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Police investigations into the sexual abuse of youngsters within English football widened Friday as England captain Wayne Rooney praised victims for speaking out.

Jason Dunford, once a youth player with Premier League giants Manchester City, added to the growing tide of abuse accusations that have rocked the English game by alleging that a football paedophile ring was covered up.

The allegations mainly centre on Barry Bennell, a youth coach with Manchester City, Stoke City, Crewe Alexandra and several junior teams in northwest England.

Andy Woodward last week became the first player to reveal publicly the abuse Bennell inflicted upon him, triggering a stream of similar claims.

Bennell was given a four-year sentence for raping a British boy on a football tour of Florida in 1994 and a nine-year sentence for 23 offences against six boys in England in 1998.

He was jailed for a third time in 2015 when he pleaded guilty to abusing a boy at a football camp in Macclesfield, northwest England, in 1980.

The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) announced Thursday it had launched a telephone helpline for victims of football abuse.&nbsp;

Rooney urged any player who had been affected to call the hotline and no longer &quot;suffer in silence&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s awful that some of my colleagues have suffered this way whilst playing the sport that I and they love,&quot; the Manchester United forward said.&nbsp;

&quot;Andy (Woodward) has been really brave to come forward and I would encourage anyone who has or is suffering from abuse to call the NSPCC&#39;s new football helpline.&nbsp;

&quot;It&#39;s important that people know that it&#39;s ok to speak out, there is help available and that they don&#39;t need to suffer in silence.&quot;

Allegations increase

Police said the establishment of the hotline and the publicity generated by former players sharing their stories in the media had prompted other potential victims to come forward, with Bennell not the only name under investigation.

A growing number of allegations have been reported in four police force areas, against several individuals.

London&#39;s Metropolitan Police said it had received information relating to &quot;non-recent sexual abuse in football clubs&quot; in the city, without naming the teams involved.

Earlier, Dunford told BBC television: &quot;I believe there was a conspiracy and paedophile ring.&quot;

Dunford added Bennell had attempted to touch him in bed while he had been staying at a holiday camp after winning a football competition.

&quot;There were people at those clubs who had a duty to look after boys coming through their system,&quot; Dunford said. &quot;I think (Jimmy) Savile looks like a choirboy compared to this fellow.&quot;

Following his death in 2011, numerous allegations of sexual abuse stretching back six decades tainted the name of Savile, a BBC radio DJ and television presenter.&nbsp;

As a result of allegations involving Savile and other high-profile figures, but none specifically linked to football, a wide-ranging inquiry into sex abuse in Britain was established two years ago.

The probe has said it is open to examining allegations within football.

A spokeswoman said the investigation&#39;s role is to look at &quot;institutional failure to protect children from child sexual abuse&quot;, adding that its terms of reference &quot;are broad enough to include failures by sports clubs&quot;.

Death threats

Seven former players have come forward to allege abuse by a youth coach.

Former Manchester City and England forward David White, Woodward, Dunford, Chris Unsworth and Steve Walters all allege they were abused by Bennell.

Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Paul Stewart, capped three times by England, said he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by an unnamed man who threatened to kill his family if he told anyone.

The Guardian newspaper said it had been approached by a former Newcastle United player, whose identity it did not reveal, alleging he had been sexually abused while at the northeast club.

The ex-player named George Ormond, who has already had a six-year prison sentence for convictions involving boys from the club&#39;s youth system over a 24-year period.

The English Premier League said it was &quot;very concerned&quot; by the allegations and offered its support to anyone coming forward. It said clubs were regularly visited to check their safeguarding provisions for youth players.

(AFP)

Andy Woodward last week became the first player to reveal publicly the abuse Barry Bennell inflicted upon him

Police investigations into the sexual abuse of youngsters within English football widened Friday as England captain Wayne Rooney praised victims for speaking out. Jason Dunford, once a youth player with Premier League giants Manchester City, added to the growing tide of abuse accusations that have rocked the English game by alleging that a football paedophile ring was covered up. The allegations mainly centre on Barry Bennell, a youth coach with Manchester City, Stoke City, Crewe Alexandra and several junior teams in northwest England. Andy Woodward last week became the first player to reveal publicly the abuse Bennell inflicted upon him, triggering a stream of similar claims. Bennell was given a four-year sentence for raping a British boy on a football tour of Florida in 1994 and a nine-year sentence for 23 offences against six boys in England in 1998. He was jailed for a third time in 2015 when he pleaded guilty to abusing a boy at a football camp in Macclesfield, northwest England, in 1980. The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) announced Thursday it had launched a telephone helpline for victims of football abuse. Rooney urged any player who had been affected to call the hotline and no longer "suffer in silence". "It's awful that some of my colleagues have suffered this way whilst playing the sport that I and they love," the Manchester United forward said. "Andy (Woodward) has been really brave to come forward and I would encourage anyone who has or is suffering from abuse to call the NSPCC's new football helpline. "It's important that people know that it's ok to speak out, there is help available and that they don't need to suffer in silence." Allegations increase Police said the establishment of the hotline and the publicity generated by former players sharing their stories in the media had prompted other potential victims to come forward, with Bennell not the only name under investigation. A growing number of allegations have been reported in four police force areas, against several individuals. London's Metropolitan Police said it had received information relating to "non-recent sexual abuse in football clubs" in the city, without naming the teams involved. Earlier, Dunford told BBC television: "I believe there was a conspiracy and paedophile ring." Dunford added Bennell had attempted to touch him in bed while he had been staying at a holiday camp after winning a football competition. "There were people at those clubs who had a duty to look after boys coming through their system," Dunford said. "I think (Jimmy) Savile looks like a choirboy compared to this fellow." Following his death in 2011, numerous allegations of sexual abuse stretching back six decades tainted the name of Savile, a BBC radio DJ and television presenter. As a result of allegations involving Savile and other high-profile figures, but none specifically linked to football, a wide-ranging inquiry into sex abuse in Britain was established two years ago. The probe has said it is open to examining allegations within football. A spokeswoman said the investigation's role is to look at "institutional failure to protect children from child sexual abuse", adding that its terms of reference "are broad enough to include failures by sports clubs". Death threats Seven former players have come forward to allege abuse by a youth coach. Former Manchester City and England forward David White, Woodward, Dunford, Chris Unsworth and Steve Walters all allege they were abused by Bennell. Former Tottenham Hotspur forward Paul Stewart, capped three times by England, said he was repeatedly sexually assaulted by an unnamed man who threatened to kill his family if he told anyone. The Guardian newspaper said it had been approached by a former Newcastle United player, whose identity it did not reveal, alleging he had been sexually abused while at the northeast club. The ex-player named George Ormond, who has already had a six-year prison sentence for convictions involving boys from the club's youth system over a 24-year period. The English Premier League said it was "very concerned" by the allegations and offered its support to anyone coming forward. It said clubs were regularly visited to check their safeguarding provisions for youth players. (AFP)

Football: Probes widen into youth sex abuse at English clubs

Fernando Llorente&#39;s two injury-time goals saw Swansea come from behind to snatch a thrilling 5-4 win over Crystal Palace in an amazing see-saw game at the Liberty Stadium, snapping an 11-game winless streak and handing the Eagles their sixth straight defeat.

Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring for Palace but Bob Bradley&#39;s Swans looked set for their first win since the opening day of the season as a Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick and a brace from Leroy Fer put them 3-1 midway through the second half.

Unbowed, Alan Pardew&#39;s Palace came roaring back, James Tomkins forcing home a corner and Jack Cork deflecting the ball into his own net before Christian Benteke put the visitors 4-3 up with just six minutes left.

But Llorente netted twice in the 91st and 93rd minute to put the home side back on top, and they hung on grimly through seven minutes of injury time for the three precious points that take them off the bottom of the table.

(Reuters)

Bob Bradley's Swans looked set for their first win since the opening day of the season

Fernando Llorente's two injury-time goals saw Swansea come from behind to snatch a thrilling 5-4 win over Crystal Palace in an amazing see-saw game at the Liberty Stadium, snapping an 11-game winless streak and handing the Eagles their sixth straight defeat. Wilfried Zaha opened the scoring for Palace but Bob Bradley's Swans looked set for their first win since the opening day of the season as a Gylfi Sigurdsson free kick and a brace from Leroy Fer put them 3-1 midway through the second half. Unbowed, Alan Pardew's Palace came roaring back, James Tomkins forcing home a corner and Jack Cork deflecting the ball into his own net before Christian Benteke put the visitors 4-3 up with just six minutes left. But Llorente netted twice in the 91st and 93rd minute to put the home side back on top, and they hung on grimly through seven minutes of injury time for the three precious points that take them off the bottom of the table. (Reuters)

Premier League: Swansea stun Palace with last-gasp winner in 5-4 thriller

Manchester United beat Dutch side Feyenoord 4-0, courtesy a record-breaking goal and an assist by captain Wayne Rooney.

Rooney opened the scoring&nbsp;in the 35th minute to become United&#39;s top-scorer in European football history, passing&nbsp;Ruud van Nistelrooy&#39;s 38. Rooney&#39;s opener also means he is a goal shy of&nbsp;Bobby Charlton&#39;s all-time club scoring record of 249.

The first-half saw United dominating possession and laying siege to Feyenoord&#39;s last third but the best chance before Rooney&#39;s goal had fallen to Feyenoord forward Dirk Kuyt.

United started the second-half in the same vein and increased the attacking tempo as the match went along. The second goal was a team effort, capped by Juan Mata&#39;s run into the six-yeard box to tap in a Rooney cross.&nbsp;

The third goal came by&nbsp;when&nbsp;United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich&#39;s cross clipped the inside of Feyenoord goalkeepr Brad Jones&#39; heel from close distance. Jesse Lingaard scored the fourth in the dying stages in the game following a raft of short, sharp passes in the final third.

The win leaves&nbsp;United a point below Group A leaders Fenerbahce in second place ahead of their final game at Zorya Luhansk.&nbsp;United will go into that game knowing a draw will take them into the last 32.

Mkhitaryan goes close

Mkhitaryan, who was playing just his second game for United, looked lively in the match.

The former Borussia Dortmund player sped past five Feyenoord players, only to be denied a free-kick after being clipped by Jens Toornstra, while Mata&#39;s elegant chip drew a finger-tip save from the backpedalling Jones.

Mkhitaryan was soon on the scene again, exchanging passes with Ibrahimovic, stealing past Kuyt -- another Liverpool old boy -- and thrashing a left-foot shot into the side-netting.

Mkhitaryan has had a slow start in England. The former Bundesliga player of the year was starting just the second match for his new team, following a poor performance in the Manchester derby earlier in the season.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Wayne Rooney opened the scoring in the 39th minute and then helped his teammate Juan Mata score in the second half

Manchester United beat Dutch side Feyenoord 4-0, courtesy a record-breaking goal and an assist by captain Wayne Rooney. Rooney opened the scoring in the 35th minute to become United's top-scorer in European football history, passing Ruud van Nistelrooy's 38. Rooney's opener also means he is a goal shy of Bobby Charlton's all-time club scoring record of 249. The first-half saw United dominating possession and laying siege to Feyenoord's last third but the best chance before Rooney's goal had fallen to Feyenoord forward Dirk Kuyt. United started the second-half in the same vein and increased the attacking tempo as the match went along. The second goal was a team effort, capped by Juan Mata's run into the six-yeard box to tap in a Rooney cross. The third goal came by when United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovich's cross clipped the inside of Feyenoord goalkeepr Brad Jones' heel from close distance. Jesse Lingaard scored the fourth in the dying stages in the game following a raft of short, sharp passes in the final third. The win leaves United a point below Group A leaders Fenerbahce in second place ahead of their final game at Zorya Luhansk. United will go into that game knowing a draw will take them into the last 32. Mkhitaryan goes close Mkhitaryan, who was playing just his second game for United, looked lively in the match. The former Borussia Dortmund player sped past five Feyenoord players, only to be denied a free-kick after being clipped by Jens Toornstra, while Mata's elegant chip drew a finger-tip save from the backpedalling Jones. Mkhitaryan was soon on the scene again, exchanging passes with Ibrahimovic, stealing past Kuyt -- another Liverpool old boy -- and thrashing a left-foot shot into the side-netting. Mkhitaryan has had a slow start in England. The former Bundesliga player of the year was starting just the second match for his new team, following a poor performance in the Manchester derby earlier in the season. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Europa League: Rooney helps Man United breeze past Feyenoord

Bayern&nbsp;Munich&#39;s hopes of finishing top of their Champions League group were hanging by a thread on Wednesday after they were stunned 3-2 at Russian side Rostov who recorded their first ever win in the competition.&nbsp;

The German champions had already qualified for the last 16, but their chances of topping Group D are now slim with leaders Atletico Madrid needing a point from their final two games to tie up first place.&nbsp;

Atletico took the top spot after beating Eindohoven 2-0 in the other group match.

