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Sergio Busquets conceded Barcelona face an uphill battle to retain their La Liga crown after a 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Lionel Messi scored his 700th goal but it was not enough for Barca to claim all three points at Camp Nou, where Saul Niguez scored two penalties to earn Atleti a share of the spoils.

The draw leaves Barca one point behind leaders Real Madrid, who could move four clear with a win over Getafe on Thursday.

There are five games remaining for Barca to turn things around, but midfielder Busquets acknowledged their fate may well now be out of their hands.

"Look, to fight for the title is really complicated if you're dropping two points each two games, but we're going to keep fighting until the end," the Spain international told Movistar.

"We know it's difficult but we're going to try. They're a difficult rival. We dominated and created chances but the two penalties, penalised us – it's been a real shame.

"We were leaders and in a perfect situation before the break. I think it's been difficult for us since – some matches we've played better, others we haven't.

"Dropping points today and at the weekend means we're a little bit further away from our goal, which is to retain the title. I think we played better today but it's a difficult task ahead of us."

Diego Costa's own goal from Messi's corner put Barcelona ahead, before Saul hauled Atleti level from 12 yards – his goal coming after Costa had seen his penalty saved by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, only for a VAR check to spot the goalkeeper had moved off his line.

Messi chipped home his landmark goal from the penalty spot shortly after half-time, yet Saul kept his composure with his second spot-kick of the match.

Yannick Carrasco won both of Atleti's penalties, and the Belgian – who returned to the club in January following a stint in China – was buoyed by the visitors' resilience.

"We always want to win, but I think the team played well. It's just unfortunate we couldn't get the three points," he said.

"We have to keep working and think about the next game. We were playing against one of the best teams in the world. A point away from home is always positive but we wanted to win.

"It's the attitude which is the most important facet of this team always. After that we can win or lose, but if the attitude is the correct one then the coach is happy. Today wasn't to be but we can be proud of our performance."

The Ghana Football Association (GFA) has announced the complete cancellation of the 2019-20 domestic season due to the coronavirus disruptions.

The campaign has been suspended since March 15

Tuesday’s decision was reached at an Executive Council meeting, and it represents the second straight premature termination of a football season by the West African nation.

The Ghana Premier League and FA Cup are the competitions to have been affected.

"The Executive Council of the Ghana Football Association, has taken a decision to cancel the 2019/2020 football season following a marathon meeting on Tuesday, June 30, 2020 at the GFA Secretariat in Accra. Details soon," the GFA announced on social media on Tuesday night.

Domestic football in Ghana has been on hold since a national ban on public gatherings, including sporting and religious events, came into effect as part of measures to curb spread of the coronavirus disease on March 15.

The Premier League was at the matchweek 15 stage when it was halted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Ghana's ban on all contact sports, including football, remains in effect until at least July 31.

Following recent return of some national leagues in England, Spain, Germany and Italy, there have been calls for Ghana to follow suit, but the rising numbers of infections in the West African nation has left concerns about the desire for football to return.

At the time of temporary suspension, a total of six cases had been recorded.

As at Tuesday June 30, the west African nation has registered 17,1741 cases including 113 deaths, 13,268 recoveries and 4,361 active cases. The current active cases includes 390 new cases announced on Tuesday.

Medeama, who sit sixth on the men's league table, nonetheless, want football to return as soon as possible, albeit under strict safety protocols like playing matches behind closed doors.

Personalities from Berekum Chelsea, Eleven Wonders and King Faisal, however, have called for total cancellation of the 2019-20 season.

Earlier this month, the GFA revealed it was engaging the Government of Ghana over possible resumption of the football under strict safe protocols such as playing matches behind closed doors, having had a first request rejected.

The 2019-20 season marked the return of the Ghana Premier League for the first time since 2018 after a turbulent corruption scandal caused a premature termination of the 2017-18 campaign.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says there is no threat of the revamped and rescheduled conclusion to the 2019-20 Champions League being called off because of coronavirus.

The pandemic caused the top European club football competition to be suspended in March, and there are now plans to finish it with a mini-tournament in Lisbon this August.

However it has been announced that from Wednesday this week, 19 neighbourhoods in the north of the Portuguese capital will be put back under strict lockdown rules, limiting gatherings to just five people.

Ceferin has moved to allay fears, and said he spoke to Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa and the national football federation's president Fernando Gomes via video call on Tuesday about the situation.

A statement from Ceferin read: "I would like to thank the Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa for his dedication to this project and the work he is doing alongside the Portuguese Football Federation to ensure that Portugal delivers a successful tournament.

"I am confident that with the continued and constant collaboration between all stakeholders, we will conclude the season in a positive way in Lisbon. There is no need for a Plan B."

The plan is to have all quarter- and semi-final matches, as well as the showpiece, played over a single fixture in Lisbon, rather than the two-legged affairs played at the respective home grounds of the clubs involved in the matches up to the final.

The tournament is scheduled to commence on August 12, with the final 11 days later. Matches will be split between Benfica's Stadium of Light and Sporting Lisbon's Estadio Jose Alvalade.

