West Ham signed former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on a free transfer on Wednesday, with the Frenchman set to link up again with former boss David Moyes.

Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter.&nbsp;

Evra, who joins the Hammers on a contract until the end of June, worked with Hammers manager Moyes during his time at Old Trafford and is looking forward to linking up with his old boss.

&quot;Im really happy to be a Hammer, to be back in the Premier League and I love this game,&quot; said the left-back.

&quot;When you have to make a deal and money is not the issue, the deal could be done in five minutes,&quot; added the Evra in a statement on the club&#39;s website. &quot;The main thing was for me to join West Ham and to help my teammates to win as many games as we can.

&quot;It was the fastest thing I have done in my life, because both parties wanted to work together, so it was very easy to make an agreement.&quot;

West Ham are 12th in the Premier League with 12 matches to play, but are only three points above the teams in 18th and 19th, two of the three relegation places.

Evra&#39;s departure from France came after he lashed out in response to a group of supporters who had come to the pitchside to berate him for what they considered sub-par displays.

The 36-year-old, capped 81 times by France, was hit with a season-long ban that only applies to UEFA club competitions.

Alex Ferguson took the Senegal-born player to Manchester United from Monaco in January 2006, and won five Premier League titles and the Champions League.

After spending his final season at Old Trafford working under Moyes, the defender moved to Italian champions Juventus in 2014 and enjoyed more domestic success before moving back to France in January 2017.

Evra&#39;s career has been dogged by controversy, not all of his making. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa he led a revolt of the French players against coach Raymond Domenech.

A year later, while playing for United, Evra was the target of a racist insult from then Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches and fined over the incident.

Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter

West Ham signed former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra on a free transfer on Wednesday, with the Frenchman set to link up again with former boss David Moyes. Evra has won multiple league titles and the Champions League in an illustrious career but his spell at Marseille ended abruptly in November after he launched a kung-fu kick at a supporter. Evra, who joins the Hammers on a contract until the end of June, worked with Hammers manager Moyes during his time at Old Trafford and is looking forward to linking up with his old boss. "Im really happy to be a Hammer, to be back in the Premier League and I love this game," said the left-back. "When you have to make a deal and money is not the issue, the deal could be done in five minutes," added the Evra in a statement on the club's website. "The main thing was for me to join West Ham and to help my teammates to win as many games as we can. "It was the fastest thing I have done in my life, because both parties wanted to work together, so it was very easy to make an agreement." West Ham are 12th in the Premier League with 12 matches to play, but are only three points above the teams in 18th and 19th, two of the three relegation places. Evra's departure from France came after he lashed out in response to a group of supporters who had come to the pitchside to berate him for what they considered sub-par displays. The 36-year-old, capped 81 times by France, was hit with a season-long ban that only applies to UEFA club competitions. Alex Ferguson took the Senegal-born player to Manchester United from Monaco in January 2006, and won five Premier League titles and the Champions League. After spending his final season at Old Trafford working under Moyes, the defender moved to Italian champions Juventus in 2014 and enjoyed more domestic success before moving back to France in January 2017. Evra's career has been dogged by controversy, not all of his making. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa he led a revolt of the French players against coach Raymond Domenech. A year later, while playing for United, Evra was the target of a racist insult from then Liverpool striker Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was banned for eight matches and fined over the incident.

Evra, kicked out of Marseille, joins West Ham on free transfer

Surprisingly, David Beckham won&#39;t be attending one of the biggest clashes, Real Madrid vs PSG of Champions League which is scheduled for February 14 because he would go out for a date with his wife Victoria Beckham as it is Valentine&#39;s day too.

In a recent interview, he mentioned that &quot;I&#39;m planning on going to the second game of the league.&quot;

Beckham has connections with both the clubs as he had spent four years at the Bernabeu and spent five months at PSG before retiring.

The former England captain said to the French sports channel beinSPORTS, &quot;loved both clubs with so much passion.&quot;

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⚽ <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChampionsArena?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChampionsArena</a> 
???? Beckham : &quot;Le PSG ou le Real Madrid ? J&#39;aime ces deux clubs avec autant de passion&quot; <a href="https://t.co/B0X1xryAR7">pic.twitter.com/B0X1xryAR7</a>
&mdash; beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) <a href="https://twitter.com/beinsports_FR/status/959890893758066688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;It&#39;s too difficult to choose, I like both clubs with so much passion. I spent four superb years in Madrid,&quot; the former PSG star said.

&quot;I did not spend a lot of time at PSG. But clearly, winning the Championship was huge,&quot; he said.

I love this club with a passion. People, fans, they are incredible. Same thing for Real Madrid,&quot; the 42-year old said.

&quot;It&#39;s Valentine&#39;s Day. Take my wife to see a match that day, I do not think it works,&quot; the former Manchester United player revealed.

Though, he will not be present at Santiago-Bernabeu stadium but surely can see the live stream or the highlights.

David Beckham won't be attending Real Madrid vs PSG of Champions League match as he has other Valentine's plans with wife Victoria

Surprisingly, David Beckham won't be attending one of the biggest clashes, Real Madrid vs PSG of Champions League which is scheduled for February 14 because he would go out for a date with his wife Victoria Beckham as it is Valentine's day too. In a recent interview, he mentioned that "I'm planning on going to the second game of the league." Beckham has connections with both the clubs as he had spent four years at the Bernabeu and spent five months at PSG before retiring. The former England captain said to the French sports channel beinSPORTS, "loved both clubs with so much passion." ⚽ #ChampionsArena ???? Beckham : "Le PSG ou le Real Madrid ? J'aime ces deux clubs avec autant de passion" pic.twitter.com/B0X1xryAR7 — beIN SPORTS (@beinsports_FR) February 3, 2018 × "It's too difficult to choose, I like both clubs with so much passion. I spent four superb years in Madrid," the former PSG star said. "I did not spend a lot of time at PSG. But clearly, winning the Championship was huge," he said. I love this club with a passion. People, fans, they are incredible. Same thing for Real Madrid," the 42-year old said. "It's Valentine's Day. Take my wife to see a match that day, I do not think it works," the former Manchester United player revealed. Though, he will not be present at Santiago-Bernabeu stadium but surely can see the live stream or the highlights.

Valentine's day foils David Beckham 'other' plans

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he is not interested in the individual goal tallies of his attacking players because they will all get opportunities to find the net.

Two goals from Roberto Firmino and one each from Philippe Coutinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped Liverpool to an emphatic 5-0 win over Swansea City at Anfield.

The victory ensured Liverpool remain in the thick of the battle for the Champions League places in fourth spot &ndash; five points behind second-placed Manchester United.

Brazilian duo Coutinho and Firmino were both particularly influential in the Boxing Day win at Anfield.

However, Klopp preferred to extol the virtues of the collective efforts of his players rather than single out individuals.

Klopp said: &ldquo;I am happy for all the boys when they score but I couldn&rsquo;t say how many he has, or how many he has, I don&rsquo;t care.

&ldquo;That is not in my interest. If we play like we play in our good moments then the boys will be in good situations. They will all score.

&ldquo;Sadio Mane didn&rsquo;t play here but he will score if we play like this, if we bring the different players in the different moments in the different situations.

&ldquo;When you see the result is 5-0 that it was an easy game but it wasn&rsquo;t an easy game. It was really hard work, I&rsquo;ve no problem with that.

&ldquo;I&rsquo;m really happy with what we learned from the game. It is a perfect result for us, nobody injured I don&rsquo;t think. Important three points, five goals, clean sheet so it&rsquo;s all good.&rdquo;

Klopp withdrew Firmino in the 68th minute and the German explained that he did so with one eye on a hectic period of games over the festive period even though Firmino, who has scored six in in his last seven games, wanted to remain on the pitch.

&ldquo;You could see he wasn&rsquo;t the happiest in the stadium when I took him off but at least I have to stay reasonable or serious because there are a lot of games to come,&rdquo; Klopp said

&ldquo;I appreciate Roberto&rsquo;s effort and performance always and I am happy that he scored twice but I could not say how many he has scored so far in the season.

&ldquo;I feel he is always involved and always in and around the dangerous situations for the opponents. In the first half he was right full back, he was left full back, he was everywhere. At the end he scored two goals so that&rsquo;s nice, very nice.&rdquo;

Klopp also revealed that captain Jordan Henderson and left-back Alberto Moreno, both absent from the win over Swansea through injury, will miss forthcoming fixtures against Leicester City and Burnley.

Swansea caretaker manager Leon Brittan, who expects to be in charge for their next game with Watford as no managerial appointment is imminent, felt his players were guilty of making fundamental errors at Anfield.

&ldquo;The second half after conceding a goal all belief and confidence drained from the players,&rdquo; he said.

&ldquo;We made a lot of errors, basic mistakes, and you do it against a team of Liverpool&#39;s quality you get punished. We are bottom of the league and confidence is low. It&#39;s unacceptable.&quot; 
&nbsp;

Jurgen Klopp preferred to extol the virtues of the collective efforts of his players rather than single out individuals

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he is not interested in the individual goal tallies of his attacking players because they will all get opportunities to find the net. Two goals from Roberto Firmino and one each from Philippe Coutinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain helped Liverpool to an emphatic 5-0 win over Swansea City at Anfield. The victory ensured Liverpool remain in the thick of the battle for the Champions League places in fourth spot – five points behind second-placed Manchester United. Brazilian duo Coutinho and Firmino were both particularly influential in the Boxing Day win at Anfield. However, Klopp preferred to extol the virtues of the collective efforts of his players rather than single out individuals. Klopp said: “I am happy for all the boys when they score but I couldn’t say how many he has, or how many he has, I don’t care. “That is not in my interest. If we play like we play in our good moments then the boys will be in good situations. They will all score. “Sadio Mane didn’t play here but he will score if we play like this, if we bring the different players in the different moments in the different situations. “When you see the result is 5-0 that it was an easy game but it wasn’t an easy game. It was really hard work, I’ve no problem with that. “I’m really happy with what we learned from the game. It is a perfect result for us, nobody injured I don’t think. Important three points, five goals, clean sheet so it’s all good.” Klopp withdrew Firmino in the 68th minute and the German explained that he did so with one eye on a hectic period of games over the festive period even though Firmino, who has scored six in in his last seven games, wanted to remain on the pitch. “You could see he wasn’t the happiest in the stadium when I took him off but at least I have to stay reasonable or serious because there are a lot of games to come,” Klopp said “I appreciate Roberto’s effort and performance always and I am happy that he scored twice but I could not say how many he has scored so far in the season. “I feel he is always involved and always in and around the dangerous situations for the opponents. In the first half he was right full back, he was left full back, he was everywhere. At the end he scored two goals so that’s nice, very nice.” Klopp also revealed that captain Jordan Henderson and left-back Alberto Moreno, both absent from the win over Swansea through injury, will miss forthcoming fixtures against Leicester City and Burnley. Swansea caretaker manager Leon Brittan, who expects to be in charge for their next game with Watford as no managerial appointment is imminent, felt his players were guilty of making fundamental errors at Anfield. “The second half after conceding a goal all belief and confidence drained from the players,” he said. “We made a lot of errors, basic mistakes, and you do it against a team of Liverpool's quality you get punished. We are bottom of the league and confidence is low. It's unacceptable."

Klopp refuses to be star struck at Liverpool

Antonio Conte says Chelsea are battling to secure their Champions League future and warned of a &quot;bad surprise&quot; after weekend results left them 14 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City.

After a fourth loss in 16 games against West Ham on Saturday, the Chelsea boss thinks a title challenge is now all but over and spoke of a revised target ahead of Tuesday&#39;s Premier League clash at Huddersfield.

&quot;I like to win,&quot; said Conte. &quot;When we lose I&#39;m not happy. In 16 games we lost four games. My experience tells (me) it&#39;s impossible to win the title.&quot;

&quot;Now we must be focused in the league to go game by game, to do our best. This league is not simple. We have to fight to find a place in the Champions League.&quot;

But securing a Champions League berth will not be easy, with six big Premier League clubs all chasing four spots.

Conte&#39;s focus is on the immediate future and not the Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona.

He has continually bemoaned a lack of transfer activity last summer, when he watched rivals City and Manchester United strengthen their squads.

But the Italian is seeking an immediate response and is not relying on new recruits in January&#39;s winter transfer window to improve Chelsea&#39;s fortunes.

Midfielder Danny Drinkwater missed the West Ham loss through illness, while defender David Luiz is being monitored over his knee injury.

Conte is likely to make changes for the trip to Huddersfield. Midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was substituted at half-time at the London Stadium and striker Alvaro Morata was replaced 10 minutes into the second half and both could be in need of a rest.

And Conte, who repeated his Chelsea side are rebuilding after the departures of the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard in recent seasons, says it is important the summer arrivals are given time to bed in.

Chelsea are currently third in the league, 14 points behind leaders Manchester City

Antonio Conte says Chelsea are battling to secure their Champions League future and warned of a "bad surprise" after weekend results left them 14 points behind Premier League leaders Manchester City. After a fourth loss in 16 games against West Ham on Saturday, the Chelsea boss thinks a title challenge is now all but over and spoke of a revised target ahead of Tuesday's Premier League clash at Huddersfield. "I like to win," said Conte. "When we lose I'm not happy. In 16 games we lost four games. My experience tells (me) it's impossible to win the title." "Now we must be focused in the league to go game by game, to do our best. This league is not simple. We have to fight to find a place in the Champions League." But securing a Champions League berth will not be easy, with six big Premier League clubs all chasing four spots. Conte's focus is on the immediate future and not the Champions League last-16 tie with Barcelona. He has continually bemoaned a lack of transfer activity last summer, when he watched rivals City and Manchester United strengthen their squads. But the Italian is seeking an immediate response and is not relying on new recruits in January's winter transfer window to improve Chelsea's fortunes. Midfielder Danny Drinkwater missed the West Ham loss through illness, while defender David Luiz is being monitored over his knee injury. Conte is likely to make changes for the trip to Huddersfield. Midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was substituted at half-time at the London Stadium and striker Alvaro Morata was replaced 10 minutes into the second half and both could be in need of a rest. And Conte, who repeated his Chelsea side are rebuilding after the departures of the likes of John Terry and Frank Lampard in recent seasons, says it is important the summer arrivals are given time to bed in.

