Moyes the Champions League castaway

Manchester United have been cast into the wilderness following Wednesday night’s Champions League exit at the hands of Bayern Munich.

With David Moyes’ men seven points behind fourth spot in the Premier League, winning the Champions League this year was their only real hope of staying in the competition for another season.

And now it will be 18 months, at the very least, before United will be back facing the best Europe has to offer.

Thursday, April 10, 2014 12:00

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Valencia stage stunning Europa League revival

Valencia staged a remarkable comeback against Basel to set up a Europa League semi-final clash with Sevilla.

Juan Antonio Pizzi's men headed into the second leg after a 3-0 defeat in Switzerland last Thursday but despite a semi-final place looking well out of reach, the Spanish club managed to score three goals in 90 minutes before Paco Alcacer completed his hat-trick in extra time, while Juan Bernat rounded off the 5-0 win with a late effort.

Friday, April 11, 2014 12:00

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Can Moyes catch Guardiola?

Manchester United have kept themselves alive in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich - but can David Moyes' men stun Pep Guardiola's side at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday evening?

Wednesday, 9 April 2014 12:00

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Archie Andrews

I heard that they killed Archie Andrews. They are killing too much cartoon characters these days

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Magic Honda extends AC Milan's run

After a shaky start, Clarence Seedorf looks like he's getting AC Milan on the right track.

Monday night's 2-1 win over Genoa was the club's third straight victory in Serie A, while two of their January arrivals found the target.

Adel Taarabt's superb drive from 25 yards opened the scoring after 20 minutes, while Keisuke Honda netted his first goal for the club with a delicate chip over Mattia Perin.

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 12:00

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Wenger surrenders as Arsenal are put to the sword

Sunday's encounter between Everton and Arsenal at Goodison Park was expected to be an evenly matched contest between two sides battling to claim Champions League football – instead it turned out to be a procession.

Arsene Wenger and his men were vanquished with relative ease, outmatched in almost every department and virtually unfurling the white flag before the referee had even called time on the first half.

Goals from Steven Naismith and Romelu Lukaku handed Everton a first-half advantage, before Mikel Arteta netted a killer own goal on the hour mark, as the Toffees' devastating attacking put Arsenal, and their meek resistance, to the sword.

Everton, now a point behind Arsenal but with a game in hand on the north Londoners, are firmly in the driving seat to clinch fourth place.

For Wenger, it might not be the only time he is forced to surrender to Martinez; the Frenchman is under increased pressure at the Emirates Stadium and there is a growing campaign – recently voiced by club legend Ian Wright – to see the Spaniard replace him.

Monday, April 7, 2014 09:00

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Hazard's wife hotfoots it to Paris

Eden Hazard's Chelsea is a subject for much debate after his revelations to Interieur Sport on Saturday.

The Belgian sensation, who had previously appeared to pour cold water on a move away from Stamford Bridge, insisted that it could be his wife that decides if he leaves for Paris Saint-Germain.

He said: "If my wife tells me to go to Paris then I'll have to take this into consideration. The Parc des Princes is a real stadium and a special place where I've known my first sensations as a player."

Sunday, 6 April 2014 10:45

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Sir Alex ready to teach Moyes a lesson

It's not gone quite to plan for the 'Chosen One' at Manchester United.

The Premier League champions have stuttered domestically during the 2013-14 campaign under Sir Alex Ferguson's personal recommendation, David Moyes, with United languishing down in seventh in the table.

But there may well be light at the end of the tunnel...

It was announced on Friday that Sir Alex will take up a "long-term teaching position" at the iconic Harvard University and Moyes could do worse than take a lesson from the managerial great.

Saturday, 5 April 2014 10:30

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Barcelona closed for business

The news that Barcelona had been hit with a transfer ban for the next two windows has shocked the football world and thrown the Catalan club's plans for next season into doubt.

Though the club are adamant they will contest the sanction, it could see deals for goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen and midfielder Alen Halilovic fall through.

It would spell particularly bad news for Barca if they are unable to sign the German shot-stopper, with Victor Valdes ruled out of action for the next seven months and heading towards the end of his contract.

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has called the ban an "injustice", but a leading sports lawyer exclusively told Goal they have no hope of escaping punishment.

So, for now, it looks like the only shopping sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta will be doing is window shopping, as Barcelona are closed for business.

Friday, 4 April 2014 11:13

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Lavezzi profits from Ibrahimovic distraction

All the talk in the build-up to Chelsea's Champions League quarter-final clash with Paris Saint-Germain revolved around one man: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Could the striker upset one-time mentor Jose Mourinho? Could the Blues find a way to stop the talismanic frontman? Would he ever play in England?

Such was the Stamford Bridge outfit's preoccupation with the Sweden international, they appeared to forget that there were 10 other players on the field at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday night.

It took just three minutes for Ezequiel Lavezzi, completely unmarked inside the penalty box, to unleash a ferocious shot that flew into the back of the net to remind Chelsea that PSG are far from the one-man team they had been mistaken for.

Ibrahimovic's night was cut short by a hamstring injury that will rule him out of the return leg, though Lavezzi's screamer, coupled with a late goal from Javier Pastore that added gloss to the victory, prove that les Parisiens will be no pushovers even in the Swede's absence.

Thursday, 3 April 2014 10:39

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