The Netherlands and Belgium played out a 1-1 friendly draw on Wednesday (Nov 9) where Premier League stars Kevin de Bruyne and Eden Hazard struggled and the Dutch suffered injury setbacks ahead of a key World Cup qualifier.

A penalty from Davy Klaassen gave the Dutch a 38th-minute lead from the penalty spot before Yannick Carrasco levelled eight minutes from the final whistle.

It was the 126th meeting between the two neighbours whose fortunes are seemingly headed in different directions.

The Dutch failed to make the finals of Euro 2016 and are labouring in their pursuit of a place at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. They are in third spot in their qualifying Group A, three points back from France and Sweden.

Belgium, with former Everton boss Roberto Martinez at the helm, lead Group H with three wins in three outings.

The Dutch face Luxembourg on Sunday in their next qualifier but will be without Jeremain Lens, Klaassen and Stijn Schaars who were all injured on Wednesday.

Belgium go to Estonia, also on Sunday.

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Lionel Messi, with his 500th Barcelona goal, and Luis Suarez saved the Spanish champions from a second defeat in six days as they came from behind to win 2-1 at Sevilla on Sunday (Nov 6).

Victory keeps Barca just two points adrift of Real Madrid, who were 3-0 victors over Leganes thanks to a double from Gareth Bale.

Madrid also announced that Cristiano Ronaldo will extend his contract with the European champions until 2021 on Monday.

Messi inspired a spirited Barca fightback fresh from a 3-1 defeat at Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday after a first-half dominated by Sevilla.

“There is no one like him and our objective as a team is to look for Leo as much as possible,” Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar. “The capacity Messi has to play in any position and interpret what is happening on the field is laudable.”

With the cast of the Game of Thrones among those watching on in Seville, the game got off to a frantic start.

The hosts had two shots on goal inside 50 seconds, but from a Sevilla corner Barca broke forward at lightning speed and Suarez’s effort from Neymar’s layoff was brilliantly saved by Sergio Rico.

Sevilla remained on the front foot for most of the first-half and got their reward on 15 minutes when Pablo Sarabia’s pass bamboozled Sergi Roberto and Vitolo charged through to open the scoring.

Sarabia passed up a great chance to make it two when he took the bizarre decision to backheel the ball towards the edge of the area when he had just Marc-Andre ter Stegen to beat.

Barca made Sevilla pay with another brilliant counter-attack to level two minutes before half-time as this time Messi curled Neymar’s pass into the bottom corner.

The goal was Messi’s 500th for Barca including friendlies, but he should have had more after the break as only a brilliant block from Mariano and save from Rico prevented the Barca captain turning the game around.

Messi turned provider for the winner just after the hour mark as he teed up Suarez to drill the ball low past Rico.

Rico produced an incredible stop to prevent Suarez making it 3-1, but a huge error from Ter Stegen at the other end nearly cost Barca the win as he flapped at a corner and Steven N’Zonzi headed inches wide the goal gaping.

Earlier, Bale rounded off a fine week after signing one of the most lucrative deals in football history himself to keep him tied to Real until 2022.

The Welshman earned his bumper new wage as he struck twice in seven first-half minutes before Alvaro Morata added a third 14 minutes from time.

Bale outsprinted the Leganes defence as he latched onto Isco’s through ball and rounded Jon Ander Serantes before slotting home from a narrow angle.

His second was a scrappier finish as Bale pounced on a loose ball inside the area from Toni Kroos’s free-kick to bundle home from close range.

By contrast, Ronaldo endured another frustrating afternoon as he was kept scoreless for the fifth time in eight La Liga appearances this season.

The Portuguese has now gone five games without scoring at the Bernabeu – his longest drought since joining Real seven years ago.

“There is nothing wrong, he is not worried,” said Real boss Zinedine Zidane about Ronaldo’s slump in form. “He looks good, he is motivated, he likes to scores goals and even more so in this stadium, but he is calm.”

Morata completed the scoring for Zidane’s men when he collected Kroos’s pass before firing home at the near post.

A fine day for Madrid was rounded off by the return of Luka Modric from injury and they even kept a first clean sheet in 11 matches to stretch their unbeaten run in all competitions to 28 games.

Villarreal moved up to third with a 2-0 win over Real Betis.

Meanwhile, Valencia’s struggles continued as a 2-1 defeat at Celta Vigo leaves them just a point above the relegation zone.

