European Super Football

 Darvel 1 - 0 Aberdeen Darvel produced probably the biggest upset in the history of the Scottish Cup as the sixth-tier outfit defeated top-flight Aberdeen. Jordan Kirkpatrick's first-half shot on the spin at Recreation Park deflected past Joe Lewis to put Darvel on course for a last-16 home tie with Falkirk. Chris Truesdale made three great close-range saves from Aberdeen forwards Ryan Duncan and Luis Lopes. However, the West of Scotland Premier Division leaders held on. What a remarkable result. The embarrassing exit has piled further pressure on Pittodrie manager Jim Goodwin who has been under fire from fans and the media recently. Reaction Darvel manager Mick Kennedy told the media: "I believed in the guys all week. It's about togetherness and love and respect. We've been driving that home all week. We probably deserved to go in front. We had to show our togetherness. The community has been unbelievable. From the first day I came here, I told the board we are go

 Celtic 3-2 St Mirren The last game of the season at Celtic Park ended with three points for the champions. Matt O'Riley, Kyogo Furuhashi and Luis Palma all for the hosts. Mark O'Hara had put St Mirren ahead twice as they threatened to try and spoil the party.  Towards the end of the match, Celtic keeper Joe Hart was substituted and the Celtic goalkeeper looked emotional as he made his way from the field in what is believed to be his final league appearance as a professional footballer. During the trophy celebrations, Hart addressed the supporters. He said: "You guys are absolutely phenomenal. You've made me feel so special. Thank you so much for having me." Celtic make changes, but players impress in an entertaining match. Rodgers made six changes to his starting line-up, and  it's  unlikely that next  Saturday's  Scottish Cup final team against Rangers will look the same. The manager has  mostly depended  on predecessor Ange  Postecoglou's  squad

Hibernian 6 - 0 Aberdeen Where is next for Aberdeen? It has been a nightmare few weeks for the club. Jim Goodwin was sacked after Josh Campbell's hat trick inspired Hibernian to a stunning Scottish Premiership victory. G⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️d morning, Hibees! 😁 pic.twitter.com/DzuVWfJx5y — Hibernian Football Club (@HibernianFC) January 29, 2023 Pittodrie chairman Dave Cormack had demanded that the club provided an "immediate response" to Monday's Scottish Cup defeat by Darvel. Scotland: Darvel cause huge shock (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) However, two Campbell finishes and an Elie Youan header had Hibs cruising before Kevin Nisbet scored after the break. Campbell's third came from the spot as Liam Scales was sent off before Will Fish completed Aberdeen's dismal day. Aberdeen manager Jim Goodwin went for experience on the day. He brought back the on-loan Wigan Athletic midfielder Graeme Shinnie and wing-back Jonny Hayes along with top scorer Bojan Miovski foll

Hibernian 0 - 2 Celtic A brilliant goal from Callum McGregor helped Celtic secure a comfortable Scottish Premiership victory over Hibernian at Easter Road. Nicolas Kuhn opened the scoring within three minutes, capitalising on a mistake by Hibs’ goalkeeper Josef Bursik, who failed to deal with Kyogo's initial shot. McGregor, who had announced his retirement from international football earlier in the week, then doubled Celtic's lead with a stunning left-footed strike from 25 yards, capping off an excellent first-half performance. Brendan Rodgers’ side could have added more goals if not for the woodwork, but they will be satisfied with taking three points from a ground where they have struggled at times under Rodgers' management. More Celtic news can be found by clicking here Sunshine on Leith: The place for more Hibs news and stories The home side were booed off at half-time, having failed to register a single shot, although they improved somewhat in the second half. Stri

Dundee United 2 - 2 Dundee Dundee twice came from behind to deny Dundee United a victory in their Scottish Premiership return, as the first city derby in over two years lived up to its billing as the game of the weekend. There was a fantastic atmosphere created by both sets of fans. After a dull start on Saturday with two 0-0 draws, three early goals set the new top-flight season ablaze. Dundee gave their hosts a guard of honour before last season's Championship flag was raised, then left Kristijan Trapanovski plenty of space to slot the opener after just 13 minutes. Seb Palmer-Houlden equalised from close range five minutes later, but Miller Thomson restored United's lead with a similar finish—all within the first 15 minutes of the game. United deserved their lead, but Dundee finished stronger in a thrilling end that saw a Luke McCowan penalty 11 minutes from time. Dundee United now remain unbeaten in seven derbies , while Dundee have not won at Tannadice in their last 13

