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France have again left out striker Olivier Giroud as coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday named his squad for next month's Nations League Final Four tournament in Italy. The 35-year-old Giroud, France's second-top all-time scorer, has had more playing time since joining AC Milan from Chelsea, but was not included in the squad for the second consecutive time after missing the World Cup qualifiers earlier this month. However, Les Bleus, who face Belgium in the semi-finals next Thursday at the Juventus Stadium in Turin, welcome back defenders Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard, who feature with their Bayern Munich team mate Dayot Upamecano. Marseille midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was called up as Chelsea's N'Golo Kante is missing after testing positive for COVID-19. 'There's a 10-day isolation period so he would not have been able to train and he was also just out of an injury layoff,' Deschamps said. 'It's best for him that he uses that period to recover ...

Peter Schmeichel insists Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is 'doing really well' with Manchester United despite their inconsistent form. Manchester United got off to a flying this season beating Everton 4-0 and Leeds 5-1. However, they have been unable to maintain such dominance - losing to out to Aston Villa and suffering a humiliating 2-1 defeat to Young Boys in their Champions League opener. However, Schmeichel believes Solskjaer is the right man for the job and says there is no else who could go into the club and 'change the fortune of Manchester United in a split second.' Speaking to TalkSPORT after United's 2-1 victory over Villarreal on Wednesday, Schmeichel said: 'It is working quite well and it's working out quite well for the club as well. 'I don't think there was a question about how many changes needed to be done once he got the job. 'He didn't get the job full-time to begin with and the work he has to do is far from finished but I think he i...

Luis Enrique has confirmed he will not be the knight in shining armour Barcelona are craving, as the pressure looks to engulf current manager Ronald Koeman. Koeman has overseen a terrible start to the season, with Barca winning just three LaLiga matches so far while also losing their first two Champions League group fixtures for the first time in the club's history. The ongoing crisis is playing out in the post-Lionel Messi era and now Koeman is facing widespread calls to be removed from his position at the Nou Camp. Managers across the world are getting linked with the role as a result, yet fans' favourite Enrique has ruled himself out of the running. The former Barca boss currently coaches the Spain national team and has a contract running until after the Qatar World Cup in late 2022. This week Enrique has addressed speculation and confirmed he would 'not be getting involved' with the mess at his former stomping ground. Speaking following Barca's latest humiliatin...

Marcelo Gallardo has reportedly been contacted by Barcelona about replacing Ronald Koeman as head coach. The River Plate boss is viewed as one of the options to succeed the Dutchman, along with Andrea Pirlo, Roberto Martinez and Xavi Hernandez. According to RAC1, however, Gallardo has already turned down Barcelona's offer as he is not willing to terminate his contract with the Argentine club prematurely. Gallardo's deal with River runs until December 31, 2021, and the 45-year-old coach would consider a potential move to Barcelona in January. Meanwhile, Xavi is also under contract with Al Sadd, but he could terminate his deal if Barcelona come knocking. The former Blaugrana midfielder has many admirers in the dressing room, but not as many on the club's board. For his part, Martinez will be in charge of Belgium over the upcoming international break. This means that he won't be able to join Barcelona until after it's over. Last but not least, Pirlo is available right ...

Carlo Ancelotti is doing his best to make it work by giving him chances, and Eden Hazard is giving his all, but it's just not enough for the Belgian to shine at Real Madrid. He's shown some signs of improvement, but the winger is still far from the form which convinced Los Blancos to sign him 2019. Two years ago, he joined the club as a star, but now he can't win games for his tea, as was shown against Sheriff Tiraspol on Tuesday. Injuries are still having an impact on his game. In the last few games, he's featured on the right, with Vincius Junior operating on the left. Nobody doubts Ancelotti's decision to give the Brazilian that role, though it is no secret that the former Chelsea forward operates best on the left, cutting inside to shoot on his right foot. Against the Moldovan team in the Champions League, Hazard had three shots on-target and tried to create chances, completing 29 of his 34 passes. He was fouled three times, one of them being right on his injure...

