Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior scored twice, including an 83rd-minute penalty, to snatch a 2-2 draw at Bayern Munich in an entertaining Champions League semi-final first leg on Tuesday.

The Brazilian struck against the run of play when he slotted in to give the visitors the lead from Toni Kroos' defence-splitting pass after 24 minutes at Allianz Arena.

Bayern struck twice in four second-half minutes to turn the game around, with Leroy Sane threading home a powerful shot in the 53rd minute and Harry Kane edging his side ahead with a penalty soon after.

Madrid, however, earned a spot-kick of their own when Rodrygo was brought down and Vinicius coolly converted it to equalise, leaving this tie wide open ahead of next week's return leg.

Kim Min-Jae's mindless drag on Madrid forward Rodrygo afforded Carlo Ancelotti's side their leveller seven minutes from time, with Thomas Tuchel's men now needing an unlikely away win to reach the final.

Yet Tuchel will feel a draw was the least Bayern deserved, having dominated the opening stages before a remarkable second-half turnaround displayed their attacking quality in Munich.

Bayern will look to Kane once more for inspiration in Madrid given their talisman has been involved in 11 goals in the competition this season (eight goals, three assists); the most ever by an English player in a single campaign in the Champions League.

However, Tuchel may still be concerned as when avoiding defeat away from home in the first leg of a knockout stage tie in the Champions League, Madrid have progressed on 18 of the previous 19 occasions.

Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund served up plenty of entertainment in the Champions League quarter-finals, and their last-eight meeting promises more of the same, says Luis Enrique.

Both sides came back from first-leg defeats to reach the semi-finals, PSG winning 4-1 in Barcelona after a 3-2 loss in the French capital and Dortmund downing Atletico Madrid 4-2 to recover from their loss in Spain.

"I think that is the way it went in the quarter-finals based on the playing style of Dortmund and the way that we play," PSG head coach Luis Enrique told a press conference.

"I think it could be a wonderful spectacle, not just for the two fan bases, but for everybody who loves football. I think there will be goals, given the quality and the ability to reach the opposition goal on both teams."

PSG had never before overturned a first-leg defeat at home in the Champions League, and while the Spaniard believes it can help his players, he also knows that history counts for little at this stage.

"I do hope it liberates us because this is something that we haven't done before after losing the first leg. I also have experience that shows how important it is to be competitive tomorrow," Luis Enrique said.

"What we achieved previously doesn't matter. History is great, but our goal is to win tomorrow. We don't want to leave it to chance and think about the second leg at the Parc des Princes."

History may weigh on the minds of PSG, too, given they have lost all four games of their previous two-legged Champions League semi-final ties – against Milan in 1994-95 and Manchester City in 2020-21.

The Parisians did win their one-legged last-four meeting with RB Leipzig in the disrupted 2019-20 season, though, while Dortmund have reached the final on two of their three semi-final appearances.

Dortmund and PSG have already met in this season's competition as well, with the German side topping their group, but PSG beat them at Parc des Princes and managed a 1-1 draw in the away meeting.

Luis Enrique thinks his team, who secured their third consecutive Ligue 1 title on Sunday, have improved since then – and suggested there is even more to come.

"We have improved in all areas. We are better defensively, better going forward," the former Barcelona boss continued.

"We can keep improving for sure. And that is one of the characteristics of our way of managing the club and the team, by trying to be demanding, not thinking that everything is done."

PSG appear favourites to go through given Dortmund have only won one of their six meetings with the French side in all competitions (D3 L2).

Dortmund overcame PSG 2-1 in the first leg of the 2019-20 Champions League round of 16 before being eliminated 3-2 on aggregate, and Luis Enrique expects another difficult task on Wednesday.

"That shows that the press doesn't know much about football," he joked ahead of the first meeting at Signal Iduna Park.

"I have said that for a long time. What is great about being here is enjoying a really special game at a unique stadium in Europe and having the chance to make our fans really happy by reaching the final."

