..::Football III::..

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Falcao OUT, Pato & Miazga IN: Chelsea name Champions League squad

Chelsea have announced their 22-man squad for the Champions League knockout stages, with Alexandre Pato included ahead of struggling striker Radamel Falcao.

The Blues signed Pato on a six-month loan during the January transfer window, and have the option to sign him permanently in the summer, with his addition appearing to have ended Falcao's hopes of making an impact at Stamford Bridge.

The Colombian has bagged just one Premier League goal while on loan at Chelsea, with injuries meaning he has endured an even more miserable spell than he did at Manchester United last term.

Falcao's form and participation have been hampered by yet more injuries this term - he is currently sidelined with a calf problem - but there is still speculation that he could yet leave west London for China, where the transfer market remains open until February 26.

Jiangsu Suning are the side most heavily linked with Falcao and the Chinese club, managed by ex-Blue Dan Petrescu, have already raided Chelsea for Ramires.

As well as Pato, another January recruit, defender Matt Miazga, has also been included in the Champions League squad, while he does not need to be registered for the 19-man strong Premier League squad as he qualifies as an Under-21 player.

Similarly, although not named in the 22-man Champions League squad, youngsters Ola Aina, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Bradley Collins all make the B List and are eligible to play.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SQUAD IN FULL:

Asmir Begovic, Branislav Ivanovic, Cesc Fabregas, Kurt Zouma, Baba Rahman, Oscar, Eden Hazard, Pato, John Mikel Obi, Thibaut Courtois, Bertrand Traore, Kenedy, Pedro, Loic Remy, Diego Costa, Matt Miazga, Nemanja Matic, Willian, Gary Cahill, John Terry, Jamal Blackman, Cesar Azpilicueta

 

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Inter 1-0 Chievo: Icardi on target as Nerazzurri return to winning ways

Mauro Icardi bounced back from his penalty nightmare in the derby with AC Milan, scoring the only goal of the game in Inter's 1-0 Serie A victory over Chievo at San Siro.

Icardi had been left on the bench for Inter's clash with their city rivals at the weekend before being introduced in the second half and missing a spot-kick that would have levelled the scores at 1-1.

Milan went on to win 3-0 and Icadi's omission from the starting XI led to rumours either he or coach Roberto Mancini would leave the club at the end of the season with their relationship having broken down.

Mancini was banned for the visit of Chievo on Wednesday for making an insulting gesture towards the fans and remonstrating with officials during the derby, but was provided with some welcome relief thanks to Icardi's strike.

The heroics of Andrea Seculin in the Chievo goal ensured the visitors went into half-time level despite Inter dominating matters.

But Icardi netted what ultimately proved to be the decisive strike three minutes after the restart to end Inter's four-match winless run in the league.

The pattern for the game was set early on, as Chievo struggled to get out of their own half. Geoffrey Kondogbia ballooned a shot over the top of the crossbar from 25 yards before Icardi crossed for Eder, whose close-range effort was well saved by Seculin.

Seculin was alert again in the 13th minute to fling himself to his left and turn away Icardi's powerful strike at the end of Marcelo Brozovic's pass, while Kondogbia should have done better than shoot straight at the Chievo goalkeeper after being played in by Rodrigo Palacio eight minutes later, as Inter set up camp on the edge of the visitors' penalty area.

Brozovic was next to test Seculin, with 12 minutes remaining before half-time, but he was equal to the Croat's 20-yard strike and, from the subsequent corner, Icardi nodded narrowly wide.

Icardi tried his luck from 50 yards out as the clock ticked down to the interval and Eder prodded over at the back post from Brozovic's chipped throughball, but, despite their total control of the game, Inter failed to find a breakthrough before half-time.

It took less than three minutes of the second period for the hosts to edge in front, however. A left-wing corner was not properly cleared by Chievo and, when Miranda's initial shot was blocked, Icardi was on hand to smash home the loose ball from close range.

The Argentinian came close to doubling his tally seven minutes later but the striker's header, from Yuto Nagatomo's cross, bounced back to safety off the Chievo crossbar. And Icardi was again denied by Seculin after being sent clear by Nagatomo with 25 minutes remaining.

Brozovic sent a late free-kick narrowly wide and Miranda's header was saved by Seculin, but, for all their huff and puff, Inter were unable to add to their single-goal haul.

 

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Juventus 1-0 Genoa: Bianconeri set new Serie A win record

Juventus' 1-0 win over Genoa on Wednesday secured a record 13th consecutive Serie A victory, but Napoli's success against Lazio keeps the champions second in the race for the Scudetto.

