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Nadal and Osaka scoop top Laureus Awards as Mahomes and Hamilton are recognised

Tennis dominated the individual honours as Nadal collected a fourth award, named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for the second time.

The Spaniard, who has also previously taken the 2006 Breakthrough Award and the 2014 Comeback Award, was selected after winning the French Open to tie Roger Federer's record of 20 grand slam titles.

Nadal, who said he "can't be happier", added: "Winning the French Open and equalling the 20th grand slam of Roger Federer has been an unforgettable moment.

"It means a lot to equal my great rival, but at the same time, my great friend. It's something very special after all the history we have had together on and off court."

Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Osaka, the 2019 Breakthrough winner, claimed a second US Open triumph while supporting the 'Black Lives Matter' movement.

"I think it is important to use my voice, because, for me, I feel like I often hold back a lot and worry about what people think of me, but you know if you have a platform it is very important you use it," the Japanese superstar said.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes won the Super Bowl last year and played in the big game again earlier in 2021, making him the latest Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award winner.

He and Formula One great Hamilton both joined Osaka in demonstrations against racial inequality.

Two-time Laureus winner Hamilton got his hands on the Athlete Advocate of the Year Award and said: "This past year has been incredibly difficult for so many, but it has also been heartening to see the power of our collective voices spark new conversations and change.

"The impact of each and every one of you who have stood up, is so inspiring, so I want to thank you. Please keep fighting, keep shining your light."

Liverpool's Salah supported a number of causes and led the Reds to Premier League glory, receiving the Laureus Sporting Inspiration Award, but Bayern Munich of the Bundesliga were the World Team of the Year for the second time.

Nadal and Osaka were not the only tennis stars to have their name called, as Billie Jean King took the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nagelsmann denies Bayern talks amid Flick exit announcement

RB Leipzig head coach Nagelsmann was speaking a day after Hansi Flick announced he was set to leave Bayern at the end of the season.

Flick has been strongly tipped to take over as Germany national team coach with current boss Joachim Low stepping down after the rescheduled Euro 2020 tournament.

Nagelsmann is among the leading contenders to succeed Flick at the Allianz Arena with former Bayern and Germany international Lothar Matthaus indicating he was a shoo-in for the job.

The 33-year-old has won 52, drawn 21 and lost 15 of his 88 matches in charge of Leipzig with a win percentage of 59.09.

But he has again stressed no discussions between himself and Bayern have taken place.

"There is simply nothing I can report," Nagelsmann told a media conference on Sunday ahead of Leipzig's Bundesliga clash with Cologne.

"I think it's totally wrong to then sit down and say what if, and maybe get yourself talked about somewhere and make yourself important on things that aren't there.

"I can't sit down and say, I'm going to break up with Lena Gercke [German model] tomorrow, because I've never dated her, for example.

"I'm sorry to say that there are no new developments compared to the last press conference. The same things apply that I said there.

"There are and were no discussions and no offer. That's why I don't know what Bayern's wish is. I have said I don't want to start a war with my employers - that's still the case."

Nagelsmann not planning to leave RB Leipzig: There were and are no talks with Bayern

Hansi Flick has been hugely successful since taking charge at Bayern, but a strained relationship with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic has led to speculation over his future beyond the current campaign.

Amid links to the upcoming vacancy with the Germany national team, Flick cryptically said after the Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday: "I have a contract with Bayern but you always have thoughts about how the future looks and if everything is working wonderfully here."

Lothar Matthaus claimed while working for Sky Deutschland's coverage of the Champions League second leg that Bayern had already "talked a bit" to Nagelsmann about taking over, should Flick leave his current post.

However, speaking to the media on Wednesday, the Leipzig boss denied having held any such conversations with the reigning Bundesliga champions.

"There were and are no talks with Bayern. I have no idea where Lothar got this information from. This of course also applies to my advisors, there were also no talks," Nagelsmann said.

"I have not spoken to the club because there will be nothing to discuss. I still have a contract with RB until 2023."

Nagelsmann was speaking to preview second-placed Leipzig’s home game against his former employers Hoffenheim on Friday.

The game offers the hosts a chance to increase the pressure on table-topping Bayern in the title race; the gap stands at five points with six games to play in the season.

"We still need eight points for this to be the most successful season in the club’s history," Nagelsmann said ahead of the run-in.

"We have to win our games – it is that simple. We are focusing only on ourselves in order to get as many points as we can. Then we will see whether Bayern stumble or not. Normally, it wouldn't happen.

"If we finish in second then it was still an outstanding season. 

"We still have room to develop as a team and we have had a really consistent season even though we have so many young players in our ranks. We have been good, you've seen that already. If we can now go from good to great then we would be more than happy."

Nagelsmann on links to Barcelona and Bayern: It doesn't have any relevance for me

Nagelsmann has been rumoured as a possible replacement for Hansi Flick at Bundesliga rivals Bayern at the end of the season, while a report in Spain suggested new Barca president Joan Laporta wants him to take over from Ronald Koeman at Camp Nou.

However, the 33-year-old has made clear his indifference to such stories as he remains under contract with his current employers until the end of the 2022-23 campaign.

Leipzig were knocked out of the Champions League by Liverpool in midweek but remain in contention for the title in Germany, sitting just two points behind reigning champions Bayern after 24 games.

"I have a contract until 2023. It would be a bit much to say that it annoys me - I know how professional football works," Nagelsmann told the media ahead of Sunday's game with Eintracht Frankfurt.

"Apparently, I would've joined Tottenham, Real Madrid or Barcelona by now.

"There are great coaches at all of these clubs and they have a contract, just as I do. It is not annoying me, nor is it flattering me. It doesn't have any relevance for me. I'm only concentrating on [the game against] Eintracht Frankfurt, where we have to do a lot already.

"No matter what coaches you are talking about, whether it is Bayern or Barcelona, it would be disrespectful to talk about these clubs. It would be disrespectful, as all of those coaches are very successful and have a contract as well.

"From my perspective, it is a topic in the media. I understand that it is interesting, primarily for the fans, so I'm not upset. Neither am I saying that the question is disrespectful. All I'm saying is, that it would be disrespectful for me to talk about these topics."

