So long the part of the team most derided for being useless, suddenly the part of the team most praised for being ruthless, England’s striking problem going into Euro 2016 this summer is a good one to have. Six or seven players can make reasonable claims for contention, and quite a lot of the English […]

Jordan Rhodes fired Middlesbrough a step closer to the Premier League as the Scotland striker's dramatic double sealed a 2-1 win over already-relegated Bolton on Saturday. Aitor Karanka's side fell behind to Josh Vela's 61st-minute goal, but former Blackburn star Rhodes leveled in the 73rd minute and struck again in stoppage-time at the Macron Stadium. […]

Bayer Leverkusen climbed to third, and are on course for a direct Champions League place next season, after their 3-0 win over Bundesliga strugglers Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday. Kevin Kampl gave Bayer the lead on 70 minutes, just 43 seconds after coming off the bench for Leverkusen's top scorer, Javier Hernandez, who limped off after […]

Aston Villa's long-expected relegation from the Premier League was finally confirmed with a 1-0 loss away to Manchester United on Saturday as teenage rising star Marcus Rashford scored his seventh goal in 12 games. The 18-year-old striker, also on target in United's FA Cup quarter-final replay win over West Ham United in midweek, struck in […]

Arsene Wenger refuses to call time on Arsenal's fading Premier League title challenge as the Gunners boss tries to spark a late rally from his inconsistent side. Wenger's team host Crystal Palace on Sunday having seen the gap between themselves and leaders Leicester increase to 13 points last weekend after a frustrating draw at West […]

Karim Benzema overcame the disappointment of being left out of France's Euro 2016 squad with a goal and two assists as Real Madrid moved to within a point of La Liga leaders Barcelona with a 5-1 thrashing of Getafe on Saturday. Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane urged Benzema to "rally quickly" after the French Football Federation […]

Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter told AFP Friday he "is available" to appear as a witness at a United States trial into mass corruption in world football. "Yes. When they need me to defend FIFA, I will be available," Blatter said, when asked if he would be prepared to attend the trial into the sweeping […]

A Chinese consortium with big ambitions for AC Milan should complete a takeover of the seven-time European champions within six to eight weeks, a broker acting for both parties said in reports Saturday. If confirmed, it would prove a dramatic about-turn for Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, who only weeks ago said he would not sell […]

Chelsea host Manchester City on Saturday (12:30pm ET kickoff on NBC) with both teams gunning for a positive result for very different reasons. A win for the visitors puts more distance between themselves and Manchester United in the race for the top four and UEFA Champions League qualification. After knocking PSG out of the Champions League […]

Leicester City’s rise to the top of the Premier League with just five games remaining has been a remarkable story, and has spread positivity across England in an otherwise cynical time for the much maligned image of English soccer. The flip side of Leicester’s rise has been the ongoing struggle of Arsenal, the team that many […]

Fresh from keeping alive their hopes of winning a first trophy since 2013, Manchester United return to their bid to secure a place in next season's Champions League when they host Aston Villa on Saturday. United will play Everton in the FA Cup semi-finals at Wembley on April 23 thanks to their 2-1 win at […]

Napoli's Serie A title credentials face the acid test on a trip to Inter Milan on Saturday when record-chasing striker Gonzalo Higuain sits out the second of a four-game ban for the visitors. Higuain, whose 30-goal league tally so far leaves him just five short of Gunnar Nordahl's all-time Serie A record for AC Milan, […]

Leicester's Danny Drinkwater has insisted there will be no change in the club's approach as they eye a remarkable Premier League title success. The Midlands club were 5,000/1 outsiders to be crowned champions of England before the season started. Yet they now lead England's top flight by seven points from second-placed Tottenham Hotspur and head […]

Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer has called on his players to rediscover their fun-loving side ahead of Saturday's fixture against Schalke 04. The German champions qualified for a fifth consecutive Champions League semi-final this week, and now have the chance to establish a ten point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. Bayern have […]

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp revealed he had invoked the spirit of the club's famous Champions League fightback in Istanbul to inspire his team to Europa League victory over Borussia Dortmund. Two-nil down at half-time in Thursday's quarter-final second leg, and 3-1 behind on aggregate, Klopp reminded his players of the memorable night in May 2005 […]