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Quick Answer: Soccer fans can stream today’s France vs. Belgium Euro Championship match online for free with trials to DirecTV Stream and fuboTV.

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After a loaded weekend of Round of 16 matches, the European Championship continues with today’s headliner match between France vs. Belgium, two of Europe’s premier national teams. The French will be looking to rebound after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Poland,...

It looks like developers are determined to claim a bigger space in the sports genre next season. Alongside EA Sports Fc 25, we might see new developments from 2K, which has acquired the rights to produce a FIFA football game. Additionally, there will be a new free-to-play title: Ufl.

Promising to compete with the major titles in the market, the game developed by StrikerZ Inc. aims to achieve realistic and diverse gameplay. At the same time, it attempts to avoid one of the industry’s significant problems: aggressive microtransactions, which are increasingly prevalent in sports games. These promises have caught the attention of several famous players, who now support the game’s development.

EA Sports Fc 25 Gets a New Rival Backed by Cristiano Ronaldo and Other Stars Cristiano Ronaldo believes in Ufl‘s success.

One of the people who believe in the Ufl project is Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese forward, considered...

Epic Games’ Fortnite is one of the most popular titles, and it owes its popularity to its amazing gameplay and freedom of customization, not to mention that it’s free to play. The developer also brings in collaborations from time to time that have now become a big part of Fortnite.

While the crossovers have helped the game garner more players, they have also overshadowed the main gameplay that first appealed to players. A survey from developers has now been sent to players, asking them about new crossovers they would want in the game.

A Fortnite Survey Suggests New Collaborations Are on the Cards Fortnite seems to be going further away from its gameplay with more collaborations.

The latest Chapter 5 Season 2, Myths & Mortals, was released on March 8th in Fortnite and brought Greek gods with their unique powers to the game. It was also revealed that a collaboration with the Avatar: The Last Airbender sequel,...

Quick Links Power Ups & Downs Headscratching AI Ultimate Team Is Back Final Thoughts & Review Score EA Sports Fc 24 is a solid soccer simulator with impressive graphics and accurate club representations, making it a must-play for newcomers to the genre. However, for longtime fans and those who frequently purchase soccer games, the lack of meaningful improvements in comparison to previous iterations is disappointing. The game misses the opportunity to take risks and push boundaries, offering only a glimpse of what the future of soccer games could be like with new mechanics that feel underdeveloped.

Let's get this out of the way - EA Sports Fc 24 is a solid game. As far as soccer simulators go, it's got the sort of graphical prowess you'd expect from a juggernaut like EA, alongside access to character models and club representations that make it a go-to for real-life fans of the sport. By all accounts,...

London, Aug 18 (Ians) England’s white-ball captain Jos Buttler said all-rounder Ben Stokes made the decision to reverse his Odi retirement and make himself available for the World Cup in India later in the year a week or ten days after the Ashes series ended.

Nottingham Forest entertain Sheffield United in the game that opens the weekend on Friday, with Steve Cooper’s men hoping to repeat some of their good moments from last weekend’s defeat to Arsenal.

Sheffield were comprehensively outplayed at home by Crystal Palace on their return to the top flight, but the midweek signing of Tom Davis and Gus Hamer should add more bite on the pitch, reports Xinhua.

Saturday’s big game sees newly crowned European Supercup winners Manchester City at home to Newcastle, although City coach Pep Guardiola has already complained about the lack of recovery time after Wednesday’s final.

Guardiola looked...

Madrid (Spain), Aug 15 (Ians) Sevilla’s veteran midfielder Fernando Reges could miss the Manchester City game in the European Supercup final on Wednesday night after being hit by a stomach bug.

The former Manchester City player was left out of the flight which took Sevilla to Athens for the game, with the Spanish club explaining he was suffering from gastroenteritis, while at the same time not ruling out that the 36-year-old could travel on Wednesday if he recovers in time.

Fernando was vital in Sevilla’s Europa League success last season and his absence could allow recent signing Djibril Sow to make his first start for Jose Luis Mendilibar’s side, reports Xinhua.

Sevilla are also without Marcao as the Brazilian central defender takes his time to get to full fitness after a muscle problem and coach Mendilibar needs to see a reaction after his side’s shock defeat to Valencia on Saturday.

London, Aug 13 (Ians) Arsenal kicked off their Premier League campaign with a 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest at the Emirates Stadium.

A goal from Eddie Nketiah, who was starting due to Gabriel Jesus’ knee injury, and a wonderful curling shot from Bukayo Saka put Arsenal 2-0 ahead after 32 minutes, reports Xinhua.

