Costa: 2017 will be my year

Karim Benzema has hinted this could be his best season in a Real Madrid shirt, following his side s knockout win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

The talismanic Benzema scored a hat-trick in Madrid s epic comeback from a two-goal aggregate deficit, which meant he surpassed Alfredo di Stefano as the club s third-highest goalscorer with his total of 309, including 67 Champions League goals – now ahead of Raul.

While the 34-year-old was sceptical on whether Wednesday night s win was his best game for Madrid, this season is providing some individual enthusiasm.

I don’t know if it s my best game because I also remember the Champions League final against Liverpool,  Benzema told Real Madrid TV.

If it is, it s because of the goals, be…

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard expects incredible Gareth Bale to give Tottenham a major boost if he secures a return to the Premier League club.

Bale left Spurs for Real Madrid in 2013 for a then-world record fee of €100milion (£85m) and he went on to enjoy huge success in Spain.

But the past few years have been tumultuous for the Welshman and he finally appears set to leave Madrid in favour of a return to Spurs, having already arrived in London to complete a deal alongside Sergio Reguilon, a team-mate of his at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale developed into one of the Premier League s best players during his first spell with Spurs, during which time he regularly played against Lampard.

And, presuming the deal goes through without a hitch, Lampard believes C…

According to a recent report from Tuttosport, former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has travelled to Milan as rumours run wild that he could be in line to take over as Inter Milan’s new manger. Luciano Spalletti, the current boss, is rumoured to be on his way out, and a move for Mourinho would mark his return to the San Siro after he spent two years there with Inter between 2008 and 2010.

Mourinho is reportedly set to hold talks with the club’s CEO Giuseppe Marotta, as he prepares to thrust himself back into the weird and wonderful world of European football.

Mourinho had a turbulent time at Old Trafford for the most part, but after spending a few months away from the game, it seems as if he’s ready to dive straight back into the madness.

Jose won…

For Elneny, though, the dream is to then lead his eponymous club to the very top and defy any critics – much like his earlier playing days.

“I remember one journalist was talking to me in Egypt and he asked me, last question, he said to me: ‘Mo, where you do you want to play?’,” Elneny said.

“I was playing for a club (Al Mokawloon) in the middle of the table in Egypt but I said to him ‘I want to play at the Nou Camp in Barcelona’.

“I swear to you, he just walked off and didn’t continue the interview with me, no thank you, no goodbye or anything, he just walked off.

“My friend said ‘look where you are. Look where you are in the middle of the table in Egypt, how are you going to get to one of the best teams in the world’?

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Looking to cause an upset at St. Mary s this weekend, Southampton will welcome Manchester United to the South Coast on Sunday afternoon.

Southampton

Starting with the hosts, while Southampton would have been disappointed to have had to settle for a point away at Wolves after taking the lead on Monday night, the Saints have hugely impressed since opening the 2020/2021 campaign. Still firmly battling it out in the European spots, Ralph Hasenhüttl s men find themselves enjoying a glittering seven-match Premier League unbeaten run that stems all the way back to September 20th. Making a host of alterations after opening the New Year with back-to-back defeats at the hands of Tottenham and Crystal Palace, the former RB Leipzig boss finds th…

Jose Mourinho said Diego Maradona would always call him after big defeats as a manager, the Tottenham boss remembering the Argentina and Napoli great after his death.

Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata head coach Maradona – arguably football s greatest ever player – died of natural causes at the age of 60 on Wednesday.

Thousands gathered to farewell the football legend in Buenos Aires on Thursday during three days of national mourning in his homeland, where Maradona s coffin was draped in the Argentina flag at Casa Rosada – the presidential mansion.

Former Real Madrid, Inter, Chelsea and Manchester United manager Mourinho paid tribute to World Cup winner and friend Maradona following Tottenham s 4-0 rout of Ludogorets in the Europa League on Thursday.

Jose…

In what was a heavyweight Premier League showdown on Saturday evening, Manchester City dropped a pair of costly points as they had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.

While Pep Guardiola’s men might have been looking to make a major statement here and extend on their 11-match winning run, the Sky Blues were outplayed for large spells on home soil.

With the Etihad left stunned just three minutes before the half-time break as former City superstar Raheem Sterling produced a slick finish, the defending champions failed to find much fluidity.

However, while Rodri might have eventually powered home in the final few minutes as City snatched a late point, there is no doubt that Guardiola’s men missed out on a real opportunity.

Although Chelsea might h…

Anfield will be expanded to include an additional 7,000 seats, taking Liverpool s stadium to an overall capacity of more than 61,000, the club has confirmed.

Liverpool City Council gave the plans to redevelop the Anfield Road Stand approval in June, and on Wednesday the Reds revealed the expansion will officially start with a ceremony next week.

It is set to be completed ahead of the 2023-24 season.

Liverpool confirmed the redevelopment works will be conducted while the ground is still in use for matches.

Andy Hughes, managing director of Liverpool FC, said: We have been clear from the beginning that in order for this expansion to go ahead we needed the co-operation of local residents and the community, to successfully navigate the complex planning lands…

Holders Bayern Munich look to move another step closer to retaining their Champions League title when they face Lazio, while Atletico Madrid and Chelsea do battle in Bucharest on Tuesday.

Bayern cruised into the round of 16 as Group A winners, claiming five victories and a draw in six games, and will be expected to knock Serie A side Lazio out, although they will arrive in Rome on the back of a 2-1 defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Lazio and the Bundesliga leaders will lock horns at Stadio Olimpico in the first leg, but there will be no home advantage for Atleti when they take on Thomas Tuchel s Chelsea.

Coronavirus-related travel restrictions meant the game was moved to the National Arena in the capital of Romania, which Tuchel believes will give his side an …

Arsenal are preparing to open contract negotiations with Jorginho following a string of standout performances, the PA news agency understands.

The 32-year-old Italy midfielder is out of contract at the end of the season.

Jorginho joined Arsenal from London rivals Chelsea last January and has so far made 41 appearances across all competitions, scoring once.

A Euro 2020 winner at Wembley, the former Napoli player has impressed Gunners boss Mikel Arteta with his professional approach and has added much-needed experience to a young squad at the Emirates Stadium.

It is understood that a one-year deal with the option of a further year is planned as an opening point for talks with Jorginho, who won the Champions League and Europa League during his five-year stin…