..::Football III::..

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Bayern Munich 8-0 Hamburg: Robben and Ribery strike as champions run riot

Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller produced inspirational displays as Bayern Munich demolished Hamburg 8-0 at the Allianz Arena.

Pep Guardiola had demanded more from the Bundesliga champions prior to Saturday's game, after they had begun 2015 in uncharacteristically inconsistent fashion.

And Bayern responded in style, as they once again hammered Hamburg - opponents they put nine past in the corresponding fixture two seasons ago - with Robben and Muller to the fore.

Muller began the rout from the penalty spot, before Mario Gotze and a brilliant Robben strike put them 3-0 up at the break.

Robben added his second two minutes after the restart - his 14th goal in 17 Bundesliga appearances this season - before Robert Lewandowski and Muller made it six before the hour.

Franck Ribery, returning from his thigh injury, came off the bench to make it 7-0, before Gotze rounded the scoring off two minutes from time as Bayern warmed up for their Champions League last-16 trip to Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday in perfect fashion.

It did not take long for the hosts' intense pressing to force an error in the Hamburg defence, but Jaroslav Drobny did well to deny Muller after Robben's incisive pass in the fourth minute.

Robben and Muller continued to terrorise the Hamburg defence, and it was the latter who made the breakthrough from the spot in the 21st minute.

Rafinha, making his first appearance of 2015 following an ankle injury, saw his cross strike the arm of Ronny Marcos and Muller coolly swept home the resulting penalty.

It took Bayern just two minutes to extend their lead, Gotze smashing in from close range after Drobny failed to hold on to Muller's powerful drive.

The champions were now rampant, and Robben put the result beyond doubt nine minutes before the interval.

The Dutchman cut inside in trademark fashion after a lethal Bayern counterattack and curled a delightful effort in off the post from 30 yards.

Bayern opened up a four-goal lead a minute after the break, as Robben cruised past Ronny and beat Drobny at the near post.

Their fifth followed swiftly, Muller doubling his tally for the day with a sumptuous effort from 25 yards, curling it into the bottom-right corner.

Hamburg had no answer to Bayern's frontline and Lewandowski added the sixth a minute after, tapping in from close range following Muller's squared pass.

Guardiola then introduced Ribery for his first taste of action in 2015 and it took the Frenchman just 10 minutes to make his mark, pouncing on a rebound and slotting in from close range.

And Gotze was on hand to join Robben and Muller with a brace in the game as Bayern posted yet another thrashing of Hamburg.​

Wolfsburg v Leverkusen match ekath 5-4
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[Wolverine GTR]

Celta 2-0 Atletico Madrid: Nolito and Orellana strike a blow to champions' title hopes

Atletico Madrid were dealt a blow in their Liga title defence as they suffered a 2-0 defeat at Celta Vigo on Sunday.

In a game dominated by Celta, Diego Simeone's men struggled to hit the heights of last weekend's 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid and will be particularly unhappy with the award of the penalty converted by Nolito.

Augusto Fernandez clearly handled the ball in the build-up, but the referee played on and Nolito was brought down before getting up to convert the spot-kick himself.

Eduardo Berizzo's side controlled the first half and were well worth a lead that should have been doubled by Joaquin Larrivey.

Either side of that chance, Saul Niguez and Antoine Griezmann forced fine saves from Sergio Alvarez as the game sprung to life, but Atletico conceded again after 71 minutes as the impressive Orellana lashed home to keep the champions seven points behind leaders Real after a first league defeat at Celta since 2005.

Simeone made two changes from the mauling of Real. Saul replaced the injured Koke last weekend and scored so kept his place, with Fernando Torres given the nod to start in place of the suspended Arda Turan.

The hosts did not look like a side that had won just one of their previous 12 league games and Michael Krohn-Dehli flashed a low effort just wide a minute later.

Gustavo Cabral twice saw shots blocked, while Nolito skewed an effort wide from outside the area as Atletico struggled to stamp their authority on proceedings.

The second half started with Celta dominating and they got their rewards, albeit in controversial fashion, after 55 minutes.

Fernandez handled the ball in the centre of the pitch, but nothing was given and in the same move, Nolito was brought down in the area by Mario Suarez.

From the resulting penalty, Nolito made no mistake, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way for his eighth league goal this season.

The champions were almost level a minute later as Saul's rasping drive was parried by Alvarez, who then made a miraculous save to tip away Griezmann's rebound, although the Frenchman was given offside.

It sparked the game into life and Celta should have been out of sight a minute later as Nolito squared to Larrivey, but, with the goal at his mercy, he somehow missed the target.

