..::Football III::..

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Borussia Dortmund 3-0 Hamburg: Ramos double down 10-man visitors

Borussia Dortmund closed the gap on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to seven points with a comfortable 3-0 win against 10-man Hamburg, who had Rene Adler sent off at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday.The first two goals came within a six-minute period at the end of the first half, with Christian Pulisic scoring the opener by rounding off a training ground set-piece routine to give Dortmund the lead after a sloppy start to the game.

Dortmund soon doubled their advantage when Adrian Ramos scored a terrific solo goal to give his side complete control and they were barely troubled from that point on.

Hamburg's chances of a comeback were dealt a huge blow shortly after the interval when goalkeeper Adler was dismissed for bringing down Shinji Kagawa outside the box.

Dortmund's victory – which lifts the mood after their shock Europa League collapse at Liverpool in midweek – was then sealed when Ramos tapped in his second in the closing stages.

Thomas Tuchel's men had beaten Hamburg just once in their last seven meetings, but the routine win means Bruno Labbadia's visitors - who have lost four of their last five games - are in danger of being sucked back into relegation danger. They remain just three points clear of Werder Bremen in the play-off position.

Teenagers Pulisic and Felix Passlack were handed starts as Tuchel made seven changes with an eye on Wednesday's DFB-Pokal semi-final against Hertha Berlin.
Nicolai Muller had an early effort from which Roman Burki made an easy save, before Kagawa saw his penalty appeal rejected after going down in the box.

Muller went close again with a 25-yard drive and Ivo Ilicevic headed wide as Hamburg started the game well on top.

Substitute Sven Schipplock, on for the injured Pierre-Michel Lasogga, was presented with a fine chance after Sven Bender's mistake but the striker delayed his shot and Mats Hummels got back superbly to snuff out the danger.

That wasted opportunity proved immediately decisive as Dortmund took the lead in the 38th minute as Pulisic scored his first Bundesliga goal with a delightful finish.

A well-worked corner was flicked on to Pulisic by Hummels and the 17-year-old took a touch to get the ball out of his feet before planting a low shot into Adler's bottom-right corner.

The hosts' lead was doubled six minutes later when Ramos latched on to a Nuri Sahin ball over the top and cut inside off the left, before he bent an unstoppable finish across Adler.Passlack could have had a penalty in the first minute after the interval, but again referee Marco Fritz decided against awarding Dortmund a spot-kick.

Hamburg's hopes of mounting a fightback were severely dented after 50 minutes when Adler clattered Kagawa just outside the box and was harshly sent off by Fritz despite multiple defenders racing back to cover.

Dortmund, who had failed to beat Hamburg since hammering them 6-2 at Signal Iduna Park in September 2013, went close to a third through Ramos but a heavy touch let him down and Adler's replacement Jaroslav Drobny narrowed the angle well.

Hamburg played the last 10 minutes with nine men after Albin Ekdal suffered an injury and was unable to continue, with Ramos tucking in his second of the affair with four minutes to go after Drobny's save from Kagawa's shot had fallen into his path.

 

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Moss wanted to 'equal it out', says Carroll

Andy Carroll accused referee Jon Moss of giving Leicester City a penalty in order to "equal it out" after awarding West Ham an earlier spot-kick in Sunday's thrilling 2-2 draw.

Carroll scored from 12 yards and Aaron Cresswell smashed West Ham into the lead after Moss had dismissed Leicester goalscorer Jamie Vardy for two bookable offences, the latter adjudged to be a dive.

And Moss was back in the spotlight in the last minute of stoppage time, awarding the Foxes a penalty after Jeffrey Schlupp fell under Carroll's challenge, allowing Leonardo Ulloa to step up and fire Claudio Ranieri's title chasers into an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League."A couple of decisions were not the greatest and got them a draw," West Ham striker Carroll told BBC Sport.

"I am surprised he didn't give our penalty earlier [before the penalty Carroll scored] and at the end I feel like he has tried to equal it out. l think that is what he [Schlupp] was going for, he ran straight into me."

Leicester captain Wes Morgan fouled Winston Reid for the visitors' penalty at the King Power Stadium and West Ham's centre-back also lamented Moss' "dodgy decisions"."It was a fun match but again it was a game we couldn't hold onto the result, that is the third or fourth time in a row," Reid added.

"It is a bit disappointing, there were some dodgy decisions. Take your pick.
"At the end of the day he [Morgan] has pulled me, some are given, some aren't."

