(Football news) Wales forward Gareth Bale confirmed his move to Los Angeles FC (LAFC) in the MLS following his departure from the La Liga champions Real Madrid. The 32-year-old signed for the Spanish giants from Tottenham Hotspur in 2013 for a then-record transfer fee of €105 million and is now set to join as a free agent with his contract expiring on 1st July.

Bale enjoyed a trophy-laden time with Real as he won three La Liga titles, five Champions League crowns, three Club World Cups and the Spanish Cup, although later on in his Real career he was marred with injuries. The Welshman will likely be remembered for many moments such as scoring twice, including a stunning overhead kick, in the 2018 Champions League final against Liverpool and also netting a superb goal which turned out be the winning goal against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey final. The Spanish media often labelled him as a “parasite” after he missed Real’s 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in March but he subsequently appeared for Wales and he was jeered and booed by fans during a La Liga game in April.

Bale is one of the most dynamic attacking players of this generation when healthy. He went on to score 106 goals in 258 appearances for Real but he made only seven appearances for the 14 time European champions this past season after struggling with several injuries. Bale also went on a season-long loan to Tottenham last season where he showed a glimpse of his talent, scoring 16 goals in 34 appearances.

Bale is still showing his class as he has led Wales to their first World Cup finals since 1958 when they beat Ukraine 1-0 in their playoff in Cardiff earlier this month. He will now join Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini who signed for LAFC this month after his departure from Juventus. The transfer window in the US opens on July 7, with the reports claiming that Bale and Chiellini could make their debuts against local rivals LA Galaxy. LAFC have by far the best squad in the league as they look to win their first MLS Cup this year. They are already top of the West Conference Standings, riding on the brilliance of their talisman Carlos Vela. Bale would be hoping he stays fit and gets some much needed game time before the World Cup begins in late November.

Also read: West Ham make an offer to free agent Jesse Lingard

(Football news) Italy have had a rough couple of matches recently. After failing to qualify for the World Cup for the 2nd time in a row they were completely destroyed in the Finalissima by Argentina. It has been shocking in many ways as it's not even a year since Italy won the Euros. Germany on the other hand have had some failures at big tournaments. Now under Hansi Flick they are going through a rebuild of sorts. The two teams along with England and Hungary will be fighting for a spot in the Nations League finals essentially making it the group of death. 

After a terrible performance against Argentina, Roberto Mancini is expected to make a few changes. Giorgio Chiellini's international retirement means that Leonardo Bonucci will have a new defensive partner. Marco Verratti could return to the line-up after recovering from his injury. As for Germany, Marc Andre Ter Stegan, Matt Hummels and Julian Draxler aren't even in the squad. Thomas Muller should start the game along with club teammates Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry. Chelsea duo Timo Werner and Kai Havertz will also be in contention to start while Marco Reus is a doubt due to fitness issues.

Italy possible starting XI:

Donnarumma; Di Lorenzo, Bonucci, Bastoni, Biraghi; Barella, Verratti, Tonali; Bernardeschi, Belotti, Insigne

Germany possible starting XI:

Neuer; Kehrer, Rudiger, Schlotterbeck, Raum; Kimmich, Musiala; Gnabry, Muller, Sane; Werner

The key battle is going to be in the midfield between Joshua Kimmich and Marco Verratti. The winner of this battle is likely to lead their side to victory. The match will feature two of the best keepers in the world as both Manuel Neuer and Gianluigi Donnarumma are very important for their respective teams. The pace of Germany on the counter attack is going to be a huge problem for Italy and their fullbacks will have to be extremely cautious with their approach. 

Also read: A day full of surprises in the UEFA Nations League

(Football news) Los Angeles FC are on the verge of finalising a deal to bring veteran Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini to Major League Soccer. The deal still hasn’t been signed between LAFC and Chiellini, as the Italian is leaving Juventus after 17 decorated seasons with numerous league titles under his name. LAFC hopes to finalise the deal later this week as they need his experience in the club, considering they are the top of thel MLS standings with 29 points (9-3-2) at the international break and will like to remain there.

The 37-year-old Chiellini bid farewell to Juventus fans in mid-May as the longtime club captain’s career included nine consecutive Serie A championships from 2012-20, along with five Italian Cups. The dependable centre back also retired from the Italian national team, as he played his final match on Wednesday night against Argentina at Wembley Stadium in London, where Italy lost the match 3-0. He finishes his international career with 117 matches for Italy, more than all but four players in the Azzurri's history.Chiellini played in more matches for Juventus than any player except Alessandro Del Piero and Gianluigi Buffon. The three were teammates from 2005-12, and now the retired Del Piero lives part-time in Los Angeles, where he owns the fashionable Italian restaurant N10 and Chiellini looks set to give him company in LA.

Since LAFC started playing as a second team in 2018, it hasn’t often followed the well-worn path of its crosstown rivals with the LA Galaxy in signing football superstars on the back end of their careers. Instead, LAFC has built its roster around Mexican striker Carlos Vela, who was still in his prime, with a supporting cast largely filled with younger talents particularly from South America. With Chiellini, it offers them an opportunity to add top-end talent on LAFC’s back line, which has been terrific all season and with Chiellini’s imminent arrival we can expect them to be defensively very strong. LAFC are performing well under first year coach Cherundolo, whose game is based upon defence stability as this season LAFC have yielded just 16 goals while scoring a league-high 29.

Also read: Argentina dismantle Verratti-less Italy to lift the Finalissima trophy

(Football news) Copa America winners Argentina defeated Euro winners Italy 3-0 to claim the Finalissima trophy. Italy were well and truly outplayed by Lionel Messi and company at the Wembley stadium. Italy didn't create a single clear goalscoring chance while Argentina were on their A game for the entire 90 minutes. The Finalissima as a whole can be considered a success which should make it a regular occurrence with the next one set to be in 2025. This was Italian captain Giorgio Chiellini's last game for his country as he announced his retirement before the clash. An injury kept Marco Verratti out of the team which ended up costing Italy a lot.

Italy had a couple of decent chances in the early minutes of the first half. Argentina found their feet little by little and got the first goal via Lautaro Martinez. Lionel Messi after a fantastic run set it up on a plate for Martinez. In injury time of the first half, Martinez played a inch perfect through ball to Angel Di Maria who out paced Chiellini before chipping Gianluigi Donnarumma to double Argentina's lead. Chiellini's last international game didn't go to plan as he was subbed off at half time along with two others. Roberto Mancini tried to turn things around but Argentina were just too good. The South American team had so many chances to make it three but the European champions held on. Paulo Dybala got the 3rd goal with the last kick of the game.

This generation of Argentina has somewhat underperformed at big tournaments but things have changed. The main thing that has changed is the workrate of these players has been incredible and the defense is more solid than ever. Argentina has put the world on notice that they are amongst the favorites for the Qatar World Cup. Messi now has two international trophies in his cabinet which is the same as his long term rival Cristiano Ronaldo. It was another heartbreak for Italy who now desperately need a rebuild. The UEFA Nations League presents them with a good opportunity to start the process. 

Also read: Bayern Munich announce Corentin Tolisso's departure

(Football news) Juventus lost a 2-0 lead as they drew 2-2 to Lazio in what was Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala’s last home game for the club. Juventus were already assured of a fourth-placed finish this season. The Turin based club took the game to Lazio with the pressure off, as they raced into a 10th-minute lead after Dusan Vlahovic's flying header found the net. Juve veteran Chiellini was taken off early and was given a standing ovation by fans in what will be his last home game before he leaves the club to go to the MLS after spending almost 18 years in Turin.

Alvaro Morata then doubled Juve's lead in the 36th minute as they looked to end their final home game with an easy victory and on course to give their supporters something to cheer after a disappointing season. Juve then took the foot off the gas in the second half as Alex Sandro's own goal six minutes after the halftime break gave Lazio a hope of getting something from the match. The visitors themselves looked very lackluster as they did not look like they had another goal in them, with Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri taking Dybala off to allow him his moment of applause before he too leaves the club for most probably Inter, couldn’t hold back his tears as he soaked in the applause from Juve home crowd. Milinkovic-Savic had the final laugh with virtually the last kick of the game to ensure Lazio in fifth cannot be caught by Fiorentina in seventh, so Europa League football awaits them next season.