Back at the other end, Griezmann went agonisingly close to a leveller, but his well-struck shot was blocked by Alvarez, who managed to gather just before the ball crossed the line.

But Celta rounded off a great team performance with 19 minutes remaining when Krohn-Dehli found Orellana in space and he lashed home from inside the area to give Miguel Angel Moya no chance.

Orellana almost notched a second from an almost identical position to his first, but Moya produced a fine low save to divert the ball behind.

 

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Cesena 2-2 Juventus: Vidal misses penalty as champions are held

Juventus failed to capitalise on Roma's draw with Parma as they were held 2-2 by Cesena on Sunday, with Arturo Vidal missing a late penalty.

The reigning champions looked set to take all three points when Vidal stepped up to take an 82nd-minute spot-kick, but the Chile star missed the target, leaving Juve to rue not capitalising on Roma's 0-0 draw earlier in the day.

Cesena's battling display gave little indication of their precarious position in the relegation zone, with Milan Djuric giving the hosts a deserved lead 17 minutes in.

Juve, shocked into action, were level just before the half-hour mark, Alvaro Morata finding the net.

Claudio Marchisio then put the visitors ahead six minutes later, but Cesena rallied after the break and enjoyed significant periods of control before Brienza struck the leveller with 20 minutes left.

Vidal's failure to net from the spot late on, though, summed up an opportunity missed for Massimiliano Allegri's side.

Juve showed few signs of their imperious form during the early exchanges, relying on goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon to keep them on level terms.

The Italy shot-stopper first palmed Gregoire Defrel's effort around the post, before then denying the Frenchman again in the 10th minute after he had seized on an error by Leonardo Bonucci.

Cesena's bright start eventually paid off in the 17th minute and Defrel was at the centre of things again, this time robbing Andrea Pirlo of possession before playing a pass into Djuric in the area, with the Bosnian firing a shot under Buffon.

That goal seemed to jolt Juve into life and Allegri's side were level 10 minutes later, Morata heading in Paul Pogba's excellent left-wing cross.

Uncertainty in the Cesena defence then allowed Juve to complete the turnaround in the 33rd minute.

Stefano Lucchini and Giuseppe De Feudis failed to deal with Morata's flick-on from a Patrice Evra throw-in and Marchisio was on hand to prod the ball beyond Nicola Leali.

Pirlo almost opened up a two-goal lead for Juve just before the break, but his powerful 25-yard drive flew just wide of the left-hand post.

Cesena began to cause problems again early in the second half, with Defrel's low drive across the face of goal in the 54th minute giving Buffon something to worry about.

Juve continued to invite pressure and the home side went close again with 64 minutes on the clock, Brienza this time lashing a half-volley just over from just inside the area.

Brienza was not so wasteful a few moments later, though, as the attacker pounced on Djuric's lay-off and drilled a low shot beyond Buffon.

Cesena's efforts looked as though they would count for nothing when Lucchini handled the ball in the area with eight minutes left.

But Vidal sent the resulting spot-kick wide of the left-hand post and Cesena ultimately held on to secure a deserved draw.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barcelona 5-0 Levante: Magical Messi sparkles in 300th Liga game

Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick, putting in a phenomenal performance, on his 300th Liga appearance to fire Barcelona to a 5-0 win over Levante on Sunday.

The Argentine talisman supplied the first goal for Neymar before going on to claim a 23rd top-flight treble, as Luis Enrique's side made it 11 consecutive wins in all competitions.A cool side-footed finish past Diego Marino doubled Barca's lead before Messi then applied a close-range finish from Pedro's assist to make it 3-0.

When Ivan Lopez brought down Neymar in the box after 65 minutes, Messi sealed his hat-trick and then substitute Luis Suarez rounded off the scoring with a well-executed scissor kick.It marked a wholeheartedly positive afternoon's work for Luis Enrique and, in particular, his star forward.

Despite making eight changes from Wednesday's Copa del Rey win over Villarreal, Barca and Messi began on the front foot. The Argentina international and Ivan Rakitic both went close with efforts from outside the area early on.
Levante initially managed to frustrate their hosts, but Neymar broke the deadlock after 17 minutes when he converted Messi's lofted cross from the right for his 24th goal of the season.

From there, it was almost all one-way traffic.David Barral did go close to levelling five minutes before the half-hour mark, but the midfielder dragged his shot wide before Messi got on the scoresheet and took centre stage.Following Marc Bartra's pass, the four-time Fifa Ballon d'Or winner found the target to cap his landmark in style, as he slipped the ball under the onrushing Marino.

