..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Fred: Pressure is normal at 'huge' Man United


Manchester United and Brazil midfielder Fred understands why the pressure is building at the Premier League club, but is eager to focus on international duty.

Jose Mourinho is under fire at Old Trafford after a slow start to the season, with his team sitting eighth in the table and seven points off the pace.United ended a four-match winless run in all competitions with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over Newcastle United on Saturday.

Fred, away on international duty with Brazil, said it was understandable why there was so much focus on United.

"Manchester United is a huge team, so, if results are not coming, people and the press will wonder why, for sure," he said on Tuesday."They'll think something is wrong, so that's normal, that's a pressure you have anywhere, in a company, if results don't show up.

"And Man United is not different, with such the quality and importance they have. Of course, it's always good to wear the national squad shirt and in the meantime, when we're here, we try to forget a bit about there and try to focus only on here."

Fred arrived at United from Shakhtar Donetsk in June and has made seven appearances for his new club.The 25-year-old - whose Brazil team are preparing for friendlies with Saudi Arabia and Argentina - said he was still familiarising himself with life in England."I'm very happy in this new life I'm having, at this new club, adapting. That's a bit different for me but very nice," Fred said.

"They help me a lot to adapt and in everything, to learn English. This is very important for me."The championship is very different from the one I was playing before, so I'm trying to adapt as fast as I can, watch the players when they're training, the way they work, the positions they have.

"I guess this makes it easier for me to get adapted. I hope to keep strong and focused to play more with Manchester."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United top European sponsorship table with over $300 million in deals


Manchester United have been named as the top club in Europe’s top five leagues in terms of sponsorship revenue.

The report by media company CSM Sport & Entertainment analysed sponsorship deals spanning across the top five European football leagues – in England, Spain, Italy, Germany and France.

Manchester United topped the club-by-club list, generating €269 million (£235m/$309m) per year from 68 commercial deals. Spanish champions Barcelona were close behind, with a yearly income of €261m (£229m/$299m) – the only other club to generate more than €200m.

European heavyweights Bayern Munich and Real Madrid lead a quartet of English clubs (Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool) in revenue, while the top 10 was rounded off by the current champions of France and Italy – Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

Eleventh-placed Borussia Dortmund completed CSM’s top sponsorship list, despite having more sponsor deals than any of the top 10 clubs with 71 – generating just €80m (£70m/$92m) per-year.

With its teams forming half of the top 10, it is no surprise that England’s Premier League leads by some margin in Europe, making over €1.2 billion (£1.1bn/$1.4bn) a year from 440 sponsorship agreements.

Teams in Germany’s Bundesliga make the most deals in Europe with 617, which places the league second in Europe, but a low price-by-deal ratio sees these only generate €734.7m (£328m/$430m) in income.

In contrast, Spain’s top clubs have fewer deals (363) than leagues in Germany and Italy, yet create €678.5m (£595m/$778m) worth of revenue.Italy’s Serie A generates the least money per sponsorship deal, making €439.3m (£385m/$505m) from 547 agreements.

The French top tier, Ligue 1 generates €357.8m (£314m/$411m) from 306 deals, with top club PSG making up €112m (£98m/$128m) of that figure – almost a third of the entire league.

The top 11 Individual sectors were also ranked – with the financial sector investing the most money across the top five European leagues with €314m (£275m/$360m). The automotive sector invests €305m (£267m/$350m), albeit from considerably fewer agreements (55) compared to the 129 from financial companies.

Airlines are third, contributing the most per agreement, with €266m (£233m/$305m) worth of investments making up just 22 agreements – a rate of just over €12m (£11m/$14m) a deal.

The rest of the top 11 is made up of bookmakers, breweries, energy firms, telecommunications, tyre companies, hardware, insurance and food sectors.When sorted by specific brands, airline Fly Emirates – which is the shirt sponsor of three clubs in the top 10 – invest €178m (£156m/$204m) in sponsorship deals. That figure is over double that of second-placed gas company Gazprom, which only invests €80m (£70m/$92m). Carmaker Nissan is joined by beer brand Heineken and gaming brand PlayStation 4 in the top five.