Chelsea battling for Champions League future: Conte

Paris St Germain shrugged off two consecutive defeats to beat Lille 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Saturday and open a 12-point lead at the top of the standings.

PSG lost in their previous league match against Strasbourg last Saturday, and then came undone against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek.

However, they led through Angel Di Maria&#39;s 28th-minute opener at the Parc des Princes and Javier Pastore doubled their advantage four minutes after the break. Anwar El Ghazi pulled one back for Lille before Kylian Mbappe struck in stoppage time.

Without the suspended Neymar, Mbappe was the catalyst for much of PSG&#39;s better work and it was his cross that allowed Di Maria to break the deadlock with a header.

It was PSG&#39;s only effort on goal in the first half but they added to their lead shortly after halftime when a counter-attack ended with Di Maria teeing up Pastore to score.

Lille were still a threat and El Ghazi capitalised on some mistakes in the home side&#39;s defence to score with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Mbappe sealed the victory for PSG with a lightning-fast run up the field and composed finish into an empty net after Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan had gone up for a corner.

The result left Lille still waiting for a first victory over the capital club since 1996.

Monaco can cut the gap to nine points later on Saturday if they beat Troyes, while Olympique Lyon and Olympique Marseille can also get to within nine of the leaders on Sunday.

Without the suspended Neymar, Mbappe was the catalyst for much of PSG's better work and it was his cross that allowed Di Maria to break the deadlock with a header.

Paris St Germain shrugged off two consecutive defeats to beat Lille 3-1 in Ligue 1 on Saturday and open a 12-point lead at the top of the standings. PSG lost in their previous league match against Strasbourg last Saturday, and then came undone against Bayern Munich in the Champions League in midweek. However, they led through Angel Di Maria's 28th-minute opener at the Parc des Princes and Javier Pastore doubled their advantage four minutes after the break. Anwar El Ghazi pulled one back for Lille before Kylian Mbappe struck in stoppage time. Without the suspended Neymar, Mbappe was the catalyst for much of PSG's better work and it was his cross that allowed Di Maria to break the deadlock with a header. It was PSG's only effort on goal in the first half but they added to their lead shortly after halftime when a counter-attack ended with Di Maria teeing up Pastore to score. Lille were still a threat and El Ghazi capitalised on some mistakes in the home side's defence to score with three minutes of normal time remaining. Mbappe sealed the victory for PSG with a lightning-fast run up the field and composed finish into an empty net after Lille goalkeeper Mike Maignan had gone up for a corner. The result left Lille still waiting for a first victory over the capital club since 1996. Monaco can cut the gap to nine points later on Saturday if they beat Troyes, while Olympique Lyon and Olympique Marseille can also get to within nine of the leaders on Sunday.

Football: PSG back on track with victory over Lille

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp sprang a surprise as he left Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino on the bench for Sunday&#39;s Merseyside derby against Everton.

Coutinho and Firmino, who have scored nine Premier League goals between them this season, were shock omissions from the starting line-up at Anfield.

In total, Klopp made six changes from Liverpool&#39;s midweek Champions League thrashing of Spartak Moscow.&nbsp;

There are rare starts for forward Dominic Solanke, midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Andrew Robertson, while Jordan Henderson also returned to the team.

&quot;Dom&#39;s good enough. There are a lot of English players on the pitch today so they know about the importance of the derby, for sure,&quot; Klopp said.

&quot;Dom is a footballer from head to toe, he is all around a really proper professional.

&quot;It&#39;s a part of the season where you have to make the changes when you can make the changes.

&quot;I think all the Champions League sides, or Europa League sides, made a lot of changes in midweek.

&quot;Their games, maybe they were not as important as ours was. We had to go through a very intense game.&quot;

Coutinho and Firmino, who have scored nine Premier League goals between them this season, were shock omissions

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp sprang a surprise as he left Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino on the bench for Sunday's Merseyside derby against Everton. Coutinho and Firmino, who have scored nine Premier League goals between them this season, were shock omissions from the starting line-up at Anfield. In total, Klopp made six changes from Liverpool's midweek Champions League thrashing of Spartak Moscow. There are rare starts for forward Dominic Solanke, midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Andrew Robertson, while Jordan Henderson also returned to the team. "Dom's good enough. There are a lot of English players on the pitch today so they know about the importance of the derby, for sure," Klopp said. "Dom is a footballer from head to toe, he is all around a really proper professional. "It's a part of the season where you have to make the changes when you can make the changes. "I think all the Champions League sides, or Europa League sides, made a lot of changes in midweek. "Their games, maybe they were not as important as ours was. We had to go through a very intense game."

Merseyside derby: Klopp leaves Coutinho, Firmino on the bench

Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d`Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times.&nbsp;

The Real Madrid forward won the award, handed out by magazine France Football, for the second consecutive year having led his side to the La Liga title with 25 goals and a successive Champions League crown, netting 12 goals including two in the 4-1 win over Juventus in the final.

Ronaldo collected the trophy in a glitzy ceremony at the Eiffel Tower in the French capital, presented by former France player David Ginola.

&quot;I feel very happy, it`s a fantastic moment in my career,&quot; Ronaldo said upon collecting the award, standing with his mother Maria Dolores and his oldest son Cristiano Jr.

&quot;I`ve waited a long time for this. This has been a stupendous year for me, we won the Champions League and La Liga and on a personal level, I was top scorer in the Champions League.

&quot;Trophies help me win prizes like this and I have to thank my teammates at Madrid and Portugal. They`ve been very important to me.&quot;

Messi came second while Paris St Germain forward Neymar Jr, the most expensive player in the world, came third; veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon finished fourth and Real midfielder Luka Modric came fifth.

Chelsea and France midfielder N`Golo Kante was the highest ranked Premier League player, coming eighth, while Tottenham Hotspur`s Harry Kane, ranked 10th, was the only English player to make it into the top 10.

Ronaldo, who this year also helped the national side qualify for the World Cup in Russia next year, won his first Ballon d`Or in 2008 while with Manchester United and collected it again in 2013, 2014 and 2016.

The 32-year-old was last month named the Best FIFA Men`s Player in the global soccer body`s own awards ceremony.

Real Madrid president Florentino Perez joined Ronaldo on stage and paid tribute to the Portuguese, who he said was the best player of all time alongside late Real great Alfredo di Stefano.

&quot;This fifth Ballon d`Or is a great honour and a great achievement for the club and Real Madrid fans around the world. Cristiano is the best player in the world, he represents the values of Real Madrid. Cristiano is the best player in history along with Di Stefano, he is his heir,&quot; Perez said.

The Ballon d`Or was first awarded in 1956 and was partnered with FIFA from 2010 to 2015, until becoming its own entity once again. 
&nbsp;

Ronaldo collected the trophy in a glitzy ceremony at the Eiffel Tower in the French capital, presented by former France player David Ginola.

Portugal`s Cristiano Ronaldo was awarded the Ballon d`Or for world player of the year on Thursday for a joint-record fifth time, going level with eternal rival and Barcelona forward Lionel Messi as the player to have won the prize the most times. The Real Madrid forward won the award, handed out by magazine France Football, for the second consecutive year having led his side to the La Liga title with 25 goals and a successive Champions League crown, netting 12 goals including two in the 4-1 win over Juventus in the final. Ronaldo collected the trophy in a glitzy ceremony at the Eiffel Tower in the French capital, presented by former France player David Ginola. "I feel very happy, it`s a fantastic moment in my career," Ronaldo said upon collecting the award, standing with his mother Maria Dolores and his oldest son Cristiano Jr. "I`ve waited a long time for this. This has been a stupendous year for me, we won the Champions League and La Liga and on a personal level, I was top scorer in the Champions League. "Trophies help me win prizes like this and I have to thank my teammates at Madrid and Portugal. They`ve been very important to me." Messi came second while Paris St Germain forward Neymar Jr, the most expensive player in the world, came third; veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon finished fourth and Real midfielder Luka Modric came fifth. Chelsea and France midfielder N`Golo Kante was the highest ranked Premier League player, coming eighth, while Tottenham Hotspur`s Harry Kane, ranked 10th, was the only English player to make it into the top 10. Ronaldo, who this year also helped the national side qualify for the World Cup in Russia next year, won his first Ballon d`Or in 2008 while with Manchester United and collected it again in 2013, 2014 and 2016. The 32-year-old was last month named the Best FIFA Men`s Player in the global soccer body`s own awards ceremony. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez joined Ronaldo on stage and paid tribute to the Portuguese, who he said was the best player of all time alongside late Real great Alfredo di Stefano. "This fifth Ballon d`Or is a great honour and a great achievement for the club and Real Madrid fans around the world. Cristiano is the best player in the world, he represents the values of Real Madrid. Cristiano is the best player in history along with Di Stefano, he is his heir," Perez said. The Ballon d`Or was first awarded in 1956 and was partnered with FIFA from 2010 to 2015, until becoming its own entity once again.

Ronaldo pips Messi to win Ballon d'Or for joint-record fifth time

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-to-recognise-jerusalem-as-israel-capital-25983" target="_blank">Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital</a>

A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America&#39;s allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/plot-to-kill-british-pm-may-foiled-report-25987" target="_blank">Plot to kill British PM May foiled: Report</a>

Reuters reported the men were identified as Naa&rsquo;imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/the-international-olympic-committee-bans-russia-from-pyeongchang-winter-olympics-25984" target="_blank">Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics</a>

The IOC Russia ban was announced after the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and two subsequent IOC investigations confirmed Russian athletes to have participated in a drug-cheating programme which peaked during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/three-men-charged-with-maltese-journalists-murder-25986" target="_blank">Three charged with murder of Malta journalist killed in car bombing</a>

Caruana Galizia, 53, was one of Malta&#39;s most prominent public figures, thanks to a widely read blog she used to expose crime and corruption.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/special-counsel-robert-mueller-asks-for-trumps-deutsche-bank-records-25989" target="_blank">Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump&#39;s Deutsche Bank records</a>

German business paper Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed Deutsche Bank to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family.

Trump to recognise Jerusalem as Israel capital A senior administration official said Trump would make the landmark announcement -- which flies in the face of warnings from America's allies across the region and the world -- at 1 pm (1800 GMT) from the White House. Plot to kill British PM May foiled: Report Reuters reported the men were identified as Naa’imur Zakariyah Rahman, 20, of north London, and Mohammed Aqib Imran, 21, of south-east Birmingham. Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics The IOC Russia ban was announced after the World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) and two subsequent IOC investigations confirmed Russian athletes to have participated in a drug-cheating programme which peaked during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Three charged with murder of Malta journalist killed in car bombing Caruana Galizia, 53, was one of Malta's most prominent public figures, thanks to a widely read blog she used to expose crime and corruption. Special Counsel Robert Mueller subpoenas Trump's Deutsche Bank records German business paper Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday that Mueller had subpoenaed Deutsche Bank to hand over financial information about Trump and members of his family.

WION morning news brief, December 6, 2017

Bayern Munich ruined Paris St Germain&#39;s perfect Champions League record this season with a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday but their rousing win could not stop the French side advancing as Group B winners.

With both teams already qualified for the knockout stages, Corentin Tolisso&#39;s double and another goal from Robert Lewandowski gave Bayern hope of pulling off the improbable win by a four-goal margin that would see them top the group.

Yet PSG, who had thumped Bayern 3-0 in Paris, always looked likely to avoid that indignity in a high-quality contest once Kylian Mbappe scored just after halftime when they were 2-0 down.

The top-of-the-table clash proved far from a &#39;dead rubber&#39;&nbsp;with both sides determined to demonstrate the qualities that make them among the favourites to lift the title this season.

The German champions started hungrily, Lewandowski having time to turn and score in the eighth minute after being played onside by a careless Dani Alves, before Tolisso headed home James Rodriguez&#39;s cross in the 37th minute.

With the home crowd sensing an extraordinary story, Mbappe ruined the script when heading in from Edinson Cavani&#39;s neat chipped cross five minutes after the break.

Still, the French midfielder Tolisso kept the pressure on, finishing clinically in the 69th minute after David Alaba&#39;s storming run and cross down the left flank.

While PSG and Bayern ended on 15 points each, Celtic took third place, guaranteeing Europa League football, despite losing 1-0 at home to Anderlecht, whose second-half winner came from a Jozo Simunovic own goal.

The win represented the Belgian side`s first success of the competition after five straight defeats but Celtic&#39;s previous 3-0 win at Anderlecht ensured they had the better head-to-head record.

The French side still advanced to the last 16 as Group B winners

Bayern Munich ruined Paris St Germain's perfect Champions League record this season with a 3-1 victory at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday but their rousing win could not stop the French side advancing as Group B winners. With both teams already qualified for the knockout stages, Corentin Tolisso's double and another goal from Robert Lewandowski gave Bayern hope of pulling off the improbable win by a four-goal margin that would see them top the group. Yet PSG, who had thumped Bayern 3-0 in Paris, always looked likely to avoid that indignity in a high-quality contest once Kylian Mbappe scored just after halftime when they were 2-0 down. The top-of-the-table clash proved far from a 'dead rubber' with both sides determined to demonstrate the qualities that make them among the favourites to lift the title this season. The German champions started hungrily, Lewandowski having time to turn and score in the eighth minute after being played onside by a careless Dani Alves, before Tolisso headed home James Rodriguez's cross in the 37th minute. With the home crowd sensing an extraordinary story, Mbappe ruined the script when heading in from Edinson Cavani's neat chipped cross five minutes after the break. Still, the French midfielder Tolisso kept the pressure on, finishing clinically in the 69th minute after David Alaba's storming run and cross down the left flank. While PSG and Bayern ended on 15 points each, Celtic took third place, guaranteeing Europa League football, despite losing 1-0 at home to Anderlecht, whose second-half winner came from a Jozo Simunovic own goal. The win represented the Belgian side`s first success of the competition after five straight defeats but Celtic's previous 3-0 win at Anderlecht ensured they had the better head-to-head record.

