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Raphael Varane says that Real Madrid have an "incredible hunger" to progress in the Champions League, and that "anything is possible" against Manchester City.

Madrid finished off their domestic season with a 2-2 draw at Leganes on Sunday, having already been crowned champions of Spain for the 34th time in their illustrious history.

Zinedine Zidane's men claimed their first title since 2017 by finishing five points clear of arch-rivals Barcelona, and they now have three weeks to prepare for a return to European action.

The Blancos still have an outside chance of winning a league and cup double, but must first overturn a 2-1 last-16 first-leg deficit against City on August 7.

Pep Guardiola's side have one foot in the last eight after their impressive victory at Santiago Bernabeu in Februrary, which saw Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne goals cancel out Isco's effort for Madrid.

Varane is confident that Madrid can produce a comeback, despite City having home advantage in the return leg.

"This is Real Madrid and anything is possible, the hope is always there even if the situation is difficult," the Madrid centre-back told Le Parisien.

"When you wear this shirt, you have a responsibility, we know that a difficult game awaits us but we will approach it with incredible hunger.

"It's a debt we owe to our fans, we can't predict the result but we will fight to the end."

Varane went on to praise Blancos's top scorer Karim Benzema, whose 21-goal haul helped ensure that the Liga trophy arrived at the Bernabeu instead of returning to Camp Nou.

"I wouldn't say it was the best season of his career, but that's only because I've known him for a long time," said the Frenchman.

"I'm glad to see him so radiant and happy, he is at the very top of his game in a difficult position. He has assumed his role as leader of the attack."

Varane added on the impact Zidane has had on the squad since returning to Madrid for a second spell in charge in March 2019: "He has that special capacity to make the impossible possible and his career is exceptional.

"He is a great source of inspiration for everyone, his soul as a player is always there.

"He doesn't need to speak too much, and when he does it is with words that jousts with players, that needle them, it's his way of coaching."

Kelechi Nwakali is delighted to have ended the season as LaLiga Two champions with Huesca.

Defeat for leaders Cadiz at home to Albacete handed the Segunda Division title to the Azulgranas, who triumphed 1-0 at Sporting Gijon.

With the encounter at the Estadio El Molinon looking to end in a goalless draw, Cristo Gonzalez scored the winner in the 73rd minute after profiting from a Sergio Gomez assist.

Featuring in his fifth game of the season, Nwakali was handed a starter’s role in Michel’s squad against Miroslav Djukic’s team.

For his contribution, the 2015 U17 Fifa World Cup Golden Ball winner won four tackles, made two interceptions, completed 55 passes with a passing accuracy of 90%.

Thanks to the triumph, Huesca will be featuring in the Spanish topflight as champions of the second tier.

Fuelled by the excitement of winning a title in his debut at Estadio El Alcoraz, the 22-year-old took to social media to celebrate his team’s victory.

“What a way to end the season; promotion to the La Liga: champion: first start: What a great God you are!,” he wrote on Instagram.

After completing loan spells at MVV Maastricht, VVV Venlo and Porto B, Nwakali left Arsenal for Huesca on a three-year deal on September 2, 2019 without kicking the ball at the Emirates Stadium.

His former coach at U17 level Emmanuel Amuneke had told Goal what the midfielder must do justify his potentials.

“There is nothing to doubt about Nwakali’s talent. There are some qualities that are natural gifts from God and he possesses them,” Amuneke told Goal.

“As a player and coach, I have seen a lot of good players and midfielders but the kind of quality Nwakali possesses is what I have not seen in any other Nigerian.

“He is a kind of player that can see beyond what other players are seeing, a player that has a vision and a player who can play a ball that can result in a goal.

“All he needs to do is counsel himself and realise that when you forget the root that took you to success, you start to lose the beauty of what made you who you are.

“A lot of Nigerians are expecting his progression but it is unfortunate because of what he has passed through over the years.  He also needs to check the kind of lifestyle he is living and know that without football, he is a nobody.”

Maurizio Sarri labelled Cristiano Ronaldo "extraordinary" after the Juventus superstar became the fastest player to score 50 Serie A goals .

Ronaldo reached half a century of Serie A goals in just 61 matches as league leaders Juve defeated slumping Lazio 2-1 in Turin on Monday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner scored twice in the space of three second-half minutes to put Juve on the cusp of their ninth successive Scudetto.

Real Madrid and Manchester United great Ronaldo also became the first player to score 50 or more goals in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League .

"When Cristiano smells blood… He's extraordinary, as he recovers so quickly between games," Juve head coach Sarri told Sky Sport Italia. "It's not just physical, but psychological.

"He could be someone who uses up so much energy in each game, but he recovers it every time and he's world class in the mind as well as the legs."

Ronaldo broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half when he converted a penalty after VAR ruled Lazio's Bastos handled his shot inside the area.

Paulo Dybala then teed up Ronaldo for the easiest of finishes three minutes later, while Ciro Immobile's 83rd-minute spot-kick reduced the deficit.

Ronaldo has scored 30 Serie A goals in 30 appearances to top the charts alongside Immobile with four matches remaining.

The Serie A record is 36 goals in a season – reached by Gonzalo Higuain with Napoli in 2015-16 – and when asked if Ronaldo could eclipse the number, Sarri said: "If he puts his mind to something, he's very difficult to stop.

