Guirassy matches Kiessling, Muller record with another opener

Stuttgart s Serhou Guirassy matched a Bundesliga record previously shared by Stefan Kiessling, Ailton and Gert Muller with his opener against Borussia Monchengladbach.

Guirassy put high-flying Stuttgart ahead in the 23rd minute on Saturday, in their final game of the season.

That goal marked the 12th time the striker has scored the opener in a Bundesliga match this season, which equalled the record set by the great Muller in 1969-70, then matched by Ailton in 2003-04 and Kiessling in 2012-13.

It also brought up Guirassy s 27th goal of a stellar campaign.

12 Serhou Guirassy has scored the opening goal in a match for the 12th time in this season s Bundesliga, equalling the Bundesliga record for a single campaign (like Stefan Kießling 2012-13, Ailton 2003-0…

Haaland worth €1billion, claims Man City star´s agent

Erling Haaland should be valued at €1billion in the current transfer market, according to the Manchester City star s agent.

The Norway international has taken the Premier League by storm since joining from Borussia Dortmund, scoring 32 goals in all competitions.

That is five more than his nearest challenger, Kylian Mbappe, across Europe s top five leagues this season, with the Paris Saint-Germain forward repeatedly drawing interest from Real Madrid.

Carlo Ancelotti s Spanish and European champions have previously also been credited with an interest in Haaland, whose agent Rafaela Pimenta believes it would take a record-breaking fee to secure his services.

Erling Haaland is worth €1billion. That s not a guess, I m sure of it, Pimenta told French broad…

Germany wins race to host Euro 2024

Germany will host Euro 2024 after seeing off a rival bid from Turkey, UEFA has confirmed.

It will be the first major international tournament staged in the country since the 2006 World Cup.

Germany are three-time European champions, having last triumphed at Euro 96.

Former Bayern Munich and Germany captain Philipp Lahm served as an ambassador for the bid, which will see games hosted in 10 cities.

Bayern s Allianz Arena, Borussia Dortmund s Westfalenstadion and Berlin s Olympiastadion are all included, while there will also be matches staged in Gelsenkirchen, Stuttgart, Hamburg, Dusseldorf, Cologne, Leipzig and Frankfurt.

Die findet in Deutschland statt!  

— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern)

Portugal are the reigning European ch…

Brazil v South Korea: Selecao out to make Pele proud as Neymar returns to contention

Brazil s World Cup last-16 clash with South Korea on Monday promises to be an emotional occasion for all associated with the Selecao.

The game comes after reports emerged on Saturday indicating legendary former striker Pele is now receiving palliative care in hospital after his body stopped responding to cancer treatment.

Pele helped Brazil to three World Cup successes and is revered by many as the greatest to ever play the sport.

The 82-year-old, whose condition is stable, remains an iconic figure for Brazilian football, and the team will undoubtedly have him at the front of their minds as they take on South Korea at Stadium 974 on Monday.

Current talisman Neymar will presumably be even more desperate to feature in the match, with tributes to Pele expect…

´Benzema is back´ – Ancelotti in bullish mood after Ballon d´Or holder´s return to fitness

Karim Benzema s return to full fitness has given Real Madrid a spring in their step heading into the second half of the season, according to Carlo Ancelotti.

Benzema struggled with persistent hamstring problems in the first few months of the season, which forced him to miss France s World Cup campaign in Qatar.

He has shrugged off those injury woes in recent weeks, though, scoring four goals in his past three games.

The latest came in Wednesday s Supercopa de Espana win over Valencia, which set up a mouth-watering final against arch rivals Barcelona on Sunday.

The Ballon d’Or holder is likely to lead the line against Xavi s side and Ancelotti is in no doubt the 35-year-old is fit and raring to go, declaring: Benzema is back.

That gives us a lo…

Prediction: Ajax vs Panathinaikos

Best odds: 4/5

Bookmaker:

Holding a one-goal advantage from the first leg, Ajax will host Panathinaikos in Amsterdam on Thursday, seeking to secure their spot in the Europa League play-offs.

The Dutch side took control of the third qualifying round tie with their win in Greece and are enjoying a strong start to the new season.

After surviving a few close calls, Ajax secured a narrow victory in Athens last week, with Steven Berghuis s first-half goal proving decisive. That slender 1-0 win gives them a slight edge heading into Thursday s return leg at the Johan Cruijff ArenA.

Ajax continued their positive form with another 1-0 victory, this time against Heerenveen in their Eredivisie opener, marking a solid start to life under new coach Francesco F…

Kane proud after closing on Shearer and Rooney hauls as Tottenham see off Forest

Harry Kane expressed his pride after moving to joint-third in the Premier League s all-time goalscoring charts with a brace in Tottenham s entertaining win over Nottingham Forest.

Kane scored the 200th league goal of his career after just five minutes at the City Ground, and although he saw a second-half penalty saved by Dean Henderson, the England captain atoned by nodding home a late second to secure a 2-0 win.

In doing so, Kane joined Andy Cole on 187 Premier League goals. Only Alan Shearer (260) and Wayne Rooney (208) have now scored more in the competition s history.

Kane described that duo as two of the all-time greats as he looked to take his goalscoring exploits even further after firing Spurs to victory on Sunday.

It s still a long way away, for…

Romania probe Euro 2012 corruption claims

Romania s anti-corruption court on Friday opened an inquiry into accusations of corruption made by a member of the Cypriot Football Federation (CFA) over the awarding of the right to host Euro 2012.

Romanian Football Federation president Mircea Sandu has denied reports that he is implicated in the affair, insisting that the Cypriot official in question had not mentioned either Romania or his name.

Spyros Marangos, a former treasurer of the CFA, claimed Poland and Ukraine s victory in the Euro 2012 bidding race was tainted by vote-buying involving five UEFA officials in which over 11 million euros changed hands.

Marangos reportedly said he had tried for two years to ensure that evidence would reach UEFA president Michel Platini.

Anti-corruption prosecuto…

Inzaghi highlights continuity as key for Inter in Serie A and Champions League challenge

Simone Inzaghi earmarked continuity as the key for Inter as they look to replicate domestic success in the Champions League this season.

The Nerazzurri romped to the Serie A title by 19 points last season and are fourth this term after six matches, albeit they are only two points back of Napoli.

However, they were knocked out in the last 16 of the Champions League last term having reached the final in the 2022-23 season.

They continue their latest tilt by welcoming Red Star Belgrade on Tuesday and Inzaghi said just finding some rhythm is going to be key for his side.

It s difficult to win (the title) and it s even more difficult to win again. But as far as the lads are concerned, they are working with great commitment, Inzaghi told reporters on Monday ah…

Prediction: Besiktas vs Neftchi Baku

Prediction: Besiktas to win 4-0

Best Odds:

Bookmaker:

Besiktas and Neftchi Baku will lock horns with each other in the UEFA Europa Conference League qualifier this week. It is the Qualifying Third Round tie between the club from Turkey and the team from Azerbaijan. Besiktas won the first leg of the tie 3-1 at the Neftçi Arena. The second leg of the tie will be held at the Beşiktaş Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 6pm UK time on Thursday.

Besiktas

Besiktas are one of the biggest clubs in Turkey and are known globally for their success in their country and for their passionate fans. Besiktas supporters are among the best in the world, and they will have been disappointed with how last season panned out.

Kara Kartallar finished third in…