Manchester United’s shirt sponsor deal with Chevrolet is the car brand’s only soccer deal – yet the €60m (£53m/$69m) per-year agreement leaves the brand seventh on the list.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Nacho: Real Madrid will support Lopetegui 'to the death'


Real Madrid players back under-pressure head coach Julen Lopetegui "to the death", says Nacho Fernandez.Madrid are on the club's worst scoring run since 1985 having failed to find the net in four consecutive matches in all competitions.

Lopetegui oversaw a 1-0 loss at Deportivo Alaves before the international break, Madrid having also suffered a shock 1-0 reverse at CSKA Moscow in the Champions League.

A run of three losses in four games has piled pressure on the former Spain coach, with reports indicating Madrid are already considering Lopetegui's future ahead of a Clasico clash with similarly out of form Barcelona on October 28.

Club captain Sergio Ramos has said it would be "crazy" to sack Lopetegui so early in his reign as the successor to Zinedine Zidane, who won a trio of Champions League titles before surprisingly resigning.

And Nacho, who like Ramos played under Lopetegui during his unbeaten spell in charge of Spain, has also lent his backing to the 52-year-old."We as players are with him to the death," the defender told EFE."We are calm. We have been through situations like this and worse, and we've always been able to get out of them.

"I can't guarantee we will win every title but Real Madrid have always proven that with the coach and players that we have, we will always be fighting for everything.
"We will be there until the end."

Lopetegui has suggested injuries have contributed to Madrid's loss of form, with Isco and Gareth Bale among the key players to have been missing.
But Madrid are also seemingly struggling to adapt to the loss of Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus, having only signed Mariano Diaz from Lyon to replace the Portugal superstar.

"At the start of the season we scored many goals and nobody remembered him," Nacho said of Ronaldo's absence. "He started at Juventus and didn't score a goal and they said it was because he left Real Madrid.

"He was very important for us because he'd score 50 goals a season, but we are not to blame and we can't feel sorry for ourselves and live in the past."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Mbappe reminds me of Ronaldo in his Man Utd days' - Griezmann backs PSG star to hit 50 goals-a-season


Kylian Mbappe has been likened to a young Cristiano Ronaldo by France team-mate Antoine Griezmann, with the Paris Saint-Germain star being backed to become a 50 goal-a-season frontman.At just 19 years of age, one of the most exciting talents in the global game has already achieved more than he could ever have imagined.

He is a two-time Ligue 1 title winner, having made the breakthrough at Monaco before moving to PSG, while a memorable summer in 2018 saw him claim World Cup glory with his country.

Mbappe’s remarkable exploits have also earned him a Ballon d’Or nomination alongside the likes of Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric and Neymar.

Atletico Madrid striker Griezmann is another on that list and he believes there is still more to come from his precociously-gifted international colleague who is already drawing comparisons with all-time greats.“Kylian reminds me of Cristiano when he was in Manchester,” Griezmann told France Football.

“Cristiano was the guy out wide, doing a lot of dribbling and occasionally scoring. He was not looking for goals, though.“When Kylian does what Cristiano did in Madrid, thinking only about scoring, then he will do the same. He will be scoring 50 goals per season.”

Mbappe’s latest outing saw him net four times for PSG in their demolition of domestic rivals Lyon, with the youngster admitting afterwards that he could have done even more.

Despite securing another match ball, a number of opportunities passed him by and Griezmann has revealed that he often teases his fellow Les Bleus star over his finishing ability.He added: “In front of goal in training, Kylian is not all that.

“I tease him often - I ask him how he manages to score so many goals. When we do finishing drills, he never wins. As soon as he changes that, though, he will be a force to be reckoned with.”

Griezmann is prepared to offer a helping hand in Mbappe’s rise to the very top, with the 27-year-old already providing advice when he spots an area of his developing game that he feels can be improved.

"Kylian has to want to go and score - the goal that he scored against Liverpool [in the Champions League] came from the middle," he added."I messaged him afterwards and said: ‘You need to call for the ball closer to the goal. If we do not give you the ball, you need to lose the guy. You must get on the ball in the middle’."

