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Romelu Lukaku has "found his happiness" again at Inter and will have no regrets over leaving Manchester United.

That is the view of former United star Robin van Persie, who believes Lukaku is thriving in Italy after losing his way at Old Trafford.

The Belgium international may get the chance to show the Premier League club what they are missing if Inter and United win their respective Europa League semi-finals.

The Serie A side face Shakhtar Donetsk while United take on Sevilla, with Van Persie impressed by Antonio Conte's well-drilled Inter, led by a reinvigorated Lukaku.

"He [Lukaku] looks happy, Conte works his players very hard – [Stefan] De Vrij once told me that pre-season is very hard," the former Netherlands striker told Stats Perform News.  "You can see that they are acting as one.

"He made the right choice; he's got his confidence back. He's having a great time, he looks happy. Based on his last years at Manchester United, he wasn't, so he found his happiness again."

Lukaku spent two years with United after joining from Everton in 2017, scoring 28 goals in 66 games in the English top flight for the Red Devils.

He netted 23 times in 36 outings in Serie A this term as Inter finished just a point behind champions Juventus.

While he may be happy at Inter, another former Red Devils striker, Dimitar Berbatov, says Lukaku will still have frustrations at United and will be looking to take them out on his former employers.

"Lukaku is a concern for me, he's scored 23 goals for Inter this season which is a great achievement," Berbatov told  Betfair . 

"I always said I liked him as a player, that if he got chances he would score goals. He's very quick, and very strong, and his goal on Monday was spectacular. He's the main danger for whoever they play against.

"Inter also have Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young, who will know United very well. If they play United in the final, these players will want revenge, to show United that they were wrong to let them go.

"Lukaku would love the chance to bang in some goals against the team that let him go. Lukaku took a lot of criticism in Manchester, and he was right to leave. Look at him now, he has been fantastic for Inter."

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Liverpool youngster Rhian Brewster says that he is thrilled to be back in the fold with Jurgen Klopp's side, adding that he hopes to play a part as the club prepare for their Premier League title defence starting next month.

The striker - who picked up a Champions League winners' medal before he even played a senior minute of football for the Reds over a year ago - spent the second half of the 2019-20 campaign on loan at Swansea City as his parent club romped to domestic glory.

The England youth star was a key presence up front at the Liberty Stadium as the Swans finished sixth in the race for promotion, but was unable to help them reach the play-off final despite a late effort in defeat to Brentford last month.

Now, having returned to Anfield ahead of the new campaign, Brewster at the club's pre-season training camp in Austria as he hopes for a breakthrough season in the top flight following his exploits in the Championship.

“It’s good to be back and see the boys and the staff and stuff – and it feels good to pull a Liverpool shirt back on,” the 20-year-old told the Reds' official website following their first day of drills.

“It’s a bit different because we didn’t have the full time off that you normally get; it was a shorter period of time that we had off, so we didn’t lose that much fitness, I would say. The first day of pre-season is always going to be tough, but it was a good day and good to get back into it.

“It feels good to maybe be a part of it next season. Being away and then coming back, it’s a bit different, but seeing everyone again, seeing them all smiling and coming back confident, it’s good to be back.”

Brewster bagged 11 goals in 22 games during his stay in South Wales, and added that he was grateful for the chance to pick up vital senior minutes as Swansea came close to a Wembley appearance and a shot at a return to the Premier League.

“It was a good experience – a great experience, I would say,” he added. “Going there in January, having that first game against Cardiff and the last game against Brentford, I’ve had a lot of experiences, ups and downs in football.

“I would say I had more highs than lows there, but it was a great experience and great to get some first-team games under my belt.

“It’s very good for your development at such a young age. Not a lot of 20-year-olds can say they’ve played in the play-offs. Obviously we didn’t quite make it to the final and get promoted, but to play in the semi-final, the cameras are on you and they are high-pressure games, as you will have seen on TV.

“So, it’s good to get them under your belt from an early age and who knows, hopefully I can play in a lot more high-pressure games to come.”