Rostov, who are merely battling to finish third and get into the Europa League, fell behind when Douglas Costa swept home after 35 minutes, but an excellent finish from livewire forward Sardar Azmoun levelled and Dmitri Poloz&#39;s penalty put the hosts ahead.&nbsp;

Bayern, whose defence was frequently exposed by Rostov&#39;s pace on the break, equalised when Juan Bernat drove the ball into the roof of the net, but Christian Noboa curled in a precise free kick to earn Rostov a famous victory.&nbsp;

The Russian side moved up to four points, provisionally three clear of bottom club PSV Eindhoven, who visit Atletico later on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Bayern, who were beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday and are winless in their last three in all competitions, stay on nine points, ahead of their final group outing against Atletico.&nbsp;

Bayern, five times European champions and Bundesliga winners for the last four seasons, beat Rostov 5-0 in September in what was the Russian side&#39;s first ever match in the Champions League.

Yet this was always going to be a tougher test for the Germans, especially without injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and playmaker Arjen Robben.&nbsp;

The visitors enjoyed the better start, but should have fallen behind after nine minutes when Alexander Erokhin&#39;s header was cleared off the line.&nbsp;

A mistake from Rostov defender Cesar Navas 10 minutes before halftime, gifted&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;the lead as his poor clearance fell to Costa who rifled the ball home from close range.

Rostov improved as the half progressed and drew level a minute before the break when Iranian Azmoun, a constant threat with his pace and trickery, left Jerome Boateng on the ground with a sharp turn and calmly finished into the bottom right corner.&nbsp;

Five minutes after halftime, Poloz put Rostov in front from the penalty spot after Noboa was fouled by Boateng, who had a match to forget and was substituted after 58 minutes.

The hosts&#39; advantage did not last long, however, as Bernat latched onto Franck Ribery&#39;s excellent ball into the box and drove home with his first touch.&nbsp;

There was to be no salvation for&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;though as Rostov re-took the lead on 67 minutes when Noboa curled a wonderfully taken free kick over the wall into the corner.

(Reuters)

Atletico Madrid's win against Eindhoven means that Bayern Munich will finish second in the group

Bayern Munich's hopes of finishing top of their Champions League group were hanging by a thread on Wednesday after they were stunned 3-2 at Russian side Rostov who recorded their first ever win in the competition. The German champions had already qualified for the last 16, but their chances of topping Group D are now slim with leaders Atletico Madrid needing a point from their final two games to tie up first place. Atletico took the top spot after beating Eindohoven 2-0 in the other group match. Rostov, who are merely battling to finish third and get into the Europa League, fell behind when Douglas Costa swept home after 35 minutes, but an excellent finish from livewire forward Sardar Azmoun levelled and Dmitri Poloz's penalty put the hosts ahead. Bayern, whose defence was frequently exposed by Rostov's pace on the break, equalised when Juan Bernat drove the ball into the roof of the net, but Christian Noboa curled in a precise free kick to earn Rostov a famous victory. The Russian side moved up to four points, provisionally three clear of bottom club PSV Eindhoven, who visit Atletico later on Wednesday. Bayern, who were beaten by Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga on Saturday and are winless in their last three in all competitions, stay on nine points, ahead of their final group outing against Atletico. Bayern, five times European champions and Bundesliga winners for the last four seasons, beat Rostov 5-0 in September in what was the Russian side's first ever match in the Champions League. Yet this was always going to be a tougher test for the Germans, especially without injured goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and playmaker Arjen Robben. The visitors enjoyed the better start, but should have fallen behind after nine minutes when Alexander Erokhin's header was cleared off the line. A mistake from Rostov defender Cesar Navas 10 minutes before halftime, gifted Bayern the lead as his poor clearance fell to Costa who rifled the ball home from close range. Rostov improved as the half progressed and drew level a minute before the break when Iranian Azmoun, a constant threat with his pace and trickery, left Jerome Boateng on the ground with a sharp turn and calmly finished into the bottom right corner. Five minutes after halftime, Poloz put Rostov in front from the penalty spot after Noboa was fouled by Boateng, who had a match to forget and was substituted after 58 minutes. The hosts' advantage did not last long, however, as Bernat latched onto Franck Ribery's excellent ball into the box and drove home with his first touch. There was to be no salvation for Bayern though as Rostov re-took the lead on 67 minutes when Noboa curled a wonderfully taken free kick over the wall into the corner. (Reuters)

Champions League: Faltering Bayern stunned by Rostov

Striker Didier Drogba has indicated he will not return to Montreal Impact next season, with the Major League Soccer club releasing a video on Twitter thanking him for his service.

The 38-year-old former Chelsea striker played his last home game for the club after he came on as a second half substitute in Impact&#39;s 3-2 win over Toronto FC in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday.

&quot;Everyone knows that it was my last game here,&quot; Drogba said when asked after the match if he would be back next season.

&quot;There is still one, maybe two games to go. Let&#39;s think about next week&#39;s game, I think that is more important than if it&#39;s finished or not.&quot;

Montreal travel to Toronto for the second leg on November 30, knowing either a win or a draw will see them advance to the MLS Cup final in either Seattle or Colorado on December 10.

Drogba joined Montreal in July 2015 and has scored 21 regular season goals in 33 appearances across two seasons.

Injuries resulted in him losing his place in the starting lineup to Italian Matteo Mancosu and a subsequent feud over playing time with manager Mauro Biello extended his spell on the sidelines.

The prolific former Ivory Coast international spent nine seasons with Chelsea before moving to the United States, scoring 164 goals across all competitions and leading the Premier League club to their first ever Champions League title. 
 
(Reuters)

Drogba played his last home game for the club in Impact's 3-2 win over Toronto FC in the MLS Eastern Conference finals

Striker Didier Drogba has indicated he will not return to Montreal Impact next season, with the Major League Soccer club releasing a video on Twitter thanking him for his service. The 38-year-old former Chelsea striker played his last home game for the club after he came on as a second half substitute in Impact's 3-2 win over Toronto FC in the first leg of the MLS Eastern Conference finals on Tuesday. "Everyone knows that it was my last game here," Drogba said when asked after the match if he would be back next season. "There is still one, maybe two games to go. Let's think about next week's game, I think that is more important than if it's finished or not." Montreal travel to Toronto for the second leg on November 30, knowing either a win or a draw will see them advance to the MLS Cup final in either Seattle or Colorado on December 10. Drogba joined Montreal in July 2015 and has scored 21 regular season goals in 33 appearances across two seasons. Injuries resulted in him losing his place in the starting lineup to Italian Matteo Mancosu and a subsequent feud over playing time with manager Mauro Biello extended his spell on the sidelines. The prolific former Ivory Coast international spent nine seasons with Chelsea before moving to the United States, scoring 164 goals across all competitions and leading the Premier League club to their first ever Champions League title. (Reuters)

Football: Drogba bids farewell to Montreal after final home game

Leicester&nbsp;kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium&#39;s Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham.

Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco.

They join last year&#39;s runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare.

Leicester&#39;s success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri&#39;s side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone.

&quot;We&#39;re on another journey. I don&#39;t know where, but we&#39;re excited!&quot; Ranieri said afterwards.

Referring to his side&#39;s poor league form the Italian added: &quot;Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League.&quot; &nbsp;&nbsp;

Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge.

&quot;We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn&#39;t easy today but we did it,&quot; said Foxes&#39; Algerian star Mahrez.

The Colombian&#39;s strike was the first goal&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;have conceded in the tournament to date.

As&nbsp;Leicester&nbsp;celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe&#39;s top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process.&nbsp;

Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao&#39;s early spotkick.

But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners.&nbsp;

In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs&#39; loss.

Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled.

Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, &#39;home&#39; advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen.

Kane said those games sank them.

&quot;I&#39;m gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with.

&quot;We will look back and say it was the home games were we should&#39;ve been better,&quot; the striker told BT Sport.

Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s former club Sporting Lisbon.

Raphael Varane gave the &#39;meringues&#39; the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real.

The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time.

&quot;We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points,&quot; said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May.

&quot;When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim&#39;s goal,&quot; Zidane told &nbsp;beIn Sports.

Record goalfest

Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland&#39;s Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter.

The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval.

Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot.

Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain.

Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the &#39;Old Lady&#39; of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. &nbsp;

Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively.

(AFP)

Leicester and Real Madrid join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern and Dortmund in the next round

Leicester kept their Champions League dreams aflame Tuesday, cruising into the last 16 with a 2-1 win over Belgium's Club Brugge, where they were joined by Real Madrid -- but not a crestfallen Tottenham. Joining the hopeful debutants and the holders on the night were Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen and Monaco. They join last year's runners-up Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, who had already booked their tickets to the knockout phase with two group games to spare. Leicester's success saw the Foxes advance as Group G winners in their maiden season in the event, giving a major fillip to Claudio Ranieri's side, who are just two points above the domestic drop zone. "We're on another journey. I don't know where, but we're excited!" Ranieri said afterwards. Referring to his side's poor league form the Italian added: "Maybe we have been more concentrated in the Champions League. Now the group is won, (it is) important to come back in the Premier League." Shinji Okazaki netted after just five minutes and a Riyad Mahrez penalty made it 2-0 before Jose Izquierdo notched a second-half consolation for Brugge. "We wanted to finish first in the group. It wasn't easy today but we did it," said Foxes' Algerian star Mahrez. The Colombian's strike was the first goal Leicester have conceded in the tournament to date. As Leicester celebrated, Tottenham in contrast saw their adventure in Europe's top club competition come to a grinding halt after a 2-1 loss at Monaco, who won Group E in the process. Spurs had a let off when their French keeper Hugo Lloris saved Radamel Falcao's early spotkick. But quickfire goals from Djibril Sidibe and Thomas Lemar just after the break, sandwiching a Harry Kane penalty, did for the Londoners. In the same group Bayer Leverkusen drew 1-1 at CSKA Moscow to take the Germans into the knockout stages following Spurs' loss. Kevin Volland put Leverkusen ahead after 16 minutes before Israeli international Bibras Natcho levelled. Spurs will host CSKA in a final game whose outcome will decide who goes into the Europa League. In any case, 'home' advantage at Wembley Stadium has hardly shone on Mauricio Pochettino's side, given that they succumbed to defeats by Monaco and Leverkusen. Kane said those games sank them. "I'm gutted. We wanted to go far but it is something we will have to deal with. "We will look back and say it was the home games were we should've been better," the striker told BT Sport. Holders and 11-times winners Real Madrid joined 1997 champions Borussia Dortmund in qualifying from Group F after a 2-1 win at star man Cristiano Ronaldo's former club Sporting Lisbon. Raphael Varane gave the 'meringues' the lead before Adrien Silva netted a spot-kick for the Portuguese only for substitute Karim Benzema to pop up with the winner for Real. The Spaniards suffered a huge injury scare, however, just 11 days before facing Barcelona in La Liga as Welsh star Gareth Bale exited with an ankle injury shortly after half-time. "We knew it would be complicated, but we got the three points," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane, who won the 2002 title as a player for the Spanish giants and then as coach last May. "When you concede a goal you can think it will be tough but we continued to play and responded and finally had our reward with Karim's goal," Zidane told beIn Sports. Record goalfest Dortmund secured the group win with a game to play after swatting Poland's Legia Warsaw 8-4 -- a record goalfest for a Champions League encounter. The Germans became one of an elite clique to notch five goals in a single Champions League half having led 5-2 at the interval. Marco Reus scored a hat-trick and Japanese star Shinji Kagawa netted a brace as Dortmund ran riot. Two-times champions Juventus are through after defeating previous Group H leaders Sevilla, Europa League champions for the past three seasons, 3-1 in Spain. Claudio Marchisio with a penalty, Leonardo Bonucci and Mario Mandzucic scored for the 'Old Lady' of Turin after Nicolas Pareja had put Sevilla ahead early on. Perennial challengers Barcelona and Manchester City were hoping to book their tickets Wednesday with wins over Celtic and Borussia Moenchengladbach respectively. (AFP)

Champions League round-up: Leicester continue fairytale run, Real through to last 16

Spain&#39;s public prosecutor has called for Barcelona soccer player Neymar to be sent to prison for two years for his part in a corruption case over his transfer from Brazilian club Santos to the Liga champions in 2013, said a court filing on Wednesday.