Griezmann and Mbappe are about to be reunited within the French fold, with the world champions preparing for a friendly date with Iceland before a UEFA Nations League clash with Germany.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Rooney backs Mourinho as he tells Man Utd flops to do better


Wayne Rooney has offered his support to Jose Mourinho during a tough period for Manchester United, with underperforming players told to “stand up” and shoulder more responsibility.The 2018-19 campaign has been a testing one at Old Trafford thus far, with as many headlines being made off the field as on it.

Rumours of divides within the Red Devils camp refuse to go away, with leading players such as Paul Pogba reported to have suffered a breakdown in their working relationship with their under-fire boss .

Pressure has built on Mourinho as a result, with the Portuguese now having to fend off exit talk , but Rooney feels the man in charge has become “an easy target” for those refusing to question an inconsistent squad.

United’s all-time leading goalscorer told reporters after his latest outing for MLS side D.C. United: “It’s tough [at Old Trafford], it has been a tough situation.“The players, the manager, it has been a tough start to the season.

“I know Jose is getting a load of stick but I said a few weeks ago, the players have to stand up. They have to be counted and they have to be better. The manager can do so much but then it is down to the players on the pitch to produce and probably collectively.

“It [the poor run of form] is a bit of everything coming together but Jose is an easy target. Some of the players have to be better.“I said the same thing when Louis van Gaal was there. He took a lot of stick but behind closed doors I said to the players, ‘We have to be doing better’.

“Personally I think he [Van Gaal] set us up brilliantly the way but we didn’t produce on the pitch so I am sure that is getting said behind the scenes.”United returned to winning ways last time out, as they recovered from two goals down to claim a dramatic 3-2 victory over Newcastle .

That success halted a four-game winless run, but the Red Devils remain eighth in the Premier League table with 13 points collected from eight games.They are already seven adrift of the title-chasing pack and have testing games to come at home and abroad after the international break against Chelsea and Juventus.

Quizzed as to why Mourinho’s men have found the going so tough this term, Rooney said: “It’s a young team, different pressure, quite a lot of those players maybe haven’t faced this before and they maybe haven’t got the senior players which I had there as a young player to help in those difficult moments. There are not enough of them to help you through it.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Sooner or later they will win it' - Liverpool backed for Premier League title by 'fan' Eriksson


Liverpool have been backed to win the Premier League title ‘soon’ by former Manchester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson.

Jurgen Klopp's men are currently joint top of the Premier League table along with reigning champions City and Chelsea, having won six of their opening eight games this season.

A 0-0 draw at Anfield with City on Sunday ensured that the Reds preserved their unbeaten league record heading into the international break, with a game against Huddersfield at the John Smith’s Stadium next up in two weeks’ time.

According to Eriksson, who managed England between 2001 and 2006, and also spent a season in charge at the Etihad Stadium, Liverpool are on course to win their first Premier League crown, telling Sky Sports : "It's going to be very interesting as usual.

"A lot of people are saying that maybe it is time for Liverpool. I hope so because in my heart I'm a Liverpool fan. But I think Manchester City are still very strong."I liked Liverpool last season. They played very good football, very optimistic, working very hard, very impressive.

"They bought some new players, so they look very strong. Sooner or later they will win it, no? I hope it will be sooner."

Alisson, Naby Keita, Fabinho and Xherdan Shaqiri all arrived at Anfield during the summer, with the former, in particular, having a huge impact on the team in goal.Eriksson then weighed in on the debate surrounding international friendlies, stating that he is a fan of the new UEFA Nations League format purely for competitive reasons."I liked friendly games, but I took them like a test to test new players," he added. "People didn't like that very much.

"I think friendly games are one thing, but when you come to competitive games, it's completely different. It's different for the country, the fans, the players, so it's good, there shouldn't be too many friendly games in one year because it's not very interesting."

England have two Nations League fixtures on the horizon over the next seven days, starting with an away tie against Croatia on Friday.