Spanish La Liga results:

Real Madrid 3 Leganes 0
Celta Vigo 2 Valencia 1
Espanyol 0 Athletic Bilbao 0
Villarreal 2 Real Betis 0
Sevilla 1 Barcelona 2

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Liverpool surged to the top of the Premier League for the first time in the Juergen Klopp era at an exultant Anfield as another of their kaleidoscopic attacking displays overwhelmed Watford 6-1 on Sunday.

Liverpool players mob Liverpool’s Senegalese midfielder Sadio Mane (2L) after he scored the team’s fifth goal during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Watford at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on November 6, 2016. (AFP/Paul Ellis)

Klopp’s men took their unbeaten streak to 12 matches in all competitions as Sadio Mane scored twice and they blew away Watford’s challenge with three first-half goals in the space of 16 minutes.

First, Philippe Coutinho crossed for Mane to glance home a 20th-minute header before the Brazilian playmaker himself hammered home his fifth of the season three minutes later and Emre Can nodded in Adam Lallana’s cross just before the break.

Watford’s pain continued in the second half, Lallana setting up a tap-in for Roberto Firmino, Mane notching his sixth of the season and substitute Georginio Wijnaldum netting his first for the club soon after Daryl Janmaat had earned a miserly consolation for the visitors.

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Cristiano Ronaldo looks set to retire at Real Madrid after agreeing a bumper new five-year contract to be signed on Monday (Nov 7) that ties him to the Spanish giants until 2021.

Forward Cristiano Ronaldo will extend his contract with Real Madrid to 2021. (AFP/Javier Soriano)

“The official event for the renewal of Cristiano Ronaldo’s contract will take place tomorrow, Monday 7 November at 1:30pm in the presidential box at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium,” Madrid said in a statement on Sunday.

“The Portuguese forward will extend his contract until 30 June 2021 at the event attended by club president Florentino Perez and the player himself.”

Ronaldo, 31, follows in the footsteps of Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Toni Kroos as the latest Real star to agree a contract extension in recent weeks as the club prepares to serve a one-year transfer ban imposed by FIFA.

According to UK media reports Bale’s lucrative new six-year deal will earn the Welshman as much as £600,000 (US$750,000) a week before tax.

However, Ronaldo, whose previous deal expired in 2018 is expected to remain the highest earner at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ronaldo is already the world’s highest paid sportsman according to American magazine Forbes, raking in $88 million between his salary and endorsements in 2016.

Ronaldo has shot himself into the Real record books by plundering 371 goals in 360 games in his eight seasons since swapping Manchester United for Madrid for a then world record fee in 2009.

And Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane called on Ronaldo to end his playing days in Spain like he did when retiring from club football in 2006.

“What he has to do is finish his career here,” said Zidane after Sunday’s 3-0 win over Leganes extended Madrid’s lead at the top of La Liga.

“Cristiano is unique for what he has done and what he is doing. It is his dream to end his career here. I am happy that he can renew and finish with this white shirt like I did a long time ago.”

As well the individual accolades of winning the Ballon d’Or in 2013 and 2014 for the world’s best player since joining Madrid, Ronaldo has won eight trophies with Los Blancos.

Most notably he scored in the 2014 Champions League final against Atletico Madrid as Real ended a 12-year wait to win their 10th European Cup.

Ronaldo was Atletico’s scourge again as he netted the winning penalty in a shootout victory to once again win the Champions League in May.

His only La Liga title came under Jose Mourinho in the 2011/12 season.

However, arguably Ronaldo’s crowning glory came in leading Portugal to their first ever international tournament win at Euro 2016.

After suffering knee ligament damage in the Euro 2016 final, Ronaldo has endured a slow start to this season.

His scoreless performance against Leganes extended his worst ever goal drought at the Bernabeu to five matches.

However, Madrid’s confidence in handing out a huge deal that will secure Ronaldo’s position as the world’s highest paid sportsman has not been shaken.

“There is nothing wrong, he is not worried,” insisted Zidane. “He looks good, he is motivated, he likes to scores goals and even more so in this stadium, but he is calm.”

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Real Madrid, one of the world’s richest clubs, have returned €20.3 million to Madrid city council after the EU said it constituted “illegal” state aid, city officials said on Friday (Nov 4).

The EU Commission ordered Real Madrid and seven other Spanish football clubs to return millions of euros resulting from tax breaks and overpriced land transfers which it said had given the clubs unfair advantages. (Photo: AFP/Gerard Julien)

In a statement, the city council said it would inform the European Commission it had received the sum, which is equivalent to US$22.6 million, in line with its obligation to recover the funds.

In July, the EU Commission ordered Real Madrid and seven other Spanish football clubs to return millions of euros resulting from tax breaks and overpriced land transfers which it said had given the clubs unfair advantages.

