CSL Preview: Guangzhou, Beijing in final-day fight

Guangzhou Evergrande must avoid a final-day defeat at fourth-placed Shandong Luneng to deny Beijing Guoan a shot at snatching CSL glory.

A draw was all Guangzhou needed at home to Beijing in the penultimate round to make sure of a fourth successive title.

However, substitute Shao Jiayi s last-gasp free-kick – with his first touch – snatched the capital club a victory that moved them three points behind their opponents.

It also ensured that if the teams finish level on points, Beijing, who drew 1-1 at home to Guangzhou in the teams first meeting of 2014, will lift the trophy due to a superior head-to-head record.

Beijing, who have won six league matches in a row on their own turf, are firmly expected to claim victory in their ultimate league game, at h…

Bitesize Prediction: Melbourne City vs Adelaide United – 29/01/23

Market: Melbourne City win

Odds: 4/7 @

Looking to extend their buffer at the top of the A-League table in the early hours of Sunday, Melbourne City will welcome Adelaide to AAMI Park.

Starting with the hosts, while Melbourne City might have been disappointed after settling for back-to-back stalemates against Brisbane and Western Sydney, the Sky Blues are sat in pole position to defend their A-League crown this season. Opening the New Year with a thumping 3-1 victory away at Wellington, the Australian heavyweights open this weekend s fixtures holding a commanding five-point buffer at the top of the table. In fact, Melbourne have lost just one of their last 12 straight domestic showdowns across all formats a run that stems all the way back to August 17th. Likewise…

Stoke set to send Huth out on loan

Stoke City are ready to loan out centre-back Robert Huth, .

The 30 year old, who moved to the Britannia Stadium from Middlesbrough in the summer of 2009, has played just three minutes of league football so far this season.

The arrival of fellow German Philipp Wollsheid has seen the former Chelsea man move further down the pecking order, and manager Mark Hughes is set to send him out on a temporary basis with clubs in both the Premier League and Championship keen on securing his services.

One player that Hughes is keen to retain is striker Peter Crouch, with the striker set to be offered a new two year contract extension at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke’s recent run of four games without defeat ended at Arsenal on Sunday afternoon leaving them in ele…

Ramsey raves over Ozil´s impact at Arsenal

Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey has voiced his admiration for Mesut Ozil following the Germany international s fine performances in 2015-16.

Ozil has already set up seven goals in nine Premier League appearances this campaign, scoring once himself, and Ramsey is in awe of his team-mate s passing skills.

He has a great eye for a ball – he has many assists – and his weight of pass is fantastic as well, Ramsey told the official UEFA website.

He finds those little pockets of space very well and links up the play.

Nevertheless, Ramsey has made it clear Ozil is not the best player he has played with at Arsenal since joining the club from Cardiff City in 2008.

Cesc Fabregas is the best player I have played with at Arsenal. He plays in the same p…

Bitesize Prediction: St. Louis City vs San Jose Earthquakes – 04/07/24

Market: Goal to be scored in both halves

Odds: 8/15 @

Two sides who are desperately seeking some kind of boost in the early hours of Thursday, St. Louis will welcome San Jose to Missouri.

Starting with the hosts, while St. Louis might have made real history last season as they were crowned Western Conference champions, Bradley Carnell’s men have come crashing back down to earth this time around. Suffering a major second-half collapse away at Vancouver last weekend as they eventually fell to a dramatic 4-3 defeat, the Missouri-based outfit have failed to muster a single victory from any of their previous nine MLS appearances. With that run stemming all the way back to a 3-1 win against Chicago on May 12th, the former New York Red Bulls coach will also have a mo…

Empoli 1 Juventus 2: Brilliant Ronaldo leads turnaround with brace

Cristiano Ronaldo fired Juventus seven points clear in Serie A with a match-winning brace in a hard-earned 2-1 victory at Empoli on Saturday.

The Portugal superstar erased a first-half deficit from the spot shortly after the interval before a thunderous swerving drive 20 minutes from time ensured there was no repeat of last weekend s frustrating home draw with Genoa.

Juve lost Giorgio Chiellini to injury in the warm-up and had looked set to leave the door open for Napoli to move back within a win of joint top spot when Francesco Caputo put the struggling hosts ahead in a tense first half.

But the champions increasingly impressive talisman backed up his fine Champions League showing against Manchester United with a one-man rescue act that boosted his league t…

River Plate 1 Boca Juniors 2: Nandez inflicts painful defeat as two see red

Nahitan Nandez inflicted another painful defeat on arch-rivals River Plate as Boca Juniors triumphed 2-1 in an enthralling Superclasico that saw two red cards at El Monumental.

Uruguay international Nandez volleyed home the winner with 17 minutes remaining, sending Boca nine points clear at the Superliga summit and adding to River s misery after they were dumped out of the Copa Libertadores by Lanus stunning four-goal comeback in midweek.

Edwin Cardona put Guillermo Barros Schelotto s side ahead before half-time when his majestic free-kick – awarded after a high foot from Nacho Fernandez resulted in the midfielder s dismissal – found the top-right corner.

Referee Nestor Pitana levelled things up by dismissing Cardona for a perceived elbow on Enzo Perez, but, …

Muller relaxed over ´crazy´ transfer fees

Thomas Muller has expressed disbelief at the prospect of a €100 million move to Manchester United, as the forward continues to be linked with the Premier League club.

Bayern Munich striker Muller has long been linked with a switch to Old Trafford, with speculation resurfacing this week as reports in Germany suggested a potential price tag of €100m.

Muller has spoken of interest from United in the past, but agreed a new contract at the Allianz Arena until 2019 in June last year.

And the Germany international has been somewhat taken aback at fresh talk of a big-money bid from United.

It s basically crazy, the current numbers being talked about in football, he told Sport1.

That s just the nature of the business, though, therefore I m very …

Aguero 178: Guardiola´s tough love leaves City´s record man reaching for the stars

Napoli managed to avoid conceding to Sergio Aguero when they faced Manchester City in the Champions League in 2011, but no one escapes he s lethal qualities for long.

The Argentina star scored his landmark 178th in City colours inside the Stadio San Paolo cauldron and an insatiable appetite for goalscoring should bring 200 into view soon enough, with Eric Brook s now-broken club record set to disappear into the distance.

There was a time when the all-time mark set by 1930s hero Brook appeared safe for posterity, as City lurched from self-styled tragicomedy to inevitable farce during the 1980s, 1990s and the early part of this century.

Sheikh Mansour s weighty chequebook was supposed to end all that, but the old bumbling tendencies of what former manager Joe …

Ferdinand ´turned on´ by Simeone´s Atletico

It might be the defender in him, but Manchester United great Rio Ferdinand says he is as excited by Atletico Madrid as he is by the likes of Bayern Munich or Barcelona after watching Diego Simeone lead his team to a second Champions League final in three years.

Atletico have not been without their critics for their counter-attacking football that Simeone has perfected since taking the reins in 2011.

The Argentinian has led Atletico to a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey triumph and a Europa League win as well as a second Champions League final after seeing off Bayern Munich in the semi-finals on Tuesday.

And Ferdinand a Champions League winner himself under Alex Ferguson at Manchester United in 2008 said Simeone had complete buy-in from his players.

A manag…