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After Manchester United drew&nbsp;1-1 with Stoke City at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho insisted his team had played the best football of the season.

He also said they could have put seven goals past lowly Stoke City.

A rare error by David de Gea allowed Joe Allen to cancel out Anthony Martial&#39;s 69th-minute opener.

But Mourinho refused to be critical either of David de Gea or his forwards, who missed a host of chances.

&quot;It&#39;s simple, that was the best performance of the season&quot;, said Mourinho.

&quot;Three or four-nil at half-time, six or seven-nil at the end of the game&hellip; but the result was 1-1.

&quot;That&#39;s football. That&#39;s very underserved but, I repeat, that was a much better performance than against Leicester,&rdquo; &nbsp;said Mourinho, whose side beat reigning champions Leicester 4-1 the previous weekend.&nbsp;

&quot;That was our best performance by far. We had six, seven, eight great chances to win the game.&quot;

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, on at least two occasions, wasted glorious chances for United while Stoke goalkeeper Lee Grant -- making only his second Premier League appearance at 33 --&nbsp;was the man of the match.

&quot;In the first minute, their goalkeeper made an unbelievable save,&quot; said Mourinho. &quot;And he kept doing that until the end of the game.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;He started with an amazing save from Zlatan and ended with an amazing save from Zlatan.&quot;

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Mourinho refused to be critical either of goalkeeper David de Gea or his forwards, who missed a host of chances

After Manchester United drew 1-1 with Stoke City at Old Trafford, Jose Mourinho insisted his team had played the best football of the season. He also said they could have put seven goals past lowly Stoke City. A rare error by David de Gea allowed Joe Allen to cancel out Anthony Martial's 69th-minute opener. But Mourinho refused to be critical either of David de Gea or his forwards, who missed a host of chances. "It's simple, that was the best performance of the season", said Mourinho. "Three or four-nil at half-time, six or seven-nil at the end of the game… but the result was 1-1. "That's football. That's very underserved but, I repeat, that was a much better performance than against Leicester,” said Mourinho, whose side beat reigning champions Leicester 4-1 the previous weekend. "That was our best performance by far. We had six, seven, eight great chances to win the game." Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba, on at least two occasions, wasted glorious chances for United while Stoke goalkeeper Lee Grant -- making only his second Premier League appearance at 33 -- was the man of the match. "In the first minute, their goalkeeper made an unbelievable save," said Mourinho. "And he kept doing that until the end of the game." "He started with an amazing save from Zlatan and ended with an amazing save from Zlatan." (WION with inputs from AFP)

After 1-1 draw, Mourinho says United could have put seven past Stoke

Xavi, who now plays for Al Sadd in the Qatar Stars League, will become the public face of the 'Generation Amazing' programme and will visit a refugee camp in Jordan later this week to hold training sessions with youngsters there

Former Barca star Xavi to be Qatar 2022 World Cup ambassador

Cristiano Ronaldo and Renato Sanches were recalled&nbsp;to the Portugal squad after injury on Thursday as&nbsp;coach Fernando Santos urged the two to switch out of &quot;party mode&quot;.

&nbsp;

While naming his players for next month&#39;s World Cup qualifiers, Santos said his players were not fully switched on when they vegan their campaign with a 2-0 defeat in Switzerland,

&nbsp;

&quot;We have to get out of European champion mode, that party mode, that state of relaxation,&quot; Santos told reporters. &quot;That cannot happen again.&quot;

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&quot;We have to remember that the qualifying competition is very different from a tournament. We don`t have 50 days together and the sense of togetherness that goes with it,&quot; he added.

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&quot;We play once a month and then the players go back to their clubs.&quot;

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<h5>I wouldn`t say the team is stronger just because Ronaldo is here but because the other players have played more, have worked more and have trained more. That was one of the problems of the match against Switzerland.&quot;</h5>
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The squad&#39;s captain, Ronaldo, and midfielder Sanches missed the Switzerland match because they had not fully recovered from injuries sustained during Euro 2016.

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But Santos added it was not just their presence that would make Portugal stronger. &quot;I wouldn`t say the team is stronger just because Ronaldo is here but because the other players have played more, have worked more and have trained more. That was one of the problems of the match against Switzerland.&quot;

&nbsp;

Portugal will host Andorra in Aveiro on October&nbsp;7 and visit the Faroes three days later.

&nbsp;

Santos called Faroes a &#39;very well-organised team&#39; and said&nbsp;they would play in a similar manner to Iceland, who held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening match at Euro 2016.

&nbsp;

&quot;They are a very well-organised team. They will cause trouble and we have to be on our guard. If we respect them as we did with our opponents during the Euros, we will win; if we are not careful, we will be left with a bad taste.&quot; he told reporters.

&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Portugal will host Andorra in Aveiro on October?7 and visit the Faroes three days later

Cristiano Ronaldo and Renato Sanches were recalled to the Portugal squad after injury on Thursday as coach Fernando Santos urged the two to switch out of "party mode". While naming his players for next month's World Cup qualifiers, Santos said his players were not fully switched on when they vegan their campaign with a 2-0 defeat in Switzerland, "We have to get out of European champion mode, that party mode, that state of relaxation," Santos told reporters. "That cannot happen again." "We have to remember that the qualifying competition is very different from a tournament. We don`t have 50 days together and the sense of togetherness that goes with it," he added. "We play once a month and then the players go back to their clubs." I wouldn`t say the team is stronger just because Ronaldo is here but because the other players have played more, have worked more and have trained more. That was one of the problems of the match against Switzerland." × The squad's captain, Ronaldo, and midfielder Sanches missed the Switzerland match because they had not fully recovered from injuries sustained during Euro 2016. But Santos added it was not just their presence that would make Portugal stronger. "I wouldn`t say the team is stronger just because Ronaldo is here but because the other players have played more, have worked more and have trained more. That was one of the problems of the match against Switzerland." Portugal will host Andorra in Aveiro on October 7 and visit the Faroes three days later. Santos called Faroes a 'very well-organised team' and said they would play in a similar manner to Iceland, who held Portugal to a 1-1 draw in their opening match at Euro 2016. "They are a very well-organised team. They will cause trouble and we have to be on our guard. If we respect them as we did with our opponents during the Euros, we will win; if we are not careful, we will be left with a bad taste." he told reporters. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Santos recalls Ronaldo and Sanches, asks players to get out of 'party mode'

&nbsp;

Borussia Dortmund&#39;s Andre Schuerrle came off the bench to snatch a late goal as they twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Champions League holders Real Madrid in a compelling Group F encounter on Tuesday.

The Germany international lashed the ball high into the net from inside the area to level in the 87th minute after Raphael Varane had restored Real&#39;s advantage in the 68th.

The France defender&#39;s goal made up for an earlier slip that allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s 17th minute opener towards the end of the first half.

Dortmund and Real each have four points with the Germans top on goal difference, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0.

&quot;My players played very well and I think we deserved a little more but this is not a bad result,&quot; Real coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference after a third successive draw following two in la Liga.

&quot;We suffered a little because Dortmund pressed us a lot, although we knew we were coming to a difficult ground against a difficult opponent.

&quot;The annoying thing is we have now drawn three games but we&#39;re going to turn this around. We&#39;re not going to stop.&quot;

Electric Start

The hosts made an electric start at the Westfalenstadion after Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Buerki with an early free-kick as Gonzalo Castro and Aubameyang each shot straight at Real stopper Keylor Navas and Ousmane Dembele fired over.

Just as a Dortmund opener looked inevitable, Real struck from a perfectly executed counter-attack involving Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which Ronaldo finished off by arrowing the ball into the far corner.

Thomas Tuchel&#39;s side stuck with their game plan of pressing Real high and hitting them with lightning speed, although their equaliser came from a free-kick.

Navas, making his first appearance of the season for Real, weakly punched Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s shot at team mate Varane and the ball trickled towards the goalline where it was helped across by Aubameyang.

The home side kept up the tempo after the break, although Real also grew in confidence.

Bale and Benzema wasted chances before Varane put Zidane&#39;s side ahead again, tapping home after Benzema had crashed a shot against the bar.

Dortmund again raised their game, though, and while Navas turned away two shots from lively substitute Emre Mor, he was powerless to keep out Schuerrle&#39;s rocket.

Dortmund and Real each have four points, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0

Borussia Dortmund's Andre Schuerrle came off the bench to snatch a late goal as they twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with Champions League holders Real Madrid in a compelling Group F encounter on Tuesday. The Germany international lashed the ball high into the net from inside the area to level in the 87th minute after Raphael Varane had restored Real's advantage in the 68th. The France defender's goal made up for an earlier slip that allowed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to cancel out Cristiano Ronaldo's 17th minute opener towards the end of the first half. Dortmund and Real each have four points with the Germans top on goal difference, while Sporting Lisbon are third on three points after beating visitors Legia Warsaw 2-0. "My players played very well and I think we deserved a little more but this is not a bad result," Real coach Zinedine Zidane told a news conference after a third successive draw following two in la Liga. "We suffered a little because Dortmund pressed us a lot, although we knew we were coming to a difficult ground against a difficult opponent. "The annoying thing is we have now drawn three games but we're going to turn this around. We're not going to stop." Electric Start The hosts made an electric start at the Westfalenstadion after Ronaldo tested goalkeeper Roman Buerki with an early free-kick as Gonzalo Castro and Aubameyang each shot straight at Real stopper Keylor Navas and Ousmane Dembele fired over. Just as a Dortmund opener looked inevitable, Real struck from a perfectly executed counter-attack involving Karim Benzema and Gareth Bale which Ronaldo finished off by arrowing the ball into the far corner. Thomas Tuchel's side stuck with their game plan of pressing Real high and hitting them with lightning speed, although their equaliser came from a free-kick. Navas, making his first appearance of the season for Real, weakly punched Raphael Guerreiro's shot at team mate Varane and the ball trickled towards the goalline where it was helped across by Aubameyang. The home side kept up the tempo after the break, although Real also grew in confidence. Bale and Benzema wasted chances before Varane put Zidane's side ahead again, tapping home after Benzema had crashed a shot against the bar. Dortmund again raised their game, though, and while Navas turned away two shots from lively substitute Emre Mor, he was powerless to keep out Schuerrle's rocket.

