FOOTBALL

Serie A Predictions: Napoli vs Roma

Published

2 years ago

October 22, 2022

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Serie A will see two of Italy’s best teams from the country’s southern region collide when Roma host the high-flying Napoli at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

Napoli are at the top of the pile with 26 points, while Roma will start the match only four behind the league leaders. A Derby del Sole will boost both of the team’s title credentials.

Napoli on a red hot streak

Napoli have emerged as a nearly unstoppable force this season under Luciano Spalletti.

The Partenopei have been on a 10-match winning streak across all competitions.

The last time they enjoyed a bigger winning run was when a certain Diego Armando Maradona used to play in the Napoli shirt. A win at the Italian capital will help them match their record winning streak of 11 matches which they set in 1986.

But it always has not been a walk in the park for the Neapolitans this season. Bologna threatened to end Napoli’s winning run in front of the Napoli faithful, but a 69th-minute strike from Victor Osimhen drew the line between the two sides in a 3-2 affair.

Goals have been thick on the ground for Napoli this season.

They have found the opposition net 25 times in 10 Serie A matches and an unbelievable 17 times in only four Champions League matches.

Napoli’s league haul of 25 goals can only be matched by Bayern Munich in Bundesliga. However, no other teams have scored more goals than the two-time Italian champions in the Champions League so far.

Their closest competitor is once again Bayern Munich, who have scored 13 times in Europe this season.

Roma in 4th position

Roma have not been the dominant side lately in the Derby del Sole.

The Giallorossi have been victorious only once in their last eight encounters with Napoli. They will have to look as far back as November 2019 to relive their last win against their southern rivals.

José Mourinho could not make Roma return to winning ways after taking the reigns of the club last season. But under the decorated Portuguese manager’s watch, Roma have been undefeated against Napoli.

Mourinho’s men returned with a 1-0 away win from Sampdoria last weekend, thanks to a decisive Lorenzo Pellegrini penalty. It was Roma’s seventh win in the league this season and kept Roma fourth in the league ahead of defending Serie A champions AC Milan.

However, Roma’s poor record against the league’s top sides casts a shadow of doubt over their ability to mount a significant title challenge. They did not win any of their last 12 matches against teams holding top positions.

Roma will be keen to buck the trend on Sunday when they take on Napoli and establish themselves as a genuine contender for the Serie A crown.

Team News

Luciano Spalletti will have to choose between Giacomo Raspadori and Giovanni Simeone, as Victor Osimhen has returned to full fitness.

All three forwards are in excellent form. So, it will be a big dilemma for the 63-year-old tactician.

André-Frank Zambo Anguissa has returned to training but might not get the nod to start yet. Spalletti will have to make do without his first-choice centre-back Amir Rrahmani once again, as he is out with a long-term abductor muscle injury.

Roma’s star forward Paulo Dybala finds himself in a race against time to regain fitness before the World Cup.

The Argentina international is only one of the names in Roma’s list of long-term absentees.

Marash Kumbulla, Zeki Celik, and Georginio Wijnaldum make up the rest of the list.

Nicolò Zaniolo is on a three-match suspension in Europe after seeing a red card in Roma’s Europa League clash with Real Betis. But he will be available for Serie A matches and will likely partner Tammy Abraham up front.

Both of the last two meetings between these two teams ended on level terms. But Napoli’s flamboyant form makes us believe they will bag another away win at Stadio Olimpico. We are expecting a 2-1 win for Napoli.

FOOTBALL

WATCH: Georgina Rodriguez makes huge claim on Cristiano Ronaldo’s retirement in Football

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Georgina Rodriguez made a huge claim on the future of her husband and star player, Cristiano Ronaldo, in Football. In a brief interaction with a host recently, Rodriguez was asked about the time left for Cristiano to make an impact at the highest level. Georgina looked honest in her approach to the question of the host and claimed something the fans would not love to hear.

Georgina claimed that the Portugal star has maybe one year more from him at the highest level. She felt that Ronaldo might play two more years before retiring and not more than that. She was however not sure if he would play for just one or two years and added that the Al Nassr star could also play more than that.

Watch the video of Georgina Rodriguez here –

🚨🎙️| Georgina Rodriguez on Cristiano Ronaldo’s future at Paris Fashion Week yesterday:

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know.”

(via @ArobaseGiovanny)pic.twitter.com/4dxw2j5DuC

— Pubity Sport (@pubitysport) March 3, 2024

“Cristiano one more year, then it’s over. Maybe two, I don’t know,” said Rodriguez in the little chat she had with the host. The video has gone viral on X and the fans have started sharing it on different platforms. Some of the fans feel that Georgina might be right, while others feel that she could be wrong, given the fitness and longevity of the star player.

