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England take on the Czech Republic at Wembley in their first qualifier for Euro 2020 on Friday.

The two sides meet at a time when they are at differing ends of the international landscape.

England, of course, reached the semi-finals of the World Cup last summer, for the first time since 1990. The Czech Republic failed to qualify, finishing behind both Germany and Northern Ireland in qualification Group C.

They do have a hefty international pedigree, however, finishing second at Euro 1996 and reaching the semi-finals of Euro 2004, though those finishes have been the zenith of their run as an international team.

Friday’s encounter, then, promises to be an intriguing one. Football FanCast takes a look at where it could be won and lost…

The key battle – Kaderabek vs Sancho

Jadon Sancho has been in electric form since his move to Borussia Dortmund. This season, he has scored eight goals in 26 Bundesliga appearances, while also laying on 15 assists.

He will come up against another Bundesliga star in Pavel Kaderabek at right-back. The Hoffenheim defender has been in excellent form this season, with his side currently ninth in the German top-flight.

Sancho will know his Czech counterpart well; they both scored when Dortmund and Hoffenheim played out a 3-3 draw earlier this season.

If the 18-year-old can find a way past Kaderabek consistently on Friday, England will have a trusted route to goal and that could well prove decisive.

The deciding factor – England’s defence

Can England maintain focus throughout the 90 minutes?

The Three Lions have kept one clean sheet since the World Cup, in a 0-0 UEFA Nations League draw with Croatia.

Even a thumping win over Spain, in which England took a 3-0 lead, saw the concession of two goals to La Roja.

If Southgate’s side, who also kept just one clean sheet in Russia, in the 2-0 quarter-final stroll against Sweden, can stop their backline from leaking, they should have enough up front to fire their way past the Czechs.

But that is no guarantee; England also conceded to Panama at the tournament. Yes, they were 6-0 up at the time, but it is a very real concern. The Three Lions simply have to stay tight at the back.

The impact subs – Callum Hudson-Odoi vs Matej Vydra

Hudson-Odoi is unlikely to usurp Raheem Sterling in the starting line-up but he has the ability to make a genuine impact off the bench.

His skilful dribbling and precision in the pass means he can hurt pretty much any team and he is primed for a go at international level.

He has worked his way into the Chelsea team and scored four goals in all competitions this season – he could make his international debut here and may well be the saviour if Southgate’s men need one.

As for the Czech Republic, Burnley striker Vydra is likely to be on the bench, with Patrick Schick set to start up front. He has scored just two goals all season and has not netted for his country since 2016.

The time for him to start scoring, then, is now.

Celtic fans must be reeving following Brendan Rodgers business end bail, but the news that rumoured replacement David Moyes could be heading to the Chinese Super League instead of Glasgow will surely improve their mood slightly.

According to The Sun, Manchester United, Real Sociedad, Sunderland and West Ham flop David Moyes has announced his interest in returning to management and has set his sights on former club Celtic, alongside the CSL.

The man he wants to replace, Neil Lennon, is currently on his second managerial stint with the Hoops having been drafted on an interim basis but has made a decent enough case for succeeding as the permanent coach with two wins out of two – the most recent guiding Celtic into the final four of the domestic cup.

A win against Aberdeen at the week would surely leave Lennon in good stead.

Moyes, on the other hand, has been out of a job since being sacked by West Ham and has scantly achieved any kind of success since his Everton days.

Conveniently, we have a warning from history which reminds us that David Moyes is a poorly qualified candidate for handling the pressures of succeeding a very successful manager at a club.

As far as we are concerned, and likely anyone else who have endured his management style, he is regressive in his tactics and exists as a prominent reminder of how far the game has come in recent years.

Fortunately, there is every chance the Chinese Super League could be the next home for David Moyes as they continue their mission to boost the profile of football in the country.

Regardless, the Celtic faithful will surely be hoping that the board are looking at forward-thinking coaches who could drive the club on a similar trajectory as their former man Rodgers.

