..::Football III::..

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Aston Villa 0-4 Chelsea: Pato shines in Blues debut

Alexandre Pato marked his long-awaited Chelsea debut with a goal as the Blues won 4-0 to leave crisis club Aston Villa teetering on the brink of relegation at the end of a miserable week.

Having parted company with manager Remi Garde on Tuesday, and then seen Gabriel Agbonlahor suspended amid an investigation into his conduct, interim boss Eric Black presided over a limp performance at a frustrated Villa Park, where supporters voiced their anger and despair and displayed banners venting their feelings.

On the pitch, Ruben Loftus-Cheek's first Premier League goal gave Chelsea the lead before Pato's introduction for his maiden Chelsea appearance following his signing in January.

The Brazilian soon converted a penalty he won himself and he was also instrumental in the second half, combining with countryman Oscar to create two goals for Pedro, as the Blues' slender hopes of a top-six finish were given a boost.

Alan Hutton's late sending off ended a dismal afternoon on another low note for Villa, who have suffered seven defeats in a row for a second time this season.

With Gary Cahill and John Terry both ruled out with minor injuries, Chelsea handed a debut to 20-year-old defender Matt Miazga, while Micah Richards and Carlos Sanchez returned to the Villa side.

The hosts have endured heavy criticism from supporters for a perceived lack of effort this season, but Carles Gil sought to energise his side with a number of surging runs forward in a tepid opening.

At the other end, Pedro turned smartly to create the space to shoot from 20 yards and his bending effort was only just wide of Brad Guzan's goal.A knock for Loic Remy saw the Frenchman replaced by Pato after 22 minutes, and a few moments later the visitors took the lead.

John Obi Mikel's quick feet pulled Villa apart in midfield and Chelsea shifted the play out to Cesar Azpilicueta, whose low cross was side-footed into the net by Loftus-Cheek via a slight deflection off Joleon Lescott.

Villa almost hit back when Gil latched onto Jordan Ayew's pass and arrowed in a shot from a tight angle, but Thibaut Courtois was equal to it and made a diving save.There were further chances for Villa to level matters, but the game drifted out of their reach in first-half injury time when Aly Cissokho wrestled Pato to the ground in the area and the Brazilian lashed his penalty beyond Guzan.

The introduction of Oscar further galvanised Chelsea after the break, and he combined brilliantly with Pato to set up Pedro, who slammed home from close range a minute after the restart.

As Villa fans held up a banner that read 'No fight, no pride, no effort, no hope', their players offered little to challenge the accuracy of those statements, and Chelsea soon made it 4-0 when Guzan could only palm Pato's shot into the path of Pedro, who gladly netted his second of the game.

Just as it looked as bad as it could get for Villa, Hutton was dismissed late on for a challenge on Loftus-Cheek that earned him a second yellow card, and a late chance for Ayew went begging along with any remaining shreds of hope Villa fans might have had of staying up this season.

 

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Bayern Munich 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt: Ribery stunner enough for Pep's men

A stunning strike from Franck Ribery proved decisive as Bayern Munich overcame relegation-threatened Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Ribery beat Frankfurt goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky with a sensational overhead kick from the edge of the box to secure his team the win, ensuring their five-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund at the Bundesliga summit will, at the very least, remain intact this weekend.

Ahead of the clash the Frenchman spoke of his desire to continue proving his value to the club as he approaches his 33rd birthday, and he took full advantage of the opportunity to do just that with Douglas Costa on the bench and Kingsley Coman absent due to a slight muscle injury.

Ribery - who scored his first goal for the club since December - was a constant thorn in the side of Frankfurt's defence, and the visitors, who ended a run of eight matches without a win by beating Hannover 1-0 last time out, never really looked like getting something from the game.

The margin of the Bavarian side's victory could have been greater, but Xabi Alonso was denied a goal on his 50th Bundesliga appearance when his free-kick came back off the crossbar in the second half.

Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac was unable to mastermind a comeback against his former club as Bayern saw out the win to put pressure on Dortmund, who entertain Werder Bremen later on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's team were on top from the off as they quickly monopolised possession.

Robert Lewandowski headed wide early on and Mario Gotze arrived too late to add a meaningful touch to Ribery's ball across the face of goal in the 15th minute, but it did not take much longer for Bayern to make the breakthrough.

The Frankfurt defence invited Gotze to dribble forward and his shot from 20 yards was kept out by the legs of Hradecky, but the ball fell for Ribery, who looped an acrobatic effort beyond the goalkeeper from the edge of the box with 20 minutes on the clock.

Ribery continued to wreak havoc on the left wing and Bastian Oczipka's crucial interception stopped him from setting up Gotze for a tap-in following a swift break.

Frankfurt eventually restricted Bayern's opportunities, and Lewandowski and David Abraham were involved in a fiery confrontation before half-time that resulted in yellow cards for the pair.

After Szabolcs Huszti fired wide for the visitors just 18 seconds after the restart, Bayern soon reasserted themselves.

