Man Utd 6-2 AS Roma: Three things we learnt from the first leg of the Europa League Semi-finals

Manchester United continued their dominant and ruthless showing in the Europa League, as they demolished a Roma side, who were forced to make three substitutes in the first half of the game due to unfortunate injuries. With this 6-2 victory at Old Trafford, it leaves the Red Devils with one foot into the Europa League finals and not much to worry about for the second leg in Italy next week.

The hosts got off to the perfect start with a goal in the ninth minute through Bruno Fernandes, who was smartly found by Edinson Cavani before chipping the ball over Pau Lopez. However, the team conceded two cheap goals through individual errors and poor defensive awareness as the Italian side were able to achieve two away goals and most importantly the lead, ten minutes before the break.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men meant business and came out with the right mindset after the half-time break, leading to a crucial equaliser from Cavani three minutes into the second half, who produced a world-class finish. From there onwards, it was all Manchester United as Roma found it too difficult to keep up with them and handle them, with the English team scoring four goals in the last 25 minutes of the match, as the goals came from Cavani again, Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood.

Here are the three things we learnt from United’s latest Europa League fixture…

One foot into the Europa League finals

Despite failing to get past the semi-finals of three competitions during the 2019-20 season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United are 90 minutes away from finally experiencing their first final under the 48-year-old Norwegian international. It may seem like a long time coming, but the manager and the players have shown the maturity and understanding to comeback from the downfall they had suffered from last season, resulting in a campaign ending with zero silverware.

With one foot in the Europa League final, both the manager and the players will still have a lot to takeaway from the first leg against Roma, as a number of individuals had lost their heads once the opposition took the lead, and the coach is always criticised for his in-game management skills. Though, on this occasion, Solskjaer did not change the line-up after trailing to Roma, as the team managed to turn things around in the second half as they showed their pure brilliance and quality.

The big characters in midfield and attack stepped up

After Edin Dzeko had given the visitors the lead in the 34th minute of the game, nothing was going right for United, who were failing to string a couple of passes together and were not making the clear effort on both sides of the pitch. However, with the half-time break arriving at the perfect time for the side, the huge characters in the team in Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba effectively stepped up in the second half, leaving Roma with no chance of defending their 2-1 lead.

With experienced players who have played at the highest level of football for quite some time like the above trio, they are the type of individuals who are able to create a chance or score a goal from half a moment. When a manager has born winners and players who step up when the side need them the most, it leaves Solskjaer with very little to do or to change in order to turn the game around, as individuals such as Cavani, Fernandes and Pogba are able to do this single-handedly.

Man Utd remain favourites to win the Europa League

For sure, Manchester United were seen as the clear favourites to win the Europa League after they were knocked out of the Champions League group stages, though, the side had to take their performance levels and results up a notch in order to prevent themselves from being regarded as bottlers. As the club have not won a trophy since May 2017, which was the Europa League under Jose Mourinho, everyone at the club will want to re-write history by becoming two-time winners.

With the opposition for the final yet to be confirmed between Arsenal and Villarreal, the Red Devils should have more than enough class and individual brilliance to see out either of the sides in the Europa League final. Not only that, but the side also have one of the best form away from home in Europe, as the team have shown their pure class of elite mentality and intelligence to win games. In the end, it would be seen as a huge shock if the Red Devils fail to win the competition and a lot of questions and doubts will be raised on whether the manager/players are good enough for the club.

How to Translate The Language of Football?

Without a doubt, the language of football is something that we all learn when we are still relatively young! It also explains why every country and every language will have a specific set of terms that will vary between the actual sports terms and the slang words that will make sense when something specific happens. It means that translation of the football language, be it the real game or video games simulation, always becomes a creative process that must be approached the same way as localization of a mobile application or the multilingual website. 

  • Analyze The List of Professional Terms. Always start with analyzing the terms that football players and coaches use since it is vital to keep things professional. Ensure that you are offering exceptional assistance for the younger audiences who are only learning the terms and want to receive the best experience possible. Starting from the free Google Translate checking to professional translation service providers, you must consider the level of language skills you want to achieve, which can be done only by certified professionals who have experience in the relevant field. Start with analyzing those terms that you want to translate and consider the risks of over translating!

