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Goalkeeper Cryspus Kusiima has revealed why he opted to sign for Express FC.

On Monday, the Red Eagles confirmed the arrival of the 24-year-old custodian from Tooro United after he agreed to pen a two-year contract.

On signing the player, Express said: “Express have on Monday, August 10, announced the signing of goalkeeper Kusiima Cryspus on a two-year deal.

“The 24-year-old who was formerly at Tooro United will be looking to battle for the number one jersey alongside mainstay Matthias Muwanga.”

Kusiima has now told the club’s official website that he was prompted to sign for the Red Eagles because they are a big brand in the Ugandan Premier League (UPL) and revealed his target is to keep as many clean sheets as possible next season.

“I joined Express FC because it’s a big brand and club, the target is to create as many clean sheets in my case am looking at 18 because I know if I achieve that, we shall be in the top three a position I want us to finish in as well,” Kusiima told the club website.

On how he will cope fighting for a place with the keepers already at the club, Kusiima said: “I know I’ve joined a team with competitive players but the good thing is its healthy competition and I also believe if we work as a unit, we shall all win as a team.”

Kusiima will have to fight for a starting role with first choice Muwanga, who struggled last season owing to a nagging injury.

The custodian became the first of many signings for Express ahead of the new season which is scheduled to start on October 17.

In a recent interview, Express boss Wasswa Bbosa admitted he was expecting a competitive 2020/21 Ugandan Premier League (UPL) season.

"We all know clubs are re-organizing themselves and that they will be competitive next season," Bbosa told reporters.

"But actually if anything, we have already done our homework on all the teams. So I would say we are braced up for any team that will come our way."

The six-time league champions finished the abandoned league in the ninth position with 31 points, after managing nine wins, four draws, and 12 losses.

Bbosa was appointed at the club at the expense of the sacked George Ssimwogere. After steering the team from the relegation zone to a ninth-place finish, he was rewarded with a three-year contract.

Robin van Persie hailed Anthony Martial as "world-class" after Manchester United's win over Copenhagen and described him as "a joy to watch" in full flow.

United booked a spot in the Europa League semi-finals with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against the Danish outfit in Cologne on Monday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men had 14 shots on target during the game and hit the post twice, with the breakthrough finally coming via a Bruno Fernandes penalty in the first half of extra time.

Martial was the man who won the spot-kick to cap a productive night's work, as he jinked his way through the Copenhagen defence on a number of occasions to set up some of the Red Devils' best chances.

The Frenchman wasn't able to add to his tally of 23 goals across all competitions, but Van Persie felt he was the standout performer once again in a game of fine margins in Germany.

"The outstanding player for me tonight was Martial," the former United striker told BT Sport. "When he switches it on he’s just too fast, too silky and wow, what a player!

"He is such a joy to watch. It’s like he’s having a kick-about in his own garden.

"What I like about Martial is he has an eye for his team-mates – he isn’t just playing for himself. He always has an eye for his team-mates and that’s what sets him apart from very good players. 

"That’s why I think he’s world-class. He can provide, he can give assists, he dribbles, he’s fast but he has great awareness of what’s around him."

Paul Scholes, another legendary Old Trafford figure, echoed Van Persie's sentiments on Martial, while expressing his belief that the 24-year-old has become a complete striker under Solskjaer's stewardship.

"I like him, I’ve always liked him," said the ex-United playmaker. "I thought is he a Number nine or is he a wide player? He’s turned himself into a number nine with every game I watch more and more.

"I think when he squares a player up and gets a run at him I think he’s unstoppable. I don’t see how you stop him. He’s only started showing it lately.

"Now I think he’s brought the all-round game. He’s got everything, he can beat a man, he can score goals, he’s got everything you’d want in a centre-forward."

Solskjaer's side will now look ahead to a last-four meeting against either Wolves or Sevilla on Sunday, as their quest to end the club's three year wait for major silverware continues.

Young Africans (Yanga SC) have managed to keep star player Feisal Salum at the club after he agreed to renew his contract.

The Jangwani Street-based giants have confirmed the 22-year-old has penned a four-year contract which will see him stay at the club until August 2024.

Yanga revealed the news on their social media pages by stating: “We have secured another four years for our winger Feisal Salum.”

Salum had a good season with the Timu ya Wananchi and was voted the best player by the fans at the end of the 2019-20 Mainland Premier League campaign.

He played 22 matches last season and managed to score one goal, against Mwadui FC in a 1-1 draw played at National Stadium in Dar es Salaam.

Salum becomes the first player to extend his stay with Yanga, after the club released 14 players last week as they continue to restructure ahead of the new season set to kick off on September 6.

Among the players axed include former Gor Mahia striker Gnamien Yikpe, who took much criticism last season, captain Papy Tshishimbi, who refused to renew his contract, and Congolese striker David Molinga.