In the 52nd minute, Alonso came close to doubling their lead when his 25-yard free-kick bounced down off the bar and away from goal.

Some impressive keeping from Hradecky ensured just one goal remained between the two sides.

The Finland international used his legs to divert Juan Bernat's effort from the left-hand side of the box away from goal, before a diving save kept a curling 20-yard strike from Alonso out of the top corner.

Frankfurt substitute Sonny Kittel rifled an effort just over the top-left corner before Thomas Muller was denied by Hradecky in the 90th minute, but Manuel Neuer saw out his 150th top-flight clean sheet as Bayern took another step towards a fourth successive Bundesliga title.

 

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Atletico Madrid 5-1 Real Betis: Griezmann at the double to apply pressure on Barca

Atletico Madrid applied pressure on Barcelona ahead of El Clasico as a 5-1 victory over Real Betis saw them move to within six points of the Liga leaders.
With Luis Enrique's men playing Real Madrid later on Saturday, Atletico took their opportunity to cut Barca's lead with a comfortable victory inspired by Antoine Griezmann and Fernando Torres.

The pair struck late in the first half to put Atleti ahead at Vicente Calderon, Torres netting with a smart finish before Griezmann enjoyed a stroke of good luck as Betis goalkeeper Adan allowed his throughball to go all the way in.

After Jan Oblak had made a fine double save to deny Heiko Westermann, Atleti resumed their control and saw Griezmann denied again before Juanfran added the third just after the hour.

Ruben Castro gave Betis some consolation with a late strike but Griezmann and Thomas Partey completed a ninth victory in Atleti's last 11 home games, while the visitors continue to look nervously over their shoulder towards the bottom three.

Atletico started brightly and saw Adan in fine form, the keeper twice coming to Betis' rescue as he first tipped over Saul Niguez's header before parrying Griezmann's cross – the keeper watching with relief as Koke's follow-up then looped oer the bar.

Despite the hosts' lively start Betis then enjoyed a period of possession, but they failed to take advantage and Torres sparked Atletico into life after 37 minutes.
The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker raced in behind the Betis defence to meet a sublime pass from Koke before coolly lifting the ball over the onrushing Adan.

Five minutes later Atleti doubled their advantage as Adan's error gifted Griezmann his 18th of the season, the keeper misjudging the France international's chipped pass and allowing the ball under his body.

He went some way to atoning for his mistake in the closing minutes of the half, though, as Diego Simeone's men finished strongly, the 28-year-old denying Torres and Griezmann with two fine reflex saves.

Betis should have halved their deficit in the opening minutes of the second half but were denied by a stunning save from Oblak, the keeper getting down well to push Westermann's header onto the post before smothering the rebound.

Atletico's third came from the unlikely source of Juanfran, the full-back ghosting in at the back post to meet Angel Correa's pass and, after controlling the ball on his chest, he fired home his first league goal since May 2013.

Oblak's hopes of a clean sheet were ruined with 11 minutes to play as Betis grabbed a late consolation, Castro firing home his 16th of the season from close range.

Atleti were not to be denied a deservedly comfortable winning margin, though, as Griezmann added his second after 82 minutes following excellent work from Correa.

And Partey rounded off an emphatic victory with a stoppage time tap-in, giving Atleti the perfect preparation for their Champions League quarter-final first leg with Barca on Tuesday.

 

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West Ham 2-2 Crystal Palace: Payet nets stunning free-kick but Hammers held

West Ham had Cheikhou Kouyate sent off and saw their Champions League qualification hopes suffer a blow as Dwight Gayle equalised to earn Crystal Palace a 2-2 draw in the Premier League at Upton Park.

The hosts came from behind to lead after Adrian's error from Bakary Sako's free-kick presented Palace defender Damien Delaney with the opening goal on Saturday.

West Ham hit back almost immediately, Manuel Lanzini scoring with a neat finish after Palace failed to clear Michail Antonio's cross into the box, and Dimitri Payet put West Ham in front before half-time, whipping a sensational free-kick beyond the helpless Wayne Hennessey for his ninth Premier League goal of the season.

Slaven Bilic's side could not hold on after Kouyate was dismissed for a lunge on Gayle, who scored the equaliser with 15 minutes to go, the striker neatly finishing after a kind deflection.

West Ham were without James Collins (hamstring) and Antonio filled in at right-back, while Jason Puncheon made his first start for Palace in two months, but Yohan Cabaye and Emmanuel Adebayor missed out.

Adrian made a comfortable early save from Joe Ledley's header before Antonio tested Hennessey, who was equal to his shot.

But the Spaniard, who was making his 100th appearance for West Ham, was beaten after 14 minutes - and the goalkeeper was to blame.Sako's free-kick evaded everyone in the box but Adrian flapped the ball straight on to the head of Delaney, who nodded a simple finish into the open goal.

Palace's lead was short-lived as Lanzini levelled the scores within three minutes by tucking a shot into Hennessey's bottom-right corner after Diafra Sakho's header deflected to him off Scott Dann.

