Spain greats Xavi and Andres Iniesta are inspirational figures for Italy s Nicolo Barella, although the Azzurri midfielder does not try to replicate their skill sets.
Barcelona legends Xavi and Iniesta formed a key part of the Spain side that won Euro 2008 and Euro 2012 – in which they thrashed Italy in the final – either side of lifting the 2010 World Cup.
While the Barca duo were more renowned for their creativity than goalscoring exploits, albeit Iniesta got the crucial strike in Spain s World Cup triumph in South Africa, Barella has established himself as a real goal threat for both Inter and Italy.
Indeed, the former Cagliari man opened the scoring in Italy s 2-1 quarter-final win over Belgium with a fantastic finish, teed up by some excellent footwo…
Swansea have shown interest in Brondby winger Michael Krohn-Dehli, .
The Welsh club have just appointed Michael Laudrup to replace Brendan Rodgers and the new boss is already thinking about summer reinforcements.
The Sun claims the talented coach is readying bid for Denmark winger Michael Krohn-Dehli.
The 29-year-old has largely impressed while playing for Denmark at the European Championship, scoring two goals in three group games.
The highly rated winger is now expected to leave Brondby for greener pastures and Swansea City are looking to take advantage of the situation.
The Welsh side could suffer a real player exodus after boss Brendan Rodgers left Liberty Stadium for Liverpool and they are determined to make several high-profile signings in …
The Major League Soccer is set to welcome yet another team in 2011, as the Portland Timbers have been granted a license.
The Timbers are owned by Merritt Paulson, who also owns a minor league baseball team in Portland and has a history in Basketball.
It is expected that the new team will play its home games at the PGE Park, currently used by baseball team Portland Beavers, who are to switch to a new venue.
Soccer is flourishing in the region, as the Seattle Sounders joined the MLS this year and the Vancouver Whitecaps are confirmed for 2011.
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Roberto Mancini admitted trying to win the Nations League is a daunting task despite succeeding at Euro 2020 with Italy.
Italy, who failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, underwent a transformative period under Mancini, culminating in them winning Euro 2020 – their first European Championship since 1968.
The Azzurri, led by experienced campaigners such as Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, are on a 37-game unbeaten run as they prepare for their Nations League semi-final with Spain on Wednesday.
Indeed, Mancini s side required penalties to edge past Spain in the semi-finals at Euro 2020 and the 56-year-old is expecting another tough task against Luis Enrique s men at San Siro.
Spain were the team we struggled against most during Euro 2020. They…
Everton signed Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku from Chelsea for a club record £28million on this day in 2014.
The move came after a successful loan spell at Goodison Park the previous season in which the forward scored 16 goals in 33 appearances and helped the club finish fifth in the Premier League.
The then 21-year-old, who had also spent an impressive year on loan at West Brom since joining Chelsea from Anderlecht for £18million in 2011, signed a five-year contract with the Toffees.
“I decided very quickly I wanted to come back here because it was a good step for me,” said Lukaku. “This is the place I belong.
“I’m 21, I need to be playing in a good team. I needed to be in a place that felt right.”
The fee paid by Everton shattered t…
Week 8 will treat us to a Thursday Night Football game well worth getting excited about. The unbeaten Arizona Cardinals will host the Green Bay Packers, who are winners of six straight.
The NFL betting line swung all the way from Arizona -3.5 to -6, after the news of Davante Adams’ positive tests.
Here are our free picks and predictions for the Packers vs. Cardinals on October 28.
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The New England Patriots’ 10-7 straight up record in 2021 was smoke and mirrors.
It was spawned from a soft stretch of schedule that allowed the Pats to take advantage of some downtrodden and injury-depleted teams, culminating in the infamous wind game in Buffalo. A 1-3 SU finish to the schedule and playoff pounding from the Bills pulled the curtain back on Bill Belichick’s illusion.
The 2022 Patriots have a roster that’s about as drab as the head coach’s wardrobe, and Belichick is pulling double duty after losing long-time offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to Las Vegas. That leaves the maturation of QB Mac Jones in the “capable” hands of Joe Judge and Matt Patricia — neither of which specialize in offense and…
This Saturday, NFL odds bettors have an exciting preseason matchup between the Dolphins and Texans. The Dolphins started with a loss last time out while DeMeco Ryans got a win in his first NFL preseason game.
So, who wins this encounter on Saturday? Which quarterbacks will we see under center? Don’t miss our NFL picks and predictions for the Dolphins vs. Texans on August 19 to find out.
Dolphins vs Texans odds
Dolphins vs Texans predictions
Our best bet for this game is the Texans on the spread, where we’ll be taking -2 on the home team. To understand the reasoning behind the bet, it’s important we look at both teams’ preseasons to date.
In the first week, we saw differing results …
The second meeting between the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens will take place in Week 10 odds at M&T Bank Stadium. The Ravens enter this AFC North clash as 6.5-point favorites and currently stand two games up on the Browns in the division.
With Jerome Ford taking over the lead-back role last week with a dominating snap share, have the oddsmakers made an excessive adjustment to Kareem Hunt’s rushing total in a game that might witness a significant amount of running?
I break down the NFL odds and offer my free NFL picks for Browns vs. Ravens on November 12.
Browns vs Ravens odds
Browns vs Ravens predictions
Kareem Hunt enters Week 10 with a rushing total of just 23.5 yards while Jerome For…
That mass appeal of the Super Bowl draws in plenty of new sports bettors, all wondering how to bet on the Super Bowl. Learn how to read Super Bowl LVIII betting odds and get tips and strategies with our comprehensive Super Bowl betting guide.
How to bet on Super Bowl odds
The first Super Bowl odds line oddsmakers release when the teams are set is the point spread, followed by the moneyline odds and the Over/Under total. Sportsbooks will then add to the Super Bowl betting options during the two-week ramp-up to Super Bowl Sunday.
Point spread: Pick who will cover
The point spread is the most popular way to bet on the Super Bowl.
It’s the perceived margin of victory of the game. The favorite is indicated by a n…