Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres struck to earn Barcelona a 2-0 win at Las Palmas on Saturday which to...

Dani Olmo and Ferran Torres struck to earn Barcelona a 2-0 win at Las Palmas on Saturday which took them back top of La Liga.After Atletico Madrid beat Valencia to temporarily take pole position, the Catalans replaced them with a narrow victory on the road and sit one point ahead of the Rojiblancos.Substitute Olmo produced a fine finish before Torres drilled home to settle the game and earn Barca revenge for a shock home defeat by Las Palmas earlier in the season.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Champions Real Madrid, third, can pull level on points with Barcelona if they beat Girona at home on Saturday.Barca were inaccurate in attack in a tight first half, unable to find the quality they needed to unpick the hosts' defence.Flick took action at the break and brought on playmaker Dani Olmo in place of the quiet Fermin Lopez.The Spain international's first contribution was a sloppy pass that flew out of play but he quickly found his focus.Lamine Yamal skipped forward and slipped the ball to Olmo, who showed good footwork to find space in the box and finish.Las Palmas pushed forward in search of an equaliser and former Barca striker Sandro Ramirez lashed an effort narrowly wide of Wojciech Szczesny's post.At the other end Yamal burst into life, increasingly threatening, and crossed for the league's top scorer Robert Lewandowski, who directed his header straight at Jasper Cillessen.Lewandowski fired over after good work by Alejandro Balde as the Polish veteran began to enjoy the extra space left at the back by the hosts.Las Palmas appealed for a penalty when a shot struck the back of Eric Garcia's arm in the box but VAR showed there was an offside in the build-up.Eight minutes of stoppage time were added on which gave Las Palmas heart but instead it was Barcelona who struck.A loose pass at the back was picked up by Raphinha, who fed Torres to rifle past Cillessen and seal Barcelona's win.Defeat leaves Las Palmas 17th, level on points with Valencia, 18th, in the relegation zone.

LAS PALMAS, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22: Dani Olmo of FC Barcelona celebrates with his team mates Jules Kounde and Lamine Yamal after scoring his team's first goal during the LaLiga match between UD Las Palmas and FC Barcelona at Estadio Gran Canaria on February 22, 2025 in Las Palmas, Spain.

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Barcelona claim narrow win at Las Palmas to reclaim La Liga lead

Lautaro Martinez shot Inter Milan top of Serie A with the decisive goal in Saturday's 1-0 win ove...

Lautaro Martinez shot Inter Milan top of Serie A with the decisive goal in Saturday's 1-0 win over Genoa which piled pressure on title rivals Napoli ahead of next weekend's showdown in Naples.Argentina striker Martinez's deflected header from a corner in the 78th minute was enough for champions Inter to get past revitalised Genoa and move a point above Napoli, who are at Como in Sunday's early kick-off.Whatever happens lakeside the stage has been set for a huge clash as Inter and Napoli do battle for the Scudetto, with Atalanta lurking six points back in third ahead of their match at Empoli.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Martinez's 10th league goal of the season decided a tight contest at the San Siro against Genoa, who will feel hard done by after a stubborn performance.Genoa have been revitalised since Patrick Vieira took charge in November, sitting nine points above the relegation zone in 13th, and looked good for a point before Martinez's scrappy winner.Before then the closest Inter had come to scoring was in the 70th minute when Nicolo Barella crashed a shot from outside the area off the bar.And moments later Inter needed reserve goalkeeper Josep Martinez, in the injured Yann Sommer, to pull off a superb save to deny Caleb Ekuban from nodding home a shock opener from point-blank range at a corner.

MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: Lautaro Martinez of FC Internazionale celebrates after scoring the goal during the Serie A match between FC Internazionale and Genoa at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on February 22, 2025 in Milan, Italy.

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Inter back in top spot after Martinez decides tight tussle with Genoa

Monaco ended a bad week on a low with a 2-1 loss to Lille in Ligue 1 on Saturday.  Hakon Haraldss...

Monaco ended a bad week on a low with a 2-1 loss to Lille in Ligue 1 on Saturday.Hakon Haraldsson's first half double earned Lille the points that lifted them above Monaco and Nice and into provisional third place and automatic qualification to next season's Champions League.Adi Hutter's Monaco, who had started the season in such encouraging style, slipped to fifth days after being knocked out of the Champions League by Benfica.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Nice have the chance to overtake Lille when they host Montpellier on Sunday.At Lille, Haraldsson opened the scoring on 22 minutes with a left-footed angled shot, the Icelandic winger adding a second three minutes from the break, with Takumi Minamino reducing the deficit in first half stoppage time.Lille held on to put a spring in their step ahead of next week's trip to the Parc des Princes to face PSG, and then their Champions League last 16 clash with Borussia Dortmund.At the start of the season Monaco were unbeaten and level with PSG after the first eight games.Inconsistency then struck the Principality side with Saturday's loss their seventh from their last 15 league outings.Later Saturday, Saint-Etienne host Angers and second-placed Marseille, 10 points behind runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain, are at Auxerre.

Lille's Icelandic midfielder #07 Hakon Haraldsson (R) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the French L1 football match between Lille LOSC and AS Monaco at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, northern France, on February 22, 2025.

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Monaco's woes deepened after Lille loss

Julian Alvarez bagged a brace to take Atletico Madrid temporarily top of La Liga with a 3-0 win a...

