..::Football IV::..

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'I can't put a gun to his head' - Higuain wants Dybala to snub Barcelona

Juventus striker Gonzalo Higuain is eager for Paulo Dybala to ignore reported interest from Barcelona but admits that he "can't point a gun at his head and tell him to stay".

Dybala has been linked with a move to Camp Nou as a replacement for Neymar, should the Brazil star complete a world-record €222 million switch to Paris Saint-Germain.

Higuain, who spent six years in La Liga with Real Madrid, understands the attraction of joining one of the country's top clubs but insists that his team-mate would be better served by staying in Turin.

"Dybala is at a delicate age," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport. "I went to Real Madrid at 19 and I was there until I was 25, but I was at an important club for a long time.

"Everyone wants to play with great players and I can't point a gun at his head and tell him to stay. Everyone should do what makes them happy, just like he is here. We all want him to stay."Last year we were convinced we could win [the Champions League] and we got to the final; this year will be tougher because other teams have strengthened.

"He shouldn't just stay to win the Champions League, but for the seventh Scudetto and a fourth Coppa Italia in a row. If we then get that particular trophy, so much the better.

"He's been at Juve for two years, he has consistency here. He's young, he's very happy here, the club and the fans all love him, as do we, and Juve helped him grow."Paulo will know what's best for him to do."

Juve have already suffered the loss of a high-profile first-team star, with centre-back Leonardo Bonucci having made a shock move to AC Milan.Higuain is confident his side can cope without the Italy international, though, and has warned his old team-mate that he will not prevent him from scoring.

"Bonucci helped Juve to win for many years," said the Argentina forward. "Now he's gone to a direct rival but we are still very strong. We have the players to make sure we won't feel his absence.


"Bonucci will be hungry but we will have the same determination to try to win a seventh title in a row. When he plays against me, I'll score."

 

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Ronaldo confirms Real Madrid stay by airing trophy target

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has spoken about his future with the European champions, saying he wants to win more trophies with the club.

The four-time Ballon d'Or winner was linked with a shock exit from the Santiago Bernabeu earlier in the close-season, with Paris Saint-Germain and former employers Manchester United believed to be among those interested.Ronaldo led Madrid to four trophies last season, including the Champions League and a first La Liga crown since 2012.

The 32-year-old – who is contracted until 2021 – wants more of the same, saying a repeat of that campaign would do just fine."Winning major trophies with my club last year was great, just like the individual trophies," Ronaldo told Marca."Doing it again would be fine."

He added: "You have to work hard, year after year, I will continue to do it. Football is my life, it is my passion."Ronaldo is widely expected to win a record-equalling fifth Ballon d'Or this year, to draw him level with Barcelona star Lionel Messi.

 

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Real Madrid want a top-class French striker, Lyon president claims

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas says Real Madrid are determined to sign a top-class French striker in the transfer window, prompting suggestions they will move for Kylian Mbappe.

The Monaco star has been heavily linked with a number of major European clubs in recent months and Madrid are widely reported to be among the favourites to win the race to sign him.

The Spanish and European champions are said to be keen on bolstering their attacking options after selling Alvaro Morata to Chelsea and Mariano Diaz to Lyon.

And Aulas claimed he has been given suggestions by Madrid counterpart Florentino Perez that a raid for a one of Ligue 1's top talents is imminent.

"I spoke with Florentino and I believe he has the intention of signing a top-level striker," Aulas told RMC."I believe he is French."Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane denied this week he has asked for a forward to be signed but admitted that "anything can happen" until the transfer window closes next month.

Mbappe has offered no guarantees over his future but Monaco head coach Leonardo Jardim has made it clear the club want to keep him.The Ligue 1 champions have also threatened to get FIFA involved after accusing unnamed clubs of making unauthorised approaches for the player.

 

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No third bid for Naby Keita as Liverpool focus recruitment elsewhere

Liverpool have not submitted a fresh approach for Naby Keita and do not intend to unless there is a major shift from RB Leipzig over the midfielder.

Suggestions of a new £74 million bid for the Guinea international are incorrect, with the Reds having not followed up their second offer, which was tabled and rejected last Monday.

