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Nigeria’s Anthony Nwakaeme picked up an injury while Ghana’s Caleb Ekuban and Senegal’s Badou Ndiaye powered Trabzonspor to the Turkish Cup final after a 3-1 win over Fenerbahce on Tuesday.

The African stars earned their spots in the Black Sea Storm starting XI on Tuesday but Nwakaeme could not continue the game after suffering a knock and he was replaced by Bilal Basacikoglu in the 35th minute.

A brace from Alexander Sorloth and a stoppage-time goal from Filip Novak gave Trabzonspor a crucial away win at the Ulker Stadium and a 5-2 aggregate victory.

Ekuban provided a brace of assists for Sorloth's goals in each half of the encounter and Ndiaye turned provider for Novak's strike that sealed their triumph.

Mali's Simon Falette ad Morocco's Nabil Dirar were also on parade for Fenerbahce, but their contributions could not save the hosts from defeat.

The winner between Alanyaspor and Antalyaspor in the second semi-final scheduled for Thursday will face Trabzonspor in the final.

The Black Sea Storm sit at the summit of the Turkish Super Lig standings, level on 56 points with second-placed Istanbul Basaksehir but they have been handed a one-season ban from European football for breaching Uefa Financial Fair Play regulations.

Ahead of their next league fixture against Alanyaspor on June 22, Huseyin Cimsir’s side will be hoping to have Nwakaeme back in full fitness.

The Nigeria forward has played 35 games in all competitions this season, and he has contributed 14 goals and seven assists so far.

Ekuban is another impressive player at the Senol Gunes Stadium who has contributed five goals and five assists in 24 appearances while Ndiaye who is on a season-long loan from Stoke City, has returned two goals and three assists for the Black Sea Storm.

Goals from Ansu Fati and Lionel Messi proved decisive as Barcelona made hard work of a 2-0 home win over Leganes to further boost their LaLiga title hopes.

The Blaugrana had not been as convincing as the scoreline suggested when they thrashed 4-0 Real Mallorca away at the weekend, and they toiled against another struggling outfit on Tuesday

But Quique Setien's side secured another three points after Fati - Barca's standout star - broke the deadlock three minutes before half-time. 

Messi then scored his 699th goal for club and country from the penalty spot as Barca extended their advantage at the top of the table to five points, at least until Real Madrid host Valencia on Thursday.

Leganes coach Javier Aguirre was shown a red card in stoppage time, seemingly for dissent, on a frustrating evening for the bottom side.

Barca, who took just 65 seconds to score against Mallorca on Saturday, had been fortunate not to faLell behind to Leganes early on.

Miguel Angel Guerrero twice beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen from the right-hand side of the penalty area, only to be denied by first Clement Lenglet, retreating to his goal line, and then the outside of the far post.

The Catalan giants were clinical when their moment came late in an otherwise frustrating first half, though, as Fati fired a sweet low finish into the bottom-right corner from just inside the box.

The officials then took centre stage in the second period, with the VAR asked to assess a pair of controversial moments in quick succession.

Antoine Griezmann saw a goal ruled out when replays showed Nelson Semedo was a step offside before crossing for his team-mate to tuck into the net.

But Barca did not need to wait long for their second, as Messi held off a series of robust challenges before going down just inside the area under minimal contact to win a penalty that he dispatched following another video review.

Aguirre saw red in the closing stages as toothless Leganes remained bottom.

What does it mean? Suarez the key

If the sign of champions is a side playing poorly and still winning, LaLiga might as well hand Barca the trophy now. Comfortable results have disguised tough tests against mediocre opposition in recent days, with trickier quests to come.

But as against Mallorca, Barca looked a different team once Luis Suarez was called from the bench to combine with Messi. His pass led to the penalty award and a fully fit front line should prompt improvement.
 

Fati to the fore

With Suarez still not quite fit to start, Fati was promoted to the starting XI in place of Martin Braithwaite and certainly made his mark. The 17-year-old's fifth league strike punctuated a lively display in which he linked up well with Junior Firpo, the threat coming from the left in a quiet first half for Messi.
 

More Griez groans

This was another frustrating outing for Griezmann. Still searching for his best form in a Barca shirt, the striker was largely ineffectual in the first half and guided one header well wide. But he looked to have added to his Blaugrana tally in the second period, only to see Semedo flagged offside.
 

What's next?

