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Conference League: West Ham take first-leg lead

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 UEFA Europa Conference League Semi-final first leg: West Ham United 2 - 1  AZ Alkmaar West Ham's dreams of a first major trophy since 1980 are still alive. They came from behind to secure a Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg win over AZ Alkmaar at their London Stadium. Pre match - the West Ham fans created an incredible atmosphere The Hammers' hopes of reaching the final in Prague on 7 June were hanging by a thread when Alphonse Areola made a mess of saving Tijjani Reijnders' low shot four minutes before the break. However, David Moyes' side turned the tie on its head after half-time. <Click here for more news from the London Stadium> The Hammers had former Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan to thank for offering them a way back into the contest when he recklessly punched Jarrod Bowen in the face as he arrived late to challenge for a high ball the England man actually headed over. After Ryan took an age to take his position for the penalty, Said Benrahm

Spain: The next generation of Spanish stars

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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

UEL: Roma to face Sevilla in final

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 Let's explore all the key moments from a dramatic night in the Europa League Bayer 04 Leverkusen 0 - 1 Roma (Roma won 1-0 on aggregate) Jose Mourinho's Roma reached the Europa League final after holding Bayer Leverkusen to a goalless draw in the second leg of the semi-final. Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen side could not find the breakthrough as Jose Mourinho delivered a tactical masterclass.  You can hear what Mourinho had to say in the video below. Footage:  JOSÉ MOURINHO | POST MATCH INTERVIEW | BAYER-ROMA - YouTube Is he still the Special One? Click here to read the latest Mourinho news stories. Can the iconic manager win yet another European trophy? His side can look forward to a second European final in as many years having not reached one for 31 years before last season. Who would they be facing though? They would have to wait another 30 minutes before finding out. UECL: Roma win Europa Conference League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Sevilla 2 - 1 Juventus (Sevill

EFL Trophy: Bolton 4 - 1 Liverpool Under-21s

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Liverpool Under-21s suffered a heavy loss in the EFL Trophy on a difficult night for the youngsters The Reds side featured defender Nat Phillips but were still comfortably beaten by their League One opponents. You can watch the highlights in the video below. A second successive win for Bolton in the competition has taken them to the top of Group D. They are now on the verge of progression to the next stages of the competition. You'd have to wonder if their fans are already dreaming of a trip to Wembley? Port Vale’s late winner at Rochdale denied guaranteed progress for Bolton. They very much have their destiny in their own hands ahead of their final group game at Spotland in a few weeks. A point will guarantee a place in the knock-out phase. You can find more news from the EFL by clicking here Reaction to the match Bolton manager Ian Evatt told the club's website: “It took us a bit of time to figure out where we needed to press and how we needed to press but once we did I th

World Cup preview: Could Jude Bellingham shine for England?

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Could Jude Bellingham shine for England at the World Cup? Let's explore He represented England at under-15, under-16, under-17 and under-21 levels. He made his first appearance for the senior team in November 2020. He represented the senior team at UEFA Euro 2020 but it's the upcoming World Cup where he could shine. A quick summary of his career so far Bellingham began a two-year scholarship with Birmingham City in July 2019. The following month, he started the EFL Cup first-round trip to Portsmouth and became Birmingham City's youngest-ever first-team player.  He made his first Football League appearance 19 days later, as a second-half substitute in a 3–0 defeat away to Swansea City and his home debut on 31 August against Stoke City. Replacing the injured Jefferson Montero after half an hour, Bellingham scored the winner – albeit via a generous deflection – as Birmingham came back from 1–0 down to beat Stoke 2–1, and thus became their youngest-ever goalscorer, aged 16 ye

Bundesliga: Leverkusen extend lead at the top

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Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 0 Bayern Munich Bayer Leverkusen dealt a significant blow in the Bundesliga title race with a resounding triumph over Bayern Munich, propelling them five points clear at the top. Xabi Alonso' s squad seized control in the opening half as Josip Stanisic expertly slotted home at the back post. The crowd erupted again shortly after halftime when Alex Grimaldo found the net from a challenging angle. Jeremie Frimpong sealed the victory in injury time as goalkeeper Manuel Neuer ventured up for a corner kick. Click here for more Bundesliga news and stories More Bayern Munich news from European Super Football Dreams spark among home fans At the BayArena, the home fans created an incredible atmosphere, and this had a positive impact on the players and coaching staff. The scenes at tbe end of the match proved the strong connection between fans and players. Could this incredible atmosphere spur Leverkusen to a Bundesliga title? Many of the neutrals in this title race

