#luka is 37 and playing 90 minutes each match

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Liverpool v Chelsea betting tips and odds with Mohamed Salah in a 25/1 acca

Liverpool against Chelsea at Anfield

Liverpool against Chelsea at Anfield

He is worth the support

[Hoorzitting] He is worth the support of Salah, Son, Sigurdsson and Barnes all to pay this 25/1

] Brian Lee for MailOnline

| Liverpool v Chelsea is the major in the Premier League ] this weekend as they square on Anfield on Sunday.

Tottenham playing in their new stadium for the third time, Manchester United will look back from defeat by Barcelona while title favorites Manchester City Head for Crystal Palace

This is our game -by-game guide for the action on Saturday and Sunday – kick-off fifteen on Saturday unless otherwise stated.

Tottenham v Huddersfield – Saturday 12.30 pm

Tottenham had a great time in their new environment, after defeating the opening win for Crystal Palace by beating Manchester City in the Champions League . Three in a row will not be a problem because this will be their easiest game of the campaign – even without the injured Harry Kane . The sight of the man from England who bumped through the tunnel made the Champions League shine, but they were fine without their striker earlier in the season. Son Heung-min has had two goals since the move and needs to be supported to get a few more when the relegation of the Terriers arrives. They are 4/1 with Betfair and Paddy Power to score two or more.

<img id = "i-d9357098b883e750" src = "https://dailym.ai/2UzcPq0 -0-image-a-1_1554989499667.jpg "height =" 417 "width =" 634 "alt =" Son Heung-min has two goals in the many matches at the new Tottenham stadium

Son Heung- min has two goals in the many matches at the new Tottenham stadium

Brighton v Bournemouth

Bournemouth was easily defeated by a team that needed more profit last weekend and that would be it The Cherries are not mathematically safe, but it would be a miracle and then a few to drag them down Burnley benefited from outfought and outplayed them last weekend and with Brighton only five points ahead of the 18th placed Cardiff, they too could take a giant step to another term in the top flight he lost their last five at home, but Bournemouth on the road is rotten, only relegating Fulham has lost more games and has admitted more goals away from home. Brighton is 11/8 to win or 3/1 with multiple bookmakers to win with a goal margin.

Burnley v Cardiff

This time last week Cardiff was 2/9 to go down but that price is long gone and 1/10 is as good as it gets. Burnley won at Bournemouth and waved the market. They were able to do another big win by re-booting the Bluebirds through the hatch with a victory. Neil Warnock's side was out of luck and he smoked after the recent loss of Chelsea, but they had little to offer against Man City next time. Burnley is on track for a third win over Wolven's turn before she went to Vitality and sees a narrow one here as the best bet. The hosts are a shadow under evens for the points, 21/5 (Marathon) to win after they were all square at the break or 6/1 for a 1-0.

Fulham against Everton

] Go on Everton. They were worthy winners against Arsenal last weekend and have improved from home – three wins of six this year compared to a miserable return of four out of 2018 as a whole. Against Fulham team who have conceded at least twice in each of their last 13 games (12 of them lose), Everton needs to be refurbished. They are 10/13 to win and 21/10 to win with Betfair giving away a goal for the handicap. Gylfi Sigurdsson looked lively during the Arsenal game and had been unlucky not to add to his 12 Premier League goals this season. He is 6/1 with different companies to score first and 37/20 at any time.

<img id = "i-1619f7f520a64135" src = "https://dailym.ai/2GfsIbc image-a-2_1554989528609.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-1619f7f520a64135" src = "https://dailym.ai/2CXoYdR /11/14/12147072-0-image-a-2_1554989528609.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-1619f7f520a64135" src = "https: //i.dailymail. co.uk/1s/2019/04/11/14/12147072-0-image-a-2_1554989528609.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Gylfi Sigurdsson tried his luck against Arsenal but did not make it on the "class =" blkBorder img-share "score form

Gylfi Sigurdsson tried his luck against Arsenal but did not appear on the match form

Southampton v Wolves

Wolves lick their wounds after being stabbed by the Hornets in that cracker in Wembley last Sunday and they have to pick themselves up for a trip to St Mary & # 39; s. So although there will be no FA Cup final to pull the curtain down during an impressive season for Nuno and his side, seventh place with only the big guns still in the works. Wolves are 6/5 (BetVictor) to beat Watford (5/2), Everton (10/3) and Leicester (6/1) and are unofficially crowned best of the rest. The Hornets are not a bad bet to play Wolves again on May 12, but for Saturday on the south coast a draw seems to be the best bet at 9/4, while a possible draw is 18/5 and 1-1 is 1/1.

