Substitute Jeffrey Schlupp scored a thunderous late equaliser to give Crystal Palace a point as they battled back to draw 1-1 with Fulham in a London derby at Craven Cottage.

Schlupp equalised with just three minutes remaining, firing a long-range strike into the roof of the net to extend Palace’s unbeaten run to four Premier League games.

Rodrigo Muniz had given Fulham the lead early in the second half, the striker converting Timothy Castagne’s cross to break the deadlock after visitors Palace had controlled the first half.

Fulham and Palace sit 13th and 14th respectively in Premier League table, with just three points separating them.

Palace started on the front foot and Michael Olise passed up the first chance of the game after Adam Wharton’s defence-splitting pass found the forward inside the penalty area.

Frustratingly for Oliver Glasner’s visitors, they were unable to test Bernd Leno in the Fulham goal early on despite making a strong start to the game.

In-form striker Jean-Philippe Mateta swung at Daniel Munoz’s near-post cross but saw his effort fly over the crossbar.

Chris Richards then leapt highest from Olise’s in-swinging free kick delivery, but the defender could not direct his header on target from close range.

Fulham remained pinned back in their own half, but the hosts were not giving up any clear-cut chances, with Wharton and Olise both trying their luck from 20 yards out.

The Cottagers managed to apply brief pressure to the Palace backline late in the first half and Dean Henderson had to be alert to keep out Muniz’s shot.

Fulham improved after the break and Muniz opened the scoring in the 52nd minute. After winning possession, the hosts quickly broke forward and Muniz headed in Castagne’s delightful delivery.

Bobby De Cordova-Reid lacked the required composure to double Fulham’s lead after a swift counter-attack found the forward free at the back post.

As Palace sought a way back into the game at the other end, substitute Odsonne Edouard nearly made an immediate impact, but Leno got down low to keep out his strike.

However, the visitors were not to be denied and it was fellow sub Schlupp who smashed in the equaliser courtesy of a fierce strike that left Leno rooted to the spot, with Wharton getting the assist.
 

Muniz back on track

While the late goal came as a blow, Marco Silva’s side continued their recent good form against Palace with this draw, extending their unbeaten run against their London rivals to five league games.

It was a frustrating first half for Fulham as they struggled to get out of their own half until the final moments and Henderson was largely a spectator before Muniz’s shot tested him.

Muniz had struggled to get into the game but it was he who grabbed the game’s first goal in the second half, heading in Castagne’s cross.

It got Muniz back on the scoresheet for the first time since netting against Sheffield United last month.

However, Silva’s side could not hold onto the three points despite a disciplined defensive performance.

It was also a good day for Alex Iwobi, who made his 250th Premier League appearance, becoming only the fourth Nigerian to do so.

Palace momentum continues

The Eagles saw their three-game winning streak come to an end in West London but grabbed a morale-boosting late point to maintain their momentum.

Schlupp’s strike was the quality moment they required to break down Fulham’s well-drilled defence.

Glasner’s team were the better of the two sides in the first half, with Wharton impressing in the middle of the park and Olise the most likely to be at the heart of any Palace threat.

Mateta had less of an impact, though, and the Eagles only managed one shot on target in the first half. 

Not making the most of a positive opening period proved costly when they fell behind and they looked to be heading for defeat before Schlupp spectacularly salvaged a point.

Burnley boosted their Premier League survival hopes after holding Manchester United to a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

Zeki Amdouni’s calm late penalty moved Burnley within two points of safety with three games remaining.

All the Clarets’ hard work appeared to be in vain when Antony broke the deadlock, but they responded well to ensure a hard-earned share of the spoils.

Burnley remain 19th but are now two points behind 17th-place Nottingham Forest, who host Manchester City on Sunday, while United stay sixth.

Although David Datro Fofana shot straight at Andre Onana inside the opening 30 seconds, United soon established their authority on proceedings with Christian Eriksen curling just wide and Fernandes rattling Arijanet Muric’s right post as they threatened the opening goal.

