A 1-0 defeat to Serbia in Dublin has all but destroyed the Republic of Ireland’s World Cup dream following a dire 1-1 draw with Georgia on Saturday — it's safe to say it's been a disastrous week of qualifying for the Boys in Green. For Serbia, Aleksandar Kolarov’s 55th-minute strike has put them in firm control of securing automatic qualification from UEFA’s Group D with two matches to play.
Real Madrid's leading scorer so far this season is 21-year-old Spain international Marco Asensio, who has four goals in all competitions.
Asensio is the next great long-range shooter, having torn up Barcelona and Valencia for sagging off him. He's clearly an incredible talent and will be one of the world's best attackimg midfielders sooner rather than later, if he isn't that already.
AS Monaco is a bit of an enigma. A French club not actually in France, Monaco’s rebirth dating back to 2011 has taken the club from the bottom of Ligue 2 to the top of Ligue 1, from one extreme of the transfer market to the other.
There’s no question that Diego Simeone is the best thing to ever happen to Atletico Madrid. The Argentine’s appointment in December of 2011 ushered in the club’s most successful spell in the modern era. That Simeone has been able to accomplish as much during the height of Lionel Messi’s powers at Barcelona and Cristiano Ronaldo’s at Real Madrid only adds to his legend.
Near the end of England's 2-1 win against Slovakia in UEFA World Cup qualifying, England's precocious and occasionally hotheaded young midfielder Dele Alli became fed-up with somebody.
Dele Alli tells his marker that he's number one. #england #engsvk pic.twitter.com/Tk3VW1rU49
This past Saturday, Spain hosted Italy in a World Cup qualifier at the Bernabeu in Madrid. Both sides have won the competition in the post-millennial age and can justifiably feel bitter about being drawn in the same group. Italy, who have a well-established tradition of being utterly awful in the qualifying rounds of international tournaments yet miraculously not losing, are now at risk of finishing second in the group.
Zinedine Zidane is now as famous a manager for Real Madrid as he was a player for the club and the France National Team. He is also infamous for ending his international career with a headbutt on Italy's Marco Materazzi in the 2006 World Cup final.
It has been over a decade since that incident, but it's clear it still weighs on Zidane's mind in terms of both what it means for his legacy and the example it sets for young fans. Of course, this is to be expected when you ram your head into another man's solar plexus with a few million people watching.
Last Christmas, two young sisters and Borussia Dortmund fans received jerseys with the names of Ousmane Dembélé and Emre Mor on the back. A solid present if there ever was one. However, much to the dismay of Olivia (8), Emily (11) and Dortmund supporters everywhere, both of these exciting players left the club this summer with Dembélé making a move to Barcelona and Mor finding a new home at Celta Vigo.
August was not a kind month to two of the world’s biggest clubs, Barcelona and Arsenal. There were shock departures, shock non-departures, cringe-worthy losses and unimpressive victories.
Barcelona and Arsenal went their separate ways after the 2005 Champions League final: Barcelona won and has been winning ever since, while Arsenal hasn’t sniffed a league title (let alone a Champions League semifinal) since. But the clubs are still two of the richest, most popular teams, each ranking in the top six in attendance for European clubs.
It's been said on this website that on recent form Isco is the best player in the world. I have not been saying this, but Isco made me a believer today with his performance in Spain's 3-0 win against Italy, all but guaranteeing them World Cup qualification.
Isco's first goal was a beautiful free kick that hopefully ensures Sergio Ramos never again decides he should be the one to take set pieces for Spain.