Hennessey made saves from Sakho and Payet as the hosts pressed and Puncheon should have put Palace back in front after 32 minutes, but volleyed over from six yards.Sakho put a free header wide after 38 minutes but that miss was soon forgotten when Payet stepped up to take a 20-yard free-kick.

Palace arranged a seven-man wall but the France international crashed an unbelievable strike past Hennessey, who stepped the wrong way, the ball dipping late to go in off the crossbar.

Lanzini forced a good save from Hennessey after 56 minutes before Aaron Cresswell cleared Sako's 22-yard shot off the line after a poor Kouyate back-pass caused chaos.

Kouyate was then sent off for the second time this season, the midfielder dismissed in the 66th minute for diving in on Gayle, and Sako blazed a volley wide as the visitors sought an equaliser.

Adrian made a fine save from Mile Jedinak's drive but he could not deny Gayle, who slotted in moments later after Pape Souare's cross deflected off both West Ham centre-backs.

West Ham's dropped points mean they lose important ground in the race for fourth place after Manchester City won 4-0 at Bournemouth.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Payet patta​

 

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Bournemouth 0-4 Manchester City: De Bruyne nets in first-half goal glut

Kevin De Bruyne was immediately back on the scoresheet after making his Manchester City return, netting the second goal as his side thumped Bournemouth 4-0 on Saturday.

The 24-year-old's last appearance for Manuel Pellegrini's men came in January when he sustained a knee injury, but was named in City's starting XI at the Vitality Stadium.

The visitors were immediately on the front foot as Fernando turned home a wonderful cushioned header from Jesus Navas' corner, before De Bruyne finished off a slick move involving Sergio Aguero and David Silva after Bournemouth gave the ball away.

Navas was again instrumental in setting up City's third, floating in a cross from the right which Aguero rose highest to meet.

After that, the fourth-placed outfit remained untroubled and added a fourth as the clock ticked down through Aleksandar Kolarov, who smashed in a trademark piledriver.

City sit three points ahead of West Ham in fourth and will look ruefully upon the run of two wins from seven matches without De Bruyne that all but ended their Premier League title ambitions.Lewis Grabban and Eunan O'Kane replaced the injured Benik Afobe and Harry Arter in the Bournemouth line-up.

De Bruyne returned as one of five changes to the City side that lost 1-0 to United in the Manchester derby.

Josh King pulled a shot across the face of goal on the end of a fifth-minute Bournemouth counter-attack but Willy Caballero, deputising for calf-injury victim Joe Hart in the City goal, was a virtual spectator as his team-mates ran riot during the opening stages.

Fernando reacted quickest to guide Navas' deflected seventh-minute corner into the net and De Bruyne's revitalising impact on a City attack without a goal in their previous three outings was already clear by the time he added a spectacular second.

Silva darted on to Aguero's chipped pass and cushioned a first-time flick for De Bruyne to fire home a volley on the edge of the box.

The Belgium international might have doubled his tally when he lashed a shot over following slick interplay down the left from Silva and Gael Clichy, but Aguero was on hand to pile further misery on Howe's side.Navas dug out an excellent cross from the right byline for the Argentina striker to muscle above Adam Smith and head in at the far post.

Fernandinho rattled Artur Boruc's crossbar with a vicious dipping drive before Caballero was finally called into action, making a sharp reaction save to deny Charlie Daniels.

Within a minute of the restart, Boruc saved brilliantly when De Bruyne showed exquisite technique to arrow a volley towards the bottom corner.The former Wolfsburg man continued to impress before making way for Kolarov to a warm ovation in the 57th-minute.

O'Kane dragged a shot wide as he sought a consolation for Bournemouth, who are now 13th and 11 points above third-bottom Sunderland,

Kolarov linked up with Samir Nasri - making his first appearance since October due to injury - to dart through a flagging Bournemouth defence and rifle number four with the game's final act.

But it is De Bruyne's re-emergence that will leave City in buoyant mood ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final trip to Paris Saint-Germain.

 

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Arsenal 4-0 Watford: Alexis, Iwobi, Bellerin & Walcott on target as Gunners cruise

Alexis Sanchez, Alex Iwobi, Hector Bellerin and Theo Walcott were all on the scoresheet as Arsenal comfortably defeated Watford 4-0 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.

Handed a second successive league start after impressing in the 2-0 victory at Everton before the international break, Iwobi set up Alexis's fourth-minute opener before doubling the home side's lead with a first-time finish.

Bellerin added a third goal early in the second half, the full-back's left-footed effort taking a heavy deflection to beat the busy Heurelho Gomes, and Walcott rounded off the scoring as Arsene Wenger's side cut the deficit to leaders Leicester City - who host Southampton on Sunday - down to eight points.

Watford ended their opponents' hopes of a third successive FA Cup triumph with a 2-1 victory at the same ground last month, yet looked to have their upcoming semi-final with Crystal Palace on their minds.

Arsenal had scored just six goals in their last eight home games in all competitions, but they managed two in the first half against opponents who came into the fixture having won only two of their last 13 league outings.

