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MAHREZ STUNNER GIVES MANCITY PRESEASON WIN OVER PRESTON

A stunning free kick from Riyad Mahrez helped a depleted Manchester City side beat Preston North End 2-0 in their first preseason friendly of the summer.

Mahrez, one of only a handful of senior players available to Pep Guardiola following the European Championships and the Copa America, opened the scoring in the first half against the Championship side before 18-year-old Sam Edozie added a second after the break.

Ruben Dias, Joao Cancelo and Nathan Ake only returned to training on Monday, but were immediately thrown back into action by Guardiola as part of a back four which also included Benjamin Mendy.

Fernandinho and Mahrez also started at City’s academy stadium alongside a host of youngsters including exciting winger Morgan Rogers. Mahrez gave City the lead in the 25th minute with a curling free-kick from 25 yards which was too good for Preston goalkeeper Connor Ripley.

Edozie, on as a substitute at half-time as Guardiola made 10 changes, doubled City’s advantage after a slick move after 64 minutes. An otherwise comfortable evening for City was soured late on when 18-year-old goalkeeper Cieran Slicker was forced off on a stretcher after a collision with Tom Bayliss.

City are set to play Barnsley at the CFA on Saturday after a planned trip to France to face Troyes had to be cancelled because of quarantine issues surrounding their return to the UK.

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RAPHAEL VARANE SET FOR MAN UNITED MEDICALS AFTER REAL AGREE DEAL FOR FRENCH DEFENDER

Raphael Varane will reportedly undergo his medical tests in a couple of days, which will then make his move from Real Madrid to Manchester United a formality.

According to reputed Italian journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, Manchester United are moving closer and closer to secure the services of Raphael Varane in the summer transfer window. The Real Madrid defender is pencilled in for his medical with the Premier League heavyweights, which will be conducted in two days.

Raphael Varane is bringing a glittering decade-long stint with Real Madrid to a close, with the Frenchman winning every single trophy at club level with Los Blancos. During his stint, the 28-year-old has turned out 360 times for the Merengues while chipping in with 17 goals and seven assists.

However, it had been speculated for a long time that Varane was keen on embarking on a new challenge this summer while he was still at the peak of his powers. To that end, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain have been heavily linked with the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner, with the Red Devils prevailing in the race to sign him.

At Manchester United, the need of the hour has been to sign a reliable long-term partner for captain Harry Maguire following the blow hot blow cold displays of Victor Lindelof. With the Swede also struggling with a niggling back issue last term, in addition to the fitness issues that have plagued Eric Bailly, it became imperative that the English giants signed a centre-back.

To that end, Manchester United were heavily linked with a gamut of central defenders early in the summer before they zeroed in on Varane after sensing there was a real opportunity to sign him. And in the week gone by, Manchester United have come within whiskers of securing the services of the Real Madrid defender.

The much sought-after “Here We Go” was delivered by Fabrizio Romano on Monday and Gianluca Di Marzio has further revealed that Varane’s medical with Manchester United is set to be conducted in two days. Further, it has been revealed that a €50 million fee has been agreed between the Red Devils and Real Madrid.

In some additional information from the reliable David Ornstein, the Premier League heavyweights have agreed a four-year deal with Varane. The deal is nothing short of a coup for Manchester United, who are signing a world class defender while he is still at his peak. What now remains to be seen is if Varane can continue to garner success at club level after leaving Real Madrid for Manchester United.

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REAL MADRID BEGINS PRESEASON WITH DEFEAT AT RANGERS

Real Madrid began their preseason campaign with a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Scottish champions Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.

Steven Gerrard’s side came back from a goal behind to win the game through second-half goals from Fashion Sakala and Cedric Itten.

Carlo Ancelotti’s team took the lead after eight minutes through a Rodrygo strike but struggled to find form throughout the 90 minutes without their star players available.

Madrid also finished the game with 10 men after defender Nacho was shown a straight red card in 75th minute, moments before Rangers took the lead.

The Spanish giants were without new signing David Alaba, Gareth Bale, Marcelo, Toni Kroos and Raphael Varane who stayed back in Madrid to train.

Madrid will be hopeful of a better performance when they face AC Milan in their next friendly on Aug. 8.

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TOKYO OLYMPICS: ANDY MURRAY FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM MEN’S SINGLES DUE TO THIGH STRAIN

Andy Murray’s bid for a third straight Olympic singles gold medal ended before it began when he withdrew ahead of his first match with a minor thigh strain.

The Scot had been due to take on ninth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada on Sunday but was replaced on the order of play by Australian Max Purcell.

Murray had been upbeat about his prospects after an excellent doubles victory with Joe Salisbury on Saturday but experienced tightness in his quad muscle and was advised not to try to compete in both events.

