European Super Football

Italy 1 - 0 England It was another awful night for England as they were relegated from their Nations League. There are now a lot of questions to answer for Gareth Southgate.  He has of course been here before – in his nightmares at Molineux. Back in June, at the end of the 4-0 humiliation against Hungary, the England manager had ventured onto the pitch to applaud the home crowd. The boos that greeted him dripped with venom. And so to full time here. After Hungary at home; goodness, after the loss to Hungary away – plus the draws in between against Germany and Italy which had got this Nations League campaign off to such a bad start – it was a night when Southgate desperately needed a mood-changer, something to restore belief. Yet there would only be more frustration, more dead-ends and an absence of creative inspiration. Watch the highlights from England's dismal night. Footage from  England - YouTube   Jude Bellingham was England’s standout man on another poor night in the Nati

Is it coming home for England or will Qatar mean more years of hurt? They were so close in both World Cup 2018 and the Euro 2020/2021 tournaments. They lost out to Croatia in the last World Cup, this was followed by a devastating penalty loss to Italy last year in the Euro 2020 final. Their female counterparts brought football home this summer by beating Germany in the final of Euro 2022. A repeat of that success will be crucial for the men's team. There is no doubt that the squad is talented and motivated. They just need to make the final step and get the trophy. Read a report on how England's female football talent won a major trophy -  Women's Euro 2022: England win after dramatic final (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The final squad has been announced after a lot of debate. Do you agree with the England manager's picks? Video credit -  The Telegraph - YouTube Reaction to the squad announcement Before we explore England's chances, let's explore the reacti

The shortlist for Ballon d'Or 2022  has been announced, and there have been some interesting developments. Let's take a look at some of the talking points. No Messi and Neymar! Lionel Messi and Neymar have not been included on the 30-man shortlist for the 2022 Ballon d'Or. The Argentina international has won the most Ballons d'Or in history with seven, but he did not make the list despite scoring 11 goals in 34 matches for Paris Saint-Germain last season. His team-mate Neymar is also not on the list. He played just 28 times for PSG last season in an injury-hit campaign. Kylian Mbappe does make the list. Recognition for the Lionesses  England's Euro 2022 success has been recognised. Millie Bright, Beth Mead and Lucy Bronze have been nominated for the women's Ballon d'Or, awarded to the best female footballer of 2022. Women's Euro 2022: England win after dramatic final (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Who could win it? Real Madrid's Karim Benzema,

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

Let's explore some of the best stories from the last 16 of the World Cup England ease to next round despite nervy start Gareth Southgate's side survived a nervy opening in which goalkeeper Jordan Pickford made an outstanding save from Boulaye Dia to run out convincing winners with a powerful display of attacking strength. Jude Bellingham was England's star man, setting up the first goal for Jordan Henderson with a perfect cross after 38 minutes then having a hand in the second on the stroke of half-time, combining with Phil Foden as captain Harry Kane powered home his first of the tournament. This all leaves the Spurs striker just one behind Wayne Rooney's all-time record of 53 England goals and he now has the perfect stage here in Qatar to write a fresh page in the history books. World Cup: England send Wales home (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Foden was the creator once more as England wrapped the game up in the 57th minute, crossing for Bukayo Saka to show fant

Let's explore the key results and stories as the Champions League returned this week Lazio 1 - 0 Bayern Munich Ciro Immobile scored a penalty to give Lazio a surprising victory over Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League round of 16 tie. The penalty was scored from the spot midway through the second half after Dayot Upamecano was sent off for a foul on Gustav Isaksen. Bayern featured the likes of Harry Kane but they were unable to respond in an underwhelming display. This was another low point in a bad few days for Bayern after their poor result and performance against Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. Highlights below from TNT Sports:  Immobile Sinks 10-Man Bayern 😳 | Lazio 1-0 Bayern Munich | Champions League Round Of 16 Highlights - YouTube Paris Saint Germain 2 - 0 Real Sociedad  Kylian Mbappe put in a great performance for PSG as his side took control of their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Sociedad. Mbappe, who has reportedly requested a move to

