..::Football III::..

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Everton 0-0 Liverpool: No derby joy for Gerrard after Goodison stalemate

Everton and Liverpool played out a 0-0 Premier League draw in a Merseyside derby high on emotion but lacking in quality.

The visitors created more chances and went closest to a breakthrough when Jordon Ibe - making only his second Premier League start - rattled the post with a drive from distance midway through the first half.

Steven Gerrard, featuring in what could be his final league derby, also went close on a couple of occasions but even the introduction of Daniel Sturridge early in the second half could not help Liverpool to find a winner.

A tense affair threatened to boil over 12 minutes from time when a disagreement between Muhamed Besic and Ibe sparked a brief altercation between the two sets of players. Referee Anthony Taylor cautioned Besic, Steven Naismith and Jordan Henderson before tempers were calmed.

For Everton, it was a 10th consecutive Merseyside derby without victory in all competitions, dating back to their last triumph in October 2010.

The draw leaves Roberto Martinez's men 12th in the table with just two Premier League wins in their last 12 matches while Liverpool are five places better off, having lost just one of their past dozen top-flight games.

The Reds were first to threaten in the 10th minute when Joel Robles tipped away a Gerrard free kick that was heading for the top corner.

The visitors suffered a blow when Lucas Leiva had to be withdrawn on the quarter-hour with what looked like an injury to his left thigh. He was replaced by Joe Allen. Two minutes later, Raheem Sterling's deflected shot rolled across the box and Robles had to rush smartly across his line to deny Ibe from close range.

Ibe went even closer in the 27th minute when he raced forward into space and thumped an effort off the left-hand post with Robles beaten.

Kevin Mirallas sent a free kick narrowly wide from 30 yards at the start of the second half, although Simon Mignolet looked to have it covered at his near post.

Liverpool hit back with Sterling twice shooting straight at Robles before an acrobatic Gerrard effort was headed over the crossbar by Naismith.

With 55 minutes gone, Brendan Rodgers brought on Sturridge in place of Philippe Coutinho in a bid to break the deadlock. Everton responded with a change of their own as Aaron Lennon, signed on loan from Tottenham on transfer deadline day, replaced Mirallas.

With five minutes remaining there was one final chance for the hosts when Seamus Coleman saw his effort parried behind by Mignolet, as the game ended with honours even.

 

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Wenger: Tottenham dominated Arsenal in midfield

Arsene Wenger admits Arsenal were overawed and dominated in the midfield battle in Saturday’s north London derby as Tottenham recorded a 2-1 victory over their bitter rivals.

The Gunners took an early lead at White Hart Lane as Mesut Ozil volleyed in superbly, but Spurs responded in the second half thanks to two goals from the in-form Harry Kane.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side dominated possession throughout the contest and Wenger concedes that his team were unable to match Tottenham’s intensity, especially in midfield, and will need to improve to claim a top-four berth.

“It will be difficult and tight, but we know that,” Wenger told BT Sport when asked about his side’s top-four hopes, with Spurs leapfrogging Arsenal in the table.

“It [will be decided by] how we prepare for the next game and how consistent we'll be. It's a shame because we scored an early goal and after we just stopped to play.

“We were conscious of that at half-time, to play more, but Tottenham put a good intensity in the game and I think we were dominated in the middle of the park.”

Wenger was happy with the defensive resolve the Gunners showed, despite conceding twice, and felt his side were let down in attack – and by the referee.

“We defended quite well but offensively what we produced was not at our standard and not good enough,” the Arsenal manager, who took charge of his 700th Premier League game, continued.

“Look, for me they created more chances and overall we cannot dispute that they won the game.

“The regret we have is I believe that we gave the goals away - the first and the second - and we put so much effort in, but of course when you put so much resilience in and you lose the game it's difficult. But we didn't produce enough going forward.”

On the subject of the referee, he added: “I think we were not very good and the referee was at our level,” before clarifying further, “I don't think he had a good day.”

