Messi to Receive Prestigious Catalan Award

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi is set receive Catalonia's highest distinctions, the Creu de Sant Jordi.

The award was created in 1981 by the Catalan government to recognise individuals who have successfully contributed to the identity of the region.

Lionel Messi is widely considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, amassing five Ballon d'Or trophies and enjoying spectacular success at Barca since making his debut in 2004.

He has won 34 major honours as a Barca player – more than any other player in the club's history – and is its all-time record goalscorer with 598 goals across all competitions.

VVD Beats Sterling to PFA Player of the Year Award

Virgil van Dijk has defeated Raheem Sterling to claim the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Player of the Year award. Sterling was named PFA Young Player of the Year.

Anna Margaretha Marina Astrid "Vivianne" Miedema RON Arsenal Women forward, won the award for the Women player of the year.

Virgil Van Dijk beat out a host of Manchester City players aside from Sterling, including Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva, along with Reds team-mate Sadio Mane and Chelsea's Eden Hazard to the award, which is voted on by the members of the PFA.

In addition to his defensive contributions, Van Dijk has chipped in with three goals and two assists this season for the Reds in the Premier League, while adding another two goals and two assists in the Champions League.

The centre-back is the second Liverpool player to take the award in as many years, after Mohamed Salah was named winner in 2017-18.

PFA Team of the Year : Pogba IN, Hazard OUT

Manchester United Star Paul Pogba has joined Virgil van Dijk and Raheem Sterling in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year, with the Manchester United midfielder the only non-Liverpool or Manchester City player to be included in a star-studded XI.

The World Cup winner has faced questions over his consistency during the 2018-19 season, but the Frenchman has done enough to impress his peers with 13 goals and nine assists.

He is picked alongside City pair Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva in the midfield of the latest English top-flight selection.

Chelsea talisman Eden Hazard is among the other notable absentees, with the Belgian overlooked despite recording 16 goals and claiming 13 assists, with him also making the six-man shortlist for the Player of the Year award.

Here's the team:  

  

🔰GK: Ederson

🔰DEF: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil Van Dijk, Aymeric Laporte, Andy Robertson

🔰MID: Paul Pogba, Fernandinho, Bernard Silva

🔰ATT: Sadio Mane, Sergio Aguero, Raheem Sterling

Lewandowski Sends Bayern to DFB-Pokal Final

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich booked a place in the DFB-Pokal final with a 3-2 win at Werder Bremen, surviving a stirring second-half fightback.

Robert Lewandowski's first-half goal put Bayern on track and when Thomas Muller added their second after the interval at Weser-Stadion on Wednesday they seemed set to cruise into a final against RB Leipzig in Berlin.

But Werder hit back with Yuya Osako and Milot Rashica on target with a quickfire double to briefly draw them level before Lewandowski converted a controversial penalty in the 80th minute to win it.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern suffered a shock loss to Niko Kovac's Eintracht Frankfurt in the final last year but, despite Lewandowski missing an open goal for his hat-trick in added time, the coach now has a chance to potentially make it a double in his first season in charge of the Bavarian giants.

Rashford Says Man Utd Failing to Meet 'Bare Minimum'

Marcus Rashford blasted Manchester United's performance on Wednesday, saying the team isn't meeting the "bare minimum" required to represent the club after a painful derby loss.

Man Utd were beaten 2-0 by cross-town rivals Manchester City on Wednesday, just days after the Red Devils were thrashed 4-0 by Everton at Goodison Park.

With those defeats, Manchester United have now amassed seven losses in nine outings, while also failing to keep a clean sheet in 12 consecutive games.

"Today we didn’t play like Manchester United," Rashford told Sky Sports. "It’s not right. The bare minimum is to work hard and give all for the badge, the supporters, the club and yourself.

"It has been a tough road to get to where we are, to get there and not be putting up the same performances as we were in January is disappointing.

