Robert Lewandowski scored his first Barcelona hat-trick as the Blaugrana met expectations with a dominant 5-1 win over Viktoria Plzen to open their Champions League campaign.
Barca s three first-half goals were more than they managed over the whole group stage last season (two) when they were dumped into the Europa League, though sterner challenges await.
Plzen had moments against an unconvincing Barca defence, with Jan Sykora netting just before the break, but the hosts were already ahead thanks to Franck Kessie and Lewandowski, who made it 3-1 on the stroke of half-time.
Although the tempo slowed slightly, Barca remained dominant after the break and Lewandowski ensured he became the first player to net a Champions League hat-trick with three different teams be…
Sandro Tonali has become the latest player to sign a new deal with Serie A champions Milan.
The 22-year-old, who joined from Brescia in September 2020 on an initial loan basis, has agreed a new five-year contract at San Siro.
Milan head coach Stefano Pioli recently confirmed the club were in talks over extending the stay of Tonali, who is reported to have doubled his salary with his fresh terms.
Tonali has played 84 times for the Rossoneri since arriving, a tally bettered only by Franck Kessie (86), Rafael Leao (87), Theo Hernandez and Alexis Saelemaekers (both 89).
The 22-year-old has made exactly 100 appearances in Serie A. Among players with 100 or more appearances in the competition, Tonali is the youngest of them.
Sandro Tonali 2027
Penning …
Julen Lopetegui has come a long way. Very little highlights that more than the fact he has been mentioned as a potential long-term successor to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at Manchester United.
While such a move probably won t occur, with Mauricio Pochettino seemingly the likeliest to walk through the door at Old Trafford at the end of the season, the speculation is at least a vindication of the work Lopetegui has done at Sevilla over the past two and a half years.
Of course, it wasn t long before his hiring by Sevilla that Lopetegui seemed to be the butt of all jokes in Spanish football, with the situation surrounding his Spain departure attracting criticism before he was swiftly shown the exit by Real Madrid.
But he is a coach who really has put in the hard graft, ha…
It seems bizarre to suggest that in a contest between a club that has never won the European Cup or Champions League and another that has won 13 of them, it is the latter who will go into it as the underdog.
That is the case this week, though, with Manchester City and Real Madrid set to go head-to-head for a place in this season s Champions League final.
There is obviously reasoning behind this, with Pep Guardiola s side winning every other trophy available to them in recent years and breezing through their European campaign up to this point, a few scars from their quarter-final with Atletico Madrid aside.
Carlo Ancelotti s men have had a tougher road to get here, having to get past newly crowned French champions Paris Saint-Germain and reigning European champion…
Pizzi has signed a new contract with Benfica that will keep him at the club until 2023.
The 29-year-old joined from Atletico Madrid in 2013 but was immediately sent out on loan to LaLiga side Espanyol.
He became an immediate fixture in Benfica s midfield from the start of the 2014-15 campaign, however, and has helped them to the Primeira Liga title in four of the past five seasons.
Pizzi, who is in Portugal s squad for the Nations League Finals next week, told the club s official website: All my seasons here have been special. I feel a special connection with the fans and all the people at the club.
I am very proud to be part of this club and to continue as part of the family.
He scored 13 goals last season as Benfica beat Sporting CP to the ti…
Ander Herrera is keen to pen a new contract at Manchester United, according to the Mirror.
The Spain international’s current deal runs until June and he is keen to remain at Old Trafford after some uncertainly last term.
Since signing from Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2014 the twenty-nine-year-old has racked up one hundred and sixty-one appearances in all competitions, scoring seventeen goals.
He was part of the squad that won the FA Cup in 2016 and both the EFL Cup and Europa League the following year, when he was also named the Matt Busby Player of the Year.
He has been capped two times for Spain, with both outings coming in friendlies while he was a member of Spain’s victorious European U21’s Championship squad in 2011.
Manches…
Pep Guardiola insists Manchester City must be sharper in front of goal if they are to end their quest for Champions League glory.
City won 2-0 in the first leg of their last-16 tie against Borussia Monchengladbach in Budapest, with Bernardo Silva and Gabriel Jesus on target either side of half-time.
Despite watching his team show almost complete domination while racking up a 19th consecutive win in all competitions, Guardiola sometimes cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines at the Puskas Arena.
Speaking to BT Sport after the match, the City boss warned his players not to repeat the mistakes of botched chances that have stained three consecutive quarter-final exits.
In general, it was good, he said. We controlled the game, we concede one chance at the …
Western Sydney Wanderers have signed two-time Germany international Nicolai Muller from Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt.
Muller joins the A-League team as an injury replacement for Polish playmaker Radoslaw Majewski, who suffered a potential season-ending knee injury in September.
The 32-year-old winger Muller signs for the 2014 AFC Champions League winners having amassed over 300 club appearances in Germany, including spells at Hamburg, Mainz and Greuther Furth.
We are very excited to have Nicolai join us this season and can t wait to see him on the park, Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas told the club s official website on Wednesday.
Our members and fans should be very excited about this signing. Nicolai has been a top pro in Germany for many years pla…
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot insists he is keen to strengthen his squad following their two pre-season friendlies at Anfield on Sunday.
The Reds are the only Premier League side yet to make a signing in the transfer window so far, and have been linked with a move for Real Sociedad s Martin Zubimendi.
Slot s reign as Jurgen Klopp s successor has proved to be a seamless transition, winning three of his five games in charge (two draws).
The latest of which came on his Anfield debut, securing a 4-1 win over Sevilla, followed by a goalless draw against Las Palmas in a behind-closed doors match.
And while the Dutchman is confident signings will arrive on Merseyside, he was quick to acknowledge the strong Liverpool squad he has inherited.
I …
Leicester City players have mourned the passing of the club s chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha after he was killed in a helicopter crash.
Srivaddhanaprabha was one of five people who died when his helicopter crashed outside the King Power Stadium on Saturday, shortly after the Foxes drew with West Ham in the Premier League.
Four others on board, including two members of Srivaddhanaprabha s staff, Nursara Suknamai and Kaveporn Punpare, died in the crash, as well as pilot Eric Swaffer and passenger Izabela Roza Lechowicz.
Leicester players and members of the Srivaddhanaprabha family visited the King Power Stadium on Monday to pay their respects to the club s chairman.
Leicester City s players visited the King Power Stadium today to pay their respect…