Lionel Messi might never have been faced with a more daunting task at Barcelona than engineering a victory against Bayern Munich in Lisbon on Friday. The only surviving former winners of European club football s greatest prize -- with five titles each -- meet in a heavyweight Champions League quarter-final behind closed doors at the Estadio da Luz. It is not often that Messi s Barcelona come into such a big European tie as the underdogs, but they have this time, with Quique Setien s team having lost out to Real Madrid in the Spanish title race while Bayern appeared flawless on the way to winning a German league and cup double. Messi is now 33, yet Barcelona appear more reliant on him than ever. He scored twice against Bayern in the quarter-finals in 2009 when Barcelona went on to win the Champions League under Pep Guardiola. He hit four against Arsenal the following year and five against Bayer Leverkusen in 2012 but on both occasions, Barca were favourites. Messi also sank Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2011 when his double in the first leg of the semi-final, including one of the finest goals the competition has ever seen, transcended a rivalry that had been dragged to its ugliest point. And he was part of perhaps the tournament s greatest comeback, the 6-1 destruction of Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 after Barcelona lost 4-0 in the first leg of that last-16 tie. Yet this time threatens to be different. With Luis Suarez and Antoine Griezmann alongside him, Frenkie de Jong and Sergio Busquets behind him and Jordi Alba out wide, Messi should not be on his own. Even in defence, Gerard Pique still has a claim to be the best defender in La Liga and Marc-Andre ter Stegen is among the most impressive goalkeepers in the world. "Bayern are playing really well and are full of confidence but we have the weapons to beat them," Griezmann told Barca TV. - Isolated Argentine - But the sense remains that Messi must perform if Barcelona are to defeat Bayern, widely seen as the favourites to lift the trophy on August 23, at the end of the express knock-out tournament in Lisbon. It will take something very special not only to lift his own team out of the doldrums but also to neutralise an opponent that many believe are the most complete side in Europe. Barcelona therefore must first of all hope that Messi shows no ill effects from the ankle knock he suffered in last weekend s last-16, second-leg win over Napoli -- he has been back training normally. The Catalans should certainly wonder how it got to this point, given they spent more than 500 million euros ($590m) over the last three seasons, bringing in players that should have complemented, not isolated, the Argentine. The worry is that Bayern might not just beat Barcelona at the Estadio da Luz, but humiliate them. If they do, Setien is likely to pay with his job, even if he only took over as coach in January, replacing Ernesto Valverde, who was also unable to shake this current crop into life. The alternative is a statement performance that vindicates Setien, establishes him for next season and sends Barcelona into the semi-finals with the kind of momentum that could even take them all the way. "We have to be optimistic, we are in good shape," said Setien after the Napoli game. However, it would be a surprise to see Barcelona go on and lift the trophy, and it seems unthinkable they could do it without an intervention from Messi, who must be wondering too how the club that won the treble five years ago have come to rely on him so completely. The challenge is not beyond Messi. But Barcelona must know he deserves more.

Qualifying matches in Asia for the 2022 Qatar World Cup have been postponed until next year due to the coronavirus pandemic, world governing body FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation said in a statement on Wednesday. The second round of Asian qualifiers were originally scheduled to take place during the international windows in October and November but they would not go ahead due to the “COVID-19 situation in many countries”. It marks the second time the qualifiers, which also serve as the road to the 2023 Asian Cup in China, have been pushed back as matches in March and June were also postponed due to the pandemic. “With the aim of protecting the health and safety of all participants, FIFA and the AFC will continue to work together to closely monitor the situation in the region and to identify new dates for the respective qualifying matches,” the statement said. “Further details on the new dates for the next round of qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 2022 and the AFC Asian Cup 2023 will be announced in due course.” The AFC also suspended its elite club competition, the Asian Champions League (ACL), in early March because of the virus. Qatar will be the regional hub for matches in West Asia when the ACL resumes on Sept. 14. Malaysia was named the centralised hub in East Asia with matches in the region due to restart in October.

