RONALD KOEMAN is desperate for Lionel Messi to stay at the Nou Camp this summer.
We’ve the very latest on the future of Cristiano Ronaldo after Juventus crashed out of Europe, while Timo Werner could reportedly leave Chelsea after just one season in West London.
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Follow our LIVE blog below to get the latest from around the clubs…
GLOVES ARE OFF
Paul Scholes has slammed Dean Henderson after the goalie’s costly error handed AC Milan a crucial away goal against Manchester United in the Europa League.
He told BT Sport: “He should save it. He’s trying to make it a little bit more difficult than it should be.
“First and foremost, keep the ball out of the net. He should save that. There’s no doubt about that and he will know that.”
FULL-TIME!
Olympiakos 1 – 3 Arsenal
Mikel Arteta will be delighted with that one.
Despite some shaky defending, three outstanding goals were enough to give Arsenal a commanding lead ahead of the second-leg.
Martin Odegaard’s piledriver was the first and the best before Gabriel’s header and Mohamed Elneny’s long range effort saw the Gunners home comfortably… in the end.
Arteta did not look happy after Bernd Leno and Dani Ceballos combined to hand El Arabi a goal on a plate to make it 1-1.
But they’ve done the job and the Spaniard will be pleased with the result and the three away goals.
FULL-TIME!
Tottenham 2 – 0 Dinamo Zagreb
A Harry Kane brace was enough to give Spurs a comfortable lead going into second-leg.
But just as valuable was the clean sheet meaning an away goal for Tottenham next week will as good as kill the tie.
GOOOOAAAALLL – ELNENY!
What a hit.
Not quite as good as Odegaard’s but still.
Olympiakos 1 – 3 Arsenal
85. The midfielder picks up the ball in the middle of the park and edges towards Olympiakos’ box.
No one closes him down so he thinks ‘Why not?’
And he thwacks it with his right foot and his effort – which was always bending away from the keeper – hits the base of the right hand post and goes in.
Nice.
GOOOOOAAAALLL – GABRIEL!
Olympiakos 1 – 2 Arsenal
79. Willian delivers a corner-kick quickly and finds Gabriel at the back post.
The centre-half jumps higher than M’Vila and produces a powerful header back where it came from and it loops over Sa and in.
Olympiacos are protesting for a foul on M’Vila, who is requiring medical attention as he appears to have gotten an elbow.
But VAR checks for a foul and finds nothing. Great header.
GOOOOOOAAAAALLLL – KANE!
Tottenham 2 – 0 Dinamo Zagreb
70. Kane doubles his tally and gives Spurs a commanding lead.
Ndombele sweeps a glorious cross field path into the path of Aurier, he hits a first time cross that Dinamo fail to clear, the ball falls to Kane who composes himself and fires into the net!
Great finish.
JUDGE ME NOW
Ref Darren Drysdale told the FA he reacted after being called a ‘cheating bald c***’ by Ipswich midfielder Alan Judge.
Drysdale has been cleared to return to duty – after an FA commission ruled his unofficial suspension meant he had already missed more games than they could ban him for.
But the written reasons for the commission imposing a back-dated three week ban show Drysdale admitted he had lost his cool after being subjected to a tirade from Judge. According to Drysdale, Judge responded after being booked for diving.
Drysdale, 50, told the commission: “As I blew my whistle Alan Judge shouted aggressively in a loud voice at me and from a distance of only five metres ‘It’s a f* penalty you cheating bald c*.’
“Reacting completely out of character, I took exception to what I considered to be an offensive comment.
“I walked towards Alan Judge who then continued his tirade of abuse as he then, what I deemed as, aggressively and provokingly pointed his finger towards my face and shouted, ‘You’re a f* cheating c*’.”
GOOOOOAAAALLL – EL ARABI
Olympiakos 1 – 1 Arsenal
58. Arsenal have just produced a gun, loaded it up and blasted it straight through their own foot.
Bernd Leno plays a hospital ball to Ceballos on the edge of his box with the Spaniard surrounded by Olympiakos players.
