Manchester City and Leicester delivered a Premier League classic on Sunday by exchanging nine goals, including a four-goal salvo in the match's opening 25 minutes from Pep Guardiola's team that the Foxes reduced to a one-goal advantage over the space of 10 ridiculous second-half minutes.

Last Wednesday, Leicester had suffered crushing disappointment in a League Cup quarterfinal defeat to Liverpool. Brendan Rodgers' side had led by margins of 2-0 and 3-1 but was still eliminated in a penalty shootout. 

NEWCASTLE, England - Manchester City's João Cancelo scored one goal and made another as they overwhelmed struggling Newcastle United 4-0 on Sunday to ensure they will spend Christmas Day top of the Premier League, a position Liverpool occupied in the last three seasons.

The visitors were gifted the opening goal in the fifth minute when Cancelo acrobatically crossed for Rúben Dias to head into an empty net after a mix-up between Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dúbravka and defender Ciaran Clark.

MUNICH, Germany — Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said he had played in Friday's Euro 2020 quarterfinal defeat to Italy with a tear in his ankle ligaments.

Manchester City's De Bruyne was a doubt for the game after picking up the injury in the last-16 win over Portugal but said he had been determined to play.

"For me personally it has been four or five weird weeks. But I especially want to thank the medical staff," he said.

No hay dudas de que Leonardo Spinazzola ha sido una de las grandes revelaciones de Italia durante la Euro 2020. El lateral es una constante amenaza ofensiva por la banda izquierda y además hace la chamba en labores defensivas. Lo demostró en la fase de grupos y ahorita, en los cuartos de final del torneo, donde la Azzurra eliminó a Bélgica. Es más, su presencia fue salvadora y es una lástima que se pierda el resto del torneo por una rotura del talón de Aquiles.

Italy is back. The masters of the dark arts who won the 2006 World Cup with defense, grit and hand waving missed the 2018 World Cup, sparking a rethink of the national team. Now Roberto Mancini has Italy two wins away from another major title, with the Azzurri combining a ruthlessly efficient attacking style with Italy’s timeless defense and shithousery. 

The Euro 2020 quarterfinal between Belgium and Italy on Friday is full of intrigue. Romelu Lukaku goes up against friends and foes from Serie A. The Italian defense is once again looking like an Italian defense, with Gianluigi Donnarumma taking the torch from Gianluigi Buffon. Thorgan Hazard has stepped out of the shadow of his older brother Eden. Italians are pushing for Jorginho to win the Ballon d’Or. And, of course, we have a coaching rematch from the 2013 FA Cup Final. All of these facets will weigh heavily on our Belgium vs Italy prediction and preview.