"Tonight was a wonderful evening, full of emotions," Allegri told reporters. "The evening of Chiellini and Dybala.

"A few videos of Chiellini should be sent to our training ground to show how he applies himself. On a personal and human level, he also helped me a lot when I arrived at Juventus. He introduced me to Juventus.

"Dybala was an important player for seven years, I raised him because he was a child and the fans gave him a well-deserved tribute. It would have been nice to finish with a win for them, but tonight's game sums up our year -- we need to get used to winning again."

Also read: Matthijs de Ligt to extend Juventus contract amid Man United links
 

(Football news) Juventus for the 2nd season in a row have finished 4th in the Serie A. It is very clear now that the club needs a rebuild of sorts. The departures of Giorgio Chiellini and Paulo Dybala have been confirmed while several top players have been linked with the club. A big part of the next project is Matthijs de Ligt. The Dutch center back is expected to be at the center of the new Juventus generation now that Chiellini is gone. De Ligt, whose current contract ends in 2024, is in talks to extend his contract till 2026.

After Erik ten Hag, who was De Ligt's former manager at Ajax joined Manchester United, there were several reports linking the Dutch international with a move to Old Trafford. After the departure of Chiellini, Juventus simply can't afford to lose De Ligt. It's been nearly 3 years since the Bianconeri spent €75 million on the defender. At such a young age he had already been the Ajax club captain for a year and came in with a huge reputation. His career at Juventus hasn't been great so far by any means. He has been down in the pecking order at times due to his clumsiness. Recently after regularly starting games the defender has shown his quality. De Ligt is only 22 years old and has a potential which should make him untouchable as far as Juventus are concerned.

As for Manchester United, they desperately need a solid center back in the squad. The massive drop in Harry Maguire's form and the struggles of Raphael Varane to cope with a new environment is one of the main reasons for United's downfall. De Ligt would be a perfect signing for them but his current contract talks with Juventus is not good news for them. De Ligt's priority will be to play regular football at a club which has a good project. At Juventus the Dutchman is definitely a candidate to take over the captaincy in the future which will be a part of his long term goal. Young Ajax center back Jurrien Timber has also been linked with Manchester United and will be a much cheaper option.

Also read: Paulo Dybala pens emotional letter confirming surprising Juventus exit

(Football news) Manchester City unveiled a statue of Sergio Aguero on the 10th anniversary of his title winning goal, completing a 3-2 comeback over Queen’s Park Rangers on the final day of the season. The goal resulted in City winning their first title in 44 years over bitter rivals Manchester United and Aguero’s statue has now joined David Silva and Vincent Kompany on the East Side of the Etihad Stadium.

Speaking at the statue’s unveiling, Aguero said “It's fantastic! I'm very happy about it, it's special. That moment changed my life, the club, everything. The best moment in my life. It will always be in my heart. We don't know what would have happened if we lost the Premier League that year.”

The Argentine scored 257 goals in 384 appearances for City, becoming the club’s record goalscorer and won five Premier League titles, six League Cups and an FA Cup. If that’s not all, the Argentine is also the highest scoring overseas player in the Premier League era and has the best goals-per-minute ratio in the competition's history. 

Aguero added “That year changed everything because the next year we started winning more titles. Truthfully, it is a very beautiful thing for me, to see myself 10 years ago is very moving. In those 10 years, I was able to win a lot of trophies and was able to help the club become one of the most important in the world. I am very grateful to the club for making this statue in recognition of my football career in Manchester. It is something very special." 

Manchester City's chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak added: "Sergio Aguero's contribution to Manchester City in a defining era for the club cannot be overstated. He is without doubt one of the greatest players that has ever played the game. When our fans think of Sergio, they are immediately drawn to the iconic moment of 93:20 and the goal that secured the club's first league title in 44 years, but as his record of 260 goals for the club demonstrates, his legacy and impact at Manchester City go far beyond that. It is only fitting that Sergio has been recognised with a statue of his own, in celebration and honour of his accomplishments in one of the most important chapters of Manchester City's rich and long history." 

Also read: Giorgio Chiellini set for MLS switch after 18 years with Juventus

(Football news) Juventus on Wednesday lost 4-2 against Inter Milan at the end of extra time in the Coppa Italia final. The loss meant that Juventus will end the season without a single piece of silverware. After the game, captain Giorgio Chiellini confirmed that he will be leaving the club after 18 years. The Italian is likely to go to the MLS, bringing an end to his incredible career at Juventus.

Giorgio Chiellini joined Juventus at the age of 20 and has worked his way up to a legendary status at the club. He is a part of one of the best defence quartets in the world along with Leonardo Bonucci, Andrea Barzagli and Gianluigi Buffon. In his career at Juventus, Chiellini has seen everything from a relegation to Serie B to 9 consecutive Serie A wins. He has been with the club through thick and thin but both parties have now decided that it is time to move on. Individually the Italian has been a part of the Serie A team of the season 5 times and has won the Serie A defender of the year award 3 times. He was a part of the UEFA team of the year in 2017 and the France football World XI in 2015.

Chiellini is widely considered as one of the greatest defenders of his generation. He led the Italian side to a victory in the Euros last year, showing that even at the age of 36 he still had that quality. One of things he hasn't been able to achieve is the UEFA Champions League winners medal despite reaching the finals twice. Known for his aggressive defensive ability and courage; the Italian is possibly one of the last of his kind. Football doesn't produce defenders like Chiellini very often these days. It will be tough for Juventus to replace the great man but Merih Demiral, Matthijs de Ligt and Daniele Rugani will be fighting for his spot.

Also read: Benzema equals Raul to become the 2nd top goalscorer for Real Madrid

(Football news) Giorgio Chiellini is set to retire from international football after Italy’s friendly against Argentina in June. Having made 116 appearances for Italy, the 37 year old defender was part of the team that failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Speaking after Juventus’ 2-1 win against Sassuolo, Chiellini said “I'll say goodbye to the national team at Wembley. Where I experienced the pinnacle of my career winning the Euros. I'd like to say goodbye to the Azzurri with a nice memory. That will certainly be my last game with Italy.”

Chiellini made his debut for Italy in 2004 and was central to the national team’s famous Euro 2020 victory against England on penalties. Alongside Andrea Pirlo, Chiellini is joint fifth in the list of Italy’s most capped players with only Daniele de Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Fabio Cannavaro and Gianluigi Buffon making more appearances. 

Despite his decision to retire from international football, Chiellini is expected to continue in his role for Juventus. The Italian defender said “My love affair with Juventus is not ending, it will never end. Of course, from now to the end of the season I do have to evaluate everything, and talk to my family about what is best. Let's reach fourth place [in Serie A] first and win the Coppa Italia, then we'll sit down with my two families - at home and Juventus - to figure out what is best for everyone. It was the same last summer, I took time and didn't sign the new contract until after the Euros. At my age, you can't look too far into the long-term, but that's only natural, it's all fine."

Also read: Leeds go five points clear of relegation zone with draw against Palace

(Football news) Inter Milan edged out Juventus 1-0 after a controversial penalty gave the Nerazzurri an important victory in a bid to regain their Scudetto. Juve wasted a number of  chances in the opening minutes with Giorgio Chiellini guilty of missing the most glaring opportunity of them and his subsequent error led to Inter earning a penalty in first-half stoppage time following a VAR review. The home side were left furious with the decision, but felt justice was done when Wojciech Szczesny saved Hakan Calhanoglu's penalty, only for the referee to disallow the save and retake the penalty, which the Turkish midfielder converted to give Inter the lead.

The goal did not change the balance of play as both Paulo Dybala and Dusan Vlahovic went close to an equaliser in the second half, before Samir Handanovic made a brilliant save off Denis Zakaria's strike onto the post. It remained one-way traffic as Juve had 23 shots at goal to Inter's five, but could not make the pressure pay, as the visitors defended well and held on to seal all three points. This was Juve's first league defeat since November and now leaves them on 59 points in fourth in the standings, four points behind Inter in third, with the champions now three behind leaders AC Milan.