Rather than be concerned over talk about his next move, Nagelsmann is focusing on making sure Leipzig collect maximum points from their two Bundesliga games before this month's international break.

After hosting fourth-placed Frankfurt, they travel to relegation-threatened Arminia Bielefeld next Friday.

"I have enough to do by analysing the game against Liverpool and by preparing the game on Sunday and next Friday. We want to get the six points before the international break," Nagelsmann said.

"Afterwards, we have to start preparing the upcoming games perfectly, to stay at the top for as long as possible."

Nagelsmann on Rudiger to Bayern rumours: I'll have to see if I have any money in my wallet!

The Bundesliga champions are rumoured to be among a number of clubs, including Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid, keeping a close eye on the Germany international.

Rudiger is into the final year of his Chelsea contract and will therefore be able to sign a pre-contract agreement with foreign clubs from January unless fresh terms are agreed.

According to reports that emerged on Thursday, Bayern have already been in contact with Rudiger's agent about an end-of-season switch to the Allianz Arena.

But Nagelsmann was unwilling to discuss his side's supposed interest in Rudiger any further during Thursday's news conference previewing the trip to Greuther Furth.

"I'm not talking about players from other clubs, particularly outside of the transfer window," he said. "But I will speak of him as a football fan: He has developed very well.

"Thomas Tuchel has coached him well. Before he was sidelined at Chelsea but now he is a crucial player. I can't saying anything else.

"Believe it or not, I haven't spoken to Brazzo [sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic] about it yet. Even if I had, I wouldn't give that away. 

"I have to see how long he still has to go on his contract. Then I will see if I have any money in my wallet."

Rudiger's importance to Chelsea since Tuchel took charge on January 26 is reflected in the statistics.

The 28-year-old has helped the Blues to 20 clean sheets in 32 matches in all competitions across that period – the most of any player in Europe's top five leagues.

Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta are next on the list with 15 each, highlighting Chelsea's defensive solidity under Tuchel.

Rudiger has played seven times this season and has won 0.55 tackles per 90 minutes, compared to 0.76 for Niklas Sule, 0.88 for Lucas Hernandez and 1.64 for Dayot Upamecano among Bayern's regular centre-backs.

The German's 73.77 touches per 90 minutes and 56.86 successful passes is also fewer than each of Sule, Hernandez and Upamecano have managed, albeit in different competitions.

Sule and recent acquisition Upamecano have been Bayern's most regular pairing at centre-back this term and may get the nod for Friday's trip to Trolli-Arena. 

Bayern enter the game on a seven-match winning run in all competitions, scoring 37 goals across that spell, and have lost only one of their last 48 league games against promoted opposition.

Nagelsmann has Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala back in contention following recent lay-offs, but he will not take any risks over the fitness of the attacking pair.

"The good news is that Gnabry and Musiala have both been able to return to training, with Hernandez also taking part today," Nagelsmann said.

"Serge and Jamal are both looking good and ready to play. But we have to wait and see what happens tomorrow.

"Both of their conditions could cause a reaction after training, so we have to wait and see how sensible it is to field them from the start. We also have a Champions League game coming up next week.

"Looking at today's training session alone, I'd say that both players can start tomorrow. But the probability they will both start is very low."

Nagelsmann shrugs off Bayern fan taunts

In his first game at the Allianz Arena a pocket of fans among the 8,500 crowd taunted Nagelsmann about his connections to Bayern's arch rivals 1860 Munich.

The 34-year-old, who was appointed Bayern's head coach in April having been a boyhood fan of the club, played for 1860's youth teams and was later involved with coaching their youngsters.

"Not everyone has to applaud that I was with the city rivals," he told a media conference after Bayern's 2-2 draw with Ajax.

"I know the rivalries in the city and in football, but I'm not very fond of rivalries. 

"I stand for tolerance. You cannot make everyone happy in life."

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Tanguy Nianzou were on target for Bayern in the draw.

Nagelsmann acknowledged Bayern would have to be innovative in the transfer market rather than spending big money on players ahead of the start of the Bundesliga next month.

"We have differences with other countries," he added.

"It's true that other clubs have more money available for transfers. With or without the pandemic, we're not ready to pay such fees. 

"We'll try to remain competitive with creative solutions."

Nagelsmann told us Bayern job is his lifelong dream – Leipzig chief explains coach's exit

Mintzlaff revealed the decision to sanction Nagelsmann's departure took place after open and honest talks with the highly rated 33-year-old, who is nearing the end of his second season with Leipzig.

Leipzig head coach Nagelsmann is to become the new Bayern boss and has agreed a five-year contract beginning on July 1, both clubs confirmed on Tuesday.

Nagelsmann said he is leaving RB Leipzig for "a unique opportunity" at Bayern with "a heavy heart" but vowed he would give everything to finish on a high.

Discussing the announcement, Mintzlaff said: "There has been a lot of activity over the past few days regarding the role as head coach of FC Bayern Munich.

"Following this, Julian Nagelsmann approached us and expressed in open talks that it is a lifelong dream of his to become coach of FC Bayern, and that he would like to make the move to Munich if the opportunity presented itself after the end of this season.

"Julian has taken a fantastic path in Leipzig and developed the club very successfully.

"He has not only improved individual players but has also taken the team as a collective to the next level.

"We signed a long-term contract that did not originally include an exit scenario.

"However, Julian's strong desire to coach FC Bayern has led us to the decision that the door is open after intensive talks, provided certain prerequisites are met."

Following reports on Monday that Bayern and Nagelsmann had quickly agreed terms, a fee to release him from his RB Leipzig contract was said to be proving a sticking point.

An agreement has been now reached between the clubs that will reportedly make Nagelsmann the world's most expensive head coach.

The Athletic indicated Bayern will pay around €20million, while further reports suggest add-ons could take the total closer to €25m.

Mintzlaff confirmed the club had met their financial target during talks with Bayern.

He added: "In the negotiations with FC Bayern representatives, we have been successful in obtaining our financial goals.

