Competition: Euro 2016 Qualifier
Market: Belgium to win against Bosnia-Herzegovina
Odds:

It’s crunch time for Belgium this week. The Red Devils have a clash to come against strugglers Bosnia-Herzegovina on Thursday night, and can’t afford anything less than a win in their pursuit to earn qualification into the next round. Currently 4th in their group, Marc Wilmots’ men are four points off top-spot, and need a win at the very minimum to give themselves a chance to move up two places in the table.

Still unbeaten, Belgium boast a very strong squad of players ahead of their meeting against Bosnia-Herzegovina, and are hoping to finally get their qualifying campaign back on track after having dropped points in two of their three games played. With the best d…

Pep Guardiola said he gets greater satisfaction from his success with Manchester City because nobody helps them, unlike with other major clubs. 

City went top of Champions League Group A on Wednesday following a 4-1 win over Club Brugge at the Etihad Stadium, though they endured a difficult first half after John Stones own goal cancelled out Phil Foden s 15th-minute opener. 

The Premier League champions were much improved after the break and claimed an important victory through second-half goals from Riyad Mahrez, Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus. 

It was enough to send City top as Paris Saint-Germain were held to a 2-2 draw at RB Leipzig following Dominik Szoboszlai s stoppage-time penalty. 

When it was suggested Leipzig had done City a favour,…

Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson is expected to be out for at least seven games after sustaining a hamstring injury against Crystal Palace.

The Brazilian went off in the 79th minute of Liverpool s 1-0 victory at Selhurst Park on Saturday and, according to widespread reports, is likely to be sidelined until at least the November international break.

Alisson was replaced by Premier League debutant Vitezslav Jaros against Palace as Caoimhin Kelleher missed that game through illness.

Kelleher deputised earlier in the season when Alisson was sidelined by a different hamstring injury, and is set to do so again, having recovered to join up with the Republic of Ireland national team.

Alisson also immediately pulled out of Brazil s squad for the upcoming World Cup qua…

A defiant Vanni Sartini believes Vancouver Whitecaps are on the right track, but called for more confidence and courage when St. Louis City visit in MLS.

The Whitecaps endured a disappointing two-game road stretch, culminating in their 2-0 defeat to Portland Timbers last time out.

That loss saw Vancouver drop to ninth in the Western Conference standings, only clinging onto the final playoff spot by way of a superior goal difference over Seattle Sounders.

Sartini acknowledged the frustrations of the last two showings, though suggests the Whitecaps can get back on course at BC Place.

The concerns are always there, even if you win, Sartini said at pre-match media availability.

It sounds very easy to say, but we just need to be a little better. That…

Argentina will face karma for their actions during their 4-3 penalty shoot-out triumph against the Netherlands in the World Cup quarter-finals, says former Italy international Claudio Marchisio.

La Albiceleste reached the semi-finals for the second time in three tournaments after they prevailed on penalties following a late Oranje rally that saw extra time finish with the scores level at 2-2.

The match was an extremely fractious affair and broke the World Cup record for cards handed out, with referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz brandishing 14 yellows and one red.

But the behaviour of Argentina in victory with Nicolas Otamendi taunting the defeated Dutch squad after penalties the standout from several displays of poor sportsmanship will haunt them, claims Marchisio

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Newcastle United manager Steve McClaren cannot wait for next year after a poor 2015, which will end with the club in the Premier League relegation zone.

McClaren feels 2015 has been a year to forget for the club and said he was working hard to keep them in the top flight.

I may seem calm on the surface but, believe me, underneath it I am paddling like mad, he said.

[The year] is about to end. Good. We cannot wait for next year. The first half of the season has not been good enough. We need to do something about it and we will do.”

Newcastle lost a tight game against West Brom 1-0 on Monday after Darren Fletcher s header slipped under goalkeeper Karl Darlow, who was a late replacement for the ill Rob Elliot.

Elliot reported for training on Wedn…

Louis van Gaal does not feel that Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford is too young to be selected for England at Euro 2016.

The 18-year-old has made a stunning start to his career at Old Trafford, scoring four times in three matches, including a double against Arsenal in the Premier League.

England boss Roy Hodgson revealed this week that he is not ruling out making Rashford a shock selection for his tournament squad in France.

And ahead of Sunday’s match at West Brom, Van Gaal backed Hodgson s stance by saying that age should be disregarded when assessing his youngster’s chances.

He said:  I think Mr Hodgson has answered the question and you are asking again. However, it is never too early. 

As I have said before: age is not importan…

January 7 is a special date in Atletico Madrid history.

It is 10 years to the day since Diego Simeone took charge of his first game as Atletico head coach, and the balance at the top of Spanish football started, imperceptibly at first, to shift.

In his first game back on January 7, 2012, Cholo s Atleti were held to a goalless draw by Malaga at La Rosaleda; his most recent match was on Thursday, a 5-0 Copa del Rey thrashing of Rayo Majadahonda that felt very much like an appropriate celebration of a remarkable decade.

While his football has not always enthralled, few can argue with Simeone s results and haul of eight trophies – almost a quarter of all the major silverware the club have ever won.

To celebrate the milestone, Stats Perform picked through…

Juventus legend Alessandro Del Piero has played down recent rumours linking his former teammate Antonio Conte with a Turin return.

The Serie A giants aren t doing nearly as well this season as they used to until a couple of seasons ago, sitting seventh in the Italian top flight at the moment and out of the Champions League after the group stage. The situation has led to speculation about the job of Massimiliano Allegri being in danger, and Conte has been tipped to take over if the Allegri sacking comes to pass.

However, as he told the PA, Del Piero believes these stories have appeared only because Conte has done well at Juventus in the past, leading the Bianconeri to the Scudetto three times and the Italian Super Cup twice between 2011 and 2014.

Del Piero also b…

Jamie Vardy says representing England at Euro 2016 would be the pinnacle of his season after winning the Premier League with Leicester City.

The England international was inspirational to Leicester s title charge this season, banging in 24 goals in 35 appearances, just five years after playing non-league football for Halifax Town.

Now the Leicester striker is seen as a key part of Roy Hodgson s England squad, and while Vardy is not taking selection for granted, he said being a part of the squad to go to France would be his biggest achievement yet.

I think that would be the pinnacle of the season for me, Vardy told Sky Sports.

Representing your country at any time is a big deal, but to be in a tournament and to be a part of something big happening can on…