Real Madrid will not give Barcelona a guard of honour if the Catalans have clinched the Spanish title before next month's Clasico, Zinedine Zidane said on Saturday.

Barcelona lead La Liga by nine points with eight matches left and entertain Real in the penultimate round of the season. In Spain it has become traditional for opponents to form a guard of honour for the champions.&nbsp

"We're not going to do the guard" Zidane said at a press conference ahead of the Madrid derby against Atletico, who are also Barcelona's closest pursuers.

"It's my decision and that's it," said Zidane. "I don't understand the point of the guard, so we aren't going to do it. Anyway, we are a long way from the end of the season."

Zidane insisted the decision had nothing to do with Barcelona's refusal to form a guard of honour at the Clasico in Madrid in December just after Real had won the Club World Cup.

Even so, he acknowledged that Barca had "broken tradition".

Zidane also insisted Gareth Bale was still "an important player", even though the Welsh winger is playing less and remained on the bench in the Champions League victory at Juventus on Tuesday.

"These are decisions," Zidane told the media. "You say he's playing less or in less important games, but for me that's not the case."&nbsp

Rumours have linked Bale to a host of other clubs, notably Manchester United.

"However we finish the season, my feeling is Gareth is going to stay," said Zidane.

Real Madrid will not give Barcelona a guard of honour if the Catalans have clinched the Spanish title before next month's Clasico: Zinedine Zidane

Real Madrid will not give Barcelona a guard of honour if the Catalans have clinched the Spanish title before next month's Clasico, Zinedine Zidane said on Saturday. Barcelona lead La Liga by nine points with eight matches left and entertain Real in the penultimate round of the season. In Spain it has become traditional for opponents to form a guard of honour for the champions. "We're not going to do the guard" Zidane said at a press conference ahead of the Madrid derby against Atletico, who are also Barcelona's closest pursuers. "It's my decision and that's it," said Zidane. "I don't understand the point of the guard, so we aren't going to do it. Anyway, we are a long way from the end of the season." Zidane insisted the decision had nothing to do with Barcelona's refusal to form a guard of honour at the Clasico in Madrid in December just after Real had won the Club World Cup. Even so, he acknowledged that Barca had "broken tradition". Zidane also insisted Gareth Bale was still "an important player", even though the Welsh winger is playing less and remained on the bench in the Champions League victory at Juventus on Tuesday. "These are decisions," Zidane told the media. "You say he's playing less or in less important games, but for me that's not the case." Rumours have linked Bale to a host of other clubs, notably Manchester United. "However we finish the season, my feeling is Gareth is going to stay," said Zidane.

Zidane says Real would not honour Barcelona title win

A sixth successive Bundesliga title is just a matter of time for Bayern Munich, but their search for a coach to take over next season is proving far more complicated for the Bavarians.

With a massive 17-point lead, Bayern can wrap up the title with five games to spare if they win at midtable Augsburg on Saturday or if second-placed Schalke fail to beat Hamburg SV away.

Bayern have proved unstoppable since 72-year-old Jupp Heynckes, who led them to a league, cup and Champions League treble in 2013, was lured out of retirement in October to replace the sacked Carlo Ancelotti.

Under Heynckes, Bayern have won 18 out of 21 Bundesliga games, seven successive Champions League matches and reached the German Cup semi-finals but, despite everything, the club could not persuade him to extend his fourth stint.

"I discussed it all with my wife and daughter because it wasn't easy giving everything up at home at my age," said Heynckes who is living in a Munich hotel.

"You come back to an empty hotel room in the evening, which isn't fun. Most of the time I just go to bed because I'm tired."

Bayern's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hopes he will find a replacement by April and has established one clear condition: the new incumbent must speak German.

Despite recent dominance of the Bundesliga and an enviable structure, Bayern is not an easy club to manage.

Expectations are so high that even a minor slip-up, or failure to score five or six goals against supposedly inferior opponents, make headlines.

The fact that both Rummenigge and club president Uli Hoeness are among the club's most illustrious former players and are not afraid to speak their minds in public adds to the pressure.

Former Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel has already pulled out of the race while Germany coach Joachim Loew has also ruled out a move.

"Tuchel told us that he's signed with another club. One has to accept that, but it's not a problem for us," said Rummenigge.

Eintracht Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac, another candidate, also appeared to turn down a move on Wednesday.

"There are no grounds to doubt that I will be coach here next year," said Kovac while his sporting director Fredi Bobic said there had been no contact from Bayern and that "it's not an issue for us".

That would appear to leave Bayern with the option of luring a coach from one of their rivals, a policy that has made them unpopular among fans of other clubs in the past.

Possible candidates include RB Leipzig's Austrian coach Ralph Hasenhuettl, Augsburg's Manuel Baum and Julian Nagelsmann at Hoffenheim.

Former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, now a television analyst, suggested they give Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane a try.

"He's won everything at Real, what else is he going to do there?" said Kahn, who dismissed worries about the language barrier. "He fits perfectly with the profile Bayern are looking for. There's no reason why he can't learn good German."

Eintracht Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac, another candidate, also appeared to turn down a move on Wednesday.

A sixth successive Bundesliga title is just a matter of time for Bayern Munich, but their search for a coach to take over next season is proving far more complicated for the Bavarians. With a massive 17-point lead, Bayern can wrap up the title with five games to spare if they win at midtable Augsburg on Saturday or if second-placed Schalke fail to beat Hamburg SV away. Bayern have proved unstoppable since 72-year-old Jupp Heynckes, who led them to a league, cup and Champions League treble in 2013, was lured out of retirement in October to replace the sacked Carlo Ancelotti. Under Heynckes, Bayern have won 18 out of 21 Bundesliga games, seven successive Champions League matches and reached the German Cup semi-finals but, despite everything, the club could not persuade him to extend his fourth stint. "I discussed it all with my wife and daughter because it wasn't easy giving everything up at home at my age," said Heynckes who is living in a Munich hotel. "You come back to an empty hotel room in the evening, which isn't fun. Most of the time I just go to bed because I'm tired." Bayern's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge hopes he will find a replacement by April and has established one clear condition: the new incumbent must speak German. Despite recent dominance of the Bundesliga and an enviable structure, Bayern is not an easy club to manage. Expectations are so high that even a minor slip-up, or failure to score five or six goals against supposedly inferior opponents, make headlines. The fact that both Rummenigge and club president Uli Hoeness are among the club's most illustrious former players and are not afraid to speak their minds in public adds to the pressure. Former Mainz 05 and Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel has already pulled out of the race while Germany coach Joachim Loew has also ruled out a move. "Tuchel told us that he's signed with another club. One has to accept that, but it's not a problem for us," said Rummenigge. Eintracht Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac, another candidate, also appeared to turn down a move on Wednesday. "There are no grounds to doubt that I will be coach here next year," said Kovac while his sporting director Fredi Bobic said there had been no contact from Bayern and that "it's not an issue for us". That would appear to leave Bayern with the option of luring a coach from one of their rivals, a policy that has made them unpopular among fans of other clubs in the past. Possible candidates include RB Leipzig's Austrian coach Ralph Hasenhuettl, Augsburg's Manuel Baum and Julian Nagelsmann at Hoffenheim. Former Bayern and Germany goalkeeper Oliver Kahn, now a television analyst, suggested they give Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane a try. "He's won everything at Real, what else is he going to do there?" said Kahn, who dismissed worries about the language barrier. "He fits perfectly with the profile Bayern are looking for. There's no reason why he can't learn good German."

Despite dominating Bundesliga, Bayern Munich struggle to find new coach

Barcelona capitalised on two disastrous own goals by AS Roma to thrash the Italian side 4-1 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday and take a huge step towards reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in three years.

Roma's captain Daniele De Rossi hit an unstoppable shot into his own net to break the deadlock in the 38th minute of what had been a delicately poised first leg and a second own goal 10 minutes into the second half, this time by Greek defender Kostas Manolas, stretched the runaway La Liga leaders' advantage.

Barca defender Gerard Pique piled misery on the Italians four minutes later, mopping up the rebound after Luis Suarez was thwarted by goalkeeper Alisson before Roma's top scorer Edin Dzeko struck at the right end to give his side faint hope of a turnaround in the second leg.

Suarez effectively vanquished those hopes, however, by notching his side's fourth goal three minutes from time, scoring for the first time in the Champions League in over a year.

"We weren't lucky, we hit the post a couple of times and the own goals happened because we kept on putting them under pressure, making sure the ball was in their area far more than ours," Pique told reporters.

"We played very well and that’s why we’ve got such a good result. It would have been better to not concede but we cannot complain, we have got a very good advantage."

Five-times European champions Barca are still unbeaten in La Liga and the Champions League and were overwhelming favourites against Eusebio Di Francesco's side, who are third in Serie A and have never gone beyond the quarter-finals since reaching the 1984 European Cup final.

Roma set up to cancel out Barca and had managed the game well and kept Lionel Messi quiet until De Rossi's untimely own goal, which came as the veteran midfielder tried to prevent the Argentine forward reaching a pass from Andres Iniesta.

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Luis Suárez has 8 goals in his last 11 matches for club and country. ???<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> <a href="https://t.co/V6E4H7fkXn">pic.twitter.com/V6E4H7fkXn</a>
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Free Header

Dzeko could have won a penalty in the ninth minute when he was pushed over by Nelson Semedo and winger Diego Perotti failed to hit the target from a free header at the start of the second half when they were only a goal down.

Italian forward Lorenzo Pellegrini was also brought down by Samuel Umtiti at the end of the first half, with the referee giving a free kick on the edge of the area rather than the penalty Roma appealed for.

"Of course we made mistakes, but Barca are a good enough team without receiving help from the referee," Di Francesco said.

The visitors suddenly came alive after Pique’s goal had given them a near-impossible task, however.

Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen nearly gifted them a goal when he darted from his area and lost possession but the German recovered to make a brilliant save to deny Roma substitute Gregoire Defrel and he tipped over a long-range strike from the Frenchman a minute later.

Dzeko's close-range finish could have been a rallying cry for the Italians but Suarez showed no mercy down the other end, pouncing on a failed clearance by Federico Fazio and hammering in his first European goal in his last 11 games.

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Barcelona in the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a>: 
 
1992 ? 
2006 ? 
2009 ? 
2011 ? 
2015 ? 
2018 ? <a href="https://t.co/KEAJXTWqPO">pic.twitter.com/KEAJXTWqPO</a>
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FC Barcelona capitalised on two disastrous own goals by AS Roma to thrash the Italian side 4-1 at the Nou Camp

Barcelona capitalised on two disastrous own goals by AS Roma to thrash the Italian side 4-1 at the Nou Camp on Wednesday and take a huge step towards reaching the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in three years. Roma's captain Daniele De Rossi hit an unstoppable shot into his own net to break the deadlock in the 38th minute of what had been a delicately poised first leg and a second own goal 10 minutes into the second half, this time by Greek defender Kostas Manolas, stretched the runaway La Liga leaders' advantage. Barca defender Gerard Pique piled misery on the Italians four minutes later, mopping up the rebound after Luis Suarez was thwarted by goalkeeper Alisson before Roma's top scorer Edin Dzeko struck at the right end to give his side faint hope of a turnaround in the second leg. Suarez effectively vanquished those hopes, however, by notching his side's fourth goal three minutes from time, scoring for the first time in the Champions League in over a year. "We weren't lucky, we hit the post a couple of times and the own goals happened because we kept on putting them under pressure, making sure the ball was in their area far more than ours," Pique told reporters. "We played very well and that’s why we’ve got such a good result. It would have been better to not concede but we cannot complain, we have got a very good advantage." Five-times European champions Barca are still unbeaten in La Liga and the Champions League and were overwhelming favourites against Eusebio Di Francesco's side, who are third in Serie A and have never gone beyond the quarter-finals since reaching the 1984 European Cup final. Roma set up to cancel out Barca and had managed the game well and kept Lionel Messi quiet until De Rossi's untimely own goal, which came as the veteran midfielder tried to prevent the Argentine forward reaching a pass from Andres Iniesta. Luis Suárez has 8 goals in his last 11 matches for club and country. ???#UCL pic.twitter.com/V6E4H7fkXn — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 4, 2018 × Free Header Dzeko could have won a penalty in the ninth minute when he was pushed over by Nelson Semedo and winger Diego Perotti failed to hit the target from a free header at the start of the second half when they were only a goal down. Italian forward Lorenzo Pellegrini was also brought down by Samuel Umtiti at the end of the first half, with the referee giving a free kick on the edge of the area rather than the penalty Roma appealed for. "Of course we made mistakes, but Barca are a good enough team without receiving help from the referee," Di Francesco said. The visitors suddenly came alive after Pique’s goal had given them a near-impossible task, however. Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen nearly gifted them a goal when he darted from his area and lost possession but the German recovered to make a brilliant save to deny Roma substitute Gregoire Defrel and he tipped over a long-range strike from the Frenchman a minute later. Dzeko's close-range finish could have been a rallying cry for the Italians but Suarez showed no mercy down the other end, pouncing on a failed clearance by Federico Fazio and hammering in his first European goal in his last 11 games. Barcelona in the #UCL: 1992 ? 2006 ? 2009 ? 2011 ? 2015 ? 2018 ? pic.twitter.com/KEAJXTWqPO — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 4, 2018 ×

Champions League: FC Barcelona defeat AS Roma in quarter-finals 1st leg

Liverpool ripped apart Manchester City with three goals inside the opening 31 minutes as they won their Champions League quarter-final, first leg tie 3-0 on Wednesday.

Anfield has witnessed many memorable European nights over the years and this will take its place among the most spectacular as a simply devastating, first-half display was crowned with goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane.

The tie may not be over, with 90 minutes remaining at the Etihad on Tuesday, but Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp, who has enjoyed more wins over City counterpart Pep Guardiola than any other manager, will be delighted as his commitment to attacking football was amply rewarded.

Liverpool are the only team to have beaten City in the Premier League this season, with a thrilling 4-3 victory in January, and they repeated the formula of that success by attacking City’s defence from the outset.

Roared on by a particularly vocal home crowd, Liverpool put the Premier League’s champions-elect under intense pressure from the first kick and it took just 12 minutes for City to crack.

After a City corner, James Milner launched the ball forward, Salah broke from the halfway line and played the ball inside to Roberto Firmino.

His shot was blocked by City keeper Ederson but Firmino pounced on the loose ball and slipped it to Salah, who fired home.

City responded with a swift counter-attack of their own but Leroy Sane, who had broken from deep, screwed the ball wide when he could have played in team mate Kevin De Bruyne.

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Enjoy that, Liverpool fans? ?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UCL</a> <a href="https://t.co/S7kWI6JF0J">pic.twitter.com/S7kWI6JF0J</a>
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Unstoppable Drive

Liverpool were rampant though and harrying City off the ball in midfield when Milner won back possession and moved it straight to Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The former Arsenal midfielder unleashed an unstoppable drive from 25 metres to make it 2-0 in the 20th minute.