 

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Blanc: Ibrahmiovic can flourish as a playmaker'

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc has backed Zlatan Ibrahimovic to star as a playmaker for the French champions.

The Sweden international often drops into pockets of space between the lines to link play, but has contributed just once outright assist so far this campaign.
And ahead of his side’s Ligue 1 showdown with leaders Lyon, Blanc has suggested the 33-year-old may begin to operate more as an orthodox No.10.
"I think that Ibra likes to play in a playmaker role,” Blanc told a press conference on Saturday.

“I remember what he did against Benfica last year, he played almost in position of a No.10.

"He's a striker, of course, but he also can do other things. He has great vision and excellent technical attributes.”

The reigning French champions sit third, two points behind leaders Lyon and have won just twice on there last 20 league trips visits to Stade de Gerland.
But Blanc doesn’t believe this weekend’s clash will decide the destiny of the Ligue 1 title.

"It's an important game, yes, but not decisive. You will see that the others ones will be as important,” he said.

“Lyon only have the League [to play]... this gives them an advantage with respect to the match preparation and recovery. But we will go to Lyon with great ambition.”

Lyon have been something of a surprise package in France this season, overtaking early Ligue 1 pacesetters Marseille, and are on a run of 10 straight home league wins.

 

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Totti doubtful for Roma's Cagliari clash

Roma's fitness worries ahead of Sunday's clash with Cagliari have increased after head coach Rudi Garcia confirmed captain Francesco Totti is a doubt with illness.

The veteran forward is suffering with flu-like symptoms and trained away from his team-mates on Saturday. He will now undergo a late test before Sunday's encounter at Stadio Sant'Elia.

Speaking at his pre-match news conference, Garcia said: "Totti trained on his own. He's got flu-like symptoms and we'll have to see if he's able to play."
If Totti is unavailable the 38-year-old will add to a growing list of absentees that includes recent signing Victor Ibarbo and Kevin Strootman.

Ibarbo, who was carrying an injury to his left calf before hurting his right on his debut in Tuesday's Coppa Italia defeat to Fiorentina, is set to see a specialist in Barcelona.

Garcia has called on the rest of his squad to work even harder to cope with the injury problems.

"Ibarbo? It's not the same calf muscle he's injured. I think it's just a question of bad luck," Garcia added.

"Ibarbo needs to have his patellar ligament looked at, that's why he's going to Barcelona for a check-up.

"We'll do the best we can [against Cagliari] with the players who are available. They'll all have to go the extra mile. I'm looking at the positives. Soon I'll have more options to choose from for the run-in."

Roma are hoping to end a run of four straight league draws at Cagliari in a bid to close the seven-point gap to Serie A leaders Juventus.

 

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Van Gaal: Herrera must improve


Louis van Gaal insists Ander Herrera must improve if he is to be considered for regular football at Manchester United.

The Spaniard joined the club from Athletic Bilbao for a reported €39 million fee in the summer, but has made just 12 Premier League appearances this season – missing big games against Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal.

Van Gaal has now urged the 25-year-old to prove he deserves a spot in the starting XI ahead of regulars Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Angel Di Maria.

“I have to compare him with people like Rooney and Mata, for example, so that’s difficult, they are all at a high level - he has to improve,” Van Gaal told reporters.

“But he’s a great guy, he’s a very great professional also, so that’s not the problem - his problem is he has to compete with high level players and Rooney is also the captain so he has a privilege.

“So then the other places are the place of the position in this system that we are playing now with a number 10 and that’s Mata and that’s Di Maria. That’s difficult to compete against but he did already know that at the moment that he signed for Manchester United.

“When you sign for a top club like he did he knows that he is had to fight but he is fighting.

“He is coming back, there were a lot of weeks he was down but now he is coming back.”

Herrera last started a Premier League game in September – during the 5-3 loss to Leicester – and has been restricted to substitute appearances since then.

