Ligue 1
Advantage PSG as Les Parisiens defeat Bayern Munich in thrilling quarter-final
A clinical Paris Saint-Germain came away from the Allianz Arena with a one-goal advantage in an enthralling Champions League quarter-final first leg. It was an electrifying start to game. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, standing in for the injured Robert Lewandowski, saw his second-minute header strike the crossbar from Joshua Kimmich’s corner. It was a miss that proved costly, as the visitors took the lead just a minute later. Neymar picked up the ball in the middle, drove forward, and slipped it through to Kylian Mbappe. The young Frenchman slammed into the back of the net, although goalkeeper Manuel Neuer would have been disappointed to let it go through him. Bayern Munich responded well to the goal, and really should’ve equalised on the tenth minute, but Thomas Muller struck straight at Keyl...
AC Milan target duo as they prepare to let winger go
AC Milan are eyeing up two wingers in the summer, with Samu Castillejo expected to be transfer listed. Castillejo joined AC Milan in 2018 from Villarreal in a deal that saw Colombian forward Carlos Bacca move in the opposite direction. The Spaniard struggled to nail down a starting XI berth in his debut season, with 23 of his 31 league appearances coming from the bench. Castillejo has struggled to make an impact at AC Milan The following season, he got more opportunities, making 17 Serie A starts. However, he managed just two goals and three assists. This term hasn’t been much better for him, recording just one goal and no assists in his 24 league outings. As a result, the Rossoneri are expected to let him go in the summer, as reported by Calciomercato. At 26 years of age and with over two...
Neymar in contact with Barcelona over possible return
Brazilian superstar Neymar is reportedly in contact with newly elected Barcelona president Joan Laporta over a potential return to the club, reports El Chiringuito (via the Express). Neymar left Barcelona in the summer transfer window of 2017 for a world record £198 million fee, joining Paris Saint-Germain. He has since enjoyed a lot of success in France, scoring 83 goals in 105 appearances while winning seven domestic trophies, as well as reaching a Champions League final. Neymar has continued to shine at PSG However, Les Parisiens will be concerned over his future, with his contract set to expire in 2022. They have been in talks with the forward over a new deal, but nothing has been agreed yet. And now Spanish outlet El Chiringuito reports that Barcelona president Joan Laporta has got in...
Tactical Analysis: Perfect Lille outclass PSG in potential Ligue 1 title-decider
For the first time in four seasons, we have a serious title race in Ligue 1 with someone other than Paris Saint-Germain in pole position. Monaco and Lyon are fairly close in the mix, but the side leading the way are Lille, who were facing PSG in a crunch top-of-the-table clash. With the two sides level on points going into the match, this certainly had the potential to be a title-decider. The two sides fought hard at the Parc de Princes, and it was Lille who emerged victors thanks to the only goal of the match. PSG looked the better side overall, but they were held by the disciplined and extremely hard-working Dogues. In this analysis, we will take a look at how they overcame the French champions. Resolute defence With just 34.9% of possession and a relatively early lead, Lille found ...
Maverick 28-year-old could take West Ham or Everton to the next level
The news that Paris Saint-Germain could offload Mauro Icardi this summer is potentially an interesting development for selected Premier League clubs. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Press Reader), the Ligue 1 giants need to free up some finances to facilitate contract extensions for Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. Icardi is thought to favour a move to Juventus, although their desire to re-sign Moise Kean this summer could scupper his hopes. Roma has also been suggested as a possible destination, but they may struggle to afford Icardi’s lofty price tag and salary in the current economic climate. SL View Icardi built up a reputation as a clinical finisher during his time with Inter Milan, bagging 124 goals in 219 goals for the club in all competitions. The Argentine subsequently joined P...
PSG quartet miss huge Ligue 1 fixture against Lille
Parc des Princes is the venue as Paris Saint-Germain and Lille battle it out for a top place in Ligue 1 on Saturday. PSG head into proceedings as table-toppers, albeit level on points with their upcoming rivals. Both sides have blown hot and cold lately and will be looking to prove a point in one of the most highly anticipated fixtures on the French football schedule. Paris Saint-Germain Preview Paris endured mixed fortunes in their five Ligue 1 matches ahead of the international break (W3, L2), all of which featured at least one first-half goal. After being held goalless to Lille in the reverse fixture earlier this season, Les Parisiens face the prospect of failing to beat this opposition in back-to-back league matches for the first time since 2012. Coming into this matchday, Mauricio Poc...
