..::Football IV::..

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Full Time

Bristol City 2 Vs 1 Manchester United

Bristol City Goal(s)

Bryan 51'
Smith 90'+3'

&

Manchester United Goal(s)


Ibrahimovic 58'


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[Wolverine GTR]

Dinaganna thibba match eka nathiunaExtra-time gihillath fight karanna thibba

Bristol City patta.Championship team ekak unath godak hodata play kalaNext season Premier League Qualified wenna puluwan unoth hoda fight ekak dei

Bad luck for Manchester Unitedgodak scoring chances miss una ath hoda attack ekak dunnaSpecially 2nd half.Attack after attack but not enough

Next Leicester City match eka.Good luck Manchester United!
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[charitha chandi]

City mokadda ban wela thiyenne ..! patta form eka inn neh..!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

City mokadda ban wela thiyenne ..! patta form eka inn neh..!

Ow aiya...CITY meh season eke performance patta​

 

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Bristol City 2 Manchester United 1: Last-gasp Smith winner dumps out EFL Cup holders

Korey Smith's stoppage-time winner stunned EFL Cup holders Manchester United, as Championship side Bristol City beat Jose Mourinho's men 2-1 at Ashton Gate to secure a semi-final berth.

United's team was not lacking in star quality, with Paul Pogba – returning from suspension – starting alongside the likes of Marcus Rashford, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Anthony Martial, but City produced a marvellous performance, Smith's last-gasp winner sparking scenes of jubilation and a pitch invasion at Ashton Gate.Ibrahimovic and Rashford both hit the woodwork in the first half, but United were by no means in control and City opened the scoring as Joe Bryan netted emphatically just after the break.




An equaliser followed swiftly, though, with Ibrahimovic – making his first start of the season – scoring a free-kick, eight months on from his last goal after a long injury layoff.And although United continued to create chances, with Romelu Lukaku going close a couple of times, City also remained a potent force in attack.

When extra-time appeared to be beckoning, Smith latched onto Matt Taylor's fine pass and blasted in from close-range in the very last minute to send the Robins into the final four.


Victory was rich reward for a City side that never looked intimidated and the first chance fell to them, as Sergio Romero tipped over a Josh Brownhill free-kick after just six minutes.United soon woke up and went close themselves, with Ibrahimovic seeing a deflected effort come back off the crossbar following Pogba's cross.

The visitors struck the frame of the goal for a second time in the 21st minute – Rashford hitting the inside of the right-hand post from 20 yards.Still City looked unperturbed, despite United's chances, and they looked destined to break the deadlock just before the interval.

Smith played a quick one-two with Bobby Reid on the edge of the area and darted into the box with only Romero to beat, but Daley Blind tracked his run and made a vital last-ditch tackle.They were not to be denied just after the break, however.Bryan raced on to a brilliant reverse pass played in behind Marcos Rojo by Marlon Pack and then unleashed a stunning left-footed drive into the top-far corner, leaving Romero utterly helpless.

Ibrahimovic restored parity just before the hour mark, however, skimming a 20-yard free-kick under the City wall and finding the bottom-right corner via a slight deflection.

Mourinho soon introduced Lukaku and Henrikh Mkhitaryan – making only his second appearance since November 5 – and the Belgian nearly got United's second 14 minutes from the end, but Luke Steele pushed his header wide with a fine save.Chances continued to flow at both ends of the pitch, with the lively Jamie Paterson shooting just over for City, before Steele again did brilliantly to stop Lukaku.

But just when an extra 30 minutes looked certain, City pounced on a Scott McTominay error and Smith kept his cool from 10 yards at the end of an incisive move to secure Lee Johnson's men a shock place in the semi-finals.

 

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Chelsea 2 Bournemouth 1: Morata breaks Cherries' hearts with last-gasp winner

Alvaro Morata snatched a dramatic 91st minute winner moments after Bournemouth had equalised as Chelsea reached the EFL Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.

Introduced in the 73rd minute, Spain strike Morata broke the visitors' hearts by combining with fellow substitute Eden Hazard to book his side's place in the final four.

The decisive goal came just 75 seconds after Dan Gosling had curled the Cherries level, appearing to reward Eddie Howe's men from a dogged second-half fightback.




But they were ultimately denied what would have been the club's first ever appearance in the next stage, with Chelsea instead still in contention for a second EFL Cup triumph in the space of four seasons.Willian earlier capped a well-constructed move in the 13th minute to give his side a lead, which they held for almost the entire match.