Dortmund's Schuerrle denies Real Madrid victory in thriller Champions League match

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to beat hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi.

Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic.

The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute.

Barcelona, who had Argentine Messi missing with a groin injury, dominated the game but were made to work hard for their second group win that put them on six points.

The hosts, who managed just one shot on target but gave the Spaniards a run for their money, have zero, having lost both matches so far and ended an 11-match winning streak at home in all competitions.

Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points.

Barca coach Luis Enrique started with Andres Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic, all of whom were rested in the 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon at the weekend.

Despite the absence of Messi, replaced by youngster Paco Alcacer, it was the Spaniards who stamped their authority on the game early on and carved out the first chance with Neymar&#39;s shot from inside the box saved by keeper Yann Sommer after seven minutes.

Luis Suarez should have put them ahead three minutes later when he pounced on a defensive error but he saw his powerful left-footed shot sail narrowly wide.

The Uruguayan was also the recipient of a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Neymar but instead of rifling the ball home he tried a cutback to Alcacer that was cleared.

Gladbach gradually grew in confidence but struggled to get past a Spanish wall when they tried to venture forward.

They scored when forward Raffael, back from injury, gained possession in midfield and launched a quick break with Hazard tapping in from a Mahmoud Dahoud pass.

The Brazilian&#39;s injury in the 48th minute and his substitution took out most of the Gladbach pace.

The introduction of Turan on the hour brought instant results for the Spaniards, with the Turk picking up a Neymar assist in the 65th and drilling the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

Pique then pounced on a weak clearance by Sommer from a Suarez shot to tap in from close range and hand Barcelona a hard-fought victory.

(Reuters)

Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points

Barcelona battled back from a goal down and scored twice in the second half to beat hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach 2-1 in their Champions League Group C match on Wednesday despite the absence of the injured Lionel Messi. Second-half goals from substitute Arda Turan and Gerard Pique gave the Spaniards their second win in two group matches to top the standings, after their opening 7-0 demolition of Celtic. The hard-working Germans had taken a surprising lead, scoring against the run of play, with Thorgan Hazard slotting in to complete a quick break in the 34th minute. Barcelona, who had Argentine Messi missing with a groin injury, dominated the game but were made to work hard for their second group win that put them on six points. The hosts, who managed just one shot on target but gave the Spaniards a run for their money, have zero, having lost both matches so far and ended an 11-match winning streak at home in all competitions. Manchester City drew with Celtic 3-3 in the other group game to stay second on four points. Barca coach Luis Enrique started with Andres Iniesta, Javier Mascherano, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic, all of whom were rested in the 5-0 thrashing of Sporting Gijon at the weekend. Despite the absence of Messi, replaced by youngster Paco Alcacer, it was the Spaniards who stamped their authority on the game early on and carved out the first chance with Neymar's shot from inside the box saved by keeper Yann Sommer after seven minutes. Luis Suarez should have put them ahead three minutes later when he pounced on a defensive error but he saw his powerful left-footed shot sail narrowly wide. The Uruguayan was also the recipient of a brilliant defence-splitting pass from Neymar but instead of rifling the ball home he tried a cutback to Alcacer that was cleared. Gladbach gradually grew in confidence but struggled to get past a Spanish wall when they tried to venture forward. They scored when forward Raffael, back from injury, gained possession in midfield and launched a quick break with Hazard tapping in from a Mahmoud Dahoud pass. The Brazilian's injury in the 48th minute and his substitution took out most of the Gladbach pace. The introduction of Turan on the hour brought instant results for the Spaniards, with the Turk picking up a Neymar assist in the 65th and drilling the ball into the roof of the net from a tight angle. Pique then pounced on a weak clearance by Sommer from a Suarez shot to tap in from close range and hand Barcelona a hard-fought victory. (Reuters)

Champions League: Barcelona beat Gladbach 2-1

England&#39;s&nbsp;Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday that England&nbsp;manager Sam Allardyce had been asked to go&nbsp;after he was found negotiating a deal with a group of bogus Far East businessmen looking to get around FA and FIFA rules on player transfers.

British newspaper The&nbsp;Daily&nbsp;Telegraph conducted a sting operation in which Allardyce revealed England&#39;s failings to businessmen with interests in Hong Kong and Singapore, Reuters reported.&nbsp;

The deal with the bogus Far East frim&nbsp;was worth 400,000 pounds ($520,840).&nbsp;

&quot;Allardyce&#39;s conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgement and has apologised,&quot; AFP reported the FA as&nbsp;saying.&nbsp;

&quot;However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect,&quot;&nbsp;the FA announced on Tuesday.&nbsp;

&quot;This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA&#39;s priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football,&quot; the FA was quoted as saying by Reuters.&nbsp;

Gareth Southgate will be in charge for the next four matches while the FA looking for a replacement for Allardyce.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The Telegraph investigation claimed he offered advice to a bogus group of Far East businessmen on how to get around player transfer rules

England's Football Association (FA) announced on Tuesday that England manager Sam Allardyce had been asked to go after he was found negotiating a deal with a group of bogus Far East businessmen looking to get around FA and FIFA rules on player transfers. British newspaper The Daily Telegraph conducted a sting operation in which Allardyce revealed England's failings to businessmen with interests in Hong Kong and Singapore, Reuters reported. The deal with the bogus Far East frim was worth 400,000 pounds ($520,840). "Allardyce's conduct, as reported today, was inappropriate of the England manager. He accepts he made a significant error of judgement and has apologised," AFP reported the FA as saying. "However, due to the serious nature of his actions, The FA and Allardyce have mutually agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect," the FA announced on Tuesday. "This is not a decision that was taken lightly but The FA's priority is to protect the wider interests of the game and maintain the highest standards of conduct in football," the FA was quoted as saying by Reuters. Gareth Southgate will be in charge for the next four matches while the FA looking for a replacement for Allardyce. (WION with inputs from agencies)

England manager Sam Allardyce sacked after newspaper sting

&nbsp;

The Football Association was hit by a new scandal hours after England&nbsp;manager Sam Allardyce was sacked.

The British newspaper The Daily Telegraph has alleged&nbsp;that&nbsp;eight current and former Premier League managers received&nbsp;&#39;bungs&#39; or illicit payements&nbsp;for player transfers.

The newspaper filmed football&nbsp;agents boasting about how many managers they had paid off.

The newspaper said it would hand over the evidence it had gathered to the FA and the police.&nbsp;

The newspaper also described other corruption allegations.&nbsp;It alleged that two managers of second-tier clubs had also accepted payments and that another manager was known to demand kickbacks from his own players in return&nbsp;for increasing their wages.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The Daily Telegraph alleged that 8 eight current & former Premier League managers had taken 'bungs' (illicit payments) for player transfers

The Football Association was hit by a new scandal hours after England manager Sam Allardyce was sacked. The British newspaper The Daily Telegraph has alleged that eight current and former Premier League managers received 'bungs' or illicit payements for player transfers. The newspaper filmed football agents boasting about how many managers they had paid off. The newspaper said it would hand over the evidence it had gathered to the FA and the police. The newspaper also described other corruption allegations. It alleged that two managers of second-tier clubs had also accepted payments and that another manager was known to demand kickbacks from his own players in return for increasing their wages. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Hours after Allardyce sacking, FA hit by another scandal

Burnley struck either side of halftime through Jeff Hendrick and Michael Keane to claim a 2-0 Premier League home win over Watford in the first top-flight meeting of the two clubs on Monday.

Forward Hendrick broke the deadlock before defender Keane wrapped up the victory to lift the Clarets into 13th spot where they joined five clubs on seven points from six games, including 11th-placed Watford who they trail on goal difference.

Steven Defour laid on both goals with Hendrick heading home his corner in the 38th minute and Keane rising to nod in the winger&#39;s left wing cross five minutes into the second half.

Watford were aiming for a third straight league win but could not find the form that helped them comfortably beat Manchester United 3-1 and West Ham United 4-2. 
 
(Reuters)

Forward Hendrick broke the deadlock before defender Keane wrapped up the victory to lift the Clarets into 13th spot

Burnley struck either side of halftime through Jeff Hendrick and Michael Keane to claim a 2-0 Premier League home win over Watford in the first top-flight meeting of the two clubs on Monday. Forward Hendrick broke the deadlock before defender Keane wrapped up the victory to lift the Clarets into 13th spot where they joined five clubs on seven points from six games, including 11th-placed Watford who they trail on goal difference. Steven Defour laid on both goals with Hendrick heading home his corner in the 38th minute and Keane rising to nod in the winger's left wing cross five minutes into the second half. Watford were aiming for a third straight league win but could not find the form that helped them comfortably beat Manchester United 3-1 and West Ham United 4-2. (Reuters)

Premier League: Burnley beat Watford 2-0

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho said on Saturday that he was fit to play after his manager Juergen Klopp said last week that he needed time to get back on the&nbsp;field. 
 