After playing consecutive matches against sides facing relegation battles, a more demanding fixture awaits Barca next up as they go to Sevilla on Friday. Leganes have a huge clash against Mallorca on the same day.

France under-18 international Tanguy Kouassi will join Bayern Munich after choosing not to sign a professional contract with Paris Saint-Germain.

The 18-year-old will officially link up with Bundesliga champions in June and sign a five-year contract, according to Goal.

Kouassi, a defender who can also play in midfield, has made 13 appearances for the Parisians this season, scoring three goals.

It was revealed by Goal on June 14 that Kouassi has decided to leave PSG, with his destination unknown at the time.

The decision to leave brings to an end months of discussions between PSG, Kouassi and his entourage. As recently as last month, club sources had suggested they were hopeful of being able to keep him in Paris.

The teenager was linked with several clubs around Europe including Barcelona, AC Milan, RB Leipzig and Rennes - bu has ultimately picked Bayern as his new home.

Kouassi's choice to join Bayern was influenced by the stabilty of the project at the club, which claimed their eight straight Bundesliga title on Tuesday with a 1-0 win at Werder Bremen. There are also several other French players on the books of the Bavarian club, including Benjamin Pavard, Kingsley Coman, Lucas Hernandez, Corentin Tolisso and Mickael Cuisance.

Kouassi joined PSG in 2016 from youth club Pays de Fontainebleau and has represented France at Under-16, Under-17 and Under-18 level, winning U17 World Cup bronze last year.

His PSG professional debut came December last year during a 3-1 in against Montpellier, while his first goal was scored for the club in the 3-0 Coupe de la Ligue win over Reims in January.

The Paris-born utility man hit the headlines in February when he scored his first two league goals, bagging a brace during the 4-4 draw at Amiens.

Kouassi will leave Paris as a Ligue 1 champion, with the club being awarded the domestic championship once the season was cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic.

In a recent interview, the young star spoke of his quick development into a senior squad, but was quick to hose down comparisons with some of PSG's star defenders.

"It's true that I have had a good two months," Kouassi told France Bleu Paris. "It gives me great pleasure to play with the club that trained me. I really worked hard to get there. I hope that it will continue like this.

"Saying that I am walking on water? I don't think so. I haven't done anything yet, compared to Thiago Silva, Marquinhos or Presnel Kimpembe."

Alphonso Davies hailed Robert Lewandowski as the best striker in the world after his goal clinched an eighth straight Bundesliga title for Bayern Munich.

Bayern saw off lowly Werder Bremen 1-0 on Tuesday, claiming the points required to seal another championship with two games to spare.

Lewandowski's 31st Bundesliga strike of a record-breaking campaign was enough for victory, controlling Jerome Boateng's lofted pass on his chest and firing into the net late in the first half.

The Poland international's latest exploits earned praise from Davies, who was sent off 11 minutes from time.

"We call him 'Lewangoalksi' for that reason," the left-back said. "He's a top striker, the top in the world. Coming in and scoring 31 goals, it's unbelievable."

Davies also took the opportunity to laud head coach Hansi Flick, who has overseen 26 wins in 29 games in all competitions after a tough start to the season under previous boss Niko Kovac.

"Incredible. He's a good coach, he expects a lot from his players," Davies said of his coach. "We know we have to battle each and every game for everything."

The Werder game proved a mixed affair for Davies prior to the title celebrations as he again impressed before being dismissed following a seemingly innocuous incident.

"Unfortunately, anger comes into play," he explained. "I got a yellow card, apologies for that. The second yellow card, I don't know what happened, I tried to run backwards, he came into me.

"It's the referee's decision, so I apologise to everyone. That's not the FC Bayern way, but I'm happy we can win the championship."

Davies had registered the Bundesliga's fastest speed since Opta data collection began in the first half, his new 36.51km/h record prompting a smile at full-time.

"I just do my job I guess," the teenager said. "I don't know when that happened, I just do my job trying to get the ball back defensively. I'm happy I can break a record."

The Canadian has been one of the breakthrough stars since the German league's return, with much of the footballing world tuning in to see the Bayern star's evolution as a left back.

Pep Guardiola says he admires Marcus Rashford and Raheem Sterling for their positive impact on society and feels only “stupid people” think footballers should not have an opinion.