But the hosts had Onana to thank for keeping Burnley at bay as the first half went on. First, he tipped over Wilson Odobert’s long-range effort, before producing a magnificent reflex save to deny Foster.

Onana kept out Foster again while Alejandro Garnacho fired into the side-netting four minutes before half-time, as both sides returned to their dressing rooms still seeking the breakthrough.

Garnacho continued to carry United’s greatest threat after the break. The Argentine winger shot narrowly wide after a swift counter, before Muric pushed away his powerful volley from a corner.

However, the visitors gifted their opponents the opening goal in the 79th minute, as Antony intercepted Sander Berge’s loose pass before racing away and slotting past Muric.

But there was to be a late twist three minutes from time, when Amdouni coolly rolled home the equaliser from the penalty spot after VAR ruled Onana had fouled the Burnley striker.

Ton up for Fernandes as United stumble

United ended their four-game winless streak when they came from behind to beat Sheffield United in midweek.

However, they have not recorded successive victories since mid-February after Amdouni’s late penalty.

Bruno Fernandes did his best to rally the hosts, becoming the first player this season to create 100 or more chances.

It was in vain however, with Erik ten Hag’s side now having failed to keep a clean sheet in six attempts.

More Old Trafford joy for Kompany

Vincent Kompany won five of his nine Premier League visits to Old Trafford as a player (56 per cent), with only David Silva enjoying a higher success rate among opposing players with eight or more trips (75 per cent).

The Belgian was looking to become the third person to triumph here as a player and manager, after Steve Clarke and Mark Hughes.

While he could not quite achieve that, his side were more than deserving of a point following a spirited display against United.

Now with only one defeat in their last eight games, the Clarets have made themselves difficult to beat at a crucial time in the season, and they will hope it pays dividends in their quest for survival.

Sheffield United were relegated from the Premier League following a 5-1 thrashing by Newcastle United at St James' Park on Saturday.

Alexander Isak netted in both halves as the Magpies came from behind, with Bruno Guimaraes helping to complete the turnaround after Anel Ahmedhodzic's early opener.

Callum Wilson rounded off the scoring after Ben Osborn's own goal had taken the game away from Chris Wilder's side, sending them back to the Championship.

Newcastle stay in seventh place, four points above West Ham in eighth, while the Blades sit bottom of the table after a 25th league defeat of the season.

Harry Kane surpassed the 400-goal mark for his senior career as his double helped Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Kane moved within one of the milestone as he put Bayern 1-0 up after just nine minutes, coolly finishing from close range after Konrad Laimer's pass had set him up.

Then, after Frankfurt levelled through Hugo Ekitike, Kane slotted home a penalty with typical aplomb following a foul on Thomas Muller to move himself onto 400 career goals and ultimately lead Bayern to victory.

Kane scored 280 of his goals in 435 appearances for Tottenham, overtaking Jimmy Greaves to become the club's all-time leading scorer when he netted for the 267th time in Spurs colours against Manchester City last February.

His tally of 213 Premier League goals, meanwhile, puts him just 47 behind the competition's all-time leader Alan Shearer, who scored 260 times for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.

Kane is also the most prolific player in England's history, his 62 goals for the Three Lions coming in 89 international appearances. 

He memorably missed the chance to surpass Wayne Rooney's previous record of 53 when he blazed a penalty over the crossbar in the Three Lions' quarter-final defeat to France at the 2022 World Cup, only to clinch his place in history in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy three months later.

The very first goal of Kane's senior career came in League One during a loan spell with Leyton Orient as they thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 in January 2011.

That was the first of five goals Kane scored in O's colours, while he also netted nine times in a loan spell with Millwall in 2011-12 and twice during a stint with Leicester City the following season.

It was a tale of three penalties as Girona went second in LaLiga with a 2-0 win over Las Palmas on Saturday, edging closer to a Champions League place for next season.

