Barcelona linked with Liverpool winger Luis Díaz

Market: Stevenage win

Odds: 19/20 @

Hoping to shore up their spot in the play-off chase, Stevenage will welcome Reading to the Lamex Stadium on Tuesday night.

Starting with the hosts, although Stevenage might have only made their League One return this season, the Boro are enjoying what has been a real fairytale. Continuing to receive a string of public praise from across England’s third-tier, it is no secret that Steve Evans’ men have their sights firmly set on securing a shock play-off ticket in 2024. With the mood around the Lamex Stadium at a red-hot high, the former Gillingham boss will be calling on his squad to make another statement in midweek. Last seen over the weekend putting in another eye-catching display as they clinched a 1-0 victory against B…

Harry Kane doubled the lead in the second half, finishing off a flowing team move in which Foden was an integral part.

The 23-year-old has scored just four goals since making his debut in 2020 and a place in Southgate’s starting XI is still not guaranteed, with Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka often preferred on the right side of the attack.

“I always want more for myself, I think I can add goals to this team – and assists,” Foden told beIN Sports.

“I was involved in both of the goals (against Malta), maybe we weren’t at our best but we got the job done in the end and that’s the most important thing.

“I’m enjoying my football a lot at the moment, I’m expressing myself, I’m playing really well. So yeah, I need to keep that up, keep pushing mys…

Arsenal s all-time record goalscorer Vivianne Miedema has ended speculation over her future by signing a new deal with the Women s Super League club.

Miedema s previous deal was due to expire next month, and she had been linked with a move to Barcelona or a team in the United States.

However, the Netherlands international – who has scored 117 goals in 144 games since signing for Arsenal from Bayern Munich in 2017 – has agreed to stay on in north London.

The Gunners confirmed the news on their official website on Friday, although no details were given regarding the length of the contract.

I think the best thing about football is to build something with a team and people around you that you really want to belong to, Miedema said.

I feel like I…

Sepp Blatter has been handed a new ban from football of six years and eight months, FIFA has announced.

Disgraced former FIFA president Blatter was originally banned for eight years, reduced to six, in 2015 over breaches relating to a disloyal payment to ex-UEFA chief Michel Platini.

That suspension is up in October of this year, although the 85-year-old will now be barred from all football activities for a further eight years due to various violations of FIFA s code of ethics.

Jerome Valcke, the former FIFA general secretary who is banned from football until October 2025, has been given the same punishment on those grounds.

Both men have also been fined 1million Swiss francs (€900,000/$1.1m).

A statement issued by FIFA read: The investigations…

Roberto Firmino may miss a third straight game through injury as Liverpool prepare to face Wolves on Monday.

Firmino has missed Liverpool s last two games defeat to Fulham and victory over RB Leipzig  with a knock.

He will be assessed ahead of the meeting at Molineux, with the Reds out to arrest a slide in form that has significantly dented their hopes of qualifying for the Champions League.

Liverpool have lost six of their last seven games in the Premier League and have suffered defeat in a club-record six consecutive home league games.

That run left them seven points adrift of the top four going into Saturday s fixtures, with winning the Champions League looking like their best shot of qualifying for next season s competition after their last-16 triump…

Squads are being stretched, injuries are piling up and managers are moaning, but there is no let up as the Champions League group stage rolls around for a third straight week.

There were hard-fought wins, thrilling draws and a few teams on the end of thrashings on matchday two.

Real Madrid s European form continues to cause concern after they followed their loss to Shakhtar Donetsk with a draw at Borussia Monchengladbach; Inter, who are also yet to win, are next up on Tuesday.

Holders Bayern Munich are away to Salzburg, Liverpool head to Atalanta, and Manchester City host Olympiacos with all three clubs aiming to maintain 100 per cent starts.

Matchday 3

— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)

Salzburg v Bayern Munich: Bavarians bril…

Pep Guardiola says it is important to know the value of under-pressure Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester City make the short trip to Old Trafford in the Premier League on Saturday for a derby where the stakes are high.

Solskjaer has seen his position come under scrutiny once more after United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage this week to follow up on a mixed start to the Premier League campaign.

City manager Guardiola insisted Solskjaer was strong enough to cope with the strain.

Asked about Solskjaer and the life of a manager facing pressure, Guardiola said: We know it. That is why we get a lot of salary, to keep these situations.

It is important to know the value of Solskjaer, there is no doubt about t…

Stade Michel d Ornano in Caen is a long way from Porto s Estadio do Dragao. To be precise, it s 1,573 kilometers in the unlikely event you ever have the urge to drive across Portugal and Spain, then all the way up to Normandy in northern France.

In terms of staging posts within a career, second tier French football in 2013-14 and the 2021 Champions League final are a million miles apart. But this is the journey Riyad Mahrez and N Golo Kante have taken, almost stride for stride, as they wait to contest the European club game s greatest prize.

A look at Ligue 2 s YouTube highlights from the first time the Manchester City winger and Chelsea midfielder faced one another on September 27, 2013, when Caen hosted Le Havre, reveals a few very familiar traits.

Kante can…

Zinedine Zidane says coaching France remains a career goal of his but he is confident Real Madrid can still achieve great things this season.

The Madrid boss has seen his position come under scrutiny this season after some high-profile defeats, but he thinks success in LaLiga and the Champions League remains possible.

Zidane has regularly been linked with managing his native France, with incumbent head coach Didier Deschamps recently tipping him to succeed him in the role.

French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet, meanwhile, has said Zidane would be the first person he would call should he ever need to replace Deschamps.

Ahead of Madrid s home match with Valencia on Sunday, Zidane was open about his aspirations.

I am passionate about f…

With the 2023/24 Premier League campaign getting underway this weekend, we have a mouth-watering set of opening fixtures from across the country. For those of you looking to open the new season with a flutter, we have found a trio of Premier League tips that are worth keeping an eye out for.

Saturday August 12th
BST 12:30 Arsenal vs Nottingham Forest

Suffering Premier League title heartbreak last season after failing at the final hurdle and missing out on the chance to get their hands on a first domestic crown since 2004, Arsenal will be desperate to avoid an opening weekend banana skin here. While Mikel Arteta’s young squad might have eventually fallen five points adrift of dethroning Manchester City, Saturday’s hosts should take a string of positives away from …