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Danny Ings’ goal for Southampton in Sunday’s 3-2 triumph over Burnley has made him the fourth player in Premier League history to score in four consecutive games against former clubs.

Other players to have achieved this noteworthy feat include Republic of Ireland’s Robbie Keane, England’s Jermain Defoe and Cote d’Ivoire’s Wilfried Bony.

With Chris Wood and Matej Vydra giving Sean Dyche’s team a two-goal lead at the St Mary's Stadium, the Saints roared back to life to pick all three points at stake in the five-goal thriller.

First, Stuart Armstrong reduced the deficit in the 31st minute courtesy of an assist from Ings. In the goal-laden first half, the 28-year-old levelled matters for Ralph Hasenhuettl’s men.

With that, the England international joined the list of players who have found the net on four uninterrupted occasions against former employers.

Ings' run began on July 19, 2020, when he scored once in Southampton's 2-0 win at Bournemouth. He followed it up by scoring the Saints' only goal in their 1-0 away defeat of Burnley on September 26, 20.

On January 4, 2021, he silenced another former team, Liverpool. His second-minute strike was all Hasenhuettl’s team needed to defeat Jurgen Klopp’s men 1-0.

His latest strike in the reverse fixture versus Burnley made it four goals in four games against a team he once represented.

Irishman Keane became the first player to achieve his mark in 2004 before Defoe matched that feat five years later. 32-year-old Bony joined the list in 2017 during his spells at Stoke City and Swansea City respectively.

“We didn’t start good enough, I think we knew that,” Ings told the club website after the game.

“Going two down, that triggered us that we needed to be better and from that moment I think we controlled the game for the most part until they were chasing at the end.

“We created a lot of chances today which has been quite tough in recent weeks. To get the win after the international break is huge and something we can build on.”

Southampton are 13th in the log after amassing 36 points from 30 games. They are guests of Chelsea-slaying West Bromwich Albion on April 12.

Atalanta full-back Robin Gosens has revealed a post-match story about Cristiano Ronaldo in his biography that made him "blushed and ashamed".

When he went to ask for Ronaldo's shirt to fulfil a lifelong dream, he was turned away in harsh terms. Even today the German international admits feeling embarrassment over the incident.

There may yet be a silver lining, however: Gosens' squad is improbably positioned ahead of Juventus in the Serie A table, a feat that if maintained would provide sufficient revenge.

What has been said?

"After the game against Juventus, I tried to fulfil my dream of having Ronaldo jersey," Gosens recalled in his biography titled "Dreams are Worthwhile."

"After the final whistle I went to him, having not even gone public to celebrate ... but Ronaldo did not accept. I asked: 'Cristiano, can I have your shirt?' He didn't even look at me, he just said: 'No!'"

Gosens went on to explain how the interaction with the man who had previously been an idol crushed his spirits.

"I was completely blushed and ashamed," he said. "I went away and felt small. You know that moment when something embarrassing happens and you look around to see if anyone noticed it? That's what I felt and tried to hide it."

Further reading

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was left concerned by Marcus Rashford's latest injury, which forced the forward off in the 72nd minute of a 2-1 win over Brighton not long after he had provided an "excellent" tide-turning equaliser.

Rashford has dealt with significant shoulder, foot and knee problems this year, and it's been suggested by his agency that he hasn't been fully fit since 2019.

Solskjaer was unable to provide immediate assurances on the 23-year-old and said he hoped his "tough" player could recover soon. The manager also revealed a separate setback for the Red Devils, telling reporters that defender Eric Bailly had been diagnosed with Covid-19 during the international break.

What injury updates were given?

"You just hope he can recover from it," Solskjaer told BBC of Rashford. "He had to come off, but he's a tough one."

He added of Rashford's goal: "The finish was excellent - calm and composed. Marcus has been working on that a lot."

On Bailly, Solskjaer said, "Eric won’t be with us for a little while he’s tested positive for Covid and isn’t back in the country yet."

