..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Lippi: Nothing can tarnish Buffon as a player or a man


Former Italy and Juventus coach Marcello Lippi believes nothing can tarnish Gianluigi Buffon's career despite the goalkeeper's red card against Real Madrid.

Buffon was sent off late in Juve's Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of Madrid after angrily confronting referee Michael Oliver over a spot-kick awarded to the La Liga giants.The 40-year-old slammed Oliver in an emotional outburst post-match, leading to criticism of the shot-stopper.

But Lippi said Buffon's reputation remained intact, while insisting Oliver got the decision wrong."There is nothing that can tarnish Gianluigi Buffon's splendid career at all, either as a player or a man," he told Omnisport ."Nobody could expect such a game. The same goes for Roma [against Barcelona], to be honest. But Juve and Roma were exceptional.

"For Juventus, there was only an incorrect decision by the referee, who is very good, but in my opinion made a mistake in that case, and destroyed a fantastic Juventus performance."

While Juve bowed out after the late drama, Roma reached the semi-finals following an incredible comeback against Barcelona.Juventus are still on pace to win Serie A, with the side holding a six-point lead on second-placed Napoli.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Celta Vigo 2 Barcelona 2: 10-man leaders hang on to unbeaten record

Barcelona twice led through Ousmane Demeble and Paco Alcacer but Iago Aspas earned Celta Vigo a deserved 2-2 draw against Ernesto Valverde's much-changed side after Sergi Roberto was sent off.

Casting an eye towards Saturday's Copa del Rey showdown against Sevilla, Valverde named an experimental line-up and started with a host of regulars, including Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez on the bench.

Somewhat expectedly, Barca lacked their usual fluency in attack and a disorganised defensive showing coughed up glorious chances to Suarez's countryman Maxi Gomez and Brais Mendez before Ousmane Dembele dispatched his maiden LaLiga goal for the visitors in the 36th minute.



Jonny Otta brought Balaidos to its feet with an equaliser in first-half stoppage time and Celta were in the ascendancy until Messi entered the fray to instantly lift the Barcelona performance.He had no direct involvement in Alcacer's scrambled 64th-minute goal that was not enough to increase Barca's lead at the summit 14 points.

Roberto deservedly being sent off for a crude foul on the relentless Aspas did not help matters and Celta's star man was gifted his 20th goal of the season by an error from the otherwise impressive Marc-Andre ter Stegen eight minutes from time – the officials deciding not to punish the final touch coming off his arm.


Denis Suarez ceded possession in the 10th minute and was relieved to see Celta striker Gomez blast straight at Ter Stegen from Aspas's inviting cross.Paulinho had a shot blocked behind by Jonny and the Brazil international saw his header from the resulting corner bounce back off the post.

Celta responded to that let-off by tearing forward on the break and Mendez should have put them in front from Pione Sisto's pass but curled his shot against the outside of the left upright.

Yerry Mina's sliding challenge was required to thwart Gomez after Barca's makeshift midfield was picked apart, while Ter Stegen – captain for the evening – clawed Mendez's 34th-minute attempt away from the top corner.As such, Barca's opener came again the run of play when Alcacer improvised well, having slightly lost his footing, to chip the ball into Dembele's path for the winger to lash home.

Jonny made a crucial challenge to prevent Paulinho from making it 2-0, meaning the left-back was a fitting recipient of Gomez's low cross to equalise with the final kick of the half.Messi and Roberto replaced Coutinho and Andre Gomes with half an hour to play, embarking upon contrasting substitute appearances.

The mercurial Argentinian immediately orchestrated a mesmerising move, with Lucas Digne tamely prodding the ball into Alvarez's gloves an unsatisfactory conclusion.Digne's fellow full-back Nelson Semedo made a more incisive contribution in the 64th minute – Paulinho bundling his excellent cross beyond Alvarez before Alcacer got the faintest of touches to claim the goal.

Aspas led the charge for a second Celta equaliser and thumped narrowly wide to Ter Stegen's left.The Spain forward was then hauled back by Roberto as he scampered through on goal, leaving referee David Jose Fernandez Borbalan with little option but to brandish the red card.

Aspas fired just over from the free-kick but would not be denied, forcing the ball home when Ter Stegen failed to deal with substitute Emre Mor's excellent cross.
A combination of Ter Stegen and Digne intervened when another substitute Lucas Boye looked set to net the winner but Barca's record-breaking run moves onto 40 games, just.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Inter 4 Cagliari 0: Icardi shines as Nerazzurri climb to third

Mauro Icardi put in a wonderful display as Inter moved up into third place in Serie A with a dominant 4-0 victory over Cagliari at San Siro.The Argentine looked sharp from the off on Tuesday, inspiring Inter from the front as Luciano Spalletti's side made light work of the Sardinians.

