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Goal can confirm that David Luiz wants to remain in European football following his Arsenal departure.

Luiz joined Arsenal from Chelsea for £8 million in the summer of 2018, and went on to establish himself as a key member of the Gunners squad.

He found his playing time significantly reduced under Mikel Arteta last season, though, with the north London outfit ultimately deciding against extending his contract for another year.

Luiz's next move

Goal has learned that Luiz has not yet made a final decision on his future, but he is determined to keep playing at the highest level for as long as possible - preferably with a club playing in the Champions League or Europa League.

The 34-year-old has several different options in Europe, with Marseille reportedly among those interested in acquiring his services.

Is Luiz open to a return to Brazil?

The Brazilian defender began his career in his homeland with Vitoria in 2006, and spent one year in their senior squad before being snapped up by Benfica.

Goal can confirm that several Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A sides are now eyeing a potential free transfer for Luiz, including Atletico-MG, Corinthians, Flamengo, Gremio, Palmeiras and Sao Paulo.

The outgoing Arsenal star is not completely ruling out a return to Brazil, but he sees it as his last option at this stage of his career.

Luiz's record at Arsenal

Luiz, who also enjoyed a successful spell at Paris Saint-Germain earlier in his career, played 73 games across all competitions for Arsenal during his two seasons at the club.

The towering centre-back contributed four goals and one assist to the Gunners' cause, while also helping them win the FA Cup and Community Shield in 2020.

Further reading

Leicester star Youri Tielemans has been quizzed on the speculation suggesting that he could be targeted by Liverpool as a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum.

The Reds find themselves one midfielder light after seeing the Netherlands international leave for Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent at the end of his contract.

Jurgen Klopp still has plenty of alternative options available to him, but there has been talk of a raid being launched on Premier League rivals Leicester for a classy Belgian that boasts useful experience of life in English football.

What has been said?

Asked about the Anfield rumours and whether he could fill Wijnaldum's boots, Tielemans told reporters: "That's really none of my business right now. Let the journalists speak. They undoubtedly have a lot to do with that.

"But I don't care about that. All I can do is make sure that I am as good as possible on the pitch."

Could Tielemans leave Leicester?

The talented 24-year-old still has two years left to run on his deal at the King Power Stadium.

Leicester are making efforts to put an extension in place, with their FA Cup-winning hero becoming a talismanic part of Brendan Rodgers' plans.

Big-money bids would test the Foxes' resolve, but there are no offers on the table at present.

For as long as that remains the case, Tielemans says he will remain fully focused on international duty at this summer's European Championship.

He added on his future: "I don't think about it. I am focusing on the Euros. 

"I don't listen to transfer rumours. No matter how much I am valued, it doesn't change anything for me. I just want to make the best Euros I can."

Further reading

Lionel Messi made a mark in Argentina’s opening Group B Copa America clash against Chile at the Estadio Nilton Santos Stadium, Brazil as he scored a free-kick to put his team into the lead.

Although the game eventually finished 1-1 with Chile scoring the equaliser through Eduardo Vargas, Messi was in his element and impressed throughout.

Interestingly, the first-half goal against Chile was Messi’s 57th goal from a direct free-kick. The FC Barcelona star is now five goals short of Diego Maradona’s Argentinean record of 62 direct free-kick goals in his career.

It must be noted that Messi has scored 50 direct free-kick goals for Barcelona and seven have come in for his national team.

Of the 745 goals scored by Messi, 7.6 per cent of his goals have come from direct free-kicks whereas Maradona’s 17 per cent goals came from dead ball situations of the 353 he scored.

Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal has scored 47 direct free-kick goals in his career, and is 10 goals shy of Messi’s 57.

The football Non-Fungible Token (NFT) creator Sorare has announced a licensing agreement with the France Football Federation to release national team digital trading cards through its platform this month amid Euro 2020.

