..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Courtois warns Belgium over Shane Long: He is at Lukaku's level


Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says Shane Long is at the same level as Romelu Lukaku and has urged his team-mates to keep the Republic of Ireland striker quiet on Saturday.

A surprise 2-0 defeat to Italy on matchday one has left Marc Wilmots' side needing a favourable result against Ireland in Bordeaux to keep qualification for the Euro 2016 knockout stages firmly in their own hands.Long scored 13 times in an impressive season for Southampton and is expected to lead the line for Martin O'Neill's side when they take on Belgium, having played the full 90 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Sweden.



And Courtois is wary of the threat posed by the diminutive 29-year-old, telling a news conference on Friday: "At first sight, Shane Long is just a short striker, but he's good in the air, he's quick, very dangerous, has good feet and scores goals."It's hard to compare him to Lukaku, [Christian] Benteke or [Michy] Batshuayi but he is at that level. We'll have to keep an eye on him.

"We know what to expect from Ireland, they will fight for every ball, every metre.We have to have the same intensity. It will be a hard game but if we play well then we should win. We have to win.

"We know the attributes we have and we'll show that. We've seen that there aren't any easy games, games being won late on, and it'll be a tough match. We're rightly favourites but we need to play with the right focus and come away with the win."

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says Shane Long is at the same level as Romelu Lukaku and has urged his team-mates to keep the Republic of Ireland striker quiet on Saturday.

A surprise 2-0 defeat to Italy on matchday one has left Marc Wilmots' side needing a favourable result against Ireland in Bordeaux to keep qualification for the Euro 2016 knockout stages firmly in their own hands.

Long scored 13 times in an impressive season for Southampton and is expected to lead the line for Martin O'Neill's side when they take on Belgium, having played the full 90 minutes of the 1-1 draw with Sweden.



And Courtois is wary of the threat posed by the diminutive 29-year-old, telling a news conference on Friday: "At first sight, Shane Long is just a short striker, but he's good in the air, he's quick, very dangerous, has good feet and scores goals."It's hard to compare him to Lukaku, [Christian] Benteke or [Michy] Batshuayi but he is at that level. We'll have to keep an eye on him.

"We know what to expect from Ireland, they will fight for every ball, every metre. We have to have the same intensity. It will be a hard game but if we play well then we should win. We have to win.

"We know the attributes we have and we'll show that. We've seen that there aren't any easy games, games being won late on, and it'll be a tough match. We're rightly favourites but we need to play with the right focus and come away with the win."

Belgium were heavily criticised for their performance against Italy, despite dominating possession, but Courtois insists that more of a cutting edge in attack is all that is needed to change their fortunes.

"I think if we're at our best level then people say we're one of the best, but if you lose then suddenly you're the worst. That's football, it's always like that," said the Chelsea man."Things were quite good against Italy, one goal was a shame as it was an individual mistake but Italy didn't have many other clear-cut chances.

"We're all winners. I was a little frustrated after the match, perhaps we didn't do what we needed to do but hopefully we've learned the lessons. We have to be more sharp in the box, we were sometimes lacking that in the few friendlies before the Euros started.

"I think we were well positioned tactically but people didn't do their jobs at times. We discussed it internally and things will go well tomorrow."

 

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Ibrahimovic: Chiellini would be in hospital if I had a problem with him


Zlatan Ibrahimovic has claimed Giorgio Chiellini would be "in the hospital" if he had any problem with him during Sweden's defeat to Italy.

The former Juventus team-mates duelled throughout a match which remained goalless until Eder's 88th-minute winner for the Azzurri.Ibrahimovic appeared unhappy with one Chiellini challenge on John Guidetti but insisted after the match that he holds no grudge towards the centre-back.

"Everything was okay," he told reporters. "It's all fine. If not, he'd be in the hospital right now."The out-of-contract striker was left to rue a result which leaves Sweden on one point after two matches, with group rivals Belgium and the Republic of Ireland in action on Saturday.
"This game shows that against a team like Italy, great team that they are, you must play for the entire 90 minutes," Ibrahimovic added. "It's not enough to play for 89. You must be cautious for the whole game."

