Category: Football

How does the 2023 NBA All

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 16, 2023

Football

One of the most anticipated events in the basketball world is about to begin: the 2023 NBA All-Star Game is very close. Great entertainment is also to be expected in this edition, with a weekend in which some of the greatest players of the most famous professional basketball league in the world will take the field. Let’s go to the discovery of this event, trying to understand how it works, who is called up, and the records that have characterized it up to now.

NBA All-Star Game 2023: What are they and how do they work?

The NBA All-Star Game is a very popular basketball event in the USA and beyond. It is a weekend, held every year, characterized by a series of great competitions such as the Slam Dunk Contest (the dunk contest), the Three-Point Shootout (the three-point shooting contest), and the challenge between two great selections (until 2017 between the Western Conference and Eastern Conference). This last game, which takes place on Sunday, is naturally the most anticipated of all because the best players in the entire NBA take to the field every time.

The choice of basketball players who participate in the All-Star Game is very particular and takes place thanks to two selectors: the fans and the coaches. The former, thanks to the official NBA website, vote during the regular season for the best players they would like to see on the field during the event. In this way, the starting five is chosen, taking into account the roles that will have to be occupied on the pitch and choosing between two categories of players: the frontcourt players and the backcourt players. The coaches, on the other hand, will call up the reserves to complete the squad selection.

The division of the teams, until 2017, was between the two conferences, but since the following edition, some things have changed. Now, based on the votes of the fans, two captains are selected to be in charge of choosing the two teams before the match, based on the votes of the fans and the lists of the two conferences (in this way, mixed teams can be formed). They are, therefore, the players who make up the final formation and who give the name to the team that will take the field (the first edition was a match between Team LeBron and Team Curry). At the conclusion of the game, the NBA All-Star Game Most Valuable Player award will be voted on, which has been held by the legendary Kobe Bryant since 2020.

NBA All-Star Game 2023: the squad

So who are the players called up to the 2023 NBA All-Star Game? After a long wait, the lists with all the players who will be divided into the two teams led by LeBron James and Gianni Antetokounmpo have been issued. The coaches will instead be Joe Mazzulla (Boston Celtics) for the formation of the Greek basketball player and Michael Malone (Denver Nuggets) for that of the American.

Let’s see below which basketball players were selected by the Eastern Conference:

Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers)
DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls)
Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)
Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers)
Giannis Antetokoumpo, captain (Milwaukee Bucks)
Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks)
Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets)
Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

Here are all the players from the Western Conference:

Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)
Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
Paul George (Los Angeles Clippers)
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings)
Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
Jaren Jackson (Memphis Grizzlies)
LeBron James, captain (Los Angeles Lakers)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)
Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)

NBA All-Star Game stats and records

The last five NBA All-Star Games have been won by Team LeBron, who defeated Team Stephen once, Team Giannis twice, and then Team Durant twice more. On the other hand, the MVP record for the event belongs to both Kobe Bryant and Bob Pettit, both of whom have received four awards in total. The record holder for the most points scored in this event belongs to The Chosen One, LeBron James (413), who is very close to reaching and also obtaining the NBA points record held by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Football

Predictions 14-17.02.2023

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 13, 2023

Football

PSG vs Bayern Munich | Champions League

14/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 2-2

Twelfth match between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. The first leg of the eighth-final of the 2022–2023 Champions League will be played at the Parc des Princes in Paris on February 14, 2023. Christophe Galtier’s Paris Saint-Germain are back from two consecutive defeats, the first of which cost them elimination from the French Cup 2-1 at Olympique Marseille and the second in the league against Monaco 3-1. A completely different atmosphere at Bayern, with Julian Nagelsmann’s team beginning to grind victories again, three in a row, the most recent of which came at home against Bochum for a 3-0 victory.

The last precedent dates back to April 13, 2021, when, precisely in Paris, Bayern won 1-0 but failed to avoid elimination in the quarter-finals after losing at home in the first leg 3-2. PSG seeks retribution after being defeated 1-0 in the Lisbon final behind closed doors on August 23, 2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are 11 precedents, all in the Champions League, with 6 wins for Paris Saint-Germain and 5 for Bayern Munich. The X sign has never occurred in the past. PSG arrive at this appointment after a series of 2 defeats between the French Cup and Ligue 1, and in the last 5 official matches, there have also been 2 wins and 1 draw. Other music at Bayern Munich indicated that three victories in a row between the Bundesliga and the German Cup arrived after an empty passage of three draws in a row in the league to the resumption of hostilities after the World Cup and winter break.

Both teams have scored in PSG’s last 5 official matches.
Bayern Munich has scored in both the first and second halves of their last three games.
Bayern Munich has won 15 games and drawn four in their last 19 games in all competitions.
In Bayern Munich’s last three official matches across all competitions, there have been three over 2.5 goals.
In PSG’s last four official matches across all competitions, there have been four over 2.5 goals.

AC Milan vs Tottenham Hotspur | Champions League

14/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 1-1

The Champions League starts again, and the first Italian team to take the field for the first leg of the round of 16 will be AC Milan, who will face Antonio Conte’s Tottenham on Tuesday, February 14. The Rossoneri, who passed the group in second place with 10 points, three behind Chelsea, come into the match hoping that their latest victory will have averted the heavy crisis that began in conjunction with the return from the break for the World Cup. Not even Tottenham are in perfect condition; they are fifth in the Premier League but capable of qualifying for the second round in the Champions League as first in their group with 11 points, one more than Eintracht Frankfurt.

