Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen ruthlessly punished three defensive errors as Napoli beat Spezia 3-0 to increase their lead at the Serie A summit to 16 points.
Luciano Spalletti s side may not have been at their swashbuckling best but produced a professional display at Stadio Alberto Picco on Sunday and never looked at risk of dropping points once they edged in front.
An uneventful first half brought few clear-cut chances, but Napoli took charge of the contest just a minute into the second, with Kvaratskhelia coolly converting a penalty.
Another mistake allowed Osimhen to score for the fifth league game in a row, and he netted again soon after as Spezia proved to be their own worst enemies.
Both sides looked purposeful early on, with Kevin Agudel…
VAR has been given a massive thumbs-down in a new fans’ survey published on Wednesday.
Almost two thirds (63.3 per cent) of supporters said they oppose the use of VAR, with only 26.8 per cent saying they were absolutely or somewhat in favour of it. The National Supporters Survey was commissioned by the Football Supporters’ Association and covered 9,645 fans, running online in March and April.
Only one in 20 (5.5 per cent) of fans who had experienced the technology being used in stadiums rated their experience of it as good or very good.
The survey also found overwhelming support for the introduction of an independent regulator for English football, with 88.2 per cent of those surveyed agreeing on the need for the regulator to ensure the game is run more susta…
Newcastle United have confirmed the appointment of Paul Mitchell as the club s new sporting director.
Mitchell, who previously worked for Southampton and Tottenham, replaces Dan Ashworth who joined Manchester United earlier this week.
Ashworth s leave was due to run until mid-2025, but it emerged on Monday that the two clubs had agreed a compensation package to
The 42-year-old has been out of work since October 2023, having most recently been the sporting director at Ligue 1 side, AS Monaco.
Ready to get to work!
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC)
Speaking on his arrival to St. James Park, Mitchell said: It s with immense pride that I accept the responsibility of being Newcastle United s new sporting director.
I ve seen the rec…
Manchester United has ´bigger potential´ as investment than ´oven-ready´ Liverpool, says finance exp
Manchester United have a bigger potential of profitability than Liverpool, who may have reached their peak as an investment.
That is according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire after both owners of the two Premier League giants recently confirmed they are seeking new investment or potentially a full sale, with rumours abound as to who could potentially take the reins at Old Trafford and Anfield.
The Glazer family have been in charge of United since 2005, while fellow Americans Fenway Sports Group have owned Liverpool since 2010.
Speaking to Stats Perform, Maguire explained how United and Liverpool are likely to be viewed by potential buyers.
I think Manchester United is a bigger ship to turn round, he said. It s going to be more expensive, but it…
Best odds: 13/5
Bookmaker:
Atletico Mineiro and Vasco da Gama are separated by two places in the Brasileiro standings as they prepare to face off at Arena MRV on Sunday in round 18.
The home side could overtake their in-form visitors by securing all three points, but that will be a challenging task against a team that has remained unbeaten for nearly a month.
Atletico Mineiro
After losing two consecutive games, avoiding defeat in back-to-back matches should be seen as progress for Gabriel Milito s men.
A 2-1 win over Sao Paulo last weekend and a 1-1 draw with Juventude midweek suggest a positive turnaround, and Milito hopes his players can maintain these improved levels against an in-form Vasco.
The Argentine was undoubtedly pleased to e…
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp fears the Europa League final may come too soon for Jordan Henderson, but expects the England midfielder to be fit for Euro 2016.
Henderson has been sidelined since suffering knee ligament damage during Liverpool s Europa League clash with Borussia Dortmund in early April.
It was initially feared that the Reds captain would miss the rest of the domestic season, as well as the European Championship.
Liverpool face Sevilla in the Europa League final next Wednesday, and while Klopp was non-committal on whether his skipper will be available in Basle, he had a positive update for England manager Roy Hodgson.
Hodgson s side begin their campaign against Russia on June 11 and, speaking ahead of Liverpool s Premier League match against …
Cristiano Ronaldo should have told Manchester United he wanted to leave at the end of last season rather than drop a July bombshell, according to former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher.
Superstar Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford last year, having enjoyed a remarkable career in 12 seasons away with Real Madrid and Juventus, but widespread reports on Saturday said the 37-year-old wants to leave again.
He is said to want to play in the Champions League, according to The Times, which first reported the news, and United cannot offer that after a disappointing sixth-placed finish last season.
The Portugal striker has been a mainstay in that competition throughout his career, and the prospect of being away from the frontline of elite European football would be a step dow…
Stefano Pioli warned his Milan players they cannot just sit back and defend their 1-0 first-leg lead at Tottenham in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.
Pioli s men take a narrow advantage to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the second leg after Brahim Diaz s first goal since October put them ahead at San Siro.
Milan will return to the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since the 2011-12 season if they avoid defeat, though Pioli cautioned his players not to sit back and just focus on defending on Wednesday.
Tomorrow is the match of personalities, Pioli told reporters at his pre-match news conference. Our opponents are formidable from an offensive point of view, they will play with great intensity.
We must be prepared to control t…
Haaland out to finally beat Bayern, Benfica well set to trouble Inter – Champions League in Opta num
Just eight teams remain in the Champions League, and there is every chance one of Tuesday s quarter-finals could yield the eventual winners.
Manchester City and Bayern Munich tussle in arguably the tie of the round, a contest that has seen the intrigue multiply following the latter s dismissal of Julian Nagelsmann and hiring of Thomas Tuchel.
Of course, Tuchel has won this competition before and boasts plenty of quality in his squad, but City probably go into the tie as favourites because of their greater stability and the Erling Haaland factor .
Tuesday s other game, which takes place on the other side of the draw, pits Benfica and Inter against each other, with both sides surely fancying their chances of a shock run to the final given they will come up against …
Gareth Southgate says England must have the “humility to start again” as the Euro 2020 runners-up look to go one glorious step further in Germany next summer.
Impressive progress during the former defender’s seven-year reign means the side ranked third in the world are among the favourites to lift the European Championship trophy in Berlin.
England found out their Euro 2024 group and potential pathways to the July 14 finale in Saturday evening’s draw at the stunning Elbphilharmonie concert hall in Hamburg.
Group C is complete
What do you reckon, fans?
— England (@England)
Southgate’s top seeds avoided a so-called group of death after Slovenia and Serbia followed Euro 2020 semi-final opponents Denmark, but there is little ch…