Cristiano Ronaldo celebrated a record-breaking night in the Champions League with a dramatic injury-time winner for Manchester United at Old Trafford. On the night he made a record 178th appearance in the competition, Ronaldo also scored United’s latest ever goal in the Champions League when he sank Villarreal 2-1 in the fifth minute of injury-time. The Spaniards had threatened to plunge United into crisis with a third home defeat in the space of a week, but Alex Telles equalised before Ronaldo got their Group F campaign back on track. ‘When you have Cristiano on the pitch you always have a chance,’ beamed manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, whose winner in the 1999 Champions League final had been the latest goal until last night. ‘He is so good in front of goal and has an impact on everyone – the crowd, the players the whole club. ‘He’s done that so many times. When you saw him (for Portugal) against Ireland a month ago, he missed a penalty early and didn’t touch the ball more or less, but ...

Sergio Busquets was incredibly blunt in his assessment of Barcelona's current predicament, suggesting the club are in a serious situation following the 3-0 humiliation suffered at the hands of Benfica. Barcelona have now lost both of their opening Champions League group-stage matches this term and in truth have not been competitive in either of them. "We're in a serious situation, we have only had two games but we have zero points," Busquets declared in his post-match interview. "We have to think about moving up the table, we have no other choice. "We have to wait and see what happens in the other games. We are bottom, but we must think positively." Barcelona didn't have a single shot on target from any of their three forward players, something which Busquets believes didn't reflect their creativity. "I don't know, but we had a lot of crosses," he added. "We had chances which ended up with shots a few metres from goal. The sta...

Cristiano Ronaldo claimed that big moments such as the one he experienced in scoring Manchester United's winner against Villarreal are why he returned to the club. The Portuguese continued to add to his fairytale story in re-joining the Red Devils by scoring a 95th-minute goal to snatch a 2-1 Champions League victory over the Spanish club. The late winner rescued United from having just one point from their opening two group games, and was Ronaldo's fifth goal in five appearances this season. The Old Trafford fans were delirious as their hero delivered the goods despite having been a largely peripheral figure for much of the game. 'This is why I came back - I miss this club a lot,' Ronaldo told BT Sport. He expressed his desire to bring back the glory days he enjoyed during his first spell at United, which saw Ronaldo win three Premier League titles and the Champions League among other trophies. 'I have history with this club and I want to do it again, not only for ...

Despite falling to a heavy loss against Benfica, Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong has thrown his support behind Ronald Koeman, suggesting that changing the coach isn't the solution to the problems at the Camp Nou. De Jong was one of the better performers on a difficult night for Los Cules, however the club's Champions League campaign is in danger of being a total disaster after losing to both Bayern Munich and Benfica in their opening two group-stage matches. "I don't think changing the coach is the solution," De Jong declared in his post-match interview. "I can't talk about Koeman, it's not my place. "We have to keep fighting, stay together and overcome this situation. We can only escape this with hard work and being united as a team." De Jong felt that Barcelona's performance in the first half wasn't too bad, but it was the missed chances which cost the Blaugrana. "It's a difficult moment right now, they scored the fir...

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed David de Gea as "the best goalkeeper in the world" after the Spanish shot-stopper put in a star performance to assist Manchester United to victory against Villarreal on Wednesday. De Gea made six saves on Wednesday as he helped guide Manchester United to a 2-1 win, with several coming in a crucial first-half period when the Red Devils were being overrun. After the match, Solskjaer singled out De Gea as his Man of the Match, even with Cristiano Ronaldo's late heroics proving the goal-scoring catalyst behind the win. "Thankfully we had the best goalkeeper in the world tonight," Solskjaer said in his press conference. "David was fantastic. Second-half, they had more of the ball, it was open and they deserved to lead. "Old Trafford is magic. Champions League at Old Trafford... sometimes that history can help us and tonight Cristiano came up with a good goal and Alex [Telles] came up with a fantastic goal. "[De Gea] had a di...