The 26-year-old, who was banned for failing a drug test in April, posted on Snapchat that his fans deserve to know the truth about his situation. 
 
&quot;I accept my situation but I can&#39;t accept the lie. The fans deserve to know the truth. Now it&rsquo;s three weeks since I am fit to play games. I finish all my rehabilitation work. They don&#39;t want me to play also with second team lol! Why, I don&rsquo;t know,&quot; Sakho wrote on Snapchat at 3.05am local time on Saturday. 
 
&quot;Still working hard like Scouse Soldier! Still not talking cos I want speak on pitch,&quot; he said. &quot;I will speak soon for the people who support me and don&rsquo;t understand the situation. 
 
&quot;Still happy to live in my &#39;Liverpool Country&#39; with my family, hope to have chance to play soon to give my best like I try to do always!&quot; 
 
&quot;(He is) still working on (his fitness),&quot; said Klopp. &quot;It&#39;s not about how the player feels. It&#39;s about how I feel and how close the player is. That needs time. It&rsquo;s a long, long time that he didn&#39;t play, for sure.&quot; The sanction was lifted by UEFA but the centre-back has not played since April. 
 
Sakho removed the Snapchat posts early on Saturday morning, Sky Sports reported. 
 
It looks increasingly unlikely that the Frenchman will get that chance, The Guardian said on Saturday. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Says he will expose 'the lie' about his situation at the club

Liverpool defender Mamadou Sakho said on Saturday that he was fit to play after his manager Juergen Klopp said last week that he needed time to get back on the field. The 26-year-old, who was banned for failing a drug test in April, posted on Snapchat that his fans deserve to know the truth about his situation. "I accept my situation but I can't accept the lie. The fans deserve to know the truth. Now it’s three weeks since I am fit to play games. I finish all my rehabilitation work. They don't want me to play also with second team lol! Why, I don’t know," Sakho wrote on Snapchat at 3.05am local time on Saturday. "Still working hard like Scouse Soldier! Still not talking cos I want speak on pitch," he said. "I will speak soon for the people who support me and don’t understand the situation. "Still happy to live in my 'Liverpool Country' with my family, hope to have chance to play soon to give my best like I try to do always!" "(He is) still working on (his fitness)," said Klopp. "It's not about how the player feels. It's about how I feel and how close the player is. That needs time. It’s a long, long time that he didn't play, for sure." The sanction was lifted by UEFA but the centre-back has not played since April. Sakho removed the Snapchat posts early on Saturday morning, Sky Sports reported. It looks increasingly unlikely that the Frenchman will get that chance, The Guardian said on Saturday. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Liverpool's Sakho courts controversy with Snapchat outburst

Manchester United dismantled Premier League champions Leicester in a ruthless 20-minute burst as Jose Mourinho&#39;s decision to drop Wayne Rooney was rewarded with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford on Saturday. 
 
Leicester imploded defensively as United racked up four goals between the 22nd and 42nd minutes. 
 
It was a stylish display from a United side who had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games, against Manchester City and Watford, with Chris Smalling opening the scoring after replacing Rooney as captain. 
 
Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, with his first United goal following his world record &pound;89 million ($115 million, 102 million euros) arrival from Juventus, were also on target after England captain Rooney was dropped to the substitutes&#39; bench. 
 
But it was a chastening afternoon for Leicester despite an improved second-half display and a brilliant consolation goal from half-time substitute Demarai Gray. 
 
It was the second successive Premier League away game in which Leicester had shipped four goals after doing so at Liverpool two weeks ago. 
 
Leicester held their own early on with Robert Huth lashing a shot just over but it was United who edged in front in the 22nd minute after some neat play wide on the left had forced a corner. 
 
It was delivered by Daley Blind and Smalling escaped the United defence to power home a header from six yards. 
 
Rashford should have doubled United&#39;s lead moments later when Leicester squandered possession and Zlatan Ibrahimovic galloped forwards and squared for the teenager. 
 
But Rashford&#39;s first touch was heavy and his shot flew over. 
 
Ibrahimovic then went close to a goal after collecting a fabulous pass by Pogba, but the Swede&#39;s effort on the turn just cleared the bar. 
 
Next it was Pogba&#39;s turn to let fly with an outrageous effort from 30 yards that bent towards the top corner but was forced away by Leicester goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. 
 
United finally added a second goal as they turned on the style eight minutes before half-time. 
 
Ander Herrera started the move with a fine ball to Mata before a clever pass by Pogba and a fine flick by Jesse Lingard allowed Mata to blast past Zieler. 
 
And the third goal arrived just two minutes later as Leicester handed a chance to Rashford which the youngster snapped up. 
 
The visitors were caught napping as Blind took a quick corner and Mata was free to square for an unmarked Rashford to finish from close range. 
 
Double change&nbsp;

It was 4-0 before half-time as another corner by Blind was headed in by Pogba as he leapt above Christian Fuchs. 
 
Leicester made a double change at half-time with key duo Vardy and Riyad Mahrez withdrawn ahead of the Champions League meeting with FC Porto on Tuesday. 
 
And they almost had some joy when David De Gea dived at the feet of Islam Slimani but gifted possession back to the visitors with a poor throw. 
 
Fuchs wasted the chance, however, with a poor cross. 
 
And at the other end Mata tried to add his second goal with a firm shot that Zieler parried well. 
 
It was one of the half-time substitutes who salvaged a modicum of respectability for Leicester with a goal of real quality on the hour-mark. 
 
Gray collected a crossfield pass from Daniel Amartey and cut inside Lingard before lashing a brilliant shot past a helpless De Gea from 25 yards. 
 
But United were soon back on the attack as Zieler made a smart save from Ibrahimovic. 
 
Two more Leicester substitutes combined for what should have been a second goal but Andy King produced a tame shot from a Jeff Schlupp cross and De Gea saved easily. 
 
Gray then went within a whisker of replicating his stunning goal with an almost identical effort which De Gea scrambled back to push over the bar. 
 
(AFP)

The United side had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games

Manchester United dismantled Premier League champions Leicester in a ruthless 20-minute burst as Jose Mourinho's decision to drop Wayne Rooney was rewarded with a 4-1 win at Old Trafford on Saturday. Leicester imploded defensively as United racked up four goals between the 22nd and 42nd minutes. It was a stylish display from a United side who had entered the game under pressure after losing their last two league games, against Manchester City and Watford, with Chris Smalling opening the scoring after replacing Rooney as captain. Juan Mata, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba, with his first United goal following his world record £89 million ($115 million, 102 million euros) arrival from Juventus, were also on target after England captain Rooney was dropped to the substitutes' bench. But it was a chastening afternoon for Leicester despite an improved second-half display and a brilliant consolation goal from half-time substitute Demarai Gray. It was the second successive Premier League away game in which Leicester had shipped four goals after doing so at Liverpool two weeks ago. Leicester held their own early on with Robert Huth lashing a shot just over but it was United who edged in front in the 22nd minute after some neat play wide on the left had forced a corner. It was delivered by Daley Blind and Smalling escaped the United defence to power home a header from six yards. Rashford should have doubled United's lead moments later when Leicester squandered possession and Zlatan Ibrahimovic galloped forwards and squared for the teenager. But Rashford's first touch was heavy and his shot flew over. Ibrahimovic then went close to a goal after collecting a fabulous pass by Pogba, but the Swede's effort on the turn just cleared the bar. Next it was Pogba's turn to let fly with an outrageous effort from 30 yards that bent towards the top corner but was forced away by Leicester goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler. United finally added a second goal as they turned on the style eight minutes before half-time. Ander Herrera started the move with a fine ball to Mata before a clever pass by Pogba and a fine flick by Jesse Lingard allowed Mata to blast past Zieler. And the third goal arrived just two minutes later as Leicester handed a chance to Rashford which the youngster snapped up. The visitors were caught napping as Blind took a quick corner and Mata was free to square for an unmarked Rashford to finish from close range. Double change It was 4-0 before half-time as another corner by Blind was headed in by Pogba as he leapt above Christian Fuchs. Leicester made a double change at half-time with key duo Vardy and Riyad Mahrez withdrawn ahead of the Champions League meeting with FC Porto on Tuesday. And they almost had some joy when David De Gea dived at the feet of Islam Slimani but gifted possession back to the visitors with a poor throw. Fuchs wasted the chance, however, with a poor cross. And at the other end Mata tried to add his second goal with a firm shot that Zieler parried well. It was one of the half-time substitutes who salvaged a modicum of respectability for Leicester with a goal of real quality on the hour-mark. Gray collected a crossfield pass from Daniel Amartey and cut inside Lingard before lashing a brilliant shot past a helpless De Gea from 25 yards. But United were soon back on the attack as Zieler made a smart save from Ibrahimovic. Two more Leicester substitutes combined for what should have been a second goal but Andy King produced a tame shot from a Jeff Schlupp cross and De Gea saved easily. Gray then went within a whisker of replicating his stunning goal with an almost identical effort which De Gea scrambled back to push over the bar. (AFP)

EPL: United thrash Leicester 4-1 without Rooney

A case of fraud against Brazilian superstar Neymar and his father in relation to the player&#39;s 2013 transfer to Barcelona was re-opened on Friday following a successful appeal by Spanish prosecutors, a court filing showed. 
 
In July, a judge ruled that irregularities in the high-profile transfer were detected, but said it was an issue for a civil court, not a criminal court to settle. 
 
However, prosecutors successfully argued the player and his father were aware of potentially fraudulent dealings between Barcelona and his former club Santos to the detriment of DIS, a Brazilian investment company who owned 40 per cent of the player&#39;s sporting rights at the time of the transfer. 
 
