..::Football III::..

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'Phenomenon' Higuain is the perfect finisher – Maccarone

Empoli striker Massimo Maccarone has weighed in on the upcoming top-of-the-table clash between Juventus and Napoli, claiming the latter have “the perfect finisher” in the form of Gonzalo Higuain.The match has been stylised as Juve's defence versus the Partenopei's attack, but the 36-year-old feels that singling out sections of each team for praise is misguided.

“It's restrictive,” Maccarone told Goal. “Napoli's strength, other than the phenomenon of Higuain, comes from organisation across all departments.

“If team-mates don't put you in a position to score, even the best striker will struggle. But Higuain is the best finisher for this team.“Juventus have more individuality, you can't just say they have a strong defence – just look at the attacking quality!

“Juve defend well because their players have spent a lot of time together, but they're far more than just a defensive team.”

Maurizio Sarri has overseen Napoli's rise to the top of Serie A since his arrival from Empoli, Maccarone's current team, and the striker said that he knew his former boss would flourish if they players listened to his ideas.

“He has the full support of the squad,” he added. “That doesn't always happen at top teams, but it seems the players are listening to what Sarri has to say and the results are evidence of that.“I think he has a group of players who are doing their best to get it right, who have understood that by playing in a certain way you can achieve great things.

“And when results follow, players are happy.”On the result, Maccarone was careful not to come off the fence, but feels that his former boss' methodology can lead his new side to victory against the reigning champions.

“They are two very strong teams,” he went on. “When we faced Juventus at home it was not the team as they are now, but they have shown with their recent recovery that they have an incredible winning mentality as well as a very large squad.

“Napoli’s is not so big, but having said that and knowing the ideas of Sarri well, I am sure that they can go to Turin to attack and to win.”

 

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Klopp: Coutinho free-kick one of the smartest in history

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has hailed Philippe Coutinho's free-kick against West Ham as "one of the smartest in history" and is delighted to have him available for the Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

The Brazil international returned to action following a hamstring injury in the 2-1 FA Cup defeat this week and marked his comeback with a superb free-kick that he rolled beneath the jumping West Ham wall from 20 yards.

Coutinho is in line to be involved in Sunday's game at Villa Park and Klopp is thrilled to see him return alongside striker Daniel Sturridge, as Liverpool aim to mount a final push for the top four.

"It was one of the smartest free-kicks in football history. It was really cool," he said on Friday. "I don't know many teams who he can't play for. He's had two injuries in the season and has to come back in his rhythm, and we will try to help him this way.

"Phil is always someone who can make a difference but he's not alone, and it's not about quality, but physical qualities. It's not possible he's 100 per cent but he's in a really good way and that's good news for sure."He added of Sturridge: "We need to think about how he can manage minutes but he made a big step in the last week and I've made no final decisions about line-up. Until now, everything is like it should be."

Klopp deployed an attacking line-up against Slaven Bilic's men, but he admits he will likely be a little more conservative against a Villa side battling for Premier League survival.

He said: "It was a risky formation but we want to win the game. We saw the chance for doing this but it isn't a line-up that is likely for a Premier League game.

"You need balance and rhythm and you cannot force it by bringing on all your strikers. For this game it was okay. Christian and Daniel can play together, at Southampton Daniel and Divock [Origi], but it's always about what you need for a special opponent. You can't ignore the other team, you have to defend in different spaces."

Christian Benteke endured another frustrating game against West Ham and is still yet to score in 2016, and, while Klopp is confident the Belgium striker will soon recapture his form, he admits returning to face his old club could place unnecessary pressure on the 25-year-old.

"I liked what I saw at West Ham. It isn't the easiest period of his career but it would be a bigger problem if he wasn't getting the chances," he said.

"What we are doing is in the public interest so we cannot hide ourselves. I talked to him a few times, gave him some advice as a coach and human being, and he's tried to come back to an easy moment."I don't know if he returns with open arms or whistles, I do not know his situation. It's all about work and circumstances and we will see what the line-up is.

"Sometimes players put themselves under more pressure when they face their former club. I don't have the best experience of it."

Klopp confirmed that Joe Allen is set to miss Sunday's game with a shoulder injury, while Dejan Lovren is also unlikely to have recovered from a muscle problem.

