Out-of-form Rennes will attempt to upset the odds at Paris Saint-Germain for the third season running in Friday s Ligue 1 clash.

Philippe Montanier has backed Rennes to end their Ligue 1 wobble and produce another famous victory at Paris Saint-Germain on Friday.

A superb run of form saw Rennes go unbeaten in the league from October 4 until a 4-0 reverse at home to Montpellier on December 6.

That setback started a six-match winless league run and has seen Rennes slip to 10th in the table.

A trip to the Parc des Princes to play champions PSG poses another daunting challenge for out-of-sorts Rennes, particularly considering Laurent Blanc s men have not been beaten on home soil this term.

However, Rennes have reason to be cautiously optimistic ahe…

French giants Marseille are showing interest in Gregory van der Wiel and Jordan Amavi, according to reports.

OM are clearly looking to reinforce full-back positions and Turkish daily newspaper Fanatik claims they are weighing up move for Fenerbahce defender Gregory van der Wiel.

The former Paris Saint-Germain right-back has struggled for playing time since Dick Advocaat took over the reigns and it is believed he is hoping to leave the Canaries in January.

Meanwhile, Marseille have been in talks with Aston Villa starlet Jordan Amavi, who is also on the radar of Liverpool and Lyon.

The 22-year-old is not keen on playing Championship football, and a return to France could appeal to him.

Amavi had joined Aston Villa from Nice in July 2015 and went on…

The saying goes if it ain t broke, don t fix it .

It s a phrase that has become particularly pertinent over the last month as a brilliantly bonkers World Cup has played out in front of the eyes of the globe in Russia.

For all the controversy and rigmarole that surrounded the voting outcome of this tournament and Qatar 2022, there can be no denying that the end product has been a glorious cocktail of drama, excitement, surprise and, it wouldn t be football without it, heartbreak. 

Big guns like Germany, Spain, Brazil and Argentina were disarmed, hosts Russia defied the odds to reach the quarter-finals, Croatia are shaking off the dark horse tag and England dared to believe it was coming home. 

Messi and Ronaldo went home with their Ballon d Or tails tuck…

Market: Both teams to score

Odds: 4/7 @

Two second-tier outfits that are looking to punch a DFP Pokal semi-final ticket on Wednesday night, Hertha Berlin will welcome Kaiserslautern to the Olympiastadion.

Starting with the hosts, enduring a Bundesliga nightmare last season as they lost their top-flight status with a whimper, Hertha Berlin have once again shown some extended issues this time around. Putting in a flat performance last weekend as they slumped to a routine 3-1 defeat away at Wehen, Pal Dardai’s men are seeking a real miracle in their bid to snatch an immediate Bundesliga return in 2024. Marking their return from Germany’s festive break with an action-packed 2-2 stalemate against Dusseldorf, the one-time Hungary boss will also have a mounting hea…

As a football fan and writer I had never paid much attention to the German Bundesliga till last season. It was maybe a sign of my obsession with the Premier League and La Liga that made me completely disregard the German league.

I just happened across a match last season and ever since I ve tried to watch as much Bundesliga as I can. It seems to have a similar pace to the Premier League but maybe not the same profile. I d say it was nearly as exciting as the English top flight as well.

It hasn t got the technique of La Liga either but for some reason I have found the league really entertaining. In previous seasons Bayern have been dominant but last season saw a thrilling title race with four or five teams involved till the last few weeks of the season.

More comp…

CSKA Moscow coach Leonid Slutsky insists Manchester United are a giant side .

United returned to the Champions League this season after missing out on the previous edition following a dreadful 2013-14 under the management of David Moyes.

Louis van Gaal steered the Premier League team back into European football s premier competition last term, and Slutsky is in no doubt that they remain one of the biggest clubs on the continent ahead of Wednesday s Group B clash in Russia.

We have played a lot of games against big clubs  some have gone well, some a little worse  so we re ready, the CSKA boss said on Tuesday.

These back-to-back matches are always crucial; we have to respect our opponents and be aware that we are up against a giant side, but we hav…

Dimitri Payet seems desperate to leave West Ham for Marseille this month

The story of Dimitri Payet leaving West Ham has been one the biggest talking points of the January transfer window so far, along with Chelsea and Diego Costa of course.

However, Payet leaving the club looks no nearer a solution, as confusion reigns.

There have been conflicting reports that Marseille have now dropped their interest in Payet, while elsewhere reports suggest that the French club are set to launch a £25million bid.

For me, though, what is for sure is that West Ham needs to end this saga once and for all before the transfer window shuts.

Doubts over Marseille giving up

Marseille wants to sign Payet. The player seemingly wants to desperately move back to …

Poland captain Robert Lewandowski will wear the colours of Ukraine at the World Cup in Qatar, after receiving a special armband from Andriy Shevchenko.

The Barcelona forward met Shevchenko at Warsaw s national stadium to collect the yellow and blue armband, which he will wear at the World Cup to represent Ukraine, who did not qualify.

Ukraine has been ravaged by Russia following February s invasion, with millions of citizens forced to flee the country and many have travelled to Poland, which has also hosted the Champions League matches of Shakhtar Donetsk this season.

While Ukraine will not play in Qatar, Lewandowski has pledged to display their colours when he takes to the field in a show of solidarity with those who are suffering, having met Shevchenko with Lau…

AC Milan are interested in signing Chelsea central midfielder N Golo Kante in the summer of 2023, according to . Kante is out of contract at former Premier League and UEFA Champions League winners Chelsea at the end of the season, and defending Serie A champions Milan are keen on then signing him on a free transfer.

Milan, who won the Serie A title last season have made contact with Kante in regard to signing him on a pre-contract in January. The 31-year-old has had injury problems in recent seasons and has not been a regular for Chelsea for a while.

Kante has made only two appearances in the Premier League for Chelsea so far this season. The former Leicester City midfielder made 21 starts and five substitute appearances in the league for the Blues last season, scoring …

Everton are leading the race to sign out-of-favour Manchester City midfielder Scott Sinclair, the Metro understands.

Stoke City and West Bromwich Albion are also interested in signing the 24 year old, who made just two starts in the Premier League last season having signed from Swansea City last August.

Sinclair began his career at Bristol Rovers before moving to Chelsea in 2006, though he spent most of his four years at Stamford Bridge out on loan with no less than six clubs.

A move to Swansea City came in 2010, and he helped the side to secure promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs in his first season with the club.

He has represented England at every level from under 17’s to under 21’s, and was part of Great Britain’s Olympic sq…