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Everything about the Olympic Games and Olympic Betting

From the moment we can walk without stuttering, we run. Running away from problems to running for competitions, the running race has always been an art. Speaking of the running race, did you know where and when was a first running race held? For those who don’t know, the first and the chief running race dates back to 776 B.C. It was held in none other than the most celebrated of all competition, the Olympics. 

Running race is known to be the first and the absolute competition that has ever been written down in Olympics history. Even though it was initially celebrated as a festival or a grant function; Olympics, later came to be known as the world-renowned championship event. 

The legend speaks that multiple games and sports were dedicated to Greek Gods; most of them belonged to Zeus! Since the mother of all tournaments is Greece, every fourth year, they used to conduct then festival, present day’s championship. Olympics is a stage where the best competitor would combat and win the game. 

If you are a college student or an athlete who dreams of pursuing the Olympic, you have reached the right spot, read and enlighten about the Olympic Games. Without creating any further ado, let us dive right into the article, shall we?

The Story of Olympics and Rings

For those who don’t know, the Olympics were once known as the Olympiad. The name was derived from the place where initially the event took place, Greece. The story of the Olympics is vast, and it follows like this. 

  1. The first Olympics took place in the presence of King Georgios I. The venue had more than 60,000 audiences, and the ceremony had more than 280 participants coming together from 13 various nations. One fact to note here is that the sport was highly recommended for males alone.
  2. The first few major games categories comprised track and field, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, cycling, tennis, weightlifting, shooting and fencing.  
  3. Every fourth year the Olympics took place, but there were years when the festival did not occur, and once it was during the World War. 
  4. Another fact about the Olympics is their symbols. The five rings on the Olympics flag represent five continents. The ring-colours represent ‘at least’ one colour of the flags of different countries across the world.
  5. It was in the year 1920; the first international Olympics game took place with the white flag with five rings swaying high. 

Facts on Olympics

At present, the Olympics have levelled-up to become one of the most renowned international events. People across the world gather around to watch this experience in a hair raising and nail-biting episode. Over the years, there appeared many facts that revolve around the Olympics. The following post will talk more about the various points regarding the Olympics. 

1. (Silver) Gold Medals!

The first fascinating fact is how silver constitutes for the majority of the gold medals. As the name suggests, you might have believed that the gold medal is gold until you read the title. The medal was gold only till 1912 Olympics, but as the event started transforming; imposters replaced the gold medal. To excite you more, the gold medal consists of 6 grams of gold where the rest is SILVER!

2. Torch and Tradition

The second fact about the Olympic tradition is the famous torch. Did you know that the ancient Olympics did not have anything related to this tradition? Legend says that the torch was a symbol; more like a tool for the supremacy of the Nazi party. Carl Diem organized the notion and this Olympic relay was passed through various countries like Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia.

3.  Another Gold Medal Fact

The third fact on the list is something to do with the gold medals that happened during the summer and winter Olympics. The historians say that only one participant in the Olympics had won the gold and he was none other than the American Eddie Eagan.

4. Did You Know you can Bet on Olympics?

This may be a fascinating fact in the above-given list. Yes, just like sports, you can bet on the Olympics as well. With Olympic betting there are a few restrictions and strategies you have to keep in mind. This site https://www.slotsformoney.com has much to offer when it comes to learning about Olympics. Here you can find the best betting odds and bet on various and endless games and sports.

5. Young Olympics

Another fact about the Olympics is that the young competitor to participate in the Olympics is none other than Marjorie Gestring. She also won gold medals at the game. A 14-year-old named Kusuo Kitamura has bagged a gold medal for swimming as well in the later conducted Olympics event. 

Conclusion

The above given are only a few of the most exciting events and facts that took place in the Olympics, that happened so far. If you are new to Olympics betting and plan to pursue your dream of becoming a world-renowned punter, the website mentioned above can guide you more.

Early Signs Suggest Emery Masterminding Resurgence of Yellow Submarine

Ex-Arsenal manager Unai Emery would probably have settled for 15 points from his first eight league games in charge of Villarreal. The Yellow Submarine have held Atletico Madrid to a goalless draw in the Spanish capital and beaten Valencia at El Madrigal among their results, so they sit third in La Liga as a result.