Others let to go are veteran striker Mrisho Ngassa, Jafary Mohamed, Mohamed Issa Banka, Tariq Seif, Andrew Vincent Dante, Patrick Sibomana, Muharami Issa, Ali Ali, Rafael Daud, Ali Mtoni Sonso and Eric Kabamba.

The players retained include Kenyan keeper Farouk Shikhalo, Metacha Mnata, Ramadhan Kabwili, Haruna Niyonzima, Lamine Moro, Bernard Morrison, Feisal Salum, Juma Mahadhi, Adeyum Saleh, Said Makapu, Balama Mapinduzi, Deus Kaseke, Ditram Nchimbi, Abdulaziz Makame, and Paul Godfrey.

On Monday, Yanga resumed training ahead of the new season with only 11 players taking part.

The players include Metacha Mnata, Yassin Mustapha, Paul Godfrey, Deus Kaseke, Juma Makapu, Abbdulaziz Makame, Ditram Nchimbi, Waziri Junior, Juma Mahadhi and Abdallah Shaibu.

Yanga had a disappointing campaign in the last season where they failed to reach the final of the FA Cup after losing to eventual winners and rivals Simba SC, and could only finish a distant second behind their old rivals.

The Timu ya Wananchi have now been linked a number of foreign players, including Kenyans Jesse Were and John Makwatta, who play for Zesco United, Sven Yidah of Kariobangi Sharks, Erick Rutanga of Rayon Sports and Mukoko Tonombe of AS Vita Club from the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Cape Town City have strengthened their first team squad by promoting seven players from their academy and reserve team.

The Citizens are preparing for the resumption of the 2019/20 PSL season with the first game set to take place on Tuesday night which is a titanic clash between Mamelodi Sundowns and Orlando Pirates.

City, who are expected to face Chippa United on Friday, have brought in seven new players as they look to retain their status in the elite league this term.

The Western Cape-based side released the following statement on Tuesday morning announcing the promotion of several youngsters including South Africa under-20 international Zuko Mdunyelwa.

A club statement read: "Coach [JOR] Jan Olde Riekerink has promoted seven academy players to the PSL training camp."

"Olwethu Nyembe, Eyona Ndondo, Zaakir Allie, Taahir Goedeman, Jared van der Berg, Zuko Mdunyelwa, and Diego Appollis have all been included in the first team since the lockdown."

Mdunyelwa was named in South Africa's provisional 50-man squad ahead of the 2019 Fifa Under-20 World Cup finals, but he did not make the cut.

However, the young defender had helped Amajita successfully defend their Cosafa Under-20 Championship title in Zambia in 2018.

City also promoted former Ajax Cape Town player Zaakir Allie, who has been playing for the Citizens' reserve team in the Multichoice Diski Challenge (MDC) this season.

The 20-year-old midfielder signed his maiden professional contract with then-PSL side Ajax in March 2018.

However, Allie, who spent some time with Ajax Amsterdam’s U19 team two years ago, found it difficult to break into the Urban Warriors' match-day squads.

The attack-minded player parted ways with the Ikamva-based side following its relegation to the National First Division (NFD) in May 2019 and he moved to their Mother City rivals, City.

Allie will be hoping to impress City head coach Jan Olde Riekerink and make his professional debut during the Biolocally Safe Environment (BSE) in Gauteng.

The Citizens have been drawn to play their home games at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria as the league resumes following a four-month break which was enforced by the coronavirus pandemic.

Riekerink's side, who are four points above the relegation zone on the PSL standings, will be away to Chippa at Orlando Stadium in Soweto, Johannesburg on Friday.

The Goan top division league has been embroiled in match-fixing allegations. Six matches of the suspended 2019-20 Goa Professional League have been red-flagged by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) for a possible "match manipulation".

This is the latest chapter of match-fixing allegations that have cropped up in Indian football.

The communication from AFC came through to the All India Football Federation (AIFF) integrity officer, Javed Siraj, in March which indicated a "clear and overwhelming betting evidence that the course or result of the match was unduly influenced with a view to gaining betting profits" in six matches held between October 16 and November 19, 2019.

The matches in question involve seven clubs, namely Calangute Association, Panjim Footballers, Guardian Angel Sports Club, FC Goa II, Dempo SC, Salgaocar FC and Sporting Clube de Goa.

However, the Goa Football Association (GFA) - the governing body for football in Goa - has distanced itself from the allegations on the basis of their own findings. In the Goan FA's reply to the AIFF integrity officer, GFA general secretary Jovito Lopes suggested the name of a company which is purportedly is linked to an online betting site but maintained that GFA have no confirmation that it accounted to match-fixing.

Goa has been rocked by the shadows of match-fixing from 16 years ago when an atrocious 118 goals were scored in a single day where four clubs were involved. The GFA had suspended and fined Curtorim Gymkhana, Sangolda Lightning, Wilred Leisure and Dona Paula an amount of INR 5,000 each for allegedly prearranging the final round of the second division inter-zonal play-offs.  Curtorim had beaten Sangolda 61-1 and Wilred defeated Dona Paula 55-1. 