The impressive Iwobi created the first as Arsenal made a perfect start, floating over a cross from the left that Alexis met with a firm header at the far post. Although Gomes kept out the initial effort, the Chilean tucked away the rebound to register his first league goal at the Emirates since October 4.

The same pair combined to get Arsenal’s second in the 38th minute, albeit their roles were reversed.

Alexis provided the assist for his team-mate, making a clever run in behind Watford’s back line on the right flank before cutting back a low cross that Iwobi swept home from a position near the penalty spot.

Sandwiched in between the strikes was a touching round of applause in the seventh minute for former Arsenal player David Rocastle in the week that marked the 15th anniversary of his death.

It took Arsenal all of three minutes to increase the gap to Waford in the second half, full-back Bellerin the benificary of a lucky break off Ben Watson as his volley somehow found a way to the net through a crowded penalty area.

Iwobi was denied his second, and Arsenal's fourth, by the woodwork before being withdrawn to a standing ovation in the 74th minute.

However, another Arsenal goal did arrive before the final whistle, Joel Campbell’s clever work on the left presenting an easy tap-in for fellow substitute Walcott.

Wenger had stated before the game that eight straight wins would see Arsenal have "more than a chance" of winning the title - they can only hope their remaining seven fixtures are as comfortable as this one.

 

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PSG 4-1 Nice: Ibrahimovic takes Ligue 1 tally to 30 as Parisians warm up for Man City

Paris Saint-Germain prepared for their Champions League tie against Manchester City in the best possible way with a 4-1 win over Nice on Saturday.

The newly-crowned Ligue 1 champions had Zlatan Ibrahimovic's hat-trick to thank for the convincing victory, with the Swede netting a hat-trick that takes his total strike count in Ligue 1 for the season to 30.

David Luiz supplied the pass that allowed the 34-year-old to open the scoring in the 15th minute, but Nice pulled one back only three minutes later through Hartem Ben Arfa.

However, Laurent Blanc's side were not to be denied and Ibrahimovic stepped up to a free-kick on the edge of the area, smashing it home to put PSG back in the lead.

Luiz made it 3-1 when he bundled in a corner before Ibrahimovic made sure of the result, the in-demand veteran putting the finishing touch on an excellent individual move from Adrien Rabiot.

Les Parisiens, who wrapped up the title with a 9-0 battering of Troyes last month, can now welcome City to Paris on Wednesday high on confidence as they look to take a lead from the first leg.

Ibrahimovic tested the water early on with a fierce 20-yard effort that went just wide of the right-hand post, but the Sweden international opened the scoring in the 15th minute.

Luiz's punt over the top was controlled brilliantly by Ibrahimovic, who smashed in from close range via the crossbar.

The lead was short-lived, though, as Ben Arfa levelled in some style. The former Newcastle United forward picked up the ball on the halfway line and drove at the PSG defence before curling an unstoppable 25-yard effort to the right of Kevin Trapp.It was a similar moment of quality from Ibrahimovic that led to PSG's lead being restored. Lucas Moura was bundled over on the edge of the box by Niklas Hult and the striker lashed a fierce free-kick into the top left-hand corner.

PSG should have been 3-1 up before the break as a fluent counter attack led to Rabiot teeing up Blaise Matuidi, who curled wide when one-on-one with Yoan Cardinale.

The hosts did extend their lead in the 48th minute when Hervin Ongenda's corner from the right was flicked home at the near post by Luiz.Another PSG corner caused panic shortly after, this time Ibrahimovic denied a hat-trick when his header was nodded off the goalline by Vincent Koziello.

The visitors missed a great chance to get back into the game when Ben Arfa did brilliantly to squirm a pass into the path of Alassane Plea, who dinked wide with only Trapp to beat.

PSG wrapped up the win with eight minutes remaining, Ibrahimovic collecting Rabiot's through ball and coolly slotting past Cardinale for his 30th league goal of the campaign.

 

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Simeone: Torres will play against Barca

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone has revealed Fernando Torres will play in the Champions League against Barcelona.

The experienced striker featured from the start in Atletico's 5-1 win over Real Betis on Saturday, opening the scoring to take his tally for this La Liga season to six.

He was then taken off at the hour-mark with an eye on the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final at Camp Nou on Tuesday, although Simeone was unclear over whether he would be named in his starting XI.

"Will Torres play against Barcelona? Yes, he will," the Argentine told reporters after the Betis game."I spoke with him before the match. He played 60 minutes against Betis to prepare for the match versus Barcelona."

Atletico recorded a comfortable win over Betis to prepare for the match against the Catalan giants and Simeone was delighted with his side's performance, while also underlining the importance of the league.

"The work put in by the players is what pleases me most," he said."I went for a 4-3-1-2 formation and the players did well, which is not easy. It is not an easy formation, but we did well.

"There is no doubt about it that La Liga is very important. The fans always get excited to see Atletico high up the table."The Copa del Rey and Champions League are different, because it's all about a few games. Consistency is key in La Liga. You have to be stable and solid to perform in the league."

