England manager Gareth Southgate feels Raheem Sterling is starting to believe in his own game after breaking a psychological barrier against Spain last month.
Sterling scored a brace in England s 3-2 Nations League win in Seville for his first international goals since October 2015.
The Manchester City attacker has started to produce consistently at club level, scoring six and assisting five in just nine Premier League games this season.
Southgate said Sterling s self-belief was growing as the 23-year-old – who re-signed with City until 2023 this week – prepares to face Manchester United in the derby on Sunday.
I am really pleased for him because he is in outstanding form, he told UK newspapers, via The Guardian.
I was at City on Sunday and …
Lazio have completed a double swoop for Udinese s Dusan Basta and Marco Parolo of Parma.
The Rome side had previously announced that a deal was in place to purchase versatile right-sided player Basta, who has been at Udinese since 2008.
Lazio president Claudio Lotito also revealed on Monday that Parolo s transfer was imminent.
Both deals have now been confirmed by Lazio, who have also purchased the full rights to Antonio Candreva during the transfer window.
Lazio announces that it has filed contracts with Dusan Basta and Marco Parolo, read a statement on the club s official website.
Basta scored three goals in 30 appearances for Udinese last season, and ends his six-year association with the Friuli club.
Italy international Parolo was als…
Former Tottenham midfielder Jermaine Jenas has apologised after branding referee Robert Jones a “complete s***house” during Sunday’s north London derby at Arsenal.
The 40-year-old, now a television pundit and presenter, took to social media during the thrilling 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium after the Gunners were awarded a controversial penalty, prompting a backlash from other users.
Responding to the criticism on Monday, Jenas wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “I hold my hands up, I got it wrong yesterday.
I hold my hands up, I got it wrong yesterday. I should know, more than most, the responsibility we have as fans, players and pundits and the impact our words online can have as it s an area I ve been vocal in.
— Jermaine Jenas (@jjena…
Liverpool are interested in signing Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad in the summer transfer window, . The report has claimed that Premier League and European giants Liverpool are closely following Sweden international forward Isak with a view to making a move at the end of the season.
Isak has a release clause of €90 million at Sociedad, and it is likely that the La Liga club will not sell him for anything less. The 22-year-old has made 19 starts and four substitute appearances in La Liga so far this season, scoring four goals and providing two assists in the process. During the 2020-21 campaign, Isak scored 17 goals and provided two assists in 30 league starts.
Liverpool are second in the Premier League table at the moment with 66 points from 28 matches, four points…
Benfica edged closer to the Primeira Liga title with a convincing 4-0 home win over Rio Ave on Monday.
Jorge Jesus men top the table by seven points and with just four matches to play, are all but sure to be champions of Portugal for the first time since the 2009-10 season.
Jesus will be wary of a repeat of last season, though, when a shock draw with Estoril and a last-minute defeat to Porto in their last three games saw them lose the league by a point.
If Porto winning the title in such dramatic circumstances was not enough, Benfica then went on to lose the UEFA Europa League final to Chelsea before Vitoria Guimaraes shocked them in the Taca de Portugal final.
The upcoming close-season looks like it will be much happier for Benfica however, after their latest wi…
Michael Beale looked back on a “horrible day” after a 3-1 defeat by Aberdeen left the Rangers boss admitting his future is in the hands of the Ibrox board.
The home side missed several chances before defender Stefan Gartenmann scored his first Dons goal after 38 minutes and the Light Blues left the pitch at half-time with the boos of the Gers supporters ringing in their ears
Dons midfielder Jamie McGrath added a second in the 68th minute before Rangers’ half-time substitute Scott Wright was sent off for picking up a second yellow card for a foul on Gartenmann.
Thank you for your wonderful support in Glasgow this afternoon
— Aberdeen FC (@AberdeenFC)
Abdallah Sima reduced the deficit in the 75th minute but Pittodrie defender Jack MacKenz…
Best Odds: 4/6
Bookmaker:
In what could prove to be a lively affair from the Europa-Park Stadion on Thursday evening, West Ham will travel over to Freiburg.
Freiburg
Starting with the hosts, while Freiburg might have eventually missed out on the chance to claim a stunning top-four finish among Germany’s elite last season, Christian Streich’s side certainly gained plenty of plaudits. Despite marking their return from September’s international break with an action-packed 4-2 defeat at the hands of German giants Borussia Dortmund, the Reds certainly opened their Europa League adventure with a remarkable performance on foreign soil. Eventually snatching a rollercoaster 3-2 win away at Greek heavyweights Olympiacos a fortnight ago, it is no secret that Freibur…
Verdict: Home Win
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Bookmaker:
Fresh from their Champions League elimination, Spanish side Sevilla turn their focus back to La Liga as they lock horns with fellow top-six contenders Villarreal in a lunch-time clash this Saturday.
Sevilla
Los Rojiblancos were unable to overturn the 2-1 deficit from the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal tie against Bayern Munich and ended up stepping off the international stage with a valiant goalless draw at Allianz Arena.
Sevilla put in a spirited performance across both legs against the Bavarian behemoths. Still, the Nervioneses just couldn’t find the goals needed to keep their Champions League dream alive against the newly crowned Bundesliga champions. Montella’s men will have noth…
Former Paris Saint-Germain full-back Lucas Digne has backed the French champions to win a fifth successive Ligue 1 title.
PSG have dominated French football since Qatar Sports Investments takeover in 2011, but the capital club find themselves adrift of Monaco this season.
Monaco top the table by three points after 26 rounds, with both teams also challenging in the last-16 stage of the Champions League.
But as PSG prepare to travel to Marseille on Sunday, Barcelona left-back and France international Digne – who won two Ligue 1 crowns during his time in Paris before moving to Camp Nou in July – believes the experience of Unai Emery s men will see them defend their crown.
Monaco and PSG are two very good teams, Digne told Omnisport.
Paris h…
Paraguayan club Cerro Porteno took a big step towards the second round of the Copa Sudamericana with a 2-0 win at Rentistas on Tuesday.
The 2009 Copa Sudamericana semi-finalists will have two away goals to their advantage when they host Uruguay s Rentistas next week, after Oscar Romero and Julio Dos Santos struck either side of half-time for Cerro Porteno.
Romero produced a smart volley in the 28th minute for the visitors, finishing off Jose Maria Ortigoza s speculative cross from a throw-in, while Dos Santos significantly increased Cerro Porteno s advantage in second-half stoppage time, stabbing Carlos Bonet s cutback into the net.
Huachipato also started strongly in the Copa Sudamericana s first round with a double from Andres Vilches handing them a 3-1 victory…