app

Three goals in a frantic final five minutes helped Arsenal move into the box seat in the battle for Champions League qualification with a dramatic 3-1 win at home to Norwich City on Saturday.

Germany's Champions League semi-finalists went on scoring sprees in the Bundesliga on Saturday with Borussia Dortmund blasting five first-half goals in a 6-1 win at Greuther Furth and champions Bayern Munich beating Nuremberg 4-0.

Next month's Italian Cup final will be played at the Olympic Stadium in Rome even if it ends up as a local derby match, according to Serie A President Maurizio Beretta.

Schalke 04 are with their backs to the wall when they travel to leaders Bayern Munich on Saturday, with a prolonged slump in form risking to derail the Champions League competitors' once sparkling season.

English football held its breath twice this week because of Paul Gascoigne, firstly when he was admitted to an alcohol treatment centre and secondly after Jack Wilshere showed England may finally have found his heir apparent.

A former advocate of free market, Olympique Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas finds himself in the position of defender of the old values of football as his club has been dwarfed by Paris Saint-Germain's lavish spending policy.

Vicente del Bosque had his eye fixed on battles to come in qualifying for the 2014 World Cup and this summer's Confederations Cup when he gave three players their debuts in Spain's 3-1 friendly victory over Uruguay.

Manchester United's nine-point lead in the Premier League is partly down to success against other big clubs but Champions League challengers Everton visit Old Trafford on Sunday having outfoxed them in August.

Striker Felipe Caicedo grabbed a stunning winner as Ecuador beat Portugal 3-2 on Wednesday in a thrilling international friendly that featured an embarrassing own goal and a Cristiano Ronaldo moment of magic.

Ronaldinho's Brazil return after a one-year absence ended ignominiously when he missed a penalty and was substituted at half-time following a dismal performance in the 2-1 friendly defeat by England on Wednesday.

Germany claimed their first win over France in 26 years when goals by Thomas Muller and Sami Khedira secured a 2-1 win in an entertaining friendly at the Stade de France on Wednesday.

Argentina beat Sweden 3-2 despite their ace Lionel Messi failing to get on scoresheet in an open, entertaining friendly in Stockholm on Wednesday.

Burkina Faso reached the Africa Cup of Nations final for the first time with a dramatic 3-2 penalty shoutout win over Ghana on Wednesday after their semi-final ended 1-1 following extra time.

Winger Gareth Bale's class shone through as he scored one goal and created another to inspire Wales to a 2-1 win over Austria in a friendly international at Swansea's Liberty Stadium on Wednesday.

England's Premier League clubs are expected to agree rules on Thursday to ensure that a five billion pound television cash windfall is not frittered away in higher pay for players.

Football's world governing body FIFA has launched a web page to enable individuals to make anonymous reports of corruption by officials and attempts at match-fixing, it said on Wednesday.

Free agent Louis Saha joined Lazio on Wednesday as cover after Germany striker Miroslav Klose was ruled out injured for up to eight weeks.

Silvio Berlusconi and his brother Paolo are getting heat over maverick Italy striker Mario Balotelli, with one accused of racism and the other of signing him for their club AC Milan only to win votes in this month's national election.

Debrecen goalkeeper Vukasin Poleksic has denied attempting to fix his Hungarian side's Champions League match with Liverpool in 2009, saying his performance should speak for itself.

England midfielder Jack Wilshere can become one of the best players in the world after a remarkable recovery from serious injury, his national team captain Steven Gerrard has remarked.

Manchester United players need to remember the legacy of those affected by the Munich air disaster because the aftermath of the tragedy is part of what makes the club great, Ryan Giggs said on the 55th anniversary on Wednesday.

Ashley Cole is regarded as one of the best left-backs in the world and will start his 100th match for England against Brazil on Wednesday but reputation will count for nothing in the meritocratic world of coach Roy Hodgson.

Sweden coach Erik Hamren compared his captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Argentina's Lionel Messi to their video game counterparts as the teams prepare to meet in a friendly on Wednesday.

There is a "special spirit" in the Mali squad ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Nigeria, and not just because of the conflict back home, coach Patrice Carteron said on Tuesday.

Karim Benzema has not scored for France in eight months but coach Didier Deschamps is confident the striker can make a positive contribution in Wednesday's friendly against Germany.