Mikel Arteta’s side controlled the first half, but Forest defended in depth and pulled a late goal back from Taiwo Awoniyi in the 82nd minute, although they were unable to threaten the Arsenal goal in the closing minutes.

Newcastle United got off to a flying start with a 5-1 thrashing of Aston Villa, who are expected to do well this season.

New signings Sandro Tonali and Harvey Barnes were both on the scoresheet, with Tonali opening the scoring after just six minutes and Barnes netting Newcastle’s fifth of the game.

Although Moussa Diaby leveled for Villa in the 11th minute,...

London, May 27 (Ians) Erling Haaland was named the Premier League’s Player of the Season on Saturday, after a record-breaking debut campaign in which he helped Manchester City claim their third straight league title.

The 22-year-old scored 36 goals in 35 games this season, breaking the previous record of 34 for a single Premier League season set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer in 42-match Premier League campaigns.

Only Dixie Dean, for Everton in 1927/28, has scored more goals across all competitions (63) in a top-flight English season than Haaland’s 52.

The Norwegian is also the first player in the Premier League to score hat-tricks in three successive home matches, and the first Man City player to score a Manchester derby hat-trick since 1970.

Haaland becomes the third successive Man City player, and fourth overall, to claim the accolade, after Kevin De Bruyne in 2019-20 and 2021-22, while Ruben Dias took the honour in 2020-21. Vincent Kompany was the first,...

Fans of the Manchester City soccer club know the team has been demolishing the competition this year. On Sunday, May 21, Man City can clinch its third consecutive English Premier League title by prevailing in its 11 a.m. Et match against Chelsea on USA Network and Telemundo. Stars like Kevin de Bruyne and Kyle Walker will be doing what they do best to try and bring it home for Man City, and the best way to watch stateside is with a Subscription to Hulu Live TV.

How to Watch Manchester City vs. Chelsea When: Sunday, May 21 at 11 a.m. Et TV: USA Network, Telemundo Stream: Watch with a Subscription to Hulu Live TV Sign Up $69.99 / month hulu.com

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About Manchester City vs. Chelsea

Manchester City, who are four points ahead of second-place Arsenal with one match in hand and have won 11 consecutive league matches,...

Manchester, May 18 (IANs) Bernardo Silva struck twice and Manuel Akanji and Julian Alvarez once each as Manchester City clinched a second UEFA Champions League final appearance with a resounding 4-0 win over reigning champions Real Madrid.

Pep Guardiola’s side produced a breathless attacking display to overpower holders Real Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday night to set up a meeting with Italian side Inter Milan in the Istanbul final on June 10.

After the two sides had drawn the first leg 1-1 a week earlier, Man City made the breakthrough at 23 minutes, when Kevin De Bruyne played in Bernardo Silva, who kept his composure before firing in.

City continued to dominate and had their second 14 minutes later, Silva again the scorer, this time heading beyond Thibaut Courtois.

Things got even better on 76 minutes, when a free-kick from De Bruyne was met by...

Madrid (Spain), May 16 (Ians) Real Madrid travelled to Manchester on Tuesday for their season-defining Champions League semifinal return leg away to Manchester City.

The 1-1 draw from the first leg leaves the tie finely balanced, with City perhaps slight favourites, but Real Madrid’s skill and pace on the break means they will step onto the pitch at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night thinking they have every chance of reaching yet another final.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side may have won the European Supercup and the World Club Cup this season and then followed those tournaments up with the Copa del Rey after beating Osasuna in the final. However, they were well beaten in the Spanish Supercup by Fc Barcelona and on Sunday saw how Barca assured La Liga with four games left to play, reports Xinhua.

Ancelotti will probably be safe whatever Wednesday’s result is and he has...

Madrid (Spain), May 15 (Ians) Spanish giants Real Madrid look to be without any serious injury worries ahead of their Champions League semifinal return leg away to Manchester City on Wednesday night.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side travels to Manchester on the back of a thrilling 1-1 draw in the first leg. Vinicius Jr’s powerful shot put Madrid ahead in the first half, but Kevin de Bruyne hit a screamer to level for City after the break.

Real Madrid have 24 hours more to prepare for Wednesday’s game as they played Getafe on Saturday in La Liga. The Eurovision Song Contest being held in Liverpool on Saturday means that Man City’s game away to Everton has to wait until Sunday, reports Xinhua.

Madrid did suffer one nervous moment in the closing moments of Saturday’s game when Eduardo Camavinga asked to be substituted and limped off with apparent pain from his left knee.