 

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Van Gaal: Di Maria over burglary attempt


Louis Van Gaal insists that he does not have any doubts over Angel Di Maria ahead of Manchester United's clash with West Ham, despite the Argentine being the victim of an attempted burglary.

According to reports, the former Real Madrid man is currently living in a hotel with his wife and daughter after an incident at their family home in Cheshire last weekend.

But the Dutch manager claims that he isn't worried about Di Maria’s commitment to the United cause, having fielded the club's record signing against Cambridge United earlier this week.

“Yes, you are right [I am concerned about Di Maria]. I believe in the ‘total human being’ principle," he told reporters. "His environment is also important and he was worried about his wife and child.

“He wanted to play against Cambridge United and I played him. I decided in the past that I would never play a player in those circumstances because of the ‘total human being’ principle.

"But with him I had the feeling I had to give him the chance to play and I am happy I let him play because he played very well.

“Of course, I have to decide on Sunday again, but when I have seen already his performance against Cambridge United, I don’t think I have any doubt.”

 

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Icardi: I have the maturity of a 40-year-old

Inter striker Mauro Icardi has proclaimed that he has the maturity of a 40-year-old thanks to his mother teaching him that "life's no Disneyland".

The Argentina international has never been a stranger to controversy - he is married to former team-mate Maxi Lopez's wife.

More recently, he clashed with Inter fans following last weekend's Serie A loss at Sassuolo, to the annoyance of coach Roberto Mancini.

However, Icardi, who is the Nerazzurri's top scorer this season, feels that he is more mature than people realise.

"My wife Wanda says I'm a 40-year-old trapped in this body, and she's right, I've always been like that," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"For the last 10 years I have known I'm mature for my age - the mothers of my friends always told me that.

"Meanwhile, my mum, who has allowed me to make mistakes, made me realise that life is not Disneyland."

Icardi also defended his indifference towards football, insisting that just because he's paid to play doesn't mean he has to enjoy the game.

"It's a sport which entertains people," he continued. "I just play, I don't ever watch other games for leisure and I do not know how other teams are doing.
"I don't follow Serie A; I follow the Coppa Italia even less. It's not just since it became a job, I've been like this since a young age.

"Even at youth level for Barcelona, I was just sitting around watching movies. I'm not the only one - there are lots of players who do not care about football."

Inter, who have lost their last three games in all competitions, return to action against Palermo at San Siro on Sunday.

 

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Van Gaal: McNair can be Manchester United's right-back for next 10 years


Louis van Gaal says Paddy McNair can establish himself as Manchester United’s first-choice right-back for the next 10 years.

The 19-year-old has broken into the first-team in recent months, making 16 appearances in all competitions so far in 2014-15 and starring against Cambridge United in the FA Cup.

Van Gaal claims that the Northern Irishman can nail down a starting spot for the foreseeable future if he continues his current form, having previously impressed in the Under-21 squad.

"It is not only Paddy McNair who has impressed with his development, as I have given a lot of chances to younger players,” Van Gaal told reporters.

“But Paddy McNair has developed himself very well, not only as a central defender but now we are giving him the chance to develop as a full-back and he did it very well.

"He has done it already in the second team [Under-21s] and has done it now at a higher level in the first-team. Maybe he shall be the right full-back of Manchester United for the next 10 years, you never know. He has the chance."

 

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Giovinco: No one believed in me in Italy

Toronto FC striker Sebastian Giovinco says nobody believed in him in Italy and now he wants a fresh start in MLS.

Speaking at his first press conference since arriving in Canada, the forward claimed he had left Juventus because he was tired of having his ability questioned.

The 28-year-old's decision to ditch the Italian champions for the MLS caused consternation in some quarters, but the diminutive attacker indicated he will not miss home.

"In Italy I had many problems. They always talked about me as a player who could not play at a very high level, but I always demonstrated with facts that that was not correct," Giovinco told reporters.

"I wanted to find a city, a team that from the beginning welcomed me, as this team has done. Therefore, my choice was the right choice."