In 1983, there was a similar instance when two Calcutta Football League (CFL) matches were reportedly fixed with the scorelines reading 114-0 and 80-0. The Kolkata third division teams back then, International and Indian Boys Athletic Club (IBAC) reportedly "advised" Juga Shanti and Victoria Sporting to lose in an exorbitant manner and the results were 80-0 and 114-0 respectivrly. The Indian Football Association (IFA) - the governing body for football in West Bengal - had to step in and suspend the four clubs and the players involved in the scandal.

The CFL would see more such allegations later on. In 2015, after Tollygunge Agragami and Southern Samiti officials reportedly decided to fix the result of the match between themselves, with the former needing a win to stay afloat in the Premier A Division. Southern Samity allegedly picked a very young team to help Tollygunge Agragami win but when Tollygunge players went on to score four goals, the disparaged Southern Samity officials accused them of "breach of trust". The Tollygunge players seemingly even apologised to their opponents but no official action was taken.

In 2017, when Tollygunge Agragami defeated NBP Rainbow AC 2-1, the result was allegedly deemed "manipulated" as FIFA-appointed anti-corruption watchdog SportRadar supposedly had pre-hand information that the game will end in a similar scoreline and questioned the result of the game.

In September 2018, a month before IFA signed a multi-year partnership with SportRadar integrity services to monitor and safeguard the integrity of matches, a conversation over the phone between former footballer and a Tollygunge Agragami player was made viral by Bengali news portal News 18 Bengali . The clip exposed the former star ostensibly telling the Tollygunge player - "Allow the opponent (Pathachakra) to score one after the 75-minute mark, that way the betting is done. They've been doing it for four years. Does anyone know? Did you know?"

Further back in 2005, allegations were levelled against then Mohun Bagan goalkeeper Subrata Paul 1-4 humiliation at the hands of arch-rivals East Bengal in an IFA Shield group stage encounter. After the game, Bagan coac Amal Dutta said, "I worked hard to put him back on track but with the kind of fishy goals he conceded, he has blown away everything."

Paul was suspended for a brief period while the club conducted an investigation but the goalkeeper was let off soon.

And in the CFL 2014, Southern Samity technical director Raghu Nandi accused East Bengal of trying to to fix their match. "East Bengal are in the championship race, so they approached us for fixing the match," Nandi had told Times of India back then.

Elsewhere, in Assam, the 114-year-old Gauhati Town Club decided to disband their senior team in 2012 and opted not to participate in any senior level football tournament including the Assam State Premier League for at least three years after the side's players were alleged to have been embroiled in match-fixing in the 2012 I-League second division.

Meghalaya-based Ar-Hima (later Rangdajied United) also lodged a complaint with the AIFF against Bhaichung Bhutia-owned United Sikkim for allegedly bribing their players to lose a match - a charge that the former India skipper denied. Questions were also raised over the Snow Lions' loss to Aizawl FC in the final match of the preliminary round of the I-League Second Division that helped both the teams progress to the final round.

Manipur's TRAU was in the news for the wrong reasons in the 2018-19 I-League second division when Mohammedan Sporting had complained to AIFF that the match between Chhinga Veng FC and TRAU on March 23, 2019, was "a total fixed match".

In the 2017-18 I-League second division, FC Kerala felt it necessary to release a statement that read, "The FC Kerala management has been informed of a media report alleging two of our 2nd Division I-League matches were rigged. Not only is the report factually incorrect, but also malicious in its commentary."

This was after Fateh Hyderabad wrote to the AIFF, complaining about the result of two matches between FC Kerala and Kerala Blasters reserves.

In the 2016-17 I-League, former owner of Minerva Punjab (now Punjab FC), Ranjit Bajaj, divulged that a total of seven of his players along with then coach Khogen Singh were approached by bookies. Simultaneously, V Soundararajan, the ex-head coach of Chennai City, was also allegedly promised monetary benefits if his team were to beat Minerva Punjab.

Mumbai FC (defunct in 2017) club official Atul Bagdamia told a joint workshop organised by FIFA and Interpol in New Delhi in January 2014 that he had been approached by a businessman who offered to sponsor a visit by his team to Malaysia to play a series of friendlies.

However, as the Indian Express newspaper quoted Bagdamia, "When they mentioned match-fixing, I immediately broke contact with them."

The Indian Super League (ISL) also has a tale of match-fixing allegations after Chennaiyin FC dramatically defeated FC Goa 3-2 with two stoppage time goals in the 2015 final. In the aftermath, FC Goa levelled allegations that the ISL final was fixed and boycotted the ISL champioship ceremony.

ISL issued a statement that read - "It has been brought to the notice of the ISL and concerns expressed by our partner Star India that FC Goa management have made adverse comments in the media disputing the result of the ISL 2015 finals played in Goa on Sunday night. The league has also taken serious view of the unsporting behaviour by the Goa franchise and alleged unsporting behaviour of certain players of the teams on and off the field. ISL does not accept such behaviour from any member of the club management, support staff or players. The matter has now been referred to the ISL Disciplinary Committee. ISL has a strict code of conduct with an established integrity unit and an ACSU division. The league has not received any complain from the Goa management," the official statement from the league read.