The Scottish Premiership matches of champions Celtic and Aberdeen will be postponed due to breaches of Scotland s strict coronavirus quarantine rules in a "yellow card" to the sport, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Tuesday. Sturgeon warned that clubs would put the new season in jeopardy if they failed to respect the rules. Celtic s game with St Mirren on Wednesday will not go ahead after Belgian defender Boli Bolingoli admitted he had failed to observe quarantine protocols after a trip to Spain. Anyone returning to Scotland from Spain must spend two weeks in quarantine. Bolingoli, 25, played in the 1-1 draw with Kilmarnock on Sunday, the team s second match of the season. The Scottish government is already furious at eight Aberdeen players who visited a bar last week. Two of them subsequently tested positive, forcing the postponement of last Saturday s game with St Johnstone. Aberdeen s home game with Hamilton on Wednesday is now off as well and Saturday s match between Celtic and Aberdeen has also been postponed. - Yellow card - Sturgeon said Bolingoli s case was a "flagrant breach of the rules." "As a minimum, you should not be expecting to see Aberdeen and Celtic play over the course of the coming week and we ll see what the other conclusions are," said Sturgeon. Sturgeon -- whose administration by coincidence held talks with Premiership managers and captains on Monday -- issued a thinly-veiled threat. "Consider today the yellow card. Next time it will be the red card because you will leave us with absolutely no choice." Although Bolingoli apologised for his behaviour, Celtic did not hide their fury in a statement released later on Tuesday, saying: "It is difficult to imagine a more irresponsible action in current circumstances." Bolingoli apologised to his manager, teammates, supporters "and so many others for letting them down so badly". "I am guilty of a major error of judgement," the 25-year-old added. "I know what I did was wrong and I know that I must now deal with the consequences." Celtic said Bolingoli would feel the full force of their disciplinary procedures. "Celtic unreservedly condemns and apologises for the behaviour of the player Boli Bolingoli in travelling to Spain without informing the club and in failing to observe quarantine restrictions," the club said. "It is difficult to imagine a more irresponsible action in current circumstances and we find it beyond explanation. "The club will take immediate action through our own disciplinary procedures. "Celtic are in touch with every SPFL club today, and with all relevant authorities, to apologise for the fact that one of our employees has created so much additional difficulty through his actions." Celtic manager Neil Lennon said he was "absolutely livid" at what he called "a total betrayal of trust." Steven Gerrard, manager of Celtic s bitter rivals Rangers, said the message coming out of the talks with the administration had been crystal clear about clubs responsibilities. He said the "severity" of the warnings had shown "how important it is that everyone behaves in the right way". "And it is a concern and a worry because if mistakes continue to happen, there is no doubt about it, the football season will be cancelled and that s not what I want or what anyone wants at Rangers, or throughout Scottish football."

Monday s Egyptian Premier League match between Masry and Harras El-Hodoud has been postponed indefinitely after 16 Masry members tested positive for coronavirus, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced. "Amid attempts to play the match on time, scans on Monday morning revealed that 12 cases of Masry team members are still testing positive for coronavirus. The EFA board decided to postpone the match due to limited time," reads a stament by the EFA. On Sunday, the Port-Said based club announced that 12 players and four members of the technical staff tested positive for coronavirus after they took PCR tests during a training camp in Alexandria. Masry s management asked the EFA to postpone the game, but the governing body initially turned down their request and blamed the club for the infections. "The EFA managment decided that league matches would only be postponed in the future if 10 players of one team test positive for the coronavirus. The board also asks all teams to follow all the precautionary messures for the safety of their players and technical staff members in order to keep the competition going," the EFA s Monday statment added. Masry are the second team to confirm more than a dozen coronavirus cases after El-Entag El-Harby, who had their match against FC Masr rescheduled after 19 players and non-playing staff had tested positive. After being given the green light by the government to resume the league competition, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) ordered all clubs to run PCR tests ahead of every game. The domestic competition restarted on Thursday after a five-month hiatus due to the pandemic. Masry had their latest PCR tests after Thursday s 1-0 loss to Zamalek. Almost three dozen cases were discovered at several clubs, although all of the infected members only had mild symptoms. Holders Ahly are leading the league table with 49 points after playing 17 matches, 16 points over second placed Arab Contractors, who played one game more. Masry lie in tenth place with 20 points from 17 matches.

