The impending arrival of thousands of England fans in Samara for Saturday s World Cup quarter-final against Sweden is not a cause for concern, says the region s head of tourism Mikhail Maltsev.

Tuesday s penalty shoot-out win over Colombia booked the Three Lions place in the last eight and a meeting with Janne Andersson s men, who overcame Switzerland 1-0 earlier that day.

In recent years, a section of England s fanbase has earned a less than glowing reputation for its behaviour abroad, while clashes during Euro 2016 with Russian hooligans who have been conspicuous by their absence here  were well documented.

England supporters have travelled in smaller numbers to these finals, though, and there have been no reports of trouble at any of their matches in Volg…

Verdict: Both teams to score – yes

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Two of Europe’s football heavyweights will meet on Monday after recording identical-margin wins in the previous round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying round. Buoyed by the 4-1 triumph, both Netherlands and France will be keen to grab what will cement their place at the top of Group A.

Netherlands

Last couple of years have been quite difficult for the Dutch football team which missed their chance to qualify for the European Championship finals in France this summer. Bronze medallists from Brazil 2014 are keen to get back on track and restore their place among world’s best as they head full force into the new qualifying cycle for Russia 2018. Having been pitted alongside France and the …

Massimiliano Allegri insisted he has no fears for his Juventus job as he urged the Bianconeri to put worries aside to respond to their Champions League defeat to Benfica.

Juve are without a point in the Champions League after two Group H games, falling to a 2-1 defeat after Joao Mario cancelled out Arkadiusz Milik s opener before David Neres scored a second-half winner.

That marked the first time Juve have opened a Champions League group stage with two losses, while they suffered three straight defeats in Europe s premier club competition for the first time since September 1972.

With just one win in seven games amid a poor run in Serie A, pressure continues to grow on Allegri but the Juve coach remains confident he is the right man to take the Bianconeri forwar…

Argentina coach Diego Maradona says there are roughly 10 undecided places up for grabs in his squad for this summer s World Cup in South Africa.

The outspoken former national team great, speaking after watching his charges beat Costa Rica 3-2 in a friendly on Tuesday, said he had already decided on 60 percent of his squad.

Tuesday s match, featuring only home-based players tuning up for the resumption of the Argentine championship next weekend, provided few clues as to the likely make-up of Maradona s group for the June 11-July 11 tournament.

A victory which didn t provide the necessary answers, was the verdict of Argentine daily La Nacion following a victory over a side that has not qualified for the World Cup and which was mostly comprised of under-21 players…

Swansea City s Ashley Williams thinks the Premier League could soon see new clubs competing for Champions League qualification.

Garry Monk s side finished eighth in the top-flight last season, 14 points adrift of Manchester United in fourth position.

However, the Swansea captain believes a new club breaking into the top four and achieving Champions League qualification is on the horizon.

It s very difficult to get into that top group, especially the top four, Williams told Sky Sports.

But you d like to think, for the good of the league, that a team can push in there. We had a good season last season, Southampton as well, so it s getting a bit closer.

You ll always get one that will make a go of it, and I think it makes for a more entertaining…

Aitor Karanka hailed the revival of Victor Valdes after the goalkeeper helped Middlesbrough snatch a 1-1 draw at Manchester City.

Valdes held City s incessant attack at bay, save for Sergio Aguero s 150th goal for the club, until Marten de Roon fired home a stoppage-time header to earn a point for the Teessiders at Etihad Stadium.

Having lifted the European Championship and World Cup with Spain, as well as multiple LaLiga and Champions League titles at Barcelona, Valdes has enjoyed regular action this season for the first time since a serious knee injury prematurely ended his Camp Nou career in March 2014.

Having established himself as Karanka s first choice ahead of Brad Guzan and Dimi Konstantopoulos, Valdes is making a strong impression on the Premier League, …

Fulham want to keep Paris Saint-Germain-owned goalkeeper Alphonse Areola at the club beyond the summer of 2021, according to . Areola joined the Cottagers on loan from PSG in the summer of 2020 and is the first-choice custodian at the Premier League club.

Areola has kept nine clean sheets for Fulham so far this season. Scott Parker’s side are third from bottom in the Premier League table at the moment with 26 points from 28 matches, level on points with 17th-placed Brighton and Hove Albion, who have played 27 games.

It has been reported that if Fulham are able to escape the dreaded drop to the Championship at the end of the season, then they plan to activate a clause to keep Areola at Craven Cottage next season and beyond.

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The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) docked Nice two Ligue 1 points, one of which was suspended, due to their involvement in the chaotic scenes with Marseille last month.

The August 22 clash was suspended and then abandoned after home fans stormed the Allianz Riviera pitch in response to Marseille s Dimitri Payet, who was hit on the back of the neck, throwing a bottle back into the Nice crowd.

The LFP had summoned the two teams to a disciplinary hearing on August 25 to explain the unsavoury scenes, which saw a melee break out on the pitch and subsequently in the dugout.

On Wednesday, the LFP announced its decision to punish Nice with a one-point deduction, while also subjecting the French club to three games behind closed doors.

For inciting the crow…

that AC Milan defender Didac Vila is set to sign a season-long loan with Real Betis.

The player has landed in Seville this morning after the two clubs reached an agreement over the loan deal and he is set to undergo a medical.

This is unlikely to be a mere formality seeing as how his proposed move to Valencia fell through last summer as he failed his medical due to a sore pubis.

In case there are no problems, the 24-year-old will put pen to paper this afternoon and immediately travel to Manchester to join the squad for pre-season training.

Didac Vila joined AC Milan from Espanyol in January 2010, but he went on to make just one league appearance for the Rossoneri.

After spending the 2011/2012 season on loan at Espanyol, scoring 2 goals in 37 La …

Everton s Steven Naismith hopes Nikica Jelavic can continue his good form against Valencia in the International Champions Cup on Tuesday.

The Croatia international has been named on the bench for the first two games of the tournament, and has scored three times in pre-season so far, including one in the 2-1 defeat to Real Madrid.

And as the two sides go head-to-head for fifth spot in the prestigious competition, in what will be their last game in the USA, Naismith feels that Jelavic can prove to be the difference.

Throughout pre-season he has looked sharp and he has got a bit of confidence back. I think last season he lost a bit of that through not playing every week, the Scotland international told the club s official website.

Naismith also believes that anoth…