Inzaghi said “I honestly feel little pressure because I’m further ahead of what I was aiming for in terms of results and trophies.It’s normal for Inter to be under pressure after failing to get results over the last few games,” he added, “but we’ve missed important players in the last few games Now we’re right back in it to chase, some will say that we are still favourites but we have not won here at the Allianz Stadium for eleven years. We haven’t done anything yet,” 

Inzaghi said, “this is a moment that must give us confidence in our pursuit of Napoli and Milan.” 

On the penalty that his team scored the only goal of the match from, the coach said, “Yes it was, and then Calhanoglu also scored a goal after, the penalty shouldn’t have needed to be retaken because there was nothing in it.” 

Inzaghi said that Honestly “there were few difficulties, when they hit the crossbar there had been a foul on Handanovic.In the second half there was an opportunity for Zakaria but then the guys allowed Juve little and we know how strong a team they are.”

Napoli produced a clinical performance to beat Atalanta 3-1, a win which sees them level on points with AC Milan at the top of the Serie A standings. Atalanta had all the majority of the first-half openings but found themselves 2-0 down at halftime when Lorenzo Insigne's penalty and Matteo Politano's fine finish put the visitors well on course for an easy victory. In the second half, Atalanta kept coming forward and deservedly got themselves back into the contest with a 58th minute header from Marten de Roon, but with several other chances having come and gone as they couldn’t find a equaliser

With Atalanta  committing bodies forward to find the elusive equaliser, title-chasing Napoli put the game to bed nine minutes from time as Elif Elmas scored from a well-worked counter attack. Napoli celebrated this victory at the final whistle as they joined AC Milan on 66 points at the top of the standings, although AC Milan will face Bologna today, which can see them get their three point lead back. Luciano Spalletti's Napoli will look to make history by winning their first Scudetto since 1990. The defeat meant that Atalanta's top four hopes were extinguished, with Gian Piero Gasperini's team remaining in sixth spot and eight points behind fourth-placed Juventus.

Spalletti after the match said “We have made some steps forward, especially in terms of character, Today we showed that we are a top-level team against a team that is difficult to face.There is still a long way to go (in the title race), we will see how many games we will win like this. We must not let our guard down."

The other results were:

• Spezia 1 (Gyasi) - 0 Venezia
• Lazio 2 (Lazzari, Milinkovic Savic) - 1 Sassuolo (Traoré)
• Salernitana 0 - 1 Torino (Bellotti)
• Fiorentina 1 (Gonzalez) - 0 Empoli
• Udinese 5 (Becao, Beto x3, Moina) - 1 Cagliari (Pedro)
• Sampdoria 0 - 1 AS Roma (Mkhitaryan)

Also read: Who are the potential candidates for Man Utd’s managerial position?
 

(Football news) Reigning European champions Italy failed to qualify for their second consecutive World Cup after losing 1-0 at home to North Macedonia, thanks to a second half stoppage time goal by Aleksandar Trajkovski. Four years ago, when Italy didn’t qualify for the World Cup in Russia, it was the first time since 1958 that the Gli Azzurri didn’t make it to the prestigious tournament but hopes were high after their Euro 2020 victory that Roberto Mancini’s team would not only qualify but were one of the favourites to lift the coveted Jules Rimet Trophy in Qatar.

The match was held in Palermo and Italy got off to a dominant start but failed to find the back of the net. Despite 32 attempts on goal, Italy simply weren’t clinical enough and were punished in the 92nd minute when Trajkovski scored to set up a final qualifying match against Portugal for a place in the 2022 World Cup. Few would have predicted such a shocking result despite Italy missing the likes of Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini because of injuries as even the makeshift defence wasn’t troubled, especially in the first half.

Domenico Berardi had an excellent opportunity to score the opening goal after a misplaced pass by North Macedonia goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski but the Sassuolo forward's shot lacked intent and was easily saved by the goalkeeper. Ciro Immobile was also wasteful in front of goal, blasting his shot wide from a dangerous position while Berardi failed to hit the target once again. With nerves kicking in, Italy’s finishing became even more woeful and Mancini gave Joao Pedro his debut but it was North Macedonia who struck in the stoppage time against the run of play in a move which was their only meaningful opportunity throughout the match.

Speaking after the match, Italy midfielder Jorginho said “It is a huge disappointment. It hurts, it hurts so much. We have always created and dominated matches but we have not been able to finish teams off. It is not to blame anyone in particular but it is the reality. I don't know why we haven't been able to do this, I am also involved in this, and it hurts me to think about it." 

Also read: Marcelo Brozovic signs a new contract extension with Inter Milan

(Football news) 2021 was an incredible year for the Italian national team as they won the Euros in emphatic style under Roberto Mancini. The end of the year wasn't so great after they lost the UEFA Nations League semi final against Spain and two back to back draws in the World Cup qualifiers meant that they finished 2nd in their group behind Switzerland. They now have to beat North Macedonia and will have Portugal or Turkey waiting for them if they do.

North Macedonia finished 2nd in their group behind Germany and now have a chance to make it to their first ever World Cup finals. It will be a very difficult task as Italy will be at full strength and are likely to deploy the same team that won the Euros 6 months ago. The big question mark is over the fitness of veteran duo Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci who have struggled with injuries recently. Italy do have the home advantage which is massive in these circumstances.

Levante's midfielder Enis Bardhi is very crucial for North Macedonia. He will be the anchor in the centre of the park. Italy are naturally a defensive side but may have to lead the charge in this game. The Italians cannot afford to miss out on the World Cup as they failed in the playoffs last time around and hence couldn't make it to Russia. The task won't be easy but given that they are European champions and Nations League semi finalists, Italy are the favourites ahead of Portugal, Turkey and North Macedonia.

Italy Possible Starting XI:

Donnarumma; Florenzi, Bastoni, Mancini, Emerson; Jorginho, Barella, Verratti; Berardi, Immobile, Insigne.

North Macedonia Possible Starting XI:

Dimitrievski; S. Ristovski, Velkovski, Musliu, Alioski; Nikolov, Ademi, Bardhi; Churlinov, M. Ristovski, Trajkovski

Also read: Injury hit Portugal host Turkey to keep World Cup dream alive

(Football news) AC Milan despite all the setbacks last week are still on top of the Serie A standings. Having salvaged a draw in Salernitana last Saturday, the Rossoneri will play before second-placed Inter, so that they can put pressure on their rivals by beating Udinese. Last time these two met they were held to 1-1 by Udinese in December when Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored in stoppage time to rescue a point. The Rossoneri have lost just once at home to Udinese from their last 14 league meetings in Milan, so they will start as strong favourites. AC Milan, who are challenging for a first title since 2011 will need to bring out their A game as they could have taken a sizeable lead in the standings but failed to capitalise on their noisy neighbours losing points. For Milan, long term absentees Zlatan and Simone Kjaer will be unavailable as  Ismael Bennacer must serve his suspension.

Inter take on struggling Genoa as they will be looking to bounce back after their shock defeat to Sassuolo last weekend. On the other hand 19th-placed Genoa have drawn each of their last four matches and will be hoping to pull off a great escape. Simone Inzaghi's side have a game in hand, but recently their form has been very underwhelming, losing three of their past five matches across all competitions, including defeats in the Milan Derby and their crucial Champions League tie with Liverpool. Three points are needed from this fixture if they are to challenge for the Scudetto.

Inter will start as strong favourites at Marassi, they have beaten Genoa on each of their last three visits. Inter now have won each of their last seven Serie A matches against Genoa with an aggregate score of 25-0, so a lot of goals are expected in this fixture. For Inter, Simone Inzaghi will welcome back injured pair Matias Vecino and Robin Gosens as Joaquin Correa remains the player to be sidelined through injury.

Juventus take on Empoli in search of three points to help their top-four pursuit and a small slice of revenge for their defeat earlier in the season. New signings for Juventus Dusan Vlahovic and Switzerland midfielder Denis Zakaria apparently have heralded a new horizon for Juventus. Juve remain unbeaten since November and have only lost to Inter in the Supercoppa in extra time and have not been beaten in Serie A for 12 matches in a row

They are currently fourth in the standings, nine points behind leaders Milan and just three above Atalanta but they have a game in hand. Allegri will demand that they travel to Empoli with three points added to their tally given they are challenging for the Champions League positions and also make up for the dreadful start they made at the beginning of the season. For Juventus, long-term injury, Federico Chiesa and Giorgio Chiellini remain sidelined as Danilo returns after his one match domestic ban to the side.