Champions League: Bayern end PSG's perfect Euro record with 3-1 win

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri revealed captain Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Miralem Pjanic were both in doubt for Tuesday night`s crunch Champions League game against Olympiakos.

Juventus -- runners-up twice in the last three seasons -- head to Athens needing a win to ensure their passage to the knockout phase.&nbsp;

But Gonzalo Higuain will play after scoring the winner against Napoli at the weekend despite a broken hand.

&quot;Higuain will be on the pitch tomorrow because he is doing well both physically and mentally,&quot; said Allegri.&nbsp;

&quot;Tomorrow could be decisive. We are still evaluating Buffon and Pjanic, who is suffering from a muscle strain.&quot;

A draw or even defeat would be sufficient for the six-time defending Serie A champions unless Sporting Lisbon beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou.

&quot;We can`t afford to wait and see what Barcelona`s result will be,&quot; continued Allegri.&nbsp;

&quot;Either we win or we run the risk of exiting the Champions League. Tomorrow (Tuesday), our approach must be spot on. We have to be patient and take our chances to win the game.&quot;

&quot;With (Giorgio) Chiellini out, either (Daniele) Rugani or (Mattia) De Sciglio will play. (Mario) Mandzukic will be available as well.&quot;

Allegri added that it would be an important test for Argentina striker Paulo Dybala &quot;to return to his highest level&quot; and score his first Champions League goal this season to add to his 12 in Serie A.

Centre-back Andrea Barzagli added: &quot;It would be unthinkable for us not to qualify. Tomorrow`s match is essential for us, qualifying for the knockout round is our first objective of the season.

&quot;We understand the importance of the game and we know that it is not going to be easy for us -- the first match against Olympiakos at home was complicated and now we are playing in their stadium.&nbsp;

&quot;We have to be focused and careful tomorrow because it is a complicated game.&quot;

Juve play a crunch league game against Olympiakos early Wednesday morning

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri revealed captain Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Miralem Pjanic were both in doubt for Tuesday night`s crunch Champions League game against Olympiakos. Juventus -- runners-up twice in the last three seasons -- head to Athens needing a win to ensure their passage to the knockout phase. But Gonzalo Higuain will play after scoring the winner against Napoli at the weekend despite a broken hand. "Higuain will be on the pitch tomorrow because he is doing well both physically and mentally," said Allegri. "Tomorrow could be decisive. We are still evaluating Buffon and Pjanic, who is suffering from a muscle strain." A draw or even defeat would be sufficient for the six-time defending Serie A champions unless Sporting Lisbon beat Barcelona at the Camp Nou. "We can`t afford to wait and see what Barcelona`s result will be," continued Allegri. "Either we win or we run the risk of exiting the Champions League. Tomorrow (Tuesday), our approach must be spot on. We have to be patient and take our chances to win the game." "With (Giorgio) Chiellini out, either (Daniele) Rugani or (Mattia) De Sciglio will play. (Mario) Mandzukic will be available as well." Allegri added that it would be an important test for Argentina striker Paulo Dybala "to return to his highest level" and score his first Champions League goal this season to add to his 12 in Serie A. Centre-back Andrea Barzagli added: "It would be unthinkable for us not to qualify. Tomorrow`s match is essential for us, qualifying for the knockout round is our first objective of the season. "We understand the importance of the game and we know that it is not going to be easy for us -- the first match against Olympiakos at home was complicated and now we are playing in their stadium. "We have to be focused and careful tomorrow because it is a complicated game."

Buffon, Pjanic doubts for Juventus in Champions League

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/zimbabwes-leaders-should-implement-much-needed-political-reforms-us-24781">Zimbabwe&#39;s leaders should implement much-needed political reforms: US</a>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

The US administration relieved at the smooth transfer of power after a week of turmoil called it an &quot;extraordinary opportunity for Zimbabwe to set a new path.&quot;

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/youth-congress-online-magazine-makes-chai-jibe-at-pm-modi-gets-slammed-24778">Youth Congress online magazine makes &#39;chai&#39; jibe at PM Modi, gets slammed</a>

The official twitter handle of the Youth Congress&#39;s online magazine Yuva Desh made a &#39;chai&#39; jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and was slammed for it.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/photos/champions-league-ronaldo-puts-real-madrid-on-top-liverpool-falter-559#photo-29540">Champions League: Ronaldo puts Real Madrid on top, Liverpool falter</a>

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as holders Real Madrid thrashed APOEL 6-0 in Cyprus to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, while Liverpool blew a three-goal lead in a thriller at Sevilla.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/uber-reports-of-data-breach-affecting-57-million-accoiunts-24783">Uber reports data breach affecting 57 million accounts</a>

The incident happened during the tenure of Travis Kalanick- Uber&#39;s co-founder, who was the chief executive at the time of the breach.

&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/gujarat-elections-ex-mp-kanjibhai-patel-son-sunil-quit-bjp-24782">Gujarat elections: Ex-MP Kanjibhai Patel, son Sunil quit BJP</a>

Miffed over the ticket distribution, the father-son duo took the unexpected step on the last day of nomination for the first phase of elections.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as holders Real Madrid thrashed APOEL 6-0 in Cyprus to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, while Liverpool blew a three-goal lead in a thriller at Sevilla

Zimbabwe's leaders should implement much-needed political reforms: US The US administration relieved at the smooth transfer of power after a week of turmoil called it an "extraordinary opportunity for Zimbabwe to set a new path." Youth Congress online magazine makes 'chai' jibe at PM Modi, gets slammed The official twitter handle of the Youth Congress's online magazine Yuva Desh made a 'chai' jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and was slammed for it. Champions League: Ronaldo puts Real Madrid on top, Liverpool falter Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as holders Real Madrid thrashed APOEL 6-0 in Cyprus to reach the Champions League last 16 on Tuesday, while Liverpool blew a three-goal lead in a thriller at Sevilla. Uber reports data breach affecting 57 million accounts The incident happened during the tenure of Travis Kalanick- Uber's co-founder, who was the chief executive at the time of the breach. Gujarat elections: Ex-MP Kanjibhai Patel, son Sunil quit BJP Miffed over the ticket distribution, the father-son duo took the unexpected step on the last day of nomination for the first phase of elections.

WION morning news brief, November 22, 2017

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday&#39;s Champions League clash at Sevilla.

A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp&#39;s side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League.

&quot;It&#39;s getting really exciting and decisive -- and that&#39;s really cool,&quot; Klopp said. &quot;We&#39;ve had 12 (league) games this season, that&#39;s not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances.

&quot;That&#39;s what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that&#39;s what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us.&quot;

Liverpool&#39;s blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge&#39;s game time.

However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window.

&quot;I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time,&quot; Klopp added. &quot;The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different.

&quot;There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don&#39;t think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players).&quot;

Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.

Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Liverpool take on Sevilla early Wednesday morning at 1.15 am India Standard Time

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at Sevilla. A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp's side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League. "It's getting really exciting and decisive -- and that's really cool," Klopp said. "We've had 12 (league) games this season, that's not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances. "That's what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that's what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us." Liverpool's blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge's game time. However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window. "I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time," Klopp added. "The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different. "There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don't think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players)." Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday. Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Champions League: Klopp says Liverpool have overcome early instability

Sergio Aguero became Manchester City&#39;s all-time record scorer and was described as &quot;a legend&quot; by coach Pep Guardiola whose side booked their place in the Champions League last 16 with a 4-2 win at Napoli.

The 29-year-old Argentine beat the old mark of 177 set by Eric Brook in the 1930s when he hit City&#39;s third goal in Naples, then promised to give his shirt to his eight-year-old son Benjamin -- the grandson of Argentina and Napoli legend Diego Maradona.

&quot;This shirt is for my son, he texted me to say: &quot;As soon as you score, bring me the shirt&#39;,&quot; said Aguero.

&quot;I am bringing the shirt back to my son. My family called from Argentina, they were watching me.&quot;

Aguero&#39;s son was born from his marriage to Giannina Maradona, the daughter of Diego.

And Aguero achieved his new landmark at the San Paolo Stadium where Maradona made himself a Neapolitan icon between 1984 and 1991, winning two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup.

&quot;What he (Aguero) has achieved has made him a legend, he&#39;s gone down in history, so I would tell him to enjoy,&quot; said Guardiola.

Aguero paid tribute to his team-mates for his record 178 goals.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy for this moment and happy because the team help support me and the fans.

&quot;I&#39;ll enjoy this moment because it only happens once.

&quot;Napoli are a good team and away always in the Champions League is difficult.&quot;

The Premier League leaders had needed just a point to seal their berth in the knockout rounds for the fifth consecutive year, with two games to go.&nbsp;

But City&#39;s fourth victory out of four in Group F confirmed their progress with 12 points.

Napoli are third, six points behind Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk who beat Dutch outfit Feyenoord 3-1, and are close to elimination from the elite European competition.

Record man&nbsp;

The new benchmark is just another for the man from Buenos Aires who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for &pound;38 million, scoring two goals and assisting one on his debut against Swansea.

He currently has the best goals-to-minutes ratio in Premier League history -- scoring 107 in 154 Premier League matches at a rate of a goal every 106 minutes.&nbsp;

The 29-year-old Argentine beat the old mark of 177 set by Eric Brook in the 1930s when he hit City's third goal in Naples, then promised to give his shirt to his eight-year-old son Benjamin -- the grandson of Argentina and Napoli legend Diego Maradona.

Sergio Aguero became Manchester City's all-time record scorer and was described as "a legend" by coach Pep Guardiola whose side booked their place in the Champions League last 16 with a 4-2 win at Napoli. The 29-year-old Argentine beat the old mark of 177 set by Eric Brook in the 1930s when he hit City's third goal in Naples, then promised to give his shirt to his eight-year-old son Benjamin -- the grandson of Argentina and Napoli legend Diego Maradona. "This shirt is for my son, he texted me to say: "As soon as you score, bring me the shirt'," said Aguero. "I am bringing the shirt back to my son. My family called from Argentina, they were watching me." Aguero's son was born from his marriage to Giannina Maradona, the daughter of Diego. And Aguero achieved his new landmark at the San Paolo Stadium where Maradona made himself a Neapolitan icon between 1984 and 1991, winning two Serie A titles and the UEFA Cup. "What he (Aguero) has achieved has made him a legend, he's gone down in history, so I would tell him to enjoy," said Guardiola. Aguero paid tribute to his team-mates for his record 178 goals. "I'm very happy for this moment and happy because the team help support me and the fans. "I'll enjoy this moment because it only happens once. "Napoli are a good team and away always in the Champions League is difficult." The Premier League leaders had needed just a point to seal their berth in the knockout rounds for the fifth consecutive year, with two games to go. But City's fourth victory out of four in Group F confirmed their progress with 12 points. Napoli are third, six points behind Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk who beat Dutch outfit Feyenoord 3-1, and are close to elimination from the elite European competition. Record man The new benchmark is just another for the man from Buenos Aires who joined City from Atletico Madrid in 2011 for £38 million, scoring two goals and assisting one on his debut against Swansea. He currently has the best goals-to-minutes ratio in Premier League history -- scoring 107 in 154 Premier League matches at a rate of a goal every 106 minutes.

Football: Aguero's son, Maradona's grandson, proud owner of record shirt

Dele Alli condemned Champions League holders Real Madrid to a horrendous Wembley debut with two goals as Tottenham Hotspur reached the last 16 with a stunning 3-1 victory on Wednesday.

The 21-year-old England midfielder, making his first appearance in this year&#39;s competition after serving a three-game ban, scored either side of halftime on a memorable night for Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s team.

Christian Eriksen was also on target for Tottenham as they proved far superior to end Madrid&#39;s 30-match unbeaten run in Champions League group play.

Cristiano Ronaldo replied for Zinedine Zidane&#39;s side but it was in vain as Tottenham sealed a first win in six attempts against the Spanish champions who will face more criticism after falling eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga.

Tottenham lead Group H with 10 points with Real on seven, followed by Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia who have two each after a draw in Germany.

&quot;We are starting to believe in our potential and quality,&quot; Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side failed to negotiate the group phase last year, told reporters.

&quot;This win makes us more visible and is something that everyone around Europe will have noticed.&quot;

Twelve-times champions Real should still qualify but manager Zidane admitted his side were in a rut after the weekend&#39;s defeat at Girona and now a chastening night at Wembley.

&quot;It&#39;s a hard defeat to take but it was against a team who played very well and deserved to win,&quot; he said. &quot;We were not able to come up with a response and we are not happy about it.&quot;

Buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu two weeks ago Tottenham began at a high tempo and dominated the opening 20 minutes against a pensive Madrid.

Harry Kane, declared fit after missing his side&#39;s weekend loss at Manchester United with a hamstring strain, should have done better with an attempted chip over Real keeper Kiko Casilla who was deputising for injured Keylor Navas.

Tottenham right back Kieran Trippier was a constant menace down the right and his first-time volleyed cross caused panic in the Real defence - a portent of things to come for Real.

