NEWS – Page 77 – Football Flame

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Mbappe sends honest message to Ronaldo after Nations League meeting

Cristiano RONALDO of Portugal and Kylian MBAPPE of France after the Nations League - Group 3 match between France and Portugal on October 11, 2020 in Paris, France.Kylian Mbappe has sent an honest message to Cristiano Ronaldo on social media after France and Portugal clashed in the Nations League.The World Cup winner from 2018 and the victors from the first-ever Nations League came face to face at the Stade de France.It promised to be a tasty affair - however, it was anything but.Both teams seemed to cancel each other out, resulting in a 0-0 draw.Neither country went with a weaker line-up, either, with France playing the likes of Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann and Paul Pogba.Portugal went with a frontline including Ronaldo, Joao Felix and Bernardo Silva - as well as Bruno Fernandes.Of the two t...
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UEFA Nations League: Rashford joins elite list as England clinches top spot with Belgium win

Marcus Rashford of England celebrates with his team after scoring his sides first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between England and Belgium at Wembley Stadium on October 11, 2020 in London, England.After receiving an MBE in the Queen's Birthday Honours list on Friday, England striker Marcus Rashfod found himself in the company of legendary countrymen after scoring in Sunday's UEFA Nations League clash with Belgium. The 22-year-old forward clinched the equalizer for the Three Lions to seal a milestone that was previously associated with three older compatriots.The keenly anticipated showdown between the two sides was staged at Wembley and it was the visitors who set the ball rolling inside the first 16 minutes. A reckless tackle by Eric Dier on ...
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Haaland bags his first hat-trick for Norway

Norway's forward Erling Braut Haaland (R) celebrates after scoring during the UEFA Nations League football match Norway v Romania, on October 11, 2020 in Oslo, Norway.Erling Braut Haaland bagged a hat-trick as Norway made light work of Romania in the Uefa Nations League today. The Borussia Dortmund striker, who made his senior international debut just over a year ago, fired home three goals in a 4-0 victory — with RB Leipzig’s recent signing Alexander Sorloth scoring the other. 20-year-old Haaland now has six goals in as many appearances for Norway, who are top of League B Group 1 with Northern Ireland and Austria meeting this evening. Ireland’s League B Group 4, Finland beat Bulgaria 2-0 thanks to goals from Robert Taylor and Fredrik Jensen. The Finns are second in the grou...
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Ireland draw 0-0 with Wales in Nations League clash

James McClean of Republic of Ireland, second right, is shown a red card by referee Tasos Sidiropoulos following a foul on Ethan Ampadu of Wales, right, during the UEFA Nations League B match between Republic of Ireland and Wales at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.The Republic of Ireland have drawn 0-0 with Wales at the Aviva stadium this afternoon in the Nations League.Despite having the majority of the possession during the game, the home side failed to capatilise on the opportunities that they created.Ireland had 60 per cent of the possession on the day, however they did not manage to have any shots on target.The home team had to play the final stages of the game with 10 men after James McClean was sent off after 82 minutes.Even though he was already on a yellow card, McClean was given a str...
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Inter Miami unite brothers as Federico joins Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain #9 of the Inter Miami in action against the New York Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena on October 07, 2020 in Harrison, New Jersey. Inter Miami defeated the against the New York Red Bulls 2-1.Gonzalo Higuain will have a familiar figure alongside him at Inter Miami after the MLS franchise signed the Argentine superstar's older brother Federico.They will be the 18th pair of siblings to play together in the league, Inter Miami said, after securing a deal to bring in Federico Higuain from DC United.The 35-year-old only joined DC United in March, taking on a player-coach role after ending an eight-year association with Columbus Crew.Inter Miami brought in 32-year-old former Argentina striker Gonzalo from Juventus in September, and they hope the brothers can bring success to the newly ...
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Germany beat Ukraine for first Nations League win, Spain edge Switzerland

Matthias Ginter of Germany celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Nations League group stage match between Ukraine and Germany at NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium on October 10, 2020 in Kyiv, Ukraine.Germany scored once in either half to beat hosts Ukraine 2-1 in the Nations League on Saturday for their first win in four matches and their first ever victory in this competition.Matthias Ginter put them ahead in the 20th minute after good work from Antonio Ruediger and Leon Goretzka pounced on a mistake by Ukraine keeper Georgiy Bushchan to head in the second goal four minutes after the restart.Despite having the rested Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig players back in the line-up, the Germans were far from their best and a 77th minute Ruslan Malinovskyi penalty woke...
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Ryan Giggs: ‘Ireland were the better team against Slovakia and got no luck’

Ryan Giggs, Manager of Wales looks on during a Wales Training Session at the Vale Resort on October 07, 2020 in Cardiff, Wales.Ryan Giggs expect Wales to put the painful lessons of Wembley into Nations League practice against Ireland in tomorrow’s clash at the Aviva.Beaten 3-0 by England, the Welsh are seeking to build on their wins over Finland and Bulgaria last month which took them to the top of Nations League Group B4 – five points clear of Ireland.“I was really happy with the way we started against England,” Giggs said.“We showed confidence on the ball and the pressing was good, but you can’t give away soft goals.“The players will learn. You don’t have much time to work on it but we’ve evaluated it and have to make sure we are right and better.”Giggs plans to make changes to his side....
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Southgate desperate for fans to return