And Bournemouth's disappointment will be compounded by the first-half loss of Jermain Defoe, who was forced off early following a heavy challenge from Ethan Ampadu.


Ampadu was brought in as one of eight changes for Chelsea and the teenager's first act was to go in late on Defoe, who was unable to continue beyond the 17th minute.Chelsea were already ahead by the time of his substitution courtesy of a delightful team move.

Michy Batshuayi's pass enabled Kenedy to free Cesc Fabregas with a classy first-time back-heel and, from inside the area, the Spain midfielder unselfishly squared for Willian to tap home.

Defoe's replacement Jordon Ibe fired wide of the near post with a chance to issue a quick response, although the hosts quickly reasserted their dominance over possession and territory.

Batshuayi drew a close-range smother from Artur Boruc after being put through on an angle by Pedro, before Gary Cahill audaciously volleyed the half-clearance marginally over the bar.Bournemouth survived to the break without further damage and returned with renewed impetus, winning a trio of corners in quick succession.

Lys Mousset drew another when his effort from Ibe's pass was deflected over the bar as Howe's men continued to grow in confidence.Conte moved to alleviate the mounting pressure by introducing Hazard and Tiemoue Bakayoko in a double change, although the Cherries were inching closer to an equaliser.



Ibe first whistled a shot past the left post and Gosling went one better in the 90th minute, clinically curling beyond the outstretched Willy Caballero to spark wild celebrations among the away fans.

But their joy quickly turned to despair as, from the resultant kick-off, Chelsea stunningly restored their lead, Hazard skilfully setting Morata through for a cool one-on-one finish.

The striker's subsequent celebrations earned him a yellow card and a suspension, though, meaning he will miss Saturday's trip to Everton in the only dampener on the hosts' delight.

 

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PSG 3 Caen 1: Cavani and birthday-boy Mbappe on target in routine win

Edinson Cavani edged closer towards becoming Paris Saint-Germain's all-time record scorer after netting the opener in their comfortable 3-1 win over Caen, while Kylian Mbappe celebrated his 19th birthday in style.

Uruguay striker Cavani scored with a superb flicked finish midway through the first half to move to 155 goals – one behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic's record – and set Unai Emery's side up for a routine evening.

Mbappe, playing on his birthday, had showed an electrifying blend of pace and skill to set up Cavani for that goal before getting on the scoresheet himself after 57 minutes.




Wonderfully teed up by the impressive Argentinian midfielder Giovani Lo Celso, the France international coolly slotted home to continue his fine start to life at the Parc des Princes.

Cavani missed a number of clear openings to add to his tally and will now have to wait until at least January 7 to pull past Ibrahimovic when the Ligue 1 giants take on Rennes in the Coupe de France.

Yuri Berchiche drilled in a third for the league leaders - who remain nine points clear of Monaco - after clever play from Neymar, before Caen scored a late consolation when Ivan Santini netted from the penalty spot.


PSG started in typically dominant fashion and should have opened the scoring inside five minutes, but Mbappe uncharacteristically blazed over the crossbar after taking a touch past goalkeeper Remy Vercoutre to create room for the shot.

He made up for that miss in the 21st minute as his scintillating run from just inside the Caen half gave him room to tee up Cavani, who sumptuously backheeled past Vercoutre for his 19th Ligue 1 goal of the campaign.

Ronny Rodelin nearly struck back immediately for the visitors, but Kevin Trapp was equal to his well-struck volley, before Cavani squandered a glorious chance to grab his second, drilling agonisingly past the left post.

Neymar, who had been on the periphery of the game, came close to doubling the hosts' advantage shortly before the interval, whipping a free-kick inches over the crossbar.

Cavani continued to be at the heart of everything and just failed to make a solid connection to Lo Celso's throughball moments after the restart.Caen clearly had no designs on damage limitation and they one more forced Trapp into action as he palmed Frederic Guilbert's powerful drive over, before Cavani again squandered an opportunity, scuffing wide at the back post.Mbappe then got the goal his effervescent display deserved as he met Lo Celso's fine cross to send a controlled half-volley in for his eighth league goal of the campaign.



Lo Celso was denied a memorable first Ligue 1 goal when his exquisite chip was tipped wide by Vercoutre, while Neymar saw his low effort tipped onto the post by the overworked goalkeeper. There was still time for a third as former Real Sociedad full-back Berchiche scored his first goal for the club with a powerful finish.

Caen at least ensured a late consolation when Thiago Silva was adjudged to have blocked a shot with his arm and Santini duly slotted home from the resulting spot-kick.

