European Super Football

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

 It's time to explore another football icon. This time, it will be our first female player with Alex Scott. Alexandra Scott MBE is an English sports presenter, pundit, and former professional footballer. Known mainly as 'Alex Scott', she mostly played as a right-back for Arsenal. Scott made 140 appearances for the England national team and represented Great Britain at the 2012 Summer Olympics. More Women's Football news can be found here Becoming an Arsenal legend At club level, Scott has had three separate spells with Arsenal, punctuated with a season at Birmingham City in 2004–05 and three years in the American Women's Professional Soccer with Boston Breakers.  Scott was a key figure in Arsenal's historic "Quadruple" season in which they won every trophy they were involved in. In fact, they are the only team in the history of English football, across the men's and women's game, to win four major competitions in the same season. This list

Can Italy retain their European Championship crown? Italy are not among the favourites in Germany.  The holders qualified after finishing second in Group C behind England, the key game being a goalless draw with Ukraine in Germany. At Euro 2024, Italy will play Albania, Spain and Croatia in one of the toughest groups of the tournament.  Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, the defensive duo that led Italy to glory in 2021 , will watch from home. Nicolò Barella and Gianluigi Donnarumma need to step up and become the key players for the team. They will have to cope without Destiny Udogie, Nicolò Zaniolo, Francesco Acerbi, and Giorgio Scalvini, who are all out injured. Iconic Euros moments: Throwback to England v Italy (2021) How did they reach Germany? They qualified for Euro 2024 after a goalless draw against Ukraine in Germany. This was a welcome relief for everyone within Italian football after they failed to reach the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The qualifying campaign for this summe

Would Paulo Dybala be a good fit at Stamford Bridge? Reports across Europe believe that Chelsea do intend to join the pursuit of soon-to-be free agent Paulo Dybala once the club's protracted takeover has been resolved. Following a long period of negotiations, the Argentinian forward has rejected Juventus' most recent contract earlier this year, and most believe he will now leave Turin in the summer after seven glittering years in Turin. Further rumours indicate that Juve's decision not to improve their proposal was motivated by the January arrival of Dusan Vlahovic and the Serb's terrific start to life with the Bianconeri. Despite the 28-year-old's fitness issues over recent time, several leading European sides have been linked with a free transfer, including Juve's Serie A rivals Inter and Atletico Madrid in La Liga. One Chelsea fan told us: "This would be a fantastic signing for us!" Other news and rumours It has also been reported in additional

 Napoli 5 - 1 Juventus Goals from Victor Osimhen, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Amir Rrahmani, Victor Osimhen and Eljif Elmas earned a memorable 5-1 victory for Napoli. The visitors from Turin were roundly jeered by home supporters in Naples when they appeared. Juventus had won eight straight games without conceding a goal and were also able to hand Federico Chiesa his first start since tearing his cruciate ligament over a year ago. More news from Itaaly>>> However, Napoli took the lead in the 14th minute. Wojciech Szczesny brilliantly parried an acrobatic shot from Kvaratskhelia but Osimhen headed in the rebound, the first goal Juventus had conceded in 770 minutes. Napoli never looked like losing the game, even when Angel Di Maria pulled a goal a few minutes before half-time For all their problems, Juventus had only conceded seven in the top flight this season beforehand and sit third, level on points with second-placed AC Milan. However, this was a breathless Napoli display, one

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

The January transfer window is approaching.  As expected, the number of rumours about the latest transfers have exploded. Let's have a look at the best of them. Bundesliga Borussia Dortmund will look to put together a deal to try to persuade Norway striker Erling Braut Haaland to stay with them. The 21-year-old's future at the club set to be decided by the end of February.  Bayern Munich are interested in signing Leeds United's Raphinha. Despite rumours suggesting otherwise, it has been reported that no agreement has yet been made and he could easily end up signing for Liverpool. Premier League Newcastle United hope to complete a deal to bring in Atletico Madrid and England right-back Kieran Trippier next week and, after an injury to Callum Wilson, they will also try to sign a forward over the next few weeks.  Chelsea have asked about the availability of France left-back Theo Hernandez, who AC Milan will not consider selling for less than 60m euros. Wolfsburg's Max

