Giannis Antetokounmpo shines despite Greece’s defeat in Olympics opener.
In a thrilling match, Greece narrowly lost to Canada 79-86 in their Olympics 2024 opener. Giannis Antetokounmpo shone brightly in his Olympic debut, nearly orchestrating a comeback from a 16-point deficit with an impressive 34 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists, becoming the third player in history to record 30+ points in his Olympics debut. Despite Greece’s efforts, Canada secured the win through strong performances by Dillon Brooks, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and RJ Barrett, all scoring in double figures. Giannis once again proved his status as arguably the best player in the world, earning MVP chants from the crowd. Greece, placed in what is considered the toughest group in the Olympics, will face Spain next on July 30th, hoping to make a significant impact.
Giannis gave his all in his Olympic debut 😤
Despite the loss, he became only the third player to have scored more than 30 points in his debut in the #Olympics 👏#Paris2024 x #Basketball pic.twitter.com/PG2r5l6mBE
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 27, 2024
Free agent, Kelechi Iheanacho to secure move to La Liga giants, Sevilla.
After weeks of speculation, the future of Super Eagles forward, Kelechi Iheanacho seems to be resolved as he is set to join La Liga side, Sevilla. The Nigerian striker is on the verge of finalizing a move to the seven-time Europa League champions, who have been actively seeking a replacement for Youssef En-Nesyri following his transfer to Fenerbahçe. Iheanacho, who began his career at Manchester City, transferred to Leicester City in 2017 for £27 million. In the last season, he scored six goals in 26 appearances, aiding Leicester City in their immediate promotion back to the Premier League. Sevilla fans are optimistic that Iheanacho will play a key role in revitalizing their squad after a disappointing season.
🚨🚨| NEW: Kelechi Iheanacho is on the verge of joining Sevilla! 🔴⚪
Verbal agreement is done. 🤝
[@Plettigoal] pic.twitter.com/ajbxNT9fYd
— CentreGoals. (@centregoals) July 27, 2024
Mescara suffers heavy defeat in Chelsea’s second friendly match against Celtic.
Chelsea’s pre-season tour in the United States continued with a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Celtic on Saturday night, following their 2-2 draw against Wrexham. The Blues found themselves trailing 2-0 at halftime after goals from Matt O’Reilly and Kyogo Furuhashi. The second half saw more defensive errors, leading to two additional goals for Celtic before Christopher Nkunku scored a late consolation goal from the penalty spot. Despite the heavy loss at Notre Dame Stadium in Indiana, head coach, Enzo Maresca noted positive developments. Maresca commented, “Off the ball we need to improve. Sometimes we confuse when to play short or longer, but it’s part of the process.” Chelsea will aim to secure their first win of the summer when they face Club America early Thursday morning.
Defeat in Notre Dame. @FICO_corp | #BluesInTheUSA pic.twitter.com/0ZMXVdNYfg
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) July 27, 2024
Højlund and Yoro injured as United suffer 2-1 defeat to Arsenal.
Manchester United suffered a 2-1 defeat against Arsenal in their opening game of their pre-season tour in the United States. Rasmus Højlund gave United an early lead in the 10th minute, but Arsenal responded with goals from Gabriel Jesus and Gabriel Martinelli to secure the win. As in their previous pre-season encounter, a penalty shootout followed, with United winning 4-3. However, injuries overshadowed the match for United. Højlund, after scoring, was forced to leave the field due to an injury, signalling to the bench and heading straight down the tunnel. Shortly afterward, Leny Yoro also had to leave with an injury, showing visible discomfort during a drink break. Manager Erik ten Hag stated that the severity of the injuries would be assessed in the coming days.
⏹️ Beaten on the night but important pre-season minutes for 23 Reds 🔋
Next up: a penalty shootout! 🎯#MUFC || #MUTOUR24 pic.twitter.com/09aXBxXwJd
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) July 28, 2024
Filip Jörgensen set to make big move to Chelsea this summer.
Chelsea have reached an agreement with Villarreal to sign goalkeeper Filip Jörgensen for a £27.1 million transfer fee. This move will see the highly rated goalkeeper compete for the No.1 spot at Stamford Bridge. According to Fabrizio Romano, the Danish keeper will undergo a medical in the United States, where Chelsea are currently on their pre-season tour. Jorgensen is expected to sign a six-year contract with an option for an additional 12 months. New manager Enzo Maresca wants the 22-year-old to join the team immediately and potentially feature by the tour’s end. Jorgensen will become Chelsea’s seventh new signing of the summer if all goes as planned. While Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City showed interest, Chelsea has won the race for Jorgensen’s signature.
🚨🔵 EXCLUSIVE: Filip Jørgensen to Chelsea, here we go! Deal done and closed right now between clubs.
Chelsea will pay €24.5m fee to Villarreal for Danish talented GK, long term deal also agreed.
Deal done by Goal Management and Epic Sports agencies.
New GK for Maresca. 🇩🇰 pic.twitter.com/DrPwPFwaQo
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) July 27, 2024