..::Football III::..

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Luis Enrique: Winning ugly is a good thing

Luis Enrique shrugged off the lacklustre nature of Barcelona's display in their 1-0 victory at Celta Vigo, arguing that the ability to win ugly is a major positive for his side.

The Blaugrana toiled for long periods at the Balaidos and only came away with all three points thanks to a 73rd-minute header from defender Jeremy Mathieu, who also netted in their El Clasico victory over Real Madrid last time out.

Luis Enrique was the first to admit that Barca performed poorly but he was buoyed by the fact that they had still managed to prevail. "We struggled to control the game because we played against a great team," the coach told reporters.

"Winning is not bad any time. It never hurts to win, even this way."Celta had chances but winning this type of game can strengthen you. It will take a lot out of us but these points are very important."

Luis Enrique also reserved special praise for Xavi - who came off the bench and teed up the winning goal with a fine free-kick delivery - but admitted he does not know if the veteran midfielder will stay at Camp Nou for another season.

"I have already talked a lot about Xavi," he added. "He is a great player and whatever he decides will be accepted.

"He is now focused on the season in order to win more trophies. After the season ends, we will see what he decides."

 

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David Luiz & Motta injuries distressing for PSG, admits Matuidi

Blaise Matuidi admitted that "distressing" injuries to David Luiz and Thiago Motta had taken the shine off Sunday's dramatic 3-2 victory at Marseille.

The French champions twice fell behind at the Stade Velodrome, with Andre-Pierre Gignac bagging a double for the hosts, but Matuidi and Marquinhos drew Laurent Blanc's men level on both occasions.

An own goal from Jeremy Morel ultimately decided an absorbing Classique in PSG's favour, thus allowing the capital club to return to the top of Ligue 1.

However, Matuidi admitted that the victory had been soured by the loss of David Luiz and Motta to suspected hamstring tears.

"It was not easy to win this game," the midfielder told Canal Plus . "In this game, unfortunately, we lost two players. For the rest of our season, it is distressing.
"Otherwise, we are very happy to win here against a good Marseille team. It was important to take the top spot. "But it will be hard to win this league right until the end."

The injuries are particularly concerning for PSG, who sit one point clear of Lyon at the summit of Ligue 1, as they face a two-legged Champions League quarter-final clash with Barcelona later this month.

 

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Villas-Boas: Zenit haven't won Russian title yet

Andre Villas-Boas insists the Russian Premier League title race is not over yet - even though his Zenit side now sit eight points clear at the top of the table.

The St Petersburg side hosted second-placed CSKA Moscow at the Petrovsky Stadium on Sunday and triumphed 2-1 thanks to a double from star striker Hulk.
Consequently, Zenit are now on the verge of a first title since 2012, as they are now eight points clear of the defending champions with just nine games remaining.
Villas-Boas, though, is urging everyone associated with the club to keep their feet firmly planted on the ground.

"We cannot relax," the Portuguese told reporters. "Everything is very open and I don't believe that CSKA have stopped dreaming about the championship."

Zenit, of course, are still in contention to win the Europa League and will face Sevilla in the quarter-finals later this month.As a result, Villas-Boas added that he intends to make full use of his squad in the coming weeks, while insisting the league remains his priority.

"If we rotate, we do that for injuries or because of suspension," the 37-year-old coach added.

"We do that to keep everyone in top shape. It's possible that we will make changes but my view is to make sure we win the league and do everything that we can for that."

Villas-Boas is bidding to win his first trophy since leading Porto to a treble in 2011, having been sacked in his two previous jobs with Chelsea and Tottenham.

 

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Pardew: I could manage better than Premier League's top bosses

Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew feels that English managers are being unfairly overlooked by the Premier League's biggest clubs, and insists he could do a better job than those at the top of the table.

The former Newcastle boss has masterminded a resurgence in Palace's fortunes since taking charge in January, winning six of the 10 league games he has overseen to pull them clear of relegation danger.

Next up for Pardew is a clash with Manchester City, who make the trip to London on Monday knowing only a win is likely to be enough to keep their title challenge alive.

But ahead of that test against Manuel Pellegrini's defending champions, Pardew has bullishly talked up his own abilities - insisting he could achieve success with a top side.

He has, however, made it clear that for now he is happy with the prospect of building for the future at Selhurst Park.

Asked by BBC Sport on his thoughts on whether an English manager would be in the frame for a job at a leading Premier League club if one became available, Pardew said: "I think English managers are underestimated, to be honest.