Julian Alvarez bagged a brace to take Atletico Madrid temporarily top of La Liga with a 3-0 win at Valencia on Saturday.The Argentina international reached nine league goals for the season with his first half double before Angel Correa steered home the third late on.The victory at Mestalla took the Rojiblancos two points clear of Barcelona and Real Madrid.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Catalans reclaimed first place with a 2-0 win at Las Palmas later Saturday. Champions Real Madrid host Girona on Sunday."I'm very happy, it was important to win here to stay in the title fight," Alvarez told Movistar."It wasn't an easy game, we knew it, they'd been doing well at home, so we had to go for it and getting three points is very good."We're still in the fight, right now we're leaders but there are still a lot of games to go and we have to go slowly, with humility and hard work like always."Valencia had won three in a row at home but defeat leaves them 18th, embedded in a fierce relegation battle."After a first half in which they were better, we reacted in the second, we had a lot of chances to cut the gap but in the end we lost the ball and they got the third," said Valencia captain Jose Gaya."In the second half the team competed and played a lot better... we have to adjust things and keep improving."Atletico started strongly and former Manchester City striker Alvarez opened the scoring in the 12th minute.Samuel Lino hit the bar after receiving Antoine Griezmann's delicious cross, and Alvarez was on hand to fire home after the resulting scramble in the box.Griezmann directly created Alvarez's second goal with another fine cross which the forward nodded home.Umar Sadiq headed Valencia's only chance of the first half off-target as Carlos Corberan's side struggled to get going.Alvarez should have completed his hat-trick before the break but fired narrowly wide after breaking through one-on-one.Valencia came out far stronger in the second half and began to test Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak, although the visitors had enough resolve to keep Los Che at bay.Atletico extended their lead in the final stages when substitutes Conor Gallagher and Correa combined on the counter, with the latter stroking home.Villarreal, fifth, kept the pressure on the top four with a hard-fought 1-0 win at Rayo Vallecano.Ayoze Perez's 66th minute goal separated the two sides, with sixth-place Rayo playing the second half with 10 men after Jorge de Frutos was sent off before the break.

VALENCIA, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 22: Julian Alvarez of Atletico Madrid celebrates the second goal 0-2 during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Valencia v Atletico Madrid at the Estadio de Mestalla on February 22, 2025 in Valencia Spain

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Alvarez double helps Atletico keep pace in 3-team title race

Marco Asensio's first goals for Aston Villa clinched a dramatic 2-1 win against spluttering Chels...

Marco Asensio's first goals for Aston Villa clinched a dramatic 2-1 win against spluttering Chelsea after a costly blunder from Blues goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen on Saturday.Enzo Fernandez's quick-fire opener put Chelsea ahead at Villa Park in a battle between top four hopefuls chasing qualification for next season's Champions League.But Asensio, who signed on loan from Paris Saint-Germain earlier in February, netted after the interval when his goal was initially disallowed for offside before being given by VAR.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The former Real Madrid forward followed his equaliser with Villa's last-gasp winner as his shot squirmed past Jorgensen's woeful attempted save.It was the latest goalkeeping calamity for Chelsea this season after Jorgensen replaced the even more error-prone Robert Sanchez.Chelsea have been beaten four times in their last five games in all competitions, leaving them one point adrift of the top four in sixth place.Bemoaning Jorgensen's error, coach Enzo Maresca said: "The keeper position is very difficult. When you make a mistake is clear for everyone. "Today Filip did a mistake but in this moment he is our keeper and we need to stick together."It was a tough one because we did not deserve to lose. Even after the 1-1 we had chances to score."We had some great chances and in this league you have to be clinical otherwise until the end anything can happen."Seventh-placed Villa, who held leaders Liverpool to a hard-fought 2-2 draw in midweek, are one point behind Chelsea thanks to a result that rekindled their own top four ambitions.<h3>Fresh blow</h3>On the impact of transfer window signings Asensio and Marcus Rashford, Villa boss Unai Emery said: "This was the objective when we signed those players, trying to improve our squad with the quality and skill they have."Asensio can get the tempo we need. He can get assists and also score goals as he did today. I need that. Marcus played a fantastic 45 minutes. We now want him to be consistent."In last week's 3-0 loss at Brighton, Chelsea failed to muster a single shot on target for the first time in a league match since 2021.Maresca was so frustrated that he branded it the "worst performance" of his first season in charge.But the Italian remained confident this week that Chelsea could still challenge to qualify for next season's Champions League.This was a fresh blow to Maresca's belief as Chelsea capitulated in dismal fashion.Fernandez put the Blues ahead in the ninth minute with a tap-in after Pedro Neto's incisive run and low cross prised open Villa's defence.The Argentine midfielder almost doubled the lead with a curling effort that flashed just over, while Cole Palmer's shot deflected into the side-netting off Villa defender Tyrone Mings.But Chelsea had won just one of their last five league matches in which they scored the first goal and once again they blew the lead.Rashford, sent on at half-time, stretched to turn Matty Cash's cross into the six-yard box, where Asensio poked home as Chelsea appealed for offside.Initially the 57th minute goal was disallowed, but a VAR review showed Fernandez was playing Rashford onside, allowing Asensio to celebrate.Palmer fluffed his lines when he sprinted clean through but took too long to shot as his goal-bound effort was cleared by Ezri Konsa.It was a significant moment as Villa were gifted the points in the 89th minute.Rashford picked out Asensio and his shot slipped through Jorgensen's grasp as it trickled over the line.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Marco Asensio of Aston Villa celebrates scoring his team's second goal with teammates during the Premier League match between Aston Villa FC and Chelsea FC at Villa Park on February 22, 2025 in Birmingham, England.

