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Andy Robertson believes Liverpool will only require a points haul “in the 80s” to defend their Premier League title in 2020-21, saying Jurgen Klopp’s side have more margin for error than in recent seasons.

The Reds missed out on the English top-flight crown by a solitary point in 2018-19 despite collecting 97 and suffering only one defeat.

A 30-year wait for domestic glory was finally brought to a close last season, with Klopp’s side amassing 99 points.

They have been a dominant force at home and abroad for some time, but the playing field appears to have levelled out amid the many tests presented by the coronavirus pandemic.

Robertson admits as much with Liverpool seeing the chasing pack close in this term, and he expects the title race to more keenly contested this time around.

Speaking to Sky Sports, the Scotland international – who has seen Liverpool held in their last two outings against West Brom and Newcastle – said: “Over the last two years or even three years - and no disrespect to those clubs - but last season we would have won those games.

“If you add two points to every one of those games then the league table is looking a lot different and we're sitting pretty happy, but you know, this season is going to be unique.

"I think there are seven or eight teams - once the games in hand have been played that are within three points of us at the top, and it's going to be a unique season as I said.

“I think I can comfortably say it's not going to be 97 or 98 points that is going to win the league this season, it's probably going to be in the 80s because it is that tight and everyone is taking points off each other. We need to stay in the race, and that's what we have done so far.

“Of course, the last two games have been disappointing, especially Newcastle [which ended 0-0]. We could have probably played all night the amount of chances we had, I think [Newcastle goalkeeper] Karl Darlow would have kept every one of them out the way he has playing. You sometimes get games like that.

"Thankfully, we haven't had too many like that in the last couple of years, but we had it the other night.

“It's just now we need to kick on in 2021. We need to go on a run of games where we win. We of course need to pick up more away points and keep picking up maximum points at home, and let's see where we end up. It's a unique season. Hopefully we end up on top.”

Robertson is determined to enhance to his medal collection this season, having added the Premier League crown to Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup prizes.

He said, heading into the meeting with Southampton at St Mary’s on Monday: “For 2021 as a whole, I hope it ends in success. The last two years we have been lucky enough to get our hands on a trophy, and of course we want to strive for more.

"We know the hard work and everything that needs to go to win any sort of trophy and we are determined to do so.

“Obviously we will get Virg [van Dijk] back in 2021 at some point. I'm not sure that will be any time this season, but he will get back and it's been great having him and Joe Gomez around the players and be able to see them and put a smile on their faces as well. Hopefully those boys and all of the injured boys are back on the pitch real soon.”

Lyon star Karl Toko Ekambi has reportedly tested positive for coronavirus ahead of Wednesday's Ligue 1 fixture against Lens.

According to L'Equipe, the 28-year-old Cameroonian initially tested positive for the virus on Friday upon his return from Christmas break and he got retested with another positive result on Sunday.

Toko Ekambi will be expected to miss Lyon's first game in 2021 as he continues his recovery from the illness.

His absence might come as a blow for Rudi Garcia's side as he is currently Lyon's leading top scorer with nine goals in 15 league matches this season.

Toko Ekambi is the second Lyon player to test positive for coronavirus this year after Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimaraes announced his health status via Twitter on January 1.

Lyon are presently on a 14-game unbeaten run in the Ligue 1 and they lead the table with 36 points after 17 matches, and a superior goal difference above second-placed Lille.

In Toko Ekambi’s absence, Zimbabwe’s Tino Kadewere who is enjoying a fine debut campaign in the French top-flight, will be expected to lead Lyon's attack having returned seven goals in 16 league appearances so far.

Ivory Coast's Maxwel Cornet is another African star who might be given a chance to start at the Groupama Stadium on Wednesday.

Manchester United have a "lot of match-winners" now, according to Gary Neville, who hopes the Red Devils can "tweak Liverpool's tail" in the coming weeks.

United have emerged as the closest challengers for Liverpool's Premier League crown in the first half of the 2020-21 campaign.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have won six of their last eight games, including a 2-1 home victory over Aston Villa on Friday which saw them move level on points with the defending champions at the top of the table.