Maxwel Cornet has admitted he enjoys playing against the best clubs in the world after Lyon clinched a shock 3-1 win over Manchester City in the quarterfinals of the Champions League on Saturday.

The Ivorian winger set the ball rolling in the 24th minute with a beautiful strike from outside the 18-yard area, which caught City goalkeeper Ederson off guard. Kevin De Bruyne equalised for the Citizens in the 69th minute, but Moussa Dembele came off the bench to score a brace in the closing 11 minutes.

Cornet’s strike was his fourth against Pep Guardiola-led City in the Champions League, equalling Barcelona icon Lionel Messi’s tally as the player to score the most goals when facing the Citizens under the Catalan tactician’s watch.

His previous goals against the English club came during the group phase of the 2018-19 season. Lyon won the tie at the Etihad Stadium 2-1 before being held to a 2-2 draw in the return fixture at the Groupama Stadium.

"These are exceptional matches to play. We don't play quarters every day. I score, it still falls on City but the most important is the work of the whole team,” Cornet told RMC Sport. “I enjoy playing against the best in the world. It's no coincidence that we're here. We worked well during the preparation and we saw it tonight.”

Cornet’s performances have been criticised in the past but he asserted he does not give in to his critics.

Lyon take on Bayern Munich, who decimated Barcelona 8-2, in one of the semi-final ties and Cornet believes his team must have the same attitude as they had against City to have a chance to progress.

“The critics? it's part of football, you just have to turn the trend around and that's what I've been trying to do since I've been in Lyon", he said. “Underestimated by other clubs? I don't know but we certainly weren't expecting to be at this level. We ride on our hump, all in humility, to be able to perform this way.

“We know the offensive power of Bayern Munich and it will be a complicated game. We will have to have the same desire as tonight."

Moussa Dembele admitted to being "sad" about starting on the bench before producing his heroics for Lyon against Manchester City.

Dembele was introduced in the second half and struck twice in a 3-1 win in the Champions League quarter-finals on Saturday.

Kevin De Bruyne had earlier cancelled out Maxwel Cornet's opener before Dembele helped deliver Lyon's surprise victory.

The 24-year-old said he was upset about not getting a start and joked on social about how many goals he could've scored had he played the full 90 minutes.

"Of course, a player is always sad when he doesn't start a game," Dembele said.

"But it's important to stay focused because a match is long. As long as the referee hasn't blown the whistle, it's not over.

"When I came into the pitch, I did everything I could to help the team win."

Lyon's shock win sent them into a semi-final against Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich on Wednesday.

Dembele believes Lyon, who finished seventh in Ligue 1, have been a different side since returning from the coronavirus-enforced break last month.

"After the break, we promised ourselves that we would give everything. Every time we are on the pitch, we try to give 100 per cent," he said.

"I think the spirit of the group has changed and that's good for the future. We're still in this competition so that means we're a great team."

Dembele began his senior career in the Premier League with Fulham before joining Scottish champions Celtic in 2016. 

The now 24-year-old linked up with Lyon in 2018 and has scored 24 goals in all competitions for the club this season. 

Lyon manager Rudi Garcia was happy to see Dembele make the most of his limited minutes on Saturday. 

"Moussa was disappointed but as I said before the match, I knew he was going to be decisive when he came on," Garcia said.

"I am delighted that he scored twice as he had not yet scored in the competition."

Dembele has now scored four goals against Manchester City in the Champions League - the joint-most against the club in the competition since Guardiola took over in 2016.

Sanjiban Ghosh, who played for Chennaiyin FC last season, is all set to join NorthEast United FC on a free transfer ahead of the upcoming 2020-21 Indian Super League (ISL) season, Goal can confirm.

The 29-year-old goalkeeper started his career with now defunct Mumbai FC in 2011 and played there for five seasons. In between, he had moved to Delhi Dynamos on loan during the 2015 ISL season.

After leaving the Mumbai-based I-League club, he played one more season at Delhi during the 2016 ISL before moving to Jamshedpur FC.