City were now reeling and looked nothing like the team that has marched so convincingly to a 16-point lead in the Premier League and it was not long before Juergen Klopp’s side made it 3-0.

Salah floated a teasing cross from the right towards Mane, who rose above the City defence to power a header past Ederson and send the Anfield crowd into delirium.

City came out brightly after the break though, finally managing to find some composure with their passing.

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Liverpool were unable to get back into their first-half rhythm and they suffered a blow when Salah went off injured in the 52nd minute.

Guardiola’s side were back in their familiar role of controlling possession but were struggling to create chances with Sane wasting a promising opening at the back post, one of a series of frustrations for the German left winger.

A miserable night for Sane, who was superbly handled by young Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, was completed when he was ruled offside as he broke down the left and crossed for Gabriel Jesus to put the ball in the net.

Yet the fact that City’s late pressure was accompanied by audible tension from the Liverpool fans was a reminder that the tie is not over. Few teams could overturn a 3-0 deficit against Liverpool but Guardiola’s side is certainly one of them.

&nbsp

Liverpool ripped apart Manchester City with three goals inside the opening 31 minutes as they won their Champions League quarter-final, first leg tie 3-0

Liverpool ripped apart Manchester City with three goals inside the opening 31 minutes as they won their Champions League quarter-final, first leg tie 3-0 on Wednesday. Anfield has witnessed many memorable European nights over the years and this will take its place among the most spectacular as a simply devastating, first-half display was crowned with goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane. The tie may not be over, with 90 minutes remaining at the Etihad on Tuesday, but Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp, who has enjoyed more wins over City counterpart Pep Guardiola than any other manager, will be delighted as his commitment to attacking football was amply rewarded. Liverpool are the only team to have beaten City in the Premier League this season, with a thrilling 4-3 victory in January, and they repeated the formula of that success by attacking City’s defence from the outset. Roared on by a particularly vocal home crowd, Liverpool put the Premier League’s champions-elect under intense pressure from the first kick and it took just 12 minutes for City to crack. After a City corner, James Milner launched the ball forward, Salah broke from the halfway line and played the ball inside to Roberto Firmino. His shot was blocked by City keeper Ederson but Firmino pounced on the loose ball and slipped it to Salah, who fired home. City responded with a swift counter-attack of their own but Leroy Sane, who had broken from deep, screwed the ball wide when he could have played in team mate Kevin De Bruyne. Enjoy that, Liverpool fans? ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/S7kWI6JF0J — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 4, 2018 × Unstoppable Drive Liverpool were rampant though and harrying City off the ball in midfield when Milner won back possession and moved it straight to Oxlade-Chamberlain. The former Arsenal midfielder unleashed an unstoppable drive from 25 metres to make it 2-0 in the 20th minute. City were now reeling and looked nothing like the team that has marched so convincingly to a 16-point lead in the Premier League and it was not long before Juergen Klopp’s side made it 3-0. Salah floated a teasing cross from the right towards Mane, who rose above the City defence to power a header past Ederson and send the Anfield crowd into delirium. City came out brightly after the break though, finally managing to find some composure with their passing. ? Liverpool heroes ?#UCL pic.twitter.com/wP5o7GpAaP — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) April 4, 2018 × Liverpool were unable to get back into their first-half rhythm and they suffered a blow when Salah went off injured in the 52nd minute. Guardiola’s side were back in their familiar role of controlling possession but were struggling to create chances with Sane wasting a promising opening at the back post, one of a series of frustrations for the German left winger. A miserable night for Sane, who was superbly handled by young Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, was completed when he was ruled offside as he broke down the left and crossed for Gabriel Jesus to put the ball in the net. Yet the fact that City’s late pressure was accompanied by audible tension from the Liverpool fans was a reminder that the tie is not over. Few teams could overturn a 3-0 deficit against Liverpool but Guardiola’s side is certainly one of them.

Champions League: Liverpool stun Manchester City with 3-0 win at Anfield

FC Barcelona has marked a record as they have registered&nbsp;an 11th&nbsp;consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League to clash with AS Roma in the first leg of the round of eight at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain.

Barca defeated Chelsea in the previous round to reach here. The team is currently in the best form as there is no news of injury and their star player, Lionel Messi is back as he attended&nbsp;the practice session. He was suffering&nbsp;a muscle injury.

The Argentine striker came off the bench to draw the last LaLiga match against Sevilla by scoring an 89th-minute goal to rescue Barca's unbeaten run.

The clash is considered favourable for Catalan side but their coach Ernesto Valverde rejected the notion and said, "Roma are no surprise package, if you look at their matches in the group stages, they played really well."

Roma is very comfortable when they play away match so at Camp Nou they have already earned some advantage. The decisive clash will be at their home ground and they will look to churn out benefits there.

As football is a game of uncertainties but still the probability is still higher on the Spanish giant's side and Barca will look to enter semi-finals of the tournament.

Playing XI (TBC)

Barcelona: Ter Stegen Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba Dembele, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta Messi, Suarez

Roma: Alisson Florenzi, Fazio, Manolas, Kolarov Nainggolan, De Rossi, Strootman El Shaarawy, Dzeko, Perotti

FC Barcelona has marked a record as they have marked eleven consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League to clash with AS Roma

FC Barcelona has marked a record as they have registered an 11th consecutive appearance in the quarter-finals of UEFA Champions League to clash with AS Roma in the first leg of the round of eight at Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain. Barca defeated Chelsea in the previous round to reach here. The team is currently in the best form as there is no news of injury and their star player, Lionel Messi is back as he attended the practice session. He was suffering a muscle injury. The Argentine striker came off the bench to draw the last LaLiga match against Sevilla by scoring an 89th-minute goal to rescue Barca's unbeaten run. The clash is considered favourable for Catalan side but their coach Ernesto Valverde rejected the notion and said, "Roma are no surprise package, if you look at their matches in the group stages, they played really well." Roma is very comfortable when they play away match so at Camp Nou they have already earned some advantage. The decisive clash will be at their home ground and they will look to churn out benefits there. As football is a game of uncertainties but still the probability is still higher on the Spanish giant's side and Barca will look to enter semi-finals of the tournament. Playing XI (TBC) Barcelona: Ter Stegen Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Alba Dembele, Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta Messi, Suarez Roma: Alisson Florenzi, Fazio, Manolas, Kolarov Nainggolan, De Rossi, Strootman El Shaarawy, Dzeko, Perotti

Champions League preview: Barcelona take on AS Roma in quater-finals

Cristiano Ronaldo architected the Real Madrid's 3-0 victory over Serie A leaders Juventus as he stunned Gigi Buffon twice to score the opener goal as well as a sensational overhead bicycle kick.

He became the first player to score in 10 successive Champions League games. He earned a standing ovation from the Juventus fans as he left the pitch.

"You can say he's one of the most beautiful players in the history of football," said Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane.

"It's not easy to get three goals past Juve on their own pitch. But in the end it was teamwork, you have to work as a team to get this result."

"Of course Juventus aren't happy with the result tonight, but I will always have Juve in my heart," added Zidane, who spent five seasons at the Italian club as a player.

Watch the stunning goal here:

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Cristiano Ronaldo is a man among boys <a href="https://t.co/d0BAkwOxzM">pic.twitter.com/d0BAkwOxzM</a>
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Watch Zidane's reaction:

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Zidane's reaction to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cristiano?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cristiano</a> goal <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RealMadrid?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RealMadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/xjQvTsbhwY">pic.twitter.com/xjQvTsbhwY</a>
— R3ed Alrashid (@R3ed_0) <a href="https://twitter.com/R3ed_0/status/981266126876430336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Also&nbsp;watch&nbsp;Cristiano's incredible bicycle kicks show:

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For his astonishing overhead bicycle kick, Cristiano Ronaldo earned a standing ovation from the Juventus fans when he left the pitch

Cristiano Ronaldo architected the Real Madrid's 3-0 victory over Serie A leaders Juventus as he stunned Gigi Buffon twice to score the opener goal as well as a sensational overhead bicycle kick. He became the first player to score in 10 successive Champions League games. He earned a standing ovation from the Juventus fans as he left the pitch. "You can say he's one of the most beautiful players in the history of football," said Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane. "It's not easy to get three goals past Juve on their own pitch. But in the end it was teamwork, you have to work as a team to get this result." "Of course Juventus aren't happy with the result tonight, but I will always have Juve in my heart," added Zidane, who spent five seasons at the Italian club as a player. Watch the stunning goal here: Cristiano Ronaldo is a man among boys pic.twitter.com/d0BAkwOxzM — Athlete Tweets™ (@AthleteTweetsO) April 3, 2018 × Watch Zidane's reaction: Zidane's reaction to #Cristiano goal #RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/xjQvTsbhwY — R3ed Alrashid (@R3ed_0) April 3, 2018 × Also watch Cristiano's incredible bicycle kicks show: ×

Watch: Ronaldo's sensational 'bicycle' goal against Juventus

Bayern Munich secured a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Tuesday that puts them on the verge of the Champions League semi-finals but know they were fortunate to triumph at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

Sevilla were the better team in the first half and Bayern needed a Jesus Navas own goal to level after Pablo Sarabia’s opener, before Thiago's header deflected in off Sergio Escudero to hand them the win after a laboured performance.

Sarabia missed another golden opportunity in the first half and Joaquin Correa might have had a penalty for a trip by Jerome Boateng in the first half but was instead booked.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, 72, has won his past 12 Champions League games and could lead the Germans to the Bundesliga title at the weekend if they win at Augsburg.

Enjoying his third spell at the helm, Heynckes led the Bavarians to European glory in this competition in 2013, and said they must improve to lift the trophy again.

"We lost the ball too often and lacked structure in midfield, which allowed Sevilla to create chances," he said after the first leg of the quarter-final.

"We improved in the second half and in the end deserved to win. Psychologically, it was very important to equalise quickly, even if it took a bit of luck. But if we want to win the Champions League, we need to improve."

Bayern's French winger Franck Ribery had a strong influence on the result with his two crosses resulting in the two goals for the five-time European champions.

The first was diverted by Navas into the bottom left corner of his own net five minutes after Sevilla opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, putting Bayern level against the run of play.

Then, with the Andalusians tiring rapidly, Ribery looped a ball to the back post where Thiago was waiting to head home.

"The first 10 minutes were good, but then we lost our organisation and didn't play well together," said Ribery. "The second half was much better."

Forward Thomas Muller said Bayern's first half performance was disappointing but that the Bundesliga leaders were better than their opponents, who are seventh in La Liga.

"We are the better team, even if we didn’t show it throughout," he said. "We conceded too many chances by giving away possession too easily. We didn't use the space in midfield and the tempo wasn’t high enough.

"Heynckes wasn't happy at halftime, nor were we. Then we upped the tempo and things looked better. An away win is always a great result, but we want to win at home in Munich," he added referring to next Wednesday's return.

Bayern Munich secured a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Tuesday that puts them on the verge of the Champions League semi-finals but know they were fortunate to triumph at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan

Bayern Munich secured a 2-1 win at Sevilla on Tuesday that puts them on the verge of the Champions League semi-finals but know they were fortunate to triumph at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan. Sevilla were the better team in the first half and Bayern needed a Jesus Navas own goal to level after Pablo Sarabia’s opener, before Thiago's header deflected in off Sergio Escudero to hand them the win after a laboured performance. Sarabia missed another golden opportunity in the first half and Joaquin Correa might have had a penalty for a trip by Jerome Boateng in the first half but was instead booked. Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, 72, has won his past 12 Champions League games and could lead the Germans to the Bundesliga title at the weekend if they win at Augsburg. Enjoying his third spell at the helm, Heynckes led the Bavarians to European glory in this competition in 2013, and said they must improve to lift the trophy again. "We lost the ball too often and lacked structure in midfield, which allowed Sevilla to create chances," he said after the first leg of the quarter-final. "We improved in the second half and in the end deserved to win. Psychologically, it was very important to equalise quickly, even if it took a bit of luck. But if we want to win the Champions League, we need to improve." Bayern's French winger Franck Ribery had a strong influence on the result with his two crosses resulting in the two goals for the five-time European champions. The first was diverted by Navas into the bottom left corner of his own net five minutes after Sevilla opened the scoring in the 32nd minute, putting Bayern level against the run of play. Then, with the Andalusians tiring rapidly, Ribery looped a ball to the back post where Thiago was waiting to head home. "The first 10 minutes were good, but then we lost our organisation and didn't play well together," said Ribery. "The second half was much better." Forward Thomas Muller said Bayern's first half performance was disappointing but that the Bundesliga leaders were better than their opponents, who are seventh in La Liga. "We are the better team, even if we didn’t show it throughout," he said. "We conceded too many chances by giving away possession too easily. We didn't use the space in midfield and the tempo wasn’t high enough. "Heynckes wasn't happy at halftime, nor were we. Then we upped the tempo and things looked better. An away win is always a great result, but we want to win at home in Munich," he added referring to next Wednesday's return.

Champions League: FC Bayern acknowledge good fortune in win at Sevilla

Defending champions Real Madrid thrashed Juventus by 3-0 in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8 at Juventus Stadium, Italy.

Gianluigi Buffon was astounded by the visitors as Juve does not have the tendency to let in many goals but suffered a tragic defeat it the first leg. Now, the chances of reaching across the deficit are very less.

Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo put Madrid forward within three minutes after the game started as he netted a beautiful assist of Marcelo on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box.

Though Real Madrid was leading but without a doubt, Juventus played better in the first half when it comes to intent and creating chances.

Also, the Real's midfielder Toni Kroos was proved unlucky when his ferocious strike was deflected off the bar.

Argentine Paulo Dybala tried to level the score in the sixth minute but Real's defender Sergio Ramos closed down the chance. Juventus got many chances but their conversion rate was very poor. The team looked under pressure.

In the second half, Charismatic Cristiano stunned the hosts by an amazing overhead kick to give a 2-0 lead.

<img alt="Cristiano Ronaldo.jpg" data-entity-type="" data-entity-uuid="" height="430" src="https://images.wionews.com/iniline-images/sports/Cristiano%20Ronaldo.jpg" width="770" />

Marcelo stunned Gigi Buffon to score the third goal to stretch the lead further.

Dybala received a yellow card in the first half but in the 66th minute, he was sent off by the referee for kicking into Carvajal’s ribs.

Also, Real Madrid's captain Sergio Ramos will miss the leg 2 clash which is scheduled on&nbsp;April 12.

