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Ajax closed in on a first Champions League final for 23 years as Donny van de Beek’s early goal beat an injury-hit Tottenham 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday. Van de Beek’s opener on 15 minutes was just reward for the Dutch side’s first-half dominance as Tottenham badly missed the presence of the injured Harry Kane and suspended Son Heung-min. Tottenham improved after the break despite another injury blow as Jan Vertonghen had to be helped down the tunnel after a sickening head knock, but lacked the inspiration needed to get back on level terms without their two top scorers. And Ajax could easily have had an even greater lead to take back to the Johan Cruyff Arena for the second leg next week when David Neres hit the post 10 minutes from time. Ajax had shown they are not fazed on the road despite the tender age of many of their squad by shocking Real Madrid and Juventus away to reach the last four and started confidently. Spurs were happy to sit deep and wait for the...

Anthony Joshua’s opponent for his United States debut is set to be confirmed on Tuesday (today), according to Matchroom Sport chairman, Barry Hearn. Britain’s unified heavyweight boxing champion is awaiting news on his next challenger for his scheduled defence at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 1. Matchroom Boxing boss Eddie Hearn has been holding talks with a number of potential opponents for Joshua, and his father Barry reveals that a deal is close to being finalised. “I know he’s very close,” Barry Hearn told Sky Sports.  “I understand there’s every chance he’s going to make an announcement tomorrow, so it’s getting there. “It’s difficult, it’s very difficult, the political world of boxing and the money they’re talking about, but it’s also difficult when a few people view it as an opportunity to put one over on AJ, or us, or boxing. “We have five likely opponents, so it’s not a question we’re going to be blackmailed. We’re never going to be forced into doing anything s...

Arsenal manager, Unai Emery Sunday afternoon broke former Gunners boss, Arsene Wenger’s possession record following his side’s Premier League 3-0 defeat to Leicester City. A strike from Youri Tielemans and a brace from Jamie Vardy gave Brendan Rodgers’ men all three points against Arsenal at King Power Stadium. However, Metro UK reports that the defeat to Leicester City means that Arsenal recorded just 32.8% possession against the hosts – the lowest they have ever registered in the Premier League history. Arsenal’s previous worst record came during Wenger’s regime when they had just 35% possession during their 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield in 2014. Arsenal are currently occupying the sixth position on the Premier League table with 66 points from 36 games. Emery’s men will now tackle Valencia in the Europa League semi-final first leg tie on Thursday in their next fixture.

Dominic Thiem saved three break points in the final game to deliver a 6-4, 6-4 upset of 11-time champion Rafael Nadal and reach the final of the Barcelona Open on Saturday. The Austrian, who lost the Roland Garros final to the Spanish great last year, denied Nadal the opportunity to become the first man to capture the same ATP title 12 times. “I’m happy with how I played, I was competitive for the first time (in a few matches),” Nadal insisted. Thiem will on Sunday face Daniil Medvedev, a 6-4, 3-6, 7-5 winner over two-time tournament winner Kei Nishikori.  “Things were positive even if I lost. Congrats to him, he’s a great guy and a great player,” added top seed Nadal who was a semi-final loser last week to Fabio Fognini in Monte Carlo where he was also an 11-time champion. “Today I played at a good level, it was a great improvement on last week, when I was not competitive at all. “I enjoyed the match, I’m feeling the way I want to feel about my game. I’m happy and I’m confident.” ...

Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, has revealed that he will be in the market for attacking players this summer. Karim Benzema, the only Madrid player to score in the past five matches, will miss Sunday’s LaLiga game at Rayo Vallecano with a hamstring injury. And Zidane was asked at a news conference on Saturday, if he hoped to have more options up front. “Yes, the idea is to have more strength in attack next year. We will see what happens. “I have a very clear idea what I want to do, the players, profiles I want. [But] I do not have full power over transfers. “I am coach here, there is also the institution, the president, other important people. Things are done together here, and that is what will happen for next season,” Zidane responded. Madrid have been linked with Paul Pogba of Manchester United, Chelsea’s Eden Hazard and Paris Saint-Germain forward, Neymar.

