With the 2018 World Cup in Russia kicking off in less than a month, SoccerNews.com is commencing its own series of group predictions where you will be able to find previews of all the teams taking part in this summer’s showpiece tournament, latest team news and best betting odds and suggestions.
It is surely set to be a fascinating summer of football in Russia, and that is no different in Group G.
Dark horses Belgium clash with 1966 winners England. Minnows Panama and Tunisia complete the line-up with both expected to fall to their far more illustrious opponents. Could either channel the spirit of Costa Rica in Brazil and spring a surprise and progress to the last-16 of world football’s showpiece tournament?
The group gets underway on the 18th of June as Pan…
Day six at Euro 2024 brought more thrills and spills on the pitch, with Albania sealing a last-gasp draw against Croatia and Germany booking their place in the last 16 by beating Hungary.
Scotland, meanwhile, kept their hopes of progressing from Group A alive by earning a creditable 1-1 draw with Switzerland in the late kick-off.
There was also plenty going on outside the games, from the Tartan Army painting Cologne blue to Kylian Mbappe getting out on the turf two days after breaking his nose.
Here, we run through the best of Wednesday s social media posts from around Euro 2024.
Cologne turns blue for Scotland
One noticeable theme of this tournament has been the colour and noise brought by huge contingents of travelling fans, and an estimated 100…
New York Red Bulls defender Rafael Marquez has revealed that he is considering retiring from football after the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
The 32-year-old stopper, who can also play as a defensive midfielder, is confident that he remains capable of helping Mexico during the qualifying campaign and stated he wants to stay involved in football after his retirement.
I would be delighted to go to this World Cup and perhaps then say goodbye to football, Marquez said.
After I retire, I would like to be a coach or an advisor to some club.
Marquez has been linked with Brazilian club Flamengo in recent times, but he expressed his wish to stay at New York Red Bulls for three of four more years , or as long as his body can handle the demands of football.
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Bayer Leverkusen will be without forward Kevin Volland for the remainder of 2016 due to a thigh injury
The 24-year-old, who joined Leverkusen in a club-record switch from Hoffenheim before the start of the season, suffered a complex torn thigh muscle in training according to the Bundesliga club, which will result in an eight-week absence.
Volland must now target the German top-flight s return from its mid-season break on January 22 and he said: Of course this does not help but I won t hang my head low.
I m going to concentrate on my rehabilitation and do everything I can to get fit quickly.
I won t hang my head low on his injury
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04_en)
Germany international Volland has scored three times in 15 appearanc…
Chris Armas believes the Colorado Rapids are already developing a winning mentality, as they bid to continue their strong start to the campaign against the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Colorado sit fifth in the Western Conference standings with 18 points from 11 games after beating New York City FC 2-1 on their travels last week, their fifth win of the campaign.
That is as many victories as they managed throughout the entirety of last season, and another win on Saturday would take them past the 20-point mark, which they required 27 matches to surpass in 2023.
Often I m just watching and learning from the best teams and coaches, that could be in our league, it could be around the world, but when the whistle blows we know how to ramp it up, Armas said this we…
Thursday it was the day to discover the groups of the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League, and the same thing happened on Friday but for the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League. The 48 teams that made it to the Group Stage now know which sides they will face. The race to lift the title begins.
The reigning champions, Chelsea, won t play since they have made it to the Champions League. Among the top sides, we can find Sevilla, Lazio, Arsenal, Manchester United, AS Roma and FC Porto. But anything can happen in this journey, as winning the title is not as easy as one would expect.
Which are the groups of the 2019/20 UEFA Europa League?
Group A: Sevilla, Apoel Nicosia, Qarabag, F91 Dudelange
Group B: Dynamo Kiev, FC Copenhagen, Malmo, Lugano
Group C: Basel, Krasnodar, …
Massimiliano Allegri reflected on an excellent 2016, despite Juventus rounding out the year with a penalty shoot-out defeat to AC Milan in the Supercoppa Italiana.
Gianluigi Donnarumma saved the crucial spot-kick in the shoot-out from Paulo Dybala, who had previously missed a gilt-edged chance in the dying embers of extra time.
Allegri guided Juve to a fifth-straight Serie A title, as well as a second successive Coppa Italia, in the 2015-16 season, and he takes the Bianconeri into the mid-season break with a four-point lead in the league.
It was an excellent year, the head coach reflected to reporters in Doha.
We won the Coppa Italia, the Scudetto and we had a good performance. We also played the Suppercoppa.
The season was very good, when we…
Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has revealed he suffered from depression ahead of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
The diminutive playmaker scored the extra-time winner in Spain s 1-0 victory over the Netherlands in the final four years ago, but he says that goal was the culmination of a difficult period for him.
I had a bit of depression, but everyone goes through this kind of thing at least once in their life, don t they? he told So Foot.
I had various personal problems that were accumulating. I also had physical problems. I felt fragile.
This is life, there are good times and bad times. We cross moments of weakness, personal situations that accumulate.
You have an injury, you have a hard time recovering your level, you lose confidence, you feel weak, you do …
Bukayo Saka revelled in banishing previous penalty demons as England edged past Switzerland with a shoot-out victory in the Euro 2024 quarter-finals.
Saka levelled just five minutes after Breel Embolo s 75th-minute opener in Dusseldorf on Saturday, though the two sides could not be separated across 120 minutes.
England had lost more shoot-outs than any other nation across the World Cup and European Championships (seven), with Saka missing in the final of the latter competition just four years ago.
Yet the Arsenal winger converted from 12 yards after Jordan Pickford had denied Manuel Akanji, before Trent Alexander-Arnold sent England into the last four at Dusseldorf Arena.
Saka was understandably delighted to bounce back on penalties after his heartbreak a…
All the Minnesota Vikings needed was a little home cooking to crack the win column for the first time in 2021. Minnesota roughed up Seattle 30-17 in its home opener last Sunday and stays inside U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 4, hosting the Cleveland Browns.
The Vikings are slim 2.5-point home underdogs for the second straight week and that’s fine with Minny bettors. The Vikes are 9-3 ATS as home underdogs since Mike Zimmer grabbed the clipboard in 2014.
Check out our NFL free picks and predictions for Browns at Vikings on October 3.
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