 

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Italy midfielder Marchisio to miss Euro 2016 with cruciate ligament injury

Juventus midfielder Claudio Marchisio has been ruled out of Italy's Euro 2016 campaign after suffering a cruciate ligament injury.

The 30-year-old was forced off on a stretcher during Juventus' 4-0 victory over Palermo on Sunday after falling awkwardly in a challenge with Franco Vazquez.

Juventus have now confirmed the midfielder has undergone an MRI scan and the results have shown that he has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and will now require surgery.

Marchisio has been capped 54 times by Italy, whose Euro 2016 campaign kicks off against Belgium on June 13.

Meanwhile, Juventus moved nine points clear at the top of Serie A with the win over Palermo.

 

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Arsenal 1-1 Crystal Palace: Bolasie leveller keeps Gunners in fourth

Yannick Bolasie struck a hammer blow to Arsenal's top-three hopes with a late equaliser as Crystal Palace secured a 1-1 draw at Emirates Stadium.

The winger was allowed to cut in off the left by the Arsenal defenders with nine minutes to play and he took full advantage with a powerful low shot that beat Petr Cech.

Bolasie's strike was Palace's best sight of goal in the entire 90 minutes as Arsenal dominated possession, the hosts having taken the lead through Alexis Sanchez.Arsenal wasted a glut of chances to extend their advantage before Palace snatched a point, Mesut Ozil and Danny Welbeck particularly at fault.

The result means Arsenal fail to overtake Manchester City in the Premier League table - pulling level with Manuel Pellegrini's men - and sit just four clear of Manchester United in the race for Champions League football.Meanwhile, Palace are nine above the relegation zone and face a trip to United on Wednesday before next weekend's FA Cup semi-final with Watford.

There was little to split the two sides in a drab opening 20 minutes, with Arsenal enjoying large swaths possession without being able to find the final ball.In fact, the best opening fell to Palace, but Scott Dann was unable to get his header on target from Pape Souare's left-wing cross.

Wayne Hennessey continued to be untroubled in the Palace goal as the clock ticked towards half an hour, but counterpart Cech – recalled in place of David Ospina – was called into action by Bolasie's curling effort after 28 minutes.

Arsenal raised the tempo as half-time approached and created chances for Sanchez and Ozil that were wasted, the latter firing straight at Hennessey after exchanging passes with the Chilean.

Sanchez made no mistake in stoppage time, though, as he held off Souare to loop a header over Hennessey from Welbeck's chipped pass – his 10th league goal of the season.

Neat link-up play between Alex Iwobi and Welbeck presented the latter with an early sight of goal after the restart, but the England striker opted for the near post with his effort and Hennessey saved easily.Ozil's quality from set-pieces began to have a big impact on proceedings around the hour mark, but, after firing wide himself, Welbeck and Sanchez both failed to beat Hennessey.

Palace – who introduced former Arsenal and Tottenham striker Emmanuel Adebayor to a chorus of boos after 63 minutes – punished Arsenal profligacy in front of goal late on, though, with their first real effort on target.

Adebayor cut inside from the left wing and found Bolasie, who evaded two defenders before rifling a low shot past Cech. Despite Arsenal's desperate attempts to grab a winner, the visitors were able to hold on.

 

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Henry: Title race is over for Arsenal

Former Arsenal star Thierry Henry claimed that the club should forget about winning the Premier League crown this season, and focus on securing a Champions League spot.

The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Crystal Palace, and lie 13 points behind Leicester City with just 15 still to play for before the end of the season.

Speaking after the game, Henry affirmed that the club's performance was just not up to scratch.

"Palace were in a situation where they could've won it," he told Sky Sports.

"Yes, Welbeck had a chance, yes, there was some chances in and around the Palace penalty box. But again, it wasn't enough, especially at home."

With the Foxes appearing to have an insurmountable lead, the Frenchman opined that the Champions League should be Arsene Wenger's prime objective.

"The guys must be disappointed because they were trying to see if they can have a last push to win the title," he said.

"Now we can say it's over. Now they need to concentrate on staying there in the top four."

 

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Atletico Madrid 3-0 Granada: Koke, Torres and Correa turn up heat on Barcelona

Koke and Fernando Torres were Atletico Madrid's heroes and Angel Correa added his own goal as they eased to a 3-0 win over Granada, pulling momentarily level on points with Liga leaders Barcelona.