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Aston Villa have won their last three Championship matches to move to within two points of the play-off positions with plenty of football still to play this season.

Villa are on a bit of a roll at the moment and it does appear that they are finding some serious form at just about the perfect stage of the campaign.

On Wednesday, Dean Smith’s side recorded an impressive 3-1 victory away to Nottingham Forest, which followed wins over Derby County and Birmingham City.

A number of players impressed, but the Villa supporters were very pleased with what they saw from Ahmed Elmohamady.

The right-back assisted John McGinn for the equaliser whilst according to WhoScored, he had a pass success rate of 72% and made one tackle.

Alan Hutton’s recent injury has seen the 31-year-old drop into defence and the Villa fans were delighted with his display against Forest.

A selection of the Twitter reaction can be seen below:

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Loads of Leeds fans have been reflecting on the weekend’s disappointing defeat to Norwich, and they’re not too happy with rival shot-stopper Tim Krul.

Leeds were quite simply swept aside on Saturday, and it may alarm Marcelo Bielsa how similar this defeat was to the setback at West Brom back in November.

Just like the 4-1 mauling at the Hawthorns, Bielsa’s side had all the possession against Norwich on Saturday but made little of it count, mustering just six shots on target.

Who are the best away fans in the Championship? Pl>ymaker FC’s Thogden gives his top 10 in the video below…

Most of those shots were straight at Krul, who may consider himself lucky to have not seen red for a challenge in the first half.

The ex-Newcastle ace rushed off his line to block an attempt by Tyler Roberts, but only succeeded in clashing into the young Welshman, for which the goalkeeper was booked.

Krul then appeared to have a bust-up with Patrick Bamford at the final whistle, and has now giving his verdict on the incident.

“I walked over and what’s the striker called, Bamford? He was giving Ben Godfrey all sorts and grabbing him,” Krul told the Daily Mail. “So I said ‘come on’ and pushed him away. There was a lot of tension out there.

“They’re not unbeatable,” continued the Dutchman. “Our manager made it clear. Respect them and be humble but hit them because they’re not Barcelona. No, they’re not.”

Loads of Leeds fans have been reacting to the comments, and you can find some of the best tweets down below…

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti complained that referees do not understand coaches after a tense meeting at the Spanish Football Association (RFEF).

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Ancelotti attended meeting at RFEF officesReal Madrid boss left the discussion angryCoach says referees 'don't understand' coachesWHAT HAPPENED?

Ancelotti and his Barcelona counterpart Xavi, along with several other La Liga coaches, were present at a meeting at the RFEF's headquarters. The gathering was held to discuss refereeing and other issues in Spanish football – most notably a lack of severance pay received by coached when they're sacked.

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Ancelotti has previously complained that the referees in La Liga do not show enough respect to coaches, while Xavi has reportedly proposed a joint-press conference so that managers can express their grievances.

WHAT CARLO ANCELOTTI SAID

The meeting at the RFEF headquarters seems to have done very little to resolve the tension between referees, coaches and the RFEF in general, as Ancelotti voiced his anger afterwards. Asked by a journalist how the meeting went, Ancelotti said it was "a mess", adding: "They don't understand us coaches".

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ANCELOTTI?

The Italian left RFEF's headquarters early so that he could lead Madrid's training session on Tuesday. Their next game is against Cadiz on November 26.