Man United against West Ham – Saturday 5:30 pm

After playing on Monday-evening, West Ham will stand up and watch Manchester United run 90 minutes over Barcelona on Wednesday without a shot to register on purpose. It is not like her, but something that stutters immediately after a European competition. They went to Man City, Liverpool and Arsenal without a point in the last four cases and shared the points with Southampton immediately after the Champions League promotion. But West Ham on Old Trafford offers them the perfect opportunity to see and break through that trend. After all, the hammers have lost six of their last seven and they have not won the last seven games. They've lost all four this season (they still have to visit Tottenham), scoring only one goal for the loss of 10. So it's easy to see why United is no better than 11/25. You can get 23/20 and win during the break.

<img id = "i-b92c0c4e593082af" src = "https://dailym.ai/2D8q3j0 14 / 12147270-0-image-a-3_1554989625746.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw his shot on goal against Barca "his Man United side fails to shot goal to register against Barca "

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw his Man United side fail to write a shot at goal against Barca

Crystal Palace against Man City – Sunday 14:05

Sometimes you just have to admit defeat, it gets a bit of pain in the onions, week after week, while you support Manchester City to hammer the team so that they are stable but not spectacular 2 to 0. Those results win titles, but they do little for gamblers who support their goals every time they play – five of their eight wins in a row before being lost to Spurs on Tuesday were 1-0 or 2-0. Another 2-0 is 6/1 with a few companies, but the 15/2 offer from Betfair and Paddy Power that an old favorite, Luka Milivojevic, is on schedule at any time is much more attractive. City is no better than 1/3 for the win, but 2/1 to win with both score teams.

Liverpool v Chelsea – Sunday 4:30 pm

Chelsea is on the right track – three Premier The League wins for the first time since September and they wandered to Slavia Prague on Thursday evening. They are also the only team to beat Liverpool this season in Anfield – in the League Cup – and are unbeaten in their last six trips to Merseyside to face Sunday's opponents. Would they be about to destroy the Reds & hope for the title? At nearly 5/1 they have enough friends among the gamblers, especially with Real Madrid & # 39; s new favorite, Eden Hazard, in the form in which he finds himself. But there are reasons to be happy if you are a Red. Their own recent run is a better than decent six wins on the jump and no losses since January 7. They played 37 at home in the league without losing and were passed a major test last time out. Southampton didn't look too stressful on paper as it was all square with 10 minutes to ask questions. If you answer them in style, set them here and Liverpool wins the choice. Mohamed Salah ended a series of eight games without a goal with a peach at St Mary & # 39; s and he is 7/4 in the score-win double, the hosts are 11/4 to win with a goal margin and you can 8 / 1 get them take it with 2-1.

<img id = "i-f179d3fe0ff08e3a" src = "https://dailym.ai/2D8q3j0 14 / 12147338-0-image-a-4_1554989664042.jpg "height =" 424 "width =" 634 "alt =" Mohamed Salah hopes to contribute even more to his goal as Liverpool hosts his old Chelsea Chelsea

Mohamed Salah hopes to add his goal when Liverpool hosts his count when Liverpool hosts his host HOUSES : Tottenham, Burnley, Sheff Utd, Reading, Southend

Marathon / Betway : Southampton v Wolves, Middlesbrough v Hull, Blackpool v Peterborough 36/1 Commonly Available ANYTIME SCORERS : Barnes, Sa

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World Cup final 2018: France v Croatia - your guide to Sunday's match

