..::Football III::..

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Darmian: Man Utd must secure top-four finish

Manchester United full-back Matteo Darmian has admitted Champions League qualification is the minimum requirement for Louis van Gaal's side this season.

The Premier League's top four is within touching distance for United, who are fifth in the table and just a point adrift of fourth-placed Manchester City with seven matches remaining.

United, though, face a difficult trip to title hopefuls Tottenham on Sunday, with a result crucial to both teams.

And as United prepare to travel to London, Italy international Darmian believes his team-mates have a big chance of securing Champions League football next season.
"It's normal that when you play for Manchester United there is a lot of pressure, but we know that and we try to do our best," Darmian told Sky Sports .

"I think Manchester United is the biggest club in the world so there is a lot of pressure. They expect that we win all the games."Now we want to be in the top four at the end of the season. We have a big chance to win the FA Cup, so we want to improve and work, and if possible win a trophy.

"Yes of course [top four is minimum requirement]. We want to be in the top four at the end of the season and the club works for this."If we work hard we have a big chance. We won the last two games so we want to continue on this way."

 

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Simeone promises Torres future update 'in the coming days'

Atletico Madrid head coach Diego Simeone has promised there will be an announcement soon on the future of Fernando Torres.

The striker, on loan from AC Milan, stated at the end of last month that there was "nothing new" on talks over a new contract, with his current deal set to expire at the end of the season.

It was reported earlier this year that Simeone was not prepared to sanction an extension to Torres' stay, but five goals in eight appearances from the 32-year-old has prompted speculation that a new deal has indeed been agreed.

And Simeone said on Friday that Atletico would confirm their decision soon, telling a media conference: "Torres did a very good job [against Barcelona], he will play as a starter again. Over the coming days the club will inform on what the decision is in this regard."

Torres scored but was later sent off in the 2-1 Champions League defeat to Barcelona this week, an incident which has caused huge consternation among Atleti players.Defender Filipe Luis claimed after the match that Barca are "protected" by Uefa, while Simeone claimed he could not risk voicing his true opinion on the matter.

However, the Argentine insists his side's sole focus is on their La Liga trip to Espanyol this weekend before they turn their attentions to the second leg with Barca at the Vicente Calderon."I don't feel like there is tension, I see it as an important game, a beautiful one, nothing more," he said.

"We said after the encounter what we thought of the game. The team showed the same strength, the bravery to play, and now we have a very tough opponent in Espanyol.

"We'll have to play in a different way than we did on Tuesday. It will be four days between the games, we have been able to recover and we haven't decided who will start. The priority is the game against Espanyol."We have to worry about doing well ourselves, and then, whatever happens [in the title race], so be it.

"Espanyol have a great counter-attack, they have great solidarity with the coach, they've become internally strong. I'm worried about Espanyol. Nothing else matters."

 

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Dortmund and Liverpool charged after Europa League clash

Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool face a Uefa investigation following their Europa League clash at Signal Iduna Park on Thursday.The Bundesliga side have been charged with blocking stairways during the 1-1 draw in the first leg of the quarter-final.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have been charged by European football's governing body after fans set off fireworks in the aftermath of Divock Origi scoring the opening goal.

The Anfield club are already facing separate charges of illicit chanting and further crowd disturbances from their last-16 second leg draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Sparta Prague, meanwhile, have been charged with crowd disturbances relating to "acts of damage" during their 2-1 defeat to Villarreal.The Czech Republic side were hit with charges relating to offensive banners and letting off fireworks in the last round against Lazio.

All charges will be dealt with by Uefa's Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body on May 19, the organisation confirmed on Friday.

 

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Mourinho: I can almost guarantee I’ll be back this summer

Jose Mourinho says he can “almost guarantee” he will be back in managerial action this summer and has "good offers on the table" as speculation surrounding his future continues.

The Portuguese has been out of work since leaving his second spell in charge of Chelsea back in December after a torrid start to the season with the Blues.

The 53-year-old has been heavily linked with replacing Louis van Gaal at Manchester United, although he has also been linked to Real Madrid should Zinedine Zidane fail to win the Champions League.

"I can almost guarantee you that I’ll be back working this summer," he told Portuguese newspaper O Jogo. "I’ve good offers on the table.

