Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez were on target as holders Barcelona thrashed Real Sociedad 5-2 to reach the King's Cup semi-finals for the seventh successive year with a 6-2 aggregate victory on Thursday.

Venus Williams drew on the experience of 73 grand slam campaigns to come from a set down for a 6-7(3) 6-2 6-3 victory over fellow American Coco Vandeweghe on Thursday to set up a possible Australian Open final against her sister Serena.

Holders Juventus struck twice in the first half hour but nearly let the game slip against 10 men in the second half as they hung on for a 2-1 win over AC Milan in their Coppa Italia quarter-final on Wednesday.

Brazil beat Colombia 1-0 in a benefit match for the families of those killed in the Chapecoense air disaster but Wednesday's game in Rio de Janeiro was marred by a disappointing turnout.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp has spread the blame for their leaky defence across the team as he prepares to pitch Cameroonian defender Joel Matip into Wednesday's League Cup semi-final, second leg against Southampton.

Former champion Stan Wawrinka engaged in a war of words with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga but won the argument that counted to storm into the Australian Open semi-finals with a 7-6(2) 6-4 6-3 win over the Frenchman on Tuesday.

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has risked angering the English Football Association by criticising referee Andre Marriner's refusal to award his team a penalty in their 2-2 Premier League draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.

Serena Williams gave compatriot Nicole Gibbs a lesson in grand slam tennis with a 6-1 6-3 towelling to reach the fourth round of the Australian Open on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich came from a goal down to beat Freiburg 2-1 on Friday and open up a six point lead as the league resumed after the winter break.

Tottenham Hotspur were the first club to expose chinks in the armour of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City and the in-form north London side will seek to inflict further damage at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Former Manchester United and Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal has ended his coaching career following a family tragedy, Dutch media reported on Tuesday.

AC Milan recovered from two goals down to salvage a 2-2 draw at Torino, who also missed a first-half penalty, as the visitors finished with 10 men in a dramatic Serie A game on Monday.

Juergen Klopp feels Liverpool were unlucky to come away with just a point from Sunday's 1-1 Premier League draw with Manchester United, the manager claiming the home side were saved by "long ball" tactics.

Venus Williams survived a rocky start to reach the second round of her 17th Australian Open on Monday, putting her 7-6 7-5 victory over Kateryna Kozlova down to hard-earned experience.

Sergio Ramos has so often been Real Madrid's man of the moment but the captain saw the tables turn as his own goal helped his former club Sevilla to a 2-1 win over the La Liga leaders on Sunday, ending a record-breaking 40-game unbeaten run.

Barcelona removed Pere Gratacos as their institutional sporting relations director on Friday after he claimed that Lionel Messi "would not be as good" without his teammates.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic says Manchester United remain in the hunt for the Premier League title but will first focus on closing the gap to the top four, starting with Sunday's clash against arch rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.

Rock star Elton John led the tributes to former England manager Graham Taylor on Thursday, saying the man he saw as a brother had turned his beloved team Watford into a European contender.

FIFA's decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams will be a catalyst to soccer's growth in countries hovering on the fringe of the showpiece tournament, according to Japan Football Association (JFA) president Kozo Tashima.

Novak Djokovic of Serbia and former Australian cricketer Shane Warne took part in a game during a charity event in Melbourne.