London, May 15 (Ians) Manchester City moved within just one win of the Premier League title after a dramatic Sunday’s action, which saw them win 3-0 away over Everton, while Arsenal lost 3-0 at home to Brighton.

The results leave Man City with 85 points with three games left to play, while Arsenal have 81 and have played a game more, reports Xinhua.

With a Champions League semifinal return leg against Real Madrid on Wednesday, City coach Pep Guardiola rested players such as Jack Grealish, Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, and Bernardo Silva. His side struggled against a rival desperately needing points to avoid relegation.

Everton looked to be on top for the opening 20 minutes, but City eased themselves into the match and left them stunned with two goals in two minutes. Ilkay Gundogan netted a spectacular opener with his back to the goal in the 37th minute, and Erling Haaland powered...

Madrdi, May 10 (Ians) Real Madrid and Manchester City drew the first leg of their Champions League semifinal 1-1 in the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium after a thrilling 90-minute game.

Vinicius Jr put Real Madrid ahead in the first half, but Kevin de Bruyne leveled for the Premier League leaders midway through the second half, reports Xinhua.

Manchester City made six changes from the side that beat Leeds United at the weekend, while Real Madrid’s only changes from the team that won the final of the Copa del Rey were to bring in Luka Modric for Aurelian Tchouameni and Antonio Rudiger for the suspended Eder Militao.

Man City kicked off by dominating the ball, pressing high and winning possession high up the field, and Thibaut Courtois was called into action to save from De Bruyne in the eighth minute.

Five minutes later, he got down to push Rodri’s low effort...

London, May 7 (Ians) Manchester City piled on the pressure at the top of the Premier League with a 2-1 win at home to Leeds United on Saturday that leaves them four points clear of Arsenal, who have a difficult visit to third place Newcastle United on Sunday afternoon.

Kevin de Bruyne started for City after injury, while Erling Haaland was also in the starting line-up, although Pep Guardiola rested Jack Grealish, John Stones, Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Ruben Dias ahead of Tuesday’s Champions League semi final first leg away to Real Madrid.

Leeds had new coach Sam Allardyce in the dugout, but the veteran could only watch as City dominated the first half, with Ilkay Gundogan scoring two drilled shots from the edge of the Leeds area after two assists from Riyad Mahrez, a Xinhua report said.

Haaland hit the woodwork twice in the second half and Gundogan missed...

London, May 5 (Ians) Manchester City have the chance to move four points clear at the top of the Premier League this weekend in what could be a decisive round of matches at both the top and bottom of the table.

Pep Guardiola’s side host Leeds United, who this week brought in Sam Allardyce to replace Javi Gracia as head coach, following a disastrous April which saw them lose five out of seven matches and concede 23 goals.

Allardyce’s first job is to stop the flood of goals, but that won’t be easy against a rival boasting Erling Haaland in attack. The only good news for Leeds is that City will have to keep one eye on next Tuesday’s Champions League visit to Real Madrid and Guardiola will be keen to keep his key players as sharp as possible.

Kevin de Bruyne is a doubt after missing City...

London, April 28 (Ians) Manchester City can go to the top of the Premier League, albeit for just over 48 hours when they visit Fulham on Sunday afternoon, while league leader Arsenal doesn’t play Chelsea until Tuesday evening.

City produced one of the best displays of the season to beat Arsenal in a game that most consider to be a title decider on Wednesday night, with Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland running riot against a rival that was a yard slower in key moments.

The 4-1 win didn’t flatter Pep Guardiola’s side, but it will count for little unless they are able to take three points from their visit to play Fulham at Craven Cottage.

Guardiola played a more direct football against Arsenal, using Haaland’s power to control long passes, but could return to their more common passing game against a rival likely to sit much deeper than Arsenal did,...

Manchester, April 27 (Ians) Pep Guardiola hailed the devastating connection between Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland after Manchester City’s pivotal 4-1 victory over Arsenal.

Haaland set up De Bruyne twice before the Norwegian scored himself, as Man City beat Arsenal 4-1 to move two points behind them, with two matches in hand.

De Bruyne opened the scoring with a superb low strike into the bottom corner from 20 yards, before setting up John Stones to double the lead shortly before the interval.

The Belgian doubled his tally ten minutes after the interval with a clinical finish, before Rob Holding pulled a goal back for the visitors. Then, Haaland secured the victory with his 49th goal of the season across all competitions.

“Kevin is a special player. Today was a game where we expected high pressing from Arsenal. When there’s high pressing, it’s long balls, second balls. We were...

