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BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
'We get smacked in the face and rebound'
"We get smacked in the face a little bit and rebound really well."Head coach Tanya Oxtoby perfectly summed up Northern Ireland's Nations League campaign after Friday's 4-0 home defeat by Poland. Looking at their five games so far, two things stand out: errors and fails to exist without the other and while the former has plagued them and cost them in quite a few games, the latter has offered hope for the at errors first; the two goals conceded in defeat in Gdansk in their first game were the win against Bosnia-Herzegovina, Emina Ekic's solo run and finish came after the Northern Ireland defence stood off less said about Mihaela Ciolacu's equaliser in the 1-1 draw in Romania the better, as she had an easy finish after Ellie Mason and Rachel Dugdale left the clearance to each other and both missed on Friday night, the clinical Ewa Pajor burst between two defenders to prod home the opener, Jackie Burns gifted her a second and Northern Ireland failed to clear their lines to allow Paulina Tomasiak to score a third before Oxtoby's side have shown an ability to react to didn't crumble in Gdansk, they fought back to beat Bosnia and after the frustration in Bucharest, they produced their best display of the campaign to beat Romania 1-0 at hopes her side can once again dip into their reserves of resilience in Tuesday's crucial game against Bosnia in Zenica, where a win would hand NI a promotion play-off place."I don't have any doubt in my mind we'll perform on Tuesday," she said. 'They're not all the same mistakes' The Australian was keen not to dwell too much on the theme of errors throughout the campaign as "they're not all the same mistakes"."It's hard to lob them all into one category, there are individual errors and there are group errors the whole campaign, it's about learning from them," she of the issues for the manager that may be a cause of the high volume of mistakes is an unsettled backline, with chopping and changing occurring in all five games so Rafferty has missed the last three games through injury, her absence keenly felt in the heart of defence, with Oxtoby conceding the Rangers defender is "50-50" to be fit for the game in a dearth of natural centre-backs to fit her system, Nadene Caldwell has played there recently, although naturally a midfielder, whilst Linfield youngster Abi Sweetlove was given her debut at Seaview against Poland, but like the rest of the defence, she struggled against Pajor, who scored two and set up the other two goals. Northern Ireland must 'park' Poland defeat After the dissection of Friday night's mistakes, focus will quickly turn to Tuesday in Zenica, where a win would help Northern Ireland finish second and secure that all important play-off place and mark an improvement on their last Nations League Simone Magill said NI are "hurting" after the Poland loss, but she repeatedly spoke of the need to "park" the result."We were very clear at the start of this campaign about what we wanted to go after, and that's still very much in our hands," she said. "Despite Friday's result that doesn't change for us. We have been on quite a journey, and this is where we want to be. "We want to be back in the mix competing off the back of the last Euros, we didn't want that to be a one off and if we get the result we want, we are right back in the mix."
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
We caused problems for ourselves
Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby admits her side "caused problems for ourselves" in Friday's 4-0 defeat by Poland in the Nations striker Ewa Pajor scored twice in the opening 10 minutes as Poland secured an immediate return to League A. Pajor then provided assists for Paulina Tomasiak and Adriana Achcinska, which means Northern Ireland will now face off with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Tuesday for the promotion play-off spot. "The plan wasn't executed as we would have liked," said Australian Oxtoby of Northern Ireland's poor start. "The spaces were there we wanted to exploit but we were sloppy with the ball. "We caused problems for ourselves, we addressed that at half-time and changed our shape to try and help in that area."Oxtoby added that "it's not one single thing" behind the performance and result, but the "players know we can be better".Despite the defeat, Northern Ireland's hopes of winning promotion to League A for the first time are still in their hands. Second place secures a play-off spot against a League A side, and Northern Ireland are currently three points ahead of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Teams on level points are split by their head-to-head ranking, so even if NI fall to defeat in Zenica they could still hold onto second ahead of the Bosnians thanks to February's dramatic 3-2 win in Larne. "We were disappointed with the first half, that goes without saying," added Oxtoby."We tweaked some things at half time and the second-half performance was better. "We managed to get Abi (Sweetlove) and Aimee (Kerr) on the pitch for their senior debuts, so there's some real positives but we've now got to focus on the Bosnia game. "It's a crucial one for us. The players know that we can be better and I've got full belief that we'll go on Tuesday and put in a really good performance."