(AFP)

Following a successful appeal by Spanish prosecutors, a fraud case against Neymar opened in relation to his 2013 transfer to Barcelona

A case of fraud against Brazilian superstar Neymar and his father in relation to the player's 2013 transfer to Barcelona was re-opened on Friday following a successful appeal by Spanish prosecutors, a court filing showed. In July, a judge ruled that irregularities in the high-profile transfer were detected, but said it was an issue for a civil court, not a criminal court to settle. However, prosecutors successfully argued the player and his father were aware of potentially fraudulent dealings between Barcelona and his former club Santos to the detriment of DIS, a Brazilian investment company who owned 40 per cent of the player's sporting rights at the time of the transfer. (AFP)

Spain reopens Neymar fraud case

Ivory Coast&#39;s Yaya Toure has announced his decision to retire from international football on Tuesday. 
 
&quot;Writing this note was probably &#39;the most difficult match of my life&#39;,&quot; read a statement by him. 
 
&quot;After 14 years at the highest level, I`m sure this is the right time for me! The fact that I am 33 now, the intensity of training and the multitude of games are not the reasons why I am making this decision,&quot; Toure wrote. 
 
&quot;Football is everything to me and it gave me so much in my career that I no longer feel able to set myself new goals as a player with the Elephants of Ivory Coast.&quot; 
 
Captain of his national team, Toure made his debut in 2004. He has since then made 113 appearances for Ivory Coast. He captained his country to an Africa Cup of Nations win in 2015. The versatile African also helped his country finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012 editions of Africa Cup of Nations.&nbsp; 
 
The current Manchester City midfielder has been facing a tough time to get into Pep Guardiola&#39;s starting XI. 
 
Speaking some time after Toure announced his retirement, Guardiola said he could play for City only after he apologised to the team for comments made by his agent. 
 
Toure&#39;s manager Dimitri Seluk had said Guardiola should &quot;apologise&quot; to Toure if his team failed to win the championship this season. 
 
(WION)

The Ivory Coast midfielder helped his country win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015

Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure has announced his decision to retire from international football on Tuesday. "Writing this note was probably 'the most difficult match of my life'," read a statement by him. "After 14 years at the highest level, I`m sure this is the right time for me! The fact that I am 33 now, the intensity of training and the multitude of games are not the reasons why I am making this decision," Toure wrote. "Football is everything to me and it gave me so much in my career that I no longer feel able to set myself new goals as a player with the Elephants of Ivory Coast." Captain of his national team, Toure made his debut in 2004. He has since then made 113 appearances for Ivory Coast. He captained his country to an Africa Cup of Nations win in 2015. The versatile African also helped his country finish runner-up in 2006 and 2012 editions of Africa Cup of Nations. The current Manchester City midfielder has been facing a tough time to get into Pep Guardiola's starting XI. Speaking some time after Toure announced his retirement, Guardiola said he could play for City only after he apologised to the team for comments made by his agent. Toure's manager Dimitri Seluk had said Guardiola should "apologise" to Toure if his team failed to win the championship this season. (WION)

Yaya Toure announces retirement from international football

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will return to action for Real Madrid&#39;s La Liga game with Villarreal on Wednesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said. 
 
Ronaldo, Real&#39;s all-time top scorer, missed Sunday&#39;s 2-0 win at Espanyol with a sore throat while record signing Bale was out with a hip injury sustained in the Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon. 
 
&quot;They are both well, they trained normally and are both 100 per cent,&quot; Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the&nbsp;game with Villarreal, who are unbeaten this season having won two and drawn two of their four games. 
 
The return of Bale and Ronaldo means Zidane will be able to start with his first choice front three, Bale, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, for the first time in a league game this season. 
 
Veteran defender Pepe, however, will miss out after finishing the Espanyol game injured and goalkeeper Keylor Navas has still not recovered from surgery on his Achilles. 
 
Real are top of La Liga and are the only team in the top flight to have won all four of their opening games. 
 
Despite equalling a La Liga record of 16 consecutive wins last Sunday in beating Espanyol, however, Zidane&#39;s side have been criticised by Spanish media for their uninspiring performances. 
 
The European champions needed an 89th-minute equaliser and a stoppage-time winner to beat Sporting last week in the Champions League&nbsp;and had nervous moments against Espanyol before Benzema sealed the points. 
 
Zidane, however, shrugged off the negative comments. 
 
&quot;Criticism is expected here, you know when you are a player or coach here that you will face greater demands than anywhere else, you know that when you sign for Real Madrid,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;You can always improve whether you&#39;re a player or a coach but we are doing pretty well,&quot; the Frenchman added. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re going to try and improve our play and keep a clean sheet. But we know we&#39;ll have a very difficult game at home, against a very good side who are unbeaten, so we&#39;ll have to prepare for the game well.&quot; 
 
(Reuters)

Ronaldo missed Sunday's 2-0 win at Espanyol with a sore throat while Bale was out with a hip injury

Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale will return to action for Real Madrid's La Liga game with Villarreal on Wednesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said. Ronaldo, Real's all-time top scorer, missed Sunday's 2-0 win at Espanyol with a sore throat while record signing Bale was out with a hip injury sustained in the Champions League win over Sporting Lisbon. "They are both well, they trained normally and are both 100 per cent," Zidane told a news conference on Tuesday ahead of the game with Villarreal, who are unbeaten this season having won two and drawn two of their four games. The return of Bale and Ronaldo means Zidane will be able to start with his first choice front three, Bale, Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, for the first time in a league game this season. Veteran defender Pepe, however, will miss out after finishing the Espanyol game injured and goalkeeper Keylor Navas has still not recovered from surgery on his Achilles. Real are top of La Liga and are the only team in the top flight to have won all four of their opening games. Despite equalling a La Liga record of 16 consecutive wins last Sunday in beating Espanyol, however, Zidane's side have been criticised by Spanish media for their uninspiring performances. The European champions needed an 89th-minute equaliser and a stoppage-time winner to beat Sporting last week in the Champions League and had nervous moments against Espanyol before Benzema sealed the points. Zidane, however, shrugged off the negative comments. "Criticism is expected here, you know when you are a player or coach here that you will face greater demands than anywhere else, you know that when you sign for Real Madrid," he said. "You can always improve whether you're a player or a coach but we are doing pretty well," the Frenchman added. "We're going to try and improve our play and keep a clean sheet. But we know we'll have a very difficult game at home, against a very good side who are unbeaten, so we'll have to prepare for the game well." (Reuters)

Ronaldo and Bale to make Real return against Villarreal

Midfielder Dele Alli has signed a new deal with Tottenham Hotspur which will keep him at the north London club till 2022, the Premier League side said on Monday. 
 
The 20-year-old, who had also signed a contract extension in January, enjoyed an excellent season last campaign, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists in 46 matches. 
 
The former Milton Keynes Dons midfielder picked up the Professional Footballers&#39; Association Young Player of the Year award and was also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year last season. 
 
Ali&#39;s dazzling performances at Spurs also earned the midfielder his England cap last October and he was part of the country&#39;s Euro 2016 squad. 
 
(Reuters)

The former Milton Keynes Dons midfielder picked up the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year award

Midfielder Dele Alli has signed a new deal with Tottenham Hotspur which will keep him at the north London club till 2022, the Premier League side said on Monday. The 20-year-old, who had also signed a contract extension in January, enjoyed an excellent season last campaign, scoring 10 goals and providing 11 assists in 46 matches. The former Milton Keynes Dons midfielder picked up the Professional Footballers' Association Young Player of the Year award and was also named in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year last season. Ali's dazzling performances at Spurs also earned the midfielder his England cap last October and he was part of the country's Euro 2016 squad. (Reuters)

Tottenham midfielder Alli extends contract until 2022

Legia Warsaw has sacked head coach Besnik Hasi in just over three months after a run of poor results left the Polish champions sitting third-from-bottom in the league table after nine games. 
 
In his short tenure, the 44-year-old Albanian, who was appointed in June, led the club into the Champions League group stage, the first time in 20 years a Polish club made an appearance in Europe&#39;s elite club competition. 
 
However, Legia lost 6-0 at home to German side Borussia Dortmund, their biggest loss in Europe, and are facing possible sanctions from UEFA for crowd trouble. 
 
European governing body will take the decision on September 28. 
 
Assistant coach Aleksandar Vukovic will act as caretaker manager while the club searches for Hasi&#39;s replacement. 
 
&quot;The assistant coach Aleksandar Vukovic will be a caretaker as of Monday,&quot; club said. 
 
(Reuters)

Hasi was sacked after a run of poor results left the Polish champions sitting third-from-bottom in the league table after nine games

Legia Warsaw has sacked head coach Besnik Hasi in just over three months after a run of poor results left the Polish champions sitting third-from-bottom in the league table after nine games. In his short tenure, the 44-year-old Albanian, who was appointed in June, led the club into the Champions League group stage, the first time in 20 years a Polish club made an appearance in Europe's elite club competition. However, Legia lost 6-0 at home to German side Borussia Dortmund, their biggest loss in Europe, and are facing possible sanctions from UEFA for crowd trouble. European governing body will take the decision on September 28. Assistant coach Aleksandar Vukovic will act as caretaker manager while the club searches for Hasi's replacement. "The assistant coach Aleksandar Vukovic will be a caretaker as of Monday," club said. (Reuters)

Legia Warsaw sack coach Hasi after three months

Paul Gascoigne, the former England footballer, has pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence over a &#39;joke&#39; he made during a show. 
 
The 49-year-old admitted using &quot;threatening or abusive words or behaviour&quot; during his &#39;An Evening With Gazza&#39; show on November 30 last year. 
 