http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=7075 World Cup final 2018: France v Croatia - your guide to Sunday's match - http://www.internetunleashed.co.uk/?p=7075 France and Croatia have World Cup history... 2018 Fifa World Cup final, France v CroatiaVenue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Date: Sunday, 15 July Kick-off: 16:00 BSTCoverage: Watch on BBC One, BBC Sport website and iPlayer; Listen on Radio 5 live; Text commentary onlineIt is a World Cup final few would have predicted.Croatia face France at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday aiming to win a first major international trophy, while their opponents are in a third final in six World Cups and attempting to add a second title to the one they won in Paris 20 years ago.The man leading them, Didier Deschamps, is in his third tournament in charge and hoping to become only the third person to lift the trophy as a player and manager.His counterpart, Zlatko Dalic, has been Croatia manager for just nine months but is 90 minutes from winning football's biggest prize and completing one of the more unlikely triumphs in World Cup history.The view in Croatia: 'Dream, dream, dream'With a population of 4.17 million, you would think Croatia would be the smallest country to have reached a World Cup final. But that accolade goes to Uruguay, who won the inaugural competition in 1930 with an estimated population of about 1.7 million.At 20th in Fifa's world rankings, Dalic's side are the lowest-ranked team to reach a World Cup final, and the 13th different nation to do so.This is the furthest they have advanced in the competition, bettering their third-place finish 20 years ago, when their brilliant run was ended at the last four stage by... eventual champions France.While this year's semi-final victory shattered dreams in England, it sparked wild celebrations in Zagreb and beyond, with thousands of fans pouring onto the streets, singing, letting off flares and waving red, white and blue flags. Croatia only became an independent nation in 1991"Dream, Dream, Dream! Croatia are in the World Cup final," said the Sportske Novosti newspaper, adding Dalic "has entered into legend" after surpassing the achievement of the 1998 team."The Fiery Ones are in the final, the nation is in a trance - one more step to the title!" said the Jutarnji List.Davor Kovacevic, journalist with the Sportarena website, wrote: "They say we didn't excite in our games. Who cares? We excited ourselves, that's what matters. As if France did excite. And they are worth three to four time more than us."The view in France: 'Healing the scar of 2016' France reached the final of their home European Championship in 2016 but, despite being strong favourites to beat Portugal, they fell short.The memories of that defeat are driving the team - and the country - this time.The SudOuest newspaper sees Sunday as a chance to heal the "scar" of two years ago. This time, they say, "the context is different: the players have grown, and there's Kylian Mbappe". The forward is "on fire", "inspires fear", and is one of France's "many weapons capable of breaking the Croatian siege".The French media have paid particular attention to their team's extra preparation time for the final. They played their semi-final 24 hours before Croatia's, and all their knockout ties have been won in normal time, while their opponents have needed extra time (and penalties twice) in each of their three games since the group stage.According to Le Figaro, that is a "godsend" against a "talented and promising team capable of posing problems".For Le Point, it all comes down to the players' states of mind. Despite the extra time, Croatia's mental state has been "faultless" and the team "seems unbeatable".Perhaps it will be a game won by individual brilliance...Battle for the Golden Ball World Cup 2018: Two World Cup stars go head-to-head in final This tournament was considered a last chance for two greats of their generation - Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina's Lionel Messi - to dominate a World Cup.But both were eliminated at the last-16 stage, leaving the way clear for other players to make their mark and win the prestigious Golden Ball award for the competition's best player.And while there have been some superb individual performances, no-one has stood out to such an extent they are a certainty for the prize.Could the final be the deciding factor? Interestingly, it is 24 years (six tournaments) since the Golden Ball winner came from the champions.Maybe this is the year that changes. Croatia midfielder Luka Modric has received plenty of praise for his performances so far, including a man-of-the-match showing against Argentina in the group stage.France forward Mbappe announced himself on the biggest stage with two goals to send the Argentines home in a showing filled with pace, trickery and skill. He will be looking to become only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final, after Brazil legend Pele in 1958.A match-winning display in the final could tip the balance in their favour, while the same could be said for Antoine Griezmann, who is tied on three goals with Mbappe. Both players know a hat-trick would take them level on six goals with England's Harry Kane in the battle for the Golden Boot. World Cup 2018: How Kylian Mbappe lit up France v Argentina Best defender in the tournament?Croatia centre-back Dejan Lovren splits opinion among supporters, but you can't argue with his record this season.If he plays, Lovren will become only the second player to play in the Champions League final for an English club and the World Cup final in the same year, after Thierry Henry in 2006.On that occasion, Henry ended up on the losing side in both matches, for Arsenal against Barcelona and France against Italy.At the beginning of this season, Lovren was substituted by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after just 31 minutes of their 4-1 defeat by Tottenham, having been run ragged by Kane at Wembley.Lovren got his revenge by keeping the Spurs man quiet in the semi-final and could now end his season on the highest note possible."It's something special for me," Lovren is reported said. "From my point of view, people were saying I had a difficult season but I don't agree with that."I showed that I took Liverpool to the Champions League final and now with my national team we are in the final."I think people should recognise that I'm one of the best defenders in the world and not just talk nonsense."But how do the numbers stack up?Of all the defenders to play in the tournament, 29-year-old Lovren has won 32 aerial duels - only England's Harry Maguire with 37 has won more - and has a 100% success rate from three tackles attempted.Spare a thought for... Croatia forward Nikola Kalinic (left) has scored 15 goals in 41 appearances for his countryCroatia striker Nikola Kalinic.The former Blackburn forward was sent home from the World Cup after he refused to come on as a substitute during his side's opening game, a 2-0 defeat of Nigeria.Now of AC Milan, Kalinic was sent out to warm up but said he could not take the field as he had a back injury.Croatia were not allowed to replace him, leaving them with 22 players for the rest of the tournament.And while Kalinic watches thousands of miles away from Russia, his team-mates have gone on to reach the biggest match of their career. Source link

