football
SportEvening StandardErling Haaland to Manchester United? Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ‘still in touch’ with Borussia Dortmund star
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed he remains in regular contact with Erling Haaland, though remained coy on a potential future move to Manchester United for the Borussia Dortmund star. The prolific Haaland has become one of the world’s most formidable strikers having continued his rapid development since leaving RB Salzburg for the Bundesliga last January.
- SportReuters
Spanish clubs' grip on Europe slides further with three home defeats
The warning signs flashed last year and after three home defeats in this season's Champions League last 16, the decline of Spanish football on the European stage is becoming ever harder to ignore. The country's pride was already hurting from Barcelona being hammered 4-1 by Paris St Germain and Sevilla losing 3-2 to Borussia Dortmund, but Atletico Madrid's limp 1-0 loss against Chelsea on Tuesday was perhaps the hardest defeat to swallow. Atletico have been the best side in Spain all season but against a Chelsea side still learning the ropes under Thomas Tuchel, they were utterly toothless and failed to have a shot on target.
SportAFP NewsBayern Munich plot quarter-final course by routing Lazio
Holders Bayern Munich brushed off their recent poor domestic form by throwing down a Champions League marker with an emphatic 4-1 win at Lazio in Tuesday's last-16 first leg to take a "huge step" towards the quarter-finals.
SportAFP NewsMusiala shines as Bayern Munich rout Lazio
Holders Bayern Munich brushed off their recent poor domestic form to throw down a Champions League marker with an emphatic 4-1 win at Lazio in Tuesday's last 16, first leg.
SportReutersLewandowski hits goal landmark as Bayern Munich hammer Lazio in Rome
Robert Lewandowski became the Champions League’s third top scorer of all time as holders Bayern Munich put one foot in the quarter-finals with a 4-1 thrashing of Lazio in their last-16 first leg in Rome on Tuesday. In doing so, he surpassed former Real Madrid striker Raul in the competition scoring charts to reach a total only bettered by Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo, with 134 goals, and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, with 119. Bayern’s 17-year-old midfielder Jamal Musiala doubled their advantage with a well-taken strike that made him the youngest English player to score in the competition.
SportEvening StandardHertha Berlin boss on Matteo Guendouzi development: ‘It’s like he’s in puberty!’
Arsenal midfielder Matteo Guendouzi has been likened to a teenager going through puberty by his current manager Pal Dardai. Guendouzi is midway through a season on loan at German side Hertha Berlin, where Dardai is in charge. The Frenchman was allowed to leave the Gunners on a temporary basis last summer, after it became clear he was not in Mikel Arteta’s plans following his exile during the latter part of last season.
SportReutersGladbach ready to face best team in the world in City: Rose
Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Marco Rose heaped praise on their Champions League last 16 opponents Manchester City ahead of Wednesday's first leg, saying his players would be facing arguably the world's best team. City are on a spectacular 18-game winning run across all competitions and are clear favourites, especially with the game having been moved to Budapest due to Germany's COVID-19 travel restrictions. City are also on course for the Premier League title, having carved out a 10-point lead at the top of the table with Pep Guardiola's team in superb form.
SportAFP News'Nothing to lose' - Rose urges Gladbach to be brave against Man City
Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Marco Rose insists his side has nothing to lose against high-flying Manchester City, who are on an 18-match winning streak, going into Wednesday's Champions League last 16, first leg tie.
SportAFP NewsGladbach face Man City with Rose under pressure after departure news
Borussia Moenchengladbach take on high-flying Manchester City in the Champions League Wednesday with the German club's coach Marco Rose struggling to deal with the fall-out from the announcement he will join Dortmund next season.
SportReutersBenteke's last-gasp goal hands Crystal Palace win over Brighton
Christian Benteke's stoppage-time volley earned Crystal Palace a dramatic 2-1 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Monday, despite the visitors being second best for much of the contest. Palace took the lead as loan signing Jean-Philippe Mateta scored his first goal in English football with an improvised finish in the 28th minute. Brighton improved after the break and pulled level in the 55th minute through Joel Veltman, who swept home his first goal for Graham Potter's side as the ball broke loose in the penalty area.