Sixteen coronavirus cases were detected at Egyptian Premier League club Masry after they ran PCR tests during a training camp in Alexandria, the Port-Said based club announced on Sunday. "12 players and four members of the technical staff tested positive for coronavirus," Masry s football director Abdel-Zaher El-Saqqa told Egyptian media. The announcement came one day before Masry s scheduled league game against Haras El-Hodoud on Monday. The match is now likely to be postponed. Masry are the second leg to confirm more than a dozen coronavirus cases after El-Entag El-Harby, who had their match against FC Masr rescheduled after 19 players and non-playing staff had tested positive. After being given the green light by the government to resume the league competition, the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) ordered all clubs to runPCR tests ahead of every game. The domestic competition restarted on Thursday after a five-month hiatus due to the pandemic. Masry had their latest PCR tests after Thursday s 1-0 loss to Zamalek. Almost three dozen cases were discovered at several clubs, although all of the infected members only had mild symptoms. Holders Ahly are leading the league table with 49 points after playing 17 matches, 16 points over second placed Arab Contractors, who played one game more. Masry lie tenth with 20 points from 17 matches.

Serie A club Inter Milan have signed forward Alexis Sanchez on a permanent three-year deal from Manchester United, both clubs confirmed on Thursday. British media reported that United had cut their losses and terminated the Chilean s contract to get him off their books. Sanchez had signed with Inter on loan at the start of the 2019-20 season following a disappointing spell at United where he scored only five goals in 45 matches. "Everyone at Manchester United wishes Alexis Sanchez all the best in his future career as he joins Inter Milan on a permanent transfer," United said in a statement. United had been looking to offload the 31-year-old who earns around 390,000 pounds ($513,552) a week according to British media, with Inter agreeing to pay less than half his wages when they signed him on loan. United had signed the Chile international in January 2018 after he netted 80 goals in 3-1/2 years at Arsenal, but he failed to reach those heights at Old Trafford under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The former Barcelona man had said last year that he had no regrets about joining United but wished he had played more minutes, even as fans were left frustrated by his performances and lack of goals. While he did not return to his prolific best at Inter, scoring only four Serie A goals this season, he did turn provider to top the club s charts with eight assists as they finished runners-up behind Juventus. United are already working towards signing Sanchez s replacement, with the club being linked with Borussia Dortmund s promising 20-year-old forward Jadon Sancho who could cost the Premier League side around 100 million pounds.

After much debate over whether it s viable to resume the Egyptian Premier League, the domestic competition comes back to life on Thursday following a five-month hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league has been suspended since mid-March with just half the matches played, leaving many clubs puzzled as to how the season could be completed without disrupting the next edition, which normally starts in October at the latest. The current season will now last until October at least but the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) said it will make sure no further disruptions will occur in the following season. "The coming season must end by 30 June because Egypt will take part in the Olympics," the head of the EFA s competitions committee Hossam El-Zanati said, referring to the 2020 Tokyo Games that was delayed to next year because of the pandemic. "I hope the Egyptian national team would not have any commitments during FIFA s international match calendar in October, so that we can finish the league in time." Despite the initial opposition of a handful of clubs, including Cairo s popular club Zamalek, who went as far as threatening to withdraw from the competition, the EFA insisted that restarting the league was a "state decision." But the governing body said the health and safety of players and staff was a priority, introducing a raft of precautionary measures and warning clubs that any failure to comply would have dire consequences. Every club have run several rounds of PCR tests before the league s resumption, with more than three dozen cases detected. Further tests will be carried out before the start of every round. Although all of those who tested positive only had mild symptoms, one case was particulary alarming. At a single club, El-Entag El-Harby, 19 coronavirus cases were detected, prompting the EFA to postpone their opening game against FC Masr and issue a stern warning to other clubs. "We cannot expect any similar outbreaks at other clubs because El-Entag s case has its own circumstances and was dealt with in this context," the EFA said in a statement. "However, the discovery of such a big number of infections at one club is considered medical negligence … responsibility lies on every club to implement all precautionary measures to ensure the safety of everyone. "Otherwise, clubs could be subject to severe sanctions, like what happened in other countries that witnessed similar outbreaks." On the pitch, runaway leaders Ahly are destined to win a fifth straight title. The Red Devils sit top of the table on 49 points, 16 ahead of nearest challengers Arab Contractors, who played a game more. For Ahly s perennial rivals Zamalek, the priority would be finishing second and earning an African Champions League spot. They lie fourth with 31 points, two behind Arab Contractors, who played two matches more. The league will restart with a rescheduled match between Zamalek and Masry on Thursday. The game will be played behind closed doors.

