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UCL: Greatest Champions League semi-finals

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Let's take a look at some of the greatest Champions League semi-finals.  With the 2023 Champions League semi-finals just around the corner, it’s the perfect time to look back at some legendary matches at this stage of the competition.  From AC Milan to Manchester United and Didier Drogba to Zinedine Zidane, iconic clubs and players have come of age and built their modern mythology in these matches. However, which games were the best?  AC Milan v Monaco - 1994 The Champions League was still a very different competition when it officially changed its name from the European Cup in the earlier part of the 1990s.  In this game against Monaco, Milan went up early through Marcel Desailly but suffered a significant setback when Alessandro Costacurta was sent off after 40 minutes. However, they were determined not to let their advantage slip. In the end, they only held their lead but also added to it with further strikes in the second half. The season would only get better for Milan.

Icons: Patrice Evra

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 It's time to explore another football icon. This time it's Patrice Evra A brief summary He is a French football coach and former professional player. Originally a forward, he mainly played as a left-back.Evra served as captain for both Manchester United and the France national team. His former manager Sir Alex Ferguson praised Evra for his leadership, also describing him as one of the best left-backs in Europe. <Click here to read about more icons> The start of Evra's career Evra was born in Senegal and arrived in Europe when he was a year old. Evra started his career with the Italian club Marsala. The following season, he joined Monza but returned to France a year later to play for Nice where he was converted into a full-back. In 2002, he joined Monaco and was part of the team that reached the 2004 UEFA Champions League Final.  Becoming a Manchester United legend Evra's performances for Monaco culminated in a move to English club Manchester United in January

Sliding Doors Moments: What if Scholes wasn’t offside?

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It's time to for another sliding doors moment in football  We travel back to 2004. Manchester United face Porto in the last-16 of the Champions League.  Author - Liam C What actually happened? A ontroversial offside call against Paul Scholes became a pivotal moment in European football history. The disallowed goal cost United a place in the quarter-finals, while Porto, managed by the up and coming manager José Mourinho, went on to win the competition and launch Mourinho into the managerial elite. But what if Scholes hadn’t been ruled offside? How might this alternative scenario have changed the landscape of world and European football? Scholes wasn’t offside: United progress Had the linesman not flagged Scholes for offside, Manchester United would have progressed to the next round of the Champions League. Scholes' goal was legitimate, and had it stood, United would have won the tie on aggregate, knocking out Porto and ending their European dreams. With the Red Devils moving

UCL: Greatest ever Group Stage matches

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Ahead of the start of the 2023/2024 Champions League Group Stages This article will explore some of the best matches from this stage of the competition. When did Europe's premier competition introduce a Group Stage? Since the 1997–98 season, the competition has allowed multiple entries from certain countries. It added a round-robin group stage in 1992. For a brief period between 1999 and 2002, there was a 2nd Group Stage introduced. The best Group-Stage matches  Tottenham Hotspur 2-7 Bayern Munich (2019-20) By smashing seven goals past an almost hapless Tottenham Hotspur team that had no answers to their attacking prowess at home, Bayern Munich revealed a glimpse of what was to come in the season they lifted their sixth UEFA Champions League title! For Spurs, this set the tone for what was a poor season after they came so close to European success the previous campaign. Monaco 8-3 Deportivo de La Coruña (2003-04) The 2003-04 season was a fairytale run for Monaco in the UEFA Ch

Transfer News: French captain agrees Real Madrid move

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A potential transfer saga is potentially about to be concluded Kylian Mbappe has made the decision to join Real Madrid this summer, after informing PSG of his intention to leave when his contract expires in June. While Mbappe hasn't yet put pen to paper with Real Madrid, the agreement is likely to be formalised once it's certain that the two clubs won't face each other in the current season's Champions League.  This move comes as Mbappe stands as PSG 's top goal scorer, boasting a record 244 goals for the club. Keen to resolve his future before March, Mbappe held discussions with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi on 13th February, revealing his decision to join Real Madrid. Following reports of his departure last Thursday, Mbappe was omitted from the starting lineup in Saturday's match against Nantes. Despite this, he still made an impact coming off the bench, scoring a penalty as PSG secured a 14-point lead at the summit of Ligue 1. The impending deal sees M