Juan Cuadrado - making his first league start since December 20 - was pivotal in the only goal of the game as his endeavour down the right led to a deflected cross deceiving Mattia Perin half an hour in.

Sebastian De Maio was the unfortunate party credited with the own goal and, while his Genoa team-mates made life difficult for the hosts in spells, Gian Piero Gasperini's men remain without a win in Turin since 1991.

Injuries in either half to Patrice Evra and Martin Caceres dampened a hard-fought win for Massimiliano Allegri as did substitute Simone Zaza's straight red card for a wild challenge on Armando Izzo.The Juve boss will likely be forced into changes for Sunday's clash with Frosinone, which comes ahead of Napoli's visit in 10 days.

Having seen Sami Khedira join their injury list with a thigh complaint picked up
against Chievo, Juve brought Simone Padoin, Cuadrado and Evra into their XI.

Stephan Lichtsteiner and Alex Sandro dropped to the bench, while Alessio Cerci replaced Diego Perrotti following his move to Roma.Paulo Dybala had the best effort of the opening stages with a long-range strike flying wide of Perin's left-hand post 12 minutes in.

Blerim Dzemaili then dragged a shot off target from a similar distance to prompt a strong spell of Genoa pressure that was punctured by Cuadrado's opener.

The Colombian skipped past Izzo towards the byline before seeing his cross deflect off De Maio and past Perin to ease any nerves around the Juventus Stadium, with Napoli already 2-0 up in Rome.

Alex Sandro was brought on for the injured Evra shortly before half-time and Juve were almost hauled level within a minute of the restart as a Cerci's drive was awkwardly dealt with by Gianluigi Buffon.

Gasperini's men grew in confidence and had the better of the play before the hour mark, Allegri responding by replacing Alvaro Morata with Zaza eight minutes into the second half.

The substitute should have doubled Juve's lead against the run of play with his first touch, but shot straight at Perin when played clean through on goal by Dybala.
Genoa proved stubborn to break down and Juve were frustrated further with a second injury-enforced change after Caceres landed on his ankle inside the final 30 minutes.

Zaza's mindless challenge on Izzo in the first minute of stoppage time made life harder for the hosts, but Juve - whose win set a record for consecutive league victories in a single season - had enough to see out the win as they remained two points behind Napoli.

 

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Watford 0-0 Chelsea: Costa & Ivanovic frustrated by Gomes

Chelsea were frustrated by Watford as Heurelho Gomes made two excellent saves in a goalless draw at Vicarage Road on Wednesday night.

After a first half short of chances, Guus Hiddink's side finally had a shot on target after 60 minutes, but Nemanja Matic's long range volley was comfortably saved by Gomes.

But Eden Hazard sparked the Blues to life as a second half substitute and played in Branislav Ivanovic, who forced a superb diving stop out of the Brazilian, who then denied Diego Costa in the closing stages to record his ninth clean sheet of the season.

Guus Hiddink kept faith with the side that were victorious at Emirates Stadium, meaning captain John Terry retained his place in the starting line-up after revealing his time at the club could be set to end when his contract expires at the end of the season.

In a cagey match it was Etienne Capoue who had the best chance of the first half, Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois standing firm to deny him in the 28th minute.

Oscar - scorer of a hat-trick in the 5-1 win over MK Dons in the FA Cup on Sunday - missed a glorious chance shortly after the restart when he failed to steer Diego Costa's pass into the back of the net, while Heurelho Gomes kept out Branislav Ivanovic from eight yards in the closing stages.

Hiddink's unbeaten run since returning to the helm now stretches to nine games in all competitions, but the draw will be seen as a missed opportunity to put greater distance between themselves and the relegation zone following Everton's 3-0 win at 18th-placed Newcastle United.

Watford manager Quique Sanchez Flores replaced Nathan Ake – ineligible against his parent club – and Miguel Britos with Jose Holebas and Sebastian Prodl, while Eden Hazard was a substitute for the visitors despite scoring his first goal for the club this season at MK Dons last time out.

Chelsea controlled possession early on but the two sides struggled to create clear-cut opportunities in a cagey affair until Watford stepped up their efforts ahead of the half-hour mark.

Prodl aimed his header from Ben Watson's corner too close to Courtois, and the Chelsea goalkeeper held firm to stop Capoue drilling home after a brilliant run from Jose Manuel Jurado.

That spurred the visitors into action, Costa spinning in behind Prodl to latch onto a long ball before the recovering Craig Cathcart did enough to deflect the Spaniard's shot wide with 32 minutes played.

