Lisbon (AFP) – Benfica pulled off a classic smash and grab job as they beat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 in their Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday. Greek striker Kostas Mitroglou scored the only goal of the game, prodding home from close range at the second attempt just after half time after Dortmund goalkeeper […]

Paris (AFP) – Angel Di Maria scored a brilliant brace on his birthday as Paris Saint-Germain sensationally destroyed Barcelona 4-0 at the Parc des Princes in their Champions League last 16 first leg on Tuesday. Di Maria, the former Real Madrid star, opened the scoring in the 18th minute and curled in another 10 minutes […]

Marseille (AFP) – French international Lassana Diarra has left Marseille after reaching a deal to end his contract early, the Ligue 1 club announced on Tuesday. The 31-year-old quits the Velodrome after a year and a half. He wanted to leave in the winter transfer window without finding a suitable offer. Last month a Belgian […]

Milan (AFP) – Serie A strugglers Pescara sacked coach Massimo Oddo on Tuesday but told fans they "never again" wanted to see the "performances offered" so far by the team's players. Promoted Pescara have spent much of this season in the bottom three but, even when embattled Oddo offered his resignation last month, club bosses […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane has resisted the temptation to rush back a fit-again Gareth Bale for their Champions League clash on Wednesday against an on-form Napoli backed by Diego Maradona. Bale returned to training for the first time since suffering ankle ligament damage in November on Sunday and has been left […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Arsene Wenger is urging Arsenal to take their chance to beat Bayern Munich in Wednesday's first-leg Champions League away clash in their bid to break their last 16 curse. The Round of 16 has been a source of Gunners' heartache with Wenger's side losing at this stage of the competition in […]

Munich (Germany) (AFP) – Bayern Munich's Mats Hummels said keeping a clean sheet in Wednesday's first leg would be the key to extending Arsenal's last 16 Champions League misery. Arsenal have lost in the last 16 in each of the last six seasons and exited at the hands of Bayern at this stage of the […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City's Brazilian goal-scoring sensation Gabriel Jesus has broken a foot, the club said Tuesday, sparking fears he may miss the rest of the season. The 19-year-old striker, who has scored three goals in five games since joining City in January, suffered a "fractured metatarsal" bone against Bournemouth on Monday. He was […]

Under Mauricio Pochettino, Spurs have improved dramatically in so many ways, though there is still one area of performance that still feels like the old Spurs — performances away from home against the teams around them in the table. The performance at Anfield brought back nasty reminders of the flaws Tottenham still has, and how […]

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger shouldn’t be planning to see a majority of possession when his club face off against mighty Bayern Munich Wednesday night. The last time the Gunners traveled to the German giants, they managed just 34% possession of the ball. In fact, the club’s last three away trips to big clubs in Champions […]

For soccer fans in the United States, the legal streaming service FOX Soccer 2GO is offering a free 7-day trial during the month of February. The free trial is ideal timing for the return of the UEFA Champions League (as well as Copa Libertadores) that begins this week. With FOX Soccer 2GO, you can watch […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Istanbul giants Galatasaray on Tuesday were set to appoint former Croatian international Igor Tudor as new manager after firing Dutch manager Jan Olde Riekerink because of lacklustre results. Galatasaray's top executives held an emergency meeting about the Dutchman's future following the 1-2 home defeat to lowly Kayserispor on Sunday, the Hurriyet daily […]

Milan (AFP) – He is a tracksuit-wearing chain-smoker and former bank employee, but Maurizio Sarri certainly won't feel intimidated when he leads Napoli against the mighty Real Madrid of French legend Zinedine Zidane. "He's a master, an extraordinary coach," Arrigo Sacchi, who orchestrated AC Milan's unprecedented run of success at home in Europe in the […]

Istanbul (AFP) – The manager of Istanbul football giants Galatasaray Jan Olde Riekerink is facing the sack following a shock weekend league loss, press reports said on Tuesday. Galatasaray's top executives held an emergency meeting about the Dutchman's future following the 1-2 home defeat to lowly Kayserispor on Sunday, the Anadolu news agency and Hurriyet […]

London (AFP) – Premier League champions Leicester's shambolic defence of their title leaves them in real danger of relegation — they would not be the first to have seen a fairytale sporting success quickly decline into a nightmare. Here AFP Sports looks at five other examples: Boxing – Buster Douglas James 'Buster' Douglas tamed the […]