Lewandowski finishes Champions League group stage as top scorer

Republic of Ireland boss Martin O Neill hopes Stoke City goalkeeper Shay Given can make the most of an unexpected chance of first-team action before the end of this season.

Veteran stopper Given, who came out of international retirement in 2014 to help guide Ireland to a place at Euro 2016, has not played a competitive match since suffering a knee injury in the qualifying win over world champions Germany last October.

The 39-year-old s club team-mate Jack Butland had his Euro 2016 dream shattered over the weekend when a fractured ankle sustained during England s 3-2 victory against Germany in Munich left him facing around three months on the sidelines.

Jakob Haugaard is expected to make his Stoke debut against Swansea City this weekend as Given continues to build…

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has given Stewart Downing the green light to leave Anfield despite selecting him to start against Aston Villa on Saturday, .

Downing, 28, has been absolutely awful during his time at Liverpool. The England international has made 43 league appearance since his £20 million move from Villa Park to Anfield in July 2011, and has yet to bag a goal or an assist in the Premier League.

The 28-year-old winger has been kept out of the Liverpool starting XI by 18-year-old sensation Raheem Sterling, who has also seemingly leapfrogged the Middlesbrough native in the England team.

The manager has said I can leave if I want to, Downing told the Liverpool matchday programme ahead of the Reds disappointing 3-1 defeat to Villa at Anf…

Ajax manager Frank de Boer has pledged his loyalty to the club despite reported interest from Liverpool.

The Merseyside outfit sacked Kenny Dalglish last week following a disappointing eighth-placed Premier League finish.

And the Dutchman, who is believed to be on the Reds radar after leading the Amsterdam side to two consecutive Eredivisie titles, insists he is not thinking about moving on yet.

I am honoured by the request, but am only just started with Ajax, he told De Telegraaf.

In Amsterdam we re on a new path along with the club and Wim Jonk and Dennis Bergkamp, my colleagues in the technical heart.

That s why I stay loyal to Ajax in the coming years.

De Boer, 42, has been in charge of the Dutch club since December 2010, when he…

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is proud to have shared the Premier League Golden Boot with two fellow African players in Liverpool forwards Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

The trio all finished the league season on 22 goals, with Gabon international Aubameyang and Mane drawing level with Salah by scoring two each in respective wins against Burnley and Wolves on Sunday.

This meant the award was shared between three players for the first time since 1998-99 when Michael Owen, Dwight Yorke and Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hit 18 goals each.

The Golden Boot means a lot. I am really happy and proud of it, he said. I am sharing this trophy with Mane and Salah. I like these two guys.

We are representing Africa, so it is a good sign for the continent. I am r…

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has reacted angrily to questions about his future amid reports the board plan to replace him.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has reacted angrily to questions about his future amid reports the board plan to replace him.

The Italian has come under increased pressure after allowing the gap to rivals Manchester United at the top of the English Premier League table to grow to 12 points.

With the club also exiting the Champions League earlier in the season, speculation has seen several high-profile managers linked with taking over at the Etihad Stadium in the off-season.

Malaga boss Manuel Pellegrini is the latest name to be mentioned but Mancini dismissed the rumours in spectacular fashion and insisted there …

Pedri described playing with Robert Lewandowski as a luxury after both players starred in Barcelona s 6-0 demolition of Pumas UNAM in the Joan Gamper trophy on Sunday.

The Blaugrana ran riot in their traditional Camp Nou curtain-raiser, with goals from Pedri (two), Lewandowski, Ousmane Dembele, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Frenkie de Jong condemning the Mexican side to a crushing loss.

Barca took just 20 minutes to establish a 4-0 lead as Pedri scored twice after laying on new signing Lewandowski s opener, with the Poland striker returning the favour to tee up the skilful midfielder s second strike.

Lewandowski – who scored 50 goals in all competitions during his final season with Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich last term – was named as man of the matc…

Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel feels Andre Schurrle is the perfect replacement for Henrikh Mkhitaryan following the latter s departure to Manchester United.

Mkhitaryan enjoyed an impressive 2015-16 campaign, but BVB opted to cash in on the attacking midfielder following his refusal to sign a contract renewal.

They subsequently turned to Schurrle to fill the void left by the Armenia international and Tuchel has little doubt the 25-year-old will become a key figure after joining from Wolfsburg.

With Mkhitaryan s departure, we have lost a player who can play on the wings and there are not a whole lot of players like him. Schurrle is one of the them, though, Tuchel told Bild.

Players like them do not have an ego, but still contribute a lot of goals.…

Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm believes Borussia Dortmund are favourites to retain their Bundesliga crown.

The titleholders recently stated that their goal for 2012/13 is Champions League qualification rather than the league title, but the Germany international says they are simply being humble.

Dortmund are deliberately acting modest, and let s face it, it s served them well over the last two seasons. I actually talked about this with (Borussia Dortmund president) Reinhard Rauball, the defender was quoted as saying on Bayern s official website.

But I think the club that have won back-to-back titles start as favourites, although there are other title candidates. I have Schalke on my radar for example, they ll be there or thereabouts.

Lahm then we…

The Club World Cup is the most important competition in the world at the moment for Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, despite the German s concession he does not believe the tournament should be taking place in the middle of the European season.

Liverpool face Monterrey in the semi-final on Wednesday, with the schedule of the tournament leading them to field an inexperienced squad for Tuesday s EFL Cup clash with Aston Villa.

A recent article in British newspaper The Daily Mail suggested Liverpool had their priorities in the wrong order, and that the EFL Cup should be given precedence over a competition the Reds are heavy favourites for.

Asked in a media conference whether there is a lack of respect for the Club World Cup in England, Klopp told a media conference: I m …

West Ham co-chairman David Gold has boldly claimed that Michail Antonio is the most exciting player in English football.

The likes of Manchester United recruits Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Paul Pogba are set to vie with Sergio Aguero, Eden Hazard, Riyad Mahrez, Alexis Sanchez and others for the spotlight in what is sure to be another entertaining Premier League campaign.

West Ham themselves boast one of the stars of last season in the form of Dimitri Payet, who proved a huge hit following his move from Marseille in June 2015.

Powerful wide man Antonio, a former Reading and Sheffield Wednesday player, arrived at the Hammers from Nottingham Forest in September last year, catching the eye sporadically with his direct running and physicality as the team finished seventh u…