Real Madrid are two wins away from clinching La Liga title after victory over strugglers Alaves.

Karim Benzema (right) scored Real’s first and assisted Marco Asensio (left) for the second

Karim Benzema’s penalty put the league leaders in front after Ximo Navarro’s foul on Ferland Mendy.

Benzema then teed up Marco Asensio for the second, awarded after VAR overruled an incorrect offside decision.

Second-placed Barcelona trail by four points and, if they lose at Real Vallodolid on Saturday, Real can clinch the title by beating Granada on Monday.

Regardless, two wins – or one win and two draws – from their remaining three games will bring the championship to Zinedine Zidane’s side.

Alaves, three points above the relegation zone, were overseen by new manager Juan Lopez Muniz for the first time after a five-game losing run had led to Asier Garitano’s departure.

But the Basque underdogs almost took a shock lead in the opening minutes when former Stoke and Newcastle striker Joselu’s header crashed off the bar and Lucas Perez’s follow-up was cleared off the line by Raphael Varane.

Real survived that scare and led through Benzema’s penalty – the Frenchman’s 18th league goal of the season – although Alaves remained lively, with on-loan West Brom winger Oliver Burke their main threat, forcing a save from Thibaut Courtois.

Asensio eventually added the second, after VAR confirmed Benzema was onside in the build-up, and while Joselu brought a smart save from Courtois, former West Ham goalkeeper Roberto had to be alert at the other end to keep out efforts from Rodrygo and Benzema.

If Real can finish the job, it will be only their second title in eight years, with their most recent coming in 2016-17, during Zidane’s last spell as manager.

Source – BBC News

The club will discover whether their appeal against a two-year ban from UEFA competitions was successful on Monday.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed it will announce a decision on Manchester City and their appeal against a Champions League ban on July 13.

The Switzerland-based body will confirm the verdict at 10:30 local time on Monday, it said in a statement on Friday.

City’s hearing at CAS began on June 8 and concluded two days later, with proceedings having been conducted by video call.

The Premier League club are seeking to overturn UEFA’s decision to ban them from European competition for the next two seasons and fine them €30million (£27.2m) after finding them guilty of “serious breaches” of Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

City have persistently denied wrongdoing in relation to the matter, which stemmed from a series of articles published by Der Spiegel in November 2018, drawing on information purportedly obtained by the whistleblower Football Leaks.

“The club has always anticipated the ultimate need to seek out an independent body and process to impartially consider the comprehensive body of irrefutable evidence in support of its position,” read a statement at the time from City, who UEFA said had “failed to cooperate” with the investigation.

Speaking on Friday, City manager Pep Guardiola said he had faith in the club’s chances of success in their appeal.

“I’m so confident because I saw the arguments of the club that next season we will be there [in Champions League],” he said.

In an interview with HLN, star midfielder Kevin De Bruyne suggested he might be happy to stay at City in the event of a reduction to a one-year ban, although a two-year Champions League absence would force him to consider his options.

“I’m just waiting,” he said. “The club told us they are going to appeal, and they are almost 100 per cent sure they are right. That’s why I’m waiting to see what will happen. I trust my team.

“Once the decision is made, I will review everything. Two years would be long, but in the case of one year I might see.”

Manchester City currently sit second in the Premier League, with Liverpool having already clinched the league title.

City, who maintain a nine-point lead over third-place Chelsea, will face Brighton on Saturday.

Source – Goal.com

The Reds captain will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury but Klopp has confirmed he WILL lift the Premier League trophy later this month.

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Jurgen Klopp believes Jordan Henderson is now “a role model for future Liverpool captains” – as he confirmed the Reds skipper WILL lift the Premier League trophy despite his season-ending injury.

Henderson will miss the remainder of the campaign after picking up a knee issue in the win over Brighton on Wednesday, although Klopp revealed that there is no need for surgery and that the 30-year-old is expected to be back in time for the start of the 2020-21 season.

