Competition: Bundesliga
Market: Borussia Dortmund to score over 2.5 goals
Odds: 5/4 @
Looking to make it two in two and keep up the pace this weekend, Borussia Dortmund will make the trip to the WWK Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Starting with the hosts, while Augsburg might have managed to open the New Year with a 3-1 win away at early-season relegation contenders Union Berlin last weekend, there is no doubt that Heiko Herrlich s side are going to be in for a tough afternoon on Saturday. Managing to drag themselves over the finish line earlier in the summer, the former Bayer Leverkusen boss saw his men end the 2019/2020 campaign with a 2-1 defeat against RB Leipzig and they remarkably managed to land just a pair of Bundesliga victories over any of their…
Pep Guardiola has challenged Gabriel Jesus to respond to the task of dislodging Sergio Aguero as Manchester City s first-choice striker.
It was a mission Jesus revelled in immediately after his arrival in Manchester in January 2017, with City s all-time top scorer Aguero forced to bide his time on the bench in a number of high profile clashes – most notably a 2-1 derby win at Manchester United in December of that year.
But Aguero has knuckled down to adapt his game to Guardiola s specific demands when it comes to centre-forward play and is thriving under the Catalan, as evidenced by his stunning opening goal in last week s 2-1 win over Premier League leaders Liverpool.
By contrast, Jesus has struggled to hit top form after suffering a medial knee ligament inju…
Mikel Arteta suggested Bukayo Saka s injury in the 5-0 win over Nottingham Forest was just a knock and unlikely to knock him out of England s World Cup plans.
Saka recorded his 20th assist in the Premier League after finding Gabriel Martinelli for the fifth-minute opener, with only Cesc Fabregas and Wayne Rooney having reached that mark at a younger age than the 21-year-old.
However, Saka was forced off in the 27th minute with what appeared to be a left ankle injury following a tackle from Forest left-back Renan Lodi.
England boss Gareth Southgate may have been concerned Saka would join the likes of Kalvin Phillips and Kyle Walker on his injury list, though Arsenal manager Arteta believes the winger will be fine.
When asked if Saka may be doubtful for Eng…
Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has urged his team-mates not to get carried away despite the 3-0 win over Tottenham and last-gasp equaliser at Atalanta, adamant they are still in a rut .
United suffered a humiliating 5-0 home defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool in October that briefly looked as though it could cost manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer his job.
The club resisted the urge to sack the Norwegian and he oversaw a comprehensive 3-0 win at Tottenham last Saturday in response, his switch to a back three and use of Edinson Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo in attack paying dividends.
Ronaldo was again decisive on Tuesday as United twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Atalanta, the Portugal star scoring both goals including a stoppage-time leveller.
<…
David Beckham is eager to claim his first MLS Cup on Sunday in what could be his final game in the American top flight.
Beckham s contract ends with LA Galaxy after they face Houston Dynamo, and as yet no decision has been made on his future.
The former Manchester United midfielder has already enjoyed title successes in England and Spain, and is looking to repeat that glory in the United States.
I think wherever you play and whatever you do in your life you want to be successful, Beckham said.
I ve been lucky enough throughout my career to be successful at Manchester United, I ve been sucessful at Real Madrid.
I ve seen the last two or three years – I d say the last three years – we ve had success in our franchise and in our club.
…
Reports linking Nwankwo Kanu with a move to Wellington Phoenix are way off the mark according to the club s coach Ricki Herbert.
Kanu, 35, is apparently interested in securing a 10-game guest stint in the A-League in an attempt to land a lucrative contract in Asia.
The former Arsenal, Ajax and Inter Milan striker is contracted to Portsmouth in England s championship but has struggled to get regular game time.
In 2008 he was linked with a move to Gold Coast and Sydney FC were interested in signing him a few months ago before balking at the asking price.
Herbert said there had been no contact with the former Nigerian captain s representatives and added he had no real interest in signing the striker.
I think there was a general circulation around a…
Walter Mazzarri is the new Watford boss and has the task of attempting to make the Hornets regulars in the top-ten of the top-flight
Watford have appointed former-Napoli Walter Mazzarri as their seventh boss in under four years.
The Italian replaces Quique Sanchez Flores who guided the Hornets to midtable security and an FA Cup semi-final appearance.
More bosses than hot dinners
Flores was very popular figure among the Watford fans and players it seems, but the Hornets endured a difficult end to their Premier League campaign and Flores lost his job.
There was much to admire about the job Flores did at Watford, so his sacking seemed slightly harsh if not unexpected due to the clubs hierarchy’s habit of going through bosses.
They do go th…
Montpellier have completed a season-long loan deal for Spartak Moscow striker Lucas Barrios.
The Ligue 1 club confirmed the move on Tuesday, and have the right to buy the 29-year-old forward at the end of the campaign.
Barrios forged a reputation as a prolific striker during previous spells in Chile and Germany, but failed to recapture that form with the likes of Guangzhou Evergrande and Spartak.
After 37 goals in two seasons with Colo Colo in Chile, Barrios earned himself a move to Bundesliga outfit Borussia Dortmund.
Barrios netted 39 league goals in three seasons at Signal Iduna Park, including 16 in 2010-11 a tally that helped Dortmund to the first of their back-to-back Bundesliga crowns.
Moves to China and Russia followed for the Paraguay int…
West Brom saw their 100 per cent Premier League record in 2017-18 come to an end on Sunday as Peter Crouch rescued a 1-1 draw for Stoke City at The Hawthorns.
A first goal for the club from Jay Rodriguez just past the hour mark had looked enough to settle a low-quality encounter before Crouch levelled the scores 13 minutes from time.
West Brom won each of last season s league meetings 1-0 and the latest showdown showed few signs of being a more goal-laden affair, with neither side able to muster a clear chance in a tepid first 45 minutes.
Stoke, who performed so impressively to beat Arsenal last time out, enjoyed more of the ball in the West Midlands sunshine but were unable to create any real danger against a Baggies side that had kept clean sheets in each of t…
The Daily Star understands that Ross Barkley will complete a move to Tottenham Hotspur when the transfer window reopens in January.
The England international looked set for a switch to Chelsea on last week’s transfer deadline day only for the deal to collapse at the eleventh hour.
Reports had suggested that the twenty-three year old had failed a medical at Cobham though he moved to deny that one had even taken place.
Barkley is currently sidelined through injury with his last of his one hundred and seventy-ninth appearances for the Toffees coming in the 3-1 defeat to Arsenal on the final day of last season.
He had loan spells with Leeds United and Sheffield Wednesday earlier on his career while internationally he has been capped a total of twenty-t…