Gareth Southgate, Manager of England gives his team instructions during the international friendly match between England and Wales at Wembley Stadium on October 08, 2020 in London, England.Gareth Southgate has revealed his heartache at fans not being able to attend England games and hopes their safe return to stadiums can happen as quickly as possible.Southgate named a new-look England side for Thursday ' s friendly win over Wales , including debuts for Dominic Calvert-Lewin - who scored the opening goal - and Bukayo Saka.But the absence of supporters took away from what was a memorable moment in those players' careers."The other night was a classic example of why we miss it so much," said Southgate."To have so many lads making their England debuts and some of them scoring their first goal...
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Firmino brace helps Brazil hammer Bolivia in WC qualifier

Roberto Firmino #20 of Brazil celebrates with teammates after scoring the second goal of his team during a match between Brazil and Bolivia as part of South American Qualifiers for Qatar 2022 at Neo Quimica Arena on October 09, 2020 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino scored a brace as Brazil romped to a 5-0 victory over Bolivia in their opening 2022 World Cup qualifier on Friday.Barcelona playmaker Philippe Coutinho and Paris Saint-Germain defender Marquinhos also got on the scoresheet while star forward Neymar set up two goals in a totally one-sided encounter that sent Brazil top of the South American qualifying table.In a Corinthians Arena deserted due to COVID-19 restrictions, Bolivia showed almost no ambition as Brazil dominated throughout, with PSG's Neymar startin...
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Scotland survive Israel shootout as Ireland miss out on Euro 2020

Scott McTominay of Scotland heads the ball during the UEFA EURO 2020 Play-Off semi-finals match between Scotland and Israel at Hampden Park on October 08, 2020 in Glasgow, Scotland.Scotland won their first ever penalty shootout to beat Israel in the Euro 2020 semi-final playoffs, but there was spot-kick heartbreak for the Republic of Ireland as they lost out to Slovakia.Northern Ireland will host the Slovaks next month for a place at the postponed tournament next summer after they too prevailed on penalties after a 1-1 draw against Bosnia and Herzegovina.Scotland are now one game away from their first major tournament in 22 years when they travel to Serbia on November 12, but were pushed all the way after neither side could find the net in 120 minutes at Hampden."It its another step forwar...
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Giroud replaces Platini as France’s second-highest scorer, Ronaldo underwhelms

Olivier Giroud #9 of France celebrate his second goal with team-mates during the international friendly match between France and Ukraine at Stade de France on October 7, 2020 in Paris, France.For Olivier Giroud, there's no better way of celebrating his 100th appearance for France.   On a night filled with unbridled joy and entertaining attacking football, the 34-year-old veteran striker effortlessly netted twice in a 7-1 demolition of Ukraine, becoming the second-highest goalscorer in France's history by overtaking Michel Platini with 42 goals. "I feel a lot of pride; it's a great honor for me, and I'm happy it happened for my 100th cap," beamed an emotional Giroud, who later revealed in his post-game interview that Ukraine's head coach Andriy Shevchenko had been his childho...
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Stanislav Lobotka ruled out of Slovakia’s playoff clash with Ireland

Stanislav Lobotka ofSSC Napoli during the Serie A match between Parma Calcio and SSC Napoli at Stadio Ennio Tardini on September 20, 2020 in Parma, Italy.Napoli midfielder Stanislav Lobotka is out of Slovakia’s Euro 2020 playoff semi-final against Ireland after his club was hit by coronavirus.The 25-year-old and his team-mates were placed in quarantine over the weekend after players Piotr Zielinskiand Elif Elmas and staff member Giandomenico Costi tested positive for Covid-19.National boss Pavel Hapal had hoped Lobotka would be allowed to join up with the Slovakia squad ahead of Thursday night’s showdown in Bratislava, but has now had to admit defeat despite three negative tests.Hapal told a press conference on Wednesday afternoon: “We did our best, but then the Italian club stopped commun...
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Scotland left depleted as Covid cases hit

(L-R) Kieran Tierney, David Marshall, Stuart Armstrong, Jon McLaughlin and Liam Cooper are pictured as Scotland depart for a UEFA Nations League qualifier in Czech Republic, on September 06, 2020, in Edinburgh, Scotland.Scotland midfielder Stuart Armstrong has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of the Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Israel at Hampden Park on Thursday night.Armstrong returned a negative test for on arrival at Oriam on Monday but the supplementary UEFA test returned a positive result on Wednesday morning.The 28-year-old will self-isolate for 10 days from the date of the test - Tuesday, 6 October - and will now be unavailable for the forthcoming international match against Israel and the Nations League matches against Slovakia and the Czech Republic.As a consequence, Ki...
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Europa League draw in full

