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EFL: We all love the drama of the playoffs.

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They were first introduced to the EFL in 1987 and have been staged after every season since. Some hate them and others love them.  Let's explore some of their greatest matches. They were first introduced to the EFL in 1987 and have been staged after every season since. Some hate them and others love them. Let's explore some of their greatest matches. This is the place for all the latest EFL news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Sheffield Wednesday 5 - 1 Peterborough United  (The match finished 5-5 on aggregate, Sheffield Wednesday won 5-3 on penalties.) Sheffield Wednesday pulled one of the greatest playoff comebacks in English Football League history to beat Peterborough United on penalties. After losing the first game 4-0, very few people believed they would progress to Wembley. That's exactly what happened. They reached the final and eventually gained promoted to the Championship. This match was the highlight on that journey. Just after the match, James, a S...

EFL: Greatest ever play-off matches

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 We all love the drama of the playoffs.  They are a series of matches contested by the four football teams that finish below the automatic promotion places in the second, third and fourth tiers of English football. They were first introduced to the EFL in 1987 and have been staged after every season since. Some hate them and others love them. Let's explore some of their greatest matches. <Click here to find more news and stories from the English Football League> Reading 2-4 Swansea: 2011 Championship play-off final. Swansea stormed into a 3-0 lead come the end of the first half. However, a two-goal comeback from Reading after half-time tested the nerve of the Welsh side. A young Scott Sinclair then bagged a hat-trick to ensure Swansea became the first Welsh side to play in the Premier League. This would mark the start of a memorable period for the club. In 2013, they won the EFL Cup.  Nottingham Forest 2-5 Yeovil: 2007 League One play-off semi-final.  One t...

Football icons: Raúl

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Raúl González Blanco, known to most within football as Raúl, is considered one of the most important players in the history of Real Madrid. He is regarded as one of the greatest Spanish players of all time and also one of the best forwards ever. Key events in his career He started his career in the academy of the Atlético Madrid before later moving to Real Madrid's youth academy and played at its various levels. He signed professional terms in 1994. He spent 16 years of his career playing for Real Madrid and is the club's second all-time top goalscorer with 323 goals and has the most appearances in the history of the club, with 741. With Los Blancos, Raúl won six La Liga titles, three UEFA Champions League titles, scoring in two finals, four Supercopa de España titles, one UEFA Super Cup and two Intercontinental Cups.  Throughout his time in Madrid, he would have played with some of their greatest ever players. This includes the likes of Zidane, Roberto Carlos, David Beck...

UECL: Roma win Europa Conference League

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 Roma 1 - 0 Feyenoord José Mourinho became the first coach to win all three current men's UEFA club competitions. Let's explore how that happened. You can watch the highlights by watching the video at the bottom of the page. This is the match report from UEFA's official website. Spurred on by their supporters, Feyenoord swiftly looked to reply, forcing Rui Patrício to deal with a succession of threats – Orkun Kökçü's rifled effort the most dangerous of the bunch. In a rapid start to the second half, Mancini diverted onto his own post, before Rui Patrício sprawled to tip Tyrell Malacia's long-range effort onto the woodwork. Danger averted, Mourinho's men could take a breath. Feyenoorders, bedankt voor jullie support dit seizoen in de #UECL . Van Pristina tot Tirana, mede dankzij jullie was het een onvergetelijke reis. ❤️🤍🖤💚 #MakingMemories pic.twitter.com/pWx8boBZyw — Feyenoord Rotterdam (@Feyenoord) May 26, 2022 As the stadium rocked, momentum conti...

Euro 2024: Italy survive Albania scare

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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....

Can Wrexham make history again?

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For the first time in 43 years, Wrexham will play in the Championship They are preparing for life in the second tier of English football for the first time since 1982.  Author | James Lees Wrexham fans just before promotion was confirmed This is is a moment few could have imagined three years ago, when the club were still in the National League and promotion seemed like a distant dream. Since the arrival of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney , expectations at the Racecourse Ground have been completely transformed. The club's rise has been remarkable. After winning the National League with a record 111 points in 2022–23,  Wrexham went on to finish second in both League Two and League One in successive seasons. No club in the history of English football has ever achieved three consecutive promotions . It is a rare achievement that may not be repeated for some time. The Championship , however, presents a much tougher challenge. The step up in quality and financial strength is s...

Windass stunner helps Sheffield Wednesday

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Sheffield Wednesday 4 - 2 Derby County Josh Windass scored an extraordinary goal from deep inside his own half as Sheffield Wednesday cruised to a convincing victory over Derby County in the Championship. Author - Chris C Windass picked up the ball in his own defensive third and unleashed a stunning strike from over 60 yards, sailing it perfectly over Derby’s goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterström. Barry Bannan, Djeidi Gassama, and Anthony Musaba also got on the scoresheet for the Owls, while Jerry Yates and Ebou Adams managed consolation goals for the Rams. A closer look at what happened as Wednesday move up the table The breakthrough came after lively wing-back Gassama exposed the lack of pace in Derby defender Sonny Bradley, delivering a low cross that left Bannan with a simple finish. Derby initially struggled but began to find their rhythm. Efforts from Kane Wilson and Nat Phillips forced good saves from Wednesday keeper Jack Beadle, while Yates hit the post just before half-time...

