Right, I’m off. Thanks for your emails. Bye.
Match report: West Ham 4-3 Huddersfield
Here’s our take on the London Stadium thriller:
Match report: Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo
Here’s Sid Lowe’s take on Zidane’s second coming (and perhaps even Gareth Bale’s) at the Bernabéu.
Match report: Bournemouth 2-2 Newcastle
Here’s the tale from the Vitality Stadium, where a point was shared. Rafa Benítez has just been talking about the game and he seemed very unhappy with Mike Dean.
Scottish Premiership results and table
Aberdeen 1-1 Livingston
Hamilton1-0 Hearts
Hibernian 2-0 Motherwell
Rangers 1-1 Kilmarnock
Rangers miss a chance to close the gap. It’s Celtic’s title again, isn’t it?
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtic | 29 | 50 | 67 |
| 2 | Rangers | 30 | 44 | 60 |
| 3 | Aberdeen | 30 | 12 | 52 |
| 4 | Kilmarnock | 30 | 11 | 51 |
| 5 | Hearts | 30 | 0 | 47 |
| 6 | Hibernian | 30 | 13 | 45 |
| 7 | Motherwell | 30 | -8 | 40 |
| 8 | Livingston | 30 | 1 | 38 |
| 9 | St Johnstone | 29 | -10 | 38 |
| 10 | Hamilton | 30 | -41 | 24 |
| 11 | Dundee | 29 | -37 | 18 |
| 12 | St Mirren | 29 | -35 | 17 |
Updated
Peep! The FA Cup quarter-final has kicked off between Swansea and Manchester City at the Liberty Stadium. There’s around 30 seconds gone and Manchester City haven’t scored yet. You can follow it with Scott Murray here:
Match report: Burnley 1-2 Leicester
Here’s Richard Jolly’s report of Leicester’s gritty win at Turf Moor:
Full-time: Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo
Well, that was a comfortable return for Zidane in the end. Keylor Navas made a few important saves early in the game but in the second half Real found their groove and eased home to victory. Zidane’s selection of his trusted old generals was justified. The Bernabéu found its voice and sounded as happy as it has done for some time. Isco got on the scoresheet, Asensio impressed and Bale got the second goal, too. The Madridistas may even learn to like the Welshman again.
League Two results and table
Crewe 6-1 Crawley
Exeter 3-0 Colchester
Forest Green 1-1 Carlisle
Grimsby 0-0 Northampton
MK Dons 1-1 Stevenage
Notts County 0-0 Morecambe
Swindon 0-0 Port Vale
Yeovil 0-2 Macclesfield
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lincoln City | 37 | 30 | 75 |
| 2 | Bury | 37 | 30 | 70 |
| 3 | Milton Keynes Dons | 38 | 22 | 66 |
| 4 | Mansfield | 37 | 24 | 65 |
| 5 | Tranmere | 37 | 12 | 61 |
| 6 | Forest Green | 38 | 16 | 58 |
| 7 | Exeter | 37 | 13 | 58 |
| 8 | Colchester | 38 | 11 | 57 |
| 9 | Carlisle | 38 | 8 | 57 |
| 10 | Stevenage | 38 | -4 | 53 |
| 11 | Northampton | 38 | 1 | 52 |
| 12 | Newport County | 37 | -10 | 52 |
| 13 | Swindon | 37 | -3 | 51 |
| 14 | Crewe | 38 | -2 | 50 |
| 15 | Oldham | 37 | 6 | 48 |
| 16 | Grimsby | 38 | -8 | 48 |
| 17 | Cheltenham | 38 | -10 | 45 |
