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Ahead of England's upcoming world cup qualifiers, let's take a look at some of England's most memorable moments at this stage of the competition. There' heroic defending against Italy, late drama against Greece and a memorable night in Munich. Keep reading for more memories Italy 0 - 0 England - Qualification for France 98 is secured England only needed a point from their final match to qualify for the following summer's World Cup. Easier said than done when that final match is Italy away.  A battling and sometimes heroic display from the Three Lions earned them a 0-0 draw and qualification was secured. Not a lot of flair from the attacking players but the point was well deserved. Watch some of the highlights from the game in the video below. Germany 1 - 5 England - Even Heskey scored Germany had beaten England at the start of the end of the qualifying campaign. A disappointing end to the reign of Kevin Keegan and an awful way to say goodbye to the old Wembley S

With Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Manchester United instead of signing for Manchester City, Greater Manchester Football have taken a look at some of the most shocking transfers involving Manchester United and Manchester City.  We also explore some other controversial signings.  Carlos Tevez to Manchester City in 2009 This was a strange one. Tevez had spent the previous two seasons at Old Trafford, where he won the Premier League twice and the Champions League in 2008.  The Argentinian had claimed he was never offered a new contract at United. He was the latest signing to join the ongoing revolution across the city.  City announced the transfer with this cheeky poster. How good was Carlos Tevez at Manchester City? Click here to find more news from across Greater Manchester More Manchester City news can be found here Michael Owen to Manchester United in 2009 The former Liverpool striker  signed for United  in 2009 after being released by recently relegated Newcastle United. It was

Premier League champions Manchester City will face Paris St-Germain, RB Leipzig and Club Bruges in the Champions League group stage. 2021 winners Chelsea will come up against Serie A side Juventus, Russian club Zenit St Petersburg and Swedish side Malmo. Manchester United face Villarreal, who beat them in the 2021 Europa League final. They will also play Italian club Atalanta and the Swiss side Young Boys. Liverpool are in a tough group that features Atletico Madrid, Porto and AC Milan. Social media reaction It has to be argued that out of all the English teams, Manchester United will probably be the happiest. They will be wanting to improve on their last Champions League campaign where they knocked out at the Group Stages. More Manchester United news from Greater Manchester Football.  🏆 Our completed #UCL group looks like this... What do you reckon, Reds? 👊 #MUFC | #UCLdraw — Manchester United (@ManUtd) August 26, 2021 Chelsea will also be relatively happy with their draw desp

Real Madrid and Levante played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in La Liga The game saw Gareth Bale's first La Liga goal since 2019 and an outfield player end up in goal. The Wales legend scored from Karim Benzema's pass but Roger Marti levelled 28 seconds after the restart. ⚽️🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 | Gareth Bale opens the scoring for Real Madrid against Levante this evening. A first goal of the season for the Cymru captain 🙌 [🎥 @PremierSportsTV ] pic.twitter.com/YIwZ7yhV7d — welshfootie (@welshfootie) August 22, 2021  Jose Campana volleyed Levante ahead but Vinicius Jr levelled. Rober Pier put Levante back into the lead but Vinicius made it 3-3 with a clever finish before Levante goalkeeper Aitor Fernandez was later sent off. Wild weekend gets wilder... Levante keeper sent off, outfield player about to go in goal... minutes to go (but imagine plenty of time added on) and it's still 3-3 against Real Madrid — Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) August 22, 2021 He dashed twenty yards outs

PSG were without a number of superstars including Lionel Messi and Neymar. They still had more than enough for Brest as they made it three wins out of three to top Ligue 1. Ander Herrera's scored a volley and a Kylian Mbappe added header put to PSG in control before Franck Honorat pulled a goal back. Other stories from our network Idrissa Gueye then fired in from way out, but PSG's opponents refused to lie down with Steve Mounie side-footing in. Another former Manchester United player in Angel di Maria then decided the contest for good with a cracking lob. Click here for more football news Despite all those absentees, Pochettino's squad still featured still included a host of stars including Mbappe, Achraf Hakimi, Giorginio Wijnaldum and Marco Verratti. PSG fans in the stadium and on Twitter were clearly happy with the result.  Their next game is against Reims, will Lionel Messi make his debut?  ❤️💙 #WeAreParis pic.twitter.com/zgvGThjhJt — Paris Saint-Germain (@PSG

