June 2023 – Page 12

The domestic season draws to a close across the majority of big leagues in Europe this weekend and we have picked out five goalscorers worth following.

Back Ilkay Gundogan to score at anytime @ 14/5

Manchester City will be looking to complete the second part of the treble when they take on arch rivals Manchester United in Saturday’s FA Cup final and the likes of Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne are sure to catch the eye in the goalscorers market.

However, one man that could offer more value in that department is Ilkay Gundogan, who has grabbed braces against Everton and Leeds over the last month, taking his tally for the season to nine.

With his contract due to expire this summer, this could be one of Gundogan’s last appearances in a City shirt and it would be no surprise to see him mark the occasion with a cup final goal.

Back Oh Hyeon-gyu to score the last goal @ 5/2

Celtic will also be aiming to complete a treble when they face Inverness in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday and they boast a striker in form in Oh Hyeon-gyu.

The South Korean appears to have now found his feet after arriving from Suwon Samsung Bluewings in January, netting three goals across his last two appearances, including a brace against Aberdeen last weekend.

However, that may not be enough to see Oh start Saturday’s final at Hampden, with Kyogo Furuhashi likely to be preferred to lead the line, but it would be no surprise to see the 22-year-old come off the bench to score the final goal of the contest.

Back Lois Openda to score at anytime @ 7/5

It has been a season to remember for RC Lens, who are guaranteed to finish second in Ligue 1 regardless of their result on the final day away to relegation-threatened Auxerre.

The goals of Lois Openda have been key to that success, with his strike in last weekend’s victory over Ajaccio taking his tally for the season in the French top flight to 20.

Only three players have scored more Ligue 1 goals than the Belgium international this season and he can cap a memorable campaign with another goal this weekend.

Back Boulaye Dia to score at anytime @ 21/20

Boulaye Dia has enjoyed a successful loan spell with Salernitana this season, scoring 16 goals that have contributed to the Campania-based club comfortably surviving in Serie A.

Eight of those goals have come across his last 11 appearances, including a recent hat-trick in a 3-3 draw with Fiorentina.

Salernitana will be facing an already-relegated Cremonese side on the final day that hold the joint-worst defensive record in Serie A.

Dia will be licking his lips at the prospect of facing that defence.

Back Victor Osimhen to the first goal @ 9/4

Victor Osimhen has arguably been the main contributor to Napoli’s title success in Serie A this season, with the Nigerian’s brace in last weekend’s draw with Bologna meaning he has scored a league-high 25 goals.

The Capocannoniere — the award handed to the top scorer in Serie A each season — appears to be sewn up and Osimhen will expect to add to his tally when Napoli host bottom-of-the-table Sampdoria on the final day.

Osimhen has opened the scoring for Napoli 10 times in Serie A this season and it would be no surprise to see him pop up with the first goal once again on Sunday.

England boss Sarina Wiegman has finalised her squad for this summer’s World Cup finals as she targets another taste of glory.

The European champions have lost key players since their triumph at Wembley last year, but have potential new stars waiting in the wings.

Here, we take a look at the challenges which lie ahead in Australia and New Zealand.

How does Wiegman plug the holes at the back?

The anterior cruciate ligament injury which has ruled skipper Leah Williamson out of the tournament not only robs England of their captain, but also of a key defender.

Millie Bright’s inclusion – Wiegman has confirmed the Chelsea star will wear the armband – has allayed fears over her fitness, with both she and full-back Lucy Bronze, who is also included, nursing knee problems.

Left-back Alex Greenwood is a candidate to partner Bright in the middle, but Rachel Daly’s inclusion among the strikers suggests she will not be asked to play at full-back as she has done for her country in the past.

Who are England’s potential match-winners?

The absence of Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner Beth Mead and Fran Kirby through injury and retired record goalscorer Ellen White might be felt more acutely if Wiegman did not have a wealth of attacking talent at her disposal.

Ella Toone, Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo proved game-changers from the bench last summer and will target more significant roles this time around.

