Former Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin has joined French title contenders Lens, the Ligue 1 ...

Former Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin has joined French title contenders Lens, the Ligue 1 club announced on Monday.Frenchman Saint-Maximin left the English side in 2023 before spells at Al Hilal, Fenerbahce and more recently CF America in Mexico.The 28-year-old left the Mexican outfit over the weekend having condemned racist remarks directed towards his children.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Saint-Maximin has signed a six-month deal at Lens, who are just two points behind league leaders Paris Saint-Germain."More than the player I want to put emphasis on the man," Lens sporting director Jean-Louis Leca said of Saint-Maximin."Allan gave us his word, and he made a lot of effort to join us, mainly to be closer to his family," he added.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - JANUARY 14: Allan Saint-Maximin of America kicks the ball during the 2nd round match between America and Atletico San Luis as part of the Torneo Clausura 2026 Liga MX at Estadio Ciudad de los Deportes on January 14, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico.

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Saint-Maximin joins Lens to boost Ligue 1 title bid

Sunderland's Ivory Coast forward Simon Adingra has joined Monaco on loan for the rest of the seas...

Sunderland's Ivory Coast forward Simon Adingra has joined Monaco on loan for the rest of the season, the Ligue 1 club announced on Monday. The 24-year-old made 73 appearances for Brighton before joining Sunderland last summer. He has played in 14 Premier League matches and one FA Cup game this season, scoring one goal and providing one assist. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>An Africa Cup of Nations winner in 2023 and a starter in the final, where he was named man of the match, Adingra has 26 caps for the Elephants but he was not selected for the recent AFCON in Morocco. According to various sources close to the deal, Monaco paid 1 million euros ($1.18 million) to activate the loan through to the end of the season, which includes a non-mandatory option to buy for 17 million euros.

SUNDERLAND, ENGLAND - DECEMBER 27: Simon Adingra of Sunderland runs with the ball during the Premier League match between Sunderland and Leeds United at Stadium of Light on December 27, 2025 in Sunderland, England.

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Sunderland's Adingra heads to Monaco on loan until end of season

Former Italy international Alberto Gilardino has been sacked by Serie A strugglers Pisa, while th...

Former Italy international Alberto Gilardino has been sacked by Serie A strugglers Pisa, while the league's bottom side Hellas Verona dismissed coach Paolo Zanetti after another defeat at the weekend.Pisa terminated Gilardino's contract after Sunday's 3-1 home loss to Sassuolo left the club with just one win from 23 matches this season in the Italian top flight.The 43-year-old Gilardino, a 2006 World Cup winner, took over in the summer from Filippo Inzaghi after Pisa secured a return to Serie A for the first time in 34 years.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Pisa and Verona are both four points from safety and face each other in their next match on Friday.Verona ended Zanetti's 18-month stint in charge following Saturday's 4-0 loss at Cagliari.

MILAN, ITALY - 2026/01/24: Alberto Gilardino (Pisa SC manager) walks around the bench prior to kick off during soccer game FC Inter vs Pisa SC, Serie A Enilive 2025-2026 day 22 at San Siro Stadium. FC Inter wins 6-2.

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Struggling Serie A sides Pisa, Hellas Verona sack coaches

Liverpool have beaten off competition from Chelsea to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet for a f...

Liverpool have beaten off competition from Chelsea to sign Rennes defender Jeremy Jacquet for a fee of up to £60 million ($82 million), according to British media reports on Monday.However, the 20-year-old is not set to move to Anfield until the end of the season despite Liverpool's need for defensive reinforcements.Jacquet had been linked with a transfer to Chelsea earlier this month but was reportedly put off the move by the competition for places at centre-back in the Blues' bloated squad.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Liverpool, by contrast, are desperately short on centre-back options.Captain Virgil van Dijk, 34, and Ibrahima Konate, who is out of contract at the end of the season, are the only two options currently available to Arne Slot with Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni sidelined by injury.French under-21 international Jacquet has only made 31 appearances for Rennes since breaking into the first team of the Ligue 1 side last season.Liverpool will reportedly pay an initial £55 million with a further £5 million contingent on add-ons.

PARIS, FRANCE - NOVEMBER 7: Jeremy Jacquet of Rennes and teammates celebrate the victory following the Ligue 1 McDonald's football match between Paris FC and Stade Rennais FC (Rennes) at Stade Jean Bouin on November 7, 2025 in Paris, France.

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Report: Liverpool beat Chelsea to £60M deal for defender Jacquet

Atletico Madrid said they have agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign Ademola Lookman on Sunday.  "(...

Atletico Madrid said they have agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign Ademola Lookman on Sunday."(The clubs) have agreed to the transfer of 28-year-old Nigerian international Ademola Lookman, who is already in Madrid," said Atletico in a statement."The agreement is pending a medical examination and the signing of his contract."<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Lookman, who scored a hat-trick as the Italian side beat Bayer Leverkusen to win the Europa League in 2024, is expected to cost Atletico around 40 million euros ($47.5 million) according to media reports.The winger has scored three goals in 19 matches across all competitions this season for Atalanta.Born in London, Lookman began his career at Charlton Athletic before joining Everton.After a loan spell at RB Leipzig he signed for the German side permanently in 2019, but was loaned back to Premier League sides Fulham and Leicester before moving to Atalanta in 2022.Atletico coach Diego Simeone has been asking the club for more reinforcements after Giacomo Raspadori left for Atalanta and Conor Gallagher signed for Tottenham earlier in the winter transfer window.Rojiblancos striker Julian Alvarez is enduring a goal drought, having failed to score in his last 11 La Liga appearances.

