Liverpool (AFP) – Fabinho's impressive display in Liverpool's midweek Champions League success has left his manager Jurgen Klopp with a difficult decision to make ahead of the team's return to domestic action at home to Cardiff on Saturday. But, more importantly for Liverpool fans hoping to see an end to their club's 29-year wait to […]

London (AFP) – Another meek performance in losing for the fifth time this season in midweek to Juventus has put Jose Mourinho's position as Manchester United manager back in peril ahead of in-form Everton's visit to Old Trafford on Sunday. On a run of just one win in seven games in all competitions, United already […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Julen Lopetegui said it was the happiest day of his life being named coach of Real Madrid but he could not have imagined this. Four and a half months, 138 days, nine La Liga games. One defeat at Camp Nou on Sunday and that might well be that. If Florentino Perez's mind […]

Berlin (AFP) – Jadon Sancho will be looking to maintain his perfect record for rampant Borussia Dortmund on Saturday when the in-form Bundesliga leaders host top-six rivals Hertha Berlin. After Wednesday’s 4-0 thrashing of Atletico Madrid, Dortmund have now won six games in a row, and Sancho has chalked up either a goal or an […]

Paris (AFP) – Ruben Loftus-Cheek capitalised on a rare start for Chelsea by scoring a hat-trick in Thursday's 3-1 Europa League victory over BATE of Belarus, while Arsenal extended their winning run to 11 games away to Sporting Lisbon. Loftus-Cheek, part of England's World Cup squad in Russia, started for just the second time this […]

Paris (AFP) – Danny Welbeck pounced on a defensive lapse to snatch a 1-0 victory for Arsenal at Sporting Lisbon in the Europa League on Thursday, while seven-time European champions AC Milan crashed to a home defeat by Real Betis. England forward Welbeck struck a 78th-minute winner in Portugal as he punished a mistake by […]

London (AFP) – Hugo Lloris opted for football over tennis when he was a youngster but may have grounds for regretting that decision given the sharp downturn in the France captain's fortunes since lifting the World Cup in July. Seen as a cool head of the field and a calm presence in goal for Tottenham […]

London (AFP) – West Ham's Andriy Yarmolenko could miss the rest of the season following Achilles surgery, manager Manuel Pellegrini warned Thursday. The 28-year-old Ukraine international was forced off the field during last weekend's 1-0 loss at home to Tottenham in the Premier League. Yarmolenko has since undergone surgery and faces at least five months' […]

Kigali (AFP) – FIFA President Gianni Infantino is set to ignite new opposition Friday over his ambition to introduce two money-spinning pet projects — a revamped global club cup and a bold new international championship. Infantino's Saudi-backed plans, which have already been harshly criticised, are on the agenda of Friday's meeting of FIFA's ruling council. […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid defender Marcelo trained on Thursday, according to pictures posted by the club, and could be fit to face Barcelona in La Liga on Sunday. Marcelo took a kick to his right ankle late on during Madrid's 2-1 Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen on Tuesday, casting doubt over his involvement […]

London (AFP) – 'Don't Look Back In Anger' by Manchester band Oasis has become the city's anthem since last year's terror attack, and is one that has had a powerful impact on Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola. The 47-year-old Spaniard's wife and daughters escaped unharmed from the bombing at the Ariana Grande concert at the […]

Dortmund (Germany) (AFP) – Atletico Madrid captain Diego Godin admitted his side "need to be better", after they were handed the heaviest Champions League defeat of Diego Simeone's seven-year reign as coach by Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday. The Spanish club, runners-up twice in the last five seasons and Europa League winners in May, were thrashed […]

Moscow (AFP) – Veteran Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas saved an early penalty as Porto pulled clear at the top of Champions League Group D with a 3-1 win over Lokomotiv Moscow on Wednesday. Casillas kept out a Manuel Fernandes spot-kick as Moussa Marega, Hector Herrera and Jesus Corona scored for Porto to overcome an Anton […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain coach Thomas Tuchel accepted that his side have to improve in Europe after requiring an injury-time Angel Di Maria goal to draw 2-2 with Napoli in the Champions League on Wednesday. PSG looked beaten until Di Maria curled home in the third minute of time added on, salvaging a point […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hopes talk of Mohamed Salah's early-season slump will be quashed by the Egyptian's double in a 4-0 win over Red Star Belgrade on Wednesday that took his tally for the club to 50 goals. Salah ended a four-game goal drought with the winner at Huddersfield on Saturday and […]