Paulo Dybala needs to train at the same level as Cristiano Ronaldo if he is to become a regular starter at Juventus this season, according to Andrea Pirlo.
Dybala started Juve s opening match of the Serie A campaign against Chievo but was not involved against Lazio and was limited to only 10 minutes off the bench in the 2-1 victory over Parma prior to the international break.
The arrival of Ronaldo in Turin has led to questions over the future of the Argentina international, with reports linking him with a move to LaLiga and the Premier League.
Palermo owner Maurizio Zamparini, who sold Dybala to Juve in 2015, even claimed the forward has already received offers from Spain and England and will change clubs in January.
But Juve legend Pirlo believes he sti…
Verdict: Barcelona to score during first half yes
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
FC Barcelona have been the best club in LaLiga so far and sit comfortably at the top of the standings. They will try to extend their positive run on Saturday, when they travel to Bilbao to take on Athletic Club. Kick-off is scheduled at 19:45 BST, and Juan Martinez Munuera will be the referee.
Athletic Club
Athletic Club have not exactly been a model of consistency during the current season. They currently sit in 11th place with 11 points (W3, D2, L4), and have underperformed in comparison to their pre-season expectations. They only have one win in their last 10 matches, and are coming off a disappointing defeat against Leganes and a draw against Formentera in the Copa del Rey a…
Verdict: Ukraine and Switzerland to draw 1-1
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
Switzerland and Ukraine will kick off their 2020–21 UEFA Nations League A campaign this week. The Group 4 encounter between the two sides is scheduled to kick off at 7:45pm on Thursday and will be held at Arena Lviv in Lviv, Ukraine.
Ukraine
Ukraine were in 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B, and they did superbly to win promotion to League A for the 2020-21 campaign. Andriy Shevchenko has been in charge of the national team since 2016, and it was a considerable success for him to get the side promoted to the elite division.
Ukraine picked up nine points from their four matches from Group 1, which also included the Czech Republic and Slovakia. They won three games, lost one, sc…
Crystal Palace kept their first clean sheet of the Premier League season as they held Brighton and Hove Albion to a 0-0 draw to earn their first away point of the campaign.
The two sides renewed their top-flight rivalry after 36 years in the Eagles first visit to the Amex Stadium since their infamous victory in the Championship play-off semi-final of 2013, and the tension around the ground was reflected by two teams who defended in numbers.
The return of Christian Benteke to Roy Hodgson s starting line-up, alongside Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, ensured that Brighton could not relax and all three forwards had chances to score Palace s first away goal in the league since April.
Former Palace striker Glenn Murray was given precious little to work with at the…
Ajax have today confirmed that they ve re-signed Daley Blind in a deal that could rise to around £18.1 million. The 28-year-old, who can play as either a midfielder or defender, hasn t been able to lock down a consistent place in the first team with Manchester United and now, he s returning to the place that he called home for so many years.
Blind began his football journey with Ajax at the age of just eight, rising up through the ranks as something of a hometown hero before eventually switching to Old Trafford back in 2014. The Amsterdam-born Daley initially got off to a promising start in English football with a series of impressive performances, but over time, he seemed to fall out of favour before the rumours surrounding his future started to get louder and louder.
Antonio Conte says any talk of a potential England return for John Terry should be between the defender and Sam Allardyce only.
Terry s last international appearance came in September 2012 and he quit England duty later that month, before a Football Association (FA) hearing into allegations the 35-year-old racially abused Anton Ferdinand during Chelsea s defeat to QPR in October 2011.
The FA found Terry guilty and handed down a £22,000 fine and a four-match ban despite Westminster Magistrates Court clearing him of the same accusation that July.
Earlier this week, new England boss Allardyce suggested that he would speak with Terry regarding a potential return for the centre-half with proven players at that position thin on the ground in recent years.
<…
Kylian Mbappe is a more complete player than Erling Haaland, according to Barcelona defender Dani Alves.
Two of the hottest properties in world football, both players are heavily linked with moves away from their respective clubs.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe, who is widely believed to be heading to Real Madrid in the close season, has scored 28 goals and assisted a further 17 in 38 appearances across all competitions this term.
Meanwhile, despite a string of injuries, Haaland has been directly involved in 29 goals (scoring 23 and assisting six) for Borussia Dortmund in 2021-22.
Barcelona are among a host of clubs reportedly interested in both forwards, with Manchester City and Real Madrid also in contention to make blockbuster moves.
But if…
It has been confirmed that Alex Sandro has extended his contract with Juventus to last through until summer 2023, after much speculation over his future. Many felt as if he was destined to leave the Italian champions, but now, he’s been tied down for at least a few more years.
The 27 year old has been able to establish himself as a regular member of the first team with Juventus during his time at the club, after making the jump over from Porto back in 2015. Alas, you never quite know who is going to come and go at Juve given how much change there is at the club, with some reports suggesting Sandro wasn’t all too far away from a move to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea.
The Brazil international will likely be relieved to get this situation sorted, especially given the am…
Giovani Lo Celso does not want to leave Tottenham Hotspur in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that Barcelona wanted to sign Lo Celso in the summer of 2023 and could be interested in securing his services in the middle of the season, but the Argentina international does not want to leave Spurs.
Lo Celso has made 56 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. The 27-year-old has scored one goal and given three assists in those games. The former Paris Saint-Germain midfielder has been out on loan at Villarreal during his time at Spurs so far.
Tottenham are fourth in the Premier League table at the moment with 14 points from six matches. The North London club are four points behind leaders and defending champions Manchester City…
Kieran Trippier has one year remaining on his Atletico Madrid contract.
The England international has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United.
It has been reported that Trippier wants to return to England, having left Tottenham for LaLiga in 2019.
TOP STORY TRIPPIER TO WAIT ON UNITED MOVE
Manchester United target Kieran Trippier is willing to wait until late in the transfer window to secure his move, reports the Telegraph.
Atletico Madrid full-back Trippier is said to have set his sights on a move to United, who have already been busy in the transfer market by launching moves for Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane.
The report claims Trippier is prepared to sit tight and wait for United to raise the funds required to…