Malaysian media worried about the strength of Vietnam National Team; De Bruyne finds it difficult to play alongside Messi

Malaysian media concerned about the strength of Vietnam national football team

Ahead of the decisive match for the top spot in Group F of the 2027 Asian Cup qualifiers between Malaysia and Vietnam on June 10, Malaysian media warned the home team about the superior strength of the Vietnamese team. Astro Arena commented that the Vietnamese team has surpassed the region, especially after the 5-0 victory over Laos and the unbeaten streak under coach Kim Sang-sik.

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) and head coach Peter Cklamovski are focusing on the match, planning to hold 1-2 international friendly matches to prepare. Some domestic experts are pessimistic if the team does not improve its squad soon.

FAM is speeding up the process of naturalizing three players of European origin, including Jon Irazabal, who was trained in Bilbao and currently plays in Azerbaijan. The upcoming match will not only decide the ticket to the final round but also be a measure of the ambitions of both teams to reach the next level.

Arsenal suffers Premier League defeat ahead of return match against PSG

The match between Arsenal and Bournemouth ended with a score of 2-1 in favor of the away team. The Gunners, despite taking the lead, suffered a painful defeat right before the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against PSG.

Despite the midweek rematch with PSG in the Champions League, coach Mikel Arteta still fielded Arsenal's strongest squad when hosting Bournemouth at home in round 35 of the Premier League.

The Gunners attacked right after the opening whistle and scored the opening goal in the 34th minute. Declan Rice was the one who broke the deadlock for the home team.

On Bournemouth's side, their most dangerous situation was Evanilson's header over the bar in the 26th minute. The first half ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of the home team.

In the second half, Arsenal still controlled the ball well and had many shots. However, the effectiveness of each attack of the Gunners was not high. Meanwhile, Bournemouth silently suffered and was finally able to launch 2 "punch" to defeat the home team.

In the 67th minute, Semenyo made a powerful throw-in for Huijsen to head the ball into Arsenal's net, equalizing 1-1. In the 75th minute, Bournemouth had a good corner kick arrangement before Evanilson broke David Raya's net.

In the remaining time, Arsenal tried to attack but failed, thereby accepting a 1-2 defeat. The Gunners are still in 2nd place on the rankings with 67 points but are only 3 points ahead of the team behind, Man City. In addition, this is also a bad preparation for the rematch with PSG in the Champions League.

Barca temporarily 7 points ahead of Real

In the match between Valladolid vs Barca in round 34 of La Liga 2024/25, the home team, despite being relegated, made it difficult for the powerful guests from Catalunya to return home with 3 points.

Real Valladolid were certain to be relegated. Facing a weak opponent, coach Hansi Flick made a series of changes, with the attacking trio Yamal, Raphinha and Ferran Torres sitting on the bench.

This is an important preparation step for Barca as they face Inter in the second leg of the 2024/25 Champions League semi-finals in the middle of next week.

With a squad with many substitutes, Barca was easily overwhelmed by the opponent. In the 6th minute, the goal came somewhat luckily for Valladolid.

After Ivan Sanchez's kick, the ball hit Araujo's foot and became too difficult for goalkeeper Ter Stegen. When the game was not favorable, Barca also lost a man in the 34th minute.

Due to Dani Rodriguez's injury, Yamal had to enter the field and thanks to that, Barca's game became more exciting and dangerous, but the first half ended with a temporary 1-0 result in favor of Valladolid.

After the break, coach Flick added Raphinha and De Jong. Barcelona immediately played more effectively. In the 54th minute, goalkeeper Ferreira's mistake created the opportunity for Raphinha to score a tricky shot, tying the score 1-1 for Barca.

Just 6 minutes later, the home team's net shook again. Fermin Lopez shot decisively from distance, bringing the second goal for the away team. The following period witnessed Barca's efforts to protect the result.

With 3 points won at Valladolid, coach Flick's team firmly established the top position in La Liga 2024/25 with 79 points, temporarily 7 points more than Real Madrid. However, Barca played 1 more match than their opponent.

Kane still can't win Bundesliga

On the night of May 3, Bayern led 3-2 until the 90+5 minute but was still tied 3-3 by Leipzig in round 32 of the Bundesliga.

On the day Harry Kane was suspended, Bayern took fans through a range of emotions. Coach Vincent Kompany and his team were trailing Leipzig 2-0 in the first half, then surprisingly rose in the second half to lead 3-2. It seemed Bayern would officially become champions, but in the 90+5 minute, Leipzig equalized 3-3.

This result means Bayern cannot officially become Bundesliga champions, because the gap between them and Leverkusen is 9 points, while Xabi Alonso's team still has 3 matches left to play.

However, Leverkusen's chance to turn the situation around is only theoretical, because their goal difference is too low compared to their opponents (31 compared to 61).

Without Harry Kane, Bayern struggled against a determined Leipzig side. The home side opened the scoring with Benjamin Sesko's superb trivela after a classy assist from Xavi Simons in the 11th minute. Leipzig continued their fine form and made it 2-0 before the break thanks to Lukas Klostermann's header from a David Raum free kick.

Bayern, however, did not give up. Early in the second half, they equalised with two quick goals: Eric Dier scored from a corner, before Michael Olise scored just 46 seconds later with a beautiful volley. In the 85th minute, Leroy Sane seemed to have won the game for Bayern after an assist from Joshua Kimmich. However, Xavi Simons shone again when he assisted Yussuf Poulsen to score an equaliser in stoppage time, extinguishing Bayern's hopes of an early celebration.

However, with the current great advantage, the Bundesliga silver plate is unlikely to slip out of the Bavarian team's hands. The coronation of Kane and his teammates is only a matter of time.

De Bruyne finds it difficult to play alongside Messi

Chicago Fire have edged out Inter Miami as the frontrunners in the race to sign Kevin De Bruyne.

According to CBS, Chicago Fire has a big advantage in recruiting De Bruyne. Chicago Fire is willing to pay the Belgian midfielder a salary equivalent to his current income in England.

This is an attractive offer, especially considering that Major League Soccer (MLS) teams are often limited by strict financial regulations.

Meanwhile, Inter Miami, despite having Lionel Messi and the ambition to build a strong squad, are struggling to meet De Bruyne's financial demands. Barriers over salary and league regulations make it difficult for Beckham's team to negotiate.

Inter Miami's current wage bill is huge, having to pay the salaries of Messi, Suarez, Alba and Busquets. Chicago Fire currently has no big foreign stars in their squad, which allows them to focus all their efforts on De Bruyne.

De Bruyne will end his 10-year association with Manchester City at the end of the current season, after the club decided not to renew his contract, which expires at the end of June. The decision opens up opportunities for teams in MLS and Saudi Arabia.

The Times believes that if given the choice between the Middle East and the US, De Bruyne and his small family would prioritize the US - where they have often vacationed before.

The only problem for teams interested in signing De Bruyne is that it is still unclear when the player will officially leave Manchester City. His contract expires right after the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup group stage, on June 30.

De Bruyne is still showing impressive form when he scored the only goal to help Man City beat Wolves 1-0 in the match that took place in the early morning of May 3, in round 35 of the Premier League.