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Orlando Pirates vs Jwaneng Galaxy Preview: Kick-off time, TV channel, squad news

These five players are currently the talk of the Indian football town...
Original author: Goal

Southampton loan is the best case scenario for Takumi Minamino and Liverpool

The season has ended in tears for the Crystal Palace wonderkid, but he’s made a big impact on the Premier League nonetheless

Eberechi Eze has captured the imagination in his maiden Premier League season, even if the year has ended with an Achilles injury that threatens to keep him out until 2022.

It’s a horrific blow for the youngster, for whom a potential eight months on the sidelines represents a significant setback to his progress.

The 22-year-old was a dazzling star in the Championship for Queens Park Rangers last term, netting 14 goals and registering eight assists—terrorising defences in the process.

Understandably, in the Premier League, he hasn’t made the same impact—not least because he’s played 1,500 fewer minutes than he did last season.

He’s had a hand in 10 goals—slightly less then one every three games—scoring four and registering six assists.

Admittedly, there have been games where Eze has struggled to influence proceedings, although glimpses of excellence—notably against Sheffield United earlier this month—have set him out as one of the league’s most exciting talents.

In this week’s Hot Seat, however, Goal Africa writer Oluwaseye Omidiora has expressed his belief that the attacker—who is eligible for both England and Nigeria—was being shackled by Palace head coach Roy Hodgson.

For Omidiora, the coach’s conservative style—and potentially even a lack of ambition from the club—meant that Eze may not reach his full potential in South London.

With Hodgson moving on, however, we have reached a new dawn at Selhurst Park.

It could go either way; the experiment with Frank de Boer in 2017 ended in tears—and a relegation battle—but there’s definitely potential in the Eagles squad if they can appoint the right man to help them evolve as other clubs have done.

For Omidiora, the departure of Hodgson ought to be a point of celebration for Eze, even if their will be some debt owed to the departing coach.

However, the attacker’s long-term injury doubtless casts a shadow over his immediate future—and longer-term development—with the Eagles.

His international future, which could potentially have emerged as a hot topic before the year’s end, is now off the agenda.

The forward could represent either England or Nigeria, with the latter understood to be actively pursuing him.

The Three Lions’ European Championship squad would have come too soon for the youngster, particularly considering the competition in the team, but could Eze have pushed for the Eagles’ 2022 Africa Cup of Nations squad?

 

Original author: Ed Dove

Pirlo says he would confirm himself as Juve manager for next season if he could

The manager spoke after his men defeated Atalanta 2-1 in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday

Andrea Pirlo would confirm himself as the manager of Juventus for 2021-22 if he had the power to do so, he said after Juventus beat Atalanta 2-1 in the Coppa Italia final on Wednesday.

He has been under heavy scrutiny for much of the campaign because of an early Champions League exit and poor league performances relative to the standard in Turin.

Juventus enter the final weekend of the season at risk of missing a top-four finish, and Pirlo's job status appears in jeopardy. However, he feels he has done enough to earn another season in charge of the team.

What has been said?

“For my first season, I have learned a great deal and then found these satisfactions that are very gratifying," Pirlo told RAI Sport ( via Football Italia ).

“Of course I would confirm myself in this role. I’ve loved football since I was a child and will continue to love it. The club will decide, but I love coaching, I love this club, and we’ll see what is decided. I would like to continue.

“The lads have always been behind me 100 per cent and that’s very satisfying for a coach, no matter what the gossip says in the papers.”

How can Juventus make the Champions League?

In order to qualify for the Champions League by finishing in the top-four of Serie A, Juventus must beat Bologna and have either AC Milan or Napoli fail to earn victory this weekend.

“The regret is that we dropped points against teams who on paper were supposed to be easier to beat," Pirlo said of the current league situation. "Now we go into the final round and know it’s not all in our hands.”

Further reading

Transfer news and rumours LIVE: Allardyce to step down from West Brom

Goal takes a look at the biggest transfer news and rumours from the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and around the world
Original author: Goal

'That was our semi-final' - Klopp praises Liverpool win over Burnley as he eyes top-four finish

The Reds' hopes of qualifying for the Champions League are in their own hands after a comfortable win at Turf Moor

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp described Wednesday’s win over Burnley as a “semi-final” in their quest for Champions League football and cannot wait for his side to try and finish the job in their “final” against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Goals from Roberto Firmino, Nat Phillips and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain earned the Reds all three points against the Clarets and lifted them into the top four for the first time since February.

It means victory in front of 10,000 home fans at Anfield on the final day will almost certainly guarantee a place in the Champions League next season.

What did Klopp say?

Speaking after the match at Turf Moor, Klopp told Sky Sports: "It was a semi-final. We had to win the semi-final and we did. Nothing is decided yet but we improved our position and we have the final. That's what we needed. It's what we deserve because this was a top performance.

"You can't give any chance away against Burnley because of the way they play. They wanted to go for our centre-halves but our boys did outstandingly well.

"We knew before the game it would be incredibly tough - they had about 3,500 people not on our side. Atmosphere in football is massive.

"I thought the boys dealt really well with that. They didn't get distracted - they tried to use it because noise is nice. We played a lot of good football stuff."

“You can't go to Burnley and hope to win 3-0. It's usually incredibly tight."

Despite his excitement, Klopp also urged caution and stressed that there is still a job to do on Sunday.

"We have to make sure we recover quickly,” he added. “We have a thin squad in some positions. We have to wrap them in cotton wool. I can't wait for the 10,00 fans at Anfield. Nothing is decided - Palace are strong."

The bigger picture

When they slipped out of the top four in February, Liverpool were in the middle of a sixth-match losing run at Anfield and hopes of defending their title lay in tatters.

However, since a 1-0 defeat at home to Fulham at the start of March Klopp’s side have won seven and drawn two of nine matches to fire themselves back into contention for the Champions League and end what has at times been a difficult season on a high.

They go into the final game level on points with fifth-placed Leicester but with a better goal difference of four.