Nearly 10 years after Fenway Sports Group took over Liverpool, owner John W. Henry said that he could not be prouder of the club after they won their first top flight league title for 30 years. Liverpool claimed the Premier League title in June with seven games to spare after the season resumed following a three-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under Juergen Klopp, the Anfield club had won their sixth Champions League crown last season but Henry said getting their hands on the league title for a 19th time was the icing on the cake. "It was a long time coming," Henry told the club website here "I just want to say (to the supporters) that you ve waited a long time for this ... this really feels sort of like the gift that keeps on giving. “Every day I get up, it’s front and centre that we won (in) England finally. “So, that’s my wish for you, that every morning you get up for the next, as long as you can accomplish it, think about what we accomplished this year in Europe, England and I hope you feel as proud as I do.” Henry, whose Fenway Sports Group took over Liverpool in October 2010, also praised Klopp for his role in the club’s success. “I could go on and on about Juergen and how his heart is larger than his frame, how his enthusiasm affects all of us positively every day,” the 70-year-old American businessman said. “But I think what’s important is he is determined every day to do the right thing, whether it’s with regard to what happens on the pitch, whether it’s regard to nutrition for the club... and that rubs off.”

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Monday the final dates and venues of both the semis and final of the Confederation Cup and Champions League after being approved by the CAF Emergency Committee. The CAF revealed that the African Confederation Cup semi-final matches will be played as previously determined on 22 September, while the final will be on 27 of the same month and all games will be behind closed doors. On 29 July, the African football governing body announced that the Confederation Cup semis will be held in a one-leg format; unlike the Champions League semifinals that will be played in the original two-leg format. According to CAF’s statement on Monday, the first match of the Confederation Cup between Egypt’s Pyramids FC and Guinea’s Horoya will be played at Mohammed V Complex stadium, Casablanca. The second match between Morocco’s RS Berkane and Morocco’s HUSA will be at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium, Rabat. The prestigious tournament final will be played at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium; however, all matches will be played behind closed doors. The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) previously asked the CAF to apply the same format of the final stages to both the Champions League and Confederations Cup to ensure fair play. The CAF Champions League semifinals include two teams from Egypt and two teams from Morocco, as Ahly faces Wydad Casablanca while Zamalek will play against Rajaa Casablanca. Regarding the Champions League, no changes were made to the dates and Venues announced by the CAF on 29 July. The first leg matches will be played in Morocco on 25 and 26 September, and the second leg matches will be hosted by Cairo on 2 and 3 October. The final match of the continental club tournament will take place on 16 or 17 October, but under certain conditions determined by the CAF. If Ahly and Zamalek win their semifinal games, the final will be held in Cairo, and if Wydad and Rajaa defeat the Cairo giants, then the final will be held in Morocco. If the final includes a team from each country, the game will be hosted by a neutral venue. The CAF started receiving bids from the countries who want to host the African Champions League final starting Wednesday until 7 August. All continental sports activities have been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, including the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, which were originally scheduled to be played on 1 May.

Manchester City struggle to prevent the best teams from scoring against them and their central defenders could be targeted in Friday s Champions League clash against Spanish champions Real Madrid, former England skipper Wayne Rooney said. Pep Guardiola s City lead Real after they won the away leg of their last-16 tie 2-1 in March, before Europe s elite club competition was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Rooney, who won the competition with Manchester United in 2008, said City have their best opportunity yet to lift the trophy for the first time. "City may never have a better chance to win the Champions League," Rooney wrote in his column for the Sunday Times. "Sergio Ramos is suspended which is a huge loss to the Real defence and I think City will score. Whether they are solid enough at the back themselves is my only question. "Real will target their centre halves and it s a worry that this season every other (Premier League) Big Six club beat City... This shows Guardiola s team can struggle to keep the best sides out." Rooney said he expected Real to allow City to dominate possession and then aim to hit them on the counter. "I saw Zinedine Zidane do it in his first spell as Real coach when he played against Guardiola-style teams in big games, and it brought him successes," Rooney added. "Yet my money is still on City. They don t have to chase the game. They don t have to score. They can even afford to lose 1-0 and go through, and in the first leg they surprised Madrid by sitting in themselves. "It was the first time I ve seen Guardiola play like that and I ve a feeling he ll do the same at the Etihad. It could be a game of cat-and-mouse."