Milan regained victory in the last game played by interrupting a long crisis. The 1-0 win over Torino helped Pioli’s team recover from four straight defeats, including two in a row against Inter, once in the Italian Super Cup, and heavy knockouts by Sassuolo and Lazio.In 2023, the Rossoneri conceded only two wins, five defeats, and two draws. Tottenham, on the other hand, lost 4-1 to Leicester in the final round of the championship after three consecutive wins (1-0 against Manchester City, 3-0 against Preston in the FA Cup, and 1-0 against Fulham).Conte was overwhelmed after taking the lead.

After the change of formation and the switch to three in defense, Milan played two games and put two under 2.5 on the scoresheet.
Under 2.5 goals have been scored in four of Tottenham’s last six games.
Four of Tottenham’s six Champions League matches ended with fewer than three goals on the final scoreboard.
Spurs away in the Champions League have scored in just one out of three games.
Milan have only scored three goals in their last five games.

Borussia Dortmund vs Chelsea | Champions League

15/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 1-1

On Wednesday, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea’s last-16 match will begin at Signal Iduna Park. At the weekend, they defeated ninth-placed Werder Bremen 2-0 away. They scored two or more goals for the sixth straight game. Dortmund got to the Champions League knockout stage despite having the fewest points among the 16 teams that advanced (nine). They won two, tied three, and lost one.

Borussia Dortmund have been on fire lately, while Chelsea have regressed. The FA Cup is over, and the Blues sit eighth in the Premier League. Graham Potter’s team has only won one of their last eight matches and scored two goals in their last four. In their most recent match, away against West Ham, they drew 1-1. Due to Chelsea’s large winter transfer window, striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang will miss the rest of the Champions League. Ngolo Kante and Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea are out due to injuries.

The last three matches that Chelsea have played have resulted in losses for the club.
Chelsea has only managed to score one goal in their last three games.
Dortmund has won five of their last six games.
There have been no losses for Dortmund in their last ten matches at home across all competitions.
This season, Borussia Dortmund have only let in one goal throughout their three Champions League home games, and Chelsea have won their past four matches overall in the competition, including their last two encounters on the road.

Club Brugge vs Benfica | Champions League

15/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 0-1

Belgian champions Club Brugge play Benfica at the Jan Breydel Stadium in a thrilling UEFA Champions League round of 16. The home team surprised everyone by finishing second in Group B with three victories, two ties, and one loss. Club Brugge finished the group stage with 11 points, one behind FC Porto. Brugge fans were on cloud nine in the first part of the season, but a poor run in the Jupiler Pro League plummeted them to fourth place. The hosts are winless in their last 10 league matches, drawing seven and losing two. The team has drawn five of their last six matches and cannot finish the job.

Club Brugge will now face Benfica, who are having a great season. The Eagles opened the season with a 28-match unbeaten streak in all competitions, including all of their UEFA Champions League qualifying round and group stage fixtures. Benfica won four and drew two of their six matches to lead a group with PSG and Juventus. They tied PSG in Lisbon and Paris at 1-1. They lost a Portuguese Cup penalty shootout to Braga on Thursday. Benfica had won four straight, scoring 11 goals and preserving a clean sheet.

Only four goals have been scored against Benfica in their 10 away matches in the Primeira Liga so far this season.
Benfica have managed to keep an astonishing eight clean sheets in those encounters.
Benfica now leads the scoring rankings for the Portuguese league with 51 goals scored over the course of 20 matches, and they also scored 16 goals in the group stage of the Champions League.
Club Brugge have now given up a goal in their last eight consecutive home matches across all competitions, and in nine of their last 10 overall matches.
Benfica’s record in away matches played to regulation time during this season across all competitions is 15 wins, five draws, and just one loss in 21 matches played away from home.

Arsenal vs Manchester City | Champions League

15/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 1-1

On Wednesday evening, the top two teams in the English Premier League will compete against each other. Arsenal, who are now in first place, will play host to Manchester City after gaining three points over the weekend and having a game in hand. Should City come out on top, they will reclaim their position atop the Premier League standings based on their superior goal differential. The margin between City and the Gunners at the top of the table has shrunk significantly as City has been gaining ground. On Wednesday, will there be new leaders at the top of the league?

Arsenal enters this match having not triumphed in either of their previous three matches. They were eliminated from the FA Cup in the fourth round by Manchester City, then went on to lose at Everton, and on Saturday they only managed to draw at home with Brentford. Only one goal has been scored in each of those three games, although eight goals were scored in the three games before those three. Arsenal has not yet suffered a defeat at home in any of the league’s games this season. They have won eight of their ten games at the Emirates, but the last two and three of those games were tied.Since they suffered their last defeat at home in the Premier League, they have played 13 home league matches. That match took place in April of last year in Brighton, and a goal was scored by recently acquired player Leandro Trossard for the Seagulls in that contest.

This will be Manchester City’s second trip to North London this month, and they will be looking to improve on their performance from their 1-0 setback to Tottenham on February 5. They got themselves back on track after that loss with a 3-1 victory over Aston Villa at home on Sunday. City was defeated at Manchester United after losing their previous two Premier League matches away from home.They have not suffered three consecutive defeats in the top flight since the year 2020. This season in the Premier League, City has only won five of their ten matches played away from home and has lost three of those matches, including one played at Liverpool. However, they do score in a steady manner when playing away in league matches, and they have only failed to do so twice in the last 14.

Arsenal has failed to win any of its last three games.
Over the course of their last three games, Arsenal has managed to score only once.
Manchester City has triumphed three times in their last four league matches.
Arsenal have been defeated by Manchester City in 13 of the past 14 matches that have been played between the two teams.
It wasn’t until 2015 that Arsenal last triumphed at home in a league game against Manchester City.

