Joshua Oha, Author at Matchplug Blog

Sergio Ramos confirms PSG Exit

Paris Saint-Germain defender Sergio Ramos has announced that he will leave the French club at the end of this season when his contract expires.

The veteran Spanish defender joined PSG on a free transfer from Real Madrid two seasons ago. But he will call up his time at the French capital after making his 58th appearance for the Parisians in their season finale against Clermont Foot on Saturday.

Questions over the defender’s future at PSG were raised when he was conspicuously omitted from a graphic promoting the club’s pre-season tour of Japan. But the fears were confirmed later on Friday when it was announced that the 37-year-old Spaniard would leave the club in the coming weeks.

“Wearing the Red and Blue shirt for the last two years has been a wonderful experience,” Ramos said.

“I’ve had an unforgettable adventure in Paris, and I’d like to thank you all for your support and love. Allez Paris!”

Ramos later took to Twitter to add: “Tomorrow will be a special day; Tomorrow, I will say goodbye to another stage of my life, goodbye to PSG.

“I don’t know how many places you can feel at home, but without a doubt, PSG, its fans and Paris have been one of them for me.”

Club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi added: “We would like to express our immense gratitude to Sergio Ramos for the two years he has spent with us.

“Sergio’s leadership, team spirit and professionalism, combined with his experience at the highest level, make him a true football legend, and it was an honour to have him in Paris. Everyone at the club wishes him all the best.”

Ramos is understood to be on the radar of some Saudi Arabian clubs, with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr side the likeliest destination.

Chelsea set Mateo Kovacic’s asking price amid Manchester City interest

Chelsea will reportedly demand a fee of around £35m to sell Mateo Kovacic this summer.

The Croatian midfielder is attracting serious interest from Manchester City and he is likely to leave Stamford Bridge this summer as the Premier League champions opened talks with him over a move to the Etihad.

Kovacic has one year remaining on his contract at Stamford Bridge, and Chelsea wants to sell him this summer to avoid losing him for nothing next season. The Blues also want to sell him this summer as they hope that proceeds from his sale will help them fund their own midfield moves.

PSG confirm Lionel Messi is LEAVING the club at the end of this week

New Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino is a huge fan of Sporting CP’s Manuel Ugarte and sees him as a perfect replacement for Kovacic.

The London club also remain keen on Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and West Ham’s Declan Rice. But they know they need to raise money to finance those deals to avoid breaking Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

As such, they are prepared to cash in on Kovacic this summer, and according to 90min, they have put a £35m price tag on the Croatia international’s head.

City are not expected to be worried over that sum, and they continue to move forward with their pursuit of Kovacic after making progress in negotiations with his agent.

Torino vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Inter Milan will wrap up the Serie A season this weekend with a visit to Stadio Olimpico di Torino to face Torino.

The hosts ended their away Serie A campaign with a scintillating 4-0 win over Spezia last Saturday.

Although the victory was soiled by racist abuse directed towards their coach Ivan Jurić with play even halted before half-time, they will still be happy that they were able to win their fourth straight away league match without conceding in a single top-flight campaign for the first time since 1942/43.

However, Il Toro is surprisingly amid a six-game winless run at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino (D3, L3). It’s, therefore, unsurprising that their relatively poor home form has been behind their failure to break into the top seven this season.

The hosts might therefore have to improve on their starts if they want to end their season on a high, as five of their last six home matches saw them concede the opening goal, with three conceded within the first ten minutes.

Meanwhile, Inter Milan will travel to Turin in a confident mood after a 3-2 win over Atalanta confirmed they’ll finish in the Serie A top four.

That win also extended their imperious form, as it was their tenth victory in eleven matches (L1). That run was part of what landed the Nerazzurri the Coppa Italia Cup win and a place in the UEFA Champions League final against Manchester City.

With that huge occasion in Istanbul looming, coach Simone Inzaghi hinted at squad rotation after speaking about his staff doing “well in managing the playing time” after the win against Atalanta.

Meanwhile, they have a chance to extend a seven-game unbeaten H2H run (W6, D1) and also end their league campaign on a high.

Inter have won their last six league season finales averaging 3.33 goals per game, and a repeat could make it an entertaining trip for the fans. An over 2.5 goals game is, therefore, likely.

Paris Saint-Germain vs Clermont Foot: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Paris Saint-Germain will wrap up the 2022/23 Ligue 1 season this weekend when they host Clermont Foot at Parc des Princes on Saturday.

The hosts sealed the title last weekend despite being held to a 1-1 draw with Strasbourg away from home.

As such, head coach Christophe Galtier is still likely to lose his job at the end of this season, with PSG chiefs considering him not fit enough to lead the team to the glorious destiny they seek.

But the French coach claimed publicly after their last game that he “deserves a second season.” Therefore he will be looking to sign off this season on a high note.

