31 h. ago European football: Lamine Yamal’s stunning strike caps Barcelona win over Real Oviedo

Three second-half goals put Barça back on topJuventus beat Napoli to leave title challenge in tattersBarcelona capitalised on two defensive mistakes by bottom-of-the-table Real Oviedo to seal a 3-0 victory at a rain-drenched Camp Nou on Sunday, regaining top spot in La Liga. Goals from Dani Olmo, Raphinha, and an acrobatic Lamine Yamal strike powered the Catalans to 52 points, one ahead of Real Madrid, while Atlético Madrid trail in third on 44.Barça struggled to break the deadlock against a spirited Oviedo until they finally found the breakthrough in the 52nd minute, with Olmo striking home following a defensive lapse. Five minutes later, Oviedo’s struggles deepened, with defender David Costas under-hitting a back pass, which Raphinha intercepted before calmly chipping the onrushing keeper Aaron Escandell to double Barcelona’s lead. Continue reading...

Events

57 h. ago European football: Augsburg end Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run in derby shocker

Massengo and Chaves strike late in Bavarian derbyDefeat ends Bayern’s 27-game unbeaten league runStrugglers Augsburg scored twice in six minutes late in the second half to come from a goal down and stun hosts Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Bavarian derby on Saturday, the league leaders’ first Bundesliga loss of the season.The hosts, fresh from securing a Champions League knockout spot with Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, took a 23rd-minute lead thanks to Hiroki Ito’s header but lacked any spark upfront as Augsburg struck in the 75th and 81st minutes through Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo to earn their first win in Munich for 11 years.This story will be updated Continue reading...

Events

57 h. ago European football: Augsburg fight back to end Bayern Munich’s unbeaten run

Massengo and Chaves strike late in Bavarian derbyComo put six past Torino to go fifth in Serie AStrugglers Augsburg scored twice in six minutes late in the second half to come from a goal down and stun hosts Bayern Munich 2-1 in the Bavarian derby on Saturday, the league leaders’ first Bundesliga loss of the season.The hosts, fresh from securing a Champions League knockout spot with Wednesday’s 2-0 win over Union Saint-Gilloise, took a 23rd-minute lead thanks to Hiroki Ito’s header but lacked any spark upfront as Augsburg struck in the 75th and 81st minutes through Arthur Chaves and Han-Noah Massengo to earn their first win in Munich for 11 years.This story will be updated Continue reading...

Sport

3 d. ago Sunderland stars aiming for European football even if ‘boring’ Regis Le Bris won’t admit it

HE IS the “boring” gaffer with the master plan at the Stadium of Light. Tight-lipped Regis Le Bris may still be playing it cool, but his red-and-white Sunderland machine are ready to launch MISSION EUROPE. Victory over Newcastle on December 14 left the Mackems flying high in seventh. That famous triumph not only capped a...

Sport

3 d. ago European football: Inter fight back to hit Pisa for six while Barcola lifts PSG top

Inter recover from 2-0 down to go six clear in Serie AIn Ligue 1, PSG go above Lens, who play on SaturdayInter were shocked to go two goals down at home to relegation-battling Pisa but fought back to earn a 6-2 win at San Siro on Friday, as they continue to set the pace at the top of Serie A.Stefano Moreo scored twice to put Pisa 2-0 up, the first thanks to a howler from the goalkeeper Yann Sommer, but Inter were ahead by the break. Piotr Zielinski converted a penalty and Lautaro Martínez and Francesco Pio Esposito both scored with headers in six minutes just before half-time. Continue reading...

Sport

6 d. ago Concerned European football chiefs discuss response to Trump over Greenland

Annex attempt could bring about Uefa-led boycott Implications for World Cup alarming heads of FAsEuropean football’s leaders are increasingly concerned about Donald Trump’s wish to annex Greenland and have held initial discussions about how the sport could respond.The Guardian understands the implications for this summer’s World Cup were among the topics raised among about 20 football association heads in Budapest on Monday. Talks about the Greenland crisis were held informally on the sidelines of an event organised to celebrate the Hungarian football federation’s 150th anniversary, in the knowledge that a unified European response may be required should Trump seek to escalate the situation. Continue reading...

Politics

8 d. ago European football: Barcelona slip up at Real Sociedad while Milan stay in hunt

La Liga lead cut to one point after surprise 2-1 defeatFüllkrug scores first goal in Italy since leaving West HamReal Sociedad damaged Barcelona’s title defence with a surprise 2-1 home victory as Hansi Flick’s side fell to a first defeat in 12 matches. The Catalan side, who hit the woodwork four times and had two goals disallowed, now lead their rivals Real Madrid by only a point at the top of La Liga after Álvaro Arbeloa’s side beat Levante on Saturday.Sociedad, now unbeaten in four games under their new American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, had Carlos Soler sent off late on but managed to hold on. Continue reading...

