Besart Berisha became the first man to reach 100 A-League goals as Melbourne Victory defeated Central Coast Mariners 1-0 on Friday.
The Kosovo international who first moved to Australia with Brisbane Roar in 2011 scored with 10 minutes remaining, blasting in from close range after good work from Jai Ingham to set him up for the hosts.
That took Berisha to his century of goals in Australia s top division and put him in the outright lead for this season s golden boot with 19. Jamie MacLaren and Bruno Fornaroli are one and two goals behind respectively with one regular-season match to play.
Victory were already assured of finishing second, giving them a bye in the first round of the play-offs, but this win ended a three-match stint without a triumph.
Argentina and Chile will relish the chance to end long waits for major international trophies on Sunday in the final of the Copa America.
Tournament hosts Chile came through a close-fought semi-final with Peru to move within one win of their first Copa success while Argentina thrashed P
00002642
araguay 6-1 and inched closer to their first major title since 1993.
Gerardo Martino saw Lionel Messi shine in their dismantling of Paraguay last week with this weekend s clash offering the four-time world player of the year the chance to seal his first international honours.
Despite winning a host of titles with Barcelona, Messi s international career has not yet reached the same heights, although victory in Santiago would go a long way to silencing any remaining detra…
Edinson Cavani admits enduring a poor final season with Manchester United after fans returned to Old Trafford left him with a bitter taste , as he prepares to leave after two years at the club.
Cavani is moving on from United as a free agent at the end of his contract, having scored 12 goals in 41 Premier League appearances since joining in October 2020 from Paris Saint-Germain.
The Uruguay international initially impressed for United, scoring 10 goals in his first Premier League campaign as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer s Red Devils finished as runners-up in a 2020-21 season played almost entirely behind closed doors due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, the 35-year-old then struggled for game-time under both Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick during his final …
All eyes will be on Sheffield United on Wednesday to see if they can overturn a 1-0 deficit against Tottenham to reach the League Cup final.
Sheffield United manager Nigel Clough expects a Tottenham side on high alert to arrive at Bramall Lane on Wednesday desperate to avoid a second cup upset in five days.
Spurs make the trip to south Yorkshire looking to protect a 1-0 lead following the League Cup semi-final first leg between the two clubs last week.
But Mauricio Pochettino s men are smarting after being dumped out of the FA Cup by Leicester City at White Hart Lane on Saturday.
Tottenham s exit was one of a number of shock results on a fourth-round weekend that saw League One side Bradford City win 4-2 at Premier League leaders Chelsea, Manchester…
Barcelona are open to making signings in January and Nolito is a real possibility, according to sporting director Robert Fernandez.
Celta Vigo forward Nolito has been linked with a return to Barca, who top the La Liga table by three points.
The club s transfer ban ends in January and Fernandez said Luis Enrique may yet add to his squad.
Incorporating players is a window that is open, he told RAC1 on Tuesday.
If there is the possibility of signing in January why not?
Nolito is among the potential signings for Barca and on Tuesday the 29-year-old refused to rule out a move.
Fernandez talked up the potential transfer, with Nolito having struggled to break into the Barca first team during his time there from 2008 to 2011.
It is a r…
Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti insists he does not have “freedom of expression” to talk about referees as he prepares his side for their Champions League Group C trip to Sporting Braga.
Ancelotti appeared to back referee Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea after the weekend draw in Sevilla but later conceded on his club’s official media channels that he used “irony” when questioned about officials.
In a pre-match press conference dominated by questions about the state of refereeing, Ancelotti refused the opportunity to echo Spanish referees’ chief Pedro Rocha and call officials from the country the best in the world.
The calm before the storm…
— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)
Ancelotti said: “If you ask me who the best players in…
Arsenal have sent defensive duo Carl Jenkinson and Cohen Bramall to Birmingham City on season-long loan deals.
Jenkinson, who has been on the Gunners books since 2011, only made five appearances in all competitions last season, having spent the previous two seasons on loan with West Ham.
Birmingham confirmed on Monday the 25-year-old will spend 2017-18 at St Andrew s, where he will be joined by Bramall.
Left-sided Bramall, 21, only joined Arsenal last season from non-league Hednesford Town midway through last season and will now get the chance to gain first-team experience in the Championship.
OFFICIAL: Blues are delighted to announce the signings of pair Carl Jenkinson and Cohen Bramall
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC)
Both players are…
Adidas have unveiled the official matchball for next year s World Cup in Russia – the Telstar18.
The German sports giant has manufactured balls for the World Cup since the 1970 tournament in Brazil.
Recent designs, such as the Brazuca for Brazil 2014 and the infamous Jabulani for South Africa 2010 have drawn inspiration from the host countries, but Adidas has chosen to reimagine a classic design this time around.
The original Telstar, a 32-panel ball featuring 12 black panels on a predominantly white design in order to make it more visible to a growing television audience, was used as Brazil swept to glory at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico.
A similar design, the Telstar Durlast, was used in Germany four years later and it retains an iconic status among fo…
Manchester City are set to miss out on signing Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, .
The Premier League side, who will be managed by current Bayern boss Pep Guardiola come the summer, were linked with a big-money move for the World Cup winner though he has no intention of quitting the Bundesliga.
The news will be no doubt welcomed by City shot stopper Joe Hart. Who’s future at the Etihad Stadium would have been under threat should a move for Neuer have materialised.
Hart has been the club’s first choice keeper since breaking into the senior side in the 2007/08 campaign and has since racked up over three-hundred and thirty appearances in all competitions.
He is also number one for his country, and has won fifty-seven caps for England since mak…
Italy international Eder was content to keep Inter on course for a return to the Champions League after scoring the equaliser in Sunday s 1-1 draw with Torino.
The Brazil-born forward, who signed a new contract through to 2021 during the week, celebrated the extension by coming off the bench to cancel out Iago Falque s opener at San Siro.
While the draw extended Inter s unbeaten start in Serie A to 12 matches, the Nerazzurri were left ruing a missed opportunity to move level with leaders Napoli in the Scudetto race.
However, Eder insists the goal is simply to book a place in Europe s top club competition for the first time since 2011-12.
Our objective is Champions League qualification. We re on track and we re happy about this, the 30-year-old told M…