"We'll see if we should rest him over the next few rounds, but if he's still in this shape, then he might not need it."

Juve are eight points clear atop the table, ahead of nearest rivals Inter, with four Serie A fixtures remaining.

"As I've always said, talking about an opportunity to win is like a chance to score a goal. It means nothing unless the objective is achieved," Sarri said.

"We need to get another four points, every point is difficult at the moment playing every three days, so we've got to keep focused.

"There are ifs and buts, but at the first if, that's when I stop listening!"

On August 5, the Indian government revoked the special status accorded to the state of Jammu & Kashmir in its constitution and thereafter, created two new union territories namely Jammu & Kashmir (J & K) and Ladakh. Amidst fears of unrest, the valley was kept under strict vigil with a lockdown in place. 

This forced Real Kashmir FC to be on the road for over two months preparing for the 2019-20 I-League season. Coincidentally, on that very day, the Real Kashmir players had their flight to Kolkata to take part in the Durand Cup. Two days later, without any training, they beat Chennai City to register a place in the semi-finals of one of the oldest and prestigious tournaments of the country. 

After bowing out to Mohun Bagan in the Durand, they played friendlies in Jamshedpur, Kochi, and Goa, and even held a training camp in Navi Mumbai before heading back to Kashmir in mid-October. But the real challenge was to host their home matches in Srinagar as tensions in the region continued to simmer. 

Yet, the team owner, Sandeep Chattoo, remained confident that his Snow Leopards will not move out of their den to play the home matches. He only sought more time from the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and requested them to not keep any matches in Srinagar till December 15. The federation accepted the proposal and scheduled their first home match on December 26, 2019, against then-reigning champions Chennai City. 

And the 'unreal fans' did not disappoint as more than 6000 supporters turned up for the game to witness their team defeat Chennai 2-1 with poster boy Danish Farooq on the scoresheet. 

"It was more than an impossible task (to host matches in Srinagar). Circumstances were very difficult, but we had not given up hope. Even the day before our first match there were restrictions which prevented people from gathering in a place. We had to bring in a lot of permissions, co-ordinate with local police, the intelligence, and the responsibility on our shoulders was enormous. 

"The administration was very co-operative but they had given permission to bring only 1500 spectators. Whereas, all our matches remain chock-a-block whenever the team takes the field. On the first matchday, there were more than 5000 people outside the stadium and the police had no choice (but to let them in)," stated Chattoo to Goal, reminiscing the complications of the task at hand. 

Their next match was against Mohun Bagan, a team that remains widely followed in the valley as it was Bagan that made local boy Majeed Kakroo one of the highest-paid footballers in 1979 offering him Rs 60,000 per month. 

Expectedly, the attendance surged to 11,521 and yet the show went on smoothly. 

"It is the best crowd in the country. I have complete belief in the fans and we have nothing to do with politics. They love football and this is our way of telling the world what Kashmir is all about. Everybody entering the stadium had to bring his residential proof and ID. Everyone believes that Real Kashmir is his or her own club," asserted Chattoo. 

In the previous campaign, the Kashmiri businessman challenged the odds and turned them in his favour through sheer will and determination to uphold the essence of the club by playing in Srinagar. But the Coronavirus pandemic is a dampener which has forced the AIFF to possibly choose a centralised venue for the next edition of I-League.

"We are geared for any eventuality. You will miss your home advantage but during this kind of a pandemic, there is nothing you can do about it. Nevertheless, we have already started our preparations for the next season. We are in constant touch with David (Robertson), Mason (Robertson), and our local players.ISL (Indian Super League) is supposed to start in November. So we are expecting that I-League should start somewhere in December. 

"Last year we had a very long pre-season of four months. This time we do not want to do the same thing. So once we get to know when the league will start, two or two and a half months before the team will assemble," commented Chhattoo briefing about the plans for next season. 

The next campaign will definitely test the players to their hilt both mentally and physically as they would have to play all the matches away from home and adaptability will be key to success. Moreover, they would feel the absence of their vociferous fans which acted as the 12th man. But the club have always braved adversities and have been a tough nut to crack on the field.

Now it remains to be seen whether they can remain true to their characteristics even in the 'new normal' under the leadership of Chattoo, off-the-pitch, and coach Robertson, on-the-pitch. 

Cristiano Ronaldo insisted that while records are nice, the most important thing is for defending champions Juventus to succeed following his historic outing in Serie A.

Ronaldo became the fastest player to score 50 Serie A goals as league leaders Juve defeated slumping Lazio 2-1 in Turin on Monday.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner – who reached half a century of Serie A goals in just 61 matches – scored twice in the space of three second-half minutes to put Juve on the cusp of their ninth successive Scudetto.

Ronaldo also became the first player to score 50 or more goals in Serie A, La Liga and the Premier League but the former Real Madrid and Manchester United superstar attempted to shrug off his personal achievement.

"Records are always important, but the important thing is that the team wins," Ronaldo told Sky Sport Italia post-game.

"We are a phenomenal team and we showed that again today, although we always want to improve and raise the bar.

"These things are nice, but the Capocannoniere title is a natural process that comes as a consequence of scoring to win games for the team."

