Milan interested in Merkel swoop

Bayern Munich came from behind for an eighth successive Bundesliga match as the champions overcame struggling Mainz 5-2 at Allianz Arena.

Hansi Flick s side have not taken the lead in a league game since October and might have been staring down the barrel of a second defeat of the season had Danny Latza beaten Manuel Neuer early in the second half.

Mainz had a 2-0 lead at that stage, with Jonathan Burkardt and Alexander Hack scoring in the first half, but Joshua Kimmich and Leroy Sane restored parity in the space of five minutes.

Robin Quaison struck the woodwork as 17th-placed Mainz fought back, though Bayern ultimately had too much.

Niklas Sule s deflected strike and Robert Lewandowski s double – the first of which came from the spot – settling …

The 2010 World Cup will suffer if Argentina, France and Portugal fail to qualify, Liverpool s Spanish international striker Fernando Torres said on Monday.

A World Cup without Argentina, France or Portugal would not be the same. I would like them all to take part, the 25-year-old told a news conference two days after Spain beat Belgium 5-0 in a qualifier in La Coruna.

We also struggled to qualify for the 2008 Euro finals and then we won the tournament, he added.

National squads change from one day to the other depending on the status of their players. They can go through a bad moment now and in the summer be one of the favourites.

Spain have a flawless seven wins at the top of Group 5, six points ahead of second-placed Bosnia Herzegovina, who won 2-0…

Valencia defender Joao Pereira is unlikely to be making a comeback at Estadio Jose Alvalade, .

The experienced defender is not even in contention for starting places this season and with his contract due to expire at the end of the season, the full-back will be allowed to leave for a nominal fee in January.

And even if recent reports have suggested he could be returning to Sporting Lisbon, O Jogo has learned that is highly unlikely to happen.

Namely, while the Lions are unable to match the player s €1 million yearly wage, the reality is Pereira is not interested in returning to Portugal.

The 30-year-old made a name for himself at Estadio Jose Alvalade, having joined from Sporting Braga, before moving to Mestalla in the summer of 2012.

But, desp…

The Mirror understand that Ruben Loftus-Cheek is considering a move away from Chelsea as he looks for regular first team football.

The twenty-two-year-old, who is line for his first World Cup start was sent out on loan to Crystal Palace last season after failing to hold down a first team spot in Antonio Conte’s side.

He made six appearances in their 2016/17 championship winning campaign – all of which came as a substitute and totalled up to just twenty-nine minutes of football.

He played twenty-five times for the Eagles last term, scoring twice and his form saw him force his way into international reckoning.

He was giving his senior Three Lions debut in a goalless draw with Germany last November and went on to become a surprise inclusion in Gar…

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Looking to reclaim their spot at the top of the La Liga table, Real Madrid will make the trip to Las Palmas on Saturday afternoon.

Las Palmas

Starting with the hosts, while Las Palmas might have found themselves at the heart of a domestic blip on either side of opening the New Year, Garcia Pimienta’s side have certainly claimed a welcomed boost over the past fortnight. Last seen putting in a rugged performance away at Rayo Vallecano as they eventually snatched a 2-0 win, the Yellows have secured back-to-back Bundesliga victories by an aggregate score of 5-0. Although the Canary Island-based outfit might have only made their top-flight return this season, some in Pimienta’s camp are dreaming of the chance to mount a genuine Europe…

(GSM) Christian Fuchs late goal completed VfL Bochum s comeback from a two-goal deficit at Hannover 96 for a crucial 3-2 victory in the fight against relegation from the Bundesliga.

Jan Schlaudraff gave Hannover a 2-0 lead with goals in the sixth and 33rd minutes.

Paul Freier pulled a goal back after 52 minutes and Joel Epalle levelled the game two minutes later before Fuchs gave Bochum the victory with his strike in the 86th minute.

The win, just Bochum s second in 10 games, saw them move to 14th, while the result left Hannover without a victory in six.

Hannover grabbed the lead after just six minutes as Arnold Jan Bruggink passed in from the right side to Schlaudraff, who blasted home from 17 yards for his first goal since November 2008.

Schlau…

Gonzalo Higuain struck twice as Juventus made a strong start to 2017, dispatching Bologna 3-0 to record their 26th home league win in succession, a new Serie A record.

The heavyweights signed off for the mid-season break with a disappointing Supercoppa Italiana loss to AC Milan on penalties following a 1-1 extra-time draw in the annual showpiece game.

But there was no sign of a resulting lack of confidence or indeed rust from spending two weeks over the festive period without a competitive fixture.

An early Higuain goal and Paulo Dybala s penalty saw Massimiliano Allegri s men quickly take charge of the contest in Turin, the former Napoli striker adding a second nine minutes into the second half.

The result sees the reigning champions restore their four…

Real Madrid moved back to the top of LaLiga after Joselu’s double secured a routine 2-0 win at Getafe.

Joselu bagged his first league goal since October 7 after heading home from Lucas Vazquez’s right-wing cross in the opening quarter of an hour.

The 33-year-old then struck in the second half as Real downed their Madrid rivals to leapfrog Girona and move two points clear at the top of the standings.

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— Real Madrid C.F. (@realmadriden)

Jude Bellingham was restored to the Real line-up after missing the come-from-behind win at Las Palmas last time out but was upstaged early on as he was nutmegged by Borja Mayoral in a rare Getafe foray.

Joselu rattled the bar early on but was flagged offside while Vinicius Junior saw a tame sh…

Juve, PSG vying for Lukaku

that European powerhouses Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are among clubs showing interest in Everton hotshot Romelu Lukaku.

The 22-year-old has continued the rich vein of form this season and he is now being linked with a big club move.

According to the Daily Mail, Lukaku is tempted by the reported interest from Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain and may consider his options at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Everton are ready to go the extra mile to keep hold of their prized asset and they have reportedly placed a £45 million price tag on the Belgium international.

Despite his fragile age, Lukaku already has 48 Premier League goals to his name, having also impressed during the loan spell with West Bromwich.