Diego Simeone's side knocked the holders out of the Champions League this week and moved level on points with the Liga leaders thanks to a comfortable win at the Vicente Calderon against a team without a victory since March 3.

Koke struck from close range to give Atletico an early advantage and Fernando Torres's third goal in as many league games gave them an unassailable advantage, before Angel Correa netted his fourth league goal of the season late on.

Granada, whose four draws in a row had been just enough to keep them a point above the drop zone going into the weekend, struck the crossbar through Ruben Rochina in the first half but struggled to threaten a defence which has conceded just 16 times in La Liga all season.

Atleti - who lost Yannick Ferreira Carrasco to a knock early in the second half - were comfortable in holding on to their lead despite a late rally from the visitors, and will now hope to see Barca drop further points to keep their title hopes alive.

It took Atleti just a quarter of an hour to take the lead against a side they have not lost to in La Liga since 1973.Torres' scuffed effort from 12 yards out saw the ball break kindly to Koke, who drilled low past Andres Fernandez.

Rochina fired narrowly past Jan Oblak's right-hand post with a good strike on the turn inside the area in the 28th minute, and he came agonisingly close to an equaliser just three minutes later as he hit the woodwork with a fierce shot from 20 yards.

Atleti were dealt a blow when Carrasco was forced off 10 minutes into the second half, and Granada kept the home side at arm's length until just before the hour mark, when Koke and Torres combined again to devastating effect.

Koke threaded a fine pass through the heart of the visiting defence, and Torres took the ball into his stride before lifting it over the onrushing Fernandez and into the far corner.

Granada showed a little more attacking abandon as the game entered its final third and David Barral should have done better when he headed Rochina's free-kick over the bar from six yards out, but any resistance was killed off seven minutes from time.Substitute Correa latched onto Saul Niguez's pass as Atleti broke forward, and the Argentine slotted confidently beneath Fernandez from close range.

Jose Gonzalez's side had no response in the closing minutes, making Thursday's clash with second-from-bottom Levante a must-win game in their bid to stay clear of the drop.

 

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Barcelona 1-2 Valencia: Messi's 500th goal eclipsed by another loss

Lionel Messi finally broke his scoring drought to reach his 500th professional goal, but that personal achievement was overshadowed by another poor Barcelona display as they went down 2-1 to Valencia.

The Catalans knew they could not afford to drop points again after previous defeats at the hands of Real Madrid and Real Sociedad - with Atletico Madrid moving level on points earlier on Sunday following their win over Granada - and created numerous chance to open the scoring in the opening stages of the game.

Luis Suarez, Messi and Neymar all failed to beat the excelling Diego Alves, though, as the Valencia goalkeeper pulled off a string of fine saves.An own goal from Ivan Rakitic then saw Valencia take a shock lead, before Santi Mina doubled the visitors' lead with his fourth league goal of the season.

Messi eventually got his milestone goal after the break to end his barren run, but it was not enough to salvage a draw as Valencia held firm.This weekend's results mean Barcelona are level on 76 points with Atletico, while third-placed Real Madrid have moved to within just one point as the title race hots up.

Barcelona dominated proceedings right from the start and created a number of chances to go a goal ahead.

Suarez volleyed over the crossbar in the fourth minute after being set up by Messi, before the Argentina international was denied from close range by Diego Alves just minutes later following some good work from the ex-Liverpool striker. Neymar then failed to lift the ball over the Valencia goalkeeper in the 12th minute after being sent through one-on-one by a brilliant pass from Messi.

Suarez and Messi failed to convert further chances and the visitors made them pay in the 26th minute, Guilherme Siqueira's dangerous cross from the left clipping Rakitic's boot on its way past Claudio Bravo.

And Valencia doubled their lead just before the break through Mina. Dani Parejo set up the 20-year-old with a clever throughball to expose Sergi Roberto down the right and he beat Bravo with a composed finish.


Rakitic could have pulled one back early in the second half after an intelligent ball from Suarez, only for the midfielder to mishit his shot and fire wide.Messi at last got his goal shortly after the hour mark to give Barcelona hope again, tapping home from close range after a low cross from Jordi Alba from the left.

Diego Alves showed his class again with 20 minutes left on the clock, keeping out Neymar's left-footed shot from inside the area.The Valencia goalkeeper continued to frustrate Barcelona, pulling off a superb reflex to prevent Rakitic from making amends for his first-half own goal.

Neymar could have salvaged a draw with a late chance, but the Brazilian's shot bounced wide after taking a deflection, before Gerard Pique missed a sitter in the 90th minute as Valencia held out for a hard-fought win.