Up until now, Sorare has stuck with club-based cards to be bought and sold through cyptocurrency, as well as used in fantasy football games for cash prizes. This move, the company said, is the "first of many" that can expand its reach into national team fan bases.

Sorare also offered an update on the number of users on its platform, claiming a 90,000 monthly active user base spread over 140 countries with more than $70 million in card sales since the start of the year. The company's CEO, Nikolas Julia, previously told Goal that he wants to reach £718.4m ($1 billion) in annual card sales by 2024.

What has been said?

"Following its licensing agreement with the French Football Federation, the company’s ambition is to onboard all the football associations in the world," wrote the company in a release. "Many football associations are in active discussion with Sorare to launch their NFTs during Euro 2020."

Added Julia: "We’ve onboarded the World Champions: the French team. It is the first of many football associations that will be joining us in the coming weeks and months."  

Bigger picture

Sorare continues to amass licensing agreements for its platform as it tries to take an insurmountable lead over potential competition that will almost certainly crop up in the coming years, and this is another play for market dominance with the next World Cup rapidly approaching.

Further reading

Portugal are all set to kick-start their Euro 2020 campaign with an encounter against Hungary on Tuesday. 

The defending champions, who had a fairytale campaign five years back, come into this edition as one of the pre-tournament favourites, with a squad brimming with top class talent. 

Fernando Santos' team, however, are in a tough group along with France, Germany and Hungary. But given the talent at their disposal, it wouldn't be a surprise if they manage to even top the group. 

The likes of Ruben Dias, Joao Felix, Diogo Jota, Goncalo Guedes are all coming into the tournament on the back of great seasons at the club level. However, the two most important names in the Portugal squad will be captain Cristiano Ronaldo and midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes. 

Ronaldo is 36 now but the Juventus star is still performing at the very highest levels and won the Golden Boot in Serie A last season with 29 goals. In all competitions, he scored 36 goals and registered four assists.

Bruno Fernandes, on the other hand, is in the form of his life with Manchester United. The 26-year-old sccored 28 goals and registered 17 assists in all competitions for the Red Devils and has been a creative force for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men. 

However, who is their most crucial player - Ronaldo or Bruno Fernandes? That is a question we put forward to a couple of passionate fans in a bid to know how fans see the conundrum. 

Watch how the conversation unfolds in Goal's Debate Club!

Igor Stimac took charge of the Indian team as their head coach in May 2019, replacing Stephen Constantine at the helm of affairs.

The very first tournament India played under Stimac's tutelage was the King's Cup 2019 held in Thailand. The Blue Tigers began their campaign with a 3-1 lost to Curacao but defeated Thailand 1-0 to finish third in the competition.

A month after the King's Cup, India hosted the Intercontinental Cup 2019 in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where they finished last among four teams. They lost to Tajikistan and DPR Korea in their first two matches and then ended their campaign with a 1-1 draw against Syria.

In September 2019, Stimac's side began their 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualification campaign. In the seven matches in the qualifiers so far, India have managed to win one game and have drawn three. With six points in their kitty, the Blue Tigers are currently placed in the third position on the points table.

India have played a total of 14 matches in the Igor Stimac era so far out of which the team has won twice. the highlight of his stint is India' draw against reigning Asian champions Qatar in 2019 in their second match of the qualifiers.

If we scan through the Stimac era, we will see that the former Croatian national team coach rotated his team in every single match right from the Thailand game in the King's Cup 2019. But a major reason why Stimac could never really stick to a fixed starting lineup was due to injuries, suspensions and inconsistent performances by players. 

Sunil Chhetri, who had scored India's opening goal in the qualifiers Oman in India's first match, had to remain out of action in the next match against Qatar due to fever. Stimac had to field the team against the mighty Qataris without his most trusted lieutenant, though India managed to hold the Asian champions to a draw.

