Category: Slides

Veteran keeper Claudio Bravo has left Manchester City after his contract with the Premier League runners-up expired.

The Chilean, 37, signed a four-year deal at City when he made a £15.4m move from Spanish giants Barcelona in 2016.

Bravo’s performances came under scrutiny in a difficult debut 2016-17 season where City did not win a trophy under new boss Pep Guardiola.

Brazil keeper Ederson then arrived in June 2017, leaving Bravo largely restricted to playing in cup games.

In total, Bravo made 61 appearances for City and kept 20 clean sheets.

More than half of his appearances came in cup matches, with Bravo making only seven Premier League starts after his debut season in England.

The Chile international had been signed to replace England’s Joe Hart, with Guardiola going back to his former club Barcelona for a keeper who he believed was more suited to his preferred playing style for his team.

However, Bravo faced criticism for his shot-stopping skills and was even mocked by some City fans when he made saves.

“Everybody would like to thank Claudio for his four years at the club and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavours,” said City.

Kylian Mbappe is fit to start for Paris Saint-Germain against RB Leipzig in Tuesday’s Champions League semi-final in Lisbon, says coach Thomas Tuchel.

The French striker has been struggling with an ankle injury in recent weeks.

But he came off the bench to help PSG beat Atalanta in the last eight and has trained since that game last Wednesday.

“He played for 30 minutes against Atalanta and had no reaction and had six days since to work on fitness, so of course he can start,” said Tuchel.

“We will decide after training whether he can play 90 minutes.”

Mbappe, 21, came on last against Atalanta with his team trailing 1-0 to the Italian side but inspired PSG to a late victory, setting up the winner for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in injury time after Marquinhos had levelled in the 90th minute.

He has scored 30 in 35 appearances in all competitions this season, including five in eight in the Champions League.

The former Spain international, 34, has left City after a decade of service in which he won 11 major trophies including four Premier League titles. The Manchester outfit had announced earlier on Monday that they would be honouring the Spaniard by building a statue of him outside the Etihad Stadium.

La Real, who finished sixth in La Liga, were searching for a new playmaker after Martin Odegaard ended a one-year loan spell to return to Real Madrid. Silva had been linked with a move to Italian club Lazio, but instead returns to his home country, having begun his professional career at Valencia.

In a social media post, Silva said goodbye to Man City fans:

“I look back and it’s clear I could not have made a better decision than to accept City’s proposal to join their project back in 2010,” he said.

“Manchester City and I have grown together. In 10 years, I have developed personally and professionally. I have celebrated many victories and titles and lived through epic moments.

“I have seen my lovely child, Mateo, born and I have even started to feel comfortable under heavy rain! City are a fantastic family. I won’t ever forget the way they threw themselves into helping me when I suffered the hardest moments of my life, offering me support and empathy.”

To help fill the void following Silva’s departure, City have signed Ferran Torres from Valencia in a deal worth €23 million plus add-ons. City have also signed centre-back Nathan Ake from Bournemouth in a deal worth £41m.

City’s summer recruitment has been made more simple after their two-year European ban was overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but privately club bosses insist it does not mean there will be a blank cheque for new players.

Luuk de Jong scored the winning goal as Sevilla came back from a goal down to beat Manchester United 2-1 on Sunday and reach the final of the Europa League.

Sevilla goalkeeper Yassine Bounou kept his team in the semifinal at 1-1 with a string of saves either side of halftime, before de Jong won it. The Spanish club will look to extend its Europa League record with a sixth title on Friday against either Inter Milan or Shakhtar Donetsk, who play Monday.

With the game at 1-1 and heading for extra time, Sevilla substitute de Jong made the breakthrough in the 78th minute. A cross by Jesus Navas fell kindly for the tall Dutch forward to score his first European goal of the season from close range.

United had taken the lead in the ninth minute with yet another penalty in a season packed with them. Diego Carlos tangled with Marcus Rashford as the United forward had his shot saved, and then Bruno Fernandes stepped up to send the penalty into the top-left corner.

United has been awarded 22 spot kicks in all competitions this season, more than any other club in the five biggest European leagues. Since Fernandes arrived at the club in January, he’s scored eight from the spot.

Sevilla evened the score 17 minutes later with a lightning team move which exposed both of United’s full-backs. Lucas Ocampos’ pass put attacking left-back Sergio Reguilon in space to send a perfectly calculated low cross for onrushing forward Suso to knock into the net on the right flank.

That goal jolted United back into life. Anthony Martial curled a promising shot over the bar before Bounou was forced to parry powerful shots from outside the box by Rashford and Fernandes.

United started the second half in similarly exuberant style, with Bounou forced to save from Martial.

Sheffield United have reached an agreement with Bournemouth to sign goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale this summer, a report from The Daily Echo claims.

