– Eden Hazard’s father has denied that the Belgium international is seeking a move away from Chelsea and said his current injury problems are down to playing too many games.
– Arsenal are looking to bid for Schalke defender Benedikt Howedes, according to reports.
– Borussia Monchengladbach are set to sign RB Salzburg defender Martin Hinteregger, according to reports in Germany.
– Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic is keen on a move to Galatasaray, according to reports in Turkey.
– Caen defender Damien Da Silva has rejected an approach from Premier League side Sunderland this month, according to L’Équipe.
– Aston Villa defender Joleon Lescott is a target for Major League Soccer side LA Galaxy, according to ESPN Soccernet sources.
– Wolfsburg left back Ricardo Rodriquez says he has “not heard” anything about Real Madrid’s interest.
– Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has ruled out leaving Borussia Dortmund as the club announced that there were no plans for any January sales.
– Rayo Vallecano coach Paco Jemez has confirmed his interest in signing Ghanaian midfielder Thomas from Atletico Madrid.
– According to reports in Germany, Liverpool are interested in Bayern Munich attacking midfielder Mario Gotze.
– Bournemouth will complete a £10million deal to sign Benik Afobe from Wolves, this weekend, according to reports.
– Alan Pardew has denied Crystal Palace are interested in Emmanuel Adebayor.
– Slavisa Jokanovic has sworn to fight to keep Moussa Dembele at Fulham, according to reports.
– Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce has turned his attentions to bringing in a new striker and a right-back, according to reports.
– According to Le Parisien, AS Monaco are in active negotiations for the signing of Ajax’s 19 year old defender Jairo Riedewald.
– Sporting director Cristiano Giaretta warns Udinese have “no intention” of selling Silvan Widmer in January.
– Lorient defender Lamine Koné is the subject of two offers from Premier League sides, Norwich and Aston Villa, according to various reports in France.
– Felipe Melo’s agent rubbishes rumours of a January transfer – “he wants to win the Scudetto with Inter”.
– Reports in the United States claim Roma’s Ashley Cole is close to joining MLS side LA Galaxy.
– Napoli and Torino have reportedly agreed on the terms for the loan of defender Nikola Maksimovic.
– Mauricio Pochettino says Harry Kane will not leave Tottenham, despite reports linking the striker with a move to Real Madrid.
– Sevilla midfielder Grzegorz Krychowiak has admitted he has heard of transfer speculation regarding Arsenal but insisted he will leave such matters in the hands of his agent.
– New Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says there is no chance Cristiano Ronaldo will leave the club while he is in charge.
Football tit bits:
– Barcelona have confirmed that they will appeal Luis Suarez’s two-game Copa del Rey suspension after the Uruguayan’s alleged involvement in a tunnel bust-up with Espanyol’s players.
Luis Suarez
– UEFA Team of the Year: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich); David Alaba (Bayern Munich), Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid), Gerard Pique (Barcelona), Dani Alves (Barcelona); James Rodriguez (Real Madrid), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Andres Iniesta (Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Neymar (Barcelona).
– Argentina and Uruguay will form a joint bid to co-host the 2030 World Cup, the presidents of the two South American countries said on Thursday.
– Spanish prosecutors have reportedly requested that Neymar be charged on two counts of fraud and corruption relating to his move to Barcelona during the summer of 2013.
– Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has reacted angrily to losing out on the CAF African Footballer of the Year award, saying the decision is “pathetic”, “indecent” and “brings shame to Africa”.
Here are The top football transfer rumours, speculations, Done deals and Titbits making the round at the moment as compiled by Paul Ayorinde, Please follow @NewFanzone and @El_Pauleta for more football transfer updates and much more.
Done deals:
– Morgan Amalfitano has officially signed for Lille on a two and a half year deal.
– Hertha Berlin have completed the signing of Sinan Kurt from Bayern Munich.
– Coventry have completed the signing of former England midfielder Jole Cole on a free transfer.
– Brighton have completed the signing of Anthony Knockaert from Standard Liege for an undisclosed fee.
– Gent have completed the signing of Lucas Deaux from Nantes for an undisclosed fee.
– Turkish international striker Mevlut Erding has joined Guingamp on loan until the end of the season from Hannover.
– Radamel Falcao’s loan deal at Chelsea is to be cancelled, according to reports.
– Marseille goalkeeper Steve Mandanda has announced he will not be leaving the Ligue 1 club during the transfer window.
– Mark Hughes is confident the club’s ongoing contract talks with Marko Arnautovic will result in an agreement being reached despite Paris Saint-Germain showing interest in signing the player.
– Liverpool look set to make a bid for Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka, according to reports.
Romelu Lukaku signs for Everton Fc- photo credit evertonfc
– Manchester United are weighing up a bid for Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, according to reports.
– Sunderland boss Sam Allardyce says the deal to sign Lorient defender Lamine Kone is off.
– AS Monaco have made a offer for Corinthians striker Vagner Love, according to reports.
– Mark Hughes refused to rule out a move for Porto midfielder Gianelli Imbula.
– According to reports, Louis van Gaal has rejected four bids for defender Paddy McNair.