A rainy night at Old Trafford saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's future as Manchester United coach discussed by fans once again, with only rear-guard action from the hosts helping them to a dramatic late victory against Villarreal on Matchday 2 in the Champions League group stage. Unai Emery set up his Villarreal team in an identical manner to the Europa League final against the same opposition, although United truly struggled to break down the Spanish side's low block. In truth it was the visitors who had the better chances in the first half, with Arnaut Danjuma giving Diogo Dalot a torrid evening on the left. David de Gea was forced to pull off a number of magnificent saves, including one from close range from Yeremi Pino. Danjuma forced a save out of De Gea himself when Raphael Varane misjudged the bounce of the ball when dealing with a routine loose pass. Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood were the main targets for the hosts, with the team looking to shift the ball wide at pace to ke...

Federico Chiesa scored a wonderful strike to stun a Chelsea side that dominated possession in Turin, but had very few genuine chances, as Juventus boss Max Allegri taught Thomas Tuchel a tactical masterclass. The Bianconeri had to completely revamp with Federico Bernardeschi as a False 9 in a 4-3-3, because Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala, Aaron Ramsey, Kaio Jorge and Arthur Melo were all unavailable, leaving Moise Kean on the bench. The reigning Champions League holders made the trip without N’Golo Kante, who tested positive for COVID-19, Reece James, Mason Mount and Christian Pulisic, but started Italy international Jorginho. Ex-Inter striker Romelu Lukaku tested Wojciech Szczesny with an early corner routine, but for all Chelsea’s territorial dominance, Juve went very close on the counter with Federico Chiesa’s angled drive skimming the far post and Adrien Rabiot blasting over. Bernardeschi’s free kick was charged down, as was the Thiago Silva effort from a corner. Within 11 seconds of ...

A 3-0 defeat to Benfica has left Ronald Koeman teetering on the brink at Barcelona, yet the Dutch coach has made clear that he feels supported by his players. Both Sergio Busquets and Frenkie de Jong spoke in the aftermath of the humiliation in Lisbon, defending the former Everton coach, but that will be of little interest to fans who are watching Los Cules' season implode. "I feel supported by my players and their attitude," Koeman declared in his post-match press conference. "I can only comment on my work with the team. "I don't know about the rest, I don't know about the club." Despite the heavy defeat, Koeman looked to take some positives out of the evening, suggesting that his team played well until the second Benfica goal. "The final result is hard to accept, it's not the result we saw on the pitch," he confirmed. "I think the team played well until 2-0, we had very clear opportunities to score. "That's how you chan...

Barcelona's Champions League campaign could end at the group stages for the first time in two decades after a 3-0 defeat away at Benfica piled more pressure on Ronaldo Koeman. The Catalans crumbled in Lisbon, as a Darwin Nunez brace and a goal from Rafa Silva clinched a famous win for Benfica. The defeat leaves the five-time European Cup winners bottom of Group E with zero points after they were humbled at home by Bayern Munich 3-0 a fortnight ago. Koeman now faces the prospect of becoming the first Barcelona manager to fail to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League since Lorenzo Serra Ferrer 20 years ago. The Dutchman, who is the first Barcelona manager to lose both the opening games of a Champions League campaign, can have no complaints, for his team were abject on the night. Barcelona failed to register a single shot on goal and finished with 10 men after Eric Garcia was sent off for a second bookable offence late in the game. Benfica, on the other hand, were ram...

Dolores Aveiro, the mother of Cristiano Ronaldo, doesn't want to see her son marry current partner Georgina Rodriguez as she believes the Argentine-born model has economic motives for a union. The Portuguese star is believed to be very happy with Georgina, with whom he shares a family life in Manchester, where they live with Cristiano Junior, Eva, Mateo and Alana, with the latter being the daughter they had together. Indeed, it has been reported that the model is waiting on a proposal, but the Manchester United forward's family are the main stumbling block to a potential wedding. Media reports claim that a source close to Cristiano Ronaldo himself says that Aveiro believes the couple should not get married as Georgina's motivation for doing so is to take advantage of her son's money. Apparently, her other children think the same, meaning the opposition to wedding bells within the groom's family are strong. This is despite Dona Dolores recently saying that she gets o...

