European Super Football

Sweden 5 - 1 Northern Ireland Newcastle United forward Alexander Isak delivered a standout performance, scoring one goal and setting up another as Sweden cruised to a 5-1 victory over a young Northern Ireland side in Stockholm. Author - Paul Woods Stadium - Strawberry Arena Isak teed up Emil Holm for the opener in the seventh minute before Benjamin Nygren doubled the lead midway through the first half. Northern Ireland showed more fight after the break, but Sweden struck again when Ken Sema smashed in a rebound after Nygren’s flicked effort came back off the post. Isak then added his name to the scoresheet with a stunning strike from 25 yards into the top corner, before substitute Anthony Elanga tucked home a fifth at the back post. Northern Ireland did manage a late consolation when Isaac Price’s deflected strike from the edge of the box found the top corner, but it was little more than that. Attention now turns to June’s double-header before World Cup qualifying begins in Septemb...

England 1 - 2 Spain It just wasn't meant to be for England. England's hopes of ending 58 years of pain and disappointment were dashed as they lost to Spain in the Euro 2024 final at Berlin's Olympiastadion. Gareth Southgate's team suffered heartbreak once again, falling to a late goal by Mikel Oyarzabal, which left them unable to end the long wait for success for the men's team in a second consecutive European Championship final. Spain took the lead just two minutes into the second half when Lamine Yamal set up Nico Williams, who beat England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford with a powerful low shot. England's captain, Harry Kane, struggled to find form and was substituted after an hour. Cole Palmer, who came on for Kobbie Mainoo, briefly revived hopes of a comeback with a composed left-footed strike in the 73rd minute. However, Spain ultimately clinched victory, as Oyarzabal converted Marc Cucurella' s cross four minutes from time, leaving England once again...

Eduardo Camavinga is a midfielder that currently plays for Real Madrid and the French national team.  Like all the players in our Young and European series, Camavinga is a player well thought of across the continent. Can he also play a key part in the Qatar World Cup? Young and European: The up and coming stars looking to impress in Qatar (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Development at Rennes 👶 Youngest player for Rennes 👶 Youngest player for France since 1914 👶 Youngest goalscorer for France since 1914 Eduardo Camavinga turns 18 today 🎂 pic.twitter.com/CcC5jnBzK6 — GOAL (@goal) November 10, 2020 Camavinga joined the Rennes' youth system aged 11. He signed his first professional contract on 14 December 2018, at the age of 16 years and one month and became the youngest ever professional for the club. His professional debut for Rennes in a 3–3 Ligue 1 tie with Angers in April 2019. A few months later, he was awarded the man of the match award in a 2–1 win against ...

 The much anticipated ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup is almost upon us. The tournament kicks off on July 20th and will debut an expanded 32-team format, resulting in a full month of top-flight international football. There is bound to be some world class on display from all the teams taking part. ☄️🇩🇪 Giulia Gwinn knows how to hit them! #FIFAWWC | #HBD pic.twitter.com/1X6uXyFfTw — FIFA Women's World Cup (@FIFAWWC) July 2, 2023 It will take place in two countries: Australia and New Zealand. The matches will be held at 10 stadiums in nine cities across these two nations. Only Sydney will offer two venues, the Sydney Football Stadium and Stadium Australia. The final will be held at Stadium Australia. A full list of the teams that have qualified Australia, China, Japan, Philippines, South Korea and Vietnam qualified to represent AFC (Asia). Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia qualified from CAF (Africa). Canada, Costa Rica, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama and the USA represent CONCAC...

Aston Villa 1 - 0 Bayern Munich In an electrifying evening at Villa Park, Jhon Duran once again made a stunning impact off the bench, securing a glorious Champions League victory for Aston Villa over Bayern Munich. The occasion was steeped in history, evoking memories of Villa’s famous 1982 European Cup triumph against the German side in Rotterdam. This time, Duran replicated that iconic scoreline, netting his fifth goal as a substitute this season. Brought on in the 70th minute to replace Ollie Watkins, it took Duran just nine minutes to make his presence felt. Spotting Bayern’s experienced keeper, Manuel Neuer, out of position, he calmly lobbed the ball into the net. A closer look at a sensational night in the Midlands For Villa manager Unai Emery, this was another resounding success. The result builds on Villa's strong start to their Champions League   campaign having beaten Young Boys 3-0 in Switzerland in their opening match. Villa Park, hosting its first Champions Le...

It was a dramatic night in Champions League group E as Barcelona were knocked out and Bayern Munich finished with a 100% record. Benfica will join Bayern in the next round after they beat Dynamo Kiev 2-0. Despite only having 36% possession, it was a fairly comfortable win that was secured by goals from Yaremchuk and Junior. You can watch the highlights in the video below. One Benfica fan told us: "I would have been happy with 3rd place and getting into the Europa League but I am very happy that we are staying in the Champions League." A horror night for Barcelona Barcelona lost 3-0 to Bayern Munich to miss out on the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in 17 years. They have not been absent from the last 16 since 2003-04. It was a terrible night for the club. They never really looked like troubling Bayern and the home side ran away comfortable winners. The draw for the Europa League takes place on Monday at 12:00 GMT in Nyon, Switzerland and Barca will p...