A win over Palace therefore would almost certainly be enough, unless the Foxes thrash Tottenham by a hefty margin in their final game of the season.

Further reading

Original author: Goal

Kane's lap of honour was not a farewell to Tottenham, insists Mason

The 27-year-old appeared to grow emotional as he applauded Spurs fans, who were present for the first time all season

Tottenham interim manager Ryan Mason denied that Harry Kane's lap of honour after Wednesday night's loss to Aston Villa was a farewell to the club's fans. 

Earlier this week, Kane told Spurs that he wished to leave the club due to their inability to consistently compete at the highest level.

Following Wednesday's game – the first this season with fans and also the final home match of the campaign – Kane took a lap around the pitch, appearing to grow emotional as he applauded the fans who remained.

What was said?

Mason insisted Kane was not saying goodbye to the fans, saying in his post-game press conference: "It's normal. If anyone has been at the last home game of the season while Harry Kane has played for this football club, he has been pretty consistent in going around the pitch, clapping the fans and getting a good reception.

"Nothing has changed from the last home game this season to home games in previous seasons, so it's normal."

Will Kane leave Spurs?

Though the England captain has requested a move away, there are still plenty of doubts as to whether he can actually secure a transfer this summer.

Spurs chairman Daniel Levy will undoubtedly demand a huge fee for Kane, whose contract in north London runs through to 2024.

Kane's prolific goalscoring record makes him one of the most valuable strikers in world football, but it is still unclear how much a team would be willing to pay for a player with a history of recent injuries who turns 28 this summer.

The striker is also understood to prefer to stay in England, further narrowing the list of clubs he could theoretically join. 

Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea are potentially viable destinations, but whether any of those clubs will make any bid, let alone one Levy finds acceptable, is an open question.

Further reading

Original author: Goal

Solskjaer: Liverpool's issues bigger than Van Dijk

The Ivory Coast international scored twice to help the Gunners extend their unbeaten run at Selhurst Park

Nicolas Pepe bagged a brace as Arsenal secured a 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace in Wednesday’s Premier League game and set a personal record in the process.

The forward is gradually establishing himself at the Emirates Stadium after struggling on his arrival, with a section of the fans criticizing the £72 million paid to Lille to secure his signature last summer.

Pepe was handed his 15th league start at Selhurst Park and utilized the opportunity to increase his tally in the encounter.

The Gunners hit the ground running and made several attempts on goal in the opening 20 minutes, including Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s fine shot which was blocked.

Ghana international Jeffrey Schlupp also came close to scoring moments after the hour mark when his shot was deflected towards goal, but goalkeeper Vicente Guaita parried it for a corner.

Arsenal eventually broke the deadlock in the 35th minute when Pepe fired a fine volley into the back of the net after connecting with Kieran Tierney’s cross.

Christian Benteke levelled proceedings for Crystal Palace in the 62nd minute after receiving a timely assist from Andros Townsend.

Moments before the end of the game, Gabriel Martinelli handed Mikel Arteta’s men the lead when he tapped home from close range.

Pepe then completed his brace in style, dribbling past his markers before unleashing a shot into the back of the net to seal the victory for the Gunners.

The 25-year-old has now scored in back-to-back Premier League appearances for the first time since joining the Gunners, after also scoring against West Bromwich Albion.

Pepe featured for the duration of the game along with Gabon international Aubameyang and Egypt midfielder Mohamed Elneny.

For Crystal Palace, Ivory Coast’s Wilfried Zaha, Senegal’s Cheikhou Kouyate and Schlupp were on parade for the entirety of the game while Eberechi Eze was not listed for the encounter due to the Achilles injury he recently suffered.

Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson will leave the club when his contract expires at the end of the season and Zaha, along with the African stars at Palace, will be expected to help the 73-year-old end his stay at Selhurst Park with victory against Liverpool on May 23.

Arsenal, meanwhile, will square off against Brighton & Hove Albion in their last Premier League game for 2020-21 season.

 

Original author: Gbenga Adewoye

Ten Hag warns Ronaldo of potential fan backlash

The Ivorian scored twice as the Gunners beat Roy Hodgson's side 3-1 at Selhurst Park

Mikel Arteta hailed Nicolas Pepe after the Ivory Coast international scored twice as Arsenal beat Crystal Palace 3-1 on Wednesday night.

The victory was not enough to keep the Gunners' hopes of qualifying for the Europa League alive, with sixth-placed West Ham's 3-1 win at West Brom meaning it is now impossible for Arteta's side to finish any higher than seventh this season.

But Arteta was still full of praise for Pepe, who struck in either half as the Gunners made it four successive wins in the Premier League.

What has been said?

Pepe has now scored six goals in his last 10 appearances and, when asked if the winger was starting to show signs of reaching his true potential in an Arsenal shirt, Arteta said: “I am very encouraged and positive for two reasons.

“One, because he has come a long way in terms of consistency and what he’s producing in games. Not in the Premier League, but what he’s done in Europe this season.

“And the second one because he’s changed his mindset. He wants to look at every mindset, he wants to look at every post-match reflection that we do with him.

“Individually he wants to work and he wants to be the best. When that happens and he has the talent that he has, I think it’s a really good mixture.”

Pepe has come a long way

Pepe’s double against Crystal Palace took his goal tally for the season to 14 in all competitions.

That is six more than he managed during his debut campaign in England and Arteta believes his winger is now showing the type of form that convinced Arsenal to break their transfer record to bring him to the club from Lille in 2019.

“It’s my feeling and it’s everybody’s feeling in the coaching staff, and his own feeling, that he’s come a long way this season,” said the Arsenal boss.

"He hasn’t had the consistency sometimes in the game time, but I think in Europe he’s been terrific and in the Premier League he’s started to show much more what he’s like, and he’s very hungry. 

“I think he’s changed a lot in his mentality and his willingness to do much more.”

Where do Arsenal stand going into Sunday?

Arsenal’s victory at Crystal Palace saw them move to within one point of seventh-placed Tottenham, but West Ham’s victory at West Brom means it is now impossible for Arteta’s side to qualify for the Europa League next season.

