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Columbus Crew have announced the signing of Emmanuel Boateng in a trade with Major League Soccer Eastern Conference rivals DC United, with Axel Sjoberg going in the opposite direction.

Boateng had moved to the American capital outfit in the summer of 2019 but failed to nail a regular place in the starting XI, making a total of four appearances.

He also failed to make any appearance in the recently-concluded MLS is Back tournament in which DC finished last in Group B with two points behind Toronto FC, New England Revolution and Montreal Impact.  A move to the Crew thus presents Boateng with a new lease of life with the club’s president Tim Bezbatchenko asserting his experience in the top-flight will be of great value to the Ohio State side.

“Emmanuel is a veteran, dynamic player who brings eight years of professional experience to our Club, and we are excited to welcome him to Columbus,” Bezbatchenko said on the club website.

“We believe Emmanuel’s speed on the flank and his familiarity with MLS makes him a valuable addition to our roster. We also want to thank Axel for his time with Crew SC, and we wish him the best in the next chapter of his career.

“Today we made a pair of trades, adding Emmanuel Boateng from D.C. United as well as acquiring defender Grant Lillard from Inter Miami FC. I want to thank our TD Pat Onstad and scouting and player personnel groups for working hard to complete these transactions coming off our time in Orlando.

“As [coach] Caleb [Porter] and his staff prepare for the continuation of our MLS regular season next week, we look forward to integrating both Emmanuel and Grant into our Club. We aim to remain hungry and humble as we build off of the team’s performance to date.”

Boateng’s senior career began in the United States with Ventura County Fusion in 2013 before moving to Sweden to play for Helsingborgs between 2013 and 2016.

The most active stint in his career came in came Los Angeles Galaxy, featuring 123 times in all competitions, scoring 12 goals and providing 14 assists from 2016 to 2019.

Boateng was born in the Ghanaian capital of Accra and started out at youth level with Right to Dream Academy before moving to the United States at the age of 15 and was part of the University of California, Santa Barbara soccer team.

Kylian Mbappe hit out at all of those that talk down the quality of Ligue 1, dismissing the typical "Farmer's League" criticism in the wake of Lyon's stunning win over Manchester City.

Lyon shocked the Premier League powerhouses on Saturday, earning a 3-1 win that will send the Ligue 1 side into the Champions League semi-finals.

The French side opened the scoring in the first half through Maxwel Cornet, with Lyon hitting City on the counter to take the lead.

Kevin De Bruyne levelled the scoreline with a first-time finish in the 68th minute to seemingly get City back into the match, but Pep Guardiola's team were undone by two late goals from Moussa Dembele.

The French forward beat the City backline for his first goal, sliding a shot between Ederson's legs in the 79th minute.

Then, after a shocking Raheem Sterling miss, Lyon went back the other way following a giveaway in midfield, with Dembele tapping home after Ederson spilt Houssem Aouar's shot back into the centre of the box.

Mbappe quickly took to Twitter to congratulate Paris Saint-Germain's Ligue 1 rivals while also aiming a jibe at those that repeatedly talk down about the French league.

The PSG star restated the common "Farmer's League" insult alongside a clown emoji before saluting Lyon with several clap emojis for good measure.

Lyon's Twitter account also hopped in on the fun with a tweet of their own, adding "No farmers here" with a winking emoji as they celebrated their triumph.

Now, Lyon, who finished seventh in Ligue 1, will look ahead to a semi-final clash with Bayern Munich, with the German champions riding high after an 8-2 demolition of Barcelona.

Lyon and Bayern will meet in the semi-final on Wednesday, with the former having already taken down Juventus and, now, City in the knockout rounds.

The winner of that match will take on either Mbappe's PSG or RB Leipzig in the Champions League final, which is set for August 23.

PSG came from behind to take down Atalanta in their quarter-final clash, with the injured Mbappe coming on in the second half as the French champions scored two goals through Marquinhos and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the game's waning moments to knock out the Italian underdogs.

RB Leipzig, meanwhile, sealed a late win of their own against Atletico Madrid, with Tyler Adams scoring with just minutes remaining to book their semi-final spot.

Harry Maguire has warned his team-mates that only reaching semi-finals is not good enough as he opens up on the pressure of playing for Manchester United.

The club captain is hoping to guide Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to their first final under the Norwegian. Twice already this season they have reached the last four but fell at the final hurdle, losing to Manchester City and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively.

While they have been on promising cup runs all season Maguire admits that only winning the trophy will be acceptable.

“Getting to semi-finals isn't good enough for this club,” Maguire said ahead of Sunday's last-four clash with Sevilla in Cologne.