Liverpool can restore their three-point advantage if they beat Southampton at St Mary's on Monday night, but United still have a game in hand to take in away at Burnley on January 12.

The two clubs currently setting the pace in the top-flight will meet at Anfield five days later, with Neville relishing the prospect of the heavyweight showdown after seeing his old club rediscover a consistent streak.

The Red Devils legend thinks Solskjaer has assembled a squad good enough to compete with the very best, and although he acknowledges there is still plenty of work to be done, the former defender is encouraged by the "spirit" the team has shown in recent weeks.

"It was a big, big win for United," Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast while assessing United's position following their win against Villa.

"I'm so looking forward to that [Liverpool game]. Not because I'm here thinking United can go to Anfield and win, but because United have become competitive out of nowhere.

"I remember sitting at Old Trafford after that Manchester derby [goalless draw], sat with Roy Keane and Micah Richards, saying that Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham were far ahead of the two Manchester clubs at this moment in time.

"If you'd have said at the start of the season, or even five weeks ago, that United would be level with Liverpool, I'd have said no chance, that can't happen.

"That shows how unusual this season is. What Manchester United have is a lot of match-winners - Edinson Cavani, Anthony Martial, Daniel James, Mason Greenwood, Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford. Game-changers.

"They do it in moments, and they don't always have to be playing well when you have those players on the pitch.

"The performances are getting better, it's a work in progress, it's not by any stretch the finished article. At times in games they mesmerise you for 10 minutes, and then can turn into a nightmare for 10 minutes, but there's confidence building, something is growing, there's a spirit at the end of the game with the players celebrating was nice to see.

The 45-year-old pundit added: "I think a couple of years ago I said quite publicly at times there was a team I didn't like watching wearing those red shirts. I see them now, and I felt last season they looked a lot happier, and this season they seem happier again.

"Who knows? I don't think they'll win the league, I don't think they're quite there, but I didn't think they'd be anywhere near at this stage, and they are. For that, we'll look forward to that trip to Anfield with great glee - and hope we can tweak the tail of the tiger a little bit more!"

After playing nine matches, ATK Mohun Bagan sit at the top of the 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) table with 20 points. They are a point above second-placed Mumbai City who have a game in hand. 

As the Mariners extended their unbeaten run to five matches with a 2-0 win against NorthEast United on Sunday, they also served the rest of the league a reminder. 

The fixture against the Highlanders figuratively had the words 'stalemate' written all over it. It was always going to be a battle between two teams that thrived when they defended deep and countered their opponents. 

Before the game kicked off, among all teams in the ISL this season, Bagan's passes and passing accuracy numbers were the lowest. Their opponents NorthEast United had an average possession of 42, lowest by a team this season. 

It was a slow start as expected and the first half went by without the keepers being tested. The NorthEast defence did a decent job of containing the likes of Roy Krishna and David Williams. At the other end, Carl McHugh was once against heavily involved in whatever Bagan did in their own half. 

Bagan pushed mostly through the right flank with Prabir Das marauding up and down the field against Provat Lakra. He was found in space multiple times in the first half but wasn't able to make full use of his chances. On the opposite flank, Ashutosh Mehta was doing a good job of keeping David Williams silent but the control lasted only till the break. 

In the 51st minute, Tiri flicked Edu Garcia's corner-kick onto the path of Roy Krishna who headed in the first goal. Seven minutes later, another Garcia corner found Sandesh Jhingan in the centre of the box but this time the ball was put into his own net by Benjamin Lambot as he attempted to clear the danger. In seven minutes, a goalless, tight contest turned into a one-sided affair. 

Kwesi Appiah's injury meant Nus depended on Idryssa Sylla who was clueless in the final third and didn't have enough support The Bagan defence locked their half down after taking the two-goal lead. The Highlanders were made to work hard to get back into the game and they just couldn't do it. 