Midweek football stories and gossip: 01/12/21

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Let's have a look at some football gossip from around Europe Mancini to Old Trafford? Italy head coach and former Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has emerged as a candidate to be appointed Manchester United manager next summer. The former City manager is reportedly interested in getting back into club football. It remains to be seen whether he would carry on as manager of Italy throughout the Qatar World Cup should they qualify. Barcelona looking to re-build Barcelona has offered Manchester United the opportunity to sign Brazil winger Philippe Coutinho. He would become one of very few players to play for both Liverpool and Manchester United. It has been reported that Barcelona have a "total agreement" in place to sign Manchester City and Spain forward Ferran Torres, 21, but hope City will lower their asking price of  around £60m. Would he leave Manchester for Barcelona and then be part of the huge regeneration project under Xavi.  More news from around the Premier

Transfer News: Mbappe signs Real Madrid deal

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Kylian Mbappe has signed a contract to join Real Madrid on a free transfer once his current deal with Paris St-Germain expires on 30th June.  The French striker had agreed to the move in February and confirmed his departure from PSG in May.  Mbappe, who is 25 years old, has finalised the terms with Real Madrid and will be moving to Spain when the La Liga transfer window opens on 1st July. The official announcement of the deal is expected to be made by Real Madrid over the next few days. Mbappe will be formally presented at the Bernabeu   after Euro 2024.  Since joining PSG from Monaco in 2017, Mbappe has become their all-time leading goalscorer with 256 goals. He has agreed to a contract with Real Madrid until 2029, with an annual salary of 15 million euros (£12.8m), a signing-on bonus of 150 million euros (£128m) to be paid over five years, and a share of his image rights. The best reaction Ana, a Real Madrid fan now living in England, told us: "This is a player that will real

The best January transfers

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This article will explore the best signings in the January Transfer Window. Is it a good time to sign players or not? Seamus Coleman There will be players on this list with a higher profile but very few that work out at better value for money than Coleman. Everton signed him from the Irish side Sligo Rovers in 2009. He has eclipsed 350 first-team appearances for the Merseysiders and has captained the team in recent times. The player has been an excellent servant for the Blues and has shown there is no shortage of talent across the top flight in Ireland. Patrice Evra In December 2005, French sources revealed that Manchester United was interested in signing Evra. Despite rumours that Monaco had reached a transfer agreement with Internazionale. On the 3rd of January 2006, Evra revealed he preferred to move to England to join Manchester United. He finally moved to Old Trafford a few days later. Despite a difficult start, Evra became a fan favourite with Manchester United supporters. Ne

Spain: Real Madrid held at Mallorca

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Mallorca 1 -  1 Real Madrid Kylian Mbappé made his La Liga debut as reigning champions Real Madrid were held to a draw by Mallorca on the opening day of the season. The French captain had already made a strong start at his new club, scoring in Wednesday's 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Atalanta. However, the summer signing from Paris Saint-Germain was unable to find the net in his first domestic league appearance. Rodrygo put Carlo Ancelotti's side ahead with a superb goal, finishing off a clever backheel from Vinícius Júnior. More news from across Spain Latest stories from Real Madrid But Mallorca responded when Vedat Muriqi headed in Dani Rodríguez's cross to equalise. Madrid's defender, Ferland Mendy, was sent off in the final moments of injury time after a reckless challenge on Muriqi. Mbappé, PSG's all-time top scorer and a six-time Ligue 1 Golden Boot winner , had several opportunities for Madrid. He narrowly missed the target with one effort and forced g

Euro 2024: Switzerland start campaign with a win

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Hungary 1 - 3 Switzerland Switzerland fought hard to secure a victory over Hungary, marking a successful start to their Euro 2024 campaign in Cologne.  Kwadwo Duah, a surprise inclusion by manager Murat Yakin, scored his first international goal, followed by Michel Aebischer doubling the lead just before half-time. Hungary's Barnabas Varga gave his team hope with 30 minutes remaining, expertly converting Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai's perfectly weighted cross past Yann Sommer. Substitute Breel Embolo sealed the win in stoppage time with a delightful lob over Peter Gulacsi. A closer look at what happened From the outset, Yakin's team controlled possession, leaving Hungary with little to show in attack during the first half. London-born Duah, having played only 45 minutes for Switzerland before this match, was brilliantly set up by Aebischer and finished neatly past Gulacsi in the 12th minute. Just before the break, left wing-back Aebischer cut in on his right

UCL: Barca thrash Swiss side

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Barcelona 5 - 0 Young Boys Robert Lewandowski netted twice as Barcelona cruised to victory over Young Boys in the Champions League. 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 into his own net. Monteiro thought he ha