“Obviously some competitions are bigger than others, but every trophy is really important for this club. Every final, every semi-final, every quarter-final you're playing, you've got to win.”

The centre-back, who joined the club from Leicester last summer, knew the pressure that would come with signing for United and he has found himself on the receiving end of some stern words from pundits over some of his performances.

Former club captain Roy Keane blasted the defender after United’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham in June but the 27-year-old has learned to expect to be scrutinised.

“I think there's pressure to play for any club. I think when you're at that level, you feel the pressure to play for any club,” Maguire explained. “Obviously Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest. If you play for Manchester United, you're expected to go and win every game.

"Every goal that you concede is obviously in the limelight, it's scrutinised. For me, I think that's the biggest thing coming to this club. I knew that I had to deal with that. I've felt like I've dealt with it well because obviously there's going to be so many highs at the club but there's also going to be a lot of lows.

"There's going to be times where I can do better for goals that we concede, but it's how I bounce back, it's how I learn, it's how I improve.”

Maguire said United are going into Sunday’s game full of confidence but he knows the pressure is on to reach that first final of the season and complete the campaign with a trophy.

“I joined this club to win trophies. I fully expect to win trophies while I'm at this club,” Maguire said. "Obviously when you could be lifting a trophy in a week it's exciting - such an exciting time for myself and such an exciting time for the team to be in the competition so late on.

"Like I said, now we've got this far we need to go and really push and improve on the semi-finals that we've reached already and take it another step."

Two costly blunders in quick succession from Raheem Sterling and Ederson cost Manchester City their place in the Champions League semi-final - and fans on social media lost no time in highlighting their contributions in a shock defeat. 

Pep Guardiola's men went into Saturday's clash against Lyon as firm favourites to progress, with a last-four match against Bayern Munich on offer for the winners. 

But it proved to be a torrid evening for the Premier League side, who found Lyon extremely tough customers throughout the 90 minutes. 

Maxwel Cornet fired the Frenchmen ahead after 23 minutes, a lead they retained until deep into the second half when Kevin De Bruyne levelled the scores. 

At that point City were the dominant team, but their hopes were finally crushed in a frantic finish to the match. 

Moussa Dembele restored Lyon's advantage with 11 minutes remaining, before City were handed a golden chance to equalise once more. 

Somehow, though, Sterling blazed high and wide with the goal gaping, an error compounded seconds later by the usually rock-solid Ederson. 

City's keeper spilled a tame shot and Dembele stole in to net his second and Lyon's third, sealing for the underdogs a memorable 3-1 victory and a place in the semis. 

Both players will feel responsible for sending their side out of the competition - although Tottenham's Harry Kane, to judge from the immediate reaction from Twitter users, might just feel vindicated for his decision to ignore Sterling in England's 2018 World Cup match against Croatia. 

Manchester City again came unstuck against Lyon in the Champions League as a controversial 3-1 defeat saw Pep Guardiola miss out on a semi-final against his former club Bayern Munich.

Lyon won away to City in the 2018-19 group stage - also drawing at home - and they again had the tournament favourites' number in Lisbon on Saturday.

Maxwel Cornet scored in both prior meetings between the sides and was on target once more midway through the first half as City struggled to get to grips with the five-man defence named by Guardiola.

That formation was ditched before the hour mark and Kevin De Bruyne equalised, but substitute Moussa Dembele restored Lyon's lead following a contentious counter-attack with 11 minutes remaining and then added another after an Ederson error.

Raheem Sterling remarkably missed an open goal between Dembele's decisive strikes as City suffered further European misery in stunning fashion.

Maxwel Cornet and Moussa Dembele continue to haunt Manchester City as the Lyon stars equalled Lionel Messi on Saturday with their goals against the Premier League side.

The duo combined to score three goals on Saturday, leading Lyon to the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over City.

Cornet left Pep Guardiola's side stunned in the first half of the Champions League quarter-final as he fired underdogs Lyon into the lead.

Cornet's big moment came in the 23rd minute as Lyon forward Karl Toko Ekambi broke free from the City backline.

Following a spectacular tackle from Eric Garcia to dispossess Toko Ekambi, Cornet pounced as he fired a shot past Ederson and into the back of the net.

The goal gave Lyon a 1-0 lead early, but it wasn't the first time Cornet got the better of the City defence.

Cornet previously terrorised the City rearguard in the 2018-19 Champions League, as Lyon faced off with Pep Guardiola's side in the group stage.

After scoring the first of two goals in a 2-1 win at the Etihad in the first match of the group stage, Cornet fired two more in their second clash, a 2-2 draw back in France.