Messi could have made it three had he not scooped a strike over from inside the area late in the first half, but he threatened again early in the second period.
Neymar's cut-back was just too short for the waiting forward, but it seemed only a matter of time before he struck again.
That star pair continued to pose Levante problems, and Marino was required to intervene and end a slick piece of interplay before the hour mark.

Pedro - also marking a career landmark with his 300th Barcelona appearance - supplied the assist for Messi's second.His hooked pull-back gave the little playmaker the simplest of finishes, before Messi sealed one of his more routine hat-tricks after 65 minutes.

A foul from Lopez on Neymar gave Messi the chance to score from the penalty spot, taking his Liga record to an incredible 269 goals from 300 games.Not content to simply leave it at that, Luis Enrique opted to make changes, as Suarez replaced Neymar with time running out.

The Uruguayan's introduction soon yielded a fifth goal too when, with 17 minutes left, he acrobatically fired home from inside the area as Barca moved back to within a point of leaders Real Madrid, while Levante stay in the bottom three.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hat-trick for Messi & Suarez ge goal 1ka patta

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Arsenal 2-0 Middlesbrough: Giroud at the double as FA Cup holders progress

A quickfire first-half double from Olivier Giroud ensured FA Cup holders Arsenal beat Middlesbrough 2-0 to reach the quarter-finals of the famous competition on Sunday.

France international Giroud struck twice in as many minutes and there was no way back for Championship high-flyers Boro, who were outclassed at the Emirates Stadium.

Aitor Karanka's side sprung a major surprise by winning 2-0 at Premier League champions Manchester City in the fourth round, but never looked like repeating that feat as Arsenal taught them a lesson.

Striker Giroud rounded off a lovely Arsenal move to open the scoring and capitalised on some slack defending to double the London club's lead and keep them on course for another trip to Wembley in May.

Boro had won six consecutive games and not lost in 10 ahead of their trip to the capital, but must now turn their attention back to the race for promotion to the Premier League after they were given an indication of the task they will face if they return to the top flight.

Gabriel Paulista made his Arsenal debut and leading scorer Alexis Sanchez was passed fit as Arsene Wenger made seven changes to the side that beat Leicester City 2-1 on Tuesday.

There were eight alterations to the Boro side following their midweek win over Blackpool, on-loan striker Patrick Bamford - who scored the opening goal in the stunning victory at City - among the players restored to the side.

Arsenal had won their previous eight home games and were brimming with confidence as Boro struggled to contain them in the opening stages.

Santi Cazorla forced an early save from fellow Spaniard Tomas Mejias with a measured free-kick and the Boro goalkeeper dived to his left to palm away a first-time strike from Giroud that looked to be heading just wide of the far post 13 minutes in.

Mejias was unable to prevent the France striker from opening the scoring after 27 minutes, though, when Cazorla's incisive pass found Kieran Gibbs in space and his first-time cross from the left was turned in by Giroud to round off a slick move.

There was little Boro could have done to avoid that well-worked opening goal, but the Teesside outfit were caught napping when Giroud struck just two minutes later.

The former Montpellier frontman escaped his marker and showed great technique to volley home Sanchez's corner with a clinical left-foot finish from six yards out.

Sanchez almost got in on the act when Mesut Ozil picked him out and the Chile forward beat Mejias, but Adam Clayton was on hand to clear as the ball trickled towards the Boro net.

Arsenal carried on where they left off at the start of the second half and Ozil shot straight at the busy Mejias before Gibbs stung the palms of the former Real Madrid keeper with a strike from a tight angle as the home side continued to dominate.

Sanchez's glancing header looked destined for the far corner of the net until Mejias produced a fine save to thwart the former Barcelona man, who had rose to meet Cazorla's inviting free-kick after 64 minutes.

Mejias then denied Theo Walcott when the England forward raced clear five minutes from time and Kike came close to a consolation when his stoppage-time header came back off the post as Arsenal eased into the last eight.

 

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Bradford 2-0 Sunderland: Poyet's men dumped out of FA Cup by giant-killing Bantams

John O'Shea's early own goal and Jon Stead's second-half effort saw Bradford City claim another Premier League scalp as they defeated Sunderland 2-0 to continue their remarkable FA Cup adventure.

League One Bradford had provided one of the greatest shocks in the competition's illustrious history in the previous round when they came from two down to defeat Premier League leaders Chelsea 4-2 at Stamford Bridge.

