Manchester City again came unstuck against Lyon in the Champions League as a controversial 3-1 defeat saw Pep Guardiola miss out on a semi-final against his former club Bayern Munich.

Lyon won away to City in the 2018-19 group stage also drawing at home and they again had the tournament favourites number in Lisbon on Saturday.

Maxwel Cornet scored in both prior meetings between the sides and was on target once more midway through the first half as City struggled to get to grips with the five-man defence named by Guardiola.

That formation was ditched before the hour mark and Kevin De Bruyne equalised, but substitute Moussa Dembele restored Lyon s lead following a contentious counter-attack with 11 minutes remaining and then added another after an Ederson error.…

Barnet boss Dean Brennan insisted an FA Cup replay against League Two Newport was the least his side deserved after Danny Collinge’s 89th-minute header earned the National League outfit a 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade.

The Bees are just 12 places below the Exiles in the football pyramid, but four successive defeats had derailed their promotion bid in recent weeks.

They looked full of confidence, however, as they took the game to their hosts on a bitterly cold south Wales afternoon.

Newport thought they had done enough to earn a place in the third round for the first time since 2021 as Shane McLoughlin put them 1-0 up in the 44th minute.

Bryn Morris hit a post with a free-kick before that goal and Omar Bogle was denied a second late on, but Barnet dominated …

We should have known Diego Simeone would do it differently.

The customary celebrations were all there: the cheers, the hugs, the hoisting of the coach high into the air by jubilant, exhausted players.

Yet the most poignant moment of Saturday s post-match scenes at the Jose Zorrilla, where Atletico Madrid became LaLiga champions for the 11th time, was one of quiet reflection. Simeone, wiping his eyes, went to console dejected Real Valladolid players whose relegation was confirmed by that 2-1 defeat. His own emotions running their highest, he was still attuned to theirs.

Simeone has always seemed fuelled by the raw emotive power of a football match, more than any other coach among Europe s elite clubs. When he reels off platitudes in dour pre-game press talks, it…

Prediction: AS Saint-Etienne to win 2-0

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AS Saint-Etienne and FC Metz will lock horns with each other this week. This is the first leg of the Ligue 1 relegation playoffs. The match will be played at Stade Geoffroy-Guichard and is scheduled to kick off at 7:30 pm UK time on Thursday.

AS Saint-Etienne

AS Saint-Etienne are one of the most well-known clubs in France who are used to playing in Ligue 1. They featured in the second tier of French football this season and will now fancy their chances of getting promotion to the top flight via the playoffs.

Les Verts finished the 2023-23 campaign third in Ligue 2. Olivier Dall’Oglio ended the season with 65 points from 38 matches, three points behind Angers, who finished second. …

NewCo CEO Nikki Doucet says her organisation is exploring “all possible options” in negotiating a new broadcast deal for the Women’s Super League and Championship as the top two tiers of English women’s football prepare to operate under an independent entity.

From next season, the leagues will be run under club-owned structure NewCo, with the FA also having what the organisation’s chief revealed will be a “special” share similar to its agreement with the Premier League.

An independent review of the women’s game led by former England international Karen Carney, recommended women’s football establish its own dedicated broadcast slot, suggesting the “obvious gap” would be 3pm on Saturday, which would require an exemption from or amendment to the histor…

Julian Nagelsmann believes Bayern Munich would have won by an even greater margin had they not taken their foot of the pedal in Wednesday s comprehensive Champions League win over Barcelona.

Bayern outclassed and overpowered Barca 3-0 midweek, a result that eliminated the embattled LaLiga giants from the Champions League.

Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala were on target for Group E winners Bayern, who progressed to the knockout phase with a 100 per cent record.

Bayern led 2-0 at half-time thanks to Muller and Sane before Musiala netted a third just past the hour-mark at Allianz Arena.

With 22 goals scored and just three conceded, Bayern s goal difference of plus-19 during the group stages has only been bettered once before in Champions League hi…

Thomas Tuchel felt Chelsea were deserving Club World Cup winners and has challenged his relentless side to keep adding to their growing collection of titles in the remainder of the season.

Kai Havertz converted an extra-time penalty to secure a 2-1 win against Copa Libertadores holders Palmeiras, as Chelsea added success in FIFA s showpiece club tournament to the Champions League and Super Cup titles they lifted last year.

Tuchel, who missed his team s semi-final win over Al Hilal after testing positive for COVID-19 but was able to travel to the United Arab Emirates for the final, was full of praise for his charges after the contest.

While admitting Chelsea needed a little luck to avoid a shoot-out, the beaming former Paris Saint-German boss considered this …

Morocco have sacked head coach Vahid Halilhodzic just three months before the start of the World Cup in Qatar.

The Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) confirmed the dismissal of the Bosnian on Thursday, ending months of speculation over his future.

It is the third time Halilhodzic has been fired after securing qualification for a World Cup before the tournament gets under way, having been dismissed by the Ivory Coast before South Africa 2010 and Japan prior to Russia 2018.

The 69-year-old, who played for Yugoslavia at Spain 1982, did take charge of Algeria at the World Cup in Brazil eight years ago, but will now miss yet another major tournament.

A feud with Hakim Ziyech saw the Chelsea winger omitted from the Africa Cup of Nations this y…

The goal of every punter is to beat the in the long run and make a profit from his sports bets. To be successful in doing that, you need to have a solid knowledge of the sport (game) you are betting on. Also, a tested and proven will get you far. In this article, I will show you how to use the best Paroli strategy in football betting.

What is the Paroli betting system?

The Paroli betting system was first used in the 16th century by Italian people playing Basset (a card game). Having a positive progression as a base, the Paroli strategy means doubling the stake after each bet is won. As you have probably guessed, it is the exact opposite of the Martingale betting system. This is one of the reasons why punters are often referring to it as Reverse Martingale.

Bettors lo…

Italy coach Antonio Conte is eager to sample the unique experience Euro 2016 will offer as his side prepare to round off their qualification journey at home to Norway on Tuesday.

Conte s men sealed their place at the competition with a 3-1 victory over Azerbaijan at the weekend and can wrap up an unbeaten Group H campaign by avoiding defeat in Rome.

Former Juventus boss Conte featured at the European Championship with Italy in 2000, but is excited about the prospect of appearing as a coach in France next year, having been appointed after the World Cup last year.

Going to the Euros will be a unique experience, he said.

I ve been jealous of colleagues who have gone [to the tournament] before, but this time the pleasure will be mine.

Our goal will…