London, April 27 (Ians) Manchester City took a massive step toward the Premier League title with a convincing 4-1 win at home against league leaders Arsenal.

The game had been touted as a title decider for weeks and lived up to expectations as Pep Guardiola’s team demonstrated they are the in-form side, closing to within two points of their rivals, with two games in hand, reports Xinhua.

Kevin De Bruyne put Manchester City on track in the seventh minute, with a superb finish following a brilliant assist from Erling Haaland.

John Stones headed the second goal on the brink of halftime after a Var review for a possible offside, and De Bruyne’s second of the match, after more exceptional work from Haaland in the 54th minute, secured the win.

Rob Holding scored a consolation goal for Arsenal in the 86th minute, but Haaland netted in front of an ecstatic...

London, April 16 (Ians) Manchester City put the pressure on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League with a comfortable 3-1 win at home to Leicester City on Saturday evening.

Although Leicester appointed Dean Smith as coach until the end of the season, the new man in the dugout could only watch as City raced into a 3-0 lead, with John Stones lashing home a volley in the 5th minute, reports Xinhua.

Erling Haaland converted a penalty, given for handball in the 13th minute and the striker netted his 47th goal of the season with just 25 minutes on the clock, thanks to a simple finish after a Kevin de Bruyne assist.

Kelechi Iheanacho pulled a goal back against his former club with 15 minutes left to play

Manchester United were the big winners in the race for a top-four finish without kicking a ball as Newcastle United and Tottenham both lost.

London, April 2 (Ians) Manchester City kept their calm after falling behind, to roar back and beat Liverpool 4-1 in a result that very much keeps them in the race for the Premier League title.

Although Mohamed Salah poached a goal for Liverpool in the 17th minute, Julian Alvarez, who was in the side for injured Erling Haaland, levelled 10 minutes later and then helped Riyad Mahrez set up Kevin de Bruyne to put City ahead in the first minute of the second half.

Ilkay Gundogan then put the result beyond doubt when he made it 3-1 in the 53rd minute after Alvarez’s shot had been blocked and the impressive Jack Grealish got the goal he deserved in the 74th minute after exchanging passes with De Bruyne.

“When we conceded the goal, we were playing really well. Of course, they are always a threat in the transitions, but we played really well in all departments.

Berlin, March 29 (Ians) Two quick first-half goals paved the way for Belgium’s first win over Germany since 1954 following a 3-2 away victory.

The Red Devils took the reins from the start and made a perfect start on the road as Kevin De Bruyne’s through ball sent Yannick Carrasco, who finished the job with the opener into the roof of the net with six minutes played on Tuesday night.

De Bruyne remained in the thick of things and kept Germany’s defense busy as Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead courtesy of De Bruyne’s defense-splitting pass three minutes later.

Germany couldn’t keep Belgium at bay and were lucky in the 19th minute when Dodi Lukebakio failed to make it 3-0 after missing the target with only goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to beat.

Amadou Onana should have scored two minutes later, but the midfielder could only rattle the woodwork from close range.

Quick Links Cover Star Mbappe Leads The Way The Usual Suspects Star In Midfield Liverpool Center-Back Is Still The Defender To Beat

Team Of The Year is one of the highlights in the FIFA 23 Ultimate Team calendar as one of the most popular promotions that offer the highest-rated versions of the best players in the world. These are alongside the FIFA 23 World Cup Icons that were released earlier in the year and the normal Icon cards featuring legends of the game. Fans have had the chance to vote for the 12 best players to be included in the promotion.

World Cup Hero Lionel Messi leads the way after one of the all-time greats finally lifted the ultimate prize in football. The Argentine is rewarded with the joint highest-rated card currently available in FIFA 23 with a staggering 98 rating. Messi's card plays at right-wing and has the maximum 99 dribbling rating along with 98 shooting and 97 passing.

Manchester, Jan 28 (Ians) Manchester City are through to the fifth round of the Fa Cup after a 1-0 victory over Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Nathan Ake’s right-footed strike shortly after the hour mark sealed the win for the Blues and kept alive Pep Guardiola’s hopes of winning the prestigious cup competition for a second time, reports mancity.com.

Both sides will feel they had the chances to win the match but it was a carefully placed finish from an unlikely source that ultimately proved the difference.

Stefan Ortega Moreno was the first of the two goalkeepers called into action, palming away Takehiro Tomiyasu’s sweet strike from the edge of the box in the fifth minute.

City’s first chance came via an extravagant overhead kick from Erling Haaland who, after being beaten to a through ball by goalkeeper Matt Turner, reacted quickest and sent...

