Dubravka´s Man Utd loan spell cut short by Newcastle

Pep Guardiola played down the significance of his side’s victory over Sheffield United on Saturday despite it increasing the pressure at the top of the Premier League.

Goals from Rodri and Julian Alvarez at the Etihad Stadium saw the champions wrap up a memorable 2023 – a year in which they won five trophies – with a comfortable 2-0 victory over the struggling Blades.

The result lifted City within two points of leaders Liverpool at the end of a draining month in which they played nine matches, including two in Saudi Arabia at the Club World Cup.

That could be viewed as ominous for the rest of the competition but City manager Guardiola did not want to be drawn into such talk.

Guardiola said: “What we have done in the past doesn’t mean it is going…

Luis Enrique believes it is not the right time to discuss his future after Spain slumped to a shock World Cup exit against Morocco, saying he could yet stay on as La Roja s head coach.

Spain arrived in Qatar as one of the tournament favourites, but La Roja suffered a second consecutive last-16 elimination via a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw at Education City Stadium.

Pablo Sarabia, Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets all failed to convert as Morocco ran out 3-0 winners in the shoot-out, with the latter duo seeing their efforts saved by Yassine Bounou.

Spain have now lost four of their five penalty shoot-outs at the World Cup, more than any other side in the history of the tournament, with their latest loss throwing the future of Luis Enrique – whose contract …

Market: Over 1.5 goals

Odds:  @

Two nations who are still looking to pick up their first qualifying victory on Saturday night, Cyprus will welcome Georgia to the AEK Arena in Larnaca.

Starting with the hosts, although Cyprus might have signed off 2022 with a stunning 3-2 friendly victory away at Israel, it appears that might have just been a minor boost for Temur Ketsbaia s squad. Opening their European Championships qualifying adventure with a routine 3-0 drumming away at Scotland on March 25th, the Blues are the only Group A contender that are yet to put a single point on the board. Likewise, last seen playing out what was an action-packed 2-2 draw against Armenia, the one-time Olympiacos boss will have a growing headache over his side’s extended defensive …

Sweden forward Viktor Gyokeres has completed his move from Coventry to Sporting Lisbon.

City did not disclose the fee received for the 25-year-old, but said it was a club record. A percentage of the fee will be due to his former club Brighton.

Reports have suggested Sporting will pay in the region of £20million for Gyokeres, with Coventry’s previous record the £13million received when Robbie Keane joined Inter Milan in 2000.

Gyokeres scored 23 goals in 50 appearances last term to help Coventry to the Championship play-off final, where they lost to Luton on penalties.

Gyokeres, capped 14 times by Sweden, joined Coventry from Brighton on loan in January 2021 before making the move permanent in that summer, signing a three-year contract. In all, he score…

Best odds: 23/25

Bookmaker:

Borussia Monchengladbach will be welcoming perpetual champions Bayern Munich to the Borussia-Park on Saturday afternoon, for what will be a match of the 21st round of the ongoing season in the Bundesliga.

Needless to say, there s plenty riding on this game for both sides both could do with fresh three points as they strive to accomplish their respective goals between now and the end of the season.

Borussia Monchengladbach

Gladbach enjoyed excellent domestic seasons in 2018/19 and 2019/20, finishing the latter in the top four and qualifying for the Champions League. However, after that they quickly went back to being an average, mid-table side in the German top flight still very respectable, but not really top class.

T…

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is determined to keep hold of the “limitless potential” of in-form striker Alexander Isak.

The 24-year-old Sweden international scored his 19th goal of the season and his eighth in nine Premier League outings in Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw with Everton hours after headlines suggested North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham are ready to battle it out for his signature this summer.

However, the Magpies’ head coach is determined to hang on to his £63million record signing, who arrived on Tyneside during the summer of 2022 after learning his trade at AIK Solna, Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund and Real Sociedad in Spain.

15th goal of the season for Alex Isak!

— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC)

Asked about Isak, Howe…

AC Milan winger Alexis Saelemaekers has joined Bologna on a season-long loan with an option to buy.

The Belgium international joined the 2021/22 Serie A winners in 2020 and made 98 appearances, scoring five times.

Saelemaekers becomes Thiago Motta’s eighth signing of the summer window and could feature in Bologna’s next league match against Cagliari on Saturday.

…

Hansi Flick admitted his Bayern Munich team were tired and ripe to be punished after a 2-1 defeat at Mainz delayed title celebrations.

Chasing the win that would have clinched a ninth successive Bundesliga title, Bayern gave a lethargic display and a last-gasp goal from Robert Lewandowski was as much as they deserved.

Mainz seized advantage as the one-time strugglers took their points tally to 28 from 16 games under new head coach Bo Svensson, soaring five points clear of the relegation zone.

Bayern boss Flick said:  We all know that just as the team has often shown its quality, something like that can happen. It s a shame we couldn t take the step today.

But you have to understand that the team is tired. We were too harmless.

We want to win …

Arsenal are currently negotiating with the representatives of Ben White over a new contract for the defender, according to multiple sources.

White joined Arsenal from Brighton and Hove Albion in 2021 for a reported fee of more than £50 million. He arrived as a versatile defender, playing mostly as a centre-back, but versatile enough to do a good job on the defensive flanks or even as a defensive midfielder. His first season at the Emirates saw him forge a good centre-back partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes, but since William Saliba rejoined the club after his last loan spell, White has been spending the majority of his playing time as a right-back.

The 26-year-old has obviously established himself as a regular starter under Mikel Arteta, and it s no wonder the club are…

Gareth Southgate is now ambivalent towards the constant scrutiny he and England face, unsurprised his team were criticised even after making a winning start to Euro 2024.

England beat Serbia 1-0 on Sunday and have the opportunity to secure their place in the last 16 against Denmark on Thursday.

Victory would mark the first time the Three Lions have started a Euros campaign with back-to-back wins. Indeed, prior to last weekend s match, they had only once won their championship opener – also under Southgate at Euro 2020.

Those facts were relayed to Southgate on the eve of the Denmark match, with the England manager asked if too much was expected of a team whose stuttering second-half performance against Serbia was picked apart by fans and pundits.

But Sou…