Manchester United striker Rashford successfully convinced the UK government to U-turn on a decision to provide free meals to vulnerable children over the school holidays in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, England team-mate Sterling voiced his support of the anti-racism protests that have spread across the United States and Europe following the death of unarmed black man George Floyd in police custody in the U.S.

Both players have won praise for their using status to speak out and the Manchester City manager hit back at people that insist they should stick to talking about sport.

“Because maybe these stupid people don’t believe you are human beings too,” Guardiola said of the critics ahead of City’s first game in three months against Arsenal on Wednesday night.

“We can have an opinion the same as a nurse, a doctor or even a politician. What we are, we are humans and why shouldn’t we say our opinion when you believe you can make a better society, when you are public.

“What Raheem Sterling has done many times, players in our club, Marcus Rashford or whoever, of course they have to use these platforms to make a better society. They don’t need to get more money - fortunately for them they have enough - so they do it to get a better place to live, for their families, for our kids, for the next generations.

“So that is always why, when the people say it is not enough, of course it isn’t but let’s start from here. I admire a lot these kind of gestures because they do it for all of us.”

Footballers have been generous in making donations and helping communities affected by coronavirus. Guardiola is among them, with the City boss making a €1 million (£900,000/$1.1m) donation to help buy medical supplies in his home of Catalonia.

Despite games being played behind closed doors, it is hoped that the return of football can help raise spirits in the UK, which has been badly affected by the virus with more than 40,000 deaths.

The majority of Premier League clubs decided against furloughing staff, with Liverpool and Tottenham u-turning on initial decisions, and Guardiola says they deserve credit as many in Spain, including former club Barcelona, did the opposite.

“I would like to say too, how pleased I am for all the clubs in the Premier League that didn’t ask the government for money,” he added.

“In Spain, it didn’t happen. All we can do for these people, we have to do it but not just with applause but good actions because maybe it is coming back and in that moment they can be safer and protected better to do their jobs even better to save our lives like they have done. So a big compliment.

“Thank you so so much. I will never forget what the NHS and health workers all over the world have done to keep us safe, working in incredibly difficult circumstances and situations to make our lives safer.”

U.S. women's national team forward Crystal Dunn said she felt "joy" when teammate Megan Rapinoe decided to kneel in protest at racism and police brutality, but admitted that she didn't feel comfortable doing so herself as she feared for her future.

Dunn has been with the USWNT since 2013, earning over 100 caps while earning a spot on the World Cup-winning squad in 2019.

She was a member of the USWNT in 2016 when Rapinoe opted to kneel in solidarity with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began doing so during the national anthem as a form of protest.

Rapinoe, though, was the only member of the USWNT to kneel and, shortly after her initial protests, U.S. Soccer ruled that players must stand during the national anthem.

That rule has since been repealed amid ongoing protests and discussions of racism and police brutality in American society following the death of George Floyd, with President Donald Trump specifically calling out the federation for that decision.

Trump said he would not be watching if American players decided to kneel, with Florida senator Matt Gaetz stating that he believes that all national team players should be required to stand for the anthem.

As part of a Bleacher Report roundtable on race, Dunn revealed why she didn't initially join Rapinoe in kneeling.

"I just remember our conversation where she came up to me and said, "Crys, I'm thinking of kneeling'," Dunn recalled, "and I remember being just filled with so much joy for her wanting to fight a cause that, in my opinion at that time was like, 'You have nothing to do with this'.

"That was ignorant on my part just thinking that off the bat. I was just so moved that she wanted to fight for this cause.

"I also remember telling her that I had to stand because I don't know what's going to happen. I'm scared for my job. I'm scared that it's going to look differently if a black girl on the team kneels and I don't know.

"I just had really hard conversations with her, how I was internally conflicted and saw the way U.S. Soccer responded and treated Megan. To me, I'm thinking they kept her out of some games, kept her out of camp, and yeah that was mad, but for me, I was thinking that they could rip up my contract."

Dunn, a member of the North Carolina Courage, was the 2015 NWSL Most Valuable Player and has been named to the league's Best XI twice.

The NWSL is set to return on June 30, becoming the first major American sports league to return to play.

Pep Guardiola believes new assistant coach Juanma Lillo is exactly what he needs to help Manchester City back to their form of the last two years.

The City manager has been without an assistant since Mikel Arteta left for Arsenal in December and the Gunners boss will return for the first time on Wednesday night as the Premier League restarts following the Covid-19 outbreak.

