Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen and giants Bayern Munich are set to clash in the Bundesliga on Saturday and Xabi Alonso has admitted his side will need to be perfect to stand a chance. Alonso’s Leverkusen became the first team to finish with an unbeaten Bundesliga season, as they ended Bayern’s run of 11 straight league titles but it seems their rivals are looking desperate to reclaim their throne under Vincent Kompany. Bayern currently top the league with 12 points as they have won all four of their games, three adrift of Leverkusen who are in second. “The anticipation is great…
Author: Somto Isaac
Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City are ready for the challenge as he says Arsenal planned to provoke the champions into a war during their Premier League clash last weekend. John Stones’ late equaliser proved to be the saving grace for City in their 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, in a game where midfielder Rodri suffered a season-ending injury as he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament. Tempers flared and tension was at a high during the game even as Erling Haaland threw the ball at Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes and also said to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the final…
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola provided an update on the status of midfielder Rodri after the Spainard ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament [ACL] in their clash against Arsenal last Sunday. The 28-year-old has been confirmed to miss the rest of the season after Guardiola revealed he underwent surgery for the injury on Friday. “Surgery this morning, ACL and next season he will be here. This season is over. “Unfortunately we got the worst but these things happen. We will be there to support him in his recovery step-by-step,” Guardiola said to reporters. Guardiola’s side top the standings on 13 points…
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag was critical of his players’ performance as they slipped to a 1-1 draw against FC Twente in their opening game of the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday. Christian Eriksen had put the Red Devils ahead with a fine strike in the 35th minute, but it was the Dane’s error who led to a Twente equaliser in the second half. The 32-year-old was caught in possession by Sam Lammers, who fired beyond Andre Onana in the 68th minute. The Dutch manager refused to pin the blame on Eriksen, instead slamming the team for failing to…
Kylian Mbappe is set miss this weekend’s Madrid derby following a leg injury suffered in midweek. The Frenchman, who signed on a free following the expiration of his contract at Paris Saint-Germain, has been in good form netting seven goals in nine games in all competitions. The 25-year-old was taken off in the 80th minute of the 3-2 win over Deportivo Alaves in LaLiga on Tuesday as he gestured to his thigh while making his way off the pitch. “Following tests carried out today by Real Madrid’s Medical Services on our player Kylian Mbappe, he has been diagnosed with an…
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick is not getting carried away by his side’s start to the season as he insists there is still room for improvement after Wednesday’s 1-0 triumph against Getafe. Robert Lewandowski’s early goal confirmed a seventh consecutive victory for the Catalan side as they maintained their perfect start to their 2024-25 LaLiga campaign. Flick’s side had almost 80% possession and 16 goal attempts as numerous opportunities went begging and the visitors almost equalised in the latter stages from a counter attack. “To get seven wins is perfect, but we have to do some things better. Today we had…
Mikel Arteta has defended Arsenal’s defensive approach in their draw at Manchester City, saying his team had to learn from their previous games against the champions. The Gunners went down to 10 men inside the first half when Leandro Trossard received a second yellow card for booting the ball away when Arsenal were 2-1 ahead. Following the break, Arteta’s men were content to sit back, not minding being without the ball until John Stones’ late equaliser. The North London club were pointed fingers by City’s defenders Kyle Walker and Stones for employing “dark arts” tactics, with Bernardo Silva also accusing…
Manchester United manager Erik Ten Hag has expressed dissatisfaction at the number of games players have to face and will leave them facing the rusk of injuries and his side begins their campaign in the new-look UEFA Europa League. The expanded European competitions and next summer’s Club World Cup have increased concerns about player welfare amid their growing workloads. Manchester City midfielder Rodri admitted it was a possibility that players would go on strike to protest against the congested fixtures, and days after the Spaniard has now suffered what looks to be a season-ending knee injury. The Red Devils kickstart…
Manchester City’s rescuer John Stones admitted Arsenal has mastered the art of being their challengers over the last few years with their tactics. The Gunners defended supremely to hold on to their 2-1 lead throughout the second half as they were a man down after Leandro Trossard was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the break. However, substitute Stones stepped up in the eighth minute of injury time to bring the game level and keep the champions’ almost two-year unbeaten run at home in the Premier League intact. Stones’ equaliser was a huge relief for City who…
Barcelona maintained their perfect start to their 2024-25 LaLiga campaign with a sixth consecutive victory in their 5-1 win at Villarreal, but it came at a cost as the celebrations were marred by a potential season-ending victory to their captain. Head coach Hansi Flick dodged putting a specific time on how long Marc-Andre ter Stegen could be out, but admitted the injury to the goalkeeper was a serious one. “It looks like a serious injury, he felt it, you could see it on the pitch,” Flick said in his press conference. The German was visibly in pain as he was…