A tough challenge awaits for PSG, however, considering Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 10 Champions League home games (W6 D4), their longest-ever such run in the competition.

The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) will now assume responsibility for the organization and management of the Caribbean Club Shield, as Concacaf has opted to shift the respected Caribbean club competition from its portfolio.

As such, CFU will take the reins of the tournament, which will be rebranded as the CFU Club Shield for the 2024 edition and onwards, and will qualify two clubs into the Concacaf Caribbean Cup. While CFU will organize and manage the competition, Concacaf will provide support for its delivery, as per the terms of what is viewed as a significant transition agreement. 

According to Concacaf President, Victor Montagliani, this decision reflects a collaborative effort between Concacaf and the CFU to further bolster the growth of clubs and leagues, and football as a whole, across the Caribbean region.

“The development of regional club football is a major priority for Concacaf and alongside our Caribbean member associations, we are dedicated to fully supporting the growth of clubs and leagues across a region known for its passion for the sport. This collaboration with the CFU is a testament to the leadership of the CFU President and highlights the ambition we share to deliver opportunities that will take the game in the Caribbean to the next level. We look forward with great anticipation to supporting the delivery of the inaugural CFU Club Shield later this year," Montagliani shared.

His CFU counterpart Randolph Harris expressed his delight to take the reins.

“The CFU is extremely pleased to be taking over the management and organization of the Club Shield, and to rebrand it as an official CFU competition. We welcome the cooperation from Concacaf in ushering in this new era of the CFU delivering an important club competition and we look forward to continuing to work closely with the Confederation to grow club and league football in the region. We are excited to deliver a competition that is as robust as any on the field of play and to delivering administration that meets and exceeds the mark,” said Harris.

Established in 2018, the Caribbean Club Shield has a primary objective of advancing professional football throughout the Caribbean. Participation is open to semi-professional and amateur teams holding current championship titles in their respective domestic leagues.

The tournament format involves up to 16 clubs, grouped into four sets of four. Winners of each group progress to the semifinals, with the ultimate finalists earning coveted berths in the Concacaf Caribbean Cup, subsequently qualifying for the Concacaf Champions Cup.

In 2023, Suriname’s SV Robinhood emerged victorious in both the Caribbean Club Shield and the Caribbean Cup. The team has solidified their position as the most successful team in the history of the Caribbean Club Shield, boasting two championship titles.

This year's edition is set to unfold from July 25 to August 4, 2024. The venue for this year's competition will be announced in short order.

Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has been ruled out of Euro 2024 by Domenico Tedesco, despite making a return to the Real Madrid squad.

The 31-year-old has missed the entire season, and after a setback in March, needed another knee operation.

Carlo Ancelotti said he hoped to have the goalkeeper back for their LaLiga match against Cadiz at the weekend, but has been able to name him on the bench for their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Despite Courtois making a return to action before the squads have to be named, Tedesco was clear that he would not be chosen.

Speaking to German media on Tuesday, he said: “On this topic, everything has already been said. I don't want a tit-for-tat situation.

"We are focusing on players who are in good shape."

Former Dutch defender Ron Vlaar believes that Arne Slot will not need time to adapt to the Premier League when he takes over as Liverpool manager.

It was reported last week that Feyenoord and Liverpool had reached an agreement in principle for Slot to take over from Jurgen Klopp next season.

The Dutchman led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021, and his attacking style of play has been likened to that of Klopp’s.

Vlaar, who played under Slot at AZ Alkmaar, is confident that his former coach will not take long to settle in on Merseyside.

“He could, but I hope not. It's quite similar to what they already have now, but it's a new coach, so they will always change some things,” he told Stats Perform.

“Hopefully it's more in the details. And I think he will show that with videos of how he wants to play for other teams. When he coached me, he used Liverpool as an example.

“I don’t know what other examples he’ll use now he’s the coach of Liverpool. I think the players are smart enough to recognise it. They have to build on some trust with each other. If he can manage that, and he can do that, then I think it will all be fine.”