When the Champions League came to an enforced halt in March, only half of the last-16 ties had produced winners. Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig have booked their places in the quarter-finals by overcoming Borussia Dortmund, Valencia, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

In the other round of 16 ties, Manchester City won 2-1 at Real Madrid in their first leg match, Bayern Munich had beaten Chelsea 3-0 away, Lyon led Juventus 1-0 after their game in France, whule Napoli and Barcelona were level at 1-1.

The second legs of those fixtures are scheduled for August 7 and 8, although their venues have yet to be officially confirmed.

Manchester United's Mason Greenwood paid tribute to his now-former team-mate Angel Gomes during his celebration against Brighton on Tuesday.

The 18-year-old opened the scoring for the Red Devils' in the first half of his side's 3-0 victory in the Premier League clash.

Greenwood celebrated his sixth Premier League goal of the season by making an A with his hands in a nod to the 19-year-old, whose contract with the club expired on the same day.

Greenwood posted a picture of his celebration on Twitter confirming it was for Gomes, captioning it: "A promise is a promise."

Gomes expressed his gratitude towards the forward as he posted a picture of Greenwood celebrating in an Instagram Story, writing: "No words. I love you bro. Special, special player, thanks for the dedicated goal."

The tribute comes as Gomes' departs Man Utd on a free transfer after his contract with the club expired. 

The player and United had been trying to resolve their dispute over a new deal for several months and coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said last week that he hoped they would be able to convince the attacking midfielder to stay. 

However,  Gomes failed to reach an agreement with the Old Trafford outfit and is now a free agent.

The 19-year-old has already been linked with a move to Chelsea, though Blues boss Frank Lampard says they have not discussed making an offer . 

Gomes joined Man Utd at the age of six and progressed through the club's academy to make his first-team debut under Jose Mourinho in 2017, when he replaced Wayne Rooney in the late stages of a 2-0 win at home against Crystal Palace.

But the England Under-20 international managed just 10 appearances overall for the senior side, as he failed to make more than three in all competitions in a single campaign.

Gomes says he has modelled his playing style on former Barcelona and Spain great Andres Iniesta , adding that his childhood heroes were Juventus and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo and former Brazil duo Ronaldinho and Robinho.

Bright Edomwonyi was the hero as Austrian Wien secured a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Altach in Tuesday’s Austrian topflight encounter.

Five minutes after his introduction in the second-half, he got the all-important point as his team responded positively to their aching home loss to St. Polten on Saturday.

Despite dominating possession in the opening minutes of the encounter, the visitors were unable to beat the hosts’ backline marshalled by Berkay Dabanli and Philipp Schmiedl.

Altach’s first major threat came in the 25th minute but goalkeeper Patrick Pentz parried Sidney Sam’s shot as well as a rebound from Daniel Nussbaumer who was in an offside position.

Two minutes later, Johannes Tartarotti handed Alex Pastoor’s men the lead thanks to an assist from Sam.

The goal brought out the best from the visitors but they were unable to level matters at the Cashpoint Arena as they trailed 1-0 going to the half-time break.

Their persistence paid off in the 57th minute through Maximillian Sax who volleyed home Thomas Ebner’s assist.

As Wien chased for the winner, manager Christian Ilzer brought in Edomwonyi for James Jeggo in the 74th minute. Five minutes later, he guaranteed his team all points at stake with the winner after pushing Patrick Wimmer’s cross over the line.

The goal was the 25-year-old’s second of the season after ending a run of 22 games without a goal in team’s 2-1 away win at Swarovski Tirol.

22-year-old Gambian center-back Maudo Jarjue was not listed by Wien for the encounter. For Altach, Cameroon’s Samuel Gouet replaced Manfred Fischer in the 31st minute, while his compatriot Frantz Pangop was handed a starter’s role but was substituted in the 76th minute for Christian Gebauer.

Mali’s Ousmane Diakite who is on loan from Red Bull Salzburg was not listed for the game.

Thanks to this result, Austria Wien lead the relegation play-off log with 31 points from 31 outings. They host Mattersburg in their last game of the season on Saturday as Edomwonyi would be hoping to add to his tally.

Altach, whose safety is assured will slug it out with St. Polten at the NV Arena.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes Mason Greenwood can get even better, after the teenager impressed as Manchester United beat Brighton in the Premier League.

The 18-year-old scored United’s opener at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday night and assisted their third as Solskjaer’s side took their unbeaten run to 15 in all competitions.

The Norwegian thinks there is still more to come from the teenager who has scored 13 goals in all competitions this season.

“He’s getting better. You can see clearly that he’s maturing and improving, he’s only 18 still so we will see more from him,” Solskjaer said.

“I’ve said it throughout the year that as long as we can get him faced up in and around the box he’ll create chances for us but in this game his hold-up play and his link-up play and general movement was fantastic as well.

“It’s great when he can go inside and outside, both to his left and right. He’s a special talent, a special kid that we are going to look after, try to develop into a top top player. He’s doing well now but he is still young and has things to learn. He knows that but we have a special talent there we have to nurture.”

Greenwood was just one of the positives in a dominant performance from United in Brighton. Bruno Fernandes scored a brace and the team kept another clean sheet as every player impressed against Graham Potter’s side.

The win means United have closed the gap on fourth placed Chelsea to two points and after such a controlling performance, Solskjaer was asked if United are on the path to something special.