Much-travelled coach Lillo will be on the City bench for the first after he was appointed earlier this month, and Guardiola believes he will bring fresh ideas after a disappointing season that has seen them fall behind leaders Liverpool.

"When Mikel decided to go to London to be Arsenal manager, I felt I needed someone to help us with this amount of games but I wanted to have time to take the right decisions," the City boss told a virtual news conference.

"I discussed it with [football director] Txiki [Begiristain], with friends, about the solution. I decided on Juanma because I know him and what I need. I think he is the right person to help us, to understand the game better, the mythology of the training sessions.

"I have known him for a long time ago, like he helped me understand the way he looks [at it], and that’s why he is going to come here. I’m pretty sure he is going to help me and help us sustain the level we had in the last years."

The 54-year-old has signed a one-year contract and Guardiola has the same length of time remaining on his own deal. He said there has been no talks about an extension during the three-month break from football in England.

"We are going to finish this season. We have two months and then we have time to talk about this," he said. "Like I said since the first day, how delighted I am here, how I like to do my job, how comfortable I am. I don’t have any complaints about what the club offer me from day one. About extend or not, we will see, we have time."

One player who will be staying slightly longer is David Silva, with Guardiola confirming the midfielder will sign a short-term extension until the end of the season.

The Spaniard will definitely leave before the new campaign and Guardiola hopes that in the future the supporters will get the opportunity to say farewell to a player that many view as the greatest in the club's history after his 10 years of success at the Etihad Stadium.

"He will stay until the end of the season and yes it is unfortunate that he is going to finish his last games here without people," Guardiola added. "But he is coming back and hopefully he can have the big farewell with people.

"Always the clubs become a big club when they make the big gestures to these players for what they have done for more than one decade. It was Vincent Kompany, it was Joe Hart, Yaya Toure, Pablo Zabaleta. I would say more, sorry for the guys I forget, but they make the club what it is.

"The situation is what it is. No one wants it. The club will make an agreement with David and do what they have to do."

Bayern Munich set record after record as they sealed another Bundesliga title.

A sluggish start to the season under former boss Niko Kovac was almost forgotten as Hansi Flick led a charge to glory. Bayern clinched their latest silverware with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Werder Bremen on Tuesday, Robert Lewandowski scoring the winner in the first half.

Here is a look at some of the records and personal bests they established in a history-making campaign.

EIGHT IN A ROW

Bayern's dominance reached a new peak as they extended their streak to eight successive Bundesliga triumphs.

A record 30th title looked in doubt back in the European autumn as they stuttered, but they have sauntered to glory with two games to spare.

Borussia Monchengladbach (1975-77) and Bayern themselves (1972-74, 1985-87, 1999-2001) had previously achieved three in a row, but this era of dominance by one team is unprecedented in Germany.

MULLER, THE ULTIMATE HELPING HAND

Thomas Muller was the World Cup's Golden Boot winner with Germany in 2010 and has been a regular goal hero for Bayern for over a decade, but there is more about him than an assured finish.

The 30-year-old has become king of the assists in the Bundesliga this term, racking up 20 to match the highest total achieved since data collection began in 1992-93.

Opta statistics showed that Muller drew level with the total set by Kevin De Bruyne for Wolfsburg in the 2014-15 season.

LETHAL LEWANDOWSKI

Lewandowski's goals have provided the fuel behind Bayern's surge over the second half of the season.

The Poland striker has recorded his best haul of 31 Bundesliga goals and notched 46 across in competitions, a personal high point in his Bayern career.

For a while, he even looked like challenging Gerd Muller's league record of 40 goals in a single campaign, but that is surely out of reach now.

BAYERN CLICK WITH FLICK

Across all competitions, head coach Flick won a startling 26 of his first 29 games in charge, the best start by any Bayern boss, beating Pep Guardiola's 22 in 27.

Kovac lost his job after winning five of the opening 10 Bundesliga games this season, with three draws and two defeats.

The required standard is higher than that Bayern, but Flick's success to date has surpassed all expectations.

GOAL GLUT

Bayern scored 93 goals in their 32 Bundesliga games, setting a new league best. That teed up a shot at the 34-game complete league record of 101 goals, set by Bayern in 1971-72.

Their haul of 132 goals in 45 games across all competitions is also a record by a German team.

Bayern have scored at least four goals in a game 12 times, a figure last achieved by Stuttgart in the 1996-97 season. Bayern own the record in this respect with the 13 occasions they achieved the feat in 1973-74.