Klopp, who announced he would be leaving Liverpool after nearly nine years at the club in January, has given his backing to Slot’s appointment at the club, stating that he likes his attacking style of play.

Among teams in the top ten European leagues, only Benfica, Cercle Brugge and Man City have won possession in the final third more often per game than Feyenoord (6.87) this season. Equally, only Bayern Munich and PSV have a higher xG than Feyenoord in their domestic leagues this season (82.95).

Vlaar also recognises the similarity in both coaches’ styles, saying: “I played under Arne at AZ Alkmaar, and we were high up on the pitch, pressing high, standing on halfway line so the pressure needs to be very good then from the forwards as well.

“I think that's quite similar if you look to Liverpool nowadays. So I think they’re comparable coaches. Arne Slot hasn’t achieved what Jurgen Klopp has achieved so far, but the club showed that giving Klopp some time paid off. So, I hope Arne can build on that.”

Twenty players have played in ten or more games in the Eredivisie for Feyenoord this season, with only four of them over the age of twenty-six, and Slot has been praised for his track record of improving young talent and man-management style.

“He's very open and clear. So I think everyone knows what they’re getting. It's really straightforward and he's open about it. I think that's a good thing,” Vlaar added.

“Dedicated, energetic, and he tries to help the team as much as possible. He will coach players if needed. And I think that's what he is, how he's like.

“I'm really happy for him because this is a massive club, one of the biggest clubs in the world. And that's a big step forward for him, coming from Feyenoord and going to Liverpool.”

Manchester City Women's striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw has revealed she underwent surgery for a broken foot sustained during the Women's Super League match against West Ham United. Shaw, who scored twice in the 5-0 victory over West Ham, had to be substituted at half-time after picking up the injury just before the interval.

The confirmation of Shaw's injury and surgery came via Manchester City, with the club announcing that the Jamaican forward suffered the foot injury late in the first half at the Joie Stadium. As a result of this injury, Shaw will miss Manchester City Women's final three matches of the Barclays Women’s Super League season as she begins her recovery process.

Despite the setback, Shaw remains a top contender for the league’s Golden Boot, having scored an impressive 21 goals in just 18 WSL appearances. In March 2024, she also became Manchester City Women's record goal scorer.

Taking to Instagram, Shaw expressed her gratitude for the support and well-wishes received following her surgery:

"Gutted to know I suffered a broken foot in the game against West Ham but grateful the surgery went well. The greatest stories are those who defy all odds. Thanks to everyone for the heartwarming well wishes on my road to recovery. I appreciate every single one. I will continue working hard off the pitch during my rehab, and I can’t wait to be back doing what I love." ?

Shaw's determination and positive outlook highlight her commitment to returning stronger and continuing her impactful contributions both on and off the pitch. Her recovery journey will undoubtedly be closely followed by fans eagerly awaiting her return to action.

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer and forward Donyell Malen are likely to be fit in time for Wednesday's Champions League semi-final first leg at home against Paris Saint-Germain, coach Edin Terzic said on Tuesday.

Dortmund will also have Emre Can and Ian Maatsen back from suspension, while Sabitzer, who was out ill for several days, and Dutch international Malen, recovering from an injury picked up during the March international break, have returned to training.

"Marcel and Donyell both took part in training. We expect that they will be at our disposal tomorrow," said Terzic.

"Marcel is feeling better, and we need him in his form from before his illness tomorrow."

Dortmund have struggled in the league this season and on Saturday suffered a crushing 4-1 loss to direct rivals RB Leipzig, who held on to fourth place, leaving them in fifth with three matches remaining.

The top four teams qualify for the Champions League group stage next season.

Germany is likely to earn a fifth spot as one of the top two in UEFA's coefficient table depending on the remaining results in European competition this season.

Dortmund's deep Champions League run this season, however, has kept fans hopeful of some silverware.