MatériaMais Notícias

“Vem aqui que quero te mostrar uma coisa no computador. Qual é a emoção ao fazer um gol desses?” Essa pergunta foi feita por um dirigente do Metalist, na Ucrânia,no meio de 2010, antes de Cleiton Xavier assinar contrato. E foi mais uma prova do tamanho do feito do jogador há exatamente 11 anos: o seu golaço na vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Colo-Colo, em 29 de abril de 2009, no Chile, classificou o Palmeiras na Libertadores e marcou sua vida para sempre.
​
​- Estou esperando que reprisem esse jogo entre tantos que estão repetindo. Fico até emocionado. Vejo esse lance direto. Sempre tem alguém me mandando vídeo ou palmeirense postando e me marcando. É assim todo ano que chega essa data ou tem jogo de Libertadores. Todos falam desse gol. Foi legal saber que até na Ucrânia viram – disse o ex-meia, aposentado desde 2018, em conversa com o LANCE!, por telefone, de São José da Tapera, no interior de Alagoas, onde mantém a “Escolinha CX10” para crianças carentes.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasAlvo do Verdão, Muñoz quer Europa e diz não ter pressa de deixar ColômbiaPalmeiras28/04/2020PalmeirasPalmeiras monta top 5 dos gols feitos por Gabriel Jesus com camisa do timePalmeiras28/04/2020Palmeiras100 anos de história: relembre os 30 principais jogos do Palmeiras em casaPalmeiras27/04/2020

O jogo foi batizado de “Batalha da Cordilheira”. Ao Colo-Colo, em casa, bastava empatar. O Verdão só se classificava ao mata-mata com vitória, e pressionou: duas bolas na trave de Keirrison e chance na pequena área que Cleiton Xavier perdeu. Para piorar, o volante Pierre e o meia Diego Souza, destaques do time, se machucaram e o zagueiro Marcão foi expulso, aos 17 do segundo tempo.

Cleiton Xavier já tinha arriscado de fora da área. Aos 42 minutos, limpou o seu marcador, de muito longe do gol, e armou o chute. Na época, o goleiro Marcos admitiu que gritou para o colega não chutar. Dirigentes do Palmeiras, na época, fizeram o mesmo, do camarote. Mas a bola entrou no ângulo esquerdo.

– Fomos para cima desde o início, jogamos bem, criamos várias oportunidades, tentamos de todo jeito. Um pouco antes do gol, pensei ‘hoje, essa bola não entra’. No fim, o gol saiu na pior das hipóteses.Eu estava no melhor ano da carreira, confiança lá em cima, tudo dando certo. Pensei em tentar driblar e, se tivesse um espacinho, chutar. Quando apareceu, não pensei duas vezes: me desvencilhei e fui muito feliz. Não tinha outro ângulo para a bola entrar – lembrou Cleiton Xavier, que sentiu já no dia seguinte a dimensão do que fez.

– Vi muita gente me esperando no desembarque e não entendi nada. Demorou para cair a ficha. Até então, era um gol legal, de classificação, passamos de fase. No Brasil, vi a proporção que tomou. Foi como se tivesse sido campeão, com todos comentando em jornais, televisão. Passei a semana dando entrevista – lembrou, sem dúvidas ao falar do que considera o principal gol da carreira.

– Fiz um gol na Ucrânia na saída de bola e outro parecido com aquele contra o Colo-Colo, só que do outro lado e, claro, sem a mesma proporção, emoção e calor do jogo. Na campanha do título brasileiro de 2016, fiz gols importantes contra Vitória, Inter e Corinthians, e falo sempre que fazer gol no Corinthians é um campeonato à parte, nem tem comparação. Mas esse contra o Colo-Colo tem importância maior por tudo que estava envolvido naquele jogo – indicou.

Confira a ficha técnica da partida realizada em 29 de abril de 2009:

FICHA TÉCNICA
COLO-COLO 0 X 1 PALMEIRAS

Local: Monumental David Arellano, Santiago (Chile)
Data: 29/4/2009
Árbitro: Carlos Torres (Paraguai)
Público: 31.038 pagantes
Cartões amarelos: Caroca, Figueroa e Millar (COL); Maurício Ramos e Willians (PAL)
Cartão vermelho: Marcão (17’/2°T)
Gol: Cleiton Xavier (42’/2°T) (1-0)

