Verdict: Barcelona win and both teams to score
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Playing out a 0-0 draw in France last month, Barcelona will look to book their spot in the quarterfinals of this year s Champions League when they host Lyon at the Nou Camp on Wednesday night.
Barcelona
Starting with Wednesday s hosts, while some will argue that they have not been at their convincing best this season, Barcelona still remain on course for a triple-winning campaign. Coming from behind to pick to pick up a 3-1 win at home to Rayo Vallecano over the weekend, Ernesto Valverde s side are enjoying a four-match winning run in Spain s top-tier and hold a seven-point buffer at the top of the table. A squad that will undoubtedly be boosted by their back-to-back victories over…
Bayern Munich went top of the Bundesliga with a 6-1 demolition of Holstein Kiel on Saturday, but it means little to Vincent Kompany as they look to reclaim their dominance in the domestic league.
Bayern s stranglehold of the German top-flight was broken last season with Bayer Leverkusen winning the title in a record-breaking undefeated run, and the Bavarians are eager to restore order this season.
Bayern are on a maximum nine points with three wins, two ahead of Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, after Harry Kane scored a hat-trick in their win at Kiel.
They enjoyed an explosive opening to the match, netting three times in the first 13 minutes as Kiel made a nightmare start peppered with defensive errors, en route to a fourth straight win in all competitions this …
Luis Suarez s proposed move to Inter Miami would be a suitable fit, with the striker capable of further growing the profile of MLS if he is reunited with Lionel Messi in Florida.
That is according to Suarez s former Atletico Madrid team-mate Hector Herrera, who says the Uruguayan is a winner and would face no problems in adapting to the league.
Suarez has been strongly linked with a move to Miami, where Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba have all been reunited with former Barcelona boss Gerardo Martino.
Having won LaLiga five times during eight years in Spain with Barca and Atleti, Suarez returned to his boyhood club Nacional in 2022 before heading to Brazil to join Gremio for 2023.
Reports suggest Suarez may join Miami as a free agent after Gremio co…
England manager Gareth Southgate ruled out a move to Chelsea as Maurizio Sarri reportedly nears a return to Serie A with champions Juventus.
The Chelsea job could be up for grabs amid growing reports Sarri is set to sign a three-year deal to replace Massimiliano Allegri at Juve.
Southgate – contracted until 2022 following England s run to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals – emerged as a possible replacement in the scenario that former Napoli boss Sarri leaves the Premier League side.
The 48-year-old, however, is not interested in returning to club football, having last managed Middlesbrough in 2009, as England prepare for Sunday s Nations League Finals third-place play-off against Switzerland.
Working hard until the end
— England (@England) <…
Cristiano Ronaldo believes a 25-year-old version of himself would be worth up to €300million in today s transfer market.
Juventus splashed out €112m including add-ons when they signed the Portugal captain from Real Madrid in 2018.
Only five players – Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Joao Felix, Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho – have commanded larger fees.
Two members of the quintet made their mega-money moves as teenagers and Ronaldo, now 34, has reservations about the increasing prices for youngsters who are yet to prove themselves at the top level.
Today there is a lot of focus on potential and the football industry is different, the superstar forward told Portuguese broadcaster TVI.
I ll put the case of Joao Felix aside. Nowadays any pl…
Luis Enrique praised Ousmane Dembele for making positive strides at Paris Saint-Germain but backed him to become more ruthless in front of goal.
The 27-year-old has scored nine goals and provided 17 assists in 47 matches for PSG since joining from Barcelona for a reported fee of around €50million in August last year.
Following Kylian Mbappe s departure to Real Madrid, Dembele has stepped up, scoring three goals and providing two assists in four Ligue 1 games so far.
With Reims next up, Luis Enrique is confident Dembele will continue to improve as the season continues.
Ousmane is like last season, perhaps a little more effective in terms of finishing, he told reporters.
But he s always been decisive for us, he has that ability to beat opponents…
Atletico Madrid s main focus this term is arguably maintaining their position at LaLiga s summit, but prolonging their Champions League campaign might provide a psychological boost and Luis Suarez will be eager to play the leading role.
The Uruguayan striker s struggles in the Champions League have been well-publicised, but if his move to Atletico from Barcelona has proven anything, it is that he is not one to be written off.
Suarez will hope to be decisive as Atletico go to Chelsea chasing a one-goal deficit, while in Wednesday s other tie, defending champions Bayern Munich are practically already through.
We used Opta numbers to preview the two clashes.
football right here in two days time
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN)
Che…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims Dean Henderson is maturing all the time as the England international takes small steps towards dislodging David de Gea as Manchester United s first-choice goalkeeper.
The Premier League matchday gloves have gone to De Gea on a regular basis for coming up to 10 years at United, often even when the Spaniard s reliability has been called into question.
Henderson had a short run in the side late last year, starting twice in the league after De Gea took a knock that forced him to be substituted at Southampton.
But De Gea quickly returned to favour once fit and has remained Solskjaer s go-to goalkeeper for domestic league games, with Henderson mostly picking up appearances in the FA Cup, EFL Cup and the occasional European match.
A…
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Stefano Pioli have proved critics wrong to earn the right to be at Manchester United and Milan, Massimo Taibi says.
United host the Rossoneri on Thursday in the first leg of the Europa League last 16 in what will be their 11th competitive meeting but the first outside the European Cup or Champions League.
Since they last faced one another in the Champions League last 16 11 years ago, when United won 7-2 on aggregate, each club has fallen far from their previous positions at the top of English and Italian football.
Milan s last Scudetto triumph came in 2011, while United have not won the Premier League since Alex Ferguson s final season in charge in 2012-13.
There have been signs of recovery under Solskjaer and Pioli, however. Un…
Chelsea have announced the signing of forward Nicolas Jackson from Villarreal.
The 22-year-old joins the club on an eight-year deal after scoring 12 goals for the LaLiga side last season.
He began his career at Senegal Premier League side Casa Sports before moving to Villarreal in September 2019.
A successful season with the Spanish side saw him make 38 appearances in all competitions for the club and he was called up to represent Senegal at the World Cup.
Blue suits him, doesn’t it?
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC)
Co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley told the Chelsea website: “We are excited to welcome Nicolas to Chelsea. He is a young player with big potential, as he showcased for Villarreal last season.
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