He had previously denied the accusation, but changed his plea before the first witness was called to give evidence on Monday. 
 
Following Gascoigne&#39;s guilty plea, district judge Graham Wilkinson said the former midfielder, who has played for Everton, Middlesbrough and Italian club Lazio, had admitted to &quot;the sort of insidious racism&quot; that needed to be challenged. 
 
The judge said Gascoigne would face a financial penalty for the offence, details of which had yet to be announced in court. 
 
Gascoigne retired from football in 2005. 
 
Since his retirement Gascoigne has struggled with alcohol and has been in rehab several times. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP)

The 49-year-old admitted using 'threatening or abusive words or behaviour' during his 'An Evening With Gazza' show last year

Paul Gascoigne, the former England footballer, has pleaded guilty to a racially aggravated public order offence over a 'joke' he made during a show. The 49-year-old admitted using "threatening or abusive words or behaviour" during his 'An Evening With Gazza' show on November 30 last year. He had previously denied the accusation, but changed his plea before the first witness was called to give evidence on Monday. Following Gascoigne's guilty plea, district judge Graham Wilkinson said the former midfielder, who has played for Everton, Middlesbrough and Italian club Lazio, had admitted to "the sort of insidious racism" that needed to be challenged. The judge said Gascoigne would face a financial penalty for the offence, details of which had yet to be announced in court. Gascoigne retired from football in 2005. Since his retirement Gascoigne has struggled with alcohol and has been in rehab several times. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Gazza pleads guilty to racism offence

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. 
 
Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday&#39;s big match. 
 
It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. 
 
The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. 
 
Although the &#39;Special One&#39; did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. 
 
For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford&#39;s harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. 
 
Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. 
 
Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. 
 
&quot;It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve,&quot; the Portuguese told reporters. 
 
United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. 
 
A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. 
 
Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. 
 
Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. 
 
(Reuters)

This is the first time United manager Jose Mourinho has lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006

Watford dealt Manchester United a third successive defeat in eight days with a deserved 3-1 Premier League win that left Jose Mourinho raging at a rare run of failure. Goals from Etienne Capoue, Juan Zuniga and a stoppage time penalty from Troy Deeney overwhelmed the visitors, who had levelled with a solitary strike from Marcus Rashford, in Sunday's big match. It was the first time Watford had beaten United since 1986. The Premier League said it was also the first time Mourinho had lost three consecutive games as a manager since 2006. Although the 'Special One' did suffer three successive defeats at Chelsea in 2015, before he was sacked by the Londoners, one of those was on penalties after a draw in the Capital One (League) Cup. For all their possession, United were unsettled by Watford's harrying game and went behind on 32 minutes after Anthony Martial, still groggy from an earlier clash of heads, was robbed by Miguel Britos. Daryl Janmaat picked up the ball and crossed for Capoue to fire his fourth goal of the season. Mourinho said his expensively-assembled team had to improve but also suggested the referee should have blown for a foul in the lead-up to the goal. "It was an obvious situation but it is something I cannot control. I cannot improve the referees or officials and luck will arrive when she wants to. But, yes, individual performances have to improve," the Portuguese told reporters. United lost the derby to Manchester City last weekend and were then beaten by Feyenoord in their midweek Europa League clash. A half-time switch, which pushed Wayne Rooney further forward, settled United and they equalised on 62 minutes when Rashford scrambled the ball home after his header bounced back to him off a defender. Watford keeper Heurelho Gomes denied Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a flying save but United always looked vulnerable and Zuniga scored from a cutback by Roberto Pereyra less than a minute after coming on. Zuniga was then brought down by Marouane Fellaini inside the area late on to allow Deeney to score from the spot. (Reuters)

Watford condemns Manchester United to third straight defeat

A stunning strike from Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool secure a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Friday that ended the London club&#39;s unbeaten start to the season. 
 
Liverpool largely dominated the encounter and took a 2-0 lead after Dejan Lovren was left unmarked to steer home the opener and Henderson bent the ball into the top corner from 30 metres to put the visitors in command at halftime. 
 
Chelsea fought back after the break when Diego Costa sidefooted home from close range after 61 minutes but there was little further goalmouth action as Liverpool comfortably held on. 
 
The win moved Liverpool level with Chelsea on 10 points after five games and prevented the Londoners from going top of the table ahead of the remaining weekend fixtures. 
 
Liverpool were sharper from the start than Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea, who seemed content to sit deep and invite pressure from the visitors, who happily set up camp in the hosts&#39; half in the opening stages. 
 
Daniel Sturridge threatened after only two minutes, curling a shot from the edge of the area that slipped from keeper Thibaut Courtois&#39;s grasp and almost trickled over the line, but it was not long before Liverpool grabbed the lead. 
 
Typically of a sluggish Chelsea performance, Liverpool opened the scoring by catching the hosts napping at the back. 
 
A free kick found its way to Philippe Coutinho and his deep cross found four Liverpool players unmarked at the far post, with Lovren applying a cool side-footed finish past Courtois. 
 
Rather than prompt a Chelsea response, the hosts seemed to retreat further into their shell, making sporadic forays upfield but rarely threatening Liverpool&#39;s goal. 
 
Their only half chance of the opening 45 minutes came when Willian&#39;s inswinging free-kick was headed over by David Luiz, making his second debut for Chelsea having returned to the club from Paris St Germain. 
 
Henderson&#39;s stunning second arrived after 36 minutes and was a fully deserved reflection of Liverpool&#39;s first half dominance. 
 
Gary Cahill cleared the ball to Henderson 30 metres from goal and he took aim before curling beautifully into the top corner. 
 
Having been completely outplayed in the first half, Chelsea came out fighting after the break and pulled themselves back into the game on 61 minutes when Costa grabbed his fifth Premier League goal of the season. 
 
Nemanja Matic, anonymous in the first half, did brilliantly to carry the ball to the byline and pull back for Costa to sidefoot past Simon Mignolet and wake the home crowd. 
 
The striker then had a great chance to level four minutes later, swivelling on the ball before shooting straight at Mignolet from 15 metres, but if Chelsea were hoping to lay siege to the Liverpool goal in the closing stages, it never materialised. 
 
(Reuters)

Liverpool secured a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Friday that ended the London club's unbeaten start to the season

A stunning strike from Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool secure a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Friday that ended the London club's unbeaten start to the season. Liverpool largely dominated the encounter and took a 2-0 lead after Dejan Lovren was left unmarked to steer home the opener and Henderson bent the ball into the top corner from 30 metres to put the visitors in command at halftime. Chelsea fought back after the break when Diego Costa sidefooted home from close range after 61 minutes but there was little further goalmouth action as Liverpool comfortably held on. The win moved Liverpool level with Chelsea on 10 points after five games and prevented the Londoners from going top of the table ahead of the remaining weekend fixtures. Liverpool were sharper from the start than Antonio Conte's Chelsea, who seemed content to sit deep and invite pressure from the visitors, who happily set up camp in the hosts' half in the opening stages. Daniel Sturridge threatened after only two minutes, curling a shot from the edge of the area that slipped from keeper Thibaut Courtois's grasp and almost trickled over the line, but it was not long before Liverpool grabbed the lead. Typically of a sluggish Chelsea performance, Liverpool opened the scoring by catching the hosts napping at the back. A free kick found its way to Philippe Coutinho and his deep cross found four Liverpool players unmarked at the far post, with Lovren applying a cool side-footed finish past Courtois. Rather than prompt a Chelsea response, the hosts seemed to retreat further into their shell, making sporadic forays upfield but rarely threatening Liverpool's goal. Their only half chance of the opening 45 minutes came when Willian's inswinging free-kick was headed over by David Luiz, making his second debut for Chelsea having returned to the club from Paris St Germain. Henderson's stunning second arrived after 36 minutes and was a fully deserved reflection of Liverpool's first half dominance. Gary Cahill cleared the ball to Henderson 30 metres from goal and he took aim before curling beautifully into the top corner. Having been completely outplayed in the first half, Chelsea came out fighting after the break and pulled themselves back into the game on 61 minutes when Costa grabbed his fifth Premier League goal of the season. Nemanja Matic, anonymous in the first half, did brilliantly to carry the ball to the byline and pull back for Costa to sidefoot past Simon Mignolet and wake the home crowd. The striker then had a great chance to level four minutes later, swivelling on the ball before shooting straight at Mignolet from 15 metres, but if Chelsea were hoping to lay siege to the Liverpool goal in the closing stages, it never materialised. (Reuters)

Jordan Henderson's stunning strike helps Liverpool beat Chelsea

David Silva is almost certain to miss Manchester City&rsquo;s home game against Bournemouth, but midfielder Ilkay Guendogan may make his Premier League debut. 
 
Silva has featured in all of City&#39;s Premier League games this season, but missed Wednesday night&rsquo;s 4-0 win over Borussia M?nchengladbach due to a knock he received in training. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t think it&#39;s a big problem but it happened two days ago so I don&#39;t think he&#39;ll be able to play,&quot; manager Pep Guardiola told reporters on Friday. 
 
New signing Guendogan replaced Silva against Monchengladbach, making his first appearance for the club following a dislocated knee. 
 
&quot;I am thinking about it (playing Guendogan),&quot; said Guardiola. &quot;He played good but we cannot forget he comes from a long-term injury. 
 
&quot;Vincent Kompany is close (to a return) but not there yet. We need him,&quot; he added. 
 
Despite winning all four league games this season, Guardiola said City needed to improve the defensive side of their game. 
 
&quot;To win many games in a row in the Premier League is complicated. I am never satisfied,&quot; the Spaniard explained. 
 