Federico Gallego's deliveries into the box were the only danger that Bagan had to deal with but even they were off the mark. The only real attempt from the Uruguayan was from a free-kick which struck the crossbar. Nus made an attacking change in the 77th minute when brought on Luis Machado in place of Khassa Camara but by then, it was too late as Habas' men had taken over the field. 

The Highlanders had plenty of time to get back into the game in the second half but their response was baffling. There was little intent to trouble Arindam Bhattacharya who only had to deal with one straightforward shot on target the entire game. 

Gerard Nus has a lot of pondering to do given that NorthEast United have only won a single game in their last eight ISL outings. While they are struggling to score goals, like most ISL teams, their defence too has been shaky. The Spaniard's team are struggling to replicate or build on their early season promise. They need to start picking up points as soon as possible as the other teams are beginning to close the gap on them. 

It was a long wait for East Bengal to register their first-ever win in the Indian Super League (ISL) but they finally did it in their eighth match of the season as they routed Odisha FC 3-1 on Sunday at the Tilak Maidan. However, it wasn't a dominant display as the scoreline would suggest but East Bengal would gladly accept the three points, something for which they have yearned for since the start of the campaign.

It was a game that could have gone either way. Odisha created most of the chances and saw more of the ball throughout but it was East Bengal, who capitalised on their opportunities and sealed the fate of the match.

All three new signings of the January transfer window were introduced by coach Robbie Fowler. While experienced Indian defender Raju Gaikwad, who made a come back to the Red and Golds after five years, started the game, Nigerian forward Bright Enobakhare and Ankit Mukherjee came on as substitutes.

Both Gaikwad and Enobakhare had fruitful outings against Odisha. While Gaikwad's trademark long throw-in contributed to Anthony Pilkington's first goal, Enobakhare made an instant impact with a goal to make a bright start to his East Bengal career.

The Nigerian showed deft touches on the ball and worked hard in the 20-odd minutes he was on the field. He earned plaudits for his cameo appearance from pundits as well, with coach Robbie Fowler stating, "Bright (Enobakhare) was fantastic. He made the game so simple. He looks like an unbelievable player."

While the attack looked sharp and was at their very best, the performance of the East Bengal backline remains a concern for the English manager. The defence looked shaky whenever Odisha countered and had no answers to the threats they posed. Had it not been for Debjit Majumder's agility under the bar combined with the bad run of form for the Odisha attackers, Fowler's side may have had to return empty-handed yet again.

In the absence of Sehnaj Singh, Milan Singh started the match. The Manipuri midfielder had a terrible outing as he failed to put any resistance in the centre of the park and gave away possession cheaply. The return of the suspended Sehnaj will certainly help fix this issue for Fowler. 

While East Bengal finally got their first win of the season, it remained gloomy for Stuart Baxter's Odisha's who are struggling at the bottom of the league table with only two points from their first eight matches.

Baxter kept an unchanged starting lineup for the fourth consecutive match and once again, the move backfired. What message this across to the rest of the players in the squad is anyone's guess. Certainly, it won't help the confidence of the players on the bench as the coach hasn't given them aple opportunities and is persistent with those who haven't performed upto the mark.

Odisha had their moments in the game but their profligacy upfront and a leaky defence haven't helped their cause.

With a relatively young Indian contingent at his disposal, Baxter was heavily banking on his foreign players to click but except for South African midfielder Cole Alexander, none of Odisha's foreign players have delivered so far. The British coach has a tough job at hand - which is to overturn their fortunes. This is Odisha's worst ever start to their campaign and certainly, every team would jump at the opportunity of playing against them in order to uplift their season. 

Sadiq Umar found the net on three occasions as Almeria defeated SD Ponferradina 3-1 in Sunday’s Segunda outing.

The former Nigeria U23 star beat goalkeeper Jose Antonio Caro thrice in the first-half as Jose Gomes’ team began 2021 on a flying note.

Having bowed 2-1 to Espanyol their last time out, the hosts went into the clash in search of all maximum points which would do their Spanish topflight promotion bid a lot of good. And within two minutes after kick-off, Umar gave them a well-deserved lead following an assist from Ager Aketxe.