[ultrasfcb-blog]

World Cup ultimate 2018: France v Croatia - your information to Sunday

World Cup ultimate 2018: France v Croatia - your information to Sunday

World Cup ultimate 2018: France v Croatia – your information to Sunday

France and Croatia have World Cup historical past…

2018 Fifa World Cup ultimate, France v Croatia Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Date: Sunday, 15 July Kick-off: 16:00 BST Protection: Watch on BBC One, BBC Sport web site and iPlayer; Hear on Radio 5 stay; Textual content commentary on-line

It’s a World Cup ultimate few would have predicted.

Croatia face France at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday aiming to win a primary main worldwide trophy, whereas their opponents are in a 3rd ultimate in six World Cups and making an attempt so as to add a second title to the one they received in Paris 20 years in the past.

The person main them, Didier Deschamps, is in his third match in cost and hoping to develop into solely the third individual to carry the trophy as a participant and supervisor.

His counterpart, Zlatko Dalic, has been Croatia supervisor for simply 9 months however is 90 minutes from successful soccer’s largest prize and finishing one of many extra unlikely triumphs in World Cup historical past.

The view in Croatia: ‘Dream, dream, dream’

With a inhabitants of 4.17 million, you’d suppose Croatia can be the smallest nation to have reached a World Cup ultimate. However that accolade goes to Uruguay, who received the inaugural competitors in 1930 with an estimated inhabitants of about 1.7 million.

At 20th in Fifa’s world rankings, Dalic’s facet are the lowest-ranked workforce to succeed in a World Cup ultimate, and the 13th totally different nation to take action.

That is the furthest they’ve superior within the competitors, bettering their third-place end 20 years in the past, when their good run was ended on the final 4 stage by… eventual champions France.

Whereas this 12 months’s semi-final victory shattered desires in England, it sparked wild celebrations in Zagreb and past, with 1000’s of followers pouring onto the streets, singing, letting off flares and waving purple, white and blue flags.

Croatia solely grew to become an impartial nation in 1991

“Dream, Dream, Dream! Croatia are within the World Cup ultimate,” stated the Sportske Novosti newspaper, including Dalic “has entered into legend” after surpassing the achievement of the 1998 workforce.

“The Fiery Ones are within the ultimate, the nation is in a trance – yet another step to the title!” stated the Jutarnji Record.

Davor Kovacevic, journalist with the Sportarena web site, wrote: “They are saying we did not excite in our video games. Who cares? We excited ourselves, that is what issues. As if France did excite. And they’re price three to 4 time greater than us.”

The view in France: ‘Therapeutic the scar of 2016’

France reached the ultimate of their house European Championship in 2016 however, regardless of being robust favourites to beat Portugal, they fell brief.

The recollections of that defeat are driving the workforce – and the nation – this time.

The SudOuest newspaper sees Sunday as an opportunity to heal the “scar” of two years in the past. This time, they are saying, “the context is totally different: the gamers have grown, and there is Kylian Mbappe”. The ahead is “on hearth”, “conjures up worry”, and is considered one of France’s “many weapons able to breaking the Croatian siege”.

The French media have paid explicit consideration to their workforce’s additional preparation time for the ultimate. They performed their semi-final 24 hours earlier than Croatia’s, and all their knockout ties have been received in regular time, whereas their opponents have wanted additional time (and penalties twice) in every of their three video games for the reason that group stage.

In response to Le Figaro, that could be a “godsend” in opposition to a “proficient and promising workforce able to posing issues”.

For Le Level, all of it comes right down to the gamers’ states of thoughts. Regardless of the additional time, Croatia’s psychological state has been “faultless” and the workforce “appears unbeatable”.

Maybe it is going to be a recreation received by particular person brilliance…

Battle for the Golden Ball

Luka Modric is hoping so as to add the World Cup to the Champions League title he received (for a fourth time) with Actual Madrid in Might

This match was thought-about a final likelihood for 2 greats of their technology – Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi – to dominate a World Cup.

However each had been eradicated on the last-16 stage, leaving the best way clear for different gamers to make their mark and win the distinguished Golden Ball award for the competitors’s finest participant.

And whereas there have been some very good particular person performances, no-one has stood out to such an extent they’re a certainty for the prize.

Might the ultimate be the deciding issue? Curiously, it’s 24 years (six tournaments) for the reason that Golden Ball winner got here from the champions.

