When Real Madrid sold Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus in a block-busting transfer-window move, the greatest domestic rivalry in history with Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi was ended.
The two familiar foes will undoubtedly continue to battle it out for football s most prestigious individual and European honours with their respective sides, but in LaLiga at least a new face will have to step into Ronaldo s boots to challenge the awesome Messi for the best in the division.
For Los Blancos, Gareth Bale is the man many are tipping to fill at least some of the sizeable void left by Ronaldo s dramatic departure, while on the other side of the capital Antoine Griezmann s decision to remain with Atletico Madrid is a huge boost to Diego Simeone.
So, how have Bale and Griez…
Sundays game between Sunderland and Fulham sees the home team desperate to find their first win in thirteen games, whilst Fulham will look to return to the form that saw them sneak into the top half of the table a month or so back.
Sunderland s season has been an absolute nightmare when you look at the optimism that was emanating from the Stadium of Light. Steve Bruce has been on a charm offfensive in an attempt to stem the tide of negativity surrounding the club. WIth most players back from injury or suspension, the team should be good enough to pull clear of the relegation battle but the problem now seems to be a massive lack of confidence. The Black Cats are still without Reid, Henderson and Meyler but most key players are now back and working their way back to full fitness.…
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min has voiced his concerns about the increased workload on players, saying his fellow professionals are not robots .
Son has become the latest player, after Manchester City pair Manuel Akanji and Rodri and Liverpool s Allison, to urge decision-makers to implement changes.
Rodri, who suffered a knee ligament injury in City s draw with Arsenal last weekend, even suggested that players could resort to striking against the hectic schedule.
Last season, only Guglielmo Vicario (38), Dejan Kulusevski and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (both 36) played more games for Spurs in the Premier League than Son (35 level with Pedro Porro).
Furthermore, since 2009-2010, only Hugo Lloris (361) and Harry Kane (317) have made more appearances for Spurs…
Napoli have firmly denied they rejected the chance to sign talented Salzburg striker Erling Haaland for a modest €5million in 2018.
In an interview published in Italian newspaper Il Mattino, footballer turned scout Loris Boni claimed the Norwegian teenager was offered to Napoli and Juventus before his move to Austria was agreed in August of last year.
Former Molde youngster Haaland arrived at Salzburg in January and has been starring for his new side, with 20 goals in all competitions to his name this season.
Napoli witnessed his ability in the Champions League on Wednesday, the 19-year-old netting twice against them in a 3-2 defeat for Salzburg, but the Serie A side insist they did not previously pass on him.
We have read that Il Mattino has interview…
Chelsea won the Champions League for the first time in their history on this day in 2012.
The west London club, who were beaten in the 2008 final by Manchester United, made it second time lucky as they got the better of Bayern Munich on penalties after the game ended 1-1 after extra time.
The tie was played at Bayern’s Allianz Arena and it looked like the German side would capitalise on home advantage after Thomas Muller’s 83rd-minute goal put them on the brink of glory.
But, under the stewardship of Roberto Di Matteo, the Blues hit back five minutes later as Didier Drogba headed Juan Mata’s corner past Manuel Neuer.
Bayern squandered a big chance to regain the advantage just five minutes into extra time when former Blues winger Arjen Robben saw his…
The Baltimore Ravens have had an extra week to dwell on an ugly home loss, but they’ll look to use that as fuel when they host the Minnesota Vikings — who also badly need a win — in a Week 9 inter-conference showdown.
Minnesota is coming off a disappointing loss to Dallas’ backup QB on Sunday Night Football and NFL betting lines have the Vikes as 5.5-point underdogs at M&T Bank Stadium this Sunday.
Here are our best free NFL picks and predictions for Vikings vs. Ravens on Sunday, November 7.
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It hasn’t been the best summer for the New England Patriots who replaced offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels with one defensive-minded coach and another special teams coach.
Now the sharp betting community is piling on the Miami Dolphins ahead of the Week 1 matchup in the Florida heat and late bettors are left asking themselves what this New England offense might be Sunday.
Find out where my best bet lies in my NFL picks and predictions for Patriots vs. Dolphins.
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Sundays full of football, plus Thursday and Monday action, and a constant focus on Super Bowl odds is back for another year when the season kicks off on Thursday night.
Let’s all say it again one more time: The NFL is back!
Everybody and their dog (and probably also their tigers, ravens, cardinals, and any possible animal) has advice for how to approach the plethora of NFL odds available, and giving their best bets — but we’ve got the goods that everybody needs to see — the official NFL picks from the Covers staff!
We’ve polled our best pro football betting minds for their favorite plays for the upcoming season, getting their selection to win the Super Bowl, a regular season MVP pick, and best NFL futures play.
Check out where our cre…
The Los Angeles Rams welcome the Seattle Seahawks to settle their Week 11 odds on Sunday. This is the mother of all revenge games, with the Rams clobbering the Seahawks 30-13 in front of their home fans in their season opener. Since then, the Seahawks have won six of eight games while the Rams have lost six of eight.
Books are expecting a much closer contest than the first meeting, with NFL odds set at nearly a pick ’em for this west-coast showdown. Here are my best free NFL picks and predictions for Seahawks vs. Rams on November 19.
Seahawks vs Rams odds
Seahawks vs Rams predictions
This is an interesting matchup because that first meeting, way back in Week 1, was such an outlier. The Rams went into hostile te…
Super Bowl 58 is the Kansas City Chiefs’ fourth Super Bowl appearance in the last five years, but this is the first time where their defense has carried them here.
While Patrick Mahomes and the offense have gotten most of the credit in the past, the Chiefs have been better on the defensive side of the ball this season, and Chris Jones is the anchor of this stop unit.
That said, being the biggest name on this K.C. defense also means that we’re seeing some inflated Super Bowl player props when it comes to the latest Chris Jones odds. That means I’ll be looking to fade the star defensive tackle in the Super Bowl odds.
Find out why with my best NFL picks for Jones at Super Bowl 58 on February 11.
For more Super Bowl predictions, make…