Burki looking forward to ´dream´ Madrid clash

Franck Kessie insists he is ready to step up to the penalty spot once again after mixed returns during Milan s 2-0 win over Fiorentina. 

The Rossoneri made light of Zlatan Ibrahimovic s hamstring injury absence by restoring a five-point advantage over rivals Inter at the Serie A summit. 

Captain Alessio Romagnoli was left unmarked to head a 17th-minute opener before Kessie converted from 12 yards following German Pezzella s lunging foul on Alexis Saelemaekers. 

Kessie sent Bartlomiej Dragowski the wrong way in the 27th minute but the Fiorentina goalkeeper guessed correctly to gain a measure of revenge before half-time, Martin Caceres having brought down Theo Hernandez. 

“I scored the first, I missed the second but I am going to take the third …

Celtic are interested in signing Crystal Palace central midfielder James McCarthy, according to . It has been reported that the Scottish Premiership giants are ready to make an offer of a long-term deal to the Republic of Ireland international when the transfer window opens in January.

The Hoops plan to sign McCarthy on a pre-contract in January, with the 30-year-old out of contract at Palace in the summer of 2021. The former Everton midfielder, though, would have to take a pay-cut to move to the club he supports. The report has claimed that if Celtic are able to strike a pre-contract agreement with the Republic of Ireland international midfielder, then they will try to do a deal with Palace over a transfer in January instead of waiting until the summer of 2020-21 to sign him o…

Verdict: Liverpool to win both teams to score

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Red-hot Liverpool kick off the new 2018 with a difficult challenge away at Burnley. Sean Dyche’s charges are one of the most pleasant surprises of the Premier League and have already proven capable of upsetting the favourites, which is why Jurgen Klopp’s in-form side will have to be extremely careful travelling to Turf Moor.

Burnley

The Clarets head into the new year sitting in seventh place in the standings. Even though they’ve lost the momentum of late, they have been one of the biggest stories of the Premier League campaign so far.

They might have failed to win any of their last four matches in the league but victories against the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Leiceste…

Frank Lampard said it was important that John Terry was able to have a moment with the home supporters before Chelsea ran out 2-1 winners over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

Terry, now on the coaching staff at Villa, returned to his old club on Wednesday, though goals from Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount saw the Blues collect all three points.

The former England international won five Premier League titles with Chelsea after coming through their academy.

Having experienced Stamford Bridge from the opposition bench with Derby County last season, Lampard fully understood the situation for Terry: I ve been there myself, coming back here last year. It s a strange feeling.

You want to do your job and do it as well as you can as a professional, but the feeling …

Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was considering his future at White Hart Lane until he met with coach Mauricio Pochettino, who has turned the club into Premier League title challengers.

As second-placed Tottenham attempt to overturn Leicester City s five-point lead atop the Premier League, Lloris said he trusted Pochettino from the first second I met him .

Pochettino was appointed in 2014, just as Lloris was weighing up whether to leave London, but the Argentinian s arrival changed everything for the better.

I had some concerns and questioned myself two years ago, after AVB [Andrea Villas-Boas] and [Tim] Sherwood had been in charge, but the first meeting with Mauricio Pochettino was very clear for me and my future, he said.

I trusted him from the first…

Yaya Toure, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Vincent Enyeama are part of a three-man shortlist for the African Footballer of the Year award.

Ivory Coast midfielder Toure became just the second man to win the prestigious CAF award for a third consecutive year last January, and is now in line to win an unprecedented fourth straight award.

Abedi Pele of Ghana won the award three times in a row under its previous guise of France Football s African Player of the Year from 1991.

Toure s nomination is recognition of a superb domestic year with Manchester City that saw him collect the Premier League title and the League Cup.

The 31-year-old scored 20 goals in 35 Premier League appearances for Manuel Pellegrini s side in the 2013-14 campaign, as they held off Liverpo…

Hibernian have completed the signing of out of contract Uruguayan midfielder Fabian Yantorno and loaned striker Abdesellam Benjelloun to Belgian side Royal Charleroi on the eve of the kick-off to their 2008-09 Scottish Premier League campaign.

Yantorno appeared in 21 games last season for recently relegated Gretna before succumbing to a knee injury in February. Hibs sign Yantorno as a free agent, after Gretna released the player. The contract will see Yantorno at the Edinburgh club for the next two seasons.

Meanwhile, Moroccan international striker Benjelloun is on his way to Belgium to spend the next season on loan to Royal Charleroi. He has been with Hibernian since 2006, featuring in 53 matches with 6 goals, most notably a brace in the club s 5-1 victory over Kilma…

The first leg of the Spanish Super Cup between Valencia and Real Madrid ended in a 3-2 victory to the home team.

Van Nistelrooy had put the Galacticos in the lead after thirteen minutes and Real would hold on to that lead until the ninth minute of the second half when Mata levelled the score.

Not much later, Euro 2008 top scorer David Villa made it 2-1 to Valencia but Van Nistelrooy replied by netting for 2-2 in the 67th minute.

The winning goal went to the Bats though, as winger Vicente scored in the 80th minute to make it 3-2.

The two teams will meet again for the second leg at Santiago Bernabeu stadium on August 23rd.

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Competition: La Liga

Market: Atletico Madrid to beat Malaga

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La Liga continues this weekend for yet another massive round of games that will only bring more goals and moments of excitement. The league table has remained incredibly tight meaning that a win can quite often see a side rise a number of places, and with this in mind, Atletico Madrid travel to play Malaga on Saturday.

Malaga have been awful this season and they are in huge danger of being relegated to the second-division. After 22 games they have won three, drawn four and lost 15 times, while they have only managed to score 14 goals, whilst conceding 35 times. In their last five they have managed to draw twice, but they have lost their other three games, meaning they are on just…

Anderlecht striker Lukas Teodorczyk is believed to be a long-standing transfer target for La Liga side Sevilla.

The 26-year-old Polish forward joined Anderlecht in the 2016/17 season during which he bagged 22 goals in 38 Jupiler League appearances for the Belgium giants.

Polish international continued his flying form this season as well, having scored four goals in 20 league appearances which were more than enough to attract interest from Rojiblancos.

Spanish club even tried to buy him this January but failed to match the asking price set by the Belgian club.

And according to Estadio Deportivo Sevilla are ready to return for the striker who is being flattered by Sevilla interest.

“Sevilla’s interest in me is great news.”, he commented but r…