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Sheffield United begin the 2020-21 Premier League with a match against Wolves at Bramall Lane on Monday, September 14.

Having earned a top-half finish on their return to the top flight, the Blades will have to redouble their efforts in order to preserve their place in the division this term.

After a meeting with Wolves, Chris Wilder’s side tackle Aston Villa in their first away game before a Yorkshire derby date with promoted Leeds at home.

October will see the Blades encounter Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, while November begins with a fixture against Chelsea.

Manchester United travel to Bramall Lane in mid-December, while Boxing Day will see Everton visit South Yorkshire. The Blades go to Burnley two days later and start 2021 with a trip to Crystal Palace.

The end of January brings back-to-back away dates with Man United and City, while the return meeting with Leeds at Elland Road is at the start of April.

The season ends for the Blades with a home game against Burnley on May 23.

Check out Sheffield United's Premier League fixture list for 2020-21 in full below.

Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Wazito FC have completed the signing of Kevin ‘Chumsy’ Okumu from Nairobi City Stars.

Okumu was previously targeted by KPL heavyweights Gor Mahia but his Wazito arrival has now ended the speculation that had surrounded his future for some time now.

Okumu and Levis Opiyo, who has so far signed for Gor Mahia, were key in Nairobi City Stars 2019/20 National Super League (NSL) campaign where they topped and eventually got promoted back to the KPL.

The two had their contracts expire and according to Nairobi City Stars Chief Executive (CEO) Patrick Korir, they were not keen to renew them as they explained they had already got offers from elsewhere.

“We are elated to announce the signing of exciting right-back Kevin ‘Chumsy’ Okumu from Nairobi City Stars,” Wazito said as they confirmed their sixth signing.

“Chumsy is an alumnus of Uhuru Secondary School and brings speed, hard work and good defending to the team.”

The full-back offered hope to the fans and said he has come to help the team have a better outing in the new season.

“Finally, I am here and I am really happy,” Okumu said.

“Wazito have been my dream team for some time now and I am glad that the move has materialised.

“To the management and the fans, I want to tell them that I have come here to work hard and challenge for a position in the team. We have to finish in a better position than last season."

Wazito’s head coach Fred Ambani heaped praise on the defender after joining his side.

“He is a young, talented, and hardworking player, a very good addition to the team,” Ambani, who worked as Stewart Hall’s assistant before he was confirmed as a head coach recently, said.

“In as much as we are working for immediate success, we have to build for the future and with players like him on board, we will have a good foundation.

“I have watched him play and I know that he will perfectly fit into our system, I am looking forward to working with him.”

Vincent Oburu from AFC Leopards, Mark Otieno from Leeds United, former Mathare United winger Kevin Kimani, Boniface Omondi formerly of Gor Mahia, and Edwin Omondi from Western Stima are the other players who have been signed.

Okumu’s acquisition is another low profile signing made by Wazito who were ambitious in the last transfer window and went for big names.

Newcastle United kick off the 2020-21 Premier League season with games against West Ham, Brighton and Tottenham.

Steve Bruce’s side will open their campaign with a trip to West Ham on Saturday, September 12 before Brighton are the first visitors to St James’ Park a week later.

There follows a return trip to the capital to tackle Tottenham, while Bruce’s former club Manchester United will head to the north east in October.

Christmas is set to prove a testing time for Newcastle as they face Manchester City away on Boxing Day before a home date with champions Liverpool two days later, then Leicester in their opening game of 2021.

February could also prove to be a tricky month for the Magpies as they will face Chelsea, Manchester United and Wolves in successive games.

Sheffield United are the final visitors to St James’ Park before the season concludes with a trip to promoted Fulham on May 23.

Check out Newcastle's Premier League fixture list for 2020-21 in full below.

Stoke City manager Michael O'Neill has revealed how the club made painstaking inquiries before signing former Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel.

The 33-year-old was snapped up by the Championship side as a free agent on Monday on a one-year deal, having been without a club since parting ways with Turkish Super Lig side Trabzonspor in March.

The former Nigeria international made his name during his time at Stamford Bridge, where he spent 11 years and won a number of laurels, including the Premier League, Champions League and Europa League titles.

