Berlin (AFP) – Salomon Kalou's missed spot-kick put hosts Borussia Dortmund into the German Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday as Hertha Berlin lost 3-2 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The Ivory Coast striker gave Hertha a first-half lead in the third-round cup clash in Dortmund when he volleyed home on 27 minutes after the hosts […]

Rome (AFP) – Champions Juventus extended their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points with a 2-0 win at Crotone as nine-man AC Milan stunned Bologna 1-0 on Wednesday. Having seen their lead cut by Roma's 4-0 success over Fiorentina on Tuesday, second-half goals from Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain kept Massimiliano […]

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Wilfred Ndidi put a smile back on Claudio Ranieri's face as the Leicester midfielder's first goal for the troubled champions inspired a 3-1 win over Derby in Wednesday's FA Cup fourth round replay. Ranieri has found himself under fire after Leicester slumped to within one point of the Premier League […]

Paris (AFP) – Dimitri Payet scored his first goal in his first Marseille start following his controversial return from West Ham in Wednesday's 2-0 victory at home to Guingamp in Ligue 1. Bafetimbi Gomis headed his 14th goal of the season to hand Marseille a first-half lead before Payet's deflected 76th-minute free-kick secured the points […]

Madrid (AFP) – Edgar Mendez's solo effort nine minutes from time sent Alaves into their first ever Copa del Rey final with a 1-0 semi-final, second leg win over Celta Vigo enough to progress by the same score on aggregate. The visitors were left to rue a string of missed chances in the first leg […]

Paris (AFP) – Wylan Cyprien's scorching strike kept Nice within three points of Ligue 1 leaders Monaco following Wednesday's 1-0 victory over Saint-Etienne. Cyprien rifled in the only goal after just seven minutes at the Allianz Riviera as Nice bounced back from Saturday's heavy defeat at Cote d'Azur and title rivals Monaco. Nice moved back […]

Rome (AFP) – Champions Juventus extended their lead at the top of Serie A to seven points with a comfortable 2-0 win at lowly Crotone on Wednesday. Having seen their lead cut by Roma's 4-0 success over Fiorentina on Tuesday, second-half goals from Mario Mandzukic and Gonzalo Higuain kept Massimiliano Allegri's team on course for […]

London (AFP) – Hull confirmed on Wednesday that they have been unable to complete the signing of Guingamp midfielder Yannis Salibur. The Premier League strugglers appealed to FIFA in an attempt to seal a reported £9 million ($11 million, 10.5 million euros) move for Salibur after suggestions the paperwork for the deal was not submitted […]

London (AFP) – England football manager Gareth Southgate said it had been "fascinating" to spend time with Eddie Jones as a rival rugby coach compared the Australian to legendary football manager Brian Clough. The England rugby union team are on a national record 15-match winning streak heading into their Six Nations clash against Wales on […]

Barcelona (AFP) – Barcelona will appeal against the second yellow card given against Luis Suarez in their Spanish Cup semi-final that will see the Uruguay forward miss May's final, the Spanish champions said on Wednesday. Suarez, whose goal gave Barca a 1-1 draw against Atletico Madrid at the Camp Nou on Tuesday that saw them […]

Rome (AFP) – Italian football club Inter Milan on Wednesday invited the victim of an alleged sex assault by French police to watch a match as soon as he was well enough. The case of 22-year-old Theo, who was allegedly sodomised with a baton while being arrested last week, has sparked outrage in France, with […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana believes his side can learn from Premier League leaders Chelsea and put a miserable start to 2017 behind them. The Merseysiders have yet to win a Premier League match in 2017, taking just two points from a possible 12. As a result Jurgen Klopp's side have dropped out […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Argentine striker Carlos Tevez, the world's highest paid footballer, failed to score in his first match with new club Shanghai Shenhua on Wednesday as they crashed out the Asian Champions League. Shenhua lost 2-0 to Brisbane Roar in China, with 33-year-old Tevez doing nothing to prevent the defeat, prompting the Australian club […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany coach Joachim Loew has joined the criticism of Borussia Dortmund's CEO after the club's hooligans attacked RB Leipzig fans, including women and children, before last weekend's bitter Bundesliga game. Police made 28 arrests on Saturday after some of the 8,000 visiting RB Leipzig fans were attacked with stones and bottles outside […]

Berlin (AFP) – Philipp Lahm caught team-mates and club bosses by surprise when he not only announced he will retire in June but also that he will spurn an offer to fill the vacant sports director role at Bayern. After making his 501st appearance for Bayern in Tuesday's 1-0 German Cup win over Wolfsburg, Germany's […]