– Talks between Leicester City midfielder Gokhan Inler and FC Schalke have stalled, the Bundesliga club’s coach Andre Breitenreiter has said.
– Watford striker Odion Ighalo says he would find difficult to turn down a “dream move” to Manchester United if they bid for him during the January transfer window.
– Real Madrid are reportedly tracking Hatem Ben Arfa’s progress and the Frenchman is keen to work under Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane.
– Jonathan Calleri’s father warned the move to Inter “will be decided by Sunday or he’s staying at Boca Juniors.”
– According to reports in France, Stoke are interested in Lorient’s defensive midfielder Didier Ndong.
– Liverpool have recalled Sheyi Ojo from his loan spell at Wolves.
– Lazio coach Stefano Pioli has criticised forward Felipe Anderson amid claims the Brazilian is awaiting a bonus payment before quitting the club for Manchester United this month.
– Eden Hazard will not commit his future to Chelsea until the next manager is chosen, according to reports in England.
– Inter Milan defender Andrea Ranocchia has agreed to join Liverpool, according to reports in Italy.
– Norwich agreed deal to sign right-back Ivo Pinto from Dinamo Zagreb on a three-year deal, according to ESPN Soccernet sources.
– Marouane Fellaini won’t be joining AC Milan anytime soon, according to the Serie A club’s CEO Adriano Galliani.
– Simone Zaza’s agent says his client is “happy at Juventus” despite reported interest from England.
– Napoli defender Henrique will reportedly have a medical with Brazilian side Fluminense tomorrow.
– According to reports in England, Napoli have rejected a £14.1 million Swansea City offer for Manolo Gabbiadini.
– Daniele Rugani’s agent slammed Juventus for snubbing the defender. “The whole football world expected him to play.”
– Sampdoria are reportedly looking to bring veteran midfielder David Pizarro back to Serie A.
– The agent of Napoli midfielder Jonathan De Guzman says talk of a Carpi move is “just rumours”.
– Reports in Italy suggest Valencia are preparing a €5m bid for Milan’s Keisuke Honda.
– Inter could offer Assane Gnoukouri on loan as part of their bid for Udinese full-back Silvan Widmer, according to reports.
– Norwich have put a £15m price on winger Nathan Redmond in an effort to put off Premier League rivals Crystal Palace, who are interested in the 21-year-old, according to reports.
– Striker Jermain Defoe will only leave Sunderland in this transfer window if the club receive an offer they simply cannot refuse, according to manager Sam Allardyce.
– Liverpool defender Kolo Toure has said he wants to remain in the Premier League even if his contract is not extended at Anfield, while joking he could join Real Madrid.
Football tit bits:
– Swansea have appointed Alan Curtis as their manager until the end of the season.
– FIFA’s ethics committee said on Thursday it has opened formal proceedings against Jérôme Valcke, after its investigators recommended a nine-year ban against the former secretary general.
– Philippe Coutinho will be sidelined at least until the end of January and Dejan Lovren for the next 10 days with hamstring injuries sustained against Stoke City, Liverpool’s manager, Jürgen Klopp, has confirmed.
– Suspended UEFA president Michel Platini says he will not stand in the FIFA presidential election next month.
– Luis Enrique has dismissed reports that striker Luis Suárez threatened Espanyol players in the tunnel after Barcelona’s
4-1 Copa del Rey victory at Camp Nou on Wednesday.
– Chelsea midfielder Oscar has denied he was involved in a training-ground bust up with team-mate Diego Costa.
– Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney does not make the top 100 in a list of football’s most valuable players put together by football think-tank the CIES Football Observatory.
This is Game week 11 of our Bookies corner where we help Punters forecast on the best matches to put their money on. And coming from a 100% success last week here are the games our Man Paul has picked for this week.
Paul Ayorinde’s (@el_pauleta) predictions:
Italian Serie A
Inter Milan V Roma- Double chance on Roma:
Inter got back to winning ways as they defeated Bologna away from home on Tuesday while Roma continue their winning form as they defeated Udinese 3-1. I expect a tough match at the San Siro on Saturday, so i tip Roma to get at least a point away from home.
Genoa V Napoli- Double chance on Napoli:
Napoli maintained their superb run of form as they comfortably defeated
Palermo at home. Genoa got a draw away from home against Torino. I tip Napoli to continue their good form and get at least a draw at Comunale Luigi Ferraris on Sunday.
English Premier League
Manchester City V Norwich City- Man City win and over 2.5 goals:
Man City claimed a decent point at Old Trafford on Sunday while Norwich continued their bad run as they lost at home to West Bromwich Albion. I am tipping Manchester City to win convincingly at home on Saturday.
West Bromwich Albion V Leicester – Double chance on Leicester:
West Brom got a good win at Norwich in Game Week 10 while Claudio Ranieri’s men won at home against Crystal Palace. West Bromwich has won their last two games in the league but i expect Leicester to stop them from getting their third win in a row. I tip Leicester to get at least a point at the Hawthorns on Saturday.
Swansea got a win against Aston Villa in Game Week 10 while Arsenal continued their winning form against Everton. I expect the game at the Liberty stadium to be exciting with lots of goals. I tip both teams to score in a highly attacking match on Saturday.
