Zinedine Zidane has the chance to hit the ground running in 2019-2020 as Real Madrid have been handed a favourable set of fixtures to start the new campaign.
Madrid have finished third in back-to-back seasons and endured a calamitous campaign last time out that saw them sack two managers before reappointing Zidane in March the man who led them to three successive Champions League triumphs.
However, after spending big during the close season to bring in Eden Hazard and Luka Jovic, the 33-time champions of Spain are expected to put up more of a fight this time around as they aim to take back the title from Barcelona.
And Madrid s first four fixtures are against teams that finished last season in the bottom half of the division, giving Zidane a chance to build up …
Footballing superpowers Italy and Germany can seal their places at the 2010 World Cup on Saturday as qualifying for South Africa enters the home straight.
England, Spain and the Netherlands are the only European countries to have already secured their tickets for next year s finals leaving six automatic places still up for grabs.
A further four countries will gain qualification through the play-offs.
World Cup winners Italy travel to Dublin to play the Republic of Ireland requiring only a point to guarantee their presence in South Africa as winners of Group Eight.
Germany are in Moscow to take on Guus Hiddink s Russia where a win for Joachim Loew s side will see them safely through from Group Four.
Portugal, semi-finalists in 2006, have struggled…
Italy ended their 53-year wait for a second European Championship crown with victory over England in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
Leonardo Bonucci cancelled out an early Luke Shaw goal to take the game to extra time and then penalties, which the Azzurri edged 3-2 to inflict heartbreak on hosts England.
Italy s triumph was deserved on the basis of the qualifying campaign and the tournament itself; Roberto Mancini s side have now gone 34 games unbeaten in all competitions.
England can also be proud of their run, and it is perhaps no surprise that the two finalists dominate Stats Perform s best XI of the tournament.
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo is also included in our Opta data-driven side, along with players from Switzerland, Spain, the Netherland…
Marcell Jacobs declared 2021 as the year of Italy following his second gold at Tokyo 2020 in the men s 4x100m relay on Friday.
Jacobs, 26, powered to a surprise gold in 9.80 seconds in the men s 100m final before combining with Lorenzo Patta, Eseosa Desalu and Filippo Tortu to win Italy s first medal in the relay since London 1948.
The relay win gave Italy a fifth athletics gold in Tokyo, tied with the United States for the most. They had never previously claimed more than three at a single Games.
Jacobs has become just the second Italian to win multiple athletics Olympic titles after Ugo Frigerio s three walking golds between 1920 and 1924.
An outstanding meet continues a remarkable year for Italy, in which the country also won Eurovision before e…
Bayern Munich star Arjen Robben claims he turned down a move to Juventus in 2012 by text message.
The 30-year-old winger joined Bayern from Real Madrid in 2009 and has gone on to be a key figure in a golden era for the club.
The Bavarian giants have won the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup twice in his stint at the Allianz Arena, while they also lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy last season following defeats in the 2010 and 2012 finals.
It could have been all so different for Robben, though, who has revealed that Italian champions Juventus tried to sign him two years ago.
Robben said he turned down the move because he was happy in Munich, but added that the Serie A club left the door open on a future switch.
It wasn t down to Juve, it s just…
A Week 2 divisional dance between the Buffalo Bills and Miami Dolphins holds a ton of weight in the AFC East on Sunday.
The Dolphins were the only team in the division to win their opener, knocking off the rival Patriots 17-16 on the road, while the Bills were stymied by the Steelers stop unit in a 23-16 defeat.
The NFL betting odds are giving a field goal to Miami, which has lost five straight meetings with Buffalo, going 2-3 ATS in that span.
Here are our free NFL picks and predictions for Bills at Dolphins on September 19.
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The NFL season is entering the home stretch and with it comes a ton of opportunistic prop markets. We’re looking into every market to uncover some of the week’s best side, team, player, and derivative prop bets, doing the heavy lifting for you.
Week 14 kicks off with a pair of inconsistent clubs looking to keep their playoff hopes alive as the Pittsburgh Steelers travel to take on the Minnesota Vikings.
Can Big Ben and the passing game build off last week’s victory over the Ravens? Can Kirk Cousins shine in primetime? Find out in our free prop picks and predictions for the TNF’s Week 14 game between the Steelers and Vikings.
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As we enter Week 7 of the NFL season, star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. remains unsigned and could be a massive piece for a contending team.
Beckham spent the first five seasons of his career on the New York Giants, where he was named to the All-Pro team twice and earned three Pro Bowl nominations. Following an odd stint in Cleveland, the 29-year-old was traded to the Los Angeles Rams midway through last season and helped put L.A. over the top to win Super Bowl LVI.
The Rams are currently favored to bring back OBJ at +200. Find out where other teams stand, including the organization that initially drafted him back in 2014.
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Thursday Night Football features a Week 5 odds clash between the Chicago Bears and Washington Commanders. The Commanders come into tonight’s contest as 5.5-point favorites, according to NFL odds, and are well-backed to beat an 0-4 Bears team.
I’ve taken a look at Justin Fields’ odds, as much has been made of the Chicago quarterback’s struggles this year, and I’ll dive into my latest NFL picks for Thursday Night Football as the Bears try to recover from blowing a lead over the Broncos last weekend.
For more TNF odds analysis, check out our full Commanders vs. Bears predictions, as well as our TNF prop picks.
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The 7-5 Houston Texans will look to climb the AFC South ladder with a win this Sunday at the breezy and possibly wet MetLife Stadium vs. Zach Wilson and the New York Jets. NFL odds favor the Texans, and rightfully so.
With C.J. Stroud and the indoor offense of the Texans rolling into what is expected to be a rough-weathered game, should bettors expect some slow football out of the gates?
I break down the Week 14 odds and offer my free NFL picks for Texans vs. Jets on Sunday, December 10.
Texans vs Jets odds
Texans vs Jets predictions
The New York Jets took plenty of professional money this week that moved the +6 spread to as short as +5. This was before the news that Zach Wilson was going to b…