Possibly that is the 12 months that adjustments. Croatia midfielder Luka Modric has acquired loads of reward for his performances to date, together with a man-of-the-match exhibiting in opposition to Argentina within the group stage.

France ahead Mbappe introduced himself on the most important stage with two targets to ship the Argentines house in a exhibiting stuffed with tempo, trickery and ability. He will probably be seeking to develop into solely the second teenager to attain in a World Cup ultimate, after Brazil legend Pele in 1958.

A match-winning show within the ultimate may tip the steadiness of their favour, whereas the identical might be stated for Antoine Griezmann, who’s tied on three targets with Mbappe. Each gamers know a hat-trick would take them stage on six targets with England’s Harry Kane within the battle for the Golden Boot.

World Cup 2018: How Kylian Mbappe lit up France v Argentina

Finest defender within the match?

Croatia centre-back Dejan Lovren splits opinion amongst supporters, however you possibly can’t argue together with his document this season.

If he performs, Lovren will develop into solely the second participant to play within the Champions League ultimate for an English membership and the World Cup ultimate in the identical 12 months, after Thierry Henry in 2006.

On that event, Henry ended up on the dropping facet in each matches, for Arsenal in opposition to Barcelona and France in opposition to Italy.

Originally of this season, Lovren was substituted by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after simply 31 minutes of their 4-1 defeat by Tottenham, having been run ragged by Kane at Wembley.

Lovren obtained his revenge by protecting the Spurs man quiet within the semi-final and will now finish his season on the best notice potential.

“It is one thing particular for me,” Lovren is reported said. “From my perspective, folks had been saying I had a tough season however I do not agree with that.

“I confirmed that I took Liverpool to the Champions League ultimate and now with my nationwide workforce we’re within the ultimate.

“I believe folks ought to recognise that I am the most effective defenders on this planet and never simply speak nonsense.”

However how do the numbers stack up?

Of all of the defenders to play within the match, 29-year-old Lovren has received 32 aerial duels – solely England’s Harry Maguire with 37 has received extra – and has a 100% success price from three tackles tried.

Spare a thought for…

Croatia ahead Nikola Kalinic (left) has scored 15 targets in 41 appearances for his nation

Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic.

The previous Blackburn ahead was sent home from the World Cup after he refused to return on in its place throughout his facet’s opening recreation, a 2-Zero defeat of Nigeria.

Now of AC Milan, Kalinic was despatched out to heat up however stated he couldn’t take the sphere as he had a again harm.

Croatia weren’t allowed to exchange him, leaving them with 22 gamers for the remainder of the match.

And whereas Kalinic watches 1000’s of miles away from Russia, his team-mates have gone on to succeed in the most important match of their profession.

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[365footballorg-blog]

Croatia chase history, France heal wounds - your guide to the World Cup final

2018 Fifa World Cup final, France v Croatia Venue: Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow Date: Sunday, 15 July Kick-off: 16:00 BST Coverage: Watch on BBC One, BBC Sport website and iPlayer; Listen on Radio 5 live; Text commentary online

It is a World Cup final few would have predicted.

Croatia face France at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on Sunday aiming to win a first major international trophy, while their opponents are in a third final in six World Cups and attempting to add a second title to the one they won in Paris 20 years ago.

The man leading them, Didier Deschamps, is in his third tournament in charge and hoping to become only the third person to lift the trophy as a player and manager.

His counterpart, Zlatko Dalic, has been Croatia manager for just nine months but is 90 minutes from winning football’s biggest prize and completing one of the more unlikely triumphs in World Cup history.

The view in Croatia: ‘Dream, dream, dream’

With a population of 4.17 million, you would think Croatia would be the smallest country to have reached a World Cup final. But that accolade goes to Uruguay, who won the inaugural competition in 1930 with an estimated population of about 1.7 million.

At 20th in Fifa’s world rankings, Dalic’s side are the lowest-ranked team to reach a World Cup final, and the 13th different nation to do so.

This is the furthest they have advanced in the competition, bettering their third-place finish 20 years ago, when their brilliant run was ended at the last four stage by… eventual champions France.

While this year’s semi-final victory shattered dreams in England, it sparked wild celebrations in Zagreb and beyond, with thousands of fans pouring onto the streets, singing, letting off flares and waving red, white and blue flags.

<!–

“Dream, Dream, Dream! Croatia are in the World Cup final,” said the Sportske Novosti newspaper, adding Dalic “has entered into legend” after surpassing the achievement of the 1998 team.

“The Fiery Ones are in the final, the nation is in a trance – one more step to the title!” said the Jutarnji List.

