Glasgow (AFP) – Lionel Messi bagged a brace as he returned to the Barcelona line-up to help them book their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a comfortable 2-0 win over Celtic on Wednesday. Messi, who missed Saturday’s goalless draw with Malaga due to illness, provided a fine finish to Neymar’s […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal squandered a chance to wrap up first place in Champions League Group A as Paris Saint-Germain hit back to earn a 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger's side were on course to secure top spot and a possible easier draw in the last 16 after taking a 2-1 […]

Milan (AFP) – Napoli's Champions League last-16 hopes will be decided by a final group showdown away to Benfica after the Italians were held to a frustrating scoreless home draw by Dynamo Kiev on Wednesday. Napoli, who will need a draw in Portugal, were given extra incentive to seek their last-16 ticket when Benfica, despite […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal squandered a chance to wrap up first place in Champions League Group A as Paris Saint-Germain hit back to earn a 2-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger's side were on course to secure top spot and a possible easier draw in the last 16 after taking a 2-1 […]

Monchengladbach (Germany) (AFP) – Pep Guardiola's Manchester City booked their place in the Champions League's last 16 on Wednesday with a 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach as both teams finished with ten men. The point confirms City will finish second in their group with one game left. Gladbach are confirmed in third — which means […]

Madrid (AFP) – Atletico Madrid guaranteed top spot in Champions League Group D with a game to spare ahead of Bayern Munich as Kevin Gameiro and Antoine Griezmann struck in a 2-0 win over PSV Eindhoven. Already assured of their place in the last 16, Bayern's shock 3-2 defeat to Rostov earlier on Wednesday meant […]

London (AFP) – Arsenal squandered a chance to wrap up first place in Champions League Group A as Paris Saint-Germain hit back to earn a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday. Arsene Wenger's side were on course to secure top spot and a possible easier draw in the last 16 after taking a […]

Paris (AFP) – The African Football Confederation (CAF) on Wednesday denied "persistent rumours" that next year's Africa Cup of Nations will be moved from Gabon. Gabon is scheduled to host the event from January 14 to February 5, although the country is mired in political crisis. In a statement the CAF said its president Issa […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Benfica must wait on a place in the last 16 of the Champions League after they squandered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Turkey's Besiktas on Wednesday. The Portuguese cruised into a 3-0 lead inside barely half an hour but were pegged back as the Turks maintained their unbeaten record with […]

Berlin (AFP) – RB Leipzig are determined to defend their hard-earned status as the new Bundesliga leaders with a win at Freiburg on Friday to pile the pressure on faltering Bayern Munich. Leipzig, sponsored by Austrian energy drinks giant Red Bull, went top last Friday with a 3-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen, setting a new […]

Watford will be the next team featured on NBC Sports' critically-acclaimed Behind The Badge series, which takes viewers behind the scenes to reveal the inner workings of Premier League clubs. Last season, it was Crystal Palace that was the subject of the Behind The Badge series. This season, the four-part series debuts this Sunday, Nov. […]

Istanbul (AFP) – Portugal's Benfica must wait on a place in the last 16 of the Champions League after they squandered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 at Turkey's Besiktas on Wednesday. The Portuguese cruised into a 3-0 lead inside barely half an hour but were pegged back as the Turks maintained their unbeaten record […]

Paris (AFP) – FIFA president Gianni Infantino said Wednesday that everyone agrees on the need to expand the World Cup finals but there are divisions on whether there should be 40 or 48 teams. Infantino campaigned for the FIFA leadership this year on the back of adding to the 32 nations at the current World […]

Rostov-on-Don (Russia) (AFP) – Christian Noboa's superb free-kick earned Rostov a shock 3-2 Champions League win over Bayern Munich in Russia on Wednesday, leaving Carlo Ancelotti's side facing a tough last-16 draw. Douglas Costa rifled Bayern ahead on 35 minutes at the Olimp-2 stadium, but Rostov equalised through Sardar Azmoun on the stroke of half-time […]

London (AFP) – A fourth former footballer said he too suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a youth coach as an aspiring player, in a snowballing scandal rocking the game in Britain. Former England and Manchester City star David White, now 49, joins ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker Paul Stewart and two other former players alleging […]