"Now we have to tackle the remaining games of this season with Julian and his team so that we can make this the most successful campaign in our club's history." 

Bayern, who are on the verge of a ninth successive Bundesliga title, have agreed to terminate the contract of Hansi Flick, who informed the club he did not want to stay in charge beyond this season.

Nagelsmann has Leipzig on the brink of sealing second place in the Bundesliga, which would be their best finish.

There also remains a chance he will guide the club to their first major silverware, with Bayern already out of the DFB-Pokal ahead of Leipzig's semi-final against Werder Bremen on Friday.

The 33-year-old finished third in the top flight and reached the Champions League semi-finals with Leipzig last season – his first after joining from Hoffenheim.

But he revealed his new job was too difficult to turn down. As a boyhood Bayern fan from the Bavarian town of Landsberg am Lech, the Allianz Arena has long been touted as his dream destination.

Leipzig added that a statement regarding the successor to Nagelsmann would be made "soon".

Neuer happy for milestone-man Muller – and his 'weird' celebrations

Robert Lewandowski's long goalscoring streak ended at 15 consecutive Bundesliga games – one short of Gerd Muller's record – but the champions moved three points clear of Wolfsburg.

That is now 40 goals in their past eight matches for ruthless Bayern, who led 2-0 courtesy of great finishes from Muller and Kimmich at half-time.

Benjamin Pavard was given his marching orders for a professional foul on Jeremy Dudziak early in the second half, but a Sebastian Griesbeck own goal extended their lead.

Cedric Itten's header in the closing stages was too little, too late for bottom side Furth in the Bavarian derby at Sportpark Ronhof on Friday.

Muller, who also scored the opener in recent victories over Barcelona and Hertha Berlin, is now on 218 goals for Bayern, one more than Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Neuer was delighted for his long-time team-mate, although he joked the forward could be summoned to a meeting with the former Bayern CEO after taking his place in the all-time list.

"He doesn't get tired and has been around for a long time," Neuer said, as per Bayern's website.

"I've accompanied him for long stretches of this time, and I'm always happy about every one of Thomas' goals and celebrations, which sometimes look a bit weird with him.

"I'm especially happy for him personally, because we've been playing together for a long time, but I think he'll have to report to Kalle [Rummenigge] today."

Bayern, who next face Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League on Wednesday, have started the season with eight consecutive victories under coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Neuer himself added: "It looks quite good. We scored three goals and showed a good attitude. In the first half, we didn't make enough of it when we had space. We wasted a lot of chances. That's annoying.

"Despite being a man down, we made it 3-0, which gives you a good feeling. Then we got in between the lines better, but sometimes we were too sloppy.

"It's nitpicking really, but we can still play more flowing football. We're happy with how it's going, but we always have to take the next step and improve."

Opta Woah! The best goalkeeping stats for Europe's top five leagues in 2019-20

Players have had plenty of time to analyse their performances this season and we have previously used Opta data to examine some of the best attacking, passing and defending numbers from 2019-20.

Now it is the turn of the continent's top goalkeepers.

We have analysed five metrics for shot stoppers who have featured in at least 10 league games this season, thereby giving us a good summary of those who have led the way between the sticks.

The metrics include fewest goals conceded, best save percentage, fewest drops, the increasingly important passing accuracy and best keeper sweeper accuracy.

There are some familiar names, but also others you might not be expecting...
 

THE BEST GOALKEEPING STATS IN EUROPE'S TOP-FIVE LEAGUES 2019-20:

BUNDESLIGA:

Fewest goals conceded: Alexander Schwolow (20)
Best save percentage: Yann Sommer (74.58 per cent)
Fewest drops: Timo Horn, Lukas Hradecky and Manuel Neuer(all zero from 25 games)
Best passing accuracy: Manuel Neuer (87.69 per cent)
Best keeper sweeper accuracy: Timo Horn, Yann Sommer, Rafal Gikiewicz and Lukas Hradecky(all 100 per cent from 25 games)

LALIGA:

Fewest goals conceded: Ruben Martinez (14)
Best save percentage: Aitor Fernandez (75.61 per cent)
Fewest drops: Manolo Reina (zero in 26 games)
Best passing accuracy: Marc-Andre ter Stegen (85.55 per cent)
Best keeper sweeper accuracy: David Soria and Aitor Fernandez (both 100 per cent from 27 games)

LIGUE 1:

Fewest goals conceded: Runar Alex Runarsson (17)
Best save percentage: Predrag Rajkovic (79.07 per cent)
Fewest drops: Benoit Costil (zero in 28 games)
Best passing accuracy: Keylor Navas (84.55 per cent)
Best keeper sweeper accuracy: Benoit Costil, Mike Maignan, Regis Gurtner and Benjamin Lecomte (all 100 per cent from 28 games played) 

PREMIER LEAGUE:

Fewest goals conceded: Adrian (10)
Best save percentage: Alisson (80.36 per cent)
Fewest drops: Martin Dubravka and Kasper Schmeichel (both zero in 29 games)
Best passing accuracy: Ederson (86.57 per cent)
Best keeper sweeper accuracy: Jordan Pickford, Rui Patricio, David de Gea and Mat Ryan (all 100 per cent from 29 games played)

SERIE A:

Fewest goals conceded: David Ospina (13)
Best save percentage: Wojciech Szczesny (79.76 per cent)
Fewest drops: Thomas Strakosha(zero in 26 games)
Best passing accuracy: David Ospina (87.07 per cent)
Best keeper sweeper accuracy: Bartlomiej Dragowski and Thomas Strakosha(both 100 per cent from 26 games)

AND THE TOP FIVE:

Fewest goals conceded: Adrian(10)
Best save percentage: Alisson (80.36 per cent)
Fewest drops: Martin Dubravka and Kasper Schmeichel (both zero in 29 games)
Best passing accuracy: Manuel Neuer  (87.69 per cent)
Best keeper sweeper accuracy: Jordan Pickford, Rui Patricio, David de Gea and Mat Ryan (all 100 per cent from 29 games played)

Opta Woah! The top playmakers across Europe's top-five leagues in 2019-20

Our latest dive into the data of 2019-20 sees us look at the best playmakers in Europe's top-five leagues before the season was called to a halt.