 

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Barca back to back 3rd defeat 1ka.​

 

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Sampdoria 0-1 AC Milan: Bacca strike hands Brocchi debut win

Cristian Brocchi enjoyed a winning start to his stint as AC Milan coach as they ran out 1-0 winners against struggling Sampdoria at the Stadio Luigi Ferraris.The visitors kept alive their slim hopes of a top-five Serie A finish this season as Carlos Bacca's strike with just less than 20 minutes remaining proved decisive.

Bacca had previously been wasteful, missing a number of clear chances, though he produced the one moment of quality to ensure his dry spell of one goal in eight competitive matches was ended.Samp, meanwhile, are just six points clear of the drop after Carpi and Frosinone picked up maximum points over the weekend.

Milan – who parted company with Sinisa Mihajlovic this week – started brightly in the new 4-3-1-2 system adopted by Brocchi, with Mario Balotelli hitting a free-kick narrowly over from 25 yards and Bacca firing wide from the edge of the box.
Vincenzo Montella's men responded and just before the 20-minute mark Fabio Quagliarella latched on to a misplaced pass from Juraj Kucka before launching a powerful strike wide of Gianluigi Donnarumma's far post.

The hosts thought they had taken a 25th-minute lead when Dodo was on hand to poke home an acrobatic cross from Fernando, but the linesman ruled it out for offside on the Inter loanee in what was an extremely tight call.

Emiliano Viviano made a remarkable stop at the other end to deny Bacca from close range as Ignazio Abate's cross found him via the head of Balotelli, but the former Sevilla man's point-blank shot was somehow turned away.Donnarumma was on hand to parry a Fernando shot with two minutes left in the half as the 17-year-old looked for his eighth clean sheet of the season.

Balotelli almost made Samp pay for their repeated fouls on the edge of the box, with the Liverpool loanee blazing an effort just over early in the second half.Abate produced a crucial defensive header just before the hour mark from a Dodo cross to deny Lorenzo De Silvestri, who was lurking at the far post.

Bacca missed a gilt-edged chance to give Milan the lead as Kucka slipped him through having beaten the offside trap. After a first touch that took him wide, the Colombian attempted a rabona finish that allowed Viviano to get a vital palm to the ball.The visitors came agonisingly close again moments later, this time the shot from Kucka curling inches wide of the left upright.

Brocchi was left standing in amazement as his team squandered a three-on-one break, with Bacca again proving wasteful as he was indecisive and subsequently jockeyed away from goal.However, Milan's top scorer was not to be denied as he struck a 71st-minute opener for the away team, finishing crisply into the far corner from Bonaventura's assist.

Montella's side came close to a leveller late on when a Fernando free-kick came off the shoulder of Modibo Diakite and dropped wide of Donnarumma's far post.

 

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Neymar faces La Liga ban after slapping Valencia's Barragan

Neymar could face a ban in La Liga after slapping Antonio Barragan after Barcelona’s defeat to Valencia on Sunday evening.

Last season’s treble winners slipped to their third straight defeat in La Liga as they were beaten 2-1 at Camp Nou.

And after the full-time whistle was blown, Barragan was celebrating with two of his team-mates when Neymar slapped the right-back on the side of the face from behind.

Barragan reacted angrily to Neymar but was held back by his Valencia team-mates.

The incident was not seen by referee David Fernandez Borbalan but was caught on television replays.

Despite the defeat, Barcelona still lead La Liga but are now level on points with Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid are just one point behind.

 

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Luis Enrique: Barcelona perfectly capable of winning remaining five games

Barcelona coach Luis Enrique sees no reason to panic after Sunday's 2-1 defeat at the hands of Valencia and remains optimistic about their chances of winning La Liga.

The Camp Nou side created numerous chances early on, but an own goal from Ivan Rakitic and a composed finish from Santiago Mina saw them go two goals behind at half-time.

Lionel Messi pulled one back after the interval to end his five-match drought and bring up his 500th career goal, but it was not enough to salvage a point.This weekend's defeat was the Catalans' third in a row, with Atletico Madrid now level on points and Real Madrid only one adrift.

Nevertheless, Luis Enrique was pleased with Barcelona's performance and is confident they can win their remaining five games to be crowned champions again.

"I think we need five wins to win the title and if there is any team that is capable of doing that it's Barcelona," he said. "We face a great challenge, but we will be champions if we win our remaining five matches."I can only praise my players. There is no reason to criticise them. I think we responded magnificently to our recent disappointments. We were just missing luck.

