Great Scholarships

Bale limped off with a calf strain after scoring and providing an assist for Cristiano Ronaldo as Madrid beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in the Champions League on Wednesday. “We will see tomorrow. It is a strain, nothing important but, as always, we don’t like to take risks when a player has a small issue,” Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane said on Saturday. Wales are battling for a playoff place as they lie second in European World Cup qualifying Group D, but just a point ahead of the Republic of Ireland with two qualifiers remaining. Chris Coleman’s side travels to Georgia on October 6 before hosting Ireland in Cardiff three days later. “We will see tomorrow if he is with us, then he will go with his national team if he has to go with his national team,” added Zidane. “I don’t think there is a problem between Madrid and his national team. It depends on his state of fitness, we will see day-by-day.

Talks have stalled overextending Ozil's stay at the Emirates, and Erik Thohir - the Serie A sides chairman - has declared he is definitely on their transfer list. And Hislop reckons the Gunners should go all out for the ex-Porto man, who is a like-for-like replacement for Ozil, though it's been reported that Inter will not let him leave the San Siro. He told ESPN : "At only 24-years-old, this makes sense. "A like-for-like swap positionally. As good as Mesut Ozil has been, I’m not sure he’s worth the money that he’s been asking for or was even on the table. "I put this down as a hit, I think it makes sense for player and club. Both players and club. "I think it makes sense, like-for-like swap.

Cristiano Ronaldo has paid an emotional tribute to his late father. José Dinis Aveiro died when the Real Madrid superstar was just 20 due to liver failure. Ronaldo has previously admitted he had a difficult relationship with his father, who battled an alcohol addiction. But the Portuguese paid a touching tribute as he uploaded a picture alongside son Cristiano Jr and his two newborn twins. The family picture took place in front of a painting of Aveiro. "You will always be with us," Ronaldo wrote. Aveiro passed away in September 2005 during Ronaldo's time at Manchester United. The 32-year-old has previously hailed Sir Alex Ferguson's role in coping with his death. Ronaldo spoke openly about his father in 2015, admitting: "I didn't get to know him for real, from the heart and I don't know why he drank, maybe he was frustrated with his life. "I wanted a different father, one who would be more present to see my achievements." Ronaldo continued his f

The 58-year-old was sacked by Bayern Munich on Thursday less than 24 hours he failed to deliver a win over a 3-0 defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League group stage. Since his departure, Ancelotti has been linked with a return to AC Milan but Mediaset Premium claims that the Italian will spend his time away from football for the remainder of the campaign in order to travel. The report also claims that only the Arsenal job would change Ancelotti’s mind at this stage. Also read:  Chelsea star Morata almost lost wife due to losing penalty against Arsenal   Wenger signed a two-year contract at the end of last season but admitted he hesitated before committing to a new deal following the increase in pressure from supporters over the club’s failure to challenge for the Premier League title. Ancelotti already has experience in England having spent two years at Chelsea. The Italian managed to guide the club to the league and cup double in his first season at Stamford Bridge but w

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has revealed his wife almost kicked him out the house after his penalty miss in his side's Community Shield lost against Arsenal.  The Spanish international joined the Stamford Bridge from Real Madrid in a £65million deal and his first competitive match was the Community Shield. The 24-year-old has now revealed how he coped with the mental damage caused by missing a penalty in the shoot-out.  Morata who is married to Alice Campello said: "Well, I was not really feeling OK after I missed the penalty against Arsenal [in the Community Shield]. "I found the two days after that really difficult, my wife wanted me to get out of the house. "But, you need to remain strong at the end of the day. We are doing well and that is the most important thing. "Everything is OK at the moment, it is very important to win the Champions League and now we have a vital game this weekend." Morata has however enjoyed his time in London so far. He has sc

Tottenham star Dele Alli has been banned for one England match for making an offensive gesture during this month's World Cup qualifying win over Slovakia. The Tottenham midfielder will be unavailable for next week's qualifier against Slovenia at Wembley after FIFA settled on a one-match ban and a £3,850 fine. Alli was caught on camera making a middle-finger gesture which he later claimed was directed at team-mate Kyle Walker rather than the referee. Also read: Sergio Aguero cheats Death That explanation was apparently accepted by FIFA, with a spokesman saying: "The Disciplinary Committee was not convinced that the player directed the gesture at the referee. The statement added: "Regardless of whether it was allegedly directed at a team-mate, it did consider such gesture to be offensive and unsporting and therefore it amounted to a violation of art. 57 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code."

UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Sporting Lisbon, after a fan ran onto the pitch, during Wednesday’s Champions League Group D game against Barcelona in Lisbon. The supporter raced onto the Jose Alvalade stadium pitch late in the second half with the hosts 1-0 down and darted towards Barcelona star Lionel Messi. He hugged Messi and kissed his boot, before being whisked away by a steward. On Thursday, UEFA announced it had opened disciplinary proceedings. Also read: Sergio Aguero cheats Death The European football governing body has brought three charges against the Portuguese club: field invasions by supporters, improper conduct of the team and blocking of stairways. UEFA, whose rules state that the host club is “responsible for order and security both inside and around the stadium before, during and after matches” said its disciplinary committee would deal with the case on October 19.

Arsenal star Alexandre Lacazette has been spotted shopping at a  Tesco Express  in Hampstead, England. He arrived the shopping plaza in a £450 (N200,000) DSquared2 jumper and driving a £250,000 (N120 million) Ferrari, the Arsenal striker was seen shopping with a mystery brunette.  The Frenchman, a £52million summer signing from Lyon, might be on £150,000-a-week but is clearly happy to shop at a mid-range supermarket. Lacazette was spotted at the Hampstead store buying a small bag of groceries before hopping back into his left-hand-drive red  Ferrari 488.  The striker, who has scored four goals for his new club, was not among the Arsenal squad that defeated BATE Bristov 2-4 in Belarus on Thursday, September, 28.  Several first-team stars have been left at home with Arsenal facing Brighton on Sunday lunchtime. Lacazette, Alexis Sanchez, Laurent Koscielny, Hector Bellerin and Mesut Ozil will be among those watching at home on Thursday night. Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud and Jack Wilshere

                                      Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has suffered two broken ribs after escaping death in a terrific  car crash when he was on the way to the airport.                                          The Sun  reports that the 29-year-old was saved by his seatbelt when the Crysler PT Cruiser he was being driven into the airport careered head-on into a post in Holland on Thursday, September 28 night.  The Argentine international was in the country for a pop concert following Manchester City's Champions League victory at the  Etihad Stadium  on Tuesday. Before the show, Aguero sent a social media post out saying thanks for the invitation complete with a photo of himself and singer  Maluma.                                       However after the show, the taxi he was returning to the airport in collided with a pole in Amsterdam, close to a pedestrian crossing. The airbags were deployed and no other car appears to be involved from the photos.             

Lionel Messi is arguably one of the best players of the game in this century, the Argentine has always maintained consistency in punishing opposition players and goalkeepers.  A feat that has seen him being crowned with the prestigious Ballon d'Or award a record five times. While Messi has been a torn in the flesh for most goalkeepers, some of them have proven to be invincible against the Argentine.   Here are four goalkeepers that have somehow managed not to concede against the 'magical' Barcelona forward. 1. Pepe Reina ( 2 clean sheets)  Liverpool knocked Barcelona out on away goals when they beat then holders 2-1 at the Nou Camp in the 2007 last-16, before losing 1-0 at home. Reina was beaten by Deco and Eidur Gudjohnsen but Messi failed to find the back of the net despite playing all 180 minutes.  2. Julio Cesar (2 clean sheets) :  Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan produced a masterclass in defence to beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate in the 2010 Champions League semi-final

Chelsea striker Alvaro Morata has heaped praises on teammate Eden Hazard after the pair combined to help the Premier League champions record a landmark win over Atletico Madrid. Morata, 24, scored his seventh goal in as many games for his new club, heading home the Belgian international’s cross to bring his side level, before Michy Batshuayi struck a 94th-minute winner to condemn the Spanish side to the first defeat at their new Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. Hazard’s recovery from ankle surgery had meant the club’s record signing has had limited opportunities to play alongside Chelsea’s most skilful attacker up until now, but the initial signs are extremely encouraging for manager Antonio Conte and Morata expect their partnership to flourish. “It is easy playing with a player like Eden,” Morata told BT Sport. “He is one of the best players in the world, and I am very lucky to play with him. The Spanish striker added: “I am happy but we must continue to win the games, win all the three p