"It’s a matter of thinking, to come to a good decision and finalise it. In the summer, at the end of the season, everyone will know what my next club will be”.

While Mourinho did not reveal which offers he has received, he did confess that he is raring to go after months out of the game.

"One thing is certain, my future won’t be at Estoril or Pacos, because they’re both having great seasons and won’t change manager," he joked.

"I’ll take my ideas to where they wanted. I want to be at a place where I’m truly wanted.

"After a few months to recharge my batteries, I'll be ready to go with everything I have to give.

"I want to work at a club with responsibility, in a hard league, where there’re no easy objectives. That doesn’t leave many options."

 

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Van Gaal: Rooney is recovering well

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney is back in training but is not ready to return against Tottenham this weekend, manager Louis van Gaal has confirmed.
Rooney has been sidelined since sustaining a knee injury during his side's 2-1 defeat against Sunderland on 13 February.

United face a big test in their bid to finish inside the top four this season when they travel to Spurs on Sunday, but Van Gaal insists Rooney isn't fit enough to feature at White Hart Lane.Instead, Van Gaal says the 30-year-old forward must play with United's development side in order to regain match sharpness ahead of the final weeks of the league season and Euro 2016.

"He's playing for the Under-21s," Van Gaal told a news conference on Friday.
"His recovery is going very well."He has trained with us two times, but he has to build up his fitness."

Long-term absentees Ashley Young (groin) and Phil Jones (ankle/foot) are also back in contention but are unlikely to feature against Tottenham."Yes, they are more or less fit players but you cannot be fit after one game at a lower level," Van Gaal continued.

"We have a big squad now, we are training with 26 people and we have to adapt to that new situation again, but it is very promising now."

United's frequent injury problems this season have forced Van Gaal to introduce academy graduates such as Marcus Rashford and Timothy Fosu-Mensah, leaving the Dutch manager with a challenge to keep his squad happy as more established players return from the treatment room.

But Van Gaal has rubbished the idea that he is now having a selection headache by the time games come around, insisting he is delighted to finally have a big squad to choose from having had few players at his disposal earlier in the campaign."There was a time when I could select only the fit players, but now with all the youngsters who have proven they are capable of playing, and all those coming back, I have a bigger squad," he said.

"I have said to my players you have to help your colleagues who are not selected and a lot of players are not selected for the first team or sit on the bench."Tottenham, second in the table and desperate to keep pace with leaders Leicester, go into their clash with United in the unfamiliar role of title challengers.

United, though, are not short of motivation, with local rivals Manchester City just one point ahead of them in the fourth and final Champions League qualifying berth.
"We still have to close a gap of one point, so we must win," Van Gaal added.

 

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Mourinho: Pep knows where he will be next season, I don't

Jose Mourinho has refused to comment on whether his old rivalry with Pep Guardiola could be renewed in the Premier League, pointing out that only one of the pair knows what the future holds.

The two coaches were the protagonists in a series of fierce encounters while at Clasico giants Barcelona and Real Madrid, before moving on within a year of each other.

But while Pep is gearing up to take over at Manchester City at the end of the current campaign following a trophy-laden spell at Bayern Munich, Mourinho is still in the dark over his future.

"He knows where he will be going and I don't. It is not worth imaging any scenarios because Guardiola has a new club and I don't," the Portuguese trainer told reporters on Friday.

One potential destination is Manchester United, leaving open the possibility of the pair once more becoming derby rivals.

"I don't want to say anything about that," Mourinho answered when questioned on the Old Trafford links.

"There are thousands of possible scenarios, some real and others less so. One thing I do when I am not working is that I read everything, unlike when I am working because I do not look at a single word in the press.

"It is so easy to invent, lie and take things out of context. It is the world in which we live and we have to adapt.

"What I can guarantee is that when I start work I will be going back to the old rule, and will not read anything."

 

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Chelsea ready to make €35m bid for Nainggolan

Chelsea are ready to offer €35 million plus add-ons to sign Radja Nainggolan from Roma and held talks with the Italian club on Thursday, Goal can confirm.