However, his side have been erratic at home this season, though, and have lost three of their last five games here, although it would be a huge surprise if they can’t produce the goods to give departing Lionel Messi the send-off he deserves.

Meanwhile, Clermont Foot will head to Paris in a buoyant mood after a 2-0 victory over Lorient last weekend secured a top-half finish in Ligue 1 for the first time.

Such a remarkable season has led to their coach Pascal Gastien being nominated for the Manager of the Year award in France. The Frenchman has admitted it has been a season to “savour”, stating he is “proud of the work accomplished.”

He will now be hoping to sign off for this season on a high as Clermont looks to extend a stunning finish to the campaign, which has seen them register seven wins in nine outings (D1, L1).

However, the visitors have lost their last three league H2Hs, conceding at least four goals on each occasion.

Click here to get the best soccer predictions today.

Manchester City vs Manchester United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

The 2022/23 FA Cup season will end this Saturday when Manchester City and Manchester United face off at Wembley for the first time in the competition’s long and storied history.

Pep Guardiola’s are looking to record their second title this season on their way to a treble after winning this campaign’s Premier League title.

City booked their place in this final round thanks to a 3-0 win over Sheffield United at the Etihad. The PL champions have scored 17 goals without reply in their five previous FA Cup ties this term, so they will come into this tie as favourites.

Five wins from the last ten meetings between both sides (L4) also put them ahead in the recent head-to-head record. However, having failed to win any of their last two games of the season, they come into this tie short of momentum.

Manager Guardiola has asked his squad to “disconnect” in the build-up to this huge clash. Since his move to the Etihad, his side have recorded a 100% win rate in domestic finals, so they’ll be confident of winning their second trophy this season.

Meanwhile, Manchester United will be looking to also win their second title this season, having already won the Carabao Cup in February.

Erik ten Hag’s side beat Newcastle at Wembley to clinch the trophy, so they will be confident here given their experience on this ground. A run of four consecutive wins also puts them ahead on the momentum scale.

But having not won an FA Cup title in 19 years, they seem to lack adequate experience in this competition. Yet, only Arsenal (14) have won more FA Cup titles than Man United (12).

Meanwhile, just one of the last 15 H2H meetings ended level after 90 minutes (City: W8, L6). Therefore, we can expect goals in this game.

That said, over 1.5 goals is a good bet here.

Auxerre vs Lens: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Lens will look to end their Ligue 1 season on a high when they travel to Stade de l’Abbé-Deschamps to face a relegation-threatened Auxerre side.

The hosts boosted their chances of playing top-flight football last time with a 1-1 draw with Toulouse. The draw lifted them two points above the bottom four.

However, their inferior goal difference means they must match or better Nantes’ final-day result to avoid being relegated to Ligue 2.

However, they come into this game in poor shape, having not won any of their last six league games (D3, L3). Therefore, victory will be their target as it’s the only way to guarantee no immediate return to Ligue 2 regardless of results elsewhere.

Meanwhile, Lens will look to end a successful season on a high note when they take on Auxerre.

The visitors have been Ligue 1’s surprise side this season, with the 81 points they have gathered this season only bettered by Ligue 1 winner PSG (85) ahead of this final round.

Although their unexpected title challenge finally ended last week, they come into this tie on the back of six consecutive Ligue 1 victories.

Meanwhile, their 3-0 dismantling of Ajaccio guaranteed second place and UEFA Champions League football for the first time since 2002/03. That marks a stunning rise for Franck Haise’s side, who were in Ligue 2 alongside Auxerre as recently as 2019/20.

Although Lens now have nothing to play for in this round, they’ll want to produce one more impressive performance to close out the season in style, looking to record three straight top-flight away wins for the first time since September 2021.

Click here to get correct score tips daily.

PSG confirm Lionel Messi is LEAVING the club at the end of this week

Paris Saint-Germain have confirmed that Lionel Messi will play his last game at the club this week.

The Argentina international’s future has been subject to much speculation this past few months after it emerged he had rejected PSG’s offer for a contract extension.

Yet there was some hope he would have a rethink and stay back at the club, who were keen to keep him.

However, his exit has now been confirmed by PSG PSG manager Christophe Galtier.

In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, the Frenchman announced that the World Cup winner would depart the club at the end of the season.

“Clermont Foot will be Messi’s final game at PSG,” Galtier said.

“I had the privilege of coaching the best player in the history of football. It will be Leo’s last match at the Parc des Princes.”

Messi joined PSG from Barcelona in 2021 and has won a pair of Ligue 1 titles. However, he has not been able to lead the Parisians to the much-coveted Champions League glory.

The 35-year-old hinted that leaving Barcelona allowed him to mature as a player, and some suggest that leaving his comfort zone allowed him to develop the leadership qualities he displayed in winning the Qatar World Cup in December.