We've deliberately broadened our approach to what constitutes a playmaker here – Gerard Pique doesn't often appear as a number 10, unless Barca are in real trouble – as the idea is to offer a wider consideration of those players who generally use the ball better than most when in possession.

To that end, we've looked at 12 different metrics to come up with the top performers of the campaign, again from among those to make at least 10 league appearances.

While some stars are not exactly strange to see in the list below, there is a handful of more surprising names, too...

THE TOP PLAYMAKERS IN EUROPE'S TOP-FIVE LEAGUES 2019-20:

BUNDESLIGA:

Most successful passes: Sven Bender (1,766)
Highest passing accuracy: Axel Witsel(94.1 per cent)
Most successful passes, opposition half: Joshua Kimmich (873)
Highest passing accuracy, opposition half: Axel Witsel (92.2)
Most passes ending in final third: Jadon Sancho (576)
Highest passing accuracy ending in final third: Axel Witsel(88.4 per cent)
Most chances created: Christopher Nkunku(65)
Most big chances created: Thomas Muller (24)
Most assists: Thomas Muller (16)
Most assists from open play: Thomas Muller(15)
Most crosses/corners successful: Filip Kostic (71)
Highest crosses/corners accuracy (min. 10): Dennis Geiger (50 per cent)

LALIGA:

Most successful passes: Gerard Pique (1,688)
Highest passing accuracy: Toni Kroos (93.6 per cent)
Most successful passes, opposition half: Sergio Busquets (957)
Highest passing accuracy, opposition half: Toni Kroos (92.4)
Most passes ending in final third: Lionel Messi(698)
Highest passing accuracy ending in final third: Toni Kroos (90.3)
Most chances created: Jose Campana (58)
Most big chances created: Lionel Messi(22)
Most assists: Lionel Messi (12)
Most assists from open play: Portu and Lionel Messi (8)
Most crosses/corners successful: Jesus Navas(43)
Highest crosses/corners accuracy (min. 10): Benat (55 per cent)

LIGUE 1:

Most successful passes: Marco Verratti (1,581)
Highest passing accuracy: Thiago Silva (95.5 per cent)
Most successful passes, opposition half: Marco Verratti (956)
Highest passing accuracy, opposition half: Thiago Silva (92.8 per cent)
Most passes ending in final third: Angel Di Maria (543)
Highest passing accuracy ending in final third: Colin Dagba (86 per cent)
Most chances created: Dimitri Payet(87)
Most big chances created: Angel Di Maria(31)
Most assists: Angel Di Maria (14)
Most assists from open play: Angel Di Maria (10)
Most crosses/corners successful: Dimitri Payet(63)
Highest crosses/corners accuracy (min. 10): Marco Verratti(54.6 per cent)

PREMIER LEAGUE:

Most successful passes: Virgil van Dijk(2,209)
Highest passing accuracy: John Stones (94 per cent)
Most successful passes, opposition half: Rodri(1,069)
Highest passing accuracy, opposition half: John Stones (93.9 per cent)
Most passes ending in final third: Kevin De Bruyne(740)
Highest passing accuracy ending in final third: Ibrahim Amadou (93.3 per cent)
Most chances created: Kevin De Bruyne (96)
Most big chances created: Kevin De Bruyne (23)
Most assists: Kevin De Bruyne (16)
Most assists from open play: Kevin De Bruyne (14)
Most crosses/corners successful: Kevin De Bruyne (69)
Highest crosses/corners accuracy (min. 10): Christian Atsu (47.1 per cent)

SERIE A:

Most successful passes: Fabian Ruiz (1,488)
Highest passing accuracy: Marlon Santos (94.1 per cent)
Most successful passes, opposition half: Fabian Ruiz(932)
Passing accuracy, opposition half: Eljif Elmas (91.5 per cent)
Most passes ending in final third: Luis Alberto (723)
Highest passing accuracy ending in final third: Walace (89.7 per cent)
Most chances created: Luis Alberto (75)
Most big chances created: Luis Alberto (16)
Most assists: Luis Alberto (12)
Most assists from open play: Luis Albertoand Alejandro Gomez (9)
Most crosses/corners successful: Erick Pulgar (46)
Highest crosses/corners accuracy (min. 10): Armando Izzo(54.6 per cent)

AND THE TOP 12:

Most successful passes: Virgil van Dijk (2,209)
Highest passing accuracy: Thiago Silva (95.5 per cent)
Most successful passes, opposition half: Rodri (1,069)
Passing accuracy, opposition half: John Stones (93.9 per cent)
Most passes ending in final third: Kevin De Bruyne (740)
Highest passing accuracy ending in final third: Ibrahim Amadou (93.3 per cent)
Most chances created: Kevin De Bruyne (96)
Most big chances created: Angel Di Maria (31)
Most assists: Thomas Mullerand Kevin De Bruyne (16)
Most assists from open play: Thomas Muller (15)
Most crosses/corners successful: Filip Kostic(71)
Highest crosses/corners accuracy (min. 10): Benat (55 per cent)

Pele dies: Real Madrid and Barcelona among clubs to pay tribute to Brazil icon

The former Selecao star, widely considered one of the greatest to ever play the game, passed away on Thursday following a battle with colon cancer.

Pele's status as one of football's most recognised figures has drawn the sport together in mourning, with clubs across the globe honouring the late forward.

LaLiga and Champions League holders Real Madrid offered their condolences to the player's family, while paying tribute to the legacy he leaves behind.

"The legend of Pele will remain forever in the memory of all those who love this sport and his legacy makes him one of the great myths of world football," Los Blancos issued in a statement.

Fellow Spanish giants Barcelona said the Brazilian "made football greater than ever", while last season's Champions League finalists Liverpool called him an "icon" of football.

Several teams paid tribute to Pele with statements incorporating some of the game's other greats, such as Benfica, who posted a picture of him alongside late Portugal star Eusebio.

West Ham included former England captain Bobby Moore in their image after their famous battle at the 1970 World Cup, while Ajax featured Johan Cruyff, another of the game's great players, alongside the Brazilian.

