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A late goal from defender Ron Vlaar earned Feyenoord a very hard-fought point against Heracles in Sunday s Eredivisie action.

The visit to Rotterdam was a special occasion for Heracles manager Gert-Jan Verbeek, who coached Feyenoord for seven months in the 2008-09 season.

Things looked good for Heracles when Everton struck the away side to a 0-1 lead in the 82nd minute.

But Feyenoord limited the damage in the 90th minute as Ron Vlaar netted the equaliser and once again confirms his importance in important moments.

Feyenoord remain in fourth place in the Eredivisie while Heracles continue to occupy the sixth position.

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Simon Grayson has warned his Preston North End side they have no time to feel sorry for themselves as they travel to Chesterfield for Thursday s League One play-offs semi-final first leg.

Preston were second heading into the final day of the regular season and victory over lowly Colchester United would have secured an automatic return to the Championship after four years in the third tier.

However, the Lancashire club who have failed in nine previous play-off attempts fluffed their lines at the Weston Community Homes Stadium as Colchester secured a 1-0 win and another term in League One, while MK Dons leapfrogged Preston courtesy of a 5-1 battering of rock-bottom Yeovil Town.

Manager Grayson previously promoted from League One with Blackpool, Leeds United and…

Arsene Wenger has no plans to follow iconic manager Alex Ferguson into retirement, with the Arsenal boss in no hurry to relinquish his role.

Wenger, 65, has transformed Arsenal since swapping Japan s Nagoya for London in 1996, guiding the club to three Premier League titles, five FA Cups and five Community Shields.

Ferguson was 71 years old when he retired as Manchester United manager in 2012-13 after 26 years in charge, which included 13 league trophies, two UEFA Champions League crowns and five FA Cup titles.

And while Wenger opened up about what he might do when he eventually retires, the Frenchman is going nowhere fast.

Sometimes I think, What is he [Alex Ferguson] doing all day? But he looks very happy in his retirement, Wenger said ahead of Sunday …

Gerard Pique said he has not seen superstar team-mate Lionel Messi train as Barcelona step up their LaLiga preparations with individual sessions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Messi and Barca returned to training on Friday, albeit via individual sessions due to the COVID-19 crisis, with the squad divided over three pitches to ensure social-distancing requirements are upheld.

Barca followed a similar routine on Saturday as LaLiga hopes to resume in mid-June, having suspended the 2019-20 campaign in March.

I didn t have any contact with Messi on the pitch, I only spoke to him on my mobile phone, Barca defender Pique told Movistar s El Partidazo.

I didn t see him train either, I just crossed him in the parking lot. All the footballers we train in differe…

Germany head coach Joachim Low was left bitter after the country s shock loss at home to North Macedonia in World Cup qualifying.

Low s Germany were sensationally humbled in Duisburg, where the four-time world champions suffered a 2-1 defeat on Wednesday.

Ilkay Gundogan had cancelled out Goran Pandev s opener before Eljif Elmas restored North Macedonia s lead with five minutes remaining as Germany lost a World Cup qualifier for the first time since September 2001 – a run of 35 matches.

The defeat left Germany third in Group J, level on points with North Macedonia and three points adrift of pacesetters Armenia, who have won all three matches so far.

A disappointing result to say the least. 1-2

— Germany (@DFB_Team_EN)

We are hugely…

Pablo Aguilar has been ruled out of Paraguay s FIFA World Cup Qualifier with Bolivia after it emerged the defender has a blood condition.

Paraguay s team doctor Miguel Romero found that Aguilar s blood had shown a decrease in its ability to clot properly, and has advised that the defender return to Mexico where he currently plays for Tijuana.

Manager Victor Genes has called up Matias Perez as a replacement for Friday s match in Asuncion, which will see the bottom two sides of the South American qualification section go head-to-head.

Malaga striker Roque Santa Cruz flew in to join his team-mates late on Tuesday and was due to take part in full training with the rest of the squad on Wednesday.

Paraguay who reached the quarter-final of the 2010 World Cup, where the…

Football has a pedigree dating back to mediaeval England, when villagers hoofed an inflated pig s bladder around a muddy paddock.

Today, though, the 22 players on the pitch are supported by a ghost squad of scientists drawing on biomechanics, physics, nutrition, psychology and other performance-enhancing disciplines.

Here are some examples of how science has helped to change football, answer riddles and end hearsay.

FAKING A FALL: How can you tell when a player is diving? One telltale is the archer s bow, says British psychologist Paul Morris. This is when a player falls with both arms in the air, with open palms, chest thrust out and legs bent at the knee, like a sprung archery bow. This occurs in many dives but biomechanically it does not occur in a natural fa…

Adam Lallana has excelled under Jurgen Klopp this season and his rich vein of form at Liverpool has not gone unnoticed.

understand that the 28-year-old has attracted plenty of interest from world’s biggest sides such as Juventus and Barcelona, who are vying for his signature.

Serie A champions Juventus consider Lallana to be a viable alternative for Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez, whereas Barcelona are believed to be monitoring Lallana in case they fail in their bid to land his Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho.

Adam Lallana still has two years remaining in his Liverpool deal and is engaged in talks over a contract extension with the Reds.

England international midfielder arrived in Liverpool back in 2014 in a deal reportedly worth £25 million.