Kante returns to Chelsea training after recovering from coronavirus

European heavyweights Barcelona and Bayern Munich face off at the Estadio da Luz on Friday in the pick of the Champions League quarter-finals.

While plenty of focus will be on hotshot attackers Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski, it may well be at the other end of the field where the one-legged tie is decided.

German compatriots Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Manuel Neuer are two of the finest goalkeepers of their generation, playing a huge part in their clubs success on the field.

But there is a feeling Ter Stegen is not recognised as the star he is in his own country, which is largely down to the presence of Neuer – Germany s long-standing number one.

And to further fan the flames, Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge last week claimed he is not yet at …

Market: Flamengo win and over 1.5 goals

Odds: 

Marching towards their sixth Serie A crown, a high-flying Flamengo will welcome Vasco da Gama to Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Starting with the hosts, battling from behind to land a 3-1 win over Bahia on Sunday, Flamengo have firmly cemented their spot as this year s standout performer. Already with one hand on the Serie A title and continuing to shine in the second half of the season, Jorge Jesus men currently find themselves enjoying a 23-match unbeaten run that stems all the way back to the 4th of August. With a growing reputation for their lethal showings in the final third, the former Benfica boss will be most impressed by his side s continued showings in Rio de Janeiro. The runaway l…

Liverpool signed defender Paul Konchesky from Fulham, while Sunderland smashed their transfer record to land Asamoah Gyan and Birmingham made a surprise swoop for Barcelona midfielder Alexander Hleb on the final day of the transfer window.

Reds boss Roy Hodgson had been keen to land left-back Konchesky from his former club since taking over at Anfield in the close-season and he finally got his man on a four-year contract once Finnish striker Lauri Dalla Valle and Swedish winger Alex Kacaniklic agreed their moves in the opposite direction.

That deal, Sunderland s signing of Rennes star Gyan and Birmingham s loan move for Hleb took centre-stage as Premier League clubs tried to beat the 1800BST (1700GMT) deadline for registering new signings.

Hleb s capture represe…

Veteran Juventus midfielder Andrea Pirlo is hoping to win more Serie A titles after prolonging his stay at the Italian champions.

Pirlo was set to come out of contract at the end of the month but the 35-year-old signed a new two-year deal with Juventus on Wednesday.

The Italy international, who will remain at the club until June 2016, is already targeting more silverware, having won three consecutive Scudetto titles since leaving rivals Milan in 2011.

I am very happy to have renewed my contract for another two years with Juventus, said Pirlo, who is away on international duty at the FIFA World Cup.

I hope to spend the next two years the same way as the last three.

It was my choice to continue with Juventus, as it is a successful club aiming to always improv…

Defender Alex Wilkinson believes that he has improved his game by playing against quality strikers with Australia at the FIFA World Cup.

The Jeonbuk Motors man was involved in a promising but ultimately fruitless campaign as Ange Postecoglou s side were eliminated from a group that also put paid to Spain s title defence.

But the quality of Australia s performances, particularly against the Netherlands and Chile, offered cause for optimism.

And, having come up against the likes of Robin van Persie, Alexis Sanchez and David Villa, Wilkinson feels the experience will stand the team in good stead.

You learn that you ve got to be switched on for the whole 90 minutes, and that you can t mentally switch off for one second against those teams and players, he tol…

that Romelu Lukaku could be a target for a number of Europe’s elite clubs this summer.

The striker’s agent has talked up potentional interest from Juventus, Real Madrid and Paris Saint Germain all are likely to be able to offer Champions League football something the Belgium international longs for.

Lukaku was strongly linked with a move away last summer but opted to remain with the Toffee’s, who he joined from Chelsea in the summer of 2013, having spent the previous year on loan at West Bromwich Albion.

Since arriving at Goodison Park, the twenty-two year old has racked up one hundred and twenty-eight appearnces in all competitions, scoring sixty-one goals.

He is set to lead the line as Roberto Martinez’s side take on Manchester United on…

Danny Welbeck helped end Manchester United s 25-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, scoring Arsenal s second in a 2-0 win over his former team which handed Arsene Wenger a first top-flight triumph over Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese coach tempted fate by making eight changes from Thursday s Europa League win over Celta Vigo and it ultimately backfired, with the hosts consigning them to their first league defeat since losing 4-0 to Chelsea in October.

After a particularly frenetic start which saw each side waste good opportunities, Arsenal looked the more purposeful going forward and spent long periods probing a stubborn United defence which included Premier League debutant Axel Tuanzebe.

But the best chance of the half fell to Wayne Rooney, who pounced on …

Erik ten Hag is not concerning himself about contract talks with key Manchester United players including Cristiano Ronaldo and is instead focused on performances on the pitch.

United have a host of players out of contract at the end of the season, although some have options in their existing deals for a further season.

Ronaldo is one of those, along with David de Gea and Marcus Rashford, but Diogo Dalot – who has started all nine Premier League matches at right-back this season – could be free to leave.

Those situations will need addressing, but Ten Hag is happy to park them for now.

At this moment we only think about performing, the manager said. We have a lot of games to go, so I don t want to get that interfered by talks.

We have to focus…

Granit Xhaka s volley ensured Arsenal secured qualification for the Europa League s knockout stages with two games to spare, firing the Gunners to a 1-0 home win over PSV.

Mikel Arteta selected a strong side as Arsenal looked to ensure their progression from Group A on Thursday, but PSV appeared likely to make them wait after producing a resolute defensive display.

Walter Benitez kept Arsenal at bay until the 70th minute, but Xhaka expertly diverted a right-wing delivery into the bottom-left corner to seal the hosts progress.

While Arsenal are now assured of a place in the Europa League s knockout stages, a point in next week s return fixture will guarantee them top spot and a bye to the competition s round of 16.

3 Granit Xhaka has scored as many goals t…

Napoli are keeping close tabs on Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Sandro, .

The Azzurri plan to sign a strong and powerful midfielder and while they are still in talks to recruit Maxime Gonalons from Lyon, the club officials are also considering other targets.

And with Javier Mascherano unlikely to arrive at Stadio San Paolo, Napoli seem to have turned their attention to Tottenham s Sandro.

The Brazilian has lost his place in the side at White Hart Lane and he is reportedly ready to leave the club in the summer transfer window.

Sandro joined Spurs from Internacional in the summer of 2010, but numerous injuries have since prevented him from showing all he s got.

The 25-year-old has made 81 Premier League appearances during the four years at White Hart…