Gab Marcotti

1 month ago | espn.co.uk | Mark Ogden |Gab Marcotti |James Olley |Julien Laurens

The first legs of this season's UEFA Champions League quarterfinals ties are done and dusted. Arsenal and Barcelona already appear have one foot in the semis thanks to their respective 3-0 and 4-0 wins, but the other matchups look well poised. Is there any way that the likes of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Aston Villa can stage comebacks? Will we ever see a better brace than Declan Rice's two wonderous free kicks?

2 months ago | espn.co.uk | Sam Marsden |Moisés Llorens |Gab Marcotti |Graham Hunter

Lamine Yamal has said Barcelona are the new favourites to win the Champions League after Liverpool were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16. Barça finished second behind Liverpool in the revamped league phase of the competition and then beat Benfica to set up a quarterfinal clash with Borussia Dortmund. A potential semifinal with Bayern Munich or Inter Milan would then follow, with Clásico rivals Real Madrid, Arsenal, PSG or Aston Villa then waiting in a hypothetical final.

2 months ago | espn.co.uk | James Olley |Gab Marcotti

Mikel Arteta has described Chelsea as "the best attacking team in the league" after they managed just two shots on target in a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday. Mikel Merino's 20th-minute header settled a contest short on quality at Emirates Stadium which moved Arsenal to within 12 points of Premier League leaders Liverpool.

2 months ago | espn.co.uk | Ryan O'Hanlon |Gab Marcotti |Beth Lindop |Julien Laurens

Nine years ago, Ousmane Dembélé was doing what he's doing now: wrecking Ligue 1. But back then, he was an 18-year-old playing for Rennes. It was his first season as a pro, and he was on his way to scoring 12 goals and assisting five more in fewer than 2,000 minutes. One particular reporter was baffled in the same way that all of France's defenders were. "Are you right-footed or left footed?" he asked. "Hmmm," Dembélé paused. He didn't even seem to know. "Left-footed.""Are you sure?

2 months ago | espn.co.uk | Gab Marcotti |Gabriele Marcotti

Bayern Munich defensive midfielder Joshua Kimmich has signed a contract extension to 2029, the Bundesliga leaders said on Thursday, joining teammates Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies with fresh long-term deals. Speculation regarding Kimmich's deal swirled for weeks, with the player being a major transfer target for top European clubs. "At FC Bayern, I have the best environment to achieve my sporting goals," Germany international Kimmich said in a club statement.