That means their only way into Europe is by finishing seventh and qualifying for UEFA’s new competition, the Europa Conference League.

To do that, the Gunners must beat Brighton on Sunday and hope Tottenham and Everton drop points in their games against Leicester and Manchester City respectively.

Further reading 

Original author: Charles Watts

Leo Messo: Arsenal sign 10-year-old Kenyan wonderkid - reports

The youngster becomes the latest African to join the North London club as he aims to continue his development

Arsenal academy have signed Kenyan wonderkid Leo Messo on a scholarship on Wednesday, according to Football London.

Messo was pictured alongside the Gunners academy manager, Per Mertesacker and they posed together with a no. 9 shirt that has his name.

The 10-year-old was previously developing his skills at West Ham United before he made his latest switch to North London.

After touring the academy facilities on Wednesday, Messo will be aiming to follow in the footsteps of Nigeria duo Chuba Akpom and Alex Iwobi, Ghanaian descent Eddie Nketiah who graduated from the revered Hale End.

His capture by the Gunners has got fans talking, most especially Kenyan fans on social media who can’t wait to see their compatriot grow and play at the Emirates Stadium.

Original author: Taiye Taiwo

Arsenal Cut Contracts for a Number of Top Scouts Across Europe

The Lancers midfielder believes life at Johan Cruijff Stadium will be better for the Nordsjaelland winger 

Ajax midfielder Mohammed Kudus has urged Ghanaian compatriot Kamaldeen Sulemana to join him at the Dutch club.

Nordsjaelland ace Kamaldeen has become the subject of transfer reports, with Ajax, Manchester United and Bayer Leverkusen all confirmed to be interested in his services.

Liverpool, French side Olympique Lyonnais and Belgian outfit Club Brugge have also been said to keeping an eye on the wide man, who can play in any position across the front lines.

The two men played together at Nordsjaelland until last summer when Kudus pursued a transfer to Ajax.

"He is a fast, agile and smart winger," Kudus has told ESPN.

"He has everything. He will fit in well with our playing style. Especially as a fast winger. He can score and give assists. I think he is a perfect player for Ajax."

Next month, Kudus and Kamaldeen are set to link up on international duty, having been both named in Ghana's squad for a double-header of friendlies against Morocco and Cote d'Ivoire.

"He's on the national team, so of course I'm going to see him. But at the end of the day, in making decisions, it comes down to your own self and your own guts," Kudus added.

"I can advise him based on my own experiences and what I have seen here [at Ajax] but at the end of the day, he's a smart kid and knows what he wants. I think he's going to make the right decision."

Kamaldeen is enjoying his best season in Europe, having so far netted 10 times and provided five assists for Nordsjaelland in the Danish Superliga.

On Wednesday, he provided an assist to help his club to a 2-1 home win over Randers.

"Of course I am here now and I'm going to help him", Kudus said when asked why Kamaldeen should snub Manchester United for Ajax.

"The step from Denmark to Manchester United is very big. He has the talent to play at every level. But I think the step from Denmark to here [Ajax] will be an even nicer one in my opinion. But I believe whichever one he takes, he has the capability and the talent to show it."

Kamaldeen joined Nordsjaelland from affiliate Ghanaian club Right to Dream Academy in January last year. 

Original author: Prince Narkortu Teye

Aston Villa teenage sensation Chukwuemeka makes Premier League debut in Tottenham Hotspur win

The Anglo-Nigerian came off the bench in the closing stages and he nearly made his mark in the encounter with his stoppage-time strike
Original author: Taiye Taiwo

LIVE: Burnley vs Liverpool

48' Mane makes a late run off the back of Tarkowski to get into the far post and Firmino tries to curl it into him. Burnley have a lot of bodies back in the box though and his pass is blocked by Mee.

46' SAVE! It's a quick start to the second half from Burnley as Wood gets away from Phillips and into the box. He decides to have a go, curling his shot towards the far post, but Alisson holds onto it.

46' Liverpool get us back underway for the second half! 

As things stand, this result takes Liverpool above Leicester City into fourth place. The visitors have created a lot of chances without really testing Norris, which Klopp will want to change. Burnley have caused problems at the other end though and Dyche will be happy to stick with his game plan to see if they can get back into it.

Firmino's goal gives Liverpool a 1-0 lead over Burnley at half-time. Both sides made a slow start and have only had one shot on target each. McNeil forced a good save out of Alisson after Wood sent a brilliant chance into the side netting. At the other end, Thiago came close, but Firmino broke the deadlock late on when he slotted Robertson's cross into the bottom corner.

45' + 2' HALF-TIME: BURNLEY 0-1 LIVERPOOL.

45' Burnley are trying to get upfield as quickly as possible when they win the ball back, but their passing is sloppy. Cork spins and plays an early throughball into the box, but it's nowhere near Wood and Phillips clears his lines.

41' CHANCE! Robertson swings yet another great cross into the box and Williams nods it down for Phillips in the middle. He has time to take a touch before volleying a shot on goal, but it's always rising and it flies just over the bar.

39' SAVE! Wood can't sort his feet out quickly enough to have a shot, but Burnley manage to keep hold of the ball and get it to McNeil just outside the box. He sets himself before firing it at the near post and Alisson dives to push it away.

37' Alexander-Arnold steps up to take the free-kick and despite being a long way out, he goes for goal. He curls his effort up and over the wall, but there isn't enough dip on it and it flies into the stands.

36' Mane spins away from Westwood before driving towards the box and the midfielder scrambles back to try and reach him. He ends up clipping Mane though and Liverpool have a free-kick in a good position.

34' It's patient play from Liverpool as they move it out from the back, but they're struggling to get in behind Burnley again. They're switching it from left to right, but aren't having any luck in opening up some space.

32' McNeil swings another good cross in from the left and Wood attacks it but ends up clattering into Alisson. Brownhill brings down the loose ball but doesn't have time to have a shot before the whistle goes for a free-kick.