Rachel Daly will head for the finals having scored 22 goals for Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League this season and the recalled Bethany England has 12 to her name since joining Tottenham from Chelsea in January.

In addition, the Lionesses can also call upon emerging talents Lauren James and Katie Robinson.

Who are England’s main rivals?

Holders the United States are looking to lift the trophy for a third successive tournament – a fifth in total – and FIFA’s number one-ranked team will be hot favourites to do so.

England beat the USA 2-1 in a friendly at Wembley in October last year but will not be taken in by that success. Germany, who lost to Wiegman’s side in the Euro 2022 final, will also be expected to feature prominently, as will semi-final opponents Sweden.

Olympic champions Canada, whose campaign for equal pay prompted calls for a strike earlier this year, and co-hosts Australia, who will have Chelsea goal-machine Sam Kerr in their ranks, could have a say too.

What kind of form are they in?

England’s form had been little short of exemplary until April’s 2-0 friendly defeat by Australia at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium brought their 30-game unbeaten run under Wiegman to an end.

However, there is a feeling within the camp that the run was always going to end eventually and it is far better that it did so in a friendly.

The accuracy of that view will only become apparent when they embark upon their Group D fixtures against Haiti, Denmark and China.

Can a depleted squad live up to the expectation they have created?

England will head to the tournament having made it to the semi-finals at the last two World Cups, but not managed to go a step further.

They cleared a major psychological hurdle last summer when they won the Euros on home soil having negotiated a tense last-eight clash with Spain and nerve-jangling showdown with Germany in the final.

England will head Down Under with that vital tournament experience under their belts and confident of making an impression once again.

A northern derby comes to London this weekend as Manchester United and Manchester City meet in the FA Cup final.

It is the first time that the rivals have met at the Wembley showpiece, where there will be more than just local pride on the line.

Ahead of Saturday’s clash, we take a look at the best Manchester derbies from the Premier League era.

Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United (1993-94)

Back in the early days of the Premier League, City looked set to cause a major shock when a first-half brace from Niall Quinn gave them a 2-0 lead at the break.

Yet Alex Ferguson’s United were famed for their late comebacks and early in the second half, a mistake from Michael Vonk saw Eric Cantona reduce the deficit.

The French forward equalised on 78 minutes after Ryan Giggs came off the bench to brilliantly split the City defence with a ball from the right.

With just three minutes remaining, Roy Keane scored the winner in his first derby by firing home at the back post.

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City (2011-12)

The shift in power across Manchester was evident as the eventual title winners thrashed United at Old Trafford.

Mario Balotelli who gave City the lead and famously removed his jersey to reveal a T-shirt asking ‘Why Always Me?’.

Jonny Evans was sent off early in the second half, which saw the visitors run riot. Balotelli scored again and Sergio Aguero made it 3-0, before Darren Fletcher pulled one back.

Two late goals from Edin Dzeko and one from David Silva completed a 6-1 victory.

Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United 3 (2012-13)

The following season, United were able to exact some revenge. Ferguson’s team were top of the Premier League, three points ahead of City.

A brace from Wayne Rooney saw the visitors move into a comfortable first-half lead, but it would not be an easy win.

Yaya Toure put City back into the game and then, with just four minutes remaining, Pablo Zabaleta scored an equaliser.

In added time, Robin van Persie converted a free-kick to produce a key victory as Fergie won the title before hanging up his clipboard.

Manchester City 3-1 Manchester United 1 (2002-03)

This was the last ever derby to be played at Maine Road and United went into it as heavy favourites.

Yet the scriptwriters had a happy ending in mind and it was City’s cult figure Shaun Goater who would prove to be the hero.

In the first half, goals from Nicolas Anelka for the hosts and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for the visitors came within the first eight minutes. Then Goater made it 2-1 with a finish from an acute angle.

The Goat was fed again shortly after the break and made it 3-1 with his 100th goal for the club.

Manchester United 4-3 Manchester City 3 (2009-10)

Newly-rich City came into this derby in a confident mood, but the Premier League champions ultimately prevailed.

In a contest that highlighted the growing competitiveness between the teams, United took the lead three times only for City to continually draw level.