Davor Kovacevic, journalist with the Sportarena website, wrote: “They say we didn’t excite in our games. Who cares? We excited ourselves, that’s what matters. As if France did excite. And they are worth three to four time more than us.”

The view in France: ‘Healing the scar of 2016’

France reached the final of their home European Championship in 2016 but, despite being strong favourites to beat Portugal, they fell short.

The memories of that defeat are driving the team – and the country – this time.

The SudOuest newspaper sees Sunday as a chance to heal the “scar” of two years ago. This time, they say, “the context is different: the players have grown, and there’s Kylian Mbappe”. The forward is “on fire”, “inspires fear”, and is one of France’s “many weapons capable of breaking the Croatian siege”.

The French media have paid particular attention to their team’s extra preparation time for the final. They played their semi-final 24 hours before Croatia’s, and all their knockout ties have been won in normal time, while their opponents have needed extra time (and penalties twice) in each of their three games since the group stage.

According to Le Figaro, that is a “godsend” against a “talented and promising team capable of posing problems”.

For Le Point, it all comes down to the players’ states of mind. Despite the extra time, Croatia’s mental state has been “faultless” and the team “seems unbeatable”.

Perhaps it will be a game won by individual brilliance…

Battle for the Golden Ball

<!–

This tournament was considered a last chance for two greats of their generation – Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo and Argentina’s Lionel Messi – to dominate a World Cup.

But both were eliminated at the last-16 stage, leaving the way clear for other players to make their mark and win the prestigious Golden Ball award for the competition’s best player.

And while there have been some superb individual performances, no-one has stood out to such an extent they are a certainty for the prize.

Could the final be the deciding factor? Interestingly, it is 24 years (six tournaments) since the Golden Ball winner came from the champions.

Maybe this is the year that changes. Croatia midfielder Luka Modric has received plenty of praise for his performances so far, including a man-of-the-match showing against Argentina in the group stage.

France forward Mbappe announced himself on the biggest stage with two goals to send the Argentines home in a showing filled with pace, trickery and skill. He will be looking to become only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final, after Brazil legend Pele in 1958.

A match-winning display in the final could tip the balance in their favour, while the same could be said for Antoine Griezmann, who is tied on three goals with Mbappe. Both players know a hat-trick would take them level on six goals with England’s Harry Kane in the battle for the Golden Boot.

Who makes your World Cup team of the tournament?[1]

Why omens are good for France to repeat 1998 glory[2]

Media playback is not supported on this device

Best defender in the tournament?

Croatia centre-back Dejan Lovren splits opinion among supporters, but you can’t argue with his record this season.

If he plays, Lovren will become only the second player to play in the Champions League final for an English club and the World Cup final in the same year, after Thierry Henry in 2006.

On that occasion, Henry ended up on the losing side in both matches, for Arsenal against Barcelona and France against Italy.

At the beginning of this season, Lovren was substituted by Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp after just 31 minutes of their 4-1 defeat by Tottenham, having been run ragged by Kane at Wembley.

Lovren got his revenge by keeping the Spurs man quiet in the semi-final and could now end his season on the highest note possible.

“It’s something special for me,” Lovren is reported said.[3] “From my point of view, people were saying I had a difficult season but I don’t agree with that.

“I showed that I took Liverpool to the Champions League final and now with my national team we are in the final.

“I think people should recognise that I’m one of the best defenders in the world and not just talk nonsense.”

But how do the numbers stack up?

Of all the defenders to play in the tournament, 29-year-old Lovren has won 32 aerial duels – only England’s Harry Maguire with 37 has won more – and has a 100% success rate from three tackles attempted.

Spare a thought for…

<!–

Croatia striker Nikola Kalinic.

The former Blackburn forward was sent home[4] from the World Cup after he refused to come on as a substitute during his side’s opening game, a 2-0 defeat of Nigeria.

Now of AC Milan, Kalinic was sent out to warm up but said he could not take the field as he had a back injury.

Croatia were not allowed to replace him, leaving them with 22 players for the rest of the tournament.

And while Kalinic watches thousands of miles away from Russia, his team-mates have gone on to reach the biggest match of their career.

References

^ Who makes your World Cup team of the tournament? (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Why omens are good for France to repeat 1998 glory (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ reported said. (www.skysports.com)

^ was sent home (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Croatia chase history, France heal wounds – your guide to the World Cup final was originally published on 365 Football

[365footballorg-blog]

Hodgson has 'confidence' Palace will stay up despite late Bournemouth equaliser

Crystal Palace will stave off relegation if they continue to perform as they did in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth, believes manager Roy Hodgson.

Palace would have pulled five points clear of the Premier League drop zone had substitute Joshua King not netted a dramatic 89th-minute equaliser for the Cherries.