England withdrawl

Rashford's early substitution against Brighton came after he had been withdrawn from England camp during the international break because of injury.

And in his final match for Manchester United before the break - a Europa League clash with AC Milan on March 18 - he was forced off at half-time because of an ongoing foot issue.

Bigger picture

The health problems are starting to stack up for Rashford in 2020-21, and while he hasn't suffered a major injury yet this campaign, repeated knocks present cause for long-term concern. He's a key part of what Manchester United are trying to build, and the club needs to make sure his body holds up through the years to come.

With forward Anthony Martial potentially out for the season, however, Solskjaer may face the temptation to be aggressive with Rashford's recovery timeline given his thin attacking depth and loaded fixture list.

Further reading

Antonio Rudiger was dismissed from Chelsea training on Sunday after a fight with goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Goal can confirm.

First reported by the Telegraph, Thomas Tuchel sent the German defender back to the dressing room five minutes before the end of the session.

The incident comes a day after the Blues were demolished 5-2 by West Brom at Stamford Bridge.

What happened?

Rudiger and Kepa got into a heated argument and ended up pushing each other as tempers flared on the training pitch.

The centre-back made a late challenge on the goalkeeper during a small-sided game and the latter reacted furiously.

The pair had to be separated by team-mates and Tuchel sent Rudiger away from the pitch to calm down.

How did Rudiger react?

Rudiger later apologised to the Spain international of his own volition.

Chelsea boss Tuchel is said to be satisfied that the issue has been resolved and no further action is expected to be taken by the club.

Tuchel called for calm

The defeat on Saturday is Chelsea's first under their new manager, who urged his players to stay level-headed in the wake of the humiliation.

He told reporters after the match: "It is our first loss together. It is important to find a way to deal with it together, and that everyone knows what I feel as a part of it.

"There were some quick words to calm everybody down and to delay the talks until tomorrow because now it is too emotional, [there] is too much frustration. It is not productive."

What next for Chelsea?

Chelsea are in action again on Wednesday when they face Porto in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

They will then face Crystal Palace in the Premier League three days later.

Further reading

Mahmoud Hassan Trezeguet’s double for Aston Villa against Fulham in Sunday’s Premier League outing meant that the Egypt international has equalled a club mark achieved only by Julian Joachim and Dwight Yorke.

Coming off the bench to bag a brace in the 3-1 defeat of Scott Parker’s men, Trezeguet became only the third player in the club’s history to have found the net at least twice as a substitute.

According to Opta, the first player to do this was Yorke, who got a double against Liverpool in May 1994.

Back in 2000, Joachim matched that feat in the 4-1 destruction of Derby County in September 2000. Replacing an injured David Ginola in the 19th minute, the English forward got the better of Estonian goalkeeper Mart Poom in the 28th and 87th minute respectively.

The former Kasimpasa man who replaced Anwar El-Ghazi in the 62nd minutes, got his first goal of the evening in the 78th minute – to cancel out Aleksandar Mitrovic’s opener for Fulham.

Three minutes later, he completed his double beating goalkeeper Alphonse Areola after profiting from an assist from Keinan Davis. Victory was guaranteed for Dean Smith’s men in the 87th minute courtesy of Ollie Watkins’ effort.

Also, Trezeguet’s brilliance saw him overtook Ahmed El Mohamady as the fourth-highest scoring Egyptian [with eight goals] in the history of the English elite division.

Manager Smith expressed his delight with how his substitutes changed the complexion of the game against Parker’s men.

“There was a great response today. Ty ends up getting the assist for Trez and then Keinan comes on and gets another assist for Trez,” he told the club website.

“They’re not a bad team. I don’t think that they should be in the position they’re in, but you have to play what’s in front of you.

“We probably negated each other at times. Two similar systems of plays – both trying to play through the thirds. I’m delighted with the result and the impact the substitutes made.”

As a result of Aston Villa’s comeback victory, they climbed to ninth in the EPL log after amassing 44 points from 29 games played so far in the 2020-21 campaign.