 

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Pellegrini: I was sure De Bruyne would return the same player

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini explained Kevin De Bruyne's efforts to return to full fitness influenced his decision to select the Belgium international in a central attacking role in the 4-0 Premier League win over AFC Bournemouth.De Bruyne scored a brilliant goal and dazzled throughout his first appearance since sustaining medial knee ligament damage at the end of January.

City's record signing has tended to feature in wide attacking positions since joining from Wolfsburg in August but he was deployed as the most advanced of an attacking midfield three behind fellow goalscorer Sergio Aguero on the south coast, with Pellegrini keen to limit De Bruyne's defensive duties during a 57-minute appearance.

"He's a very important player. I think that before he was injured he made very good performances," Pellegrini told a post-match news conference.

"He was one of the players that scored more goals and was playing very well. It was unlucky for him to have that injury for about two months.

"He returned and demonstrated what a good player he is. He scored one and I think playing forward near Kun [Aguero] gave him a little bit more space so he did not have to work so hard as a midfielder because after two months it is not easy for him to have good pace."No [I wasn't surprised by his performance] because he is a very technical player. He worked for the last 10 days with complete normality.

"For him it was important for him to play the position that he played and to only play 55 minutes because it can be a danger for him to play more."I was sure that he was going to retain [form] the same way that he finished before his injury."

De Bruyne's return and a resounding win acted as fine preparation for City's visit to Paris Saint-Germain in the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday,
However, Pellegrini insisted his priority was a domestic three points in order to stem a slump of one win from six matches that effectively ended his team's Premier League title bid."The most important thing was to focus just on this game, that was the best way to prepare for a very important game in the Champions League.

"We had to try to return to our style of play, to try to recover the normal performance of the important players and I think that was a very important thing today.

"We played very well, especially in the first 45 minutes when we pressed high again, recovered a lot of balls and scored three beautiful goals."

 

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Dortmund 3-2 Werder Bremen: Ramos winner seals BVB comeback

Adrian Ramos came off the bench to score a priceless late winner for Borussia Dortmund as Thomas Tuchel's side edged a thrilling 3-2 victory against struggling Werder Bremen.

The substitute's intervention proved a crucial one for Dortmund, who remain five points behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, after Pep Guardiola's side defeated Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 earlier on Saturday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang gave Dortmund the lead shortly after half-time with his 23rd league goal of the season, the Gabon international chipping Felix Wiedwald after Henrikh Mkhitaryan played him through.

The lead did not last long as Bremen hit back swiftly, Gonzalo Castro diverting Alejandro Galvez's strike into his own net after Dortmund failed to deal with a corner.

Zlatko Junuzovic put Bremen ahead after fantastic work by Levin Oztunali with 16 minutes remaining, but Dortmund hit back almost immediately as Shinji Kagawa provided the finishing touch to a great team move.

And Ramos claimed the winner within two minutes of his introduction, the striker converting Mkhitaryan's corner to keep Dortmund within sight of Bayern.

Defensive injuries meant Matthias Ginter partnered Sven Bender at the back for Dortmund, while Bremen were without top goalscorer Claudio Pizarro, who hurt his back on international duty with Peru, so Anthony Ujah started up front.

And Ujah went close to putting the visitors into a shock early lead, but the striker could not quite stretch enough to convert a dangerous Sambou Yatabare cross.

Wiedwald made a great save to deny Erik Durm after 14 minutes, the goalkeeper blocking the prodded effort after Marco Reus opened up the Bremen defence superbly.

Aubameyang threatened on three occasions towards the end of the first half as Bremen, whose run of 28 Bundesliga games without a clean sheet is a league record, held on.

Marcel Schmelzer smashed a volley into the side netting, before Galvez blocked a Reus header and Wiedwald saved Castro's curling strike.

Dortmund finally broke Bremen's resistance to open the scoring in the 53rd minute.

Reus freed Mkhitaryan and his throughball was perfect for Aubameyang, who lifted a delightful finish over Wiedwald for his fifth Bundesliga goal since the mid-season break.

But the hosts, who had beaten their opponents in eight home Bundesliga games in a row, failed to find a second goal and Bremen levelled the scores in the 69th minute.

Dortmund failed to clear a corner and while Galvez's shot was sweet it was heading wide of the post before flicking Castro's ankle to beat Roman Burki and, galvanised, Bremen took the lead five minutes after their equaliser.

Oztunali battled his way into the box, recovering after being brought down by Bender, and pulled the ball back for Junuzovic to finish neatly.

But three minutes later Dortmund were back on level terms, substitute Kagawa slotting in after a fine team move involving Castro and Schmelzer and the winner came shortly afterwards.

Mkhitaryan's corner was perfectly placed for Ramos to attack and the powerful striker made no mistake to break Bremen hearts and leave Viktor Skrypnyk's side a point above the relegation zone.

 

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Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham: Kane rescues draw as title-chasing Spurs slip up

Harry Kane's excellent second-half strike earned Tottenham a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, in a result that will boost Leicester City's hopes of claiming a shock Premier League title win.