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Asensio double, Jorgensen howler lift Villa to comeback win over Chelsea

AC Milan's troubles continued on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat at Torino in which the seven-time Eur...

AC Milan's troubles continued on Saturday with a 2-1 defeat at Torino in which the seven-time European champions conceded a bizarre own goal and had a penalty saved.Sergio Conceicao's Milan sit seventh in Italy's top flight, six points from Lazio and the Champions League positions after Gvidas Gineitis hit them with a sucker punch with 14 minutes remaining.Milan thought they had set up a grandstand finish just two minutes before when Tijjani Reijnders classily struck his 12th goal of the season in all competitions and cancelled out the unfortunate Malick Thiaw's early own goal.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Thiaw was left dumbfounded in the fifth minute when his goalkeeper Mike Maignan came charging out to clear the ball only to thump it against the Germany defender's back, from where it ricocheted back into his own net.Milan's night went from bad to worse in the 33rd minute when Christian Pulisic failed to score from the penalty spot for the first time in his career, after the away side were gifted a chance to level by Marcus Pedersen's handball.Vanja Milinkovic-Savic's lightning reactions saw him save his fourth spot-kick of the season, and it took a sensational strike from Reijnders to beat the Serbia goalkeeper who was brilliant all match.But just as Milan were set to push for the win, Antonio Sanabria caught the Milan defence napping by quickly taking a free-kick and feeding Gineitis for his second goal of the campaign.The almost comical nature of Milan's loss comes after they were dumped out of the Champions League by Feyenoord on Tuesday, largely due to Theo Hernandez being sent off for two daft bookings.Milan can however stay in touch with the top four if they win Thursday's game in hand at Bologna, who were beaten 2-0 at Cristian Chivu's Parma earlier on Saturday.

TURIN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: Santiago Gimenez of AC Milan controls the ball whilst under pressure from Cristiano Biraghi of Torino during the Serie A match between Torino and AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico di Torino on February 22, 2025 in Turin, Italy.

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Bizarre own goal, penalty miss sting Milan in loss to Torino

Bayer Leverkusen tightened their grip on second in the Bundesliga as they cruised to a 2-0 victor...

Bayer Leverkusen tightened their grip on second in the Bundesliga as they cruised to a 2-0 victory at struggling Kiel on Saturday.The victory allowed the German champions to cut Bayern Munich's advantage to five points before the leaders host third-place Frankfurt on Sunday.Bayern had ground out a 0-0 draw at Leverkusen in the previous round and the teams have been drawn to meet in the Champions League round of 16, with the first leg on March 5.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Leverkusen dominated at last-place Kiel. The visitors took the lead after 10 minutes. Home goalie Timon Weiner pushed a cross from Amine Adli to Patrik Schick, who tapped home.Adli added a second on the stroke of half time, collecting a pass from Florian Wirtz and chipping Weiner.Mainz moved up to fifth with a 2-0 home victory over St Pauli.Lee Jae-sung poked home a rebound to give the hosts a 67th minute lead. Paul Nebel hit the second on a breakaway deep into added time.In Moenchenglabach, home goalie Jonas Omlin was sent off after 28 minutes for bringing down Phillip Tietz who was running in unchallenged at goal. French striker Alexis Claude-Maurice made Borussia pay with a 15-minute second-half hat-trick as Augsburg won 3-0. Bochum crept out of the bottom two with a 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg, where both goals came from headers after corners. Erhan Masovic gave the visitors a 50th minute lead. Mattias Svanberg forced home an 81st minute leveller.

KIEL, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 22: Emi Buendia of Bayer 04 Leverkusencelebrates scoring his team's first goal with teammates during the Bundesliga match between Holstein Kiel and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Holstein-Stadion on February 22, 2025 in Kiel, Germany.

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Leverkusen ease to victory at Kiel to trim Bayern's lead

Arsenal's Premier League title challenge suffered a massive blow as the 10-man Gunners were beate...

Arsenal's Premier League title challenge suffered a massive blow as the 10-man Gunners were beaten 1-0 at home by lowly West Ham on Saturday.Jarrod Bowen headed in the only goal just before half-time and an injury-hit Arsenal had no reply after Myles Lewis-Skelly was sent off on 73 minutes.Defeat leaves second-placed Arsenal still eight points adrift of leaders Liverpool.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>The Reds can extend that advantage to 11 when they visit a diminished Manchester City on Sunday.Any pressure that had built up on Liverpool after drawing two of their last three Premier League games was eased as Arsenal failed to cope with an injury crisis that has depleted Mikel Arteta's attacking options."We are missing players, but we have to focus on the players that are available and we have more than enough quality to do more than what we did today," said Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard."It wasn't good enough in front of the goal."Midfielder Mikel Merino stepped up in the absence of Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka with a late double to beat Leicester 2-0 last weekend.However, the Hammers easily snuffed out the Spaniard and secured just a second win since Graham Potter took charge seven games ago.Bowen applied the finishing touch for the winner, but the goal owed more to a driving run and pinpoint cross from Aaron Wan-Bissaka which caught the Arsenal defence off guard on 44 minutes."Everyone wrote us off but we never wrote ourselves off because we know we can win any football game," said Bowen after scoring his 50th Premier League goal.The home side then left themselves a mountain to climb with a fifth Premier League red card of the season.Lewis-Skelly has received two of them. The teenager was also sent-off in last month's 1-0 win at Wolves.That decision was overturned on appeal, but the left-back could have few complaints this time despite referee Craig Pawson initially only brandishing a yellow card after Lewis-Skelly hauled down Mohammed Kudus.After a VAR review, Pawson upgraded the yellow to a red for denying of a clear goalscoring opportunity.West Ham should have added to their lead late on when Kudus and Evan Ferguson failed to beat David Raya.It did not matter as Arsenal's toothless attack could not break the visitors down in what may prove the death knell for their chances of a first league title since 2004.

