Euro 2016 qualifiers: Luxembourg perfect punching bags for Spain
La Roja will be confident of defeating lowly Luxembourg as the records do not make good reading for the hosts. Luxembourg are yet to score a goal against Spain in their previous four meetings, all friendlies, and lost all of them. The Red Lions have also won just one of their last six home games and will not be fancying their chances when the defending champions, despite all of their problems, come to town.
Calls for Vicente del Bosque to drop captain Iker Casillas have gotten louder after yet another blunder from the Real Madrid man against Slovakia, but the coach feels Casillas is being unfairly targeted. “He's a customary scapegoat in a match,” he told Radio Marca. “I don't think Casillas has lost his magic. He's a fantastic player that all Spaniards should boast about.”
Del Bosque was also quick to defend striker Diego Costa, who is yet to open his account fore La Roja, becoming the first Spanish striker in history to fail to score in his first six international matches. “He's not having any luck with us,” he said. “But he's the top scorer in the Premier League and scored many goals last year for Atletico Madrid.”
Hodgson vows to save Sterling from burnout
England manager Roy Hodgson insists he will not let rising Liverpool star Raheem Sterling suffer from burnout ahead of The Three Lions’ Group E match against Estonia.
Hodgson substituted Sterling at the interval against San Marino on Thursday in a bid to keep one of his most prized assets fresh for tomorrow’s fixture in Tallinn.
Sterling’s rise to prominence for club and country has led to fears that the 19-year-old’s body will not be able to cope with the demands of playing twice a week. Signs of fatigue have already started to creep in as Sterling has scored only once in his last 10 appearances for club and country but Hodgson is not worried. “He is not alone in suffering from rapidly increasing expectations,” he said. “[Wayne] Rooney, for example [was another one]. We are conscious of managing it.”
Chiellini cuts no corners
Giorgio Chiellini scored all three goals as Italy scraped through 2-1 against minnows Azerbaijan, ranked 95th, to take top spot in Group H.
The Juventus defender headed home a Pirlo corner in the 44th minute, before putting one into his own net from an Azerbaijan corner with 14 minutes to go, even though both goalkeepers would be disappointed at not having claimed the corners before they reached the defender. However, Chiellini was to later make amends as he gave the Azurri’s the advantage late on from yet another corner, this time from Juventus teammate Sebastian Giovinco.
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