Bystrov set for Zenit exit

Mattia De Sciglio insists AC Milan are fully focused on sealing a European return through their Serie A league position, rather than depending on beating  Juventus in the Coppa Italia final.

Milan travel to Bologna on Saturday having won only one of their last nine matches and slipped to seventh in the table, a point behind Sassuolo, with only two games to play before the end of the season.

Cristian Brocchi s side will qualify for the Europa League if they defeat Serie A champions Juventus in the Coppa Italia showpiece.

However, if Milan lose, that place will go to whichever team finishes sixth in the league, with De Sciglio keen to get the job done at the first attempt.

There is great desire, the defender told Milan Channel. We can t afford to risk th…

Paris Saint-Germain welcome Toulouse to the Parc des Princes knowing that they can go top of the Ligue 1 table with a win.

The defending champions have yet to lose so far this season, although they produced a below-par display in a slender 1-0 victory at Valenciennes on Wednesday, Edinson Cavani scoring his third goal for the club since joining from Napoli.

That victory made it 18 games without defeat for PSG in Ligue 1, a run that stretches back to the beginning of March, but they will need to be in good form to maintain that streak against a Toulouse outfit that has experienced a recent upturn in fortunes.

The capital club can overtake Monaco who travel to Reims on Sunday with a victory, and they will need no further incentive ahead of the visit of Alain Casanova s …

The Daily Star understand that Everton will not rekindle their interest in signing Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud when the transfer window reopens in January.

The Merseyside outfit were linked with a move for the France international during the summer, when the Gunners laid out a club record fee for fellow countryman Alexandre Lacazette.

However, the thirty year old remained at the Emirates Stadium and has made ten appearances in all competitions so far this season with his goal in the 4-2 Europa League victory over BATE Borisov on Thursday evening his one hundredth for the club.

In total he has played two hundred and thirty-seven times for Arsene Wenger’s side since signing from Montpellier in the summer of 2012.

The Toffees will be looking to bri…

Atletico Madrid have a rich tradition of producing world class strikers. Throughout the last decade, some great strikers have played for the club and the Rojiblancos have always managed to (thanks to their excellent scouting system and transfer strategy) replace one top striker with another.

Image Courtesy: www.collectivepicks.com

When Fernando Torres left Atletico to join Liverpool, he was replaced by former Manchester United striker Diego Forlan. And the Uruguayan turned into a huge hit. The likes of Sergio Aguero, David Villa, Radamel Falcao, Diego Costa, Mario Mandzukic and Antoine Griezmann have all graced the green blades of Calderon in the past 10 years.

It is hardly a surprise that Diego Simeone is now looking to sign a top striker this summer. Torres is…

Davide Astori would do anything to seal a move to Milan, according to the player s agent, Renzo Contratto.

The 27-year-old began his career at San Siro but failed to break into the first team, and moved to Cagliari in 2008.

Since then, Astori has become a mainstay of the Cagliari defence, with his performances leading to reports that he is set for a move away from the club.

Contratto believes his player would relish the chance to return to the seven-time European champions.

Davide would do anything to play for Milan, he told spaziomilan.it.

We will talk to the new owners of Cagliari to find an ideal solution.

He has the age and right maturity now to make the leap.

…

Julian Nagelsmann claimed success is a staircase and not a door as he backed his side to learn the lessons from their midweek Champions League humiliation at the hands of Manchester United. 

Leipzig were thrashed 5-0 by a Marcus Rashford-inspired United on Wednesday, their unbeaten start to the 2020-21 season was emphatically ended by the Red Devils. 

Nagelsmann also snapped at reporters in the wake of the hammering after questions about his choice of a particularly eye-catching suit jacket at Old Trafford. 

Leipzig head to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday sitting top of the Bundesliga, having recorded four wins and a draw so far in the league. 

Monchengladbach have never beaten their opponents in a competitive match. In eight previ…

Tottenham eased into the fifth round of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Newport County in Wednesday s replay at Wembley.

The League Two side shocked Spurs by holding them to a 1-1 draw in the initial fourth-round tie but they could not spring another surprise, as an own goal from Dan Butler and an Erik Lamela strike sealed the home side s progress.

Mauricio Pochettino, in his 200th game in charge, left the likes of Harry Kane and Dele Alli out of the starting line-up but handed defender Toby Alderweireld his first start since November 1.

Newport boss Michael Flynn, who was rewarded with a new contract in the hours before kick-off, watched his side produce a bold early performance in London until Butler s unfortunate own goal sapped their confidence.

Lamela…

Luka Modric is desperate to end Real Madrid s LaLiga drought after four years without domestic glory.

The Santiago Bernabeu side last won LaLiga in 2011-12, when they collected 100 points to stay clear of second-placed Barcelona.

They have since failed to win the domestic title, though, with Barcelona winning three titles and Atletico Madrid one over the past four seasons.

I have not won the league yet and hopefully this is the year, Modric told reporters.

You can say that it is our priority because for a club like Real Madrid to go four years without winning it is too long. That does not mean we do not want to win the Champions League, Copa del Rey and everything that we play in. 

This may be the best squad I have ever played in. We have a l…

Jose Mourinho might well have had empathy for his Manchester United successor Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had Tottenham raided Old Trafford for maximum spoils.

The Portuguese knows more than most about the scrutiny and pressure that comes with the United manager s job, himself seen off by an awful stretch this time last year that provided neither style nor substance.

For Solskjaer, Mourinho s return will be followed by a trip to Manchester City, and the twin fixtures looked a daunting dual threat to a team and manager who before the Tottenham game were winless in three across all competitions.

At kick-off, Solskjaer was second favourite with the bookmakers to be the next Premier League manager sacked, trailing only Marco Silva, the struggling Everton boss who could n…

According to a report from AS, Real Madrid keeper Kiko Casilla is edging closer and closer towards sealing his move to Leeds United. The Championship leaders are attempting to bolster their squad ahead of the final push towards promotion, and beyond that it certainly seems like Casilla is good enough to maintain the number one spot should they make it into the Premier League. Casilla missed Real’s training session on Tuesday as he was travelling to England to complete a medical, with the report suggesting that there are just a few loose ends to tie up before it’s all confirmed.

Kiko, 32, signed for Real Madrid on a permanent deal back in 2015, after spending eight years away from the club. During that time he was able to make a name for himself with Espanyol, Cadiz and Cart…