That £66m proposal was not the limit of the Merseysiders’ financial will to land the 22-year-old, but with the Bundesliga side again underscoring that no amount of money would force them to sell Keita, increasing the figure would prove unavailing.

Goal revealed a deal would be “practically impossible this summer" given Leipzig’s refusal to soften their stance, and while Jurgen Klopp has been patient in his pursuit of the dynamo, Liverpool’s own situation with Philippe Coutinho has put things in perspective.

The Reds rebuffed an opening £72m approach from Barcelona with the message that the Brazilian is not on the market at any price. They are not bluffing, and neither are Die Roten Bullen.

Keita, who injured team-mate Diego Demme’s knee in a reckless challenge during a heated training exchange on Monday, has wanted to line up under Klopp in the new season.

Liverpool hope his desire to move to Anfield remains intact next summer, when a £48m escape clause can be triggered to land the Guinean.The Reds boss has been reluctant to deviate from his first-choice options as he does not want to merely add to the squad, but genuinely elevate the quality in it.

“We are not afraid of big numbers at the club," Klopp explained to Goal.“We are not afraid to spend, but we have to do the right things, look at the right players and negotiate with the right clubs.”

 

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Man Utd complete the signing of promising goalkeeper

Manchester United have bolstered their goalkeeping ranks with the addition of highly-rated teenager Theo Richardson.The 18-year-old, who has previously spent time on the books at Leeds United, first linked up with the Red Devils on a trial basis.

He made his debut in an academy derby with Manchester City in March, catching the eye with a number of impressive stops in a 2-2 draw.

Richardson continued to impress as the 2016-17 campaign came to a close and was named on the bench for the penultimate fixture of the season for United’s Under-23 side against Arsenal.

Since then he has figured in the Dallas Cup and will form part of the Red Devils squad at the Super Cup NI tournament in Northern Ireland.

Any involvement in that competition will be made as a fully-fledged member of the Old Trafford ranks, with United confirming on their official website that a permanent deal is now in place.

Having added Richardson’s profile to those within Kieran McKenna’s youth set-up, the Premier League giants said: "Signed on a permanent contract after arriving on a short-term basis towards the end of the 2016/17 season.

"One of four keepers with the reserves squad at the training camp in Austria - with Kieran O'Hara, Max Johnstone and Ilias Moutha-Sebtaoui - and likely to push for a place in the Under-23s and UEFA Youth League squad.

"Formerly with Leeds United, he produced some outstanding performances when thrust into the Reds' under-18 team to earn a deal over the course of the summer."

Richardson becomes the seventh goalkeeper on United’s books, alongside David de Gea, Sergio Romero, Joel Pereira, Kieran O’Hara, Max Johnstone and Ilias Moutha-Sebtaoui.

Sam Johnstone and Dean Henderson are also contracted to the Red Devils, although they have been sent out on loan to Aston Villa and Shrewsbury Town respectively.

While Richardson is clearly an addition with one eye on the future, Jose Mourinho is currently seeking to strengthen his senior squad before the 2017-18 campaign gets underway.


He has already completed deals for Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku, but more movement is expected before the summer transfer window slams shut on August 31.

 

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Dolberg: Real Madrid would be fine but I won't leave Ajax yet

Ajax striker Kasper Dolberg is tempted by the thought of playing for Real Madrid but insists he is in no rush to leave the club.

The 19-year-old scored 23 goals across all competitions in an outstanding 2016-17 season, including six in 13 appearances during his side's run to the Europa League final.

The Denmark international was linked with a move to the Premier League but talk of interest from Madrid has increased in recent weeks, with the Spanish and European champions in need of attacking reinforcements after selling Alvaro Morata and Mariano Diaz.

Dolberg sees the appeal of following a similar career path to team-mate Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who played for Madrid, AC Milan and Schalke before returning to the Amsterdam club this year, but the younger man is happy to commit to Ajax for now.

"It might be somewhat strange in modern day football, where everyone appears to be for sale, but [director of football Marc] Overmars made a statement with his comment that I am not for sale," Dolberg told De Telegraaf. "And I am fine with it. I want to stay and will not be leaving."

