Month: August 2021

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football Slides Sports News

Mason Greenwood makes Wolves pay for missed chances

Mason Greenwood continued his electric start to the season as his late strike snatched Manchester United a 1-0 victory at Wolves.

Greenwood’s third goal in three games made the hosts pay for a string of missed chances and also saw United set a new all-time English football record by extending their unbeaten away record to 28 matches.

But United needed David De Gea’s sensational second-half stop from Romain Saiss to give them the platform for victory.

It capped a dramatic week at Old Trafford after United agreed a deal with Juventus to bring Cristiano Ronaldo back to the club, 12 years after he left for Real Madrid.

They rode their luck at Molineux as Wolves – who have now had 57 shots in the Premier League without scoring this season – suffered Groundhog Day.

Bruno Lage’s side lost their opening two games 1-0 to Leicester and Tottenham and were left empty handed again.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka cleared Francisco Trincao’s shot off the line, Raul Jimenez was denied by De Gea and Trincao missed a fine second-half chance.

But United carved out victory against the run of play as they prepare to mark Ronaldo’s return.

Wolves’ rapid start began when Adama Traore burst forward after intercepting Fred’s loose pass and found Jimenez, only for De Gea to save with his legs.

Fred’s nightmare start continued when he failed to cut out Ruben Neves’ pass on the break and then could not stop Trincao muscling past him into the area.

The Barcelona loanee beat De Gea and only Wan-Bissaka’s brilliant recovery denied him a first Premier League goal.

Wolves’ rapid start – inspired by Traore – was only aided by United’s mistakes and Jadon Sancho’s miscued header presented Joao Moutinho with a chance which he volleyed over.

The hosts had failed to score in their opening two games, despite having 42 shots, and their profligacy underlined why they had moved for striker Hee Chan Hwang.

The South Korea international watched from the stands after joining on loan, with a £13million option to buy, from RB Leipzig.

Debutant Raphael Varane endured a busy introduction to the Premier League but stood firm against the ferocity of Wolves’ tempo, underlining why United shelled out £34million for the former Real Madrid man.

At the front United lacked ingenuity and ideas and, while Bruno Fernandes smashed past Jose Sa six minutes before the break he was comfortably offside.

It was a rare moment of respite for the visitors but Greenwood still drilled wide to warn Wolves, despite their dominance, United were ready to punish them.

Another blank would have been a worry for Lage at the break and United underlined their own attacking riches by bringing on Edinson Cavani for Daniel James early in the second half.

Solskjaer’s side stabilised and Fred fired at Sa but Wolves missed another guilt-edged chance after 63 minutes.

Traore was found by Jimenez and he teed up Trincao, only for the forward – unmarked 15 yards out – to miscue his effort and it trickled wide.

Wolves appeared to be edging closer and it took a wonder-save from De Gea to stop them from opening the scoring with 21 minutes left.

Saiss rose to meet Moutinho’s corner and De Gea parried his header but the defender looked certain to score the follow up, only for the goalkeeper to brilliantly parry his shot from point blank range.

It proved pivotal as Greenwood snatched victory with 10 minutes left, to leave Wolves fuming.

Pogba and Neves went in for a 50-50 tackle with the ball running to Varane and he found Greenwood who cut inside on the right and beat Sa from the angle.

Wolves’ protests that Pogba fouled Neves were rejected by Mike Dean as they slipped to another defeat.

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F1 football Sports News

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen declared winner of aborted Belgian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen was proclaimed as the winner of a farcical Belgian Grand Prix after only two laps were completed behind a safety car.

The 12th round of the Formula One campaign at a rain-soaked Spa-Francorchamps circuit finished three hours and 44 minutes after it was due to begin when the clock finally stopped on an embarrassing afternoon for the sport.

George Russell took second, with Lewis Hamilton third and half-points awarded.

Hamilton’s championship advantage over Verstappen has been reduced to three points.

