Bayern Munich will host defending champions Bayer Leverkusen in a high-profile DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Round of 16 clash at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany.

The Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen, DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Round of 16 game will start at 1:15 AM IST on December 4. Live streaming of the match will be available in India.

Under the tutelage of manager Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich will head into the German Cup 2024-25 clash after they salvaged a 1-1 draw against arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund in the first Der Klassiker of the season in the Bundesliga 2024-25 in Dortmund on Saturday.

Jamie Gittens gave Borussia Dortmund an early lead in the 27th minute at the Signal Iduna Park. Bayern Munich later rode on Jamal Musiala’s goal to bag a crucial point from the game.

With nine wins and three draws, Bayern are currently placed on top of the Bundesliga 2024-25 standings with 30 points, four points clear of second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

Furthermore, Bayern are unbeaten in their previous eight games across all competitions.

Earlier, the Bavarians began their DFB-Pokal 2024-25 campaign with a 4-0 win over SSV Ulm 1846 Fußball and later thrashed 1. FSV Mainz 05 with the same scoreline in the second round away from home.

Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen secured a 2-1 win against 1. FC Union Berlin in their last game in Bundesliga 2024-25 on Saturday.

Jeremie Frimpong and Patrik Schick netted a goal each to help the reigning Bundesliga champions claim maximum points from the game.

Having registered six victories, five draws and suffered one loss, Leverkusen are placed third in the Bundesliga 2024-25 standings with 23 points on the board.

Led by Spanish manager Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen started their DFB-Pokal title defence with a 1-0 victory over FC Carl Zeiss Jena. They later beat SV Elversberg 3-0 in the second round to set-up a mouth-watering Round of 16 clash with Bayern.

Earlier in May, Xabi Alonso’s men pipped 1. FC Kaiserslautern 1-0 in the DFB-Pokal 2023-24 final to clinch their second German Cup at the Olympiastadion Berlin.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are the most successful team in the DFB-Pokal history with 20 titles. 

Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen head-to-head

The Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen head-to-head record favours the Bavarians. Bayern Munich have won 60 of the 100 games that they played against each other across all competitions. Bayer Leverkusen have registered just 21 victories while 19 games have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen played a 1-1 draw in a Bundesliga 2024-25 clash at the Allianz Arena in September.

Where to watch Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen DFB-Pokal 2024-25 live in India

Live streaming of the Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen DFB-Pokal 2024-25 Round of 16 game will be available on the FanCode app and website. 

The Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen German Cup 2024-25 Round of 16 clash will also be live streamed on FC Bayern’s YouTube and Facebook channels in India.

Photo credit: Imago

Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen will square off against Bundesliga 2 outfit 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal 2023-24 final at the Olympiastadion in Berlin on Saturday, May 25. 

The Kaiserslautern vs Leverkusen DFB-Pokal final will start at 11:30 PM IST.

Organised by the German Football Association (DFB), the DFB-Pokal, also known as the German Cup, is a German knockout football cup competition held every year.

Under manager Xabi Alonso, Bayer Leverkusen will aim to bag a domestic double when they face Kaiserslautern in Saturday's DFB-Pokal final.

Having registered 28 wins and six draws, Leverkusen have already clinched the Bundesliga 2023-24 title after finishing on top of the standings with 90 points from 34 games. 

Meanwhile, Leverkusen will look to quickly bounce back after Serie A side Atalanta ended their remarkable 51-match unbeaten streak in the Europa League 2023-24 final on Thursday, May 23.

Leverkusen succumbed to a 0-3 defeat courtesy Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman’s brilliant hat-trick to register their first loss after 361 days.

Earlier, the Xabi Alonso’s men thrashed Bundesliga 2’s Fortuna Düsseldorf 4-0 in their DFB-Pokal 2023-24 semi-final encounter in April.

On the other hand, Kaiserslautern ended third-tier Saarbrucken's fairy-tale run to set up a DFB Cup final with Bundesliga champions Leverkusen.

Marlon Ritter and Almamy Touré netted a goal each to help Kaiserslautern register a 2-0 victory over Saarbrucken in their DFB-Pokal 2023-24 semi-final clash.