For Emery, a man with something to prove back in his homeland after high-profile departures from tough jobs at Paris St-Germain and the Gunners, it is a strong start to his latest role. He hasn’t managed in Spain since steering Sevilla to a hat-trick of Europa League triumphs between 2014 and 2016. 

Whatever criticisms Arsenal fans may throw at him, including the disastrous appointment of Switzerland holding midfielder Granit Xhaka as captain, he is plotting a course with the Yellow Submarine that could bring Champions League football with it. Emery and a squad packed full of quality can dream big based on their fine start to the campaign.

Spain striker Paco Alcacer has found his international career to be a little stop-start, but a midwinter move from Borussia Dortmund back to La Liga is starting to pay off. Like his current coach, Alcacer has been shipped out from big clubs but his talent, eye for goal and fine form may force Luis Enrique to bring him back into the national fold.

This Villarreal side lost the heart of its engine room over the summer when club stalwart Bruno Soriano hung up his boots after long struggles with injuries, and popular playmaker Santi Cazorla ended his second spell at El Madrigal. Emery replaced them with Valencia cast-offs Dani Parejo and Francis Coquelin. They look like astute additions, both out to show Los Che were wrong to transfer them.

Japanese wide prospect Takefusa Kubo joined on loan from Real Madrid, while Argentina duo Juan Foyth and Geronimo Rulli create competition for places at the back. The latter’s arrival from high-flying Real Sociedad has helped number one Sergio Asenjo raise his game between the sticks.

What the Yellow Submarine have are options in most positions. Former Liverpool and Leicester City players Alberto Moreno and Vicente Iborra are also at Emery’s disposal. The former’s fellow left back, Pervis Estupinan couldn’t get a work permit to play for parent club Watford, so the Ecuador international is in Spain for keeps too.

It’s not all about Paco in attack either. Gerard Moreno poses plenty of threat and now veteran Colombia hitman Carlos Bacca played under Emery at Sevilla. With strength in depth on the roster, it’s no wonder that Villarreal are priced at 11/4 for a top four finish in the La Liga betting markets, as of November 4th.

There is room for improvement of course. The Yellow Submarine’s defence could be tighter, after leaking a goal per game on average from their first eight in La Liga. They have simply outscored the opposition in the Europa League group stage so far as Emery targets yet another lengthy campaign in Europe.

Manuel Pellegrini, another coach who swapped Spain for the Premier League eventually, famously steered Villarreal to a Champions League semi-final in 2006. Emery will be looking to better that in Europe’s other club competition though. However, a top four finish would be an excellent start to his reign at Villarreal as he seeks to restore his reputation.

Is long-distance driving harming golf?

Rarely has a golfer dominated a golf course with as much confidence and verve as Bryson DeChambeau did at the US Open. At Winged Foot, New York, a notoriously troublesome course, the American simply bullied the course with a series of venomous drives to triumph over the difficult conditions and win the tournament by a clear margin. DeChambeau was the only player to register an under-par final scorecard at the major. 

It was justification for the methods DeChambeau used to improve his driving game. He deliberately gained a considerable amount of weight to make himself bulkier, and as a result more powerful from the tee. It is that transformation which yielded DeChambeau’s first major title, and although his methods gained scorn from many sections of the golfing community, it proved to be an effective way to maximise success in the sport. 

That improvement in driving distance is the main reason DeChambeau now finds himself as the favourite in the golf US Masters 2020 odds. The Augusta major is set to be played in the autumn for the first time, and with conditions likely to be heavier than they would be in the spring, an effective drive game will be the order of the day. 

One of the main debates in golf at the moment surrounds the distance many players can drive the ball, and whether it is detracting from the sport as a spectacle. For some, the fact that players can knock the ball over 300 yards from the tee means that much of the skill is being taken out of the game. At the end of the day, golf courses are only so big, and to have such a weapon as a long, powerful drive is crucial at the highest level. 

Of course, the theme of long-drivers having an edge in golf is nothing new – it’s the way the sport has been going for the last decade or so. DeChambeau, although his deliberate means of getting such a driving ability are novel, is by no means the first player to triumph using such technique to their advantage. 

