IMAGES from the Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
The games sounded more like Sunday kickabouts or high-intensity training sessions than the return to action of highly-paid professionals in the world's best attended football league with normally an average of about 42,000 spectators per game.
From cardboard cut-outs of real fans to an app allowing supporters to influence the volume of noise piped into stadiums, people are developing ideas for how to put some matchday atmosphere back into the stadiums -- though whether their ideas are accepted is a different matter.
West Ham United's hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a cruel blow as an own goal by midfielder Tomas Soucek and Harry Kane's first goal since December condemned them to a 2-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday.
The resumption of the German Bundesliga next weekend amid the COVID-19 crisis will give hope to other European leagues that they can also successfully return, according to Schalke 04 coach David Wagner.
Germany's professional teams have been training since mid-April, divided into small groups and under strict conditions, including extensive testing of all players and coaching staff.
Bournemouth breathed life into their Premier League survival bid on Sunday, coming from a goal down to beat fourth-placed Leicester City 4-1 for their first win in 10 games. Toby Alderweireld's 81st-minute header sealed a 2-1 Premier League victory for Tottenham Hotspur against Arsenal in the first north London derby in their new stadium on Sunday.
James Rodriguez netted twice and Dominic Calvert-Lewin became the first Everton player to score in the opening four matches of a Premier League season as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 on Saturday to stay top of the table with a maximum 12 points.
Manchester United fans have been buying Marouane Fellaini wigs with their new Belgian showing signs he can add a cool head and quality passing to the midfield just in time for Sunday's derby against City.
Indian football heavyweights Mohun Bagan clinched their second I-League title with a 1-0 win over Aizawl FC with four rounds to go in the season, in Kalyani, on Tuesday. Senegalese striker Baba Diawara scored the all-important goal for Mohun Bagan in the 80th minute to beat former champions Aizawl in their 16th round match and give their supporters a memorable Holi gift.
Alex Ferguson is gearing up for what he has called the biggest Manchester derby in his near 25-year spell as United manager, Sunday's home game against Premier League leaders City.
India caused a stir in Zagreb where veteran duo Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna edged Mate Pavic and Franko Skugor in Saturday's doubles to keep alive the tie but Marin Cilic quickly doused Indian hopes with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Sumit Nagal.
Dhoni started training with his state team Jharkhand from Thursday with an eye on IPL comeback for Chennai Super Kings.
Manchester United's match against ManchesterCity in the Premier League on Thursday is "the game of the season" and will play a decisive role in both teams' chances of finishing in the top four, midfielder Ander Herrera has said.
Curtin Jones's 71st-minute strike saw Liverpool edge past Everton in a derby tie at Anfield.
Batsman Marcus Stoinis has been fined A$7,500 (3,984 pounds) for directing personal abuse at Australia team mate Kane Richardson during a Big Bash League Twenty20 match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Saturday. Stoinis apologised "unreservedly" for the abuse during the Melbourne derby between the Stars and Renegades teams.
Manchester United eased the pressure on manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 3-1 win at Everton in the Premier League on Saturday with Bruno Fernandes scoring twice and Edinson Cavani grabbing his first for the club.
City's Aguero doubtful starter for Watford trip
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola denied reports that his contract contains a 'break clause' that could allow him to leave at the end of the season. The Spaniard signed an extension last year until 2021 but with City's hopes of a third successive Premier League title now looking remote, questions have been raised about his future.
After Sunday's 1-3 loss to Manchester City the calls for Jose Mourinho's ouster are only going to get louder.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said he was disappointed that he was only asked about the referee's decisions after his side earned a 2-1 victory at Real Sociedad on Sunday to climb above Barcelona and top La Liga.
Luka Modric pulled one back for Zinedine Zidane's shellshocked side with a brilliant strike from distance early in the second half before substitute Vinicius Jr reduced the deficit to one goal.
Lionel Messi notched a 20th assist of the season to help a lacklustre Barcelona secure a 1-0 win away to Real Valladolid on Saturday, maintaining the pressure on La Liga leaders Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo converted two penalties, both awarded for handballs and the second in the last minute, as Serie A leader Juventus twice hit back to draw 2-2 with Atalanta to move closer to a ninth successive Serie A title on Saturday.
Brighton and Hove Albion scored late to earn a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Sheffield United and Fulham also drew 1-1 as both teams picked up their first points.
News of all that transpired on and off the football field.
The money-spinning Indian Premier League has mulled a closed-door edition in a desperate bid to avoid cancellation as the deadly COVID-19 sent Indian sports into quarantine after a government directive for fans to be kept away from all action to prevent the pandemic from spreading.
The merged club will come into existence in June and compete in the ISL 2020-21. The two sides will, however, play separately in the current I-League and ISL seasons.
IMAGES from all the Bundesliga action on Saturday.
Odisha FC made a strong case for play-off qualification with a 2-1 victory over Hyderabad FC in the Indian Super League encounter, in Hyderabad, on Wednesday.
Manchester City to beat second-tier Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 and reach the FA Cup quarter-finals but Jose Mourinho's problems piled up as his Tottenham Hotspur side were bundled out in a penalty shootout by Norwich City.
Manchester United held on for a goalless draw in a feisty derby with Manchester City after midfielder Marouane Fellaini was sent off for a headbutt in the Premier League clash at the Etihad Stadium on Thursday.
A preview of the line-up action in the English Premier League.
Manchester United kept up their impressive chase for a top-four spot with a comfortable 3-0 win at relegation-threatened Aston Villa in the English Premier League on Thursday. Relegation-threatened Bournemouth had a late goal disallowed by VAR as they had to settle for a 0-0 draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur.
The English Premier League resumed on Wednesday, after the forced break due to COVID-19. Here are IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Wednesday.
Rashford put United ahead in the seventh minute
Mumbai City FC's marquee signing Diego Forlan showed glimpses of yore as they tasted a rare away win after putting it across FC Pune City 1-0 in their opening match of the Hero Indian Super League at Balewadi Stadium in Pune on Monday.
'All of our lives are going to be changed in a permanent way...' 'We just have to ride out the tide right now and we will see a rainbow at the end of this.'
If ever a fixture was made for striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic it is Saturday's Manchester derby at Old Trafford, according to his former Barcelona team mate Thierry Henry.
IMAGES from football matches played in the Spain, Germany and Portugal on Wednesday.
India's biggest football draw -- clash between bitter foes Mohun Bagan and East Bengal -- was on Wednesday called off here after a no-show from the former team in the Calcutta Football League Premier Division. East Bengal had turned up for the match at the Kalyani Municipal Stadium but Mohun Bagan stood firm on their decision as match referee Pranjan Banerjee waited for 30 minutes before calling it off, and declaring the red-and-gold winners.
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