London (AFP) – Bristol City stepped up their bid for promotion to the Premier League with a dramatic 2-1 win over QPR at Ashton Gate on Tuesday. City were seconds away from having to settle for a draw in the Championship clash after Niclas Eliasson's effort cancelled out Matt Smith's opener for QPR. But Famara […]

London (AFP) – Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes made the perfect start to his managerial career as Oldham thrashed Yeovil 4-1 in their League Two clash on Tuesday. Scholes is taking his first steps in management after agreeing to coach the club he supported as a boy. The 44-year-old was officially unveiled on Monday […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala's body is to be returned to Argentina on Friday, the mayor of his hometown of Progreso, Julio Muller, told AFP Tuesday. Sala's body was recovered from plane wreckage in the English Channel last week. He was flying to his new team, English Premier League side Cardiff City, […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Nigerian side Lobi Stars took an unexpected away point off Wydad Casablanca of Morocco Tuesday in a CAF Champions League 0-0 draw to keep alive hopes of a quarter-finals place. Twice African champions Wydad beat Lobi in west Africa this month and were favoured to collect a further three Group A points […]

Rome (AFP) – Teenage sensation Nicolo Zaniolo hit a brace as Roma beat Porto 2-1 in their Champions League last 16, first leg clash at the Stadio Olimpico on Tuesday. The 19-year-old got his first Champions League goal after 70 minutes in Rome, adding a second six minutes later to inflict a first defeat on […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain took a huge step towards the Champions League quarter-finals with a 2-0 last 16, first-leg win at Manchester United on Tuesday. Here are three things we learned from the Old Trafford clash: Pogba goes missing After providing the inspiration for United's resurgence under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Paul Pogba […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain made light of an injury crisis to inflict Manchester United's first defeat under caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 2-0 win at Old Trafford on Tuesday to take a huge step towards the Champions League quarter-finals. Presnel Kimpembe and Kylian Mbappe struck in a seven-minute spell just […]

Rome (AFP) – Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi and Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas will start in Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at the Stadio Olimpico. Both sides have opted for 4-3-3 lineups with De Rossi, 35, who has recently returned from injury, joined in midfield by Lorenzo Pellegrini and Bryan Cristante. Home goalkeeper Robin […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain manager Thomas Tuchel was forced to start Marco Verratti despite doubts over the Italian's match fitness for Tuesday's Champions League last 16, first leg at Manchester United. The loss of the world's most expensive player Neymar, forward Edinson Cavani and defender Thomas Meunier to injury has left Tuchel […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said on Tuesday that he believes Real Madrid can win a fourth consecutive Champions League title this season. Madrid play Ajax on Wednesday in the first leg of the last 16, hoping to take one step closer to their fifth European triumph in six years. Bayern Munich and Ajax […]

London (AFP) – Pele said Gordon Banks' legendary save in the 1970 World Cup bound the two men together in a lasting friendship as he paid tribute to the former England goalkeeper who died aged 81 on Tuesday. The Brazilian great said even now he cannot believe Banks managed to scoop away the header in […]

Milan (AFP) – Napoli's Spanish international defender Raul Albiol has undergone knee surgery in London, the Serie A club said on Tuesday. "Raul Albiol underwent surgery to clean the patellar tendon of the left knee this morning at the Princess Grace Hospital in London," the club said in a statement. "The surgery was perfectly successful. […]

Amsterdam (AFP) – Edwin van der Sar was in goal the last time Ajax beat Real Madrid and what he remembers most is the applause. Madrid's players had trudged off, their 2-0 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu something of a blessing given Ajax might have scored four or five. But Madrid's fans stayed. "The Spanish […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Wayne Sandilands of Orlando Pirates made a string of superb saves to restrict trophy-holders Esperance to a 2-0 victory in Tunis Tuesday in a CAF Champions League group match. Anice Badri, the leading scorer with eight goals when the Tunisian outfit won the elite African club competition last year, opened the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Per Mertesacker expects at least one Bundesliga club to win from the three England-Germany clashes in the Champions League last 16 and believes the lack of a winter break puts Premier League sides at a disadvantage in Europe. The 34-year-old helped Germany win the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and, after seven […]