Paul Pogba is yet to submit a visa application to join Manchester United’s pre-season tour of China this summer, fuelling speculation he is ready to force through a transfer to Real Madrid. The news broke on Spanish television show, Jugones, that Pogba declined to hand over his passport to the Chinese Consulate this week, despite the rest of his teammates doing so. It was immediately presumed that this was a power play from the Frenchman, who is reportedly unhappy at Old Trafford and wants to leave the club. However, the Evening Standard reports that United are relaxed about the situation and have attributed it simply to “passport issues”. The club still fully expect Pogba to apply for his visa before the end of the season and are counting on him being involved in the tour to Australia, Singapore and China in July.

Barcelona striker, Luis Suarez, has revealed what he will do during the Champions League semi-final clash against his former club, Liverpool. The Uruguayan said although he was grateful to Liverpool for their help in developing his career, he will have no hesitation in celebrating if he scores against them for Barcelona. Suarez will come up against Liverpool at the Camp Nou on Wednesday in the first leg of the semi-final. He left Liverpool to move to Barcelona in the summer of 2014 for £65m and has since gone on to form a lethal partnership with Lionel Messi. This will be the first time that Suarez has come up against his former club in a competitive match since leaving Anfield five years ago. The Uruguayan forward told Daily Mail that he will put any thoughts of friendship to one side once kick-off comes. “In the build-up to the game it’s nice to talk about how massively grateful I am to Liverpool for all they gave me but, you know me, once I’m on the pitch there will be no friendship...

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has said their Premier League rivals must rack up around 90 points if they are to match Manchester City and Liverpool. City and Liverpool have set themselves apart from the rest of the top-flight this season, going neck-and-neck for the title and leaving the others trailing them. Guardiola’s City won the title last season with a record-breaking 100 points and can make it back-to-back league triumphs with three wins and a total points haul of 98. Against that backdrop, Guardiola said Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United must hit such numbers next season. Asked if he can see City and Liverpool slugging it for the title for years to come, Guardiola told a press conference on Friday: “I don’t know in the future. But I know the standards we created last year at Manchester City. “People know that now you have to be close to 100 points – before it was 90. That standard was set last season. “We helped Liverpool to achieve it this season and ...

Juergen Klopp says Liverpool will look to finish the season strongly as the club chases the English Premier League (EPL) title. Liverpool trail league leaders Manchester City by one point with three games to go. “There are three games left, and we want to win them,” Klopp told reporters ahead of Huddersfield Town’s visit on Friday. “Huddersfield, Newcastle United, Wolves. That’s the situation. If we win it, we win it. If we don’t, there are no regrets as long as we give our best. “If we win our next two games then the title will be decided on the final match day and that would be pretty special,” he added. Liverpool are looking to win their first league title since 1990. The club and the people are waiting for a long time for it. “It’s rather surprising because last season we were 25 points behind (Manchester City at the end of the season). We have to carry on but only one team will be champion. “However the season ends up, it is only the first step. We’re not finished, not the finishe...

Juventus superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo has handed the club a list of six players to be signed this summer, according to Corriere dello Sport. Ronaldo has reportedly called on the club’s chiefs to finance a big-money summer spending, in their quest to win the Champions League next term. Top of the Portuguese’s list is Benfica wonderkid, Joao Felix, who has enjoyed a stunning breakthrough season in Portugal. Isco and Raphael Varane, Ronaldo’s former teammates at Real Madrid, are also on the list. The report states that Ronaldo sees the signings of his former teammates as ones that would both improve Juve’s squad but also ‘weaken’ a potential European opponent. Others on the list are Fiorentina’s Italian winger, Federico Chiesa; Lyon’s Tanguy Ndombele; Ajax’s Matthijs de Ligt and Roma’s Greece international Kostas Manolas. Correire dello Sport added that all names have also been discussed between Ronaldo and boss Max Allegri. Ronaldo became the first player in history to win the Premier Le...

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has insisted that he has not been offered Paul Pogba amid strong speculations that the player will leave Manchester United this summer. Pogba signed for the club from Juventus for a world-record fee in 2016. The France midfielder has scored 13 times this term for United, yet speculation that he is keen to call his time in the red half of Manchester continues to circulate. But Guardiola was adamant that there is no deal in the works to take Pogba across the city to play for the 2018 champions. “No. No, no, definitely not,” Guardiola told reporters when asked if Pogba had been made available to him. “He’s a player for Man United.”