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Martin Odegaard of Arsenal looks dejected after the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and West Ham United FC at Emirates Stadium on February 22, 2025 in London, England.

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Arsenal's title hopes in tatters after loss to lowly West Ham

Parma moved out of the Serie A relegation zone on Saturday after beating Bologna 2-0 on Cristian ...

Parma moved out of the Serie A relegation zone on Saturday after beating Bologna 2-0 on Cristian Chivu's senior managerial debut and ending a seven-match winless run.A first-half penalty from Ange-Yoan Bonny and Simon Sohm's super finish 11 minutes from the end moved Parma up to 17th in Italy's top flight, two points above Empoli who dropped into the bottom three and host Atalanta on Sunday.Former Romania defender Chivu agreed a contract with Parma until the end of next season after Fabio Pecchia was sacked on Monday.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Chivu, who as a player won three Serie A titles and the 2010 Champions League with Inter Milan, had been out of work since leaving Inter's youth set-up last summer.Later on Sunday reigning champions Inter will have the chance to move top of the league when they host revitalised Genoa at the San Siro.Lazio moved into the Champions League positions, one point ahead of Juventus, following a disappointing goalless draw at Venezia.

PARMA, ITALY - FEBRUARY 22: Ange-Yoan Bonny of Parma Calcio celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Serie A match between Parma and Bologna at Stadio Ennio Tardini on February 22, 2025 in Parma, Italy.

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Chivu pulls Parma out of Serie A drop zone on managerial bow

Bruno Fernandes inspired a Manchester United rally from two goals down to avoid another damaging ...

Bruno Fernandes inspired a Manchester United rally from two goals down to avoid another damaging defeat for Ruben Amorim in a 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday.United were headed for a ninth defeat in their last 13 league games as goals from Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure put the Toffees 2-0 up inside 33 minutes.The visitors had not mustered a shot on target until Fernandes' free-kick pulled a goal back 18 minutes from time before Manuel Ugarte's equaliser salvaged a point for United.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>More late drama was to come as Everton were awarded a penalty deep into stoppage time, only for referee Andy Madley to overturn his decision after a VAR review.A point edges Everton up to 12th, while United remain in 15th.Everton were in a battle for survival when David Moyes returned for his second spell in charge last month, but they have taken 14 points from a possible 18 in their last six games to ensure their 71-year stay in the top flight will not come to an end.Amorim conceded before the game that Moyes, who himself was sacked after less than a season in charge of United in 2014, was doing a better job than he has managed since arriving from Sporting Lisbon in November.When the sides last met in Amorim's first home league game, United cruised to a 4-0 win at Old Trafford, but he has managed just three victories in 13 Premier League games since.Everton have just five more matches to come at Goodison Park before they move to a new 53,000-capacity stadium next season.The home fans and team are determined to make the most of what is left at the club's home since 1892 and put a United side lacking in confidence under pressure from the off.<h3>Shambolic defending</h3>But when Everton did take the lead on 19 minutes it was thanks to comedic United defending.The Red Devils had multiple chances to deal with a corner into the box before the ball eventually broke for Beto to fire into the ground and over Andre Onana.The striker has been transformed since Moyes' return, scoring five times in his last four Premier League appearances after netting just four times in his first 44 for the club.Beto also had a big part to play in the second as his run in behind opened up the United defence before he fed Jack Harrison with a low cross.Onana could only parry Harrison's shot into the air and Doucoure outmuscled Harry Maguire to head in the loose ball.Doucoure was denied a second by a fine save from Onana as Everton looked to build on their lead early in the second half.But, not for the first time, Fernandes was United's one source of inspiration.The Portugal international's free-kick wrong-footed Jordan Pickford to kickstart the fightback.Another Fernandes free-kick was the source of the equaliser as this time Ugarte pounced on Beto's headed clearance to fire in his first goal for the club.Both sides had chances to win it in a thrilling finale.Beto planted a header from close range too close to Onana, while Pickford tipped over Fernandes' dipping effort from the edge of the box.United, though, were fortunate to escape in added time when Ashley Young looked to have been pulled down by a combination of Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt.The referee pointed to the spot but was instructed to take a second look and overturned his decision to save Amorim from further embarrassment.

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 22: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates after scoring a goal to make it 2-1 during the Premier League match between Everton FC and Manchester United FC at Goodison Park on February 22, 2025 in Liverpool, England.

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Fernandes inspires Man Utd comeback in draw with Everton

Marcus Edwards scored on his first Burnley start as the Championship promotion chasers crushed Sh...

