..::Football III::..

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2-1 Manchester United lead 1ke hitiyath play karana widiyanam anthima chateranemanda mona welada kiyala

Burnley play karanne Old Trafford agollange home wageManchester United 3 attempts 2 shots on target & Burnley 10 attempts 2 shots on traget

& Phil Jones & Blind injured

2nd half 1ke hodata perform kale nathnam meh match 1katath sorryma thamai
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Full Time

Manchester United 3 Vs 1 Burnley

Manchester United Goal(s)

Smalling 6',45+3'
Robin Van Persie 82(PEN)'

&

Burnley Goal(s)

Ings 12'
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Congratulations Manchester United!

But Manchester United performance gana sathutu wenna baha godakFalcao th madiDefence 1kath anemanda.Specially Evans
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Athletic 1-1 Espanyol: Excellent fightback puts visitors in control

Espanyol came from behind to record an impressive 1-1 draw at Athletic in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final on Wednesday.The result gives Sergio Gonzalez's side the upper hand heading into the return clash, which they will host on March 4, and came despite Athletic's excellent beginning.

The hosts dominated from the off, pressing well and passing excellently, and it was no surprise when Aritz Aduriz gave them an 11th-minute lead.

Aduriz's superb chip - his 15th goal of the season in all competitions - was followed by more Bilbao pressure, but the hosts were unable to double their lead.
And Espanyol took advantage when Victor Sanchez fired them level 10 minutes before the break with a stunning effort from distance.

Espanyol then turned the screw in the second half, with only the crossbar preventing Sergio Garcia from giving them the lead. And the bar came to Bilbao's rescue again when Victor Alvarez nodded into it in the 84th minute.

But despite their missed chances, it was Gonzalez's side who would head home happier after an impressive performance.The hosts made a bright start, with Aduriz pouncing on a sloppy touch from Anaitz Arbilla before driving towards goal.

And although Aduriz's sixth-minute effort was straight at goalkeeper Pau Lopez, it did not take long for him to open the scoring.

Oscar de Marcos slipped a neat ball between two defenders and Aduriz raced through on goal before coolly lifting over the onrushing Lopez from 15 yards.It was the finish of a confident man but Espanyol did well from there, soaking up Bilbao's early pressure before Sanchez's wonder strike.

An aimless long ball was poorly dealt with by Athletic defender Jon Aurtenetxe and Sanchez did not break stride before lashing into the top-left corner from 25 yards.The nature of Sanchez's strike - which kept moving through the air - gave keeper Iago Herrerin no chance but Bilbao were nearly in front again on the stroke of half-time, with Iker Muniain's curling effort from the edge of the area sailing just wide.

Neither side could be accused of being sluggish after the break, with chances coming thick and fast in the early stages.First Espanyol's Garcia saw an attempted chip well-read - and saved - by Herrerin before, at the other end, Aduriz shot over from a tight angle.

Unperturbed by his initial effort, Garcia tried another chip, this time from an acute angle near the by-line - and only the woodwork denied him an excellent goal.
Garcia's effort hit the top of the crossbar and Espanyol kept coming, much to the chagrin of the home crowd, as Christian Stuani ballooned Garcia's cut-back over from just inside the penalty box in the 59th minute.

Ecuador international Felipe Caicedo replaced Stuani as Espanyol went in search of a winner and the new man was presented with an excellent chance when, in an offside position, the ball deflected off two Bilbao defenders and played him on.
Caicedo tried to round Herrerin instead of shooting, though, and a heavy touch saw the chance go begging.

Then, with six minutes left, Alvarez was next to try his luck, but unmarked at the back post, he could only head Lucas Vazquez's cross into the bar before the rebound was blasted over, as the visitors had to settle for a point.

The winner of the two-legged tie will face either Barcelona or Villarreal in the final.

 

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Crystal Palace 1-1 Newcastle United: Campbell earns a point as Pardew faces former employers

Crystal Palace manager Alan Pardew was spared defeat against his former club on Wednesday as substitute Fraizer Campbell gained a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United at Selhurst Park.

Pardew swapped St James' Park for a return to Palace in early January after spending five mixed years in charge on Tyneside.

However, in a largely lacklustre affair, Pardew initially looked set to preside over a seventh consecutive home defeat for Palace against Newcastle following Papiss Cisse's first-half opener.

