European Super Football

Striker Robert Lewandowski has said his story is over at Bayern Munich  The Polish striker now seeks a move from the German champions this summer. Lewandowski has a year left on his contract. Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic said that the 33-year-old had expressed a desire to leave. Lewandowski joined the club in 2014 from Borussia Dortmund and has won eight Bundesliga titles and the Champions League in 2020. He scored 50 goals in 46 games for Bayern this season, and has scored 344 goals in 375 games during his eight-year stay, a total second only to Gerd Muller at the club. The best reaction Fabrizio Romano posted the thoughts of Lewandowski Lewandowski: “My era at Bayern is over. I don't see any possibility to continue playing for this club anymore”  “Bayern’s a serious club and I believe they won’t keep me, I don't want to play there anymore. A transfer is the best solution. I hope they don't stop me”. Lewandowski: “My era at Bayern is over. I don't se...

Bayern Munich 7 - 1 FC Red Bull Salzburg Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick inside the opening 23 minutes as Bayern Munich thrashed Red Bull Salzburg to qualify for the next round of the Champions League. The Poland captain confidently stroked home two penalties inside 21 minutes. He was twice recklessly brought down by Salzburg defender Maximilian Wober, the second confirmed after a VAR review. The first spot-kick was Lewandowski's 40th goal of the season in all competitions. He added his third after chasing down an attempted clearance from visiting goalkeeper Philipp Kohn. It is the first time a Champions League hat-trick has been completed as early as the 23rd minute. However, it is not the quickest treble in the competition. This is a record held by Bafetimbi Gomis following his three goals in eight minutes for Lyon in a 7-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb.  More Champions League news Salzburg had early opportunities with Nicolas Capaldo and Nicolas Seiwald both guilty of failing...

Poland 1 - 2 Netherlands Substitute Wout Weghorst clinched a late winner just two minutes after coming on, as the Netherlands kicked off their Euro 2024 campaign with a victory over Poland in Hamburg. Despite missing their all-time top scorer Robert Lewandowski due to a thigh injury, Poland stunned the Dutch early on when Adam Buksa scored with a header. The Netherlands dominated play but missed several chances before Liverpool's Cody Gakpo equalised with a deflected shot past Wojciech Szczesny. The Dutch continued to create opportunities, with Gakpo missing a clear chance before the break, sending Nathan Ake’s pullback over the bar from close range. After the interval, Ronald Koeman’s side maintained their dominance. Szczesny made a crucial save from Denzel Dumfries, and youngster Xavi Simons drove an effort wide after being set up by Gakpo. Just as it seemed they would have to settle for a draw, Weghorst, introduced in the 81st minute, secured the win with a close-range fin...

Benfica 4 - 5 Barcelona Barcelona overcame two separate two-goal deficits to secure a breathtaking victory over Benfica. Author - Peter Grainger The match at Estádio da Luz started disastrously for the visitors as Greek forward Vangelis Pavlidis netted a stunning 30-minute hat-trick. The first came from a well-placed cross by full-back Álvaro Carreras, while two further goals were gifted by errors from Barcelona's Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny. Robert Lewandowski, however, kept Barca in contention with a first-half penalty after Alejandro Balde was fouled. Barcelona fought back after the break, with Raphinha and Lewandowski scoring either side of an unfortunate Ronald Araújo own goal to leave the score at 4-3. But the drama was far from over. Eric García equalised with a late header, and just when it seemed the game would end in a draw, Raphinha capitalised on a rapid counter-attack in the 96th minute. The Brazilian slotted past Anatoliy Trubin, leaving the home fans stun...

Barcelona 5 - 0 Young Boys Robert Lewandowski netted twice as Barcelona cruised to victory over Young Boys in the Champions League. Stadium - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Lewandowski opened the scoring just eight minutes in, slotting home Raphinha’s cross at the far post. Barca soon doubled their advantage, with Raphinha tucking away the rebound after Pedri’s initial shot was blocked. The La Liga leaders were in full control, and just three minutes later, Iñigo Martínez added a third, heading in from close range following a pinpoint free-kick from Pedri. Barcelona extended their lead early in the second half, with Martínez nodding the ball back across goal for Lewandowski to tap in his second of the night. Champions League: 2024/2025 (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Young Boys’ best opportunity came when Joel Monteiro's effort struck the crossbar, but their night went from bad to worse in the 81st minute when Mohamed Ali Camara inadvertently turned Alejandro Balde's cross ...