Ramsdale was nearly ever-present for the Cherries during the 2019/2020 Premier League campaign and he caught the eye with 129 saves from his 37 appearances.

With the Cherries’ relegation to the Championship, it was always anticipated that Ramsdale would head for the exit door and he now appears on the cusp of re-signing for Sheffield.

The Blades sanctioned the sale of Ramsdale to the Cherries for just £800,000 in January 2017, but they included a 15% sell-on clause on any future transfer.

Earlier this month, Jason Tindall’s side turned down an initial bid of £12m from the Blades, but they have now reluctantly accepted a second offer worth £18.5m.

It is reported that the Cherries have compensated for the sell-on clause by accepting a reduced fee than their original asking price of around £25m.

With Ramsdale set to return to Bramall Lane, it is quite clear that the club won’t re-acquire the services of Dean Henderson from Manchester United this summer.

Henderson has been an influential figure in goal for the Blades on loan over the past couple of seasons and it remains to be seen whether his future lies next term.

The young Englishman is reluctant to act as the deputy to David de Gea and it won’t come as a surprise, if he is loaned out to another club following a contract extension.

Bayern Munich scored eight goals as a humiliated Barcelona crashed out of the Champions League following an 8-2 mauling in Lisbon.

Thomas Muller and Philippe Coutinho both bagged a brace, while Serge Gnabry, Ivan Perisic, Joshua Kimmich and a David Alaba own goal annihilated a poor Barcelona side.

Hansi Flick had guided Bayern to an incredible run of 22 wins in 23 games, with 18 victories in a row and headed into this tie feeling confident after dismantling Chelsea 4-1 in the last-16 knockout round second leg.

It was no surprise to see the German stick to his guns and keep an unchanged starting line-up, while Barcelona head coach Quique Setien made a surprise call to start Arturo Vidal and keep Antoine Griezmann on the bench with a diamond midfield.

Much had been said in the build-up to this game about whether Robert Lewandowski could match up to Lionel Messi. With 53 goals in 44 appearances, it was certainly an argument that held some credibility.

But a big part of Lewandowski’s success was the unheralded Thomas Muller, who had racked up an astonishing 21 assists in the Bundesliga. This time, it was time for the Pole to return the favour – and that he did.

With just four minutes on the clock, Bayern moved it forward down the left with Ivan Perisic lofting a cross to Muller on the edge of the box. He performed an intelligent fake shot, instead exchanging a one-two with Lewandowski and shooting low into the corner past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

It was a brilliant goal which did more to highlight Bayern’s ruthless finishing more than anything. But at the back, the German champions were badly exposed by their extremely high line and paid the price.

Clement Lenglet clipped a ball into Jordi Alba’s path and he squared it to Luis Suarez. But in attempting to clear it, the Austrian managed to loop the ball over his goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and into the top corner. A fine finish, just at the wrong end.

Barcelona had their foot firmly on the gas and were finding space in behind that high line. Two chances arrived in as many minutes, with Suarez denied by Neuer and Messi’s free-kick beating everyone but the post.

As both sides enjoyed spells in possession, it was Bayern’s relentless pressing that helped them retake the lead. Sergi Roberto was swamped by three white shirts and Alphonso Davies passed it wide to Ivan Perisic, whose low strike – with the aid of a dlefection from Lenglet – squeezed past Ter Stegen.

The heavens opened after that strike and Barcelona were quite simply crumbling under the pressure. Thiago’s sublime no-look pass found Lewandowski, who crafted a perfect ball over the top to Serge Gnabry and he finished with composure and precison to extend the advantage to 3-1.

Four minutes later, it was four. Muller was at the right place at the right time to meet Leon Goretzka’s near-post delivery and prodded past the helpless Ter Stegen.

Bayern began to hunt down a Barcelona side lacking composure on the ball and only Lewandowski will know how he didn’t add his name to the growing scoresheet.

Luis Suarez got one back for Barcelona and with half an hour still to go, a comeback was not out of the question.

But Bayern, having brought on Coutinho to face his parent club, were hoping to create something special. And when Alphonso Davies sold Nelson Semedo with a fine piece of skill, Kimmich tapped home to make it five.

The warning signs were there when Lewandowski was denied his goal by the offside there. Still, Barcelona didn’t take notice and began to crumble.

Coutinho dribbled down the left, found Lewandowski in the box and the Pole made it 14 goals in the Champions League – and six for Bayern. VAR took a long time to review the goal for offside, but it stood.

And Setien’s side simply threw in the towel. Coutinho, perhaps acting with a sense of vengence, reacted first after some awful defending from the Blaugrana to tap home. He got a second three minutes later, sliding home into the bottom corner.

The humiliation was truly completed. Setien turned away with a lost look in his eyes and Barca trudged off the pitch in shame. Their worst-ever defeat in Europe – and a capitulation of this kind was a perfect exhibition of just how far they have fallen.