"I look at the top clubs and think I could do that job better than I see it being done. But I am happy where I am and if I work in this part of the league for the rest of my career I will be extremely happy."

 

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Five-star Ronaldo is a phenomenon - Benzema

Karim Benzema has described Cristiano Ronaldo as a "phenomenon" and lauded his five-goal frenzy as Real Madrid defeated Granada 9-1.

The Blancos headed into Sunday's clash having lost three of their last four games - including their most recent match having been defeat at rivals Barcelona - but cast aside form fears by smashing the 19th-placed Liga side by eight goals.

Ronaldo was unquestionably the star of the show as he scored five times in one game for the first time in his glittering career and Benzema - who himself bagged a double at the Santiago Bernabeu - lauded his Portuguese team-mate.

"It was a great match following the loss in the Clasico," he told reporters. "The result is good for everyone's morale. We have scored many goals, we attacked well and we defended well. The fans were also very good to us.

"Ronaldo is a phenomenon, he always helps the team. I am extremely happy for him because he deserves all of the praise he's getting.

"Bale, Ronaldo and I are fine, as always. We work to help the team. Sometimes we score and sometimes we don't, but we always try to help.

"For me the most important thing is the victory and the three points, but the truth is that scoring nine goals isn't something that happens every day. We potentially have 15 games left this season and we must win them all."

Marcelo echoed Benzema's glowing assessment of Ronaldo performance and reiterated the Frenchman's intent for the European champions to not drop the ball in their remaining matches in 2014-15.

"I don't think the 9-1 result is important," the Brazilian left-back said. "The most important is the victory. We try to win and scored goals and this happens because of that attitude.

"Real Madrid are always expected to win. We have to win all the matches left and wait for a mistake to stop Barcelona winning La Liga.

"Goals are result of work and Cristiano has fought and ran - he deserved all his goals. All of us put in a great performance."

 

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'Football is my life' - Thiago thrilled at Bayern comeback

Thiago Alcantara could barely contain his delight after making his first Bayern Munich appearance in 12 months against Borussia Dortmund.

The Spain international replaced Philipp Lahm as second-half substitute in Saturday's 1-0 win, having been out of action since March 29 last year when he suffered a serious knee injury against Hoffenheim.

The 23-year-old's brother Rafinha tweeted "The magic has returned!" as he returned to a rapturous reception and Thiago was eager to pay tribute to everyone at the club for their support."It's crazy. I have to thank everyone: the club, the coaches, my team-mates. They've all been really supportive," he told Bayern's official website.

"The fans have helped me. It was an emotional moment. I'm very happy.

"Some people think football is just a game, but when I saw how emotional the fans were, I knew: football is my life."

Thiago admits he is still far from full fitness but is now hoping to get back into the side as Pep Guardiola's men continue their hunt for the treble."I'm not ready for 90 minutes, I felt tired after 10!" he added. "My goals haven't changed: to win games and win titles."

 

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Ronaldo equals Di Stefano and Messi hat-trick marks

Cristiano Ronaldo's eight-minute hat-trick in the 9-1 win for Real Madrid over Granada on Sunday saw him match marks set by club legend Alfredo Di Stefano and current Barcelona forward Lionel Messi.

The Portuguese hit the fastest treble of his career and the quickest by any non-Spanish Madrid player in the history of La Liga to make it 28 hat-tricks in all competitions for Real, equalling the long-standing club record of 28 held by Alfredo Di Stefano.

It was also Ronaldo's 24th in the Primera Division and saw him draw level with Barca rival Messi, although the Argentine has 32 in all competitions to Cristiano's 28.

The 30-year-old added two more goals in the second half to score five in a single match for the first time in his career, while he is also now one short of 300 goals for Madrid with 47 strikes in 41 games this term.

Ronaldo did make it to 300 career league goals, however, having hit 213 for Real, 84 for Manchester United and three in his sole season at Sporting.

Meanwhile, Madrid's win was only the third time they have scored nine goals in La Liga and the first since their 9-1 victory over Real Sociedad in 1967.

On the flipside, this result was also the worst ever in La Liga for Granada.

 

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Some players don't deserve the Inter shirt - Ausilio

Inter sporting director Piero Ausilio says the club are evaluating "who is worthy of wearing the shirt" following their 1-1 draw with Parma on Saturday.

The Nerazzurri have failed to win any of their last five Serie A games and were held at home by bottom-club Parma when Andi Lillia cancelled out Fredy Guarin's opening goal.