                                        A young fan ran onto the Sporting Lisbon pitch, where Cristiano Ronaldo made a name for himself, before kneeling and kissing the left foot of Barcelona star Lionel Messi on Wednesday. The supporter skipped past stewards and entered the playing field during Barca's 1-0 win in the Champions League Group D encounter at the Estadio Jose Alvalade , hugged the Argentina captain and kissed his boot. Sporting fans reacted by chanting the name of Real Madrid star Ronaldo, who began his career at the Portuguese club. Also read:  Messi's total number of Nutmegs Messi kept his cool and the fan was eventually escorted by a steward off the pitch. It is not the first time Messi has experienced such a situation as a year ago a supporter did the same in Argentina's 1-0 World Cup qualifying win over rivals Uruguay. Messi failed to score his 100th European goal on Wednesday in Lisbon but contributed to his side's win. He had a free kick that was fli

The Brazilian was believed to have soured his relationship with the striker when he demanded he should be PSG’s penalty taker. The attacking pair were seen arguing during a victory over Lyon about who should take a penalty. Neymar lost that argument after he had pushed Cavani off a free-kick earlier in the game. Fans were watching Neymar and Cavani closely on Wednesday night as they tried to spot any lingering animosity between them in the Bayern Munich game.  Also read: Neymar and Cavani team up as they Mayweathered Bayern. There were a few incidents that attracted attention including when Cavani wrapped an arm around Neymar after the attacker missed a sitter. Despite the talk, Neymar insisted there was no issue between him and Uruguayan. ‘They invent lots of stories, they talk too much,’ he said after the game. ‘They say things they do not know, try to get into our locker room and end up talking too much, things that do not exist. ‘But anyway, it’s OK.’ At least both players scored

Former Manchester United defender, Rio Ferdinand, says the club will need a “superstar” in the Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo mould if they are to win the Champions League. Jose Mourinho’s side remains unbeaten in the Premier League, sitting joint-top of the table and have collected maximum points from two group stage fixtures in Europe. Speaking after United’s 4-1 win against CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, Ferdinand told BT Sport : “Power and speed have been brought into this Manchester United team but you need more than that to win the Champions League – you need a superstar in your team to be the go-to guy when things are tight.  Read read:  Mesut Ozil set to move to Old Trafford “If you look at the Real Madrid team that has won it in recent seasons they’ve had a Cristiano Ronaldo and lately Isco, or Barcelona had Lionel Messi and Neymar. “You need a star player and Man United have got players that could become that, but we need to find out who that will be and if they can reach tha

The Spaniard who recently rejoined Atletico Madrid was all smiles before the game when he met his former teammates and when his side went 1-0 ahead through Antoine Griezmann's penalty.  However he was shown looking sad after Michy Batshuayi’s dramatic winner ruined his night. Diego Costa was snapped looking distraught in the stands with his head in his hands after Michy Batshuayi snatched a dramatic winner in Chelsea's win over Atletico Madrid. Also read: Chelsea christens Wanda Metropolitano The striker also met his former Chelsea teammates before the game however Antonio Conte was nowhere to be found. Following the text message saga between Antonio Conte and Diego Costa who are  currently not in great terms. The Italian coach kept his distance from getting close to former squad-man Costa. But, however Costa left the stadium with his hand on his head.

Cristiano Ronaldo has reportedly demanded to be paid the same wage as Lionel Messi - but Real Madrid is holding firm. Ronaldo apparently feels underpaid following the huge outlay both in transfer fees and wages for the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Neymar this season. Messi has agreed to new terms with Barca that will see his pay packet increase, and Ronaldo wants parity, but Los Blancos are so far not budging, according to Spanish outlet Marca . The Argentine is understood to agree €25million net, the same amount as former Barcelona teammate Neymar. Also read:  Ronaldo sets wedding date with girlfriend Georgina Isco and Marco Asensio have recently penned fresh terms at the Bernabeu , but Ronaldo is unlikely to follow anytime soon. His current deal runs out in the summer of 2021 when the Portuguese will be 36 and will have spent 12 seasons in the Spanish capital. Messi message for Ronaldo

