Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti says he grabbed the badge on his shirt during Wednesday's Champions League win over Roma to demonstrate his commitment to the club. Umtiti celebrated Barca's second goal at the Camp Nou by pulling at his badge and pointing to it after his shot had cannoned in off the […]

Liverpool (AFP) – British police have launched an investigation to identify those responsible for an attack on Manchester City's team bus before their Champions League quarter-final against Liverpool at Anfield. Missiles were thrown at the vehicle as it arrived at the stadium on Wednesday ahead of the first leg at Anfield, which Liverpool won 3-0. […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola questioned the organisation of his side's arrival at Anfield after City's team bus was pelted by bottles and cans ahead of their highly-charged Champions League quarter-final at Liverpool on Wednesday. Liverpool were forced to apologise after windows were broken and two police officers injured by missiles thrown […]

Paris (AFP) – Who's saying what after Wednesday's night of Champions League action which saw Liverpool beat Manchester City 3-0 and Barcelona see off Roma 4-1 in their quarter-final, first leg ties: "The first half was brilliant. It was how football should look. We knew about the quality of City but also about our quality […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde admitted his side were well below their best despite beating Roma 4-1 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Two own-goals, from Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas, and a close-range finish from Gerard Pique, presented the Catalans with a flattering 3-0 advantage at the Camp […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp warned his side will still have to "work like hell" to reach the Champions League semi-finals despite taking a commanding 3-0 quarter-final first leg lead over runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City. City lead Liverpool by 18 points in the Premier League, but their only league defeat this […]

London Colney (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Arsene Wenger insisted he was unconcerned by the size of recent Arsenal home crowds as he admitted "you earn from your performances what you have and what you get". The Gunners are sixth in the Premier League table, a huge 13 points adrift of the fourth and last automatic […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Jurgen Klopp saluted Liverpool's "brilliant" 3-0 thrashing of Manchester City, but the Reds boss admitted his side should have killed off the Champions League quarter-final tie. Liverpool tore City apart with three goals in the opening 31 minutes of the all-English first leg clash at Anfield. Goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona can start planning for the Champions League semi-finals but their 4-1 win over Roma on Wednesday will not necessarily have rivals quivering in their boots. Two own-goals, from Daniele De Rossi and Kostas Manolas, and a close-range finish from Gerard Pique, presented the Catalans with a flattering 3-0 advantage at the […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool crushed Manchester City 3-0 in the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday. Here are three things we learned from the all-English clash at Anfield: Salah out-shines De Bruyne Billed as a showdown between Player of the Year contenders Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne, there was no doubt who underlined […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool swept Manchester City aside with a three-goal blitz in 19 first-half minutes to take a commanding 3-0 first leg lead in their Champions League quarter-final. Champions-elect City lead Liverpool by 18 points in the Premier League, but their only league defeat this season came in a 4-3 thriller at Anfield in […]

Milan (AFP) – Captain Mauro Icardi missed a sitter and had a goal disallowed by the video assistant referee as Inter Milan and AC Milan drew 0-0 in the rain on Wednesday. Inter remain fourth in the final Champions League qualifying spot, one point behind Roma, with AC Milan's hopes of elite European football next […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Liverpool were forced to apologise after Manchester City's team bus was pelted by bottles and cans ahead of their highly-charged Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday. Liverpool supporters surrounded the roads around Anfield and let off flares before throwing bottles at the City bus around an hour before kick-off. The bus was reportedly […]

Rennes (France) (AFP) – Rony Lopes scored for the sixth Ligue 1 game in a row on Wednesday but Monaco were held to a 1-1 draw by a Rennes side with European ambitions of their own. Joris Gnagnon put Rennes ahead on 20 minutes at Roazhon Park before Portugal international Lopes levelled on the half-hour […]

Moscow (AFP) – Russia World Cup organisers are more worried about Moscow's latest diplomatic standoff with the West than stadiums being completed on time, said top official Alexei Sorokin. Sorokin, chief of the Russia 2018 organising committee, told the Kommersant newspaper the poisoning of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal was "not helping" preparations. The […]