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Showing posts with the label Belgium

UCL: Milan see off brave Club Brugge

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AC Milan 3 - 1 Club Brugge Tijjani Reijnders netted two impressive second-half goals as AC Milan overcame a shaky start to defeat a 10-man Club Brugge. Author - Katrine Jonnson  The Belgian side began brightly, with Christos Tzolis nearly putting them ahead, only for a superb save by Mike Maignan to deny him. Milan, needing a victory after defeats against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, took the lead when former Chelsea forward Christian Pulisic's   inswinging corner flew directly into the net. Referee Felix Zwayer showed a red card to Raphael Onyedika for a high tackle on Reijnders following a VAR review, leaving Brugge with what eventually proved to be a significant disadvantage. Despite the setback, Brugge managed to level the score with a well-crafted goal. Substitute Kyriani Sabbe finished off a slick team move, slotting the ball into the far corner. At 19, Sabbe became only the fourth teenager to score against Milan in the Champions League. Champions League: 2024/2025 Th

Nations League: France ease to comfortable win

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France 2 - 0 Belgium France picked up their first victory of their Nations League campaign with a comfortable win over Belgium.  After losing 3-1 to Italy in their first League A Group 2 match and they faced a tough challenge against Belgium.  Kylian Mbappe, the France captain, started on the bench for this game as he had played the full 90 minutes against Italy.  France's coach, Didier Deschamps, decided to change the entire forward line for this match. Belgium had a bright start but fell behind just before the half-hour mark when Kolo Muani scored his sixth goal for France after pouncing on a loose ball.  Ousmane Dembele, Muani's teammate at Paris St-Germain, made it 2-0 after the break with a well-struck shot. Mbappe came on in the second half and had two good chances but was unable to score. Click here for more news and stories from across France What next for Belgium? They opened their Nations League campaign with a 3-1 win against Israel - with De Bruyne scoring t

UEL: Kilmarnock demoted to Conference League

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Cercle Brugge 1 - 0 Kilmarnock (Cercle Brugge won 2-1 on aggregate) Before the match, Bruges was awash in blue and white as 2,500 Kilmarnock fans flocked to the city. However, there was no European triumph for the Ayrshire men, who fell to a 1-0 defeat against Cercle Brugge, losing 2-1 on aggregate in their Europa League second qualifying round tie. The matchwinner for the hosts was Thibo Somers, who capitalised on a defensive mix-up by Liam Donnelly and Lewis Mayo to score in a scrappy affair at the Jan Breydelstadion. Despite the defeat, the travelling fans had something to cheer about early in the second half when Robby McCrorie saved a Kevin Denkey penalty. Kilmarnock, despite their efforts, couldn’t find a breakthrough and will now move to the Europa Conference League, facing Norwegian side Tromso in the third qualifying round, with the home leg at Rugby Park next Thursday. Derek McInnes made two changes to the side from the first leg, with last season's top scorer Marley

UEL: Kilmarnock fight back against Belgian side

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Kilmarnock 1 - 1 Cercle Brugge Kilmarnock will head to Belgium on level terms with Cercle Brugge after a comeback draw in the first leg of their Europa League second round qualifier. There was a fantastic atmosphere before the match started After an evenly matched first half at Rugby Park, the visitors burst into action and were rewarded with Kazeem Olaigbe’s powerful finish. However, Kilmarnock equalised when Kyle Vassell’s f licked header deflected off David Watson and into the top corner. This sets the stage for an exciting second leg at the Jan Breydel Stadium next Thursday. The hosts nearly got off to a perfect start in torrential rain when Danny Armstrong appeared to be fouled in the box. Referee Martin Dohal pointed to the spot, but it was later confirmed that the ball had already gone out of play, calming the excitement. The high intensity, possibly aided by the slick surface, persisted throughout most of the first half but didn’t result in many clear-cut chances for Kilmar

Euro 2024: France edge past Belgium

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France 1 - 0 Belgium A late own goal by Jan Vertonghen sent France into the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 at Belgium's expense. A game that had lacked quality and excitement for much of its duration seemed destined for extra time. However, a shot by substitute Randal Kolo Muani deflected off Vertonghen with five minutes remaining, ultimately sealing a French victory at Düsseldorf Arena. There was a fantastic atmosphere before the match France had missed several opportunities before that, with their lack of finishing touch once again letting them down. Even captain Kylian Mbappe squandered chances that he would normally convert. Belgium nearly took the lead themselves before France's late goal. Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne charged into space through the middle, but his shot was pushed behind by Mike Maignan. That had been the underwhelming Belgians' only decent opportunity as France saw out the final few minutes to progress to the last eight, where they will