Gareth Southgate's side will then travel to Spain on Monday, where they will be looking to avenge a 2-1 defeat at Wembley back in September.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Italy 1 Ukraine 1: Mancini's winless run goes on with Azzurri

Italy's winless run stretched to five games after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Ukraine at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Wednesday.Roberto Mancini started his Azzurri tenure with a 2-1 win over Saudi Arabia in May but has failed to register another triumph since then – a run that has included away defeats to France and Portugal.

After failing to break the deadlock during a dominant first-half display, Italy went ahead in the 55th minute when Federico Bernardeschi's long-range drive was inexplicably spilled into his own net by Andriy Pyatov.


Ukraine, who had scarcely offered anything in the way of attacking threat prior to falling behind, secured a draw thanks to a volley from Ruslan Malinovskiy, who also saw a late free-kick cannon back off the crossbar.
Pyatov's outing started in more positive fashion and he twice denied Italy in the opening stages, pawing away Bernardeschi's curling drive and then brilliantly repelling Leonardo Bonucci's hooked volley from 12 yards.

Lorenzo Insigne clipped wide after being found inside the penalty area by Federico Chiesa midway through the first half before Pyatov tipped over Nicolo Barella's whipped effort from 25 yards.Italy were unable to make their superiority count before the interval as Pyatov once again denied them, this time pushing Chiesa's low drive past his right-hand post.

However, Mancini's side took the lead their dominance deserved 10 minutes after the interval when Pyatov made a mess of Bernardeschi's attempt from distance.Out of nothing, the visitors pulled level seven minutes later when Malinovskiy's volley nestled in Gianluigi Donnarumma's bottom-left corner.

Malinovskiy then thumped a stunning free-kick against the woodwork, while Donnarumma kept out Taras Stepanenko's header to at least make sure Mancini avoided a first defeat on home soil.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

John Terry appointed Aston Villa assistant as Smith named manager


Aston Villa have appointed Dean Smith as their new head coach, with former England and Chelsea captain John Terry as his assistant.

Smith – a lifelong Villa supporter – joins from Championship rivals Brentford and replaces Steve Bruce, who was dismissed on October 3 after a run of one win in nine games left them in the bottom half of the table.

Terry, who announced his retirement from playing on Sunday, spent last season with Villa, who have also announced Jesus Garcia Pitarch as their new sporting director.

Pitarch has previously been director of football at Valencia and Atletico Madrid in his native Spain.

Villa's CEO Christian Purslow said: "These three appointments represent the start of a new era and direction at Aston Villa and we are delighted to secure their services after an extensive search."Dean has a clear and successful coaching philosophy as well as a real understanding of Aston Villa. He is also knowledgeable about the Championship.

On Terry's return, he added: "John is one of the most decorated players in English football, has an affinity with the club and is ready to make the next step in his career working alongside Dean.

"And Jesus also brings a huge amount of experience in his particular role having worked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe. He will ensure the club has an integrated approach running from the academy through the Under-23s and into the first-team."

Belgium assistant coach Thierry Henry and long-time Jose Mourinho assistant Rui Faria had both been linked with the vacant post since Bruce's departure.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Magnificent' Salah will score a lot of goals - Fowler


Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler has backed Mohamed Salah to get back amongst the goals and improve on his recent form.

Salah hit the back of the net 44 times last season but he has struggled to reproduce that form, scoring just three times so far this campaign.Despite that slow start, however, Fowler feels that he will find his shooting boots and get back to his best.

"I think he'll still score goals, I think he'll still score a lot of goals," Fowler said to Sky Sports."What I like about Mo Salah is that his work ethic is brilliant, he doesn't shy away from anything. What I would be more worried about is if he wasn't getting chances."

Salah broke the record for most goals in a 38-game Premier League season, netting 32 times for the Reds.Fowler recognises that Salah may not match the heights of that incredible season, but thinks he will nevertheless be key to Liverpool's plans.

"He will bang the goals in. I'm not sure he'll hit the heights he did last year but he is still a magnificent player. He will still be a danger throughout the Premier League [season]," he added.

"I'm not saying he's having a bad year so far. He's still a good player, he's still an excellent player but to replicate what he did last year will be unbelievable."

His manager Jurgen Klopp echoed that sentiment, saying that he will still help Liverpool win games.