FA Cup: Liverpool win second trophy of the season

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Chelsea 0 - 0 Liverpool (Liverpool win 6-5 on penalties) Liverpool won their second trophy of the season and they keep their quadruple dream alive After a tense 120 minutes, Liverpool triumphed on penalties. They have won the FA Cup for the first time since 2006.  Before the drama of the penalties, it was a close fairly close game for the majority, even if Liverpool did have more shots. Chelsea did have their moments.  Both sides struggled to find that finishing touch and it finished 0-0. In the end, it was won on penalties.  Liverpool quickly gained the advantage in the shootout after César Azpilicueta hit the post with the second Blues spot-kick. Sadio Mané then wasted the chance to win it earlier with a weak fifth kick. Mason Mount then missed Chelsea’s seventh kick, allowing Tsimikas to slide in the winner. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐆𝐑𝐄𝐄𝐊 𝐒𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐑 ❤ pic.twitter.com/2Dm3safuA3 — Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 14, 2022 More reaction Liverpool tweeted: "WE ARE THE #EmiratesFACup WINNERS!

Super Cup reaction: Real Madrid win another European trophy

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Real Madrid 2 - 0 Eintracht Frankfurt Let's look at all the best reactions from the media and across the internet as Real Madrid won the UEFA Super Cup  How Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League How Frankfurt won the UEFA Europa League You can watch the highlights in the video below.  Footage from BT Sport This is what the BBC's post-match report said: Karim Benzema continued his Ballon d'Or pursuit with a 324th goal for European champions Real Madrid as they beat Eintracht Frankfurt to lift the Uefa Super Cup in Helsinki. Carlo Ancelotti's side, who beat Liverpool to win the Champions League in May, took the lead when David Alaba tapped into an empty net, with Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp stranded following Casemiro's header back across goal. Benzema doubled the Spanish giants' lead after the break with a first-time finish from Vinicius Jr's cross to move second on Real's all-time goalscoring list, overtaking Raul and behind only Cristiano R

FA Cup: Nottingham Forest stun Arsenal

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Nottingham Forest 1 - 0 Arsenal The City Ground was bouncing as Championship side Nottingham Forest stunned Arsenal with a tremendous performance. The winning goal came from Lewis Grabban as he slid home Ryan Yates' inviting cross seven minutes from time. All the best reaction Forest goalscorer Lewis Grabban told ITV: "It was good! We did well throughout the game, we deserved it and didn’t have many chances but when we got it we put it away. It is always hard against Arsenal but we did deserve it." Forest manager Steve Cooper added to the same channel: "I'm really proud of the boys, pleased with the performance. It's brilliant to get through and I hope the players now really believe in what we're doing." A special page dedicated to the FA Cup (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) This is how the Nottingham Forest Twitter account responded after a wonderful afternoon and evening at The City Ground. 🤩 The Reds defeat The Gunners! 👊 🌳🔴 #NFFC pic.twi

Reaction from Scotland: Rangers win Scottish Cup

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 Rangers 2 - 0 Heart of Midlothian Let's have a look at all the best reactions and reports as Rangers lifted the Scottish Cup for the first time in 13 years. Watch the highlights in the video below. Footage from Premier Sports. Goals from substitutes Ryan Jack and Scott Wright saw Rangers win the Scottish Cup against Hearts and eased the pain of their Europa League final defeat. The Ibrox club won the trophy for the first time in 13 years after Jack crashed a shot in off the bar from the edge of the box, before Wright finished low past Craig Gordon. The Rangers end of Hampden celebrated joyfully at the full-time whistle, just three days after their Europa League journey ended in heartbreak on penalties against Eintracht Frankfurt in Davo 💙 pic.twitter.com/MykajALVfZ — Rangers Football Club (@RangersFC) May 21, 2022  Hearts manager Robbie Neilson told the media after the match: "Not winning it is a huge disappointment. We have to take that on the chin. We've come up fr

