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Premier League: Fernandes shines for Man United

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 Manchester United 4 - 2 Sheffield United Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes scored twice to ensure that another chaotic performance ended with a victory against relegation-threatened Sheffield United.  With the visitors taking the lead twice, The Red Devils were on the verge of a humiliating loss to a team that had only won three times this season Fernandes levelled from the penalty spot before driving Manchester United in front from 25 yards nine minutes from time. Four minutes later, the Portuguese created a first goal since February for striker Rasmus Hojlund. This moved his side up to sixth spot and earned praise from his manager and many fans inside Old Trafford. Harry Maguire  had previously levelled the score to make it 1-1.   Despite a much-improved performance from Sheffield United, you'd still have to say Manchester United deserved this win. They looked more of a threat going forward and a bit more quality could have seen the home side easily score 7 or 8.  F

UCL: Best ever Champions League finals

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 Let's explore some of the best Champions League and European Cup finals. There have been some truly memorable encounters in the final of the competition since it started in the 1950s. Real Madrid 4 - 3 Stade de Reims: 1956 A football match that you have probably never heard of. This was actually the first final of the European Cup. Real Madrid triumphed in what would prove to be the first of five consecutive title in the competition. On this night, the Spanish giants came back from behind to win 4–3. This was thanks to goals from Alfredo Di Stéfano and Marquitos, as well as two goals from Héctor Rial. Benfica 1 - 4 Manchester United: 1968 A memorable night where Man United became the first English side to win Europe's premier competition.  United took the lead from Bobby Charlton's header eight minutes into the second half. Jaime Graça's 79th-minute equaliser meant the match went into extra time. United scored three times in seven minutes in the first extra tim

Premier League: Dramatic scenes at Emirates Stadium

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 Arsenal 3 - 2 Bournemouth  Premier League leaders Arsenal came from two goals down to beat Bournemouth. Bournemouth had taken the lead after just 9.11 seconds through Philip Billing and the away side then went 2-0 up via a Marco Senesi header. However, Arsenal pulled level with goals by Thomas Partey and Ben White, before Reiss Nelson struck in the 97th minute. A new hero at Arsenal  Nelson had played just 64 minutes of Premier League football this season before being thrown on as a second-half substitute by Mikel Arteta. One Twitter user said: "What an unbelievable strike from him. I’m so happy for him with everything that’s happened to him at Arsenal. Hitting one of the best left-footed shots that I’ve seen at the Emirates for a long time." A crucial game at both ends of the table Bournemouth’s players crumpled into assorted heaps. Arsenal’s hurled themselves around ecstatically. Both sets of fans and players know episodes like this can decide everything. There was barel

Premier League: Brentford win West London derby

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 Brentford 3 - 2 Fulham Brentford's impressive Premier League season continued as they overcame west London derby rivals Fulham. This kept their hopes of European football very much alive. Tony impresses again Bees' striker Ivan Toney was the talisman. He made it 22 successes out of 22 from the penalty spot for Brentford as they closed to within three points of sixth-placed Newcastle United. He was outstanding here as his side secured a deserved three points. Thomas Frank's side made a lightning start and could have scored three times even before Ethan Pinnock's shot deflected off Tim Ream to put Brentford ahead after only six minutes. Click here to read more news and stories from Brentford Football Club>>> A rare setback for Fulham in their bid for European qualification Fulham are having an outstanding season of their own, and they finally gained a foothold before drawing level six minutes before the break when Israel forward Manor Solomon continued his r

Women's World Cup: England start with a win

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England  1 - 0 Haiti In their opening Women's World Cup game against Haiti, England did what they needed to do - win. The European champions were lacklustre and wasteful in their 1-0 victory, struggling to put away the chances they created while looking occasionally sloppy in defence. Haiti proved why they are in Australia among the 32 best teams in the world with a fearless performance that tested Sarina Wiegman's side. Georgia Stanway's penalty gave England a crucial three points - and it was just the third time in six World Cup appearances they had won their first match. Women's World Cup: Spain and Switzerland start with a win (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Women's World Cup: Preview (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Their most recent matches were against Portugal and Australia, and they did little to generate momentum against Haiti. There were 44,000 people in attendance, including many ex-pats living in Brisbane, supporting the English team, but Haiti did

