Prediction: Southampton vs Tottenham

Market: Middlesbrough win

Odds: 1/2 @

Looking to make an immediate return to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, Middlesbrough will welcome Reading to the Riverside.

Starting with the hosts, watching their stellar purple patch come to an abrupt end away at West Brom last weekend, Middlesbrough will be seeking an immediate response here. However, despite eventually getting hit with a 2-0 loss away at the Hawthorns, Michael Carrick s side should still find the mood in their camp at a continued high. Only continuing to shine since appointing the ex-Manchester United coach last year, Boro now find themselves sat in pole position to claim a play-off spot in 2023. Skyrocketing their way up the Championship table since returning from the World Cup s winter break, Carri…

Luis Aragones s tenure as national coach came to a glorious and deserving conclusion here on Sunday with Spain s success over Germany in the Euro 2008 final.

Approaching his 70th birthday he became the oldest coach to win the European title but he must have shed half his years as he watched captain Iker Casillas hold aloft the coveted Cup which Spain has only held in its hands once before in 1964.

Aragones had warned bleakly on the eve of the final that no one remembers who comes second well he needn t have worried as Fernando Torres s first half goal ensured the world and his wife will recall his Spanish team for many a year to come.

Back in the dark days of Spain s early qualifying campaign for Euro 2008 Aragones had tendered his resignation as coach after …

Ronald Koeman claimed he has seen a big change in his Barcelona players compared to the way they started the season in LaLiga.

The Blaugrana made it five wins out of five Champions League matches with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Ferencvaros in Champions League Group G on Wednesday.

Barca will have the chance to win all six of their group games for the first time since the 2002-03 campaign when they face Juventus at Camp Nou next Tuesday.

Koeman s side have struggled in LaLiga this season, though, and are 12 points behind leaders Real Sociedad – albeit with two games in hand – after losing three and drawing two of their opening nine games.

The Dutchman, however, suggested there has been a significant difference in the performances produced by his p…

Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas, who played a key role in Spain s Euro 2008 victory, should win the Ballon d Or award as the world footballer of the year, Spanish legend Emilio Butragueno said Friday.

Tradition dictates that only forwards win the award. But Iker is a special goalkeeper, not just this year, but throughout his career, the former Real Madrid striker and vice-president told the club s website.

The fact that he s a European champion and the role he played in the quarter-finals make him deserve it more than anyone. He must win the Balon d Or, he added.

Casillas, 27, only allowed two regular-time goals in the Euro 2008 tournament, both in the group stage.

The captain became a national hero after he saved two penalty kicks in the quarter-fi…

Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs has confirmed the Bundesliga side are interested in signing Netherlands international Vincent Janssen, but has acknowledged they face stiff competition in the race for the AZ striker s signature.

The 22-year-old enjoyed a sublime 2015-16 campaign, scoring 27 goals in 34 Eredivisie appearances to become the league s top scorer.

Janssen s good performances have not gone unnoticed elsewhere with Tottenham and Everton also believed to be keeping a close eye on the prolific attacker.

We have a number of options for the position of striker, Allofs told Kicker.

We have already held talks with Janssen.

But we are not the only team that are interested in signing him.

With Wolfsburg looking to bring on Ja…

Stuttgart manager Bruno Labbadia has added fuel to speculations linking the Swabians with a move for Real Madrid defender Jorge Casado.

Reports coming from Spain have suggested the Bundesliga side are pondering a summer move for the talented left-back, and Labbadia has all but confirmed his interest in the player.

“The issue with Casado is currently not concrete,” the talented manager in Bild.

“But, the players from Real Madrid and Barcelona reserve teams are often very interesting, because they are incredibly well trained both technically and tactically.”

Stuttgart chief scout Ralf Becker has been to Spain on three separate occasions last year to check on potential targets at Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Given that contracts of Artur Boka…

Juventus are willing to bid 14 million euros to land promising Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna, according to a report.

Juventus are willing to bid 14 million euros to land promising Torino defender Angelo Ogbonna, according to a report.

According to Goal.com, Juve are desperate to avoid the situation they found themselves in with Marco Verratti, when they stalled with the signing and Paris Saint-Germain swooped for the Italian starlet.

Ogbonna, on the other hand, is believed to have attracted interest from Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, who will have a new coach in the form of Pep Guardiola in the off-season, with his top performances in Serie A over the past couple of seasons.

Goal.com understands that Ogbonna would not be untouchable in Antonio Cont…

Diego Simeone insists his Atletico Madrid side are capable of turning around their torrid form to qualify for the last 16 of the Champions League.

Atleti face Lokomotiv Moscow at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday knowing all three points will be enough to see them progress from Group D alongside Juventus, who have already booked their spot in the knockout stages.

Simeone s side go into the match on the back of a run of just one win in their last eight games across all competitions, but the Argentinian has full faith in his players ability to reverse their fortunes.

I believe in my team, he told a media conference. I believe in the players and in these difficult moments they are continuing behind the same philosophy. It makes me optimistic and positive.

…

A host of Napoli players have paid tribute to Carlo Ancelotti following his sacking, with the Italian lauded as a special person by Lorenzo Insigne and others.

Ancelotti was dismissed on Tuesday despite guiding Napoli to a 4-0 win over Genk earlier in the day, securing their place in the last 16 of the Champions League.

It has been a difficult first half of the season for Napoli, with underwhelming league form combining with tension between Ancelotti and the club s hierarchy.

Club president Aurelio De Laurentiis was reported to have ordered Ancelotti and the players to attend a training retreat in early November, but the squad failed to show up in what was deemed by the Italian media to be an act of open rebellion.

Napoli threatened sanctions in the wake …

Rudi Voller is more familiar than most with the devastating attacking talent of Wolfsburg s Andre Schurrle.

Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller has highlighted the dangers which Wolfsburg s new signing Andre Schurrle could pose against his former side.

Leverkusen host Wolfsburg on Saturday knowing a win could propel them into a UEFA Champions League spot.

Voller, who has been at Leverkusen in his current role since 2005, finalised the paperwork to let Schurrle go to Chelsea in 2013.

However, after being deemed surplus to requirements by the London club, Schurrle is back in the Bundesliga with a vastly improved Wolfsburg side.

Schurrle has made an instant impact, but has rubbished reports that his partnerships with Bas Dost and Kevin De …