Are Chelsea and Man Utd under threat in Newcastle´s top-six bid?

Newcastle United had not played a game under their new ownership group last October when Amanda Staveley confirmed a desire to win the Premier League on Tyneside.

We have the same ambitions as PSG and Manchester City in terms of trophies, the co-owner added.

Newcastle were winless and in the bottom three, where they would remain until February, so this seemed an optimistic target, even given the wealth of Saudi Arabia s Public Investment Fund.

The Magpies are highly unlikely to challenge City for their title this season either, but they are at least looking up now.

From the date of the takeover until the end of the season, Newcastle earned the sixth-most points in the division (46); in 2022, they have earned the fourth-most (38); in points-per-game terms…

AC Milan linked with Real Madrid ace Marco Asensio

AC Milan are interested in signing Real Madrid attacking midfielder Marco Asensio in the summer of 2023, according to . The report in the Italian news outlet has claimed that defending Serie A champions Milan are among the clubs keen on securing the services of the Spain international, who can also operate as a winger, on a free transfer at the end of the season when he is out of contract at last season’s La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners Madrid.

Asensio has been on the books of Madrid since 2014 when he joined from Real Mallorca. During his time at Los Blancos so far this season, the 27-year-old has won La Liga thrice and the UEFA Champions League on three occasions.

So far this season, Asensio has made five starts and 10 substitute appearances in La Liga for…

CF Montreal v New York City FC: Pearce enjoying Decision Day pressure

Tom Pearce is hoping to use his experience from suffering relegation and earning promotion during his time in England to help CF Montreal reach the playoffs this weekend.

Pearce joined the club in July from Wigan Athletic, a team he won the League One title with in the 2021-22 campaign, but was then a part of the Latics side who came straight back down the following season.

Montreal knows that a point will be enough to secure their spot in the postseason, though slipping up allows an opportunity for either Philadelphia Union or Atlanta United to pounce.

Having featured in high-pressure games throughout his career, Pearce is relishing the opportunity of helping his new team reach the playoffs.

“It’s exciting that we’re going into the last game of the…

Hell Clasico for Real Madrid on Xavi´s big night as Aubameyang lifts Barca to famous win

The last time Barcelona beat Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, the home side sacked their coach nine days later. 

No wonder Carlo Ancelotti was shuffling uncomfortably on the touchline when Ferran Torres rammed in Barcelona s third goal of Sunday s bizarre Clasico rout.

Florentino Perez will surely not be speed-dialling Zinedine Zidane this time – it was the Frenchman who replaced Santiago Solari soon after Barcelona s 1-0 win at this stadium on March 2, 2019.

But if Madrid s Clasico car crash was an early signal of the future dynamic between these teams, then godspeed Don Carlo. Four-nil in the end, and Madrid were lucky to get nil.

Madrid will surely win LaLiga this season, and they might even add the Champions League title, but they did not let …

Prediction: Sevilla vs Getafe

Prediction: Sevilla to win 1-0

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Sevilla and Getafe will face each other in La Liga this weekend. The match between Los Nervionenses and the Azulones will be held at Estadio Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán and is scheduled to kick off at 5:30pm UK time on Sunday.

Sevilla

Sevilla are one of the biggest clubs in Spain who consistently feature in the UEFA Champions League and/or the UEFA Europa League. While the Andalusian outfit may not win the La Liga title, they always do tend to end up in the top four or the top six in the standings. Los Nervionenses have finished fourth in the La Liga table for the past four seasons, and ended up sixth in 2018-19 and seventh in 2016-17. Sevilla won the UEFA Europa League in 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 an…

Kazakhstan 0-0 Norway: Haaland fires a blank in Nations League opener

Erling Haaland fluffed his lines as Norway were held to an underwhelming goalless draw by Kazakhstan in their Nations League opener.

Norway failed to secure promotion from League B in the last edition of the Nations League in 2022-23, and their attempt to escape Group B3 got off to a frustrating start in Almaty.

Haaland was the joint-leading goalscorer in the 2022-23 tournament (alongside Aleksandar Mitrovic) with six goals, but he was unable to find the target despite being presented with several good chances on Friday.

The Manchester City man sent a 24th-minute header spiralling over the crossbar, then dragged another effort wide from the edge of the six-yard box five minutes later.

Norway dominated possession as newly promoted Kazakhstan dug in to pres…

Everton safe as reality bites for Leeds and Leicester – 5 Premier League things

Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal saw Everton stave off the threat of relegation on the final day of the Premier League season as Leicester and Leeds suffered the drop.

With the title and top four already sewn up, all eyes had been on the battle at the bottom and the fight for European places.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five things from the final day of the season.

Dyche delivers for Everton

Sean Dyche was perhaps not a fashionable appointment when Everton turned to him after Frank Lampard’s exit, but he has done enough – just enough – to keep the Toffees in the top flight after Sunday’s 1-0 win over Bournemouth. One of Dyche’s biggest decisions was to restore Abdoulaye Doucoure to his starting line-up, and it was the Mali midfielder who got the all-i…

Inter warned tie is not over after impressive first-leg win against AC Milan

Simone Inzaghi insisted Inter Milan still have work to do to reach the Champions League final despite an impressive 2-0 first-leg victory over AC Milan in the last four.

Inter blitzed their city rivals with two goals in the first 11 minutes through Edin Dzeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan and could easily have put the tie to bed during a dominant first-half display.

Milan improved after the break but will be grateful to still be in reach of the 2010 champions after a disappointing performance in front of their supporters in the ‘home’ leg of the tie.

The first leg is ours! 0-2 (FT)

— Inter (@Inter_en)

Inzaghi told Amazon Prime Video: “We could have done more than the two goals, but a great match. We’ve already gone through some rounds, we …

Romania promote Under-21 coach ahead of Euro 2020 play-off

Romania have appointed Mirel Radoi as their coach ahead of next year s Euro 2020 play-off with Iceland, the Romanian Football Federation (RFF) has announced.

His appointment was ratified by members of the RFF s executive committee on Tuesday and he will succeed Cosmin Contra after he resigned from the role last week. 

Radoi moves up to the senior squad after impressing as the coach of Romania s Under-21 side, who reached the semi-finals of this year s UEFA European Under-21 Championship.

That performance meant Romania qualified for the Olympics for the first time in 56 years, earning promotion for Radoi.

He will lead Romania into a play-off in Reykjavik in March with the winners of that tie taking on either Bulgaria or Hungary for a place at Euro…

Suarez lauds Messi: ´You never get tired of showing that you are the best in the world´

Luis Suarez has hailed best in the world Lionel Messi after his former Barcelona teammate helped Argentina qualify for the 2022 World Cup final.

Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 34th minute and set up Julian Alvarez s second goal in the 69th minute to round out an impressive 3-0 victory over Croatia on Tuesday.

The seven-time Ballon d Or winner now has a shot at his first World Cup title, and Argentina s first since Diego Maradona led them to glory in 1986, with Messi having been a runner-up in 2014 when Germany edged La Albiceleste 1-0 in Rio de Janeiro.

You never get tired of showing that you are the best in the world, Suarez, who spent six years with Messi at Barcelona from 2014 to 2020, wrote on Instagram.

The whole world stops …