Portugal manager Paulo Bento insists his side will not fall into the same trap as France by retreating into their shells against Spain.

Les Bleus boss Laurent Blanc made radical changes to his starting line-up ahead of last week s Euro 2012 quarter-final in an attempt to upset Spain s rhythm and knock them out of their usual assured stride.

However, it was a plan that backfired and Bento is adamant he will stay true to the attacking beliefs which have put Portugal on the brink of reaching only the second major final in their history.

Our aim is not to defend all of the time. We can t do this against the reigning world and European champions. We are aware it will be difficult but they know we can pose a lot of problems for them, he said.

It is easy to …

Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz has called up Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo and Inter Milan midfielder Ricardo Quaresma to his squad for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Sweden and Albania.

Ronaldo has only recently recovered from an ankle operation and will return to his national squad for the first time since playing in the Euro 2008.

Queiroz has also called up Chelsea playmaker Deco, despite him being sidelined by his club Chelsea after picking up an injury during the warm-up to the 1-1 draw with Manchester United nearly two weeks ago.

Diagnosed with an upper thigh muscle tear, he was set to be out for approximately two weeks , according to a club statement.

Among the new faces to Queiroz s 23-man squad is Sporting Lisbon defender…

Al Hilal captain Mohammad Al Shalhoub is determined to make sure their maiden Club World Cup campaign continues into the semi-finals ahead of a debut clash with ES Tunis.

The champions of Asia and Africa meet at Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium on Saturday for the right to face Copa Libertadores winners Flamengo in the last four next week.

Al Hilal became continental kings for the first time since 2000 this year, beating Urawa Red Diamonds 3-0 on aggregate in the AFC Champions League final to avenge their 2-1 defeat to the same opponents two years ago.

The Saudi Arabian side boast a strong contingent of experienced players, including former Juventus and Toronto FC star Sebastian Giovinco, ex-Lyon striker Bafetimbi Gomis and Peru international Andre Carrillo, and it i…

Liverpool kept their first home clean sheet of the Premier League season in a 2-0 win over Watford as Mohamed Salah s double rescued the off-key Reds.

The manner in which Jurgen Klopp s men can win when out of sorts must be hard to swallow for second-placed Leicester, who drew 1-1 at home to Norwich City, and third-placed Manchester City, who travel to Arsenal on Sunday.

Chelsea failed to put pressure on the top three as they succumbed to a 1-0 home defeat to Bournemouth, but Sheffield United moved up to fifth after brushing Aston Villa aside in a 2-0 win.

Chris Wood s goal was enough to bring Burnley s three-match losing streak to an end and condemn Newcastle United to a first defeat in four league outings.

Watford make Reds work for 16th str…

Harry Redknapp has confirmed a deal between QPR and Real Sociedad for midfielder Esteban Granero has been completed.

The Spaniard moved to Loftus Road in 2012 but suffered relegation from the Premier League in his debut season.

Former Real Madrid man Granero was then loaned to Sociedad but featured only seven times in an injury-hit season where he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Having secured a league winners medal at the Santiago Bernabeu in his three-year spell with the Spanish giants, Granero will return to La Liga next term with Sociedad according to Redknapp.

[Chief executive] Philip Beard did the deal at the weekend, the 67-year-old said on Monday.

I think Esteban is going back and I wish him well. He s a great l…

Arsenal snatch Yaya Sanogo

Auxerre hotshot Yaya Sanogo has agreed to join Arsenal on a free transfer in the summer, .

It is no secret the Gunners have been keeping close tabs on the talented forward and they seem to have won the race for the player s signature.

L Equipe understands that Sanogo has agreed a four-year deal in principle with the Premier League outfit.

The 20-year-old s deal with Auxerre is due to expire at the end of the current campaign and he was not interested in renewing his contract.

Despite his fragile age, the forward has already shown a great deal of potential, scoring 9 goals in just 11 Ligue 2 matches this season.

Sanogo is a member of France Under-21 side and he was also followed by Moncao, Lille, Lyon and Saint E…

Virgil van Dijk accepts he has not been performing at his best level but says footballers are not robots after being strongly criticised by Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit.

The Liverpool defender s captaincy credentials were questioned by Van Basten in particular following Friday s 4-0 Euro 2024 qualifying defeat to France.

Dutch great Van Basten accused Van Dijk of making noise but not saying anything and creating chaos that leads to misunderstandings in the side.

Fellow former Netherlands international Gullit, speaking alongside Van Basten in his punditry role with Ziggo Sport, said Van Dijk thinks he is better than the rest .

While Van Dijk is open to opinions, he does not believe the criticism is entirely justified.

It is clear that we playe…

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Two sides who have their sights set on securing a famous European finish this season, Brighton will welcome Brentford to the Amex on Saturday afternoon.

Brighton

Starting with the hosts, while Brighton might have been disappointed to have seen Graham Potter leave the Amex back in September, the Seagulls have only continued to shine since they welcomed Roberto De Zerbi to the south coast. Enjoying what has been a famous Premier League campaign, the Seagulls now have their sights set on securing a European spot this season. Last seen heading into the international break by booking their FA Cup semi-final ticket thanks to a 5-0 romp league League Two outfit Grimsby, the one-time Sassuolo boss should find the mood in his camp at a red-hot…

Mikel Arteta looks to be on his way out of Manchester City, and it may not be long before he is followed by Pep Guardiola.

That is if reports linking Paris Saint-Germain with a move for the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach are to be believed.

Meanwhile, Arteta is not the only big managerial appointment expected imminently in the Premier League, with Carlo Ancelotti close to being confirmed as Everton boss, and reports suggest a big-name could be in line to follow the Italian to Goodison Park.

TOP STORY – GUARDIOLA LINED UP BY PSG

According to Le10 Sport, Paris Saint-Germain will look to swap Thomas Tuchel with Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola next season.

Guardiola is currently under contract with City until 2021, …

Sampdoria have named Eusebio Di Francesco as their new coach, replacing Marco Giampaolo after his move to AC Milan.

Di Francesco was sacked by Roma in March but will be back in Serie A next season after signing a three-year deal.

Samp finished ninth in the table last term, largely due to 26 goals from evergreen striker Fabio Quagliarella, who topped Serie A s scoring charts.

Di Francesco is the best choice for our goal to keep improving Samp, said club president Massimo Ferrero.

He comes with knowledge, experience, good football, desire and mentality. Welcome, Eusebio.

Samp beat champions Juventus 2-0 at home on the final day of the 2018-19 season.

Eusebio is s new head coach!  

— Sampdoria English (@sampdoria_en)

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