Following his heavy impact in the world in the soccer world. The Argentine International, who is a hugely influential figure in the Nou Camp corridors of power. The five-times Ballon d'Or winner is famously and usually compared with rival counterpart, Cristiano Ronaldo, who is currently the world best player? Now I have talked too much... Lets hit the trail This dribbling skill termed as 'Nutmeg' is the worst thing that can happen to a football player on the pitch [dont laugh]. It pulls more Awwwwwwwwww than any other skill. And the 'King of Nutmeg' is 'Lionel Messi' like it or not This guy has been you can call him 'The 8 Wonder of the world' Deceitful dribbles started way back but he makes it more enjoyable than any other player those.[Argue with your keypads, lol...] Mentioning the likes of Pele and Maradonna certainly his name must come in. Messi has recorded a total of not less than 370-400 nutmegs in his entire career and still counting. There

With this impression coming from Liverpool ace meaning that Chelsea is surely going somewhere. Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard was left impressed with Chelsea's performance in the 2-1 Champions League win over Atletico Madrid. The Blues were deserved winners at the Wanda Metropolitana on Wednesday night, and after the game, Gerrard claimed that even the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona have failed to dominate Atletico in the same manner. "To be fair to Chelsea, that's the first time I've seen this Atletico Madrid defensive unit get torn apart," he said on BT Sport. "I've never seen a team, even Real Madrid and Barcelona, I've never seen those two sides, who are the best in the world, do that to an Atletico Madrid team. "So it was some performance."

Neymar and Edinson Cavani appeared to have put their feud behind them as the duo led PSG to an emphatic 3-0 win over Bayern Munich to maintain their 100% start in the Champions League.   PSG got off to a bright start as they took the lead just after 88 seconds. Neymar the architect as the Brazilian skipper weaved through the Bayern defence before teeing up Alves to strike home. Bayern did respond and came close through Javi Martinez in the first half but they were then exposed on the break as Cavani doubled the French side's advantage with a stunning strike after receiving a pass from Mbappe in the 31st minute. Although Neymar did not immediately celebrate with the Uruguayan, instead of doing so with Kylian Mbappe, he eventually hugged Cavani. Some minutes later, Neymar then set up Cavani for a chance which he missed. However, the striker high-fived to his teammate which clearly signalled that the feud is over, 2-0 it ended after halftime in PSG's favour. In the second half, Ba

With a long-standing record of Diego Simeone against the EPL teams it happens that Chelsea has made a duo record-breaking against the Spanish giants Atletico. Being the first EPL team to win Atletico Madrid under Diego Simeone as manager and also being the first team to win them in Wanda Metropolitano with a 1-2 scoreline keeping the Premier League side on top of the group. With the presence of their former man Costa.. it was really a hard time for the Spaniard. However; It was a sensational finish to this match, which the substitute Michy Batshuayi wins with what was quite literally the last kick of the game. It was a splendid finish to a marvellous move from Chelsea. Having passed the ball around the Atletico Madrid box from the free-kick won by David Luiz, the ball was played to Marcos Alonso on the right.  He arrowed a low drive across the face of goal, which Batshuayi had the fairly straightforward task of steering home from three or four yards out. Excellent play from Chelsea, wh

With the United ace, Carrick whose age is not on his side again will be giving space to vibrant young stars like Nainggolan He is a huge admirer of the Belgian midfielder as sees him as the perfect fit to replace Michael Carrick next summer. Mourinho also watched Atletico's Antoine Griezmann and £85m-rated Saul Niguez, who he is a long-time fan of, during the match. United are still hopeful of landing the French striker next summer after a number of failed bids in the last window. The Red Devils are understood to be lining up a £88m bid for the 26-year-old. An Old Trafford source said: “Jose sent scouts to the game to look at a number of players, but most importantly Nainggolan. “He is a big fan of his. Griezmann was also looked at, but we know everything we need to about him already.