Marcus Edwards scored on his first Burnley start as the Championship promotion chasers crushed Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 on Friday.Scott Parker's side shattered Wednesday's resistance when on-loan Sporting Lisbon winger Edwards struck just before half-time at Turf Moor.Burnley took advantage of that crucial breakthrough with second-half goals from Josh Brownhill, Connor Roberts and Manuel Benson.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>With leaders Leeds hosting second-placed Sheffield United on Monday, the third-placed Clarets moved within two points of the automatic promotion places.Wednesday, hoping to push for a play-off place, missed several chances to stop Burnley extending their impressive run of 12 games and over 1,000 minutes without conceding in the second tier.Burnley, unbeaten in 21 league games, have matched the Championship record of 25 clean-sheets in a season, set by QPR in the 2010-11 campaign.In Friday's other game, George Earthy netted a 10-minute brace as Bristol City came from behind to move into the play-off places with a 2-1 win against Middlesbrough at Ashton Gate.West Ham loanee Earthy, a 63rd-minute replacement for Anis Mehmeti, fired in from Cam Pring's 72nd minute cross and then tapped home the rebound after Scott Twine's 82nd-minute free-kick came back off the crossbar.Middlesbrough had taken the lead when Tommy Conway scored against his old club after 37 minutes, heading home after Max O'Leary had parried Kelechi Iheanacho's shot into his path.

BURNLEY, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Marcus Edwards of Burnley celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Burnley FC and Sheffield Wednesday FC at Turf Moor on February 21, 2025 in Burnley, England.

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Burnley crush Sheffield Wednesday to bolster promotion push

Leicester's bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League hit a historic low as Brentford cruis...

Leicester's bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League hit a historic low as Brentford cruised to a 4-0 win at the King Power Stadium on Friday.Ruud van Nistelrooy's side would have moved out of the relegation zone with a victory, but instead they remain two points from safety.Yoane Wissa, Bryan Mbeumo and Christian Norgaard all scored for Brentford in a wretched first half for second-bottom Leicester.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Fabio Carvalho netted in the closing stages and the Foxes were booed off after a 10th defeat in their last 11 league games that added to the pressure on the under-fire Van Nistelrooy.Underlining the depth of their struggles, Leicester made unwanted history as the first ever team in the English top-flight to lose six successive home games without scoring in any of them."You have to acknowledge it's a huge step back. There was hope after recent performances, the beginning of the game was hopeful with three chances," Van Nistelrooy said."After the bright start we were never in the game again and at half-time the game was done. Everyone is going home gutted with the loss and disappointed with the levels we showed."With just 12 games left to avoid relegation, Leicester are in severe danger of an immediate return to the Championship.Enzo Maresca quit to take charge of Chelsea after masterminding Leicester's promotion last season and the club's Thai owners have failed to find an adequate replacement for the Italian.Steve Cooper was sacked after just five months in charge and former Manchester United striker Van Nistelrooy has fared no better.Leicester have won just four of their 26 league games this season, with Van Nistelrooy contributing only two of those victories in 15 matches.<h3>In disarray</h3>"We know we gave the other teams above us and below us a chance to gain points and momentum," Van Nistelrooy said. "Then it can become really difficult really quickly if we don't start picking up points."Van Nistelrooy was waiting to officially take charge of Leicester when they were thrashed at Brentford while he watched from the stands in November.If he could be forgiven for the result on that occasion, there were no excuses for the Dutchman this time.Wissa's 13th goal this season put 10th-placed Brentford ahead at the climax of an eye-catching raid in the 17th minute.Kevin Schade's back-heel reached Mikkel Damsgaard on the edge of the area and he clipped a perfect pass towards Wissa, whose close-range strike bounced awkwardly past wrong-footed Leicester keeper Mads Hermansen.Brentford's quality on the counter was too much for Van Nistelrooy's men to handle.In the 27th minute, Mbeumo took Damsgaard's pass on the right flank, cut into the area and curled a superb shot into the far corner for his 15th goal this term.Leicester were in disarray and Norgaard effectively ended the contest after just 32 minutes.Mbeumo whipped a free-kick into the six-yard box and Leicester were too slow to respond as Norgaard rose to thump his header past Hermansen.That was the signal for hundreds of disgruntled Leicester fans to head for the exits.Those that stayed saw Kristoffer Ajer's effort cannon off the post as Brentford pushed for a fourth.Thomas Frank's side rubbed salt into Leicester's gaping wounds in the 89th minute when Carvalho slotted home from Mbeumo's pass.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Jamie Vardy of Leicester City applauds the fans at full-time following the team's defeat in the Premier League match between Leicester City FC and Brentford FC at The King Power Stadium on February 21, 2025 in Leicester, England.

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Leicester hit historic low in Brentford rout

Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca was substituted by his angry coach Kosta Runjaic after causing a ro...

Udinese striker Lorenzo Lucca was substituted by his angry coach Kosta Runjaic after causing a row with his teammates over the penalty he took and scored in Friday's 1-0 win at Lecce.Italy international Lucca scored his 10th league goal of the season for mid-table Udinese in the 32nd minute, but disobeyed team orders by snatching the ball and stopping designated taker Florian Thauvin from having a go from the spot.Lucca had to fight off his teammates in order to take the penalty, angering Runjaic even though it ended up winning his team the match.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Moments later German coach Runjaic replaced Lucca, whose goal gave Udinese their third win in four games, with Iker Bravo.