Scotland: A brief history of Celtic v Rangers

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Celtic and Rangers have played each other over 400 times in major competitions: Rangers have won 166 matches, Celtic have gained 159 wins.  Let's have a look at some memorable moments involving the iconic clubs.  The original version of this article was posted here  Memorable matches and moments involving Celtic and Rangers (differentballs.blogspot.com) The first encounter The first game between Celtic and Rangers was a friendly in 1888. It´s thought that around 2,000 people were in attendance. It is believed that this could have been greater but for the International Exhibition taking place the same day through in the West End. 1967 Scottish League Cup final This may seem like an odd place to start but it was the first trophy in Celtic's best-ever season that finished with being the first British side to win the European Cup. Their first trophy of 66/67 came after a 1-0 win over their nearest rivals at Hampden Park.  Rangers 3 - 2 Celtic. 2002 Scottish Cup final An extraor

WSL: Chelsea champions again

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Manchester United 0 - 6 Chelsea Chelsea clinched their sensational fifth consecutive Women's Super League title in style, with a resounding victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in Emma Hayes' final match as manager. The Blues, who started the level on points with Manchester City but ahead on goal difference, knew they might need a substantial win to secure the title on the final day. With so much at stake, Chelsea's players rose to the occasion, displaying a ruthless efficiency that United couldn't match. British record signing Mayra Ramirez delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice and setting up the other two goals, as Hayes' team went into half-time with a 4-0 lead. Johanna Rytting Kaneryd, Sjoeke Nusken, Melanie Leupolz, and Fran Kirby each added a goal to Ramirez's brilliant brace, sealing a commanding victory for Chelsea. It was the perfect send-off for Hayes , who was visibly emotional on this remarkable afternoon in Manchester, m

News: Lionel Messi named men's player of the year

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 Lionel Messi has been named men's player of the year at the 2022 Best Fifa Awards. The World Cup winner beat French forwards Kylian Mbappe and Karim Benzema to the prize. He captained Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar, and scored 27 goals in 49 games for club and country in 2021-22. Liam, a Manchester United fan, told us: "You have to say, he deserves it. The World Cup was the crowning glory of this career." In a long statement, Messi told the media: "It's amazing. It's an honour for me to be here tonight and win this award. Without my team-mates I wouldn't be here. It was an amazing year and I achieved the dream that I've been hoping for so long and finally, I managed to achieve it." Manuel, a PSG fan, was delighted with Messi winning the award: "He deserves this award. However, more for his performances with Argentina then PSG sadly. I don't think we have seen the best of him in Paris." This is a full list of the other wi

Spain: Athletic Bilbao win Copa del Rey

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Athletic Bilbao 1 - 1 Mallorca Athletic Bilbao won 4-2 on penalties Athletic Bilbao has finally ended their run of six successive Copa del Rey final defeats by earning a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Mallorca, after a 40-year wait for silverware.  The team clinched their 24th Copa del Rey title, their first since 1984. Alex Berenguer sealed the win in the shootout, with Athletic coming out on top with a 4-2 victory in Seville. This victory sparked jubilant scenes at the sold-out La Cartuja stadium, bringing a much-needed end to Athletic's recent painful run in the competition. The team had previously ost two finals in as many weeks in 2021. Mallorca, who are currently 15th in La Liga, took the lead in the 21st minute as Dani Rodriguez fired in a goal after Athletic failed to clear from a corner. More news and stories from across Spain Athletic, who are also pushing for a top-four La Liga finish under former Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde, were denied an equalizer

UCL: Liverpool thrashed and facing trophyless season

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Liverpool 2 - 5 Real Madrid Liverpool are facing a season without a trophy after being thrashed by Real Madrid in the first leg of their last 16 tie. Holders Real - who beat Liverpool in last season's final in Paris - became the first side to score five at Anfield in Europe despite going two goals down early on as Liverpool made a dream start to this last-16 tie. UCL: Real Madrid win Champions League (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Darwin Nunez's brilliant flick put Liverpool ahead after only four minutes before Mohamed Salah cashed in on Real goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois' awful clearance to double their lead around 10 minutes later. It then all started to go very wrong Vinicius Junior's superb strike after 21 minutes pulled a goal back before Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson hacked a clearance straight at the Brazilian, holding his head in anguish as the ball looped behind him into the net in front of a shocked Kop End. It was at this point when Will, a Liverpool fan f

