A summary of Wednesday night's matches in the Champions League.
Manchester United continued to splash the cash after Torino announced that Italy full back Matteo Darmian was heading to Old Trafford.
Germany's Mario Gomez has been ruled out of the rest of Euro 2016 with a thigh muscle injury while Sami Khedira and Bastian Schweinsteiger are doubtful after being injured in Saturday's quarter-final win over Italy.
Ivanovic enters a twilight zone, aka the French Open press room.
Midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger scored two superb goals as the hosts beat Portugal 3-1.
Captain Michael Ballack scored with a blistering free-kick in extra-time to lead 10-man Germany to a 4-3 win over Mexico and claim third place in the Confederations Cup.
They opened their Bundesliga title defence with a 2-0 home win over Borussia Dortmund.
Morgan Schneiderlin took less than five minutes to score on his Manchester United debut in a 1-0 win over Mexico side Club America on Friday.
Manchester United are expecting a host of injured players to make their returns this month but will not rush them back into the first-team, manager Louis van Gaal said ahead of Thursday's last-16 Europa League tie against bitter rivals Liverpool. Despite having nine players currently out, including captain Wayne Rooney and defender Phil Jones, United won four games in a row prior to their shock Premier League defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. "(Antonio) Valencia is coming back, Basti (Bastian Schweinsteiger) is coming back, a lot of players shall come back in March," Van Gaal told reporters on Wednesday. "... it is hard to see whether they can cope with the rhythm of the match... Basti, for example, has only one training session under his belt. "Valencia is much more closer to being on the bench, but not to play a match."
Germany put the finishing touches to their World Cup preparations by beating Colombia 3-0 on Friday.
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola set a Bundesliga record after needing only 61 matches for his 50th league win when the champions beat Borussia Dortmund 1-0 on Saturday to march towards the title.
David De Gea will not play in Manchester United's opening Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur, manager Louis van Gaal said on Friday, amid reports linking the goalkeeper with a move to Real Madrid.
Two goals from Antoine Griezmann helped hosts France overcome world champions Germany 2-0 on Thursday to reach the final of Euro 2016, a first competitive victory over their old rivals in 58 years. Twice winners France will face Portugal in Sunday's final in Paris after defending stoutly against a Germany side who dominated possession but conceded a needless first-half penalty before being picked off on the break in the second period.
World champions Germany will not be present at the Euro 2016 final in Paris after being knocked out by hosts France 0-2 at Marseille. French football fans painted the town red, white and blue after Antoine Griezmann scored twice to take his country within a striking distance from European glory. The Les Blues will now face Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal in the final at Paris.
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Germany's Toni Kroos emerged as the world champions' natural leader on Saturday, stepping up to guide them to a last-gasp 2-1 victory over Sweden kept them on course for the World Cup last 16.
Bayern Munich had to put their Bundesliga title celebrations on hold on Saturday after beating gutsy Mainz 05 2-0 while Borussia Dortmund also won, 3-0 at Hanover 96.
Defending champion H S Prannoy eked out a thrilling win over China's Qiao Bin to advance to the quarterfinals of the $120,000 Swiss Grand Prix Gold badminton tournament, in Basel on Thursday.
Northern Ireland have enough tools to get a result in their final group match against a fallible German team, Northern Ireland's coach Michael O'Neill said on Monday.
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Manchester should brace itself for some fascinating local derbies if Jose Mourinho joins United, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said on Wednesday. The Germany international declined to comment on reports that the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager had agreed terms with United to succeed the sacked Louis van Gaal. However, he said every player would want to work under the Portuguese coach who will go head-to-head with Pep Guardiola who has already agreed to join rivals Manchester City.
When Bastian Obermayer and Frederik Obermaier shone a light on the Pandora's Box that became famous as the Panama Papers, even they didn't know how it would shake up the murky world of finance, indeed the world itself.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal gave himself a pat on the back on Thursday for having the "guts" to give teenage striker Marcus Rashford his break in the side.
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Bayern Munich forward Thomas Muller has stated that 'it would be almost boring' to see Portuguese international Cristiano Ronaldo winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award yet again.
Germany and Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira's World Cup hopes hang in the balance after he was ruled out for around six months with a torn cruciate ligament suffered in Friday's 1-1 draw against Italy, team doctors said on Saturday.
France have found a new hero in Antoine Griezmann and the striker has his eyes firmly set on lifting the Euro 2016 trophy after his two goals fired Les Bleus past Germany on Thursday and into the final.
Germany's Lukas Podolski will receive an appropriate farewell when the world champions meet England in a high-quality friendly on Wednesday with the winger having become one of the country's all-time greats, coach Joachim Loew said on Tuesday.
Torn muscle sidelines Robben for rest of the season; Lewandowski breaks jaw
Jamie Vardy became the first player to score in 11 consecutive Premier League matches when he gave Leicester City the lead in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United at the King Power Stadium on Saturday.
Bayern Munich's surprise 3-1 Champions League loss to Porto was the price the five-time European champions paid for a string of injuries and a tired squad.
Holders Bayern Munich beat Bayer Leverkusen 5-3 on penalties after a 0-0 draw to move into the German Cup semi-final and stay on course for a treble of titles on Wednesday.
Former French Open champion Ana Ivanovic announced her retirement from tennis at the age of 29 on Wednesday because she no longer feels fit enough to compete at the highest level.
Arjen Robben scored a 90th minute winner in their 2-1 victory at Mainz 05 on Friday to send Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich into the winter break with a commanding 14-point lead.
In the history of football there has been no more devastating nullification of supposed home advantage than Germany's 7-1 humbling of Brazil in the 2014 World Cup semi-finals, so playing France in Marseille holds no fears for the world champions. That astonishing result in Belo Horizonte, particularly the opening 30-minute five-goal blitz that left the world aghast, underlined Germany's unique mental strength and belief in their own ability whatever the opposition or circumstances.
Chelsea have signed Stoke City's Bosnian international goalkeeper Asmir Begovic on a four-year contract, the Premier League champions confirmed on Monday.
Manchester United manager Lous van Gaal has again dismissed reports he will leave Old Trafford at the end of the season, saying on Friday he does not have to answer to the media. The Dutchman's future has been the subject of persistent speculation after United's Champions League group-stage exit and indifferent Premier League displays sparked discontent among fans. Former Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho was linked with Van Gaal's job last and United were forced to deny a report that they had met with Pep Guardiola, the Bayern Munich boss who has said he wants to manage in the Premier League next season. "I don't think that the press have to help me with my decisions. First they have sacked me. Now they are interfering with my future. I don't have to answer," Van Gaal told reporters. "I have a relationship with the players of Manchester United. That is the most important thing. "Not everything the media are writing is true."