Rabat, Morocco - January 14: Nigeria's Ademola Lookman during the Africa Cup Of Nations Semi-final match between Nigeria and Morocco at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on January 14, 2026 in Rabat, Morocco.

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Atletico Madrid strike deal to sign Atalanta's Lookman for reported €40M

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to miss the club's upcoming Champions League p...

Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is expected to miss the club's upcoming Champions League play-off matches against Benfica after suffering a hamstring injury on Sunday."Following tests carried out today on our player Jude Bellingham by Real Madrid's medical services, he has been diagnosed with an injury to the semitendinosus muscle in his left leg," said Los Blancos in a statement, without specifying the length of his expected absence.Spanish media reported the 22-year-old England international could miss around a month after he went off hurt in the opening stages of the 2-1 La Liga win over Rayo Vallecano.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>As well as the play-off games against Jose Mourinho's Benfica on February 17 and 25, Bellingham is likely to miss league matches against Valencia, Real Sociedad and Osasuna.Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said a potential Bellingham absence would be a "big absence" but that he has an "extraordinary squad" to help fill in for the midfielder.

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 01: Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid goes down with an injury during the LaLiga EA Sports match between Real Madrid CF and Rayo Vallecano de Madrid at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on February 01, 2026 in Madrid, Spain.

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Bellingham in danger of missing UCL playoffs with hamstring issue

Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of Serie A to eight points with Sunday's 2-0 win at Cr...

Inter Milan extended their lead at the top of Serie A to eight points with Sunday's 2-0 win at Cremonese, a match which was marred by away fans nearly hitting the hosts' goalkeeper Emil Audero with a firecracker.Lautaro Martinez and Piotr Zielinski's first-half strikes were enough for Inter to extend their unbeaten league run to 11 matches and pile pressure on nearest challengers AC Milan who face Bologna on Tuesday.Inter again comfortably dealt with one of the division's lesser lights, their consistency with the lower-ranked teams a large part of the reason why Cristian Chivu's team have collected 31 points from those 11 fixtures.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>But a positive evening for Inter almost took a darker turn when Audero fell to the turf following the arrival of the firecracker from among the Inter fans massed behind his goal.The match was stopped for a few minutes and for a brief moment it appeared Audero had been directly struck by the explosive, which went off near him in the penalty area.Fortunately a stunned Audero had only suffered minor injuries to his leg and was able to continue, and the match finished without further incident.Cremonese started the season well but nine matches without a win has left them in 16th, five points above the relegation zone with fixtures against Atalanta, Roma and Milan coming up in the next few weeks.Como would have moved above fourth-placed Roma on goal difference had rising star Nico Paz netted from the spot in the eighth minute of added time after Giorgio Scalvini's handball.But Marco Carnesecchi pulled off a brilliant save to deny Paz and earn 10-man Atalanta, who had Honest Ahanor sent off in the eighth minute, a hard-earned goalless draw.Como stay sixth on 41 points, two behind Roma who are at Udinese on Monday and five ahead of seventh-placed Atalanta.The 21-year-old Paz has scored eight times and set up six more this Serie A season as Como, owned by tobacco giant Djarum and coached by Cesc Fabregas, have exceeded expectations in just their second top-flight season in a quarter of a century.Paz was bought in August last year from Real Madrid in a complicated deal which gives the Spanish giants the right of repurchase before 2027.Juventus can temporarily take fourth spot from Roma with a win at Parma in the day's late match.

Cremonese's Indonesia goalkeeper #01 Emil Audero reacts as a flare exlodes on the pitch during the Italian Serie A football match between US Cremonese and Inter Milan at the Giovanni Zini Stadium in Cremona, northern Italy, on February 1, 2026.

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Inter boost Serie A lead with win at Cremonese marred by flare flinging

Serhou Guirassy scored twice in the second half as Borussia Dortmund came from behind to beat bot...

