Goncalo Ramos is unsure if he will be picked ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo again in Portugal s World Cup quarter-final after a last-16 experience beyond his wildest dreams .
The Benfica striker was a surprise choice from the start in Tuesday s game against Switzerland but justified his selection by hitting a hat-trick in a 6-1 rout.
The pre-match focus was on Ronaldo s demotion to the bench, but Ramos hogged the limelight once the match kicked off.
Even starting seemed improbable for the 21-year-old, who made his international debut in November, let alone scoring three times.
Not even in my wildest dreams I thought of being in the starting eleven in the knockout stages of the World Cup, Ramos said, but he does not know if he will keep his place for a last-e…
Fulham are interested in signing Franck Kessie from Barcelona in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the Premier League club are competing with Tottenham Hotspur, Aston Villa, Napoli and Inter Milan for the services of the midfielder.
Kessie has struggled to make a huge impact at Barcelona since his move on a free transfer in the summer of 2022 following his departure from AC Milan at the end of last season.. The 25-year-old Ivory Coast international midfielder has had injury problems and has not been at his best at Camp Nou in the first half of the season.
The former Atalanta star has made three starts and three substitute appearances in the UEFA Champions League for Barcelona so far this season, scoring one goal in the process. Kess…
Swindon Town manager Mark Cooper is excited at the prospect of pitting his wits against Jose Mourinho in the League Cup on Tuesday.
The League One outfit came through a first-round tie with Torquay United, before being rewarded for an impressive 2-0 success away at Queens Park Rangers with a third-round home draw against Chelsea.
And Cooper, who replaced Kevin MacDonald in charge at the County Ground last month, is relishing the chance for his side to take on such high-quality opposition.
It s another fantastic test for the players, the 44-year-old said.
It’s great for the club, I m sure it will be a full house. It will be all about the players and the club and the fans.
We ll prepare the best we can but we ll have to prepare to play against some of the b…
Villarreal forward Alexander Sorloth struck four times in 17 minutes to help his side fight back and snatch a 4-4 home draw against LaLiga champions Real Madrid on Sunday.
Madrid opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Turkey youngster Arda Guler slotted home a low strike off a Brahim Diaz pass before Joselu doubled the lead with a close-range header on the half-hour mark.
Sorloth pulled one back for Villarreal with a towering header in the 39th minute, but Lucas Vazquez restored Madrid s two-goal advantage a minute later, before Guler made it 4-1 in the final seconds of the first half.
But the hosts rallied after the break, with Sorloth scoring three goals in eight minutes, between the 48th and 56th minutes, as he reached 23 league goals this season – the m…
Seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt virtually confirmed their place in the 2017 finals with a 1-0 home win against Nigeria, who now cannot qualify.
Their defeat, sealed by Ramadan Sobhy s goal, means Nigeria are out after the withdrawal of Chad had a major impact on Group G.
As long as Egypt do not lose 3-0 to Tanzania, the Pharaohs will be at the finals in Gabon, for what would be their first appearance since winning the tournament for the third time in a row in 2010.
Youssef El-Arabi scored both goals as Morocco confirmed their spot at the finals, becoming the first team to qualify, with a 2-0 home victory against 10-man Cape Verde.
Morocco had been banned from the tournament after they did not host the event in 2015, but won the appeal aga…
Monterrey have parted ways Victor Vucetich, despite the manager guiding the team to three consecutive CONCACAF Champions League titles.
The 58-year-old has paid the price for a slow start to the Liga MX Apertura season, with the side taking just six points from their first seven matches.
Vucetich took charge of the Mexican outfit in 2009, and has also led the side to two domestic titles to go with their successes in the Champions League.
But a 3-1 defeat away to Leon on Saturday sealed his fate, with the club opting to take a new direction.
We made the decision as an institution to have a change in coaching, and from this day Mr Victor Manuel Vucetich and his team no longer belong to our institution, club president Jose Gonzalez Ornelas said.
There have bee…
Competition: DFB-Pokal
Market: Bayern to win against Dortmund
Odds:
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund lock horns in the DFB-Pokal final for the third time in five seasons, and Bayern are hoping to claw back their trophy from holders Vfl Wolfsburg with a win over their long-standing rivals.
Bayern beat Werder Bremen in the semi-final to make it to their sixth final in eight years, and face a Dortmund side who just cannot get the better of their rivals in any competition of late. Bayern took four points off Thomas Tuchel’s side in their two league meetings, and beat them in their previous two cup final clashes.
Coming off the back of eight wins from their last nine league games, Bayern have momentum ahead of their cup final, and will give manager P…
When Barcelona agreed the deal to sign Neymar from Santos in 2013, the fans of the Brazilian club were distraught at losing the star who had brought them the 2011 Copa Libertadores, three Campeonato Paulista titles and Copa do Brasil glory in 2010.
Gabriel Barbosa nicknamed Gabigol due to his prolific record in the youth ranks was tipped as his natural heir, the club buying into his potential by handing him his debut on the same day Neymar bid farewell – a 0-0 draw against Flamengo in May 2013.
Despite the expectation on his shoulders, Gabriel has since blossomed into an instinctive, technically gifted striker – another success story of a youth academy that has helped produced the likes of Pele, Clodoaldo, Diego and Robinho.
The Santos forward is a diffe…
Australia coach Ange Postecoglou has brushed off yet more scrutiny about his future and cleared Tim Cahill to play against Honduras in their decisive World Cup qualifying showdown on Wednesday.
The Socceroos earned a valuable 0-0 draw and were unfortunate not to score at least one away goal in the first leg of the inter-confederation play-off in San Pedro Sula last week.
The fate of the two teams will come down to a tense encounter at Sydney s ANZ Stadium, as Australia attempt to reach their fourth successive World Cup finals.
But Postecoglou s uncertain situation has threatened to overshadow the team s preparations in recent months, with the 2015 Asian Cup-winning coach reportedly considering an exit regardless of whether his team advances.
Addressing…
Paris Saint-Germain will be out to extend their lead at the top of the Ligue 1 table when they welcome Nice to the Parc des Princes.
Laurent Blanc s men have not lost a home league game since November 2012 and sit in a commanding position at the top of the table following their 4-0 rout of Lorient last Friday.
PSG are two points clear of nearest challengers Lille, who moved ahead of Monaco in the table after dealing the big-spending principality club their first defeat of the campaign.
Despite their underwhelming 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, the defending champions should be confident of cementing their position at the top of the division.
Nice s last victory in the capital came back in 2009, and Claude Puel s side will need t…