Van Dijk sympathises with Mane as Senegal attacker ruled out of World Cup opener

Best odds: 29/10

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Atletico Madrid and Mallorca opened the 34th round of the 2019/20 La Liga campaign on Friday in a game which the Rojiblancos won rather convincingly by 3-0. The remaining games are set to be played over the following three days, but the one likely to attract the most attention will be the one in which Athletic Bilbao play host to Real Madrid at the San Mames on Sunday afternoon.

Athletic Bilbao

The Basque team have had a decent enough season. Reaching the Copa del Rey final is undoubtedly its highlight so far, though the date of it is still to be decided. Back in May, both teams (Real Sociedad being the other finalist) have agreed to postpone it until such time it can be played in front of the fans. But it is certainly a great chance…

According to a recent report from The Independent, Tottenham Hotspur have been heavily linked with a move for Benfica star Ruben Dias. The defender is currently valued at around £59 million, but even with Jose Mourinho coming into the mix, questions remain regarding the club’s ability to spend that kind of money on players on a consistent basis. The 22 year old has been a consistent bright spark with Benfica ever since making his way up through the system, and could well be an ideal replacement for Toby Alderweireld who is constantly being linked with a move away from North London. 

Dias has been linked to his fair share of top European clubs in the not so distant past before, with Spurs’ fellow Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers being one of them. However, you…

Market: Torino win

Odds: 19/20 @

Looking to make an immediate return to winning ways on Saturday night, Torino will welcome a struggling Sassuolo to Turin.

Starting with the hosts, after putting in an impressive display away at Inter Milan last weekend, Torino would have been heartbroken by their last-gasp 1-0 loss at the San Siro. Although the Bulls might have lost two of their last three Serie A outings, that doesn t tell the full story. Gaining plenty of plaudits from across Italy since opening the 2022/23 campaign, some in Ivan Jurić s camp could even have their sights set on mounting a shock European charge this time around. Smelling the chance to make an immediate return to winning ways on Saturday night, Torino should be boosted by their rugged performan…

Dominic Calvert-Lewin nodded the only goal on Sunday as Jose Mourinho s second season at Tottenham started with a 1-0 home defeat to big-spending Everton.

Mourinho arrived at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium last November and guided a struggling Spurs side to sixth and a Europa League place, but improvement was anticipated heading into the new campaign.

Tottenham were outplayed by Everton, though, who gave debuts to James Rodriguez, Allan and Abdoulaye Doucoure and might have led long before Calvert-Lewin s brilliant 55th-minute header.

Mourinho s men could not muster a response and are already searching for answers at the start of a brutal stretch in which they could play as many as nine matches before the October international break.

Everton were gifted a huge…

Bournemouth welcomed David Brooks back to the fold as the midfielder returned to action for the first time since September 2021.

Brooks was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma in October 2021, but he was given the all-clear in May last year.

The Wales international began a modified training programme and eventually returned to a matchday squad when he was named on the bench for Bournemouth s 1-0 win over Liverpool last week.

Brooks went one further on Saturday, coming on as a substitute in Bournemouth s 3-0 defeat to Aston Villa – a damaging result for the Cherries hopes of beating the drop.

Having seen Brooks play 11 minutes at Villa Park, Bournemouth head coach Gary O Neil is confident the 25-year-old will be raring to go after the international…

Manchester City and Liverpool are both interested in signing Levi Colwill from Chelsea this summer, according to the .

Apparently, the two clubs are looking to take advantage of Chelsea s potential FFP problems which are likely to force the Blues into offloading some of their younger talents, to add a homegrown player to their own ranks. They re both expected to be in the market for defensive reinforcements.

The 20-year-old centre-back, capable of filling in as a left-back as well and widely considered as an England star for the future, spent the 2021/22 season on loan at Huddersfield. Deemed ready to earn some Premier League experience, he joined Brighton and Hove Albion for this season, and he s impressed at the Amex, making a total of 15 appearances in what has been …

Ali McCann is getting his first taste of working with Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill this summer and is already noticing the difference.

The Preston midfielder missed O’Neill’s first games back in charge of the national team in March through injury, but is in the squad for Friday’s Euro 2024 qualifier away to Denmark and next week’s home fixture against Kazakhstan.

McCann was one of the first players elevated from the under-21s when former Northern Ireland boss Ian Baraclough was in charge, making his debut in October 2020, but had since been told what to expect under O’Neill by his team-mates. He has now been able to see it for himself.

“It’s been great,” he said. “Even the last two training camps getting back into the swing of it h…

Tottenham and Ajax go head-to-head on Tuesday in what promises to be an enthralling Champions League semi-final.

An unlikely pairing considering the European heavyweights that have dropped out of the competition – with Ajax responsible for two shocks in knocking out Real Madrid and Juventus – Mauricio Pochettino s and Erik ten Hag s sides will meet at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before the reverse fixture in Amsterdam on May 8.

Tottenham have had to overcome adversity, with star man Harry Kane out injured, while Son Heung-min is going to miss the first leg of the semi-final through suspension.

Barcelona or Liverpool will await the winner at Wanda Metripolitano on June 1, and here we look at some of the Opta facts ahead of the tie.

1 Ajax hav…

RCD Mallorca are interested in signing Nemanja Radonjic, according to Fabrizio Romano, with the Serbia international expected to leave Torino this month.

Radonjic has passed through a large number of clubs in his career. He joined Torino initially on a season-long loan from Olympique Marseille in 2022, and the transfer was made permanent a year later for just under €2 million. He has so far made a total of 41 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring seven goals and contributing four assists. The 27-year-old winger is under contract with Torino until the summer of 2025, but it seems a change of scenery this month is still very likely.

Apparently, Radonjic was close to joining Monza before the move collapsed a few days ago. A number of clubs have asked abou…

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 8/11 @

In what promises to be an action-packed Belgium Cup battle on Wednesday night, Royale Union will welcome Anderlecht to the Joseph Marien Stadium for their quarter-final showdown.

Starting with the hosts, while Royale Union might have been left frustrated last season as they eventually had to settle for a bronze medal finish among Belgium’s elite, Alexander Blessin s men look set to make real history this time around. Continuing to receive a string of plaudits, the Brussels-based outfit opened the New Year holding a six-point buffer at the top of the table and they are tipped as a standout contender to get their hands on a first domestic crown since way back in 1935. With the mood around the Joseph Marien Stadium at a re…