An inspired display from Hugo Lloris ensured there were no goals in the first half, but Philippe Coutinho put the home side ahead with a low strike six minutes into the second period.

Spurs, though, levelled within 12 minutes as the in-form Kane became the first Spurs player to score 22 goals in a Premier League season with a lethal finish.

While a draw at Anfield is no disaster after Mauricio Pochettino's men had only won once in their previous 21 visits, shock leaders Leicester now have the chance to move seven points clear at the top when they host Southampton on Sunday.

Liverpool, meanwhile, are ninth after a draw that means they are still waiting to record back-to-back home Premier League wins for the first time since last May.

Spurs initially made the brighter start and a patient passing move led to Kyle Walker laying the ball off for Christian Eriksen to sting the palms of Simon Mignolet in the home goal with a left-footed effort.

At the other end, Lloris had to react quickly to prevent Son Heung-min - starting for the injured Erik Lamela in Spurs' only change - from inadvertently diverting Alberto Moreno's cross into the bottom corner.

Kane dragged an effort wide after space had opened up for him inside the Liverpool box, but it was the hosts who should have gone into the break in front, with only a trio of Lloris saves keeping the scores level.

First to be denied was Sturridge - picked ahead of Divock Origi up front for Liverpool with Christian Benteke and Roberto Firmino injured - when he beat the offside trap and latched on to Coutinho's clever pass but failed to beat Lloris, even though there were no defenders in sight.

The France captain then pushed away a goal-bound Adam Lallana strike, before producing an even better diving, one-handed stop to keep out the England international, who gathered Coutinho's cross and scuffed a bouncing volley towards the top corner.

But even Lloris could not prevent the opener six minutes into the second half. Coutinho exchanged passes with Sturridge on the edge of the area and calmly sent a right-footed finish into the bottom corner.

Sturridge squandered his second big chance of the match when he headed just over from six yards from a magnificent Coutinho cross.

That proved costly for the hosts when, shortly after Son had volleyed wide after being picked out in a great position by Eric Dier's lofted pass, Spurs levelled.

Eriksen superbly kept the ball in play and crossed from the left, allowing Kane to send an exquisite finish beyond Mignolet on the turn for his sixth goal in four league matches.

Both sides had chances to win the match, with Mignolet making an impressive diving save from Eriksen's long-range drive, while Coutinho dragged a shot wide from a good opening created by substitute Origi.

Eriksen was then just off target with a free-kick and Mignolet denied Mousa Dembele as Spurs were unable to move within striking distance of leaders Leicester.

 

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Barcelona 1-2 Real Madrid: Ronaldo strike gives 10-man visitors victory

Cristiano Ronaldo struck after a red card for Sergio Ramos to snatch a 2-1 Clasico victory for 10-man Real Madrid over Barcelona in La Liga on Saturday.

Both sets of players and a capacity Camp Nou crowd paid a moving pre-match tribute to the late Johan Cruyff but there was little of the footballing magic the Dutchman made his calling card during a fitful contest in Catalonia.

Lionel Messi was forced to feed off scraps in search of his 500th Barcelona goal, although he drew an excellent save from Keylor Navas before Gerard Pique headed the hosts into a 56th-minute lead.

Karim Benzema showed superb awareness and technique to volley Madrid level and there was justifiable fury from the visitors when Gareth Bale had an 80th-minute header ruled out for an apparent foul on Jordi Alba.

Madrid's burgeoning confidence might have been checked when Ramos' concluded a rash outing with his second booking seven minutes from time, but Ronaldo's 16th goal against Barcelona stunned the Camp Nou masses and handed Luis Enrique's team their first defeat for 24 Liga matches.

Champions Barcelona are six points ahead of Atletico Madrid at the summit with seven matches remaining this season, while Madrid are a point further back, coach Zinedine Zidane having made a convincing pitch for his long-term job prospects at the Santiago Bernabeu.

After Cruyff was honoured with a stadium-spanning mosaic and a minute's silence, Luis Suarez wasted a glorious chance to give Barcelona a 10th-minute lead.

A misjudgement from Madrid captain Ramos, passed fit following a back problem, left Neymar and Suarez tearing towards goal – although the Uruguay star got his feet tangled and failed to convert at the back post when his team-mate squared.

Navas did not make a save until he parried Ivan Rakitic's stinging 21st-minute shot, while the already booked Ramos was not punished when he brought down Messi on the edge of the Madrid box.

Bale and Ronaldo carried growing menace for the visitors as the half progressed but they were struggling to create openings as marauding Barca full-back Dani Alves blazed over.

When a chance fell to their forward colleague Benzema on the penalty spot a minute from the break the France international clattered his volley hopelessly into orbit.

Ramos continued to teeter on his disciplinary tightrope when he brought down Suarez three minutes into the second half – Messi fired the resulting free-kick over.

The mercurial Argentina star called Navas into action in the 54th minute with a sumptuous lob that the goalkeeper impressively clawed out of his top left corner.

A flurry of corners followed and Madrid were unable to withstand the pressure as Pique slipped away from Pepe to send a thumping header into the net from Rakitic's right-wing delivery.