Judge Jose Perals also called for a five-year sentence for former Barca president Sandro Rosell and a fine of 8.4 million euros ($8.9 million) for the club, but called for charges against current president Josep Maria Bartomeu to be dropped.

(Reuters)

The case is related to his part in a corruption case over his transfer from Brazilian club Santos to the Liga champions in 2013

Spain's public prosecutor has called for Barcelona soccer player Neymar to be sent to prison for two years for his part in a corruption case over his transfer from Brazilian club Santos to the Liga champions in 2013, said a court filing on Wednesday. Judge Jose Perals also called for a five-year sentence for former Barca president Sandro Rosell and a fine of 8.4 million euros ($8.9 million) for the club, but called for charges against current president Josep Maria Bartomeu to be dropped. (Reuters)

Spanish court wants two-year prison sentence for Barca's Neymar

Former Germany player and coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired Monday as coach of the United States after losing two 2018 World Cup qualifying matches.

The 52-year-old, who won the World Cup as a player with Germany in 1990, had been in charge of the US since 2011.

US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati announced the &quot;difficult decision&quot; without naming a replacement. The United States does not face another World Cup qualifier until March.

&quot;While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia 2018, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction,&quot; Gulati said.

&quot;With the next qualifying match in late March, we have several months to refocus the group and determine the best way forward to ensure a successful journey to qualify for our eighth consecutive World Cup.&quot;

Klinsmann went 55-27 with 16 drawn in a coaching tenure that began on July 29, 2011, when Gulati named him to replace sacked Bob Bradley on a team where Bradley&#39;s son Michael was a star midfielder.

&quot;We want to thank Jurgen for his hard work and commitment during these last five years,&quot; Gulati said. &quot;He took pride in having the responsibility of steering the program and there were considerable achievements along the way.&quot;

Klinsmann guided the Americans on a team record 12-match win streak in 2013 and his 16 triumphs and 76.1 win percentage that year set US calendar-year records.

But the Americans were a disappointing fourth in the 2015 Gold Cup and also lost a playoff to Mexico for a berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup.

Earlier this month, the US stumbled badly in opening the final round of North American (CONCACAF) qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, falling 2-1 at home to arch-rival Mexico and 4-0 at Costa Rica.

In a New York Times story published on Monday, Klinsmann dismissed much of the criticism as &quot;a lot of talk from people who don&#39;t understand soccer or the team&quot; while saying critics were &quot;ignoring the facts&quot; and &quot;being disrespectful.&quot;

Klinsmann has tinkered with lineups and formations but dismissed calls his moves hurt the squad, saying &quot;we are coaching a team through a transitional phase.&quot;

Arena to return?

Gulati addressed the future of US Soccer, which many fans saw as bleak under Klinsmann&#39;s guidance, saying &quot;we look forward to continued progress.&quot;

Bruce Arena, a five-time Major League Soccer champion coach now with the Los Angeles Galaxy, is thought to be a prime candidate to replace Klinsmann.

The 65-year-old American coached the US team to the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals and guided a 2006 US lineup that exited in the group stages.

Sports Illustrated reported that Arena was set to take over and an announcement could come as early as Tuesday, when Gulati plans to speak with reporters.

Under Klinsmann in 2014, the Americans matched their 2010 World Cup showing by reaching the last 16 at Brazil after Klinsmann left long-time US striker Landon Donovan off the roster.

&quot;Never want to see someone lose their job,&quot; Donovan tweeted Monday. &quot;I have no doubt that this talented group of players will qualify for Russia &#39;18.&quot;

Gulati sang Klinsmann&#39;s praises even as he swung the axe, saying the German legend&#39;s legacy will have a long-term impact on the squad.

&quot;Many are aware of the historic victories, including leading us out of the Group of Death to the round of 16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but there were also lesser publicized efforts behind the scenes,&quot; Gulati said.

&quot;He challenged everyone in the US Soccer community to think about things in new ways and thanks to his efforts we have grown as an organization and expect there will be benefits from his work for years to come.&quot;

Eight US matches remain in the North American (CONCACAF) &quot;hexagonal&quot; round-robin qualifying, the next being at home to Honduras on March 24 and four days later at Panama.&nbsp;

The three top teams in the six-nation field advance to the World Cup while the fourth faces a playoff against an Asian team for one of the last berths in Russia.

(AFP)

He lost the job after losing two World Cup qualifying matches. A replacement has not been named

Former Germany player and coach Jurgen Klinsmann was fired Monday as coach of the United States after losing two 2018 World Cup qualifying matches. The 52-year-old, who won the World Cup as a player with Germany in 1990, had been in charge of the US since 2011. US Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati announced the "difficult decision" without naming a replacement. The United States does not face another World Cup qualifier until March. "While we remain confident that we have quality players to help us advance to Russia 2018, the form and growth of the team up to this point left us convinced that we need to go in a different direction," Gulati said. "With the next qualifying match in late March, we have several months to refocus the group and determine the best way forward to ensure a successful journey to qualify for our eighth consecutive World Cup." Klinsmann went 55-27 with 16 drawn in a coaching tenure that began on July 29, 2011, when Gulati named him to replace sacked Bob Bradley on a team where Bradley's son Michael was a star midfielder. "We want to thank Jurgen for his hard work and commitment during these last five years," Gulati said. "He took pride in having the responsibility of steering the program and there were considerable achievements along the way." Klinsmann guided the Americans on a team record 12-match win streak in 2013 and his 16 triumphs and 76.1 win percentage that year set US calendar-year records. But the Americans were a disappointing fourth in the 2015 Gold Cup and also lost a playoff to Mexico for a berth in the 2017 Confederations Cup. Earlier this month, the US stumbled badly in opening the final round of North American (CONCACAF) qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, falling 2-1 at home to arch-rival Mexico and 4-0 at Costa Rica. In a New York Times story published on Monday, Klinsmann dismissed much of the criticism as "a lot of talk from people who don't understand soccer or the team" while saying critics were "ignoring the facts" and "being disrespectful." Klinsmann has tinkered with lineups and formations but dismissed calls his moves hurt the squad, saying "we are coaching a team through a transitional phase." Arena to return? Gulati addressed the future of US Soccer, which many fans saw as bleak under Klinsmann's guidance, saying "we look forward to continued progress." Bruce Arena, a five-time Major League Soccer champion coach now with the Los Angeles Galaxy, is thought to be a prime candidate to replace Klinsmann. The 65-year-old American coached the US team to the 2002 World Cup quarter-finals and guided a 2006 US lineup that exited in the group stages. Sports Illustrated reported that Arena was set to take over and an announcement could come as early as Tuesday, when Gulati plans to speak with reporters. Under Klinsmann in 2014, the Americans matched their 2010 World Cup showing by reaching the last 16 at Brazil after Klinsmann left long-time US striker Landon Donovan off the roster. "Never want to see someone lose their job," Donovan tweeted Monday. "I have no doubt that this talented group of players will qualify for Russia '18." Gulati sang Klinsmann's praises even as he swung the axe, saying the German legend's legacy will have a long-term impact on the squad. "Many are aware of the historic victories, including leading us out of the Group of Death to the round of 16 in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but there were also lesser publicized efforts behind the scenes," Gulati said. "He challenged everyone in the US Soccer community to think about things in new ways and thanks to his efforts we have grown as an organization and expect there will be benefits from his work for years to come." Eight US matches remain in the North American (CONCACAF) "hexagonal" round-robin qualifying, the next being at home to Honduras on March 24 and four days later at Panama. The three top teams in the six-nation field advance to the World Cup while the fourth faces a playoff against an Asian team for one of the last berths in Russia. (AFP)

Football: US coach Klinsmann fired

Chelsea&nbsp;replaced Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Sunday.&nbsp;

It was the London side&#39;s sixth successive win without conceding a goal and put them a point ahead of the Merseyside club and Manchester City.

The league&#39;s leading scorer, Diego Costa, hit his 10th goal of the season to put them in front four minutes before halftime.

Middlesbrough, promoted last season, found it hard to make any clear chances. They remain in the bottom six, one point clear of the relegation places.

(Reuters)

Striker Diego Costa scored four minutes before halftime to help his team jump over Liverpool in the league table

Chelsea replaced Liverpool at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory at Middlesbrough on Sunday. It was the London side's sixth successive win without conceding a goal and put them a point ahead of the Merseyside club and Manchester City. The league's leading scorer, Diego Costa, hit his 10th goal of the season to put them in front four minutes before halftime. Middlesbrough, promoted last season, found it hard to make any clear chances. They remain in the bottom six, one point clear of the relegation places. (Reuters)

Chelsea beat Middlesbrough to top Premier League standings

Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s hat-trick delivered&nbsp;Real&nbsp;Madrid&#39;s first success over Atletico&nbsp;Madrid&nbsp;in La Liga for three years with a 3-0 win in the last meeting between the sides at Atletico&#39;s Vicente Calderon.

Real&nbsp;now lead second-placed Barcelona by four points after the Catalans paid a heavy price for the absence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in a 0-0 draw with nine-man Malaga earlier on Saturday.

A third league defeat in four games leaves Atletico&#39;s title ambitions in tatters in their final season at the Calderon. Diego Simeone&#39;s men are now nine points adrift of&nbsp;Real&nbsp;down in fifth.

Ronaldo struck the decisive spot-kick as&nbsp;Real&nbsp;edged Atletico on penalties in the Champions League final in May and was the match winner once more, albeit with a slight hint of fortune.

The Portuguese&#39;s opener took a wicked deflection on its way past the excellent Jan Oblak.

Ronaldo doubled&nbsp;Real&#39;s lead from the penalty spot 19 minutes from time before a brilliant Gareth Bale cross teed him up for the simplest of finishes to complete his hat-trick.

Real&nbsp;were without six key players in captain Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Alvaro Morata and Karim Benzema, but impressively controlled the first 45 minutes.

Only an incredible save by Oblak prevented Ronaldo opening the scoring with a towering header on 12 minutes that the Slovenian somehow clawed away low to his left.

Oblak made another smart save to deny Luka Modric moments later, but he was helpless for the opener as Ronaldo&#39;s free-kick was deflected behind him via the Atletico wall.

It took Atletico until the start of the second period to get to grips with the European champions, but came out a different side after the break.

Yannick Carrasco curled inches wide from the edge of the area before Antoine Griezmann blasted a shot across goal with no Atletico player waiting to knock to the ball into an unguarded net.

However, any hopes of an Atletico fightback were punctured when Stefan Savic upended Ronaldo inside the area and the three-time World Player of the Year dispatched the resulting spot-kick.

And with Atletico stretched at the back, a brilliant run and low cross from Bale on the counter-attack teed up Ronaldo to prod home at the far post.

(AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his 37th hat-trick of his La Liga career to help his team go four points clear of Barcelona

Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick delivered Real Madrid's first success over Atletico Madrid in La Liga for three years with a 3-0 win in the last meeting between the sides at Atletico's Vicente Calderon. Real now lead second-placed Barcelona by four points after the Catalans paid a heavy price for the absence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez in a 0-0 draw with nine-man Malaga earlier on Saturday. A third league defeat in four games leaves Atletico's title ambitions in tatters in their final season at the Calderon. Diego Simeone's men are now nine points adrift of Real down in fifth. Ronaldo struck the decisive spot-kick as Real edged Atletico on penalties in the Champions League final in May and was the match winner once more, albeit with a slight hint of fortune. The Portuguese's opener took a wicked deflection on its way past the excellent Jan Oblak. Ronaldo doubled Real's lead from the penalty spot 19 minutes from time before a brilliant Gareth Bale cross teed him up for the simplest of finishes to complete his hat-trick. Real were without six key players in captain Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Casemiro, Toni Kroos, Alvaro Morata and Karim Benzema, but impressively controlled the first 45 minutes. Only an incredible save by Oblak prevented Ronaldo opening the scoring with a towering header on 12 minutes that the Slovenian somehow clawed away low to his left. Oblak made another smart save to deny Luka Modric moments later, but he was helpless for the opener as Ronaldo's free-kick was deflected behind him via the Atletico wall. It took Atletico until the start of the second period to get to grips with the European champions, but came out a different side after the break. Yannick Carrasco curled inches wide from the edge of the area before Antoine Griezmann blasted a shot across goal with no Atletico player waiting to knock to the ball into an unguarded net. However, any hopes of an Atletico fightback were punctured when Stefan Savic upended Ronaldo inside the area and the three-time World Player of the Year dispatched the resulting spot-kick. And with Atletico stretched at the back, a brilliant run and low cross from Bale on the counter-attack teed up Ronaldo to prod home at the far post. (AFP)

Ronaldo hat-trick helps Real Madrid beat cross-town rivals Atletico

Borussia Dortmund stunned champions and arch-rivals&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;Munich 1-0 on Saturday in a bad-tempered clash in&nbsp;&quot;Der Klassiker&quot; to leave RB Leipzig the shock Bundesliga leaders.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prodded in on 11 minutes at a frenzied Signal Iduna Park to propel Dortmund up to third on 21 points, three points behind&nbsp;Bayern, for whom this was a first defeat of the league season.