Interestingly, Kaiserslautern have previously won the DFB-Pokal on two occasions in 1990 and 1996, while Bayer 04 Leverkusen have clinched the German Cup once in 1993. 

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich are the most successful team in DFB-Pokal history with a record 20 titles.

Going by recent form,  Bayer Leverkusen will start as overwhelming favourites against Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final on Saturday.

Kaiserslautern vs Bayer Leverkusen head-to-head

Bayer Leverkusen have a superior head-to-head record against 1. FC Kaiserslautern across competitions, winning 26 of the 59 matches that they have played against each other. FC Kaiserslautern have registered 19 victories while as many as 14 games have ended in draws.

The last time these two sides met, Bayer Leverkusen secured a 2-0 win over Kaiserslautern in a DFB-Pokal Round of 16 clash in March 2015.

Where to watch Kaiserslautern vs Leverkusen DFB-Pokal final live in India

The Kaiserslautern vs Leverkusen DFB-Pokal final will be telecast live on Sony Sports Ten 2 and Sony Sports Ten 2 HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of the Kaiserslautern vs Leverkusen German Cup final will be available on the SonyLIV app and website.

Photo credit: Alamy

The UEFA Europa League 2022-23 semi-finals are all set to get underway with the first-leg ties slated to take place from 12:30 AM (IST) on Friday, May 12. 

The second leg ties for these semi-finals will take place a week later at 12:30 AM (IST) on Friday, May 19.

Italian club AS Roma will take on German outfit Bayer Leverkusen in one semi-final, while Juventus face Europa League specialists Sevilla in the other. 

After suffering a slump that saw them drop out of the European football spots for next season in Serie A, AS Roma will be desperate to take something from the clash against Bayer Leverkusen.

Roma has European football pedigree under head coach Jose Mourinho and won the UEFA Conference League last season.

With no wins in their last four Serie A games, you can rest assured that Mourinho and Roma will be desperate to go all the way in the Europa League as they bid to secure UEFA Champions League football for next season by winning the competition.

Roma will be hoping that their big players like Paulo Dybala, Tammy Abraham, and Lorenzo Pellegrini can rise to the challenge and guide the team to a second European final in just as many years under Mourinho.

Getting the better of Bayer Leverkusen though won’t be easy. Currently sixth in Bundesliga, the Xabi Alonso-coached Leverkusen team occupy the automatic UEFA Conference League spot in their domestic standings but will be keen to earn a Champions League spot by winning the Europa League.

To overcome Roma, Leverkusen will need their big-game players like Florian Writz, Jeremie Frimpong, and Moussa Diaby to rise to the occasion.

Meanwhile, the other semi-final between Juventus and Sevilla promises to be a blockbuster affair. Second in Serie A, Juventus will be hoping to end their season on a high with the Europa League crown since the league title has already been wrapped up by Napoli.

They will be slight favourites heading into the clash against Sevilla with the likes of Dusan Vlahovic, Paul Pogba, Adrien Rabiot, and Arkadiusz Milik all likely to feature.

Sevilla, on the other hand, will fancy their chances against any opposition after knocking out Manchester United in the quarter-finals of the competition.

The most successful club in the history of the competition with six titles to their credit, Sevilla will be a difficult opponent for the Old Lady.

Where to watch UEFA Europa League 2022-23 semi-finals live in India?

Live streaming of UEFA Europa League 2022-23 semi-finals will be available on the FanCode app and website.

Live telecast of UEFA Europa League 2022-23 semi-finals will be available on the Sony Sports TV channels in India.

UEFA Europa League 2022-23 semi-finals schedule and live India match times

All timings as per Indian Standard Time (IST)

Date	Fixture	Venue	Match Time
Friday, May 12	AS Roma vs Bayer Leverkusen, first leg	Stadio Olimpico	12:30 AM
Friday, May 12	Juventus vs Sevilla, first leg	Allianz Arena	12:30 AM
Friday, May 19	Sevilla vs Juventus, second leg	Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan	12:30 AM
Friday, May 19	Bayer Leverkusen vs AS Roma, second leg	BayArena	12:30 AM

Photo credit: Alamy

The UEFA Champions League 2022-23 group stage draw grabbed headlines after pitting FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan in one group.