Euro 2024: Spain reach final after classic match

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Spain 2 - 1 France Lamine Yamal's breathtaking goal helped Spain secure a 2-1 victory over France in the Euro 2024 semi-final.  Dani Olmo netted Spain's second goal after Randal Kolo Muani initially put France in the lead. A closer look at what happened Yamal became the youngest player to score at a European Championship or World Cup, surpassing the record previously held by Brazilian legend Pelé. His remarkable goal came when he shifted the ball onto his left foot and curled a stunning shot in off the post from 25 yards out during an electrifying first half. Earlier in the match, France took the lead with Randal Kolo Muani heading in a superb cross from Kylian Mbappé , who played without a mask after recovering from a broken nose sustained earlier in the tournament. Yamal's brilliant strike shifted the momentum in Spain's favour, and the comeback was complete soon after when Dani Olmo fired a low shot into the net off defender Jules Koundé, following excellent cont...

Is it coming home? A preview of UEFA Women's Euro 2022

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There will be some international football this summer Let's look ahead to UEFA Women's Euro 2022 The 2022 UEFA European Women's Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Women's Euro 2022, will be the 13th edition of the UEFA Women's Championship, the quadrennial international football championship organised by UEFA for the women's national teams of Europe. It will be the second edition since the number of teams increased to 16.  𝗛𝗔𝗟𝗙 𝗔 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗧𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗘𝗧𝗦 𝗦𝗢𝗟𝗗 🎟️ 🎉 Record-breaking sales 🎉 More than double #WEURO2017 🎉 Purchasers across 99 countries Don't miss out - get yours now! 👇 #WEURO2022 — UEFA Women's EURO 2022 (@WEURO2022) July 1, 2022 The final tournament will be hosted by England and was originally scheduled to take place from 7 July to 1 August 2021. England last hosted the tournament in 2005. The  Netherlands will be the defending champions, and Northern Ireland will participate in a UEFA Women's Eu...

A history of football video games

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The upcoming EA Sports FC 26 is the latest edition of the popular video game series 'FC' is the direct successor to the now-discontinued FIFA series Author | Josh D Let's explore the history of video games representation of the beautiful game. What was the first football video game? Despite the sport not being as popular in the United States, the first dedicated interpretation of football in video game form was based on the NASL (North American Soccer League) Soccer.  Before Video Games were around, people recreated their favourite football moments with Subbuteo. This type of game has remained its popularity. Ever since the 1940s, millions of fans have adored it and replicated some of their favourite moments from the real world. FIFA, FC and the Ultimate Team revolution The first version of FIFA was called FIFA International Soccer and was released in 1993. The game only featured International teams, and the real player names were not used. FIFA 95 was the first to feat...

Chelsea boost top four hopes

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Chelsea 4 - 0 Southampton  Chelsea boosted their top four hopes and ended their three-match losing run with an emphatic win over Southampton at Stamford Bridge. Author - Lauren W Christopher Nkunku put Chelsea ahead in the 24th minute, nodding home after Tosin Adarabioyo flicked on a corner. Twelve minutes later, Nkunku turned provider, slipping in Pedro Neto, who slotted past Aaron Ramsdale with a composed low finish. They extended their lead just before half-time, with Levi Colwill outjumping the defence to guide in Neto’s wide free-kick. The victory was sealed in the 78th minute when substitute Tyrique George teed up Marc Cucurella, who capped off a swift counter-attack with a precise drilled finish. Click here for more Premier League news and stories Chelsea were desperate for this win After a strong start to the season—winning 18 of their first 26 games in all competitions—the Blues had managed just three wins in their previous 12 matches before facing Southampton. However...

There's been a huge shock at Ibrox in the Scottish Cup

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Rangers 0 - 1 Queen's Park Championship side Queen’s Park pulled off one of the biggest upsets in Scottish Cup history by knocking Rangers out of the competition in their last-16 clash at Ibrox. Author - Mark Lee Stadium - Ibrox The shock result is set to have major repercussions for Rangers boss Philippe Clement, as it marks the first time since the 1966-67 season that the club has been eliminated from the Scottish Cup by lower-league opposition. The hero of the day was Queen’s Park goalkeeper Calum Ferrie, who produced a dramatic stoppage-time penalty save to deny James Tavernier and seal a historic victory. It had been 142 years since Queen’s Park last beat Rangers in the Scottish Cup, with their previous success coming in 1882 during the second round of the "Glasgow and Suburbs" section. Now, Scotland’s oldest league club have booked their place in the quarter-finals for the first time since 1983. Their match-winner in 2025 was Seb Drozd, who capitalised on Ranger...