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&nbsp;

Real Madrid thrashed Juventus by 3-0 in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8, (Ronaldo 3, 64, Marcelo 72)

Defending champions Real Madrid thrashed Juventus by 3-0 in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8 at Juventus Stadium, Italy. Gianluigi Buffon was astounded by the visitors as Juve does not have the tendency to let in many goals but suffered a tragic defeat it the first leg. Now, the chances of reaching across the deficit are very less. Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo put Madrid forward within three minutes after the game started as he netted a beautiful assist of Marcelo on the left-hand edge of the six-yard box. Though Real Madrid was leading but without a doubt, Juventus played better in the first half when it comes to intent and creating chances. Also, the Real's midfielder Toni Kroos was proved unlucky when his ferocious strike was deflected off the bar. Argentine Paulo Dybala tried to level the score in the sixth minute but Real's defender Sergio Ramos closed down the chance. Juventus got many chances but their conversion rate was very poor. The team looked under pressure. In the second half, Charismatic Cristiano stunned the hosts by an amazing overhead kick to give a 2-0 lead. Marcelo stunned Gigi Buffon to score the third goal to stretch the lead further. Dybala received a yellow card in the first half but in the 66th minute, he was sent off by the referee for kicking into Carvajal’s ribs. Also, Real Madrid's captain Sergio Ramos will miss the leg 2 clash which is scheduled on April 12. ×

Champions League: Ronaldo stuns Buffon as Real Madrid outplay Juventus

Real Madrid prepares at Turin to face Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8. The quarter-finals of the tournament are starting from Tuesday and defending champions Real Madrid will clash Juventus.

Not to forget, in the last meeting in June 2017, Real clinched a 4-1 win over Juve in Cardiff&nbsp;to claim the title.

The coach, Zinedine Zidane insisted that last year's victory holds no relevance now.

"Ten months have elapsed and tomorrow's match will have nothing to do with that. It will be a totally different scenario," said Zidane on Monday.

He further added, "This tie bears no relation to the Cardiff final."

In the recent media interaction ahead of the major clash, Croatian midfielder said, "In these sorts of games, experience is key."

The Spanish giants have arrived in Italy and started the practice session. In the presence of all major names.

Watch the training session here:

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??⚽ Training in Turin. Now for the main event...<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> <a href="https://t.co/6s0pYFFInf">pic.twitter.com/6s0pYFFInf</a>
— Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/980958060649820166?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the starting XI after being rested for Saturday's 3-0 victory at Las Palmas, where Gareth Bale scored twice.

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⚽? ¡Listos para mañana! 
All set for tomorrow!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMUCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMUCL</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> <a href="https://t.co/KEs4F8WjPw">pic.twitter.com/KEs4F8WjPw</a>
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?? Training under the lights in Turin ahead of tomorrow's <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMUCL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMUCL</a> quarter-final 1st leg. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> <a href="https://t.co/T3g3YRibzG">pic.twitter.com/T3g3YRibzG</a>
— Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/980859289161097217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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????⏱ From Madrid to Turin... in two and a half minutes!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APorLa13?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APorLa13</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/Pwdy0z4653">pic.twitter.com/Pwdy0z4653</a>
— Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadriden/status/980799516399063040?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Real Madrid clinched a 4-1 win over Juventus in Cardiff last June to claim the Champions League title

Real Madrid prepares at Turin to face Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8. The quarter-finals of the tournament are starting from Tuesday and defending champions Real Madrid will clash Juventus. Not to forget, in the last meeting in June 2017, Real clinched a 4-1 win over Juve in Cardiff to claim the title. The coach, Zinedine Zidane insisted that last year's victory holds no relevance now. "Ten months have elapsed and tomorrow's match will have nothing to do with that. It will be a totally different scenario," said Zidane on Monday. He further added, "This tie bears no relation to the Cardiff final." In the recent media interaction ahead of the major clash, Croatian midfielder said, "In these sorts of games, experience is key." The Spanish giants have arrived in Italy and started the practice session. In the presence of all major names. Watch the training session here: ??⚽ Training in Turin. Now for the main event...#APorLa13 pic.twitter.com/6s0pYFFInf — Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) April 3, 2018 × Cristiano Ronaldo will return to the starting XI after being rested for Saturday's 3-0 victory at Las Palmas, where Gareth Bale scored twice. ⚽? ¡Listos para mañana! All set for tomorrow!#RMUCL | #APorLa13 pic.twitter.com/KEs4F8WjPw — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) April 2, 2018 × ?? Training under the lights in Turin ahead of tomorrow's #RMUCL quarter-final 1st leg. #APorLa13 pic.twitter.com/T3g3YRibzG — Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) April 2, 2018 × ????⏱ From Madrid to Turin... in two and a half minutes!#APorLa13 | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/Pwdy0z4653 — Real Madrid C.F.???? (@realmadriden) April 2, 2018 ×

Champions League: Zidane insists Real 'forget Cardiff final' ahead of Juve clash

Spanish giants, Real Madrid are set to clash with Serie A leaders Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8 at 12:15 AM on Wednesday's early morning at Juventus Stadium, Italy.

The way Real Madrid have picked up the pace in LaLiga and reached the third position ahead of Valencia and giving a tough competition to Atletico Madrid is remarkable.

After defeating Paris-Saint Germain in the round of 16 of Champions League, Real won last three matches in LaLiga and currently is high on hopes to proceed further in the tournament.

The star players of Real Madrid are healthy and shining bright, as Madrid is not suffering from any suspension and injury. Only addition of defender Nacho is doubtful ahead of first leg clash.

On the other hand, Juventus is currently leading the Italian league, Series A with 78 points and have reached the quarter-finals after defeating Tottenham by an aggregate of 4-3.

Gonzalo Higuain might create trouble for the Real's defenders as he has already proved himself in the leg of 8, apart from that, Paulo Dybala is another major weapon for Juve.

For Juventus, Medhi Benatia and Miralem Pjanic are suffering suspensions and Federico Bernardeschi is out due to injury.

The probability of winning is 50-50 as both the teams are equally strong though, Juventus will miss few of its major players but the result will be depended on which team will make lesser mistakes and take full advantage.

Playing XI (TBC)

Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema.

Juventus: Buffon, De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Khedira, Matuidi, Marchisio, Dybala, Cuadrado, Higuain.

Spanish giants, Real Madrid are set to clash with Serie A leaders Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8

Spanish giants, Real Madrid are set to clash with Serie A leaders Juventus in the first leg of UEFA Champions League round of 8 at 12:15 AM on Wednesday's early morning at Juventus Stadium, Italy. The way Real Madrid have picked up the pace in LaLiga and reached the third position ahead of Valencia and giving a tough competition to Atletico Madrid is remarkable. After defeating Paris-Saint Germain in the round of 16 of Champions League, Real won last three matches in LaLiga and currently is high on hopes to proceed further in the tournament. The star players of Real Madrid are healthy and shining bright, as Madrid is not suffering from any suspension and injury. Only addition of defender Nacho is doubtful ahead of first leg clash. On the other hand, Juventus is currently leading the Italian league, Series A with 78 points and have reached the quarter-finals after defeating Tottenham by an aggregate of 4-3. Gonzalo Higuain might create trouble for the Real's defenders as he has already proved himself in the leg of 8, apart from that, Paulo Dybala is another major weapon for Juve. For Juventus, Medhi Benatia and Miralem Pjanic are suffering suspensions and Federico Bernardeschi is out due to injury. The probability of winning is 50-50 as both the teams are equally strong though, Juventus will miss few of its major players but the result will be depended on which team will make lesser mistakes and take full advantage. Playing XI (TBC) Real Madrid: Navas, Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo, Modric, Casemiro, Kroos, Bale, Ronaldo, Benzema. Juventus: Buffon, De Sciglio, Barzagli, Chiellini, Alex Sandro, Khedira, Matuidi, Marchisio, Dybala, Cuadrado, Higuain.

Champions League preview: Real Madrid take on Juventus in quarter-finals

Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner as the Los Angeles Galaxy fought back from three goals down to beat Los Angeles FC 4-3 on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic -- who only arrived in California on Thursday -- lashed home an imperious volley from 40 yards just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute to make it 3-3 at the StubHub Center.

The Swede then headed home Ashley Cole's cross in injury time to put Galaxy ahead in an extraordinary finale that lived up to the hype surrounding the veteran striker's arrival from Manchester United.

"If you look back, every team I played for, I scored in my first official game. I wasn’t going to let that stop today," a delighted Ibrahimovic said afterwards. "I heard the crowd saying 'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan' And I gave them Zlatan," he added.&nbsp

Ibrahimovic's winner was the final act of a thrilling first ever derby between the Galaxy and expansion side LAFC, who had surged into a 3-0 lead early in the second half after two goals from Carlos Vela and an own goal from Daniel Steres.

Slack play from LAFC allowed Galaxy to pull a goal back through Sebastian Lletget in the 61st minute after dogged work from Servando Carrasco.

The home crowd then roared in appreciation in the 71st minute when Ibrahimovic made his entrance from the substitutes bench.

The 36-year-old star had an instant impact and was involved in the build-up which led to Galaxy's second goal, headed in by Chris Pontius from Emmanuel Boateng's cross.

Suddenly the Galaxy dared to dream of an improbable comeback, and when Ibrahimovic thundered home his equaliser on 77 minutes the home side had drawn level.

Los Angeles Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid hailed Ibrahimovic's "world class" second goal.

"Ibrahimovic is the perfect definition of a guy who always dares to be brilliant," Schmid said. "If you do that, you can pull off things. That's a goal that will go around the world."

- Last word -

LAFC had a chance to regain the lead when Costa Rican international Marco Urena hit the woodwork late on.

But instead it was Ibrahimovic who was determined to have the last word.&nbsp

Former Chelsea and England left-back Cole stormed forwards down the left flank and crossed into the area, and Ibrahimovic guided home the header to launch his MLS career in the most dramatic way possible.

Ibrahimovic had talked boldly on Friday of helping restore the Galaxy to their position of dominance in Major League Soccer after a dismal 2017 campaign that saw them finish bottom of the Western Conference.

However the scale of the task facing Ibrahimovic became apparent after only 26 minutes on Saturday, with Mexico striker Vela scoring twice to give LAFC a 2-0 lead that their dominant play deserved.

Vela drew first blood after only five minutes, picking up the ball on the edge of the area and curling a magnificent strike beyond the dive of Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham to make it 1-0.

Los Angeles FC continued to dominate, pressing Galaxy aggressively and threatening in attack through the lively Vela, Costa Rican international Urena and Uruguayan youngster Diego Rossi.

Rossi almost doubled the LAFC lead in the 11th minute, flashing a low angled shot wide of the post.

But Los Angeles did not have to wait long for the second, with Vela beating Bingham before coolly taking his time to lift his shot into the goal off the underside of the bar.

On the bench, Ibrahimovic bowed his head in his hands, and it got worse when Steres turned in an own goal early in the second half to put LAFC 3-0 ahead.

However Ibrahimovic had other ideas soon after coming on as a substitute with just under 20 minutes remaining.

&nbsp

Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner

Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced his arrival in Major League Soccer with two goals on his debut including an injury-time winner as the Los Angeles Galaxy fought back from three goals down to beat Los Angeles FC 4-3 on Saturday. Ibrahimovic -- who only arrived in California on Thursday -- lashed home an imperious volley from 40 yards just six minutes after coming on as a second-half substitute to make it 3-3 at the StubHub Center. The Swede then headed home Ashley Cole's cross in injury time to put Galaxy ahead in an extraordinary finale that lived up to the hype surrounding the veteran striker's arrival from Manchester United. "If you look back, every team I played for, I scored in my first official game. I wasn’t going to let that stop today," a delighted Ibrahimovic said afterwards. "I heard the crowd saying 'We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan' And I gave them Zlatan," he added. Ibrahimovic's winner was the final act of a thrilling first ever derby between the Galaxy and expansion side LAFC, who had surged into a 3-0 lead early in the second half after two goals from Carlos Vela and an own goal from Daniel Steres. Slack play from LAFC allowed Galaxy to pull a goal back through Sebastian Lletget in the 61st minute after dogged work from Servando Carrasco. The home crowd then roared in appreciation in the 71st minute when Ibrahimovic made his entrance from the substitutes bench. The 36-year-old star had an instant impact and was involved in the build-up which led to Galaxy's second goal, headed in by Chris Pontius from Emmanuel Boateng's cross. Suddenly the Galaxy dared to dream of an improbable comeback, and when Ibrahimovic thundered home his equaliser on 77 minutes the home side had drawn level. Los Angeles Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid hailed Ibrahimovic's "world class" second goal. "Ibrahimovic is the perfect definition of a guy who always dares to be brilliant," Schmid said. "If you do that, you can pull off things. That's a goal that will go around the world." - Last word - LAFC had a chance to regain the lead when Costa Rican international Marco Urena hit the woodwork late on. But instead it was Ibrahimovic who was determined to have the last word. Former Chelsea and England left-back Cole stormed forwards down the left flank and crossed into the area, and Ibrahimovic guided home the header to launch his MLS career in the most dramatic way possible. Ibrahimovic had talked boldly on Friday of helping restore the Galaxy to their position of dominance in Major League Soccer after a dismal 2017 campaign that saw them finish bottom of the Western Conference. However the scale of the task facing Ibrahimovic became apparent after only 26 minutes on Saturday, with Mexico striker Vela scoring twice to give LAFC a 2-0 lead that their dominant play deserved. Vela drew first blood after only five minutes, picking up the ball on the edge of the area and curling a magnificent strike beyond the dive of Galaxy goalkeeper David Bingham to make it 1-0. Los Angeles FC continued to dominate, pressing Galaxy aggressively and threatening in attack through the lively Vela, Costa Rican international Urena and Uruguayan youngster Diego Rossi. Rossi almost doubled the LAFC lead in the 11th minute, flashing a low angled shot wide of the post. But Los Angeles did not have to wait long for the second, with Vela beating Bingham before coolly taking his time to lift his shot into the goal off the underside of the bar. On the bench, Ibrahimovic bowed his head in his hands, and it got worse when Steres turned in an own goal early in the second half to put LAFC 3-0 ahead. However Ibrahimovic had other ideas soon after coming on as a substitute with just under 20 minutes remaining.

Ibra-magic prevails: Zlatan strikes twice to seal Galaxy victory against Los Angeles FC

Barcelona continues its unbeaten run as their star striker Lionel Messi came off the bench to score an 89th-minute 2-2 equaliser against Sevilla on Saturday.

Barca has not lost a single match in the season and with 8 matches left they are on the brink of creating history.

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Still unbeaten! 
Still ?! 
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Lionel Messi, who is struggling with a muscle injury was not in the line-up but he came up trumps again and&nbsp;celebrated his goal.

With one more win, Barcelona will equalise Real Sociedad’s league record of 38 games unbeaten set over two seasons in 1978/79 and 79/80 as Barcelona have now gone 37 consecutive league games since losing to Malaga in April last year.

