European Super Football

How many English sides will be in Europe next season? England and Germany are on track to secure the two additional Champions League places available for next season. Author | Josh T Champions League night | City v Leverkusen The competition expanded from 32 to 36 teams at the start of the 2024-25 campaign, prompting UEFA to introduce two extra qualifying spots for the nations with the strongest overall performance across European competitions in the previous season. UEFA determines this through association rankings, which allocate points for wins and draws in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League. The two nations with the highest totals are each awarded an extra Champions League berth for the following season. Clubs collect two points for a win and one for a draw across the three competitions, with bonus points awarded for progressing through the rounds. Sides in the Champions League receive greater bonuses than those in the Europa League or Conference League. Po...

Watching live football on TV is going to get mor expensive US media group Paramount has secured the rights to broadcast Champions League football in the UK for four years from 2027. Author | Josh T Pre match at Atletico Madrid 5 - 1 Eintracht Frankfurt It has been reported that the company will pay well above the near £1bn deal currently held by TNT Sports. Amazon Prime is set to continue screening one match each Tuesday in the UK between 2027 and 2031. Paramount’s agreement follows the joint UC3 initiative involving UEFA, European Football Clubs (formerly the European Club Association) and commercial rights partner Relevent. The company has collaborated with UEFA on the elaborate films shown during the Champions League draw over the past two seasons. READ MORE | Champions League news and stories Industry sources suggest the move may be viewed positively by the Premier League, as it brings another major broadcaster into the football rights landscape and is unlikely to shrink the ov...

Who doesn't love the FA Cup? This weekend brought some shocks, fantastic goals and a group of teams now dreaming of a future tie against the Premier League sides. Author | Josh T Let's have a look at some of the most interesting matches.  Luton Town 4 - 3 Forest Green League One side Luton Town were given a major scare before edging past National League outfit Forest Green Rovers in a thrilling first-round encounter. Gideon Kodua came off the bench to seal victory in stoppage time, moments after the visitors had staged a remarkable fightback from three goals down to draw level. Tranmere Rovers 1 - 3 Stockport County Stockport sealed their place in the second round with a win over Tranmere Rovers. Second-half goals from Jack Diamond, Oliver Norwood and Nathan Lowe saw Dave Challinor’s side progress to Monday night’s draw, with Omari Patrick scoring Rovers’ only reply. Wigan Athletic 1 - 1 Hemel Hempstead (Wigan won 5-3 on penalties) Wigan Athletic survived a major scare a...

It has been a successful week in Europe for three sides in the WSL Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all picked up three points in the Champions League Author |  Josh T Let's have a closer look at how they all performed. Chelsea 4 - 0 Paris FC Chelsea produced a dominant display to claim a convincing victory, with four different players on the scoresheet in a commanding performance from the Women’s Super League champions. Sonia Bompastor’s side were gifted the opening goal when Sjoeke Nusken was fouled in the box following a VAR review, allowing Sandy Baltimore to calmly slot home from the penalty spot. Paris struggled to settle after the early setback, and Chelsea capitalised on their uncertainty. Erin Cuthbert won possession in midfield and fed winger Thompson, whose precise cross found Johanna Rytting Kaneryd to head past Mylène Chavas, doubling the Blues’ advantage. The hosts’ control and tempo left Paris chasing shadows for much of the half. Barely 90 seconds afte...

It was a comfortable victory for England over Wales in their international friendly. The match was a great opportunity for Tuchel to see how his side cope without Harry Kane Author | Josh T Stadium |  Wembley Stadium How the match was won Morgan Rogers extended his fine form from the Serbia game by converting Marc Guehi’s cross after just four minutes. Club team-mate Ollie Watkins doubled England’s advantage from close range seven minutes later. Bukayo Saka then curled a left-foot shot high past Wales goalkeeper Karl Darlow to register his 13th international goal. How the players rated Jordan Pickford | A history-making night for the keeper as he broke the record he shared with Gordon Banks for consecutive clean sheets, now standing at eight. Made a smart save to deny David Brooks but was otherwise rarely troubled | 6.5 Ezri Konsa | The Aston Villa defender was moved to right-back as John Stones came into the centre, covering for the injured Reece James. Konsa looked solid as ...

