Prediction: Barcelona vs Borussia Dortmund

Wayne Rooney hit out at criticism of his move to the United States, after he was announced as D.C. United s new head coach on Tuesday.

Rooney had previously played for United in 2018 and 2019 before leaving the franchise to join Derby County as a player coach in the Championship.

The 36-year-old kept Derby up after taking over from Phillip Cocu as permanent manager in January 2021 but relegation still loomed, remarkably finishing seven points from safety after a 21-point deduction at the start of last season.

Rooney believes coming back to the MLS to coach is not a backward step, but moreover, that his time at Derby County prepared him for this role.

I ve seen a few articles, certainly back in England, on this being a possible backward step in my manager…

Cristiano Ronaldo faces an uncertain Manchester United future, but he stands to pass a string of landmarks if he stays and plays for Erik ten Hag this season.

Tottenham s Harry Kane, set to captain England at the World Cup later in the year, is chasing a significant club landmark.

And guess who will join Mohamed Salah in bidding to set an opening-day career goals record.

Of course, it s   Jamie Vardy.

As the new season gets under way on Friday, Stats Perform looks at the records and milestones coming into view.

KANE, RONALDO, HAALAND: TARGETS IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF THE BIG GUNS

What role Ronaldo has to play remains in the balance, given he appears keen to leave United for a second time.

But if the 37-year-old features for the Red D…

Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga failed to show the quality they have done in training during Real Madrid s 2-1 win at Almeria on Sunday, according to boss Carlo Ancelotti.

Madrid fell behind to Largie Ramazani s early strike at the Power Horse Stadium in their opening LaLiga game of the season, but they drew level thanks to Lucas Vazquez s goal in the 61st minute.

They then sealed all three points with 15 minutes remaining when substitute David Alaba curled a sumptuous free-kick past Fernando Martinez from 25 yards with his first touch.

Tchouameni, who joined from Monaco in June for a fee that could rise to €100m, and Camavinga started alongside Toni Kroos in midfield, but both struggled to make an impact.

Camavinga was replaced by Luka Mod…

Prediction: Chelsea to win to nil

Odds:

Bookmaker:

West Bromwich Albion have another tough assignment in the Premier League this weekend as they welcome Chelsea to The Hawthorns.

It s been a tough start to life back in the top flight for the Baggies and boss Slaven Bilic as they continue their search for the first league win of the campaign. Meanwhile, it s been an up and down beginning to the 2020/21 season for Frank Lampard s Blues who head into this game looking to lay down a real marker concerning their title aspirations.

West Bromwich Albion

Whilst it could be true to suggest that West Brom could have been given more difficult starts to their new campaign, their first three matches were deceptively hard to negotiate. They first took on a L…

“Why would I want to leave PSG?,” Neymar told France Football. “Today I am Parisian, and I give 100 per cent. I will give everything on the pitch to win with PSG. I never wanted to hurt anyone, but in my mind, if you aren t happy, you have to go.” 

Judging by what Neymar has said here, it doesn’t appear as if he wants to leave Paris Saint-Germain anytime soon. We’ve come to learn over the years that the Brazilian is someone that has a tendency to go back on his word from time to time, so taking this with a pinch of salt is probably the best way forward. 

Neymar is a fascinating character but at this moment in time, PSG need results – not a character. 

They’ve still got several other superstars that they can rely on but either way, his future …

Carlo Ancelotti vowed Real Madrid will not give up on chasing down Barcelona at the top of LaLiga, despite his side falling nine points adrift of the leaders on Sunday.

Madrid were held to a goalless draw by Real Betis on a potentially pivotal day in the title race, a few hours after 10-man Barcelona had battled to a 1-0 home win against Valencia.

Los Blancos still have to travel to Barca in a fortnight, but Opta s league predictor now gives the reigning champions just a 9.8 per cent chance of finishing top of the table.

After seeing his side held for a second league game running, having drawn 1-1 against Atletico Madrid last week, Ancelotti accepted Madrid have their work cut out.

It s not impossible, he told Movistar when asked if there is any hope of …

Kylian Mbappe scotched the prospect of an early escape from his Paris Saint-Germain contract by declaring he still wants to win the Champions League with his home city club.

The newly installed France captain signed an extension to his PSG contract last May, keeping him with the Ligue 1 champions potentially until the end of the 2024-25 season.

That staved off strong interest from Real Madrid in the player who went on to be top scorer at the Qatar World Cup, hitting a hat-trick in a losing cause against Argentina in the final.

For Mbappe, triumphing in the Champions League with the French capital giants would be the crowning glory of his career.

PSG went close in 2020, losing out 1-0 to Bayern Munich in the final, but they have been bundled out at the las…

Karim Benzema is doing so much better as he battles to be 100 per cent fit for France s World Cup campaign, according to his Real Madrid team-mate Eduardo Camavinga.

Benzema won his first Ballon d Or last month after leading Real Madrid to glory in LaLiga and the Champions League in the 2021-22 season, but has endured an injury-hit campaign to date.

The striker has started 11 games in all competitions this season, scoring six goals, but he spent time on the sidelines with a knee injury before missing further fixtures after suffering from muscular fatigue in his left quadriceps.

However, with less than a week remaining until France begin their Group D campaign against Australia, Camavinga is enthused by his team-mate s recovery.

He s getting better. He s …

Inter had earlier issued a statement on the club’s official website confirming the results of tests on Martinez’s injury.

It read: “Lautaro Martinez underwent medical examinations this morning at the Istituto Clinico Humanitas in Rozzano. The Nerazzurri attacker has suffered a strain to the muscle in his left thigh. His condition will be monitored over the coming days.”

Simone Inzaghi’s men lost for the first time since September when they slipped out of the cup they have won for the last two seasons, going down 2-1 after extra-time and in the process ending a run of 15 games without defeat.

However, they have lost only once in the league all season – at home to Sassuolo on September 27 – and head into the weekend four points clear of second-placed …

According to a recent report from Fabrizio Romano, Real Madrid are ready and willing to offer Eduardo Camavinga a new deal.

At the age of just 20, Eduardo Camavinga is already one of the most intriguing players in world football. He seems to possess wisdom beyond his years and in addition to that, he’s already become an important member of the Real first team squad since arriving back in 2021.

The youngster has been attracting a whole lot of attention and, as per the aforementioned report, that’s one of the reasons why the Spanish giants want to tie the Frenchman down.

Camavinga’s current deal is set to last until June 2027. However, Madrid are ready to offer him a new contract in the wake of increased interest from Arsenal.

The Gunners have been l…