EFL: QPR thrash Leeds United

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 QPR 4 - 0 Leeds United Leicester City have been promoted to the Premier League QPR dealt a heavy blow to Leeds' hopes of promotion with an impressive 4-0 victory.  Ilias Chair, Lucas Anderson, Lyndon Dykes, and Sam Field all scored for QPR, securing their place in the Championship for next season. A pivotal night for both sides Leeds may have to settle for a play-off place. However, it was a joyous night for Marti Cifuentes' Hoops who are now seven points clear of the relegation zone and have moved up to 16th place. EFL: Who's getting promoted to the Premier League?  The home side was down in 23rd position in the table, and they had lost six consecutive games when their current boss took over as coach from Gareth Ainsworth at the end of October. After a difficult period before and after Christmas, the R's have won nine matches and only lost four since mid-January, allowing them to escape from danger. Don’t Worry About a Thing - last night at QPR, last & best ho...

Sheffield United: 23/24 Season Review

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 It's time to explore the season of each Premier League club. We will start  off  at the bottom with Sheffield United. The 2023–24 season marked the 135th year in Sheffield United’s history and their return to the Premier League after being promoted from the Championship last season. Alongside their league campaign, the club also competed in the FA Cup and the EFL Cup. On 24 April, they suffered a 4–2 defeat to Manchester United, setting a new record for the most goals conceded in a 38-game Premier League season, surpassing the previous record held by Derby County in the 2007–08 season. Just three days later, a 5–1 loss away to Newcastle United confirmed their relegation back to the Championship. This result left the Blades with 16 points, trailing 17th-placed Nottingham Forest by 10 points, with only three matches left to play. On 4 May, The Blades matched Swindon Town's record for the most goals conceded in a Premier League season (100 goals) following a 3–1 home ...

League One Exeter make history

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Exeter City 3 - 1 Oxford United League One side Exeter City made history by reaching the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 44 years, defeating a heavily rotated Oxford United from the Championship. Author - Thomas J Oxford struck first, with Dane Scarlett threading a sharp pass into the six-yard box for Matt Phillips, who finished neatly with his left foot. However, the U's couldn’t hold onto their advantage as Demetri Mitchell turned the game around with two goals before half-time, putting Exeter in control. Vincent Harper added a third for the Grecians with a precise low strike, before Oxford’s afternoon worsened when substitute Tyler Goodrham was shown a red card for elbowing Jake Richards in the face. Oxford had started brightly, with Louie Sibley—one of eight changes from their last match against Preston—forcing a save from Exeter keeper Joe Whitworth in the opening minute. The visitors then capitalised on an Exeter corner to break away on the counter....

Aston Villa keep fans dreaming of FA Cup success

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Preston North End 0 - 3 Aston Villa Marcus Rashford broke his four-month scoring drought to send Aston Villa into the FA Cup semi-finals with victory over Preston at Deepdale. Author - Paul Woods Stadium - Deepdale After a few missed chances against the competition's last remaining Championship team, Rashford finally scored by tapping in Lucas Digne's cutback in the 58th minute. Five minutes later Rashford kept his nerve to send David Cornell the wrong way with his penalty after Morgan Rogers had been fouled by Andrew Hughes. These were Rashford's first goals since his double against Everton on December 1st   and they kept Villa's hopes alive of winning the FA Cup for the first time since 1957.  Preston battled hard but a clear gulf in class was only underlined by the absence through injury of first-choice goalkeeper Freddie Woodman and on-loan defender Kaine Kasler-Hayden, who was unable to play against his parent club. Once in front, Villa tightened their grip and...

Burnley: 2023/2024 Season Review

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 We are going to explore Burnley's 2023/2024 season. This was the 142nd season in the history of Burnley Football Club and their first season back in the Premier League since the 2021–22 campaign, following promotion from the EFL Championship in the previous season.  They also participated in the FA Cup and EFL Cup. After losing 2–1 at home to West Ham United on 25 November 2023, Burnley became the second team in English league history (after Newport County in 1970–71) to lose their first seven home matches of the season. The streak was then ended the following game when they beat Sheffield United 5–0. On 11 May 2024, they were officially relegated from the Premier League following a 2–1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur. They finished the season in 19th position.  Their form in the cup competitions wasn't much better. They only made it to the 4th round of the EFL Cup and couldn't make it past their first hurdle in the FA Cup.  A look at some of the key moments from thei...

FA Cup: Brighton narrowly beat Stoke

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 Stoke City 0 - 1 Brighton & Hove Albion Brighton's hopes of securing a first major trophy remain alive as Evan Ferguson's fifth goal of the season proved enough to secure a place in the next round of the FA Cup.  Evan's fifth goal of the season, put on a plate by Kaoru! 🍽️⚽️ @BrightonTools 📺 pic.twitter.com/Pbg6v8U7ld — Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) March 1, 2023 Ferguson's effort saw off a battling Stoke outfit. The home side came closest to equalising when on-loan Manchester United defender Axel Tuanzebe sent a far-post header across goal and only narrowly wide. Roberto de Zerbi's men failed to reach the heights that allowed them to beat Liverpool in the previous round. However, Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk turned in another impressive defensive display on his 400th appearance for the club. The away side always had a measure of control against their Championship opponents. Is history about to be made? This will only be Brighton's thir...