Barcelona, Inter and Bayern Munich have been clubbed with Viktoria Plzen in Group C, which is considered as the Group of Death for the upcoming UCL group stage.

It is worth noting that Barcelona and Bayern Munich were drawn together previously in Group E during the UEFA Champions League 2021-22 group stage. Bayern ended up beating the Blaugrana 3-0 in both group games and relegating the Catalans to the Europa League.

Robert Lewandowski, who scored 69 Champions League goals for Bayern Munich between 2014 and 2022, will face his former employers in the UCL 2022-23 group stage.

Inter Milan, who crashed out in the Round of 16, will fancy their opportunity to qualify for the knockout phase.

Another group that football fans must watch out for is Group G. Premier League champions Manchester City have been drawn with Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund and Copenhagen.

Erling Haaland, who joined City from Dortmund earlier this year, couldn’t have asked for an earlier reunion with his former side. Having set the records for the youngest (20 years, 231 days) and the fastest player (14 matches) to score 20 UCL goals while at Borussia Dortmund, all eyes will be fixed on the Norwegian striker to see how he performs against Die Borussen.

Liverpool, who won UCL 2018�9, will play in Group A alongside Ajax, Napoli and Rangers while Chelsea have been drawn with AC Milan, Salzburg and Dinamo Zagreb in Group E.

Group H features Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus while Atlético Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur will be the favourites to qualify from Group B and Group D respectively.

Meanwhile, defending champions Real Madrid will begin their quest for a 15th European crown while taking on the likes of RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk and Celtic in Group F.

UEFA Champions League 2022-23 group stage draw

Group A: Ajax, Liverpool, Napoli, Rangers

Group B: Porto, Atlético Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge

Group C: Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Viktoria Plzeň

Group D: Eintracht Frankfurt, Tottenham Hotspur, Sporting CP, Marseille

Group E: AC Milan, Chelsea, RB Salzburg, Dinamo Zagreb

Group F: Real Madrid, RB Leipzig, Shakhtar Donetsk, Celtic

Group G: Manchester City, Sevilla, Borussia Dortmund, Copenhagen

Group H: Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus, Benfica, Maccabi Haifa

Featured photo: AFP / OZAN KOSE

The UEFA Europa League 2021-22 round of 16 matches will kick off on Wednesday as Portuguese club FC Porto host French outfit Lyon while Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt will travel to face Real Betis in Seville, Spain.

In other big matches in the round of 16, six-time UEFA Europa League champions Sevilla will host Premier League side West Ham at Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán on Thursday.

The biggest clash of the round of 16 will witness five-time UEFA Champions League winners FC Barcelona lock horns with Istanbul-based club Galatasaray at Camp Nou on Friday. 

In other fixtures on Friday, Serie A club Atalanta will host Leverkusen at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia while Braga cross swords at home with Monaco at Estádio Municipal de Braga in Portugal. Scottish club Rangers will take on Serbian outfit Crvena zvezda at Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, UEFA have cancelled the round of 16 encounters between Russian club Spartak Moscow and German outfit RB Leipzig. The European football's governing body has suspended Russia's national club and other teams from the country from all competitions after Russia invaded Ukraine.

The UEFA Europa League 2021-22 round of 16 second leg matches will be played on March 17 and 18.

UEFA Europa League 2021-22 round of 16 schedule, fixtures and live India match times

All timings are in Indian Standard Time (IST)

Team 1	Team 2	1st Leg	2nd Leg
Porto	Lyon	March 9 (11:15 PM IST)	March 18 (1:30 AM IST)
Real Betis	Eintracht Frankfurt	March 9 (11:15 PM IST)	March 18 (1:30 AM IST)
SevillaÂ	West Ham	March 10 (11:15 PM IST)	March 18 (1:30 AM IST)
RB Leipzig	Spartak Moscow	March 10 (Cancelled)	March 17 (Cancelled)
Barcelona	Galatasaray	March 11 (1:30 AM IST)	March 17 (11:15 PM IST)
Rangers	Crvena zvezda	March 11 (1:30 AM IST)	March 17 (11:15 PM IST)
Braga	Monaco	March 11 (1:30 AM IST)	March 17 (11:15 PM IST)
Atalanta	Leverkusen	March 11 (1:30 AM IST)	March 17 (11:15 PM IST)

Where to watch UEFA Europa League 2021-22 round of 16 live in India?

