Euro 2012 Group C: Italy 1 Croatia 1

The stage is set in Bilbao for a battle of two European Giants.

Barcelona are striving to make history and win the quadruple, a feat only achieved by Arsenal in 2007 when they won a domestic treble and the UEFA Women’s Cup; this would match Arsenal s achievements, and Barca would be the first team to win such a treble since the rebranding to the Women s Champions League.

Lyon, however, cannot be ruled out. They are 11-time finalists and eight-time champions, making them the most successful team of all time in the competition.

They are serial winners and seem to be able to find a way even when they are not deemed to be the favourites.

This will be the third time Barcelona and Lyon have faced each other in the final of the Champions League; the second-mos…

The final round of group games at Euro 2020 did not disappoint, producing plenty of drama as the final spots in the last 16 were settled.

There were 18 goals scored across the four fixtures – the most on a single day in the history of the European Championships – with Spain putting five past Slovakia to get out of Group E alongside Sweden, who came out on top against Poland thanks to a late, late winner.

In Group F, Hungary threatened an upset but were twice pegged back by Germany in a 2-2 draw, while Portugal and France ended in the same scoreline thanks to record-breaker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Before the focus switches to the knockout stages, Stats Perform reflects on a dramatic conclusion to the round-robin stage.

The total of 18 goals today is the …

Brazilian defender Marcelo Vieira Da Silva has extended his contract with Real Madrid until 2015, the Spanish giants announced Friday.

Marcelo, 21, joined Real in the winter of the 2006-7 season and was under contract until 2012.

The Brazil international has scored two goals in 19 La Liga games this season, 18 of which he started.

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Kylian Mbappe may not be firing on all cylinders but Didier Deschamps says the France captain is aiming for even more history at Euro 2024.

The Real Madrid-bound forward has scored just once at the tournament in Germany from 20 attempts, a penalty against Poland in Les Bleus final group game.

Mbappe has managed just one goal overall from 34 shots at the European Championships, a contrast to his record at the World Cup, where he has scored 12 goals from 39 efforts.

Yet in this edition of UEFA s top international tournament, the former Paris Saint-Germain star has been hampered by a broken nose that has forced him to wear a protective mask when playing.

The 25-year-old has repeatedly cited his frustrations at wearing the protective equipment, which some hav…

Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola is eight points clear of his nearest challenger.

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were the only sides in the top-six to pick up wins this weekend which meant they extended their lead over the chasing pack once more. Bayern enjoyed a 2-0 victory over Hertha Berlin, while Dortmund hit Stuttgart for four. The table sees Pep Guardiola’s Munich side leading the way after 14 games, while second-placed Dortmund are considerably behind but in no danger of surrendering their runner-up spot given how poor the rest of the top-six have been this season.

Bayern are top of the Bundesliga table with 40 points from 14 games. The German giants are unbeaten in the division, boast the best defensive record, and have scored the most goals. Dortmund are…

Lyon are up on the Normandy coast Saturday hoping to end a four-match winless run to preserve their narrow lead at the top of the table ahead of the winter recess.

The seven-time champions, who sit three points clear, take on mid-table Caen anxious to close the year on a high after last weekend s stalemate with Marseille.

Lyon manager Claude Puel targeted maximum points at Caen a must after the goalless draw at the Stade Gerland venue.

Lyon s Swedish international midfielder Kim Kallstrom has called on his teammates to reverse the trend at Caen. This game is super-important, said Kallstrom.

We re experiencing a difficult time with four games without victory. We have to stop that. Here we ve got a game to end the year on a good note and to wind up the…

The Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots will meet for the second time this month in a Week 16 matchup with major AFC playoff picture implications. The Patriots picked up the 14-10 victory in Week 13, but this week should offer much better playing conditions after the first meeting was played in extreme winds. The home side Patriots are sitting as 2.5-point favorites ahead of the divisional matchup.

Can the Bills defense stop the run after failing to do so in Week 13? Can the Patriots rebound after seeing their seven-game winning streak snapped by the Colts? Find out in our free picks, predictions, and NFL odds for Bills vs. Patriots.

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Thanksgiving is the official opening whistle to holiday madness, with Christmas season kicking off the second your bloated ass flops on the couch after gorging to near death Thursday night.

And with the ramp up to Christmas underway, the radio will be flooded with holiday tunes, the busy stores will be decked out in green and red, and the television will be a non-stop rotation of classic Christmas movies from now until New Year’s Day.

Half of those flicks will be spins on Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol”, which has been reheated and served more times than leftover turkey on the Monday after Thanksgiving. The latest mutation of this holiday tale shoehorns Will Ferrell and Ryan Reynolds into the same movie in a “How could it fai…

In a game that has the makings of one of the most exciting ones we could see all season, the Dallas Cowboys are in Miami to take on the Dolphins in a game that many are calling the “Battle of the Frauds.” Fair or not, each team has made a habit of destroying inferior competition this season while they haven’t been at their best against upper-tier opponents.

NFL odds have tabbed the Fins as a 1.5-point favorite and the game has the highest total of the week at 50.5 points. Let’s dig into what we’ve seen from the teams this season as well as some strengths vs. weaknesses and I’ll provide you with my free NFL picks for Cowboys vs. Dolphins on December 24.

Cowboys vs Dolphins odds

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Moving spreads through multiple key numbers is the name of the game with teasers, and I’ve identified a handful of teams to target for Week 1. The Cincinnati Bengals and Buffalo Bills land in favorable home matchups and headline our teaser NFL picks this week.

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