BBC News
3 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Watch: Northern Ireland hosting group leaders Poland
Update: Date: 19:03 BST Title: CLOSE! Content: Northern Ireland 0-0 Poland I've no idea how Poland didn't score inside 60 seconds. A ball was clipped over the top for Ewa Pajor, who spotted that Jackie Burns had raced off her line and lobbed the ball towards goal. It looked like it would drop in but it takes a big bounce and lands on the roof of the net. That's a very early let-off. Update: Date: 19:01 BST Title: Post Content: Northern Ireland 0-0 Poland Marissa CallaghanFormer Northern Ireland captain BBC iPlayer We started off on the front foot against Romania, so hopefully we can do that again. Update: Date: 19:01 BST Title: KICK-OFF Content: Northern Ireland 0-0 Poland Off we go in Belfast! Remember, a point will be enough to secure a promotion play-off with a game to spare. Update: Date: 18:59 BST Title: Post Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Marissa CallaghanFormer Northern Ireland captain BBC iPlayer We have some amazing memories form Seaview and hopefully the sold-out crowd will get behind us. Update: Date: 18:57 BST Title: Post Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) It's time for the anthems. First up, it's Poland. Update: Date: 18:55 BST Title: Post Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Simone Magill leads out Northern Ireland at Seaview, and is followed by Barcelona star Ewa Pajor and Poland. It's a glorious evening in Belfast. Let's hope the game can match the weather. Update: Date: 18:54 BST Title: 'Refined' NI can stun Poland - Magill Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Northern Ireland captain Simone Magill believes her side are more "refined" as they prepare to take on Poland. Poland ran out 2-0 winners against Northern Ireland in February's opener as the top seeds hit a quickfire double. Tanya Oxtoby's side responded by collecting seven points from a possible nine and can still earn promotion from League B. "Poland are a really tough team," said Birmingham City striker Magill. "It was a tough night for us over there at the start of the group but we've had a lot of games since. "We've refined in a lot of areas, and we had a really good performance at home last time out [against Romania]." Update: Date: 18:52 BST Title: Rafferty out injured Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby, speaking on BBC iPlayer: "It's a shame for Raff [Laura Rafferty]. She picked up a knock on Tuesday, we thought we could manage it but she's not going to be right for tonight. She'll still play a role off the pitch with her leadership." Update: Date: 18:50 BST Title: Post Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Marissa CallaghanFormer Northern Ireland captain BBC iPlayer The girls will be buzzing. It's all to play for and it's an exciting night. I hope they can do the business. Update: Date: 18:49 BST Title: Sweetlove steps up Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Lauren McCannBBC Sport NI at Seaview An international debut for any player is a big night, but given what is at stake and who she is up against, it is a huge occasion for Linfield defender Abi Sweetlove. The teenager faces the unenviable task of stopping one of the world's best strikers on her first start for her country as she comes up against Poland and Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor. The 28-year-old scored 25 goals in 28 league games and netted seven in 11 Champions League games. It will certainly be a baptism of fire for the Blues youngster, who has impressed in the Women's Premiership Update: Date: 18:47 BST Title: Team news - Debut for Sweetlove Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Northern Ireland Tanya Oxtoby has shown in the past that she's not afraid to throw youth in the deep end, and that's what has happened to Abi Sweetlove this evening. The Linfield defender, 19, has been in a number of camps but will make her debut against Poland's star-studded line-up. Megan Bell is also introduced as Tanya Oxtoby makes two changes from the team tat defeated Romania in April. Caragh Hamilton and Keri Halliday are the players who make way. It's a strong side for Poland, who are led by star striker Ewa Pajor, as they get ready for the Euro 2025 finals. Northern Ireland: Burns, McKenna, Sweetlove, Caldwell, Mason, Holloway, McPartlan, Andrews, Bell, Magill (capt), Weir. Subs: A Smith, K Smith, Dugdale, Rafferty, Kerr, McDaniel, Furness, Halliday, Hamilton, Wade, Maxwell, Wilson. Poland: Szemik, Wiankowska, Dudek, Szymczak, Zienewicz, Kamczyk, Pawollek, Achcinska, Padilla, Pajor (capt), Tomasiak. Subs: Radkiewicz, Seweryn, Cyrniak, Zaremba, Mesjasz, Zawistowska, Brodzik, Grabowska, Kokosz, Jedlinska, Slowinska, Adamek. Update: Date: 18:45 BST Title: NI 'need to be more confident' against Poland - Rafferty Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Northern Ireland defender Laura Rafferty says her side should take belief into tonight's crucial Nations League game against Poland at Seaview. Tanya Oxtoby's side lost 2-0 away to the Euro 2025-bound Poles in February and go into the final two matches of their Group B1 campaign trailing the leaders by three points thanks to subsequent home wins over Bosnia-Herzogovina and Romania, plus an away draw with the Romanians. A win over Poland would put Northern Ireland in control of their own destiny in terms of potentially winning the group going into Tuesday's trip to Zenica to play Bosnia-Herzegovina. "We spoke about our aims from the start and coming into the last two games we're completely on target and we know what we have to do," said Rafferty. "Going into this game I think we need to be more confident [than in the defeat by Poland]. It's a massive game for us and the only thing we want from it is a win. "We're looking forward to it and we're just dissecting their [Poland's] games. Teams have strengths, but they have weaknesses too and it's what you do to exploit them." Update: Date: 18:42 BST Title: Post Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Northern Ireland aren't the only home nation in action this evening. England are in League A action at Wembley against Portugal from 19:45 BST, while Scotland are also in action later in Austria. Meanwhile, the Republic of Ireland are currently being held in Turkey and Wales, who kicked off at 18:15 BST, are drawing with Denmark but are knocking on the door for an opener. You can follow updates from all those matches on the BBC Sport website and app. Update: Date: 18:40 BST Title: What's happened so far? Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Northern Ireland faced Poland in their opening fixture, and the top seeds ran out 2-0 winners to claim top spot in Group B1. Poland then defeated Romania 1-0, while Northern Ireland needed two late goals from Simone Magill to defeat Bosnia-Herzegovina 3-2 at Inver Park. In a double-header wit Romania, NI drew 1-1 in Bucharest before Kascie Weir's first international goal gave Tanya Oxtoby's side all three points in the reverse fixture. Poland, on the other hand, hammered Bosnia-Herzegovina 5-1 but were held to a 1-1 draw in Zenica. Update: Date: 18:38 BST Title: Can NI take the next step? Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) The Poles won the opening game between the sides, but if Tanya Oxtoby's side can pull off an upset they would be in a strong position heading into the final round of matches. Even if Northern Ireland lose to Poland on Friday, it will come down to a final game shootout between the sides for the promotion play-off spot. As things stand in League A, possible play-off opponents could include the likes of Austria, Denmark, Portugal and Iceland. Ultimately, no matter what happens against Poland, NI's League A hopes are in their own hands. "It's what we wanted. We wanted to be in this position heading into the final two games where we can control our own destiny," Oxtoby told BBC Sport NI. "It's a real credit to this group of staff and players where we are in a position where we could do something special and top the group. Our destiny is in our own hands. "We just need to take it one game at a time and focus on our performance." Update: Date: 18:36 BST Title: How things stand Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Here's how things stand in Group B2. In good news for Northern Ireland, Romania have defeated Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0, which puts Northern Ireland in a great position to secure at least a promotion play-off. A point would be enough for Tanya Oxtoby's side to wrap up second place, but they're still in decent shape even with a defeat. Update: Date: 18:33 BST Title: Smith replaces injured Harvey-Clifford in NI squad Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) Teenage Lisburn Rangers goalkeeper Kate Smith has been called into the Northern Ireland squad for the forthcoming Women's Nations League matches against Poland and Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is a first senior international call-up for Smith, 18, who replaces Crusaders stopper Maddy Harvey-Clifford, who has withdrawn through injury. She joins Jackie Burns and 16-year-old Manchester City goalkeeper Abbie Smith in the squad. Northern Ireland will host unbeaten group leaders Poland at Seaview, followed by a trip to Zenica to face third-placed Bosnia-Herzegovina four days later (18:00 BST). "Kate is a young player we've been monitoring for some time. She equipped herself well when she joined the squad as a training player during our last camp and deserves her place for these two games," said Northern Ireland manager Tanya Oxtoby. Goalkeeper Kate Smith Update: Date: 18:28 BST Title: Let's go! Content: Northern Ireland v Poland (19:00 BST) BBC iPlayer Domestic football may largely be done and dusted for the season, but the Nations League will keep us ticking over for the next week or so. Northern Ireland are back in action and will look to get some revenge on Poland, who ran out 2-0 winners in February's opener. You can watch the game live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website, with former Northern Ireland captain Marissa Callaghan on commentary alongside Michael Clarke.
Daily Mirror
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS revealed as Putellas, Bonmati and Pajor headline squad
The EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS squad is now available in Ultimate Team, featuring some of the best players from the 2024/25 Liga F campaign. Some of the EA FC 25 women's TOTS squads have been underwhelming so far, but not the EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS, with amazing Barcelona women's players included. EA Sports released the NWSL TOTS squad in EA FC 25 Ultimate Team last week alongside the Serie A TOTS and Rest of Europe TOTS, but bar two or three players, underwhelming boosts and bad PlayStyles selections ensured the weekly women's TOTS squad was a bit of a letdown. But, EA has made sure this isn't the case once again, with the EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS one of the best we've seen so far in Ultimate Team. Being released alongside the La Liga TOTS and Liga Portugal TOTS, the EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS squad is dominated by Barcelona Women's players as usual, as they won the league for a fifth year in a row. The EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS squad is now available in Ultimate Team packs until Friday, May 30 at 10am PDT / 1 pm EDT / 6 pm BST, when the highly anticipated Ultimate TOTS squad will be released. EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS revealed 14 EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS players have been released, with 11 of these TOTS items and three TOTS highlights. Five players from Barcelona Women feature, including the likes of Aitana Bonmati, Ewa Pajor, and Alexia Putellas, with the latter two both having four PlayStyle Plus'. Here are the Liga F TOTS players now available in Ultimate Team packs, along with official ratings: EA FC 25 Liga F TOTS CM: Alexia Putellas (Barcelona Women) - 97 OVR* ST: Ewa Pajor (Barcelona Women) - 96 OVR* ST: Edna Imade (Granada Women) - 96 OVR RW: Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona Women) - 96 OVR CM: Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona Women) - 96 OVR RB: Ona Battle (Barcelona Women) - 95 OVR CB: Maelle Lakar (Real Madrid Women) - 95 OVR* LM: Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid Women) - 95 OVR CAM: Caroline Weir (Real Madrid Women) - 94 OVR GK: Ines Pereira (Deportivo Women) - 92 OVR LB: Alexia Fernandez (Granada Women) - 91 OVR LW: Rinsola Babajide (Tenerife Women) - 94 OVR (TOTS Honourable Mention) CM: Vilde Boe Risa (Atletico Madrid Women) - 93 OVR (TOTS Highlights) CAM: Claire Lavogez (Real Sociedad Women) - 92 OVR (TOTS Highlights) CDM: Filippa Angeldahl (Real Madrid Women) - 91 OVR (TOTS Highlights) *Four PlayStyle Plus' More of these Liga F TOTS players will be released as SBCs and Objectives, while we expect to see TOTS-themed Evolutions, Rush events and Friendlies Cups released over the coming week, too.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Arsenal Women vs Barcelona Women prediction: Holders to secure hat-trick of titles
