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Showing posts from February 16, 2025

United fight back to earn a draw at Everton

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Everton 2 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United mounted a late fightback before being rescued by VAR, avoiding a deeper crisis with a dramatic draw against Everton at Goodison Park. Author - Olivia T  Stadium - Goodison Park Everton, revitalised under returning manager David Moyes, looked set to continue their resurgence as they dominated the first half, deservedly taking a two-goal lead. United were exposed time and again in those opening 45 minutes. Beto capitalised on a goalmouth scramble to score his fifth goal under Moyes in the 19th minute, before Abdoulaye Doucoure doubled the lead with a towering header. The second goal was one to forget for Harry Maguire. The United defender reacted sluggishly after AndrĆ© Onana had parried Jack Harrison’s shot, allowing Doucoure to rise above him and nod the ball into the net. Premier League: 2024/2025 season Click here for more Manchester United news Everton remained in control until the 72nd minute when Bruno Fernandes curled in a ...

A perfect Friday night for Burnley

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Burnley 4 - 0 Sheffield Wednesday Burnley made it 12 straight league clean sheets in a row and went two points behind second-placed Sheffield United. However, this wasn't as straightforward as the scoreline suggests. Author - Jack L Stadium - Turf Moor Wednesday have now conceded 16 without reply against teams in the top five this season and will wonder how they didn't go ahead during a dominant display. This was obviously before Marcus Edwards' 43rd-minute opener.  The away side had several good chances to make it 1-1 before Josh Brownhill and Connor Roberts struck from Jaidon Anthony's crosses. In the final moments of the game, Manuel Benson struck a goal-of-the-season contender with his weaker right foot from outside the box to compound the visitors' misery. Burnley extend their unbeaten league run to 21 games in style and are really dreaming of promotion and a return to the Premier League. A closer look at what happened Marcus Edwards was handed his firs...

Premier League leaders to face PSG in Champions League

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It will be Paris St-Germain v Liverpool in the Champions League last 16. The first of the two-legged tie will be the first time Liverpool have faced PSG since 2018-19. Author - William G The winners of that tie will face Aston Villa or Club Brugge in the quarter-finals. At one point, the French Champions looked to be heading out of the competition before a late run of form saw them finish 15th in the league phase.  They were defeated by Arsenal before a 4-2 victory over Manchester City set up an all-France knockout phase play-off with Brest which they won 10-0 on aggregate. The first leg will take place in Paris Liverpool will need a plan to deal with Ousmane Dembele. The former Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona forward is one of the in-form goalscorers in Europe right now, with six goals in this season's Champions League. Interestingly, Liverpool have not won any of their past five away games against French clubs, since a Champions League victory against Marseille in 2008. Click...

Shamrock see European dreams end

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Shamrock Rovers 0 - 1 Molde (Finished 1-1 on aggregate) Molde won 5-4 on penalties Shamrock Rovers’ European adventure came to a cruel end at Tallaght Stadium as they suffered a 5-4 defeat on penalties to Molde in the play-off round of the UEFA Conference League. Author - Greg S The decisive moment came when Aaron Greene, taking Rovers’ third penalty, saw his effort saved – the only miss of the shootout. Molde, who had played the entirety of extra time with 10 men following Isak Amundsen’s red card, held their nerve from the spot to progress. Earlier, Magnus Wolff Eikrem had scored the only goal of the night, cancelling out Rovers’ slender 1-0 advantage from the first leg. Sixteen-year-old Michael Noonan had been the hero in Norway, but his strike ultimately wasn’t enough to carry the Irish side through. Rovers’ lead lasted just 10 minutes as a disastrous defensive mix-up gifted Molde an equaliser. A hopeful ball over the top was left to bounce, and hesitation between Lee Grace and goa...

Liverpool held to gripping draw at Aston Villa

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Aston Villa 2 - 2 Liverpool Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points after a thrilling draw against Aston Villa. Author - William G Stadium - Villa Park The Reds, unbeaten in the league since their 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest at Anfield in September, were made to pay for defensive lapses and a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal. Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead in the 29th minute, but Villa responded through Youri Tielemans and Ollie Watkins. Trent Alexander-Arnold then equalised 16 minutes into the second half to ensure the points were shared. With their lead over second-placed Arsenal now extended, Arne Slot’s side face Manchester City on Sunday in what could prove to be a pivotal week in the title race. Meanwhile, Arsenal host West Ham on Saturday, knowing that a win – coupled with a Liverpool defeat at the Etihad – would put them within touching distance of the leaders with a game in hand. For Villa, Marcus Rashford was handed his ...

