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Sport

10 h. ago Igor Tudor injects fury into Juventus to rev up race for Champions League | Nicky Bandini

New manager has transformed mood and on Sunday halted the seven-match winning streak of Claudio Ranieri’s RomaIgor Tudor was on the pitch, stepping out of his technical area and on to the playing field as he gestured frantically at his defenders, jabbing a pointed finger so close to Stephan El Shaarawy that it appeared he might tap the Roma forward on the shoulder. It has been a little over 20 years since Tudor played his last game for Juventus, but all that time away does not appear to have lessened his passion.The Bianconeri had needed this, needed something, an injection of purpose, of fury, of life. All their energies seemed to have expired under Thiago Motta, four defeats in six games telling only a part of the story. Anyone could lose a match to Atalanta, but 4-0? At home? And to follow that up with a 3-0 thrashing by one of your club’s favourite victims, Fiorentina? Continue reading...

Sport

24 h. ago European football: Marseille’s Rabiot helps beat Toulouse after De Zerbi drama

Marseille two points ahead of Monaco in top-four raceAtlético win over Sevilla closes gap to Madrid and BarçaAdrien Rabiot scored a volley as Marseille beat Toulouse at home 3-2 to reclaim second place in Ligue 1. The hosts who had lost their last three games, saw bitter rival Paris Saint-Germain clinch a record-extending 13th title on Saturday with six matches remaining. But a much-needed win put Marseille two points ahead of Monaco in third place and three points in front of Strasbourg in fourth in the race for a Champions League spot next season. The Marseille head coach Roberto De Zerbi had grown increasingly frustrated with his side’s inconsistency and there were tensions leading up to this game. “The coach was angry and he tried to remotivate us, that’s normal, that’s his role,” Rabiot told DAZN. “No one abandoned ship. On the contrary, we trained with even more enthusiasm, and tonight we gave the right answer.”Midway through the first half, Rabiot broke down the left and sent...

Events

7 d. ago Bologna’s Orsolini strikes again to keep knocking on door to Spalletti’s Italy | Nicky Bandini

Winger has 32 Serie A goals over the past three years as side keep up push for another Champions League campaignVenice has no shortage of eye-catching door-knockers, heavy bronze casts of 16th-century lions and sea monsters adorning entrances of palaces throughout the lagoon city. Still, there is always room for another. Riccardo Orsolini could not hang around quite so long, but his goal for Bologna away to Venezia on Saturday will linger in the memories of supporters.The second half had barely started when Nicolò Cambiaghi cut back from the left flank and crossed right-footed to the far post. Orsolini met his delivery with an exquisite side-footed volley across the goalkeeper and into the corner of the net. Continue reading...

Events

8 d. ago Man City's next six fixtures compared to rivals as race for Champions League football resumes

The Premier League returns on Tuesday for the final few weeks of the campaign

Sport

8 d. ago Man City face Premier League fixture change as race for Champions League takes twist

Manchester City's Premier League game with Aston Villa next month will be rearranged

Sport

1 week ago Is it OK to say Tuchel’s two England wins have been a bit dull? – Football Weekly podcast

Max Rushden is joined by Nicky Bandini, Lucy Ward and Paul Watson as Thomas Tuchel maintains his 100% start with EnglandRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and emailOn the podcast today; England win another qualifier on the road to the World Cup in 2026. Some critics have been vocal about how dull both games of the Thomas Tuchel era have been but isn’t this just the way they were always destined to go? Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Juventus sack head coach Thiago Motta as Igor Tudor appointed

Juve are out of the Champions League and Serie A title race

Politics

2 w. ago Riccardo Calafiori withdraws from Italy squad as 'new Arsenal injury timeline revealed'

Gunners star appears to have a race to be fit for first leg of Champions League showdown with Real Madrid

Events

2 w. ago Will Chelsea qualify for the Champions League? Points prediction as top

A look at how Chelsea and their rivals are stacking up ahead of the run-in

Sport

2 w. ago Exact Man City points tally predicted as Champions League race takes fresh twist