The sides also met in the group stage, with the French side winning 2-0 in Paris before a 1-1 draw in Dortmund.

"You could sense in the return leg that we had learned the lessons from the first game," Terzic said.

"Now PSG look to be at their very peak this season with only one defeat in 2024 and a good run of results. We will have to show an improved performance from that in Dortmund."

"We are confident that will show it tomorrow and next week in Paris. The clear goal is to gain a small advantage after the game tomorrow. We know we have to play at least 180 minutes at the highest level to have any shot at our dream."

Jamaica's Under-17 team will host their Trinidad and Tobago counterparts for two international friendly encounters this weekend.

The games, which forms part of a week-long camp for both teams, will also see the young Soca Warriors, who are scheduled to arrive in the island on Wednesday, lock horns with a local club team during their visit. The first game is scheduled for the UWI-JFF Captain Horace Burrell Centre of Excellence, CHBC on Friday at 4:00pm, while the second encounter will take place on Sunday at 9:00am.

Trinidad and Tobago will then close their visit against the youth team of a prominent club, next Tuesday.

Both the young Reggae Boyz, to be guided by former Reggae Boy midfielder Altimont "Freddy" Butler, Carlton Simmonds and Vassel Reynolds, and the Shawn Cooper-coached young Soca Warriors are preparing for the Concacaf Men's Under-17 Championship which was pushed back to 2025. The tournament was initially scheduled for August this year.

According to recently installed Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) president, Kieron Edwards, this friendly initiative is in line with the TTFA’s application to the FIFA Talent Development Scheme, which aims to provide additional resources to member associations for the elite youth national teams.

Edwards insisted that there will be continuous efforts to provide opportunities for exposure and match preparation for the various national teams.

“In keeping with the executive’s mantra to strengthen partnerships and our relationship with our brothers in CFU, we are pleased to be embarking on this journey to Jamaica,” said Edwards.

“Despite the challenges, the commitment to the continued development of our high-performance programme shines through. This trip marks a pivotal step towards our U-17 team’s quest to qualify for the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2025. It’s a testament to the dedication of all involved, securing this opportunity mere days after the new executive’s installation," he added.

The current T&T U-17 selection features several players who have graduated from the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association High Performance Programme and competed at the CONCACAF Boys Under-15 Championship in the Dominican Republic last August, recording memorable wins against Costa Rica and Qatar.

T&T squad: Antuan Louison, Seth Hadeed, Jonathan Mason (Fatima College); Alejandro Harper, Eran Mc Leod (CIC); Nikosi Foncette, Kyron Baptiste, Josiah Simmons, Jimally Renne (Presentation College, Sando); Jasai Theophilus, Jayden Christophe (QRC); Dimitre Jones, Keston Richards (Arima North Sec); Jaydon Caprietta, Jeremiah Daniel, Adasa Richardson, Antonio Hills, Mikhail Clement (Naparima College); Salim Soanes (St Benedict’s College); Necose Moore (Chaguanas North Sec); Riquelme Phillips (Speyside High School)

As the famous English proverbs states “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.”

That’s the mindset of Arnett Gardens’s Head coach Xavier Gilbert, who is backing his team to not only overcome the Cavalier hurdle in the semi-final, but also to possibly go all the way in this season’s Wray and Nephew Jamaica Premier League.

Gilbert’s thoughts followed their 1-0 win over Portmore United in second-leg quarterfinal action, as Arnett Gardens wrapped up a 2-1 aggregate scoreline at Sabina Park on Monday.

Captain fantastic, Fabian Reid, was again the saviour, as he got the all-important strike in the 90th minute to break Portmore United’s heart and ensure the five-time champions remain on course for the final.

With the “Junglists” last title coming back in the 2016/17 season, Gilbert is optimistic about breaking the drought, but first they will have to get by last season’s beaten finalist, Cavalier in the semi-final, which kicks off on Sunday.