30' CHANCE! Liverpool are in again here and Robertson plays another good ball forward for Salah to chase. He takes it away from Tarkowski but then leans back as he takes the shot and fires it high over the bar.

29' THIAGO! The Spaniard plays a one-two with Salah just inside the box and opens up a pocket of space for himself at the post. He drills it across goal from a tight angle as Norris rushes out, but it's just wide of the target.

28' Liverpool go for a more direct approach this time, with Phillips playing it forward for Robertson and he swings an early cross into the box. He's looking for Salah in the middle, but Mee makes an important interception to touch it away from him.

26' CLOSE! Lowton plays a wonderful early ball into the box from his own half and Gudmundsson lets it go for Wood. He's goal side of Williams and he hits the shot on the half-volley, but it swerves just wide of the near post.

24' Robertson drives forward down the left again and he switches it to Thiago, who is running into space on the edge of the box. He tries to bring it down with his first touch, but gets it all wrong and ends up tripping over it, allowing Taylor to come away with the ball.

22' The Burnley fans and players aren't happy as they think Salah handballed it just inside the box, but the referee is happy to let the Liverpool attack go on. Alexander-Arnold swings in a good cross, but Gudmundsson shields it away from Mane at the far post.

20' McNeil keeps finding himself in a lot of space for Burnley down the left and he chooses to play an early cross into the box for Wood this time. Phillips gets ahead of the forward though and hooks it away from danger.

18' Liverpool are knocking it around in their own box and Phillips almost plays them into trouble after scuffing his pass to Fabinho. Two Burnley players are closing down the loose ball, but Fabinho just manages to flick it on in time.

16' CHANCE! It's a great backheel from Mane at the near post to pick out Firmino, who is unmarked in the middle of the box. He lets it rolls across him before hitting the shot, but he drags it wide of the target under pressure from Tarkowski.

15' Liverpool have won five of their six Premier League away games against Burnley, winning their last three at Turf Moor since a 2-0 loss in August 2016.

13' Robertson's cross is cleared by Tarkowski at the near post, but Liverpool come again as Thiago latches onto it just outside the box. He chips it over the top for Firmino, but it's just behind him and Mee clears his lines.

11' It's a loose touch from Alexander-Arnold that gifts the ball back to Wood in the middle of the field and he quickly lays it off to Gudmundsson on the right of the box. He can't control it though and Williams makes another important block.

9' The cross from McNeil on the left is too high for Wood, but the forward chases it down and manages to keep it in play at the far post. He pulls it back for Lowton, who hits it first time and Williams makes an important block to send it out for a corner.

8' Salah drives forward down the right and plays a one-two with Firmino to try and open up some space for a cross. The Brazilian plays it short back into him though and Taylor is there to intercept it for Burnley.

6' Burnley are moving the ball upfield quickly and trying to catch Liverpool out by swinging early crosses into the box. McNeil gets the better of Alexander-Arnold down the right and curls the ball into the middle, but Alisson comes out to collect it.

4' Firmino slots it into Alexander-Arnold and he cuts inside from the right before having a shot, but it's blocked by Tarkowski. Mane gets to the loose ball first, but fires wide from close range.

2' Liverpool break quickly on the counter after an early spell of pressure from Burnley and Robertson plays a lovely throughball forward for Salah. He's one-on-one with Norris, but Mee gets back just in time to block his shot.

1' Westwood gets the game underway for Burnley!

The teams are out on the pitch now, with kick-off just moments away.

Burnley are looking to complete their first league double over Liverpool since the 1929-30 campaign, after they ended the Reds' 68-game unbeaten home run earlier this season.

Jurgen Klopp makes just one change to his team after their win over West Brom on Sunday. Wijnaldum is brought into the side for Jones, who drops to the bench.

Sean Dyche makes two changes to the side that lost to Leeds United last time out. He hands a Premier Debut to Norris in goal, with Gudmundsson also coming in. Peacock-Farrell and Vydra drop to the bench.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Billy Koumetio, Divock Origi, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Xherdan Shaqiri, Neco Williams, James Milner, Adrian, Konstantinos Tsimikas.

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI (4-3-3): Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Nathaniel Phillips, Rhys Williams, Andy Robertson; Thiago Alcantara, Fabinho, Georginio Wijnaldum; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane.

BURNLEY SUBS: Anthony Driscoll-Glennon, Ashley Barnes, Jimmy Dunne, Bailey Peacock-Farrell, Lewis Richardson, Erik Pieters, Jay Rodriguez, Matej Vydra, Richard Nartey.

BURNLEY STARTING XI (4-4-1-1): Will Norris; Matthew Lowton, James Tarkowski, Ben Mee, Charlie Taylor; Josh Brownhill, Ashley Westwood, Jack Cork, Johann Gudmundsson; Dwight McNeil; Chris Wood.

Liverpool's chances of earning a top-four finish are still in their own hands and they realistically need to win their last two games to secure a Champions League spot. They've won their last three outings, with Alisson scoring a last-minute winner last time out against West Brom to keep them in the hunt. They face a Burnley side that haven't won at home in their last nine matches (D5 L4), with their last win at Turf Moor coming against Aston Villa at the end of January.

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Premier League meeting between Burnley and Liverpool at Turf Moor!

PSG vs Brest: TV channel, live stream, team news & prediction

46' Referee Letexier gets the second half of this Coupe de France final underway!

Kovac may want to make some half-time alterations, given his side's relative struggles in this Coupe de France final as of yet. Monaco could look to Martins or Jovetic off the bench if they do feel they need some added attacking impetus. Pochettino, in contrast, will be satisfied with his team's first-half performance.

It has been far from a vintage Coupe de France final so far, with both teams rarely testing either goalkeeper. PSG lead 1-0 at the break, courtesy of Icardi's tap-in, after some good work to intercept from Mbappe and force a decisive Disasi mistake on the edge of his own area. Florenzi and Volland had the only other chances of the half, which were both comfortably saved by Majecki and Navas respectively.