| 18 | Crawley Town | 38 | -15 | 43 |
| 19 | Morecambe | 38 | -14 | 42 |
| 20 | Port Vale | 38 | -10 | 41 |
| 21 | Cambridge Utd | 37 | -22 | 41 |
| 22 | Yeovil | 38 | -18 | 36 |
| 23 | Macclesfield | 37 | -24 | 33 |
| 24 | Notts County | 38 | -33 | 33 |
League One results and table
Bristol Rovers 0-0 Charlton
Burton 3-0 Blackpool
Fleetwood 2-0 Plymouth
Luton 2-2 Gillingham
Oxford United 1-0 Bradford City
Peterborough 1-2 Coventry
Portsmouth 2-0 Scunthorpe
Shrewsbury 2-1 Wycombe
Southend 0-1 Wimbledon
Sunderland 2-1 Walsall
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Luton | 38 | 41 | 80 |
| 2 | Barnsley | 38 | 36 | 75 |
| 3 | Sunderland | 37 | 30 | 73 |
| 4 | Portsmouth | 38 | 25 | 71 |
| 5 | Charlton | 38 | 18 | 67 |
| 6 | Doncaster | 37 | 15 | 57 |
| 7 | Coventry | 38 | 1 | 56 |
| 8 | Peterborough | 38 | 4 | 55 |
| 9 | Blackpool | 38 | -1 | 53 |
| 10 | Fleetwood Town | 38 | 8 | 52 |
| 11 | Burton Albion | 38 | 4 | 50 |
| 12 | Plymouth | 38 | -12 | 45 |
| 13 | Bristol Rovers | 37 | 0 | 44 |
| 14 | Wycombe | 38 | -11 | 44 |
| 15 | Accrington Stanley | 36 | -11 | 44 |
| 16 | Gillingham | 38 | -12 | 44 |
| 17 | Scunthorpe | 38 | -18 | 44 |
| 18 | Shrewsbury | 38 | -8 | 43 |
| 19 | Oxford Utd | 38 | -10 | 43 |
| 20 | Southend | 38 | -8 | 42 |
| 21 | Walsall | 38 | -18 | 42 |
| 22 | AFC Wimbledon | 38 | -21 | 39 |
| 23 | Rochdale | 37 | -31 | 38 |
| 24 | Bradford | 38 | -21 | 36 |
Championship results and table
Leeds 0-1 Sheffield United
Aston Villa 3-0 Middlesbrough
Brentford 0-1 West Brom
Hull 2-2 QPR
Ipswich 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Preston 1-0 Birmingham
Rotherham 1-2 Norwich
Sheff Wed 4-2 Blackburn
Stoke 0-0 Reading
Wigan 5-2 Bolton
| Pos | Team | P | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Norwich | 38 | 29 | 78 |
| 2 | Sheff Utd | 38 | 30 | 74 |
| 3 | Leeds | 38 | 24 | 73 |
| 4 | West Brom | 38 | 24 | 67 |
| 5 | Middlesbrough | 37 | 9 | 58 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 38 | 14 | 57 |
| 7 | Preston North End | 38 | 8 | 57 |
| 8 | Derby | 37 | 2 | 56 |
| 9 | Bristol City | 36 | 7 | 55 |
| 10 | Sheff Wed | 38 | -3 | 55 |
| 11 | Nottm Forest | 38 | 8 | 54 |
| 12 | Hull | 38 | -2 | 51 |
| 13 | Birmingham | 38 | 4 | 50 |
| 14 | Brentford | 37 | 10 | 49 |
| 15 | Swansea | 36 | -1 | 47 |
| 16 | Stoke | 38 | -5 | 47 |
| 17 | Blackburn | 38 | -8 | 47 |
| 18 | QPR | 38 | -14 | 44 |
| 19 | Wigan | 38 | -16 | 39 |
| 20 | Millwall | 37 | -14 | 37 |
| 21 | Reading | 38 | -16 | 37 |
| 22 | Rotherham | 38 | -21 | 36 |
| 23 | Bolton | 38 | -37 | 29 |
| 24 | Ipswich | 38 | -32 | 24 |
Updated
La Liga: The Bernabéu faithful are singing lustily as their Zidane-fuelled side ease into exhibition mode to see out the game against Celta Vigo. Zidane is all smiles on the sidelines. Madrid lead 2-0 with just a few minutes remaining.
