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Real Sociedad 1-1 Barcelona (agg 3-1): Blaugrana set up Clasico final
Lionel Messi continued his return to goalscoring form as Barcelona set up a Copa del Rey final with Barcelona after drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad (agg 3-1) in the second-leg of their semi-final.
Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Barcelona's passage into the showpiece was never in doubt after Messi made early pressure count with a run from the halfway line that ended with him finding the net for the 335th time in his club career.The 26-year-old moved level with the figure set by Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra for scoring the most goals for a single Spanish club.
Antoine Griezmann grabbed an equaliser on the night to preserve Sociedad's pride, but they were unable to reach a first Copa final since 1988, where Barca will face Liga title rivals Real Madrid.
Gerardo Martino's side welcomed back the previously suspended Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba, but they had little to do early on as the Blaugrana dominated and an in-swinging cross from Andres Iniesta was on a plate for a Pedro tap-in, but Jose Angel's acrobatic clearance prevented a certain goal.Sociedad's first sight of goal came after 15 minutes when Sergio Busquets' headed clearance only reached David Zurutuza, whose volley flashed wide.
Martino's men showed an uncharacteristically direct side to their play 20 minutes in as Dani Alves hit a dipping effort from distance, which forced Enaut Zubikarai into a smart save.
Jose Angel made the grave error of giving the ball away after 26 minutes and was punished by the genius of Messi.The Argentinian surged from the centre circle, evading the attention of five players before lashing a shot in that squirmed past the desperate Zubikarai who got a touch on it – but not enough to keep the ball out.
Pedro almost added a second when Cesc Fabregas's beautiful lobbed pass sent him clear but his volley was saved.At the other end, Carlos Vela went close but Pinto got something on his weak shot and Alves mopped up the danger.
Sociedad made seven changes from their weekend draw with Levante and it showed as Barcelona continued to dominate. Iniesta played a sumptuous one-two with Messi after 52 minutes and the Spaniard's shot flashed just wide.The hosts could have been level on the night moments later through Vela, whose turn and shot outside the area on the right crashed back off the crossbar.
Only a terrific double save prevented Barcelona after 55 minutes when Fabegras played a lovely slide rule ball to Messi. His shot was blocked by Zubikarai and the goalkeeper made a wonder sprawling save to deny the follow-up from Fabregas.
Sociedad scored a late equaliser - their first goal in three games - when Gonzalo Castro's first time cross was met by Griezmann who lashed emphatically past Pinto.
Barcelona will meet Madrid in the showpiece - as they did in 2011 when the capital club overcame their great rivals 1-0 after extra time.
Lionel Messi continued his return to goalscoring form as Barcelona set up a Copa del Rey final with Barcelona after drawing 1-1 with Real Sociedad (agg 3-1) in the second-leg of their semi-final.
Leading 2-0 from the first leg, Barcelona's passage into the showpiece was never in doubt after Messi made early pressure count with a run from the halfway line that ended with him finding the net for the 335th time in his club career.The 26-year-old moved level with the figure set by Athletic Bilbao's Telmo Zarra for scoring the most goals for a single Spanish club.
Antoine Griezmann grabbed an equaliser on the night to preserve Sociedad's pride, but they were unable to reach a first Copa final since 1988, where Barca will face Liga title rivals Real Madrid.
Gerardo Martino's side welcomed back the previously suspended Javier Mascherano and Jordi Alba, but they had little to do early on as the Blaugrana dominated and an in-swinging cross from Andres Iniesta was on a plate for a Pedro tap-in, but Jose Angel's acrobatic clearance prevented a certain goal.Sociedad's first sight of goal came after 15 minutes when Sergio Busquets' headed clearance only reached David Zurutuza, whose volley flashed wide.
Martino's men showed an uncharacteristically direct side to their play 20 minutes in as Dani Alves hit a dipping effort from distance, which forced Enaut Zubikarai into a smart save.
Jose Angel made the grave error of giving the ball away after 26 minutes and was punished by the genius of Messi.The Argentinian surged from the centre circle, evading the attention of five players before lashing a shot in that squirmed past the desperate Zubikarai who got a touch on it – but not enough to keep the ball out.
Pedro almost added a second when Cesc Fabregas's beautiful lobbed pass sent him clear but his volley was saved.At the other end, Carlos Vela went close but Pinto got something on his weak shot and Alves mopped up the danger.
Sociedad made seven changes from their weekend draw with Levante and it showed as Barcelona continued to dominate. Iniesta played a sumptuous one-two with Messi after 52 minutes and the Spaniard's shot flashed just wide.The hosts could have been level on the night moments later through Vela, whose turn and shot outside the area on the right crashed back off the crossbar.
Only a terrific double save prevented Barcelona after 55 minutes when Fabegras played a lovely slide rule ball to Messi. His shot was blocked by Zubikarai and the goalkeeper made a wonder sprawling save to deny the follow-up from Fabregas.
Sociedad scored a late equaliser - their first goal in three games - when Gonzalo Castro's first time cross was met by Griezmann who lashed emphatically past Pinto.
Barcelona will meet Madrid in the showpiece - as they did in 2011 when the capital club overcame their great rivals 1-0 after extra time.
Nice 0-1 Monaco (AET): Berbatov strikes late to send Ranieri's side to the quater-finals
Dimitar Berbatov's first goal for Monaco was enough to send them into the quater-finals of the Coupe de France with a 1-0 win over Nice.
The Bulgarian slid in to turn home Lucas Ocampos' cross deep into extra-time to seal a scrappy win for the visitors, who had struggled to break down the hosts' resistance despite having a man advantage for much of the game.
Neither side managed to exert any real dominance in a tame first half, with Ocampos spurning the best opportunity for the home side while Thimothee Kolodzieczak failed to beat Sergio Romero.
Anthony Martial came close with a lively run and shot from an angle but the match petered out to leave the sides deadlocked at half-time.
Kolodzieczak then handed Monaco the advantage shortly after the break, slapping out at Ricardo Carvalho to earn himself a straight red card and leave Nice with an uphill battle.
But Monaco failed to take advantage. Ocampos came close as he fired just wide from distance, and Dimitar Berbatov was set up by James Rodrigues but failed to control his effort from inside the area as the match laboured on into extra-time.
James must have thought he had snatched a winner as he rasped a low shot at goal from the edge of the area, only for Hassen to spring down to his left to parry the ball away.
But with just five minutes remaining, Monaco's pressure finally paid off. Ocampos' cross caused a mix-up in the Nice defence and Berbatov slid in to turn the ball home for his first goal for Claudio Ranieri's side.
Dimitar Berbatov's first goal for Monaco was enough to send them into the quater-finals of the Coupe de France with a 1-0 win over Nice.
The Bulgarian slid in to turn home Lucas Ocampos' cross deep into extra-time to seal a scrappy win for the visitors, who had struggled to break down the hosts' resistance despite having a man advantage for much of the game.
Neither side managed to exert any real dominance in a tame first half, with Ocampos spurning the best opportunity for the home side while Thimothee Kolodzieczak failed to beat Sergio Romero.
Anthony Martial came close with a lively run and shot from an angle but the match petered out to leave the sides deadlocked at half-time.
Kolodzieczak then handed Monaco the advantage shortly after the break, slapping out at Ricardo Carvalho to earn himself a straight red card and leave Nice with an uphill battle.
But Monaco failed to take advantage. Ocampos came close as he fired just wide from distance, and Dimitar Berbatov was set up by James Rodrigues but failed to control his effort from inside the area as the match laboured on into extra-time.
