The quarter-final line-up for the Champions League will be completed this week, with Tuesday s ties both finely balanced.
Manchester United had David de Gea to thank for a battling 0-0 draw in Sevilla, but will be hoping to spend more time on the front foot at Old Trafford.
Roma have the benefit of an away goal from the first leg against Shakhtar Donetsk, but will need to score at least once to progress after losing 2-1.
Here we look at some of the best Opta numbers ahead of the two matches.
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk
4 Shakhtar Donetsk have won four of their five competitive games against Roma (L1), all in the Champions League.
52 More than half of the teams who lose …
Pele is suing Samsung for $30million for using a lookalike of him in an advert after failing to reach an agreement for the Brazilian football great s image to be used.
According to a court filing obtained by Omnisport, the ad includes a facial photo of a black man who very closely resembles Pele.
That photo serves as a backdrop for a superimposed photograph of a Samsung television, which depicts a soccer match in which one of the players is seen making a modified bicycle or scissors-kick, perfected and famously used by Pele.
Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes do Nascimento, has been retired since 1971. The lawsuit, filed March 16 in Chicago, states the majority of Pele s income is now derived from (his) ability to license his name and persona to commercial…
Barcelona midfielder Ilkay Gundogan wants to join Galatasaray, according to . The reporter has claimed that Gundogan has told his agent to try to get him a move to Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray.
Terzi claimed that this is what the German star told his agent: “I am approaching the end of my football career. I don’t want to leave football without wearing the Galatasaray shirt.”
Gundogan joined Barcelona only in the summer of 2023 on a free transfer after leaving Manchester City with whom he won the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup last season. The 33-year-old German midfielder has made 12 starts and one substitute appearance in La Liga for Barcelona so far this season. Gundogan has scored one goal and given three assists in those games. The …
Inter coach Roberto Mancini has no idea where Zlatan Ibrahimovic will end up after the star striker announced his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.
Ibrahimovic, 34, said on Friday he would leave the Ligue 1 champions at the end of the season.
That is likely to put a host of Europe s top clubs on high alert, with Inter – the team with whom he spent three campaigns, including two under Mancini – among them.
But Mancini, whose future is uncertain, said he had no idea about Ibrahimovic s plans.
Ibrahimovic has put together an extraordinary season, he told a news conference on Friday.
It is strange that PSG let him get away. He s a player who can change games and is very strong.
I don t know where he will go.
Ibrahimovic won t…
Barcelona will wear a limited-edition jersey donning the logo of rapper and singer Drake during Sunday s El Clasico against Real Madrid.
The idea stems from Barca s relationship with audio streaming subscription service Spotify, whose branding usually appears on the front of the Blaugrana s shirts and who own the naming rights to Camp Nou.
But rather than Spotify branding on jerseys this weekend, Barca will instead sport Drake s OVO Sound logo – essentially the silhouette of an owl.
It is a move designed to celebrate Drake becoming the first artist to break the 50 billion streams barrier on Spotify.
First artist to hit 50 billion streams. First artist to share the shirt.
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)
The four-time Grammy winner…
Manchester City have full focus on winning a maiden Champions League title, Raheem Sterling explained ahead of Tuesday s meeting with Real Madrid.
City were beaten by Chelsea in last season s final, but remain in contention to end their European drought after overcoming Atletico Madrid in a tense quarter-final tie earlier this month.
Next up for the Premier League leaders is a semi-final clash with Los Blancos, against whom Pep Guardiola s side are unbeaten in their last three home Champions League meetings (one win, two draws).
Among City players, only Riyad Mahrez (six goals, one assist) has bettered Sterling s five Champions League goal contributions this season (three goals, two assists), and the England winger is highly motivated to make up for past fail…
Barcelona captain Andres Iniesta should keep playing football until he has only one leg , former Spain international Marcos Senna has said.
The 32-year-old returned to training this week after sitting out the 3-0 derby win over Espanyol and is expected to be available for Saturday s LaLiga clash with Villarreal.
Senna won Euro 2008 as part of the Spain side that counted Iniesta, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Cesc Fabregas, David Silva and Santi Cazorla among their imperious midfield options.
And the former Villarreal man says Barca s number eight remains his favourite team-mate, telling Mundo Deportivo: I have a long list but Iniesta is my favourite player.
For me, he has to play until he has only one leg, until he has to be dragged away. He s a phenomenon. I coul…
Trials designed to stop players surrounding referees during flashpoint moments could get the green light at a meeting of football’s lawmaking body in London on Tuesday.
Tackling poor participant behaviour is a top priority for the International Football Association Board (IFAB) and the PA news agency understands it is set to be the dominant topic at the organisation’s annual business meeting at a Heathrow hotel.
Players surrounding referees and assistants after controversial incidents has become a common sight in the modern game, but the IFAB is determined to limit contact in such situations to a respectful dialogue between the referee and the team captain.
Precisely how that is achieved is still to be worked out, with the IFAB understood to be keen to run so…
It was a rumour for the past few weeks and now it materialized. Ashley Barnes signs new contract with Burnley and says he would like to see out his playing days at Turf Moor. The forward has penned a new deal that will see him stay at the club until June 2022.
Barnes turned 30 at the end of October and he confirmed that finishing his career at Burnley is something he would like to happen. By the time that contract would run out, Barnes would be almost 33 years old and remaining a Claret past that timeframe seems unrealistic at this point.
The striker played 146 Premier League matches for Burnley, which is a club record, could potentially stay until 2023, as there is an option for an extra year in his new contract. Barnes joined Burnley in 2014 from Brighton for an undis…
Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele said he is upbeat over his future with the LaLiga giants amid ongoing speculation.
Dembele is out of contract in 2022 and reports claim the Frenchman is nearing a three-year extension at Camp Nou.
The 23-year-old, who has been hampered by injuries since arriving from Borussia Dortmund in 2017, was heavily linked with Manchester United prior to the 2020-21 campaign.
Asked about his future before Saturday s 2-1 Clasico loss to bitter rivals and reigning LaLiga champions Real Madrid, Dembele told beIN SPORTS: I still have a year of contract left.
We have eight matches ahead to achieve our objective of winning la Liga. I have no doubt that our team will fight until the end. Visca el Barça!
— Joan Laporta Estruch (…