However, Chelsea were unable to register a shot on target before the interval with Cesar Azpilicueta skewing wide from the left-hand side of the box, before Costa and Juan Carlos Paredes were shown yellow cards for a stoppage-time confrontation.

Gomes was forced to backpedal to stop John Obi Mikel's deflected strike from looping in soon after the restart and the chances began to flow.

Troy Deeney rifled narrowly wide from 20 yards and Holebas sent a shot into the side netting, but Oscar was unable to steer a cutback from Costa inside the near post from the edge of the six-yard box with 55 minutes on the clock.

Having kept out Oscar from just outside the box, Gomes denied Ivanovic from substitute Hazard's cutback 12 minutes from time.

Costa volleyed wide before Gomes once again produced a great save with two minutes remaining, stopping the striker's deflected effort from finding the top corner to ensure Watford move up to ninth.

 

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Everton 3-0 Newcastle: Barkley and Lennon fire hosts back to winning ways

Aaron Lennon's first-half goal and a pair of late Ross Barkley penalties saw Everton secure a 3-0 victory over Newcastle United and end a run of five Premier League games without a win.

Lennon scored after 23 minutes of a game that Everton did not have to be at their best to win, such is the dearth of confidence in the Newcastle team this season.

The former Tottenham winger was brought down by Rolando Aarons to allow Barkley to convert from the spot for the first time with two minutes left.

Barkley then kept his cool again from 12 yards in the 94th minute after being upended by Jamaal Lascelles, who subsequently received his marching orders for a second yellow card.

The performance of Lennon overshadowed the debut of Newcastle's £12 million signing Andros Townsend and manager Steve McClaren's spending spree in the January transfer window showed few signs of improving their Premier League fortunes, with his side remaining third bottom.

For Everton, who had won just three of their previous 14 home league games, getting a result at Goodison Park was vital to their hopes of mounting a challenge for place in the top eight this season.

The victory was watched by new Everton signing Oumar Niasse, who joined the club from Lokomotiv Moscow for £13.5m in January, and he may have arrived at the start of a Premier League fightback from Roberto Martinez's men.

Everton started the game brightly and Tom Cleverley struck a low drive from 20 yards that drew a good save from Rob Elliot, diving down to his left.

Townsend showed a glimpse of his pace as he took on Seamus Coleman on the Newcastle left, but the visitors struggled to retain possession long enough to create any meaningful attacking opportunities.

Everton always looked the more likely side to take the lead, and a sweeping move down the left flank saw Cleverley play in Lennon, who took a touch to control the ball before hooking it into the net at the near post with a low, right-footed shot on the turn.

Lennon had a chance to make it two when Cleverley played him in, but his shot was blocked by Chancel Mbemba and Everton went in 1-0 up at the break without having had to break sweat against a Newcastle team that looked woefully short of ideas.

McClaren sent Newcastle out for the second half with renewed intent, but Everton continued to create the better chances, and Barkley put Lennon clean through on goal, only for the winger to shoot straight at Elliot.

Barkley went closer when he took a shot himself moments later, cracking a powerful effort from the edge of the box that Elliot brilliantly pushed onto the crossbar with one hand.

Cleverley then struck the crossbar with a looping free-kick, before seeing a second free-kick superbly saved by Newcastle's outstanding player by far, Elliot.

Newcastle's only clear chance of the evening fell to substitute Aleksandar Mitrovic, but the striker volleyed Moussa Sissoko's cross wide.

Barkley slotted home his first spot-kick when Aarons felled Lennon in the box and duly added a second when Lascelles clattered into him, allowing him to cheekily chip Elliot and make it 3-0.

 

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Palermo 0-2 AC Milan: Rossoneri continue European push

AC Milan kept up the pressure on Internazionale and Roma in their hunt for European qualification with a comfortable 2-0 away victory over Palermo on Wednesday night, closing the gap on their rivals to within two points.

In-form Carlos Bacca put Milan - fresh from the 3-0 derby triumph over Inter - into an early lead, converting a low cross from Christian Abate to score his 12th Serie A goal of the season.

Milan were utterly dominant and doubled their lead in the 32nd minute, M'Baye Niang converting a penalty after a handball by Palermo defender Edoardo Goldaniga.

Palermo's former Milan striker Alberto Gilardino missed a great chance shortly before half-time and Juraj Kucka and Bacca could both have added a third goal.
Mario Balotelli made a late cameo as a substitute against his hometown club, but could not make a positive impact in his 15 minutes on the pitch, though Milan are now unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions.