“To me, he looks he is exactly in that mood again – only with more confidence – because now he knows it’s possible,” said Klopp.“But that is the only change – so don’t get desperate to score goals in this kind of overly strike offensive play. We need him to score goals, but not overly."I don’t expect 40 goals from one player. I only want to win a football game, and how that works I am fine with it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

FFF chief suggests Benzema's France career is 'finished'


Karim Benzema's hopes of resurrecting his France career have suffered a serious blow after the French Football Federation's (FFF) president said the Real Madrid star is "finished" on the international stage.

Benzema has not featured for his country since October 2015 after he was allegedly involved in a plot to blackmail his France team-mate Mathieu Valbuena in a sex-tape scandal.

A decision is expected in the case in early November, but it has been reported in the French media that it could be thrown out of court due to the involvement of an undercover police officer, who has been accused of incitement to commit the alleged offence.

Didier Deschamps has not included Benzema in any squad since the case came to light, with the player accusing the coach of bowing "to the pressure of a racist part of France" when ignoring him for Euro 2016.But regardless of the outcome of legal proceedings, FFF president Noel Le Graet does not think Benzema will be returning to action with the national team.

"The Valbuena-Benzema affair had another episode last week, but it is still not over," Le Graet told Ouest-France."It's been three or four years. It should have been judged much faster and it is rotten for us.

"I have nothing against Karim, he has always behaved well in the [national] team, but I think he is finished with Les Bleus, particularly as he has been out of form for a while."Benzema, who has 81 caps for his country, has scored just 20 LaLiga goals for Madrid since the start of the 2016-17 season.

The forward is currently dealing with a hamstring injury that could keep him out of action through the first Clasico of the season, which is set for October 28.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mbappe 'adjusting just fine' to superstar status, says Lloris


France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris believes Paris Saint-Germain sensation Kylian Mbappe is coping well with his status as one of the world's best players.

The 19-year-old was instrumental in France's 2018 World Cup triumph and he has carried that stunning form into the new season, scoring eight goals in just five Ligue 1 games – four of which came in a blistering 13-minute spell against Lyon on Sunday.He was also named on the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d'Or this week, and Lloris has been impressed with how the PSG forward is seemingly taking it all in his stride.

"Obviously Kylian has a brand new status now," he said at a media conference ahead of France's friendly against Iceland on Thursday and Nations League game against Germany five days later.

"Even though he has done great things in Ligue 1 and the Champions League, the World Cup gave him a new dimension in the world's eyes."He is adjusting just fine to this new status; we all know his great potential."He proved that in the second half against Lyon. I have not seen the first half, just the second one.

"It is not easy to score four goals in Ligue 1. I'm sure he can repeat these kinds of performances all over again."

Lloris has also been named on the Ballon d'Or shortlist – along with fellow World Cup winners Paul Pogba, Raphael Varane, N'Golo Kante and Antoine Griezmann – and hopes one of Didier Deschamps' triumphant players can break the stranglehold of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, who have shared the last 10 awards. "It is always a token of appreciation," he added.

"I am really pleased to be in the list of 30 personally and for my team-mates. We all hope that a French player will win, however we are not the ones choosing so we'll just watch."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Sanchez

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mexico 3 Costa Rica 2: Hosts end losing run


Raul Jimenez's penalty proved the match-winner at the Estadio Universitario de Nuevo Leon after the hosts had twice come from behind, Victor Guzman and Henry Martin cancelling out goals from Joel Campbell and Bryan Ruiz.Campbell opened the scoring just before the half-hour mark, the forward heading in a Bryan Oviedo cross at the back post.

But the hosts responded four minutes later, a fine team move ending with Guzman wonderfully side-footing a volley into the top corner from a Jose van Rankin cross.
Costa Rica – who announced Gustavo Matosas as their next coach on Tuesday – restored their lead just before half-time through Ruiz, who placed a penalty into the bottom corner after Van Rankin gave away a spot-kick for a handball in the area.
Ruiz's goal was his 25th for the national team, moving him into outright fifth on Costa Rica's all-time list.Introduced at half-time, Martin scored his first international goal to draw Mexico level once more in the 56th minute, heading in a Jurgen Damm cross.