The midfielder tries to turn out of trouble but El Arabi nicks it off him and bends it into the open space past the stranded Leno level to draw the home side level.
Buffoonery of the highest order from the Gunners.
HALF-TIME!
Olympiakos 0 – 1 Arsenal
Martin Odegaard’s rasper of an effort from 25 yards sees the Gunners go in ahead in Greece.
What a hit son.
HALF-TIME!
Tottenham 1 – 0 Dinamo Zagreb
Harry Kane’s tap in on 25 minutes sees Spurs take a one goal lead in at the break.
GOOOOOAAAAALLLL – ODEGAARD!
What. A. Goaaaaaal.
Olympiakos 0 – 1 Arsenal
33. Odegaard with an absolute thunderb******.
The Norwegian works it onto his left foot around 25 yards out and absolutely smashes the skin off the ball.
It flies through the air at approx 1,000 mph leaving the keeper with no chance even though he got an arm to it and nearly blasts through the back of the net.
What a way to get your first goal for a club.
GOOOAAAALLL – KANE!
Tottenham 1 – 0 Dinamo Zagreb
25. Lamela picks up the ball and he drives into the Dinamo box, he shoots with the outside of his left foot and it hits the post, Kane is on hand to tap it into an empty net!
Great play from Lamela!!!!!
OLE TAKE THAT
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer admitted a draw was probably a fair result after Simon Kjaer’s stoppage time header earned AC Milan a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
But the Norwegian was disappointed with the nature of the late goal as his side conceded a precious away goal.
FRENEMIES RE-UNITED
Luke Shaw has sent Manchester United team-mate Dan James to the naughty corner… for celebrating goals ‘like a little kid’.
Left-back Shaw gleefully trolled the winger, saying: “He just doesn’t know what to do, he just runs about!”
The Wales speedster, 23, has now hit five goals in 17 games across all competitions this season, one short of his personal best. But as Liverpool legend Alan Hansen almost told BBC’S Match of the Day in 1995: “You can’t celebrate anything like kids.”
At least, not according to Shaw. The eight-cap defender is urging James to upgrade his goal-salutes, just like he has the rest of his contribution on the pitch this campaign.
Shaw told Adidas: “I said to Jamo, ‘we need to get you a new celebration because what you’re doing isn’t good enough!’
“He’s like a little kid isn’t he? He just doesn’t know what to do. He just runs about!”
KICK-OFF!
Tottenham 0 – 0 Dinamo Zagreb
And we’re off in North London with Spurs looking to progress to the Europa League quarter-final.
Follow our LIVE kick-by-kick match blog HERE!
KICK-OFF!
Olympiakos 0 – 0 Arsenal
This Europa League last-16 tie is underway in Greece as Arsenal look to get an all important away goal and take a win back to the second-leg in North London.
Follow our LIVE minute-by-minute match blog HERE.
GAME ON!
FULL-TIME!
Man Utd 1 – 1 AC Milan
Late drama at Old Trafford as Simon Kjaer’s stoppage time header earns AC Milan a 1-1 draw to take into the second leg.
Amad Diallo put United ahead on 50 minutes with a skillful back header.
That came after a first-half which saw Milan have two goals disallowed and Harry Maguire missing the easiest chance the world has ever seen.
But ultimately United could not hold on and the Red Devils have it all to play for in the second-leg.
GOOOOOOOOOAAAALLLL – KJAER!
90+1. And Milan have nicked an equaliser at the death!
And more importantly an all important away goal.
Simple in-swinging corner from the left, Kjaer meets it at the near post and glances a header straight at Henderson but the backup keeper fails to tip it over and it goes past him to make it 1-1!
Should have saved it.
