Author: Eskender Tamrat

The Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, who won their first major trophy in the form of the DFB Pokal, will kickstart the top-tier season in Germany on Saturday. The Super Cup will be the first big test for both sides ahead of a busy season with the match possessing further fuel with Konrad Laimer’s transfer saga.

Bayern is one of the biggest winners in the window after a slow start

The first few weeks after the end of the season wasn’t kind for Bayern. Their talismanic striker Robert Lewandowski continued to push himself out of the club with FC Barcelona looming over his availability.

Meanwhile, Serge Gnabry was supposed to be sold while Bayern was reportedly not ready to spend big for replacements including Niklas Sule, who left the club as a free agent like fellow centerbacks Jerome Boateng and David Alaba.

But the sensational transfer of Sadio Mane changed it all. From threats by angry fans, Hasan Salihamdizic is now a well-respected sporting director as he’s ready to extend his contract at Bayern. Gnabry penned a new deal while they signed the Ajax duo Ryan Gravenberch and Noussier Mazraoui before a record transfer for Matthijs de Ligt and a youthful addition in Mathys Tel.

When and where to watch?

The match kicks off at 19:30 on Saturday 30th July 2022, and the entire match will be available on Sky Sports.

Maiden Super Cup game for Leipzig

Following their DFB Pokal triumph last season, RB Leipzig will play in the German Super Cup for the first time in their history. They lost the final of the cup previously against the two juggernauts – Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.

Leipzig has had a quiet summer so far, but it’s expected to heat up in the final month of the window. Laimer could join their Saturday’s opponents while the exodus of many unwanted players might open the gates for some transfers.

They already land over €50mil from the outgoing transfers. But Xavier Schlager is their only summer signing with David Raum is strongly linked with the club before his TSG Hoffenheim contract reaches the point for a release clause.

Bayern won both of their clash against Leipzig last season

Although Leipzig didn’t play badly in both of their last season encounters against Bayern, Julian Nagelsmann’s side came out top in their route to a tenth successive league title. Kevin Kampl’s inexplicable handball in the box was decisive for Bayern to win 4-1 at RedBull Arena in a game that saw Laimer score a stunning consolation. Leipzig had lots of clear-cut chances in the return fixture at Allianz Arena, but Bayern stood their ground for a decisive win.

FC Bayern & RB Leipzig Team News

Leon Goretzka is definitely out while Bouna Sarr is not expected to return to full fitness for Sunday’s showdown. Mane missed Bayern’s last friendly against Manchester City as he was collecting his trophy for the Best Player of Africa, but he has been training at full speed at Bayern since his return.

Nordi Mukiele completed his transfer to PSG. Josko Gavrdiol is a doubt for the game while Yussuf Poulsen is sidelined for a while.

A statement fixture

Both will see this as a good opportunity for a good beginning of the season. Bayern can only dream of another treble after an impressive window despite losing one of their best strikers of all time. For Leipzig, there haven’t been many changes to the squad, but this is the first full season for Dominico Tedesco.

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St Etienne and Auxerre will face each other for the second time in the space of three days in the game that decides the 20th Ligue 1 club of next season. Saint-Etienne currently have the edge with the away goals rule, but Auxerre revived their chances with a late equaliser in the first-leg.

St Etienne last got relegated 18 years ago

An 18 years Ligue 1 stay is in danger as Saint-Etienne face the scare of relegation in the season that saw PSG leveled with them with the most titles after their tenth triumph. Bordeaux already faced relegation for the first time in 30 years.

Saint-Etienne are winless in their last seven games, but a late equaliser in Nantes by Romain Hamuma, who re-signed for the club after initially bid a farewell last summer, gave them a playoff chance. They only finished a point above Metz and Bordeaux.

It was a record low points tally for 18th-placed club in a 20 teams Ligue 1. And there will only be one other season with the French top-flight having 20 clubs as a new proposal is accepted to get off running starting from the 2023-24 season.

When and where to watch?

The match kicks off at 18:00 on Sunday 29th May 2022, and the entire match will be available on Sky Sports.

Auxerre have been away for a decade

Auxerre’s first Ligue 1 season was when Saint-Etienne last won the competition. But they remained in the division for 32 straight years with their fame mostly owed to nurturing talents that later benefit the biggest French and European clubs as well as the France national team.

When the inevitable relegation came in 2012, they didn’t expect it would be this long for them to even dream of a return to Ligue 1. The new Chinese owner James Zhou played a big role in changing the club’s fortune since his takeover back in 2017.

Jean-Marc Furlan, who is the only coach to get promoted to Ligue 1 on four different occasions, provided their two best finishes of the Ligue 2 seasons. His attacking method is a perfect fit for the squad that have the core players from his time at Brest.

