FranceÂ's controversial qualification for the 2010 World Cup has hit a sour note with the French public, with over eight out of 10 people disapproving according to a poll televised on France 2.

Jamaica striker Ricardo FullerÂ's neat finish was good enough to give Stoke City a 1-0 win over Premier League strugglers Portsmouth at the Britannia Stadium on Sunday.

Both PSV Eindhoven and Ajax cruised to easy home victories on Sunday, beating Heracles and Heerenveen respectively.

Panathinaikos failed to take further distance from Olympiakos on Sunday, as the Athens side were held to a 1-1 draw by Asteras Tripolis.

Jermain Defoe scored five goals as Tottenham Hotspur thrashed Wigan Athletic 9-1 at White Hart Lane here on Sunday, a record victory for the hosts in the top-flight.

Germany striker Steffan Kiessling sent Bayer Leverkusen back to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday with a first-half equaliser which sealed a 1-1 draw at Bayern Munich.

AC Milan moved up to second in Serie A following a sensational 4-3 victory against game Cagliari at the San Siro on Sunday.

French striker Fabrice Pancrate signed for Championship highflyers Newcastle on Sunday on a free transfer on a two-and-a-half year contract, his former club Paris Saint Germain announced.

Blackburn Rovers gave their absent manager Sam Allardyce something to cheer with a 2-0 win away to his former club Bolton Wanderers in the English Premier League on Sunday.

BarcelonaÂ's Argentine attacking midfielder Lionel Messi faces missing his clubÂ's crucial Champions League meeting with Inter Milan after picking up a thigh injury in SaturdayÂ's draw with Athletic Bilbao, the club said on Sunday.

Bolton defender Sam Ricketts insists pride will be at stake when they face their neighbors and is certain his side will finish the season in the top-flight’s top 10.

A German paper said Sunday it had obtained details of some of the 200 matches under investigation in the match-fixing scandal that has rocked European football.

Kawasaki Frontale failed to keep their J-League top spot when they crashed 1-0 to second division-bound Oita Trinita on Sunday.

FC Twente extended their winning streak in the Dutch Eredivisie to nine games with Saturday's 1-0 victory over Vitesse.

Club Brugge suffered their second consecutive defeat in the Belgian Pro League, 1-2 against Germinal Beerschot, allowing RSC Anderlecht to extend their lead after a 3-1 win over Roeselare.

Defending Turkish champions Besiktas remain near the top of the Super Lig following Saturday's 3-0 victory over local rivals Fenerbahce.

Olympiakos Piraeus risk losing terrain on Greek leaders Panathinaikos after a 2-2 draw at PAS Giannina on Saturday.

Chelsea tightened their grip at the top of the Premier League with a 4-0 thrashing of beleaguered Wolves on Saturday.

LiverpoolÂ's stuttering season continued as they were held to a 2-2 draw by Manchester City that did little for either clubÂ's hopes of finishing the season in the top four.

Arsenal failed to score for the first time this season as Darren Bent maintained his impressive record against the top teams in the Premier League to earn Sunderland a 1-0 victory.