German Bundesliga
Hertha Berlin V Borussia Monchengladbach – Double chance on Monchengladbach:
Hertha Berlin won against newcomer Inglostadt last weekend while Monchengladbach defeated Schalke 04. I tip Monchengladbach to get at least a point at the Olympiastadion on Saturday.
Wolfsburg V Bayer Leverkusen – Both teams to score (BTTS):
Wolfsburg defeated Darmstadt at the weekend while Leverkusen got a dramatic 4-3 victory against Stuttgart. This is definitely the match of the week in the Bundesliga and I expect a lot of goals. In the last six meeting between this sides, both teams have never failed to score. So i am tipping both teams to score at the Volkswagen Arena.
French Ligue 1
Nice V Lille – Double chance on Nice:
Nice will be looking to bounce back from their shocking loss to Ajaccio last weekend while Lille will be trying to avoid a defeat after losing at home to Marseille at the weekend. Nice has not lost to Lille in their last six league matches and i don’t expect that streak to stop this weekend. I am tipping Nice to get at least a point at home.
Spanish Liga BBVA
Real Madrid V Las Palmas – Real Madrid win and over 2.5 goals:
Real Madrid had a good win at Celta Vigo last weekend while Las Palmas got a morale boosting draw against Villarreal. I am tipping Real Madrid to win convincingly at home on Saturday.
Villarreal V Sevilla – Both teams to score(BTTS):
Villarreal had to settle for a draw at bottom side Las Palmas last weekend while Sevilla trounced Getafe 5-0 in an exciting match last Saturday. I expect the match between this two attacking sides to be full of goals, so i am tipping both teams to score.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) awards 2015 shortlist has been released by CAF a few hours ago by the continental body in preparation for another Interesting GLO CAF Awards, Four time Back to Back winner and current holder Yaya Toure of Man City as been nominated alongside what is arguably Africa’s finest footballers plying their trade at home and abroad.
Goalkeepers Vincent Enyeama of Lille and Nigeria and Also Robert Kidiaba of T.P Mazembe and D.R Congo appear prominently alongside forwards Andre Ayew of Swansea City and Ghana, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund and Gabon And New Nigerian Captain Ahmed Musa of CSKA Moscow.
Victor Wanyama of Southampton, and Kenya is amongst the list of Barclays English Premier League stars on the list which also has Leicester City’s Algerian sensation Riyad Mahrez,
Below is the full list of thirty seven Africa footballers in alphabetical order with their club names, current country of location and Country they play for.




1. Ahmed Musa
CSKA Moscow, Russia Nigeria
2. Andre Ayew
Swansea City, England, Ghana
3. Aymen ABDENNOUR
FC Valence, Spain, Tunisia
4. Baghdad Bonjah
Étoile du Sahel, Tunisia, Algeria
5. Bassem Morsi
Zamalek, Egypt, Egypt
6. Chrisitian Atsu
Bournemouth, England, Ghana
7. Dieu Merci Mbokani
Norwich, England, D.R Congo
8. El Arbi Hillel Soudani
Dynamo Zagreb, Croatia, Algeria
9. Faouzi Ghoulam
Napoli, Italy, Algeria
10. Férébory Doré
Angers, France, Congo
11. Gervais Yao Kouassi
Rome, Italy, Cote d’Ivoire
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2015/2016) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 1st of October 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other.
Our pick of the weekend has returned after the mid-week games in Europe and some teams have turned their fortunes around and will hope to transfer the form into their league matches. Players who have been rested will also make a return after a deserved rest and also look to make immediate impact for their club.
Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:
SPANISH LA LIGA
Sevilla Vs Celta – Both teams to score (BTTS): Sevilla had a fantastic game in the Champions League at home against German club Borussia Monchengladbach scoring 3 goals. Unai Emery’s men have not won a league game this season but I believe they will score at least a goal against high flying Celta Vigo who are yet to loose this season and have scored 8 goals. I expect both teams to get a get at least a goal each in this game.
Real Madrid Vs Granada – Real Madrid win: Real Madrid have been in fine form this season scoring goals without remorse. They scored 4 against Ukraine giants Shaktar Donesk with Attacker Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 8 goals in his last 2 games and is close to setting a new goal scoring record in Real Madrid. Granada have lost twice this season conceding 7 goals. Los Blancos would be too strong for Granada especially at the Bernabau.
Chelsea Vs Arsenal – Arsenal win/draw : Chelsea and Jose Mourinho are having their worst possible start to a League campaign in decades and they are currently in 17th place , winning just once in 5 league games but the Blues had an emphatic 4-nil victory mid week against a poor Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal rested a few players in their Champions league game and lost to Dynamo Zagreb who have not tasted defeat in their last 47 matches.
Arsenal have been the in-form team compared to Chelsea so far this season and I believe arsenal will do enough to get at least a point from Chelsea.
Swansea Vs Everton – Both teams to score (BTTS): Ayew and Gomis have made Swansea an overly attacking team this season contributing to the lot of the teams’s goals so far this campaign. Swansea have scored in 4 of the 5 games they have played this season. Roberto Martinez got a well deserved victory against Chelsea last match day scoring 3 goals against the defending Champions.
