The title credentials of champions Juventus come under fresh scrutiny in the 'Derby d'Italia' when a win for Inter Milan could see Roberto Mancini's men underline their scudetto hopes by seizing the Serie A lead.

Massimiliano Allegri's Juventus are well on their way to qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League, but it has been a bumpier ride on the domestic front.

Spanish star Raul is retiring from football in November after his NASL season with the New York Cosmos.

The 38-year-old striker announced his decision Thursday, saying he wants focus on winning a championship in the second-tier league.

Real Madrid will have to overcome an injury to leading scorer Karim Benzema as the spluttering capital club return to domestic duty on Saturday when they host struggling Levante.

Rafael Benitez's side have slipped to second, one point behind surprise leaders Villarreal, following successive draws against Malaga and city rivals Atletico.

Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony has vowed to fill the void left by injured star Sergio Aguero as the leaders look to extend their advantage at the top of the Premier League when they host Bournemouth on Saturday.

Aguero scored five goals on his last league appearance as City thrashed Newcastle to regain first place, but he is expected to be out for more than a month with a hamstring tear sustained on international duty with Argentina.

Jurgen Klopp has challenged Liverpool's under-performing stars to rediscover their swagger when the new Reds boss gets his first taste of the Premier League against Tottenham on Saturday.

All eyes will be on Klopp's eagerly anticipated debut at White Hart Lane following the highly-regarded German's recent appointment as successor to the sacked Brendan Rodgers.

Bayern Munich's Javi Martinez has revealed why he helped some of the refugees who flooded into Munich last month and says he is proud of how the Bavarian capital reacted.

"It was something which came from me, I could at least coax a smile from these people in what was for them a difficult moment," the Spain international told Wednesday's edition of Munich newspaper AZ.

Brazil kick-started their South American World Cup qualifying campaign with a 3-1 victory over Venezuela on Tuesday as Chile, Ecuador and Uruguay posted their second wins and Argentina gained their first point.

Willian scored twice -- in the 37th second and again the 42nd minute as Brazil rebounded from a humbling loss to Chile last Thursday as qualifying for the 2018 World Cup in Russia got underway.

Lamar Odom, a former NBA champion who gained wider fame as the husband of reality TV star Khloe Kardashian was in hospital after being found "unresponsive" at a Nevada brothel, authorities said Tuesday.

The Nye County Sheriff's Department was called Tuesday afternoon to Love Ranch, a legal brothel in Crystal, Nevada, for a report of an "unresponsive" man needing an ambulance, Sheriff Sharon A. Wehrly said in a statement.

Second-half goals by Marc Pelosi and Jordan Kiesewetter lifted the United States over Canada 2-0 Tuesday, keeping alive the Americans' hopes of reaching the 2016 Rio Olympic football tournament.

The U.S. under-23 side finished third in the North American regional (CONCACAF) men's Olympic qualifying tournament, advancing to a March playoff against Colombia to decide a berth at next year's Olympics in Brazil.

South Africa great Schalk Burger hopes the memory of what happened to the Springboks at the World Cup four years ago will help guard against more quarter-final heartache this weekend.

In 2011, South Africa dominated territory and possession against Australia only to go down 11-9 to the Wallabies in an engrossing last-eight clash in Wellington, New Zealand.