Slovakia 1 - 2 Ukraine Roman Yaremchuk scored a decisive goal for Ukraine, securing a comeback victory against Slovakia, keeping their Euro 2024 hopes alive.  The Valencia striker found the net just 13 minutes after coming on, deftly controlling Mykola Shaparenko’s pass and slipping the ball past Slovakia’s keeper, Martin Dubravka, into the bottom corner. Slovakia initially took the lead in the 17th minute through Ivan Schranz, who netted his second goal in consecutive games. However, Ukraine equalised in the 54th minute when Shaparenko converted Oleksandr Zinchenko’s cross. Yaremchuk then clinched the victory ten minutes before full-time, marking Ukraine’s first comeback win at the Euros since 2012 . Ukraine’s performance was a game of two halves. Despite a shaky start, the team created numerous chances. Goalkeeper Anatolii Trubin, stepping in for Andriy Lunin , made several crucial saves early on, denying Lukas Haraslin and Schranz. He also managed to keep out David Hancko’s fr

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.

Germany 2 - 0 Hungary Jamal Musiala was on form again as Germany continued their strong start to Euro 2024 with a win over Hungary, securing their spot in the knockout stages in the process. There was a fantastic atmosphere pre match in Stuggart.  The Bayern Munich forward was impressive throughout the match, scoring midway through the first half and nearly netting another with a powerful shot that just missed the post. He received a standing ovation when he was substituted late in the second half. Hungary were unhappy with the opening goal, claiming Ilkay Gundogan fouled defender Willi Orban before setting up Musiala to score . However, a video assistant referee (VAR) review upheld the decision, allowing Musiala and his teammates to celebrate in front of the Hungarian supporters. Hungary thought they had equalised just before half-time, but Roland Sallai’s header from a rebound was ruled offside. Germany extended their lead in the second half when former Manchester City player Gu

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

England have confirmed their 26-man squad for the European Championships Gareth Southgate has revealed his final 26-man squad, and some notable names are missing. Manchester City's Jack Grealish, Manchester United's Harry Maguire, and Tottenham's James Maddison have all been left out. Burnley's goalkeeper James Trafford, Liverpool's defender Jarell Quansah, Everton's defender Jarrad Branthwaite, and Liverpool's midfielder Curtis Jones, who were part of the initial 33-player shortlist, have also not made the cut. Manchester United's Luke Shaw who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since mid-February, is part of the squad. This has come to the surprise of many but his experience and nature as one of England's best left-backs probably swung that in his favour. Euro 2024 news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) International Friendly: England start Euros prep with a win (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Goalkeepers Dean Henderson (Cr

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

Switzerland 2 - 0 Italy Switzerland delivered an impressive performance, defeating Italy 2-0 in Berlin and knocking the defending champions out of Euro 2024. Luciano Spalletti had made six changes to the Italian starting line-up in search of a winning formula, but it was clear from the start that Switzerland were the superior team. Breel Embolo nearly broke the deadlock before Remo Freuler opened the scoring. Switzerland dominated possession, having over 60% of the ball and creating eight of the first nine shots on goal. Their persistence eventually paid off when Ruben Vargas set up Freuler, who became the sixth different scorer for Switzerland in the tournament. Just 27 seconds into the second half, it got even better. Vargas found the back of the net with a stunning strike. Italy lost possession from the kick-off, and Vargas curled his shot past PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma into the top corner. Italy struggled to respond, their best chance coming when Fabian Schar headed agains

 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

England U21 1 - 0 Spain U21 England won the European Under-21 Championship for the first time in nearly 40 years. James Trafford's dramatic last-minute penalty save ensured the Young Lions beat Spain. The young goalkeeper, who is set to join Burnley from Manchester City in a deal that could be worth up to £19m, kept out Abel Ruiz's low spot-kick in the 99th minute. The 20-year-old then produced another brilliant stop on the follow-up before being mobbed by his team-mates. More England news from every level can be found here. You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below.  England U21 1-0 Spain U21 | Heroic James Trafford Makes Young Lions European Champions! | Highlights - YouTube England just about had enough to overcome Spain The winning goal came with virtually the last kick of the first half when a Cole Palmer free-kick deflected off team-mate Curtis Jones and wrong-footed goalkeeper Arnau Tenas to find the bottom corner. Spain had a Ruiz goal ruled out f

Austria 0 - 1 France France began their tournament with a composed 1-0 victory over a spirited Austria. The match was decided by a first-half own goal.  Didier Deschamps’ team played within their capabilities, exploiting Austria’s right-side defence whenever Kylian Mbappé, who finished the game with a broken nose, accelerated down the wing. Starting slowly and conserving energy, this French team displayed their confidence and experience. Not much has changed since the 2022 World Cup. They maintained their familiar 4-3-3 formation, embodying Deschamps' philosophy with athleticism and technical prowess in every position. Mbappé remains a constant threat, always poised to deliver a decisive moment. France’s manager will be pleased with the midfield control offered by Adrien Rabiot and the dynamic performance of N’Golo Kanté , who rolled back the years with his display. By the end of the match, one thing was evident: France remains the team to beat. Their victory seems almost inev

Portugal 2 - 1 Czech Republic Francisco Conceição scored a late winner as Portugal came from behind to beat the Czech Republic in their Euro 2024 opener in Leipzig. Roberto Martinez’s side, favourites for the tournament after winning every game during qualifying, left it late to overcome their determined opponents. The Czech Republic had spent much of the game defending in their own half but shocked Portugal when Lukáš Provod's powerful second-half strike found the far corner. Their hopes of victory were dashed soon after, as goalkeeper Jindřich Staněk parried Nuno Mendes' header, and the ball bounced off Robin Hranáč into the back of his own net. Euro 2024 news and stories  Diogo Jota had a goal ruled out for offside late on, but Portugal celebrated in stoppage time when Conceição scored. The goal ensured Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo marked his appearance at a record sixth European Championship with a memorable win. Portugal get the win they probably deserved The

 Let's explore some of the latest transfer rumours from across Europe. It is proving to be a busy summer. Mbappe on Merseyside or is he off to Madrid? Liverpool are in talks with Paris St-Germain over a shock loan move for Kylian Mbappe after he reportedly rejected a world record £259m move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. It had been suggested that Spanish side Real Madrid had previously set a price limit of 230m euros (£198m) to land Mbappe from PSG permanently. Are Man United on the verge of another signing? Manchester United and Atalanta have agreed a £72m deal for Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund. Reports from across Europe have said that Manchester United will pay £64m plus £8m in add-ons for the 20-year-old. In his 34 appearances last season, Hojlund scored 10 goals for Atalanta.  Football News: Man United on verge of another signing (manchestersupernews.blogspot.com) Kane to Bayern Munich? Bundesliga side Bayern Munich remain confident of completing a deal to sign Tottenham

There has been some interesting news from Germany It has been announced that Manager Thomas Tuchel will be bidding farewell to Bayern Munich at the conclusion of this season. The 50-year-old stepped in for Julian Nagelsmann at the helm of the German champions in March 2023, signing on until June 2025.  The former Chelsea boss will now be departing a year earlier than anticipated, as part of what is described as a strategic shift in Bayern's sporting direction. Under his guidance, Bayern clinched last season's Bundesliga title after he assumed control in the spring. Nevertheless, they currently find themselves trailing leaders Bayer Leverkusen by eight points following consecutive league defeats. One of these setbacks was a resounding 3-0 loss to Leverkusen , compounded by a 1-0 defeat to Lazio in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 encounter. Check out the highlights from that recent defeat to Leverkusen.  Bayer Remain Undefeated! | Bayer Leverkusen - FC Bayern