Sunday's fifth-round encounter at Valley Parade lacked the thrilling drama of that match, but it was still another memorable victory for a side who have become accustomed to ousting top-flight opposition in the cup competitions.

It also provided a headache for British TV executives, who had controversially opted not to show the match live - despite Bradford's heroics in round four.

O'Shea put through his own net in the third minute when he unwittingly diverted Billy Clarke's shot past Vito Mannone, before former Sunderland man Stead capitalised on a poor clearance from Adam Johnson to fire low under the body of the visiting goalkeeper shortly after the hour mark.

Sunderland, without the rested Jermain Defoe, struggled to create clear goalscoring opportunities on a difficult playing surface, and Bradford were able to comfortably see out the victory and book their spot in the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time since 1976.

Bradford have never lost at home in a cup competition under manager Phil Parkinson, and that sequence was extended to 12 matches as they toppled a Premier League side for the second time in just over three weeks.

Sunderland made six changes from their midweek defeat at home to QPR and found themselves behind early on.

The visitors failed to clear Filipe Morais' free-kick from the right and the ball fell to Clarke, whose wayward shot took a wicked deflection off O'Shea and flew past Mannone.

After a stoppage to allow Danny Graham and Rory McArdle to receive treatment following a nasty clash of heads, Bradford went close to a second goal in the 16th minute when Stead's glancing header from James Meredith's cross flashed across goal and just out of reach of James Hanson.

Sunderland felt they should have had a penalty two minutes later when McArdle challenged Steven Fletcher as he prepared to shoot, but referee Kevin Friend waved away the vociferous appeals.

The game continued to ebb and flow, Seb Larsson seeing a shot deflected over before Clarke brought a smart stop out of Mannone following a surging run.

As Sunderland went in search of an equaliser, Bradford goalkeeper Ben Williams got down low to his left to keep out Patrick van Aanholt's drive six minutes prior to the interval.

Goalmouth action was scarce at the start of the second half, before Johnson's mistake allowed Stead to double the home side's advantage after 61 minutes.

Johnson's weak clearance from the byline failed to clear Hanson on the edge of the area and his header found Stead, who controlled the ball before firing in a low effort that squirmed under Mannone and over the line.

That kept up Stead's record of having scored in every round of the FA Cup that Bradford have played in this season, as the League One side created another magical FA Cup memory, and moved one step closer to a dream Wembley final.

 

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Bradford la lesi wena 1kak naha wage​

 

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Atalanta 1-4 Inter: Guarin and Shaqiri send Nerazzuri into top half of Serie A

Fredy Guarin hit two stunning strikes and set up the other two as Inter hammered 10-man Atalanta 4-1 to climb back into the top half of the Serie A table.

The Colombian was straight in the action as he was fouled for Xherdan Shaqiri's second-minute penalty, though Roberto Mancini's men struggled in the first half at Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia and Atalanta deservedly drew level through Maximiliano Moralez.

But Guarin then intervened with his first goal before the break, curling superbly into the bottom corner.

The hosts' cause was not helped when Yohan Benalouane talked himself into a second yellow card early in the second half and Guarin then hit home an even better strike just after the hour.

Rodrigo Palacio rounded off the scoring late on as Inter moved above city rivals Milan and into eighth place in the table.

Inter boss Mancini had to do without his top goalscorer Mauro Icardi who was ruled out with a stomach bug, with Lukas Podolski replacing him in the starting XI.
The visitors made a fast start and were awarded a penalty in the first minute when Guarin swivelled in the area and went down under pressure from Gianpaolo Bellini. Shaqiri duly stepped up to score his first Serie A goal for the club, despite Atalanta keeper Marco Sportiello getting a hand to the ball.

It was the hosts who looked the likeliest to score thereafter, with Mauricio Pinilla first glancing a header just wide and then somehow blazing over from six yards shortly after Shaqiri's opener.

Atalanta got their deserved leveller 10 minutes later, though, as Pinilla flicked on a long ball to Moralez, who controlled expertly inside the area before firing a left-foot shot that found its way in off the post.

But Inter responded well to being pegged back, and Guarin restored their lead eight minutes before the break when he evaded two Atalanta players before curling in a superb low shot from outside the area. Atalanta's chances of getting anything out of the game were hindered when Benalouane was booked for bringing down Palacio after 52 minutes, before then arguing with referee Luca Banti and earning himself a second caution.

Inter took full advantage through Guarin's second of the game. The Colombian was given time and space 25 yards out and picked his spot, bending superbly into the top corner after 62 minutes.