Also read: Barca hit 4 past Napoli and Dortmund fail to qualify for the next round

The other matches are:

• Salernitana vs Bologna
• Sassuolo vs Fiorentina
• Torino vs Cagliari
• Verona vs Venezia
• Spezia vs Roma
• Lazio vs Napoli
• Atalanta vs Sampdoria
   

(Football news) Villarreal will host Juventus in the first leg of the UCL Round of 16. Villarreal return to the knockouts stage for the first time since 2009 and will have a task in hand going head to head against Juventus. Juventus haven't gone past the Round of 16 since the past two years which is something Massimiliano Allegri would like to change. 

Juventus have drawn their last two Serie A games as they sit 4th on the Serie A table. Villarreal on the other hand came into the game on the back of holding Real Madrid to a goalless draw and a thumping 4-1 victory away at Granada. Unai Emery's men are having a good season 6th in the La Liga this season. Juventus aren't the Juventus of a few years ago as they have struggled in the Serie A this season which makes the result of the tie difficult to predict.

Dusan Vlahovic will be leading the line for Juventus as it will also be his Champions League debut. The Bianconeri will be without Federico Chiesa, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Daniele Rugani while Paulo Dybala and Luca Pellegrini are doubtful. Gerard Moreno, Francis Coquelin and Ruben Pena are out of contention for Villarreal while Etienne Capoue is a doubt. 

The game will definitely see Villarreal in their usual defending deep with a low block. Right winger Samuel Chukwueze will be the key for Unai Emery on the counter attack. Juventus will have to be patient and maintain their shape as the Spanish side will be relentless with their defending. Alvaro Morata's ability in the air will be the biggest asset to Juventus as Juan Caudrado on the right and Alex Sandro on the left have the ability to whip good crosses in.

Villarreal Possible starting XI: Sergio Asenjo; Juan Foyth, Raul Albiol, Pau Torres, Alfanso Pedraza; Manu Trigueros, Etienne Capoue, Dani Parejo; Samuel Chukwueze, Alberto Moreno, Arnaut Danjuma

Juventus possible starting lineup: Wojciech Szczęsny; Juan Cuadrado, Danilo, Matthijs De Ligt, Alex Sandro; Manuel Locatelli, Denis Zakaria, Weston McKennie; Federico Bernardeschi, Alvaro Morata; Dusan Vlahovic

Also read: UCL: Defending champions Chelsea host French champions Lille in the Round of 16

(Football news) Juventus were shocked as they drew 1-1 against their city rivals Torino. Juventus' faint Serie A title hopes were further dented by local rivals Torino who fought their way back to earn a deserved draw  Andrea Belotti’s crisp volley in the second half cancelled out Matthijs de Ligt's early header as this result leaves Juve fourth in the table on 47 points after 26 games, eight behind leaders AC Milan who still have to play with bottom side Salernitana on Saturday. Atalanta, who are on 44 points after 24 games, now have the chance to leapfrog Juve when they face Fiorentina later this weekend

Massimiliano Allegri's side suffered a string of injuries as defender Daniele Rugani was injured in the warm-up and then his replacement Luca Pellegrini was also injured and taken off at halftime. To make matters worse for Juventus, Paulo Dybala had to be substituted early in the second half, this is a worrying sign for the Old Lady as injury troubles are deepening for them just four days before visiting Villarreal in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie. Juve were already missing centre backs Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci through injury, while midfielder Federico Chiesa is out for the rest of the season after tearing knee ligaments in January as Alex Sandro was playing as a makeshift centre back for them. 

Mathias De Ligt headed Juventus into an early lead in the 13th minute as he arrived at the far post to connect with a Juan Cuadrado corner. Torino, after going behind, coped well as they started becoming more illustrious with more intensity and intelligence as they went on to outplay Juve in the second half. Torino, after coming close on several occasions to score on a few occasions, finally found an equaliser when Josip Brekalo did well to keep the ball and then launched a cross into the box which Belotti converted sweetly on the volley. Torino continued to cause a lot of problems for Juventus as they tried to force a late winner but ultimately settled for a well-earned point, taking them to 33 points in 10th place.

"We had two or three chances in the first half but not many in the second, when we didn't play with as much freedom. Sometimes that can happen and at least we took a point. The draw allows us to continue the positive results we've had in the last three months," the Juve coach said.

Also read: Barcelona just about manage a draw against Napoli and Rangers thrash Dortmund

(Football news) AC Milan will look to consolidate their lead at the top of the table when they face bottom side Salernitana. February has been particularly kind to Milan as they followed up their victory in the Derby della Madonnina and then beat Lazio 4-0 as they reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals. With their talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic out of action through a long term injury, others have been stepping up for the Rossoneri as Olivier Giroud's heroics in the Milan Derby was followed by  Rafael Leao who has scored in both of their last two matches. The Portugal international has helped his club to 50 league goals already this season, at an average of two per game as he has been directly involved in five of Milan's last eight Serie A goals with three goals and two assists. Under the management of Pioli, the Rossoneri have won a remarkable 33 of their 46 away games in the league since his appointment in October 2019 so we expect Milan to win this match quite comfortably. 

Juventus take on Torino in the Turin Derby and the Old Lady are currently fourth in the Serie A table as they are nine points behind leaders AC Milan, while Torino occupy 10th position, boasting 32 points from their opening 24 matches. Juventus stretched their unbeaten run to 11 Serie A games as they scored a last-gasp equaliser against Atalanta BC last weekend. Juventus have won three of their last five matches in the league but still have a long way to go to catch the leaders and pull themselves into title contention heading into the final straight of the season. Juventus have won 74 of their previous 153 meetings in the League against their city rivals Torino and they won the reserved fixture 1-0 back in October. 

On the other hand, Torino have not actually beaten Juventus since a 2-1 home success in April 2015, while the last time Torino won at the Allianz Stadium was back in the 1994-95 Serie A season, which gives us an indication how Juventus have dominated this fixture. Torino have been in the Serie A for the last 10 seasons, but they have finished 16th and 17th in their last two campaigns but this season they have been performing really well. For Juventus, Giorgio Chiellini, Federico Bernardeschi and Federico Chiesa remain injured. For Torino, Tommaso Pobega, Dennis Praet and Mohamed Fares will miss the match through injury.

Inter take on the giant killers Sassuolo who over the recent years have been beating the top six teams regularly and often tend to derail their seasons. Inter after their disappointing loss to Liverpool in the Champions League will look to bounce back especially after they haven’t won in their last three fixtures, they can’t afford any more slip ups as AC Milan are on top of the table. Sassuolo on the other hand will look to get some points back after some disappointing results over the past weeks but usually they tend to bring out their A game against the big teams, they should have won against AS Roma last week but a last minute equaliser from Cristante spoilt the result in what was very good performance from them.

Also read: Premier League’s top clubs look to secure wins in race for top four

The other fixtures are:

• Sampdoria vs Empoli
• Roma vs Verona
• Fiorentina vs Atalanta
• Venezia vs Genoa 
• Udinese vs Lazio
• Cagliari vs Napoli
   

(Football news) The league leaders Inter take on Bologna in their first match of the new year as Simone Inzaghi’s side will hope to continue their relentless form. Scudetto holders Inter Milan seek to start the new year in the same way 2021 ended, as they aim to extend a seven-match winning streak at the Renato Dall’Ara. Crowned 'Winter Champions' just before the mid-season break, the Nerazzurri have been relentless since their last league loss back in October as they head into the clash as clear favourites. Inzaghi took over the squad and have made them subsequently better as the first half of the current campaign suggests he has even managed to improve on Antonio Conte's impressive last season stats as well. Last year, Inter became the first team to have netted more than 100 Serie A goals since 1950 and won a total of 19 home league games in 2021 shows how dominating Inter have been last year.

For Inter, Edin Dezko will be out for the game as he has to self isolate himself due Covid, other than that most of the squad looks fit and firing. Joaquin Correa and Alexis Sanchez will take place to form an all-South American front two with 11-goal top scorer Lautaro Martinez, while the suspension of Hakan Calhanoglu will mean that either of Stefano Sensi, Roberto Gagliardini, Arturo Vidal and Matias Vecino might start in the number 10 role.

