Russian Premier League table-toppers CSKA Moscow slumped to a 2-0 defeat at Rubin Kazan on Sunday.

CSKA could have moved six points clear at the top of the league with just four matches to play had they earned victory, but they were frustrated in Kazan.
Venezuelan Salomon Rondon – who signed from Malaga in the off-season – opened the scoring four minutes into the second half for Rubin.
And Roman Eremenko sealed the win nine minutes from time for fifth-placed Rubin, as CSKA Moscow s title hopes took a hit.
They are still three points ahead of second-placed Zenit St. Petersburg but with just one win in their last four matches in all competitions, will be nervous ahead of the season s end.
Zenit had to come from behind to get a point in a 2-2 draw at Kuban Krasnodar that keeps…

Edin Terzic warned Borussia Dortmund must swiftly forget about their Champions League heroics in Paris after a 3-0 humbling by Mainz on Saturday.

Lee Jae-Sung twice punished a sloppy Dortmund performance after Leandro Barreiro had opened the scoring for relegation-battling Mainz in their Bundesliga clash.

That abject performance came after BVB managed a 1-0 away victory against Paris Saint-Germain, progressing to the Champions League final after a 2-0 aggregate victory over Luis Enrique s side.

Dortmund head coach Terzic was far from impressed after defeat against Mainz left his side four points adrift of fourth-placed RB Leipzig in the German top flight.

Let s let Paris be Paris and talk about last week and this week, Terzic told Sky Sport Germany.

…

Inter defender Andrea Ranocchia has joined fellow Serie A side Sampdoria on a loan deal until June.

Ranocchia has fallen down the pecking order under Roberto Mancini at San Siro this season and is keen to play regular first-team football in order to make the Italy squad for Euro 2016.

The 27-year-old had been linked with Premier League duo Liverpool and Norwich City, and even Inter s bitter rivals AC Milan during the January transfer window.

However, Sampdoria emerged as favourites for his signature and he completed a temporary move to Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Thursday.

I want to repay the faith of the coach [Vincenzo Montella] on the pitch, he told Sampdoria s official website.

This a great group. I know many of the players, I have played with …

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores says Roma forward Juan Iturbe was never a target for the Premier League side during the January transfer window.

The 22-year-old was heavily linked with a move to Vicarage Road ahead of the window opening on January 2 after struggling to make an impact in Serie A this season.

Talks of a loan move with a view to a permanent switch emerged after Iturbe bid farewell to the Roma faithful last week, but his destination remains unclear, with Bournemouth also said to be in the running.

However, Flores has insisted Watford were never in contention to sign the Argentine, claiming Iturbe was never a name on his list of targets.

We decided the names of the players we want, he [Iturbe] is not in our plans, said the Spaniard. 

Real Madrid s 33rd LaLiga title triumph was confirmed on Sunday as they defeated Malaga thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

The 2-0 victory ensured Madrid held off Barcelona in a thrilling race for the Spanish title, their first since 2012, winning the league by three points.

After Barca and Atletico Madrid had spells at the top of the table, Madrid have led the standings all the way since the ninth week of the season.

There have been many crucial steps on the road to glory, but we have narrowed things down to five pivotal matches. 

REAL BETIS 1-6 REAL MADRID (15/10/2016)

Madrid came into October s match away to Betis under pressure having drawn four consecutive matches, three of which had been in the league, while key stars Luka Modric…

Jurgen Klopp has reiterated that Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho is not for sale amid reports Barcelona are targeting the Brazil international.

Coutinho is thought to be high on Barca s wishlist should Paris Saint-Germain prise Neymar from Camp Nou by triggering the player s release clause.

The Catalans have identified Coutinho as a like-for-like replacement but Klopp is not willing to countenance the departure of a player bought by Liverpool from Inter Milan in January 2013.

Speaking ahead of the Audi Cup, which also features hosts Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid and Napoli, Klopp said: He is not available to be sold. The word is NOT. There is nothing to interpret.”

Asked on Liverpool s hopes for the forthcoming season, the German added: We will …

Switzerland international defender Fabian Schar has joined Newcastle United from Deportivo La Coruna for a reported £3million.

The 26-year-old centre-back, who spent just a single season in LaLiga with Deportivo, has signed an initial three-year contract with Rafael Benitez s side.

I m really happy to be here, he told Newcastle s website. The club is a really big club for me. It has a big name, and it is a brilliant chance for me.

I m not like a typical defender. I, of course, defend, but I m quite good with the ball – I like to play, I want to build up the game from behind, and I think that is a strength of mine. I have also scored some headers – that could also be a strength and hopefully I can use it here.

Schar was highly rated as a young play…

Carlos Sanchez acknowledges Colombia face a tough challenge living up to expectations at the 2018 World Cup after flying under the radar four years ago.

After a 16-year absence from the tournament, Colombia reached the last eight for the first time in their history in Brazil.

They topped Group C before seeing off Uruguay at the start of the knockout stages and, while the hosts ended their run in the quarter-finals, Jose Pekerman s squad received plenty of plaudits for their performances.

Fast forward to this year s event in Russia and Colombia are no longer an unknown quantity, increasing the pressure on the players, according to Espanyol midfielder Sanchez.

I think this World Cup won t be the same as the last one, he told the media.

We go…

Rafa Benitez was involved in a number of memorable Merseyside Derbies back in his Liverpool days, but his first at the Everton helm was far from a pleasant experience. Jurgen Klopp s team marauded to victory at Goodison Park on Wednesday evening, with Demarai Gray offering a flicker of hope to the Toffees after Jordan Henderson scored the opener and assisted Mohamed Salah for Liverpool s second, but only to see that hope shatter completely with Salah again and Diogo Jota making sure there were no late surprises in the match.

The result has left Everton in 14th place just five points above the relegation zone. On the other hand, Liverpool don t look like dropping out of the title race any time soon; they are two points behind leaders Chelsea and one behind defending champions Ma…

Ryan Fraser has refused to sign a short-term contract extension which would have enabled him to play out the rest of the season for Bournemouth, the club have .

The winger arrived to Bournemouth from Ipswich Town in 2016, and signed a new contract after a year. With that contract set to expire at the end of this month, his future has been a subject of much speculation in recent months. The Premier League season continues today (Wednesday) after a three-month break, and the Cherries had hoped he would at least agree to remain at the Vitality for the remaining fixtures, which will break into July. Defenders Simon Francis and Charlie Daniels, midfielder Andrew Surman and goalkeeper Artur Boruc have all put their name on the one-month extension, but Fraser declined to do so.

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