In the 21st minute, the former AS Roma forward doubled his side’s advantage by volleying home after Nikola Maras had finished off a corner-kick played by Jose Lazo.

Eight minute later, he completed his treble will a cool finish inside the six-yard box as Almeria took a three-goal lead into the half-time break. Before then, Umar had missed the chance to make it four as his shot kissed the woodwork after controlling the ball with his chest.

Looking dead and buried, Ponferradina came into the second-half to keep the scoreline respectable. Nevertheless, it was the hosts who were reduced to ten men after referee Eduardo Iglesias gave Sergio Akieme the marching orders for a dangerous play.

The numerical disadvantage gave visiting La Pofe the confidence to push forward and fortunately, they pulled one back through substitute Curro Sanchez with eight minutes left to play.

Umar who now boasts of nine goals from 14 outings in the 2020-21 season was replaced by Juan Villar. For Bolo's side, Mali's Moussa Sidibe and Niger Republic's Yac Magagi were unused substitutes.

Thanks to this result, Almeria climbed to third in the log having accrued 41 points from 20 games - a point behind leaders Espanyol, while Ponferradina remained in seventh position with 30 points from the same number of fixtures.

Umar who has been an instant hit for the Segunda side since joining them on a five-year contract from Serbian club Partizan on October 5, 2020 would be aiming to continue with his blistering form when Almeria take on Numancia in Wednesday’s Copa del Rey fixture.

Four days later, they take on Kenneth Omeruo’s Leganes in a league showdown billed for Estadio Municipal de Butarque.

Ghana international Patrick Twumasi opened his goal account for Hannover 96 with a double in a 4-0 home win over Sandhausen in the German Bundesliga II on Sunday.

A second half substitute, the attacker made the most of his minutes on the pitch to help his side secure all three points at HDI Arena.

It was his 11th league appearance and his eighth substitute appearance for The Reds whom he joined in a three-year deal last September.

Marvin Ducksch opened the scoring for the home side, slamming a rebound into the net after Rick Wulle paried out the first shot.

At the start of the second half, Twumasi was introduced into the game following an injury to Valmir Sulejmani.

The Ghanaian took just three minutes to announce his presence, pouncing on a Ducksch ball inside the box to hit a first-time shot beyond the goalkeeper.

Ducksch was not done for the day just yet as he netted to make it 3-0 in the 52nd minute after goalkeeper Wulle failed to hold on to an earlier shot.

A minute to full-time, Twumasi grabbed his second goal of the game, racing into the box to send a low shot into the bottom right corner of the net.

The win has propelled Hannover to ninth on the league table while Sandhausen sit trapped in the relegation zone.

Twumasi joined Hannover from Spanish side Deportivo Alaves who acquired him from Kazakh outfit Astana in 2018.

The attacker struggled for game time with the La Liga side in his first season, necessitating a loan move to Turkish outfit Gaziantep last term. In the Super Lig, he made 26 league appearances, starting 17 of the games and scoring six times.

He will hope to get rewarded for his fine performance with a start when The Reds play away to Darmstadt in their next game.

The 26-year-old will also hope to continue his good showing to earn the attention of Ghana coach CK Akonnor for a recall to national duty.

He was last with the national team for a 2022 Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) qualifying double-header against South Africa and Sao Tome and Principe in 2019.

Youssef El-Arabi struck twice as Olympiacos silenced AEK Athens 3-0 in Sunday’s Greek Super League outing.

The hosts, who are chasing a record 46th Greek Super League title triumph, sailed to their 11th win of the season to stay unbeaten after 13 matches in the 2020-21 campaign.

From the blast of Danny Makkelie’s whistle, Pedro Martins’ men controlled all departments of the game as the visitors were restricted to their own half.

With just 10 minutes gone, they were presented with a fine chance to take the lead but El Arabi missed from close range. Three minutes later, he made amends by giving his team the lead - sending a superb header past goalkeeper Panagiotis Tsintotas from an assist from French midfielder Yann M'Vila.