Transfer News: Jude Bellingham signs for Real Madrid

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It has been announced that Real Madrid have completed the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund on a six-year deal. The Spanish giants will pay 103m euros for the 19-year-old, in addition to various potential add-ons. If those add-ons are achieved, the deal could reach 133.9m euros.  Bellingham was one of England's top performers at last year's World Cup and was named the Bundesliga's player of the season as Dortmund missed out on a first league title in 11 years on the final day. Bellingham playing for England at the World Cup.  FIFA World Cup 2022 - Group B, Matchday 3 - Wales 0:3 Engl… | Flickr This initial fee means he becomes the second-most expensive English footballer after Jack Grealish when Manchester City paid Aston Villa £100m in 2021. Bellingham told the German club’s official website: “Thank you, everyone, associated with BVB and the fans for everything over the last three years. It was an honour to wear your jersey so many times whether it was

Premier League: A pivotal day in the title race

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 Sunday 11th May was a pivotal day in the 2022/2023 title race Let's explore the two matches that have almost decided the destination of the Premier League trophy. Everton 0 - 3 Manchester City Ilkay Gundogan was the star of the show for Manchester City in this match. The German midfielder was involved in all three of City's goals with a sublime flicked finish before providing the cross for Erling Haaland's close-range header. The midfielder also curled in a glorious free-kick from the edge of the penalty area. In the end, this was a routine away for City. Click here to find more Premier League news:  Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The loss for Everton leaves them looking nervously over their shoulders with two games remaining, hovering just one point above the relegation zone. Ryan, a Manchester City Season Ticket holder, told us: "This was an awesome result. We are well in the driving seat for the Premier League title now." You can watch th

EFL Trophy: Sunderland 1-1 Bradford City

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Bradford claimed a bonus point after beating Sunderland on penalties but the home side still progressed into the next round. Bradford created a couple of half-chances prior to the midway point of the first 45, but Hoffmann was equal to them and he comfortably stopped efforts from Charles Vernam and Fiacre Kelleher.  Sunderland saw plenty of the ball during the opening period at the Stadium of Light, but Theo Robinson’s close-range finish handed Bradford the advantage at the break. A fantastic effort from Nathan Broadhead levelled the match on 52 minutes, as the on-loan Everton striker took the ball down and fired an excellent finish into the bottom corner. Superb last-ditch defending denied Will Harris as Sunderland searched for a winner after Leon Dajaku’s saved effort looped into the air, with an Alex Pritchard free-kick shaking the crossbar in stoppage time.  Penalties were taken despite both sides knowing their fate heading into the shootout, and the visitors ran out winners as G

Icons: Roy Keane

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Roy Keane is another football icon. He is someone that won a number of team and individual honours during a hugely successful playing career. Read about more icons A brief overview He is the joint most successful Irish footballer of all time, having won 19 major trophies in his club career, 17 of which came during his time at Manchester United. Many regard him as one of the best midfielders of his generation. In 2004. he was named by Pelé in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.  In his 18-year playing career, Keane played for Cobh Ramblers, Nottingham Forest, and Manchester United before ending his career at Celtic. He was a dominating box-to-box midfielder noted for his aggressive and highly competitive style of play. This was an attitude that helped him excel as captain of Manchester United from 1997 until his departure in 2005. Keane helped United achieve sustained success during his 12 years at the club. He then signed for Celtic, where he won a domesti

PL News: Ange Postecoglou close to becoming Spurs boss

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Reports from across England and Scotland have suggested Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou has agreed to become the new Tottenham manager on a two-year contract. The Australian has just finished his second season at Celtic. He has them to the Scottish title both years and the domestic treble this campaign. Could he continue going forward with the Parkhead side.  Spurs have been searching for a new main man since Antonio Conte's exit in March. Cristian Stellini and then Ryan Mason both took on the job on an interim basis but struggled to have any success. Cristian Stellini's was arguably a huge disaster.  Premier League news: Tottenham sack interim manager (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Very few Tottenham fans will ever really forget that horrible afternoon at Newcastle a few weeks ago.  More Premier League news:  Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com)   Picture of Postecoglou during his first season at Celtic The final elements of the deal are being finalised bef