Higuain Breaks Seria A Goals Record

Gonzalo Higuain broke the record for goals in a Serie A season, scoring a hat-trick to take his total to 36 as Napoli thrashed Frosinone.

The 28-year-old Argentine surpassed Gunnar Nordahl’s record of 35, which had stood since 1949-50.

Higuain struck twice in 17 minutes after the break before netting with a bicycle kick from the edge of the area.

Victory secured second place – and a spot in next season’s Champions League group stage – for Napoli.

They finished two points above Roma, who beat AC Milan 3-1 and will go into the Champions League play-offs.

Juventus, who sealed a fifth successive title in April, finished ninth points clear of Napoli.

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Higuain Breaks Seria A Goals Record

Manchester United Post Record Revenues

Manchester United have posted record third-quarter revenues of £123.4m despite their continued inconsistency on the pitch.

The Premier League club reported that total revenue rose by 29.9% in the three months to 31 March.

It means they expect to earn between £500m and £510m in 2016.

United are through to the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace at Wembley on 21 May, but could miss out on Champions League football next season.

Louis Van Gaal’s side lie fifth in the Premier League table, two points adrift of Manchester City in the fourth qualifying spot.

United will climb above City if they beat Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday and their neighbours lose at Swansea.

United could also drop to seventh if they lose and both West Ham and Southampton win.

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Manchester United Post Record Revenues

Martial Close To Goals Record At Manchester United

Anthony Martial currently shares a goals record for players who started their first full season at Manchester United as teenagers with Brian Kidd and Wayne Rooney.

Martial, who was 19 at the start of 2015/16 and turned 20 in December, bagged his 16th and 17th goals of the campaign with a second-half brace during Tuesday night’s 3-2 defeat to West Ham at Upton Park.

Kidd scored 17 goals during his own debut campaign back in 1967/68, when he broke into Sir Matt Busby’s first team as a raw 18-year-old. He famously turned 19 on the day he netted in the European Cup final win over Benfica at Wembley.

Rooney also scored 17 times in his first season, 2004/05, starting with three goals on his debut against Fenerbahce at just 18 years and 335 days – a feat that made him the youngest player to register a Champions League hat-trick. Like Kidd, he scored for United on his 19th birthday, as Arsenal were defeated 2-0.

Norman Whiteside played his first two games at the close of 1981/82, but it was in the subsequent campaign, his first full one in the senior squad, when he wowed fans. The 17-year-old bagged 14 goals in 57 outings and became the youngest player to score in the League Cup final and the FA Cup final.

An 18-year-old Sir Bobby Charlton sits below Whiteside in our statistical table, after graduating through the ranks to score 12 goals in just 17 games during the 1956/57 season.

Andy Ritchie made his debut as a 17-year-old in December 1977 but only made four appearances that season. We consider 1978/79, when he scored 10 goals, to be his first full season. A 17-year-old Alex Dawson also scored 10 in 1957/58, including a hat-trick in the FA Cup semi-final replay against Fulham.

A 17-year-old Ryan Giggs registered seven goals in his first full season with the seniors and that places him level with his good friend Paul Scholes, who also scored seven as a 19-year-old in 1994/95.

United famously paid a world-record transfer fee for a teenager when Cristiano Ronaldo was bought from Sporting Lisbon in 2003 and the Portuguese forward went on to become the best player on the planet, although his six-goal haul during his debut season is less than half the amount registered by Martial.

Marcus Rashford has of course wowed supporters by scoring seven goals in 16 appearances since making his senior debut against FC Midtjylland back in February.

With one Barclays Premier League fixture and the Emirates FA Cup final left to play this season, Martial could yet score the one goal he needs to set a new record ahead of Kidd and Rooney.

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Martial Close To Goals Record At Manchester United

PSG Set New French Points Record

Edinson Cavani scored a hat-trick as champions Paris St-Germain set a new record points total in Ligue 1 after an easy win against Ajaccio in Corsica.

Laurent Blanc’s runaway leaders moved on to 92 points with two games of the 38-match season remaining.

Uruguay forward Cavani, 29, broke the deadlock with a perfectly placed header before his clinical finish made it 2-0.

He completed his hat-trick with another header before Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed the rout in stoppage time.

The win keeps PSG 27 points clear of nearest rivals Lyon, who thrashed third-placed Monaco 6-1 and have played one game more.

Forward Alexandre Lacazette scored a hat-trick for Lyon, while former Newcastle United defender Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa got two and midfielder Rachid Ghezzal also found the net.

PSG’s last two league games are away to mid-table Bordeaux on Wednesday before they host Nantes on 14 May.

Blanc’s side, who have also won the French League Cup, meet Marseille in the Coupe de France final on 21 May.

BBC

PSG Set New French Points Record

GPL Update: Hasaacas Has Worse Defensive Record After Nine Games

Sekondi Hasaacas has the worse defensive record of all the 16 teams after nine games in the ongoing Ghana Premier League (GPL) even at this early stage.

The club has conceded 18 goals in their opening nine games of the season and the prospects of them adding to that tally in their next game, is high.

They visit the Dawu Park this weekend to take on the might of Dreams FC who have showed a very positive mood at home on their debut in the Ghanaian top-flight league.

Dreams FC have scored seven goals in the nine goals they have played so far, and, against such a porous defence, they will fancy their chances of adding to that tally.

Bechem United and Medeama SC have both conceded 13 goals, with the later having played a game less. They have an outstanding game with Inter Allies this afternoon (Wednesday) at home in Tarkwa.