Artem Dovbyk made sure of the win from the spot in the second half, after David Lopez had put them in front in the 26th minute.

Lopez was on hand to blast into the roof of the net after Alvaro Valles saved Dovbyk's first penalty of the game, conceded by Las Palmas captain Kirian Rodriguez.

Las Palmas had earlier squandered a spot-kick of their own, with Paulo Gazzaniga springing to his right to push Sandro Ramirez's strike away.

Girona now possess a 13-point buffer to fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, who have just 18 points to play for, so it appears a mere matter of time before Michel's side secure Champions League qualification.

Data Debrief: Dovbyk in fine company

Dovbyk wasn't deterred after seeing his first-half penalty saved, his second attempt from 12 yards finding the bottom-right corner to make the points safe for Girona.

He has now scored 19 goals in just 31 appearances in LaLiga. Only four players have previously reached that figure in fewer outings in the competition – Cristiano Ronaldo (23), Radamel Falcao (24), Robert Lewandowski (28) and Julio Baptista (29).

Derby County sealed a Championship return by beating already-relegated Carlisle United 2-0 at Pride Park on the final day of the League One season.

Derby knew a single point would end their two-year stay in the third tier of English football, with Bolton Wanderers waiting to pounce if the Rams did suffer a shock defeat.

However, such a slip-up never looked likely as Max Bird's powerful strike from outside the area put them ahead within five minutes, and James Collins added a close-range second on the hour mark to make certain of promotion.

Paul Warne's team finished five points behind Portsmouth, who clinched the title earlier this month, and five clear of Bolton – who needed a late equaliser from Cameron Jerome to draw 3-3 with Peterborough. 

Bolton will face Barnsley in the play-offs as the Tykes were not punished for their 1-1 draw with Northampton Town, defeats for Blackpool and Lincoln City denying them the chance to gatecrash the top six.

Fourth-placed Peterborough will face Oxford United in the other play-off semi-final, as the U's clinched a 2-1 win over Exeter City to claim fifth place in the final reckoning. 

Three of the four relegation places had already been decided before Saturday's matches, with Carlisle, Port Vale, and Fleetwood Town on their way to League Two.

Cheltenham will join them after Nick Freeman struck a 90th-minute winner in their 2-1 loss at Stevenage. Darrell Clarke's side needed a win to save themselves and send Burton Albion down in their place, but they were hit with a late sucker punch as their three-year stay in League One came to an end. 

Mikel Arteta is looking to prove the Opta supercomputer wrong as Arsenal prepare for perhaps the biggest test of their Premier League title credentials, in Sunday's North London derby at Tottenham.

Arsenal began the weekend one point clear of Manchester City at the top of the table, though Pep Guardiola's men have a game in hand and have been in ominous form lately, winning their last four league matches. 

Five wins for City will ensure they retain their crown, and according to the Opta supercomputer, the champions started the weekend with a 71.7% chance of topping the pile, compared to 26.6% for Arsenal and just 1.7% for Liverpool.

Arteta hopes to see Arsenal's figure boosted by a derby win, saying: "I don't know what to say, hopefully we can trick that computer and make it a bit higher! 

"Maybe it needs to update the software, we need to help it or give it more tools. Hopefully we can change that!

"We are there. We have to look at ourselves and try to perform in the best possible way to win our matches and I can't wait to see what happens.

"We had a big win in the last London derby against Chelsea and now we have another big one. I'm sure if we're going to win the league, we're going to have to beat Spurs as well."

Tottenham, meanwhile, need points if they are to overhaul Aston Villa in the battle for Champions League qualification, with fifth place now extremely unlikely to be enough.

Ange Postecoglou, though, is more interested in seeing how Spurs measure up to a side they hope to challenge in the future.

"We understand the importance of the game but ultimately, it's still about us measuring ourselves against the teams we want to be challenging on a more consistent basis," Postecoglou said.

