Image source, Getty Images

Liverpool host Villarreal in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday, with the Spanish side leading 1-0. 

Reds defender Dejan Lovren and manager Jurgen Klopp have been speaking to reporters. Here is the former...

"The fans are expecting a massive game but we have to be smarter than last time [they conceded the only goal of the tie so far in injury time of the first leg]. If you want to win you have to score but we have to be clever. We have to believe in ourselves. If we do that I think we can go to final."

A little heads up about what to expect on Football Focus this Saturday...

The Independent, external have statistics which show just how much difference it makes to Real Madrid to have Cristiano Ronaldo playing tonight.

Ronaldo has played 73 matches out of a possible 80 for Real Madrid in the Champions League and the team's win percentage is 73% with him in the team, as opposed to 43% without him. 

Since joining Real Madrid, his 78 goals in those 73 matches (1.06 goals per game) would be the best ratio in European history. Ronaldo has 47 goals and 19 assists in 44 matches this season.  

Image source, Getty Images

Verona and former Italy striker Luca Toni will retire from playing after Sunday's home game against former club Juventus.

West Indies batsman Chris Gayle could re-sign for Melbourne Renegades in Australia's Big Bash, despite January's sexism controversy.

When Leicester signed N'Golo Kante last summer, he only got second billing to Yohan Benalouane in BBC Sport's news story.

Aye, sorry about that...

Image source, BBC Sport

I didn't even know you could bet on handball...

Image source, .

Edin Dzeko and Aleksandar Kolorov put City 1-0 and 2-1 up at the Bernabeu in the group stages back in 2012. Karim Benzema levelled at 2-2 for the hosts with three minutes remaining, before a last-minute Cristiano Ronaldo goal saw City leave Spain with no points. 

Image source, PA

Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo is fit but fellow forward Karim Benzema could only do running work on Monday and is still a doubt with a hamstring problem.

City midfielder Yaya Toure trained on Tuesday, having missed the past two games with a thigh injury. Forward David Silva (hamstring) and defender Pablo Zabaleta (calf) were also absent, with the Argentina international expected to be out for three weeks. 

Juliette Ferrington
BBC Radio 5 live

Image source, BBC Sport

Feeling the heat inside the indoor/outdoor barn at Melwood ahead of Liverpool's Europa League news conference with Jurgen Klopp and Dejan Lovren. It's definitely warm.

We'll be hearing what they have to say some time after 15:00 BST...

The Gallant Pioneer: I bet £5 on Scotland at 80/1 to win the last ever 5 Nations Rugby in 1999 I'll love Neil Jenkins and Wales forever.

That makes two of us...

Celtic have apparently confirmed that they will convert a section of Parkhead to safe standing for next season.

The Scottish Premiership club were granted permission to introduce the scheme last summer and it was projected at that stage that the rail seating area would accommodate up to 2,600 fans.

This graphic appeared in their season-ticket renewal literature...

Image source, Celtic FC

Image source, Getty Images

It seems to be the theme of today's Sportsday - money and what it can buy.

Well, things haven't exactly gone to plan for recent big-spending Chinese clubs.

Jiangsu Sainty, who spent £53m on Ramirez and Alex Teixeira have been knocked out of the Asian Champions League at the group stage, following defending champions Guangzhou Evergrande, who spent £31m on Jackson Martinez. Guangzhou were knocked out last month.

China still have two teams in the last 16: Shanghai SIPG and Shandong Luneng.

Image source, Betfred

Two firefighters who mistakenly backed Leicester City to win the Premier League have won £20,000.

Jordan Wright, from Essex, thought he had placed a £5 bet on the Foxes to triumph in their opening game of the season against Sunderland at odds of 2,000/1. He roped in friend Mitchell Baldock to do the same, neither realising it related to the team winning the league. 

Makes you sick, doesn't it?

Image source, Getty Images

The Manchester Evening News, external have Manuel Pellegrini stating his intention to attack Real Madrid.

The best way to reach the final is to play the way we know," the manager said. "We tried in Manchester but it was not a good day for creative players. We will try to attack.”

Image source, Getty Images

In 2009, John Higgins won the World Championship for the third time, defeating Shaun Murphy 18-9 at the Crucible. 

England Under-21s will face Portugal, Guinea, Paraguay and Japan at the Toulon Tournament, external in southern France later this month.

Is it just me whose eyes throb looking at that?

Image source, Getty Images

The nerves are probably just starting to kick in for Manchester City fans now as we near the second leg of their Champions League encounter with Real Madrid.

The scoreline currently stands at 0-0, which is either a positive or a negative depending on how you view City's capabilities of scoring at the Bernabeu.

We'll have live text commentary and Radio 5 live coverage of the game and will be building up to the game right here on Sportsday until we knock off at 17:00 BST.