NFL Underdogs: NFL Picks, and Predictions For the Conference Championship Round

Pep Guardiola feels setting a points target would be a mistake for Manchester City as they seek to defend the Premier League title for the first time.

No team has won back-to-back Premier Leagues since Manchester United under Alex Ferguson in 2008-09, with City failing on their two previous attempts.

City won the league by 19 points last season, smashing a host of records as former Barcelona and Bayern Munich coach Guardiola collected a maiden Premier League crown.

But the Catalan says he is not motivated by the prospect of setting further landmarks with his side, noting clubs such as Chelsea have struggled to follow up their successes.

It s not the point. I m not here to say we have to win by 20 points, Guardiola said at a news conference on Friday. To …

Bayern Munich will check on Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich ahead of their final Bundesliga match before the winter break against Wolfsburg.

The midfield pair missed the weekend win over Stuttgart with illness and they are still being monitored.

Goalkeeper Sven Ulreich is not fit to return to the squad so Daniel Peretz will continue to deputise.

Tuchel on the squad: We re hoping that no other players fall ill. We re checking in regularly with Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich. It will be tight for both of them. We re assuming that everyone else is available to play.

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN)

“We hope there are no more ill players,” Thomas Tuchel said on the club’s official website. “It’s an hourly update with Leon Goretzka …

Best Odds: 23/20

Bookmaker:

Simply looking to sign off their EURO 24 qualifying adventure with a final statement, England will make the trip to North Macedonia on Monday night.

North Macedonia

Starting with the hosts, while North Macedonia might have signed off October’s international break with an eye-catching 3-1 victory at home against Armenia, the Lynxes have continued to struggle with their qualifying stability this year. Marking their return to Group C duties over the weekend with an action-packed 5-2 loss at the hands of reigning European champions Italy, Blagoja Milevski s squad have won just a pair of their previous seven appearances across all competitions a run that stems back to March 27th. Knowing that they face a monumental challenge when they r…

Retired former Netherlands winger Arjen Robben has not ruled out the possibility of resuming his playing career.

The 35-year-old called time on a 19-year period as a professional in July.

Groningen product Robben spent 10 seasons at Bayern Munich following spells with PSV, Chelsea and Real Madrid.

He won league titles in Germany, Holland, England and Spain and says he could consider returning to the pitch if the spirit of competition proves too great to ignore.

I always say: never say never, Robben told NPO Radio.

goals
 South Africa 2010
 Brazil 2014

All the best in retirement, Arjen Robben!  

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup)

Maybe in one or two months I ll have a strange feeling that I miss the whole thing t…

Pep Guardiola could not rule out the possibility that Manchester City will have to win all their remaining Premier League games to overhaul Liverpool in the title race.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday s trip to Newcastle United, the City manager acknowledged Jurgen Klopp s side were unlikely to drop many points.

The Reds have a four-point cushion at the summit, although their next match at home to Leicester City is not until Wednesday, so the reigning champions have a chance to cut the gap.

City reached the 100-point mark last season and Guardiola was asked if a similar feat may be required to retain their crown.

I would say it s not breaking the record, that doesn t matter, but we ll have to win a lot of games. They ll not drop too many, said Guardiola, whose…

Luis Suarez scored two and orchestrated another as Inter Miami cruised to a 4-1 win over Chicago Fire at Soldier Field on Saturday.

His shot led to the opening own goal before his second-half double put the game out of reach as Miami stretched their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to nine points.

Suarez played a neat one-two with Diego Gomez to set up a strike from the edge of the box, and though Chris Brady did well to save it, he pushed it straight against Tobias Salquist, who chested it over the line 25 minutes in.

The Uruguayan thumped a free header against the bar minutes later, but finally got his reward just after the break – he raced in behind before slotting a neat shot in at the near post.

Alba then picked him out for his second in …

Cristiano Ronaldo thought by the age of 35 he would be a fisherman in Madeira and remains convinced of Champions League glory with Juventus.

The Portugal superstar celebrated his birthday on Wednesday and reflected on a glittering career during which he has become acknowledged as one of the all-time greats.

Ronaldo has won top-flight titles in England, Spain and Italy, the Champions League with Manchester United and Real Madrid, celebrated European Championship and Nations League glory with his country, and is also a five-time Ballon d Or winner.

Such accomplishments were beyond the expectations of Ronaldo when he dreamed of becoming a footballer.

At 35? I thought I was going to be a fisherman in Madeira, he said to Canal 11.

This never came int…

Prediction: Draw

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The waiting is almost over as UEFA Euro 2020 prepares to get underway tomorrow night. There are plenty of storylines to be discussed heading into this tournament and as we look ahead to the next few days, it s clear to see we re going to get kicking off with a bang across a handful of groups. Today, we re going to be taking a look at what should be an enticing affair between Group A rivals Wales and Switzerland at the Baku National Stadium.

Wales

Five years ago at Euro 2016, Wales were the definition of a surprise package as they managed to make it all the way through to the semi-finals. While they were ultimately unable to make it all the way to the final, they were still able to announce themselves to the wa…

Best Odds: 4/6

Bookmaker:

Two sides who find themselves battling it out at opposite ends of the Serie A table, AC Milan will make the trip to a struggling Empoli on Sunday lunchtime.

Empoli

Starting with the hosts, while Empoli might have eventually cruised their way to Serie A safety last season, the Blues are enduring a major top-flight struggle this season. Putting in another toothless performance as they signed off 2023 with a 0-0 stalemate against Cagliari, Aurelio Andreazzoli’s side are rightfully tipped as a leading relegation contender this year. Battling it out in the drop zone and knowing they face another monumental challenge on Sunday afternoon, the Azzurri are without a win from any of their previous six Serie A appearances. Putting just 13 point…

Frank Lampard knows new head coach Mikel Arteta will soon have to turn Arsenal s fortunes around, even if his status as a popular former captain gives him an early advantage at Emirates Stadium.

Arteta will lead Arsenal out at home for the first time against rivals Chelsea on Sunday, having started his tenure with a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in midweek.

The Spaniard, who played for the Gunners between 2011 and 2016, left his role as Pep Guardiola s assistant at Manchester City to replace the sacked Unai Emery earlier this month.

Lampard, in the visiting dugout this weekend, enjoyed a warm welcome at Chelsea due to his status as a club great, yet he is learning results must swiftly follow.

I certainly found that it helps with knowing some faces behind the…