The Birmingham based outfit are up against Liverpool in their next outing on April 10.

Mason Greenwood headed Manchester United’s winner against Brighton and says that his hard work on the training ground paid off with the goal.

Brighton went to Old Trafford and took a shock lead through Danny Welbeck, only for Marcus Rashford and Greenwood to turn the game around in the second half.

The teenager, meanwhile, notched the decisive effort with his head – something he says he has been working hard on behind the scenes.

What was said?

Speaking to the BBC, he said: “It's a confidence booster, I've not scored as many in the Premier League. I scored a header tonight which is something I've been working on a lot behind the scenes.”

Indeed, it was just Greenwood’s second league goal of the season while he has scored six in 40 matches overall. This compares to his respective tallies of 10 and 17 last term.

Greenwood on Brighton match

More broadly on the game, he said: “It was a hard night. When they scored the first goal, we knew we had to react and put in a better performance. Everyone was excellent in the second half.

"I don't think we started very well but we knew we had to switch on and be focused. We should have started that from the moment we came out, but it's a good three points. There was a lot of men behind the ball and we had to have that creative spark.

“Credit to Brighton. They scored the first goal, defended well and held us off. We had to break them down and we did that eventually.

“We weren't worried. We knew we had the quality on the pitch. Everyone kept their heads. There's a lot to play for.”

Further Reading

Zambia star Patson Daka scored an eight-minute hat-trick in the first-half as RB Salzburg thrashed Sturm Graz 3-1 in Sunday’s Austrian Bundesliga encounter.

After scoring four goals in Zambia's last two Africa Cup of Nations qualifying matches against Algeria and Zimbabwe, Daka continued his goalscoring run in Austria.

The 22-year-old gave the hosts a three-goal lead in the opening minutes at the Red Bull Arena with goals in the third, fifth and 11th minutes.

Mali's Amadou Dante, however, reduced the deficit for Sturm Graz with his 13th-minute goal but it was not enough to inspire the visitors’ comeback.

Later in the second half, Daka had a chance to score four goals in the encounter but he failed to convert from the penalty spot in the 70th minute.

The Zambia international remains the leading top scorer in the Austrian Bundesliga with 23 goals after 19 games and he has only failed to score in just two league matches this season.

His contributions helped Salzburg sit atop of the league table with 29 points after 23 matches.

Thiago Alcantara admits his first season at Liverpool has been "frustrating" amid the team's disappointing results.

The Reds are scrambling to save their season as they sit sixth in the Premier League and in danger of missing out on a place in next season's Champions League.

Although the Anfield side are on a three-game winning run, they have been beaten by the likes of Brighton, Manchester City, Leicester, Everton, Chelsea and Fulham since the start of February.

What has been said?

But Thiago feels his side's performances have deserved better results, telling TV2:  "There are many games we have not deserved to lose, so it has been frustrating not to get the three points even though we have been better than the opponent.

"But that's how football is and we look towards the next match, where we will try to perform as well as possible."

Life under Klopp

Thiago, 29, has been limited to just 20 appearances in all competitions since joining the Anfield side from Bayern Munich last September.

The Spain international suffered a knee injury that kept him out of action for two months, but he has enjoyed learning from coach Jurgen Klopp and is happy with the way he has adapted to life in Merseyside.

"It's fantastic to play under him. You learn a lot and you have to get used to a different way of playing, something I like very much," he added. 

"This means that you have to adapt and develop. The quality of the teammates makes it even easier to play good football."

What next for Liverpool?

Liverpool face Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday.

Four days later, they will host Aston Villa at Anfield as they look to catch up with Chelsea, who are fourth in the Premier League and two points ahead.

Further reading

Angel Di Maria said it would be “wonderful” to be able to team up with Lionel Messi again at Paris Saint-Germain.

The two Argentines have hooked up on international duty in the past but Di Maria would love the chance to play with his compatriot at club level.