Premier League club Arsenal has reportedly joined rivals Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur in the race to sign Borussia Dortmund wonder-kid Christian Pulisic.  But Arsenal must recognise the fact that the youngster has extended his stay at Dortmund till 2020 after signing a mega-deal in January 2017.  Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants the Gunners t o tempt the German club for the possibility of luring the American star to the Emirates Stadium in January 2018. The Gunners will face serious competition from Liverpool, Tottenham and Spanish giants Real Madrid who are also interested in signing Pulisic when the next to transfer window opens.  Pulisic is enjoying a fine opening to the season for Dortmund and has started seven games for new manager Peter Bosz. The 19-year-old American has helped fire the German side three points clear of bitter rivals Bayern Munich following five wins from six games in the ongoing season

Messi worried is worried about Edinson Cavani joining mega-rivals Real Madrid, according to reports in Spain. Barcelona has started incredibly in the league under Ernesto Valverde, winning six out of six and conceding just two. Real Madrid, on the other hand, has struggled to keep up, sitting in the sixth place after three wins from six. After selling Alvaro Morata to Chelsea and loaning James Rodriguez to Bayern Munich, the squad is much thinner in terms of attacking options. And with Karim Benzema out with injury, the club is in desperate need of reinforcements. Real president Florentino Perez has been offered Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandoski and Paris Saint-German star Cavani, according to Eduardo Inda, a Spanish journalist. .

Everton is set to increase their interest in Paris Saint-German star Edinson Cavani, according to reports. Toffees boss Ronald Koeman is still looking for a replacement for Romelu Lukaku after he was sold to Manchester United in a £90m deal. And Tuttomercatoweb is reporting that the Dutchman could go in for Cavani could be offloaded by the Toffees are keen to see if he will move to the Merseyside. Everton made a bid for Chelsea outcast Diego Costa but lost out after the Spaniard decided to move back to Atletico Madrid. Cavani could be happy to leave the French capital after reports emerged that he is not happy with his position at the club since Neymar's arrival.

Granit Xhaka hailed Arssenal'sice cold match against West Brom, Alexandre Lacazette but still wants to see more from him. Lsaacazette's first double in the English football continued Arsenal's excellent home form as they beat West Brom 2-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Monday. The Frenchman proved a master poacher as he reacted fattest to Ben Foster's save from the spot in the second half. It took Lacazette's tally for the season to four in five starts, with all of those goals coming at the Emirates. Xhaka has been hugely impressed with his new team-mate but has challenged Lacazzete to score away from home. 'He's an important player for us,' the Swiss midfielder told the club's website. 'We know his qualities and you can see that he's ice-cold in front of goal. Now he needs to do the same way - then I'll be really pleased. 'I think the game against Chelsea gave us morale and self-belief. We gave a good performance (against West Brom), ke

Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez are reportedly planning to get married after the 2018 FIFA World Cup championship scheduled to hold in Russia.  The Portuguese international is expecting his fourth child from Georgina who is pregnant and they have both agreed to tie the knot after the World Cup.  But the report also stated that Cristiano Ronaldo's performance for Portugal in the 2018 FIFA World Cup will play a pivotal role in determining whether the wedding will hold or not. Cristiano Ronaldo who is the current world best player wants his national team to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup after losing out in the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup.  The former Manchester United winger wants to win the next World Cup title, and the 32-year-old believes winning the cup next year in Russia will be a tonic to his wedding.

Reigning Premier League champions Chelsea have trained for the first time in Spain ahead of their tough Champions League battle against Atletico Madrid.  Chelsea stars looked relaxed and joked around in training as the Blues will want to continue with their superb form in the Champions League. After missing out of the competition last season,  Antonio Conte's men made a winning return to the competition by beating Qarabag FK in their first group game. Nigerian striker Victor Moses showed superb skills in training ahead of the Wednesday night, September 27 clash in Madrid.

                                      Girona defender Pablo Maffeo turned down the opportunity to swap shirts with Lionel Messi because he wanted Marc-Andre Ter Stegen’s for a friend. Manchester City loanee Maffeo was given the arduous task of man-marking Lionel Messi for Girona’s La Liga clash with Barcelona on Saturday. Barcelona won 3-0 but Maffeo, 20, kept Messi quiet and said after the game: “A friend of mine wanted Ter Stegen’s shirt so I asked the goalkeeper. “Messi is the best in the world, but friends come first.”