We only needed a goal. We actually got one, but it was in the wrong goal."I cannot remember another team that lost so unfairly like Barcelona have done in recent games. It was a very good performance in a difficult moment. We were superior to Valencia in all aspects. They were only more efficient.

"We created plenty of chances and deserved three points. But this is football. You can win games without attacking and that happened today."Barcelona resume La Liga action away to Deportivo La Coruna on Wednesday.

 

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Rakitic: Barca unity will deliver title

Ivan Rakitic remains confident Barcelona can lift the Liga title this season despite seeing their eight-point lead wiped out in recent weeks.

Sunday's 2-1 home defeat to Valencia – which saw Lionel Messi score his 500th senior goal – means Barca are now only leading the way thanks to their superior head-to-head record against Atletico Madrid, while Real Madrid are only a point behind in third.

It was another frustrating day for Luis Enrique's side as they slipped to a third successive top-flight defeat – the first time that has happened since 2003.

Rakitic – who diverted the opening Valencia goal past Claudio Bravo – is not worried, though, and expects Barca to turn their flailing fortunes around."We have to get together and win all the games that remain," said the Croatia international.

"The luck was in Valencia's favour, but the desire was ours. It was just that the ball didn't want to go in.

"We're sad for what's happened, but we're experienced and we must be together. Together, we'll win."We don't have any doubts about ourselves, but the dynamic isn't good and we have to change it.

"We had a clear chance at the end with [Gerard] Pique's, but it only underlined the bad luck that accompanied us in the game."

 

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Mata urges Rashford to stay in the box

Juan Mata has urged Manchester United striker team-mate Marcus Rashford to concentrate on his positioning inside opponents' 18-yard-box in order to continue his fine goalscoring form.

The teenage forward netted his fourth Premier League goal on Saturday, sweeping the ball home from close range in a 1-0 win over Aston Villa and relegating the Midlands outfit in the process.

The strike took the 18-year-old's season tally to seven in all competitions and colleague Mata believes that he can continue winning games for United should he focus on his movement in the final third of the pitch."He has to be in the box because every time he is in the box, he scores," the midfielder told MUTV.

"He is helping us with goals and movement and we are very happy with him and all the players who are coming through the Academy. Especially for him though, as he is in a good run of goals and hopefully he can continue to score goals until the end of the season.

"He is happy because of the win, but not because of the game, because it was not the best game of the season. We did our job today though, which is why I think everyone should be happy today because it could be a very good weekend for us. During the season, we lost games like today so I think it is a day to be positive."

 

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Martinez ready for defining week

Everton manager Roberto Martinez is not underestimating the importance of the next week to his club's fans.

Martinez's Everton take on local rivals Liverpool in the Merseyside derby on Wednesday, before facing off against Manchester United in a FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.

And Martinez, who is under increasing pressure at Everton as fans question his suitability for the role amid an underwhelming Premier League season, said he knows what is at stake.

"Every team has a defining week," he said."We are going to have our defining week in mid-April. Other teams have defining weeks in February when they are out of the FA Cup."

Everton remain outside the top half of the Premier League ahead of their crunch clash with eighth-placed Liverpool but could move back into the top 10 with a win after Chelsea's 3-0 loss to Manchester City.

But Martinez will have to balance his squad's output with his ambition to knock off United in the FA Cup.And while the chance of silverware in the FA Cup is tempting, Martinez will not rest players for the midweek derby.

"We are going to be as strong as we can be," he confirmed. "I don't think you can switch on and off. You have to perform well before you go to a semi-final, create a competitive nature in every game.

"We will get that from players coming back from suspension and injury."I always say football is not about managers. As a manager my job is to allow my players to enjoy their football and enjoy the opportunity we have in front of us and be as good as we can be. Then we will see where that takes us."

 

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Martial: Rashford is quick, bright and intelligent

Anthony Martial said he is not sure who is quicker between himself and fellow Manchester United up-and-comer Marcus Rashford, but predicts big things from his team-mate.

Martial, 20, arrived at Old Trafford at the start of the season from Monaco with considerable expectation, whereas Rashford's rise to superstardom has been more of a surprise.

Rashford has seven goals in 15 games for United, including the winner in the weekend's 1-0 Premier League win over Aston Villa, while Martial has chipped in with 13 in 43 appearances across all competitions.