James must have thought he had snatched a winner as he rasped a low shot at goal from the edge of the area, only for Hassen to spring down to his left to parry the ball away.
But with just five minutes remaining, Monaco's pressure finally paid off. Ocampos' cross caused a mix-up in the Nice defence and Berbatov slid in to turn the ball home for his first goal for Claudio Ranieri's side.
Fulham 2-3 Liverpool: Gerrard seals Reds’ comeback with late penalty
Steven Gerrard's stoppage-time penalty secured a huge victory for Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification, as they came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.
The visitors had twice fallen behind at Craven Cottage to an own goal from Kolo Toure and Kieran Richardson's close-range strike, but Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho restored parity before Gerrard kept his cool from 12 yards in injury time.
Fulham took the lead in fortuitous circumstances when Toure hacked Richardson's cross into his own goal, but Sturridge levelled shortly before half-time by applying an expert finish to become the first Liverpool player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games.
Liverpool dominated the second half but fell behind to Richardson's strike shortly after the hour mark, yet Coutinho silenced the home fans on 72 minutes with a curled strike from 20 yards.
And the visiting fans were sent into pandemonium in the closing stages when Sturridge was brought down by Sascha Riether in the penalty area, with Gerrard duly dispatching the penalty to leave Liverpool four points adrift of table-toppers Chelsea, while Fulham remain bottom.
The hosts belied their league position in the opening stages and their positive start was rewarded in bizarre circumstances eight minutes in. The impressive Lewis Holtby played a superb through-ball to Richardson and his first-time pass was sliced into his own goal by Toure.
After a slow start, Liverpool began to get a foothold in the game and Luis Suarez drew a smart near-post stop from Maarten Stekelenburg.
Fulham were defending resolutely, but the hosts' resistance was finally broken four minutes before half-time.
Sturridge sprung the offside trap to latch onto Gerrard's sublime first-time pass with the outside of his boot and the England international striker kept his composure to apply the finish via the post.
The leveller seemed to reinvigorate Liverpool, who saw Sturridge and then Gerrard go close with long-range strikes before the break.
Liverpool started the second half brightly but the visitors were almost caught cold from Steve Sidwell's audacious chip from the halfway line that Simon Mignolet managed to collect.
The away side poured forward in search of a goal and Suarez's low drive from the edge of the box beat the goalkeeper but rebounded off the post.
Fulham made Liverpool pay for that miss by taking the lead for a second time on 63 minutes. Martin Skrtel inadvertently deflected Sidwell's cross into the path of Richardson, who fired home from close range.
The lead lasted just nine minutes, however, as Coutinho cut in from the right before angling a 20-yard drive into the far corner with his left foot.
And there was still time for one last twist as Riether felled Sturridge in the area in the 90th minute, and Gerrard fired into the left-hand corner to secure all three points.
Steven Gerrard's stoppage-time penalty secured a huge victory for Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification, as they came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage on Wednesday night.
The visitors had twice fallen behind at Craven Cottage to an own goal from Kolo Toure and Kieran Richardson's close-range strike, but Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho restored parity before Gerrard kept his cool from 12 yards in injury time.
Fulham took the lead in fortuitous circumstances when Toure hacked Richardson's cross into his own goal, but Sturridge levelled shortly before half-time by applying an expert finish to become the first Liverpool player to score in seven consecutive Premier League games.
Liverpool dominated the second half but fell behind to Richardson's strike shortly after the hour mark, yet Coutinho silenced the home fans on 72 minutes with a curled strike from 20 yards.
And the visiting fans were sent into pandemonium in the closing stages when Sturridge was brought down by Sascha Riether in the penalty area, with Gerrard duly dispatching the penalty to leave Liverpool four points adrift of table-toppers Chelsea, while Fulham remain bottom.
The hosts belied their league position in the opening stages and their positive start was rewarded in bizarre circumstances eight minutes in. The impressive Lewis Holtby played a superb through-ball to Richardson and his first-time pass was sliced into his own goal by Toure.
After a slow start, Liverpool began to get a foothold in the game and Luis Suarez drew a smart near-post stop from Maarten Stekelenburg.
Fulham were defending resolutely, but the hosts' resistance was finally broken four minutes before half-time.
Sturridge sprung the offside trap to latch onto Gerrard's sublime first-time pass with the outside of his boot and the England international striker kept his composure to apply the finish via the post.
The leveller seemed to reinvigorate Liverpool, who saw Sturridge and then Gerrard go close with long-range strikes before the break.
Liverpool started the second half brightly but the visitors were almost caught cold from Steve Sidwell's audacious chip from the halfway line that Simon Mignolet managed to collect.
The away side poured forward in search of a goal and Suarez's low drive from the edge of the box beat the goalkeeper but rebounded off the post.
Fulham made Liverpool pay for that miss by taking the lead for a second time on 63 minutes. Martin Skrtel inadvertently deflected Sidwell's cross into the path of Richardson, who fired home from close range.
The lead lasted just nine minutes, however, as Coutinho cut in from the right before angling a 20-yard drive into the far corner with his left foot.
And there was still time for one last twist as Riether felled Sturridge in the area in the 90th minute, and Gerrard fired into the left-hand corner to secure all three points.
Stoke City 1-1 Swansea City: Chico saves valuable point for Swans
Swansea City maintained their unbeaten start under new caretaker boss Garry Monk with a 1-1 draw away to Stoke City.
Chico Flores scored a 52nd-minute leveller after Peter Crouch had given the hosts the lead in the first half.
The result sees the visitors move into the top half of the table, leapfrogging Aston Villa and West Ham on goal difference, while Stoke sit three points above the relegation zone.
Mark Hughes made two changes to the side that drew at Southampton on Saturday, while Pablo Hernandez was rewarded for his performance from the bench in Swansea's 3-0 victory over Cardiff City with a place in the starting line-up.
That derby triumph wasMonk's first game at the helm and his side began brightly in a delayed kick-off at a windy Britannia Stadium, with traffic problems having caused the game to be moved back 15 minutes.Nathan Dyer's teasing cross from the right gave the hosts an early scare, looping over Asmir Begovic and onto the roof of the net.
But it was Stoke, enjoying a run of just one defeat from their previous nine home league games, who took the lead with 17 minutes gone.Peter Odemwingie was played in by Crouch, only for the former West Brom striker's effort to crash off the post and into the path of the former England forward, who rifled a deflected shot through a crowded six-yard box and into the net.
Swansea should have been level six minutes later when Wayne Routledge's whipped cross fell to Jose Canas at the back post, but the Spaniard could only blaze it over the bar.Dyer continued to cause problems down the right-hand side, and was handed another chance seven minutes before half-time when he cut inside to send a low drive wide of the post.
Wilfried Bony came into the match having not scored a Premier League goal on the road all season, but was handed a golden opportunity just after the break.A neat one-two with Routledge gave the Ivorian some space on the edge of the box, but he sent his effort high and wide.
Parity was restored in the 52nd minute when Hernandez picked out Chico inside the box and he rose highest to flick a header past a despairing Begovic.It was no less than the visitors deserved, but Stoke should have regained the lead just after the hour mark when a teasing ball from Charlie Adam somehow eluded both Steven N'Zonzi and Ryan Shawcross in the six-yard box.
Shawcross made amends 15 minutes later with a superb goalline clearance to deny Bony, and substitute Jonathan de Guzman then forced Begovic into a great save with a well-struck effort from distance late on, but Hughes' side held firm to earn a point.
Swansea City maintained their unbeaten start under new caretaker boss Garry Monk with a 1-1 draw away to Stoke City.
