Washington enters Top 25 for first time since 2017

Market: Blackburn win

Odds: 1/2 @

Looking to extend on their League Cup adventure on Wednesday night, Blackburn will host League Two outfit Hartlepool.

Starting with the hosts, while Blackburn might have only just missed out on a play-off spot last season, Jon Dahl Tomasson s men have opened the 2022/23 campaign with a real flurry. Enjoying what has been quite the summer purple patch, the Rovers were last seen over the weekend laying down another marker. Along with opening the new season with a 1-0 win against QPR at Ewood Park, Wednesday s hosts also landed a thumping 3-0 romp away at Swansea a few days ago. With it looking like their is a real buzz in their camp, Blackburn should be smelling a golden chance to keep up that momentum here. Unbeaten in each of th…

Nolito and Alvaro Morata were the two-goal star men as Spain made a mockery of South Korea s recent fine form, winning 6-1 on the road to Euro 2016.

Uli Stielike had told his Korean side to play with the belief that they could beat the double-defending European champions, but a national-record run of nine games without conceding was emphatically ended in Salzburg.

David Silva s stunning free-kick brought the match to life on the half-hour, but things soon went from the sublime to the ridiculous as Korean goalkeeper Kim Jin-hyeon s comical error presented Cesc Fabregas with a tap-in.

Nolito and Alvaro Morata enhanced their chances of a place in Vicente del Bosque s frontline with a pair of goals each, though this week s arrival of Atletico and Real Madrid player…

Evergreen Alessandro Del Piero struck his 250th goal in Juventus colours at the weekend, bagging a penalty in a 4-0 rout of woeful Reggina.

It was the latest episode in a glittering career that began back in 1993 as a substitute for Fabrizio Ravanelli and has now seen the 34-year-old take third place in the all-time list of goalscorers at a single Italian club.

Only Guiseppe Meazza, who hit 282 for Inter Milan, and Angelo Schiavio, with 253 goals for Bologna, have managed more goals for one team.

But it surely won t be long before Del Piero takes second place in that list and he may even claim top spot, if Juventus keep faith with him for long enough.

His chances of reaching this landmark seemed slim at the beginning of last season as he lost his pla…

Antoine Griezmann says Paul Pogba is in high spirits and has backed the Manchester United midfielder to prove his doubters wrong during France s friendly matches.

A combination of poor form, injury and illness has meant Pogba has started only four of United s last 11 matches in all competitions, while speculation has persisted over a rumoured breakdown in his relationship with manager Jose Mourinho.

France boss Didier Deschamps conceded this week that the 25-year-old can t be happy with the way life is going at Old Trafford.

Griezmann, however, insists his team-mate is in a positive mood and expects him to perform well when France face Colombia and Russia in this month s friendlies.

He came back [to the squad] with a huge smile on his face, Griezmann tol…

Ryan Giggs has become synonymous with Manchester United, but a quiet exit via the backdoor after the most glorious of playing careers is as much a consequence of his own pride and ambition as it is Jose Mourinho s unwillingness to compromise.

Now, he faces a long and uncertain road back to the Old Trafford limelight.

Perhaps the greatest of United s many outstanding modern players, Giggs legend at his only senior club was forged in the trail of right-backs he left with, as Alex Ferguson put it, twisted blood , as well as the 13 Premier League, two Champions League and four FA Cup titles he helped to raise aloft.

It hardly seems fitting that Giggs illustrious time at United ended without ceremony, but it soon became evident he had loftier ambitions than he would h…

Joan Laporta has again criticised the leadership of the man who replaced him as Barcelona president Sandro Rosell.

Laporta, who led the La Liga giants from 2003-2010, has never hidden his contempt for his successor.

In the latest attack on Rosell, Laporta has criticised the leaders of Barca for what he considers to be a lack of direction at Camp Nou.

The path they have chosen is mistaken I do not even know which path they have chosen, Laporta told Il Catenaccio.

When I was president, I had no problem explaining to the world the Catalan cause.

They are living in our heritage.

…

This summer had seemed to have the makings of being a pretty miserable one for Liverpool supporters. After their brave but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League last season, the fans have had to endure reports of being in a bad financial position whilst watching the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City trying to spend money like it has gone out of fashion.

Lost

The latest accounts showed that Kop Holdings, the parent company of the Anfield club, lost £42.6 million in the year to August 2008. Interest payments on loans accounted for £36.5 million of the losses.

The loan of £350 million owed to RBS and Wachovia has to be repaid by 24th July. The co-owners, George Gillett,…

Barcelona keeping Lionel Messi would have put the club at great risk according to Joan Laporta, who criticised both the previous regime and also LaLiga in a powerful media conference.

The Spanish club sensationally announced on Thursday that Messi would not be continuing at Camp Nou, despite agreeing terms on a new contract.

A short statement revealed how financial and structural obstacles made a deal impossible, despite an injection of funds stemming from the league signing an investment and revenue-sharing deal with CVC Capital Partners, who will hold a 10 per cent stake.

Barca joined rivals Real Madrid in denouncing the plan, with Laporta unwilling to mortgage the long-term future of the club by accepting the restructure, even if that meant ruling out…

Mario Gomez and Mesut Oezil scored either side of half-time to give Germany a comfortable 2-0 friendly win over FIFA World Cup hosts South Africa.

With Germany facing Azerbaijan in Hanover in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on Wednesday, coach Joachim Low got the dominance he had demanded in the game s build-up with his side rarely troubled by Bafana Bafana. Lone striker Gomez scored his 11th international goal midway through the first-half before Oezil showed great composure to score his first goal for Germany.

Low introduced a different attacking system, with Oezil and Marko Marin on the flanks and Gomez in the centre. Before kick-off, Germany stalwart Bernd Schneider was honoured to mark his contribution to the national team after been forced to retire earlier this year w…

Midfielder James McCarthy has signed a new deal until 2020 at Everton, the Premier League club have announced. 

The 24-year-old Republic of Ireland international, who arrived at Goodison Park from Wigan Athletic for a fee reported to be £13million in 2013, was said to be a target for Tottenham.

Manchester City were also thought to be looking at McCarthy, so the signing of a new long-term deal should bring an end to speculation surrounding his future.

I m buzzing and delighted to be committing my future long-term to Everton.  said McCarthy.

I ve loved every minute I ve been here, with the fans having made me feel so welcome from day one, as well as the players and staff.

This is a brilliant club with a brilliant fanbase and what we want to tr…