The EFL Championship playoff final took centre stage this weekend, with Aston Villa defeating Derby County to secure a return to the English Premier League after three seasons away, while there were mixed fortunes for Africa’s stars as Serie A and Ligue 1 were concluded. No Championship side has leaned as heavily on African talent
Football
Gab Marcotti feels Ernesto Valverde’s inability to adjust his side when the opposition catches Barcelona off guard should be a cause for concern. ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop weighs up who will stay and who will go at Barcelona following their UEFA Champions League exit against Liverpool. The FC crew dissect the midfield and attacking issues
Steve Nicol says it’s tragic for Henrikh Mkhitaryan to be forced to miss out on the Europa League final in Baku due to safety concerns. UEFA has insisted that there are no concerns with Baku as a Euro 2020 host city despite the issues surrounding Wednesday’s Europa League final between Arsenal and Chelsea. European football’s
Aston Villa are back in the Premier League after a three-year absence thanks to a 2-1 win over Frank Lampard’s Derby County at Wembley Stadium. Aston Villa earned promotion back to the top tier of English football with a 2-1 victory over Derby County in the playoff final. Steve Nicol says that Dean Smith’s ability
Inter held on to the last Champions League spot while Empoli slipped into the relegation zone in a frantic 2-1 win for the Nerazzurri at the San Siro. ESPN FC’s Gab Marcotti zeroes in on Inter’s late drama against Empoli and Atalanta’s ‘unreal’ season after both sides secured Champions League spots. Paolo Bandini joins the
Keisuke Honda hints at Melbourne Victory exit as he looks forward to the 2020 Olympics. Sydney FC held their nerve in a penalty shootout to beat Perth Glory in the A-League Grand Final. Outgoing Bayern Munch winger Franck Ribery leaves the door open to joining former Bayern Munich star Markus Babbel at the Wanderers. A-League
The pair had been rivals for many years. First competing for the Ligue 1 Golden Boot award, but also for a few seasons as part of one of the biggest derbies in French football, Lyon vs. Saint-Etienne. It was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang vs. Alexandre Lacazette or Lacazette vs. Aubameyang. Opponents first and foremost, but also nice
USMNT’s Gregg Berhalter praises the Mexican Federation for their success in CONCACAF and says they’ve set the benchmark for MLS and U.S. Soccer. ESPN FC’s Ale Moreno breaks down Carlos Vela’s rocky relationship with the Mexico national team after announcing he won’t play in the 2019 Gold Cup. Mexico and PSV Eindhoven winger Hirving Lozano
ESPN FC’s Shaka Hislop looks at a few reported Man United young transfer targets, headlined by Fulham midfielder Ryan Sessegnon. United States international Matthew Olosunde is set to leave Manchester United this summer, sources have told ESPN FC. The 21-year-old, who arrived at Old Trafford from New York Red Bulls in January 2016, is looking
11:52 AM ET Aston Villa returned to the Premier League as goals from Anwar El Ghazi and John McGinn earned a 2-1 victory over Frank Lampard’s Derby side in the Championship playoff final at Wembley Stadium. El Ghazi made the breakthrough when he diverted in a cross just before the break, and McGinn capitalised on