There are no doubts that Group B is going to prove the most interesting for UK fans, with England and Wales having been pitted against each other, but with very good Russia and Slovakia teams also in the mix, we should see plenty of fireworks in all Group B matches.
Picking the most likely team to finish in the first place is no easy task, although England appear to have been rightly made the favourites. The Three Lions have shown a great deal of improvement of late, and they arrive at the Euro 2016 finals as the only side to have won maximum points in the qualifying campaign.
With Rooney, Wilshere and Henderson all recovering from injury and Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy scoring goals for fun, the Three Lions might just be able to finish top of the group and secure an eas…
Prediction: Brazil to win 2-0
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
Brazil and Costa Rica will lock horns with each other in the 2024 Copa América this week. The Group D match between Dorival Júnior’s side and Gustavo Alfaro’s team will be held at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. It is scheduled to kick off at 2 am UK time on Tuesday.
Brazil
Brazil are one of the biggest footballing nations on the planet and are also one of the most successful. Seleção are used to competing in major tournaments and winning silverware, and, as expected, they will start the 2024 Copa America as one of the favourites to win it.
Canarinho have won the Copa America nine times and they will be determined to kick off the 2024 edition with a win against Costa. Brazi…
Stefano Pioli avoided an embarrassing first defeat as Al-Nassr head coach as Nawaf Bu Washl s 92nd minute winner saw the visitors beat second tier Al-Hazem in the King s Cup on Monday.
Pioli, taking charge of his second game for the Saudi Pro League club, saw his side go close to opening the scoring early on when Talisca s effort struck the woodwork.
But Al-Nassr s dominance was rewarded in the sixth minute of first-half injury time when Sadio Mane headed beyond Ibrahim Zaid after Sultan Al Ghannam s cross.
However, the hosts stunned Pioli s side just after the hour-mark as Basil Al Sayyali turned home his second goal of the season with an emphatic finish off the crossbar.
Al-Nassr s frustrations continued heading into the closing stages as Mane, Moham…
Ivory Coast coach Jean-Louis Gasset is confident having “destiny in our hands” will help his side secure qualification for the knockout stages of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Defeat to Nigeria last time out has left the hosts third in Group A and while that could be good enough to secure their progress as the four third-best finishes also get through, Gasset wants to make sure against Equatorial Guinea.
The 2015 AFCON champions play the Group A leaders in Abidjan on Monday.
“Like all matches, we will attack to win. Today we are third but we have our destiny in hand. We know that if we win we will qualify,” Gasset told a press conference.
“We have to have confidence, we are playing in front of our public, you have to believe in it.”
Ivory…
Leicester City defender Ricardo Pereira will miss the rest of the season and most likely Euro 2020 after damaging his anterior cruciate ligament.
The Portugal international hurt his knee during Leicester s 4-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Premier League on Monday.
Brendan Rodgers confirmed the right-back will be unavailable for selection for the rest of the campaign.
We ve got Ricardo Pereira who will be out for the rest of the season. He had a challenge and has hurt his ACL, Rodgers said on Thursday.
He s not had an operation. He s just with the medical team. It s a blow for us. It s an opportunity for someone else. It s a shame.
You ve just got to see how the player reacts. You re looking between four to six months.
That will be t…
Pep Guardiola is unsure on the severity of Erling Haaland s injury ahead of Manchester City s crucial clash with Arsenal.
City got back to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
With Arsenal having dropped points against Brentford on Saturday, a win at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday would see City move top of the Premier League, albeit the Gunners would still have a game in hand.
Yet Haaland s status for that game is unclear after the striker, who assisted Ilkay Gundogan for City s second goal, went off at half-time against Villa with a knock.
I don t know, he had a big knock, he was uncomfortable, Guardiola, who was managing his 250th Premier League game, told Sky Sports when asked about Haaland.
At 3-0…
Andrea Pirlo expects to have Paulo Dybala available again as Juventus bring the curtain down on 2020 at home to Fiorentina on Tuesday.
Dybala, who has been the subject of transfer speculation amid tricky contract negotiations, missed Saturday s big 4-0 win at Parma due to a thigh injury.
The Argentina international has started only five games in Serie A this term, making eight appearances in the competition in total.
His production when on the pitch has also been underwhelming, with one goal from 23 shots while failing to register an assist despite creating 14 chances.
But Pirlo talked up the forward s talents at the weekend and was optimistic he would return against Fiorentina, with encouraging news following on Monday.
Someone is better: Paulo …
If a statement win was what Manchester City were after against Arsenal on Wednesday, then they got it.
City thrashed the Premier League leaders 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium to close the gap to the Gunners to two points, and Pep Guardiola s side still have two games in hand.
The reigning champions play again on Sunday, with a trip to Fulham on the cards. Arsenal, meanwhile, are next in action on Tuesday, when they host struggling Chelsea, who have lost every game under interim boss Frank Lampard.
At the other end of the table, Leicester City face Everton in a relegation six-pointer. In the race for Europe, Tottenham travel to Liverpool.
Fulham v Manchester City
City have won their last 13 meetings with Fulham in all competitions, only winning more con…
Competition: Euro 2016
Market: France to win against Iceland
Odds:
France welcome Iceland to the Stade de France for tonight’s Euro 2016 quarter-final clash, and are big favourites to come out on top to book their place in the semi-finals.
Les Blues are unbeaten in the European Championships, and will fancy their chances of progressing given home advantage this evening.
France made it this far after topping Group A with seven points from a possible nine, conceding just one goal. Didier Deschamps beat Albania and Romania in the group stages, and dispatched of the Republic of Ireland in the last-16.
Victory at the Stade de France tonight would see them into the semi-finals of the competition against World champions Germany, but their oppone…
England manager Roy Hodgson admits Tottenham midfielder Scott Parker is a doubt for Euro 2012.
The tireless Parker has become an integral part of the England team over the past few seasons but could be a huge miss as the tournament edges closer.
Hodgson, who named his squad on Wednesday, is unsure whether Parker will be available, but remains optimistic.
Scott s had an injection which will probably take a week for us to see if it s been successful or not, Hodgson told reporters.
He could still miss out, although from what I m hearing, it won t be a problem. He s very confident.
We ve got until the 29 May to finalise the squad and I may still have a call to make on that one if it s looking dubious, if there is a doubt.
I ll have that …