Barcelona star Lionel Messi labelled Neymar a phenomenon and revealed he was in a WhatsApp group with the Paris Saint-Germain star and team-mate Luis Suarez.

The trio formed one of the world s best attacks for three seasons at Barca before Neymar moved to the Ligue 1 giants in 2017.

Messi, Neymar and Suarez won two LaLiga titles, a Champions League and three Copa del Rey crowns together at Barcelona.

Neymar has been linked with a return to Camp Nou and Messi revealed he was still in contact with the Brazil forward.

I have a group on WhatsApp where we are – Suarez, Neymar and I, he told Fox Sports Argentina on Friday.

Neymar is a phenomenon and yes, we continue to talk. The name of the group has something to do with South America … The Three …

Wednesday s Champions League action sees last season s finalists Juventus bid to improve their chances of reaching the last 16, along with Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.

CSKA Moscow host Basel and Manchester United face a trip to Benfica, while Atletico Madrid look to end a miserable away run in the competition.

Elsewhere in Group C, Chelsea face Roma in a crunch clash as Antonio Conte s men aim to build on their fine European form after domestic struggles.

Here is your Opta numbers guide to Wednesday s matches.

CSKA Moscow v Basel

30 CSKA have failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 30 Champions League games, their last shut-out coming in November 2011 against Trabzonspor (0-0). In fact, Igor Akinfeev has faile…

The Telegraph understands that Everton are in discussions with Chelsea over signing Kurt Zouma on a permanent deal.

The centre-back spent last season on loan at Goodison Park, racking up thirty-six appearances in all competitions, scoring two goals.

Prior last his switch to Merseyside, he had a loan spell with Stoke City where he was unable to help them avoid relegation, while in three season’s in his parent club’s first team he played seventy-one times, scoring four goals while he was part of the squads that won the Premier League title in both 2015 and 2017, and the League Cup in 2015.

He has been capped five times for France, scoring once though he was not part of their victorious squad at the 2018 World Cup finals in Russia.

Everton ended up …

Asamoah Gyan has assured that Ghana will do their utmost to please the fans with an impressive performance in the second leg of their World Cup 2018 qualifying tie with Comoros.

The 2015 Africa Cup of Nations runners-up were held to a goalless draw in the first encounter in Mitsamiouli, piling the pressure on in the return fixture.

Comoros are 177th in the FIFA rankings, making them the lowest-ranked nation in the continent remaining in the race for Russia, and have never won a World Cup qualifier reaching the current round on away goals after two draws with Lesotho.

But Ghana, who sit 147 places above them, failed to make their supposed superiority count as they were unable to break down their opponents over the 90 minutes.

Gyan missed his country s fr…

Alexia Putellas is in Barcelona s squad for the first time all season for their Women s Champions League semi-final second leg against Chelsea, with Lucy Bronze out following knee surgery.

Two-time Ballon d Or winner Putellas has not played since picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury in July 2022.

Home fans on Thursday will be hoping her return can help Barcelona complete the job which they started by winning the first leg 1-0 at Stamford Bridge last week.

Squad

…

I met with [chairman] Andrea [Agnelli], [vice chairman] Pavel [Nedved], and we all agreed. We must give the entire environment a shock. A positive shock that can project Juventus over certain limits.

There are two ways to motivate the team. The first way? It was to buy Icardi and unleash an incredible fiasco, or we can sign Cristiano Ronaldo.

Icardi, who has scored 109 Serie A goals since joining Inter in 2013, continues to be linked with a move away from San Siro despite his deal not expiring until 2021.

One man who Paratici does not see leaving his current club is Juve forward Paulo Dybala as the sporting director sees no better options out there for the Serie A champions.

Those who leave are those who want to, Paratici added.

I rep…

Competition: La Liga

Market: Eibar to beat Leganes

Odds:

La Liga continues this weekend with a round of games that will surely only bring more goals and controversy. With the season now well past the halfway stage, teams are beginning to have to face up to their probable fates, with sides in the relegation zone desperate to pick up points to move up the table, while outfits in the top-half will be targetting European places. With this in mind, Leganes host Eibar on Saturday.

Leganes have been very good this season and they are looking to continue their climb up the table. After 21 games they have won eight, drawn five and lost eight, scoring 20 goals and conceding 21 times. In their last five they have managed to win twice, draw twice and lose …

Borussia Dortmund earned a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in a game which saw the referee suspend proceedings following Roger Schmidt s refusal to accept his sending off.

Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang s 31st goal of the season settled a feisty clash at the BayArena as Dortmund moved back to within eight points of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

But the main talking point was referee Felix Zwayer s decision to suspend play midway through the second half, shortly after Aubameyang s goal, in response to Leverkusen coach Schmidt s refusal to leave the dugout.

Schmidt was ordered to the stands for dissent in the wake of what proved to be Dortmund s winner in the 64th minute and when he showed no inclination to leave the technical area, the referee took…