I expect both teams to go all out for maximum points, this will be an interesting game with both teams getting on the score sheet.
ITALIAN SERIE A
Roma Vs Sassuolo – Roma win : Stadio Olympico is a fortress for Roma and their form this season has seen them undefeated so far including a victory against defending champions Juventus. Sassuolo will have to show something special to get anything in this game.
Chievo Vs Inter milan – Under 2.5: Second placed Chievo have had a dream start to the season so far winning 2 games and conceding just 2 goals and are having a uphill task against Inter Milan who have an 100% record this season. Inter have not scored much and the also do not give away a lot of goals, this will be a cagey game and both teams would want to avoid a defeat and concede few or none. I see this as a tight game between the top 2 teams and there will be less than 3 goals scored by both teams.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
Wolfsburg Vs Hertha BSC – Wolfsburg win : Wolfsburg have invested wisely in the summer after the departure of star player De Bruyne. They have started life without him positively by remaining unbeaten in 4 league games. Dardai’s Hertha have also been impressive with just 1 defeat in 4 league matches, but the firepower of Schurlle, Verinha, Draxler behind Bas Dost will be too ferocious for the Hertha defense line lead by Plattenhardt. Wolfsburg will do enough to get the victory at the Volkswagen arena
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund Vs Bayern Leverkusen – Both teams to Score (BTTS) : Dortmund are one of only 2 teams in Bundesliga with a 100% record this season and a tie against Leverkusen could be tricky especially after the visitors scored 4 goals against BATE Borisov in the Champions League. Both teams would get goals in this game as they are both good attacking sides.
FRENCH LIGUE 1
Monaco Vs Lorient – Monaco win : Leandro Jardim’s men have started the season slowly with 2 wins from 5 games. They lost their last home match against high flying Champions PSG in a 3 nil white-wash. I see them returning the smiles to the grim faces of the Stade Louis Faithfull with a victory against Lorient who have won just once this season.
Marseille Vs Lyon – Over 2.5 goals : This is the biggest fixture in the French Ligue Un this weekend and I expect it to live up to expectations with both teams giving us an exciting match with lots of goals. Marseille have scored 10 goals which is the highest in the league so far this season while Lyon have scored 6 goals.
Ademola Adejuwon’s (@demydemo) predictions:
English Premier League
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea vs Arsenal- Double Chance on Chelsea: Chelsea are not in good form in the league at the moment where they have lost 3 games in 5. The defending Champions got back to winning ways against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UCL on Wednesday and they would hope they can bring that sort of form to the table when they play against their London neighbours Arsenal who are not in Scintillating form themselves. Jose Mourinho has never lost to Arsene Wenger in the league and I think this will continue this weekend when the Gunners visit the Bridge.
Liverpool vs Norwich- Liverpool win:
Liverpool would want to put the woes of their last two games behind them when they welcome the Canaries. Norwich would be happy that Suarez no longer plays for Liverpool. Coutinho is back for this one after serving his suspension and in him they have someone that could lead the team going forward. Benteke has two goals so far this season with a wonder against Manchester united and if he wants to get plenty of goals for Liverpool he needs to start scoring against smaller teams like Norwich.
Manchester City vs WestHam- Over 1.5goals:
Giant killing West-Ham United visit league leaders Manchester City. The Citizens have yet to concede a goal in the league this season with a sturdy defence made up of Kompany, Kolarov,Sagna and Mangala. West Ham have defeated Arsenal and Liverpool away from home this season and they won’t be scared facing City at the Etihad. An over 1.5 is a safe bet knowing both sides are capable of getting a goal or two in this fixture.
Real Madrid vs Granada- Real Madrid win and over 2.5 goals: Real Madrid are in red hot form at the moment especially their talismanic winger Cristiano Ronaldo who has banged in 8 goals in two games. Rafael Benitez side have yet to concede a goal which means they have found a way to balance attack and defence. Trust Ronaldo to get a goal or two in this one at the Bernabeu.
German Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen- Both teams to score(BTTS):
Dortmund have been doing fine in the league this season with an 100% record so far. This weekend they welcome a very tricky side in Leverkusen who are basking in the euphoria of their 4-1 victory in the Champions league. Dortmund have scored a lot of goals this season but they’ve also manage to ship in a little which means Leverkusen will have joy going forward especially with the kind of quality they possess offensively in Chicharito, Bellarabi, Hakan and Kiessling. Both team to score will be a safe bet here and trust this game not to disappoint.
Wolfsburg vs Hertha Berlin- Wolfsburg win:
Wolfsburg are in good form at the moment which sees them sit in 3rd position in the Bundesliga at the moment. They lost De Bruyne to Manchester City but in Draxler they have found a perfect replacement for the young Belgian. Hertha has not been bad themselves losing just one games so far but I don’t think they have the squad to push Wolfsburg all the way.
Darmstadt vs Bayern Munich- over 1.5 goals:
Unbeaten Darmstadt welcome defending Champions Bayern to their home. Bayern thus season have found goals easy to come by with Muller,Lewandowski and Costa doing the damage upfront for the Bavarians. Darmstadt have scored 4 and Conceded 3 goals this season which means they might not be given Guardiola’s men too many chances.
