SATURDAYBarcelona 2-1 Atlético (Messi 30, Suárez 38; Koke 10) Barcelona survived an early scare as they came from behind to see off an Atleti side they began the day level with at the Liga summit. Koke's controlled finish gave the visitors the lead, but Lionel Messi and Luis Suárez struck before half-time. The Rojiblancos' hopes ended as Filipe Luis and Diego Godín both received red cards, and Luis Enrique's team are now three points clear with a game in hand.Arsenal 2-1 Burnley (Chambers 19, Sánchez 53; Vokes 30) Alexis Sánchez scored the winner on his first start since November as ...
Football Update
Pato becomes Chelsea’s latest Brazilian
Chelsea have increased their striking options with the signing of attacker Alexandre Pato on a six-month loan from Corinthians.With Diego Costa susceptible to hamstring injuries and Radamel Falcao sidelined since 31 October with an ongoing thigh problem, the Blues were in need of firepower as they bid to climb the Premier League and make progress in the UEFA Champions League, where they face Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16.Pato, who has spent the last two years on loan at São Paulo, could yet provide that if his record at AC Milan is anything to go by. The Brazilian international scored 51 goals in 117 Serie A games and six in 22 European Cup outings between January ...
UEFA Futsal EURO team profile: Czech Republic
Being drawn against holders Italy and talented Azerbaijan in Group D is not the easiest prospect for the Czech Republic but they can take heart from their greatest UEFA Futsal EURO performance in 2010.On that occasion, having scraped into the quarter-finals with a last-gasp 6-5 win over hosts Hungary, the Czechs were outsiders against Italy yet prevailed on penalties after a 3-3 draw, thus reaching the semis for only the second time after 2003. Although Spain then beat Tomáš Neumann's side, the Czech Republic promptly overcame Azerbaijan for bronze.The Czechs had reached their first final tournament, under Michal Stříž, at UEFA Futsal EURO 2001 and subsequently have nev...
Getting to know the stars: Willian
Chelsea midfielder Willian joined us in a live Q&A on the UEFA Champions League Facebook page as part of this season's campaign to get closer to the #StarsofUCL.What's your favourite food?Willian: Rice, beans, fried egg and steak.Which three past Brazilian stars do you admire the most?Willian: 'Fenómeno' Ronaldo, Romário and Taffarel.
Cup joy for City, Paris, Barcelona and Juventus
WEDNESDAYJuventus 3-0 Internazionale Milano (Morata 35pen 63, Dybala 83)Juventus took a firm grip of their Coppa Italia semi-final thanks to Álvaro Morata's first goals since 4 October. The Spanish forward, who had not scored in his previous 20 Juve appearances, opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Juan Cuadrado had been felled by Jeison Murillo, who was later sent off. Morata snapped up a loose ball to double the holders' advantage ahead of next week's second leg in Milan, before Paulo Dybala slotted a late third.Atlético Madrid 2-3 Celta Vigo (Griezmann 29, Correa 82; Hernández 22 64, Guidetti 56)Atlé...
No caps? No worries – long shots for UEFA EURO 2016
UEFA EURO 2016 is 135 days away but there is still a chance for some uncapped players to make it into their national-team squads for the finals in France. UEFA.com highlights some of the fringe options.England: Danny Rose (Tottenham Hotspur)With Manchester United's Luke Shaw recovering from a broken leg, there is a vacancy for someone to provide competition for left-back Leighton Baines. England manager Roy Hodgson has cast his net wide but has yet to give 25-year-old Rose a game – though he has been called up to past squads. Converted from a winger since his Under-21 national-team days, Rose earns high praise from his old Tottenham boss Ha...
Lyon unveil cultural plan to mark EURO 2016
The spotlight will be firmly on Lyon during UEFA EURO 2016, shining brightest for six matches held betwen 13 June and 6 July. The city is eager to make the most of it, announcing a full cultural programme for this year on Tuesday.As culture and sport are shared values of Lyon's identity, the city is planning a series of events to coincide with the competition. "We want this to not only be a popular sporting event but to give it a cultural dimension too," explained Lyon deputy mayor Georges Kénépékian.By the beginning of UEFA EURO 2016, most of the regular cultural events in Lyon will integrate football features. Three major exhibitions are also planned:1. ...