COLO-COLO: Muñoz; Figueroa, Mena, Riffo e Salcedo; Sanhueza, Meléndez (Jara, aos 18’/2ºT), Millar e Torres (Caroca, aos 16’/1ºT); Carranza (González, aos 40’/2ºT) e Barrios. Técnico: Gualberto Jara

PALMEIRAS: Marcos; Wendel (Willians, intervalo), Maurício Ramos, Danilo e Armero; Marcão, Pierre (Evandro, aos 15’/2ºT), Souza e Cleiton Xavier; Diego Souza (Ortigoza, aos 36’/2ºT) e Keirrison. Técnico: Vanderlei Luxemburgo

Clubs are spending huge amounts of money as they aim for success at home and on the continent – but which squads are the most expensive?

Some of the world's most costly squads have been assembled in Europe as clubs pursue silverware.

UEFA's annual Club Licensing Benchmarking Report has revealed that the top 20 most expensively assembled squads on the continent rose in value by 26 per cent at the end of the 2018 financial year when compared with 12 months previously.

Some of the confederation's biggest clubs are included in the list, while there are also some surprises.

Getty Images20Southampton | €252m (£216m/$281m)AdvertisementGetty Images19Leicester City | €268m (£230m/$298m)Getty Images18Atletico | €286m (£245m/$318m)ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty17Napoli | €306m (£262m/$341m)

Chesney Hughes hit an unbeaten 137 as Derbyshire comfortably batted out for a draw on the final day of their match with Gloucestershire in Bristol

ECB Reporters Network20-Apr-2016
ScorecardChesney Hughes cashed in on the final day of a bat-dominated match•Getty Images

Chesney Hughes hit an unbeaten 137 as Derbyshire comfortably batted out for a draw on the final day of their match with Gloucestershire in Bristol.With Hamish Rutherford contributing 78 to a second-wicket stand of 174, the visitors wiped out Gloucestershire’s first innings lead of 119 with few alarms under largely cloudless skies.Derbyshire had reached 260 for 2 when the players shook hands at 4.50pm, by which time Hughes, who had fallen four short of a hundred in the first innings, had faced 240 balls and hit 20 fours and a six without giving a chance.It was an impressive display by the powerful left-hander. Gloucestershire took 12 points and Derbyshire eight from a game dominated by the bat on a slow, benign wicket.The final day began with the hosts leading by 119 on first innings. Derbyshire’s first task was to avoid losing early wickets, but Lady Luck soon took a hand.Ben Slater was unfortunate to be run out for 6 when seamer Liam Norwell, operating from the Pavilion End, tipped a straight drive from Hughes onto the stumps at the bowler’s end.Gloucestershire were unable to capitalise on a surface offering little in terms of spin or seam movement and soon the draw was looking inevitable.By lunch Derbyshire were virtually safe on 105 for 1, with Hughes having moved to fifty off 75 balls, with 10 fours, and the less secure Rutherford on 37.The home side had to wait until the 55th over for a second success when Rutherford, who had escaped some airy shots, was caught by the diving Chris Dent at cover off Jack Taylor, having faced 142 balls and hit 10 fours.Rutherford had made an important contribution, while never looking in great form, and by the time he fell his side were 61 ahead.Hughes moved confidently to his eighth first-class century and second against Gloucestershire, bringing it up with his 16th four, forcing offspinner Taylor through the off side.He was unbeaten on 123 at tea, which was taken with Derbyshire 219 for 2, exactly 100 ahead.The shortened final session saw Hughes and Wayne Madsen (27 not out) bat effortlessly as Gloucestershire rested their main seamers.But there was a scare for the hosts near the end as skipper and wicketkeeper Gareth Roderick had to leave the field with a hand injury, sustained standing up to the medium-pace of Kieran Noema-Barnett.It was a match made memorable by the third-day century of Gloucestershire nightwatchman Norwell, but otherwise home supporters will be hoping for more entertaining cricket when Worcestershire provide the opposition on Sunday.