Barcelona vs Manchester United | Europa League

16/02/2023 17:45

Prediction: 2-0

Super-challenge in the double confrontation of the 16th round of the Europa League, which sees Xavi’s Barcelona opposite Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United. The former finished third in their Champions League group and was therefore relegated to the second European cup in order of importance, while the latter finished second in Group F of the Europa League despite having the same number of points as Real Sociedad, but to make up the difference, they conceded an extra goal. Barça, still in command of La Liga, is back from yet another success in the league: 0-1 at Villarreal with a goal from Pedri, while United are third in the Premier League, 5 points behind leaders Arsenal, and won 0-2 in Leeds in the last match with goals from Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.

Barcelona are having an exceptional season. With six consecutive victories, Real Madrid leads the league by 11 points, having won the Spanish Super Cup and remaining in contention for the Copa del Rey. At home, they haven’t lost in 10 games in all competitions, but find Manchester United unbeaten in 6 league and cup matches with 5 wins and 1 draw.

Barcelona are unbeaten in 16 consecutive games in all competitions.
Barcelona have scored at least 1 goal in their last 16 competitive matches across all competitions.
Manchester United are unbeaten in 6 games in a row in all competitions, with 5 wins and 1 draw.
Manchester United have scored at least 1 goal in their last 15 competitive matches across all competitions.
Barcelona have scored the first goal of the match in their last 12 games.

Juventus vs Nantes | Europa League

16/02/2023 21:00

Prediction: 2-0

Massimiliano Allegri’s Juventus returns to the continental arena from the Europa League and faces the French of Nantes at the Allianz Stadium in Troino, after exiting the Champions League in November with a melancholy third place in their group thanks to a better goal difference than Maccabi Haifa.The Bianconeri are coming off their league victory against Fiorentina, which they won 1-0 thanks to Adrien Rabiot’s goal. Nantes, on the other hand, finished second in the first phase of the Europa League, forcing them to play the 16th final in the away leg.Coach Antoine Kombouare’s yellow-and-green players are returning from a 1-0 home win against Lorient in the last round of the championship with a goal from Ludovic Blas.

Juventus is coming off three consecutive victories between the championship and the Italian Cup, and let’s add to this the fact that they are once again back to having unbeaten goals in each of these matches. Nantes has also won the last three games played between the league and the French Cup, but the national cup victory came only after a penalty shootout.

Juventus faced Nantes in Turin in 1996, the year after winning the Champions Cup in Rome against Ajax, and the Bianconeri won 2-0 in the then Delle Alpi match.

Juventus are coming off 3 consecutive victories in the championship and the cup without conceding a goal.
In all of Juventus’ last 7 matches, at least one goal has always been scored during the first half of the game.
There have been 6 Under 2.5s in a row in Nantes’ last 6 official matches
No goals have occurred in 10 of Nantes’ last 11 matches, meaning one or both teams didn’t score.

Football

What to know about Super Bowl 2023

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 10, 2023

Football

The 2023 edition of the Super Bowl, the third-most watched sporting event in the world after the World Cup and the Summer Olympics, is almost here. This year, a great show is expected both during game times and during the intermission, when some of the world’s most famous singers will take the field to bring the Half Time Show to life.

Let’s go into detail and delve into this edition of Super Bowl 2023. We will try to understand how it works, which teams will face each other, and the artists who will perform.

What is the Super Bowl, and when is it played?

The Super Bowl is the final stage of the NFL (National Football League), where the title of world champion is awarded to the best American football team. It is one of the most important and watched sporting events in history, and it attracts a lot of attention every year because of the Half Time Show, an incredible musical show staged during the match’s intermission.

In the final, after the regular season and the playoffs, the winning teams of the two conferences face off: the AFC (American Football Conference) and the NFC (National Football Conference). The trophy that is awarded decrees the winners of the season of the previous year with respect to the one in which the Super Bowl is played (in this case, 2022) and is called the Vince Lombardi. This silver bowl, in the shape of an American football, is produced by the well-known jewelry company Tiffany.

The 2023 Super Bowl edition is LVII, i.e., the 57th since the competition was founded in 1967. The match will take place on February 12 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, and will be visible both on TV and through streaming.

What are the Super Bowl 2023 teams?

The teams that will participate in Super Bowl 2023 will be the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. The former will represent the American Football Conference, while the latter will represent the National Football Conference. Both teams have won the Super Bowl before. In detail, the Kansas City Chiefs appeared twice (most recently in 2019) and the Philadelphia Eagles only once (in 2018). The two most successful Super Bowl teams are the New England Patriots and the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former won all of their championships in part due to the presence of superstar quarterback Tom Brady.

Not just teams: the singers of Super Bowl 2023

Teams aside, as already mentioned, one of the most anticipated parts of the Super Bowl is the Half Time Show, where every year the best singers in the world perform, creating a show that alone is worth the cost of the ticket. This year, the main star of the event will be Rihanna, who announced her presence at the 2023 Super Bowl with a post on social media (an official NFL football). Unlike the last edition, the presence of other artists is not foreseen at the moment.

The Barbados singer will try to replicate the same level of show as in past years, including that of 2022, which was one of the most popular ever. Last year’s event was in fact a tribute to the history of hip hop and rap stars and stripes, thanks to the presence of some artists who have written (and are writing) the history of this musical genre: Eminem, Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent.

In the past, the Half Time Show has attracted other great international artists who have performed in front of millions of viewers. Michael Jackson in 1993, Paul McCartney in 2005, The Rolling Stones in 2006, Prince in 2007, Madonna in 2012, Coldplay with Beyoncé and Bruno Mars in 2016, and Maroon 5 and Travis Scott in 2019.