"We know what’s been going wrong, it’s mentality and willingness to run for your team. Forget the league and top four, you don’t lose this game.

"It’s that simple as a Manchester United fan. We never call each other out but we have to be real with each other. It’s a matter of trying to improve each other." - Rashford said. 

Lethal Wolves Leave Arsenal's Top 4 Hopes in Tatters

Arsenal's hopes of securing a top-four place were dealt a blow as Wolves cruised to a 3-1 Premier League win at Molineux on Wednesday.

Any thoughts the Gunners would return to winning ways after Sunday's damaging defeat to Crystal Palace were extinguished during a 17-minute spell in the first half, which saw Wolves score three times.

Ruben Neves got them up and running with a glorious free-kick shortly before the half-hour mark, while Matt Doherty and Diogo Jota put the game to bed before the interval after some generous defending from Unai Emery's side.

Defeat leaves Arsenal – who scored a late consolation goal through Sokratis Papastathopoulos – a point behind fourth-place Chelsea, while Wolves are now one point ahead of Watford in seventh.

Man City Drub United; Seize Control of Title Race

Second-half goals from Bernardo Silva and substitute Leroy Sane gave Manchester City a 2-0 derby triumph over Manchester United as Pep Guardiola's men edged back ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Following a humiliating 4-0 defeat at Everton on Sunday, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made five changes to the United XI and he was rewarded with an enterprising first-half display.

But PFA Player of the Year nominee Bernado Silva broke the deadlock in the 54th minute and Sane gave the off-colour David de Gea another moment to forget 12 minutes later.

Man City are a point ahead of Liverpool, knowing victories in their final three games will guarantee back-to-back titles and complete two-thirds of an unprecedented domestic treble.

Keita & Firmino Hand Liverpool Advantage

 

Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino were on target as Liverpool eased to a 2-0 win in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Porto.

The Portuguese champions had revenge on the mind after being dumped out by Jurgen Klopp's side in the last 16 of last year's competition but a disappointing first-half performance has given them an almighty task in next week's return fixture at the Estadio do Dragao. 

Naby Keita's second goal in less than a week got the Reds up and running after just five minutes before Firmino added a simple second in the 26th minute.

Liverpool did most of the pressing in the second half – Sadio Mane coming closest from long range – but they were unable to find a third that would have all but ended the tie as a contest.

CR7 Will Start Against Ajax

Cristiano Ronaldo is fit enough to start for Juventus in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg against Ajax.

Head coach Massimiliano Allegri has confirmed the 34-year-old has recovered sufficiently from a thigh injury sustained while on Portugal duty last month.

Cristiano Ronaldo has not played for the Serie A leaders since scoring a hat-trick in the 3-0 last-16 second-leg win over Atletico Madrid on March 12.

As a result, he's missed out on wins over Genoa, Empoli, Cagliari and AC Milan as Juventus have moved within a step of claiming the Serie A crown.

Cristiano Ronaldo has made scored 19 goals in 26 league matches for the Serie A leaders while also adding four goals in seven Champions League appearances for the club.

"Cristiano Ronaldo has trained well with the team. He will start tomorrow night," Allegri told a news conference on Tuesday.

Pochettino - Kane May Be Out For the Season

Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has admitted that striker Harry Kane could be out for the rest of the season.

Harry Kane had to be removed from Tuesday's Champions League match against Manchester City with a left ankle injury. 

In the 55th minute, the Spurs star attempted to block a clearance by Fabian Delph and the City defender inadvertently stepped on Kane's ankle as he was following through. 

Spurs went on to win the match 1-0, getting a 78th-minute goal from Son Heung-Min to give them the advantage ahead of the second leg.

But the win came at a cost, as the Spurs boss said after the game that Kane may have played his last match this season.

"It's very, very sad. It's going to be tough and we're going to miss him - maybe for the rest of the season," Pochettino told BT Sport.