Southampton striker Shane Long scored the fastest goal in Premier League history as he netted after just 7.69 seconds of his side’s match at Watford on Tuesday. Long’s record-breaking goal came immediately after the kick-off when he blocked a clearance from Watford defender Craig Cathcart, allowing the Republic of Ireland international to dink a cool finish over Ben Foster. The 32-year-old’s strike surpassed the previous fastest Premier League goal, scored by Tottenham defender Ledley King in 9.9 seconds against Bradford in December 2000.  It was only Long’s fourth goal of the season for struggling Southampton, with three of those now coming in his last four appearances.

Manchester City boss, Pep Guardiola, has said they are no longer scared of going to Old Trafford, ahead of Wednesday’s Derby showdown. Guardiola takes champions, City across to Manchester, needing a win to go back above title rivals Liverpool at the top of the table. City have won five and drawn one of their last seven visits to Old Trafford in the Premier League. And Guardiola, while speaking to the media on Tuesday, claimed that the ground has lost its fear factor for the Blues, who did not win there in the league for 34 years between 1974 and 1988. “Before it was maybe more difficult. But the players Manchester City had in the last decade have made this game a little bit more equal. “The only question is the Premier League, winning the title. “In the three seasons since I’m here, we did better than them but here it’s about winning the title, not beating United,” Guardiola said.

Chelsea failed to go up to third place, following a 2-2 draw with Burnley on Monday night. A win for Maurizio Sarri’s men, would have seen them leapfrog top-four ribals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur. The Blues rallied back to lead 2-1 with goals from N’Golo Kante and Gonzalo Higuain, after Jeff Hendrick gave the visitors a shock lead. Burnley equalized before the break, with Ashley Barnes firing past Kepa Arizzabalaga from a set-piece and there were no goals in the second half. Chelsea now sit in fourth place with 67 points, the same with Spurs and one ahead of Arsenal, who have an oustanding game against Wolves on Wednesday.

Real Madrid manager, Zinedine Zidane, has claimed that Karim Benzema is “the best No.9 in the world”. Zidane was speaking after Benzema scored a hat-trick in the 3-0 win over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday. Benzema headed Madrid in front from Marco Asensio’s cross just after half-time and nodded in a second when Athletic goalkeeper, Lago Herrerin missed Luka Modric’s corner. He then chipped into an empty net, after another Herrerin error in added time. The former Lyon striker has now scored each of Madrid’s last eight goals, taking him to 30 in all competitions for 2018/2019. “For me Karim is best No. 9 in the world, although there are many good players, and others might choose someone else. “What he has been doing here over 10 years, means everything. “His goals are impressive and I am happy for him. He has confidence in himself, always aims to improve. But his team were helping him, with Marco’s cross, [Jesus] Vallejo’s recovery of the ball to start off the move for the first goal,” Zidan...

Manchester United’s hopes of Champions League football next season suffered another huge blow as Everton romped to a 4-0 win at Goodison Park on Sunday. A sixth defeat in eight games in all competitions for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men means they remain two points adrift of the top four in sixth.

Cristiano Ronaldo has responded to suggestions that he is already looking to leave Juventus. The Portuguese joined the Italian champions from Real Madrid last summer and was tipped to make the difference in the Bianconeri’s Champions League pursuit. But Juve were unceremoniously dumped out of Europe’s premier club competition on Tuesday night, losing to Ajax at the quarter-final stage. Afterwards, it was claimed that Ronaldo was left furious by the manner of defeat and wants immediate improvements in the playing squad or he will quit. But Ronaldo is now being quoted by Tuttosport, as firing back at those suggestions and signalling his intent to stay for the duration of his four-year deal. The 34-year-old declared: “For me, there is only Juventus.” Juve are 17 points ahead of second place Napoli, with just six games remaining of the domestic season.

