Scott McTominay penalty earns Scotland slender lead in Nations League play-off
Scott McTominay scored the only goal of the game as Scotland survived a second-half barrage from Greece in their Nations League play-off in Athens.
Poland Sport News
Perisic stars as Croatia stun France in Nations League
SPLIT, Croatia: Ivan Perisic scored one goal and made another as Croatia beat France 2-0 on Thursday to seize the upper hand in the first leg of their UEFA Nations League quarter-final tie. Perisic crossed for Ante Budimir to head in the opener at the Stadion Poljud in Split after the home side had squandered an early penalty. With France out of sorts, Perisic made it 2-0 before the break and a Croatia side captained by Luka Modric saw out the victory to take to Paris for the return match on Sunday. It was not a good night for France as captain Kylian Mbappe made his comeback having not featured in either of the last two international windows, in October and November. Mbappe did have chances, notably seeing a deflected second-half shot from Ousmane Dembele’s cutback kept out by a fine Dominik Livakovic save. The Real Madrid superstar has now failed to find the net in his last six appearances for his country, since scoring a penalty in a 1-1 draw with Poland at Euro 2024. Les Bleus will now have to find a way of overturning the deficit at the Stade de France on Sunday, otherwise Croatia will be heading to the final four of the Nations League. The semifinals and final will take place in June and will be hosted by either Italy or Germany, depending on which of those sides emerges victorious from their last-eight encounter. France won the Nations League in 2021 but suffered a first ever defeat against Croatia in the group stage of the following year’s edition. This latest repeat of the 2018 World Cup final, won 4-2 by the French in Moscow, saw Croatia win a spot-kick just five minutes in. Liverpool center-back Ibrahima Konate was penalized for a blatant handball inside the area, but Mike Maignan saved Andrej Kramaric’s
Belgian club Anderlecht fire coach and rehire Besnik Hasi to the end of the season
BRUSSELS: Belgium’s most successful club, Anderlecht, have fired coach David Hubert and replaced him with Besnik Hasi until the end of the season. Thursday’s move came as the Belgian league enter their playoff phase. Anderlecht finished the regular season in fourth place. The 53-year-old Hasi, who also coached teams in Poland, Greece and Saudi Arabia, is returning to Anderlecht after guiding the team to the league title in 2014. He also played for the Brussels team. “I know this club and the expectations that come with it,” he said.
Greece vs Scotland LIVE score and goal updates from Nations League playoff in Athens
Scotland are fighting for their Nations League lives – but it's a big ask against a Greece team with their sights set on League A.
Versatile Ledecka wins parallel giant slalom at snowboard world championships
Ester Ledecka added another trophy to her collection of silverware when she won the parallel giant slalom at the snowboard world championships on Thursday in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Tsikhanouskaya: Sacrificing Ukraine’s interests now will allow another invasion
The EU and NATO should be taking the threats coming from Russia and Belarus seriously, says Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya.
Maik Nawrocki emerged from Celtic wreckage with some pride but there is a real harsh reality to Rangers SOS
Maik Nawrocki didn’t get a victory to savour on his shock Celtic return.
The Nico Raskin truth Rangers can't afford to hide from as progress ticks major box for Barry Ferguson
It was delivered with tongue planted firmly in cheek. But when Barry Ferguson joked that he told Nicolas Raskin his recent form was “the difference that I’ve made to him in two-and-a-half weeks” then it’s hard not to think there was more than a modicum of truth.