England will have to overcome a wretched record in European Championship knockout matches if they are to get past their old nemesis Germany in the round of 16 on Tuesday.

The Three Lions go into the match having never won a knockout game in 90 minutes at the Euros, with four of their previous six attempts ending level and two leading to defeats.

Four of those past instances went to penalty shootouts and England only progressed from one of them, against Spain in Euro 96.

That victory came at Wembley, so perhaps the locale of Tuesday s clash will at least provide England with an edge – after all, they are unbeaten in their 14 Euros and World Cup matches (excluding penalty shootouts) at the Home of Football .

While former Germany international Stefan Effen…

Manchester City suffered a shock defeat as their seemingly inevitable march to the Premier League title hit a bump in the road with a last-gasp 2-1 loss to 10-man Leeds United.

Pep Guardiola shuffled his pack with this fixture sandwiched between both legs of their Champions League quarter-final with Borussia Dortmund, and his much-changed side fell behind to Stuart Dallas opener late in the first half.

A red card for Leeds captain Liam Cooper seemingly tilted the game in City s favour and they eventually broke down their undermanned opponents when Ferran Torres equalised 14 minutes from time.

But Marcelo Bielsa s men caught City on the counter as they pressed for the winner, Dallas latching on to Ezgjan Alioski s throughball and sliding his second through Ederson…

Fernandinho s Manchester City legacy will be different to those fan favourites who have departed the Etihad Stadium over recent seasons but no less impressive.

The veteran defensive midfielder has signed a one-year contract extension until June 2022, which will take him past his 37th birthday.

Speaking after news of the contract was confirmed, Fernandinho said the job is not yet done in reference to City s failure to add a maiden Champions League crown to a third Premier League title in four seasons under Pep Guardiola when they lost 1-0 to Chelsea in Porto.

A haul of 12 major honours overall makes him one of the key figures in City s modern era and now the last remaining figurehead of the pre-Guardiola era.

Former City centre-back Nedum Onuoha shared a …

The one-year postponement of the Copa America gave Argentina vital time as they sought to avoid squandering probably the most precious asset ever granted to any international team in football history.

A yawning gap remains in Lionel Messi s glittering collection of honours. At club level, the Barcelona superstar has won it all, won it again and won it some more just for good measure. For Argentina, he is yet to lift a major honour.

Rather than an international tournament, Messi spent the last close-season negotiating his next move – which ultimately meant staying in Catalonia. His contract is up again in 2021, but the legendary forward must also negotiate the rearranged Copa this time.

Realistically, this tournament and the 2022 World Cup in Qatar represent…

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Two camps who will know that they can officially punch their EURO 24 knockout stage ticket on Saturday evening, Turkey and Portugal will meet in rural Germany.

Turkey

Starting with Turkey, managing to overcome what was an almighty challenge against European debutants Georgia earlier in the week as they eventually claimed a 3-1 victory, Vincenzo Montella’s men will be desperate to spring a major upset here. However, despite gaining plenty of plaudits following on from their EURO 24 qualifying adventure last year, the Crescent Stars have struggled with their consistency since opening the New Year. Getting hit with an infamous 6-1 drumming at the hands of Austria, Turkey will be worried by their most recent showdown against their Group …

When it comes to reputations, once you have one, they are hard to shake.

Kevin Muscat knows that better than most, having earned a reputation as a hardman throughout his playing career in Australia and the UK, where he was the ultimate villain, but despite his combative approach, there was more to his game.

Muscat, who retired from professional football in 2011, was always comfortable with the ball at his feet, preferring to play out from the back. His teams mirror that view, as he now finds himself following in the footsteps of Aussie trailblazer Ange Postecoglou once again in Japan.

The captain of Melbourne Victory in their first A-League Men season in 2005, Muscat replaced Postecoglou as head coach at AAMI Park in 2013 after the now Celtic manager took charge…

Milan head coach Stefano Pioli wants to write a new page of history as the Rossoneri chase a first Scudetto in 11 years.

Pioli s side sit three points clear at the Serie A summit after edging past Cagliari 1-0 on Saturday, their third consecutive victory by that scoreline.

Fellow title contenders Napoli and Inter remain in close company, with Luciano Spalletti s team three points back and the defending champions six adrift, albeit with a game in hand.

Massimiliano Allegri s Juventus are also just seven behind the league leaders as Milan nudge towards a first Serie A title since the 2010-11 campaign.

While his players continue to deliver on the pitch, Pioli was keen to credit his relationship with the club s former centre-back and current technical dir…

Liverpool s one club mentality has been proven by their run to the EFL Cup final, according to Jurgen Klopp s assistant Pep Lijnders.

Reds assistant coach Lijnders has taken all of the pre-match news conferences ahead of EFL Cup games this season and Liverpool saw no reason to break with that tradition ahead of Sunday s clash with Chelsea at Wembley.

It will be the third major final between the sides, with Chelsea winning the previous two meetings – 3-2 in the 2004-05 EFL Cup and 2-1 in the 2011-12 FA Cup.

Liverpool, however, are in the hunt for a record ninth EFL Cup crown, with their last success in the competition coming in 2012 via a penalty shoot-out win over Cardiff City. This is their 13th final in the competition – at least four more than any other …

Newcastle travel to Tottenham on Sunday desperately searching for form away from St James’ Park. The Magpies, who won eight times on the road last season as they surged to a fourth-place finish, have collected three points away from Tyneside only once in seven attempts so far this season, courtesy of an 8-0 drubbing of Sheffield United. Spurs have lost their last three games on their own pitch to Chelsea, Aston Villa and West Ham. Something seemingly has to give.

Everton back in business

How things stand after Matchweek 15

— Premier League (@premierleague)

Everton’s response to the 10-point penalty which has left them fighting for their top-flight lives has been hugely impressive. Thursday night’s 3-0 victory over Newcastle – their fourth in six leag…

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In what is a heavyweight Portuguese showdown on Wednesday night, Benfica will welcome Braga to the Estadio da Luz.

Benfica

Starting with the hosts, making real history last season as they got their hands on a first domestic crown since 2019, Benfica are enjoying another major Primeira Liga romp this time around. Opening up the New Year with another eye-catching display as they cruised their way to a 3-0 victory against Arouca, Roger Schmidt’s side have won each of their last five straight appearances across all competitions. Receiving a string of plaudits from across the continent this year and guaranteeing a Europa League knockout stage ticket, the Eagles have also not suffered a single loss since way back on November 8th. Signing o…