45' + 1' HALF-TIME: MONACO 0-1 PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN

45' + 1' Mbappe coasts past Henrique, however, powering past Maripan proves a step too far as the centre-back manages to play back to Majecki. Whether tactical or not, Mbappe found himself on the right-hand side there and perhaps he fancies his chances against Henrique more than Sidibe.

45' The fourth official indicates there will be a minimum of one minute of added time in this Coupe de France final at the Stade de France.

44' Fofana's eyes seem to light up as the chance to smash a right-footed volley from 35 yards presents itself. Di Maria is the first on the scene to deflect behind for a corner.

42' Mbappe skips around Sidibe's challenge with ease, rolling in Di Maria before the Argentine runs out of room in the left-hand corner. PSG do, however, manage to keep the ball but their spell of possession comes to an end with an offside decision against Mbappe.

41' Sidibe goes through the back of Mbappe's ankles and the forward requires some brief medical treatment before wandering off the pitch and returning within the same minute.

40' Another corner comes for Monaco as Aguilar's cross gets deflected behind. Golovin looks to keep the set-piece alive on the edge of the area after an initial clearance, however, he can only volley high and wide of Navas' goal with a right-footed strike.

39' PSG have won the competition a remarkable 13 times, with their most recent triumph coming last season when they beat Lyon in the final.

37' CLOSE! Florenzi needlessly stands on the back of Henrique's ankles and Kovac's side get a free-kick in the left-hand channel. Golovin whips in the wide set-piece and Volland's flick-on at the near post ends up in the hands of Navas. Disasi was lurking at the back post, however, the goalkeeper pounced just in front of him to keep his team's one-goal advantage intact.

36' Gueye goes roaming forward again and picks out Di Maria, who rather optimistically sets his sights on goal from 35 yards out. The Argentine's left-footed strike gets blocked by a crowd of Monaco defenders before Majecki is required to make a save.

35' Mbappe drops his shoulder and beats Henrique with relative ease. A low cross towards the near post, however, proves too much of an ask for Icardi as Maripan intervenes and hooks a long clearance away with his left foot.

33' SAVE! Gueye finds Di Maria, who has wandered inside from the right flank, and the Argentine disguises a pass out to the right-hand side. Florenzi takes a touch into the area before seeing his powerful right-footed effort turned over the crossbar by Majecki.

32' Fofana fancies a long pass for Golovin on the right flank but the midfielder gets it all wrong and the ball flies out for a goal-kick. Navas takes a while over his kick as he allows his team to regroup and take a breather, after a prolonged spell of possession from Kovac's men.

30' Tchouameni drifts inwards from the left-hand channel, clipping a pass over the top for Ben Yedder. The French forward chests down before going to ground due to Marquinhos' sliding tackle. Monaco offer some muted appeals for a penalty, however, it's clear the Brazilian centre-back has won the ball fairly.

28' Mbappe already has two to his tally for the season against Wednesday’s opposition and six goals in his last four league games.

27' Since Icard's goal, Kovac's team have come into their own and appear more confident in possession. For now, however, their passing play outside the area looks pretty but lacks the penetration to unlock Navas' well-organised defence.

26' Mbappe gets isolated against Sidibe, driving at the right-back before attempting a smart reverse pass to Di Maria in the left-hand channel. Disasi, whose mistake set-up Icardi's opener, comes across to intercept in front of the Argentinian.

25' Golovin powers through the middle, sliding to Ben Yedder who plays back to Sidibe. The full-back offloads to Fofana and the midfielder crosses for Volland, who can't redirect a header on towards goal and the forward's effort trickles out for a goal-kick.

23' Tchouameni dinks over the top for Volland's forward run, however, Kehrer reads it all the way as he drops back to head clear. The loose ball looks like falling to Ben Yedder before Gueye races back to dive in in front of the forward and remove any attacking opportunity.

21' Icardi's opener is no less than Pochettino's men deserve. They have looked assured in possession, knocking the ball out with confidence as they continue to stamp their authority on this final's proceedings.

18' Marquinhos' wayward pass gets intercepted inside his own half, smashing off Ben Yedder and deflecting towards the left-hand channel. Ben Yedder thinks he is in on goal, however, Navas rushes well out of his box to intervene with an important sliding tackle to play towards Florenzi.

17' Sidibe takes a corner from the right-hand side, which Mbappe collects at the near post. PSG's wonderkid then remarkably runs from inside his own area, all the way to the other end and avoids five or six tackles before sensibly opting to play backwards and retain possession.

16' Fofana tries sliding a througball for the run of Ben Yedder into the area. The French forward makes good ground, however, Diallo comes across to barge him out the way before sheltering the ball away from goal.

15' It has been a cagey opening 15 minutes or so, with neither side testing either goalkeeper as of yet. Pochettino's men, perhaps as expected, have dominated possession but have nothing to show for their efforts so far.

13' Florenzi knocks a pass over the top for Di Maria to chase in the right-hand channel. Henrique wins the race, however, he is forced into giving away another corner. The Argentine swings in a left-footed delivery and, after a couple of blocks in front of Majecki's goal, Monaco eventually clear the danger.

12' Kovac's side have secured a league double over PSG in the Ligue 1, edging them 3-2 at home before securing a 2-0 win at Parc des Princes in February.

11' Monaco get a corner of their own at the other end as Navas fails to keep a deflected cross in play. Golovin is the man to deliver the set-piece but the referee immediately gives a free-kick to PSG at the back post for a push in the back.

10' Mbappe hassles Henrique and forces the full-back to give away a corner. After winning the set-piece, Mbappe decides to quickly take it short but the resulting cross gets cleared away at the front post by Disasi.

9' Majecki's first involvement in the game comes as he confidently claims Paredes' high and swirling cross from the right-hand side. The goalkeeper, who has impressed in the cup competitions for Kovac's men, will be glad to get that first touch in the final out the way.