Seventy-five thousand fans stood in the persistent drizzle for a race due to start at 3pm, pushed back to 3:10pm, 3:15pm and 3:25pm. The safety car took the field away on a formation lap but after eight minutes the race was stopped.

Following two hours and 47 minutes without any action, the FIA’s race director Michael Masi then gave the green light for the race to resume.

The sodden spectators, those who remained in the hope of a race, pumped their fists in delight, with Verstappen’s fans lighting orange flares on the Kemmel Straight.

But after just two laps completed of the rain-drenched 4.35-mile circuit, the race was red-flagged. The sport’s bosses were facing accusations of a cynical manoeuvre with two laps ensuring a classification could be granted.

“I feel really sorry for the fans,” Hamilton said. “They have been incredible to stick with us and hold out for a potential race.

“They knew when they sent us out at the end there that the track wasn’t any better and they did it just so that we could have two laps behind the safety car which is the minimum requirement for a race.

“I hope the fans get their money back.”

Hamilton added: “You couldn’t really see five metres in front of you, and you could not go flat out. It is a shame because it could have been a a good race if it didn’t rain as much.”

Verstappen, who declared the conditions as “fine to race” after it was stopped the first time around, added: “I said at 3:30, ‘Let’s go’.

“The conditions were decent but the visibility was low. If we started at 3, we stood a better chance. It is a win but it is not how you want to win.”

It is the first time in F1’s 71-year history when such few laps have been completed for a classified result. Indeed, it is only the sixth time half-points have been awarded.

The abandoned affair came just 24 hours after British driver Lando Norris was fortunate to emerge unscathed from a terrifying 185mph crash at Eau Rouge in qualifying.

The Spa-Francorchamps venue is considered to be one of the most dangerous tracks on the F1 calendar, with 23 drivers perishing here. Two years ago, French Formula Two driver Anthoine Hubert lost his life after a multi-car collision.

Damon Hill, the 1996 world champion, tweeted: “Brave decision by Michael Masi. If the race had gone ahead and there had been a serious accident, we’d be asking why he started the race. Tough. But ultimately a mature thing to do. Spa has claimed a lot of drivers.”

The remainder of the grid finished where they started with Daniel Ricciardo fourth for McLaren ahead of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and the AlphaTauri driver of Pierre Gasly.

Sergio Perez crashed on the way to the grid but took part in the second restart from the pit lane after Red Bull fixed his damaged machine.

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football Sports News Transfer News

Adama Traore determined to push for Tottenham Hotspur move

Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Carabao Cup Second Round Adama Traore of Wolverhampton Wanderers warms up ahead of kick-off during the Carabao Cup match between Nottingham Forest and Wolverhampton Wanderers at the City Ground, Nottingham, UK on 24th August 2021. Nottingham England United Kingdom fletcher-nottingh210824_np4pZ PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xMIxNewsx

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Adama Traore has reportedly urged his agent to push through a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the closing stages of this summer’s transfer window.

The 25-year-old has been on Tottenham’s list of potential targets this summer since Nuno Espirito Santo – his manager at Wolves – took over in North London.

Wolves’ asking price of at least £40m has so far proved to be a major sticking point in any negotiations, and new boss Bruno Lage recently insisted that no key players would be allowed to leave the club before Tuesday’s 11pm deadline.

However, Spanish outlet Cadena SER claims that Traore has instructed his agent Jorge Mendes to secure a move to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium so that he can reunite with Nuno.

Wolves remain reluctant to lose their star man, and are unlikely to lower their demands for a player who still has two years remaining on his contract at Molineux.

Traore has been one of the team’s standout performers in their three Premier League games so far this season, despite Wolves still searching for their first point and first goal of the new campaign.

The Spain international has previously been linked with Liverpool, Chelsea and Leeds United, but Spurs are now considered the clear front-runners for his signature should he leave Wolves.

Wolves, meanwhile, are understood to be considering a move for Valencia forward Goncalo Guedes as a replacement for Traore.