At Jamshedpur, he was overshadowed by the presence of Subrata Paul and had managed to play just one ISL match under Steve Coppell’s tutelage. He played in the Super Cup 2018 and was also the club’s hero in the very first match against Minerva Punjab FC where he had pulled out some exceptional saves to guide his team to the next round.

In 2018-19, Ghosh moved to Chennaiyin FC on a free transfer and remained at the club for two seasons. He appeared in just three ISL matches in his first year but unfortunately in the second season, he did not get a single chance.

Hoping for greener pastures, Ghosh is now all set to reunite with his former Mumbai FC boss Khalid Jamil at NorthEast United FC.

The Highlanders have been on a signing spree this season. They have already signed Ponif Vaz from Churchill Brothers, Gurjinder Kumar and VP Suhair from Mohun Bagan and Lalkhawpuimawia and Rochharzela from Aizawl FC. Former Mohun Bagan winger Britto PM is also set to join the club soon.

Hyderabad FC defender Adil Khan has played at various positions throughout his career and has often been referred to a versatile player.

After playing as an attacker during his formative days, Adil was moulded into a defensive midfielder during his time at Sesa FA under the tutelage of Anthony D'Souza, Ajay Acharya and Vishwas Gaonkar. He was reunited with Gaonkar at Sporting and nailed down his position as a defensive midfielder and made his Indian national team debut in 2012.

The uncharted story of Adil Ahmed Khan

He was also deployed as a right back during his first stint in the Indian Super League (ISL) at Delhi Dynamos under Dutch manager Harm van Veldhoven.

"I played in around seven games and I mostly played as a right back because in the first season (2014) Indians were there just to make a number with six foreigners starting," he pointed in a conversation with  Goal .

Adil was eventually deployed as a centre-back by Derrick Pereira at Churchill Brothers but was once again used in the midfield by former FC Pune City (later Hyderabad FC) coach Phil Brown. Current India coach Igor Stimac has also preferred using him at the heart of the defence. 

"Stimac wanted me to play as a defender but Phil Brown wanted me to play as a midfielder. He (Brown) always saw me as a defensive midfielder to destroy the opponents' game and to win the ball for the team, but Stimac has a different thought about me. I was about 30 that time (June 2019)," Khan chronicled. 

"He (Stimac) personally spoke to me about it and said 'I know that you play as a midfielder but I know that you play in different positions as well. If you're comfortable, I want you to play as a centre-half' because Anas (Ethadodika) retired [from international football] that season, (Sandesh) Jhingan had a calf injury and Rahul Bheke was struggling with a groin injury.

"So that's how I trained and played a practice match as a centre-back. After the match he said 'Adil, I want you to play as a centre-back because you read well and you keep the ball'. Being a midfielder, I am very comfortable keeping the ball. So it becomes easier to play as a centre-back when it comes to keeping the ball possession. That's how it worked for his plan and for me and hopefully it will in the coming years also."

As such, Khan also touched upon how the players have to adapt to a new coach, just like when Stimac came in with a very different philosophy.

"When there is a different philosophy, then players have to adjust as per the coaches' philosophies. Alo it takes times. That's why we always say that 'it's a long process, you can't get results overnight'. It takes time to adjust to the philosophy, to know what the coach exactly wants from you," the former Sporting Goa medio stated.

In fact, ever since Brown parted ways with Hyderabad FC, Adil has been utilised as a centre-back by the interim coach Javier Lopez. It remains to be seen how incoming coach Albert Roca deploys him.

Regarding the role he expects at his club in the coming season, Khan admitted, "I think, at this stage, I am comfortable playing as a centre-back because I can save my energy and do a lot of things at the back rather than playing in the midfield and losing my energy.

"I think playing as a centre-back will give me more games and more years. So I think it would be better for me to play as a centre-back but it depends on the coaches. I am open to play as a right back or in the midfield also. I have spoken to the coach (Roca). He said that according to his foreign signings, he will decide where he wants me to play but at the national team I have to concentrate as a centre-back."

Zenit Saint Petersburg striker Tatiana Ekogo says she has set herself targets in terms of goals as she looks to excel in the Russian Superliga this season.