Man City exacted some measure of revenge on Tottenham for their Champions League exit as Phil Foden’s first Premier League goal earned a 1-0 win to move them back top of the table on Saturday. Pep Guardiola’s men edge one point ahead of Liverpool once more with four games of a titanic title race left for both sides. For all their Champions League heroics to get to the semi-finals this season, Tottenham still have much to do to qualify for the competition next season as they could easily end the Easter weekend outside the top four should Arsenal and Chelsea beat Crystal Palace and Burnley at home respectively. City’s quest for an unprecedented quadruple of trophies was ended by defeat on away goals to Spurs on Wednesday, despite winning a thrilling quarter-final, second leg 4-3. However, they remain on course for a first ever treble of domestic trophies in England as they survived a nervy finale thanks to another blistering start. City have made a habit of firing out of the blocks this ...

Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, has said he would be in the summer market for players that can fit into his squad, “personality-wise, price-wise and quality-wise”. Solskjaer is set to embark on a £200million revamp of his squad after the season and ESPN reports up to five signings could arrive and as many as seven players leave. However, the 46-year-old said there was no “quick fix” to the problems he has inherited from the string of managers to take the reins in the six years, since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. “I’ve been speaking to the club, we know that we have to be realistic and have a job to do. “There’s no quick fix – it’s not like we can buy seven players and we’re in the right shape. “We have to take it step by step and there’ll be signings made but there also has to be thoughts about players. We’ve got scouts scouring the planet for good footballers and we’ll sign players we think are the right fit — personality-wise, price-wise and quality-wise. I’m c...

Former Manchester United boss, Jose Mourinho, has said current manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer got his tactics wrong, during their 3-0 defeat to Barcelona at the Camp Nou earlier this week. The Red Devils were trailing 1-0 from the first leg, but lost 3-0 to Nou Camp, thanks to Lionel Messi’s brace and Philippe Coutinho’s goal. Mourinho believes that Solskjaer’s decision to attack Barcelona cost United dearly, as they gave up space in midfield for Messi to exploit. “I think the United approach was different. “In the first leg they tried to occupy that central zone. Messi’s position is easy to understand but it is not easy to create a ‘cage’ to control him. He comes from the right, then stays in the middle, then Rakitic goes right and allows him to stay in the middle. It’s very difficult. “Manchester United in the first match zonally they occupied that area very well. When he came into the inside he was finding Fred, he was finding McTominay coming to the inside all the time. “But I think...

Cristiano Ronaldo is demanding a major overhaul at Juventus, following Tuesday’s shock Champions League defeat against Ajax, Gazzetta dello Sport reports. Juventus claimed a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam and threw away a lead at home to lose 2-1. Ronaldo, who won three Champions League titles in succession with Real Madird and appeared in eight consecutive semi-finals, is furious with Juve’s capitulation and unhappy with the rigid tactics employed by manager Max Allegri. The 34-year-old arrived last summer in a €112million deal and was expected to guarantee the Serie A champions’ quest to win the trophy. Defeat on Tuesday, however, has left Ronaldo devastated and he is now expecting a Juventus’ hierarchy to oversee a major rebuilding process in the summer to bolster and ageing squad. Paulo Dybala could be sold for up to €100m, to fund a move for the player dubbed ‘the new Ronaldo’, Benfica’s Joao Felix. Matthijs de Ligt who netted the winner in Turin, is also high on Juve’s wanted list, as wel...

Tottenham Hotspur reached the semi-final of the Champions League for the first time in their history after beating Manchester City on away goals (4-4 agg) following an incredible second leg at the Etihad. Manchester City needed a fast start to kickstart their comeback and they got just that as Raheem Sterling handed them the lead after just four minutes. Kevin De Bruyne’s fingerprints were all over the move as he picked the ball up on the right touchline, bounced the ball off Sergio Aguero and then teed up Sterling out on the left, who stepped inside and bent a beautiful finish into the far corner. Less than three minutes later and Spurs drew level with their first attack of the game. Dele Alli’s attempted through ball was cut out by Aymeric Laporte’s outstretched leg but the loose ball dropped to Heung-Min Son with the South Korean curling a first-time effort beyond Ederson. Replays weren’t particularly kind to the Brazilian as he appeared to dive out of the way of the shot with his t...