Premier League trio Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City recalled their memories of Pele, with the Gunners reflecting on his visit for an encounter over four decades ago following his retirement.

Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich paid tribute to "one of the all-time greats" while Serie A champions Milan also offered condolences.

CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, also issued a tribute to the late star, saying: "Thank you for putting South America on top."

Predicting Europe's big five leagues: what Stats Perform's supercomputer says

Everything is still to be decided – technically speaking. Title races, European qualification, relegation – all will come to a head over the next two months.

Of course, there are a few outcomes that already look like foregone conclusions, but there's still much to play for in each of the top five leagues.

With club football returning over the next few days, Stats Perform's Artificial Intelligence team have crunched the numbers using their supercomputer to predict the outcome of each league.

How's the outlook for your team?

Premier League

England is the scene of potentially most compelling title race among the top five leagues this season.

Arsenal may have an eight-point lead at the summit, but Manchester City still have a game in hand. As such, the Gunners' chances of winning a first league title since 2004 are 56.2 per cent, perhaps smaller than many might have expected.

That comes down in part to the statistical value attached to City's historic results, particularly over the past few years during their Premier League domination, whereas Arsenal haven't come close to that level of success over the same period.

Therefore, the title race still looks tight.

A little further back, Manchester United (74.5 per cent) are near-certainties to finish third, while the race for fourth promises to be engrossing – Tottenham (19.3 per cent), Newcastle United (29.1 per cent) and Liverpool (24.5 per cent) look set to tussle it out, with Brighton and Hove Albion (10.7 per cent) considered rank outsiders.

At the bottom, Southampton's 41.6 per cent likelihood of finishing 20th suggests they've a huge battle on their hands, but the supercomputer reckons West Ham and Leicester City have enough to pull themselves clear of the drop zone.

The signs are that two of Bournemouth, Everton and Nottingham Forest will join Saints in the Championship.

Bundesliga

Germany's top flight may come to rival the Premier League's title race. Ahead of the weekend's Klassiker between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, BVB are a point clear.

Yet, Dortmund's probability of finishing top is just 22.4 per cent compared to Bayern's 76.4. Again, it largely comes down to their historic results and Die Roten's dominance suggesting they'll eventually get the job done.

But it's fair to say Bayern's decision makers aren't so confident given their brutal choice to sack Julian Nagelsmann on Friday, replacing him with former Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel.

Union Berlin aren't out of it given they are only five points behind Dortmund, though this is obviously uncharted territory for them, hence the 0.9 per cent chance of winning their first top-flight title since 1923.

Third looks the best bet for them (40.3 per cent), while RB Leipzig are the most likely to fill out the top four (37.2 per cent).

It's even tighter in the relegation scrap. Only seven points separate 18th from 13th, so even rock-bottom Stuttgart are given a reasonable chance of finishing 14th (10.6 per cent) or 15th (15.2 per cent).

LaLiga

Following Barcelona's dramatic 2-1 win in El Clasico before the international break, LaLiga looks done and dusted at the top with the Blaugrana 12 points clear.

The supercomputer also reckons Atletico Madrid are nearly guaranteed third (80.3 per cent), leaving what is effectively a two-horse race for fourth.

Real Sociedad have fourth at the moment and are 43.7 per cent likely to finish there, though Real Betis (36.7 per cent) aim to push them all the way.

At the other end, Elche are given no more than a 0.1 per cent chance of getting out of the bottom three after taking just 13 points from 26 games.

Otherwise, relegation is difficult to call. Almeria in 19th are only six points behind Real Mallorca in 11th, meaning there are a host of clubs who could yet get dragged into a fight for their lives.

There are two particularly big names among those potentially in trouble. Valencia are in the bottom three and have a 21.9 per cent chance of being relegated, while Sevilla – who are on their third coach of the season after sacking Jorge Sampaoli – are only two points clear of safety.

The computer says Man Utd's next Europa League opponents only have a 5.8 per cent probability of going down, however.

Ligue 1

Paris Saint-Germain seemingly have little to worry about in Ligue 1, with the supercomputer calculating their title chances at 98 per cent.

The tiny hint of doubt gives Marseille (1.8 per cent) and Lens (0.2 per cent) a bit of hope – but even then, it's presumably nothing more than a pipe dream.

There is a similar degree of certainty at the bottom, where four teams will be relegated ahead of the league's size being reduced to 18 clubs next term.

Angers, with 10 points from 28 games, cannot get out of the bottom four according to the calculations, and the other three positions are currently taken up by Ajaccio, Troyes and Auxerre.

Brest and Strasbourg aren't out of the woods yet either, though the supercomputer believes those in the relegation zone are the ones most likely to drop into Ligue 2.

Serie A

If there's one league in Europe that's got a foregone conclusion at the top, it's Serie A.

Napoli have more than a 99.9 per cent chance of winning a first Scudetto since 1990, with the unrelenting Partenopei a whopping 19 points clear of second already.

The race for Champions League qualification promises to be a little more tense.

Eleven points is the gap between Lazio in second and Juventus in seventh. While the Bianconeri are very much outsiders, the other five teams have at least a 15 per cent chance of finishing in the top four.

Lazio, Inter and Milan appear to be the most likely to take those spots, though Roma and Atalanta will fancy their chances of putting a cat among the pigeons.

In the relegation fight, there's a rather clearer picture.

Cremonese and Sampdoria look doomed, while Hellas Verona in 18th are five points adrift of safety, giving them just an 18.8 per cent probability of avoiding relegation.

PSG not motivated by Champions League revenge against Bayern, says Pochettino

Bayern beat PSG 1-0 in last season's final, Paris-born Kingsley Coman getting the only goal in Lisbon.

Since then Pochettino has succeeded Thomas Tuchel as head coach of the capital club and, as such, he views Wednesday's quarter-final first-leg encounter at the Allianz Arena with a certain level of detachment.

"No, it's not a benchmark match for us," Pochettino told a pre-match news conference. "We weren't there with my staff, we were just spectators. In addition, it's over two matches that it's going to be played, the context is different.