Martin continued to have a major impact, fouled from a set-piece to give Jimenez a chance from the penalty spot and the forward made no mistake as Mexico claimed a first win since the World Cup and extended Costa Rica's run without a victory to eight matches.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

United States 2 Colombia 4: James nets stunner in six-goal thriller

James Rodriguez produced a moment of magic as Colombia withstood a United States comeback to win their entertaining international friendly 4-2.

James broke the deadlock with a stunning effort from the edge of the area in the 36th minute, only for USA to hit back and take the lead courtesy of two goals in three minutes via Kellyn Acosta and Bobby Wood to start the second half on Thursday.Colombia, though, were not to be denied as Carlos Bacca, Radamel Falcao and Miguel Borja saw off the hosts at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

Falcao unleashed a powerful volley inside the six-yard box but his effort fizzed wide of the post in a bright start by Colombia inside three minutes.USA were living dangerously, though the hosts did manage to leave David Ospina scrambling when Julian Green curled a shot just wide.

Colombia's dominance was finally rewarded nine minutes prior to the break thanks to the brilliance of James, who collected the ball on the edge of the area, side-stepped his opponent and drifted onto his left foot before curling a ball into the far corner of the net.

Bayern Munich star James almost doubled the lead five minutes later but the ball was somehow scrambled off the line by the lunging Matthew Miazga.USA managed to draw level five minutes into the second half – an unmarked Acosta volleying past a helpless Ospina from Antonee Robinson's teasing delivery.

That goal rattled Colombia and they were stunned again when Wood got in between two defenders and poked the ball into the back of the net.USA's lead, however, was short-lived as Bacca equalised three minutes later to continue the breathtaking start to the second half.

And Colombia took the lead again with 16 minutes remaining – USA unable to deal with a long ball down the field as Falcao side-footed a shot beyond Zack Steffen before substitute Borja added some gloss to the scoreline.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Poland 2 Portugal 3: Selecao spoil Lewandowski landmark

Robert Lewandowski failed to inspire Poland on his 100th international appearance as Portugal came from behind to claim a 3-2 win in the Nations League.

Krzysztof Piatek nodded the home side in front but, despite Cristiano Ronaldo's absence, Portugal rallied, and, having equalised through Andre Silva, were ahead by the interval thanks to Kamil Glik's own goal.

Bernardo Silva benefitted from poor Lukasz Fabianski goalkeeping to put Portugal further ahead six minutes into the second half, ensuring that Jakub Blaszczykowski's fine strike was a mere consolation.


Lewandowski could have capped his milestone appearance with a goal after he was put through in the 10th minute, but a tight offside call came to Portugal's rescue.

Poland soon had the lead, though, Piatek rising highest at the back post to head home Rafal Kurzawa's right-wing cross.The offside flag denied Rafa Silva an immediate equaliser, but Portugal's pressure told just after the half-hour, Andre Silva tucking in from Pizzi's cut-back.

Portugal had their tails up and scored again in the 42nd minute as Glik's desperate tackle on Rafa Silva sent the ball into the net after the Benfica midfielder – teed up by a wonderful Ruben Neves pass – had rounded Fabianski.

Piotr Zielinski had Rui Patricio scrambling following the restart, though Fabianski's failure to deal with Bernardo Silva's low strike at the other end soon compounded Poland's misery.Substitute Blaszczykowski set up a grandstand finish with an exquisite 77th-minute half-volley, although Poland's comeback hopes would have been ended had Tomasz Kedziora not cleared Renato Sanches' effort off the line.

That miss did not ultimately not prove costly, though, as Portugal held firm to condemn Poland to their first defeat under Jerzy Brzeczek.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

France 2 Iceland 2: Mbappe inspires late comeback to spare world champions' blushes

Kylian Mbappe spared France's blushes as he inspired the world champions to come from 2-0 down to rescue a late 2-2 draw at home to Iceland on Thursday.

Didier Deschamps' men were not at the races for long periods and appeared destined for a deserved defeat, but up stepped Mbappe – a second-half substitute – to ensure they did not suffer a first loss since March.

