Hamburg coach Bruno Labbadia said his side were stunned to concede early in the first leg of their Bundesliga play-off clash against Karlsruher on Thursday.
Labbadia s men are looking to retain their Bundesliga status Hamburg are the only club to have remained in the German top flight since its initial season in 1963 but were stunned at home as the promotion-chasing Karlsruher earned a 1-1 draw at the Imtech Arena.
Rouwen Hennings fourth-minute goal shocked Hamburg, with the forward striking against his old club with an emphatic finish in off the post.
Karlsruher were unfortunate not to score again, striking the woodwork on multiple occasions, before Hamburg got into the tie via Ivo Ilicevic s 73rd-minute goal.
After the early goal we were shocked, the…
Bayern keen on Granit Xhaka
that Bayern Munich are pondering a bid for Borussia M gladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka.
The Bavarians are actively searching for a successor to Xabi Alonso and it is believed that Joshua Kimmich will be given a chance to impress next season.
However, Bayern also plan to recruit a more experienced holding midfielder, with Granit Xhaka one of the first names on their hit-list.
The 23-year-old has seriously raised his game following the early struggles after arriving from FC Basel, quickly becoming one of the most sought-after footballers in German Bundesliga.
Liverpool and Arsenal are among clubs keeping close tabs on his performances, and next summer could be a perfect time for any interested sides to act.
Name…
Mikel Arteta is unsure if Kieran Tierney will play for Arsenal again this season after the left-back was ruled out for four to six weeks with ligament damage to his left knee.
The full-back limped off during the Gunners disappointing 3-0 reverse at home to Liverpool on Saturday and required further checks on the severity of the issue.
An Arsenal statement said Tierney will not require surgery on the injury but with the Premier League campaign coming to an end on May 23, he may not feature again for Arsenal this term.
It is also unfortunate timing for Scotland, who play their first match of the rescheduled Euro 2020 finals against the Czech Republic on June 14, with the first of two warm-up fixtures taking place against the Netherlands on June 2.
It could…
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The race for the Premier League title is already decided, but the battles against relegation and for European places still rage on. Round 33 of the 2019/20 campaign will see Manchester United welcome Bournemouth to Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon, in a game that s likely to play a big part on both of these fronts.
Manchester United
Some of the millions of Red Devils supporters from around the globe may have been hurt to see arch-rivals Liverpool secure the Premier League trophy, but they will have all been greatly encouraged by what Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s men have been doing lately.
United enter the round sitting in unwanted fifth place with 52 points, with Chelsea and Leicester City directly above with 54 and 55, respectiv…
Liverpool chairman Martin Broughton insists key players Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard will not be sold to help solve the club s financial problems.
Accounts released on Friday show the club made an operating loss before tax of 16 million pounds (23 million dollars) in the year ending July 31, 2009.
That plunged Liverpool s finances further into the red with the debt rising from 299.8 million pounds (443 million dollars) to 351.4 million pounds (520 million dollars), while interest payments on loans increased by 3.6 million pounds (5.3 million dollars) to 40.1 million pounds (59.3 million dollars).
It is a worrying state of affairs for Liverpool fans but Broughton, appointed to find a buyer to replace current co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, is adaman…
Introduction
Surrounded by some of the country s most spectacular game reserves and the famous Kruger National Park, Nelspruit offers more than just a world-class football stadium. Nelspruit is the capital of Mpumalanga Province. In siSwati,(one of the official languages), Mpumalanga means a place where the sun rises . With the unending view of rolling mountains from God s Window to the majestic scenes of the green hills contrasting with blue rivers at Blyde River Canyon, this is definitely a place the sun would not want to leave.
Nelspruit, located in the local municipality of Mbombela. The whole area invokes the idea of a Garden of Eden , with a flourishing fruit industry and countless waterfalls which drop from dramatic cliff faces. Wild horses roam freely in Kaapse…
Jose Callejon is a player Napoli can hardly do without despite his failure to find the net in Serie A this season, Maurizio Sarri has said.
Callejon, who joined Napoli from Real Madrid in July 2013, has scored five times in the Europa League and once in the Coppa Italia this campaign.
However, he has yet to register in the league for Napoli in 2015-16 as Sarri s men battle for a first Scudetto since 1990.
Napoli go into Sunday s clash with Frosinone a point behind leaders Inter in second.
On Callejon Sarri said: I think it s just the result of pure chance that he hasn t got into the goals in the league because Callejon scored in the Europa League and the Coppa Italia.
For me he is having a remarkable season and I honestly think it s a man we coul…
Juventus star Paul Pogba could one day be worth more than €100million, according to the club s director general Giuseppe Marotta.
The France international was the subject of interest from some of Europe s biggest teams during the transfer window, but Juve managed to hold onto the 22-year-old.
Pogba has developed into one of the world s finest midfielders since he joined Juve from Manchester United in July 2012.
Marotta confirmed the offers from big clubs and said Pogba s value could increase dramatically.
As we want to win, we have decided to keep hold of a player as important as Pogba, although we have had offers from some very important clubs, he told a news conference.
In the future he could be worth more than €100million.
Juve h…
This has been an interesting day for all Newcastle fans. Most importantly, Martin Dubravka has signed a new long-term deal with the Magpies and will be set for a lengthy stay at St James Park. The club have announced that the Slovakian goalkeeper has signed a six-year contract, which should keep him at the club through June 2025.
The 30-year-old joined Newcastle in January 2018 from Sparta Prague, initially on loan, and has started every Premier League game since for Magpies. In his 59 appearances in top-flight, Dubravka has kept 17 clean-sheets and he will be a valuable player for this team for years to come.
On the other hand, Dwight Gayle is once again struggling to get the necessary playing minutes at Newcastle and according to The Sun, he could be leaving the club …
Luka Modric will hope to beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah and add the Best FIFA Men s Player award to his UEFA accolade on Monday.
Real Madrid midfielder Modric won the UEFA Men s Player of the Year award after following up Champions League success by inspiring Croatia s run to the World Cup final, picking up the Golden Ball despite defeat to France in Moscow.
He will be out to dethrone Ronaldo, who has endured a mixed start to life as a Juventus player following his €112million move from Madrid, where he scored 44 goals in all competitions last season and won the Champions League for the fifth time in his career.
Salah secured the Premier League Golden Boot in his first season at Liverpool and also accumulated 44 goals in all competitions as the Reds …