The lead would only last six minutes as Madrid full-back Marcelo fed Toni Kroos at the end of a driving run.

Germany midfielder Kroos tried to steer a pass across the box, with the ball deflecting off Jordi Alba, but Benzema was alert to the possibilities and swivelled to acrobatically volley home.

Barcelona needed a brilliant last-ditch tackle from Javier Mascherano to deny Ronaldo and Suarez flashed wide on the end of Messi's raking pass before Bale had his celebrations cut short by the officials.

The Wales international simply appeared to time his jump better than Alba, climbing above the full-back to dispatch Ronaldo's cross but referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez Hernandez chalked off the goal following a conversation with his assistant.

Ramos' luck eventually ran out when he dived in on Suarez but Ronaldo would not allow that to stem the victory charge.

The three-time Ballon d'Or winner chested down Bale's deep right-wing cross at the back post and buried an unerring finish beyond Bravo, peeling away to delight in the home supporters' silence.

 

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Juventus 1-0 Empoli: Mandzukic bags decisive goal for leaders

Juventus squeezed past Empoli 1-0 on Saturday night thanks to Mario Manzdukic's winner as they extended their run of unbeaten games to 21 in Serie A.

The Italian champions extended their lead at the top of the Serie A table to six points but were made to work hard by the minnows.

Massimiliano Allegri's men had Mandzukic to thank for the winner and another three points, after he turned Paul Pogba's delivery past Lorenzo Skorupski.

The Bianconeri had multiple chances to double their lead after finding the breakthrough but were thwarted each time by the visitors' custodian.

Despite that, the Turin giants still picked straight up from where they left off before the international break, recording a seventh successive home win and 12th straight clean sheet in Serie A.

They barely missed a beat despite being without Leonardo Bonucci, Alex Sandro and Sami Khedira through suspension, while forward Paulo Dybala was missing from the squad due to a muscular injury.

The champions now sit six points clear at the summit, although nearest rivals Napoli can cut the gap in half with victory away at Udinese on Sunday.

Empoli, meanwhile, have now failed to register a win in their last 12 league outings, a worrying run that has seen them slip into the bottom half of the table.They had their opportunities to strike first in a lively opening half that could easily have contained more than one goal.

Mandzukic had fired a left-footed drive too close to goalkeeper Lukasz Skorupski after being set free by a beautifully disguised reverse pass from Pogba, but the same duo combined again to break the deadlock just before the break.Pogba’s clever footwork on the left created enough space for him to drift over a teasing cross that Mandzukic gratefully steered into the net.

Alvaro Morata also hit the woodwork with a curling attempt from outside the area, but Empoli were not without opportunities at the other end.Riccardo Saponara wasted their best opening, the midfielder blazing over from close range after the ball had dropped perfectly into his path at a corner.

Massimo Maccarone – who scored his side's goal in the 3-1 loss in the reverse fixture – also failed to get a header on target against a Juventus defence that included Empoli old boy Daniele Rugani.

Morata was denied early in the second half by Skorupski, although the goalkeeper nearly gifted Juventus a second goal with an air shot when trying to make a clearance outside his area. He was fortunate no opposing player was close enough to seize on the mistake.

Juventus should have made sure of the win in injury time, only for Skorupski to somehow block substitute Kwadwo Asamoah's point-blank effort after Morata's low drive had been parried.

Pogba and Simone Zaza also went close to settling any late nerves for the home side, yet one goal proved enough for Allegri's shorthanded squad to clinch the points.

 

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Pique: Ramos red caused Barcelona defeat

Gerard Pique believes the decision to dismiss Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos of Saturday's Clasico effectively cost Barcelona the game as they lost 2-1.
Ramos received his second booking of the evening after a foul on Luis Suarez with the score at 1-1 seven minutes before the final whistle.

But Cristiano Ronaldo then somewhat surprisingly earned Madrid all three points with a goal just two minutes after the Spain international's exit.And Pique admitted the Catalans imploded following Ramos' red card, stating his side surrendered control of the encounter.

"We did not know how to play with a player more on the pitch and we lost control after the red card," the defender said via Barcelona's official Twitter account.

Saturday's defeat leaves Barcelona just six points clear of Atletico Madrid in the Liga table, while Real Madrid are also back in the title race, now seven points off the pace.

Nevertheless, Pique sees no reason to panic as the Camp Nou side's 39-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end, stressing they are still in good shape to win silverware this campaign."We have to move on and not dwell on this defeat. You cannot always win," he continued. "We are still in a good position in three competitions."

Barcelona will be looking to return to winning ways on Tuesday, when they host Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

 

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Zidane 'very proud' of Real Madrid after Clasico win

Zinedine Zidane said he was "very proud" of his Real Madrid players after they came from behind to beat Barcelona 2-1 in El Clasico at Camp Nou.

Barcelona led through a Gerard Pique header but Madrid hit back with a spectacular Karim Benzema equaliser before Cristiano Ronaldo produced a brilliant winner.