Shaqiri was denied a second soon after through a fine Sportiello save but the scoreline was made to look more emphatic 18 minutes from time when Guarin's through-ball found Palacio and, as he was about to shoot, Guglielmo Stendardo's sliding challenge saw the ball hit the Inter man and find the net.

 

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Roma 0-0 Parma: Giallorossi booed off in bore draw

Roma were booed off at the Stadio Olimpico after a toothless performance saw them held 0-0 by bottom-of-the-table Parma on Sunday.

The performance for the second-placed hosts was tepid at best and the first 45 minutes had only half-chances thanks to lethargic passing and an inability to break down Parma's defence.

The latter half was at least a little more representative of a team who are supposed to be challenging for the Scudetto, but Roma still failed to register a goal.

Ashley Cole arguably had the two best chances with the clock ticking towards the 90-minute mark, but his header struck the woodwork and a later effort was skied over the bar.

Rudi Garcia's men could have closed the gap at the top of Serie A to five points ahead of Juventus' clash with Cesena, but now they could fall 10 points behind the reigning champions by the end of the weekend.

Parma, meanwhile, ended a losing streak of five successive matches and secured only their third clean sheet of the entire season, but their future remains up in the air amid calls for spiralling debts to be paid by Monday.

Roma, who had Seydou Doumbia making his first start since signing for the club in January and Gervinho returning from Africa Cup of Nation final glory, were tentative in their early efforts and struggled to form incisive attacks.

Midway through the first half, Gervinho spent too long composing himself inside the box after a slicing pass parted Parma's defence, then Adem Ljajic blasted the loose ball towards goal but Mattia Cassani threw his body in the way to heroically keep the scores level.

A few minutes later, on the 25-minute mark, Ljajic tried his luck from 22 yards out but skewed over. The lack of accuracy and sensibility summed up the half for the hosts.

Ljajic was bustling for much of the match and, on the brink of the break, almost put the Giallorossi ahead after nutmegging Cassani en route inside Parma's box, but he angled his shot into the side-netting.

The second half dragged on tediously just like the first, with the home crowd becoming audibly more agitated with every misplaced pass and wayward half-attempt at a cross.

Gervinho and Radja Nainggolan both saw decent shots saved and deflected marginally wide respectively.

Garcia's men finally remembered they are battling for the Scudetto at the top of Serie A and kicked into gear with 25 minutes to play.

Nainggolan steered a volleyed effort just wide following a corner melee, then crossed superbly two minutes later, though Doumbia was unable to reach the back-post ball.

Roma were looking increasingly likely to be held to a draw, although left-back Cole had two gilt-edged chances in the final moments of the match to score a late winner.

Cole's first effort cannoned off his head and on to the post with seven minutes to go then, in the final minute of the match, the ex-England international thundered a close-range volley over the crossbar.

 

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Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City: Bacuna & Sinclair send Sherwood's side into quarters

New Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood witnessed first hand the positives and negatives of his inherited squad in Sunday's 2-1 FA Cup win over Leicester City.

The former Tottenham boss was appointed as Paul Lambert's replacement on Saturday and took a watching brief as caretaker manager Scott Marshall oversaw progression thanks to goals from Leandro Bacuna and substitute Scott Sinclair.

While Sherwood will now have an FA Cup quarter-final to look forward to as he begins work on Monday, he will also likely be concerned by a Villa side that appeared short on confidence and laboured going forward prior to Bacuna's opener.

After a promising start, the hosts began to fade and could have gone in behind at the break had Marcin Wasilewsk's header gone in rather than striking Shay Given's left-hand post.

The hosts continued to frustrate the Villa Park faithful after the interval, before Bacuna justified his return to the side by beating Mark Schwarzer with Sinclair then afforded his first Villa goal courtesy of a gaffe from the goalkeeper soon afterwards.

Andrej Kramaric produced an impressive late header in a flurry of goals to give Leicester hope, but it proved scant consolation.

With new boss Sherwood watching on from the stands, Villa began brightly as Andreas Weimann scooped Alan Hutton's pass over the crossbar, although it was Leicester who had the first real opportunity.

Wasilewski - in for the cup-tied Robert Huth - headed Matty James' corner against the far post 12 minutes in as the visitors gradually got a foothold in the match.

However, much of the remainder of the opening half-hour saw the two Premier League strugglers demonstrate a lack of quality and composure in the final third. That was only punctuated by a dangerous Danny Simpson delivery that Kramaric went close to connecting with.

Referee Mark Clattenburg saw nothing wrong with Ron Vlaar's marking of Kramaric, which forced the Croatian to ground, before Given pulled off a stunning save to his left to deny James from long range.

