Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi has shown many different faces during his spell-binding career but in Barcelona's win over Liverpool on Wednesday, the dominant one was of a leader. Barca were not at their best at Camp Nou, instead made to sweat and suffer against a Liverpool side that were just as dangerous in the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund coach Lucien Favre will remain in his job next season regardless of whether or not Dortmund win the Bundesliga title this month, the club's sporting director Michael Zorc has said. "We will definitely go into the new season with Lucien Favre, whether we win the league or not," Zorc told […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool have no time to fret over their chastening Champions League defeat at the hands of Barcelona as they scramble to prevent their season from fizzling out without any silverware to show for it. After the hammer blow of two late Lionel Messi goals at the Camp Nou, which gave Barcelona a […]

Valencia (Spain) (AFP) – Kevin Gameiro has knocked Arsenal out of one Europa League semi-final and now he wants to do it again. Gameiro helped Atletico Madrid end Arsene Wenger's hopes of a glorious finale last season, a 2-1 aggregate win sending them through to the final, where they would sail past Marseille. Twelve months […]

Milan (AFP) – Torino are pushing for a first-ever qualification for the Champions League as they face local rivals Juventus on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the air disaster that wiped out their all-conquering team of the 1940s. Eighteen Torino players and officials were among 31 people killed in the accident on May […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp admitted Lionel Messi was "unstoppable" on Wednesday after he left Liverpool needing a miracle to reach the Champions League final. Luis Suarez poked in against his former club before Messi hit a late double, the second a stunning free-kick for his 600th Barca goal, as his team took a 3-0 […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi put Barcelona to within touching distance of the Champions League final on Wednesday after firing a stunning brace to down Liverpool 3-0 at the Camp Nou. Former Liverpool striker Luis Suarez opened the scoring midway through the opening half of the semi-final first leg before Messi struck twice in seven […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi warned his Barcelona teammates that their place in the Champions League final is still not certain despite his two-goal salvo in a 3-0 semi-final first leg win over Liverpool on Wednesday. "It would have been better to win 4-0 than 3-0 but it is a very good result," said the […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona beat Liverpool 3-0 in the Champions League semi-final first leg on Wednesday. Here AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from the Camp Nou clash: 600 up as Messi escapes Van Dijk's shadow After three successive quarter-final defeats, Lionel Messi is on a mission to lead Barcelona to their first […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi left Liverpool needing a miracle to reach their second Champions League final in as many years as his brace helped Barcelona win a pulsating Champions League semi-final first leg 3-0 on Wednesday. Barca have one foot in next month's final ahead of Tuesday's second leg at Anfield after former Reds […]

Berlin (AFP) – Eintracht Frankfurt's Serbia striker Luka Jovic may have grabbed the headlines and turned the heads of Europe's top clubs with his goals this season, but he is just one of a trio of brilliant Balkans in Frankfurt's ranks. Alongside 21-year-old talent Jovic, Croatia forward Ante Rebic, 25, and Serbian wing-back Filip Kostic, […]

Brussels (AFP) – Scandal-hit Mechelen won the Belgian Cup on Wednesday after coming from behind to beat Gent 2-1 in Brussels, completing a triumphant season following their promotion back into the country's top flight. Jean-Luc Dompe gave first division outfit Gent the lead after 32 minutes, only for Nikola Storm to reply six minutes later, […]

Frankfurt am Main (AFP) – Maurizio Sarri has warned his Chelsea team they should be wary of Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of Thursday's first leg of their Europa League semi-final in Germany. Sarri is coming into the final weeks of an eventful season with a European trophy and Champions League qualification in his hands, but knows […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp has insisted Liverpool are ready to end Lionel Messi's Champions League mission by beating Barcelona in the semi-finals. Messi has been rested for Barca's last two league games and appears more motivated than ever in Europe, after pledging to "bring that beautiful cup back to Camp Nou" at the start […]

The Hague (AFP) – Ajax's fairy-tail season continues with a Champions League final now "within reach", Dutch media gushed on Wednesday following the Amsterdam underdogs' 1-0 victory over Tottenham in London. "Finals are in sight," headlined popular daily tabloid De Telegraaf after Donny van de Beek's early goal on Tuesday night pushed Ajax one step […]