Giovinco played 31 games and scored seven goals in the 2012-13 Serie A campaign when Juventus won their first of three consecutive league titles.
But last season he made just 17 appearances in Serie A, including only six starts, to notch two goals, while this term his opportunities dwindled further, with seven games, two starts and zero goals in the Italian top flight.

In 2012, Giovinco played eight matches for the Azzurri but his lack of game time for Juventus saw him play just three and four games in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

Giovinco is thus looking forward to a new experience in the MLS and helping Toronto win their maiden championship.

"On the field, I want to win with this jersey because I want to be part of the history of this organisation and this team," he said.

When asked what his former Juventus team-mates had said about his move to Canada, Giovinco replied with a smile: "The truth is that they all wanted to come and join us."

 

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'Messi would be the ultimate PSG signing' - Maxwell

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi would be the ultimate signing for Paris Saint-Germain, according to Maxwell.

Messi was linked with a move away from Camp Nou in January following reports of a training-ground bust-up with Blaugrana boss Luis Enrique.

However, the Argentine repeatedly reaffirmed his commitment to the Catalans and no transfer materialised, though rumours persist that a summer switch is not an impossibility.

Former Barca defender Maxwell has now admitted that he would love to see Messi join him at the Parc des Princes, revealing that the four-time Ballon d'Or winner is the finest talent he has come across during his long and illustrious career.

"It's hard to say who the best player I've played against in my career is," the Brazilian told Uefa.com. "I've played against many great players, but I'd pick Leo Messi.

"I've played alongside him and against him and, for me, he is the best player ever.

"It is difficult to answer who I'd sign if PSG could convince anybody to come, but I would say Messi."

The full-back fondly remembers his three-year spell at Barca, where he won 10 trophies before departing for Paris in 2012.

"My time there was something indescribable," Maxwell added. "It was a magical time, ever

 

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Messi Barcelona walin giyath PSG yana 1kanam boru wadak​

 

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Mancini urges support for under-fire Ranocchia

Roberto Mancini has urged Inter fans to back under-fire captain Andrea Ranocchia following his costly mistake against Napoli on Wednesday.

Inter crashed out of the Coppa Italia after losing 1-0 to Rafael Benitez's men and Ranocchia shouldered much of the blame for his role in the late winner.

The Italy international, who has been widely criticised for his form this season, failed to react to a long throw-in and then fell over, allowing Gonzalo Higuain to run through and score in the third minute of second-half stoppage time.

Mancini vented his anger after the match, but the Inter coach is hopeful that Ranocchia receives the backing of supporters, insisting individuals are not to blame for the team's current plight.

"The fans have to trust me, that's the only way forward," he told reporters ahead of Sunday's clash with Palermo.

"We need results, though. We need balance – we need to not get carried away when we win or get depressed when we lose.

"There's never just one person to blame. You win and lose together. I think the fans will support Ranocchia.

"Something has to change, but I get the impression that we really are becoming a team."

The former Manchester City tactician is particularly wary of Sunday's opponents, reminding his players that seventh-placed Palermo are more than capable of causing Inter problems.

He was happy to report, however, that both Lukas Podolski and Rodrigo Palacio could be in line to return to the starting line-up.

"We'll decide whether to change anything around on Sunday. Podolski and Palacio are rested and fresh," he added.

"It is exactly the sort of match that could throw up problems. We'll have to play a perfect game."

 

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Mourinho: Chelsea's title? Seven points is nothing

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho has rubbished suggestions his side are closing in on the title, insisting that a seven-point gap at the top of the table is "nothing".

The Blues increased their lead at the summit after a 2-1 win over Aston Villa on Saturday, as Manuel Pellegrini's Manchester City side stuttered to 1-1 draw against Hull City.

When asked if the gap between the two sides was now insurmountable, Mourinho told reporters: "In another country I would say it's fantastic, in this country I say it's nothing.