In the second half of Saturday's clash, City fired back through Kevin De Bruyne, with the Belgian levelling the match at one apiece before Dembele added two goals of his own to seal Lyon's win.

Dembele had previously fired a brace as a member of Celtic, as the French forward led the way in a 3-3 draw with City in September 2016.

With Saturday's goals, Cornet and Dembele each have four goals against City in the Champions League, giving them the joint-most goals against the club in the competition since Guardiola took over in 2016.

Only Messi has scored the same amount since the Catalan arrived at the Etihad, with the Argentine firing four times as Barcelona faced off with his former manager back in the group stage in 2016.

Cornet has not had a particularly prolific campaign for Lyon, having fired only four goals in 22 Ligue 1 matches this season.

The Ivorian international joined Lyon from Metz in 2015, having made at least 36 appearances in each of his first five full seasons with the Ligue 1 side. 

Dembele, meanwhile, joined Lyon in 2018, scoring 31 league goals over his first two seasons with the club.

Lyon finished the 2019-20 campaign seventh in Ligue 1 after the French season was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The French side did, however, stun Juventus to advance to the quarter-finals, going through on away goals despite losing the second leg 2-1. 

New Borussia Dortmund signing Jude Bellingham is adamant that his hefty transfer fee will not weigh on his shoulders as he adapts to life in Germany. 

Bellingham became the most expensive 17-year-old in football history when Dortmund swooped to pay an initial £25 million ($33m) to sign the midfielder from Birmingham City. 

The Bundesliga side beat off reported suitors Manchester United for his signature, creating great expectations over the teenager after he impressed in the Championship.  

Despite that burden, however, Bellingham insists that any pressure he feels will be of his own making as he strives for success at Signal Iduna Park. 

"No, not really. It's almost a nice thing to have, BVB putting that much faith in me to deliver," he explained to reporters.

"But, for me, the pressure I put on myself is more than the pressure of any price tag or [expectation from any] media outlet. I will try and do the best for me and this club regardless of the price tag.

"I want to achieve everything possible, but you have to be realistic.

"I think, the way this club is moving, I think we can definitely try and challenge for the title as we have done in the last few years. We'll try our best to do that.

"It's a huge club with an amazing fan base. I think they deserve titles and trophies. Obviously I can't guarantee that - but I will say that I will give everything to try and achieve that."

Stourbridge native Bellingham joined Birmingham at Under-8 level and spent his entire youth career at St Andrew's before making the move to Dortmund, and he admits that leaving his boyhood club was not an easy decision. 

"The hardest thing about leaving Birmingham was because I had been there so long," he added

"It felt like they were a massive part of me, being a fan and then working [my way up] all the way through the academy and playing for the first team.

"But I think in life you have to take opportunities, and this is a huge one for me to come and play for such a big club. It wasn't a hard one [decision] for me to come here."

The youngster made his debut for Birmingham in August 2019 to become their youngest-ever first-team player, and went on to score four goals in 41 Championship games in his maiden season as the Blues finished 20th, narrowly avoiding relegation to League One. 

Russian Superliga side Zenit Saint Petersburg have completed the signing of Cameroon international Tatiana Ekogo on a one-year contract.

The Saint Petersburg-based outfit secured the services of the Indomitable Lionesses striker as a free agent after she parted ways with rivals Yenisey following the expiration of her contract.

Ekogo joined Russian side Yenisey from Cameroonian club Louves Minproff in January 2019, made 18 appearances and scored four goals on her maiden professional outing abroad.

On the international scene, she was part of Cameroon's campaign at the 2015 African Games in Congo-Brazaville, where the Indomitable Lionesses won silver in the women's football category.

The signing of Ekogo will further help the survival quest of the Russian top-flight outfit this season, having suffered defeats in all three opening matches in the current campaign.

On capturing Ekogo, Zenit's head coach Olga Poryadina expressed her joy over the signing of the Cameroonian, while extolling her qualities.

"We are glad to welcome Tatiana to the team," Proyadina told the Russian website. 

"We looked at it, followed its work. Tatyana performed well last season, playing for Yenisey, so it was decided to invite her to the team. 

"An important factor was that she has experience playing in the Russian championship, so that adaptation will not be difficult. 

"Moreover, this year's season is fleeting. I hope Tatiana will prove herself, show her game and help the team this season."

Ekogo's stay in the Russian top-flight means three Africans are competing in the Superliga this season, after compatriot Gabrielle Onguene and Nigeria's Ogonna Chukwudi with CSKA Moscow.

Having sealed her move, the 23-year-old could be available for her debut when Zenit travel to challenge leaders Lokomotiv Moscow in the nation's capital on Sunday.