It is one of the main reasons for Brooks Koepka’s recent success, the 30-year-old having won four majors over the last three years through a similar style of long drives, followed by pragmatic play closer to the greens. Rory McIlroy is another player who owes much of his success to his exceptional driving ability.

This trend of heavy-hitting, long-driving golf has been bubbling up for a long time now, and many feel that this growing force is detracting from the skill of golf in terms of pinpoint accuracy and precision. Players are now so adept at wedging the ball out of the rough that distance is king when it comes to lining up a drive, and this is how players like DeChambeau, Koepka and Dustin Johnson have gained so much of their success. 

There is no easy fix in terms of preventing players hitting the ball as far. It is a theme in every physical sport across the globe. Athletes are getting stronger, faster, more consistent, and as a result standards of physicality are rising all the time. The R&A and USGA recently launched an initiative called the Distance Insights project, which is geared towards examining the issue and coming up with solutions, but it may be a case of simply accepting that this is the game golf is going to become. 

We’ve seen it happen already in tennis, where height and speed of serve have become key components of many top players. Now golf is having to come to terms with this increase in the levels at which its players can perform in terms of physical aptitude. As far as DeChambeau is concerned, he is simply finding a way to win in a hugely competitive sport. 

“It’s tough to rein in athleticism,” he said after winning the US Open. “We’re always going to be trying to get fitter, stronger, more athletic. Tiger inspired this whole generation to do this and we’re going to keep going after it. Will they rein it back? I’m sure. I’m sure something might happen. But I don’t know what it will be. I just know that length is always going to be an advantage.”

 

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Will Dustin Johnson return with a bang at the US Masters?

Dustin Johnson is no stranger to Augusta National, and the American became agonisingly close to winning the coveted green jacket last year. Johnson joined Brooks Koepka and Xander Schauffele, who too, finished just one shot behind the winner, Tiger Woods. And following that disappointment, as well as a T2 finish at the PGA Championship and T6 placing at the US Open earlier this year, there’s no doubting Johnson would love to return to winning ways – and add to his solitary major title.

His preparations for this year’s unconventional autumnal Masters have been stilted, somewhat. While, the world number 1 is amongst the favourites when it comes to the latest US Masters golf odds, alongside Justin Thomas at 11/1 at the time of writing, he’s only recently returned to action.

With under a week to go until the Masters kicks off, Johnson has come out of isolation, after he contracted the coronavirus just last month. With one more warm-up event to play before Augusta National plays host to this year’s unusual final major of the season, Johnson will headline a series of contenders at the Houston Open. He returned to practice earlier in the week, having missed out on playing in the CJ Cup and the Zozo Championship. In fact, it was while travelling en route to the former in Las Vegas that Johnson tested positive for the virus, despite feeling “pretty much asymptomatic”, and ultimately was forced to withdraw and quarantine.

He told reporters: “I couldn’t really figure out if that was because I was stuck in a hotel room for like 11 days not doing anything or it was COVID that made me feel that way. I didn’t leave the room for 11 days; I was just laying around kind of doing nothing. It was one of those things I was, like, waiting to get sick because you know you have it and you’re sitting there. But for me it was very mild, and obviously I’m very thankful for that.”

There’s no doubt, it would have come as a shock, especially as Johnson won the FedEx Cup back in September. He finished three strokes ahead of both Schauffele and Thomas, to grab his maiden win in the tournament, but his third PGA victory of the year. Thankfully, DJ is deemed to be no longer contagious, and therefore, won’t be required to test ahead of the Houston Open or the Masters. Not only does he feel healthy, but it appears he’s overcome the knee problems which plagued the start of his season.

How he will fare at Augusta is anyone’s guess, but with a warm-up event in the bank, there’s hoping the enforced two-week break won’t have interrupted his current hot streak. 

In the last four Masters, he has cemented a top-10 finish, and is the only player in the field to record those kinds of stats for the past four editions. As well as the aforementioned T2 finish last year, DJ finished T6 in 2015, T4 the following year and after missing out in 2017, finished T10 in 2018. After last year’s performance, in which he came from T7 in the third round, to very nearly be awarded the green jacket, you could say, he’s knocking on the door – and should his form continue, it would be the fairytale ending to his topsy-turvy season.

