Germany face Switzerland with both teams unbeaten and eyeing top spot in Group A

Germany face Switzerland with both teams unbeaten and eyeing top spot in Group A
Germany’s Robin Koch, David Raum, Nico Schlotterbeck, Niclas Fullkrug and Pascal Gross attend a training session in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Jun. 22, 2024, ahead of their match against Switzerland on June 23. (AP)
Short Url
Updated 22 June 2024
Follow

Germany face Switzerland with both teams unbeaten and eyeing top spot in Group A

Germany face Switzerland with both teams unbeaten and eyeing top spot in Group A
  • Both teams impressed in their first games as Germany routed Scotland 5-1 and Switzerland beat Hungary 3-1
  • The Euro 2024 host have already reached the round of 16 and with just a draw will finish top of Group A

FRANKFURT: Germany go for a third straight win in Group A against a Switzerland team that also are unbeaten. Germany have advanced to the knockout stage and Switzerland look sure to confirm their place Sunday.
The kickoff in Frankfurt, at the same time as group rivals Hungary and Scotland meet in Stuttgart, is 9 p.m. local (1900 GMT).
Both teams impressed in their first games as Germany routed Scotland 5-1 and Switzerland beat Hungary 3-1. Germany sustained their form by beating Hungary 2-0, while the Swiss less so in a 1-1 draw with Scotland.
The Euro 2024 host have already reached the round of 16 and with just a draw will finish top of Group A. That would send Germany to Dortmund for a knockout game next Saturday against the runner-up of Group C, which is currently Denmark.
Switzerland will top the group if they win. Thereafter that would send Germany to Berlin to play the runner-up in Group B, which likely will be Italy or Croatia.
Only freakish results could drop Switzerland to third place in the standings. The Swiss start Sunday three points ahead of Scotland, which play Hungary also at 9 p.m. local time in Stuttgart. Switzerland have a huge goal-difference advantage over Scotland.
The rain-soaked Frankfurt field have been a problem, even with a stadium roof that has been closed to protect the turf from the worst of persistent downpours this week.
Moreover, the Germans had a full squad of 26 players in training Saturday morning. Coach Julian Nagelsmann has picked the same starting lineup for both games so far.
Switzerland’s coach Murat Yakin is making changes in style and tactics. Though Kwadwo Duah scored against Hungary, he was dropped to face Scotland in favor of veteran Xherdan Shaqiri on the left side of attack, who duly delivered a standout goal.
Kylian Mbappe’s nose is not the only damaged one at Euro 2024, as Swiss defender Fabian Schär also got a bloodied and fractured nose, though he played on against Scotland and should be available.
The two team captains at Euro 2024, Granit Xhaka and Ilkay Gundogan, both played in a strange game 12 years ago. In a warmup for Euro 2012, which Germany qualified for and Switzerland didn’t, the Swiss gave their neighbors a beating in Basel. It was a rough debut for a 20-year-old German goalkeeper, Marc-André ter Stegen, then as now the backup to Manuel Neuer.
Teams that win all three games in a Euros group have an up-and-down history. At the last edition, Italy swept through their group in Rome en route to the title. At Euro 2008 a vibrant Netherlands team romped through a tough group then lost next in the quarterfinals to Russia. Germany won all three group games in 2012 before losing in the semifinals to Italy and Mario Balotelli.
“It’s often been the case that the grass there isn’t so firm and that players have had problems with it,” said Germany and Stuttgart midfielder Chris Führich on the Frankfurt playing surface.
Fellow midfielder Toni Kroos said: “We’re happy that we’re in the round of 16. Nevertheless, it will be about finishing first in the group.”


Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou

Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou
Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou

Mathys Tel ‘100 percent’ committed to Spurs, says Postecoglou
  • Postecoglou told his pre-match press conference that Tel had been right to take his time over such a major decision
  • “He obviously wants to play. We’ve already shown that irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity here”

LONDON: Ange Postecoglou said Mathys Tel is “100 percent” committed to Tottenham after the French forward signed on loan despite reportedly rejecting a move to the club earlier in the January transfer window.
Tottenham were busy in the final hours of Monday’s deadline day as they bolstered Postecoglou’s injury-ravaged squad, bringing in Tel and defender Kevin Danso.
Bayern Munich’s Tel, 19, was also linked with Manchester United and Arsenal before opting for Tottenham, who have an option to make the move permanent in the summer transfer window.
Postecoglou, whose team take a 1-0 lead into Thursday’s League Cup semifinal second-leg at Liverpool, told his pre-match press conference that Tel had been right to take his time over such a major decision.
“It’s not so much that he rejected us or rejected anyone else,” said the Spurs manager. “Rightly so he was getting as much information as possible.”
The Australian added: “I had a conversation with him and I guess mine was purely around the football and I think he’ll find a really great place here in terms of where he is in his career.
“He obviously wants to play. We’ve already shown that irrespective of age, he’ll get an opportunity here, and the way we play will suit him.