"Sporting revenge still exists, but for us it's more of a challenge to beat such a strong team, maybe the best in the world."

Even their most ardent supporters would struggle to apply such a label to PSG at present after a 1-0 weekend loss to leaders Lille left them facing an uphill battle to retain their Ligue 1 title.

Neymar, sent off during that frustrating Parc des Princes encounter, is available to line up alongside Kylian Mbappe once more and the star forwards will hope to exploit Bayern's high line to a greater extent than they managed in last August's showpiece.

PSG's capacity to create for Neymar and Mbappe will be compromised by Marco Verratti's absence after the Italy midfielder returned a second postiive COVID-19 test this season.

"Each team has its characteristics, Bayern are a well-organised team with a high defensive line," Pochettino said.

"Their attacking players can throw opponents off balance and make a difference. It's up to us to make sure we don't lose the ball in dangerous areas."

Bayern's forward line will lack their injured talisman Robert Lewandowski, while Serge Gnabry is also set to miss the tie after testing positive for coronavirus.

There will still be plenty of problems to nullify for Marquinhos and his defensive colleagues, although the PSG captain aligned himself with Pochettino despite having experienced the heartbreak in Lisbon first hand.

"There is no revenge compared to last season, it is another context, each game has its story," he said.

"If some people want to use that to motivate them, why not?

"The finals are played on small details, you have to take the few chances you have. Tomorrow it will be the same.

"They too know that they will have to take their chances. Everyone is aware that it will be played on details."

Rakitic highlights Neuer brilliance as Bayern beat Sevilla in Super Cup

Europa League holders Sevilla led through Lucas Ocampos' penalty in Budapest but were pegged back before half-time through Leon Goretzka's leveller on Thursday.

Sevilla proved obdurate opponents in the second period, though, and substitute Youssef En-Nesyri came close to ending Bayern's 22-game winning run when put through in the 87th minute, only for Neuer to turn his effort behind.

The Germany international made an even better save for the Champions League winners when he flicked a right foot out to divert En-Nesyri's attempt onto the post at the start of extra time, but the Sevilla forward did appear offside.

Bayern substitute Javi Martinez then scored a 104th-minute winner to leave Sevilla midfielder Rakitic lauding the display of Neuer.

"It's disappointing but that's football," the former Barcelona star told Sky Germany.

"We saw tonight how important Neuer is for them. We had two great chances to go ahead but he stopped them. Then we gave away a silly corner and they scored.

"Nevertheless, we can be proud of how we played against the best team in Europe and we feel well prepared for the league season."

Sevilla had been unbeaten since February and certainly performed better than the last LaLiga side that faced Bayern, who thrashed Rakitic's old club Barcelona 8-2 in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Julen Lopetegui's men begin their domestic season on Sunday against newly promoted Cadiz in LaLiga and Sevilla captain Jesus Navas wants them to quickly put this defeat behind them.

"It was a really even game and in the end it was them who were able to score the winner, but we had our chances," he said.

"We had chances and didn't take them. We need to bounce back and carry on."

Joan Jordan thought Sevilla could take heart from the display, though.

"We should be proud," the midfielder claimed. "We played a great game and we could've won. Little details decide these things and it wasn't our day. We fought until the end to win this trophy for Sevilla."

Reyna, Richards and De la Fuente in youthful USMNT squad

USA boss Gregg Berhalter on Tuesday named a 24-man squad for this month's friendlies against Wales and Panama consisting solely of players based abroad as MLS gears up for the playoffs.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Reyna, Bayern Munich defender Richards and Barcelona youngster De la Fuente were among 10 uncapped players in the group, which has an average age of just 21 years and 300 days, and only six players with more than 17 caps.

Berhalter said: "We are excited about getting this group back together. I'm proud of the way the players have handled the challenging times – they really stuck together.

"We have built a solid foundation, and now we get a chance to continue our work together ahead of what is going to be a critical 12 months for our team."

Reyna has two goals and four assists – three of which came in a 4-0 win over Freiburg last month – in nine appearances in all competitions for Dortmund this season. He will be hoping to become the 12th player to earn a USA cap before turning 18 years old.

Richards, 18, has featured three times for Bayern in all competitions and set up Robert Lewandowski's second goal in the 4-3 triumph over Hertha Berlin on October 4.

De la Fuente is yet to make his first senior appearance for Barcelona but the 19-year-old has been named on the bench for three LaLiga matches this season.

The USA will take on Wales in Swansea on November 12 before travelling to Austria for a meeting with Panama.

England youth international Yunus Musah, 17, has also been handed a chance to take his first steps in the senior arena by Berhalter.

United States squad:

Ethan Horvath (Club Brugge, Chituru Odunze (Leicester City), Zack Steffen (Manchester City); John Brooks (Wolfsburg), Reggie Cannon (Boavista), Sergino Dest (Barcelona), Matt Miazga (Anderlecht), Tim Ream (Fulham), Chris Richards (Bayern Munich), Antonee Robinson (Fulham); Tyler Adams (RB Leipzig), Johnny Cardoso (Internacional), Richard Ledezma (PSV), Weston McKennie (Juventus), Yunus Musah (Valencia), Owen Otasowie (Wolves); Konrad de la Fuente (Barcelona), Nicholas Gioacchini (Caen), Christian Pulisic (Chelsea), Uly Llanez (Heerenveen), Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund), Josh Sargent (Werder Bremen), Sebastian Soto (Telstar), Timothy Weah (Lille).

Ribery reduced to tears after French great is denied farewell on his own terms

At the age of 39, Ribery hoped to play a full campaign with Salernitana in Serie A this season, and he was counting on being able to go out on his own terms.

Instead, a knee problem that first surfaced in July has finished off his playing career, with the Bayern Munich and France great admitting he has been reduced to tears this week.

He said he was not "really prepared" for the moment of calling time on his playing days, and explained that three months ago he was feeling healthy, only for problems to then begin.

Ribery featured in Salernitana's Serie A opener against Roma but conceded he "played in pain".