"It's a great opportunity to do that on Sunday."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Tottenham – Son Heung-min 

Son scored twice for Spurs in the reverse fixture against Arsenal in September – a 2-2 draw at the Emirates Stadium. In all competitions, only five players have scored more goals in the fixture's history than Son's seven. 

The only player to score multiple goals in both north London derby matches in a league season was Arsenal's Ted Drake, who did so back in 1934-35.

Arsenal – Martin Odegaard 

Odegaard has been involved in six goals in his last six away appearances in the Premier League, scoring three and assisting three.

The Gunners captain was in mesmerising form in Tuesday's 5-0 win over Chelsea, leading all players on the pitch for assists (two), chances created (eight), passes into the final third (34) and duels won (eight). A repeat performance would be huge for the visitors' title hopes.

MATCH PREDICTION – ARSENAL WIN

Tottenham have won just one of their last six Premier League games against Arsenal (one draw, four defeats), with their four losses in this span as many as they had suffered in their previous 16 against the Gunners (six wins, six draws).

They also lost this exact fixture 2-0 last season, meaning the Gunners could win on back-to-back league trips to Tottenham for the first time since enjoying a run of three victories there between 1987 and 1988.

Arteta's men know there is no margin for error with the title race in City's hands.

Even a draw could prove fatal to their hopes – at the end of the 2015-16 season, the North London derby was the most drawn fixture in Premier League history, with 20 of 48 meetings finishing level (42 per cent). Since then, only four matches between these rivals have seen the points shared (27 per cent).

Arsenal have kept six straight clean sheets on their travels in the Premier League, with only two teams ever keeping seven in a row – Chelsea from September to December 2008 and Manchester United from November to February in 2008-09. The Gunners should have enough to grind out a huge win.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Tottenham – 31%

Arsenal – 41.3% 

Draw – 27.7%

Liverpool suffered another blow to their dwindling Premier League title hopes as Michail Antonio's late header snatched a 2-2 draw for West Ham at London Stadium.

Jurgen Klopp's side disappointed in Wednesday's 2-0 defeat against Everton, with Jarrod Bowen's goal and assist inflicting further pain for the Reds on Saturday.

Liverpool responded well to Bowen's first-half opener, edging ahead through Alphonse Areola's own goal after Andy Robertson's 48th-minute leveller, only for Bowen to tee up Antonio's headed equaliser 13 minutes from time.

This draw left Liverpool two points behind leaders Arsenal ahead of the Gunners’ Sunday meeting with Tottenham and one behind Manchester City – who have two games in hand on the Reds – while West Ham remain eighth.

A tepid opening befitted two sides struggling for form as both failed to carve out any gilt-edged opportunities.

Liverpool wanted a 27th-minute penalty for Angelo Ogbonna's tackle on Cody Gakpo and, though an offside call against Luis Diaz silenced those appeals, that passage livened the game up.

Harvey Elliott's curling attempt was held by Areola after Vladimir Coufal went close at the other end, before Diaz blasted a low strike against the West Ham goalkeeper's right-hand post.

Bowen saw a deflected drive parried behind by Alisson but the West Ham forward headed Mohammed Kudus' left-wing delivery into the far corner from the resulting set-piece two minutes before the break.

Ryan Gravenberch flashed a powerful half-volley over immediately after the interval – and West Ham did not heed that warning sign.

Diaz cut inside from the left to find Robertson before a slight deflection off Lucas Paqueta saw Areola caught off-guard as the left-back found the bottom-left corner via the post.

Gravenberch arrowed narrowly wide before one-way traffic finally paid dividends midway through the second half when Gakpo's miscued strike from Trent Alexander-Arnold's corner forced Areola to turn into his own net after a deflection off Tomas Soucek.

Alisson kept his side ahead with a remarkable stretching stop to thwart Emerson's volley, yet the Liverpool goalkeeper was powerless when Antonio headed into the top-right corner from Bowen's right-wing centre.

Elliott almost snatched all three points in the 89th minute but his dipping effort found the top of the crossbar rather than the right-hand corner from long range.

