Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini has described Spain as Italy's bogey team and urged their fans not to dream too much. Italy face the titleholders on Monday in their second round match in Paris in a rematch of the 2012 final in which Spain cruised to 4-0 win. Spain also beat Italy on penalties in the Euro 2008 quarter-finals after a 0-0 draw and again at the Confederations Cup semi-final in Brazil in 2013. Another meeting in a group match at Euro 2012 ended 1-1.
Belgium coach Marc Wilmots was happy to encourage speculation that Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku would be dropped for Saturday's 3-0 win over Ireland at Euro 2016 in which both not only played but were key performers.
Founded in 1992, Qarabag's Imarat Stadium is reduced to rubble and they play their home games 440km away in the capital Baku.
A brilliant 88th minute strike by Eder helped Italy beat Sweden in a Group E match at the Euro 2016 and seal a last 16 berth.
Romelu Lukaku's 50th league goal for Everton put them on the way to a deserved 2-0 victory over West Ham United on Sunday, ending a run of four league games without a win. It kept the Merseysiders sixth in the Premier League and West Ham in the bottom five.
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AS Roma's lingering hopes of catching Serie A leaders Juventus were virtually extinguished after two stunning Pepe Reina saves kept them at bay and Jose Callejon's late goal handed third-placed Napoli a 1-0 home win on Sunday.
Italy's Daniele De Rossi scored a late penalty to earn a 1-1 draw against Spain in their World Cup qualifier on Thursday, sparing home goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon's blushes after he gifted the visitors the lead. Buffon, making his 164th appearance, rushed out of his area as Vitolo broke clear but the 38-year-old completely mistimed his tackle, allowing the Spaniard to go round him and put the ball into an empty net in the 55th minute. Italy, who had been outplayed in the Group G clash, fought back and levelled in the 82nd when Eder was fouled by Sergio Ramos and De Rossi converted the spot kick, their only shot on target in the match.
Arsenal fought back from a goal down against old foes Chelsea to reach the League Cup final as Granit Xhaka poked home to complete a 2-1 second-leg win on Wednesday that set up a Wembley showdown with Manchester City.
Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will again be duelling for the title of world's best footballer after their names once again headed the shortlist on Thursday for The Best FIFA Men's Player.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte was fuming at the final whistle after Pedro and Alvaro Morata were dismissed in extra time and two penalty appeals had been waved away, but the Premier League champions regained their composure to win the shootout 5-3.
A stoppage time strike from Burak Yilmaz earned Galatasaray a 1-1 draw with Anderlecht in their opening Group D Champions League fixture on Tuesday after Dennis Praet had put the visitors on course for victory.
Records fell on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday as Manchester City beat Southampton 1-0 to become the first team to reach 100 points and Mohamed Salah established a new Premier League goalscoring mark as Liverpool clinched a top-four spot.
Sergio Aguero was acclaimed as "the best striker in the Premier League" by manager Manuel Pellegrini after his hat-trick helped Manchester City beat Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
Three matches into the Premier League season following a stunning title success by 5,000-1 outsiders LeicesterCity, the table already has a more familiar look.
Liverpool and champions Manchester City drew 0-0 at Anfield while Chelsea and Arsenal enjoyed comfortable away wins. City are top on goal difference from Liverpool and Chelsea with Arsenal two points behind.
Italy's victory over Belgium was celebrated as a triumph of the team over individual talents, but Friday's opponents Sweden are relying on the singular genius of frontman Zlatan Ibrahimovic to get their Euro 2016 campaign off the ground.
A clash between supposedly the two most expensive lineups in history overseen by two of the most decorated coaches will end the phoney war and ignite the Premier League season for real when Manchester United host Manchester City on Saturday.
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Chelsea's Spanish striker Diego Costa was named along with usual suspects Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 23- man FIFA Ballon D'Or short-list released on Tuesday.
Liverpool were sent spinning to a 2-0 defeat at promoted Burnley in the English Premier League on Saturday while Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 at Watford thanks to late goals from Michy Batshuayi and Diego Costa.
Premier League champions Chelsea eased past a disappointing Everton with goals from Spaniards Cesc Fabregas and Alvaro Morata sealing a 2-0 victory on Sunday.
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri ruled himself out of the running for the job of Italy head coach on Thursday and said he hoped to stay at the Premier League leaders for years to come.
Former Cup winners Coventry, now plying their trade in the bottom division of the Football League, revived memories of happier times as Jordan Willis and Jack Grimmer scored the goals in a 2-1 victory at the Ricoh Arena.
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Manchester City soared above the fog swirling round the Etihad Stadium to demolish Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 and leave the rest of the Premier League peering into the distance in search of Pep Guardiola's record-breaking team on Saturday.
Arsenal travel across town to a vengeful Chelsea on Saturday knowing that another depressing defeat at Stamford Bridge would see their Premier League title hopes swept away with the lunchtime leftovers.
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Napoli kept their hopes of a first Serie A title since 1990 alive with an epic 4-2 win over 10-man Inter Milan after a Carlos Tevez hat-trick had put leaders Juventus six points clear with a 4-0 rout of Sassuolo on Sunday.
For the past 10 years or more, the RBI has been turning down dozens of applications under the RTI Act that sought disclosing the list of wilful defaulters and the RBI's inspection reports. In fact, it is the only organisation that has a granular and complete view of the heist that has been going on for 25 years at least. But it has escaped any blame for the multiple rounds of bankruptcy and massive periodic recapitalisation of public sector banks caused by bad loans. In fact, they don't want anyone to know how incompetent and collusive they have been in handling bad loans, says Debashis Basu.
Irresistible Chelsea go into the Christmas round of fixtures knowing they can end the year by re-writing the record books.
Manchester City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chelsea.
Rediff.com brings a preview of the main matches coming up this weekend in the English Premier League.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
A Sergio Aguero hat-trick helped Manchester City get back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 3-1 victory over Newcastle United, as they stayed 12 points ahead of Manchester United who had to dig deep to secure a 1-0 win at Burnley.
Late goals from Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matric sealed a 4-2 victory for Chelsea over London rivals Tottenham Hotspur in a rip-roaring FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday.
For Ireland to reach the knockout stages at Euro 2016 they must achieve something they haven't done in 28 years - win a game at the European Championship. Martin O'Neill's team face an Italian side already guaranteed victory in Group E and manager Antonio Conte is likely to field many of his reserves, but it remains to be seen if Ireland can end their long winless streak in this must-win game.
Defender Giorgio Chiellini scored three times, including an own goal, as Italy beat Azerbaijan 2-1 in their Euro 2016 Group H qualifier in Palermo on Friday.
Balotelli made his debut for his hometown club after completing a four-match suspension that he was handed at Olympique de Marseille last season, while the visitors were without Cristiano Ronaldo as he recovers from injury.
A stunning strike from Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool secure a comfortable 2-1 win at Chelsea on Friday that ended the London club's unbeaten start to the season and underlined the growing potential of Juergen Klopp's side.