Gianluigi Buffon believes Juventus coach Maurizio Sarri will excel at the club next season after having time to develop his style with the players.

The champions are currently aiming for their ninth consecutive Serie A title and are sitting on top of the table, one point clear of Lazio with 12 matches to play.

Ahead of their return to league football against Bologna on June 22 following the coronavirus-forced hiatus, Buffon thinks Sarri will start to produce better results once the squad gets used to the tactician's methods.

"I believe that next year we'll have the opportunity to see the real Sarri and Sarri's real Juventus," Buffon told DAZN Italy. "After so many years, when you make a change, the individual stimuli and willingness to be responsive to instructions of a new coach always make the difference."

The Serie A was suspended in early March as the Covid-19 pandemic swept around the globe, with Italy suffering 34,405 deaths from 238,000 cases of the illness.

Juve attacker Paulo Dybala was one of the footballers to contract the disease, but has since made a full recovery and is expected to be fit when the team returns to action.

Dybala, who has scored 13 goals and created 12 assists from 35 appearances, is an important part of Juve's attack, with his ability to impact matches both as a starter and as an impact substitute, according to Buffon.

"I see [Dybala] as a very good player," Buffon said. "He has the awareness that he can be decisive either starting or starting from the bench. For us being able to count on Paulo in this condition is very important."

The main main in attack alongside Dybala - Cristiano Ronaldo - has enjoyed a better second campaign in Turin, already reaching 21 league goals in 22 matches, which was the figure he achieved in the entire Serie A season in 2018-19.

Buffon believes Ronaldo has ensured his high standing in the game and revealed the Portuguese superstar has mental capabilities he has never seen in another player.

"Cristiano is a champion of football history, he's undeniable," he said. "He's a player with a determination, a ferocity, a mentality that I have found, to date, in no one."

Blackburn Rovers centre-back Tosin Adarabioyo has stated the team’s readiness to resume the 2019-20 Championship season after the three-month hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Tony Mowbray's men welcome Bristol City to Ewood Park on Saturday and Adarabioyo is looking forward to helping Rovers end the campaign well with nine league fixtures left to go.

The 22-year-old defender who is on a season-long loan from Manchester City, has played 28 games for Blackburn Rovers across all competitions this term, and he has two goals to his name.

As part of the steps to control the spread of Covid-19, football matches in England will be played without fans in the stadium but the Anglo-Nigerian does not see the restriction as a new thing as he shifts focus to the ‘massive games’ ahead.

“It was brilliant to be back at Ewood again, having a game between ourselves, it was great to be back on the grass," Adarabioyo told the club website.

“Playing in our home stadium without any fans, it’s something we’ll have to get used to.

“It’s going to be different, but with nine games to go we’ve just got to get our head around it and get on with it. We all played in empty grounds when we were kids, so it’s not something that we have never done before.

“They are massive games for us, every game is important for us to get into those play-off spots. There’s only a few days until our game against Bristol City, we’re all really looking forward to it.”

Blackburn Rovers are 10th in the Championship table with 53 points from 37 matches, with three points adrift of the relegation zone.

The Manchester-born defender said he had initial fears about the abrupt end of the 2019-20 campaign due to the coronavirus pandemic which has disrupted global economy.

“There were points where you did think that the season would get cancelled,” he added.

"But we’re all here now, we’re all ready, and we’re all looking forward to the games.

“We wanted to finish the season, but we wanted to do it safely. We feel that’s been done now so it’s time to look forward at what’s ahead of us."

Bayern Munich claimed the Bundesliga title for an eighth successive season with an unconvincing 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.

Hansi Flick's men approached Tuesday's clash at a rain-soaked Weserstadion knowing victory would be enough to retain the crown with two games to  spare.

As in Saturday's 2-1 triumph over Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayern were below their best but it mattered not against opposition fighting for their top-flight lives.

Robert Lewandowski's sublime 43rd-minute finish proved enough to seal points and the championship, his 31st goal of the league campaign wrapping up a 30th German title despite Alphonso Davies being sent off for a second bookable offence 11 minutes from time.

Bayern were sluggish out of the blocks and lacked their usual fluency, the visitors fortunate to see Maximilian Eggestein's low drive from the edge of the area flash wide of the left-hand post.