“We’re too far to be on the road to something special because special for this club is not where we are,” Solskjaer replied.

“But the team is improving, we’re in with a shout for the Champions League next year and we still have the FA Cup and Europa League to play and the team is improving, the players are coming back and the style is better.

"We can play against different types of teams now, we know we have pace on the counter and when the space is there, we have more players and we are better at dominating teams.

“It’s been good since the restart, everyone has worked really hard over the restart and we agreed before the lockdown what we were going to do and everyone was true to their word and came back fitter and stronger and we are ready to keep pushing on and challenging the teams in front of us.”

Bruno Fernandes admits he doesn't want to talk too much about his combination with Paul Pogba after he helped Manchester United to another crucial win.

The Red Devils eased past Brighton on Tuesday night, cruising to a 3-0 victory at Falmer Stadium.

Mason Greenwood opened the scoring with a lovely finish in the 16th minute before Fernandes doubled the lead in the 29th minute.

The two then linked up for United's third, with Greenwood's cross being volleyed home spectacularly by Fernandes to finish off the scoring.

Fernandes' brace now gives him six goals in a Red Devils shirt, having played only 13 matches for the club.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side have thrived since Fernandes made the move from Sporting, as Man Utd now sits within two points of fourth-place Chelsea.

Much has been made about Pogba's return from injury which has seen him link up with Fernandes, but the Portugal star is eager to ensure the focus isn't just on their pairing. 

"I don't want to talk too much about me and Paul Pogba, we are happy to play together but I am happy to play with everyone," Fernandes told Sky Sports. 

"We can combine together, we have qualities, but we know that we have team-mates who can do well.

"The most important thing is the three points but we played well and the result was good. We didn't concede again which is important. David de Gea made two or three amazing saves, we are very happy.

"We knew that we needed to push forwards and to try and score from minute one. I was lucky with the first goal and the second goal was amazing, an amazing pass from Mason.

"We are fighting for a place in the Champions League and we know we can achieve this." 

Manchester United will face off with Bournemouth on Saturday with just six games remaining in the Premier League season after that match.

In those six games, they'll face Aston Villa, Southampton, Crystal Palace and West Ham before ending the season with two vital matches against Chelsea and third-place Leicester.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are set to face West Ham on Wednesday. 

Lionel Messi scored the 700th goal of his career but Barcelona were held to a 2-2 draw against Atletico Madrid by a pair of Saul Niguez penalties, damaging their LaLiga title defence.

Barca's all-time leading scorer Messi brought up the milestone at Camp Nou with a brilliant Panenka from the penalty spot as he punished Felipe for sending Nelson Semedo to ground early in the second half.

However, Saul, who first equalised in the opening period after Diego Costa's own goal, powered home from 12 yards for the second time after Semedo caught Yannick Carrasco in the box.

The result provided a boost to Real Madrid, who can open up a four-point advantage at the summit by beating Getafe on Thursday.

Messi appeared to have ended his wait for his landmark goal in the 11th minute, but his corner only beat Jan Oblak due to a deflection off the inside of Costa's leg.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen saved a penalty from Costa after Arturo Vidal tripped Carrasco, only for a VAR review to spot the goalkeeper had strayed off his line. A re-take was ordered and Saul guided the ball into the bottom-right corner.

Messi curled a magnificent attempt from the right corner of the box narrowly wide, before steering a cutback from Jordi Alba outside the left upright and seeing a deflected free-kick turned behind by Oblak before half-time.

Barca regained the lead five minutes after the restart when Messi cheekily chipped home his 700th goal from the penalty spot.

Costa missed the target with a header but Carrasco won another penalty and Saul's spot-kick found the net off the gloves of Ter Stegen.

Vidal was unable to find the target with a pair of decent opportunities as Barca were forced to settle for a draw that will do little to quell the rumours of discontent in the dressing room.

What does it mean? Barca falter again

Quique Setien changed his approach for the visit of Atleti, leaving Antoine Griezmann and Ansu Fati on the bench and playing Riqui Puig behind a front two of Messi and Luis Suarez.

The Blaugrana dominated possession throughout but proved vulnerable on the counter-attack and Setien did not change formation until he introduced Fati in the 85th minute – Griezmann came on five minutes later.

It was too late and Barca have now drawn three of their past four LaLiga fixtures and seen the two-point lead they held when the season was interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic evaporate. With five games remaining, Setien needs to turn things around quickly.

Magical Messi not enough

Everything positive for Barca was funnelled through Messi – he had more shots in the first half than the entire Atleti team. After three games without a goal he reached his milestone with class, but Diego Simeone's men were still able to snatch a point.

Costa's miserable outing

After narrowly missing out on connecting with a teasing Carrasco free-kick in the sixth minute, Costa put the ball in the net at the other end. His penalty was poor and he was fortunate VAR offered Atletico a second chance to equalise.

What's next?

Atleti are back in action at home to Real Mallorca on Friday, while Barcelona face a tricky trip to Villarreal on Sunday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a stunning goal as Juventus restored their four-point lead at the top of Serie A with a 3-1 victory over struggling Genoa.

Lazio's win over Torino had seen the gap at the top of Serie A closed to one point prior to kick-off at Stade Luigi Ferraris, but Maurizio Sarri's side ultimately made light work of their hosts.