Messi is out of contract in the summer and not certain to stay at Barcelona, with Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain notably hovering.

What did he say?

Speaking to BeIn Sports, Di Maria said: “From my whole career, from everything I've seen, I think Leo is from another planet. (...) To have him as a team-mate would be wonderful.

“But he is a Barcelona player, he has a contract. After that, we'll see. I talk a lot with him and I always tell him that the important thing is his happiness and that of his family. It's hard to say anything else.”

The bigger picture

Barcelona are increasingly hopeful of keeping Messi this summer, with president Joan Laporta having been bullish over their chances of getting the six-time Ballon d’Or winner to stay.

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain have notably taken a quieter approach to their pursuit of the player following reports that Messi had been unhappy about a number of players from the Parisian side openly flirting with him.

Di Maria had been among this number, and so it was little surprise to see him qualify his statement. Neymar, Marco Verratti and fellow Argentine Leandro Paredes were among the others.

Further Reading

'Aguero would be a coup for Barca' - Man City star might help persuade Messi to stay at Camp Nou, says Rivaldo

Rivaldo thinks 'bluffing' Man City still want Messi but Aguero deal could help keep him at Barcelona

'I tell myself I'm better than Messi & Ronaldo' - Mbappe opens up on how his ego helps him 'topple mountains'

Orlando Pirates were left to rue their missed chances after drawing 0-0 with Al Ahli Benghazi in the Caf Confederation Cup Group A match at Martyrs of February Stadium on Sunday night.

The Buccaneers were determined to record a win which would take them to the top of the group standings and also return to winning ways after losing 2-1 to Kaizer Chiefs on March 21.

Coach Josef Zinnbauer recalled Wayne Sandilands, Fortune Makaringe, Terrence Dzvukamanja and Frank Mhango to the starting line-up as he made four changes to the team which faced Chiefs. 

On the other hand, the Butchers were looking to make it two wins in a row in the group stage having edged out ES Setif 1-0 in their last competitive match on March 17.

Libya international Murad Al-Wuheeshi started in goal, while Jibreel Alwadawi, who scored against Setifi, led the attack as coach Dejan Arsov looked to mastermind a win over Pirates. 

Pirates started slowly and this allowed Al Ahli to push forward in numbers and they threatened first when Alwadawi forced goalkeeper Sandilands into a fine save.

The Buccaneers grew into the match and Mhango began tormenting the Butchers' defence with his blistering runs and he was also sharing free-kick responsibility with Vincent Pule. 

Mhango was denied twice by Al-Wuheeshi from set-pieces with the Al Ahli shot-stopper well-positioned to make a save on both occasions with the hosts committing a lot of fouls near their box. 

Al-Wuheeshi also pushed away a shot from Pule, who was looking to score from a set-piece as Pirates applied some pressure on Al Ahli with the half-time break approaching.

The score was 0-0 at the interval following a first-half which saw Pirates start slowly before growing in confidence as the game progressed, but they could not take their chances from their set-pieces.

Pirates began the second-half brightly and they were unlucky not to open the scoring when Ben Motshwari's long-range shot beat Al-Wuheeshi, but the crossbar came to the hosts' rescue.

Zinnbauer introduced Tshegofatso Mabasa just after the hour-mark and the bulky centre forward tried to make an immediate impact when he forced by Al-Wuheeshi into a decent save with a header.

The visitors kept pushing for the opening goal with Mhango being superbly denied by Al-Wuheeshi, who was proving to be a big obstacle for the Buccaneers on the night.

Al Ahli then pushed for a late winning goal, but Sandilands pulled off two good saves to deny Mohamed Fathe and Alwadawi, but the last chance of the game fell for Mhango in stoppage time. 

The Malawi international's well-taken shot beat Al-Wuheeshi, but once again the Soweto giants were denied by the woodwork and ultimately, the encounter ended in a 0-0 draw. 

The result saw Pirates remain second on the group standings - a point behind leaders Enyimba with three matches left as the battle to reach the quarter-finals continues. 

