Market: Both teams to score
Odds: 10/11 @
Facing what could be a season-defining Premiership showdown on Sunday lunchtime, Celtic will travel to Tynecastle when they meet Hearts.
Starting with the hosts, enjoying what has been another eye-catching domestic romp this season, it is no secret that the Jambos have their sights firmly set on securing another European finish in 2024. While Steven Naismith’s men might have been disappointed earlier in the week as they eventually had to settle for a 1-1 stalemate against Hibernian, the Edinburgh-based outfit have lost just one of their previous 14 appearances across all competitions. With that extended flurry stemming all the way back to a 2-1 defeat away at Aberdeen back on December 9th, Hearts will also be excited b…
Philippe Coutinho is unsure what his future holds ahead of his return to Barcelona from Bayern Munich.
Coutinho completed his loan spell at Bayern by winning the Champions League title after a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the final on Sunday.
The Brazil international is expected to make a permanent move from Barcelona this close season, the former Liverpool star linked with a return to the Premier League.
Coutinho, who came off the bench against PSG, said he was eager for a strong 2020-21 season – but he is unsure where that will be.
I haven t thought about this. I have to go back and I want to work hard to have a great year, he told Movistar+.
I don t know if [it will be] in Barcelona.
As Barca finished 2019-20 trophy-less…
Alberto Zaccheroni is eager to see the improvement Japan have made since last year when they open their FIFA World Cup campaign on Saturday.
Japan featured at the Confederations Cup last June after winning the 2011 Asian Cup but they failed to win a game in Brazil.
The Asian champions were beaten by host nation Brazil (3-0), Italy (4-3) and Mexico (2-1).
Japan are now back in Brazil a year later and Zaccheroni said he believes his team have matured on the eve of their Group C clash against Ivory Coast.
I don t like to make proclamations, I m a man who has his beliefs, said the Italian. I believe the team has improved.
In the last important competition, the Confederations Cup, we failed the maturity test.
Since then, 12 months have gone, in the meantim…
Benfica boss Jorge Jesus has added fuel to speculations linking star forward Rodrigo Moreno with a summer switch to Liverpool.
The talented footballer was recently purchased by an investment fund, and he is widely tipped to leave Estadio da Luz at the end of the season.
Following some very good displays in Primeira Liga and Europa League, Rodrigo has been linked with Premier League giants Liverpool.
And speaking after the Europa League clash against Tottenham, Jorge Jesus has all but confirmed the transfer talk.
It s normal. Every Benfica player is in a big window, Jesus told reporters. The league is full of high quality players so it s normal for other clubs to be interested. Rodrigo is going through a good moment.
Rodrigo Moreno Machado joine…
Two of the Premier League s form sides meet on Saturday when AFC Bournemouth host Crystal Palace, and Eddie Howe is delighted by the way his team have handled life in the top flight.
Famous wins over Chelsea and Manchester United were followed up by a victory over West Brom, results that see Bournemouth unbeaten in five games and up to 14th in the table, four points clear of the bottom three.
Howe has been impressed by how his players have remained level-headed in their approach through good and bad times this season ahead of the match against Palace.
I would say we have been pretty consistent I wouldn t say the spirit is any higher than it has been at any other time, he said at his pre-match media conference.
People may find that hard to believe, b…
Keylor Navas will never be good enough for Real Madrid / Image via bluemaize.net
He cried himself to sleep on the transfer deadline day in 2015, disappointed that his efforts were never quite appreciated at Santiago Bernabeu.
But waking up the very next morning to the news that David de Gea’s agreed transfer to Real Madrid collapsed because of the papyrology and missed deadline, Costa Rica international goalkeeper decided to turn the new page and work harder than ever to prove his worth to the Real Madrid hierarchy.
The 30-year-old shot stopper signed a six-year contract with Real Madrid in 2014 which was the biggest prize and acknowledgment of his fantastic FIFA World Cup in Brazil, when Navas kept three clean sheets in five matches and dazzled with a string…
NFL star JuJu Smith-Schuster of the Kansas City Chiefs has credited Call of Duty with playing a big role in helping his team to victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. During his post-game press conference, Smith-Schuster said his time in training camp and the pre-season helped form a level of chemistry between himself and other Chiefs players like Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling. But it was a video game–Call of Duty: Warzone–that Smith-Schuster credits with helping his team win on Sunday.
On Friday night during game week, Smith-Schuster played Warzone with Mahomes, Kelce, and Valdes-Scantling, and they won three games in a row. That’s hard for anyone to do, and Smith-Schuster says the teammates took those good vibes into Sunday’s matchup agai…
Mauricio Pochettino will be without Neymar and Leandro Paredes for Paris Saint-Germain s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Tuesday as his list of absent players continues to grow.
Brazil star Neymar returned from the international break with an adductor issue after impressing with a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over Uruguay.
Paredes, meanwhile, was replaced in the second half of Argentina s 1-0 victory against Peru due to a problem in his right quadriceps and will also be unavailable.
The pair join Sergio Ramos – who is still yet to make his PSG debut – on the injury list, while Angel Di Maria is suspended and Mauro Icardi is a doubt after missing training due to personal issues.
The priority is always the health of the players, Poche…
Portugal have been dealt a blow ahead of their Euro 2020 campaign, with full-back Joao Cancelo testing positive for COVID-19 and Diogo Dalot called up.
Manchester City right-back Cancelo had an exceptional season for the Premier League champions, and looked set to be a key player for Portugal as they aim to defend their European crown.
Indeed, he scored one and set up another as Portugal ended their preparations with a 4-0 friendly win over Israel on Wednesday.
However, the 27-year-old returned a positive test on Saturday and has now been placed into isolation. Further tests carried out across the rest of the squad revealed no more positive cases.
It was victory for Portugal tonight as they beat Israel 4-0 in their international friendly
Joao Canc…
Beijing Guoan and Shaanxi Chanba both were 2-0 winners in the opening round of the Chinese Super League on Sunday.
Beijing Guoan s 2-0 victory at Jiangsu Shuntian saw them claim top spot in the league after just one match, with both goals coming in the space of three second-half minutes.
After a cagey opening, the 2009 champions claimed the lead after 58 minutes when Wang Changqing hit the back of the net after he was left unmarked at the far post.
The hosts hit back with an attack of their own, but were hit with the ultimate sucker punch when Guoan grabbed their second on the counterattack.
Honduran international Walter Martinez kick-started the move with a nice run, before cutting in from the left and setting up Australian Joel Griffiths, who made no m…