Arsenal Women vs Barcelona Women betting tips Barcelona to win, both teams to score – 7/4 Bet365 Ewa Pajor to score anytime – 8/11 William Hill Arsenal face holders Barcelona in the final of the Women's Champions League on Saturday, as the Gunners bid to win a second European title. Arsenal are the only English side to have won this competition, having beaten Swedish side Umea in 2007, and they head into the match off the back of a thrilling comeback against Lyon in the semi-finals. Meanwhile, defending champions Barcelona are going for a hat-trick of titles, having beaten Lyon 2-0 in last season's final. And the Catalan side go into the final as favourites, having beaten Chelsea 8-2 on aggregate in the semi-finals. Considering such a heavy win over a side who has been unbeaten domestically this season and finished 12 points above Arsenal in the league, football betting sites are pricing Barcelona at 27/100 to win the match in 90 minutes, compared to 17/2 for Arsenal and 21/4 for a draw. Women's Champions League final betting tips: Barca to claim another crown Barca's tag as favourites is well-deserved after recent performances in Europe, with the holders having also won the league title at a canter, having lost just twice domestically all season. While Arsenal did manage a second-place finish in the WSL in the end, the Gunners lost four and drew three during the course of the season, and despite the improvement under Renee Slegers, the losses to Lyon and Real Madrid show that they can ship goals at pivotal times, especially against top-level opposition. In addition, fans will be particularly worried about recent spectacular collapses against Aston Villa and Brighton, in which the Gunners shipped five and four respectively. Over their last 10 matches, Arsenal have lost four and won six, but the fact they have conceded 18 goals over that span perhaps points to why they are seen as the underdogs. Contrastingly, Barca have won all of their last 10, scoring a ridiculous 48 goals in that time and conceding just four. However, the fact that three of those were in Champions League ties against a higher level of opposition shows that Arsenal can get at the Spanish champions. To that end, a wager on Barcelona to win and both teams to score could offer value at 7/4 on betting apps. Arsenal Women vs Barcelona Women prediction: Pajor to make an impact Since signing ahead of the start of this season, Poland star Ewa Pajor has transformed into Barcelona's most dangerous attacking threat, having scored 25 goals in 28 league games for the Catalan side this term. The 28-year-old has been similarly threatening in the Champions League too, with seven goals across her 10 games, including one in each leg of the semi-final. Overall, Pajor has scored a brace in each of her last three matches and has 10 goals in her last 10, so is hitting even better form as the final game of the season approaches. With this in mind, we're backing the Poland striker to add to her tally for the season, with betting sites offering odds of 8/11 for Pajor to score anytime. Arsenal Women vs Barcelona Women prediction 2: Ewa Pajor to score anytime – 8/11 William Hill Responsible gambling Always practice responsible gambling. When having a bet using gambling sites be aware that sports betting can be addictive. Please take steps to remain in control of your time and budget. The same applies whether you're using new betting sites, slot sites, casino sites, casino apps, or any other gambling medium. Even the most knowledgeable punter can lose a bet, so always stick to a budget and never chase your losses. It's particularly important not to get carried away by any free bets or casino offers you might receive, both of which are available in abundance on gambling sites, but must be approached with caution. You can stay in control by making use of the responsible gambling tools offered, such as deposit limits, loss limits, self-exclusion and time-outs. You may also want to visit the following free organisations to discuss any issues with gambling you might be having:
