Liverpool s perfect start in the Premier League has stoked already considerable anticipation at Anfield that Jurgen Klopp s side could be set for a breakthrough season.
Last term s run to the Champions League final demonstrated a devastating, high-octane attacking team ready to go toe-to-toe with the best and win.
An impressive close season in the transfer market, with Brazil internationals Alisson and Fabinho arriving alongside Naby Keita and Xherdan Shaqiri, has added quality and depth to Klopp s squad in key positions.
The two-time Bundesliga champion is yet to win a trophy in England, while Liverpool s wait for their 19th top-flight crown dates back to 1990-91.
We will have a much clearer indication of whether all that is about to change after the Re…
Lionel Messi grabbed his first goal of the Major League Soccer season as he grabbed a 1-1 draw for Inter Miami with a stoppage-time equaliser at LA Galaxy.
Dejan Joveljic’s goal 15 minutes from time had looked like earning Galaxy the win.
But Messi popped up two minutes into added time, exchanging a pair of one-twos with Jordi Alba as he made his way into the box before lifting the ball over goalkeeper John McCarthy.
Taking a point back home +1
— Inter Miami CF (@InterMiamiCF)
Inter dominated possession, but managed just five shots in target throughout the match as Galaxy came closest to breaking the deadlock.
Riqui Puig missed a golden opportunity after 13 minutes when his penalty was saved by Drake Callender.
They had to wa…
Manuel Pellegrini was pleased with the professionalism Manchester City showed in reaching the League Cup semi-finals.
The Premier League side continued their impressive form in front of goal with a 3-1 victory over Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
Aleksandar Kolarov opened the scoring with a perfectly placed free-kick, and an Edin Dzeko double put the visitors in control long before Lloyd Dyer s late consolation for the Championship outfit.
Manchester City were beaten League Cup semi-finalists in 2010 and 2012, and Pellegrini is eager for his men to go all the way this time around.
It was a very professional win, he said. It is not easy to play three games in one week, but I think the team played well.
It was a good first half; we had possession an…
Australia beat Poland 2-1 in a friendly Tuesday, as the Socceroos build up to January s 2011 Asian Cup and the White Eagles hone their skills for their home-turf campaign as Euro 2012 hosts.
Seeking to burnish their image after a disappointing World Cup, the Australians tasted their first victory since exiting the tournament in South Africa in June.
With the first half ending 2-1 one of the Socceroos goals was a penalty Poland failed to capitalise on second-half dominance and numerical advantage after Australia s Brett Emerton was sent off.
The match in the southern city of Krakow was their second ever meeting.
In the first, at the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Poland won 6-1 in the semi-finals and went on to take the silver medal.
Tuesday s match …
Former Bayern Munich boss Ottmar Hitzfeld feels the return of Jerome Boateng could be essential to Pep Guardiola s Champions League hopes this season.
The 27-year-old suffered a groin injury in January and is not expected to be available again until April, meaning he faces a battle to be fit for the quarter-final and semi-final stage should the Bundesliga champions progress that far.
Boateng was left humbled by a brilliant solo goal from Lionel Messi during last season s semi-final against Barcelona, but Hitzfeld maintains the Germany international will be crucial to Bayern s chances of lifting Europe s top prize for the first time since 2013.
It is not easy to miss that many defensive players, he told Omnisport. Jerome Boateng especially is a huge loss for Baye…
Sebastian Larsson has ended speculation about his future at Sunderland by signing a new three-year contract at the Stadium of Light.
The Sweden international midfielder arrived at the club from Birmingham City in 2011 and has gone on to make over 120 appearances for Sunderland, including 41 in all competitions last season.
Larsson s previous deal was set to expire at the end of the month, but he has snubbed offers from rival clubs in favour of being part of Gus Poyet s plans for the future.
I m delighted to have signed a new deal with the club, he told Sunderland s official website.
I ve had talks with Gus and (sporting director) Lee Congerton and I feel that this is a club moving in the right direction and I want to be part of it.
I had a few options but I…
Lionel Messi has sensationally told Barcelona he wants to leave the club.
Barca captain Messi, whose contract runs until June 2021, is said to have a clause in his deal that allowed him to leave on a free transfer at the end of the 2019-20 campaign.
It was required to be activated before the end of May but, due to the season being extended into August amid the coronavirus pandemic, the six-time Ballon d Or winner has told the Catalan giants he still intends to make use of it.
Messi last week held talks with head coach Ronald Koeman, who replaced Quique Setien at the helm after Barca were humiliated 8-2 by Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals.
The 33-year-old reportedly told Koeman he was leaning towards a departure from Camp Nou and St…
Paulo Dybala scored a wonderful free-kick to earn Juventus a 1-0 home win over Atletico Madrid that secured top spot in Group D of the Champions League.
Atletico, knocked out by Juve last season, had the better of the first half but moments before the interval Dybala whipped a superb set-piece in from a narrow angle to open the scoring.
Although Joao Felix s introduction from the bench improved Atletico, it was Juve substitute Federico Bernardeschi who went closest to the game s second goal when he hit the post on Tuesday.
Juve, who welcomed back Cristiano Ronaldo, were already through but with 13 points Maurizio Sarri s side now cannot be caught at the summit with Atletico needing a win when the group stage ends next month.
Dybala had an early effort …
What the papers say
Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha could move to French giants Paris St Germain on a free transfer this summer, the Sun reports. The 30-year-old scored seven goals in 27 games for Crystal Palace in all competitions last season and is reportedly attracting interest from the Ligue 1 champions.
After securing the signature of Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool are looking to add more strength to their midfield with the club linked with Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse, the Mirror said. The 28-year-old is in high-demand across the Premier League after Southampton’s relegation to the Championship.
Chelsea are weighing up a deal with Champions League runners up Inter Milan, according to the Sun. The Blues are reportedly offering the I…
Jude Bellingham has praised England manager Gareth Southgate for the “amazing job” he has done in easing him into the set-up and aiding the ascension of fellow young stars.
With talent and maturity that belies his tender years, the nascent 19-year-old midfielder has established himself as a key player for the national team and has two major tournaments under his belt.
Bellingham has won 24 caps under Southgate and only a knee injury has prevented the England star from adding to that tally in the upcoming Euro 2024 qualification double-header against Malta and North Macedonia.
“I think Gareth has done an amazing job in easing me in,” Bellingham told the PA news agency. “I think England as a country are famous for kind of getting carried away, if you like…