Darwin Nunez headed a late winner as Benfica secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals with a 1-0 victory at Ajax, sealing a 3-2 aggregate win in the last-16 tie.

A 2-2 draw in the first leg in Lisbon had left the contest finely poised, and Erik ten Hag s home side dictated from the outset at the Johan Cruijff Arena on Tuesday.

However, it was Benfica who struck decisively in the 77th minute when Nunez powered in the Portuguese visitors first attempt on target to send Nelson Verissimo s side through.

Benfica will now wait to find out the identity of their opponents in the last-eight draw on Friday, with the two-leg clashes set to take place across early April.

Ajax dominated the opening exchanges and Sebastien Haller turned home after …

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp was bemused as to why his side did not get a penalty for Martin Odegaard’s handball in the first half of their 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Anfield.

VAR ruled referee Chris Kavanagh had not made a clear and obvious error in not penalising the Gunners captain after his low hand prevented Mohamed Salah getting past him.

Klopp disagreed, telling BBC Sport: “The penalty situation is a weird situation, I don’t know if the ref can see it, but you look at it and I’m not sure how you can say it’s not a penalty.”

Anfield was outstanding tonight, I think everybody felt it. It was brutal. It was really nice to see what we can do all together.

Jürgen Klopp s press conference

— Liverpool FC (@LFC)

In his po…

Gerard Pique was left in tears following Lionel Messi s Barcelona exit, but the centre-back says he can understand why his former colleague joined Paris Saint-Germain.

Messi s 21-year association with Barcelona, 16 of those spent as part of the senior squad, came to an end last August when he signed for PSG as a free agent.

The Argentina international won every trophy available with Barca and departed as the club s all-time record scorer with 672 goals across 778 appearances.

Last year s departure came as a huge shock at the time, with the Catalan giants financial situation meaning they could not agree fresh term under LaLiga s salary restrictions.

Pique and Messi came through Barca s La Masia academy together and spent 13 seasons as first-team regulars a…

Russell Martin was delighted with how Southampton bounced back in the EFL Cup and urged them to keep that fighting spirit in the Premier League against Ipswich Town.

Taylor Harwood-Bellis cancelled out Abdoulaye Doucoure s opener for Everton in the EFL Cup third-round tie on Tuesday before they beat the Toffees on penalties to progress.

It was a much-needed victory for Southampton, who have failed to win all four of their Premier League games so far, with their 3-0 defeat to Manchester United last time out their 400th loss in the competition.

It is a huge game for both promoted sides, but Martin is keen to build on their win in midweek by providing the perfect Premier League response.

I loved the togetherness and the spirit [against Everton], Martin said…

West Ham have announced their third signing in as many days after confirming the arrival of midfielder Guido Rodriguez on Tuesday.

Rodriguez, who was part of Argentina s Copa America-winning squad in July, arrives as a free agent having left Spanish side Real Betis upon the expiry of his contract.

The 30-year-old was also part of La Albiceleste s World Cup success in 2022 and has made 30 appearances for his nation, winning three trophies.

Rodriguez will provide another combative midfield option for Julen Lopetegui alongside Edson Alvarez, a player he knows well from his time with Club America in Mexico.

He was successful in 118 of his 196 contested duels last term, while also winning 30 of his 53 tackles, a total only bettered by Marc Roca (36) and Ayo…

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and midfielder Bruno Guimaraes should stay at St James Park despite being linked with moves elsewhere, believes Joelinton.

Howe has been touted as a contender to replace Gareth Southgate following his resignation as England manager, which came in the wake of their Euro 2024 final loss to Spain.

The former Bournemouth boss, who led Newcastle to a fourth-place Premier League finish and the EFL Cup final in 2023-24, insisted his commitment to the Magpies was unwavering last week.

Guimaraes, meanwhile, saw his future called into question at the end of last season, with Newcastle battling to comply with the Premier League s profit and sustainability rules.

Linked with both Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City, he had a £…

Sevilla s aura in the Europa League is similar to the fear Real Madrid instil into Champions League opponents, says Steven Nzonzi.

Jose Mourinho s Roma were the latest team to fall foul of Sevilla in a Europa League final as the Andalusian side extended their remarkable record of wins in UEFA s second-tier club competition to seven.

Only five teams – Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Liverpool and Bayern Munich – have won more major European honours than Sevilla, who beat Roma 4-1 on penalties after a tightly contested 1-1 draw in Budapest.

Nzonzi, who helped Unai Emery s Sevilla beat Liverpool in 2016 to seal a third straight Europa League crown, believes the club have now created such an air of dominance in the tournament that they can be compared to Madrid, who ha…

West Ham United are interested in signing Arnau Martinez from Girona in the summer transfer window, according to . West Ham are in contact with the representatives of Martinez, who is open to a potential move to London Stadium.

Fichajes has claimed that new West Ham manager Julen Lopetegui has personally expressed his desire to have Martinez in his team. The Hammers are on the hunt for a new right-back. Martinez can also play as a central defender and has been on the books of Girona since 2018.

Martinez came through Girona’s youth system and is now part of the first team. The Spain Under-21 international defender made 14 starts and seven substitute appearances in La Liga last season. Martinez gave two assists in those games. He also played twice in the Copa del Rey. G…

Borussia Dortmund have appointed former midfielder Nuri Sahin as their new head coach following the departure of Edin Terzic.

Having led Dortmund to the Champions League final earlier this month, when they were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid at Wembley Stadium, Terzic surprisingly resigned on Thursday.

The 41-year-old – who was in his second spell in charge – had previously overseen a second-placed Bundesliga finish in 2022-23, when a final-day draw with Mainz allowed rivals Bayern Munich to snatch the title.

Terzic brought Sahin in as an assistant manager in January, just a few days after he left his first head coaching role with Turkish Super Lig team Antalyaspor.

On Friday, Dortmund confirmed Sahin would step up to the top job after signing a contract t…

PSG set Mbappe ultimatum

Paris Saint-Germain have vowed once again that they won t lose the services of Kylian Mbappe on a free transfer next year. The France forward will either sign a new contract with the Ligue 1 giants, or leave now for a transfer fee.

Though other clubs have been mentioned in that aspect, Mbappe has mostly been linked with Real Madrid. Though his price might be significantly reduced for PSG to ensure his departure this summer, his wages appear to be the problem for most potential suitors. The 24-year-old is, after all, one of the best players in the world at the moment.

Leverkusen confirm Xhaka transfer

Bayer Leverkusen have completed and confirmed the transfer of Granit Xhaka from Arsenal. The Gunners are set to receive a fee…