 

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Dybala and Verratti have Barcelona DNA - Xavi

Xavi believes Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti and Juventus forward Paulo Dybala have " Barcelona DNA" and are destined to end up at Camp Nou at some stage in the future.

Verratti is seen as Andrea Pirlo's heir with the Italian national team and has been PSG's premier playmaker since joining from Pescara in 2012.

Dybala, meanwhile, has been one of Juventus' undisputed star men this term, scoring 13 Serie A goals and assisting eight more as Massimilano Allegri's side have put together a club-record 14-game winning run to launch themselves into contention for a fifth-straight Scudetto.Xavi is thoroughly impressed by the duo and feels they would both be a great fit for Barca.

"There are two players out there who I really like and who I think have Barcelona DNA," Xavi told El Mundo Deportivo ."I am talking about Verratti and Dybala. They are incredible.

"They would fit in easily at Barcelona because of their quality and style of play. I see future Barcelona players in them."

Paul Pogba is another player who has been heavily linked with Barcelona, but Xavi is not sure the Juventus midfielder would be the right man for the Champions League holders."Pogba is a great player," he added. "I have experienced him as an opponent on the pitch.

"He will make an impact with France just like he does with Juventus.
"But his style of play is different than that of Barcelona."I am not saying he is a bad player, though, on the contrary. I would happily take him as a coach."

 

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Van Gaal: Schweinsteiger needs to change his mindset

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has sent Bastian Schweinsteiger on holiday in a bid to change his mindset.

The midfielder has missed United's last six matches in all competitions after picking up a knee injury in the 1-0 win over Sheffield United in the FA Cup third round in January.

And Van Gaal believes a break may help Schweinsteiger in his bid to return to full fitness.

"I cannot say Bastian is returning within two weeks because I have given him, more or less, a little holiday as he has to change his mindset also," the Dutchman told MUTV.

"It's good for players. I have done that also with Antonio Valencia, Marcos Rojo and Luke Shaw, for example, when you are injured for longer than normal."

Val Gaal also provided updates on Phil Jones, Guillermo Varela and Adnan Januzaj, who were all injured while playing for United's Under-21s in their 7-0 victory over Norwich City on Monday.

"It's not looking good because I also let my players play in the second team and various players were injured again," he added. "They're not very nasty injuries but I still have to give them time to recover.

"It is a big pity because Jones is a very good central defender and we are missing him and also Marcos Rojo for a long time already.

"The light at the end of the tunnel is more for Rojo and for Valencia [who both had operations]. They are coming back and I hope it's as soon as possible."

United travel to Sunderland on Saturday knowing that a victory will move them to within three points of the Champions League places, with fourth-placed Manchester City hosting Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

 

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Carpi 1-3 Roma: Dzeko ends drought as Spalletti's men win again

Roma 's good form under Luciano Spalletti continued as Friday as Edin Dzeko helped give the visitors a 3-1 win at Carpi that propelled them into Serie A's Champions League qualification places.

The capital club, who sacked coach Rudi Garcia last month, have now won four league matches in succession under Spalletti, with Lucas Digne opening the scoring before Kevin Lasagna pulled the hosts level.

However, Dzeko and Mohamed Salah struck in quick succession to hand the Giallorossi their latest victory moving them to third at the expense of Fiorentina and Inter ahead of a crunch meeting between the duo, now fourth and fifth respectively, on Sunday.

Roma found Vid Belec in a determined mood during the first half at Stadio Alberto Braglia, the Carpi goalkeeper denying Dzeko and Salah, who struck the bar a minute before the break.

Stephan El Shaarawy was replaced by Miralem Pjanic at half-time and the visitors took the lead nine minutes after the restart.

It was the unlikely figure of defender Digne who broke the deadlock, smashing a long-range screamer past the helpless Belec.Carpi levelled five minutes later, Jerry Mbakogu taking advantage of some slack defending from Antonio Rudiger to feed Lasagna , who slotted home.

Despite dominating possession and chances, the away team from the capital looked set to be frustrated in Modena until the 84th minute, when Salah's square ball across the face of goal found Dzeko , who scored his first Serie A goal since November to restore Roma's lead.