Ronaldo broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half when he converted a penalty after VAR ruled Lazio's Bastos handled his shot inside the area.

Paulo Dybala then teed up Ronaldo for the easiest of finishes three minutes later, while Ciro Immobile's 83rd-minute spot-kick reduced the deficit.

Juve are now eight points clear atop the table, ahead of nearest rivals Inter, with four matches remaining.

Ronaldo, who has scored 30 Serie A goals in 30 appearances to top the charts alongside Immobile, added: "We knew it was a very difficult game against a team having a great season, but we knew this was a big opportunity to win, we were at home. We're very happy.

"There are four games to go, we cannot get this wrong and know Serie A is tough. The team is doing well, though."

Maurizio Sarri's Juve travel to Udinese on Thursday.

James Igbekeme’s Real Zaragoza will compete for a place to secure LaLiga promotion after defeating SD Ponferradina 2-1 in the Spanish second tier’s last game of the season.

Goals from Miguel Linares and Alex Blanco sealed all points at stake for the Zaragozans – rendering Ivan Rodriguez’s strike to mere consolation.

After a keenly contested opening 30 minutes at La Romareda, Linares gave Víctor Fernandez’s men the lead after firing from rebound goalkeeper Manu Garcia’s rebound from Alex Blanco’s left-footed strike.

Ponferradina levelled matters five minutes into the second-half after Asier Benito’s cross from the left was headed at the far post by Rodriguez.

Despite the goal, the hosts continued to dominate possession. Their dominance paid off Blanco after drilling home a pass from Dani Torres.

25-year-old Igbekeme who has featured 26 times this season with a goal to his credit was not listed for the encounter as well as Moroccan defender Jawad El Yamiq, who is on loan from Italian topflight side Genoa.

Thanks to the result, Zaragoza finished the league with 65 points from 42 games behind winners Huesca and Cadiz who secured automatic tickets to the Spanish elite division.

Meanwhile, manager Victor Fernandez is now looking forward to the play-offs where his team will battle Almeria, Girona and Elche for a ticket to LaLiga.

“We have done our job, which was to win. Today we needed to do it and it has been a tremendous boost in morale. What happened in the locker room after the game ended was very important. We have recovered the smile and we have accompanied that with a triumph,” Fernandez said after the game as reported by club website.

“At least we are going to compete with more players and more weapons. The sooner we know the rival the better;  it is important to plan the match and face those finals with the maximum guarantees.

“I continue to say that the house is in order and things are in place. We will not give up and we will continue fighting until the last moment. Now the scene changes, nobody believes in us and we will see what the playing field dictates. Let's get ready.

“The most important thing is the confidence that this triumph gives us and how they have embraced each other."

Moussa Marega registered his 12th Primeira Liga goal of the season and his 15th in all competitions as FC Porto got the better of Moreirense in a 6-1 win on Monday night.

The Dragons were crowned league champions for the 29th time after they saw off fierce rivals Sporting Lisbon 2-0 last week, Marega scoring the final goal in injury time after Danilo Pereira’s opener in the 64th minute.

They did not waste much time on Monday, with Luiz Diaz netting in just the fourth minute of play having been assisted by Brazilian left-back Alex Telles.

Fabio Abreu equalised for the visitors 16 minutes later, getting assisted by Guinea-Bissau-born full-back Abdu Conte.

It was all square at half-time and Porto’s rout began in the 51st minute with Octavio, followed by Telles from the penalty spot before Marega made it 4-1.

The 29-year old scored a delicious freekick just outside the penalty area in the 62nd minute which went over the wall and left Moreirense goalie Mateus Pasinato as a spectator.

Substitute Francisco Soares then scored a brace with the assists coming from Octavio.

Marega was taken off in the 64th minute for Soares and the Malian produced a total of three shots, missing two big chances and creating one. He also made one key pass, six accurate passes at 66% and 20 touches.

It was the fourth consecutive league game Marega scored in and the sixth since the restart, all of them ending in wins. This victory over Moreirense is the biggest followed by a 5-0 at home to Belenenses and then a 4-0 win against Boavista. The latter was his most productive, scoring two goals and providing an assist.

In defence for Porto was DR Congo international Chancel Mbemba making his 26th league appearance this season and 41st in all competitions.

It was the 13th consecutive game he played the entire 90 minutes, but had a quiet evening, making just two clearances and one interception while having 71 touches (the fifth-highest among his teammates) and 59 accurate passes (seventh-highest).

Porto end the league season away to Braga on Saturday before wrapping it up with the Portuguese Cup final against Benfica on August 1.

As Liverpool fans all around the world celebrate their first English top-flight title in 30 years, a certain John Barnes would be in celebratory mood as well.

Having won the league title twice during his time with Liverpool, Barnes would be nothing but overjoyed to see his old club get back to where they belong.

Barnes spent 10 years at Anfield from 1987 to 1997, winning two FA Cups and a League Cup on top of the two top-division titles, the last of which came in the 1989-90 season - Liverpool's last title before this campaign.

The left winger, quick and skillful, is considered an absolute legend at Liverpool, having scored 108 goals in 407 matches for the Reds after signing from Watford for £900,000.

Barnes had an instant impact at Liverpool, with his outrageous goals, crosses and defence-splitting passes that catapulted Liverpool to the league title in the 1987-88 season. He ended up scoring 15 goals from the left wing, that saw him voted as the PFA Player of the Year.