French Ligue 1
Monaco vs Lorient (Monaco double chance)
Monaco are in good form in the league at the moment and this weekend they welcome 17th place Lorient who win their first game last week at home to newly promoted Angers. Monaco’s team play has helped them a lot so far this season after losing key players like Abdennour,Kondogbia Carassco and Martial. They may suffer from fatigue due to their Europa league engagement on Thursday but trust them to at least get a point from this game.
League leaders PSG travel to 3rd place Reims. PSG form is good at the moment with Di Maria and Cavani doing the needful for them. Reims are no pushovers themselves being in third place but trust the Paris Landlords to get something from this game . It’s going to be tough but with the quality PSG possess they should at least get a draw in the encounter.
Italian Serie A
Roma vs Sassuolo- Roma win:
Roma hosts Unbeaten Sassuolo who were held to a draw last time out against Atalanta. Roma held Barcelona to a draw in Rome during the week and their attack of Dzeko, Salah Gervinho is strong enough to defeat any Italian team especially when they play at home.
Paul Ayorinde’s (@El_pauleta) predictions
French Ligue 1
Reims V PSG- PSG win: Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s draw against Bordeaux. Reims are a very compact and disciplined side, PSG have won once in the last three meetings at the Stade Auguste Delaune II. I tip PSG to dig deep and get a slim away win.
Rennes V Lille- Double chance(Win or draw) on Rennes: Rennes are in top form in the Ligue 1 this season losing just one game while Lille has been struggling in the league with just one win in the last 5 matches. I expect Lille to be defensive and Rennes might find it hard to break them down. I am predicting a win or draw for Rennes on Friday night.
Italian Serie A
Chievo V Inter Milan- Double chance(win or draw) on Inter: Chievo were denied a 100% start to their season because of a number of poor refereeing decisions at the Juventus arena. Inter maintained their winning run with an important win over city rivals AC Milan. Chievo and Inter are in good form, so i expect the match to be tight. I tip Inter Milan to get a least a draw away from home.
Napoli V Lazio- Both teams to score(BTTS): Napoli continue to struggle in the league while Lazio got their second win of the season last weekend. Both teams are blessed with attacking talents,so i expect a great game of football. I tip both teams to score at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.
German Bundesliga
Darmstadt 98 V Bayern Munich- Bayern Munich win with over 2.5 goals: Darmstadt have been impressive this season getting good results away from home but I expect Bayern Munich “fire power” to be too much for them. I tip Bayern to win with lots of goals.
Cologne V Borussia Monchengladbach- Double chance(Win or draw) on Cologne: Monchengladbach can’t seem to get a good result this season and i don’t expect them to get a win at the RheinEnergie stadion on Saturday. I am tipping Cologne to get at least a draw at home.
Borussia Dortmund V Bayer Leverkusen- Dortmund win with over 2.5 goals: Dortmund are in top form while Leverkusen are yet to hit top-gear in the league. I expect Dortmund to dominate the match and get a win in an high-scoring game.
Spanish BBVA Liga
Real Madrid V Granada- Real Madrid win with over 3.5 goals: Real Madrid and 2014 Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo are scoring goals with ease. I expect the game at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to be a goal fest. I tip Real Madrid to win with over 3.5 goals.
Barcelona V Levante- Barcelona win with over 2.5 goals: Barcelona got an important win away from home last weekend and i expect them to continue their La Liga winning run against Levante on Sunday. I tip Barcelona to win convincingly at the Camp Nou.
English Premier League
Manchester City V West Ham: Man City win: Manchester City have got off to a perfect start to the season winning all 5 of their opening fixtures without conceding a single goal. I expect them to defeat an high-flying West Ham United in a tight match at the Etihad on Saturday.
Finally the International break is over and football lovers can get back to enjoy the exciting club football that we love so much. Some key players have returned to their clubs with injuries, some with a low morale from their country’s poor performance or bad treatment from the coach during the series of fixtures. Some players have ended their goal droughts and some have traveled thousands of kilometers to represent their various countries which could result in fatigue. We have to be mindful of these factors as it could affect them and their teams either positively or negatively which will influence the matches. As usual we have picked from the top 5 Leagues in Europe i.e England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.
Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipretty) predictions:
English Premier League
Everton Vs Chelsea – Both teams score (BTTS) : Everton played out a bore goalless draw last time against Tottenham in a game with very few chances for both teams. I see both teams scoring in this game as this is a wounded Chelsea who are coming off a home defeat against Crystal Palace in the London Derby. Chelsea look vulnerable especially at the back and Mourinho has responded by signing 2 defenders on transfer deadline day. Chelsea have conceded 9 goals already this season and old boy Lukaku would want to pile up the misery.
Manchester United Vs Liverpool (English Classico) – Draw : Both teams are going into this fixture at the back of a defeat. Manchester United lost at Swansea while Liverpool had a shocker at home losing by 3 goals to a rampant West Ham. These two teams would seek to avoid back to back defeats and they would most likely be content with a sharing a point and I see this as a draw.
