Napoli take Reina on loan

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina has agreed a deal to join Napoli on a season-long loan, .

The Spain international’s future had been uncertain following Belgium international Simon Mignolet’s arrival on Merseyside.

The former Barcelona man was one of the highest earners at Liverpool, with weekly wages of £110,000 – a fee considered too large for somebody who could well be a substitute next season by manager Brendan Rodgers.

Napoli boss Rafa Benitez took Reina to Anfield 2005, and the 30 year old has only missed a handful of league appearances in his eight years at the club.

He won the FA Cup in his first season in England, adding the League Cup in 2012, while he also kept seven clean sheets on route to the 2007 Champions League final, which L…

International Friendly Preview: Panama v Peru

Panama midfielder Gabriel Gomez will become his country s joint second most-capped player if he runs out against Peru on Saturday.

The 28-year-old has represented Panama 84 times and could join former international defender Jose Anthony Torres on 85 caps, although Gomez will remain well adrift of Ricardo Phillips, who played 108 matches for Panama between 1996 and 2009.

But with Panama on track to qualify for next year s FIFA World Cup and with time on Gomez s side, the midfielder, who is on loan at Colombian club Atletico Junior from Philadelphia Union in MLS, has a big chance of overhauling Phillips record.

Gomez, alongside star strikers Blas Perez and Luis Tejada, will be vital to Panama s hopes of victory against Peru when the two sides clash in Panama City.<…

Mascherano: I will not retire at Barcelona

Javier Mascherano revealed he cannot envisage ending his professional career at Barcelona due to the physical demands of playing too many games a season.

The Argentina international has been with the Spanish giants since 2010 after a €24million move from Premier League outfit Liverpool.

Mascherano has lifted 13 trophies in his time with Barca, but said he will only continue with the club for as long as his body holds up.

I don t think that will happen [retiring at Barca], the 31-year-old told Clarin.

There will come a moment that because of my age I will not be able to keep up with the demands of Barca, especially physically.

To play between 60 and 70 games and season is not easy.

I would have to play at a club that is more in line w…

Southgate marvels at France´s punishing pace and power

Gareth Southgate conceded England were unable to handle France s pace and power after the 10-man hosts overwhelmed his side to claim a 3-2 friendly win at the Stade de France.

England took an early lead through Harry Kane s wonderfully worked ninth-minute strike but could have been pegged back before Samuel Umtiti s equaliser midway through the first half.

Monaco full-back Djibril Sidibe made it 2-1 at the break, although it appeared to be advantage England when Raphael Varane was sent off for bringing down Dele Alli and Kane beat Tottenham colleague Hugo Lloris from the spot.

But a dazzling France attack, led by Monaco sensation Kylian Mbappe, continued to tear holes in the England defence despite the numerical disadvantage and Borussia Dortmund winger Ousmane …

Liverpool, Benfica vying for Ignacio Camacho

European powerhouses Liverpool and Benfica are showing interest in Malaga midfielder Ignacio Camacho, .

The 25-year-old has long been on the radar of top European sides, but he has yet to leave los Boquerones for greener pastures.

Nevertheless, his big break may come this summer as the latest reports suggest he is nearing a switch to Liverpool.

While Benfica are also keen, the Reds appear to be leading the chase, with the player even visiting Merseyside to negotiate a deal.

Camacho will not come on the cheap considering that he has over three years left on his current contract, whereas his release clause stands at €20 million.

The product of Atletico Madrid youth school joined Malaga in January 2011 and has since amassed 136 La Liga appearances…

Neman Grodno 11/10 to beat Belshina in Friday’s Belarusian Premier League matchup

Market: Neman Grodno win

Odds: 

With the Belarusian Premier League still soldiering on despite the coronavirus pandemic, Neman Grodno will welcome top-flight returners Belshina to the Stadyen Nyoman on Friday evening.

Starting with the hosts, while Neman Grodno may have managed to pick up just a single Premier League win since opening the new campaign, the Yellow and Greens will take plenty of positives from last week s performance. Picking up a point away at Europa League outfit Shakhtyor on the road and creating a string of chances, Igor Kovalevich s men have shipped just a single strike in their opening three contests and also hold an eye-catching record in front of their own supporters. Including a 2-0 win against Vitebsk a fortnight ago, Grodno are unbeaten…

West Brom 2 Watford 2: Richarlison leaves it late to save Hornets at The Hawthorns

Richarlison proved to be Watford s hero once again as his late header rescued a 2-2 draw against West Brom at The Hawthorns on Saturday.

After scoring a dramatic winner away at Swansea City last weekend in the Premier League, the Brazilian popped up with an injury-time equaliser to complete an impressive comeback after Watford had trailed 2-0 in the first half.

The goal conceded in the fifth minute of added-on time denied West Brom a maiden win in September after they had scored twice in the space of three first-half minutes.

Salomon Rondon s first goal of the league season was quickly followed by a header from Jonny Evans, meaning the hosts had scored twice in a Premier League game for the first time in the campaign.

Yet Watford fought back impressively…

Prediction: Olympique Lyon vs PSG

Best odds: 17/20

Bookmaker:

Olympique Lyon are set to welcome Paris Saint-Germain to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais on Sunday evening in what will be the sixth League 1 game of the 2019/20 season for both teams.

Ever since the rise of Paris Saint-Germain to the level of domination in French football we re seeing in recent years, Lyon has been one of the few teams continuously making efforts to stay within sight of them, finishing within the top four spots every season. The greatest tangible reward for it is that they play in the Champions League with relative regularity.

This term, their start, even though far from poor in itself with two wins, two draws and one defeat, has seen them drop to the 8th place in the table. The campaign began with a convincing w…

Mexico 0-3 Sweden: The Swedes impress

The beauty of the World Cup is that you never know what s going to happen next, even when you think it s all happening right before your very eyes. We often take surprises in football for granted but it s impossible to do so today, as Sweden s emphatic victory over Mexico alongside South Korea s shocking win against Germany knocked the 2014 world champions out of the tournament ensuring that the Swedes and the Mexicans progress through to the knockout stages.

Heading into the WC this year you could argue that the Germans weren t at their best, but nobody could ve anticipated that they d fall this hard. Regardless of that, there will be plenty of time to discuss their failures: and instead, we should be examining what was a truly phenomenal performance by Sweden as they were abl…

Jose Mourinho wants Wolves striker Raul Jimenez at AS Roma

According to . AS Roma head coach Jose Mourinho wants to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez. The former Tottenham Hotspur manager was recently appointed the new boss of Roma, and the former Manchester United and Chelsea boss wants to bring the Mexico international striker to the Serie A outfit.

Jimenez had a loan spell at Wolves from Benfica in 2018-19 and then made the move permanent. The Mexico international striker is on the sidelines at the moment due to a head injury, but when he has played, he has been superb for the Wanderers and is one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

According to , Jimenez has scored four goals in 10 Premier League matches this season, and scored 17 goals and gave six assists in 38 league games in 2019-20. In 2018-19, …