals conceded in a 38-game Premier League season, surpassing the previous record held by Derby County in the 2007–08 season. Just three days later, a 5–1 loss away to Newcastle United confirmed their relegation back to the Championship. This result left the Blades with 16 points, trailing 17th-placed Nottingham Forest by 10 points, with only three matches left to play. On 4 May, The Blades matched Swindon Town's record for the most goals conceded in a Premier League season (100 goals) following a 3–1 home defeat

The 23/24 season isn't even finished yet.  The transfer rumours are already flying in from across all angles.  Let's explore some of the latest rumours from Europe's biggest clubs and also get some immediate reaction. It could be a busy summer at Old Trafford It has been reported across several media outlets that Manchester United have not given up on their attempts to land Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite . This is despite the new-look Old Trafford hierarchy deciding they will not entertain paying up to £80million when the transfer window reopens in the coming weeks. Additional rumours also say that the club have decided that the maximum they are willing to fork out for Branthwaite's signature is £55million.  Manchester United and Barcelona are reportedly vying for the signature of England international Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa. Watkins has had an outstanding season under the management of Unai Emery, becoming a key player for the team. Watkins' performan

Southampton 3 - 1 West Brom Southampton are set to face Leeds United in the Championship play-off final, following a dazzling second-half display that secured their victory over West Bromwich Albion. After a goalless first leg, Saints midfielder Will Smallbone broke the deadlock in the second leg, curling a shot from an angle into the top right corner of Baggies keeper Alex Palmer's net from just inside the box. Adam Armstrong doubled Southampton's lead, igniting a celebratory atmosphere in the stadium with just over ten minutes left on the clock. The hosts' spot at Wembley was sealed when Armstrong scored his second goal from the penalty spot after Ryan Manning was fouled, rendering Cedric Kipre's injury-time header for the visitors merely a consolation. Southampton supporters turned out in their thousands, gathering outside the stadium with red and white flares, lining the streets more than two hours before kick-off. Pyrotechnics and flamethrowers added to the el

 Real Madrid 5 - 0 Deportivo Alavés Jude Bellingham scored his 19th La Liga goal as champions Real Madrid thrashed Alaves at the Santiago Bernabeu. You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the official Real Madrid YouTube account. The England international Bellingham opened the scoring in Madrid's first game since securing the title when he guided Toni Kroos' 10th-minute cross over Jesus Owono. Bellingham's goal left him one goal behind Girona striker Artem Dovbyk in the race for the golden boot with two league matches remaining. Vinicius Jr doubled Real's lead in the 27th minute with a close-range finish after a fine pass from Eduardo Camavinga . Federico Valverde made it 3-0 just before half-time with a beautiful strike into the top corner, while Vinicius scored his second goal with a lovely effort.  Turkish teenager Arda Guler scored the final goal in the 81st minute with a calm finish into the bottom corner. Real Madrid a

Leeds United 4 - 0 Norwich City  There was a fantastic atmosphere at Elland Road before the match. After a dill and dreary stalemate in the first leg, Leeds United were out to shine against Norwich City. The home side, who finished three places and 17 points above the Canaries, took a deserved early lead. Ilia Gruev's long-range free-kick beat Angus Gunn at his near post. Elland Road was bouncing Joel Piroe then made it 2-0 when he headed in Willy Gnonto's deep cross to the far post. Norwich keeper Gunn was caught in no man's land, this left them 2-0 early on and with a mountain to climb. Despite their poor performance, they did have opportunities that, if scored, would have made a game of it. They should have pulled one back immediately. Josh Sargent was thwarted by keeper Illan Meslier one-on-one.  This is the place for all the latest EFL news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) EFL: We all love the drama of the playoffs. (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) It

VAR: What is it good for? Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology has been a controversial addition to football matches since its introduction in the UK.  Those in favour of the technology believe that VAR has helped ensure fair play by reviewing crucial decisions like goals, penalties, and red card incidents. It was essentially brought in to reduce human error and increase the accuracy of refereeing decisions. However, critics often point out the disruptions caused by VAR reviews. They say this slows down the pace of the game and diminishes the spontaneity and emotional intensity of football. Many fans and players have expressed frustration with VAR's impact on the flow of matches and the subjective nature of some decisions. What is the debate focused on?  The debate has now been going on for four years. Back in 2020, then SkySports pundit Danny Murphy argued against it. The footage below is from the SkySports YouTube account. It has become an integral part of modern foo

Kilmarnock 0 - 5 Celtic  Celtic thrashed Kilmarnock to secure the Premiership title for a third successive season. This video from Footy Adventures sums up the night had by most Celtic fans across Scotland and beyond. Adam Idah opened the scoring early on; additional goals from James Forrest and Daizen Maeda along with a Matt O'Riley double wrapped up the win. This is Brendan Rodgers' third title as Hoops boss and first returning to the club. The boys in Green will lift the Premiership trophy after their final game of the Premiership season against St Mirren on Saturday, while Kilmarnock will end the season in fourth with European football secured. Rodgers side comfortably avoid last day drama There will be no helicopter, no dramatic and grand finale. Celtic have been in some titanic last day title battles with their Glasgow and have avoided another in 2024. Instead was the familiar sight of Brendan Rodgers with arms aloft, hands waving, face smiling. Another title. Champio

