Jean-Philippe Mateta s brace, including a stoppage-time penalty, denied Leicester City their first win since returning to the Premier League as Crystal Palace came from behind to draw 2-2.
Jamie Vardy gave the Foxes a first-half lead with a neat finish and just seconds after the restart, Stephy Mavididi capitalised on some poor defending to double the away side s advantage.
Mateta dragged Palace back into the match with his first goal moments later, but Leicester looked set to hang on despite being put under heavy pressure in the second half.
However, Conor Coady fouled Ismaila Sarr in the box and Mateta coolly dispatched his penalty kick to deny Steve Cooper a first league victory as Leicester manager.
Both sides are still searching for their first win a…
Fulham set to sign Raul Jimenez
Fulham are reportedly close to completing the transfer of Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez for £5.5 million.
The Cottagers are apparently dealing with the situation regarding the future of Aleksandar Mitrovic, their long-serving star frontman, who is very keen to leave the club in light of a chance to join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia. They re said to have rejected offers for his services already, and Mitrovic is apparently angry about their stance, believing he was being priced out of the market.
But with Jimenez set to join their ranks now, it stands to reason to assume they ll soon be prepared to consider a selling the Serbia international.
Zaha set for Galatasaray switch
Galatasaray are re…
Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas has told Paris Saint-Germain to do whatever it takes to keep Neymar.
Neymar, 27, is heavily linked with a move away from the Ligue 1 champions this close season, with a return to Barcelona mooted just two years after his €222million switch.
While the Brazil star staying at PSG would only make Thomas Tuchel s men stronger, Aulas said they needed to keep the forward.
It s embarrassing for Ligue 1 if at one point the TV rights bidding was done with visibility that included Neymar, he told Le Parisien on Wednesday.
He was before at Barca. With a very big cheque, he arrived in Paris. I think PSG have to do what it takes to keep him.
But as president of OL, I am in a bad position to judge.
Lyon have gone th…
Shakhtar Donetsk eased past Basel 4-1 on Tuesday to book an intriguing Europa League semi-final against Inter.
The 2008-09 UEFA Cup winners made light work of their Swiss opponents in Gelsenkirchen after scoring early through Moraes.
Taison doubled Shakhtar s lead and further goals could and perhaps should have followed long before Alan Patrick s penalty made it three as Basel were dominated in the one-legged last-eight tie.
Shakhtar, who got a late fourth through Dodo, will surely now back themselves to at least cause Antonio Conte s Inter problems next week, although this routine victory did little to test their readiness.
Luis Castro s side led after just 100 seconds with the aid of some generous goalkeeping from stand-in Djordje Nikolic.
M…
Liverpool s quadruple hopes remain intact as they beat rivals Manchester City 3-2 to secure their spot in the FA Cup final.
The Reds and City are neck-and-neck in the Premier League and could yet contest the Champions League final, but Saturday s win at Wembley made it advantage Liverpool in their 2021-22 trophies duel.
While City were without Kyle Walker and only had Kevin De Bruyne on the bench due to injury, Liverpool restored several key players to their line-up after a midweek rest and it was evident throughout a first half that the Reds dominated.
Liverpool were 3-0 up by half-time thanks to Ibrahima Konate s early header and a Sadio Mane double, with City goalkeeper Zack Steffen at fault for the Senegal forward s first goal.
Jack Grealish pulled…
Atalanta will hope to keep Italy s Champions League interest alive in Tuesday s last-16 second legs.
Gian Piero Gasperini s men have the simple tasking of overturning a 1-0 deficit away to Real Madrid, the most successful club in the competition s history and winners of four of the past seven tournaments.
Zinedine Zidane s men have struggled for consistency in 2020-21 but the Champions League traditionally brings out their best, while Atalanta s visit could also be one to celebrate for Toni Kroos.
Madrid may be confident in their chances, but Manchester City are in an even more enviable position, having won 2-0 away to Borussia Monchengladbach in their first leg.
Gladbach have struggled badly since the announcement that Marco Rose will be leaving for Boru…
Brendan Rodgers says Celtic are under no illusions they are in for a tough test against Borussia Dortmund in front of the Yellow Wall in the Champions League.
Celtic got off to a flying start in the last round, brushing aside Slovan Bratislava 5-1 last month to win their Champions League opener for the first time, and sit second in the table behind Bayern Munich.
Having also won their final group-stage match last season, Rodgers side are looking to win three consecutive matches in the competition for the first time since 1976.
But coming up against last season s runners-up, who began their campaign with a 3-0 victory over Club Brugge, is a different prospect for the Scottish champions.
Asked if this was the acid test for his side, Rodgers said: I think t…
Motherwell manager Stuart Kettlewell has stressed the club’s search for investment is part of a natural drive to improve.
Chairman Jim McMahon this week announced he would step down by the end of the season and claimed the club needed “significant investment” to retain a “competitive player budget”.
Interim chief executive Derek Weir is also aiming to make way for a permanent successor by the end of March.
The board will soon unveil plans for a fund-raising initiative which they have been working on for at least two years, but the fan-owned club had never previously publicly announced their intentions.
Preparing for Sunday s task
— Motherwell FC (@MotherwellFC)
“I think we can dramatise things,” said Kettlewell, whose tea…
Atletico Madrid striker Luis Suarez has lifted the lid on his acrimonious exit from Barcelona and revealed he was told he was past his best.
Suarez has scored 16 goals in 20 league appearances this season, firing Diego Simeone s side to the top of LaLiga, and is the competition s joint top goalscorer alongside former Barca team-mate Lionel Messi.
After the 34-year-old was allowed to join the Catalans title rivals on a cut-price deal, Atleti have opened up an eight-point advantage over fourth-placed Barca, and hold a three-point lead over Real Madrid, with a game in hand.
The Uruguayan netted 198 goals in six seasons at Camp Nou but, after new coach Ronald Koeman was hired, Suarez revealed he was told he was no longer up to their standards.
What really …
Florentino Perez has called on Real Madrid s electoral board to set in motion the process of deciding the presidency and board of directors.
Madrid have not needed to carry out a full election since 2006, after the end of Perez s first spell in charge, which lasted just over six years.
Ramon Calderon won that vote but subsequently resigned in 2009, and Perez – who had overseen the Galactico era in the early 2000s – returned for a second term as the only candidate to officially stand.
A similar situation has presented itself this time around, with Perez currently the only candidate in the race, meaning there would be no vote unless another member puts themselves forward.
However, Spanish businessman Enrique Riquelme, did last week suggest that he …