 

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Bayern Munich 2 Borussia Dortmund 1: Boateng, Muller earn DFB-Pokal revenge

Bayern Munich moved into the fourth round of the DFB-Pokal after a 2-1 win over holders Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena.First-half goals from Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller were enough to keep Bayern's treble dreams alive and avenge a semi-final defeat at the hands of Dortmund last season, despite Andriy Yarmolenko's lifeline.

The result is Peter Stoger's first defeat since taking charge of BVB this month, with his side having won back-to-back Bundesliga matches since he was appointed as successor to Peter Bosz.




Dortmund stunned Bayern in the last four in 2016-17 as they came from two goals down to win 3-2, but their chances of another upset were dealt a blow before kick-off as the injured Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang failed to make the squad.

Boateng nodded the home side ahead in the 12th minute after a spell of early dominance and Muller doubled the lead before the break at the end of a fine passing move, shortly after Yarmolenko had seen an effort cleared off the line.

Dortmund improved in the second half but they had Roman Burki to thank for keeping his side just about in the contest, the goalkeeper making excellent saves to deny James Rodriguez and Muller in particular.

Yarmolenko gave BVB some hope but Bayern held out for their sixth win in a row in all competitions, and they can now prepare for a quarter-final tie beginning in January, with duties for 2017 completed.


Bayern's bright start almost yielded a goal in the third minute, with Arturo Vidal smacking the crossbar with a diving header following Joshua Kimmich's pinpoint cross.

Burki could only watch the ball bounce clear but the goalkeeper was in the thick of the action five minutes later, standing tall to block Robert Lewandowski's chip after the striker sprung Dortmund's offside trap.

Shortly after, Burki blocked a rasping drive from Franck Ribery before Lewandowski hooked the rebound wide, as Bayern continued to threaten in the opening exchanges.The breakthrough duly arrived with 12 minutes gone, as Boateng steered the rebound into the right-hand corner of the net after Niklas Sule crashed a header off the bar.

Dortmund had offered little support to Yarmolenko and Christian Pulisic in attack but they almost snatched an equaliser 10 minutes before the break, with Yarmolenko placing a shot past Sven Ulreich only for David Alaba to clear brilliantly off the line.

It proved to be a costly miss as, five minutes later, Bayern doubled their lead. Lewandowski's clever pass sent Muller free into the penalty area, where he chipped a clever finish past Burki from six yards out.

The home side nearly had a third in the first minute of the second half, with Burki getting down swiftly to claw away James' effort, before Sule headed the resulting corner over the bar.



Muller thought he had scored a second when he met Alaba's cross at the right-hand post, only for Burki to produce the save of the match, the Switzerland goalkeeper lifting a foot to keep out the header.

Shinji Kagawa shot wide from a tight angle as Dortmund pushed forward looking for a lifeline, but Muller nearly squeezed in his side's third on the counter-attack, with James just unable to connect with the loose ball.

Bayern were punished for dropping deeper and deeper with 13 minutes left, as Yarmolenko headed past Ulreich after being picked out brilliantly by Kagawa, but Dortmund could not manage another famous comeback as they ended 2017 in disappointing fashion.

 

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Juventus 2 Genoa 0: Dybala & Higuain secure Coppa Italia quarter-final spot

Juventus booked their spot in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia with a 2-0 win over Genoa thanks to goals from Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain
Dybala was back in the team for the visit of Genoa and opened the scoring towards the end of the first half as he curled a low shot past goalkeeper Eugenio Lamanna.Juventus dominated the first half but it was a different story as Genoa responded after the break and had chances to equalise.




A mistake from Andrea Barzagli almost proved costly before striker Andrey Galabinov twice went close to levelling.Massimiliano Allegri cut a frustrated figure on the sidelines as his much-changed team laboured at times in the second half, until Higuain made the game safe on 76 minutes.

The striker struck low, after good work from Dybala, to secure the win in what was a tougher game than the hosts may have expected, against a team struggling at the foot of the Serie A table.


Allegri made eight changes to his starting line-up but still had plenty of quality on show with Federico Bernardeschi back in the team and at the heart of the hosts' best attacking moves in the opening 45 minutes.The Italian set up Douglas Costa for Juve's first effort on goal after 24 minutes, but the Brazilian's shot was parried to safety by goalkeeper Lamanna.

