Belgium Friendly Switched to Portugal

Belgium's friendly against Portugal next week has been switched from Brussels to Leiria in Portugal after Tuesday's attacks which killed more than 30 people in the Belgian capital.

Belgium had cancelled next week's friendly against Portugal in Brussels after Tuesday's attacks in the city, which killed more than 30 people. The Belgian Football Association says the city's authorities asked for Tuesday's match to be called off for "security reasons and precaution".

The national team cancelled a training session in the immediate aftermath of the suicide and bomb attacks.

Captain Vincent Kompany was "horrified and revolted" by the incidents.

"I wish for Brussels to act with dignity. We are all hurting, yet we must reject hate and its preachers. As hard as it may be," he wrote on Twitter. 

Next week's match, due to be played at the King Baudouin Stadium, is the second Belgium friendly in succession that has not gone ahead as scheduled.

In November, their match against Spain in Brussels was called off following the Paris atrocities, which killed 130 people.

Netherlands' match against France in Amsterdam - 108 miles away from Brussels - will go ahead as planned on Friday.

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Sweden Take Home Advantage

Emil Forsberg scored one goal and won a penalty that Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted before Denmark’s Nicolai Jorgensen snatched a late goal to leave the Euro 2016 play-off delicately balanced as Sweden won the first leg 2-1.

The game exploded into life on the stroke of half-time when the winger Forsberg swept Mikael Lustig’s pass beyond Kasper Schmeichel in Denmark’s goal. The crowd had barely taken their seats at the start of the second period when Forsberg was upended by Thomas Kahlenberg after a surging run into the box and Sweden’s captain Ibrahimovic thundered home the resulting spot-kick.

Denmark, who failed to score in their final three group games, created few chances until the substitute Jorgensen stole in at the far post to poke the ball home in the 80th minute and throw his side a lifeline.

With the outside of Stockholm’s Friends Arena lit up in the red, white and blue colours of the French flag, a minute’s silence for the victims of Friday’s Paris attacks was observed before the game. Both sides also wore black armbands in memory of the 129 people who died.

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In a game billed as a clash between the rival strikers Ibrahimovic and Nicklas Bendtner, the more direct approach of the Swedes paid dividends while the Danes put on a remarkably flat performance until their late goal.

Ibra’s strike partner Marcus Berg wasted a number of early chances although Bendtner could have put Denmark ahead before Forsberg’s goal when he steered an effort just wide.

Denmark dominated the last 10 minutes but could not find an equaliser. The second leg is in Copenhagen on Tuesday with the winners securing a place in the finals in France.

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MacKay Values Spurs Changes

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Cardiff City manager Malky Mackay believes the world record sale of Gareth Bale has allowed Tottenham Hotspur to transform themselves in to a Champions League side.

Spurs sold Welshman Bale for £85m to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

The player's ex-club have signed seven players at a total cost of around £105m

"Because of the extra amount of money the Bale deal actually made for the club, their squad looks like a Champions League squad," said Mackay.

Cardiff welcome Spurs to the City Stadium on Sunday looking for another major Premier League scalp after beating Manchester City.

But they could face a Spurs side containing the likes of Paulinho, Nacer Chadli, Roberto Soldado, Etienne Capoue, Vlad Chiriches, Erik Lamela and Christian Eriksen who manager Andre Villas-Boas has brought in.

And Tottenham sit third in the Premier League, nine places above the Bluebirds.

"Spurs went out and brought all those players in and then eventually did the [Bale] deal," said Mackay.

"It looks as if it has been very good business.

"The players that they brought in - everyone in football knew in football they were top talents that were on the market and they were going to cost a lot of money

"It was a top-six Premier League squad but they have gone and strengthened in depth and some of the players they have got I really covet.

"Spurs' agenda this year I'm pretty sure is to be a Champions League team.

"They might have a big fixture schedule, but they have got a big squad as well, a squad full of quality."

Mackay says that playing against a Spurs side without Bale would have been a blessing if they had not then spent £100m.

"We are going to be preparing against a team who, number one, who are up for it and, number two, packed full of quality," added Mackay.

"They have bought very well. To have such a match winner in Gareth Bale and the amount of individual goals he scored certainly made Spurs a different team at times.

"That is a huge hole to fill, but they have filled it very, very well.

"Because of the extraordinary size of that fee it's allowed Spurs to go out and bring in seven or eight high quality footballers.

"And it's changed the look of Tottenham Hotspur in terms of where they are as a squad in terms of their strength in depth and the challenge they may provide in the Premier League this year."

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