Celtic's recent great form continued as they took a huge step towards the next stage of Europa League  after a pulsating victory against AZ Alkmaar. You can see all the highlights in the video below. Kyogo Furuhashi scored from Tom Rogic's fantastic cross to open the scoring in the first half and make it six goals in six games since signing for Celtic. In the second half. Kyogo teed up James Forrest, whose deflected effort reached the back of the net.  The fantastic football on show brought about a great atmosphere from the Celtic fans. They will be hoping to comfortably secure their passage to the Group Stage in the next round.  Celtic fans singing You’ll Never Walk Alone before kick off tonight pic.twitter.com/N12NYGGquK — Fitba Culture 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 (@fitbaculture) August 18, 2021 We played some outstanding football. Wee man from Japan scored the opener followed by Jimmy Forrest. Wizard of Oz superb. Joe Heart another Clean Sheet. Paradise Rockin Green Brigade on ful

Rangers crashed out of the Champions League after losing to 10-man Malmo at Ibrox. The 2021 Scottish Premiership champions levelled the  tie on aggregate with Alfredo Morelos's goal, and at times looked well placed when Malmo's Bonke Innocent was sent off before half-time. Antonio Colak then changed the outcome of the when  he scored two goals in four minutes early in the second half. Despite dominating the ball and creating a fistful of chances, Rangers were unable to respond. For Rangers, a Europa League play-off awaits against Kazakhstan's Kairat Almaty or Alashkert of Armenia. More football news can be found here You can see and listen to Steven Gerrard's reaction in the video below. Gerrard added: "The most frustrating part is we've lost the second half to 10 men. To be 1-0 up and then go 2-1 down, a bit of fear and panic set in. We've got the second-half performance wrong and that's on all of us. "We've lost three games out of four and,

It has been announced that Lionel Messi's time at Barcelona is over.  At 16 years, four months, and 23 days old, Messi made his first team debut when he came on in the 75th minute during a friendly against José Mourinho's Porto in November 2003. His career has been extraordinary. Let's take a look at some of his best moments.        April 18, 2007 Messi emulates fellow Diego Maradona with this amazing goal, ghosting through half of Getafe’s side while his teammates could only watch in awe. It was at this time when people started to talk about him being one of the world's best. How good is this goal? See Messi at his best by watching the video below. Some have argued that this is his best goal.  OTD in 2007 📅 Lionel Messi did his best Diego Maradona impression v Getafe 🐐 His best ever goal? 🤔 #FCB pic.twitter.com/vuiZgDmFPh — GiveMeSport Football (@GMS__Football) April 18, 2019 May 2, 2009  Messi scores twice in a 6-2 thrashing of Real Madrid at the Bernabeu i

Celtic's Champions League hopes ended in the second qualifying round for the second consecutive year as they were beaten in extra time by Denmark's Midtjylland. Defensive frailties cost them again as Awer Mabil levelled before Onyedika pounced to leave Celtic floored and bound for the Europa League. Former Celtic forward Chris Sutton spoke on Premier Sports about the result and performance.  This is what the fans are saying: One Celtic fan on the Green Brigade forum gave his thoughts on a poor night for Celtic. Many other Celtic to various other forums and social media platforms to criticise the overall running of the club. Many fans were upset that they didn't win the magical 'Ten In A Row' and this anger has built-up into the new season.  No leadership on the park. McGregor is never a Celtic captain. We need two experienced hard men in the middle of the park. Ferguson and Mooy would do the trick. Bain was very good. No.1 goalkeeper now. Edouard should be sold now.