A goal from Rooney and two from Fletcher had put the home side ahead, but strikes from Gareth Barry and a brace from Craig Bellamy saw the match go into stoppage time at 3-3.

United scored again in the 96th minute and this time there was no opportunity for an equaliser as Michael Owen’s cool finish won this memorable derby.

Roma’s Europa League final defeat to Sevilla has upped the stakes for their Serie A season finale, with a top-six spot on the line as they host survival-seeking Spezia.

Juventus’ 10-point deduction has left them seventh with Europa League qualification no longer in their hands, though beating Udinese would give them a fighting chance of leapfrogging Roma or Atalanta, with the latter hosting Monza.

Verona, like Spezia, are embroiled in a final-day push to stay in the top flight, as they prepare for a daunting trip to face AC Milan at the San Siro.

Champions Napoli, meanwhile, bow out with a home game against bottom side Sampdoria.

Game of the weekend: Roma vs Spezia (Sunday, 8pm)

Roma must win their final game of the season to guarantee Europa League qualification — though even an unlikely victory may not be enough to spare Spezia, who will be forced to contest a relegation play-off if they remain level on points with 18th-placed Verona.

The visitors’ chances are further dented by the fact that they have never beaten the Giallorossi in Serie A, losing four of their last five meetings and failing to score in each of the previous three.

Additionally, Jose Mourinho’s men are unbeaten when opening the scoring this season (10 wins, one draw), while Leonardo Semplici’s side have netted the first goal on just nine occasions — the fewest of any team in the league.

Both teams have been wasteful with their chances this term, however, which could leave room for a surprise. Spezia have underperformed their expected goals by 11.2 (30 goals from 41.2 xG — the worst in the division), while Roma have done so by 8.1 (48 goals from 56.1 xG — third-worst).

Udinese vs Juventus (Sunday, 8pm)

Juventus have one final opportunity to move from a Europa Conference League place into the top six — but must rely on one of Roma or Atalanta dropping points, even if they win their final game.

Encouragingly for the Old Lady, they have won nine of their last 11 Serie A matches against upcoming opponents Udinese (one draw, one defeat) and have lost only once in their previous 12 away from home in this fixture (seven wins, four draws).

In fact, Juve have inflicted more top-flight defeats on Udinese than any other side (66).

The Friulians often leave it late to snatch a result, earning the joint-most points in the division from goals scored after the 75th minute (12). However, Sunday’s visitors have dropped just one point after conceding in the same timeframe, which is a joint-league low.

Atalanta vs Monza (Sunday, 8pm)

Like Roma, Atalanta must win their final game of the campaign to secure a spot in the top six.

La Dea boast a strong record against upcoming opponents Monza, going unbeaten against them in each of their last seven meetings across all competitions, winning six of those.

Rasmus Hojlund has enjoyed a strong debut season with the hosts. Only two players born in 2003 or later across Europe’s top five divisions have scored more league goals than his eight this term, so he will hope to end the campaign with a bang before fielding bids for his services.

Biancorossi midfielder Matteo Pessina — on loan from Atalanta — could throw a spanner in the works if he can find the net against his parent club, as he did when playing for Verona in 2020.

AC Milan vs Verona (Sunday, 8pm)

Verona find themselves in a precarious position ahead of this final round of Serie A fixtures.

They must better Spezia’s result against Roma in order to secure survival — matching it would lead to a relegation play-off and failure to do either would see them go straight down to Serie B.

To make matters worse, their opponents are AC Milan, who have beaten them in each of their last four meetings.

In fact, Verona have not claimed victory in any of their previous 30 league visits to the San Siro — failure to break that streak could well result in relegation.

Napoli vs Sampdoria (Sunday, 5.30pm)

Champions Napoli will be keen to end a superb season with a flourish against rock-bottom Sampdoria. Victory would take the Scudetto winners to a finishing total of 90 points.

This clash represents the widest points gap between any two teams to face each other in Serie A history (68).