A Roma delegation comprising of director of football Walter Sabatini and agent Ramy Abbas visited Stamford Bridge to discuss the Belgium midfielder and Mohamed Salah, who Abbas represents.

Reports in Italy have suggested Abbas will also be involved in the brokering of any deal for Nainggolan.

Nainggolan features on the list of players targeted by new Blues boss Antonio Conte along with his Roma team-mate Kostas Manolas, who has also been linked with Arsenal.

Chelsea declined to comment on the meeting but Goal understands talks are ongoing over the transfer of Nainggolan.

Salah joined Roma on loan from Chelsea in August and could make his move to the Stadio Olimpico permanent at the end of the season.

 

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De Bruyne: Man City called me every day until I signed

Kevin De Bruyne has revealed that Manchester City's persistence helped persuade him to spurn the advances of some of Europe's biggest clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich were both interested in signing De Bruyne last summer after he had established himself as one of the most promising footballers in Europe during an 18-month spell with Wolfsburg.

The Bundesliga outfit stood firm in their valuation of the playmaker, who had racked up 11 goals and 37 assists by the time he left the club, and although City were made to wait until after the season started they eventually forked out £54 million to secure his services.

De Bruyne says that determination to bring him to the Etihad Stadium played a crucial role in his decision.

“I think the thing that most gave me confidence at that particular time was that they were busy trying to contact me," he said.

"They called every day until the day that I signed here. They pushed for me to come and for me that gave me a great sign that they were interested and that I could be important over here."

De Bruyne has picked up where he left off in Germany, scoring 14 goals and laying on 12 assists in his time in England so far.

The 24-year-old is in contention to win City's player of the year award at the end of the season and credited his fine start to life at the club is at least in part to Manuel Pellegrini, who has acknowledged that the midfielder's presence was missed during his 10-week injury lay-off.

“It’s always nice when you get a compliment from the coach or from other players," he continued. "I think I’m a player who looks for a lot of forward passes and creating chances with some risk and in that part I’m very different from the other players in my team.
"I think he managed to get me in the team without any problems really well. I’ve only been here for just over six months but the way I integrated went really well and straight away I felt really good in the team and I think you saw that from the beginning on the pitch."

De Bruyne returned to the first team against Bournemouth a week ago and immediately resumed a fruitful relationship with Sergio Aguero.

The two look set to continue that link-up for the remainder of the season, with De Bruyne slotting seamlessly into the No.10 role, and he says studying the Argentine's playing style has helped boost their understanding.

“He’s obviously one of the best strikers I’ve played with," the Belgian said. "He’s a striker who’s there in front of the goal. When you don’t see him a lot in a game he can pop up and score three. His record speaks for itself. Everyone knows about Sergio.

"You try to learn how he plays so that you can create as many opportunities as possible for him. The more opportunities he has the better it is for our team because he’s the guy who scores the most goals. For us he’s really important in that way."

 

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Rooney STILL better than Kane and Vardy, claims Van Gaal

Louis van Gaal believes Wayne Rooney is still England's best striker despite the excellent seasons enjoyed by Harry Kane and Jamie Vardy.

The Tottenham and Leicester City stars lead the Premier League scoring charts with 22 and 19 goals respectively, with Rooney having amassed only 11 in the top flight since December 2014.

But Van Gaal is adamant that the 30-year-old - who is nearing a return after two months on the sidelines with a knee injury - remains England's leading centre forward.

"It always depends on their form because everybody has tendencies in their shape," the Dutchman responded when asked whether Rooney was still England's best striker.

"It is always like that. Wayne is more like that. Normally he is the best striker, but Harry Kane, how many has he scored? That also counts for a striker and also for Wayne.

"So, it’s also dependable on your team, how they are playing, so you cannot say that so easily. But when you see his record he is the best striker.”

United travel to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham this weekend, with the Red Devils currently a point behind Manchester City in the race for the top four.

Van Gaal acknowledged Kane's importance to Spurs but insisted his side could not focus solely on the goalscorer.

“I cannot remember that he [Kane] scored [against us]," he told reporters. "When I say that I am challenging him also, so it’s not so smart of me.

"But we are never defending against just one player. We defend like a team and we defend the attack of Tottenham.

