Barcelona (AFP) – Antoine Griezmann said he knew it would be tough settling in at Barcelona but it may have proven harder than he thought. Barca play at home to Inter Milan on Wednesday looking for lift-off in the Champions League after a goalless draw against Borussia Dortmund made for an underwhelming start to their […]

Berlin (AFP) – With coach Julian Nagelsmann touted as the next Jurgen Klopp or Pep Guardiola and striker Timo Werner providing the goals, ambitious RB Leipzig target a home Champions League win over Lyon on Wednesday in their bid to reach the last 16. Leipzig flew out of the blocks a fortnight ago when Germany […]

Milan (AFP) – Antonio Conte has returned to Italian football in style with Inter Milan flying high under his back-to-basics guidance, ahead of a Champions League trip to Barcelona that will test the Serie A leaders' continental credentials. Conte's side stretched their perfect league start to six wins from six for the first time in […]

Oslo (AFP) – Salzburg's red-hot teenage striker Erling Braut Haaland, will have the chance to measure himself against Liverpool's dazzling collection of attackers on Wednesday, if he is fit to play. The Austrian club's sporting director Christoph Freund said on Sunday that the 19-year-old has been ill and may not feature against the European champions […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer jealously lauded the killer touch of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the Arsenal striker secured a 1-1 draw for the Gunners at Old Trafford on Monday. A return of just nine points from their opening seven games is United's worst league start for 30 years and […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer encouraged his forward players to learn from the killer touch of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the Arsenal striker secured a 1-1 draw for the Gunners at Old Trafford on Monday. United have now won just two of their first seven Premier League games of the […]

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's second-half strike, awarded by VAR, denied Manchester United a much-needed win to kickstart their season as Arsenal emerged from Old Trafford with a 1-1 draw on Monday. Scott McTominay's stunning strike to give United the lead was a rare moment of quality in a poor first-half. However, Ole […]

London (AFP) – Bayern Munich coach Niko Kovac has hailed Mauricio Pochettino for turning Tottenham into a European force as he prepares for Tuesday's heavyweight Champions League clash in London. The Bundesliga champions opened their account by beating Red Star Belgrade 3-0 to top Group B ahead of Spurs, who had to settle for a […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – South American champions River Plate and fierce rivals Boca Juniors meet Tuesday in a combustible Copa Libertadores semi-final, with the embers of last year's all-Argentine final still smouldering. The 2018 decider between the two Buenos Aires giants will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. River won 5-3 on aggregate after the […]

Khartoum (AFP) – Sudan's first ever women's club football league kicked off Monday, with two teams clashing at a Khartoum stadium as crowds of fans and diplomats cheered. The championship, which involves 21 clubs, would have seemed unlikely just months ago when long time Islamist ruler Omar al-Bashir was in power. The first club match […]

Lausanne (AFP) – Cardiff City must pay French club Nantes an initial six million euros ($6.5 million) in their dispute over the payment of the transfer fee for Emiliano Sala, FIFA said on Monday. The amount corresponds to the first instalment of the 17 million-euro fee Cardiff had agreed to pay Nantes before Sala died […]

Turin (Italy) (AFP) – Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri believes his side need to enjoy themselves more if they are going to have any chance of ending their 24-year wait for the Champions League trophy. The 60-year-old Sarri will oversee his first Champions League match at home in the Allianz Stadium on Tuesday. Juventus host Bayer […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino said he was "so happy" with his squad as they prepare to face Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in the Champions League on Tuesday after a turbulent few weeks. Spurs have struggled to find consistency this season after an unsettling summer transfer window during which key players including Christian […]

Madrid (AFP) – Eden Hazard said on Monday he is 'one goal' away from launching his Real Madrid career having failed to score since joining the Spanish club this summer. Hazard, 28, who cost Real 100 million euros ($109 million) in July, is yet to get off the mark during the new season with his […]

Sochi (Russia) (AFP) – Lewis Hamilton paid tribute on Monday to the respect and team-work that enabled Mercedes to secure him victory in an unexpected one-two for the Silver Arrows in the Russian Grand Prix. In stark contrast to the radio feuds, claims of a broken drivers' agreement and reliability problems that undid rivals Ferrari's […]