Posts

Showing posts matching the search for Euro 2024

UCL: Real Madrid win the Champions League again

Image
Borussia Dortmund 0- 2 Real Madrid Real Madrid overcame a formidable challenge from underdogs Borussia Dortmund to secure the Champions League title at Wembley. Carlo Ancelotti made history once again with his fifth win as a manager in the competition, while Real Madrid claimed their 15th title in typical fashion. They weathered a stormy first half and several missed opportunities from Dortmund before emerging victorious. A brief summary of the match Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi missed two chances in the first half, and striker Niclas Fullkrug struck the post. Real Madrid's recalled goalkeeper, Thibaut Courtois, was also a formidable barrier. As expected, Real Madrid upped the ante, with Dani Carvajal nodding in a header from a corner 16 minutes from time, followed by Vinicius Jr racing clear to add a second goal. This victory crowned a glorious first season at Real Madrid for Jude Bellingham, but it was a night of disappointment for Jadon Sancho, on loan to Dortmund from Manch

ECQ: England name squad for next matches

Image
England’s squad to take on Malta and North Macedonia in June’s Euro 2024 qualifiers has been named by Gareth Southgate. England's next internationals start with a trip to Malta for the first match on Friday 16th June.  They then travel to Manchester, where North Macedonia will be the opposition at Old Trafford on Monday 19th June. Among the list of players mentioned, you will see Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze. This would be his first senior call-up. The former Millwall and QPR youngster had previously been capped at Under 21s level.  In a statement on the England Football website, it is confirmed that: "The majority of the squad will report to St. George’s Park to begin their preparations for the games on Monday 12 June, while players involved with their clubs at UEFA European Finals will join at a later date." Euro 2024 Qualifying (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The England squad in full Goalkeepers: Sam Johnstone (Crystal Palace), Jordan Pickford (Everton), Aaron Ramsd

Euro 2024: France beat Portugal in tense showdown

Image
Portugal 0 - 0 France France win 5-3 on penalties Theo Hernandez scored the decisive penalty for France after Portugal's Joao Felix hit the post in the shootout following a goalless draw, sending Didier Deschamps' team into the Euro 2024 semi-final against Spain. This time, there were no tears from Cristiano Ronaldo,  who had been overcome with emotion during Portugal's last-16 victory over Slovenia.  Despite converting his penalty, the 39-year-old's final Euros campaign ended in defeat. He was left to console his outstanding 41-year-old teammate Pepe at the end. Ronaldo was mostly on the periphery of what turned out to be a cautious match. Both teams had chances to win in the second half. France's Mike Maignan made sharp saves to deny Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha and then smothered Ronaldo's backheel attempt. At the other end, Randal Kolo Muani's shot was blocked by Ruben Dias, and Eduardo Camavinga missed from close range. Substitute Ousmane Dembele hit

Euro 2024: Scotland battle to earn a point

Image
Scotland 1 - 1 Switzerland Scotland entered this match with one aim: to avoid being sent home with regrets.  A loss in Cologne would have left them needing unlikely help from other groups, even if they managed to beat Hungary in Stuttgart on Sunday. Now, Scotland know a win against Hungary would bring them to a four-point total, likely enough to secure a coveted spot in the tournament knockout stages for the first time. The Scots bounced back admirably from their 5-1 thrashing by Germany. However, as the dust settles on this thrilling encounter, they may felt they deserved more. Just 102 seconds in, John McGinn won Scotland a corner, showing more attacking intent than in their painful loss in Munich on Friday. Scott McTominay took the set-piece, but it was deflected by a defender. Euro 2024 news and stories  Scotland's breakthrough came from a Swiss corner. The Swiss hesitated after taking it short, allowing Scotland to counter. Billy Gilmour, back in the starting lineup, calml

Euro 2024: A former Man United player was the hero for Netherlands

Image
Poland 1 - 2 Netherlands Substitute Wout Weghorst clinched a late winner just two minutes after coming on, as the Netherlands kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a victory over Poland in Hamburg. Despite missing their all-time top scorer Robert Lewandowski due to a thigh injury, Poland stunned the Dutch early on when Adam Buksa scored with a header. The Netherlands dominated play but missed several chances before Liverpool's Cody Gakpo equalised with a deflected shot past Wojciech Szczesny. The Dutch continued to create opportunities, with Gakpo missing a clear chance before the break, sending Nathan Ake’s pullback over the bar from close range. After the interval, Ronald Koeman’s side maintained their dominance. Szczesny made a crucial save from Denzel Dumfries, and youngster Xavi Simons drove an effort wide after being set up by Gakpo. Just as it seemed they would have to settle for a draw, Weghorst, introduced in the 81st minute, secured the win with a close-range fin

