Bitesize Prediction: Forward Madison vs Central Valley Fuego – 25/07/24

Verdict: England handicap -3

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Group F bottom-dwellers Malta play host to leaders England in a match that is expected to be a one-sided affair. The Three Lions are without a defeat so far in the World Cup qualifiers and are most certainly not expected to ruin their record with a match at lowly Maltese side.

Malta

Arguably one of the weakest sides in European football, Malta national team is yet to make it to the finals of any major international competition. The Group F minnows have found it too difficult to fight against the likes of Lithuania, Scotland, Slovenia and England, and are currently sitting rock bottom with six defeats from as many matches. Maltese conceded fifteen goals and scored only two during the qualifying process…

Dani Carvajal is facing a UEFA investigation after the defender was shown a yellow card late in Real Madrid s Champions League win over APOEL on Tuesday.

Carvajal delayed a throw-in during stoppage time at the end of Madrid s 6-0 demolition, with referee Artur Dias Soares showing the full-back the only yellow card of the game.

The UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body now plans to investigate the incident to examine whether Carvajal was guilty of breaching Article 15 of its Disciplinary Regulations by receiving a yellow card on purpose .

Carvajal s booking, his third of this season s Champions League, means he would be ruled out of Madrid s matchday six clash with Borussia Dortmund through suspension, freeing him to return for the knockout rounds.

Bu…

Philippe Coutinho was a humble boy who had everything in terms of ability even at the age of 18, according to Rafael Benitez.

The Brazil star completed his protracted transfer to Barcelona on Saturday for a fee that could reportedly reach a club-record €160million.

Coutinho s blockbuster move to Camp Nou comes almost five years on from his transfer to Liverpool from Inter for a bargain price said to have been just €10m.

Benitez coached Coutinho for just a few months during his ill-fated spell with the Nerazzurri in 2010 but the Newcastle United boss admits it was clear then that they had a special talent.

It was a pleasant surprise to meet a player with the abilities of Philippe Coutinho, Benitez told Mundo Deportivo.  We had the chance to have a bo…

New West Ham signing Nayef Aguerd has undergone surgery after sustaining an ankle injury in a pre-season friendly. 

The Hammers spent a reported £30million to sign Aguerd from Rennes in June but he is now a doubt for the start of the new season after being forced off in the first half of last Tuesday s 3-1 loss to Rangers at Ibrox. 

West Ham did not give a time frame for the Morocco defender s return to action, with David Moyes side entertaining Premier League champions Manchester City in their opening game of the season on August 7. 

Aguerd was signed after playing a role in 19 clean sheets in Ligue 1 over the previous two seasons with Rennes. The only defenders with more were Wout Faes (20), Marquinhos (26), Sven Botman (28) and Jose Fonte (29). 

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Following the news that Real Madrid will be banned from registering players for the next two transfer windows, Omnisport examines five possible consequences of the Santiago Bernabeu giants breaching FIFA transfer regulations.

Ronaldo: The Real romance continues

Cristiano Ronaldo s future has been a source of constant speculation throughout this season. The three-time Ballon d Or winner, unseated as the holder of football s premier individual honour by Barcelona rival Lionel Messi this week, often cut a disgruntled figure on the field during Rafael Benitez s ill-fated tenure as Madrid boss. Ronaldo was reported to be unhappy with the methods of the now sacked head coach.

A return of 14 goals from 19 Liga matches would be a handsome return for most forwards, but R…

Harry Kane’s late brace earned Bayern Munich a spot in the last 16 of the Champions League after beating Galatasaray 2-1.

A frustrating first half saw Bayern have the better chances, with Kane and Leroy Sane testing Fernando Muslera, but Galatasaray began to grow into the game after the break and had a goal ruled out for offside.

The hosts earned their reward with Kane scoring twice in the final 10 minutes and they saw out the victory despite Cedric Bakambu’s stoppage-time strike.

Through to the last 16!

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN)

Bayern progress to the knock-out stages having won all four of their matches in Group A so far, while defeat leaves Galatasaray third in the table.

Bayern had chances early on when Sane cut inside…

West Ham United could be set to make a shock bid for Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere, .

The Hammers are eyeing potential transfers ahead of their first season in the Olympic Stadium, and their fine form this season could see them being able to offer European football to any new players.

Paris Saint Germain forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic was linked with a surprise move to the East London outfit last week and now England star Wilshere is on their radar.

The England international has racked up one hundred and fifty-four appearances in all competitions for the Gunners, scoring twelve goals but injury has prevented him from playing at all this season.

His only time away from Arsene Wenger’s side in his career so far was a brief loan spell at Bolton Wandere…

England toiled to a 1-1 draw in North Macedonia as their Euro 2024 qualifying campaign came to a lacklustre close.

Gareth Southgate’s side secured qualification to next summer’s finals in Germany last month and a forgettable draw in Skopje was at least enough to confirm them among the top seeds for December’s draw.

Debutant Rico Lewis endured a night to forget at the Tose Proeski Arena as he conceded a controversial first-half penalty which Jordan Pickford saved before Enis Bardhi turned home the rebound.

Captain Harry Kane came off the bench and played a part in the leveller as Jani Atanasov scored an own goal but England failed to find a winner.

The points are shared in the final match of 2023.

— England (@England)

England sho…

Manchester City s incredible squad depth means some players may be tempted away despite their success.

Among those is centre-back Nathan Ake, who has only managed 30 Premier League appearances since his move to Etihad Stadium in 2020, although he has made five starts this term.

The 29-cap Netherlands international joined City for a reported £41million fee from Bournemouth.

TOP STORY – INTER PLOT MOVE FOR CITY S AKE

Inter are trying to lure Manchester City defender Nathan Ake to Serie A, claims Ekrem Konur.

The 27-year-old Dutchman has been on City s books since 2020, joining on a five-year contract.

Inter may be looking for reinforcements for their defensive stocks, with uncertainty over Milan Skriniar s future.

ROUND-UP

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England midfielder Jude Bellingham returned from injury to help Real Madrid move back to the top of LaLiga with a 3-0 win at Cadiz.

A shoulder problem saw Bellingham sidelined ahead of the international break, missing England’s final Euro 2024 qualifiers.

Bellingham, though, showed little signs of any lingering problems as he scored his 11th league goal after a double from Rodrygo had set Los Blancos on their way to a comfortable win.

Real Madrid move a point ahead of Girona, who host Athletic Bilbao on Monday night.

Sevilla had two players sent off late on as they lost 2-1 at Real Sociedad, who kept up their top-six challenge.

An early own goal from Marko Dmitrovic and Sadiq Umar’s strike had the home side ahead at half-time.

Youssef …