Legacy of Cristiano Ronaldo

On the 5th of February, Ronaldo celebrated his 39th birthday. He is currently one of the oldest players in the world. In the past, players at this age would have retired way back. But the fitness and consistency of Ronaldo make him play the sport as long as he wishes. In his career so far, Ronaldo has won many major leagues for Portugal and league teams like Real Madrid, Al Nassr, and Manchester United.

With United, Portugal won some major leagues like the FA Cup and the Champions League. With Real Madrid, the 39-year-old won the leagues like the UCL, Copa Del Rey and La Liga. He won it three consecutive times for Real Madrid. For Portugal, Cristiano had a huge contribution to Portugal. He has the most number of appearances and goals for an international team and won the Euro 2016 with Portugal.

FOOTBALL

Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham slapped with Red Card as he argued with referee

Published

2 months ago

March 3, 2024

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Jude Bellingham shown Red Card (Image Credit: Twitter)

England and Real Madrid player Jude Bellingham was slapped with a Red Card during the La Liga game against Valencia. In the game, the home team, Valencia was leading by 2-0 after 30 minutes before Madrid scored in the injury time of the first half. Vinicius Junior opened the scoring for Madrid while Hugo Duro (27′) and Roman Yaremchuk (30′) scored a goal each.

In the 76th minute, Junior scored an equalizer to keep the team in the game. However, in the injury time of the second half, Bellingham was given a red card as he argued with the referee against calling it a full-time before he could score. In reply, the match official decided to slap the England international with a Red Card. The team coach Carlo Ancelotti wasn’t happy with the verdict as the Three Lions player was making a pass at the time.

Jude Bellingham verbally abusing officials and other footballers at the slightest provocation needs to be talked about more. It’s embarrassing he gets applauded by Real Madrid Fans.

Mason Greenwood should’ve allowed La Liga to deal with this simp. pic.twitter.com/ixYSw6YxaC

— Herman Facundo© (@hermanfacundo_7) March 3, 2024

“I think what’s just happened is unprecedented. It’s never happened to me,” Ancelotti told reporters.

“We had possession of the ball and the match should have been finished when Valencia had the ball.

“What bothers us is the red card for Bellingham because he didn’t say anything insulting. He was frustrated of course,” said Ancelotti, adding that Bellingham had used a common English swearword when telling the referee it was a goal.

We are annoyed with Jude Bellingham’s Red Card: Carlo Ancelotti

“We were annoyed with Bellingham’s red card. He didn’t say any insults. He said in English ‘it’s a f—ing goal,’ but he was just saying what we were all thinking … [The referee] allowed play to continue. I think he made a mistake.”

“[Bellingham] was clear in what he said,” Ancelotti added. “He was quite vehement [in his reaction] but that’s normal, after what happened. It wasn’t an insult, not at all.”

FOOTBALL

PL 2023-24: MCFC vs MUFC Dream11 Prediction, Playing XI, Fantasy League Today’s Captain, Vice-Captain, and more for Manchester derby

Published

2 months ago

March 2, 2024

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Super Sunday is set to witness the Manchester Derby in the Premier League 2023-24. The match between Manchester City (MCFC) and Manchester United (MUFC) is set to take place in Etihad Stadium, the home ground of Manchester City. The two teams have had a contrasting journey in the league till now. The fortunes of City changed ever since Pep Guardiola took over the club as the manager.

While the home side are placed in the second position in the points table currently, United are in the sixth place in the points table. In their previous encounter, City hammered Luton Town by 6-2 in the FA Cup. United have shown massive improvements in the last few weeks after not having a good start to their campaign. United were involved in a thrilling game where they beat Nottingham Forrest by 1-0 in their last game.

Both teams feature some of the best players in the world. The likes of Julian Alvarez, Erling Haaland, Marcus Rashford, Kevin De Bruyne, Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro, and others would be taking part in the match. Manchester City will start the match as the favourites, given their record in the ongoing league so far and the match taking place in their home. United with their improved record can challenge the home side.

MCFC vs MUFC – Match Details

Match – Manchester City (MCFC) vs Manchester United (MUFC), Premier League 2023-24

Venue – Etihad Stadium, Manchester

Date and Time – 3^rd March 2024, 21:00 IST

Live Coverage – Star Sports Network and Disney plus Hot Star

MCFC vs MUFC – Head-to-Head

Both the teams from Manchester have a rich history in the sport. they have been up against each other in 191 instances. In as many games, Manchester United have been historically the better side with 78 wins to their name. City have managed to win 60 wins, as 53 games ended in a draw. In the last five games between the two sides in the Premier League, City have won four of the five games.