Arnett Gardens, who fell at the semi-final stage to eventual champions Mount Pleasant FA last year, lost 0-3 and drew 2-2 with Cavalier earlier this season.

“We knew it would only get tougher as we go on, and that's a given. But when the situation becomes difficult, that’s when we need to show our strength and stand up to it. So, yes, it will be another tough encounter against Cavalier, but we have to prepare mentally and physically for it, and then analyse how we're going to approach that game tactically,” Gilbert said in a post-game interview.

“But I'm happy that we got the win tonight. I thought we created some good opportunities, and we just didn't finish. We knew that it was just a matter of time, and we finally got it (the goal) in the end. I am happy for the players, I think they really deserve it, and it's a huge boost heading into, into the semi-final. They should be confident for that (semi-final) game, and we're just going to go back, recover and get ready for it,” he added.

It was a fairly decent, but goalless first half, as both teams evenly matched strides and had their fair share of chances to break the deadlock. Arnett Gardens initially looked more threatening in open play, but the best chance of the half fell to Portmore United in the 39th minute, when Alex Marshall’s glancing header sent Chevaughn Walsh through on goal, but the striker sporting the number nine jersey, couldn’t beat Eric Edwards, who left his line well to block the effort.

Prior to that, Chevany Willis’s seventh-minute freekick for Arnett Gardens, came back off the crossbar, while Keheim Dixon went on a break in the 10th minute, but was taken out by Portmore United’s custodian Benjamin Williams, who strayed well outside his area. Fortunately, the resulting freekick didn’t inflict any damage on the St Catherine team.

Portmore United started more purposeful on the resumption, and enjoyed a decent passage of play, but failed to create any meaningful chance to hurt Arnett Gardens.

Arnett Gardens eventually settled and should have opened the scoring through Dixon in the 54th minute. The former Clarendon College standout picked up a pass from Jaheim Thomas and had time and space to pick a spot from deep inside the danger area. However, his first opportunity came off the upright, while the second off the rebound, slammed into the underside of the crossbar.

Arnett Gardens again went close in the 66th minute, as Reid rose highest to deflect Philando Wing’s weighted corner kick towards goal, but Williams, diving full stretch to his right, got down well to parry.

Portmore responded six minutes later, but Walsh, arriving at the far post, failed to connect with Marshall’s cross.

From there, it was all Arnett Gardens, as they applied consistent pressure and had two quick looks at the target, but both Marlon Martin and substitute Shai Smith, misfired in quick succession.

However, the South St Andrew team inevitably got the goal their many fans waited for on the stroke of full time. Smith, with a cheeky play, orchestrated a tidy build up in a one-two combination play with another substitute Kimani Arbouine, before playing a perfect pass across the face of goal for Reid to finish his 12th goal of the season, and 86th in a dazzling JPL career, from close range.

With the defeat a tough one to take, Portmore United’s Head coach Phillip Williams rued their missed opportunities.

“I think we created enough chances but at the same time, I don’t think we were clinical enough to make the most of those chances. It was a game of fine margins and against a quality team like Arnett Gardens, you have to put away those chances, but the guys stuck to the tactical adjustments that we made, and we were in the game for a longer period it is just unfortunate that we didn’t put away our chances,” Williams reasoned.

With relegation and the title race all still to play for, the weekend's Women's Super League did not disappoint fans in what turned out to be a drama-filled Sunday of football.

This has been a record-breaking season for the women's game in England.

For the first time ever between the Barclays WSL and the Barclays Championship, both leagues have achieved a cumulative attendance of over one million at fixtures this season.

Based on the twists and turns we have experienced over recent weeks, it is easy to see why fans are attending in increasing numbers.

Relegation Battle

Bristol City knew they would have a mammoth task in their race for survival when they welcomed Manchester City who, at the other end of the table, are pushing to win their first title since 2016.

West Ham, meanwhile, were travelling to Villa Park and knew even a point, assuming Bristol City were to lose, would mean safety for the Hammers.

