Stuart Dallas struck in the 92nd minute to earn Northern Ireland a dramatic 1-0 victory over Azerbaijan and clinch a huge three points in their World Cup qualifying campaign.
Northern Ireland s grip on second position in Group C looked set to loosen with a goalless draw in Baku, but Dallas popped up in second-half stoppage time to keep the pressure on leaders Germany.
Michael O Neill took his players for a training camp in Turkey to prepare them for the heat and humidity of the Azeri capital and it paid dividends as they managed to keep fighting until the final moments.
Chances were at a premium throughout and Afran Ismayilov spurned two great second-half opportunities to give Robert Prosinecki s side a win that would have put them level with Northern Ireland.<…
Xavi says under-fire midfielder Sergio Busquets remains vital to Barcelona, insisting his captain will make his own decision on whether to stay at Camp Nou next season.
Busquets was criticised for his performance as Barcelona fell to a 3-1 defeat to Clasico rivals Real Madrid on Sunday, having been replaced by Gavi on the hour mark at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The future of the 34-year-old, who has won 30 pieces of silverware during his decorated 14-year spell with the club, has been the subject of speculation, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season.
Xavi, however, still views the defensive midfielder as a crucial component in his side, saying: When you lose, we are all exposed. For me, Busquets is still important.
There will be games in …
Yaya Toure has said that it would be a ‘great honour’ to play for Paris Saint Germain amid constant speculation surrounding his future at Manchester City, .
The midfielder’s agent spoke out about a perceived lack of respect from his club’s owners on his 31st birthday two weeks ago, leading to doubts over whether he will remain at the Etihad Stadium next season.
Toure moved to Manchester in the summer of 2010, and has since gone on to win two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the League Cup during his time with the Sky Blues.
Last season he scored twenty-four goals in all competitions, including twenty in the league which saw him finish behind only Liverpool duo Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge in the race for the Golden Boot.
He is curren…
Brazilian newspaper that Cruzeiro are showing interest in Paris Saint-Germain full-back Maxwell.
The 34-year-old will be out of contract at Parc des Princes in the summer, and even though he would prefer to end his career with the Saints, a summer exit is a realistic possibility.
His former club Cruzeiro are reportedly keen on bringing the veteran back to Mineirao, although clubs from the United States are interested in his services as well.
It was at Cruzeiro that Maxwell started his professional career, making 27 league appearances before moving to Ajax.
Following successful spells with Inter Milan and Barcelona, the full-back arrived at Parc des Princes in 2012 and has since 117 league appearances for the Saints.
PSG will be in Champions Leag…