FORAY FORWARD

The hosts suffered a blow when central defender Toby Alderweireld&#39;s evening was cut short as he pulled up with a hamstring injury after a foray forward.

Moussa Sissoko replaced him with Eric Dier dropping into defence but it did not slow Tottenham&#39;s momentum as they deservedly went ahead five minutes later.

Harry Winks picked out Trippier racing down the right and his volleyed cross found Alli to prod home.

Real responded with Casemiro and Ronaldo testing Hugo Lloris but Tottenham should have increased their lead before halftime when Sissoko mis-kicked in front of goal from another Trippier cut back and Kane&#39;s goalbound shot was blocked by Sergio Ramos.

A single-goal lead looked vulnerable against the defending champions but Tottenham doubled it nine minutes after the break with Alli sending the Wembley crowd into raptures.

The England midfielder was allowed to advance goalwards and his shot deflected off Ramos&#39;s back to completely wrong-foot Casilla.

Real, who had lost only one of their last 22 European fixtures, swarmed forward trying to salvage something but their night took a turn for the worse when Tottenham counter-attacked in devastating fashion in the 65th minute, Alli finding Kane who picked out Eriksen to calmly slot home.

Ronaldo fired home his sixth goal in this year&#39;s competition to set up a frantic last 10 minutes but Tottenham held firm to avenge their quarter-final defeat by Real in 2011.

Tottenham lead Group H with 10 points with Real on seven, followed by Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia who have two each after a draw in Germany.

Dele Alli condemned Champions League holders Real Madrid to a horrendous Wembley debut with two goals as Tottenham Hotspur reached the last 16 with a stunning 3-1 victory on Wednesday. The 21-year-old England midfielder, making his first appearance in this year's competition after serving a three-game ban, scored either side of halftime on a memorable night for Mauricio Pochettino's team. Christian Eriksen was also on target for Tottenham as they proved far superior to end Madrid's 30-match unbeaten run in Champions League group play. Cristiano Ronaldo replied for Zinedine Zidane's side but it was in vain as Tottenham sealed a first win in six attempts against the Spanish champions who will face more criticism after falling eight points behind Barcelona in La Liga. Tottenham lead Group H with 10 points with Real on seven, followed by Borussia Dortmund and Apoel Nicosia who have two each after a draw in Germany. "We are starting to believe in our potential and quality," Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side failed to negotiate the group phase last year, told reporters. "This win makes us more visible and is something that everyone around Europe will have noticed." Twelve-times champions Real should still qualify but manager Zidane admitted his side were in a rut after the weekend's defeat at Girona and now a chastening night at Wembley. "It's a hard defeat to take but it was against a team who played very well and deserved to win," he said. "We were not able to come up with a response and we are not happy about it." Buoyed by their impressive 1-1 draw in the Bernabeu two weeks ago Tottenham began at a high tempo and dominated the opening 20 minutes against a pensive Madrid. Harry Kane, declared fit after missing his side's weekend loss at Manchester United with a hamstring strain, should have done better with an attempted chip over Real keeper Kiko Casilla who was deputising for injured Keylor Navas. Tottenham right back Kieran Trippier was a constant menace down the right and his first-time volleyed cross caused panic in the Real defence - a portent of things to come for Real. FORAY FORWARD The hosts suffered a blow when central defender Toby Alderweireld's evening was cut short as he pulled up with a hamstring injury after a foray forward. Moussa Sissoko replaced him with Eric Dier dropping into defence but it did not slow Tottenham's momentum as they deservedly went ahead five minutes later. Harry Winks picked out Trippier racing down the right and his volleyed cross found Alli to prod home. Real responded with Casemiro and Ronaldo testing Hugo Lloris but Tottenham should have increased their lead before halftime when Sissoko mis-kicked in front of goal from another Trippier cut back and Kane's goalbound shot was blocked by Sergio Ramos. A single-goal lead looked vulnerable against the defending champions but Tottenham doubled it nine minutes after the break with Alli sending the Wembley crowd into raptures. The England midfielder was allowed to advance goalwards and his shot deflected off Ramos's back to completely wrong-foot Casilla. Real, who had lost only one of their last 22 European fixtures, swarmed forward trying to salvage something but their night took a turn for the worse when Tottenham counter-attacked in devastating fashion in the 65th minute, Alli finding Kane who picked out Eriksen to calmly slot home. Ronaldo fired home his sixth goal in this year's competition to set up a frantic last 10 minutes but Tottenham held firm to avenge their quarter-final defeat by Real in 2011.

Alli shines as Tottenham Hotspur stun champions Real Madrid

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages by outclassing Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday despite playing the second half with 10 men.

Gerard Pique was sent off two minutes before halftime for two bookings, one for tugging an opponent&#39;s shirt and the other for slapping the ball into the net, but Barca were barely threatened by a hapless Olympiakos side who are badly under-performing in their Greek title defence.

The Athens club, who won three league titles and two domestic Cups under current Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, are fifth in the standings in the Greek top flight and have lost all their games in the Champions League.

Barca took the lead in the 18th minute at a rainswept and sparsely attended Nou Camp when visiting defender Dimitrios Nikolaou turned Gerard Deulofeu&#39;s cross into his own net.

It was the fifth own goal Barca have benefited from this season in all competitions.

Messi struck his landmark goal in Europe from a free kick in the 61st minute to double Barca&#39;s lead. It was his 97th goal in the Champions League. His other three came in the UEFA Super Cup.

&quot;I hope he can get to 200 by the end of this season,&quot; joked Valverde after the Argentine took his tally to 15 goals in all competitions less than two months into the campaign.

&quot;His numbers validate what we see from him every day. He is constantly breaking down barriers.&quot;

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu also paid tribute to Messi.

&quot;I would give him every prize in the world, he has been the best player of all time for many years now,&quot; he said.

&quot;He has made this era sublime. We see him as the leader of our team, he contributes so much and we all never tire of enjoying him.&quot;

Messi then carved his way through the hapless visiting defence moments later to tee up France left back Lucas Digne to score his first goal in the Champions League for Barca.

Greek defender Nikolaou, 19, scored for a second time but first for his side when he headed home from a corner to give Olympiakos a scantly-deserved consolation goal in the 89th minute.

The unbeaten Barca top Champions League Group D with nine points. A win at Olympiakos in two weeks will seal their place in the last 16.

&quot;We are feeling very good in the league and Champions League and we have to keep going like this,&quot; Barca&#39;s Sergi Roberto told reporters after his side recorded a 10th victory in 11 games.

&quot;We are frustrated to have conceded a goal although by then the game was almost over.&quot;

Messi struck his landmark goal in Europe from a free kick in the 61st minute to double Barca's lead. It was his 97th goal in the Champions League. His other three came in the UEFA Super Cup. "I

Lionel Messi scored his 100th goal in European competition as Barcelona moved close to qualifying for the Champions League knockout stages by outclassing Olympiakos 3-1 on Wednesday despite playing the second half with 10 men. Gerard Pique was sent off two minutes before halftime for two bookings, one for tugging an opponent's shirt and the other for slapping the ball into the net, but Barca were barely threatened by a hapless Olympiakos side who are badly under-performing in their Greek title defence. The Athens club, who won three league titles and two domestic Cups under current Barca coach Ernesto Valverde, are fifth in the standings in the Greek top flight and have lost all their games in the Champions League. Barca took the lead in the 18th minute at a rainswept and sparsely attended Nou Camp when visiting defender Dimitrios Nikolaou turned Gerard Deulofeu's cross into his own net. It was the fifth own goal Barca have benefited from this season in all competitions. Messi struck his landmark goal in Europe from a free kick in the 61st minute to double Barca's lead. It was his 97th goal in the Champions League. His other three came in the UEFA Super Cup. "I hope he can get to 200 by the end of this season," joked Valverde after the Argentine took his tally to 15 goals in all competitions less than two months into the campaign. "His numbers validate what we see from him every day. He is constantly breaking down barriers." Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu also paid tribute to Messi. "I would give him every prize in the world, he has been the best player of all time for many years now," he said. "He has made this era sublime. We see him as the leader of our team, he contributes so much and we all never tire of enjoying him." Messi then carved his way through the hapless visiting defence moments later to tee up France left back Lucas Digne to score his first goal in the Champions League for Barca. Greek defender Nikolaou, 19, scored for a second time but first for his side when he headed home from a corner to give Olympiakos a scantly-deserved consolation goal in the 89th minute. The unbeaten Barca top Champions League Group D with nine points. A win at Olympiakos in two weeks will seal their place in the last 16. "We are feeling very good in the league and Champions League and we have to keep going like this," Barca's Sergi Roberto told reporters after his side recorded a 10th victory in 11 games. "We are frustrated to have conceded a goal although by then the game was almost over."

Champions League: Messi joins 100-goal club as Barcelona beat Olympiakos

Juergen Klopp&#39;s Liverpool have been breathtaking and infuriating in equal measure this season, but it all came together on Tuesday as they displayed their devastating attacking prowess in a 7-0 victory against Maribor.

As has been the case too often this season, Liverpool&#39;s opening two Champions League draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow were characterised by both defensive fragility and attacking frustration.

Yet from the moment Roberto Firmino opened the scoring in the fourth minute against the Slovenian side, Liverpool cut through the hosts&#39; defence with irrepressible vim and vigour and ended up recording the biggest away win by an English team in European Cup history.

The first half was only 19 minutes old by the time Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah added their names to the scoresheet -- the latter then netting his second, and the team&#39;s fourth, in the 39th minute.

By the time Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew the final whistle, Firmino, substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold had scored second-half goals.

&quot;Our attitude was outstanding, we were spot on from the first second,&quot; Klopp told BT Sport.

&quot;We scored wonderful goals, played wonderful football and it looked like they were not very good, but it is difficult to play against us.

&quot;I love the fact we stayed really concentrated in the second half, we controlled the game and it was a very mature performance.

&quot;You can struggle in a game like this if you do not have a 100 percent attitude... Seven goals was wonderful, but the counter pressing I was close to celebrating it, it was so good. They are a really good football team and they could not cope with this.&quot;

Such are Liverpool&#39;s attacking options at present, dynamic England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has had to be content with a place on the bench since his arrival from Arsenal in August.

&quot;We were very clinical and putting almost all of our chances away,&quot; the midfielder said. &quot;It feels like we have a lot of goals in us, we create a lot of chances.

&quot;This is a competitive team, we have had a few results that have not gone our way, and I&#39;m ready whenever I get an opportunity.&quot;

With five points, Liverpool -- who welcome Maribor to Anfield next month -- lead Group E on goal difference from Spartak Moscow, while Sevilla are one point further adrift in third.

Roberto Firmino opened the scoring against the Slovenian side Maribor in the fourth minute

Juergen Klopp's Liverpool have been breathtaking and infuriating in equal measure this season, but it all came together on Tuesday as they displayed their devastating attacking prowess in a 7-0 victory against Maribor. As has been the case too often this season, Liverpool's opening two Champions League draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow were characterised by both defensive fragility and attacking frustration. Yet from the moment Roberto Firmino opened the scoring in the fourth minute against the Slovenian side, Liverpool cut through the hosts' defence with irrepressible vim and vigour and ended up recording the biggest away win by an English team in European Cup history. The first half was only 19 minutes old by the time Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah added their names to the scoresheet -- the latter then netting his second, and the team's fourth, in the 39th minute. By the time Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew the final whistle, Firmino, substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold had scored second-half goals. "Our attitude was outstanding, we were spot on from the first second," Klopp told BT Sport. "We scored wonderful goals, played wonderful football and it looked like they were not very good, but it is difficult to play against us. "I love the fact we stayed really concentrated in the second half, we controlled the game and it was a very mature performance. "You can struggle in a game like this if you do not have a 100 percent attitude... Seven goals was wonderful, but the counter pressing I was close to celebrating it, it was so good. They are a really good football team and they could not cope with this." Such are Liverpool's attacking options at present, dynamic England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has had to be content with a place on the bench since his arrival from Arsenal in August. "We were very clinical and putting almost all of our chances away," the midfielder said. "It feels like we have a lot of goals in us, we create a lot of chances. "This is a competitive team, we have had a few results that have not gone our way, and I'm ready whenever I get an opportunity." With five points, Liverpool -- who welcome Maribor to Anfield next month -- lead Group E on goal difference from Spartak Moscow, while Sevilla are one point further adrift in third.

Champions League: Liverpool thrash Maribor

Manchester City beat Napoli 2-1 in their Champions League Group F match on Tuesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after three games, but Pep Guardiola&#39;s side were forced to hang on despite going 2-0 up inside 13 minutes.

City started as they left off in their 7-2 crushing of Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday, attacking with a speed and fluency which the Serie A leaders struggled to cope with.

Raheem Sterling put the home side ahead in the ninth minute, finishing with his left foot after Kyle Walker&#39;s attempt to convert a David Silva pull-back was blocked.

Four minutes later, the in-form Kevin De Bruyne created the second, powering down the right flank and delivering a pinpoint low cross to Gabriel Jesus who made no mistake.

The Premier League leaders were producing wave after wave of attacks and the appreciative crowd sensed that this could be another massacre.

Belgian midfielder De Bruyne fired a long-range shot against the bar in the 25th minute after a swift City counter-attack, and then Jesus had a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly.

But then City began to lose focus, sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions, slowing down their breaks, and Napoli sensed that the game might not be just about damage limitation.

The Italians had an opportunity to narrow the deficit in the 38th minute after Kyle Walker gave away a penalty but City&#39;s Brazilian keeper Ederson produced a fine save to keep out Dries Mertens&#39; spot-kick.

After the break, Napoli grew into the game, with some clever touches and smart movement troubling the City defence and John Stones needed to use his midriff to stop a Marek Hamsik shot that was heading for an open goal.