Championship: Norwich held on to beat Rotherhamn 2-1 and extend their lead at the top of the table to four points over second-placed Sheffield United. Preston scored a late winner against Birmingham to move level on points with Aston Villa in sixth. What a finish to the season North End are having.
Full-time: Bournemouth 2-2 Newcastle
Ritchie’s late goal seals a point that will please Newcastle more than Bournemouth. Both sides should be safe this season though. It was a fine second half after a disappointing first 45 minutes.
Full-time: West Ham 4-3 Huddersfield
The Terriers let a 3-1 lead slip as Hernandez grabbed two goals to complete a fine turnaround after a limp first-half display.
Goal! Bournemouth 2-2 Newcastle (Ritchie 90)
Ritchie scores a wonderful goal against his former club to surely earn a point for Rafa Benitez’s side, a sumptuous half-volley.
Full-time: Burnley 1-2 Leicester
Morgan’s late header wins it for the 10-man Foxes. Burnley are in the midst of a dangerous slump. They could not have been given a better opportunity to get a win after Maguire’s early sending off.
Goal! Real Madrid 2-0 Celta Vigo (Bale 77)
Bale fires home with his right foot. Yes, his right foot. The Bernabéu is dancing to a happy tune once more.
Burnley are piling forward looking for the equaliser. The keeper-up-for-a-corner klaxon sounds out as Heaton races into the box for a corner and wins a header but cannot get it on target. Burnley are going to be left in the bother.
Goal! West Ham 4-3 Huddersfield (Hernandez 90)
Oh Huddersfield! What a comeback from the Hammers. Hernandez has done it again!
Goal! Burnley 1-2 Leicester (Morgan 90)
The 10 men of Leicester have taken the lead – and it’s the big defender who has given it them! They’ve had 10 men for 86 minutes. What a win that could be.
Updated
Championship: Aston Villa just can’t stop scoring. They’re 3-0 up against Middlesbrough and heading for the play-offs after former Boro player Adomah got on the scoresheet.
Championship: Bolton were battling gamely at Wigan. Sammy Ameobi (remember him?) got a second for the Wanderers before Wigan zipped up the other end to go 5-2 up through Leon Clarke.
Goal! Bournemouth 2-1 Newcastle (King 81)
King sweeps home a knock down from Solanke and the Cherries are heading for three vital points at the Vitality!
Goal! West Ham 3-3 Huddersfield (Hernandez 84)
The Hammers are level and it’s the substitute who has scored it!
Updated
Goal! Real Madrid 1-0 Celta Vigo (Isco 62)
Isco gets the party started at the Bernabéu again! Asensio’s feet twinkle on the edge of the box. He slots the ball through to Benzema, who squares for Isco to slide in and give Zidane a big cheesy grin.
Goal! West Ham 2-3 Huddersfield (Ogbonna 74)
The Hammers are back in the game at the London Stadium.
Updated
VAR says no goal at Real Madrid. It's still 0-0!
VAR has dampened the mood at the Bernabéu, ruling that an offside Benzema interfered with the line of sight on Modric’s shot.
Updated
Goal! Real Madrid 1-0 Celta Vigo (Modric 56) – RULED OUT!
The little man hits a scrappy shot at goal from 25 yards that bobbles on its way into the bottom corner. the second coming of Zidane looks like it might be a happy one.
Updated
La Liga: Madrid are bossing possession against Celta but their approach play is all a bit too steady and predictable. That said, relegation-threatened Celta are well organised and running their socks off to shut off space.
Championship: Troubled Bolton are going to be left eight points adrift of safety. They’re trailing 3-0 at Wigan. Staying up seems like it’s going to be as difficult a task as finding a buyer for the club.
Goal! West Ham 1-3 Huddersfield (Grant 65)
Grant is having a stormer! He cuts inside and bends one into the top corner from 25 yards. Having joined the Terriers from Charlton, he’s clearly enjoying his time back in the capital. Can he bag a memorable hat-trick?