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football Sports News

Cesar Azpilicueta hails 10-man Chelsea’s team spirit after draw with Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 28: Jordan Henderson of Liverpool squares up to Cesar Azpilicueta of Chelsea and Romelu Lukaku of Chelsea during the Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on August 28, 2021 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)

Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta was delighted by the togetherness and spirit shown in adversity as Thomas Tuchel’s men secured a 1-1 draw at Liverpool.

Anfield hosted an intense clash between two of the Premier League title favourites on Saturday evening, with the visitors opening the scoring as Kai Havertz sent home a looping header in front of the Kop.

Chelsea could have added another before the dynamics changed at the end of the first half, when referee Anthony Taylor sent off Reece James for handling an attempt on the line after reviewing the pitchside monitor.

Mohamed Salah scored the resulting spot-kick but the Blues put in a defensive masterclass to secure a draw despite playing 45 minutes a man light.

“We had to fight,” Azpilicueta told the club website. “When you are one man down for the whole second half, it is really tough but it was a challenge for us.

“Everybody had the ambition to go even for a win and we actually had the best two chances in the second half even though they had a lot of possession.

“The team spirit was brilliant from everybody, we fought together and we got the least reward of a point.”

Chelsea let their anger known at the decision to send off James before and after Salah scored from the spot, but they managed to channel it effectively.

“Of course we were angry and everyone had emotions at half-time but we had to adapt,” the Spain defender said. “It was important for us to calm down and find a way to fight together as a team, to have this challenge in a tough place like Anfield.

“Everybody defended really well, right from Romelu (Lukaku), who had a game where he had to sacrifice for the team.

“We had to make two changes at half-time and had one red card but we adapted really well to the situation.”

Mateo Kovacic replaced injured star N’Golo Kante at the break and wily defender Thiago Silva’s introduction proved inspired as he helped shore things up.

It was an impressive, well-drilled performance given Tuchel’s men are still a work in progress but Azpilicueta is not getting ahead of himself.

“We are a team that has had a few changes so everybody is pushing hard,” he said after making his 300th Premier League appearance.

“We want to compete and we want to improve every day as a team so we just have to keep working.

“It is still only the end of August and we’ve played only three games so let’s go step by step. We have conceded only one goal in the three games so let’s keep working and focusing on ourselves.”

As for Liverpool, there was an air of frustration after they failed to turn their man advantage and increased second-half pressure into a second-half winner.

“It just wasn’t our day,” 18-year-old Harvey Elliott told the club website. “We tried what we could, gave it 100 per cent and unfortunately we came away with the draw.

“I think the mood in the changing room is a bit down because obviously we wanted to come away with the win against 10 men.

“Chelsea obviously are a top-class side, they fought until the very end and were hard to break down, so you’ve got to give them credit.

“It wasn’t really our day. We’ll reflect and go again against Leeds.”

Saturday’s match was a big occasion for the teenager, who repaid manager Jurgen Klopp’s faith in him with a promising performance.

Harvey Elliott in action against Chelsea

“I just take every opportunity in my stride,” Elliott added.

“Obviously 10 minutes against Norwich, then my first start against Burnley, so (I’m) just taking it bit by bit, just grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been given.

“I’m just thankful for the coaching staff and for the team for believing in me and giving me these opportunities.

“When you’re on the pitch you’ve just got to focus, you’ve just got to give it 100 per cent and you focus on the excitement after.

“It’s every boy’s dream to play in front of this crowd at Anfield and to put on this red strip. I just want to give 100 per cent to the club, I just want to play for the club and just run my socks off until I can’t run any more, to be honest.”

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Juventus lose at home to Empoli in first game after Ronaldo

Juventus has slumped to a 1-0 loss at home to promoted Empoli in its first match without Cristiano Ronaldo.

Juventus slumped to a 1-0 loss at home to promoted Empoli in its first match without Cristiano Ronaldo on Saturday.