Serhou Guirassy scored twice in the second half as Borussia Dortmund came from behind to beat bottom club Heidenheim 3-2 on Sunday and move six points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.Waldemar Anton put the nervy hosts in front but Julian Niehues scored either side of half-time to give Heidenheim the lead.Guirassy had scored just one Bundesliga goal in 10 games since October but grabbed two in the space of two minutes to put Dortmund back in front.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Guirassy missed a late penalty but Dortmund, who were 11 points behind Bayern at Christmas, held on to drag themselves back into the title race."We want to be champions. We're six points behind now, fewer than after the break," Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck told DAZN. "We want to attack now."Dortmund host Bayern in late February. Their only league loss this season came in Munich in October.Dortmund looked anxious despite facing a Heidenheim side six points from guaranteed safety.Anton put the hosts in front in scrappy fashion, tapping in after Heidenheim goalkeeper Diant Ramaj spilled a corner.Dortmund switched off and Heidenheim pounced, Niehues scoring after a failed clearance deep into first-half stoppage time.Niehues struck once more after half-time, blasting a long-range shot into the far corner.Dortmund were handed a lifeline when VAR awarded a spot-kick for a Niklas Dorsch handball.With first-choice penalty taker Emre Can out with illness, Schlotterbeck handed the ball to Guirassy, who snuck his shot inside the post.With a taste for goal, Guirassy put Dortmund in front with a low shot at the near post shortly afterwards.Guirassy had a chance to complete a hat-trick when called to the penalty spot again with five minutes remaining but he sent the ball well over the crossbar."I always believe in myself," the much-maligned Guirassy said."We won and that's the most important thing. But penalties are off the table for me now."<h3>Stuttgart go fourth</h3>Ermedin Demirovic unleashed a thunderbolt in the 90th minute to send Stuttgart into the top four with a 1-0 home win over Freiburg.RB Leipzig's home defeat by Mainz on Saturday left the door open for the German Cup holders climb into the Champions League places.Stuttgart were in complete control but were kept at bay until the final minute, when substitute Demirovic latched onto a Deniz Undav pass and hit a dipping effort just under the bar.The win takes Stuttgart, who were drawn to face Scottish champions Celtic in the knockout play-off round of the Europa League on Friday, three points clear of Leipzig in fourth spot."What can you say?" Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness told DAZN of Demirovic's goal. "It was beautiful. There were some other nice things, but the goal was simply world-class."Stuttgart peppered Freiburg's goal in the opening half but somehow failed to break through.Undav had a shot cleared off the line by defender Matthias Ginter before the half-hour mark and blasted wide minutes later with just goalkeeper Noah Atubolu to beat.Atubolu kept Bilal El Khannouss out after the break while one-on-one with the Moroccan.Demirovic, brought off the bench with 13 minutes remaining, took a touch from an Undav pass and fired Stuttgart in front. The goal was Demirovic's 50th in the Bundesliga but his first from outside the box.Stuttgart goalkeeper Alexander Nuebel ensured the hosts claimed all three points with a superb reflex save from Bruno Ogbus in stoppage time.

DORTMUND, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 01: Serhou Yadaly Guirassy of Borussia Dortmund celebrates scoring his team's third goal with teammates during the Bundesliga match between Borussia Dortmund and 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 at Signal Iduna Park on February 01, 2026 in Dortmund, Germany.

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Guirassy's brace helps Dortmund move 6 points behind Bayern

Lyon continued their excellent run of form with a 1-0 win over Lille in Ligue 1 on Sunday making ...

Lyon continued their excellent run of form with a 1-0 win over Lille in Ligue 1 on Sunday making it 10 straight victories in all competitions to further boost their chances of a return to the Champions League.Danish midfielder Noah Nartey scored the only goal of the game late in the opening half, a first for the 20-year-old since his arrival from Brondby last month.The seven-time French champions have now won 10 successive games since a 1-0 loss at Lorient in early December, including five on the bounce in Ligue 1.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>That form has allowed Paulo Fonseca's side -- also boosted by the arrival of Brazil striker Endrick on loan from Real Madrid -- to cement their grip on fourth place in the table, which brings with it a spot in next season's Champions League qualifying rounds.With 39 points, Lyon trail Marseille in third only on goal difference and are seven points clear of fifth-placed Lille, for whom this was in contrast a sixth loss in seven matches in 2026.Marseille followed their exit from the Champions League during the week by squandering a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Paris FC on Saturday.Lens are top of the standings on 46 points after beating Le Havre 1-0 on Friday, but reigning champions Paris Saint-Germain are just one point back in second before visiting Strasbourg later on Sunday.

Lyon's Danish midfielder #99 Noah Nartey (R) celebrates scoring his team's first goal during the French L1 football match between Olympique Lyonnais (OL) and Lille LOSC at the Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, central-eastern France, on February 1, 2026.

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Lyon beat Lille to make it 10 wins in a row

Aston Villa's Premier League title challenge faltered in defeat to 10-man Brentford on Sunday.  V...

Aston Villa's Premier League title challenge faltered in defeat to 10-man Brentford on Sunday.Villa were hoping to move back within four points of Arsenal at the top of the table, but their unlikely bid for a first league title since 1981 faltered in a second consecutive 1-0 home defeat.Brentford inflicted a huge blow on Unai Emery's men despite playing more than half the game a man down.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Kevin Schade was sent off for kicking out at Matty Cash on 42 minutes.But in first-half stoppage time, the Bees took the lead when Dango Ouattara blasted in from a narrow angle.Villa laid seige to the Brentford goal after the break but lacked the invention to break the visitors down.Tammy Abraham did have the ball in the net but was denied a debut goal on his return to Villa after a VAR review found the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 01: Tammy Abraham of Aston Villa looks dejected following the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Brentford at Villa Park on February 01, 2026 in Birmingham, England.

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Aston Villa's title challenge falters in home loss to 10-man Brentford

Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick extended his perfect start as Benjamin Sesko's ...

Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick extended his perfect start as Benjamin Sesko's stoppage-time strike sealed a pulsating 3-2 win over Fulham on Sunday.United took the lead through Casemiro's first half header and looked in command when Matheus Cunha netted after the interval at Old Trafford.In an incredible finale, Raul Jimenez's penalty with five minutes left gave Fulham hope before Kevin's wonder-goal hauled the visitors level in stoppage-time.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>To United's immense credit, they hit straight back as the much-maligned Sesko's fourth goal in his last four games sealed Carrick's third successive victory.After masterminding surprise wins over Manchester City and Premier League leaders Arsenal, this remarkable encounter suggested former United midfielder Carrick might have the Midas touch.Unbeaten in their last seven league matches, United moved up to fourth place as their bid to qualify for next season's Champions League gathers pace.Reaching the Champions League would be a significant statement for Carrick, who was sacked by second-tier Middlesbrough last year.Only once in Amorim's turbulent 14-month reign did United win three games in a row and Carrick has matched that run within weeks of his appointment until the end of the season.United's hierarchy may have to consider hiring Carrick on a permanent if their former midfielder can continue his impressive run.Whether that is enough to appease the 1958 Manchester United fans group is another matter after they staged a protest against the owners outside Old Trafford before kick-off.Hundreds of fans, some wearing clown masks, gathered to express their frustration with United's decline under the Glazer family and the lack of improvement since co-owner Jim Ratcliffe took charge of football operations.The group claimed United are "being dragged through chaos by clown ownership" and are "run like a circus".Fans chanted against the owners and held aloft banners as flares filled the air on Sir Matt Busby Way.<h3>United seize control</h3>When the smoke cleared, Carrick's intuition paid off as he brought Cunha into the starting line-up to replace the injured Patrick Dorgu after the Brazilian scored the winner at Arsenal last weekend.Only Arsenal had taken more points than in-form Fulham over the previous eight games, but United found the formula to end that strong spell.United thought they had won a penalty for Jorge Cuenca's foul on Cunha.But a VAR check showed the offence took place just outside the area.It was only a temporary reprieve for Fulham as United took the lead from the resulting free-kick in the 19th minute.Bruno Fernandes swung his delivery to the far post and Casemiro rose highest to thump a towering header past Bernd Leno.United struck again in the 56th minute with Cunha's sixth goal this season.It was a goal made in Brazil as Casemiro's clever no-look pass found Cunha inside the Fulham area and he smashed a fine finish past Leno from an acute angle.Fulham were controversially denied a lifeline when VAR disallowed Cuenca's 65th minute goal.Samuel Chukwueze was ruled offside by the narrowest of margins when he prodded Jimenez's free-kick to Cuenca.But United were wobbling and Jimenez converted an 85th minute penalty after the Mexican was fouled by Maguire.United looked to have collapsed in stoppage-time when Kevin cut in from the right wing and curled a sublime strike into the far corner from the edge of the area.Two minutes after Kevin's leveller, United showed their spirit as Sesko took Fernandes' pass and drilled high into the net from 12 yards to spark wild celebrations.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 1: Benjamin Sesko of Manchester Utd celebrates with Bruno Fernandes after he scored for 3-2 during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on February 1, 2026 in Manchester, United Kingdom.

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Man Utd strike late to extend Carrick's perfect start in Fulham thriller

Kylian Mbappe stayed calm to roll home a 100th-minute penalty and claim Real Madrid a 2-1 win ove...

Kylian Mbappe stayed calm to roll home a 100th-minute penalty and claim Real Madrid a 2-1 win over nine-man Rayo Vallecano on Sunday in a spicy La Liga derby clash.Los Blancos cut Barcelona's lead back to one point at the top of the table after the Spanish champions beat Elche on Saturday.Vinicius Junior scored early on for Madrid after Jude Bellingham limped off with an apparent hamstring injury.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Jorge de Frutos pulled Rayo level early in the second half as Madrid fans showed their anger at their team following the midweek Champions League defeat at Benfica.After Pathe Ciss's red card tilted the game in Madrid's favour, Mbappe netted from the spot at the death for his 22nd La Liga goal this season.Pep Chavarria was also sent off in the final stages for Rayo, 17th, who took a shaky Madrid to the wire before falling short.Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa said it would take time before the team could become more consistent, having had six games at the helm since replacing Xabi Alonso."I'm not Gandalf the White," the Madrid coach told reporters, referring to the Lord of the Rings wizard."What I want from my players is what I'm seeing, commitment, attitude, mentality, knowing that to win each game quality is not enough, consistency is key."We will work on that, in terms of performance, mentality, ambition and attitude."Arbeloa said Madrid had to play better than other teams to beat opponents, because of their illustrious name."This is Real Madrid, and to beat Rayo Vallecano we need to do more than the rest of the teams in La Liga," he continued.The coach said Bellingham would be a "big absence" for the matches ahead if his injury proves serious, but for now "we don't know anything".After the defeat in Portugal left Madrid in the Champions League play-off round, the Santiago Bernabeu crowd was in unforgiving mood.Arbeloa and Mbappe had begged fans to support the team but, just as they did a fortnight ago against Levante, they whistled their own players.Madrid suffered an early setback as England international Bellingham pulled up holding the back of his thigh, going off in agony.Vinicius fired the hosts ahead in the 15th minute, showing tidy footwork just inside the area before firing high over Augusto Batalla and into the net.Los Blancos were in charge but despite taking the lead, their fans were not appeased, and whistled the team in at the break.Four minutes into the second half Rayo pulled level. Alvaro Garcia nodded a cross down for De Frutos, a former Madrid youth player, to reach and drill home.The visitors should have taken the lead after an hour when Andrei Ratiu ran through on goal with only Thibaut Courtois to beat but the Belgian stopper made a superb save to deny him.Mbappe came centimetres away from putting Madrid in front when Batalla rushed out of his goal, but hit the bar.<h3>Numerical advantage</h3>Rayo made life harder for themselves when midfielder Ciss was sent off for an ugly foul on Madrid's Dani Ceballos.Eduardo Camavinga headed against the post as Arbeloa's side turned the screw.With nine minutes of stoppage time ticking down Madrid were awarded a penalty when Nobel Mendy clumsily fouled Brahim Diaz, and La Liga's top scorer Mbappe dispatched it to snatch three points for his side.Rayo finished the match with nine men after Chavarria was shown a second yellow card for shoving Rodrygo Goes."The important thing is to improve, to grow as a team, try to be calmer, we can't always be waiting for the opponent to make a mistake," said Madrid midfielder Fede Valverde.Arbeloa said he was now looking forward to a fortnight without midweek games due to Madrid's early Copa del Rey exit."We've had a lot more games than training sessions, which are for recovering and can't be done at high intensity -- as a coach I've missed that time to work," said the coach."We'll use these two weeks to keep improving the team, individually and collectively."Elsewhere Pablo Fornals grabbed Real Betis a 2-1 win over Valencia to take the Andalucians up to fifth.

