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UCL

Ronaldo scores 125th Champions League goal in tie

     Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return from injury with a precious away goal as Juventus drew 1-1 with an excellent Ajax in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Amsterdam on Wednesday.Ronaldo subdued the 50,000 home fans in the Johan Cruyff Arena when he headed Juventus in front on the stroke of half-time to take his record goal tally in the competition to 125.     Brazilian winger David Neres conjured a stunning equaliser almost immediately after half-time to give Ajax a draw that was the very least they deserved.However, it is Juventus for whom substitute Douglas Costa struck a post late on, who hold the upper hand heading into next Tuesday's return in Turin, with the winners of this tie facing Manches...
UCL

Champions League: Barcelona down Manchester Utd at Old Trafford

   Barcelona beat Manchester United 1-0 in their Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday after a first-half own goal by Luke Shaw at Old Trafford.  Luis Suarez's 12th minute back-post header was deflected past David de Gea by United left-back Shaw. The teams meet again next Tuesday at the Camp Nou.          Man Utd defender Chris Smalling believes Barcelona were nullified at Old Trafford despite emerging 1-0 victors from their Champions League quarter-final, first leg.Luke Shaw's 12th-minute own goal means United have another Champions League mountain to climb on the road, after overturning a 2-0 first-leg deficit to eliminate Paris Saint-Germain on away goals in the last 16."We pressed them high and made it difficult. I...
BUNDESLIGA

Bayern resume training ahead Dusseldorf match

Despite the rain on Wednesday, there were plenty of Bayern fans in attendance at Sabener Strabe to catch a glimpse of the FCB players in action for the first time since Saturday’s 5-0 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund. Niko Kovac had afforded his players two days off following the result, and they were back for an open training session as they began their preparations for Sunday’s match at Fortuna Dusseldorf, where they will look to cement their position at the top of the Bundesliga table.One absentee was Franck Ribery, who had called in sick and missed the long practice match Kovac allowed his players to close out the session. Alphonso Davies was working alone on a nearby pitch after his knee injury, while Arjen Robben continued his own recovery programme away from his teammates, who fo...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Arsenal's Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny hoping to prove fitness ahead Europa League Quarter final clash

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka and captain Laurent Koscielny are in a race to prove their fitness for Arsenal's Europa League quarter final first leg clash with Napoli on Thursday.  Centre back Koscielny is being assessed over a bruised foot, while Xhaka is aiming to return after an injury to his groin. The Swiss midfielder was seen training alongside his team mates at Arsenal's London Colney headquarters on Wednesday as they prepare for the game.Arsenal captain Koscielny has endured an injury hit campaign, missing the opening months with a ruptured achilles tendon, and has had to sit out the last two games with the knock to his foot. Xhaka meanwhile has also missed the previous two league games including the 1-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday - but could return for Thursday'...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Harry kane could be out for the season, says Mauricio Pochettino

Tottenham continued their revival of form in style as they beat Manchester City in the first-leg of the Champions League quarter-final.Son Heung-min scored the only goal in the second half, but if Mauricio Pochettino’s side are going to reach the last four they will have to do it without their star man Harry Kane.The striker limped off in agony after a clash with England team-mate Fabian Delph.As the City left-back cleared the ball on the touchline, he followed through with a strong challenge which saw his studs roll Kane’s ankle.It’s the second time this season that the 25-year-old has suffered the injury having only returned to the side at the end of February from damage to his ligaments.Harry Kane was spotted leaving Tottenham’s new ground on crutches, putting a dampener on a special ni...
UCL

Champions League Quarter-Finals kicking off

We are down to last eight and set your alarms because the Champions League quarter-finals will kick off today.FIXTURESWednesday : Tottenham vs Manchester City, Liverpool vs PortoThursday : Ajax vs Juventus, Manchester United vs BarcelonaTOTTENHAM VS MANCHESTER CITYFirst leg: Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Wednesday 10 AprilSecond leg: Etihad Stadium, Thursday 18 AprilTottenham will be hoping for a lift from their new stadium as they prepare for the daunting task of facing quadruple-chasing Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday morning.Spurs won their first match at their new home, beating Crystal Palace 2-0 to move back into third in the Premier League after a disappointing run of results. As for City, they’re looking to carry their red-hot domestic form onto th...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Maurizio Sarri says £100 million is "too cheap" for Real Madrid target Eden Hazard

Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri insisted that £100 million is "too cheap" for star talisman Eden Hazard, who continues to attract Real Madrid's attention as he scored an iconic goal against West Ham United on Monday.Hazard, 28, scored both goals as the Blues beat the Hammers 2-0 at Stamford Bridge, the first of which saw him beat six defenders before ending with a sublime finish. Sarri told Sky Sport Geoff Shreeves that a £100 million selling price was too cheap:The Italian said: "[£100 million] is too cheap; in this market it's too cheap. We have seen in the last market window every price, I think. So I think it is really very hard to change Hazard with another player."Sarri also spoke to Radio 5 Live after the game and admitted it would be a crushing blow if the player left St...
UCL