Having twice gone close to netting in the first half, Icardi got the goal his performance deserved four minutes after the interval - moving him onto 25 for the league campaign, his best ever tally.Joao Cancelo's first Serie A goal had put the hosts ahead early on, with only wasteful finishing from youngster Yann Karamoh and excellent goalkeeping from Alessio Cragno denying Inter a second before the break.

Icardi's goal opened the floodgates, though, with Marcelo Brozovic curling in a delightful third on the hour before Ivan Perisic put the result beyond all doubt in stoppage time.Spalletti's side now sit, temporarily at least, two points ahead of Lazio and Roma, with the race for the final Champions League places looking set to go down to the wire.

Inter wasted no time in halting their three-game goal drought, Cancelo putting them ahead inside three minutes when his inswinging free-kick somehow drifted through a crowd of players and into the far corner.


Cagliari were fortunate not to be two down five minutes later - Cragno doing well to keep out Perisic's effort before Karamoh shot wide after getting one-on-one.Karamoh looked set to atone for that miss moments later, only for the winger to volley against the bar following fantastic play from Icardi, before Cragno pulled off another fine save to deny Rafinha a maiden Serie A goal.Cagliari had Leandro Castan to thank soon after, as the former Roma defender got across to deny Icardi from point-blank range.

Karamoh finally put the ball in the back of the net in the 45th minute, only for the goal to be disallowed for offside, with Icardi again going close in stoppage time.
Inter's captain did not have to wait long for a goal following the restart, however, keeping his cool to prod home from close range after getting the better of his marker with some neat skill.

Cagliari's luck was out, and Inter soon made it three - Brozovic giving Cragno no chance with a sublime finish into the right-hand corner.Cancelo was the next to try his luck as Inter pressed for a fourth, the full-back finding the roof of the net with a dipping long-range effort, while Karamoh saw a powerful effort well-saved by Cragno.VAR was called upon late on when Marco Andreolli appeared to handle Antonio Candreva’s goal-bound shot, but the referee decided against awarding a penalty.

Ultimately those misses mattered little as Perisic wrapped up a comfortable win with a crisp strike from 20 yards, Inter warming up nicely for a run-in that includes clashes with Juventus and Lazio.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayer Leverkusen 2 Bayern Munich 6: Muller nets hat-trick as final beckons

A Thomas Muller-inspired Bayern Munich crushed Bayer Leverkusen 6-2 on Tuesday to book their place in the DFB-Pokal final in emphatic fashion, as the Bundesliga champions' treble hopes remain on course.Heiko Herrlich's men initially produced a good response to falling two goals down early on, but Bayern ultimately blew Leverkusen away, with Muller scoring a hat-trick in a remarkably comfortable win at the BayArena.

Leverkusen looked as if they were going to be on the end of a hiding after just nine minutes, as Bayern wasted little time in going 2-0 up.Lewandowski got both goals after a rapid start, but the home side were given a way back into the contest shortly after – Lars Bender taking full advantage.

Any encouragement for Leverkusen was quickly snuffed out, however, as ruthless Bayern stepped up and brought the hammer down on their hosts, with Muller and Thiago Alcantara scoring within 15 minutes of the restart.

Muller got himself another in the 64th minute and, although Leon Bailey netted a stunning free-kick late on, things got uglier yet for Leverkusen as Bayern's captain completed his treble to book a final spot in ominous style.


Bayern looked every inch a side determined not to suffer semi-final disappointment for a second season in a row during the early stages, as they raced into a 2-0 lead.
Lewandowski put them in front after just three minutes, turning in from close range after Javi Martinez had shot in his direction.

The visitors got a second soon after – Lewandowski meeting Franck Ribery's chipped cross with a controlled volley that he tucked inside the left-hand post.But out of nowhere Leverkusen got themselves a lifeline with 16 minutes played, as Bayern failed to clear a corner and Bender nodded past the static Sven Ulreich.

Leverkusen looked more threatening in attack for the remainder of the half and nearly levelled seven minutes before the break, but Ulreich produced a fine one-handed save down to his right to keep out Karim Bellarabi's thunderous half-volley.The hosts were quick out of the blocks in the second half and caused panic in the Bayern defence early on – Kevin Volland crucially denied by a Mats Hummels block, before Bellarabi was again stopped by Ulreich.