MADRID, SPAIN - FEBRUARY 01: Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid CF celebrates a goal during the Spanish League, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Real Madrid and Rayo Vallecano at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on February 01, 2026, in Madrid, Spain.

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Mbappe's 100th-minute penalty earns Real Madrid dramatic win

Napoli have escaped losing another player to a long injury layoff after the Serie A champions ann...

Napoli have escaped losing another player to a long injury layoff after the Serie A champions announced on Sunday that captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo had suffered a knee sprain.Di Lorenzo was stretchered off in agony during Napoli's 2-1 win over Fiorentina on Saturday and coach Antonio Conte feared ligament damage.But Napoli said that following tests carried out on Sunday the 32-year-old had been diagnosed with a "grade two sprain in his left knee", an injury which Italian media report will keep him out of action for around a month.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>That is better news than anticipated for Napoli who have been hit by a series of injuries to key players which have hampered their league title defence, with the southern Italians trailing leaders Inter Milan by six points having played one more game.Di Lorenzo should also be back in action in time for Italy's World Cup play-off semi-final against Northern Ireland on March 26, with a final away against either Bosnia and Herzegovina or Wales awaiting the winners.

Napoli, Italy - January 31: Giovanni Di Lorenzo of SSC Napoli gestures during the Serie A match between SSC Napoli and ACF Fiorentina at Diego Maradona on January 31, 2026 in Napoli, Italy.

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Napoli's Di Lorenzo suffers knee sprain, avoids long layoff

Bundesliga strugglers Werder Bremen on Sunday sacked coach Horst Steffen after a run of 10 matche...

Bundesliga strugglers Werder Bremen on Sunday sacked coach Horst Steffen after a run of 10 matches without a win which has plunged them into a relegation fight.The four-time German champions are winless since early November and sit 15th, one point above the relegation play-off spot. "It was a tough decision, but we are no longer convinced of the fact that Horst was the person to spark the team"s turnaround following this long run without victory," said sporting director Clemens Fritz.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Steffen, 56, was appointed in the summer after narrowly missing out on promotion with second-division Elversberg. He replaced Ole Werner, who is now the coach at RB Leipzig.Bremen needed a stoppage-time equaliser to grab a point in a 1-1 home draw with Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday. They have picked up just four points in their past 10 league games. A number of recent high-profile signings, including former Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita and Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface, have failed to make an impact at the club.

BREMEN, GERMANY - JANUARY 31: Headcoach Horst Steffen of Borussia Moenchengladbach is seen before the Bundesliga match between SV Werder Bremen and Borussia Moenchengladbach at Weserstadion on January 31, 2026 in Bremen, Germany.

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Werder Bremen dismiss coach Steffen with drop looming

Barcelona eased to a 3-1 win at Elche to move four points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday...

Barcelona eased to a 3-1 win at Elche to move four points clear at the top of La Liga on Saturday, with goals from Lamine Yamal, Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford.Hansi Flick's side created several more clear chances in an entertaining clash but the woodwork and some profligate finishing stopped them from securing a far bigger victory.Alvaro Arbeloa's Real Madrid, second, host Rayo Vallecano on Sunday aiming to restore the gap back to one point.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Elche, 12th, have impressed this season and created good chances of their own at the Martinez Valero stadium, but Barca were too strong for them.Teenage star Yamal opened the scoring after six minutes after Dani Olmo sent him through on goal.The 18-year-old coolly rounded goalkeeper Inaki Pena, a former Barca player, and slotted home. Olmo came close to doubling Barca's lead but clipped the top of the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the box.After a groin issue troubled Yamal during the first half of the campaign, in recent weeks he has returned to his top level.Elche equalised with a well-worked move to get Alvaro Rodriguez in behind Barca's high line and he fired past Joan Garcia.Torres should have restored the Catalans' advantage but, in a comical moment, hit the crossbar from point blank range and then immediately diverted the rebound against the post.The Spain international made amends by smashing home after fine work by Frenkie de Jong, who drew Pena out and then found Torres, who was left with the simple task of finishing.Fermin Lopez, Raphinha and Torres all spurned good chances for more goals as Barca created danger at will, with Elche coach Eder Sarabia, a former Barca assistant under Quique Setien, sticking with his open style.Rashford was also guilty of missing a good chance after he came on for Raphinha at half-time, curling past the post as he ran through.The English winger, on loan from Manchester United, did score Barca's third, his 10th of the season across all competitions, after Yamal's cross was blocked and fell nicely to him.

Barcelona's English forward #14 Marcus Rashford (C) celebrates with Barcelona's Spanish midfielder #16 Fermin Lopez and Barcelona's Polish forward #09 Robert Lewandowski after scoring his team's third goal during the Spanish league football match between Elche CF and FC Barcelona at thge Martinez Valero stadium in Elche on January 31, 2026.

