Italy head coach Roberto Mancini has conceded that his 3-4-3 formation did not work as intended against Austria, as he criticised his side s poor first half display against the hosts.
The European champions finished 2022 with defeat in Vienna, where two first half goals from Xaver Schlager and David Alaba put the hosts in control.
A poor showing in the first period was improved upon after the break, but Italy could not break Austria s defence, though Mancini believes his side did enough to deserve praise.
We were better in the second half, in the first half we had the ball and we had to score. After that we suffered, making so many technical mistakes. In the second half, all we were missing was a goal, he said post-match.
The formation didn t go very we…
Ryan Mason insists Tottenham are not simply the Harry Kane team as he waits for news of the striker s fitness before the EFL Cup final.
Kane is a doubt for Sunday s game against Manchester City having sustained an ankle injury last week and failed to train since.
If the England captain is able to feature, though, he would come up against a side managed by Pep Guardiola, who famously referred to Spurs as the Harry Kane team in 2017.
Kane has been involved in 47 goals in 43 games for Tottenham in all competitions this season and would be sorely missed this weekend, but discussion of Guardiola s comments prompted interim head coach Mason to highlight the team s combined effort .
I think when you ve got one of the best players in the world, I think you can…
In the 120th minute of the Euro 2020 final, Giorgio Chiellini decided it was time to race from his defensive station and give Italy a dashing overlap option on the left wing.
He does what he wants. And if this was his last stand for Italy, we witnessed classic Chiellini. What a captain: a nightmare to play against, a dream as a team-mate.
Glory went to his goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, for those saves from Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka in the shootout, but Italy s success was founded on that Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci axis in the heart of defence.
When Donnarumma pushed away 19-year-old Saka s spot-kick to seal victory, Chiellini roared and grabbed the nearest man in a blue shirt, Manuel Locatelli getting the bear hug.
Moments later he went across…
Gustav Svensson scored a 93rd-minute winner as defending champions Seattle Sounders fought back to shock Minnesota United 3-2 and reach the MLS Cup final.
The Sounders emerged from the jaws of defeat in an all-time classic, having trailed Minnesota 2-1 approaching the 89th minute in the Western Conference final on Monday.
Raul Ruidiaz equalised in the final minute of regulation before substitute Svensson completed the epic comeback in the third minute of stoppage time in Seattle, where Minnesota had led 2-0 after 67 minutes.
The Sounders, who will meet Columbus Crew in their fourth final in five years, became the first team to come from two goals down to win a play-off match in 90 minutes since 2009, per Opta.
WHAT A GOAL! WHAT A MOMENT!
THE GUSTA…
Best Odds: 7/10
Bookmaker:
With a spot in the quarter-finals of this summer s European Championships up for grabs on Monday evening, Spain and Croatia will face off in Copenhagen.
Croatia
Starting with Croatia, while they might have struggled to find their best form over the summer, The Blazers did sign off their Group D campaign with a much-needed victory on foreign soil. Putting in what was a largely dominant display at Hampden and more than deserving of their 3-1 victory last week, Zlatko Dalić s men will be desperate to build off of that result as they open their knockout stage run on Monday evening. Although the 2018 World Cup finalists might have ended their woeful run of form last time out, Croatia have drastically struggled to match their success out i…
Carlo Ancelotti scooped the first trophy of his second reign at Real Madrid and vowed his ugly team would go flat out to bring more silverware to the Santiago Bernabeu.
It had been 18 months since Madrid last won a title, the 2019-20 LaLiga crown in the pandemic-hit season that went into extra time, but a 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao in the Supercopa de Espana final scratched that itch.
Last term under Zinedine Zidane proved a struggle at times, but there is more zip and panache to the Madrid that Ancelotti has fielded this season. He won four trophies in his first two-year spell at Madrid from 2013 to 2015, and obviously fancies several more this time around.
Madrid are front-runners in LaLiga, albeit with Sevilla in pursuit, they remain in the Copa del Rey and …
Ralf Rangnick praised the way in which Manchester United reacted to adversity in their thrilling win over Leeds United.
United had looked set for a comfortable win over their old rivals on Sunday when Harry Maguire and Bruno Fernandes gave them a 2-0 lead, but a rapid double from Leeds duo Rodrigo and Raphinha restored parity.
But substitutes Fred and Anthony Elanga struck to ensure United opened up a four-point lead over fifth-placed West Ham in the Premier League. The Red Devils have scored 10 top-flight goals through substitutes this season, more than any other side.
And the character and maturity shown by United was of great satisfaction to Rangnick, who told reporters: After the first 15 minutes, we had good control of the game and could have been three o…
Best Odds: 8/11
Bookmaker:
Simply looking to widen their buffer at the top of the Ligue 1 table, PSG will travel to the Stade de la Meinau when they meet Strasbourg.
Strasbourg
Starting with the hosts, while Strasbourg might have spent the majority of last season battling it out in a Ligue 1 relegation scrap, Patrick Vieira’s side are enjoying a recent flurry. Skyrocketing their way up the top-flight standings and finding a route into the top-half, Le Racing should find the mood in their camp at a real high. Although the Blues might have been last seen settling for a 1-1 stalemate away at Clermont, the former Crystal Palace boss has not seen his squad suffer a single defeat from any of their previous eight appearances across all competitions. With that purple…
Southampton are on the verge of completing a deal for Yukinari Sugawara in the summer transfer window, according to Fabrizio Romano. The well-known and well-respected Italian journalist has reported on X that Premier League club Southampton have struck a deal with Dutch side AZ over a move for Sugawara.
Romano wrote on : “Understand Southampton will pay fee up to €7m add-ons included to AZ for Yukinari Sugawara. Medical and signature today, here we go.”
Sugawara has been on the books of AZ on a permanent deal since 2020 following a loan spell from Nagoya Grampus. The Japan international right-back scored four goals and gave seven assists in 30 Eredivisie games and played six times in the UEFA Europa Conference League last season. The 24-year-old scored three goals…
England are desperate to go one step further in their Euro 2024 final against Spain on Sunday, says Harry Kane.
Kane captained the Three Lions team that fell at the final hurdle at Euro 2020, losing to Italy on penalties at Wembley.
Gareth Southgate s team have been far from their best in Germany, almost exiting the competition in the last 16 until Jude Bellingham s spectacular late leveller against Slovakia, while they needed penalties to overcome Switzerland and a last-gasp Ollie Watkins winner to sink the Netherlands.
But Kane praised England s consistency in reaching back-to-back Euros finals, and is desperate to right the wrongs of three years ago.
I think it shows unbelievable consistency, first and foremost [to reach another European final]. A lo…