Latest news with #ProLeague
Yahoo
42 minutes ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bayern's out-of-favour star Palhinha linked with return to Fulham
Premier League outfit Fulham are interested in re-signing Joao Palhinha just a year after selling him to Bayern Munich (h/t The Daily Mail). The Portuguese midfielder has struggled to live up to expectations, enduring a disappointing debut season marked by injuries and limited playing time. Advertisement He failed to gain the trust of manager Vincent Kompany, making only six starts in 17 Bundesliga games. Although Palhinha wants to fight for his place in the squad, Bayern are planning to sell him for an appropriate offer. He was also left out on the bench in the Club World Cup's opening game against Auckland City, which indicates that he is still down the pecking order. It would be a tall order for Palhinha to break into the starting XI regularly ahead of Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Leon Goretzka. The arrival of 19-year-old midfielder Tom Bischof from Hoffenheim could further dent Palhinha's chances. Advertisement The Cottagers may provide him with an escape route this summer, although his considerable wages could pour cold water on the deal. Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic patrolled the midfield to great effect last season, as Marco Silva's side finished 11th in the table. With Tom Cairney set to leave Craven Cottage at the end of the month, Palhinha's return could bolster their engine room. Premier League giants Manchester United have expressed interest in a loan move for Palhinha. Bayern are also looking to offload Kingsley Coman, who has attracted interest from Saudi Pro League clubs. However, the French winger is determined to stay at the Allianz Arena and continue his association with the German champions. Advertisement Bayern have suffered a setback in their search for a high-profile winger, with top target Nico Williams edging closer towards a move to Barcelona. AC Milan's Rafael Leao is also high on the wishlist, but Bayern need to spend up to €80 million to secure his services.
Hindustan Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
After six straight losses, India seek a turnaround
NEW DELHI: 'There's a realistic chance to qualify for the World Cup if we stick to the plan in the Pro League,' India vice-captain Hardik Singh had said just before departing for Europe for the second half of the FIH Pro League late last month. The Indian men's hokcey team's six successive losses have seen them just about avoid a last-place finish, which would have relegated them to the lower tier FIH Nations Cup. (Hockey India) The two-time Olympic bronze medallist was quite confident. And why wouldn't he be. The Indian men's hockey team was placed third after the home leg of the elite nine-nation tournament with five wins in eight games. They had beaten the likes of reigning world champions Germany and the feisty England and needed a decent run to make the cut for the 2026 FIH World Cup. With Olympic champions Netherlands and Belgium having already qualified as hosts and Australia making the cut as last edition's Pro League champions, the Harmanpreet Singh-led outfit needed to finish fourth to qualify for the World Cup. But all hell broke loose in Europe. From being in a position to qualify for the World Cup, six successive losses have seen the Craig Fulton-coached side just about avoid a last-place finish, which would have relegated them to the lower tier FIH Nations Cup. With two matches to go against Belgium, India are placed eighth and Ireland ninth in the Pro League table. It wasn't as if that India didn't fight or did not score goals or crumbled under pressure. In the two matches against hosts and world No.1 Netherlands, Harmanpreet and company opened the scoring and led the reigning Olympic champions in front of a partisan crowd at Amstelveen's Wagener Stadium — the venue for next year's World Cup. India were also very competitive against world No.6 Argentina and even led against the South American team in the second game. And against defending champions Australia, India were up 2-0 thanks to forward Abhishek's brace only to give away the advantage and lose. In all six games, the common factor in India's losses was conceding goals in the final quarter, a perennial Achilles heel for the Asian champions. While it appeared for some time that India had slowly moved away from conceding late goals, but old habits die hard; they have once again gone back to the old ways. India's forwards have regularly scored and so has the Indian penalty corner (PC) battery but the area where the team has failed is ironically the defence with India chief coach Fulton's main mantra being 'defend to win'. And this despite having experienced players such as skipper Harmanpreet, Amit Rohidas and Sumit as fullbacks. A World Cup berth would have relieved the team management of the stress of having to win and qualify via the Asia Cup, to be held in Rajgir, Bihar, in August-September. Had India qualified through the Pro League — which offered the best chance this time around — the management could have tried multiple combinations and newer players in the continental event. Though India unquestionably is the strongest Asian side, it isn't going to be a cakewalk at the Asia Cup. And if the hosts miss that opportunity too, it will be a game of nerves in the World Cup qualifiers in February-March. And we all know how the Indian team's women counterparts missed the bus for the Paris Olympics early last year. With Ireland assured of the ninth spot, India have escaped the ignominy of relegation and will be hoping to turn the tables against former world and Olympic champions Belgium in the two games on Saturday and Sunday in Antwerp. 'The results have not gone as planned and it's not that we have played badly. It hurts more when you play well but not convert that into desired result,' Hardik said on Friday. 'This is something we will introspect upon, but for now we are focused on the last two matches here. Belgium and India have always shared a healthy rivalry in recent times and both teams bring out the best in each other. Our focus will be on finishing well, ensuring tighter defence and creating chances to score.'