Napoli&#39;s reward came when they got a second chance from the spot in the 73rd minute, this time Amadou Diawara firing home after Faouzi Ghoujlam was tripped by Fernandinho.

Despite some late pressure from Maurizio Sarri&#39;s side, City showed some grit as they held on to secure their third straight win which leaves them on top of the group with nine points.

&quot;We knew they played patient football and had attacking threat. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to play our football,&quot; said City defender John Stones.

&quot;At times it was great to watch. I am upset to concede the goal we did but overall ... a great team performance. We have put ourselves in a good position (in the group). There are a lot of games to play still. This was a good test to see where we are at,&quot; he added.

Napoli are third on three points, trailing second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk who are on six.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri said City are now at par with Barca and Real

Manchester City beat Napoli 2-1 in their Champions League Group F match on Tuesday, maintaining their 100 percent record after three games, but Pep Guardiola's side were forced to hang on despite going 2-0 up inside 13 minutes. City started as they left off in their 7-2 crushing of Stoke City in the Premier League on Saturday, attacking with a speed and fluency which the Serie A leaders struggled to cope with. Raheem Sterling put the home side ahead in the ninth minute, finishing with his left foot after Kyle Walker's attempt to convert a David Silva pull-back was blocked. Four minutes later, the in-form Kevin De Bruyne created the second, powering down the right flank and delivering a pinpoint low cross to Gabriel Jesus who made no mistake. The Premier League leaders were producing wave after wave of attacks and the appreciative crowd sensed that this could be another massacre. Belgian midfielder De Bruyne fired a long-range shot against the bar in the 25th minute after a swift City counter-attack, and then Jesus had a goalbound effort cleared off the line by Kalidou Koulibaly. But then City began to lose focus, sloppily giving the ball away in dangerous positions, slowing down their breaks, and Napoli sensed that the game might not be just about damage limitation. The Italians had an opportunity to narrow the deficit in the 38th minute after Kyle Walker gave away a penalty but City's Brazilian keeper Ederson produced a fine save to keep out Dries Mertens' spot-kick. After the break, Napoli grew into the game, with some clever touches and smart movement troubling the City defence and John Stones needed to use his midriff to stop a Marek Hamsik shot that was heading for an open goal. Napoli's reward came when they got a second chance from the spot in the 73rd minute, this time Amadou Diawara firing home after Faouzi Ghoujlam was tripped by Fernandinho. Despite some late pressure from Maurizio Sarri's side, City showed some grit as they held on to secure their third straight win which leaves them on top of the group with nine points. "We knew they played patient football and had attacking threat. We knew it would be tough but we wanted to play our football," said City defender John Stones. "At times it was great to watch. I am upset to concede the goal we did but overall ... a great team performance. We have put ourselves in a good position (in the group). There are a lot of games to play still. This was a good test to see where we are at," he added. Napoli are third on three points, trailing second-placed Shakhtar Donetsk who are on six.

Champions League: City make it three out of three with win over Napoli

A pair of stunning second-half saves from Hugo Lloris salvaged a precious point for Tottenham Hotspur as they held European champions Real Madrid 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Both sides remain unbeaten in this season&#39;s Champions League and well placed to progress to the last 16. They each have seven points after Cristiano Ronaldo&#39;s penalty cancelled out Raphael Varane&#39;s own goal in the first period.

&quot;Hugo was fantastic, he deserves a big prize. He showed his real level,&quot; said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino.

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&quot;Today we see why Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers of the world.

&quot;The performance was fantastic; the effort, the belief, it is important to congratulate our players.&quot;

The sides meet again with top spot in Group H on the line at Wembley on November 1.

Borussia Dortmund&#39;s 1-1 draw at APOEL Nicosia means the Germans and Cypriots remain six points adrift of the group leaders.

&quot;We can&#39;t ever be happy not to win at home, but today there were two great goalkeepers,&quot; said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.

&quot;Keylor (Navas) for us and Lloris for them and sometimes you have to accept it.&quot;

An entertaining encounter got off to a flying start as 18-year-old Achraf Hakimi -- on his Champions League debut for Real -- teed up Ronaldo to head off the post and Karim Benzema pulled the rebound wide with the goal gaping.

After a nervous opening 10 minutes, though, Tottenham settled with Harry Kane predictably a constant threat up front.

The English international&#39;s sensational form saw him labelled a &quot;complete player&quot; by Zidane on the eve of the game, fuelling speculation he could follow Luka Modric and Gareth Bale&#39;s lead in making a move to Madrid in the future.

&quot;A point at the Bernabeu, you&#39;d take that every day of the week,&quot; said Kane. &quot;It shows how far we&#39;ve come as a team.&quot;

Kane&#39;s downward header was turned over by Navas before he broke free down the left and, from his cross, Fernando Llorente appeared to be chopped down by Casemiro inside the area, but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was unmoved.

Despite failing to get the final touch, Kane was involved once more when Spurs went in front on 28 minutes as Varane turned Serge Aurier&#39;s cross into his own net under pressure from the striker.

And Madrid&#39;s frustrations shone through when Ronaldo was booked for a petulant slap on Jan Vertonghen.

However, Real demonstrated why they have won this competition for the past two seasons by restoring order and parity before the break.

A flowing team move put Toni Kroos clean through and when he was upended by Aurier, Ronaldo stepped up to bury the resulting penalty.

Spurs were then bailed out by two outstanding saves from Lloris after the restart.

The French captain&#39;s outstretched leg diverted Benzema&#39;s powerful header from point-blank range to safety, much to his former international team-mate&#39;s dismay.

And Ronaldo then couldn&#39;t believe his eyes as Lloris leapt to turn over his rising drive which was headed for the top corner.

&quot;At this level it&#39;s a great feeling to get a good draw,&quot; Lloris told BT Sport.

&quot;They put a lot of pressure on. We could have buckled and conceded a second, but 1-1 at half-time was good and we kept working together until the end.&quot;

A hugely entertaining game continued to swing from end to end and it was the visitors who had the better chances to take all three points in the final 20 minutes.

Kane had the best opportunity when he was picked out by Llorente&#39;s fine pass, but Navas spread himself well to divert the ball behind.

And the Costa Rican had to be alert again moments later to prevent Christian Eriksen&#39;s drive sneaking in at the near post.

&quot;Today was a game for the &#39;keepers,&quot; said Navas.

Both sides remain unbeaten this season and well placed to progress to the last 16

A pair of stunning second-half saves from Hugo Lloris salvaged a precious point for Tottenham Hotspur as they held European champions Real Madrid 1-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday. Both sides remain unbeaten in this season's Champions League and well placed to progress to the last 16. They each have seven points after Cristiano Ronaldo's penalty cancelled out Raphael Varane's own goal in the first period. "Hugo was fantastic, he deserves a big prize. He showed his real level," said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino. 'Today we see why Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers of the world,' said Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino × "Today we see why Hugo Lloris is one of the best goalkeepers of the world. "The performance was fantastic; the effort, the belief, it is important to congratulate our players." The sides meet again with top spot in Group H on the line at Wembley on November 1. Borussia Dortmund's 1-1 draw at APOEL Nicosia means the Germans and Cypriots remain six points adrift of the group leaders. "We can't ever be happy not to win at home, but today there were two great goalkeepers," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane. "Keylor (Navas) for us and Lloris for them and sometimes you have to accept it." An entertaining encounter got off to a flying start as 18-year-old Achraf Hakimi -- on his Champions League debut for Real -- teed up Ronaldo to head off the post and Karim Benzema pulled the rebound wide with the goal gaping. After a nervous opening 10 minutes, though, Tottenham settled with Harry Kane predictably a constant threat up front. The English international's sensational form saw him labelled a "complete player" by Zidane on the eve of the game, fuelling speculation he could follow Luka Modric and Gareth Bale's lead in making a move to Madrid in the future. "A point at the Bernabeu, you'd take that every day of the week," said Kane. "It shows how far we've come as a team." Kane's downward header was turned over by Navas before he broke free down the left and, from his cross, Fernando Llorente appeared to be chopped down by Casemiro inside the area, but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak was unmoved. Despite failing to get the final touch, Kane was involved once more when Spurs went in front on 28 minutes as Varane turned Serge Aurier's cross into his own net under pressure from the striker. And Madrid's frustrations shone through when Ronaldo was booked for a petulant slap on Jan Vertonghen. However, Real demonstrated why they have won this competition for the past two seasons by restoring order and parity before the break. A flowing team move put Toni Kroos clean through and when he was upended by Aurier, Ronaldo stepped up to bury the resulting penalty. Spurs were then bailed out by two outstanding saves from Lloris after the restart. The French captain's outstretched leg diverted Benzema's powerful header from point-blank range to safety, much to his former international team-mate's dismay. And Ronaldo then couldn't believe his eyes as Lloris leapt to turn over his rising drive which was headed for the top corner. "At this level it's a great feeling to get a good draw," Lloris told BT Sport. "They put a lot of pressure on. We could have buckled and conceded a second, but 1-1 at half-time was good and we kept working together until the end." A hugely entertaining game continued to swing from end to end and it was the visitors who had the better chances to take all three points in the final 20 minutes. Kane had the best opportunity when he was picked out by Llorente's fine pass, but Navas spread himself well to divert the ball behind. And the Costa Rican had to be alert again moments later to prevent Christian Eriksen's drive sneaking in at the near post. "Today was a game for the 'keepers," said Navas.

Champions League: Tottenham hold on against Real

Emre Can scored twice as Liverpool defeated Hoffenheim 4-2 in the second leg of Wednesday&#39;s play-off to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory and qualify for the Champions League group stage.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Emre Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield.

Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope but Roberto Firmino converted Liverpool&#39;s fourth just beyond the hour with Sandro Wagner&#39;s late header scant consolation for the visitors.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield.

Emre Can scored twice as Liverpool defeated Hoffenheim 4-2 in the second leg of Wednesday's play-off to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory and qualify for the Champions League group stage. Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Emre Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield. Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope but Roberto Firmino converted Liverpool's fourth just beyond the hour with Sandro Wagner's late header scant consolation for the visitors.

Football: Liverpool qualify for Champions League group stage

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo&nbsp;remained atop Forbes magazine&#39;s list of 100 highest-paid athletes&nbsp;with Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James moving up to second on a list heavy on NBA players.

The 32-year-old Portugal who helped Real clinch the Champions League title last week is estimated to have earned a total of $93 million between his football salary of $58 million and $35 million in endorsement income.

It&#39;s the second straight year Ronaldo has topped the list, released Wednesday just days after he spearheaded a 4-1 victory over Juventus that made Real Madrid the first team to retain the UEFA Champions League title.

Cleveland Cavaliers superstar James LeBron, with estimated earnings of $86.2 million, was one of 32 NBA players who made the top 100 - up from 18 last year.

He took over second place from the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, now third with $80 million.

Swiss tennis great Roger Federer ($64 million) and Golden State Warriors guard Kevin Durant ($60.6 million) rounded out the top five - just as they did last year.

The Forbes figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses earned between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017. Endorsement incomes are an estimate of sponsorships, appearance fees and licensing incomes for the same 12-month period based on conversations with industry insiders.

Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner, was the lone woman on the list with an estimated income of $27 million -- $19 million of which came from endorsements - to place her 51st overall.

(AFP)

Cristiano Ronaldo has topped the list for the second straight year

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo remained atop Forbes magazine's list of 100 highest-paid athletes with Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James moving up to second on a list heavy on NBA players. The 32-year-old Portugal who helped Real clinch the Champions League title last week is estimated to have earned a total of $93 million between his football salary of $58 million and $35 million in endorsement income. It's the second straight year Ronaldo has topped the list, released Wednesday just days after he spearheaded a 4-1 victory over Juventus that made Real Madrid the first team to retain the UEFA Champions League title. Cleveland Cavaliers superstar James LeBron, with estimated earnings of $86.2 million, was one of 32 NBA players who made the top 100 - up from 18 last year. He took over second place from the Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, now third with $80 million. Swiss tennis great Roger Federer ($64 million) and Golden State Warriors guard Kevin Durant ($60.6 million) rounded out the top five - just as they did last year. The Forbes figures include salaries, prize money and bonuses earned between June 1, 2016, and June 1, 2017. Endorsement incomes are an estimate of sponsorships, appearance fees and licensing incomes for the same 12-month period based on conversations with industry insiders. Serena Williams, a 23-time Grand Slam winner, was the lone woman on the list with an estimated income of $27 million -- $19 million of which came from endorsements - to place her 51st overall. (AFP)

Forbes rich list: Cristiano Ronaldo remains on top, Messi slips

With <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-beat-juventus-to-win-champions-league-16396">Real Madrid defeating Juventus</a>&nbsp;in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season&#39;s European club competitions. Who&#39;s qualified so far from the major football leagues?

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2017.html">22&nbsp;teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages.&nbsp;Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli,&nbsp;will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition.

The first round of qualifying for the Champions League <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2435148.html">starts on</a> June 27, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/rEJVsV2.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html">16 teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A&nbsp;total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting&nbsp;for the remaining 32&nbsp;places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2435180.html">starts on</a> June 19, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uGFpuJa.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

With the Champions League over, we turn our attention to next season's European competitions and who'll be playing in them

With Real Madrid defeating Juventus in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season's European club competitions. Who's qualified so far from the major football leagues? 22 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages. Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli, will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition. The first round of qualifying for the Champions League starts on June 27, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017. 16 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting for the remaining 32 places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying starts on June 19, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

Football: Who's qualified for Europe next season?

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid crushed Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff on Saturday to become the first team to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era.

The Portugal superstar&#39;s opener was cancelled out by an astonishing Mario Mandzukic strike, but goals from Casemiro, Ronaldo and Marco Asensio secured Madrid&#39;s third Champions League triumph in four years and 12th in total.

