After nine years, Spain are back in the semi-finals of a major tournament – and, boy, has it felt like hard work.
A group-stage slog, an extra-time thriller with Croatia and then this, a match against Switzerland that seemed under their control but still required 120 minutes of football and a penalty shoot-out to decide.
Yet here they are: exhausted, written off, but in with a shot of a third European Championship final out of the past four. The passing might not be as slick, the control not as imperious as it once was, but one thing Euro 2020 has given these players is belief. After this latest challenge posed by the Russian summer and the Swiss Sommer, it will only be stronger.
It seemed Spain had found the ideal antidote to any lingering fatigue from the l…
Former Germany defender Carsten Ramelow believes Spain will become the first team to defend their European title.
Germany cruised into the knockout rounds of Euro 2012 with three victories in the group stage, and were dealt a favourable draw against Greece.
However, should they overcome the Euro 2004 winners on Friday, the will face either Italy or England in the semi-finals, and Ramelow believes they will come undone against Cesare Prandelli s men.
Italy are always good for a surprise, and they are always the favourites, the former Bayer Leverkusen man told Goal.com.
I think it depends on the form on the day. Italy are the secret favourites, and therefore I d tip them to win.
Ramelow went on to say that he would back Spain to overcome Portug…
Sevilla s Brazilian-born striker Luis Fabiano, the Primera Liga s second top scorer with 24 goals last season, has extended his contract with the club until June 2011, the Spanish side said Saturday.
The new contract includes a termination clause of 25 million euros (40 million dollars) and an undisclosed raise which the club said will make him one of its best-paid players along with fellow striker Frederic Kanoute and centre back Sebastien Squillaci.
The 27-year-old joined Sevilla in 2005 from Portuguese giants FC Porto and helped them to win the 2006 and 2007 UEFA Cups, plus the Spanish King s Cup in 2007.
Last week Fabiano, who reportedly was being chased by other clubs including Real Madrid, obtained Spanish citizenship, meaning he no longer takes up one …
Alexis Sanchez was on the scoresheet as Serie A leaders Inter brushed aside Salernitana 5-0 at Stadio Arechi on Friday.
Linked with a possible January move to Barcelona in recent days, the Chile forward was handed just his third league start of the season and repaid coach Simone Inzaghi with his first top-flight goal since May.
Ivan Perisic and Denzel Dumfries had already put the Nerazzurri comfortably in control in the first half, the latter scoring his side s 100th league goal of 2021.
Substitutes Lautaro Martinez and Roberto Gagliardini added fourth and fifth goals for Inter, who now lead Serie A by four points with one game left this year.
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Inter dominant in Salerno
A huge win for our lads!
— Inter (@Inter_en)
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone applauded the work of his opposite number Carlo Ancelotti after losing to the Italian s Real Madrid in Sunday s derby.
Los Blancos claimed a 2-1 win at the Civitas Metropolitano to ensure they go into the international break at the top of the table.
Madrid have won all of their first six LaLiga games in the 2022-23 season and rarely looked especially worried against Atletico, despite the hosts dictating the tempo for much of the second half.
Goals from Rodrygo and Federico Valverde in the first period sent Madrid on their way and, although Mario Hermoso – who was also sent off late on for two bookings – pulled one back, the away side were good value for the win.
Simeone subsequently struggled to hide his admiration …
Despite not having their coach on the sidelines last week, the Arizona Cardinals moved to 6-0 (5-1 ATS) on the season with a victory over the Browns. They’ll look to stay perfect when they host the 1-5 (3-3 ATS) Houston Texans on Sunday.
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury is still doubtful for this game but Arizona enters its second home game since Week 3 as 17.5-point NFL betting favorites with the total set at 47.5.
If you’re betting this game on October 24, then make sure you read our free picks and predictions for the Texans vs. Cardinals first.
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The final preseason game for both the Jacksonville Jaguars and Atlanta Falcons will take place Saturday afternoon, as both franchises look to make their final roster decisions ahead of cutting their squads down to 53 players.
Both teams are planning to rest most — if not all — of their starters, but that doesn’t mean you can’t still find angles to attack as a bettor.
Let’s break them down in our free NFL preseason betting picks and predictions for Jacksonville Jaguars vs Atlanta Falcons on Saturday, August 27.
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So much for Father Time being undfeated. The ageless Tom Brady has turned back the clock in his 23rd year in the NFL, delivering a number of vintage performances despite being older than 13 NFL coaches.
After a short-lived retirement that lasted all of 40 days, Brady is back in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers uniform and looking to win his eighth Super Bowl. The former sixth-round pick is coming off a season in which he threw for the most pass yards of his career (5,316) and the most passing touchdowns since his renowned 2007 campaign.
Happy 45th birthday to @TomBrady ?????? 8x MVP?? 7x Super Bowl Champion ?? 10x Conference Champion?? 15x ProBowl?? 6x AllPro?? 2000s, 2010s All-Decade Team?? Most TDs, Completions, Yards, Wins in History?? In 2…
Joshua Dobbs has been one the best stories of the NFL season so far and looks to add another chapter to his football folklore when the Minnesota Vikings host the New Orleans Saints in Week 10 odds.
Dobbs, who parlayed his sudden success in Arizona into a trade to the Vikings before Week 9, had to step in for injured backup quarterback Jaren Hall and willed Minnesota to a 31-28 victory over Atlanta despite being with the team for only a few days.
Dobbs & Co. get a tougher test against this New Orleans defense, which ranks among the stingiest in the land. The Saints sit Top 10 in many advanced defensive ratings, including allowing the ninth-lowest points per play.
I’ll dissect the NFL odds and give my best NFL picks for Saints vs. Vikings on November …
With just three games left in this NFL season, we settle in to take a look at the Conference Championship odds.
We’re finding the best free NFL picks for first touchdown scorer in the AFC Conference Championship game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens and then again in the NFC with the Detroit Lions Lions visiting the San Francisco 49ers.
We’ve studied the NFL odds to find a player in each matchup who offers the perfect mix of value and opportunity to deliver some healthy returns.
Here are my best NFL player props for first touchdown scorer in each game as the Super Bowl odds take shape.
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