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...cometh the man! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Messi?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Messi</a> ?❤️ <a href="https://t.co/dusdeiSBwh">pic.twitter.com/dusdeiSBwh</a>
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"If you have Messi and he does not play, it is clear that it has a lot of importance," coach Ernesto Valverde said.&nbsp;

"He is a player that is decisive every time he touches the ball."

Franco Vazquez and Luis Muriel put Sevilla 2-0 ahead at the Sanchez Pizjuan, but Luis Suarez struck with two minutes to play before Messi fired in from the edge.

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? The best pics from a pulsating game! 
? <a href="https://t.co/KFkxcWui0a">https://t.co/KFkxcWui0a</a> 
?? <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SevillaBar%C3%A7a?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SevillaBarça</a> <a href="https://t.co/r9fwnyanrB">pic.twitter.com/r9fwnyanrB</a>
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/980248481251160064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Messi came off the bench to score an 89th-minute 2-2 equaliser against Sevilla

Barcelona continues its unbeaten run as their star striker Lionel Messi came off the bench to score an 89th-minute 2-2 equaliser against Sevilla on Saturday. Barca has not lost a single match in the season and with 8 matches left they are on the brink of creating history. Still unbeaten! Still ?! ?? pic.twitter.com/YdWyjGTAzX — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 31, 2018 × Lionel Messi, who is struggling with a muscle injury was not in the line-up but he came up trumps again and celebrated his goal. With one more win, Barcelona will equalise Real Sociedad’s league record of 38 games unbeaten set over two seasons in 1978/79 and 79/80 as Barcelona have now gone 37 consecutive league games since losing to Malaga in April last year. ...cometh the man! #Messi ?❤️ pic.twitter.com/dusdeiSBwh — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 31, 2018 × "If you have Messi and he does not play, it is clear that it has a lot of importance," coach Ernesto Valverde said. "He is a player that is decisive every time he touches the ball." Franco Vazquez and Luis Muriel put Sevilla 2-0 ahead at the Sanchez Pizjuan, but Luis Suarez struck with two minutes to play before Messi fired in from the edge. ? The best pics from a pulsating game! ? https://t.co/KFkxcWui0a ?? #SevillaBarça pic.twitter.com/r9fwnyanrB — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 1, 2018 ×

Messi's 89th-minute equaliser against Sevilla rescues Barcelona, they remain unbeaten

Recently, Argentina suffered an embarrassing 6-1 defeat against Spain in the FIFA warm-up matches. Although, former Argentine football legends have backed the team ahead of World Cup but the dependency of the team on Lionel Messi is very much visible by their current performance.

Lionel Messi, who is currently suffering from a muscle injury, was not there in the squad list of Argentina against Spain in the FIFA friendly match.

Though he was watching the game from the stands&nbsp;but with 10 minutes remaining he had seen enough and left the stands with dejection.

Messi's reaction during the Argentina-Spain friendly match:

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Messi is currently suffering from a muscle injury and was not there in the squad list of a warm-up match against Spain in which Argentina suffered an embarrassing 6-1 defeat.<a href="https://t.co/TCQkHMeA3K">https://t.co/TCQkHMeA3K</a>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/979015254964281345?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 28, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Mario Kempes, formers Argentine player said, on recent Argentina's performance, "There is time to correct mistakes, there is time to form that team."

Ricardo Villa, 1978 Argentina World Cup champion, said, "I am quite critical with the authorities of Argentine soccer. They have changed the head coaches very often."

Ricardo further added, "For Sampaoli this is a problem, he still doesn't have the team but I think he's going to do it."

2018 World Cup trophy unveiled in Argentina:

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Lionel Messi has suffered a hoodoo in the finals of the major tournaments like World Cup and Copa America.

In the last football World Cup in Brazil, the Barcelona sensation led the team in the finals but suffered a terrible fate when Germany scored the winner in the extra time and became world champions.

Apart from the World Cup, he also faced defeats in the finals of Copa America. Not to forget the Copa 2016, when he suddenly announced retirement which he later overturned after facing a tragic defeat against Chile in the penalties.

The upcoming football World Cup could be his last as he is already&nbsp;in his thirties and has already said&nbsp;he could retire from international matches if Argentina doesn't win the World Cup.

Lionel Messi during practice session:

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[SELECCIÓN MAYOR] Último entrenamiento de <a href="https://twitter.com/Argentina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Argentina</a> previo al duelo ante <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Espa%C3%B1a?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#España</a>. <a href="https://t.co/3ZSFnpKhsm">pic.twitter.com/3ZSFnpKhsm</a>
— Selección Argentina (@Argentina) <a href="https://twitter.com/Argentina/status/978293612290113542?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The upcoming football World Cup could be his last as he is already in his thirties and has already said he could retire from international matches if Argentina doesn't win the World Cup

Recently, Argentina suffered an embarrassing 6-1 defeat against Spain in the FIFA warm-up matches. Although, former Argentine football legends have backed the team ahead of World Cup but the dependency of the team on Lionel Messi is very much visible by their current performance. Lionel Messi, who is currently suffering from a muscle injury, was not there in the squad list of Argentina against Spain in the FIFA friendly match. Though he was watching the game from the stands but with 10 minutes remaining he had seen enough and left the stands with dejection. Messi's reaction during the Argentina-Spain friendly match: Messi is currently suffering from a muscle injury and was not there in the squad list of a warm-up match against Spain in which Argentina suffered an embarrassing 6-1 defeat.https://t.co/TCQkHMeA3K — WION (@WIONews) March 28, 2018 × Mario Kempes, formers Argentine player said, on recent Argentina's performance, "There is time to correct mistakes, there is time to form that team." Ricardo Villa, 1978 Argentina World Cup champion, said, "I am quite critical with the authorities of Argentine soccer. They have changed the head coaches very often." Ricardo further added, "For Sampaoli this is a problem, he still doesn't have the team but I think he's going to do it." 2018 World Cup trophy unveiled in Argentina: × Lionel Messi has suffered a hoodoo in the finals of the major tournaments like World Cup and Copa America. In the last football World Cup in Brazil, the Barcelona sensation led the team in the finals but suffered a terrible fate when Germany scored the winner in the extra time and became world champions. Apart from the World Cup, he also faced defeats in the finals of Copa America. Not to forget the Copa 2016, when he suddenly announced retirement which he later overturned after facing a tragic defeat against Chile in the penalties. The upcoming football World Cup could be his last as he is already in his thirties and has already said he could retire from international matches if Argentina doesn't win the World Cup. Lionel Messi during practice session: [SELECCIÓN MAYOR] Último entrenamiento de @Argentina previo al duelo ante #España. pic.twitter.com/3ZSFnpKhsm — Selección Argentina (@Argentina) March 26, 2018 ×

'Messi-dependent' Argentina might suffer again in FIFA World Cup

England striker Jamie Vardy believes the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) leaves players and fans with little idea of "what is going on" just three months before the system is to be used at the World Cup.

Vardy's first-half strike had England on course for another fine World Cup warm-up friendly result against four-time world champions Italy on Tuesday, until the visitors were awarded a penalty three minutes from time on video review.

German referee Deniz Aytekin overturned his original decision not to point to the spot when Federico Chiesa tumbled under the challenge of debutant James Tarkowski.

Aytekin came to the side of the pitch to review the decision himself and took less than two minutes to change his mind before Lorenzo Insigne dispatched the spot-kick to earn a 1-1 draw for the visitors.

However, Vardy believes the process still needs to be improved for those inside the stadium.

"They say they are using it at the World Cup so we have used it tonight," said Vardy. "Most of it is down to players and supporters not knowing what is going on.

"It is okay to come up and say VAR is in use but no-one knows what it is going on. It is obviously taking time as well, there were five minutes added on."

England manager Gareth Southgate complained Aytekin's initial decision wasn't a case of a "clear and obvious" error.

According to the rules regarding VAR, only clear and obvious mistakes should be reviewed.

And Southgate also called for better communication with fans inside the stadium, claiming those watching at home are currently more informed than the paying public.

"A better way of communicating with fans in the ground (is needed)," said Southgate.

"That was a little better tonight because at least they knew something was going on, but I think ideally in other sports there is a clearer communication with those in the stadium.

"When those at home have a better idea of what is going on than those in the stadium, I'm not sure that's the right thing."

England striker Jamie Vardy believes the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) leaves players and fans with little idea of "what is going on"

England striker Jamie Vardy believes the use of Video Assistant Referee (VAR) leaves players and fans with little idea of "what is going on" just three months before the system is to be used at the World Cup. Vardy's first-half strike had England on course for another fine World Cup warm-up friendly result against four-time world champions Italy on Tuesday, until the visitors were awarded a penalty three minutes from time on video review. German referee Deniz Aytekin overturned his original decision not to point to the spot when Federico Chiesa tumbled under the challenge of debutant James Tarkowski. Aytekin came to the side of the pitch to review the decision himself and took less than two minutes to change his mind before Lorenzo Insigne dispatched the spot-kick to earn a 1-1 draw for the visitors. However, Vardy believes the process still needs to be improved for those inside the stadium. "They say they are using it at the World Cup so we have used it tonight," said Vardy. "Most of it is down to players and supporters not knowing what is going on. "It is okay to come up and say VAR is in use but no-one knows what it is going on. It is obviously taking time as well, there were five minutes added on." England manager Gareth Southgate complained Aytekin's initial decision wasn't a case of a "clear and obvious" error. According to the rules regarding VAR, only clear and obvious mistakes should be reviewed. And Southgate also called for better communication with fans inside the stadium, claiming those watching at home are currently more informed than the paying public. "A better way of communicating with fans in the ground (is needed)," said Southgate. "That was a little better tonight because at least they knew something was going on, but I think ideally in other sports there is a clearer communication with those in the stadium. "When those at home have a better idea of what is going on than those in the stadium, I'm not sure that's the right thing."

Video Assistant Referee confuses players and fans: Jamie Vardy

Brazil coach Tite says the "ghost" of their 7-1 mauling by Germany at the 2014 World Cup still haunts the 'Selecao', as the teams prepare to meet on Tuesday.

Brazil suffered their heaviest home defeat when Germany hit four goals in six devastating first-half minutes of the Belo Horizonte semi-final nearly four years ago.

Toni Kroos and Andre Schuerrle both scored twice over the 90 minutes as Germany's attack ran riot en route to winning the World Cup title.

The teams meet in a friendly for the first time since at Berlin's Olympic Stadium and Tite says Brazil still bear the scars.

"This has a huge psychological meaning - no one needs to fool themselves about that," Tite told German magazine Kicker.

"The 7-1 from the World Cup is like a ghost.

"It's present, people still talk about it, but the more you talk about it, the less this 'ghost' disappears.

"It won't just be a sporting challenge, but a huge emotional challenge too.

"We are preparing to give our best performance, which will be important, but of course I also want a good result."

Tite has been in charge of Brazil since 2016, but Felipe Scolari was head coach for the mauling by Germany at the last World Cup.

"I was watching the game at home in Sao Paulo with my wife and after the third goal went in, she started to cry," said the 56-year-old Tite.

"That started me off.

"It was a moment of great inspiration for Germany, every shot was a goal - stuff like that doesn't even happen in video games.

"Sometimes you get that in football, a team comes close to perfection and that's what happened to Germany.

"The wound is still open and the match in Berlin is a part of the process of closing it."

Germany lost to Brazil on penalties in the men's final of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but this is their first meeting at the senior international level since the 7-1 rout.

Tite told Brazil reporters that Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho will replace Douglas Costa in the only change from the team which beat Russia 3-0 in Moscow on Friday.

Germany head coach Joachim Loew expects to make up to five changes from the starting line-up of Friday's 1-1 with Spain.

Stars Mesut Ozil and Thomas Mueller have been released by Loew to rest while Ilkay Gundogan is expected to start in Germany's midfield.&nbsp

Tite explained in depth why he sees Germany as one of the favourites to defend their World Cup title this June in Russia.

"Not only because of the football, but because of something hard to attain: continuity in their performances," said the Brazilian.

"It has been a process in the years under Joachim Loew.

"Tactically, Germany has a lot of options, you saw that at the Confederations Cup (which they won) with high-quality young players."

Brazil suffered their heaviest home defeat when Germany hit four goals in six devastating first-half minutes of the Belo Horizonte semi-final nearly four years ago

Brazil coach Tite says the "ghost" of their 7-1 mauling by Germany at the 2014 World Cup still haunts the 'Selecao', as the teams prepare to meet on Tuesday. Brazil suffered their heaviest home defeat when Germany hit four goals in six devastating first-half minutes of the Belo Horizonte semi-final nearly four years ago. Toni Kroos and Andre Schuerrle both scored twice over the 90 minutes as Germany's attack ran riot en route to winning the World Cup title. The teams meet in a friendly for the first time since at Berlin's Olympic Stadium and Tite says Brazil still bear the scars. "This has a huge psychological meaning - no one needs to fool themselves about that," Tite told German magazine Kicker. "The 7-1 from the World Cup is like a ghost. "It's present, people still talk about it, but the more you talk about it, the less this 'ghost' disappears. "It won't just be a sporting challenge, but a huge emotional challenge too. "We are preparing to give our best performance, which will be important, but of course I also want a good result." Tite has been in charge of Brazil since 2016, but Felipe Scolari was head coach for the mauling by Germany at the last World Cup. "I was watching the game at home in Sao Paulo with my wife and after the third goal went in, she started to cry," said the 56-year-old Tite. "That started me off. "It was a moment of great inspiration for Germany, every shot was a goal - stuff like that doesn't even happen in video games. "Sometimes you get that in football, a team comes close to perfection and that's what happened to Germany. "The wound is still open and the match in Berlin is a part of the process of closing it." Germany lost to Brazil on penalties in the men's final of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, but this is their first meeting at the senior international level since the 7-1 rout. Tite told Brazil reporters that Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho will replace Douglas Costa in the only change from the team which beat Russia 3-0 in Moscow on Friday. Germany head coach Joachim Loew expects to make up to five changes from the starting line-up of Friday's 1-1 with Spain. Stars Mesut Ozil and Thomas Mueller have been released by Loew to rest while Ilkay Gundogan is expected to start in Germany's midfield. Tite explained in depth why he sees Germany as one of the favourites to defend their World Cup title this June in Russia. "Not only because of the football, but because of something hard to attain: continuity in their performances," said the Brazilian. "It has been a process in the years under Joachim Loew. "Tactically, Germany has a lot of options, you saw that at the Confederations Cup (which they won) with high-quality young players."

'Ghost' of 7-1 Germany mauling still haunts Brazil: Tite

UEFA has signed an information-sharing agreement with the European&nbspSportsSecurity Association (ESSA) in an effort to combat match-fixing, European soccer's governing body announced on Monday.

According to the agreement, ESSA will support UEFA's effort to identify attempted fixing through their alert platform, which tracks and reports suspicious betting activity around the world.