Chico Flores scored a 52nd-minute leveller after Peter Crouch had given the hosts the lead in the first half.
The result sees the visitors move into the top half of the table, leapfrogging Aston Villa and West Ham on goal difference, while Stoke sit three points above the relegation zone.
Mark Hughes made two changes to the side that drew at Southampton on Saturday, while Pablo Hernandez was rewarded for his performance from the bench in Swansea's 3-0 victory over Cardiff City with a place in the starting line-up.
That derby triumph wasMonk's first game at the helm and his side began brightly in a delayed kick-off at a windy Britannia Stadium, with traffic problems having caused the game to be moved back 15 minutes.Nathan Dyer's teasing cross from the right gave the hosts an early scare, looping over Asmir Begovic and onto the roof of the net.
But it was Stoke, enjoying a run of just one defeat from their previous nine home league games, who took the lead with 17 minutes gone.Peter Odemwingie was played in by Crouch, only for the former West Brom striker's effort to crash off the post and into the path of the former England forward, who rifled a deflected shot through a crowded six-yard box and into the net.
Swansea should have been level six minutes later when Wayne Routledge's whipped cross fell to Jose Canas at the back post, but the Spaniard could only blaze it over the bar.Dyer continued to cause problems down the right-hand side, and was handed another chance seven minutes before half-time when he cut inside to send a low drive wide of the post.
Wilfried Bony came into the match having not scored a Premier League goal on the road all season, but was handed a golden opportunity just after the break.A neat one-two with Routledge gave the Ivorian some space on the edge of the box, but he sent his effort high and wide.
Parity was restored in the 52nd minute when Hernandez picked out Chico inside the box and he rose highest to flick a header past a despairing Begovic.It was no less than the visitors deserved, but Stoke should have regained the lead just after the hour mark when a teasing ball from Charlie Adam somehow eluded both Steven N'Zonzi and Ryan Shawcross in the six-yard box.
Shawcross made amends 15 minutes later with a superb goalline clearance to deny Bony, and substitute Jonathan de Guzman then forced Begovic into a great save with a well-struck effort from distance late on, but Hughes' side held firm to earn a point.
Napoli 3-0 Roma (agg 5-3): Partenopei reach fifth Coppa Italia final
Napoli reached their fifth Coppa Italia final after beating Roma 3-0 (agg 5-3) in the second-leg of their semi-final at San Paolo.
Jose Callejon headed in the opener in the 33rd minute as Napoli - who have won the tournament on four occasions, most recently in 2012 – took the lead on away goals.And strikes in the first six minutes of the second half from Gonzalo Higuain and Jorginho sealed the result, while Roma's misery was condemned by the 79th minute dismissal of Kevin Strootman for two bookings.
Dries Mertens scored as a substitute in the first leg and was promoted to Napoli's starting line-up for the return fixture, with nine-time Coppa winners Roma making three changes from their win in the opener as captain Francesco Totti dropped to the bench.
Mattia Destro almost gave Roma the lead in the third minute from Adem Ljajic's cut-back, but Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina was equal to the task and made a great save from point-blank range.
In a quiet first half, Gervinho had an effort blocked while Ljajic shot over, but just as Roma began to take control, Napoli claimed the lead.
Callejon got in between Vasilis Torosidis and Mehdi Benatia and converted his free header with aplomb, nodding Christian Maggio's excellent cross to the right of Roma's ex-Napoli goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.Ljajic shot at Reina from a tight angle after he combined well with Miralem Pjanic as Roma searched for a response but they were blown away just after the break.
Callejon scuffed an effort at De Sanctis after linking excellently with Higuain before Napoli scored again from the resultant corner, which was flicked on at the near post.Higuain managed to get away from Torosidis to head in at the far post in the 48th minute and it was almost immediately followed by Jorginho's effort.
Mertens provided the third, cutting in from the left before producing a superbly timed ball that allowed Jorginho to beat the offside trap and lift the ball into the net.
Kevin Strootman's header was ruled out for offside and Destro nodded wide after Maicon's cross as Roma battled for a lifeline.Strootman's night went from bad to worse in the 79th minute as he was sent off for fouling Callejon, which he followed up by kicking the ball at the player and sarcastically clapping the referee.
His actions summed up Roma's night, as Napoli were simply too good, setting up a meeting with Fiorentina in the final.
Napoli reached their fifth Coppa Italia final after beating Roma 3-0 (agg 5-3) in the second-leg of their semi-final at San Paolo.
Jose Callejon headed in the opener in the 33rd minute as Napoli - who have won the tournament on four occasions, most recently in 2012 – took the lead on away goals.And strikes in the first six minutes of the second half from Gonzalo Higuain and Jorginho sealed the result, while Roma's misery was condemned by the 79th minute dismissal of Kevin Strootman for two bookings.
Dries Mertens scored as a substitute in the first leg and was promoted to Napoli's starting line-up for the return fixture, with nine-time Coppa winners Roma making three changes from their win in the opener as captain Francesco Totti dropped to the bench.
Mattia Destro almost gave Roma the lead in the third minute from Adem Ljajic's cut-back, but Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina was equal to the task and made a great save from point-blank range.
In a quiet first half, Gervinho had an effort blocked while Ljajic shot over, but just as Roma began to take control, Napoli claimed the lead.
Callejon got in between Vasilis Torosidis and Mehdi Benatia and converted his free header with aplomb, nodding Christian Maggio's excellent cross to the right of Roma's ex-Napoli goalkeeper Morgan De Sanctis.Ljajic shot at Reina from a tight angle after he combined well with Miralem Pjanic as Roma searched for a response but they were blown away just after the break.
Callejon scuffed an effort at De Sanctis after linking excellently with Higuain before Napoli scored again from the resultant corner, which was flicked on at the near post.Higuain managed to get away from Torosidis to head in at the far post in the 48th minute and it was almost immediately followed by Jorginho's effort.
Mertens provided the third, cutting in from the left before producing a superbly timed ball that allowed Jorginho to beat the offside trap and lift the ball into the net.
Kevin Strootman's header was ruled out for offside and Destro nodded wide after Maicon's cross as Roma battled for a lifeline.Strootman's night went from bad to worse in the 79th minute as he was sent off for fouling Callejon, which he followed up by kicking the ball at the player and sarcastically clapping the referee.
His actions summed up Roma's night, as Napoli were simply too good, setting up a meeting with Fiorentina in the final.
Newcastle 0-4 Tottenham: Adebayor double boosts Spurs' top-four hopes
Emmanuel Adebayor bagged a double as Tottenham kept up their push for a top-four Premier League finish with an impressive 4-0 win at Newcastle.
The Togo striker, who was frozen out of the side under former coach Andre Villas-Boas, took his tally for the season to nine in all competitions as Spurs won on the road for the ninth Premier League game this season.
Adebayor, who only managed eight goals in the whole of last season, scored an early tap-in and added the third late on after Paulinho had doubled the visitors' lead.
Nacer Chadli completed the rout with a superb strike two minutes from time to hand Newcastle a fourth straight home league defeat, with Alan Pardew's men having drawn a blank in all of those matches.
The victory keeps Tim Sherwood's side in the hunt for fourth spot as Spurs seek a return the European elite.
It was Tottenham who started brightest and after four minutes Moussa Dembele muscled past Davide Santon on the right to find Adebayor in the box but his shot was deflected for a corner.
Papiss Cisse, making his first start in four months for the home side, should have opened the scoring inside the opening eight minutes but fired his close-range strike straight at Hugo Loris.
