CAF Champions League holders ES Tunis began their defence in underwhelming fashion as a late Anice Badri goal salvaged a 1-1 draw with Horoya.
ES Tunis claimed their third CAF Champions League title by comfortably beating Al Ahly over two legs last November, but were far from convincing in their opening match of Group B.
Reigning Guinean champions Horoya went ahead in the 68th minute through Ocansey Mandela and it looked as though they were heading for an upset win before Badri hauled the visitors level in the 93rd minute.
In Group A, 2017 champions Wydad Casablanca got off to a flying start with a 5-2 victory over ASEC Mimosas, while 2016 winners Mamelodi Sundowns slipped to a surprise 2-1 defeat against Lobi Stars.
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Defending champions Juventus sailed into the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia thanks to a straightforward 2-0 win at Bologna on Saturday, Federico Bernardeschi and Moise Kean getting the goals.
Massimiliano Allegri rested several first-team regulars, such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Paulo Dybala, but still Juve were a class above and in complete control throughout, sealing victory without truly exerting themselves.
A goalkeeping howler allowed Bernardeschi to give the visitors the upper hand with just nine minutes on the clock and it looked a long way back from there even so early on for Bologna.
Kean, 18, wrapped things up soon after the break thanks to a poacher s finish, his first goal of the season, and Juve eased into the last eight in pursuit of a fifth co…
Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal needs to find a solution to his teams poor defensive crisis
Manchester United suffered a 1-0 defeat against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
Sergio Aguero’s sharp finish was enough to win the game for the reigning champions, but the turning point of the derby was the sending-off of United defender Chris Smalling.
The makeshift backline of Antonio Valencia, Paddy McNair, Michael Carrick and Luke Shaw actually produced a decent display against City.
However, it is the long-term future of the United defence that must be a worry for Red Devils fans.
Silly
Smalling’s red card was completely justified. His first yellow card for blocking a Joe Hart goal-kick was an unnecessary one to say …
Head coach Frank de Boer has warned his Netherlands players there must be no slackening in their bid for Euro 2020 glory.
The Netherlands face the Czech Republic in the last 16 of Euro 2020 on Sunday as they look to win their opening four games of a European Championship for just the second time.
The sides will face each other at the European Championship for the third time (excl. Czechoslovakia meetings), with both sides winning one game apiece previously.Â
They last faced each other in a tournament at Euro 2004 when the Czechs came from two goals down to win 3-2, following an 88th-minute winner from Vladimir Smicer.
De Boer s men have looked in good form and were the top scorers during the group stage with eight goals ahead of the match in Budapest.
Italy head coach Roberto Mancini has hailed the impact of his substitutes who changed the game as the Azzurri won 2-1 over Austria in extra-time in their Euro 2020 last-16 clash.
Federico Chiesa and Matteo Pessina came off the bench to both score in extra-time, while 67th-minute substitute Manuel Locatelli helped turn the game too.
Mancini had weighed up starting Locatelli ahead of Marco Verratti, whom he replaced, and delighted in his subs impact and their potential roles moving forward, with a quarter-final date confirmed.
They were brilliant and that can be a huge advantage for us, Mancini said.
The fact we have players that can step in and change the game because they are fresh, it was an excellent performance.
The players wanted to win at …
Simone Inzaghi confirmed Romelu Lukaku will miss Inter s Champions League clash with Bayern Munich due to injury, but should recover before the World Cup.
Inter have already qualified for the knockout stages of UEFA s premier club competition after defeating Viktoria Plzen 4-0 on matchday five in Group C, subsequently eliminating Barcelona.
Belgium international Lukaku scored from the bench in the win over Plzen and was introduced as a substitute in Saturday s 3-0 win over Sampdoria, in which he aggravated a reoccurring left-hamstring injury.
While Inzaghi will be without the on-loan striker at Bayern on Tuesday, he suggested Lukaku should be fit before the World Cup, where Belgium start their campaign against Canada on November 23.
He had a little probl…
While Chelsea might have been smelling the chance to lay down another marker over the weekend, Graham Potter was hit with a nightmare return to Brighton on Saturday afternoon.
Eventually suffering a shock drumming away at his former employers, Potter also saw his unbeaten start to life at Stamford Bridge come to an abrupt end.
Although the former Premier League champions might have booked their spot in the knockout stage of this year s Champions League, it has been suggested that the new Chelsea hierarchy could once again be looking to break the bank in January.
Welcoming the likes of England international Raheem Sterling to west London over the summer, it is expected that Potter will be backed in the market.
Embarking on a real overhaul in their recrui…
that David De Gea has rejected Manchester United’s offer of a new contract as he looks to push through a transfer to Real Madrid.
The goalkeeper moved to Old Trafford from Real’s city rivals Atleti in June 2011, and he has gone on to make one hundred and thirty-nine appearances for the club in all competitions.
However, Real are looking for a long term replacement for Iker Casillas, and have identified Madrid born De Gea as their top target.
The 24 year old is also expected to take Casillias’ place as Spain’s number one in the coming years, with the current national captain seemingly coming towards the end of his international career.
De Gea won the first of this three senior caps in a 2-0 win over El Salvador in preparation for this summerâ…
Kris Boyd has voiced his surprise at re-joining Rangers after putting pen to paper on a one-year deal.
Boyd sealed his Ibrox return on Friday as a free agent after coming to the end of his contract at Kilmarnock, where he scored 22 times in the Scottish Premiership last season.
The 30-year-old striker plundered 101 league goals in 143 appearances in his first spell at Rangers between January 2006 and July 2010.
And the Scotland international is chomping at the bit to pick up where he left off at the Glasgow giants, who also lured forward Kenny Miller back earlier this month ahead of the start of the Championship season.
Boyd told the club s official website: I m thrilled to be back, I m a Rangers fan and I know everything about the club.
I m …
Market: Lincoln City win
Odds: 13/10Â @
Looking to extend on what has been a very impressive start to the New Year, Lincoln will make the trip to the One Call Stadium on Tuesday night.
Starting with the hosts, largely outplayed and hit with a 2-1 defeat away at Newport over the weekend after throwing away the lead late on, Mansfield appear to be set for another relegation scrap in League Two this time around. Just about managing to keep hold of their Football League status after watching the 2019/2020 campaign brought to an early halt earlier in the year, John Dempster s men signed off their pre-season preparations with a 3-0 drumming at the hands of Rotherham and have really failed to lay down any marker this season. One of just four sides in England s fourth-t…