ECQ: Straightforward night for France

Image
France 2 - 0 Republic of Ireland The Republic of Ireland's slim hopes of qualifying for Euro 2024 were dented as France ran out comfortable winners at Parc des Princes. Aurelien Tchouameni's stunning 19th-minute goal put the hosts ahead at the break. Substitute Marcus Thuram ensured a home victory early in the second half as the French made it five wins from five. For the Republic,  it is the third defeat in four games, leaving them fourth in the group. The chances of the Irish qualifying for next summer's finals in Germany are remote, but they must regroup quickly and look to revive their campaign against the Netherlands on Sunday. Euro 2024 Qualifying When France visited Dublin in March, Didier Deschamps' side escaped with a 1-0 win. They were put under intense pressure by a spirited Republic team, with French goalkeeper Mike Maignan in inspired form. But it was a different story in Paris with Thuram's goal taking the sting out of the game and paving the way

International Friendly: Scotland eventually triumph against Gibraltar

Image
Gibraltar 0 - 2 Scotland With the squad enduring a seven-game winless streak and grappling with injuries, it took Scotland until the 58th minute to break the deadlock against the world’s 203rd ranked team. Ryan Christie finally opened the scoring, lashing the ball home just before the hour mark in frustration. Che Adams added a decisive second goal late on, securing a much-needed, if uninspiring, win in Portugal. The 2,000 travelling Scotland fans shouldn’t have had to wait so long for their team to score, given the volume of chances created against their lowly opponents. Grant Hanley and James Forrest, in particular, squandered golden opportunities, while Christie and Kenny McLean also could have done better inside the box. Iconic Euros Moments: Throwback to England v Scotland (1996)  ECQ: Scotland shock Spain ECQ: Spain and Scotland qualify for Euro 2024 By half-time, Scotland had registered 20 shots, most from inside the penalty area, but hit the target only twice. Gibraltar, me

ECQ: Wales secure late draw

Image
Croatia 1 - 1 Wales Debutant Nathan Broadhead secured a potentially crucial point for Wales with a late equaliser in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia. #WalesAway Croatia v Wales This one I won't forget pic.twitter.com/dJwP4m5462 — Si Guy 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@SimonFrancesGuy) March 26, 2023 The Ipswich forward scored from close range after a long throw-in caused chaos in the home side's penalty area.  Andrej Kramaric's sweetly struck shot on 28 minutes had previously given Croatia a deserved half-time lead. However, Wales improved after the break and did cause Croatia some problems. They would ultimately upset the odds in the third minute of added time. Croatia had previously won 34 and drawn one home European qualifier so this was a huge upset. Euro 2024 Qualifying (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) A full review of the match It took Croatia less than three minutes to emphasise both their threat and quality as they pressed Wales into turning over possession

International Friendly: Scotland squander two-goal lead against Finland

Image
Scotland 2 - 2 Finland Scotland head off to Euro 2024 in a disappointing fashion after squandering a two-goal lead to draw with Finland at Hampden Park. An own goal from Arttu Hoskonen lifted spirits following a subdued start before Lawrence Shankland nodded home, ramping up the celebrations. The Tartan Army's party was put on hold when Benjamin Kallman pulled one back, and an 85th-minute penalty - awarded by the video assistant referee (VAR) - was slotted home by Oliver Antman. All eyes now turn to Munich as Scotland prepares for the daunting yet exhilarating task of taking on Germany, one of the tournament favourites, in their own backyard next Friday. You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the Premier Sports YouTube account.  The second half came to life after a poor first 45 minutes. The second half was much better. Hoskonen's own goal might have been a touch lucky, but Shankland's headed finish rounded off the type of