Real Madrid prepared to sell six players to fund moves for Mbappe and Haaland
Spanish outlet Mundo Deportivo has claimed that Real Madrid are willing to sell six senior players as they look for the funds to sign young superstars Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. Mbappe has been a known target of Real Madrid for a while now. The 22-year-old burst onto the scene in the 2016/17 season with Monaco and has since gone on to score over 100 goals, including one in a World Cup final. Mbappe could break the world record transfer fee Haaland is also reportedly on Los Blancos’ radar. The Norwegian made his breakthrough at the start of the 2019/20 season with RB Salzburg and has continued to impress with Borussia Dortmund, scoring 34 league goals in 36 outings. Both players are expected to dominate the game for many years to come. As a result, they have become two of the most so...
The Longest Winning Streaks in Football History
Teams across the world dream of compiling the longest winning streak in football, but very few ever come close to topping the list. Manchester City’s bid to set a new record for consecutive victories was recently ended at the 21-game mark by Manchester United. The Red Devils triumphed 2-0 in the Premier League at the Etihad Stadium to leave City eight games short of the 29 successive victories set by Benfica between 1972 and 1973. Across the rest of Europe, Dinamo Zagreb (2007/08 – 28), Celtic (2003/04 – 25), Ferencvaros (1931/32 – 22) and PSV Eindhoven (1987/88 – 22) have also topped City’s 21-game run. In terms of Europe’s main five leagues, City rank third on the list behind Bayern Munich (2019/20 – 23) and Real Madrid (2014/15 -22). Longest Winning Streaks (Big Five Leagues) 1. Bayern ...
Football’s greatest comebacks, featuring Liverpool, Barcelona and Camp Nou in 1999
When players are being taught the basics of the game as youngsters, one of the key messages is to play until the final whistle. That point certainly rings true at professional level, with fans taking a dim view of teams who throw in the towel too early. One of the most thrilling aspects of football is when a team recovers from an impossible position to win a game. With that in mind, we take a look at ten of the best-ever comebacks. Manchester United vs Bayern Munich – Champions League – 1999 Recovering from one goal down is common in football, but the manner of United’s comeback in the 1999 Champions League Final was extraordinary. Bayern took an early lead through Mario Basler and looked on course to lift the prestigious trophy as the game headed into stoppage time. However, goals by Tedd...
Borussia Dortmund name their price for Erling Braut Haaland
Borussia Dortmund have slapped an enormous €180 million price tag on star striker Erling Haaland, reports ESPN. Haaland made his breakthrough during the 2019/20 season. He first caught the eye with his prolific performances for RB Salzburg in the Champions League group stages. He carried this form into the second half of the season with Dortmund following his transfer in January 2020. Haaland is a man in high demand He has since established himself as one of the world’s very best strikers, scoring 49 goals in as many games for the Black and Yellows. This has attracted the attention of several of the world’s biggest clubs. However, ESPN claims that any club willing to sign the 20-year-old will need to stump up an eye-popping €180m for his services. This would be the second most expensive tr...
Spurs have reportedly identified 25y/o as replacement for Man Utd-linked star
According to L’Equipe, Tottenham Hotspur are keen on snapping up Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan this summer. Spurs assistant head coach Joao Sacramento and goalkeeping coach Nuno Santos know the 25-year-old from their time together at the French club, and he has been touted as a long-term replacement for Hugo Lloris. The 34-year-old could leave Spurs at the end of the campaign, and while he has been linked with a return to OGC Nice, he could choose to remain in the Premier League, with Manchester United reportedly a possible destination. Sportslens View Maignan is a major reason why Lille are level on points with Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 table with just eight games left given his huge quality, and he is not short of suitors at the moment. Serie A giants AC Milan are als...
Future Paris Saint-Germain job appealing to Mikel Arteta – but now isn’t the time
He may have made a name for himself as a player, but now Mikel Arteta is proving to be a natural in the managerial hot-seat too. His appointment as Arsenal head coach back in 2019 was met with some concern due to his lack of experience, having only worked for three years as Pep Guardiola’s assistant at Manchester City. However, despite the question marks surrounding him, Arteta and management go together very well. Just a few months after taking charge, Arteta brought two trophies back to the Emirates – the FA Cup and Community Shield. Due to their success in the FA Cup, Arsenal secured a place in the Europa League despite finishing eighth in the league, and they have looked in better shape overall since the Spaniard took the reins. The Arsenal hierarchy were so pleased with the results, t...