BIG PICTURE
Ronald Koeman has begged Lionel Messi to stay at Barcelona, telling the superstar he can have ‘no doubts about the future of the team’.
Messi, 33, is out of contract this summer and is expected to call time on his incredible Nou Camp adventure.
And after Barca crashed out the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain last night, Koeman said: “In general, Leo has seen that the team is getting better and better.
“With the changes we’ve made, bringing in young players, Messi can have no doubts about the future of this team.
“[Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo out of Champions League?] I don’t know if Leo will be annoyed. It’s a shame because they are two great players, but you have to accept it. As for Leo’s future, it’s up to him to decide. Nobody can help him.
“He has seen for a long time that there is a lot of promise in this team. That’s not going to be an argument for him not to stay.”
TEAM NEWS IS IN!
Arsenal face Olympiakos in Greece tonight in the first-leg of their last-16 Europa League tie.
Tottenham welcome Dinamo Zagreb to North London at the same time and at the same stage of the competition.
And here’s how the teams line up.
GOOOOOOOAAAAAALLLL- DIALLO!
Man Utd 1 – 0 AC Milan
50. What a goal!
Bruno Fernandes with a straight ball lobbed down the field, Amad Diallo ran behind the last defender and connected with a clever back header that looped over Donnarumma.
KYLI-ANFIELD
Kylian Mbappe can be lured to Liverpool by Jurgen Klopp’s attacking style even without Champions League football, Rio Ferdinand claims.
PSG’s France striker Mbappe, 22, admits he is ‘deep in thought’ over his future, amid interest from Real Madrid.
Both Liverpool and PSG reached the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday night, but the Reds are just eighth in the Premier League.
That means, realistically, Klopp’s men must win Europe’s top club tournament to qualify for it next season. But a turbo-paced front three of Mbappe, Mo Salah and Sadio Mane would terrify even the fastest and classiest of defences.
And Manchester United legend Ferdinand told BT Sport: “I think they could [sign him], yeah. I think someone like Mbappe looks at the way Liverpool play and the manager.
“You look at the manager, the players of quality they’ve got. But the manager, is that a manager I want to play for? Klopp still is, yeah.”
HALF-TIME!
Man Utd 0 – 0 AC Milan
An action packed first-half has seen Milan have goals chalked off twice!
The first was a mile offside but Franck Kessie’s impressive volley was disallowed for handball in much more controversial fashion.
However, the biggest talking point of the half was Maguire’s miss from one yard out just before half-time.
I mean come on Harry!
WHAT THE HELL HARRY?!
Man Utd captain Harry Maguire has just missed the biggest sitter you will ever see.
Bruno Fernandes flicked on a cross, it fell to Maguire ONE yard out and… DOH!
JAV-ING A BAWL
Javier Mascherano has opened up on his ugly Liverpool exit – revealing he REFUSED to play in order to seal a dream move to Barcelona.
Mascherano claims the Reds had agreed to let him leave the club should a ‘decent offer’ come in. But after apparently going back on their word, the Argentine took matters into his own hands and went on strike – ultimately forcing a £22million move to Barcelona in 2010.
Mascherano told FourFourTwo: ‘There was an agreement between us that if Liverpool received a decent offer for me, I’d be permitted to leave. We’d spoken about extending my contract, but it seemed like the directors didn’t care about me. In the pre-season after Rafa [Benitez] left, Roy Hodgson arrived.
‘We had a meeting with the managing director, Christian Purslow, who told me I could go if a good offer came in. Then there was an offer on the table, but Liverpool were looking the other way. I was quite angry that they weren’t keeping their word.”
Mascherano continued by saying sitting out a huge clash with Manchester City was his way to make his feelings clear.
The Argentine continued: “Refusing to play at City was the way I found to show my annoyance. I’d told the club I wanted to leave for family reasons, so I was very upset to have to act the way I did. There was no other option – otherwise, Liverpool wouldn’t keep their promise.”
Credit: PA:Press Association
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
