Benfica return ´damn hard´ for Bayern – Klinsmann

Nigeria have recalled Fulham midfielder Dickson Etuhu for World Cup qualifiers against Kenya and Tunisia in June.

Etuhu, who was snubbed by coach Shuaibu Amodu for last month s World Cup game against Mozambique, is part of a 29-man squad that will also play two friendlies against Republic Ireland on May 27 in London and France on June 2 in Saint Etienne.

Etuhu last played for Nigeria at the 2008 Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana after he was first capped by the country against Mexico the previous year.

Several uncapped players have also been named in the squad, including Hamburg midfielder Dennis Aogo, Elderson Echiejile (Rennes) and Chibuzo Okonkwo from Nigerian league leaders Bayelsa United.

Nigeria will host Kenya on June 7 in Abuja and a fortnight l…

Newcastle United have completed the signing of Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad for a club-record fee reported to be £60million (€71.1m).

The 22-year-old, capped 37 times by Sweden, moves to the Premier League side on a five-year deal, bringing an end to three successful years with the LaLiga outfit.

Signed from Borussia Dortmund, Isak scored 33 goals in 105 league appearances for La Real, the last of which came in a 4-2 defeat to Barcelona on August 21.

I m delighted to have it done. It was a big, big decision for me but it is a decision I am really happy with, he told the club website.

It is a great, historical club that I think anyone would like to play for, with amazing fans. They were a big part of why I came here and also the club s proj…

Jules Kounde is set to make his Barcelona debut on Sunday after he was belatedly registered to feature in LaLiga.

The France defender joined from Sevilla last month in a deal that could be worth €62.5million following a fine three-year spell at the Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan.

However, Barcelona were initially unable to register him to play in LaLiga as they needed to reduce their wage expenditure in line with the salary cap.

Registration priority was given to signings that arrived before Kounde, with Robert Lewandowski, Raphinha, Franck Kessie and Andreas Christensen all making their debuts.

But media reports on Friday suggested Barca had finally been able to register the centre-back – head coach Xavi did not confirm that in his pre-match press conferenc…

Pep Guardiola has confirmed three more important Manchester City players have tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of their Premier League visit to Chelsea on Sunday. 

City s top-flight clash with Everton on Monday was postponed following a coronavirus outbreak at the club, with Gabriel Jesus and Kyle Walker and another two staff members testing positive for COVID-19.

The match was called off in the hours before kick-off after City returned a number of positive cases , with the fixture becoming the second in the competition to be postponed this season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Newcastle were struck by the virus and missed a game at Aston Villa, while a third postponement followed on Wednesday as Tottenham versus Fulham fell by the wayside.

City re…

Frank Lampard has hailed low-maintenance Willian and revealed the forward is in talks with Chelsea over a new deal.

The 31-year-old scored twice in Chelsea s 2-0 win over Tottenham last weekend, taking his tally to four goals and three assists in the Premier League this term.

Willian is out of contract at the end of the season and suggested last month he had yet to be offered a new deal by the London club.

However, Lampard is eager for the Brazil international who turns 32 next August to commit his future to Chelsea.

He s in talks with the club. He speaks with the club on the money side of it, Lampard is quoted as saying by several British newspapers.

I m very happy for our team performance in the derby today, but at the same time I m very disapp…

Pep Guardiola wants Vincent Kompany to be mentally and physically fit before giving the Manchester City captain a sustained run of first-team action.

Kompany has been ravaged by a succession of muscle injuries over recent seasons, with calf problems decimating his 2015-16 campaign, in which he started only 20 of City s 58 games.

The last of those came in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid, the centre-back lasting only 10 minutes due to a groin and thigh injury that required surgery and ruled him out of Belgium s Euro 2016 campaign.

The 30-year-old made his first appearance under Guardiola in last month s EFL Cup tie at Swansea City, only for a fresh groin strain suffered in stoppage time to send him back to the treatment room.

Teenage striker Matthew Hoppe scored a stunning hat-trick to finally banish Schalke s winless run after 30 Bundesliga matches.

The German giants had not claimed a league victory since January 2020 heading into Saturday s home game against Hoffenheim.

Failure to win again would have seen Schalke equal Tasmania Berlin s record stretch of 31 Bundesliga matches without success from 1965-66.

However, an inspired outing from 19-year-old Hoppe set up a 4-0 triumph at the Veltins-Arena, ending that miserable streak and moving Schalke off the foot of the table.

The American had never previously netted a senior goal but repaid the faith shown in him by Christian Gross, Schalke s fourth coach of the season.

Hoppe s opener came in contentious circumstances th…

Carlo Ancelotti hailed Rodrygo as special  after the forward s goal secured a 2-1 LaLiga win over Real Betis on Real Madrid s return to Santiago Bernabeu.

Vinícius Junior scored the opening goal in Madrid s first game at their revamped home for 106 days, but Sergio Canales equalised in the first half.

Rodrygo stepped up to make it four LaLiga wins out of four for the champions and consign Betis to a first defeat.

Madrid boss Ancelotti lavished praise on the Brazil forward following his decisive 65th-minute strike.

The Italian said: He is a special striker, he can play in all positions. He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes.

Ancelotti moved level with Vicente del …

Hamburg s Marcell Jansen says the club are targeting a win over Borussia Dortmund on Saturday as they look to get their season on track.

Hamburg have endured an inconsistent campaign to date and sit ninth in the Bundesliga table ahead of the weekend, while Dortmund are 12 points adrift of leaders Bayern Munich in second place.

Dortmund are favourites. We need to be wide awake from the first minute. Our goal must be to win there, Jansen told Bild.

We still lack consistency and lose our concentration too much. We re brave but not toxic enough. We hide too much. It is a mystery that I don t understand.

The full-back has fallen out of favour with Germany since winning his first cap in September 2010, but aims to play his way back into Joachim Loew s plans…

Napoli midfielder Walter Gargano has joined Parma on loan with the option of a permanent move to the Stadio Ennio Tardini.

The 29-year-old spent last season on loan at Inter, making 28 Serie A appearances, and has reportedly been monitored by the likes of Cagliari, Sunderland and Fulham in recent weeks.

Gargano, capped 47 times for Uruguay, joined Napoli in 2007 from Danubio and helped the club to win the 2011-12 Coppa Italia.

He played 199 games for Napoli and will now continue his Serie A career at Parma.

Gargano was initially linked with Parma at the start of last month after Inter opted not to offer him a prolonged stay at San Siro despite the player admitting an interest in remaining in Milan.

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