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• 'I have nothing against him' - Leao brushes off rumours of feud with Fonseca

  Rafael Leao has shrugged off suggestions of a feud between him and Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca despite starting fewer games in recent weeks.

  The winger started three consecutive Serie A matches on the bench after the last international break, coming on to make substitute appearances in two of those.

  He returned to the starting line-up for their 3-3 draw with Cagliari last time out, netting twice in the first half to bring his tally up to three goals for the season, and 50 overall in Serie A.

  Leao has also provided three assists in the Italian top-flight, while he has both attempted (36) and completed (24) the most dribbles of any Milan player in the competition.

  There were reports of tension between Leao and Fonseca due to the former's lack of playing time in recent weeks, but he brushed off the idea.

  "These things happen during the season, I have nothing against him, and he has nothing against me," Leao said while at Portugal's training ground.

  "It's all settled. I don't like being on the bench, obviously, but he makes the decisions and I, as a player, have to respect the coach.

  "When I step onto the pitch, I have to do my best to help the team."

  Leao has also impressed with performances in the Champions League this season, especially against Real Madrid in a 3-1 win, as he registered an assist for their third goal.

  However, he has also come under criticism in Italy, with one pundit claiming he has a poor work ethic, suggesting he only puts in effort in big games.

  "Clearly, I do not agree with that," Leao added about the recent comments.

  "I have been having a great season at Milan but, like everyone else, there are ups and downs. The campaign has only just started. Look, I know that I am not the perfect player and sometimes I can do much better.

  "I am not shaken by this criticism. I have people who help me to improve and those are the ones I have to listen to. This criticism just spurs me on to respond on the pitch."

• Deco: Pedri wants to make history at Barcelona and win titles

  Barcelona sporting director Deco is hopeful that Pedri will sign a new long-term contract with the club in the near future, with the midfielder's current deal expiring in 2026.

  The 21-year-old has been a mainstay of Barcelona's team this season, starting 11 of their 13 matches in LaLiga and all four Champions League games, after a difficult campaign last year.

  Pedri missed a total of 25 games for club and country with injury problems last term, including the semi-final and final of Euro 2024, having been forced off after eight minutes during Spain's quarter-final victory over hosts Germany.

  His fitness has been a big question for a number of years, having suffered from hamstring injuries since 2021, following the 2020-21 season in which he played 73 matches for club and country.

  But with injury problems having dissipated, Deco is excited at the prospect of having him in the team long-term.

  ”To go for a renewal the first thing you have to know is what the players are looking for, and I think they are looking to win titles, be in a competitive team and, of course, have good contracts," he told Mundo Deportivo.

  "I thought that way and I think we have players who also think that way. I think Pedri’s renewal will happen because I think Pedri wants to make history at the club."

  Pedri has been at Barcelona since joining from Las Palmas as a 17-year-old in 2020. Deco is confident that it feels like home for him now.

  "He feels comfortable here, he is happy, he wants to win titles, he is back at his best after working hard, understanding that there was work behind him that he had to do after so many years of suffering a lot with many games and injuries," he said.

  "He has understood it and has seen that he had to work in a different way, improve, and he was on time. We will do the renewal. He has this season and another one left.

  "We are focused on winning important things this season, but also on guaranteeing the future of important players and Pedri is one of them.”

• Real Madrid hit Twente for seven, five-star Wolfsburg also win big

  Real Madrid had six different goalscorers as they trounced Twente 7-0 in the Women's Champions League on Wednesday, while Wolfsburg beat Galatasaray 5-0.

  Signe Bruun opened the scoring three minutes into the Group B encounter at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stefano, then Maria Mendez's header gave Madrid a 2-0 half-time lead.

  Madrid, who had won one and lost one of their opening two games in the tournament, got a third through Naomie Feller five minutes into the second half, then Caroline Weir made it 4-0 with a brilliant free-kick.

  Mendez headed home her second of the encounter shortly after the hour mark, while Oihane Hernandez and Carla Camacho got on the scoresheet late on to complete the rout.

  The victory took Madrid second in the Group B standings ahead of Chelsea's trip to Celtic.

  Wolfsburg were also convincing victors in Group A, getting off the mark for this season's competition as Rebecka Blomqvist scored a hat-trick in their 5-0 thrashing of Galatasaray.

  The Bundesliga side – who failed to pick up a point or score a goal in their opening two matches – had a narrow 1-0 lead at half-time through Joelle Wedemeyer, before Blomqvist took centre-stage in the second period.

  She tapped home after Janina Minge struck the crossbar, then added her second goal in the 77th minute and her third six minutes into stoppage time.

  Vivien Endemann powered home a fifth for Wolfsburg one minute later, as they provisionally moved within three points of Lyon and Roma ahead of their meeting.