Now a four-time Champions League winner, Ronaldo finished as the competition&#39;s top scorer for the fifth season running, substantially enhancing his chances of matching eternal rival Lionel Messi&#39;s tally of five Ballons d&#39;Or.

Zinedine Zidane, a head coach for only 17 months, became the first manager to oversee back-to-back European Cup successes since Arrigo Sacchi&#39;s fabled AC Milan team won the tournament in 1989 and 1990.

It crowns a glorious season for Madrid, who have pulled off a La Liga and European Cup double for the first time since 1958, having also won the Club World Cup and European Super Cup.

Zidane&#39;s triumph was his former club Juve&#39;s misery, Massimiliano Allegri&#39;s side crashing to a fifth successive defeat in Champions League finals and seventh in total, extending their own desperately unwanted record.

The first Champions League final to be played beneath a closed roof saw Juve hit their heads against a familiar ceiling as they missed out on a chance to complete the first Treble in their history.

The Italian champions also had substitute Juan Cuadrado sent off after he was shown a second yellow card for a gentle push on Sergio Ramos that drew a comical overreaction from the Madrid skipper.

Kick-off at the Principality Stadium was delayed by two minutes due to an elaborate pre-match ceremony involving American pop act the Black Eyed Peas and when play got under way, Juve settled first.

Gonzalo Higuain worked Keylor Navas twice, while Miralem Pjanic&#39;s snappy half-volley forced the Madrid goalkeeper to produce a smart one-handed save.

Madrid drew first blood in the 20th minute when Ronaldo flicked the ball wide to Dani Carvajal before artfully sweeping the Spaniard&#39;s return pass into the bottom-left corner via a nick off Leonardo Bonucci.

Mandzukic masterpiece 
 
It was a fine strike, and it made Ronaldo the first player to have scored in three finals in the Champions League era, but it was cancelled out by Mandzukic&#39;s masterpiece, one of the great European Cup final goals.

Bonucci&#39;s flighted pass from deep was volleyed into the box by Alex Sandro and Higuain chested the ball down before teeing it up for Mandzukic.

The Croatian forward took a touch with his chest and then, as he fell, hooked a sublime volley over Navas&#39;s despairing dive and beneath the crossbar.

After the break it was Zidane&#39;s men who set the tempo.

Luka Modric had a 25-yard effort caught by Gianluigi Buffon and Marcelo narrowly failed to pick out Ronaldo with a cross from the left before Casemiro put Madrid ahead in the 61st minute.

A loose ball broke to him on the edge of the box and the Brazilian midfielder unleashed a right-foot shot that flicked off the heels of Madrid old boy Sami Khedira before spinning past the helpless Buffon.

Three minutes later it was game over as Ronaldo netted his 12th goal in the tournament, moving a goal clear of Messi.

Modric sped to the byline on the right and crossed and Ronaldo darted ahead of Bonucci at the near post to guide a shot past Buffon.

Cardiff native Gareth Bale made an appearance as a late replacement for Karim Benzema, having been out since April 23 with a calf injury.

Alex Sandro headed wide from a Dani Alves free-kick, but Juve&#39;s fire went out when Cuadrado was given his marching orders and substitute Asensio added to their grief with a late tap-in from Marcelo&#39;s cut-back. 
 
(AFP)

Real Madrid become the first team to retain the European Cup in 27 years

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid crushed Juventus 4-1 in Cardiff on Saturday to become the first team to retain the European Cup in the Champions League era. The Portugal superstar's opener was cancelled out by an astonishing Mario Mandzukic strike, but goals from Casemiro, Ronaldo and Marco Asensio secured Madrid's third Champions League triumph in four years and 12th in total. Now a four-time Champions League winner, Ronaldo finished as the competition's top scorer for the fifth season running, substantially enhancing his chances of matching eternal rival Lionel Messi's tally of five Ballons d'Or. Zinedine Zidane, a head coach for only 17 months, became the first manager to oversee back-to-back European Cup successes since Arrigo Sacchi's fabled AC Milan team won the tournament in 1989 and 1990. It crowns a glorious season for Madrid, who have pulled off a La Liga and European Cup double for the first time since 1958, having also won the Club World Cup and European Super Cup. Zidane's triumph was his former club Juve's misery, Massimiliano Allegri's side crashing to a fifth successive defeat in Champions League finals and seventh in total, extending their own desperately unwanted record. The first Champions League final to be played beneath a closed roof saw Juve hit their heads against a familiar ceiling as they missed out on a chance to complete the first Treble in their history. The Italian champions also had substitute Juan Cuadrado sent off after he was shown a second yellow card for a gentle push on Sergio Ramos that drew a comical overreaction from the Madrid skipper. Kick-off at the Principality Stadium was delayed by two minutes due to an elaborate pre-match ceremony involving American pop act the Black Eyed Peas and when play got under way, Juve settled first. Gonzalo Higuain worked Keylor Navas twice, while Miralem Pjanic's snappy half-volley forced the Madrid goalkeeper to produce a smart one-handed save. Madrid drew first blood in the 20th minute when Ronaldo flicked the ball wide to Dani Carvajal before artfully sweeping the Spaniard's return pass into the bottom-left corner via a nick off Leonardo Bonucci. Mandzukic masterpiece It was a fine strike, and it made Ronaldo the first player to have scored in three finals in the Champions League era, but it was cancelled out by Mandzukic's masterpiece, one of the great European Cup final goals. Bonucci's flighted pass from deep was volleyed into the box by Alex Sandro and Higuain chested the ball down before teeing it up for Mandzukic. The Croatian forward took a touch with his chest and then, as he fell, hooked a sublime volley over Navas's despairing dive and beneath the crossbar. After the break it was Zidane's men who set the tempo. Luka Modric had a 25-yard effort caught by Gianluigi Buffon and Marcelo narrowly failed to pick out Ronaldo with a cross from the left before Casemiro put Madrid ahead in the 61st minute. A loose ball broke to him on the edge of the box and the Brazilian midfielder unleashed a right-foot shot that flicked off the heels of Madrid old boy Sami Khedira before spinning past the helpless Buffon. Three minutes later it was game over as Ronaldo netted his 12th goal in the tournament, moving a goal clear of Messi. Modric sped to the byline on the right and crossed and Ronaldo darted ahead of Bonucci at the near post to guide a shot past Buffon. Cardiff native Gareth Bale made an appearance as a late replacement for Karim Benzema, having been out since April 23 with a calf injury. Alex Sandro headed wide from a Dani Alves free-kick, but Juve's fire went out when Cuadrado was given his marching orders and substitute Asensio added to their grief with a late tap-in from Marcelo's cut-back. (AFP)

Real Madrid beat Juventus to win Champions League

Gareth Bale believes he isn&#39;t fit to last 90 minutes for Real Madrid in his homecoming to Cardiff for the Champions League final against Juventus on Saturday and admitted taking painkillers to play earlier this season.

Bale hasn&#39;t featured since suffering the latest in a series of calf injuries that have plagued his time in Madrid, against Barcelona on April 23.

However, he claimed he has paid the price from rushing back from ankle ligament damage suffered in November and that his right ankle still hasn&#39;t fully recovered.

&quot;I am not 100 percent, I haven&#39;t played for six or seven weeks,&quot; Bale said on Tuesday.

&quot;I obviously had my operation which still really hasn&#39;t recovered.

&quot;I have been playing with a lot of pain, even when I came back I was taking tablets to get through games and training.

&quot;The last six or seven weeks have enabled me to rest my ankle a bit and really try to get it a bit better, and obviously recover from the injury which it caused.&quot;

Bale returned ahead of schedule from his ankle operation in February and scored on his comeback against Espanyol.

However, he quickly suffered niggling muscle problems before breaking down against Barca last month.

The Welshman is back in training with the hope of being involved in European football&#39;s showpiece as Madrid look to become the first side to retain the trophy in the Champions League era.

However, he is realistic that he is unlikely to oust the on-form Isco from Zinedine Zidane&#39;s starting line-up.

&quot;To last 90 minutes, I haven&#39;t played a lot of football this year since my operation, so that would be difficult.&quot;

Even without Bale, Madrid won La Liga for the first time in five years last weekend with Isco&#39;s form in the final weeks of the season instrumental to their success.

And Bale backed his understudy to shine in Cardiff even if it means missing out on his dream of starting a Champions League final in his home city.

&quot;I think Isco has been fantastic,&quot; added Bale.

&quot;The last few weeks he has been playing very well, so I am happy for him and he has helped the team enormously at the end of the season.

&quot;Whether he or I start we will both be cheering each other on and hoping the team win.

&quot;The most important thing is how we perform as a team and win the trophy at the end of it.&quot;

However, Zidane raised the possibility of the two playing together at some stage of the game against the Italian champions.

&quot;The two of them are very good players,&quot; said the Frenchman.

&quot;They played 16 games together this season.

&quot;Everyone speaks about Gareth or Isco but they can play together.&quot;

(AFP)

The Welsh forward admitted that his right ankle had yet to fully recover, days before Real Madrid take on Juventus in Cardiff

Gareth Bale believes he isn't fit to last 90 minutes for Real Madrid in his homecoming to Cardiff for the Champions League final against Juventus on Saturday and admitted taking painkillers to play earlier this season. Bale hasn't featured since suffering the latest in a series of calf injuries that have plagued his time in Madrid, against Barcelona on April 23. However, he claimed he has paid the price from rushing back from ankle ligament damage suffered in November and that his right ankle still hasn't fully recovered. "I am not 100 percent, I haven't played for six or seven weeks," Bale said on Tuesday. "I obviously had my operation which still really hasn't recovered. "I have been playing with a lot of pain, even when I came back I was taking tablets to get through games and training. "The last six or seven weeks have enabled me to rest my ankle a bit and really try to get it a bit better, and obviously recover from the injury which it caused." Bale returned ahead of schedule from his ankle operation in February and scored on his comeback against Espanyol. However, he quickly suffered niggling muscle problems before breaking down against Barca last month. The Welshman is back in training with the hope of being involved in European football's showpiece as Madrid look to become the first side to retain the trophy in the Champions League era. However, he is realistic that he is unlikely to oust the on-form Isco from Zinedine Zidane's starting line-up. "To last 90 minutes, I haven't played a lot of football this year since my operation, so that would be difficult." Even without Bale, Madrid won La Liga for the first time in five years last weekend with Isco's form in the final weeks of the season instrumental to their success. And Bale backed his understudy to shine in Cardiff even if it means missing out on his dream of starting a Champions League final in his home city. "I think Isco has been fantastic," added Bale. "The last few weeks he has been playing very well, so I am happy for him and he has helped the team enormously at the end of the season. "Whether he or I start we will both be cheering each other on and hoping the team win. "The most important thing is how we perform as a team and win the trophy at the end of it." However, Zidane raised the possibility of the two playing together at some stage of the game against the Italian champions. "The two of them are very good players," said the Frenchman. "They played 16 games together this season. "Everyone speaks about Gareth or Isco but they can play together." (AFP)

Not 100% fit for Champions League final, says Gareth Bale

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what&#39;s going to happen? Here&#39;s some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they&#39;re headed.

How many European titles have they won?

Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992.

Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three.

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What is their record against each other? 

For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate.

How do they perform&nbsp;against teams from each other&#39;s countries?

The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1&nbsp;in Amsterdam.

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How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons?

It&#39;s been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn&#39;t done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they&#39;ve gone in the past five years.

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How have they done domestically over the past five seasons?

Let&#39;s leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are.&nbsp;Neither side has much to crow about though, as it&#39;s been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even&nbsp;placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

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Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam hoping to win their first European title in nine years. Here are some numbers to give you a perspective on the final

Manchester United face Ajax Amsterdam in the final of the Europa League tonight in Stockholm. Can their record in previous competitions give us an idea of what's going to happen? Here's some numbers to help you make sense of where these clubs have been and where they're headed. How many European titles have they won? Interestingly, Manchester United (Man United) has never won the Europa League or its previous incarnation, the UEFA Cup. Ajax Amsterdam did win the UEFA Cup back in 1992. Ajax has won four Champions League titles (or European Cups as it used to be called before 1991) while Manchester United has won three. What is their record against each other? For two clubs with such a history in European competition, they have faced each other just four times, all in the Europa League or UEFA Cup. The first two matches were in 1976 as part of two-leg tie in the first round of the UEFA Cup back in 1976. The next two matches were part of a two-leg tie in 2012 as part of the Round of 32 in the Europa League. Man United won both those ties on aggregate. How do they perform against teams from each other's countries? The last time Man United played a Dutch team was in 2016 when they played Feyenoord in the group stage of the Europa League. Man Utd. won that match at home 4-0. The last time Ajax played an English team was five years ago in 2012 when they played Manchester City in Manchester in the group stage of the Champions League. That match was drawn 2-2. They did beat Manchester City that same year though 3-1 in Amsterdam. How have they fared in Europe over the past five seasons? It's been a long time since Ajax have progressed this far in European competition. Otherwise over the past five seasons, they have gone past the Round of 32 just once in 2014/15. Man United hasn't done much better either, with the Champions League quarterfinals in 2013/14 the furthest they've gone in the past five years. How have they done domestically over the past five seasons? Let's leave Europe aside for a moment and see if their domestic form gives us any pointers on how strong these teams actually are. Neither side has much to crow about though, as it's been a long time since either club won their domestic title. The last time Man United won the Premier League was in 2013 and they even placed as low as sixth this season in England. Ajax last won the title in 2014 but have not fallen out of the top two since.

Analysis: Can Manchester United win the Europa League tonight?

Manchester United&#39;s Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a goal in each half as their team outclassed Ajax Amsterdam to win an emotional Europa League final 2-0 and qualify for the group stages of next season&#39;s Champions League.