Football

UEFA Champions League Records and Stats

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 10, 2023

Football

UEFA Champions League Records and Stats

Santiago Bernabeu founded the Champions Cup in 1955. He proposed an annual competition for Europe’s top teams. The tournament was immediately very successful, especially in countries such as Spain, Italy, and France, and in a short time it became the main competition for clubs. Called the UEFA Champions League in 1992, it is today a cup rich in history and symbolism in which all the best players in the world compete. So many curiosities, records, and statistics developed in these decades: from the most successful player to the match with the highest number of cards, from the city that hosted the most finals to the team with the best victory. These are the most interesting records of the current Champions League.

Team with the most Champions League wins: 13 for Real Madrid

Real Madrid, with 13 Champions League titles, reigns supreme. In 1955, Bernabeu presented Europe’s best team for the first time. Los Blancos won the first five Champions Cups under Di Stefano-Puskas. In all five tournaments, they defeated Fiorentina and Milan twice. Los Blancos will no longer win the European Cup after captain Sanchis holds the big-eared cup in the disputed 1998 final against Juventus.Bayer Leverkusen lost to the Galacticos in 2002 after a comfortable win over Valencia in 2000. Real Madrid won its tenth in 2014 after beating Atletico Madrid in extra time in Lisbon under Carlo Ancelotti. Two years later, with Zidane on the bench, Los Blancos defeated the Colchoneros again on penalties at the San Siro. Juventus and Liverpool, both dominated by Cristiano Ronaldo, followed.

Spain has the most Champions League victories.

The most successful nation in Champions League history is Spain, with 18 victories. A great contribution is obviously offered by Real Madrid, which has 13 trophies. Barcelona has won the remaining five finals, while Atletico Madrid and Valencia have lost three and two finals, respectively. Then there’s England, which has 13, led by the legendary Liverpool. The Reds, champions in 2018-19, have won on 6 occasions. In third place is Italy, which boasts 12 titles. Milan, which has raised 7: the others are from Inter (3) and Juventus (2). No victory for Fiorentina, Roma, and Sampdoria, who only had one chance and wasted it. Germany follows with 7 titles: 5 belong to Bayern Munich, followed by Hamburg and Borussia Dortmund. Ajax’s 4 victories—3 with the great Cruijff—bring the Netherlands to 6. France, on the other hand, is bad at club level, boasting only one success: the honor goes entirely to Marseille, who, led by the amazing trident Voller-Boksic-Pelé, beat Milan in Munich in 1993.

Player with most Champions League appearances: 181 for Casillas,

The Champions League leader is Iker Casillas, who hung up his gloves at the end of the 2018-19 season. The Spanish goalkeeper has totaled 177 games in the Champions League finals, which becomes 181 if the preliminaries are also considered. Born and raised in Real Madrid, the youngster was “forced” to leave in 2015 in search of a starting spot, and he has since made 27 appearances for Porto. Behind him is his former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo. Between Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus, there have been 180 appearances for the Portuguese phenomenon. However, the number 7 is still in business and will soon become its record holder. Xavi, the midfielder and leader of Barcelona, closes the podium. The Spaniard counts 151 races—157 with preliminary races—in the first competition in Europe. The ranking is obviously full of great champions, including Maldini—with 139 total games, all of course in the Milan shirt—and Buffon, stuck at 132 between Parma, Juventus, and PSG. Just as the share of the number 1 could rise further, the same thing will certainly happen to the statistics of Messi, the last player still active in the top 10: The Barcelona phenomenon has 149 appearances in the Champions League.

Most successful player and coach in the Champions League: 6 cups for Gento

The most successful player in the history of the Champions League is Francisco Gento, who lifted the trophy on 6 occasions with Real Madrid in the 1950s and 1960s. Behind him, many Spaniards count 5 trophies. Together with them were also Costacurta and Maldini, all obviously with Milan. Cristiano Ronaldo also has five victories, the first with Manchester United and then four with Los Blancos. As for the coaches, however, there are three of them who are the most successful ever. Joining Bob Paisley—who raised 3 with Liverpool in the late 1970s and early 1980s—are also Carlo Ancelotti and Zinedine Zidane. The Italian coach won two with Milan and then one—the famous tenth—with Real Madrid. All with Los Blancos instead of the French coach. Finally, still at 2, there are true masters of football such as Ferguson, Mourinho, Guardiola, Sacchi, and Clough.

The youngest and oldest player in the Champions League

The youngest player to play in a Champions League match is Anderlecht defender Celestine Babayaro in the 1-1 draw against Steaua Bucharest on November 24, 1994. The boy was just 16 years and 87 days old. However, the youngest to score was Olympiakos’ Peter Ofori-Quaye, who scored his only goal in a 5-1 defeat against Rosenborg on October 1, 1997; he was 17 years and 195 days old. Immediately after him, with just 20 more days on his identity card, there is the better-known Mateo Kovacic, who in 2011 scored the flag goal for his Dinamo Zagreb in the 1-7 draw against Lyon. On the other hand, the oldest player to play in a Champions League match is Marco Ballotta, the Lazio goalkeeper who took the field in the Bernabeu defeat against Real Madrid in 2007, aged 43 years and 253 days. The oldest player to score is Manfred Burgsmüller of Werder Bremen, who scored against Dinamo Berlin on October 11, 1988, when he was 38 years and 293 days old.

