Liverpool's pursuit of RB Leipzig midfielder Naby Keita has been dealt a blow after the Bundesliga side effectively warned off the Reds.

Juventus defender Leonardo Bonucci has denied being involved in a half-time bust-up with teammates during the Champions League final defeat against Real Madrid.

Austria head for Dublin on Sunday knowing defeat by Ireland could all but end their hopes of qualification for the 2018 World Cup finals.

Martin O'Neill has warned the Republic of Ireland not to be taken in by rumours of disharmony in the Austria camp ahead of Sunday's World Cup qualifier.

Cork City goalkeepers Mark McNulty and Alan Smith are literally lending a helping hand to the Irish cause.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp admits it is possible leading scorer Sadio Mane’s season could be over.

It could only happen in England, they said, and of course it could never happen again.

Dundalk manager Stephen Kenny says he has no regrets about missing out on glamour opposition as yesterday’s Europa League draw placed the Irish champions in a testing and long-haul group comprising Russian giants Zenit St Petersburg, Dutch side AZ Alkmaar and Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Stephen Kenny will be in Poland tomorrow to watch Legia Warsaw host Piast Gliwice as Dundalk accelerate preparations for their huge Champions League play-off games against the Polish champions at Aviva Stadium on August 17 and in Warsaw on August 23.

Manchester United have launched a surprise bid to sign Southampton winger Sadio Mane.

Holders Manchester City will host Sheffield Wednesday in the third round of the Capital One Cup.

Managerless Tottenham face a reunion with former boss Juande Ramos’ after yesterday’s Europa League last-32 draw pitted the north London outfit with Ukrainian side Dnipro.

If this is the end, we should have known from the beginning what we were letting ourselves in for with Giovanni Trapattoni because he never disguised his intentions for the Republic of Ireland.

In truth, the obituaries could have been written once the whistle went in Astana. The sombre atmosphere before kick-off in Vienna was unmistakable and the defeat was, in reality, merely an additional detail.

Marcel Koller may view the Republic of Ireland as slight favourites ahead of tonight’s World Cup qualifier, but the Austria manager is ready to upset the odds and the standings in Group C.

Germany 3 Austria 0

WORLD CUP 2014 GROUP C QUALIFIER:

Giovanni Trapattoni labelled Robbie Keane the best Irish player he has seen in 30 years after the striker’s hat-trick earned the Republic of Ireland a World Cup qualifying victory over the Faroe Islands.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre has sought to temper expectations heading into next season by admitting it may take a while to regain Champions League football.

Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre expects the next step in the redevelopment of Anfield will be completed this summer.

In recent years, the moments at which successive Ireland managers have reached the point of no return have usually been accompanied by howls of rage and frustration from the stands.

DENIS O’BRIEN and John Delaney were “too busy” savouring the moment at the Aviva Stadium on Tuesday night to speak of things so foul as contracts and dig-outs, but both were aware they were only delaying the inevitable.

BELIEVE in me, he told us.

Republic of Ireland boss Giovanni Trapattoni is ready to gamble once again on the fitness of Aiden McGeady in Russia despite the winger admitting he is not match-fit.

Swansea manager Brendan Rodgers has further strengthened his goalkeeping ranks after completing the signing of Gerhard Tremmel on a free transfer.

IRELAND’S World Cup draw has only served to sharpen Giovanni Trapattoni’s appetite for leading the country on the road to Rio.

Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta is available again after suspension for the Europa League match against Red Bull Salzburg tomorrow.

ROBERTO MANCINI will allow Shay Given leave Manchester City on loan in January after the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper admitted he was “very, very frustrated” with life as Joe Hart’s deputy.

Manchester City defender Vincent Kompany hailed the quality of David Silva after Manchester City’s win over Red Bull Salzburg tonight.

Emmanuel Adebayor has been ruled out of Manchester City’s opening Europa League group game against Red Bull Salzburg tomorrow.

David Silva has admitted it is taking him longer than he would have liked to get accustomed to life in the Premier League.

Joe Hart has accepted full responsibility for the blunder that gifted Blackburn the opening goal in Manchester City’s draw at Eastlands on Saturday.

HOW many managers must have chuckled to hear Roberto Mancini lamenting his injury problems and pleading for time after seeing his Manchester City side’s title prospects exposed for what they are?

West Brom made it two signings for the day with the capture of powerful midfielder Somen Tchoyi from Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg for an undisclosed fee.

BOHEMIANS will have every reason to hope that they can advance to the third qualifying round of the Champions League after a second-half goal from Killian Brennan gave them a narrow victory over Welsh side TNS in a tense second-round, first-leg tie at Dalymount Park last night.

Coventry City have completed the signing of 22-year-old midfielder Gary Deegan from Bohemians.

ST PATRICK’S ATHLETIC will have to play their Europa League play-off first leg tie against top Romanian side Steaua Bucharest behind closed doors at the Ghencea Stadium on August 20, after UEFA yesterday imposed a three-match ban on spectators attending their home games in Europe.

ARSENAL and Celtic could be set to meet for a place in the lucrative Champions League group phase.

A DUBLIN derby and a top two clash – it doesn’t get much bigger in the League of Ireland than the meeting of Bohemians and Shamrock Rovers at Dalymount Park tomorrow afternoon (kick off 1pm).

ON A rollercoaster of a night at Dalymount Park, the League of Ireland kingpins were just three minutes away from going through to the next round of the Champions’ League when, having kept Red Bull Salzburg comprehensively under wraps for the vast majority of this second leg game, a moment of human error undid all their good work both in Dublin and Salzburg.

Bohemians 0 Red Bull Salzburg 1

Bohemians will take a narrow away-goal advantage into the second leg of their Champions League qualifier against Red Bull Salzburg.

A win for Derry City over Bohemians would see the Candystripes move into third place in the League of Ireland Premier Division, kick-off 7pm.