Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool and counting, Premier League defending champions Manchester City have been off-the-pace across all competitions this season and their slump in form has been worsened by the long-term absence of Ballon d’Or winner Rodri. As such, they’re open to acquiring midfield acquisitions next month and beyond, with several lucrative names being linked. Continue reading “Missing Rodri and out-of-sorts, City linked with Wirtz, Guimaraes and Zubimendi”
Granit Xhaka repaired his reputation in north London before departing for £21.6m last summer, joining Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen project – quickly establishing himself as an indispensable player spreading his wings further since returning to Bundesliga play. He’s carried that form on the international stage at the Euros, where the 31-year-old faces some familiar faces Saturday. Continue reading “Granit Xhaka’s metronomic momentum – club and country – hasn’t gone unnoticed”
Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Milan have all been linked with an approach to sign Chelsea’s out-of-favour winger Callum Hudson-Odoi this summer, after the 22-year-old’s unspectacular loan spell at Bayer Leverkusen this past season. Continue reading “Fulham, Forest and Milan all linked with move for Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi”
While still battling over a fair price for RB Salzburg’s latest hotshot, around the €45m (£37.4m) figure, Bundesliga giants Borussia Dortmund have been linked with approaches for other strikers this summer as they prepare for life after Erling Haaland – whose €75m (£62.4m) release clause is active and will inevitably be explored by Europe’s elite in the weeks to come. Continue reading “Contingency plans: Adeyemi fee impasse, Dortmund also linked with other Haaland replacements”
Although it looked like another thrashing was on the cards early on, this match quickly proved far from one-sided. Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen scored first and crucially finished strong under duress – overturning a 2-1 deficit late on – to sting a spirited Celtic showing, qualifying for next year’s Europa League knockout rounds as Group G winners with a game to spare.
Continue reading “Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 Celtic: Diaby’s bullet volley ensures Seoane’s men top Group G”
Football’s worst kept secret is out: the Bundesliga’s perennial champions Bayern Munich have announced RB Leipzig’s Julian Nagelsmann will succeed Hansi Flick as their new manager this summer, agreeing terms for a lucrative five-year deal. However, sceptics shouldn’t be so quick to begrudge a highly-rated boss joining his fiercest competitors, being Bavarian-born after all.
Continue reading “Bayern’s German monopoly continues, but don’t begrudge Julian Nagelsmann”
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A look ahead to three group stage fixtures from MD2 as the Europa League continues on Thursday. Bayer Leverkusen are among the sides targeting successive UEL victories when they travel to Sparta Prague next, while Premier League sides Leicester and Tottenham hope to build on slender top-flight victories away from home comforts in Greece and Belgium respectively. Continue reading “Europa League MD2 Group Stage Previews: Leicester, Leverkusen and Tottenham feature”
A look ahead to three contrasting group stage fixtures from MD1 as the Europa League returns on Thursday. Last year’s quarter-finalists Bayer Leverkusen welcome Nice back to the competition after a two-year absence, Arteta’s Arsenal travel to Austria with Rapid Vienna first up while Maccabi Tel Aviv host Qarabag. Which players will impress this week? Continue reading “Europa League Group Stage Previews: Bayer Leverkusen, Arsenal among those in action”
Bayer Leverkusen and Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be expected to progress into this summer’s DFB-Pokal Final, as the pair are heavy favourites in their respective cup ties against fourth-tier Saarbrucken and a depleted Eintracht Frankfurt side this midweek. Continue reading “DFB-Pokal semi-final previews: Saarbrucken-Leverkusen and Bayern-Frankfurt”
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Nils Petersen came off the bench to score his second goal in three games as Freiburg battled hard to earn a 1-0 win over Champions League-chasing Borussia Monchengladbach, with a result that has significant ramifications for both sides. Continue reading “Freiburg 1-0 Borussia Monchengladbach: Petersen strikes as visitors drop key points”
Borussia Dortmund were made to work hard for their goals, but ultimately eased to a 6-1 thrashing over bottom side Paderborn – with winger Jadon Sancho marking his first start since March with the first senior hat-trick of his career to date.
Continue reading “SC Paderborn 1-6 Borussia Dortmund: Sancho’s first senior hat-trick sinks hosts”
Kai Havertz made Bundesliga history on Friday night, as Peter Bosz’s much-changed Bayer Leverkusen side battled hard to earn a slender but important victory over SC Freiburg – a win taking them third ahead of the weekend’s fixtures. Continue reading “SC Freiburg 0-1 Bayer Leverkusen: Havertz pokes home winner in hard-fought win”
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