Shakhtar Donetsk travel to Belgium on Thursday keen to maintain their unbeaten run in the Europa League and book a quarter-final place at the expense of Anderlecht.
Mircea Lucescu s side earned a 3-1 lead in the first leg last week thanks to Taison, Olexandr Kucher and Eduardo and are strong favourites to reach the Europa League last eight for the second time, although Frank Acheampong s away goal gives Anderlecht hope of turning the tie around in front of their home fans.
The last time the Ukrainian side progressed to the quarter-finals, they went on to lift the trophy in 2009, beating Werder Bremen 2-1 after extra time in the final in Istanbul.
Lucescu opted to rest some of his star names against Dnipro in the league last weekend to ensure they are fully …
Alvaro Morata and Rodri have been charged by UEFA following their actions during Spain s trophy celebrations after winning Euro 2024.
The Spanish duo, who were a key part of La Roja s record fourth European Championship success, were at the centre of complaints from Gibraltar s FA over unacceptable chanting during the trophy parade in Madrid.
Manchester City midfielder Rodri could be seen chanting Gibraltar is Spanish on the stage, with Morata later encouraging the crowd to join in with the same chant.
Last Friday, UEFA confirmed they had opened an investigation and have since come to their conclusion.
The pair have been charged with violating the basic rules of decent conduct, using sporting events for manifestations of a non-sporting nature, and brin…
The Premier League will return to action this weekend following 2023’s final international break.
Here, the PA news agency takes a statistical look at how things stand through the first 12 games of the season.
Goals galore
Three 0-0s from 120 matches so far this season
The Premier League keeps on serving
…
Call it a coming of age if you like, or was this just a ringing endorsement of Pep Guardiola s verdict?
Either way, Arsenal are a thrill-seeker s delight at the top of the Premier League.
It used to be said that a 21st birthday marked a key to the door moment, a moment of growing maturity and responsibility.
A new level of trust was what it signified, and perhaps Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka can now be trusted to deliver on their promise for Arsenal. Their abundant talent has never been in question, but now it s about consistency, being a grown-up in a grown-up s league.
Sunday s 3-2 win against Liverpool only served to show that Martinelli and Saka, who have both celebrated that landmark 21st birthday since the end of last season, are not merely gi…
Inter Milan remain two points clear at the top of Serie A after coming from behind to draw 1-1 at nearest rivals Juventus.
Dusan Vlahovic gave the home side the lead after starting and finishing a well-worked move in the 27th minute, but Lautaro Martinez equalised just five minutes later with a first-time finish which capped a stunning team goal.
The latest instalment of the derby d’Italia petered out in the second half and Juve never seriously threatened to complete a sixth straight win which would have taken them a point clear at the summit.
FT | | A point earned at the Allianz.
— JuventusFC (@juventusfcen)
The first good chance fell to the home side in the 15th minute and Federico Chiesa should have done better than shooting wide after be…
Frank Lampard lives and breathes Everton as he reiterated his belief that the Toffees can clinch Premier League survival.
Everton led 2-1 in a crucial contest with fellow strugglers Burnley heading into the second half at Turf Moor on Wednesday, yet a familiar tale of costly defensive mistakes struck once more.
From having a first league away victory since August in their grasp, and a six-point cushion on the relegation zone, Everton succumbed to goals from Jay Rodriguez and Maxwel Cornet.
That leaves Lampard s team just a point above the 18th-placed Clarets ahead of Saturday s meeting with Manchester United at Goodison Park.
Everton have won just one of their last 13 Premier League meetings with United (D6 L6), beating them 4-0 just under three years…
An overjoyed Oliver Glasner praised his side s ability to withstand a resilient West Ham, as Eintracht Frankfurt qualified for the Europa League final on Thursday.
Carrying a slender 2-1 lead on aggregate into Thursday s second leg, Eintracht gave themselves critical breathing room with Rafael Borre s 26th-minute goal, eventually winning 1-0 on the night and going through 3-1 over the tie.
Even with West Ham needing to chase the game, Aaron Cresswell s first-half dismissal meant Eintracht had the majority of possession, yet they still gave up higher-quality chances. A 10-man West Ham actually generated a higher xG of 1.62 in comparison to the hosts 1.13 over the 90 minutes.
Nevertheless, Glasner was proud of his team s defensive effort.
“Slowly somet…
Verdict: Romelu Lukaku to score anytime
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With their spot in the knockout stage already confirmed, Manchester United can take top spot off Juventus if they beat Valencia and the Old Lady fail to topple Young Boys.
Valencia
Starting with the hosts, while the poor form of Young Boys may have helped Valencia bag a spot in the Europa League courtesy of a third place finish in Group H, that doesn t cover what has been a very worrying start for Marcelino García Toral. Now picking up just one win in their last four matches across all competitions, the Bats find themselves sat way down in 15th in the La Liga table. Holding just a four-point buffer over the relegation zone, the former European giants have also been drastically short…
According to a recent report from Goal, Everton’s board are ready and willing to say yes to Marco Silva bringing in a new forward during the January transfer window. The Toffees have been struggling to put the ball in the back of the net in comparison to most of their competitors in the Premier League, with Moise Kean’s poor form since arriving at Goodison Park being earmarked as one of the biggest reasons as to why they haven’t really been able to hit the ground running this season.
In terms of targets, Eintracht Frankfurt striker Goncalo Paciencia is believed to be at the top of Silva’s wishlist during the January window. While he may be under a great deal of pressure at this moment in time, the club are still okay with getting behind this potential move in what…
Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hopes David de Gea remembers the club s belief in him as negotiations over a new contract continue.
United have already activated an option to extend the Spain international s contract until the end of next season but have so far been unable to agree a long-term deal.
De Gea joined United in 2011 for a British record fee for a goalkeeper in an £18.9million switch from Atletico Madrid.
Despite initially struggling to adapt to the Premier League, he has since developed into one of the world s best goalkeepers and has won United s player of the season award in four out of the last five years.
Solskjaer was fulsome in his praise of the 28-year-old but wants him to consider what the club have done for h…