Why West Ham's victory over Freiburg is huge for Premier League clubs
Premier League
Why West Ham's victory over Freiburg is huge for Premier League clubs
West Ham thumped Freiburg 5-0 on Thursday to advance to the Europa League quarter-final
Victory could have huge ramifications on next season's Champions League
Bundesliga sides could suffer as a result
By Tom Gott
9:30 AM GMT
West Ham did the Premier League a huge favour
West Ham did the Premier League a huge favour / Julian Finney/GettyImages
West Ham United's emphatic victory over Freiburg on Thursday evening handed the Premier League a huge boost in the race for an extra Champions League spot next season.
The Champions League will change format next season and there will be room for extra clubs in the competition, with UEFA handing out that additional qualification spot to the two countries whose teams perform best in Europe this season.
Currently, Italy sit top of UEFA's coefficient rankings, with Serie A likely to receive an extra team in next season's Champions League as a result, and West Ham's 5-0 triumph over Freiburg has boosted the Premier League's chances of receiving an additional spot as well.
Germany's Bundesliga currently holds second place in the rankings but, with just three teams left in Europe - Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen - they are unlikely to extend their lead over England, who still have five teams across Europe's three competitions.
Manchester City and Arsenal are flying the English flag in the Premier League, with Liverpool and West Ham in the Europa League. Aston Villa are still going strong in the Europa Conference League as well.
Edson Alvarez, Maximilian Eggestein
The Premier League could benefit from West Ham's win / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages
England's coefficient is likely to rise above Germany's before the end of the season, meaning the Premier League is expected to be handed a fifth automatic Champions League spot.
Arsenal, Liverpool and City appear set to battle it out for the top three places in the Premier League but the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and West Ham may now have two Champions League places to be fighting for, rather than just one.
Further down the table, an extra Champions League spot would also open a new route to either the Europa League or Conference League.
The teams that finish sixth and seventh in the Premier League could end up qualifying for the Europa League, while eighth could sneak into the Conference League - a huge boost for Chelsea as they seek to claw their way back into European competition.
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3 reasons why Barcelona can win the Champions League
Barcelona beat Napoli in the round of 16
They've made the quarter-finals for the first time since 2020
Xavi's team an win the Champions League this year
By Jack Gallagher
7:00 AM GMT
Good enough to win it all?
Good enough to win it all? / Nicolò Campo/GettyImages
The 2023/24 season hasn't been a particularly good one for Barcelona.
After securing their first La Liga title in four years during the 2022/23 campaign, La Blaugrana have largely struggled to re-find both the defensive and offensive form which earned domestic dominance. What's more, Xavi has decided to leave this coming summer.
But, despite domestic struggles, Barca have generally been quite good in Europe, booking their place in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the first time since 2020 as a result.
So, can they actually win the whole thing? We've taken a look at the reasons why they can.
1. Robert Lewandowski
Robert Lewandowski
Back in form / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages
At the tail-end of 2023, after a run of three goals in 15 Barca games it's fair to say the Robert Lewandowski looked a bit washed. Since the turn of the year, however, he has been back to his brilliant best.
The forward has started to do what he does better than most footballers in the world again: score goals. A lot of them.
His two goals against Napoli in the round of 16 were the reason Barca progressed to the quarter-finals, and due to his penchant for scoring in big games, we're expecting to bag a few more crucial goals in the latter stages of the competition.
2. La Masia graduates
Lamine Yamal
Young superstar / Jonathan Moscrop/GettyImages
While other clubs maybe get one generational talent coming through their youth academy every ten years or so, Barcelona are seemingly churning out two a season right now.
And the latest graduates may be the best in quite a long time.
In 17-year-old Pau Cubarsi, Barca have a defender capable of starting - and looking at home - in knockout round games of the Champions League.
In 16-year-old Lamine Yamal, Barca have the most exciting offensive talent arguably seen since Lionel Messi burst onto the scene 20 years ago.
3. Playing Andreas Christensen as a holding midfielder
Andreas Christensen
Playing well / Alex Caparros/GettyImages
Barcelona's midfield has been depleted by injuries to Frenkie de Jong, Pedri and Gavi, and yet they look as solid as ever in the middle of the park. It tells you all you need to know about Andreas Christensen's recent performances.
