Arjen Robben lasted just 30 minutes on his Eredivisie comeback as Groningen went down 3-1 to PSV.

Robben – making his first appearance in the Dutch top flight in over 16 years – was named in Groningen s starting XI for Sunday s clash against another of his former sides.

The ex-Real Madrid and Chelsea winger announced his retirement after leaving Bayern Munich in 2019, but signed with his boyhood club for the 2020-21 season.

However, the 36-year-old was on the pitch for half-an-hour before he trudged off with what appeared to be a hamstring problem.

Rust! Groningen kijkt tegen een achterstand aan door een goal van Gakpo, gemaakt na 34 minuten.

Arjen Robben moest het veld na een half uur spelen geblesseerd verlaten en is vervangen door Suslov.

Frank Lampard says Chelsea will be spurred on by memories of Champions League misery when they face Manchester United in the quarter-final on Wednesday.

Lampard, who will make his 500th appearance for Chelsea in the game, said the team will not be motivated by revenge after losing on penalties to United in the 2008 final in Moscow.

But he does admit losing that match has made Chelsea even more determined to lift the trophy.

Those memories spur you on, the England international said. There’s nothing worse than the feeling of losing a Champions League final or semi-final in different circumstances.

There’s no point being negative and crying about them. We hope one day we’ll have a positive experience that will allow us to forget all the other dis…

Chelsea needed a penalty shoot-out for the second round running as they progressed into the EFL Cup quarter-finals with a 4-3 win over Southampton after a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

Reece James scored the winning spot-kick against Aston Villa in round three, and it was the wing-back who netted the decider again on Tuesday.

Once more without the injured strike duo of Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, Chelsea went ahead through Kai Havertz, but Che Adams hit back early in the second half.

Kepa Arrizabalaga and Fraser Forster both then saved a penalty each in the shoot-out, yet it was ultimately Will Smallbone s miss that proved costly as the five-time winners progressed.

Chelsea had set the tone when Ross Barkley delivered a teasing corner from which Saul�…

Brazil is preparing itself for one of its biggest derbies, as Flamengo and Fluminense meet in Rio de Janeiro this weekend.

The fixture is known as the Fla-Flu derby and brings together the 2009 champions and the current Brazilian Serie A title holders.

Ex-Portugal midfielder Deco should be fit for the weekend s clash, after recovering from an injury picked up against Corinthians.

But Abel Braga will be without his frontman Fred, the striker is on international duty with Brazil in the Copa America.

In his absence Fluminense have scored only seven goals in their opening seven games.

Vanderlei Luxemburgo and Flamengo have no such problems they boast the most profilic attack in the league, scoring 16 times already this season.

Ronaldinho …

Jose Mourinho is unquestionably one of the most successful managers in world football today. His illustrious career as a football manager began in the year 2000 with Portuguese giants Benfica. Since 2000, Mourinho has managed União Desportiva de Leiria, (2001-02) FC Porto (2002-04), Chelsea FC (2004-07), Inter Milan (2008-10), and Real Madrid (2010-present). His trophies essentially speak for themselves, with the Portuguese winning 18 trophies since 2002, but is he worth the baggage that he comes with?

Mourinho s most recent controversy was his dispicable eye-poking assault on FC Barcelona assistant Tito Vilanova. The incident followed a straight red card for Real Madrid s Brazilian left-back Marcelo, who probably got what he deserved for his re…

Melbourne City will be keen to make amends for their derby embarrassment when they host Adelaide United in the A-League on Friday.

John van t Schip s men led twice but were thrashed 5-2 by Melbourne Victory on Saturday night as the situation surrounding guest player David Villa appeared to worsen.

Spanish striker Villa is leaving Melbourne for New York following City s hosting of Adelaide, and reports have suggested he will not return to the A-League with all eyes to be on the former Barcelona and Atletico Madrid man approaching the final whistle at AAMI Park.

Adelaide, meanwhile, have few concerns after an unbeaten opening to the 2014-15 campaign.

Most recently, Josep Gombau s men easily accounted for Perth Glory 2-0, after drawing with Melbourne Victory…

Luis Suarez has a self-inflicted period of reflection ahead of him and the Uruguay forward must use it wisely.

No stranger to controversy, the prodigiously talented Liverpool star sent shockwaves around the football world on Tuesday the television images of him sinking his teeth into Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini during the closing stages of a qualification-clinching FIFA World Cup Group D win are already grimly infamous.

A four-month ban from all football activity will hit his club side particularly hard and Liverpool might be forgiven for thinking they are back to square one following a sensational year on the field from Suarez.

The 27-year-old was absent at the start of last season as he completed a 10-match suspension for biting Chelsea s Branislav Ivanovi…

Kurt Zouma has completed a season-long loan move to Stoke City, according to Sky Sports.

Ahead of the switch, the defender penned a new six-year deal with the Premier League champions but he will spend the 2017/18 campaign with the Potters.

Zouma made thirteen appearances for Antonio Conte’s side last season including nine in the league as he helped them to the title, though he will be looking to play more regularly this season as he hopes to earn back his place in the France squad ahead of next summer’s World Cup finals in Russia having been capped just twice.

Since signing from Saint-Etienne in the summer of 2014, Zouma has racked up seventy-one appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals.

As well as last season’s triumph, he won the…

Former Napoli star Diego Maradona says he is hurting at the prospect of Gonzalo Higuain joining Juventus.

Widespread reports in Italy on Saturday suggested the Argentina striker is poised to move to the Serie A champions after they agreed to meet his release clause of just over €94million.

The staggering sum would make Higuain the second most expensive transfer in history, behind Gareth Bale, who left Tottenham for Real Madrid for €100m in 2013.

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis said this week that the pursuit of the striker was a lost battle , given that Juve general director Giuseppe Marotta had himself stated that they would not trigger the release clause.

However, with the 28-year-old reportedly having undergone a Juve medical in Madrid on …

According to a recent report from The Athletic, Danny Ings has turned down a four-year contract offer from Southampton that would see him stay at the club.

Ings currently has one year left on his deal with the expectation being that he could now move on from the Saints on a free transfer or, alternatively, Southampton could cash in on him this summer in the name of not letting him go for nothing.

If it wasn t for his injury problems then Ings would ve almost certainly played a featured role for England at Euro 2020 this summer. Instead, the big questions are focused on his future and what s going to come next for him on this incredible journey he s been on in the last few years.

He wants to prove that he s still an elite level forward in the Premier League, whic…