Tottenham's Serge Aurier set to miss Champions League clash against Manchester City

    Tottenham right-back Serge Aurier is expected to miss Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Manchester City after failing to recover from a hamstring injury. The Ivory Coast international, who has been struggling with a hamstring strain, is thought to have made himself available after the recent death of his father, but he will not be fit in time.Aurier has started five of Spurs’ eight Champions League games this season and completed both legs of the last-16 victory over Borussia Dortmund.In his absence, Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino is likely to select Kieran Trippier as a right-back or wing-back. The England international has previously struggled against City’s speedy wingers Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, and he was at fault in the build-up to...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Newcastle defender Lejeune ruled out for the rest of the season

Newcastle united have confirmed defender Florian Lejeune rule out for the rest of the season after sustaining a knee injury during Saturday's game against Crystal Palace.The 27-year-old was forced off on a stretcher during the second half at St. James' Park after injuring his left knee.Lejeune has been ruled out for the reminder of the current season and further updates on his recovery will be provided in due course.The frenchman has been ever-present for Newcastle in the Premier League since his return to action at the start of January, taking his 2018/19 to 13 appearances in all competition.
LALIGA

Ernesto Valverde says Barca closer to title with Atletico win

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde has called on his team to “finish the job” in La Liga after they moved 11 points clear of Atletico Madrid on Saturday.The Blaugrana beat Atletico 2-0 at the Camp Nou after Diego Costa was sent off in the first half. “Three fundamental points, a really important result,”Valverde said.“We're closer but there's still a long way to go. You have to finish the job. It's true it was a fundamental game and these three points could mean a lot at the end of the season. We're happy because of the opponent we were facing, Atletico are an enormous team that have fought until the end with 10 men.”Costa was given a red card after he angrily confronted referee Gil Manzano shortly before the half-hour mark.Barca struggled to capitalise on their advantage ass...
SERIE A

Moise Kean winner put Juventus on brinks of Serie A title

Teenager Moise Kean has left Juventus within one win of retaining its Serie A title.Kean, who was the victim of racist abuse during the week, came off the bench to score what was to prove the winner on Saturday as Juventus came from behind to beat AC Milan 2-1. It was the Italy forward’s fifth goal in as many matches for club and country and has seen him stake a claim for a place in the starting lineup for the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal game at Ajax on Wednesday, especially with Cristiano Ronaldo a doubt for Juventus as he recovers from injury.“We need to let him (Kean) grow,” Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri said. “We’ll see if he plays on Wednesday, the substitutes are important and we saw that again today.”Paulo Dybala’s penalty canceled out Krzysztof Piatek’s ...
BUNDESLIGA

Bayern Munich crush Borussia Dortmund to top Bundesliga

Bayern Munich took a big step towards winning a seven th straight Bundesliga title by thrashing Dortmund 5-0 in a crunch clash at the top of the table.Bayern overtook Dortmund by one point and with Robert Lewandowski in good form,Niko Kovac's men will now take some stopping in the final six matches.Robert Lewandowski bagged two goals against his old club and his opener in the earned the Pole a 200th strike in Bundesliga to join an elite club.They were made to pay as another former Dortmund player, Mats Hummels, headed home the opener from a corner.An understandably much hyped affair given the importance of the match, the 100th Bundesliga "Klassiker" was realistically over when Lewandowski made it 2-0.Centre back Dan-Axel Zagadou seemingly didn't spot a lurking Lewandowski and his pass...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Gabriel Jesus fires Manchester City into FA Cup final

Gabriel Jesus' early header proved the difference as quadruple-chasing Manchester City claimed a place in the FA Cup final with a 1-0 win over Brighton.The Brazilian headed home a brilliant cross from Kevin De Bruyne after just four minutes at Wembley.Controversy erupted when City's Kyle Walker escaped a red card after a VAR review of a coming together with Alireza Jahanbakhsh but, despite resisting further damage, Brighton could not find a way back.Chris Hughton's men applied plenty of pressure in the second half, with Aymeric Laporte producing a fine clearance to deny Glenn Murray but City managed the game well.Raheem Sterling also had three good chances to make the game safe.City made a confident start, and while Brighton may have been pleased to see that Sergio Aguero had failed to sha...
TRANSFERS

Real Madrid reportedly closing in on a deal to sign Eden Hazard

The Belgium international is nearing the end of his seventh campaign at Stamford Bridge, but the playmaker has just over a year remaining on his contract.Hazard has been frequently linked with a switch to the Bernabeu, and Real head coach Zinedine Zidane has recently reiterated that he is an admirer of the player. According to Marca, the two clubs and Hazard are close to coming to terms over a transfer which will be finalised during the summer window.The report suggests that Hazard is ready to sign a six-year contract with the La Liga giants, although it remains to be seen how much Chelsea will receive for their star man.The 28-year-old has enjoyed a productive campaign in the Premier League, contributing 14 goals and 12 assists from 31 appearances.
PREMIER LEAGUE