Pep Guardiola has claimed that Manchester City have 'nine finals left' in their pursuit of Champions League qualification

Sport

3 w. ago Atalanta fall against Inter yet again while Inzaghi aims for the stars | Nicky Bandini

Another costly defeat means Gian Piero Gasperini’s side have not beaten the Nerazzurri from Milan since 2018There was no timidity left in the city of Bergamo, no desire to hide behind underdog status. The thousand Atalanta fans who descended on the team’s training ground on Saturday brought a banner insisting: “We Believe”. One day later, as their team prepared to kick off against Inter, another was unfurled in the north stand of Gewiss Stadium. “Needle and thread are in the drawer,” it read. “10 finals to stitch it on to our chest.”The reference of course was to the Scudetto – a badge in the colours of the Italian flag that Serie A’s winners get to wear on their kit. Atalanta have never enjoyed that honour. They have won only two pieces of major silverware in club history – the 1963 Coppa Italia and last season’s Europa League. In Serie A they have never finished higher than third, and even that is a recent development, achieved for the first time in 2019. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Man City’s inconsistency leaves Pep Guardiola with a challenge he’s never faced before

Man City 2-2 Brighton: Abdukodir Khusanov’s own goal meant the teams had to settle for a point leaving the race for Champions League football wide open

Politics

3 w. ago Man City's next six fixtures compared to rivals after missed chance in Champions League race

Manchester City against Brighton in a key game in the race for Champions League football

Sport

3 w. ago Pep Guardiola discusses Champions League qualification race as Man City boss praises 'incredible' contenders

Man City host Brighton this weekend in a huge clash for Champions League qualification

Sport

3 w. ago Chelsea get major update in race for Champions League qualification

Blues given much-needed lift amid battle for Champions League qualification

Sport

3 w. ago Penalty drama in Madrid as Real find a way yet again – Football Weekly Extra podcast

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning, Nicky Bandini, Mark Langdon and Sid Lowe to chew over the Champions League actionRate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.On the podcast today; even for Real Madrid this felt like a particularly novel way to progress in the Champions League, with Atlético’s Julián Alvarez adjudged to have double-kicked his penalty in the shootout. Cue confusion on the pitch, in the dugout, the press box and at home. But, once the dust had settled, Carlo Ancelotti’s team were through again. Continue reading...

Events

4 w. ago Motta’s painful Gasperini reunion leaves him gasping for air at Juventus | Nicky Bandini

After Motta expresses gratitude to his former manager, Atalanta’s 4-0 win may end his plans for a second seasonThiago Motta has never been shy with his gratitude towards Gian Piero Gasperini. He cites the Atalanta manager extensively in the thesis he submitted while studying for his Uefa Pro coaching licence at Coverciano, describing how the season he spent playing under Gasperini at Genoa reshaped his approach to the game.He offered thanks again on Saturday, recalling how he had arrived in Italy in a delicate moment of his career – seeking a way back from successive knee injuries at Barcelona and Atlético Madrid. “I’d just started training again and Gasperini asked me if I could play,” said Motta. “I said yes, and he said: ‘OK, I’ll bring you tomorrow and maybe you’ll play 10 minutes.’ Then he stuck me on in the first half when [Omar] Milanetto got hurt. Continue reading...

Society

last month Liverpool v Southampton, Brighton v Fulham, and more: football – live

All the latest updates from the Saturday afternoon actionLive scores | Premier League top scorers | Email DominicCallum Hudson Odoi has snatched the lead for Nottingham Forest late on against Manchester City. A big goal in the race for Champions League qualification? The City Ground is bouncing.In the early kickoffs down the leagues, Coventry are on course for yet another win under Frank Lampard – they lead Stoke 2-1; Millwall are winning by the same score away at Watford; while in League One there’s only been one goal in the Crawley v Reading and Stockport v Charlton games. That’s been scored by the Royals’ Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan. League Two leaders Walsall are on course for a home defeat by Grimsby Town and AFC Wimbledon are cruising 2-0 at home to Notts County. Continue reading...

Politics