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Barcelona triumph at Elche to extend lead in La Liga

Liverpool ended their wait for a Premier League win in 2026 as Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz sta...

Liverpool ended their wait for a Premier League win in 2026 as Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz starred in a 4-1 win over Newcastle on Saturday.The English champions had slipped to sixth after a run of five league games without a win and fell behind to Anthony Gordon's strike for Newcastle.But two goals in two minutes from Ekitike completely changed the atmosphere around Anfield just before half-time.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Wirtz continued his fine goalscoring form in the second half before an emotional Ibrahima Konate rounded off the scoring.Victory lifts Liverpool up to fifth, which will almost certainly be enough for a place in next season's Champions League thanks to the strong performance of English sides in European competitions.Alexander Isak's absence due to a leg break removed some of the simmering bad blood between the clubs over the Swede's British transfer record move to Anfield in September.Isak was watching on the from the sidelines and could only glance admiringly towards Ekitike's role in turning the game around.The Frenchman had been a target for Newcastle as a potential Isak replacement until Liverpool swooped in to secure his signing from Eintracht Frankfurt for £69 million ($95 million).Ekitike's quickfire double papered over the cracks of another concerning first half performance for Arne Slot.The Magpies dominated the majority of the opening 45 minutes and deservedly took the lead when Gordon fired in his first Premier League goal from open play for over a year.Despite the doom and gloom surrounding Liverpool's start 2026, there have been flashes of Ekitike and Wirtz coming good on their huge transfer fees.The two combined brilliantly to level just five minutes after going behind.Wirtz waltzed through a pack of Newcastle defenders and squared for Ekitike to prod past Nick Pope.Moments later, Ektike showed his blistering pace to race onto a long ball from Milos Kerkez and fire into the far corner.Newcastle remain without a win in their last 30 league trips to Anfield and another damaging defeat on the road sees them slip further off the pace in the battle for a Champions League place next season.Eddie Howe's men slip to 10th, six points adrift of Liverpool.Newcastle's exertions in securing a 1-1 draw away to European champions Paris Saint-Germain in midweek, while Liverpool cruised to a 6-0 win over Qarabag at home in the Champions League, showed after the break.Ekitike missed a glorious chance to secure his first ever hat-trick when he skewed wide with just Pope to beat.Mohamed Salah was again a shadow of his former self, but the Egyptian did at least play a part in Wirtz's goal which secured a much-needed three points from Slot.Wirtz had not scored in his first 22 appearance for the Reds after his £100 million move from Bayern Leverkusen.The 22-year-old now has six goals in the 10 matches after steering Salah's pass into the bottom corner with a sweet strike.The roles should have been reversed momens later when Salah shot into the side-netting from Wirtz's through ball.Instead it was Konate who rounded off the scoring in his first match since returning from compassionate leave after the death of his father.The French international was reduced to tears after pouncing on a Pope error to roll into an unguarded net.

TOPSHOT - Liverpool's German midfielder #07 Florian Wirtz celebrates scoring the team's second goal with Liverpool's French striker #22 Hugo Ekitike (2R) during the UEFA Champions League football match between Liverpool and Qarabag at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on January 28, 2026.

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Ekitike, Wirtz give Liverpool sight of bright future in Newcastle rout

Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi said he is "ready to go to war" with the club's season in danger...

Marseille coach Roberto De Zerbi said he is "ready to go to war" with the club's season in danger of unravelling as a late collapse in a 2-2 draw at Paris FC on Saturday rounded off a dreadful week.Mason Greenwood converted a first-half penalty for his league-best 13th goal of the season and supplied the pass for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to double Marseille's lead early in the second half.But with the pain still fresh from their excruciating Champions League exit, Marseille blew a two-goal lead as Jonathan Ikone's header brought Paris FC back into the game and Ilan Kebbal levelled with an injury-time spot-kick.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Three days after crashing out of Europe in improbable fashion, Marseille found another way to make a bad week even worse.Marseille lost 3-0 at Club Brugge on Wednesday but it took a last-gasp header from Benfica's goalkeeper in a win over Real Madrid to knock De Zerbi's side out of the competition.De Zerbi dismissed reports he was stepping down in the wake of the defeat in Belgium after he missed a training session the next day, revealing he had held talks with club officials to determine the best way to move on from the Champions League disappointment."Don't worry about me," De Zerbi told reporters on Saturday when asked about his motivation after Marseille's latest setback."I'm ready to go to war tomorrow, the day after tomorrow. I come from the very bottom, I come from nothing, I'm used to fighting all the time."De Zerbi admitted seeing his team drop points in the French capital was difficult to accept."We dominated so much... but in the last 10 minutes, everything switched off," he said."I'm struggling to explain it, other than to say matches last 100 minutes. And you have to be hungry. The first thing is to be hungry - I'm telling you this because I told the players. What we're putting in isn't enough."

PARIS, FRANCE - JANUARY 31: Roberto De Zerbi (C), head coach of Marseille in action during the French Ligue 1 (L1) soccer match between Paris FC and Olympique de Marseille at Stade Jean Bouin in Paris, France on January 31, 2026.

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De Zerbi 'ready to go to war' to solve Marseille troubles

Atletico Madrid's disappointing season continued with a drab 0-0 draw at Levante on Saturday in L...