The 23-year-old sealed her move to the Saint Petersburg-based side on Saturday from Yenisey after concluding her usual medicals and agreeing on personal terms with the blue-white-blue club.

At Yenisey, the Cameroonian enjoyed an exciting debut season in the Russian top-flight as she featured in 18 matches in all competitions and scored four goals in the process last season.

Having completed her paperwork, the forward, who was delighted about joining Olga Poryadina's team, is upbeat on adapting quickly to life and hitting the ground running for Zenit.

"I'm glad to be here, I feel great. It is a great honour to be part of this team," Ekogo told the club website. 

"I am sure that there are many interesting games and bright moments ahead of us. I haven't had time yet to get to know all the girls on the team properly. 

"But I see that there is a pleasant atmosphere here, everyone is very friendly and welcoming. Hope to adapt quickly as a team."

While having many goals in mind, she expressed her eagerness to make the best of the opportunity given to her to play in the top-flight.

"My target is to score as many goals as possible, to benefit the team," she continued.

"I remember my feelings when I scored the first goal in the Russian championship. It was a goal against Chertanovo. 

"I want to experience such emotions as often as possible, playing for Zenit. Yes, I have already seen a lot, so I can say with confidence that Saint Petersburg is a very beautiful city.

 "I really like it here.  I think that in the future I can learn a lot of interesting things about the history of this place and become a part of it."

Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas paid tribute to coach Rudi Garcia following the surprise 3-1 Champions League quarter-final win over Manchester City.

The Ligue 1 side were outsiders for the contest in Lisbon despite progressing past Juventus in the previous round, but they produced a memorable victory.

Maxwel Cornet opened the scoring in the first half as City appeared uneasy with Guardiola's altered set-up and starting XI, choosing to go with a back three.

Kevin De Bruyne levelled deep into the second period, but howlers from Ederson led to Moussa Dembele netting twice in the closing stages to secure a famous win for Lyon.

It takes them to the Champions League semi-finals for the first time in 10 years and Aulas believes the achievement vindicates the decision to appoint Garcia in October after a shambolic start to the season under Sylvinho.

"It's a huge achievement, well done to Rudi, Juninho [Pernambucano, sporting director] and to the players who were magnificent," an emotional Aulas told RMC Sport . "We had a terrible year, we started badly, we changed coaches, we had terrible injuries. We were able to recruit and react strongly.

"We have a talented team. You have to have a bit of success beyond talent, we've had some, that's why we have to remain humble. It's a very great performance.

"Garcia is a boy who does his job well. We had identified him to straighten out OL. He knew with humility, and sometimes difficulties, to do his work.

"It is the evolution towards what we have wished. Juninho knew how to support him in difficult times. It is a confirmation for me, he deserves the recognition."

Bayern Munich await in the semis, as they did a decade ago, and Aulas applauded his players for what he feels is a response to perceived injustice with the early end of Ligue 1, which left Lyon finishing the season seventh and requiring to win the Champions League just to qualify for Europe again.

"It's wonderful," Aulas said. "We have a group that has been able to transcend itself, to come together. As we have good players and only the psychological side was missing, we see that this competition comes at the right time.

"We are living fantastic moments, I'm very happy. It's great to have been able to string together a qualification against Juve and then against City.

"We know they [Juve and City] are fantastic powers. We feel that normally this team [City] should have progressed, it's a feat and a kind of resonance compared to everything we have been through in recent months.

"The players seized on this injustice which has nailed us to seventh place [in Ligue 1]. We are making results, we had to beat this team. It was excellent coaching from Rudi. I think of all our supporters who find pride again."

We are all fresh from that 8-2 drubbing Bayern Munich handed out to Barcelona in the Champions League. Lets take a look back at the biggest wins in Indian football now.

So, this time around we have for you a quiz on the some huge margins of victories that Indian football has seen over the years.

This edition of Goal 's 'Sharp Minds' quiz is for the fans who remember such momentuous occasions.

As we see football take a backseat among the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, here's your chance to while away some time.