Flick's side enjoyed predictable dominance of possession but it did not tell until the 43rd minute, when Lewandowski produced a lethal demonstration of his finishing prowess.

Lewandowski chested Jerome Boateng's ball in from the right and fired a right-footed effort beyond Jiri Pavlenka to surpass 30 goals in a Bundesliga season for the first time in his career.

The Poland international had the ball in the net again within 10 minutes of the second-half restart but the flag was correctly raised after Thomas Muller strayed offside in the build-up.

Davies was dismissed for a foul on Milos Veljkovic before Pavlenka was forced into action to prevent Kingsley Coman from making the game safe, with Manuel Neuer producing heroics at the other end, his fingertip save denying Yuya Osako a dramatic late leveller.

What does it mean? - Werder fail to rain on Bayern's parade

Werder acquitted themselves well but paid the price for the mistake of giving Lewandowski space in the box as the former Borussia Dortmund talisman fittingly netted what proved the decisive goal.

Bayern can look to rotate their squad in the final two league games with an eye on the DFB-Pokal final with Bayer Leverkusen on July 4 and the eventual resumption of the Champions League. Werder are three points adrift of 15th-placed Mainz and are level on points with Fortuna Dusseldorf, who occupy the relegation play-off place.

Robert's return the difference

Suspended against Gladbach, Lewandowski's absence was telling as Bayern laboured in front of goal. His title-clinching goal was a scarcely needed reminder of why he is one of the most feared strikers in world football.

Home woes continue for Werder

Just one of Werder's seven league wins this season has come at home, and that was back in September. Despite a decent performance, they rarely looked like recording a second and putting the Bayern party on hold even until Neuer's stunning save from Osako.

What's next?

The first of what are effectively a pair of tune-ups for the Pokal final sees Bayern host Freiburg on Saturday. Werder face a massive clash with Mainz as they bid to avoid the drop.

Alphonso Davies' pace has been a talking point since the Bundesliga's return, and now the Bayern Munich star has officially smashed the Bundesliga's speed record.

The Canadian has been one of the breakthrough stars since the German league's return, with much of the footballing world tuning in to see the Bayern star's evolution as a left back.

Davies was one of the stars of Bayern's victory over Borussia Dortmund on May 26, effectively sealing the Bundesliga title for the reigning champions.

On that day, Davies chased down Dortmund star Erling Haaland from a seemingly-impossible position, with Romelu Lukaku and Declan Rice among those to weigh in on social media .

After the match, Thomas Muller nicknamed his team-mate "the FC Bayern Road Runner", a moniker that Davies has since embraced ,

The Canadian international was at it once again on Tuesday during Bayern's clash with Werder Bremen, a match where the Bundesliga leaders could seal the title officially.

In the first half on Tuesday, Davies was clocked at a speed of 36.51 kilometres-per-hour ( 22.69 miles-per-hour) during one sequence.

That speed smashed the Bundesliga record, with Davies becoming the fastest of any player since Opta's data collection began in 2013-14.

Although his pace allows him to get out of some pretty bad situations, the fullback says that he's still looking to develop as a defender and find himself in situations where his speed won't be required.

Davies says he is still learning how to play as a fullback after initially breaking through as a winger in Major League Soccer. His inexperience showed as he picked up a second yellow card against Bremen and was sent off, leaving Bayern having to see out the final 10 minutes with reduced numbers.

Davies, who joined Bayern Munich in 2018 after breaking through with the Vancouver Whitecaps, has made 42 total appearances for Bayern.

After making just six appearances in 2018-19, Davies has emerged as a regular this campaign, with 36 games including 27 in the Bundesliga.

The 19-year-old has also scored three goals this season, having netted once last campaign as well.

Internationally, Davies has become a key figure for Canada, having scored five goals in 17 caps so far for this country.

Following Tuesday's match against Werder Bremen, Bayern will return to action on Saturday when they host Freiburg.

Atletico Madrid midfielder Thomas Partey is good enough to play for "the best teams in Europe", according to head coach Diego Simeone.

Thomas has been linked with a move to the Premier League with Arsenal after eight years in Madrid, where he first featured for Atleti's youth and reserve teams.

Simeone can see why such a transfer would appeal to the London club and several other European giants, even if Thomas is still searching for consistency.

"Thomas is the one who best understands this position and the transition from defence to attack, shooting, scoring, providing assists and playing passes between the lines," Simeone told reporters ahead of Atleti's game against Osasana.

