The 2020-21 UEFA Futsal Champions League came to a dramatic conclusion in Zadar, Croatia, on Monday night with 2019 winner Sporting CP playing 2020 champion Barcelona.
Barça advanced to the final behind the play of two-time Best Player in the World Ferrão. The 30-year-old Brazilian scored a hat-trick in the club’s semifinal win over Kairat Almaty, adding to the goal he scored against Dobovec in the quarters.
When it comes to data and analytics in football, most people prefer looking at the statistical relationship between goals/assists and how that’s going to influence the performance of this goddamn Fantasy Premier League team that’s been tanking since December.
Just captain Harry Kane and be done with it.
But there’s an overlooked statistic that jams well with probability theory, namely, the player with the most nutmegs in Europe this season is probably the greatest footballer alive.
Adelaide United kept pace with Central Coast Mariners at the top of Australia’s A-League by defeating Macarthur 3-1 at Coopers Stadium on Wednesday.
Highlights from the match include 20-year-old winger Al Hassan Touré decimating three defenders at once, a lovely finish by Ben Halloran and a feral cat that clearly just wanted to try "the new Parmi Burger at Macca’s" … I have zero clue what’s going on at McDonald’s franchises Down Under but I like it.
BURNLEY - Frenchman Allan Saint-Maximin came off the bench to turn the game around for lowly Newcastle United as they came from behind to earn a vital 2-1 Premier League win at Burnley on Sunday.
Burnley had led through an 18th-minute goal from Czech striker Matěj Vydra and were well on top before substitute Saint-Maximin changed the game inside seven minutes with an assist and a goal.
Kylian Mbappé and Neymar put on a master-class in producing the unexpected on Wednesday, earning PSG three vital away goals at the Allianz Arena in a 3-2 win over world champion Bayern Munich in their Champions League quarterfinal first leg. With those two at their best and Robert Lewandowski out injured, PSG takes Bayern’s crown as the most decisive team on the planet in the final third.
When attempting to explain what made Ronaldo “O Fenômeno” ("The Phenomenon”), we usually like to focus on the frightening mixture of pace, technique and composure that added up to 15 World Cup goals and a career total of 309, of which 11% were scored after rounding the keeper.
Chelsea advanced to the semifinals of the FA Cup with a narrow 2-0 win over Sheffield United at Stamford Bridge on Sunday. An Oliver Norwood own goal opened the scoring for the Blues, but the Blades came close to equalizing on a number of occasions before Hakim Ziyech’s insurance strike in second half stoppage time put Thomas Tuchel’s side through.
Following a corner kick, it was Ben Chilwell’s hopeful hit back into the area that forced Norwood to turn it beyond Aaron Ramsdale.
Tottenham produced very little in the opening half of Sunday’s North London derby against Arsenal. The Gunners moved with more fluidity, occupied the more dangerous areas and limited a Spurs side starting with Harry Kane, Son Heung-min, Gareth Bale and Lucas Moura to just one shot.
But holy Ødegaard, you’ve never seen a shot quite like this one.