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said on Thursday that the Italian club s Champions League last 16, second leg game against Barcelona should be moved from Spain where there is a new wave of coronavirus cases. "I hear a lot of perplexity and fear coming from Spain and they acting as if nothing is wrong. What does it take to say, Don t go to Barcelona but rather go to Portugal, Germany or Geneva ?" De Laurentiis told journalists. Barcelona are due to host Napoli on August 8 in the Camp Nou with both sides 1-1 after the first leg in Naples in February, with the winner going on to the quarter-finals in Lisbon, Portugal. "It they have decided that the Champions League is in Portugal and the Europa League in Germany, I think we can go to Portugal or Germany for the round of 16, I don t understand why we should stay in a city that presents major problems."

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced on Wednesday that the African Champions League semifinals will be played in the original two-leg format instead of the one-leg format that had previously been approved by the CAF, while the Confederation Cup will be held in the one-leg format. The CAF Champions League semifinals include two teams from Egypt and two teams from Morocco, as Ahly faces Wydad Casablanca while Zamalek will play against Rajaa Casablanca. The CAF decided that the first leg matches will be played in Morocco on 25 and 26 September, and the second leg matches will be hosted by Cairo on 2 and 3 October. The final match of the continental club tournament will take place on 16 or 17 October, but under certain conditions determined by the CAF. If Ahly and Zamalek win their semifinal games, the final will be held in Cairo, and if Wydad and Rajaa defeat the Cairo giants, then the final will be held in Morocco. If the final includes a team from each country, the game will be hosted by a neutral venue. The CAF announced that they will start receiving bids from the countries who want to host the African Champions League final starting Wednesday until 7 August. Confederation Cup Meanwhile, the Confederation Cup will be hosted by Morocco after the CAF announced that the semifinals will be held on 22 September, while the final will take place at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium on 27 September. The CAF has decided that the semifinals will be played in the one-leg format as Egypt’s Pyramids FC will face Guinea’s Horoya at Mohamed V Stadium, while the two Moroccan sides Nahdat Berkane and Hassania Agadir will meet each other at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium. All continental sports activities have been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, including the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, which were originally scheduled to be played on 1 May.

Manchester United must get a better goalkeeper than David de Gea if they want to challenge for the Premier League title, former captain Roy Keane has said. Calls for De Gea to be dropped have grown since his mistakes in the FA Cup semi-final saw United beaten by Chelsea, and he spilled the ball again during Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Leicester City but recovered to deny Jamie Vardy. Keane said he had “never been a big fan” of the Spaniard. “He makes far too many mistakes, big mistakes that cost United big points,” Keane told Sky Sports. “... If United want to challenge for league titles, they need a better goalkeeper. They need a change, they’ve done it before. I don’t know what the big song and dance is about a goalkeeper, United have been doing it for years. “Strikers are dropped or sold, same with midfielders, but for some reason with goalkeepers they think we have to stick with the goalkeeper for a bit longer than others because of something they did two or three years ago.” Keane pointed to how champions Liverpool had loaned German shotstopper Loris Karius to Besiktas and paid a then world-record fee for Brazilian Alisson. “We’ve seen Liverpool get onto another level when they’ve improved the goalkeeper,” Keane added. “What’s the big deal? If he (De Gea) isn’t doing it, he’s making mistakes, then make a change. “There are good goalkeepers out there.”