France 1 - 1 Poland A masked Kylian Mbappe scored his first Euro 2024 goal, but France were held to a draw by an already-eliminated Poland, resulting in a second-place finish in Group D. Stadium - Signal Iduna Park France needed a win to secure the top spot, but Robert Lewandowski's penalty in the 79th minute cancelled out Mbappe’s earlier goal, scored from a penalty 11 minutes into the second half. Ralf Rangnick's Austria put on a brilliant performance to beat the Netherlands 3-2, topping the group, while the Dutch finished third. France, now in the same half of the draw as Portugal, Spain, and Germany , will face the runner-up in Group E. Mbappe, returning to the starting line-up with a protective mask after breaking his nose, finally scored his first European Championship goal to put France ahead. Ousmane Dembele was fouled in the area by Poland and Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior, allowing Mbappe to score from the spot. However, France seemed to relax after the goal, and ...

Robert Lewandowski scored his 43rd Bayern Munich goal of 2021 to break Gerd Muller's record for the most league goals in a calendar year. The Poland striker volleyed home three minutes from the end of the match as Bayern thrashed Wolfsburg 4-0 at Allianz Arena. The win moves Bayern nine points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga.  Midfielder Thomas Muller opened the scoring on seven minutes before setting up Dayot Upamecano with a header in the second half to double Bayern's lead. Leroy Sane added to the scoreline two minutes later with a curled shot into the top corner to put the game beyond 12th-placed Wolfsburg. On 87 minutes Lewandowski wrote his name in the history books yet again by firing in from close range past goalkeeper Koen Casteels. Post-match reaction  Thomas Müller said: "The most important thing for me was that we won the game, so that we go into the Christmas holiday with a good feeling. Now the focus is on family and friends."...

 Let's have a look at the latest news and stories from across the countries competing at Euro 2024. Lewandowski to miss Poland's first game. Poland's striker Robert Lewandowski will be absent from his team's opening Euro 2024 match against the Netherlands this Sunday due to a thigh injury. The 35-year-old picked up the injury during a 2-1 victory over Turkey on Monday in their final warm-up game before the tournament. Lewandowski had to leave the pitch after just 33 minutes. Poland will face Austria in their second game on 21 June, followed by their final Group D match against France on 25 June. Lewandowski scoring for Poland at Euro 2016 France manager wants to create more history Should Didier Deschamps lead France to glory in Germany, he will become only the second person to win a European Championship as both a player and a manager, after German Berti Vogts, and the first to have achieved the double double.  When he retired from playing in 2001, transitioning int...

Barcelona 2-4 Girona Barcelona finished the weekend in fourth place in the La Liga table and are now seven points off the top thanks to a painful 4-2 loss. Throughout this match, Girona dominated and made a statement about their title credentials as they convincingly won this Catalan derby.  Highlights Check out the highlights from the match in the video below.  FC BARCELONA 2 vs 4 GIRONA | LALIGA 2023/24 MD16 (youtube.com) The opening 45 minutes were just as wild and entertaining as any neutral could hope for, with both teams playing really well with the ball and taking big risks in possession that left them extremely vulnerable at the back. The home side started as the better side and could have taken the lead within the first 10 minutes. However, one bad pass in midfield allowed Girona to counter-attack and Viktor Tsigankov gave Artem Dovbyk an easy tap-in to put the visitors in front.  The 2023 La Liga winners answered quickly after a great corner taken by Raphin...

 Let's explore Barcelona's 2023/2024 campaign In addition to La Liga, Barca also took part in the Copa del Rey, Supercopa de España, and UEFA Champions League. Throughout the season, Barcelona played their home matches at the Estadi Olímpic due to the redevelopment of the Nou Camp. This season was notable as the first without captain Sergio Busquets, who departed the club after 18 years (including 15 years in the first team since the 2007–08 season) as a free agent in the summer. It was also the first full season without Gerard Piqué, who retired before the winter World Cup, and the first since 2011–12 without left-back Jordi Alba, who mutually agreed to terminate his contract a year early. Elsewhere, Barcelona finished as runners-up in the Supercopa de España and were knocked out of the Copa del Rey in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Athletic Bilbao, losing in extra time. In the league, they were unable to defend last season's title, ending the season in second ...