The league phase of the Women's Champions League has begun... There were mixed fortunes for the English sides, including a defeat for last year's winner. Author | Josh T The action started at Meadow Park as Arsenal hosted Lyon.. A bad start for Arsenal in the defence of their crown Melchie Dumornay punished Arsenal’s defensive errors with two quick goals as Lyon overcame the reigning Champions League holders in the opening round of the league phase. Renee Slegers made five changes to the side that lost 3-2 to Manchester City in the Women’s Super League, but the alterations failed to have the intended impact. Arsenal had started brightly and were rewarded when Alessia Russo put them ahead. However, their attempts to play out from the back repeatedly invited pressure, allowing Lyon, eight-time winners of the competition, to seize control. Once in front, the French champions dominated possession, leaving Arsenal to rely on long balls towards Russo in a frustrated search for ...

England v Wales Preview Thomas Tuchel’s England side will pause their World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday to face Wales in a home friendly. Author | Josh T Stadium |  Wembley Stadium When England met Wales at 2022 World Cup The Three Lions have been flawless under their German head coach, winning all five matches in Group K without conceding a goal. Their most emphatic performance so far came last month, when they dismantled Serbia 5-0. Tuchel has largely stuck with a 4-2-3-1 formation during qualifying, with Anthony Gordon providing a lively outlet on the left flank. Who’s in the England squad? Bukayo Saka has been recalled for the friendly and the qualifier against Latvia, while Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Jack Grealish have been left out. Saka missed last month’s wins over Andorra and Serbia due to a hamstring problem but returned to action for Arsenal, scoring in their 2-0 victory over Olympiacos on Wednesday. He replaces his club teammate Noni Madueke in the squ...

Hearts 2 - 1 St Johnstone St Johnstone’s 16-year tenure in the Scottish Premiership came to a heartbreaking end on Wednesday night, undone by a late Ross County equaliser in Dundee and their own defeat in a breathless encounter at Tynecastle. Author - Josh T Stadium - Tynecastle The Perth club had flirted with relegation for months, and despite a glimmer of hope as events elsewhere briefly swung in their favour, the night ultimately ended in despair. Simo Valakari’s side, who have languished at the foot of the table since just before Christmas, are now four points adrift with one match to play — their fate sealed before the final weekend. It was a night that veered between agony and faint optimism. Trailing 2-0 in Edinburgh while County and Dundee remained level, St Johnstone seemed destined for the drop. But when Dundee took the lead late on, hope flickered again. That was extinguished in stoppage time as County struck from the spot, leaving the Perth side beyond reach. At Tynecas...

Inter Milan 4 - 3 Barcelona (Inter won 7-6 on aggregate) Inter Milan staged a remarkable late comeback to beat Barcelona in one of the most thrilling Champions League semi-finals in recent memory. Author - Josh T Stadium - San Siro With just two minutes of stoppage time remaining, Inter were trailing 3-2 on the night and facing elimination. But veteran defender Francesco Acerbi powered a cross into the roof of the net to draw the tie level, tearing off his shirt in celebration as the San Siro erupted. Moments of high drama continued into extra time, where substitute Davide Frattesi curled a superb left-footed shot into the bottom corner to win it for the Italian champions. He climbed a security fence to celebrate with Inter’s fans, who had witnessed an astonishing turnaround. Barcelona had appeared set for their first final in a decade, having come from 2-0 down on the night to lead 3-2, echoing their fightback in the first leg. Teenage forward Lamine Yamal came close to forcing pe...

Borussia Dortmund 3 - 1 Barcelona (Barcelona won 5-3 on aggregate) Borussia Dortmund came agonisingly close to pulling off a remarkable Champions League comeback, but their spirited second-leg display against Barcelona was not enough to overturn the heavy damage inflicted in the first leg. Author - Josh T Stadium - Signal Iduna Park The Bundesliga side had been left with a mountain to climb following a chastening 4–0 defeat at the Camp Nou, a result that had all but booked Barcelona’s place in the semi-finals for the first time since 2019. Yet Dortmund refused to roll over. Led by a stunning hat-trick from Serhou Guirassy, they produced a breathless display in front of their home crowd, injecting genuine jeopardy into what had seemed a foregone conclusion. What does all of this mean for Barca? Despite their valiant efforts and a stirring performance, it is Barcelona who advance to the last four. It marks their first appearance at this stage since their infamous capitulation to Live...

