The four teams for the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League semifinals were confirmed after the second-leg contests of the tournament's quarterfinals on Tuesday and Wednesday.Real Madrid eliminated the reigning champions Manchester City after defeating them in the penalty shoot-out at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola'…

European clubs had gone through another three days of competition at the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Some of the heavyweights were not very happy with their performances.For example, Arsenal were upset by Porto 1-0 in the first-leg game of the Champions League round of 16 on Tuesday. What's e…

Bayern Munich became the poster background for the only upsetting result of the four UEFA Champions League games in the past two days as they lost to Lazio 1-0 at Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Italy, on Wednesday.Like the way they were beaten by Leverkusen in Bundesliga four days ago, Bayern lacked energy, coordination and nearly everything to win again…

When the 2023-24 NBA trade deadline fell on February 8, there were no game-changing blockbuster deals.The New York Knicks gained the most by acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. They are now the biggest challenger to the top circle of the Eastern Conference.The Dallas Mavericks made a good, if risky and desperate move of trading for P.J. Wash…

It's not rare for football heavyweights to part ways with their managers at the end of a season, but such breakups don't happen in the middle of the season very often, not to mention twice within three days.Jurgen Klopp announced that he will leave Liverpool after the 2023-24 season because he is running out of energy after working in the position …

Over 200 players were reportedly recruited from clubs in England, Germany, Spain, Italy and France, where the world's top football leagues are, for the Africa Cup of Nations in Cote d'Ivoire. Moreover, many Asian players had to depart their clubs for the Asian Cup in Qatar.That means some clubs will miss their best players in the middle of the 2023…

After most clubs played 20 games, the Premier League is looking at a very close contest for the championship among five teams: Liverpool, Aston Villa, Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur from No. 1 to No. 5.None of the five competitors are perfect. For example, Liverpool lack no passion or resolution in the forward positions, but neither…

Draymond Green is expected to come back for the Golden State Warriors from his 12-game suspension next week.The team is currently 17-18 and 10th in the Western Conference, hardly better than they were before Green was suspended. They still blew big lead or struggled to win over weak opponents on many occasions.It's unfair to say that coach Steve Ke…

The draw for the Round of 16 competitions at the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League was announced on Monday as follows:Porto vs. ArsenalNapoli vs. BarcelonaParis Saint-Germain vs. Real SociedadInter Milan vs. Atletico MadridPSV vs. Borussia DortmundLazio vs. Bayern MunichCopenhagen vs. Manchester CityRB Leipzig vs. Real MadridUEFA have always been good …

One joy of watching professional sports is to be amazed by the growth of athletes. The NBA has never lacked that and has been bearing a series of happy surprises since the 2023-24 season began.Having struggled for years, the Houston Rockets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers all have imp…

Last season, Manchester United didn't appear in the UEFA Champions League, but at least they played in the UEFA Europa League. This season, the "Red Devils" didn't have even that luxury after exiting the Champions League as the bottom team of Group A.Group F, in which Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), AC Milan and Newcastle United were …

Who are the two least-liked players by Manchester United fans so far this season? There must be various answers, but it's hard to imagine that Harry Maguire or Andre Onana are not there on the list.However, it was the very two who helped the Red Devils secure their first win in the UEFA Champions League at Old Trafford on Tuesday. Maguire scored th…

The last time Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) allowed four or more goals in one game in the UEFA Champions League, they lost to Barcelona 6-1 in the second leg of the Round of 16 at Camp Nou in 2017.Back then, Barca still had Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez, all in their best years. Newcastle United, despite all of their signings during the summer t…

Bayern Munich defeated Manchester United 4-3 at Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, in their first game in Group A of the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday. The score seemed close, but the process was one-sided most of the time for the home team.By contrast, Real Madrid and Union Berlin had a truly close game at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madr…

Do you consider it madness if you hear any of the following rumors about the NBA?The Milwaukee Bucks may trade Giannis Antetokounmpo if they don't win the NBA championship in the 2023-24 season, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe.The Los Angeles Clippers are not in a hurry to negotiate contract extensions with either Kawhi Leonard or Paul George while t…

Germany haven't appointed a new manager since they fired Hansi Flick from the position, which was the first time in German football history.Germany have failed to advance to the knockout stage in the past two consecutive editions of FIFA World Cup. They are the hosts for the UEFA European Championship in 2024. So whoever takes over will be under ex…

China's 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup trip ended with one win and four losses on Saturday night as well as the failures to secure automatic qualification for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 and to appear in the Olympic qualifying tournament next year.The 105-63 loss to Serbia showed how desperate the gap is between China and the world's top team. …

The draw results for the group stage of the 2023-24 UEFA Champions League are as follows:Group A: Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Copenhagen, GalatasarayGroup B: Sevilla, Arsenal, PSV Eindhoven, LensGroup C: Napoli, Real Madrid, SC Braga, Union BerlinGroup D: Benfica, Inter Milan, Red Bull Salzburg, Real SociedadGroup E: Feyenoord, Atletico Madri…

Seven players have joined the 100-million-euro club in the sense of transfer fees in the past three years in Europe. They are:Jack Grealish, 117.5 million euros (about $128.7 million), from Aston Villa to Manchester City;Romelu Lukaku, 113 million euros (about 123.8 million), from Inter Milan to Chelsea;Enzo Fernandez, 121 million euros (about $132…

When Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) assembled the trio of Kylian Mbappe, Neymar and Lionel Messi in August 2021, they seemed closer than ever to taking the throne in Europe.It cost PSG, 222 million euros (about $243.8 million) to acquire Neymar in 2017 and 180 million euros (about $197.7 million) to land Mbappe in 2018. Messi joined in 2021 as a free ag…

Portuguese star midfielder Bernardo Silva of Manchester City is close to joining the Saudi Pro League, according to Marca.Multiple notable players have joined the Saudi league in the past six months, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante. The Middle Eastern clubs with deep pockets even targeted Lionel Messi and Luka Modric, wh…

Nikola Jokic just became the first second-round draftee to win the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) after leading the Denver Nuggets to defeat the Miami Heat 4-1 in the series at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, on Monday.Jokic failed to win the regular season MVP three times in a row and was passed over for the All-NBA First team this season, …

In a not very convincing 1-0 victory over Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, Manchester City took the throne of European club football competitions.Man City's manager Pep Guardiola won his first Champions League trophy without Barcelona or Lionel Messi, setting a major milestone in hi…

Manchester City, which have won their third Premier League title in a row and are preparing for the UEFA Champions League final, are looking at a great opportunity to create their own era.Barcelona, which clinched the La Liga championship trophy four games early, have not only a mount of debt, but also Real Madrid, who are ready to build the new Ga…

Jamal Musiala's goal for Bayern Munich in the 89th minute against Cologne at RheinEnergieStadion on Saturday saved the 2022-23 season for the club because at least they finished with one trophy.But, just how happy will Bayern and their fans be at the Bundesliga title after winning it 11 times in row, especially after they were eliminated from both …

Manchester City and Inter Milan will play each other in this season's UEFA Champions League final at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Türkiye, on June 10.Having been seeking a Champions League title for over a decade, Man City now have their second chance in three years. They have already beaten Bayern Munich and Real Madrid, two traditiona…

If you ask the Milwaukee Bucks or the Phoenix Suns, they will probably say it's the 76ers' head coach Doc Rivers since the two teams just fired their coaches after playoffs exit.Many blame James Harden for not doing enough even after he carried the 76ers to two key victories like a lone hero who scored 45 and 42 points in those competitions.Joel Em…

Three teams have advanced to the NBA Conference Finals. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets will face each other in the West while the Heat wait to see who they will play in the East.LeBron James won his second series against Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors in their fifth meeting, though not in the NBA Finals this time.Nikola …

The last time Stephen Curry played LeBron James in the NBA postseason was in 2018 during the Finals. That was their fourth straight meeting since 2015. Now the two will face each other again, only this time, it's in the Western Conference semifinals and James is a Laker.Both the Warriors and the Lakers were underdogs when they knocked out the Sacra…

How many were surprised at the Los Angeles Lakers' 4-2 series win over the Memphis Grizzlies in this year's NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs?The purple and gold have completed a great upgrade after trading for Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and D'Angelo Russell in February. It took some time to put every piece in place, but they became…

Two of the top four teams in the NBA Eastern Conference, the No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers, were upset by the No. 8 Miami Heat and the No. 5 New York Knicks, respectively, in the first-round playoffs.Jimmy Butler cemented his reputation as "tough" with his epic performances for the Heat during their 4-1 series win against …

The Phoenix Suns have eliminated the Los Angeles 4-1 in the NBA Western Conference first-round playoffs after Devin Booker left two dominant games while the whole team was benefiting from the presence of Kevin Durant.The Suns will face the Denver Nuggets in the semifinals after they beat the Minnesota Timberwolves with a gentleman's sweep too. Two …

The Philadelphia 76ers swept the Brooklyn Nets 4-0 in the NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoffs, though they faced certain level of resistance from the opponents that completed two blockbuster trades in February for a lineup reshuffle.While the 76ers are waiting to find out who they will meet in the East semifinals, they may want to pray that…

The 2023 NBA playoffs will begin on Friday for 16 teams to compete for the championship. Five of the eight matchups seem to be in great strength disparity and our predictions are (teams with home court advantage come first):Milwaukee Bucks 4-0 Miami HeatBoston Celtics 4-0 Atlanta HawksPhiladelphia 76ers 4-0 Brooklyn NetsDenver Nuggets 4-1 Minnesota…