Speaking to Gazzetta dello Sport, Ribery said: "I'm not a fragile person, but for the next three days I couldn't move. The doctors said the situation was very serious.

"I tried to recover. I couldn't believe I was forced to stop. I wanted to choose when I would say enough. But my football career is over."

He was shown a video celebrating his career.

"And I cried," Ribery said. "I have a sensitivity, a heart. I knew this day would come, but this is bad. It all happened very quickly. Too much. And it hurts me."

On Saturday, he took an emotional bow before Salernitana's game against Spezia, appearing in full kit on the pitch to take applause from the crowd. This, too, was a tearful moment, as he had envisaged it being.

Ribery won 81 caps for France and played in the 2006 World Cup final, while at club level his greatest successes came at Bayern Munich, where he helped the German giants win nine Bundesliga titles in 12 years, as well as six DFB-Pokals, one Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and a Club World Cup.

In his time witht the Bavarian giants, Ribery made 273 Bundesliga appearances, recording 86 goals and 92 assists.

It was back to Bavaria that Ribery went recently in a last-ditch bid to extend his career.

"Less than a month ago I went to Munich for a consultation," Ribery said. "I thought: maybe a solution is found. Instead, I will have to be operated on, but only to be able to lead a normal life."

He thanked Salernitana for their support, after being promised another role within the club – "any other role I wanted" – and spoke of what he felt his legacy would be.

"My style of play, my mentality, my hunger," Ribery said. "I am someone who came from the street, and perhaps today there are not many who like me have the dribbling, the spark, the fantasy. I can't say I was the best, but I was certainly different."

Robben, Marquez, Larsson and the stars who went back to retire at their first club

Robben, 36, brought an illustrious playing career to an end last July shortly after his 10-year spell with Bayern came to an end.

Although at the time he was linked with a potential return to the team that gave him his professional debut, Robben - who suffered with numerous injury problems throughout his career - opted to retire.

But now he looks set to return, not only to top-tier football, but at the place where it all began.

In honour of Robben's return to his first club, we identified some other high-profile players who went to finish their careers back home.

Juan Roman Riquelme - Argentinos Juniors

Perhaps more synonymous with Boca Juniors, where he made his professional debut and also spent most of his final years, Riquelme also had a strong affinity with Argentinos Juniors. He came through the club's academy in the early-to-mid 1990s, before then finishing his immense career at Estadio Diego Maradona in 2014, having also played for Barcelona, Villarreal and Argentina. Although the iconic attacking midfielder appeared close to joining Paraguay's Cerro Porteno the following year, the move never materialised.

Dirk Kuyt - Quick Boys

Kuyt briefly came out of retirement two years ago to help Quick Boys, with whom he spent 13 years as a youth. Playing in the Derde Divisie Saturday league, Kuyt was already working as assistant at the time, but made himself available for selection during a striker shortage and he made three appearances. The former Netherlands and Liverpool forward had retired the year before following a second spell with Feyenoord, where he had made his initial breakthrough in the mid-2000s, his form at the time earning a move to Anfield.

Rafael Marquez - Atlas

One of Mexico's greatest players, Marquez's longevity at such a high level was nothing short of incredible, as he accumulated 147 international caps. After breaking into the Atlas team as a teenager having come through their academy, the elegant centre-back enjoyed a sparkling career in Europe, winning 14 titles across spells with Monaco and Barcelona. Time with New York Red Bulls, Leon and Hellas Verona followed, before a final two-year stint back at the Jalisco ended in 2018. Although plagued by off-field allegations towards the end of his career, Marquez went on to become the club's sporting president, before standing down last year to focus on other areas of the sport.

Juan Pablo Angel - Atletico Nacional

Angel perhaps never quite lived up to the expectations he set during his early days as part of River Plate's so-called 'Fantastic Four' with Javier Saviola, Ariel Ortega and Pablo Aimar, having joined from Colombia's Nacional. Nevertheless, he became a fan favourite at Aston Villa in the Premier League, before spending six years in MLS with New York Red Bulls, Los Angeles Galaxy and Chivas USA. In 2013 he returned to Nacional for two seasons, having left them in 1997. He called it quits in late 2014, just a few days after losing to his former club River in the final of the Copa Sudamericana. "I am ending my career with a final between the two clubs I love the most," he said.

Henrik Larsson - Hogaborgs

While the Swedish club most may associate with Larsson is Helsingborgs, he actually made the breakthrough at a smaller side – Hogaborgs. It was here where he trained from the age of six, before eventually becoming a regular in the senior side and earning a move to Helsingborgs. A trophy-laden career followed, taking him to Feyenoord, Celtic, Barcelona and Manchester United. Although he retired in 2009, he returned to the pitch for Raa in the Swedish third tier three years later, before then finding himself back in the team at Hogaborgs in 2013, helping out due to an injury crisis despite him only previously being registered to a casual team for 'seniors'. This gave him the chance to play alongside his son, Jordan.

Carlos Tevez - Boca Juniors

The Tevez-Boca love affair has dominated most of the striker's successful and complex career. After coming through their youth ranks, the feisty forward was seen as the heir to Maradona. A brief stint in Brazil with Corinthians followed, but Europe had long since beckoned, even if West Ham was by no means the expected destination. He went on to play for Manchester United and Manchester City, increasing tension between the clubs, before then going to Juventus, but throughout this time Tevez seemed to long for a return to Boca. He went back to La Bombonera in 2015, his homecoming interrupted by a brief spell with Shanghai Shenhua in 2017 in the Chinese Super League, though even Tevez acknowledged he saw his time in China as a "holiday". "He filled Santa's sack with dollars and now he has returned to Boca" was Maradona's assessment upon 'El Apache's' return from the CSL.

Robert Lewandowski: The inner workings of a goalscoring machine

By the end of June, Lewandowski's goals had propelled Bayern Munich to a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double. His goals in the league (34 in total) made him the highest single-season foreign goalscorer in history. With another six goals in the Pokal – including two in the final to seal the deal in a 4-2 win against Bayer Leverkusen – and 11 more in the Champions League, Lewandowski has scored more goals in all competitions than any other player across Europe's top five leagues this season. 