Derby County 0 - 0 Burnley Burnley relinquished top spot in a drab draw against an ever improving but still relegation-threatened Derby County. Author - Josh T Stadium - Pride Park The Clarets, now second in the table on goal difference after Leeds United's victory against Middlesbrough, started well and went close twice through the outstanding Zian Flemming. But the Rams, who move onto 42 points and remain out of the relegation zone, were resolute in defence and grew in confidence as the visitors faded. Jerry Yates nearly broke the deadlock. His shot was brilliantly saved by Burnley keeper James Trafford. Burnley knew they were definitely in a tense battle at this stage.  A tense and disjointed second period saw very little goalmouth action. Matt Clarke almost won it for the Rams in the second of eight minutes of added time, but he could not leap high enough to nod the ball home from two yards. READ MORE: The race to the Premier League and the fight to avoid relegation to Leag...

Colchester United 1 - 2 Grimsby Town Evan Khouri played a decisive role as Grimsby secured a vital victory in their play-off push, scoring one goal and setting up another in a hard-fought win at Colchester. Author - Josh T Stadium - JobServe Community Stadium The Mariners had an early chance when Khouri dragged a shot wide from Luca Barrington’s pass, but they broke the deadlock just seconds into the second half. Khouri’s delivery from the byline found Kieran Green, who bundled the ball home from close range. Colchester hit back in the 51st minute through former Grimsby loanee Owura Edwards. Collecting Jack Payne’s pass on the edge of the box, Edwards fired a crisp left-footed strike in off the far post. Grimsby goalkeeper Jordan Wright produced a fine save to tip over Arthur Read’s powerful long-range effort, while at the other end, Matt Macey reacted well to keep out Harvey Rodgers’ first-time strike as both sides pressed for a winner. READ MORE:  EFL: 2024/2025 READ MORE:...

Nottingham Forest 1 - 1 Ipswich Town (Nottingham Forest won 5 - 4 on penalties) Nottingham Forest secured their place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Ipswich Town, setting up a trip to Brighton in the last eight. Author - Josh T Stadium - City Ground Goalkeeper Matz Sels was the hero, saving Jack Taylor’s low effort as Forest triumphed 5-4 on penalties after Ryan Yates’ second-half equaliser had forced extra time. The visitors had taken the lead through George Hirst, but ultimately fell short on a night of fine margins at the City Ground. Watching from the stands was England manager Thomas Tuchel, who is preparing to name his first squad next week ahead of World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia. However, with the game slow to ignite until the second half, the new Three Lions boss may not have taken much away from the contest. Click here for more FA Cup news and stories from European Super Football Taylor’s missed spot-kick proved ...

Manchester United 3 - 2 Ipswich Town Ten-man Manchester United recovered from gifting Ipswich a fourth-minute opener at Old Trafford to come out on top in a five-goal thriller thanks to Harry Maguire's header. Author - Josh T Stadium - Old Trafford It was a rainy night ai Old Trafford This win for United was achieved despite having Patrick Dorgu sent off before the break following the intervention of VAR Craig Pawson after his awful tackle on Ipswich winger Omari Hutchinson.  Within a few moments, Ipswich capitalised on the extra man to level when Jaden Philogene's touchline cross curled in at the far corner as Andre Onana failed to react once Liam Delap had missed it. Maguire gave United the lead again when he powered home Bruno Fernandes' corner two minutes into the second half. This gave Ruben Amorin only his third home Premier League win. He would have been relieved with the win but could have probably done with a more relaxed evening at Old Trafford, So much more...