Updated
La Liga: The second half is under way at the Bernabéu. How was Zidane’s half-time team talk? Well, let’s see shall we.
Updated
Championship: Well, that didn’t last long. Norwich are back in front against Rotherham and heading four points clear at the top thanks to Ben Godfrey’s header.
Updated
I’ve been asked by John Waters to provide a close-up of my six-year-old daughter’s drawing of Mike Dean, who moments ago gave a soft penalty to Bournemouth. So, here you are John.
Updated
Championship: Rotherham are level with the table-topping Canaries. Semi Ajayi curls the ball into the far corner. Rotherham are scrapping for survival. A point could be vital down in their battle to clamber out of the filth.
Championship: West Brom are 1-0 against Brentford at Griffin Park thanks to Kyle Edwards.
Huddersfield are still good value for their 2-1 lead at West Ham, who have not found much more in the locker in the second half.
Goal! Bournemouth 1-1 Newcastle (King 47)
Mike Dean adjudges that Aké is pulled down in the box. King steps up and sends Dúbravka the wrong way. There is a disagreement in the Sky Sports studio as to whether that was a penalty or not. They seem to think it was soft.
Updated
Half-time: Real Madrid 0-0 Celta Vigo
After an effervescent start by Zizou’s powered-up side, it started to go a bit flat. There were only a couple of moments of Champagne football, but very few clear chances. Maxi Gomez went closest to scoring with a header after 25 minutes, but Navas made a wonderful save.
League One: League leaders Luton lead 1-0 against Gillingham. If they can hold on that will be their ninth win in 11. They’re threatening to run away out of sight with the League One title.
Some half-time reading here:
La Liga: Modric finds Bale on the left with a delightful ball slipped in behind the Celta defence. Bale plays a low cross in towards Asensio, who has his heels clipped on the edge of the box. It’s a clear free-kick and a yellow or perhaps even a red card, but the referee decides that it’s an accidental coming together. The VAR agrees too. Celta got lucky there.
Updated
Championship half-time scores
Aston Villa 2-0 Middlesbrough
Brentford 0-0 West Brom
Hull 2-0 QPR
Ipswich 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Preston North End 0-0 Birmingham
Rotherham 0-1 Norwich
Sheffield Wed 1-0 Blackburn
Stoke 0-0 Reading
Wigan 1-0 Bolton
Premier League half-time scores
Bournemouth 0-1 Newcastle
West Ham 1-2 Huddersfield
Burnley 1-1 Leicester
Goal! Bournemouth 0-1 Newcastle (Rondon 45)
Something has happened at last! Something impressive too. The big man slams a free-kick into the top corner from 25 yards out. I reckon Rondon would be very good at anything he turned his hand to. He just seems like that kind of chap. A great milkman or lawyer or artist. He’d be a 7/10 performer every time.
Updated
Championship: The leaders Norwich have taken the lead at Rotherham – and it’s Kenny McLean who has scored it. The Canaries will be four clear of Sheffield United, in second, and five clear of third-placed Leeds.
Updated
Championship: Aston Villa are 2-0 up against Middlesbrough and look like they’ll be good value for their fourth win in a row and a place in the play-offs. McGinn fires into the corner just before half time.
La Liga: Kroos has just sent a 30-yarder whistling a few inches over as Madrid look to ramp up the pressure against Celta. Zidane is prowling the touchline looking neither satisfied nor disappointed with what he’s seeing.
Is anything happening at Bournemouth v Newcastle? Erm, no.
Goal! Burnley 1-1 Leicester (McNeil 38)
The turbo-charged teenager, who is having a fine season, strokes home a low shot to bring the Clarets level against the 10 men of Leicester.