After a dominant first-half display failed to produce the goods, Juve made the pressure count early in the second period – Paulo Dybala opening the scoring before Ronaldo picked out the top right-hand corner of the net in sensational fashion.

Substitute Douglas Costa then put the visitors out of sight with an equally impressive strike before Andrea Pinamonti drilled in a 76th-minute consolation for Genoa.

Juve wasted little time in getting on the front foot, with Mattia Perin, on loan from the Bianconeri, pulling off two smart stops in quick succession to deny Ronaldo.

Perin's strong display against his parent club continued before the break, Adrien Rabiot heading straight at him from close range before the goalkeeper made an outstanding stop from a Ronaldo strike.

Juve's breakthrough finally came five minutes after the break, though, Dybala twisting his way clear of several defenders before lashing in a shot which Perin could only help into the net.

With Genoa's resolve broken, Juve had their second six minutes later, Ronaldo hammering home his 24th Serie A goal of the season from 25 yards out.

Costa curled in an exquisite third shortly after coming on as a substitute to wrap up Juve's third successive league win since the restart, though Genoa had the final say when Pinamonti finished from a tight angle.

What does it mean? No slip-ups in the Scudetto race

The pressure is on Juve, with Lazio bouncing back from their 3-2 defeat to Atalanta by beating Torino. The Bianconeri seem to be going from strength to strength, however, with Ronaldo and Dybala in scintillating form.

Ronaldo and Dybala do the damage

Sarri has not always been able to accommodate his star strikers to get the best out of both of them, yet that certainly was not the case on Tuesday – Ronaldo looked sharp from the off, while Dybala displayed exceptional individual skill to craft the space for his opener.

Perin gives his parent club a helping hand

Having made nine league appearances for Juve last term, Perin was superb in the first half. Yet the 27-year-old will have been disappointed by his efforts for Dybala's opener as he got down to the strike only to fail to parry it wide.

Key Opta Facts

- Juventus have scored at least two goals in all their last six league games, their best run since February 2019.
- In 2020, Ronaldo has scored 14 goals, more than any other Serie A player.
- Dybala has scored in his last four Serie A games, his longest streak since September 2017.
- Ronaldo has equalled his number of goals of last season - 28 in all competitions.
- Pinamonti has scored in two games in a row for Genoa for the first time in Serie A.

What's next?

It is the Turin derby up next for Juve, who host Torino on Saturday, while 17th-place Genoa face Udinese a day later.

Ex-Nigeria international Mutiu Adepoju has thrown his weight behind the Confederation of African Football’s decision to postpone the Africa Cup of Nations.

During Caf’s executive committee meeting on Tuesday, they resolved that the championship billed for commencement on January 9, 2021 in Cameroon will now take place in 2022 owing to the impact of Covid-19.

“After consultation with stakeholders and taking into consideration the current global situation, the tournament has been rescheduled for January 2022. The date for the final tournament and the remaining matches of the qualifiers will be communicated in due course,” a statement from Caf read.

Currently, qualifying games are yet to be concluded while Europe-based stars might be affected because of a likely congested season should the competition go as planned.

The former Super Eagles midfielder has taken to social media to share his thoughts on the resolution.

According to him, shifting the African football showpiece will enable hosts Cameroon touches to their preparations while participating countries would have enough time to prepare for the tournament.

“I was wondering about the kind of magic the Confederation of African would perform to host the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations,” the former Real Madrid and Real Sociedad star tweeted.

“But with this postponement, there is more time for effective planning for the hosts, while countries would have enough time to prepare.

“And by then, players would really be in their best shape. Good decision from Caf.”

Meanwhile, president Ahmad Ahmad also ousted rumours that the Central African country would be replaced as hosts. Cameroon were denied the hosting right of the 2019 edition due to their unpreparedness.

“The Caf Executive Committee is satisfied with the Cameroonian authorities for their commitment towards the hosting of the two competitions. Cameroon is ready to host either competition and are within schedule " he said as quoted by Caf website.

Algeria are the defending champion having defeated Senegal 1-0 in the final of Egypt 2019, with Baghdad Bounedjah scoring the only goal at the Cairo International Stadium.

The case is different for women’s football as the 2020 African Women’s Cup of Nations has been cancelled. However, the women’s Champions League has been inaugurated and will start in 2021.

Brentford’s Premier League ambition recorded a big boost following Tuesday’s 3-0 away victory at Reading, with Cameroon-prospect Bryan Mbeumo found the net.

The Bees went into the game on the back of three consecutive wins in the Championship, while the Royals were hoping to return to winning ways after a 2-1 defeat at Derby County on Saturday.

Profiting from an assist from Ethan Pinnock, Mbeumo gave the visitors a 23rd minute lead at the Madejski Stadium.

The 20-year-old headed from close range after Pinnock had nodded to his path a corner kick from Emiliano Marcondes.

Reading pushed for an equaliser in the second half as they looked dangerous with Pontus Jansson blocking a shot from Michael Olise which could have tested goalkeeper David Raya.

Yakou Meite also missed a glaring chance at the far post after controlling a cross from Frenchman Olise.