RB Leipzig are top, unbeaten and three points clear of the mighty&nbsp;Bayern, after a thrilling 3-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen on Friday signalled another milestone in their fast rise to the top of German football.

Aubameyang scored the only goal of the game -- he should have gone on to grab at least two more -- poking in the ball from close range after ex-Bayern&nbsp;man Mario Goetze&#39;s cross.

The striker celebrated with three push-ups and the home side were on the attack again moments later, the&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;rearguard creaking as the fans at the intimidating 81,000 arena ratcheted up the volume once more.

The game had simmered to this point, but it threatened to boil over as the half wore on, with Dortmund conceding a series of free-kicks and referee Tobias Stieler struggling to keep a lid on it.

Stieler had a word with Thomas Tuchel after the Dortmund coach protested one challenge and Marc Bartra was booked for a bad challenge on&nbsp;Bayern&#39;s Thomas Mueller.

Soon after Bartra was penalised again for tugging down Robert Lewandowski and was fortunate that Stieler decided to keep his cards in his pocket.

The momentum was now with Carlo Ancelotti&#39;s men and&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;piled on the pressure, Thiago Alcantara just failing to properly connect with a flying scissor kick five minutes before half-time.

Aubameyang should have put the home side 2-0 up soon after the restart, but he headed feebly over, and then Goetze got away with only a yellow card for a nasty challenge on Franck Ribery that left the Frenchman in agony on the turf.

The visitors were a whisker from equalising around the hour mark when Xabi Alonso let fly from distance, the ball crashing off the crossbar.

On 71 minutes Aubameyang should have sealed the game for Dortmund, but he shot straight at Manuel Neuer after a&nbsp;Bayern&nbsp;lapse at the back.

Ribery was in the thick of it again in the dying minutes and was booked when the two sides clashed once more, the referee&#39;s assistants running onto the pitch to help restore order.

Polish predator Lewandowski should have levelled the score at the death but he inexplicably headed wide when clear and unmarked.

(AFP)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prodded in on 11 minutes at a frenzied Signal Iduna Park to propel Dortmund up to third

Borussia Dortmund stunned champions and arch-rivals Bayern Munich 1-0 on Saturday in a bad-tempered clash in "Der Klassiker" to leave RB Leipzig the shock Bundesliga leaders. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang prodded in on 11 minutes at a frenzied Signal Iduna Park to propel Dortmund up to third on 21 points, three points behind Bayern, for whom this was a first defeat of the league season. RB Leipzig are top, unbeaten and three points clear of the mighty Bayern, after a thrilling 3-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen on Friday signalled another milestone in their fast rise to the top of German football. Aubameyang scored the only goal of the game -- he should have gone on to grab at least two more -- poking in the ball from close range after ex-Bayern man Mario Goetze's cross. The striker celebrated with three push-ups and the home side were on the attack again moments later, the Bayern rearguard creaking as the fans at the intimidating 81,000 arena ratcheted up the volume once more. The game had simmered to this point, but it threatened to boil over as the half wore on, with Dortmund conceding a series of free-kicks and referee Tobias Stieler struggling to keep a lid on it. Stieler had a word with Thomas Tuchel after the Dortmund coach protested one challenge and Marc Bartra was booked for a bad challenge on Bayern's Thomas Mueller. Soon after Bartra was penalised again for tugging down Robert Lewandowski and was fortunate that Stieler decided to keep his cards in his pocket. The momentum was now with Carlo Ancelotti's men and Bayern piled on the pressure, Thiago Alcantara just failing to properly connect with a flying scissor kick five minutes before half-time. Aubameyang should have put the home side 2-0 up soon after the restart, but he headed feebly over, and then Goetze got away with only a yellow card for a nasty challenge on Franck Ribery that left the Frenchman in agony on the turf. The visitors were a whisker from equalising around the hour mark when Xabi Alonso let fly from distance, the ball crashing off the crossbar. On 71 minutes Aubameyang should have sealed the game for Dortmund, but he shot straight at Manuel Neuer after a Bayern lapse at the back. Ribery was in the thick of it again in the dying minutes and was booked when the two sides clashed once more, the referee's assistants running onto the pitch to help restore order. Polish predator Lewandowski should have levelled the score at the death but he inexplicably headed wide when clear and unmarked. (AFP)

Dortmund beat Bayern 1-0 to leave new boys Leipzig new league leaders

Barcelona&nbsp;paid a heavy price for the absence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as nine-man Malaga held out for a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Saturday.

Carlos Kameni produced an incredible 94th minute save from Neymar after Diego Llorente had been sent-off midway through the second-half.

Juan Carlos also then saw a straight red in the sixth minute of time added on, but Malaga hung on as Barca blew the chance to go top of the table.

The champions now trail leaders Real Madrid by a point ahead of their trip to Atletico Madrid later on Saturday.

Five-time World Player of the Year Messi was ruled out just hours before the game due to illness, whilst Suarez was suspended.

&quot;They are two of our most decisive players. They make the difference in the most important part of the pitch, but that can&#39;t serve as an excuse,&quot; said Barca&#39;s captain for the day Sergio Busquets.

In the absence of Suarez, Paco Alcacer was handed a rare start, but his search for a first Barca goal continues as he failed to make any meaningful impact.

Without his usual two strike partners, the focus was on Neymar to break down the mass ranks of Malaga defence.

The Brazilian fired into the side-netting inside the first 10 minutes, but Barca&#39;s bright start quickly fizzled out.

Rafinha&#39;s drive produced Kameni&#39;s only serious save of the first 45 minutes.

Barca continued to dominate possession without a cutting edge at the start of the second period and should have been caught out on the counter-attack.

Carlos had the best chance of the game just before the hour mark when he rounded Barca &#39;keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen but fired into the side-netting with the goal gaping.

Malaga had to see out of the final 21 minutes with 10 men when Real Madrid loanee Llorente cynically chopped down Neymar and was shown a straight red card.

Yet, even with a man advantage, Barca badly missed the creativity of Messi and injured captain Andres Iniesta as they resorted to launching cross balls into Gerard Pique, who moved forward from central defence to act as an emergency forward.

Substitute Ivan Rakitic headed inches wide, whilst Pique also had a goal ruled out for offside after Andre Gomes had struck the bar.

However, Barca&#39;s best chance came deep into stoppage time when an injured Kameni somehow clawed Neymar&#39;s header from point-blank range to safety.

Earlier, Sevilla moved up to third as they produced a stunning fightback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Deportivo la Coruna.

Sevilla&#39;s demons away from home looked set to strike once more when Ryan Babel&#39;s first-minute opener and a wonderful individual effort from Florin Andone handed struggling Deportivo a 2-0 lead.

However, in-form French midfielder Steven N&#39;Zonzi launched the comeback with a vital goal just before half-time to give Sevilla hope.

The visitors had to wait until three minutes from time to level when Vitolo fired home at the back post despite Przemyslaw Tyton&#39;s best efforts.

And Tyton was beaten again deep into stoppage time when he saved Nico Pareja&#39;s first effort, but Mercado followed up to blast home the rebound.

(AFP)

The blaugranas, playing without their talisman Lionel Messi, failed to climb atop the league table

Barcelona paid a heavy price for the absence of Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez as nine-man Malaga held out for a 0-0 draw at the Camp Nou on Saturday. Carlos Kameni produced an incredible 94th minute save from Neymar after Diego Llorente had been sent-off midway through the second-half. Juan Carlos also then saw a straight red in the sixth minute of time added on, but Malaga hung on as Barca blew the chance to go top of the table. The champions now trail leaders Real Madrid by a point ahead of their trip to Atletico Madrid later on Saturday. Five-time World Player of the Year Messi was ruled out just hours before the game due to illness, whilst Suarez was suspended. "They are two of our most decisive players. They make the difference in the most important part of the pitch, but that can't serve as an excuse," said Barca's captain for the day Sergio Busquets. In the absence of Suarez, Paco Alcacer was handed a rare start, but his search for a first Barca goal continues as he failed to make any meaningful impact. Without his usual two strike partners, the focus was on Neymar to break down the mass ranks of Malaga defence. The Brazilian fired into the side-netting inside the first 10 minutes, but Barca's bright start quickly fizzled out. Rafinha's drive produced Kameni's only serious save of the first 45 minutes. Barca continued to dominate possession without a cutting edge at the start of the second period and should have been caught out on the counter-attack. Carlos had the best chance of the game just before the hour mark when he rounded Barca 'keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen but fired into the side-netting with the goal gaping. Malaga had to see out of the final 21 minutes with 10 men when Real Madrid loanee Llorente cynically chopped down Neymar and was shown a straight red card. Yet, even with a man advantage, Barca badly missed the creativity of Messi and injured captain Andres Iniesta as they resorted to launching cross balls into Gerard Pique, who moved forward from central defence to act as an emergency forward. Substitute Ivan Rakitic headed inches wide, whilst Pique also had a goal ruled out for offside after Andre Gomes had struck the bar. However, Barca's best chance came deep into stoppage time when an injured Kameni somehow clawed Neymar's header from point-blank range to safety. Earlier, Sevilla moved up to third as they produced a stunning fightback from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Deportivo la Coruna. Sevilla's demons away from home looked set to strike once more when Ryan Babel's first-minute opener and a wonderful individual effort from Florin Andone handed struggling Deportivo a 2-0 lead. However, in-form French midfielder Steven N'Zonzi launched the comeback with a vital goal just before half-time to give Sevilla hope. The visitors had to wait until three minutes from time to level when Vitolo fired home at the back post despite Przemyslaw Tyton's best efforts. And Tyton was beaten again deep into stoppage time when he saved Nico Pareja's first effort, but Mercado followed up to blast home the rebound. (AFP)

Barcelona fire blank against nine-man Malaga

Olivier Giroud headed home an 89th-minute equaliser to earn Arsenal a 1-1 draw at&nbsp;Manchester&nbsp;United on Saturday and a Premier League point their performance barely merited.

Just when it seemed Jose Mourinho would again prevail in his long-standing feud with Arsene Wenger thanks to a second-half Juan Mata goal, Giroud popped up to head home fellow substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain&#39;s cross in the rarest of Arsenal attacks.

Injury-hit United had largely dominated proceedings and looked set to bring relief to Mourinho after an inconsistent start to the season when Mata struck in the 68th minute, finishing sweetly from Ander Herrera&#39;s cut-back.

But in a game that never reached the peaks of the fixture that was once the league&#39;s defining contest, there was little consolation for Mourinho in improving his unbeaten league record against Wenger to 12 as Arsenal stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17.

The match had begun in lively enough fashion, with Alexis Sanchez heading wide at one end and Mata sending a free kick just wide at the other.

Yet it developed into a dull affair until Mourinho finally got animated, screaming for a penalty when Antonio Valencia appeared to be brought down in the box by Nacho Monreal.

Both Mata and Anthony Martial brought fine saves from Petr Cech as United turned up the heat before the interval but, in the main, they were lacking any sort of cutting edge in the absence of the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Wayne Rooney was brought on as a substitute at the end of a week when he had been forced to apologise for his late night socialising on England duty and his introduction livened up United before Mata, the midfielder sold by Mourinho when at Chelsea, broke the deadlock.

Wenger has never had much luck against Mourinho but his substitutions did the trick with Oxlade-Chamberlain causing havoc down the right, floating in a fine cross and watching Giroud head home his 10th goal for Arsenal as a &quot;super sub&quot;.

The great escape for the Gunners meant that, even though they were unable to take their chance to go to the top of the table, they retained their six-point advantage over United.

