Gerrard unlikely to return to Liverpool on loan

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen called upon his team-mates to raise the quality of their performances late in games after they earned a narrow victory over LaLiga strugglers Huesca.

Frenkie de Jong scored a first-half volley that proved decisive at El Alcoraz but Ter Stegen had to be alert to keep Rafa Mir from equalising as the division s bottom club were allowed to attack in the second half.

Ter Stegen acknowledged that Barcelona s display improved on their showing in a 1-1 draw with Eibar last time out in LaLiga, but called for more hard work to put the Blaugrana back in contention for a place in the top three.

For 35 minutes we did very well, we played very good, Ter Stegen told the club s official website.

We had a lot of possession, we …

Cristiano Ronaldo returned from suspension but failed to find the net as Al-Nassr secured a 1-0 win over Al-Khaleej on Saturday, with Aymeric Laporte coming up with the decisive goal.

Ronaldo was in action for the first time since being sent off for an elbow in a 2-1 Saudi Super Cup loss to Al-Hilal earlier this month, with his initial two-match ban being reduced to one on appeal.

He missed three good chances as Al-Nassr threatened to fall further behind runaway Saudi Pro League leaders Al-Hilal, but former Manchester City defender Laporte spared his blushes by nodding Marcelo Brozovic s deep free-kick into the bottom-left corner with 68 minutes gone.

Al-Nassr remain nine points adrift of Al-Hilal at the summit in spite of their win, with Jorge Jesus team unbeat…

Jose Mourinho says Japan s shock World Cup win over Germany was not a crazy surprise, criticising European football s big focus on individuals and egos.

The Samurai Blue produced an inspired comeback from 1-0 down as second-half goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano stunned Hansi Flick s side at the Khalifa International Stadium.

The four-time champions, who led through Ilkay Gundogan s penalty, lost a World Cup match after opening the scoring for the first time since a 2-1 defeat by Bulgaria in the 1994 quarter-finals.

Mourinho, who coached South Korea s Son Heung-min at Tottenham, was not overly shocked by the result, saluting the collective mentality demonstrated by Asian footballers.

History being made in front of our very eyes |

— FIFA …

Javier Zanetti feels Inter Milan will have to improve at home if they are to be successful in the 2012/13 campaign.

The Nerazzurri were beaten 3-1 by Roma at the Giuseppe Meazza after previously drawing at home against Vaslui and losing against Hajduk Split, and the veteran defender feels they have to step up their game in front of their own fans.

We need to improve our performances at the San Siro, but we ve made a lot of changes and of course things can be difficult at the start. We need to get back to our best in front of our own fans, Zanetti told Mediaset.

Inter were heavily criticised after their loss to Roma, and Zanetti was not impressed with the harsh words aimed at the club.

Do I think the media went a bit overboard with their comments after…

Former Netherlands international Ruud van Nistelrooy has defended Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo.

Van Nistelrooy, who was Ronaldo s team-mate at Manchester United from 2003 until 2006 and at Madrid in 2009-10, has stressed that the Portugal international is not an arrogant person.

I never saw him as an arrogant guy. He was always open to advice and not arrogant at all. He was a great guy in the dressing room. He was really vain, but always in a good mood and making jokes, Van Nistelrooy told Algemeen Dagblad.

I talked to him like attackers talk among each other. A lot of his individual actions were not necessary and he lacked efficiency. He still had a lot of room for improvement.

He worked incredibly hard to become a better player, though. And…

Mitch Langerak has been backed to make Stuttgart s number one spot his own, even though the Australia goalkeeper will miss his new club s Bundesliga opener on Sunday.

Langerak signed a three-year contract with Stuttgart in June, ending his five-year association with Borussia Dortmund, but the 26-year-old suffered a setback when he injured a muscle in his upper leg in July.

He will sit out Stuttgart s first match of the 2015-16 league season against Cologne, with fellow new signing Przemyslaw Tyton set to start in goal for Alexander Zorniger s side.

Poland s Tyton played 32 of 38 La Liga matches on loan at Elche from PSV last term.

But former Stuttgart captain Matthieu Delpierre – who now plays for Langerak s first professional club Melbourne Vic…

Juventus are in a commanding position as they look to reach their second Champions League semi-final in the space of three years, but Monaco have not yet given up hope.

Massimiliano Allegri s side hold a two-goal lead going into Tuesday s home second leg in Turin after Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in the first leg.

Higuain s double improved what had been a miserable record in the Champions League knockout stages, while Juve s defence continue to set records.

Monaco, meanwhile, remain in with a chance of Ligue 1 glory domestically and a dramatic turnaround against Juve would take their sensational campaign to another level, with Kylian Mbappe looking to make more of an impact than he did in the first leg.

A timely weekend boost for Monaco they re sure to b…

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is fearful of Paul Pogba s impact in Monday s FA Cup quarter-final, warning his team to pay great attention to the Manchester United midfielder.

A world-record signing from Italian champions Juventus, Pogba has struggled for consistency since returning to Old Trafford ahead of United s trip to Stamford Bridge.

Pogba came in for criticism following United s 1-1 Premier League draw against Bournemouth last week but Conte who lured the France international to Turin in 2012 during his time in charge of Juve is more than aware of the 23-year-old s quality.

We are talking about a top, top player. A top player in all situations, Conte said.

Also in his commitment in training, trying to improve him, good technique, physically strong, …

Tuchel knows he cannot compete with the suave looks and man-about-town fashion style of Giroud, who he described as a leader within his squad.

I try to close the gap, he said. At the moment it s not possible because I arrived with only one suitcase, so there s no chance for me.

I will have to trust you that the guy is top-notch and highest level. I will try to close the gap, so it s not embarrassing for Oli that I m his coach.

Tuchel stopped short of promising Giroud a starting role against United, but he would clearly have no reservations about the striker s credentials for such an important game.

He s used to playing a high rhythm, he s used to playing Premier League, and this helps him a lot to be on this level, Tuchel said.

He s in a f…