In September 2016, The ISL also brought on board a tie-up with SportRadar, who have been associated with the AFC since 2013 with a renewed contract with the Asian federation till at least the end of the 2023 AFC Asian Cup that will be held in China.

Yanga SC have reportedly listed former Simba SC coach Patrick Aussems among those who can replace Luc Eymael.

The Jangwani Street-based giants are currently in the market to hire a coach after they fired the Belgian on the final day of the 2019-20 Mainland Premier League season.

Goal understands Yanga are looking at several options including former coach Hans van der Pluijm but the name of Aussems, who guided Simba to the league title in the 2018-19 campaign before he was shown the exit door after a poor show in the Caf Champions League, has also emerged.

“It true [Aussems] is also being considered for the job since the club is looking for a coach who has been in the country before, and one who will have no difficulties to settle in when he takes up the role,” a source from Yanga, who did not want to be named, told Goal on Monday.

“We all know what Aussems did at Simba, he is a good coach, who can bond well with the squad we are building around, and I can confirm his name emerged recently during a meeting discussing the issue of the coach but we have not made contact, maybe we will if they zero in on him.”

Apart from Aussems, Van Der Pluijm, who also handled Yanga before, has been tipped as the favourite to replace Eymael and in a recent interview when the coach stated he will not mind coming back to coach the Timu ya Wananchi.

“I know Yanga fans are remembering the kind of football the team used to play when I was in charge, a good brand of soccer and that is why I have been receiving messages being asked to come back and take over the coaching role,” Van Der Pluijm was quoted by Sokaletu.

“I am not the one to decide whether I can come back, but the management can decide if they want me to come back, and if they do, then I am ready to come and help the great team win titles, and I am ready to return when the management says so.

“For now, I don’t have any team, I am not coaching any team so it means I am a free agent, so it is all upon Yanga officials to set up a meeting and talk to me, and I will not mind coming back to Tanzania, I am ready to come back.”

Van Der Pluijm continued: “The good thing is I understand Yanga very well and the players they have so it will not be difficult for him to settle in, I also know the country very well, they have good people and I know the fans too, let the management make a decision and I will board the next flight to take over.”

Yanga are also reportedly looking at Kenyan coach Bernard Mwalala, who currently doesn’t have a team after he was fired by Kenyan Premier League (KPL) side Bandari.

Kerala Blasters owner Nikhil Bhardwaj's convincing words helped Nishu Kumar put pen to paper on a long-term contract at the Kochi-based Indian Super League (ISL) club.  

The two-time ISL finalists are yet to taste success in Indian football but the former Bengaluru FC full-back was on board with the club's vision. 

Nishu told Goal, "Kerala Blasters are a big team. They have suffered in recent years. I spoke with the owner (Nikhil Bhardwaj), they are building a team for the future. I am very happy about the fact that they are signing young players. I am very positive about the future."

After having featured in the first team consistently for Bengaluru in the last two seasons, Nishu is hopeful to make a similar impact under new head coach Kibu Vicuna in the upcoming season. The defender from Uttar Pradesh made his debut for the national team earlier this year and regular minutes will be important for his chances at being called up to Igor Stimac's camp again. 

"If you want to be part of the national team, you have to play regularly at your club. I don't think it will be easy for me next year to be in the playing eleven, there will be tough competition. But I have to be in the first team, I will fight for it and to get into the national team camp again."

Blasters' large fanbase in an attractive proposition for a lot of players. Several foreign and Indian players have expressed their desire to play in front of the Blasters faithful in recent years and Nishu is not new to the sporting atmosphere created by supporters. Fans of his former club share an intense and sometimes toxic off-the-field rivalry with those of Blasters and the player is awed by the competition. 

He recollected. "I remember, last year when we played against Kerala Blasters at the Kanteerava Stadium, more than half of the stadium was covered in yellow. It was a great game and both sets of fans were amazing."

Nishu will now to wait a while before he gets to play in front of the sea of yellow in Kochi which is very much inlikely this season because of the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the face-off between Kerala and Bengaluru has gotten more interesting. 

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Peter Bosz joked that Chelsea target Kai Havertz will join Heracles Almelo after the German side lost in the Europa League quarter-finals.

Leverkusen's Europa League campaign came to an end on Monday, beaten 2-1 by Serie A side Inter in Dusseldorf.

Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku had given Inter a commanding lead inside 21 minutes, before Havertz reduced the deficit three minutes later.

Havertz has been tipped to leave Leverkusen for Premier League giants Chelsea once the 2019-20 season has concluded, and Bosz was asked whether the Germany international had played his final match for the club.

"Yes, I can exclusively announce he'll play for [Dutch outfit] Heracles Almelo," Bosz, who previously coached Heracles in two separated spells, said during his post-match news conference.