Matthew Carter’s ten wickets on debut proved in vain as Somerset’s veterans completed an epic comeback

Andrew Miller at Taunton17-Jun-2015
ScorecardPeter Trego’s bristling innings helped take Somerset most of the way to victory•Getty ImagesAfter summoning the spirit of the Wurzels in clouting Somerset to a monumental and, potentially, season-altering run-chase at Taunton, a croaky Peter Trego admitted afterwards that he had “blown his larynx” in a lusty dressing-room rendition of the team’s victory song.”I like to add a little bit of Wurzel to the Wurzels team song,” he said. “This is why we play the game and love pulling on the shirt. Win, lose or draw, we put heart and soul into each game, and days like this are worth all the bad days.”There have been a fair few bad days flying around the west country in recent weeks, but the euphoria that greeted Somerset’s achievement on the final day at Taunton was so heartfelt it was as if that eponymous blackbird himself had been been hunted down.The triumph was sealed with five minutes of the morning session remaining as Abdur Rehman launched a volley of three fours in four balls off the 19-year-old Nottinghamshire offspinner Matthew Carter, whose ten wickets on debut proved in vain as Somerset’s veterans completed an epic comeback.”To chase down 400 on a wicket that was assisting, that’s a massive feather in the cap of our batting line-up who have been having their rough times in the season,” Trego said. “But we are coming good and hopefully this will be the catalyst for a few more good results.”It wasn’t simply the size of the chase that astonished – Somerset had themselves been on the wrong end of a 400-plus chase when Middlesex beat them by five wickets at Taunton in April, so they knew that such a feat could be achieved at the County Ground.More remarkable still was their comeback from a first-innings deficit of 210, especially having shipped 300 runs in 71 overs on the first day, with Brendan Taylor’s 152 steering Nottinghamshire towards what ought to have been an unassailable position.”We showed great character to fight back from that deficit,” Trego said. “Our ageing attack bowling the team out for 190, and two ageing middle-order players putting on a hundred partnership. That’s one thing in this game you can’t replace: experience.”Needing a further 127 for victory, but having squandered a very solid start by losing four wickets for 46 in a nervy evening session on day three, Trego launched his day’s work as if he’d come out whistling his favourite refrain. “With a girt big stick I’ll knock ‘im down. Blackbird, I’ll ‘ave ee!”The blackbird in his sights from the outset was Carter, whose 7 for 56 in the first innings had done so much to put the skids under Somerset’s hopes in this contest. But Trego swung his big stick for two whistling cover drives from his first two balls of the day to set an emphatic and aggressive tone for his team.Alongside him in a critical sixth-wicket stand of 116 was Jim Allenby, who bided his time as his team-mate set the tempo by reaching his fifty from 63 balls. Allenby took half an hour to add four runs to his overnight 32, before stepping up his tempo with a whistling pull for four off Jake Ball.The pair had whittled the victory target down to a meagre 42 before the wobble that all of Somerset had expected and feared. Allenby was trapped lbw for 62 by Samit Patel, whose natural feistiness had been exacerbated by the rap on the knuckles he had received for a run-in with umpire Benson on the third afternoon.Tim Groenewald then survived an early chance as Ben Hilfenhaus spilled a skier, running in from third man, but Carter, the unlucky bowler, then claimed an even more vital scalp three runs later, as Trego pushed too firmly outside off once too often, and Steve Mullaney at slip set up an agonising finale, with 36 still needed and three wickets standing.Groenewald ground out a vital 13 before, with the requirement now whittled down to 20, he became Patel’s second lbw victim of the morning. At the other end was the Somerset debutant Michael Bates – one of the finest wicketkeepers in the country, no doubt, but a man who had been released by Hampshire for his failure to score enough runs.But Bates showed immense composure in what could hardly have been a more taxing audition, picking off the gaps in an oddly deep-set field to make 14 not out from 31 balls, then Rehman saw his opportunity for a sprint to the finish, with two back cuts for four through third man off Carter, before a hoick to leg and a punch of the air sealed the glory.Afterwards, Marcus Trescothick, Somerset’s captain, praised the composure of Trego and the tail in sealing a result that has earned them 20 precious points and enabled them to vault from rock bottom in the first division to the mid-table sanctuary of sixth. Suddenly it is Nottinghamshire, with one win from seven and home-and-away losses against Somerset to contemplate, who can’t help but have one anxious eye on that trapdoor.”It wasn’t just how many they got but the fashion they got them in,” he said. “It’s always good to be positive in this situation, when you are trying to bring down low totals. You need to score the runs quickly otherwise the pressure builds up and it plays a different part in the game.””Ow’s yer father?” the Wurzels might have added. “Alright!”

