AFC Champions League Review: Jeonbuk and Kashiwa win convincingly

French daily newspaper L’Equipe claims that Cameroon midfielder Alex Song is being linked with a return to the Emirates.

The experienced footballer has been training with the Gunners after leaving Rubin Kazan, but it remains to be seen whether he will be offered a contract.

Song has not been released by Rubin Kazan, but he could soon become a free agent with the Russian club having failed to pay him wages for the past four months.

Yann M’Vila has already left Rubin to join Saint Etienne on a free transfer and his fellow midfielder is also searching for a new club.

Song, 30, had only made 22 league appearances for the Russian giants since joining on a free transfer in August 2016.

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Cristiano Ronaldo believes he could be back playing for Manchester United by the end of September after completing his recovery from ankle surgery.

The Portuguese winger went under the knife in July following the Euro 2008 tournamment and initial forecasts were that he could be out of action until late October and possibly November.

But Ronaldo, who scored 42 goals last season to fire United to the Premier League title and Champions League, has been told his rehabilitation is ahead of schedule and he is on track for an early return to action.

I am feeling fine. I am feeling really good and my recovery is going well, the 23-year-old said.

I am more than happy with my progress and I hope to be back playing for United by the end of September that is my …

According to the Daily Mail, France coach Raymond Domenech will be sacked if his side fail to beat Serbia on Wednesday.

The man who led France to an unexpected World Cup final in 2006 has failed to produce the goods since then. A very poor Euro 2008 saw him ridiculed for his belief in horoscopes and attacked as being tactically naive in the press.

It was slightly surprising that he kept his job following their dismal group stage exit and he surely needed a good start to his World Cup qualifying campaign. A 3-1 defeat to Austria at the weekend was not what he needed.

It seems likely that the Serbia game will be his last in charge and another defeat would make that 99% certain.

(Source Daily Mail)

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Olympiacos forward Youssef El-Arabi claimed the never-say-die attitude of his team-mates helped them secure Europa League football next year.

El-Arabi scored an 87th-minute penalty to give Olympiacos a 1-0 win over Red Star Belgrade in their final Champions League Group B match on Wednesday.

The victory enabled Olympiacos to climb above their opponents into third spot and ensured the Greek side will take part in continental competition in 2020.

Morocco international El-Arabi said: We had many attempts to score, but sometimes, regardless of the volume of opportunities, the ball just wouldn t go in. 

But we didn t give up and succeeded in the end. Most important, we held on to qualify.

I admit it wasn t easy to take that penalty. But I am glad, b…

Monterrey defender Nicolas Sanchez believes his team s biggest opponents against Al Sadd at the Club World Cup will be themselves.

The Mexican giants and Al Sadd will meet in Doha on Saturday looking to book a clash against European champions Liverpool in the semi-finals.

Sanchez feels Monterrey have the quality to beat Al Sadd, who edged past Hienghene Sport on Wednesday.

I m sure it will be a completely different game from what we saw [on Wednesday]. We didn t know any of the teams, except for some tapes, at least myself, he told a news conference.

Now we have some idea of what we ll face on Saturday. Even though I think Saturday s game will have a different intensity, it won t be the same as yesterday. We saw a team that has the ball, that tries to c…

Guangzhou Evergrande maintained their perfect record in this season s AFC Champions League with a 4-3 win over Kashima Antlers.

The 2013 champions were surprisingly dumped out of the competition at the quarter-final stage last term by eventual winners Western Sydney Wanderers.

But they have made an assured start to this campaign, as Wednesday s victory made it three wins from three in Group H.

Ricardo Goulart gave them the lead in the 10th minute, but they found themselves behind after goals either side of half-time from Hiroyuki Takasaki and Shoma Doi.

Elkeson brought Evergrande level, before Goulart s second and Zhao Xuri s strike made the game safe, ensuring Gaku Shibasaki s late effort was merely a consolation.

Evergrande look well pl…

Alvaro Morata s agent has not ruled out a move for the in-form Atletico Madrid star but declared at the moment I say that he stays .

The Spain international scored twice as Atleti started the LaLiga season with a 3-0 win at Getafe on the back of a hat-trick in a 4-0 friendly rout of his former club Juventus.

Morata has been linked with Manchester United and a return to Juve, where he was on loan for the past two campaigns.

The 29-year-old s representative, Juanma Lopez, says the ex-Real Madrid forward will remain with Diego Simeone s side as it stands, but suggested he could depart before the transfer window closes on September 1. 

He told Chiringuito: At the moment I say that he stays at Atletico Madrid, we are in August. Will he stay? Yes, he has a …

Marcel Sabitzer left Bayern Munich to join Manchester United on loan in January, with no option to make the transfer permanent included in the agreement.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the 29-year-old midfielder wasn t a part of Julian Nagelsmann s plans at the Allianz Arena, and he currently enjoys his spell at Old Trafford, playing under the command of Erik ten Hag. There was a growing feeling that an agreement would yet be found between the clubs in the summer.

But following Bayern s sudden decision to sack Nagelsmann and appoint Thomas Tuchel in his place, things appear to be less clear for Sabitzer at the moment. It may well be that the former Mainz, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain and Chelsea boss decides to keep hold of the Austria international, who has mo…

Verdict: France

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The 2018 FIFA World Cup hosts welcome the Euro 2016 hosts and finalists France with both teams looking to make final tweaks ahead of announcing the final squads for the big event later this year. Both sides are coming off from defeats in their last week’s friendlies and will be looking for an important morale boost.

Russia

Dealing with Brazil is never an easy affair but World Cup hosts were definitely hoping for more than a comprehensive 3-0 defeat at Luzhniki Stadium on Friday.

Goals from Miranda, Philippe Coutinho and Paulinho inside a 13-minute blitzkrieg were enough to see off Stanislav Cherchesov’s men in a rather compelling fashion. The Russia head coach should be complimented for his brave appro…

The Telegraph understand that Gareth Barry’s West Bromwich Albion future is in doubt, despite a clause being triggered in his contract for him to be handed a twelve month extension.

The former England international has reached twenty-five league appearances for the Midlands club which means he earned a new deal though it remains to be seen whether he will remain at the Hawthorns following a number of off-field altercations.

Barry was allegedly involved in an incident in Barcelona earlier this year while he was pictured in a nightclub on the eve of their game with Burnley at the weekend though he is currently out injured.

The thirty-seven year old has played twenty-nine times in all competitions since signing from Everton in the summer of 2017.

Howe…