Harry Kane's injury will be a major worry for Tottenham and for England, as the striker injured the same left ankle that he hurt back in January.

Son Punishes Aguero as Spurs Beat Man City

A second-half strike from Son Heung-min gave Tottenham a 1-0 win over Manchester City in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Sergio Kun Aguero missed a first-half penalty and Harry Kane was forced off injured before Son's strike settled the first European match at the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Tuesday.

Man City had won all of the past three meetings with Spurs but, without Bernardo Silva or Kevin De Bruyne in the starting line-up, they seemed to lack a lot of the spark that has kept them on course for an unprecedented quadruple this season.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were thwarted by Ederson for much of the match, but the Brazil goalkeeper allowed Son's strike to slide beneath him and leave City trailing ahead of the return leg.

Aguero 'Feels Better' Ahead of Man City's Tottenham Trip

Sergio kun Aguero "feels better" and could be fit for Manchester City's Champions League quarter-final first leg with Tottenham, Pep Guardiola says.

Speaking about Aguero’s fitness, Guardiola told a pre-match news conference: "He feels better, he trained with the team for the first time and feels better."

Aguero, 30, has scored 29 goals in all competitions this season and boasts an impressive return of 10 in 13 matches versus Spurs.

Man City's top scorer has not featured since the 2-0 Premier League win against Fulham at Craven Cottage nine days ago, where he was on target during the first half but substituted with a muscular complaint before the hour.

Bonucci Backtracks on Kean Racist Abuse Remarks

Leonardo Bonucci​ has taken steps to clarify his remarks on the racist abuse reportedly suffered by Moise Kean during Juventus' match against Cagliari.

“There were racist jeers after the goal, Blaise heard it and was angered," he said. "I think the blame is 50-50, because Moise kean shouldn’t have done that and the Curva should not have reacted that way.

“We are professionals, we have to set the example and not provoke anyone.”

Those comments brought out a strong set of reactions from player around the world, with Yaya Toure​ calling the comments "the worst scenario you can have in football – your team-mate attacking and saying things like that", while Raheem Sterling claimed "all you can do is laugh" in his response to Bonucci's comments.

The defender has not come out to clarify his remarks, saying he wants to "firmly condemn all forms of racism and discrimination" while claiming that his words have not been fully understood.

Morata Ruled Out of Atletico's Clash with Barca

On loan striker Alvaro Morata is set to miss the upcoming weekend's clash against La Liga leaders Barcelona at the Camp Nou due to a sprained ankle.

Alvaro Morata's injury creates a further selection headache for head coach Diego Simeone, who could also be without Diego Costa who is recovering from a muscle injury, while attacking midfielder Thomas Lemar is not expected back from injury for another two weeks.

The capital club trail the Blagauranes by 8 points with 8 league games remaining.

Jose Mourinho Opens Door to Bayern Munich

Jose Mourinho has left the door open for Bayern Munich to make a move, with the Portuguese admitting he would welcome the opportunity to work in Germany amid links to the Bundesliga champions.

Another change in the dugout at the Allianz Arena is being mooted as Niko Kovac struggles to convince in his first season at the helm.

He has Bayern in contention to defend their domestic crown, but was knocked out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage by Liverpool.

Asked at the NTF Coaches Forum in his homeland if he could be tempted by a Bundesliga challenge, Jose Mourinho said in Record: “It's a country I've never trained in. Why not? Let's see.”

The opportunity to work in a new country would appeal to the 56-year-old.

Jose Mourinho added on his future plans: “I would like to try and win a third Champions League with a third club and to win a fifth league in a different country.

“But I do not always get what I want and my ambitions are not restricted to this.”

Zidane Promises Clarity on Madrid GK Situation

Zinedine Zidane claims there “will be no debate about the goalkeeping position next season” at Real Madrid, with Thibaut Courtois currently being linked with a move away from the club.

The Belgium international only moved to the Santiago Bernabeu in the summer of 2018.