Asked if he would like to go on a similar trajectory to Huntelaar, Dolberg insisted he will go his own way."Real Madrid would be alright. Milan and Schalke are nice clubs as well," he added. "And everyone dreams about finishing second and third at a World Cup. I will just follow my own path, though."

 

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Lukaku addition makes Man Utd 'frightening' going forward, says Shaw

Manchester United boast “frightening” firepower, according to Luke Shaw, with Romelu Lukaku joining an already star-studded unit.

The Red Devils struggled for goals throughout the 2016-17 campaign, with a lack of cutting edge costing them vital points in the battle for a top-four finish.

However, chances were created and Jose Mourinho will be hoping for more end product this season, with his options further bolstered by the £75 million addition of Lukaku.

The Belgium international has been acquired to complement the likes of Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, with Shaw of the opinion that United now boast an enviable collection of forward-thinking talent.
He told MUTV: "You look at the pace and skill we have up top and the finishing ability and it’s frightening.

"The attacking players have shown a lot of quality on tour, especially when you look at Rom’s goal against City. It wasn’t an easy finish and Marcus has been in great form too and has scored a few goals.“Micki's also scored and played how he always plays and Martial – wow, the skill for the goal [against Real Madrid] was fantastic.

"You can’t forget Jesse as well; for me, Jesse is my standout player so far on this tour. He’s everywhere and always willing to set up the play and chip in with a goal or an assist. Hopefully all the boys can carry on doing their thing."

Lukaku and Co have been catching the eye during United’s pre-season fixtures in America, with one more game to come against Barcelona in the International Champions Cup.

Another fresh face, Victor Lindelof, has also been introduced to the fold while in the United States, with Shaw impressed by the speed in which the new arrivals have settled into the squad.The England international defender, who is currently nursing his way back from injury, added: "Romelu and Victor have settled in very well.

“It’s good for Rom as he knew a few of the players before he came so it was pretty easy for him to settle and Victor was new to the group but he has settled really well and he’s enjoying it.“The main thing now is to build up fitness and make sure everyone is in peak condition for the start of the season."


United’s first competitive fixture of the 2017-18 campaign will see them face Real Madrid in the UEFA Super Cup on August 8, before they open the new Premier League season at home to West Ham the following Sunday.

 

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Liverpool not scared of making big bids for the right players, says Klopp

Jurgen Klopp says the ballooning transfer fees in football will not inhibit the work Liverpool want to do in the summer window, but the club will recruit surgically and not for the sake of appearances.

The Reds have already surpassed their record spend with the initial £36.9 million signing of Mohamed Salah from Roma, and have been foiled in their efforts to make RB Leipzig’s Naby Keita one of the biggest purchases in Premier League history.

The German side rejected a £66m offer for the midfielder last week, which equalled the Bundesliga benchmark for a transfer fee, and have refused to negotiate at any price.

Another proposal for the Guinea international will not materialise unless Die Roten Bullen alter their hardline stance.

Liverpool, meanwhile, were prepared to make Virgil van Dijk the most expensive defender in the world, before having to publicly apologise and end interest in Klopp’s priority rearguard target due to a tapping-up fiasco.

The centre-back, who has informed Southampton he is unavailable to feature for them as he wants to depart St. Mary’s, has not been included in their squad for a pre-season training camp in France.

Saints maintain that the 26-year-old is not for sale, but Liverpool will be primed should they decide to do business rather than keep an unhappy player.

The Merseysiders, who have also added Under-20 World Cup winner Dominic Solanke and left-back Andy Robertson to their roster ahead of 2017-18, have demonstrated a willingness to sanction huge outlays this summer for players they are confident will enhance their approach.

“We are not afraid of big numbers at the club, we are not afraid to spend,” Klopp told Goal as part of an exclusive interview.“But we have to do the right things, look at the right players and negotiate with the right clubs.”

The 50-year-old explained the club’s strategy in the window as Liverpool look to further advance in the new campaign, having finished in the top four during the German’s first full season in charge at Anfield.