The Juventus threat increased as the half wore on and Genoa were warned again when Claudio Marchisio latched onto a cross before turning and firing over the bar.Dybala then hit a shot wide on 38 minutes before Lamanna did well to touch a Bernardeschi free-kick onto the bar and out for a corner.

However, Juventus were not to be denied and Dybala finally broke through with just three minutes of normal time remaining in the first half, curling a low, left-footed shot past Lamanna.

Genoa had a glorious chance to equalise shortly after the break as a poor pass from Barzagli allowed Ricardo Centurion to latch onto the ball, but he could not quite get his shot away and could only run the ball out of play. Juventus goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny was then called into action for the first time of the evening, touching a fierce strike from Galabinov over the bar.

With an hour gone, Allegri sent on Higuain for Costa but still Genoa threatened, Galabinov shooting fractionally wide of the post as the game started to open up.


Unsurprisingly Giorgio Chiellini also came on as a substitute, in a bid to strengthen the home defence and add some authority to a backline that was being tested by a Genoa side with little to lose.Juventus then showed the difference in quality late on to secure the win, as Dybala slid in a pass to Higuain who finished expertly to double Juve's lead.

The hosts then survived a late scare as Genoa were awarded a penalty, after Kwadwo Asamoah tangled with Pietro Pellegri in the penalty area, only for referee Fabio Maresca to reverse the decision after consulting with the VAR.

 

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Torres eager for Barcelona and Man Utd target Griezmann to stay at Atletico


Fernando Torres is hopeful Atletico Madrid can keep hold of Antoine Griezmann amid reported interest from Barcelona and Manchester United.

Atletico reported Barca to FIFA over their alleged pursuit of the France striker, who is said to have rejected the advances of Jose Mourinho's side in pre-season.
And Torres, who is keen to extend his own deal which expires at the end of the campaign, believes Atletico can retain Griezmann's services."Atletico can sign and retain the world's best players, as we have shown," he told Radio Marca.

"Griezmann is still here at the club and we all want him to stay of course, but you would have to ask him on his future and what he wants to do next."
Griezmann, who has scored five goals in La Liga so far this season, has a contract at the Wanda Metropolitano until June 2022.On his own future, Torres said: "I want to stay here forever, I have a half year on my contract, and it does not depend on me."Atletico are currently second in La Liga, six points behind leaders Barca, and take on Espanyol on Friday.

 

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Bayern chief confirms Wagner signing close


Bayern Munich hope to announce the signing of Sandro Wagner in the coming days, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has confirmed.

The 30-year-old has for a number of weeks been expected to complete a move to the Bundesliga champions in the transfer window.Bayern have reportedly agreed a fee worth in the region of €12 million for the forward, who progressed through the youth academy and made his senior debut for the club in 2007.

"I can basically confirm we're on the home stretch with Sandro Wagner," he told ARD ahead of Bayern's 2-1 DFB-Pokal win over Borussia Dortmund.
"There are a few small technical details to work out."

Wagner is expected to join to take some of the attacking burden off Robert Lewandowski, who suggested last month that he wanted Bayern to add more depth to the squad so he could rest more regularly."It would be a relief for me to play 15 or 20 minutes less in a game, then you have more energy for forthcoming games and a higher probability of staying fit and minimising the risk of injury," he told Sport Bild.

Wagner, who won the Confederations Cup with Germany this year, has scored four goals in 11 league appearances this season.

 

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Emery: Real Madrid favourites for Clasico against Barca


Real Madrid should be considered favourites for Saturday's Clasico against Barcelona, according to Paris Saint-Germain head coach Unai Emery.

LaLiga titleholders Madrid welcome leaders Barca to the Santiago Bernabeu, with the Spanish and European champions 11 points adrift in fourth position.Madrid, however, do have a match in hand following their successful Club World Cup campaign.

And Emery – who will attend the blockbuster fixture as he prepares for PSG's Champions League last-16 tie against Madrid – believes home-ground advantage makes Zinedine Zidane's men favourites."They are many points behind, but on Saturday if one team is favourite to win then it should be Real Madrid, as they're at home," Emery told Marca.

"[Home advantage] is important in a Clasico."Furthermore, Real Madrid are playing to stay alive in La Liga."They need the three points and home advantage is quite important. But you cannot rule out Atletico Madrid for LaLiga either."

After reigning supreme in La Liga and the Champions League in 2016-17, Madrid have failed to reach those lofty heights this season – struggling for consistency.But Emery said: "The fact they've not started well in La Liga could mean something for the second half of the season."When the most important matches come along, I am convinced they'll be good.

