Juventus midfielder Sami Khedira will come face-to-face with Real Madrid s fans once more in Saturday s Champions League final – and he does not miss them one bit.
The Germany World Cup winner joined Juve on a free-transfer in June 2015 after five years at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Injury often hindered Khedira s progress in the Spanish capital and, although he has nothing but praise for Madrid s coaching staff, he felt he was under-valued on the terraces.
In Madrid, I was appreciated by my coaches and 100 per cent fair, but I did not have this recognition in public, he told Kicker.
If I did 10 good games, that was self-evident. If the 11th was not so good, it was asked whether or not I was good enough for the club.
Khedira is expected to start…
After all the flashpoints and controversies, the trophies won and red cards, the impassioned defences and public rows, Roberto Mancini wore a weary and rueful expression.
Speaking to BBC Match of the Day following Manchester City s frustrating 0-0 draw at Queens Park Rangers in January 2013 – a result that pushed a hard-earned Premier League title further back in the direction of Manchester United – the Italian confirmed his compatriot Mario Balotelli would join AC Milan on an initial loan.
I think that this is a good chance for Mario to come back in Italy. I am very sorry because we love him as a guy and a player, Mancini said.
We are so sad in this moment. I think he will miss me… not only me, but all the journalists. For you he was very important.
…
Simon Mignolet will hold talks with manager Jürgen Klopp to discuss the options for the future, have reported.
The Belgian arrived to Liverpool from Sunderland in 2013 as Brendan Rodgers, the Reds manager at the time, looked to replace Pepe Reina between the posts. He spent most of his stint at the club as the first-choice goalkeeper but his inconsistencies in form have gotten him to drop to the bench a few times. He started this season as the starter in the Premier League while Loris Karius held the spot in the Champions League. However, he dropped out of the picture completely at the turn of the year and has been acting as an understudy to the German ever since.
Liverpool have been linked with a host of goalkeepers this summer, but they still haven t signed one. Sh…
Watford stunned Burnley to register their first away win under Javi Gracia, maintaining their perfect start to the Premier League season in a 3-1 victory.
The Hornets, who had previously failed to win any of their last 12 games on the road, struck at the start of either half through Burnley old boy Andre Gray, Troy Deeney and Will Hughes.
Burnley appeared in the driving seat after cancelling out Gray s strike Watford s first away from home since January through James Tarkowski, but Watford rallied again after the break to devastating effect.
Sean Dyche s shell-shocked side were incapable of responding a second time, having played 120 minutes of Europa League football in midweek, and Watford breezed to three points.
Burnley 1-3 Watford (70 mins)
Two teams headed in opposite directions clash in Glendale on Sunday as the Arizona Cardinals host the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens have won three of their last four and are coming off a rout against the Detroit Lions, while the Cards are on a four-game skid with each loss coming by double-digits.
Oddsmakers expect those trends to continue with NFL odds opening the Ravens as 8.5-point road favorites for this Week 8 odds showdown. Here are my best free NFL picks for Ravens vs. Cardinals on October 29.
Ravens vs Cardinals odds
Ravens vs Cardinals predictions
The Baltimore Ravens are peaking right now, coming off a dominant 38-6 victory against the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions. Quarterback Lamar Jackson…
Two games into the season, the Saints’ defense performed down to expectations: New Orleans yielded 777 passing yards and 32.5 points per game in a pair of double-digit losses. But the Saints have since won six straight, and that beleaguered D has surrendered more than 200 yards through the air just once. This from a unit that had finished last or next-to-last in DVOA each of the last three seasons. Pigs really can grow wings, apparently. The Saints’ improvement can be chalked up to some stellar play on the back end of their defense—the result of some early-round draft investments that so far appear to be paying off. That, in turn, has allowed a defense that continues to be as blitz-happy as any in the league to tee off with abandon. It’s helped, too, that the Saints have gotten …