The midfielder then moved to China in 2017 to join Tianjin Teda and spent a season with the Super League club before returning to England in January 2019, signing a short-term deal with Middlesborough.

Mikel delivered impressive performances in the 19 games he featured for the club which saw him become the toast of the fans before he left the side to team up with Trabzonspor.

O'Neill explained the Potters made an enquiry from the midfielder’s former manager at Middleborough Tony Pulis as part of their investigations before securing his signature.

“We didn’t feel that possibly we would be in a position to get him but having met the lad – he spent a day up here with us in Stoke – he liked what he saw and we liked what we saw in him in terms of what his vision was,” O'Neill told TalkSPORT.

“And when you’ve got a player that has had the career at the level that John has had you are always a little bit worried about them coming to a team in the Championship.

“But we did a lot of due diligence on him, got references from people like Tony Pulis who he played under at Middlesbrough and other people that he’s worked under.

“But the most important thing was that John was really keen to come. He wants to try and finish his career in the Premier League having obviously been in China and having been abroad again in Turkey and hopefully, he can do that with Stoke City."

Mikel had 91 caps for the Super Eagles before announcing his retirement from international duty after helping the West Africans finish third at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

The midfielder featured prominently as the Super Eagles won the continental title in South Africa in 2013 under the tutelage of Stephen Keshi.

He was part of Nigeria’s team that won a bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics Games in Rio and featured for the Super Eagles at the 2014 and 2018 World Cup tournaments.

Highlands Park midfielder Reneilwe Letsholonyane has praised Percy Tau following his dream start to life at his new Belgian club RSC Anderlecht.

The Bafana Bafana international scored on debut for the Purple and White as they secured a 3-1 victory over Sint-Truidense VV in a First Division A match last weekend.

It was Tau's maiden competitive match for Anderlecht since he joined the club on a season-long deal from Premier League outfit Brighton and Hove Albion.

Anderlecht are Tau's third Belgian team having enjoyed some success at both Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and Club Brugge while on loan from Brighton as he is unable to play for his parent club due to work-permit complications in the United Kingdom (UK). 

Letsholonyane has been following the left-footed forward's career since he left PSL champions Mamelodi Sundowns for Brighton at the beginning of the 2018/19 season.

“I have been impressed by the way he has gone about his business since he first moves to Europe,” said Letsolonyane on Daily Sun.

“He has always been a hardworking player, always eager to learn and improve and that has helped him adapt as well as he has abroad."

Letsholonyane, who is a former Bafana international, lauded Tau as a winner with the 26-year-old player having helped Brugge clinch the 2019/20 First Division A title.

“His attitude is top, he has a mindset of a winner and I think there’s still a lot he will achieve," he added.

"He is one player that sets a good example for other youngsters to follow.”

Tau had a successful spell with Saint-Gilloise during the 2018/19 season as he scored 12 goals across all competitions in his debut campaign in Europe.

The Witbank-born player's outstanding performance earned him the Proximus League Player of the Season award for being the best player in Belgian's second-tier, First Division B.

Another successful spell with Brugge followed in the 2019/20 campaign as Tau played in the Champions League and Europa League.

Tau will now be hoping to inspire Anderlecht to a record-extending 35th First Division A title this term under Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany.

Rudi Garcia is unsure what the future holds for his Lyon stars after their "unexpected" run to the Champions League semi-finals.

Lyon fell to Bayern Munich 3-0 in the semi-finals in Lisbon on Wednesday to end their European run.

Departures are expected at Lyon, who finished seventh in Ligue 1 and missed out on European competition for 2020-21, with Moussa Dembele, Houssem Aouar and Memphis Depay linked with moves.

Lyon head coach Garcia said he was unsure what was ahead, but felt his players proved their quality in the Champions League.

"We don't know what's going to happen," he told a news conference. "What is clear after the success we've had here, an unexpected one, is this team would have deserved to make it even further, but it's difficult to answer this question. We have a great squad and we'll see.

"In terms of finances, it's not up to me to answer, it's up to the club president and the sporting director, but when we look at the team, I didn't have to make it to the Champions League semi-finals to know how good my players are."

