Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova says La Liga is not easy and certainly not boring despite Sunday s 4-1 over second placed Atletico Madrid.

The league leaders opened a nine-point buffer over Atletico with the victory by scoring four straight goals through Adriano, Sergio Busquets as well as a brace from Lionel Messi.

Earlier, Falcao had given the visitors the lead but they could little to stop Vilanova s side from responding in lethal fashion and ultimately strolling to victory in the end.

The weekend also saw Real Madrid held to a 2-2 draw with Espanyol at the Bernabeu which leaves the defending champions a massive 13 points adrift of Barca the destiny of the trophy already appears decided.

We ve won a lot of points, but it hasn t been easy, Vilanova said…

Zlatan Ibrahimovic best quotes / Image via merto.co.uk

is a deity and not only in his own believing.

The Swedish striker has gone through an incredible journey as a son to Bosnian immigrant parents, who struggled to find his way in the world. Football offered him a route into the alternate reality, the one he took by the reins straight from the beginning.

Often branded arrogant and conceited, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is everything others would like to be.

Whatever he sets his mind to he succeeds and the 2016/17 season in was just the latest proof. Hitting the Premier League stage can be difficult for footballers in their prime, and the public widely expected that a 35-year-old veteran would struggle to adapt to such a physically demanding league.

Ibr…

Stoke City boss Mark Hughes insists he does not want to sell out-of-favour striker Peter Crouch in the January transfer window.

The 34-year-old has been at the Britannia Stadium since 2011, but has not started a single Premier League match this season.

Crouch has only made three substitute appearances in the league, totalling 44 minutes on the pitch, but Hughes still wants to have the experienced forward in reserve in case of injuries.

Peter has been unfortunate that he has had a couple of injuries – he is just coming back now, said the manager.

He has had a week s training and was not ready to be involved over the weekend [against Everton], but he is a big part of what we do here. 

He is going to get game time at some point. We are goin…

Barcelona maintained their unbeaten run in La Liga on Wednesday evening, as they got the better of Athletic Bilbao away from home at San Mames.

Ronald Koeman’s side headed into the match against Bilbao on the back of a 1-0 victory over Huesca on the road and to pick up all three points.

Barcelona, who last lost a competitive game back on December 8 when they went down 3-0 to Italian giants Juventus at Camp Nou in the Champions League, picked up all three points against Bilbao, but it was far from easy.

The former Spanish champions went behind after just three minutes when Inaki Williams found the back of the net.

Pedri headed the equaliser on 14 minutes, before Lionel Messi was denied by the frame of the Bilbao goal twice.

The Argentina inter…

Ousmane Dembele has rejected a chance to leave Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain, according to .

The situation surrounding the future of Neymar has sparked many stories this summer, with latest reports claiming the Brazilian is prepared to look elsewhere if Barcelona aren t decisive enough, though a return to the Camp Nou would still be his preferred choice.

The biggest problem that stands in the way of that happening is apparently PSG s valuation of the player. The Ligue 1 champions paid a world-record fee of €222 million to sign Neymar from Barcelona back in 2017, and they aren t willing to let him return without getting their money back. To try and solve the issue, Barcelona are prepared to offer a player (or players) plus cash deal, and Dembele is one of the poten…

Bayer Leverkusen are ready to become the first team in Bundesliga history to go an entire season unbeaten, coach Xabi Alonso said after Sunday s 5-0 demolition of Bochum.

Treble-chasing Leverkusen cruised past Bochum, who had Felix Passlack sent off in the 15th minute, to stretch their remarkable unbeaten run across all competitions this season to 50 consecutive matches.

On Thursday, Alonso s team surpassed Benfica s long-standing European unbeaten record set from 1963 to 1965 with a 2-2 draw against Roma that sent them through to the Europa League final.

Sunday s win over Bochum also meant they became only the third team in Bundesliga history to remain unbeaten in every away match of a season.

After that red card it was a completely different game for u…

Cristiano Ronaldo is very happy at Manchester United despite reports of a lack of chemistry in the Red Devils dressing room, according to the player s agent Jorge Mendes.

Ronaldo ended a three-year association with Juventus to return to Old Trafford and has since scored 14 times in all competitions to lead the Premier League and Champions League goal charts.

On Thursday, the 36-year-old scored one and assisted another in a 3-1 Premier League win over Burnley – the forward registering double figures for goal involvements for a 17th straight league season.

That victory moved United up to sixth in the league amid speculation that there is a lack of cohesion within the dressing room, but Mendes is sure that Ronaldo is entirely settled back in Manchester.

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Chelsea go top of the Women s Super League table after edging to a 1-0 victory over Tottenham on Wednesday.

Maika Hamano scored the winning goal in the 37th minute, tapping in from the goal-line after meeting Guro Reiten s whipped cross.

The Japan international almost opened the scoring before that, sending a diving header over the bar.

Ashleigh Neville scuffed Spurs best chance over the bar from close range just after half-time, but the Blues regained their control to see out a vital victory.

Top of the league going into the final day!

— Chelsea FC Women (@ChelseaFCW)

Data Debrief: In their hands

Chelsea are on course to lift their fifth consecutive WSL after securing back-to-back wins against Bristol City and Spurs, scoring n…

Reading have entered talks with free agent Mohamed Sissoko regarding a move to the Madejski Stadium.

The 28-year-old’s release from Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain was announced on Monday and Nigel Adkins side have confirmed they have already discussed a possible move with him.

Mali midfielder Sissoko has previous experience of English football thanks to a three-year stay at Liverpool between 2005 and 2008.

In a statement on their official website, the Championship side suggested that consultations may well be ongoing as they keep an eye on the emergency window opening in seven days time.

They have already been busy in the market though, adding three new players to their squad, as they adjust to life after Premier League relegation, in the shape of Wayne …

Arsenal are readying a summer move for soon to be out-of-contract Manchester United midfielder Michael Carrick,.

Gunners manager Arsene Wenger has previously attempted to sign the England international on no less than three occasions, and still believes he has something to offer despite being in the twilight of his career.

The thirty-four year old has been at Old Trafford for almost ten years and in that time has made over four hundred appearances, scoring twenty-three goals and winning a host of major honours in that time including five league titles, the League Cup and the Champions League.

He has been capped thirty-four times for his country, and was part of the squads that attended the 2006 World Cup in Germany and the 2010 tournament in South Africa.

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