Leverkusen are claimed to want £90 million ($115m) for Havertz, with Chelsea thought to be interested in a structured deal that starts at around £70m.

But the club's sporting director Rudi Voller says any club wanting to buy Havertz must pay the asking price otherwise he will stay at the BayArena for another year.

Asked if Leverkusen have agreed to sell Havertz, Voller told La Gazzetta dello Sport : "No, but with his talent, it means he's on the list of all the best clubs.

"We know of the interest of a couple of clubs, especially Chelsea, but for us, the situation is quite simple: he has a two-year contract, if anyone wants him on our terms, fine, otherwise he stays here another year and we are happy.

"It won't be easy, but for an artist like him there is no COVID discount."

Reflecting on Leverkusen's Europa League exit, Bosz said: "We lost against a great opponent. We didn't play well in the first 20 minutes and had problems dealing with Lukaku, then things improved and we thought that we'd turn it around. We could've done better and are disappointed.

"Marcelo Brozovic was allowed far too much freedom in the middle of the park and we had to make changes after those initial 20 minutes. As for Lukaku, he's just too strong in one-on-one situations.

"We moved [Moussa] Diaby to the left, because they were pressing our wide men, and Diego Godin doesn't like coming out from the back, so we had more space then to build."

The quarter-finals of the 2019-20 UEFA Europa League is up and running after the Covid-19 enforced break. Big guns Manchester United and Inter Milan have managed to reach the semifinals.

Watch all the highlights from games involving the major teams right here:

Manchester United 1-0 FC Copenhagen

Bruno Fernandes' extra-time penalty took Manchester United through to the Europa League semi-finals after a tough test in Cologne against a determined FC Copenhagen side.

Inter Milan 2-1 Leverkusen

Romelu Lukaku scored for a record ninth straight Europa League match to help Inter Milan into the semifinals at the expense of Bayer Leverkusen who put up a fight.

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refused to talk about rumoured transfer target Jadon Sancho after the Red Devils advanced to the Europa League semi-finals.

United booked their spot in the final four of Europe's secondary club competition after edging Danish opponents Copenhagen 1-0 in extra time on Monday.

Bruno Fernandes' 95th-minute penalty secured a semi-final showdown with either Premier League rivals Wolves or La Liga outfit Sevilla.

But attention turned to Borussia Dortmund star Sancho post-match amid ongoing speculation over the England international's future.

Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc, earlier on Monday, insisted Sancho will stay at the Bundesliga club, despite United's interested.

Asked about Sancho, Solskjaer replied: "I can't comment on other team's players, I can't do that. You know that. I never do."

On the match itself in Cologne, Solskjaer said: "I am delighted that we're through. I think we deserved to win tonight. It could have been one of those nights that you ended up with a penalty shootout. They made it hard for us.

"It's a good team we played against, well organised. They had a gameplan – we knew they were going to be hard to break down. We knew we would get chances."

Juan Mata was influential as a substitute at the start of extra time, his composure and passing helping United earn the decisive penalty.

Mata has struggled for game time this season but Solskjaer heaped praise on the 32-year-old Spaniard.

"I think you saw when he came on he's so composed, calm," Solskjaer said. "He's clever, he's got quick feet in small right areas.

"He can pick a pass, he can calm us down at times and he's such a great influence in and around the place as well, with the culture and the dressing room. I just commend him for his professionalism.

"Of course, he's disappointed he's not played more but he's one of the top assist-makers in the Europa League and he's really done well for us."

United's semi-final against Wolves or Sevilla will be held on August 16 as the Red Devils attempt to qualify for the final - which is scheduled for four days later.

Alexis Sanchez is in doubt for Inter's Europa League semi-final after the club confirmed he suffered an injury during their quarter-final win against Leverkusen.

After coming on as a 64th minute substitute in the 2-1 victory, the Chilean was forced to hobble off late in the match and receive treatment on a right leg injury before completing the 90 minutes.

Inter used their Twitter account post-match to confirm Sanchez had an injury associated with his right leg - and with the club's Europa League last-four match coming in seven days, the 31-year-old's fitness will need to be assessed.

According to Transfermarkt, Sanchez has missed 64 games during his career through injury, with the majority of issues to do with leg and ankle problems.

Sanchez has spent the last season on loan at the San Siro from Manchester United, with the move announced as permanent last week.

His Inter side will play either Shakhtar or Basel in the Europa League semis after accounting for their German opposition in Cologne.

Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku scored early goals before Chelsea target Kai Havertz pulled one back for the Bundesliga side - who couldn't find an equaliser in the second half.

"We proved to everyone who said we weren't a team that we are a great group and we've got balls," Barella told Sky Italia.

"We could've killed it off earlier and rested a little more, but Leverkusen are a very strong side and caused us problems.

"Now we have proved ourselves as a team and want to reach the final. Just as we respect everyone in the competition, they have to worry about us too."

Lukaku's goal set a new record in the Europa League, as he became the first player to net in nine successive appearances in the competition.