Lyon were left to rue wastefulness against Bayern, squandering several chances before a Serge Gnabry brace and Robert Lewandowski's late goal. Garcia lamented his side's inability to take their opportunities against the Bundesliga champions.

"They were just efficient, clinical. You have to say the team who were more clinical won it," he said. "We hit the post. If we'd scored at that point the match might have been very different, but I like how my players followed the game plan. We defended very well and Karl [Toko Ekambi] had that chance.

"We weren't fully attentive when we conceded the first goal. We could have played with more width at times and been faster in possession and played with that width. We managed to do a better job in the second half but when you're trailing Bayern Munich 2-0 it's difficult to come back.

"We played some good long balls, we attacked well at times and had some good spells. We gave them some problems and we had two more great chances with Moussa and Karl. We just had some bad luck and weren't clinical enough in those situations.

"I feel Bayern are a great team and they deserved the victory. The way they played, we have to congratulate them. It's true we gave them some problems, but they scored that third goal and that finished off the match."

Mumbai City FC's Raynier Fernandes has had an expeditious rise to the top of the Indian football spectrum in a brief but successful span of three years.

The central midfielder won the Sikkim Governors Gold Cup, finished runners-up in the Federation Cup, Calcutta Football League (CFL) and the I-League, all in his first year at Mohun Bagan in the 2016-17 season. He then made his way back to Mumbai to represent the Islanders in the Indian Super League (ISL) in 2018.

"Football has been there in my life since I was in the third grade," Fernandes stated in a discourse with Goal. "I played at school level at Our Lady of Salvation in Dadar. My brother (Royston) who is six years elder to me was also a football player and when I got to the fifth grade, he played in the first team of Kenkre FC. Looking at his interest, I got encouraged to take the sport seriously."

Although his brother's dreams of making it big in professional football were cut short by injuries, a bouyant Raynier took his calling seriously quite as early as he started realising his potential.

"I changed my school and went to Don Bosco, Matunga in the seventh grade because at Salvation the level [of football] was not as high it was in Bosco's. From there, everything went well and we won many championships at school level. Then I went to MMK (Shrimati Mithibai Motiram Kundani) college in Bandra where I played hockey and football but my main choice was always football.

From Mumbai to Kolkata

"My first ever club was Companeros. The coach (Sydney D'Souza) liked my game when I was in college, so he put me in the team (Companeros). We played in the play-offs and qualified for the MDFA (Mumbai District Football Association) senior division league when Air India approached me to play for their U-19 team," the Mumbaikar journaled the rise of his career.

"I played under [Air India U-19 coach] Shyam Sawant for one year and the next season itself, the senior team coach Godfrey Pereira offered me a contract to play with the senior team. That was a moment of happiness. Even though I wasn't quite expecting it, it happened and I had to up my game and focus.

"During that time, I played in the 2016 Santosh Trophy and Maharashtra came second which was also a good achievement for me as a player because it was the first time I represented my state. We lost the final to Services but it was a good feeling to play in all the matches and that gave me the confidence and experience that I needed."

Raynier feels that his move to Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan was the turning point in his playing career.

"The turning point was when I got to play for Mohun Bagan after passing my trials. I didn't expect to get selected in the first round itself and that feeling was at a different level. Representing Mohun Bagan at that stage is a massive thing.

"It was a moment I had to cherish but I also had to do something about it as being at such a big club and not playing is also another thing. I worked hard for it (a place in the starting 11) and I remember that game (against George Telegraph) in the CFL where I came on in the second half. I was so nervous in front of the 20,000 people that I didn't know how to react. After the game, I realised that this is the real deal and I cannot afford to take anything lightly and I have to work hard," he explained.

Having played under the guidance of Sankarlal Chakraborty in the CFL, he made it to the I-League squad under the tutelage of then coach Sanjoy Sen in the latter half of the 2016-17 season and earned himself another year on his contract.

"That year (2017-18 season) just changed everything for me. That's the year I played nearly 95 percent of the games and the biggest game that I played was the derby ( 2-0 win over East Bengal ) and the cherry on the cake was that I provided an assist in that game. There was like a crowd of 65,000 and that feeling is one that I will always keep with me."