Adebayor broke the deadlock 19 minutes in with a simple finish from six yards after Tim Krul spilled Nabil Bentaleb's cross from the left.
Sammy Ameobi tried to force an equaliser with a great run and shot through the middle but strong defending from Younes Kaboul stopped him in his tracks.
Tottenham almost increased their advantage when Kyle Walker whipped a dangerous ball in from the right but the Newcastle defence crowded Aaron Lennon out of the box.
Lennon almost scored Tottenham's second before the break when he cut in from the right and unleashed a shot that beat Krul but hit the bottom of his right-hand post.
Seven minutes after the restart Paulinho followed up a saved Adebayor shot to convert Tottenham's second and underline their dominance.
Newcastle introduced Hatem Ben Arfa from the bench and started to get a grip on the game after 65 minutes as Paul Dummett fizzed a shot just past Lloris' goal.
But Adebayor clinched his second of the game when he knocked his shot into the ground and over the head of Krul with eight minutes left.
Chadli saved the best until last, curling home from distance to cap an excellent display from Sherwood's charges.
They remain three points behind Liverpool, however, after the Reds beat Fulham 3-2 thanks to a late Steven Gerrard penalty.
Emmanuel Adebayor bagged a double as Tottenham kept up their push for a top-four Premier League finish with an impressive 4-0 win at Newcastle.
The Togo striker, who was frozen out of the side under former coach Andre Villas-Boas, took his tally for the season to nine in all competitions as Spurs won on the road for the ninth Premier League game this season.
Adebayor, who only managed eight goals in the whole of last season, scored an early tap-in and added the third late on after Paulinho had doubled the visitors' lead.
Nacer Chadli completed the rout with a superb strike two minutes from time to hand Newcastle a fourth straight home league defeat, with Alan Pardew's men having drawn a blank in all of those matches.
The victory keeps Tim Sherwood's side in the hunt for fourth spot as Spurs seek a return the European elite.
It was Tottenham who started brightest and after four minutes Moussa Dembele muscled past Davide Santon on the right to find Adebayor in the box but his shot was deflected for a corner.
Papiss Cisse, making his first start in four months for the home side, should have opened the scoring inside the opening eight minutes but fired his close-range strike straight at Hugo Loris.
Adebayor broke the deadlock 19 minutes in with a simple finish from six yards after Tim Krul spilled Nabil Bentaleb's cross from the left.
Sammy Ameobi tried to force an equaliser with a great run and shot through the middle but strong defending from Younes Kaboul stopped him in his tracks.
Tottenham almost increased their advantage when Kyle Walker whipped a dangerous ball in from the right but the Newcastle defence crowded Aaron Lennon out of the box.
Lennon almost scored Tottenham's second before the break when he cut in from the right and unleashed a shot that beat Krul but hit the bottom of his right-hand post.
Seven minutes after the restart Paulinho followed up a saved Adebayor shot to convert Tottenham's second and underline their dominance.
Newcastle introduced Hatem Ben Arfa from the bench and started to get a grip on the game after 65 minutes as Paul Dummett fizzed a shot just past Lloris' goal.
But Adebayor clinched his second of the game when he knocked his shot into the ground and over the head of Krul with eight minutes left.
Chadli saved the best until last, curling home from distance to cap an excellent display from Sherwood's charges.
They remain three points behind Liverpool, however, after the Reds beat Fulham 3-2 thanks to a late Steven Gerrard penalty.
Hamburg 0-5 Bayern Munich: Manduzkic hat-trick fires holders into the DFB-Pokal semi-finals
A hat-trick from Mario Mandzukic helped Bayern Munich breeze into the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal with a commanding 5-0 win over Hamburg.
The Croatia international tapped home Mario Gotze's cross in the first half before Dante doubled their lead with a header.
And Bayern took total control in the second period, with Arjen Robben firing in a third before Mandzukic completed his hat-trick to put the holders into the last four.
Hamburg battled well in the early stages, and although Bayern had near monopoly of the ball, they failed to create any meaningful chances.
However, on 21 minutes, the visitors found the breakthrough: Gotze drove his way past John and Lam down the Hamburg right and pulled the ball across for Mandzukic, who tapped home from point-blank range.
Bayern continued to exert their control and, just five minutes later, they doubled their advantage, as Toni Kroos' corner was powered into the corner by Dante.
Guardiola's side were in complete control and could have scored a third through Arjen Robben, but his shot was weak and straight at Rene Adler following good build-up between Jerome Boateng and Gotze.
Hamburg tested Manuel Neuer when Ola John broke down the right and hit a low shot towards the near post, before Marcell Jansen volleyed well wide following good work from Calhanoglu, but the home side failed to offer any significant threat as Bayern cruised towards the break.
The hosts passed up a decent half-chance when John just failed to pick up a through-ball, and moments later, Bayern had their third. Kroos fired a superb ball over the top to Robben, who brought it down and rifled low past Adler from inside the area.
Illicevic tested Neuer at the near post before Mandzukic was denied with a header as Bayern entered cruise control at the Imtech Arena, while Hamburg continued to press without ever commiting more than two players forward.
Just before the 75-minute mark, Bayern made it four, as Robben found Gotze who prodded the ball to Mandzukic at the far post for an easy finish.
And just a minute later, Mandzukic had his hat-trick, turning and firing low between Adler's legs after Hamburg failed to deal with David Alaba's free kick.
HSV threw on Jaques Zoua as an extra attacker but barely managed to get the ball in Bayern's final third in the closing stages as the holders reached the last four in style to maintain their silverware assault for this season.
A hat-trick from Mario Mandzukic helped Bayern Munich breeze into the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal with a commanding 5-0 win over Hamburg.
The Croatia international tapped home Mario Gotze's cross in the first half before Dante doubled their lead with a header.
And Bayern took total control in the second period, with Arjen Robben firing in a third before Mandzukic completed his hat-trick to put the holders into the last four.
Hamburg battled well in the early stages, and although Bayern had near monopoly of the ball, they failed to create any meaningful chances.
However, on 21 minutes, the visitors found the breakthrough: Gotze drove his way past John and Lam down the Hamburg right and pulled the ball across for Mandzukic, who tapped home from point-blank range.
Bayern continued to exert their control and, just five minutes later, they doubled their advantage, as Toni Kroos' corner was powered into the corner by Dante.
Guardiola's side were in complete control and could have scored a third through Arjen Robben, but his shot was weak and straight at Rene Adler following good build-up between Jerome Boateng and Gotze.
Hamburg tested Manuel Neuer when Ola John broke down the right and hit a low shot towards the near post, before Marcell Jansen volleyed well wide following good work from Calhanoglu, but the home side failed to offer any significant threat as Bayern cruised towards the break.
The hosts passed up a decent half-chance when John just failed to pick up a through-ball, and moments later, Bayern had their third. Kroos fired a superb ball over the top to Robben, who brought it down and rifled low past Adler from inside the area.
Illicevic tested Neuer at the near post before Mandzukic was denied with a header as Bayern entered cruise control at the Imtech Arena, while Hamburg continued to press without ever commiting more than two players forward.
Just before the 75-minute mark, Bayern made it four, as Robben found Gotze who prodded the ball to Mandzukic at the far post for an easy finish.
And just a minute later, Mandzukic had his hat-trick, turning and firing low between Adler's legs after Hamburg failed to deal with David Alaba's free kick.
HSV threw on Jaques Zoua as an extra attacker but barely managed to get the ball in Bayern's final third in the closing stages as the holders reached the last four in style to maintain their silverware assault for this season.