LECCE, ITALY - FEBRUARY 21: Lorenzo Lucca of Udinese, Oumar Solet of Udinese, Hassane Kamara of Udinese and Florian Thauvin of Udinese reacts during the Serie A match between Lecce and Udinese at Stadio Via del Mare on February 21, 2025 in Lecce, Italy.

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Udinese's Lucca subbed for fighting teammates to take winning penalty

The former head of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, who was found guilty of kissin...

The former head of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, who was found guilty of kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent, has failed in his appeal against his suspension from football, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.Rubiales was banned from all football-related activity for three years in the wake of the kiss on Hermoso as she went up to collect her Women's World Cup winner's medal in Sydney in 2023.On Thursday, a court in Madrid found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault over the kiss and fined him 10,800 euros ($11,300), but cleared him of coercion for having allegedly pressured Hermoso to downplay the incident.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>CAS said in a statement that it was dismissing the appeal because Rubiales' behaviour "constituted multiple and serious violations of the FIFA Disciplinary Code... and (it) saw no reason to consider the sanction to be disproportionate".Rubiales will therefore remain banned from football until October 2026.He announced following Thursday's verdict in the trial that he is appealing. Hermoso is also lodging an appeal.

Former president of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales leaves the court of San Fernando de Henares, east of Madrid, on February 14, 2025, on the last day of his trial for sexual assault. The trial of former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales for the kiss he imposed on player Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 World Cup final concluded today and is now awaiting a verdict, which could arrive in the coming weeks.

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Court of Arbitration for Sport rejects Rubiales' appeal against ban

Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer has a broken right thumb, the club announced on Thursday, with...

Inter Milan goalkeeper Yann Sommer has a broken right thumb, the club announced on Thursday, without saying how long the player would be out or when he suffered the injury."Yann Sommer underwent medical tests this morning at the Istituto Humanitas di Rozzano which revealed a fracture to his right thumb," the reigning Serie A champions said on their website. "The necessary therapy will be decided in the coming days."Inter are second in the table two points behind Napoli.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Italian media reported that the 36-year-old Swiss goalkeeper would be unavailable for Saturday's match against Genoa and could miss the top-of-the-table clash with leaders Napoli on March 2.Inter's backup keeper is Spaniard Josep Martinez, who arrived last summer from Genoa and has played one match, keeping a clean sheet as Inter beat Udinese 2-0 in the Italian Cup in December.

TURIN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 16: Yann Sommer of FC Internazionale reacts during the Serie A match between Juventus and FC Internazionale at on February 16, 2025 in Turin, Italy.

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Inter 'keeper Sommer out indefinitely with broken thumb

Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven battled into the last 16 of the Champions League Wednesday, after a...

Dutch champions PSV Eindhoven battled into the last 16 of the Champions League Wednesday, after a pulsating 3-1 extra-time win over Juventus gave them a 4-3 aggregate play-off victory.Centre-back Ryan Flamingo seized on some poor Juventus defending to poke the ball home in the first period of extra time, sending PSV through to face either Arsenal or Inter Milan."Everyone gave it their all today," said PSV captain and talismanic striker Luuk de Jong.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"We had our backs up against the wall but we kept pushing and we deserved to make it 3-1. So that was great, just fantastic," added the 34-year-old.Roared on by a boisterous crowd at the Philips Stadion, the hosts started the brighter, pressing the Juventus defence, dominating possession, and winning 50-50 balls.But the first half ended goalless, PSV unable to turn possession into opportunity and Juventus happy to sit on their 2-1 lead from the first leg in Turin.Needing a goal to stay in the tie, the home side attacked the second half with more urgency, and with 53 minutes on the clock, PSV were back in the tie with a magnificent goal.Winger Noa Lang beat two Juventus defenders and delivered a pinpoint pass to veteran Croatian attacker Ivan Perisic, who controlled the ball brilliantly and drilled an unstoppable shot into the corner."That's the type of player I am. I like it when there are a lot of guys in front of me, when I'm double-covered a bit," said man-of-the-match Lang."I like that better than one-on-one. That may sound strange, but I like the bigger challenge."<h3>'Unforgettable evening'</h3>PSV were well on top, Lang curling a shot just past the post and De Jong seeing his header cleared off the line.But against the run of play, the Serie A side took back the aggregate lead via a fantastic strike from Timothy Weah, who blazed a low shot past Walter Benitez from outside the penalty area.PSV continued to press hard and the pressure eventually told as Moroccan midfielder Ismael Saibari seized on a goalmouth scramble to smash the ball into the top corner.With the score at 3-3 on aggregate, the Dutch champions had several agonising chances to wrap the match up in the last five minutes, Lang in particular denied by an outstretched foot from goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio.Saibari fluffed a chance to take the lead in the second minute of extra time, scuffing his shot at Di Gregorio when clean through on goal.But then the hosts took the lead, as Flamingo pounced on some goalmouth confusion in the Juventus defence to poke the ball home from point-blank range."You just have to be there. I used to be a striker, so I have a nose for it," joked Flamingo, who now has three Champions League goals to his name. The onus was now on Juventus to attack and Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic was unlucky to see his effort rebound off the post.The PSV faithful endured a nailbiting second period of extra time, but saw their defence hold firm to cap a memorable night in Eindhoven.The defeat sealed a miserable play-off phase for Italian clubs after AC Milan were sent packing by Feyenoord and Atalanta lost to Club Brugge."It was a really great atmosphere today. Every moment was great. It was an unforgettable evening," said match-winner Flamingo.