London, Jan 23 (Ians) Striker Eddie Nketiah scored a last-minute winner to give Arsenal a 3-2 win at home to Manchester United and retain their five-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the Premier League, with a game less played.

The striker scored a left-foot volley in the 90th minute to decide an edge-of-the-seat game that Arsenal deserved to win, although it also highlighted Manchester United’s continued improvement under Erik ten Hag, reports Xinhua news agency.

Marcos Rashford’s hot streak continued in the 17th minute when he put United ahead, but Nketiah’s first goal of the match quickly leveled the scores seven minutes later.

Bukayo Saka put Arsenal ahead in the 53rd minute, only for Lisandro Martinez’s diving header six minutes later to leave things all square.

Arsenal did most of the pressing from them on, but it wasn’t until the last minute of...

Zurich, Jan 13 (Ians) World Cup finalists Lionel Messi (Argentina) and Kylian Mbappe (France) have been nominated for FIFA’s Best awards while Christiano Ronaldo is a notable omission from the list.

The list of candidates for the 2022 award has been released by FIFA on Thursday night where Messi and Mbappe feature alongside Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and Neymar in the Best FIFA Men’s Player category.

Julian Alvarez also joined teammate Messi among the nominees in the 14-member list. Alvarez, playing his first World Cup, scored four goals while skipper Messi topped the scoring charts for his country with seven goals in Argentina’s first World Cup triumph in 36 years.

Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti, France’s Didier Deschamps and Argentina’s World Cup-winning manager Lionel Scaloni are nominated for best Men’s Coach. Morocco’s Walid Regragui also features on the shortlist after his side became the...

Leeds, Dec 29 (Ians) Erling Haaland scored a brace of goals as Manchester City produced another fine display to beat Leeds United 3-1 at Elland Road and inched closer to table-toppers Arsenal in the English Premier League.

Rodri had put the Citizens ahead in the first half added time while Haaland struck in the 51st and 64th minute to pocket three points for Manchester City. Pascal Struijk (73rd) scored the lone consolation for Leeds.

With this away win, City moved to 35 points from 15 games and are five behind leaders Arsenal, who too made a winning start after the FIFA World Cup break.

The brace of goals meant Haaland notched up his 20th Premier League goal in record time, reaching the milestone in just 14 matches. He improved on the record held by Kevin Phillips, who needed 21 matches to get to the milestone. Others in the list are Fernando Torres (27) and Alan Shearer...

Doha (Qatar), Dec 1 (Ians) The 2018 runners-up Croatia survived some anxious moments in their Group F goalless draw against Belgium but made it to the Knockout stage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

At the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium in Al Rayyan, Croatia made it to the last 16 stage as group runners-up while the draw meant World No.2 side Belgium had to make an early exit from the football showpiece event.

The disappointment of the tournament were Belgium which only had four points from three matches, winning one, losing one and drawing one and crashing out of the tournament.

Group F runners-up Croatia go through to play the winners in Group E in the last 16, while Morocco qualify for the knockout stage for the first time in 36 years, emerging as group winners. They will meet the runners-up of Group E, which contains Costa Rica, Germany, Japan and Spain, in the last 16.

The...

Doha, Nov 24 (Ians) Michy Batshuayi struck a first-half goal as Belgium opened their FIFA World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over Canada here late on Wednesday.

The 29-year-old Fenerbahce striker gave the European side the lead on the stroke of halftime when he thumped a first-time effort into the far corner following a counterattack.

Canada were denied an early lead by Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, who dived low to his right to keep out an Alphonso Davies’ penalty, reports Xinhua.

The result extended Belgium’s unbeaten record in the World Cup group stage to 13 matches, a run that dates back to 1998.

Canada, playing on football’s biggest stage for the first time since 1986, continue their search for a first World Cup goal. On Wednesday’s form, they will be odds-on to break their duck against Croatia or Morocco in their remaining group matches.

Canada took the initiative from...

In total, 32 countries will compete for the coveted trophy that symbolises supremacy in the sport called "The Beautiful Game" by legendary stars like Pele and numerous fans around the globe. As the clock ticks down for the kick-off, everybody is thinking about which teams are favourites to go all the way and which will be the dark horse and cause a few surprises in the mega-event.

Defending champions France, after emerging victorious in 2018, will be again among the favourites, but many nations have their sights set on lifting the trophy on December 18.