Back to Mumbai

Having recently signed an extension at Mumbai City that will keep him at the club till 2023, Raynier expressed that his return to Mumbai was something he had anticipated.

"That (Playing in Mumbai) was something I always wanted to do. Playing for your home club, in front of your family and friends and giving everything - the feeling was great. (Former coach) Jorge Costa kept his faith in me and gave me many chances. So I had to train hard and give my best," said Fernandes.

Raynier was impressive in his debut season. He has played 33 ISL matches in two seasons for the club and his performances in the ISL were hard to be overlooked as the then newly-appointed India head coach Igor Stimac summoned him to the national team camp at New Delhi after the end of ISL season 5. 

Cancelled the Dubai trip

Raynier reveals that he was never expecting a call-up from Igor Stimac and had to hastily scrap his vacation trip to Dubai.

"I remember, just before the call (to the national team camp), I had not expected anything. This was during the off-season after my first year at Mumbai City. I was supposed to go to Dubai for vacations and just four days before the camp, one of my friends messaged me saying 'congratulations for India team'. I had no clue what it was about.

"The next day I actually saw my name in the list (of 37 probables) along with Sunil Chhetri bhai, Sandesh Jhingan, (Anirudh) Thapa and all these people. It was like a dream just thinking about sitting with all of them in the dressing room. With all the happiness, I cancelled my (INR) 22,000 (flight) ticket I had purchased for Dubai and I had no problem doing that as this (national team call-up) was the best thing that happened to me," Fernandes narrated.

Brought in after the change of ends against Curacao, Raynier made his international debut at the 2019 King's Cup in Thailand and made a strong case for himself in the two games (Curacao and Thailand) and was also utilised in the 2022 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup joint qualifier games against Afghanistan and Bangladesh including a start against the latter in the same year.

"When I was sitting in the dugout, I wanted to play and I remember Balwant Singh was near me and he was like 'Bhai, tu kitna awaaz karta hai, tu relax kar' ('brother, why are you making so much noise, you should relax'). At that moment, I just wanted to step on the field and kick the ball just once for the Indian national team and it happened in the second half.

"When you play the first game for your country, you have to play like it's your chance to prove that you are worthy to be in the Indian national team and the experience I got down the road taught me that you have to just enjoy the game and play," Fernandes summed up.

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an adverse effect on football across the world. The game was disrupted worldwide in March as most countries went into a lockdown.

It restarted in June in Europe and then in other parts of the world after biosecure measures were adopted by various leagues.

In India, while the Indian Super League (ISL) ISL 2019-20 season got over by March, the I-League had to be stopped midway and then was finally ended prematurely.

Indian football is all set to return with ISL 2020-21 season which is set to tentatively begin from November third week. Given the pandemic situation, the new season will be held at a centralised venue (Goa) with a bio-safety bubble in place in order to avoid travelling across states amidst the pandemic. The matches will also take place in behind closed doors.

Given the pandemic has impacted football and the ISL, Jamshedpur FC’s new recruit Jackichand Singh is only looking at the positives from the changed circumstances.

Singh suggested that the biggest advantage of playing in a centralised venue will be the lack of travelling which will reduce the fatigue.

“Yes it will be difficult but if you look at the positives then there will be less travelling and we will just stay in Goa and play all our matches. Yes, without any crowd it will be difficult but according to me, we will be under less pressure. Of course, we love our fans. But I think we have to look at the positives,” said the new Jamshedpur winger.

Just like his new boss Owen Coyle, Jacki too believes that the players should not be scared of the circumstances and exhibit mental strength in order to perform well.

“Of course things are difficult but it’s not just for us, it is for everywhere in the world. There will be an effect on us. The pandemic situation is much less in Goa compared to other cities in India so that is a good thing. According to me, we should not be scared and there will not be any problem as per me. We have to be mentally strong to perform well.”

The India international winger, who scored five goals and provided three assists last season at FC Goa, fondly remembered his time with the Gaurs and explained why the club enjoyed success in recent times.

“FC Goa is a very successful team. Most of the players played together for three seasons. I myself played for two years. The team composition did not change too often so they enjoyed success and were consistent. It was a great experience for me playing for FC Goa,” said the Manipuri star.