Instead, Hodgson’s men have a three-point cushion over 18th-placed Southampton, who face Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

“It’s going to be a dogfight with all the teams down there,” Hodgson said.

“It can boil down to the fact that you score some lucky goals or survive some really hairy escapes.

“But if we can continue to play like that for the next five games we have to believe we can take enough points. I have confidence in the team and the team showed they have confidence in themselves.”

The Eagles still have fellow strugglers Stoke and West Brom to play, but have won just once in their past 10 league matches.

The visitors took the lead early in the second half thanks to a sumptuous Luka Milivojevic free-kick, before King’s fellow substitute Lys Mousset equalised with a calm finish from the edge of the area.

Hodgson’s side re-established their lead on 75 minutes as Wilfried Zaha scored, only for the hosts to level again when King bundled home.

They had several opportunities to score more – chiefly from Patrick van Aanholt, who spurned a golden chance to make it 2-0 after being put clear by Zaha.

King’s late leveller, though, means Bournemouth have won a league-high 18 points from losing positions and continues a remarkable run which has seen a goal scored in the 89th minute or later in each of their last seven league games.

Palace rue missed chances

Hodgson’s side were just minutes away from a hugely important win but were once again left to rue missed chances.

Van Aanholt missed the best opportunity when his low effort was saved by the feet of Asmir Begovic, though there were a host of others, too.

James McArthur had a powerful early effort well blocked by Nathan Ake, and Andros Townsend was unable to create anything after latching on to a poor backpass from Marc Pugh.

Zaha squandered several chances after the break, including a free header at the back post which was easily saved by Begovic.

It is a familiar problem for the Eagles – most recently when Christian Benteke missed two simple chances in the 2-1 defeat by Liverpool last Saturday.

Hodgson will hope his side find a ruthless streak as they enter the run-in or they will be left looking over their shoulders.

Disciplined Cherries frustrate Zaha

Bournemouth wide men Ryan Fraser and Pugh worked well in tandem with their respective full-backs, much to the irritation of Zaha.

The 25-year-old is undoubtedly Palace’s star man, and Eddie Howe had clearly worked with his Cherries players on the importance of keeping him quiet as in the opening 45 minutes he was rarely left alone.

The winger’s frustration almost boiled over on two occasions, as he clashed with Lewis Cook in the first half, and again with Simon Francis in the second period.

But he did find space to score his fifth goal of the season, beating three men before powering home.

Man of the match – Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace)

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Bournemouth leave it late again – the key stats

There has been a goal in the 89th minute or later in each of Bournemouth’s past seven Premier League games, with five of those affecting the result.

45.5% of the Eagles’ Premier League goals this season have come from set-piece situations, a league-high.

Two of Bournemouth’s substitutes scored, the fifth time this season a side has benefited from two substitute goals in the same Premier League game.

Fraser has had a hand in four goals in his past five Premier League appearances at Vitality Stadium (2 goals, 2 assists).

Milivojevic’s free-kick was his third goal in as many games and he becomes the first Palace midfielder to score 10 goals in a single Premier League season.

McArthur now has 200 Premier League appearances to his name, 117 for Crystal Palace and 83 for previous club Wigan.

‘It’s frustrating when you play as well as that but don’t win’ – what they said

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Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson told BBC Match of the Day: “It is frustrating when you play as well as that and don’t win the game.

“The fact is they are in a happy position and they could afford to throw players forward. As a result, you do know you’ll be under pressure so it’s important you avoid those mistakes and take advantage of the counter-attack but we made the mistake and they got the goal.

“It’s very important that the players now believe in themselves and they have to be strong mentally. It is not a fair game. It is what it is. All you can do is react to the game. We have to make certain that we produce the performances we did today.”

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Bournemouth boss Eddie Howe: “[There’s] never a dull moment. It’s not good for my health but I’m sure it’s the same for the supporters as well; edge-of-your-seat stuff.

“We’re indebted to our goalkeeper. We waited for that chance at the end and thankfully it came to Josh.

“It’s not the three points that we wanted but we stopped Palace winning. It’s another point closer to where we want to be. Two defeats in 14 at this level is incredible.”

What’s next?

Next up for Crystal Palace is a home match with Brighton on Saturday, 14 April (15:00 BST). Later that day, Bournemouth travel to Merseyside to face Liverpool (17:30 BST).