Joshua Dasilva put the game beyond the Royals with a 64th-minute goal after lifting the ball over goalkeeper Rafael, before Mbeumo’s replacement Joel Valencia sealed the triumph in the 90th minute with Christian Noergaard credited for the assist.

Before Mbeumo’s substitution, he lasted for 61 minutes, while South Africa’s Kamohelo Mokotjo was introduced for Marcondes with eight minutes left to play.

Algeria international Said Benrahma was on parade from start to finish, while Guinea's Julian Jeanvier and Ghana's Tarique Fosu were unused substitutes by manager Thomas Frank.

For Reading, Cote d’Ivoire’s Meite, on-loan Liverpool midfielder Ovie Ejaria, Anglo-Ugandan Jordan Obita as well as Zimbabwe prospect Andy Rinomhota were on parade from start to finish.

Kenyan forward Ayub Masika, Guinea-Bissau's Pele and Gabriel Osho who is of Nigerian descent were unused substitutes. That was not the case for Sone Aluko, Andy Yiadom and Mo Barrow who were not listed for action.

With this result, Brentford stay in third having garnered 69 points from 40 games - six points below leaders Leeds United - who were held to a 1-1 draw at home by relegation-threatened Luton Town on Tuesday.

They welcome Leon Balogun’s Wigan to Griffin Park on Saturday with Reading visiting Luton.

Mikel Arteta is adamant Mesut Ozil’s wages will never come into his mind when it comes to selecting his squad for a matchday.

Arsenal’s head coach left the playmaker, who pockets £350,000 a week and is Arsenal’s highest earner, out of the squad for the trip to Brighton on June 20.

Ozil did return for the 2-0 victory at Southampton but was an unused substitute, and was then missing completely at Sheffield United on Sunday due to a back injury.

The German remains a doubt for Wednesday night’s home game against Norwich but even if fit he would be unlikely to start, with Arteta having publicly called on the 31-year-old to do more in training.

Arsenal’s head coach admitted ahead of the match with the Canaries that Ozil is not happy with the situation he finds himself in, but was adamant that his sky high wages will not change his mind when it comes to how he selects his team each week.

“Never,” said Arteta. “That is an agreement that the player and club were happy to do, to move ahead and it is never [one] that I question.

"I think players are paid whatever they deserve because there are two parties here and that should never be something I have to judge.

“I want all my players at their best and to have the ability to be able to pick them to help the squad as much as possible and that's the only intention I have.

“I believe that he's not very happy because he's not playing but as well he picked up an injury the other day and we have to wait and see how he evolves.”

Arteta was a team-mate of Ozil’s during his playing days at Arsenal and when he returned to the club in December he appeared to have handed the German a lifeline in north London.

Having often found himself marginalised by Unai Emery, Ozil was brought straight back into the side by Arteta and started all 10 of the Spaniard’s league games in charge before football’s coronavirus enforced suspension in March.

He has yet to play a single minute since the restart, however, but Arteta insists he is well aware of the qualities he can still bring when at top form.

“I know him really well because I played with him,” he said. “Mesut has unique qualities. He is a very special player for the position he plays, how specific he is in the qualities that he has and what he can bring to the team. I don’t think much has changed.

“Obviously he adapted to the league and he needed some time but he started to perform pretty quickly and he established himself in this league for a long time, something that is not easy to do.”

After being hauled off at half-time against Leicester City, Frank Lampard is hoping Mason Mount picks himself up to do battle against his best friend Declan Rice and West Ham United.

Having completed 3,091 minutes this season and after playing the full match in each of the previous games, the 21-year-old wasn't his usual spritely self as Lampard looked to his subs to finish the job in the FA Cup against Leicester City.

The only outfield player to have completed more minutes than Mount for Chelsea this season is captain Cesar Azpilicueta, and the Blues manager admits that he is leaning upon him as much at Stamford Bridge as he did at Derby County, despite hauling him off at the weekend.

"I rely on Mason a lot. I did at Derby, I do at Chelsea," Lampard told reporters ahead of his side's trip to the London Stadium. "He brings so much to the team in his work ethic and the way he can start the press in midfield and obviously his quality on the ball which is only going to get better and it’s already at a high level.

"Mason wouldn’t have been happy to come off at half time. I know that from myself and if there’s one comparison I can make is that I know if he’s not playing, then he won’t be happy.

"He should not be happy that evening, but then straight back to it afterwards because he knows how much I trust in him and he works brilliantly every day.

"When I say Mason, I mean Billy [Gilmour] and Reece [James] in the same breath because they show a similar attitude. There will be no problem with Mason because it was a one-off game, I had to make a decision and it doesn’t affect my thinking for West Ham or going forwards.

“I think the first two games after the restart, which Mason played 90 minutes in both, at Aston Villa he was incredibly lively with the ball, gave them a lot of problems going forward, probably unfortunate not to score or have an assist.

"The work ethic and quality that he showed against Manchester City was also incredible and the performance we showed as a team was also really good.

"So, he had two big performances in a week and then in the Leicester game; Mason didn’t really have a bad performance, it was a performance in line with the team and my choices to change were about the players that I could bring into that performance rather than the players who were on the pitch, because I could have made a lot of changes in that game.

"It was more about whether I could bring some energy into the team."

On Wednesday night, Lampard's side will look to avoid a second defeat of the season to West Ham, who are desperately battling against relegation.