Reds falter once again

Under Klopp, Liverpool have only won more Premier League games against Crystal Palace (13) than West Ham (12).

Yet the visiting Reds faltered once more as what appeared to be a promising season continues to unravel in disappointing fashion for Klopp's final campaign.

Having threatened an unlikely quadruple at the start of March, Liverpool now require a minor miracle – and slip-ups from Man City and Arsenal – to muster a slight shot at the title.

Bowen on target but West Ham struggle at home

Bowen had already found the net in the Premier League and EFL Cup against Liverpool this season and became just the second West Ham player to score in three different games with the Reds in a single campaign – after Geoff Hurst in 1964-65.

His well-taken headed opener eased the nervous home crowd, yet this draw left West Ham with just one win from their last nine Premier League home games.

That concerning home form may be what costs David Moyes’ side a higher finish. The Hammers trail seventh-placed Newcastle United by a point, despite the Magpies playing two games fewer.

Ange Postecoglou insists Tottenham must focus on themselves heading into the north London derby with Arsenal, rather than on denting their rivals' Premier League title hopes.

With four matches remaining, the Gunners are a point clear at the summit from reigning champions Manchester City, who still have a game in hand on Mikel Arteta's side in second place. 

While Arsenal look to stay very much in the hunt for a first league crown in 20 years, fifth-place Tottenham will aim to reduce their six-point deficit to fourth-place Aston Villa, on whom they have two games in hand.

Spurs are winless in the last three north London derbies - winning just one of the most recent six - though they twice came from behind to earn a point in September's reverse fixture at the Emirates Stadium.

And Postecoglou has his sights firmly set on beating his side's rivals, and says his players are not driven by the prospect of thwarting their opponents' title bid.

"Not in terms of that as a motivation," he said when asked if he would like to dent Arsenal's title hopes.

"I understand the importance of winning against your traditional rival. I never believe your motivation should revolve around the demise of somebody else.

"Your motivation should be about yourself. We can win on Sunday, but it doesn't mean we are title contenders this year. I want to win because I want us to progress. I want us to be in a position fighting for the title.

"If that's your kind of measure, always peering over the back fence to see what your neighbour's building, you could both have the worst houses in the street because everyone else is building beautiful places, and you're looking over the back fence."

Carlo Ancelotti hailed Real Madrid's commitment and desire as they edged closer to securing the LaLiga title with a 1-0 victory at Real Sociedad.

Arda Guler scored the only goal as Los Blancos extended their lead to 14 points over second-placed Barcelona, who host Valencia in their game in hand on Monday.

The 19-year-old was making his first start since arriving from Fenerbahce, as Ancelotti rotated his squad ahead of Madrid's Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.

And the Italian was pleased by the character demonstrated by his players, who stretched their winning streak to six league matches.

"It was clear that everyone thought we were coming here for a walk," he told reporters. "The only ones who didn't think so were the players. They had commitment and attitude. They had the desire and enthusiasm to keep winning.

"We have a spectacular squad. They have this attitude that they feel like they have to win every game. There are four points left to clinch the LaLiga title, and we are very close."

Guler added on Realmadrid TV: "This is the best club in the world and scoring is one of the best feelings.

"This is Real Madrid, the quality of the players is incredible. We're all always ready to play, and I think we've shown that here. I'm waiting patiently, and I'm still working hard every day."

Ancelotti's rotation meant a first start in eight months for Eder Militao, who marked his return from a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee with a clean sheet.

"I've come back to play 90 minutes and I feel like a player again after many months out," the defender said. 

"We have to keep winning, we know that nothing is won yet. We have a big advantage, but we have to keep doing a serious job until the end."

As domestic seasons draw to a close, the giants of Women's European football are due to battle it out this weekend and secure a spot in the Champions League final.

With both fixtures finely poised, Chelsea will welcome current champions Barcelona to Stamford Bridge and try to end their reign.