“We have analysed them. Of course, Kane is very important but [Christian] Eriksen is also very important and Dele Alli is also very important.

"I can start with [Hugo] Lloris because he makes very quick set-plays and also [Toby] Alderweireld has a very good pass, so it’s the team you have to solve and not only Harry Kane.”

Rooney is unavailable for Sunday's trip to the capital, but could return for Wednesday's FA Cup quarter-final replay against West Ham United.

Van Gaal refused to confirm whether his captain would be involved but says he does not expect Rooney to require too much time to get back up to speed.

“That you can never predict [his availability for West Ham], because you have to see if everything is going well," the 64-year-old said.

"He has only trained two times with us and you cannot predict how his injury evolved. We have to wait and see and I have to see the Under‑21 game against Middlesbrough [on Monday].

“So I cannot say that because he can be so good that I shall be forced to give him a position in the team. But it depends on what we see and today was another day. Tomorrow also.

"Let’s wait that he plays 60 minutes at a lower level and then he can play against West Ham United, you never know.

“I cannot say that [it will be a while until he returns to his best] because when I saw him training [on Thursday], for example, he scored a goal, he made a fantastic chip over the goalkeeper. It was his first training session and I said to him, ‘I have never seen that this season’."

 

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Marquinhos agrees deal with Barcelona

Marquinhos has reached an agreement with Barcelona but the European champions remain in negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain over the Brazil defender's transfer.

Goal understands the centre-back has approved an annual salary of around €4.5 million, as well as a signing-on fee worth €3m, after talks between the club and player held in Madrid.

Barca have tabled an offer of €45m for Marquinhos and will go as high as €50m to land their man but PSG continue to refuse to entertain their interest.

PSG have often stated their desire to keep the ex-Roma man, who is under contract until 2019, and previously rejected a bid from Barcelona.

They face a fight to retain the 21-year-old this summer, however, given the advanced nature of the talks.

Goal understands Marquinhos' representatives are keen for their client to leave the French capital - though his agent, Giuliano Bertolucci, denied any contact with Barca when asked for comment.

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.04.09

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.04.09

West Ham Vs Arsenal

Aston Villa Vs Bournemouth

Crystal Palace Vs Norwich City

Southampton Vs Newcastle

Swansea Vs Chelsea

Watford Vs Everton

Manchester City Vs WBA

​

 

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LA Liga Fixtures 2016.04.09

LA Liga Fixtures 2016.04.09

Real Madrid Vs Eibar

Espanyol Vs Atletico Madrid

Real Sociedad Vs Barcelona

Real Betis Vs Levante​

 

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Serie A Fixtures 2016.04.09

Serie A Fixtures 2016.04.09

Frosinone Vs Inter

Chievo Vs Carpi

Sassuolo Vs Genoa

AC Milan Vs Juventus​

 

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Conte as good as Mourinho or Guardiola, says Zola

Gianfranco Zola believes incoming Chelsea coach Antonio Conte should be seen as being on the same level as Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola.

Conte took over Juventus after they had finished seventh in Serie A and led them to three consecutive league titles before leaving to take over the Italy national team.
The coach will step down from his national team role to take on the job at Stamford Bridge, currently held by interim manager Guus Hiddink, after the conclusion of Euro 2016.

And Zola believes his compatriot is a fantastic choice to replace Hiddink, insisting there is no greater trainer in the game at the moment.

"He's done so well in Italy that he has to be considered the same level as Guardiola and Mourinho," Zola, who made over 250 appearances for Chelsea between 1996 and 2003, told BBC .

"He has not won as much internationally but he is a good coach with a strong personality. I'm sure he will bring a lot to Chelsea."

Zola admitted that his job in recruiting new players to Stamford Bridge might be harder without Champions League football."Antonio as a coach is very disciplined, he demands a lot from the side no matter who you are and also tactically he works a lot," he added.

"There might be a problem bringing big players because playing in the Champions League is a big issue, but that actually could be an advantage because there won't be as much pressure on him."He will do well with Chelsea, I am sure."