AC Milan are playing catch up after their best start in almost a decade as they take on Jose Mourinho’s AS Roma. Inconsistency crept into the AC Milan squad just before the international break as the Rossoneri lost pace to their city rivals Inter while AS Roma have won two of their last three games in 2021 to hang onto sixth in the standings. In 2021 the Rossoneri led the pack as 'Winter Champions' before losing pace at the top, Pioli will hope his young and experienced squad are able to reverse their fortunes. With their win in Tuscany, Milan became only the second team in Serie A history to achieve at least 17 away victories in a calendar year, but ahead of Roma's visit this week, their home record is just the seventh-best in the division. 

The Rossoneri have lost two of their last three home games in the top flight - as many as they had suffered in their previous 13 matches and will hope the new year brings better luck for them In 2021 Roma lost a total of 12 away games in Serie A, and only in both 1949 and 1950 have they suffered more in a calendar year. Mourinho will be determined for a more positive outcome and hopefully win away from home.

For AC Milan Ismael Bennacer, Franck Kessie and Fode Ballo-Toure are all representing their countries at the Africa Nations Cup. Midfielders Ebrima Darboe and Amadou Diawara are both on Africa Cup of Nations duty for AS Roma as they will welcome back their talisman Lorenzo Pelligrini back into the starting lineup.

The match of the week is when Napoli travel to Turin to face Juventus as both teams are separated by just two places and five points in the Serie A standings. Allegri's men sit 12 points behind the league leaders in Serie A because of their lack of incision in the final third. Juventus are the joint lowest-scoring team in the top half of the table, even Sassuolo have scored more   as Allergri doesn’t expect any signings in the January transfer window due to financial restrictions at the club. Misfiring striker Alvaro Morata may even be on his way out of Turin in the coming weeks, but would dearly love to make an impact against Napoli

Luciano Spalletti's men have been plagued by injuries to several players which has resulted in them being defensively very poor recently as they had barely conceded a goal on the way to top of the Serie A standings in the first few weeks. Four losses came in quick succession, as they lost to Inter first was followed by defeats to Atlanta, Empoli and most frustratingly losing against relegation threatened Spezia and also slumped out of the Coppa Italia to Serie B opposition. To add to their misery their talisman Lorenzo Insigne is on his way out of the club in the summer as Spalletti might not pick him, knowing his loyalties lie somewhere else.

Also read: Serie A hits and misses for the 2021/22 mid season

For Napoli there is a mini Covid outbreak as Hirving Lozano, Kevin Malcuit, Victor Osimhen, Alex Meret and Mario Rui have been affected. Regular starters Andre-Frank Anguissa and Victor Osimhen Kalidou Koulibaly and Adam Ounas will join their respective countries for the African Cup of Nations. For Juve  Giorgio Chiellini will be unavailable after coming in contact with a covid positive player as Kaio Jorge and Luca Pellegrini are out of action due to illness.

The other fixtures are:

• Spezia vs Verona
• Sampdoria vs Cagliari
• Lazio vs Empoli
• Sassuolo vs Genoa
• Atalanta vs Torino
• Fiorentina vs Udinese
• Salernitana vs Venezia
   

(Football news) AC Milan bounced back in style as they defeated Genoa 3-0. Milan came into the game looking for an important victory after back-to-back league losses to Fiorentina and Sassuolo as they took control early when Zlatan Ibrahimovic fired home a 10th-minute free kick just before half-time as Junior Messias pounced on a deflected shot to send a looping header over Salvatore Sirigu fingertips. In the second half, Brahim Diaz teed up Messias in the box for his second goal of the game and third in two games for Milan as he neatly placed the finish into the bottom corner. Messias continues a remarkable career journey that has gone from delivering fridges to now becoming a star in Milan, he moved to Italy from Brazil in 2011 and initially managed playing amateur football with a job of delivering fridges before slowly climbing up the football ladder. With this result AC Milan moved within a point of Napoli at the top of the table as they have 35 points from 15 matches.

“Today I did the best I could. These guys make me enjoy myself and make me feel young.Unfortunately we lost the last two games but the season is still long. There are ups and downs over the years,”Ibrahimovic said.

Inter Milan continued their amazing form as they beat Spezia 2-0. The champions took a deserved lead after 36 minutes when Gagliardini met Martinez's backheel flick to sweep home a well placed finish. Inter wasted a lot of chances as Joaquin Correa rattled the underside of the crossbar before Martinez calmly dispatched his penalty in the 58th minute following a handball in the penalty box. Inter stayed on 34 points in third, one behind AC Milan in second and two behind leaders Napoli. 

“We did what we needed to, which is to win at home, but the pitch wasn't in a good state. We struggled to play our game, we hope it improves. We are fighting for important things, the pitch must be at its best." Martinez said after the match.

Juventus went back to winning ways as they won 2-0 against Salernitana, in the first half Dybala fired Juve in front in the 21st minute after his shot went in the bottom corner, but Salernitana were close to an equaliser when Luca Ranieri hit the post after the break. In the second half Juve asserted their dominance as Alvaro Morata came off the bench and doubled his side's lead by flicking a cross through the goalkeeper's legs in the 70th minute. With this result Juventus remain seventh with 24 points from 15 games, seven points away from the top four and 11 behind leaders Napoli, while Salernitana are bottom of the league with eight points.

“Juventus has given so much to all of us and there are moments in life when it is time to give back. Now we need to stay close to this club, and we will come out of it together," Juve captain Giorgio Chiellini said after the match.

Napoli couldn’t extend their lead at the top as they drew 2-2 against a spirited Sassuolo side. Luciano Spalletti's side looked set to maintain their three-point lead at the top, second-half strikes from Dries Mertens and Fabian Ruiz put Napoli in a comfortable position, but a superb goal from Gianluca Scamacca on the half volley with 19 minutes remaining put the hosts back in the game before Gian Marco Ferrari snatched a draw in the final minutes with a bullet header. Sassuolo thought they had won right at the end, in which Spalletti was sent off when Gregiore Defrel slotted home a powerful shot but the referee was called to check a Domenico Berardi foul on Amir Rrahmani as VAR ruled out the goal. With this result AC Milan are just one point behind in second and Inter Milan are two  points behind in third following their respective wins over Genoa and Spezia. 

"It would have been a shame not to draw a match that I think we played on equal footing with Napoli, we kept playing at 2-0 and we deserved to draw," said Sassuolo coach Alessio Dionisi

"He (Ruiz) is having issues as is Koulibaly ,It'll be difficult to get them back in time, but we'll see because we have good doctors here” Spalletti said after the game.

Also read: Premier League: Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea secure three points to keep title race in the balance

The other results were:

• Fiorentina 3 (Callejon, Vlahovic, Sottil) - 1 Sampdoria (Gabbiadini)
• Atalanta 4 (Pasalic x3, Koopmeiners) - 0 Venezia
• Bologna 1 (Svanberg) - 0 AS Roma
• Verona 0 - 0 Cagliari

(Football news) Juventus are set to face Atalanta in Turin with the hosts seeking to make up lost ground on their rivals. Though the Bianconeri have already qualified thanks to previous matches, they were thumped by Chelsea in the Champions League but have won both of their last two league games. The visitors sit fourth after a six-game unbeaten run. Signs of a revival for Juve are possibly emerging as over their last nine league matches, Juventus have gained 19 points one more than Atalanta and only fewer than Milan and Napoli during that period. Juventus will be bolstered by the return of captain Giorgio Chiellini and Federico Bernardeschi as Paulo Dybala can also start for the Bianconeri. For Atalanta, the injury crisis increases as wingbacks Roben Gosens and Hans Hateboer are yet to return to training.

Inter Milan are coming off two very important games against Napoli and Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League and will be looking to take that confidence against Venezia. The reigning champions seek to close the gap further to the teams at the top with a victory against Venezia. The key to their success has been a rampant attack who have barely missed Lukaku during the opening months of the season. Only Bayern Munich and Liverpool have netted more goals than Inter's 32 in the top five leagues this season so far. They have also scored in each of their last 16 league matches on the road, with their previous best streaks being 17 during 2002, and a run of 18 some 70 years ago. For Inter, Stefan De Vrij and Alexis Sanchez both remain sidelined for this fixture with a hamstring injury.

