Barcelona are in the middle of an injury crisis as they head to Valencia for Saturday's La Liga game looking to keep up with pacemaking pair Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid. Without injured goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen and right back Sergi Roberto for the last two games, Barca will also be missing defenders Jordi Alba and Gerard Pique after both were hurt in Wednesday's 4-0 win over Manchester City in the Champions League. Pique sprained his right ankle while Alba injured his left hamstring and both are out until November.
Tottenham Hotspur flop David Bentley rejoined former club Blackburn Rovers on loan on Friday and Manchester City's Dutch teenager Karim Rekik has also moved to the English second tier side on a short-term deal.
A superb second-half strike from Adnan Januzaj gave Belgium a 1-0 win over England on Thursday to see them top World Cup Group G with a perfect record and consign England to second place, with both sides already assured of going through to the last 16.
Missed the biggest news from last week? Here's what happened in the world in photos.
South Korea must defy their status as the weakest team in the group and upset a resurgent Mexico if they are to keep their World Cup hopes alive, captain Ki Sung-yueng said.
Schalke 04 hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 and overcome fellow Germans Borussia Moenchenglach on away goals in their Europa League last 16 tie while Manchester United edged Rostov 1-0 to progress on Thursday.
Saudi Arabia are looking towards the Asian Cup with hope after they showed signs of progress in their 1-0 defeat to Uruguay as they exited the World Cup on Wednesday.
Bayern Munich came from a goal down at home to beat Ingolstadt 3-1 on Saturday and make it three wins in three Bundesliga matches as they went two points clear at the top. The champions were far less convincing than in their Champions League 5-0 win over Rostov on Tuesday and were caught napping after eight minutes with Paraguayan Dario Lezcano slipping the ball through the legs of Manuel Neuer.
Company's loss-making Russian arm painted three World Cup soccer venues, and two airports to break even this fiscal; Berger now mulls acquiring competing painting companies.
Supporters will be offered free water and paper caps and fans to help them keep cool, officials said.
Mexico captain Andres Guardado said his side have become fearless after following up their hugely impressive win over world champions Germany by beating South Korea 2-1 on Saturday to take a huge leap towards topping Group F.
FIFA World Cup revs up television sales in India
'If you look at the points we've lost at home -- all the matches where we draw -- you're thinking about 10 or 12 and, with these points we wouldn't just be speaking about the top four, we'd be speaking about the top two or the top one'
Croatia had shown glimpses of their potential at the last European Championships in France two years ago when they beat Spain but went out in the second round to eventual winners Portugal after conceding in extra time.
Postal service worker Kristbjorn Hilmir Kjartansson and his friend Gretar Jonsson, a film student, took 14 days to make the trip from Reykjavik to Volgograd.
Brazil have shown all the signs they can rule the world yet again in Russia but they must make their excellent preparations count in their World Cup Group E opener against a resilient Switzerland side on Sunday in Rostov.
Akira Nishino's short time in charge of Japan has been defined by a succession of gambles and so it was perhaps fitting that his side departs the World Cup after risking it all in the last 16 against Belgium.
Uruguay's Jose Gimenez scored with a thunderous 89th minute header to deal Egypt a 1-0 defeat in their World Cup opener on Friday, just as the North Africans appeared to have escaped with a point despite missing key striker Mohamed Salah.
Saudi Arabia coach Juan Antonio Pizzi described a "feeling of shame" after his side suffered a 5-0 hammering at the hands of hosts Russia in the World Cup's opening game at the Luzhniki Stadium on Thursday.
The Kremlin dubbed the Russian national team heroes and proud soccer fans saluted their underdog host team after the side lost on penalties to Croatia, bringing an end to its World Cup challenge at the quarter-finals.
It took a great escape in injury time to get there after being two goals down to Japan, but Belgium can now view their quarter-final against Brazil free of the weight of expectation.
Belgium go into Monday's World Cup last 16 match against Japan full of confidence but wary that relying on individual talent against similarly well-organised but less fancied teams has cost them dear in the past.
Already-qualified France played out an uninspiring goalless draw with Denmark in their final World Cup Group C match at Moscow's Luzhniki stadium on Tuesday, which was enough to ensure that both teams advance to the knockout stage.
England and Belgium face a World Cup conundrum ahead of Thursday's crunch in Kaliningrad
Iceland must beat group leaders Croatia and hope the result of Argentina against Nigeria goes their way too.
Pep Guardiola will return to the Nou Camp in the Champions League group stage after his new club Manchester City were drawn against his former Barcelona team on Thursday. The two sides were drawn in Group C alongside Borussia Moenchengladbach and former European champions Celtic in one of the toughest of the eight sections. Spanish coach Guardiola, who won the Champions League twice with Barca, faced the Catalans when he was in charge of Bayern Munich two seasons ago and suffered a 5-3 defeat in the semi-finals.
Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar combined to devastating effect as Barcelona swatted Celtic aside 7-0 at the Nou Camp to lay down a marker in Champions League Group C on Tuesday.
Belgium play in a second successive World Cup quarter-final, looking to reach the semi-finals for the second time after they advanced to the last four in Mexico 32 years ago.
Belgium passed a test of character with a display of true grit that bodes well for a World Cup quarter-final against Brazil, coach Roberto Martinez said after they came from 2-0 behind to beat Japan 3-2 in injury time.
Philippe Coutinho scored a spectacular first-half goal for Brazil in their World Cup Group E opener on Sunday, only for Steven Zuber to cancel it out after the break.
Belgium fought back from two goals down to beat Japan 3-2 with an added-time goal from substitute Nacer Chadli on Monday to set up a World Cup quarter-final with Brazil.
South Korea's faint hopes of reaching the last 16 of the World Cup have faded further with news that captain Ki Sung-yueng will miss their final group game against Germany.
Morocco winger Nordin Amrabat has been discharged from hospital but he will not play in the side's next World Cup Group B clash against Portugal on Wednesday after suffering concussion in the 1-0 loss to Iran, officials said.
Manchester United's Jose Mourinho, humbled for the second time this season in front of the Chelsea fans who once idolised him, did not go quietly on Monday as he declared that he remains the London club's number one manager.
Spain goalkeeper David de Gea made a rare error which led to his side drawing 1-1 at home to Switzerland in a World Cup warm-up friendly on Sunday which the hosts dominated but failed to make their superior possession count.
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte got the upper hand on Jose Mourinho for the second time this season as his double-chasing side beat 10-man Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to reach the FA Cup semi-finals on Monday.
Rediff.com takes a look at some of the most prominent politicians across the world as they get jiggy with it.
British citizen detained in Russia after incident on World Cup train: Embassy
United's Ibrahimovic, Roma's Dzeko find the net thrice to give clubs first leg advantage
Ultra-nationalist and schooled in their country's historical grievances, Russian soccer hooligans see themselves as fighting the Kremlin's geopolitical battles in miniature when they clash with foreign fans at the Euro 2016 tournament.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Investor Information - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances