Niko Kovac has challenged Bayern Munich to match the level of Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund but denied having any interest in poaching their rivals young stars.

Bayern head to Mainz on Saturday ahead of restorative back-to-back wins over Wolfsburg and AEK Athens, Kovac s position having come under scrutiny after they went four games without a win in all competitions heading into the October international break.

The champions slump was made all the more damaging by Dortmund s flying form under Lucien Favre.

After eight games, BVB occupy top spot on 20 points thanks to six wins and pair of draws – three points above nearest rivals Borussia Monchengladbach and Werder Bremen and four better off than Bayern in fourth.

It means the anticipation surroun…

I really like Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino and the style of play his team produces. However, yesterday’s 1-0 defeat at Manchester United maybe sums up why the north London side will not be Premier League champions this season.

Pochettino has built a very impressive team at Tottenham. However, despite challenging for the Premier League title for the last few seasons, there seems to be a lack of confidence in their ability to get the job done.

Never looked like winning at Old Trafford

Watching Tottenham play at Old Trafford, I had the sense that the north London side never really believed that they would record a victory. Granted the absence of star striker Harry Kane no doubt hamstrung their efforts at winning the game.

However, the team from nort…

Eventually breezing past PSG thanks to a 4-1 aggregate win on Tuesday night, reached their first Champions League Final and a meeting against Chelsea for May 29th out in Turkey.

While Pep Guardiola s side might have seen The Blues end their FA Cup adventure at Wembley last month, they re within striking distance of recapturing their Premier League crown and still have a silverware sweep at the top of their agenda.

Although Guardiola might be planning for a domestic meeting against Chelsea at the Etihad this weekend, there remains a string of speculation surrounding the future of some of City s biggest stars this summer.

With it already confirmed that the iconic will be ending his decade-long stay in Manchester, we have taken a look at what could be in store fo…

Villarreal defender Mateo Musacchio is undergoing a medical with AC Milan as he closes in on a move to San Siro.

Milan TV posted footage of the centre-back arriving at La Madonnina clinic and starting his physical tests while wearing club training gear on social media on Monday.

Reports in Italy suggest the Serie A club have agreed a deal that could eventually be worth €18 million to sign Musacchio and plan to give him a four-year contract.

The 26-year-old has been with Villarreal since 2009, when he signed from River Plate.

Exclusive: undergoing his medicals this morning
Esclusiva: le immagini delle visite mediche di Mateo Musacchio  

— AC Milan (@acmilan)

Milan finished the 2016-17 Serie A season sixth, meaning they will play i…

Jack Butland hopes Rabbi Matondo’s terrific Champions League play-off goal against PSV Eindhoven is “a sign of things to come” from the Rangers winger.

The 22-year-old Wales international has been a bit-part player at the Govan club since signing from Schalke in July, 2022.

However, early-season signs of a step-up in impact have been encouraging, none more so than when he came off the bench at Ibrox on Tuesday night with the first leg tied at 1-1, after a strike by Ibrahim Sangare had cancelled out a late first-half goal from Gers attacker Abdallah Sima.

Light Blues midfielder Todd Cantwell began the move which ended with Matondo, drafted into the European squad at the expense of Ianis Hagi, steering in a Cyriel Dessers pass for his first Rangers goal, and …

Christophe Galtier has held talks with Presnel Kimpembe to clarify that the centre-back remains one of Paris Saint-Germain s vice-captains.

Kylian Mbappe wore the captain s armband in Monday s 7-0 Coupe de France win over sixth-tier Pays de Cassel in the absence of regular skipper Marquinhos.

Speaking to reporters after the cup rout, Galtier said Mbappe – who scored five times – deserves to be second captain when Marquinhos is not available.

Kimpembe, who has not played since November due to a heel injury, took to social media on Tuesday to state he had not been previously informed about Galtier s decision.

However, PSG head coach Galtier has since discussed the matter with Kimpembe to dissipate any misunderstanding.

I expressed myself badly …

Monaco set a new Ligue 1 record for consecutive victories with Radamel Falcao securing their 15th in succession via a 1-0 win away to Metz on Friday.

Falcao s classy 78th-minute winner ensured a frustrating night ended on a record-breaking note as Monaco surpassed the 14 straight triumphs accumulated by Bordeaux in 2009.

The champions needed a piece of inspiration from new signing Rachid Ghezzal to unlock Metz s staunch defence as the Algeria international picked out his captain for his fifth goal in three matches.

It appeared as though Kylian Mbappe s absence – which Leonardo Jardim suggested was partially due to him not being in the right frame of mind amid ongoing speculation over his future – would prove costly when substitute Guido Carillo headed aga…

Verdict: Bernardo Silva to have over 0.5 shots on target

Best Odds: 21/20

Bookmaker:

Desperate to make up some ground in the Premier League title chase, Manchester City will welcome Crystal Palace to the Etihad on Saturday afternoon.

Manchester City

Starting with the hosts, managing to mount a crucial comeback away at relegation scrappers Luton last weekend as they eventually avoided what would have been an infamous banana skin, Manchester City will now be desperate to claim some domestic stability. However, despite eventually snatching a 2-1 victory away at Kenilworth Road, Pep Guardiola’s men are without a single win from any of their other previous four Premier League appearances. Opening this weekend’s fixtures sat four points adrift in the tit…

Luciano Spalletti has backed star Napoli pair Victor Osimhen and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to rise to the occasion as they prepare to face Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League last 16.

Osimhen and Kvaratskhelia have been two standout performers for Napoli this season, who boast a 15-point lead in Serie A and coasted through their Champions League group earlier this season.

Ahead of their first leg in Germany against the reigning Europa League holders, Spalletti heaped praise on both, as well as the club s decision-makers who brought them to Naples.

From the point of view of maturity, we can cite Osimhen s reaction to Sassuolo [on Friday] as an example [when he asked to come off after feeling a potential injury], he told reporters. As soon as he realised he ha…

Spain captain Sergio Ramos continued his incredible run of scoring form with another goal in his side s 4-1 win over Faroe Islands in Euro 2020 qualifying on Friday.

Ramos made it six goals in his last seven Spain appearances with a fifth-minute header in what was a routine win in Torshavn.

Jesus Navas then got in on the act and although Klaemint Olsen produced an unlikely response for the hosts, a bizarre own goal from Faroe Islands goalkeeper Teitur Gestsson restored Spain s two-goal lead in the 33rd minute.

Jose Gaya added his name to the scoresheet in the second half as Group F table-toppers Spain made it three wins from as many matches in their bid to reach next year s showpiece event.

122 Sergio Ramos has won 122 games for Spain, more than any other…