Adelaide United 1 Melbourne Victory 0: Blackwood header snatches victory

Adelaide United claimed a second win in a row over Melbourne Victory on Friday as George Blackwood secured a 1-0 victory on Friday.

The 21-year-old s header in the 81st minute settled a scrappy Original Rivalry clash at Coopers Stadium that boosts their chances of hosting rights for their first match in the finals series.

Chances were scarce in something of a nervy first half, although Ola Toivonen and Nikola Mileusnic each came close to breaking the deadlock just before the break.

Georg Niedermeier sent a header narrowly wide, but Blackwood made no mistake with what proved to be the only effort on target of the match, meeting Isaias cross from the right and powering the ball beyond goalkeeper Matthew Acton.

The home side saw out a result that puts them…

Everton loan Jean-Philippe Gbamin to CSKA Moscow

Jean-Philippe Gbamin has left Everton to join CSKA Moscow on loan until the end of the season, the Premier League club have confirmed.

Gbamin joined the Toffees from Mainz in 2019, but the Ivorian midfielder has made just three starts for Everton following a number of injury issues since arriving at Goodison Park.

Although the transfer window for most of Europe closed at the end of January, Russian Premier League sides are allowed to sign players until February 22.

CSKA are in fourth place in the Russian league, eight points behind leaders Zenit Saint Petersburg.

 | Jean-Philippe Gbamin has joined CSKA Moscow on loan for the remainder of the 2021/22 season.

— Everton (@Everton)

Prediction: Watford vs Liverpool

Best odds: 5/4

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The international break is (finally) over and the business resumes this weekend in top leagues around the world. In the Premier League, Watford will be welcoming Liverpool to the Vicarage in what will be the opening match of the eighth round of the season.

Watford

Back in the English top flight after a year s absence, Watford s start to the campaign has been rather mixed, and it s perception probably varies from different points of view. One could say that sitting 15th in the table with seven points from seven matches isn t exactly what s usually considered a success, but for a newly promoted team to be outside the relegation zone is certainly something.

Nonetheless, the people in charge at the club obviously felt differently, …

Ramos & Monchi lead tributes to former Sevilla star Reyes

Tributes have poured in on social media after Sevilla confirmed the death of club icon Jose Antonio Reyes.

Former Spain international Reyes, who had most recently been playing at Extremadura, died in a traffic accident on Saturday at the age of 35.

Reyes came through Sevilla s academy, spending four years in the first team before earning a move to Arsenal in 2004, where he stayed for three-and-a-half seasons, with one of those spent on loan at Real Madrid.

After spells at Atletico Madrid and Benfica, Reyes returned to Sevilla in 2012, playing a key role in their three successive Europa League triumphs before departing for Espanyol.

Reyes remains the youngest player to ever represent Sevilla in LaLiga, having made his debut at the age of 16 years, four mo…

Osasuna 1-3 Real Madrid: Leaders remain on title course despite Benzema´s two penalty misses

Real Madrid moved one step closer to the LaLiga title with a 3-1 victory at Osasuna despite Karim Benzema twice failing from the penalty spot on Wednesday.

Madrid needed a stunning comeback to win 3-2 at Sevilla after a slow start on Sunday, but were quick out the blocks at El Sadar as David Alaba struck after 12 minutes before Ante Budimir immediately equalised.

Marco Asensio restored Madrid s lead in the 45th minute and, after Benzema saw two penalties saved by Sergio Herrera in the second half, Lucas Vazquez sealed victory in stoppage-time.

Victory moved Madrid 17 points clear of Atletico Madrid, with distant chasers Sevilla and Barcelona also in action against Levante and Real Sociedad respectively on Thursday.

2 Sergio Herrera is the first goalkeeper…

France 4 Argentina 3: Mbappe turns on the style to dump out Messi´s men

Kylian Mbappe upstaged Lionel Messi as France recorded a 4-3 win over Argentina in a topsy-turvy last-16 clash to open the knockout stages at the World Cup.

Teenager Mbappe was in devastating form in the heavyweight clash in Kazan, scoring two second-half goals to bring Argentina s tumultuous campaign in Russia to an end.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward s surging 70-yard burst also led to the opener after 13 minutes, Antoine Griezmann slotting home from the penalty spot after Mbappe had been hauled down by Marcos Rojo.

Yet Argentina turned the game around to go ahead, Angel Di Maria s stunning long-range strike before the break followed by Gabriel Mercado s fortuitous effort early in the second half.

However, Benjamin Pavard matched Di Maria s effort wit…

Ibrahimovic: United fans are waiting for me

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Manchester United fans are every bit as excited as he is for his debut ahead of his first appearance for the club against Galatasaray in his native Sweden.

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain man has been the biggest acquisition of the transfer window thus far for United, who signed the classy striker on a free transfer from the French champions at the start of July.

Ibrahimovic missed the first part of United s pre-season – a trip to China in which they only played one game in a 4-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund as inclement weather saw the cancellation of their second against cross-town rivals Manchester City – but was included in Jose Mourinho s squad for Saturday s hit-out against Turkish giants Galatasaray.

And with United fa…

The big Friday Premier League quiz

Manchester takes centre stage in the Premier League this weekend, as City and United go head-to-head on Saturday.

The Manchester derby ends Saturday s action, which starts with Chelsea s trip to struggling Everton.

League leaders Liverpool travel to Bournemouth, while Tottenham host Burnley. On Sunday, Aston Villa will look to derail high-flying Leicester City s superb form.

West Ham, meanwhile, look to win back-to-back home league games against Arsenal for the first time since October 1984 when they welcome the Gunners to London Stadium on Monday.

Ahead of the latest round of Premier League action, why not give our Opta-powered quiz a go? You can find all the answers at the bottom of the page

 

1. Pep Guardiola has won four of his six …

Egypt appoint El-Badry to replace Aguirre

Egypt have appointed Hossam El-Badry as their new coach.

The three-time Al Ahly boss succeeds Javier Aguirre in the role.

Aguirre was dismissed after Egypt s disappointing performance at this year s Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt won all three of their group games without conceding a goal but Mohamed Salah and his side then suffered a shock exit, losing 1-0 to South Africa.

رحبوا معنا بالمدير الفني الجديد للفراعنة
حسام البدري   

— Egypt National Football Team (@Pharaohs)

El-Badry, a former defender who played international football for Egypt, won the 2012 CAF Champions League in his second spell at Al Ahly.

They were beaten in the final two years ago and he left the club in May …

Manchester United throw away two-goal lead in Galatasaray Champions League draw

Manchester United’s Champions League hopes are hanging by a thread after Erik ten Hag’s men imploded in a chaotic, thrill-a-minute 3-3 draw on an ear-splitting night at Galatasaray.

Having lost three of their four Group A fixtures, the Red Devils knew defeat in Istanbul would extinguish their hopes of reaching the knockout phase with a game to spare.

United avoided a loss but blew a two-goal lead on in an incredible night in Istanbul, meaning their knockout hopes will be over if Copenhagen beat Bayern Munich in Wednesday’s late fixtures.

It ends all square in Istanbul. ||

— Manchester United (@ManUtd)

This was a wild, helter-skelter encounter befitting of a Champions League campaign punctuated by goals, madness and mistakes.

A r…