The 18-year-old United academy graduate has impressed with his pace, making him tricky for defenders to contain and earning comparisons with Martial's own amazing speed."I really don't know who is quicker but I can tell you that he’s certainly very quick," the Frenchman told The Sun.

"He's a player who is very mature in spite of his young age. He does not feel the pressure and I reckon he's very bright and intelligent in his style of play."These are the qualities that have set him apart."And Martial is looking forward to building on his initial success up front with Rashford in the years to come.

"We definitely like to link up and combine well, the two of us. I think that with a few more training sessions, this can only improve," he said.

 

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Hernandez: Man United won't replace Ferguson in 100 years

Javier Hernandez has warned Manchester United they will not find a replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson in the next 100 years, as the future of current manager Louis van Gaal continues to be debated.

Van Gaal's job at Old Trafford is reportedly in jeopardy, with the club sitting fifth in the Premier League – five points adrift of the top four with as many matches remaining – while they also have an FA Cup semi-final against Everton on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho and Ryan Giggs have reportedly been considered as potential replacements for the Dutchman, but former United striker Hernandez – who was sold to Bayer Leverkusen at the start of the season – feels the club are always going to struggle to return to the heights they reached under the iconic Ferguson."Van Gaal is a really good manager to be honest," Hernandez said to Sky Sports . "He has his own ways like all the managers in the world.

"You will not find the new Sir Alex Ferguson in the next 50 or 100 years because he was unique. He was special."Van Gaal can do it but in football, time and results are going to speak about if he is the main man or if he is not."

Van Gaal's decision to sanction Hernandez's United departure has been criticised in some quarters, with the Red Devils havnig scored just 40 goals in 33 league matches this season, while the Mexico striker has struck 16 times in 25 Bundesliga outings.

And the 27-year-old says he is glad the coach was honest with him."He just told me that my chances to play would be very hard," added the former Real Madrid player.

"I appreciate that he was very honest since the beginning. When I left, he told me my chances and my opportunities were going to be less because his main striker was going to be Wayne Rooney."If he wasn't fit for example, I was going to play but, when he was ready, he would play."

 

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Guardiola shuts down talk of Gundogan to Manchester City

Pep Guardiola quickly shut down talk of Borussia Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan joining him at Manchester City next season.

Reports in England claim that a deal is in place for the BVB star to complete a move to the Etihad Stadium for a fee in the region of £30 million.

Guardiola, who will succeed Manuel Pellegrini as City boss at the end of the season, is understood to have ironed out his transfer plans after meeting with director Txiki Begiristain in Amsterdam in March.

But the Bayern Munich boss bristled when asked for his view on the rumours surrounding Gundogan's future ahead of his side's DFB-Pokal semi-final against Werder Bremen."I am the coach of Bayern Munich," he said simply when asked by reporters about a deal for the player.

Gundogan, 25, has made 39 appearances in all competitions for Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund this season.

 

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Vardy handed FA improper conduct charge

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has been charged with improper conduct by the Football Association, following his actions in the 2-2 draw with West Ham.

Vardy was sent off by referee Jon Moss, picking up a second booking for simluation, and his reaction to the dismissal has drawn an FA charge.

The forward had previously given Leicester the lead, before Andy Carroll and Aaron Cresswell hit a quickfire double to put West Ham in the driving seat.

The Foxes eventually battled back with 10 men to grab a share of the points through Leonardo Ulloa's last-gasp equaliser.

A statement on the governing body's website read: "Leicester City's Jamie Vardy has been charged with improper conduct for his behaviour following his second-half dismissal against West Ham United on Sunday 17 April 2016."Leicester have also been charged for failing to control their players following the awarding of an 83rd-minute penalty to West Ham.
"Both the player and the club have until 6pm on Thursday 21 April 2016 to reply to their charge."

 

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Torres scores in four consecutive games for the first time since his Liverpool days

Is Fernando Torres finally getting back to his best?

The 32-year-old scored the second goal in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 win over Granada on Sunday which has pulled Diego Simeone’s men level on points with Barcelona at the top of La Liga.

And Torres, who has endured a torrid time on the pitch since his £50 million move to Chelsea in January 2011, finally looks to be finding consistency as he’s now scored in each of his last four games.

The last time the striker managed that was in March 2010 when he was at Liverpool.

Torres has also struck up a promising partnership with Atletico team-mate Koke.

Koke has assisted Torres’ last three goals, while Torres has set-up the midfielder’s last two.

 

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