Switzerland’s Yakin hoping to catch Italy off-guard in Euros

Switzerland’s Yakin hoping to catch Italy off-guard in Euros
This combination of pictures created on Jun. 26, 2024 shows Italy’s head coach Luciano Spalletti and Switzerland’s head coach Murat Yakin. Switzerland will play against Italy during the Euro 2024 round of 16 at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Jun. 29, 2024. (AFP)
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Updated 28 June 2024
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Switzerland’s Yakin hoping to catch Italy off-guard in Euros

Switzerland’s Yakin hoping to catch Italy off-guard in Euros
  • His side face the reigning champions on Saturday in Berlin and while Yakin admires Italy’s tactical football, he said his own team’s set-up was more important to him
  • “We’ve done our homework, not only looking at these three games but previous matches prior to the tournament,” Yakin told reporters

BERLIN: Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said Friday he was hoping to spring a surprise against Euro 2024 last 16 opponents Italy.
His side face the reigning champions on Saturday in Berlin and while Yakin admires Italy’s tactical football, he said his own team’s set-up was more important to him.
Italy changed formation for their 1-1 draw against Croatia which saw them scrape into the knock-out rounds but while Yakin is not planning big changes, he did want to keep his opponents on their toes.
“We’ve done our homework, not only looking at these three games but previous matches prior to the tournament, and we’ve always been struck by how Italy can mix things up in terms of personnel and shape,” Yakin told reporters.
“We’re ready for Italy, that’s the home of tactical football and I like the way they do things — they defend as a unit, they man-mark all over the pitch and not many teams do...
“However I want to focus on how we set up, our tactics and maybe even catch them off-guard.”
The sides drew twice in qualifying for the 2022 World Cup and Switzerland finished top of the group with Italy failing to make it to Qatar.
“I hope we can experience something similar tomorrow night, we’ve fought very hard to make it here,” continued Yakin.
“Italy are a neighboring country, we know them well, we know all about their temper, tactics and quality.
“It will be a special game tomorrow night and we hope it pans out the same way as our previous meetings.”
Switzerland and Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer believes the tie will be decided by key moments.
“Our goal tomorrow is to progress, these are knock-out ties and every incident becomes decisive,” said Sommer.
“It depends how the teams play on the day and which way the big moments go, if they go Italy’s way or if they go our way.”
Sommer saved a Jorginho penalty in one of the two World Cup qualifying matches against Italy and the midfielder fired another one over the bar in the other.
“I don’t want to face a penalty tomorrow night... those are water under the bridge,” said Sommer, who has a reputation as a penalty-saving expert.
“If there is a penalty then I’ll do my best to keep it out.”


Celtic avoid fan ban for Bayern Champions League tie

Celtic avoid fan ban for Bayern Champions League tie
Updated 2 min 21 sec ago
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Celtic avoid fan ban for Bayern Champions League tie

Celtic avoid fan ban for Bayern Champions League tie
  • Celtic had received a suspended one-match ban on selling tickets for traveling fans
  • “We are pleased that UEFA has considered our detailed submission,” Celtic said

GLASGOW: Celtic fans will be able to attend the second leg of their Champions League play-off round tie away to Bayern Munich after being handed a UEFA reprieve.
The Scottish champions feared supporters would be banned after a green smoke bomb was thrown onto the pitch from visiting fans during Celtic’s 4-2 defeat at Aston Villa last month.
Celtic had received a suspended one-match ban on selling tickets for traveling fans after a pyrotechnic display in their 7-1 Champions League thrashing by Borussia Dortmund in September.
However, they have escaped with a fine of 10,000 euros ($10,400, £8,340) for the lighting of fireworks and throwing of objects.
“As we had said previously, Celtic made every effort to ensure that our fans could attend this match, and we are pleased that UEFA has considered our detailed submission,” Celtic said in a statement.
“We can also confirm that the original suspended sentence remains in place, as a result of the previous use of pyrotechnics, most recently at the match against Borussia Dortmund, by a small minority of supporters.
“Again we must make it very clear that pyrotechnics have absolutely no place at our matches and should further incidents occur, then clearly, once again, there is an extremely high risk of our supporters not being permitted access to future matches.”


Amorim reveals the reasons why things didn't work out with Rashford at Man United

Amorim reveals the reasons why things didn't work out with Rashford at Man United
Updated 07 February 2025
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Amorim reveals the reasons why things didn't work out with Rashford at Man United

Amorim reveals the reasons why things didn't work out with Rashford at Man United