Here’s a look at the top contenders for the title:

Brazil: The South American powerhouse is the eternal favourite at the football World Cup. The five-time winners currently boast strength in depth — with the likes of Neymar, Vinicius Junior and Alisson at their disposal. However, they have not savoured World Cup glory since 2002.

The Neymar-led side will...

Madrid, Nov 3 (Ians) AC Milan reached the Champions League knock-out stage for the first time in nine years on Wednesday with a 4-0 victory over Salzburg, while Rb Leipzig also qualified by thrashing Shakhtar Donetsk.

Paris Saint-Germain will be the team group winners want to avoid in Monday’s last-16 draw after missing out on top spot in Group H despite a 2-1 win at Juventus, as Benfica hammered Maccabi Haifa 6-1 to snatch first place on total away goals.

Manchester City teenager Rico Lewis marked his first senior start with his maiden goal for the club as City came from behind to complete its commanding Champions League group stage with a 3-1 defeat of Sevilla on Wednesday.

With the prolific Erling Haaland absent again, Argentine striker Julian Alvarez and Riyad Mahrez also impressed as it got on the scoresheet but the night belonged to Lewis.

City were already confirmed...

London, Oct 30 (Ians) Graham Potter suffered an unhappy return as he led his Chelsea side to Brighton, just seven weeks after swapping the south-coast club for south-west London.

Brighton won 4-1 to claim their first win under Potter’s replacement, Roberto De Zerbi, with two own goals not helping Chelsea’s cause.

Leandro Trossard fired Brighton in front in the fifth minute before first Ruben Loftus-Cheek and then Trevoh Chalobah turned crosses into their own net to make it 3-0 before halftime, reports Xinhua.

Kai Havertz gave Chelsea hope with a 48th minute shot, but Brighton defended well and Pascal Gross scored Brighton’s fourth goal in second half injury time.

Kevin de Bruyne scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City won 1-0 away to Leicester City to go top of the table ahead of Arsenal’s game on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s side were without Erling Haaland with a foot injury,...

London, Oct 24 (Ians) Arsenal’s lead at the top of the Premier League was reduced to two points when they were held to a 1-1 draw away to Southampton.

Arsenal got off to a confident start that was rewarded when Granit Xhaka put them ahead with a low finish on Sunday evening, but after suffering in the first half, Southampton recovered after the break.

Stuart Armstrong equalised after a flowing move after 65 minutes, and although Martin Odegaard thought he had scored a late winner for the visitors, the ball had previously gone out of play, reports Xinhua.

Newcastle United claimed a 2-1 win away to Tottenham to climb up to fourth in the table.

Callum Wilson opened the scoring in the 31st minute after a Var check confirmed he hadn’t fouled Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris. Miguel Almiron doubled the lead 10 minutes later after beating Lloris at his near post.

In FIFA 23, many of the best club teams in world football are overpowered, giving players an edge when competing online or against friends. Modes such as Career and Ultimate Team allow gamers to add to the initial squads in the game or completely build teams from scratch, but players can still compete using the original teams from the start of the 2022/23 season. Often opponents can be equally matched, with the difference in teams selected making all the difference.

Pace and skills are the most important individual attributes that lead to success in FIFA, so teams containing the fastest players in FIFA 23 can have a significant advantage. Unfortunately, while teams such as Bayern Munich have dominated their domestic division for decades, that does not always translate to being one of the best teams to play, as in FIFA 23. If unsure who to select, the best real-life teams are always a good place to start,...

Paris, Oct 18 (Ians) French striker Karim Benzema claimed the 2022 Ballon d’Or here after a dazzling season with Real Madrid which saw the Spanish giants win both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

Spain’s Alexia Putellas won the women’s trophy for the second year in a row following another stellar season with Barcelona.

The first French player to win the prestigious individual football prize since Zinedine Zidane in 1998, Benzema had his best season ever at Madrid, finishing with 44 goals in 46 matches and becoming the top scorer in both domestic and continental tournaments, reports Xinhua. A highlight for the 34-year-old came in the knockout stages of the Champions League when he grabbed two consecutive hat-tricks against Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16, and Chelsea in the quarterfinals.

“It’s a collective victory. It’s an individual trophy but without your teammates, you can’t score. Sometimes you might get a screamer but,...

Manchester, Oct 9 (Ians) Defending champions Manchester City brushed aside Southampton 4-0 to move to the top of the Premier League table — at least for 24 hours as Arsenal will play Liverpool on Sunday.

Manchester United hit four goals without reply with a classy, dominant performance at the Etihad Stadium after the visitors held out for the first 20 minutes before Joao Cancelo gave City the lead.