 

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Leicester consider move for Ben Arfa as Mahrez's replacement


Leicester City are interested in a move for Hatem Ben Arfa but the Premier League champions face competition from Sevilla and Paris Saint-Germain.

Ben Arfa was one of Ligue 1’s standout stars last season, scoring 17 goals and registering six assists for Nice.

The 29-year-old is now available on a free transfer and has already received a concrete offer from Sevilla, who are set to appoint Jorge Sampaoli as their new coach.

Leicester City have also contacted Ben Arfa’s representatives to register their interest and could view the France international as a potential replacement for Riyad Mahrez, who is wanted by Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain.
Ben Arfa remains keen on a move to PSG but is open to the idea of leaving Ligue 1 in order to improve his chances of securing a place in France’s national team, having controversially missed out on a spot in Didier Deschamps’ Euro 2016 squad.

PSG had not made the signing of Ben Arfa a priority but the French champions’ stance has now changed with Unai Emery set to replace Laurent Blanc as manager.

 

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Ronaldo custard-pied me - Gunnarsson


Iceland midfielder Aron Gunnarsson has denied suggestions Cristiano Ronaldo showed a lack of respect following Tuesday's tetchy Euro 2016 encounter with Portugal - but did admit to being "custard-pied" by the Real Madrid star.

Television footage showed Gunnarsson asking Ronaldo to swap shirts at the final whistle with reports claiming the latter said "who are you?" to the Cardiff City man in an act of petulance.Gunnarsson insisted that was not the case and stuck up for the 31-year-old.



"He said 'inside' [the tunnel], there was no problem," explained Gunnarsson. "He wasn't asking who I was. He's not like that as a person, even though I don't know him. I asked him for his shirt and he said 'inside'. The rumours are not true."Asked which Hungary player he would target for a shirt after the game in Marseille on Saturday, he replied: "Probably no-one as I got custard-pied last time!

"It's something I wanted to do. I am a big Manchester United fan and he played for Manchester United so that's why I wanted to change shirts with him."

The war of words between the Iceland and Portugal camps following the game in Saint-Etienne - Ronaldo described the tournament debutants as having a "small mentality" - has done little to diminish the euphoria of the Iceland fans back home.
Gunnarsson added: "The Icelandic people are always interested in whatever sport our sportsmen are doing.

"There's a lot of interest, it’s the first time the football team has been in the finals and even before that the tournament always interested people back home."It's going mental in Iceland, it's perfect, we can feel it, we embrace it and will try to use it in a good way."

Gunnarsson admitted his phone was "out of battery all the time" due to the messages of goodwill and striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson felt Iceland's achievement of holding Portugal had been noticed on a global scale.He said: "We feel the support we have from Iceland and the rest of the world. It seemed we surprised the world by drawing with Portugal but we have to stay grounded and focus on the next game."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Croatia 'sports terrorists' sabotage Euro 2016 chances & risk innocent lives


An entertaining game of football was ruined in one moment of madness. With Croatia seemingly on course for victory over Czech Republic at 2-1 up in Saint-Etienne, ‘fans’ threw flares onto the pitch in a planned protest against their country's football bosses Zdravko Mamic and Davor Suker.

In an instant, football became secondary. This European Championship has already been marred by violence and hooliganism. Suddenly, stewards were on the pitch trying to remove flares and one worker only just escaped injury after an explosion right by him. A loud bang in the stands then followed. It was not what anyone wanted to see or hear in a football stadium this month - and it was no way to make a protest.

Yes, Croatian football is in a bad state, with corruption claims, accusations of bribery, evasion of taxes, irregularities in transfer deals, favouritism and much more. The planned protest will earn the FA a fine and that was the intention of those supporters who are fighting to save football in their country. But in doing so, they may have sabotaged their nation's hopes of success at Euro 2016 as well.

Worse than that, they put lives at risk. Croatia's fans in Saint-Etienne have been colourful and fun over the past couple of days in Saint-Etienne, but they went too far here by a long way. How they managed to gain access to the stadium with so many flares is a question that needs to be answered as well. Security here in France has been tight. Not tight enough, evidently.