It means he will not be on the field for the game with Chelsea at Anfield on July 22, when Liverpool will be presented with the Premier League trophy for the first time.

Klopp, though, says Henderson will be there to lift the trophy – even if his trademark ‘shuffle’ is not on display.

“We will do everything possible to do it the right way,” he told reporters. “I have no idea what the rules are, if you cannot lift the trophy if you are not in the starting line-up or whatever? That is not a rule? OK, so Hendo will be there and he will wear the match kit, and everything will be fine.

“It was a big relief that the injury is not as serious as we first thought. He deserves [to lift the trophy] for what he did in the last years. But life is like life is. If he would have had surgery and been in hospital, then it would have been difficult. But he is not. His rehab starts immediately, he will be fine in a few weeks.

“We will find a solution where we can show the respect he deserves. They [the players] all want that, by the way. They want him to be there.

“That was one of the first things I heard after we won the league. Virgil [Van Dijk] told Hendo he could do ‘the shuffle’ again! I’m not sure if he will be able to do the shuffle now, but that is the smallest problem of all!”

Henderson’s rise as Liverpool skipper has been remarkable. Having had to fight for acceptance in the early years of his Reds career, he has now captained the side to European, World and Premier League glory, putting his name alongside some of the all-time legends at Anfield.

“He is absolutely,” Klopp said. “He is the only captain I had here at Liverpool, and I am happy that this was decision was made before I came in.

“It’s always the same way in life, people have to grow in new roles. He had to do that. It was the most difficult job you can have. After Stevie [Gerrard], whatever manner the person doing the job did it, it was going to be difficult.

“Hendo grew in that role, and now he is probably a role model for the next generation of Liverpool skippers. That’s absolutely great and it is nice to be part of this development.

“He became a man, age-wise, and he became a proper captain. That’s exactly how it should be, and on top of that he improved. He was always a good player, but he made big steps in his game as well.

“And when you are massively under pressure from outside, with big expectations, that is not easy to do. He achieved that, and after his career when he looks back, there are a lot of reasons why he should be proud.”

Source – Goal.com

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has rejected Brazilian club Santos’ case against Barcelona relating to the signing of Neymar in 2013, the Spanish club said in a statement on Tuesday.

Santos wanted compensation and damages from Barcelona over the way they recruited Neymar

Santos had presented a claim FIFA in 2015 asking for €61.3m (£54.7m) in compensation and damages after Barca made a payment to Neymar’s father and the family company N&N before signing the Brazil forward for an initial fee of €57m (£50.45m).

Barca said in a statement: “The CAS found that the contract between Santos and Neymar was ended by mutual agreement and that Barcelona did not flout the transfer agreement when it paid additional fees to the player’s father and the firm N&N.

“Barcelona did not commit any fraudulent conduct when it signed a pre-transfer agreement with Neymar nor when it signed the transfer with Santos.”

The statement added that Santos had been ordered by CAS to pay Barca’s legal fees of 20,000 Swiss Francs (£16,765.40).

Santos released a statement saying they “regret but respect the decision”, adding that the club was “undeniably hurt by the transfer”.

Barcelona cannot afford to re-sign Neymar this summer

Neymar’s transfer from his boyhood club to Barcelona was shrouded in legal troubles, leading Spain’s High Court to launch a fraud and corruption investigation into the player, who denied any wrongdoing, over the value of his transfer.

The investigation also led to Barca’s then-president Sandro Rosell, who brokered the deal, resigning from the club in 2014.

Neymar enjoyed a trophy-laden four years at Barcelona and formed a world-beating front three with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez before joining Paris Saint-Germain for a world-record fee of €222m (£198m).

Neymar then sued Barca over the partial payment of a loyalty bonus worth €26m (£23m) but lost the case and was ordered to pay his former club €6.7m (£5.93m) for breach of the last contract he signed with them in 2016.