And Bayern capitalised a few moments later, with Muller latching on to Thiago's throughball and slotting past Leno.Thiago then got in on the act himself in the 61st minute, pouncing on a loose ball in the area and firing into the bottom-left corner shortly after Volland had a goal disallowed for offside at the other end.



Muller swiftly added a fifth, deflecting Arjen Robben's effort beyond Leno after the Dutchman had been picked out by half-time substitute Rafinha.

Bailey netted a glorious consolation in the 72nd minute, finding the goal with a 30-yard free-kick, but Bayern's captain was not done and he rounded off his hat-trick shortly after, bringing Thiago's brilliant long pass down before finishing under Leno from just inside the area.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Brighton and Hove Albion 1 Tottenham 1: Spurs miss chance to strengthen top-four claim

Tottenham missed the opportunity to pull level with Liverpool in third place in the Premier League after being held to a 1-1 draw by Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday.

A win for Mauricio Pochettino's side would have sent them 10 points clear of fifth-placed Chelsea and put them in a strong position to secure a top-four finish.However, they had to settle for a point against the Seagulls and their lead can now be cut to five points if Antonio Conte's side come out on top against Burnley on Thursday.



After a dismal first half, Harry Kane's 26th league goal of the season in the 48th minute looked to have set up the north London side for a routine win.Those hopes were extinguished within 90 seconds as Pascal Gross netted from the penalty spot after Jose Izquierdo was felled in the area.Tottenham did all the pressing in the closing stages, with Christian Eriksen and Lucas Moura coming close, but they were unable to find a winner against Chris Hughton's resolute side.


Tottenham, who handed a first Premier League start to Moura following his January transfer from Paris Saint-Germain, began brightly, but had little to show for their attacking endeavours during a tepid opening 30 minutes.

At the other end, Lewis Dunk tested Hugo Lloris – making his 250th appearance for the club – with a powerful header and Anthony Knockaert saw a deflected long-range effort held by the Spurs goalkeeper.Kane then uncharacteristically lashed over from a good position on the edge of the penalty area, while Moura saw a swerving drive from distance comfortably tipped over by the under-worked Mathew Ryan.

The Seagulls keeper then had to be at his best moments before the interval, getting down smartly to palm away Son Heung-min's low drive after a flowing move from the visitors.

The game burst into life shortly after the interval with two goals in the space of 143 seconds.Kane kicked things off when he powered home from 10 yards out after being teed up the industrious Son, who had done wonderfully to shrug off the attentions of Dunk and keep the ball in play.

Spurs' joy was short-lived, however, as less than a minute later Serge Aurier appeared to trip Izquierdo inside the area.The decision to award a penalty appeared generous, but Gross cared little as he whipped the resulting spot-kick low to Lloris' right for his sixth Premier League goal of the campaign.

Moura should have tested Ryan soon after, but the Brazilian dragged his effort wide after cutting inside from the left.Shane Duffy was then inches away from conceding an own goal as his outstretched boot somewhat fortuitously diverted Eriksen's low effort agonisingly past the far post.

Perhaps with one eye on the FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United on Saturday, Pochettino took Kane off with six minutes remaining. His replacement, Fernando Llorente, struggled to make an impact with only Erik Lamela – who stung the palms of Ryan with a powerful effort – threatening to find a winner in the closing stages.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man City avoid transfer ban after CAS hearing


Manchester City have been informed that they will not be hit with a transfer ban by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, who ruled in the club's favour over an alleged irregular signing.

Argentine club Velez Sarsfield took both City and FIFA to CAS last summer after the world governing body had ruled that the Premier League side's signing of Benjamin Garre, then 16, was legal.City could have been hit with a two-window transfer ban if found guilty but after months of waiting the club were informed on Tuesday that they are in the clear.

"The appeal filed on 12 December, 2016, by Club Atlético Vélez Sarsfield against the decision issued on 24 August, 2016, by the single judge of the sub-committee of the FIFA players' status committee (the challenged decision) is dismissed and, accordingly, the challenged decision is confirmed," a CAS statement said.Velez had initially claimed that City approached Garre when was 15 and then broke transfer rules by signing him shortly after his 16th birthday.

City always believed they were acting within the rules because Garre holds an Italian passport, making him eligible for transfer after turning 16, though Velez appealed to FIFA, claiming that transfer rules state that players aged 18 or under can only move between European clubs.

Velez took their case to CAS after FIFA ruled in City's favour, but the Argentine outfit have now been defeated for a second time.The decision means City have avoided the kind of transfer bans handed out to Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in recent years.