AEK almost equalised few minutes later but Petros Mantalos’ effort did not threaten goalkeeper Jose Sa. In the 30th minute, Olympiacos nearly doubled their lead after Bruma narrowly missed the target.

Despite boasting lots of possession, the Legends could not add to their goal tally as they went into the half-time break with a slim advantage.

The visitors were presented another remarkable chance to level matters in the 51st minute but Andre Simoes could not complete his side’s counter attacking move despite having just goalkeeper Sa to beat.

After failing to convert from few centimetres five minutes earlier, El Arabi completed his double in the 68th minutes after slotting into an empty net as Tsintotas fumbled a save.

In the closing seconds of the game, substitute Mathieu Valbuena sealed the victory from the penalty spot having been fouled by Simoes in the penalty area.

Thanks to his double, former Caen and Granada man El Arabi now boasts of 13 league goals in 12 games so far. He was in action from start to finish alongside Senegal’s Ousseynou Ba. Guinean midfielder Mohamed Mady Camara was handed a starter’s role but was substituted for Tiago Silva while Egypt's Ahmed Hassan, Senegal's Pape Abou Cisse and Algeria's Hillal Soudani played no role.

Olympiacos lead the log with 35 points from 13 games - six ahead of second placed Aris who have played a game less. They are guests of Asteras Tripolis in their next outing on Wednesday.

Juventus head coach Andrea Pirlo has backed his side to move for in-form Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud.

Pirlo saw his side defeat Udinese 4-1 on Sunday, a win that took them into fifth place in Serie A. The Bianconeri are, however, still 10 points back of table-topping AC Milan, who have played one more game than the defending champions. 

Juve's attack has faltered in the 2020-21 campaign, with Goal reporting earlier this week that the club are eyeing a move for former Italy international Graziano Pelle.

Giroud could be another option for the club, as the France striker enters the final six months of his contract at Stamford Bridge. 

The 34-year-old has hinted he will stay with the Blues for at least the rest of the season, after a strong run that has seen him score eight goals in his last seven outings in the Premier League and Champions League.

Pirlo didn't deny that such form has caught his attention. When asked about a possible move for Giroud, he replied to DAZN: "He'd be handy!

"The window opens tomorrow, we already discussed with the club what we want to do and if there are any opportunities. Maybe a striker that can rotate with our strikers."

Paulo Dybala could also provide Juve with a boost in attack during a season in which the forward has been in and out of the lineup through injury and Pirlo's decision.

Dybala scored Juve's fourth goal on Sunday, and Pirlo was quick to stress the Argentine's importance to his side.

“We need Dybala, he needs us," Pirlo said. "He worked very well during the week in training, we could tell during the match that he was in better physical condition and we kept him on to the end because we hoped he would score that goal.”

Juventus fell 3-0 to Fiorentina before Christmas in their most recent match before Sunday, a result that Pirlo admitted had an effect on his players against Udinese.

“It wasn’t the best Juventus, as we were coming off a bad defeat to Fiorentina, so we started quite timid and nervous, especially when their forwards ran towards us. We gained more confidence as the game went on,” Pirlo said.

“I was not satisfied with the initial approach to the game, as we were still feeling the fear of our last defeat to Fiorentina. The timing of the movements weren’t right, especially on the wings.

“We knew that Udinese would try to sit back, counter and wait for our mistakes, but we did well with the preventative marking to ensure they couldn’t do that.”

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen called upon his team-mates to raise the quality of their performances late in games after they earned a narrow victory over La Liga strugglers Huesca.

Frenkie de Jong scored a first-half volley that proved decisive at El Alcoraz but Ter Stegen had to be alert to keep Rafa Mir from equalising as the division's bottom club were allowed to attack in the second half.

Ter Stegen acknowledged that Barcelona's display improved on their showing in a 1-1 draw with Eibar last time out in La Liga, but called for more hard work to put the Blaugrana back in contention for a place in the top three.

"For 35 minutes we did very well, we played very good," Ter Stegen told the club's official website.

"We had a lot of possession, we pressed them high, when we lost the ball we were directly right in front of them to keep on going. We made it very difficult for them to come out from the back.