The Independent
7 hours ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Manchester City vs Al Ain prediction: Expect goals in Club World Cup clash in Atlanta
Manchester City vs Al Ain tips: Manchester City face UAE side Al Ain in the second of their Club World Cup matches in Atlanta in the early hours of Monday morning. Pep Guardiola's side sit joint top of the Group G table with Juventus after both sides won their opening games. City ran out 2-0 winners against Wydad Casablanca on Wednesday, with goals from Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku, before young defender Rico Lewis was sent off, so he will miss Monday's game through suspension. Juve ran out 5-0 winners against City's next opponents, in Washington, with Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceição both scoring twice. The Italian side dominated all the statistics, with almost 64% of possession, more shots on target and more touches in the box, and we expect a similar pattern for City. Al Ain, managed by Vladimir Ivic, finished fifth in the Pro League, so it's easy to see why they were no match for Juventus. Since winning their second AFC Champions League title two seasons ago, they have struggled to rediscover that form, losing six and drawing the other two of their matches as they tried to defend their title, finishing bottom of the re-formatted league phase. Manchester City vs Al Ain prediction: City to shine in Atlanta After enduring their own difficult spell last season, City head into Monday's game winning eight of their last 10 matches, in all competitions, which helped them eventually finish third in the Premier League table. They have added several new signings to their squad since then, including Rayan Cherki and Tijjani Reijnders, who both made their debuts against Wydad. Midfielder Rodri made only his second appearance since September as he continues his recovery from a cruciate ligament injury, coming off the bench after an hour. Football betting sites are all backing City for the win at 1/14, while you can get 33/1 on an Al Ain win and 12/1 on a draw. The big question will be how many City can win by, and you can get 9/1 on them matching the 5-0 win secured by Juventus, but they would love to go one better to give themselves a chance of winning the group. Betting sites are offering 16/1 in the latest Club World Cup odds on a 6-0 win and it's not something you would rule out, especially as Erling Haaland hasn't found his stride just yet. However, we're going to cover the bases by taking over 5.5 goals in the match. Manchester City vs Al Ain prediction 1: Over 5.5 goals - 9/2 Bet365 Manchester City vs Al Ain betting: Fresh Foden in form Phil Foden scored one and provided an assist for the other on Wednesday and Guardiola will be hoping this is a sign of things to come from the England star. The 25-year-old has declared it is a 'new season, fresh me' after struggling for form for large parts of last season, which saw him score just 10 goals in 45 appearances for his boyhood club. This is a stark contrast to the previous season, when he netted 28 goals for club and country and City won the Premier League and England reached the final of the European Championships. We all know that when Foden does score, it usually sparks a goalscoring run. He broke a run of 20 games without a goal, last time out, but before that, he netted six goals in six games. Betting apps have him at 5/1 to score first or last and 6/5 to score at any time, and you can get 13/2 on him scoring two or more as he did against Brentford and Ipswich in consecutive matches earlier this season. Manchester City vs Al Ain prediction 2: Phil Foden to score at any time - 11/10 Bet365 Please gamble responsibly When having a bet, it's vital to practice responsible gambling. Betting can be addictive and it's important to stay in control of your betting. Never treat gambling as a way to make money, never bet more than you can afford and when the fun stops, stop. Gambling sites offer punters tools, like deposit limits, profit and loss trackers and self-exclusion options, to help them stay in control. But if you ever feel like you need help or advice on gambling addiction, don't hesitate to contact one of the charities or organisations below.