Leonardo Mancuso’s first-half goal was enough for the visitors to claim a shock victory and leave Juventus waiting for its first Italian league win of the season after two games. Juve opened with a disappointing 2-2 draw at Udinese last weekend.

Ronaldo secured his return to Manchester United on Friday _ a day after telling Juventus he no longer wanted to play for the club. The Portugal star was top scorer in Serie A for the last two seasons and scored 101 goals in 134 appearances.

Juventus could have done with him against Empoli, which only secured its return to Italy’s top flight last season.

Mancuso scored in the 21st, firing home from close range after Nedim Bajrami’s initial effort was deflected into his path. The visitors refused to sit back after the goal.

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri reacted to a disappointing first half from his team by bringing on Alvaro Morata, a forward, for American midfielder Weston McKennie at the break.

Federico Bernardeschi came on for fellow midfielder Adrien Rabiot shortly afterward, but the visitors kept pushing.

Paulo Dybala had a couple of close efforts as Juve showed signs of improvement, but too often the home team’s moves broke down at the final pass, prompting a furious outburst from Allegri on the sideline.

Juventus’ players were incensed when a number of calls went against them, including when Manuel Locatelli’s ball for Morata was deflected out by an Empoli defender but no corner was awarded.

IMMOBILE’S HAT TRICK

Italy striker Ciro Immobile scored a first-half hat trick and saw his penalty saved as Lazio routed Spezia 6-1 to build on its opening victory.

The 31-year-old Immobile also scored in Lazio’s 3-1 win at Empoli to start the season last weekend.

Spezia forward Daniele Verde stunned home fans at the Stadio Olimpico when he scored on a rebound in the fourth minute, but Immobile equalized with a brilliant finish a minute later.

Immobile tucked away his second goal inside the left post in the 15th, but had a penalty saved in first-half injury time when Dutch goalkeeper Jeroen Zoet turned the ball away for a corner. That was all Immobile needed, however, as he scored with a header from Luis Alberto’s corner.

Brazilian forward Felipe Anderson made it 4-1 after the interval, and it got worse in the 54th for the visitors when Kelvin Amian was sent off for hauling back Anderson as he was on another attack.

Elseid Hysaj got the fifth goal in the 70th before Luis Alberto wrapped up the scoring in the 85th for Maurizio Sarri’s team.

Also Saturday, Atalanta missed a host of chances as it drew with Bologna 0-0.

Fiorentina beat Torino 2-1 at home.

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Real Madrid win at Betis amid Mbappe transfer talk

The match was Madrid’s last before the summer transfer window closes Tuesday night.

Amid reports in the Spanish capital that Kylian Mbappe could soon be on his way, Real Madrid won 1-0 at Real Betis in the Spanish league on Saturday.

Right back Dani Carvajal volleyed in a pass from Karim Benzema in the 61st minute on a counterattack led by Vinicius Junior, who again proved decisive to Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

The match was Madrid’s last before the summer transfer window closes Tuesday night. Paris Saint-Germain acknowledged this week that it had rejected an offer from Madrid to sign Mbappe. But the French club added that it was still open to negotiations over a blockbuster move for the player seen by many as soccer’s leading talent for years to come.

“I think that (Ancelotti) has said it, anything that helps the squad is good, so I hope that we can strengthen the squad in the days that are left,” Carvajal said when asked about the possibility of Mbappe moving to Madrid.

Madrid president Florentino Perez was in the stands at Benito Villamarin Stadium, where it appeared that he was keeping a close eye on his phone.

But club official Emilio Butragueno and Ancelotti were reticent to talk.

“We understand that people are waiting for news . but the truth is that we have nothing to say,” Butragueno said.

While Ancelotti said that it “was an issue for the club” and only wanted to talk about his team’s victory, Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said he would love to be able to sign such a top player, knowing that it is impossible for a club that was unable to pay Lionel Messi’s wages.