It was a nervy start from both teams at Ashton Gate in front of the 8,749-strong crowd. City piled on the pressure in the first half with Lauren Hemp and Chole Kelly both having multiple chances to take the lead. The Citizens really looked as if they missed their star striker Khadija Bunny Shaw, who had been ruled out for the season earlier in the week.

The second half, however, saw Matildas star Mary Fowler manage to break the deadlock for the Citizens, with a moment of individual brilliance that City were so desperately needing.

Fowler then added a second shortly after and the floodgates were opened at Aston Gate, Bristol shipping a further two - with an own goal from Amy Rodgers and Alex Greenwood's header rounding off the win.

Bristol City, in their first season in the WSL, have found it a challenge to keep up. They have failed to score in nine of their 20 games - no team has failed to do so more often in the league.

They faced a Man City side that have scored in their last 14 games, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since going 25 straight games with a strike from 16th October 2022 to 5th November 2023.

Bristol City Manager Lauren Smith reflected on the season with Sky Sports, saying: "Some of the performances we’ve been really proud of, but we still haven’t got results off.

"Even in this game, up to 60-something minutes, I was very, very proud of how we defended, created some really good counter-attacks in the first half.

“I think we’ve shown up, but we haven’t shown up for 90 minutes week-in, week-out, and I think that’s been the difference.

“We have to start looking at what next year looks like. I’ll be working with the chairman to make sure that we do what we need to do to make sure that we are stronger next year.

"We have to continue to build and that’s on the pitch, off the pitch and to make sure our fanbase is as incredible as it is right now next year.

"All of us as a club are part of that, and we will be looking to make sure we continue this trend and excitement about women’s football in Bristol.”

West Ham were pleased to secure their WSL status in a clash that saw them grab a late goal to make it 1-1 at Villa Park. The Hammers have not had a good season under Rehanne Skinner, who joined in late July, and maybe with her experience more would have been expected of West Ham.

Skinner has struggled to get her team to find any consistency, and they have failed to win in their last seven games - their last longer winless streak was from 14th October 2023 to 21st January 2024, a run of nine games.

The Hammers arguably have a young squad and there was very little time to recruit before the season started. However, she did put the January window to good use, bringing in US and Australian Internationals, respectively in Kristie Mewis and Katrina Gorry to bolster the midfield, along with two other key signings, Shelina Zadorsky and Marika Bergman-Lundin.

This seems to have been the boost West Ham needed to stay in the top flight ahead of Bristol City.

The Title Race

Manchester City continued their march at the top to go six points clear of their rivals Chelsea with their 4-0 win at Bristol City. Arsenal knew they had a big opportunity to go level on points with Chelsea and further put pressure on their London rivals.

Jonas Eidevall's side, however, could not manufacture the win in a match that saw them dominate all the stats, except the one that mattered. It was 1-1 at the final whistle, leaving the Gunners all but out of the title race.

Arsenal had needed to ensure they won all their remaining games to even be in with a shout, but their away form has let them down this season.

The unlikely Everton star to score the 95th-minute equaliser was 16-year-old Issy Hobson, who headed home for her first senior goal to ruin Arsenal's chase for the top.

The Gunners have scored in each of their last 10 games in the English Women's Super League, scoring 22 goals in that run. The goals alone, though, have not been enough to challenge for the title this season.

With Beth Mead back in the side and looking more and more like the player before her ACL injury, Alessia Russo scoring regularly, getting her 10th of the season against Everton, having Leah Williamson back in the side and the signing of Emily Fox, things are on the up for Arsenal as the season draws to a close.

They have also won some silverware this term with the League Cup title, beating Chelsea to spoil Emma Hayes' final campaign.

Eidevall shared his thoughts on the remainder of the season, where Arsenal can still have a big impact on the title race, in his post-match press conference.

Arsenal may now be out of contention to lift the WSL title, but this coming weekend will see them face Manchester City at the Joie Stadium. It is a match-up that could undoubtedly decide the title race, so they still have a tremendous role to play as the drama unfolds. 