"When he's at his best level consistently, he's so good that all the best teams in Europe are looking at him."

Joao Felix was one of the continent's most sought-after talents this time last year, but his first season at Atleti has not gone entirely to plan.

A €126 million (£112m/$142m) signing from Benfica, the Portuguese has scored just four times in La Liga and did not feature in the weekend draw with Athletic Bilbao due to a knee problem.

"[Joao Felix] had started these recent training sessions very well, but then he had to sit out due to a knee problem," Simeone said. "Now he is working with the same enthusiasm. We will assess how he is, we will do a couple of tests, and based on this, we will decide what is best for tomorrow [against Osasuna].

"He has to do what he has done in other games, against Villarreal, Liverpool.

"He had a great pre-season, a very good start, then he had an injury. It was difficult for him to return because of the rhythm and the association with his new team-mates. Then he started to be the player from the beginning.

"He is a young boy. It is normal that this happens to him during the season, but we have the idea that he is very important from here to the end."

Simeone's comments came after Atletico confirmed defender Felipe had suffered a thigh strain. The 31-year-old suffered a setback having already missed Sunday's stalemate at Athletic, Atleti’s first game since La Liga's resumption, through injury.

"Felipe Monteiro underwent further tests at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra that confirmed a muscle strain in the quadriceps of his left thigh," the team said on Tuesday. "Although the defender has made progress since the previous tests he underwent last week, the area requires maximum caution and he will continue to train and be assessed individually."

Former Getafe and Fulham midfielder Derek Boateng has advised in-demand Atletico Madrid ace Thomas Teye Partey to prioritise success in deciding his club future.

The 27-year-old is reportedly a top priority of Arsenal while Manchester United, PSG and Chelsea have also been mentioned as possible destinations.

This season, he has so far made 25 league appearances for Los Rojiblancos, starting 22 of the games and scoring twice.

"For me as a senior brother, as an experienced player, I like him [Partey] a lot, he’s such a respectful player and wherever he is right now he deserves it," Boateng told SPORTSworldGhana.

"I personally want him to play where he will be happy. We all know that he is playing every game at Atletico Madrid [but] we don’t [really] know what goes on there. Only he knows what is going on there and can explain things better. The Premier League is also a good league for him to play but at the end of the day, you have to play where you will be happy and also be respected.

"About seven people have even sent me messages on Instagram that I should advise Partey to move to Arsenal but the best advice I can give him is that he should play where he will be happy. If Atletico Madrid is making him happy and he is playing week in week out, then he should stay there, play and enjoy the game.

"When I was in Spain, I played against him and after the game we talked for a while, so I know him. I remember he once had an interview when he started his career at Mallorca and he mentioned that he likes me, Andres Iniesta, Yaya Toure [and similar] kinds of players but I am his role model and that he wants to be like me, he wants to play like me.

"I think he has to check where his style of play suits because sometimes you can make a move and you won’t finish well."

Partey joined Atletico from Ghana in 2011.

After time in the Rojiblancos' youth set-up, he was sent on double loans to Real Mallorca and Almeria before making his senior breakthrough at his parent club in 2015-2016.

Mamelodi Sundowns captain Hlompho Kekana has credited not suffering a lot of injuries as key for him staying on top of his game in his prolonged professional career.

Since breaking into the Black Leopards squad in 2004, the 35-year-old midfielder has not looked back in a career that has also seen him turn out for SuperSport United and Bloemfontein Celtic.

After signing a four-year contract extension with Mamelodi Sundowns earlier this year, Kekana would be 39 when his current deal expires.

He says he is always willing to go the extra mile to make himself stand out from his peers everywhere he has been in his career.

"I would say I have been so lucky to have not experienced [a lot of] injuries over the years," Kekana told SuperSport.com.

"However, the most important thing I did was to find a routine that works for me and I have stuck to it. I was always willing to do the things nobody was willing to do in all [of] the teams I have played for.

"There are also people who support me like my family and friends. They have also helped me and they understand my goals. They know what I need in order to reach a certain level in my game."

It is a glittering career that has seen Kekana claiming a Caf Champions League trophy, Caf Super Cup and six Premier Soccer League (PSL) titles (four with Sundowns and two with SuperSport) among other major pieces of silverware.

With Sundowns seriously contending for the league title this season, the South Africa international could bag his seventh league crown if the current campaign continues.