After many windows of speculation, the Blancos finally acquired another goalkeeper to compete with Keylor Navas.

Quizzed on whether he plans to continue rotating his options in 2019-20, the Blancos boss said: “That depends on which goalkeepers we will have next season.

“At the moment, we have three very good keepers and we'll see what happens next season.

“There will be no debate about the goalkeeping position next season - it will be very clear.”

Reports : Barca Want Mata; PSG Want Herrera

Manchester United are in danger of losing Ander Herrera and Juan Mata to two of their biggest European rivals this summer – and both on free transfers.

Ander Herrera has agreed terms to join Paris Saint-Germain and Juan Mata is in talks over a move to Barcelona, as per reports.

The Spain internationals have been free to speak to foreign clubs since January 1, with their United contracts expiring at the end of June.

The club have been in talks over new deals with both players for a number of months and, as far as United are concerned, discussions remain ongoing with nothing yet decided.

But during the recent international break, Ander Herrera, who was a target for Athletic Bilbao in January, admitted he "knew something would come out" about PSG and described initial reports of discussions as "logical when you have three months left on your contract".

Juan Mata, who had a year-long extension clause activated by United last season, pondered a return to Spain in January in an interview with a Spanish newspaper, albeit when he was one of a number of players unsettled under previous boss Jose Mourinho.

Pep Confirms Aguero Out of Cardiff Clash

Pep Guardiola has confirmed that Sergio Aguero will miss Manchester City's Premier League meeting with Cardiff City on Wednesday.

The 30-year-old limped out of his side's 2-0 win over Fulham on Saturday, with Guardiola having initially been hopeful that the injury was not serious and that he would be in contention to face Cardiff.

Kun Aguero had provided the assist for Bernardo Silva’s fifth-minute opener at Craven Cottage before scoring his 19th Premier League goal of the season before half-time.

He was replaced by Gabriel Jesus after 57 minutes, however, with Guardiola revealing after the match that the switch was a precautionary measure.

Kun Aguero hasn't trained since, though, and will now miss the game against Cardiff that gives City the opportunity to move one point ahead of Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

Zidane Rubbishes Varane Exit Rumours

Raphael Varane may be generating talk of interest from Manchester United and Juventus, but Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane claims to have seen nothing to suggest that the defender is looking for a move.

As the summer transfer window approaches, speculation regarding who may be heading where is starting to build.

Various big-money deals are being mooted at the Santiago Bernabeu, both in and out of the Spanish capital.

Zinedine Zidane is, however, eager to keep the 25-year-old World Cup winner on his books and insists a fellow countryman has offered no indication that he wants to leave.

Asked if he could imagine a Madrid squad without Raphael Varane, the Blancos boss said: “No, and besides, I don't want him to go. None of us want him to leave.

“He's still young, he's been here for eight years, and he's doing well. It's life, but he seems fine to me.

“He hasn't said anything about wanting to leave. But if you know something I don't…

“What counts is what the player tells me and right now he is at the best club in the world. He has won a lot here and he seems okay to me.”

Fabregas Sad to See Wenger's Reputation Tarnished

Cesc Fabregas admits the manner of Arsene Wenger’s departure from Arsenal, with his reputation tarnished by back-to-back finishes out of the top four, left him feeling “sad” for a former boss.

The Gunners bid farewell to an iconic French coach in the summer of 2018.

After 22 years of stability and continuity in north London, a page was turned as Wenger walked away a year before his contract was due to expire.

Cesc Fabregas hopes history will be kind to the man who gave him his big break, with it important to remember all of the good that Wenger did in England before reflecting on a forgettable end.

Quizzed on the criticism aimed at the ex-Gunners boss prior to his departure, Cesc Fabregas told beIN Sports: “Some moments I was sad, yes. He doesn’t deserve it for what he’s done.

“In football, it’s all about today. What you’ve done yesterday, unfortunately, doesn’t count.”