Arsenal 0-0 Manchester United: Gunners waste chance to move top
Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night to miss out on the chance to move to the top of the Premier League.
With Manchester City's clash with Sunderland postponed due to bad weather and Chelsea failing to beat West Brom a day earlier, victory would have taken the Gunners to the summit.
However, in a game where neither side offered enough offensively to win, Arsene Wenger's men were only able to move within a point of leaders Chelsea and two ahead of City.
David Moyes' side, who were frustrated by a late Fulham equaliser on Sunday, have now won just one of their last five Premier League outings and remain seventh.
Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie almost put the visitors ahead after just two minutes, dispossessing Mikel Arteta before firing straight at Wojciech Szczesny.
In a lively opening, Jack Wilshere was then well tackled by Patrice Evra, having looked to have fashioned a chance on goal, before Olivier Giroud shrugged off his marker and headed wide from a corner.
Van Persie should have tested Szczesny again after 18 minutes but he sliced an effort way wide of goal after Juan Mata's through-ball - much to the delight of the home fans.
Both sides were let down by poor touches in the final third, with Giroud again getting on the end of a corner to head wide after 24 minutes.
With neither side creating many further chances, the only other incident of note before the break was an aerial collision between Rafael da Silva and Giroud.
The Manchester United man landed awkwardly after challenging with the Frenchman for a header, and was replaced by Rio Ferdinand at the break.
While the first half ended at fast pace, the second began slowly - with both defences easily able to cope with what was thrown at them.
The first chance of the half went to Arsenal, with Laurent Koscielny's header cleared off the line by Antonio Valencia from a Santi Cazorla corner a minute after the hour.
Arsenal piled on the pressure from there, with Giroud nudging Bacary Sagna's cross marginally past David de Gea's right-hand post 14 minutes from time before Van Persie's header was tipped onto the crossbar by Szczesny three minutes later.
De Gea was called into action again once more before full-time, getting a strong right hand to Cazorla's effort before tipping it around the post.
Arsenal were held to a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at the Emirates Stadium on Wednesday night to miss out on the chance to move to the top of the Premier League.
With Manchester City's clash with Sunderland postponed due to bad weather and Chelsea failing to beat West Brom a day earlier, victory would have taken the Gunners to the summit.
However, in a game where neither side offered enough offensively to win, Arsene Wenger's men were only able to move within a point of leaders Chelsea and two ahead of City.
David Moyes' side, who were frustrated by a late Fulham equaliser on Sunday, have now won just one of their last five Premier League outings and remain seventh.
Former Arsenal striker Robin van Persie almost put the visitors ahead after just two minutes, dispossessing Mikel Arteta before firing straight at Wojciech Szczesny.
In a lively opening, Jack Wilshere was then well tackled by Patrice Evra, having looked to have fashioned a chance on goal, before Olivier Giroud shrugged off his marker and headed wide from a corner.
Van Persie should have tested Szczesny again after 18 minutes but he sliced an effort way wide of goal after Juan Mata's through-ball - much to the delight of the home fans.
Both sides were let down by poor touches in the final third, with Giroud again getting on the end of a corner to head wide after 24 minutes.
With neither side creating many further chances, the only other incident of note before the break was an aerial collision between Rafael da Silva and Giroud.
The Manchester United man landed awkwardly after challenging with the Frenchman for a header, and was replaced by Rio Ferdinand at the break.
While the first half ended at fast pace, the second began slowly - with both defences easily able to cope with what was thrown at them.
The first chance of the half went to Arsenal, with Laurent Koscielny's header cleared off the line by Antonio Valencia from a Santi Cazorla corner a minute after the hour.
Arsenal piled on the pressure from there, with Giroud nudging Bacary Sagna's cross marginally past David de Gea's right-hand post 14 minutes from time before Van Persie's header was tipped onto the crossbar by Szczesny three minutes later.
De Gea was called into action again once more before full-time, getting a strong right hand to Cazorla's effort before tipping it around the post.
Wenger content with response to Anfield collapse
Arsene Wenger felt his Arsenal side could have claimed all three points against Manchester United on Wednesday but was pleased to see an improved defensive display after their Anfield collapse.
The north Londoners missed out on the chance to leapfrog Chelsea and return to the top of the Premier League as David Moyes' beleaguered visitors held on for a goalless draw.
Wenger's charges went into the match on the back of a 5-1 defeat to Liverpool and the Frenchman was content not to lose for a second top-flight match running, despite seeing Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla go close late on.
"I think overall we could have won it but it was a game of very few chances," he told BT Sport.
"Our defensive focus was extreme because we conceded so many goals on Saturday and they were focused on defending also.
"It could have gone 1-0 for either side.
"We had two or three chances in the second half from crosses where Giroud was just a bit short.
"When you go forward they can always catch you with the quality of strikers they have.
"It was important not to lose tonight."
Arsenal welcome Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday before hosting European champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days later.
Arsene Wenger felt his Arsenal side could have claimed all three points against Manchester United on Wednesday but was pleased to see an improved defensive display after their Anfield collapse.
The north Londoners missed out on the chance to leapfrog Chelsea and return to the top of the Premier League as David Moyes' beleaguered visitors held on for a goalless draw.
Wenger's charges went into the match on the back of a 5-1 defeat to Liverpool and the Frenchman was content not to lose for a second top-flight match running, despite seeing Olivier Giroud and Santi Cazorla go close late on.
"I think overall we could have won it but it was a game of very few chances," he told BT Sport.
"Our defensive focus was extreme because we conceded so many goals on Saturday and they were focused on defending also.
"It could have gone 1-0 for either side.
"We had two or three chances in the second half from crosses where Giroud was just a bit short.
"When you go forward they can always catch you with the quality of strikers they have.
"It was important not to lose tonight."
Arsenal welcome Liverpool in the FA Cup on Saturday before hosting European champions Bayern Munich in the Champions League three days later.
Liverpool will keep pushing, says Rodgers after dramatic Fulham win
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers says his side will continue to push for the Premier League title after they twice came back from losing positions to beat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage.
The visitors went behind after an own goal from Kolo Toure and Rodgers called for his players to iron out individual mistakes in the remaining matches.
"We conceded two goals, that has been unlike us for a while. We need to eradicate the individual errors. Thankfully we have goals in the team," he told reporters.
Steven Gerrard clinched the three points for the Reds by converting an injury-time penalty and recieved special praise from his manager.
He continued: "Steven Gerrard is peerless in situations like that. He showed brilliant composure. It was a great result. We've had to show character to come form behind twice. A brilliant victory."
When asked about Liverpool's title aspirations, the northern Irishman remained coy and replied playing down his side's chances.
He added: "We're going to keep pushing. We've shown enough times we're a very good side. We're chasing, other teams are still ahead of us. We need some of them to drop points. We know we still have Man City and Chelsea to play at home. We'll take it game by game. I'm enjoying as a coach watching the team improve."
The Reds boss also reserved some praise for Fulham who were twice ahead in a rollercoaster of a match.
"It's a great credit to Rene and his staff and players that we were given a very tough game. In the first half we were not quite on it in terms of intensity, and a mistake has put us 1-0 down," he said.
"We then got a good goal, thanks to Gerrard's marvellous pass. We raised the intensity and aggression at half-time. We're disappointed with the second goal we gave away. This team has shown great characteristics mentally."
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers says his side will continue to push for the Premier League title after they twice came back from losing positions to beat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage.
The visitors went behind after an own goal from Kolo Toure and Rodgers called for his players to iron out individual mistakes in the remaining matches.