8' Navas goes long in search of Mbappe, finding the forward in acres of space on the left just over the halfway line. Mbappe wants to run at Sidibe but he doesn't get the opportunity as the flag is up for offside against him.

7' Golovin is lucky to escape a booking after cynically chopping down Diallo, who was making a powerful run down the left-hand channel. Monaco are still yet to properly get their foot on the ball as their opponents continue to dictate play around them.

5' Mbappe wanders inside from the left flank, touching wide for Florenzi, who sees his deep cross from the right-hand side turned away by Henrique. Pochettino's men are knocking possession about with real confidence in the opening stages of this final.

3' Diallo's headed clearance finds Icardi, who tries to delicately flick through for the run of Mbappe. Disasi, however, is alert to the forward's intentions as intercepts outside his own area in front of Mbappe.

2' Di Maria seeks out Mbappe on the left-hand side but Icardi is then far too enthusiastic as he clatters into Golovin with a needless early foul.

1' After the national anthem is out the way, referee Francois Letexier gets the Coupe de France final underway!

PSG are looking to defend their title, while searching for their 14th Coupe de France success here. Monaco, in contrast, haven’t won this competition since the 1990-91 season.

Pochettino goes for five alterations from the weekend. On either side of defence, Florenzi and Diallo replace Bakker and Dagba. In midfield, Herrera drops out for Paredes, while Gueye comes in for Draxler. Further forward, Icardi replaces the suspended Neymar to lead the line alongside Mbappe.

Kovac opts for three changes from the win against Rennes. Martins drops to the bench for Aguilar, Majecki gets the nod ahead of Benjamin Lecomte in goal and Disasi starts at centre-back instead of Badiashile.

SUBS: Sergio Rico, Mitchel Bakker, Colin Dagba, Timothee Pembele, Rafinha, Ander Herrera, Julian Draxler, Moise Kean, Pablo Sarabia.

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN (4-3-3): Keylor Navas; Alessandro Florenzi, Marquinhos, Thilo Kehrer, Abdou Diallo; Idriss Gueye, Danilo Pereira, Leandro Paredes; Angel Di Mari, Kylian Mbappe, Mauro Icardi.

SUBS: Gelson Martins, Benoit Badiashile Mukinayi, Stevan Jovetic, Fode Ballo-Toure, Chrislain Matsima, Cesc Fabregas, Krepin Diatta, Vito Mannone, Eliot Matazo.

MONACO (4-4-2): Radoslaw Majecki; Djibril Sidibe, Axel Disasi, Guillermo Maripan, Caio Henrique; Aleksandr Golovin, Youssouf Fofana, Aurelien Tchouameni, Ruben Aguilar; Wissam Ben Yedder, Kevin Volland.

PSG’s route to the semi-final stage was fairly straightforward, as they dispatched of Caen, Brest, Lille and Angers by an aggregate scoreline of 12-0. A semi-final clash against Montpellier proved a tad harder, with Mauricio Pochettino’s winning 6-5 on penalties after being held to a 2-2 draw in normal time. Last time out in Ligue 1, PSG crushed 10-man Reims 4-0 to remain on the tails of league-leaders Lille.

Grenoble, Nice, Metz and Lyon all tried and failed before Monaco’s semi-final against fourth-tier team Rumilly Vallieres. Despite going a goal down after 20 minutes, Niko Kovac’s side bounced back to secure an emphatic 5-1 victory and qualify for this year’s final. Most recently in the league, Monaco were 2-1 victors against Rennes to make it 10 wins in 11 games in all competitions.

Hello and welcome to coverage of the Coupe de France final between Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain at the Stade de France.

Top Five: Ranking the teams capable of challenging Gor Mahia for title

The midfielder won a host of trophies for club and country across a 15-season professional career

Hertha Berlin midfielder Sami Khedira has confirmed he will retire at the end of the season after a 15-year professional career. 

The 34-year-old won a host of trophies in his career including the World Cup, Champions League and domestic titles in Germany, Spain and Italy. 

In a post on Instagram, Khedira confirmed that Hertha's season finale against Hoffenheim on Saturday will be his last match.

What was said?

"Time to say goodbye," Khedira wrote. "It’s never easy to make life-changing decisions. But sometimes you have to.

"On Saturday I will play my last game in my career! It was an honour for me to play for some of the biggest clubs out there, to win remarkable titles and to be part of a historic moment when we held the World Cup trophy in our hands back in 2014!

"Thanks to all the fans, supporters, team-mates, coaches and of course my family and friends. You‘ve always been there for me alongside this journey that comes to an end now. We‘ll see each other again!"

Khedira's trophy-filled career

The midfielder came up through the ranks at Stuttgart and, in 2006-07, his first season of senior football, he helped the club to the Bundesliga title. 

After earning his way into the Germany national team, Khedira moved to Real Madrid following an impressive display at the 2010 World Cup. 

In Madrid, Khedira won the Copa del Rey three times, one La Liga and one Champions League over five seasons before he joined Juventus ahead of the 2015-16 season. 

Khedira won Serie A titles in each of his five seasons with Juve, returning to Germany to join Hertha ahead of the current campaign. 

Perhaps the midfielder's most memorable career accomplishment, though, came in 2014 when he was a key member of Germany's victorious World Cup squad in Brazil.

Further reading

Original author: Goal

Choupo-Moting to Bayern Munich: Brilliant or baffling?

Caf Champions League: Sundowns vs Al Ahly - Head-To-Head | Goal.com

CAF Champions League

19:39 BST 19/05/2021

Mosa Lebusa, Mamelodi Sundowns & Mohamed Sherif, Al Ahly, May 2021

Looking at the numbers behind the Caf Champions League quarterfinal encounter between Mamelodi Sundowns and Al Ahly in Tshwane

Original author: Goal

'Rashford can be world class if he improves ugly side of his game' - Ferdinand urges 'unbelievable' Man Utd star to follow Rooney blueprint

60' OFF THE POST! Juve should be ahead, but Chiesa is denied by the right post. He combines with Ronaldo, who plays a sublime backheel towards the run of the winger in the box. He takes a touch and fires a strike at goal, only to see his effort clatter off the woodwork and bounce clear.

