Blanc confident Ibrahimovic will end goal drought

Laurent Blanc has no concerns over the form of Zlatan Ibrahimovic even though his star striker has failed to score for Paris Saint-Germa
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in so far this season.

Ibrahimovic has been PSG s attacking inspiration since arriving from Milan in 2012, leading the club to three successive Ligue 1 titles and scoring 106 goals in 129 appearances in all competitions before the start of this campaign.

The Sweden captain has not scored in four games in 2015-16, though, and missed a glorious chance in PSG s 1-1 draw with Reims on Saturday.

But, speaking on Monday, coach Blanc said: Ibrahimovic is not in the best possible form. He is finding it more difficult to score goals than usual [this season]. 

It happened last year too, but I think he will recover…

Chelsea interest never swayed me – Pickford

Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford said he was unaffected by speculation linking him with a move away from Goodison Park before he signed a new contract with the club.

The England international agreed a new six-year deal with the Toffees just over a year after becoming the most expensive British goalkeeper of all-time when he moved to Merseyside from Sunderland for £30million.

Pickford s outstanding performances for the Three Lions at the World Cup in Russia led to reports that Chelsea wanted to take him to Stamford Bridge before the season began, but he told reporters that his commitment to the club never wavered.

You ve just got to keep performing and put that to the back of your mind, Pickford said of the rumours that he might have left the club.

Yo…

I have always wanted to win it – Buffon determined to claim Champions League glory

Gianluigi Buffon hopes to exorcise the demons of two painful Champions League final defeats with Juventus by finally winning the competition for the first time in his illustrious career.

The veteran goalkeeper played a key role in Juve s 2-0 semi-final first-leg win in Monaco, making five saves as Gonzalo Higuain struck twice at the other end, with a meeting against Real Madrid in the decider now seemingly inevitable.

The Bianconeri set a club record by recording their sixth successive clean sheet in the Champions League with that victory and Buffon is keen to make up for the disappointment of losing finals to AC Milan in 2003 and Barcelona two years ago.

There s definitely a desire to make up for losing the [2015] final in Berlin, but I also have to make amends…

Mysterious Sega Countdown Site Looks Like A Dreamcast VMU, Might Tease New Cosmic Smash

Sega has launched a mysterious countdown website centered around something called “C-SMASH VRS,” with the countdown set to expire on February 13 at 8 AM PT / 11 AM ET.

The site features a grid of gray dots on a white background, with a few dots turning orange into the triangular “Play” symbol. Once clicked, the dots create multiple shapes, sound waves, and display the countdown clock within them.

The dots–and the animations within–bear a resemblance to the animation motif of the Sega Dreamcast’s Virtual Memory Unit memory cards, though there’s no evidence to suggest any relation. “C-SMASH,” however, does resemble Cosmic Smash, a puzzle game made by Sega for arcades in 2001, which was then ported to the Sega Dreamcast in 2003. Cosmic Smash also…

Sports Betting Arbitrage Explained

Sports betting is risky by its very nature. You win some, you lose some, and the goal of most punters is to win more than they lose. But what if there was a way to avoid all that? A risk-free that always wins if done right? Well, good news! There is such a strategy – though it does come with disadvantages as well.

In this article, we’ll take a close look at how betting arbitrage works and how you can successfully pull it off.

What Is Betting Arbitrage?

Betting arbitrage is a strategy in sports betting that exploits the price differences at different sportsbooks. It involves placing two bets on the same market in such a way that you earn a profit regardless of the final outcome. To do so, you’ll need at least two different bookmakers. That’s why this technique …

Rumour Has It: Barcelona not considering Messi exit, Martinez Man City´s top target

Barcelona are not considering an exit for Lionel Messi as a decision on the star s future nears.

Messi, 33, has been linked with a move away from the LaLiga giants after a trophy-less 2019-20 season.

But the star may yet remain at Barcelona.

 

TOP STORY – BARCELONA NOT CONSIDERING MESSI EXIT

Messi s rumoured departure from Camp Nou is not on the agenda at all for Barca, according to Mundo Deportivo.

The cover of the Spanish daily reads: Untransferable .

 Aquí os dejamos la portada de hoy

— Mundo Deportivo (@mundodeportivo)

Messi is contracted at Barcelona until 2021 and Sport reports a decision on his future is expected in the next few days, with the club beginning pre-season training on August 30.

Barca will face transformed Real, warns Ronaldo

Barcelona will face a very different Real Madrid when the two sides clash next month for the first time since Jose Mourinho took over as coach, Real star Cristiano Ronaldo has warned.

Barca is always a difficult and complicated rival but this year s Madrid is not the same as last year s, it is completely different, the Portuguese international said in an interview published on Friday in sports daily Marca.

We have changed in many ways: in terms of discipline, playing style, aggressiveness, we all play together for the same goal. Mourinho is a great coach with enormous experience, he knows what you have to do to win.

Real Madrid will travel to Barcelona on the weekend of November 27-28 in the most eagerly anticipated match of the season.

Mourinho in Ma…

Messi stunner sinks Brazil in football classic

A brilliant solo goal in injury time by Lionel Messi earned Argentina a 1-0 victory over their arch-rivals Brazil in an international friendly here on Wednesday.

The Barcelona superstar picked up the ball midway inside the Brazil half and weaved past four defenders before firing a low shot into the bottom-right corner with just a minute of added time to play.

It was Messi s first ever goal against Brazil and allowed Argentina to record their first win against their old enemies since June 2005.

His strike also allowed coach Sergio Batista to celebrate victory in his first game in charge since he was confirmed as the long-term successor to Diego Maradona.

For Brazil it was a first defeat in four matches for new coach Mano Menezes, who had led his country t…

Cologne v Borussia Dortmund: Tuchel determined to end first half of season on a high

Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel is determined to end the first half of the season on a high note when they travel to Cologne on Saturday.

Dortmund sit second in the Bundesliga table heading into this weekend s encounter after a number of impressive performances in their first season under Tuchel.

The former Mainz coach saw his team lose to Hamburg and Bayern Munich, but they have won 12 out of 16 matches so far and trail reigning champions Bayern Munich by five points.

There is definitely a good feeling about our season so far. We are putting in good performances on a regular basis. The team has been showing character. We are focused and are on the right track, Tuchel told Ruhr Nachrichten.

But there is still one game to go. I will review the fir…

Lukaku open-minded over future plans

Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku plans to enjoy a short break before taking a decision on whether his future lies with Chelsea.

Lukaku has spent the last two seasons away from Stamford Bridge on loan, initially at West Brom and then with Everton.

The 21-year-old proved an unqualified success at both clubs, scoring 17 Premier League goals in his solitary campaign at The Hawthorns and 15 for Everton last term.

Yet it remains to be seen whether Lukaku has a realistic chance of breaking into Chelsea s first team, with manager Jose Mourinho having recently agreed a deal to sign Spain international Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid.

Lukaku acknowledges he has decisions to make ahead of the new domestic season, but remains relaxed.

I want to go on holiday f…