“They are hooligans," Croatia coach Ante Cacic blasted after the match. "They are not supporters. It’s totally clear that this is a group of hooligans. The same thing happened in Milan against Italy, we saw some Nazi signs on the pitch. Probably they have some support from I don’t know where. But 95 per cent of fans are ashamed in front of Europe.

"We knew there were threats about something like this has happened - these are not real Croatian supporters, they are sports terrorists. We have so much experience of this it hurts so much. But our country does not want to mess with these types of hooligans."Our players are really sad. They’re so proud to wear the shirt. They play for the Croatian people. We’re sad after playing a beautiful match. We were playing great football."

They were. Croatia had put on a midfield masterclass in the first hour of the game to go 2-0 up through Ivan Perisic and Ivan Rakitic, and even though the Czech Republic had pulled a goal back through Milan Skoda, they still looked like going on to win and sealing their spot in the last 16 of the competition. In the end, a late penalty meant the scores ended 2-2. The Croatia players were distracted by then, their minds no longer on the match.

And as Cacic said, those poor players were devastated. Captain Darijo Srna, who lost his father during Sunday's win over Turkey but flew back out to France to respect his dad's final wish, was in floods of tears during the national anthem and was left shaking his head in shame as flares were removed from the playing surface.

He deserved better. So do his team-mates and even though the fans responsible may feel this was the only way to make themselves heard, all it has served to do is put a black mark against them and their national side as well.

Now, those supporters may well have wrecked their team's hopes of success at this tournament and they may never be able to watch their national side in action again. But they should have thought of that before. Because violence is never the solution and the only blessing after this planned protest is that nobody was seriously hurt on yet another sad day for football.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cacic: Modric withdrawal merely a precaution


Fears over Luka Modric's fitness were put to one side by Croatia coach Ante Cacic, who insisted he had withdrawn the talisman against Czech Republic as a precaution to preserve his "most important player".Cacic's side were cruising at 2-0 up in Saint-Etienne when the Real Madrid midfielder was substituted just past the hour mark.

It proved to be detrimental for Croatia at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard, where crowd trouble interrupted the game, as Czech Republic came from behind to draw 2-2.


Cacic's side - now set to face a UEFA investigation for the actions of their supporters, who thew several flares onto the pitch - are still in prime position to qualify from Group D.

They face holders Spain in Bordeaux on Tuesday but it remains to be seen if Modric will be risked."Luka Modric is just tired and had a stretched muscle problem," Cacic told a press conference. "Luka is the most important player for us."

Croatia had dominated the match and looked set to win with ease before Milan Skoda pulled one back, Tomas Necid then equalising from the penalty spot late on after troubling scenes of disorder among the Croatian fans, who threw a succession of red firecrackers onto the pitch before fighting among themselves.

"We were the much better team," Cacic said. "We had good possession. We tried everything. Our biggest problem today was with Luka Modric. We were not concentrated that much when he left the pitch."

 

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Turkey fans boo Arda Turan during Spain clash


Turkey fans turned on Arda Turan during Friday’s Euro 2016 clash against Spain.
Two goals from Alvaro Morata and Nolito’s strike put Vicente del Bosque’s side in a commanding 3-0 lead, with Fatih Terim’s men struggling to create any chances of their own.

And during the second half, Turkey fans voiced their displeasure in the direction of their captain, with loud chants of "Arda dışarı", which means "Arda out", heard inside Stade de Nice.
Turkey were beaten 1-0 by Croatia in their Euro 2016 opener and face the Czech Republic in their final group game on Tuesday evening.
Turkey were beaten 1-0 by Croatia in their Euro 2016 opener and face the Czech Republic in their final group game on Tuesday evening.

 

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Spain 3-0 Turkey: Morata nets brace in comfortable victory

Spain booked their place in the knockout stages of Euro 2016 with an emphatic 3-0 defeat of Turkey in Nice, with Alvaro Morata scoring the first brace of the tournament.

Morata gave Spain the lead late in the first half, rising between Turkey's centre-backs to superbly direct Nolito's pinpoint cross into Volkan Babacan's top left-hand corner.