Murray and Salisbury’s form on Saturday, when they defeated French Open champions Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Nicolas Mahut, suggested they could be medal contenders.

The three-time grand slam champion said: “I am really disappointed at having to withdraw but the medical staff have advised me against playing in both events, so I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the singles and focus on playing doubles with Joe.”

Murray is the only tennis player ever to win back-to-back singles gold medals, and it appears highly likely his last chance to add to that haul has now gone.

Speaking after his doubles victory on Saturday, Murray had said: “I do like the conditions here in terms of how the court plays and everything.

“Obviously not an easy one against Felix but I’ve played well in the practice sets and the practice matches that I’ve had and obviously today was a good one for the confidence. I think I’ll be all right.”

But this is yet another physical setback for the Scot, who has been unable to play consistently since his comeback from hip resurfacing surgery two and a half years ago.

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TOKYO 2020: NAOMI OSAKA EASES INTO THIRD ROUND

Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Tennis - Women's Singles - Round 3 - Ariake Tennis Park - Tokyo, Japan - July 27, 2021. Naomi Osaka of Japan reacts during her third round match against Marketa Vondrousova of Czech Republic REUTERS/Mike Segar

Naomi Osaka continued her pursuit of a historic gold medal by easing into the third round of the Olympic singles competition at the Ariake Tennis Park.

The Japanese star won her first match in eight weeks against Zheng Saisai on Sunday, saying she felt refreshed and happy after stepping away from the court for mental health reasons.

There were a few understandable signs of rust but Osaka, who is hoping to follow up her starring role at the opening ceremony with a first gold medal for Japan in tennis, was very sharp in a 6-3 6-2 victory over Swiss Wimbledon quarter-finalist Viktorija Golubic on Monday.

The 23-year-old, who has only lost one of her last 24 matches on hard courts, said: “It would mean a lot to win gold here but I know it’s a process. I know these are the best players in the world and, honestly, I haven’t played in a while, so I’m trying to take it one notch at a time.

“All in all, I’m just really happy to be here. I haven’t been in Tokyo for a couple of years.”

Osaka did not play a match between the first round of the French Open in May and Sunday’s victory but she has shown before she can find her best tennis straight off the bat, going unbeaten between February 2020 and March this year while playing just four tournaments.

“I put this pressure on myself to do well because I know that I don’t play that many tournaments and I feel like I watched these players playing the tournaments while I was on my break so I just really, really want to do well,” she said.

“I feel like as long as I work hard, relatively keep my head down, then good things will happen. For me, it’s dream to be here, to play the Olympics. This is my first one, so I’m just trying to cherish this experience.”

On her performance against Golubic, Osaka said: “I was a bit more nervous before the match. I felt a lot of butterflies. But I think, as I started playing and feeling more comfortable, I knew that no matter what it would be a great match. I feel like I played better today, I think my movement was better.”

It was a good day for the big names, with Garbine Muguruza beating Wang Qiang 6-3 6-0, French Open champion Barbora Krejcikova seeing off Leylah Fernandez 6-2 6-4 and Maria Sakkari racing past Nina Stojanovic 6-1 6-2.

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OLYMPICS 2020: NETHERLANDS, BRAZIL DRAW IN EPIC SIX-GOAL THRILLER

Dominique Janssen’s 79th-minute goal pulled Netherlands into a 3-3 draw with Brazil on Saturday in women’s football at the Tokyo Olympics.

Vivianne Miedema gave the Dutch the early lead in the third minute but Debinha countered with an equaliser in the 16th. The teams were tied until the 59th, when Miedema scored another.

Marta converted a penalty kick to tie the score 2-2 in the 64th minute, before Ludmila’s goal about four minutes later gave Brazil the temporary lead.

Netherlands, ranked No. 4 in the world, routed Zambia 10-3 in their Olympic opener with Miedema scoring four goals.

Netherlands advanced to the World Cup final two years ago in France but lost to the United States. The Tokyo Games are Netherlands’ first Olympics.

Brazil beat China 5-0 in its opener. Marta had a pair of goals, becoming the first player to score in five straight Olympics.

Marta’s goal brought her to 13 at Olympics, which is one behind the all-time record held by Brazil teammate Christiane, who is not in the 2020 squad, but the Orlando Pride forward said she is only focused on team success.

“Our objective is to think of the collective,” Marta told Brazil’s Globo TV after the match. “Scoring goals is part of our job, but always while thinking about the collective.

“Records always happen naturally in my life, it’s never been forced. If I have to score one, two goals to help my team, then it’s normal.”

Brazil are coached by former U.S. and Sweden coach Pia Sundhage, who won gold with the Americans at the 2012 London Games.

Earlier, Zambia and China had drawn 4-4 in another epic match in Group F.

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JACK GREALISH REPORTEDLY AGREES PERSONAL TERMS WITH MANCHESTER CITY

Aston Villa attacker Jack Grealish has reportedly agreed personal terms with Manchester City ahead of a potential move to the Etihad Stadium this summer.

