FOOTBALL

World Cup Predictions: England vs Iran

Published

2 years ago

November 20, 2022

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England’s mission to win their first international trophy since winning the World Cup in 1966 begins when they face Iran at the Khalifa International Stadium.

Iran will feel they have been dealt a bad hand as they will have to compete against three teams that are within the top 20 in the FIFA rankings for a spot in the knockout stages.

But Team Meli will rely on their defensive resilience to grind out a positive result against the Euro 2020 finalists.

The current crop of England players is full of young, talented, and confident footballers, and their performances in international competitions have been encouraging thus far.

The Three Lions made it to the World Cup semifinals for the first time in 28 years in Russia before setting up a Euro 2020 final against Italy.

England are still trophyless in the post-1966 era, but Southgate’s troops have come the closest to ending that drought.

Many would point towards their dismal UEFA Nations League campaign and a winless run of six games heading into the tournament. But with the World Cup only weeks away, England players could be forgiven for their lapse of concentration.

Iran’s recent form

Iran will make their third successive World Cup appearance in Qatar 2022.

However, their participation became doubtful when Ukraine officially asked FIFA to expel them from the World Cup because of Iran’s pro-Russia stance in the Russia-Ukraine war.

Even a section of Iran’s own fans demanded to banish Iran from the competition because of Iran’s treatment of female fans.

Carlos Queiroz’s men wrapped up their World Cup preparations with a 2-0 loss over Tunisia.

The loss marked Iran’s third defeat in their last 22 matches, but Iran’s lack of threat in front of the opposition goal will be a cause of concern for Quieroz.

Not finding the net against fellow World Cup team Tunisia will not do much favour to boost the morale of Iran’s forwards.

Historically, Iran have scored 0.6 goals per match in the World Cup, which is the worst return for any World Cup teams which have played double digit number of matches in the tournament.

Team News

Man City fullback Kyle Walker flew with the team to Qatar, but he will not be available to play against Iran as he recovers from injury.

So, Newcastle star Kieran Trippier is expected to get the nod at right-back.

James Maddison missed a few training sessions, which indicates he might not be involved as well.

In their Euro campaign, Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips were England’s go-to midfield combo. Phillips is available for selection, but Southgate might hand Jude Bellingham his first World Cup start since the Man City man did not play much football after returning from a lengthy injury layoff.

Iran left their experienced midfielder Omid Ebrahimi at home as he sustained an unfortunate groin injury. But, Quieroz was unwilling to give up on Bayer Leverkusen striker Sardar Azmoun who has a calf muscle injury.

The England match will come too soon for Azmous, so Porto’s Mehdi Taremi will take on the scoring responsibilities.

Former Brighton forward Alireza Jahanbakhsh will also feature in the Iran attack.

Our Prediction

Iran have never managed to win against a European opposition in the World Cup and it seems unlikely that will change on Monday.

England will bring too much firepower for Iran too hold off. Our prediction is a 3-1 win for England.

FOOTBALL

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

Published

9 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

9 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

9 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.