Sinisa Mihajlovic made one change from the derby win, with Cristian Zapata replacing Alex in defence, while Palermo were unchanged from a 1-1 draw with Carpi.

Palermo goalkeeper Stefano Sorrentino was in the thick of the action from the first whistle, clawing a cross away from his goalline and blocking a whipped free-kick from Keisuke Honda.

Bacca, who had scored in his previous four appearances, almost netted a glorious opening goal after 15 minutes. The Colombia international beat two Palermo defenders on a powerful run into the box, but Sorrentino smothered his shot.
Milan continued to press hard and got the goal their fine start deserved three minutes later.

Abate's delivery evaded Niang, but Bacca, scorer of the winning goal in September's reverse fixture, was perfectly placed to slot home from six yards.

Milan were dominating possession and when Honda let fly from 30 yards, Sorrentino pulled off a superb flying save to his right to deny the Japan international, only for the referee to give a penalty for handball against Goldaniga in the ensuing melee.Niang stepped up to beat Sorrentino from 12 yards, although the goalkeeper dived the right way, to put Mihajlovic's men completely in control, with Niang scoring in back-to-back Serie A games for the first time in his career.

Palermo's first chance of the match finally arrived seven minutes before the interval, but Gilardino somehow headed wide at the far post with the goal at his mercy.

Milan should have added a third goal after 50 minutes, but Kucka shot over the crossbar after Bacca jinked into the area and pulled the ball back for the onrushing midfielder.

Giovanni Tedesco made three changes in a bid to turn the match around and record his first win as Palermo's coach and one of the substitutes, Aleksandar Trajkovski, saw his strike tipped over the crossbar by Gianluigi Donnarumma just past the hour.

Palermo grew into the contest as the second half progressed, but could not find a way through Milan's resolute defence and the visitors' victory closed the gap on fifth-placed Roma to just two points.

 

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Barcelona 7-0 Valencia: Suarez scores FOUR in Copa del Rey demolition

Luis Suarez scored four times and Lionel Messi netted a hat-trick as Barcelona thumped 10-man Valencia 7-0 in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final at Camp Nou on Wednesday.

A pair of clinical finishes from Suarez had Luis Enrique's men two goals up within 12 minutes and the ruthless Messi soon made it three.

Neymar missed a penalty just before half-time after Valencia captain Shkodran Mustafi was sent off for bringing down Messi, who then notched his side's fourth in the second half.

The Argentine scored his third of the contest before Suarez headed home and struck again in the final minutes, with the stunning victory meaning Barca have won 12 of their last 13 games in all competitions and extend their unbeaten run to 27 matches.

Prior to the match, Gary Neville had urged Valencia to ensure they were still in the tie ahead of next Wednesday's second leg at Mestalla, but it will take a comeback of miraculous proportions for them to make the final from here after what is surely the lowest moment of his young coaching career.

It took fewer than seven minutes for Barcelona to go ahead. Neymar dispossessed Andre Gomes in midfield and punished Valencia by driving towards goal and slipping a pass through to Suarez, who clinically finished into the far corner.

The hosts netted a second – their 100th goal of the season – five minutes later. A slick passing move resulted in a superb chip forward by Sergio Busquets that was cleverly cut back by Aleix Vidal's first-time pass and Suarez powerfully struck past Mat Ryan.

Barca were threatening to end the tie as a contest when they struck a third in the 29th minute. Another brilliant sequence of play led to Andres Iniesta's pass being cleverly flicked on by Neymar and left by Suarez, allowing Messi to easily beat Ryan from just outside the six-yard box.

Neville made a first-half switch in a bid to change his team's fortunes, bringing Sofiane Feghouli on for Danilo, but it should have been four for Barca as they squandered two golden chances on the stroke of half-time.

First, a surging run and square pass from Suarez had Messi in prime position, but the Argentine's first-time effort bounced to safety off the crossbar.

A few moments later, Messi was brought down by Mustafi as he prepared to shoot, with the defender shown a straight red card.

Neymar took the penalty, opting for a one-step run up before striking his effort against the post – his fourth miss from eight spot-kick attempts this season.

The Camp Nou crowd gave Valencia's Denis Cheryshev a huge welcome when he took to the pitch for his debut in the second half after he had inadvertently caused Real Madrid's elimination from the competition for being fielded as an ineligible player in the round of 32.

The fourth goal was coming and it duly arrived, with Messi notching his second of the match after 58 minutes.

Arda Turan's pass was flicked on by Suarez and Messi rode the challenge of Jose Gaya before placing a shot past Ryan.

Valencia had a goal ruled out for a marginal offside call after Rodrigo thought he had slotted home, but Messi sealed his treble with 16 minutes remaining. Dani Parejo awfully failed to control and clear from inside his own box, with the forward capitalising to lash in a powerful strike that Ryan failed to keep out at his near post.

Suarez was not to be outshone by his team-mate and he got Barca's sixth with seven minutes left, heading home substitute Adriano's cross.

And that was not the end of Valencia's woe, as the outstanding Suarez collected Turan's pass and diverted another accurate finish in off the post with two minutes left on another brilliant night for Barca, who continue their bid for back-to-back trebles.

 

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Neville ta wadi kalayak yanna kalin lagadeema wade set wei wage​

 

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PSG 3-1 Lorient: Ibrahimovic and Kurzawa ensure Blanc's side set Ligue 1 record

Paris Saint-Germain created history as a 3-1 victory over Lorient at the Parc des Princes on Wednesday stretched their unbeaten run in Ligue 1 to 33 games - a new record for the competition.

Goals from Edinson Cavani, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Layvin Kurzawa proved enough to see off Lorient, though PSG did not have it all their own way.

Cavani's early strike gave the home side the perfect start, only for the visitors - who had ended a five-match winless run in the league with a 2-0 triumph over Reims on Saturday - to respond through Raphael Guerreiro.

However, Ibrahimovic's 20th league goal of the season 10 minutes into the second half put PSG back in front, with Kurzawa's well-struck volley making certain of a 14th straight win in all competitions.

The result sees Laurent Blanc's side break the previous mark of Ligue 1 games without a loss set by Nantes between July 1994 and April 1995, as well as restoring their 24-point lead over Monaco at the top of the table.

A seventh successive win over Lorient appeared a formality for the hosts when Cavani broke the deadlock after six minutes, the forward rounding goalkeeper Benjamin Lecomte to score from a narrow angle.

PSG twice came close to doubling their lead as they made an impressive start to proceedings.

A long-range free-kick from Ibrahimovic was tipped away by Lecomte, who also kept out an effort from full-back Serge Aurier by sticking out his right foot.

However, the visitors stunned their opponents by scoring a well-worked equaliser in the 19th minute.

A neat flick by Abdul Majeed Waris picked out the run from deep by the Guerreiro. With time and space inside the penalty area, the Portuguese full-back directed a left-footed shot across Kevin Trapp and into the far side of the net.

The 1-1 half-time scoreline put Blanc's players in an unfamiliar position – they had led at the break in every home league match since a 0-0 draw against Montpellier on December 20, 2014.

Cavani had a chance to put them ahead for a second time on 54 minutes when a long ball left him in a one-on-one situation, only for his lob over a stranded Lecomte to hit a post and stay out.

But, just a minute later, Ibrahimovic was somehow left unmarked in the box to steer home Kurzawa's low cross from the left.

Lorient saw a potential equaliser from Jimmy Cabot ruled out for offside, and the game was put beyond them when Kurzawa punished a weak clearing header by scoring a well-executed strike with his left foot.

 

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Mihajlovic: Milan possession must have purpose

AC Milan head coach Sinisa Mihajlovic called for his team to be more purposeful with the ball after a 2-0 win at Palermo extended their recent revival.

Carlos Bacca and M'Baye Niang were both on the scoresheet as Milan followed up Sunday's 3-0 derby win against Inter with another victory.Milan are now unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions and the Rossoneri are just two points behind fifth-placed Roma.

But Mihajlovic was unhappy with his team's second-half performance, insisting they did not use the ball well enough."I'm interested to a certain point, it is important to do so but the possession must have a purpose," the head coach told Sky.

"In the second half we had possession, but we were only dangerous once with [Juraj] Kucka."We managed but the 2-0 needed just a minimal inattention to reopen the game."In the first half we dominated, in the second we checked in.

"This is the only flaw, it takes no time from 2-0 to get them back into the game."
Milan's next test comes in the shape of Udinese at the San Siro.

 

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Under-fire Neville won't resign after Barcelona thrashing

Gary Neville insists he will not quit as Valencia head coach after watching his struggling side suffer a 7-0 thrashing at the hands of Barcelona at Camp Nou.

Luis Suarez scored four goals and Lionel Messi also hit a hat-trick as holders Barcelona ran riot in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday.

