Liverpool FC boss Jurgen Klopp delivers his verdict on how the race for Champions League qualification is shaping up Jurgen Klopp has warned his Liverpool FC players that they still have a significant fight on their hands in trying to finish in the Premier League’s top four this season. The Reds boosted their hopes of securing Champions League qualification once again on Sunday when they beat Southampton 2-0 at St Mary’s to bounce back from their 2-2 draw with Spurs last weekend. Klopp
Lionel Messi sounded out four teams that he sees as real threats to Barcelona reclaiming the Champions League trophy. The Catalans are runaway leaders in La Liga – having created a seven-point gap and have been tipped as heavy favourites to reclaim their spot at the top of Europe. Barca resume their Champions League campaign this week as they meet Chelsea in their Round of 16 clash on Tuesday. Speaking on the tournament to The Mirror ahead of their much-anticipated clash with the
The Ballon d’Or has been a complete duopoly in recent years in recent years with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo winning five each in the last decade. You will have to in fact go back to 2007 to find a winner of the trophy that was not either of the two – when Kaka was presented with the year-end award. However, moving into 2018, Messi, feels that this year might be a tighter affair. The Argentine named three stars - Neymar, Kylian Mbappe and
Angel di Maria has had the unique distinction of playing alongside both Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – serving as an accomplice to the two legends as they have gone on to break nearly all footballing records in the last decade. Since 2008 the duo has had a duopoly on winning the Ballon d'Or; pretty much taking it in turns lifting the trophy, which they have both won five times each. Ronaldo is the most recent recipient of the award, and has won
Life of a footballer can be turbulent at times and underlining the matter, Manchester United star Alexis Sanchez recently revealed that he has seen Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi break down in tears after a game. The Chilean was teammates with Messi during his three seasons with Barcelona between 2011 and 2014. Speaking to Thierry Henry in an interview with Sky Sports, the Chilean brought light to the fact that the life of a footballer is full of struggles and a failure can have
CRISTIANO RONALDO'S hat-trick helped ease the pressure on Zinedine Zidane as Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 5-2 at the Bernabeu.Real Madrid went into the game in sore need of a boost with their La Liga campaign going from bad to worse.But Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to help ensure they secure a return to winning ways.Real took the lead through Lucas Vazquez within the first minute, with the Spaniard heading home from Ronaldo's cross.Madrid have been accused of starting too slow in many of
SEAN DYCHE never stopped moaning, Carlos Carvalhal never stopped flapping.Two very different reactions from two very different managers – but both of which stemmed from the despair of witnessing one of the worst games this season. It was hard to blame either man.It was a fine 77th minute strike from South Korea skipper Ki Sung-Yeung that proved the decisive moment.However, while the midfielder was the hero on the pitch, few could argue it was Carvalhal’s shuffling of the pack, in such adventurous fashion,
Qatar SC secured a superb 2-0 victory over high-flyers Al Sailiya at the Al Ahli Stadium in their QNB Stars League (QSL) played at the Al Ahli Stadium yesterday.The game’s only goals came through Osama Omari in the 29th and 84th minutes.The match started in quick fashion and Luis Jimenez of Qatar SC thought he had opened the scoring in spectacular fashion with a volley. However, the referee spotted an infringement in the run-up to the goal.Not long after, it was Al Sailiya
There has always existed a healthy sports rivalry between countries in the GCC. However, since the start of the illegal blockade of Qatar last June, there has been a breakdown of sporting relations.Although all GCC countries took part in the Gulf Cup in Kuwait recently, no Qatari teams had visited Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the UAE since the blockade started.Now, Al Gharafa has become the first Qatari club to travel to Abu Dhabi since the start of the blockade on June 5. They
Paris Saint-Germain opened up a 13-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 with a narrow 1-0 win away at Toulouse on Saturday.Neymar scored the only goal of the game at Municipal Stadium as the French capital outfit warmed up for Real Madrid away in the first leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie next Wednesday.PositivesOverall, the result was the most important thing. After Marseille were held by Saint-Etienne, three points and an added two-point lead at the top of Le Championnat was
