Three-time champions Inter Milan face a battle to get through Europa League Group K after a second successive defeat.

Gonzalo Higuain scored the winner on his league debut to clinch reigning Serie A champions Juventus a 2-1 opening-day win over Fiorentina.

How much will Ireland’s historic victory affect the way Italy approach their showdown with Spain on Monday?

The Bundesliga clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund came to an extraordinary halt after 65 minutes when Roger Schmidt, the Leverkusen manager, refused to be sent off.

Dnipro 2 Sevilla 3: Colombian hitman Carlos Bacca claimed a double as Sevilla made Europa League history by seeing off Dnipro to win the competition for a record fourth time.

Dnipro 1

Croatian defender Vedran Corluka last night emerged as a possible injury concern for the side’s opening Group C game against the Republic of Ireland in Poznan on Sunday.

Slaven Bilic has neglected to ape Giovanni Trapattoni by naming his team in advance of Sunday’s Group C opener against Ireland in Poznan but it now seems certain the Croatian coach will ask Everton’s Nikica Jelavic to spearhead his attack.

Two of Ireland’s Euro 2012 group rivals have been hit by late injuries, with Croatian striker Ivica Olic out of the tournament with a ruptured thigh muscle.

Croatia were dealt a major blow today when striker Ivica Olic was ruled out of Euro 2012.

Slaven Bilic overshadowed the announcement of Croatia’s preliminary 27-man squad for Euro 2012 by confirming that he would be standing down after the tournament.

Slaven Bilic has announced he will step down as coach of Croatia’s national team after Euro 2012.

Slaven Bilic has shrugged off the threat of the Republic of Ireland in their Euro 2012 openerin Poznan on June 10 by declaring that his Croatia team are better, and proved as much in their goalless draw in Dublin last August.

Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk 1 Fulham 0 (Fulham win 3-1 on aggregate)

Fulham 3 Dnipro 0

Croatia 2 Georgia 1

Aston Villa 4 Blackburn 1

Blackburn 0 Newcastle 0

Roque Santa Cruz will be out for a couple of weeks with a groin strain and miss Blackburn’s match against Tottenham tomorrow.

GERARD HOULLIER believes Aston Villa loanee Kyle Walker has the potential to play for England.

Aston Villa 3 Blackburn 1

FT: Blackburn 2 West Brom 0

Chelsea 2 Blackburn 0

Chelsea recalled all their big guns as Didier Drogba, Florent Malouda, Michael Essien and Ashley Cole returned for today’s Premier League game against Blackburn.

Defender Christopher Samba returns from a three-match absence to captain Blackburn at home to Liverpool tomorrow.

Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson is set to be sidelined for the next three weeks after aggravating a calf injury in his side’s 3-1 win at West Brom on Tuesday.

BLACKBURN manager Steve Kean believes defender Christopher Samba is now happy to stay at Ewood Park.

West Brom 1 Blackburn 3

Manchester City were on course to go top of the Barclays Premier League after taking a commanding 3-0 half-time lead over out-of-form Aston Villa at Eastlands.

IF Blackburn’s new Indian owners had hoped to bring stability to the club by announcing that caretaker manager Steve Kean will remain in charge until the end of the season, it has not worked.

Wantaway defender Christopher Samba has been ruled out with an ankle injury as Steve Kean prepared for his first match in charge of Blackburn since being handed the job until the end of the season.

Martin Olsson and Nikola Kalinic are back in contention for Blackburn when they make the short trip to Bolton on Sunday.

Blackburn v Aston Villa

A LIONEL MESSI wonder goal saw Argentina narrowly edge out Brazil 1-0 in last night’s friendly international in Doha to register their first win over their arch-rivals in five years.

Tottenham 4 Blackburn 2

Newcastle 1 Blackburn 2

Newcastle boss Chris Hughton named the same team for the fourth successive Barclays Premier League game as United looked for a fourth three-point haul on the trot.

Liverpool 2 Blackburn 1

Blackburn 0 Sunderland 0

Blackburn v Sunderland

WHILE El-Hadji Diouf was held up as some sort of role model, Ian Holloway was admitting his team are paying the price for being bad divers.

Blackpool 1 Blackburn 2

GERARD HOULLIER marked his first match as Aston Villa boss with a victory as two goals from Ashley Young and substitute Emile Heskey inspired a Carling Cup comeback against Blackburn last night.