Poland 1 - 3 Austria Two late goals secured a hard-fought win for Austria, boosting their chances of reaching the last 16 at Euro 2024, while Poland became the first team to be knocked out. Following Austria’s victory and France's draw with the Netherlands later on Friday, Poland is guaranteed to finish bottom of Group D, even if they win their final game. Both Austria and Poland had lost their opening matches, so they came to Berlin knowing another defeat could end their tournament. The high stakes gave the match a knockout feel, with both sets of fans creating a lively atmosphere at the Olympiastadion, matched by the frantic pace on the pitch. Austria struck first when Gernot Trauner rose at the near post to head in Phillipp Mwene’s cross. Poland struggled to get out of their own half initially but soon improved and pushed for an equaliser. It came after 30 minutes when a cross from the right wasn’t properly cleared, and although Jan Bednarek’s shot was blocked, Krzysztof P...

Barcelona 4 - 1 Girona Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Barcelona re-established a three-point lead at the top of La Liga with a comfortable victory over Girona.  Author - Ajay Stadium - Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys Ladislav Krejci's own goal had given Barcelona a deserved lead in the first half against their Catalan rivals. Girona, however, threatened to pull off an upset when Arnaut Danjuma equalized early in the second half against the run of play. Nevertheless, Poland forward Lewandowski put Barcelona back in front just after the hour mark with an improvised finish. He then scored his 25th league goal of the season following some excellent midfield play from substitute Frenkie de Jong. Ferran Torres rounded off the scoring late on with a low effort into the bottom corner. This was the perfect response from Barcelona, who watched their great foes Real Madrid fight back to beat Leganes and move level on points at the summit of the Spanish top flight on Saturday. They ...

Real Madrid 0 - 4 Barcelona Robert Lewandowski netted twice in just three minutes as La Liga leaders Barcelona swept aside Real Madrid in El Clasico, extending their lead over their fierce rivals to six points. Author - Mark Lee Real Madrid had been aiming to equal Barcelona’s league record of 43 consecutive unbeaten games, a milestone set between April 2017 and May 2018. However, those ambitions were shattered by a ruthless second-half performance from the visitors at the Bernabeu. After a goalless first half, Lewandowski broke the deadlock in the 54th minute, coolly slotting home from a precise through ball by Marc Casado. The Polish striker doubled Barcelona’s advantage moments later, heading Alejandro Balde’s pinpoint cross into the right corner. Lewandowski came close to securing a hat-trick, hitting the woodwork on one occasion and firing over from a promising position on another. Spanish teenage sensation Lamine Yamal, at just 17, added Barcelona’s third with a brilliant st...

Bayern Munich extended their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table with a straightforward win at Greuther Furth. Thomas Muller opened the scoring before Joshua Kimmich doubled their advantage. Bayern were reduced to 10 men after the break when Benjamin Pavard was sent off, but they added a third through a Sebastian Griesbeck own goal. Furth did score a consolation late on but Bayern move three points clear of Wolfsburg. Bayern are in great form at the moment and have scored 29 goals in their last six games in all competitions. Very few people would bet against them retaining their Bundesliga crown. More football news can be found here Reaction This is what the Bayern manager had to say after the victory. He is obviously happy that his side have built on their impressive start to the season and will be looking forward to them returning to Champions League action during the week. 🎙 Hear what head coach @J__Nagelsmann has to say after #SGFFCB ⚽ 📺 https://t.co/0wEN6vxhee #FCB...

Valencia 1 - 2 Barcelona A win over Valencia kicked off Barcelona's La Liga campaign under new manager Hansi Flick. Author - Paul Woods Former Germany boss Flick's team had to come from behind after Hugo Duro scored from a Diego Lopez cross past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The first half started slowly, but Duro opened the scoring in the 44th minute, sparking the match into life. Duro had a chance cleared off the line, but Robert Lewandowski then equalized from a Lamine Yamal pass. Valencia had a strong first half, but Barcelona showed their superiority in the second half, taking the lead through veteran striker Lewandowski's penalty in the 49th minute after Raphinha was fouled in the box. Yamal was a constant threat with his dribbling on the wings, causing problems for Valencia. Despite Valencia's strong counter-attacks and Barcelona's midfield errors, Flick's team ultimately proved to be of a higher class, managing the game well and neutralizing Valencia's...