Despite being on the back foot for much of a dour first half, Cisse gave Newcastle a half-time lead after heading home Daryl Janmaat's cross from the right three minutes before the interval.

However, the hosts persevered after the break and, while they struggled to muster too many chances of note, Campbell made the most of one 19 minutes from time as Newcastle failed to hold onto a one-goal lead for the second time in four days.

Palace made the more purposeful start - the recalled Yaya Sanogo laying on an early chance for Wilfried Zaha down the left that forced Tim Krul into a routine stop.

Despite their greater possession, it proved the home side's only clear-cut chance of a low-key opening 20 minutes before Palace's frustrating first half was made worse by the injury-enforced exit of Sanogo.

A clever header from his replacement, Campbell, 10 minutes before the break looked to have broken the deadlock – only to be denied by the offside flag - before the visitors took the lead with their first attempt on target.

Janmaat burst past Zaha and crossed for Cisse - one of two Newcastle changes from Sunday's 1-1 draw with Stoke City - to head home unmarked inside the penalty area.

A scrappy start to the second half was punctuated by fouls from Janmaat on Zaha and James McArthur on Remy Cabella as sloppy defending from both sides offered glimpses of opportunities.

Newcastle eventually scrambled clear Zaha's delivery - following Jason Puncheon's knockdown - before Cabella's teasing cross was shepherded out of harm's way by Brede Hangeland.

Pardew brought Dwight Gayle and Yannick Bolasie on after the hour mark to further bolster Palace hopes and it was a dangerous cross from the latter that allowed Campbell to sweep home the equaliser.

Cisse went close again soon after with his last taste of action before being replaced by Mehdi Abeid, while Hangeland threatened twice from Palace corners late on.

However, in a far from classic encounter, neither side truly did enough to warrant maximum points as Palace edged a point closer to Premier League safety in 13th.

For Newcastle, the draw represents a missed opportunity to move into the top half at the expense of Stoke, who lost 4-1 to Manchester City.

 

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West Brom 2-0 Swansea: Brown Ideye & Berahino combine to clinch three points

Strike duo Brown Ideye and Saido Berahino were on the scoresheet as West Brom beat Swansea 2-0 to climb four points clear of the Premier League relegation zone.

West Brom's record signing, Ideye, appeared to be on the verge of leaving the club last month but underlined his value with a rare moment of quality to make breakthrough on the hour mark at The Hawthorns.

His strike partner Berahino, recalled after being dropped for Sunday's draw at Burnley, put the result beyond doubt with a well-taken second 15 minutes from time.

Tony Pulis will have been pleased to see his front two combine so well, teeing each other up for their goals, which saw West Brom climb to 14th.

Meanwhile, Garry Monk's men offered little in response as their mid-table malaise continues.

The signs were there early on, as Berahino and Ideye linked up to win the corner that created the first opening in the 12th minute.

Craig Dawson met James Morrison's set-piece with a flicked header that forced a fine save from Lukasz Fabianski, which the goalkeeper followed with a brave dive at the feet of Ideye.

Despite promising early possession, Swansea offered little going forward until the 26th minute when Jefferson Montero skipped past Dawson on the left and teed up Bafetimbi Gomis, but Gareth McAuley did enough to put him off.

The visitors grew into the game after that and passed the ball about at will, unchallenged by West Brom.

That allowed Jonjo Shelvey space to try his luck from 25 yards after 33 minutes but while his effort beat Ben Foster, it flew just wide of the post.

Gomis called Foster into action for the first time three minutes later when a loose ball dropped to him from a corner, but the Frenchman volleyed straight at the goalkeeper.

The second half followed a similar pattern in the early stages, with neither side capable of really taking control.

But when Berahino broke forward and played a ball into his strike partner Ideye after 60 minutes, the deadlock was broken. Ideye was initially held up by an Ashley Williams challenge inside the box, but the ball fell kindly for the striker to sweep home from 12 yards.

It was his second goal in four days following his effort against Burnley - having scored just once in the Premier League in the first half of the season - but he was far from done. The powerful striker continued to drive his team forward, roared on by Pulis as new captain Darren Fletcher controlled the midfield.

West Brom got their reward for that positive approach in the 75th minute when more purposeful running from the front two put Swansea on the back foot and created space in the box.

Ideye and Berahino then exchanged passes before the latter curled into the top corner with a first-time right-footed shot from 15 yards - his 10th league goal of the season.