Villa thought they had the lead when Christian Benteke fired the ball past Schwarzer, but an offside flag ensured the sides went in level at the break.

After Sherwood had ventured down to the dressing room to deliver a half-time pep-talk, Belgian Benteke was thwarted again early in the second half when he got on the end of Alan Hutton's header inside the area, only to see his effort blocked by Schwarzer.

The prolonged spell of pressure from Villa eventually paid off when Bacuna curled home a 68th-minute opener following Hutton's persistence down the left.

That prompted a flurry of late action, as first Sinclair's strike was fumbled into his own goal by Schwarzer before Kramaric demonstrated his quality to pull a goal back for the visitors late into injury time.

While Sherwood gets to work with Villa after only their third win of 2015, Nigel Pearson and Leicester now revert their focus to Premier League survival.

 

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AC Milan 1-1 Empoli: Holy Maccarone! Rossoneri held at San Siro

Empoli came from behind to claim a deserved 1-1 Serie A draw at 10-man AC Milan on Sunday after Mattia Destro had given the hosts the lead with his first goal for the club.

Destro arrived on loan from Roma during the transfer window, making his debut in a 3-1 victory over Parma a fortnight ago.The striker failed to find the target on that occasion, but hooked home from a Giacomo Bonaventura cross in the 40th minute to hand Milan the advantage.

The goal came against the run of play during a half in which Empoli caused their hosts all manner of problems - Mario Rui narrowly missing the target with an audacious effort from the halfway line.However, Massimo Maccarone popped up in the 68th minute to earn his side a well-deserved point and leave Milan with just one win from their last six fixtures in all competitions.

Goalkeeper Diego Lopez was sent off in the closing stages after being judged to have handled a Francesco Tavano shot just outside the area, but Empoli were unable to capitalise on the man advantage.

Destro returned from suspension to lead the Milan line, but it was Empoli who applied the early pressure - Manuel Pucciarelli hammering a shot into the side-netting while a frustrated Maccarone waited in a more central position for a pass that never came.

Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi looked concerned within 10 minutes of the match kicking off, and Rui's speculative strike from the halfway line almost left the home side red-faced when it drifted agonisingly wide of the left-hand post, much to the relief of backtracking Lopez.

Milan had been forced to take off Alex due to a facial injury picked up in a tackle just prior to Rui's long-range effort, but did begin to settle as the first half progressed.

That said, Luigi Sepe had precious little to occupy his time in the Empoli goal, but looked less than convincing when dealing with an Andrea Poli cross-come-shot after 27 minutes.

Lopez then produced a good save to keep out Rui, before Destro netted his first Milan goal five minutes from the break. The striker latched onto a low Bonaventura cross to divert the ball beyond Sepe from close-range, although there were some suspicions of offside.

Daniele Croce failed to get enough purchase on his attempt at an equaliser on the hour as the ball bobbled nicely into the arms of Lopez, and Rui blasted over a free kick from a promising position.But Empoli got a hard-earned equaliser when Maccarone guided a header just inside the left-hand post from a superb Elseid Hysaj cross from the right.

Tavano's shot was tipped over by the onrushing Lopez seven minutes from time, but the keeper was given his marching orders with the touch deemed to have happened outside the box.

Luckily for Milan, they had not used their full allocation of substitutes and were able to bring Christian Abbiati off the bench in place of Destro, although the hosts were left to cling on for a precious point.

 

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Pellegrini has killed me - Jovetic

Stevan Jovetic has hit out at Manuel Pellegrini after he was left out of Manchester City’s Champions League squad, insisting that the decision has “killed” him.

The Montenegrin striker looked set to be offloaded in January following the €38 million arrival of Wilfried Bony from Swansea City, with Juventus and several other Serie A clubs expressing an interest in signing him.

No deal materialised, however, and he was subsequently replaced by Bony in Pellegrini’s squad for Europe’s elite club competition – which has been restricted to just 21 players by Uefa as punishment for City breaching Financial Fair Play regulations.

“I deserve to play in the Champions League. I know that,” Jovetic told the Sunday Mirror.

"The manager has killed me with this decision. I feel I deserve my place and other people have told me the same.

“People have told me I am a great player, but it is clear that the manager doesn’t think the same way.

“I am very disappointed, even now. I don’t think it was a good decision – or the right decision.

“I know that I deserve to be on the list. I told the manager this, but he didn’t want to listen to me. I came here to play in the Champions League.”

Pellegrini insists Jovetic still has a future at the Etihad Stadium, but the 25-year-old claims he is currently assessing his future ahead of the summer transfer window.