EINDHOVEN, NETHERLANDS - FEBRUARY 19: Ryan Flamingo of PSV celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between PSV and Juventus at PSV Stadion on February 19, 2025 in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

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PSV beat Juventus in extra time to reach UCL last 16

Paris Saint-Germain can look forward to a showdown with either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last...

Paris Saint-Germain can look forward to a showdown with either Liverpool or Barcelona in the last 16 of the Champions League after mercilessly crushing French rivals Brest 7-0 on Wednesday to win their play-off round tie 10-0 on aggregate.PSG were always overwhelming favourites to beat Brest and effectively killed off the tie with a 3-0 win in Brittany in the first leg last week.There were seven different goal-scorers in the return at the Parc des Princes, with Bradley Barcola, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, Desire Doue, Nuno Mendes, Goncalo Ramos and Senny Mayulu netting for the home side.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It is PSG's record winning margin in a European game and the first time they have scored seven in the Champions League since they trounced Celtic 7-1 in November 2017."To score seven goals against Brest is not easy," recent signing Kvaratskhelia told broadcaster Canal Plus.PSG scored just three goals in their first five Champions League matches this season, but have found the net 21 times in five outings since then.Their dominant display here came despite Ousmane Dembele failing to add to the 18 goals he had netted in his previous 12 appearances for Luis Enrique's side.Kvaratskhelia fired a warning to PSG's future opponents, insisting the French champions believe they can now go all the way in the Champions League."I think we are showing that winning everything is possible," he said. "We come into every game to win and of course that is our goal and our dream. We will put everything into that."It was an agonising way for Brest to end their first-ever European campaign, after they made it to the knockout stages following a historic third-place finish in Ligue 1 last season.<h3>'Shameful'</h3>Being drawn against PSG was an anti-climax for Brest. They have not beaten the Parisians in 40 years and have now lost 19 of the last 20 meetings of the clubs."It's tough. We knew it was mission impossible but we wanted to show character and honour, and go out with our heads held high, but we were very disappointing," Brest midfielder Pierre Lees-Melou told Canal Plus."It is pretty shameful to go out this way. To lose 7-0 is too much. Yes Paris are a great team and I hope they go all the way, but to lose 7-0 is unacceptable."Brest did almost take the lead early on as a Mathias Pereira Lage shot was blocked in front of the line by Marquinhos, before PSG struck in the 20th minute.Barcola, on the left, controlled a Fabian Ruiz ball over the top before beating goalkeeper Gregoire Coudert at the near post for his 16th goal of the season.Kvaratskhelia made it 2-0 six minutes before the break, turning in his second goal for his new club after Barcola had flicked on a low Joao Neves cross.Neves smashed a shot against the crossbar in first-half stoppage time and Lees-Melou then hit the post for Brest early in the second half.However, a lovely strike from the edge of the area by Vitinha made it 3-0 just before the hour mark, and Ramos then produced a delightful piece of skill to tee up fellow substitute Doue for the fourth.Achraf Hakimi set up Mendes to tap in the fifth midway through the second half and Ramos made it six from close range on 76 minutes with his ninth goal of the campaign.Abdallah Sima had a goal for Brest disallowed for offside before Kvaratskhelia teed up 18-year-old Mayulu to round out the scoring on 86 minutes.PSG will find out the identity of their next opponents when the draw for the remainder of the competition is made on Friday.

PARIS, FRANCE - FEBRUARY 19: Senny Mayulu of Paris Saint-Germain celebrates scoring his team's seventh goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Paris Saint-Germain and Stade Brestois 29 at Parc des Princes on February 19, 2025 in Paris, France.

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PSG win 10-0 on aggregate to set up UCL clash with Liverpool or Barca

Real Madrid swept Manchester City aside to qualify for the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday ...

Real Madrid swept Manchester City aside to qualify for the Champions League last 16 on WednesdayKylian Mbappe struck twice in the first half before completing his hat-trick on the hour at the Santiago Bernabeu as the European champions won the return leg of the playoff tie 3-1 to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory."I said it (before), I didn't come to Real Madrid to play badly," Mbappe told Movistar.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>"Making my dream come true is one thing, but I want to play well here, mark an era and make history at Real Madrid."Carlo Ancelotti's side will face either city rivals Atletico Madrid or Bayer Leverkusen, coached by former Real midfielder Xabi Alonso, in the last 16, for which the draw will made on Friday."The best team won, they deserve to be there and we don't," said City boss Pep Guardiola.After two late goals last week swung the balance considerably in Madrid's favour, City suffered another blow before kick-off in Spain with Erling Haaland only considered fit enough to start on the bench.Mbappe padded Madrid's advantage with a fourth-minute lob, squeezing in between Ruben Dias and John Stones as he latched onto Raul Asencio's long ball and lifted his effort over City goalkeeper Ederson.The France striker rounded off a flowing team move with a sharp finish for Madrid's second of the game, completing his hat-trick with a crisp left-footed shot from the edge of the area. Nico Gonzalez netted a consolation in stoppage time for City after Omar Marmoush's powerful free-kick came back off the crossbar.The lone real disappointment on the night for Madrid was a yellow card for Jude Bellingham that will rule the England midfielder out of the first leg of the last 16.For City, the focus will switch to simply securing a place in next season's Champions League after a disastrous domestic campaign for a team that won the last four Premier League titles. "It's been our worst year ... we've been an incredible team and this year, for many reasons, we have lost that consistency," said Guardiola.