After assisting Ian Rush's winner in the 1989 FA Cup final, Barnes continued to set the field ablaze in the 1989-90 season.

He was deployed as a central striker after John Aldridge's departure and ended up scoring 28 goals in 45 games as Liverpool reclaimed the title from Arsenal. He actually scored in both games against the Gunners including an outrageous free-kick at Anfield.

Barnes was voted Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year that season.

He continued to serve Liverpool with distinction throughout the early 90s, even tranforming himself into a holding midfielder later on. However, his tenacity and commitment for the jersey continued to hold him in good stead. By the time he moved on from Liverpool in 1997, he had etched his name into the Kop folklore.

Here's your chance to catch up with the great Barnes and interact with him as you celebrate Liverpool's title triumph. The Englishman will be appearing on Standard Chartered's Soundboard during Liverpool's Premier League encounter against Chelsea on July 22 (20:15 GMT), with the champions receiving the trophy they have been craving for so long at last.

As the official partner of the club, Standard Chartered are bringing together various Liverpool legends and fan hosts on their YouTube platform with SC Soundboard. Tune in and let the Soundboard bring the best of Kop chants directly to your home. Sing along and enjoy the experience during every remaining Premier League match of Liverpool.

This week, it's Barnes who will be live. You can catch him in action here.

Jordan Ayew continued with his uneventful form in front of goal as Crystal Palace bowed 2-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers in Monday’s Premier League encounter.

Goal from Daniel Pondence and Spain’s Jonny were all Nuno Espirito Santo’s side needed to secure all points at stake as they continued their chase for a place in Europe next season.

Despite seeing every minute of action with one shot, two dribbles, 28 passes and 85.7 of passing accuracy to his credit, the 28-year-old was unable to beat goalkeeper Rui Patricio who was rarely tested.

With this, he has gone on a run of seven games without scoring as Roy Hodgson’s men have gone ahead to lose all those games.

The Ghana international’s last goal came in the Eagles’ 2-0 victory at Bournemouth – where he attained an enviable milestone in his football career.

Ayew became the highest-scoring Ghanaian in Premier League history – scoring 25 times to beat Tony Yeboah’s feat of 24 goals in 47 appearances, while his brother Andre is third on the Ghana chart with 21 goals from 87 outings.

With nine goals scored in 36 appearances, the former Swansea and Aston Villa man have one last chance to reach his first double-figure in Europe as Crystal Palace welcome Tottenham Hotspur to the Selhurst Park on Sunday.

Meanwhile, manager Hodgson has expressed his disappointment at the outcome of the game as they were undone by two smart goals from the hosts.

"It was a Groundhog Day situation for us," he told club website.

"We lose Mamadou Sakho in the first 20 minutes, so we’re already adjusting. In the first-half we did quite well, to concede just before half-time was a disappointment.

"In the second-half, we did the best we could do. We were beaten by a fantastic second goal.

“We kept going, did best we could do and we have to keep picking ourselves up off the floor.

“We hope the players who’ve given so much can recover for the next game. They’re finding it hard."

Crystal Palace are now 14th position in the English topflight log after accruing 42 points from 37 league outings.

Mamelodi Sundowns are close to completing the signing of Lesedi Kapinga, Goal can exclusively confirm. 

The diminutive midfielder was released by Black Leopards on Monday despite the club initially announcing he would be staying until the end of the season. 

According to a source close to the dealings, Kapinga is on his way to the Sundowns headquarters to undergo medicals and put pen to paper. 

He will then be eligible to join the rest of his new teammates in a training camp in Rustenburg. 

"He hasn't arrived in Rustenburg but he's joining Sundowns since he's no longer staying at Leopards," the source told Goal. 

"He is on his way to Chloorkop for his medical tests and then he will join his new teammates in the North West province," added the source. 

Kapinga is regarded as one of the rising stars in the PSL following his promising start to life at Leopards in the past two seasons. 

The 25-year-old turned professional in 2017 and it was Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila who handed him his first contract. 

Leopards then signed him at the start of the 2018-19 season and he was instrumental in the team keeping their status in the PSL. 

This season, while Lidoda Duvha struggled to move away from the bottom half of the table, Kapinga remained one of their best players. 

At Sundowns, he will join a galaxy of stars in midfield and will have to work twice as hard to cement his place in Pitso Mosimane's starting line-up. 

The Tshwane giants have already completed the signing of George Maluleka while Grant Magerman is close to joining the 2016 African champions from Ajax Cape Town. 

As things stand, Mosimane has Andile Jali, Hlompho Kekana, Tiyani Mabunda among other experienced central midfielders at his disposal.  

And he will have to sacrifice at least one of them to accommodate Kapinga ahead of the next season.  

Kapinga scored six goals and registered six assists in the 27 matches he played for the Thohoyandou-based outfit this season. 

Overall, he featured 51 times and scored seven goals while recording eight assists in his two-year stint with Leopards.  

Letago Madiba has narrated how special she felt to be part of ALG Spor after winning the Turkish Kadinlar Ligi title for the first time.

The South African was a 2019 summer signing for ALG from Minsk, where she spent her 2018-19 season, helping them to two titles and to the Women's Champions League Round of 16.

