Verdict: Both teams score
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Following a first battle in Bucharest that left unresolved the progress in the next phase of the Champions League qualifiers, Romanian champions FCSB will cross the border to settle the tie with Maccabi Tel Aviv. The game will be played at the neutral ground in Budapest at Bozsik Arena where the Romanian fans are expected to fill most of the 8500 seats.
Maccabi Tel Aviv
A regular presence in the European Competitions since 1992, Maccabi Tel Aviv is keen to match their best Champions League presence when they reach the group stage on two occasions. Despite hitting their peak at the European level, the Tel Aviv side failed to make a statement against Europe s best.
Recording four points from 1…
Lukaku wants to continue in Europe
The future of Romelu Lukaku is up in the air at the moment, with his loan at Inter Milan about to expire and Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino not giving any indication of counting on him despite the obvious need for a designated striker in his ranks.
The Belgium international has reportedly received a lucrative offer to be a part of the contingent of players leaving Europe for Saudi Arabia this summer, but he has decided his time for taking that road hasn t come yet.
Thomas Partey to leave Arsenal?
Thomas Partey has made significant impact at Arsenal since his arrival from Atletico Madrid three years ago, despite frequent injuries limiting his contribution to an extent.
However, the 30-year-old Gh…
Timo Werner showed why he is still an important player for Chelsea by scoring a pair of goals in Saturday s 6-0 thrashing of Southampton.
A £47.5million move from RB Leipzig to Stamford Bridge in June 2020 is yet to work out for Werner, whose double at St Mary s took him to nine Premier League goals in 51 appearances.
All three of the 26-year-old s league goals this season have come against Saints, with his overall tally against them standing at five. He is yet to score against any other opponent more than once in the Premier League.
Werner could have easily scored more against Southampton – he hit the woodwork three times in the first half – but Mason Mount s double and goals from Marcos Alonso and Kai Havertz contributed to a resounding success.
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Italy head coach Roberto Mancini is excited by the prospect of facing England in Euro 2024 qualifying, declaring it will be nice to meet again .
England and Italy were drawn alongside Ukraine, North Macedonia and Malta in a challenging qualification group on Sunday, from which the top two will qualify automatically for the tournament in Germany.
The duo met as recently as last month, when Giacomo Raspadori s goal condemned England to relegation from the top tier of the Nations League, while Mancini also led the Azzurri to victory over the Three Lions in last year s Euro 2020 final.
England s dismal Nations League campaign meant they – alongside world champions France – were in pot two for the draw in Frankfurt.
Although Mancini claims he expected Ita…
Chelsea star Mason Mount believes it is time for the Blues to win a final at Wembley.
Thomas Tuchel s side recovered from Champions League extra-time heartbreak against Real Madrid by coasting past Crystal Palace to reach a third successive FA Cup final on Sunday.
Ruben Loftus-Cheek struck with 25 minutes remaining as he slammed in his first Chelsea goal since May 2019, while Mount made sure of victory with a second nine minutes later.
The pair became the first English duo to score in a club game at Wembley for the Blues since Peter Houseman and Ian Hutchinson netted in the 1970 FA Cup final against Leeds United.
However, Mount does not have too many fond memories of England s national stadium, where he has lost an EFL Cup and two FA Cup finals, along …
Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated turning 36 in style as his early goal helped Juventus to see off Roma 2-0 in Saturday s Serie A contest.
A day after his 36th birthday, Ronaldo continued his stellar form in an exceptional performance at Allianz Stadium with a fantastic strike to open the scoring.
It was a match of few clear-cut chances – Roma failing to register an attempt on target until the 61st minute – though Ronaldo, who had all of Juve s three efforts, went close to a second when he rattled the crossbar.
A flurry of Roma pressure midway through the second half proved fruitless and, on the counter-attack, Juve had a decisive second when Ibanez turned into his own net.
84 Cristiano has been directly involved in 84 goals since his Serie A debut (2018/…
Bruno Fernandes believes Alejandro Garnacho has a “great future” after his stunning overhead kick set Manchester United on their way to a 3-0 win at Everton.
Garnacho’s spectacular third-minute effort silenced a Goodison Park crowd keen to vent their fury at the Premier League following their 10-point deduction for breaching the league’s profitability and sustainability rules.
Marcus Rashford doubled the lead from the penalty spot and Anthony Martial sealed a comfortable win as United manager Erik ten Hag watched from the stands as he served a touchline ban.
WHAT A GOAL ALEJANDRO GARNACHO!!!!
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL)
“He’s not a great player yet but he has a great future ahead,” Fernandes said of Garnacho on Sky…
Hannah Dingley s appointment by Forest Green Rovers has been applauded by Ellen White and Demi Stokes, with the England greats hopeful it leads to further chances for female coaches.
The League Two club promoted Dingley from her role as academy boss to caretaker head coach earlier this month, following Duncan Ferguson s dismissal.
In taking the reins at The New Lawn, Dingley has become the first woman to lead a men s senior team in English football s top four divisions.
Speaking at the launch of Pixel FC, a collective of dedicated women s football creators helping to close the visibility gap within women s football, both White and Stokes hailed the decision to appoint her.
I think it s really exciting, White said. It s something that everyone s been spea…
Lionel Messi is missed by football because at Paris Saint-Germain he does not have the same audience as at Barcelona, according to LaLiga president Javier Tebas.
Messi left Barca in 2020 after the club s financial issues led to a significantly reduced salary limit in LaLiga, thus preventing them re-signing him after his contract expired.
He moved to PSG and, after a somewhat underwhelming first season on an individual level, Messi is thriving again this season.
But Tebas perception is Messi is wasted in Ligue 1 because it does not have the same global audience as LaLiga and Barcelona.
Speaking at the Sports Summits organised by Argentinian newspaper Ole, Tebas said: I think Messi is not only missed in LaLiga, he is missed by football because the French le…
Brendan Rodgers says Leicester City s lack of experience showed in their 0-0 draw with PSV but remains hopeful of advancing into the Europa Conference League semi-finals.
The Foxes could not find a way through from any of their 10 shots in Thursday s quarter-final first leg at the King Power Stadium, just two of which were on target.
That equated to an expected goals (xG) return of 0.72 for City, compared to 0.47 for PSV, who tested Kasper Schmeichel on only one occasion in the stalemate.
It is the first time Leicester have failed to score in a European game in nine outings, having netted 20 times across the previous eight at an average of 2.5 goals per game.
Leicester were competing in just their second European quarter-final, the other coming in the 201…