Another challenge that the Croatian faced as India's coach was the 16 months gap where the Indian national team did not play a single game due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. After a busy 2019, where the Blue Tigers played 10 matches under Stimac's tutelage, not a single international match was played in 2020. 

Thus after playing their last competitive game in November 2019, it was only in March 2021, that Stimac got to reassemble the squad. India played two friendly matches against Oman and UAE in March 2021. The long gap forced the India coach to bring several changes in the squad from November 2019.

Every India starting XI under Igor Stimac

Curacao 3-1 India (King's Cup 2019)

Thailand 0-1 India (King's Cup 2019)

India 2-4 Tajikistan (Intercontinental Cup 2019)

India 2-5 DPR Korea (Intercontinental Cup 2019)

India 1-1 Syria (Intercontinental Cup 2019)

India 1-2 Oman (2022 World Cup Qualifiers)

Qatar 0-0 India (2022 World Cup Qualifiers)

India 1-1 Bangladesh (2022 World Cup Qualifiers)

Afghanistan 1-1 India (2022 World Cup Qualifiers)

Oman 1-0 India (2022 World Cup Qualifiers)

Oman 1-1 India (International Friendly)

UAE 6-0 India (international Friendly)

India 0-1 Qatar (2022 World Cup Qualifiers)

Bangladesh 0-2 (2022 World Cup Qualifiers)

Debutants under Igor Stimac

Twenty Indian players have made their debuts under Igor Stimac in the last two years. Out of those 20, 12 players made their debuts during the friendly matches against Oman and UAE in March 2021. FC Goa midfielder Glan Martins was the latest player to make his international debut who played his first match against Qatar on June 2, 2021.

India are all set to lock horns against Afghanistan in their final match of the second round of the 2022 FIFA World Cup and 2023 AFC Asian Cup joint qualifiers on Tuesday at the Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium in Doha, Qatar.

Igor Stimac's side will hope to end their campaign with a win in the final match and also finish the group stage with a positive goal difference, something which India have only achieved twice in the history of the World Cup qualifiers.

India are high on confidence after their convincing 2-0 win over Bangladesh in the last match, but they have a difficult test in front of them as Afghanistan are no easy opposition for the Blue Tigers.

The last time these two sides met was back in November 2019 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan were India somehow managed to pick a point, courtesy of a last-minute strike by Seiminlen Doungel.

The biggest asset of this Afghan team is that 22 players out of the current 26-man Afghanistan squad ply their trade outside the country. The majority of those players play in the lower divisions in countries like Germany, Netherlands and Sweden. And some even play in the USA and Australia.

Even India Igor Stimac is wary of Afghanistan's strength and remained cautious ahead of the facing Anoush Dastgir's side as he said before the match - "Afghanistan are full of players with international experience, and most of the players are playing in foreign leagues. You can recognise it when you gauge their confidence on the ball. But at the same time, we see our chance and need to go out on the pitch and play good football and to make sure we finish this tournament on a winning note."

There are three familiar faces for the Indian fans in their squad as well. Haroon Amiri, Sharif Mukhammad and Masih Saighani have an Indian connection. While Amiri and Mukhammad played for the I-League clubs Real Kashmir and Gokulam Kerala respectively last season, Masih Saighani has previously played for Aizawl FC in the I-League and Chennaiyin FC in the Indian Super League (ISL). Saighani currently plays for Bangladeshi top tier side Abahani Dhaka.

How many Afghan players play club football outside the country?

How have Afghanistan performed in the 2022 World Cup Qualifiers?

In the World Cup qualifiers, they started their campaign with a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Qatar in Doha but they came back strong by registering a slender 1-0 win over Bangladesh. They lost 3-0 to Oman in their third match. Then they drew 1-1 with India before losing 1-0 to Qatar.

Afghanistan prepared for the June qualifiers with a short camp in UAE where they played against Indonesia (3-2 win) and Singapore (1-1 draw). 

After the qualifiers resumed in June 2021, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bangladesh and then lost to Oman 1-2 in their last match.

