Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will resume their perennial battle to be crowned the world's best footballer after they headed the shortlist of 30 players for the 2016 Ballon d'Or announced on Monday.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice as a rejuvenated Barcelona gave a football masterclass to inflict a humiliating 4-0 defeat on rivals Real Madrid on Sunday.
Manchester City's Yaya Toure will be favourite to collect a record fourth successive African Footballer of the Year crown.
Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and Barcelona's Lionel Messi, who have won the award 10 times between them, are included
IMAGES from Europa League matches played on Thursday.
Ronaldo's moments of brilliance, however, are getting ever rarer. Even in the Europa League, where he has started all four matches against mediocre opponents such as Sheriff Tiraspol and Omonia Nicosia, he has only scored once, off a penalty.
Egypt striker Mohamed Salah was voted as the African Footballer of the Year for the second successive year at the Confederation of African Football's awards ceremony in Dakar on Tuesday.
Arsenal fielded a strong team with Ozil installed as captain and the Premier League side soon took control against weakened opposition, given the time and space they will not be afforded when the domestic campaign kicks off in August.
AC Milan have been drawn to play Manchester United in what is the standout tie in next month's Europa League round of 16.
We have been monitoring him for the past few months, we had a clear intention to strengthen in the attacking midfielder and the winger positions (and) he is a player that gives us a lot of versatility.
Bayern Munich kept their five-point lead at the top of the table on Saturday, drawing 0-0 at second-placed Borussia Dortmund to stay on track for a record fourth consecutive Bundesliga title.
IMAGES from the Europa League matches played on Thursday.
It was the ninth consecutive victory for Dortmund in all competitions this season and showed they had put last season's disappointing performances behind them.
Barcelona were shaken up by Eintracht Frankfurt but took a first step in their bid to reach the Europa League last four as a second-half goal by Ferran Torres salvaged a 1-1 comeback away draw in their quarter-final first leg on Thursday.
Substitute Alexandre Lacazette struck with the last kick of the game to give Arsenal a rollercoaster 2-2 home draw with Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Monday after the visitors had fought back from a goal down.
Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.
A summary of Sunday's Premier League matches.
IMAGES from EPL matches played on Wednesday
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored twice to earn Arsenal a 3-2 Premier League win over Everton on Sunday, extending the Gunners' unbeaten start to 2020 and moving them back into the battle for European places. The win lifts Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side up to ninth place in the league with 37 points, while Everton remain without a victory at the Gunners in 24 years and a point adrift in 11th.
Borussia Dortmund reached the German Cup semi-finals with a 3-1 win at VfB Stuttgart on Tuesday as fans protested against high ticket prices by staying away at the start and throwing tennis balls on to the pitch.
Tottenham were booed off at the final whistle as defeat left them in fifth place
The result leaves Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United in 10th with nine points, their worst start after seven games for 30 years, and they have won just one of their last six league games.
Arsenal squandered a two-goal lead as Watford hit back to draw 2-2 in new manager Quique Sanchez Flores's first game of his second stint in charge at Vicarage Road on Sunday.
Arsenal have signed forward Nicolas Pepe from French club Lille for a club-record fee, the Premier League side said on Thursday.
With no Champions League football for a third straight season, the financial realities are starting to bite and Arsenal will be desperate for some of their talented youngsters to come through.
Tottenham Hotspur claimed a first victory at Chelsea for 28 years with Dele Alli scoring twice in the second half as they came back to win 3-1 and cement fourth place in the Premier League on Sunday.
Manchester City tore Arsenal apart for the second time in five days on Thursday, beating them 3-0 on a freezing night at The Emirates to restore their 16-point lead as they close in on the Premier League title.
Holders Real Madrid chased away some of their early-season blues when Gareth Bale scored the pick of the goals in a 5-1 rout of FC Basel in their Champions League Group B opener on Tuesday.
The difference between this side and the under-achieving teams towards the end of Wenger's reign is their experience. Martinelli made his debut in 2019 while Saka has been a regular since the 2019-20 campaign.
Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard scored midway through each half to spark wild celebrations by the home fans who have waited so long to take their place in their new 17,500-capacity home and even longer to watch top-flight football.
Rangers joined Barca in the last eight despite losing 2-1 at Red Star Belgrade, progressing 3-2 on aggregate.
Riyad Mahrez, who inspired Leicester City to an extraordinary Premier League title triumph last season, was named African Footballer of the Year on Thursday.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta continues rebuilding the side around goal machine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and younger talents like Bukayo Saka.
Rattled by embarrassing domestic defeats, Chelsea looked jittery before Olivier Giroud settled their nerves with a close range tap-in shortly after halftime at StamfordBridge following good work by N'Golo Kante and Willian in the build-up.
Reigning champions Manchester City took the lead after 24 seconds but suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Newcastle United.
Tuchel said he hoped left back Ben Chilwell will not require surgery and that the club will wait to see how the situation develops before deciding if they need cover for the position.
La Liga players dominate this year's Best Player in Europe shortlist, announced by the continent's governing body UEFA on Monday, with seven of the top 10 contenders for the prestigious award currently plying their trade in Spain.
The home team's record signing Jefferson Lerma, who cost 25 million pounds ($32 million) in August, scored a spectacular own goal to give Arsenal the lead but Norwegian international Josh King, back in the Bournemouth side after injury, equalised just before halftime.
IMAGES from the English Premier League match played between Arsenal and Chelsea at Emirates Stadium in London on Sunday.
Chelsea beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties on Thursday to set up an all-English Europa League final with local rivals Arsenal in Baku on May 29.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances