Football

Atletico and Barcelona will play a winner-takes-all decider for the Spanish league title after both teams drew on Sunday.

The 28-year-old France defender has played 163 times for the north London club in the four years since leaving French side Lorient.

"The operation went very well!!!," the Juventus midfielder said on Twitter. "Now I'm going to give my all to be with my fellow players in Brazil."

Aguero has been ruled out of the game against Villa, where victory would put City on the verge of securing the English Premier League title.

Real Madrid have won the European Cup nine times, while Atletico have had to be content the now defunct Cup Winners' Cup and two Europa League victories.

Gareth Bale is fit and ready to play in their semi-final against Bayern Munich on Tuesday after missing their 4-0 league win over Osasuna in La Liga.

Liverpool still lead with 80 points, but third-placed Manchester City sit three points behind with a match in hand and with a superior goal difference.

Liverpool's 11-match winning run ended at exactly the wrong time, with Brendan Rodgers' side standing on the verge of a 19th title success.

Arsene Wenger says the quality of managers and coaches will diminish in future if sackings continue at the present rate.

If Brendan Rodgers's side overcome second-placed Chelsea at Anfield and notch a 12th consecutive league win it would knock Jose Mourinho's side out of the reckoning.

The sensational season Bayern have enjoyed so far suggests they are capable of turning the tie around at the Allianz Arena, where they will be backed by a vocal 60,000 crowd.

Dutch manager Louis van Gaal, however, reportedly is very keen on taking up the job at Old Trafford but only after the World Cup.

By overlooking Mourinho and choosing Moyes to be the successor to Ferguson, the club gambled on a manager without a winning mentality or experience of European soccer.

Bale was unable to train due to a bout of flu, the club added without specifying whether he was expected to recover for the match at the Bernabeu.

Sylvain Azougoui of AC Bongoville soccer club had just stopped a shot, but the striker lost his balance on the wet grass and stepped on the goalkeeper's head.

Lionel Messi ended Barcelona's run of three straight losses and kept them in the Spanish league title chase by scoring a late free kick.