Best odds: 4/5

Bookmaker:

It s round five in the 2021-22 Premier League season this weekend, and on Sunday afternoon, West Ham United will be welcoming Manchester United to the London Stadium on the back of very different results the two sides picked up in Europe during the week.

West Ham United

Having looked like serious contenders for top-four placement for a large portion of 2020-21, the Hammers finished sixth in the league and booked a place in the Europa League. They emerged victorious from the opening round of their campaign in the competition as they beat Dinamo in Zagreb by 0-2, courtesy of goals from Michail Antonio in the 21st and Declan Rice in the 50th minute. Speaking after the game, former Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma expressed the whole team s sat…

Alessandro Bastoni, Davide Calabria and Cristiano Biraghi have all withdrawn from the Italy squad ahead of their crunch World Cup qualifier against Northern Ireland. 

Inter defender Bastoni had been struggling for fitness and will not travel to Belfast for Monday s game, with Calabria experiencing a calf problem on Saturday and Biraghi dropping out for personal reasons.

To bolster his defensive options, with veteran centre-back Giorgio Chiellini having left the camp ahead of Friday s 1-1 draw with Switzerland, Roberto Mancini called up Davide Zappacosta. 

Italy sit top of Group C on goal difference so only need to match Switzerland s result at home to Bulgaria when they take on Northern Ireland in order to clinch top spot. 

A draw would have b…

Denmark will have to show more quality in front of goal in Monday s Euro 2020 clash with Russia if they are to have any hope of progressing from Group B.

Kasper Hjulmand s side have scored from just one of their 43 shots in this year s tournament, while their opponents have had seven shots against them and scored three times.

After losing 1-0 to Finland – a game overshadowed by the cardiac arrest suffered by Christian Eriksen – and 2-1 to Belgium, Denmark are now in the last chance saloon.

They can finish second if they beat Russia and Finland lose to Belgium, depending on the goals scored in those two matches, while only a win will do for third place.

Following positive updates on the health of Eriksen, who has been discharged from hospital, Hjulmand…

Krzysztof Piatek touched down at Fiorentina to face questions about in-demand striker Dusan Vlahovic, as the club distanced themselves from links to Real Madrid midfielder Isco.

PIatek, who has joined on loan from Hertha Berlin for the rest of the season with an option to buy, returns to Serie A after previous spells at Genoa and Milan.

The 26-year-old has a solid track record in the Italian top flight, and his arrival has inevitably added to speculation that Vlahovic may not be with Fiorentina for much longer.

Vlahovic s record of 35 goals in 46 games in 2021 has drawn the attention of many of Europe s elite teams, and he has also been linked to Newcastle United.

It has been reported in Italy that Fiorentina consider Piatek as a player to strengthen th…

Chelsea have agreed a resolution with UEFA that will see them hand over 10million euros (£8.57million) after owning up to “incomplete financial reporting” under the Roman Abramovich regime.

A new ownership group led by Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital completed their takeover of the club in May last year from Abramovich, who was sanctioned over his links to Russia president Vladimir Putin.

UEFA, which has also banned Juventus from competing in the Europa Conference League this season due to financial irregularities, confirmed it was approached “proactively” by the Boehly-led consortium.

They detected instances of partial financial information being submitted in historical transactions occurring between 2012 and 2019, breaching UEFA Club Licensing and Fi…

Carlos Queiroz criticised Iran s supporters after his team were thrashed 6-2 by England in their World Cup opener, advising those who aren t ready to support the team to stay home .

Monday s Group B game was played out in a highly charged atmosphere, as Iran s players refused to sing their national anthem in an apparent show of solidarity with anti-government protestors in their country.

Human rights groups say more than 400 people have lost their lives amid a crackdown on protests in Iran, which began following the September death of Mahsa Amini, a 22-year-old woman who died in police custody after being arrested for her refusal to wear the mandatory hijab.

Jeers were also audible throughout the anthem, while some Iran fans were seen holding signs professing the…

Almost two-thirds of UK football fans are in favour of the creation of a European Super League, according to new research commissioned by the competition’s promoters.

Sixty-five per cent of 835 UK fans polled by French company Opinion Way were in favour or somewhat in favour of the new format put forward in December 2023, with support especially high among Manchester City and Chelsea supporters – 85 and 81 per cent respectively.

English football supporters took to the streets to protest against the creation of the original ESL in April 2021, which collapsed within 72 hours of its launch.

However, A22 says the new research shows “substantial support” for the new formats it presented just before Christmas for a 64-team men’s competition and a 32-team wome…

Best odds: 13/5

Bookmaker:

One of the fixtures anticipated most highly on the La Liga calendar is set to unfold at the magnificent Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Sunday evening, as Atletico Madrid play host to Barcelona.

Both teams secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals earlier this week. Atletico edged past Serie A leaders Inter Milan in a tense penalty shootout, while Barcelona advanced with a 4-2 aggregate victory over reigning Italian champions Napoli.

Atletico Madrid

Atletico Madrid s recent 2-0 defeat to Cadiz in La Liga undoubtedly stands as their most disappointing result of the season, casting a shadow over their preparation for the second leg of their last-16 Champions League clash with Inter Milan.

Diego Simeone s …

Best Odds: 4/11

Bookmaker:

Turning their attention to EFL Trophy action on Tuesday night, Birmingham will welcome Walsall to St. Andrew’s.

Birmingham

Starting with the hosts, while Birmingham might have shockingly lost their Championship status last season following what was a public nightmare at St. Andrew’s, the Blues have come flying out of the traps this time around. In the midst of what has been a League One romp and rightfully pencilled in as a landslide promotion contender, Chris Davies’ men have already gained quite the reputation. Last seen over the weekend laying down another marker as they secured a 2-1 win against Wigan, Tuesday’s hosts have collected 10 points from their opening four League One appearances. Signing off their pre-season prep…

Alexia Putellas became the first female to make 100 appearances for Spain and marked the occasion in style by scoring in a 1-1 draw against Italy.

The 28-year-old made her debut for La Roja in 2013 and, less than a decade on, won her landmark century cap in Castel di Sangro on Friday.

Putellas will be a key member of Spain s Euro 2022 squad and again proved her worth with an equaliser to cancel out Valentina Bergamaschi s opener in the friendly.

Barcelona attacker Putellas, who has also appeared three times for Catalonia, now has 27 goals for Spain at senior level.

The game was the final warm-up for both nations ahead their European Championship campaigns getting under way in England next week.

Spain are in a group with Germany, Denmark and Finla…