Scotland 2 - 3 Poland Scotland's tough 2024 continued in heartbreaking fashion as Poland were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, crushing a spirited Nations League comeback at Hampden. Billy Gilmour and Scott McTominay scored second-half goals to revive Scotland after Sebastian Szymanski's long-range strike and Robert Lewandowski's expertly-taken penalty put the visitors ahead. However, as Steve Clarke's men pushed for a late winner , Nicola Zalewski was brought down by a reckless challenge from Grant Hanley. Zalewski, who had also won the earlier penalty, stepped up to slot home the decisive goal in the 97th minute. Scotland, who made a tame exit from this summer's Euros with just one point from three group games, now face a daunting trip to Portugal on Sunday. They have managed only one win in 13 matches in 2024, suffering five defeats. The manner in which this game ended was hard to believe, especially given Scotland’s poor first-half performance.  Clarke'...

It's time to decide the world's best footballer again The winner of the Men's Ballon d'Or will be decided on 29th November. Let's have a look at some of the contenders. Will we see a shock? Cesar Azpilicueta Chelsea's Cesar Azpilicueta is one of the more surprising names on the shortlist.The defender is something of an unsung hero, helped Chelsea to win the Champions League last season and also reached the Nations League final with Spain. Karim Benzema The French forward was overshadowed at Real Madrid for a long time but he's now getting the praise he deserves. He scored 30 goals in 46 matches in all competitions for Real Madrid and finished second in the La Liga Golden Boot race. He won the UEFA Nations League with France a few weeks ago. For all his goals, this was the only trophy he has picked up over the last 12 months. Erling Braut Haaland Unless things go drastically wrong for him, the Norwegian forward is going to feature on Ballon d'Or shortli...

How much of an impact will this deal have a both clubs? Liverpool have agreed a £35.1m deal to sell Sadio Mane to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. The Reds will get a fixed £27.4m upfront with performance-related clauses to follow depending on success. Liverpool turned down two bids from Bayern before the two clubs settled on a move for the 30-year-old, whose deal with the Reds ran until next summer. He joined Liverpool for £31m plus £2.5m in add-ons from Southampton in 2016. Since then, Mane scored 90 Premier League goals for the Anfield club and finished last season with 23 goals in all competitions. Watch:  Sadio Mane - All 22 Goals this season - 2021/22 - YouTube News of his departure follows the signing of forward Darwin Nunez from Benfica for an initial feel of around £64m. This has also been a  fantastic year for Mane. He won the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal before helping Liverpool win the Carabao Cup and FA Cup and also finish runners-up in the Premier Le...

Mallorca 1 - 5 Barcelona Raphinha inspired Barcelona to a resounding win over Mallorca, ending their three-game winless streak in style. Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football You can watch the highlights of the match in the video below. The footage is from the FC Barcelona YouTube account. The Brazilian star scored twice in the second half, helping Hansi Flick’s side extend their lead at the top of La Liga to four points over Real Madrid. With the match finely poised at 1-1 at half-time, Raphinha broke the deadlock in the 56th minute, calmly converting a penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled in the box. The teenage sensation then delivered a stunning assist 18 minutes later, using the outside of his foot to set up his captain, who slotted home his 11th league goal of the campaign. Barcelona sealed the emphatic victory with late goals from substitutes Frenkie de Jong and Pau Victor, who scored twice in quick succession to cap off a dominant second half. It was the perfect resp...

 Wales 0 - 0 Poland Poland won 5-4 on penalties Wales lost to Poland in a penalty shootout during their Euro 2024 play-off final in Cardiff, ending their hopes of qualification for the summer's tournament in Germany. In the first shootout for Wales' men in a competitive match, Daniel James had his kick saved by Wojciech Szczesny. Poland converted all five. It was an awful way for Robert Page and his players to suffer defeat, especially against a Poland side that failed to register a single shot on target during the entire 120 minutes.  Robert Lewandowski's side might not have been that convincing, but they will be able to start looking forward to joining France, Netherlands and Austria in their group at this summer's Euros in Germany. Wales 4 - 1 Finland (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Euro 2024 Qualifying (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) News from across Poland from European Super Football This will hurt Wales The shocked look on all of the players' faces. a...