"We have to improve, that's what I think, overall in the last minutes so that we don't suffer as much. I think it's not needed.

"But we won the game which is very important and we move forwards."

Ter Stegen paid tribute to De Jong, who scored his second La Liga goal of the season to equal the number he scored in the whole of 2019-20.

"I'm super happy for him, it's not that often that he scores," he said with a laugh. "I hope he continues like this, and for me and the whole team it's nice to have a clean sheet for the restart and I'm really happy for us as a team."

De Jong, who arrived at Camp Nou in a €75 million transfer from Ajax in mid-2019, credited the fine chipped pass from Lionel Messi for giving him the opportunity to net his fourth goal for the club.

He said: "Especially in games like this when they close a lot and they are going backwards, all of their team almost, it's important to make these runs into the box as a midfielder.

"Leo gave me a great pass and I could score."

Asked whether scoring the club's first goal of 2021 holds significance for him, De Jong said: "I try to score a bit more but I don't think it means something, no."

Ronald Koeman said Barcelona were missing a target forward as they scored just once from 20 shots on goal in a 1-0 victory over Huesca, and called for the club to sign a new striker.

Lionel Messi returned to the Barcelona side after recovering from an ankle injury and Koeman opted to play him in attack alongside Martin Braithwaite and Ousmane Dembele.

The trio attempted 15 shots between them but it was Frenkie de Jong who scored the decisive goal, volleying Messi's chipped pass into the net after 27 minutes.

Koeman, who sent on Antoine Griezmann for Braithwaite nine minutes from time, admitted that he lacks a natural striker to lead the line in between the creative talents of Messi and Dembele.

"I trust each player in our squad," Koeman told reporters. "But if we choose to have three midfielders there is room for three forwards.

"With Leo we bet on someone with great depth like Dembele, and we have to choose between Martin or Antoine at the top and Martin has done it.

"It's a nine that we're missing in these games but it doesn't mean anything in regards to Antoine's substitution. We have a lot of games and we need all the players.

"We have said several times, at the beginning of the season, that we need someone at the top to have more competition and more goals, more effectiveness, but this depends on many things."

Koeman indicated that he believes improving his striking options will help reduce the pressure on Barcelona's defence, which absorbed waves of Huesca attacks as the hosts sought an equaliser late on at El Alcoraz.

Barcelona were on target with just seven of their 20 shots at goal and Koeman said they must close games out earlier to avoid nervous late spells.

"The second half was not so brilliant," admitted Koeman.

"In the end we suffer a little because they have tried to create and there have been crosses where we have defended well. If you don't close out the game earlier, you always suffer."

Looking ahead to La Liga clashes with Athletic Club and Granada, and a Supercopa de Espana semi-final against Real Sociedad, Koeman added: "This month is very important for our aspirations because we have many away games and if we win them I think we can fight.

"We have come out strong, very focused, and that is the main base we need. If we have those two things we will improve with the ball and if we can also improve in front of goal we can have a very important and good year."

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard acknowledged that he was given a sharp jolt of reality as the Blues capitulated at home to Manchester City on Sunday. 

Lampard's charges have been in torrid form since the start of December, following up a run of nine unbeaten Premier League games with four defeats in their last six outings. 

The latest, a 3-1 reverse at Stamford Bridge at the hands of City, was concerning not just for the result but also the subdued display offered by the hosts. 

Chelsea mustered just two shots on target to give debutant goalkeeper Zack Steffen a quiet afternoon between the posts, and only troubled the scorers late into injury time through Callum Hudson-Odoi when the game was already out of reach. 

And with the Blues having slipped down to eighth as a result of their recent woes, Lampard admits that the pressure is on. 

"I am not putting ourselves down. I am the man to have the reality check and there will be work and at times pain," the manager explained to BBC Sport after the final whistle.

"Today was painful in the first half in football terms because their level of play shows where we need to aspire to. In the second half I saw a reaction but the work needs to be done."