EFL: Cardiff City get late winner

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Cardiff City 1 - 0 Reading Cardiff City's recent mini-revival under new boss Sabri Lamouchi continued thanks to a later winner against Reading. Romaine Sawyers fired in from the edge of the box in the 91st minute to claim a deserved win. This was the club's second in a week under their new manager. A first home win since October lifts the Bluebirds five points clear of the Championship relegation zone. Reading will stay 15th in the table but could have no complaint over the loss despite the timing of the goal. A closer look at the match The closest Reading came was a blunder by Cardiff goalkeeper Ryan Allsop, who kicked thin air as Yakou Meite closed in. Cardiff must have thought their luck was out when they hit the crossbar twice in the space of three minutes midway through the second half. But Sawyers capped an impressive display with his first goal since August to claim three vital points in his side's fight for survival. Click here for more EFL News>>> Both

EFL: Leicester have comfortable night against Southampton

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Southampton 1 - 4 Leicester City Jamie Vardy scored after 21 seconds to set Leicester City up for a comfortable victory at Southampton. Leicester went in at half-time 3-1 in front after goals from McAteer (18'minutes) and Ndidi (45'+3minutes) put them in a comfortable position. A goal from Edozie gave them some brief hope as they temporarily reduced the deficit. Former Juventus forward Mavididi missed a huge opportunity just after the hour but made amends with the night's best goal. Many Southampton fans are concerned about the goals they were conceding. Their miserable night ended with Kamaldeen Sulemana receiving a straight red card in the closing seconds of the game for a clumsy tackle on James Justin. Highlights You can watch highlights of the match in the video below. Footage from  EFL YouTube account @gavintsang5778 commented on these highlights: "I expect both Southampton and Leicester will be fighting for promotion come end of the season.  But having wat

Premier League: Wolves edge closer to safety

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 Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 - 0 Crystal Palace Wolves gave their survival hopes a massive lift with what turned out to be a fairly comfortable win over Palace. In a match that was low on clear-cut chances, Wolves went in front after three minutes when Ruben Neves' corner bounced off the knee of Palace centre-back Joachim Andersen and in off the crossbar. A slightly nervy affair was settled by Neves' stoppage-time penalty as Wolves, who were bottom of the table when Lopetegui took charge in November, moved nine points clear of the relegation zone. This surely means survival for the home side.  Premier League news (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) Albert Sambi Lokonga came closest to providing a Palace equaliser before half-time but his snap-shot from eight yards out was saved by Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa. Palace don't take advantage  Thank you for all your support last night, Palace fans ❤️💙 #CPFC pic.twitter.com/Fd4SRtqZ3e — Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC) April 26, 2023

UCL: Inter Milan in control of quarter-final

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Benfica 0 - 2 Inter Milan Romelu Lukaku scored an 82nd-minute penalty as Inter Milan put themselves in a strong position to advance to the semi-finals of the Champions League after a deserved win away to Benfica. Nicolo Barella's downward header gave Inter the lead in the quarter-final first leg in Lisbon. Benfica struggled to dictate play in front of their own fans as Inter produced a defensive masterclass in Lisbon. This was almost reminiscent of their 2010 triumph with Jose Mourinho.  <Click here to find more news and stories from across Italy> Rafa Silva was denied by Andre Onana's first-half save before Inter's Netherlands defender Denzel Dumfries produced a crucial block from close range as Benfica pushed for an equaliser. The Italian visitors wrapped up their win when substitute Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, scored from the spot after former Inter player Joao Mario handled. Premier League referee Michael Oliver awarded the penalty after watching the incide

Women's UCL: Arsenal left heartbroken

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 Arsenal Women 2 - 3 VfL Wolfsburg Ladies Arsenal were knocked out in the Women's Champions League semi-finals with a crushing extra-time defeat by two-time winners Wolfsburg at the Emirates Stadium. A terrible mistake by defender Lotte Wubben-Moy gifted possession to Wolfsburg with minutes to go and unmarked substitute Pauline Bremer poked in a cross from close range. In front of a record crowd for a women's game in England, Arsenal put the 60,063 fans through an array of emotions before leaving them heartbroken after 120 minutes. Arsenal took an early lead through Stina Blackstenius after avoiding a video assistant referee (VAR) scare for a potential handball in the box by Wubben-Moy in the opening minutes. Wolfsburg then responded as returning captain Alexandra Popp - ruled out of the first leg with a calf injury - set up Jill Roord to make it 1-1 on the night and later headed the visitors in front. A Blackstenius close-range finish was ruled out by VAR shortly into the