MANCHESTER: Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim let Marcus Rashford leave the club because he couldn't convince the forward to follow his methods.
“I couldn’t put Marcus to see the way you’re supposed to play football and to train the way I see it,” Amorim said in quotes published late Thursday.
The 27-year-old Rashford joined Aston Villa on loan the day before Europe's winter transfer window closed, having not played for United since mid-December. He could make his debut for Villa on Sunday on an FA Cup match against Tottenham.
“Sometimes you have one player that is really good with one coach, and the same player with another coach is different,” Amorim said.
“I just wish the best to Rashford and to (Villa manager) Unai Emery, and they can connect because he’s a very good player.”
Asked whether Rashford said that he did not agree with Amorim’s ideas about soccer, Amorim said: “You know, like me, that it’s not the way that occurs.
“It’s something that you feel as a coach and as a player. It’s quite normal. It happened with a lot of coaches. The important thing is that I’m here saying that was my decision."
Amorim brushed aside talk of a potential return for Rashford at the end of the season.
Rashford's deal with Villa includes an option to make the move permanent for a reported 40 million pounds ($50 million).
"Like we said before, we are fighting for our jobs until the summer,” Amorim said.
“So, I am just focused on these games. Thankfully about Marcus, he is in Birmingham now with Unai, so you can take these questions to another coach. We are just focused on our players at the moment.”


Torres treble powers Barca past Valencia into Copa del Rey semis

Torres treble powers Barca past Valencia into Copa del Rey semis
Updated 07 February 2025
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Torres treble powers Barca past Valencia into Copa del Rey semis

Torres treble powers Barca past Valencia into Copa del Rey semis
  • Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal were also on target for the record 31-time Spanish Cup winners as they swaggered to victory at an upset Mestalla stadium
  • Earlier Real Sociedad progressed with a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man Osasuna, joining Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in a strong final four

VALENCIA: Ferran Torres hit a hat-trick as Barcelona routed Valencia 5-0 on Thursday to cruise into the Copa del Rey semifinals.
Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal were also on target for the record 31-time Spanish Cup winners as they swaggered to victory at an upset Mestalla stadium.
Earlier Real Sociedad progressed with a comfortable 2-0 win over 10-man Osasuna, joining Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid in a strong final four.
Former Valencia forward Torres took the plaudits with his treble inside 30 minutes, taking full advantage of Barca coach Hansi Flick’s decision to rest striker Robert Lewandowski.
The Spaniard netted in the third minute, running onto a fine Alejandro Balde through ball and finishing clinically against his former side.
Torres netted the second after 17 minutes when teenage winger Yamal’s shot bounced off the post back into his path.
Lopez put Barcelona three up midway through the first half with a well-timed run expertly found by Pedri Gonzalez, rounding goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski and tucking home.
Torres completed his hat-trick after half-an-hour with an accurate low finish after Raphinha teed him up on the edge of the box.
The former Manchester City winger’s bright display offered food for thought, with Barcelona scoring at least five goals in the last four games where veteran Polish striker Lewandowski has not started.
Some Valencia fans started leaving the Mestalla stadium in anger, a constant theme around the club with owner Peter Lim criticized by supporters with chants and banners.
This was Valencia’s second thrashing at Barca’s hands in the space of two weeks, after the Catalans triumphed 7-1 at home in La Liga.
Valencia had a rare moment of cheer at the start of the second half when Umar Sadiq found the net but the goal was ruled out for offside.
The gangly Nigerian striker then won a penalty but that too was scrapped after he was shown to be offside again in the build-up.
At the other end Yamal struck the post again but this time the ball flew out and to safety for Valencia.
The 17-year-old Spain star got his goal eventually with a low effort which took a small deflection and beat Dimitrievski, who could still have kept it out.
In San Sebastian Ander Barrenetxea and Brais Mendez struck for hosts Real Sociedad before Osasuna had Alejandro Catena sent off for a wild challenge after 35 minutes.
Osasuna beat the same opposition 2-1 in La Liga on Sunday but Catena’s dismissal effectively ended any hope of mounting a comeback.
La Real reached the Copa semifinals for the third time in six seasons, last winning in the 2020 edition.


Liverpool thrash Spurs to reach League Cup final

Liverpool thrash Spurs to reach League Cup final
Updated 07 February 2025
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Liverpool thrash Spurs to reach League Cup final

Liverpool thrash Spurs to reach League Cup final
  • Liverpool will face Newcastle at Wembley on March 16