Champions League holders Real Madrid looking ominous

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Real Madrid 3 - 1 Manchester City (Real Madrid won 6-3 on aggregate) This is Real Madrid’s competition. This is their time of year. Author - Beth Lee Stadium - Estadio Santiago BernabĆ©u The murmurs of admiration that rippled around the stadium as Carlo Ancelotti’s side took control carried a familiar sense of inevitability—one that should serve as a warning to any team hoping to deny them a record-extending 16th European crown. When Real slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool in November, they looked sluggish and short of ideas—VinĆ­cius JĆŗnior was absent, and Kylian MbappĆ© was still settling in after his high-profile move to Madrid. Now, MbappĆ© looks every bit the world-class star they signed him to be. His first goal, a delicate lob over Ederson, oozed composure. His second was pure brilliance, leaving JoÅ”ko Gvardiol bewildered with a dazzling piece of footwork. Click here for more Manchester City news and stories The hat-trick goal was the finishing touch on a masterful display...

Celtic suffer heartbreak in Munich

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Bayern Munich 1 - 1 Celtic (Bayern Munich won 2-1 on aggregate) Celtic’s Champions League journey came to a dramatic and heartbreaking end as Bayern Munich struck deep into stoppage time, sealing a 3-2 aggregate victory and crushing Brendan Rodgers’ side’s hopes of a stunning upset in Germany. Author - Andrew Cheshire Stadium - Allianz Arena Having lost the first leg 2-1 at Parkhead, Celtic knew they needed a big performance—and they delivered. Nicolas Kühn fired them into a shock lead just after the hour mark, pouncing on a defensive error from Kim Min-jae to slot past Manuel Neuer. The Hoops had already squandered several golden chances in the first half, with Kühn, Callum McGregor, and Daizen Maeda (twice) all going close. Meanwhile, England captain Harry Kane rattled the crossbar before being withdrawn at half-time. Champions League: 2024/2025 More Celtic news and stories Bayern, rattled by Celtic’s intensity, pushed hard for an equaliser. Leon Goretzka nodded wide, Joshua Kimm...

AC Milan knocked out of Champions League

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 AC Milan 1 - 1 Feyenoord (Feyenoord won 2-1 on aggregate) AC Milan’s Champions League campaign came to a crushing end as they were held to a draw by Feyenoord in the second leg of their knockout play-off at the San Siro. Author - Jack L Stadium - San Siro The Rossoneri had the perfect start, overturning their 1-0 first-leg deficit within just 36 seconds. Santiago GimĆ©nez, facing his former club, scored the fastest goal of this season’s Champions League, reigniting Milan’s hopes of progression. However, their chances took a major hit when Theo HernĆ”ndez was sent off in the 51st minute after picking up a second yellow card. Feyenoord capitalised on their numerical advantage, with substitute JuliĆ”n Carranza heading in the decisive goal in the 73rd minute, sealing a 2-1 aggregate victory for the Dutch side. The last-16 draw on Friday will determine whether Feyenoord will face Inter Milan or Arsenal next month. Champions League: 2024/2025 More news from Feyenoord can be found here ...

Can Celtic cause a shock in Munich

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Bayern Munich v Celtic preview Bayern Munich lead 2-1 after what was an entertaining first leg in Glasgow Author - Sean M After edging past Celtic with a 2-1 victory in Glasgow last week, Bayern Munich will be eager to confirm their place in the Champions League last 16 when they host the Scottish champions at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday. Will the atmosphere at Bayern Munich match the one at Celtic? Vincent Kompany’s side were forced to defend for long spells in Saturday’s goalless draw with Bayer Leverkusen, though they remain eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. This contest, however, is expected to be a different affair, with Bayern likely to dominate on home turf. Celtic, meanwhile, will be looking to spring a surprise in Munich. Brendan Rodgers’ men head into the fixture with confidence after a commanding 3-0 victory over Dundee United, which extended their lead at the top of the Scottish Premiership. Remarkably, Celtic are in the knockout rounds for the first tim...

Everton fans experience new ground for the first time

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It was an historic night for Everton fans. Nearly 10,000 Evertonians got their first taste of life at their new stadium as they watched the club’s academy side fall to defeat against Wigan’s youngsters. Author - Sarah W Wigan’s Harrison Rimmer – a lifelong Liverpool fan, no less – etched his name into the history books by scoring the first-ever goal at the new ground. And he didn’t miss the chance to wind up the home crowd, celebrating by holding up six fingers in reference to Liverpool’s six Champions League titles. Cole Simms doubled Wigan’s lead shortly after, before Everton pulled one back late on through a penalty from 16-year-old Ray Robert. Regardless of the defeat for their side, this was an incredible opportunity for those young Everton players. It will be interesting to see how many of them end up playing for the first team at the stadium. Read more | The last Merseyside Derby at Goodison Park The ground in an earlier stage of construction . What do Everton fans think o...