Leeds United have submitted a third bid for Brighton defender Ben White, Goal can confirm. 

The 22-year-old defender featured in every Championship game for Marcelo Bielsa's side last season as they secured promotion to the Premier League. 

After impressing during his season-long loan at Leeds, the club have now made three separate offers to secure White's services permanently with the latest bid believed to be around £25 million (€27m/$32m).

Brighton currently have all the bargaining power, however, with the young centre-back contracted to the Seagulls until 2022 and a number of Premier League clubs also showing interest.

Manager Graham Potter has also previously expressed his desire to use White in his team moving forward. 

"He's our player, he's got a long contract with us. I have known Ben for a while, I have been aware of him, wanted to try and sign him when we were at Swansea," Potter said in July. 

"I know about his qualities. He's a fantastic player. He's done brilliantly at Leeds and helped them get promotion - that's fantastic for them, fantastic for him - but he's our player and we're looking forward to working with him.

"He complements us really well. He's got attributes that are really, really useful and he's going to be a top player."

White came up through Southampton's youth ranks before being released at the age of 16 and ultimately joined Brighton's academy in 2014. 

In 2017, White was loaned out to League Two side Newport County before joining Peterborough United in League One the following season and then Leeds this past campaign.

All that experience has proven invaluable for the promising defender, who has previously singled out his time at Newport as crucial in his development. 

“It was my first senior loan spell and I was bit anxious at first – but they’re a great group of lads to play alongside. It’s taught me to believe in myself and have confidence in my ability as a footballer," White told Brighton's website in 2018. 

“It’s a physical division and the biggest challenge is adjusting from academy level.

“I’d say the aerial challenges in the league took me time to adapt to, the ball spends a lot of time in the air during games and there are a lot of physical forwards.” 

Arsene Wenger has revealed he was "very sad" when Serge Gnabry decided to leave Arsenal in 2016. 

The German winger had joined the Gunners youth system in 2011 from Stuttgart but struggled to establish himself in the first-team with only 18 appearances to his name. 

After a failed loan move to West Brom in 2015, Gnabry joined Werder Bremen permanently in 2016 before linking up with Bayern Munich one year later. 

The now 25-year-old has gone on to star for the Bundesliga giants and scored a crucial double as Bayern defeated Lyon in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday, with Wenger quick to point out the performance of his former protege. 

"Let's not forget Gnabry, I bought him at the age of 15 from Stuttgart and he was injured a lot," Wenger told beIN Sports.

"He's creative, he can score goals, right-footed, left-footed, good power, good penetration, very, very clever with the timing of his runs.

"His tendency was a bit too easy, like I've told you about with these young talented players, but he has matured a lot and is now one of the dominant players in Germany."

While Gnabry had yet to show his full potential in 2016 and was struggling with injuries, Wenger revealed he was desperate for the German attacker to remain at the Emirates. 

"No, no, we had an agreement with him you know," Wenger said.

"I had given him out on loan to West Brom and he didn't play a game. He came back, he was injured. We worked very hard with him for six months and he went out with the German national team, under-21's, and Bayern made a deal with Werder Bremen.

"He wanted to sign in the end, didn't want to extend his contract (with Arsenal) and I was very sad. But we couldn't get over the line with him because I knew he would have a great career.

"He can be a number nine, a number 10...he's a very intelligent player." 

Though Wenger was impressed by the performance of Gnabry against Lyon, the former Arsenal boss noted Bayern's defence must tighten up before facing Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Sunday. 

"They were too open tonight to compete with Paris Saint-Germain," Wenger noted. 

Although Selangor 2 were only slightly more experienced than them, Malaysia U-19 were overwhelmed by the Malaysia Premier League side in their Wednesday, August 19 friendly match.

In the match that was held at the Selangor Training Centre in Shah Alam, few of Brad Maloney charges were able to play well, resulting in a 4-0 defeat for the junior national team.

Much-hyped US-based midfielder Wan Kuzri Wan Kamal too seemed nervy in the encounter, his misplaced backpass just seconds after the second half started allowing Saravanan Thirumurugan to net his and the hosts' second goal of the evening.

