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Serie A
15 Feb 13:30
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Udinese
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Sassuolo
1 2 -
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LaLiga
15 Feb 15:00
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RealOviedo
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AthleticBi
1 2 -
Serie A
15 Feb 16:00
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Cremonese
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Genoa
0 0 -
Serie A
15 Feb 16:00
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ParmaCalci
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HellasVero
2 1 -
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Ligue 1
15 Feb 16:00
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LeHavre
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Toulouse
2 1 -
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Bundesl
15 Feb 16:30
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Augsburg
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FCHeidenhe
1 0 -
LaLiga
15 Feb 17:15
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RayoVallec
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AtleticoMa
3 0 -
Ligue 1
15 Feb 18:15
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Lorient
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Angers
2 0 -
Ligue 1
15 Feb 18:15
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Metz
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Auxerre
1 3 -
Bundesl
15 Feb 18:30
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RBLeipzig
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Wolfsburg
2 2 -
Serie A
15 Feb 19:00
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Torino
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Bologna
1 2 -
LaLiga
15 Feb 19:30
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Levante
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Valencia
0 2 -
Serie A
15 Feb 21:45
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SSCNapoli
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Roma
2 2 -
Ligue 1
15 Feb 21:45
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Lyon
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Nice
2 0 -
LaLiga
15 Feb 22:00
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Mallorca
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RealBetis
1 2 -
Serie A
16 Feb 21:45
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Cagliari
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Lecce
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16 Feb 22:00
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Girona
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Barcelona
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LaLiga
18 Feb 21:00
Levante
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Villarreal
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Serie A
18 Feb 21:45
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ACMilan
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Como
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Premier
18 Feb 22:00
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Wolverhamp
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Arsenal
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REFEREES IN RUINS: WHY ALAN SHEARER THINKS VAR HAS KILLED ON-FIELD DECISION MAKING
Newcastle 3-1 Villa: Read why Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney are furious over the "shambolic" officiating at a VAR-less Villa Park.
Alan Shearer was fuming after a string of questionable calls in Newcastle United’s FA Cup win against Aston Villa, and now a former PGMOL chief has his back. VAR wasn’t in play for any of the fourth-round matches, not even at Premier League grounds, and honestly, you could feel its absence at Villa Park. Newcastle pushed through to round five with a 3-1 win, but the drama around the officiating just wouldn’t quit.
Tammy Abraham’s opening goal for Villa instantly set everyone off. Replays showed he was offside, but the flag stayed down. Then things got messier. Newcastle should’ve had a penalty when Lucas Digne clearly handled the ball in the box, but the referee gave them a free kick instead. Digne also dodged a red card for a nasty high challenge on Jacob Murphy again; the officials let him off easy.
Referee Chris Kavanagh didn’t see Digne’s wild tackle as worthy of a sending off, but Keith Hackett, who used to run the Professional Game Match Officials Board, didn’t hold back. “The challenge by Digne should have received a red card,” he said. “It was clear serious foul play.” Hackett also called out other decisions that went against Newcastle, saying they flat-out got them wrong.
When asked about the missed penalty, Hackett couldn’t hide his frustration. “Oh dear. Referee Chris Kavanagh really should have received appropriate intervention by the assistant to advise that it was in the penalty area,” he told Football Insider.
After the match, Shearer tore into the officiating, especially assistant referee Nick Greenhalgh. “There was maybe a small excuse for the referee to miss that the handball was in the box, and I’m being generous, but there’s no excuse at all for the assistant, who was 10 or 15 yards away,” Shearer said.
He didn’t hold back. “Greenhalgh had an absolute nightmare today. If you ever needed proof of the damage VAR’s done to referees, today’s it. These guys looked terrified to make decisions without their safety net. That’s the damage VAR has done to officials. They’re getting worse, not better. This wasn’t a tough call; it was easy. At this level, you have to give it. There’s no excuse for the assistant not to tell the referee. He got it totally wrong.”
Wayne Rooney, working alongside Shearer for the BBC, was just as angry about the missed penalty. “That decision is one of the worst I’ve ever seen in football,” he said. “Digne was never outside the box; he’s three or four yards inside. The linesman’s right there. You can see exactly where Digne is. The referee blew his whistle and looked like he was listening to someone in his ear, so I’m guessing the linesman made the call, and it’s an absolute shocker.”
