Quique Setien s first LaLiga Clasico as Barcelona boss has been handed a Sunday evening slot on March 1.
The visit to Real Madrid s Santiago Bernabeu stadium could be a pivotal moment in the race for the LaLiga title, and the kick-off at 21:00 local time should allow both sides to recover from midweek efforts in the Champions League.
Barcelona have an away clash against Napoli on Tuesday, February 25, and Madrid are at home to Manchester City the following night.
LaLiga president Javier Tebas made the Clasico announcement at an event in London on Wednesday, with the match timing picked to ensure maximum global exposure on television.
Barcelona lead the way in LaLiga, but they are only ahead of Madrid on goal difference, with both sides sitting on 40 poi…
Manchester United are set to make a move for Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan,.
The Germany international has also interested Arsenal, who were themselves considering a move before landing Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid.
Gundogan’s current deal runs to 2015, but the 22 year old is stalling over a new contract.
United wanted the former Nurnberg man back in 2011, when the player declared the now Premier League champions his “dream club”.
The £30m rated star is currently side-lined with a back injury which looks set to keep out until the transfer window reopens, but he has racked up eighty-plus appearances during his time with Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Internationally, he has two goals in eight appearances, and is almost certain to featur…
Watford kept their hopes of automatic promotion to the Premier League alive with a 2-1 win over Leicester City on Friday.
First-half goals from Troy Deeney and Chelsea loanee Nathaniel Chalobah proved sufficient, as the hosts failed to spark a comeback despite Harry Kane s goal on the hour.
The win moved Gianfranco Zola s side within a point of second-placed Hull City in the Championship, having played a game more.
Despite that result, Hull can confirm their promotion to the top flight behind champions Cardiff on Saturday, when they take on relegation-threatened Barnsley at Oakwell.
Victory would hand Steve Bruce s men an unassailable four-point lead over Watford with just the final round of fixtures to come.
Watford are hoping to seal a return to the Premier League for…
Massimiliano Allegri was left to rue Juventus slow and static defending after Napoli snatched a dramatic late winner at the Allianz Stadium.
A generally dull contest was settled in the third minute of stoppage time, when Giacamo Raspadori s thumping volley edged the runaway Serie A leaders ever closer to clinching the Scudetto.
The Juve defence were caught napping as Luciano Spalletti s side snatched all three points, and Allegri admitted he expects higher standards from his players.
It s disappointing to lose a game like that, but we should ve done better on the goal, he told DAZN. We just stopped playing and absolutely need to do better in that sense.
It’s simple, just look at the move, we are at the 93rd minute and ought to have bodies into the box…
Atlanta United moved up to third in the MLS Eastern Conference after Maren Haile-Selassie s 99th-minute own goal helped them to a 2-1 home win over Chicago Fire on Sunday.
Chicago thought they had rescued a point from substitute Kacper Przybylko s 90th-minute strike but there was to be drama in the final minute of nine stoppage-time minutes.
Machop Chol glanced on Brooks Lennon s corner, with Juanjo Purata s poke deflecting off Haile-Selassie s back and dribbling over the goalline. The win meant Atlanta stretched their unbeaten streak to four games.
Georgios Giakoumakis had put Atlanta ahead in the 13th minute, lashing home from Lennon s cutback.
But Chicago squared the game up from Przybylko s strike after he had been thwarted with his initial attempt, o…
Julian Nagelsmann insisted there is more to come from Jamal Musiala following the teenager s brace in Bayern Munich s 12-0 DFB-Pokal demolition of Bremer.
Musiala scored twice on his first start of the season as Bundesliga champions Bayern put 12 past their helpless fifth-tier opponents at the Weserstadion on Wednesday.
The 18-year-old brilliantly executed a neat one-two with four-goal star Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting for his opener, while rifling home a 20-yard thunderbolt for his second just after half-time.
Germany sensation Musiala carried a constant threat with his pace and ball retention down the right flank, and would have claimed a hat-trick had his goal-bound first-half shot not been turned over his own line by Jan-Luca Warm.
12 – Winning 12-0 vs …
Joey Barton is to re-sign for Premier League side Burnley on a short-term deal from January, subject to international clearance.
Barton helped Burnley win promotion from the Championship last season, but opted to depart Turf Moor to join Scottish Premiership side Rangers.
However, it proved an unhappy spell for the 34-year-old at Ibrox and he was suspended following a training-ground spat with team-mate Andy Halliday in the aftermath of the humiliating 5-1 Old Firm defeat to rivals Celtic in September.
Barton was initially exiled for three weeks, but his ban was extended when the Scottish Football Association charged him for breaching betting rules and the two parties eventually parted ways in November.
BREAKING: Joey Barton set to re-sign for Burnley o…
Ivory Coast welcomed Cheick Tiote back to training on Tuesday ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final.
Cheick Tiote could return for Ivory Coast s Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday.
The Newcastle United midfielder has not featured for Herve Renard s side since their second group game against Mali on January 24 due to an ankle injury.
However, Renard hopes to have the 28-year-old back as they look to reach a third final in six years at the continental competition.
Tiote has started light training and he is in the squad [for Wednesday], said Renard.
It will be difficult for him to start the game, but he is in the squad.
Ivory Coast are looking to win their first AFCON title since …
Being favourites to win the Africa Cup of Nations means nothing, Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard said ahead of their semi-final.
Ivory Coast coach Herve Renard is wary of his side holding the favourites tag ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final clash with Democratic Republic of Congo.
Renard s side flattered to deceive at the start of the tournament, registering underwhelming 1-1 stalemates with both Guinea and Mali, but subsequent victories over Cameroon and Algeria now have them as favourites.
The Wilfried Bony-inspired 3-1 quarter-final triumph over Algeria was particularly impressive considering that Christian Gourcuff’s men were the highest-ranked team in the competition and now Ivory Coast are within touching distance of another final.
H…
Market: Villarreal win
Odds: 4/6 @
Looking to make a return to winning ways on Thursday evening, Villarreal will welcome Espanyol to the Estadio de la Ceramica.
Starting with the hosts, last seen putting in another downbeat display as they slumped to a 2-1 loss away at Sevilla, Villarreal do have the feel of a squad seeking a recent boost. Left disappointed on April 15th as they suffered a 2-1 defeat at home against Valladolid, Quique Setien’s men are now in a real battle to claim a top-six finish this season. However, rightfully smelling the chance to claim a La Liga boost on Thursday evening, the one-time Barcelona boss should be excited by an eye-catching record against the midweek guests. Claiming a deserved 1-0 win when they made the trip to Catalonia for…