Downing respects Young Boys

England manager Roy Hodgson believes that his players will relish the opportunity of being underdogs in Monday s opener against France.

Les Bleus have been in mercurial form under coach Laurent Blanc, having put together an astonishing 21-game unbeaten run heading into Euro 2012 after a disastrous 2010 World Cup campaign saw them bow out amidst controversy in the group stages.

The French beat England 2-1 at Wembley when the sides last met, but Hodgson insists his players will be fearless heading into the Group D encounter at Donbass Arena.

The players think we can beat France, there s no question about that. There s no fear in that respect, he said.

In any league, 21 matches unbeaten is an achievement. But I don t get the feeling the players are cowed …

Samir Nasri has had his contract with Antalyaspor cancelled by mutual consent.

After a successful loan spell at Sevilla failed to bring a permanent deal, Nasri moved to Turkey to try and resurrect his career after it had stalled at Manchester City.

Nasri moved to Antalyaspor for a reported €3.5million, but has only made eight appearances in the Super Lig, the last of those coming in November against Fenerbahce.

And, just five months into a two-year contract, the 30-year-old has been released, with a move to the Primeira Liga with Porto mooted.

With Samir Nasri, who we signed for the 2017-18 season, our paths have been divided by mutual agreement, a statement from the Super Lig strugglers read.

We would like to thank him for his contribution to…

Competition: Europa League

Market: Arsenal to beat Ostersunds

Odds:

The Europa League continues this week with even more compelling action to come. While the Europa League may be the secondary competition to the Champions League, it is still full of incredibly entertaining play with goals and controversy aplenty. With this in mind, Arsenal travel to face Ostersunds on Thursday.

Ostersunds were able to progress from their group fairly comfortably and their reward for this is a knock-out round tie against Arsenal. After six games, Ostersunds won three, drew twice and lost once, while they scored eight goals and conceded four times. In their last five they were able to win twice, draw twice and lose once, which saw them onto 11 points, five clear…

Sporting have announced the signing of forward Junya Tanaka from Kashiwa Reysol on a five-year contract.

The 26-year-old becomes the latest new arrival since Marco Silva replaced Leonardo Jardim in late-May, and will challenge for a starting place with Islam Slimani, Fredy Montero and Carlos Mane next season.

Tanaka has regularly scored goals in the J.League for Kashiwa with his five this season taking him to 34 over the past four years.

His club form has earned him an international cap in 2012 against Iceland but he was not selected for the Japan squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup by Alberto Zaccheroni.

Sporting made the announcement on their official website, and revealed the player will have a €60million release clause in his contract.

The sta…

Jack Cork would rather play alongside Southampton team-mate Rickie Lambert than Chelsea striker Fernando Torres.

Lambert has scored 13 goals in his debut Premier League season, more than any other English player, while the Spaniard has only managed 14 since moving to Stamford Bridge in 2011.

The Saints face off against Chelsea on Saturday and Cork believes that the Blues back line will have just as much to worry about as his own side.

He told reporters: Rickie has been different class for us for the last three or four years now. For someone of his build his touch is unbelievable. He is great to have in your team.

Torres and Ba have scored lots of goals in their career and you do not pay 50 million pounds for someone who is not any good.

If you a…

Barcelona have activated a fourth economic lever in a bid to ensure their new signings can be registered for LaLiga, announcing the sale of a further 24.5 per cent of their production company for €100million.

The Catalan giants, who have signed the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Jules Kounde, Andreas Christensen and Franck Kessie despite ongoing financial troubles, have reportedly failed to register their new acquisitions for the upcoming league campaign.

President Joan Laporta has been working to raise funds to allow Barca to meet LaLiga s salary limits ahead of the season, and said last week the club had made a great effort to do so. 

Last month, 24.5 per cent of Barca Studios was sold to the company Socios.com for €100million, while the Blaugran…

Erik ten Hag claimed Manchester United s need for new signings was clear following their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Brentford, though he noted the Red Devils are underperforming given the quality already present in their squad. 

Having watched his side slump to a 2-1 defeat to Brighton and Hove Albion last week, Ten Hag became the first United manager to lose each of his first two games in charge since John Chapman in 1921.

An embarrassing performance saw United go 4-0 down within just 35 minutes in London as Brentford scored with each of their first four shots on target.

United, who are bottom of the Premier League two matches into the Ten Hag era, have been linked with further additions in the transfer market, with Juventus Adrien Rabiot a reported target a…

Ciro Immobile was keen to stay at Torino but now has other ambitions , according to the club s sporting director Gianluca Petrachi.

The Italian striker scored five goals in 14 games during a loan spell at Torino in the latter half of the 2015-16 season, and Petrachi had hoped to extend the 26-year-old s stay in Turin.

But Immobile, who has been a Borussia Dortmund player since joining the German club from Torino in 2014, is no longer settled at Stadio Olimpico Grande.

At new Torino manager Sinisa Mihaijlovic s first press conference since joining the club, Petrachi said: Ciro Immobile wanted to stay a month and a half ago.

Something has changed now, he s no longer convinced.

He has other ambitions. We re not interested in investing in those who…

Jermain Defoe s sensational volley secured a fifth straight Tyne-Wear derby win and Dick Advocaat s first success as Sunderland head coach with a 1-0 victory over Newcastle United on Sunday.

Advocaat s first home fixture as boss at the Stadium of Light saw an encouraging, determined display that was lit up by Defoe s wonderstrike shortly before half-time.

The former Tottenham forward s brilliant goal from the edge of the area was enough for Sunderland to complete the double over their arch-rivals for the second season running, and also moved them three points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with seven games left to play.

Defoe was close to tears after sending the Sunderland faithful into raptures, and the hosts  lead was never really threatened b…

Lille goalkeeper Mickael Landreau is in awe of Zlatan Ibrahimovic after the Paris Saint-Germain star put two goals past him on Sunday.

Ibrahimovic struck twice in PSG s 2-1 win away to the 2010/11 Ligue 1 champions, leading Landreau to compare the Sweden international favourably to his predecessors at the capital city club.

He almost mocks you. In the first match against Pauleta, I conceded three. In the first game against Lisandro, I conceded three as well. Here, Ibrahimovic scored two in 21 minutes, he said.

Ibra is of the same calibre and perhaps even a little better.

Landreau said no matter how well-prepared he thinks he is, the 30-year-old striker always comes out on top.

In one-on-one situations, I felt ready and in place to stop him, b…