Levante 0-2 Atletico Madrid: Llorente stars as Simeone´s uninspiring side reach quarter-finals

Atletico Madrid were far from their best but progressed to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals after Marcos Llorente scored one and assisted another in a 2-0 victory at Levante.

Diego Simeone s side have won just one of their last six LaLiga games and their recent struggles were evident despite victory over second-tier Levante on Wednesday.

Atletico s first shot on target in the 54th minute through Morata opened the scoring after Llorente s cross before the midfielder sealed progression with a calm stoppage-time finish.

The LaLiga side await the identity of their next opponents in Friday s last-eight draw as they aim for a first Copa del Rey crown since 2013.

Onto the next round

— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish)

Alex Munoz finished in…

Prediction: West Ham vs Manchester City

Best Odds: 8/15

Bookmaker:

Looking to extend on their 100% start this weekend, Manchester City will travel to the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon when they meet West Ham.

West Ham

Starting with the hosts, while West Ham might have made real history last season as they were crowned Europa Conference League champions, the Hammers certainly struggled with their domestic stability. Firmly at the heart of a shock relegation scrap and only just about limping their way over the finish line, it appeared that David Moyes had a huge amount of pressure on his shoulders. However, heading into September’s international break with a deserved 2-1 win away at top-flight returners Luton, the one-time Manchester United boss has seen his side come roaring back this time ar…

Wales appoint former England assistant Rhian Wilkinson as head coach

Wales have appointed former England and Team GB assistant Rhian Wilkinson as the new head coach of their women’s team.

The 41-year-old won 183 caps for Canada between 2003 and 2017 and coached most recently at American club Portland Thorns in the National Women’s Soccer League.

She has joined Wales on a contract until 2027 and succeeds Gemma Grainger, who ended her three-year reign last month to take charge of Norway.

FC Koln 1-2 Bayern Munich: Talking points as Bavarians defend Bundesliga title in shocking fashion

Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga title for the 11th consecutive season. Going into the final round, they had to beat FC Koln in Cologne and hope for a Borussia Dortmund slip-up against Mainz 05 at the Signal Iduna Park, and though it seemed unlikely to happen, both conditions were fulfilled on Saturday afternoon, as Bayern emerged victorious at the RheinEnergieStadion, while Dortmund barely scraped a 2-2 draw after trailing 0-2.

These results have put Bayern and Dortmund level on points, but the title is Bayern s due to their superior goal-difference.

It was Kingley Coman who broke the deadlock for the Bavarians in the eighth minute, and Dejan Ljubicic equalized from the spot in the 81st. And just as it seemed the title would slip away, up stepped substitute Jamal …

French government issue Euro 2016 alcohol ban

The French government have banned alcohol in fan zones and sensitive areas on matchdays following the violent scenes that have marred the start of Euro 2016.

Police had to use tear gas and water cannons to try and deal with clashes between supporters of England and Russia, as well as local gangs, over the past three days in Marseille.

There have also been incidents in Nice, where Northern Ireland played Poland on Sunday, and Lille, the venue for the Group C fixture between Germany and Ukraine.

I have asked for all necessary measures to be taken to prohibit the sale, consumption and transport of alcoholic drinks in sensitive areas on match days and the day before, and on days when fan zones are open, Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.

The events w…

Bitesize Prediction: Real Oviedo vs Almeria – 13/10/24

Market: Real Oviedo draw no bet

Odds: 2/3 @

Hoping to find a route into the play-off places this weekend, Real Oviedo will welcome Almeria to the Estadio Carlos Tartiere on Sunday afternoon.

Starting with the hosts, after suffering play-off heartbreak last season, Real Oviedo are desperate to go one-step further this time around. Putting in a gritty performance away at title contenders Levante last time out as they snatched a 0-0 stalemate on the road, Javier Calleja’s men have lost just a pair of their first eight Segunda appearances. Signing off September with an eye-catching 1-0 win against Eibar, the Asturias-based outfit will be hoping to make a top-six statement here. Claiming another 1-0 win against Cartagena on September 15th, Sunday’s hosts will be …

June 30th: Sunday’s Football Accumulator – 5/1

With the European Championships knockout stage getting underway this weekend, we have a stacked Sunday schedule from across the footballing globe.

Watching this summer’s Copa America steal plenty of the headlines, reigning world champions Argentina will feature in the early hours of Sunday.

Likewise, with a full MLS fixtures list on the cards, we have taken an in-depth look at some of the most intriguing betting markets.

Sunday, June 30th
BST 00:30 New York Red Bulls vs DC United 

Making a welcomed return to winning ways last weekend as they stormed their way to a 3-0 romp against Toronto, New York have continued on a real MLS flurry since opening up the 2024 campaign. Despite missing out on a play-off ticket last season, the Red Bulls are battling…

Motta not focused on Conte reunion ahead of Napoli clash

Thiago Motta said Juventus main focus was on improving players form, rather than the return of Napoli head coach Antonio Conte.

Conte will be back at the Allianz Stadium on Saturday for the first time as Napoli boss, having enjoyed a trophy-laden career at Juve as both a player and a manager.

As a player, he made 419 appearances, winning 12 titles, while as their head coach, he led Juventus to three consecutive Serie A titles.

Juventus started the campaign with two wins but were then held by Roma and Empoli, while Conte s side are on a three-game winning streak, sitting in second.

Motta s side did, however, return to winning ways in the Champions League in midweek, beating PSV 3-1.

Conte said he was relishing his return to Turin, but Motta did no…

Republic of Ireland name Euro 2012 squad

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni has named his 23 squad for the European Championships in Ukraine and Poland.

There were few surprises in the Italian’s selection, as he has gone with tried and tested players from the qualification campaign.

Missing

The Republic of Ireland will be missing Wigan midfielder James McCarthy, who pulled out of the squad due to his father being diagnosed with cancer.

The youngster will be a big miss for the Irish as he is one of the few players that gives the team something different from midfield.

Also missing is Norwich midfield playmaker Wes Hoolahan. The 29 year-old has been in outstanding form for Norwich and has helped them to midtable security in the Premier League this season. He is another player …

Morace claims United States have fallen behind tactically after World Cup failure

The United States fell short tactically at the Women s World Cup and must now look to their European rivals for inspiration.

That is the view of former Italy striker and head coach Carolina Morace, who believes the USA s previous dominance of the women s game owed largely to their players physical attributes.

The four-time winners recorded their worst-ever World Cup performance in Australia and New Zealand, losing to Sweden in a last-16 penalty shoot-out after narrowly avoiding a humiliating group-stage elimination in a goalless draw with Portugal.

Vlatko Andonovski resigned as head coach in the aftermath of their exit, with the USA having failed to score in back-to-back World Cup games for the first time in the tournament s history.

Morace, who scored o…