Verdict: Both teams to score and over 2.5 goals

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Two sides who are enjoying a bright start to the season and have dreams of a European push, Watford will welcome Bournemouth to Vicarage Road on Saturday afternoon.

Watford

Starting with the hosts, while they have gained a reputation for chopping and changing their managers, Watford appear to be finally be settling to life under Javi Garcia. While the Hornets are coming off the back of a 2-0 loss to Arsenal last weekend and are now without a win in their last four in all competitions, they have put in some impressive performances. With Tottenham needing penalties to come past them in the EFL Cup and almost nicking a point off of Manchester United, Watford currently find themselve…

Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe wants to leave the defending Ligue 1 champions in the January transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the relationship between PSG and Mbappe has broken down, and that the France international wants to leave the club when the transfer window opens in January.

Mbappe signed a new contract with PSG only in the summer of 2022. The 23-year-old was strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, but he eventually decided to extend his stay at PSG instead of moving to last season’s La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners on a free transfer. Mbappe is open to moving to other clubs in January, but his preference is reportedly Madrid.

The forward has made eight starts and one substitute appearance in Ligue 1 for PSG s…

Marc-Andre ter Stegen will leave Borussia Monchengladbach at the end of the season, with Basel s Yann Sommer signed as his replacement.

The Germany international is widely expected to join Barcelona in the close-season, with the Catalan club chasing a replacement for the outgoing Victor Valdes.

And Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl has confirmed Ter Stegen will leave Borussia-Park after the current campaign s conclusion, though remained coy on his destination.

After Marc-Andre ter Stegen has informed us that he definitely wants to leave at the end of the season, we have now reached an agreement with his new club on the transfer arrangements, Eberl told the club s official website.

He will move abroad, that s all for now.

His successor in goal for Borussi…

Atletico Madrid moved back up to second in La Liga and maintained the pressure on leaders Barcelona by coming from behind to beat Espanyol 3-1 at Estadi Cornella-El Prat.

Antoine Griezmann, Fernando Torres and Koke were on target for Diego Simeone s side, who closed to within three points of Barca  in action at Real Sociedad later on Saturday.

Torres hit the post with an early effort but Espanyol took the lead after 28 minutes when Pape Diop superbly headed in Marco Asensio s corner.

The scores were levelled by Torres shortly after Diop s opener, the striker scoring for the third game in a row from Koke s pass, before Oscar Duarte hit the crossbar.

Koke was involved again in Atletico s second, recording his 12th assist of the season by playing in Gr…

Christian Eriksen remains in a stable condition in hospital pending further examinations, the Danish Football Union (DBU) said in an update to the midfielder s condition on Sunday.

The football world has rallied around Eriksen after he collapsed on the pitch during Denmark s Euro 2020 game with Finland on Saturday.

Eriksen fell to the ground with no other player around him during the first half in Copenhagen.

Team-mates and referee Anthony Taylor called for immediate help from medical staff, with the players forming a protective barrier around Eriksen while efforts were made to resuscitate him.

He was subsequently transferred to hospital, with UEFA saying Eriksen had been stabilised . The DBU added that he was awake and set for further examinations …

Jean Tigana insists he is still motivated to coach Bordeaux after club officials rejected his offer of resignation.

Tigana announced his intention to step down from the role after a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Lorient last weekend, before a 3-0 victory over Auxerre on Saturday left the 2008-09 Ligue 1 champions sitting 10th on the table.

But club president Jean-Louis Triaud on Monday denied his request, saying Tigana still had plenty to offer.

Jean told us he wanted to resign. We refused the offer. We have started a project and an adventure with him. We want to carry it through. He has sole authority over the first-team and we are happy with this denouement, Triaud said.

Tigana, who also coached Lyon, Monaco and Fulham, said he felt like he was holding…

Palermo have parted ways with manager Delio Rossi for the second time this season, the Serie A club announced on Wednesday.

Despite having led the Sicilian club to the final of the Coppa Italia and a seventh-placed league finish earning Palermo a Europa League berth in the process Rossi finds himself jobless once more.

Rossi first took the manager position at Palermo in November 2009, guiding the club to fifth in the Serie A standings at the end of the season.

His first tenure at the club came to an end in February after a 7-0 home loss to Udinese. But when replacement Serse Cosmi could not revive the club s fortunes, Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini re-appointed Rossi to the role.

Palermo s 3-1 defeat in the Coppa Italia has proved to be the final r…

Having recorded a 1-0 triumph over very good Switzerland side, Republic of Ireland will be looking to keep the momentum going with a strong performance against Slovakia. Repre were quite disappointing in the goalless draw vs Latvia and no doubt they will be looking to show improvement at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Republic of Ireland

The Green Army did well to end the barren run and qualify for the Euro 2012, but having lost all three group games at the tournament finals, they were hoping to get a new chance to impress. Republic of Ireland were then placed in arguably the toughest qualifying group for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, but they not only pipped Scotland to the third place, but also went to win the play-offs vs Bosnia-Herzegovina. But, having since been drawn alongside…

West Bromwich Albion are interested in signing Tottenham Hotspur defender Kevin Wimmer, according to Sky Sports.

The Baggies are looking for defensive reinforcements despite rejecting an £18m from Manchester City for captain Jonny Evans, with Liverpool’s Mamadou Sakho also on their radar.

Stoke City were also linked with a move for Wimmer though their interest has waned since they secured a permanent deal for Bruno Martins-Indi.

Tottenham are yet to sign anyone this summer but are closing in on a deal for Ajax defender Davinson Sanchez – a deal which could potentially push Wimmer down the pecking order in Mauricio Pochettino’s side.

The Austria international moved to the North London side in the summer of 2015 and has since racked up thirty-o…

As impressive as Italy were at Euro 2020 before Friday, much of that praise had been tempered – rightly or wrongly – by scepticism from some, with those suggesting their opponents to this point. and throughout their unbeaten run, had been sub-optimal.

It seemed a largely harsh assessment given they are playing at a major international tournament, though the unconvincing nature of their 2-1 extra-time win over Austria did bring with it a hint of doubt.

Regardless of whether or not the sceptics had been correct about Italy, Belgium – the number-one ranked nation in the world – were always bound to leave fans and pundits alike with perhaps a better appraisal of just how good the Azzurri are.

After all, there had been plenty of evidence to suggest Belgium had…