England will hope to avoid exerting themselves against San Marino on Friday before a pivotal World Cup qualifying clash with Montenegro.
Roy Hodgson s team are the highest-ranked nation in Group H, but sit two points behind leaders Montenegro after winning two and drawing two of their first four matches.
Routine 5-0 wins away to Moldova and at home to San Marino were to be expected, but it is the dropped points in 1-1 draws at home to Ukraine and away to Poland which have England s qualification campaign in jeopardy already.
On Friday Hodgson takes his team to the Stadio Olimpico di Serravalle, where they will be expected to earn all three points with ease against the part-time players of San Marino.
The real battle will then take place at Stadion Pod Gor…
Samir Nasri claims Arsene Wenger was forced to sell him to Manchester City by Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke.
The 25-year-old joined the now Premier League champions for 24 million pounds in 2011, in the same summer that Cesc Fabregas left for Barcelona, and Nasri says that Wenger had no say in the matter.
Wenger told me that, if Cesc (Fabregas) left, I would stay but Kroenke wanted the money, Nasri told beIN Sport.
The coach told me we ll only take Gervinho, Cesc was already gone, I had only one year left so I decided to leave.
Nasri also said Roberto Mancini s assertion that he was training at 50 per cent is not true.
Mancini revealed his frustration at the midfielder s inconsistent performances this season, but Nasri says that while he knows he…
Melbourne City gained revenge over 10-man Sydney FC with a 3-1 Grand Final victory to claim a first A-League title at AAMI Park on Sunday.
City were beaten by the Sky Blues in the Grand Final last year, but Patrick Kisnorbo s side were not to be denied this time around as they completed a Premiership-Championship double.
Kosta Barbarouses put the defending champions in front, but Nathaniel Atkinson equalised soon after and Sydney were rocked by Luke Brattan s first-half dismissal for a second bookable offence.
Scott Jamieson s penalty put Melbourne in front on the stroke of half-time and Scott Galloway sealed the victory in stoppage time at the end of a dramatic final, with Sydney unable to become the first team to win three successive titles.
Afte…
Mikel Arteta believes Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang s first open-play Premier League goal since the opening day of the season could dramatically change their season.
Arsenal could only draw 1-1 with Southampton at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday, but Arteta focused on the positives as the Gunners showed character when reduced to 10 men once again following the second-half dismissal of Gabriel Magalhaes.
It was their seventh sending off since Arteta s first game in charge on Boxing Day last year, four more red cards than any other team in that period.
Gabriel s two yellow cards in quick succession came at a time when Arsenal appeared to be growing in confidence, having seen Aubameyang cancel out Theo Walcott s first-half goal early in the second period.
Ulti…
Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho knows his finishing must improve if he is to take his game to the next level.
The Brazilian has been in outstanding form this season, but has only found the back of the net five times in all competitions.
Coutinho has scored 13 goals in 92 games since joining the Merseyside club from Inter in January 2013 and the 22-year-old is determined to improve that record.
He told Liverpool s official website: I think I still have to improve.
I have not improved yet. I scored a few goals last month but I need to improve.
I have this ambition, this objective of improving finishing. In the position I play, I need to score goals to help the team and create plays. Therefore I must improve my goalscoring skills.
…
Atletico Nacional overhauled Libertad and Estudiantes to claim top spot in Copa Libertadores Group Seven on Thursday, while Boca Juniors stayed perfect in Uruguay.
Nacional won 1-0 at Estudiantes thanks to Yulian Mejia s deflected strike in a vital Group Seven encounter to claim pole position in the standings with one matchday remaining.
The victory took Nacional to eight points, level with Libertad but ahead on goals scored, while Estudiantes (seven) dropped to third, three points clear of Barcelona.
Libertad had to come from behind at home to secure a 1-1 draw with Barcelona.
Nacional entered Thursday s match in Argentina having lost their past two games in the Colombian Primera A but managed to hold out against Estudiantes.
The hosts finished t…
French goalkeeper Sebastien Frey said he is fed up with playing second fiddle to Italy s number one stopper Gianluigi Buffon in an interview published in the Gazzetta dello Sport on Saturday.
Frey s Fiorentina travel to Buffon s Juventus in Saturday s late Serie A match with much at stake for both sides.
Juve are just three points behind leaders Inter Milan and could take over top spot, for 24 hours at least, with a victory.
La Viola, meanwhile, are challenging for a top four finish and Champions League qualification for the second year in a row but their hopes have been hit by two straight defeats.
Frey is regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in Serie A but once again Buffon scooped the top goalkeeper award for 2008 in the Italian football Oscars, so…
Colombian forward Juan Pablo Angel, the 2007 Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player, signed a contract extension with the New York Red Bulls on Monday.
Angel has scored 33 goals in 47 games since signing with the Red Bulls in 2007, missing seven games last year with an injury but still leading the MLS Eastern Conference with 14 games in 23 appearances.
We re thrilled, Red Bulls managing director Erik Stover said. Juan Pablo has established himself as the top forward in the league. We re excited to have him lead our team in the coming years as we compete for a championship.
Angel, who led the Red Bulls to the 2008 MLS final, has 33 caps for Colombia. He began his career at Nacional Medellin from 1993-97 then went to Argentina s River Plate from 1997-2000 and …
Casemiro believed his time at Real Madrid was coming to a natural end as the midfielder shot down suggestions his move to Manchester United is is financially driven.
The 30-year-old will complete his transfer from LaLiga champions Madrid to the Premier League this week after he was handed a hero s farewell at Santiago Bernabeu.
Casemiro makes the switch to Old Trafford in a transfer thought to be in the region of £60million (€70m), as United splash the cash in the wake of a dismal start to Erik ten Hag s tenure.
It will see Casemiro switch from a team out to defend their Champions League title to one that might be struggling to make Europe by the end of the season.
But he is relishing the challenge, and believes it was the right moment to call tim…
Dani Alves has revealed he has nerves and butterflies as he prepares to finally make his Olympics debut at the age of 38.
Sao Paulo defender Alves has 118 caps and four trophies for the senior Brazil team but has never previously played at the Games.
He is one of the over-age players for the Selecao in Tokyo and it is an opportunity he is relishing and even apprehensive about despite his illustrious career at club and international level.
Brazil are among the favourites to win the men s competition along with Spain and France.
They open their campaign against Germany in Group D on Thursday.
As it is my first time, the feeling is even more special, said Alves, who will captain the team.
Despite the fact I have great experiences in the pa…