 

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West Ham 3-3 Arsenal: Koscielny rescues Gunners after Carroll hat-trick

Andy Carroll's hat-trick was not enough for West Ham to seal a stunning comeback win on Saturday as Arsenal secured a 3-3 draw in a thriller at Upton Park.Back-to-back draws had derailed West Ham's top-four ambitions and frustrations began to mount for Slaven Bilic's side as they found themselves two goals behind an Arsenal side still harbouring hopes of the Premier League title.

Manuel Lanzini had a goal harshly ruled out for offside shortly before Mesut Ozil struck his sixth league goal of the season, and Alexis Sanchez doubled the lead 10 minutes before the break.

But Arsenal surrendered their control on the game as Carroll - who was perhaps fortunate to receive only a booking for an early lunge on Laurent Koscielny - scored twice inside 160 seconds before the end of the first half, and his emphatic header shortly after the restart put the hosts in front.

Nacho Monreal saw a shot cleared off the line but Koscielny had better luck shortly afterwards as he steered high into the net to bring Arsene Wenger's side level, although a crucial seventh goal proved elusive as both teams' ambitions took a blow.

The Gunners were hugely fortunate not to go a goal down with 14 minutes played. Carroll met Mark Noble's cross with an overhead kick and Lanzini nodded the ball in from close range, only for the assistant to raise his flag for offside, despite Hector Bellerin playing the Argentine on.Upton Park's final London derby was going against the hosts as Arsenal opened up a two-goal lead.

Alex Iwobi was central to both goals, first setting up Ozil - who beat the offside trap to fire into the bottom-left corner, through the legs of Adrian - before the Nigeria international lobbed a pass into the path of Sanchez, who had the freedom of the penalty area to slot home.

Arsenal looked in total control against an unusually sluggish West Ham, but the hosts snatched a lifeline just a minute before half-time when Carroll steered in Aaron Cresswell's superb curling cross from the left.

Adrian reacted well to keep out Monreal's effort from close range, and West Ham capitalised on that miss to level the scores in stoppage time.

Carroll was given space to bring down the ball just six yards out and, after his initial effort was blocked, he reacted quickest with a scissor-kick volley which deflected off Gabriel and flew past David Ospina.

Referee Craig Pawson waved away penalty shouts from West Ham as Bellerin slipped and brought down Cresswell in the area, before Dimitri Payet saw a goal disallowed after Carroll was adjudged to have fouled Koscielny.

But Carroll completed West Ham's comeback - and his hat-trick - just two minutes later. Michail Antonio burst clear down the right and clipped a cross to the back post, where the ex-Liverpool man rose highest to power a header past Ospina despite Gabriel's best efforts.

Monreal had a shot from 20 yards cleared off the line by Winston Reid but Arsenal restored parity with 20 minutes to play, Koscielny side-footing high past Adrian from 12 yards after Danny Welbeck touched the ball into his path.

Cresswell and Payet forced Ospina into good saves from distance and Olivier Giroud headed narrowly wide, but there was nothing to separate the teams come the end of a breathless 90 minutes.

 

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Herrera warns Tottenham: We can hurt the top teams

Ander Herrera believes Manchester United's form against the Premier League's top teams gives them cause for optimism at Tottenham on Sunday.

Despite United's squad being stretched by injuries this season, they have beaten both Manchester City and Arsenal since the turn of the year, while collecting a point at champions Chelsea.And with title-chasing, second-placed Spurs up next, Herrera is hoping for another positive result in the hunt for a Champions League spot.

"I think we perform better against top teams and always give our best, and Spurs is one of those top teams," the Spaniard told MUTV."I think Spurs and Leicester are the only teams that have been consistent.

"I watched Spurs' game at Liverpool, they controlled pretty much all of the game and played very well in the second half and could have won."They are still fighting for the title and we have to respect them because they have very good players."

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Spurs are seven points behind leaders Leicester and Herrera has been particularly impressed with their young England pair Dele Alli and Eric Dier."I think we have seen some surprises in the Premier League this season and Dele Alli is one of them," he said.

"Also I didn't expect Dier to play as well as he has done in midfield."Alli is a player who doesn't need to touch the ball all the time. He waits for his moment and he has good timing into the box. He scores goals and assists often.

Herrara understands the importance of keeping possession and believes United will need to dominate in that area against the top teams."The best way to defend against good players is by getting the ball. That's the best way to do it," he said.