Manchester United 3 - 2 Newcastle United  The Old Trafford side kept alive their chances of qualifying for European football through their league position with a hard fought win over Newcastle United. Kobbie Mainoo put Manchester United just after 31 minutes when he applied the finish from 10 yards after being played onside by Kieran Trippier. Anthony Gordon levelled for the away side four minutes after half side. At this point, Newcastle were on top again. Manchester United had needed a brilliant tackle from Sofyan Amrabat to stop Newcastle taking the lead as Alexander Isak failed to finish a three-on-one counter. Manchester United back in front Amad Diallo helped the home side regain the lead as he drove home just before the hour mark as Newcastle failed to clear a corner to put Manchester United back in front. A few moments later, Eddie Howe’s visitors were inches away from an equaliser as Miguel Almiron just failed to turn home a low cross from the excellent Gordon at the far p

There has already been an announcement about a Manchester United player's future It has been announced that Manchester United defender  Raphael Varane  will leave the club when his contract runs out at the end of the season. Varane joined from Real Madrid in July 2021 for an initial fee of about £34m and has made 93 appearances for The Red Devils.  This was the article published from our friends at News Ball UK.  Manchester United announce Varane signing The former France international helped United win the Carabao Cup in 2023 when manager Erik ten Hag's side beat Newcastle United 2-0. If he regains fitness, Varane still has the chance to win another trophy as United have a final to play in this season, despite a poor season for the club as a whole.  EFL Cup: Manchester United win at Wembley Varane won three La Liga titles and four Champions League trophies in his time at Real Madrid before joining United under then-manager  Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Did Varane deliver for Manchest

 Tottenham Hotspur 2 - 1 Burnley Burnley's defeat in North London means they are heading back to where they came from 12 months ago. Having taken a surprise lead in the first half through Jacob Bruun Larsen’s well-taken strike, a Tottenham fightback thanks to goals from Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven ended Burnley’s brave resistance and confirmed relegation.  A closer look at the match The first chance fell early for Spurs when Son played James Maddison through to the edge of the box. His shot was blocked by Charlie Taylor. Burnley were quick to head to the other end of the pitch. Wilson Odobert’s cross was met with a strong header by Vitinho but was brilliantly saved by Vicario and set the tone for some end-to-end action. Brennan Johnson was next up, forcing Aro Muric into another great stop at his near post. After a chaotic start to the match, things started to settle down a little with both teams sharing possession, until the 25th minute, Burnley burst into life again. J

 Aston Villa 3 - 3 Liverpool Aston Villa pulled off a thrilling late comeback against Liverpool at Villa Park to secure a crucial point in the battle for fourth place in the Premier League. Villa had the chance to seal a Champions League spot with a win, setting the stage for an electric atmosphere ahead of kickoff, highlighted by a special address to the fans from Hollywood icon and avid supporter Tom Hanks. However, Unai Emery's squad found themselves trailing 3-1 with just five minutes remaining, seemingly leaving the door ajar for Tottenham, but two goals from substitute Jhon Duran turned the tide, securing an improbable draw. The early festivities took a hit within minutes when goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez's unfortunate blunder saw him deflect Harvey Elliott's cross into his own net, leaving the Holte End in disbelief. Villa then rallied as Youri Tielemans slammed home an equaliser after 12 minutes, only for Liverpool to regain the lead through Cody Gakpo, exploit

 Manchester United 4 - 0 Tottenham Hotspur Manchester United clinched their first  Women’s  FA Cup trophy in an impressive display, comfortably overcoming first-time finalists Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium. Ella Toone, an England international, delivered a breathtaking goal just before half-time, setting the tone for the match. Spurs struggled to recover, and United further solidified their lead in the second half with goals from Rachel Williams and Lucia Garcia. This victory marked  United's  second consecutive appearance in the final, demonstrating their resilience after last  year's  disappointing loss to Chelsea.  The triumph  not only  brings home their first  major   women's  trophy  but also  marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for the club. A history of women's football (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Before kick-off, the team received a personal message from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, chairman of Ineos, a minority shareholder in Manchester Unite

 Celtic 2 - 1 Rangers Celtic practically secured their third consecutive Scottish Premiership title with a win against a 10-player Rangers team in an intense Glasgow Derby. In a match pulsating with energy, Brendan Rodgers' side , sitting three points ahead with just three games to go, knew that securing a victory would almost clinch glory.  Right from the start, the Hoops asserted their dominance over their Glasgow rivals. It was Matt O'Riley who finally broke the deadlock in the 35th minute, capitalising on numerous earlier opportunities. Immediately after the break, John Lundstram inadvertently turned the ball into his own net and was subsequently shown a red card for a reckless challenge, leaving Rangers depleted.  Just before that, Cyriel Dessers managed to pull one back for the visitors. Game on? Celtic earned a penalty when Mohamed Diomande fouled Alistair Johnston in the box. O'Riley stepped up, but his effort was saved by Jack Butland. Although Rodgers' te

 Manchester United 0 - 1 Arsenal Arsenal ensured the title race will go to the final day with victory over a depleted Manchester United side at Old Trafford. The Gunners display was often unconvincing here but they got the job done. Their manager will be pleased with how they have kept the pressure on Manchester Citty. The only goal of the game came when Leandro Trossard struck after 20 minutes. Lazy defending from struggling veteran Casemiro played Kai Havertz onside, his cross was then turned in by the Belgian at the near post. Manchester United showed plenty of effort and endeavor. However, they suffered from a glaring lack of quality. The Red Devils never seriously tested Arsenal keeper David Raya, as their own hopes of European football next season faded further.  It's looking increasingly likely that they will only qualify for Europe if they beat Manchester City in the upcoming Fa Cup final. What impact will this have on the title race? Arsenal must now hope north London