Ex-Nigeria coach Sunday Oliseh was happy to see Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies announce himself to the world after his dominating performance in their 8-2 win over Barcelona.

The Ghana-born full-back who has pledged his allegiance to Canada on the international scene, tamed Lionel Messi in Friday’s Champions League quarter-final fixture and he was also a constant threat to Barcelona’s defence.

Apart from his defensive contribution, Davies produced a masterclass display in assisting Joshua Kimmich to score Bayern's fifth goal in the 63rd minute at the Estadio da Luz.

He outclassed Nelson Semedo on the left flank before powering into the penalty area to lay the ball across goal for Kimmich to tap in.

Oliseh seems to be an admirer of Davies and he lauded the 19-year-old’s qualities which include his pace and hunger to win games.

The former Ajax star also claimed Bayern Munich’s humiliation of Barcelona was not an accident as the German champions produced the better performance.

“Extremely pleased, the world has finally discovered the extraordinary talent of Alphonso Davies of Bayern Munich,” Oliseh tweeted. “He has it all: Pace, skills, vision, endurance, intelligence and an insatiable will to win.

“Bayern did not accidentally crush Barca, they were all round better in my view.”

The defeat was Barcelona’s heaviest defeat in the Champions League, however, Bayern Munich are still in the hunt for their sixth glory in the elite European competition.

Hansi Flick’s side will face the winner of the game between Manchester City and Lyon in the semi-final on Wednesday.

Orlando Pirates coach Josef Zinnbauer has expressed his frustration following their failure to find the back of the net as they drew in the Premier Soccer League (PSL) at home against Bidvest Wits at Ellis Park Stadium on Saturday evening.

The Buccaneers manager said the fact the Clever Boys goalkeeper Ricardo Goss won the Man of the Match award is proof they created chances to find the back of the net.

On the other hand, his counterpart Gavin Hunt shared a contrasting remark, saying they could have comfortably won the clash and that the former Golden Arrows keeper didn’t deserve the accolade.

“It was a 50/50 [chance for both teams], we had to control the game to dominate and to show a little luck in our chances from Wits,” Zinnbauer told SuperSport TV.

“But we had a lot of chances and yeah we’ve been unfortunate we cannot win the game and then when you see the man of the match, the goalkeeper; it’s a language that he was very good and we needed a goal.

“We cannot say it was bad and we did everything that was possible to win the game, and when the goal was coming it was going to be easy for us to win the game and get confidence.

“Yeah it’s true [we failed to score in the last four matches], I said it before that when you have a chance and you don’t score, then it’s a problem for me as a coach. But we have, I don’t know how many shots we had from the goal today and in the last game [against Mamelodi Sundowns], the same.

“This day it was a keeper, we had two big chances and some other chances, it’s the same with the last game where we didn’t score. It’s good for me to have the chance but the goal is not coming.

“Before it was Sundowns and it was the same top team [Wits] in the league. Now we have to see what’s coming in smaller teams and it’s normal. It’s not so easy to win the game but we do all things, it was a good game for us but we couldn’t get the three points.”

On his impression on the encounter, the four-time PSL winner believes the likes of Deon Hotto could have netted three times, saying they should create their own luck.

“First of all, how does Ricardo Goss win the man of the match? It baffles my mind when I think we should have won the match tonight comfortably,” Hunt told SuperSport TV.

“I mean the score could have been, they had one chance which he saved and I don’t think they had anything after that. So, yeah it’s disappointing. I’ve said the same thing the whole week.

“This is one game we should have won comfortably, we had more than enough chances. We dominated but the longer the game goes, yeah, they can have the chances and he makes the save but it’s not man of the match stuff.

“My players were magnificent tonight, Cole Alexander, five-star performance in the midfield. Keegan Ritchie, he hasn’t played for ages and played in the midfield, magnificent.

“I mean Deon Hotto should have had a hat-trick, Haashim Domingo should have had a hat-trick. I mean the chances they missed. It comes but we had three games, [Kaizer] Chiefs, Pirates and Sundowns in six-seven days, fantastic. Two days we go again and a few more players, we’ll see.

“Great performance, I can’t fault them, I can’t say [we needed] luck because you have to create your own, we have to score the chances we created. We’ll go again, try and create more.”

Former Everton and West Bromwich Albion striker Victor Anichebe has stated the Black Lives Matter movement has encouraged him to expand his skills by enrolling for courses.

Anichebe stressed there are many available roles for black people in the sports industry, and he is working to fit into one.

The ex-Nigeria international who is presently a free agent after leaving Chinese outfit Beijing Enterprises in 2017, revealed he attended the Black Lives Matter marches in Liverpool.