AC Milan face giant killers Sassuolo as the Rossenari will look to get back to winning ways and reclaim the lead at the top of Serie A. There are no surprises here that AC Milan are the firm favorites in head-to-head clashes, having celebrated a victory on nine occasions so far; Sassuolo have grabbed a triumph five times to this day, and the remaining two matches have ended in a draw. Their most recent game was played on April 21, 2021, when the Neroverdi surprised the Rossoneri with a late 2-1 thriller win away in Milan in the 2020/21 Serie A season. For AC Milan Zlatan will be fit for the clash as Poli will look to rotate his squad a bit after a hard fought victory over Atletico Madrid.

Current Serie A leaders Napoli take on Lazio, after enduring a tough week with defeats to Inter and Spartak Moscow in the Europa League, Spalletti’s side will be looking to bounce back against a very well drilled Lazio side. In the head to head, Napoli have won 12 of their last 16 games against Lazio in the Serie A (D1 L3), as many as in their previous 34 matches against the Biancocelesti in the Italian top-flight (D9 L13). After the defeat against Inter in the last league match, Napoli could lose two consecutive Serie A games for the first time since December 2020  on that occasion the two teams that beat them were Inter and Lazio. For Napoli, the injury crisis is increasing as the likes of Victor Osimhen are out for more then three months, along with that Zambo Anguissa, Kostas Manolas, Matteo Politano and Diego Demme are set to miss out with injury. 

Also read: UEFA Europa League: Leicester move on top of the Group after Napoli lose to Spartak Moscow, West Ham qualify for the last 16

The other fixtures are:

• Roma vs Torino
• Spezia vs Bologna
• Empoli vs Fiorentina
• Sampdoria vs Hellas Verona
• Cagliari vs Salernitana
• Udinese vs Genoa

(Football news) This will be United’s first game since the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as they face Unai Emery’s Villarreal. Manchester United have won just one match out of their last five games in all competitions and caretaker manager Michael Carrick has an uphill task to raise the spirit in the dressing room after a series of disappointing results. The Yellow Submarine haven’t had the best of starts to their domestic campaign as well, winning just 3 out of 13 La Liga matches, but the current Europa League Champions are level on points at the top with Manchester United. Carrick will know that a win against Unai Emery’s side will confirm their spot in the knockout rounds of the competition with a game to spare

For this fixture, Villarreal will be without their talisman Gerard Moreno due to a hamstring injury while Serge Aurier is ineligible to play in the Champions League, Emery is also sweating on the fitness of Arnaut Danjuma and Etienne Capoue as they missed the Celta Vigo clash midweek. For United, Paul Pogba and Raphael Varane will be unavailable through injury, Mason Greenwood is also absent having tested positive for COVID-19. Carrick is most likely going to make changes as we can expect Donny Van De Beek and Jesse Lingard  back into the playing XI to mainly bring some freshness into the team.

Michael Carrick in his press conference thanked Ole for his contribution “First of all, it’s obviously been an emotional day. Yesterday, for myself and everybody at the club. I’ve been working with Ole for three years now and have known him for an awful lot longer than that and knowing the person that he is, the values that he has and lives by and how he treats people. To see Ole unfortunately lose his job yesterday was tough for me. It was tough for a lot of people at the club. You could tell by the emotion that was around the place yesterday and what Ole meant to everyone. 

“We understand and Ole obviously understands. He said it himself, results in this business is everything. As much as you build a foundation and the right culture and treat people the right way, sometimes you don’t always get what you deserve unfortunately. I want to say a massive thank you to Ole, especially from me and the staff as well as the players because I’ve learned an awful lot from him. He taught me a lot and it’s been an absolute pleasure working with him. Sad, sad, sad day initially and I wish Ole all the very best” 

Chelsea face Juventus at Stamford Bridge, Allegri’s side have already qualified for the knockout stages as they sit three points above Chelsea. Thomas Tuchel’s side are aware that a victory or even a draw would be enough for them to qualify for the round of 16’s, but knowing Chelsea’s ambitions they would want to win this match and win the group as well. Heading into the match Juventus’ form has been topsy turvy as they won against Lazio but lost against Sassuolo and Hellas Verona and as for Chelsea their last defeat came against Juve in the reverse fixture, since then they have kept six clean sheets in eight matches. For Thomas Tuchel there could be a welcome return for both Timo Werner and Romelu Lukaku as they returned to training in recent days and for Juventus they will be without Paulo Dybala, Aaron Ramsey and Giorgio Chiellini for this fixture.

“Not sure yet (about Lukaku). He seemed okay in training yesterday, we'll see about the reaction. He has an appointment with the doctors and physios... the last minutes would be the absolute maximum Jorginho is absolutely okay. Kai (Havertz) had a hamstring problem so we took him off and we have some doubts. This is more or less the question mark," Tuchel told reporters

“We'll not risk our qualification and go all in if the situation (with Lukaku's injury) is like this, but we'll try everything to win the group and to do this, we have to win the game. We always had the options. It's on the players. When they're needed and when they have the chance to show their potential, they need to... be ready. That's life at Chelsea... this is what they do in a very impressive way," said Tuchel.

Xavi will get his first taste of Champions league football as his Barcelona side face Benfica at Camp Nou. For his first major task he needs to rescue Barca’s Champions League and qualify for the Knockout stages, Xavi knows a victory against the high flying Benfica will strengthen their second place in the group. Benfica are coming into this game after registering a huge victory against Pacos Ferreira on Saturday, they are sitting at the third position with 28 points in 11 games so far. For Barcelona, Martin Braithwaite, Pedri, Ousmane Dembele and Ansu Fati will be unavailable due to injuries as Nico Gonzalez, Oscar Mingueza and Sergio Busquets are also huge doubts. For Benfica Lucas Verissimo, Joao Mario and Nemanja Radonjic will be unavailable due to injuries. However, both Valentino Lazaro and Andre Almeida could be in contention after recovering from an injury.

Also read: Pedri becomes first Barcelona player since Lionel Messi to win the Golden Boy award

The other fixtures are:

• Dynamo Kyiv vs Bayern Munich
• Sevilla vs Wolfsburg
• Malmo vs Zenit
• Lille vs RB Salzburg
• Young Boys vs Atalanta
   

(Football news) With the international fixtures all done and dusted, Italian football is back with some mouthwatering fixtures. Juventus will hope that the international break acts like a blessing in disguise as they will want to go on a string of positive results but it won’t be easy as they face their former manager Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio. The fight at the summit of the table is intensifying, with both Napoli and AC Milan are level on points and just separated on goal difference.

Juventus face Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico with both teams sitting outside the top four as it will be an intriguing watch to see which manager comes out on top. While the fifth-placed hosts have been undermined by inconsistency, Juve trail Lazio by three points and three places in the standings after a miserable first 12 matches of the domestic campaign. For Lazio, their talisman Ciro Immobile will be sidelined for this crucial encounter as he has got a calf injury, while Pedro also might be out after spraining his ankle. For Juventus they have to be without Rodrigo Bentancur and Giorgio Chiellini, but one positive for the Juve fans is that Paulo Dybala’s injury does not seem to be serious as he can start off the bench. 

Juventus Vice-President Pavel Nedved said, “it was time to rejuvenate the squad’ at the Allianz Stadium. We aim to be competitive in Italy and Europe. We won for many years, and it was time to rejuvenate the squad  – Juventus. With the right mix of experienced players like [Gianluigi] Buffon, [Giorgio Chiellini] and [Leonardo] Bonucci, and young players like Chiesa and De Ligt.We have tried to build the present and the future of the club, with the aim of being competitive in Italy and in Europe, to continue winning.”

Fiorentina host AC Milan at the Artemio Franchi as Dusan Vlahovic comes up against his idol Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Rossoneri have won 10 of their 12 league games following a Milan derby draw, while Fiorentina have been inconsistent as they have both won and lost half of their fixtures. Milan could become the second team in Serie A history to win 16 away games in a single calendar year after Napoli racked up 18 away wins four years ago. They are also one of just two sides yet to lose a single point from a winning position in Serie A so far this term. For Fiorentina, they will be without their star defender Nikola Milenkovic as he picked up a red card against Juventus, Lorenzo Venuti and Gaetano Castrovilli are the injury concerns for La Viola. For Milan Samu Castillejo, Junior Messies and Mike Maignan are long term injuries as Theo Hernandez also looks doubtful for the clash.