Further reading

Afghanistan not an easy test for India

How to watch India vs Afghanistan

Seven matches done and only one more remaining for Malaysia in the joint World Cup and Asian Cup qualifier with a lot still to play for in this final Group G match against Thailand with both teams tied on nine points and chasing that direct spot into the group stage of the third round of the Asian Cup qualification campaign.

Neither Tan Cheng Hoe nor Akira Nishino will want to lose this game and go into the play-off match to determine if they reach the next stage of the Asian Cup qualifiers but as well there is some pride to be redeemed after both coaches suffered in the previous two matches of this group stage resumption.

Here's all you need to know about this match-up between the 106th FIFA ranked War Elephants against the 153rd FIFA ranked Harimau Malaya.

Match details

TV channel and Live Streaming

Squad news

Suspensions are the big worry for Cheng Hoe heading into this match, with first choice trio of La'Vere Corbin-Ong, Syamer Kutty Abba and Mohamadou Sumareh all suspended for this encounter, with the replacements expected to be Syahmi Safari, Nor Azam Azih and Arif Aiman respectively. 

There's no Theerathon Bunmanthan, Teerasil Dangda or Chanatip Songkrasin to worry Malaysia this time around as they are not in the squad but Thailand remains a formidable opponent. Teenage sensation Suphanat Mueanta was taken off late against UAE due to injury but is thought to be available for selection on Wednesday morning.

What the coaches said

Tan Cheng Hoe 

"We observed the last two matches that they played against Indonesia and UAE, as we know Thailand are technically and tactically very good. Of course individually they are technically good players. So they play an attacking game but at the same time defend as a team.

"We have to be aware that some of their new players like Ekane, Supachok and Suphanat have stepped up and they look dangerous. We have to be aware especially in the transition as they are quick in dribbling. That is why our defence have to be focused and prevent those quick attacks against us when we lose the ball."

Anurak Srikerd (assistant coach)

"We have seen Malaysia's style of play. saw the player Anticipate who they will use to play with us. One thing that gives information to the players. I've been told that each of their positions is pretty good. especially their naturalised foreigners.

"We will face a strong team. Now we have to deal with working together. The confidence of many of the younger siblings began to feel lost. Three points against Malaysia are valuable. It affects the group stage of the 2023 Asian Cup qualifiers, that's the goal we have to beat Malaysia."

Results thus far

Current standings

Both teams are out of the running to reach the next stage of the World Cup qualifiers as both turn their attention towards reaching the Asian Cup in China in 2023. A third place finish would guarantee a direct spot in the group stage of the third round of the Asian Cup qualification.

A fourth place finish could also secure a place in the same group stage provided the team that do so is among the best four fourth place finishers across the eight different groups. With just three points, as it stands Malaysia are actually the holding top spot among the eight teams currently in fourth spot in their respective groups.

Even though the table now shows Malaysia in fourth spot even though points are tied with Thailand, should both play out a draw in this final match, then Malaysia will overtake Thailand and go into third place by virtue of having a better head-to-head record because of the 2-1 win achieved in 2019. 

The competition format dictates that head-to-head is the first tiebreaker if two or more teams are equal on points with the goal difference being the subsuquent tiebreaker.

Scorers so far

Past meetings

Unlike what it was against Vietnam, Cheng Hoe does hold a respectable record against Thailand since he took over as head coach with him leading the team to three matches without defeat against the old enemy, the latest a magnificent come from behind win at Bukit Jalil Stadium.

On that day two years ago, Chanatip opened the scoring early in the first half before Brendan Gan stole in to grab an important equaliser before half time and then set up Sumareh for a sumptuous finish in the second half which gave Malaysia all three points.

Liverpool are yet to confirm Mohamed Salah’s involvement in the Tokyo Olympic Games football event, according to Egypt U23 coach Shawky Gharib.