Neville is yet to win a Liga match since taking charge at the start of December, but he intends to fight on. Asked if he planned to resign in the wake of the result, Neville said: "No. But it was the most painful night.

"I've had some as a player and now I've had some as a manager. We have made so many silly errors that you can't make at any level, let alone against this team."
Pressed again about what the result meant for his future, a dismissive Neville replied: "Next question."

On the game, the former Manchester United and England defender said: "I wish the match against [Real] Betis [this Saturday] could start in 10 minutes.

"This is one of the worst experiences I've ever gone through in football. I am not going to sleep well. The fans do not deserve this.

"I did not like what I saw. The game was lost before we fell to 10 men [Shkodran Mustafi was sent when the score was 3-0]."Jesus Garcia Pitarch, Valencia's sporting director, apologised to the club's fans for the result."This day you can't explain," he said.

"We must apologise to fans for one of worst results in our history."I never talk about tactical or team things. Everyone can draw opinion from what happened. Not the day to talk about the future."

 

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Luis Enrique: Barcelona players should be celebrated for Valencia win

Barcelona head coach Luis Enrique lauded his players after their stunning 7-0 Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg victory over a 10-man Valencia on Wednesday.

Barca continued their pursuit of back-to-back trebles with an emphatic victory, with Luis Suarez scoring four times and Lionel Messi netting a hat-trick.

Luis Enrique was thrilled by the performance at the Camp Nou, which all but seals a place in the final after Gary Neville's visitors were overpowered - even before Shkodran Mustafi's red card with the score already at 3-0.

"What my players did in this game should be celebrated," he said."We have to congratulate the players. They have all played well, with effectiveness up front.

"They should be celebrated for the great players they are. We have an objective and that is to win trophies again. If we can delight the fans - even better."The three forwards have been unstoppable in many matches and they were effective again here. But the midfielders also interpreted the game really well and our opponents didn't have options to win.

"We are going to take the second leg as seriously as any other match and we also want to win that. The aim is to keep winning and that would not have changed whatever this result was."

 

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I hope Neville resigns & apologises - Canizares

Former Valencia goalkeeper Santiago Canizares has called on Gary Neville to resign and apologise following his side’s 7-0 thrashing by Barcelona at Camp Nou.

A Lionel Messi hat-trick and four goals from Luis Suarez all but confirmed Barca’s place in the Copa del Rey final, with Valencia finishing the game with 10-men after captain Shkodran Mustafi saw red.

Neville has yet to taste victory in La Liga since taking charge in December and Canizares says he wants the former Manchester United to leave Mestalla.

"The VCF defeat today is the worst I have known since I have had use of reason. And the manner of it means it can’t be compared to Karlsruhe [7-0 in 1993] or Salamanca [4-0 in 1995]," he wrote on Twitter.

"I was hoping for a resignation from the coach, as well as some apologies. I may be ignorant, but I’m surprised he didn’t. I thought he was honest.

"If [sporting director Jesus] Garcia Pitarch has faith in Gary as he said on Monday, that disappoints me.

"If he lied to us and tomorrow Pitarch proposes the sacking of the coach and they don’t accept it, it’s better if he goes as well…

"Worse than the defeat is the abandonment of the fight. That should give us a clue of what these players can do if this situation really becomes complicated.

"Mustafi showed his face and I think all of the Valencianistas are grateful to him. With the media today and always on the pitch. Example in extinction.

"I just wish that what has happened this year helps us distinguish the honest from the dishonest. If we did that, we would advance…

"Last of all, we now have an acid test with which to measure our Valencianismo. To demand decisions is responsible, to desert is not. Amunt!!"

 

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Kane and Vardy as good as Aguero - Pochettino

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino claims Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy have to be considered on the same level as Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.

Kane scored twice in Spurs' 3-0 win at Norwich City on Tuesday to take his Premier League tally to 15 for the season, while Vardy is on 18 after a double - including a stunning volley - in the 2-0 victory over Liverpool.

Aguero has scored 13 in just 17 league appearances and finished as the division's top scorer last term, while he is widely seen as one of the world's best players.However, Pochettino says the English duo's form makes them as valuable as City's attacking star.

"Vardy and Kane show the same big qualities as Aguero," he told the media on Thursday. "They are all different and come from different circumstances, but today if we speak about Vardy and Kane, they are on the same level as Aguero."

Spurs moved above Arsenal in the table after the Gunners were held to a 0-0 draw by Southampton but Pochettino says his motivation for this season goes beyond outstripping their London rivals."I can feel it is very important for our people, who love Tottenham, to be above Arsenal," he said. "The reality is that they are our 'sport' enemies, you can feel that.