However, the former Manchester United forward's focus is not on personal achievements.

"Records are records, but the victory was so important, Leverkusen are a team with great quality and an excellent coach," Lukaku told Sky Italia.

"The defence did a great job and in my view the man of the match was Barella, as in recent weeks he has been just fantastic, he's everywhere.

"We've been clearly improving recently, we just need to finish more of our chances and kill games off earlier. Now we have a week to prepare for the semi-final.

"That is going to be another huge game and we have to be ready."

Antonio Conte hailed Romelu Lukaku after another superb individual display in the Europa League quarter-finals, but insisted the forward's success is also down to his Inter team-mates.

Lukaku scored what proved to be the winner as Inter set up a Europa League semi-final against either Shakhtar Donetsk or Basel thanks to Monday's 2-1 triumph over Bayer Leverkusen.

Nicolo Barella – having latched onto the rebound from a blocked Lukaku shot – opened the scoring, with Inter's star Belgian doubling their lead prior to Kai Havertz pulling one goal back for Leverkusen.

Lukaku could have scored a hat-trick, had referee Carlos del Cerro Grande not overturned two penalties after consulting with VAR.

But while lauding Lukaku, who became the first player to score in nine successive Europa League matches and has netted 29 times in all competitions this season, Conte affirmed that he would be nothing without the team supporting him.

"It's difficult to talk about individuals when you have such a great team performance," Inter head coach Conte told Sky Italia.

"Romelu is having an excellent season, supported by the team, who put everyone in a position to express themselves at their best on an individual level too.

"I'm happy for him, as he deserves all of this success, but Romelu must also thank the team for putting him in the conditions to express himself in the best form of his entire career."

Though Conte conceded his team's finishing should have been more clinical, he had little complaints as Inter headed to within 90 minutes of reaching their first European final since 2010.

"We are very satisfied, because it was a very good performance," said Conte, whose Inter finished second and just a point behind Juventus in Serie A.

"As I always end up saying, we could've killed the game off earlier and relaxed a little. We didn't allow many chances at all, but the fact is we had so many chances and should've scored more than two.

"The lads showed how hungry they were, how determined to prove that what they're doing is important. We've got an opportunity to play a Europa League semi-final. We want to achieve the maximum. We want to go all the way."

One player who may not be fit to feature for Inter in the semi-final is Alexis Sanchez, who sustained a muscle strain in his right leg.

Belgium international Romelu Lukaku is closing in on an Inter Milan record in European competition held by Cameroon great Samuel Eto’o.

The striker was on target in the Italians’ 2-1 defeat of Bayer Leverkusen in Monday’s Europa League quarter-final fixture.

With Nicolo Barella giving Antonio Conte’s men a 15th minute lead at Merkur Spielarena in Dusseldorf, Lukaku added the second six minutes later to send his team into the last-four of the competition.

Thanks to this, the Belgian star has now been directly involved in nine goals in European tournament for the San Siro giants this season – with six goals and three assists – excluding qualifiers.

African football icon Eto’o holds the record of the most involvement for Inter in a single season which he achieved during the 2010-11 campaign (eight goals and five assists).

Apart from taking his tally in all competitions to 31 goals, the former Chelsea, Everton and Manchester United man broke two records against the Bundesliga outfit.

He became the first player to score in nine successive Europa League or Uefa Cup matches, breaking the record of eight he previously shared with Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer. Also, he is also the first player to score in six successive European matches for Inter Milan.

Having hit the 30-goal mark versus Getafe, Lukaku became the first Inter striker to score that many goals since Eto'o in 2010-11, when the four-time African Player of the Year famously netted 37 times just one season after Inter claimed an historic treble.

Conte’s team will face either Shakhtar Donetsk or FC Basel in the semi-finals as they look to end the campaign on a high after missing out on the Serie A title to Juventus.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer conceded Manchester United must be more clinical going forward as he aims to guide the club to their first final of the season in the Europa League.

United were beaten in the semi-finals of the EFL Cup and FA Cup in 2019-20 and have now reached the same stage in Europe's secondary club competition after edging past Copenhagen 1-0 in extra time.

Solskjaer's side required additional time to secure a quarter-final victory over their Danish opponents courtesy of Bruno Fernandes' 95th-minute penalty in Cologne on Monday.

But United – 2017 Europa League champions – were not short of chances, twice hitting the post, seeing two goals disallowed for offside and drawing a remarkable 13 saves from Copenhagen goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson.

"We had to be disciplined, we had to be patient and, in the end, that patience worked for us," manager Solskjaer told UEFA.com. "We created enough chances to win the game.

"We hit the post a few times and were unlucky with a couple of VAR [reviews]. They were the right decisions, but we could have been better with the timing of our runs and stuff.

"We need to improve on many aspects. But if you create as many chances as we did today, we'd like to be more clinical and efficient and score when we have them.