“I went to the Black Lives Matter marches in Liverpool. It was great to see such a diverse crowd there – people from many different backgrounds and nationalities,” Anichebe wrote in his column on the Everton website.

“I was really proud of Liverpool when I went. I didn’t think the turnout would be like that. It shows people are together.

“But what’s the end goal now? What are we pushing towards? In society, we need to figure out ways to make systematic changes, or we’ll lose momentum.

“We need equal opportunities for black people. In football, there are so many senior roles available that could be filled by black people.

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do – go into those positions - to have a seat at the table. The events of the last couple of months have prompted me to sit up and look at it more seriously.

“I’m doing some courses now focused on expanding my skills that could help me get into those roles.

“I know James Vaughan and Joleon Lescott are also looking to take courses like that, too. It’s up to us to take action.”

The 32-year-old spent most of his career in England playing for Everton, West Brom and Sunderland, before he headed to China in 2017.

Anichebe spent seven years at Goodison Park and he disclosed his worst experience of racism came when he featured for the club during a Europa League match.

“One of the worst experiences of racism I have ever received was in an away Europa League game when I was at Everton. It was terrible,” he recalled.

“We were walking around the stadium and some of the opposition supporters were spitting all over me.

“The people who were walking with us put umbrellas up to shield the players.

“Some fans were throwing bananas, too. I just felt sorry for those people – to have so much hate eating you up inside.

“I scored in the match. But it’s not enough that a black player can score a goal to answer back to those people. What does that even mean?

“It’s more than sport. They need to be educated if real change is going to happen.”

Former Arsenal head of football Raul Sanllehi has expressed his frustration at cutting ties with the club after almost three years of collaboration, while insisting he bears no ill will following his exit. 

Sanllehi arrived at the Emirates Stadium in November 2017 as head of football relations before stepping into a more senior role when Ivan Gazidis left the Gunners for AC Milan at the end of December. 

On Saturday, however, Arsenal announced that Sanllehi would be leaving the club, with Vinai Venkatesham adding football responsibilities to his existing role of managing director. 

"Raul has made a big contribution during his time with us and will always be part of the Arsenal family. We thank him for all his hard work and expertise and wish him every future success," owner Stan Kroenke signalled in a statement.

"We have no doubt that Vinai is the right person to take the club forward. He has shown outstanding leadership during the current crisis and is held in high regard internally and externally.

"We know everyone will rally round him so we can move forward successfully."

In a subsequent statement, Sanllehi thanked Arsenal for the opportunity to work at the Premier League club, but also expressed his disappointment at seeing his time at the Emirates come to an end. 

"It is with mixed feelings that I end my professional relationship with Arsenal. As said, many mixed (and contradictory) feelings arise, from deep sadness to full pride and gratefulness to have been given the opportunity to work in such a special club alongside the best professionals and human beings I've met over my 25 years in the industry," Sanllehi explained in a statement published by Gooner Talk.

"I will continue a Gooner for the rest of my days, and I will be celebrating every goal and title they (we) achieve in the coming years. 

"I said I had many contradictory feelings at this time, many, but one I don't have is anger. Not at all!

"Of course I feel frustrated and powerless but I also have the certainty I gave my best work and effort to bring this club back where it belongs."

Kaizer Chiefs coach Ernst Middendorp has credited his tactical substitutions for a strong second-half showing that led to a turnaround in Saturday’s 3-2 Premier Soccer (PSL) win over Polokwane City at Loftus Versfeld.

Chiefs found themselves a goal down 17 minutes into the match before they fell further down just after the hour mark as they appeared headed for an embarrassing evening.

But Samir Nurkovic led their comeback with two assists and Chiefs found the back of the net thrice inside seven minutes to record a victory that extended their lead to six points.

With Willard Katsande, Ramahlwe Mphahlele being thrown in at the beginning of the second half for Kearyn Baccus, Reeve Frosler and Yagan Sasman respectively, Middendorp appeared to have made effective changes.

Katsande was the first to score to set off the comeback and the coach has hailed his tactical adjustments in the second period.

“We weren't a very happy team at half-time. A compliment to Polokwane City. They caught us [sleeping] three/four times in addition. We were not very happy to have it 0-1, there is no doubt about it," Middendorp told SuperSport TV .

“It was the changes in the second half with experienced players, compliments to Katsande, Rama, Bernard Parker coming in [with] the calmness, coolness, structure we built up totally in a different way.

“But good. Despite being 2-0 down and then the seven, eight minutes to make it happen that shows the ambition, that shows character, that each and everybody and of the team. It’s just we were really happy like I said they [the three subs] gave us a second chance at the beginning of the second half.