When asked what was to blame for defeat, Lampard answered: "Mistakes, individual mistakes, not getting close enough. They punished us. If you want to reach the top level which City have been for a few years now you have to accept the pressures. The second half we competed but at 3-0 the game was pretty much done.

"I am not trying to talk up the last 20 minutes of the game because at 3-0 the vitals of the game have changed but I was still looking for a reaction."

The Blues boss added to Sky Sports: "For 10 minutes we were good, then they started to play and we concede two poor goals back to back in the game. It knocked us and we didn't react well. We allowed the space for Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan for the first goal. Serious lessons in the first half, good character in the second half but then the game was done.

"Everyone a month ago saying we could win the league I was pretty sure in terms of a rebuild, the ban and the youth that there were going to be periods of pain we were going to go through. When a team gives you a problem it has to be dealt with but we didn't."

Leandra Smeda shone for Famalicao as they beat Gil Vicente 3-1 in Sunday's Portuguese Liga BPI tie at Campo Futebol Carapecos.

The South Africa international joined Famalicao as a free agent in November, and after one year she parted ways with Swedish outfit, Vittsjo.

Having penned a one-year contract, the former Gintra Universitetas star was handed her debut as a substitute in Portugal. 

Having finished the first round on top, the newly-promoted side continued from where they left off on a high as Solange Carvalhas gave the visitors the lead after just 21 minutes of action.

A minute from the break, the unbeaten visitors maintained their push for more goals and found a breakthrough through Mariana Azevedo.

Three minutes after the restart, Famalicao extended their lead when Solange Carvalhas bagged her brace before the South African was introduced as a replacement for Maria Negrao.

Gil Vicente, however, fought in an attempt for a possible comeback but could only pull one back in the 71st minute through Lea Pires.

Smeda was in action for the final 29 minutes of the match against Vicente after she replaced  Negrao in the 61st minute.

The victory keeps Famalicao on top of the north zone with 27 points after the first round and guaranteed them a spot in the second phase along with Sporting Braga, Clube Albergaria and Condeixa.

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard insisted he is not worried about being sacked after his side lost 3-1 at home to Manchester City on Sunday.

The Blues have won just one of their last seven Premier League matches and sit eighth in the table, seven points behind Liverpool having played a game more than the reigning champions.

Pressure is building on the former Chelsea and England midfielder, but he does not fear losing his job at this point.

"I am not going to speak for the people above or the board," he said at a press conference after the match.

"I can't answer about my contract, the run and the difficult results, I can only speak as the manager of the club."

He added: "I am not concerned on that. I just spoke to the team after the game about how I expected periods of difficulty. I know it doesn't come easy.

"A month ago, people were discussing when was I going to get a new contract. Pressure remains constant. My job is to keep working and pick up the players.

"I had tough periods last year. Maybe I had some mitigating circumstances so people didn't view them the same but I had a really good run in November and we lost three home games in December that we controlled.

"We lost 1-0, 2-0, 1-0 and to me they felt tough and rough. I am a perfectionist who wants the best for this club.

"The first person who puts on the pressure is me. At times, last year, I wanted to push and be even better than fourth, even though I felt it was an achievement considering the ban and the youth in the squad.

"This season the 16-game unbeaten run was something I was always trying to temper as it went on. We breezed through our Champions League group.

"I didn't take much notice of that because I felt that with the players and the way they were playing that we should get through and we showed some really good form."

Lampard added that he expects his side will take some time to reach their best, as injuries and inexperience have contributed to Chelsea's recent downturn in form. 

"At the minute, we are in a tough period. I understand it as I played here for a long time. I understand the minute that you lose a few games in a short period of time then everyone looks and asks questions," Lampard said.

"Then everyone looks at it differently and says you spent that much money. Well, the reality is that a lot of the players who came in are young, new, have been injured, not played together before.

"I haven't been able to play [Hakim] Ziyech, [Christian] Pulisic or Timo Werner in the same team. If we are expecting the relationship between them three to be the same as [Raheem] Sterling, [Kevin] De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva today then there are expectations that are not real.