ECQ: England held by Ukraine

Image
 Ukraine 1 - 1 England England's winning run in their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign came to a halt as they were held to a draw by Ukraine in Wroclaw. Ukraine were backed by 40,000 fans in the Tarczynski Arena, giving the game the fervent feel of a home fixture despite the hosts being unable to play in their own country. In the 26th minute, Arsenal's Oleksandr Zinchenko turned in a cross from Yukhym Konoplya to give Ukraine the lead. There was plenty of possession for England, but there was a lack of creativity. Harry Kane had to show his brilliance four minutes before half-time to equalise. In his 77th appearance, he sent Kyle Walker in with a magnificent raking pass for his first international goal. Euro 2024 Qualifying news and stories  The English had the better of the second half, with Bukayo Saka's shot being deflected by the slightest touch from Ukraine keeper Georgiy Bushchan. England are still firmly on course to qualify for next summer's Euros in Germany, b

ECQ: Wales miss out on automatic qualification

Image
 Wales 1 - 1 Turkey Following a fiery draw at home to Turkey, Wales will have to reach Euro 2024 via the play-offs in March. Wales had to secure a victory against Group D leaders Turkey  and cross their fingers for Croatia to stumble against Armenia. Throughout Tuesday night, it appeared that Robert Page's team might hold up their end of the bargain when Neco Williams scored in the seventh minute, putting them in the lead. However, Croatia's triumph over Armenia meant that even a Welsh victory wouldn't be sufficient. To add to their woes, Turkey levelled the score in the second half through a contentious penalty converted by Yusuf Yazici. Referee Matej Jug's decision to award the penalty seemed unfair to Wales captain Ben Davies, as his contact with Kenan Yildiz was minimal. The frustration among the hosts increased as the referee dismissed three Welsh penalty appeals in the first half. The initial anger among the Welsh team was replaced by a disheartening se

Euro 2024: Slovenia hold Denmark to a draw

Image
Slovenia 1 - 1 Denmark Christian Eriksen made a triumphant return to the European Championship but this goal wasn't enough against a determined Slovenia side.  Eriksen's tournament began spectacularly as he scored the opening goal for his team 17 minutes in, skilfully slotting the ball into the bottom left corner after a clever flick-on from Jonas Wind. He was a standout performer, with Denmark dominating possession in the first half and creating several opportunities to increase their lead. However, Slovenia, supported by their loud and enthusiastic fans, equalised when Erik Janza’s powerful shot flew past goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel with just 13 minutes remaining. Click here for more news from the tournament:  Euro 2024 news and stories  Slovenia's pressure had been mounting in the second half, and star player Benjamin Sesko had already sent a warning shot when he struck the post earlier. Matjaz Kek’s team, who struggled to contain Eriksen in the first half, nearly c

FA Cup: Youngsters shine as United win the cup

Image
 Manchester City 1 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United’s victory stopped Premier League champions City from claiming a second consecutive domestic double. United's win was forged through an impressive first-half performance that saw goals from Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo. Garnacho capitalised on a mix-up between City goalkeeper Stefan Ortega and defender Josko Gvardiol, leaving him with an open goal to score half an hour in. Nine minutes later, Mainoo capped off a sweeping move with a composed finish following a delicate touch from Bruno Fernandes. City inevitably ramped up the pressure in the second half, with Erling Haaland hitting the post, United keeper Andre Onana making a superb save from Kyle Walker, and Julian Alvarez missing a golden opportunity. City substitute Jeremy Doku pulled one back with four minutes remaining, but Ten Hag's side held firm to secure a famous victory and  clinch their 13th FA Cup, their first since 2016. How the FA Cup was won. U

EFL: Championship beckons for Oxford United

Image
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

Euro 2024: Italy survive Albania scare

Image
Italy 2 - 1 Albania Holders Italy overcome a huge scare from group outsiders Albania. Italy recovered from the shock of conceding the fastest goal ever scored at a European Championship to beat Albania 2-1 with Alessandro Bastoni and Nicolò Barella ensuring the defending champions made a winning start. Such a narrow margin of defeat may prove useful to Albania’s hopes of scraping third place in the group of death. They will almost certainly need to win their next game though. Not an easy task. Nedim Bajrami’s emphatic finish set a new record for the fastest goal in European Championship history, lifting the roof off a stadium that had never experienced anything like the Albanian influx, which kept the atmosphere electric throughout. Within 23 seconds, Bajrami ensured that this already intense occasion would go down in history. It was inevitable Albania would start aggressively, spurred on by a noisy support that filled at least three-quarters of the venue. Italy wasn't ready.