UEFA Europa League 2021-22 round of 16 matches will be telecast live on Sony TEN 1, Sony TEN 2, Sony TEN 3 and their corresponding HD TV channels in India.

Live streaming of UEL 2021-22 in India will be available on SonyLIV and JioTV.

SportsAdda will bring you UEFA Europa League 2021-22 round of 16 live scores.

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Featured photo: ANDREAS SOLARO / AFP

 

With the action now resuming, the transfer activities have slowed down a bit. But with plenty of days still left in the window, clubs are actively pursuing their targets. That said, here are the top transfer stories of the day:

Liverpool and United 'bluffing'

Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has said that neither Liverpool nor Manchester United have approached the German champions for midfielder Thiago Alcantara, saying that they clubs are 'bluffing' in order to 'make a cheap offer' by the end of the transfer window. 

Thiago's future has been in limbo since he decided not to sign an extension with Bayern. He was, in fact, keen on staying put but a sudden change in mind gave the European champions a bolt from the blue. Journalist Fabrizio Romano has said that United have been in contact with the midfielder's agents, while the Premier League champions are still hopeful of reaching a middle ground. For Bayern, however, they are holding on to their £28m evaluation of the Spain international, who only has a year left on his current deal.

#Thiago deal. This is exactly how Bayern feel.
Man Utd spoke with his agents, Liverpool still feeling favourite to sign Thiago because of Klopp pushing... but there’s no official bid yet - waiting for last transfers days to get a lower fee than �0m price tag. #LFC #MUFC http://t.co/e50h2kCejh

�Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 13, 2020

“Both Liverpool and Manchester United did not come to us with an offer for Thiago,�Hoeness said. “They are bluffing and waiting until the last week of the window to make a cheap offer. Bayern must decide whether they want to play this game or stand their ground and keep him.�/p>

Arsenal in talks with Runar Alex Runarsson

Following Emiliano Martinez's £20m move to Aston Villa, Arsenal have entered the market in search of a new stopper, and their pursuit has taken him to Dijon's Runar Alex Runarsson. Telegraphs says that Arsenal are looking to launch a £1.5m bid for the 25-year-old Iceland international. They have also shortlisted Brentford’s David Raya, but given the Championship club's demand of £10m for their player, Runarsson is expected to be a more affordable option.

Inaki Cana, Arsenal's current goalkeeping coach, has already worked with Runarsson at Danish side Nordsjaelland, which is exactly why the deal might come to fruition. 

Meanwhile, manager Mikel Arteta has said that the club is working on bringing more players at the Emirates before the end of the transfer market.

"We are still active in the market, we are looking at different options," the Arsenal manager said earlier this week.

"I would say we are active in the market for players in and out, at the moment the squad balance is not the ideal we want to achieve so there is still some work to do.

"Some positions are overbooked, I said some others, in terms of specific qualities that we need, they are still not there. We have to bear in mind the complication with this transfer market and the complexity and the timing because you can see that clubs are behaving in many different ways and it is a little bit uncertain how this will work in the next few weeks."

Umtiti looking at 'alternatives'

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has somehow become surplus to requirement, and his brother Yannick, who is also his agent, has confirmed that although the Frenchman doesn't want to leave, the club wants him to move on.

The 26-year-old has struggled with injuries, and that coupled with a few poor performances is now pushing him towards an exit. In an interview with foot01.com, the central defender's brother spoke about the situation. "Samuel does not want to leave Barca this summer. However, bearing in mind the club's desire for changes, alternatives may need to be studied which suit the player's goals."