(Reuters)

Substitute Olivier Giroud scored against the run of play in the 88th minute of the match; Mata scored for United

Olivier Giroud headed home an 89th-minute equaliser to earn Arsenal a 1-1 draw at Manchester United on Saturday and a Premier League point their performance barely merited. Just when it seemed Jose Mourinho would again prevail in his long-standing feud with Arsene Wenger thanks to a second-half Juan Mata goal, Giroud popped up to head home fellow substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's cross in the rarest of Arsenal attacks. Injury-hit United had largely dominated proceedings and looked set to bring relief to Mourinho after an inconsistent start to the season when Mata struck in the 68th minute, finishing sweetly from Ander Herrera's cut-back. But in a game that never reached the peaks of the fixture that was once the league's defining contest, there was little consolation for Mourinho in improving his unbeaten league record against Wenger to 12 as Arsenal stretched their unbeaten run in all competitions to 17. The match had begun in lively enough fashion, with Alexis Sanchez heading wide at one end and Mata sending a free kick just wide at the other. Yet it developed into a dull affair until Mourinho finally got animated, screaming for a penalty when Antonio Valencia appeared to be brought down in the box by Nacho Monreal. Both Mata and Anthony Martial brought fine saves from Petr Cech as United turned up the heat before the interval but, in the main, they were lacking any sort of cutting edge in the absence of the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Wayne Rooney was brought on as a substitute at the end of a week when he had been forced to apologise for his late night socialising on England duty and his introduction livened up United before Mata, the midfielder sold by Mourinho when at Chelsea, broke the deadlock. Wenger has never had much luck against Mourinho but his substitutions did the trick with Oxlade-Chamberlain causing havoc down the right, floating in a fine cross and watching Giroud head home his 10th goal for Arsenal as a "super sub". The great escape for the Gunners meant that, even though they were unable to take their chance to go to the top of the table, they retained their six-point advantage over United. (Reuters)

Giroud's late header gives Arsenal a flattering draw against Manchester United

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is still unsure of his best team and of the right formula to get the most out of players like world record signing Paul Pogba, according to the club&#39;s former defender Phil Neville.

As United prepared to host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Saturday, Neville said Mourinho, while not having given up hope of winning the title, seemed still in the dark about how to get the best from his under-performing squad.

&quot;Jose will still believe he can win the title, I am sure of that,&quot; Neville, who played 263 times for United, told Reuters in an interview.

&quot;There are signs that they&#39;re playing a better style and quality of football but I don&#39;t think Jose knows what his best team is or what his best system is to get the best out of those players, Pogba in particular.&quot;

Arsenal have failed to beat United in their last nine Premier League games at Old Trafford (losing seven) and Mourinho is yet to suffer a league defeat against their manager Arsene Wenger after 11 previous meetings when he was at Chelsea.

Their rivalry has occasionally bubbled over with the pair becoming involved in a pushing match on the touchline at Stamford Bridge two years ago.

Neville, currently assistant coach at Spanish club Valencia, believes United&#39;s good record against Arsenal will give them a psychological advantage while the London club&#39;s &quot;lack of steel&quot; on big occasions could secure all three points for Mourinho.

&quot;I am sure both managers will try and play down the rivalry but ultimately the last time they played each other they were fighting on the touchline at Stamford Bridge so there is an intense rivalry there.

&quot;I actually enjoy it because I think it&#39;s good for football. They&#39;ve got one thing in common -- they both want to win. United need to win this game because if they don&#39;t they&#39;ll slip further away from the top four. It&#39;s a really intriguing encounter.

&quot;Arsenal are a fantastic football club and they play fantastic football but I always think that over the last 10 years, at the most important moments in seasons or in games, they&#39;ve always failed,&quot; said Neville who was speaking to promote his new book &#39;Class of 92: Out of our league -- our journey back to the heart of the game&#39;.

&quot;Coming to Old Trafford has been one of those moments over the last decade.

&quot;I think this is the biggest test for Arsenal so far this season,&quot; added Neville who is one of the co-owners of minor league club Salford City along with United team mates from the &#39;Class of 92&#39;, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and brother Gary Neville.

&quot;It will show where they actually are. If they come here on Saturday and get rolled over, then for me it will be same old Arsenal.&quot;

(Reuters)

He said Mourinho is still unsure of the right formula to get the most out of players like world record signing Paul Pogba

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho is still unsure of his best team and of the right formula to get the most out of players like world record signing Paul Pogba, according to the club's former defender Phil Neville. As United prepared to host Arsenal at Old Trafford on Saturday, Neville said Mourinho, while not having given up hope of winning the title, seemed still in the dark about how to get the best from his under-performing squad. "Jose will still believe he can win the title, I am sure of that," Neville, who played 263 times for United, told Reuters in an interview. "There are signs that they're playing a better style and quality of football but I don't think Jose knows what his best team is or what his best system is to get the best out of those players, Pogba in particular." Arsenal have failed to beat United in their last nine Premier League games at Old Trafford (losing seven) and Mourinho is yet to suffer a league defeat against their manager Arsene Wenger after 11 previous meetings when he was at Chelsea. Their rivalry has occasionally bubbled over with the pair becoming involved in a pushing match on the touchline at Stamford Bridge two years ago. Neville, currently assistant coach at Spanish club Valencia, believes United's good record against Arsenal will give them a psychological advantage while the London club's "lack of steel" on big occasions could secure all three points for Mourinho. "I am sure both managers will try and play down the rivalry but ultimately the last time they played each other they were fighting on the touchline at Stamford Bridge so there is an intense rivalry there. "I actually enjoy it because I think it's good for football. They've got one thing in common -- they both want to win. United need to win this game because if they don't they'll slip further away from the top four. It's a really intriguing encounter. "Arsenal are a fantastic football club and they play fantastic football but I always think that over the last 10 years, at the most important moments in seasons or in games, they've always failed," said Neville who was speaking to promote his new book 'Class of 92: Out of our league -- our journey back to the heart of the game'. "Coming to Old Trafford has been one of those moments over the last decade. "I think this is the biggest test for Arsenal so far this season," added Neville who is one of the co-owners of minor league club Salford City along with United team mates from the 'Class of 92', Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and brother Gary Neville. "It will show where they actually are. If they come here on Saturday and get rolled over, then for me it will be same old Arsenal." (Reuters)

Mourinho doesn't know best team: Phil Neville

Jose Mourinho&#39;s sombre countenance on the touchline and failure to win the &quot;hearts and minds&quot; of his players since arriving at Manchester United could prove his downfall, believes a leading British sports psychologist.

The United manager has repeatedly criticised his team in public this season and the 53-year-old should think carefully about changing his approach, according to Steven Sylvester who works with Premier League players as well as world champions from other sports.

&quot;It&#39;s very strange. In my experience, I haven&#39;t seen him [Jose Mourinho] constantly criticise players in the media, this is a new style from him,&quot; Sylvester, who is also psychologist to the cricket county championship winners Middlesex, said in an interview with Reuters.

&quot;Although they must have done something to make him question if these players are at standard he wants, I think it is a way to mask his frustration that he can&#39;t get the team delivering according to his mandate.

&quot;The whole point of good leadership is to win the hearts and minds and if you criticise players in the press you&#39;re going against that.

&quot;The players will sit there in the dressing room thinking, &#39;who&#39;s next, what happens if this goes wrong today?&#39; It creates more fear within the culture than joy.&quot;

Mourinho, who has made an underwhelming start at United, recently said his living arrangements in Manchester have been a &quot;bit of a disaster&quot;.

He painted a miserable picture of himself holed up in his hotel, alone without his family and unable to venture out to local restaurants because of the prospect of being hassled by fans and photographers.

&quot;There&#39;s a lot going on there and if you listen to the content you can be distracted from the main theme,&quot; explained Sylvester, author of the book &#39;Detox Your Ego&#39; (www.withoutego.com).

&quot;For me, Mourinho is in major transition as how to build a new culture at Manchester United.

&quot;He is not going to go to the media and talk about what he is doing to get the culture changed and to get the performance right or how he is assessing the players, so he has to talk about something else.

&quot;He has been one of the best at being able to take people away from the scent of what he is really doing. I think it&#39;s probably tactical.

&quot;Having said that, he has looked really unhappy and I think being unhappy transmits to the players when you&#39;re in transition.

&quot;This means it is harder to get them to play with the rhythm that he wants. It takes time for a group of players to assimilate.&quot;

On the eve of United hosting Arsenal at Old Trafford, Mourinho claimed on Friday that rival manager Arsene Wenger received the respect that was not shown to him, even though &quot;my last title was 18 months ago, not 18 years ago.&quot;

Yet rather than opting for that typical swipe at Wenger, Sylvester felt it was about time Mourinho turned on his old &quot;charm&quot; instead.

&quot;I think he should go on the charm offensive, focus on what he can do to win the hearts and minds not only of his players and staff&nbsp;but of the fans, too,&quot; Sylvester said.

&quot;He needs the support of the media and the goodwill factor needs to come across in his leadership style.

&quot;Mourinho talks more about individual errors than collective errors. I believe in the collective. You win together and you lose together.&quot;

(Reuters)

Steven Sylvester said he has repeatedly criticised his team in public, should think carefully about changing his approach

Jose Mourinho's sombre countenance on the touchline and failure to win the "hearts and minds" of his players since arriving at Manchester United could prove his downfall, believes a leading British sports psychologist. The United manager has repeatedly criticised his team in public this season and the 53-year-old should think carefully about changing his approach, according to Steven Sylvester who works with Premier League players as well as world champions from other sports. "It's very strange. In my experience, I haven't seen him [Jose Mourinho] constantly criticise players in the media, this is a new style from him," Sylvester, who is also psychologist to the cricket county championship winners Middlesex, said in an interview with Reuters. "Although they must have done something to make him question if these players are at standard he wants, I think it is a way to mask his frustration that he can't get the team delivering according to his mandate. "The whole point of good leadership is to win the hearts and minds and if you criticise players in the press you're going against that. "The players will sit there in the dressing room thinking, 'who's next, what happens if this goes wrong today?' It creates more fear within the culture than joy." Mourinho, who has made an underwhelming start at United, recently said his living arrangements in Manchester have been a "bit of a disaster". He painted a miserable picture of himself holed up in his hotel, alone without his family and unable to venture out to local restaurants because of the prospect of being hassled by fans and photographers. "There's a lot going on there and if you listen to the content you can be distracted from the main theme," explained Sylvester, author of the book 'Detox Your Ego' (www.withoutego.com). "For me, Mourinho is in major transition as how to build a new culture at Manchester United. "He is not going to go to the media and talk about what he is doing to get the culture changed and to get the performance right or how he is assessing the players, so he has to talk about something else. "He has been one of the best at being able to take people away from the scent of what he is really doing. I think it's probably tactical. "Having said that, he has looked really unhappy and I think being unhappy transmits to the players when you're in transition. "This means it is harder to get them to play with the rhythm that he wants. It takes time for a group of players to assimilate." On the eve of United hosting Arsenal at Old Trafford, Mourinho claimed on Friday that rival manager Arsene Wenger received the respect that was not shown to him, even though "my last title was 18 months ago, not 18 years ago." Yet rather than opting for that typical swipe at Wenger, Sylvester felt it was about time Mourinho turned on his old "charm" instead. "I think he should go on the charm offensive, focus on what he can do to win the hearts and minds not only of his players and staff but of the fans, too," Sylvester said. "He needs the support of the media and the goodwill factor needs to come across in his leadership style. "Mourinho talks more about individual errors than collective errors. I believe in the collective. You win together and you lose together." (Reuters)

No way Jose: Top shrink says Mourinho should create joy, not fear

RB Leipzig continued their fairytale run by coming from behind to win against Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 and keep the pressure on giants Bayern Munich.

The Bundesliga new boys were 2-1 down and had to save a penalty after that to remain in hunt, which they did superbly to score two goals in 14 minutes to maintain their 11-match unbeaten run.

Leipzig&#39;s win takes them three points clear of Bayern Munich, who will now have to beat a tough Borussia Dortmund on their own turf to regain the top ranking in the German first division.

&quot;From a psychological point of view we really did very well in the second-half when we were behind twice,&quot; said Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl.

After exchanging goals in the first four minutes -- Leverkusen&#39;s Kevin Kampl scoring after a minute before teammate Julian Baumgartlinger&#39;s own goal drew Leipzig level -- Leverkusen&#39;s German international winger Julian Brandt put the hosts ahead again just before half-time.

The turning point came when Brandt earned a penalty on 54 minutes only for Hakan Calhanoglu&#39;s shot to be cleared by Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

Swedish international Emil Forsberg equalised for Leipzig following an impressive solo run on 67 minutes and defender Willi Orban headed in the winner on 81 minutes for the Bundesliga upstarts.

