Jurgen Klopp joked thank god a game has two halves after Liverpool improved on a below-par first-half showing to overcome Everton 2-0 in Sunday s Merseyside derby.
The Reds failed to register a shot on target in the first half of a home Premier League game for just the second time this season against a resolute Everton side.
Liverpool continued to struggle early in the second period, but Andy Robertson broke the Toffees resolve with 62 minutes played from the home side s first attempt on target.
Substitute Divock Origi added a late second with his sixth goal against Everton in all competitions, twice as many as he has netted against any other side as a Liverpool player.
A 12th win in 13 top-flight matches moves Liverpool back to within a point of leaders …
Lionel Messi and Neymar have been training together for Paris Saint-Germain, but Mauricio Pochettino refused to comment whether the pair would feature against Brest.
PSG travel to Brest on Friday fresh from back-to-back Ligue 1 wins against Troyes and Strasbourg, the first time in three years they have begun a new domestic season in such fashion.
Despite a positive start to their campaign, interest continues to centre around Messi, who arrived in Paris after a shock exit from Barcelona amid the club s financial difficulties in August.
However, it remains unclear whether the highly anticipated pairing of Messi and Neymar will be reunited to form a formidable trio with Kylian Mbappe at Stade Francis-Le Ble.
We haven’t decided the squad yet but we will …
With a stacked Sunday schedule from across this Bank Holiday weekend, we have a string of intriguing affairs that are on the cards. So, for those of you looking to place a Sunday flutter, we have found a few tips that offer great value.
Sunday May 7th
BST 11:30 Atalanta vs Juventus
Putting in another action-packed display earlier in the week as they claimed a 3-2 victory at home against Spezia, Atalanta have continued on a real Serie A purple patch since returning from March’s international break. Now sat just two points adrift of breaking back into the top-four and with their sights firmly set on punching a Champions League ticket, Gian Piero Gasperini’s men have won each of their last three top-flight appearances. With their recent flurry highlighted by a stell…
Neymar was due to have the protective boot on his right foot removed on Thursday after receiving reassuring results from tests on his ankle injury.
The Paris-Saint Germany forward underwent season-ending surgery last month after suffering ligament damage during a 4-3 Ligue 1 win over Lille.
PSG revealed Neymar is expected to be sidelined for three to four months.
The Ligue 1 leaders on Thursday provided a positive update on the 31-year-old s recovering.
A statement released by the club said: Neymar Jr has returned to the Training Centre, with the members of Paris Saint-Germain s medical staff and the surgeons who operated on him proceeding with the removal of his protective boot today.
After receiving reassuring results from his tests, the player…
Jose Mourinho has insisted he is happy with his striker options at Tottenham amid speculation linking the club with a move for Southampton star Danny Ings.
Ings is reportedly a top target for Spurs with his contract due to expire in 18 months and the England international seeking Champions League football.
Mourinho was adamant he would not directly respond to questions about Ings given he is employed by another club.
But the Spurs boss is happy with his options at centre-forward, which include on-loan Benfica forward Carlos Vinicius.
Let s go bit by bit, Mourinho said.
[We have] two strikers, we are not a team that needs a third striker because the third striker is Sonny [Son Heung-min].
Of course we have the best [Harry Kane] and we …
Carlo Ancelotti claimed referee Mario Melero Lopez invented a decision to award Girona a penalty after Real Madrid were held to a 1-1 draw.
Los Blancos moved back above Barcelona to the top of the table but dropped points for only the second time in LaLiga this season.
Vinicius Junior put the champions in front in the 70th minute at the Santiago Bernabeu on Sunday, but Cristhian Stuani equalised from the spot 10 minutes later.
Referee Melero Lopez adjudged Marco Asensio handled in the box after a VAR check and there was more late drama, with Rodrygo having a goal disallowed as Paulo Gazzaniga was deemed to have had control of the ball with one hand when the forward poked it into the back of the net.
Toni Kroos was then sent off for the first time in his c…
Continuity is key for Julian Nagelsmann, as the Germany head coach revealed he would make minimal changes for their Nations League encounter with the Netherlands.
Nagelsmann, who watched on as his side swept aside Hungary 5-0 last week, confirmed he will be without Euro 2024 hero Niclas Fullkrug, though.
The 31-year-old scored two goals at the European Championships and was again on target for the Nationalelf in their Nations League opener.
Fullkrug was replaced in the 60th minute by Maximilian Beier, registering an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.11 to Germany s 3.71 total against Hungary.
However, Nagelsmann confirmed the West Ham United striker suffered an Achilles tendon injury that will rule him out of Tuesday s fixture in Amsterdam.
It is…
Hansi Flick says there is still room for Mario Gotze and Mats Hummels to force their way into his Qatar 2022 World Cup thinking after they were omitted from Germany s final pre-tournament squad.
The duo were the headline absentees for September s final Nations League group stage games against Hungary and England, while Southampton defender Armel Bella-Kotchap earned his first call-up.
With Germany s World Cup opener against Japan just over two months away, Gotze – scorer of the winning goal in the 2014 World Cup final – and Hummels are facing a race to make the cut.
But head coach Flick stressed there remains time for players to prove their worth as he referenced Gotze s impressive performances for Eintracht Frankfurt.
The coaching team are …
Brazil forward Rodrygo has signed a new deal with Real Madrid to keep him at the club until 2028.
The 22-year-old has made 179 appearances in all competitions for Real since joining from Santos in 2019 and it has been reported his new contract has a one billion euros release clause.
The club said in a statement: “Real Madrid C.F. and Rodrygo have agreed a contract extension for the player, who will remain at the club until 30 June 2028.”
Official Announcement: Rodrygo signs extension until 2028. |
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
Rodrygo, capped 18 times by Brazil, has scored 39 goals during five seasons in Real’s first team, including two in last season’s 2-1 Copa del Rey final win against Sevilla.
He has won seven other maj…
Plans to found a European Super League are purely about money and the breakaway competition would cause smaller clubs to disappear if it ever came into being.
That is the view of Shakhtar Donetsk chief executive Serhiy Palkin, who believes the vast majority of European clubs are united in their support for UEFA.
The threat of a Super League has never fully gone away despite fierce fan and media opposition causing the competition s attempted 2021 launch to fail in spectacular fashion.
Real Madrid and Barcelona remain committed to the project, and in late 2022, A22 Sports Management was enlisted to oversee its revival, with a plan for a three-tier competition featuring promotion and relegation with no permanent members made public last year.
Those plans we…