Real Madrid strolled to victory over a compliant Real Sociedad, rattling in four first-half goals in an eventual 5-2 win. Cristiano Ronaldo helped himself to a hat trick after Lucas Vazquez struck in the opening minute with Toni Kroos adding a sublime strike. Jon Bautista and Asier Illarramendi replied for the hosts after the break.PositivesReal attacked with fluidity and purpose in the opening 45 and pinned La Real in their own half. Scoring five was the perfect preparation for Paris Saint-Germain in midweek,
Three quick thoughts from Manchester City's 3-1 Premier League win over Leicester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.1. City back after their restSergio Aguero and Kevin De Bruyne returned from a short break to mastermind a victory that extends Manchester City's lead at the top of the Premier League to 16 points -- for 24 hours at least. Aguero claimed four goals and De Bruyne a hat trick of assists as City beat the Foxes for the third time this season and
Liverpool and Arsenal eye £40m ButlandLiverpool hope to solve their goalkeeping problem once and for all by signing Stoke City's Jack Butland for £40 million, reports the Sun.The Reds will be joined by Arsenal in the race to sign the England international, with the Gunners also experiencing consistency issues with Petr Cech this season.Jurgen Klopp has chopped and changed between Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius, but an approach for Butland would signal their intent to install a clear No. 1.Butland has suffered injury
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits he is being cautious with Adam Lallana's return to the side after the midfielder's short-lived comebacks so far.The England international missed the opening four months of the campaign with a thigh injury sustained in preseason and eventually made his first appearance on Nov. 25.He managed 221 minutes of action over seven matches as the problem flared up on two occasions but played just over an hour before getting sent off in the under-23s defeat to Tottenham on Monday.Klopp
Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino urged his players to keep going after they moved back into the top four with a 1-0 win over Arsenal in the North London derby at Wembley.Harry Kane's 49th-minute header proved the winner as Spurs moved into third place, above Chelsea and seven points clear of their neighbours.The result followed a win against Manchester United and last weekend's draw at Liverpool, leaving Spurs with seven points from nine against three of their closest rivals ahead of Tuesday's Champions
Antonio Conte claimed that Chelsea are finding it harder to rediscover their best form because people are exaggerating the extent of their struggles this season.Damaging back-to-back defeats against Bournemouth and Watford have left Chelsea fifth in the Premier League heading into Monday's clash with West Brom at Stamford Bridge, 22 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.Conte's future, the subject of speculation ever since he signed an improved rather than extended contract last summer, is also in serious doubt after a run that has
The north London derby is not the place to gamble. Arsene Wenger threw the dice a number of times at Wembley, but failed each time.Tottenham Hotspur beat Arsenal 1-0 with Harry Kane heading the winning goal but the scoreline did not reflect the home side's dominance. Wenger has some difficult questions to answer over the coming days.'It was a game we could not afford to lose,' the Arsenal manager said afterwards. 'It makes things very difficult now.'His team's hopes of claiming a top-four
Pep Guardiola insists Sergio Aguero deserves all the plaudits after his brilliant four-goal performance in Manchester City's 5-1 victory over Leicester City.The Argentina international striker took his tally to 13 goals in 10 matches since the turn of the year, which coincided with a knee injury to fellow forward Gabriel Jesus.Aguero now has 28 goals for the season and Guardiola singled him out for praise after his response after City missed a number of chances in the draw at Burnley seven days earlier.'We
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is refusing to give up on his side's top four hopes after Saturday's North London derby loss to Tottenham Hotspur.Harry Kane's towering second-half header gave Spurs a 1-0 victory and they missed several chances after that, but Wenger felt his side should have won the match in the first half.The Gunners manager was left lamenting his side's inefficiency on the counter-attack and a late missed chance for striker Alexandre Lacazette.'The game should have been finished at half-time for me.
The greatness of two magicians the world of football has been lucky to witnessBarcelona's Ronaldo De Assis Moreira, more famously known as Ronaldinho is a player widely known to be the most skilful footballer to have ever lived. On his day, he could rip apart teams with a healthy grin on his face and could bring the whole crowd to their feet out of sheer amazement, regardless of which stadium, be it the Bernabeu or Camp NouHe had ruled the game for oh