Cristiano Ronaldo has the chance to add another landmark achievement to a stellar career when Portugal face hosts France in the final of Euro 2016 on Sunday.
Of course, should Fernando Santos team upset the odds at the Stade de France, their victory will come with the familiar, reductive comparisons.
Ronaldo would have a major international medal under lock and key in the aftermath of his great rival Lionel Messi retiring from Argentina duty without honours at the highest level near misses at the 2014 World Cup and 2015 and 2016 editions of the Copa America taking their toll on the Barcelona icon.
Perhaps the Real Madrid superstar could then close his Ballon d Or deficit in a career-long tussle with Messi to 5-4. The loyalists on each side of the divide Portugues…
Argentina maintained their unbeaten start to CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying with a 3-1 victory over 10-man Venezuela.
Lionel Messi and Argentina were playing for the first time since their drought-ending Copa America triumph on July 10 – La Albiceleste upstaged rivals Brazil for their first title since 1993.
Lautaro Martinez, Joaquin Correa and Angel Correa were on target for Argentina on Thursday, guiding Lionel Scaloni s side to their fourth win in seven qualifiers on the road to Qatar 2022.
Venezuela played with 10 men from the 32nd minute after substitute Luis Martinez was sent off for a horror challenge on Messi and Argentina made the most of their numerical advantage – Lautaro Martinez breaking the deadlock in the second minute of first-half stoppage tim…
Bayern Munich recorded a 5-0 friendly win over Eupen on Tuesday to start 2017 on a high.
The reigning Bundesliga champions won their final six matches of 2016 and will be looking to build on that form in the second half of the season as they chase the treble.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti fielded a strong starting XI against the Belgian side, including Mats Hummels, Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski, and it was former Borussia Dortmund defender Hummels who opened the scoring from close range late in the first half.
Ancelotti made seven changes to his line-up at half-time, but that did not stop the Bavarians from doubling their lead early in the second half via promising youngster Fabian Benko.
Bayern continued to dominate and it was Arturo Vidal who added…
Southampton secured an immediate return to the Premier League after Adam Armstrong was the hero in a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the Championship play-off final.
Saints top scorer Armstrong provided the decisive first-half strike at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, with his 24th league goal of the season sending Russell Martin s side straight back into England s top division.
The pair had scored a combined 197 goals this campaign, but just the one finish was enough to settle what was only the third second-tier play-off final between two sides relegated the previous year.
Southampton join Leicester City and Ipswich Town in winning top-flight promotion, while Leeds – who hit the crossbar through Daniel James late on – must prepare for at least another campaign i…
The Premier League is over again for another season with fans having to wait until August 10 to get their fix of top-flight action.
Manchester City can reflect on becoming the first team to retain the title in a decade, having held off the strong challenge from Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp s side recorded the third-highest points total in Premier League history but it was still not enough to dethrone City.
Omnisport takes a look at some of the best Opta numbers from another gripping season of Premier League football.
May 13 quite an important day in folklore!
— Manchester City (@ManCity)
44 Ilkay Gundogan s goal for City in November s Manchester derby completed a stunning 44-pass move more than any goal in the Premier League thi…
Fernando Torres believes the current Spain squad is better than the one that lifted the 2010 FIFA World Cup trophy in South Africa.
Spain s title defence started on the worst possible note after they were dismantled 5-1 by the Netherlands in their Group B opener on Friday a repeat of the 2010 World Cup final.
Vicente del Bosque s squad have been criticised for being too old following the defeat in Salvador, which was the first time Spain had conceded five goals in a match since losing 6-2 to Scotland in 1963.
But speaking ahead of Spain s second Group B fixture against Chile on Wednesday, Torres said the team in Brazil was an improvement on the side that took to the field four years ago.
We are the same as we were a week ago, or four years ago. The team has matur…
The hits keep coming for the Buffalo Bills who have gone 3-5 SU (2-5-1 ATS) since beating the Chiefs in Arrowhead in Week 5. Now they’ll look to bust a two-game losing skid at home Sunday versus the Carolina Panthers who have been plagued by poor quarterback play and have dropped three in a row themselves.
Can Josh Allen put this team on his shoulders and carry them to a playoff spot despite an injured foot? Can the Panthers get some competent QB play and keep their slim playoff hopes alive or are they really a Bottom-5 team? Find out in our free picks, predictions and NFL odds for Panthers vs. Bills.
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The calendar turning to November not only signals the second half of the NFL schedule, but closes the door on “underdog” season for football bettors.
Over the past seven years, the opening eight weeks of action have proved profitable for those teams getting the points. NFL underdogs covered at a collective 54.5% between Week 1 and Week 8 from 2015 to 2021, with that success surging to 56.7% the previous three years.
The 2022 campaign has been no different, with point spread pups producing a 67-52-3 ATS count in the opening half of the slate (56.1%). But here comes November “kickin’ the door and wavin’ the four-four” in Week 9, so underdog bettors better bundle up for the cold, hard months ahead.
From 2015 to 202…
There I was, minding my own business, laying on my couch thinking that my teaser cold streak was about to come to an end… but there Tommy DeVito was, charging the Giants up the field on the way to a game-winning field goal, breaking my heart and I’m sure the heart of countless others who teased the Packers down to 0.5 in the NFL odds.
To make matters worse, at right around the same time, I was on another emotional roller coaster of watching my Miami Dolphins choke away a win against the Tennessee Titans in what was the most humiliating loss in franchise history. How ridiculous of a comeback was it by the Titans? Well, over the last 20 seasons, teams who were down by 14 or more points inside of the final three minutes had a record of 3-2074!
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It’s official, Gardner Minshew is the Las Vegas Raiders’ starting quarterback, but he won’t be taking the field against the San Francisco 49ers. Will that deter our 49ers vs. Raiders predictions from backing the hosts?
Find out why my NFL picks are siding with Las Vegas on Friday, August 23.
49ers vs Raiders prediction
My best betRaiders +7.5 (-110 at bet365)
My analysis
Nobody is overly confident in a QB combo of Carter Bradley and Nathan Peterman, however, the San Francisco 49ers aren’t expected to play any of their key players either.
Winning by more than 7.5 points in a battle of backup players fighting to make the 53-man roster is a tall task, even for the defending …