European Super Football

Croatia 1 - 1 Wales Debutant Nathan Broadhead secured a potentially crucial point for Wales with a late equaliser in their opening Euro 2024 qualifier against Croatia. #WalesAway Croatia v Wales This one I won't forget pic.twitter.com/dJwP4m5462 — Si Guy 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 (@SimonFrancesGuy) March 26, 2023 The Ipswich forward scored from close range after a long throw-in caused chaos in the home side's penalty area.  Andrej Kramaric's sweetly struck shot on 28 minutes had previously given Croatia a deserved half-time lead. However, Wales improved after the break and did cause Croatia some problems. They would ultimately upset the odds in the third minute of added time. Croatia had previously won 34 and drawn one home European qualifier so this was a huge upset. Euro 2024 Qualifying (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) A full review of the match It took Croatia less than three minutes to emphasise both their threat and quality as they pressed Wales into turning over possession...

Croatia 2 - 0 France France captain Kylian Mbappe's return to the national team ended in a surprising defeat against Croatia in the first leg of their Nations League quarter-final. Author - Jack L Stadium - Stadion Poljud Ante Budimir's header bounced off the France goalkeeper and spun into the net, giving Croatia a 26th-minute lead. Former Tottenham winger Ivan Perišić then scored a well-placed shot into the bottom corner to extend their advantage just before halftime. Croatia could have been ahead earlier, but Andrej Kramaric's eighth-minute penalty was saved by Maignan with his feet, while Josko Gvardiol's powerful shot from long range was also kept out by the AC Milan keeper. France now face a tough task to turn the tie around in Sunday's second leg at the Stade de France. They have failed to win any of their last three matches in the Nations League when conceding first, with their last victory in such circumstances occurring against Spain in October 2021. M...

Scotland 1 - 0 Croatia Scotland finally broke their long winless streak in the Nations League with a hard-fought victory over 10-man Croatia, thanks to a late goal from substitute John McGinn. Author - Sean M McGinn capitalised on a loose ball after Dominik Kotarski parried Ben Doak's shot, slotting home his 19th international goal and sending Hampden Park into rapturous celebration. The win keeps Scotland's hopes alive of staying in Nations League A, with a potential relegation play-off secured if they manage another victory against Poland on Monday. A win in Warsaw could even open the door to the Nations League quarter-finals and a top-seed spot for the World Cup qualifying draw – provided Croatia lose at home to Portugal and there's a three-goal swing in Scotland's favour. However, those calculations can wait. The immediate focus was ending a dismal run of 10 competitive matches without a win, a form slump that had seen them victorious just once in their last 16 ...

Spain 3 - 0 Croatia  Spain kicked off their campaign for a fourth European Championship in spectacular fashion, securing a convincing win against Croatia in Berlin. Alvaro Morata, Fabian Ruiz, and Dani Carvajal each found the net in the first half, effectively deciding the match before the interval. Despite Croatia's lacklustre performance, this victory stands as a significant statement for the European champions of 2008 and 2012. Inspired by Barcelona's prodigy Lamine Yamal, who made history as the youngest player ever to feature in a European Championship at just 16 years and 338 days, Spain dominated the first half, scoring all three of their goals. Euro 2024 news and stories (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) The first two goals came within three minutes. Captain Alvaro Morata coolly finished a one-on-one chance from Fabian Ruiz's precise through-ball, and soon after, Ruiz himself twisted and turned in the Croatia box before firing home the second. Despite being led ...

 Croatia 1 - 1 Italy Mattia Zaccagni scored in the final minute of stoppage time, ensuring that Italy progresses to the last 16 of Euro 2024 with a late equaliser against Croatia. Amazing pre match atmosphere before Italy and Croatia went to battle Luka Modric thought he had secured a victory for Croatia as he scored early in the second half. This came after he had a penalty saved, but Croatia's swift response to that setback appeared to be enough for them. However, Italy levelled in stoppage time when Zaccagni scored in the 98th minute, securing their spot in the last 16 alongside group winners Spain. The result was heartbreaking for Croatia, who had been minutes away from progressing. It is now unlikely that their two points will be enough to secure a place as one of the best third-placed teams. As a result of all this drama, Italy will face Switzerland in the last 16 on Saturday, 29th June. Croatia’s players collapsed to the ground at the final whistle, while their fans sto...