“I have not made any decision about my future. I will wait until the summer then we will see,” he added.

"But the manager has put other players ahead of me, so maybe this is a message about what he wants to do."

 

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Kroos: Ronaldo addicted to goals

Toni Kroos says criticism of Cristiano Ronaldo is unfair after revealing his Real Madrid team-mate is "addicted to goals and victories".

Ronaldo made headlines for the wrong reasons last weekend, when he went ahead with his 30th birthday party celebrations just hours after the humiliating 4-0 derby defeat to Atletico Madrid at the Vicente Calderon.

Kroos, though, says the Portugal international cops too much flak in the media, claiming that the Ballon d'Or holder is a model professional who helped him to settle at the club when he arrived from Bayern Munich.

"We talked a lot because he speaks good English from his time at Manchester United," the Germany international Bild am Sonntag.

"I can only say positive things about him. He has a very good character. "There are certainly many people who would have slackened off after all of the success that Cristiano has enjoyed. But he did not.

"He always wants to win. Cristiano is addicted to goals and victories."Kroos also attempted to dispel the perception that there is a growing celebrity culture at Madrid."Our coach, Carlo Ancelotti, would never accept that," the midfielder added. "You would win nothing like that.

"To put it bluntly: with us, nobody takes themselves too seriously. There are no divas. We are a functioning family.

"In the dressing room, there are great people with big hearts and open ears. Nobody here thinks that they can do it all on their own."

 

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Rodgers: Penny has dropped for Balotelli

Brendan Rodgers believes "the penny has dropped" for Mario Balotelli after two impressive displays in a week.

The €22 million summer signing failed to score in his first 12 Premier League games for the Reds but rose from the bench to bag a late winner against Tottenham in midweek.

He then turned in an impressive display in the FA Cup fourth round win over Crystal Palace on Saturday, with Adam Lallana slotting home the Reds' winner after Julian Speroni parried a fierce Balotelli free-kick.

The 24-year-old could not add to his three-goal haul for the season at Selhurst Park but Rodgers has praised his willingness to knuckle down in training in a bid to arrest his early-season slump.

"He's been working really hard in training," Rodgers told reporters. "I think now the penny has dropped.

"I assess players every day in training. No matter how good they are, it doesn't matter - you have to put the work in.

"It has been difficult for him because he's coming into a [playing] style that he's perhaps never been in before in terms of the intensity and the pressing.

"But one thing he has got, he's got big quality. In the last couple of games he's come off the bench and been effective for us."

 

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Robben: Mourinho doesn't like injured players

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has provided an insight into his time with Chelsea, insisting that Jose Mourinho "does not like injured players".

The Dutchman spent three years at Stamford Bridge and although he won two Premier League titles, fitness issues curtailed his progress and he was eventually moved on to Real Madrid in 2007.

And Robben admits that it was always going to be an uphill struggle to win over Mourinho, as he joined the Blues with injury problems.

He told The Guardian: "It was hard at first because I came with an injury. It was very difficult for me and also for him. Of course, he doesn't like players who get injured. So it wasn't easy but I always had the feeling I had his confidence.

"I played some great games for Chelsea but it was unfortunate I had injury problems and I couldn't do it over a long period – like now.

"For me it was very good to work with him at that age because I was young and, yeah, with Mourinho, you have to be mentally very strong. You have to jump on the train with him or... you're off. So it was great for my development."

Reflecting on the lack of a winter break in England, Robben still finds it "crazy" that Premier League clubs are expected to play so much football over a short period of time.

He added: "I can't say I miss it, but it also had its charms. The real charm was the family coming over for Christmas – and watching me play at home on Boxing Day. But playing four games in 10 days is crazy. A break in the middle of the season is good for everybody."

 

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Inzaghi blames injuries and absent-mindedness for dropped Milan points

Filippo Inzaghi has blamed injuries and absent-minded defending on AC Milan dropping points with a 1-1 draw at home to Empoli on Sunday.

The Rossoneri went ahead in the first half thanks to January signing Mattia Destro, but midway through the second half Massimo Maccarone nodded the visitors level to ensure the spoils were shared.Inzaghi, who has been in charge since the start of the season, accepted that San Siro's boos will not go away without better performances but is adamant his team are on the right track.

"It is a difficult period for Milan, we have many injuries," the Rossoneri head coach told Sky Sport. "We are also very unlucky, losing Alex a few minutes in with a broken nose is exceptionally unlucky.

