Sampdoria 9/2 to beat AC Milan in Sunday’s Serie A clash

Competition: Serie A

Market: Sampdoria to beat AC Milan

Odds:

SErie A continues this weekend for even more enthralling action. The league has remained exceptionally tight this season which means that a win can quite often see a side rise up a number of places in the table. With this in mind, AC Milan travel to face Sampdoria in a massive clash in the battle for the European places.

AC Milan have been in good form of late and they have been able to turn around a poor run that threatened to write off their campaign in the opening stages. After 24 games they have won 11, drawn five and lost eight, scoring 34 goals and conceding 30 times. In their last five they have won four and drawn once which has seen them onto 38 points. Milan are only three p…

Jones swaps Cardiff for Atlanta

New MLS franchise Atlanta United have completed the signing of Kenwyne Jones, it was announced on Friday. 

Jones, a Trinidad and Tobago international, becomes Atlanta s sixth signing as they prepare to join MLS in 2017. 

The 31-year-old links up with Atlanta on a free transfer after his deal with Cardiff City expired at the end of the 2015-16 season.

Kenwyne is a player we have known about and watched for a long time,  said Atlanta United technical director Carlos Bocanegra. 

He is a big physical forward who can punish you in the air or behind the defence. We re very happy that the timing worked out and we were able to acquire him during this transfer window.

Jones has spent the majority of his career playing in the Premier League, repres…

Zubizarreta wants full focus on Bayern

Barcelona director Andoni Zubizarreta does not want the club getting ahead of themselves before their Champions League semi-final.

The Spanish giants will tackle Bayern Munich over two legs for a chance to face off in another Champions League final at Wembley, the scene of their last triumph against Manchester United in 2011.

Zubizaretta believes Barca were guilty of complacency last season before being knocked out by Chelsea, having had their heads turned by the prospect of a Clasico tournament decider against Real Madrid.

With Friday s draw having thrown up the possibility of an all-Spanish final once again, Zubizarretta is praying Barca do not make the same mistake as last year.

We spoke too much about the final last year and then we didn t get there,…

Lukaku hails West Brom coaching staff

On-loan West Brom striker Romelu Lukaku has heaped praised on the club s coaching staff.

The Chelsea forward has enjoyed a fruitful spell at the Hawthorns, scoring 13 goals after opening his account on his club debut against Liverpool in August.
His exploits have landed the Belgian a nomination for the PFA Young Player of the Year award but the 19-year-old was quick to lay the credit at the feet of West Brom boss Steve Clarke and his coaching staff.
He [Clarke] challenges me all the time and I like challenges, Lukaku told the Birmingham Mail.
Sometimes when I m on the side winning in training he ll swap me to the losing side and then it s up to me to help the losing side win.
When I ve had one or two bad games in a row he comes to me and tells me to show a reaction. He is a …

Manchester United 1-1 Everton: Greenwood strike rescues point for Solskjaer´s men

Mason Greenwood scored 13 minutes from time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Manchester United and deny Everton caretaker boss Duncan Ferguson a second consecutive Premier League victory.

United went into the game hoping to claim a third consecutive league win for the first time since January but David de Gea s failure to clear a first-half corner led to Victor Lindelof putting through his own net.

Everton defended resolutely as they sought to build on their 3-1 victory over Chelsea at Goodison Park, and the commitment shown by a side lacking a number of key players will raise inevitable questions about Ferguson taking the manager s job on a permanent basis.

But United substitute Greenwood produced the cutting edge in attack that the hosts had been lacking and his str…

Courtois corner decision was his own, explains Real Madrid boss Zidane

Thibaut Courtois made the decision himself to go up for the late corner that saw Real Madrid snatch a last-gasp draw with Valencia, according to head coach Zinedine Zidane.

Madrid were staring down the barrel of a second LaLiga defeat of the season courtesy of Carlos Soler s 78th-minute striker at Mestalla.

However, Belgium goalkeeper Courtois saw a late header saved by Jaume Domenech and Karim Benzema lashed home to ensure Madrid returned to the capital with a point.

He decided to go up and this shows that we wanted more, that we never give up, Zidane told a news conference.

The equaliser is something that we put a lot of effort into. This is Real Madrid, a team that never gives up. They believed they could do it and they did.

With everything …

Sammer laments errors in Bayern defeat

Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer was less than impressed with the defensive errors that littered his side s 3-1 defeat at Porto in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League.

The 2013 European champions began Wednesday s first-leg clash at the Estadio do Dragao in disastrous fashion, handing their opponents two goals in the opening 10 minutes.

First, Xabi Alonso was robbed of the ball by Jackson Martinez, who was then fouled by Manuel Neuer before Ricardo Quaresma netted the resulting penalty.

Quaresma then dispossessed Dante and ran clear to score a second, and although Thiago Alcantara pulled one back, Jerome Boateng s misjudgment let in Martinez to round Neuer and slot home after the break, leaving Bayern with it all to do in next we…

Troyes boys heading to Ligue 1

Troyes ended their two-year exile from Ligue 1 by beating Angers 2-1 to achieve promotion from the second tier on Tuesday.

Jean-Marc Furlan s men did things the hard way after falling behind to Abdoul Camara s 31st-minute strike, while Mory Kone s red card after the break left them with 10 men at the Stade de l Aube.

But Benjamin Nivet s penalty shortly after the hour mark restored parity for the hosts, before Henri Bienvenu Ntsama s 84th-minute winner meant the corks could be popped in the Champagne region.

Troyes were relegated from Ligue 1 in 2013, but the win over their fellow promotion hopefuls means they can no longer be caught by fourth-placed Dijon.

Demichelis on Atletico Madrid radar

Spanish programme Cadena Cope has learned that Atletico Madrid are considering a summer bid for Malaga stopper Martin Demichelis.

With Cata Diaz looking to leave the club, los Colchoneros are hoping to sign another experienced centre-back and Demichelis certainly fits the bill.

The Argentine is set to leave Malaga when his contract expires at the end of the month, although he is believed to be keen on a return to River Plate.

Atletico Madrid officials hope the lure of Champions League football will persuade the Argentine to move to Vicente Calderon instead, especially as they are able to offer him a lucrative contract.

The 32-year-old joined Malaga from Bayern Munich in January 2011, and has since clocked up 84 La Liga appearances and scored 7 goals in t…

UEFA Under 21 Championship Final Preview: Italy v Spain

Spain can seal a second consecutive UEFA Under-21 Championship crown when they face Italy in the final in Jerusalem on Tuesday.

The Spanish starlets won the crown in 2011 in Denmark and are aiming to replicate the achievement of the senior side by securing back-to-back European titles, but will have to overcome a strong Italian outfit to do so.

Both sides are unbeaten in the tournament, and have conceded just one goal between them in the eight games they have played so far.
Spain booked their place in the final with a 3-0 win over Norway, Benfica forward Rodrigo giving them the lead before Isco and Alvaro Morata closed the game out.
Morata is the top marksman for Julen Lopetegui s men with four goals in four games, and they will be hoping the Real Madrid forward can cont…