Vlahovic told the broadcaster, “I certainly like Ibra more for his character and the desire to never give up . He never allowed anyone to command him, then the monstrous plays… Let’s leave it. When we lost 3-2 in Florence, I took advantage of the fact that he might not be very angry and asked him for the shirt. He signed it for me, we took a photo and wrote the dedication in our language. He told me to continue and never give up. I’m not very good at speaking when I meet an idol.”

Current Serie A leader Napoli face their tough test this season as they face Inter at the San Siro. In 34 head-to-head encounters between the two sides, the record is fairly even. Inter Milan have won 12 games, lost 13 and drawn nine. For Simone Inzaghi’s side this is an opportunity to close the gap between the runaway leaders as they can cut down the lead to 4 points if they win the fixture. For Inter they are going through a mini injury crisis with Edin Dzeko among those who looked to be out but who should be at least be available in the matchday squad, they will missing centre back Stefan De Vrij as he will be replaced by Alessandro Bastoni who apparently has recovered from his muscle injury, Lautaro Martinez is another doubt for this fixture. For Napoli, they will have Kalidou Koulibaly back following his suspension for a red card as Luciano Spaletti will have a full squad to choose from.

Also read: Serie A: AC Milan hold on for a draw against Inter as Napoli also drop points against Hellas Verona

The other fixtures are:

• Atalanta vs Spezia
• Verona vs Empoli
• Genoa vs Roma
• Bologna vs Venezia
• Sassuolo vs Cagliari
• Torino vs Udinese
   

(Football news) England secured a safe passage to Qatar 2022 as they routed San Marino 10-0, this was the first time that England hit double figures in a competitive game. England's captain Harry Kane scored all four goals in the first half including two penalties, to move his international goal tally to 48 which is tied with Gary Lineker and only five goals away from Wayne Rooney to become the country’s all time leading goal scorer. Kane finished 2021 with 16 goals for England which is also a national record for a calendar year. Goals from Harry Maguire, Emile Smith Rowe, Tyrone Mings, Tammy Abraham, Bukayo Saka and an own goal from Filippo Fabbri sealed a historic win for the three Lions. With this result England finished on top of Group I with 26 points, six points clear of second place Poland on 20 points.

"Fantastic. It came to the last game and we were expected to win tonight but we've done a good job. Fantastic to go through," the 28-year-old Kane said

England coach Gareth Southgate said, “If we left him for another half an hour, we would have had Wayne Rooney's family on the phone. He is a phenomenal goal scorer. We wanted to give him the chance tonight and he took it well. We cannot do anything about the level of opposition, but the mentality and the way they applied themselves was terrific.”

Northern Ireland produced a spirited performance against the European Champions Italy to deny them an automatic qualification spot as they drew 0-0. Now subsequently Italy will have to qualify for Qatar 2022 the hard way as they are into the playoffs, Italy knew that they had to win after Switzerland beat Bulgaria 4-0  as the Jorginho penalty miss will hurt even more. The Azzurri's were not at their usual best, they were missing captain Giorgio Chiellini, first choice striker Ciro Immobile and key midfielder Marco Verratti but Italy still had a lot of match winners on the field. The Italians hardly created any clear cut opportunities as they kept bumping against a green and white wall. With this disappointing draw Switzerland topped the group C with 18 points as Italy finished second with 16 points.

Italy coach Roberto Mancini  after the match said, “We can't do anything about it now, we have this game in March and will try to give our best. At the moment we are struggling to score goals, despite dominating possession. Northern Ireland put everyone in defence and we struggle to break sides like that down.We missed two penalties in the two key matches, that means that we had things under our control, but if you don't create chances you're going to find yourself in difficulty, I have faith, let's see in March, but we might even win it”

Switzerland against all odds stamped their ticket to Qatar 2022 after a 4-0 win against Bulgaria. In the first half, Switzerland dominated from the get go but couldn’t really score before half time but in the second half Noah Okafor converted with a header after Xherdan Shaqiri found him with a inch perfect cross, the second goal came in the 57th minute after Ruben Vargas lashed home a finish at the near post, and two late goals from Cedric Itten and Remo Freluer capped of an historical night in Lucerne. 

Shaqiri said, “It's like a dream for me in my 100th game for Switzerland," an excited Shaqiri told reporters. “I have to pay a big compliment to the team. We believed in it, we went into this match with confidence. Seldom has a day been as beautiful. We also have to say thank you to (coach) Murat Yakin”, Shaqiri said. “It was not easy for him to follow in Vladimir Petkovic's footsteps. He did a great job, the team is in excellent shape. It's fun to play with this team. A lot of players were missing, it would be nice if everyone could have been there ... we're all going to Qatar together!"

Also read: FIFA 2022 World Cup qualifiers: Portugal get shocked as Spain and Croatia qualify for next years World Cup

The other results were:

• Scotland 2 (Souttar, Che Adams) - 0 Denmark
• Austria 4 (Arnautovic x2, Trimmel, Ljubicic) - 1 Moldova (Nicolaescu)
• Poland 1 (Swiderski) - 2 Hungary (Schafer, Gazdag)
• Albania 1 (Cekici)(pen) - 0 Andorra

The fixtures for today are:

• Finland vs France
• Netherlands vs Norway
• Wales vs Belgium
• Bosnia vs Ukraine
• Czech Republic vs Estonia

(Football news) European champions Italy will face Switzerland at the Stadio Olympic on Friday with the likes of Niccolo Zaniolo, Lorenzo Pellegrini and Ciro Immobile currently injured. Roberto Mancini has already announced a strong squad for the fixture with the likes of Gianluigi Donnarumma, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Nicolo Barella, Jorginho and Lorenzo Insigne expected to feature. There is also a possibility that Lazio’s Danilo Cataldi and Torino’s Tommaso Pobega could be handed their debuts.

For Switzerland, goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, Nico Elvedi, Steven Zuber, Breel Embolo, Gregor Kobel and Granit Xhaka are currently injured while Yann Sommer, Fabian Schar, Remo Freuler and Xherdan Shaqiri are expected to feature. The two sides have met 59 times with Italy winning 29 games, 23 draws and seven losses. Roberto Mancini’s team will not just be the favourites to win this particular encounter but one of the favourites to win the World Cup in Qatar and any result apart from a win for the Gli Azzurri will be an upset.

Germany will have a lot to prove at the upcoming 2022 FIFA World Cup, having endured extremely disappointing campaigns in the 2018 World Cup in Russia and the Euros this year. However, the team looks to have found its form under coach Hansi Flick and became the first team to qualify for the Qatar World Cup with a 4-0 victory over North Macedonia. Germany will take on Liechtenstein who are currently at the bottom of Group J with only one point from eight matches so far.

Germany are in fine form, winning four out of their last four matches and have a 100% record against Liechtenstein, winning all five of the previous fixtures. Timo Werner, Florian Wirtz and Nico Schlotterbeck are currently injured while a positive COVID-19 result of Niklas Sule has resulted in Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Jamal Musiala and Karim Adeyemi to self isolate. Despite the number of absentees, Hansi Flick’s side are expected to secure all three points and maintain their impressive form in the World Cup qualifiers.

Also read: Bundesliga: Bayern on course for their 11th consecutive title after Dortmund dropped all three points to RB Leipzig


In Group B, Greece will host Spain in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, hoping to make amends after their 2-0 defeat to Sweden and are currently in third place with nine points. It’s a must win game for them if they have any hope of qualifying for the World Cup but face a tough test in Spain who have won back to back matches against Georgia and Kosovo and are currently 2nd in the group with 13 points. Luis Enrique will be hoping for a positive result as La Roja need only a point to secure qualification to Qatar and a win will ensure they go ahead of Sweden at the top of the group.