"Every game is difficult, anything could happen. Seven points means seven points but you have 14 matches to go. You are speaking about 42 points to play for, we have a lead of seven. I think it's nothing.

"When you are top of the league you don't need the other teams to lose points. If they lose, good, but we have to focus on ourselves. if we win the next game we have a seven point lead with 13 matches to go."

Pellegrini, meanwhile, is adamant that City are not worried about being seven points behind. He said: "No we are not concerned about the gap. We are concerned about how we can score the goals again.

"I think that once again we couldn’t create the space. We didn’t have clear chances to score because we are not playing well when attacking. It’s very clear what we must do. The team is running, has spirit and possession of the ball.

"The way we got the point was not so bad as we scored in the last minute. We must work and try to improve."

 

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Guardiola lauds Robben 'quality'

Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola lauded Arjen Robben as his side's star man in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Stuttgart.

The Netherlands international notched his 12th league goal of the season as Bayern returned from the winter break with a comfortable win at the Mercedes-Benz Arena to retain their eight-point lead over second-placed Wolfsburg.

Guardiola was pleased with his side’s showing but insists they must continue to improve as they go in hunt of Bundesliga and Champions League titles.
“Robben's quality was the difference today,” said Guardiola. “It was a tough match.”

“As always, my team did a lot of running and fought very hard… [However] we're still not perfect. There are things we can still improve."We should be doing less running and using the ball more.”

The reigning German champions have now triumphed over Stuttgart an unprecedented 59 times in Bundesliga history after David Alaba added to Robben’s first-half opener.

It was the 31-year-old's first goal against Stuttgart at the sixth time of asking, leaving just Paderborn as the sole Bundesliga club he is yet to score against.
And Robben has called on his team-mats to keep up the momentum as they go into the business-half of the season.

"I'm happy for the team that [my goal] happened. The ball must keep on rolling.”

 

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I won't sleep tonight - Kane revels in derby ecstasy

Harry Kane is expecting a sleepless night after scoring twice in Tottenham's 2-1 north London derby win over Arsenal.

The striker, who took his tally for the season to 22, helped lift his side above their bitter rivals in the Premier League table on Saturday with a second-half double after Mesut Ozil had put the visitors ahead at White Hart Lane.

A delighted Kane told BT Sport: "What a game, that's probably one of the best we've played all season.

"It was incredible. The fans were incredible, the atmosphere was lightning. They made it better for us.

"That feeling [scoring the winner] was probably one I won't forget for the rest of my career.

"My first London derby and to win the way we did, to dig deep, it's just incredible. I probably won't sleep tonight."

Ozil's opener came after just 11 minutes, but Tottenham's response was impressive and they deserved their leveller, which finally arrived in the 56th minute when Kane calmly volleyed home from a set-piece.

The Englishman's winner came four minutes from time as he climbed to meet Nabil Bentaleb's superb cross.

 

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Benzema apologises for Madrid 'disaster'

Real Madrid forward Karim Benzema has apologised to the club’s fans for their 4-0 derby drubbing at the hands of city rivals Atletico Madrid on Satuday.

Carlo Ancelotti’s side managed just four attempts on goal – their lowest total in any competition this season – as goals from Tiago, Saul, Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic gave Atleti their fourth victory in their last five Madrid derbies.

And Benzema has urged his side to move on from their derby disappointment, reminding his colleagues that their lead at the top of the Liga table means their destiny is still in their own hands.

“We apologise to Real Madrid fans because they are suffering. We were a disaster today. Hopefully this is a turning point for us. It’s difficult to play any worse than we did today,” he said.

“It's not easy talk after a 4-0. It has been a very bad match for us, but we have seven days to think about it, forget the result and move on to face Deportivo. We are still top and depend only on ourselves.”

Real Madrid conceded twice in the opening 18 minutes of a Liga tie for the first time since their 5-0 defeat to Barcelona in November 2010.