France showed off their World Cup trophy in Guingamp this week, but Iceland showed no signs of intimidation and took the lead after half an hour through Birkir Bjarnason.


Things got even worse after half-time when Kari Arnason beat Hugo Lloris to make it 2-0, but Mbappe forced a Holmar Eyjolfsson own goal in the 86th minute and then netted a penalty four minutes later to seal a dramatic draw.

France did not craft a genuine chance until the 28th minute, when Florian Thauvin blasted Ousmane Dembele's cut-back over from 16 yards.Two minutes later, France were trailing.

Alfred Finnbogason robbed Presnel Kimpembe in the corner and he subsequently picked out Bjarnason on the edge of the area to coolly slot into the bottom-right corner.Iceland should have got another soon after, but Lloris somehow kept them at bay, saving Ragnar Sigurdsson's header before denying follow-up efforts from Bjarnason, Finnbogason and Runar Sigurjonsson in quick succession.

The away side doubled their lead just before the hour, as Arnason met Gylfi Sigurdsson's fine corner with a towering header.But Mbappe soon took over, producing a brilliant turn before shooting from a tight angle and the ball found the net via Hannes Halldorsson and Eyjolfsson.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward then found the top-left corner with a penalty after Kolbeinn Sigthorsson handled a corner, denying Iceland a famous win.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wales 1 Spain 4: Alcacer marks recall with brace

Paco Alcacer scored twice on his Spain recall as Luis Enrique's men cruised to an easy 4-1 friendly win against Wales on Thursday.The striker's superb performances on loan at Borussia Dortmund earned him a call-up and he continued that form with a first-half brace for his first international goals since 2015.

Sergio Ramos converted a Suso free-kick in between Alcacer's double and Marc Bartra's header wrapped up Spain's scoring as they brushed a lacklustre Wales aside at the Principality Stadium.


With Gareth Bale not fit to play, Ryan Giggs was shorn of his star man and Wales rarely looked like threatening a surprise result, although Sam Vokes did net a late consolation.

Alcacer opened the scoring in the eighth minute on his first international appearance since 2016, arrowing a powerful drive into the top-left corner after Wales failed to clear following a punch from goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.And Hennessey's goal was soon breached again, with Spain skipper Ramos left completely unmarked to head home a floated free-kick by Suso after Alvaro Morata was fouled.

Alcacer was celebrating again in the 29th minute, capitalising on more chaotic defending to beat Hennessey with a sweetly struck low volley, although Ethan Ampadu's looping header hit the outside of David de Gea's post in a rare Wales attack.Suso almost added a fourth after the break but his 25-yard curler clipped the crossbar, before Morata headed wide a left-wing cross from Jose Gaya.

More slack Wales marking was punished by Bartra's flicked header from a Suso corner and, despite Vokes untidily finishing off a brilliant David Brooks cross with a minute to play, the final scoreline reflected Spain's dominance.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Iraq 0 Argentina 4: Inter's Martinez scores on full debut

Lautaro Martinez scored his first goal for Argentina on his full debut as they beat Iraq 4-0 in Saudi Arabia.

An experimental side without the likes of Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero or Gonzalo Higuain gave a commanding display in the first game of a four-team tournament that also features Brazil and Saudi Arabia.

Martinez, who has scored one goal in four Serie A appearances for Inter this season, provided a reminder of his abilities by opening his account for his country after earning his first start.


In-form Juventus forward Paulo Dybala led the Argentina attack admirably, and the 24-year-old provided an assist for Roberto Pereyra to score the second as the Watford striker made his first international appearance for three years.

Fiorentina centre-back German Pezzella added a third in the closing stages before Franco Cervi made it 4-0 in injury time to send Argentina into their game against Brazil on a high.

Argentina took control early on and when Marcos Acuna crossed from the left after 18 minutes, Martinez nipped in ahead of his marker to apply a clinical near-post header, sending the ball high into the net.

