The new English season got off to a familiar start as two Sergio Aguero goals, including his 200th for the club, handed Manchester City a 2-0 win over Chelsea and claim the FA Community Shield for the fifth time at a sun-baked Wembley.
(Reuters) - Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris St Germain reached the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday on a night when the goals flowed all over Europe with United the highest scorers in a 5-0 win at Bayer Leverkusen.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
Holders Chelsea will face Premier League opposition in the third round of the FA Cup after Sunday's draw gave them a tricky start to their defence away to Southampton.
A man has been arrested over an allegation that a racist gesture was made to a player during last week's Capital One Cup match between Chelsea and Manchester United, London's Metropolitan police said on Monday.
Leeds United were handed a tough FA Cup fourth round tie away to Tottenham Hotspur after Sunday's momentous victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford. Leeds, the League One (third division) leaders, scored the biggest Cup upset for years when they beat United 1-0.
Cristiano Ronaldo's hat-trick for Real Madrid illuminated an opening night goals bonanza as the leading contenders began the Champions League group stage with a bang on Tuesday.
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has drawn up a contingency plan in the event he fails to land his number one target, Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney, before the transfer window closes on September 2.
In a bitter outburst at the fans who have barracked him relentlessly and an angry swipe at the club's board for only appointing him 'interim' manager, Rafael Benitez said on Wednesday he will leave Chelsea at the end of the season.
A round-up of Wednesday's action in the UEFA Champions League
Schalke 04 are hoping to draw inspiration from last month's shock victory at Inter Milan when they try to overturn a 2-0 deficit away to Manchester United in Wednesday's Champions League semi-final second leg.
Javier Hernandez struck twice to lift Manchester United to a 2-1 win over Olympique Marseille on Tuesday and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals for the fifth year in a row.
Images from the Champions League matches plsyed across Europe on Wednesday.
Images from the UEFA Champions League matches played on Tuesday night.
Yokohama beat Shandong to book Asian Champions League last 16 berth
Manchester United will be getting used to life without Wayne Rooney at home to Bursaspor in the Champions League on Wednesday when holders Inter Milan unleash red-hot Samuel Eto'o on Tottenham Hotspur. Rooney has shocked United by saying he wants to leave but manager Alex Ferguson will not have to make an awkward decision about playing him against the Turkish side after the club said the England striker had gone down with an ankle injury.
The former Valencia player expressed surprise that Chelsea were willing to let him depart, but having been an unused substitute in their last two league matches, he relished the chance to play for another "massive club".
Zenit St Petersburg became the first Russian team to win the European Super Cup when they earned a 2-1 win over Manchester United on Friday.
"They have experienced players. Obviously, Lewandowski is a stand-out player, one of the best strikers in the world. We should not underestimate them." said coach Didier Deschamps.
Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo has shaken off his relatively poor early-season form in perfect time for Tuesday's Champions League Group G clash with fellow European giants AC Milan.
Premier League Middlesbrough were held to a 0-0 draw at Championship (second division) side Sheffield United in the FA Cup fifth round on Sunday.
The Gunners will take on Manchester United at Old Trafford in the FA Cup fifth round.
Title-holders Barcelona will play Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the Champions League as they hope to remain on course for a repeat of last year's final against Manchester United.
Holders Barcelona will play Bayer Leverkusen, a team famous for fading in the final straight, while their arch-rivals Real Madrid face a trip to icy Moscow in the Champions League round of 16 following the draw on Friday. Bayern Munich, whose Allianz Arena will host the final, take on FC Basel, the underdogs who spectacularly ousted Manchester United, in another of the top ties.
Images from the Champions League matches played on Wednesday
Manchester United and AS Roma will meet in the Champions League group stages.
Tottenham Hotspur hammered 10-man Aston Villa 4-0 in the Premier League on Sunday thanks to four second-half goals, allowing them to close the gap with their Birmingham rivals to two points in the chase for Champions League football next season.
Television has too much power over English soccer, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said on Monday.
Holders Barcelona will begin their defence of the Champions League with a home match against AC Milan after the two old rivals were drawn in the same group on Thursday.
United rested several big names but were too good for Rovers at Old Trafford with Argentine striker Tevez running the show in a 5-3 victory in the only all Premier League clash of the quarter-finals. Tottenham, who beat Chelsea in the final last season, fell behind against Championship (second division) side Watford but hit back to win 2-1 at Vicarage Road.
The world's best player Lionel Messi lit up the opening night of the Champions League for Barcelona although holders Inter Milan and Manchester United endured less than sparkling starts on Tuesday.
John O'Shea was Manchester United's unlikely hero as they beat Arsenal 1-0 in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.
Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson said the injury-hit holders were capable of at least scoring an away goal in Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first leg match against Inter Milan. Inter coach Jose Mourinho expects United to go on the defensive at the San Siro and thinks the tie will only be decided at Old Trafford on March 11, possibly in extra-time.
New-season optimism may be offset by old concerns for champions Manchester United and FA Cup holders Chelsea when they meet in the curtain-raising Community Shield.
'I'm probably one of the only ones that disagrees, for the simple fact that we only had three games that we were below standard.'
Holders Inter Milan earned their coach a reprieve to lead a group of seven teams through to the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday, a night lit up by Lionel Messi's customary finesse and Wayne Rooney's goalscoring return.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said good fortune and mental toughness were behind his team's penalty shootout win over Manchester United in Saturday's FA Cup final.
Multiple Olympic champion Usain Bolt will train with Borussia Dortmund on Friday as the retired Jamaican sprinter fulfils his ambition to workout with a major professional soccer team, the German club said on Thursday.
Chelsea will try to succeed where Manchester United failed when they meet Reading the Premier League on Saturday.
Aston Villa blew a chance to go eight points clear of Arsenal in the race for England's fourth Champions League berth Sunday after conceding two late goals against relegation-threatened Stoke City. The 2-2 draw, with Stoke cancelling out their hosts' 2-0 lead in the final three minutes, left fourth-placed Villa six points ahead of Arsenal and three adrift of second-placed Chelsea and Liverpool in the Premier League.