"But it is not my principal motivation. It's important for me to take care of our goals and our objectives, without thinking too much about the opposition."We are the most important people and we need to stick to our ways. It's not important what the others do."

Pochettino went on to reveal that midfielder Dele Alli is set for tests after he complained of dizziness during the win at Carrow Road, though he expects him to be available to face Watford on Saturday.

"We don't know why he was dizzy. We need to do some tests next week but we have very good medical staff," he added."We are not worried, we just need to assess him and to know why he became dizzy, but we are sure it is not a big problem.

"We need to have some checks and we need to look again but all seems to be normal and we hope he will be available for Saturday."

 

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'Man Utd offered €190m for Neymar'

Manchester United made a €190 million (£144m) offer for Barcelona star Neymar during the summer window, according to the player's father.

The Red Devils were ready to pay a world-record fee by activating the Brazil international's release clause but club and player held firm and Neymar Senior expects the forward to stay put for the foreseeable future as well.

He told COPE: "Manchester United is the side that offered €190m for Neymar. He has still two years left on his contract but you all [the media] can be calm as my son is so happy here."

United spent over £108m on new players in the transfer window last summer, though they made much of that back with sales including Angel Di Maria's departure for Paris Saint-Germain, but a successful bid for the Barca star would have taken that purchasing spree to huge new levels.

Since United's failed attempt to sign him, Neymar has scored 21 goals in 27 games across all competitions for the Blaugrana this season, continuing his incredible partnership with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez.

 

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Wilshere: It's been difficult to stay positive

Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere concedes it has been "difficult to stay positive" during his recovery from a cracked fibula.

Wilshere has missed the past six months but is slowly edging closer to a comeback and will be hoping to play his way into Roy Hodgson's England squad for Euro 2016.

"[My recovery is] going well," Wilshere told Arsenal Player. "I'm back on the pitch and I'm just trying to build my fitness up because everyone knows how tough it is to play in the Premier League."I'm working on it and I'm slowly getting there.

"Sometimes it's been difficult to stay positive, especially after the injuries that I've had which have been frustrating, but as the injury goes, you get closer to full fitness and you see the light at the end of the tunnel, then you start to think about coming back and getting involved in the team."

Arsenal sit fourth in the Premier League after four games without a win and, discussing the club's title chances, Wilshere added: "We've had a strong season and we're in a position this year where we can really go for it."In the past we’ve struggled around Christmas and before we've given ourselves no chance really, but this year we're [close to the top] with important players coming back. Hopefully they can help us.

"We've added a world-class goalkeeper [Petr Cech] and he's been massive for us with his experience. Apart from that, the team's the same and I think a big part of [us challenging] is because we’ve been together for a few years and the younger British players have started to mature a bit and that's really helped."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Jackson Martinez's move to Guangzhou Evergrande is a tale of unfulfilled potential

It looked like an inspired signing. When Jackson Martinez moved from Porto to Atletico Madrid last summer, most hailed the deal as a triumph for Diego Simeone's side. But just over six months later, the Colombian forward has joined Guangzhou Evergrande Taobao in China to leave fans wondering what went wrong.

It was not what anyone expected and least of all, it seems, the player himself. As recently as January 29, Jackson was posting positive messages on social media about Atleti. Within days, however, everything changed.

On the night of February 2, it was announced that the 29-year-old would be moving to Luiz Felipe Scolari's Chinese champions for an Asian-record €42 million - some seven million more than he had cost Atletico back in July.

Then, he had been considered one of Europe's hottest properties. Atletico won the race for his signature, but he came at a high price: €35m. It was a fee he never lived up to despite Simeone's constant claims that he would eventually come good.

Jackson started slowly, but did score in his second game for Atleti - a 3-0 win at Sevilla. In and out of the side after that, he had to wait until late October for his second strike as he netted in the Champions League success at home to Astana.

The goal was a fortunate one, a deflected effort that brought a huge smile to his face and an enthusiastic celebration from Simeone on the sidelines. "Strikers live from goals and that will give him confidence," the Argentine said afterwards.

That statement seemed correct because the Colombian added another in Atleti's next match - a 2-1 win over Valencia at the Vicente Calderon.

But in 10 more appearances between November and late January, there were no more goals for Jackson and the South American did not feature for a single minute in the Copa del Rey quarter-final second leg at home to Celta Vigo, nor against Barcelona in La Liga at Camp Nou. The writing was very much on the wall.
Blighted by fitness problems in recent months and struggling to adapt to a more demanding league after scoring against all and sundry in Portugal, Jackson has now accepted a very different type of challenge instead of biding his time and fighting for a place in Simeone's side.