Spanish La Liga
Atletico Madrid Vs Barcelona – Under 2.5 : In recent years Diego Simeoni’s Atletico Madrid have been a very good match for the Catalans. Simeone’s high pressing and high work rate is usually evident against Barcelona who like to pass and keep the ball a lot, this strategy if used perfectly would help them hold off Barcelona and ultimately reduce the amount of goals they concede if they concede at all. I see Atletico Madrid stopping Barcelona’s 100% record in the league and there will be less than 3 goals in this match.
Celta Vigo Vs Las Palmas – Celta win/draw : Celta have started the Campaign really well with 2 wins from 2 and Eduardo Berizzo will be glad to keep the run going or at least avoid defeat away at newly Promoted Las Palmas who haven’t won this season getting 1 point from 2 games. I see Celta avoiding defeat here.
Italian Serie A
Inter Milan Vs AC Milan (Milan Derby)– Under 2.5 : Roberto Mancini’s Inter Milan have started the season well with two wins and a 100% record with their new signings particularly impressive. AC Milan have struggled this season winning one and losing the other. This is a huge derby in Italy and I see both teams going for it as a lot of pride is at stake, I believe there will be less than 3 goals scored in this game.
Palermo Vs Carpi – Palermo win: Palermo is the only team in Italy not to have conceded in both fixtures so far. They have won both games albeit by lone goals. Carpi are bottom of the Log and have conceded 7 goals in 2 games, I see Palermo getting a win.
German Bundesliga
Bayern Munich Vs Augsburg – Bayern Munich win : Bayern Munich have won all 3 games this season scoring 10 goals and conceding just one goal. Pep’s Bavarians look to continue their dominance from last season and retaining the Bundesliga title with another win at home against Augsburg who are yet to win this season. Bayern will be unstopable and will score a couple of goals.
Frankfurt Vs Cologne – Both score : Both teams have done reasonably well so far this season with Cologne particular taking 7 points from an available 9 points and scoring 6 goals in the process. Frankfurt how ever have also scored 6 goals. I see both teams getting on the score sheet in this game.
French Ligue Un
Lyon Vs Lille – Lyon win or draw: Lyon have been hot and cold this season losing one and drawing another in 4 games played. Lille have been the draw specialists this season with 2 goalless draws from 4 games and scoring just one goal conceding once. Herve Renard’s boys haven’t scored a lot and they also don’t give away goals especially with Enyeama in goal. This would be dicey but I will give Olympique Lyon a double chance to either win or draw.
Rennes Vs Nantes – Rennes Win : Rennes have been the surprise package in Ligue Un this season with their signings and also match performances getting 9 points from a possible 12.
I will stick out my neck for a Rennes win away from home.
Everton vs Chelsea- BTTS (Both team to score):
Everton are in relatively good form which sees them a point ahead of the Champions. It is going to be a feisty game as usual and this fixture last season saw Chelsea outscore the Toffees at home. Am going to go for both team to score due to Chelsea’s lack of defensive solidity at the back.
Leicester City vs Aston Villa – Leicester win:
Leicester have been in amazing form this season whilst their opponents this weekend are still trying to gel with the number of player they’ve acquired. Trust Leicester with Mahrez and co to put Aston Villa to the sword.
Inter vs AC Milan -Inter win:
Inter Milan have found form easy to come buy and new kid on the block Stefan Jovetic has already announced his return to the Serie A with goals. I expect a win from Inter .
Frosinone vs AS Roma – Roma Win:
Roma are Unbeaten in two games while newcomers Frosinone have not won a game in two. The fire power of Dzeko,Salah and Gervinho might be too hot for the newcomers to handle.
Espanyol vs Real Madrid- Real Madrid win:
It is going to be tricky going to Espanyol but with the form Madrid showed in their last fixture they might just manage to nick a win in a very tricky place.
Celta Vigo vs Las Palmas – Celta win and over 2.5:
Celta are top of the La liga and with new boys Las Palmas coming around trust Nolito and co to get plenty of goals.
Luis Suarez
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona- Over 1.5goals :
Atletico Madrid host Champions Barcelona. The winner might be hard to pick but one sure fact is that there will be goals due to the attacking prowess of both teams.
German Bundesliga
Bayern vs Augsburg – Bayern win and over 2.5:
Bayern are in blistering form at the moment while their opponent have just one point in as many games. Trust Muller,Lewandowski and Costa to shine for the Bavarians at the Allainz Arena.
Hannover vs Dortmund – over 1.5goals:
Dortmund are in superb form at the moment but the loss of Reus due to injury might affect them a bit but this fixture guarantee goals.
French Ligue 1
GFC Ajaccio vs Monaco – Monaco Double Chance (Win or draw):
Monaco are away to bottom side Ajaccio. They lost striker Anthony Martial in the transfer window but they still have what it takes to get at least a draw from the bottom place side.
European Football’s 2014/2015 Top Five, Teams, Goal scorers, Assist Merchants and Bad Boys…,
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 1st of June 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other…,
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 30th of April 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other
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* Luiz Adriano of Shakhtar with 9 nine goals has got more Champions League goals than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo who are both tied at 8 goals.
* Real Madrid have Scored more goals than any team in the Top five European European team so far the Spanish giants have scored a total of 102 goals so far.
* Víctor Sánchez of Espanyol’s 15 yellow cards at this stage of the season is the highest in the Top 5 European Football League.