"We're delighted that ESSA will be teaming up with UEFA in our mission to eradicate manipulation of matches from football," UEFA's managing director of integrity Emilio Garcia said in a statement.

"The exchange of information between trusted partners is a key milestone in this fight," he added.

"ESSA has played a key role in coordinating and focusing the licensed, regulated betting industry's zero-tolerance approach to the threat of betting-related match-fixing in sport," said Khalid Ali, ESSA secretary general.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said the fight against match-fixing, "a disease that attacks football's very core", is a main priority.

As part of its own zero-tolerance policy towards match-fixing, UEFA also operates a fraud detection system which looks into betting activities around 32,000 games in Europe each year.

UEFA's integrity officers in each national association liaise with local law enforcement agencies, and the governing body also works with European law enforcement agency EUROPOL.

According to the agreement, ESSA will support UEFA's effort to identify attempted fixing through their alert platform, which tracks and reports suspicious betting activity around the world

UEFA has signed an information-sharing agreement with the European&nbspSportsSecurity Association (ESSA) in an effort to combat match-fixing, European soccer's governing body announced on Monday. According to the agreement, ESSA will support UEFA's effort to identify attempted fixing through their alert platform, which tracks and reports suspicious betting activity around the world. "We're delighted that ESSA will be teaming up with UEFA in our mission to eradicate manipulation of matches from football," UEFA's managing director of integrity Emilio Garcia said in a statement. "The exchange of information between trusted partners is a key milestone in this fight," he added. "ESSA has played a key role in coordinating and focusing the licensed, regulated betting industry's zero-tolerance approach to the threat of betting-related match-fixing in sport," said Khalid Ali, ESSA secretary general. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has said the fight against match-fixing, "a disease that attacks football's very core", is a main priority. As part of its own zero-tolerance policy towards match-fixing, UEFA also operates a fraud detection system which looks into betting activities around 32,000 games in Europe each year. UEFA's integrity officers in each national association liaise with local law enforcement agencies, and the governing body also works with European law enforcement agency EUROPOL.

UEFA signs agreement with ESSA to combat match-fixing

Shane Warne is blown away by watching bowling skills of a 6-year-old Pakistani kid, Eli Mikal Khan. Mikal, whose bowling action is very much similar to Australian spinning legend Shane Warne, has stunned the cricket spectators by his amazing bowling techniques at such a tender age. Recently, Warne tweeted that, "Absolutely fantastic, blown away on how good the ball comes out of your hand, especially at the age of only 6 - well done and keep up the great work. One tip - get that bowling arm a little higher!"

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Absolutely fantastic, blown away on how good the ball comes out of your hand, especially at the age of only 6 - well done and keep up the great work. One tip - get that bowling arm a little higher ! <a href="https://t.co/54A9DgrL6H">https://t.co/54A9DgrL6H</a>
&mdash Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne/status/977867848826654720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Ultra Slow motion compilation 
Part 2 of 2<a href="https://twitter.com/ShaneWarne?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShaneWarne</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheRealPCB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheRealPCB</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamQuetta?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TeamQuetta</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficialPSL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@OfficialPSL</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/wasimakramlive?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@wasimakramlive</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Saqlain_Mushtaq?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Saqlain_Mushtaq</a> <a href="https://t.co/l7Z23wJGZ6">pic.twitter.com/l7Z23wJGZ6</a>
&mdash Eli Mikal Khan (@EliMikal) <a href="https://twitter.com/EliMikal/status/961786382145544192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 9, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Shane Warne took to Twitter to applaud the genius kid, Eli Mikal Khan, for his extraordinary bowling action

Shane Warne is blown away by watching bowling skills of a 6-year-old Pakistani kid, Eli Mikal Khan. Mikal, whose bowling action is very much similar to Australian spinning legend Shane Warne, has stunned the cricket spectators by his amazing bowling techniques at such a tender age. Recently, Warne tweeted that, "Absolutely fantastic, blown away on how good the ball comes out of your hand, especially at the age of only 6 - well done and keep up the great work. One tip - get that bowling arm a little higher!" Absolutely fantastic, blown away on how good the ball comes out of your hand, especially at the age of only 6 - well done and keep up the great work. One tip - get that bowling arm a little higher ! https://t.co/54A9DgrL6H &mdash Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) March 25, 2018 Ultra Slow motion compilation Part 2 of 2@ShaneWarne @TheRealPCB @TeamQuetta @OfficialPSL @wasimakramlive @Saqlain_Mushtaq pic.twitter.com/l7Z23wJGZ6 &mdash Eli Mikal Khan (@EliMikal) February 9, 2018

Watch: Pakistani whizz-kid with Shane Warne-like bowling action

WION's pick of the week When 'East' and 'West' collided on the sports field Glam quotient @ Australian Open: Sharapova, Wozniacki & Co set court on fire Cricket 3rd ODI: England beat Australia by 16 runs to clinch series The hosts struggled and managed only 286 runs while chasing a huge target of 303. India beat Pakistan to lift Blind Cricket World Cup 2018 India defeated arch-rival Pakistan by two wickets at Sharjah cricket stadium to clinch the 5th Blind Cricket World Cup on Saturday New Zealand complete series whitewash over Pakistan A century to Martin Guptill helped the Black Caps set a 272 total that proved too much for Pakistan after Matt Henry tore through their top order India vs South Africa 2nd Test: Ngidi's 6-wicket haul helps South Africa beat India by 135 runs, clinch series 2-0 Debutant Lungi Ngidi helped South Africa to win the second Test match against India by 135 runs at Centurion on Wednesday Virat Kohli found guilty of 'misbehaving' with umpires, fined On the Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa at Centurion Indian skipper Virat Kohli was penalised 25 % of match fee for “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game” Afghanistan to play maiden Test against India at Bengaluru in June Afghanistan will play its maiden Test match in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on June 14, cricket officials announced Tuesday Sunil Gavaskar remembers MS Dhoni as India's batting line fails against South Africa "I would have actually liked him to maybe give up captaincy and still stay in the team as wicketkeeper-batsman," said Gavaskar Highlights: Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag eye Under-19 champs Should U-19 World Cup be the stepping stone for cricketers aiming international level? U-19 World Cup: Meet the other Afridi, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi Virat Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year David Warner's daughter cheering for England Sehwag confident of Yuvraj capable of making strong comeback like Ashish Nehra MS Dhoni launches his cricket academy in Singapore Despite Test loss, Indian players prefer to hang out with their wives than practice Tennis Australian Open: Indian duo Leander Paes Purav Raja crash out The Indian pair lost to the 11th seeded Colombian duo 1-6, 2-6, in an hour-and-nine-minute-long match Australian Open: Rafael Nadal through to quarterfinals Rafa was taken to four gruelling sets in almost four hours before winning 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena Australian Open: Caroline Wozniacki books quarter-finals berth The world number two from Denmark will face the unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain for a place in the semi-finals Highlights: Simona Halep vs Lauren Davis: The epic contest in Australian Open Australian Open: Tennis stars show love for animals Football EPL: Anthony Martial strike gives United points at Turf Moor Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose team have now gone seven league games without a win and dropped to eighth on the table, was upbeat about his team's performance EPL: Aguero hat-trick reboots Man City's title charge Manchester City is again 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester United Barcelona deny reports of Griezmann agreement Barcelona has released a statement to deny the reports of a Catalan newspaper that FCB has reached an agreement to sign Antoine Griezmann Rallying The 40th edition of Dakar rally ends in Argentina Sainz, Walkner, Casale and Nikolaev win the 40th edition of the Dakar Rally in style

Weekly compilation of sports and other related news

WION's pick of the week When 'East' and 'West' collided on the sports field Glam quotient @ Australian Open: Sharapova, Wozniacki & Co set court on fire Cricket 3rd ODI: England beat Australia by 16 runs to clinch series The hosts struggled and managed only 286 runs while chasing a huge target of 303. India beat Pakistan to lift Blind Cricket World Cup 2018 India defeated arch-rival Pakistan by two wickets at Sharjah cricket stadium to clinch the 5th Blind Cricket World Cup on Saturday New Zealand complete series whitewash over Pakistan A century to Martin Guptill helped the Black Caps set a 272 total that proved too much for Pakistan after Matt Henry tore through their top order India vs South Africa 2nd Test: Ngidi's 6-wicket haul helps South Africa beat India by 135 runs, clinch series 2-0 Debutant Lungi Ngidi helped South Africa to win the second Test match against India by 135 runs at Centurion on Wednesday Virat Kohli found guilty of 'misbehaving' with umpires, fined On the Day 3 of the second Test against South Africa at Centurion Indian skipper Virat Kohli was penalised 25 % of match fee for “conduct that is contrary to the spirit of the game” Afghanistan to play maiden Test against India at Bengaluru in June Afghanistan will play its maiden Test match in the southern Indian city of Bangalore on June 14, cricket officials announced Tuesday Sunil Gavaskar remembers MS Dhoni as India's batting line fails against South Africa "I would have actually liked him to maybe give up captaincy and still stay in the team as wicketkeeper-batsman," said Gavaskar Highlights: Sourav Ganguly, Virender Sehwag eye Under-19 champs Should U-19 World Cup be the stepping stone for cricketers aiming international level? U-19 World Cup: Meet the other Afridi, fast bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi Virat Kohli named ICC Cricketer of the Year David Warner's daughter cheering for England Sehwag confident of Yuvraj capable of making strong comeback like Ashish Nehra MS Dhoni launches his cricket academy in Singapore Despite Test loss, Indian players prefer to hang out with their wives than practice Tennis Australian Open: Indian duo Leander Paes Purav Raja crash out The Indian pair lost to the 11th seeded Colombian duo 1-6, 2-6, in an hour-and-nine-minute-long match Australian Open: Rafael Nadal through to quarterfinals Rafa was taken to four gruelling sets in almost four hours before winning 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3, 6-3 on Rod Laver Arena Australian Open: Caroline Wozniacki books quarter-finals berth The world number two from Denmark will face the unseeded Carla Suarez Navarro from Spain for a place in the semi-finals Highlights: Simona Halep vs Lauren Davis: The epic contest in Australian Open Australian Open: Tennis stars show love for animals Football EPL: Anthony Martial strike gives United points at Turf Moor Burnley manager Sean Dyche, whose team have now gone seven league games without a win and dropped to eighth on the table, was upbeat about his team's performance EPL: Aguero hat-trick reboots Man City's title charge Manchester City is again 12 points clear of second-placed Manchester United Barcelona deny reports of Griezmann agreement Barcelona has released a statement to deny the reports of a Catalan newspaper that FCB has reached an agreement to sign Antoine Griezmann Rallying The 40th edition of Dakar rally ends in Argentina Sainz, Walkner, Casale and Nikolaev win the 40th edition of the Dakar Rally in style

WION Sports News: Top sports results this week

Xavier Hernandez, former Spanish professional footballer who currently plays as a central-midfielder for Qatari club Al Sadd SC was named as a global ambassador for the 2022 World Cup local organising committee in Qatar on Sunday.

The 38-year-old who is known for playing for the Spain national team and Barcelona will be an ambassador for the organisation "responsible for delivering the infrastructure" for the World Cup.

"I have seen first-hand what football can achieve in communities in Qatar and across the region," the former Barcelona midfielder said in a statement.

"Football has the power to unite people, dispel stereotypes and break down social barriers," he further added.

Xavi is the first player in Barcelona's history to play 150 international matches, Xavi played for Barca for 17 years from 1998, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns while claiming the World Cup with Spain in 2010.

For his excellence&nbspin sports, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 2012.

The 38-year-old who is known for playing for the Spain national team and Barcelona will be an ambassador for the organisation "responsible for delivering the infrastructure" for the World Cup

Xavier Hernandez, former Spanish professional footballer who currently plays as a central-midfielder for Qatari club Al Sadd SC was named as a global ambassador for the 2022 World Cup local organising committee in Qatar on Sunday. The 38-year-old who is known for playing for the Spain national team and Barcelona will be an ambassador for the organisation "responsible for delivering the infrastructure" for the World Cup. "I have seen first-hand what football can achieve in communities in Qatar and across the region," the former Barcelona midfielder said in a statement. "Football has the power to unite people, dispel stereotypes and break down social barriers," he further added. Xavi is the first player in Barcelona's history to play 150 international matches, Xavi played for Barca for 17 years from 1998, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns while claiming the World Cup with Spain in 2010. For his excellence&nbspin sports, he was awarded the Prince of Asturias Award for Sports in 2012.

Xavi appointed as global ambassador of Qatar for FIFA World Cup 2022

Ever Banega ensured Argentina weren&#39;t derailed by Lionel Messi&#39;s absence as the World Cup contenders clinched a 2-0 win over Italy in Friday&#39;s friendly at the Etihad Stadium.

Messi reportedly suffered a&nbsp;groin strain in training on Thursday, so the Barcelona forward was an unused substitute as Argentina kicked off their preparations for the World Cup in June.

Ahead of a busy end to the domestic season and then the World Cup, five-time Ballon d&#39;Or winner Messi wasn&#39;t going to risk aggravating his injury.

Without their talismanic star, Jorge Sampaoli&#39;s side showed they have strength in depth with a solid display capped by late goals from Banega and Manuel Lanzini.

Having edged through to the World Cup thanks to Messi&#39;s treble in a 3-1 win over Ecuador in October, Argentina are focused on peaking in Russia, where they will play Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria in the group stage.

Clearly they need Messi to have any chance of lifting the trophy, but, with Sergio Aguero also sidelined by injury, Sampaoli will be encouraged by the performance of his understudies.

&quot;We played this game as a final,&quot; said Sampaoli, who is set to be without Angel Di Maria for next week&#39;s friendly against Spain after he suffered a thigh injury.

&quot;The team had a lot of stability and the collective level was very good.&quot;

Italy remain in turmoil after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958.

It was an emotional evening for the Azzurri as they played for the first time since their defender Davide Astori died of a suspected cardiac arrest earlier this month.

&quot;We suffered with their control of possession and lost some shape,&quot; Italy boss Luigi Di Biagio said.

&quot;We deserved more in the second half but let&#39;s not forget who we were up against.

&quot;The group must develop. There are a lot of youngsters who need experience.

&quot;We must realise this is a difficult moment for the team. We ask everyone to be patient.&quot;

Di Biagio is in charge of Italy on an interim basis and his first move was to persuade Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to end a brief international retirement.

Buffon, winning his 176th cap, was quickly called into action as Di Maria tested the 40-year-old with a low strike.

Lack of enthusiasm

It took another good stop from Buffon to keep out Nicolas Otamendi&#39;s header.

Although Argentina and Italy have won six World Cups between them, there were large swathes of seats left empty as the Manchester public showed a lack of enthusiasm for two teams whose current squads are far from their finest vintage.