DJ summed it up nicely with the quote he told reporters – “My health is good,” Johnson said. “The state of my game is … undetermined.” Augusta National can be notoriously unforgiving, so watch this space.

Can James Collins be the answer to Ireland’s goalscoring problem?

One in. One out. As David McGoldrick called time on his Ireland career, having made 14 appearances for the boys in green, Luton Town striker James Collins was recalled into the squad. Despite his limited amount of caps and only one goal to his name, McGoldrick bows out of the international game as a fan favourite. His tremendous work ethic and ability to bring others into play by dropping deep was what endeared him to the Irish fans.

Where will the goals come from?

Although McGoldrick will be missed, Ireland have continued to struggle to find the net, even with him in the team. Sean Maguire and Shane Long have been omitted from the squad, casting further doubt over their Ireland futures. Aaron Connolly has not started a game for his club Brighton since the last international break. Stephen Kenny hinted at Connolly’s prospects of filling the void left by McGoldrick by moving more centrally.

Adam Idah, like Connolly, has struggled to find game time at Norwich City this season. There was hope that the Cork man would push on as his team dropped down from the Premier League. But this hasn’t been the case. Callum Robinson enjoyed a bright start to the campaign for West Brom, scoring a brace against Chelsea. Since then he has only started one game, left standing in the shadows of new recruit Karlan Grant.

That leaves James Collins. The striker has four Ireland caps to his name, scoring on his debut against Bulgaria last year. Until now, Kenny has opted for youth when selecting his strikers, drafting in Idah and Troy Parrott whilst overlooking Collins in his last two squads.

Since the former Dundalk manager took over, his team have scored one goal in five games. In spite of the obvious scoring drought, Ireland have taken more shots and crafted bigger chances than their opponents in four out of Kenny’s first five games in charge. The game against Slovakia typifies these statistics. The chances have been there, but the goals haven’t.

How does James Collins compare to the rest?

This season, James Collins has scored five goals in all competitions, including a hat-trick against Norwich City in the Carabao Cup. Adam Idah and Aaron Connolly are both on one for the season, whilst Callum Robinson has scored three.

Focusing on last season alone, according to sofascore.com James Collins averaged a goal every 282 minutes, netting 14 times in 46 appearances. These numbers may not look impressive considering Collins is playing in the Championship. However it must be remembered that Luton Town had only been promoted last season, and finished in 19th place. Not a bad return for a struggling side.

In contrast, Connolly managed three goals last season in the league, averaging one every 422 minutes. Idah didn’t feature as much for Norwich, starting only one game with his remaining eleven appearances coming from the bench. He failed to find the net. A hat-trick in the FA Cup against Preston North End was the highlight of his season. Robinson made the switch to West Brom at the beginning of the year, going on to score three goals for the Baggies (goal every 287 minutes).

Ignoring the fact that Collins is playing at a lower level, it is clear to see that his goal-scoring record is superior in comparison to his attacking counterparts in the current squad. Furthermore, Collins’ current form must also be taken into consideration, particularly with Connolly, Robinson and Idah all limited to substitute appearances in recent weeks.

Collins offers an alternative option for Stephen Kenny, who needs to start seeing his side convert chances into goals. Many would view McGoldrick’s retirement as the perfect opportunity for the younger players like Connolly and Idah to step up. Yet domestic football hasn’t been kind to them thus far. Ireland need goals and they need them now, so maybe it is time for Collins to steal the limelight.

Declan Rice and Jack Grealish set for Ireland reunion

The pair have been included in the England squad to face Ireland

It seems a long time ago since Declan Rice rejected Ireland in favour of England. In reality, it’s been less than 2 years. Since then, the West Ham midfielder has established himself as a regular for his country. Some would argue that he’s an Englishman so he should be allowed to play for the country, which is fair. Others would contend that he abused the Irish system for his own gain, thus denying other Irishmen the opportunity to represent their nation.