Manchester City made a significant breakthrough in the UEFA Champions League with their 3-0 win over Bayern Munich in the first leg of the tournament's quarterfinals at the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday.Man City have gone further than the quarterfinals before in the Champions League, but securing such a big win over heavyweights like Bayern has been ve…

The Cleveland Cavaliers, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Los Angeles Clippers are three competitive teams in the 2022-23 NBA regular season, but none are serious title contenders.The Cavaliers have been a solid defensive team during the campaign, but don't be surprised when you see four of their five starters become the attacking targets of the oppon…

If you need to choose between the following two players for the 2022-23 NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award, who do you pick?Nikola Jokic, who has averaged 24.9 points, 11. 9 rebounds and 9.9 assists in 67 games for the Western Conference leader Denver Nuggets;Joel Embiid, who has averaged 33 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 63 games for t…

Judging by the NBA teams' performances so far this season, six of them have the better chance of winning the championship in the end, but the race will be very close.The Denver Nuggets have the unstoppable two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic, but does he have enough trustworthy teammates?The reigning champions Golden State Warriors know …

Julian Nagelsmann has been replaced by Thomas Tuchel as the manager of Bayern Munich, the Bundesliga powerhouse announced on Friday.The direct trigger for this major personnel change is likely Bayern's loss to Bayer Leverkusen on March 19. They dropped to the second on the standings table below Borussia Dortmund because of that, but only by one poi…

Bayern Munich eliminated Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) from the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday with their eighth straight win in the tournament. The Bundesliga giants allowed no goal in seven of those games.PSG performed in completely different ways in the first and second halves of Wednesday's competition. Instead of making adjustments for the clu…

Barcelona currently enjoy a seven-point lead over Real Madrid in La Liga after both sides played 23 games. Judging by history, it won't be easy for the team behind to catch up.First, the rest of the league is hardly able to slow Barca down, especially after they have no European competitions to worry about; second, Real's biggest target this season…

Who would have thought that after nearly two-thirds of matches in the 2022-23 season, Arsenal are leading the Premier League over Manchester City, especially when "The Gunners" played one fewer game?Meanwhile, just in case you haven't noticed, Manchester United, which have been seen as a bad example for heavyweights in recent years, are only six po…

Manchester United's 2-1 win over Barcelona in the second-leg of the UEFA Europa League Round of 32 competitions became one of the most important victories for the "Red Devils" this season.Erik ten Hag, who was appointed as Man United's manager after the 2021-22 campaign, has carved his team into an energetic and competitive group after the right pl…

Real Madrid's 5-2 comeback win over Liverpool in the first-leg game of the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 competitions at Anfield reminded both sides' fans of the final five years ago between the same two teams.Back then, at the NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium in Kyiv, Liverpool's goalkeeper Loris Karius made two lethal mistakes that cost his team's gam…

Bayern Munich's 1-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Parc des Princes on Tuesday night was like déjà vu of many of their Bundesliga games this season. They had the apparent advantage, but shied away from finishing the final scoring move.PSG did Bayern a favor by replacing Achraf Hakimi with Presnel Kimpembem and leaving 16-year-old Warren …

The four days before the 2022-23 NBA trade deadline were full of nothing but constant surprises. Some teams look completely different to how they did less than a week ago. Among all of the game-changing deals, Kevin Durant's departure from the Brooklyn Nets for the Phoenix Suns definitely had the biggest impact. Imagine that a team has two historic…

Chelsea outspent another club during the European football winter transfer window that closed on Tuesday.It cost "The Blues" as much as 329.5 million euros (about $358.6 million) to bring multiple players to Stamford Bridge. The transfer of Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica even set a new Premier League record fee of 121 million euro…

The Los Angeles Lakers sent three future second-round draft picks and Kendrick Nunn to the Wizards for Rui Hachimura, who is in the final year of his rookie contract. The three picks are a 2023 second-rounder via the Chicago Bulls, their own pick for 2029 and the less favorable of the Washington Wizards' and Lakers' 2028 second-rounders.On paper, H…

Lionel Messi wrote likely the final, perfect chapter to his story as a member of the Argentine national team after they won the third FIFA World Cup title for "La albiceleste" at Lusail Stadium in Qatar on Sunday night.The victory belonged to everyone, including Messi and Angel Di Maria, who together scored Argentina's three goals, goalkeeper Emili…

The goals of Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic helped Croatia defeat Morocco at the Khalifa International Stadium and pocket their second bronze medal in the FIFA World Cup.Croatia have appeared in six editions of the tournament since the first time there in 1998. As long as they made it out of their group, their worst record was advancing to the sem…