"We have been the better team against Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea, so we have to believe."

 

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Ada Tottenham match win 1ka godak important

Ath lesi wenne nam naha.Tottenham la pattama form 1kaka inne​

 

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Frosinone 0-1 Inter: Icardi gives Mancini's men victory

Mauro Icardi's late winning goal sealed a narrow 1-0 victory for Inter at 10-man Frosinone on Saturday, with the battling hosts denied three times by the woodwork.

Both teams struggled to create opportunities in a testy match that saw referee Paolo Tagliavento hand out seven bookings and send off Leonardo Blanchard late in the game.

Luca Paganini could have snatched a memorable victory for the hosts when his header from Oliver Kragl's cross struck the post, Daniel Pavlovic hitting the crossbar with a free-kick and Daniel Ciofani's late effort clipping the post.

But Icardi headed home an Ivan Perisic cross after 74 minutes to settle the match and put Inter fourth, five points behind Roma with only six games to go in the battle for third place.

The victory gives Inter their first win away from home in Serie A since January 6, while Frosinone remain in the relegation zone and are running out of matches to preserve their Serie A status.

Frosinone were without striker Federico Dionisi through suspension, while Inter's Miranda and Yuto Nagatomo were banned after both players were sent off in last weekend's loss to Torino.

Jonathan Biabiany had the first chance after 11 minutes, beating the offside trap to race on to Stevan Jovetic's pass, but he sliced his shot badly off target.

Nicola Leali almost presented Jovetic with a tap-in after 21 minutes, the goalkeeper recovering well to claim the loose ball after spilling a low cross.

Ivan Perisic should have put Inter ahead after 39 minutes but he turned a cross-shot from Biabiany wide at the back post, then Kragl hit a shot straight at Samir Handanovic.

Shortly after half-time Jeison Murillo headed Marcelo Brozovic's cross over as both sides struggled to create openings.

Daniel Ciofani almost inadvertently gave Frosinone the lead after 54 minutes, a header bouncing off him and going just wide after Handanovic missed the cross.
Inter's first shot on target arrived just after the hour-mark, but Jovetic's 20-yard effort was easily saved by Leali.

Frosinone knew a win would see them rise out of the relegation zone and they almost took a shock lead, Paganini's header coming back off the post, while a superb Pavlovic free-kick crashed against the crossbar.

The reverse fixture earlier in the season was won 4-0 by Inter but they found it tough to breakdown the resilient Frosinone defence, Perisic shooting just wide after 67 minutes, before Icardi struck.Perisic did well to dig out a cross and Icardi rose to head into Leali's top-right corner, Jovetic almost adding a second but shooting just over the crossbar.

Blanchard was dismissed for a second yellow card with 10 minutes to go and Ciofani's shot clipped the post as the woodwork denied Frosinone again, but Inter held on to put pressure on third-placed Roma, who play Bologna on Monday.

 

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Stuttgart 1-3 Bayern Munich: Alaba fires Guardiola's men to victory

Bayern Munich took another step towards retaining their Bundesliga title thanks to a hard fought 3-1 victory away to Stuttgart on Saturday.

A Georg Niedermeier own goal on the half-hour mark and David Alaba's smartly taken first league goal of the season shortly after the interval looked to have given Bayern a comfortable win, before a remarkable piece of improvisation from Daniel Didavi threatened to make a game of it for Stuttgart.A Douglas Costa strike sealed the victory late on, and moved Bayern eight points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who play Schalke on Sunday.

Bayern were gifted the lead when Stuttgart captain Niedermeier deflected a low Franck Ribery cross from the left into his own net. Niedermeier was at full stretch in a vain attempt to prevent an easy tap-in for the waiting Robert Lewandowski, but he could not keep the ball from squirming past Przemyslaw Tyton in the Stuttgart goal.

Alaba stretched Bayern's lead five minutes into the second period, the 23-year-old Austrian's neat footwork controlling and then shifting the ball past a static Stuttgart defender in a crowded penalty area before poking past Tyton at his near post.