There was silence and then applause before the game to honour the victims of Monday&#39;s deadly attack at a pop concert in Manchester in which 22 people died and both sides then played a final full of pride and passion at the Friends Arena.

World record signing Pogba opened the scoring in the 18th minute as United won the ball after an Ajax throw-in, the Frenchman&#39;s shot taking a wicked deflection to wrong foot goalkeeper Andre Onana and fly into the net.

Mkhitaryan then flicked the ball home early in the second half following a United corner, and with chants of &quot;Manchester! Manchester!&quot; echoing around the stadium, United held on to win the only European trophy missing from the Old Trafford cabinet.

(Reuters)

With this win, Manchester United has qualified for the group stages of next season's Champions League.

Manchester United's Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a goal in each half as their team outclassed Ajax Amsterdam to win an emotional Europa League final 2-0 and qualify for the group stages of next season's Champions League. There was silence and then applause before the game to honour the victims of Monday's deadly attack at a pop concert in Manchester in which 22 people died and both sides then played a final full of pride and passion at the Friends Arena. World record signing Pogba opened the scoring in the 18th minute as United won the ball after an Ajax throw-in, the Frenchman's shot taking a wicked deflection to wrong foot goalkeeper Andre Onana and fly into the net. Mkhitaryan then flicked the ball home early in the second half following a United corner, and with chants of "Manchester! Manchester!" echoing around the stadium, United held on to win the only European trophy missing from the Old Trafford cabinet. (Reuters)

Manchester United beat Ajax 2-0 to win Europa League final

Juventus defender Dani Alves produced an inspired display capped by a stunning volleyed goal in a 2-1 win over AS Monaco on Tuesday that took the Italians into their second Champions League final in three years.

Brazilian Alves crossed for Mario Mandzukic to net the first goal in the semi-final, second leg and then scored the second through an explosive strike which, with Juve leading 2-0 from the first game, effectively finished off the tie by halftime.&nbsp;

Juventus were coasting until Monaco&#39;s exciting 18-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe pulled a goal back in the 69th minute, ending a run of six successive clean sheets in the competition for the Serie A side and veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon.&nbsp;

Tempers then flared when Monaco defender Kamil Glik appeared to stamp on forward Gonzalo Higuain, although the referee took no action against the Pole, leading to a bad-tempered final 20 minutes as Juve ran out comfortable 4-1 winners on aggregate.&nbsp;

They will face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, who meet in the other semi at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday with Real leading 3-0. The showpiece match is in Cardiff on June 3.

&quot;I&#39;m very happy with the way the lads played,&quot; said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, whose side lost 3-1 to Barcelona in the 215 final. &quot;It wasn&#39;t easy to play in the Champions League and they deserved to get to the final.&quot;

Monaco started brightly as they began the thankless task of trying to breach the Juve defence and the home side&#39;s 39-year-old keeper Buffon flapped at Bernardo Silva&#39;s cross in the first minute, although nobody was on hand to take advantage.

Mbappe then hit the inside of the post from a narrow angle, though he was flagged offside, and Radamel Falcao drove over from long range as the visitors pressed forward.

But Juventus always seemed to have too much guile and Higuain had already squandered one chance, with a failed attempt to dink the ball over goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, before Mandzukic put them ahead after 33 minutes.

The move started with Alex Sandro breaking out of defence to charge 50 metres down the left and the ball eventually found Alves who lofted a high cross over from the right.

Mandzukic&#39;s header was brilliantly saved by Subasic but the keeper could do nothing as his fellow Croat fired home the rebound from close range.

Both teams had further chances as the game ebbed and flowed but Juve were sharper in attack and struck again just before halftime.

Alves, who in the previous attack had played in Paulo Dybala with a precision pass, met Subasic&#39;s punched clearance with a full-blooded volley from 25 metres and the ball flew into the net with the goalkeeper out of position.&nbsp;

Juventus were able to drop the pace in the second half and neither Mbappe&#39;s goal nor Glik&#39;s tackle were anything more than mild annoyances as the reigning Italian champions cruised into next month&#39;s final.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Juventus reached their second Champions League final in three years with a 2-1 win over Monaco.

Juventus defender Dani Alves produced an inspired display capped by a stunning volleyed goal in a 2-1 win over AS Monaco on Tuesday that took the Italians into their second Champions League final in three years. Brazilian Alves crossed for Mario Mandzukic to net the first goal in the semi-final, second leg and then scored the second through an explosive strike which, with Juve leading 2-0 from the first game, effectively finished off the tie by halftime. Juventus were coasting until Monaco's exciting 18-year-old forward Kylian Mbappe pulled a goal back in the 69th minute, ending a run of six successive clean sheets in the competition for the Serie A side and veteran goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Tempers then flared when Monaco defender Kamil Glik appeared to stamp on forward Gonzalo Higuain, although the referee took no action against the Pole, leading to a bad-tempered final 20 minutes as Juve ran out comfortable 4-1 winners on aggregate. They will face either Real Madrid or Atletico Madrid, who meet in the other semi at the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday with Real leading 3-0. The showpiece match is in Cardiff on June 3. "I'm very happy with the way the lads played," said Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri, whose side lost 3-1 to Barcelona in the 215 final. "It wasn't easy to play in the Champions League and they deserved to get to the final." Monaco started brightly as they began the thankless task of trying to breach the Juve defence and the home side's 39-year-old keeper Buffon flapped at Bernardo Silva's cross in the first minute, although nobody was on hand to take advantage. Mbappe then hit the inside of the post from a narrow angle, though he was flagged offside, and Radamel Falcao drove over from long range as the visitors pressed forward. But Juventus always seemed to have too much guile and Higuain had already squandered one chance, with a failed attempt to dink the ball over goalkeeper Danijel Subasic, before Mandzukic put them ahead after 33 minutes. The move started with Alex Sandro breaking out of defence to charge 50 metres down the left and the ball eventually found Alves who lofted a high cross over from the right. Mandzukic's header was brilliantly saved by Subasic but the keeper could do nothing as his fellow Croat fired home the rebound from close range. Both teams had further chances as the game ebbed and flowed but Juve were sharper in attack and struck again just before halftime. Alves, who in the previous attack had played in Paulo Dybala with a precision pass, met Subasic's punched clearance with a full-blooded volley from 25 metres and the ball flew into the net with the goalkeeper out of position. Juventus were able to drop the pace in the second half and neither Mbappe's goal nor Glik's tackle were anything more than mild annoyances as the reigning Italian champions cruised into next month's final. (Reuters)

Football: Alves leads Juventus into Champions League final

Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain scored a goal in each half to give the Italian side a 2-0 win at Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.

Right back Dani Alves raced into the box and back-heeled for Argentina striker Higuain to sweep home a clinical finish just before the half-hour mark.

The same two players combined again for the visitors&#39; second goal on 59 minutes, Higuain tapping in from close range from an astute cross by the veteran Brazilian defender.

Monaco, featuring a bunch of gifted young players and who have scored plenty of goals this season, had their chances but kept bumping into the tightest defence in Europe&#39;s top club competition with just two goals conceded in this campaign.

Real Madrid crushed city rivals Atletico 3-0 thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in the first leg of the other semi-final at the Bernabeu on Tuesday. 
 
(Reuters)

Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain scored a goal in each half to give the Italian side a 2-0 win at Monaco

Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain scored a goal in each half to give the Italian side a 2-0 win at Monaco in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday. Right back Dani Alves raced into the box and back-heeled for Argentina striker Higuain to sweep home a clinical finish just before the half-hour mark. The same two players combined again for the visitors' second goal on 59 minutes, Higuain tapping in from close range from an astute cross by the veteran Brazilian defender. Monaco, featuring a bunch of gifted young players and who have scored plenty of goals this season, had their chances but kept bumping into the tightest defence in Europe's top club competition with just two goals conceded in this campaign. Real Madrid crushed city rivals Atletico 3-0 thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick in the first leg of the other semi-final at the Bernabeu on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Battle-hardened Juventus show all-round nous at Monaco

Cristiano Ronaldo proved Atletico Madrid&#39;s Champions League destroyer once more with a hat-trick as Real Madrid took a commanding 3-0 semi-final, first leg lead on Tuesday.

Ronaldo extended his lead as the all-time top scorer in Madrid derby matches by taking his tally to 21 and put Real firmly on course to defend their title in the final in Cardiff on June 3.

The Portuguese rewarded a bright Real start by heading home Casemiro&#39;s deflected cross after just 10 minutes.

Ronaldo then smashed home from just inside the area and turned home Lucas Vazquez&#39;s cross in the final 20 minutes as Real continued their domination of Atletico having eliminated them in the Champions League for the past three seasons.

&quot;The team was tremendous. I scored the goals but the team was phenomenal from start to finish,&quot; said Ronaldo.

The sides meet again for the second leg on May 10.

&quot;We have a good advantage but the tie isn&#39;t over yet,&quot; added Ronaldo.

&quot;Atletico are a good side and it is not a coincidence they are in the semi-finals again. We have to be concentrated next Wednesday.&quot;

Atletico boss Diego Simeone, meanwhile, told his side to forget their latest derby demolition and hope for a miracle at the last European match at their Vicente Calderon stadium next week.

&quot;We need to forget about this game,&quot; said the Argentine.

&quot;It seems impossible, but it is football and football has these unexpected things that make it marvellous.

&quot;Until the last drip of hope is gone, we will give it everything we have.&quot;

Real needed a stoppage time equaliser en route to beating Atletico in the 2014 final, scored a late winner in the quarter-finals a year later and edged last season&#39;s final between the two on a penalty shootout.

However, there was far more a gulf between the sides this time round.

Real piled on the pain in the opening stages for the 4,000 visiting away fans and could have killed the tie in the opening half hour.

Atletico were handed a lucky escape on seven minutes when Jan Oblak parried Dani Carvajal&#39;s effort at the end of a careering run and the Slovenian recovered to also turn behind Karim Benzema&#39;s follow-up effort.

&nbsp;No let off 
 
There was no let off three minutes later, though, as Atletico failed to clear a corner and Casemiro&#39;s bouncing cross looped up for Ronaldo to power home a header.

Oblak kept Atletico alive in the moments that followed with a brilliant save from Raphael Varane&#39;s header and more comfortable stop from Isco.

However, at the other end, Keylor Navas rescued Real from conceding a vital away goal when he got a touch on the ball as Kevin Gameiro tried to round him when clean through on goal.

The majority of the efforts continued to rain down on Oblak&#39;s goal as Luka Modric drilled a shot from the edge of the box inches wide.

And Benzema then acrobatically turned a Ronaldo cross just over the bar.

The only negative news of the night for Real was an injury to right-back Dani Carvajal just before half-time as he pulled up with a muscle problem that looks set to keep him out of the second leg.

Clear-cut chances were far harder to come by after half-time as Atletico toiled to create, whilst Real sat on their lead waiting for the chance to counter-attack.

However, once again in ties between these two, Real got the slice of luck to go with their extra quality.

The ball rebounded up perfectly off the heels of Filipe Luis for Ronaldo to blast high past Oblak.

And Ronaldo completed his second hat-trick against Atletico this season four minutes from time when Lucas Vazquez&#39;s cutback picked out the four-time World Player of the Year to slot home from close range. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Ronaldo put Real firmly on course to defend their title in the final in Cardiff on June 3

Cristiano Ronaldo proved Atletico Madrid's Champions League destroyer once more with a hat-trick as Real Madrid took a commanding 3-0 semi-final, first leg lead on Tuesday. Ronaldo extended his lead as the all-time top scorer in Madrid derby matches by taking his tally to 21 and put Real firmly on course to defend their title in the final in Cardiff on June 3. The Portuguese rewarded a bright Real start by heading home Casemiro's deflected cross after just 10 minutes. Ronaldo then smashed home from just inside the area and turned home Lucas Vazquez's cross in the final 20 minutes as Real continued their domination of Atletico having eliminated them in the Champions League for the past three seasons. "The team was tremendous. I scored the goals but the team was phenomenal from start to finish," said Ronaldo. The sides meet again for the second leg on May 10. "We have a good advantage but the tie isn't over yet," added Ronaldo. "Atletico are a good side and it is not a coincidence they are in the semi-finals again. We have to be concentrated next Wednesday." Atletico boss Diego Simeone, meanwhile, told his side to forget their latest derby demolition and hope for a miracle at the last European match at their Vicente Calderon stadium next week. "We need to forget about this game," said the Argentine. "It seems impossible, but it is football and football has these unexpected things that make it marvellous. "Until the last drip of hope is gone, we will give it everything we have." Real needed a stoppage time equaliser en route to beating Atletico in the 2014 final, scored a late winner in the quarter-finals a year later and edged last season's final between the two on a penalty shootout. However, there was far more a gulf between the sides this time round. Real piled on the pain in the opening stages for the 4,000 visiting away fans and could have killed the tie in the opening half hour. Atletico were handed a lucky escape on seven minutes when Jan Oblak parried Dani Carvajal's effort at the end of a careering run and the Slovenian recovered to also turn behind Karim Benzema's follow-up effort. No let off There was no let off three minutes later, though, as Atletico failed to clear a corner and Casemiro's bouncing cross looped up for Ronaldo to power home a header. Oblak kept Atletico alive in the moments that followed with a brilliant save from Raphael Varane's header and more comfortable stop from Isco. However, at the other end, Keylor Navas rescued Real from conceding a vital away goal when he got a touch on the ball as Kevin Gameiro tried to round him when clean through on goal. The majority of the efforts continued to rain down on Oblak's goal as Luka Modric drilled a shot from the edge of the box inches wide. And Benzema then acrobatically turned a Ronaldo cross just over the bar. The only negative news of the night for Real was an injury to right-back Dani Carvajal just before half-time as he pulled up with a muscle problem that looks set to keep him out of the second leg. Clear-cut chances were far harder to come by after half-time as Atletico toiled to create, whilst Real sat on their lead waiting for the chance to counter-attack. However, once again in ties between these two, Real got the slice of luck to go with their extra quality. The ball rebounded up perfectly off the heels of Filipe Luis for Ronaldo to blast high past Oblak. And Ronaldo completed his second hat-trick against Atletico this season four minutes from time when Lucas Vazquez's cutback picked out the four-time World Player of the Year to slot home from close range. (AFP)

Real Madrid 3-0 Atletico Madrid with Ronaldo's hat-trick

Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao struck early as Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in an enthralling game on Wednesday that sealed a 6-3 aggregate victory.