In this photo illustration the UEFA Europa League logo seen displayed on a smartphone. Dundalk can look forward to a trip to London after being paired against Arsenal in the Europa League group phase. The Irish side secured their place with a victory over Faroese side KI Klaksvik in the final qualifying round, and will now face the Gunners home and away in Group B. The other two sides in the group are Austrian club Rapid Vienna and Molde from Norway. Tottenham have been drawn alongside Ludogorets, LASK and Royal Antwerp in Europa League group J. Celtic and Rangers were drawn against sides with great European pedigree, with the Hoops facing seven-times European Cup winners AC Milan and the Light Blues taking on two-time champions of Europe Benfica from Portugal. Celtic, who ...
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Europa League: Harry Kane scores hat-trick as Tottenham ease past Maccabi Haifa; AC Milan beat Rio Ave

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his team's sixth goal during the UEFA Europa League play-off match between Tottenham Hotspur and Maccabi Haifa at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on October 01, 2020 in London, England. AC Milan reached the Europa League group stage after a nervy 9-8 penalty shootout win over Portuguese club Rio Ave on Thursday, having netted a fortunate last-gasp equalizer in extra time. Milan trailed 2-1 in extra time until Toni Borevkovic gave away a penalty in the 121st minute with a careless handball, allowing Hakan Calhanoglu to level from the spot.  Rio Ave then had three chances to win the penalty shootout but missed each time, before Milan goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma made the decisive save to send his team through. The shootout ...
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Joe Willock takes Arsenal through in shootout drama with Liverpool

Arsenal players crowd Joe Willock as they celebrate him scoring the winning penalty in the shoot-out during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield on October 1, 2020 in Liverpool, England. Mikel Arteta kept his domestic cup record intact as Arsenal proceeded to the last eight of the Carabao Cup on penalties, Joe Willock scoring the crucial kick in the sudden-death phase after Harry Wilson had seen his effort saved. That was hard on Wilson, making his first start for Liverpool since returning from loan, though Divock Origi and Mohamed Elneny also saw shots saved in the earlier section, and Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno deserved something for his saves in normal times that took the contest to a shootout decider. Liverpool and Arsenal must be tired ...
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Polish footballer Robert Lewandowski named UEFA player of the year

Robert Lewandowski of FC Bayern Muenchen walks with the ball during the Supercup 2020 match between FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund at Allianz Arena on September 30, 2020 in Munich, Germany. Polish soccer star Robert Lewandowski has been named UEFA Men's Player of the Year for the 2019/20 season, beating short-listed finalists German goal keeper Manuel Neuer and Belgium's Kevin De Bruyno. Lewandowski, who plays for German club Bayern Munich, was also recognised as the best striker. The results of the plebiscite were announced at a ceremony during the draw for the 2020/21 Champions League season in Geneva on Thursday.  Although the event was scaled down due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Lewandowski was present to receive the award in person from UEFA President Ale...
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Neymar has 34 million euro Spanish tax debt

Neymar Jr of PSG during the Ligue 1 match between Stade de Reims and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at Stade Auguste Delaune on September 27, 2020 in Reims, France. Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar owes more unpaid tax than any other individual on a Spanish authorities' blacklist with debts of 34.6 million euros ($40.5 million), according to an official document published Wednesday. The Brazilian, who played for Barcelona from 2013 to 2017 before moving to the French club for 222 million euros in the most expensive transfer in history, tops the list of thousands of names published on the website of the Spanish tax office. The Spanish press reported last year the country's tax authorities were pursuing Neymar for fiscal fraud dating back to his time at Barca, but it is the first time th...
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Wales without Bale against England

Tottenham Hotspur new signing Gareth Bale visits the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 19, 2020 in London, England. Wales will be without Gareth Bale for October's friendly against England and their Nations League matches against the Republic of Ireland and Bulgaria. The 31-year-old forward was carrying a knee injury before rejoining Tottenham from Real Madrid earlier this month. "It's nothing serious but it's just one to keep an eye on," said Wales manager Ryan Giggs. There is better news for Wales with the return of Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey to the squad. Defender Rhys Norrington-Davies, on loan at Luton Town from Sheffield United, earns a first call-up. The other uncapped player in the squad is Nottingham Forest's 19-year-old attacking midfielder Brennan John...
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Eden Hazard included in Belgium squad for England clash

Eden Hazard of Real Madrid trains during the Real Madrid training session at Valdebebas training ground on September 27, 2020 in Madrid, Spain. Eden Hazard has been named in Belgium's 33-man squad for next month's Nations League clash with England, despite a lack of action for Real Madrid. Forward Hazard has missed his club's opening two LaLiga matches of the season due to an ankle injury and has not played since a Champions League defeat to Manchester City in early August. The Spanish champions host Real Valladolid on Wednesday and travel to Levante on Sunday. Belgium manger Roberto Martinez said Hazard, who has 106 international caps, needs to be involved in those matches to have a chance of featuring on October 11 at Wembley. "The news has been very positive in the last two...
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