The team with the best defensive record so far is Wa All Stars who have conceded four followed by WAFA who have let in five.Bechem United, New Edubiase United and Ebusua Dwarfs have each scored six goals from nine games indicating that they hold the record for the least returning rate in front of goal.

Of the nine games played, All Stars have won the most games, six, followed by Hearts of Oak, Liberty Professionals and Berekum Chelsea who have all won five games.

Bechem United, Ebusua Dwarfs, Medeama SC and Hasaacas have all lost five games with Hearts of Oak remaining the only club yet to lose an away game this season.

GPL Update: Hasaacas Has Worse Defensive Record After Nine Games

Gabigol Break Neymar"s Record

Sensational 19-year-old striker Gabigol has become the third youngest player in the history of Santos to reach 50 goals for the professional team.

By becoming the third youngest player in history – only behind club legends Pelé and Coutinho – to reach the mark of 50 goals in a Santos shirt, Gabigol overcomes the likes of Neymar and Robinho.

Santos are in the Paulistão final this year, and he has set his sights on winning the first title with the club as a starter.

If Pelé, Robinho and Neymar has achieved titles like the Club World Cup, Libertadores, Copa do Brasil and Brasileirão, Gabigol also aims to get his image on the “wall of idols” at the club’s training centre.

Gabigol said: “I’ve always wanted to get into the history of Santos, because of the affection I have for the club, and for the affection they have for me. The crowd is music to me, and on the streets when they talk to me. I am very focused, very happy, and reaching the mark of 50 goals so fast is a source of great joy to me.”

He added: “My ambitions now? Now the Paulistão. If we win the Paulistão, I will be very pleased. After that the Brasileirão, after the Libertadores… Then, perhaps, to be on this wall here at the training centre. I want to be remembered forever with the shirt of Santos, I’ve said that I’m a fan on the pitch.”

Gabigol Break Neymar"s Record

Rafael Nadal Equals Clay-Court Title Record

Rafael Nadal has equalled Guillermo Vilas’ record of 49 clay-court titles by beating Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-4 7-5 in the final of the Barcelona Open.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, who won the Monte Carlo Masters last week, has now won his opening 10 matches of the European clay-court season.

Nishikori won this event in 2014 and 2015 but was left to rue a series of missed break-point opportunities.

Argentine Vilas won 49 clay-court titles in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Nadal has a chance to beat that mark in May as he is set to play in events in Madrid and Rome before he goes for a 10th French Open title at Roland Garros.

In Barcelona, he saved seven of eight break chances in the opening set and converted both of the opportunities he got as Nishikori lost a set for the first time in the tournament.

Nadal led 4-1 in the second set, but was pegged back to 4-4 before he went on to win the tournament for a ninth time and collect the 69th professional title of his career.

“I think I served well which was very important,” said the world number five. “The fact I had a good percentage of first serves allowed me to play better.

“In the second set I let a lot of opportunities go, but I am very happy to have resisted mentally and happy to win.”

BBC

Rafael Nadal Equals Clay-Court Title Record

Golden State Warriors Set NBA Record With 73rd Win

The Golden State Warriors have made NBA history with a record 73 wins in a season by beating Memphis Grizzlies.

The 125-104 win in Oakland means the defending champions surpassed the previous record of 72 set by Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.

Steph Curry also became the first to net more than 400 three-pointers in a season, taking his tally to 402.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who played for the 1996 Bulls team, said: “I never thought anyone would break it.”

Credit: BBC

Golden State Warriors Set NBA Record With 73rd Win

Golden State Warriors Need One Win To Break NBA Record

The Golden State Warriors can make NBA history in their final regular-season game after equaling the record number of wins with their 72nd on Sunday.

Seeking to become the first team to win 73, they won at the San Antonio Spurs, who last lost at home in March 2015.

“We’re competitive, we’re hungry,” said Steph Curry, who scored 37 in the California-based team’s 92-86 victory.

Victory over the Memphis Grizzlies at home on Wednesday would surpass the record set by Chicago Bulls in 1995-96.

Credit: BBC

Golden State Warriors Need One Win To Break NBA Record

Golden State Warriors Close In On NBA Wins Record

The Golden State Warriors became only the second NBA team to win 70 games in a regular season when the reigning champions beat the San Antonio Spurs.

Steph Curry scored 27 points in a 112-101 win as the Warriors hit back from their second loss in three home games.

The victory secured them home-court advantage throughout the play-offs.

The California-based team can break the Chicago Bulls record of 72 wins – set in the 1995-96 campaign – by winning their remaining three games.

Credit:BBC

Golden State Warriors Close In On NBA Wins Record

Lionel Messi Closes In On Batistuta"s Record

Lionel Messi closed in on Gabriel Batistuta’s goals record for Argentina as he scored his 50th for his country.

Barcelona forward Messi, 28, brought up his half-century from the penalty spot as Argentina beat Bolivia 2-0 in a qualifier for the 2018 World Cup.

It leaves him just six goals short of former Fiorentina and Roma striker Batistuta’s tally of 56.

“I’m happy with goal number 50 but more because we won and this helps to keep growing,” said Messi.

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is Barcelona’s all-time leading goalscorer with 449 goals in all competitions.

He could get his 500th career goal when Barcelona meet arch-rivals Real Madrid in La Liga on Saturday.

Credit: BBC

Lionel Messi Closes In On Batistuta"s Record