The Brazilians still have a chance of finishing top as they are four points behind leaders Kaizer Chiefs, having played a game less.

Kekana is however not losing much sleep at the prospect of the season being cancelled which would see Sundowns missing out on the opportunity of being crowned champions.

"Oh well, PSG were leading by 12 points and there were few matches left in the league. Here at home, we are talking about four points [and we also have] one game in hand,” said Kekana.g

Tanzania Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa has stated Simba SC are the best team in the country.

The 20-time Tanzania Mainland League champions are chasing their third title in as many seasons. In his address to parliament, the Minister stated a narrow 1-0 defeat in the Kariakoo Derby against bitter rivals Yanga SC is not enough to think the latter are better.

"I wonder why people are mocking Simba because they lost to Yanga in the recent meeting," Majaliwa said in his address to the 11th parliament.

"However, if you look at the statistics, Simba are leading in everything; look at the table. [Simba] are leading in terms of points, the number of goals scored, top scorer also comes from the team and they have conceded the least number of goals.

"Announcing the winner before the league ends on the pitch will dilute the sweetness of the competition."

The 58-year-old went on to mock the Jangwani based Timu ya Wananchi, Yanga.

"Actually, to prove how good Simba is, look at the leading goal scorer; it is Meddie Kagere with 19 goals," Majaliwa added.

"Namungo's Reliants Lusajo and Kagera Sugar's Yusuph Mhilu are on 11 goals each, and they are second on the list. We have Blaise Bigirimana and Paul Nonga of Namungo and Lipuli respectively who have scored 10 goals each.

"The gap is too big and it cannot be matched; Simba's spear is well sharpened as compared to their opponents."

Wekundu wa Msimbazi drew 1-1 with Ruvu Shooting on Sunday, June 14 in the league restart.

The league champions took a deserved lead in the match played at the National Stadium in Dar es Salaam when Shiza Kichuya found the back of the net with a neat finish but the visitors drew level courtesy of Fully Zullu Maganga to ensure the spoils were shared.

The result coupled with their rivals Young Africans (Yanga SC) winning 1-0 against Mwadui and second-placed Azam FC beating Mbao FC 2-0 at the Azam Complex, left Simba fans a disappointed lot despite maintaining their lead at the summit.

Simba are now on 72 points after 29 matches; they have won 23, drawn three, and lost as many matches. They are 15 points ahead of Azam.  

Former Everton and USMNT goalkeeper Tim Howard says ex-team-mate Sylvain Distin told him he wasn't planning on going into management due to the lack of black coaches in the Premier League.

Howard and Distin were teammates at Goodison Park from 2009 to 2015, as Distin made 210 appearances for Everton. In addition, the Frenchman played for the likes of Newcastle United, Manchester City, Portsmouth and Bournemouth before retiring in 2016.

Distin made a total of 469 Premier League appearances, the most of any foreign outfield player and the 19th-most all-time. As retirement loomed, Howard says he tried to direct Distin towards coaching.

Speaking on a Bleacher Report roundtable alongside Weston McKennie, Maurice Edu and Crystal Dunn, Howard revealed that Distin pointed to the lack of black coaches in the Premier League as the reason he didn't want to make that his next step after moving away from his playing career.

Howard said: "My best friend at Everton was a black guy from Paris, and we were the best of friends for over a decade and we still are. Afterwards, I said, 'Come on, like why aren't you coaching?' and he looked at me like I had three heads.

"He said, 'Coaching, how many black people do you see coaching?' I was like, 'Yeah'. So you're talking about a guy that has played more Premier League games than any foreign player in history and he doesn't think he can get a job coaching in the Premier League. It's crazy."

When the group was asked if they'd ever played for a black coach, Howard admitted that he hadn't while McKennie said he had one black coach as a youth player. Edu, meanwhile, pointed to his dad as a coach that he had as a younger player.

As protests begin to wind down across most cities in the U.S., Howard says it is important that the message continues and that those protests inspire actual change that prevents them from being needed again.

"Simply put, its too lenient. It's too lenient," Howard said. "The next step for all of us is the reason why you protest, the reason why you shout, is so you can get people's attention.

"Now that we have people's attention, the next step is to make sure that they're putting language in that allows us to peacefully protest, but we're not peacefully protesting for the sake of taking a knee because we feel like resting. It's to engage conversation and change the narrative."