Croatia 2 - 1 Scotland Scotland's wait for a victory in their Nations League campaigns continues, as Croatia came from behind in Zagreb to extend Steve Clarke’s team’s 13-month drought in competitive matches. Author - Liam C Despite missing key players and having just one win in their last 14 games, Scotland put up a strong fight in a tense encounter. They thought they had secured a dramatic equaliser in the 95th minute when Kristijan Jakic scored an own goal, but it was ruled out for offside against Che Adams after a VAR review. The match had begun promisingly for Scotland, with Ryan Christie slotting in the opening goal after a cross from Ben Doak was inadvertently teed up by Luka Sucic. However, the lead was short-lived, as Igor Matanovic guided Ivan Perisic's cutback into the bottom corner just four minutes later, levelling the score before half-time. Croatia took control in the second half, and Scotland's defence finally gave way in the 70th minute. Craig Gordo...

 Wales 1 - 1 Turkey Following a fiery draw at home to Turkey, Wales will have to reach Euro 2024 via the play-offs in March. Wales had to secure a victory against Group D leaders Turkey  and cross their fingers for Croatia to stumble against Armenia. Throughout Tuesday night, it appeared that Robert Page's team might hold up their end of the bargain when Neco Williams scored in the seventh minute, putting them in the lead. However, Croatia's triumph over Armenia meant that even a Welsh victory wouldn't be sufficient. To add to their woes, Turkey levelled the score in the second half through a contentious penalty converted by Yusuf Yazici. Referee Matej Jug's decision to award the penalty seemed unfair to Wales captain Ben Davies, as his contact with Kenan Yildiz was minimal. The frustration among the hosts increased as the referee dismissed three Welsh penalty appeals in the first half. The initial anger among the Welsh team was replaced by a disheartening se...

It has been a remarkable and controversial tournament already. Let's explore some of the recent headlines. Germany shocked by Japan in 2-1 defeat A stunning comeback saw Japan shock four-time winners Germany in their opening World Cup game in Qatar.  The Germans dominated a frenetic match for large spells but failed to capitalise on their pressure - before Japan caused the Khalifa International Stadium to erupt into a mix of celebration and surprise. Substitute Takuma Asano squeezed in a strike from a tight angle to make it 2-1 to Japan and ran over to the photographers in the corner of the stadium in sheer delight. There was a collective pause in the arena as the ball rolled down from the roof of the net before supporters realised it had gone in. Japan held out in what will be remembered as a famous win. You can watch the highlights in the video below. Video from  ITV Sport - YouTube Are the Germany side in danger of an early exit from another tournament? How do they improve ...

Spain 1 - 0 Italy Spain secured their spot in the last 16 of Euro 2024 with a scintillating performance against defending champions Italy in Gelsenkirchen. They created countless chances and were utterly dominant, but won by a narrow scoreline thanks to an own goal by Riccardo Calafiori in the second half. After being kept at bay by goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for almost an hour, Alvaro Morata's flick-on was poked in by the knee of the unfortunate Calafiori. There was no response from Italy, who were comfortably second best, despite playing their part in a captivating match. Two European giants meeting in the group stage of the tournament meant there were high hopes and it lived up to its billing with an electric opening half. Spain delivered most of the eye-catching play, moving the ball around beautifully with intensity and creativity, while Italy succeeded in keeping them out - but only just. At the Arena AufSchalke (Veltins-Arena) this evening, watching the Spain v ...

Switzerland 2 - 0 Italy Switzerland delivered an impressive performance, defeating Italy 2-0 in Berlin and knocking the defending champions out of Euro 2024. Luciano Spalletti had made six changes to the Italian starting line-up in search of a winning formula, but it was clear from the start that Switzerland were the superior team. Breel Embolo nearly broke the deadlock before Remo Freuler opened the scoring. Switzerland dominated possession, having over 60% of the ball and creating eight of the first nine shots on goal. Their persistence eventually paid off when Ruben Vargas set up Freuler, who became the sixth different scorer for Switzerland in the tournament. Just 27 seconds into the second half, it got even better. Vargas found the back of the net with a stunning strike. Italy lost possession from the kick-off, and Vargas curled his shot past PSG's Gianluigi Donnarumma into the top corner. Italy struggled to respond, their best chance coming when Fabian Schar headed agains...

Can Italy retain their European Championship crown? Italy are not among the favourites in Germany.  The holders qualified after finishing second in Group C behind England, the key game being a goalless draw with Ukraine in Germany. At Euro 2024, Italy will play Albania, Spain and Croatia in one of the toughest groups of the tournament.  Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini, the defensive duo that led Italy to glory in 2021 , will watch from home. Nicolò Barella and Gianluigi Donnarumma need to step up and become the key players for the team. They will have to cope without Destiny Udogie, Nicolò Zaniolo, Francesco Acerbi, and Giorgio Scalvini, who are all out injured. Iconic Euros moments: Throwback to England v Italy (2021) How did they reach Germany? They qualified for Euro 2024 after a goalless draw against Ukraine in Germany. This was a welcome relief for everyone within Italian football after they failed to reach the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The qualifying campaign for t...