“There’s two possibilities to strengthen the squad: one is to get better players, the other is to get players with similar quality to what you have,” Klopp said.

“It’s difficult to get better players, because the ones we have are already really good. If you get the same quality, then the age group that they’re in means that very big steps are possible for everyone - the new players and the ones already at the club.

“That’s what then gives the push in the performance, that’s what we’re looking for.”

 

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Chelsea 2 Bayern Munich 3: Muller at the double as Bayern bounce back

Thomas Muller scored twice as Bayern Munich put in their best pre-season performance so far in a 3-2 victory over Chelsea in Singapore.

Carlo Ancelotti's side lost on penalties to Arsenal and then 4-0 to AC Milan in their previous International Champions Cup fixtures, and concerns had begun to surface about their ability to cope with the retirement of influential stars Philipp Lahm and Xabi Alonso at the end of last season.

Brazilian full-back Rafinha soothed those worries by scoring an opening goal that had all the hallmarks of Lahm's attacking game, before Muller scored with two fine strikes as the Premier League champions were overrun by their Bundesliga counterparts.

Marcos Alonso pulled one back for the Blues shortly before half-time, and Antonio Conte introduced star signing Alvaro Morata for his first pre-season appearance in the second half.

Morata had a hand in Michy Batshuayi's late consolation goal in a second half that saw Bayern continue to create the better of the chances, many of which fell to the Spain striker's former Real Madrid team-mate James Rodriguez, who endured a frustrating evening.

Bayern, keen to make amends for a disappointing performance in their drubbing by Milan, started the game brightly with veteran winger Franck Ribery probing forward down the left flank.

It was a cross-field pass from Ribery that allowed Rafinha to break down the right and hit a low, bouncing shot across the face of goal that found the net via Thibaut Courtois' right-hand post.

Ribery was again the architect when Bayern made it 2-0 after 11 minutes, skipping into the box and cutting the ball back into the path of the onrushing Muller, who volleyed home from close range.

Muller scored the pick of the goals after 26 minutes after he was put through by Corentin Tolisso and then allowed to run at Chelsea's defenders, who backed away while the Germany international curled a powerful 25-yard shot beyond Courtois and into the top-right corner.

Chelsea improved before half-time and enjoyed a spell of pressure that culminated in Alonso pulling a goal back, arrowing the ball across Tom Starke and in after Victor Moses' low cross found him unmarked on the left side of the penalty area.

Marco Friedl's superb curling cross after 56 minutes found the head of James, who was only inches away from the target with his attempt, and the Colombian star was denied from by a last-ditch Gary Cahill challenge as he bore down on goal four minutes later.

Conte sent on Morata along with David Luiz after 63 minutes but Chelsea were frequently stretched throughout the last half hour of play and James should have done better when Ribery teed him up for a shot from 15 yards that he dragged wide.

David Luiz saw a deflected effort hit the post, before Chelsea set up a frantic finish when Morata flicked Cesc Fabregas' corner into the path of Batshuayi to bury, but it was too late to alter the result.

 

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Nouri out of intensive care, Ajax reveal

Abdelhak Nouri has been taken out of intensive care and put into medium care, his family revealed via Ajax.

The 20-year-old suffered a heart arrhythmia during a friendly against Werder Bremen in Austria and was put into an induced coma after being resuscitated on the field.

The midfielder is now breathing on his own, but his situation is largely unchanged since he was diagnosed with severe and permanent brain damage.

Nouri, a member of Ajax's youth system since the age of seven, has received a great deal of support from the club's fans and beyond.

After fans gathered outside his home to welcome his family back from the hospital, Kevin-Prince Boateng vowed to wear a shirt with his name all season.Furthermore, Ajax revealed the shirt number 34 will still be assigned to him next season.

 

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Get well soon Nouri!​

 

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Sanches seeking to swap Munich for Milan

Bayern Munich midfielder Renato Sanches has expressed his desire to join AC Milan after becoming frustrated by the lack of first-team opportunities with the Bundesliga champions.

Sanches impressed in Bayern's 3-2 friendly win over Chelsea in Singapore on Tuesday after starting alongside new arrival Corentin Tolisso in central midfield.

