Aitana Bonmati secured the Women s Champions League Player of the Season for a second straight campaign after guiding Barcelona to European glory.
The Spain international scored in Saturday s 2-0 victory over Lyon in the final, helping Jonatan Giraldez s side clinch an unprecedented quadruple.
Fellow Ballon d Or winner Alexia Putellas produced the other goal in that victory, but Bonmati was named Player of the Match after another eye-catching performance.
With six goals and six assists, the 26-year-old managed more goal contributions than any other player in this season s Champions League, and that earned Bonmati further individual recognition.
She influenced the game all over the pitch in and out of possession. High progressive passes, high ball recover…
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti would not be drawn on whether he thinks Jude Bellingham is currently the best midfielder in the world.
Bellingham, 20, scored his eighth goal in eight appearances in all competitions for Real in Saturday’s 3-0 LaLiga win at Girona.
He scored the winner in the Spanish giants’ opening Champions League game against Union Berlin two weeks ago and will aim to maintain his dream start for Ancelotti’s side in Italy against Group C rivals Napoli on Tuesday night.
Jude, again
— UEFA Champions League (@ChampionsLeague)
Ancelotti told a press conference: “I think Bellingham has adapted very well to his new team. He’s doing very well and is showing all of his quality.
“If someone thinks he’s the best…
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang showed Leeds United little love on Valentine s Day as his first Premier League hat-trick led Arsenal to a 4-2 triumph.
Making his first league start since January 18, Aubameyang put Arsenal 2-0 up by the 41st minute on Sunday and then rounded off his hat-trick early in the second half.
Aubameyang s second goal marked his 200th across 369 appearances in Europe s top five leagues, with Hector Bellerin making it 3-0 four minutes later.
Arsenal went some way to undoing their hard work as goals from Pascal Struijk and Helder Costa gave Leeds hope, but Mikel Arteta s side ultimately held firm.
3 Since the start of the 2009-10 season, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of only three players to score a hat-trick in three of the top five Eu…
Prediction: England to Win 3-0
Odds:
Bookmaker:
England and Albania will both be aiming to keep up their perfect start to their 2022 World Cup qualification campaigns as they come together in Tirana on Sunday.
The two sides kicked off qualification with a victory each and will of course be aiming to keep that form up as next year s showpiece tournament draws ever closer.
Albania
Edoardo Reja s men are certainly in fine form as they prepare to take on the Three Lions. Following their 1-0 victory against Andorra last time out, coming courtesy of Ermir Lenjani s solitary strike, they have now won their last four games in all competitions. It is the longest winning run in the nation s history since 2010. Should they beat England on Sunday then it …
Ajax have finally filled the void left by Marc Overmars with the appointment of former Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund transfer chief Sven Mislintat.
Overmars was sacked by Ajax in February 2022 after a series of inappropriate messages sent to several female colleagues over an extended period of time .
The former Netherlands international apologised for his actions but departed the club, accepting a role at Belgian side Antwerp a month later.
In the meantime, Ajax have operated without a specific director of football, Overmars duties instead handled by technical managers Gerry Hamstra and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar.
Mislintat, who left Stuttgart in late 2022, will step into the void from May 19.
Ajax CEO Edwin van der Sar said of the appointment: It is goo…
England became the first team to qualify for Euro 2016 by hammering San Marino 6-0, and it was a day to remember for Wayne Rooney as he equalled Bobby Charlton s national goalscoring record.
Rooney has not made the best of starts for Manchester United this season, but the striker found the net with a contentious penalty in Serravalle on Saturday to move level with the legendary Charlton s tally of 49 goals for England.
A Cristian Brolli own-goal doubled England s lead before half-time, then Ross Barkley scored his first senior international goal and substitute Theo Walcott helped himself to a double either side of Harry Kane s strike.
Rooney, who was replaced by Kane just before the hour-mark, could surpass Charlton in the list of all-time England goalscorers w…
Competition: Euro 2016 Qualifier
Market: Belgium to win to nil against Andorra
Odds:
Belgium have a trip to face minnows Andorra in Group B of the Euro 2016 qualifiers, and are big favourites to come out on top to ensure of their place in next year’s finals. The Red Devils have all but qualified for the European Championships, with Marc Wilmots’ side enjoying a four point lead over third place, but victory against the Tricolors will see them home and dry.
They’re coming off the back of fine form in Group B too with Belgium having won four of their last five games, conceding just two goals in the process. The current runners-up thrashed Andorra 6-0 the first time the two sides met, and history could well repeat itself given how poor the hosts have been …
Real Madrid and bitter rivals Atletico Madrid will duel for a place in the Copa del Rey semi-finals after being paired in the last eight.
Los Blancos survived a scare on Thursday as they came from 2-0 down at Villarreal to win 3-2 thanks to goals from Vinicius Junior, Eder Militao and Dani Ceballos.
It ensured Carlo Ancelotti s team bounced back from losing to Barcelona in the Supercopa de Espana final four days earlier.
Nevertheless, their route does not get any easier with Thursday s draw pitting them against city rivals Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Diego Simeone s side beat Levante 2-0 in Valencia on Wednesday, with Alvaro Morata and Marcos Llorente scoring in the second half.
It will be the first time Atletico and Madrid have tussled in …
Dani Alves has revealed that there are no talks between him and Barcelona over a new contract.
The Brazilian right-back is, of course, a Barcelona legend. He was a big part of everything the Catalans achieved between 2008 and 2016, winning six La Liga titles, five Copa del Rey and three Champions League trophies. He eventually joined Juventus, and later he played for Paris Saint-Germain and Sao Paolo too. His contract with the latter expired in September last year, and he rejoined Barcelona as a free agent two months later for the rest of the season, with the revolution under his former teammate Xavi Hernandez underway.
With the end of the season approaching fast, questions about the 38-year-old s future are being asked again.
Nobody from the club told me about…
Porto hit the post and had a late Mehdi Taremi goal controversially ruled out as they played out a 0-0 draw with Atletico Madrid in Wednesday s Champions League clash at Wanda Metropolitano.
Taremi pounced on some uncertain defending to score what looked like being a scrappy opener, only for a lengthy VAR check to disallow it out for a handball infringement.
The visitors went close earlier in the half through an Otavio cross that came back off the frame of the goal, prompting Diego Simeone to introduce Antoine Griezmann from the bench.
But despite having the likes of Griezmann, Luis Suarez and Angel Correa on the field, Atletico could not find a trademark late goal – even after a late Chancel Mbemba red card – as they kicked off their Group B campaign with a …