59' Kulusevski makes progress down the right flank and cuts back to lift a cross into the box. Ronaldo rises to meet it, but he heads his effort straight at Gollini.

58' SAVE! Chiesa surges down the left flank and gets the better of Hateboer. He cuts a low ball back to Kulusevski to strike, but Gollini gets down to make a vital save.

55' The game continues to be played at a brisk tempo. It suits La Dea, although once again Juve will have opportunities on the counter.

53' De Ligt takes a blow from Romero in the process and requires treatment before the game can continue.

52' BLOCK! Malinovskiy's low drive causes havoc in the box as Zapata cannot guide it towards goal before it falls to Romero. However, De Ligt makes a vital challenge to prevent the defender making contact with a strike six yards out. An incredible challenge from the Dutchman.

51' Zapata has a run at Cuadrado down the left flank and draws a foul right on the edge of the box. Atalanta have a free-kick in a very dangerous position.

50' Both teams have shots blocked from the edge of the box in the space of 30 seconds. Pessina sees an effort charged down at one end before Ronaldo sees his drive repelled at the other.

48' WIDE! Cuadrado floats a cross in from the right flank towards the back post. McKennie attacks the delivery and glances a header towards goal that travels wide of the left post.

46' We're back under way in the Coppa Italia final.

Gian Piero Gasperini will be pleased with his side's performance. Atalanta play on the front foot, which can leave them exposed at the back. Although they conceded, La Dea had the confidence to keep playing and were rewarded with an equaliser. The challenge now is to press for a winner.

It's all square at the break in the Coppa Italia final between Atalanta and Juventus. La Dea had the best of the early stages, but could not find a breakthrough. They were then exposed on the counter by Juve as Dejan Kulusevski curled a sublime strike into the back of the net. However, Atalanta responded before the break through a blast from Ruslan Malinovskiy, leaving the contest in the balance.

45' + 1' HALF-TIME: ATALANTA 1-1 JUVENTUS

45' Hateboer has acres of room down the right flank and he floats a cross into the box aiming for Zapata. Chiellini has to rise to clear the danger.

43' Zapata threatens at the near post to turn a cross from Hateboer at goal, but Danilo is on the spot to block his effort behind for a corner.

37' Atalanta are still showing a great deal of commitment out on the field in the final third. Gasperini and his team play with no fear.

35' Zapata raids down the left flank and bends a cross into the box that Haterboer attacks. He connects with a header that Buffon gets down to stop with ease.

33' Atalanta have paid the price for spurning their early openings. La Dea now have to fight back against Pirlo's men.

29' WIDE! Malinovskiy pulls the trigger on a left-footed strike that travels at pace, but it drifts wide of the right post. Not the best effort from that position.

25' WIDE! Juve fail to clear their lines inside their own box. Pessina nods the ball down to Freuler in space in the right-inside channel. He fires a low strike across goal that travels just wide of the left post.

22' Atalanta have been on the front foot for the majority of the game. Gasperini will be pleased to see his team handling the occasion.

20' The game has been played at a good pace and both sides are showing an attacking intent this evening.

18' Zapata takes control down the left flank and fires at goal from the angle, but Buffon makes the stop for the Bianconeri.

17' BLOCKS! Ronaldo hammers his effort straight into wall, but squirms a strike through on the second attempt. Chiellini tries to connect on the slide to send it towards goal, but his effort is charged down by Romero.

16' Ronaldo makes a move in the final third and goes down under Toloi's challenge. The referee awards Juve a free-kick on the edge of the box.

13' Kulusevski continues to ask questions of the Atalanta defence as he draws a foul from Romero.

12' Pessina runs at the Juve defence and breaks into the box following a one-two with Zapata. He goes down under pressure from Rabiot, but the referee says the Frenchman won the ball.

9' Kulusevski runs down the right flank and breaks into the box. He tries to offload towards Ronaldo in the middle, but Toloi arrives to sweep it away from danger.

7' Chiesa goes down in the box under contact from Palomino, but the referee is not interested in the appeals for a penalty from the Juve winger.

6' Atalanta have made a rapid start to the contest and have put the Bianconeri under immense pressure at the back.

5' CHANCE! Gosens clips a fine ball into the box for Zapata to control. He does extremely well to roll away from Chiellini before firing at goal on his left foot, but he places his attempt wide of the target.

3' CLOSE! Zapata surges down the left flank and beats the challenge of Cuadrado. He cuts the ball back for Palomino to shoot, but his effort is blocked by the legs of Buffon.

1' We're under way in the Coppa Italia final.

Atalanta and Juventus have met on 16 occasions in the Coppa Italia: Juventus winning six and losing four (D6).

There are two changes from Pirlo tonight from his side's win over Inter in their last outing. Buffon takes the gloves from Szczesny, who drops to the bench. Alex Sandro is missing from the squad, which sees Cuadrado drop back into the left-back. McKennie comes into the team and earns the start on the right flank.

Atalanta have made two changes to their side that beat Genoa in their last outing. Palomino comes into the backline to replace Djimsiti, who drops to the bench. Miranchuk makes way from the final third as Pessina gets the nod from Gasperini to start alongside Malinovskiy and Zapata.

JUVENTUS SUBS: Wojciech Szczesny, Arthur, Aaron Ramsey, Alvaro Morata, Paulo Dybala, Leonardo Bonucci, Merih Demiral, Carlo Pinsoglio, Federico Bernardeschi, Gianluca Frabotta.

JUVENTUS (4-4-2): Gianluigi Buffon; Danilo, Matthijs de Ligt, Giorgio Chiellini, Juan Cuadrado; Weston McKennie, Rodrigo Bentancur, Adrien Rabiot, Federico Chiesa; Cristiano Ronaldo, Dejan Kulusevski.