The match will see London rivals face off but also best friends as Mount and Rice compete. The pair broke the UK lockdown rules in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic to play five-a-side football together.

Ever the professionals, the news seemed uncharacteristic and Lampard moved to remind Mount of his responsibilities and offered his view on the pair's friendship.

“I had the shortest word possible," he added about Mount's misconduct. "Mason was very innocently, and, as you say, naively wrong at the time and he very quickly held his hands up to that.

"But he was kicking a ball about and that’s so typical of Mason and how he lives his life. So I had the shortest ever conversation with Mason. He was pretty apologetic and said he got it wrong straight away and we moved on.

"In that sort of circumstance [of Rice and Mount's friendship ahead of kick-off] but you can also become overly focused on that relationship and have a not so good game. They are two very good players.

"But there is only one thing I will ask of Mason – and from my point of view that is obviously all I care about going into this one. He texts him tonight, he smiles at him in the tunnel or whatever it is, but if and when they go up against each other he has try to beat him in every individual battle that he possibly can.

"Sensing Rice's character, I am sensing they will both be like-minded on that one. We will see."

Indeed, Chelsea have been credited with an interest in Rice on and off for the last year, but Lampard has brushed off the speculation.

West Ham boss David Moyes is keen to see his ex-Chelsea academy star stick around for a while longer. However, having managed at Manchester United in the recent past, he is aware that the young England international has some improving to do to get to the top level.

"If you think of the great players that have been at West Ham over the last 125 years, some stunning players," Moyes said ahead of the match. "Declan Rice is not anywhere close to that level yet, he has got a lot of improvement to do to meet that level but he is a very, very good player.

"I have had the chance to see a lot of players at the top level, their qualities, Declan has many, many of them. My idea is to build West Ham around Declan Rice. I see Declan Rice as a future captain of West Ham for many reasons.

"I am looking forward to working with Declan and unless I am told different or things change he is a very big part of the club to me."

Chelsea's form since the return to action following the relaxing of Covid-19 restrictions from the UK Government has seen them continue a spell of good form. Three wins from three sees them in the FA Cup semi-final and firmly in the top four places in the Premier League.

Lampard has managed his squad well, using the five substitutions available and heavy rotation leaving Moyes under no illusions about the level of challenge for his Hammers side during the midweek clash.

"They have so many different attacking options," he added. "First of all you wouldn’t know what players are going to play, but I think the style is they get a lot of players forward. They’re good at it.

"They also have one or two world-class holding midfielders who give them the balance to allow them to attack from that position. They’re a good side. They’re an energetic side, which everybody has seen this season."

Josh Sargent says that he had "goosebumps" after scoring for Werder Bremen over the weekend, with the U.S. men's national team forward's long-awaited goal helping keep his side's Bundesliga hopes alive.

Sargent scored Werder Bremen's sixth and final goal against Koln over the weekend, helping seal a 6-1 win on the final day of the season.

The victory gives Werder Bremen the chance to remain in the Bundesliga, with the club qualifying for the relegation playoff.

Saturday's win saw Werder Bremen leapfrog fellow USMNT stars Zack Steffen, Alfredo Morales and Fortuna Dusseldorf, who will be relegated to the 2. Bundesliga.

Werder Bremen, meanwhile, will face Heidenheim in a two-leg playoff with the winner earning a spot in the Bundesliga.

On a personal level, the goal was Sargent's fourth of the season, but only his second goal since October.

"I have worked hard for this," Sargent told Werder.TV. "Finally I’ve scored the goal. It was just like: what’s happening here? It was crazy.”

He added: “I had goosebumps. I think everyone felt the same: I can’t believe what just happened. We always said that we will fight until the end. That was a very proud moment for the team."

When Sargent came onto the pitch as a substitute in the second half of Saturday's victory, he was the only player on the field that knew Werder Bremen's situation.

The club needed a win and a Dusseldorf loss to leapfrog their relegation rivals, with Sargent aware that Union Berlin were dominating in the other key match.

“I spoke to Niklas Moisander after the game and he said he had no idea what the score was in Berlin until they announced in the stadium that it was 3-0 to Union,” he said.

Sargent, who joined Bremen in 2017, has made 32 appearances for the club in all competitions this season.

That comes on the heels of a 2018-19 campaign that saw him make his first-team debut, scoring two goals across 10 matches for the German side.

Sargent and Werder Bremen will host Heidenheim in the first leg of their playoff on Thursday before visiting the 2. Bundesliga side on Monday for the second leg.

"We now have two more games left," Sargent said. "And we will continue fighting.”

Lionel Messi received a late birthday gift on Tuesday as he netted against Atletico Madrid to mark the 700th goal of his professional career. 

Messi, who turned 33 on June 24, converted after 50 minutes to put his team 2-1 ahead against Diego Simeone's side. 

He reached the milestone with consummate style as well, dinking a panenka penalty over Atletico goalkeeper Jan Oblak.The Slovenia international dived early and was powerless to prevent the strike from crossing the line. 

The Argentine forward also demonstrated his showmanship in his celebration, clicking his fingers and winking for the cameras.