Atletico Madrid's disappointing season continued with a drab 0-0 draw at Levante on Saturday in La Liga, while Villarreal were held 2-2 at Osasuna.Diego Simeone's Atletico looked uninspired in Valencia as they could only take a point against the team sitting 19th in the table.The draw leaves Atletico seven points behind leaders Barcelona, before the Catalans visit Elche later Saturday, damaging their already unlikely title dream.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Atletico have won just one game in their last four across all competitions, and in midweek lost against Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt to leave them in the Champions League play-offs instead of progressing directly to the last 16."It hurts not to get the three points today," admitted Atletico defender Robin Le Normand."We made the chances to score in the first half and in the second they were better in terms of pressure and we couldn't generate as many..."We have to work, put in the energy, and we can turn it around... today was a tough day."To make matters worse for Atletico striker Alexander Sorloth and midfielder Pablo Barrios went off injured.They started well, with Nico Gonzalez testing Mat Ryan, but lost Sorloth after a clash of heads with Matias Moreno. The Norwegian striker was taken to hospital for further tests.Simeone sent on Julian Alvarez, who has not scored for nearly two months, in his place.Barrios limped off early in the second half and Atletico struggled to create many openings after that, missing the energetic midfielder.Ryan saved from Alvarez's header and Koke fired at the goalkeeper when well placed late on, while at the other end Jan Oblak denied Adrian de la Fuente with a fine save of his own.<h3>Moreno double</h3>Earlier Gerard Moreno netted twice for Villarreal but they could only manage to draw at Osasuna, unable to capitalise on Espanyol's defeat to fully consolidate their position in fourth.Marcelino Garcia Toral's side are eight points ahead of fifth-place Espanyol, who lost 2-1 at home against Alaves on Friday.For a while this season, Villarreal seemed to be on the fringes of the title race but two defeats and a draw in their last three La Liga outings have diminished those notions.Veteran forward Moreno's brace secured his side a hard-fought point against Alessio Lisci's Osasuna, ninth."We wanted to win but I think we have to leave satisfied, because we got a point after two games without (getting any)," Moreno told Movistar.The 33-year-old Spain international opened the scoring from the penalty spot before Victor Munoz nodded Osasuna level from a crossed free-kick.Croatian target man Ante Budimir headed home the second before half-time for the hosts at their El Sadar stadium.Captain Moreno's glancing header from a corner pulled Villarreal level with 20 minutes remaining to secure a point and take him to seven for the season in La Liga.Leaders Barcelona can extend their advantage at the top of the table at Elche later on, with second place Real Madrid hosting Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.

VALENCIA, SPAIN - JANUARY 31: Matias Moreno of Levante UD in action during the Spanish league, LaLiga EA Sports, football match played between Levante UD and Atletico de Madrid at Ciutat de Valencia stadium on January 31, 2026, in Valencia, Spain.

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La Liga roundup: Atletico stumble to draw at Levante, Villarreal held

Bayern Munich dropped points for the second straight week in the Bundesliga as they were held to ...

Bayern Munich dropped points for the second straight week in the Bundesliga as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Hamburg on Saturday.Borussia Dortmund have a chance to revive a dormant title race with a win at home to bottom club Heidenheim on Sunday, which would draw them to within six points.Hamburg had lost 17 and drawn three of their past 20 games with Bayern but put up a fight against the defending champions, taking the lead with a Fabio Vieira penalty after 32 minutes. <div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Bayern hit back when Harry Kane and Luis Diaz scored either side of half-time, but the hosts swiftly equalised through Luka Vuskovic. Hamburg had chance to win it late with Manuel Neuer well outside his box, but Alphonso Davies denied Vieira and saved Bayern with a desperation clearance. It was the first time Hamburg avoided defeat against Bayern since 2014, a run of nine straight defeats with 39 goals conceded. Arsenal loanee Vieira tucked a penalty under Neuer's outstretched hand to give Hamburg the lead, their first goal against Bayern in seven matches dating back to 2016. Kane brought the visitors level just before the break, scoring on the spin from a rebound with a classic poacher's finish. Half-time substitute Diaz gave Bayern the lead 90 seconds into the second period, guiding a Michael Olise pass in from close range. The visitors levelled minutes later though as Vuskovic headed a cross past Neuer and just inside the post, before holding on to nab a valuable point.Andrej Kramaric scored twice as Hoffenheim extended their strong run with a 3-1 home win over Union Berlin. Hoffenheim narrowly escaped relegation last season but have picked up 19 of a possible 21 points in their past seven games to move level with second-placed Dortmund.Bayern host Hoffenheim next Sunday and Kramaric told Sky Germany: "We're up for it -- it'll be a great test. If we keep up the performances we've had in the past few weeks, we won't leave empty-handed."Union's rise to mid-table this season has been driven by steely defence but the Berlin club's resistance was broken when defender Leopold Querfeld clipped Hoffenheim's Fisnik Asllani in the box. Kramaric converted from the spot with a cool chipped finish. The Croatia forward headed in a second from a Bazoumana Toure cross just before half-time. Another Toure cross enabled the hosts to seal victory just after the break, as Union's Diogo Leite scuffed the ball into his own net with Kramaric lurking. <h3>Leverkusen ease past Frankfurt</h3>Bayer Leverkusen moved a point behind fourth-placed Leipzig with a 3-1 win at free-falling Eintracht Frankfurt, without a coach until Albert Riera takes over next week. The hosts finished with 10 men. Arthur gave Leverkusen the lead, his first Bundesliga goal, after a clever Alejandro Grimaldo backheel. Malik Tillman made the most of some poor positioning from Frankfurt goalkeeper Kaua Santos moments later to double the lead. A Robin Koch goal just after half-time gave Frankfurt a glimmer of hope, but Ellyes Skhiri picked up two yellow cards in three second-half minutes. Frankfurt have won just one of their past 13 games in all competitions. On Friday, Riera was named coach in a surprise appointment, but the former Spain international, currently with Slovenian side Celje, will not arrive until Monday. "We'll be starting from zero," Frankfurt's Mario Gotze said, "step by step."Elsewhere, RB Leipzig became the latest victim of resurgent Mainz, going down 2-1 at home after taking the lead.Conrad Harder put the hosts in front but Leipzig captain David Raum gave away a penalty for the second time in two games, allowing Germany midfielder Nadiem Amiri to level from the spot. Silas gave Mainz the lead early in the second half. Mainz have lost just once in nine games since Urs Fischer took over as coach in December. Elsewhere, Augsburg beat St Pauli 2-1 and Werder Bremen's Keke Topp snatched a point with a splendid late goal at home in a 1-1 draw with Borussia Monchengladbach.

