BARCELONA, Spain: Lamine Yamal provided two assists and scored another as Barcelona edged closer to defending their La Liga title with a 4-1 win over Espanyol in a clash of neighbours early this morning.

Ferran Torres scored twice while Yamal and Marcus Rashford also found the target late in the match as the Catalan club moved nine points clear of nearest challengers Real Madrid.

Real were held to a 1-1 draw against Girona on Sunday and with seven games remaining, including El Clasico at Camp Nou next month, Hansi Flick’s men are now in a very comfortable position.

Barcelona will face Atletico Madrid early Wednesday in the Champions League quarter-finals, looking to bounce back from a 2-0 first-leg deficit, but Flick still fielded a strong starting lineup against Espanyol.

Midfielder Pedri Gonzalez and 18-year-old winger Yamal played throughout the match as Flick did not want the return leg to disrupt his team’s league campaign.

Flick stressed that he will not accept complacency from players even if they are in a strong position.

“Every match has to start with the right attitude and mentality, with quality alone you won’t win anything,” said the German coach.

“I’m sure we can win La Liga but it’s not over yet.”

After a good start to the season, Espanyol lost at home to Barcelona in the first match of 2026 and have failed to record a win since.

They barely put up any resistance as Flick’s team comfortably led by two goals.

Yamal created both of Torres’ goals, including a corner kick that the Spain international headed in for his first goal since January.

Although some thought Flick might rest Yamal ahead of the match against Atletico, the teenager always wanted to play and become a favorite of Barcelona fans.

Yamal’s assist for the second goal was quite impressive when he laid a beautiful ball to Torres before the striker’s attempt beat Marko Dmitrovic.

“You always hear things around you, more negative than positive… I always focus on myself and keep improving,” Torres told DAZN.

LIVERPOOL, England: Liverpool put their lackluster performance in the English Premier League (EPL) behind them when they advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a big 4-0 victory over Galatasaray at Anfield, early this morning.

Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah erased a 0-1 deficit in the first leg, setting up a meeting with defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in the last eight.

Arne Slot needs a reaction from the English champions after they were jeered by their own fans at Anfield last Sunday following a poor performance in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham.

Currently in fifth place in the EPL, the Champions League competition is seen as being able to save Liverpool’s season and his position as manager.

Slot rested several key players last weekend and benefited when his team displayed a dominant performance that should have resulted in a bigger goal.

Galatasaray’s hopes of causing a shock suffered an early blow when key striker Victor Osimhen suffered an arm injury after a collision with Ibrahima Konate in the opening minutes.

The Nigeria international was seen limping before being taken off at half-time and replaced by Leroy Sane.

Szoboszlai, who has been outstanding throughout Liverpool’s difficult season, equalised on aggregate with a neat finish from a corner kick in the 25th minute.

Salah then squandered the best opportunity to double his lead when he failed to complete a pass past Ugurcan Cakir.

Florian Wirtz’s attempt, which was slightly deflected by an opposing player, just went over the bar, while Cakir also denied Szoboszlai’s powerful attempt.

The Turkiye goalkeeper was once again a stumbling block when he saved Salah’s weak penalty kick after Szoboszlai was brought down in the penalty area.

But Liverpool doubled their lead in the second half.

Salah made up for the failure with a precise pass to Ekitike to score the second goal.

Two minutes later, Gravenberch pounced on the rebound after Salah’s initial attempt was parried.

Salah finally scored his 50th Champions League goal in impressive style with a powerful shot from Wirtz’s backheel.

BERLIN: Jurgen Klopp is reportedly likely to become the new manager of the German national team this summer, with some at Red Bull reportedly concerned that he will leave the organization.

Klopp’s presence at several other events such as the Winter Olympics rather than attending important matches involving clubs under the Red Bull network has also raised questions among staff about his future.

The 58-year-old former coach left Liverpool in 2024 before joining Red Bull as head of global football in January last year.

But according to a Bild report , it is now an “open secret” that the behind-the-scenes role does not suit him very well.

The task also appears to not fully utilize Klopp’s skills, which are more prominent when managing players directly on the field.