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

Rayo Vallecano 1 - 1 Real Madrid Real Madrid dropped points against local rivals Rayo Vallecano to slow down their title push.  The match kicked off with Real Madrid looking sharp, taking an early lead as Joselu expertly converted Fede Valverde's pass. However, Rayo Vallecano clawed their way back into the game, equalising through Raul de Tomas' penalty after VAR spotted Eduardo Camavinga's handball. More Real Madrid news and stories can be found here La Liga news and stories Real struggled to create many opportunities thereafter, ultimately settling for a solitary point. This draw allowed the 35-time La Liga champions to widen their lead over second-placed Girona to six points. Following this result, Athletic Bilbao brought high-flying Girona back down to earth with a 3-2 victory on Monday. This has further boosted Real Madrid's chances.  Real Madrid now sit eight points clear of their long-standing rivals Barcelona, who clinched a late victory against Celta Vigo

 For the second year running, Bukayo Saka has been named England men's player of the year. The Arsenal winger, who turned 22 on Tuesday , retained the award he won first in 2021-22. Midfielder Jude Bellingham came second in the ballot, followed by England captain and all-time top scorer Harry Kane. Picture credit -  Premier League 2023/24, Matchday 4 - Arsenal 3:1 Mancheste… | Flickr In the past year, Saka has scored seven goals in 10 appearances for England, including a hat-trick against North Macedonia at Old Trafford. At the 2022 Qatar World Cup , he scored three times for the Three Lions, twice against Iran in the opening group stage and once against Senegal in the last 16. He has 11 England goals in 28 caps. The Arsenal fan favourite is again among England boss Gareth Southgate's squad for Saturday's European Championship qualifier against Ukraine and Tuesday's friendly with Scotland.  Saka will once again be an important player for England in what could be a

Hungary 1 - 0 England In this Nations League match, England produced one of their worst performances of recent time.  Southgate’s team were strangely passive, lacking bite in the areas that mattered, especially the final third, and they came to threaten too late, playing with the bit between their teeth only after they fell behind to Dominik Szoboszlai’s 66th minute penalty. The award was soft, but it was correct and punishment for a moment of clumsiness from Reece James, who had only just entered as a substitute. 🇭🇺 Hungary beat England for the first time since 1962! 👏👏👏 #NationsLeague pic.twitter.com/62Y3bS88X8 — UEFA Nations League (@EURO2024) June 4, 2022 James touched a cross back towards his goalkeeper, Jordan Pickford, and worried that he had not put enough on it. And so he stepped across Zsolt Nagy to make sure that the Hungary wing-back could not give chase. Nagy went down theatrically and England had a sinking feeling. Szoboszlai once told Neymar before he took a p

Gareth Southgate's England have arrived in Germany, facing a crucial test to determine if they are genuine contenders or simply a team that falters when it matters most. Southgate’s tenure – whether it concludes at the end of Euro 2024 or continues beyond – should always be assessed against the chaos he inherited.  Appointed permanently in November 2016, Southgate has since led England to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals, the Euro 2020 final, and the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals. World Cup 2022: How England's journey came to an end  As the England players settle into their base in Germany, there is much to be hopeful about. Southgate has fostered a positive atmosphere within the squad, with players now enjoying representing their country without the heavy burden of expectations. He has also rekindled a sense of goodwill from the fans and the wider public towards the team and himself. This tournament carries a sense of urgency – a ‘now or never’ moment – following the World C

England 1-0 Australia Ollie Watkins made a triumphant return to the England national team by scoring the winning goal in a friendly match against Australia at Wembley. The Aston Villa striker turned in Jack Grealish's shot from very close to the goal line just before the one-hour mark, creating one of the few bright moments in an otherwise unimpressive performance by the English team. Watkins made up for a missed opportunity in the first half when he hit the post. Australia couldn't capitalize on several chances before halftime. Sam Johnstone, who was given the opportunity to play as the goalkeeper, made an excellent save against Keanu Baccus, and Mitchell Duke narrowly missed with a volley.  UK and Republic of Ireland announced as Euro 2028 hosts (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Lewis Dunk also came to the rescue, clearing a shot off the line from Ryan Strain. After Watkins scored, Australia had a late opportunity to level the score, but Connor Metcalfe hit the post with a