Prediction: Match to end in 1-1 draw

Best Odds:

Bookmaker: 

Rangers and RB Leipzig will face each other in the second leg of the semi-finals of the Europa League this week. The match will be held at Ibrox and is scheduled to kick off at 8pm UK time on Thursday.

Rangers

Rangers suffered a 1-0 defeat to RB Leipzig away from home in Germany in the first leg of the Europa League semi-final tie. Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s side will fancy their chances of winning the second leg, especially after their 1-1 draw with Celtic in the Old Firm derby this past weekend.

Team News:

Aaron Ramsey and Kemar Roofe as doubtful. Ianis Hagi and Alfredo Morelos are definitely out.

RB Leipzig

RB Leipzig will head into the second leg with confidence and wi…

Karim Benzema deserves to become the first French winner of the Ballon d Or since Zinedine Zidane – and that verdict comes from Zidane himself.

Real Madrid striker Benzema, who has taken over the captaincy since Sergio Ramos joined Paris Saint-Germain, is playing the best football of his career as he approaches his 34th birthday in December.

Zidane has seen that as close quarters, having had two spells as Madrid head coach during Benzema s time at the club.

Although Zidane left Los Blancos at the end of last season, he is firmly in the Benzema camp when it comes to selecting a Ballon d Or front-runner.

Speaking to TF1 s Telefoot, Zidane said: We re talking about a player who deserves to win this Ballon d Or.

He s an incredible player, I had …

Minnesota United forward Tani Oluwaseyi is relishing his chance in the first team ahead of their clash with Sporting Kansas City.

The Loons have enjoyed a strong start to the MLS season and sit fifth in the Western Conference.

Sporting KC, meanwhile, sit three points below them in 10th having won just two of their opening nine matches.

Oluwaseyi scored the opening goal in Minnesota’s 3-0 win over Charlotte last weekend, which ended a run of three games without a victory.

Asked how it feels to break into the starting line-up after spending his first year at the club on loan, Oluwaseyi, who has scored a joint-high three goals, said:

“It s something that I ve been waiting for, for I guess the last three years.

“I hoped that I could do i…

Ivan Toney has been called up by England for this month s Euro 2024 qualifiers against Italy and Ukraine, with Trent Alexander-Arnold missing out.

Toney was handed his first senior call-up ahead of Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany in September, though the Brentford striker failed to get any minutes in those games and did not make England s World Cup squad despite his excellent form.

The 27-year-old scored in Brentford s 2-0 win over Southampton on Tuesday, taking his tally of Premier League goals this season to 16 – a total bettered only by Erling Haaland (28) and Harry Kane (20) – but his inclusion this time around comes as something of a surprise after he was charged with 262 alleged breaches of the Football Association s (FA) gambling rules.

…

Juventus have confirmed the appointment of Thiago Motta as their new head coach.

The former Bologna boss has signed a three-year deal at the Allianz Arena, and comes in as Massimiliano Allegri s replacement following his sacking on May 17.

Allegri was relieved of his duties with immediate effect last month, with the club citing his behaviour during their Coppa Italia final win against Atalanta as a factor in their decision.

Motta was immediately linked with the vacancy after he opted not to renew his contract with Bologna, having led the Rossoblu to a fifth-place finish in Serie A and Champions League qualification for the first time in their history.

— JuventusFC(@juventusfcen)

And following the announcement on Wednesday, the 41-year…

Gianluigi Donnarumma was part of a transfer saga a couple of years ago when he was very close to leaving AC Milan. In the end his agent Mino Raiola managed to get the young goalkeeper a huge contract at San Siro and he signed a big contract extension.

However, this coming summer we might see another of those sagas, as Juventus have targeted the Italian as one of their leading targets for the 2020 summer transfer window. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Juventus want to get the AC Milan goalkeeper in order to continue reaching their goal of making the squad younger. Matthijs De Ligt arrived this summer to do that in central defence and Donnarumma might be the solution in goal.

By the time the summer of 2020 comes by, the youngster will have just one year left to run on…

Alex Ferguson and Manchester United great Sir Bobby Charlton will be among those guiding the six-man FIFA team inspecting England s 2018 World Cup bid around Old Trafford on Wedesday

United manager Ferguson was in no doubt of England s suitability to stage the World Cup, saying: The facilities for both players and fans are magnificent, from training grounds to stadia and the passion of the English people for the game would ensure that everybody would be made to feel welcome.

It would be a memorable occasion and would inspire people all over the world, the Scot added.

Russia are seen as England s main rivals to stage the 2018 World Cup.

But FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who has already praised Russia s bid, said it would be easy to hold the competition in…

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has urged the national side to concentrate on their football at Euro 2024 and block out the noise surrounding the RFEF.

Former RFEF president Luis Rubiales was dismissed following his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso during the Women s World Cup trophy ceremony in 2023 and was then arrested in early April as part of a corruption investigation.

Pedro Rocha, who was initially named as Rubiales’ replacement, is also under investigation amid the corruption probe.

The RFEF then created a special committee at the end of April, led by former Spain manager Vicente del Bosque, to oversee the federation until there is an official election for their next president.

However, De la Fuente told Reuters that he wants his squad’s f…

Luciano Spalletti has said that his side must aspire to retain their European Championship crown, even if it seems a longshot.

The Azzurri travel to Germany as reigning champions having beaten England on penalties in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley three years ago.

That victory proved to be an exception to Italy s recent form, though, given the Azzurri failed to qualify for either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups.

However, after replacing Robert Mancini last year, Spalletti is confident his team can do big things in Germany, though he explained that his squad must take on the responsibility that the title of European Champions brings.

We will never be calm, wearing the Italy shirt, so we must aspire to a lot, said Spalleti ahead of Italy s meeting with Bos…

Liverpool will not struggle once Jurgen Klopp leaves in the same way Manchester United did following Sir Alex Ferguson s exit, according to Stephen Warnock.

The Reds are still coming to terms with last week s announcement that Klopp is to depart Anfield at the end of the season, ending a hugely successful nine-year period at the club.

Parallels have been drawn to when Ferguson stepped down as United manager in 2013 and when Arsene Wenger left Arsenal five years later.

However, ex-Liverpool defender Warnock believes there is enough quality and longevity in the current squad to help the new manager pick up from where Klopp leaves off.

There s a big narrative around filling people s shoes, Warnock told Stats Perform. We look at Alex Ferguson, we look at Ars…