"Real Madrid still have a really good team."They have won the last two Champions League titles and a LaLiga title."

 

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Mata: Cup humbling by Bristol City no tragedy for Man Utd


Juan Mata insists exiting the Carabao Cup at the hands of Championship side Bristol Cit is “not a tragedy” for Manchester United.

The Red Devils suffered a shock humbling by the second-tier outfit at the quarter-final stage of a competition they conquered last season.Another piece of silverware has now been surrendered, having claimed three trophies in 2016-17, but there remains plenty still to play for.

That is the mindset being adopted by Mata, with the Spaniard adamant that those in Jose Mourinho’s squad will put a disappointing setback behind them and go again on other fronts.

"When you play for a club like Manchester United every defeat is a massive blow for everyone," the 29-year-old, who was an unused substitute at Ashton Gate, told Sky Sports.


"For the fans, for you but especially for us. We suffer when we don't win because there's such a high standard in this football club to try and win every game.

"But we need to understand that defeat is part of sport and part of football and it can happen so it's not a tragedy."It's not good at all, but we need to move on and accept it as a part of football and keep moving.

"Obviously we would like to win every single game and we would like to try to do so until the end of the season."With one route to Wembley now blocked off, Mata says attention will switch to other trophy chases.

United are 11 points adrift in the Premier League title race, but still in contention, while an FA Cup campaign will kick off in 2018 and a Champions League quest continued at the last-16 stage.

Mata added on the back of a dramatic exit from one tournament: "It was a competition that we won in February, it was a good way to face the start of the season lifting that trophy at Wembley."We haven't been able to do it this season but we need to move on and we have other competitions to play for.

"Hopefully we can still go to Wembley in the FA Cup, we are playing in the Champions League where we play Seville and there's still many games to go."

Mourinho’s men will get plenty of opportunity to shake their cup setback from the system over the coming weeks, with United back in action against Leicester on Saturday.They then play host to Burnley on Boxing Day before wrapping up 2017 with a visit from Southampton.

The New Year is opened at Everton, before another test against Championship opposition arrives in the form of an FA Cup third round clash with Derby.

 

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Neymar: PSG can claim Real Madrid scalp in Champions League


Neymar is adamant Paris Saint-Germain have what it takes to knock Real Madrid out of the Champions League when they meet in the last 16.

The Ligue 1 leaders were dealt a difficult draw against the reigning champions despite topping their group ahead of Bayern Munich as Madrid trailed Tottenham.PSG were infamously dumped out in the round of 16 last season as they coughed up a 4-0 first-leg lead over Barcelona to lose 6-5 on aggregate.

But Neymar, who has been linked with a transfer to Los Blancos, believes his side will not fall at the same hurdle this time around.

"We know it will be a difficult game. Real Madrid's players have been playing together for many years and aspire to their third consecutive title," the Brazil star said at a press conference for PSG's Qatar Winter Tour.

"But I know we can beat them."We want to make history and we will do everything possible to defeat them."First on Madrid's agenda is their clash with Barca in Saturday's El Clasico as they try to go about reeling in an 11-point deficit.

PSG boss Unai Emery, who will be in attendance, tipped Zinedine Zidane's men to make the most of their home advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu."They are many points behind, but on Saturday if one team is favourite to win then it should be Real Madrid as they are at home," Emery told Marca."When the most important matches come along, I am convinced they will be good. Real Madrid still have a really good team."

 

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Griezmann commitment of no concern to Atletico amid Barcelona transfer talk


Diego Simeone has no qualms over Antoine Griezmann's dedication to Atletico Madrid despite the player being at the centre of a tug-of-war with Barcelona.

Atleti lodged a complaint to FIFA this week over their La Liga rivals' alleged pursuit of the France star.The move came in response to Barca director Guillermo Amor stating club president Josep Maria Bartomeu could have met with Griezmann's family.

However, Simeone insists the 26-year-old's state of mind has not been affected by the speculation surrounding his future."The board is managing it in the best way, looking for what is best for the club," Simeone told reporters ahead of Friday's trip to Espanyol.

"I am very happy with Antoine. I base my thoughts on what I see and I see that he is very involved and committed."Because of his [hamstring] injury, he faced [Deportivo] Alaves the other day without being 100 per cent.

"He is doing well with his team-mates and he is a fundamental player for us. These are all positives."I trust Griezmann and I believe in him. The best is yet to come."Atleti could close to within three points of leaders Barca by winning a fifth successive La Liga match against Espanyol.