The stay-aways weren&#39;t missing much, with chances at a premium until Buffon made an alert save to deny Nicolas Tagliafico.&nbsp;

Buffon saved his best for the final seconds of the first half as he repelled a shot from his Juventus team-mate Gonzalo Higuain before Daniele Rugani cleared the rebound off the line.

After their tame opening, Italy improved in the second half and should have been ahead when Leandro Paredes&#39;s woeful backpass was intercepted by Ciro Immobile.

Immobile set up Lorenzo Insigne with just Willy Caballero to beat, but the Napoli forward fired wide.

The crowd began chanting for Messi to be sent on, but their appeals were in vain.

Chelsea keeper Caballero saved well from Immobile, Antonio Candreva and Insigne as Italy enjoyed their best spell.

But, in the 75th minute, Argentina punished Di Biagio&#39;s men for their lack of cutting edge.

A flowing move reached the edge of the Italy penalty area, where Sevilla midfielder Banega arrowed a low strike past Buffon to the delight of the watching Messi.

West Ham&#39;s Lanzini wrapped up the victory with a well-taken curling effort from 18 yards in the 85th minute.

Messi reportedly suffered a groin strain in training on Thursday, so the Barcelona forward was an unused substitute as Argentina kicked off their preparations for the World Cup in June

Ever Banega ensured Argentina weren't derailed by Lionel Messi's absence as the World Cup contenders clinched a 2-0 win over Italy in Friday's friendly at the Etihad Stadium. Messi reportedly suffered a groin strain in training on Thursday, so the Barcelona forward was an unused substitute as Argentina kicked off their preparations for the World Cup in June. Ahead of a busy end to the domestic season and then the World Cup, five-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi wasn't going to risk aggravating his injury. Without their talismanic star, Jorge Sampaoli's side showed they have strength in depth with a solid display capped by late goals from Banega and Manuel Lanzini. Having edged through to the World Cup thanks to Messi's treble in a 3-1 win over Ecuador in October, Argentina are focused on peaking in Russia, where they will play Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria in the group stage. Clearly they need Messi to have any chance of lifting the trophy, but, with Sergio Aguero also sidelined by injury, Sampaoli will be encouraged by the performance of his understudies. "We played this game as a final," said Sampaoli, who is set to be without Angel Di Maria for next week's friendly against Spain after he suffered a thigh injury. "The team had a lot of stability and the collective level was very good." Italy remain in turmoil after failing to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1958. It was an emotional evening for the Azzurri as they played for the first time since their defender Davide Astori died of a suspected cardiac arrest earlier this month. "We suffered with their control of possession and lost some shape," Italy boss Luigi Di Biagio said. "We deserved more in the second half but let's not forget who we were up against. "The group must develop. There are a lot of youngsters who need experience. "We must realise this is a difficult moment for the team. We ask everyone to be patient." Di Biagio is in charge of Italy on an interim basis and his first move was to persuade Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to end a brief international retirement. Buffon, winning his 176th cap, was quickly called into action as Di Maria tested the 40-year-old with a low strike. Lack of enthusiasm It took another good stop from Buffon to keep out Nicolas Otamendi's header. Although Argentina and Italy have won six World Cups between them, there were large swathes of seats left empty as the Manchester public showed a lack of enthusiasm for two teams whose current squads are far from their finest vintage. The stay-aways weren't missing much, with chances at a premium until Buffon made an alert save to deny Nicolas Tagliafico. Buffon saved his best for the final seconds of the first half as he repelled a shot from his Juventus team-mate Gonzalo Higuain before Daniele Rugani cleared the rebound off the line. After their tame opening, Italy improved in the second half and should have been ahead when Leandro Paredes's woeful backpass was intercepted by Ciro Immobile. Immobile set up Lorenzo Insigne with just Willy Caballero to beat, but the Napoli forward fired wide. The crowd began chanting for Messi to be sent on, but their appeals were in vain. Chelsea keeper Caballero saved well from Immobile, Antonio Candreva and Insigne as Italy enjoyed their best spell. But, in the 75th minute, Argentina punished Di Biagio's men for their lack of cutting edge. A flowing move reached the edge of the Italy penalty area, where Sevilla midfielder Banega arrowed a low strike past Buffon to the delight of the watching Messi. West Ham's Lanzini wrapped up the victory with a well-taken curling effort from 18 yards in the 85th minute.

Messi isn't missed as Argentina down Italy

Manchester United have announced plans to form a women&#39;s professional team after long being criticised for lagging behind their rivals.

The Premier League giants are the only top-flight club in England without a senior women&#39;s team.

United said they had submitted an application to the Football Association to join the second tier of the Women&#39;s Super League.

&quot;We are pleased to announce that the club intends to establish its first-ever professional women&#39;s team and has submitted an application to enter WSL2,&quot; said Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward.&nbsp;

&quot;The FA has provided excellent support through the process and we believe that launching a team in WSL2 would give many more of our graduates from the regional talent club the chance to establish themselves as first-team players.

&quot;The Manchester United women&#39;s team must be built in the same image and with the same principles as the men&#39;s first team and offer academy players a clear route to top-level football within the club.&quot;

Ex-United player and current England women&#39;s coach Phil Neville recently called on his former club to form a women&#39;s team.

Sports minister Tracey Crouch praised Manchester United for &quot;finally dragging themselves into the 21st century&quot; in the House of Commons on Thursday.

Commons Speaker John Bercow, an avid Arsenal fan, chimed in, saying: &quot;They are light years behind Arsenal.&quot;

The Premier League giants are the only top-flight club in England without a senior women's team

Manchester United have announced plans to form a women's professional team after long being criticised for lagging behind their rivals. The Premier League giants are the only top-flight club in England without a senior women's team. United said they had submitted an application to the Football Association to join the second tier of the Women's Super League. "We are pleased to announce that the club intends to establish its first-ever professional women's team and has submitted an application to enter WSL2," said Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward. "The FA has provided excellent support through the process and we believe that launching a team in WSL2 would give many more of our graduates from the regional talent club the chance to establish themselves as first-team players. "The Manchester United women's team must be built in the same image and with the same principles as the men's first team and offer academy players a clear route to top-level football within the club." Ex-United player and current England women's coach Phil Neville recently called on his former club to form a women's team. Sports minister Tracey Crouch praised Manchester United for "finally dragging themselves into the 21st century" in the House of Commons on Thursday. Commons Speaker John Bercow, an avid Arsenal fan, chimed in, saying: "They are light years behind Arsenal."

Manchester United announce plans to form professional women's team

Diego Maradona, the former football World Cup winner and Argentine legend&nbsp;defended Lionel Messi ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Lionel Messi, who is famously jinxed in the finals of the&nbsp;major tournaments like&nbsp; World Cup and Copa America has experts baying for his blood once again as Argentina gets set for Russia.

In the last football World Cup in Brazil, the Barcelona sensation led the team in the finals but suffered a terrible fate when Germany scored the winner in the extra time and became world champions.

Apart from the World Cup, he also faced defeats in the finals of Copa America. Not to forget the&nbsp;Copa 2016, when he suddenly announced retirement which he later overturned after facing a tragic defeat against Chile in the penalties.

Recently, Messi said he could retire from international matches if Argentina doesn&#39;t win the World Cup.

Responding to this, former Argentine legend Maradona said, &quot;Messi always showed he loves football, that doesn&#39;t change whether he plays or doesn&#39;t play in a World Cup. Messi is Messi, with or without a World Cup.&quot;

Maradona also supported the use of video review (Video Assistant Referee-VAR) to help referees at the World Cup. He hailed it as a landmark decision.

He said, &quot;I think that technology now is doing good in football...and I think it will be at the forefront for transparency in this new FIFA.&quot;

In a recent interview to a TV news program which broadcast on the America TV channel, Messi said, &quot;I have seen in many places in the world that people want this to be a good World Cup for me. The truth is I find this amazing.&quot;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
????️???????? | &quot;I have seen in many places in the world that people want this to be a good World Cup for me. The truth is I find this amazing&quot; 
 
???? <a href="https://twitter.com/Argentina?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Argentina</a>&#39;s Lionel Messi, speaking with <a href="https://twitter.com/LaCornisaok?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaCornisaok</a> ahead of important <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldCup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldCup</a> preparation matches <a href="https://t.co/A9tpEMUDmp">pic.twitter.com/A9tpEMUDmp</a>
&mdash; FIFA World Cup ???? (@FIFAWorldCup) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAWorldCup/status/976590665852293121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Maradona also supported the use of video review (Video Assistant Referee-VAR) to help referees at the World Cup

Diego Maradona, the former football World Cup winner and Argentine legend defended Lionel Messi ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2018. Lionel Messi, who is famously jinxed in the finals of the major tournaments like World Cup and Copa America has experts baying for his blood once again as Argentina gets set for Russia. In the last football World Cup in Brazil, the Barcelona sensation led the team in the finals but suffered a terrible fate when Germany scored the winner in the extra time and became world champions. Apart from the World Cup, he also faced defeats in the finals of Copa America. Not to forget the Copa 2016, when he suddenly announced retirement which he later overturned after facing a tragic defeat against Chile in the penalties. Recently, Messi said he could retire from international matches if Argentina doesn't win the World Cup. Responding to this, former Argentine legend Maradona said, "Messi always showed he loves football, that doesn't change whether he plays or doesn't play in a World Cup. Messi is Messi, with or without a World Cup." Maradona also supported the use of video review (Video Assistant Referee-VAR) to help referees at the World Cup. He hailed it as a landmark decision. He said, "I think that technology now is doing good in football...and I think it will be at the forefront for transparency in this new FIFA." In a recent interview to a TV news program which broadcast on the America TV channel, Messi said, "I have seen in many places in the world that people want this to be a good World Cup for me. The truth is I find this amazing." ????️???????? | "I have seen in many places in the world that people want this to be a good World Cup for me. The truth is I find this amazing" ???? @Argentina's Lionel Messi, speaking with @LaCornisaok ahead of important #WorldCup preparation matches pic.twitter.com/A9tpEMUDmp — FIFA World Cup ???? (@FIFAWorldCup) March 21, 2018 ×

Messi is Messi, with or without World Cup: Diego Maradona

Lionel Messi begins his road to World Cup redemption on Friday as Argentina take on Italy in a glamour friendly, desperate to win a major international prize to crown his glorious career.

In Barcelona&#39;s colours, Messi has experienced nothing but success, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns, while earning FIFA&#39;s Ballon d&#39;Or award five times.

But pulling on Argentina&#39;s blue-and-white striped shirt has brought the forward some of the most painful moments of his career.

Rarely able to hit the same heights with Argentina that he routinely scales with Barcelona, Messi has endured stinging criticism from &#39;Albiceleste&#39; fans at times.

Nobody would dispute Messi&#39;s status as one of the all-time greats, but many in Argentina believe he cannot be considered on the same level as Diego Maradona until he wins a major honour with his country, as his compatriot did at the 1986 World Cup.

Rubbing salt into those wounds, Messi has lost in three successive major finals with Argentina as the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America titles slipped from his grasp.

&quot;I cried many times because of games like these, for lost finals, for what they mean and for not being able to achieve the dream of a country. It was a hard blow to take,&quot; Messi recently told Argentine television programme La Cornisa.

The last World Cup was devastating to Messi as he missed a golden opportunity to put Argentina ahead in the final against Germany, who went on to win 1-0 in extra-time.

As if that was not bad enough, for the first time in his career, he missed in a penalty shootout when Argentina were beaten by Chile in the Copa America final two years ago.

Last chance? 
Although Messi is still in his prime, the 30-year-old realises the World Cup in Russia, which starts in June, could represent his last chance to hoist the famous gold trophy.

He will be approaching the twilight of his career by the time the 2022 edition kicks off in Qatar. Messi will have also noted that key Argentina team-mates Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Otamendi and Javier Mascherano will all be 30 or over this year.

&quot;Obviously, we depend on results and therefore the thinking in this group is that having got to three finals and not being able to win and even then people say a lot of things about us, if we are not champions then we won&#39;t have another one (opportunity),&quot; Messi said.

Having edged through to the finals thanks to Messi&#39;s treble in a 3-1 win over Ecuador in October, Argentina are focused on peaking in Russia, where they will play Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria in the group stage.

First up is an intriguing test against an Italy side that failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli believes the match at Manchester City&#39;s ground will help to sharpen his side before a second friendly in Spain next week.

&quot;Each match and training session is fundamental for us in preparation for the World Cup. Playing against Italy, in a venue as important as Etihad Stadium, is an invitation to a great event,&quot; he said.

&quot;Every Argentine in the world wants to be there when the national team plays. We are certain they will accompany us for this one.&quot; AFP

This could be Messi's last chance to win the World Cup

Lionel Messi begins his road to World Cup redemption on Friday as Argentina take on Italy in a glamour friendly, desperate to win a major international prize to crown his glorious career. In Barcelona's colours, Messi has experienced nothing but success, winning eight La Liga titles and four Champions League crowns, while earning FIFA's Ballon d'Or award five times. But pulling on Argentina's blue-and-white striped shirt has brought the forward some of the most painful moments of his career. Rarely able to hit the same heights with Argentina that he routinely scales with Barcelona, Messi has endured stinging criticism from 'Albiceleste' fans at times. Nobody would dispute Messi's status as one of the all-time greats, but many in Argentina believe he cannot be considered on the same level as Diego Maradona until he wins a major honour with his country, as his compatriot did at the 1986 World Cup. Rubbing salt into those wounds, Messi has lost in three successive major finals with Argentina as the 2014 World Cup and the 2015 and 2016 Copa America titles slipped from his grasp. "I cried many times because of games like these, for lost finals, for what they mean and for not being able to achieve the dream of a country. It was a hard blow to take," Messi recently told Argentine television programme La Cornisa. The last World Cup was devastating to Messi as he missed a golden opportunity to put Argentina ahead in the final against Germany, who went on to win 1-0 in extra-time. As if that was not bad enough, for the first time in his career, he missed in a penalty shootout when Argentina were beaten by Chile in the Copa America final two years ago. Last chance? Although Messi is still in his prime, the 30-year-old realises the World Cup in Russia, which starts in June, could represent his last chance to hoist the famous gold trophy. He will be approaching the twilight of his career by the time the 2022 edition kicks off in Qatar. Messi will have also noted that key Argentina team-mates Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Otamendi and Javier Mascherano will all be 30 or over this year. "Obviously, we depend on results and therefore the thinking in this group is that having got to three finals and not being able to win and even then people say a lot of things about us, if we are not champions then we won't have another one (opportunity)," Messi said. Having edged through to the finals thanks to Messi's treble in a 3-1 win over Ecuador in October, Argentina are focused on peaking in Russia, where they will play Croatia, Iceland and Nigeria in the group stage. First up is an intriguing test against an Italy side that failed to qualify for the World Cup. Argentina boss Jorge Sampaoli believes the match at Manchester City's ground will help to sharpen his side before a second friendly in Spain next week. "Each match and training session is fundamental for us in preparation for the World Cup. Playing against Italy, in a venue as important as Etihad Stadium, is an invitation to a great event," he said. "Every Argentine in the world wants to be there when the national team plays. We are certain they will accompany us for this one." AFP

Football World Cup friendlies: Argentina take on Italy

Germany forward Thomas Mueller expects revenge to be a factor when his side take on Brazil for the first time since humiliating the South Americans 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals.