"The expectations after Leeds that we are title contenders was not real. I am real now in saying the club has to take pain for where we want to get to. Any build or rebuild that we have with the players we brought in takes pain. That means pain on the pitch, pain behind the scenes and fight and character.

"That's how you build. Pep Guardiola in year one at Man City, an incredible coach comes in and there's tough times. We know the story with Man City and Liverpool.

"I am not putting myself on that level because I have to show that in a few years time and I have to show it. I can only talk about us and I can say this is a difficult period.

"I understand the reasons why and we have to keep fighting. I am the first person who needs to keep fighting."

Chelsea are in action again next Sunday when they face Morecambe in the FA Cup.

Lionel Messi made his 500th La Liga appearance and 750th in all competitions for Barcelona in Sunday's meeting with Huesca after returning to Ronald Koeman's starting line-up.

Messi missed Tuesday's 1-1 draw with Eibar after he was given an extended break over Christmas to nurse an ankle problem.

However, Koeman confirmed on Saturday that the 33-year-old had trained on during the week, and Messi subsequently returned to Barca's starting XI for a landmark outing at Estadio El Alcoraz.

While he wasn't able to mark the milestone with a goal, the Argentine did provide an assist for Frenkie de Jong as Barca recorded a much-needed 1-0 victory.

Messi's 500 league appearances for Barca is five short of the club record held by former team-mate Xavi, who also holds the record for all-time appearances for the Blaugrana with 767. 

Xavi's total is 17 more than Messi's current tally of 750, including Sunday's game.

He is only the second player, and the first born outside of Spain, to reach the landmark for Barca, with Andres Iniesta completing the podium having made 442 La Liga appearances during his time at Camp Nou.

The record for the most matches ever played in La Liga is held by former goalkeeper Andoni Zubizarreta, with 662 games under his belt for Athletic Club, Barca and Valencia.

Barca made the trip to Huesca unbeaten in five league matches, but they had drawn two of their last three and entered the game 13 points adrift of leaders Atletico Madrid, who benefited from a last-minute winner from Luis Suarez to beat Alaves earlier on Sunday.

Messi was sorely missed last week, when he watched from the stands as the Catalans were held 1-1 at home to Eibar to fall further off the pace at the top of the table.

And while Sunday's win trims the deficit to 10, Barca's title hopes already seem extremely faint after they surrendered the crown to Real Madrid in 2019-20 having led going into the coronavirus-imposed season recess in March.

Franck Kessie found the back of the net as AC Milan defeated Benevento 2-0 in Sunday’s Serie A game.

The 24-year-old was afforded his 13th league start and made the most of the opportunity to register his fifth goal in the division this season.

The Ivory Coast international formed a two-man midfield along with Sandro Tonali for the Red and Blacks in the encounter.

Kessie wasted no time to announce himself in the match when he opened the scoring for the San Siro outfit in the 15th minute from the penalty spot.

Stefano Pioli’s men suffered a setback when they were reduced to 10 men after Tonali was given his marching orders after a reckless challenge on Artur Ionita.

Despite the one-man shortage, Milan continued to push for a second goal and deservedly got it in the 49th minute when Rafael Leao fired home his effort after he was set up by Ante Rebic.

Benevento were awarded a penalty moments after the hour mark but Gianluca Caprari failed to find the back of the net with his strike.

Despite the effort from the Sorcerers to try and avoid defeat, AC Milan held on to their lead to secure all three points.

Kessie featured for the duration of the game in his 14th league appearance this season for the Red and Blacks.

Algeria international Ismael Bennacer was not involved in the game as well as Ivory Coast’s Siriki Sanogo and Ghana’s Abdallah Basit.

The victory propelled AC Milan to the top of the league table after gathering 37 points from 15 games.

Kessie will hope to continue his impressive performances when AC Milan take on Juventus in their next league game on January 6.

The 24-year-old has been with the Red and Blacks since 2017, initially on loan before the deal was made permanent.

The midfielder has since featured in more than 120 league games for the Italian giants, scoring 21 goals, amid other dazzling performances.