&quot;Defensively we need to adjust small details. We still need a few things to improve but right now we are happy.&quot; 
 
Guardiola also hinted that striker Sergio Aguero, who has netted nine goals in five games in all competitions this season, is close to signing a new deal. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t know if I&#39;m the right person to talk about that. I think he&#39;s going to extend the contract but it&#39;s not official,&quot; said the manager. 
 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Silva was rested on Wednesday's 4-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach as a precaution after developing a minor injury in training

David Silva is almost certain to miss Manchester City’s home game against Bournemouth, but midfielder Ilkay Guendogan may make his Premier League debut. Silva has featured in all of City's Premier League games this season, but missed Wednesday night’s 4-0 win over Borussia M?nchengladbach due to a knock he received in training. "I don't think it's a big problem but it happened two days ago so I don't think he'll be able to play," manager Pep Guardiola told reporters on Friday. New signing Guendogan replaced Silva against Monchengladbach, making his first appearance for the club following a dislocated knee. "I am thinking about it (playing Guendogan)," said Guardiola. "He played good but we cannot forget he comes from a long-term injury. "Vincent Kompany is close (to a return) but not there yet. We need him," he added. Despite winning all four league games this season, Guardiola said City needed to improve the defensive side of their game. "To win many games in a row in the Premier League is complicated. I am never satisfied," the Spaniard explained. "Defensively we need to adjust small details. We still need a few things to improve but right now we are happy." Guardiola also hinted that striker Sergio Aguero, who has netted nine goals in five games in all competitions this season, is close to signing a new deal. "I don't know if I'm the right person to talk about that. I think he's going to extend the contract but it's not official," said the manager. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Silva may miss out for Man City but Guendogan set to play

Football tensions mounted and patriotic hopes rose Sunday ahead of the Euro 2016 final between hosts France and Portugal that will unleash a clash between one of the world&#39;s greatest ever players Cristiano Ronaldo and would-be pretender Antoine Griezmann. 
 
After 50 matches over a month of football that has seen stunning shocks by Iceland and Wales, Ronaldo is counting on his side to produce one more upset so he can finally win an international trophy. 
 
Portugal will have to beat a French side who have found new inspiration from Griezmann, the tournament&#39;s leading scorer with six goals and will be willed on by a nation longing to rediscover the feelgood factor. 
 
With the country still on terrorist alert after the November 13 attacks in which 130 people died, more than 3,400 police will be on the Champs Elysees in Paris alone when the match starts at the Stade de France at 1900 GMT. 
 
National flags hung from apartment blocks and homes in cities across France and Portugal as football fever mounted. 
 
The buildup to Euro 2016 was clouded by fears that the tournament would be targeted by jihadists after 130 people were killed in terror attacks on Paris in November. 
 
&quot;The French people needed to find their way again,&quot; President Francois Hollande said in a commentary on the wave of support for the national team that has been in disgrace in recent years. 
 
&quot;We saw it at the time of the attacks. We came together in the dramas, we had to find ourselves in the happiness, to come together.&quot;Rival coaches Didier Deschamps of France and Fernando Santos of Portugal have been desperately trying to shield their teams from the sky-high hopes of their nations. 
 
Deschamps, who captained the French side that won the 1998 World Cup and the Euro title in 2000, said he could feel the adrenaline pumping. 
 
&quot;It`s an exceptional moment, a privilege, a unique chance because there is a title at the end,&quot; Deschamps said of the final. 
 
&quot;What you need to do is approach it as relaxed as possible while being at the same time totally focused on the match,&quot; he added. 
 
&quot;On the bench, there is a frustration in not taking part, but I can&#39;t do that anyway. But I&#39;m fine, I don&#39;t feel any pressure, no stress, just adrenaline and that&#39;s positive.&quot; 
 
France have put in some stylish performances, including their 5-2 win over Iceland to end the giant-killing run of the team that dumped England out of the contest. 
 
France captain Hugo Lloris said the team wants to put their name in the history books to redeem themselves for a player revolt at the 2010 World Cup that made them a national disgrace. 
 
The troubles were worsened by the exclusion of star striker Karim Benzema over an alleged sextape blackmail attempt. 
 
&quot;We have come through a crisis in French football,&quot; the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper said. &quot;We have climbed back up the slope, we have done it step by step.&quot; 
 
Lloris said Sunday&#39;s final is &quot;the chance to go into French football history.&quot; 
 
France, with home advantage in the 85,000-capacity stadium, and with Griezmann, star midfielder Paul Pogba and the calming influence of Lloris, start as favourites. 
 
But they acknowledge the omnipresent danger of Ronaldo on the pitch. 
 
Santos has succeeded by building a team around the superstar striker and winning &quot;ugly&quot; when necessary to get to the next round. 
 
Portugal&#39;s 2-0 win over Wales in the semi-final was their first in the tournament achieved within 90 minutes. 
 
Veterans such as defender Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma have played lynchpin roles on days when Ronaldo has failed to fire.Portugal have been criticised for some of their European Championship performances but Santos said he does not care. 
 
He also says France are the favourites but believes Portugal can win. 
 
&quot;Let them carry on saying that Portugal won without deserving it,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;I will be very happy if they say that again tomorrow. I will go home very happy.&quot; 
 
Portugal have never fully recovered from losing the 2004 Euro final to Greece when they hosted the tournament. 
 
Ronaldo, who shed tears as a 19-year-old at that match, said this week he wants to be &quot;crying with joy&quot; today. 
 
Ronaldo&#39;s Real Madrid teammate Pepe is fully fit again after missing the semi-final through injury. Pepe said Portugal were strong because they want to win. 
 
&quot;I&#39;ve been at a very demanding club for 10 years and I`ve been playing for Portugal since 2008,&quot; he said when asked about his own ambition to win at the age of 33. 
 
&quot;I have three European Championship and two World Cup campaigns to my name. 
 
&quot;I have always been very demanding of myself. I don`t like to lose, I want to help my team. That makes me play at the highest level and to be recognised at the highest level.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

France Captain Hugo Lloris said Sunday's final is 'the chance to go into French football history'

Football tensions mounted and patriotic hopes rose Sunday ahead of the Euro 2016 final between hosts France and Portugal that will unleash a clash between one of the world's greatest ever players Cristiano Ronaldo and would-be pretender Antoine Griezmann. After 50 matches over a month of football that has seen stunning shocks by Iceland and Wales, Ronaldo is counting on his side to produce one more upset so he can finally win an international trophy. Portugal will have to beat a French side who have found new inspiration from Griezmann, the tournament's leading scorer with six goals and will be willed on by a nation longing to rediscover the feelgood factor. With the country still on terrorist alert after the November 13 attacks in which 130 people died, more than 3,400 police will be on the Champs Elysees in Paris alone when the match starts at the Stade de France at 1900 GMT. National flags hung from apartment blocks and homes in cities across France and Portugal as football fever mounted. The buildup to Euro 2016 was clouded by fears that the tournament would be targeted by jihadists after 130 people were killed in terror attacks on Paris in November. "The French people needed to find their way again," President Francois Hollande said in a commentary on the wave of support for the national team that has been in disgrace in recent years. "We saw it at the time of the attacks. We came together in the dramas, we had to find ourselves in the happiness, to come together."Rival coaches Didier Deschamps of France and Fernando Santos of Portugal have been desperately trying to shield their teams from the sky-high hopes of their nations. Deschamps, who captained the French side that won the 1998 World Cup and the Euro title in 2000, said he could feel the adrenaline pumping. "It`s an exceptional moment, a privilege, a unique chance because there is a title at the end," Deschamps said of the final. "What you need to do is approach it as relaxed as possible while being at the same time totally focused on the match," he added. "On the bench, there is a frustration in not taking part, but I can't do that anyway. But I'm fine, I don't feel any pressure, no stress, just adrenaline and that's positive." France have put in some stylish performances, including their 5-2 win over Iceland to end the giant-killing run of the team that dumped England out of the contest. France captain Hugo Lloris said the team wants to put their name in the history books to redeem themselves for a player revolt at the 2010 World Cup that made them a national disgrace. The troubles were worsened by the exclusion of star striker Karim Benzema over an alleged sextape blackmail attempt. "We have come through a crisis in French football," the Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper said. "We have climbed back up the slope, we have done it step by step." Lloris said Sunday's final is "the chance to go into French football history." France, with home advantage in the 85,000-capacity stadium, and with Griezmann, star midfielder Paul Pogba and the calming influence of Lloris, start as favourites. But they acknowledge the omnipresent danger of Ronaldo on the pitch. Santos has succeeded by building a team around the superstar striker and winning "ugly" when necessary to get to the next round. Portugal's 2-0 win over Wales in the semi-final was their first in the tournament achieved within 90 minutes. Veterans such as defender Pepe and Ricardo Quaresma have played lynchpin roles on days when Ronaldo has failed to fire.Portugal have been criticised for some of their European Championship performances but Santos said he does not care. He also says France are the favourites but believes Portugal can win. "Let them carry on saying that Portugal won without deserving it," he said. "I will be very happy if they say that again tomorrow. I will go home very happy." Portugal have never fully recovered from losing the 2004 Euro final to Greece when they hosted the tournament. Ronaldo, who shed tears as a 19-year-old at that match, said this week he wants to be "crying with joy" today. Ronaldo's Real Madrid teammate Pepe is fully fit again after missing the semi-final through injury. Pepe said Portugal were strong because they want to win. "I've been at a very demanding club for 10 years and I`ve been playing for Portugal since 2008," he said when asked about his own ambition to win at the age of 33. "I have three European Championship and two World Cup campaigns to my name. "I have always been very demanding of myself. I don`t like to lose, I want to help my team. That makes me play at the highest level and to be recognised at the highest level." (AFP)

France, Portugal head for Euro 2016 final showdown

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney&#39;s England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. 
 