"It was a balanced game, we were good value for our lead. My biggest regret is the goal we conceded. Empoli are a great team, you see the work Maurizio Sarri has done with them.

"We are growing. I read criticism that I change the starting XI a lot, but I cannot play injured players. At this time we have to work on our mentality, my players need to find some belief."Today we have to take this point, but obviously we need to do more and think about the next game. We needed that second goal. We paid dearly for being absent-minded when Maccarone scored. It hurts to concede a goal like that.

"We have to roll up our sleeves and turn the boos at San Siro into cheers. We have great quality up front, we must try to exploit it. We are Milan, we want to control the game and stay in the opposition half."

Inzaghi's job is reported to be hanging in the balance as trigger-happy owner Silvio Berlusconi has allegedly been disappointed with Milan's results in 2014-15.

 

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Roma weren't even aiming at the goal, blasts Garcia

Roma coach Rudi Garcia has accused his players of not even trying to shoot on target as they were held by bottom-of-the-table Parma on Sunday.

The Giallorossi missed out on their chance to close the gap at the top of Serie A to five points by failing to score against a team who had kept just two clean sheets in 2014-15 before the game, drawing 0-0 with Roberto Donadoni's men.

Garcia refused to use injuries and illnesses as an excuse for their fifth draw in six Serie A matches, which could cost them dearly in the chase for the Scudetto should Juventus open up the gap to 10 points with a victory over Cesena.

"In the second half we played better and raised our tempo, but Parma played with everyone behind the ball and we couldn’t find the breakthrough to change the game in our favour," Garcia told Sky Sport.

"We were too slow at the start and didn’t get enough shots on target. It’s difficult to score if you don’t aim for the goal and that was our biggest problem.

"It’s a difficult time for us and we had to play with some players who weren’t in the best condition. Miralem Pjanic couldn't play with flu as well, though we are not using it as an excuse.

"We have to play better and should’ve beaten Parma today no matter the circumstances."Garcia also addressed the boos and jeers which rang around the sparsely populated Stadio Olimpico at the half-time and full-time whistle, acknowledging that fans have a right to be annoyed with recent results.

"The fans are disappointed, that’s normal, and so are we after a draw against the bottom club in Serie A," he added. "We made a mistake and now have to give everything in the next game.

"Roma fans want to see us win. Congratulations to Parma, though, as they never gave up and closed all the spaces."

 

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Kolo Toure retires from international football

Kolo Toure has called time on his international career a week after helping Cote d'Ivoire win the Africa Cup of Nations.

The Liverpool defender, who turns 34 next month, converted a crucial penalty as Herve Renard's defeated Ghana 9-8 in a thrilling shootout in last Sunday's final.

Toure revealed in December that he planned to retire after the African showpiece and has now confirmed that he has played his last game for les Elephants, having amassed over 100 caps for his country.

"It is with great emotion that I inform you that it is time to say goodbye," Toure told TV channel RTI. "My goal was to win the Africa Cup of Nations and I must admit that it was a very difficult decision to make.

"I do love my country and especially love football, but at some point, there comes a time to stop."

Toure made his international debut in 2000 and represented Cote d'Ivoire at three World Cups.

 

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Mancini: Great Guarin repaying Inter's faith

Roberto Mancini is delighted that Fredy Guarin is "repaying" Inter for the faith the club have shown him with a brilliant performance in their 4-1 win over Atalanta on Sunday.

Guarin played a starring role and won the penalty that Xherdan Shaqiri converted in the second minute before Maximiliano Moralez's leveller after 27 minutes.

The visitors regained the lead through Guarin's low curling effort before half-time and Atalanta were reduced to 10 men after the break when Yohan Benalouane received two bookings in a minute.Just after the hour mark, Guarin scored an even more spectacular goal and then set up Rodrigo Palacio, prompting Mancini's tribute.

He told the club's official website: "Fredy is a great player and it was strange to see him not performing to the best of his abilities earlier in the season."He's a very good midfielder and this will help him gain confidence and relax on the pitch.

"It's not vital for him to score, but of course it helps. We put our faith in him and he's repaying us with some great form."The victory in Bergamo was a second successive league win - the first time this has happened since October - and Mancini hopes the result represents progress and is not a false dawn.

"We’re delighted because we've come to a tough ground and won," he added. "I'm pleased with the performance, though there were still a few too many mistakes that made life difficult for us."We had some problems after going 0-1 up, but then after they equalised we took control of the game again.

"Of course, we're in a better position having won two games on the spin, but there's still work to do. We're not out of the woods yet, but we hope this is a big step forward for us."