Having been sent crashing out of the Europa League by Wolfsburg and their chances of reaching the European spots now non-existent, Ausilio says steps are being taken to arrest their poor form and judge who deserves to stay at the club.
"There is disappointment and something that goes beyond that," Ausilio told Inter Channel.

"We're all very angry but will try to make Inter something different from now onwards. We were lacking character and, in Serie A, you're not going to beat anyone without that, not even Parma.

"If players want to be worthy of this shirt, they must play better and make home advantage count.

"We do not intend to run away from our responsibilities. Straight away we must realise what needs to be done. We have an important game coming up against Verona and there’s no time for proclamations.

“There are difficulties that go beyond what we had expected, but woe betide anyone who gives up.

"We are already working with Mancini to prepare Inter of the future. This is why I say we are evaluating who is worthy of wearing this jersey and who is not.

"If someone thought the season was already over, then they are sorely mistaken. This squad is every bit as good as the clubs above us in the table, apart from Juventus. In individual terms, we’ve got everything we need.

"Of course, they must also realise what it means to be an Inter player."

 

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City not giving up the title yet, says Hart

Chelsea have been warned by Joe Hart that they face a challenge for the Premier League title, with champions Manchester City preparing a late resurgence.

City - fourth in the table ahead of Monday's trip to Crystal Palace - face an uphill battle in their bid to retain their crown after falling nine points behind Mourinho's side with eight matches remaining.

Manuel Pellegrini's men have lost two of their last four league matches but Hart has not given up hopes of lifting a second successive title.

"We will never give up. It's kind of how we do it. We like to do it a different way," Hart said.

"We've not necessarily reached the standard week in, week out that we wanted to, but the beauty of football is that you get another chance – and that starts on Monday.

"We've proved it and the fans have proved it. That is one thing that is part of Manchester City, which we've taken with us from the olden days. We'll never give up while anything is possible.

"We have definitely moved on as a team since we won the league for the first time. That was a massive achievement, but now we expect it of ourselves.

"We have been disappointed at certain times this season, but there are eight games to go and we'll give it all we've got.

"We've got some massive games - eight big games to reach a level that we need to reach. We've not necessarily done that all season, but we feel we are in the right place now.

"We have a lot of rest time and there are no excuses. Everyone is fit and ready to go."

 

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Rooney is a great leader, says Herrera

Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has praised Wayne Rooney's leadership qualities on and off the pitch.

The Spaniard scored twice in the 3-1 victory over Aston Villa on Saturday, with their captain also finding the net with an exquisite finish past Brad Guzan.

And Herrera, who joined the club last summer, has paid tribute to the 29-year-old and claimed that the forward is a typical United player.

"Wayne Rooney is our leader. He is maybe the strongest guy, not only physically, but also mentally," he said.

"I think we in the squad are always following him.

"He is our captain, our leader and our character. I think he shows very, very well what Manchester United is."

 

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Schurrle delighted to net first Wolfsburg goal

Wolfsburg forward Andre Schurrle admitted his goalscoring drought was "eating away" at him prior to his first strike for the club on Saturday.Schurrle netted his first goal since joining from Premier League leaders Chelsea in February as Dieter Hecking's men saw of Stuttgart 3-1 in their Bundesliga clash.

It took eight league games for the 24-year-old to get off the mark and he was delighted to open his account and help the team tighten their grip on second place with a win."It was about time I scored. I've missed a lot of chances here and I'm just happy to have hit the target now," Schurrle said afterwards.

"I have to admit that the fact I hadn't scored for such a long time had been eating away at me a bit, so I'm very happy but the most important thing is that we won three points.

"I'd like to say a big thank you to all the fans here to receiving me so well and supporting me. I'm happy to be here and I'm sure we'll have a lot more to celebrate in the future."Wolfsburg are seven points clear of Borussia Monchengladbach following Saturday's win at Volkswagen Arena.

Ricardo Rodriguez set the tone for Wolfsburg after converting a 41st-minute penalty, only for Stuttgart to respond three minutes later thanks to Martin Harnik as the teams went into the break on level terms.

Stuttgart came unstuck in the 65th minute following a successful long-range free kick from Rodriguez before Schurrle completed the scoring with 14 minutes remaining."We were expecting a difficult game because Stuttgart have good individual players and they're a good team," Schurrle added.

"It's tough against them because they throw everything at you and they really need the points. We were a bit shaky at the back, especially defending crosses - that's how we conceded - but then I think our quality shone through in the second half.
"We put them under pressure and created chances, so I think we deserved to win."