And they made sure of all three points 60 seconds later when Salah , provider of the first two, got in on the scoring act by gathering a rebound and beating Belec.

 

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Benfica 1-2 Porto: Herrera & Aboubakar crown memorable derby comeback

Porto came from behind to secure a 2-1 win at bitter rivals Benfica and reignite their title hopes in Portugal's Primeira Liga.

The hosts and two-time defending champions went ahead after 18 minutes at the Estadio de Luz through Greece forward Konstantinos Mitroglou, but Porto captain Hector Herrera hit back with a low drive from the edge of the penalty area 10 minutes later

Jose Peseiro's side completed the turnaround midway through the second half as Vincent Aboubakar powered into the Benfica area and finished clinically.

Veteran Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas made a magnificent save at close quarters to stop Mitroglou netting an equaliser, meaning his side move to third in the league, within three points of Benfica.

Leaders Sporting CP will open up a three point advantage over the champions if they are victorious at Nacional on Saturday.

 

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Man Utd youth coach McGuinness quits after 28 years at Old Trafford

Manchester United youth coach Paul McGuinness has announced he will be stepping down after 28 years at the club to explore other career options in football.
The 49-year-old assumed his role at the Old Trafford academy in 1992 following his retirement as a player, after which he led a group of youngsters including Paul Pogba, Ravel Morrison and Jesse Lingard to FA Youth Cup glory in 2011.

The son of former Red Devils' player and manager Wilf McGuinness, Paul has opted to pursue different avenues in the sport.

"It has been an honour and a privilege to follow in my father Wilf's footsteps and to serve Manchester United in a variety of roles for a total of 28 years," he said in a statement released on United's official website.

"I will be forever grateful to Sir Alex Ferguson for making my dreams come true and inviting me to represent Manchester United as a player and for the last 23 years as a proud member of staff.

“I have so many incredible memories, particularly the FA Youth Cup win in 2011, but I have especially enjoyed working behind the scenes with devoted colleagues, nurturing and coaching young players to reach their potential."I now have other ambitions I would like to fulfil in football that I can only experience outside the club.

"I would like to wish good luck for the future to Louis van Gaal, Ryan Giggs, the first team and all the players and staff at the Academy.”

 

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Van Gaal: I'd be disappointed if Man Utd have approached Mourinho

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has said he would be "disappointed" if the club's board went behind his back to speak to Jose Mourinho.

The Dutchman's future has come under increasing scrutiny in recent weeks, with speculation rife that he was set to be shown the exit door after a torrid December.

United suffered four straight losses and bowed out of the Champions League group stages before a slight revival occured in the new year, but a 1-0 home loss to Southampton in January cast fresh doubt on Van Gaal's position.

Ex-Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has been touted as a potential replacement for his former mentor at Old Trafford ever since he was sacked in December.

And Van Gaal has since stepped forward to address the rumours by stating he would feel betrayed by United's owners if he were to be shown the door now.

"Then, I shall be disappointed, because that is the consequence of what I have said [that he trusts them]," he told reporters.

"In a football world that is possible, I know, but I do not think that. I have a relationship with [club vice-chairman] Ed [Woodward] and [owners] the Glazers, they shall tell me, I think."

The 64-year-old says he does not feel the need to confront the powers that be for assurances about his future before claiming "a lot of media is inventing stories".

Nevertheless, Van Gaal remained adamant a few wins could turn the tide again, adding: "In two games you can be level with your competitor.

"You have to win, and we can win when we are more consistent, when we can finish [off] the game.

"When I say that I have excuses, I do not want to have these excuses. I don’t want to say anything about injuries but we have a group of 26 players and we have 11 injured players or very tired players.

"So we have to cope with that. I can cope with that because for most of the matches we are the better team.”

 

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Van Gaal dismisses questions over Manchester United future

Louis van Gaal has once again moved to dismiss rumours concerning his Manchester United future, insisting certain reports are completely without foundation.

Speculation has mounted in the past week that Jose Mourinho will replace Van Gaal at Old Trafford at the end of the season irrespective of whether United achieve a top-four Premier League finish.

The club have not made any move to deny the reports - something they were prompt to do when rumours over negotiations with Pep Guardiola emerged last month - but Van Gaal is adamant he does not require public backing against stories he considers to be false.