The Egyptian Football Association had sent a message to the Premier League side to declare their willingness to see the forward take part in the sporting event.

However, the Pharaohs’ plans could be rattled as the Reds have not answered whether the two-time African Player of the Year would be allowed for the competition billed to commence in July.

“We haven’t received a definitive response from Liverpool regarding Salah’s participation in the Olympics,” Gharib told El Mehwar TV per Kingfut.

“The EFA have not informed us that our request was rejected either.

“When a new development takes place, we will be officially informed directly.”

Salah and Arsenal star Mohamed Elneny are the only overaged players included in North African country’ preliminary squad for the men's football tournament.

The event’s football competition is typically between national under-23 sides, with the caveat that countries can call up three players over the age limit as senior party members.

Should Salah eventually feature in the Tokyo games, he will be unavailable for manager Jurgen Klopp from July 23 to August 8 and will miss both the pre-season plus the opening weeks of the 2021-22 campaign.

Ahmed Megahed, who is currently in temporary charge of the Egypt FA, had revealed that the former AS Roma is eager to take part in the competition.

"We sent a message to Liverpool management to announce our willingness to call Salah to Tokyo, they replied saying that they will discuss the situation with the player," Megahed told Egyptian television station MBC MASR.

“I can say that Salah wants to play at the Olympic Games, he wants to help Egypt, and I hope Liverpool will say yes."

The Olympics were originally due to take place in 2020 but had to be pushed back a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The rearranged games will officially commence in Japan's capital city on July 23, but the men's football tournament is set to kick off a day earlier.

Gharib’s team will tackle Australia, Spain as well as 2004 & 2008 winners Argentina in Group C.

Portugal open their Euro 2022 campaign with a a tie against Hungary at the Puskas Arena, Budapest

The Seleccao are being billed as one of the favourites to win the Euros five years on from lifting the trophy in France after a stunning 1-0 upset of the hosts in the final.

Here's how to watch Hungary vs Portugal in India.

Contents

What time does Hungary vs Portugal start?

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How to watch Hungary vs Portugal on TV & live stream in India

In India, the Euros will be broadcast live on the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). It will be livestreamed on the SonyLIV app.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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How does the group look like

The game between Hungary and Portugal kicks off Group F that also includes the likes of France and Germany. Cristiano Ronaldo and co. will be playing at different venues.

Group F

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Where will the match take place?

Puskas Arena | Budapest | Hungary

Capacity: 67,889 | 100% capacity
Games: Group stage & last 16 (four games)
Year built: 2019

The Puskas Arena in Budapest will be the newest stadium at Euro 2020 with construction concluding in 2019. It will host three games in Group F and one of the last 16 encounters.

Named after Hungarian football legend Ferenc Puskas, it is situated on the site of the former Ferenc Puskas Stadium, which was demolished in 2016.

It will be home to the Hungary national team and hosted a number of games for UEFA - including Champions League games - when public health restrictions saw parts of Europe locked down.

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Hungary vs Portugal: Team news

Joao Cancelo has been replaced by Diogo Dalot in Portugal's Euro 2020 squad after testing positive for Covid-19. The Portuguese Football Federation (FPF) have confirmed that Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot, who took in a successful loan spell at Milan last term, has been drafted in to fill Cancelo's spot.

Portugal still have the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Jota and Joao Felix to call upon, but service to those star players will surely be reduced after losing Cancelo as an outlet down the right wing.

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Further reading: 

France begin their Euro 2020 campaign with a Group F encounter against Germany at the Allianz Arena, Munich, on Tuesday night.

It's 2018 World Cup winners, France, up against 2014 World Cup winners, Germany.

Here's how to watch France vs Germany in India.

Contents

What time does France vs Germany start?

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How to watch France vs Germany on TV & live stream in India

In India, the Euros will be broadcast live on the Sony Pictures Sports Network (SPSN). It will be livestreamed on the SonyLIV app.