ATALANTA SUBS: Joakim Maehle, Bosko Sutalo, Sam Lammers, Luis Muriel, Mattia Caldara, Berat Djimsiti, Francesco Rossi, Matteo Ruggeri, Marco Sportiello, Aleksey Miranchuk, Josip Ilicic, Mario Pasalic. 

ATALANTA (3-4-3): Pierluigi Gollini; Rafael Toloi, Cristian Romero, Jose Luis Palomino; Hans Hateboer, Marten de Roon, Remo Freuler, Robin Gosens; Ruslan Malinovskiy, Duvan Zapata, Matteo Pessina.

Juventus have had a poor season by their high standards, seeing their imperious hold over the Scudetto ended by Inter Milan. The Bianconeri can still end the campaign with silverware by winning the Coppa Italia for the 14th time and earning redemption following their loss in the final last term. Andrea Pirlo's side left it late to beat Inter in their last outing in Serie A, securing a 3-2 victory to defeat the champions courtesy of a goal from the penalty spot from Juan Cuadrado. They will need to be flawless tonight.

Atalanta are aiming to win the competition for only the second time and the first since 1963. La Dea have endured a long wait for silverware, but Gian Piero Gasperini's men have an excellent chance of ending their drought without a major trophy. The club are unbeaten in their last 10 matches in all competitions, including wins in their last three games. History beckons for Atalanta tonight.

Good evening and welcome to the live commentary of the Coppa Italia final between Atalanta and Juventus at the Citta del Tricolore.

Oladapo Afolayan scores first senior goal for West Ham United versus Doncaster Rovers

A date has been set after he agreed last month to start communicating with fans following the failed European Super League proposals

Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer will meet with fans for the first time in a bid to cooperate after recent protests. 

Supporters have stepped up their campaigning against the Glazer family in the last month following their involvement in the botched attempted to launch the European Super League. 

The ESL proposals were the final straw for fans who have been unhappy with the way the club has been run since the Glazers took over in 2005 and, for the first time, Joel Glazer is meeting with fans to try and improve the relationship. 

What is happening? 

Joel Glazer will virtually attend the Fans’ Forum meeting on Friday, June 4. The meetings are attended by a select group of fans and senior members of Manchester United staff every quarter to discuss club matters and issues. 

Joel Glazer and his family members have never previously attended one of the meetings but he responded to an open letter to the group last month and promised more open lines of communication. 

What has he said? 

In a statement Joel Glazer said: “I'm looking forward to the meeting with the Fans' Forum to hear their views and be part of a constructive discussion. I firmly believe that this can open a new era of positive dialogue and cooperation between the club and the fans."

What next?

Fans are continuing to protest against the Glazer ownership and the majority of the 10,000 allowed into Old Trafford for the game against Fulham on Tuesday night were wearing gold and green scarves and holding Glazer protest placards. 

Supporters staged two large protests outside the ground while games were still being held behind closed doors and they have now pledged to boycott all of the club’s sponsors in the hope that it will encourage the family to sell up. 

Goal has learned they have no plans to do that at present. 

Further reading

Original author: Charlotte Duncker

Alexis Mac Allister's cousin confirms Liverpool transfer is 'close'

The Zimbabwean tactician explained why Matsatsantsa have struggled this season with the Tshwane Derby clash looming

SuperSport United head coach Kaitano Tembo insists he is not a worried man ahead of their clash with Mamelodi Sundowns on May 26.

The Tshwane giants are set to meet in a PSL encounter at Loftus Versfeld Stadium with Sundowns determined to secure a win that would see them clinch this season's PSL title. 

On the other hand, SuperSport are still in the race to finish in the top three in the league and Tembo warned that he has players, who can rise to the occasion in the Tshwane Derby. 

“It’s always a tough game. We know we will be playing against a good team. A team that is also doing well and is on the verge of winning the league," Tembo told Daily Sun

“There’s no doubt that we will look to test ourselves against them. I am not worried in terms of performance.

“I think we have players who can always rise to the occasion when we come up against big teams like Sundowns. I am not worried about that.”

Matsatsantsa, who are three-time PSL title winners, were among the teams which were expected to challenge for this season's league trophy. 

However, they began struggling in the league in February 2021 after Bloemfontein Celtic ended their 10-match unbeaten run. 

SuperSport are currently in sixth position on the standings, five points behind third-placed Lamontville Golden Arrows, but the former have a game in hand.

Tembo is not concerned by the team's performance in the current season and he feels his side has just been unfortunate in the current season.

“I have not been worried at all. I think performances have been there, but we have just been unlucky in certain instances and we could not convert our chances,” added Tembo.

“We have thrown away points because we didn’t seal matches. I think we have played well irrespective of the results.”

SuperSport's key players Thamsanqa Gabuza and Bradley Grobler have also been sidelined by injuries this term which has affected the team's performance. 

The duo has scored 20 league goals between them this season and they are expected to face Sundowns having recovered from their respective injuries. 

Original author: Austin Ditlhobolo

Kgatlana: Banyana Banyana striker joins Adule at Eibar

TOTTENHAM (4-2-3-1): Hugo Lloris; Japhet Tanganga, Toby Alderweireld, Eric Dier, Sergio Reguilon; Harry Winks, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg; Steven Bergwijn, Dele Alli, Son Heung-Min; Harry Kane.

Spurs have been in decent form of late, losing only one of their previous five matches in the Premier League. On the other hand, Villa are struggling with only one success in their last seven games. 

Spurs cannot finish in the top four in this campaign, but interim coach Ryan Mason will be doing all he can to ensure the club will play in the Europa League next season. Dean Smith's Aston Villa have slipped down the table in recent months, and they will be playing for pride when they take to the field in north London. 

Good evening and welcome to our live coverage of the Premier League contest between Tottenham and Aston Villa. Spurs will look to consolidate their hold on sixth spot, while Villa will be hoping to stop their winless run after going three matches without success. 

Thiong’o: AFC Leopards too broke to afford Kakamega Homeboyz star – Shimanyula

Joachim Löw recalls veterans Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller to Germany's Euros squad
Original author: Goal

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