Jadon Sancho had some great seasons playing in the Bundesliga. Let's have a look at some of his best moments and get Manchester United fans very excited. During his time at Borussia Dortmund, he scored 50 goals in 137 appearances. Sancho signed for Dortmund in August 2017 for a fee reported to be around £8 million and was immediately included in the first-team squad. Sancho later stated that he felt confident in making the move abroad due to his previous experiences in relocating with Watford and Manchester City. More Manchester City news can be found here Sancho made his debut for the club against Eintracht Frankfurt on 21 October, coming on as a substitute with six minutes left of the match, becoming the first Englishman to play a Bundesliga match for them. The video below takes a look at some of his best moments during that first season. During his last two seasons at the club, he scored 35 goals in just over 80 appearances. It was at the of this period where he won the second

Manager Postecoglou received a decent welcome from a 9,000 crowd as Celtic played a competitive game in front of their fans for the first time since March 2020 More Champions League stories from Greater Manchester Football After the match, Postecoglou gave his verdict after the 1-1 draw in the 1st leg. Liel Abada gave Celtic a first-half lead but were down to ten men after Nir Bitton was sent off.   Midtjylland were level after da Silva Ferreira scored on the 66th minute. Midtjylland winger was also sent off in the second half, meaning that both teams finished with ten men. The return leg will take place next Wednesday in Denmark. The winners face a potentially tough next round against either PSV Eindhoven or Galatasaray in the third qualifying round.  More reaction from Celtic fans One Celtic fan on YouTube said: "I think this was an excellent performance by the Bhoys tonight, considering before the game. "I was doubtful that we would get any type of result at all, since w

Paul Pogba, Dele Alli and Kemar Roofe are all in the running Who else is? Porto's Mehdi Taremi goal v Chelsea ultimately meant nothing but it was a stunning strike. The spectacular 93rd-minute overhead kick gave Porto a 1-0 win in their quarter-final second leg. Chelsea advanced 2-1 on aggregate on their way to winning the Champions League. Pogba's stunning finish from outside the box for France against Switzerland at Euro 2020 is among 10 nominees for the prize. The goal gave France a 3-1 lead on the night. If only it had finished like that... Roofe's goal from the halfway line in a Europa League group game with Standard Liege on 22 October 2020 features. Alli's bicycle kick against Wolfsberger in the same competition on 24 February also makes the 2020-21 list. This was the highlight of a fairly poor season for Ali.  One female player makes the list - Bayern Munich's Sarah Zadrazil for her finish against Chelsea in the Champions League. You can view all the goa

England's hopes of ending a 55-year wait for a major trophy are crushed in heartbreaking fashion as they lose 3-2 on penalties to Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley. A truly memorable tournament ended in heartbreak for England and Gareth Southgate On a night of incredible tension that was played amongst a feverish atmosphere, England looked on course for their most joyous day since the 1966 World Cup final when Luke Shaw gave them the dream start after only two minutes. Italy eventually edged their way back into the game and were level in the 67th minute when Leonardo Bonucci pounced after England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford turned Marco Verratti's header on to a post. Read, listen & watch: Euro 2020 final. The story of a crazy day After a stressful period of extra time where both teams failed to find a winner, it was on to the relative lottery of penalties. It was ultimately bitter disappointment for England manager Gareth Southgate and his players, who had gone i

It has been reported that Barcelona’s finances are in such a mess that they can’t even register new signings Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia, Sergio Aguero, and Emerson yet.  The same goes for Lionel Messi and his new two-year contract. More Barcelona news Barca apparently now need to cut the wage bill by €200 million to comply with a league salary cap and to be able to register the new signings. Many players have already left, but more departures are needed. The players that Barca are desperate to get rid of are Samuel Umtiti, Miralem Pjanic, and Philippe Coutinho. However, they are struggling to find any takers because of the wages involved. It is believed that they want to sell Antoine Griezmann, while stories persist that PSG and Manchester City being keen on Messi seem to be on the way back. Greater Manchester Football have already explored the possibility of Messi signing for Manchester City. Whatever happens over the next few weeks, next season could prove to be a difficult one for

A match caught in the middle of that wonderful afternoon against the Dutch and the ultimate heartbreak of the semi-final defeat against Germany.  The video below contains a clip of the fans arriving at Wembley for the Euro 96 quarter final against Spain.  In the build up to the game England's fans were  infuriated by reports that the Spanish manager Javier  Clemente had said that his team would be playing against a crowd of "seventy  thousand drunks." The match itself  England beat Spain 4-2 on penalties to move into the semi-finals. You can read a match report here and watch the highlights below.  It was certainly a nervy day but England progressed and most people were smiling at Wembley. There was a small matter of a match against Germany to come next.  Read more news from Euro 2020 at Greater Manchester Football