Following the coronavirus cancellation, Mehmet Karayılan's ladies, who garnered 43 points from 15 games to stay on top were declared the Turkish champions early in July.

Since arriving in Turkey, the 29-year-old was a standout for the Turkish outfit, scoring 12 goals and gave seven assists in 14 outings and is delighted in being part of the club's historic title feat.

"It is a true blessing and honour to have been a part of this team," Madiba told Goal.

"When I arrived at ALG a year ago, it was an ambitious club, I had only been playing in the first league for a few years. 

"To have won the league for the first time in the clubs' history is special and our qualification to the Uefa Women's Champions League [UWCL] is a great moment for the city of Gaziantep and the club. 

"The president [Ali Gozcu] made it clear that this was the goal and I'm proud to have contributed to it."

Despite a fine debut season blighted by Covid-19, she bagged a couple of individual prizes, including being named Turkish Player of the Week thrice and made the Team of the Week six times.

Looking back on her brief but great campaign, the Banyana Banyana forward shared her unforgettable moment with the Gaziantep outfit.

"I don't necessarily have a high and low point in my career at ALG," she continued.

"I started slow, despite scoring on my debut, I really flourished midway through the season where I was scoring nearly every weekend and the coach was really happy. Unfortunately, the season was put on hold when I was at my peak.

"I would say I played my best game against Konak Belediyespor away, it was a tough game and with the game approaching the end, Rachel [Sebati] set me up perfectly to score the winner and I think at this moment we all believed we could win the league. 

"The team celebrated throughout the night in Izmir with our president. This is a moment I won't easily forget."

Before the league's suspension in March, ALG held a point lead in the summer ahead of last season's winners Besiktas in second with 42 points and Konak Belediyespor in third with 37 points.

Despite being crowned champions following the season's cancellation, she still feels the decision taken was unfair to all while lauding her teammates' fantastic showing throughout the season. 

"It was disappointing, to be honest, the men's Super League had been cleared to restart but the women's league was cancelled," she said.

"It also took the federation long to make the decision which leads to greater uncertainty and frustration. But, we understood the health concerns are most important and we as ALG never stopped our training under strict precautions in the case we were due back. 

"We as a team wanted the restart, we always believed we would win the league and wanted to show it on the field. 

"The team performed well, we have a good group of players who all fought for the win and everyone contributed as can be seen by us having several goalscorers and not only relying on the strikers for the goals. 

"The cancellation has not affected the team's aspirations, as the goal from the start of the season was to win the league which despite us not playing all games, we were able to win the league with zero losses. 

"I believe we were fairly granted the title as we beat all teams including the reigning champions Besiktas away and conceded the least goals in the league. Our performance was worthy of the championship."

Madiba has now won her second domestic title in Europe, adding to her maiden success in Belarus with champions Minsk in 2019.

Cristiano Ronaldo became the fastest player to 50 Serie A goals as Juventus put themselves on the cusp of a ninth successive Scudetto with a 2-1 win over Lazio.

Juve went into Monday's clash with the chance to go eight points clear at the top with four games to go after both Inter and Atalanta dropped points over the weekend.

They made no mistake against a Lazio side that has seen their title challenge fade badly since the restart, Ronaldo scoring twice in the space of three second-half minutes to secure victory.

A 51st-minute penalty took him to his half-century in 61 matches and he had an easy finish for a second that looked to have ended the game as a contest until Ciro Immobile's penalty set up a tense finale that Juve survived to all but ensure the title will remain in Turin.

Alex Sandro, who rescued Juve in their 3-3 draw with Sassuolo last time out, headed against the post from Matthijs de Ligt's cross in the 11th minute.

However, Thomas Strakosha was not legitimately tested until the 35th minute when he turned Adrien Rabiot's effort over after a surging run from the Frenchman, with Ronaldo heading wide from the resulting corner.

Lazio were also denied by the woodwork shortly before half-time when Immobile sent a rasping strike cannoning off the post.

Ronaldo attempted to prod over the line on the rebound after Strakosha thwarted Dybala following quick feet in the box from the Argentina forward, only for a goalmouth clearance to maintain parity.

But there was no denying Ronaldo his place in Serie A history after VAR overturned the decision that Bastos had handled his shot outside the area.

Strakosha correctly dove to his left but did not get a touch to a typically confident penalty and he was similarly helpless as Dybala won possession in midfield and surged through on goal before laying the ball off for Ronaldo to tap into an empty net.

Ronaldo clattered the crossbar with a header after a cross from Dybala, who again found Strakosha in fine form to keep out another close-range effort.

Leonardo Bonucci paid the price for nonchalant defending as he felled Immobile, who won and emphatically converted an 83rd-minute penalty to fray Juve nerves.

The hosts were grateful to a flying save from Wojciech Szczesny to keep out Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's free-kick, but they held firm and the title now appears a formality for Maurizio Sarri's men.

What does it mean? Sarri's men set for title

Sarri came into this game amid talk of him fighting to save his job but, while Juve can still be caught, it would take an incredible collapse to deny the Bianconeri boss the most significant title of his career.

A Europa League winner with Chelsea last season, a Coppa Italia Serie D triumph with Sansovino marks Sarri's sole honour in his home country. That is about to change.