Leipzig earned their place in Germany&#39;s top flight with four promotions in seven years and have now set a Bundesliga record run for a newly promoted club by going 11 games unbeaten.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Leipzig's pulsating comeback win at Leverkusen means Bayern Munich would have to beat Dortmund to regain the top spot

RB Leipzig continued their fairytale run by coming from behind to win against Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 and keep the pressure on giants Bayern Munich. The Bundesliga new boys were 2-1 down and had to save a penalty after that to remain in hunt, which they did superbly to score two goals in 14 minutes to maintain their 11-match unbeaten run. Leipzig's win takes them three points clear of Bayern Munich, who will now have to beat a tough Borussia Dortmund on their own turf to regain the top ranking in the German first division. "From a psychological point of view we really did very well in the second-half when we were behind twice," said Leipzig coach Ralph Hasenhuettl. After exchanging goals in the first four minutes -- Leverkusen's Kevin Kampl scoring after a minute before teammate Julian Baumgartlinger's own goal drew Leipzig level -- Leverkusen's German international winger Julian Brandt put the hosts ahead again just before half-time. The turning point came when Brandt earned a penalty on 54 minutes only for Hakan Calhanoglu's shot to be cleared by Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Swedish international Emil Forsberg equalised for Leipzig following an impressive solo run on 67 minutes and defender Willi Orban headed in the winner on 81 minutes for the Bundesliga upstarts. Leipzig earned their place in Germany's top flight with four promotions in seven years and have now set a Bundesliga record run for a newly promoted club by going 11 games unbeaten. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Modest Leipzig beat Leverkusen 3-2, topple Bayern to top Bundesliga standings

Rejuvenated Colombian striker Radamel Falcao bagged his fifth goal in five Ligue 1 appearances as Monaco swept past bottom club Lorient 3-0 to march to the top of the table on Friday.

The visitors, who have the league&#39;s most potent attack with 39 goals in 13 games, went ahead through Falcao in the 64th minute before Thomas Lemar and Gabriel Boschilia made sure of victory.

Leonardo Jardim&#39;s side, who travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Tuesday, have 29 points and lead Nice on goal difference.

Nice visit St Etienne on Sunday while third-placed Paris St Germain, who are three points off the pace, host Nantes on Saturday.

Maxwell Cornet struck in the third minute as Olympique Lyonnais jumped up to fourth with 22 points after a 1-0 win at Lille.

The home team finished with 10 men after Younousse Sankhare was shown a straight red card in the 55th minute.

Monaco have only failed to score once this season and Lorient did well to keep them at bay for so long with keeper Paul Delecroix denying Lemar and Valere Germain several times.

Lorient created their own chances at the other end in the first half but failed to take them.

Falcao, who struggled on loan at Chelsea and Manchester United in the previous two seasons, produced a clinical finish when he latched on to Bernardo Silva&#39;s cross near the penalty spot to put Monaco in front.

Three minutes later Lemar, who won his first cap for France earlier this week, curled a splendid 25-metre free kick past Delecroix.

Boschilia then rubbed salt into Lorient&#39;s wounds with the third goal in stoppage time.

Lorient, who have lost six of their last seven league games, are on seven points.

(Reuters)

Radamel Falco opened the scoring in the 64th minute to help his side climb atop the league standings

Rejuvenated Colombian striker Radamel Falcao bagged his fifth goal in five Ligue 1 appearances as Monaco swept past bottom club Lorient 3-0 to march to the top of the table on Friday. The visitors, who have the league's most potent attack with 39 goals in 13 games, went ahead through Falcao in the 64th minute before Thomas Lemar and Gabriel Boschilia made sure of victory. Leonardo Jardim's side, who travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League on Tuesday, have 29 points and lead Nice on goal difference. Nice visit St Etienne on Sunday while third-placed Paris St Germain, who are three points off the pace, host Nantes on Saturday. Maxwell Cornet struck in the third minute as Olympique Lyonnais jumped up to fourth with 22 points after a 1-0 win at Lille. The home team finished with 10 men after Younousse Sankhare was shown a straight red card in the 55th minute. Monaco have only failed to score once this season and Lorient did well to keep them at bay for so long with keeper Paul Delecroix denying Lemar and Valere Germain several times. Lorient created their own chances at the other end in the first half but failed to take them. Falcao, who struggled on loan at Chelsea and Manchester United in the previous two seasons, produced a clinical finish when he latched on to Bernardo Silva's cross near the penalty spot to put Monaco in front. Three minutes later Lemar, who won his first cap for France earlier this week, curled a splendid 25-metre free kick past Delecroix. Boschilia then rubbed salt into Lorient's wounds with the third goal in stoppage time. Lorient, who have lost six of their last seven league games, are on seven points. (Reuters)

Rejuvenated Falcao helps Monaco sweep past Lorient

Brazilian police fired percussion grenades at rioting Internacional fans on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at home to Ponte Preta left the Porto Alegre club in danger of relegation for the first time in their history.

Coach Celso Roth was sacked after the result and the club will look for a new coach to lead them in the last three games of the season.

&quot;Straight after the match against Ponte Preta the vice president of football Fernando Carvalho announced that Celso Roth is no longer coach of Internacional,&quot; the club said in a terse statement.

Inter sit fourth from bottom, equal on points with Vitoria, with four teams going down. Two of their last three games are away from home at Corinthians and Fluminense.

Fans tore down barriers outside the Beira-Rio stadium after the game and police responded with percussion grenades and, according to Globo news sites, rubber bullets.

Percussion grenades, also known as &#39;stun&#39; or &#39;flash&#39; grenades, are non-lethal explosive devices that produce a blinding flash of light and an ear-splitting sound when detonated.

One of Brazil&#39;s best supported clubs, Inter won the Copa Libertadores in 2006 and followed that with a victory over Barcelona to lift the Club World Cup.

(Reuters)

Internacional drew 1-1 at home to Ponte Preta; they are in danger of relegation for the first time in their history

Brazilian police fired percussion grenades at rioting Internacional fans on Thursday after a 1-1 draw at home to Ponte Preta left the Porto Alegre club in danger of relegation for the first time in their history. Coach Celso Roth was sacked after the result and the club will look for a new coach to lead them in the last three games of the season. "Straight after the match against Ponte Preta the vice president of football Fernando Carvalho announced that Celso Roth is no longer coach of Internacional," the club said in a terse statement. Inter sit fourth from bottom, equal on points with Vitoria, with four teams going down. Two of their last three games are away from home at Corinthians and Fluminense. Fans tore down barriers outside the Beira-Rio stadium after the game and police responded with percussion grenades and, according to Globo news sites, rubber bullets. Percussion grenades, also known as 'stun' or 'flash' grenades, are non-lethal explosive devices that produce a blinding flash of light and an ear-splitting sound when detonated. One of Brazil's best supported clubs, Inter won the Copa Libertadores in 2006 and followed that with a victory over Barcelona to lift the Club World Cup. (Reuters)

Football: Police fire on angry Brazil Inter fans as relegation looms

The Spanish giants Barcelona have struck a sponsorship deal with Japanese online retailer Rakuten for the next four years.&nbsp;

With the 55 million euros ($59 million) a year deal, Rakuten replaces Qatar Airways who had been Barcelona&#39;s shirt sponsor since 2013.&nbsp;

They were reported to have paid 35 million euros for the final year of their deal taking them up to the end of the 2016-17 season.

&quot;I have the pleasure and honour to announce that the board of directors has approved that Rakuten will&nbsp;be the new main and global sponsor of the club for the next four years,&quot; Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told a news conference at the club&#39;s Camp Nou stadium.

The club success added with some of the world&#39;s most recognisable stars make it a highly attractive assest to the advertisers.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Rakuten has signed a deal worth 55 million euros a year with Barcelona

The Spanish giants Barcelona have struck a sponsorship deal with Japanese online retailer Rakuten for the next four years. With the 55 million euros ($59 million) a year deal, Rakuten replaces Qatar Airways who had been Barcelona's shirt sponsor since 2013. They were reported to have paid 35 million euros for the final year of their deal taking them up to the end of the 2016-17 season. "I have the pleasure and honour to announce that the board of directors has approved that Rakuten will be the new main and global sponsor of the club for the next four years," Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu told a news conference at the club's Camp Nou stadium. The club success added with some of the world's most recognisable stars make it a highly attractive assest to the advertisers. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Football: Barca strikes new sponsorship deal with Japan's Rakuten

Lionel Messi scored a majestic free-kick and set up two more goals as Argentina got their faltering 2018 World Cup qualification campaign back on track with a 3-0 win over Colombia here Tuesday.&nbsp;

Barcelona maestro Messi curled in a superb free-kick from 30 yards in the 10th minute before providing the cross for Lucas Pratto&#39;s 23rd-minute header. The tireless Messi then popped up in the 84th minute to cross for Angel Di Maria&#39;s late goal as Argentina secured all three points.

The two-time world champions had taken just two points from their previous four games to leave themselves languishing just outside the qualification berths in South America&#39;s marathon qualifying tournament.

But Tuesday&#39;s victory puts Argentina back into the qualification positions.

(AFP)

Messi curled in a superb free-kick from 30 yards in the 10th minute before providing the cross for Lucas Pratto's 23rd minute header

Lionel Messi scored a majestic free-kick and set up two more goals as Argentina got their faltering 2018 World Cup qualification campaign back on track with a 3-0 win over Colombia here Tuesday. Barcelona maestro Messi curled in a superb free-kick from 30 yards in the 10th minute before providing the cross for Lucas Pratto's 23rd-minute header. The tireless Messi then popped up in the 84th minute to cross for Angel Di Maria's late goal as Argentina secured all three points. The two-time world champions had taken just two points from their previous four games to leave themselves languishing just outside the qualification berths in South America's marathon qualifying tournament. But Tuesday's victory puts Argentina back into the qualification positions. (AFP)

Messi is magic as Argentina secures 3-0 win over Colombia

Cristiano Ronaldo converted one penalty, missed another and also scored from open play as Portugal beat Latvia 4-1 in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday.

On a typically dramatic night for the Portugal captain, Ronaldo fired the European champions ahead from his first spot-kick of the evening in the first half&nbsp;but missed a chance to double their lead when his second effort struck the post.

It looked a costly miss when Arturs Zjuzins equalised for Latvia in the 68th minute but William Carvalho headed Portugal back in front two minutes later, Ronaldo volleyed the third and Bruno Alves completed the win.

Portugal stayed second in Group B with nine points from four games, three behind leaders Switzerland.

Portugal survived an early scare when a corner landed at the feet of Igors Tarasovs but he failed to connect cleanly and Rui Patricio saved.

After being restricted to long-range shots, Portugal broke the deadlock when Nani was tripped by Gints Freimanis and Ronaldo fired low to Andris Vanins&#39; right in the 28th minute.

Portugal won another penalty when Glebs Kluskins tripped Andre Gomes in the 58th minute but this time Ronaldo, who also missed a penalty in the Euro 2016 match against Austria, saw his shot hit the inside of the post and roll across the goal.

Ten minutes later, Latvia, who had barely got out of their own half, equalised when substitute Zjuzins scored with his second attempt from the edge of the area.

But midfielder Carvalho came to the rescue two minutes later when he headed his first international goal from Ricardo Quaresma&#39;s cross.

Another Quaresma cross led to the third as it found Ronaldo at the far post and Portugal&#39;s all-time leading scorer volleyed home his 68th international goal.

Ronaldo then missed an easy chance for his hat-trick from Renato Sanches&#39; pass and also headed against the crossbar before Alves headed in Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s chipped cross at the far post.