French prodigy Mbappe and Colombia striker Falcao scored in the third and 17th minutes before Marco Reus gave the visitors hope with a 48th-minute goal, only for substitute Valere Germain to wrap up the win for the French side nine minutes from time.

Monaco joined Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the last four of Europe&#39;s premier club competition, becoming the first French team to achieve the feat since Olympique Lyonnais in 2010.

&quot;We&#39;re happy to be in the semi-finals, it&#39;s important for French football,&quot; Falcao said.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was philosophical after a difficult tie from the moment his team&#39;s bus was attacked before the first leg last week.

&quot;Over both games we have the feeling that everything that could go wrong went wrong,&quot; he said.

The kickoff was delayed by five minutes after the German team arrived late at the Louis-II stadium due to traffic problems. Dortmund said on their Twitter feed that the bus had been held up by police at their hotel for 20 minutes.

The incident occurred a week after the first leg was postponed by 24 hours after the Borussia team bus was attacked with explosives on its way to the stadium.

Monaco fans unveiled a &quot;You&#39;ll Never Walk Alone&quot; banner, with the German team&#39;s anthem, which they share with British clubs Liverpool and Celtic.

Monaco, who have now scored three goals in each of their last five Champions League games, made a fast start.

Benjamin Mendy&#39;s fierce 25-metre strike was parried by Roman Burki into the path of Mbappe, who coolly slotted home to put the hosts ahead.

Dortmund came close to an equaliser when Nuri Sahin&#39;s free kick hit Danijel Subasic&#39;s left-hand post.

Monaco, however, doubled their tally three minutes later as Falcao perfectly timed his header to beat Burki from Thomas Lemar&#39;s cross from the left.

That left Dortmund with three goals to score to force extra time and Tuchel replaced midfielder Erik Durm with forward Ousmane Dembele.

The German side looked transformed after the break and they were quickly rewarded as Reus reduced the arrears when he volleyed home from Dembele&#39;s cross after a dazzling run by the Frenchman.

It spurred the visitors into action and Monaco started to look shaky as the 19-year-old Dembele proved a constant threat.

Monaco, however, had a golden chance to wrap up their qualification shortly after the hour but Falcao&#39;s chip went over the bar.

Germain replaced Mbappe and had an immediate impact as he latched on to Lemar&#39;s cross to score seconds after coming on.

(Reuters)

French prodigy Mbappe and Colombia striker Falcao scored in the third and 17th minutes

Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao struck early as Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in an enthralling game on Wednesday that sealed a 6-3 aggregate victory. French prodigy Mbappe and Colombia striker Falcao scored in the third and 17th minutes before Marco Reus gave the visitors hope with a 48th-minute goal, only for substitute Valere Germain to wrap up the win for the French side nine minutes from time. Monaco joined Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the last four of Europe's premier club competition, becoming the first French team to achieve the feat since Olympique Lyonnais in 2010. "We're happy to be in the semi-finals, it's important for French football," Falcao said. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was philosophical after a difficult tie from the moment his team's bus was attacked before the first leg last week. "Over both games we have the feeling that everything that could go wrong went wrong," he said. The kickoff was delayed by five minutes after the German team arrived late at the Louis-II stadium due to traffic problems. Dortmund said on their Twitter feed that the bus had been held up by police at their hotel for 20 minutes. The incident occurred a week after the first leg was postponed by 24 hours after the Borussia team bus was attacked with explosives on its way to the stadium. Monaco fans unveiled a "You'll Never Walk Alone" banner, with the German team's anthem, which they share with British clubs Liverpool and Celtic. Monaco, who have now scored three goals in each of their last five Champions League games, made a fast start. Benjamin Mendy's fierce 25-metre strike was parried by Roman Burki into the path of Mbappe, who coolly slotted home to put the hosts ahead. Dortmund came close to an equaliser when Nuri Sahin's free kick hit Danijel Subasic's left-hand post. Monaco, however, doubled their tally three minutes later as Falcao perfectly timed his header to beat Burki from Thomas Lemar's cross from the left. That left Dortmund with three goals to score to force extra time and Tuchel replaced midfielder Erik Durm with forward Ousmane Dembele. The German side looked transformed after the break and they were quickly rewarded as Reus reduced the arrears when he volleyed home from Dembele's cross after a dazzling run by the Frenchman. It spurred the visitors into action and Monaco started to look shaky as the 19-year-old Dembele proved a constant threat. Monaco, however, had a golden chance to wrap up their qualification shortly after the hour but Falcao's chip went over the bar. Germain replaced Mbappe and had an immediate impact as he latched on to Lemar's cross to score seconds after coming on. (Reuters)

Champions League: Monaco beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1, reach semi-final

Barcelona&#39;s hopes of staging another sensational Champions League comeback fell flat against a hardened Juventus side who held the Catalans to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday at the Nou Camp to reach the semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate.

The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope of repeating their historic turnaround against Paris St Germain in the last 16 and protected their healthy advantage from the first leg by starving the hosts of space and clear sights of goal.

Lionel Messi came closest to giving Barca a route back into the contest with four strikes at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them and frequently came up short against Juve&#39;s intimidating centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

Twice European champions Juve lacked the spark and power of their thrilling first-leg victory in Turin, but there was rarely any doubt they would exact revenge for their defeat to Barca in the 2015 Champions League final by reaching a 12th semi-final.

Barca coach Luis Enrique had said before the game that if Barca managed to strike early then the noise of the Nou Camp would suck the other goals in.

Juventus, however, showed in the opening stages that they are made of sterner stuff than PSG, who gave up a 4-0 first-leg advantage.

Massimiliano Allegri&rsquo;s side pressed Barca in their own half and limited the supply to the front three.

Messi almost managed to pick out Jordi Alba with a hooked pass and later played a one-two with the Spaniard before dragging narrowly wide of the far post.

Ivan Rakitic and Neymar also missed the target with hopeful efforts but Juventus&#39; aggressive gameplan limited how much attacking Barca could do without leaving themselves exposed.

Gonzalo Higuain cracked a shot over the bar before the break while the probing Juan Cuadrado almost picked out the Argentine striker in the middle, but was thwarted by a brilliant block from Gerard Pique.

Barca increased their grip on possession after the break and spent most of the remainder of the game in their opponents&#39; half trying to carve out chances, but Juve were always ready for them.

Messi whipped a free kick onto the roof of the net and slammed another shot wide before spurning his best chance, a volley which fizzed over the bar.

Barca right back Sergi Roberto attempted a repeat of his heroic strike against PSG, but also missed the target, unable to prevent his side&#39;s second successive elimination at the quarter-final stage, which will provoke much soul-searching at the five-times European champions.

(Reuters)

The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope by starving them of space and clear sights of goal

Barcelona's hopes of staging another sensational Champions League comeback fell flat against a hardened Juventus side who held the Catalans to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday at the Nou Camp to reach the semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate. The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope of repeating their historic turnaround against Paris St Germain in the last 16 and protected their healthy advantage from the first leg by starving the hosts of space and clear sights of goal. Lionel Messi came closest to giving Barca a route back into the contest with four strikes at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them and frequently came up short against Juve's intimidating centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. Twice European champions Juve lacked the spark and power of their thrilling first-leg victory in Turin, but there was rarely any doubt they would exact revenge for their defeat to Barca in the 2015 Champions League final by reaching a 12th semi-final. Barca coach Luis Enrique had said before the game that if Barca managed to strike early then the noise of the Nou Camp would suck the other goals in. Juventus, however, showed in the opening stages that they are made of sterner stuff than PSG, who gave up a 4-0 first-leg advantage. Massimiliano Allegri’s side pressed Barca in their own half and limited the supply to the front three. Messi almost managed to pick out Jordi Alba with a hooked pass and later played a one-two with the Spaniard before dragging narrowly wide of the far post. Ivan Rakitic and Neymar also missed the target with hopeful efforts but Juventus' aggressive gameplan limited how much attacking Barca could do without leaving themselves exposed. Gonzalo Higuain cracked a shot over the bar before the break while the probing Juan Cuadrado almost picked out the Argentine striker in the middle, but was thwarted by a brilliant block from Gerard Pique. Barca increased their grip on possession after the break and spent most of the remainder of the game in their opponents' half trying to carve out chances, but Juve were always ready for them. Messi whipped a free kick onto the roof of the net and slammed another shot wide before spurning his best chance, a volley which fizzed over the bar. Barca right back Sergi Roberto attempted a repeat of his heroic strike against PSG, but also missed the target, unable to prevent his side's second successive elimination at the quarter-final stage, which will provoke much soul-searching at the five-times European champions. (Reuters)

Barcelona fail to breach Juventus' steely defence, crash out of Champions League

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to send Real Madrid through to the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-2 extra-time win against 10-man Bayern Munich to seal a 6-3 aggregate victory in controversial circumstances.

A bizarre Sergio Ramos own goal forced the extra period after Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern from the penalty spot and Ronaldo equalised.

Marcelo twice cleared off the line for Madrid and Jerome Boateng did the same for Bayern in a thrilling game, which was tilted in Madrid&rsquo;s favour by Arturo Vidal&rsquo;s dismissal for two yellow cards, the second of which was harsh.

Ronaldo put Madrid level at 2-2 on the night in the first period of extra time when he scored his 100th Champions League goal, from a clearly offside position, before he wrapped up his treble and Marco Asensio added a fourth.

Carlo Ancelotti&rsquo;s Bayern began well, with Thiago Alcantara&#39;s close-range shot brilliantly blocked on the goal line by Marcelo. Arjen Robben lashed the rebound into the side-netting.

Vidal crashed a strike inches over the crossbar and Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas had to be quick off his line to beat Ribery to a through-ball.

Madrid began to find their feet and were soon dominating, with the effervescent Marcelo crossing for Karim Benzema, who headed wide, and Dani Carvajal also firing an effort just off target.

Ramos nearly put the hosts ahead after the otherwise superb Manuel Neuer spilled a shot, but Jerome Boateng somehow blocked his effort on the line to keep his side in the tie.

Toni Kroos fired over and Ronaldo shot when he should have passed to Benzema as Madrid ended the first half looking far more dangerous than their opponents.

However, it was Bayern who took the lead when Casemiro fouled Robben in the area and Lewandowski sent Navas the wrong way from the spot.

Ronaldo levelled the score, heading beyond Neuer in the 76th minute from a fine cross by Casemiro, but Bayern restored overall parity within a minute.

Ramos, so used to being Madrid&#39;s hero, turned villain when he shinned the ball into his own net after a scramble in the area.

With the game heading towards extra-time Vidal was sent off for a second booking after appearing to win the ball cleanly from Asensio.

It gave Madrid the upper hand going into the added 30 minutes and they took advantage when Ronaldo scored the crucial second from Ramos&#39;s cross, despite being in an offside position.

Madrid added two more late on, leaving Bayern exhausted and angry.

(Reuters)

Ronaldo put Madrid level at 2-2 on the night in the first period of extra time when he scored his 100th Champions League goal

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to send Real Madrid through to the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-2 extra-time win against 10-man Bayern Munich to seal a 6-3 aggregate victory in controversial circumstances. A bizarre Sergio Ramos own goal forced the extra period after Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern from the penalty spot and Ronaldo equalised. Marcelo twice cleared off the line for Madrid and Jerome Boateng did the same for Bayern in a thrilling game, which was tilted in Madrid’s favour by Arturo Vidal’s dismissal for two yellow cards, the second of which was harsh. Ronaldo put Madrid level at 2-2 on the night in the first period of extra time when he scored his 100th Champions League goal, from a clearly offside position, before he wrapped up his treble and Marco Asensio added a fourth. Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern began well, with Thiago Alcantara's close-range shot brilliantly blocked on the goal line by Marcelo. Arjen Robben lashed the rebound into the side-netting. Vidal crashed a strike inches over the crossbar and Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas had to be quick off his line to beat Ribery to a through-ball. Madrid began to find their feet and were soon dominating, with the effervescent Marcelo crossing for Karim Benzema, who headed wide, and Dani Carvajal also firing an effort just off target. Ramos nearly put the hosts ahead after the otherwise superb Manuel Neuer spilled a shot, but Jerome Boateng somehow blocked his effort on the line to keep his side in the tie. Toni Kroos fired over and Ronaldo shot when he should have passed to Benzema as Madrid ended the first half looking far more dangerous than their opponents. However, it was Bayern who took the lead when Casemiro fouled Robben in the area and Lewandowski sent Navas the wrong way from the spot. Ronaldo levelled the score, heading beyond Neuer in the 76th minute from a fine cross by Casemiro, but Bayern restored overall parity within a minute. Ramos, so used to being Madrid's hero, turned villain when he shinned the ball into his own net after a scramble in the area. With the game heading towards extra-time Vidal was sent off for a second booking after appearing to win the ball cleanly from Asensio. It gave Madrid the upper hand going into the added 30 minutes and they took advantage when Ronaldo scored the crucial second from Ramos's cross, despite being in an offside position. Madrid added two more late on, leaving Bayern exhausted and angry. (Reuters)

Real beat Bayern 4-2 (agg 6-3) to reach Champions League semi-final

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