Similarly, Jack Grealish also played for Ireland but ultimately decided his future rested with England. However, the circumstances surrounding his decision are slightly different. Nearly 6 years following his switch to the Three Lions, many Ireland fans have *somewhat* forgiven Jack Grealish. This may be due to the length of time since his choice. Alternatively, it could be because Grealish never represented Ireland at senior level. Either way, Declan Rice is a far more maligned figure than the Aston Villa man.

The England squad also features Michael Keane, whom represented Ireland up to u19 level before switching allegiance. The Everton defender has represented England since 2012, though.

Callum Robinson, on the other hand, previously represented England at underage level before declaring for Ireland in 2018. He has accumulated 15 caps since then. He’ll be looking to add to his catalogue against the country he once represented.

FIXTURE DETAILS

The nations are scheduled to meet in a friendly on the 12th of November. Thursday is the day of the match which will kick off at 20:00. Wembley stadium will be the venue for the fixture in what promises to be an intriguing affair. It has been over 5 years since the two historical rivals last met. The last match ended in a scoreless draw. Let’s hope there’s more entertainment on show this time around.

Irish TV will not be broadcasting the match. However, ITV will be providing coverage for those in need of an alternative solution.

Ireland are also set to don their newly unveiled kit for the first time on the date. Umbro are the manufacturers of the kit which will feature no sponsor, unlike previous years.

There are no real surprises in terms of team selection for both nations. All players called up have played or been in included in previous squads. Here are the England and Ireland squads for the fixture:

Republic of Ireland: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth); Séamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Kevin Long (Burnley), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion); Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion), Robbie Brady (Burnley); Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City), Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Norwich City), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers).
England: Jordan Pickford (Everton), Nick Pope (Burnley), Dean Henderson (Manchester United; Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool), Kyle Walker (Manchester City), Kieran Trippier (Atlético Madrid), Reece James (Chelsea), Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal), Ben Chilwell (Chelsea), Bukayo Saka (Arsenal), Michael Keane (Everton), Tyrone Mings (Aston Villa), Harry Maguire (Manchester United), Conor Coady (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Joe Gomez (Liverpool), Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur); Phil Foden (Manchester City), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Mason Mount (Chelsea), Declan Rice (West Ham United), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Harry Winks (Tottenham Hotspur); Marcus Rashford (Manchester United), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund), Jack Grealish (Aston Villa), Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur), Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton), Tammy Abraham (Chelsea).

7 Concepts in Sports Betting Every Bettor Must Know

There is a wide range of terms used in the gambling world. Some of these words seem like common words, but the meaning is usually different. As a beginner in sports betting or gambling in general, you must acquaint yourself with the terminologies and jargon used in the industry to become a better gambler. Once you have learned the sports betting terminologies we are going to discuss in this article, you are ready to choose a bookmaker to start betting with.

BOOKMAKER

A bookmaker or bookie is a company that calculates/sets odds and accepts your bets. The bookmaker also pays out your winnings if your prediction on a chosen fixture is correct. As a Nigerian bettor, there are several licensed and registered bookmakers to choose from, like – Surebet247 review. Whether, you feel at home with indigenous betting brands, or you prefer the novelty brought by international betting companies, your options are as vast as they come.

ARBITRAGE BETTING

Arbitrage betting or hedging refers to a betting technique where bettors spread their bets across various fixtures to cover possible losses. The goal of an arbitrage betting is to ensure profit gain no matter the outcome of the match. Some bettors bet through several bookies to take advantage of their different odds and profit margins. With this strategy, the bettor makes a profit regardless of a win or loss.

IN-PLAY BETTING

Some sports betting websites or casinos offer a live streaming service of matches, races, or games where bettors can place their bets in real-time. This type of betting is fast-paced as the odds change in real-time.

BETTING EXCHANGES

Most new bettors are not aware they don’t have to bet with a bookmaker always. Betting exchanges exclude bookies from the betting equation. When you participate in a betting exchange, you trade or exchange bets with other bettors through a forum or group. Betting exchanges are not limited to sports betting but online casinos.

FIXED-ODDS BETTING

Fixed-odds betting is the opposite of pari-mutuel betting. In fixed-odds betting, the odds are pre-set by the bookie, and the prize is fixed. This concept is more common in sports betting.