Napoli are the division’s top scorers with 75 goals, while Samp have the worst record, netting just 24 times. That is one fewer than the Partenopei’s top scorer Victor Osimhen.

This game could see a flurry of second-half goals, with the hosts recording more strikes after the break than any other side (43) and Dejan Stankovic’s outfit conceding the most goals in that timeframe (36).

The weekend’s other games

Sassuolo vs Fiorentina (Friday, 7.30pm)

Torino vs Inter Milan (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Cremonese vs Salernitana (Saturday, 8pm)

Empoli vs Lazio (Saturday, 8pm)

Lecce vs Bologna (Sunday, 8pm)

Follow each game with our unbeatable live scores service. Simply tap the Scores tab on the web or download the LiveScore app from the App Store for iOS devices or Google Play for Android.

Chelsea striker Lauren James has signed a new contract which will keep her at the club until the summer of 2027, the Blues have announced.

The 21-year-old, who was named in Sarina Wiegman’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup finals on Wednesday, was part of Emma Hayes’ side as they completed a second consecutive Women’s Super League and FA Cup double during the season which has just ended.

James told the club’s official website: “It’s an amazing feeling to extend my stay at the club I love and where I feel most at home. I’m looking forward to the future and I want to reach my full potential.

“I want to be the best version of me as a player and as a person, helping to inspire the next generation. It definitely feels like home and it’s always been the place I’ve wanted to be.”

Schooled in Chelsea’s academy, James made her senior debut for Arsenal as a 16-year-old and signed her first professional deal with Manchester United before returning to the Blues on a four-year contract in July 2021.

General manager Paul Green said: “We’re delighted that Lauren has signed an extended deal. She has built on last season and taken another step forward in her development.

“She is one of the best young players in the world, who is blue through and through. We look forward to seeing her continue to progress and we believe she will go on to achieve big things at the club.”

LiveScore Daily is here to deliver all the big talking points from the world of football throughout the day. Keep refreshing this page for the latest stories in bite-sized chunks.

Hammer lacks the right tools

West Ham striker Michail Antonio believes team-mate Gianluca Scamacca will need to play under a different manager to showcase his abilities in the Premier League.

Scamacca, 24, arrived at the London Stadium last summer for £35million but only made 11 Premier League starts in 2022-23.

David Moyes went on record earlier in the season and criticised the 6ft 5in striker, saying he needed to improve his fitness.

And now Antonio has had his say on the matter. Speaking on the FFS podcast, he said: “I’m going to be honest with you lot, he’s actually quality.

“He is a quality player. The problem is, he can’t play the way the gaffer plays.

“He needs a different type of manager to play his type of football.

“You can see that the ball comes into him and it sticks and he’s tidy.

“But how David Moyes plays is more like, if you’re up front you’re dealing with scraps and you’ve got to be more of a fighter. And that’s not him.”

Ange appeal

Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou would be an excellent appointment for Tottenham, according to his ex-assistant Rado Vidosic.

Postecoglou, 57, is on the verge of completing a domestic treble with the Scottish champions and has been heavily linked with the vacant manager job in North London.

Vidosic, who worked with the Australian at Brisbane Roar, said: “Tottenham are a huge club.

“Looking at Tottenham, they are a good team, they’ve got some great players, and I think someone like Ange could change their fortunes in one year, without a doubt.

“If he thinks that is the right job for him, he’s going dive in and he’s going to transform them, and I think they’re going to be definitely back in the top four, and have a huge impact in the Premier League.

“He’s got this ability to change a good team into a great team. I wouldn’t be surprised that there may be some pathway for him to maybe even take over at Manchester City one day, once Pep [Guardiola] decides to leave.”

Milan’s fashion show

AC Milan have revealed their new home kit ahead of the 2023-24 season.

The unique new stripes create a repeat “M” visual in the centre of the shirt that the club say represent the city of Milan and their progressive nature.

Milan will debut their kit on June 4 in the final Serie A match of the season and it is available to buy from PUMA stores today.

Conor Coady has left Everton and returned to Wolves following his loan spell, with the Toffees having passed up an option to sign the defender on a permanent basis.