BARCELONA BACK OUT: PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS TAKE LEAD IN RUUD NIJSTAD PURSUIT
Ruud Nijstad transfer news: Chelsea, Man City, and Newcastle join the race as Barcelona's €10m deal collapses. Read the latest.
Chelsea, Manchester City, and Newcastle United are all lining up to challenge Barcelona for Ruud Nijstad, one of the most talked-about young defenders in Europe right now.
Nijstad, just 18 and already breaking through at FC Twente, has caught the eye of scouts everywhere. Since making his debut this season, he’s become a hot topic in the recruitment rooms of some of the biggest clubs on the continent.
Barcelona tried to get ahead of the pack. They’ve been in talks for months, hoping to nail down a deal quickly. But here’s the catch: they weren’t willing to pay more than €10 million, at least according to people on the Twente side. And Nijstad himself? He wasn’t sold on the development plan Barcelona pitched. He’s looking for something that’ll really push his career forward, and he didn’t see that in their offer.
That hesitation from Barça has blown the race wide open. Now, more than a dozen clubs are circling. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, and RB Leipzig have all sent scouts to watch him more than once in the last few weeks.
But honestly, the biggest moves are coming out of England. Chelsea’s owners, BlueCo, and the City Football Group at Manchester City are both working hard to land Nijstad. They’ve got something to offer that stands out: a clear path to the Premier League through their multi-club systems and a long-term plan that’s really attractive to young players. They can actually show Nijstad how he could get from Twente to the biggest stage in English football.
And it’s not just those two. Tottenham, Aston Villa, Brighton, Brentford, and, of course, Newcastle have all been tracking him too, sending scouts over and over to see if his early-season form holds up. So far? The reports have been glowing.
Even though Nijstad only made his senior debut this year, he’s already showing a cool head, smart decision-making, and a maturity you just don’t see often in teenage centre-backs.
Twente have him under contract until 2027 and wants to lock him in for longer. But let’s be real: the biggest clubs in Europe are circling, and now the Premier League giants are getting serious. Twente will fight with their hands to keep one of the Eredivisie’s most promising defenders.
From what we’re hearing, this transfer battle is just getting started. With Barcelona stepping back and England’s heavyweights ramping up, Nijstad’s next stop looks more and more likely to be the Premier League.
THE PALACE BLUEPRINT: HOW ADAM WHARTON IS FOLLOWING OLISE’S PATH TO GLOBAL STARDOM
Adam Wharton to Liverpool or Man Utd? Get the latest on Crystal Palace’s record transfer plans and Olise's incredible Bayern stats.
The club smashed its transfer record late in the window by signing Jorgen Strand Larsen for £48m, but after selling Eberechi Eze to Arsenal for £67m last summer, the Eagles expect even more big names to leave.
Most fans and pundits agree: Adam Wharton looks like the next major player on his way out.
So, what’s happening with Wharton and Palace now? At 22, he’s become one of the hottest young talents in English football. Shay Given even called him “one of the most gifted midfielders in the Premier League.” He’s been key for Glasner, helping drive that bold, progressive style, always popping up with smart passes and never shying away from a challenge.
Wharton just oozes class. No wonder some of Europe’s biggest clubs are circling. Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested, and Real Madrid is watching closely too.
Palace has slapped an £82m price tag on him. If he goes for that, he’ll break the club’s record sale, and Eze’s fee would look small by comparison.
And let’s talk about Michael Olise for a second. Since he left Palace for £50m in 2024, he’s exploded at Bayern Munich. Now he’s their go-to guy, racking up 33 goals and 48 assists in just 89 games, linking up perfectly with Harry Kane. Bayern dominate the Bundesliga and look like real contenders for the Champions League this May.
Back when he played in the Premier League, Palace reporter Sam Smith called Olise “world-class.” Turns out, he was right. The CIES Football Observatory now values Olise at about £129m, more than anyone in the Premier League, even after Newcastle sold Alexander Isak to Liverpool for £125m in 2025.
Only Kane has managed to outscore Olise across all competitions in Europe’s top leagues this season.
Olise is electric. Palace fans have always known it. Talent scout Jacek Kulig called him “one of the best wide playmakers in Europe” back in 2024, and Olise’s work ethic has only made that more obvious.
Wharton’s destined for big things, and Eze pulled in a massive fee not long ago. But honestly, Olise is on another level, one of the world’s very best right now.
Still, Wharton’s just getting started. He’s bound to get even better, so if Palace can hang on to him a bit longer, they really should. Interest is going to be wild this summer.
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