We will bring you a set of 10 questions, a mixture of easy and tough ones, every week on Indian football. Try answering them on your own (without googling, we hope) and see how much you know about Indian football.

Share your scores with others and showboat. The latest edition of Sharp Minds is right here. Have fun.

NOTE : You are welcome to contact us through social media, if you need any clarification on the answers. We will try, to the best of our abilities, to explain.

Desire Oparanozie opened her goal account with a brace as Dijon defeated Standard Liege 2-1 in Saturday's pre-season friendly.

The Nigeria international joined Yannick Chandioux's team this summer after ending her six-year stay with rivals Guingamp in June, and is gradually adapting to life at Stade des Poussots.

The 26-year-old made her debut in Dijon's 2-1 friendly win over Swiss outfit Servette Chenois on August 5 before starring in a 3-0 win over French second-tier side Thonon-Evian a week later.

She was handed a starting role on her third appearance against the Swiss giants, who were held to a 1-1 draw at Reims on Wednesday.

The French side dominated the encounter and found the breakthrough in the 23rd minute when Oparanozie beat an opposing defender to fire beyond the visitors' goalkeeper at Phalsbourg.

The forward was set up brilliantly in the opponent's box and made no mistake to double the lead for the hosts in a one-on-one with the goalkeeper on the brink of the half-time break.

After the interval, the Swiss team fought hard and eventually pulled one back through Constance Brackman, who struck in the 56thm minute but the hosts held their nerve to claim a morale-boosting win.

Oparanozie, who was in action for 84 minutes before being replaced by Ines Barrier, has now scored two goals in three matches for Chandioux's team in the ongoing pre-season friendlies.

Besides the Nigerian, French-Moroccan Elodie Nakkach, who captained the team against Liege, played for 84 minutes, while compatriot Salma Amani was not dressed for the tie.

It was the third win in a row for Dijon and they will take on Reims at the same venue on Sunday before slugging it out with Chaimaka Nnadozie's Paris in Beaune next Saturday, August 22.

Kenya international Michael Olunga has revealed why they lost 3-1 against Cerezo Osaka in a J-1 League match played Sankyo Frontier Kashiwa Stadium on Saturday.

Kashiwa had headed into the match with a run of five matches without defeat but they found themselves trailing when Bruno Mendes scored Cerezo Osaka’s first goal in the fifth minute before an own goal by Taiyo Koga extended their lead in the 55th minute.

Jun Nishikawa scored the visitors' final goal in the 87th minute before the towering Harambee Stars striker salvaged a consolation with two minutes left to the final whistle to deny the visiting side a clean sheet in the entertaining contest.

Olunga has now admitted Osaka were the more organised side in the battle and also blamed his side for wasting numerous scoring chances, especially in the first half.

“It was a difficult game because they [Cerezo] were tactically well organised, I think their organisation was really good,” Olunga told reporters after the match.

“But we should also take the blame because we created numerous chances especially in the first period but we couldn’t finish them off, but at the end of the day we take the positives because we tried everything to try to salvage something from the game but it did not work, congratulations to [Cerezo] because they played very well and deserved to win.”

Olunga’s goal came after a blunder from the Osaka keeper, who failed to clear the ball and instead, hit it straight to the legs of the striker, who turned to score with his left foot.

Explaining the goal, Olunga said: “As a striker, you have to believe in everything you do because keepers and defenders are always bound to commit mistakes, football, is a game of mistakes, and as a striker you have to try and chase every ball and see whether the opponent can make a mistake.

“It is what happened to my goal, I tried to apply pressure to the goalkeeper and he made a mistake which I capitalised on to score.”

On scoring again, Olunga explained: “I can say it is always a matter of hard work, each and every game you have to be hungry and try to be in a position where you can score, now everyone is seeing you are scoring and it means the coming matches will be tough.

“Each and every game provides for me a chance to prove myself and you must always remain focused and I did exactly that today [Saturday], scored though the goal was not enough to give us a win, it is a challenge to me to score in every game and my focus now is on the next match.”

The goal was Olunga’s 11th of the season and has helped him remain at the top of the J-1 League top scorers’ chart after engaging in 10 matches.