The holders doubled their advantage within three minutes, Nolito turning goalscorer this time, taking advantage of a poor Mehmet Topal header to finish from close range.Morata added his second, and Spain's third, shortly after the restart, finishing off a lovely team goal that also involved Andres Iniesta and Jordi Alba, with Turkey unable to create clear chances of their own.

Spain's win ensured their 62-year unbeaten run against Turkey continues, with Vicente del Bosque's team hunting their third successive European Championship title.Fatih Terim's men, meanwhile, are facing an early exit from Euro 2016 after losing their opening two matches at the finals without scoring a goal.

Morata retained his place up front for Spain and he forced a good save from Babacan after five minutes, spinning into space and firing a 20-yard drive towards the near post.

Spain's goalscorer in the opening 1-0 win against Czech Republic, Gerard Pique, then had a great chance from David Silva's corner but he misjudged his header, the ball bouncing over the crossbar.



Hakan Calhanoglu whipped a free-kick just over David de Gea's crossbar after 26 minutes, before Nolito collected a pass from Iniesta and curled a shot narrowly wide of the post.

The lively Nolito created the opening goal for Spain after 33 minutes, the Celta Vigo winger finding space to curl in an excellent cross that Morata glanced in.Spain, who have only ever lost once to Turkey, then scored again almost immediately.

Cesc Fabregas clipped a lofted pass over the Turkey defence and Topal could only head the ball up into the air, Nolito reacting sharply to slide the ball beyond a helpless Babacan.

Spain showed no signs of mercy after half-time, becoming the first team at Euro 2016 to score three goals in a game shortly after the interval.Iniesta bisected the Turkish back line with a superb trademark throughball, with the possibly offside Alba unselfishly squaring for Morata to finish neatly through the legs of Babacan.

Morata then planted a header just wide, as he sought to complete his hat-trick, before Burak Yilmaz spurned a fine chance to get Turkey back into the game, shooting wide from a great position.

Spain continued to press, substitute Bruno Soriano forcing a solid stop from Babacan, who also kept out Pique after 68 minutes.The frustration of Turkey's fans was clear, as they began to whistle playmaker Arda Turan, who struggled throughout.

Del Bosque's men eased off in the closing stages, but their dominant performance will send a message to the other pre-tournament favourites that they are more than ready to defend their title again as they head for their Group D closer against Croatia in Bordeaux.

There were more unwanted scenes for UEFA at the final whistle, as Turkey fans set off fireworks in the stands, although the incident was less severe than that from Croatia fans against Czech Republic earlier in the day.

 

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De Gea breaks Gordon Banks record that lasted 50 YEARS

David De Gea broke a 50-year-old record set by Gordon Banks in Spain’s 3-0 victory over Turkey at Euro 2016.

The Manchester United goalkeeper had kept clean sheets in his first four competitive games against Luxembourg, Macedonia, Ukraine and Czech Republic and secured a fifth in Friday’s win.

Banks made his competitive debut for England against Uruguay in 1966 and managed to keep a clean sheet, before doing the same in wins over Mexico, France and Argentina.

But after 442 minutes, Banks was finally beaten in the World Cup semi-final as Eusebio scored a penalty, although England went on to win the game 2-1.Alvaro Morata’s double and Nolito’s strike sealed the 3-0 victory over Turkey to put Spain back at the top of Group D and safely through to the last 16.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations De Gea!​

 

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Iniesta: Spain were a 10 out of 10 against Turkey


Andres Iniesta labelled Spain's performance against Turkey "a 10 out of 10" after they recorded a 3-0 win to book their spot in the Euro 2016 knockout stages.

Barcelona captain Iniesta was in mesmerising form once again in Nice on Friday as he helped inspire the double-defending champions to a comprehensive victory.Alvaro Morata opened the scoring with a superb header in the 34th minute, before Nolito added a second shortly after.



Juventus forward Morata then made it three after half-time when he rounded off a brilliant team move, and man of the match Iniesta was delighted with Spain's dominant display.

"We have to keep growing as the tournament goes us and minimise our mistakes - and that is what we did today," Iniesta said at a post-match news conference.

"We had a difficult opponent, but we had a lot of possession and kept on getting better. I would give the players a 10 out of 10, and the fans as well.

