Before you wade into combat, you must be prepared – mentally and physically. Rooney is ready. Ready to take on the in-form blues and ready to take United to the top of the table. Prepare for combat.

Sometimes the most important goal is not the winner. Six minutes left, 3-1 behind. All heads down. Except one. Scholes rose high to nod in the cross, instill belief in his team and ignite the comeback. Minutes later, they were level and through to the knockout stages of Europe’s prem ...

Pressure. It changes everything. On Sunday, Fernando was only 80% fit, burdened with expectation and desperate to end a four-game losing streak for his club. But when your back’s against the wall, there’s only one way to go. El Niño burst into the box, shrugged off his man and fired int ...

A hat-trick in his last international game. A last-gasp equaliser in the previous match. Gilardino knows how to make the difference at international level. He led his nation to victory in 2004’s European under-21s tournament, becoming that team’s all-time top scorer. Then in ...

One side invented Total Football. The other invented Aussie Rules Football. One's consistently labelled as under-achievers. One's billed as a surprise package. Can Australia take the next step and cause some damage in South Africa? Will Holland finally fulfill their potential? It was goall ...