Valencia will contest their first Champions League group game since 2013 on Wednesday as Nuno Espirito Santo s men host a Zenit side who traditionally struggle in Spain.

Since their run to the last 16 in 2013, Valencia were in Europa League action before missing out on European football altogether last term.

However, Santo will make his managerial debut in the competition against a familiar face in Andre Villas-Boas the pair having worked together as part of Jose Mourinho s backroom staff at Porto.

A 4-3 aggregate victory over Monaco in the qualification play-offs ensured Valencia of their return to the competition proper, with Russian Premier League opponents Zenit having lost their seven previous outings on Spanish soil.

Following back-to-back draws…

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte worked with Bayern Munich star Arturo Vidal for two years during his time at Juventus and he never hid his admiration for the Chile international.

Spanish media outlet is reporting that the Blues’ boss is eager to reunite with his former player in the January transfer window and that Chelsea have already splashed a £42 million offer in a bid to tempt Bayern Munich into selling.

Vidal himself is thought to be open on a move to the Premier League and the Bavarians should not stand in his way due to the fact they already have Joshua Kimmich and Renato Sanches on their books as long-term replacements for the 29-year-old.

Arturo Vidal joined Bayern Munich in 2015 and has so far made 43 Bundesliga appearances for the club.

Thi…

Mohamed Salah has told Liverpool s supporters they can go on to achieve a lot of things together after pledging his future to the club by signing a new contract.

The Egypt forward s new long-term deal which reportedly runs for five years and does not include a release clause comes after a stunning debut season on Merseyside.

Salah scored 44 goals in 52 appearances in 2017-18, helping Jurgen Klopp s side not only secure a second successive top-four finish in the Premier League, but also reach the Champions League final, albeit they lost out to Real Madrid in Kiev.

Taking a break after his exploits at the World Cup in Russia, the player filmed an Instagram video for the club, thanking fans for an incredible experience at Liverpool so far and promising even b…

Cameroon skipper Samuel Eto o has said he wants his team to beat Egypt in Monday s Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinal here and bring to an end a poor run against the defending champions.

In the past five years, the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon have only managed a draw at home with Egypt, who have won the three other clashes between the two teams.

We will fight and do our best because they have humiliated us for some time now, but I m not God to say we will win, said Eto o at a press conference here on Sunday.

I have always tried to give the best of myself in every game and that s what I will do against Egypt.

We have a squad of capable players, who are all here to defend the national colours. No player is here on a holiday and we will continue to wor…

The two Glasgow clubs Rangers and Celtic could be described as giants but at the moment I think they are giants in the land of midgets.

The standard of Scottish domestic football has been questioned for along time now and the financial problems of the SPL clubs have not helped the situation.

Not enough resources

Rangers boss Walter Smith is a good solid manager but after taking Rangers to the UEFA Cup final a few seasons ago has received absolutely no financial backing. The Gers basically started the season with the same squad that he had last season.

The only notable signing French winger Jerome Rothen on-loan from Paris St Germain. With lack of resources comes lack of progress. The Scottish Premier League has never received the best in financial backing an…

Bayern Munich defender Philipp Lahm says Arsenal are a better side than their opening two Champions League defeats suggest ahead of the teams meeting at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday.

The Gunners go into the match under big pressure to pick up a result if they are to stand a realistic chances of reaching the last 16, having lost to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiakos in their opening two matches.

Bayern, by contrast, have beaten the same two opponents and scored eight goals without conceding, meaning they comfortably sit at the top of Group F.

Anybody who knows about football also knows that Arsenal are better than the way they have started this season in Europe, with two defeats, Lahm told the Bundesliga s official website.

They have got some very, very dan…

Maurizio Sarri would like a decade-long stay at Chelsea but knows he needs to collect silverware – starting with the Community Shield against Manchester City at Wembley on Sunday.

Sarri was confirmed as Chelsea s sixth Italian boss when he replaced countryman Antonio Conte as head coach at the start of pre-season.

His first outing in English football comes against Pep Guardiola s Premier League champions in the traditional season curtain-raiser.

The two coaches spoke of their mutual respect for one another when City faced Napoli in two pulsating Champions League encounters last season, and they met for a close-season dinner with celebrated ex-AC Milan and Italy boss Arrigo Sacchi.

Guardiola beamed that Sacchi picked up the tab when discussing the meal a…

Chelsea have announced they are freezing general admission season-ticket prices for the 2023/24 season.

The Blues have decided not to increase season-ticket prices for a 12th successive year despite rising costs, with the club saying it is acutely aware of the cost-of-living crisis facing supporters.

The west London club also recognised the ongoing commitment of their fans during a turbulent season, which has seen the team fail to challenge for silverware and facing a fight just to finish in the top half of the Premier League table despite a huge outlay on players since last summer’s takeover.

Chelsea Supporters’ Trust welcomed the decision and thanked Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium for their positive response to requests over season ticket pric…

Market: RB Leipzig win

Odds: 4/11 @

Looking to extend their buffer in the Champions League spots, RB Leipzig will welcome a struggling Werder Bremen to the Red Bull Arena on Sunday afternoon.

Starting with the hosts, while RB Leipzig might have accepted that any chance of a shock title charge is off the cards, Marco Rose’s side are enjoying what has been an extended purple patch. Last seen putting in another eye-catching display as they clinched a 1-0 victory away at Freiburg, the Red Bulls now find themselves sat firmly in pole position to punch another Champions League ticket in 2023. Ending the season with a real flurry, the former Borussia Dortmund boss has seen his side win six of their last seven domestic appearances across all competitions a run that st…

Lazio captain Stefano Mauri could return to football in February after having his match-fixing ban reduced.

Mauri, 34, was banned for six months in early August before the Italian Football Federation added three months to his suspension after an appeal in October.

The veteran was found guilty of failing to report match-fixing in the Lecce versus Lazio Serie A match in May 2011.

But the reduction after an appeal to Italy s National Tribunal of Sporting Arbitration (TNAS) could see Mauri return on February 2 and potentially line-up for his side in the derby against Roma a week later.

The TNAS, in relation to arbitration Stefano Mauri and FIGC announced that the Arbitration Board partially upheld the demand for arbitration and, accordingly, upheld the decis…