The Goodison Park club have also announced that former Wolves defender Ruben Vinagre will return to Sporting Lisbon after an injury-impacted loan spell on Merseyside.

Coady made 25 appearances for Everton this season, including a start in Sunday’s vital 1-0 win over Bournemouth which secured safety, and scored two goals.

Coady, capped 10 times by England, joined the Toffees last August in a deal which included an option to buy, but that option has now expired.

Vinagre made only four appearances in all competitions.

Everton director of football Kevin Thelwell said: “We want to sincerely thank Conor and Ruben for their impeccable professionalism and valuable contributions both on and off the pitch during their time with the club.

“We wish both players the best in their futures.”

Stay up to date with all the Premier League ins and outs during the 2023 summer transfer window. Last update June 1 at 11.30am BST.

The summer transfer window could be the richest yet with some huge football futures to be decided over the next three months of big-money bargaining.

All eyes are on Harry Kane as we look for an answer to the questions surrounding a possible Tottenham exit.

Declan Rice has to decide whether he wants to enjoy one more year as West Ham captain with Arsenal and Bayern Munich trying to tease him away.

Jude Bellingham could make a return to England after just missing out on the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund and even Neymar is being tipped for a Premier League move after being surplus to requirements at PSG.

Last summer clubs parted with a record £1.9billion as we said hello to the likes of Erling Haaland, Alexander Isak, Darwin Nunez and Antony.

When does the summer 2023 transfer window open?

The summer transfer window begins on Wednesday, June 14 for all domestic deals between clubs in England and Scotland.

It will be a busy week as the 2023-24 Premier League fixtures are being announced on June 15.

Clubs will not be allowed to sign overseas players until the international window opens on Saturday, July 1.

Brighton have already agreed a five-year deal for Watford forward Joao Pedro and his move will become official on June 14.

Youri Tielemans is one of several players available on a free transfer after confirming his exit from relegated Leicester.

When does it close?

The final-day countdown will begin on Friday, September 1 with the traditional slamming shut of the window set for 11pm.

How about Europe’s other top leagues?

The Football League transfer window will open on the same day as the Premier League but there are some staggered starts across Europe’s top five leagues.

Ligue 1 in France opens slightly earlier on Saturday, June 10 while LaLiga in Spain, Italy’s Serie A and the German Bundesliga are all expected to wait until July 1.

At this stage, Europe’s top five leagues have all agreed to close their transfer windows on the same date, September 1.

In:

Out: Jeong Sang-bin (Minnesota United, undisclosed)

Manchester United legend Denis Irwin believes Alex Ferguson remains the greatest manager in British football history.

Pep Guardiola is seeking to become the first coach since Sir Alex to lead a Premier League club to the Treble.

Having won their fifth league title in six seasons, Manchester City have a potentially historic 10 days ahead as they line up in the finals of both the FA Cup and Champions League.

The Red Devils can have a direct impact in stopping City repeating their feat as the Manchester rivals go head-to-head in the FA Cup showpiece at Wembley on Saturday.

Irishman Irwin was part of the triumphant United side in 1999 and while he hailed the “fantastic” Catalan, he insists his achievements in the game do not yet eclipse the great Fergie.

Speaking exclusively at LiveScore’s Champions League final fan preview event in Dublin, the 57-year-old said: “I think Guardiola has still got a bit to go.

“Sir Alex is remembered for what he did at Manchester United but you have to look at what he did at Aberdeen as well.

“He broke the Glasgow stronghold of Rangers and Celtic, which is no mean feat. He managed to win a European competition by beating Real Madrid in the final.

“When you look at what he did there and then what he did at Man Utd — the longevity, the amount of cups he won.

“Don’t get me wrong, Guardiola has done brilliantly at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Manchester City and I have no doubt that wherever he goes next he’ll have great success. He really is a fantastic manager.

“The style he plays, particularly this season, he’s adjusted the system a little bit and they’ve been a great team to watch this year.”