Zamalek’s football supervisor Amir Mortada Mansour has expressed confidence in his team’s ability to claim the CAF Champions League title under any circumstance. The Cairo giants will face a vital African Champions League semi-final clash against Raja Casablanca of Morocco in September. "Zamalek are ready to win the Champions League title. We don t pay attention to the pitch advantage or the competition s system, all that doesn t cause a problem for the team," Mansour was quoted as saying on the club s official website on Monday. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) announced last week that the Champions League semi-final will return to its two-leg format instead of the one-leg format recently approved by the CAF. "We are ready to win the title under any circumstance, as our main target is to claim the trophy under any format," he added. "The Confederation of the African Football are the only ones responsible for the tournament s format, while Zamalek is ready for any circumstance, since all we work towards is winning the title," the Zamalek football supervisor said. All continental sports activities have been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, including the CAF Champions League and the CAF Confederation Cup, which were originally scheduled to be played on 1 May. Prior to the CAF competitions’ postponement, Egypt’s big names Ahly and Zamalek had been set to play the Champions League semi-finals against Moroccan sides Wydad de Casablanca and Raja de Casablanca respectively.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu repeated on Sunday that he had "no doubt" that Lionel Messi would sign a new contract adding that he can only see Neymar returning in a player exchange. "Messi has said many times that he wants to retire here and I have no doubt that he will re-sign," said Bartomeu in an interview published by Barcelona s sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo. Messi s contract expires in June of 2021 and local radio station Cadena Ser reported at the start of July that the Argentine had broken off talks with the club. Messi has had regular disagreements with the club s board. He reacted publicly when sporting director Eric Abidal appeared to blame the players for the sacking of coach Ernesto Valverde in January. He also led the fightback from the Barcelona players over a dispute with the board in March regarding pay cuts during the coronavirus pandemic. Barcelona collapsed after La Liga resumed to drop to second as Real Madrid took the title and the 33-year-old Messi was one of those criticised. In discussing plans for next season and financial constraints on the club, Bartomeu addressed another long-running issue: the possibility that Neymar would return from Paris Saint-Germain. "Now we are making decisions and the players, if they do not come as part of a player exchange players, it is very difficult for them to come," Bartomeu said. Bartomeu said another priority was persuading German goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, whose contract expires in 2022, to sign a new deal "not only for his quality as a goalkeeper but for his personality". "He s a pillar of the dressing room and of the future," said Bartomeu. "At 28 he s one of the three best in the world." He said he was less concerned about Uruguayan Luis Suarez, who is a free agent next year because "depending on the number of games he plays, the contract automatically renews for the 2021-22 season". Bartomeu also said talks with Inter Milan over Argentinian striker Lautaro Martinez were "at a standstill".

Egyptian Football Association (EFA) board member Mohamed Fadl underlined Thursday that there is no room to postpone any game in the Egyptian Premier League, due to restart 6 August after a five-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic. EFA released Wednesday the fixture list for August. "We intended to announce the full schedule of the league, but we started with the current schedule and will release the date of the remaining matches after determining the date of Confederation of African Football (CAF) games," Fadl told a television programme. “There is no time to postpone any game for even an hour, and we hope all games will be played as scheduled,” he added. On Tuesday, 18 coronavirus cases were detected at Egyptian Premier League club El-Entag El-Harby after they held a training camp in the Red Sea city of Sharm El-Sheikh. "Our role in EFA is to resolve the problem and we hope they (the 18 cases) all will recover soon as there is no intention to postpone games,” Fadl said. A rescheduled match between Zamalek and Masry will mark the league s return on 6 August, while the Cairo derby between Ahly and Zamalek will take place at Cairo Stadium 22 August. Ahly are leading the league table with 49 points from 17 games, while perennial rivals Zamalek lie fourth with 31 points from 16 games.

Aston Villa manager Dean Smith praised his side’s courage and heart after they moved out of the Premier League relegation zone with a 1-0 win over Arsenal on Tuesday. Villa were given a boost when Watford were thrashed 4-0 by Manchester City earlier, but still needed to beat Arsenal to take advantage and move above Watford and out of the bottom three by virtue of goal difference. Trezeguet’s first-half goal proved enough and Villa will go into the final game of the season away at West Ham United knowing victory will keep them up, as long as Watford do not win at Arsenal by a two-goal larger margin. It will be a tortuous Sunday for Smith and his team but having been in the bottom three since February, they now have a golden chance to seal a second successive top-flight season. “It was a great performance but an even better result. We knew we had to show a lot of courage, heart and workrate and we did that. I can’t remember our keeper making saves,” he said. “It’s a big boost, that’s for sure. We knew we had to win to catch Watford up. Now we’ve got the season in our own hands and that’s all you can ask for. “Watford can go and win at Arsenal so we have to make sure we win at West Ham.” Villa have struggled to hold on to leads this season, dropping 21 points from winning positions, while Arsenal had earned 18 points from losing positions. So there was real tension in the air at Villa Park, although Villa defended with calm authority to limit Arsenal’s attack. “We’ve been much better defensively over these eight games (since the restart),” Smith said. “We wanted to be better and the players were engaged with the video sessions we did. “It was a real team performance today. We defended the box very well, I don’t remember Pepe Reina making a save.”

