Barcelona (AFP) – Lionel Messi scored for a ninth consecutive match, but his latest double on Saturday was only enough to earn Barcelona a 2-2 draw against Valencia. Kevin Gameiro and Dani Parejo's penalty gave Valencia a surprise two-goal lead but Messi pulled one back with his own spot-kick before curling in a brilliant equaliser […]

Milan (AFP) – Arkadiusz Milik and Lorenzo Insigne scored quick-fire goals with Simone Verdi adding a third from the spot as Napoli got back winning in Serie A with a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sampdoria on Saturday. Sampdoria striker Fabio Quagliarella was thwarted in bid to set a new record by scoring in 12 consecutive […]

London (AFP) – Mauricio Pochettino hailed super-charged forward Son Heung-min after he fired Tottenham into second place in the Premier League on Saturday as Gonzalo Higuain scored his first goals for Chelsea. Spurs looked to be heading for their first league draw of the season at Wembley but Son's 83rd-minute strike earned Pochettino's men a […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Rangers were awarded four penalties in their 4-0 victory over St Mirren as they kept up the pressure on Scottish Premiership leaders Celtic on Saturday. Steven Gerard's team remain second but moved to within three points of the top, ahead of Celtic's clash at St Johnstone on Sunday. James Tavernier opened the […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Wolves brushed off the ill omen of a black cat on the pitch at Goodison Park on Saturday to beat Everton 3-1 and extend the Merseysiders' bad luck. Nuno Espirito Santo's side made it 10 goals in their past three Premier League outings as they capitalised on some generous Everton defending. Although […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday congratulated Qatar which defeated Japan in the final of the Asian Cup, in a telephone conversation with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, a presidential source said. Qatar shocked four-time champions Japan 3-1 to win their first Asian Cup title on Friday, three years before […]

London (AFP) – Son Heung-min struck late to fire Tottenham into second place in the Premier League on Saturday as Gonzalo Higuain opened his account for Chelsea in a five-goal rout at Stamford Bridge. Spurs looked to be heading for their first league draw of the season at Wembley but Son's 83rd-minute goal earned Mauricio […]

London (AFP) – Gonzalo Higuain eased the pressure on Maurizio Sarri as the Chelsea striker's first goals for his new club inspired a 5-0 demolition of Huddersfield on Saturday. Blues boss Sarri had been under fire after Chelsea suffered their heaviest Premier League defeat for 23 years in a humiliating 4-0 loss at Bournemouth on […]

Paris (AFP) – Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon said on Saturday that he wants "to stay another season" at Paris Saint-Germain. The 41-year-old, who played 176 times for Italy and won the World Cup in 2006, arrived as a free agent from Juventus last summer on a one-year contract with an option for a second. At PSG, […]

Berlin (AFP) – Defending champions Bayern Munich crashed to a shock 3-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, allowing Borussia Dortmund to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to seven points. Superb second-half goals by Leverkusen's Leon Bailey, Kevin Volland and Lucas Alario inflicted only a fourth league defeat this season […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Democratic Republic of Congo outfit TP Mazembe crushed Tunisian visitors Club Africain 8-0 Saturday to achieve a record winning margin for a CAF Champions League group match. The five-time African champions overtook the benchmark set 18 years ago by ASEC Mimosas of the Ivory Coast when they overwhelmed CR Belouizdad of […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham have the belief in themselves to be Premier League champions, insisted manager Mauricio Pochettino after his side found the mental and physical resources to net another late winner to beat Newcastle 1-0 and leapfrog Manchester City into second place. In the absence of the injured Harry Kane and Dele Alli, Spurs […]

London (AFP) – The privately-funded search for the missing plane carrying Argentinian footballer Emiliano Sala will begin on Sunday, conditions permitting, the scientist leading the mission said on Saturday. Sala was travelling from France to join up with his new club, Premier League strugglers Cardiff City, in a light aircraft on January 21 when it […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham left it late again, but Son Heung-min's strike seven minutes from time earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Newcastle on Saturday to leapfrog Manchester City into second place in the Premier League. Spurs also struck at the death to beat Fulham and Watford in recent weeks to ensure they have kept […]

Madrid (AFP) – Santiago Solari has challenged Gareth Bale to hit top form ahead of what could prove a defining period in Real Madrid's season. Madrid face a double-header against Barcelona in the Copa del Rey semi-finals in the next month, as well as two legs against Ajax in the last 16 of the Champions […]