Eidevall said: "I need to consult the Opta supercomputer to see what the probability is for not staying in third position.

"For next weekend, it doesn’t change anything. It is to say it is really important for us to finish the season strongly. We haven’t won at Manchester City for a long time and I would very much like to change that.

"We have an obligation to the league and all the teams competing. We know we will have a strong vote in that sense. Every team needs to do their very best and, in the end, the best team is going to win the league and that is fair.

"Me personally, I couldn’t care less whether Chelsea or Manchester City win it. I don’t have any preferences there. From our perspective, we need to do our very best in all games to make sure that the league is as fair as possible."

Before Arsenal's huge clash with City, which takes place on Sunday, there is a key game for Chelsea as they travel to face Liverpool on Wednesday.

Jamie Vardy has challenged his Leicester City team-mates to reach 100 points after sealing the Championship title with one game to spare.

The Foxes were promoted back to the Premier League without kicking a ball after Leeds United’s 4-0 defeat to QPR on Friday, but they needed to win on Monday to earn top spot.

Enzo Maresca’s side cruised to a 3-0 victory over Preston through Vardy’s brace and Kasey McAteer’s header, moving them to 97 points.

With one last milestone in their reach, Vardy wants to make sure they end an already successful season on a high.

Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “We can celebrate it tonight, but now we have another target which is 100 points.

“We are over the moon. It has gone by quick but it's a graft. Not many days off, I'll tell you that.

“The lads - they've given it all. Thoroughly deserved, and I'm glad we've had 5000 to come and celebrate with us. It's not like it's 20 minutes up the road."

After a run of just three victories from nine games in the league between mid-February and April, Leicester have now won each of their last three outings.

Maresca has praised his players for their hard work in what he labelled a “tough season”.

“Fantastic, it's been a fantastic season. The Championship is a tough season and very intense, but I'm very happy," said Maresca.

"Now it's time to enjoy the work of the season to bring this special club back to the Premier League. We deserve it.

“The last two days they have been fantastic. We got promoted, but it was difficult in game preparation. But we used all of today to prepare for the game, the morning and afternoon. It was good.”

Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski scored a second-half hat-trick to help his side fight back to claim a hard-fought 4-2 win over Valencia, who were leading 2-1 when they were reduced to 10 men just before the break.

Fermin Lopez's header from a Raphinha cross put Barca in front after 22 minutes, but Valencia's Hugo Duro struck in the 27th and Pepelu scored from the spot after a foul by Ronald Araujo 11 minutes later to give the visitors the lead.

But after Valencia keeper Giorgi Mamardashvili saw red for a handball outside the box before the break, Xavi's side dominated and Lewandowski scored with two headers from corners in the 49th and 82nd minutes before getting his treble with a free-kick in added time.

The win postponed Real Madrid's almost inevitable LaLiga title celebrations for a couple of weeks as Carlo Ancelotti's side sit atop the standings on 84 points.

Barcelona moved back to second in LaLiga on Monday with 73 points as they leapfrogged surprise package Girona, who are third with 71. Those two teams will meet in a Catalonia derby on Saturday.

Data debrief

Barcelona conceded two goals in the first half of a home game for the second time this season, after also doing so against Girona in LaLiga in December 2023. 

However, Lewandowski's goals have been invaluable to La Blaugrana this season as he's earned 17 points with his 16 goals in the league.

Joshua Kimmich is ready to open talks with Bayern Munich over his future at the club amid speculation linking him with Barcelona.

The Germany international has spent nine years at the Allianz Arena, but he is due to become a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 campaign.

Barca have been repeatedly linked with Kimmich in recent transfer windows and are said to retain an interest ahead of next season.

Speaking to Spanish outlet AS, the midfielder talked up Barca - as well as fierce rivals Real Madrid - but fell short of saying he is open to a move.

"I want to talk to Bayern. When I do that, I won't go out and talk to the press about it," he said. 