Nobby Stiles played for England for five years, winning 28 caps and scoring one goal. He played every minute of England's 1966 FIFA World Cup campaign.  The last and only time they won a major tournament. Can they repeat the fate in 2020? You certainly won't see any players like Stiles this summer.  In the semi-final of the 1966 World Cup against Portugal, he was given the job of marking Eusébio. His incredible performance resulted in Eusébio being nullified for most of game. Stiles then played in the final, which England won 4–2 against West Germany.  His post-match jig and dance at Wembley, holding the famous World Cup trophy in one hand and his false teeth in the other, was widely broadcast. It has also been referenced in a fairly popular song... Stiles spent the majority of his club career for Manchester United , spending 11 years at Old Trafford, where he became renowned for his tough tackling and ball-winning qualities. He was crucial in United's success during the

As England prepare for their quarter final, we take a look back at some of the recent (and not so recent) encounters between the two countries. Head to GreaterManchesterfootball.blogspot.com for more Euros news! 10 Sep 2013: Ukraine 0-0 England – World Cup qualifying The last meeting between the two countries was a rather dull and uneventful qualifier.  11 Sep 2012: England 1-1 Ukraine – World Cup qualifying (Lampard) (Konoplyanka) 19 Jun 2012: England 1-0 Ukraine – Euro 2012 (Rooney) 10 Oct 2009: Ukraine 1-0 England – World Cup qualifying (Nazarenko) This was Ukraine's first win over England. Then managed by Fabio Capello, England rested several players due to the already qualifying for the World Cup 01 Apr 2009: England 2-1 Ukraine – World Cup qualifying (Crouch. Terry) (Shevchenko) 18 Aug 2004: England 3-0 Ukraine – Friendly (Beckham, Owen, Wright-Phillips) 31 May 2000: England 2-0 Ukraine – Friendly (Fowler, Adams) The first meeting between the two countries. They only beco

All the news and social media posts from England's game against Germany Did you the 1966 World Cup final was the last team that England beat Germany in a competitive match at Wembley? This previously article looks at some of the other memorable encounters between the two countries.  Social media coverage Check out the #EngGer hashtag on Twitter to see all the latest tweets and discussion points from the match.  Click the picture below to see all the latest posts from an England perspective.  Y ou can also click here for all the latest Germany tweets.  Or how about loads more reaction from our friends at Greater Manchester Football.

There's been some memorable encounters between these two countries, let's take a look at some of the best. 1966 World Cup Final - England 4 - 2 Germany Do we need to say more? England's only major success at an international football tournament. They won the match 4-2 after extraordinary World Cup final that went into Extra Time. 1990 World Cup Semi Final - Germany beat England on penalties after the match finished 1-1 Penalty heartbreak for England. A familiar story. This was the closest England got to success since that triumph in 1966. If you'd forgotten what happened in this enthralling encounter, watch some highlights below. Euro 96 Semi Final - Germany beat England on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley Ir wasn't meant to end like that. Everyone thought football was coming but England lost on penalties again. Germany went onto win the competition and England spent the rest of the summer wondering 'what if'. Last year, The Guardian took a look bac

Ahead of England v Scotland in Euro 2020, let's have a look at some memorable moments from previous matches Paul Gascoigne at Euro 96  This goal at Euro 96 captured Gazza's genius: He knew exactly what he wanted to do with the pass. People still post on social media about this wonderful moment. In the build up to England v Scotland's game at Euro 2020, many fans are urging Phil Foden to recreate this iconic celebration.  More Euros news from Greater Manchester Football Leigh Griffiths free kick double at Hampden Park - 2017 A memorable game that saw Leigh Griffiths score two free kicks before Harry Kane scored a late equaliser for England. It was ultimately heartbreak for Scotland and relief for England and their fans. Scotland invade Wembley in 1977 The British Home Championship was an annual football competition contested between the United Kingdom's four national teams.  The 76/77 Championship came down to the final game between England and Scotland at Wembley on 4