"It was not good in the first half, there was no pressure on the ball, the long balls coming on top. Also the defence line and we haven’t really only reacted. We were not in a situation that as we have seen it against Wits [it was] totally different [against Polokwane]. Today only in the second half [we were] much better. We were ambitious, we were focused and committed in a way. We wanted to win this game and we have done it.”

Saturday’s victory comes after the 1-1 draw with Bidvest Wits on Tuesday in their first match of the season restart.

In having their lead extended to six points, Chiefs would also thank Highlands Park for restricting Mamelodi Sundowns to a 1-1 draw on Friday.

In their next match, Middendorp and his men will face Bloemfontein Celtic.

Middendorp’s Polokwane City opposite number Clinton Larsen blamed missing a glut of chances in the first half, as well as poor defending in the second stanza for their demise.

“It is hard to accept. But I think we got what we deserved today based on the chances we missed in the first half," said Larsen.

"We should have come three or four to the good and I believe that is where we lost the game, had we gone three or four-nil. You don’t get Chiefs on the ropes like that every day and we didn’t take those chances but what a good performance from the team in the first half.

“A lot of teams have been talking that we don’t have rhythm. We had it at training and we saw it today. They [Chiefs] got back into the game in the second half which they had to. They are league contenders and they came back into the game.

"The disappointing part for me is that we worked on defending set pieces and the balls in the near post in particular, we knew that’s an area we needed to defend well and we didn’t do that and we got punished for it. We will keep supporting our players, we will keep soldiering on.”

The defeat saw Polokwane City dropping into the relegation zone and they play SuperSport United in their next match on Wednesday.

Julen Lopetegui believes the Manchester United side Sevilla will face in the Europa League semi-final is the best Red Devils line-up for a long time.

United and Sevilla meet in Cologne on Sunday for the right to play against either Inter of Shakhtar Donetsk, who square off on Monday, in the final.

Sevilla come into the match on the back of a 19-game unbeaten run, boosted by wins over Roma and Wolves in their past two outings, while United have lost just once since January.

United may have been underwhelming in their 1-0 quarter-final win over Copenhagen, requiring an extra time goal from Bruno Fernandes to emerge victorious, but Lopetegui clearly rates Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men highly.

Sevilla stunned United in the last 16 of the Champions League two years ago when they beat them 2-1 on aggregate, but Lopetegui is certain the Red Devils are much better now.

"This United is the best Manchester United in recent years, a team that has found its way, that's why they haven't lost in the Premier League since January," the former Spain and Real Madrid boss told reporters ahead of the last-four encounter.

"They have found the space for the many quality footballers that they have. They are complete, they will force us to play a great game to compete with them.

"This is what I hope for tomorrow, a semi-final in a game of maximum difficulty and that will require us at all levels to play collectively.

"We like to play beautiful and important matches. For that we have fought and worked all year. It is an important game against a great opponent.

"We will be able to arrive prepared. We will try to overcome them, no matter how big a team they are."

Sevilla, who finished fourth in La Liga this season, are chasing their sixth title in Europe's secondary competition, having won the Europa League three times and its predecessor – the UEFA Cup – twice.

United, meanwhile came in third in the Premier League in 2019-20 and are chasing their first piece of silverware since they won the Europa League and Carabao Cup three years ago. 

Manchester City again came unstuck against Lyon in the Champions League as a controversial 3-1 defeat saw Pep Guardiola miss out on a semi-final against his former club Bayern Munich.

Lyon won away to City in the 2018-19 group stage - also drawing at home - and they again had the tournament favourites' number in Lisbon on Saturday.

Maxwel Cornet scored in both prior meetings between the sides and was on target once more midway through the first half as City struggled to get to grips with the five-man defence named by Guardiola.

That formation was ditched before the hour mark and Kevin De Bruyne equalised, but substitute Moussa Dembele restored Lyon's lead following a contentious counter-attack with 11 minutes remaining and then added another after an Ederson error.

Raheem Sterling remarkably missed an open goal between Dembele's decisive strikes as City suffered further European misery in stunning fashion.

Rasheedat Ajibade put in a solid display for Avaldsnes as they handed Lillestrom a first defeat in the Norwegian Toppserien this season after a 1-0 triumph at Avaldsnes Idrettssenter on Saturday.

The Nigeria international has continued to impress in her second season with Avaldsnes, having netted three goals in five outings.

Following a 1-0 victory at Roa last week, Thomas Dahle's team aimed to make a statement against the champions, who defeated Arna Bjornar 2-1 to seal their sixth consecutive win this term.

