European Super Football

Napoli 5 - 0 Palermo Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay netted his first goal for Napoli as his new team cruised to a 5-0 victory over Palermo in the second round of the Coppa Italia. The 27-year-old joined Napoli for £25.7m from Manchester United in late August, having spent his entire career with the Red Devils, where he started at a football school aged just five. McTominay made his Napoli debut in a 4-0 win at Cagliari, coming off the bench, and earned his first start in a goalless draw against Juventus on Saturday. On Thursday, he was named among the substitutes for the match against second-tier Palermo, but made an immediate impact after coming on by scoring Napoli’s fifth goal. He struck a first-time shot from 12 yards out following a pullback from Romelu Lukaku. A closer look at what happened Cyril Ngonge had already put Napoli in control with two goals in the first 12 minutes, while Juan Jesus added a third just before the break. Palermo’s hopes were further dashed when A...

There has been some interesting nominations for the Ballon d’Or Scott McTominay has been shortlisted for the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or, becoming the first Scot to be nominated for the award since Ally McCoist in 1987. Author | Josh D The 28-year-old midfielder joined Napoli from Manchester United last summer in a £25m deal and played a central role in their Serie A title triumph. He scored 12 goals in 34 league appearances and was named Serie A’s player of the year . His inclusion among the 30 nominees caps a remarkable rise for the Lanarkshire-born player, who left his boyhood club after a decade at Old Trafford in search of more regular first-team football. The winner will be revealed on 22 September. Conte turns McTominay into a superstar Scott McTominay has thrived since joining Napoli , but his resurgence can be traced back to a key tactical change introduced by Antonio Conte. During his time at Manchester United, McTominay was typically used as a defensive midfielder, of...

Empoli 0 - 1 Napoli Napoli held on to their spot at the top of Serie A with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Empoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.  Author - Peter Grainger from GMCR Football The match was settled by a late penalty from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, as the visitors found it tough to break down a resilient Empoli side. Empoli, unbeaten going into this fixture, started brightly and created several early chances. Sebastiano Esposito tested former Empoli goalkeeper Elia Caprile with a fierce volley, while Giuseppe Pezzella also forced a save from the Napoli shot-stopper. Napoli, without key players Stanislav Lobotka and Alex Meret, handed Billy Gilmour his first Serie A start alongside Scott McTominay. The visitors had chances of their own, with Alessandro Buongiorno’s header cleared off the line and Esposito’s low shot smartly saved by Caprile. The decisive moment came late on, when substitute Giovanni Simeone made an impact, winning a penalty after Tino Anjorin fouled Matteo...

Napoli 2 - 0 Cagliari Scott McTominay marked a defining moment in his debut Serie A campaign with a stunning scissor-kick volley, helping Napoli seal their fourth Italian title with a victory over Cagliari. Author | Alex W Stadium | Stadio Diego Armando Maradona With Inter Milan beating Como 2–0, Napoli needed three points to be sure of finishing top. The Stadio Diego Armando Maradona buzzed with anticipation as home supporters created a carnival-like atmosphere in the Naples sun. Napoli, dominant from the off, found their breakthrough through McTominay, who arrived from Manchester United in a £25.7 million move last August. The Scotland midfielder timed his run perfectly to meet Matteo Politano’s right-wing cross, delivering a spectacular acrobatic finish that lifted the roof. Victory would see Napoli crowned champions for the second time in three seasons, and the title was secured when Romelu Lukaku powered through Michel Adopo’s challenge and slotted calmly past Alen Sherri to ...

Napoli 2 - 0 Hellas Verona Napoli extended their lead at the top of Serie A to four points with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Hellas Verona. Author - Sean M The 2023 champions got off to a flying start in the fifth minute when Giovanni Di Lorenzo’s effort struck the post, ricocheted off Verona goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipò, and ended up in the back of the net. Their dominance was sealed in the 61st minute when ex-Fulham midfielder André-Frank Zambo Anguissa unleashed an unstoppable strike to secure Napoli’s fifth consecutive league win. Napoli are four points clear of Inter Milan who have two games in hand.  A closer look at what happened Napoli strengthened their grip at the top of the Serie A table with a 2-0 win over Verona, courtesy of a fortunate deflection off Giovanni Di Lorenzo and a spectacular long-range strike from André-Frank Zambo Anguissa. However, the victory was not without its frustrations, as Napoli missed several clear-cut chances. The match came amid a turbule...