The former Thika United and Tusker striker has one assist to his name so far as he continues to enjoy a remarkable season since he helped Kashiwa Reysol earn promotion after winning the J2 League title in 2019.

Jadon Sancho should snub a move to Manchester United this summer and instead wait for Liverpool or Chelsea to swoop in a year, according to Danny Murphy.

The Borussia Dortmund winger has been closely linked with a switch to Old Trafford but United missed the deadline imposed upon the deal by the German club.

Despite officials from BVB insisting that the transfer is now dead in the water, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men have made the 20-year-old their top transfer priority and will push for a deal to be completed before the end of the transfer window in October.

Nevertheless, Murphy now believes that the former Manchester City youth may be better sitting on his options until next year.

“United are an attractive proposition, one of the biggest clubs in the world with a young and exciting team, but Sancho won’t be short of suitors in his career and he’ll be aware that in a year’s time, when football finances are a bit steadier, he may have a choice that also includes Liverpool, his ‘local’ team Chelsea, Barcelona and Real Madrid,” Murphy wrote for the Daily Mail.

“It’s possible he may prefer to wait and weigh up his options after the Euros next summer rather than rocking the boat now by telling Dortmund he wants to leave.

“If that’s the case and United are fighting against an inflated fee and a player considering other options, they have a problem - and that’s without factoring in the agent fees that usually accompany a deal like this.

“Sancho is young and publicly respectful but his career to date indicates a player who knows his own mind and will have a say in his future. If his heart really is set on joining United, there are ways of letting all relevant parties aware.

“Whatever is beneficial for your career, you are going to try to make it happen. If United know that, I’d pay Dortmund the asking price even if I admire the principle of not being dictated to. Sancho’s value isn’t going to diminish.

“However, judging by what I’ve seen so far there is no rebellion from Sancho, which makes me sense he’s not desperate to move to United.”

Meanwhile, United are the last remaining Premier League club in Europe and will play their Europa League semi-final against Sevilla on Sunday.

Manchester United teenager Teden Mengi has been praised by his coaches for his effort and application after making his first-team debut.

The defender, who turned 18 in April, featured off the bench against LASK in the Europa League clash at Old Trafford last week, having only started to train with the Under-23 side a year ago.

He was given the last six minutes of the encounter and was on the field when Anthony Martial got the winner to secure a 2-1 win on the night, after United had previously trailed. For those who have worked with him throughout his time at the academy, it is a just reward for the work he has put in.

“Everyone in the club is proud of him as we are with any player who makes his debut,” Neil Wood told The Manchester Evening News. “Teden has been at the club a long time, he has been here since a very young boy and there have been a lot of coaches to have played a part in his journey along the way.

“You have to give Teden massive credit as well. The way he came up to us to train with the U23s this time last year, the season he had, the way he is every day, the way he works.

“He got the chance to go in and train with the first team during the lockdown because of those performances, because of that attitude, because he trains the right way every day. That was the opportunity which he was given.

“I spoke to the first-team staff and he has done really well training with the first-team. So it is great that the manager trusts him to put him in a Europa League game, that is what the manager has been doing this year. If they are good enough and show they can cope up there then he will give them a chance.”

United will seek to take the next step towards Europa League glory on Sunday, when they face Sevilla in the semi-finals at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne.

They reached the final four stage with a 1-0 victory over Copenhagen after extra time, Bruno Fernandes scoring a decisive penalty.

Raheem Sterling will struggle to sleep after his big miss against Lyon in the Champions League quarter-final, according to Gary Lineker.

Usually so reliable in front of goal for Manchester City, Sterling blazed a glorious open-goal chance over the Lyon bar when the French side were 2-1 ahead.

An equaliser then could have seen the game swing City's way, but instead Lyon poured forward and scored another against Pep Guardiola's team, wrapping up a shock 3-1 win.

Former England striker Lineker, now a presenter with BT Sport, said Sterling got his technique wrong and attempted to apply too much power to the cross from Gabriel Jesus.