"The World Cup was disappointing for everyone, for the players and for the fans. We never expected we would have such a tournament, but we have responded in these past two games and shown our winning mentality. We have positive feelings and it is in our own hands how far we go."Iniesta also had his say on the situation of his Barcelona team-mate and Turkey star Arda Turan, who was booed by his own fans in the second half.

"It's a difficult situation for a player to experience something like this, being whistled by your own fans," he added."It leaves a bad taste in my mouth for Arda. He is a great player with a lot of quality.

"I wished him the best for the remainder of the tournament. I always want the best for my team-mates."

 

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'Mkhitaryan wants to join Manchester United'

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan wants to join Manchester United, according to his agent Mino Raiola.The Armenia international could be available for a cut-price fee as his contract with the Bundesliga club expires next summer, while Raiola has confirmed that the player has no intention to sign a new deal.

Dortmund have remained adamant that they have no plans to sell the 27-year-old this summer, but the player’s agent suggests joining up with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford could still be a possibility.

“He wants to go to Manchester United and we are still trying to resolve the situation,” Raiola told The Times.Mkhitaryan played a key role in Dortmund's midfield last season, scoring 18 goals and registering 20 assists in 48 appearances.

 

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Mkhitaryan wa gatthoth nam patta​

 

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Del Bosque delighted to see Spain score three times


Vicente del Bosque was delighted to see Spain score three times in their 3-0 win over Turkey as they booked their ticket for the last 16 at Euro 2016.

The titleholders have been struggling in front of goal in recent months and needed a late Gerard Pique header to see off Czech Republic 1-0 on matchday one.Their finishing was up to scratch against Turkey though, as an Alvaro Morata double and a Nolito strike helped them to victory.



"We have completed our first objective, qualifying for the next round and did so with a good performance. We were in charge for the entire game and scored goals, which we have been struggling to do," coach Del Bosque said after the game in Nice.

"We now have to focus on the game against Croatia and see if we can make it to the final. We are not thinking about our opponent in the round of 16. We ill try to get the three points against Croatia and will pick a team we think can do the job."

Spain have lost players such as Xavi, Xabi Alonso and Carles Puyol since their victorious Euro 2012 campaign, but Del Bosque feels they are on the right path.

"It is true that we have lost some important players from the team that started this project, some of the most important players of Spain’s history," the 65-year-old continued."But we are on the right track, even if we have not won anything yet."

Spain dominated possession against both Czech Republic and Turkey and Del Bosque says he is happy for opponents to sit back and defend against his team.
"It is good when a team sits back. We always like to play in the opponents’ half," he stressed.

"Ideally, we score early, but we have a team that understands very well what we have to do. It is vital they all understand that. But we are not worried if we do not get an early goal. It is good that we are scoring goals and finishing moves. It is no good when you have a great move, but don’t score goals."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Peru 0-0 Colombia (2-4 on penalties): Shootout heartbreak for Cueva and Co.

Colombia advanced to the semifinals of the Copa America Centenario courtesy of a 4-2 penalty shootout victory over Peru on Friday.

With the score 0-0 following regulation time, penalties were needed to decide who moved into the last four at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

James Rodriguez, Juan Cuadrado, Dayro Moreno and Sebastian Perez all converted their spot kicks for Colombia in the shootout win, as goalkeeper David Ospina produced a stunning save with his foot to deny Peru's Miguel Trauco, before Christian Cueva put his penalty over the bar, sealing elimination.

The win means Colombia moves into the semifinals of the Copa for the first time since 2004 following consecutive exits at the quarterfinal stage, with a final-four showdown with either Mexico or Chile looming.

After resting several of his stars for the final group game against Costa Rica, Colombia coach Jose Pekerman named his strongest lineup, with the likes of James, Cuadrado, Carlos Bacca and Ospina all returning.Peru coach Ricardo Gareca, meanwhile, only made the one change, with Renato Tapia coming in for Adan Balbin.

A bright start for Colombia led to an early chance for Bacca, but the AC Milan forward was dragged too wide, eventually letting off a shot that was just off target. It was a fiery opening with several passionate challenges however Colombia continued to edge the game, creating the better of the chances.