Even Antoine Griezmann, now an idol at the Calderon, took time to settle after moving to Atletico. But in the Frenchman's case, Simeone was convinced that he would come good and he has done so spectacularly. He is also considerably younger than his former team-mate and had experience in La Liga too.

With Jackson, Simeone spoke of "blind faith" in his abilities, but at the age of 29 and with the threat of a two-window ban hanging over the club, Atleti decided that a €7m profit on the struggling striker was just too good to turn down.

"It was difficult for him to adapt," Atletico president Enrique Cerezo said on Wednesday. "He is a good player, but he has been unlucky and undoubtedly the best option for all parties is the one that went ahead." Financially, the move makes sense for the player who will be earning big money as he helps raise the standard of the football in China, following the likes of Ramires and Fredy Guarin to the Chinese league in the winter window.

In his native Colombia, however, there is disappointment at the performance of the national team ever since success at the 2014 World Cup and Jackson's move is seen by most as a lack of ambition that could well cost him his place under Jose Pekerman.

At China's strongest club, he will have a shot at a national title, the Asian Champions League and potentially the Club World Cup too. He will also earn plenty of money.

However, his vacant expression in the photographs posted to announce the transfer is in stark contrast to the beaming face of agent Jorge Mendes, who was behind this deal just as he brokered the move for Radamel Falcao from Atleti to Monaco in 2013.

Falcao, of course, has never been the same since following the path to riches over aspiring to win the top trophies at a time when he was considered the world's best striker, suffering a serious injury in France before disappointing spells at both Manchester United and Chelsea.

Jackson has to hope things turn out better and that the move to China is a success. At 29, he still has several years left to prove himself and also improve one of the world's emerging leagues.


For the neutrals, though, it is just a shame he couldn't cut it on for one of Europe's elite, stay in the spotlight for just a little longer and fulfill his undoubted potential on the game's greatest stages.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Aubameyang would score more for Bayern Munich'

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would score even more goals if he left Borussia Dortmund for Bayern Munich, according to Giovane Elber.

The Gabon international is the Bundesliga's top scorer so far this season on 20 goals, with Bayern pair Robert Lewandowski (19) and Thomas Muller (14) his closest rivals.

But Elber - who played for the Bavarians between 1997 and 2003 - believes he would score significantly more at the Allianz Arena and predicted a close battle in the race to be the division's leading marksman.

"It's easier to score goals for Bayern than for Dortmund or any other club," Elber told Goal.

"Aubameyang would score even more there. He is performing very well and it is fun to watch him."

He added: "I think, it's going to be a battle between Aubameyang and Lewandowski. Muller is good for a goal always, but Lewandowski and Aubameyang are in outstanding form."

Lewandowski and Mario Gotze both left Dortmund for Bayern in recent years and Elber believes it isn't inconceivable that Aubameyang could tred the same path.

Asked if he thought the move could happen, he added: "For sure. Every good player is an interesting player for Bayern. Bayern signed players from Dortmund like Gotze and Lewandowski. It would be difficult, but maybe it could work."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Atletico Madrid confirm interest in re-signing Diego Costa from Chelsea

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has confirmed the club want to re-sign Diego Costa from Chelsea.

Costa joined Stamford Bridge in a £32 million deal in July 2014 and helped guide the club to the Premier League title last season.

The 27-year-old has been linked with a return to Atletico, where he won La Liga and reached the Champions League final in his final campaign at the club, and admitted earlier this season that he would be open to returning.

"We have a great relationship with our past players," Cerezo told Spanish radio station Cope.

"Diego is a great player, but a Chelsea player. We will try to do our best and see what Chelsea say, it does not depend on us.

"We always try to bring the best players and Diego is one of them."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Atletico did not make Falcao bid, claims president

Atletico Madrid did not make a January bid to sign Chelsea striker Radamel Falcao, according to the club's president.

The Colombia international, who is on loan at Stamford Bridge from Monaco, was reported to have failed a medical with the Liga outfit in the closing stages of the January window.

But Enrique Cerezo refuted claims the Rojiblancos had tried to re-sign their former forward, though he did not discount making a summer bid as the club looks to replace Jackson Martinez.

"We always try to sign the best players," he told Cope.

"Falcao is a good friend, a good player and we wish him the best, but there was nothing with him. If we need any players in the summer, we will look for them."