Dazzling Dybala

While Ronaldo's record-setting feats will grab the headlines, it was Dybala who was at the heart of everything good going forward for Juve. With seven key passes including one assist, his was a performance that deserved a goal.

Lazio leave it too late

Save for Immobile hitting the post, Lazio did not offer enough until they were chasing the game and left themselves too much to do. It was another disappointing display from a team that has endured an alarming slump having been only a point behind Juve when the season restarted.

Key Opta Facts:

- Juventus have scored two-plus goals in 11 Serie A consecutive games for the first time ever.
- Cristiano Ronaldo is the third player in Juventus history to score 30-plus goals in a single Serie A season with the Bianconeri, after Felice Borel (31 in 1933-34) and John Hansen (30 in 1951-52).
- Ciro Immobile is only the fifth Italian player to score 30-plus goals in a single Serie A campaign.
- Both Juventus and Lazio have scored 13 penalty goals in Serie A this term: more than any team in a single season since Opta started to collect this data (2004-05).
- Douglas Costa played today his 100th game for Juventus, in all competitions.

What's next?

With Atalanta hosting Bologna on Tuesday and Inter welcoming Fiorentina to San Siro on Wednesday, Juve will know whether they can win the title at Udinese on Thursday, when Cagliari are the visitors to Lazio.

Cristiano Ronaldo has written himself into the history books once again after the Juventus striker became the first player to score 50 goals in the Premier League, La Liga and Serie A.

The Portuguese's second-half penalty finish against Lazio saw him clock up a half-century of goals in the Italian top-flight since his arrival in Turin, in addition becoming the fastest player to do so since 1995.

In addition, the 35-year-old's converted spot-kick means that he has also equalled Giuseppe Signori's 1994-95 record for penalty goals in a season, with 12 successful conversions from inside the area.

Ronaldo joined Juventus ahead of the 2018-19 campaign following the better part of a decade with Real Madrid, during which period he won virtually every major domestic honour and four Champions League titles.

Before that, he spent six years at Manchester United, where he initially forged his reputation as one of the world's greatest players with a maiden Ballon d'Or win in 2008 following the Red Devils' own European triumphs.

At both clubs, he clocked up an impressive number of goals, with 118 in 292 appearances for United and 450 in 438 games for Madrid - and with his latest haul for the Bianconeri, he has shown that his prowess remains impressively intact even as he approaches the twilight of his career.

At international level, Ronaldo lies one finish short of a century outright, with 99 goals for Portugal across all competitions, with only Iran's Ali Daei having exceeded his prolific total on the global stage.

Juventus are chasing another Serie A crown in what is manager Maurizio Sarri's first campaign at the helm, though Lazio remain one of a handful of sides breathing down their neck across the final weeks of what has been a peculiar season bisected by a global pandemic.

Five months after they were first scheduled to face them in a second-leg encounter at Allianz Stadium, the Bianconeri will look to overturn a 1-0 defeat against Lyon in the Champions League round-of-16 in the coming weeks, as they hope to reach the competition's condensed finale in Lisbon.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola aimed a barb at Arsenal by saying he has a lot of respect for the team on the pitch but not much for the club off it.

His former assistant Mikel Arteta masterminded a 2-0 victory over his side in the FA Cup semi-final as City suffered their first domestic cup defeat in more than two-and-a-half years.

Guardiola did congratulate the Gunners for their success on the pitch after admitting his team’s first-half performance was not good enough.

“We didn’t play the first half against Arsenal like the second, that was the only regret. We wanted to play 90 minutes like the second half,” he told a press conference.

“But, after we were beaten, we shake hands. The opponents always deserve my respect and credit. And Arsenal, I have all the respect for what they are on the pitch, not much off the pitch – but on the pitch, a lot. Congratulations to them and good luck in the final.”

Guardiola did not expand on why he does not have respect for the Gunners but they were believed to be part of group of Premier League clubs that wrote to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) asking them to refuse any attempt from City to delay a two-year Champions League ban.

In addition, a newspaper report claims that Arsenal were the driving force behind the move before City were cleared of UEFA’s Financial Fair Play breaches .

Saturday’s defeat to Arsenal shifts the all the focus to the Champions League round-of-16 against Real Madrid, with the final Premier League games against Watford and Norwich having no impact on their guaranteed second-place finish.

City lead 2-1 from the first leg in Spain and Guardiola says his side will need to improve on their FA Cup defeat if they are get past the new La Liga champions to make the end-of-season tournament in Portugal.

“Against Madrid we know we have to do good games, all the cups are one game and we did a good performance but [against Arsenal] we were not good enough, that’s all. It can happen and you move forward, it’s forgotten,” he said.

“The next time we play Arsenal next season we will see what we can do to play better and we are incredibly excited and incredibly optimistic about the game against Madrid for the players that we have.

“We know that If we play at a decent level - higher than we play against Arsenal - we’ll have our chance. If not, we’ll be out.”

Guardiola will not be giving his players time off despite now having a free weekend before the Real Madrid tie on August 7.

Zinedine Zidane has allowed his squad a short break after they lifted the Spanish title to “disconnect a little bit from football”, but City will not be following suit.

“We'll have two days [off] after Watford but after Watford we'll have two weeks of training sessions,” he said.