“If Madrid has the money, it should sign (Mbappe),” Koeman said. “He is one of the best players in the world. I too would love him for my team.”

Vinicius was the focus of Madrid’s attack in the Brazilian’s first start of the season after he had come off the bench to score goals in a 4-1 win at Alaves and a 3-3 draw at Levante.

Eden Hazard lost his spot in the starting 11 amid rumors that he could be on the move to Juventus to fill the hole left by Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United in this summer’s shuffle of soccer’s top stars. Hazard went on in the 77th to replace Vinicius.

VINICIUS LEADS

Without injured midfielders Luka Modric and Toni Kroos to control the ball, Madrid sought to attack through the pace of Vinicius. He showed how dangerous he can be, even when marked, five minutes into the match when he dribbled down the end line and passed to Benzema, whose shot just missed the post by inches.

Betis settled down once midfielder Sergio Canales latched onto the ball and guided the hosts into Madrid’s half. Nabil Fekir then added some punch with a free kick that forced Thibaut Courtois to make a save in the 11th.

The vibrant exchange became bogged down when the action turned physical in the final minutes of the first half. The referee handed out five yellow cards in quick succession, including one for Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini for complaining.

Vinicius engaged Madrid again after the restart, using a brilliant change of foot and spin to leave two defenders going the wrong way as the visitors pressed Betis into its area.

The 21-year-old Vinicius was key to Carvajal’s goal, sprinting to keep the ball from going out of play. Vinicius then found Benzema to set up Carvajal for the winner.

Koeman’s Barcelona hosts Getafe on Sunday, when Messi could make his debut for PSG in France. Also Sunday, defending champion Atletico Madrid hosts Villarreal and is seeking a third straight victory.
KOUNDE RESTS

Jules Kounde did not travel with Sevilla, which drew 1-1 at Elche, amid speculation that Chelsea is interested in securing the transfer of the central defender.

Inaki William’s first-half goal helped Athletic Bilbao win 1-0 at Celta Vigo, the first victory of the season for the Basque Country club.

Williams was set up by Oihan Sancet after he fought to win a long ball from Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon, who made his first start of the season.

Real Sociedad beat Levante 1-0.

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Manchester City rout Arsenal ; Liverpool-Chelsea draw

The 5-0 loss means Arsenal is without a point, or even a goal, from its three matches so far this season.

Manchester City didn’t need Harry Kane or Cristiano Ronaldo to destroy Arsenal.

With four different scorers in the 5-0 win on Saturday, maybe the attacking options currently available to Pep Guardiola are enough to defend the Premier League title.

Or perhaps it’s just a sign of Arsenal’s frailties that City so easily dismantled a side that has now lost all three league games without scoring. And the fact City played against 10 men for 55 minutes after Granit Xhaka was sent off for a two-footed lunge on Joao Cancelo.

“That is why we did not need to buy a striker,” Guardiola said. “We tried but it was not possible. It is a fantastic squad. I have to say thank you for the players they have given me.”

It was a great end to a week where City had to give up on its attempt to bring Tottenham striker Harry Kane to the Etihad Stadium and thought it could sign Cristiano Ronaldo before Manchester United stepped in.

Having lost its opening game to Tottenham, City was already playing catch-up. But while City moved onto six points, four of the teams with perfect starts dropped points in their third games on Saturday.

Title contenders Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1 at Anfield. West Ham was held 2-2 by Crystal Palace and Brighton lost 2-0 to Everton. Only Tottenham is still in the running for a third consecutive win when Kane leads the London club into Sunday’s game against Watford.

It’s not only Arsenal on zero points after three games. Norwich, which lost 2-1 to Leicester after conceding goals from Jamie Vardy and Marc Albrighton, is yet to get off the mark. Newcastle picked up its first point in a 2-2 draw against Southampton. Brentford is on five points in its first-ever Premier League season after drawing 1-1 at Aston Villa, with Ivan Toney’s goal wiped out by Emi Buendia’s first since joining the hosts in the offseason.

