Liverpool can take heart from a series of incredible European comebacks in their proud history when Barcelona visit Anfield for the second leg of the Champions League semi-final.
Barca hold a 3-0 lead from the opening match thanks mostly to the enduring genius of Lionel Messi while Liverpool s slim chances of reaching a second successive final have been further hit by a double injury blow.
After being restricted to a cameo appearance from the bench last week, Roberto Firmino s groin injury has ruled him out of the return, while Mohamed Salah is also unavailable due to a head injury sustained in the weekend win at Newcastle United.
It all points to a huge task facing Jurgen Klopp s side but if anyone can produce a European comeback for the ages, surely it is L…
Real Madrid are interested in signing Julian Alvarez from Manchester City in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that the Argentina international striker is not happy with his current playing time at the defending Premier League champions, and that last season’s La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners Madrid want to bring him to the Santiago Bernabeu.
City have offered Alvarez a new five-year contract with a better salary, but it is not clear if the 23-year-old will sign him. The young striker linked up with City in the summer of 2022 after spending the second half of last season on loan at River Plate. Alvarez won the 2022 Qatar World Cup with Argentina, but he is playing second fiddle to Norway international striker Erling Haaland at City.
Eden Hazard is suffering through a sad moment in his career, according to Belgium boss Roberto Martinez.
Form and fitness woes have dogged Hazard since his big-money move to Real Madrid from Chelsea in 2019.
The 30-year-old soared to global prominence during a glittering seven-year spell at Stamford Bridge during which he won the Premier League twice, but he has failed to recapture that brilliance at the Santiago Bernabeu.
With Hazard only on the fringes of Carlo Ancelotti s Madrid team this season, Martinez conceded the forward is not having the best of times.
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— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
In the recent years, he has lived with it, but he has been concentrated on the national team, said Martinez, whose side se…
Liverpool returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion as they slammed Arsenal 4-0, with Trent Alexander-Arnold lauding an outstanding second-half display.
The Reds lost 3-2 to West Ham before the international break and had drawn their last Premier League game at Anfield but bounced back in style on Saturday.
Sadio Mane, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and Takumi Minamino were on target in the victory, with the latter three scoring after the break.
Alexander-Arnold, who assisted three of England s goals in the 10-0 win over San Marino on Monday, set up two of Liverpool s strikes.
He provided a wicked cross for Mane s opener and also layed up Minamino s effort, which came just 56 seconds after the forward had come on from the bench.
Since the start o…
Erik ten Hag is convinced “it is only a matter of time” until Manchester United show their “true selves” after a poor start to the campaign was compounded in the Manchester derby.
Sunday’s 3-0 home humbling at the hands of neighbours Manchester City provided the exclamation mark on a difficult start to the Dutchman’s second season in the hotseat.
United were outclassed and outthought for the most part at Old Trafford, where Ten Hag’s men will attempt to bounce back in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round clash against Newcastle.
“At Manchester United, every game involves high stakes,” the Red Devils boss said ahead of the repeat of last season’s Carabao Cup final.
“Every single day, there is pressure on everybody involved with this…
Memphis Depay revealed certain rules stopped him from swapping Lyon for Barcelona in the previous transfer window.
Barca were heavily linked with a move for Depay following the arrival of new head coach Ronald Koeman, who allowed striker Luis Suarez to leave for Atletico Madrid.
The Netherlands international had agreed terms with the Catalan giants but a deal between the clubs could not be reached for the transfer deadline on Monday.
Depay s contract with Lyon is due to expire in June and he hopes by continuing to impress with the Ligue 1 side he can still secure a move to Barca.
Asked about the prospective move following Netherlands 1-0 friendly loss to Mexico on Wednesday, Depay told NOS: It was pretty close.
We don t need to go into all the de…
Lionel Messi is so good he should be banned until it can be proved he is human, Iran boss Carlos Queiroz has joked.
The Argentina star, a five-time Ballon d Or winner, has been in sensational form once more this season during Barcelona s hunt for a second treble in four seasons.
Messi also scored a hat-trick in his country s final World Cup qualifier over Ecuador, sealing a 3-1 victory that secured their place at the finals in Russia this year.
Queiroz s side came close to a famous 0-0 draw with Argentina at the last World Cup in Brazil, only for Messi to score an injury-time winner in Belo Horizonte.
The 64-year-old believes that moment underlined the genius of the diminutive forward.
I ve always said that Messi is an extraordinary player, he to…
A female United States gymnast has tested positive for coronavirus while training in Tokyo ahead of the Olympics, the US Olympic Committee (USOC) has confirmed.
The unnamed athlete was an alternate – a team member included as a reserve – and will now isolate along with another team member who has been identified as a close contact.
The health and safety of our athletes, coaches and staff is our top priority, a USOC statement read.
We can confirm that an alternate on the women s artistic gymnastics team tested positive for COVID-19.
Out of respect for the individual s privacy, we cannot provide more information at this time.
The positive test comes just four days before the delayed Games begins, with fellow US female gymnast Simone Biles s…
Dani Alves says winning Olympic gold is his greatest achievement in football after Brazil overcame Spain to reign at the Games once again.
Brazil secured back-to-back golds on Saturday, following on from their Rio 2016 triumph with a 2-1 victory after extra time.
Mikel Oyarzabal levelled to bring Spain back into the game after Matheus Cunha s opener but Malcolm came off the bench to capture Olympic glory.
Alves, a three-time Champions League winner who also has six LaLiga titles on his resume, proclaimed Tokyo to be his greatest success in football.
To be sincere, yes, the 38-year-old responded when asked if this was his greatest prize. Because the others are every year, and I have competed time and time again, but with this medal, this is my last chanc…
Another season, another unfulfilled Champions League campaign for Paris Saint-Germain.
In a position to reach the quarter-finals, Thomas Tuchel s PSG sensationally crashed out on away goals against Manchester United.
After leaving Old Trafford with a 2-0 win over United last month, the Ligue 1 champions returned to the French capital in the box seat.
However, a dramatic 3-1 defeat on Wednesday secured by Marcus Rashford s VAR-assisted 94th-minute penalty sent PSG packing.
The stunning result created Champions League history it was the first time a team had progressed to the next round in the competition having lost by two or more goals at home in the first leg of a knockout match.
It also heaped further misery on PSG and their Q…