Football

Predictions 08-12.02.2023

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 8, 2023

Football

Manchester United vs Leeds United | Premier League

08/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 3-0

Important points are at stake in the eighth day’s recovery of the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leeds, which is scheduled for Wednesday, at 21 at Old Trafford. The Red Devils are in full comeback mode, and with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, their fourth victory in a row across all competitions, they have taken third place, and with a win, they can even catch the City’s “cousins” in second place. Ten Hag’s formation flies and they will face an opponent that is certainly not impossible to beat; in fact, Leeds are third from bottom, together with Everton, with 18 points in full fight against relegation, and have gone seven games without a win in the Premier League, including the defeat to Nottingham Forest in the last round.

Manchester United have scored 13 goals over 2.5 in 21 Premier League games, including 4 in the last five.
For Leeds, twelve out of twenty matches have finished with more than three goals on the final scoreboard.
The Red Devils have won all of their last 13 games at Old Trafford.
Leeds have the worst away performance in the league with 5 points from 10 games (L7, D1, W1).
The hosts have won four of the last five meetings, all with Over 2.5 results.

Real Madrid vs Al-Hilal | FIFA Club World Cup

11/02/2023 19:00

Prediction: 2-1

Real Madrid and Al Hilal from Saudi Arabia will star in the Club World Cup final this Saturday, an appointment that comes as a surprise, not because the presence of the Madrid team in the grand final was taken for granted but because everyone believed that their rival It would be the Brazilian Flamengo, beaten in the semifinals by Al Hilal (2-3). In that match against the South American champion, the Asian team took advantage of two penalties, and the fact that the first of them, in the extension of the first set, led to the expulsion of one of the “Fla” players. The Saudi team, before that semifinal, beat Wydad Casablanca on penalties (1-1) while the Madrid team, as European champions, directly entered the tournament to reach the semifinals. Although Ancelotti’s team is not performing well in the league, it has arrived as a great favorite for the tournament and did not fail in the semifinals against Al Ahly, although it could not prove its commitment against the Egyptian team (1-4) until the last bars.

Real Madrid have won the Club World Cup 4 times in 5 participations, and in two editions they have defeated the other two Asian teams who reached the final: 4-2 in extra time against Japanese side Kashima Antlers in 2016 and 4-1 against UAE side Al Ain in 2018.
Prior to this edition, Al-Hilal had their best result at the Club World Cup in 2019 and 2021, finishing in fourth place.
Real Madrid are unbeaten in 9 games in a row at the Club World Cup.
Real Madrid has always scored four goals total between regular and overtime in the two finals against Asian teams, and both games ended with goals and over 2.5 in 90 minutes.

Leeds United vs Manchester United | FIFA Club World

12/02/2023 14:00

Prediction: 1-2

Leeds and Manchester United will meet again in the Premier League in a few days after recovering from the first leg of the week. At Old Trafford, it finished 2-2, with the Red Devils having come back from a two-goal disadvantage in the final while now playing at Elland Road. Erik ten Hag’s squad failed to secure second place over city rivals Manchester City, but the main focus now is to maintain a top-four position and secure a return to the group stage of the Champions League next season.

However, it won’t be a simple challenge for United, and the tests were there in the match a few days ago because Leeds have great qualities and know how to put the Red Devils in difficulty. Coach Skubala’s formation is fighting hard not to be relegated and cannot afford to give anything away.Victory has been missing for eight rounds in the league, and a defense that is currently the third worst in the Premier League needs to be improved. There were many important absentees for the match, from Antony and Martial for United to Rodrigo for Leeds.

Over 2.5 goals have been scored in the last three direct matches.
There have been 5 over 2.5 goals in Manchester United’s last 6 league games.
In 5 of the last 6 league games, Manchester United have scored at least 2 goals.
Manchester United have scored at least 2 goals in their last 6 official matches and at least 1 goal in 22 games.

Villarreal vs Barcelona | La Liga

12/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 0-1

At Villarreal’s Estadio de la Ceramica, the locals face Barcelona in what is a key match, especially for the hosts. In fact, Villarreal has returned from a negative moment, and after a couple of defeats, they have lost contact with the Champions League zone, now 4 points away. The table is tight, with six teams between 32 and 28 points vying for qualification for European competition, and Atletico Madrid on 35 not too far behind. Instead, Barcelona has the chance to extend or maintain its eight-point lead over Real Madrid at the top of the table.

Villarreal has struggled since returning from the World Cup, and their results have dropped them out of Europe. They have lost three times in their last four matches, including in La Liga against Rayo Vallecano and Elche. Barcelona’s situation could not be better, as they have almost always won since the break, bringing home the Spanish Super Cup and extending their lead over Real Madrid.

Barcelona have won eleven out of thirteen games since the break.
Villarreal has lost the last two games of La Liga.
Barcelona have only conceded 7 goals in the league.
Villarreal have scored 22 times in 20 La Liga matches.

Football

Predictions 04-06.02.2023

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 5, 2023

Football

Tottenham Hotspur vs Manchester City | Premier League

05/02/2023 16:30

Prediction: 1-2

Spurs, who will not have Conte on the bench due to a health problem and will be replaced by Stellini, are fifth in the standings, three behind Manchester United and Newcastle; therefore, they must recover if they want to enter the Champions League zone, but they must also watch their backs from Brighton back to minus five. The challenge for Guardiola is fundamental: Arsenal flies, they have a five-point lead and a game to recover; the citizens are the only ones who can try to keep the title race alive, but they can’t make any more mistakes from now on; otherwise, the already difficult comeback will become impossible. Points are therefore very heavily loaded in the White Hart Lane race.

City and Tottenham arrive at the game buoyed by recent victories but far from perfect in recent times. Spurs beat Preston 3-0 in the FA Cup after defeating Fulham 1-0 in the league, but first-round knockouts against Manchester City and Arsenal complicated their way to fourth place. Guardiola is also facing ups and downs; his City won against Arsenal (FA Cup), Wolves, and Tottenham, erasing the heavy defeat in the derby with United (2-1) and the previous defeat in the Carabao Cup with Southampton.