Despite their legal battles, the Brazilian tried to force through a return to Barcelona last year and refused to train with PSG at one point, but the Catalans ultimately failed to meet the French side’s asking price.

Barca were expected to make another swoop for him this summer but president Josep Maria Bartomeu said on Wednesday the club were unlikely to make another offer for Neymar due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Source – Sky Sports

The team is one of the form teams in Serie A, and the forward believes they could have been title contenders

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Zlatan Ibrahimovic cheekily claimed Milan would have won Serie A had he signed at the start of the season as their upturn in form continued with a remarkable 4-2 win over Juventus.

Ibrahimovic returned to Milan – where he previously won the Scudetto in 2011 – as a free agent in January after leaving MLS and the LA Galaxy.

The 38-year-old striker is still having an impact in Italy‘s top flight and took his goal tally in his latest Milan stint to six when he scored from the penalty spot against Juve on Tuesday.

That strike halved a two-goal deficit after efforts from Adrien Rabiot and Cristiano Ronaldo and improbably propelled Milan to a come-from-behind success, with Franck Kessie, Rafael Leao and Ante Rebic also on target.

A three-goal flurry within five minutes helped shrink that deficit, with Rebic scoring the game’s final goal to seal an 18-minute span of dominance for Milan.

With the victory, Milan are up to fifth and have beaten title rivals Lazio and Juve in consecutive matches, leading a grinning star veteran Ibrahimovic to make a typically outlandish declaration.

Ibrahimovic told DAZN: “If I was here from the beginning of the season, we would have won the Scudetto!”

Ibrahimovic has been hailed as a role model for his Milan team-mates and added: “I am president, coach and player, but they only pay me as a footballer.”

The former Sweden international is out of contract at the end of the season, however, and he acknowledges he may not appear in front of a full San Siro again.

“There is still a month, so let’s see,” Ibrahimovic said amid growing speculation head coach Stefano Pioli will be replaced by Ralf Rangnick. “There are things that we cannot in control.

“Playing without fans is a pity, a strange situation. We do our job, we are professionals. It could have been the last time they have seen me live in San Siro.”

The forward’s first stint with Milan came between 2011-12, where he scored 56 goals in 85 appearances before making the move to Paris Saint-Germain.

Up next for Milan is a visit to Napoli on Sunday.

Source – Goal.com

The Red Devils have been credited with an interest in the midfielder who has enjoyed a fine individual 2019-20 campaign.

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Jack Grealish’s agent Jonathan Barnett has responded to rumours linking the Aston Villa playmaker with a move to Manchester United.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been trying to assemble a squad of young, homegrown talent at Old Trafford since being handed a three-year contract in March 2019.

Harry Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James were all brought in last summer, before a slight shift in the Norwegian’s transfer policy saw Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes join the club from Sporting CP in January.

United are beginning to emerge as a major force again after the successful integration of recent signings, but more reinforcements are expected to walk through the door at the end of the season.

Grealish is reportedly top of Solskjaer’s list of summer targets, with the 24-year-old currently plying his trade with Dean Smith’s struggling Villa side.

Villa look destined for relegation at the moment, having slipped four points adrift of safety with only five fixtures left to play, the latest of which will see them come up against Solskjaer’s in-form Red Devils on Thursday.

It has been suggested that United will snap up Grealish if Villa fail to avoid the drop, but Barnett insists his client is not yet thinking about his future.

Asked if the midfielder is closing in on a big-money transfer away from Villa Park, his agent told Stretty News: “Absolutely no deal has been done with anybody.

“I don’t think they’re [Aston Villa] looking at the Championship themselves, they believe that, hopefully, they’ll get out of the trouble they’re in.

“Jack believes it, he’s fighting hard, as hard as he can to stop that. That’s all that is on his mind at the moment.

“He’s not interested in anything else other than fighting to get Aston Villa out of any trouble.”