"We conceded two goals, that has been unlike us for a while. We need to eradicate the individual errors. Thankfully we have goals in the team," he told reporters.
Steven Gerrard clinched the three points for the Reds by converting an injury-time penalty and recieved special praise from his manager.
He continued: "Steven Gerrard is peerless in situations like that. He showed brilliant composure. It was a great result. We've had to show character to come form behind twice. A brilliant victory."
When asked about Liverpool's title aspirations, the northern Irishman remained coy and replied playing down his side's chances.
He added: "We're going to keep pushing. We've shown enough times we're a very good side. We're chasing, other teams are still ahead of us. We need some of them to drop points. We know we still have Man City and Chelsea to play at home. We'll take it game by game. I'm enjoying as a coach watching the team improve."
The Reds boss also reserved some praise for Fulham who were twice ahead in a rollercoaster of a match.
"It's a great credit to Rene and his staff and players that we were given a very tough game. In the first half we were not quite on it in terms of intensity, and a mistake has put us 1-0 down," he said.
"We then got a good goal, thanks to Gerrard's marvellous pass. We raised the intensity and aggression at half-time. We're disappointed with the second goal we gave away. This team has shown great characteristics mentally."
Schweinsteiger relieved to make Bayern return
Bastian Schweinsteiger admitted he was a happy man after at last making his Bayern Munich return in the 5-0 DFB-Pokal quarter-final second leg victory over Hamburg on Tuesday.
The midfielder came on as a second half substitute as a hat-rick from Mario Mandzukic and goals from Dante and Arjen Robben sealed a resounding 8-1 victory on aggregate.
Schweinsteiger has been absent since suffering an ankle injury in the Champions League clash with Viktoria Plzen back in November and the 29-year-old gave a brief but telling response to making his comeback.
"It was good to play again, it felt good, of course," he said after Tuesday's game.
The result means Bayern join Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and Kaiserslautern in the semi-finals of the competition as they look to retain the trophy after winning it last term.
Bastian Schweinsteiger admitted he was a happy man after at last making his Bayern Munich return in the 5-0 DFB-Pokal quarter-final second leg victory over Hamburg on Tuesday.
The midfielder came on as a second half substitute as a hat-rick from Mario Mandzukic and goals from Dante and Arjen Robben sealed a resounding 8-1 victory on aggregate.
Schweinsteiger has been absent since suffering an ankle injury in the Champions League clash with Viktoria Plzen back in November and the 29-year-old gave a brief but telling response to making his comeback.
"It was good to play again, it felt good, of course," he said after Tuesday's game.
The result means Bayern join Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg and Kaiserslautern in the semi-finals of the competition as they look to retain the trophy after winning it last term.
Falcao enters 'second phase' of recovery
Monaco striker Radamel Falcao is ready to enter the "second phase" of recovery following surgery on an anterior cruciate ligament injury.
The Colombia internatonal has been sidelined since suffering the injury in a Coupe de France clash with minnows Monts d'Or Azergues and has been receiving treatment in Porto.Monaco confirmed on Wednesday that the 28-year-old, who still hopes to feature in the World Cup in Brazil this summer, is well on the road to recovery.
"AS Monaco FC and the player would like to thank all the people who took care of Falcao to Porto, in particular the medical department of Dr Jose Carlos Noronha and club of FC Porto," read a statement on the club's website."Radamel Falcao is going to pursue from this Thursday the second phase of his recovery in the sport clinic in Madrid in close collaboration with the medical department of AS Monaco FC."
The Stade Louis II outfit, who last month signed Fulham's Dimitar Berbatov on loan to cover for Falcao's absence, currently sit second in Ligue 1 and are five points adrift of leaders Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern deal could kill Bundesliga, says Watzke
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has reiterated concerns over the future of German football following Bayern Munich extending their partnership with financial services provider Allianz.
Allianz, who already own the naming rights to the reigning Bundesliga champions' stadium, acquired an 8.33 per cent stake in the club for a sum of €110 million after the Bavarians' executive committee approved it with a unanimous decision.
However, Watzke is worried that the financial boost will see Bayern increase their stranglehold on the German game - essentially killing off any competition in a league which looks to already be slipping towards one-team dominance.
"This development was predictable," the BVB chief, who has lamented die Roten's financial prowess in the past, told Bild.
"They've been negotiating with Allianz for a long time and I can only congratulate them on the deal, but the gulf to the rest of the Bundesliga is obviously going to grow further because of it."
The agreement leaves Allianz with the same percentage share as Adidas and Audi, with Bayern stating that the money would be used to pay down the "remaining obligations on the Allianz Arena" and the "planned reconstruction of the youth and junior facility in Munich".
Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke has reiterated concerns over the future of German football following Bayern Munich extending their partnership with financial services provider Allianz.
Allianz, who already own the naming rights to the reigning Bundesliga champions' stadium, acquired an 8.33 per cent stake in the club for a sum of €110 million after the Bavarians' executive committee approved it with a unanimous decision.
However, Watzke is worried that the financial boost will see Bayern increase their stranglehold on the German game - essentially killing off any competition in a league which looks to already be slipping towards one-team dominance.
"This development was predictable," the BVB chief, who has lamented die Roten's financial prowess in the past, told Bild.
"They've been negotiating with Allianz for a long time and I can only congratulate them on the deal, but the gulf to the rest of the Bundesliga is obviously going to grow further because of it."
The agreement leaves Allianz with the same percentage share as Adidas and Audi, with Bayern stating that the money would be used to pay down the "remaining obligations on the Allianz Arena" and the "planned reconstruction of the youth and junior facility in Munich".
Higuain: I want to be Napoli king like Maradona
Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has revealed his dream of repeating the exploits of Argentina hero Diego Maradona by winning the World Cup then Scudetto in the space of a year.
The 26-year-old joined Rafa Benitez's squad from Real Madrid last summer and has enjoyed an impressive maiden season in Serie A, scoring 12 goals as Partenopei sit third behind Juventus and Roma.
Higuain has his eyes set on titles with both club and country - citing the Maradona's success on the international stage then at Napoli as his inspiration - and says he wants to be "king" at the Stadia San Paolo in the coming seasons.
"This is an important moment for me and for my career," the forward told La Gazetta dello Sport.
"I want to do what Maradona did: first win the World Cup and then the Scudetto. He triumphed in Mexico with Argentina in 1986 and, a year later, he made Napoli go crazy.
"If I could do this it would really be the ultimate dream. I want to stay in Naples for a long time - here I'm going to be a king."
Despite trailing leaders Juventus by 13 points, Higuain hasn't given up hope of claiming the Scudetto this year, or alternatively the Coppa Italia or Europa League crown.
"Hopefully we win something," he added. "There are three titles at stake, we know it is difficult but we really want to cause a surprise."
Napoli must overcome a 3-2 disadvantage in their Coppa Italia semi-final second leg on Wednesday against Roma if they want to face Fiorentina in the final.
Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain has revealed his dream of repeating the exploits of Argentina hero Diego Maradona by winning the World Cup then Scudetto in the space of a year.
The 26-year-old joined Rafa Benitez's squad from Real Madrid last summer and has enjoyed an impressive maiden season in Serie A, scoring 12 goals as Partenopei sit third behind Juventus and Roma.
Higuain has his eyes set on titles with both club and country - citing the Maradona's success on the international stage then at Napoli as his inspiration - and says he wants to be "king" at the Stadia San Paolo in the coming seasons.
"This is an important moment for me and for my career," the forward told La Gazetta dello Sport.
"I want to do what Maradona did: first win the World Cup and then the Scudetto. He triumphed in Mexico with Argentina in 1986 and, a year later, he made Napoli go crazy.
