Manchester United booked their place in the last 16 of the Europa League after an uninspiring 0-0 draw with Real Sociedad at Old Trafford on Thursday. 

With their progress to the next round all but secured after a thumping 4-0 first-leg win in Turin last week, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer opted to start with Marcus Rashford, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw on the substitutes bench, while Dean Henderson replaced David de Gea in goal. 

Mikel Oyarzabal should have taken advantage of a sluggish start from United, but his early penalty flew well over, while Bruno Fernandes and Daniel James went close for the hosts before the break. 

Substitute Axel Tuanzebe saw an effort ruled out during an insipid second half, though it mattered little in the end as United booked their p…

Son Heung-min, Erling Haaland and Evan Ferguson matched a Premier League record with their hat-tricks on Saturday.

It was only the second time in the Premier League era that the top flight had witnessed three hat-tricks on the same day, following the efforts of Robbie Fowler, Alan Shearer and Tony Yeboah in September 1995.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the two treble-trebles.

Robbie Fowler, Alan Shearer and Tony Yeboah, September 23, 1995

Fowler in fact scored four goals in Liverpool’s 5-2 win over Bolton, starting when he crisply dispatched Jamie Redknapp’s through-ball with his trusty left foot.

Goalkeeper David James provided a route-one assist for his second and he completed a hat-trick just after half-time when Redknapp’s cross was not dea…

Sheffield United are interested in signing Wouter Burger from Stoke City in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed Stoke do not want to sell Burger, but the Potters could part company with the 23-year-old defensive midfielder for £12 million.

Burger has been on the books of Stoke since the summer of 2023 when he joined from Basel. The 23-year-old defensive midfielder was one of the best players for the Poteters this past campaign. The Dutchman made 31 starts and eight substitute appearances in the Championship for Stoke this past season, scoring three goals and providing four assists in those games. Burger scored one goal in one Carabao Cup and played once in the FA Cup for the Potters this past campaign.

Sheffield United will play in the Cha…

Norwich made history on this day in 1993 with a stunning 2-1 victory over Bayern Munich in their UEFA Cup tie at the Olympic Stadium.

The Canaries became the first English team to beat the German giants in Munich in a European competition.

Norwich had finished third in the 1992-93 Premier League season and found themselves in Europe for the first time, coming through the first round against Vitesse before being drawn against Bayern.

2 5 years ago today…

UEFA Cup Second Round (1st Leg)

Bayern Munich 1 (Nerlinger 41 )Norwich City 2 (Goss 12 , Bowen 30 )

— Norwich City FC (@NorwichCityFC)

Jeremy Goss’ brilliant volley gave Mike Walker’s side the lead, with Mark Bowen’s header doubling their advantage on the half-hour mark.…

David Beckham has wished Sarina Wiegman s inspiring England team good luck ahead of their Women s European Championship semi-final clash with Sweden on Tuesday, as the Lionesses look to end a run of major semi-final defeats.

Wiegman s side have produced several scintillating performances as tournament hosts, scoring a remarkable 14 goals as they cruised through a group containing Austria, Norway and Northern Ireland, before coming from behind to clinch a 2-1 quarter-final win over Spain.

Georgia Stanway s extra-time stunner against La Roja was the 100th goal England have scored in just 18 matches under Wiegman, while their current 10-game winning run is their best ever such streak.

However, England are likely to face a tough test when they meet Sweden in their…

Borussia Dortmund are interested in keeping hold of Chelsea loanee Ian Maatsen on a permanent basis, according to , but they aren t ready to pay the price currently demanded by the Premier League club.

The 22-year-old left-back has two years left on his contract with Chelsea, and the London Blues apparently want £35 million to permanently relinquish his services. However, in order to comply with the Profitability and Sustainability Rules, they need to complete the planned outgoing transfers for the players that have no place in their squad under Enzo Maresca before the end of June if they want them to be included in their books for the 2023/24 season.

The deadline offers hope to Dortmund regarding any negotiations over a potential lower fee. At the moment, the offer th…

Verdict: Both teams score

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The first game from Group E at the Euro 2024 will be played at Allianz Arena in Munich on Monday afternoon when Romania faces Ukraine. While both teams aim to start their campaign with a win, a tough battle is expected to occur as the first game result is vital for increasing the chances of reaching the knockout phase.

Romania

Although Romania was seen as an underdog in the qualification stages while Switzerland and Israel were tipped to dominate Group I, the hosts shocked their adversaries by claiming the top spot undefeated. Despite gaining supremacy in the qualification phase, Tricolorii had the chance on their side on many occasions.

Perhaps the most impressive output by Edi Iordanescu s team…

Kaka believes Brazil can still perform very well at the 2022 World Cup, despite the injured Neymar s absence.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Neymar limped off in the 80th minute of Brazil s 2-0 win over Serbia, having been subjected to nine fouls – more than any other player during the opening round of group games in Qatar.

The 30-year-old suffered what has been described as a lateral ligament injury to his right ankle, while he shared an update on his official Instagram account on Saturday, including photos of his heavily swollen foot.

Kaka was part of a heavily fancied Brazil side at the 2006 World Cup. But despite also boasting the likes of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Adriano, the Selecao failed to live up to expectations and bowed out in the quarter-finals followi…

Pep Guardiola was caught off guard after Fernandinho said he will not renew his Manchester City contract.

Fernandinho has been a pivotal figure for City since his arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk in 2013.

He has helped the club win four Premier League titles, one FA Cup and the EFL Cup six times.

However, at the age of 36, he is now back-up to Rodri in Guardiola s midfield, while the Brazilian is also able to fill in at centre-back if required.

Fernandinho has made 23 appearances across all competitions this season, though only 12 of those have been starts and on Tuesday, he suggested he will not be signing a new deal, with his contract due to expire at the end of 2021-22.

I don t think so, he told a news conference when asked if he would be exten…

Eventually claiming what was an action-packed against Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final first-leg on Tuesday night, Manchester City have their sights set on completing a European and domestic double this season.

Still holding a one-point buffer at the top of the Premier League table, Pep Guardiola s star-studded squad do appear to be on the verge of an historic campaign at the Etihad.

Heavily linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund superstar Erling Haaland, many are expecting what could be a blockbuster summer in the blue half of Manchester.

However, while City could see a host of big-name stars arrive through their doors ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, we have taken a look at a handful of players who could be on their way out.

Gabriel Jesus…