Ten unbeaten for Auxerre

Gaetan Perrin’s equaliser five minute from time meant Auxerre extended their unbeaten record against Saint-Etienne to ten games. Six of those fixtures ended in draws. Zaydou Youssouf, who couldn’t finish the game with a knock in his knee, put the Ligue 1 side in front with an equally stunning strike. Saint-Etienne will have the advantage of the away goals rule, which was used by Nantes in their win over Toulouse last season.

Saint-Etienne & Auxerre Team News

Youssouf and Falaye Sacko both get the all clear to remain in the side after their premature substitutions. But France U19 captain Lucas Gourna-Douath is out of the game as he left the stadium with crutches on Thursday.

Auxerre had all the players that have 10 or more Ligue 2 appearances to their names this season in the first-leg at home. And Furlan also didn’t report any new injuries to the side after Thursday’s draw.

A lot at the stakes in front of a 42k sellout crowd

Auxerre will aim to return to Ligue 1 after a decade. And, for the hosts, it’ll be all about prolonging their status for another season. Loic Perrin stressed there would be new updates about the search for the new owners at Saint-Etienne. But it’ll be dependent on the outcome of which division they’ll play their football next season.

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Huddersfield Town and Nottingham Forest will fight for the final place of the 2022-23 English Premier League at Wembley this Sunday. It’s one of the most expensive games in the world with the financial difference between the two divisions making it all the more important alongside the spotlight of Premier League football.

Rhodes goal sends Huddersfield to playoff final

With only eight minutes left of the regular time in Huddersfield and Luton Town playoff semifinal, first-half substitute Jordan Rhodes scored the goal that sent the hosts to the Wembley final. On his return to his ex-club, Rhodes netted an unforgettable strike despite a tough season.

The guy who found the net 35 times for Huddersfield in League One ten years ago only had three Championship goals this season. But the recent goal could send them back to the Premier League for the first time since 2019.

39-years-old Spaniard Carlos Corberan, who had previous experience with different posts at Villarreal and Leeds United, is ready to make a big step in only his second season as a head coach of a first team.

When and where to watch?

The match kicks off at 16:30 on Sunday 29th May 2022, and the entire match will be available on Sky Sports.

Forest clinched a shootout win

Steve Cooper did even more magical things at Nottingham Forest. The club which was rock bottom of the Championship before his arrival only missed out on an automatic qualification at the very end of the final week of the season.

Nottingham’s narrow defeat at Bournemouth send the hosts back to the Premier League while they were confirmed as one of the teams fighting in the playoff where they had a tricky task waiting them against Sheffield United, who had a recent history of top-flight football.

It looked a finished case when Brennan Johnson stretched their lead to 3-1 in the second-leg with his second goal of the tie. But Shieffeld leveled the score and it was finally up to the Congolese goalkeeper Brice Samba for Forest to book a Wembley ticket with 3 saved penalties in the shootout.

Fourth meeting of the season

Both games in the Championship between the sides ended with wins for the away side. They were then lock horns in a Monday night FA Cup fifth round tie where Forest prevailed at home in which all the three goals of the game scored in the first-half. Forest lost in the next round of the competition by the eventual winners Liverpool.

Huddersfield Town & Nottingham Forest Team News

There is no latest injury concerns from Huddersfield Town’s squad as Corberan has a full team ready for Sunday’s final.

Forest captain and star striker Lewis Grabban missed the last six games due to a hamstring injury. But they already cope without his goals as he was scoreless since January before being sidelined.

A big chance for both clubs

After being away from Premier League for years, Forest and Huddersfield would fight to be among the big boys once again. By contrast, Huddersfield has been part of the league recently while Forest is known for their two European Cup triumphs.

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Stade de France will be the host of the biggest game of the European season as Liverpool and Real Madrid once again fight for a Champions League crown. Both clubs already won a trophy in their respective domestic competitions, but it doesn’t get any bigger than this.

Liverpool lost EPL title in a dramatic final day

Both Manchester City and Liverpool won their respective final day fixtures coming from behind as Pep Guardiola’s side maintained their single point advantage over the line in a crazy ending to the Premier League season.

But there were two personal accolades for Liverpool. Mohamed Salah, who put them in front against Wolves last Saturday, shared the Golden Boot with Tottenham Hotspur’s Son Heung-Min.

And, against all odds, Jurgen Klopp won the manager of the season ahead of Guardiola. The decision came as a surprise with the Spaniard winning the titanic battle for his fourth league title in five seasons. Klopp only had one Premier League title to his name, although that one ended Liverpool’s decades long title search.

When and where to watch?