Barnett did, however, concede that Grealish would benefit from playing Champions League football whenever he does embark on the next stage of his fledgling career.

He added: “On the other hand, I think as far as his career is concerned, it would be great for him to play in the Champions League and develop his great skills and I’m not sure in which country or where that will be.

“But that conversation won’t happen now because all he wants to do is fight and help Aston Villa.”

Source – Goal.com

Manchester United midfielder Nemanja Matic has extended his contract with the club until June 2023.

Matic (left) joined Manchester United from Chelsea in 2017

The Serbia international, 31, joined United from Chelsea in 2017 and was due to be out of contract in June of 2021.

“As a player, I still have a lot more to give and achieve in my career and to do that with Manchester United will be a huge honour,” Matic said.

“This is a really exciting team to be part of, we have a good balance of youth and experience within the squad.”

Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he was “delighted” Matic has extended his deal, adding: “I know his experience, professionalism and leadership will be invaluable to this young talented group.

“Nemanja has been here for three seasons now and really understands the values of playing for Manchester United.”

Matic has played 27 times in all competitions for the club this season.

Solskjaer’s side have not lost since January – a run of 16 games in all competitions – and sit fifth in the Premier League table.

Source – BBC News

The tournament is due to start in Orlando, Florida this week, marking the league’s return from the Covid-19 pandemic.

FC Dallas have withdrawn from the MLS is Back Tournament starting this week after 10 players and one staff member tested positive for the coronavirus since joining the league’s setup ahead of the competition.

Three other players from two other clubs have also tested positive, out of a total of 557 players currently in Orlando, Florida.

MLS is keen to become the first major men’s sports league to return in the United States, following the resumption of the NWSL in June.

A statement from MLS read: “Major League Soccer announced today that FC Dallas have been withdrawn from the MLS is Back Tournament due to 10 players and one member of the technical staff confirmed positive for Covid-19.

“Each of these positive tests either occurred upon the club’s arrival or within a few days of arrival.

“The decision was made in the best interest of the health of all players and staff participating in the tournament, and in line with protocols created in conjunction with local and national health authorities and infectious disease experts.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garber added: “The health of everyone involved in our return to play has always been our top priority, and we will continue to make decisions consistent with that priority.”

While there is clearly concern and disappointment from FC Dallas, club president Dan Hunt accepted there was little other option but to withdraw.

“We absolutely agree with the league’s decision to withdraw FC Dallas from the MLS is Back Tournament out of safety concerns for our players and staff,” Hunt said.

“We’re looking forward to resuming the 2020 season once the entire club is healthy and in position to play competitive matches at the highest level.”

MLS has not yet announced how FC Dallas’ withdrawal will impact the tournament format, with the club originally scheduled to feature in Group B alongside the San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders and Vancouver Whitecaps.

The decision could also impact how the tournament will impact the league’s eventual return to regular season play, with group stage matches set to count towards the 2020 standings.

Following FC Dallas’ withdrawal, and with several other clubs yet to arrive in Orlando just days before the tournament is set to begin, Garber says that the league will continue to monitor the situation and make a more drastic decision should it become necessary.

“If there is a situation at any time that I believe that the protocols aren’t working, and the health and safety of our players is at risk, then I will make the decision to shut down the tournament,” Garber told the Associated Press.

In a further blow to the tournament, reigning MLS top scorer and MVP Carlos Vela will not take part.

Vela will reportedly remain at home with his pregnant wife, Saioa, and their three-year-old son, Romeo.

MLS gave players the option to skip the tournament for health or family reasons, with Vela the most high-profile player to do so.

More than 132,000 people are reported to have died during the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S. so far, as concerns continue to mount over the country’s handling of the crisis.

Source – Goal.com

The Blaugrana chief was critical of the video technology system, claiming that the results it produces were influenced toward other teams.

Photo by Getty Images

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has accused the VAR of favouring the same team as he hinted the system was stacked in favour of La Liga title rivals Real Madrid.

