Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi struck the winner four minutes from time as Barcelona moved top of La Liga on Sunday with a crucial 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid. All the goals came in the final half hour as Rafinha put Barcelona in front before Diego Godin's header quickly restored parity. However, so often the […]

London (AFP) – Harry Kane hit a first-half hat-trick as Tottenham stormed up to second in the Premier League with a 4-0 home demolition of Stoke on Sunday. Kane's treble took his tally to 17 league goals this season, while his first of the day at White Hart Lane was his 100th club goal. The […]

Leicester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Leicester's underachieving stars will be in the spotlight when the crisis-torn champions start life without Claudio Ranieri in a crucial clash against Liverpool on Monday. Ranieri was ruthlessly sacked by Leicester's Thai owners on Thursday amid reports several of the team's senior players had lost faith with the Italian. The […]

Seville (Spain) (AFP) – Sevilla's unlikely La Liga title bid remained intact as another masterstroke from Argentine coach Jorge Sampaoli maintained their dominance over local rivals Real Betis. With his side 1-0 down and thoroughly outplayed in the first-half at the Benito Villamarin on Saturday, a Sampaoli double substitution turned the game around. Vicente Iborra […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers praised the quality of striker Moussa Dembele after the French forward fired the Glasgow giants to their 21st league victory in a row on Saturday. The French under-21 international grabbed both goals in the 2-0 win over bottom club Hamilton Academical at Celtic Park to take his tally […]

London (AFP) – Jose Mourinho can win the first major silverware of his Manchester United reign in Sunday's League Cup final against Southampton and Wayne Rooney might be the man to help him do it. Mourinho will become the first United manager to win a top prize in his maiden season at Old Trafford if […]

London (AFP) – Antonio Conte believes Chelsea's experience of winning the Premier League two years ago will prove decisive as they attempt to maintain their stranglehold on the title race. A 3-1 victory over Swansea on Saturday gave Conte's side an 11-point lead as they head into the final third of the season, with the […]

Liverpool (AFP) – Ronald Koeman insists he hasn't given up on a late Europa League challenge after Everton's 2-0 win against lowly Sunderland. A brilliantly worked finish from Idrissa Gueye in the first half opened the scoring for Everton before Romelu Lukaku's late finish confirmed the three points at Goodison Park on Saturday. Although seventh placed […]

Milan (AFP) – Mario Mandzukic overcame a wasteful first half to inspire Juventus to a 2-0 home win over Empoli that edged the Turin giants closer to a record sixth straight Serie A title. Juventus, claiming their 22nd win in 26 games, moved 10 points clear of closest challengers Roma ahead of their visit to […]

London (AFP) – Brighton manager Chris Hughton tried to calm talk of promotion to the Premier League after his high-flying Seagulls returned to the top of the second-tier Championship with a 3-0 win at home to Reading on Saturday. The south coast club made the most of Newcastle dropping points in a 2-2 draw with […]

Milan (AFP) – Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini has played down suggestions the success-starved Serie A minnows could launch an audacious bid to qualify for the Champions League. Gasperini lasted only five, winless matches at Inter Milan when he replaced Leonardo in 2011. But the former Genoa handler's stock is flying high after Atalanta's shock […]

London (AFP) – Jamie Vardy has slammed claims a breakdown in his relationship with Claudio Ranieri played a key role in the Leicester manager's shock sacking. Ranieri was dismissed by Leicester's Thai owners on Thursday, less than a year after masterminding his team's fairytale Premier League title triumph. The Italian's exit was widely suggested to […]

Watford (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Watford forward Mauro Zarate was taken to hospital for scans on a serious knee injury suffered during his side's 1-1 draw with 10-man West Ham on Saturday. Zarate had won the penalty that Troy Deeney converted to give Watford an early lead at Vicarage Road, but the former West Ham […]

Milan (AFP) – A brace from Juventus-bound Mattia Caldara torpedoed Napoli's Serie A title hopes on Saturday as 10-man Atalanta underlined their growing Euro ambitions in style with a shock 2-0 win at the San Paolo. Napoli welcomed high-flying Atalanta looking to tighten their grip on the third and last Champions League qualifying spot. But […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Moussa Dembele bagged a double to give Celtic a comfortable 2-0 win over bottom-of-the-table Hamilton at Parkhead and maintain their mammoth lead in the Scottish Premiership on Saturday. The in-form French forward — linked to a number of English Premier League clubs — opened the scoring with a superb strike seconds before […]