"If I could do this it would really be the ultimate dream. I want to stay in Naples for a long time - here I'm going to be a king."
Despite trailing leaders Juventus by 13 points, Higuain hasn't given up hope of claiming the Scudetto this year, or alternatively the Coppa Italia or Europa League crown.
"Hopefully we win something," he added. "There are three titles at stake, we know it is difficult but we really want to cause a surprise."
Napoli must overcome a 3-2 disadvantage in their Coppa Italia semi-final second leg on Wednesday against Roma if they want to face Fiorentina in the final.
Matic: Chelsea must not dwell on dropped points
Nemanja Matic insists Chelsea must not dwell on dropping points at struggling West Brom as they battle to win the Premier League title.
The league leaders missed the chance to go four points clear of Arsenal and five ahead of Manchester City when they drew 1-1 at The Hawthorns.
Victor Anichebe's late goal denied Jose Mourinho's side, but January signing Matic is eager to put that disappointment behind him.
"I said after the Man City game [which Chelsea won 1-0] that we'll fight until the end of the season," Matic told the club's official website.
"We need to take it game by game and play as well as we can in order to win matches. At the end of the season we'll see if we can be champions.
"We always believe, we just try to improve and give our best. We have a young team, we are not favourites but if we have a chance to be champions we want to take it.
"We are not happy because we drew 1-1, we came here to win but that's football, that's life. Now we have to concentrate on the next training session and next game."
Branislav Ivanovic's first-half goal looked to have put Chelsea on course for victory, but Matic admitted the London club lost their way after the break.
"In the first half and for 10-15 minutes in the second half we played very well but I don't know what happened in the last 30 minutes," Matic added.
"We lost our concentration and West Brom were playing long balls, we didn't know how to deal with it and they caused us a lot of problems.
"They scored a goal in the last few minutes but football is like that sometimes, you can win in the last minutes but you can also lose points. We had some chances to make it 2-0 which we didn't take and it's difficult to speak about it.
"It's not easy when you concede a goal with four minutes left, after that it was hard for us to do anything."
Nemanja Matic insists Chelsea must not dwell on dropping points at struggling West Brom as they battle to win the Premier League title.
The league leaders missed the chance to go four points clear of Arsenal and five ahead of Manchester City when they drew 1-1 at The Hawthorns.
Victor Anichebe's late goal denied Jose Mourinho's side, but January signing Matic is eager to put that disappointment behind him.
"I said after the Man City game [which Chelsea won 1-0] that we'll fight until the end of the season," Matic told the club's official website.
"We need to take it game by game and play as well as we can in order to win matches. At the end of the season we'll see if we can be champions.
"We always believe, we just try to improve and give our best. We have a young team, we are not favourites but if we have a chance to be champions we want to take it.
"We are not happy because we drew 1-1, we came here to win but that's football, that's life. Now we have to concentrate on the next training session and next game."
Branislav Ivanovic's first-half goal looked to have put Chelsea on course for victory, but Matic admitted the London club lost their way after the break.
"In the first half and for 10-15 minutes in the second half we played very well but I don't know what happened in the last 30 minutes," Matic added.
"We lost our concentration and West Brom were playing long balls, we didn't know how to deal with it and they caused us a lot of problems.
"They scored a goal in the last few minutes but football is like that sometimes, you can win in the last minutes but you can also lose points. We had some chances to make it 2-0 which we didn't take and it's difficult to speak about it.
"It's not easy when you concede a goal with four minutes left, after that it was hard for us to do anything."
El Shaarawy: I rejected Russia for Milan stay
Stephan El Shaarawy has stressed his desire to remain at AC Milan after being the subject of an offer from an unnamed Russian club.
The 21-year-old has been plagued by injury problems this season - having made only one start in Serie A - as the Rossoneri have endured a disappointing campaign so far.The Italy international revealed he rejected the chance to leave San Siro last month, claiming he wants to win silverware with Clarence Seedorf's side.
"There has been an offer from a Russian team, but I decided to stay at Milan because that’s what I want," El Shaarawy told Corriere dello Sport. "It’s my intention to become a champion here."Massimiliano Allegri was replaced by Seedorf as coach in January amidst their turbulent 2013-14 campaign and El Shaarawy is determined to be a part of a new era at San Siro.
"I’ve been dogged by bad luck," he added. "In September I had a muscular problem and since then I have had a succession of niggles."And it culminated in December with the operation on my foot. It’s important for me to get back to Milanello as soon as possible and try to heal.
"It’s been a difficult few months, what with the injury and the coaching change. I owe Allegri a lot - he immediately gave me confidence when I came into the team.
"But I’ve had Seedorf as a team-mate and he helped me in the locker room in the past. I know he can do a great job."I’ve never felt excluded from this team, even when I was at my lowest with injury."
Milan sit 11th in Serie A, seven points behind fifth-placed Inter.
Stephan El Shaarawy has stressed his desire to remain at AC Milan after being the subject of an offer from an unnamed Russian club.
The 21-year-old has been plagued by injury problems this season - having made only one start in Serie A - as the Rossoneri have endured a disappointing campaign so far.The Italy international revealed he rejected the chance to leave San Siro last month, claiming he wants to win silverware with Clarence Seedorf's side.
"There has been an offer from a Russian team, but I decided to stay at Milan because that’s what I want," El Shaarawy told Corriere dello Sport. "It’s my intention to become a champion here."Massimiliano Allegri was replaced by Seedorf as coach in January amidst their turbulent 2013-14 campaign and El Shaarawy is determined to be a part of a new era at San Siro.
"I’ve been dogged by bad luck," he added. "In September I had a muscular problem and since then I have had a succession of niggles."And it culminated in December with the operation on my foot. It’s important for me to get back to Milanello as soon as possible and try to heal.
"It’s been a difficult few months, what with the injury and the coaching change. I owe Allegri a lot - he immediately gave me confidence when I came into the team.
"But I’ve had Seedorf as a team-mate and he helped me in the locker room in the past. I know he can do a great job."I’ve never felt excluded from this team, even when I was at my lowest with injury."
Milan sit 11th in Serie A, seven points behind fifth-placed Inter.
Roy Keane: Manchester United need six new players
Manchester United need to sign up to six new players if they are to compete at the top level next season, according to former captain Roy Keane.
Last year's Premier League champions currently sit seventh in their first campaign under new boss David Moyes, 18 points adrift of leaders Chelsea and even nine shy of fourth-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.
However, Keane does not believe that the under-pressure Moyes is to blame, instead putting United's struggles down to former boss Sir Alex Ferguson's lack of activity in recent transfer windows.
"United need five or six players," the Republic of Ireland assistant coach told reporters.
"They've kind of cut corners in terms of transfers in the last few years, they've not gone out and got the big players and it has just caught up with them this year.
"It has maybe surprised everyone how far they've slipped behind teams but now it's a case of rebuilding.
"If it happens in the summer then, instead of being fearful of it, embrace it - it's exciting. These can be exciting times for United. Get them back to the very top where they belong."
The 42-year-old is adamant that Moyes needs to be given plenty of time to turn things around but is pessimistic about their chances of reaching the top four.
"The man [Moyes] deserves plenty of time," Keane declared. "People have been afraid to use the word that there might be 'rebuilding' going on but that's exactly the word I would use.
"On form, at this moment in time, you have to say the Champions League is a long way off for Manchester United.
"Would I fancy them for it? Probably not but they're still a threat, they're still there and, with their big players like Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie back up to speed with their fitness, United will be a dangerous team if they can get their act together over the next month or two."