  • Consider The Slang Words and International Aspects. Let us not forget that the language of football always includes the complex mixture of slang expressions that make sense to the players and meet the cultural point of the country. Turn to Portuguese in Brazil or consider the way how German soccer players explain being stable and bullet-proof. It will start making more sense, so translating these from English (or to English) becomes an important task where you must consider the spirit of the local football rules, customs, and traditions! It may take more time and creativity from the translator, yet it will always pay off in the long run!

  • Talk to Professional Football Players. Do not ignore talking to professional football players or even online communities who can share their experience by offering better translation options or corrections for those cases when you are unsure about what term to use or how to shorten something because of the GUI restrictions. Just like those video games experts or law specialists, you will always have to deal with the content that will only make sense to professionals or dedicated subject’s aficionados, which is why it should act as the pre-grading for your translation task. The trick is to keep things alive and add more life and flexibility to your translation!

  • Use Various Memory Tools For Translation.  Turning to machine translation may not be the best option. But, using memory tools with the language databases and the list of relevant football terms is a good solution that you must consider, especially if you are dealing with more than one foreign language and want to achieve accuracy.

The Cultural Aspect 

Translating the language is far not everything if you ignore the culture of football! As you may already know, FIFA encourages the use of body language for the referees as they can use hand signals and whistles to explain certain mistakes or situations that are unclear. Nevertheless, English remains the official language that the referees must be able to speak. Even though it is the most commonly spoken language, both Spanish and German football championships, let alone the Asian league branches, will use their native languages for commenting and video reporting. Just listen to Spanish La Liga live on the radio or on TV, and you will be inspired enough to learn the language! It also confirms why it is crucial to translate the language of football without missing all the cultural aspects! 

Game on in the battle for the gloves at Lazio as Pepe Reina provides rare challenge to Thomas Strakosha

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Lazio’s priority in the summer transfer window was clear: to strengthen the overall depth of the squad. 

With the additions of Andreas Pereira, Vedat Muriqi, Mohamed Fares, Gonzalo Escalante, Jean-Daniel Akpa Akpro and Wesley Hoedt, coach Simone Inzaghi was handed new options across the park.

But few expected that the signing to make arguably the biggest impact of all come December would be Pepe Reina.

The veteran’s arrival was low key, as you might expect for a 38-year-old reserve goalkeeper. Continue reading

All you wanted to know about Ronaldinho

Following a captivating and jaw-dropping display of skills and great technique the entire Santiago Bernabeu rises to award the man of the moment and the match’s best performer with a standing ovation.

The player in question is not a Real Madrid player, but rather a star who wears the shirt of fierce rival Barcelona. His name is Ronaldinho and the year is 2005. He is the only player, besides Maradona, to receive such a standing ovation from opposition fans on Santiago Bernabeu. Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero was also on the receiving end of a standing ovation from the crowd and that in the Champions League many years ago.

After the match, the Brazilian star was deeply moved: “I will never forget this because it is very rare for any footballer to be applauded in this way by the opposition fans.”

After that Barcelona and Ronaldinho went on to win two league titles in a row (2005/06 and 2006/07) in addition to a list of individual awards for the talented Brazilian. The next season was troublesome for the Brazilian and injuries prevented him showing his magic on the football pitch.

This is where the downfall of Ronaldinho started, after 5 years with Barcelona he went to join AC Milan and it all went downhill for him. The Brazilian magician could never again find his touch and was plagued by injuries and poor form.

For more information on the Brazilian legend, check out the wonderful piece by our friends at insidesport.com who did great work with what happened to Ronaldinho. Make sure to check it out, you will not regret it.

EURO 2021: Is Football coming home for the Three Lions?

The chaos that is consuming the world has sadly denied us all a summer jam-packed with international football, as the European Championships was initially set to take place through the months of June and July 2020. The historic tournament has been moved to the summer of 2021.