"Even though we did create some fantastic opportunities, sometimes it looked like the boys wanted to walk the ball over the line. But there's always some defenders there and a keeper, who today was probably man of the match."

With Premier League rivals Wolves or La Liga outfit Sevilla up next in the final four, the Red Devils face much tougher tests in the days to come, but Solskjaer says that they'll be ready, even as they enter the final stages of a gruelling season.

Solskjaer said: "I'm very happy that we're in another semi-final. We've been to the semi-final in every competition that we've been in this season.

"Now it's time to hopefully take the next step and go to the final and hopefully win it."

He added to BT Sport: "It's Wolves or Sevilla, two good teams, we don't mind."

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata admits the team is “quite tired physically” after narrowly beating FC Copenhagen 1-0 after extra time to reach the Europa League semi-finals.

The Red Devils had the better of the possession and chances against the Danish side on a swelteringly hot evening in Cologne, but were nearly left to rue a combination of bad luck, poor finishing and inspired goalkeeping from goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson before eventually securing victory.

United hit the woodwork twice and saw Mason Greenwood’s first-half strike ruled out offside, while goalkeeper Johnsson made a Europa League record 13 saves.

Johnsson was eventually beaten from the penalty spot in extra-time, Bruno Fernandes slamming the ball into the corner after Anthony Martial had been bundled over in the area.

Both teams looked out on their feet at the final whistle, a reflection of the effort they put in over the 120 minutes as well as the long season that had preceded it.

The win sends United through to their third semi-final of a season that has lasted more than a year, with Sunday’s last four clash against either Wolves or Sevilla their 61st match of 2019-20.

Speaking after the game Mata admitted the players were feeling the effects of such a tough encounter, but remained focused on ending their long campaign with silverware.

"The team is quite tired physically. At this stage of this season it is important to win games like today and we go through,” he told BT Sport. “We stay in Germany for quite some time and hopefully we can win.

"Both teams got a little tired and there were more spaces and more chances. They played some good football and credit to them. We could have scored more goals in extra time but we are through.

"I don't think it was complacency. They played some great football in their last game. We scored one goal, of course we are happier when we score more but now it is time to recover and wait and find out who we get in the next round."

Borussia Dortmund has taunted Manchester United over their chase for Jadon Sancho by posting a picture of the smiling England international on social media.

Only hours after BVB sporting director Michael Zorc insisted Sancho would be remaining with the Black and Yellows next season, the club's Twitter account used a photo of a happy-looking Sancho, with the caption, 'You love to see it'.

The Germans set their own unofficial deadline of August 10 on United's pursuit of Sancho, and have been insistent that if a transfer was not confirmed by that date then the 21-year-old would be staying.

However, Goal can confirm the Red Devils are refusing to give up on their number one transfer target but are frustrated at the pace of discussions, which are being managed - at Dortmund’s request - by an independent agent.

United believe that the August 10 deadline set by Dortmund was merely arbitrary and they still believe a deal can be agreed before the transfer window closes on October 5.

Dortmund's tweet also prompted plenty of response, both from jubilant fans of the German side and frustrated fans back of the Premier League club.

It is understood Sancho is keen on a move to Old Trafford but player wages and agent fees continue to pose a problem in negotiations.

United are wary of making the same mistake they did with Alexis Sanchez, where his huge £560,000-a-week wages ended up ripping up the whole salary structure at the club.

Executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward has repeatedly warned it will "not be business as usual in this summer’s window", with United being forced to reassess the market despite their huge wealth.

They Red Devils are willing to walk away should it prove too difficult to come to a compromise on price, with other players such as Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman seen as alternatives.

United progressed to the Europa League semi-finals on Monday night with a 1-0 extra-win over Copenhagen in Cologne.

Bruno Fernandes scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in a match that United dominated but struggled to take their chances.

They will take on either Sevilla or Wolves in the last four of the competition on August 17 - with Inter and either Shakhtar or Basel featuring in the other semi final.

Victor Moses’ Inter Milan are through to the semi-final of the Europa League after a 2-1 defeat of Bayer Leverkusen on Monday.

Goals from Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku were all the Italians needed to book their passage into the last four – rendering Kai Havertz’s strike to a mere consolation.

Antonio Conte’s men silenced Getafe 2-0 in the Round of 16 to reach this stage alongside the Germans who beat Steven Gerrard’s Rangers 4-1 on aggregate.

In a goal-laden first half, the Black and Blues took a 15th minute lead as Barella scored a beauty after Lukaku’s initial shot was blocked.

Bayer Leverkusen were in for some trouble when the Belgium international doubled the lead six minutes later - squeezing the ball home after showing great strength to hold off Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba.

In the process, two records tumbled for the former Chelsea, Everton and Manchester United star.

First, he became the first player to score in nine successive Europa League or Uefa Cup games, eclipsing the record of eight he previously shared with Newcastle United great Alan Shearer.

Also, he is the first player to score in six successive European matches for the Italian elite division outfit.