Bayern Munich's German midfielder #06 Joshua Kimmich (L) and Bayern Munich's English forward #09 Harry Kane (R) react with team mates after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Hamburger SV and FC Bayern Munich in Hamburg, northern Germany on January 31, 2026. The match ended in a 2-2 draw. / DFL REGULATIONS PROHIBIT ANY USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS AS IMAGE SEQUENCES AND/OR QUASI-VIDEO

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Bundesliga roundup: Bayern drop more points as Hoffenheim keep rolling

Enzo Fernandez's stoppage-time winner capped Chelsea's thrilling fightback from two goals down to...

Enzo Fernandez's stoppage-time winner capped Chelsea's thrilling fightback from two goals down to beat West Ham 3-2 in a dramatic London derby on Saturday.Liam Rosenior's side trailed to first-half goals from Jarrod Bowen and Crysencio Summerville at Stamford Bridge.But Chelsea ignored the half-time jeers from their angry fans, staging a brilliant revival after the break.<div class="the-score-article-ad-unit"></div>Joao Pedro reduced the deficit before Marc Cucurella headed the equaliser.For the first time in the Premier League era, Chelsea came from two down at half-time to win thanks to their captain as Fernandez netted in stoppage-time.West Ham's Jean-Clair Todibo was sent off for violent conduct after tempers boiled over in the final seconds.In what Rosenior had labelled Chelsea's "biggest match of the season", the Blues showed their character in memorable fashion.They climbed to fourth in the Premier League as Rosenior became only the fourth English manager to win his first three Premier League games after Bobby Gould, Sam Allardyce and Craig Shakespeare.Rosenior has overseen six wins from seven games in all competitions since arriving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca.The highlight of Rosenior's impressive start had come on Wednesday when the Blues fought back from 2-1 down to beat Napoli 3-2 in Italy, securing a place in the Champions League last 16.But this was arguably even more eye-catching than that success, given how Rosenior turned the tide after Chelsea's wretched first half.Rosenior will bid to work another miracle on Tuesday when Chelsea look to overturn a 3-2 deficit in the League Cup semi-final second leg at Premier League leaders Arsenal.<h3>From boos to bedlam</h3>He made seven changes after the victory in Naples, with Cole Palmer back in the starting line-up after starring from the bench in midweek.Chelsea looked out of sync following the reshuffle and West Ham took advantage to go ahead in the seventh minute.Bowen wriggled into space on the edge of the penalty area before curling in a cross that eluded the out-stretched boot of West Ham striker Pablo and caught Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez flat-footed as it drifted into the far corner.Rosenior suffered another blow when winger Jamie Gittens limped off injured after a challenge with Summerville.Summerville inflicted more pain on Chelsea in the 36th minute.In a flowing move from West Ham as Bowen picked out Aaron Wan-Bissaka and his cross was perfectly weighted for Summerville to thump a superb finish past Sanchez from 12 yards.Alejandro Garnacho's dismal display drew the ire of angry Chelsea fans and the Argentine winger was put out of his misery as Rosenior took him off at half-time.Rosenior also removed Benoit Badiashile and Jorrel Hato, but Sanchez had to save a fierce blast from Mateus Fernandes after the restart.Sanchez saved again to repel Bowen's snap-shot, yet just as Chelsea looked down and out, Rosenior's changes finally paid dividends.Wesley Fofana's buccaneering run climaxed with a precise cross towards Joao Pedro, who rose highest to head past Alphonse Areola from close-range.The Brazilian's fifth goal in his last five games was followed by Chelsea's 70th minute leveller.Malo Gusto nodded Enzo Fernandez's cross to Liam Delap for a chance that bounced down off the bar towards Cucurella, whose diving header beat Areola from close-range.Chelsea were rampant and Fernandez bagged the winner two minutes into stoppage-time.Joao Pedro pulled his pass across goal and Fernandez thumped past Areola to celebrate his 150th Chelsea appearance in memorable fashion.Todibo couldn't handle West Ham's collapse and he saw red after grabbing Joao Pedro around the throat.

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 31: Enzo Fernandez of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and West Ham United at Stamford Bridge on January 31, 2026 in London, England.

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Chelsea fight back from 2-goal deficit in thrilling win over West Ham

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