Substitute Adrian struck in stoppage time to give Villarreal a 1-0 Europa League semi-final first-leg win over Liverpool at El Madrigal on Thursday.
Adrian, who scored in Atletico Madrid s Champions League semi-final win over Chelsea in 2014, was on hand to potentially deal out further misery to a Premier League side, while Liverpool will need another inspired Anfield night next week.
Liverpool set pulses racing with a remarkable comeback and injury-time triumph over tournament favourites Borussia Dortmund in the previous round – a stark contrast to this largely cagey encounter.
Visiting manager Jurgen Klopp started without a conventional centre forward, leaving Daniel Sturridge as an unused substitute despite Divock Origi s injury absence and Liverpool lacke…
Cristiano Ronaldo had the world at his feet in Moscow on May 21. The Manchester United winger had just helped the Premier League champions win the Champions League and, having scored 42 goals in an incredible season, it appeared that nothing could stop him being crowned as the 2008 World Footballer of the Year.
Fast forward just eleven weeks, though, and the 23-year-old Portugal international is faced with the task of rebuilding his reputation after a close season that has seen him openly defy United by declaring his ambition to move to Real Madrid and foolishly compare himself to a footballing slave.
A disappointing Euro 2008 campaign dented his hopes of cementing his status as the planet s number one footballer and subsequent ankle surgery, that will keep him sidel…
Sampdoria are back in Serie A after defeating Varese over two legs in the final of their promotion play-off.
The Marassi outfit had already drawn first blood in the tie, winning 3-2 thanks to Daniele Gastadello s double and a strike from Nicola Pozzi, cancelling out Emanuel Rivas and Giuseppe De Luca s respective efforts.
Having done the hard work in Genoa already, Sampdoria only needed to avoid defeat in the return leg to confirm their place in next season s Serie A championship, but Pozzi s late goal saw his side go one better and seal a 4-2 aggregate win.
It caps a magnificent turnaround for the club, who despite qualifying for the Champions League play-off round in 2010, saw their fortunes take a dramatic turn for the worst.
The departure of coach Lu…
With clock winding down on a rather busy January transfer market, we already have more than enough to announce the winners despite there’s still plenty of time before the window is officially closed.
English clubs have it until 11pm on Wednesday, 31 January to conclude their transfer dealings and there’s no doubt we will witness a stomping race to the very last minute. The top flights in France, Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Netherlands and Germany also have their respective transfer windows closed on the same day – albeit on different times.
Bundesliga clubs will see their transfer window close at 5pm, but that should not be a worry for Arsenal fans who are waiting for the end of the winter market with a big smile on their face.
And who’d say that would hap…
Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany has challenged his team-mates to break Europe s established order and challenge for Champions League glory this season.
The runaway Premier League leaders turn their attention back towards Europe s top competition with a trip to Basel on Tuesday.
Kompany has already won every domestic honour available as City s long-serving captain but continental success has proved elusive.
This is the club s seventh Champions League campaign and they have only progressed beyond the last 16 once – losing a semi-final to eventual winners Real Madrid in 2016 – but the dominant nature of their performances under Pep Guardiola this season has many tipping City for glory.
We lacked experience for sure, the 31-year-old centre-back s…
Inter want to extend Walter Mazzarri s contract by an extra year, president Erick Thohir has confirmed.
Mazzarri was appointed as head coach in May 2013, replacing Andrea Stramaccioni, who had overseen a poor 2012-13 campaign in which Inter finished ninth in Serie A.
The 52-year-old led Inter to a fifth-placed finish in his debut season in charge, with the team showing a marked improvement in performances.
Thohir who assumed ownership of Inter last October has now revealed that talks have taken place with Mazzarri about the possibility of extending his present deal by another 12 months to 2016.
We had a long talk with (technical director) Piero Ausilio and Mazzarri, Thohir told reporters in Milan.
We want to go forward with him, but haven t dec…
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says he holds no grudge against Sunderland fans despite their final-day celebrations last term.
Sunderland supporters celebrated wildly after Manchester City dramatically won the Premier League on the last day of the 2011-12 season, just minutes after United defeated Martin O Neill s side 2-0.
Some Sunderland supporters started doing the Poznan , a celebration adopted by City fans, while others taunted United fans and players.
United face Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Saturday and although Ferguson warned O Neill s men that he wouldn t forget those incidents at the end of last season, he has insisted that is not concerned by the fans actions.
I think that s modern society, Ferguson told reporters. You s…
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg told Antonio Conte to elaborate on the remarkable outburst that has left him on the brink of being sacked as Tottenham manager.
The fiery Italian boss said he saw selfish players who do not want to play under pressure after his side were pegged back in a 3-3 Premier League draw by Southampton on Saturday.
Conte also seemingly took aim at the club s hierarchy when he said: 20 years there is the owner and they never won something. Why?
Spurs are now expected to wield the axe during the international break. Hojbjerg said he can understand Conte s frustration given disappointing exits in the FA Cup and Champions League to Sheffield United and Milan respectively but thinks there should be a clearer message to help the team get to where they want…
Milan recovered from conceding just two minutes into their Serie A title defence to beat Udinese 4-2 at San Siro on Saturday.
The opening game of the season in the Italian top flight for the Rossoneri saw a penalty from Theo Hernandez, two goals from Ante Rebic and another from Brahim Diaz guide them to three points, despite conceding twice to the visitors through Rodrigo Becao and Adam Masina.
New signings Charles de Ketelaere and Divock Origi were named on the bench for Stefano Pioli s side, with the former introduced for the final 20 minutes and the latter for the final seven in front of their new fans.
It was a losing start for new Udinese head coach Andrea Sottil, though he will have been buoyed by his team s ability to keep Milan honest in a game that …
Ireland are aiming for strong start in Group E as Martin O’Neill’s men search for their first ever competitive win over Sweden, who won and drew against Ireland in 2014 World Cup qualifying. Ireland boast a talented squad with individuals who are able to change the course of the game, but Sweden is only the first of several tough challenges in so called ‘Group of Death’ for the Irish.
Pitted against the likes of Belgium and Italy, who have been made firm favourites to go through to the knockouts, Sweden find it imperative to get off to a flying start against the Republic of Ireland. Led by Manchester United target Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Eric Hamren’s Sweden have been given the odds of 8/1 to Ireland’s 12/1 to win the match in an exclusive new customer offer.
In…