Bayern Munich are making plans for Lionel Messi, but Hansi Flick is well aware of the threat of the rest of the Barcelona team in their Champions League quarter-final.
Bayern face Barca in Lisbon on Friday in a match the Bundesliga champions are expected to win, having been in dominant form in recent months.
But the Blaugrana have Messi in their ranks, the six-time Ballon d Or winner seemingly determined to get his hands on a fifth European crown, the most recent of those coming in 2015.
Questions at Flick s pre-match news conference focused on the threat of Barca s number 10, yet the head coach was keen to remind reporters there will be more to the match than Messi.
It s not Bayern Munich against Messi, but against Barcelona, he said. Of course we have …
Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba has been provisionally suspended by Italy’s national anti-doping tribunal after returning an adverse sample.
The France international tested positive for testosterone in a random drugs test following Juventus’ Serie A game against Udinese on August 20, when he was an unused substitute.
After the Italian anti-doping body issued a statement on Monday evening confirming Pogba’s suspension, Juventus said the club would now consider “the next procedural steps”.
If found guilty of doping, a suspension of between two and four years could be handed out to Pogba.
“Juventus Football Club announces that today, September 11, 2023, the footballer Paul Labile Pogba received a precautionary suspension order from the National An…
Inter have confirmed Romelu Lukaku will be absent for at least a week with a thigh injury.
The Belgian forward sustained the issue in a training session on Sunday and will be reassessed next week, though his absence means he will miss two crucial games for the Nerazzurri.
Lukaku will be forced to watch on in Tuesday s Serie A clash against Cremonese and will remain absent for the derby against defending champions Milan this weekend.
It is also likely that the Chelsea loanee will not be able to feature when Inter commence their Champions League campaign against Bayern Munich next week.
A statement on Inter s website confirmed Lukaku had suffered an injury to the flexor of his left thigh and said his condition will be re-evaluated next week.
Reports…
Neymar scored one and set up another as Brazil maintained their perfect record in CONMEBOL 2022 World Cup qualifying with a 2-0 victory over Peru in Recife on Thursday.
Playing for the first time since Sunday s qualifier against Argentina was controversially suspended mid-game, Selecao netted twice in a lively first half to set up the win.
Brazil s opener came in the 14th minute when Neymar laid off for Everton Ribeiro, who scored the winner in last week s 1-0 triumph in Chile.
Neymar grabbed the second goal five minutes before the break, the Paris Saint-Germain star tapping home from close range as Brazil made it eight wins from eight games on the road to Qatar 2022.
On a night when Argentina s Lionel Messi overtook Pele as the leading goalscorer in Sout…
Mikel Arteta believes that David Raya s save to deny Ollie Watkins changed the momentum during Arsenal s 2-0 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Gunners maintained their winning start to the Premier League season through second-half strikes from substitute Leandro Trossard and Thomas Partey at Villa Park.
But the encounter could have taken on a different complexion had it not been for a crucial intervention from Arsenal s goalkeeper eight minutes after the interval.
Amadou Onana saw his deflected effort come back off the crossbar and into the path of Watkins, who looked certain to get his tally up and running for the campaign.
However, Raya produced a remarkable instinctive save to deny the Villa striker, who had spurned another golden opportuni…
Market: Over 1.5 goals
Odds: 2/5 @
Two Championship outfits that are seeking some much-needed stability, Swansea will welcome Preston to the Liberty on Friday night.
Starting with the hosts, while Swansea might have snatched a 2-1 victory away at Rotherham earlier in the month, it appears that might have just been a minor boost. Last seen putting in another worrying performance as they slumped to a 2-1 loss at the hands of Middlesbrough, the Welsh outfit have recorded just a single win from any of their previous seven Championship appearances. With that extended rut stemming all the way back to October 28th, some in Swansea’s camp will be starting to look over their shoulder at a looming relegation scrap. Signing off November with a 3-1 defeat against promotio…
Gavi has lost his first-team status and shirt number at Barcelona after his registration was blocked by LaLiga.
The Spain international was registered as a first-team player by Barca in January, and it was announced he would wear the number six shirt.
Yet LaLiga sought to overturn a court decision that ruled in Barcelona s favour, with the league getting its way earlier in March, entitling it to reverse Gavi s registration.
Barcelona have been told they cannot register the 18-year-old s contract as they do not have room in their wage bill.
Gavi has subsequently been placed back on his youth contract, meaning he could leave Barca as a free agent at the end of the season.
A move away from Camp Nou for the teenager is unlikely. However, as it stands,…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads to MLS with LA Galaxy as one of the most decorated players in the history of European football.
Never shy about highlighting his own achievements, Ibrahimovic has conquered leagues including the Eredivisie, Serie A, LaLiga and Ligue 1 during a memorable career.
Ibrahimovic may have been unable to end his time in England on a high with another league title at Manchester United, but helping the Premier League giants to the EFL Cup and Europa League double was a fitting end to his European career.
The 36-year-old now gets a fresh start in the United States but exactly how much has he won during his playing career so far?
AJAX 2001-2004
Ibrahimovic started his career in his homeland with Swedish side Malmo, but ther…
Pep Guardiola is delighted by the strength of Manchester City s title defence and said a win over Chelsea on Sunday will ensure his side challenge Liverpool all the way for the Premier League trophy.
City entertain Maurizio Sarri s side knowing victory will bring them level on points with Liverpool at the top of the Premier League, although the Reds will have played one game fewer than the champions.
Chelsea are fifth in the table – the position they finished in last season, just a year after winning the title under Antonio Conte in 2016-17.
Guardiola expressed his pride at having seen his side avoid the fate that befell Chelsea and others, with Manchester United the last team to successfully defend the title in 2008-09.
I know in the last five or s…
Luton boss Rob Edwards said South Yorkshire Police are investigating an alleged racist comment towards Carlton Morris in his side’s Boxing Day win at Sheffield United.
The striker complained of a comment made from the home crowd late in the second half, which left him “pretty angry”, and the police have spoken to him.
It soured what was a great day for Morris as he came off the bench to create two own goals in four minutes which earned the Hatters a vital 3-2 victory in the crunch basement Premier League battle at Bramall Lane.
Edwards said: “There was an alleged racist comment, the police are dealing with that, they have spoken to Carlton and got his take on it, so it is with them now; I have no more comment on it.
“He is alright – he was, at…