Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has stated that both Yohan Cabaye and Miralem Pjanic are targets for the Ligue 1 leaders.
Newcastle United midfielder Cabaye has long been admired by Blanc, who worked with the former Lille man during his spell in charge of the France national team.
The 48-year-old is hoping to bring Cabaye to the Parc des Princes, but revealed Pjanic, who left Lyon for Roma in 2011, could be signed as an alternative.
Yes, Pjanic is interesting, Blanc said at a press conference on Friday. He could be a good alternative to Cabaye.
They are both targets for PSG; they are very technical players who have the same profile.
Blanc offered a positive update on the fitness of 18-year-old Adrien Rabiot, who suffered knee ligament damage in the…
Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone expects Raul Garcia to receive a rousing reception on his return to the Vicente Calderon and says his partnership with Aritz Aduriz at Athletic Bilbao is one of the best in La Liga.
Garcia departed the capital club for San Mames a little over three months ago and his return is an intriguing sub plot in Sunday s encounter.
The 29-year-old is held in high regard by the Atletico faithful after he helped them win the Liga title and reach the Champions League final in 2013-14, while he also counts the Europa League, Copa del Rey and two Super Cups on his list of achievements.
Garcia s arrival at Athletic has helped bring the best out of experienced striker Aduriz and the 34-year-old has 10 goals in 14 league outings this term.
Verdict: Atletico Madrid win to nil
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Hoping to continue on their eye-catching return from the enforced break, Atletico Madrid will face off against Alaves at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday night.
Atletico Madrid
Starting with the hosts, picking up a 1-0 win away at Levante in midweek and finding a route back into the top-four, the mood in Atletico Madrid s camp should be at a high following their return from the enforced break. Along with knocking defending European champions Liverpool out of the Champions League in the most dramatic of fashion at Anfield back in March, Los Colchoneros have collected 10 points out of a possible 12 since the return to action. With their recent purple patch highlighted by what was a r…
Ajax kept up their winning start in Champions League Group H as Dani Parejo s penalty miss proved costly for Valencia in a 3-0 away victory for Erik ten Hag s side.
Hakim Ziyech broke the deadlock in stunning fashion eight minutes in, setting the tone for a thrilling tussle which could have swung in Valencia s favour had Parejo not skied his spot-kick.
Quincy Promes thumped in Ajax s second after Parejo s miss and the woodwork denied Rodrigo and Ziyech at either end before half-time.
Dusan Tadic – who teed up Ziyech s opener – passed up a golden chance to further Ajax s lead after the interval, but he atoned by setting up Donny van de Beek, who duly ensured last season s semi-finalists made it two wins from two.
Our Donny.
— AFC Ajax (@A…
(GSM) Twente close in on a deal to sign Marc Janko from Red Bull Salzburg.
The Dutch side, who were crowned champions last season, have targeted the Austrian striker to replace Swiss international Blaise N Kufo who has left the club to join Seattle Sounders.
Janko won the Austrian title with Salzburg in the last two years and scored an impressive 39 goals in 34 matches in the 2008/09 campaign. Last year he managed to net 18 goals in 34 matches.
Twente will be active in the Champions League next season and hope to bolster their attack. The former club of Steve McClaren already lost attackers Marko Arnautovic (to Werder Bremen), Miroslav Stoch (Fenerbahce) and N Kufo.
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Fabio Capello claims England s win over Slovenia has liberated his squad from the demons of self-doubt that haunted their faltering first steps at this World Cup.
If he is right, the evidence of a successful exorcism will be presented here on Sunday in the last 16 clash with Germany.
On paper, it is a match in which an England side stuffed with experienced Champions League campaigners should comfortably prevail over opponents with an average age below 25.
World Cup history suggests it will not be that simple.
Capello can look back on the 2-1 win an injury-depleted England side recorded in Berlin in November 2008 as proof that his side are more than a match for opponents missing their injured skipper Michael Ballack.
But no England fan will need r…
Borussia Dortmund are the latest high-profile side to have joined the race for Barcelona starlet Alen Halilovic, .
The Catalans are prepared to send the talented youngster on a season-long loan and they initially hoped he would remain in Spanish La Liga.
But, while Celta Vigo are keen on his services, so are quite a few top sides from other European leagues.
The likes of West Ham, Everton and Hamburg have already expressed their interest, with Borussia Dortmund now joining the chase as well.
The Millionaires believe Halilovic can make an instant impact in German Bundesliga and will attempt to persuade him to choose Signal-Iduna Park.
According to the latest reports, Barcelona officials will allow the 19-year-old to choose his next destination, an…
Manchester City can turn up the heat on leaders Liverpool with a victory over in-form Southampton at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Due largely to their League Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Champions League commitments, City have fallen off the pace at the top with Brendan Rodgers side taking full advantage to move four points ahead of the 2011-12 champions.
With just the Premier League left to focus on, manager Manuel Pellegrini can ill-afford any more slip-ups following last Saturday s 1-1 draw at Arsenal.
City, who have also dropped below Chelsea but have two games in hand on the sides above them, meet Liverpool next weekend in a crucial fixture at the top, and Pellegrini will want to head into that game with a win behind them.
With Liverpool not in action until Sunda…
Gareth Bale expressed his surprise after UEFA s Goal of the Season panel overlooked his overhead kick in the Champions League final, joking that the governing body s decision makers want to be sacked .
The goal put Real Madrid 2-1 up against Liverpool in Kiev and Bale scored again in the last 10 minutes of the game to help secure a third consecutive Champions League trophy for his club.
Despite the spectacular nature of his first strike, the panel adjudicating UEFA s Goal of the Season award for 2017-18 opted to shortlist Cristiano Ronaldo s acrobatic goal in the quarter-final victory over Juventus ahead of Bale s goal, with only one nominee from each of the main UEFA competitions allowed on the list.
Bale told the Daily Mail: I don t know how it wasn t on that l…
Thierry Henry accepts his side are in a complicated situation but believes Monaco can take positives from a 2-2 Ligue 1 draw at home against Dijon.
Kamil Glik scored with 12 minutes remaining to salvage a point for Monaco in Saturday s game, but they are only off the bottom of the table on goal difference.
Henry is yet to taste victory in his first job as a head coach, having also overseen a 2-1 loss away to Strasbourg and a 1-1 Champions League draw at Club Brugge.
But despite Monaco s 10-match winless run in Ligue 1 being the club s worst sequence since 1986, Henry preferred to look on the bright side.
The situation is complicated, yes, Henry told a news conference.
Three weeks ago, we could have lost that game too. We reacted. It is also posi…