Pirates will now host Al Ahli on April 11, while Nigerian giants Enyimba will be away to Algerian side ES Setif on the same day. 

On-loan Chelsea midfielder Victor Moses made a goalscoring return from injury as Spartak Moscow defeated Rostov 3-2 in a Russian Premier League match on Sunday.

Moses limped off with pain around his knee after scoring a goal in the Red-Whites' 2-1 comeback win over Dinamo Moscow on March 13.

Following his recovery from the setback, the former Inter Milan and Wigan Athletic star made his return to Domenico Tedesco's team on Sunday with a goal to his name in Rostov.

Moses opened the scoring for Spartak Moscow in the 23rd minute but the lead did not last long as Pavel Maslov's own goal drew the teams level four minutes later.

A few minutes later, Georgi Makhatadze turned the game around for Rostov with his goal in the 32nd minute.

Just before the half-time break, Alexander Sobolev scored an equaliser which means they went into the break on level terms.

After the restart, Sobolev grabbed his second goal of the evening in the 58th minute which turned out to be the match-winning strike for the visitors.

Moses was in action for 90 minutes but he did not finish the game as he was replaced in stoppage-time by Andrey Eshchenko.

The former Nigeria international has now scored three goals in 13 appearances in the Russian Premier League since his loan signing from Chelsea in October.

Gambia's Ali Sowe was the other African star who was in action at Rostov Arena but he could add to his tally of three goals after five matches for the hosts.

The result was Spartak Moscow's fourth straight victory in the Russian top-flight and they remain second in the table with 47 points after 24 matches - a point behind leaders Zenit St Petersburg, who have a game in hand.

Next up for Moses and Tedesco's men is a league fixture against third-placed Lokomotiv Moscow on April 11.

Tottenham have condemned racial abuse aimed towards Davinson Sanchez following a 2-2 draw against Newcastle.

Sanchez had lost possession in the build up to Newcastle’s opening game in the encounter, which left Tottenham fifth in the standings, two points behind Chelsea in the final Champions League spot.

What was said?

Sanchez posted to his Instagram stories a screenshot that showed a number of monkey emojis and captioned it “nothing changes” with a sleepy emoji.

Tottenham moved to condemn the abuse via their social media platforms, stating: “We are disgusted by the racist messages received by Davinson Sanchez today and are calling on social media platforms to take action.

“We stand with you, @daosanchez26, and all those continuing to suffer abuse online.”

The bigger picture

The abuse that Sanchez received was a third incident in recent days of a footballer receiving racist abuse on social media.

Swansea City's Jamal Lowe was targeted on Friday before WBA’s Callum Robinson was the victim of such comments after helping his side to a shock win over Chelsea. The Baggies have confirmed that they have referred the matter to the police.

Meanwhile, Thierry Henry recently announced that he was leaving social media until such times that the platforms take more responsibility for the actions of their users.

On the field, clubs in the majority of high-profile competitions around the world continue to take a knee before kick-off – a practise that has been ongoing for the best part of a year.

Further reading

Ex-Arsenal striker Henry quits social media due to lack of progress in fight against racism

Can football ever be free of racism?

Chelsea's Rudiger alleges social media companies 'do not care' after becoming victim of racist abuse

Rachel Nachula scored a brace as Zaragoza defeated Parquesol  4-0 in a Spanish Reto Iberdrola encounter on Sunday.

Zambia's Nachula has been in fantastic form since joining from Zambian side Green Buffaloes last September and was handed her 12th start of the season, against the hosts, where she shone.

Despite missing out on the promotion places, Zaragoza were seeking to preserve their Reto Iberdrola status in the relegation playoff, following a 1-0 defeat at Pozuelo Alarcon in their last time out.

Zaragoza made a bright start to the contest although they did not find a breakthrough until the 30th minute when the Zambia international netted from the right-wing, with a superb long-range effort. 

