As domestic seasons draw to a close, the giants of Women s European football are due to battle it out this weekend and secure a spot in the Champions League final.
With both fixtures finely poised, Chelsea will welcome current champions Barcelona to Stamford Bridge and try to end their reign.
Lyon will travel to the Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain looking to secure their 11th appearance in the final.
They have played in the showpiece match more times than any other team in the competition and are also the most successful side in the tournament s history with eight titles overall and five consecutive crowns from 2016 to 2020, so PSG will have their work cut out.
The deciders are coming
— UEFA Women’s Champions League (@UWCL)
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Pep Guardiola is confident new signing Savinho will be able to adapt to the demands of Manchester City’s packed schedule.
The 20-year-old attacker made his debut in City’s Community Shield victory over Manchester United on Saturday, with the Premier League champions triumphing on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
He joined Guardiola s side on a five-year-deal from Troyes, having impressed last season while on loan at Girona.
The Brazilian helped Girona qualify for their first-ever Champions League campaign with the second-most goal contributions in the squad (19), registering nine goals and 10 assists.
Guardiola is confident he can maintain those levels with City, telling the club s website: He is so fast in transitions, so fast and he can do 30 or 40 g…
Newcastle United are a really big team that deserve success, so says Georginio Wijnaldum.
The Magpies have had a transformative 20 months since they were taken over by a consortium backed by Saudi Arabia s Public Investment Fund (PIF) in late 2021.
Under Eddie Howe s tutelage, Newcastle went from bottom of the Premier League at the start of 2022, to qualifying for the Champions League in under 18 months.
Wijnaldum spent a season with Newcastle in 2015-16 before he moved to Liverpool, and the Netherlands international hopes for the best for his old club.
Really happy because Newcastle s a really big team, the midfielder told reporters after the Netherlands Nations League loss to Croatia.
I think a lot of people underestimate how big the club is a…
French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet has welcomed Kylian Mbappe s interest in playing at the Olympic Games.
France sealed qualification for next year s tournament in Tokyo by reaching the semi-finals of the ongoing European Under-21 Championship.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Mbappe was fast-tracked to the senior squad and never played for his country s under-21 team.
But after France clinched their spot he signalled he hopes to feature at the Olympics with a message on social media that simply read: TOKYO 2020.
During a tour of Japan, Mbappe also outlined his international aims, having already won the World Cup last year in Russia.
I still have to win the European Championship with France but I d also like to play at the Ol…
Manuela Vanegas ripped up the script at the Women’s World Cup as her stoppage-time strike for Colombia condemned Germany to a shock 2-1 defeat.
Co-hosts New Zealand were knocked out of the tournament as they were held to a goalless draw by Switzerland, while Norway thrashed the Philippines 6-0 as Morocco edged out South Korea 1-0.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at all of today’s World Cup action.
Colombia stun Germany
Germany suffered their first World Cup group stage defeat since 1995 in dramatic fashion in Sydney.
Real Madrid teenager Linda Caicedo’s outstanding strike gave Colombia a 52nd-minute lead, but Germany thought they had rescued a draw when Alexandra Popp scored from the penalty spot in the 89th minute.
But Colombi…
England boss Roy Hodgson has now named his 23-man squad for Euro 2016
I must admit that nothing surprises me when it comes to England squad selections and Three Lions bosses. The current England boss Roy Hodgson was always going to divide opinion with his Euro 2016 squad selection.
However, I believe that the veteran boss has got his selection wrong, especially by deciding to essentially take five forwards.
Three players left at home
Hodgson was working with a provisional squad of 26 players, which has now been whittled down to the required 23 man squad.
The three men to miss out on the squad are midfielders Fabian Delph and Danny Drinkwater, along with winger Andros Townsend.
In truth, the selection of Delph in the provisional squad myst…
Crystal Palace’s swoop for midfielder Adam Wharton from Blackburn looked to be the biggest Premier League move of deadline day as the transfer window closed with a flurry of late loan deals.
The Eagles – fighting to stay clear of being dragged into a relegation battle – are said to have paid an initial fee of £18million, which could potentially see a further £4m in add-ons for the talented 19-year-old.
Wharton, who has signed a five-and-a-half-year contract, feels Crystal Palace is the right place for him to further his ambitions.
— Crystal Palace F.C. (@CPFC)
“The way they have brought players from the Championship and developed them into world-class players in the Premier League is something that stood out to me,” Wharton said o…
While the idea of seeing super clubs such as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain lose out to RB Leipzig or Lyon – in the semis or the final – was a tantalising, even amusing, prospect, it s fair to say that Sunday s finale is one that s certainly captured the imagination of the neutrals.
From Bayern s perspective, since the promotion of Hansi Flick to succeed Niko Kovac, a host of their players have elevated themselves to world-class levels, some even beyond that.
Alphonso Davies, David Alaba, Thomas Muller, Serge Gnabry – they have all benefited massively from Flick s management and, as a result, Bayern have been practically unplayable.
But Robert Lewandowski deserves special focus. His quality is nothing new – the Pole has been among the best striker…
Tokyo 2020 organisers have announced spectators will not be allowed to travel from overseas to watch the Olympic Games this year.
The measure has been taken as part of an effort to reduce the risks of COVID-19 spreading at the delayed Games.
The Games will run from July 23 to August 8, having been set back by a year due to the global health crisis.
Also affected will be the Paralympics, which runs from August 24 to September 5, with travelling spectators also barred from attending.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) have been advised of Tokyo s decision and are said by Games chiefs to respect and accept this conclusion .
In a statement issued on Twitter, Tokyo 2020 said: Today, on March 20, we re…
Rob Edwards paid tribute to special club Luton Town after the Hatters relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on the final day.
Luton s brief but eventful stint in the top flight came to an end following a 4-2 defeat by Fulham at Kenilworth Road, with Edwards side finishing 18th and six points adrift of 17th-place Nottingham Forest.
Last-day survival was always going to be a big ask for the Hatters, who needed a victory and an ambitious 12-goal swing to stand any chance of usurping Forest.
Luton have gained many new admirers with their tally of 52 goals the second-most by a side during a 20-team Premier League season in which they were relegated after Blackpool s 55 in 2010-11.
However, a leaky defence proved to be their undoing as they conceded…