Brazilian football legend Pele is set to leave hospital after recovering from an operation to remove a tumour from his colon, his daughter Kely revealed on Wednesday. She did not say exactly when he would leave the Albert Einstein hospital in Sao Paulo but the Estado de Sao Paulo newspaper said his discharge would take place on Thursday. 'Now that he's stronger and leaving the hospital to continue recovering and treating himself at home, I'm going back home,' Pele's US-based daughter said on Instagram. Kely has used social media to post popular updates about her father during his almost month long-stay in hospital, including videos of his recovery. The 80-year-old former Santos, Brazil and New York Cosmos player had the operation on September 4 after abnormalities were discovered during a routine medical. He was in and out of the hospital's Intensive Care Unit in the days after but has recovered well since entering a private room. Pele, the only man to win three...

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has spoken in Lisbon ahead of the Catalan club's Champions League group-stage match against Benfica, and he had a message of optimism for the future. Things haven't been going well at Barcelona lately, but Laporta believes that, despite everything, by trusting in their process and ideals, brighter days will be around the corner. "La Masia is the way [forward] and our style of play is essential," said Laporta. "That genuine and recognisable style, that no other team in the world has, if we can make that compatible with high-performance sporting techniques, we'll be on another level. "Like that we'll be unbeatable." The president was also talked about Ansu Fati being emblematic of the hope for the future and he had high words of praise for the teenage attacker. "[Ansu Fati] represents hopes and dreams, I liked the way he returned to action and the gratitude he had towards the club medical staff and his family,...

Manchester United have apologised to a fan who had been banned from Old Trafford in a case of mistaken identity. Ryan Butler was one of a number of United supporters identified as having sent tweets racially abusing Tottenham Hotspur player Heung-min Son during a match last season, however the fan from Belfast doesn't even have a Twitter account. Butler has been barred from attending United home games for months but has finally had his ban overturned and received an apology for the mistake. "In this case, we regrettably made a mistake and the ban was revoked. We apologise to Mr Butler," said the club. Mr Butler initially lost his appeal against the decision but was eventually able to gain access to the proof that was used against him, which was a screenshot of a Tweet sent by a user who shares a surname with him.

Zenit St Petersburg notched the first win of their Champions League Group H campaign with a 4-0 victory over Swedish side Malmo FF, who had Anel Ahmedhodzic sent off as they slumped to their second defeat in a row in the competition. The Russian side, who lost 1-0 at holders Chelsea in their opening game, took the lead in the ninth minute when Brazilians Douglas Santos and Claudinho combined for the latter to fire home a superb first-time finish. Malmo captain Andreas Christiansen had a glorious chance to net Malmo's first goal in the group stage 10 minutes later, but he blazed his effort over the bar with the goal at his mercy. The Swedes found themselves two down four minutes after the break as Yaroslav Rakitskyy twisted and turned before crossing for Daler Kuzyaev to send a looping header beyond the dive of Johan Dahlin and into the net. Any slim hopes Malmo had of making a comeback were dashed four minutes later when centre-back Ahmedhodzic was shown a straight red card for den...

Alejandro Balde has been undergoing conservative treatment recently but is hasn't been evolving as initially expected, the reliable Javi Miguel of Diario AS says. At first, the 17-year-old was expected to make his return in two weeks. Now, however, the doctors think that Balde returning after the international break (around October 17). It is also added that Alex has been struggling with back problems since August. This term so far, Balde has played four matches, two of them for Barca B, and two for Barcelona.

French Football has announced that Ballon d'Or nominees will be annouced on October 8th, and the 2021 Ballo d'Or ceremony will be held on November 29th. the 2021 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place at Théâtre du Châtelet of Paris.

The Champions League tournament is currently underway, with 32 teams participating. The tournament is in the group stages where each team plays other teams in the group home and away. It is also the time for sports betting fans to separate the boys from the men. Moreover, the tournament is very popular in Asia, which is also a sports betting emerging hub. The region also has top sports betting platforms like Vwin Betting Site , which allows users to bet on various sports globally. So, who has the best chance of winning the 2021/22 Champions League?  It Is Hard To Predict! Over the years, the Champions League has been one of the most challenging competitions to predict. The competition usually lasts nine months, and this is a long time in football, and anything can happen.  For instance, top players can get injured or lose form, or a new manager could arrive at a club and revive its fortunes. Fans will remember what happened to Chelsea when Thomas Tuchel arrived and helped them...

Speaking to Brazilian outlet Ole, Richarlison said: "I don't know what the future holds. If one day I have to go, it must be good for me and Everton. "But if I stay, I will continue giving my life for this shirt and the fans, who have always supported me at all times. I have enormous gratitude and feel at home here." Richarlison has established himself as a key player for Everton and the 24-year-old is also a first-choice option for the Brazil national team. Paris Saint-Germain are reportedly interested in the forward with Kylian Mbappe likely to leave the club for Real Madrid at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

Anthony Martial is growing increasingly 'dissatisfied' with his situation at Manchester United, according to Sport1, a tier-two German source. The Frenchman has been relegated to the bench this season following the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo at Old Trafford while Edinson Cavani appears to be ahead in the pecking order as well. Borussia Dortmund are said be keeping an eye on the 25-year-old as a potential replacement for Erling Haaland who looks set to leave the club next summer. However, the Bundesliga giants are unlikely to meet Man United's asking price. The Red Devils are reportedly ready to let Martial leave Old Trafford at the end pf the 2021/22 campaign should an offer of around €50 million-€55 million come in. But the Dortmund trail 'is cold right now' given Man United's demands for a player who is yet to score a goal this season in all competitions.

Chelsea travel to Italy for their toughest test of the Champions League group stages on Wednesday. Asked about the challenge of facing the Italian side, Jorginho was a bit coy but he explained the basics of what the Blues will aim to do. "How are we going to try to hurt them [Juventus]? I’m not going to tell you," Jorginho said in the pre-match press conference. "Tactically they are very strong, they know how to defend the box, they’re a big club. They are very organised. They have been there for many years. "We need to try to break them with speed, energy, and we know it’s going to be difficult. We respect them, but we’re going there to win." Having lost their last big game against Man City, a response and a positive result are a must for Thomas Tuchel's side.

Jurgen Klopp has cast doubt on Trent Alexander-Arnold being fit to feature in Liverpool's showdown against Manchester City this weekend. The England right back didn't travel with the Reds squad for their Champions League clash in Porto on Tuesday evening after suffering a groin injury during training. Liverpool had initially been hopeful the injury wasn't serious but further tests revealed the player is likely to face a spell on the sidelines. And Klopp believes there is little chance of Alexander-Arnold being available for Sunday's clash against champions Manchester City at Anfield. Klopp told BT Sport: 'Unfortunately shortly after training he went in early and we did a further assessment. 'He is out for today for sure and it does not look great for the Manchester City game as well. 'He thought it was tight but it is a little bit more than that. 'It's always a question of fresh legs or rhythm we decided this time for rhythm. Normally you have to rot...

Paris Saint-Germain were disappointing in their opening Champions League group-stage match against Club Brugge, and Mauricio Pochettino has given into pressure and named both Gianluigi Donnarumma and Lionel Messi in his starting XI to face Manchester City on Tuesday evening. The visit of Pep Guardiola's charges pits arguably the two tournament favourites against each other, although few expect either to slip up and fail to progress out of the group. The question over Donnarumma's debut has been hanging over Pochettino since his arrival, and it is now a question with an answer. Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe will form the starting trio in what is perhaps the greatest collection of attack talent to ever be showcased in one starting XI.

Rio Ferdinand was telling 'anyone who would listen' about Manchester City's crushing performance at Chelsea on Saturday, so impressed was he by the champions. Thomas Tuchel's men were unbeaten and ominous coming into the Stamford Bridge clash but City proved to the rest of the Premier League that the German's European champions can be stopped. Gabriel Jesus scored a second-half winner as the Blues stuttered and spluttered under relentless pressure, as Pep Guardiola's side erased the three-point deficit to the Blues. 'I think it was more the performance than the result,' Ferdinand said on BT Sport. 'We were all amazed by the performance. I've been talking about it to anyone who wants to listen about football this weekend. 'It was so convincing, it could have been three of four. Their best player, Kevin De Bruyne, didn't get into the game really until second half. They worked as a unit and really dominated Chelsea.' Former City centre-b...

Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Real Madrid’s Karim Benzema are the joint-top scorers in Europe’s top five leagues for the month of September. The Super Eagles star matched Benzema’s tally on Sunday with his sixth goal in the month under review which steered Luciano Spalletti’s side to a 2-0 Serie A win over Cagliari. After he failed to score in his first two appearances for Napoli this season, Osimhen has apparently rediscovered his goalscoring boots and he opened his goal account with a second-half brace in the Uefa Europa League that earned the Italian outfit a 2-2 draw against Leicester City. The 22-year-old followed it up with a goal in their 4-0 thrashing of Udinese on September 20 and a brace in another 4-0 win over Sampdoria, three days later. Sunday’s effort at the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium was Osimhen’s fourth Serie A goal of the season and it also pushed Napoli to the top of the league table. Spalletti’s men are yet to drop a point in the Italian top-flight this campa...

Achraf Hakimi has provided an insight into Leo Messi's personality in the dressing room. Hakimi told L'Equipe: "For Messi to leave Barca, like everyone else, I didn't expect it. And when I heard you were coming here, what can I say? "A dream for me! I played with many great players and the only one I missed was Messi! I am proud to evolve with such a good footballer." The versatile Morocco international added: "To progress, I will pay attention to how he trains, how he plays. It will grow the team and each of the players that make it up. "We speak the same language, in addition, little by little we are getting to know each other. "Building a technical relationship with him is easy! I give him the ball, I run and he will put it where it belongs! (Laughs) I was surprised by the way he behaved, he is simple, quiet." Leo Messi has just re-joined group training, according to credible reports. The Argentine could feature against Manchester City ...

Liverpool has been placed in the top-3 of UEFA’s latest club rankings – which determines the best clubs in Europe. Jurgen Klopp’s side holds third place, just behind Bayern Munich (1st) and Man City (2nd). The rankings are based on a club’s performances in UEFA competitions over the last 5 seasons, with LFC high because of their impressive performances in recent years. Liverpool have around 107 points over the last 5 seasons and are ahead of defending Champions League holders Chelsea, PSG and Real Madrid.

Antonio Rudiger is in the final year of his Chelsea contract and enjoying quite the resurgence under Thomas Tuchel. This has resulted in reported interest in the centre-back coming from clubs like Juventus and Bayern. Bayern's sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic was asked about potentially signing Rudi and he told DAZN: "It’s not okay when we talk about players who are at other clubs. "Julian is a coach who sees quite a lot of players – so why shouldn’t he evaluate an international and talk about his strengths. "Bayern are really well-staffed at centre-back. We have strengthened ourselves very well and brought in a top player in Upamecano; Lucas Hernandez is there, Tanguy Nianzou is there, Benjamin Pavard can also play inside – we are really very, very well staffed. "We (he and Nagelsmann) have had very little time; I had an appointment today on Friday. We didn’t see each other for that long, but we talk a lot about players – sure." For now, Rudiger is st...

Reports have emerged that Borussia Dortmund will need to sell Erling Haaland for financial reasons. The club is listed on the stock exchange, and as per the rumours, the only way to pay the investors. However, Dortmund's CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has rubbished the reports. "It has not yet been decided whether he will really leave in the summer," Watzke has told Sport 1.  "We'll just have a look. I heard someone say: 'They have to sell Haaland because they are listed on the stock exchange.' This is all bullsh*t. "The decision whether someone is sold at our company is made by the management and only by the management." However, it's understood that Haaland's contract has a release clause between €75 million and €100 million, so it's looking like the Norwegian will be leaving Dortmund next summer whether the club wants it or not.