The England international is believed to be a leading transfer target for Pep Guardiola’s side, who are also being linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane.

According to report, Grealish has been offered a lucrative contract by the Premier League champions, and the attacker has now reached an agreement over personal terms.

The report claims that the 25-year-old is not prepared to force a move away from Villa, but Man City are hopeful of agreeing a transfer fee in the region of £90m.

Dean Smith’s side could yet hand Grealish a new and improved deal at Villa Park, though, despite the fact that he only penned an extension with his current side last September.

The attacker, who is still on holiday following his involvement in this summer’s European Championship, scored seven times and registered 12 assists in 27 appearances for Villa during the 2020-21 campaign.

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MANCHESTER UNITED ANNOUNCE THE SIGNING OF JODAN SANCHO

Manchester United is delighted to announce the signing of Jadon Sancho, subject to international clearance, keeping him at the club until June 2026, with an option of a further year.
Sancho, 21, scored 50 goals and registered 64 assists in four seasons with Borussia Dortmund. The England International was part of the squad that reached the final of Euro 2020.

Jadon Sancho said:

“I’ll always be grateful to Dortmund for giving me the opportunity to play first team football, although I always knew that I would return to England one day. The chance to join Manchester United is a dream come true and I just cannot wait to perform in the Premier League. This is a young and exciting squad and I know, together, we can develop into something special to bring the success that the fans deserve. I am looking forward to working with the Manager and his coaching team to further develop my game.”

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said:

“Jadon epitomises the type of player I want to bring to the club, he is a forward player in the best traditions of Manchester United. He will form an integral part of my squad for years to come and we look forward to seeing him blossom. His goals and assists records speak for themselves and he will also bring tremendous pace, flair and creativity to the team.

“Old Trafford will give him the platform he needs to release his untapped talent and perform at the highest level. For a player of his age, Jadon has already achieved a great deal and showed the courage to go and prove himself abroad. We all look forward to welcoming Jadon to the squad as we prepare for the new campaign.”

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CLUBS MUST EDUCATE FANS ON RACISM – EVRA

Football clubs should interact with fans to educate them about racism, former France and Manchester United defender Patrice Evra has said, after Black players in the England team were subjected to online racist abuse after their Euro 2020 final loss.

Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka were the targets of the abuse after they missed spot-kicks in England’s 3-2 shootout loss to Italy after the game ended 1-1 following extra time.

The abuse drew wide condemnation from England’s captain, manager, royalty, religious leaders and politicians, with UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging social media companies to do more to tackle online abuse that “emerged from the dark spaces of the internet.”

“If we don’t do something racism will always be there because it’s been there for so many years. You know we need to change and that’s why education is really important,” Evra told Sky Sports.

“I want those clubs to invest in education, to meet the fans, for the players to speak to the fans, maybe a group of fans and tell what they feel when they get abused because of their colour.

“Don’t tell me the football clubs can’t do that, or FIFA or UEFA, more meetings with the fans so they understand when they make a monkey noise when a Black player gets the ball, the way it affects them. That’s really important.”

Online abuse of players led to British football authorities briefly boycotting social media platforms before the Euros, while Britain is planning legislation to force tech firms to do more.

A Twitter spokesperson last week said they had removed more than 1,000 posts and permanently suspended a number of accounts, while Facebook said it too had quickly removed abusive comments.

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TOKYO OLYMPICS: RICHARLISON HITS HATRICK AS BRAZIL BEAT GERMANY 4-2

Richarlison scored a first-half hat trick as defending Olympic champions Brazil kicked off their Tokyo 2020 campaign with a 4-2 win over 10-man Germany at the International Stadium in Yokohama on Thursday.

The Everton striker, who was one of several notable names in the Selecao’s squad alongside Dani Alves, Douglas Luiz and Malcom, opened the scoring on seven minutes, scoring from a rebound after his initial shot was saved by Florian Muller.

On 22 minutes, Richarlison doubled Brazil’s advantage with a header following Bruno’s cross from the left before completing his treble on 30 minutes, again after good work from Bruno, with a curling effort into the far corner of the goal.

Brazil could have made it four just before half-time when Benjamin Henrichs handled in the penalty area, but Matheus Cunha saw his spot-kick saved.

Germany threatened to fight back when Nadiem Amiri’s strike from the edge of the box fortuitously beat Santos in the Brazil goal on 57 minutes.

Maximilian Arnold’s dismissal six minutes later looked to have effectively ended Germany’s hopes of recovering a point but Ragnar Ache’s unlikely header in the 84th minute moved them within touching distance until Paulinho added a fourth goal for Brazil in stoppage time, firing into the top corner following a counter-attack as Germany chased an equaliser.