Less than 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute, Pereyra received a short pass from Dybala inside the Iraq penalty area and had time to take aim before hooking the ball into the corner of the net.Dybala almost got the reward his performance deserved when substitute Giovanni Simeone teed him up for a curling shot that drew a one-handed diving save from Jalal Hassan.

Eduardo Salvio's flick-on from a corner found Pezzella at the far post in the 82nd minute and the defender made amends for his earlier miss, heading the ball high into the net to make it 3-0.

Benfica winger Cervi added Argentina's fourth and his first for his country when his jinking 30-yard run showed shades of Messi before he slammed a left-footed finish into the far corner of the net with practically the last kick of the game.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hazard hints at Real Madrid move in order to win Ballon d'Or


Eden Hazard has ruled out a January move away from Chelsea, but has admitted that he may need to join Real Madrid in order to win the Ballon d’Or.The Belgium international has been in stunning form at the start of the 2018-19 campaign, netting seven times in the Premier League to lead the hunt for the Golden Boot.

His form has earned him a billing as the finest player in Europe from Blues boss Maurizio Sarri, with it widely acknowledged that the 27-year-old is performing at a level few players can match.

Having positioned himself among the elite, and with no fresh terms agreed at Stamford Bridge as yet, talk of a big-money move away from west London continues to rage.

Madrid have been heavily linked with a swoop for some time and Hazard acknowledges that, with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo having dominated the global game while turning out in La Liga, he may need to head for Spain in order to see his achievements recognised.“That’s why I want to go, maybe,” a man who is on the 30-man shortlist for the 2018 Ballon d’Or told Sky Sports.

Quizzed on whether such a switch could be made in the next transfer window, Hazard said: “Nope.”He is happy to see out the current campaign at Chelsea, with familiar surroundings allowing him to flourish at present.

Hazard believes he is producing the best performances of his career to date and feels that the consistency he has achieved makes him deserving of a standing alongside the finest talent on the planet.

Asked he considers himself to be the best player in the world, Hazard said: “Yes.”He is, however, prepared to acknowledge that he still has room for improvement, adding: “Of course. You can always improve in football – more goals, more assists.

“The team is helping me a lot but I can improve for sure.”Hazard’s current contract at Chelsea is set to expire in 2020, so the Blues will have a big decision to make next summer if no extension is agreed.

Their hand may be forced when it comes to the sale of a prized asset, with 2019 set to present them with a final opportunity to generate a sizeable fee before a star turn begins to decrease in value as he heads towards free agency.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Monaco sack Jardim amid Thierry Henry reports


Monaco have confirmed that they have parted ways with coach Leonardo Jardim, while reports continue to circulate that he could be replaced by Thierry Henry.Jardim led the club to Ligue 1 glory in the 2016-17 campaign, ending Paris Saint-Germain's stranglehold on the title, and reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in the same season.

But Monaco's talented young squad has been decimated by sales since then, with stars including Kylian Mbappe, Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar, Fabinho and Benjamin Mendy departing.

And Jardim has paid the price for Monaco's poor start to the season, which has seen them take just six points from nine league matches, while Champions League defeats to Atletico Madrid and Borussia Dortmund leave them bottom of Group A.

Speaking to the club's official website, Jardim said: "I'm grateful and proud to have been AS Monaco coach for more than four years."I've always given my very best and worked with passion. We achieved some great victories together and I'll always keep those memories."

Jardim departs amid growing speculation that Henry, who started his professional career at Monaco, is poised to become the club's new head coach.Henry, Arsenal's record goalscorer who also represented Barcelona, Juventus and New York Red Bulls, was previously linked with the now-taken Aston Villa post but is heavily fancied to take his first head coach role with Monaco.

Monaco have yet to comment on the speculation, with vice-president Vadim Vasilyev paying tribute to the departing Jardim."I want to thank with deepest respect Leonardo for all the work done," he said.

"Leonardo has established himself on the bench of AS Monaco as a reference in Europe and leaves behind a very positive balance sheet."His tenure will remain as one of the most beautiful pages in the history of the club. Leonardo will still be part of the AS Monaco family."

Jardim took over at Monaco in 2014 and counts the likes of Sporting CP, Olympiacos and Braga among his former clubs.