Despite the dominance, the visitors could not add another until Nachula intercepted the ball in the hosts' area before firing past goalkeeper Martina Anselmo two minutes after the restart.

Nacho Bracero's side extended their lead when Cara Curtin netted from a goalmouth scramble for the third in the 64th minute.

To compound the hosts' woes, Curtin was brought down inside the area to gift the visitors a penalty and Teresa Dominguez converted from the spot to wrap the victory four minutes from time.

Nachula was in action from the start to finish for Zaragoza, securing her fifth and sixth goal in her 12th appearance of the season. 

The result means Zaragoza are third on the Reto Iberdrola North relegation playoff table, with three points from two games, while Parquesol are eighth with just one point from three matches.

Nachula will be aiming to add more goals to her goal this season when Zaragoza battle Kholosa Biyana's Sporting Gijon on April 10.

Ghana international Kamaldeen Sulemana scored his first goal in five months as Nordsjaelland handed AGF a 2-0 defeat in the Danish Superliga on Sunday.

The Ghanaian netted to give the Wild Tigers a first-half lead before Oliver Antman added a second goal late on in the championship round's first fixture at Right to Dream Park in Farum.

Nordsjaelland have moved level on points with Randers who, it is worth noting, are yet to open their championship round campaign.

The goal will certainly bring relief to Kamaldeen, who, following a strong start to the season, dipped in form as the regular season drew to a close last month.

His last goal, coming into Sunday's game, came against none other than AGF in November in what ended in a 3-1 home triumph.

His dip in form saw him lose his place in Ghana's squad for their November 2021 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying double-header against Sudan and for their recent Afcon qualifying matches against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe.

His latest goal takes his tally to five in 21 Superliga matches so far this term.

The 19-year-old, who also has three assists to his name this season, broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, pouncing on an Andreas Schjelderup through-ball during a counter-attack, racing towards goal and rounding the goalkeeper before shooting into an empty net.

Three minutes after the Ghanaian was substituted by countryman Abu Francis in the 84th minute, the Wild Tigers registered their second goal through Antman, who was set up by Oliver Marc Rose-Villadsen.

Nordsjaelland will hope to make it two wins in a row when they play as guests of Randers in their next game.

In just his second season of senior professional football, Kamaldeen has been reported to be on his way out of FCN at the end of the campaign, with Dutch giants Ajax mentioned as a possible destination. 

The left-winger, who made his Ghana debut against Mali last October, will also hope to regain his place in the Black Stars set-up as the 2022 World Cup qualifiers commence in June. 

Janine van Wyk made a winning debut in the Scottish Women's Premier League as Glasgow City thrashed Celtic 3-0 on Sunday.

The encounter was Van Wyk’s first league outing since July 2020 when she was considered one of the highest-profile overseas signings in the league’s history.

The match also marked her return since August when she made her debut in the Champions League quarter-final defeat to Wolfsburg before suffering a knee injury before the league's start last October.

The South Africa international was handed starting debut in front of the cameras at K Park and she was influential in her side securing a clinical maximum points for the visitors.

In a bid to end three matches without a victory, Aoife Colvill opened the scoring for Scott Booth's side after just 20 minutes of action.

Despite the hosts holding on to their nerve until the 71st minute, Arna Sif Asgrimsdottir doubled the lead for the visitors before Niamh Farrelly guaranteed the victory 13 minutes from time.

Van Wyk featured for the entirety in her first league appearance for City, while compatriot Ode Fulutudilu was not dressed for the game. 

Despite the win, City remain in the second position but are now level with leaders Rangers at the top of SWPL 1 with 21 points from eight games.

Van Wyk will be aiming to maintain her good shape and help City stretch their good domestic form when they visit Station Park to face Forfar Farmington on Sunday, April 11.

Manchester United have been handed a major blow ahead of the run-in to their campaign after Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed that Anthony Martial is expected to miss the rest of the season through injury.

The France international limped out of Les Bleus' Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifier clash with Kazakhstan last month with what was initially hoped to be a minor knock that would keep him in contention.