Given the state of the matter, his former club Lyon are tipped as a potential destination, but Yannick has clearly ruled out the possibility. "The Lyon rumour is good, but unfortunately, it's very unlikely to happen," a resigned Yannic Umtiti said. For Lyon, their manager, Rudi Garcia has already said he would love to have Umtiti at the club, sporting director Juninho mentioned the defender will have to take a pay cut in order to return.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Christof Stache

Premier League teams have made significant progress in the ongoing transfer market, with Frank Lampard's Chelsea arguably winning the lot amongst the others. With a month still left until we hit deadline day, business is expected to hit the peak despite the severe effects of the global pandemic.

That said, we dive deep to bring you the trending transfers stories of the day:

Bayer Leverkusen to battle PSG for Bellerin

Days after Paris Saint-Germain tabled a £25m plus £5m in add-ons bid for Arsenal right-back Hector Bellerin, Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen have reportedly entered the race as well. Bellerin remains Arsenal's first-choice right-back, but could well and truly see himself leaving the side in order to take new challenges.

The Spaniard's current contract runs until 2023, but Leverkusen decided to express interest after selling Kai Havertz to Chelsea in a club-record deal worth as much as £89m. The German side are also considering Tottenham's Serge Aurier as a potential option. The 25-year-old has also attracted interest from Bayern Munich and Juventus, but it is PSG who have been in contact with Arsenal over the past week. It is understood that although manager Mikel Arteta wants to rebuild the squad, Bellerin is someone that he wants to keep. 

Talks between the French champions and Arsenal are expected to continue, and it is certain that if the Gunners do decide to sell, they will demand a significantly greater amount than £25m. 

Fraser joining Wilson at Newcastle

Former Bournemouth winger Ryan Fraser has reportedly agreed terms with Newcastle United and is set undergo a medical ahead of his move. The 26-year-old's contract with Bournemouth ended in June this year and he decided not to extend his stay at the Vitality Stadium. He has previously been linked to West Ham and Crystal Palace, but Sky Sports quote that Newcastle got the deal after the player had a face-to-face discussion with Steve Bruce on Friday.

The news comes days after his former teammate Callum Wilson decided to join hands with Bruce for a reported £20m fee. It is said that Fraser initially wanted to know whether Wilson would actually join Newcastle United before taking a firm decision. The Magpies, in fact, fended off interest from Aston Villa, who withdrew their £21m bid for the striker after the player himself was keen on moving to Tyneside.

Meanwhile, Newcastle are also closing in on acquiring Norwich City's left-back Jamal Lewis for a fee reported to be around £13.5m.

Wijnaldum available for £15m

Gini Wijnaldum's future at Liverpool has been thrown in the air since Ronald Koeman was appointed the new Barcelona manager. It is said that the Blaugrana are working on bringing the likes of Memphis Depay from Lyon and Gini Wijnaldum for less than �0/55m. The Liverpool midfielder has entered the final year of his contract and sources have it that the negotiations over a new deal have hit a rock.

Previously, there was no confirmation whatsoever about whether they will sell the midfielder or not as they awaited an official approach from the Spanish side. In a recent development though, it is being quoted that the Reds have told Barcelona it will cost them £15million to land the midfielder as they are aware that keeping him in remains an arduous task. The Reds are adamant on the fact that Wijnaldum will not leave on a free transfer next summer and thus, a middle ground is expected to be reached soon.

And if Wijnaldum does move to Barcelona, the Reds will contact Bayern Munich for Thiago Alcantara.

...and also Liverpool are now waiting to understand Barça ideas [or the official bid for Wijnaldum that has not arrived yet - Barcelona just contacted with his agents]. #LFC #FCB #transfers http://t.co/FHLRTfsNkM

�Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) September 7, 2020

In a recent development, however, reports have emerged that Barcelona are plotting a surprise move for the Bayern Munich midfielder. The conflict though remains that Koeman is looking forward to working to Wijnaldum, while the Barca board wants a reunion with Thiago

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Phil Noble

After agreeing on deals to sign Hakim Ziyech and Timo Werner, and with Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva nearly onboarded with a â‚?0m deal and free transfer respectively, Frank Lampard's Chelsea's signing frenzy has now reportedly shelled out a cool â‚?00m to snare Kai Havertz from Bayer Leverkusen.

As per Fabrizio Romano, Chelsea are now just 'one step away' from securing the services of the German and that a 'total agreement' is just a few hours away, once the 'last bid will be accepted'.

Kai Havertz to Chelsea, one step away and then... here we go! Total agreement to be reached on nest hours with Bayer Leverkusen. Last bid is going to be accepted. â‚?0M + â‚?0M add ons as final fee. Last details and paperworks time. #CFC #Havertz #Chelsea

�Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 24, 2020

That last bid is apparently â‚?00m, including â‚?0m along with â‚?0m of addons. While the sum is no doubt eye-opening, it is warranted given the 21-year-old's impressive 2019/20 season for Bayer that saw him score 12 goals and provide six assists in 30 Bundesliga appearances.

Despite his efforts, however, Bayer failed to qualify for next season's Champions League, providing Havertz with the perfect reason to look for an exit, and Lampard helped him find the door.

Havertz's skill and self-reliance

Like German football expert Raphael Honigstein put it to Sky Sports recently, “He (Havertz) is an outstanding talent, there’s absolutely no doubt about that. He’s in a position where he could dominate the German national team over the next decade, depending on his position.

“Will he play in the No. 10 role and become the new Mesut Ozil or will he settle a bit deeper and become the new Toni Kroos? He’s got the ability to play almost anywhere in front of the defence."

Honigstein stressed on Havertz's ability to combine his technical ability with self-sufficiency when it comes to 'creating goals himself'.

“I think the best way to sum it up is that he’s a cross between Mesut Ozil and Michael Ballack. Both of them individually in their prime were pretty good players but a combination of both players in their prime, he’ll be an absolute superstar.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Martin Meissner

Liverpool sharpshooter Sadio Mane broke the deadlock in a 2-0 English Premier League win over Aston Villa at Anfield by scoring his 20th goal of the season in all competitions.

It was the third straight campaign in which the Senegal forward and reigning African Footballer of the Year has bagged at least 20 goals for the Merseysiders.

The other African on target in the Premier League at the weekend was Nigeria's Kelechi Iheanacho, whose goal set Leicester City up for a 3-0 home victory over Crystal Palace.   

ENGLAND

SADIO MANE (Liverpool)

Jurgen Klopp's side found it hard work breaking down struggling Villa, but Mane had the answer when he fired home from close-range after running onto Guinea midfielder Naby Keita's pass. With five games left, Liverpool have 89 points and remain in the hunt to break Manchester City's Premier League record of 100 points established last season.

Read | Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend

KELECHI IHEANACHO (Leicester)

The striker bagged his 10th goal of the season as he broke the deadlock in the 49th minute, side-footing home a low left-wing cross from Youri Tielemans to claim his second goal in as many games. Leicester's first win since the coronavirus hiatus was sealed by the 100th and 101st Premier League goals of Jamie Vardy's career, leaving the Foxes in third place and on course to qualify for the Champions League.

PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (Arsenal)

The Gabon forward failed to score for the fourth time in five matches since the Premier League restart, but the Gunners still won 2-0 at Wolves. Amid speculation that he will ask to leave Arsenal in the close-season, Aubameyang's only goals since February came in the 4-0 win over Norwich on July 1. But he made a crucial contribution against Wolves with a clever pass to Kieran Tierney, who went on to set up Bukayo Saka's 43rd-minute opener. Suitably inspired, Arsenal clinched their fourth successive win in all competitions to remain in the hunt for European qualification.

SPAIN

ANSU FATI (Barcelona)

Fati came off the bench to score his seventh goal of the season in Barcelona's 4-1 victory over Villarreal. The Guinea-Bissau-born 17-year-old cut in from the left and drove the ball inside the near post to continue a remarkable breakthrough season for him at Camp Nou. Fati's goal helped Barca reduce the gap at the top of La Liga to four points, with Real Madrid still in pole position with four games to play,

ZOUHAIR FEDDAL (Real Betis)

Moroccan defender Feddal rescued a point for Betis by scoring a late equaliser in their 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo. He was left free at the back post, where he controlled and finished for his first goal of the season in La Liga. It earned a valuable point for Betis, who have been sliding closer to the bottom three. They sit nine points clear of the relegation zone with four rounds left.