As part of his tactical plan, manager Dahle surprisingly redeployed Ajibade to the midfield, starting Andrea Norheim upfront and the 20-year-old Nigerian made an impact as they upset the holders.

As expected, the visitors threatened early in search of an opener but Ajibade did superbly well to stop Emilie Haavi in the 21st minute.

The hosts came close when the Super Falcons star raced from her own half to the visitors' area before passing to Elise Thorsnes, whose effort was later halted by Emilie Woldvik in the 36th minute.

The Nigerian was close to firing her side ahead but her brilliant long-range effort from 17 yards went wide four minutes from half time.

11 minutes after the restart, Nathalie Utvik sent in a fine cross from the right, which fell into the path of Andrea Norheim, who set up substitute Ylinn Tennebo to fire past goalkeeper Ida Norstrom.

Having gained the lead, Ajibade provided some calmness in the middle of the park for Avaldsnes to contain the visitors and held their nerve to seal a second win on the bounce this season. 

Besides the famous win, Ajibade, who played from the start to finish for Avaldsnes has ultimately been given the Player of the Match prize following her positive impact in her side's incredible victory.

The result means Avaldsnes are fourth with 13 points from seven games, cutting the lead of Lillestrom to three and they will host third-placed Rosenborg on the same ground on August 22.

Orlando Pirates and Bidvest Wits settled for a share of the spoils as the match ended in a 0-0 draw at Ellis Park Stadium.

The Buccaneers remained third on the PSL standings after this encounter with 42 points from 25 league games. 

Wits, on the other hand, are two points behind the Sea Robbers but remain fifth on the log behind SuperSport United who are placed fourth. 

Josef Zinnbauer made a surprising inclusion to his usual starting line-up as Xola Mlambo made his debut since the German mentor arrived in December 2019. 

Luvuyo Memela also returned to the starting XI after missing the clash against Mamelodi Sundowns in midweek. 

Gavin Hunt welcomed Sfiso Hlanti back from suspension and he started on the left-hand side of the defence. 

The Buccaneers started brightly with Vincent Pule testing Ricardo Goss in the 20th-minute and the Wits keeper made a superb save to keep his side in the game. 

Soon after the half-hour mark, Wits nearly conceded following a miscommunication between Goss and Lorenzo Gordinho but Pule hit the wrong side of the net. 

Pule was all over the place giving his former employers a torrid time and he combined with Ben Motshwari and Memela but Goss went down to make a good save. 

Wits took the game to the Sea Robbers toward the end of the first-half but Haashim Domingo headed wide much to the relief of the Bucs technical team.  

Zinnbauer and Hunt gave what was a tough half-time talk during the break because both teams came back guns blazing after the restart. 

Domingo came close to breaking the deadlock inside the opening 10 minutes of the second-half as his attempted shot rattled the post with Wayne Sandilands beaten hands down. 

That didn't stop Zinnbauer's men as Gabadinho Mhango fired at Goss in the 62nd-minute but the Wits goalkeeper made a superb save.  

Goss was again in the thick of things as he made a point-blank range save in the 70th-minute as Bucs threw everything at Wits. 

Ultimately, both sides settled for a goalless draw as they failed to find the back of the net. 

This was Pirates' second consecutive goalless draw while Wits failed to score for the first time since the resumption of the current campaign. 

The goal-drought for Pirates continued in the end after failing to breakthrough in the final minutes. Their next assignment in the league sees them take on relegation-threatened Baroka FC on Tuesday.

Ugandan Premier League (UPL) side Bright Stars FC are set to confirm Baker Mbowa as their new head coach.

Mbowa is expected to sign a three-year deal with Bright Stars to fill the position that was left vacant by Paul Kiwanuka who joined Fred Kajoba’s backroom staff at Vipers SC.

The appointment of Mbowa is understood to have been reached following week-long consultations.

Hussein Mbalangu, Joseph Kiwanuka, Sadiq Ssempigi and Kefa Kisala were the other coaches who had applied to succeed Kiwanuka. Kisala has so far joined UPDF though.

Peter Mugerwa, who has worked under two previous coaches Muhammed Kiseka and Kiwanuka, is expected to be Mbowa’s deputy.

Mbowa has had coaching stints at Proline FC first in 2016 where he led the club as they fought for Premier League promotion.

He was Shafiq Bisaso’s assistant when they lifted the Uganda Cup last year and consequently featured in the Caf Confederation Cup.

The Ugandan also led lower sides that included Masaka LC, now defunct, as well as Mawokota and Kabula in the Masaza Cup.