"He looked like he was in the perfect position to hit it, but he's not going to sleep very well tonight, Raheem Sterling," Lineker said.

"I tell you why he's missed it: because he's tried to hit it too hard. 

"When you're in that position where you know you've got an open goal, the only way you can miss it is putting your foot through it, and if there is a slight bobble there is a chance it'll go over the bar.

"It's almost like he's trying to hit it with a little bit of force and there's obviously been a little bit of lift of the ball, a little bobble. But if you take the weight off it, you can’t miss."

Guardiola refused to single Sterling out for his miss post-match stressing City shouldn't have conceded the goals they did. 

"I didn't see the players, we're going to talk now in the hotel. So after the, the locker room  the players were, of course sad. Now we're going to do it in the hotel but it's part of the game," he said.

"The football in this competition, we know we can do many things but in the boxes you have to be serious. Not concede the goals we concede, especially the second one.

"I think the statistics showed that we created more than the other teams in terms of everything but it was not enough." 

Lyon will now face Bayern Munich in the Champions League semi-finals next week as City try to accept a third consecutive quarter-final exit in the competition. 

In the other semi-final, Paris-Saint Germain will tackle RB Leipzig, after the Ligue 1 giants banished their own quarter-final demons against Atalanta. 

For the first time since 1996, no English or Spanish sides will compete in this year's edition of the Champions League semi-finals. 

Manchester City's shock 3-1 defeat against Lyon on Saturday night means two clubs from France and Germany respectively are left alive in the competition this season. 

Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig join Lyon as the other surprise packets in the final four after they beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 earlier in the week. 

Barcelona, Spain's last remaining hope in the Champions League, were themselves sent packing from the competition in humiliating fashion on Friday night as Bayern Munich claimed an 8-2 victory in their quarter-final. 

With only French and German teams left standing, this is the first time since 2013 that just two nations are being represented at the semi-final stage of the Champions League. 

Paris Saint-Germain will face Leipzig in the first final-four showdown on Tuesday before Bayern tackle Lyon on Wednesday. 

Lyon's impressive run to the semi-finals has seen them knockout Serie A champions Juventus and now City after they only just managed to escape their group courtesy of a 2-2 draw against Leipzig that secured them second spot. 

Rudi Garcia is the first French manager to guide a French team to the Champions League semi-finals since 2010 when Claude Puel did the same with Lyon. 

"Proud of my troops, proud of my players. We believed in us, that we could achieve this feat. We conceded only one goal and that is due to the team spirit of the group," Garcia said after the City win. 

"With Pep [Guardiola], you have to expect anything. We knew he could find something to destabilise us, but we can say we won the tactical battle.

"After Leipzig [their group clash], we mainly wanted to be in the round of 16 and that's what we had achieved. If we show the right mindset, we can do something against Bayern." 

Lyon finished seventh in Ligue 1 this season, winning just 11 of their 28 league games before the campaign was ended early due to the coronavirus pandemic. PSG, who were handed the title, managed to accumulate 28 more points than Lyon across their 27 matches. 

Manchester United midfielder Aliou Traore will join French side Caen on loan next season, Goal understands. 

The 19-year-old has agreed to terms with the Ligue 2 outfit and will wear the number 15 shirt as he looks to secure more senior game time. 

Caen finished 13th in France's second division last season after being relegated from Ligue 1 in 2019. 

Traore is yet to feature for the Red Devils' first-team but made 14 appearances for their Premier League 2 outfit this season where he scored four times. 

The talented Frenchman moved to Old Trafford in 2017 after coming through Paris Saint-Germain's academy and recently declared his desire to step up to a first-team environment.

"I have become a more complete player in three years," Traore told RMC Sport. 

"I have put on a fair amount of muscle and I am stronger physically, I have become better tactically...I think that I am a player who is ready for professional football.

"In terms of how I have progressed, I am happy with my three years. But at the same time I imagined that I would already be a bit further ahead. Playing and training more regularly with the first-team squad.

"Now, these three years must enable me to play at the professional level. I’ve acquired a background at the youth academy in Manchester that I want to use at a higher level now.

