Maritimo were denied their first victory over Braga since 2008 as substitute Felipe Pardo s late goal earned the visitors a 2-2 draw.

The hosts, who saw Derley sent off late on, have now gone 11 consecutive matches without beating Braga but did at least break an eight-game losing streak against them.

Quick-fire first-half goals from Danilo Pereira and Derley appeared to put Pedro Martins men on course for a long overdue triumph, but Alan bit back for Braga before the interval to set up a tense second half.

And with just nine minutes to go, Pardo broke Maritimo hearts, though the home side are now unbeaten in five league games.

After a cagey opening, it was the hosts who sparked the game into life with two goals in three minutes.

First Pereira turned home a …

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski has admitted he could be tempted to play in the Premier League or La Liga.

The Poland international has spent the majority of his senior career in Germany, having signed for Borussia Dortmund from Lech Poznan in 2010 before moving to arch-rivals Bayern Munich in 2014.

His incredible strike rate he has scored 63 goals in 95 appearances since joining Munich has made him a transfer target for the game s biggest clubs.

But he will only leave for a club that can consistently compete for trophies in the same fashion that Bayern Munich do.

Maybe I ll play in England or Spain one day, Lewandowski told France Football.

But, if I committed to pursuing my career in Munich, it s because I considered it the ideal club…

Doncaster Rovers are closing in on the loan signing of Manchester United striker Federico Macheda, .

The 21 year old has previously attracted interest from clubs in Italy and Spain, though the ambitious Championship club have been keen on persuading him to move to the Keepmoat Stadium.

He attended the sides goalless draw at Huddersfield Town at the weekend, and looks set to join up with Paul Dickov’s men for the remainder of the season.

Macheda broke on to the scene in 2009, where his wonder goal on his debut against Aston Villa saw United reclaim top spot, where they remained for the rest of the season.

However, he started just five league games under previous manager Sir Alex Ferguson, eventually being shipped out on loan first to Sampdoria in…

The memories of a near miss and a departed friend will swirl as Chris Coleman aims to lead Wales to a place in the last-16 of Euro 2016.

Victory over Russia in Toulouse on Monday will guarantee progress to the knockout stages in Wales first appearance at a major international tournament since 1958.

That barren run almost came to an end at Euro 2004, only for Wales to miss out in a play-off against Russia for a place at the finals in Portugal.

Coleman was able to eventually break the duck with the help of a talented generation, spearheaded by Real Madrid superstar Gareth Bale.

The side first started to come together under Coleman s immediate predecessor Gary Speed, who tragically committed suicide in November 2011.

Speedy s always in my thoughts b…

Espanyol will attempt to address a wretched record in the Catalan derby against leaders Barcelona on Friday at Camp Nou.

The city rivals meet with Liga champions Barca in imperious form as Gerardo Martino s target an astonishing 21st successive home league win, a run that continued with a 2-1 Clasico success last weekend.

Couple Barca s dominance in front of their own fans with the fact that Espanyol have left Camp Nou victorious just once in the last three decades, a 2-1 win in February 2009, and the odds of an upset appear slim at best.

Barcelona supporters, though, will need no reminding of how Espanyol can inflict misery on their neighbours.

A 2-2 draw between the two sides at Camp Nou in the penultimate game of the 2006-07 season, sealed by Raul Tamudo s 90t…

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has told captain Vincent Kompany to put all his focus on regaining full fitness ahead of the new season.

The 30-year-old made only 14 appearances in the Premier League in 2015-16 as a result of persistent muscle injuries, while a thigh problem sustained in the Champions League semi-final defeat to Real Madrid forced him to miss the entirety of Belgium s Euro 2016 campaign.

City have been linked with a number of defensive reinforcements since Guardiola took charge, with potential moves for Leonardo Bonucci and John Stones widely reported.

And Guardiola has sounded something of a warning to Kompany by challenging him to be fully fit for the start of the season in August.

My dream for Vincent Kompany is to be fit, Guardiol…

Japan escaped with a 4-3 victory over Zambia on Friday in their final friendly before the FIFA World Cup.

Yoshito Okubo struck a brilliant late winner for Japan in the first minute of second-half stoppage time to salvage the win for his side, soon after Lubambo Musonda had equalised with an incredible strike.

Japan had looked on track to win 3-2 after Shinji Kagawa and Keisuke Honda both scored in the space of two second-half minutes at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, where Zambia led 2-0 in the opening half-hour.

But in the 89th minute, Musonda burst forward before unleashing a thunderous strike over Shusaku Nishikawa and, two minutes later, Okubo showed fine control to bring down a high pass and then power his shot into the net.

The win was Japan s fifth in a r…

Jurgen Klopp dismissed a suggestion from Egypt head coach Javier Aguirre that Mohamed Salah could leave Liverpool if the club s trophy drought does not end.

Liverpool are yet to win silverware since the German took charge at Anfield in 2015, the Reds suffering defeats to Manchester City, Sevilla and Real Madrid in EFL Cup, Europa League and Champions League finals respectively.

Aguirre indicated Salah, who signed a new long-term contract at Anfield earlier this year, could leave the club in a season or two if the wait for major honours continues.

But Klopp rejected Aguirre s comments at a news conference ahead of Saturday s Premier League trip to Watford.

So I try to be nice, eh? Klopp joked.  If he [Aguirre] doesn t win a title in the next two years h…

Watford have announced striker Mauro Zarate has completed a return to Argentine club Velez Sarsfield on a loan deal until the end of the season.

Zarate had posted an Instagram video of his return to his homeland earlier in the month, but Watford stressed the paperwork was only wrapped up on Tuesday.

The 30-year-old failed to score in the Premier League during his time at Watford, which was heavily disrupted by an ACL injury suffered shortly after he arrived from Fiorentina.

Zarate spent the first half of the season on loan at Al Nasr, where he scored three goals in eight Arabian Gulf League appearances.

The Argentine made his name at Velez as a youngster and returned for a one-season spell in 2013-14 before moving to West Ham.

…

Jose Mourinho says Chelsea are in a good position ahead of his much-anticipated return to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Mourinho takes his Manchester United side to west London on the back of a 4-1 Europa League victory over Fenerbahce on Thursday.

The win was a welcome relief following United s performance in a 0-0 draw at Liverpool, which prompted further suggestions Mourinho s defensive tactics are not worthy of the club s rich history of attacking football.

And with Chelsea also failing to truly convince under new coach Antonio Conte, Sunday s game brings extra significance, with the winner set to claim a significant psychological advantage as they look to chase down early pacesetters Manchester City and Tottenham.

Asked to assess Chelsea s start, Mourin…