The next opportunity fell to James in the 22nd minute, with the Real Madrid attacker seeing his shot cannon off the post.Neither side was able to craft any clear-cut chances on goal for the rest of the half, with the scores deservedly locked at 0-0 going into the break.

Both sides were awarded early free kicks in the second half, but poor deliveries let them down.It was the story of the half, with Colombia and Peru failing to find that decisive last pass, seeing a number of promising attacks come to nothing.

Bacca had the best chance of the half approaching the 80th-minute mark after being played in by a ball over the top of Peru's defense, but he failed to make contact on the shot.

Colombia defender Farid Diaz, already on a yellow, escaped seeing red after a foul on substitute Cristian Benavente just outside the area, which the referee waved away.But the 32-year-old was later carried off on a stretcher after falling awkwardly, replaced by Fabian Fabra in stoppage time.

Peru won a late corner through captain Paolo Guerrero but Ospina produced a stunning save to deny the leaping Christian Ramos, as the game went to a penalty shootout.

With Colombia scoring all four of its penalties, the pressure was on Cueva after Trueco's spot kick was saved, but the 24-year-old skied his effort as Peru bowed out.

 

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Copa America Quarter Finals Fixtures 2016.06.18

Copa America Quarter Finals Fixtures 2016.06.18

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Argentina Vs Venezuela

(SL Time 4.30AM(19th June)

Mexico Vs Chile

(SL Time 7.30AM(19th June)​

 

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Euro 2016 Group Stage Fixtures 2016.06.18

Euro 2016 Group Stage Fixtures 2016.06.18

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Belgium Vs Ireland

(SL Time 6.30PM)

Iceland Vs Hungary

(SL Time 9.30PM)

Portugal Vs Austria

(SL Time 12.30AM(19th June)​

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Portugal 0 - 0 Austria

What a game that was!!! Ronaldo was so damn unlucky & missed a penalty. And on his 128th cap. This is the unluckiest play by him I've ever seen
But if Portugal beat Hungary, they are going to win Euros or at least get to the Finals as I see it. The best team in the tournament for me. The only thing they are lacking is the communication of the two center backs. If they get along together, then you have the perfect team.
Vamos Portugal!!
BTW Germany ​

 

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I think Vardy will stay - Leicester vice-chairman

Leicester City's vice-chairman is confident Jamie Vardy will reject a move to Arsenal and remain with the Premier League champions next season.

Vardy netted 24 times as he helped inspire the Foxes to the most unlikely of title triumphs in 2015-16, with his efforts were rewarded with a place in England's Euro 2016 squad.

His performances for Leicester attracted the attention of Arsenal, who have triggered a release clause – believed to be worth £20 million – with Vardy set to make a final decision once England's participation in the finals in France has come to an end.

But vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, son of chairman and owner Vichai, believes Vardy will stay at the King Power Stadium as Leicester prepare to take their seat at European club football's top table.

"You will see the news very soon, but I think he will stay," he told The Daily Mail.
"I think so, let's see. We need to build the team. We keep continuing to believe that we can do something special in the Premier League and the Champions League.

"The Champions League is going to be amazing for Leicester, so let's see. Leicester is the underdog and we can still be the underdog."

 

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Morata: I used to watch Spain on TV, now I'm playing with them


Alvaro Morata said he still has trouble believing he is playing with the players he used to watch on the television when he steps out for Spain.

The Juventus and former Real Madrid striker scored twice as two-time defending European champions Spain dismantled Turkey 3-0 in Friday's Euro 2016 Group D clash.And afterwards, Morata admitted he still has to pinch himself at times.



"My two goals in the match? I am very happy with the team match, goals... Before these matches I used to watch Spain on television. I'm here now. It is a dream for me," he told Telecinco.

"When things are going well people say that we do not score goals ... we must follow and work. We played a great game against a difficult team."

Morata praised the spirit within the team and was glad to see it translate to a fine performance on the park."The most important thing is that we have a great atmosphere. We laughed, we played ... and that looks in the field," he said.

Morata's two goals against Turkey improved the striker's tally to five international goals from 11 caps as he continues to build an impressive record for the Spanish team.