“Certainly with what we have in the next few months and then more importantly what we’re building beyond, I thought he would be a perfect fit.”
When asked if he felt the France under-21 international was fully committed to Spurs, Postecoglou said: “Yes, 100 percent. I am more than 100 percent sure because he took so much time, was so diligent about finding out everything when he made a decision that it’s us.
“He obviously had options and that sort of gave me even more confidence that we are getting the right kind of mentality, the right kind of player.
“He is very ambitious. He’s got a great deal of self-belief and self-confidence. He feels he can reach the top of the game and he has chosen us, which is a great vindication of what we are doing.”
Tel and Danso will both be available for Thursday’s match at Anfield, but Micky van de Ven and fellow center-back Cristian Romero are set to miss out, with Postecoglou taking a “conservative” approach after the duo’s injury absences.
Tottenham are one match away from a League Cup final at Wembley as they seek to end a trophy drought that stretches back to 2008.
Former Celtic boss Postecoglou, in his second season at Tottenham, put himself under pressure earlier in the campaign when he said he “always wins things in my second year.”
But he said Premier League leaders and League Cup holders Liverpool would also be feeling the pressure.
“I don’t think Liverpool will be any less anxious than us about the fixture,” he said. “You’re in a semifinal, particularly a second leg and it’s still very tight.
“It’s a big game for both clubs so you recognize that, you embrace that but ultimately if you want to be successful these are the games you want to be involved in.”


Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride

Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride
Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride

Chelsea star Kerr ‘feared for my life’ during taxi ride
  • Kerr told a jury at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday that she had put her head out of the window when she began to feel sick
  • She added the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes

LONDON: Chelsea striker Sam Kerr said she “feared for my life” while she and her partner were in the back of a taxi moments before one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
The Australia international is on trial charged with causing racially aggravated harassment to police officer Stephen Lovell during an incident in south-west London in the early hours of January 30, 2023.
It is alleged Kerr, 31, and her partner, West Ham midfielder Kristie Mewis, had been out drinking when they were driven to Twickenham Police Station by a taxi driver who complained the pair had refused to pay clean-up costs after one of them was sick, and that one of them smashed the vehicle’s rear window.
Kerr told a jury at Kingston Crown Court on Wednesday that she had put her head out of the window when she began to feel sick before the driver “rolled it up” and began to “drive dangerously.”
She added the dangerous driving continued for 15 to 20 minutes, saying: “I was terrified for my life. Everything was going through my mind about being in a car with a stranger I deemed to be dangerous. There was no reasoning with him. It was his way or nothing.
“Kristie asked him to stop the car but there was no change to his driving. We had no idea where we were.
“Kristie was very distressed. She was crying and scared. I’ve never seen her like that before and it made me more scared.
“I started to realize how serious the situation was. It put me in protective mode... he had the power over us... I deemed him to be dangerous because of the driving, but also because he could have taken us anywhere.”
Kerr said the pair tried to open the doors and windows several times, but they remained locked.
Mewis eventually “kicked out (the window) with her boot” which led Kerr to feel “relieved,” but she added: “We didn’t get out straight away as the car was still moving.”
On Tuesday, the court was told Lovell first saw Kerr as she crawled through the smashed taxi window outside the station.
A “heated” discussion about the incident ensued between Kerr and the police, during which she allegedly became “abusive and insulting” toward Lovell, calling him “stupid and white.”
Kerr made her debut for current Women’s Super League champions Chelsea in 2020. She is currently out of action with a knee injury.


On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever

On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever
Updated 16 min 56 sec ago
Follow

On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever

On eve of his 40th birthday, Ronaldo says he is the best soccer player ever
  • “I am the greatest scorer in history,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta
  • He had said it before, more than once, that he feels he will go out as the best ever in the history of soccer

MADRID: Cristiano Ronaldo approaches his 40th birthday with the same confidence and self-esteem as he has always boasted throughout his successful career.
Ronaldo, the former Real Madrid star who now plays for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, will turn 40 on Wednesday and apparently has no doubt about who should be considered the best soccer player ever.

“I am the greatest scorer in history,” Ronaldo said in an interview with Spanish television channel La Sexta. “Although I am not left-footed, I am in the top 10 in history for goals scored with the left foot. These are numbers, I am the most complete player who has ever existed.