Spain 3 - 3 Netherlands The match finished 5-5 on aggregate. Spain won 5-4 on penalties Author - Paul Woods Stadium - Estadio de Mestalla Spain had twice taken the lead in normal time, both courtesy of Real Sociedad striker Mikel Oyarzabal. But Memphis Depay marked his 100th Netherlands cap with a penalty early in the second half, before debutant Ian Maatsen’s thunderous strike forced extra time. Yamal restored Spain’s lead with a stunning solo effort, curling a beauty into the far corner, but Xavi Simons hit back with another Dutch penalty after Simón had brought him down in the box. The shootout saw Lang rattle the crossbar before Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen kept out Yamal. However, Simón produced the crucial stop from Malen, allowing Pedri to send Spain through to a last-four clash with France. The victory extends Spain’s unbeaten run in all competitions to 18 matches, and they haven’t lost in the Nations League since a 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in September 2022. A...

Netherlands 2 - 1 Turkey The Netherlands came from behind to defeat Turkey, setting up a Euro 2024 semi-final against England. An own goal by Mert Muldur, pressured by Cody Gakpo, helped the Dutch take the lead after trailing at half-time. Turkey's centre-back Samet Akaydin had put his team ahead, heading in Arda Guler's cross after an impressive first half. He celebrated by running to the fans, kissing his badge, and kneeling to pray, while the substitutes sprinted down the touchline. However, Turkey's joy was short-lived as the Netherlands, sluggish in the first half, came alive after the break, inspired by substitute Wout Weghorst. Stefan de Vrij equalised with a header, shortly after Weghorst made a crucial defensive interception to prevent Kaan Ayhan from scoring. Turkey nearly extended their lead when Real Madrid's Guler hit the post with a stunning free-kick but failed to capitalise on their opportunities. Now, Ronald Koeman's side will face England in Do...

England 4 - 1 Holland This is another iconic Euros moment for England. The summer of 1996 was a magical one for Englush football fans, even if once again they failed to win a major tournament.  Let's explore what happened when England faced Holland Wembley. Terry Venables decided to mix things up slightly. Despite fielding the same 11 for the third straight game, he made a tactical adjustment in reverting back to the 4-4-2 shape used against Switzerland in the opening game.  English strike pair Alan Shearer and Teddy Sheringham scored twice. Patrick Kluivert then netted a late goal that sealed progress for Netherlands in dramatic fashion despite this loss. More iconic moments from the European championships.  Were you there? Lauren, a Chelsea fan, was at Wembley for this legendary match. She said: "England were first to every ball, stronger to the second balls. We didn't mess around around when the chances were on. The Dutch also seemed timid compared to how the...

 Germany 5 - 1 Scotland There were six goals in the first game of Euro 2024. Unfortunately for Scotland, they only managed one. Pictures from the Euro 2024 Opening Ceremony The atmosphere at Allianz Arena was electric right from the start. Just ten minutes in, Florian Wirtz effortlessly found the net to open the scoring. Shortly after, Jamal Musiala unleashed a powerful shot that almost broke both Angus Gunn’s net and the hearts of the stunned Scottish fans behind the goal. Before half-time, Kai Havertz made it three from the penalty spot, following Ryan Porteous’ red card which left Scotland facing an uphill battle. Substitute Niclas Fullkrug added a fourth for Germany with a high shot into the net, though Antonio Rudiger’s late deflected own goal offered a glimmer of hope for Scotland. Their joy was short-lived, however, as Emre Can silenced the Scottish supporters deep into injury time. This result marked the biggest win in the opening game of a European Championships. ...

UEFA has confirmed that the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland will host the 2028 European Championships . The joint bid was unopposed after Turkey withdrew to focus on a bid with Italy for Euro 2032, which was also confirmed at a meeting in Switzerland. Check out this video from  FAI TV - YouTube The UK and Ireland focused on Euro 2028, with UEFA's approval, after they had previously cancelled a plan to be Europe's preferred candidate for the 2030 World Cup. London's Wembley Stadium and Glasgow's Hampden Park hosted games at Euro 2020. Wembley hosted the final after what proved to be a hugely controversial day where there were reports of carnage and hooliganism outside the stadium.  Matches at Euro 2028 are set to be held at 10 different grounds, including Wembley and Hampden Park alongside Cardiff's Principality Stadium and Dublin's Aviva Stadium. Belfast's Casement Park and Everton's Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, the former unbuilt while the ...

"Yes sir, I can boogie..." Can Scotland achieve what they've never done before by advancing from the group stage in a major tournament? After successfully qualifying from a challenging group that included Spain and Norway, hopes were high for such an achievement. However, Steve Clarke’s team then endured a run of seven games without a win (before a hard-fought victory against Gibraltar). While defeats to France, England, the Netherlands, and Spain were expected, losing to Northern Ireland was more concerning. For the first time in a while, the team appeared deflated. This dip in confidence might not be entirely detrimental. Overconfident Scots often struggle. In 1978, the team left for the World Cup amid great fanfare but failed to deliver. Clarke has assembled a capable side that should believe they can finish above Hungary and Switzerland, though they still lag behind the group’s standout team, Germany, in terms of overall ability. ECQ: Scotland shock Spain (eur...