The knockout phase was ushered in by Edinson Cavani and Uruguay in Sochi as Cristiano Ronaldo exited the World Cup along with Lionel Messi.
Cavani was at the double, upstaging five-time Ballon d Or winner Ronaldo, to see Uruguay to a 2-1 win at Fisht Stadium and a spot in the quarter-finals.
While there was plenty of action on the field, the atmosphere failed to live up to that produced by fans of Peru, who left this particular Omnisport reporter stunned just days earlier along the Black Sea.
After Germany and Sweden rolled through town, it was a sea of red, reminiscent of a fixture in Lima, as Peru drowned out their Australia counterparts with deafening noise throughout the 90 minutes.
The Aussies struggled to match Peru and angered officials by weari…
Mikel Arteta has committed his future to Arsenal by penning a new long-term contract with the club.
Arteta took charge of the Gunners in December 2019 following Unai Emery s exit and has led them to successive second-placed Premier League finishes in the last two seasons.
The Spaniard, who made 150 appearances for Arsenal as a player between 2011 and 2016, also oversaw an FA Cup final victory over Chelsea in 2020 and has lifted the Community Shield on two occasions as the Gunners head coach.
Arteta had entered the final 12 months of his contract at the Emirates Stadium, but reports earlier this week claimed he had agreed a new deal to run until 2027.
Arsenal confirmed he had put pen to paper on Thursday, with co-chairman Josh Kroenke telling the club s we…
England reached their first European Championship final as an extra-time goal from Harry Kane sealed a 2-1 win over Denmark at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday.
The Three Lions had lost their only previous two semi-finals in the competition – against Yugoslavia in 1968 and Germany in 1996 – but Kane stroked home after his initial penalty had been saved by Kasper Schmeichel in the 104th minute to ensure they will face Italy in the Euro 2020 final on Sunday.
Mikkel Damsgaard had put Denmark ahead on the half-hour mark with a superb free-kick before Gareth Southgate’s side pulled level before the break when Simon Kjaer bundled into his own net under pressure from Raheem Sterling.
England were unable to find a winner inside 90 minutes, but Kane secured a m…
Juventus became Serie A champions for the eighth successive season by beating Fiorentina 2-1 at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday.
Success looked a formality for much of the campaign for Massimiliano Allegri s men, as they were once more far and away the best team in Italy and Napoli could not exert as much pressure as last term.
Just two league defeats Cristiano Ronaldo was rested in last weekend s loss to SPAL and also when they lost their unbeaten run at Genoa in March meant Napoli s hopes of clawing back a double-figure deficit had long since disappeared.
Allegri s side clinched the Scudetto with five matches to play, levelling the record for the fastest title triumph in Serie A history since three points were first awarded for a win in 1994-95.
Omnis…
Sunderland boss Martin O Neill is in desperate need of a victory at Norwich on Sunday
This weekend’s Premier League programme kicks-off at the Boleyn Ground, where West Ham host Chelsea.
The visitors have drawn their first two games 0-0 under new boss Rafa Benitez and have been poor.
The Blues are now seven points behind league leaders Manchester United and are in desperate of some inspiration.
The arrival of Benitez has yet to bring the best out of their expensively assembled squad.
The home side have enjoyed a good season so far, but are currently in the midst of a difficult run of games. Sam Allardyce’s men lost 1-0 at Manchester United last time out. The Irons have dropped into tenth place after consecutive defeats.
League leaders…
Four of Manchester City s six Premier League triumphs have gone right to the wire, where margins are so fine the title battle can be settled by a single man in a single moment.
Sergio Aguero of course set the standard in 2011-12 with surely the most iconic goal of the Premier League era, defeating QPR at the death and clinching a first City championship in 44 years.
Then, in 2018-19, it was Vincent Kompany s turn. Although the departing City captain made only 17 league appearances that year, he will forever be associated with the title win after his thunderous strike secured a vital late-season victory over Leicester City.
Where do you want your statue, Vincent Kompany? asked Sky Sports Gary Neville. Both Aguero and Kompany – and those celebrations – have…
Ahh, Week 2 of NFL betting, when opening week results can lead to overreactions from the public. We might be seeing one such line this Sunday as the Philadelphia Eagles host the San Francisco 49ers as 3-point underdogs.
The Eagles entered the season with the Over/Under on their win total set at just 6.5 but after a dominant performance in Week 1, they are seeing a short line as they welcome the Super Bowl contender 49ers to Lincoln Financial Field.
Here are our best free 49ers vs. Eagles picks and predictions for Sunday, September 19, with kickoff at 1 p.m. ET.
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The New England Patriots and Buffalo Bills will meet for the third time this season as the AFC East rivals will look to advance to the Divisional Round with a victory in Buffalo Saturday night. Temperatures are expected in the low-20s, but the wind will be a non-factor and the snow should hold off. This total has started to climb as bettors are realizing the weather shouldn’t be a major factor for either team.
Can Josh Allen throw for another 300 yards against what some think is an overrated New England defense? Can this Patriots offense play to its strength and have success on the ground versus the Bills’ No. 1 defense in EPA/play? Find out in our free player props and predictions for the Patriots vs. Bills.
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There’s a lot on the line Sunday night in the last game of the 2022-23 regular season. The Packers are on a roll and come in as 4.5-point home favorites, while the books are liking points in Lambeau with a 49.5 O/U in cold but clear conditions.
I’m liking both starting running backs to have big performances in what should be a slower-paced game than perhaps this total is indicating.
Here are my NFL player prop picks for Sunday Night Football’s battle between the Lions and Packers.
Also, be sure to check out our Rohit Ponnaioya’s full SNF betting preview, as well as Robert Criscola’s Aaron Rodgers spotlight props.
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The first four weeks of the 2023 NFL season have been a freefall for the Cincinnati Bengals, who bring a 1-3 record and banged-up superstar to the desert to face the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5.
The health of Joe Burrow is the biggest catalyst for Cincinnati’s stumbles, with the standout quarterback limited due to a lingering calf injury. Burrow’s ineffectiveness under center has the Bengals’ offense in the toilet, clipping the claws of an otherwise high-octane attack.
That slow start for Cincinnati, and a 3-1 against the spread mark from Arizona, has flipped the Week 5 odds on its ear. The preseason point spread for this non-conference clash was as big as Bengals -7.5, but the line has slipped below a field goal as we head toward the weekend…