ITALY 

MUSA JUWARA/MUSA BARROW (Bologna)

The pair of Gambian forwards combined to deal a potentially fatal blow to Inter Milan's Serie A title hopes as Bologna fought back to beat Antonio Conte's side 2-1 at the San Siro. The 18-year-old Juwara came off the bench to drill in a 74th-minute equaliser before Barrow capped a flowing counter-attack late on with a low finish to score a dramatic winner.

GERMANY

EDMOND TAPSOBA (Bayer Leverkusen)

When Leverkusen's Burkina Faso defender Tapsoba clattered Robert Lewandowski, who went onto score twice, early in the German Cup final, David Alaba swung in the resulting free-kick to give Bayern Munich the lead in a 4-2 victory at Berlin's Olympic Stadium. After Alaba and Serge Gnabry scored in the first half for Bayern, Lewandowski netted twice after the break to leave him with a total of 51 goals this season while Sven Bender and Kai Havertz bagged consolation goals for Leverkusen.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Paul Ellis

Robert Lewandowski passed the 50-goal mark this season as Bayern Munich completed the double with a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen behind closed doors to win a 20th German Cup on Saturday.

Bundesliga champions Bayern dominated at Berlin's Olympic Stadium as David Alaba smashed home an early free-kick before Serge Gnabry added the second goal in the first-half.

Lewandowski has 51 goals in total this season after scoring twice in the second-half either side of a Sven Bender header for Leverkusen.

Kai Havertz converted a penalty deep into added time for Leverkusen.

"In the second half we showed that we are the better team and wanted to be cup winners," said man-of-the-match Lewandowski.

Bayern, crowned Bundesliga champions for the eighth straight year last Saturday, have won all of their 11 games since the season resumed in mid-May after a two-months hiatus due to the coronavirus.

They could finish the season winning the treble as they are among the favourites for the Champions League finals in Lisbon next month.

This was the 13th time in the club's history they have won the double.

Lewandowski, crowned Bundesliga top-scorer for the fifth time last weekend, netted six times in the cup, has 34 league goals and 11 more in the Champions League this season.

Leverkusen completed a hat-trick of defeats after also losing the 2002 and 2009 cup finals in Berlin.

When Lewandowski was clattered by defender Edmond Tapsoba on 16 minutes, it was Alaba who swung the resulting free-kick inside the post to give Bayern the opening goal.

They doubled their lead after Joshua Kimmich won the ball in midfield eight minutes later.

His pass split the defence, Gnabry sprinted onto the ball and fired past Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky to make it 2-0 at the break.

- Under control -

"We are so happy that we got the double. In the first half we had the game completely under control," said Gnabry.

With players' calls echoing around the near-empty terraces of the cavernous stadium, where Germany head coach Joachim Loew was one of a handful of guests, the game was played in an eerie atmosphere.

"It's a bit of a sad moment," admitted Bayern forward Thomas Mueller, who lamented the lack of fans, after winning the German Cup for the sixth time in his career.

"If the fans are missing at such a cup final, it's not the same.

"We've done well this season over long stretches, but it also hurts a bit."

Having skied a shot at goal moments earlier, Lewandowski made it 3-0 when he controlled a clearance kick by goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and tried a long-range speculative shot at Hradecky. The Leverkusen keeper parried the shot, but watched in horror as it rolled behind him and over the goal line on 59 minutes.

"I noticed that the goalkeeper was a bit off his line, so I thought I'd just give it a try," revealed Lewandowski.

"It was a little surprise it went in, but you always have to try."

It fired life into Leverkusen, whose centre-back Sven Bender slipped his marker Leon Goretzka and headed home on 64 minutes. Leverkusen nearly got a second moments later when Kevin Volland and Havertz both failed to connect with a cross.

Lewandowski claimed his second when he fired home Ivan Perisic's pass on 89 minutes. Defender Alphonso Davies conceded the penalty in the fourth minute of added time which Havertz converted just before the whistle.

Feature image courtesy: AFP / Annegret Hilse