Analysis, features, news plus more – on European football and sports galore!
Victor Wembanyama is having a seismic second season. Averaging 24.4 points, 10.8 rebounds and a league-leading 4.0 blocks per game, he is peerless in that regard and being treated as the king upon returning to his native Paris, having come agonisingly close to Olympic gold in July. Acting as tour guide for the San Antonio Spurs during their two-game overseas trip, he’s a fitting ambassador. Continue reading “All eyes on you, Wemby”
Heavy scrutiny has continued to follow Kylian Mbappe since his long-awaited Real Madrid move over the summer. The 25-year-old French star must learn to play as a central striker because he will not be able to displace Vinicius Junior on the left flank, according to the club’s long-serving former forward Karim Benzema, who made 14 international appearances alongside him for Les Bleus.
Continue reading “Benzema: People ask plenty of under-fire Mbappe but he must adapt, Real isn’t PSG”
Canada seek their first men’s basketball Olympic medal since clinching silver back in 1936 and know they must sustain their excellent group stage play to do so. The bulk of the focus surrounds Team USA for obvious reasons but as RJ Barrett and Dillon Brooks have played important support roles, Canada’s star guard leads by example – Oklahoma City Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Continue reading “Olympics: SGA leading the way for Canada before France quarterfinal – of course he is”
Although they had a £15m verbal offer rejected out-of-hand on Thursday, West Ham are pursuing two-time Premier League champion N’Golo Kante as the acquisitions under new manager Julen Lopetegui continue to roll. Meanwhile, creative midfielder Lucas Pacqueta’s uncertain future will linger after investigations into his spot-fixing allegations won’t be resolved until 2025.
Continue reading “£15m rebuffed, West Ham push for Al-Ittihad’s N’Golo Kante in London return”
France finally ended their open play goal drought but it wasn’t enough to stop Spain from overturning the slender deficit with a four-minute turnaround during an action-packed first-half, powered by teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal four days before his 17th birthday as Luis de la Fuente’s side held firm in a frenzied second-half to seal a spot in Sunday’s European Championship final.
Continue reading “Spain 2-1 France: Yamal’s wonderstrike sends inspired La Roja into Euro final”
Seven years after Real had a €180m bid accepted for the then-Monaco wonderkid, the newly-crowned 15-time Champions League winners have their man. Kylian Mbappe’s dream has been realised, having made history at home with Paris Saint-Germain, and now the France captain will acclimatise to new surroundings and expectations with Los Blancos after Euro 2024 this month. Continue reading “Mbappe’s long-awaited dream realised at long last, as Real confirm multi-year deal”
There were straight-set victories for Matteo Berrettini, Maria Sakkari and Stan Wawrinka among others but the big story came in the evening as home favourite Jason Kubler recovered from a 5-0 second set deficit to overwhelm world no. 27 Dan Evans and secure Australia’s first-ever United Cup triumph, on an eventful second day of group action at the tournament. Continue reading “United Cup: Berrettini, Sakkari, Wawrinka all prevail before Kubler clinches big win for team Australia”
France forward Randal Kolo Muani will undoubtedly be thinking about his stoppage-time miss against Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup Final, but the Eintracht Frankfurt frontman – a late-notice injury replacement – shone on the world stage and spoke of his pride at a tournament he didn’t expect to be at. Elsewhere, Morocco duo Sofiane Boufal and Azzedine Ounahi have attracted interest from a host of European clubs: both are now anticipating January transfers. Continue reading “World Cup 2022: Kolo Muani reflects on magical experience, while Morocco duo set to leave Angers”
Argentina found themselves just 10 minutes from glory. Kylian Mbappe scored twice in 97 seconds to equalise. Lionel Messi made it 3-2 in extra-time, yet his club teammate completed his hat-trick from the spot during a frantic finish. Into a penalty shootout they went and Sevilla fullback Gonzalo Montiel had the final say: sending Hugo Lloris the wrong way, finishing a remarkable World Cup Final with a dramatic win over the defending champions last night. Continue reading “Argentina 3-3 France (4-2 on pens): Montiel ends frenzied final in shootout after Mbappe hat-trick”
Theo Hernandez’s early strike and a first international goal for second-half substitute Randal Kolo Muani ensure reigning champions France are back in the World Cup final, where they’ll play Lionel Messi and Argentina on Sunday afternoon. Morocco fought valiantly, but Les Bleus can now become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to defend their crown as world champions.
Continue reading “WC 2022 – France 2-0 Morocco: Hernandez, Kolo Muani sink historic Africans, into Sunday’s final”
For all the talk of focusing on defending against the brilliance of Kylian Mbappe, it was France’s all-time top goalscorer Olivier Giroud – who spent nine years playing in England’s top-tier – delivering the final blow as Gareth Southgate’s men showed spirit but ultimately crashed out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage with a jarring 2-1 defeat by the defending champions. Continue reading “France 2-1 England: Giroud the matchwinner as Kane’s penalty miss sends Southgate’s men out”
Olivier Giroud surpassed Thierry Henry to top the all-time goalscoring charts for France, scoring against a former teammate in goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny no less, before Kylian Mbappe’s second-half brace ended Poland’s fading hopes of a late comeback. Barcelona forward Robert Lewandowski scored a retaken penalty late, on what could be his last World Cup appearance. Continue reading “France 3-1 Poland: Giroud breaks all-time record, Mbappe’s second-half brace puts Poles to the sword”
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