World Cup: Final Preview

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This article will preview the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final We'll also explore what has been a remarkable few The 2022 World Cup in Qatar has flown by. Wedged into the middle of the European club season, it has had to. It's hard to believe that the tournament began 26 days ago, yet so much has transpired in that time, including reducing down a field of 32 to just France and Argentina, who will meet in the final. Many would have expected France to be here. Argentina having suffered an upset to Saudi Arabia in their opening game so their rally to reach a second World Cup final in eight years is more of a surprise. However, when you have Lionel Messi, can you ever really be surprised to be in contention for a major trophy? Messi v Mbappe This is maybe the greatest individual matchup we have ever had in a World Cup final. Two world-class superstars. The fact they are club teammates at PSG as well only adds to the drama.  For Messi, it would be the perfect fairy-tale ending for a World

Premier League: Arsenal thrash Crystal Palace

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 Arsenal 5 - 0 Crystal Palace Arsenal revived their pursuit of the Premier League title with an emphatic victory over struggling Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners' aspirations for the top spot had waned towards the close of the previous year, suffering three defeats in their last five Premier League fixtures. However, a rejuvenated Arsenal returned with newfound vigour under the guidance of Mikel Arteta.  Three points were sealed through a Gabriel header, an own goal from Dean Henderson , a composed finish by Leandro Trossard, and two late strikes from Gabriel Martinelli. The first two goals originated from corner kicks, with Gabriel nodding in the opener in the 11th minute. Another set-piece led to the defender's header striking Crystal Palace goalkeeper Henderson, deflecting into the net. The visitors struggled to mount a response, and Arsenal extended their lead in the second half when Trossard calmly finished in a one-on-one situation with the goalkee

ECQ: Scotland stun Norway with late goals

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Norway 1 - 2 Scotland There was a great finish to give Scotland a classic smash-and-grab victory and send their fans into party mode during a sun-dappled Oslo evening. With three minutes of normal time, Steve Clarke’s side trailed to Erling Haaland’s 59th goal of the season, and they were staring at their first defeat in Euro 2024 qualifying. Unlikely and sensational late goals from Lyndon Dykes and Kenny McLean maintained Scotland's perfect start to Euro 2024 qualifying as Steve Clarke's side stunned Norway in Oslo. Euro 2024 Qualifying (eurosuperfootball.blogspot.com) A closer look at the match Erling Haaland's goal from the penalty spot just after the hour mark looked to have given the more lively Norwegians a victory which would have revived their Group A hopes. However, out of nothing Dykes pounced on a mistake with three minutes of normal time remaining to snatch what seemed like a brilliant point for Scotland. Then, barely two minutes later substitute McLean sw

Premier League: Newcastle 1 - 1 Leeds United

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Allan Saint-Maximin's equaliser lifted some of the pressure on Newcastle United boss Steve Bruce as his side gained a point against Leeds United After a week when Bruce had to defend his position as manager following further criticism from  their fans. The mood ad threatened to turn really ugly when Raphinha cut in from the right and sent his cross into the far corner of Karl Darlow's goal after 13 minutes. As Leeds threatened to run riot, "we want Brucey out" was sung by all sides of the stadium. Marcelo Bielsa's free-spirited side should have been further ahead before the break, but after Matt Ritchie hit a post, Saint-Maximin lifted the mood when he danced around the Leeds United defence. The two tweets below were just some of the posts that highlights the anger from Newcastle fans.  After the match, Bruce told Sky Sports: "If I'm being honest I enjoyed the game and let's be honest it could have gone either way. It was like when you play at school,