The match kicks off at 20:00 on Saturday 28th May 2022, and the entire match will be available on BT Sport 1.

Real targeting the 14th crown

There was a big distraction for Real Madrid while they await the biggest match of the season. After his flirtation and negotiations for the entire year, Kylian Mbappe decided to extend his contract at PSG to further three years.

Now the focus would be turned to the Champions League final and Mbappe’s replacement for the coming seasons. The timing of the decision did come as a shock for Madrid as they already lost out on Erling Haaland to Manchester City.

Real Madrid still have a number of youthful talents in their current squad although they need reinforcements to aging superstars Marcelo, Toni Kroos, Casimero, Luka Modric and Karim Benzema, who is expected to win the Ballon d’Or whatever the outcome would be on Saturday.

Salah prefers to galvanise the rivalry

After Real Madrid completed an unlikely comeback victory against Man City, Salah took to social media to stress that he’s looking forward to the second chapter of the battle. Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2018 with Sergio Ramos hurting Salah and Loris Karius’ mistakes (albeit after untreated head injury) stealing the headlines.

FC Liverpool & Real Madrid Team News

Liverpool were sweating over the fitness of Salah and Van Dijk for a bit, but they already returned to the side.

Salah will not find Ramos, however, with the former Spanish international now a PSG player. Real Madrid could be without David Alaba as the Austrian suffered from adductor issues.

Two efficient sides of the UCL season

Liverpool had a relatively easy route to the final and they were effective in all times they needed goals to get out of trouble. Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid, mainly through Benzema, punished PSG, Chelsea and Man City in their lapses of concentration despite being second best in most areas of the ties.

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Auxerre host Saint-Etienne in the first-leg of the relegation/promotion playoff in France on Thursday. The Ligue 1 side finally wake up with Romain Hamuma’s late equaliser at Nantes sending them to the playoff. Auxeree beat Sochaux in the earlier game of the playoff last Friday.

Auxerre hope a Ligue 1 return after a decade absence

It was a tough time since Auxerre’s 32 years Ligue 1 stay came to an end in 2011-12 season. Their first relegation from the top division got them stuck in Ligue 2 for a decade with little hopes of promotion for the club known in nurturing talents.

And in came Jean-Marc Furlan. The 64-years-old coach had a torrid time in his short spells at top-tier football with three automatic relegations. But he’s the answer to push Auxerre further to the finishing line of a promotion race.

Last season’s 6th-placed finish was their best since they went back to Ligue 2. And they improved in that with a playoff spot by finishing behind Toulouse and Ajaccio. They reached the final stage of the playoff with a penalty shootout win against Sochaux that send their fans wild in celebration.

When and where to watch?

The match kicks off at 18:00 on Thursday 26th May 2022, and the entire match will be available on BT Sport 2.

Hamouma saved Saint-Etienne’s season

Romain Hamouma had a difficult campaign as he was struggling with injuries and rarely get playing time in Saint-Etienne’s below-par season. Yet he had the final say in their closing Ligue 1 fixture.

With Metz losing heavily against PSG and Bordeaux already off the picture with an inferior goal difference, Saint-Etienne needed a goal either in their game or the champions’ sixth at Parc des Princes.

It finally arrived via Hamouma with only his second goal of the season. The veteran striker and the half-time substitute leveled the score from another assist from Saint-Etienne’s best player since the turn of the year, Dennis Bouanga.

Auxerre unbeaten in last nine against Saint-Etienne

Since Auxeree’s relegation ten years ago, the two teams met only once back in 2017. Auxerre won the Coupe de France tie with three goals in the extra-time. Both of the games from Auxeree’s last Ligue 1 season ended in draws. Saint-Etienne is winless in their last nine games against Auxerre.

Auxerre & Saint-Etienne Team News

Furlan has no injury worries or suspension ahead of the first-leg of the final promotion playoff fixture.

Eliaquim Mangala is suspended for accumulated yellow cards while fellow winter signing and central defender Falaye Sacko is once again injured.

Auxerre get the first home advantage

While the second-tier club gets the home advantage in the all-important return fixture in Germany, the rules is different in France. Saint-Etienne will play the final game of the season in front of their fans. Ligue 1 will have 18 teams starting from the 2023-24 season.

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Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori are yet to convince Gareth Southgate, but the duo had a sensational debut Serie A season to remember. And both of them ended the campaign the way they started it.

27 goals for Abraham in debut season

Tammy Abraham and Fikayo Tomori are yet to convince Gareth Southgate, but the duo had a sensational debut Serie A season to remember. And both of them ended the campaign the way they started it.

Tomori won the Scudetto with Milan while Abraham’s two goals against Torino on Friday meant the striker ended the campaign with a respectable 17 goals to go with 9 strikes in the Conference League all the way until Wednesday’s final.