Joachim Loew&#39;s Germany start fine-tuning preparations for their World Cup defence in Russia with high-profile friendlies against Spain in Duesseldorf on Friday and Brazil in Berlin next Tuesday.

Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, have the first chance to break Germany&#39;s 21-match unbeaten run, dating back to their Euro 2016 semi-final defeat by France.

However, the clash four days later at Berlin&#39;s Olympic Stadium offers Brazil a rare chance to beat Germany in their own backyard and avenge the hammering in Belo Horizonte almost four years ago.

&quot;Of course, you can imagine that the humiliation was great after losing a semi-final of a World Cup at home,&quot; said Mueller, who scored the first goal in that game.

&quot;Brazil is really a football-mad country and the pressure on them was huge. However, our journey wasn&#39;t over and for us it was just a step towards the final.&quot;

The Spain and Brazil games are head coach Loew&#39;s last chance to assess his options before naming his World Cup squad on May 15.

Key decisions

&quot;Two top matches await us -- we&#39;re up against superb teams. It&#39;s fun to compete with the best,&quot; added Bayern Munich forward Mueller. &quot;We all have the mentality that we always want to win, that&#39;s why we&#39;re the elite. The competition within the squad is a means to keep up the performance level. No one can afford to relax, everyone&#39;s challenged.

&quot;It&#39;s not just that we have eight or 11 good players, more like 20 or 25.

&quot;It&#39;s a good situation for the coach to be in. But this is an opportunity to show what we can do against big opponents in big games.&quot;

However, big names are missing in the ranks of the four-time World Cup winners.

Borussia Dortmund pair Mario Goetze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 final against Argentina, and Marco Reus were left out to focus on their club form.

Germany captain Manuel Neuer, who last played an international in October 2016, is still sidelined with a fractured foot he suffered in September.

Loew must also decide whether Sandro Wagner or Mario Gomez will go to Russia as the back-up to first-choice striker Timo Werner.

Likewise, Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno of Bayer Leverkusen are vying for the third goalkeeping berth behind first-choice Neuer and reserve Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

&quot;I am glad that I do not have to decide who will be going,&quot; Germany midfielder Sami Khedira admitted to magazine Sport Bild.

As the Juventus player acknowledges, there will be &quot;no free ticket&quot; to Russia for any German stars.

Liverpool midfielder Emre Can sat out training on Wednesday with slight back pain, while Bayern&#39;s Sebastian Rudy will join the squad late as he awaits the birth of his child.&nbsp;

Timings:&nbsp;

Germany vs Spain: Saturday March 24, 1,15 am IST

Germany vs Brazil: Wednesday, March 28, 12.15 am IST

Germany thrashed Brazil 7-1 the last time they met in the semifinal of the 2014 World Cup

Germany forward Thomas Mueller expects revenge to be a factor when his side take on Brazil for the first time since humiliating the South Americans 7-1 in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals. Joachim Loew's Germany start fine-tuning preparations for their World Cup defence in Russia with high-profile friendlies against Spain in Duesseldorf on Friday and Brazil in Berlin next Tuesday. Spain, the 2010 World Cup winners, have the first chance to break Germany's 21-match unbeaten run, dating back to their Euro 2016 semi-final defeat by France. However, the clash four days later at Berlin's Olympic Stadium offers Brazil a rare chance to beat Germany in their own backyard and avenge the hammering in Belo Horizonte almost four years ago. "Of course, you can imagine that the humiliation was great after losing a semi-final of a World Cup at home," said Mueller, who scored the first goal in that game. "Brazil is really a football-mad country and the pressure on them was huge. However, our journey wasn't over and for us it was just a step towards the final." The Spain and Brazil games are head coach Loew's last chance to assess his options before naming his World Cup squad on May 15. Key decisions "Two top matches await us -- we're up against superb teams. It's fun to compete with the best," added Bayern Munich forward Mueller. "We all have the mentality that we always want to win, that's why we're the elite. The competition within the squad is a means to keep up the performance level. No one can afford to relax, everyone's challenged. "It's not just that we have eight or 11 good players, more like 20 or 25. "It's a good situation for the coach to be in. But this is an opportunity to show what we can do against big opponents in big games." However, big names are missing in the ranks of the four-time World Cup winners. Borussia Dortmund pair Mario Goetze, who scored the winning goal in the 2014 final against Argentina, and Marco Reus were left out to focus on their club form. Germany captain Manuel Neuer, who last played an international in October 2016, is still sidelined with a fractured foot he suffered in September. Loew must also decide whether Sandro Wagner or Mario Gomez will go to Russia as the back-up to first-choice striker Timo Werner. Likewise, Paris Saint-Germain's Kevin Trapp and Bernd Leno of Bayer Leverkusen are vying for the third goalkeeping berth behind first-choice Neuer and reserve Marc-Andre ter Stegen. "I am glad that I do not have to decide who will be going," Germany midfielder Sami Khedira admitted to magazine Sport Bild. As the Juventus player acknowledges, there will be "no free ticket" to Russia for any German stars. Liverpool midfielder Emre Can sat out training on Wednesday with slight back pain, while Bayern's Sebastian Rudy will join the squad late as he awaits the birth of his child. Timings: Germany vs Spain: Saturday March 24, 1,15 am IST Germany vs Brazil: Wednesday, March 28, 12.15 am IST

Football World Cup friendlies: Germany to take on Spain, Brazil

Russia&#39;s ambassador to Britain insisted Thursday that England football fans will be safe at the 2018 World Cup, despite a raging diplomatic crisis between London and Moscow.

&quot;They will be safe in Russia,&quot; Alexander Yakovenko told a press conference at the London embassy.

All the necessary measures are being taken, and the British special authorities are in contact with the special Russian authorities to provide security.

&quot;It&#39;s regular precautions that we are doing with every single country.

&quot;I am sure that there will be full security, and by the way, there will be a visa-free regime for those who are coming to Moscow.

&quot;They will be the guests of Russia.&quot;

The comments came amid an escalating war of words between Russia and Britain over the poisoning of a Russian former double agent on British soil on March 4. Moscow denies involvement in the case.&nbsp;

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Wednesday called for Russian guarantees over the safety of England fans at the World Cup in June and July.

Johnson also said President Vladimir Putin would exploit the 2018 football World Cup in Russia as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler had done with the Berlin Olympics.

Johnson agreed with an MP who suggested, &quot;Putin is going to use it in the way Hitler used the 1936 Olympics&quot;, as a propaganda exercise.

&quot;I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right,&quot; the minister replied, envisaging Putin &quot;glorying in this sporting event&quot;.

Yakovenko condemned Johnson&#39;s comparison.

&quot;I&#39;m authorised to say that Moscow considered these kind of statements... in any way unacceptable and totally irresponsible,&quot; he said.

&quot;The British government is free to make a decision about its participation in the World Cup but nobody has the right to insult the Russian people who defeated Nazism... by comparing our country to Nazi Germany.

&quot;We do not think British war veterans, including those of the Arctic Convoys, would share this opinion,&quot; he said, referring to World War II oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern Soviet ports.

Russia's ambassador to Britain insisted England football fans will be safe at the 2018 World Cup, despite a raging diplomatic crisis between London and Moscow

Russia's ambassador to Britain insisted Thursday that England football fans will be safe at the 2018 World Cup, despite a raging diplomatic crisis between London and Moscow. "They will be safe in Russia," Alexander Yakovenko told a press conference at the London embassy. All the necessary measures are being taken, and the British special authorities are in contact with the special Russian authorities to provide security. "It's regular precautions that we are doing with every single country. "I am sure that there will be full security, and by the way, there will be a visa-free regime for those who are coming to Moscow. "They will be the guests of Russia." The comments came amid an escalating war of words between Russia and Britain over the poisoning of a Russian former double agent on British soil on March 4. Moscow denies involvement in the case. British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson on Wednesday called for Russian guarantees over the safety of England fans at the World Cup in June and July. Johnson also said President Vladimir Putin would exploit the 2018 football World Cup in Russia as Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler had done with the Berlin Olympics. Johnson agreed with an MP who suggested, "Putin is going to use it in the way Hitler used the 1936 Olympics", as a propaganda exercise. "I think the comparison with 1936 is certainly right," the minister replied, envisaging Putin "glorying in this sporting event". Yakovenko condemned Johnson's comparison. "I'm authorised to say that Moscow considered these kind of statements... in any way unacceptable and totally irresponsible," he said. "The British government is free to make a decision about its participation in the World Cup but nobody has the right to insult the Russian people who defeated Nazism... by comparing our country to Nazi Germany. "We do not think British war veterans, including those of the Arctic Convoys, would share this opinion," he said, referring to World War II oceangoing convoys which sailed from the United Kingdom, Iceland, and North America to northern Soviet ports.

British fans will be safe in Russia: Russian ambassador Yakovenko

Out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba said it would be a pleasure to play with Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s Neymar, whom he described as pure &quot;joy on the pitch&quot; in an interview with an Argentine sports channel Tuesday.

&quot;Neymar is the definition of joy on the pitch,&quot; the French international told Argentina&#39;s TyC Sports.

&quot;When I look at him on the pitch, he enjoys playing, with his technique, his ability and all that.&nbsp;

&quot;I love watching him play. He&#39;s a different guy, he has his own style. If one day I&#39;m going to play with him, it&#39;ll be a pleasure.&quot;

He was returning the favour after Neymar said in 2016 that he admired Pogba&#39;s style and would love to play alongside him.

Pogba, despite arriving at United in 2016 for a then world-record fee of &pound;89 million (105 million euros), has fallen out of favour with manager Jose Mourhino, leading to speculation about his future.

France coach Didier Deschamps said &quot;he can&#39;t be happy&quot; with his current situation at Old Trafford after the 25-year-old joined up with the squad for Friday&#39;s friendly against Colombia.

Neymar, who joined PSG for a world-record 222 million euros ($264 million) from Barcelona last year, suffered a fractured bone in his right foot last month in a match against Marseille.

&nbsp;

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba said it would be a pleasure to play with Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, whom he described as pure 'joy on the pitch'

Out-of-favour Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba said it would be a pleasure to play with Paris Saint-Germain's Neymar, whom he described as pure "joy on the pitch" in an interview with an Argentine sports channel Tuesday. "Neymar is the definition of joy on the pitch," the French international told Argentina's TyC Sports. "When I look at him on the pitch, he enjoys playing, with his technique, his ability and all that. "I love watching him play. He's a different guy, he has his own style. If one day I'm going to play with him, it'll be a pleasure." He was returning the favour after Neymar said in 2016 that he admired Pogba's style and would love to play alongside him. Pogba, despite arriving at United in 2016 for a then world-record fee of £89 million (105 million euros), has fallen out of favour with manager Jose Mourhino, leading to speculation about his future. France coach Didier Deschamps said "he can't be happy" with his current situation at Old Trafford after the 25-year-old joined up with the squad for Friday's friendly against Colombia. Neymar, who joined PSG for a world-record 222 million euros ($264 million) from Barcelona last year, suffered a fractured bone in his right foot last month in a match against Marseille.

'Neymar is the definition of joy on the pitch,' says Paul Pogba

FIFA&#39;s forward football development programme has acted as a catalyst to promote football in India.

The programme aims to improve football across the globe by providing&nbsp;funds and other infrastructural facilities&nbsp;across the globe.

FIFA also promotes the development of women&#39;s football and pledges to support it financially by providing it with players, coaches, referees and officials the opportunity to become actively involved in football.

Recently, FIFA has applauded India&#39;s initiative of promoting women football in the country for establishing the&nbsp;Indian Women&rsquo;s League.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WomensFootball?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WomensFootball</a> in India boosted with a new league established with help from the FIFA Forward Programme <a href="https://t.co/E3J9xTWpdT">https://t.co/E3J9xTWpdT</a> <a href="https://t.co/Y2xbgmX6OP">pic.twitter.com/Y2xbgmX6OP</a>
&mdash; FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/FIFAcom/status/975988970747121664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Recently, India hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup (Men) and the event was welcomed by enormous crowds.

The success of&nbsp;U-17 World Cup in India gave an opportunity to many aspirants and persuaded them to take up football as a career.

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India women&rsquo;s football is benefitting from FIFA forward programme as FIFA has provided funding and momentum.

&quot;Women&rsquo;s football in India needed a push to progress and the Indian Women&rsquo;s League has certainly acted as a major boost for every girl who ever dreamt of playing football in the country,&quot;&nbsp;Oinam Bembem Devi, the nation&rsquo;s most-capped player.

&quot;Some of the oldest football clubs in the world hail from India,&rdquo; said Sanjeevan Balasingam, FIFA Member Association Regional Director for Asia and Oceania.

He further added, &ldquo;However, there is no established club culture yet for women&#39;s football in India. So the IWL will help achieve that and positive strides are already being made.&quot;

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All the best <a href="https://twitter.com/GokulamKeralaFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GokulamKeralaFC</a> women&rsquo;s team for Indian Women&rsquo;s League. <a href="https://t.co/ulEa0HZTD8">pic.twitter.com/ulEa0HZTD8</a>
&mdash; Pratheesh G Nair (@pratheeshjourno) <a href="https://twitter.com/pratheeshjourno/status/975585805912588288?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Indian Women’s League is a part of FIFA's forward football development programme

FIFA's forward football development programme has acted as a catalyst to promote football in India. The programme aims to improve football across the globe by providing funds and other infrastructural facilities across the globe. FIFA also promotes the development of women's football and pledges to support it financially by providing it with players, coaches, referees and officials the opportunity to become actively involved in football. Recently, FIFA has applauded India's initiative of promoting women football in the country for establishing the Indian Women’s League. #WomensFootball in India boosted with a new league established with help from the FIFA Forward Programme https://t.co/E3J9xTWpdT pic.twitter.com/Y2xbgmX6OP — FIFA.com (@FIFAcom) March 20, 2018 × Recently, India hosted the FIFA U-17 World Cup (Men) and the event was welcomed by enormous crowds. The success of U-17 World Cup in India gave an opportunity to many aspirants and persuaded them to take up football as a career. Women’s football in India needed a push to progress and the Indian Women’s League has certainly acted as a major boost for every girl who ever dreamt of playing football in the country × India women’s football is benefitting from FIFA forward programme as FIFA has provided funding and momentum. "Women’s football in India needed a push to progress and the Indian Women’s League has certainly acted as a major boost for every girl who ever dreamt of playing football in the country," Oinam Bembem Devi, the nation’s most-capped player. "Some of the oldest football clubs in the world hail from India,” said Sanjeevan Balasingam, FIFA Member Association Regional Director for Asia and Oceania. He further added, “However, there is no established club culture yet for women's football in India. So the IWL will help achieve that and positive strides are already being made." All the best @GokulamKeralaFC women’s team for Indian Women’s League. pic.twitter.com/ulEa0HZTD8 — Pratheesh G Nair (@pratheeshjourno) March 19, 2018 ×

Football: FIFA applauds India's initiative of women's football league

Serie A club Fiorentina announced that their training ground will be renamed in tribute to former captain Davide Astori, who died aged 31 earlier this month.