"I hope that happens in Manchester, if not then why not go and get playing time elsewhere. But if I leave, it is for a first team. I do not want to leave Manchester to be in the same situation elsewhere."

Traore has previously been billed as the next Paul Pogba and the teenager revealed the France star has taken him under his wing.

"I speak a bit with him, notably when I go and train with the first team," Traore said. "He is a bit like how he is on social media, a bit crazy! He does look after the Frenchies." 

Traore is currently contracted to Old Trafford until 2021 making this next season a decisive one for the young midfielder. 

Manchester United face Sevilla in a blockbuster Europa League semi-final on Sunday night with the Red Devils desperate to claim their first trophy since 2017. 

Two costly blunders in quick succession from Raheem Sterling and Ederson cost Manchester City their place in the Champions League semi-final - and fans on social media lost no time in highlighting their contributions in a shock defeat. 

Pep Guardiola's men went into Saturday's clash against Lyon as firm favourites to progress, with a last-four match against Bayern Munich on offer for the winners. 

But it proved to be a torrid evening for the Premier League side, who found Lyon extremely tough customers throughout the 90 minutes. 

Maxwel Cornet fired the Frenchmen ahead after 23 minutes, a lead they retained until deep into the second half when Kevin De Bruyne levelled the scores. 

At that point City were the dominant team, but their hopes were finally crushed in a frantic finish to the match. 

Moussa Dembele restored Lyon's advantage with 11 minutes remaining, before City were handed a golden chance to equalise once more. 

Somehow, though, Sterling blazed high and wide with the goal gaping, an error compounded seconds later by the usually rock-solid Ederson. 

City's keeper spilled a tame shot and Dembele stole in to net his second and Lyon's third, sealing for the underdogs a memorable 3-1 victory and a place in the semis. 

Both players will feel responsible for sending their side out of the competition - although Tottenham's Harry Kane, to judge from the immediate reaction from Twitter users, might just feel vindicated for his decision to ignore Sterling in England's 2018 World Cup match against Croatia. 

Harry Maguire has warned his team-mates that only reaching semi-finals is not good enough as he opens up on the pressure of playing for Manchester United.

The club captain is hoping to guide Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side to their first final under the Norwegian. Twice already this season they have reached the last four but fell at the final hurdle, losing to Manchester City and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and FA Cup respectively.

While they have been on promising cup runs all season Maguire admits that only winning the trophy will be acceptable.

“Getting to semi-finals isn't good enough for this club,” Maguire said ahead of Sunday's last-four clash with Sevilla in Cologne.

“Obviously some competitions are bigger than others, but every trophy is really important for this club. Every final, every semi-final, every quarter-final you're playing, you've got to win.”

The centre-back, who joined the club from Leicester last summer, knew the pressure that would come with signing for United and he has found himself on the receiving end of some stern words from pundits over some of his performances.

Former club captain Roy Keane blasted the defender after United’s 1-1 draw against Tottenham in June but the 27-year-old has learned to expect to be scrutinised.

“I think there's pressure to play for any club. I think when you're at that level, you feel the pressure to play for any club,” Maguire explained. “Obviously Manchester United is one of the biggest clubs in the world, if not the biggest. If you play for Manchester United, you're expected to go and win every game.

"Every goal that you concede is obviously in the limelight, it's scrutinised. For me, I think that's the biggest thing coming to this club. I knew that I had to deal with that. I've felt like I've dealt with it well because obviously there's going to be so many highs at the club but there's also going to be a lot of lows.

"There's going to be times where I can do better for goals that we concede, but it's how I bounce back, it's how I learn, it's how I improve.”

Maguire said United are going into Sunday’s game full of confidence but he knows the pressure is on to reach that first final of the season and complete the campaign with a trophy.

“I joined this club to win trophies. I fully expect to win trophies while I'm at this club,” Maguire said. "Obviously when you could be lifting a trophy in a week it's exciting - such an exciting time for myself and such an exciting time for the team to be in the competition so late on.

"Like I said, now we've got this far we need to go and really push and improve on the semi-finals that we've reached already and take it another step."