* Cesc Fabregas tops the European Top 5 Leagues on the assist chart with a total of 19 assist so far this season.
* Cristiano Ronaldo And Lionel Messi’s Tally Of 39 and 38 goals respectively is more than the number goals that the following 9 teams in the Spanish league have scored. Real Sociedad 37goals, Elche 31goals, Getafe 28goals Levante 32goals, Eibar 29goals, Almeria 29goals, Deportivo La Coruna 29goals, Granada 22goals, Cordoba 21,
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 4th of March 2015 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other…
The NewFanzone World Soccer Report is a compilation of Top European and Global Football News Spanning League Fixtures, Results, News and Titbits.
Our Man Paul Ayorinde has compiled this for you. please remember that you can follow Paul on twitter: @El_Pauleta on twitter and also follow @NewFanzone and we will follow you right back, lets keep the discussion going
You can also send your original sports stories and press releases to fanzone.fans@gmail.com for publication here and on our website
News from Germany:
– Bayern Munich have not been in contact with Wolfsburg star Kevin de Bruyne, according to the midfielder’s official representative. “There is absolutely no contact with Bayern. We are not talking to other clubs. The situation at Wolfsburg is perfect for Kevin.” de Bruyne agent said
– According to reports in Germany,Schalke are the front-runners to sign out-of-favour Manchester City defender Matija Nastasic in January.
– Bayer Leverkusen have extended winger Karim Bellarabi’s contract with the club until June 2017.
-Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has rejected claims that Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery are individuals who don’t work hard enough for the team. “There’s one thing I want to say about Arjen, and it also applies to Franck Ribery; both are often accused of not working hard enough for the team. That’s utter nonsense when you see how team-oriented both of them are. They’re both world-class players who’ve retained their individuality and inventiveness but are fully integrated members of the team. And they’re both exemplary, in training and the way they look after their bodies. I can only advise every young player to watch them as they go about their daily work and learn from them.” Sammer said
Chelsea’s Kevin de Bruyne, credit photo.wikia.com
News from France:
– According to reports in France, Bordeaux lead the chase to sign Arsenal striker Yaya Sanogo on loan for the remainder of the 2014/15 season.
– Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi has failed to report for training ahead of the French champions friendly against Inter Milan tomorrow.
– Ghana midfielder Andre Ayew will return to training with French giants Marseille on Monday afternoon after their seven-day break.
News from Italy;
– According to reports,Genoa are looking to close the deal for Galatasaray’s Goran Pandev within the next 24 hours.
– Newly-appointed Gianfranco Zola says he’ll bring his ‘Premier League experience’ to Cagliari so he can have the team ‘show their value’. “This place and this club are special to me, it gives me great sorrow to see the team in trouble,but at the same time I am happy about being here because I want to lend a hand and continue the work that Zeman began. He was a Coach with expertise and great preparation. I hope that my work can show the value of this team. The premises to do something important are there, but it will require everyone’s cooperation. The team is excellent at attacking, it must now improve in defending. Every player must build himself his own pedestal, I’m only going to give playing time to those who deserve it. I hope my experience in the Premier League will help to improve things here at Cagliari. I’ve been chosen to continue the project that was started here, my football philosophy is attacking.” Zola said
– Mauro Icardi has invited Mario Balotelli to join Inter Milan. “If he comes here, we’d be delighted to welcome him,he’s a fantastic forward.”
– Alessio Cerci thanks Atletico Madrid’s fans and says he cannot wait to complete formalities on his move to Milan. The former Torino forward is set to end a miserable six months in Spain to return to Italy, as part of an 18-month loan swap that sees Fernando Torres move in the opposite direction.
Ahead of the deal’s completion, the 27-year-old has taken to Twitter to express both gratitude and optimism. “Thank you very much to all the fans of @Atleti for the love and for all the moments spent together! A greeting and a strong hug,” wrote Cerci in Spanish, before switching to Italian. “I cannot wait to be in Milan for the medical visit and to sign…fingers crossed and forza @acmilan!”
– According to reports in Italy,initial bid from Parma and Premier League club Burnley for AC Milan striker Giampaolo Pazzini have been rejected
– Fernando Torres says that he left Milan because he was not ‘a key player’ for them, but now ‘there is no better place’ than Atletico Madrid.
“The transfer to Milan was a new challenge for me. They showed me that they needed me, that they wanted to use me as a key player. But after a few months the situation changed. The Coach decided to make use of different players and I didn’t find what I was looking for when I left England. If you’re looking for something and you don’t find it, you’ve got to keep looking. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Milan, who allowed me to leave. I thought I was important for Milan, but things went differently. Now, there is no better place than Atletico.” Torres said
News from Spain:
– The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) will tomorrow announce the final decision on Barcelona’s two-window transfer ban, and the verdict will determine whether the Catalan club can sign any new players before January 2016.
– Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke has welcomed the return of Fernando Torres to his boyhood club. And Koke believes the return of the club legend can help them in their bid to retain the Spanish title.
