Al-Rayyan (Qatar) (AFP) – Qatar will launch its latest completed World Cup stadium with a domestic fixture at which half of tickets will be reserved for fans who have recovered from coronavirus, the country's FA said Monday. The Al-Rayyan Venue, the third new stadium to be completed ahead of 2022, will host the domestic Emir […]

Berlin (AFP) – Borussia Dortmund have eight players sidelined for Tuesday's Champions League match at Zenit St Petersburg, where victory will clinch the German club top spot in their group. Star striker Erling Braut Haaland is out until January with a leg injury, while midfielders Thomas Delaney, Raphael Guerreiro, Mahmoud Dahoud and Mateu Morey are […]

Paris (AFP) – The fans returned in England, the top-of-the-table clash in Germany ended in a draw, La Liga has an unfamiliar look and AC Milan are five points clear in Serie A. AFP looks at five talking points from around the continent this weekend. – The sound of a few fans clapping – Fans […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United will be without forwards Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial for their crunch Champions League clash at RB Leipzig on Tuesday. After losing 3-1 at home to Paris Saint-Germain last week, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side head into their final Group H game level on nine points with the French champions and […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – Perennial CAF Champions League underachievers Kaizer Chiefs won a 2021 preliminary round tie at the weekend, but coach Gavin Hunt was furious at the way they eliminated Cameroonians PWD Bamenda. Chiefs wasted numerous scoring chances in Soweto and could only draw 0-0 with opponents who arrived in South Africa only on […]

Doha (AFP) – Andres Iniesta and Daigo Nishi struck either side of the break as Vissel Kobe edged out Shanghai SIPG 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League on Monday. The Japanese side flew to Doha with mixed feelings, having broken new ground in the domestic top flight by winning the Emperor's […]

Leipzig (Germany) (AFP) – RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann says his confident side can seize their chance in Tuesday's key Champions League match at home to Manchester United with only the victors assured of a last 16 berth. "I'm not sure for whom the situation in the group is psychologically worse," said Nagelsmann. "Manchester were […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal defender Rob Holding admitted his side were letting their fans down after a 2-0 defeat to Tottenham left them languishing in 15th spot in the Premier League table. The FA Cup winners have won just one of their past seven league games and have just 13 points from their opening 11 […]

Paris (AFP) – Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha made an immediate impact on his return to the English Premier League after testing positive for coronavirus, scoring twice in a 5-1 rout of 10-man West Bromwich Albion. The brace from the Ivory Coast star took his season goal tally to seven from nine matches as he […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United will travel to RB Leipzig for Tuesday's Champions League match confident they can reach the knockout stages but knowing they have made life unnecessarily hard for themselves. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team looked certain to ease out of the group phase after an impressive win at Paris Saint-Germain followed by a […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Fans of five rival Chinese football clubs have joined forces to condemn a controversial FA ruling that could see their teams made to change their names for next season. Under a so-called "neutral name" edict that says clubs have to remove references to investors and companies that own them, almost all 16 […]

Leipzig (Germany) (AFP) – After finally breaking his goal drought for RB Leipzig, the pressure is on Norway striker Alexander Sorloth to hit the net again in Tuesday's Champions League clash at home to Manchester United with a last-16 berth at stake. Having failed to score in his first 10 games for Leipzig, Sorloth struck […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi's rivalry with Cristiano Ronaldo has enthralled football for the better part of a decade, and the pair will duel for potentially the final time when Barcelona host Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday. The two titans of the modern game, who split ownership of the Ballon d'Or between 2008-2017, […]

Rome (AFP) – AC Milan kept hold of their five-point lead at the top of Serie A on Sunday after a hard-fought 2-1 win at Sampdoria, while Napoli moved third after strolling to victory over bottom side Crotone. Franck Kessie's penalty on the stroke of half-time and Samu Castillejo's 77th-minute strike were just enough for […]

Washington (AFP) – Columbus Crew made it to the Major League Soccer final on Sunday after Artur scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 home win over New England Revolution. The Crew, whose only MLS crown came in 2008, advanced to Saturday's MLS Cup championship match thanks to Brazilian midfielder Artur's strike in the 59th […]