With England’s valiant display at the 2018 World Cup still a nostalgic and warming afterthought, Gareth Southgate’s hand has been forced to look ahead of shaking up the squad and preparing for another hair-raising tournament.

After raising a few eyebrows at the 2018 World Cup, England have been cemented as the clear favourites by Sporting Index to win the tournament, which will pile that extra pressure on the team to perform. Let’s have a look on how the team is shaping up and the possibility of it coming home.

Team Overhaul

Since the last electrifying tournament in Russia has passed, the England team have morphed drastically. Fabian Delph, Ashley Young, Danny Welbeck and Jesse Lingard are some of the names who occupied a spot for that fateful match in the semi-finals against Croatia, but have all faded into a world of obscurity now Southgate is overhauling the squad.

The decline of the past talent has made way for the likes of Jadon Sancho, Ben Chilwell and Declan Rice, just a small glimpse of England’s future talent and the expansion of the manager’s vision.

With Kane spearheading the front line, and the spine of the England team aligning, it gives England fans another beacon of hope as the team dines once more at the international table in the summer of 2021. 

England’s Young Talent

It’s no secret that England harvests a plethora of talent, the game was devised on English soil and has reason to incubate some of the biggest prospects in the game. Southgate has shown on countless occasions he’s open to giving youth a chance. Regardless of age, the England boss will carve out a role for a young player if he believes that it will add another string to the England bow.

Leicester City’s James Maddison and Chelsea’s Mason Mount have demonstrated through the Euro qualification that their prowess and footballing ethos have earned them a place on the plane to the Euros.

Trent Alexander Arnold has been an integral cog to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool outfit, and his performances have made the Three Lion’s boss take note and rotate the young Liverpool hero with Kyle Walker and Kieran Trippier.

Another notable mention who is moving through the ranks is that of Declan Rice. The West Ham maestro has become a midfield lynchpin for the Hammers over the past few years and his hard work has paid dividends, as he finds himself featured more and more in the England first team.

Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, seems to be England’s future gleaming jewel. The rising star came flying out of the blocks at Borussia Dortmund, after he first joined in 2017 from Manchester City. Sancho made it clear, early on, that he was to become Dortmund’s talisman and lead the team to a Super Cup glory. Southgate has included Sancho in the England squad for the best part of 2019/20.

Can England Win Euro 2021?

England have one of the best squads in international football littered with talent across the field. Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford and Tammy Abraham are all brilliant strikers, with Kane clearly a step above the other two, so going into this tournament, England are armed with attacking options.

The team spirit is at an all-time high after a string of positive qualifying results and the dynamism of the squad seems to be going in the right direction. The current crop of England players seems to be getting on and enjoy working as a cohesive footballing unit.

Long gone is the England penalty curse, as the 2018 World Cup semi-finalists dispatched a resilient and battle-worn Columbia in the last sixteen from the spot kick, in a series of nerve-rattling penalties. This penalty victory will carry the England players to the Euros with a more positive mindset if it finishes level at 120 minutes.

Finally, the Euro 2021 final is on home soil, Wembley. Conveniently, the last time England lifted an international trophy was at Wembley in 1966. Home soil is a massive advantage for the Three Lions and the men will be relishing the opportunity to play there.

Where Is Euro 2021 Held?

The 16th European Championship will be staged in 12 host cities, each in different country. The countries include England, Germany, Italy, Azerbaijan, Russia, Romania, Holland, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Scotland and Denmark.

18-Team European League Coming Soon?

A new European League could soon be coming and that is something many people enjoying no deposit bonuses at online casinos will be happy to see.

European Premier League that could be here by 2022

Football has changed and evolved over the years including the introduction of the Premier League in 1992. However, recent developments in the game have looked to transform the structure even further with the top clubs in the UK and Europe trying to break away and form their own league. We look into this, and how fans currently enjoying no deposit bonuses should benefit.

Project Big Picture

After the recent issue regarding Project Big Picture and the controversy that developed from that, there now seems to be another idea that the big clubs in Europe want to develop. It appears that the leading English clubs are already in talks to form an 18-team European Premier League.