“I play well with my head, I take good free kicks, I am fast, I am strong, I jump... I have never seen anyone better than me.”
The Portugal star holds most scoring records in men’s international soccer, including most appearances with 217 and most goals with 135.
He had said it before, more than once, that he feels he will go out as the best ever in the history of soccer. Whenever he was asked about the discussion of who is better, him or Lionel Messi, he always praised the Argentine but ended siding with himself.
Ronaldo’s most recent comments prompted a few reactions in the soccer world.
“I have a lot of respect for Cristiano and I don’t have to analyze his opinions. It’s what he thinks. I have my own thoughts and it isn’t that,” said Javier Mascherano, a former teammate of Messi and his current coach at Inter Miami.


Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals

Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals
Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals

Simeone brace powers Atletico Madrid past Getafe into Copa semifinals
  • The 22-year-old Simeone netted twice in the first 17 minutes and Atletico reached the last-four of the Copa for the second straight season
  • In the other quarterfinals, Real Madrid visit Leganes on Wednesday, while on Thursday it will be Real Sociedad welcoming Osasuna and Barcelona playing at Valencia

MADRID: Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone’s son, Giuliano, scored two early goals as the team eased into the Copa del Rey semifinals with a 5-0 home victory over Getafe on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Simeone netted twice in the first 17 minutes and Atletico reached the last-four of the Copa for the second straight season.

Samuel Lino also scored a first-half goal for the hosts at the Metropolitano stadium, and Angel Correa and Alexander Sorloth added second-half goals.

Atletico, whO last won the Copa in 2012-13, was eliminated by eventual champions Athletic Bilbao last season.

In the other quarterfinals, Real Madrid visit Leganes on Wednesday, while on Thursday it will be Real Sociedad welcoming Osasuna and Barcelona playing at Valencia.

Simeone opened the scoring with a header in the eighth minute and doubled the lead from inside the area in a breakaway in the 17th. Lino scored the third goal after a neat move to clear a defender and find the far corner with a low shot in the 42nd. Correa made it 4-0 with a low strike from outside the area in the 78th and Sorloth closed the rout in the 86th.

Coach Diego Simeone used a few reserve players ahead of the team’s crucial Spanish league match at first-place Real Madrid on Saturday. Atletico trail Madrid by one point.

Getafe, who had only one attempt on target in the first half, have only one win in their last four matches across all competitions. It have not made it to the Copa semifinals since 2009-10.


Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group

Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group
Updated 05 February 2025
Follow

Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group

Al-Dawsari the star as Al-Hilal return to top of AFC Champions League Elite group
  • Malcom opens the scoring after just 10 minutes as his team cruise to a 4-1 victory over Persepolis of Iran
  • Joao Cancelo adds a second before Salem Al-Dawsari steals the show during the remainder of the first half with 2 impressive goals

RIYADH: Al-Hilal strolled to a 4-1 home victory over Iranian side Persepolis on Tuesday to return to the top of their AFC Champions League Elite qualifying group with one game remaining.
The Saudis, who had already secured their place in the round of 16, were four goals to the good before half time. Malcom opened the scoring with just 10 minutes on the clock, the Brazilian winger skipping past two defenders and into the area before lifting the ball over goalkeeper Alexis Guendouz.
The four-time champions continued to press and were rewarded when Joao Cancelo added a second after 24 minutes. The former Manchester City star picked up possession on the right-hand corner of the box and drilled a low shot into the opposite bottom corner, though Guendouz should perhaps have got a stronger hand to it.


The remainder of the first half was the Salem Al-Dawsari show. With seven minutes remaining, the lively Malcom slipped the ball through a crowded area for Al-Dawsari, the 2022 Asian Player of the Year, to skip past the goalkeeper and slot home from the narrowest of angles.
His second, and his team’s fourth, was the best of the night. A minute into first-half stoppage time, Cancelo sent over a beautiful pass from the touchline that made it all the way to a central position, just outside the area, and there was Al-Dawsari charging up to blast the ball into the top corner with the most fluent of first-time shots.
With the game already won, the second half was a much quieter affair. Two minutes from the end, though, Persepolis were awarded a penalty when Ali Al-Bulaihi, who had just come on as a substitute, brought down Issa Alkasir. Giorgi Gvelesiani stepped up to give his team a consolation goal.
This could not spoil the night for Al-Hilal, however, who have 19 points from a possible 21. The result also meant that the penultimate round of games in the group stage was another perfect one for all three representatives of the Saudi Pro League, with Al-Ahli and Al-Nassr winning on Monday. Al-Ahli trail Al-Hilal only on goal difference, while Al-Nassr are three points behind on 16 points and guaranteed at least third place in the group.