To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. 
 
But they come into today&#39;s game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque&#39;s team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. 
 
It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. 
 
While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. 
 
&quot;We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are,&quot; he said. 
 
Recent history is on Spain&#39;s side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. 
 
Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. 
 
&quot;I don&#39;t want to go home, the boys don&#39;t want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch,&quot; said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. 
 
Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition&#39;s joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. 
 
Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. 
 
Chance of a lifetime&nbsp; 
 
England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. 
 
Iceland&#39;s population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. 
 
But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. 
 
Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. 
 
Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a &quot;win or bust&quot; clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not &quot;beg&quot; for his job. 
 
&quot;I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I&#39;m prepared to carry on if the FA want me to,&quot; Hodgson said. 
 
&quot;If they don&#39;t want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I&#39;m not begging for the job.&quot; 
 
England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. 
 
&quot;We&#39;re not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We&#39;re showing full respect.&quot; 
 
Iceland&#39;s co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. 
 
&quot;If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already.&quot; 
 
Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. 
 
(AFP)

To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final which they won by 4-0

Two-time defending champions Spain meet Italy in a mouthwatering last 16 clash at Euro 2016 today, while Wayne Rooney's England must overcome outsiders Iceland to reach the quarter-finals. To keep alive their hopes of a third consecutive European title, Spain must negotiate a repeat of the Euro 2012 final that they won 4-0. But they come into today's game at on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Croatia which relegated Vicente Del Bosque's team to runners-up in Group D and into the path of Italy so early in the tournmant. It will not get any easier for the winners as world champions Germany await in the quarter-finals. While Italy arrived at the tournament with low expectations they impressed in their first two matches and Del Bosque insists they will pose a formidable threat at the Stade de France. "We have a lot of respect for a very strong team like Italy. They are just as much favourites as we are," he said. Recent history is on Spain's side -- they have won all seven of their knockout ties under Del Bosque at the Euros and World Cup. Italy coach Antonio Conte urged his players to defy the odds in the 1600 GMT kickoff. "I don't want to go home, the boys don't want to go home. We are not the sacrifical lamb. Spain have to show they are better on the pitch," said Conte, who will join Chelsea after the tournament. Spain will unleash striker Alvaro Morata, the competition's joint top scorer on three goals, on a solid Italian defence that he knows well from his just-completed two-year spell at Juventus. Italy will be without Antonio Candreva because of a groin injury, with Alessandro Florenzi likely to replace him on the right side of midfield. Chance of a lifetime England were spared the task of facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal when Iceland grabbed a last-gasp winner against Austria in their final group stage match. Iceland's population of 330,000 makes them the smallest nation ever to have qualified for a major tournament and they approach the game in Nice as underdogs. But the pressure is on England coach Roy Hodgson, who was criticised for weakening the side with six changes in the final group game against Slovakia which ended in a goalless stalemate. Finishing second in Group B behind Wales put England into the more difficult side of the draw and if they overcome Iceland they will have to face hosts France in the capital on Sunday. Hodgson has called the match in Nice (kickoff 1900 GMT) a "win or bust" clash and a defeat would call into question his future, but he has insisted he will not "beg" for his job. "I am prepared to carry on. It is different to wanting it. I'm prepared to carry on if the FA want me to," Hodgson said. "If they don't want me to, then my contract will have run out and that is how that will be. So I'm not begging for the job." England captain Rooney, who has yet to score at Euro 2016, said he is wary of an Iceland team that twice defeated the Netherlands in qualifying and held Portugal in their opening group game. "We're not going into this game showing a lack of respect for Iceland. We're showing full respect." Iceland's co-coach Heimir Hallgrimsson said the game represents the opportunity of a lifetime for his players. "If we beat England, their lives will change forever, and significantly. Icelandic football will go up in reputation and the way we approach football will be different," he said. "But whichever way this goes, these players are winners already." Iceland have complained they have only been granted between 3,000 and 3,500 places in the 34,500-capacity Stade de Nice, but thousands of their fans invaded Nice where they were drinking and swapping chants with England fans before the match. (AFP)

Spain-Italy in 'early final', England eye quarters

Seeking to win an unprecedented third consecutive European Championship, Vicente del Bosque&#39;s Spain will once again have to see off Italy to retain their crown.

Before winning back-to-back Euros and a maiden World Cup in 2010, Spain suffered an inferiority complex with Italy having never beaten them in five tries at major finals.

A quarter-final clash between the two in Vienna in 2008 changed that. Spain -- who had previously suffered a terrible record on penalties -- went through in a shootout before going on to win the tournament.

&quot;That is the most important day in the history of the Spanish national team,&quot; said captain Iker Casillas.

After winning the World Cup, Spain had to face Italy twice more in retaining the Euros four years ago.

A 1-1 draw in the opening match was long forgotten as del Bosque&#39;s men thrashed Italy 4-0 in the final. 
 
La Roja then also won another shootout between the two in the Confederations Cup semi-finals in 2013. Indeed, the European champions have lost just one of their last 11 meetings with Italy - a 2-1 friendly defeat in 2011.

Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been a constant menace to the Azzurri. He scored the winning penalty in 2008, Spain&#39;s equaliser in the 2012 opening game and set up David Silva&#39;s opener in the final.

Fabregas will also be coming up against his future manager as Italian boss Antonio Conte will take over at Stamford Bridge next season. 
 
Tough route

&quot;The way they play will demand the absolute most of us,&quot; Fabregas told Spanish sports daily Marca.

Spain started the tournament in great form, sweeping aside the Czech Republic and Turkey.

However, a shock 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Bordeaux on Tuesday cost del Bosque&#39;s men top spot in Group D and a much easier route to the final.

Even if they see off Italy, Spain will have to beat world&#39;s&nbsp;champions Germany and&nbsp;France for the right to defend their title in Paris on July 10.

&quot;We need to get back to playing our best football because they will not stop running and fight for every ball,&quot; added Fabregas.

&quot;They have a very strong defence and they know how to take their chances.&quot;

Italy have been dealt a huge blow with influential midfielder Antonio Candreva ruled out due to a groin injury.

Conte&#39;s men have been unfortunate to find themselves on the tougher side of the draw despite beating the highly-fancied Belgium to top Group E.

&quot;There is a crazy imbalance in the draw for the second round, but those are the rules and we have to respect them,&quot; said Conte.

The former Juventus boss made eight changes for the 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday with qualification to the last 16 already assured.

Juventus stalwart Giorgio Chiellini will return to partner club teammates Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci.

And Chiellini is hopeful Italy can reverse their recent run against Spain.

&quot;In a way, they&#39;re our bogey team,&quot; he said.

&quot;But let&#39;s keep things in perspective. The Ireland match, with all respect to them, didn&#39;t really count for us.&quot;

&quot;And if we play to our potential, give it everything and limit them where they are strong, I think we can create something special.&quot;

Chiellini will also come head-to-head with another former Juventus teammate Alvero Morata, who Real Madrid exercised a buyback clause on last week.

&quot;I wish him well for the rest of his career but I hope he has a bad match on Monday,&quot; joked Chiellini.

&quot;He&#39;s a special kind of guy and a player who, as well as having great skills, is only going to get better.&quot; 
 
(AFP)

Before Spain's maiden victory in World Cup 2010, it had suffered an 'inferiority complex' for having not beaten Italy in 5 tries at finals

Seeking to win an unprecedented third consecutive European Championship, Vicente del Bosque's Spain will once again have to see off Italy to retain their crown. Before winning back-to-back Euros and a maiden World Cup in 2010, Spain suffered an inferiority complex with Italy having never beaten them in five tries at major finals. A quarter-final clash between the two in Vienna in 2008 changed that. Spain -- who had previously suffered a terrible record on penalties -- went through in a shootout before going on to win the tournament. "That is the most important day in the history of the Spanish national team," said captain Iker Casillas. After winning the World Cup, Spain had to face Italy twice more in retaining the Euros four years ago. A 1-1 draw in the opening match was long forgotten as del Bosque's men thrashed Italy 4-0 in the final. La Roja then also won another shootout between the two in the Confederations Cup semi-finals in 2013. Indeed, the European champions have lost just one of their last 11 meetings with Italy - a 2-1 friendly defeat in 2011. Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been a constant menace to the Azzurri. He scored the winning penalty in 2008, Spain's equaliser in the 2012 opening game and set up David Silva's opener in the final. Fabregas will also be coming up against his future manager as Italian boss Antonio Conte will take over at Stamford Bridge next season. Tough route "The way they play will demand the absolute most of us," Fabregas told Spanish sports daily Marca. Spain started the tournament in great form, sweeping aside the Czech Republic and Turkey. However, a shock 2-1 defeat to Croatia in Bordeaux on Tuesday cost del Bosque's men top spot in Group D and a much easier route to the final. Even if they see off Italy, Spain will have to beat world's champions Germany and France for the right to defend their title in Paris on July 10. "We need to get back to playing our best football because they will not stop running and fight for every ball," added Fabregas. "They have a very strong defence and they know how to take their chances." Italy have been dealt a huge blow with influential midfielder Antonio Candreva ruled out due to a groin injury. Conte's men have been unfortunate to find themselves on the tougher side of the draw despite beating the highly-fancied Belgium to top Group E. "There is a crazy imbalance in the draw for the second round, but those are the rules and we have to respect them," said Conte. The former Juventus boss made eight changes for the 1-0 defeat to the Republic of Ireland on Wednesday with qualification to the last 16 already assured. Juventus stalwart Giorgio Chiellini will return to partner club teammates Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci. And Chiellini is hopeful Italy can reverse their recent run against Spain. "In a way, they're our bogey team," he said. "But let's keep things in perspective. The Ireland match, with all respect to them, didn't really count for us." "And if we play to our potential, give it everything and limit them where they are strong, I think we can create something special." Chiellini will also come head-to-head with another former Juventus teammate Alvero Morata, who Real Madrid exercised a buyback clause on last week. "I wish him well for the rest of his career but I hope he has a bad match on Monday," joked Chiellini. "He's a special kind of guy and a player who, as well as having great skills, is only going to get better." (AFP)

Euro 2016: To settle scores with its 'old foe', Spain aims reversal of fortune with Italy

Argentinian football legend Diego Armando Maradona urged Lionel Messi not to follow through on his vow to quit the national team after its defeat in the Copa America Centenario. 
 