Euro 2024: Belgium progress as Ukraine knocked out

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Ukraine 0 -  0 Belgium Belgium advanced to the knockout stages of Euro 2024 as group runners-up, while Ukraine bowed out of the competition after a goalless draw in Stuttgart. All four teams in Group E began the evening on equal points, each with a shot at progressing. Ukraine's chances were hampered by an inferior goal difference, meaning their fate hinged on the outcome of Slovakia's match against Romania, which ended 1-1. Despite limiting Belgium to few chances, Ukraine struggled to mount a consistent attacking threat until the latter stages of the game. Leicester City's Wout Faes stood out in Belgium's defence, making two crucial blocks late on to deny Artem Dovbyk a shot at goalkeeper Koen Casteels. With Chelsea forward Mykhailo Mudryk injured, Roman Yaremchuk served as Ukraine's sporadic attacking outlet, while Ruslan Malinovskyi almost curled a corner past Casteels and inside the near post. Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne added a touch of class for Bel

Euro 2024: Belgium off the mark in Group E

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Belgium 2 - 0 Romania Kevin De Bruyne led Belgium to a crucial Euro 2024 victory with an exceptional performance in a thrilling match against Romania in Cologne. Belgium, under pressure in Group E after losing their first game to Slovakia, delivered an outstanding attacking display, proving why they are among the favourites in Germany. In a vibrant and colourful atmosphere, Youri Tielemans' low shot put Belgium ahead just 73 seconds into the game, setting the stage for numerous scoring opportunities. Belgium and De Bruyne were unstoppable. The Manchester City midfielder secured the victory with a close-range goal after 79 minutes, leaving Group E finely balanced with all four teams on three points each. Romelu Lukaku was unlucky to have a goal disallowed by the  Video Assistant Referee,  who ruled him offside from De Bruyne’s perfect pass. After the disappointing defeat to Slovakia, Belgium responded impressively in a lively and action-packed encounter on Saturday. Tielemans&

Iconic Euros Moments: Wales v Belgium (2016)

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 Wales 3 - 1 Belgium (Euro 2016) Let's explore another iconic moment from the European Championships. Wales recorded the greatest night in their football history as they came from a goal down to beat Belgium at Euro 2016. Radja Nainggolan put Belgium ahead in Lille with a stunning 25-yard strike but Wales captain Ashley Williams headed in from a corner to equalise in a breathless first half littered with chances at both ends. Welsh celebrations reached stratospheric levels when Hal Robson-Kanu, a striker without a club at the time, gave them the lead with a divine turn and finish. Iconic Euros Moments: Throwback to England v Scotland (1996) After withstanding late Belgium pressure, Wales sealed victory through a header from substitute Sam Vokes to set up a semi-final against Portugal and what many believed would be a mouth-watering duel between Gareth Bale and his former Real Madrid team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo. Wales manager Chris Coleman later described the last-eight tie as W

International Friendly: England and Belgium play out enjoyable draw

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England 2 - 2 Belgium Jude Bellingham late on to secure a draw for England in a friendly against Belgium, preventing a second consecutive defeat at Wembley. More reaction to #ENGBEL coming up on https://t.co/kHngVy25Il https://t.co/SFvnhfj4d4 — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) March 27, 2024 Having lost at home to Brazil, Gareth Southgate's reshuffled side was a mixed bag. They displayed good potential at times in attack but they were vulnerable at the back, and this was ruthlessly exploited by Belgium before Bellingham's dramatic intervention seconds from time. England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made a rare error, his first to cost a goal in 60 international appearances, when his poor clearance led to Youri Tielemans putting Belgium ahead after 11 minutes. Ivan Toney scored his first international goal on his first England start, equalizing from the spot just six minutes after he was brought down by Jan Vertonghen. Click here to read more news and stories

UECL: West Ham keep on improving

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West Ham 2 - 1 RSC Anderlecht West Ham United secured qualification from UEFA Europa Conference League Group B thanks to a 2-1 win over RSC Anderlecht at London Stadium. A fourth straight win in their Conference League group was set up by a dominant first-half performance in which the Irons struck twice in the first 30 minutes. A Saïd Benrahma free-kick brought the opener, before Jarrod Bowen thrashed in the Hammers’ second from the edge of the area. While Anderlecht struck a late penalty through Sebastiano Esposito, the home side battled to a deserved victory.   Reaction It was clear from speaking to West Ham fans outside the ground and on social media that they are delighted with how this season is starting to develop. After a difficult season, Moyes and his side are showing great from. Success in Europe's third tier competition is a genuine possibility this season.

UECL reaction: West Ham move closer to qualification

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Anderlecht 0-1 West Ham United West Ham move closer to qualification from their UEFA Europa Conference League group They away side left it moderately late to get the only goal, a well-worked one finished off by Scamacca. The Hammers were indebted to a wonderful stop from Areola shortly afterwards. It was an entertaining game between two sides. Let's have a look at some of the best reaction One reporter said: "Anderlecht looked to spark something when Raman came on – but it was the visitors' substitutes that sealed the match. Rice, Lucas Paqueta and Scamacca all involved in the goal that won it for the visitors, well finished by the latter. A deserved win for West Ham." West Ham manager David Moyes told the UEFA website: "I am incredibly proud of the team's performance. We both created chances but we definitely created the better ones. So I feel we deserved to win tonight. We can go to the next game at home with full confidence." West Ham midfielder Fl