But the 19-year-old Portugal international only featured in Carlo Ancelotti's starting line-up for a Bundesliga game on six occasions since joining the club from Benfica in 2016, and he admitted his head has been turned by interest from Milan, who are overhauling their squad after being taken over Chinese investors."Personally, I am not satisfied with my first year in Munich," Sanches told Bild.

"Of course, I'd like to play more. That's why I would like to go a club that can give me more playing time."AC Milan is an interesting option. If the opportunity arises and the clubs can agree, I would like to see them.

"I am now on the China tour with FC Bayern, but after that we will get together in Munich and hopefully find a solution."I'm young and I have to play a lot. I think the chance to do so is greater in Milan than in Munich."

 

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Mourinho slams UEFA over Bailly ban

Jose Mourinho has criticised UEFA for banning Eric Bailly for a further two European matches following his red card in the Europa League semi-final last season.

Bailly was shown a straight red card in the last-four meeting with Celta Vigo after raising his hand to John Guidetti's face, an action that sparked a brawl that also saw Facundo Roncaglia dismissed for the LaLiga side.

The Ivory Coast international was hit with a three-game ban by UEFA on Monday, with the first match of that suspension served in the Europa League final, in which United beat Ajax.

His punishment means Bailly will also miss the UEFA Super Cup with Real Madrid next month and United's first group game in the Champions League, something Mourinho believes is excessive.

"My view is that normally with UEFA what you get is what you get and you accept with a happy face or a bad face," he told a media conference.

"You accept it was a red card in a semi-final, I think the punishment of not to play the final is enough, it’s a big punishment not to play the final, and I say that normally he would deserve a clean sheet and start the next season and ready to play the Super Cup.

"But now he's an important player for us who is not able to play the Super Cup and the first match of the Champions League group stage but not to play the Europa League final and Super Cup is very, very harsh."

 

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Conte pleased with Morata cameo

Antonio Conte was pleased with Alvaro Morata's 27-minute cameo in Chelsea's 3-2 defeat to Bayern Munich in the International Champions Cup on Tuesday.Morata only signed for the Premier League champions on Friday but came off the bench in Singapore and set up Michy Batshuayi for Chelsea's second.

The Spain international was introduced just after the hour and was able to flick Cesc Fabregas' corner into the path of Batshuayi to score with five minutes to play.

And despite his lack of time with the Chelsea squad, Conte was happy with what he saw from his new signing and expects him to get even better.

"It's not easy to speak about the impact of Alvaro because he's only been with us two days and he needs to work and find his feet, and understand our idea of football, but for sure he showed a great will and for us he's a great buy," he told a media conference."We need to give him the right time to adapt to our way of football but he must be pleased with his performance."

It was a first defeat of pre-season for Chelsea after beating Arsenal 3-0 on Saturday, and although naturally disappointed, Conte found plenty to be happy with."We conceded three goals in half an hour and it's not simple, it was a difficult situation but the reaction was very good," he added.

"We didn't give up and the commitment was good. We tried to fight. Our start wasn't good but the players showed me a great will to try to change the result. We are only in pre-season and we are working very hard.

"Bayern are a top club, one of the best in the world. Regularly they win the league in Germany and in the Champions League they normally reach the final or semi-final, but we must take the positives and continue to work."

 

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Mourinho reveals which positions Man Utd are looking to strengthen

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has confirmed he wants to add a midfielder and winger to his squad.Though Mourinho would not divulge the names of his targets, Inter's Ivan Perisic and Nemanja Matic of Chelsea are thought to be at the top of his wishlist.

United have signed Victor Lindelof and Romelu Lukaku so far in the transfer window, while Mourinho has previously suggested he may be forced to settle for just one more addition.

By comparison, Manchester City have spent an estimated £200million on six players, while Chelsea (four) and Liverpool (three) have recruited more fresh talent than United so far, but Mourinho remains calm about the situation.

"I don't know [the current situation], honestly I don't know, Ed [Woodward] is in control," the United boss told a media conference on Tuesday.

"He did Lindelof and Lukaku, he knows that I would like two more players but he also knows that I have balance, I depend on the situation, the market, and if my club is unable to do two players and just one, I accept that as a consequence of the market now.