&quot;Messi has to stay in the national team. He has to stay because he still has playing days ahead of him,&quot; Maradona was quoted as saying by the Argentinian online newspaper La Nacion. 
 
&quot;He will go to Russia in form to be world champion&quot; at the 2018 World Cup, he added. 
 
Messi, 29, told reporters in the US he had decided to quit after Argentina&#39;s defeat on penalties to Chile on Sunday. 
 
He is widely rated as the best player in the world, but it was his fourth defeat in an international final with the Argentinian jersey. 
 
The 1986 World Cup winner Maradona, 55, blamed Argentina&#39;s recent lack of trophies on the Argentina Footbal Association. 
 
He accused them of not supporting Messi and letting him take the blame for Sunday&#39;s defeat to cover up their shortcomings in managing the sport. 
 
&quot;The lads have to be supported more to help him take the team forward,&quot; Maradona was quoted saying. &quot;Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won&#39;t see what a disaster Argentinian football has become,&quot; he added. 
 
(AFP)

El Pibe de Oro urges Lionel Messi to keep playing on the national team and blames the Argentina Football Association for the recent defeats

Argentinian football legend Diego Armando Maradona urged Lionel Messi not to follow through on his vow to quit the national team after its defeat in the Copa America Centenario. "Messi has to stay in the national team. He has to stay because he still has playing days ahead of him," Maradona was quoted as saying by the Argentinian online newspaper La Nacion. "He will go to Russia in form to be world champion" at the 2018 World Cup, he added. Messi, 29, told reporters in the US he had decided to quit after Argentina's defeat on penalties to Chile on Sunday. He is widely rated as the best player in the world, but it was his fourth defeat in an international final with the Argentinian jersey. The 1986 World Cup winner Maradona, 55, blamed Argentina's recent lack of trophies on the Argentina Footbal Association. He accused them of not supporting Messi and letting him take the blame for Sunday's defeat to cover up their shortcomings in managing the sport. "The lads have to be supported more to help him take the team forward," Maradona was quoted saying. "Those who are saying he should quit are doing it so that we won't see what a disaster Argentinian football has become," he added. (AFP)

Maradona: Messi has to stay

Wales reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland on Saturday, thanks to an own goal by Gareth McAuley in a poor encounter at the Parc des Princes.

Centre back McAuley turned a Gareth Bale cross into his own net 15 minutes from time in the all British last-16 clash.

The Irish had their best chance in the first half when Stuart Dallas&#39;s fierce strike was parried away by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey.

Wales will play Belgium or Hungary, who meet on Sunday, for a place in the semi-finals next Friday in Lille. 
 
(Reuters)

The Welsh will play Belgium or Hungary for a place in the semi-finals next Friday

Wales reached the Euro 2016 quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland on Saturday, thanks to an own goal by Gareth McAuley in a poor encounter at the Parc des Princes. Centre back McAuley turned a Gareth Bale cross into his own net 15 minutes from time in the all British last-16 clash. The Irish had their best chance in the first half when Stuart Dallas's fierce strike was parried away by goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey. Wales will play Belgium or Hungary, who meet on Sunday, for a place in the semi-finals next Friday in Lille. (Reuters)

Northern Ireland own goal seals it for Wales, sends it to quarter-finals

Serbian Milovan Rajevac has been appointed the new coach of Algeria, the country&#39;s football federation has confirmed. 
 
Rajevac came close to helping Ghana, who became the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010 and takes over from Christian Gourcuff, who resigned in April ahead of a move to French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais. 
 
Rajevac, 62, will be expected to lead Algeria to the World Cup in Russia but faces a difficult qualification group that also contains Nigeria, Cameroon and Zambia. Only the top team advances to the finals. 
 
Algeria have already qualified for the African Nations Cup finals in Gabon starting next January. 
 
(Reuters)

He takes over from Christian Gourcuff who resigned in April ahead of a move to French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais

Serbian Milovan Rajevac has been appointed the new coach of Algeria, the country's football federation has confirmed. Rajevac came close to helping Ghana, who became the first African side to reach the semi-finals of the World Cup in 2010 and takes over from Christian Gourcuff, who resigned in April ahead of a move to French Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais. Rajevac, 62, will be expected to lead Algeria to the World Cup in Russia but faces a difficult qualification group that also contains Nigeria, Cameroon and Zambia. Only the top team advances to the finals. Algeria have already qualified for the African Nations Cup finals in Gabon starting next January. (Reuters)

Milovan Rajevac confirmed as new coach of Algeria

Germany&#39;s defence will be put to the test in their opening Euro 2016 group match against Ukraine in Lille on Sunday with major questions still to be answered about the world champions&#39; new-look rearguard. 
 
Coach Joachim Loew&#39;s team will be without key central defender Mats Hummels, still recovering from a muscle injury, as they kick off their Group C campaign. 
 
Hummels&#39; replacement Antonio Ruediger was ruled out with torn cruciate knee ligaments this week. 
 
Holding midfielder and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, still working on his comeback from injury, is also absent, further complicating Loew&#39;s defensive conundrum. 
 
Benedikt Hoewedes and Jerome Boateng are the two likely central defenders, but both had a long injury break late in the season and are in desperate need of match practice. 
 
Jonathan Tah, the 20-year-old who was only called up this week following Ruediger&#39;s injury, is expected to be on the bench. 
 
Toni Kroos, who will shoulder the biggest responsibility of connecting Germany&#39;s defensive and attacking game, is brimming with confidence following his Champions League win with Real Madrid. 
 
Assistant coach Thomas Schneider sounded confident on Friday that the team would quickly find their cohesion at the back. 
 
&quot;In the last few matches we thought a lot about our defensive operation and we came up with a few things, including for defensive set pieces,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;We have worked on that in training and everyone knows their job&quot;. 
 
Ukraine, while outsiders, are certain to test the Germans&#39; new-look defence with quick wingers Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka capable of inflicting severe damage. 
 
It will be up to Loew&#39;s full backs to neutralise that threat but they must also break down a steely Ukraine defence. 
 
The Germans, eyeing their fourth Euro triumph but first since 1996, have never lost an opening match at the European Championship, and are aware a slip-up could prove costly. 
 
&quot;The first game is extremely important and it will determine our run in this tournament,&quot; attacking midfielder Julian Draxler said. 
 
Ukraine managed to keep six clean sheets in 10 qualifiers with coach Mykhailo Fomenko having taken over after the co-hosts&#39; disappointing Euro 2012 campaign. 
 
They then came out on top against Slovenia in a playoff last year, with the 67-year-old having moulded them into an efficient unit.

Joachim Loew's men are without key central defender Mats Hummels

Germany's defence will be put to the test in their opening Euro 2016 group match against Ukraine in Lille on Sunday with major questions still to be answered about the world champions' new-look rearguard. Coach Joachim Loew's team will be without key central defender Mats Hummels, still recovering from a muscle injury, as they kick off their Group C campaign. Hummels' replacement Antonio Ruediger was ruled out with torn cruciate knee ligaments this week. Holding midfielder and captain Bastian Schweinsteiger, still working on his comeback from injury, is also absent, further complicating Loew's defensive conundrum. Benedikt Hoewedes and Jerome Boateng are the two likely central defenders, but both had a long injury break late in the season and are in desperate need of match practice. Jonathan Tah, the 20-year-old who was only called up this week following Ruediger's injury, is expected to be on the bench. Toni Kroos, who will shoulder the biggest responsibility of connecting Germany's defensive and attacking game, is brimming with confidence following his Champions League win with Real Madrid. Assistant coach Thomas Schneider sounded confident on Friday that the team would quickly find their cohesion at the back. "In the last few matches we thought a lot about our defensive operation and we came up with a few things, including for defensive set pieces," he said. "We have worked on that in training and everyone knows their job". Ukraine, while outsiders, are certain to test the Germans' new-look defence with quick wingers Andriy Yarmolenko and Yevhen Konoplyanka capable of inflicting severe damage. It will be up to Loew's full backs to neutralise that threat but they must also break down a steely Ukraine defence. The Germans, eyeing their fourth Euro triumph but first since 1996, have never lost an opening match at the European Championship, and are aware a slip-up could prove costly. "The first game is extremely important and it will determine our run in this tournament," attacking midfielder Julian Draxler said. Ukraine managed to keep six clean sheets in 10 qualifiers with coach Mykhailo Fomenko having taken over after the co-hosts' disappointing Euro 2012 campaign. They then came out on top against Slovenia in a playoff last year, with the 67-year-old having moulded them into an efficient unit.

Ukraine speed to test new-look Germany defence

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