(Reuters)

It looked a costly miss when Zjuzins equalised for Latvia in the 68th minute but Carvalho headed Portugal back in front two minutes later

Cristiano Ronaldo converted one penalty, missed another and also scored from open play as Portugal beat Latvia 4-1 in their World Cup qualifier on Sunday. On a typically dramatic night for the Portugal captain, Ronaldo fired the European champions ahead from his first spot-kick of the evening in the first half but missed a chance to double their lead when his second effort struck the post. It looked a costly miss when Arturs Zjuzins equalised for Latvia in the 68th minute but William Carvalho headed Portugal back in front two minutes later, Ronaldo volleyed the third and Bruno Alves completed the win. Portugal stayed second in Group B with nine points from four games, three behind leaders Switzerland. Portugal survived an early scare when a corner landed at the feet of Igors Tarasovs but he failed to connect cleanly and Rui Patricio saved. After being restricted to long-range shots, Portugal broke the deadlock when Nani was tripped by Gints Freimanis and Ronaldo fired low to Andris Vanins' right in the 28th minute. Portugal won another penalty when Glebs Kluskins tripped Andre Gomes in the 58th minute but this time Ronaldo, who also missed a penalty in the Euro 2016 match against Austria, saw his shot hit the inside of the post and roll across the goal. Ten minutes later, Latvia, who had barely got out of their own half, equalised when substitute Zjuzins scored with his second attempt from the edge of the area. But midfielder Carvalho came to the rescue two minutes later when he headed his first international goal from Ricardo Quaresma's cross. Another Quaresma cross led to the third as it found Ronaldo at the far post and Portugal's all-time leading scorer volleyed home his 68th international goal. Ronaldo then missed an easy chance for his hat-trick from Renato Sanches' pass and also headed against the crossbar before Alves headed in Raphael Guerreiro's chipped cross at the far post. (Reuters)

Ronaldo scores twice, misses penalty in Portugal win

Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Belgium destroyed Estonia 8-1 to seize top spot outright in World Cup Group H qualifying on Sunday.

Coach Roberto Martinez&#39;s men also struck through Thomas Meunier, Eden Hazard, Yannick Carrasco and an own goal from Ragnar Klavan, with the first three coming inside the opening 25 minutes.

Estonia replied just before the half-hour through Henri Anier but it was a lonely highlight for the Baltic nation who are second from bottom with three points. Meunier&#39;s first international goal after eight minutes began the deluge as he timed a run to the back post perfectly to head home Carrasco&#39;s cross.

Mertens&#39; shot from outside the area took a wicked deflection for the second goal after 16 minutes and Hazard made it 3-0 with a powerful drive after a swift attacking move.

A rare defensive slip then allowed Anier to turn and beat keeper Thibaut Courtois before the break.

Belgium added three more goals in six minutes soon after the hour mark as they claimed their fourth group victory.

Unmarked Carrasco finished off a square pass from Lukaku before Klavan steered a centre by Mertens into his own net.

Mertens then grabbed his second goal with a chip over the goalkeeper after Lukaku&#39;s effort had been well saved.

Lukaku was rewarded for his contribution when his 83rd- minute shot took a deflection to leave goalkeeper Mihkel Aksalu with no chance.

The Everton striker was then fed five minutes later with a clever ball from midfield and he raced towards goal before shooting into the corner of the net.

Belgium have 12 points from four games, two ahead of second-placed Greece and five in front of Bosnia who are third.

Greece were held 1-1 at home by Bosnia on Sunday.

(Reuters)

The first three goals came in the opening 25 minutes

Dries Mertens and Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Belgium destroyed Estonia 8-1 to seize top spot outright in World Cup Group H qualifying on Sunday. Coach Roberto Martinez's men also struck through Thomas Meunier, Eden Hazard, Yannick Carrasco and an own goal from Ragnar Klavan, with the first three coming inside the opening 25 minutes. Estonia replied just before the half-hour through Henri Anier but it was a lonely highlight for the Baltic nation who are second from bottom with three points. Meunier's first international goal after eight minutes began the deluge as he timed a run to the back post perfectly to head home Carrasco's cross. Mertens' shot from outside the area took a wicked deflection for the second goal after 16 minutes and Hazard made it 3-0 with a powerful drive after a swift attacking move. A rare defensive slip then allowed Anier to turn and beat keeper Thibaut Courtois before the break. Belgium added three more goals in six minutes soon after the hour mark as they claimed their fourth group victory. Unmarked Carrasco finished off a square pass from Lukaku before Klavan steered a centre by Mertens into his own net. Mertens then grabbed his second goal with a chip over the goalkeeper after Lukaku's effort had been well saved. Lukaku was rewarded for his contribution when his 83rd- minute shot took a deflection to leave goalkeeper Mihkel Aksalu with no chance. The Everton striker was then fed five minutes later with a clever ball from midfield and he raced towards goal before shooting into the corner of the net. Belgium have 12 points from four games, two ahead of second-placed Greece and five in front of Bosnia who are third. Greece were held 1-1 at home by Bosnia on Sunday. (Reuters)

Brussels rout as Belgium dish up eight-goal feast against Estonia

England on Monday confirmed that Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson will fill in as captain after injured skipper Wayne Rooney remained doubtful for the year-end friendly against Spain.&nbsp;

Interim manager Gareth Southgate told media that Rooney and left-back Ryan Bertrand were the only players absent from training at Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s north London training base on the eve of Tuesday&#39;s meeting with Spain at Wembley.

&quot;Both are being assessed. They had minor issues this morning so we&#39;ll have a look at them as the game goes on,&quot; Southgate told his pre-match press conference at the Tottenham training ground.

&quot;Obviously they weren&#39;t able to train so they must be a doubt, but until we look at them we won&#39;t know for sure.&quot;

Rooney had returned to the team for Friday&#39;s 3-0 win over Scotland in World Cup qualifying.&nbsp;

England had earlier ruled out Harry Kane, the Tottenham striker with an ankle ligament problem.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from AFP) 
&nbsp;

Skipper Wayne Rooney and left-back Ryan Bertrand missed the training on the eve of Tuesday's friendly with Spain at Wembley

England on Monday confirmed that Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson will fill in as captain after injured skipper Wayne Rooney remained doubtful for the year-end friendly against Spain. Interim manager Gareth Southgate told media that Rooney and left-back Ryan Bertrand were the only players absent from training at Tottenham Hotspur's north London training base on the eve of Tuesday's meeting with Spain at Wembley. "Both are being assessed. They had minor issues this morning so we'll have a look at them as the game goes on," Southgate told his pre-match press conference at the Tottenham training ground. "Obviously they weren't able to train so they must be a doubt, but until we look at them we won't know for sure." Rooney had returned to the team for Friday's 3-0 win over Scotland in World Cup qualifying. England had earlier ruled out Harry Kane, the Tottenham striker with an ankle ligament problem. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Football: Henderson to lead England against Spain

England&#39;s caretaker manager Gareth Southgate faces a man he aspires to emulate in terms of style and status in Tuesday&#39;s friendly against Julen Lopetegui&#39;s Spain.

The match at Wembley will be the fourth and final assignment of Southgate&#39;s interim stint and following Friday&#39;s 3-0 win over Scotland in World Cup qualifying he is expected to be handed the role full-time.

Like Southgate, Lopetegui earned the faith of his country&#39;s football association by excelling as under-21s coach, while Spain&#39;s confident passing game is something Southgate wants England to replicate.

&quot;It&#39;s one of the biggest challenges that we can face,&quot; Southgate said ahead of the encounter.&nbsp;

&quot;It looks as though they&#39;ll have a couple of players missing, but they have strength in depth and a clear identity of how they play through all of their age groups.

&quot;Obviously Julen has been the under-21 manager so he knows how the system is there. He&#39;s worked with so many of the players and the style, so it&#39;s going to be a huge test for us.

&quot;But that&#39;s a good challenge, a different type of challenge for us to prepare for.&quot;

While England are unbeaten on Southgate&#39;s watch, they are yet to produce a performance that has got fans off their seats.

After a laboured 2-0 win over Malta, they were fortunate not to lose in a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia.

Against Scotland, they struggled to create chances and might have found themselves level early in the second half had the Scots taken their opportunities at 1-0.

England&#39;s efforts to build play up from the back were unconvincing, but Southgate, 46, will task his players to press on with the tactic against a Spain team who are masters of the art.

&quot;It&#39;s a good means of gauging progress because they&#39;ve been one of the best for such a long time,&quot; says Tottenham Hotspur&#39;s Eric Dier, who made his England debut in a 2-0 loss away to Spain a year ago.

&quot;You always want to measure yourselves against sides like that, both personally and as a team. Obviously, results are what count in senior football but performing the right way as well is important.

&quot;If we defend for 90 minutes and score a last-minute winner on Tuesday then probably everyone goes home happy. But that&#39;s not my way of assessing whether we&#39;ve done well or not.&quot;

Herrera debut

Like England, Spain go into the game on the back of a slightly flattering victory that kept them top of their World Cup qualifying pool: in their case a 4-0 win over Macedonia on Saturday.

Lopetegui, 50, is unbeaten in five games since taking charge after Vicente del Bosque stepped down following their last-16 exit at the hands of Italy at Euro 2016.

Both coaches are expected to shuffle their starting XIs, but for Lopetegui necessity will be the mother of invention as he is without several first-team players.

Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Andres Iniesta and Diego Costa are all absent and Alvaro Morata is a doubt after being forced off half an hour from full-time against Macedonia.

Sergi Roberto, Cesar Azpilicueta, Isco, Nolito, Juan Mata and Jose Callejon could all start, while Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera is in line to make a belated senior debut aged 27.

&quot;It is clear that the three points at stake were (against Macedonia) and now we have a fantastic game against a great national team like England,&quot; said Lopetegui.

&quot;We want to be competitive and play well, so whoever plays it will be a good 11.&quot;

With Ramos and Pique sidelined, Lopetegui has been obliged to rely on an unconvincing centre-back pairing of Nacho and Marc Bartra, which will give hope to England&#39;s forwards.

Dier&#39;s Tottenham team-mate Harry Kane will not take part after he returned to his club to build up match fitness following a lay-off with an ankle injury.

(AFP)

The match at Wembley will be the fourth and final assignment of Southgate's interim stint

England's caretaker manager Gareth Southgate faces a man he aspires to emulate in terms of style and status in Tuesday's friendly against Julen Lopetegui's Spain. The match at Wembley will be the fourth and final assignment of Southgate's interim stint and following Friday's 3-0 win over Scotland in World Cup qualifying he is expected to be handed the role full-time. Like Southgate, Lopetegui earned the faith of his country's football association by excelling as under-21s coach, while Spain's confident passing game is something Southgate wants England to replicate. "It's one of the biggest challenges that we can face," Southgate said ahead of the encounter. "It looks as though they'll have a couple of players missing, but they have strength in depth and a clear identity of how they play through all of their age groups. "Obviously Julen has been the under-21 manager so he knows how the system is there. He's worked with so many of the players and the style, so it's going to be a huge test for us. "But that's a good challenge, a different type of challenge for us to prepare for." While England are unbeaten on Southgate's watch, they are yet to produce a performance that has got fans off their seats. After a laboured 2-0 win over Malta, they were fortunate not to lose in a 0-0 draw away to Slovenia. Against Scotland, they struggled to create chances and might have found themselves level early in the second half had the Scots taken their opportunities at 1-0. England's efforts to build play up from the back were unconvincing, but Southgate, 46, will task his players to press on with the tactic against a Spain team who are masters of the art. "It's a good means of gauging progress because they've been one of the best for such a long time," says Tottenham Hotspur's Eric Dier, who made his England debut in a 2-0 loss away to Spain a year ago. "You always want to measure yourselves against sides like that, both personally and as a team. Obviously, results are what count in senior football but performing the right way as well is important. "If we defend for 90 minutes and score a last-minute winner on Tuesday then probably everyone goes home happy. But that's not my way of assessing whether we've done well or not." Herrera debut Like England, Spain go into the game on the back of a slightly flattering victory that kept them top of their World Cup qualifying pool: in their case a 4-0 win over Macedonia on Saturday. Lopetegui, 50, is unbeaten in five games since taking charge after Vicente del Bosque stepped down following their last-16 exit at the hands of Italy at Euro 2016. Both coaches are expected to shuffle their starting XIs, but for Lopetegui necessity will be the mother of invention as he is without several first-team players. Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Jordi Alba, Andres Iniesta and Diego Costa are all absent and Alvaro Morata is a doubt after being forced off half an hour from full-time against Macedonia. Sergi Roberto, Cesar Azpilicueta, Isco, Nolito, Juan Mata and Jose Callejon could all start, while Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera is in line to make a belated senior debut aged 27. "It is clear that the three points at stake were (against Macedonia) and now we have a fantastic game against a great national team like England," said Lopetegui. "We want to be competitive and play well, so whoever plays it will be a good 11." With Ramos and Pique sidelined, Lopetegui has been obliged to rely on an unconvincing centre-back pairing of Nacho and Marc Bartra, which will give hope to England's forwards. Dier's Tottenham team-mate Harry Kane will not take part after he returned to his club to build up match fitness following a lay-off with an ankle injury. (AFP)

Football: Gareth Southgate ends England audition with Spain test

Wales conceded an agonising late equaliser as Serbia battled to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday as former champions Italy and Spain both won 4-0.