Lyon will travel to the Parc des Princes to face Paris Saint-Germain looking to secure their 11th appearance in the final.

They have played in the showpiece match more times than any other team in the competition and are also the most successful side in the tournament's history with eight titles overall and five consecutive crowns from 2016 to 2020, so PSG will have their work cut out.

PSG v Lyon

Lyon showed their pedigree in the first leg as they came back from 2-0 down at home to win 3-2.

Les Parisiennes spent much of the first half soaking up early pressure from their French counterparts, but in the 44th minute Marie Katoto was deadly accurate and struck from just outside the six-yard box. 

Sandy Baltimore's cross found Katoto as she peeled away from Ellie Carpenter who was unaware of the danger that lurked behind her an off-balance Katoto tucked it into the bottom left-hand corner.

Paris Saint Germain started the second half as they ended the first, Katoto pouncing on a deflected shot doubled her team's lead and took her tally to seven goals in eight matches in the competition this term.

Lyon, however, were patient in their pursuit of goals, and in the 79th minute, Ellie Carpenter cut the ball back from out wide to Kadidiatou Diani, who toe-poked it into the bottom corner.

The comeback was on with ten minutes of the 90 to go.

A foul on Lindsey Horan led to a free-kick that Selma Bacha delivered to the edge of the box, where Wendy Renard took it down and passed to Melchie Dumornay who dropped her shoulder to lose her defender and fired a magnificent shot into the right-hand corner of the goal.

The comeback was on and in the 85th minute, Les Parisiennes could not halt wave after wave of Lyon attacks. A long throw resulted in Dumornay finding space outside the 18-yard box and finding Amel Majri, who dummied the ball to let it run past her before burying it into the bottom corner.

What to expect

PSG will need every voice in the Parc des Princes to roar them on if they are going to knock out the former champions. 

They have scored in their last seven games in the Champions League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 13 from April 2021 to April 2022.

PSG will look to Marie Katoto, who has scored seven goals in eight matches, and is averaging 0.88 per game. The French forward has had 27 total attempts this term, getting off 3.38 shots per match on average.

All seven of her goals have been from inside the box, where her deadly accuracy means she is by far PSG's biggest threat in this match-up. She is also one goal behind the Golden Boot leader, Kadidiatou Diani, who has netted eight goals in nine matches.

Attack for Paris could be the best form of defence, as the intensity of Lyon's continued attacking pressure is what led to them losing their two-goal advantage. PSG have scored in each of their last seven games in the Champions League, netting 17 goals in that run.

Lyon showed what all great champions have is the muscle memory to win, turning that result around was up there with one of their best-ever performances in a semi-final.

They have scored in their last 10 games in the Champions League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of 12 games from December 2021 to December 2022.

Lyon have quality across the pitch. Diani, who made 114 appearances for PSG, will return to her former club looking to be the protagonist of this game after she clawed her new side back into the tie.

Chelsea v Barcelona

Emma Hayes and her Chelsea side travelled to Barcelona knowing only the very best performance would give them a chance of taking a positive result back to Stamford Bridge.

Barca, four-time finalists in the last five seasons, have proven they are a giant of women's football.

The pair have history in the tournament. Chelsea were humbled in the 2021 final, losing 4-0.

Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and Caroline Graham Hansen were key to putting the game beyond the Blues before they even reached half-time. Last season, the two sides met again - this time it was a much closer affair in which Hayes's side were narrowly defeated 2-1 over the two legs.

Recap of the first leg

After what was an evenly matched first half, Chelsea's Erin Cuthbert curled an effort into the top right-hand corner. The build-up play had been patient, with the Blues winning the ball back from a throw-in near the byline; some quick feet and one-touch passing reminiscent of their Catalan opposition was enough to break the deadlock.

Chelsea have scored in their last six games in the Champions League, their longest run of games with a goal in the competition since a run of eight matches between October 2022 and March 2023.

Barcelona (four) and Chelsea (three) sat top of the table for clean sheets in the competition, and the Blues went into half-time aiming to match Barca's tally.