 

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Barclays Premier League 2015.04.06 Fixture

Barclays Premier League 2015.04.06 Fixture

Crystal Palace Vs Manchester City

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La Liga 2015.04.06 Fixture

La Liga 2015.04.06 Fixture

Espanyol Vs Elche​

 

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Celta 0-1 Barcelona: Mathieu moves Catalans four points clear

 

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Defoe ge goal 1ka patta​

supiri goal eka

 

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Crystal Palace 2-1 Manchester City: Murray & Puncheon leave title defence in tatters

Crystal Palace put a huge dent in Manchester City's faint hopes of retaining their Premier League title with a 2-1 win at Selhurst Park on Monday.

Goals either side of half-time from Glenn Murray - his fifth in as many matches - and Jason Puncheon sealed all three points for Palace, with Yaya Toure's thumping late drive proving scant consolation for the champions.

Manuel Pellegrini's side now sit nine points adrift of Chelsea having played a game more, and they head into Sunday's derby with Manchester United in fourth and a point behind their rivals having lost three of their last five league fixtures.

City felt Murray's first-half opener should not have stood, claiming that both he and Scott Dann were offside in the build-up, with replays showing the two decisions to be marginal.

But there could be no complaints over Puncheon's free-kick early in the second period, a fine curling effort that left Joe Hart with no chance.

City pressed hard to get back into the game and Toure's rasping shot reduced the arrears with 12 minutes to go, but they could find no way back as Palace's resurgence under Alan Pardew continued.

Martin Kelly for Pape Souare was the hosts' only change from their 2-1 win at Stoke City last time out, and it was the former Liverpool defender’s dangerous cross in the second minute that Wilfried Zaha blazed over from close range when he ought to have scored.

City responded strongly to that early scare and pinned Palace back with a period of constant pressure.

David Silva twice brought smart saves out of Julian Speroni, while Sergio Aguero struck the base of the left-hand upright with the goalkeeper motionless.

Aguero stabbed over as City continued to dominate but then, against the run of play, Palace took the lead in the 34th minute.

Dann got on the end of Joe Ledley's flick and, after his effort was saved by Hart, the ball ran kindly for Murray to tap home from two yards.

City left the field at half-time complaining to the officials about the validity of the goal, and their mood was not improved three minutes after the restart when Puncheon sent a 20-yard free-kick over the wall and into the bottom-right corner.

There was further controversy 20 minutes from time when Murray clearly handled Fernandinho's deflected shot in the area, but referee Michael Oliver waved away City's vociferous appeals for a penalty.

James McArthur did brilliantly to clear another Fernandinho effort over the bar as the visitors piled on the pressure, and Toure's superb left-footed strike from 20 yards raised hopes of a comeback.

City substitute Samir Nasri and Toure both went close with deflected efforts late on but, as was the case for Liverpool last May, City's bid for Premier League glory seemingly came to an end at Selhurst Park.

 

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Miranda: Real are the best - but they haven't beaten Atletico once this season

Miranda has admitted that he believes that Real Madrid are the strongest side in the world - but pointed out that the European champions haven't defeated Atletico Madrid once this season.

Real overcame Atleti 4-1 after extra-time to win last year's Champions League but Diego Simeone's side have since beaten their city rivals over two legs in both the Supercopa de Espana and Copa del Rey last 16, as well as home and away in La Liga.

Consequently, while Miranda has the utmost respect for Los Blancos, he says Atleti have nothing to fear ahead of this month's Champions League quarter-final tie between the two sides.

“They will be two tough matches," the Brazilian told Estadao. "Real Madrid have an incredibly strong team and currently they are the best in the world, but they’re not unbeatable.

"We’re very competitive and we’ve met face to face on six occasions this season and not lost."

Miranda admitted, though, that Atleti will have to pay special attention to Cristiano Ronaldo, who signalled his return to form with five goals in Real's Liga rout of Granada at the weekend.“It’s necessary to be very focused and very organised [around Ronaldo]," the centre-half said.

"When we attack it’s important to keep our defensive order. It’s fundamental to always keep a player like this by your side.

"Also, if he loses the ball, we should get it back as soon as possible."Atleti currently sit third in La Liga and can close to within two points of Real within a win over Real Sociedad on Tuesday.

However, Miranda does not believe that the Rojiblancos have much chance of holding onto their Spanish title, with Barca currently four points further ahead of Real.

“We’re off the pace of the leaders, who are nine points ahead," the Selecao star added. "We’ve got to face them [Barca, on May 17] and it could happen, but I think the fight for the title will be difficult. "Our aim is to be second or third; to get a place in the Champions League."