The penalty was awarded when full back Nelson Semedo latched on to a pas down the right inside channel; Atletico defender Felipe went to meet him but could only bring down the right back with an outstretched boot, and the referee pointed to the spot.

Messi appropriately reached the mark at Camp Nou, his home stadium for the entirity of his club playing career. The only downside was that he could not score in front of the Barcelona fans, with all La Liga matches being played behind closed doors due to the ongoing threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

He has now scored 630 for the Catalans, making him the club's all-time top scorer by some distance, with another 70 strikes coming in international colours for Argentina.

In doing so he joins a select group of football legends who have earned a place in the 700 club. 

Juventus and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo is the only current player other than Messi to have reached the landmark, boasting 725 strikes in 1002 professional appearances for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid, the Bianconeri and his national team. 

Leo, however, has broken 700 in just 860 matches between Barcelona and Argentina, more than 100 fewer than his former Clasico rival at Madrid needed to reach the same figure. 

Czech-Austrian idol Josef Bican holds the all-time record for goals scored in competitive football, having hit 805 in a career that spanned almost three decades and included spells at Rapid Vienna, Slavia Prague and both the Austria and Czechoslovak national teams. 

Behind Bican lie another Barca favourite, Romario (772/994), Pele (767/831), Hungary legend Ferenc Puskas (746/754), Germany's Gerd Muller (735/793) and Ronaldo (725/1002).

Manchester United's push for a top-four spot continued on Tuesday as they cruised to a 3-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium.

United wasted little time stamping their authority on the game as strikes from Mason Greenwood and Bruno Fernandes put them two up before the half-hour mark.

Greenwood was the provider for Fernandes' second after 50 minutes as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side made it eight games unbeaten in the Premier League.

The result moved United up to fifth, two points behind Chelsea, although they have played a game more. Brighton, meanwhile, remained in 15th, six points above the relegation zone.

United started on the front foot, with Fernandes crashing a long-range effort against the post after 12 minutes.

They did not have to wait long to open the scoring, though, Greenwood surging into the penalty area, bamboozling Lewis Dunk with a series of stepovers and clipping a smart finish past Mat Ryan at his near post in the 16th minute. 

That advantage was doubled in the 29th minute when Fernandes' strike from 20 yards took a wicked deflection off Alexis Mac Allister to wrongfoot Ryan.

A devastating counter attack led to United's third five minutes after the restart, Greenwood picking out Fernandes at the back post with a sumptuous cross, with the Portuguese volleying past a helpless Ryan from eight yards.

Substitute Leandro Trossard twice flashed efforts wide after the hour mark, while David de Gea tipped over Aaron Connolly's strike as Brighton belatedly woke from their slumber.

Graham Potter's men failed to score a consolation, though, as United strolled to the most comfortable of away wins. 

What does it mean? New-look United taking shape

Big things were expected from Fernandes when he joined from Sporting CP in January and he has not disappointed. Not only has he proven to be a potent goal threat – his brace took his tally to five goals in eight Premier League games – but he has elevated those around him.

United have been insipid in attack for so long but with Fernandes conducting an exciting forward line, fans might dare to dream of a title push in the coming seasons.  

Greenwood continues to sparkle

The 18-year-old has enjoyed a superb breakout season for United and once again showed why he is such an exciting talent. It is testament to his prodigious ability that he slots in so seamlessly alongside seasoned internationals like Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Fernandes.

Lewis slam Dunk-ed by Reds

The Seagulls captain endured a game to forget. He offered little resistance to Greenwood for United's first and failed to effectively marshal his defence throughout.

Key Opta Facts

- United extended their unbeaten run to 15 matches across all competitions (W11 D4); only Bayern Munich (25 games) are currently on a longer such streak without defeat among all sides in Europe’s big-five leagues.
- Brighton have won fewer Premier League games in 2020 than any other side (P13 W1 D7 L5).
- United have kept more clean sheets in their last 13 league games (eight) than they managed in their first 40 under manager Solskjær (seven).
- Greenwood's six goals for Man Utd in 2019-20 is the most by a player aged 18 or younger in a single Premier League season since Wayne Rooney scored nine for Everton in 2003-04.
- Since his debut in February, Fernandes has been directly involved in more goals in all competitions than any other Premier League player (10 - six goals, four assists).
- Fernandes has been directly involved in eight goals in his first eight league games for Man Utd (five goals, three assists) - only Robin van Persie has had more goal involvements (nine) after as many games at the start of his Premier League career with the club.

What's next?

United will be confident of securing a third consecutive Premier League win when a struggling Bournemouth visit Old Trafford on Saturday, while Brighton travel to Norwich City on the same day.

Former France international of Ghanaian descent Marcel Desailly explained his decision to leave the Black Stars out of his title favourites for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt was partly to help take pressure off the team.

The West Africans went into the continental gathering in search of a fifth trophy, having endured a series of misses since last winning the cup in 1982.

The quest, however, ended in yet another disappointment as the Black Stars suffered a Round of 16 exit, their first time of failing to make the quarter-final since 2006.

“I said that to reduce a little bit of pressure and expectation around the team," Desailly told Footballmadeinghana.

"I did also in purpose to help but at the same time it was true deep down what I was thinking.

