NFL Underdogs: NFL Picks, and Predictions Week 1

Late goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gianluca Gaetano guided Serie A champions Napoli to a 3-1 win over 10-man Inter, denting the Nerazzurri s bid for a top-four finish.

Simone Inzaghi named a much-changed team with one eye on Wednesday s Coppa Italia final against Fiorentina, and Inter s task was made more difficult when Roberto Gagliardini was dismissed after picking up two first-half bookings.

Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa broke Inter s resistance when he fired home on the turn, but Romelu Lukaku looked to have stolen a point with a close-range finish eight minutes from time.

Napoli were determined to continue their Scudetto celebrations with another win, however, Di Lorenzo firing into the top-left corner before Gaetano struck on the break to leave Inter vuln…

Thibaut Courtois says Belgium s current crop of players should not be considered the country s golden generation after their dire World Cup campaign in Qatar.

Belgium finished third at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and reached the quarter-finals of Euro 2020 despite a series of underwhelming displays, leading to hopes of a renewed World Cup bid this year.

However, the world s number-two ranked side suffered a humiliating group-stage exit after following up a 1-0 win over Canada with a defeat to Morocco and a goalless draw with Croatia.

The Red Devils current squad – which includes a series of household names including Kevin De Bruyne and Eden Hazard – has often been described as Belgium s golden generation , but Courtois says that depiction is inaccurate.

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Cesar Azpilicueta says Spain must keep Lorenzo Insigne and Jorginho quiet if they are to overcome Italy in Tuesday s Euro 2020 semi-final.

Italy head into the showdown at Wembley as the most in-form side in Europe after going 32 matches without defeat and winning the last 13 of those.

The Azzurri saw off Turkey, Switzerland and Wales to top Group A, before beating Austria in extra time and Belgium inside 90 minutes, in the last 16 and quarter-finals respectively.

Forward Insigne started four of those five games, the exception being the final group match against Wales, while Jorginho has been an ever-present for Roberto Mancini s side.

Jorginho has completed the most passes (364) of any midfielder at Euro 2020 so far and is fourth in the list in terms of …

Last Sunday had the potential to change everything in the Premier League title race. Instead, it changed nothing.

Arsenal ended the weekend as they started it: five points clear of Manchester City with a game in hand.

Mikel Arteta s men took seven points from consecutive matches against third-placed Newcastle United, fifth-placed Tottenham and fourth-placed Manchester United.

They have passed the various tests left before them and maintained a healthy lead over City.

But they still have not played City themselves this season. That will change on Friday – just not in the Premier League.

The FA Cup fourth-round draw paired England s best two teams, providing a warm-up at the Etihad Stadium for their Emirates Stadium league clash in February.

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Rotherham finally beat Morecambe in the Carabao Cup after seeing off the League Two outfit 4-2 on penalties.

The Shrimps won in South Yorkshire in 2016 and then again 12 months ago and another upset was in the offing when Michael Mellon put them in front.

Josh Kayode’s first home goal for the club levelled before the break, meaning the game had to be decided by penalties and Dillon Phillips saved two on his debut to earn a place in the second round.

Morecambe enjoy coming to Rotherham in the League Cup so it was no surprise to see them start well.

JJ McKiernan should have put them ahead inside the first five minutes when he was teed up by Mellon, but he shot straight at goalkeeper Phillips’ legs.

Mellon did open the scoring midway through the …

Mikel Arteta believes Declan Rice’s potential return to West Ham will be “beautiful” – if the Arsenal manager decides to play the midfielder in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash.

The 24-year-old England international moved across London in the summer, the Gunners paying a club-record £105million to prise him away from the Hammers.

Rice, who captained West Ham to victory in the Europa Conference League final in the last of his 245 games for the club he joined at the age of 14, could be in line for his first return to east London having shone in the opening months of his fledgling Arsenal career.

“It will be his first time back at his old club and a beautiful moment for him, I think,” Arteta said on the eve of the fourth-round tie.

“I think it …

Celta Vigo have temporarily removed Santi Mina from their first-team squad pending disciplinary proceedings after the forward was sentenced to four years in prison for the sexual abuse of a woman.

A ruling handed down by the Third Section of the Provisional Court of Almeria sentenced Mina in relation to an incident on June 18, 2017.

According to Spanish news agency EFE, Mina s friend and fellow footballer David Goldar was acquitted.

Mina s legal representation confirmed he will appeal the decision.

In a statement reported by EFE, they said: With important errors in the assessment of the tests carried out and therefore of the events that occurred, [the legal team] will proceed to file the corresponding appeal in the coming days.

Celta subsequentl…

The only way is up for Arsenal after another humbling defeat, this time at Manchester City, who saw two potential Premier League title rivals draw at Anfield.

Mikel Arteta endured a miserable return to the Etihad Stadium, with the latest poor result seeing the Gunners end the day at the bottom of the English top-flight table having played at least three league matches for the first time since October 1974.

The rest of the fixtures were much closer, including a lively capital clash and a four-goal draw in the north east that saw late, late drama.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform takes a look at the key statistics from some of Saturday s most notable fixtures.

-9 Arsenal are only the second team in Premier League history to lose their first three matches i…

Thiago Alcantara are unlikely to leave Liverpool in the January transfer window, according to Rudy Galetti. The Italian journalist has claimed that it is very likely that the Spanish midfielder is likely to stay at Anfield until the end of the season and then leave on a free transfer.

The 32-year-old is out of contract at Liverpool in the summer of 2024. It is unlikely that the former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners are going to hand him a new deal. Thiago has been on the books of Liverpool since the summer of 2020 when he joined from Bayern Munich.

Thiago has made 67 appearances in the Premier League so far in his career. The midfielder has scored two goals and given four assists in those games. Liverpool are at the top of the Premier League table at t…

Milan s hopes of finishing in Serie A s top four received another blow on Saturday as they were beaten 2-0 by relegation-threatened Spezia.

The Rossoneri headed to Stadio Alberto Picco on a seven-match league unbeaten run but still stinging from Wednesday s 2-0 first-leg defeat to city rivals Inter in the Champions League semi-finals.

Stefano Pioli s men put in another frustrating display against stubborn Spezia, twice denied by the post before Przemyslaw Wisniewski and Salvatore Esposito struck late on as the hosts claimed three points for the first time in nine league games.

The result means fifth-placed Milan remain two points behind fourth-placed Inter and three ahead of Roma, though both of those teams could yet take advantage of their latest slip-up this we…