Bright Anukani and Fahad Bayo are among the players the tactician is credited to have helped grow their talent.

The immediate task for the coach is to ensure Bright Stars register a better performance in the 2020/21 season even though they have lost Jamil Kaliisa.

Goalkeeper Simon Tamale and defender Derrick Ngoobi are to remain at the club as Bright Stars are yet to confirm any new signing so far.

Meanwhile, New UPL side Malaba Youth Development Association (MYDA) FC have signed defender Yakubu Ramathan.

The former AFC Leopards star has signed a two-year contract with the newly-promoted club based in the Eastern Uganda region.

“I am really happy to be back home and happy to sign for the new entrants in the league,” Yakubu said as was quoted by Kawowo Sports.

“I am going to do all that it takes that we maintain our team in the league and display a good game in this new season of UPL, I am glad to be here.”

Ramadhan was clubless since his contract with SC Villa ended in the recent past. He has previously played for Lusaka Dynamos of Zambia and Uganda's Bright Stars.

MYDA have already signed Isaac Mweru Doka and midfielder Waiswa Kasango.

Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he is open to leaving the club this summer and says there are at least 10 teams interested in signing him.

The 27-year-old joined the Gunners in 2012, but has since been sent out on loan six times and has made just 37 appearances for the first-team.

The Argentine featured 23 times for the north London outfit this season, having been called on to play in the Europa League before he was drafted in to replace Bernd Leno in Premier League matches when the first choice shot stopper was sidelined with an injury in June.

Martinez still has two years left on his contract, but he would consider leaving if coach Mikel Arteta will not promise more playing time next season.

"I want to stay at Arsenal, but only if I get more minutes. Because on a personal level I am at an age where to build confidence I need to be playing as many minutes as possible," he told Marca.

"I am in the crosshairs of 10 teams in Europe, but I can't say who those clubs are because there's nothing concrete.

"I still do not have a clear situation with Arsenal, when I have it when I return I will make the best decision for my career."

Martinez spent the 2017-18 campaign on loan at Getafe but made just four La Liga appearances.

Despite his disappointing year in the Spanish top-flight, it would be his first choice destination if he were to leave England.

"I really liked La Liga. It's true that I didn't have a good experience at Getafe, because I didn't play as many games as I wanted. 

"But Spain is a great league, I love the country. If I go back I will play more minutes than I did at Getafe, and I would do it in the best way. 

"If it is not England, I would like to go to Spain."

Martinez has been impressed by Arsenal boss Arteta since he took charge in December and guided them to FA Cup success.

"Arteta is a great coach, he changed the structure at Arsenal, he gave us a game plan," he added. 

"He is one of the best modern coaches today. In six months he has won a title, the FA Cup no less, one of the best cups in England and one of the oldest in history. 

"He's very smart, in my opinion, he's going to be one of the best coaches in the world. I have no doubt that he can lead the Spanish national team. 

"Pep Guardiola said that everyone at Manchester City had learned from Arteta. 

"In training we see that he has a clear idea of ​​the game, he surprises us day by day."

Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar has called the transfer rumours linking him with a move to Manchester City as “inappropriate” as the French giants prepare to face the Citizens in the Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday.

The 22-year-old has been one of the key players for Les Gones this season, making 39 appearances in all competitions, 25 of them coming in Ligue 1 where they finished in seventh spot after 28 matchdays, 10 points away from the final Champions League qualification spot.

In the Champions League, Aouar has played six times including the last 16 against Juventus where he provided an assist in each leg with Lyon progressing via away goals.

The Italian giants are also reported to be interested in securing the Franco-Algerian’s services, but he has debunked such claims even though he has made his intention of wanting to leave and is focused on the task at hand with Lyon, though admitting the transfer links are flattering.

"A meeting with City? No no, but of course it is always flattering to hear your name linked to these teams,” he told the media.

“To be completely honest, I find it a bit inappropriate to talk about my future before such an important match. At the moment I am 100% focused on Lyon, it is a very important game and very, very nice to play."

Lyon are usually known to sell their best players having parted with Africans like Ghana and Mali midfielders Michael Essien and Mamadou Diarra in time past. Sporting director and club legend Juninho has revealed the club will be looking for replacements if a deal sticks.

"When you have great players, it is normal that the great teams, with greater economic power, may be interested,” Juninho told RMC Sport.

“There is the risk of losing important players, if so, in agreement with president Aulas, we will work to find suitable substitutes.”

Aouar has been with Lyon since his youth and has made a total of 135 appearances for the senior team, scoring 24 goals and providing 25 assists.

He is eligible to play for France having been born in Lyon or Algeria by virtue of the origin of his parents.