Barca players rating in Levante win Today La Liga action is one of the games many Barcelona fans won't want to forget that easily with a lot of excitement and the come back of their new kind Ansu Fati couple it with the team performance. Sergino Dest — 9 Despite not playing in his natural position, Dest was absolutely brilliant against Levante. The American was a constant threat upfront thanks to his dribbling and crosses. Sergino's run to set up Barcelona's second goal of the game was simply amazing. And, also worth noticing, the converted left-back was very solid defensively. Ansu Fati — 8.5 The 18-year-old didn't get to play too much, but it was enough for him to record a goal, and that after missing 10 months through injury. His speed, finishing and quality on the ball have been dearly missed. Fati should have also been awarded a penalty after being brought down inside the penalty box, weird that VAR did not intervene. Gavi — 8.5 Another class performance from the L...

In his first match following the 10-month absence, Ansu Fati managed to record a goal, as he helped Barcelona beat Levante 3-0. Here's what he had to say after the game. "It's amazing. I'm very happy with the victory. I wanted to thank the doctors and physios who helped me. And most of all, all the fans and the family who have suffered. They have given me a lot of support. during these months. "I couldn't imagine this. I am one more player in the group now. I will try to help the team when they need me. Now we'll see how I feel, but it's clear I'll have to win the minutes. "We want to fight for the league and for the Champions League, we are Barca and we have to fight and work for it." Ansu suffered a meniscus fracture back in November 2020 and had been out since then. The 18-year-old had to undergo three separate surgeries before he could return to the pitch.

Chelsea lost 1-0 against a Man City side that was in control for large parts of the game. Antonio Rudiger gave his insight to Chelsea's official website, saying: "Today is the first time that the opponent was physically better than us. "They ran more than us, they made it very difficult for us. But from ourselves, it was very disappointing. "We have to admit we had a very bad day in the office. We didn’t perform on our usual level and that’s why we were punished and this is what we have to take for the next games, to give more intensity, because to be honest in every aspect they were better than us. "Today we didn’t show our personality that we usually show. Obviously this can happen, but in a game like this it shouldn’t happen." Chelsea have been the better-drilled team more often than not under Tuchel and that has to continue in future big games.

The problem with beating a side like Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time in 12 years is that it can go to your head pretty quickly. And some travelling Aston Villa fans are the best example of that, after being spotted mocking Cristiano Ronaldo's iconic 'SIIIUUUUU' celebration outside the Theatre of Dreams. Aston Villa won 1-0 on Saturday and there were plenty of talking points in the game. Be it Bruno Fernandes' missed penalty or Emi Martinez's taunts, it was a high-octane encounter. Nevertheless, United remain just one point behind Premier League leaders Liverpool. Via

Ancelotti comments on Real Madrid losing points at home "It was a competitive game, we tried our best, and it wasn't easy, we knew that before the game. Villarreal play well with the ball, we tried to press higher, we did that better in the second half," Carlo Ancelotti said after the match, as quoted by Diario AS. "It's a draw and we have to move on. I'm not sad because the team fought, they tried to do what was necessary to get the win. "It is not a step back, it is a step forward because we remain the league leaders and that is good." Real Madrid have played seven league matches this season so far, winning five and drawing two. The Whites currently sit in the first spot with 17 points.

Courtois speaks to the media after Villarreal draw "It leaves a bad taste in our mouths. In the end, you want to win at home. If a direct rival loses, you want to get the three points," Thibaut Courtois said after the match against Villarreal, as quoted by Diario AS. "Villarreal are a Champions League team, it is a good team, and if you don't press well upfront, they make a triangle and get past you. "In the second half, we played better, but we could not show the same intensity as against Mallorca. But hey, a clean sheet and we move on. "They did not come out to press too high, they sat in a middle block. It was very difficult, we missed passes, the crosses didn't reach our players. It happens sometimes." Courtois played a huge role in Real Madrid being able to get at least a point at home. The goalkeeper made several key saves throughout the match, and his passing was on point as well. Via