Four-goal Tom Cannon fired Stoke City to a 6-1 win over Portsmouth on Wednesday, their first triumph under Narcis Pelach extending Pompey s own wait for a Championship victory.
Stoke entered this encounter at the bet365 Stadium just two points better off than their winless visitors and without reward for the bold decision to replace head coach Steven Schumacher with Pelach last month.
But an explosive display from on-loan Leicester City forward Cannon provided what could be a pivotal victory in the Potters season.
Cannon scored only three times in all competitions for Leicester last term but bettered that tally inside the opening hour of his fourth start for Stoke.
Portsmouth were on level terms approaching half-time after Mark O Mahony cancelled out Cann…
Croatia bristled with imagination and inspiration as they dealt Germany a 2-1 Euro 2008 Group B defeat here on Thursday in one of the biggest surprises of the tournament so far.
The Croats were well worth their victory which came 10 years after the biggest result in their history when they beat the same opponents 3-0 in the World Cup quarter-finals as they took charge of the group and are now almost guaranteed a place in the quarter-finals.
It will be back to the drawing board for the Germans, who ended the match with 10 men.
After a cagey and dull opening the game burst into life midway through the opening stanza.
Croatia took the lead on 24 minutes with a move of delightful fluency.
Quick, zipped passes and intelligent running off the ball…
Lionel Messi led the way once again as his goal against Villarreal took the Barcelona star to 50 goals for the season before any other player in Europe s major leagues.
The Argentina captain s goal was typical in its method, Messi dribbling beyond two Villarreal defenders before cutting a shot into the far corner, via a deflection.
With Neymar having opened the scoring at Camp Nou, Messi s strike also took Barca s MSN strikeforce to 100 goals for the third season in a row.
Messi, who reached 500 Barcelona goals with a recent Clasico double, also racked up a 50-goal season for the fifth time in his mesmeric career.
50 Lionel Messi is the first player from the Top 5 European Leagues to reach 50 goals this season in all competitions. Crucial.
— Op…
RoboCup 2009, the world s largest robotics event, kicked off Wednesday in the southern Austrian city of Graz, with some 400 teams and 2,000 robots ready to compete in sports and rescue operations.
On two or four legs, with wheels or virtually on a screen, robots of all sizes will battle it out on the football pitch the most popular event but also face off in a dance competition and domestic chores.
Participants from 44 countries are split into two categories, juniors and seniors, with the former dedicated to robots programmed by young people aged between 10 and 19.
Suitably for the occasion, robots performed the ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, marking the opening of the five-day event, which is organised by the Graz University of Technology.
Local …
Bless the late-season schedule that gives us Saturdays full of NFL football. The Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals will conclude a Week 16 Saturday slate as the home Cards look to halt a two-game skid, while the Colts will want to build off their win last week vs. New England.
Is Jonathan Taylor going to make an MVP push in a plus matchup? Can Kyler Murray rebound after a disastrous game against the Lions last week?
Find out in our free player props and predictions for Colts vs. Cardinals.
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Week 11 of the NFL season culminates with a terrific NFC matchup when the San Francisco 49ers meet the Arizona Cardinals at Estadio Azteka Stadium in Mexico City, Mexico.
This matchup has a 43-point total, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have some tremendous opportunities for prop bet success. Will 49ers wide receiver Deebo Samuel make an impact, or could Cardinals running back James Conner have another big game?
Find out in our NFL prop picks for 49ers vs. Cardinals on November 21.
You can also read our 49ers vs. Cardinals picks and predictions in addition to our best Jimmy Garoppolo player prop picks.
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Not all NFL odds markets are created equal and there is plenty of value to be had with shopping around and getting the best price. But that’s just one aspect of creating a profitable touchdown card week to week.
It was another one-for-three week last week with our NFL picks, cashing a lone ticket worth +190. This is moving week, however, and I’ve got my eye on an indoor running back who could have all the carries, a tight end coming off the bye paying nearly +300, and I’m backing an MVP candidate to use his tools to rush one in for +200.
Here are my three best NFL Week 15 NFL player prop TD picks.
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The Jaguars and Falcons square off in their last preseason game on Friday night as both teams look to finalize their rosters.
Trevor Lawrence is expected to play multiple series for Jacksonville, then Jags backup Mac Jones will look to build on his strong performance from last week. Atlanta will be resting the majority of their key starters, as they’re protecting against injury.
These personnel decisions are playing heavily into the betting markets as well as my Jaguars vs. Falcons predictions and NFL picks for August 23.
Jaguars vs Falcons prediction
My best betJaguars -7 (-110 at FanDuel)
My analysis
It’s been a productive preseason for the Jacksonville Jaguars despite Trevor Lawrence playin…
The last three meetings between Leicester and Manchester United at the King Power have been about stepping closer to glory – two Premier League duels where qualification for the Champions League was on the line, and a FA Cup quarter-final in March – but this one is more about getting back on the right track after stuttering starts to their seasons. Injuries in defence should harden both teams’ commitment to attack; this has the ingredients for a goal-fest. Paul Doyle
Saturday 3pm
Venue King Power Stadium
Last season Leicester 2 Manchester United 2
Referee Craig Pawson
This season G5 Y16 R1 3.4 cards/game
Odd…
Defeat was a disaster, but it was the aftermath that made international headlines: Milan’s players and manager silently facing their supporters in the away section of Spezia’s Stadio Alberto Picco while one fan addressed them with a monologue. There were no TV microphones close enough to listen in but bowed heads and solemn expressions made it appear as an act of submission: disobedient students being scolded by a master.
Those present told it differently. “What happened beneath the Curva was something positive,” said Stefano Pioli. “They were only motivating us, pushing us to give our all.” The defender Simon Kjær echoed that sentiment, adding: “Our fans have surprised me in lots of good ways since we won the league. They hav…