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 19: Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid celebrates 3-0 during the UEFA Champions League match between Real Madrid v Manchester City at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 19, 2025 in Madrid Spain

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Mbappe's hat-trick sinks Man City as Madrid cruise into UCL round of 16

Borussia Dortmund cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League after a goalless draw with Spo...

Borussia Dortmund cruised into the last 16 of the Champions League after a goalless draw with Sporting Lisbon on Wednesday sealed a 3-0 aggregate victory.Serhou Guirassy missed a second-half penalty, but it mattered for nothing in the end as last season's finalists were rarely troubled by Sporting and coasted through.Dortmund's reward is a last-16 game against Aston Villa or Lille.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>It was always a tough ask for this young Sporting side ravaged by injury to overturn the damage done in last week's first leg, when Guirassy, Pascal Gross and Karim Adeyemi all scored.Dortmund dominated much of the return leg on a freezing night in Germany, with Marcel Sabitzer coming closest to breaking the deadlock with a rasping drive from distance that Sporting goalkeeper Rui Silva did well to palm around his post.After the break, Dortmund got the chance to put the tie to bed from the spot when Silva was adjudged to have brought down Adeyemi in the box after Nico Schlotterbeck's long pass split the visitors' defence.But Guirassy's well-hit penalty was saved superbly by the Portuguese goalkeeper low to his right, denying the Guinean striker an 11th Champions League goal in 10 games this season.Gio Reyna came off the bench and almost made an immediate impact against the Portuguese league leaders, hitting the post, but this was a night when Dortmund created little and Sporting even less, with the visitors failing to register a single shot on target.Ultimately, Sporting lacked the ambition to turn around the tie, allowing Niko Kovac's side to progress on the back of a relatively easy night's work.

DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 19: Conrad Harder of Sporting CP battles for possession with Emre Can of Borussia Dortmund during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off Second Leg match between Borussia Dortmund and Sporting Clube de Portugal at BVB Stadion Dortmund on February 19, 2025 in Dortmund, Germany.

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Dortmund ease into Champions League last 16 after Sporting stalemate

Bayern Munich secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 94th-minute strik...

Bayern Munich secured their place in the last 16 of the Champions League with a 94th-minute strike by Alphonso Davies on Tuesday to secure a 1-1 draw on the night and a 3-2 aggregate win. Bayern will face either their fellow German rivals Bayer Leverkusen or Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in the last 16.Celtic had led 1-0 since the 63rd minute and the Scottish side had been on the verge of taking the German giants to extra time and pulling off their first ever win in Germany. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But with Harry Kane off injured and time running out, Davies stepped up as Bayern's saviour, tapping in after Celtic keeper Kasper Schmeichel had kept out Leon Goretzka's header. Bayern went into this game 2-1 up from last week's first leg at Celtic Park and seeking to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games in all competitions. Bayern dominated possession in the first half but Celtic were more dangerous with at least three clear-cut chances to score before the break.Former Bayern Munich second-team player, Nicolas Kuehn, beat Manuel Neuer but Raphael Guerreiro cleared off the line. Moments later, Alistair Johnston flashed a dangerous ball across the Bayern goal. With Neuer stranded the ball flew just beyond Daizen Maeda. Then Maeda missed a golden opportunity to put Celtic ahead. When Dayot Upamecano was forced into a stray pass, Kuehn led the surge forward and fed Maeda, who blazed over with Kuehn and Jota in support. Bayern dominated the ball on a freezing night but suffered with a lack of quality in attack. Serge Gnabry was wasteful while Kane sometimes cut an isolated figure, starved of service. The England captain's best chance saw him rattling the bar with a snapshot after Josip Stanisic picked him out from the right. That would be Kane's final action. The striker was withdrawn at half time, feeling the effects of an injury picked up against Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Bayern upped the pressure after the break and fashioned a clear chance when Goretzka went clean through. Schmeichel, however, made a crucial stop to keep Celtic in the game.Soon after, Celtic were in front. Maeda seized on a loose pass by Stanisic and helped it on toward Kuehn. Kim Min-jae reached the ball first but could not clear and Kuehn was able to take a touch and find the bottom corner. It was a goal that shocked the Allianz Arena and threatened Bayern's record of 20 European home games unbeaten. Celtic were delivering on coach Brendan Rodgers' pre-match battle cry to show bravery. Bayern sought an equaliser but Vincent Kompany's side were reduced to long-range shots, with Schmeichel pulling off saves from Joshua Kimmich, Michael Olise and substitute Leroy Sane. Celtic were moments away from inflicting Bayern's first defeat by a Scottish team and taking the tie into extra-time but the game had a sting in the tail. Olise delivered a pinpoint cross that was met by Goretzka. Schmeichel saved but Davies scrambled the rebound home off his shin to send Bayern through to the last 16.

MUNICH, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 18: Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at Allianz Arena on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany.

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Davies' last-second goal helps Bayern avoid UCL upset vs. Celtic

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Yann Sommer (UEFA, CHLG, WORLDCUP, WCQUEFA, INTFR, CHLGQ, BUND, EURCQ, GERDFBP, EURC, NATLEAGUEA, NATLEAGUEFNL, NATLEAGUEB, NATLEAGUEC, NATLEAGUED, ITACI, SERI)