Politics

9 d. ago European football: Mbappé spot on to deliver first Real Madrid win for Arbeloa

Raúl Asencio also on target in 2-0 win over LevanteLautaro Martínez gives Inter 1-0 victory at UdineseReal Madrid ended a turbulent week with a much-needed 2-0 win against relegation-threatened Levante, courtesy of second-half goals from Kylian Mbappé and Raúl Asencio, after being met with boos from a restless Bernabéu crowd before the breakthrough arrived.The win snapped Real’s two-match losing run and offered brief respite after a bruising week. They looked flat in the first half, still carrying the scars of Sunday’s 3-2 defeat by Barcelona in the final of the Supercopa de España, followed by the departure of Xabi Alonso as manager the next day and a shock 3-2 Copa del Rey exit to second-division Albacete on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Politics

1 week ago No cups, no Europe, 40 matches: is this Manchester United’s post

As Michael Carrick prepares for Saturday’s derby, fans wonder if this is the club’s worst moment – but they are spoilt for choiceManchester United, without a permanent head coach or European football and knocked out of both domestic cups at the first time of asking, are facing another bleak season. In the almost 13 years since Sir Alex Ferguson left, the club have struggled to find stability, with his shadow stretching down from the directors’ box to the dugout, emphasised by the stand named in his honour staring back.Manchester City arrive at Old Trafford on Saturday in the opposite position, having had Pep Guardiola in post for a decade, amassing 18 major trophies. Michael Carrick will take charge of United for the first time since being appointed until the end of the season at a club who appear to be without a functioning long-term plan. This will be a campaign of only 40 competitive games for United, their fewest since 1914-15, with some fans thankful for being able to cut down ...

Politics

1 week ago European football: Inter edge Lecce to stretch lead, Bayern earn comeback win

Esposito scores 78th-minute winner at San SiroNapoli 0-0 Lecce, Cologne 1-3 Bayern MunichFrancesco Pio Esposito was the hero for Inter, the substitute’s 78th-minute goal earning a 1-0 home win over lowly Lecce to boost their title hopes.The Serie A leaders laboured against stubborn opposition before Esposito scored from a rebound with 12 minutes remaining. Inter move six points clear of Milan and Napoli with victory in what could be a major turning point in this season’s title race. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Juventus deliver tale of humiliation and redemption inside three days | Nicky Bandini

On Saturday, Jonathan David’s lazy penalty cost Juventus a win. By Tuesday, he was the best player on the pitchFour years have passed since Andrea Agnelli, still the chairman of the European Club Association and president of Juventus back then, floated the idea of selling 15-minute viewing subscriptions for football games. A response to research showing that younger generations – “tomorrow’s spenders” – had shorter attention spans.Agnelli’s judgement has been called into question a few times since, between the failed launch of a European Super League and his suspension from Italian football following an investigation into financial irregularities at Juventus. But perhaps he was right about the need to serve modern audiences a faster fix of sporting theatre. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago How Scandinavian clubs fell behind the WSL – can they regain lost ground?

Once they seemed an unstoppable force but a huge gap between the Nordic leagues and Europe’s elite has emerged in the past 20 yearsFor a brief period in the early 2000s, Scandinavian clubs seemed unstoppable in European women’s football. Umeå lifted the Uefa Women’s Cup in 2003 and again in 2004, using a blend of technical skill and tactical intelligence. The Swedish side were a powerhouse and attracted top talent from around the world, including Marta, widely regarded as the greatest ever female player.That dominance feels very distant. In 2025, a Norwegian, Swedish or Danish club winning the Women’s Champions League is almost unthinkable. Vålerenga were the only Scandinavian team to reach the Champions League league stage this season and they did not qualify for the knockout phase. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Joan García goes back to Espanyol: Barça’s ‘science fiction’ keeper saves the day | Sid Lowe

Goalkeeper who swapped city rivals in the summer proved pivotal on his return with a stunning series of saves“I hope people don’t get angry but he’s my friend.” There wasn’t long until the Barcelona derby and Jofre Carreras had briefly abandoned the warm-up to talk to the TV. There on the touchline, talk inevitably turned to his former roommate, housemate and teammate Joan García, now in goal for their greatest rivals. Carreras’s answer was just about audible over all the noise and then he was off again: he had something else to do before it all started, accepting a shirt marking his 100th game for Espanyol. Behind them as club legend Rafa Marañón presented it, the team captains lined up for a photo of their own with the first Catalan to referee this fixture in 80 years and, way off to the left out of shot, García clapped. Like everything else he did, except actually play, he did so discreetly.Joan and Jofre, both 24, have known each other “for as long as I can remember”, in Carrera...

Politics

3 w. ago European football: Napoli hold off Lazio in fiery contest with three red cards

Spinazzola and Rrahmani goals earn 2-0 away winSevilla slump to 3-0 home defeat against LevanteFirst-half goals from Leonardo Spinazzola and Amir Rrahmani helped Napoli claim a 2-0 victory at Lazio on Sunday in a heated contest that featured three red cards.Victory moves Napoli back to one point behind Serie A leaders Milan, who won 1-0 at Cagliari on Friday. Inter sit third but can reclaim top spot with victory at home to Bologna later on Sunday.This story will be updated Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago European football: García back to haunt Espanyol as Barcelona go seven clear

David’s failed Panenka costs Juventus against LecceChelsea target Rosenior’s Strasbourg draw at NiceThe Barcelona manager Hansi Flick hailed Joan García as one of the best goalkeepers in the world after the former Espanyol player delivered a decisive performance against his old club in the Catalan derby on Saturday.García was instrumental in Barcelona’s 2-0 victory, producing a series of outstanding saves, with the league leaders extending their lead at the top of the La Liga standings to seven points. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago European football: David’s failed Panenka costs Juventus against Lecce

McKennie equalises in 1-1 draw but Juve’s title bid hitEspanyol ban fans with Barcelona shirts at city derbyJuventus’s Serie A title hopes were dealt a blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by relegation-battling Lecce on Saturday, with the hosts coming from behind but failing to win after Jonathan David had a Panenka-style penalty saved.Juventus remain fifth on 33 points, five off the leaders, Milan, who have played a game less. Lecce are 16th on 17 points, five points above the relegation zone.This story will be updated Continue reading...

Economics