Updated
“Maybe I’m in the minority but I really couldn’t give two hoots about the outcome of the Real Madrid v Celta Vigo match,” writes Duncan Edwards. “I’d rather know if that tackle on Perez should have reduced Bournemouth to 10 men, who starts in the United midfield v Wolves, and how Macclesfield are faring.” Well, Duncan, I can help you out with Macclesfield. They’re 2-0 up at Yeovil thanks to Harry Smith. Sol Campbell’s great escape is on.
League One: Lee Cattermole has brought Sunderland level at home against Walsall. That’s his sixth of the season. Who does he think he is, Gerd Müller?
Goal! Burnley 0-1 Leicester (Maddison 33)
The 10-man Foxes are ahead at Turf Moor. Maddison curls a beautiful free-kick into the top corner. Burnley are going to sleepwalk into the mire unless they wake up.
Updated
La Liga: Navas has just made a wonderful save from West Ham target Maxi Gomez to keep the score goalless at the Bernabéu.
Goal! West Ham 1-2 Huddersfield (Grant 30)
The London Stadium natives are going to get restless. The Terriers, who appear to have loosened up now they’ve accepted their fate, score a deserved second through the youngster Karlan Grant.
Updated
Championship: Aston Villa have taken a 1-0 lead against Middlesbrough. McGinn finds El Ghazi, who pops the ball home with little fuss. A win will take Villa into the play-off spots and knock Derby out of them. The Rams don’t play today.
Updated
Real Madrid are popping the ball about like they’re actually enjoying their football again. Modric is heavily involved in everything good they’re doing. He’s stretching play left and right with some clever passing.
Marcelo has started like he means business. He’s just whipped in a wicked ball towards Benzema at the back post which needed a smart punch from Ruben to take it off the Madrid striker’s head. The Bernabéu is bathed in glorious sunshine. It couldn’t look any more different to the storm-lashed greyscapes of London.
League Two: Mac attack! In the dogfight to stay in the Football League, second bottom Macclesfield have taken a 1-0 lead over third bottom Yeovil. How important that goal could be. Yeovil were six points ahead of Mac at kick-off. It was James Pearson who grabbed the goal.
Peep! Real Madrid v Celta Vigo is under way
Can Zinedine Zidane’s retro lineup do the business against lowly Celta? We’ll soon find out.
Goal! West Ham 1-1 Huddersfield (Bacuna 17)
Oh, how very West Ham! Mooy swings in a corner and Bacuna has a free header that he nods home easy as you like. Well, that was worth coming down to London for. The Terriers are back in it.
Goal! West Ham 1-0 Huddersfield (Noble 15)
The teenager Rowe mistimes a tackle and brings Lanzini down in the box. Noble steps up, holds his nerve, and slams the penalty straight down the middle.
Updated
League One: Sunderland’s automatic promotion hopes have been dealt a potential blow by Walsall, who have taken a 1-0 lead at the Stadium of Light thanks to Josh “Flash” Gordon. Ah, go on then:
Championship: Garner has given Wigan a 1-0 lead against second-bottom Bolton. And below them, rock-bottom Ipswich have taken a surprise lead against Nottingham Forest thanks to Collin Quaner.
Red card! Harry Maguire is sent off for Leicester!
Gudmundsson is clean through on goal for Burnley, Maguire runs across the back of him and clips his heels. It’s a clear goalscoring opportunity. Maguire has to walk. There are only four minutes gone. Leicester have a long way to go with 10 men. What an opportunity for Burnley. But can they create?
Updated
Peep!
The 3pm kick-offs are under way!
Here’s Sid Lowe’s take on Zidane’s starting XI. It’s quite the statement that Zizou wants to press rewind and take Real back to 2017-18 again.
To put that staring XI in context:
— Sid Lowe (@sidlowe) March 16, 2019
Isco: no league starts since 5-1 loss at Barcelona in October (Lopetegui's last game).
Marcelo: only two league starts in 2019, place had been definitively lost to Reguilón.
Keylor: since replaced by Courtois (wk 3), one league start.