Commentary will also be available in vernacular languages across India.

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How does the group look like

Group F kicks off Hungary vs Portugal ahead of France vs Germany where all teams will be looking for a strong start in a difficult group on paper.

Group F

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Where will the match take place?

Allianz Arena | Munich | Germany

Capacity: 70,000 | At least 14,500 capacity for Euro 2020
Games: Group stage & quarter-final (four games)
Year built: 2005

Bayern Munich's  Allianz Arena  is Germany's representative at Euro 2020 and will play host to three games in Group F alongside Budapest's Puskas Arena. It will also host a quarter-final game.

As well as occasionally staging Germany games, the 75,000-seater was one of the country's venues for the World Cup in 2006 (hosting six matches) and in 2012 it was the venue for the Champions League final.

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France vs Germany: Team news

Karim Benzema's early exit in the 3-0 win in a friendly against Bulgaria last Sunday raised some eyes but the Real Madrid forward has returned to training since. The only possible injury concern in France's side is of Chelsea defender Kurt Zouma but he is not expected to start anyay. Raphael Varane and Presnel Kimpembe are the preferred central defenders for coach Didier Deschamps.

Germany boss Joachim Low Low tested a three-man backline consisting of Antonio Rudiger, Mats Hummels and Matthias Ginter in the friendlies against Latvia and Denmark. Jonas Hofmann and Leon Goretzka are expected to be ruled out for the opener on account of a knee injury and muscle problems respectively.

France vs Germany: Key stats

1) France and Germany’s only previous encounter in the UEFA European Championships was in the 2016 semi-finals – France won 2-0 courtesy of an Antoine Griezmann brace.

2) This will be Joachim Löw’s 18th game as manager in the UEFA European Championships, a record. Löw has led Germany to the semi-finals in five of his six previous tournaments, the only exception coming at World Cup 2018 (group stages elimination).

3) France are unbeaten in their last five games against Germany on German soil (W3 D2). Their only previous meeting in Munich ended goalless (Allianz Arena, September 2018).

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Further reading: 

Argentina forward Nicolas Gonzalez has shouldered blame for a 1-1 draw vs Chile in the Copa America on Monday, telling reporters he "failed a lot" in the match, while Lionel Messi lamented a "complicated" game.

Indeed, Gonzalez headed a perfect over-the-top pass from Messi over the bar when he had only the goalkeeper to beat in the 80th minute. But he was far from the only Argentina player to be wasteful as they could only convert one of their 18 shots on the night.

Messi scored the lone goal for the Albiceleste on a free kick before Chile equalised through Eduardo Vargas.

What did Messi say?

"The game was complicated," Messi said. "We lacked calmness, having control of the ball and playing faster. The penalty changed the game.

"We wanted to start winning. Now we have Uruguay, which is also going to be difficult. But hey, we have to think about the next match now."

Struggles in front of goal

Aside from Messi's stunning free-kick, Argentina were wasteful in front of goal, with Gonzalez shouldering the blame.

"I am self-critical, today I have failed a lot," Gonzalez said. "We must be much finer [around the net]. I'm going to be angry but happy for some of the positives we showed today.

"We had a lot of goal situations. We entered a little asleep in the second half but later we were able to [evolve]."

However, head coach Lionel Scaloni says he was pleased with the amount of chances created as he backed his team to finish those chances as they get sharper as the tournament goes.

"I would be worried if the team did not generate goal situations," he said. "The important thing is that we do it, we put many players in the area."

He added: "We have a very rich squad. All the footballers who are here can play, that's why they came."

What's next for Argentina?

The squad will face Uruguay on Friday night in a clash Messi admitted is "going to be complicated".

Further reading

Spain defender Aymeric Laporte has leapt to the defense of team-mate Alvaro Morata, backing the striker to provide the goals the team needs going forward.

Morata had a tough day in front of net, as did the rest of Spain, as La Roja settled for a 0-0 draw with Sweden in a game that saw them set possession records.