SPORTS BETTING

This is betting on sports event fixtures. The bookmaker sets the odds on events and bettors chose the teams they want to bet on. Recently, sports betting now covers genres such as esports and virtual sports.

PARIMUTUEL BETTING

This betting term refers to a circumstance where the money wagered by a group of players is gathered in a prize or jackpot pool. Players’ odds are calculated based on the total number of the bets and the overall amount of the prize pool. The prize of a pari-mutuel bet is the amount left after the house edge is deducted.

Stephen Kenny names 26-man squad for November’s games

Republic of Ireland manager Stephen Kenny has named a 26-man squad for the upcoming international matches. His team will play against England, Wales and Bulgaria between 12th and 18th November.

Firstly, Kenny’s side will face England at Wembley Stadium on Thursday, November 12. Secondly, they travel to the Cardiff City Stadium to play Wales on Sunday, November 15. Then the squad will return home to host Bulgaria at the Aviva Stadium on Wednesday, November 18.

Luton Town striker James Collins has been called into the squad for the first time under Kenny, while captain Séamus Coleman returns following injury.

Portsmouth striker Ronan Curtis and Wycombe Wanderers winger Daryl Horgan keep their places in the squad after impressing against Finland last October.

Shamrock Rovers midfielder Jack Byrne will link up with the squad ahead of the UEFA Nations League match against Wales.

The squad will meet up on Sunday, November 8, in London ahead of the friendly against England on Thursday.

Republic of Ireland Squad

Goalkeepers: Darren Randolph (West Ham United), Caoimhín Kelleher (Liverpool), Mark Travers (AFC Bournemouth).

Defenders: Séamus Coleman (Everton), Matt Doherty (Tottenham Hotspur), Enda Stevens (Sheffield United), Kevin Long (Burnley), Shane Duffy (Celtic, on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion), John Egan (Sheffield United), Dara O’Shea (West Bromwich Albion).

Midfielders: Conor Hourihane (Aston Villa), James McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Harry Arter (Nottingham Forest), Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle United), Alan Browne (Preston North End), Jayson Molumby (Brighton and Hove Albion), Robbie Brady (Burnley), Jack Byrne (Shamrock Rovers).

Forwards: Callum Robinson (West Bromwich Albion), Callum O’Dowda (Bristol City), James McClean (Stoke City), Aaron Connolly (Brighton and Hove Albion), Adam Idah (Norwich City), James Collins (Luton Town), Ronan Curtis (Portsmouth), Daryl Horgan (Wycombe Wanderers).

Republic of Ireland Fixtures
International Friendly
12th November 2020 – England v Ireland, Wembley Stadium – 8pm

UEFA Nations League
15th November 2020 – Wales v Ireland, Cardiff City Stadium – 5pm
18th November 2020 – Ireland v Bulgaria, Aviva Stadium – 7.45pm

Ireland rugby squad reassembles ahead of Autumn Nations Cup

The Ireland rugby team today begins its preparations for the upcoming Autumn Nations Cup fixtures. The squad will reassemble at the IRFU High Performance Centre at the Sport Ireland Campus in west Dublin.

Ireland will begin their campaign when they host Wales at the Aviva Stadium on Friday 13th November.

They then travel to London to play England at Twickenham on Saturday 21st November.

The following Sunday, Ireland will host Georgia at the Aviva Stadium.

Andy Farrell’s side will complete their series of international fixtures on Saturday 5th December against either Fiji, France, Italy or Scotland.

Both Kieran Marmion and Quinn Rouxwill be available to Connacht this week before joining the Ireland squad on Sunday. Jack Conan, who was rehabbing an issue in camp, will return to Leinster to continue his rehab programme.