It looked as though Barca would have a chance to dent Chelsea's hopes of a clean sheet when a shot bounced off the arm of Chelsea's Kadeisha Buchanan as she battled for the ball with Salma Paralluelo.

However, referee Stephanie Frappart was called to the VAR screen, and the call was made that the Barcelona player had been offside and the decision to award a penalty was reversed.

Chelsea really should have made it 2-0, with Lauren James and Mayra Ramirez both squandering big chances. 

Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Putellas might have snatched an equaliser in the dying seconds, yet sliced wide from the best opportunity Barca produced.

Chelsea have kept a clean sheet in four of their nine Champions League games, more than any other team, and are showing the form of potential champions.

What to expect in the next tie

The Blues have sold 35,00 tickets for Stamford Bridge with still a few more hours to pack the place out. Hayes has made it clear to her side that this is only half-time, and they will need another tremendous performance to see them into their second final. Hayes is bowing out at the end of the season, to manage the US women's national team this summer. 

Chelsea have not given her the glorious farewell campaign she would have dreamed of so far after failing to win either of the two domestic cups.

The WSL title is still within their grasp, though Manchester City are a fierce rival, but the Champions League is the trophy that has illuded this magnificent era for Chelsea and would crown off the Hayes dynasty.

The Blues will need to take their chances when they come and the likes of James and Ramirez will need to show the form they have in the league.

James has scored 13 goals and provided two assists this season in the WSL.

Jess Carter, who ran the Blues defence in the first leg, will be key. Millie Bright is fit and available, a boost for the squad as she has been missing for most of the season. 

Hannah Hampton might need to have the performance of her career in the Chelsea goal.

Barca attempted 11 shots in the first leg, but that was their lowest total in a single match in the Champions League this term, but with two Ballon d'Or winners in their squad, the European champions certainly possess the mentality and quality to turn this tie around.

Both ties are evenly matched and without a doubt are two of the most exciting ties we have seen in the competition's history.

Atlanta United must “think like champions” if they are to correct their form, says striker Giorgos Giakoumakis.

The Five Stripes face the Chicago Fire this weekend, as they look to return to winning ways after three games without a victory.

Indeed, they lost to FC Cincinnati last time out, and Giakoumakis believes Atlanta must correct a mentality issue.

“One simple thing I can tell you is that we have to stay concentrated,” said Giakoumakis.

“Think like champions, because you cannot drop this amount of points when you are leading a game.”

Atlanta are seventh in the Eastern Conference, six places and two points better off than the Fire, who have lost two of their last four games.

“Number one, there are no easy matches in MLS,” said Atlanta coach Gonzalo Pineda. “It is always difficult to play in that stadium; sometimes it can be windy. They have very good players, and they have a very good coaching staff that prepares them to compete at the highest level.

“The process we have, we expect it to translate to three points. At times, you have to create certain situations on the field to spark a reaction, and some toughness or some resilience.

“That will bring more discussions and more accountability… as much as it hurt me and my coaching staff (losing five points), you can see it hurt them. They were not happy with that, and that is why I think they will have a good response against Chicago.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chicago Fire – Brian Gutierrez

Gutierrez is the Fire’s leading scorer this season, with three goals, which have come from five shots on target.

Atlanta United – Giorgos Giakoumakis

Giakoumakis has scored four goals in three career matches against Chicago, scoring at least once in each match. Four players have scored in their first four regular-season matches against the Fire, including just one, Cory Burke (five straight from 2018-21), since 2011.

MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW

Atlanta have won only four of their last 39 away matches in all competitions (D14 L21) dating back to early April 2022. The Five Stripes are winless in their last nine away from home (D4 L5).

Chicago’s 4-0 loss to Real Salt Lake last week equalled the largest margin of defeat in a home match in club history (4th time in all competitions). The Fire have lost six of their last 10 home matches in all competitions (W3 D1) after losing two of their previous 17 at home.