Cup magic

City have been earmarked as overwhelming favourites for Saturday’s clash having finished 14 points ahead of Erik ten Hag’s men in the Premier League this term.

But Irwin believes his former side are more than capable of overcoming the Citizens as they look to add an FA Cup to go alongside their Carabao Cup triumph earlier this season.

On whether the Red Devils can get the better of City, Irwin added: “Absolutely. When there’s a one-off game, anything can happen. We’ve seen that in FA Cup finals down the years.

“You go back to 1973, you go back to Wigan about 10 years ago. It can happen and that’s the beauty of football, there are no guarantees.

“Manchester United have got players that can hurt them [City]. It’s fair to say United will have to defend very, very well but it’ll come down to who takes their chances on the day.

“I don’t think it’ll be as clear cut as what people think.”

Turning the tide

Winning United’s 13th FA Cup trophy would cap off an impressive first season for Dutch coach Ten Hag having sealed a third-placed Premier League finish alongside the success in the Carabao Cup.

On Ten Hag’s debut campaign at Old Trafford, the former left-back said: “If you go back to this time last year, United were all over the place. The fans were just waiting for the season to finish and were lucky to finish sixth.

“He’s made a couple of big, big calls and overall it’s been excellent. To get back in the top four, win the Carabao Cup and still have an FA Cup to go for, I think that’s a huge step forward.

“I think United will be even better next year. They’re still some way off City but add a couple of big signings and you just never know next season.”

Former England international Gilly Flaherty believes Sam Kerr firing Chelsea to the double was just the start.

The Aussie, 29, scored a brace in a 3-0 victory at Reading to help the Blues add a fourth consecutive league crown after netting the winner in their FA Cup triumph.

Kerr will now head for a World Cup Down Under looking to inspire the Matildas to glory on home soil.

Speaking exclusively to LiveScore, Flaherty said: “It might not be Sam Kerr’s most prolific season but she’s had a lot on her shoulders.

“With Fran Kirby getting injured and Beth England going in January, she’s played a lot of minutes.

“She looked a bit fatigued towards the end but she’s come up with some important goals and that’s what you need from your strikers.”

And the former Chelsea defender thinks the considerable expectation to deliver in a home World Cup in July should only inspire Kerr to new heights.

Flaherty added: “She’ll thrive off it, I think she’ll be huge for Australia.

“I watched her when England played Australia recently and she was incredible then. I think she thrives on the big occasions and she loves playing for her country.

“I think she’ll show everybody how good she is again this summer.”

Rotation the key

Chelsea’s victory at the Madejski also saw Emma Hayes’ team clinch a third league and FA Cup double in a row.

Flaherty, speaking at the unveiling of a mural of midfielder Guro Reiten to celebrate the Blues’ trophy-laden season, credits Hayes for that impressive run.

She said: “Emma’s rotated the team really well. She has made sure that everybody is capable of standing up when they need to.

“I think it’s about players knowing their jobs and knowing that it’s not about one single individual.

“They’ve needed every single player to dig in and play a part at some stage during this campaign.”

Title rivals

Chelsea’s two-point margin in the final standings proved that their superiority is not insurmountable, however.

FA Cup finalists Manchester United finished second in the table and Flaherty believes that they are one of a few potential challengers next season.

The ex-Arsenal and West Ham star said: “Manchester United got 56 points, which would have seen them joint-top last season. Chelsea needed the league-record points tally to beat them.

“Arsenal, too, might have been in a different position were it not for all the injuries they had.

“Man City and Aston Villa, too. It’s a big summer of recruitment coming up.”

Dominant Daly

There was more to this campaign than the title race and Flaherty took huge pleasure out of seeing her old side Liverpool survive their first season back in the WSL.

She said: “For me, and I’m trying not to be biased, one of the biggest stories of the season was Liverpool never really being in any danger of relegation.

“They’ll want to push on next season because seventh is a really solid finish.

“You’ve obviously got Leicester surviving having looked dead and buried before Willie Kirk came in.

“Villa, too, were another great story. Rachel Daly scoring more goals than anybody else in the division and more than Villa managed as a team last season.”