Luis Enrique compared Paris Saint-Germain s Champions League opener to childbirth as he admitted he did not enjoy watching their tense late win over Girona.

PSG secured victory after Girona s goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga, who had thwarted numerous efforts from the French champions, made a calamitous error in the final minutes.

Nuno Mendes tame, low delivery into the box slipped through the goalkeeper s grasp and into the back of the net, snatching PSG all three points in a 1-0 win on Wednesday.

Though winning in fortuitous circumstances, PSG have now only lost one of their 37 home games in the group stage of the Champions League (W29 D7) since the start of the 2012-13 campaign, and Luis Enrique acknowledged the tough nature of this victory.

I think we were…

Chelsea completed a turnaround at Stamford Bridge to seal their place in the Champions League quarter-finals after beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 on Tuesday in the last-16 second leg, and 2-1 on aggregate.

After some near misses in the first half, Raheem Sterling gave the hosts the lead in the 43rd minute, before a retaken Kai Havertz penalty eight minutes into the second half sealed it.

Jude Bellingham missed an excellent opportunity to score for the visitors shortly after Havertz s penalty as the Bundesliga side toiled in west London after losing Julian Brandt to what appeared to be a hamstring injury early on.

It was Dortmund s first defeat since club competitions stopped prior to the World Cup, having won 10 in a row heading into this game, and was Chelsea s s…

Jordan Pickford says speculation over Gareth Southgate’s future makes “no difference” to an England squad fully focused on winning the European Championship.

Having reached the World Cup semi-finals and quarter-finals either side of finishing as Euro 2020 runners-up, the team are favourites to be crowned continental champions this summer.

Euro 2024 could well be Southgate’s fourth and final tournament in charge, with the former England defender’s Football Association contract expiring at the end of the year.

The 53-year-old says contract talks are on the back burner as his focus is on glory in Germany, but background noise has increased this week following talk of Manchester United’s potential interest.

Asked what difference speculation about …

Former Scotland striker David Goodwillie has vowed to “finally speak my truth” after his latest attempt to return to football was kiboshed following another public backlash.

Australian second-tier side FC Sorrento announced on Wednesday that they had recruited the 34-year-old, who was ruled by a judge at a civil court case in 2017 to have raped a woman in 2011.

After the news of Goodwillie’s impending arrival was not well-received on social media, however, the Perth-based club released another statement just hours later revealing they had cancelled the former Dundee United, Blackburn, Aberdeen and Plymouth player’s contract.

It is his third deal in 18 months to collapse after moves to Scottish Championship side Raith and English non-league outfit Radcliff…

Day five at Euro 2016 was one for the underdog, with Hungary stunning neighbours Austria 2-0 and minnows Iceland securing a 1-1 draw somewhat remarkable given Cristiano Ronaldo s assertion that they failed to attack during the game.

If you re in a funk of CR7 proportions, hopefully these nuggets from our daily diary will help bring some joy to your almost certainly similarly chiselled features.

THROW YOUR HANDS UP IN THE AIR LIKE SLUTSKY DON T CARE

Russia boss Leonid Slutsky urged fans to behave within the legal framework in Lille this week but he seems to have other ideas when it comes to his team s approach.

A looping header proved enough for a dramatic point against England, and they began preparations for their game versus Slovakia with the novel id…

Joachim Andersen has returned to Fulham three years after his loan spell with the club, joining from Crystal Palace in a permanent deal.

Andersen, who made 31 appearances for the Cottagers in the 2020-21 campaign, has signed an initial five-year contract for a reported £30million transfer fee.

The Danish international becomes Marco Silva s fifth senior signing of the transfer window ahead of their first home game of the season against Leicester City on Saturday.

Andersen helped Fulham keep nine clean sheets in his previous stint with the club, a total only bettered by the 11 he managed for Palace during the 2021-22 campaign.

The 28-year-old was a standout performer for the Eagles last term, completing the most passes (1713) and winning the most aerial…

Iceland will face England in the last 16 of Euro 2016 after a last-minute goal from substitute Arnor Traustason earned them a 2-1 win over Austria.

Needing a point to advance from Group F, the tournament debutants once again showed their iron will in defence that had notably thwarted Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal in the opening week to keep out a swarming Austrian front line.

Austria had their chances, but Aleksandar Dragovic s first-half penalty miss, after Jon Bodvarsson had put Iceland ahead, will be looked back on ruefully.

Alessandro Schopf equalised after the interval and Austria spent much of the second half camped in opposition territory, but stout defence and Traustason s counter-attacking effort gave the travelling hordes from Iceland a moment to savou…

The head of English football wants a re-vote for the right to host the 2022 FIFA World Cup if bribery allegations against Qatar prove true.

Reports emerged in the British media on Sunday accusing Mohamed Bin Hammam, former president of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), of paying $5million to football officials to gain backing for Qatar s bid.

Bin Hammam was formerly a member of FIFA s executive committee, however, he was banned for life from all football activity amid allegations of bribery.

The Qatar 2022 bid committee has since vehemently denied the claims, insisting that the 65-year-old had no role in the bidding process, although those comments appear to contradict remarks in 2010 from bid chairman Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, who called Bi…

In what was a night of heartbreak for Wales on Tuesday, the Dragons missed out on qualification for this summer’s European Championships as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat against Poland in Cardiff.

With Tottenham defender Ben Davies having his first-half effort ruled out by VAR, Rob Page’s men dominated large spells and created a handful of chances on either side of the interval.

However, while Poland might have failed to record a single shot on target during the entire 120 minutes of action in south Wales, the Eagles put in a rugged performance on foreign soil and they certainly showed their mental resolve as they dragged themselves over the finish line in the most dramatic of fashion.

With all of Poland’s five penalty takers slotting past Leices…

Ann-Katrin Berger clinched the Olympic bronze medal for Germany with a last-gasp penalty save as Die Nationelf edged out Spain by a 1-0 scoreline on Friday.

Giulia Gwinn gave Germany the lead from the penalty spot but Alexia Putellas had a chance to send the game to extra time at the death, only to be denied by Berger.

In a very even first half, Spain failed to register a shot on target, though they had the better chances as they twice struck Berger s crossbar. Teresa Abelleira curled a free-kick against the woodwork before Aitana Bonmati rifled a powerful long-range effort off it just before the break.

Germany s attempts to play on the counterattack eventually paid off, with Cata Coll giving away a penalty when she rushed off her line, only to crash into Gwinn.<…