Scotland 0 - 0 Portugal Author - Sean M Scotland put on a determined defensive performance to hold Portugal to a 0-0 draw, earning their first point in the Nations League A campaign. Scott McTominay had a golden opportunity early on but missed, and from there, the Scots saw little of the ball as Portugal pressed hard for a breakthrough. Cristiano Ronaldo, making his 200th international appearance, was left frustrated in his pursuit of a 134th goal for Portugal, as Scotland’s goalkeeper Craig Gordon and his defence stood their ground. While the result means Steve Clarke’s team have now won just one of their last 16 matches, they avoided the unwanted record of becoming the first Scotland side to lose five consecutive games. A more detailed look at what happened in Glasgow After a tough time at the Euros and a difficult Nations League campaign so far , Scotland needed to lift the Hampden crowd, and they nearly did just that within the first four minutes. Ben Doak made a surging run do...

Manchester City 2 - 0 Napoli Erling Haaland became the fastest player to reach 50 Champions League goals as City were forced to dig deep in their victory over Napoli. Author | Macca Stadium | Etihad Stadium Haaland needed just 49 games to reach the milestone, nodding in a second-half header to put City on course for three points. Doku scored City's 2nd after 65 minutes to give them the perfect start.  The 2023 Champions League winners played most of the match against ten men after Giovanni di Lorenzo was sent off. A closer look at what happened City dominated possession as anticipated but Pep Guardiola will have been frustrated that his side were not ahead at the interval, despite a barrage of efforts that met an inspired Vanja Milinkovic-Savic in the Napoli goal. The Serbian produced a series of outstanding saves, denying Tijjani Reijnders with a sharp stop, blocking Phil Foden’s low effort and turning away a fierce volley from Rodri. He also clawed out headers from Nico O’...

The Italian champions have strengthened their squad Kevin De Bruyne has joined Napoli on a free transfer following his departure from Manchester City at the end of the Premier League season. Author | Macca De Bruyne playing for Belgium at Euro 2024 The Belgian midfielder links up with Antonio Conte, who guided Napoli to the Serie A title last season. De Bruyne turned down an offer from Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire in order to remain in European competition and is set to feature in the Champions League next term. His exit from City brings an end to a decade of service in which he won 19 major trophies, including six Premier League titles, after arriving from Wolfsburg in 2015.  READ MORE | Transfer news and rumours from European Super Football READ MORE | The night Napoli won Serie A Manchester City confirmed his departure before the season concluded, and he was given an emotional send-off at the Etihad Stadium following the final home game against Bournemouth. He made ...

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'...

This is the place for some of the biggest announcements from the August 2024 Transfer Deadline Day Raheem Sterling - Chelsea to Arsenal on loan Raheem Sterling finalised a last-minute transfer deadline move to Premier League rivals Arsenal. The 29-year-old has agreed to a season-long loan with Mikel Arteta's team.  This decision came after the England international was told that he was not part of new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca's plans. Jadon Sancho - Manchester United to Chelsea on loan with an obligation to buy Raheem Sterling in @Arsenal red 📸🔴 pic.twitter.com/GL7kbReq7K — Premier League (@premierleague) August 31, 2024 Chelsea has secured a loan deal for Manchester United winger Jadon Sancho until the end of the season.  The agreement includes an obligation for Chelsea to permanently sign the 24-year-old England international for a fee ranging between £20-25m next summer. Sancho playing for Mancheter United. Photo credit  Thể Thao 11M | Flickr Eddie ...

Denmark 0 - 0 Scotland Scotland began their bid to reach a first World Cup since 1998 with a valuable draw against Denmark in a feverish atmosphere. Author | Sean M Stadium | Parken Stadium Pre-match atmosphere Steve Clarke’s side, who were swept aside on their last visit four years ago, stood firm this time and even threatened to claim a famous victory in Copenhagen, something not achieved since 1975. Ryan Christie nodded narrowly wide and John McGinn spurned a good chance at the far post during a first half that exceeded expectations. After the interval Scott McTominay wriggled to the byline only for Kasper Schmeichel to save, while Lyndon Dykes delayed fatally when the goal beckoned. Denmark were restricted mostly to speculative efforts until the closing minutes, when Angus Gunn had to react sharply to Rasmus Højlund’s volley. Scotland ’s resilience was matched by a touch of fortune as substitute Max Johnston escaped with only a yellow card after handling to deny a clear opportunit...

Denmark v Scotland preview Could we be seeing the beginning of Steve Clarke's last dance as Scotland boss? Author | Alan White Stadium | Parken Scotland players celebrate a memorable win over Denmark in 2021 Scotland look in danger of stalling under Steve Clarke, who is still searching for a first World Cup qualification of this century. The March international break brought fresh disappointment as they were relegated from their Nations League group after a chastening defeat to Greece . The players building their careers and thriving in Italy Scotland have retained individual quality, with the likes of Scott McTominay central to their hopes. Like the former Manchester United midfielder, Billy Gilmour is also a league winner with Napoli , while Lewis Ferguson captains Bologna and lifted the Coppa Italia last season.  Teenager Lennon Miller has already traded Motherwell for Udinese after making his international debut earlier this year. Che Adams is starting his second season ...