City are at an advanced stage in their transfer plans for next season, having narrowed down their targets in recent weeks. The Blues had identified several options to reinforce their midfield and attack in the early part of the season but are now focused on just a handful of players.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Great players are always criticised' - Benzema not affected by Madrid jeers


Karim Benzema is not letting the jeers directed at him from Real Madrid fans get him down, saying "people have always criticised great players".Benzema has had a difficult season so far with Madrid, scoring just five times in 26 La Liga appearances.

That figure was made to look even worse on Sunday when defensive midfielder Casemiro moved level with Benzema, despite playing a game less than the French striker.

As a result of his poor form, Benzema has had to contend with jeers from sections of the typically demanding Madrid crowd on numerous occasions over the last year.

But he is trying not to focus on them, confident that he is still a "great player".
"I play football and I try to help my teammates and to win everything there is to win," Benzema told Vanity Fair. "What I don't like is when people attack me when I play well, even if I don't score. I play for the people who value what I do on the pitch.

"Those that come to the stadium to whistle, let them whistle. I'm not going to change their opinion."People have always criticized great players. We [footballers] sell newspapers. I don't need to read the press to know when I've have a bad game."

Madrid president Florentino Perez helps make such difficult times easier for Benzema, who says the 71-year-old feels like a member of his family.

"It was a dream to meet someone like him," Benzema said. "He's very calm and very friendly."He asked me if I wanted to play for Real Madrid and I said yes. I gave him my word, and that's how we've always been.

"He is behind me in the good times and the bad times. He is the club president, but to me he is also like a member of my family. That's how I feel."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool lucky to have 'complete player' Roberto Firmino - Kuyt


Roberto Firmino's unselfish nature makes him a "complete player", according to former Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt.

Brazil international Firmino is enjoying a superb season at Anfield, scoring 25 goals in all competitions and helping the Reds into the semi-finals of the Champions League.But Kuyt believes there is much more to the former Hoffenheim forward than that, highlighting the way he works for his team-mates as key.

"He has his own style and that makes him special," Kuyt told Liverpool's official website."That's what I like in players.

"A typical goalscorer or different kind of striker? You see that a lot in Europe, but Firmino has his own style and he has his own speciality; he is scoring great goals but also feeding the players around him."He's a great goalscorer but he's also a team player in everything he does. I don't know him quite well, but if I see him playing he just wants to win with the team and he's not the type of player who wants to score for himself.

"That, for me, is the biggest thing about Firmino. "He's scoring great goals but he's also giving great assists and then you are, in my eyes, a complete player, a great thing for Liverpool.

"I think he's also a very hard worker, he's selfless. I watch almost all the games and I see then he's always giving his all. Sometimes he's not scoring goals or giving assists, but he is always giving his all."

 

[King GBN]

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixture 2018.04.18

Barclays Premier League Fixture 2018.04.18

Bournemouth Vs Manchester United

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[Wolverine GTR]

Bournemouth Home fight ekak denna wei & WBA match ekata wada godak improve wela play kaloth hodai

Good Luck Manchester United!
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LA Liga Fixtures 2018.04.18

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.04.18

Espanyol Vs Eibar

Valencia Vs Getafe

Real Madrid Vs Athletic Bilbao
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Serie A Fixtures 2018.04.18

Serie A Fixtures 2018.04.18

Benevento Vs Atalanta

Crotone Vs Juventus

Fiorentina Vs Lazio

Napoli Vs Udinese

Roma Vs Genoa

Sampdoria Vs Bologna

Spal Vs Chievo

Torino Vs AC Milan

Verona Vs Sassuolo
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Bournemouth Vs Manchester United

Bournemouth Starting Line-up

Begovic
Francis
S.Cook
Ake
Daniels
Fraser
L.Cook
Surman
Ibe
King
Wilson

&

Manchester United Starting Line-up

De Gea
Darmian
Smalling
Jones
Shaw
Fellaini
Herrera
Pogba
Lingard
Rashford
Martial
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[Wolverine GTR]

Mourinho kiwwath wage team eka shuffle karala thiyenne

Good Luck Manchester United!
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Half Time

Bournemouth 0 Vs 1 Manchester United

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[Wolverine GTR]

Good luck for the 2nd half Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Bournemouth 0 Vs 2 Manchester United

Manchester United Goal(s)

C.Smalling 28'
R.Lukaku 70'

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[Wolverine GTR]

Congratulations Manchester United!

Lukaku ge goal finish eka patta

& next Tottenham FA Cup Semi-Final match eka

Good Luck for the next match Manchester United!
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