The Blaugrana official made the statement following Barca’s 4-1 victory over Villarreal, which saw the Catalans move four points behind Madrid with four games remaining.

Bartomeu referred to watching Madrid’s 1-0 victory over Athletic Club in San Mames on Sunday before revealing his dismay at the decisions made by the video technology.

Madrid’s game-winning goal came after the referee viewed the VAR pitch-side monitor to award a 76th-minute penalty dispatched by Sergio Ramos, while Athletic appeared unlucky to not receive a late spot-kick themselves.

“I watched San Mames match until almost the end of the second half,” Bartomeu said after Barca’s victory. “I feel bad because we have the best league in the world and VAR after coronavirus isn’t fair.

“It has changed some results and always favours the same team.”

Since the restart after the coronavirus-forced hiatus, Barcelona’s two point lead at the top of La Liga’s standings has evaporated with Madrid currently clear by four with the same number of matches left to play.

Barcelona’s draws against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Atletico Madrid have allowed Madrid to take the initiative, with Los Blancos winning all of their seven games since the restart – and only conceding two goals along the way.

Madrid finish the season with matches against Deportivo Alaves (home), Granada (away), Villarreal (home) and Leganes (away), while Barcelona face Espanyol (home), Real Valladolid (away), Osasuna (home) and Deportivo Alaves (away).

Barca’s victory against fifth-placed Villarreal was a positive performance, with Lionel Messi’s 18th and 19th assists breaking his personal record for most in a La Liga season.

A Pau Torres own goal in the third minute got Barca off to the best possible start, before the Yellow Submarine hit back through in-form attacker Gerard Moreno.

But then Messi took a hold of the match, setting up Luis Suarez in the 20th minute before helping to end Antoine Griezmann’s goal drought on the stroke of half-time.

Seventeen-year-old prodigy Ansu Fati then put the finishing touches on Barca’s victory four minutes from time with a well-taken solo goal.

Source – Goal.com

The Spurs boss tried not to take offence but couldn’t help throwing some shade back at the Gunners.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho claimed Arsenal “don’t have much to celebrate” after being asked about a recent social media post made by their north London rivals.

Following Spurs recent 3-1 loss against Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, the Gunners were quick to point out that they had travelled to the same venue last month and claimed a 2-1 win in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

After Tottenham’s defeat, Arsenal posted the highlights of their win over the Blades on Facebook with the caption: “It’s not easy beating Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.”

While a seemingly innocent joke, Mourinho didn’t hold back when asked about the post, citing the Gunners’ recent lack of success as a reason for it.

“I think if they were top of the league or fighting for top four in a really good moment they wouldn’t enjoy the problems of others. You only enjoy the problems of others when you are also in trouble,” Mourinho said.

“In the end it says more about them. They don’t have much to celebrate, they have to get every opportunity to do it. They are in a very similar situation to us in the table.

“I don’t like to connect the club with some post or tweet. Maybe I am wrong, maybe I am right, but the person that did it probably did it by themselves. I don’t believe it was [Mikel] Arteta that posted, I don’t believe it was [Granit] Xhaka or another captain that did it.

“It was probably some guy that was at home for three months working from home. No problem at home, but we will be waiting for them.”

Arsenal currently sit seventh in the Premier League, four points clear of Tottenham, who do have a game in hand.

Spurs have finished above the Gunners for the past three seasons and while Mourinho admits repeating that feat would be nice, he believes the club should be aiming higher.

“To be the champion of north London means nothing for me because I think you have to be much bigger than that and have much more ambitions than that,” Mourinho said.

“But I always look to the rivals of my clubs with different eyes. As you know I have been in so many big clubs with so many special rivals so I don’t hide that Arsenal in this moment is a very special rival.

“Yes I would like to finish in a better position in the table than them. But again I want my team to be bigger than that, I want my club to feel bigger than that.”

Source – Goal.com