SportThe TelegraphJulian Nagelsmann will be Tottenham's top target if Jose Mourinho fails to arrest decline
Tottenham Hotspur will place Julian Nagelsmann at the top of a list of targets to replace head coach Jose Mourinho if the Portuguese cannot arrest the club’s dismal run of results and save his job. Mourinho faces a crucial 12 days which could help to determine whether or not he is in charge of Spurs next season, or whether the club make a move to try to appoint Nagelsmann. Nagelsmann is not thought to be prepared to leave RB Leipzig in mid-season, which may buy Mourinho time to turn things around, but the forthcoming fixtures against Wolfsberger in the Europa League, Burnley, Fulham and Crystal Palace could define his future if they go badly. Mourinho is understood to retain the support of chairman Daniel Levy and the next four games over a 12-day period are seen as a chance to reinvigorate Tottenham’s season, which is in danger of imploding following a run of five defeats in six Premier League games. Leading 4-1 from last week’s first leg, Spurs are on course to progress to the last 16 of the Europa League against Wolfsberger, who they entertain on Wednesday night, and, as Mourinho pointed out himself, the competition offers the club a route into the Champions League. Mourinho insisted that he will not give up on a top-four place in the Premier League and, trailing West Ham United by nine points, Tottenham need to quickly make up ground on their rivals. The next three league games, after which Tottenham travel to bitter rivals Arsenal, offer the perfect opportunity to turnaround the club’s league form and Mourinho will be looking for a maximum nine-point haul. A defeat in any of the games to Burnley, Fulham and Palace would be a huge blow to Spurs and Mourinho’s hopes of finishing high enough to be sure of retaining his job for next season. Mourinho will also be under pressure to give on-loan Gareth Bale a chance in those games after the Welshman also helped Tottenham fight back from two goals down against West Ham. Bale produced his best 45-minute performance since his return to Spurs on Sunday and Mourinho will now be expected to offer him an opportunity to build on that. Tottenham have a Carabao Cup final to look forward to against Manchester City, but winning that and delivering a first trophy for the club since 2008 may not guarantee Mourinho holds on to his job next season if his team crash out of the Europa League and finish in mid-table in the Premier League. Julian Nagelsmann interview: Inside the mind of Europe's brightest young manager Nagelsmann, widely regarded as the most exciting young coach in world football, would be Tottenham’s first choice to replace Mourinho if Levy is forced into making a change. And it is thought the German might be open to the prospect of moving to the Premier League at the end of what is his second season in charge at Leipzig. It was Nagelsmann’s Leipzig team who last season beat Mourinho’s Tottenham 4-0 on aggregate to knock them out of the Champions League - a result that made the then 32-year-old the youngest ever coach to win a Champions League knock-out tie. Leipzig are trailing 2-0 to Liverpool in this season’s last-16, but Nagelsmann is enjoying another impressive season with his team second in the Bundesliga, just two points behind Bayern Munich. Other than poor results, Mourinho has faced criticism over Tottenham’s performances this season and Nagelsmann’s philosophy appears more in tune with the desire of the club’s fans. Speaking to Telegraph Sport last week, Nagelsmann said: “Winning is what matters and winning is entertaining. I never want to change my offensive and attacking football because I love it and I love it when the fans have an emotional time in the stadium. So I will not change this. But if there is a time when I cannot win like this, then I will have to change.” Brendan Rodgers has been admired by Tottenham for some time and has already turned the job down once before, but he would be incredibly difficult and expensive to coax away from Leicester City. Leicester are on course to qualify for next season’s Champions League and Rodgers is one of the highest-paid managers in the Premier League.
SportReutersBayern 'almost unplayable' but Lazio capable of causing upset - Inzaghi
Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi conceded that Bayern Munich are almost unplayable ahead of the two sides' Champions League last 16 first leg in Rome on Tuesday, but believes his team are still capable of springing a surprise. However, Inzaghi believed his side can cause an upset. "We know that they are almost unplayable, but even in the past we started underdogs and then surprised everyone," Inzaghi told a news conference.
SportAFP News'No excuses' - Flick demands embattled Bayern bounce back at Lazio
Bayern Munich coach Hansi Flick insists there can be no excuses when the Champions League holders face Lazio away in Tuesday's last 16, first leg after a recent dip in form.
SportReutersWe need to be alert from the start against Lazio - Bayern's Flick
Bayern Munich will be alert from the start of their Champions League last 16 first leg at Lazio on Tuesday to avoid the mistakes they made in their recent two Bundesliga games, coach Hansi Flick said on Monday. Bayern have won six titles in the past nine months but have stumbled in their last two league matches with a 3-3 draw against visiting Arminia Bielefeld and a 2-1 defeat on Saturday by Eintracht Frankfurt. Both times Bayern fell two goals behind and had to battle their way back into the game, as has so often been the case this season.
SportAFP NewsInter on top, Bayern, Atletico and PSG all stumble: Talking points from around Europe
Inter's victory in the Milan derby leaves them in a strong position in Serie A, while title races are alive around Europe after defeats for Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain at the weekend.
SportReutersBundesliga talking points
Schalke 04 are gradually coming to terms with the prospect of what looks to be a likely relegation and their 4-0 loss in the Ruhr valley derby against Borussia Dortmund only added to their current misery. Even before the derby, board member Alexander Jobst had called the prospect of relegation "absolutely realistic". Schalke are in last place on nine points, nine behind Arminia Bielefeld who occupy the relegation playoff spot.
SportReutersPremier League talking points
So much has been written about the flair with which Pep Guardiola's sides play football but their 1-0 win at Arsenal on Sunday was a masterclass in the art of keeping the opposition away from your own goal. It was their 13th successive Premier League win, and 10th clean sheet in that run, and had Guardiola waxing lyrical about veteran defensive midfielder Fernandino whose match craft helps to make City such a tough side to put under pressure. Jose Mourinho has a dilemma: Gareth Bale's second-half display in Sunday's 2-1 loss at West Ham United was at times majestic and showed why fans are demanding the Welshman should start Premier League games.
SportAFP NewsAfrican players in Europe: Salah tumbles to first derby loss
Egyptian star Mohamed Salah suffered his first defeat in a Merseyside derby as troubled Liverpool fell 2-0 to arch Premier League rivals Everton at the weekend.
SportAFP NewsJaded Bayern struggling to shore up porous defence
Bayern Munich are showing chinks in their armour ahead of Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg at Lazio after dropping points and leaking goals in the Bundesliga.
SportAFP NewsLeipzig brush past Hertha Berlin to close on Bayern
RB Leipzig swept past Hertha Berlin with a 3-0 away win on Sunday to cut Bayern Munich's lead at the top of the Bundesliga table to just two points.
SportReutersLeipzig power past Hertha to close in on leaders Bayern
RB Leipzig eased past Hertha Berlin 3-0 on Sunday to cut the gap with leaders Bayern Munich to two points with their fourth consecutive Bundesliga victory. Marcel Sabitzer put the visitors in front in the 28th minute with a ferocious shot from 30 metres that went straight into the top corner with Hertha goalkeeper Rune Jarstein frozen to the spot on a sunny afternoon in the capital. Nordi Mukiele then took advantage of a mistake by Hertha's Matteo Guendouzi in the box to drill the ball in and double their lead in the 71st.
SportAFP NewsLuis Alberto lifts Lazio to fourth in Serie A before Bayern clash
Luis Alberto scored the only goal as Lazio battled past Sampdoria 1-0 to move fourth in Serie A on Saturday before they take on holders Bayern Munich in the Champions League last 16 next week.
SportAFP NewsBayern Munich crash to Frankfurt defeat in Bundesliga
Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich crashed to a 2-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday as the club world champions gave renewed hope to their title rivals, three days before their Champions League last-16 first leg at Lazio.
SportReutersDortmund crush Schalke 4-0 in Ruhr derby with Haaland double
Visitors Borussia Dortmund crushed Schalke 04 4-0 in their Ruhr valley derby on Saturday, with two goals from Erling Haaland, to earn their first win in three league matches and a big shot of confidence in their battle for a top-four finish. Dortmund, who have won two of their last seven league matches and are at risk of missing out on Champions League football next season, struck twice before halftime. They have now made it two wins in a row this week after also beating Sevilla in Spain 3-2 in their Champions League Round-of-16 first leg.
SportAFP NewsRose blames departure announcement for shock Gladbach defeat
Borussia Moenchengladbach coach Marco Rose blamed Saturday's 2-1 home defeat against strugglers Mainz on the announcement earlier this week that he will take charge of Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund next season.