Line-ups[1]

Match Stats[2]

Live Text[3]

Line-ups

Bournemouth

27Begovic

2FrancisBooked at 82mins

3S Cook

5Aké

11Daniels

24Fraser

16L CookSubstituted forSurmanat 80′minutes

4GoslingBooked at 76mins

7PughSubstituted forMoussetat 62′minutes

18Defoe

13WilsonSubstituted forKingat 62′minutes

Substitutes

1Boruc

6Surman

14B Smith

17King

31Mousset

42Simpson

58Taylor

Crystal Palace

13Hennessey

29Wan-Bissaka

5TomkinsBooked at 90mins

12Sakho

3van Aanholt

18McArthur

7CabayeBooked at 90mins

4Milivojevic

8Loftus-Cheek

11Zaha

10Townsend

Substitutes

14Lee Chung-yong

16Cavalieri

23Souaré

24Fosu-Mensah

34Kelly

37Daly

44Riedewald

Referee:

Jonathan Moss

Attendance:

10,730

Match Stats

Home TeamBournemouthAway TeamCrystal Palace

Possession

Home53%

Away47%

Shots

Home20

Away13

Shots on Target

Home5

Away6

Corners

Home11

Away3

Fouls

Home8

Away9

Live Text

Posted at

Match ends, Bournemouth 2, Crystal Palace 2.

Full Time

Posted at90’+5′

Second Half ends, Bournemouth 2, Crystal Palace 2.

Posted at90’+4′

Attempt missed. Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high from a direct free kick.

Booking

Posted at90’+4′

Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card.

Booking

Posted at90’+3′

James Tomkins (Crystal Palace) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at90’+3′

Andrew Surman (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at90’+3′

Foul by James Tomkins (Crystal Palace).

Posted at90’+3′

Foul by Dan Gosling (Bournemouth).

Posted at90’+3′

Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Posted at90’+1′

Foul by Lys Mousset (Bournemouth).

Posted at90’+1′

Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

Goal!

Posted at89′

Goal! Bournemouth 2, Crystal Palace 2. Joshua King (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the right side of the six yard box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Steve Cook with a headed pass following a corner.

Posted at89′

Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Mamadou Sakho.

Posted at87′

Offside, Crystal Palace. Patrick van Aanholt tries a through ball, but Yohan Cabaye is caught offside.

Posted at86′

Attempt saved. Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Wilfried Zaha.

Posted at84′

Attempt missed. Lys Mousset (Bournemouth) header from the centre of the box misses to the right. Assisted by Ryan Fraser with a cross following a corner.

Posted at84′

Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by Yohan Cabaye.

Booking

Posted at82′

Simon Francis (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

Posted at82′

Foul by Simon Francis (Bournemouth).

Posted at82′

Ruben Loftus-Cheek (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Substitution

Posted at80′

Substitution, Bournemouth. Andrew Surman replaces Lewis Cook.

Posted at79′

Foul by Lewis Cook (Bournemouth).

Posted at79′

Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at77′

Attempt saved. Joshua King (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Dan Gosling.

Booking

Posted at76′

Dan Gosling (Bournemouth) is shown the yellow card.

Goal!

Posted at75′

Goal! Bournemouth 1, Crystal Palace 2. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Andros Townsend.

Posted at74′

Attempt saved. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) header from the centre of the box is saved in the top right corner. Assisted by Andros Townsend with a cross.

Posted at73′

Attempt missed. Lys Mousset (Bournemouth) right footed shot from the left side of the box is high and wide to the right.

Posted at71′

Attempt missed. Andros Townsend (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Ruben Loftus-Cheek.

Posted at70′

Offside, Bournemouth. Nathan Aké tries a through ball, but Jermain Defoe is caught offside.

Posted at70′

Attempt missed. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right. Assisted by James McArthur.

Goal!

Posted at65′

Goal! Bournemouth 1, Crystal Palace 1. Lys Mousset (Bournemouth) right footed shot from outside the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by Ryan Fraser.

Posted at63′

Corner, Bournemouth. Conceded by James Tomkins.

Substitution

Posted at62′

Substitution, Bournemouth. Joshua King replaces Callum Wilson.

Substitution

Posted at62′

Substitution, Bournemouth. Lys Mousset replaces Marc Pugh.

Posted at61′

Attempt blocked. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Andros Townsend.

Posted at59′

Attempt saved. Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Andros Townsend.

Posted at58′

Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

Posted at58′

Foul by Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace).

Posted at53′

Attempt saved. Patrick van Aanholt (Crystal Palace) left footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Wilfried Zaha.

Show more updates

goal

References

^ Line-ups (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Match Stats (www.bbc.co.uk)

^ Live Text (www.bbc.co.uk)

BBC Sport – Football

Hodgson has 'confidence' Palace will stay up despite late Bournemouth equaliser was originally published on 365 Football