“I knew that individually we were not strong enough to make the difference and perform but I was hoping that collectively, we were going to be clever enough to play all together at the same time at our best level to be able to pull off a surprise.

"Just a surprise [because] it could have not been something obvious from the beginning.

“I was having doubts, I was not fully convinced about the tactical set up that was put in place.

"He [coach Kwasi Appiah] could have done better.

"He should’ve tried to protect less of the talented players he had and killed some of the egos to be able to have a group of players who might be less talented but ready for the battle.

"This is why I identified that Ghana was going to have some difficulties.”

Ghana opened their Afcon 2019 campaign with a 2-2 draw with Benin.

After a 0-0 stalemate with Cameroon on matchday two, the Black Stars got their first win of the championship through a 2-0 triumph over Guinea-Bissau.

Appiah's side finished top of Group F, setting up a Round of 16 date with Tunisia which ended in a 5-4 penalty shout-out defeat, the match having ended 1-1 after extra-time.

The Black Stars, now under new coach CK Akonnor, are seeking to make amends for the 2019 disappointment with victory at the next championship in Cameroon in 2022.

Ghana are on course to compete at the next continental gathering, now postponed, as they currently lead qualifying Group C after two rounds of matches.

Lille boss Christophe Galtier has praised Super Eagles star Victor Osimhen as a similar player to Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and PSG star Edinson Cavani.

Osimhen shone in his maiden season in Ligue 1 before the 2019-20 campaign was cancelled, with his contribution of 13 goals and four assists which helped Lille finish fourth on the league table.

In rewarding his dazzling form, the Nigeria international was crowned as the best African player in the Ligue 1 for this season on Monday.

Galtier, in his reaction to the honour, was full of praise for Osimhen and lauded his ability to score goals, by comparing him with Cavani who won the Ligue 1 top scorer in 2016–17 and 2017–18.

“He has a great determination to want to score. He is obsessed with the goal as Cavani can be,” Galtier told RFI.

“He is a player who has great athletic potential, who is able to repeat efforts. He gives a lot of depth and speed to his game.

“He is a very important asset for a team. He improved in associations when we went to 4-4-2 to be able to combine with his partners.

"He is an axis player, powerful, who goes fast and who is quite skilful in front of the goal. Obviously, he will have to continue working to improve all these qualities, and also his offensive head game."

Galtier has helped three African stars, including Osimhen, win the Marc Vivien Foe prize in his coaching career.

The Frenchman was Saint-Etienne manager in 2013 when Aubameyang won the coveted award, and he also guided Nicolas Pepe to clinch it before his move to Arsenal last summer.

In his assessment, he rates Osimhen as a similar player to the Gabonese star because of their hard work to achieve success while Pepe was a natural talent.

“You mentioned Pierre-Emerick Aubmeyang who also received the Marc-Vivien Foé Prize when he played with me in Saint-Etienne,” he said.

"But if I have to compare Victor Osimhen with Nicolas Pepe and Pierre Emerick Aubameyang whom I directed, I would say that Nicolas has an innate, intrinsic technical quality. It's a gift.

“Aubameyang is a little bit like Victor. Aubameyang has worked a lot to reach a very very high level. He had the intelligence to go through an intermediate club with Dortmund and it was there that he integrated what was the very highest level.

“In Saint-Etienne, we managed to make it grow, to hatch it. I think Victor has this same profile in the character, in the human relationship, but also in the intrinsic qualities. In the choice he will have to make for his future club - because we will not hide our faces.”

Thanks to his fine form in front of goal, Osimhen has been attracting interest from a number of European clubs and is reportedly nearing a Lille exit.

Galtier confirmed the transfer situation around the 21-year-old and he is confident he will adapt to any league he finds himself.

“He is a player who is in great demand by many European clubs,” he continued.

“In the club project, there is the economic aspect but also in the player's mind, it is important. If the club is happy, the president is happy, and the player too, it is that we will have worked well.

“We are all in the same state of mind. Victor wants to see what is happening at the highest level, it also fits into the club's economic model.

“Victor will adapt to all championships. He's a very good player. I am convinced that he can play in all championships.”

Zaragoza have confirmed the signing of Morocco international Hanane Ait El Haj from Moroccan side ASFAR.

The defender will arrive at Estadio Pedro Sancho in the summer after seeing out the 2019-20 campaign with ASFAR, whom she helped win the Moroccan top-flight titles in the last four years. 

Her switch will see the Raja d'Agadir-born former Najah de Souss and Nadi Baladi de Laayoune defender move to pursue her professional career with the Reto Iberdrola club in Spain.

Having agreed on personal terms, Ait El Haj's signing represents the ambition of Nacho Bracero's side as the Moroccan becomes his sixth new arrival this summer ahead of the new season.

She also will become the third African to join the Spanish club after the signing of Zambia duo Racheal Nachula and Hellen Mubanga, from Green Buffaloes and Red Arrows, last week.

Besides the signed African trio, Zaragoza has also secured the services of Austria's Annelie Leitner, America's Mady Brown and Venezuela's Lisbeth Castro.

Her move will also swell the list of Moroccan female footballers to ply their trade in Spain after Meryem Hajri with Sporting Huelva.

After a routine medical at the club, Ait El Haj will hope to boost the ranks of Zaragoza and inspire the team to the top-flight next term.