Over a three-minute span of the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo ensured Juventus would not lose to Lazio for a third time this season. Ronaldo s double strike in a 2-1 win on Monday meant Juventus could clinch a ninth straight Serie A title this week. With four rounds remaining, Juventus moved eight points clear of Inter Milan, nine ahead of Atalanta, and 11 in front of Lazio, which trailed the Bianconeri by just one point before the break for the coronavirus pandemic. Juventus earned a measure of revenge after losing twice to Lazio in December -- in Serie A and the Italian Super Cup. Ronaldo converted a penalty after the VAR determined a handball, then finished off a counterattack following a generous pass from Paulo Dybala. Ciro Immobile pulled one back for Lazio with a penalty in the 83rd. Ronaldo and Immobile are level atop the Italian league scoring chart with 30 each. Also, Ronaldo became the first player to score at least 50 goals in the Premier League, the Spanish Liga and Serie A. His 51 in Italy go with his 84 in the Premier League, and 311 in La Liga ``Records are always important, but the most important thing is that the team wins,`` Ronaldo said. ``We are a phenomenal team and we showed that again today, although we always want to improve and raise the bar. Both sides hit the post in the first half; a headed volley from Juve s Alex Sandro, and a long-range effort from Immobile. Ronaldo also headed off the crossbar after being set up again by Dybala.

Arsenal will still be able to attract top players to the club even if they do not secure European football next season, manager Mikel Arteta has said. Arsenal are 10th in the Premier League and in danger of missing out on a spot in Europe for the first time since the 1995-96 season. They can qualify for next season’s Europa League by defeating Chelsea in the FA Cup final but Arteta said the club’s history and values should be enough to persuade players to sign. “I don’t think we should bring players that need a lot of convincing,” he added. “The feeling I get when I talk to a lot of people is that the players still want to come to the club because of the history, the way we do things, our values, the fans we have, our stadium. “That’s a really attractive thing, that’s my feeling.”

Egypt s Zamalek returned to action after a four-month hiatus with a 5-0 friendly victory over Alexandria-based club Smouha on Sunday, with coach Patrice Carteron saying he treated it as if it s a competitive game. Zamalek are gearing up for the Egyptian Premier League resumption next month as well as a vital African Champions League semi-final clash against Morocco s Raja in September. Their realistic hopes in the domestic competition lies in finishing second and earning a spot in next season s Champions League, with perennial rivals Ahly looking poised to win a fifth straight league title. Zamalek s primary target for the season, which also saw them win the Egyptian and African Super Cups, would be winning the Champions League for the first time in 18 years. They looked in perfect shape against Smouha despite the lengthy stoppage, with a hat-trick from forward Youssef Obama Ibrahim and goals from winger Ahmed Zizo and striker Mostafa Mohamed giving them a comprehensive win. Both sides are also scheduled to meet in the last 16 of the Egypt Cup. "I played with the same formation that I normally field in competitive games," French boss Carteron was quoted as saying by local media after the game. "We are taking those games very seriously to hit top gear in the shortest possible time." Zamalek will play further friendly games against Talae El-Geish and Pyramids before the league resumes on 6 August.

Spain s health minister has expressed doubt about the prospect of spectators returning to soccer matches in September due to the threat of a resurgence in COVID-19 infections. The government s department for sport and organising body La Liga had hoped to let fans back into stadiums at a reduced capacity when the new season starts in September, increasing to 50% in November before full capacity returned in January. Yet a spike in infections since Spain lifted a national state of emergency in June has led some regions to impose localised lockdowns and limit activities, threatening the return to normality. "To be honest, I don t see it, given the reality we are in," health minister Santiago Illa told radio station Cadena Ser on Thursday. "We have seen some clusters of infections and although we have fortunately been able to control them, I still don t see (fans returning). "We re going to take our time and provide information so the sports department can make the decision when necessary. We have to step carefully with the virus, and concentrating large numbers of people at this time is not advisable at all." Illa also criticised large-scale celebrations in Vitoria to mark Baskonia winning the basketball championship and after Cadiz won promotion, urging Real Madrid fans to show restraint if they win the La Liga title on Thursday. "I understand what it means to win a title or win promotion but the situation we have in Spain is of a controlled epidemic but with a virus that is still circulating," he added. "In the last few days we ve seen images that put people s health at risk. We are advising people to celebrate sporting triumphs at home and in no circumstances to go out to the streets and concentrate in large numbers."