Project Big Picture included the ‘big six’ English Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool. The idea was to reduce the number of teams in the league to free up fixture space. Some of the key elements that comprised the project included:

  • The Premier League reduced to 18 clubs

  • Only six of the longest serving clubs need to vote for any change

  • EFL Cup and Community Shield to be scrapped

However, once news of the secret meetings leaked and the extent of the plans were known, the Premier League and the remaining clubs voted against the project. However, this doesn’t mean that there may still be something in the pipeline that could yet change the status quo.

Lack of Fans at games moving to online No Deposit Casinos

Some people have speculated that the lack of fans at football grounds has sparked this move, partly because of lack of revenue, and also because there are no fans to protest at games. Since lockdown in March, it was clear that fans would not be allowed into matches for some time. Though this has upset many supporters, there has been an increase of no deposit casino bonus offers due to fans staying at home and betting on the games or playing slots. In fact, sites like NoDeposit Hunter and No Deposit UK have nice offers for new players that mirrors a rise in new player offers generally at online casinos.

The announcement by the Premier League of the Pay-Per-View games that would cost extra in addition to subscription games, has further outraged fans who believe they are being exploited.

Meanwhile, the English Premier League clubs are growing increasingly concerned about the lack of supporters at games. They claim that they are losing around £100 million every month, with the smaller clubs warning that they might not survive if the situation continues much longer.

European Premier League

According to Sky News financiers are currently setting up a £4.6 billion package that will be used to set up the new league. Top teams from France, Italy, Germany, and Spain would join UK top clubs as part of the founding members.

Clubs could start this new league as early as 2022, with the games played during the usual football season. The top teams in the league would go on to play a knock-out competition to decide the winners. It appears that several of the top teams in the Premier League including Tottenham Hotspur, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea have been approached, though it may only be five teams from the UK that will make the final group. Other clubs that may also join are:

  • Paris Saint-Germain

  • Barcelona

  • Athletico Madrid

  • Juventus

  • Bayern Munich

Details are still undecided, but it seems there will be 16 or 18 teams in the European Premier League meaning around 30 games would be played in a round-robin style. This type of competition is more like the American-style league that they use in Major League Soccer (MLS). One reason for this could be that a number of big clubs in the UK have US-based owners.

It isn’t known whether UEFA, who currently runs the Champions League Competition, supports the new league. If not, then this could be a big problem, especially as the Champions League is to be overhauled in 2024.

Regardless of whether fans return to football grounds, there seems to be a consensus among the top clubs that a new European League will generate them a greater income than they currently earn. However, whether such a competition can start with COVID still battering many parts of Europe remains uncertain.

Luis Alberto’s barren run offers Andreas Pereira chance to make his mark at Lazio

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It’s time to address the elephant in the room: something isn’t quite right with Luis Alberto this season.

After Ciro Immobile, the Spaniard has been the most influential player for Simone Inzaghi’s Lazio in recent years.

His output has been phenomenal since he was moved into a central role in 2017/18 following a difficult debut season on the wing.

Since then, he’s scored 26 goals and provided 42 assists in 136 games for the Roman club, ranking him among European football’s most efficient creative midfielders in that period. Continue reading

Warrior Muriqi ready for battle – but he’s not the Lazio Ibrahimovic

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Out of crisis comes opportunity, so they say. If that’s true, there will be plenty of chances going at Lazio this season.

With just three weeks of the season played, Luiz Felipe, Denis Vavro, Stefan Radu, Bastos, Adam Marusic and Senad Lulic have all suffered injuries, squeezing the Biancocelesti’s limited defensive resources to the limit.

There was hope that the international break would provide a timely healing window, but instead Lazio head back into Serie A action more depleted than ever, with Manuel Lazzari, Gonzalo Escalante and Felipe Caicedo joining the ranks of walking wounded ahead of the trip to Sampdoria. Continue reading

The math of football & sports betting

Everyone loves a good competition between two football teams, but the thrill takes on a different meaning when you have your money riding on the game. Even experienced bettors will tell you that sports betting is not so much about winning as it is about the excitement of the bet. However, winning some extra cash with that never hurt anyone and a bit of math will only help you in your bets.