But when speaking to the press after the encounter, the Saint Louis FC youngster was able to take the defeat in his stride, explaining that he is still a work in progress.

"Everyone makes mistakes, and they (Selangor 2) pressed us really hard and punished us today. These kinds of things happen at times and we'll need to keep going.

"I need to be better and more confident with the guys every week, I want to be a leader on this team. I want to take us to places we've never been because that's why I'm here.

"I have to make the team trust me in terms of going forward, tracking back; the basics. As long as I'm confident in myself, the team will be confident in me," said the 19-year old.

Ralf Rangnick said it would have made "little sense" to keep star AC Milan veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic had he replaced Stefano Pioli as head coach.

Rangnick was set to take over from Pioli until Milan opted against a change in the dugout amid the club's 13-match unbeaten streak to end the 2019-20 season.

Ibrahimovic was instrumental in rejuvenating a struggling AC Milan side following his January arrival, the 38-year-old finishing the campaign with 11 goals.

The former Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain striker, who scored seven goals following the restart, is in talks to extend his stay by signing a one-year deal.

However, Rangnick said he would not be in favour of prolonging Ibrahimovic's career with the Rossoneri.

"What you should be asking is: why did Milan turn to me? What did they want to do? Maybe they were looking for a change of direction," Rangnick told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"It's not my style to focus on a 38-year-old player, not because of talent, but because I prefer to create value and develop talent.

"It made little sense to me the idea of relying on Ibrahimovic or [defender] Simon Kjaer, but that's just my way of seeing things, it's not necessarily right or wrong. When Ibra said he didn't know me, he wasn't wrong. I've never met him."

AC Milan's pursuit of Rangnick – who is a free agent after leaving his role at Red Bull – caused tension within the club.

Technical director and club great Paolo Maldini voiced his displeasure, while chief football officer Zvonimir Boban was sacked after clashing with chief executive Ivan Gazidis.

"I was first contacted [by Milan] at the end of October, when the team was three points off the relegation zone," said Rangnick, with Milan only appointing Pioli in October to replace Marco Giampaolo.

"I never talked about it in public. I do want to make it clear that I never signed a contract or had a clause. Up until three weeks ago, I was tied to Red Bull. As for Milan, they were the best team post-coronavirus lockdown, so changing would not have been wise or respectful.

"Pioli deserved to keep his job and I appreciated the kind of person he is, as in interviews he was always focused on objectives. Whether this is the right decision for Milan in the medium and long term is another matter."

Milan ended the season sixth and outside of the Champions League places – the Rossoneri have not won the Scudetto since 2011, while they have not featured in Europe's premier club competition since 2014.

Asked what he would do to do lead AC Milan back to the top of Italian and European football, Rangnick highlighted Atalanta's achievements and Antonio Conte's Inter.

"Set a concrete objective, such as Champions League qualification, because nobody enjoys playing in the Europa League," Rangnick replied.

"They have a perfect example just 30km from Milan: Atalanta have a third of Milan's revenue, but keep finishing ahead of them in the table. It's because they make intelligent investments, have one of the best youth academies in Europe, and it's not just about Gian Piero Gasperini. It's a team sport.

"I am also impressed with Antonio Conte's style of football at Inter, which is sophisticated, active and aggressive. My idea of football has always been about keeping a high tempo, pressing and counter-pressing, something in America they now call 'Ralfball'. All the young players in our academies grow up with that now."

Robert Lewandowski's header to crown Bayern Munich's 3-0 Champions League semi-final victory over Lyon gave him a place in the competition's history books alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

It was the Poland striker's 15th goal in this season's tournament, part of a remarkable haul of 55 across all competitions.

Ronaldo is the only other player to hit that number, although he has incredibly done so on three occasions – each time in successful campaigns for Real Madrid.

In 2013-14, the five-time Ballon d'Or winner struck an unmatched 17, while he scored 16 and 15 in 2015-16 and 2017-18 respectively.

Lewandowski has also now scored in nine consecutive Champions League matches.

Only Ronaldo in 2018 (11) and fellow former Manchester United favourite Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2003 (also nine) have netted in as many successive outings.