Tottenham have lost four of their last five Premier League home games.
Manchester City have won three away games in their last four league games.
The match was played about ten days ago, and Manchester City won 4-2 by scoring four comeback goals in the second half alone.
Citizens come to the match after three consecutive victories.
There have been three defeats for Tottenham in the last five league days.

Barcelona vs Sevilla | La Liga

05/02/2023 20:00

Prediction: 3-1

Barcelona is in extraordinary form, having won their last nine games, and they also won their first trophy of the season, the Super Cup, in the final against Real Madrid in 2023. In La Liga, in the two meetings, he won 2-1 with Betis and 1-0 with Girona. Sevilla are trying to get back up after winning the last two league games with Elche 3-0 and Cadiz 1-0, but in between they suffered yet another disappointment of the season by going out of the picture in the Copa del Rey with Osasuna.

Barcelona has conceded only 7 goals in La Liga, the best defense of the tournament.

Fourteen of Barcelona’s 19 matches ended without goals.

Barcelona has won all nine of its games and has the most victories at home (7 out of 9).

Sevilla have never won in their last four away league games.

Inter Milan vs AC Milan | Serie A

05/02/2023 19:45

Prediction: 1-0

At the Emirates Stadium in London, Premier League leaders Arsenal take on Manchester United in the Matchday 21 fixture, which kicks off on Sunday, December 22, 2023. Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal lead the tournament with 47 points, but The Red Devils, who are 8 lengths behind in third place, have played one game less. The Gunners are returning from their convincing 0-2 victory in the derby at Tottenham, in which, after an own goal by the goalkeeper, the goal of the Norwegian Martin Ødegaard arrived. The Red Devils, on the other hand, were stopped during the week by Crystal Palace in the seventh round of recovery. At Selhurst Park, the Portuguese Bruno Fernandes scored for Erik Ten Hag’s men.

We are facing two very healthy teams, respectively unbeaten in 6 and 10 games in all competitions. Looking only at the championship, however, Arsenal are unbeaten in 12 games with 10 wins and 2 draws, while at the Emirates they have been “total” unbeaten since the beginning of the season with 7 wins and 1 draw. Manchester United’s record in the Premier League is 6 wins and 1 draw in the last 7 games, while away there have been 2 wins, 2 draws, and 1 defeat in the last 5 meetings.

Arsenal are unbeaten in 12 games in a row in the Premier League, with 10 wins and 2 draws.
Arsenal are unbeaten in 6 games in a row in all competitions, with 5 wins and 1 draw.
Since the season started again after the World Cup, Manchester United hasn’t lost a game. They have 7 wins and 1 tie.
Manchester United has won nine and drawn one of its last ten games in all competitions.
In the last 3 matches, in which the home team has always won (2 times against Manchester United and once against Arsenal), both teams have scored.

Football

Australian Open Who has won the tournament the most times

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 4, 2023

Football

Australian Open: Who has won the tournament the most times?

The Australian Open is without a doubt one of the most prestigious prizes that a male or female tennis player can win. The competition is open only to professional players. Players from any part of the world are welcome to participate in the competition. It is the first major tournament of the year, the first Grand Slam of the year, and the competition that all of the greatest tennis players in the history of the sport have fantasized about winning and taking for themselves. The Australian Open is the first major tournament of the year and the first Grand Slam of the year.

Who are some of the tennis players who, during the glorious course of the sport’s long and storied history, have emerged victorious on multiple occasions at the Australian Open and won the title of champion? Let’s travel back in time and try to win one of the most prestigious trophies in the history of the entire world, just like some of the all-time greats who competed in the Australian Open and made it all the way to the finish line to claim it. Let’s follow in their footsteps and see if we can emulate their success. Let’s try to put ourselves in their shoes and envision what it must have been like to win one of the most prestigious titles in the history of the sport as we go through this process.

Tennis players with the most Australian Open wins: men’s ranking

Here are the men’s singles standings:

Novak Djokovic: 10 titles
Roy Emerson: 6 titles
Roger Federer: 6 titles
Jack Crawford: 4 titles
Ken Rosewall: 4 titles
Andre Agassi: 4 titles
James Anderson: 3 titles
Adrian Quist: 3 titles
Rod Laver: 3 titles
Mats Wilander: 3 titles

Novak Djokovic is thus the most successful player in Australian Open history, having won nine titles to date, the first in 2008 and the most recent in 2023. Roger Federer is also on the podium with 6 titles.

Female tennis players with the most Australian Open wins: women’s rankings

Here are the women’s singles standings:
Margaret Smith Court: 11 titles
Serena Williams: 7 titles
Nancy Wynne Bolton: 6 titles
Daphne Akhurst: 5 titles
Evonne Goolagong: 4 titles
Steffi Graf: 4 titles
Monica Seles: 4 titles
Joan Hartigan: 3 titles
Martina Navratilova: 3 titles
Martina Hingis: 3 titles

In this particular scenario, Margaret Smith Court, who was born in Australia and is currently ranked number one in the world, is the best tennis player in the world. She is currently the holder of the number one spot in the rankings. During the course of her career as a professional tennis player, Smith Court has competed in and won a total of 11 matches at the Australian Open.

The United States’ Serena Williams is presently in second place, and Australia’s Nancy Wynne Bolton rounds out the top three. Both players represent their respective countries.

Football

A Brief History of Rugby

Post author By yonathan
Post date February 4, 2023

Football

A Brief History of Rugby

Usually, when naming a new sport, one characteristic aspect is chosen that defines it from the others. However, there is a case in which the name of a town in Warwickshire has become that of a much loved and practiced discipline: rugby.