Annan Athletic 2 - 1 Edinburgh City (Aggregate: 2 - 3)  Edinburgh City won promotion to Scottish League One for the first time in their history after a tense 3-2 play-off final aggregate victory over Annan Athletic. A superb finish from Innes Murray made it fourth time lucky in the play-offs for the side who progressed from the Lowland League only six years ago. Edinburgh's two-goal first-leg lead was quickly wiped out by a Tony Wallace penalty and Tommy Goss header within 20 minutes. LÀN-ÙINE - tha @EdinburghCityFC a' dol suas gu Lìg a h-Aon 👏👏 Congratulations to Edinburgh City who will be playing in League 1 next season 👏 pic.twitter.com/A6sNP11Aih — BBC ALBA (@bbcalba) May 13, 2022 But on-loan Hibernian midfielder Murray won the tie just after the break. Annan were also looking to win promotion for the first time since being admitted to the league in 2008, but miss out for a fourth time via the play-offs. It has been an eventful season for Annan. They had a decent r

 There's been an interesting transfer development involving a Premier League side and another from La Liga. It has been announced that Kieran Tierney has joined LaLiga side Real Sociedad on loan for the 2023/24 season. Scotland international defender Kieran joined them in August 2019 from Celtic and during his time with them, he has made 124 appearances in all competitions. The 26-year-old enjoyed success in his first season with them, finishing the campaign by scoring his debut Arsenal goal in their 3-2 home victory against Watford on the final day of the Premier League season. This achievement was followed just days later, with Kieran starting in their 2-1 FA Cup Final triumph over Chelsea at Wembley Stadium.  He later played an integral role in helping the club secure their fourteenth FA Cup title, a record-breaking feat. Throughout his four seasons at the Emirates, Kieran also played a part in their FA Community Shield victories, winning against Liverpool in 2020 and more r

England are off to next year's World Cup in Qatar. They have qualified for their seventh consecutive World Cup, their longest ever run of reaching successive World Cup tournaments.  Six goals in the first-half that included four from Harry Kane made the prospect of double figures possible and the England players obliged. One fan who was in San Marino for the match has just told us: "Job done. A lovely trip and nice to see score us a few goals. Is football coming home in time for Christmas 2022?" Watch below to see a video of the 10th goal that England scored on the night. Making it 🔟 @TrentAA 🤜🤛 @BukayoSaka87 pic.twitter.com/6eWRSuaZV0 — England (@England) November 15, 2021 Harry Kane told ITV Sport: "Fantastic. It came to the last game and we were expected to win tonight but we've done a good job. Fantastic to go through." "Every time I wear an England shirt I am proud and when I score goals it is one of the nicest feelings I can have in my ca

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

It's time to explore another iconic Euros moment.  Let's throwback to Euro 96. This was the first time England and Scotland had met in a major competition in seven years. A tactical analysis Terry Venables' 4-4-1-1 from the previous match gave way to something a little different. Manchester United's Gary Neville , who had just won the double with other members of the 'class of 92' was to join Stuart Pearce in flanking Tony Adams in a back three. Gareth Southgate stepped into midfield alongside Paul Ince, with Paul Gascoigne tasked with being a central creative outlet. Teddy Sheringham was to work off Alan Shearer up front. Darren Anderton and Steve McManaman would be rotated frequently between the wings throughout this match and the rest of Euro 96.  A brief match report After a scrappy, nervous first half, England stepped up a gear, and a peak-form Alan Shearer scored his second goal of the tournament with a superb header from a Gary Neville cross in the f