Ireland Squad Guinness Series / Autumn Nations Cup
Backs (16)
Bundee Aki (Connacht/Galwegians)
Billy Burns (Ulster)
Ross Byrne (Leinster/UCD)
Andrew Conway (Munster/Garryowen)
Shane Daly (Munster/Cork Con)
Keith Earls (Munster/Young Munster)
Chris Farrell (Munster/Young Munster)
Jamison Gibson Park (Leinster)
Robbie Henshaw (Leinster/Buccaneers)
Hugo Keenan (Leinster/UCD)
James Lowe (Leinster)
Kieran Marmion (Connacht/Corinthians)
Stuart McCloskey (Ulster/Bangor)
Conor Murray (Munster/Garryowen)
Jonathan Sexton (Leinster/St Mary’s College) (captain)
Jacob Stockdale (Ulster/Lurgan)

Forwards (18)

Finlay Bealham (Connacht/Buccaneers)
Tadhg Beirne (Munster/Lansdowne)
Ed Byrne (Leinster/UCD)
Will Connors (Leinster/UCD)
Ultan Dillane (Connacht/Corinthians)
Caelan Doris (Leinster/UCD)
Cian Healy (Leinster/Clontarf)
Dave Heffernan (Connacht/Buccaneers)
Iain Henderson (Ulster/Academy)
Rob Herring (Ulster/Ballynahinch)
Ronan Kelleher (Leinster/Lansdowne)
Peter O’Mahony (Munster/Cork Constitution)
Andrew Porter (Leinster/UCD)
Quinn Roux (Connacht/Galwegians)
John Ryan (Munster/Cork Constitution)
James Ryan (Leinster/UCD)
CJ Stander (Munster/Shannon)
Josh van der Flier (Leinster/UCD)

All of Ireland’s games in the Autumn Nations Cup will be televised on RTÉ and Channel 4.

Manchester United suffer shock defeat at the hands of İstanbul Başakşehir

The Red Devils lost 2-1 in the Turkish capital

Manchester United threw away their 100% winning start to their Champions League campaign with an embarrassing loss at the hands of İstanbul Başakşehir. İstanbul ran out 2-1 winners after goals from Demba Ba and Edin Višća.

Both goals occurred in the first half. Demba Ba struck first after some calamitous defending from Manchester United in the 12th minute. Ba was afforded unlimited space as he ran behind the United rear-guard after a clearance. The 35-year-old remained calm as he slotted past Dean Henderson in the United goal.

Premier League fans may remember Demba Ba after impressive stints with West Ham, Newcastle and Chelsea. Manchester United fans will certainly not have expected him to open the scoring tonight, though.

İstanbul got their second in the 40th minute after poor ball retention from Juan Mata. Demba Ba was once again involved as his clever dummy fell to Edin Višća. Višća put the final touches on the move with a tidy finish from close range.

The Man United back four weren’t doing themselves any favours with their first half performance. Axel Tuanzebe came in for his 2nd Champions League start of the season but failed to impress. He consistently lost his 50/50s, receiving a yellow card in the process. He looked very accomplished against PSG a couple of weeks ago but failed to impose himself in the same fashion tonight. Scott McTominay replaced the young defender at half time.

United managed to get one back just after İstanbul’s 2nd. Good feet and an accurate cross by Luke Shaw found Anthony Martial in the box and he accurately placed his header into the net. İstanbul got too comfortable and fell asleep momentarily, leading to the goal.

There were no further goals in the first half as İstanbul lead Manchester United 2-1. Not many would have predicted that first half scoreline prior to kick off.

While Manchester United looked brighter in the second half, they failed to turn their domination into goals. They brought on Paul Pogba and Edinson Cavani in the 60th minute in an attempt to change their fortunes. That, unfortunately for United fans, came to nothing.

United very nearly got their equalizer in the dying embers of added time, but a brilliant goal line clearance denied them of that. Only for Alexandru Epureanu’s incredible reactions it would have been a goal.

The match ended 2-1 to İstanbul in a very disappointing result for Manchester United. Many would have expected a comfortable United win given İstanbul’s previous results, but that wasn’t to be. İstanbul will be very pleased as they managed to pick up their first ever Champions League victory.

Ole Gunnar Solskjær has consistently faced scrutiny since taking the reigns of Manchester United. Tonight’s result – along with their loss to Chelsea at the weekend – will only put the Norwegian under increased pressure.

United remain on top of their group at the minute but that could change depending on the result of PSG vs. RB Leipzig later.

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