United face Olympiakos in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Manchester United need to sign up to six new players if they are to compete at the top level next season, according to former captain Roy Keane.
Last year's Premier League champions currently sit seventh in their first campaign under new boss David Moyes, 18 points adrift of leaders Chelsea and even nine shy of fourth-placed Liverpool in the race for Champions League qualification.
However, Keane does not believe that the under-pressure Moyes is to blame, instead putting United's struggles down to former boss Sir Alex Ferguson's lack of activity in recent transfer windows.
"United need five or six players," the Republic of Ireland assistant coach told reporters.
"They've kind of cut corners in terms of transfers in the last few years, they've not gone out and got the big players and it has just caught up with them this year.
"It has maybe surprised everyone how far they've slipped behind teams but now it's a case of rebuilding.
"If it happens in the summer then, instead of being fearful of it, embrace it - it's exciting. These can be exciting times for United. Get them back to the very top where they belong."
The 42-year-old is adamant that Moyes needs to be given plenty of time to turn things around but is pessimistic about their chances of reaching the top four.
"The man [Moyes] deserves plenty of time," Keane declared. "People have been afraid to use the word that there might be 'rebuilding' going on but that's exactly the word I would use.
"On form, at this moment in time, you have to say the Champions League is a long way off for Manchester United.
"Would I fancy them for it? Probably not but they're still a threat, they're still there and, with their big players like Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie back up to speed with their fitness, United will be a dangerous team if they can get their act together over the next month or two."
United face Olympiakos in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Casillas: Atletico in 'serious' trouble over lighter attack on Ronaldo
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes Atletico Madrid could face "serious" sanctions after Cristiano Ronaldo was hit by a lighter during Tuesday evening's Copa del Rey game at the Vicente Calderon.
The Portugal international was hit in the head when he was on his way to the dressing-room at half-time of los Blancos' 2-0 win (5-0 on aggregate).
Casillas has now slammed the fan who hurled the object towards the prolific attacker, claiming the assailant did more damage to his own club than Ronaldo.
"I think the consequences could be serious because it could have hurt a player," the Spain international told the official Madrid website.
"There is always someone who tries to smear the image of a club like Atletico and it doesn’t reflect how the majority of their fans are."
Casillas then went on to voice his satisfaction with Madrid's performance in the semi-final tie against their city rivals.
"The first leg was key, winning 3-0 made the second leg more straightforward," the shot-stopper acknowledged.
"We got two quick penalties and maybe that meant that the match wasn’t so exciting. We did our job well and deserve to be in the final."
Madrid will meet either Real Sociedad or Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, with the Catalans 2-0 up going into their second-leg meeting with their Basque rivals in San Sebastian on Wednesday night.
Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas believes Atletico Madrid could face "serious" sanctions after Cristiano Ronaldo was hit by a lighter during Tuesday evening's Copa del Rey game at the Vicente Calderon.
The Portugal international was hit in the head when he was on his way to the dressing-room at half-time of los Blancos' 2-0 win (5-0 on aggregate).
Casillas has now slammed the fan who hurled the object towards the prolific attacker, claiming the assailant did more damage to his own club than Ronaldo.
"I think the consequences could be serious because it could have hurt a player," the Spain international told the official Madrid website.
"There is always someone who tries to smear the image of a club like Atletico and it doesn’t reflect how the majority of their fans are."
Casillas then went on to voice his satisfaction with Madrid's performance in the semi-final tie against their city rivals.
"The first leg was key, winning 3-0 made the second leg more straightforward," the shot-stopper acknowledged.
"We got two quick penalties and maybe that meant that the match wasn’t so exciting. We did our job well and deserve to be in the final."
Madrid will meet either Real Sociedad or Barcelona in the Copa del Rey final, with the Catalans 2-0 up going into their second-leg meeting with their Basque rivals in San Sebastian on Wednesday night.
Manchester United target Cavani
Manchester United have registered their interest in Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani.
The Premier League champions are preparing a concerted summer move for the prolific forward, one of a number of high profile targets for boss David Moyes, who will have a transfer kitty of more than €120 million with which to refurbish his squad in the next window.
The Scot is keen to strengthen United’s forward line, as well as the team's problem positions of centre-back, central midfield and left-back.With doubts surrounding the United futures of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez, Moyes and his staff have begun identifying top quality strikers who could be available in the summer.
Cavani has formed a potent partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG since his €64 million move from Napoli last summer, scoring 20 goals in 25 matches in all competitions for the French league leaders.
However, the Uruguay international, 26, who admitted to being unsettled in France earlier this season, has authorised his representatives to explore the possibility of a move.
Sources in France suggest the striker is happier than earlier this term having now settled in Paris, but United are determined to pursue a move for him. Old Trafford intermediaries have already made contact with the Cavani camp as they lay the groundwork for what is expected to be the biggest transfer splurge in the club’s history this year.
Moyes signed Juan Mata for €45 million from Chelsea last month and is also now preparing for the possibility of life after star strikers Rooney and Van Persie.
Rooney has reportedly opened talks on a contract extension but is yet to commit to the Premier League champions beyond June 2014 and has been the subject of strong interest from Chelsea, who had an approach for the striker rejected in January.
Van Persie has had a mixed second season at Old Trafford following his outstanding debut campaign. He is understood to have clashed with Moyes this term over the new manager’s tactics and training methods, and controversially elected to recover from a thigh injury at the turn of the year in his native Holland rather than at United’s Carrington training base.
Hernandez has failed to nail down a regular starting place at United under Moyes despite the various injury-related absences of Rooney and Van Persie. Now in his fourth season at Old Trafford, the Mexican, 25, might consider that his peak years are better spent at a team where he gets more playing time.
Manchester United have registered their interest in Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani.
The Premier League champions are preparing a concerted summer move for the prolific forward, one of a number of high profile targets for boss David Moyes, who will have a transfer kitty of more than €120 million with which to refurbish his squad in the next window.
The Scot is keen to strengthen United’s forward line, as well as the team's problem positions of centre-back, central midfield and left-back.With doubts surrounding the United futures of Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie and Javier Hernandez, Moyes and his staff have begun identifying top quality strikers who could be available in the summer.
Cavani has formed a potent partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic at PSG since his €64 million move from Napoli last summer, scoring 20 goals in 25 matches in all competitions for the French league leaders.
However, the Uruguay international, 26, who admitted to being unsettled in France earlier this season, has authorised his representatives to explore the possibility of a move.
Sources in France suggest the striker is happier than earlier this term having now settled in Paris, but United are determined to pursue a move for him. Old Trafford intermediaries have already made contact with the Cavani camp as they lay the groundwork for what is expected to be the biggest transfer splurge in the club’s history this year.
Moyes signed Juan Mata for €45 million from Chelsea last month and is also now preparing for the possibility of life after star strikers Rooney and Van Persie.
Rooney has reportedly opened talks on a contract extension but is yet to commit to the Premier League champions beyond June 2014 and has been the subject of strong interest from Chelsea, who had an approach for the striker rejected in January.
Van Persie has had a mixed second season at Old Trafford following his outstanding debut campaign. He is understood to have clashed with Moyes this term over the new manager’s tactics and training methods, and controversially elected to recover from a thigh injury at the turn of the year in his native Holland rather than at United’s Carrington training base.
Hernandez has failed to nail down a regular starting place at United under Moyes despite the various injury-related absences of Rooney and Van Persie. Now in his fourth season at Old Trafford, the Mexican, 25, might consider that his peak years are better spent at a team where he gets more playing time.
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