Inter Milan want Chelsea defender Emerson Palmieri

Inter and Atletico Madrid geared up for 2017-18 by scoring three goals apiece in friendly wins over Villarreal and Brighton and Hove Albion respectively on Sunday.

It proved to be a mixed day for Premier League teams, with Everton and Bournemouth claiming 2-2 draws against sides with considerable European pedigree.

Newcastle United, meanwhile, saw off Hellas Verona but that victory nevertheless caused some concerns for manager Rafael Benitez.

INTER SINK YELLOW SUBMARINE, TASTY DRAW FOR NAPOLI WITH CHERRIES

Stevan Jovetic, a reported target for Sevilla and Marseille, gave Inter boss Luciano Spalletti a timely reminder of his talents with a super second-half volley in the 3-1 win over Villarreal.

The 27-year-old Montenegro international r…

Should he stay or should he go? / Image via bleacherreport.com

Atletico Madrid lost the Champions League final to Real Madrid 5-3 on penalties after the match at San Siro finished 1-1 after extra time thus concluding a promising season in utter disappointment.

Having failed to keep the pace in the closure of the Spanish La Liga title chase, los Rojiblancos ultimately failed to produce when it most mattered falling short to their local rivals for the second time in three seasons in the elite club competition, following the 4-1 extra-time defeat in 2014.

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone says he will start thinking about his future with the Spanish club following the Champions League loss and the summer ahead of us could very well bring an end to the tenure th…

Marc Andre ter Stegen believes his Germany team-mate and rumoured Barcelona target Leon Goretzka is an extraordinary and remarkable midfielder who is destined for the top.

Goretzka has established himself as one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga since joining Schalke from VFL Bochum in 2013, breaking into the Germany team as a result and starring at the Confederations Cup in Russia.

The 22-year-old has enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, scoring seven goals in his last 10 matches for club and country.

Goretzka s contract runs out at the end of the season and he will be free to negotiate with other clubs in January.

Ter Stegen did not want to be drawn specifically on the links between Goretzka and Barca, but he is confident the midfielder will …

It is almost 10 years to the day that Germany failed to break down the Berlin Wall . 

That was the nickname given to Fabio Cannavaro following his influential role in Italy winning the 2006 World Cup, and, in particular, his thou shalt not pass display against the host nation in the semi-final.

The Azzurri captain was the defensive rock on which Marcello Lippi built his side.

Fast forward to Euro 2016 and Italy have a similar foundation, but this time it s not a one-man band; it s the Juventus trio of Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci.

Forget the Berlin Wall, finding a way through this rearguard is akin to scaling the walls of Turin s iconic Fiat factory.

But that is the task facing Germany in Bordeaux on Saturday night …

AC Milan welcome Juventus to San Siro on Saturday as Serie A s two most successful clubs prepare to write the latest chapter in their storied rivalry.

Juve are three points behind leaders Napoli in their chase for a seventh straight Scudetto, while Milan, despite a spending spree in the off-season following a Chinese takeover, are struggling for consistency under Vincenzo Montella.

The Rossoneri were the last side before Juve to lift the Serie A crown, but the seven-time European champions have failed to scale those heady heights in the intervening years.

Nine points adrift of the top four, a return to the Champions League already looks a faint prospect but perhaps a win over the Old Lady in front of a partisan crowd can kick-start their season.

Here, we…

Further confusing an already complicated affair, Real Sociedad officially announced the acquisition of Argentine goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.

On July 18, Manchester City struck a deal in the region of £4million with Rulli s parent club, Deportivo Maldonado in Uruguay s second division, who had the player on loan in San Sebastian since purchasing him from Estudiantes in 2014.

It was known Rulli would see out his loan until December, following which, the Basque club could have an option to buy 70% of his rights.

A statement on Real Sociedad s website confirmed the 24-year-old Rulli has signed until the end of the 2021-22 season, but no further details were made available.

Having firmly established himself as number one goalkeeper at the Anoeta, Rulli is curr…

Antoine Griezmann salvaged a point for Barcelona as their struggles in LaLiga continued with a disappointing 1-1 draw against 10-man Deportivo Alaves on Saturday.

Visitors Barca, who had lost their prior two league matches, fell behind in the first half after a goalkeeping blunder by Neto allowed Luis Rioja to open the scoring.

Alaves had Jota sent off for a second bookable offence just after the hour mark, however, and the Blaugrana quickly equalised with a fine finish from France striker Griezmann.

But Ronald Koeman s side could not forge a decisive second despite late pressure, instead seeing their winless LaLiga run extended to four matches as they languish down in 12th.

FULL TIME

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona)

Barca had begun …

A double from from Romelu Lukaku secured a 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round win for Manchester United against Huddersfield Town on Saturday, despite another controversial moment involving VAR.

The Belgium international struck early in each half to secure a quarter-final spot for Jose Mourinho s side and end their run of back-to-back away defeats.

Victory came despite Juan Mata seeing a first-half strike disallowed after a VAR referral, with the contentious decision prompting more debate about the merits of video technology.

United, who were without the ill Paul Pogba or goalkeeper David de Gea, took the lead three minutes in when Mata s pass was finished in style by Lukaku.

Huddersfield, winners in the home Premier League game against United in October, were largel…

Christian Eriksen has tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of his long-awaited return to the Danish national team next week.

The 30-year-old, who suffered a cardiac arrest during Denmark s Euro 2020 clash with Finland last June, has impressed since joining Brentford on a free transfer in January.

He registered an assist during the Bees 2-0 win over Burnley this month with what was his first goal involvement since his return to football.

Eriksen s strong club form led him to receive a call-up for his country s upcoming friendly matches, but the positive test will delay the midfielder s journey to meet up with the squad.

Although, Denmark boss Kasper Hjulmand hopes the Brentford man will still be available to feature in clashes against the Netherlands �…

Neymar s ongoing legal action against Barcelona has not harmed his relationship with club president Josep Maria Bartomeu, according to the player s father.

Ex-Barca star Neymar initiated a lawsuit against his former employers soon after joining Paris Saint-Germain in 2017.

The dispute over a €26million unpaid loyalty bonus remains before the courts but, on Thursday, Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo claimed the 27-year-old had filed a new €3.5m claim.

Neymar Sr addressed the matter in a radio interview and said it was nothing new as he expressed confidence a settlement would be reached.

It s a thing from the past, when Neymar left Barcelona, he told COPE. We always want to reach an agreement, it is better for everyone. Barcelona are not worried abou…