For Greece, there are no injuries but Pantelis Chatzidiakos is suspended after receiving a red card against Sweden. For Spain, Ansu Fati is currently recovering from an injury and has been replaced by Raul de Tomas. Yeremi Pino is also injured and has been replaced by Brais Mendez while Diego Llorente takes the place of Eric Garcia who is also injured. Anything less than a win will be a big blow for Greece and the home side will be under immense pressure with what’s at stake heading into the match.

Fernando Santos’ Portugal are set to face off against Republic of Ireland in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers, the Seleção das Quinas are currently 2nd in Group A behind Serbia by one point but have a game in hand and will be looking to make it count in the upcoming fixture. The last time the two teams met, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in the 89th and 96th minute to secure all three points and the 36 year old is looking in fine form for his national team, scoring a hat-trick against Luxembourg in the last match. Portugal are expected to win this fixture and it’s likely that Ronaldo will be on the scoresheet again, having already scored 11 goals in nine appearances for the national team so far.

(Football news) After losing their semi-final games, Belgium and Italy look to end the tournament on a high with a 3rd place finish. A new change in format means that the match will go straight to penalties if the scores are level at the end of 90 minutes instead of the classic 30 minutes of extra time.

Both teams lost the semis due to one bad half. Italy had a terrible first half against Spain where they conceded 2 goals and lost the game there. Belgium on the other hand gave away a 2 goal lead to concede 3 against France. Roberto Martinez and Roberto Mancini will be hoping that their respective sides go out and end the tournament well to take that momentum into the World Cup next year.

Belgium Squad

Goalkeepers: Koen Casteels, Thibaut Courtois, Simon Mignolet.

Defenders: Toby Alderweireld, Dedryck Boyata, Timothy Castagne, Jason Denayer, Thomas Foket, Jan Vertonghen.

Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne, Leander Dendoncker, Thorgan Hazard, Alexis Saelemaekers, Youri Tielemans, Hans Vanaken, Axel Witsel.

Forwards: Michy Batshuayi, Yannick Carrasco, Charles De Ketelaere, Romelu Lukaku, Dodi Lukebakio, Leandro Trossard.

Italy Squad

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alex Meret, Salvatore Sirigu.

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Giorgio Chiellini, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Emerson Palmieri, Rafael Toloi, Federico Dimarco.

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marco Verratti.

Forwards: Domenico Berardi, Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa, Moise Kean, Lorenzo Insigne, Giacomo Raspadori.

Belgium captain Eden Hazard has withdrawn from the squad after suffering yet another injury in the match against France. Leonardo Bonucci will be unavailable due to suspension after his red card against Spain. Apart from that the two teams are likely to go with the same starting XI.

This will be the first time these two sides meet since the Euro 2020 quarter-finals. Italy won that game 2-1 and were eventually crowned champions. The result could be completely different this time as Italy will be without their first choice striker and first choice centre-back.

Also read: France come back from a two goal deficit against Belgium to book a place in the UEFA Nations League final

(Football news) A 30 player shortlist was announced with Lionel Messi, who won the Copa America with Argentina favourite to be awarded his seventh Ballon D’Or with the likes of Jorginho, who won the Euro 2020 and Champions League, N’Golo Kante, Robert Lewandowski and Cristiano Ronaldo the leading contenders.

Five Chelsea players are amongst the nominees including Cesar Azpilicueta, Jorginho, Kante, Romelu Lukaku and Mason Mount. Kante was awarded the UEFA Player of the Match in the semi-final legs against Real Madrid while Lukaku enjoyed a successful domestic campaign in Italy by winning the Serie A title and Mason Mount won the Champions League with Chelsea and reached the Euro 2020 finals with England.

Premier League champions Manchester City also have five players shortlisted while Man Utd have two. Harry Kane is amongst the 13 nominated Premier League players for his successful Euro 2020 campaign while Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is also shortlisted.

Nominees

Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan), Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Ruben Dias (Manchester City), Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), Phil Foden (Manchester City), Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund), Jorginho (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham),
N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Simon Kjaer (AC Milan), Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich), Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea), Riyad Mahrez (Manchester City), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Lionel Messi (Paris Saint-Germain), Luka Modric (Real Madrid), Gerard Moreno (Villarreal), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Neymar (Paris Saint-Germain), Pedri (Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Luis Suarez (Atletico Madrid)

Also read: Germany take on Romania as England and Denmark look to consolidate their position in the 2022 World Cup

(Football news) Spain defeated 10 man Italy 2-1 in the Nations League semi final. The loss ended Italy's 37 game unbeaten streak. Spain will play the winner of France Vs Belgium for the Nations League championship while Italy will play the loser for a third place finish.

Spain started the game in classic La Roja fashion with lots of possession and patient build up. They took the lead in the 17th minute after Mikel Oyarzabal set up Ferran Torres with a beautiful cross. Italy tried getting back into the game but Spain's low block and heavy press was making life very difficult for them. Things went from bad to worse when captain Leonardo Bonucci was sent off after picking up two yellow cards in 12 minutes. His first yellow card was for dissent while his second one was for a clumsy elbow hit. Roberto Mancini decided not to bring on a centre half which ended up costing his team. Ferran Torres scored his second with a header just before half time thanks to another sublime delivery from Mikel Oyarzabal

Mancini did make the necessary change by bringing on Giorgio Cheillini. Luis Enrique's side came with the clear tactic of sitting deep and breaking on the counter. Lorenzo Pellegrini did pull back a goal in the 83rd minute but the man disadvantage proved to be too much for the Italians. Federico Chiesa was the standout player for Italy, assisting the goal after a great run from the halfway line. His work rate and pressing in particular was commendable and drew applause from the San Siro crowd.

17-year-old midfielder Gavi had a dream international debut. Enrique took a big gamble by calling up and starting Gavi who has very little first team experience with Barcelona. The youngster repaid his manager's pace by dominating the midfield. Gavi was all over the pitch with his countless challenges and intricate passing. The performance of Gavi and Torres indicates a very bright future for Spanish football and there might be a new era of dominance for La Roja once again.

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(Football news) After their triumph earlier this year, European champions Italy take on Spain in the Nations League semi final. The last time these two teams met was in the Euro semi finals where Italy won on penalties.

Squads:

Italy

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alex Meret, Salvatore Sirigu

Defenders: Francesco Acerbi, Alessandro Bastoni, Leonardo Bonucci, Giorgio Chiellini, Giovanni Di Lorenzo, Emerson Palmieri, Rafael Toloi, Federico Dimarco

Midfielders: Nicolo Barella, Bryan Cristante, Jorginho, Manuel Locatelli, Lorenzo Pellegrini, Marco Verratti 

Forwards: Domenico Berardi, Federico Bernardeschi, Federico Chiesa, Moise Kean, Lorenzo Insigne, Giacomo Raspadori

Ciro Immobile and Matteo Pessina were named in the initial squad but had to withdraw due to injury. The pair was replaced by Moise Kean and Federico Dimarco

Also read: Does Casemiro fit into Carlo Ancelotti's midfield plans for Real Madrid?

Spain

Goalkeepers: Unai Simon, David de Gea, Robert Sanchez.

Defenders: Cesar Azpilicueta, Pedro Porro, Eric Garcia, Pau Torres, Aymeric Laporte, Inigo Martinez, Sergio Reguilon, Marcos Alonso.

Midfielders: Sergio Busquets, Rodri Hernandez, Pedri, Mikel Merino, Koke, Gavi, Bryan Gill, Pablo Fornals.

Forwards: Ferran Torres, Pablo Sarabia, Mikel Oyarzabal, Yeremi Pino.

Luis Enrique once again did not name a single Real Madrid player in the squad. Eric Garcia and Pablo Sarabia are in the squad despite poor performances this season. Barcelona youngster Gavi earned a surprise maiden call up. Brahim Diaz and Marco Asensio's good start to the season wasn't enough to convince the manager. Sergio Ramos is yet to feature this season due to injury and it'll be interesting to see if the 35 year old ever plays for Spain.
Italy haven't lost any of their last 37 games. Roberto Mancini's side are in red hot form at the moment. Spain on the other hand had a good Euros with a young squad that exceeded the expectations but it is tough to see Italy lose the game. Having said that, Italy did needed penalties to beat Spain the last time. The winner of the game will face either France or Belgium in the finals while the loser will play the 3rd place match.