LIVERPOOL: Liverpool overturned a first leg deficit to reach the League Cup final with a 4-0 win on Thursday and ramp up the pressure on Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou.
Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk were on target for the Reds, who will face Newcastle at Wembley on March 16 for the first silverware of the English season.
Liverpool remain on course for a quadruple in a dream debut season for Arne Slot.
They enjoy a six-point lead at the top of the Premier League, have cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League and visit Championship strugglers Plymouth in the FA cup fourth round on Sunday.
Spurs’ trophy drought on the other hand goes on. Tottenham last lifted silverware in 2008 and Postecoglou now has one less opportunity to fulfil his promise of winning a trophy in his second season.
There is speculation the Australian could be shown the door if another goes awry away to Aston Villa in the FA Cup at the weekend with Spurs languishing 14th in the Premier League.
Despite having more glamorous titles to win, Slot showed his desire to make the League Cup his first trophy as Liverpool boss by naming his strongest available team bar the usual rotation in goal for cup competitions as Caoimhin Kelleher replaced Alisson Becker.
New signing Kevin Danso was forced straight in to Tottenham’s injury-ravaged defense, while Mathys Tel also made an early debut off the bench after Richarlison hobbled off injured.
Liverpool had scored four in each of the previous two meetings between the sides at Anfield and repeated that feat to make light of their 1-0 first leg defeat in north London last month.
The home side had taken the first quarter to find their stride but the pressure built after Szoboszlai ran offside before sweeping home Salah’s pass.
From the Egyptian’s next delivery into the box, Spurs did not escape as Gakpo drilled in first time to move clear as the top scorer in this season’s competition with five goals.
Antonin Kinsky kept Salah waiting for his goal with a fine save moments later, but at the other end of the field Richarlison lay prone to leave Postecoglou’s team further depleted.
Already without record signing Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, James Maddison, Timo Werner and Wilson Odobert in attacking areas, Tottenham never looked capable of mounting the threat they needed to survive the Liverpool onslaught.
The decisive blow came five minutes into the second half when Kinsky rushed off his line but was beaten to the ball by Darwin Nunez and caught the Uruguayan.
Salah ruthlessly dispatched the resulting penalty into the top corner for his 26th goal of the season.
Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch fired off the post as Liverpool put their foot down to kill the tie off.
The killer third goal came 15 minutes from time when Connor Bradley, who excelled in the absence of the injured Trent Alexander-Arnold, played in Szoboszlai to slot home.
Van Dijk then exposed Spurs’ struggles defending set-pieces by heading in the fourth from a corner to rub salt in the visitors’ wounds.
Newcastle are eying an end to their own 56-year wait for a major trophy after an impressive 4-0 humbling of Arsenal on aggregate in the other semifinal.
But the Magpies have the unenviable task of stopping Slot’s juggernaut if they are to do so.


PSG’s crushing domination leaves no hope for domestic rivals

PSG’s crushing domination leaves no hope for domestic rivals
Updated 06 February 2025
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PSG’s crushing domination leaves no hope for domestic rivals

PSG’s crushing domination leaves no hope for domestic rivals
  • PSG have not lost to French opponents in 27 games stretching back to last May
  • The first leg takes place in Brittany next Tuesday, with the return in Paris on Feb. 19

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain head into the Champions League knockout phase in rude health, with their crushing domination against domestic opposition making a Ligue 1 and French Cup double look highly likely and leaving them in a strong position to keep advancing in Europe.
Luis Enrique’s team head into Friday’s home clash with Monaco with a 10-point lead over Marseille at the top of Ligue 1, with the principality side a further three points behind in third.
Even a slip-up in that game against another of France’s Champions League representatives is unlikely to stop them in their procession toward a fourth straight league title, and their 11th in 13 seasons.
In midweek they eased to an uneventful 2-0 win away to third-tier Le Mans to secure a place in the French Cup quarter-finals.
The fact that almost all of their most serious rivals domestically have already been eliminated from that competition means it would be an enormous surprise if the Parisians did not now claim a record-extending 16th French Cup triumph.
PSG have not lost to French opponents in 27 games stretching back to last May, when they were beaten 3-1 at home by Toulouse having already secured the Ligue 1 title.
That is their only loss in their last 60 meetings with domestic opponents since September 2023, a record which speaks volumes for their absolutely enormous financial advantage over the rest of French football.
The Qatar-owned club’s revenue for 2024 of almost 806 million euros ($837m) put them third in the world, behind only Real Madrid and Manchester City, in analysts Deloitte’s recently published Football Money League.
The only other French clubs in the top 30 were Marseille and Lyon, whose combined revenue totalled 551 million euros.
Put simply, no wonder PSG’s French rivals cannot compete, and it does not augur well for Brest, who must now face Luis Enrique’s team in the knockout phase play-offs of the Champions League.
The first leg takes place in Brittany next Tuesday, with the return in Paris on Feb. 19.
Brest’s entire budget for this season is reported to be just under 50 million euros.
All of which means PSG should make it through to the last 16 in Europe, where either Liverpool or Barcelona await.
Meanwhile in Paris the possibility is already being raised of PSG going through the entire season without losing a game domestically.
“Records are not an objective for us,” said Luis Enrique on Friday when asked about the possibility of establishing that new record.
“What is important is to win titles. If those come with records, that is marvellous, but that is not the aim.”
The 27-year-old’s transformation from a devilish dribbler on the wing to lethal central striker has been remarkable.
The France international has scored 14 goals in his last nine appearances for PSG, going back to mid-December. Prior to that he had scored 11 times in 59 games for the capital club since arriving from Barcelona in 2023.
Dembele scored back-to-back hat-tricks against VfB Stuttgart, in the Champions League, and Brest before being rested for the win at Le Mans in midweek to keep him fresh for the coming games.
He became the first player in PSG history to score hat-tricks in successive matches — something the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Edinson Cavani, Neymar and Lionel Messi were all unable to achieve.