"Our relationship is good and I just wait for good news, and he knows good news is to have the players, maybe just the [one] player as soon as possible because to work together with the team is really important.

"But I'm calm, I like my players, I like my squad, I trust them, so I'm calm and that's important."

He added: "I would like one player [to be] a midfield player, [that] would give me more options to the balance and the team.

"Another one an attacking player, especially that can play through the wings to give me more attacking options but I never speak about players that belong to other teams.

"I don't like if any manager comes and would say he would like one of my players, that's not correct. I would like two more players but probably I only get one."

 

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DM & Winger thamai

DM - Fabinho or Matic
Winger - Perisic

​

 

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Ibrahimovic still a leader at Old Trafford – Pogba

Zlatan Ibrahimovic continues to have a big influence over the Manchester United squad despite being released by the club, according to midfielder Paul Pogba.

The Swedish striker's one-year contract at Old Trafford expired at the end of the 2016-17 season, but he has remained at the club's training complex while recovering from a knee ligament injury sustained in April.

And Pogba admits that Ibrahimovic is still very much involved in the United squad as he faced the media ahead of the International Champions Cup meeting with Barcelona on Wednesday.

"Obviously Zlatan is a leader, always a big leader, and he's a big leader because he's still in the team," said Pogba. "Even when he's not playing, he's a leader outside of the pitch."

United won the Community Shield, the League Cup and the Europa League in Pogba's first season back at the club after a four-year spell at Juventus, and the 24-year-old is aiming to emulate the leadership shown to him by the likes of Ibrahimovic and fellow midfielder Michael Carrick."I've been playing for one season," he said. "I came here to hopefully be a leader in the team and that's not the objective but that's how you should be.

"I've been here, we won, and you want to grow up as a player and a leader as well. I can learn from him [Ibrahimovic], from Carras [Carrick], and all the other players and become a leader."

Reflecting on the transition from Juventus - where Pogba won four consecutive Serie A titles - back to United, the France international added: "It was a big challenge.

"I knew I wouldn't play in the Champions League. I thought to myself: 'I want Manchester United to be the Manchester United as they were back in the day', and we are on the way."We won three trophies last season, so I hope that we are going to continue that way and improve."

 

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Tottenham 2 Roma 3: Kolarov makes debut in thriller

Aleksandar Kolarov made his Roma debut in a thrilling 3-2 win over Tottenham at the International Champions Cup.Kolarov, who only joined Roma from Manchester City on Saturday, was booked during the first half at Red Bull Arena.

A first-half penalty from Diego Perotti and goal from debutant Cengiz Under had put the Serie A side in complete control on Tuesday.However, Harry Winks and Vincent Janssen struck in the closing stages – the latter in the 91st minute – to draw level.

But Roma incredibly found a winner seconds later, Marco Tumminello tapping in to give Eusebio Di Francesco's men their victory.Both teams made a relatively scrappy start in New Jersey before Roma took the lead from the penalty spot.

Cameron Carter-Vickers was ruled to have handled in the area, but only after the referee seemingly consulted with his fourth official.Perotti made no mistake with the spot-kick, placing his finish into the corner to make it 1-0.

Spurs almost levelled midway through the half as Mousa Dembele's effort from the right took a deflection before crashing against the crossbar.After a mostly quiet opening half, Harry Kane threatened, the forward forcing a low save from Alisson eight minutes prior to the break.

Kane almost equalised immediately after half-time, before Under blazed over in a one-on-one.Spurs should have had a penalty moments later as Kane was brought down by Federico Fazio in the area, but no spot-kick was awarded.

Frustrations threatened to boil over in the second half before Dele Alli almost struck, his 20-yard effort deflecting just wide on the hour-mark.Spurs looked dangerous in the second half, with Kane just denied by a late block in the 65th minute.

But, against the run of play, Roma doubled their lead, Under scoring from inside the area after Kevin Wimmer was unable to clear a cross from the left.Spurs scored with three minutes remaining, Winks scrambling in after Janssen struck the post.