The Italian international died suddenly in his hotel room before a match at Udinese on March 4.

The team&#39;s training ground will be renamed the &#39;Centro Sportivo Davide Astori&#39;.

&quot;We&#39;ve made this decision because that was his home,&quot; said Fiorentina president Mario Cognini.

&quot;He went there every day for training and used to spend time there with his family too. We believe that honouring him in this way is the right thing to do.&quot;

Astori&#39;s number 13 shirt was retired by the club, where he had played for three years.

The centre-back came through the youth system at AC Milan before spending eight years at Cagliari, while he also had a loan spell at Roma.

Serie A club Fiorentina announced that their training ground will be renamed in tribute to former captain Davide Astori, who died aged 31 earlier this month

Serie A club Fiorentina announced that their training ground will be renamed in tribute to former captain Davide Astori, who died aged 31 earlier this month. The Italian international died suddenly in his hotel room before a match at Udinese on March 4. The team's training ground will be renamed the 'Centro Sportivo Davide Astori'. "We've made this decision because that was his home," said Fiorentina president Mario Cognini. "He went there every day for training and used to spend time there with his family too. We believe that honouring him in this way is the right thing to do." Astori's number 13 shirt was retired by the club, where he had played for three years. The centre-back came through the youth system at AC Milan before spending eight years at Cagliari, while he also had a loan spell at Roma.

Fiorentina rename training ground after Davide Astori

FC Barcelona coach, Ernesto Valverde hailed Lionel Messi as Barca moved 11 points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/la-liga-messi-magic-prevails-as-barcelona-beat-athletic-bilbao-36302">beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0</a> at home.

In a recent media interaction, Valverde said, &quot;What I&#39;m expecting is that he (Messi) will teach me things because every single day he discovers something new, something different.&quot;

He also added, &quot;He is very conscious of what he has to do and the team&#39;s needs. On so many occasions here in Barcelona the managers learn from the players to be able to teach them back. It&#39;s a two-way road.&quot;

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???? Coach Ernesto Valverde and his players reflect on win that puts them 11 points clear in <a href="https://twitter.com/LaLiga?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaLiga</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bar%C3%A7aAthletic?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bar&ccedil;aAthletic</a> <a href="https://t.co/LkkD6S7jNj">https://t.co/LkkD6S7jNj</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/975560024020930560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Argentine scored for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/la-liga-messi-magic-prevails-as-barcelona-beat-athletic-bilbao-36302">the sixth game</a> in a row in all competitions and for the 25th time in this league campaign.

Barcelona maintained their unbeaten La Liga record this season having nine league games remaining.

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???? <a href="https://twitter.com/LaLiga?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LaLiga</a> 
???????? <a href="https://t.co/tXlafQ7Sw7">pic.twitter.com/tXlafQ7Sw7</a>
&mdash; FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) <a href="https://twitter.com/FCBarcelona/status/975493321509474304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

In a recent media interaction, Valverde said, "What I'm expecting is that he (Messi) will teach me things because every single day he discovers something new, something different"

FC Barcelona coach, Ernesto Valverde hailed Lionel Messi as Barca moved 11 points clear at the top of La Liga on Sunday after beating Athletic Bilbao 2-0 at home. In a recent media interaction, Valverde said, "What I'm expecting is that he (Messi) will teach me things because every single day he discovers something new, something different." He also added, "He is very conscious of what he has to do and the team's needs. On so many occasions here in Barcelona the managers learn from the players to be able to teach them back. It's a two-way road." ???? Coach Ernesto Valverde and his players reflect on win that puts them 11 points clear in @LaLiga #BarçaAthletic https://t.co/LkkD6S7jNj — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 19, 2018 × The Argentine scored for the sixth game in a row in all competitions and for the 25th time in this league campaign. Barcelona maintained their unbeaten La Liga record this season having nine league games remaining. ???? @LaLiga ???????? pic.twitter.com/tXlafQ7Sw7 — FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) March 18, 2018 ×

I am expecting Messi will teach me things: Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his scorching scoring run by bagging four goals in&nbsp;Real&nbsp;Madrid&#39;s hugely entertaining 6-3 La Liga win over Girona on Sunday.

Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a deadly first-time finish but former Middlesbrough forward Cristhian Stuani headed home from a corner to draw the Catalans level in the 29th minute.

The Portuguese restored his side&#39;s lead at the start of the second half by racing on to a through ball from Karim Benzema and hammering it in off the crossbar. He then laid on a pass for Lucas Vazquez to score&nbsp;Real&#39;s third.

Ronaldo gobbled up a rebounded shot from Benzema to complete his hat-trick in the 64th and make it 4-1, while substitute Gareth Bale added a fifth in the 86th after Stuani had struck again down the other end.

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???? &iexcl;<a href="https://twitter.com/Cristiano?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Cristiano</a> est&aacute; &#39;on fire&#39;! 
⚽ 11&#39; 
⚽ 47&#39; 
⚽ 64&#39; 
⚽ 90&#39;+1&#39;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMLiga?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMLiga</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/RgpasRR4Zb">pic.twitter.com/RgpasRR4Zb</a>
&mdash; Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadrid/status/975492575464390656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Girona&#39;s Juanpe then made it 5-3, only for Ronaldo to roar back in injury time and score his fourth goal of the game, his 17th in his last eight appearances in all competitions.

Ronaldo has now netted 22 times in the league this season, trailing Barcelona&#39;s Lionel Messi by just three goals.

&quot;Cristiano is very important to us, he transmits an incredible amount of energy for the team,&quot;&nbsp;RealMadrid&nbsp;coach Zinedine Zidane told reporters.

&quot;Cristiano is three goals from Messi and I hope he can become the top scorer because it&#39;s very important to him. When Cristiano plays well the team plays well.

&quot;Cristiano&#39;s ambition is tremendous. But I also want to highlight the work of his team mates, who help him a lot. We scored some spectacular goals today which was down to the whole team.&quot;

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6⃣⚽ &iexcl;Gran noche en el Bernab&eacute;u! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RMLiga?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RMLiga</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HalaMadrid?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HalaMadrid</a> <a href="https://t.co/8aATyDZB8X">pic.twitter.com/8aATyDZB8X</a>
&mdash; Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) <a href="https://twitter.com/realmadrid/status/975490555982598145?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Ronaldo&#39;s goal rush helped him to leapfrog Luis Suarez into second place on the Liga&#39;s top scorer&#39;s list, with the Barca forward missing his side&#39;s 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday due to suspension.

Real&nbsp;are third in the Liga standings on 60 points, 15 behind runaway leaders Barcelona and four adrift of second-placed Atletico, who were beaten 2-1 at Villarreal&nbsp;on Sunday.

&nbsp;

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his scorching scoring run by bagging four goals in Real Madrid's hugely entertaining 6-3 La Liga win over Girona on Sunday

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his scorching scoring run by bagging four goals in Real Madrid's hugely entertaining 6-3 La Liga win over Girona on Sunday. Ronaldo opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a deadly first-time finish but former Middlesbrough forward Cristhian Stuani headed home from a corner to draw the Catalans level in the 29th minute. The Portuguese restored his side's lead at the start of the second half by racing on to a through ball from Karim Benzema and hammering it in off the crossbar. He then laid on a pass for Lucas Vazquez to score Real's third. Ronaldo gobbled up a rebounded shot from Benzema to complete his hat-trick in the 64th and make it 4-1, while substitute Gareth Bale added a fifth in the 86th after Stuani had struck again down the other end. ???? ¡@Cristiano está 'on fire'! ⚽ 11' ⚽ 47' ⚽ 64' ⚽ 90'+1'#RMLiga | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/RgpasRR4Zb — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 18, 2018 × Girona's Juanpe then made it 5-3, only for Ronaldo to roar back in injury time and score his fourth goal of the game, his 17th in his last eight appearances in all competitions. Ronaldo has now netted 22 times in the league this season, trailing Barcelona's Lionel Messi by just three goals. "Cristiano is very important to us, he transmits an incredible amount of energy for the team," RealMadrid coach Zinedine Zidane told reporters. "Cristiano is three goals from Messi and I hope he can become the top scorer because it's very important to him. When Cristiano plays well the team plays well. "Cristiano's ambition is tremendous. But I also want to highlight the work of his team mates, who help him a lot. We scored some spectacular goals today which was down to the whole team." 6⃣⚽ ¡Gran noche en el Bernabéu! #RMLiga | #HalaMadrid pic.twitter.com/8aATyDZB8X — Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadrid) March 18, 2018 × Ronaldo's goal rush helped him to leapfrog Luis Suarez into second place on the Liga's top scorer's list, with the Barca forward missing his side's 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday due to suspension. Real are third in the Liga standings on 60 points, 15 behind runaway leaders Barcelona and four adrift of second-placed Atletico, who were beaten 2-1 at Villarreal on Sunday.

La Liga: Ronaldo hits four as Real Madrid beat Girona

Weekly compilation of sports and other related news (March 12 to March 18)

WION'S PICK OF THE WEEK IPL 2018: Squad analysis of MS Dhoni's 'Yellow Brigade' IPL 2018: Squad analysis of Rajasthan Royals, the prodigal son returns Indian Premier League is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining forms of T20 format. Since its inception, many records have been set by players. Here's the list of seven players with the highest strike rates in IPL so far (WION) × Opinion: Indian football rising from the grassroots Opinion: Why Djokovic is right to say tennis players need a union 2018 IPL anthem: 'Ye khel hai sher jawano ka albelo ka mastano ka...' How are Egyptian football fanatics paying tribute to their favourite footballer? Watch this video to find out more ???? @mosalah22 #Egypt #egyptians #egyptian #fan #liverpool #football #footballer #hairstyles #hairstyling #hairart #footballnews #footballfans #liverpoolfc #liverpoolfans #uefa #ucl #championsleague #tribute #worldcup #fifa #fifa18 #mohamedsalah #arabic #portrait #hairstyler #footballfan #footballfans #news #wion A post shared by WION (@wionews) on Mar 16, 2018 at 10:27am PDT × Cricket Nidahas Trophy: India win nail-biting thriller as Dinesh Karthik hits match-winning six Dinesh Karthik has played only 19 T20 games in 11 years Funny Twitter reactions to Bangladesh 'Nagin' dance celebration Amit Shah, Amitabh Bachchan compliment Dinesh Karthik's match-winning knock Indian fans reacted to the famous 'Nagin dance' of Bangladeshi players when 'Men in Blue' won the #NidahasTrophyT20 https://t.co/2Dt8cwEdZl — WION (@WIONews) March 19, 2018 × IPL 2018: KKR's Sunil Narine reported for illegal action in Pakistan Super League Nepal becomes ODI nation for first time in history IPL 2018: CSK's Mitchell Santner ruled out of the tournament due to knee injury In Pictures: Seven #cricket players with the highest strike rates in #IPL so far. @IPL https://t.co/c536Lp0cLG — WION (@WIONews) March 18, 2018 × Bangladesh wants to create own 'brand' in T20s: Mahmudullah Despite ban, Kagiso Rabada named in South Africa's squad against Australia Kevin Pietersen confirms retirement in heartfelt Instagram post Someone just tweeted me to tell me that I scored 30000+ runs including 152 fifty’s & 68 hundreds in my pro career. 4 Ashes wins. Home & away! T20 WC win. Beaten India in India. Home & away 100’s in all major Test nations apart from Bangladesh. All dedicated to my family who have just been the most unreal supporters through thick & thin! I’m super proud of everything! Thank you for all the quite lovely msgs! I loved entertaining you all! Ciao, cricket! I love this game! A post shared by Kevin Pietersen (@kp24) on Mar 17, 2018 at 4:25am PDT × Football Champions League quarterfinals: Liverpool to face City, Juventus to take on Real Madrid The official result of the #UCLdraw. Predict the final... ???? pic.twitter.com/YAlLd1tWJK — UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) March 16, 2018 × FA Cup: Pedro keeps Chelsea in the hunt for FA Cup glory Mourinho favourites Lukaku, Matic send Manchester United into FA Cup semi-finals FIFA lifts three-decade ban on Iraq hosting international matches FIFA to give VAR green light at World Cup A representative image which shows a panel of assistant referees reviewing actions. (Twitter) × Neymar Jr pays tribute to Hawking, gets trolled Brazilian striker #Neymar Jr has been trolled for his "insensitive" tribute to late #StephenHawkinghttps://t.co/QZDaJWWWmD — WION (@WIONews) March 15, 2018 × Watch: Throwback to Lionel Messi's first goal in Champions League Lionel Messi completed a century of goals in 123 appearances. (AFP) × Champions League: Messi strikes twice as Barcelona crush Chelsea British Police probe Jamie Carragher spitting incident Champions League: Superb Dzeko goal sends Roma into quarter-finals Champions League: Sevilla create history, boot out Manchester United Arsenal completed a 5-1 aggregate victory on Thursday (March 15) over seven-times European champions AC Milan, winning 3-1 on the night in north London after the Italians had scored first. (Reuters) × Michael Carrick to retire at end of the season Sergio Aguero named in Argentina squad despite injury Tennis Tommy Haas announces retirement from tennis Naomi Osaka ousts Simona Halep to enter finals of Indian Wells Naomi Osaka has set up a title clash with rising star Daria Kasatkina. (AFP) × Del Potro stuns Roger Federer to win Indian Wells title Mohammed Shami Controversy Mohammed Shami marital controversy: Who is Hasin Jahan? Not investigating cricketer Mohammed Shami for match-fixing: CoA #MohammadShami being a well-known cricket personality, is quite popular but very few people know about #HasinJahanhttps://t.co/KF4jtmPXTb — WION (@WIONews) March 14, 2018 × Cricket has no link with my 'marital dispute': Mohammed Shami Others Two South Korean skiers banned for life for sexual abuse Golf: Paul Casey defeats Tiger Woods to win Valspar Championship Paul Casey posing with the trophy. (AFP) × Rahul Dravid duped of Rs 4 crore by ponzi firm, files complaint I will come back stronger: PV Sindhu

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