Fernando Santos has claimed defending champions Portugal are outsiders in a Euro 2020 group containing two favourites in France and Germany.
The three heavyweights were drawn together in a tough-looking Group F for next year s tournament, with a play-off contestant still to be added.
France and Germany will enter as winners of the past two World Cups, while Portugal are preparing to defend the trophy they unexpectedly won in 2016.
Santos side were also crowned inaugural Nations League champions in June but the wily 65-year-old coach quickly positioned his team as underdogs.
It will be a strong group, two favourites and a candidate, Santos told reporters.
The last time Portugal France met in the finals
Éder s EURO 2016 winner |
Former Middlesbrough and Birmingham full-back Emilio Nsue scored a hat-trick as Equatorial Guinea roared to a 4-2 Africa Cup of Nations win over Guinea-Bissau.
Nsue, now 34 and captaining his national side as well as leading the attack, hit the first treble at an AFCON since 2008.
The Elephants now have four points from their first two matches in Group A following Sunday’s surprise 1-1 draw with Nigeria.
The opening goal arrived in the 21st minute following a poor clearance by Guinea-Bissau goalkeeper Ouparine Djoco.
Pablo Ganet lifted the ball over the back-line into the path of Nsue, who charged through on goal and slotted his finish past Djoco.
FULL-TIME!
A goal-fest in Equatorial Guinea s big win over Guinea-Bissau |
— …
Manchester United have Lady Cathy Ferguson to thank for 11 bonus years which brought six additional Premier League titles and a second Champions League success.
The wife of former Old Trafford boss Sir Alex, who has died at the age of 84, was the one person who could – and did – persuade the Scot he was not ready for retirement in 2002.
Writing in his autobiography, Ferguson said she had told him: “One, your health is good. Two, I’m not having you in the house. And three, you’re too young anyway.”
That influence was pivotal as the success he achieved in those subsequent extra years accounted for 44 per cent of all his major trophies (25) won during almost 27 years.
There was also the suggestion the reason he turned up at United and not Tottenh…
Best odds: 5/6
Bookmaker:
River Plate aim for a fifth straight home win as they host Tigre at the Estadio Mas Monumental in the fourth round of the Argentine Primera Division on Sunday.
El Matador, winless in their last 10 games across all competitions, will enter the weekend determined to break this abysmal streak and kickstart their new league campaign.
River Plate
River Plate concluded their Copa Libertadores group-stage campaign impressively, securing a commanding 2-0 victory over Deportivo Tachira at the Estadio Mas Monumental on Friday morning.
In a match where Jean Gutierrez was sent off, Colombian forward Miguel Borja delivered an outstanding performance, scoring twice in the second half to secure all three points for the hosts. This win…
Scott McTominay says Manchester United’s players are “firmly behind” Erik ten Hag and that there is none of the toxicity seen under previous managers.
It has been a roller-coaster ride with more highs than lows since Sir Alex Ferguson retired after winning his 13th and final league crown in 2013.
United have not managed so much as a sustained Premier League title push since then, with Ten Hag the fifth permanent boss entrusted with taking the club back to the top.
The Dutchman is under scrutiny after Bournemouth condemned them to an 11th loss of the season and, having seen managers come and go, McTominay says the players are also accountable.
“It is the players’ responsibility, first and foremost – the players know that as well,” the United …
The Serie A season is officially in the books and as the dust begins to settle, it s become clear that this has been one of the most interesting campaigns this league has seen in a long time. Today, we re going to do our best to analyse why that is by listing a few things we ve come to learn about Italian football in the months that have been and gone.
Juve aren t untouchable
So as it turns out, Juventus aren t destined to win every single Serie A title for the rest of time after all. Instead, they were ousted and they only just managed to cling onto a place in the Champions League next season, too. The Old Lady were taught in one season that they can t take the rest of Italy s elite for granted because if they do, they ll suffer for their sins.
Antonio Conte is elite
French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet insists it is too early to call Euro 2016 a success for the national team.
France meet Germany in the second semi-final on Thursday after thumping Iceland 5-2 in the last eight over the weekend.
Portugal or Wales await the winner of that clash in the final, making the Marseille encounter a battle between the two current favourites to win the tournament.
But Le Graet believes it is too soon to assess the performance of Didier Deschamps men.
We are in the last four and we have an opportunity to go further, he told Le Parisien. This is not the time to stop.
The fact the host country is still in contention in the last week of the competition is important. For the players, for the finances of t…
Portugal defender Pepe is eyeing a challenge for World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022 – when he will be 39 years old.
The former Real Madrid centre-back, now with Porto, has won 111 caps for Portugal since making his debut in 2007.
He has competed at three World Cups and three European Championships, including their triumphant Euro 2016 campaign in France.
Pepe was named man of the match for his performance in the 1-0 win over the hosts in the final, in which he made a game-high 12 clearances and three blocks to keep France at bay before vomiting after 120 gruelling minutes of action.
Competition for places in Fernando Santos defence is now strong. Pepe started the 0-0 draw with Spain on Tuesday alongside debutant Ruben Semedo and was replaced at half-time …
Poland and Greece played out a thrilling 1-1 draw with two red cards and a penalty in the opening game of Euro 2012 in Warsaw on Friday.
Franciszek Smuda s Poland, co-hosting the tournament with neighbours Ukraine, dominated proceedings in the first half at the National Stadium and deservedly took the lead through Robert Lewandowski.
Just before half-time, Sokratis Papastathopoulos was sent off for a second bookable offence, leaving Greece a man down and trailing 1-0.
Greece coach Fernando Santos introduced Dimitris Salpingidis after the break and the PAOK man made an instant impact, netting the equaliser shortly after the restart.
The substitute later won a penalty after he was fouled by Wojciech Szczesny, who was sent off for the offence, but captain…
Poland s attacking midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski has been ruled out of Euro 2008 after suffering a serious thigh injury during training on Thursday.
The Borussia Dortmund player was injured at the team s Bad Waltersdorf base in Austria, aggravating an old thigh problem, a national team spokeswoman said.
Poland have asked European football s governing body UEFA for permission to replace Blaszczykowski with 23-year-old Hertha Berlin player Lukasz Piszczek.
…