And while victory would ramp up the pressure on Ernesto Valverde's side ahead of El Clasico, Simeone is not prepared to consider his team as title contenders."It is too early to talk. Everything is changing," he said."Reality is the only thing that counts and that means doing well against Espanyol tomorrow."

 

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Coman extends Bayern Munich deal to 2023


Bayern Munich have announced winger Kingsley Coman has signed a three-year contract extension, committing his future to the Bundesliga champions to 2023.

Coman initially joined Bayern on a two-season loan from Juventus in 2015 but converted the move into a permanent transfer worth €28 million in April.

The France international had signed with Bayern to 2020, but after a strong individual start to the new campaign, and with the team now dominant atop the table under coach Jupp Heynckes, he was rewarded with fresh terms on Thursday.

Coman's new six-year deal comes the same day as the signing of Sandro Wagner from Bundesliga rivals Hoffenheim on a two-and-a-half-year contract, a transfer that was completed for a reported fee of €13m.
Coman has made 15 Bundesliga appearances this season, scoring two goals, to help Bayern establish an 11-point lead at the top of the table.
The 21-year-old, who started his career at Paris Saint-Germain, made a substitute appearance as Bayern signed off for the winter break with a 2-1 DFB-Pokal defeat of rivals Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday.Coman, seen as the likely heir to 34-year-old compatriot Franck Ribery, is thrilled to have agreed a new Bayern deal.

"I am very happy and satisfied that I will play for this club for a long time," Coman said. "I feel very comfortable at Bayern and in Munich."

 

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FA takes no action over Manchester derby tunnel row


No formal action will be taken by the Football Association (FA) over an incident in the tunnel following Manchester City's Premier League win at Manchester United.Players and staff from both sides reportedly clashed after City's 2-1 derby victory at Old Trafford earlier this month.

Referee Michael Oliver did not witness the incident and did not file a report, leaving the FA to investigate the skirmish, which allegedly began when United manager Jose Mourinho approached the City dressing room to complain about music being played loudly.

"Following a review of the evidence provided by the clubs and independent eyewitnesses, the FA will be taking no formal action," an FA statement released on Thursday said.Both clubs had been asked for their observations and were granted additional time to respond to the governing body.

Separately, Mourinho was asked to explain comments he made to the media in the build-up to the derby, when the Portuguese appeared to accuse City of gamesmanship, saying: "A little bit of wind and they fall." Following the December 10 derby - which City won thanks to goals from David Silva and Nicolas Otamendi to move 11 points clear of United in the Premier League table - Mourinho explained his part in the incident.

"The only thing I can say is it was just a question of diversity; diversity in behaviours, diversity in education," Mourinho, who was reportedly splashed with milk during the fracas, told reporters when asked about the alleged flashpoint."Nothing more than that. That's all I'm going to say."In response to Mourinho's complaint, City coach Pep Guardiola insisted his players had not set out to rile their neighbours following the victory.

"Our intention was not that [to upset United]. Our intention was to celebrate inside the locker room our happiness, because we were happy," he said."If people can't understand that then I am sorry. We were so happy, we won a derby and wanted to celebrate in the locker room.

"If in that we offend Man United – not just one player, not Jose, not the players – Man United, I apologise."

 

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Mourinho escapes punishment over pre-Manchester derby dive comments


Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will face no formal action over comments he made to the media ahead of the Manchester derby, the Football Association (FA) has confirmed.

Mourinho accused City of gamesmanship in the build-up to the December 10 meeting, which Pep Guardiola's side won 2-1 at Old Trafford to move 11 points clear at the top of the Premier League table.

The Portuguese suggested City used "tactical fouls" to break up their opponent's rhythm, while questioning whether the table-toppers acted honestly.

"A little bit of wind and they fall," Mourinho had said, prompting the FA to ask the United manager to explain his comments.While the FA confirmed on Thursday the body has opted not to charge Mourinho, he was warned about his future conduct.

"Following a review of the evidence provided by the club, the FA will be taking no formal action, but have reminded Jose Mourinho any further public comments about match officials may result in disciplinary action," an FA statement read.

Earlier on Thursday, the FA confirmed there will be no formal action taken against either United or City following a skirmish involving players and staff in the Old Trafford tunnel.Mourinho reportedly approached the City dressing room to complain about loud music being played, leading to a clash involving up to 30 people.

"Following a review of the evidence provided by the clubs and independent eyewitnesses the FA will be taking no formal action," said the organisation's statement.

 

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