Stuttgart's top goalscorer Didavi threatened to make a game of it ten minutes later, somehow hooking the ball above and over Manuel Neuer while lying flat on his back. Bayern's backline had failed to clear a deep free-kick into their area, and the ball ricocheted to the prone midfielder to grab his 11th of the campaign.Stuttgart pressed for the equaliser, leaving themselves exposed at the back, allowing substitute Costa to collect the ball 25 yards from goal and drive into the bottom left hand corner of Tyton's net.

The victory stretched Bayern's remarkable winning streak over Stuttgart to 15 games, the home side's last victory over the reigning Bundesliga champions coming all the way back in March 2010.

Pep Guardiola used his side's five-point cushion at the top of the Bundesliga as an opportunity to rest key players ahead of their Champions League quarter-final second leg with Benfica, skipper Philipp Lahm, Thiago Alcantara, Douglas Costa and Thomas Muller all dropping to the bench.

But Muller was called into action earlier than expected, replacing Arturo Vidal after just 27 minutes, with Guardiola opting to withdraw a player at real risk of not making it to half-time and lucky to still be on the pitch after pair of reckless challenges just moments apart midway through the half.

Niedermeier's calamitous intervention was a fortunate breakthrough for Bayern, who, having won their last three games 1-0, again struggled for fluency in the first half.

It was Stuttgart who had enjoyed the best opportunity of the first period before the goal, but Didavi was denied by a wonderful point-blank save from Neuer, the midfielder having emerged unmarked at the far post from a free-kick from the left.

Alaba's smart finish, the versatile star somehow creating space to bring the ball down and fire home in a crowded penalty area, looked to have secured a comfortable win for the visitors, but Didavi's brilliance made it a nail-biting finish. Costa, who had earlier hit the bar with a curled effort, extinguished any hopes of a late equaliser for his third league goal of the season.

 

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Real Madrid 4-0 Eibar: Ronaldo makes history in dominant win

Real Madrid warmed up for their critical Champions League match against Wolfsburg in style with a comprehensive 4-0 home victory over Eibar in La Liga on Saturday.

Only Pepe, Casemiro and Cristiano Ronaldo kept their places in the team as Zinedine Zidane made eight changes in preparation for Tuesday's quarter-final second leg, where they will try to overturn a two-goal deficit.

Ronaldo impressed, scoring once and setting up two more as Madrid scored all four of their goals in the first half at Santiago Bernabeu to win a sixth consecutive La Liga match.

James Rodriguez's free-kick gave the hosts an early lead, before Lucas Vazquez and Ronaldo – whose strike saw him become the first player to net 30 La Liga goals in six straight seasons – scored within 108 seconds of each other to kill off the match inside 20 minutes.

Jese Rodriguez made it four prior to the break and that proved to be the final goal as Madrid moved to within four points of leaders Barcelona ahead of their game at Real Sociedad. Eibar have now won only one of their last 12 league outings.

Jese was denied an early penalty when it was ruled he had been brought down just outside the area, but Madrid would not be left dwelling on the decision for long as James swept an impressive strike from the resulting free-kick into the bottom corner on his first league start for five weeks.

It was two for Zidane's men after 18 minutes when Isco's through ball was collected by Ronaldo, who brushed aside a weak challenge from Aleksandar Pantic and squared for Vazquez to smash in a left-footed strike.

Madrid then made it three on their next attack, with Jese played in behind and unselfishly finding Ronaldo in oceans of space at the back post. The Portugal forward made no mistake, taking one touch and converting with a powerful finish.

The hosts scored their fourth six minutes before half-time as Ronaldo gained ground down the left and returned the favour for Jese, picking out the 23-year-old to give him the simplest of tasks to slot home his fifth league goal of the campaign from close range.Kiko Casilla saved a powerful Pantic header in Eibar's sole chance of note in the opening period.

Sergi Enrich forced Casilla into action early in the second half, while Asier Riesgo saved well at the other end after Ronaldo's diving header from Vazquez's chipped pass.

Ronaldo was inches wide with a great late chance as he stretched to try and convert Vazquez's cross, but it was Eibar who should have netted the game's fifth goal.

A corner was flicked on by Enrich at the near post, but Borja Baston could only power his own header against the crossbar from two yards out as Madrid held on for a clean sheet on a comfortable day at the office.