Kai Havertz’s header was canceled out by Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah’s penalty after Reece James was sent off for handling. Liverpool’s attack lacked a cutting edge _ even with a man advantage _ as Chelsea’s defense marshalled by Andreas Christensen proved too robust to break down.

“He started in the central position and finished the game in the right position, because we decided to bring on Thiago (Silva) and stay with the back five,” Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel said. “Andreas is very strong, he’s super talented. … I think he feels the trust, he knows what to do, he can absolutely help, he’s a top defender and a top guy. I have the feeling he’s growing every week in confidence and personality.”

WEST HAM HELD

West Ham twice threw away the lead secured by Pablo Fornals and then Michail Antonio, with Conor Gallagher equalizing both times for Palace. But Patrick Vieira is still waiting for his first win in charge of Palace, which has two points.

PENALTY SPAT

Everton was already leading through Demarai Gray’s first-half strike when it won a penalty after the break at Brighton. Richarlison grabbed the ball after Seamus Coleman was taken down in the box by Joel Veltman. Everton’s designated penalty-taker, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, had to convince Richarlison to hand the ball back so he could score from the spot.

COMEBACK

After Callum Wilson’s opener for Newcastle was canceled out by Mohamed Elyounoussi, the St. James’ Park hosts looked set again for a first win of the season when Allan Saint-Maximin netted in the 90th minute. But Jamaal Lascelles’ challenge on Stuart Armstrong allowed James Ward-Prowse to level for Southampton from a penalty in the sixth minute of stoppage time.

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Another record for Robert Lewandowski as Bayern wins

Robert Lewandowski has scored a hat trick and set a new Bayern Munich record for scoring in consecutive games after leading the team to a 5-0 rout of Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga.

Robert Lewandowski grabbed a hat trick and set a Bayern Munich record for scoring in consecutive games as he led the team to a 5-0 rout of Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

The 33-year-old Lewandowski’s latest goals ensured he has scored in every game for the last 16 matches across all competitions for Bayern, going back to a 3-3 draw with Arminia Bielefeld on Feb. 15.

Former West Germany great Gerd Muller, who died on Aug. 15 at age 75, had a 15-game scoring run for Bayern in 1969-70.

Lewandowski broke Muller’s old Bundesliga record by scoring 41 goals last season. He already has five goals from three games this season.

Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann dropped misfiring winger Leroy Sane to the substitutes’ bench and started with the 18-year-old Jamal Musiala in his place. Sane was whistled by Bayern fans for a poor performance against Cologne last weekend.

The defending champions didn’t need long to get off the mark against Hertha. Lewandowski allowed Alphonso Davies’ cross through for the better-placed Thomas Muller to open the scoring in the sixth minute with a low shot inside the far post. Serge Gnabry and Musiala were also involved in what was a fine team move.

The home fans had to wait half an hour for the next goal, headed in by Lewandowski from close range at the second attempt after his first attempt from Gnabry’s cross hit the crossbar. The Poland star out-jumped two Hertha defenders to reach the rebound.

Hertha captain Dedryck Boyata made a crucial clearance as the home team threatened to run riot before halftime.

But Bayern resumed after the break, when Musiala showed why he was given a starting spot by cutting inside and dispatching the ball inside the far post after Muller had won the ball from Deyovaisio Zeefuik.

Musiala – already a German international – got an ovation from Bayern fans when he went off for Sane in the 61st.

Sane made his case by cutting inside past two Hertha defenders, playing a one-two, and then setting up Lewandowski’s second goal in the 70th. The Poland star completed his hat trick in the 84th.

WIRTZ’S WALTZ

Florian Wirtz celebrated his Germany recall by leading Bayer Leverkusen to a 4-1 win at Augsburg, keeping the visitors’ good form under new coach Gerardo Seoane.

The 18-year-old Wirtz was called up by new Germany coach Hansi Flick on Friday for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Lichtenstein, Armenia and Iceland.