Now for an update from Scotland as Celtic and Rangers both win Celtic 2 - 1 Aberdeen Callum McGregor's bizarre winner earned Celtic victory over Aberdeen and made sure they remain four points behind Rangers. Jota's finish broke the deadlock on 20 minutes, but Liel Abada's trip on David Bates allowed Lewis Ferguson to equalise from the penalty spot. Celtic stepped up the intensity in the second period and scored a lucky winner, with a clearance rebounding off McGregor into the net. Aberdeen boss Stephen Glass will be annoyed at losing in such circumstances after his team put in a brave defensive display. The reality is the defeat extends their losing streak to three games. They are also ten points off the top four. This is what he said to Aberdeen's social media channels.  📺 Post match reaction from the manager. pic.twitter.com/LPmKUBDEBt — Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC) November 28, 2021 As for Celtic, it is a vital win  as they put Thursday's Europa League defeat

A quick preview of the upcoming international break. Who needs what to qualify for the Qatar World Cup? England are close England will be looking to confirm their World Cup place this month. They could qualify on Friday if they beat Albania, but they would also need second-placed Poland to fail to beat minnows Andorra. This is unlikely. More realistically, they need four points from the Albania game and then San Marino away three days later. It would be up there with the greatest shocks in England's history if they didn't qualify from this position. Arsenal's Emily Smith Rowe could potentially get first cap for the national side. He said to the media: "I'm always proud to wear the shirt, no matter what age group, and I'm happy to be here." "I'm always proud to wear the shirt, no matter what age group, and I'm happy to be here." 🦁 Love that, @emilesmithrowe 🙌 pic.twitter.com/XHWqfq5yq9 — England (@England) November 10, 2021 Cli

Let's take a look at another football icon. This time it's Walter Smith He achieved legendary status as manager of Rangers. He won 21 trophies in two spells making him the second most successful Rangers boss ever. Walter Smith as a player Smith was a defender that played more than 200 games for Dundee United. He quickly began his coaching career under Jim McLean when a pelvic injury forced him to retire early. Throughout his career, he also played for Dumbarton and had a loan spell at Dallas Tornado in the North American Soccer League. He was destined for a career in coaching and management. Becoming a legend at Ibrox When Souness left for Liverpool in April 1991, Smith was appointed interim manager.This was made permanent in May 1991, after the club clinched another league title. Six more league titles in succession followed under Smith's tenure, including a domestic treble in 1992–93. He also won the Scottish Cup and the League Cup three times each. Smith took Rangers

 Let's travel across Europe for some talking points Spain: Bellingham shines for Madrid The former Borussia Dortmund midfielde r again proved Real Madrid’s match-winner, scoring in injury time to snatch a 2-1 La Liga victory over Getafe. Real Madrid played their first home game at the Bernabéu this season. Liam is a Manchester United fan, and watched the game on TV: "Bellingham is a special player. I really wish he was playing for Manchester United." You can see some highlights in the video below. Footage from  LaLiga - YouTube Italy: Napoli lost at home to Lazio The Italian champions, Napoli, faced their first loss of the season when they were defeated 2-1 at their home ground by Lazio. It was a surprising turn of events as Lazio's Luis Alberto scored the opening goal with a clever backheel after 30 minutes, despite Napoli dominating the game. Napoli, now under the management of Rudi Garcia, who took over from Luciano Spalletti in June, quickly levelled the score

Rangers 0 - 2 Manchester United Manchester United earned a first pre-season victory with an assured 2-0 win over Rangers in Scotland. A pinpoint left-footed strike from Amad Diallo in the 39th minute and a fierce drive by Joe Hugill on 70 minutes proved the difference for the Reds in Edinburgh. The runout at Murrayfield was another opportunity to build up fitness for the Red Devils as 21 players got minutes under their belts. Manager Erik ten Hag saw a much-improved performance following Monday’s 1-0 reverse against Rosenborg in our first friendly of the summer.  Premier League: Summer 2024 news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) First impressions are important United fans saw a first glimpse of French defender Leny Yoro, who had a solid first 45 minutes in a United shirt following his arrival from Lille on Thursday. Within the squad, Ten Hag named a mixture of youth and experience in his line-up. This included the return of Jadon Sancho. The winger made his first Unite