For Lewandowski, it has been undoubtedly the best season of his career. Remarkably, the 31-year-old is averaging a goal every 74 minutes and he has already scored 11 more than last year and eight more than in his previous personal best (43 goals in 2016-17).

The consistency of Lewandowski's production is phenomenal. Since 2015-16, he has scored 40 or more goals in every season. The only player who has kept pace with the Pole is a certain Lionel Messi, but the Barcelona star will need to score an unlikely 10 more times to hit the 40-goal milestone in 2019-20.

In his 285 competitive games for Bayern, Lewandowski has hit a total of 242 goals, averaging a goal every 99 minutes. This is a goalscoring machine at its best.

Lewandowski has taken his game to another level this season. After being the top scorer in the Bundesliga (34) and in the Pokal (6), the Bayern marksman is also the leading scorer in the Champions League (11). He could become the first player since Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002-03 to take home a hat-trick of golden boots in league, cup and European action. Neither Cristiano Ronaldo nor Lionel Messi have ever achieved this.

So, what's his secret?

ELITE IN THE BOX

Since joining Bayern back in 2014, Lewandowski has increased his expected goals (xG) total each season. This campaign, he is averaging a staggering 1.1 xG every 90 minutes. Put simply, the chances Lewandowski attempts are worth over one goal every game. This figure is nearly double as many as in his first season at Bayern (0.6). His consistently high xG values show that his impressive goal tally is not just a product of overperforming, but rather the result of generating good goalscoring opportunities.

Year after year, Lewandowski gets himself in better goalscoring positions. He has perfected the art of creating space and chances for himself in crucial areas of the pitch. The below graphic illustrates this perfectly: look at the cluster of shots he has taken in this season's Champions League.

In the current Champions League campaign, no player has scored as many non-penalty goals (10) or taken shots from higher quality chances (8.6 xG) as Lewandowski. As the size of the dots shows, Lewandowski is mainly taking shots from good-quality locations with a high xG value and avoids shooting from further afield.

THE COMPLETE FORWARD

Lewandowski is the target man in Bayern's attack, but he is far more than a poacher – he is a crucial cog in their build-up play.

In the 2019-20 Bundesliga campaign, Lewandowski was involved in a league-high 43 open-play sequences that ended with a goal. If we remove those sequences in which Lewandowski himself scored (27), he was involved in 16 open-play sequences that ended in a goal scored by one of his team-mates, the highest value among all strikers in the competition.

Indeed, while Lewandowski has registered only four assists in the latest Bundesliga season, we can use expected assists (xA) to analyse how many assists Lewandowski shouldhave had based on the quality of his passes. According to this metric, Lewandowski's open-play passes in the recent league season were worth seven assists, so he was unfortunate not to have three more assists to add to his total of four.

His total of 7.1 xA this campaign is his highest tally.  The 31-year-old has massively improved his creative abilities over the past two years, nearly increasing his xA value threefold (he registered 2.8 xA in 2017-18).

A complete forward, Lewandowski works for the team, creates chances for his team-mates and is heavily involved in build-up play. Bayern's last Champions League game in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie with Chelsea can be used as an ideal example of Lewandowski's all-around qualities. He was everywhere.

Lewandowski's touches at Stamford Bridge on February 25 (from left to right)

In that game, Lewandowski recorded two assists in a single Champions League match for the first time in his career, assisting the first two Bayern goals for Serge Gnabry before scoring the last himself to seal a 3-0 win at Stamford Bridge. 

Perhaps 2020 would have been Lewandowski's best chance to become just the second player other than Messi and Ronaldo to win the Ballon d'Or since 2008, but the way his game is improving every season – coupled with the inevitable decline of Messi and Ronaldo – means the Poland goalscoring machine will likely have another crack at the accolade in 2021 and beyond.

Ronaldo achieves Serie A feat last seen 59 years ago with latest brace

The 35-year-old scored in each half as Juve cruised to a victory that moved them level on points with Inter and one adrift of leaders Milan, both of whom play their game in hand on Sunday.

Ronaldo equalled former Juventus forward Omar Sivori's goal haul from 1961 - the joint-third most in a single year behind Gunnar Nordahl (36 in 1950) and Felice Borel (41 in 1933).

He could move further up the list as Juventus have one more league match to play in 2020 - a home meeting with Fiorentina on Tuesday.

Ronaldo's 33 goals have come from 174 attempts - at least 67 more than any other player - giving him a shot conversion rate of 27.73, which compares to 28.26 for Ciro Immobile, who is the next highest scorer this year in Serie A with 26 for Lazio.

The Portugal international has scored 27 with his stronger right foot, four with his left and two via his head.

Robert Lewandowski, named The Best FIFA Men's Player of the Year on Thursday, has 32 Bundesliga goals for Bayern Munich since January 1, while Barcelona star Lionel Messi has just 18 in LaLiga in the same timeframe.

Ronaldo and Guardiola honoured at Globe Soccer Awards

Juventus forward Ronaldo picked up the award in person at a ceremony held at the Armani Hotel on Sunday. 

The 35-year-old, who has won domestic league titles in Spain, England and Italy and Euro 2016 with Portugal, admitted his pride at receiving the accolade, given to the player judged the best between 2001 and 2020. 

"It's a pleasure to win titles," said Ronaldo, a five-time Ballon d'Or winner, at the event. 

"It's not easy to be top of the game for so many years. I am really proud, but without a team, great coaches and clubs it is not possible." 

Guardiola was honoured for a managerial career which has seen him win league championships in Spain, Germany and England, as well as the Champions League twice.

The Manchester City boss was not present at the gala, though he accepted the award via a pre-recorded video message. 

Both Ronaldo and Lionel Messi missed out on the men's player of the year award for 2020, however, as that went to Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski. 

Bayern's treble of the Bundesliga, Champions League and DFB-Pokal also saw boss Hansi Flick rewarded as coach of the year.  

Real Madrid were named the club of the century at the ceremony, while Bayern picked up the team award for 2020. 

The Globe Soccer Awards, founded in 2010, acknowledge excellence in football with an annual gala dinner and awards ceremony.