Leverkusen, which routed Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend, got off to a great start when Augsburg’s Brazilian defender Iago chipped the ball over his own goalkeeper and into the net in the third minute.

Augsburg forward Florian Niederlechner added another own-goal in the 14th when he tried to stop Kerem Demirbay’s shot.

Niederlechner atoned by scoring in the 30th, profiting from a mix-up between Leverkusen defender Mitchel Bakker and goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky.

Leverkusen’s Moussa Diaby had a goal ruled out through VAR for a hand ball by Charles Aranguiz in the buildup.

Augsburg was pushing for an equalizer when Seoane reacted by bringing on Wirtz and Robert Andrich in the 65th. Wirtz made an immediate impact, setting up Patrik Schick in the 75th, then scoring himself in the 81st.

Freiburg held on for a 3-2 win in Stuttgart, which trailed 3-0 in the first half but couldn’t find any more goals in the second.

Cologne enjoyed a 2-1 win over promoted Bochum, Mainz beat promoted Greuther Fuerth 3-0 and Eintracht Frankfurt was held 1-1 at Arminia Bielefeld.

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Manchester United submit official bid for Cristiano Ronaldo

News broke earlier on Friday that the Red Devils had hijacked Manchester City’s move for the 36-year-old, leapfrogging their local rivals in the race for his signature as City ended their interest.

Talks between Man United and Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes only began on Thursday evening, while a series of messages from the Portuguese forward’s former Old Trafford teammates helped to sway him towards a move back to the red half of Manchester.

The 36-year-old had looked destined to join United’s local rivals Manchester City in a £25m deal, after telling current club Juventus that he wants to leave before Tuesday’s transfer deadline.

However, in a remarkable turn of events Man City have since pulled out of the running to sign Ronaldo, with United now the clear front-runners for his signature.

Talks between the two parties only began on Thursday night, but they have advanced quickly and ESPN reports that a series of WhatsApp messages between Ronaldo and a number of his former teammates at Old Trafford helped to convince him to return.

The report claims that Ronaldo was warned that his Manchester United legacy and the esteem in which he is held by the club’s fans would be irrevocably damaged if he joined their cross-town rivals.

A contract proposal has also been sent to Mendes, with Man United offering Ronaldo a two-year deal until June 2023.

While none of the ex-teammates have been named, now-Derby County boss Wayne Rooney hinted on Thursday that Ronaldo joining Man City would damage his reputation as a Man United legend.

The Red Devils are now confident of pulling off a sensational return for the forward on a two-year deal for the transfer window closes on Tuesday.

Ronaldo made 292 appearances for Man United between 2003 and 2009, scoring 118 goals and helping the club to three Premier League titles and the 2008 Champions League crown.

With the five-time Ballon d’Or winner now pushing for a return, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that Man United have submitted a formal offer of €25m (£21.4m) plus add-ons to Juventus, who are understood to be holding out for a fee of around £25m.

Since leaving for Madrid, the prolific Portuguese attacker has netted 551 times at club level, while Man United’s leading scorer in the same timeframe is Rooney with 156

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Real Madrid to announce Kylian Mbappe signing on Friday

Real Madrid are reportedly closing in on the signing of Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe.

After it emerged that the La Liga giants had made a formal bid for the player earlier this week, the two clubs exchanged words which suggested that finalising a deal would prove difficult.

However, Los Blancos are said to have improved their bid to €170m (£145.87m) plus €10m (£8.58m), terms which will realistically have to be considered by their PSG counterparts.

According to Marca, the French club will formally accept that offer on Friday, creating the possibility of an announcement from Real later in the day.

Given Mbappe’s well-documented desire to make the switch to the Bernabeu, personal terms are expected to be a formality.

The 22-year-old has less than 12 months remaining on his contract at Parc des Princes, effectively forcing PSG’s hand when it came to parting ways with their former most prized asset