"I said many, many times that not all the media, but a lot of them are inventing stories. You don't have to answer to invented stories. I agree with this policy of the club," he told the media on Friday.

"It's not a question for me, it's a question for the board of Manchester United. I have a contract for three years."When asked if he considered reports over his future to be completely fabricated, he replied: "Yes."

Van Gaal admitted the pressure is mounting to string together a sequence of victories in the Premier League if they are to close the six-point gap to fourth-placed Manchester City.

"We don't have to look to our competitors, you have to win your own matches. That's why we were so frustrated to lose two points against Chelsea," he said, with United preparing to face Sunderland on Saturday."But of course we know the top four have to play against each other so it's certain that some will lose points.

"At the end of the competition the pressure is rising, and you have to cope with that. We're doing great from that perspective, we lost four in a row in December and the way we are playing now, you can only say we are mentally very strong and can cope with the pressure."But that's not enough. We have to improve our results, our consistency. We have to win a lot of matches in a row now."

The future of midfielder Michael Carrick has also been subject to speculation recently, but Van Gaal refused to be drawn on contract talks concerning the 34-year-old.

"I'm always involved [in discussions] because I'm the manager. I don't discuss it with you," he added.

 

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Van Gaal: REAL Man Utd fans are behind Depay

Louis van Gaal insists "real" Manchester United fans are right behind Memphis Depay despite mounting criticism of the winger.

Captain Wayne Rooney had to come to Depay's defence in the wake of the 1-1 draw with Chelsea, with the summer signing facing a barrage of fury from United fans on social media after having gifted possession to the Blues shortly before Diego Costa's late equaliser.

Depay started for the Under-21 side against Norwich City on Monday and produced a strong performance, helping to set up three goals in the 7-0 victory while showing a renewed confidence on the ball.

And Van Gaal believes the support from the crowd means the 21-year-old has the chance to bring that kind of form to the senior side, as United enter a crucial period of the season domestically and in the Europa League."I think it was a very good match for him. He could raise his confidence, I've seen the reaction of the fans, the real fans who look at the second team," Van Gaal told the media on Friday.

"He had three assists and he was enthusiastic. It's good for him, that's why I let him play. I can't play too many in the second team because we have a lot of matches.
"That was more or less the last time I could play with him in the second team."United face Sunderland on Saturday, against whom Depay scored his first Premier League goal in the reverse fixture in September.

 

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Robben still key for Bayern - Guardiola

Pep Guardiola insists that Arjen Robben remains a key figure for Bayern Munich.

The Netherlands international has made just 10 Bundesliga appearances in 2015-16 due to ongoing injury problems, with Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman impressing on the wings in Robben's absence.

Some have even suggested Bayern might be better off without the 32-year-old, but Guardiola has jumped to the defence of the Dutchman.

"Arjen needs time to get back to his best. But he is hugely important for me with his desire to get forward and his strength in one-on-ones," he told reporters.

"He was hardly ever injured during my first two seasons in charge and he is still a key player for me."

Guardiola also insists that he has no problem with Carlo Ancelotti visiting Munich to meet club officials as he prepares to take the reigns at Allianz Arena when the Catalan departs for Manchester City.

"I did not meet Ancelotti," he added.

"I was in Bochum for the DFB-Pokal game and was with my family after the match.

"But it is only normal that he paid a visit to Munich. That is not a problem for me at all."

Bayern take on Augsburg on Sunday and Guardiola has revealed Mario Gotze could make his return after a lengthy spell on the sidelines due to an adductor injury, while Serdar Tasci is in line to make his official debut for the Bavarians.

"I am not sure yet whether Gotze and Tasci will be ready for Sunday," he added.

"The players have a day off on Friday and will then be training on Saturday. We will make a decision after Saturday's training."

 

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Premier League title pressure is on the others - Ranieri

Claudio Ranieri insists Leicester City do not feel any pressure to win the Premier League despite holding a five-point lead over upcoming opponents Arsenal.

Leicester needed an impressive run in the second half of 2014-15 to avoid relegation and they have maintained that stunning form this season to hold top spot with just 13 games to go.