Phil Foden’s fine form continued with a delightful chip on 32 minutes and Riyad Mahrez wrapped up three points four minutes into the second half with a clever volley.

Erling Haaland, who had hit the woodwork and gone close several times, finally capitalised on clever play between Kevin De Bruyne and Cancelo and drilled home a pinpoint cross by the latter in the 65th minute to complete a 4-0 win.

The win helped City move up to 23 points from nine matches, moving ahead of Arsenal (21 points), who play Liverpool on Sunday.

Berlin, Sep 23 (Ians) Kylian Mbappe added another fine solo goal in France’s 2-0 victory against Austria, while the Netherlands, Belgium and Croatia all claimed wins in the UEFA Nations League late on Thursday.

Mbappe and Olivier Giroud scored in the second half in France’s convincing victory. Mbappe now has 28 goals in 58 games for France and is level with Youri Djorkaeff in 10th place on Les Bleus’ all-time scoring list.

Meanwhile, Giroud, who is about to turn 36, became France’s oldest goalscorer, and sits only two goals behind Thierry Henry’s all-time scoring record of 51 for Les Bleus, reports Xinhua. With the win, world champions France move up to third place in Group 1, with Austria sitting bottom of the group.

World Cup runners-up Croatia took over the lead in Group 1 with a 2-1 win over Denmark.

Borna Sosa put Croatia ahead in the second half, before Christian Eriksen levelled the score for Denmark.

Madrid, Sep 7 (Ians) Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City cruised past Sevilla 4-0 away from home in their opening Champions League encounter.

Sevilla went into the match with three defeats and a draw from their opening four La Liga matches, and with coach Julen Lopetegui still trying to work out the side’s defence, this was never going to be a good time to play the Premier League champions.

Pep Guardiola’s side began by totally dominating the game, with Sevilla struggling to contain the mobility of the Manchester City side, where Kevin de Bruyne, Phil Foden, Jack Grealish and Haaland swapped positions and moved the ball at will, Xinhua reports.

The surprise was that it took City 20 minutes to open the scoring, with a goal that again saw them out-pass their rivals until De Bruyne crossed for Haaland to score with a simple finish from close range.

The...

Berlin, Aug 26 (Ians) Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has been named the 2021-22 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year, beating team-mate Thibaut Courtois and Manchester City playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to the gong.

The France international solidified his status as the frontrunner for this year’s Ballon d’Or with victory over the pair, with the award bestowed following the Champions League group-stage draw in Istanbul on Thursday, reports Dpa. Benzema, top scorer in both the Champions League and La Liga last term as he guided Madrid to a double, netted 44 goals in 46 games across all competitions.

Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti also was feted at the ceremony, beating Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp to be awarded the UEFA Men’s Coach of the Year Award.

But the headline prize was that handed out to Benzema, who will now be targeting the most notable individual prize in football.

London, Aug 15 (Ians) Harry Kane scored a 96th-minute equaliser to give Tottenham a point with a 2-2 draw away to Chelsea, before things exploded when both coaches were sent off for an incident after the final whistle.

Chelsea played excellent football and led though Kalidou Koulibaly’s 19th-minute volley, only for Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to level for Spurs with 22 minutes left. Reece James put Chelsea in front again in the 77th minute, but Kane saved a point for the visitors as he flicked home from a corner.

Chelsea complained about fouls before both of Tottenham’s goals, and Thomas Tuchel’s frustration appeared to spill over at the final whistle when he seemed to squeeze Spurs’ coach Antonio Conte’s hand extra hard in their post-game handshake and refuse to let go, promoting Conte to react angrily and for them both to be shown red cards.

England captain Kane was anonymous...

Paris, Aug 13 (Ians) Karim Benzema was among the 30-man list of nominees for the 2022 Ballon d’Or award, which was announced by France Football on Friday, while seven-time winner Lionel Messi was omitted from the list for the first time since 2006.

Messi’s arch-rival, five-time winner Cristiano Ronald was included, as well as Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, French forward Kylian Mbappe, and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.

However, another Psg star Neymar also missed out on the nomination which meant that Mbappe will be the sole player on the list coming from French Ligue 1, reports Xinhua. Messi, who won the title last year, had been nominated 15 times in a row since 2006 (except for in 2020 when the award was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The 35-year-old didn’t meet his own lofty standards in his first season at Psg, following his shocking move from Barcelona to the French capital last summer.

Paris, Aug 13 (Ians) Karim Benzema was among the 30-man list of nominees for the 2022 Ballon d’Or award, which was announced by France Football on Friday, while seven-time winner Lionel Messi was omitted from the list for the first time since 2006.