“We are going to make some changes for the last two games. I'll try to let all of them play. I'm so excited for preparing for the Real Madrid game and for the next season.

“When I lose this excitement and fire in me after victory and defeat, it will be a problem.”

Both Maurizio Sarri and Cristiano Ronaldo will be at Juventus next season, according to the club's chief football officer Fabio Paratici, as the pair continue to hunt domestic and European glory this term.

The former Chelsea boss arrived in Turin at the start of the current campaign as successor to Massimiliano Allegri, on the back of guiding the Blues to Europa League success.

However, the Bianconeri's near-ironclad grasp on the Serie A title has looked rather uncertain at times this term, with Sarri's side having failed to win in their last three league games before facing Lazio on Monday evening.

With Inter, Atalanta and Lazio themselves all continuing to breathe down Juve's neck, speculation has rumbled that there could be a change at the top for the Old Lady if they fail to repeat their title success once again.

Speaking ahead of the club's clash with Lazio on Monday however, Paratici rubbished claims that Sarri does not have a future at the club, assuring fans that he will still be in charge come the start of the 2020-21 season regardless of their success in regards to silverware this campaign.

"The talk is all in the media," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I've been here for 10 years [and] we have been top of the table basically for nine of them non-stop.

"We won trophies with Allegri over five years, Serie A and Super Cups. Yet every time after a draw, even a win, we've always had internal meetings. We're used to the speculation, we laugh about it. Without a doubt, Sarri will be the Juventus coach next season."

Paratici also reaffirmed the commitment of striker Ronaldo to the club, with the Portuguese player having enjoyed another fine season for the club in his second term following his arrival from Real Madrid.

As one of the game's leading lights, rumours have often swirled over the forward's future, particularly as he approaches the twilight of his career, and Paratici has been quick to affirm that he will remain at Allianz Stadium.

"There is dialogue with Cristiano, as there normally is between coaches and players," he added. "He is definitely staying and he continues to do very well with us.

Ethiopia-based Ghana international Lee Addy opines the poor working conditions in the domestic league which makes the Premier League (GPL) unattractive.

Addy is among a contingent of frustrated footballers rescued from the East African country and evacuated back home following a distress call to the Government of Ghana in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.

Addy, who represented Ghana at the 2010 World Cup, played for Berekum Chelsea during his days on the local scene.

“Our only motivation to stay and play in the [Ghanaian] league is if Ghanaian clubs are able to present us with good offers," Addy told Happy FM.

“I will urge all the big clubs in the country to invest in the players and they will gain in the long run. It will also help the league to be competitive.

"In Ethiopia, the FA has set a standard for players to be paid a minimum of $1,000 [€874]. Most players in Ghana will prefer to play in Ethiopia than in Ghana because of the salary.

“We hope the GFA can turn things around on this issue but it must start from now."

Last month, a group of about 22 players sent out an SOS call, through a viral social media video, to the Government of Ghana, alleging to have failed to receive help from the Ghanaian consulate. The footballers were spotted outside the Ghanaian embassy in Addis Ababa.

The Ghana Ministry for Youth and Sports (MoYS) in collaboration with the Ghana Football Association (GFA) jointly combined efforts to pull off a successful rescue mission.

The players are currently under mandatory quarantine in accordance with Ghanaian travel safety protocols.

“We are pleased with what the government and the GFA have done for us, in fact, we didn’t expect them to help us this way," Addy said.

"I will advise any Ghanaian to visit the Ghana embassy in any country they travel to and inform them of their arrival so in case of any problem they can reach out to them."

The Premier League is scheduled to return in October, having been forced to a stop by the coronavirus pandemic from March. 

SuperSport United defender Bongani Khumalo says the reigning MTN8 champions are doing everything according to the book as they guard against the coronavirus pandemic.

The veteran defender explains they are training in groups and heaped praise on the Tshwane giants for following the safety guidelines.

On the other hand, Khumalo says he is focusing on the one-year deal he recently signed with coach Kaitano Tembo’s side until June 2021.

“We train in groups of five, the first five come in and do their thing and with five people on the pitch there is very little room for contact,” Khumalo told Phakaaathi.

“As per the guidelines, the club has been doing pretty well in terms of following them. I am not sure if the other clubs are doing the same but one thing for sure is that SuperSport is doing it by the book.”

Coming back to his new contract with the three-time Premier Soccer League (PSL) champions, the former Bafana Bafana defender says he is not focusing beyond the 2020/21 campaign.

"It has been like that for some time now, my contract is valid for the next year…obviously now the year is a bit strange but it is up in June 2021,” added the 33-year-old.

“We will have to see because the thing in South Africa is that once you reach the age of 30, you only sign a one plus one [year] contract. For now, I have one more year…I am pretty excited and I will just focus on that year.

“After that year I will need to see how my body feels, to see whether the club wants to keep me or whether I move on, those are things to consider once the contract is up.

“For now, I am really focused on what I have and that is another year with SuperSport and I am looking forward to it.”

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwean tactician also expressed delight in the fact they managed to retain the lanky centre-back’s services.

Although he is used sparingly, the former Tottenham Hotspur defender is seen as a leader at the club as he guides the youngsters especially following the departure of skipper Dean Furman who returned to the United Kingdom.

When Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ran on to a David Luiz pass early in the semi-final of Arsenal’s FA Cup clash with Manchester City, nearly every Gooner watching at home expected Ederson’s net to bulge to send Mikel Arteta’s men 1-0 up.

It didn’t quite pan out as imagined as the Gabon star shot straight at the Brazil goalkeeper in a manner that suggested an inexperienced forward rather than this year’s 20-goal Premier League marksman. Pictures showed Nicolas Pepe, hands on head, stood in disbelief at what he had just witnessed.

Indeed, the post-match narratives had the North London side lost were already being predicted; from criticism ranging from ‘bottling’ chances to perpetual ‘flat-track bully’ claims, the headlines were probably starting to write themselves.

What happened thereafter, though, was the Arsenal captain at his imperious best to score two well-taken goals in each half that stunned Pep Guardiola’s side and put the capital club on the brink of a 14th FA Cup.

The first was a great finish from an acute angle from a Pepe cross, while his second was finished superbly between the City stopper’s legs after a well-weighted Kieran Tierney through ball over the Citizens’ defence.

2-0, job done and Auba was the hero at Wembley Stadium. The post-match statistics made for interesting reading: Arteta’s troops managed four attempts to City’s 16 and their top scorer managed three of them (centre-back Shkodran Mustafi accounted for the other).

Finishing two of his three efforts was nothing short of clinical, and the frontman responded to critics following the game, too, as he had the last laugh.

The criticism that the experienced striker only scores against the supposedly smaller sides has seemed to follow him since last season but is there any veracity to this claim?

Statistics show that 14 of the Arsenal skipper’s 20 Prem goals have come against teams currently in the bottom half of the league, which accounts for 70 percent of his return in the league.

In nine appearances against Liverpool, Man City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur this season, the Gabon international has netted just three times, with his last coming against the Blues in December. This, though, should take into cognizance that he got only 32 minutes against Jurgen Klopp’s side in last week’s 2-1 success and was introduced with his team solely focused on holding on to their lead.

Additionally, the fact Aubameyang has scored goals against Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers, fourth and sixth in the table respectively, suggests the opprobrium may be a tad harsh.

Jamie Vardy, the league’s top scorer with 23, has netted on three occasions against the division’s top teams as well, with further strikes coming against new boys Sheffield United and Burnley in ninth. 18 of the Englishman’s 23 strikes have come against teams from 11th to 20th in the standings, a staggering 78 percent compared to Auba’s 70 percent.

Liverpool pair of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane’s goal returns also present interesting quirks.

The two-time Golden Boot winner has scored five times against the traditional top six sides (including a brace against Arsenal in August) while the current African POTY has hit the back of the net only twice against the big six, numbers that put the Arsenal star’s three strikes in perspective.

Taking it further, only two of Harry Kane’s 17 Premier League goals this season have come against the established teams, although he has scored four times against sides in the top half, including an impressive brace against Leicester on Sunday.

Given the aforementioned forwards’ similar returns against the top teams, why then is Auba singled out as the flat-track bully among the lot?

In fairness, on goalscoring numbers alone, it is a ridiculous claim, but maybe the Arsenal man’s style has contributed to the simplistic presentation of facts.

Given he’s somewhat limited in possession and is seldom involved in the team’s build-up, observers tend to narrow-down his contribution to what he does in front of goal alone.

Vardy, stylistically similar to the Gunners captain, has assisted five goals to Aubameyang’s two. The ex-England international has also created 12 big chances to the Arsenal man’s seven, numbers that immediately indicate the 2015 African POTY’s lack of involvement for the 2019 Europa League finalists.

Expectedly, Salah and Mane have more assists (nine and seven) and have created more clear-cut chances (13 and 10) respectively, but Kane’s two assists and four big chances fashioned out pales to the Gabon striker’s. However, the two-time Golden Boot winner is more involved in Spurs’ moves evidenced by his heatmap this term, while he has also been lauded for being multifaceted.

Auba’s weaknesses mean he does little when he isn’t scoring, which probably leads to the criticism that he contributes nothing in the big games. Arsenal, especially away from home, have little of the ball in these games, too, which only highlights their captain’s anonymity when they play the traditional top clubs.

Case in point is the City game on Saturday where he was unsuccessful in all eight duels, completed none of his attempted dribbles and lost possession more often than Alexander Lacazette and Pepe, who edged him in all three metrics.

Crucially, he had three more attempts than the pair managed combined, scoring twice, and both can’t match his deadly predatory instinct in the final third.

Indeed, the Arsenal captain has been more efficient this season than in recent years at Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. He’s surprisingly missed only nine big chances this term, a significant reduction to last year’s 23 and the year before (six in 13 games in the Prem and 19 in 13 matches at Dortmund). In his last full season at Die Borussen, the Gabon star failed to tuck away 25 presentable opportunities, despite ending top scorer with 31 strikes, one ahead of the equally prolific Robert Lewandowski.

This newly found effectiveness has benefited the three-time Premier League champions but whether it is an outlier or deviation from the norm remains to be seen.

A more clinical Aubameyang is an assassin in every sporting sense of the word, and bringing home Arsenal’s 14th FA Cup title in the club’s next ‘big game’ against Chelsea will further banish the perception that he preys exclusively on weak opposition.