 

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Montella: Fiorentina will attack Juventus

Vincenzo Montella says Fiorentina will not try to sit back and defend their first-leg advantage in Tuesday's Coppa Italia semi-final showdown with Juventus at the Artemio Franchi.

The Viola stunned the Bianconeri by triumphing 2-1 in Turin last month, putting the Tuscans in pole position to reach the June 7 tournament decider at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

Montella, though, is taking nothing for granted ahead of their second-leg clash with the reigning Serie A champions, acknowledging that Juve have a stronger squad than Fiorentina.

However, the former Italy international insists that Fiorentina will play their normal game and go all out for victory - and not try to protect their one-goal lead.
"We will not make a calculated start," Montella told reporters on the eve of the game in Florence. "It would be counter-productive."We have a slight advantage, but I think it will be an open game and an extremely difficult one at that.

"Juventus are a strong side with a great mentality and play the same football both home and away, also scoring plenty on the road, and that’s something that should serve as an added motivation for us."We’ll perform with plenty of heart and desire, but also need to maintain clear heads throughout the game. It will also require an intelligent game on our part.

"Juve have the more complete squad and we must not have a complacent attitude.
"But we're ready to play them. I believe in our team and I believe that the fans will be particularly fired up, firstly because of the rivalry with Juve but also because we're playing for a place in the final."

The winners of Tuesday's clash will play the victors from the following evening's game between Napoli and Lazio, with their first-leg encounter in Rome having ended one goal apiece.

 

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Pellegrini: Manchester City played well in Crystal Palace defeat

Manuel Pellegrini believes Manchester City played well against Crystal Palace on Monday - despite watching his side fall to a 2-1 defeat at Selhurst Park.
The reigning Premier League champions dominated the opening exchanges at Selhurst Park, but were dealt a sucker punch in the 34th minute when Glenn Murray tapped home from close range.

City felt the goal should not have stood, claiming that both Murray and Scott Dann were offside in the build-up, with replays showing the two decisions to be marginal.

But the effort was allowed to stand, and Jason Puncheon's free-kick early in the second half rubbed salt into City's wounds, with Yaya Toure's fine strike with 12 minutes to go counting for little.

"We played a good game from beginning to end, had a lot of chances, and we lost the game because they scored an offside goal and a beautiful free-kick," Pellegrini told Sky Sports.

"I don't want to have this discussion about the referee, it's not a good duty of the manager to analyse the referee.

"You asked me why we lost and I repeat, because of an offside goal and a beautiful free-kick."

When quizzed about City's faint hopes of retaining their title, Pellegrini insisted his team will continue to play game-by-game.

"I'm not talking about the title, I'm just trying to win our games and we will see at the end of the season," he added.

"Every time you drop points it is a big blow but we must try to play in the way we did today because normally we win the game.

"We're just thinking about what we can do in trying to win our games and see at the end of the season which position we are in."
City are now nine points behind league leaders Chelsea, having played a game more.

 

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James: Real return was a dream come true

James Rodriguez is targeting Champions League glory with Real Madrid after making a "dream" return to action in Sunday's Liga demolition of Granada.

The Colombia international had been sidelined since February with a broken metatarsal but he was passed fit to start the 9-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.
James played just 61 minutes but managed two assists during that time to take his tally for the season to nine.

The attacking midfielder is now hoping to help Madrid overhaul Barcelona at the summit of La Liga and play a key role in this month's Champions League quarter-final tie with city rivals Atletico.

"It's been 60 days out but my foot didn't prevent me from doing physical work, and that was noticeable," he told reporters.

"Being at the Bernabeu and everyone chanting my name is a dream come true.
"It's something really nice and I hope I can keep on helping and working so that the team can get positive results."I'm happy to have helped, and what's important is that we won. We have to carry on in this vein.

"We can't think about other teams; we can only focus on ourselves and stay focused for what's ahead, which is going to be really tough.

“We are all fit now and that’s good news if we want to achieve things, regardless of who plays.“We’ve got what it takes to win the lot between now and the end of the season.

“Every match is important and the game against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League is going to be special as we want to beat them and win the competition."
Madrid enjoyed a 22-game winning streak in all competitions earlier this season before their form nosedived after the winter break.

However, James felt that they looked back to their best against Granada, with Cristiano Ronaldo, who netted five times, particularly impressive.

"It was a big scoreline, but I think it was fair," the former Monaco man added. "Everyone played well today and we know that Cristiano always scores goals. We're happy for him, too."

"If we're all in good shape, that's good news in terms of all being able to help out, no matter who plays. You have to help the team at all times."