However, the striker is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines with a sprained knee, delivering not only a hit to United's hopes in both the Premier League and Europa League but also the attacker's chances of making the rescheduled Euro 2020 this summer.

What did Solskjaer say?

“Unfortunately, he sprained his knee with France," the Norwegian told MUTV ahead of his side's return to Premier League action against Brighton & Hove Albion. "It’s always when they go away on internationals. You can keep your fingers crossed and hope they come back fit."

Solskjaer added that he was pleased to see Martial's fellow countryman Paul Pogba come through the international break. stating: "Paul has played in all three games, 30, 60, 90 minutes, so that was a boost for us.

“[But] losing Anthony for what might be the rest of the season is very disappointing, especially when reports from there [France] was that it wasn’t anything serious but it looks a bad one.”

The 48-year-old further expanded on Martial's injury to BT Sport pre-match, admitting that Edison Cavani's return to fitness was at least something of a silver lining for the Red Devils.

"It's good timing," he added "He has been working hard to get his fitness and luckily we have him back so that's a positive.

"When there are international breaks you never know. Some of them used it to stay here and it worked out. A couple have played through the pain and some we have lost. I'm happy we have enough to fill the bench."

Martial faces race against time

It is a cruel blow for the former Monaco man, who will miss not only United's charge for another Europa League crown - and maiden trophy under Solskjaer - but now faces a nervous wait to see if he will make the cut for Didier Deschamps' squad this summer.

The 25-year-old was a member of France's squad five years ago at Euro 2016, and was an extra-time substitute in the final as Les Bleus came up short against Portugal.

But he missed out on selection two years later for the Russia 2018 World Cup, instead making only the reserve list after he was displaced in the United pecking order by Alexis Sanchez, effectively robbing him of a place in the winning squad.

Now, he could miss out again as France aim to make it two major tournament victories on the trot.

Further reading

ES Setif suffered their third Caf Confederation Cup defeat of the campaign, losing 2-1 to Enyimba despite scoring first on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday’s Group A clash seemed to be set up for a straightforward victory for Fatai Osho’s men, with the Black One clear underdogs following their inconsistent form in the group stage of Caf’s second-tier club competition.

However, the People’s Elephants were outthought and outfought for 45 minutes at their Enyimba International Stadium before an impressive second-half display handed them all points at the expense of their Algerian foes.

Buoyed by their 1-0 triumph over Dakkada FC in their last outing in the Nigeria Professional Football League, Osho’s team started the match on a bright note by keeping Nabil Kouki’s men in their own half.

Nevertheless, it was the North Africans who opened the scoring after 13 minutes through Monsef Bakrar. The 20-year-old profited from his team’s well-organised interplay to fire the ball past Nigeria international John Noble.

Five minutes later, the Nigerians were provided with a big chance to level matters when they were awarded a penalty by Djiboutian referee Souleiman Ahmed Djama.

Captain Austin Oladapo stepped up to take the ensuing kick, but it was saved by goalkeeper Sofiane Khedairia. The miss added to their frustration, as they repeatedly dismantled the ES Setif backline without success.

Five minutes before the end of the first half, Enyimba levelled matters through Oladapo, who made amends for his earlier penalty miss.

They came close to taking the lead in the 44th minute but goalkeeper Khedairia was at alert to save a tricky Samad Kadiri shot.

Both teams were much improved following the restart for the second half, but still scarcely threatened until Tosin Omoyele’s sublime strike sealed the win on the hour mark, after he profited from an assist from Anayo Iwuala.

ES Setif did not take their give up but were denied by a series of saves from Noble, including impressive stops from shots from Bekrar, Ahmed Kendouci and Mohamed El Amine Amoura.

Thanks to this win, Enyimba stay atop Group A with six points from three matches, while ES Setif occupy the base of Group A with just one point.

The two-time African kings are guests of the Algerians in the reverse fixture billed for April 11.