Germany are favourites for the 2018 World Cup and are under no added pressure as defending champions, according to former international Mario Basler.
Joachim Low s men were successful in Brazil in 2014 and also won the Confederations Cup this year, having been Euro 2016 semi-finalists.
Basler, who played 30 times for Germany, believes Low s side deserve favouritism in Russia.
For me, Germany are the number one contender, he told Omnisport.
Looking at the qualifiers, we just marched through, we are the defending champions and have a great number of players to choose from for Joachim Low.
Of course, you ll always have to keep an eye on France and Spain, but I believe, unless something extraordinary happens, we ll have a great chance to defend the…
Daniel Sturridge believes he is the best striker at Liverpool but insists he does not take it personally when he is left out by manager Jurgen Klopp.
The England international has two goals from his last two Premier League appearances after failing to score in his first 10 this season, but he has found regular opportunities in the starting line-up limited.
Sturridge has only started seven times in all competitions this term and there has been speculation that he could leave Anfield during the transfer window, with West Ham reportedly interested.
The 27-year-old is adamant that he does not resent Klopp for his decisions but admits spending time among the substitutes can be frustrating for an ambitious player.
I don t feel as though I m the right person to…
Leroy Sane described winning Premier League titles as like an addiction after helping Manchester City to another triumph on Sunday.
City defended their top-flight crown, beating Brighton and Hove Albion 4-1 on the final day to hold off Liverpool in the run-in, finishing on 98 points, one ahead of Jurgen Klopp s men.
Sane joined City from Schalke in 2016 and was delighted to be able to celebrate another piece of silverware, describing the feeling it provides.
It s an amazing feeling, the winger told Sky Sports. It feels like a longer season this season but it s the same feeling.
season WE DID IT AGAIN
— Leroy Sané (@LeroySane19)
When you get the trophy, you get the feeling for it and the it s kind of like an addiction. You just w…
The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has dropped the use of goal-line technology in Ligue 1, the Coupe de France and the Coupe de la Ligue until further notice.
During this week s Coupe de la Ligue quarter-finals, errors were made by the GoalControl system on two separate occasions.
As a result of the failures of the system, the LFP announced on Thursday that the technology would be removed as a precautionary measure.
This decision comes after a first formal notice sent on December 21 to the company GoalControl and following many malfunctions, an LFP statement read.
GoalControl technology alerts the referee when the ball has crossed the line via a watch that vibrates on the official s wrist.
But the system failed to signal a goal in Paris Sa…
Cristiano Ronaldo declared that surpassing Ali Daei as the most prolific player in men s international football is another record for the museum .
The five-time Ballon d Or winner drew level with Iran great on 109 international goals during Euro 2020 but had to wait until Wednesday to make top spot his own.
After seeing a first-half penalty saved in the World Cup qualifier against the Republic of Ireland at the Estadio Algarve, Ronaldo restored parity with his landmark goal in the 89th minute.
The Portugal captain then steered home a header deep in second-half stoppage time to complete a 2-1 turnaround win for the hosts.
It s another record for the museum, Ronaldo told RTP, as quoted by Diario Record.
I don t know if anyone has mor…
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It s a very busy football schedule across Europe these days. On Tuesday evening, Atalanta will play host to Liverpool at the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d Italia in Bergamo, in what is arguably the most interesting contest of Group D in this season s Champions League, while Midtjylland take on Ajax in Denmark.
Atalanta
Atalanta have been one of the finest surprises of the game in the last few years. They quietly rose through the Serie A ranks, until they managed to finish third in 2018/19 and qualify for the Champions League the following season. If anyone still had any doubts about the work done at the club and the ability of the team, those doubts were soon put to rest as they fully repeated the feat at the end of 2019/20.
They h…
Arsenal’s season has been rocked by a serious knee injury to summer signing Jurrien Timber which will require surgery.
The Netherlands international moved to the Emirates Stadium from Ajax this summer but was forced off on his Premier League debut – Saturday’s 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest.
Timber, 22, limped off at half-time against Forest following a heavy challenge on Brennan Johnson that earned the full-back a booking.
He emerged for the second half but lasted just five minutes before going down off the ball and being replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu.
An Arsenal statement on Wednesday read: “Further to detailed assessments with consultant specialists since Saturday, we can confirm that Jurrien has sustained an injury to his anterior cruciate lig…
New Celtic signing Gustaf Lagerbielke is excited to be following in the footsteps of his “inspiration” Virgil van Dijk.
The centre-back signed for Celtic on Wednesday after moving from Swedish league leaders Elfsborg.
The 23-year-old was brought in following the departure of fellow Swede Carl Starfelt to Celta Vigo and has many more compatriots to choose from if he wants to find more encouragement that he can be a success in Glasgow, including the likes of Henrik Larsson and Johan Mjallby.
Lagerbielke admitted the Swedish connection was a factor in moving to Celtic, given his countrymen adapted so well to life in Scotland.
But it was another former Celtic player who Lagerbielke looked up to as an aspiring defender.
G U S T A F L A G E R B I E…
Bayern Munich defender Raphael Guerreiro is doubtful for next week s Champions League semi-final return leg at Real Madrid after he picked up an injury in their 3-1 loss to Stuttgart on Saturday, head coach Thomas Tuchel has said.
Bayern, who also had Eric Dier taken off at half-time with a head injury, face Real in Spain on Wednesday after their 2-2 draw in Munich earlier this week.
Portugal international Guerreiro was taken off in the 17th minute after he hurt his ankle in an attempt to block a shot.
Raphael Guerreiro needed crutches to walk. It is very, very bitter for us. He was supposed to get some playing time today to be ready for Wednesday. Instead, now we have to see what happens, Tuchel told reporters.
Eric Dier had to get stitches to the head…
Unai Emery accepts Aston Villa can have no complaints over their 1-0 loss to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Premier League.
The Villans fell to a narrow defeat at the Amex Stadium on Sunday as Joao Pedro converted late on after his initial penalty attempt was saved.
Villa looked sluggish throughout yet were just minutes away from claiming a point that would have further boosted their top-four prospects.
John McGinn also had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside, but Emery admits his side were not deserving of a point on their travels.
We competed but it was not enough, he told BBC Sport. We weren t strong enough in 90 minutes to deserve anything more than we achieved.
Now the most important thing is to rest, to rest today, rest tomorrow, afte…