I haven’t seen a picture of Zidane at the Bernabéu yet. Is he wearing those mid-life crisis epic turn-ups again? Has he turned up on a Harley Davidson? So many questions …
Sheffield United have given the top of the Championship a shake up with their 1-0 win at Leeds. Jamie Jackson was there – and here’s his report:
I expect we’ll have a few bizarre goals and some top, top bloopers in Britain today. Storm Hannah has arrived just in time for the afternoon’s kick-offs. It’s filthy out there and blowing an absolute gale. Oldham’s first game without Paul Scholes (was he ever really there?) against Tranmere, has been called off. And Burnley resembles a bad day in Mordor before kick-off against Leicester at Turf Moor.
Updated
Our man Ed Aarons was at Vicarage Road to watch Watford book their place in the FA Cup semi-finals. Read his report here:
Team news: Real Madrid v Celta Vigo
Real Madrid: Navas, Ramos, Varane, Kroos, Benzema, Modric, Bale, Marcelo, Odriozola, Asensio, Isco: Subs: Courtois, Nacho, Mariano, Valverde, Brahim, Reguilon, Ceballos.
Celta Vigo: Ruben, Kevin, Costas, Araujo, Junca, Okay, Lobotka, Mendez, Sisto, Boufal, Maxi Gomez. Subs: Sergio, Beltran, Hoedt, Hjulsager, Jensen, Jozabed, Boudebouz.
So, that’s quite a shake up by Zidane. He’s brought some established names back. Bale, Isco and Marcelo all start – as does Navas, with Courtois dumped on to the bench. Asensio, who has been sidelined for large parts of the season, is handed a start too.
Updated
Full-time: Leeds 0-1 Sheffield United
Pontus Jansson has just legged it from goal up to the Sheffield United penalty area for a corner. It comes to nothing. He’s done more running while injured than while fit. Heroic effort. It’s all in vain though. Peep! And that’s that. The Blades go second. What a win that is! Chris Wilder’s side stood tall through the early Leeds onslaught and nicked it in the second half.
My six-year-old daughter drew a picture of Mike Dean for the live Football Weekly podcast that I was on in London last night. I think she captured his essence rather well.
@GreggBakowski I took this so your daughter can see her drawing on stage. pic.twitter.com/zpjgYI8gto
— Adam (@adamsa101) March 16, 2019
It’s all going pear-shaped for Leeds. Goalkeeper Kiko Casilla has been sent off in the 90th minute for bringing down Billy Sharp outside his area. Meanwhile, Pontus Jansson is having a lively afternoon. He has been injured for the past 10 minutes. He was moved from defence to attack because he couldn’t run and shot narrowly wide a few minutes ago. And now he’s gone in goal!
Team news: West Ham v Huddersfield
West Ham: Fabianski, Zabaleta, Diop, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Noble, Rice, Antonio, Lanzini, Felipe Anderson, Arnautovic. Subs: Balbuena, Snodgrass, Adrian, Hernandez, Nasri, Masuaku, Perez.
Huddersfield: Lossl, Durm, Smith, Kongolo, Lowe, Bacuna, Stankovic, Mooy, Rowe, Grant, Pritchard. Subs: Billing, Hamer, Mounie, Jorgensen, Hadergjonaj, Daly, Puncheon.
Referee: Jon Moss
Team news: Burnley v Leicester
Burnley: Heaton, Bardsley, Tarkovski, Mee, Taylor, Berg Gudmundson, Westwood, Cork, McNeil, Barnes, Wood. Subs: Lowton, Brady, Hendrick, Gibson, Crouch, Hart, Vydra.
Leicester: Schmeichel, Ricardo Pereira, Evans, Maguire, Chilwell, Ndidi, Gray, Tielemans, Maddison, Barnes, Vardy. Subs: Morgan, Iheanacho, Ward, Okazaki, Mendy, Fuchs, Ghezzal.