‘It is very exciting for us to have Torres back. This is still a player that can be one of the best strikers in the world when he is playing regularly. This is not a player we are signing at 35 or 36 – at 30 he is still at his peak – and Europe knows that when he is playing at his best that he is unstoppable. We want to defend our La Liga title. Real Madrid and Barcelona are playing well, but it is our dream to retain it – and we have to believe that is possible. It is signing players like Fernando that have won the World Cup and Champions League – that will go a long way to helping us achieve that goal.’ Koke said
– Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has dismissed claims Arsenal have agreed a deal for Sami Khedira as “rumours” and said the Germany international will remain at the club until at least June 30.
– Isco has admitted Real Madrid face a difficult start to the New Year ahead of clashes with Valencia and Atletico Madrid in January. “It will be a very difficult start to 2015 for us. We are still confident ahead of January and hopefully we can produce the same form and go beyond 22 wins.” He said
– Fabio Capello believes Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeoneis the man who can finally turn Fernando Torres’ form around.
“Torres has got it all, but has lost his way a bit and is struggling to score goals. He has lost the confidence he had at Liverpool and during his first stint at Atletico. Simeone is going to make Torres come good. It is not only to do with systems: it is a confidence thing. Torres has become a bit subdued but is going to rediscover what he has lost thanks to Cholo, who is going to reinvigorate him.”Capello said
Barclays Premier League
News from England:
– Fernando Torres says he will always view his time with Chelsea as a success as it allowed him to secure the silverware that had eluded him during his time with Atletico Madrid and Liverpool. 30-year-old has no regrets over the switch.
“Chelsea gave me what I was looking for when I left Liverpool: trophies,i will always see [my time there] as a success because they gave me what I always wanted. It gave me all the trophies I have with clubs and I was lucky enough to also win trophies with Spain. Now I hope to win them with Atletico.” He said
– Manuel Pellegrini has insisted that his Manchester Cityside can catch league leaders Chelsea, despite throwing away a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Burnley. “Of course it’s a chance to have two points more but we finished the first round with 43 points – a good amount,just because you play at home you shouldn’t be sure you are going to get the points. I think we have all the second round [to play] and we will be the best team.” He said
– Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas believes referee Anthony Taylor had “a bad day at the office” in Sunday’s draw at Southampton but said it was time to draw a line under the matter. “The referee didn’t have the best game of his life and I don’t think he will sleep that well tonight. He had an awful game.We’re all human and a bad day at the office can happen to anyone. That’s it. Let’s not talk more about it — we have to talk about football.” Fabregas said
– Alexis Sanchez has rejected talk that he has been Arsenal’s star so far this season, insisting he is “just another player”. “Being ‘the star’ is all relative, I don’t agree,we have a squad with lots of great players, world-class ones, World Cup winners with Germany and others who play for England or France. In this group I’m just another player. I’ve been lucky to start well but you don’t give the book a title until you’ve finished writing it.” Sanchez said
– Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino plans to hold discussions over potential new signings when the transfer window opens on New year’s day. “We are happy with our squad, I think when the first of January arrives we will start to talk with the club,” He said
– Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger remains fully confident of a top-four finish in the Premier League this season. “We have done it for 17 years, so we are entitled to the belief that we can do it. t’s all to do because, when you look at the league, everyone is fighting very hard for it. “Southampton, Tottenham, Manchester United, so many teams who can fight for these positions. I have always had that belief [that a top-four finish is possible] but it’s far from done. We just want to win the next game and be consistent in our performances. We were just caught by Liverpool [2-2] in the last minute and [on Sunday] we won away from home. If you look at our recent results, we look to be more stable. We have a big game in front of us now against Southampton with nobody coming back. The players who played [on Sunday] have given their all and now we need to recover and prepare for the Southampton game.” Wenger said
BPL Matchday 19 results;
Tottenham Hotspur 0-0 Manchester United
Southampton 1-1 Chelsea
Aston Villa 0-0 Sunderland
Hull City 0-1 Leicester City
Manchester City 2-2 Burnley
Queens Park Rangers 0-0 Crystal Palace
Stoke City 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
West Ham United 1-2 Arsenal
Newcastle 3-2 Everton
Liverpool 4-1 Swansea
News from other partS of the world:
– Kolo Toure has been included in the Cote d’Ivoire squad for the final time after Herve Renard announced his 23-man list for the Africa Cup of Nations.
– Mexican club Cruz Azul have completed the signing of Roque Santa Cruz from Spanish La Liga side Malaga for an undisclosed fee
– Ghana’s Black Stars will commence their first training session under the watchful eyes of their new Head Coach Avram Grant at the Accra Sports stadium in preparation for the 2015 AFCON some of the players scheduled to commence training in Accra are Asamoah Gyan,Andre and Jordan Ayew,Agyeman Badu, the entire squad will meet up in Spain for closed camping before proceeding to Equatorial Guinea for AFCON 2015.
Top 5 performers in Europe’s top 5 football leagues (2014/2015) the story so far…,
We have put together a list of Europe’s top 5 leagues top 5 performers, our focus is on a few highlights of the game, mainly goals, assist and discipline for individuals and for teams it’s got to do with Their positions on the Log, comments are welcome and hope you find this useful.
Please note that this is based on results as at the 25th of December 2014 and the Leagues are arranged in no particular other……..
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