Barcelona will begin their LaLiga title defence with a trip to Athletic Bilbao on the opening weekend of the 2019-20 season.
Thursday s fixture release also confirmed Zinedine Zidane s Real Madrid will begin a new era with an away match against Celta Vigo, while last season s runners-up Atletico Madrid host city rivals Getafe on the first matchday.
Ernesto Valverde s Barcelona made it back-to-back league crowns by finishing 11 points clear at the top of the table last time out, but fierce rivals Madrid have spent big during the close season to bridge the gap on the reigning champions.
The first El Clasico of 2019-2020 takes place at Camp Nou on October 27 and the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu is scheduled for March 1, although all fixtures remain subje…
Spain is well positioned to win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero said Tuesday.
We are the champions in Europe and we have the highest expectations to be world champions, he said at an event marking the centenary of the Spanish Football Federation.
I want to thank you in the name of the citizens of Spain for the courage you display in defence of the colours of Spain. Beyond the results obtained, the Roja has always conquered our hearts, he added, using the nickname for Spain s national team.
Gabriel Jorge Sosa, 93, and Alfredo di Stefano, 83, were amongst the oldest former players at the event which was attended by 400 current and ex-Spanish internationals.
Also in attendance were Real Madrid captain Raul a…
Jack Grealish has hit back at criticism following England s Euro 2020 shoot-out heartache against Italy, insisting he wanted to take a penalty.
Gareth Southgate s side lost 3-2 on spot kicks following three successive failures from 12 yards by Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka.
The game had finished 1-1, with the teams unable to be separated in extra time after Leonardo Bonucci s scrambled effort midway through the second half cancelled out Luke Shaw s second-minute opener.
Much of the focus was placed on England s choice of penalty takers afterwards, with Southgate taking full responsibility for selecting who would step forward.
Rashford and Sancho were introduced during the dying minutes, while Arsenal teenager Saka had never taken a penalty…
UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against England s Football Association following an investigation into the chaotic scenes that marred the Euro 2020 final at Wembley.
Last month, UEFA confirmed an investigation had been launched into events involving supporters which occurred inside and around the stadium .
An ethics and disciplinary inspector was appointed by UEFA to look into the events that took place around the 1-1 draw between England and Italy, who prevailed on penalties.
And a brief statement released on Tuesday confirmed proceedings had been opened against the FA for a potential violation of Article 16(2)(h) of the UEFA Disciplinary Regulations for a lack of order or discipline by its supporters .
Damage was caused prior to the match as a…
Napoli forward Gonzalo Higuain has revealed he almost left former club Real Madrid in 2012.
The Argentina international eventually moved away from the Santiago Bernabeu in July this year, having been at the Spanish club since December 2006.
Higuain has confirmed he considered an exit during the 2011-12 season, but decided to stay after winning La Liga under Jose Mourinho s management.
The day we won the league in 2011-12, there was a change in my mind, he told Cadena Cope.
The stadium sang for me to stay and in the end I continued for another season.
Higuain has scored six times in 12 appearances for Napoli, helping Rafa Benitez s side to second in Serie A.
He credits club president Aurelio De Laurentiis with playing a key role in encouraging him to …
A non-conference clash in the Windy City sends the Cincinnati Bengals on the road to face the Chicago Bears in Week 2.
The NFL betting odds had Chicago laying a field goal after a 34-14 loss to the Rams in Week 1, but with the Bengals off an upset OT win over Minnesota at home, the spread has dipped under the key number at some sportsbooks with early action on the underdog.
Check out our free NFL picks and predictions for Bengals at Bears on September 19.
…
Rarely have we been able to pat ourselves on the back during this NFL survivor pool season, but if you took our advice last Sunday and pumped the breaks on the Minnesota Vikings (our team to avoid), you’re welcome.
Minnesota was the most popular pick for poolies, taking on the winless Lions. But a nasty schedule spot and the Vikings’ bad habits in close games killed off a good chunk of pool players. We also guided you to winning survivor pool picks with Indianapolis (savvy pick) and the L.A. Rams (safe pick), who won their respective matchups by a combined score of 68-7.
So, what do we do for an encore?
Here are our Week 14 survivor pool picks.
…
The 2022 NFL schedule is in full swing, with the grueling slate and chilly fall temperatures taking their toll on teams as we size up the Week 7 odds.
If this past Sunday taught us anything, it’s that we need all the help we can when it comes to beating the bookies. A handy tool beyond the advanced metrics and analytics is situational handicapping — AKA spot bets.
We dig into the NFL Week 7 calendar and single out some scintillating spots: Letdowns, look-ahead, and scary schedule spots to consider when capping NFL spreads and totals.
…
The winless Chicago Bears visit Sam Howell and the intriguing yet erratic Washington Commanders for Thursday Night Football, providing the first chance to jump into Week 5 NFL odds.
The TNF odds have the Commanders pegged as -5.5 point favorites after pushing the Philadelphia Eagles to overtime in Week 4, but a desperate Chicago team is out to shrug off a miserable start to the season. The Bears’ latest setback was a 28-7 blown lead at home to the Denver Broncos on Sunday.
It’s tough to make the case for this being an offensive classic, with Howell and Justin Fields combining for 11 touchdown passes and 10 picks so far this year, but thankfully, the prop market is there to pick up the slack.
Check out my best NFL picks for the Bears vs…
The Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers mix it up for the second time in three weeks this Sunday.
The last time these NFC West rivals clashed in the NFL odds, San Francisco feasted on roasted Seahawk (whatever that is) on Thanksgiving Thursday, slamming Seattle 31-13 as a 7-point road favorite.
This time around, the 49ers are at home and laying double digits against a Seahawks side coming off a 10-day break following a thrilling loss at Dallas last Thursday night.
I dissect the Week 14 odds for this divisional dance and give my best NFL picks for Seahawks vs. 49ers on December 9.
Seahawks vs 49ers odds
Seahawks vs 49ers predictions
When breaking down the San Francisco 49ers with blogger …