Referee: Michael Oliver
Full-time: Watford 2-1 Crystal Palace
Watford are going to Wembley! They’ve beaten Crystal Palace 2-1 and are the FA Cup’s first semi-finalists.
Team news: Bournemouth v Newcastle
Bournemouth: Boric, Clyne, Mepham, Ake, Daniels, Lerma, Ibe, Fraser, Brooks, King, Wilson. Subs: Mousset, Rico, Simpson, Begovic, Taylor, Solanke, Surridge.
Newcastle: Dubravka, Yedlin, Fernandez, Lejeune, Dummett, Ritchie, Perez, Diame, Hayden, Almiron, Rondon. Subs: Clark, Shelvey, Muto, Kennedy, Manquillo, Darlow, Atsu
Referee: Mike Dean
Goal! Leeds 0-1 Sheffield United (Basham 72)
And what a massive goal that could be in the race for automatic promotion to the Premier League. Basham gallops forwards and fires home a low shot from the edge of the area after being teed up by Billy Sharp. That takes the Blades a point above Leeds and into second as it stands.
Andre Gray has leapt off the bench to give Watford a 2-1 lead over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup quarter-final at Vicarage Road. There are only about five minutes remaining. You can follow it with your man Scott Murray here:
Preamble
Hola readers. It’s Zinedine Zidane’s second coming as Real Madrid manager this afternoon. When he first took the Madrid job, in January 2016, his opening match in charge was a 5-0 thrashing of Deportivo. He could do with a similar display this afternoon to spread some positive vibes around the Bernabéu, which has been a despairing place at times this season. The visitors are Celta Vigo, who are in the midst of a slump.
They have taken only four points from 11 games without the injured Iago Aspas. They need to start picking up points quickly. That match kicks off at 3.15pm GMT (4.15pm CET) and I’ll be keeping a close eye on it. There has already been a clear sign from the club that they will be giving Zidane their full backing. They signed the Brazilian defender Éder Militão from Porto for €50m in midweek. He won’t be playing this afternoon as he can’t join until the summer and while he isn’t a galáctico-style signing, his purchase is an early statement of intent from the club.
Back in England, there are three Premier League matches: Bournemouth v Newcastle, Burnley v Leicester and West Ham v Huddersfield. Newcastle can go above the Cherries on goal difference if they win on the south coast. They would be on 37 points and tantalisingly close to securing survival.
Another team for whom survival is at the forefront of their minds, is Burnley. They’re just one place and two points above Cardiff, who occupy the 18th-placed relegation spot. Sean Dyche needs to find a way to liven up his side’s stodgy meat and potatoes football if they’re to pick up some points. With Cardiff not playing this weekend, it’s a great opportunity to put some clear daylight between themselves and the relegation zone. Leicester visit Turf Moor today, though, and Brendan Rodgers’ side were particularly sparky last time out, when they beat Fulham 3-1.
And Huddersfield are in the capital this weekend – I know this because I saw their team bus parked up outside the Premier Inn in Kings Cross yesterday. For the sake of their players, I hope they didn’t stay there. I have nothing against budget hotels, but that particular part of London can be a bit wild in the evenings. You’d expect West Ham to beat Huddersfield comfortably at home but the Hammers are a ridiculous team. You never know what they’re going to do.
In the big one in the Championship, it’s currently 0-0 at Elland Road, where second-placed Leeds are dominating the game against third-placed Sheffield United. The second half has not been long under way there. And look in on Watford v Crystal Palace in the FA Cup with Scott Murray here.
Here are the rest of the fixtures in the Championship:
Aston Villa v Middlesbrough could be interesting, with the home side looking to close in on a play-off spot. They can move a point behind fifth-placed Boro if they win. Preston are play-off contenders too. They’re having a strong finish to the season too and might be worth keeping an eye on as they take on Birmingham. West Brom are in action again. They beat Swansea 3-0 in their first match since Darren Moore’s bizarre sacking.
I’ll also be keeping an eye on the action in Leagues One and Two. Hit the links for the fixtures.
Updated