The ex-Chelsea man seems to have found a new home at the heart of Barca's midfield, providing a solid base which has allowed the offensive players to concentrate on their duties in the final third.
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FIRST LOOK AT REAL MADRID’S STUNNING NEW 360-DEGREE BERNABÉU SCOREBOARD
March 15, 2024
The first photos of the stunning new LED scoreboard set to be introduced to the home ground of La Liga giants Real Madrid have come to the fore online.
And, safe to say, regular visitors to the Santiago Bernabéu will no doubt be more than excited with what’s in store.
It is of course common knowledge that the Bernabéu is currently undergoing a big-money redevelopment programme, set to be unveiled later this year.
Amongst the most noteworthy features will be a new-look facade, a retractable roof and pitch, an access tunnel, a new stand and, as alluded to above, a 360-degree video scoreboard.
Pictures of several elements of Real’s remarkable new home have long begun to surface online, giving rise to widespread anticipation across the Blancos’ fanbase.
And as much is no doubt set to mount ever further, upon such supporters feasting their eyes on the latest round of Bernabéu photos, courtesy of ‘rgguti’ on X, showcased below:
Santiago Bernabéu’s new 360 degree LED scoreboard. @rgguti 🤩⏳ pic.twitter.com/7u4paT9wjE
— Madrid Zone (@theMadridZone) March 14, 2024
Conor Laird | GSFN
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Transfers
Football transfer rumours: Man City postpone De Bruyne talks; Man Utd to rival Tottenham for Werner
Manchester United set their asking price for Mason Greenwood
Arsenal & Liverpool to battle for Bundesliga striker Omar Marmoush
Plus updates on Jadon Sancho, Leny Yoro, Pau Cubarsi & more
By 90min Staff
9:10 AM GMT
De Bruyne & Werner headline the gossip
De Bruyne & Werner headline the gossip / Michael Regan | Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images
90min rounds up the latest transfer news, rumours and gossip circulating around the world...
Manchester City have decided to postpone contract talks with midfielder Kevin De Bruyne until the end of the season. The Belgian is expected to receive a significant offer from Saudi Arabia this summer. (Football Insider)
Borussia Dortmund are prepared to make a £35m bid to sign Jadon Sancho permanently after his loan from Manchester United expires. (The Sun)
Also leaving Man Utd could be striker Mason Greenwood, with the Red Devils setting an asking price of £43m. (MARCA - Spain)
Arsenal and Liverpool have joined the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush, who has long been of interest to Tottenham Hotspur. (BILD - Germany)
Real Madrid's pursuit of Lille centre-back Leny Yoro has been complicated by interest from Chelsea, who see the 18-year-old as a potential replacement for Thiago Silva. (Standard)
Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino has interest from across Europe. Barcelona are keen to land the Spain international, who has a €60m release clause in his contract, while Arsenal and Man Utd have also tracked Merino. (Fichajes - Spain)
Fulham are preparing a bumper contract offer to centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo to try and stop the 26-year-old, who has been linked with Liverpool, from leaving on a free transfer this summer. (Mail)
Leny Yoro
Chelsea are chasing Yoro / Franco Arland/GettyImages
Tottenham will look to sign Timo Werner permanently at the end of his loan spell but will face competition from Manchester United, who have been impressed with the forward's impact back in England. (Fichajes - Spain)
Arsenal, Chelsea and Man Utd are all keeping tabs on Barcelona centre-back Pau Cubarsi, whose current contract includes a release clause worth around £8m. (SPORT - Spain)
Bayern Munich are interested in signing AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan as they look for Manuel Neuer's long-term successor. (DiMarzio - Italy)
In their search for a new left-back, Chelsea have added Wolves' Rayan Ait-Nouri, Brest's Bradley Locko and Gladbach's Luca Netz to their shortlist. (Simon Phillips)
West Ham United are the latest side to express interest in Lille striker Jonathan David ahead of the summer window. (HITC)
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