Netherlands v Spain Preview Spain, the reigning UEFA Nations League champions, head to Rotterdam for the first leg of their quarter-final clash against the Netherlands. Author - Ajay Feyenoord's stadium will host the match The winners of this two-legged tie will progress to the semi-finals in June, where they will face either Croatia or France. After being knocked out by England in the Euro 2024 semi-finals last summer, the Netherlands secured second place in League A Group 3 of the Nations League, picking up nine points from six matches (W2 D3 L1) in the latter half of last year. Since the competition's inception in 2018, the Dutch have twice come close to lifting the trophy—finishing as runners-up to Portugal in 2019 before losing the third-place playoff to Italy in 2023. READ MORE: What's the point of the UEFA Nations League Manager Ronald Koeman will be looking to shore up a defence that struggled during the group stage, conceding seven goals—the most of any team at...

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, ...

Portugal 2 - 1 Scotland Cristiano Ronaldo’s late winner shattered Scottish hopes in Portugal, continuing Steve Clarke’s team's miserable run of form. Video and pictures from the European Super Football YouTube Scotland stunned everyone by taking a surprise lead in the seventh minute with a header from Scott McTominay, and they defended resolutely against Portugal’s 16 shots before half-time. However, another mistake cost them the lead. Angus Gunn failed to stop a long-range effort from Bruno Fernandes after the break, letting the ball slip into the net. Ronaldo, who came on at half-time, struck the post twice before finally breaking through, tapping in a brilliant cross from Nuno Mendes for his 901st career goal. The defeat, coming on the back of a loss to Poland on Thursday, means Scotland have now gone eight competitive games without a win —the worst run in their history—and have won just one of their last 14 matches. Despite this, Clarke might find some hope in how his ...

The UEFA Nations League is still a fairly new idea. It is a biennial international football competition contested by the member associations of UEFA. The last edition of the competition was won by France. You can read about it here. UEFA Nations League: Spain 1 - 2 France (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Ahead of a busy year of international football, nations are now preparing for the next edition of the competition. Here are the UEFA Nations League groups in full. We have highlighted some of the more interesting groups. Group A1: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, France. Group A2: Czech Republic, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain. Group A3: Hungary, England, Germany, Italy. England have faced all of these sides in recent times. They beat Germany in a memorable Euro 2020 last-16 match before eventually losing to Italy in the final of the same competition. More recently, they beat Hungary in a World Cup qualifier. England manager Gareth Southgate believes that the tough Nations League group is ...

Wales 4 - 1 Croatia Wales pulled off an extraordinary return to the Nations League's top tier with a commanding comeback victory over Iceland in Cardiff, aided by Montenegro’s crucial win against Turkey.  The result sealed promotion for Craig Bellamy’s side, sparking celebrations at the Cardiff City Stadium. Author - Stephen Chad Turkey had started the evening atop Group B4, two points clear of second-placed Wales, with Iceland a further two points back in third. For Wales to achieve promotion, they needed to win and hope Montenegro could do them a favour. The night began ominously for the hosts when Andri Gudjohnsen struck for Iceland in the seventh minute. Danny Ward had made a stunning save to deny Orri Oskarsson’s header, but Gudjohnsen, son of former Chelsea striker Eidur, pounced on the rebound to fire through Ward’s legs.  That goal ended Wales’ 321-minute home clean sheet streak , stretching back to March’s 4-1 defeat to Finland in their Euro 2024 play-off semi-fin...

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 ...

AC Milan 1 - 0 Girona Rafael Leão's first-half strike secured AC Milan a vital win over Girona, moving the Italian side closer to automatic qualification for the Champions League last 16. Stadium - San Siro Author - Jack L The Portuguese forward expertly controlled Ismaël Bennacer's precise through ball, weaved his way into the box, and unleashed a thunderous shot into the top corner – the only goal of the match. Girona thought they had equalised just before the hour mark when Bryan Gil fired in a stunning effort from the edge of the area, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Leão had a chance to double his tally in the 65th minute, but his curling effort drifted wide of Paulo Gazzaniga’s post. Milan now sit sixth in the table with 15 points, occupying one of the eight automatic qualification spots for the knockout stage. They face Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia next week. Meanwhile, Girona remain on three points and are out of contention for the play-off stage. A closer look ...

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....