The home side is unbeaten in the last 11 meetings between the Fire and Atlanta United (W9 D2). In fact, the only road win in the 14 regular-season meetings was a 2-1 victory for Atlanta in Chicago in 2018.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Chicago Fire – 37.9%

Atlanta United – 33.3%

Draw – 28.8%

Vanni Sartini is anticipating a tight encounter when his Vancouver Whitecaps team face the New York Red Bulls.

Vancouver have enjoyed a fine start to the MLS season and sit second in the Western Conference.

The Red Bulls, meanwhile, are in second place in the East.

This game will be the first meeting of the teams since 2019, and Sartini joked that facing sides from a different Conference is akin to a trip to a casino.

He said: “It’s going to be hard. It’s like going to the casino when you play the Eastern teams – you never know!

“Maybe you’ll face the team in last, the team that’s in first place. Unfortunately, this season we’re going to play the Red Bulls, who are doing very well.”

Explaining what he expects to see from the Red Bulls, Sartini added: “They’re a team with a very distinct and particular style of play, like we have, to be honest.

“We need to be very intense, because that’s what they are, they are very intense in pressing, counter-pressing, counter-attacks and we need to be very well organised. It’s a game that will be decided in the second half, it’s going to be tight until the end – that’s what I feel.”

PLAYERS TO WATCH

New York Red Bulls – Lewis Morgan

Morgan is enjoying a fine campaign, and he leads the Red Bulls’ scoring efforts with six goals in MLS.

Vancouver Whitecaps – Brian White

White joined the ‘Caps from the Red Bulls in 2021. He has scored four goals in MLS this season, making him Vancouver’s leading scorer.

MATCH PREDICTION: NEW YORK RED BULLS WIN

Ryan Gauld and White have each contributed to at least one goal in their last five MLS appearances, equalling the longest streak in Whitecaps’ history. Prior to them, only three players in team history had recorded a goal contribution in five straight matches.

With 16 points through eight matches, the Whitecaps are off to the joint-best eight-match start in club history (also 2015). Vancouver have never had more than 17 points (2012) after nine matches of a season before.

The Red Bulls have lost only one of their first nine matches this season (W4 D4), the second time in club history they have had fewer than two losses at this stage of a season, along with their Supporters’ Shield winning 2015 campaign (also W4 D4 L1).

Six of the 12 all-time meetings between the Red Bulls and Whitecaps have been drawn (Whitecaps W4, Red Bulls W2), but New York are anticipated to win this one.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

NYRB – 48.9%

Vancouver Whitecaps – 23.3%

Draw – 27.8%

Anibal Godoy insists that Nashville are already looking at their game against San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday as a must-win.

Nashville have won just once in the MLS this season and sit in 14th place in the Eastern Conference after a run of four without a win.

The Earthquakes, meanwhile, are bottom of the Western Conference having lost eight of their matches and recording just one win.

Godoy is aware of how their poor start to the season could affect their playoff hopes later down the line but is confident that Nashville can turn things around.

He said: “For us, it's an important week. It's a day we have to win, or we'll start to feel the pressure from other teams as they start to separate in the table.

“This league is long but if we want to get to the playoff you have to win games early on, especially at home.”

Liverpool and Feyenoord have reached an agreement in principle over a compensation deal for Arne Slot to become the Reds’ manager next season, according to widespread Dutch media reports.

The Dutchman is reportedly poised to take over from Jurgen Klopp, who announced in January that he would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign.

Slot led Feyenoord to their second Eredivisie title last season after taking over the club in 2021.

It is believed that he topped the list of Liverpool’s favoured candidates due to his attacking playing style and ability to develop players.

Former Liverpool midfielder, Xabi Alonso, who led Bayer Leverkusen to their first Bundesliga title, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim were also reported contenders to take over from Klopp.

Slot had already confirmed his interest in managing in the Premier League, both earlier this week and previously when he was linked to Tottenham in 2023.