SPORTS

Real slump to third straight loss

Real Madrid failed to ease the pressure on coach Julen Lopetegui and instead set the record for the longest goal-drought in the club’s history during a surprise 2-1 defeat by Levante on Saturday. Madrid have now gone five games without a victory and when Marcelo gave them hope of a comeback at the Santiago Bernabeu, they had gone 481 minutes ...

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Messi set to miss El Clasico

Lionel Messi is expected to be out for three weeks after fracturing his right arm during Barcelona’s win over Sevilla on Saturday. Messi will now miss Barca’s Champions League game at home to Inter Milan on Wednesday, as well as the season’s first Clasico four days later against Real Madrid. A Barcelona club statement read: “Tests carried out on Leo ...

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Five-star Man City ensure no happy return for Hart

Pep Guardiola challenged his Manchester City attack to be even more clinical after an impressive 5-0 victory over Burnley on Saturday lifted them back to the top of the Premier League. Five different goalscorers were on target for the defending champions, who ensured that former club favourite Joe Hart endured an unhappy return to the Etihad Stadium. The result leaves ...

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Mourinho plays down touchline melee

Jose Mourinho played down an ugly touchline melee after watching his Manchester United side concede a heartbreaking late equaliser as Chelsea preserved their unbeaten Premier League record on Saturday. Ross Barkley scored in the sixth minute of injury time to level the match at 2-2 after Anthony Martial had scored twice in the second half to cancel out Antonio Rudiger’s ...

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Henry appointed Monaco head coach

Former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has been appointed as head coach of Monaco until June 2021. The 41-year-old Frenchman, who had been Belgium’s assistant manager, began his professional career at Monaco and helped them win Ligue 1 in 1997. The club are third from bottom in Ligue 1 and sacked manager Leonardo Jardim on Thursday. “It seems like fate that ...

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England turn to next generation against Croatia

Just three months on from the bitter disappointment of losing a first World Cup semifinal for 28 years, England visit Croatia on Friday in the Nations League seeking not only revenge, but also a long-term solution to a familiar shortcoming. For all the progress made by the Three Lions in a glorious Russian summer, a familiar lack of midfield authority ...

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Bafana win against Seychelles crucial – Lorch

Thembinkosi Lorch was about to walk onto Orlando Pirates’ training grounds when he received a call from his team manager, Floyd Mbele bearing news which took him by total surprise. “Mr Mbele called me on Tuesday morning and said that I would not be training with the team this week as coach (Stuart) Baxter wanted me in the Bafana Bafana ...

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Man United in trouble and could lose Pogba – Deschamps

Manchester United are in trouble and fans of Italian champions Juventus are right to dream of signing Paul Pogba, France’s World Cup-winning coach Didier Deschamps said on Wednesday. “All of Manchester United are in trouble. Pogba is still the same and is one of the best midfielders in the world,” Deschamps told Italian newspaper Gazzetta Dello Sport of the tensions ...

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