Incredibly, Janssen levelled four minutes later, tapping in a Georges-Kevin N'Koudou cross as penalties looked certain to follow.However, 18-year-old Tumminello was the hero for Roma as he put away a Kevin Strootman cross from the left in the 92nd minute.

 

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Man City can challenge Real Madrid for Champions League - Sane

Manchester City are ready to challenge Real Madrid for the Champions League trophy next season, according to winger Leroy Sane.

The two clubs are set to meet in the International Champions Cup at the Coliseum on Wednesday, with the Liga giants having last season been named European champions for the second season in a row.

Zinedine Zidane's side became the first club to claim back-to-back Champions League titles, beating Juventus in the final in Cardiff in May, their third time winning the trophy in four seasons.

City, however, have never gone beyond the semi-final stage of the competition; their best run coming to a halt at this stage following a 1-0 defeat by Real in 2015-16. Sane believes next season can be different, though, as long as this City side continue to develop under the guidance of manager Pep Guardiola.

"Real had a very good season last year," Sane told ESPN FC. "They are the best team in Europe at the moment, so it will be difficult [to win the Champions League], but it is a new season.

"They are two-time Champions League winner, so I think it is going to be difficult, but we can do it if we improve a lot and work on our problems.

"I don't think we are one of the favourites, but we can go through to the semi-finals. We have a team that can do it, experienced young players who play very well. If we work a lot and improve, we can do it."Pep [Guardiola] has won many trophies and he gives us a lot of belief. It is a big year. I want to win some trophies."

City's meeting with Real presents Sane with the opportunity to go up against Gareth Bale, a player who the Germany star has previously admitting to basing his game on. And while they will be on opposite sides, Sane is looking forward to sharing the pitch with the Wales international.

Yes, of course," Sane added. "He is also a very good player and I can learn a lot from him. It is nice to see him play football and play against him. We are both good at running with the ball, but it is his speed with the ball [which I admire]."

City have turned their attention to Monaco forward Kylian Mbappe having lost ground in the chase for Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez and are, as Goal revealed, in advanced talks to complete a world-record deal for the France international.

Sane is confident in the current City strikeforce, however, though admits they may not stand up to Barcelona's prestigeous Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez forward line.

"We have great striker and midfielders, that's true," he said. "Of course, up front we want to have a good season again and hopefully we can score many goals. We are all young and, when you are the same age together, you have the same interests.

"They [Messi, Suarez and Neymar] are three very good players, they are three of the best strikers in the world. We will try our best to be good and move on to that level.


"Gabriel, of course, is a special player but he is also very young. When he came over from Brazil, he was exciting on the pitch and really pleased to play for Manchester City and everyone could see it. He is a very special player for us."

 

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'We’re better than last season and the spirit is fantastic' - Mourinho optimistic of Man Utd title challenge

Jose Mourinho insists Manchester United are candidates to win the 2017-18 Premier League title.

The Portuguese led United to the Europa League trophy in his debut campaign at Old Trafford, as well as the EFL Cup and Community shield.

Cup success came at a price, however, with United finishing 24 points behind Premier League winners Chelsea in sixth place.And though Mourinho believes there are other clubs in a stronger position to secure the title, he is optimistic of his side's chances.

“I don’t think we’re big candidates for the title, but we’re [candidates],” Mourinho is quoted by the Mirror. “But we’re better than last season and the spirit is fantastic."The confidence levels are good and I think the fact we had some kind of success last season also was important to relax some personalities.

“They feel more confident to go into the Champions League without being a candidate. That’s good. We went into the Europa League with the tag of favourites - and that’s not easy to have.“I think another fact is that everybody of the top seven - because I have to put Everton in the top seven - is in Europe next season.

“Last season, Chelsea and Liverpool weren’t in Europe and that gave them a chance to be better and stronger than the others in the championship.”

Mourinho has added Victor Lindelof to his defence ahead of the new campaign, and broke the club's transfer record in signing £75 million striker Romelu Lukaku.

The Portuguese is keen to capture further additions, with the likes of Nemanja Matic and Ivan Perisic being strongly linked with a switch to the clubs in the coming weeks.