Spain: The next generation of Spanish stars

Image
Spain have not won a major trophy since Euro 2012.  The players that have come through perhaps haven't been as good as some from the recent history of Spanish football.  This article will explore some of the players that could be at the forefront of the next Spanish revolution. Robert Navarro Roberto Navarro Muñoz is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Real Sociedad. He has only played a few times for the first team, featuring mainly for Real Sociedad B. An improvement in minutes on the pitch could see him start to catch the attention of the national team. Alejandro Francés Alejandro Francés Torrijo is a Spanish footballer who plays as a central defender for Real Zaragoza. He has started to impress at Zaragoza. Could a move to one of the biggest Spanish clubs be on the agenda in his future. European Super Football Pedri Pedri is everything you want and expect from a Barcelona player. In the mould of Andres Iniesta, he brings elite-level technical exc

Transfer News: Mbappe signs Real Madrid deal

Image
Kylian Mbappe has signed a contract to join Real Madrid on a free transfer once his current deal with Paris St-Germain expires on 30th June.  The French striker had agreed to the move in February and confirmed his departure from PSG in May.  Mbappe, who is 25 years old, has finalised the terms with Real Madrid and will be moving to Spain when the La Liga transfer window opens on 1st July. The official announcement of the deal is expected to be made by Real Madrid over the next few days. Mbappe will be formally presented at the Bernabeu   after Euro 2024.  Since joining PSG from Monaco in 2017, Mbappe has become their all-time leading goalscorer with 256 goals. He has agreed to a contract with Real Madrid until 2029, with an annual salary of 15 million euros (£12.8m), a signing-on bonus of 150 million euros (£128m) to be paid over five years, and a share of his image rights. The best reaction Ana, a Real Madrid fan now living in England, told us: "This is a player that will real

Spain: Real Madrid move closer to La Liga title

Image
Real Sociedad 0 - 1 Real Madrid Arda Guler scored on his first La Liga start, helping Real Madrid move closer to securing the title with a win against Real Sociedad.  An important day for Real Madrid. More reaction coming up on https://t.co/Mu4Cn3wz9B https://t.co/aHAGzCmT3P — European Super Football (@ESFootballNews) April 27, 2024 Real Madrid's 19-year-old Turkish midfielder scored Madrid's first goal in the match, midway through the first half, by turning in a cross. Carlo Ancelotti made several changes after last weekend's victory in El Clasico, giving opportunities to other players. Real Sociedad started strongly but couldn't convert their dominance into goals, as they failed to breach Madrid's defense. Takefusa Kubo's attempt to equalize for Real Sociedad was denied by the offside flag, immediately after Guler's goal. The second half was less eventful, with both teams struggling to create chances. However, Real Madrid did enough to secure a vict

PL News: Chelsea appoint Enzo Maresca as new boss

Image
Chelsea have announced the appointment of Enzo Maresca as their new head coach The Italian takes over from Mauricio Pochettino, who left by mutual agreement on 21 May after just one season at Stamford Bridge. Maresca, 44, assumed control of the Foxes in June 2023 and guided them to the Championship title last season. Maresca celebrates his former club's Championship title win. Picture from  fuji.tim | Flickr Starting his new role on 1 July, Maresca becomes Chelsea's  sixth managerial appointment in five years and the fourth since May 2022. Chelsea had a mixed 2023-24 season but finished strongly, winning their last five matches to secure sixth place and qualify for the Europa Conference League. The Blues also finished as runners-up in the Carabao Cup and reached the semi-finals of the FA Cup. Following Pochettino's departure, several candidates were considered, including former Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi, Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, and Brentford's Thomas

The Big Discussion: Young up-and-coming stars

Image
This article will explore some of the most exciting talents in the world at the moment.  Will any of them be on the move this summer? Warren Zaïre-Emery - PSG Warren Zaïre-Emery, a 17-year-old football player, has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming a regular player at one of Europe's biggest clubs. The midfielder has already made more than 50 first-team appearances for the French champions and is also a part of France's senior squad. You wouldn't expect him to leave PSG just yet but many clubs from England and Spain will be paying close attention to his development. Eduardo Camavinga - Real Madrid Given the amount of games he's played, you would have forgotten that Camavinga is still relatively young. His knack for playing in several positions across the pitch must make him a dream player for Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid.  Julian Rijkhoff - Ajax Ajax are renowned for producing technically gifted midfielders and wingers, but less well-known for creating genu