Once the dominant force in Europe, Spain reclaimed their place among the elite of international football on Tuesday.
La Roja reached their first major tournament final since Euro 2012 following a 2-1 victory over France in Munich.
After several dull knockout games meandered their way to extra time and penalties, a frenetic 25 minutes had eyes across the world glued to their screens for this one.
With Spain the first team to book their place in Sunday s final, we take a deep dive into the best Opta statistics from a memorable encounter.
Spain 2-1 France: Roja baton passed down to Yamal
In a battle between the tournament s most potent strike force and best defence, it would be La Roja s crop of attacking talent that emerged victorious.
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Real Madrid head coach Carlo Ancelotti issued a warning about Karim Benzema being ever better in 2023 after the Ballon d Or winner s double in Friday s 2-0 victory at Real Valladolid.
Benzema missed the 2022 World Cup as France finished runners-up due to a quad injury sustained on the eve of the tournament. He has since announced his international retirement.
The 35-year-old forward brushed off that disappointment in Madrid s first game since LaLiga s resumption, netting an 83rd-minute penalty before doubling his tally six minutes later.
I see Benzema very motivated, and I think you will see a different Benzema from now on in 2023, Ancelotti told DAZN.
In the 2022 calendar year, Benzema has been involved in more goals in all competitions than any other L…
Mike Dean became the referee to award the most penalties since the start of the 2015-16 campaign after pointing to the spot twice in Manchester City s 4-1 Premier League win over Stoke City on Saturday.
The 48-year-old awarded his first spot-kick of the afternoon when Ryan Shawcross was adjudged to have fouled Nicolas Otamendi at a corner in the 26th minute, with Sergio Aguero coolly firing home from 12 yards to open the scoring.
Dean once more awarded a penalty early in the second half, this time to Stoke after deeming Raheem Sterling had blocked Shawcross run at another set piece, allowing Bojan Krkic to pull one back for the home side.
The Wirral official has now given 16 penalties since the start of last season, two more than any other referee, with …
The referee for Barcelona s Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea in 2009 was forced to change his hotel in the wake of the controversial clash at Stamford Bridge.
Tom Henning Ovrebo was at the centre of a firestorm during the clash nine years ago, in which Barca snatched a dramatic 1-1 draw to secure passage to the final on away goals.
Eric Abidal was controversially sent off, but it was Chelsea who were most angered by the officiating, as they saw six appeals for a penalty waved away by Ovrebo.
The last one came in second-half injury time, after Andres Iniesta s stunning strike cancelled out Michael Essien s opener, with Samuel Eto o escaping a handball shout that prompted Michael Ballack to chase Ovrebo down the pitch and argue his case.
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Sunday sees a huge game as the Buffalo Bills welcome the Indianapolis Colts to town. The Bills looked like they were locks to reach the AFC Conference Game, but they’ve struggled in recent weeks, meanwhile, the Colts have improved as the season has progressed but still sit two wins back from the Titans in their division.
Let’s take a look at our NFL picks and predictions for the Indianapolis Colts vs. Buffalo Bills.
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One of the best games of the Week 3 NFL betting slate looks to be in South Beach, where the unstoppable Buffalo Bills head to face the Miami Dolphins.
Miami enjoyed a phenomenal comeback win last week but will no doubt need to repeat its production to hang with Josh Allen & Co. With a potential shootout looming, there’s no shortage of intriguing options on the NFL player props market.
We take a look at the three best plays with our Bills vs. Dolphins NFL prop picks — and check out our Bills vs. Dolphins picks for more.
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After leading the Pittsburgh Steelers offense to five touchdowns on five preseason drives, Kenny Pickett fell flat on his face in the season opener against an elite San Francisco 49ers defense.
The second-year first-round pick didn’t lead the Steelers to a scoring drive until just before half in the opener, and it was the only points the black and gold put up all day in what would be a 30-7 shellacking by the 49ers.
It’s a tumultuous time in Pittsburgh with fans calling for offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s job and Pickett’s struggles leading to the murmurs of the word “bust.” Even fellow second-year budding star George Pickens was spotted looking unhappy on the bench last week.
Week 2 odds feature a rare two-…
Talk about two different trajectories for two of the premier teams in the NFC heading into Thursday Night Football’s Week 13 odds. The Dallas Cowboys are on a 5-1 run and looking like one of the most well-rounded teams in the league while the Seattle Seahawks just got pants’d on Thanksgiving by the San Francisco 49ers to put them on a 1-3 skid.
The TNF odds see this as a complete mismatch, with the Cowboys as 9-point home favorites, and the difference in quarterback play has got to be the main reason why. One of these passers has an appetizing matchup, but the other may be in for a long night.
Find out where the bets lie in our Seahawks vs. Cowboys picks for NFL player props on November 30. And for more TNF analysis, check out our Dak Prescott…
Saquon Barkley could be one of the most coveted free agents in the NFL this offseason, as he would represent an upgrade at running back for the vast majority of the other 31 teams in the league. The New York Giants chose not to franchise tag Barkley for a second time, and that’s why they’re no longer the clear-cut favorites when looking at the NFL odds for Saquon Barkley’s next team.
I’m taking a look at the market for Saquon’s next squad and making my NFL picks as I try to identify a long shot that might swoop in and lure Barkley away from the favored Houston Texans.
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And just like that — POOF! — we’re a third of a way through the season with NFL Week 6 odds on the board.
The Week 6 odds started with San Francisco covering in an NFC West war against Seattle on Thursday Night Football, and we’re down to our final prime time affair of the week with a Monday matchup between Buffalo and the N.Y. Jets.
Here’s a look at the NFL odds and where the lines have moved since opening.
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