The Hindu
8 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
FIH Pro League 2025: Winless Indian men's and women's teams seek positive results after string of losses
Their dream of booking a direct ticket to next year's World Cup crushed after six consecutive losses in the European leg of Pro league, India is now hoping to conclude its campaign on a positive note with wins in its last two matches against Belgium. The Indian men's hockey team will take on world No. 3 Belgium in consecutive matches here on Saturday and Sunday. After a good outing in the home leg earlier this year, the Indian men entered the European leg with high hopes, but had a horrendous outing instead. The losses meant India slipped from third to the eighth and penultimate position in the nine-team standings. The winner of the Pro League will automatically qualify for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Belgium and Netherlands. Against Netherlands, India lost 1-2 and 2-3, followed by defeats against Argentina (2-3, 1-2) and Australia (2-3, 2-3). It was not that India played badly throughout the European leg, but what cost it dearly was its perennial habit of conceding late goals. The Indian defence crumbled under pressure at late stages, evidence of which was its opponents scoring most of their winners in the last 13 minutes of the match. India's senior players committed elementary mistakes when put under pressure. Harmanpreet Singh has stood tall in defence but the likes of Amit Rohidas and Sumit need to buckle up to support young goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera. The Indian forward line too needs to convert the chances that come its way. Cheif coach Craig Fulton would also be worried about the team's penalty corner conversion rate, although Harmanpreet scored a few. Women's team also struggling The Indian women's team has suffered four consecutive losses so far in London. It lost 2-3 and 1-2 against Australia, and went down 1-4 and 2-0 to Argentina. However, under chief coach Harendra Singh, the women played fast-paced attacking hockey with sharp passes. But they were found wanting in penalty corner conversions. The women too will play Belgium in back-to-back matches on Saturday and Sunday, and will look for their first win in the European leg. The team is currently placed seventh in the nine-team standings and will end its campaign with consecutive matches against China in Berlin on June 28 and 29.
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Winless Indian men's and women's teams seek positive results after string of losses
Antwerp , Their dream of booking a direct ticket to next year's World Cup crushed after six consecutive losses in the European leg of Pro league, India are now hoping to conclude their campaign on a positive note with wins in their last two matches against Belgium. The Indian men's hockey team will take on world No.3 Belgium in consecutive matches here on Saturday and Sunday. After a good outing in the home leg earlier this year, the Indian men entered the European leg with high hopes, but they had a horrendous outing instead. The losses meant India slipped from third to the eighth and penultimate position in the nine-team standings. The winner of the Pro League will automatically qualify for the World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Belgium and Netherlands. Against Netherlands, India lost 1-2 and 2-3, followed by defeats against Argentina and Australia . It was not that India played badly throughout the European leg, but what cost them dearly was their perennial habit of conceding late goals. The Indian defence crumbled under pressure at late stages, evidence of which was their opponents scoring most of their winners in the last 13 minutes of the match. India's senior players committed elementary mistakes when put under pressure. Harmanpreet has stood tall in defence but the likes of Amit Rohidas and Sumit need to buckle up to support young goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak and Suraj Karkera. The Indian forward line too needs to convert the chances that comes their way. Cheif coach Craig Fulton would also be worried about the team's penalty corner conversion rate, although Harmanpreet scored a few from them. Women's team also struggling ===================== The Indian women's team has suffered four consecutive losses so far in London. They lost 2-3 and 1-2 against Australia, and went down 1-4 and 2-0 to Argentina. However, under chief coach Harendra Singh, the women played fast-paced attacking hockey with sharp passes. But they were found wanting in penalty corner conversions. The women too will play Belgium in back-to-back matches on Saturday and Sunday, and will look for their first win in the European leg. The team is currently placed seventh in the nine-team standings and will end their campaign with consecutive matches against China in Berlin on June 28 and 29.
