Sports Burst - Neymar's Fight Song
Neymar and PSG return to training to wrap up the current campaign and begin the new one but with some key players jumping ship
By Tim Stannard
Edinson Cavani expected to leave PSG and miss cup finals and Champions League completion
While the path ahead is clear for those returning clubs in countries like Spain, England and Italy, it's a little more...complicated for PSG, which has its collective feet dangling in two time streams.
Monday sees all the PSG players returning to training - yes, even Neymar - for the first time since the soccer shutdown at the beginning of March with the footballers both getting ready to wrap up the current campaign and start the new one.
The business to be done in France due to Ligue 1 finishing early is two cup finals in July followed by the Champions League completion in Lisbon in August.
But the news already looks tough on all three of those fronts with reports that both Edinson Cavani and Thomas Meunier are expected to have left the club by then. The contracts of both players expire on the June 30 and neither will be hanging around for a couple of months by the looks of it.
Layvin Kurzawa was in the same situation, however, PSG have reportedly offered the French fullback a new four-year deal. Thiago Silva is expected to remain until after the Champions League campaign is over.
Nevertheless, Neymar is back in business, fresh from losing his lawsuit against Barcelona but apparently in tip top shape and very excited indeed about the near future. "I miss the heat of the game," declared Neymar, I can barely wait to enter the pitch and to, if it's God's will, make history."
The Sports Burst live show will be going live to Paris to find out all the latest on the PSG restart. Head to our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook and beIN XTRA channel at 12PM ET / 9AM PT.
Villarreal look to continue perfect start against Sevilla
Time to bring things back to the present and another round of LaLiga gets underway on Monday - round 31. Basically, three down and eight to go.
On Friday, Sports Burst asked if Barca would blink first in the title race and drop points and indeed they did with a goalless draw against Sevilla. "We'll be in it up to the end," promised Quique Setien speaking at Monday's press conference ahead of Tuesday's match against Athletic Club.
Real Madrid took advantage with a 2-1 win at Real Sociedad on Sunday to leave Coach Zizou's side at the top of the tree with the same number of points but better head-to-head record than Barca.
Monday's action is lead by a battle for the Champions League places between fourth placed Sevilla and a Villarreal side that has won all its three matches since the restart - all by 1-0. The new Atletico Madrid perhaps. Coverage of that match gets underway at 1PM ET. That game is a followed at 4PM ET by second-from-bottom Leganes hosting Granada in a definite must-win match for Javier Aguirre's side.
"Not at his best" Ronaldo returns to Serie A action
Over the weekend, Italy's Serie A took care of a bit of housekeeping, played some catch-up games and has reset the board for Monday, nice and neat.
All 20 sides have now played 26 games with Juventus at the top of the standings with a one-point lead over Lazio and six over Inter.
Juve are in action on Monday in the Old Lady's third match since the restart. The first two were a Coppa Italia semifinal and final which saw no goals scored and Napoli lifting the trophy after a penalty shootout.
Juve coach, Maurizio Sarri, has blamed the lack of goals on the lengthy lay-off and also having to play Cristiano Ronaldo in a less favored central position due to the absence of Gonzalo Higuain.
It was certainly a move that CR7's sister protested with some gusto on social media defending 'her king' but should be rectified against Bologna on Monday, although Sarri admitted that "it’s just that he’s not physically at his best right now."
The Premier League wraps up its restart round with Manchester City hosting Burnley. The biggest news ahead of that match is an indication from Pep Guardiola that he will be staying on for another season at the Etihad, despite the possibility of no Champions League soccer due to a UEFA ban. "We have ideas for the transfer market, then next season we will prepare to fight again," roared Pep.