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Porto joined Manchester City in the Champions League knockout stages after a 0-0 draw where Gabriel Jesus was denied a winning goal by VAR. 

Pep Guardiola s side were already through to the last-16 and will now progress as group winners, although they will be frustrated to have lost their 100 per cent record in this season s competition having dominated for long periods at Estadio do Dragao. 

Jesus scored on the rebound when Agustin Marchesin tipped his 80th-minute header onto the crossbar, although replays showed Joao Cancelo was fractionally offside before delivering his cross to the Brazil striker. 

Marseille s win over Olympiacos rendered this match to be academic, with the other two teams in Group C on three points apiece. 

City penned Porto int…

According to a recent report from Sky Italy, Inter Milan officials have now held talks with Olivier Giroud’s agent – agreeing terms ahead of a potential move during the January transfer window. 

The Frenchman has been linked with a series of clubs throughout the course of the window up to this point, but now, it really does seem like he’s ready to leave Chelsea for pastures new. 

His contract with the Blues is set to expire during the upcoming summer transfer window, with the belief being that he has agreed to a two and a half year deal that would see him remain in Milan until at least the summer of 2022, unless he chooses to retire before that point. 

Inter have had to agree a formal deal, though, with the Londoners asking for a fee of between €8…

While the 2022 Qatar World Cup might be just around the corner, it will be Europe s elite that takes center stage once again this weekend. On that note, we have found a handful of helpful tips that are worth keeping an eye out for if you re looking to place a Saturday acca.

Saturday October 22nd
BST 15:00 Morecambe vs Barnsley

While Barnsley might have once again lost their Championship status last season, Saturday s guests have their sights firmly set on an immediate second-tier return. Despite being last seen playing out a 0-0 stalemate away at Bolton, Michael Duff s men should find the mood in their camp at a real high. Opening this weekend s fixtures battling it out in the play-off places, the Yorkshire-based outfit should be smelling the chance to lay down a mar…

Best odds: 6/5

Bookmaker:

AS Monaco will play host to Bayer Leverkusen at the Stade Louis II on Thursday, in the second leg of their meeting in the knockout stage play-offs in the Europa League. The French team won the first leg in Germany by 2-3 as the contest saw the scoreline turned over twice.

It was an own-goal by goalkeeper Lukasz Hradecky that gave Monaco a lead in the ninth minute, but his teammates Moussa Diaby (48 ) and Florian Wirtz (59 ) made it 2-1. Still, goals from Krepin Diatta (74 ) and Axel Disasi (90 +2) meant that Monaco went home with an advantage.

AS Monaco

They may not be quite as good as when they won the Ligue 1 title in 2016/17, featuring the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Radamel Falcao, Bernardo Silva, Allan Saint-Maximin and Fabinh…

The German Football Association (DFB) has announced it will not support Gianni Infantino s re-election as FIFA president.

Infantino is set to be re-elected at the 73rd FIFA Congress in Rwandan capital Kigali on Thursday after no challengers came forward to stand against him in the leadership race.

However, despite Infantino having a clear run at another term in charge, Germany have joined a select few nations to publicly declare they do not back the decision.

The DFB added in a statement on Wednesday that it has contacted FIFA in recent weeks on a matter of issues but has received no reply or only insufficient information.

DFB president Bernd Neuendorf said: The DFB will not support the re-election of FIFA president Gianni Infantino in Kigali.

W…

Erik ten Hag is confident incoming minority owners INEOS want to work with him despite admitting he has yet to speak to Manchester United’s new head of football operations.

The Old Trafford giants announced on Christmas Eve that a long-awaited deal has been reached for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to buy a 25 per cent stake in the Premier League club.

INEOS is taking responsibility for United’s footballing operations under the terms of a deal that is expected to take four to six weeks to receive regulatory approval.

Sir Dave Brailsford, INEOS’ director of sport, was at Old Trafford on Boxing Day for the stunning 3-2 turnaround against Aston Villa, and Ten Hag says he will be speaking to the new minority owners soon.

“The schedule is so condensed so I didn’…

With it finally announced last weekend that Declan Rice’s record-breaking move to was officially complete, West Ham know that they face a crucial summer in east London.

Watching their talismanic skipper leave the London Stadium only a month after guiding the Hammers to success out in Prague, David Moyes’ men have a huge hole to fill in the middle of the park.

Eventually agreeing on a fee of £105million with the Gunners after cashing in on Rice, the former boss is more than aware that a top central midfielder is at the top of his summer wishlist.

With the Hammers’ hierarchy making it clear that they will be reinvesting in a midfield makeover before the transfer window slams shut, we have taken a look at three European stars that have been heavily linked…

The snowfall that hit Madrid in February 2018 initially appeared worse than it was, with the seas of white that engulfed fields, pitches and gardens in Spain s capital clearing quicker than one might have expected.

It was enough to cause Real Madrid to cancel their training for the day on February 5, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo an unexpected day off on his birthday – though certain sections of the media were particularly critical of the club for essentially shutting down with a crucial Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain little more than a week away.

As it happened, Madrid went on to claim a third successive European crown, so the issue of a day off almost certainly won t have been raised again. However, it was this snowfall that proved a major disruption t…

Best Odds: 4/9

Bookmaker:

Two European icons who will be looking to punch their Nations League final ticket on Thursday night, Spain will meet Italy at FC Twente’s De Grolsch Veste.

Spain

Starting with Spain, while La Roja might have opened their winter World Cup adventure with a rampant display as they clinched a 7-0 romp against Costa Rica on November 23rd, that result was nothing more than a minor boost for the former world champions. Crashing out at the Round of 16 stage as they suffered penalties heartbreak against Morocco, it is no secret that Luis de la Fuente has come under a huge amount of scrutiny over the past six months. Likewise, although Spain might have got their European Championships qualifying run underway with a routine 3-0 win against Norw…

Best Odds: 20/21

Bookmaker:

Seeking a Bundesliga boost on Friday night, Wolfsburg will make the trip to the Veltins-Arena when they meet Schalke.

Schalke

Starting with the hosts, while Schalke might have cruised their way to a Bundesliga return this season, the Blues are enduring yet another top-flight nightmare. Although Thomas Reis side might have claimed back-to-back 0-0 stalemates against Borussia Monchengladbach and Koln, the former Bochum boss finds his side picked as a landslide relegation pick in 2023. Opening this weekend s fixtures sat rock-bottom of the Bundesliga table and already eight points adrift of finding a route out of the drop zone, Schalke are yet to claim a single victory since returning from the World Cup s winter break. With their extend…