Best Odds: 1/2

Bookmaker:

Japan take on Paraguay in their final warm-up friendly ahead of the World Cup on Tuesday night. The Japanese are polishing form for the opening test against Colombia and will look to gain a valuable insight fighting against another South American country.

Japan

With only three days until the ball gets rolling at the World Cup, Japan national side are performing the final preparations before they kick off the Russian campaign next Tuesday. A week before their first match at the World Cup, the Japanese are playing their final prep game at the Stadion Tivoli in Innsbruck.

The Samurai Blue will be hoping to improve their form following a disheartening 2-0 defeat at the hands of Switzerland on Friday. Akira Nishino’s men have be…

Manchester City s head of academy coaching Jason Wilcox believes the club has an unrivalled quarry of young talent and is adamant Pep Guardiola will soon be spoilt for choice.

Sheikh Mansour pledged to build a football club set on developing for the future when he bought City in 2008 and almost two years on from the completion of their £200 million City Football Academy, things are starting to take shape.

Numerous young players have made their debuts since the facility s opening in December 2014 and former England international Wilcox feels City are well on their way to creating a dynasty built around kids developed within the club.

I m not someone who gets carried away, but I have never seen anything like the talent we have at this academy, Wilcox told The Mir…

New signing Leny Yoro trudged off injured as Manchester United lost 2-1 to Arsenal in a pre-season friendly at SoFi Stadium.

Teenage defender Yoro, signed for big money from Lille earlier this month, suffered an injury in the first half on Saturday.

So too did Rasmus Hojlund, who had put United ahead against their Premier League rivals in the 10th minute.

United s lead lasted only 15 minutes before Gabriel Jesus drew Arsenal level.

And the Gunners grabbed the winner nine minutes from time when Gabriel Martinelli got the better of youngster James Scanlon.

United did, however, win a pre-arranged penalty shootout at full-time. Jadon Sancho scored the winning spot-kick in a 4-3 victory.

Beaten on the night but important pre-season minutes for …

Carlo Ancelotti was not put out by Manchester City being named the team of the year in Monday s Ballon d Or ceremony, saying last season s Champions League glory is proof of Real Madrid s standing.

Madrid finished third in the votes for the team award, despite winning LaLiga and the Champions League last season.

Liverpool finished as runners-up behind City, as they did in the Premier League. The Reds also lost to Madrid in the Champions League final, but won the EFL Cup and FA Cup last term. Indeed, Los Blancos also beat Pep Guardiola s side en route to winning their 14th European crown.

Ancelotti, though, insists Madrid – who won the Super Cup in August and are top of LaLiga after defeating Barcelona in Sunday s Clasico – are still the best.

He said …

Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca has emphasised the need to make adjustments to his side s defence as he looks to eradicate some bad habits.

The Blues conceded 63 goals last season, which was more than any other side that finished in the top six.

They have leaked goals during this pre-season too, with four conceded in losses to both Celtic and Manchester City, before they went down 2-1 to Real Madrid in their final friendly of their U.S. tour on Tuesday.

And Maresca is aware of the changes that have to be made to avert the issue, mainly concerning the line of defence.

He said: One of my first meetings with the squad was about the amount of goals we conceded last year with the defensive line very high.

We are not working on defensive lines so high.…

Giorgio Chiellini bowed out of international football and warned a difficult period awaited Italy as Roberto Mancini bids to get the Azzurri back on track.

The joy of winning last year s delayed Euro 2020 tournament has been replaced by rapid deflation after Italy failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Having also missed out on the Russia 2018 finals, falling short of a place at Qatar 2022 represented crushing disappointment for the four-time winners.

Chiellini, the 37-year-old defensive titan who is leaving Juventus and expected to join Los Angeles FC, has called time on his Italy career.

He played the first half on Wednesday in a 3-0 defeat to Argentina at Wembley, in a match tagged as the Finalissima, a clash of the champions of Europe and South America.…

West Ham have confirmed the permanent signing of Alphonse Areola from Paris Saint-Germain after the goalkeeper impressed during a loan spell at the London Stadium last season.

Areola kept eight clean sheets in 18 games for West Ham during the 2021-22 campaign, including 11 appearances during the Irons run to the Europa League semi-finals.

David Moyes side will play in Europe again next term, having qualified for the Europa Conference League by finishing seventh in the Premier League, and have moved to consolidate their goalkeeping options with the permanent acquisition of the 29-year-old.

Having signed a five-year contract with an option for a further season, Areola told the club s website: I feel good, I feel great, I m happy to sign and happy to stay here per…

Ernesto Valverde would not be drawn on reports Barcelona are planning to move for Paris Saint-Germain s wantaway midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

The France international, who declined a place on the Les Bleus standby list for the World Cup, has pulled out of contract talks with the Ligue 1 champions and looks set to leave when his contract expires at the end of the season.

PSG sporting director Antero Henrique said the 23-year-old was indefinitely benched after the breakdown in negotiations and suggested Barca had made a disrespectful proposal for Rabiot.

The midfielder s agent and mother Veronique denied being in contact with any other club and stated he was buying his freedom by refusing to renew.

Barca have already made one signing, with Jeison Murillo join…

Wolves have completed the signing of Olympiacos winger Daniel Podence for a reported fee of £17million.

The 24-year-old, who can operate on either flank, has put pen to paper on a four-and-a-half-year deal with the Premier League club.

Podence will be reunited with former Portugal Under-21 team-mates Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota at Molineux.

With five goals and as many assists in 27 Champions League appearances, Podence is determined to feature for Wolves in Europe s premier club competition.

P O D E N C E I S H E R E

— Wolves (@Wolves)

I m very excited. It was always a childhood dream of mine to play in the Premier League and I look at this achievement as a dream come true, he told the club s official website.

Wolves are a te…

As his contract with Tottenham Hotspur draws to its end, Jan Vertonghen is keeping all options open.

Having spent a year on loan at RKC Waalwijk, the defender set to turn 33 in a few days played for Ajax before his move to North London in 2012. Since then, he has made 311 appearances in all competitions in a Spurs shirt so far, scoring 14 goals. His contract is due to expire this summer, and though there has been talk of a new one, it hasn t been agreed yet.

Speaking to Play Sports Kot this week in an interview picked up by , Vertonghen refused to rule out signing a new deal and staying put, but he could also join another European club. The 118-time capped Belgium international finds playing for his national team important.

He would like to learn a new language …