Market: Ermedin Demirovic to score anytime

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Two sides who have their sights set on securing a top-half finish this season, Augsburg will welcome Heidenheim to Bavaria on Saturday afternoon.

Starting with the hosts, while Augsburg might have shown some extended inconsistencies this season, Jess Thorup’s men are enjoying a recent boost. Last seen putting in a stunning performance away at relegation scrappers Darmstadt as they secured a 6-0 romp, the Bavaria-based outfit have clinched back-to-back Bundesliga victories for the first time since the end of October. Opening Saturday’s showdown holding a one-point buffer from slipping out of the top-half, the former Copenhagen boss has also seen his squad enjoy a real flurry in the final third. Notching e…

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeness admits it will not be easy to prise Xabi Alonso away from Bayer Leverkusen due to competition from Liverpool and Real Madrid.

The reigning German champions look set to lose their Bundesliga title to Alonso’s Leverkusen side as they trail their rivals by 10 points.

That situation prompted the early announcement of Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel’s departure at the end of the season but Jurgen Klopp revealing in January he was leaving Anfield in the summer has hastened proceedings as a host of big-name clubs battle to find new managers this summer.

New direction for the new season: FC Bayern and Thomas Tuchel to end their working relationship in the summer.

— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN)

Al…

A goal in the second minute from Ollie Watkins secured a 1-0 win for Aston Villa over Arsenal on Saturday.

Beaten at Wolves on Tuesday, the Gunners slipped to a 10th Premier League defeat of the season as they made it three losses in a row to the Villans for the first time since 1993.

Mikel Arteta s men came into the weekend nine points outside of the top four and this result is another blow, while Dean Smith s Villa side have now reached 35 points, matching their tally from the whole of last season.

Debutant Mat Ryan conceded his first Arsenal goal before even touching the ball, Watkins shot on the turn deflecting in off Rob Holding after Bertrand Traore pounced on a mix-up between Cedric Soares and the returning Gabriel.

3 Ollie Watkins is the first Ast…

Joan Laporta is optimistic superstar captain Lionel Messi will remain at Barcelona after being elected president of the LaLiga giants.

Laporta – who held the post from 2003 to 2010 – won the presential race on Sunday, seeing off competition from Victor Font and Antoni Freixa to return to the position as Josep Maria Bartomeu s successor.

Attention will now turn to six-time Ballon d Or winner Messi amid serious doubts over his future at Camp Nou.

Messi has been tipped to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season, with Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain and Premier League leaders Manchester City the reported frontrunners for the 33-year-old.

After his victory, Laporta delivered a speech and said: Today marks 20 years since a boy named Leo Me…

Tottenham are on the hunt for a new manager after sacking Mauricio Pochettino.

With Spurs 14th in the Premier League and winless in their past five domestic matches, the club made the decision to relieve Pochettino and his coaching staff of their duties on Tuesday.

The decision brought an end to a five-and-a-half-year tenure that promised so much but delivered nothing in the way of silverware.

Spurs fans will expect a high-profile appointment to replace Pochettino and get the best out of a group of players that have been inconsistent this season.

In a statement announcing Pochettino s departure, chairman Daniel Levy said: We have a talented squad. We need to re-energise and look to deliver a positive season for our supporters.

Here are the manage…

Barcelona s miserable away run continued as Cadiz claimed another big scalp with a 2-1 win on Saturday.

The Blaugrana are now winless in four on the road in LaLiga their worst such run since May 2008 and a dismal defensive mix-up gifted all three points to surprise package Cadiz.

Alvaro Gimenez struck a scrappy, contentious opener with just eight minutes played, but the promoted side, who enjoyed a stunning win away at Real Madrid earlier this season, were pegged back by Pedro Alcala s own goal before the hour mark.

Rather than protect their point, Cadiz rallied again and were rewarded when veteran substitute Alvaro Negredo seized possession from Marc-Andre ter Stegen to restore the home advantage 44 seconds after his introduction.

Barca had 82 per cent …

Rio Ferdinand labelled Karim Benzema the best striker in the world after Real Madrid s 3-1 win at Chelsea on Wednesday.

Benzema s hat-trick at Stamford Bridge was impressive alone as a feat, before even considering how clinically the French striker converted his chances and the fact it was his second Champions League treble in a row.

The 34-year-old became only the fourth player in Champions League history to score back-to-back hat-tricks after Cristiano Ronaldo (2017), Lionel Messi (2016) and Luiz Adriano (2014).

As well as his goalscoring output, the completeness of Benzema s game is what former Manchester United and England defender Ferdinand made particular reference to in his praise, and how he has thrived since Cristiano Ronaldo s departure in 2018.

Raheem Sterling and Manchester City found the perfect hangover cure as they shook off their Wembley frustrations to beat Watford 4-0 and equal a Premier League record.

A double from Sterling and second-half goals from Phil Foden and Aymeric Laporte made it a Vicarage Road rout as City threw darts at Watford s goal, just as they did when winning 8-0 against the same opponents in September.

The outcome meant City matched a Premier League record for the most goals against a single opponent in the same season, equalling the 12 that Blackburn Rovers put past Nottingham Forest in 1995-96 and that Tottenham plundered against Wigan in the 2009-10 campaign.

And three days after losing to Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-finals, it was a reminder that City s season is far fro…

England’s players will rally round Lauren James after her “Beckhamesque moment of madness” in the team’s penalty shoot-out victory over Nigeria in the World Cup last 16.

Former men’s national team striker Gary Lineker likened the 21-year-old Chelsea forward’s red card for petulantly standing on Michelle Alozie as she lay on the floor to Beckham’s kick-out at Argentina’s Diego Simeone at the 1998 World Cup.

“The @Lionesses down to 10 as Lauren James has a Beckhamesque moment of madness,” Lineker wrote on Twitter.

The down to 10 as Lauren James has a Beckhamesque moment of madness.

— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker)

However, while the former Manchester United star’s sending-off contributed to the team’s difficulties, Sarina Wi…

Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois suffered an adductor injury in Sunday s derby draw with Atletico Madrid, the Spanish champions have confirmed.

Courtois struggled to kick with his left foot in the latter stages of the match at the Civitas Metropolitano, where he was earlier targeted with projectiles by a group of supporters.

Atleti ultras group Fondo Sur launched objects including cigarette lighters at Courtois when he celebrated Eder Militao s 64th-minute opener in front of the home fans.

The teams were taken off the pitch for over 15 minutes in response to that incident, with Angel Correa s stoppage-time strike later salvaging a 1-1 draw for the hosts.

On Monday, Madrid released an update on Courtois condition, confirming he had suffered an adduc…