The spread of rugby in Great Britain
The arrival of professionalism in rugby
Rugby 15 and Rugby 13
The Rugby World Cup
The 1995 edition in South Africa
Rugby league

Although there were numerous similar sports, starting with Florentine football, Rugby School formalized it in 1845, hence its name. The oval ball game gained popularity in England in the middle of the nineteenth century, and when the Football Association was created in 1863, it allowed and even encouraged players to use their feet.

Like football before 1871, every school and club had its own rugby rules. Hacking—tripping or kicking the opponent’s legs—was the most controversial.

If the impossibility of tripping people in possession of the ball is one of the causes of the break with football in the UK, a real movement of opinion begins against the brutality of the practice, tolerated during the action, and against those who were offside. Since the Rugby Football Union was founded, hacking has been removed from the rulebook.

The spread of rugby in Great Britain

The first international match is therefore held with the rules just established, which, needless to say, pits two English and two Scottish teams (each with twenty players) against each other. On the other hand, in the homeland of rugby, this novelty is not liked, and in fact, the Rugby School will only become part of the federation in 1890.

By that time, rugby had already spread not only throughout the United Kingdom but also in the various British dominions outside the Isles, even in the most remote corners of the Empire. Not for nothing, the annual match between England and Scotland is giving away the Calcutta Cup, a trophy made with 270 melted silver rupees and donated to the Rugby Union by the club of the Indian town, which dissolved in 1878 but in doing so keeps alive its history nearly 150 years later.

The arrival of professionalism in rugby

In South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand, the oval ball gains popularity despite the Australians producing their own version, Australian Football, which is still popular today. Eight years before Rugby School joined the “Home Championship” (England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland), which became the “Five Nations tournament” in 1910 with the addition of France, international matches were already being played.

However, a split creates two rugby styles. Professionalism is usually the reason.

The Rugby Union prohibits championships and player compensation. In football in the north of England, a controversy occurs. The firms opted to pay the gamers, who were mostly workers, for “broken time,” i.e., the time the games took away from work, lowering their salaries.

22 northern English clubs fought over this payment in 1895. The Northern Union became the Rugby League in 1922.

Rugby 15 and Rugby 13

Even though the number of players on the field is not the only difference between rugby 15 and rugby 13, the split has had lasting effects.

Rugby Union began live betting in 1995, a century after Rugby League.

Rugby was at the Olympics from 1900 through 1924, which helped establish its global reach before the First World War.

The Rugby World Cup

However, this is clear from the growing popularity of the southern hemisphere’s national teams, especially New Zealand’s, which started wearing an all-black uniform at the start of the 20th century, giving rise to the legend of the “All Blacks.”

Indeed, after the Great War, the New Zealanders embark on a European tour from which they emerge undefeated, signaling that the balance of power does not concern only the Home Nations. Yet it takes several years before the decision is made to play a real rugby World Cup. We have to wait until 1987 for the first edition, which takes place in New Zealand and sees the victory of the home team.

The 1995 edition in South Africa

The 1995 edition, held in South Africa, however, represents the real breaking point with the past. The Springboks had been barred from competing in the previous two cups due to the apartheid regime, and they won the trophy in their first appearance, much to Nelson Mandela’s delight.

The impactful images of the World Cup and the long-awaited turn toward professionalism changed everything for rugby. The Tri Nations competition, which pits New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa against each other, was established in 1996 as the southern hemisphere’s answer to the Five Nations.

A few years later, it will become the Six Nations, thanks to the inclusion of Italy, which in the 1990s began to produce players of international level and was admitted to play in the famous tournament in 2000. The Tri Nations also welcomed a new host national team, Argentina, and changed its name to the Rugby Championship in 2012.

Rugby league

However, the arrival of professionalism also has several repercussions at club level. The dominance that rugby at 13 had for a century, the only one in which players were allowed to pay, has gradually waned, even though rugby “league” is still very popular in England and Australia, as are rugby bets.

On the other hand, many tournaments were born at a continental level (such as the European Champions Cup in Europe) and worldwide (such as the United Rugby Championship, which sees the participation of franchises from Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Italy, and South Africa), whose protagonists continue to spread the love for rugby in every corner of the planet. After all, on closer inspection, rather than being spherical, it’s still oval!

Football

Table tennis rules

Post author By yonathan
Post date January 26, 2023

Football

Table tennis rules: Everything you need to know

It doesn’t matter if you call it ping pong; in fact, there are a variety of names that are used to refer to table tennis (also called “table tennis”). An age-old sport that did not gain widespread popularity until the latter half of the nineteenth century is now one of the sports that can be competed in at the Olympics. Table tennis has proven itself to be one of the most exciting games ever played over the course of its history. This is partially due to the game’s adaptability, as it only requires two players and can be played anywhere, including inside and outdoors.

However, what are the prerequisites for participation? And how do you play table tennis? The sport of table tennis is broken down into its essential components in the following summary.

What you need to play table tennis

As the name of the game indicates, table tennis basically consists of a tennis match played on a table instead of on a court; the dynamics are more or less the same. However, there is something different: the size of the racket is consequently reduced, and the shape and texture also change; moreover, the ball becomes lighter. To play, you need:

Two rackets (or four, if playing doubles)
A table tennis ball
A regular playing field

For the table, there are standard lengths that must be respected, namely:

5cm wide
274cm long
76cm high
Net height of 15.25 cm

The net that divides the field in two is made of nylon and protrudes to the side for another 15.25 cm.