Thanks to Kevin Volland’s assist, Havert pulled one goal back for Peter Bosz’s men in the 24th minute, nevertheless, that could not inspire their comeback.

Tapsoba was in action from start to finish, albeit, he was cautioned in the 87th minute by referee Carlos del Cerro for two fouls on Lukaku in quick succession.

For Moses, he was brought in for Italian defender Danilo D'Ambrosio in the 59th minute. For his contributions, the former Nigeria international made one tackle, one clearance, 17 touches, eight passes with a passing accuracy of 87.5 %.

With this result, the Italians have reached their first European last four since 2009-10 season. They will face either Shakhtar Donetsk or FC Basel in the semi-finals as they look to end the campaign on a high.

So far, their season has been one of near misses, with Conte’s side reaching the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia before finishing second in Serie A, one point behind nine-time champions Juventus.

Jadon Sancho will soon be a Manchester United player, with Borussia Dortmund simply playing hardball to get the best deal possible, according to Owen Hargreaves.

The Red Devils have made Sancho one of their main summer transfer targets and negotiations have been taking place between the two clubs for some time.

Goal can confirm the Bundesliga outfit want €120 million (£108m/$142m) for the England international, but the two clubs were said to be far apart on their negotiations last week despite claims an agreement had been reached.

Dortmund set a deadline of Monday to reach an agreement, otherwise there would be no deal. And with no agreement in sight, Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has declared that Sancho will be staying in Germany next season.

Hargreaves, though, believes this is simply a bargaining tactic designed to extract a few more million from Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.

"Bluff. I'm calling bluff, I think he'll be a Man Utd player in a pretty short time,” the former Manchester United midfielder told BT Sport.

"They are just trying to get some more money out of it. It’s the nature of the beast.

“Obviously they know United are really interested and they are pretty heavy into negotiations. I think they are bluffing and they know he is going to leave at that price.”

Two more former United players, Robin van Persie and Paul Scholes, agreed with Hargreaves' assertion that Sancho will end up at Old Trafford.

The duo feel United’s failure to land Erling Haaland, who joined Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg in January, will make them even more determined to land a prime transfer target this time.

“By the looks of it, Dortmund are playing some hard ball,” Van Persie told BT Sport.  “But that’s how the game is played.

“Dortmund want more money so it depends on Man United, if they want to go the extra mile. If they really rate him and think he can be that big of a hit, they will.

“They missed out on [Erling] Haaland and I think it was a missed chance. Because Everyone’s seen over the last six to eight months what he can do. He’s a brilliant player.

“They don’t want to miss out on the next big thing but how far are they willing to go? That’s the trick question here. It’s business.”

Scholes added: “They’re just after a little bit more money out of it. They are talking about £108m, which is a lot of money. [But] He looks a brilliant player who will improve any team in world football with his assists and his goals.

“The one thing I would say about United is that they were desperate for Haaland and they didn’t quite go the extra mile to pay the money they wanted for him.

"Will they do it with Sancho? I think they will. If Ole desperately wants him, I think they will get him.”

Marseille manager Andre Villas-Boas has admitted he is still looking to strengthen his squad having already purchased Pape Gueye.

The 21-year-old Franco-Senegalese midfielder was snapped on a free transfer in July after his contract at Ligue 2 side Le Harve had expired.

He had initially signed for relegated-Premier League club Watford but called the deal off due to irregularities in his contract.

He is gradually integrating himself with the club and has played in four pre-season friendlies, three of them ending in victories and the other a loss to 30-time German champions Bayern Munich.

Villas-Boas did insist keeping his core squad was necessary as well. Asides Gueye, Marseille have also signed Alvaro Gonzalez and Leonardo Balerdi from Villarreal and Borussia Dortmund respectively.

“Obviously I would like investments, but it will not happen like that and we continue our work,” Villas-Boas told BeIN Sports.

“The goal is at least to stay with the same workforce, which is now expanded with the arrival of Balerdi and Pape [Gueye]. Dario [Benedetto] is missing an option and [Jordan] Amavi an option.

"We can look for loans or free players, in the event that we do not sell. According to what has been communicated, we will be obliged to have sales, so we wait for that moment. We don't have any offers yet. It was already like that last year, but we make do with it."

Marseille’s last friendly game was far from convincing as they were only able to claim a 1-0 win over Nimes Olympique on Sunday. They will have one more warm-up game against German club VfB Stuttgart on Friday before the Ligue 1 season commences on August 23 where they host Saint-Etienne at the Stade Velodrome.

The Phoenicians finished second behind Paris Saint-Germain during the previous campaign which was called off at matchday 28 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It gives Marseille an automatic berth in the Champions League which they will be competing in for the first time since 2013 and Gueye previously stated he was excited about it.

“It's a dream to be in a team that plays in the Champions League. They did a good job last year and I followed almost every game,” he said on the official Marseille YouTube Channel.

“It's a dream in addition to playing for Olympique de Marseille, at the Stade Velodrome where I never had the chance to play. They told me about it and it's a dream.”