Quincy Promes scored once and set up another as 10-man Netherlands held on to record a 2-1 away victory over Morocco in Agadir.
Interim boss Fred Grim was in charge before Dick Advocaat begins his third spell at the helm and he had to cope without key players Daley Blind, Arjen Robben, Kevin Strootman and Georginio Wijnaldum.
But after handing a debut to Chelsea defender Nathan Ake, Grim saw Promes put the visitors ahead in the first half following great work from Memphis Depay.
Promes set up Tottenham striker Vincent Janssen to double Netherlands lead after the break with his fifth goal in 10 international starts, a strike that looked like it would ensure victory.
But the Dutch had to hold on in a nervous finish to the contest after Matthijs de Ligt be…
Gareth Southgate cannot understand why fans turned on Jordan Henderson after the long-serving England vice-captain was booed off against Australia at Wembley.
Eyebrows were raised when the 33-year-old swapped his role as Liverpool skipper for the Saudi Pro League, joining Steven Gerrard’s Al-Ettifaq in a controversial £12million deal.
Henderson had been a high-profile supporter of LGBTQ+ rights during his time at Anfield and last month apologised for any hurt he caused by moving to a country where homosexuality is illegal.
There was no noticeable negative reaction towards him during September’s doubleheader against Ukraine and Scotland, but things were different in England’s first home match since his controversial move.
There were murmurs when Hen…
Kevin De Bruyne has urged his Manchester City team-mates to make 2019-20 a season to remember from the rubble of their failed title defence.
A stunning free-kick from the Belgium midfielder could not avert a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea – a result that ended saw Liverpool crowned Premier League champions and ended City s two-year stint as top dogs in England.
Attention now turns to an FA Cup quarter-final at Newcastle United on Sunday, with Pep Guardiola s side looking to add to the EFL Cup they collected thanks to a 2-1 triumph over Aston Villa in March.
Then there is the small matter of a tilt at an elusive Champions League success, after Gabriel Jesus and De Bruyne gave City a 2-1 advantage over Real Madrid in the first leg of their last-16 encounter.
Thei…
Poland secured automatic qualification for Euro 2016 as Robert Lewandowski s 13th goal in Group D sealed a 2-1 win over the Republic of Ireland, who finished with 10 men.
Grzegorz Krychowiak s fine strike gave Poland the lead, but Martin O Neill s men hit back less than three minutes later through a Jon Walters penalty.
Lewandowski proved Poland s hero once again, however, heading home to equal the tournament goalscoring record set by Northern Ireland s David Healy back in Euro 2008 qualifying.
Ireland brought on Robbie Keane and Aiden McGeady as they pushed for an equaliser in the second half, but it was Richard Keogh who spurned their best chance to level the match in the closing minutes.
Poland ultimately held firm to secure second spot in the group…
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored twice as Napoli relaunched their Serie A title defence with a 3-1 victory at struggling Hellas Verona.
Recent underwhelming form saw Rudi Garcia’s men suffer a home defeat by Fiorentina last time out but they were always likely to get more from a trip to a Verona side who were winless in six matches heading into Saturday afternoon’s clash.
Matteo Politano made the first-half breakthrough before Kvaratskhelia scored either side of the break to render Darko Lazovic’s response largely redundant as Napoli consolidated themselves in fifth, not far behind the leading pack.
Napoli were first to threaten as Giacomo Raspadori forced Lorenzo Montipo to punch clear from a venomous free-kick in the seventh minute.
Raspadori soon tri…
Newcastle United are interested in signing for Tottenham Hotspur attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen, according to . The report has claimed that Newcastle’s ‘recruitment team have been in touch’ with the agents of Eriksen.
Eriksen is out of contract at Brentford at the end of the month and will become a free agent. The playmaker joined Brentford on a free transfer in the middle of the past season. The Denmark international made 10 starts and one substitute appearance in the Premier League for the Bees, scoring one goal and providing four assists in the process.
have reported that Tottenham and Manchester United are the two firm favourites to sign Eriksen.
…
Manchester United are set to battle Arsenal in the race to sign Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, .
The France international is once again set to be the subject of transfer speculation this summer, despite racking up forty-four appearances and scoring twenty-one goals in all competitions during the 2014-15 campaign.
Since moving to the Bernabeu from Lyon in the summer of 2009, the twenty-seven year old has picked up winners medals in La Liga, the Copa del Rey, the Champions League, Super Cup and World Club Cup.
He has twenty-five goals in seventy-seven appearances for his country, and appeared at last summer’s World Cup finals in Brazil.
Arsenal have previously been linked with a move for Benzema though United, who are looking to refresh their fron…
Sky Sports claim Fabian Delph is on his way to Manchester City
According to , Aston Villa midfielder Fabian Delph is to undergo a medical at Manchester City ahead of an £8million move to the Premier League title chasers.
The Citizens have activated the minimum fee release clause in Delph’s contract, which was set at the mooted fee when the England midfielder signed a new contract with Villa in January.
Impressive
Aston Villa may have struggled at the bottom end of the Premier League table for the last few seasons, but the midfielder has shined in a box-to-box role for the Villans. The 25-year-olds form has even lead to him being a regular starter for England in the last 12 months under Roy Hodgson.
When Delph arrived at Villa in 2009 from Leed…
FIFA has banned former Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales from all football-related activity for three years.
Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation following Spain’s victory over England in the World Cup final on August 20, but Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual.
While Rubiales initially attempted to carry on in his role, he subsequently resigned last month and has now been punished for a breach of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association, from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia)
“The…
Celtic and Rangers competing in the same league as England s biggest clubs is an inevitable prospect and could happen within the next decade, according to Dermot Desmond.
The majority shareholder of Celtic is of the belief such a switch would be beneficial to clubs on both sides of the border and feels the two Glasgow sides are already inside the biggest 10 clubs in the United Kingdom.
Ronny Deila s Scottish champions have failed to progress to the Champions League group stage for the second straight season, while Rangers are in the Championship after they were unable to win promotion last year as they continue their bid to return to the top level after being relegated to the fourth tier following financial meltdown in 2012.
A lack of comparable television rev…