Klopp’s agent, Marc Kosicke, also admitted last month that the former Liverpool manager has close ties with Germany.

“Jurgen is very attached to this country. That question doesn’t really arise at this time,” said Kosicke.

“I don’t think he feels he has to do it at least once. But he probably feels a responsibility, he can’t always turn down the offer.”

Klopp has previously turned down the chance to manage Germany, but Kosicke believes the former Liverpool manager may one day feel a responsibility to accept the job.

However, there is one major obstacle because current manager Julian Nagelsmann still has a contract with Germany until 2028.

The 38-year-old Nagelsmann has been in charge of the German squad since 2023 and led them to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024, where they lost to eventual champions Spain.

Klopp is under contract with Red Bull until 2029 and according to a Bild report , he has actually held informal talks about the possibility of extending his contract with the organisation.

LONDON: Former Manchester United star Paul Scholes believes Carlo Ancelotti is the most suitable candidate to take over the club, not Michael Carrick.

United are expected to appoint a new permanent manager this summer after Carrick took over as interim manager replacing Ruben Amorim earlier this year.

The former midfielder has made a brilliant start to his career, recording six wins and one draw in his first seven games – the joint-best record in Premier League history for that period.

Victory over Crystal Palace last weekend strengthened United’s position in the league’s top five as they jumped to third place.

However, Scholes believes Carrick does not have enough experience to lead a club as big as United in their quest for major trophies.

According to him, Ancelotti, who currently manages the Brazilian national team, is the most ideal candidate.

“The most perfect choice out there is Ancelotti. I know he’s a Brazilian coach, but he’s a manager who can make players feel very confident.

“He has experience winning big trophies. The only question is, is he too old now?

“Are there other candidates who are comparable in terms of experience? United need a credible figure as a leader,” he said in an audio broadcast of The Good, The Bad & The Football.

Ancelotti will coach Brazil at this summer’s World Cup, but Scholes hopes United can lure the experienced manager away after the tournament.

Carrick previously managed Championship club Middlesbrough from 2022 to 2025 before returning to Old Trafford as interim manager.

Scholes, who played alongside Carrick 160 times for United and England, admitted his teammate had potential, but questioned his ability to lift the Premier League title.

“The question is, does Michael have enough experience? Managing in the Championship is different from the pressure here.

“We want to see United win the Premier League again. I’m not sure if he can do it yet.

“The club needs to decide, do they want a tactical expert or a manager who is good at managing players? Ole Gunnar (Solskjaer) has the people management touch, but does he have enough experience to win trophies? The same question will arise with Michael,” he said.

LONDON: Chelsea manager Liam Rosenior believes his time at Stamford Bridge could end the club’s turbulent era if he is given time to shape the team.

Rosenior becomes Chelsea’s fifth permanent manager under current owners BlueCo after moving from Strasbourg to replace Enzo Maresca last month.

Including interim coach, the 41-year-old is the ninth person to hold the position in six years since Mikel Arteta took charge of Premier League leaders Arsenal, who face the Blues on Sunday.

During the same period, Chelsea also saw major changes involving players and team staff.

Of the Chelsea squad that won the Champions League in 2021, only Reece James remained until September last year.

Thomas Tuchel, who guided Chelsea to victory after beating Manchester City in the Champions League final, was sacked four months after new owners took over the club.

Graham Potter and Mauricio Pochettino also lasted only a short time before Maresca’s 18-month tenure came to an abrupt end on New Year’s Day following a disagreement with management.

Asked about his future at Chelsea after a promising start with four wins from six league games before disappointing draws against Leeds and Burnley, Rosenior insisted patience was the key to success.

“Sitting in this chair, I want to be here as long as possible,” he told reporters yesterday.

“I want to be an individual – not just me, but the team, the staff, the owners and the sporting director – who is part of something that is really successful for the long term. That’s why I accepted this challenge.

“The reality of football is that what gives you time is success. You have to show quality, not just in matches but every day.

“Every day you have to be at your best with the players in terms of how to develop them, how to run training sessions and also team meetings.

“I hope this is the end of the turmoil at this club. I hope to be here for a long time and bring the success that this club deserves.”