Defeat leaves them four points ahead of Barcelona, who can move to within a point of the lead with victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday,

 

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Ancelotti rages at Real Madrid attitude

Carlo Ancelotti launched a scathing attack on the attitude of his Real Madrid players following Saturday's humiliating 4-0 thrashing by bitter rivals Atletico Madrid , conceding "we were worse at everything".

Despite being without Sergio Ramos, Marcelo and James Rodriguez, Ancelotti's men still went into the clash as favourites, aiming to go 10 points clear of their hosts with a win at the Vicente Calderon.

But Atletico ran out comprehensive winners thanks to goals from Tiago, Saul, Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic.

Ancelotti pulled no punches in assessing the defeat, telling reporters: "Atletico deserved to win. They beat us in every aspect; fight, play, organisation and second balls.

"Not one Real Madrid player did well. It was the worst game we have played since I have been here.

"We all failed. We all arrived second; we lost all of the tackles and all the aerial battles. We did not play the game at all. We were worse than Atletico at everything, but it's only three points.

"We must look at it over next days to determine why this happened. We are hurting a lot. Clearly we must change our attitude.

"The line-up was normal. It was the most clear and most logical team to play in this game, but the attitude and lack of motivation was a problem with everyone.

"It is not normal that Real Madrid play a game like this, so I must take responsibility for that and try to fix things quickly."

Over the course of the 90 minutes, Real mustered just a single shot on target and, even with Cristiano Ronaldo back in the team following his suspension, Ancelotti was angered by his side's struggles in attack.

"We didn't have good possession," he added. "We had nothing [in attack] today.

"We must weigh up in coming days why this happened, with calm and cool heads, and try to change things for the future."

 

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Ronaldo: Real Madrid are better than Atletico and will win La Liga

Cristiano Ronaldo says that Real Madrid are a better team than Atletico Madrid despite being thrashed 4-0 by their city rivals on Saturday.

Goals from Tiago, Saul, Antoine Griezmann and Mario Mandzukic handed Diego Simeone's men a famous victory at the Vicente Calderon and cut the gap between the two sides in La Liga to four points.

But Ronaldo, who endured a difficult game after returning from suspension, is remaining defiant despite admitting that his team played poorly.

"Real Madrid are better than Atletico but we have to prove it on the field," the Portuguese told reporters. "Anyway, I think we will win the Liga title at the end of the season.

"Nothing worked today. It is a day to forget. Real Madrid can never lose 4-0 against any team.

"We lacked enthusiasm and we were not mentally or physically fresh. There was little recovery time from Wednesday's game [against Sevilla]."

Ronaldo, who celebrated his 30th birthday on Thursday, doesn't believe that Madrid should panic despite their heavy defeat.

"The team is fine, but today we made a big mistake," he stressed. "These were three points that we lost. No more. Not four points."

Madrid remain top of La Liga with 54 points from 22 games but second placed Barcelona can close to within one point if they win on Sunday against Athletic Bilbao.

 

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Klopp: Dortmund back on course

Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp insists his side took a huge step in the right direction with Saturday’s 3-0 victory over Freiburg .

BVB were expected to challenge Bayern for the Bundesliga title this season, but a 1-0 home defeat to Augsburg on Wednesday left them rooted to the bottom of the table and prompted a furious response from the fans.

But Klopp believes the club are ready to turn the corner after an impressive showing led them to their first league victory in six outings.

"We have to keep believing we can move forward after three of four months in which we didn't. Today was a step in the right direction," he said after the match.

"We are physically much better now [after the winter break], and we were better tactically. It is necessary to be brave in the decisive moments, and believe that we can keep going."

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang laid on the opener for Marco Reus before scoring twice in the second half, meaning he has now been directly involved in 11 of Dortmund’s last 16 league goals, with seven strikes and four assists.
"It was a mental problem," said Aubameyang on Dortmund's rocky campaign to date. "The coach found the right words and he made the right decision. That's how we got the result today."

Dortmund’s 10th-straight Bundesliga victory over Freiburg sees them leapfrog the latter to lift them two places off the bottom.