Roma secured a Europa League success based on their league position. This would mean they would only target to win the Conference League against Feyenoord. Jose Mourinho, who labeled the tournament as Roma’s Champions League, aims to be the first coach to win all the three current European competitions.

When and where to watch?

The match kicks off at 20:00 on Wednesday 25th May 2022, and the entire match will be available on BT Sport 1.

Unbeaten run for Feyenoord

Feyenoord reached the Conference League final without losing a single game. Four of their games were against the former European Cup winners Slavia Prague. Feyenoord were also one of the teams to win the big trophy in their heyday.

The semifinal was a rollercoaster against Olympique de Marseille. In a tie that had two passionate sets of fans, Feyenoord won by an aggregate score of 3-2. All the five goals scored in the first-half of the first-leg at Feyenoord.

Marseille had enough chances to turn the deficit at Velodrome, but Arne Slot’s side held on to reach a final of an European competition for the first time since Pierre van Hooijdonk inspired them to UEFA Cup victory over Borussia Dortmund in 2001/02.

First meeting since 2015

The two clubs met in the 2014-15 Europa League as Roma prevailed with a 3-2 victory. After their draw at Rome, in the decisive return leg, Gervinho scored the winner moments after Feyenoord lost two substitutes with red cards dished by Clement Turpin, who will referee Saturday’s Champions League final.

AS Roma & Feyenoord Team News

Nicolo Zaniolo, who scored a hattrick in their win against Bodo/Glimt, could return to the lineup while Henrikh Mkhitaryan is absent with a hamstring injury. Leonardo Spinazzola returned to the side in the final match of the Serie A season.

Justin Bijlow remained sidelined for Feyenoord, but their attacking trio of Ceyril Dessers, Reiss Nelson and Luis Sinisterra is the big factor in their success in Europe.

Historic night for Mourinho or a first European trophy in 20 years for Feyenoord?

Mourinho was in tears after his side salvaged their place in the final with a narrow win against Leicester City.  He’s ready to make history in Tarana on Wednesday night. For Feyenoord, who are more successful than Roma in Europe, it’s all about winning a first continental trophy after two decades.

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Cagliari travel to already relegated Venezia to save themselves on the final day of the season. At the same time, Salernitana will face Udinese away from home as Serie A will end with two relegation deciders. Cagliari will be automatically relegated if Salernitana secured a win in their game.

A late foray wasn’t enough to save Venezia

Venezia didn’t spend midseason inside the bottom three. They were last in that position in the sixth round before a horrible second half of the season left them bottom of the standings.

Even ten straight defeats didn’t confirm their relegation as they had a healthy edge over the bottom clubs in the first half of the campaign. But they are now confirmed relegated with a possibility of finishing cellar-dwellers.

Venezia picked up four points from their last two games to end their torrid run. A 4-3 win over Bologna in the game they missed an early penalty kick was inspirational as Dennis Johnson scored the winner in injury-time.

When and where to watch?

The match kicks off at 20:00 on Sunday 22nd May 2022, and the entire match will be available on BT Sport 2.

Cagliari dropped to 18th after four winless games

If Giorgio Altare didn’t score a late injury-time goal against Salernitana earlier this month, the relegation battle would have ended by now. But the damage is already done with Salernitana sitting outside the drop zone.

That was Cagliari’s only point from their last four fixtures. They couldn’t beat another team in the relegation battle with a narrow defeat away at Genoa, who got relegated last week to the delight of their city rivals Sampdoria.

Cagliari were also forced to take a further step to relegation with their defeat to second-placed Inter. After years of struggle with relegations, Cagliari looked to finally return to Serie B football.

Late equalizer in the reverse fixture

Venezia snatched a draw with a 92nd-minute strike from US international Gianluca Busio. Senegal international and former Monaco and Inter winger Keita Balde opened the scoring for Cagliari early in the first half.

Venezia & Cagliari Team News

Venezia will be without Sergio Romero and Marco Modolo with both of them going through knee surgeries. Thomas Henry and Luca Lezzerini are a doubt for the club’s one last Serie A fixture.

Edoardo Goldaniga will be absent for Cagliari with an injury to his ankle.

Cagliari’s safety relied on Salernitana’s result

A win against Venezia wouldn’t be enough by itself for Cagliari. But they could secure safety that way if Salernitana failed to beat Udinese away from home. It’s always going to be decided by the last day based on Serie A’s relegation battle this season, but no one can deny that it’s a big surprise that Salernitana has their fate in their own hands. The likes of Joao Pedro, a recent Italian international, will not be expected to stay at the club in the event of relegation.

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