"I'm not thinking about this. I will speak to Bayern first. But of course, Barcelona and Real Madrid are amazing clubs with an amazing history."

Kimmich has played 37 times in all competitions this season for Bayern, whose last remaining hope of silverware is in the Champions League.

Bayern will face Real Madrid over two legs for a place in the final, with the first match in that double-header taking place in Bavaria on Tuesday.

Thomas Tuchel will depart the dethroned Bundesliga champions at the end of the season, with Ralf Rangnick the favourite to succeed him.

The managerial uncertainty is not helping with regards to the Kimmich rumours, but he insists that will not be a deciding factor on his future.

"It's not the most important thing right now," he said. "I know that when you sign a contract you don't sign it with the coach. 

"You sign it with the club. For me, the most important thing is the club, not just the coach. 

"But it's also important to know what the coach thinks about you and the team. Other people in the club can worry about choosing the coach."

Marcel Desailly has called on LaLiga to do more to protect Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and other players who have been targeted by racist abuse.

Vinicius broke down at a press conference earlier this month as he opened up about the abuse he has received from the stands while representing Madrid.

The Brazil international is not alone in that regard, with team-mate Aurelien Tchouameni another example, and World Cup winner Desailly wants more to be done.

"Vinicius has spoken out, but it's not about him - it's about LaLiga and the people who can take action," he told Stats Perform.

"We have the power to change things, but we are not doing enough. Samuel Eto'o had the same issue before.

"Vinicius is one of those who is suffering because the administrative people in charge are not willing to hit harder than they are."

Vinicius has been a key player for LaLiga champions-elect Madrid once again this season with 13 goals and five assists in 23 outings.

Desailly regards Vinicius, who scored the winning goal in the 2022 Champions League final, as one of the finest players of his generation.

"He's a very ambitious player," Desailly said. "I think he's improved a lot because he is now clinical in assisting and finishing.

"When you look at someone like Ousmane Dembele, his stats are not as good.

"Then you look at Jadon Sancho, Bukayo Saka, another who has improved - there is potential for each of those to get close to Vinicius."

Real Madrid always feel respected by every team in the Champions League, so says coach Carlo Ancelotti.

Madrid overcame holders Manchester City on penalties in the quarter-finals to tee up a last-four clash with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich.

City dominated much of the second leg in Manchester, yet after a 4-4 draw on aggregate, it was Ancelotti's team who got over the line.

Fourteen-time European champions Madrid, who allowed Karim Benzema to leave for Saudi Arabia at the end of last season, were not fancied to get past City, but Ancelotti does not think his team have been undervalued in this year's competition.

"Madrid is never undervalued in this competition, because everyone knows what we can do," he said.

"We feel respect from everyone."

City's Bernardo Silva called Madrid a "strange" team, a comment that left Ancelotti nonplussed.

"I don't know. We are not strange," he added.

"I think the weight of the shirt weighs in this competition, like history, but I have nothing to answer Bernardo Silva with.

"He is a fantastic player. Last year [City] had a good time and this year we had a good time. That's football."

When it was put to him that Madrid go into this tie as favourites, Ancelotti replied: "It does not worry me. We have confidence to stand up to a team that has not had a great Bundesliga season, but has knocked out Arsenal.

"It comes from eliminating a very strong team in Europe. In the Champions League, history counts a lot and that works in our favour."

Ancelotti has faced Thomas Tuchel nine times in his career, winning three of those games, losing four and drawing twice, and the Italian anticipates another stern test.

He said: "In terms of quality, they are strong in transition, they can play in different ways and are very dangerous. We are two who do not have a very clear identity. We can both play in different ways."

Tuesday's first leg also marks a return to Munich for Ancelotti, who coached Bayern between 2016 and 2017.

"It is very beautiful, a fantastic city, although unfortunately German has never entered my head," Ancelotti said.

"My son did, he learned very well. Munich is a spectacular city to live in."