Gareth Bale insists Wales are not going to Euro 2016 just to make up the numbers as they prepare for their first appearance in a major tournament since 1958.
Chris Coleman s squad open their Group B campaign against Slovakia in Bordeaux on Saturday.
England and Russia are the other two nations in the pool, yet Bale a two-time winner of the Champions League with Real Madrid believes Wales can more than match any opponent they face.
All the teams that have qualified are very good teams, but we re not going there just to make up the numbers, he told UEFA.com
No matter who we play, we feel confident in our abilities. Our aim is to win every game, and if we do that, we win the tournament.
We re going to go there and give our best, th…
Prediction: Al-Ahli Saudi FC to win 2-1
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Al Hilal SFC and Al-Ahli Saudi FC will lock horns with each other in the Saudi Super Cup this week. The semi-final between Jorge Jesus’s side and Matthias Jaissle’s team will be held at the Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz Sports City Stadium and is scheduled to kick off at 5:15 pm UK time on Tuesday.
Al Hilal SFC
Al Hilal SFC are one of the biggest and most well-knowns clubs in Saudi Arabia. The Bosses Of The World are one of three teams to have played in all seasons of the Saudi Professional League since it was established in 1976.
The Blue Waves have won the Saudi Pro League a record 19 tiems and have clinched the Crown Prince Cup as many as 13 times. They have been successful in …
Cody Gakpo will come good for Liverpool once he has had time to adapt to the Premier League, according to Wesley Sneijder.
The 23-year-old forward has made five appearances for Jurgen Klopp s men since his January move from PSV without registering a goal or assist, as the Reds have faltered in the league and been eliminated from the FA Cup.
Gakpo recorded nine goals and 12 assists in 14 Eredivisie games this season before moving to Anfield, but has so far been unable to replicate that form in England.
Speaking to Stats Perform, former Netherlands international Sneijder expressed his belief that Gakpo is a great player who can help his new team recover their season.
Of course I m confident [he can improve at Liverpool]. It s always difficult to change clu…
Luis Sinisterra s last-gasp strike completed a remarkable turnaround for Bournemouth, who recovered from 2-0 down to stun Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park.
The hosts were two goals to the good until the 87th minute, when a spectacular collapse saw what appeared to be a routine victory snatched from under their noses, while leaving them rooted to the foot of the Premier League table.
With both sides seeking their first victory of the season, Everton took control of the contest with two goals inside the first 12 minutes of the second half.
Michael Keane drilled the Toffees ahead five minutes after the restart, before Dominic Calvert-Lewin rounded off a neat team move to double the lead and put his side on course for their first points of the campaign.
However, …
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In their ongoing pursuit of Turin derby supremacy, Juventus will face city rivals Torino on Saturday evening in the Serie A.
With two consecutive victories under their belt, Juventus are eyeing an unprecedented 18th consecutive match without defeat against their local adversaries, a feat that would establish a new milestone in the history of the Derby della Mole.
Torino
Saturday s hosts were beaten 2-0 in the most recent Derby della Mole, which took place at the Allianz Stadium in October; in Serie A history, there have been some 77 Juventus victories to date in this fixture, compared to just 35 for Torino.
The latter s 3-2 loss to Empoli last week ended a four-match unbeaten run, and was notable for an unusual absenc…
Adam Nawalka insisted Poland s Euro 2016 was good as it was for captain Robert Lewandowski, who ended the tournament with just one goal.
Lewandowski s only goal of Euro 2016 came on Thursday as Poland suffered a 5-3 penalty shoot-out loss to Portugal in the quarter-finals.
The 27-year-old star striker, who drew blanks in all three Group C matches as well as the last-16 win over Switzerland, opened the scoring after just two minutes in Marseille before Renato Sanches levelled proceedings in the 33rd minute.
But Nawalka heaped praise on Lewandowski post-match.
Robert Lewandowski is still and always will be an important part of this team, he s the captain, he motivates players on the pitch and off it, he sets an example, Nawalka said.
His behaviour…
Andoni Iraola sees his nomination for the Premier League s Manager of the Season award as something for everyone at Bournemouth to be proud of, vindicating their progress in 2023-24.
Bournemouth welcome Brentford to the Vitality Stadium for their penultimate game of the campaign on Saturday, with a top-half finish still on the cards.
The Cherries have already surpassed their previous record points haul in the top flight, accumulating 48 despite failing to win any of their first nine matches under Iraola – a run which led to suggestions he could lose his job.
However, they have been rewarded for sticking with the Spaniard, who is up against Pep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta, Jurgen Klopp and Unai Emery in the Manager of the Season voting.
I think it s somethi…
Leicester City served up their first win since New Year s Day for new manager Brendan Rodgers, who watched their 2-1 Premier League victory over Brighton and Hove Albion from the stands.
Rodgers was confirmed as Leicester boss on Tuesday, succeeding Claude Puel and signing a contract until June 2022 after stepping down from his position at Celtic.
Demarai Gray fired the hosts – led by caretaker boss Mike Stowell in front after 10 minutes at the King Power Stadium, before Jamie Vardy made it 2-0 18 minutes into the second half.
Davy Propper pulled a deserved goal back for Brighton three minutes later, but they could not deny the Foxes their first home win of 2019.
Vardy was denied by a Shane Duffy block in the early stages, but it was Gray who quickly b…
Bayer Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso is not thinking about the possibility of becoming the next Liverpool manager, insisting he is in the “right place” in Germany.
The former Reds midfielder is one of the early frontrunners to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield after the German’s bombshell announcement on Friday that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season.
Alonso, who enjoyed great success with Liverpool as a player and said “once a Red, always a Red”, is earning himself a reputation as one of the top coaches in Europe after guiding Leverkusen to a four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
However, the Spaniard is not thinking about his future amid immediate speculation linking him to the job.
“Speculation is normal. My focus…
Michael Krohn-Dehli shapes as Denmark s key man when they take on Portugal in Euro 2012 s Group B clash on Wednesday.
The 29-year-old winger sent fans around the world scrambling to find out who he was when he scored Denmark s goal in their shock victory over the Netherlands on Saturday.
But Krohn-Dehli cannot expect to fly under the radar against Portugal.
Head coach Paulo Bento and his Portugal team knew all about Krohn-Dehli before his goal against the Dutch, as the Brondby winger scored a crucial goal in qualifying against the Portuguese.
In Group H of Euro 2012 qualifying, Denmark and Portugal met on the final match day knowing that the winner would qualify automatically for the continental championships.
After 12 minutes in Copenhagen, Kroh…