Understanding the basics

If you have even a cursory understanding of placing bets, then you’re aware of the idea of odds as this is what allows betting houses to make money. These odds fluctuate based on multiple reasons. Smaller odds highlight that the team is expected to win the game. Betting houses make a lot of money on people who play parlays which are quite hard to win even though they pay handsomely to those who do.

Those who are looking to find an online bookmaking site in Kenya would do well to check out 1XBet Kenya. Here, users can find opportunities to wager on their sports matches from all over the world. The platform is Kenya’s premier bookmaking site that welcomes players from all corners of the world to watch and bet on sports games.

There are many games that have the same odds which pay less than 2:1. This means that regardless of the result, the betting parlors are going to make money. All that they have to do is to even the amount that is placed on both teams to ensure big profits. Mathematics does have practical significance for those who are looking to make money by betting.

Comparing sports betting with casino games

Whether you decide to bet on sports or casino games will depend on not only your level of skill but also your love for sports/casino games. You could opt to gamble on some of the top gaming titles developed by top-notch developers such as Microgaming whose payout rates do not fluctuate much. With the help of statistics, you will be able to understand better how to look for slots with lower house edge and high RTPs.

Those who opt for sports betting too will have to dedicate some time to go through the stats and spreads to understand where they stand a chance to gain. Once you’ve picked your platform, it is your mathematical brain that should take over.

Strategizing

It is no secret that beating the house is close to impossible so it is better to stick to games that have a low house edge. Betting on single games after a mathematical study of them should significantly improve one’s chances of success even though one has to play a lot of games to make good money.

Furthermore, managing one’s account and allocating money for each day, week, and month will also improve your chances of success in the long-run. This advice applies to both sports wagering as well as casino games. Success does take practiced discipline and even if your fortunes don’t change overnight, you can still do enough to keep yourself well entertained and win at regular intervals.

Conclusion

Those who are inclined towards sports have an advantage in sports wagering for their keen insight will help them greatly to spot the changing values and moments in the game. Getting thoroughly educated about the statistical side of things as well as how parlors and casinos shift odds will be crucial in solidifying one’s position.

Sevilla have the quality to beat Manchester United

The Europa League and Sevilla has been a match made in heaven over the last decade-and-a-half, with the Andalusian side winning the competition five times since 2006. This season has seen them once again made a run deep into the latter stages of the Europa League where they will face Manchester United for a place in the final.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are, for many, favourites to go all the way in Germany. United finished the Premier League season strongly, recovering after a dismal first half of the campaign to ultimately finish in third place, qualifying for next season’s Champions League. They don’t need the Europa League to get back to European football’s top table.

Sevilla also don’t need to win the Europa League to qualify for next season’s Champions League, with Julen Lopetegui’s side finishing fourth in La Liga. This is a tie that will solely be about the glory of winning a European trophy and Sevilla, at this level, know how to do that better than most.

Things weren’t so rosy at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan last summer, with Monchi returning to Sevilla after two seasons at Roma. The famed sporting director started immediately on pointing the club in the right direction again, hiring Lopetegui despite his abject failure at Real Madrid the season before.

At Sevilla, Lopetegui has gone some way to restoring his damaged reputation. He has forged a free-flowing team that plays an attractive brand of football. Sevilla are energetic, full of drive and won’t be lacking for intensity as they take on Manchester United for a place in this season’s Europa League final. Solskjaer’s side will need to be in peak physical condition.

“[Sevilla] are a very well organised team, [with an] aggressive style of play [and] pressing,” Solskjaer said when asked what it will take to beat Sevilla. “They have got some very good individuals so we have to play our best game.”

Players like Sergio Reguilon, Diego Carlos, Ever Banega and Lucas Ocampos have all enjoyed excellent seasons, with the latter doing the damage to Wolves in the quarter finals. Sevilla could do with a proven goalscorer, but they have the quality to get past Manchester United. This has the potential to be the match of this season’s Europa League, the match to define the whole tournament.

How well do you know European Football? Want to challenge the best Spanish Fantasy Managers? Play www.liga-fantasy.com now.