Alan Hutton was the unlikely match-winner as Aston Villa earned a 1-0 win at neighbours Walsall on Tuesday.
The Scotland full-back has not made a first-team appearance for Villa since Paul Lambert was appointed as manager in June 2012.
However, following loan spells at Nottingham Forest, Mallorca and Bolton Wanderers, Hutton has been given a chance to impress ahead of the 2014-15 campaign and did his cause no harm with the only goal at the Bescot Stadium his first in a Villa shirt.
A victory for Lambert s men, albeit against modest opponents who fielded an experimental side and made wholesale changes at the interval with their League One opener at Port Vale just four days away, provides a welcome confidence boost.
Villa had been beaten in each of their pr…
Market: Genoa win
Odds: 2/3 @
Looking to extend on their rampant run of form this weekend, Genoa will welcome Reggina to the Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Friday night.
Starting with the hosts, although Genoa might have lost their Serie A status last season, it appears that the Griffins are breezing their way towards an immediate top-flight return in 2023. Only continuing on a stellar purple patch since opening the New Year, Alberto Gilardino’s men open this weekend’s fixtures holding a five-point buffer from slipping out of the automatic promotion places. Last seen putting in another rampant display as they claimed a 3-0 victory away at Brescia before heading into the international break, Genoa have now won each of their last three Serie B showdowns by an aggreg…
FC Luzern, FC Basel, Young Boys Bern and Sion are the four teams that make an appearance in the semi finals of the Swiss Cup.
Quarter final action started on March 4th, when Young Boys bern easily defeated Grasshopper 3-0 at their own stadium, which was also a host venue of Euro 2008.
Sion secured their ticket to the semi finals thanks to a 1-2 win at Sankt Gallen on Tuesday. Luzern beat Concordia Basel 0-2 and FC Basel were just a bit too strong for FC Zürich, 0-1.
If Basel were to win the tournament, it would be their third consecutive Cup trophy. Of the four semi-finalists, Young Boys have to go furthest back to their most recent victory, which was achieved in 1987.
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Jose Mourinho expects Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris could be available for selection in February.
The France captain was ruled out for the rest of 2019 when he sustained a dislocated elbow and ligament damage in a fall during a Premier League game against Brighton and Hove Albion in early October.
Paulo Gazzaniga has proven an able deputy for Lloris, with Mourinho describing the goalkeeper as having magic hands after a key late stop in Spurs 2-1 win at Wolves last weekend.
But Lloris is on the comeback trail and, speaking ahead of Sunday s home league game against old club Chelsea, Mourinho offered an update on the 32-year-old.
He s a champion. Not just a champion of the world but also a champion as a professional, Mourinho said of Lloris.
Chelsea have been granted permission to speak to Derby County manager Frank Lampard with a view to appointing the ex-Blues midfielder as Maurizio Sarri s replacement at Stamford Bridge.
The 41-year-old spent 13 years as a Chelsea player, winning 11 major honours, and has been consistently linked with the vacancy at his former club since it became clear Sarri was set to leave.
Former Napoli boss Sarri returned to Serie A to take charge of Juventus earlier this month after a single season in London, with Chelsea finishing third in the Premier League and winning the Europa League.
Derby became the first club of Lampard s managerial career when he was appointed on a three-year contract in May 2018.
He guided the Rams into the Championship play-off final, wh…
Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has talked up the prospect of re-signing striker Diego Costa from Chelsea.
The Spain international left the Vicente Calderon in a £32million deal in 2014 and scored 21 goals in a superb first season in London, as Chelsea claimed the Premier League and League Cup.
However, persistent injury problems and inconsistent form blighted his second season in England, prompting suggestions that new boss Antonio Conte will seek to offload him in the transfer window.
Cerezo admits that Atletico are looking to sign a striker and could not hide his admiration for Costa, who won La Liga and the Copa del Rey and reached the final of the Champions League under Diego Simeone.
We re looking for a new striker, and we always like to…
Reigning champions of Europe and this year’s Champions League finalists Real Madrid are said to have made first steps towards signing the PSG superstar Neymar this summer.
Former Barcelona forward joined French heavyweights in a world-record deal worth €222 million in the summer of 2017 but is believed to be disillusioned with life in France where he believes winning the coveted Ballon d’Or would be a mission impossible.
Mere months following his arrival the rumours of a potential La Liga return surfaced with Real Madrid emerging as shock contenders to secure his services.
Reports from the claim that Los Blancos are slowly intensifying the efforts to land the injured Brazilian international in a whopping €260 million move.
And while Neymar is wor…
Premier League newcomers have completed the signing of Tyrone Mings from Ipswich Town, .
Since signing for the Tractor Boys from Chippenham Town for just £10k in 2013, the 22 year old racked up sixty-three appearances in all competitions, with his one and only goal coming in a 4-2 win over Birmingham City at Portman Road back in February.
Arsenal had also been linked with a move for the defender, though he has joined up with Eddie Howe’s men as they look to establish themselves in their first season in England’s top flight.
The Cherries have been busy in the transfer market so far during the close season, having already wrapped up deals for goalkeeper Artur Boruc, defender Sylvain Distin and forward Josh King, while they have also taken winger Christian …
Valencia president Amadeo Salvo quit the La Liga club on Wednesday, due to personal and family reasons .
Salvo departs the club along with sports director Francisco Rufete, secretary Fabian Ayala and five others, with the former s exit reportedly due to his father s battle with cancer.
The 48-year-old said he felt he had improved the Mestalla club s fortunes in recent times, with Valencia back in the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2013.
Two years ago the club was definitely worse off than now, Salvo said in a statement.
It was a club in decline and today it is thriving and there is a new-found excitement.
Now, Valencia CF are in good hands and the club has a great future ahead with Layhoon [Chan] and [owner] Peter Lim.
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Former Bayern Munich sporting director Christian Nerlinger says he knew the club would sack him after losing the Champions League final.
The 39-year-old took over the role at the European finalists in early 2010 before being replaced by Matthias Sammer in the middle of last year.
And Nerlinger admits he knew what was coming after losing Europe s premier competition to Chelsea.
To be perfectly honest, my end at Bayern was not unexpected and I was not surprised. In the end I knew that moment when we lost the Champions League final against Chelsea, it was over for me, Nerlinger told Bild.
The decision to remove the retired Germany international from his position came after an unsuccessful season by the German side s standards.
The Bundesliga outfit…