EFL Cup: Manchester United win at Wembley

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Manchester United 2 - 0 Newcastle United Newcastle United's long wait for a trophy goes on as they lost the Carabao Cup final against Manchester United. Casemiro’s header opened the scoring midway through the first half. Marcus Rashford then doubled Man United's lead with a shot that took a deflection off Newcastle's Sven Botman. Eddie Howe knew he had to go for it at the start of the second half.  He introduced Alexander Isak up front alongside Callum Wilson. However, it ultimately had very little impact. The reds managed to claim victory in London and would have extended the lead but for Loris Karius's heroics.  Erik ten Hag has now picked up his first piece of silverware as United manager and there could be more success and trophies coming up for his side. Highlights Extended Highlights: A sixth League Cup triumph for Manchester United! 🔴👑 - YouTube Player and manager reaction Marcus Rashford told the media: "It’s a mixture of emotions. It’s massive for

Spain: Girona look the real deal

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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 Raphinha found Rober

UEL: Man United take commanding first-leg lead

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 Manchester United 4 - 1 Real Betis Manchester United beat Real Betis 4-1 in the first leg of the Europa League Round-of-16 clash. Marcus Rashford opened the scoring for the Reds in the sixth minute, with a rifling strike that emphatically flew past Claudio Bravo. Despite an excellent start by United, our goal would be cancelled out just after the half-hour mark due to the on-loan Ayoze Perez firing across David De Gea into the bottom corner.  Erik's reds prove too strong Antony restored United's lead with a trademark effort that curled beyond a stranded Bravo, who could only watch as it hit the top corner. Minutes later, Bruno Fernandes got in on the act from Luke Shaw's corner. The no.8 wasn't picked up as he wandered into the area to make it 3-1 on the night.  The final goal fell to Wout Weghorst, scoring his first in front of the Old Trafford faithful. Second-half substitute Facundo Pellistri was at the heart of the move, originally teeing up Scott McTominay who

Premier League: A new low for Manchester United

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Brentford 4 - 0 Manchester United Was this a new for Manchester United? (Warning- the video below contains some strong language) Never have I been lost for words like I am still today. Myself driving me & 4 other mates from Manchester to Brentford & back again for that performance. & to top it off only 7 of the entire matchday squad had some sort of bottle to front upto us fans in the away end who despite pic.twitter.com/go07q8eteR — Benjamin Brazil (@bennymufc) August 14, 2022 It is the first time United have started a league campaign with consecutive losses since the 1992-93 season. Brentford produced a sensational first-half performance as they scored four goals in the first 35 minutes to condemn Manchester United to a terrible defeat. Josh Dasilva put the hosts ahead when his strike from distance somehow eluded United goalkeeper David de Gea. Mathias Jensen doubled the lead after dispossessing former Brentford player Christian Eriksen, with Ben Mee and Bryan Mbeumo go

Premier League: It was a dramatic Sunday

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 There were 20 goals on a dramatic Sunday of Premier League football.  Let's explore what happened and examine what the impact might be come the end of the season. AFC Bournemouth 4 - 1 Leeds United Bournemouth earned a superb 4-1 win to deepen Leeds' relegation worries. A quick-fire Jefferson Lerma played a key part in lifting his side further away from relegation danger and leaving the visitors a point clear of the drop zone. Fulham 1 - 2 Manchester City Manchester City beat Fulham to return to the top of the Premier League for the first time since February as Erling Haaland scored his 50th goal of the season in all competitions. Fulham did themselves proud on the day but didn't offer enough in an attacking sense to worry the title favourites too much. Can City go and win The Treble? Click here to see all the news and stories from East Manchester.  Manchester United 1 - 0 Aston Villa Bruno Fernandes scored his 100th career league goal to boost Manchester United's

Championship: Queens Park Rangers 2 - 0 Luton Town

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Queens Park Rangers climbed to fifth in the Championship with victory over Luton Town.  Chris Willock gave the home side the lead with a perfectly-weighted dink over the onrushing Simon Sluga after a fine lofted route-one pass from deep by Ilias Chair in an entertaining first-half. Charlie Austin buried his header past the Hatters' Croatian goalkeeper early in the second Ilias Chair might have made it easier for QPR but his rising drive soared over early on.  Highlights Watch the highlights of the match in the video below. One QPR fan asked an interesting question in the comments section: "Are we brave or good enough to stay in top 6?" Reaction QPR boss Mark Warburton told BBC Radio London: "They were two really important goals as well, and at important times as well. The first one it was nice to see was a direct ball, it was a quick release and the keeper made Chris' mind up for him really, but he executed it well. "We had that lead, we were a little bi