Best Odds: 19/20
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With a Champions League quarter-final ticket still firmly up for grabs on Wednesday night, Tottenham will welcome AC Milan to north London.
Tottenham
Starting with the hosts, while Tottenham might have signed off February with a much-needed boost, Spurs have come crashing back down to earth in some style over the past week. Shockingly crashing out of this season s FA Cup following a 1-0 loss away at Championship outfit Sheffield United, Antonio Conte s side were last seen over the weekend putting in another downbeat display. Eventually suffering another 1-0 defeat at the hands of relegation scrappers Wolves, the one-time Chelsea boss will know that his side face a real uphill battle on Wednesday night. Although the Premier League hea…
Juventus general director Giuseppe Marotta has admitted the Serie A champions face a tough task to keep hold of Alvaro Morata and Juan Cuadrado, while he has made it clear they are ready to move for Edinson Cavani if the Paris Saint-Germain striker were to become available.
Morata joined Juve from Real Madrid in 2014, but the Santiago Bernabeu side have an option to re-sign the 23-year-old for a set fee.
Cuadrado, meanwhile, is on loan at the Turin side until the end of the season and is due to return to Chelsea come June.
We want to strengthen the team in the upcoming transfer window, even if we realise it will not be easy because the squad is already of a very high level, Marotta told Sky Sport.
We have not had a lot of problems in Serie A, but thin…
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers expects Daniel Sturridge to make his long-awaited return to action by mid-to-late January.
England striker Sturridge has been limited to just three Premier League appearances this season the last of which came at Tottenham in August.
Sturridge was originally ruled out after sustaining a thigh injury when on England duty in September and has since suffered two setbacks in his recovery.
The 25-year-old has been undergoing treatment for the issue in Boston, but is set to return to Liverpool in the coming days to finalise his rehabilitation programme.
He will be back here to finalise his rehab in early January, Rodgers said on Wednesday.
He should be back playing mid-to-late January.
A return for Sturr…
Greece coach Fernando Santos has dismissed suggestions his team are too defensive to be successful at Euro 2012.
The 2004 European Championship winners conceded just five goals in 10 qualifying matches, and their road to victory eight years ago was based on a compact defensive.
But Santos said it was important for his side to be strong in attack if they were to advance from Group A, which also features co-hosts Poland, Russia and the Czech Republic.
The game has got several stages an offensive phase and a defensive phase, and both are equally important, Santos said.
The team must do a good job in both otherwise we wouldn t be a successful team.
Otto Rehhagel led Greece to the shock win in 2004, but left after they failed to get past the group…
Vicente del Bosque began his reign as Spanish coach with his sideÂ’s 3-0 win over Denmark but said there was plenty of room for improvement for the European champions ahead of next monthÂ’s World Cup qualifiers.
“We started badly, we were slow and over cautious,†the former Real Madrid boss told reporters after the friendly in Copenhagen.
“Denmark were better than us in the first half but we reacted well and ended up playing a good game against high level opposition.Ââ€
Spain were in muted form in the opening minutes of a match that was overshadowed by news that over 150 people had been killed in an air crash at the Madrid airport earlier in the day.
Denmark had several chances to take the l…
Pep Guardiola s prediction of a complicated trip to Burnley proved to be correct, as the Clarets made the most of Manchester City s wastefulness to snatch a 1-1 draw on Saturday.
Despite their profligacy, City had looked on course for a battling win, until Johann Gudmundsson popped up in the 83rd minute to snatch a point.
City boss Guardiola was forced to shrug off claims from Manchester United counterpart Jose Mourinho that the destination of the Premier League title is already certain, with the leaders enjoying a 15-point cushion at the top.
That advantage was 16 points by the full-time whistle at Turf Moor, and City are just eight wins away from securing a third title, although they were reminded of the league s many hazards by Sean Dyche s obdurate outfit.
Verdict: Both teams to score – yes
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Everton are in desperate need of a strong response following last weekend’s hammering at Arsenal but relegation-threatened Crystal Palace are not to be taken likely despite their inconsistent run of late.
Everton
The appointment of Sam Allardyce as new Everton manager did see the Toffees turn things around and get back up on their feet but Everton have quickly lost momentum and find themselves amidst a poor patch in the Premier League.
With only one win from their last eight league games, Allardyce’s men are coming off from a disappointing 5-1 defeat at the Emirates last time out with Everton boss describing his team’s performance as ‘pathetic’. Allardyce will be urging his sid…
Rio Ferdinand has backed France midfielder Paul Pogba to become the best midfielder in the world.
Pogba has caught the eye with some outstanding displays as Didier Deschamps side have moved into the quarter-finals of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
France were not talked up as potential challengers to be crowned world champions for a second time, but have emerged as serious contenders as they prepare to lock horns with Germany in the last eight on Friday.
Pogba s influence has not been lost on Ferdinand, who has not been surprised by the impact the Juventus man has made on the world stage after seeing him at close quarters during his time at Manchester United before the 21-year-old opted to join the Serie A champions.
The former England defender said in his…
Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain are pondering a summer bid for Roma starlet Erik Lamela, Tuttosport has revealed.
PSG owners are determined to build on this season s success and edge closer to turning the club into European powerhouses.
With Carlo Ancelotti not exactly spoilt for choices up front and Kevin Gameiro set to leave, the Saints are believed to be readying a summer swoop for Roma forward Erik Lamela.
The Argentine has largely impressed ever since he joined the Giallorossi from River Plate, and quickly developed into a key player at Stadio Olimpico.
As a result, Roma chiefs have no desire to sell their prized asset, although they might be tempted if a mega offer was to arrive from Parc des Princes.
Erik Lamela, who was paid €15 mill…
Harry Kane is hoping to lead England to Euro 2024 glory in Germany next summer but admits he is still struggling with the language since joining Bayern Munich in August.
The England captain left Tottenham for the Allianz Arena in a deal that could be worth £100million and has already settled into life in Bavaria, scoring three goals in three Bundesliga appearances.
However, while he seems to already be on the same wavelength as his new team-mates on the pitch, Kane revealed his German lessons have not yet taken off.
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