Opening batsman Ed Cowan will officially be part of the New South Wales squad again after being handed a state contract for 2015-16

ESPNcricinfo staff04-May-2015Opening batsman Ed Cowan will officially be part of the New South Wales squad again after being handed a state contract for 2015-16. Cowan had in March announced his decision to leave Tasmania and return to Sydney for family reasons, but he did so at the time without an offer from the Blues and with uncertainty surrounding his future in the game.However, Cowan’s experience and form – he was fifth on the Sheffield Shield run tally last summer with 815 at 47.94 – were sufficient to prompt New South Wales to include him in their squad for next season. Cowan began his career with the Blues before moving to Tasmania and earning 18 Test caps; he hopes to add more after the likely retirement of Chris Rogers after this year’s Ashes tour.”I certainly still have really strong desire to play Test cricket,” Cowan said. “There will probably be an opportunity for an opening batsman to put their hand up after the Ashes. First and foremost for me it’s about scoring a lot of runs for New South Wales and enjoying my cricket.”Andrew Jones, the Cricket New South Wales chief executive, said: “We are delighted to have Ed Cowan back. During his time in Tasmania, Ed has developed himself into an international player and we are very fortunate that he has chosen to bring his family home.”Cowan is one of four inclusions on the New South Wales list, alongside offspinner William Somerville, opening batsman Nick Larkin and allrounder Ben Dwarshuis. Opening batsman Scott Henry has been cut from the squad after playing every Shield game in 2014-15 for 471 runs at 33.64, while Jake Doran has moved to Tasmania and Patrick Pisel has been delisted.Peter Nevill, Nic Maddinson, Sean Abbott and Kurtis Patterson have each been locked in for a further two years, while new rookies to the squad include Mickey Edwards, Henry Thornton, Daniel Solway, Jonte Pattison and Ryan Gibson.”There hasn’t been much change to our squad from last season,” David Freedman, the New South Wales talent manager said. “We have a lot of very talented young cricketers, like Nic Maddinson, Sean Abbott, Gurinder Sandhu and Kurtis Patterson, who have now played a few seasons of first-class cricket.”Coupled with the significant experience of guys like Moises Henriques, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Doug Bollinger and now Ed Cowan, the squad is very well placed to challenge for titles next summer.”New South Wales squad Sean Abbott, Doug Bollinger, Ryan Carters, Michael Clarke (Cricket Australia contract), Trent Copeland, Ed Cowan, Pat Cummins (CA), Ben Dwarshuis, Brad Haddin (CA), Josh Hazlewood (CA), Moises Henriques, Daniel Hughes, Josh Lalor, Nick Larkin, Nathan Lyon (CA), Nic Maddinson, Peter Nevill, Steve O’Keefe, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu, Steven Smith (CA), Will Somerville, Mitchell Starc (CA), David Warner (CA), Shane Watson (CA). Rookies Mickey Edwards, Henry Thornton, Daniel Solway, Jonte Pattison, Ryan Gibson, Harry Conway.