Sergio Ramos was sent off for Madrid shortly before Ronaldo's goal, but Madrid were deserved winners having had a header by Gareth Bale controversially disallowed.Madrid's win ended a run of 23 La Liga matches without defeat for Barcelona and leaves Zidane's side just seven points behind their rivals in the title race.

"[I am] Very proud of what the players did, this is not an easy ground, I'm very happy with everything, not just the result," Zidane told reporters after the match.
"These are [just] three points. Now we must think about resting well and the next game in the Champions League."

Real Madrid face Wolfsburg in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday, but Zidane was happy to revel in his side's Clasico win for the time being."When I see us like that, united, giving everything for your team-mates, for a coach that is the best," he said. "I liked everything about my team - in attack and defence. We made a huge effort against very good players.

"Our start was not so good, but better to start difficult and end well as we have done. Defensively we played an enormous game against very good players. With small space they can do you damage. And we controlled that well."We are on our path, preparing for the end of the season. We know we can do important things in the Champions League.

"This can be a turning point. It is very important, for the rest of season, for our spirit. We must go step by step. First we must pass Atletico, we are still third. Then we'll see what happens."There are still games to play."

 

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Luis Enrique: Barcelona not looking for excuses

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique refused to look for excuses after his side's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Real Madrid at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Gerard Pique's opener was cancelled out by Karim Benzema, before Cristiano Ronaldo netted the winner shortly after Sergio Ramos' dismissal as Madrid pulled within seven points of Barcelona in the Liga table.

The Catalans' attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar failed to leave their mark on the game, but Luis Enrique did not want to point to the trio's recent international duties as an excuse for their underwhelming performance.

"I do not want to look for excuses when a result is not good," Luis Enrique told reporters after the match. "We have the world's best players and they have to travel for internationals. We have to accept that.

"I am happy with the attitude of my players. We could have won the game, or draw, but Madrid were the more effective team in the end. I am obviously not happy with the result.

"But what happened to us is something that can happen in any game."We dominated but suffered in transitional phases in the last 15 minutes of the game. It is painful to lose here at Camp Nou, but the defeat had to happen some day.

"Things did not go as expected but we played against a team with a lot of quality. We had most of the ball and created plenty of chances. They surprised us in the last 15 minutes. But that is football.

"It is now important to move and get ready for the Champions League game against Atletico."Barcelona take on Atletico Madrid at Camp Nou on Tuesday in the first leg of their quarter-final tie.

 

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Tottenham missed two points - Pochettino

Mauricio Pochettino was impressed by Tottenham's performance at Liverpool but felt they "missed two points" after being held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday.

Harry Kane earned Spurs a draw with a lethal finish in the second half at Anfield shortly after Philippe Coutinho had given Jurgen Klopp's side the lead, but the result means Premier League leaders Leicester City can move seven points clear at the top with a win over Southampton on Sunday.Pochettino found it difficult to fault Tottenham's performance and stressed there was still a long way to go in the title race, despite their frustration.

"The feeling after the game is that we missed two points," he said to Sky Sports.
"I am happy and very pleased with the performance. The first half was equal but we played well."In the second half we were better, we had chances. Liverpool had chances too but I am happy. It was a hard game. We showed ambition.

"It was difficult to come to Liverpool and get the three points. With how we played I think we deserved it. It was maybe difficult to score the second goal but we played to win and in football sometimes you can't win every game.

"There are a lot of games ahead and after two weeks with all the players away and just one or two days to prepare it is tough."Leicester have a tough game against Southampton but we need to believe.Leicester deserve to be in the place they are but in football anything can happen.

"We have to fight until the end of the season. Three points against Manchester United are very important for us, we have to prepare."

 

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Ramos: If I knew Madrid would win with 10 men, I would've got sent off earlier!

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos joked that he would have got himself sent off earlier if he had known his team would go on to beat arch rivals Barcelona 2-1.

Madrid came from behind to stun the La Liga leaders in Saturday's Clasico, despite playing the final seven minutes with 10 men following Ramos' red card.

Ramos received his second yellow card when he dived in on Luis Suarez, but third-placed Madrid were not to be denied as Cristiano Ronaldo scored the match winner just two minutes later after Karim Benzema had cancelled out Gerard Pique's 56th-minute opener.Speaking afterwards, Ramos told reporters: "We did plenty of damage on the break, with one player less.

"If I had realised what would happen with one player less, that we'd have won with the sending off, I'd have got myself sent off in the fifth minute."

The win came after Barca crushed Madrid 4-0 in the reverse fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu last November, as Ramos side moved to within seven points of the Catalan club in the league standings."The good thing about football is it gives you a chance for revenge," the defener continued.

"You must always keep your feet on the ground. Our fans deserved this after so much suffering. It was important to arrive here at our best level."This is a way to recover our confidence, a prize. We are working very hard to do something important this season. We are on the right line."

 

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Barclays Premier League 2016.04.03 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2016.04.03 Fixtures

Leicester City Vs Southampton

Manchester United Vs Everton

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