Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi scored four goals as Barcelona began a crunch week in their season by thrashing Eibar 5-0 in La Liga on Saturday. Barca play away at in-form Napoli in the Champions League on Tuesday before facing title rivals Real Madrid next weekend, with pressure on the team, and Messi, amid a […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea strengthened their hold on a Premier League top-four place on Saturday by beating London rivals Tottenham 2-1 but Sheffield United missed the chance to boost their case for Champions League football next season. Liverpool's staggering 22-point lead over second-placed Manchester City means the title race is effectively over but the sides […]

London (AFP) – Former Premier League referee Keith Hackett said VAR got it badly wrong in Tottenham's 2-1 Premier League defeat at Chelsea on Saturday. Referee Michael Oliver deemed that Giovani Lo Celso's rash challenge on Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta at Stamford Bridge did not warrant a red card and VAR upheld his decision. According […]

London (AFP) – Frank Lampard blasted VAR on Saturday after Tottenham midfielder Giovani Lo Celso was not sent off for a "leg breaker" stamp on Cesar Azpilicueta in Chelsea's 2-1 win over Spurs. Blues boss Lampard was furious that Lo Celso's ugly second half foul on Chelsea captain Azpilicueta was not punished with a red […]

London (AFP) – Olivier Giroud and Marcos Alonso came in from the cold to inspire Chelsea's 2-1 win against Tottenham as the Blues cemented their grip on fourth place in the Premier League on Saturday. Giroud and Alonso had been reduced to fringe figures in Frank Lampard's first season as Chelsea manager. But Lampard restored […]

Bordeaux (AFP) – When Bordeaux visit Paris Saint-Germain on Sunday they will counter the home team's costly collection of stars with a player they picked up cheaply last summer. Hwang Ui-jo was approaching his 27th birthday when Bordeaux bought him from Gamba Osaka in Japan for just two million euros last July. He has scored […]

London (AFP) – Carlo Ancelotti believes Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford has the personality to shrug off the recent criticism of his performances. Pickford's mistake, letting Christian Benteke's equaliser slip under him, in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace put the focus back on his individual form after a mixed 18 months. The England […]

Moscow (AFP) – French World Cup winning defender Adil Rami has joined Russia's Sochi club, hours after being dropped by Turkey's Fenerbahce, the Russian Premier League website said Saturday. The 34-year-old soccer star will play as Number 23 for Sochi, the Russian Premier League said, without giving details of his contract. Fenerbahce announced Friday that […]

London (AFP) – Carlo Ancelotti says Everton are ready for an acid test of their revival under his leadership as the Champions League hopefuls head to Arsenal on Sunday at the start of a tough run of games. Ancelotti's side have taken 17 points from his eight Premier League matches in charge — a return […]

Rome (AFP) – Napoli coach Gennaro Gattuso admitted he was losing sleep ahead of next week's Champions League clash with Barcelona after his team warmed up for the Spaniards with a comeback 2-1 win over lowly Brescia in Serie A on Friday. Gattuso will make his Champions League debut as a coach against the Spanish, […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola says clubs "tremble" when Real Madrid or Barcelona come calling after Raheem Sterling created a stir by expressing his admiration for Real. The 25-year-old England international, who is under contract at the Etihad until 2023, described the 13-time European champions as a "fantastic club" in […]

London (AFP) – Wayne Rooney celebrated his 500th appearance in English league football with a goal before Aleksandar Mitrovic saw second-tier high-flyers Fulham to a 1-1 draw away to Derby on Friday. Former Manchester United star Rooney, the England national side's all-time leading goalscorer, struck from the penalty spot after Tim Ream handled early in […]

Milan (AFP) – Napoli warmed-up for next week's Champions League clash with Barcelona with a comeback 2-1 win over lowly Brescia 2-1 on Friday. Jhon Chancellor had put the northeners ahead after half an hour, before Lorenzo Insigne and Fabian Ruiz hit back with two goals in a five-minute spell after the break for the […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich squeezed past bottom side Paderborn 3-2 on Friday as Robert Lewandowski netted twice to spare goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's blushes in their final game before facing Chelsea in the Champions League. Lewandowski now has a league-leading tally of 26 goals in the top flight, illustrating his importance to the […]

Berlin (AFP) – After scoring a record number of goals in the German Under-17 league last season, Borussia Dortmund's 15-year-old striker Youssoufa Moukoko has made the Germany Under-19 squad for next month's games. While 19-year-old Norwegian Erling Braut Haaland has sent records tumbling with 11 goals in his first seven games for Dortmund's senior team, […]