As Real Madrid continue their post-Cristiano Ronaldo era under Santiago Solari, Barcelona will visit Atletico Madrid in LaLiga on Saturday in a battle of familiarity and ambition.
An unpredictable start to the campaign – the latest twist coming with Barca s stunning 4-3 defeat at home to Real Betis before the international break – means the title feels as up for grabs as it has since Atleti pipped the Blaugrana on the final day in 2013-14.
Diego Godin headed home for the 1-1 draw Diego Simeone s men needed to deny Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, Gerard Pique and the rest, making light of Diego Costa s early injury.
All those men with the exception of the injured Godin will be involved once more, with both teams identities entirely ingrained. Barca might have a…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Wayne Rooney encouraged him to get Manchester United attacking again prior to Saturday s 5-1 thrashing of Cardiff City.
The Red Devils were on fire in south Wales in Solskjaer s first match as caretaker manager, with Jesse Lingard scoring twice and Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera and Anthony Martial also on the scoresheet.
It was the first time United have scored five goals in a Premier League game since Alex Ferguson s final match in charge in 2013 and was in stark contrast to the more prosaic approach adopted under former manager Jose Mourinho this season.
Solskjaer claims it was just a matter of allowing a talented team to express themselves, something he says former captain Rooney had also demanded.
Football is easy if you ve…
Market: Shanghai Port win
Odds: 4/11 @
Simply looking to extend their buffer at the top of the Chinese Super League standings, Shanghai will welcome Beijing to the Pudong Stadium on Friday lunchtime.
Starting with the hosts, making real history last season as they got their hands on a second Super League crown, Shanghai are once again firing on all cylinders this time around. Leading the chase at the top of the table and once again pencilled in as a standout title contender in 2024, the Red Eagles have continued to gain a string of praise. Last seen putting in another rugged performance as they secured a 1-0 victory away at Henan Songshan, Kevin Muscat’s men are in the midst of what has become a sensational purple patch. Signing off June with a 3-1 victory aga…
Competition: FA Cup
Market: Nottingham Forest to beat Hull
Odds:
The FA Cup returns this weekend for another massive round of action as the world s most unpredictable knock-out competition is back. Every side in the cup will feel they have a chance of winning it, and teams from the lower leagues will want to get a chance to knock-out Premier League opposition. There is an all-Championship encounter on Saturday, as Hull host Nottingham Forest.
Hull have been struggling massively this season and they desperately need to put their run of bad form behind them. After 28 games they have won five, drawn 10 and lost 13 times, scoring 39 goals and conceding 45 times. In their last five they have drawn three times and lost twice, which has seen them ont…
Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insists Cristiano Ronaldo will not be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu with the club facing a two-window ban on registering new players.
Ronaldo has established himself as the leading star in Madrid since his arrival from Manchester United in 2009, recently surpassing Raul s club record of 323 goals by scoring 27 times in as many appearances this season.
The Portuguese has been persistently linked with a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, with pictures of him whispering to Laurent Blanc after the two teams Champions League meeting earlier this season reigniting such rumours, while a return to United has also been touted.
The Madrid president is unsurprised the wealthy French side covet Ronaldo, but says there is no chance the 30…
Craig Johnston believes the sky is the limit for Liverpool as he said the Reds should be trying to sign Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, such is the club s quality and potential following their Champions League heroics.
Liverpool reached back-to-back finals thanks to Tuesday s 4-0 rout of LaLiga winners Barca – the Reds sensationally overturning a 3-0 first-leg deficit.
Despite the absence of star forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino, Liverpool completed the great escape through braces from Divock Origi and Georginio Wijnaldum at a raucous Anfield.
Liverpool have reluctantly sold Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho to Barca in recent years but former midfielder Johnston feels the club should now be trying to lure the likes of Messi to Merseyside.
I…
Dario Srna marked an emotional night with a goal as he broke the Shakhtar Donestk appearance record in their 4-0 Europa League quarter final victory over Braga.
The Croatian full-back, making his 486th appearance for the Ukrainian giants, scored after 25 minutes at L viv Arena to increase Shakhtar s lead in a tie that had swung heavily in their favour with a 2-1 victory in the first leg in Portugal.
The home side added a second shortly before half-time when Ricardo Ferreira put through his own goal, but Braga coach Paulo Fonseca was left fuming at the break after his side were denied a penalty when Ahmed Hassan was brought down with the tie still poised at 2-1.
Viktor Kovalenko added a third goal early in the second half to make certain of Shakhtar s place in the…
Lionel Messi will testify in court on June 2 as he attempts to prove his innocence against tax fraud charges.
The Barcelona star and his father have been charged with three counts of tax fraud worth €4.1million dating back to a period between 2007 and 2009 and has had his trial date scheduled between May 31 and June 3.
Spanish agency EFE has now confirmed the Argentina international will take to the stand on June 2.
Messi had been set to avoid a trial on the grounds that father Jorge Messi was apparently responsible for his son s tax obligations.
However, the state attorney later opted to overrule the advice of prosecutors and ordered both to appear in the Eighth Court of Barcelona.
The Copa America in the United States starts three day…
Manchester United s new signing Leny Yoro has been ruled out for three months, while Rasmus Hojlund will be out for six weeks, according to widespread reports.
Yoro joined the Red Devils earlier this month in a £52.2million deal from Lille and impressed in his first pre-season appearance against Rangers.
However, he was forced off with a foot injury in the first half of United s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in Los Angeles on Saturday and was seen days later wearing a protective boot and using crutches.
The defender will have more tests when he returns to the UK with the rest of the squad but is currently set to be out until October, missing the opening three months of the Premier League season.
Hojlund scored in the loss to Arsenal, but suffered a hamstring sho…
Strasbourg and Amiens won promotion to Ligue 1 after an extraordinary final day of action in France s second tier on Friday.
At the start of play, six different teams were in with a chance of claiming the title, with Strasbourg and Amiens in pole position as both clubs sought back-to-back promotions.
And they each booked a place in Ligue 1, Strasbourg returning to the top division for the first time since 2008 thanks to a 2-1 home win over Bourg-en-Bresse Peronnas 01.
Kader Mangane opened the scoring and a Kevin Hoggas own goal put Thierry Laurey s side in control inside 19 minutes, although Loic Damour made it a nervy finale.
Amiens started the day in second place but needed an Emmanuel Bourgaud goal in the sixth minute of stoppage time to clinch a…