Mo Salah and Jordan Henderson scores as Liverpool grab late win at Southamptom

Liverpool scored two goals in the final ten minute to deny Southampton a point at St Mary's.Shane Long became the first Southampton player to score against Liverpool since the striker netted the winner in the League Cup semi-final at Anfield in January 2017 to give his team a shock early lead. Southampton conceded before half time to Naby Keita but were highly competitive throughout the game. However, they ended up on the end of a harsh 3-1 defeat as Mo Salah and Jordan Henderson scored in the closing stages to send the Reds back to the top of the Premier League table. Hasenhuttl ditched the 4-2-2-2 formation that served Southampton well at Brighton to change to five at the back and it was doing a good containing job in the opening stages.Southampton looked really well ...
PREMIER LEAGUE

Rafael Benitez is keen to stay at Newcastle

Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez existing deal is due to expire at the end of the season and while he wants to stay and the Magpies want to keep him, no agreement has yet been reached.However, it is understood significant talks have taken place in recent weeks and Benitez has now confirmed that he is awaiting an answer from the club on his proposals for the way forward.He said: "They were coming with something, we are coming with something, that's it. The ball is in their court."It was (managing director)Lee Charnley with my people. I will not talk too much about that. You have the clarification. The ball is in their court."Benitez's comments came after a report from France suggested he had engaged an agency to help him find a Ligue 1 club with his future on Tyneside unresolved.However, he in...
PREMIER LEAGUE

FA Cup: Man City revealed squad for Brighton clash

Sergio Aguero and injured left back Zinchenko are both part of Manchester City's travelling squad for the FA Cup semi-final against Brighton this weekend.Man City travelled down to London by train on Friday afternoon and Guardiola has taken his entire squad as they plan to stay down in the capital after the game against Brighton at Wembley on Saturday evening. The Blues face Spurs in the first leg of the Champions League quarter final on Tuesday and the club have decided it would be more beneficial to stay in the capital than returning back to Manchester. Asked about his decision to do that Guardiola replied: "It is to avoid trains, planes, bus, as much as possible in just three days, it’s not a bad city to stay in."The fact City are staying there for a few days could explain why inju...
LALIGA

Ousmane Dembele is a big doubt for Barca-Atletico clash

Ousmane Dembele is continuing his recovery from a hamstring problem but will sit out Saturday’s clash with Atletico Madrid.According to AS, the Frenchman’s recovery is taking slightly longer than expected, and he will not be fit enough to face Diego Simeone’s side.Barca are also being cautious with Dembele because they do not want him to suffer another injury and miss more time. The club remain hopeful he will be able to play some part in next week’s Champions League quarter-final against Manchester United at Old Trafford.Dembele is due to train with the team on Monday and will hopefully be passed fit enough to be included in Valverde’s travelling squad.If he does make the list then Barca will monitor him in training on Tuesday to assess if he will be fit enough to play some part ag...
BUNDESLIGA

Robert Lewandoski brace help 10-man Bayern edge German cup thriller

Robert Lewandoski bagged a brace off the bench to send 10-man Bayern Munich into the German Cup semi-finals as his late penalty secured a 5-4 home win against second division Heidenheim on Wednesday.Lewandowski came on for the second half and netted the winning penalty six minutes from fulltime for 18-times cup winners Bayern, who had Niklas Suele sent off after 15 minutes."I don't know how to rate this game," said Bayern midfielder Thomas Mueller."That they came back to 4-4 after we led 4-2, so that cannot please us. The match should have gone differently after we went 1-0 up."The Bundesliga champions took the lead through Leon Goretzka's 12th-minute opener, but goals from Robert Glatzel and Marc Schnatterer put the visitors ahead.Thomas Mueller equalised eight minutes into the second hal...
LALIGA

Zidane handed first defeat since Madrid return

Real Madrid suffered their first defeat following Zinedine Zidane's return as coach as they were beaten 2-1 away to Valencia on Wednesday night.Zidane brought Luka Modric, Casemiro, Lucas Vazquez and Keylor Navas back into his side, but despite seeing a lot of the ball Madrid were second best to a rival that is now unbeaten in 17 games.Goncalo Guedes put Valencia ahead in the first half and could have had a second but for a good save from Navas.Madrid looked for a way through after the break, but failed to break down a well-drilled home side, who doubled their lead thanks to Ezequiel Garay's powerful header from a corner seven minutes from the end.Karim Benzema put come makeup on the score with a header in the 93rd minute, but there was no time left for Madrid and Valencia are looking soli...
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