Portugal have won few friends at Euro 2016 and coach Fernando Santos does not want that to change at Sunday s final.
Santos men laboured through a group they were favourites to dominate on paper, with three draws edging them into the last 16 as one of the four best third-place finishers.
It took until Wednesday s semi-final against Wales for Portugal to win a match within 90 minutes, with their route to Saint-Denis to take on hosts France drawing plenty of scorn.
I want them to keep saying the same thing, said a confident Santos. That we re this and we re that, that we won undeservedly.
That s what I would like them to say – that we won and we didn t deserve it. That would be amazing.
I d be going home very happy if they said that. And I…
Barcelona have confirmed forward Martin Braithwaite will undergo surgery on his left knee with reports the injury will rule him out for the remainder of 2021.
The 30-year-old Denmark international had asked to be substituted late in Barcelona s 2-1 win over Getafe last month due to left knee pain and missed his country s subsequent international fixtures.
Braithwaite had initially tried a conservative approach to manage the injury but Barca have confirmed he will go under the knife to resolve the issue.
Martin Braithwaite has a femoropatellar injury in his left knee which has not responded to conservative treatment, the club wrote in a statement.
The Danish striker will undergo surgery in the coming days. The club will publish a new injury update when t…
The 2017 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on Saturday, 14 January in Gabon as hosts take on Guinea Bissau, and the 31st edition of the continental tournament promises premium excitement.
Riyad Mahrez, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sadio Mane are just some of the star players who will be looking to lead their respective national teams to glory, but it is holders Ivory Coast that have been made .
They are followed by perennial underachievers Senegal (5/1), Algeria (7/1), hosts Gabon (8/1) and Cameroon, Egypt and Ghana (all priced at 10/1).
The top goalscorer chase should prove quite interesting as well, with Gabon’s own Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leading the betting at 11/2.
Aston Villa striker Jonathan Kodjia and Leicester City star Islam Slimani…
Best odds: 11/25
Bookmaker:
The USA will wrap up their preparations for hosting the 2024 Copa America by welcoming South American heavyweights Brazil to Camping World Stadium in Florida on Thursday.
This encounter marks the first meeting between the two nations since September 2018, when the Selecao secured a 2-0 friendly victory with goals from Roberto Firmino and Neymar.
Gregg Berhalter began his tenure as USA head coach positively after taking over in August 2023, leading his team to victory in four of his first five matches and netting 15 goals in the process.
However, the Stars and Stripes have experienced a downturn, losing three of their last five games across all competitions. Their preparations for hosting the 2024 Copa America were deal…
When Paco Alcacer strode forward and beat Manuel Neuer with a delightfully nonchalant dink in November to secure Borussia Dortmund a 3-2 win over troubled Bayern Munich, German football looked reignited.
Dortmund were sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga after 11 games with 27 points, seven clear of fifth-placed Bayern, while they were attracting adulation from across Europe for their vibrant football and faith in youth.
It was only their second victory in seven Klassiker contests in all competitions and the improvement was clear to see from their 6-0 dismantling at the Allianz Arena just over seven months prior.
As for Bayern, they were in something of a crisis by their standards. It was the second game in a run of three league outings without a win – …
AC Milan forward Jeremy Menez has revealed he has no regrets at rejecting a move to Manchester United in the summer of 2010.
Menez, 27, joined Milan on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, and has already bagged three goals in three Serie A appearances for the Rossoneri.
While at Roma four years ago, Menez was courted by then-manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but the 27-year-old ultimately turned down the chance to move to Old Trafford.
Saying no to Ferguson wasn t easy, but I was still young and I had to follow my own path, Menez told Gazzetta dello Sport.
Then when [former manager Vincenzo] Montella came to Roma, it became difficult for everybody. Before he came, I was playing all the time, but he had different ideas.
…
What a difference a few days can make. Urban Meyer has been removed as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars in what will go down as one of the worst hires in NFL history.
Now the Jags face AFC South rivals the Houston Texans in a battle for one team to reach their third win of the season. Don’t miss our NFL picks and predictions for the Texans vs. Jaguars.
…
Coming out of the bye, the Kansas City Chiefs are big double-digit favorites entering Sunday night vs. the Tennessee Titans, who might not have some key pieces on defense.
With the game script favoring the Kansas City rushing game and Isiah Pacheco’s rushing total inflating, is the best bet on the running back who has been the favorite in the red zone?
Check out my best NFL prop picks for Sunday Night Football’s Week 9 matchup between the Titans and Chiefs.
…
The Dallas Cowboys put their five-game winning streak on the line Sunday at Highmark Stadium vs. a Buffalo Bills team that sits a slight 2-point NFL odds favorite and is coming off a pair of solid-showing road games vs. the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
The Cowboys’ offense has been blessed with some comfortable passing conditions this year, but even with decent Buffalo weather, this will be the worst spot for them of the season. With the hype a little too loud, is Week 15 the time to fade Dak and the Cowboys?
I break down the Week 15 NFL odds and offer my free NFL picks for Cowboys vs. Bills on December 17.
Cowboys vs Bills odds
Cowboys vs Bills predictions
What the …
NFL bettors will want to treat the Buffalo Bills like a carton of milk one day after its expiration date: It’s probably still good but give it a cautionary sniff before consuming.
The Bills once again came up short of their Super Bowl dreams in 2023, getting bounced by the Kansas City Chiefs for the third time in the past four postseasons. And while Kansas City and other AFC contenders like Baltimore and Cincinnati stand strong in 2024, my NFL picks are not bullish on the Bills.
There are notable departures on both sides of the ball, including a new-look offense and a revamped receiving corps. The defense is also down bodies and may not have the same bite that changed games last season. But Josh Allen is still at quarterback and that keeps the Bill…