Manchester United to LOSE £10million to sell Harry Maguire

Manchester United will reportedly have to pay Harry Maguire £10 million to lose him this summer transfer window.

The Manchester United captain is among the several players the Old Trafford club are willing to sell this summer as they prepare for a squad rebuild.

Maguire joined Man United in 2019 from Leicester in a then-world-record deal for a defender. However, the £80million United paid for the 30-year-old has never been justified due to his propensity for errors and high-profile gaffes.

As such, he has never had the trust of Erik ten Hag, who prefers to play left-back Luke Shaw, Lisandro Martinez, Raphael Varane, and Victor Lindelof ahead of him in central defence. Although ten Hag isn’t pushing him out of the club, he has left the door open for him to leave.

However, should the 30-year-old leave, it could cost Man United a whopping £10million.

This is because of his wages at Old Trafford.

Maguire earns around £190 million a week and will want to be paid that amount if he is to move this summer. Although Man United have reduced his asking price to £30millikn, not many clubs are willing to pay him the amount he earns at United as wages.

As a result, United may have to find part of the wages left in his two-year deal to successfully offload him. According to a report by Sportsmail, the amount United could lose could be up to £10 million. That is a lot of money for Erik ten Hag’s side, who will be looking for every penny available to sign players this summer.

Meanwhile, Maguire has started just 16 out of United’s 61 competitive games this season.

Manchester United midfielder Fred attracting interest from Fulham

Manchester United midfielder Fred is reportedly attracting interest from Premier League side Fulham.

According to Sportsmail, the Brazilian international is among 13 players expected to leave Old Trafford this summer as United hope for a summer clear-out and squad rebuild.

He was spotted chatting with Fulham manager Marco Silva after United’s game against the Cottagers on Sunday.

However, Fulham is one of many sides interested in his services, as he also has other offers.

According to the reports, intermediaries have proposed a possible move for the 30-year-old to Fulham as the Red Devils are looking to sign a younger midfielder this summer.

Fulham already has many Brazilians, with Willian, Carlos Vinicius and former United midfielder Andreas Pereira already at the club and will be ready to welcome Fred.

Manchester United value Fred at £20 million and will be looking to recoup that amount for the Brazilian, whom they signed from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2018.

The 30-year-old has made 55 appearances for the Red Devils this season, but the last time he completed the full 90 minutes in the league was against Leeds in February.

Sevilla vs AS Roma: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

The 2022/23 Europa League season ends this Wednesday with the competition’s record holders Sevilla facing Italian side AS Roma.

Sevilla come into this game looking to extend their incredible record in the tournament. The Spanish side have won the Europa League six times, which is the most for any club.

The Andalusian side booked their place in the final thanks to a 3-2 aggregate win over Juventus. However, they are travelling to Budapest in bad form, with no win in their last four games (D3, L1).

However, the loss in that sequence came in their last game– a 2-1 loss to Real Madrid in La Liga. But José Luis Mendilibar made many changes for that game against Madrid, so his boys should be physically and mentally fresh for their visit to Budapest.

Yet, the fact is that Sevilla haven’t won any of their four UEL away games this season (D2, L2). Furthermore, they are winless in 13 games outside of Spain in European competition, which makes lifting another UEL trophy here far from straightforward.

Meanwhile, Roma and Jose Mourinho will look to continue his impressive record in finals when he takes his side to Budapest on Wednesday.

The Portuguese manager has never lost a final and will look to build on his achievement of winning the Europa Conference League with Roma last season.

But like Sevilla, the Giallorossi fell to a 2-1 defeat against Fiorentina in Serie A at the weekend. That loss means that Roma are on the verge of missing out on the Europa League as they sit in sixth position. This makes winning this trophy even more important as it would give them a free pass to the Champions League next season.

Roma are without a win in four games (D3, L1) and are also winless in their last four Europa League games held outside of Italy (D2, L2).

However, Mourinho knows how to lift trophies and will bank on them to deliver at Budapest. He will be desperate here, too, as winking will make him the most decorated manager in the history of major European competition.

Meanwhile, the previous 13 UEL finals have seen an average of 2.92 goals per game. So we can expect over 2.5 goals in this game.

Joshua Oha

Sergio Ramos confirms PSG Exit

Chelsea set Mateo Kovacic’s asking price amid Manchester City interest

Torino vs Inter Milan: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Paris Saint-Germain vs Clermont Foot: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Manchester City vs Manchester United: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

Auxerre vs Lens: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

PSG confirm Lionel Messi is LEAVING the club at the end of this week

Manchester United to LOSE £10million to sell Harry Maguire

Manchester United midfielder Fred attracting interest from Fulham

Sevilla vs AS Roma: Preview and Expert Football Prediction

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