 Dundee 0 - 3 Celtic Paulo Bernardo and Mikey Johnston emerged as the unexpected goal heroes for Celtic in their match against Dundee.  However, there is now a concern about Cameron Carter‑Vickers' injury ahead of the upcoming clash with Rangers at Parkhead on Saturday. Bernardo slotted in the opening goal in the 52nd minute at Dens Park, marking his inaugural goal for Celtic. Johnston, coming on as a substitute, netted his first two goals for the Hoops since December 2019, securing a 3-0 victory. Despite leading by five points, the champions face a challenge from Rangers, who have two games in hand, including their midweek match against Ross County at Ibrox on Wednesday. Manager Rodgers stuck with the same starting lineup from the 2-0 win against Livingston. Dundee, on the other hand, had Cammy Kerr in for the absent Ricki Lamie, and Zak Rudden returned as one of the two strikers. Celtic took control early on without breaking down Dundee's defence. Kyogo Furuhashi's

 Celtic 3 - 0 Hearts Celtic moved a little bit closer to the title after easing past Hearts in Glasgow.  They face Rangers next weekend in a match that could decide the title. If Celtic avoid defeat, they will almost certainly end up as champions.  Kyogo Furuhashi scored the opening goal for Celtic in a fast-paced match at Celtic Park. He nodded the ball in from a cross by his fellow countryman Reo Hatate.  The Hearts team responded quickly, but Celtic extended their lead when Matt O'Riley's impressive long-range pass found Kyogo, who scored with a first-time shot and got his second of the match.  Kyogo then  had chances to score more goals in the first half, but Zander Clark, the Hearts goalkeeper, made some excellent saves. He also made a fantastic double save in the second half to deny Hatate and O'Riley. Celtic were awarded a late penalty after an on-field review showed that Lawrence Shankland had handled the ball in the box. O'Riley stepped up to take the penal

 Kilmarnock 1 - 4 Celtic Celtic are now only seven points away from retaining the Scottish Premiership after a ruthless first-half performance saw them easily win against Kilmarnock. The away raced into a stunning four-goal lead inside 27 minutes against hapless the hapless home side. Some calamitous defending compounded the home side's woe, gifting the league leaders an excess of chances, which were gobbled up by Kyogo Furuhashi, Daizen Maeda and Matt O'Riley during a rampant first period. Fraser Murray's back pass was pounced on by Kyogo to open the scoring. Maeda troubled the visitors' advantage with a well-timed header five minutes later. With Kilmarnock in disarray, the killer blow was dealt when O'Riley profited from Joe Wright's mistake, tucking a neat strike inside the post, before being found by a pinpoint Greg Taylor pass and rifling into the far corner. Kyogo also missed a great chance to add to his mounting goal tally when hitting the post from t

Everton have announced the signing of Scotland right-back Nathan Patterson from Rangers on a five-and-a-half-year deal. The 20-year-old moves to the blue half of Merseyside for a fee rumoured to be around £11.5m plus add-ons, a record fee received by the Scottish champions.  Petterson told Everton TV: "Obviously we aren't in the place where we want to be right now but we can definitely get there with the talent in the changing room and staff here, and I have full belief we can do that."  Footage below from the Everton YouTube channel. Everton are currently 15th in the Premier League and only eight points above the relegation places. They have only won once in their past 12 league games.  PL: Pressure builds on Rafael Benítez (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Patterson has made six appearances for Scottish Premiership leaders Rangers so far this season. He came through their academy has been at the Glasgow club since the age of eight. He made his senior debut in January

 Rangers 0 - 1 Celtic Brendan Rodgers responded to questions about his second spell at Celtic with a statement win in what was a controversial Glasgow Derby.  Kyogo Furuhashi once again delivered the decisive moment, taking advantage of a poor defence just before half-time to score.  The winning goal goal came after a strike from Rabbi Matondo was disallowed for offside in the first minute.  Before the match, Michael Beale has stressed the importance of 'setting a milestone' after Wednesday's humiliating Champions League defeat at Eindhoven, but the pressure will now rest on the Ibrox boss, who has not only one win in six derbies.  Rangers fans created a memorable atmosphere at Ibrox in the build up to the match but they fell silent once they went 1-0 up.  UCL: PSV thrash Rangers Celtic's defence wasn't at full strength and included central defenders Lagerbielke and Liam Scales making their Old Firm debut. It wasn't pretty at times, but everyone associated w