Latest gossip: 18/01/2022

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Another day and another lot of football gossip. As always, there's a lot going on. Premier League rumours Many reports indicate that Anthony Martial wants to leave Manchester United but he does not want to go out on loan to another English club. Barcelona, Sevilla and Juventus are three options for a January move. What legacy will Martial leave at Manchester if he does leave? Manchester United are reportedly targeting Aston Villa and Scotland midfielder John McGinn in the summer transfer window. They are also leading Juventus and Inter Milan in the race to sign Serbia midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from Lazio, but the Serie A club will demand at least £66.8m. Newcastle United have offered a fee of around £25.1m for Atalanta striker Duvan Zapata. Another player linked with a move to Newcastle is Eden Hazard. He wants to leave Real Madrid, but is not interested in joining Newcastle, who have had a £41.3m bid for the 31-year-old accepted by the Spanish club.  Wolves winger Ada

Ligue 1: PSG lose for the first time since March

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 Lens 3 - 1 Paris Saint Germain There was a shock result in Ligue 1. PSG lost for the first time since March as they were beaten by in-form Lens side. Second-placed Lens have lost only once in 17 Ligue 1 games this season and are now just four points behind Christophe Galtier's star-studded league leaders. Lois Openda scored one goal and set up another for Franck Haise's side. They were without Neymar, who was suspended after being sent off on Wednesday, and Lionel Messi, who continues his post-World Cup recovery. The hosts led after five minutes when Przemyslaw Frankowski volleyed into an empty net after a rebound off Italy goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Hugo Ekitike quickly equalised for PSG but Openda beat defender Marquinhos and fired past Donnarumma into the bottom corner to give Lens the lead again in the 28th minute. Alexis Claude-Maurice added a third two minutes into the second half and - despite Kylian Mbappe playing the full game - the club from northern France

UCL: Premier League teams discover League Phase opponents

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The draw for the League Phase of the 2024/2025 Champions League phase has been made. The four Premier League teams in UEFA Champions League recently discovered their eight league phase opponents as the draw was made in Monaco for the 36 participating clubs. Manchester City and Arsenal will each face Inter Milan and PSG. The 2024 Premier League champions will face Inter at home in a repeat of the 2022/23 final, while Arsenal will travel to Italy and vice versa for their matches with PSG. Last season's Premier League top two also face an additional two Italian opponents, with City also facing Juventus as Arsenal travel to Atalanta. Liverpool will face a tough draw, facing the champions of Spain and Germany, Real Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen, at home, while also travelling to RB Leipzig and AC Milan.   Aston Villa will face Bayern Munich, whom they beat in 1981 to win the European Cup and fans will be dreaming of glory nights once again. How does the new Champions League form

Euro 2024 news summary: 11/06/2024

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 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

Premier League: Dramatic Deadline Day

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This is a full list of all the transfers involving the Premier League clubs on Deadline Day The 20 Premier League sides had already run up a huge net spend this summer as it continued to expand its collection of stars. This video from Sky Sports looks at how a dramatic day concluded.  Sky Sports Premier League - YouTube   Which signing will turn out to be the best? Sylvester Jasper — Fulham to Bristol Rovers — Loan Xavier Simons — Chelsea to Hull City — Loan Rob Street — Crystal Palace to Shrewsbury Town — Loan Jack Stephens — Southampton to Bournemouth — Loan Willy Boly — Wolverhampton Wanderers to Nottingham Forest — Undisclosed The Ivory Coast international has signed a two-year deal at The City Ground following a five-year spell at Molineux, having joined Wolves permanently in 2018 following an initial season-long loan from FC Porto. He was a key member of the Wolves side that won promotion to the Premier League during his first season in England, with his performances earning hi

Transfer News: Chelsea sign Mudryk

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 Chelsea have made another signing. Will this be value for money? This time it's the 22-year-old Ukrainian forward Mykhaylo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk. The Stamford Bridge side secured the player's signature at the expense of Premier League rivals Arsenal who had been long-term admirers of Mudryk and initially looked in pole position to sign him. The forward put his name to a mammoth eight-and-a-half-year deal and is keen to get started at Stamford Bridge. It's their fourth January deal after David Datro Fofana from Molde, Benoit Badiashile from Monaco and Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama. With the side struggling to make an impact in the Premier League this season, owner Todd Boehly seems intent on spending his way out of trouble. He wants to equip manager Graham Potter with the right players to help climb the table. Reaction from fans Liam, a Chelsea fan from Fulham, said: "This could be a fantastic signing for us." Amy, another Chelsea fan from Reading, add