Earlier Saturday, the Republic of Ireland has stunned Austria 1-0 in Vienna and are top of Group D on 10 points, with Serbia second on eight and Wales third on six.

Gareth Bale rocketed Wales into a 30th-minute lead in Cardiff after Hal Robson-Kanu dispossessed Matija Nastasic and fed the ball to the Real Madrid forward, who cracked home a powerful snap shot to make it 1-0.

But Aleksander Mitrovic was fastest to react with four red shirts around him when Antonio Rukavina whipped in an inviting cross to level for the visitors late in the game.

&quot;It was a disappointing result, we feel like we threw away two points. We&#39;re at home, 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it`s two points lost,&quot; Bale admitted after the game.

Just moments before Serbia had levelled, Bale had seen a snapshot come agonisingly back off the post.

Wales coach Chris Coleman was less disappointed and was looking down the road.&nbsp;

&quot;We are four points behind Ireland but we play them twice,&quot; he said. &quot;We have a massive chance. Tonight the boys deserved all three points.&quot;

It was the third game in a row the Welsh have gone ahead only to draw.

&quot;We can be proud of ourselves. We are on the right track. Today we can be happy with one point,&quot; said Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic.

The Irish top Group D thanks to a James McClean strike three minutes after half-time in Vienna.

&quot;This is going to be a very tight finish. But this has been a splendid start for us and we are delighted with the 10 points,&quot; said Ireland boss Martin O`Neill.

Spain and Italy continue to set the pace at the helm in Group G and both have 10 points.

Spain played at Granada where Macedonia`s Darko Velkovski scored a 34th minute own goal before Votolo on 63 minutes, Nacho Monreal (83) and veteran striker Aritz Aduriz (85) gave them a comfortable win.&nbsp;

Taking on minnows Liechtenstein, Italy&#39;s Anfrea Belotti scored either side of strikes from Ciro Imobile and Antonio Candreva.

Eran Zahavi converted an 18th-minute penalty to set Israel on their way with Dan Einbinder and Eliran Atar making sure they beat Albania 3-0 in Tirana.

Iceland failed to replicate their Euro 2016 heroics in a 2-0 defeat in Croatia in Group I.

Croatia grabbed the lead after 15 minutes through Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but it was Iceland who took control after that in Zagreb, where the game was played out in front of empty stands after a FIFA stadium ban.

Despite having plenty of the ball in both halves, Iceland failed to make the crucial breakthrough.

And the home side punished them in injury time, Brozovic again doing the damage against the run of play.

Croatia, now top of the group with 10 points from four games, finished the match with 10 men after Ivan Perisic was sent off at the death.

Also in Group I, Turkey revived their slim hopes of making it to Russia in 2018 with a 2-0 home victory over Kosovo in Antalya.

Burak Yilmaz and Volkan Sen scored within four minutes of one another in the second half to leave Kosovo bottom on just a solitary point.

Georgia and Moldova played out a 1-1 draw in Tbilisi to remain rooted in the bottom two spots in Group D.

(AFP)

Serbia's Aleksander Mitrovic scored late in the match to push Wales down to third in the group

Wales conceded an agonising late equaliser as Serbia battled to a 1-1 draw in a World Cup qualifier on Saturday as former champions Italy and Spain both won 4-0. Earlier Saturday, the Republic of Ireland has stunned Austria 1-0 in Vienna and are top of Group D on 10 points, with Serbia second on eight and Wales third on six. Gareth Bale rocketed Wales into a 30th-minute lead in Cardiff after Hal Robson-Kanu dispossessed Matija Nastasic and fed the ball to the Real Madrid forward, who cracked home a powerful snap shot to make it 1-0. But Aleksander Mitrovic was fastest to react with four red shirts around him when Antonio Rukavina whipped in an inviting cross to level for the visitors late in the game. "It was a disappointing result, we feel like we threw away two points. We're at home, 1-0 up after 85 minutes, it`s two points lost," Bale admitted after the game. Just moments before Serbia had levelled, Bale had seen a snapshot come agonisingly back off the post. Wales coach Chris Coleman was less disappointed and was looking down the road. "We are four points behind Ireland but we play them twice," he said. "We have a massive chance. Tonight the boys deserved all three points." It was the third game in a row the Welsh have gone ahead only to draw. "We can be proud of ourselves. We are on the right track. Today we can be happy with one point," said Serbia captain Branislav Ivanovic. The Irish top Group D thanks to a James McClean strike three minutes after half-time in Vienna. "This is going to be a very tight finish. But this has been a splendid start for us and we are delighted with the 10 points," said Ireland boss Martin O`Neill. Spain and Italy continue to set the pace at the helm in Group G and both have 10 points. Spain played at Granada where Macedonia`s Darko Velkovski scored a 34th minute own goal before Votolo on 63 minutes, Nacho Monreal (83) and veteran striker Aritz Aduriz (85) gave them a comfortable win. Taking on minnows Liechtenstein, Italy's Anfrea Belotti scored either side of strikes from Ciro Imobile and Antonio Candreva. Eran Zahavi converted an 18th-minute penalty to set Israel on their way with Dan Einbinder and Eliran Atar making sure they beat Albania 3-0 in Tirana. Iceland failed to replicate their Euro 2016 heroics in a 2-0 defeat in Croatia in Group I. Croatia grabbed the lead after 15 minutes through Inter Milan midfielder Marcelo Brozovic, but it was Iceland who took control after that in Zagreb, where the game was played out in front of empty stands after a FIFA stadium ban. Despite having plenty of the ball in both halves, Iceland failed to make the crucial breakthrough. And the home side punished them in injury time, Brozovic again doing the damage against the run of play. Croatia, now top of the group with 10 points from four games, finished the match with 10 men after Ivan Perisic was sent off at the death. Also in Group I, Turkey revived their slim hopes of making it to Russia in 2018 with a 2-0 home victory over Kosovo in Antalya. Burak Yilmaz and Volkan Sen scored within four minutes of one another in the second half to leave Kosovo bottom on just a solitary point. Georgia and Moldova played out a 1-1 draw in Tbilisi to remain rooted in the bottom two spots in Group D. (AFP)

FIFA World Cup qualifiers: Spain, Italy win big, Wales held

Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet scored as France fought back to beat Sweden 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on Friday that was marked by tributes to the victims of last year&#39;s Paris terror attacks.&nbsp;

Emil Forsberg had put Sweden in front from a free-kick early in the second half at the Stade de France in a meeting of the top two teams in Group A in European qualifying for the 2018 World Cup.&nbsp;

But Pogba headed in the equaliser in the 58th minute and Payet profited from a goalkeeping error to score the winner and allow Les Bleus to move three points clear of Sweden at the top of the section.&nbsp;

&quot;Decisive no, but important yes,&quot; was how France coach Didier Deschamps summed up the significance of the result.

&quot;It was a difficult game but the result is all that counts. Sweden made things complicated for us.&quot;

The result came on a poignant evening that saw a minute&#39;s silence held in memory of the victims of the terror attacks that struck the French capital, and the Stade de France, almost exactly a year ago.&nbsp;

France were playing Germany in a friendly on Friday November 13, 2015 when three suicide bombers blew themselves up immediately outside the ground.&nbsp;

A 63-year-old man, Manuel Dias, was killed by one of the explosions at the beginning of a night of terror around Paris that killed 130 people and injured many more.

French president Francois Hollande was there to pay tribute in a capacity crowd of 80,000 at Friday&#39;s match, which was played on a national holiday to mark the day that ended the First World War in 1918.

The French team featured many of those who had played in that game against Germany, including Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud, recalled in attack in place of Kevin Gameiro.

They had numerous chances in a bright start to the game, with Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen saving well from a curling shot from the edge of the box by Payet.

Pogba and Moussa Sissoko also sent efforts just over the bar, but Sweden -- fielding a rejuvenated side as they rebuild following the international retirement of Zlatan Ibrahimovic -- were an occasional threat too.

Forsberg stunner

Indeed, they should have taken a 10th-minute lead, but John Guidetti, inside the six-yard box, was unable to convert a Ludwig Augustinsson free-kick from the left.

And they stunned the Stade de France when they went in front in the 54th minute, the impressive RB Leipzig winger Forsberg sending in a free-kick from fully 30 yards that left Hugo Lloris rooted as it swerved through the air and in.

However, France were level just four minutes later when Payet delivered a free-kick from the left and the world&#39;s most expensive player Pogba just beat team-mate Raphael Varane to the ball to head in his eighth international goal.

The relief was palpable and France, who have needed play-offs to qualify for each of the last two World Cups, went in front on 65 minutes.

Olsen failed to hold a cross under pressure from Antoine Griezmann, who was just offside when the ball came in, and Payet pounced to roll the ball in.

Griezmann almost got a third but Sweden made it a nervy finish with substitute Isaac Kiese Thelin missing the target with a great chance to equalise.

Their coach Janne Andersson was left to bemoan the lack of an offside call at the second goal.

&quot;We deserved a better result. It is a bit of a shame because the second goal was offside, but these things happen in sport,&quot; he said.

The Netherlands can join Sweden and also close to within three points of France with a win away to minnows Luxembourg on Sunday.&nbsp;

France are next in qualifying action in Luxembourg in late March, although they play the Ivory Coast in a friendly in Lens next Tuesday.

(AFP)

France beat Sweden 2-1 in Friday's Group A European qualifying for the 2018 World Cup

Paul Pogba and Dimitri Payet scored as France fought back to beat Sweden 2-1 in a World Cup qualifier on Friday that was marked by tributes to the victims of last year's Paris terror attacks. Emil Forsberg had put Sweden in front from a free-kick early in the second half at the Stade de France in a meeting of the top two teams in Group A in European qualifying for the 2018 World Cup. But Pogba headed in the equaliser in the 58th minute and Payet profited from a goalkeeping error to score the winner and allow Les Bleus to move three points clear of Sweden at the top of the section. "Decisive no, but important yes," was how France coach Didier Deschamps summed up the significance of the result. "It was a difficult game but the result is all that counts. Sweden made things complicated for us." The result came on a poignant evening that saw a minute's silence held in memory of the victims of the terror attacks that struck the French capital, and the Stade de France, almost exactly a year ago. France were playing Germany in a friendly on Friday November 13, 2015 when three suicide bombers blew themselves up immediately outside the ground. A 63-year-old man, Manuel Dias, was killed by one of the explosions at the beginning of a night of terror around Paris that killed 130 people and injured many more. French president Francois Hollande was there to pay tribute in a capacity crowd of 80,000 at Friday's match, which was played on a national holiday to mark the day that ended the First World War in 1918. The French team featured many of those who had played in that game against Germany, including Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud, recalled in attack in place of Kevin Gameiro. They had numerous chances in a bright start to the game, with Swedish goalkeeper Robin Olsen saving well from a curling shot from the edge of the box by Payet. Pogba and Moussa Sissoko also sent efforts just over the bar, but Sweden -- fielding a rejuvenated side as they rebuild following the international retirement of Zlatan Ibrahimovic -- were an occasional threat too. Forsberg stunner Indeed, they should have taken a 10th-minute lead, but John Guidetti, inside the six-yard box, was unable to convert a Ludwig Augustinsson free-kick from the left. And they stunned the Stade de France when they went in front in the 54th minute, the impressive RB Leipzig winger Forsberg sending in a free-kick from fully 30 yards that left Hugo Lloris rooted as it swerved through the air and in. However, France were level just four minutes later when Payet delivered a free-kick from the left and the world's most expensive player Pogba just beat team-mate Raphael Varane to the ball to head in his eighth international goal. The relief was palpable and France, who have needed play-offs to qualify for each of the last two World Cups, went in front on 65 minutes. Olsen failed to hold a cross under pressure from Antoine Griezmann, who was just offside when the ball came in, and Payet pounced to roll the ball in. Griezmann almost got a third but Sweden made it a nervy finish with substitute Isaac Kiese Thelin missing the target with a great chance to equalise. Their coach Janne Andersson was left to bemoan the lack of an offside call at the second goal. "We deserved a better result. It is a bit of a shame because the second goal was offside, but these things happen in sport," he said. The Netherlands can join Sweden and also close to within three points of France with a win away to minnows Luxembourg on Sunday. France are next in qualifying action in Luxembourg in late March, although they play the Ivory Coast in a friendly in Lens next Tuesday. (AFP)

Dimitri Payet nets winning goal as France mark anniversary of attacks

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