Edin Dzeko has ended the season as Serie A s most prolific striker and equalled Roma s club record of 29 goals scored in a single league campaign, set by Rodolfo Volk in 1930-31.
A close-range effort 10 minutes into Sunday s 3-2 win over Genoa ensured the 31-year-old striker became the first Bosnian player to win the Capocannoniere, fending off the challenge of Dries Mertens who scored in Napoli s 4-2 win over Sampdoria to take his own total to 28.
Dzeko has scored eight goals in Roma s last eight matches to make this term his most successful the striker having scored 26 goals in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg in 2008-09 – and his form has been vital to Roma s second-place finish.
Belgium international Mertens last scored more than 20 league goals in a season wh…
Reacting to being called up for the upcoming World Cup, Manchester United midfielder Christian Eriksen admitted he hadn t expected to play for Denmark again so quickly after what happened to him at the last major international tournament.
On June 12th, 2021, Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest just before halftime of Denmark s Euro 2020 opener against Finland in Copenhagen.
It s just a dream to play for Denmark again.
Christian Eriksen outlines that to play at the World Cup was a main target for him
— Football Daily (@footballdaily)
…
Darwin Nunez is mentally strong enough to deal with the pressure of playing for Liverpool, according to an ex-coach of the Benfica star.
The 22-year-old has been widely linked with a transfer from Portugal to join Jurgen Klopp s Reds in the Premier League next season.
Already regarded as one of the world s most-promising young strikers, hopes are high that he can help deliver the sort of impact Erling Haaland is anticipated to at rivals Manchester City.
Leonardo Ramos, who gave the Uruguay international his debut at Penarol before his move to Europe, certainly feels Nunez is ready to back himself, adamant his previous experiences with injury problems have only strengthened his resolve.
I think that he is more mentally strong now, Ramos told Stats Per…
Freddie Ljungberg can provide Arsenal with something special during his stint as interim head coach, according to captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The former Gunners winger has been placed in temporary charge following the sacking of Unai Emery and drew his first match 2-2 at Norwich City on Sunday.
Aubameyang scored twice to rescue Arsenal at Carrow Road, but the Gunners winless run now spans eight matches in all competitions.
However, Aubameyang is confident Ljungberg who won five major honours with Arsenal during his playing days can lift the club while they search for a new head coach.
Thanks to the Fans that came today and always
— Aubameyang P-E (@Aubameyang7)
He can give us something special, the Gabon international said.…
Best odds: 29/10
Bookmaker:
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…
Virgil van Dijk has expressed sympathy for Sadio Mane after his former Liverpool team-mate was ruled out of Senegal s World Cup opener against the Netherlands.
Mane s place at the tournament in Qatar looked to be in doubt when he suffered a fibula injury while representing Bayern Munich, but he was included in the Africa Cup of Nations champions 26-man squad last week.
On Tuesday, however, Senegalese Football Federation board member Abdoulaye Sow ruled Mane out of the team s first matches at the World Cup.
Van Dijk missed the Netherlands Euro 2020 campaign last year after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury, and sympathises with Mane amid his battle to feature in Qatar.
I don t think he will play [against the Netherlands], Van Dijk told report…