Starting with Tuesday s hosts, still showing signs of a hangover after throwing away their 2-1 lead in Eindhoven last week, fans around St. Jakob-Park are becoming increasingly worried by Basel s start to the new season. Once again putting in a worrying display in their surprise 2-1 defeat at home to St. Gallen last weekend, Marcel Koller s men have now lost three of their last four matches across all competitions and their continued defensive issues need resolving immediately if they re to pull off a turnaround in midweek. Along with now losing back-to-back matches on home soil for the first time since June 2018, Basel have shipped nine goals in their last four appearances and remarkably have recorded just one clean sheet since the 4th of May. While Koller s men might still be dealing with some very public defensive issues, 22-year-old forward Albian Ajeti has two goals in his last two appearances and has continued to build off an eye-catching campaign last season. Attracting interest from across Europe, the Swiss international bagged 17 league goals last year, the best return of any player at St. Jakob-Park.
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Dayot Upamecano will join Bayern Munich from RB Leipzig next season having agreed a five-year contract, the German champions sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has confirmed.
Upamecano has long been linked with a move away from Leipzig after emerging as one of Europe s most highly-rated defenders.
In recent weeks the speculation had ramped up, with Liverpool, Chelsea and Bayern said to be the three clubs in the hunt for him.
Upamecano s agent recently confirmed the presence of a €42.5million release clause in the defender s contract, which he only signed last year.
And that is the figure Bayern are preparing to pay, with Salihamidzic revealing conversations reached their conclusion in the past week.
When asked by Sport Bild if he could confirm…
Market: Atletico Madrid win
Odds: 10/11 @
Looking to extend on their 100% start to the new La Liga campaign, Atletico Madrid will welcome Villarreal to the Wanda Metropolitano on Sunday night.
Starting with the hosts, managing to lift the La Liga title last season and pounce on the mistakes around them, Atletico Madrid have opened the new campaign with a real flurry. Looking to defend their domestic crown this time around, Colchoneros are one of just two sides, along with Sevilla who can boast a 100% start as we inch closer to the international break. Last seen picking up what was a deserved 1-0 win against Elche on home soil, Head Coach Diego Simeone has seen his side draw a line under their sluggish end to their pre-season preparations. Looking to make it thr…
Real Betis manager Pepe Mel has signed a three-year extension to his contract with the club.
The 50-year-old joined the Seville side in 2010 and helped them seal promotion to La Liga in his first campaign by winning the Segunda Division.
Betis went on to consolidate their top-flight status the following season, and exceeded all expectations in 2012-13 by securing a Europa League spot courtesy of a seventh-placed finish.
But Mel has expressed a desire to go even further after receiving a seal of approval from the club s board.
It is not normal for a club to bet on a coach like this, he said.
I believe we are doing things slowly but with common sense. The fact that they have offered me a contract until 2017 indicates their confidence in me.
This has been done gradually, as it…
Both Derby County and Norwich City have been linked with a shock move for Blackburn Rovers striker Jordan Rhodes, .
Rovers are currently under a transfer emargo after breaching the Football League’s financial fair play rules and are expected to make a decision over the Scotland international over the next 24 hours.
Promotion hopefuls Derby and Norwich face each other on Saturday afternoon, and both are keen to take the former Huddersfield Town man on loan before then.
Rhodes moved to Ewood Park in the summer of 2012, and has since racked up one hundred and thirty-one appearances in all competitions, scoring sixty-six goals.
His last outing for the club came in Sunday’s 0-0 draw with Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter finals, and they are set to welc…
Silvio Berlusconi admitted begrudging respect for Juventus capture of Cristiano Ronaldo even as he acknowledged the deal as a blow to AC Milan.
Ronaldo s big-money move from Real Madrid has been greeted with optimism across Serie A despite strengthening the Bianconeri s chances of winning an eighth straight league title.
Inter boss Luciano Spalletti welcomed the strength and visibility his arrival will give the competition while Carlo Ancelotti claimed it provides additional motivation for Napoli, who were reportedly offered the 33-year-old s services.
Ex-Rossoneri president Berlusconi agreed the unexpected development was broadly positive, albeit to the detriment of his former club.
What effect does it have? For Milan it has a terrible effect, he told I…
Manchester United have cancelled Tuesday s training session following new advice from the UK government amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had given the players the weekend off after Sunday s scheduled Premier League match against Tottenham was postponed.
The first team, including Paul Pogba, were due to return to United s Carrington training base on Tuesday.
However, the club has decided to change their plans after UK prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday urged people against all unnecessary travel and social contact.
The government advice came after the UK s confirmed coronavirus cases increased to 1,543, with the number of deaths now at 55.
Pogba was due to take part in a team session for the first time since having surgery o…
Republic of Ireland suffered what can only be described as a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the French. They put in a superb performance in Paris, only to be cheated by a previously respected footballer.
Cheated
As far as I was concerned I didn t think France looked like scoring on the night and it took some superb handling skills from Thierry Henry to get France out of the mire.
I think Thierry has been taking handling lessons from his good friend and NBA star Tony Parker. To get away with handle it once was hard but to do it a second time was something else.
Now I know that the referee didn t have the same views that us television viewers had but surely one of the other officials must of saw the skillful handling. This incident in such a big game…
(GSM) The Premier League published, for the first time, the figures its club spent on the agents from October 2008 to September 2009, with Manchester City accounting for almost one-fifth of the $116 million total as its wealthy Abu Dhabi owner rebuilt the team.
In total, the 20 topflight clubs spent £70.7 million on agent’s fees in last season’s transfer market.
The figures revealed that, Manchester City who have failed to set the Premier League alight despite outlaying almost 150million pounds in the same spell paid out nearly 13million pounds in agent fees far more than city rivals and defending champions Manchester United, who paid 1.5million pounds.
League leaders Chelsea were next on the list paying £9.6 million followed by Liverpool wi…
Republic of Ireland manager Martin O Neill says appointing Roy Keane as his assistant ranks among his best decisions after seeing his team qualify for Euro 2016.
Jonathan Walters scored twice as Ireland beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in front an elated Dublin crowd to seal a 3-1 play-off aggregate victory and a spot in France next year.
It marks a fine achievement for O Neill, who was appointed in November 2013, and his team after they were fourth with four games remaining.
O Neill will take much of the praise for the team s qualification, but he was keen to praise the work of former Ireland international Keane.
Talking about big decisions, bringing Roy Keane in is as good a decision I ve made in some time, O Neill told Sky Sports.
He s been e…
Aleix Vidal s horror injury could force Barcelona into the transfer market.
Full-back Vidal is facing five months on the sidelines after suffering a dislocated ankle during Saturday s 6-0 win over Alaves.
Vidal, 27, had struggled for his best form at Barca since signing from Sevilla in 2015 but enjoyed a productive run of late before his sickening setback.
Luis Enrique s squad is short of specialist cover at right-back, with midfielder Sergi Roberto redeployed following Dani Alves departure to Juventus last close season.
Speaking ahead of the Tuesday s Champions League last-16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc des Princes, Luis Enrique conceded he could look to strengthen in the next transfer window as Vidal begins an arduous rehabilitation
…