Brighton v Bournemouth preview With the race for European football intensifying in the Premier League, Brighton & Hove Albion welcome Bournemouth to the Amex Stadium on Tuesday night. Author - Josh T   The Seagulls head into the match full of confidence after a resounding 4-0 victory over Southampton at the weekend, a result that leaves them ninth in the table with 40 points—just three behind sixth-placed Bournemouth, who suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Wolves. Fabian Hürzeler’s side were dominant against Southampton, creating 10 big chances and registering 15 shots inside the box. The performance was the perfect response to t heir humiliating 7-0 thrashing at Nottingham Forest on February 1st, with Brighton now having conceded just once in three games since while netting nine goals themselves. Last season’s surprise package in Europe, Brighton secured a historic first-ever Europa League qualification in 2023 and with only four points separating them from fourth-placed Manch...

Valencia 1 - 2 Real Madrid Jude Bellingham experienced a rollercoaster evening, missing a penalty but scoring a dramatic 95th-minute winner as 10-man Real Madrid snatched a thrilling victory over Valencia to reclaim the top spot in La Liga. Author - Josh T Stadium - Estadio de Mestalla It was Carlos Corberán’s first game in charge of Valencia since his appointment last week , and the former West Bromwich Albion manager looked set to enjoy a dream start as his new side edged towards a memorable win—until the late drama unfolded. At a lively Mestalla Stadium, Valencia took the lead in the first half when Hugo Duro tapped in from close range after Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois could only parry Javi Guerra’s powerful effort. Real Madrid had a golden opportunity to level the score in the 55th minute when Kylian Mbappé was fouled inside the box. However, Bellingham’s penalty struck the inside of the post and stayed out. The visitors’ night looked like it was getting worse when...

Wolves have named former Porto manager Vítor Pereira as their new head coach. The experienced Portuguese boss arrives from Saudi Pro League side Al-Shabab on an 18-month deal, with Wolves paying around £825,000 in compensation to secure his services. Author - Josh Thomas Pereira replaces Gary O'Neil, who was dismissed on Sunday after Wolves’ 2-1 defeat to Ipswich the day before, a result that left them second from bottom in the Premier League. Pereira oversaw his first training session on Thursday and will make his debut in the dugout during Sunday’s clash with Leicester. The Foxes sit 17th in the table, five points clear of Wolves. Premier League: 2024/2025 season The club had been exploring potential candidates for several weeks, considering options such as former West Ham boss David Moyes. However, Pereira emerged as the frontrunner and was swiftly appointed. The 56-year-old boasts an impressive CV, having won back-to-back Primeira Liga titles with Porto in 2012 and 2013, as...

Burton Albion 1 - 1 Tamworth (Tamworth won 4-3 on penalties) National League side Tamworth stunned League One strugglers Burton Albion by knocking them out of the FA Cup on penalties after a 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium. Author - Josh T Lambs goalkeeper Jas Singh was the hero in the shootout, saving efforts from Danilo Orsi and Ben Whitfield to give the non-league underdogs the edge. Haydn Hollis then calmly converted the decisive penalty to seal a memorable upset. After a goalless 90 minutes in the second-round tie, the game burst into life in extra time. Mason Bennett’s deflected strike gave Albion the lead, but Ronan Maher levelled for Tamworth, reacting quickly to slot home after Max Crocombe had parried Tom McGlinchey’s effort. FA Cup: 2024/2025 season FA Cup 24/25: Tamworth shock Huddersfield Singh was pivotal throughout, making key saves to deny Albion’s Billy Bodin either side of half-time in a match that offered few clear-cut chances. Despite dominating possession, Burt...

Barcelona 4 - 1 Bayern Munich It was a disappointing night for Bayern Munich as Barcelona eased to a comfortable victory in the Champions League league stage. Author - Josh T Stadium - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Barcelona winger Raphinha was a hero on the night as he delivered an outstanding hat-trick. The Brazilian opened the scoring in under a minute, pouncing on a ball over the top and skilfully rounding goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. England captain Harry Kane levelled the score for Bayern in the 18th minute, volleying in Serge Gnabry’s cross at the back post. However, Barcelona continued to exploit Bayern’s high defensive line. Fermin Lopez broke through, poking the ball past Neuer to set up Robert Lewandowski for Barcelona’s second, 18 minutes later. Just before half-time, Raphinha, wearing the captain’s armband for the night, made it 3-1 with a sublime curling shot from the edge of the box. Soon after the break, he sealed his hat-trick by latching onto another long pass and dr...