Despite the fact that the team was booed by the home crowd in Seville for their lack of composure in front of goal, Laporte says that Morata will "shut everyone up" in the coming days and weeks.

What did Laporta say?

"You can't doubt an attacker like Alvaro, who has already shown a lot," Laporta said of his team-mate after the draw. 

"Next time he scores three and shuts everyone up."

Laporta's comments were echoed by manager Luis Enrique, who said he believes Morata was simply unlucky.

"I also heard applause for Morata, and I'll focus on that," Enrique said. "Morata is a great player who does a lot of things very well. No luck today, but that's football and that's life. 

"It is easier to play with the public in your favor, and I hope that will change."

Boos ring around Seville

Morata may have been a frequent target, but he wasn't the only Spain player on the end of boos from the home crowd.

Despite keeping control of the game, Spain lacked that cutting edge as they started the tournament on a mediocre note.

"I don't understand why they boo," said midfielder Dani Olmo. "The fans have to support us all."

Further reading

The Confederation of African Football has announced the abandoned Africa Cup of Nations qualification encounter between Sierra Leone and Benin Republic will now take place on Tuesday, June 15.

“The TotalEnergies Africa Cup of Nations qualifier fixture between Sierra Leone and Benin, initially scheduled for today [Monday], has been rescheduled for tomorrow, 15 June 2021,” a statement from Caf website read.

“The match will be played at General Lansana Conte Stadium in Conakry, Guinea at 16h00 GMT.”

The Group L fixture rescheduled for June 14 at the General Lansana Conte Stadium in Conakry did not take place amid another Covid-19 storm.

While the Leone Stars were warming up for the make-or-break encounter, news emanated that six of the hosts’ players namely Ibrahim Sesay, Francis Koroma, Augustus Kargbo, Idriss Kanu, Alusin Koroma and Kassim Sima Turay tested positive for the virus.

And as a result of that, John Keister’s men refused to go on with the encounter as they probed the timing and reliability of the Covid-19 test. After several hours of delays, the crunch tie was cancelled.

This scenario occurred earlier on March 30 as Benin Republic's players refused to leave their bus after being told within an hour before kick-off that six players—including star striker Steve Mounie —would not play after tests showed they had tested positive for the coronavirus.

The Squirrels had claimed to have taken tests 72 hours earlier which produced negative results for all of the squad, and duly refused to contest the match without a full complement of players.

Sierra Leone coach Keister had stated that there was no "discomfort" within his squad.

"There is no pressure. Our ultimate goal is to qualify for the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, and there is no discomfort within our squad,” Keister told Caf website.

"This squad is a blend of both young and experienced players; I've rationally selected 11 local and 15 foreign-based players.

“Thankfully, despite the numerous challenges, we succeeded to arrange a camp and let our players train together in Freetown since last Monday.

"What I need now is support from our fans at home and abroad. Already there is a huge willingness among the players and the whole nation wants us to qualify.

“So, I'm on to guide the team to get the best result against Benin and proceed to Cameroon next year."

Michel Dussuyer’s side needs a draw to guarantee their place in the biennial African football showpiece, while victory for Keister’s team will send Sierra Leone through.

Cristiano Ronaldo removed two soda bottles from the table in front of him at his pre-match Euro 2020 press conference on Monday before holding up a bottle of water to the room and declaring people should drink water instead.

Then, for dramatic effect, he rolled his eyes and said with borderline disgust, "Coca-Cola".

The brand is an official sponsor of the tournament, but clearly, Ronaldo is not a believer in the health downsides relative to water.

What happened

Portugal's Euro 2020 fixtures

Portugal begins their play in Group F on Tuesday against Hungary before facing Germany on Saturday and France next Wednesday.

Further reading

Slovakia boss Stefan Tarkovic was full of praise for his side after they neutralised Robert Lewandowski, with the Poland forward admitting he was left frustrated by his team's inability to pick up points against the "weakest opponent in the group".