In the Champions League final on Sunday against Paris Saint-Germain, Lewandowski can match or even beat another Ronaldo record. 

Ronaldo's 17 goals across the 2013-14 Champions League campaign is the most ever scored by a single player with Lewandowski now within touching distance of that feat. 

A brace would see him equal the record, while a hat-trick against PSG would ensure the Polish striker holds the mantle all by himself. 

Despite Lewandowski closing in on such an impressive feat, Bayern manager Hansi Flick has stressed he doesn't expect his star to be distracted by it on Sunday. 

"He won't think about that, he's happy that he finished our game. He works a lot for the team, that's very important," Flick said.

"For me he is the world's best centre-forward and I hope he scores against Paris too."

While Lewandowski etched his name into the record books against Lyon, it was Serge Gnabry that stole the show with an impressive double. 

"Serge Gnabry's outstanding individual performance gave us security," Flick said. 

"The opening goal was outstanding. When you see Serge's development over the last few years, you have to say that he is close to a world class player. We are very happy that he scored two goals and that we are happy to have him.

"He has tremendous qualities and I think he is far from the end of his development."

Former Manchester United striker Andy Cole has warned the club they must be careful not to block the progress of Mason Greenwood if they do manage to sign Borussia Dortmund attacker Jadon Sancho. 

Greenwood, still just 18, scored 17 goals in all competitions for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side this season as he highlighted his enormous potential. 

The Red Devils, however, continue to be linked with a transfer for Sancho, whose arrival would likely limit Greenwood's minutes next season. 

Cole is adamant the English attacker can become a star in his own right and called on United to ensure they don't slow down his development when and if they sign Sancho. 

"Mason is scary, absolutely scary," Cole told the PA news agency. "If this kid lives up to his potential, United have one on their hands.

"It's scary and long may it continue. He needs to keep doing what he's doing, scoring goals and putting pressure on those up front, and as he matures and learns the game even more United have a player who could be anything.

"He can play as a nine and he can play out wide of a three, so it will be interesting to see where United think his best position is and what they see him as.

"For me, the best number nine in the world is Robert Lewandowski. But there aren't many, if any, Lewandowskis about. And if they do bring in Sancho then you've got to be careful as you don't want to block his [Greenwood's] progress.

"United do need to bring in players as you must improve every season but it's a fine balance. If you have a player like Mason Greenwood then you can't afford to block their progress."

Newcastle legend Alan Shearer recently backed Greenwood to beat his Premier League scoring record, describing the teenager as a "potential superstar".

Solskjaer, meanwhile, is well aware of the talent Greenwood possesses in front goal and noted that he is one of the best finishers he's ever seen.

The 18-year-old attacker joined Manchester United at the age of six and made his competitive senior debut for the Red Devils against Paris Saint-Germain in March 2019. 

Malaysia Premier League teams breathed a collective sigh of relief when the Malaysian Football League (MFL) announced on Wednesday, August 19 that none of them will be relegated to the third tier when the 2020 season ends later this year.

According to MFL, the decision was made due to the fact that the 2020 M3 League had to be abandoned due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

For Selangor 2 head coach Michael Feichtenbeiner, the decision allowed him more leniency, in that he does not need to worry about securing safety for the reserve team when the Malaysian league resumes later this month.

Several of his players; such as young midfielder Mukhairi Ajmal and foreign striker Bajram Nebihi, have attracted the interest of first team boss B. Satiananthan in their recent friendlies, especially when the Challenge Cup, a competition that reserve teams take part in, will not be played this year.

Mukhairi Ajmal. Photo from Selangor

The German trainer is willing to let his young players, many of them Mokhtar Dahari Academy graduates, join up with the first team, if Satiananthan requires their services.

"...For me, the best players in the country should always play at a higher level. They will dominate if they play against same-age opponents but this is not really [helping], so I believe that if they play against against other Premier League sides and Malaysia Super League teams, those with four, five import players, we will struggle at first...but they will learn a lot. If any of the 18, 19 year old players are outstanding, they must play in the Super League as soon as possible. We want to prepare them for the top tier quickly.