Even the ball has specific characteristics:

Diameter: 40mm
Weight: 2.7 grams
Material: PVC or ABS

Even for rackets, there are some indications: the frame (i.e., the flat part, to be clear) must be 85% wood and have a rubber cover on both sides.

Note: In general, given the lightness of the ball, it is always better to play indoors to prevent the wind from affecting the trajectory of rallies too much.

The rules of table tennis

First of all, it must be said that the number of sets to be won varies from competition to competition; in general, they are either best of 5 or best of 7. To win a set, you need to reach 11 points; if you reach 10 points, each player will go on until one of the two players gets two points ahead of the opponent.

In the game, which must comply with specific rules, the ball must first hit one’s court and then end up in the opponent’s court. The player to serve first has two serves, then the two serves in a row pass to the opponent, and so on until the end of the set. If it reaches 10, the series of one serving each begins instead.

After the serve, the opposing player must make the return, throwing the ball back into the court of the one who served. This goes on until one of the two players makes a mistake or commits a foul. It is a foul when:

A player talks during a trade.
Racket or player makes contact with the net
One player moves the table.
Or if he touches the table with his free hand.

Table tennis, overall, is a simple and fun sport with precise rules that are also quite easy to remember and put into practice. It helps mental concentration and improves coordination; it’s a highly recommended sport. The best men and women, then, can even aspire to Olympic gold, given that table tennis, as mentioned, has been present at the Olympics since 1988.

Football

Europa League records and statistics

Post author By yonathan
Post date January 26, 2023

Football

Europa League records and statistics

Born from the ashes of the Fairs Cup back in 1971 and initially called the UEFA Cup, only in 2009 did it take the name it still has today: the Europa League. The second most important European competition, reserved for teams that do not qualify for the most prestigious Champions League, has provided a lot of emotions over the years, as well as obviously interesting records and statistics. On the other hand, from teams that have missed access to the Champions League or have gone out in the same group or from unknown teams from various European countries with nothing to lose, one could not expect otherwise. Here are the most interesting records of the Europa League.

The team with the most wins: Sevilla have five cups.

Thanks above all to recent history, Sevilla are the team to have put the trophy on the palmares more times than anyone else. The Nervionenses quickly became the most titled team, thanks in part to another record, that of consecutive victories, which they won only in the 2005-06 season. With three triumphs in a row between the 2013–14 and 2015–16 seasons, the Spaniards have in fact reached five triumphs.

Most victorious nation: 11 victories for Spain

The most successful nation of all in the history of the Europa League is Spain. Spain owes a lot to Sevilla and its five cups, but Atletico Madrid, with the colchoneros who were able to win three and then, a bit surprisingly, two consecutive successes for Real Madrid in the 1984–85 and 1985–86 seasons, also makes a significant contribution. The second step of the podium is divided between two nations: England and Italy, each with nine successes. The first to get there was Italy, thanks to three victories for Juventus, three for Inter, two for Parma, and one for Napoli. One more team instead for the English, who reach nine thanks to the three triumphs of Liverpool, the two of Chelsea and Tottenham, and the only one each of Manchester United and Ipswich Town. Germany has six victories. Borussia Monchengladbach is the only German team to have two victories, with Eintracht Frankfurt, Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, and Schalke 04 each having one. Among the nations of the top five European leagues, France is bad, still at zero but with five finals lost.

Player with most goals ever: 40 for Henrik Larsson

Swede Henrik Larsson is the player who has scored the most goals in the history of the Europa League. Considering both the preliminary rounds, in which he scored nine goals, and the group and knockout stages, where he instead scored 31, Larsson can in fact boast 40 goals in just 56 appearances, with an average of 0.76 goals per game. Following him with 34 goals, we find Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who, unlike the Swede, is still active and therefore has the possibility of reaching or even exceeding the record. For the Dutch average of 0.66 goals per game.

Player with the most appearances: 96 for Giuseppe Bergomi

The footballer with the most appearances ever in the Europa League is an Italian; he is the former Inter captain and defender of the Italian national team, Giuseppe Bergomi, who, with the Nerazzurri, has totaled 96. Bergomi was also a protagonist in all three of the successes of the Milanese, lifting the last two with the captain’s armband. In second place, we find the German Frank Rost, who instead stopped at 90. Among the players still active, Atiba Hutchinson and Pepe Reina are the closest, with 74 appearances each.

The most successful player and coach in history: José Antonio Reyes and Giovanni Trapattoni/Unai Emery

In a few years, José Antonio Reyes managed to win the record as the player with the most victories in the Europa League, no less than five. After lifting the trophy with Atletico Madrid in 2010 and 2012, the Spaniard, who died in a car accident at the age of 35, lifted it three times in a row with Sevilla in the 2014-2015 season and in 2016. As for the coaches, however, the record holder is an Italian, Giovanni Trapattoni, who shares first place with Unai Emery. The first to reach the quota of three triumphs was Trapattoni, who, after winning in 1977 with Inter, managed to triumph twice with Juventus in 1991 and 1993. Three consecutive victories instead for Emery, author of the historic hat-trick for Sevilla: 2014–2015–2016.

Oldest and youngest goalscorer ever: Gary McAllister and Vagner Love

The oldest player ever to score a goal in a Europa League final was Gary McAllister in the famous final between Liverpool and Alaves of the 2000/01 season, which ended with the Reds winning after extra time. The Scotsman scored the momentary 3-1 goal for him from the penalty spot at the ripe old age of 36 years, four months, and 22 days. More recently, however, the record of youngest scorer in a final has belonged to Vagner Love, who scored the final 1-3 goal in the final between Sporting Lisbon and CSKA Moscow in the 2004/05 season. At the time of the goal, the Brazilian was 20 years, 11 months, and 11 days old.