Led by a goal from Milan Skriniar and an own goal from Wojciech Szczesny, Slovakia stunned 10-man Poland to put a severe dent in Lewandowski and co.'s knockout round hopes.

Lewandowski was limited to just 37 touches, fewest among outfield players, while failing to put a shot on target as Poland suffered defeat.

What was said?

"We managed to neutralise Lewandowski and score at the same time," Tarkovic said. "Lewandowski plays a decisive role in the last third of the field, it was important to keep him out of the box."

Added goalscorer and Man of the Match Skriniar: "He is one of the best, if not the best striker in the world. We prepared well for him and worked well as a team today."

Poland in trouble

Playing in a group that also includes Spain and Sweden, Slovakia were pegged by many to be the weakest side in Group E.

However, they did more than enough to trouble Lewandowski and Poland, who were also left deflated by Grzegorz Krychowiak's red card.

While they have two games to seal a spot in the knockout rounds, Lewandowski believes his team missed an opportunity.

"We lost to the theoretically weakest opponent in the group, which puts us in a difficult position," he told TVP. "But we will do everything in our hands to perform better in the next games."

Further reading

Spain set several possession records on Monday against Sweden although La Roja couldn't turn all of that possession into the goal needed to secure all three points.

Sweden were able to keep Spain at bay to earn a 0-0 draw on Monday as Luis Enrique's side settled for just one point on a disappointing day.

However, Spain toppled some of their own records against the Swedes, who were content to let Spain have their trademark possession for all 90 minutes.

Records broken

By the final whistle, Spain had amassed 85 per cent possession against a bunkered-in Sweden as La Roja were always in complete control.

That 85 per cent number makes Spain the first-ever team to hit that benchmark at the Euros side since Opta began collecting data in 1980.

Along the way, Spain completed 419 passes in the first half, the highest figure in the opening 45 minutes of a European Championship game.

They also completed 303 passes in the opposing half in the first half, the most by any team at the Euros, while Sweden made just 38 passes in the Spain half, the fewest by any team at the Euros.

When all was said and done, Spain ended up finishing with a record total of 917 passes.

With that, Spain broke their own Euros mark, which was coincidentally set nine years ago to the day.

On that day, Spain completed 859 passes against Ireland, with the legendary Xavi responsible for 136 of them.

Further reading

Matt Miazga is set to return to Chelsea after a loan spell at Anderlecht, with the Belgian giants priced out of an extension by the European champions.

The 25-year-old had expressed his desire to remain with Vincent Kompany's side after helping them earn a Europa Conference League place for next year.

However, an agreement couldn't be found to sign him and Chelsea will look to either extend Miazga's contract, which ends in the summer of 2022 and loan him out - or sell him to another club.

How does Miazga feel about the situation?

Indeed, Miazga has previously expressed a desire to remain at Lotto Park.

"I would like to be here, but such a decision depends on several parameters," Miazga told HLN in April.

On Chelsea's side, they are under pressure to sell some loanees due to future loan regulation changes by FIFA to limit clubs stockpiling talent.

Which other Chelsea loanees should we keep an eye on?

Similarly, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Davide Zappacosta, Michy Batshuayi and Ross Barkley are due to return from loans across Europe having not been sold to their temporary teams.

The Blues are expected to be open to selling them all and will also see Baba Rahman return from PAOK after they were unable to finance a permanent deal. He will likely seek a move to a top five European league after proving his fitness in Greece.

Fikayo Tomori is in advanced talks with AC Milan about making his loan move permanent. Although there's a £25 million ($35m) option to buy, there have been prolonged discussions about paying in installments.

Ike Ugbo, rated at £5 million, has a host of clubs trailing him including Watford, Fulham, Genk and Monaco but is in no rush to decide his future after a successful season on loan at Cercle Brugge.

Further reading