Messi’s arch-rival, five-time winner Cristiano Ronald was included, as well as Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, French forward Kylian Mbappe, and Egyptian star Mohamed Salah.

However, another Psg star Neymar also missed out on the nomination which meant that Mbappe will be the sole player on the list coming from French Ligue 1, reports Xinhua. Messi, who won the title last year, had been nominated 15 times in a row since 2006 (except for in 2020 when the award was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The 35-year-old didn’t meet his own lofty standards in his first season at Psg, following his shocking move from Barcelona to the French capital last summer.

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NFL stars Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, the NBA’s Stephen Curry, Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky and Olympic gymnast Sunisa Lee are among the nominees for the 2022 Espy Awards.

Rodgers of the Green Bay Packers and Curry of NBA champions Golden State Warriors will vie for best athlete in men’s sports at the July 20 ceremony, alongside Shohei Ohtani of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Angels and Connor McDavid of the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Rodgers also landed a nom for best NFL player.

Brady was not nominated in either of those categories; his only nom came in the best record-breaking performance, where Curry, track and field star Allyson Felix and college softball player Jocelyn Alo are also nominated.

In the women’s sports category, Ledecky and Lee are up for best athlete alongside Candace Parker of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky...

London, May 12 (Ians) Kevin de Bruyne produced a masterclass performance and scored four goals as Manchester City won 5-1 away to Wolverhampton on Wednesday to take a three-point lead over Liverpool at the top of the Premier League. City were under pressure at kick-off after Liverpool’s 2-1 win away to Aston Villa that drew […]...

London, April 11 (Ians) Manchester City and Liverpool drew 2-2 in the game of the week in the Premier League to see City keep their one-point lead over their rivals for this season’s title. A thrilling game saw Pep Guardiola’s City open the scoring thanks to Kevin de Bruyne’s deflected shot in the fifth minute, […]...

London, April 3 (Ians) Manchester City remain on top of the Premier League after a 2-0 win away to struggling Burnley. Any pressure Pep Guardiola’s side could have felt after Liverpool’s win at home to Watford in Saturday’s early kick off was dispelled in the fifth minute when Kevin de Bruyne’s finish from Raheem Sterling’s […]...

London, March 21 (Ians) Manchester City face an Fa Cup semifinal against Liverpool after both sides won their quarterfinals on Sunday night. City won 4-1 away to Southampton in an entertaining match that was in the balance until just after the hour mark. Raheem Sterling put City ahead after Kevin de Bruyne’s cross wasn’t dealt […]...

Manchester, March 7 (Ians) Premier League champions Manchester City produced a stunning display to beat arch-rivals Manchester United 4-1 and restore a six-point advantage over Liverpool at the top of the table. Two goals by Kevin De Bruyne ensured City edged a keenly-contested first half, going 2-1 up. Pep Guardiola’s side shifted through the gears […]...

Porto, May 30 (Ians) Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne is out of hospital after suffering a fractured nose and eye socket during the team's Champions League defeat to Chelsea in the final.

The 29-year-old playmaker was replaced by Gabriel Jesus in the 60th minute on Saturday evening, following a collision with Blues centre-back Antonio Ruediger, reports Dpa.

De Bruyne left the field in tears in Porto and has provided an update on his injury.

"Hi guys just got back from the hospital," the Belgium international posted on Twitter on Sunday morning.

"My diagnosis is Acute nose bone fracture and left orbital fracture. I feel okay now. Still disappointed about yesterday obviously but we will be back."

De Bruyne did not say whether his injuries would affect his participation in Euro 2020. His Belgium team begins its campaign against Russia in St. Petersburg on July 12.

--Ians

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Porto, May 30 (Ians) Kai Havertz's goal earned Chelsea a second Champions League crown nine years after their first with a deserved 1-0 final victory over domestic rivals Manchester City in Porto.

On Saturday, thousands of Chelsea fans were in the crowd of 14,110 to see their team lift the trophy in the Dragao Stadium as the final had been moved from Istanbul, with Portugal operating under less severe coronavirus restrictions.

Havertz sparked the celebrations with his 42nd minute goal, created by a super pass from Mason Mount, which split the defence and allowed the 21-year-old German to escape keeper Ederson and tap home, reports dpa news agency.

City won the domestic championship by a distance but lost to Chelsea both in the league and Fa Cup as Blues manager Thomas Tuchel completed a whirlwind story of success since taking over from Frank Lampard in January.

Defeat in their first Champions...