Under EU anti-trust rules, governments are not allowed to provide state aid to commercial enterprises if it distorts market competition.

In 1998, Real Madrid paid the city €595,000 for a plot of municipal land but the deal ultimately fell through because of technical problems. In 2011, the city paid Real €22.7 million in compensation.

According to the Commission, that figure was over-stated by a massive €18.4 million and thus amounted to illicit aid.

City authorities then gave the club, the record 11-time European champions, until November to repay the sum, along with interest.

In October, Real Madrid vowed to appeal the EU ruling, saying the company that carried out the land valuation on behalf of the Commission was unqualified to do so.

Real have been involved in several controversial negotiations with the local council.

Back in 2001, Real sold off their old Ciudad Deportiva training ground for €480 million in a complicated deal involving the city council and property developers, thus wiping out a debt of €290 million and funding a spending spree on high-profile “galactico” players such as France legend Zinedine Zidane.

The EU investigated the deal but found no wrong-doing.

Real were forced earlier this year into amending plans to modernise their Santiago Bernabeu stadium after Spanish courts blocked their initial plans that included the usurping of public land on which to build a lucrative hotel and shopping centre.

In the 2015-2016 financial year, the club had a turnover of Ú620 million.

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FIFA fined Iran and slapped them with a warning over “several religious manifestations” during a recent World Cup qualifier in Tehran, one of numerous countries punished on Thursday (Nov 3)

Albania and Croatia received the harshest penalties, 50,000 Swiss francs each (US$51,000, €46,000), and another seven federations were also fined, FIFA said in a statement.

“All of these proceedings relate to incidents involving discriminatory and unsporting conduct by fans, including homophobic chants in some instances,” football’s world governing body said.

“In the case of Iran, the association was fined CHF 45,000 for several religious manifestations during a match.”

Also fined were Kosovo, Brazil, Paraguay, Estonia, Ukraine, Chile and Argentina.

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Manchester United left-back Luke Shaw hailed Bastian Schweinsteiger’s return to first-team training after the former Germany midfielder’s exile came to an end on Monday (Oct 31).

The 32-year-old has not featured since United manager Jose Mourinho’s pre-season arrival and was written off as an asset in the club’s financial results for the year ending June 30, 2016.

He was also omitted from United’s Europa League squad, but pictures on the club’s social media accounts showed him training with team-mates ahead of Thursday’s match at Fenerbahce in the competition.

“It’s great to see him back,” Shaw told AFP at United’s training complex.

“We found out the news a couple of days ago and it’s so great to have him back. He’s a big influence in the dressing room and obviously on the pitch, especially for the young players like myself.

“It’s a great boost for us, the experience and the quality that he brings.”

Shaw’s words were echoed by former United captain Bryan Robson.

“Bastian’s a great lad, speaks perfect English, has got great quality and vast experience,” said Robson, who was speaking at the launch of a United deal with Chinese mattress firm Mlily.

“For me he could definitely help the group, on the confidence side and just the know-how on how to play the game in that central role. I still think he could be valuable to the squad.”

Shaw was criticised by Mourinho after United’s 3-1 defeat at Watford last month and, following a spell on the sidelines, was left out of the squad for their recent 4-0 defeat at Chelsea.

IBRAHIMOVIC’S CONFIDENCE ‘SKY-HIGH’

But he has started United’s last two games, against Manchester City in the League Cup and Burnley in the Premier League, and says there are no issues between him and the manager.

“I was very unhappy to not be in the squad (against Chelsea), because I really wanted to play that game,” said Shaw, whose team are currently eighth in the Premier League table.

“But at the end of the day it’s the manager’s decision. After the game I spoke with him about it and I 100 percent agreed with what he said and why I wasn’t involved.

“Obviously we’ll keep that between us two. But it’s been really good the last couple of games. I’ve felt fitter and stronger.”

United were held to a 0-0 draw by Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday despite mustering 37 attempts at goal — their third successive league game without scoring.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was particularly profligate and has now gone five games without scoring, but Shaw does not believe the Swede’s famous self-confidence has been affected.

“No chance at all. I wouldn’t say that,” said the England left-back. “He’s a world-class player and I wouldn’t say it’s a dip. He’s been unlucky.

“He’s had chances, but the saves that have been happening from his shots are unbelievable, especially that volley he did at the weekend, with Heats (Burnley goalkeeper Tom Heaton) saving that.

“He’s a very confident person and his confidence is always sky-high.”

He added: “It’s a shame we couldn’t get the three points on Saturday, but we have to keep playing the way we’re playing. The goals are going to come.”

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