Ranieri's men are now among the favourites to win the title, but the 64-year-old Italian is adamant his players remain unaffected by mounting expectations ahead of a huge clash with third-placed Arsenal at Emirates Stadium on Sunday.

"The pressure's on the others. Tell me why we have pressure? Why must I feel pressure? We just continue to dream with our fans," Ranieri told a press conference. "I think we work so hard to achieve this level. We want to stay at this level. There's no pressure for us.

"It's a crazy Premier League. If it was a normal league there would be a big gap but we will fight to maintain our position. This time I hope the bookmakers are right. They're just words though, not points. Give me points!

"If Leicester are top of the league then it means there are no easy games in the Premier League. Life's short and it's important to be happy. Lots of people have difficult lives.

"We must respect each other. I'm a lucky man."Leicester will still be without Matty James and Jeffrey Schlupp for the Arsenal match, but both are slowly on their way back to full fitness.

"James is working inside with the physio," Ranieri said."Schlupp is starting work outside with us. After Norwich, he will come with me in the first-team squad," he added, referring to the home game against the Canaries on February 27.

 

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Xavi: Mourinho to Man Utd very good for football

Barcelona great Xavi is excited by the idea of Jose Mourinho renewing his rivalry with Pep Guardiola in the Premier League next season should the Portuguese be appointed as Manchester United boss.

It was confirmed this month that former Barca coach Guardiola is to leave his position at Bayern Munich to join Manchester City from next season, with ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid boss Mourinho strongly rumoured to be a target for their cross-city rivals.

Guardiola and Mourinho have had a fractious relationship over recent years - notably during their time in La Liga - and could pit their wits against one another again next term.

Xavi - a key part of Guardiola's hugely successful four-year tenure at Camp Nou - says the Premier League and the wider football world could have cause for excitement.

"I have to confess something: Pep was here in Doha, during the Bundesliga's winter break with Bayern, and he told me that he was going to the Premier League, to Manchester City," the Al Sadd midfielder told Mundo Deportivo."He needed new challenges in his career as a coach, he's had three years at Bayern and he needed to change. He's always wanted to coach in the Premier League.

"I think [Mourinho to United] is very good for football. If they keep it in the usual channels it will be amazing for the Premier League, as it was in the time of Barca and Madrid until things got twisted to a level beyond football.

"Next year could be an amazing duel between Pep and Mourinho, if it's confirmed that Jose is signing for United. It will be attractive."I'm convinced that City will do very well with Pep. Mourinho is a winner but with different types of approaches to football, which they don't share."

United manager Louis van Gaal has regularly reacted badly to questions over his future amid suggestions Mourinho will be appointed a year before the Dutchman's contract expires.

Xavi - handed his Barca debut by Van Gaal in 1998 - added: "I feel very bad for him. He's an honest person and a great coach."He gets on badly with the press and that eventually grinds you down. And on top of that the results haven't been coming, so you get the situation as it is at Manchester United.

"Sometimes we spoke with Luis Enrique about things that Louis van Gaal said or did and it seemed outrageous when we were players. But now we can see he was right, that he was ahead of the rest."

 

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Barclays Premier League 2016.02.13 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2016.02.13 Fixtures

Sunderland Vs Manchester United

Bournemouth Vs Stoke

Crystal Palace Vs Watford

Everton Vs WBA

Norwich City Vs West Ham

Swansea Vs Southampton

Chelsea Vs Newcastle

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Sunderland Vs Manchester United = Big Sam Vs LVG

Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

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LA Liga 2016.02.13 Fixtures

LA Liga 2016.02.13 Fixtures

Real Madrid Vs Athletic Bilbao

Villareal Vs Malaga

Valencia Vs Espanyol

Deportivo Vs Real Betis​

 

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Serie A 2016.02.13 Fixtures

Serie A 2016.02.13 Fixtures

Empoli Vs Frosinone

Chievo Vs Sassuolo

Juventus Vs Napoli​

 

[I_Simon]

 

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Half Time

Sunderland 1 Vs 1 Manchester United

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Full Time

Sunderland 2 Vs 1 Manchester United

Sunderland Goal(s)

Khazri 3'
De Gea 82'(OG)

&

Manchester United Goal(s)

Martial 39'


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