"Satia and I will have to discuss it, but my understanding is that if they can help him, they must play. They must be grateful if he gives them opportunity [to play on the first team]. But if these players, the most talented Selangor players, are only on the bench, they must play on my team. However, this is to be discussed with Satia; if he needs the players, for sure they will go and we'll be happy to send them. The rest of the squad however is to be prepared while remaining on the Premier League team," said the former MPPF FC head coach following his charges' 4-0 friendly win over Malaysia U-19 on Wednesday.

This opportunity to play competitively with the first team is welcomed by Selangor 2 captain Sharul Nazeem Zulpakar.

"I'm willing to fight and work hard for a spot on the Super League team. I am a young player, so I have to prove my mettle to be with the more senior players."

Kingsley Coman said his "heart is 100 per cent" with Bayern Munich ahead of facing boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final.

Coman came off the bench as Bayern recorded a 3-0 win over Lyon in the semi-finals in Lisbon on Wednesday.

The 24-year-old came through PSG's youth system and made four senior appearances for the club before joining Juventus and then Bayern.

Coman said he was entirely committed to Bayern despite the connection to PSG, who they face in Sunday's decider.

"It's a nice poster," he told RMC Sport. "My heart is 100 per cent Bayern."

Lyon were left to rue missed chances against Bayern before Serge Gnabry scored a brace and Robert Lewandowski sealed the win.

A five-time Bundesliga winner with Bayern, Coman is eager to add the Champions League to his collection.

"It's a great moment, we really wanted to go to the final. Now you have to win it," he said. "The work is not finished, we have to win it otherwise we will have done all this for nothing. 

"We knew it was going to be complicated, they played on their qualities, luckily they didn't score and we were efficient."

Bayern manager Hansi Flick bemoaned his side's defensive lapses on Wednesday and expects a similar challenge against PSG. 

"It was very intensive. Lyon put on a great team and a good performance. We were lucky in the first few minutes," Flick said post-match.

"Serge Gnabry's outstanding individual performance gave us security. We had too many simple ball losses, we have to stop that. But we are all happy, we're in the final. We knew it was going to be a tough game. The team deserved the finals.

"I do not think that the attacking players of Lyon are so much worse than the attacking players of Paris.

"[Memphis] Depay is a world class player and after his injury at a high level again. He can harm any team. The spaces behind the line we didn't defend as well as we usually do. Now we have to regain our energy and try to win the title on Sunday. "

Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick said his team must defend better in the Champions League final after earning a date with Paris Saint-Germain.

Bundesliga champions Bayern booked their spot in Sunday's showpiece with a 3-0 win over Lyon at Estadio Jose Alvalade on Wednesday.

Lyon – who stunned Juventus and Manchester City en route to the final four – made a lively start and Karl Toko Ekambi hit the post, but the French champions were made to pay for their wastefulness.

A first-half brace from Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski's 55th goal of the season two minutes from the end sealed the victory as Bayern stayed on course for a first treble in seven years.

"We knew it would be difficult, they came in off the back of great performances against City and Juventus," Flick told Sky after Bayern won their 10th consecutive Champions League game, equalling the longest streak in the competition's history.

"They are strong tactically and they caused us problems early on. We know we need to defend better, we said before we couldn't afford to give away the ball easily, but we did."

Thomas Tuchel's PSG, who will look to the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe for inspiration, will feature in their maiden Champions League final after outclassing RB Leipzig 3-0 on Tuesday.

"Paris are a great team, they fought their way into the semi-final and then reached the final. We will analyse some things, we know they have quick players," added Flick, whose free-scoring Bayern have netted 42 goals in the competition this season – only the 1999-00 Barcelona (45) team have managed more in a single campaign.

"We will look to organise our defence, but we know our biggest strength is putting our opponents under pressure.

"Thomas is doing a sensational job, that is excellent. I visited him once and I have the opinion that his team is working very well. I'm looking forward to Sunday."

Asked about Lewandowski's opportunity to break Cristiano Ronaldo's Champions League scoring record on Sunday, Flick stressed his star striker won't be distracted by such an individual milestone. 

"He won't think about that, he's happy that he finished our game. He works a lot for the team, that's very important," Flick said.

"He's also important defensively. For me he is the world's best centre forward and I hope he scores against Paris too."