Head coach leaves Swansea

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Luke Williams has departed Swansea City after an awful run of form that saw them lose seven of their last nine matches. Williams leaves after just over a year in charge, with the Swans sitting 17th in the table, eight points clear of the relegation zone with 13 games remaining. His departure is accompanied by the exits of assistant head coach Ryan Harley and first-team coach analyst George Lawtey. Author - Mark Milward Assistant head coach Alan Sheehan has been placed in temporary charge for a second time, with the club confirming that the search for Williams' successor is "already under way."  Sheehan will be supported by coach Kristian O’Leary and goalkeeping coach Martyn Margetson as Swansea prepare for Saturday’s home clash with Blackburn Rovers. Williams was interviewed after that recent defeat to Stoke A dramatic decline Williams’ exit comes after a dramatic downturn in form since the start of 2025. At the turn of the year, Swansea looked well positioned for a p...

Maddison marks return with winner for Spurs

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Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 0 Manchester United James Maddison made an immediate impact on his return from injury, scoring the decisive goal as Tottenham edged out fellow Premier League strugglers Manchester United. Author - Greg S Stadium - Tottenham Hotspur Stadium The midfielder, back after nearly four weeks sidelined with a calf problem, reacted quickest when United goalkeeper AndrĆ© Onana could only parry Lucas Bergvall’s shot, tapping home from close range after just 13 minutes. United had opportunities to respond, with Alejandro Garnacho wasting a clear-cut chance in the first half when he lifted his effort over the bar. But in keeping with their recent struggles, it was another uninspiring performance from Ruben Amorim’s side. For Spurs, this was a much-needed win—breaking a run of three straight defeats, including cup exits to Liverpool and Aston Villa. It also offers some respite for Ange Postecoglou, whose side climbs to 12th in the table, leapfrogging United in the process. Th...

Liverpool hold on for vital three points

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Liverpool 2 - 1 Wolves Mohamed Salah extended his red-hot scoring form as a nervy Liverpool saw off Wolves to stretch their lead at the top of the Premier League to seven points. Author - William G Stadium - Anfield   The Egyptian forward calmly converted from the penalty spot, making it five goals in four league matches, with manager Arne Slot watching from the sidelines. Slot was shown a red card following Liverpool’s Merseyside derby draw with Everton , but the Dutchman has until Wednesday to respond to the FA’s charge. Determined to put Everton’s dramatic 98th-minute equaliser behind them, Liverpool started brightly at Anfield and took the lead after 15 minutes, thanks to Luis DĆ­az’s persistence. The Colombian ended a 10-game goal drought by bundling the ball over the line after Salah’s pass was deflected in the box by Wolves defender Toti Gomes. Liverpool doubled their advantage 22 minutes later when referee Simon Hooper awarded a penalty after Wolves keeper JosĆ© SĆ” brought ...

Ipswich Town battle to hard-fought draw at Aston Villa

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Aston Villa 1 - 1 Ipswich Town Ipswich Town produced a gutsy performance to claim a valuable Premier League point at Villa Park, despite playing almost an hour with 10 men. Author - Marcus Stadium - Villa Park The match had been uneventful until Axel Tuanzebe, facing his former club, brought down Jacob Ramsey on the edge of the area, picking up a second yellow card and leaving Ipswich with an uphill task. Up to that point, the visitors had defended resolutely, and they continued to frustrate Villa even with a numerical disadvantage. Against the run of play, Ipswich took a shock lead when Liam Delap beat Axel Disasi to Omari Hutchinson’s low cross, steering the ball into the far corner to silence the home crowd. As frustration grew among the Villa supporters, Ollie Watkins eventually levelled, reacting quickest after Marcus Rashford’s thunderous free-kick crashed against the crossbar. Villa pushed hard for a winner, with Marco Asensio missing a golden chance before forcing Alex Palm...

Everton edge past Palace to continue momentum

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Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Everton After snatching a dramatic late draw against Liverpool thanks to James Tarkowski’s 98th-minute equaliser on Wednesday, Everton arrived in south London full of confidence. Author - Sarah W Stadium - Selhurst Park Despite being under pressure for much of the first half, they took the lead against the run of play when Beto struck just before the break, punishing Crystal Palace for a series of missed chances—including a disallowed Jefferson Lerma header. Palace hit back early in the second half through Jean-Philippe Mateta, who netted his 11th Premier League goal of the season. But with 10 minutes to go, Carlos Alcaraz, on loan from Flamengo, fired home the winner to secure a vital three points for the Toffees. The result lifts David Moyes’ side up to 13th in the table on 30 points, 13 clear of the relegation zone. They are now level with 12th-placed Palace, who sit just ahead on goal difference. A closer look at what happened The home side started brightl...