Swansea rarely troubled West Brom after that second goal as the hosts cruised to an important victory.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 Nantes: Cavani and Cabaye keep quadruple hunt alive

Goals from Edinson Cavani and Yohan Cabaye ensured safe passage for Paris Saint-Germain in the Coupe de France as they beat Nantes 2-0 on Wednesday.

Much has been made of Cavani's often disappointing partnership with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, with coach Laurent Blanc calling for the duo to "improve their relationship" last month.

But with Ibrahimovic rested as part of seven changes made by Blanc, Cavani was given the chance to shine as the lone frontman as PSG continued their quest to win a quadruple of titles to add to their Trophee des Champions triumph.

And the former Napoli man made the most of his opportunity, heading in the opener in the 18th minute to set the capital club on their way to a straightforward victory.

Cabaye then made it 2-0 in the 34th minute by capitalising on an error from Nantes goalkeeper Maxime Dupe, with the visitors never threatening a comeback as PSG eased through.

The win means PSG - who won the Trophee des Champions in August - are still in contention in France's oldest competition as well as in Ligue 1, the Coupe de la Ligue and the Champions League.

PSG will attempt to boost their aspirations of defending the league title with a win over Caen on Saturday before hosting Chelsea in the Champions League last 16 next Tuesday.

It took Cavani less than 20 minutes to provide an illustration of his quality, netting with just the second chance of the game after Jean-Christophe Bahebeck had earlier drawn a save from Dupe.

Cavani was afforded too much space by the Nantes defence and duly took advantage to glance home David Luiz's free kick.

Dupe could do little about the opener but was certainly at fault as Cabaye doubled PSG's lead.

The former Newcastle United man coolly slotted the ball into an unguarded net following Dupe's ill-advised decision to come out and punch Gregory van der Wiel's right-wing cross.

Bahebeck then went close to adding a third but Dupe did enough to keep out his low shot after the forward had worked his down the left-hand side of the box.

Cabaye was withdrawn after half-time and replaced in midfield by Marco Verratti as Blanc sought to kill the game off, something which they achieved without pressing for a third goal.

PSG sucked the life out of the contest by at times enjoying an almost total dominance of possession, demonstrating their superiority in a manner that suggests they have what it takes to claim a significant haul of silverware.

Elsewhere, Monaco progressed with a 3-1 win over Rennes, while holders Guingamp needed extra time to beat fourth-tier Yzeure by the same scoreline.

Christopher Mandanne netted in the third minute of added time for Guingamp to force the extra 30 minutes, and then added a second before Jeremy Pied made the game safe.

 

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Southampton 0-0 West Ham: Adrian to miss FA Cup tie after red card

West Ham held Southampton to a hard-fought 0-0 draw at St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday, despite goalkeeper Adrian’s sending off.

The Spaniard was dismissed after chopping down Sadio Mane in the second half, but substitute stopper Jussi Jaaskelainen saw out the Hammers’ clean sheet.

With West Ham having conceded late in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Manchester United, and Southampton having scored in stoppage time to beat QPR last weekend, there was obvious tension in the visiting ranks, but Sam Allardyce's 10 men stood firm.

Allardyce was given cause for concern, though, as Andy Carroll spent the final few minutes limping around the pitch after picking up a knock.

Southampton started brightly and James Tomkins, who signed a new long-term deal on Tuesday, underlined his value to the side with a well-timed intervention to deny Mane as the forward looked to latch on to Graziano Pelle's flick following some impressive build-up play.

Mane's direct running caused problems again in the 13th minute when he raced through on goal and looked to find the net from a narrow angle, only for Carl Jenkinson to clear after Adrian had been taken out of the equation.

It was not all one-way traffic, though, and West Ham sounded a warning shot at the other end when Morgan Amalfitano's goal-bound effort was hacked away by Steven Davis.

But it was Southampton who looked the most likely and Mane dragged a shot wide from the edge of the box eight minutes before the break to highlight the Saints' attacking prowess.

Carlton Cole, making his first start since November, was perhaps fortunate to escape a red card when he caught Maya Yoshida in the face with a high boot.

The defender received a nasty cut just below his eye, but continued after treatment, while Cole's evening was ended not long after in shambolic circumstances.

Adrian attempted to evade the onrushing Mane when a simple clearance would have averted the danger and, with the Senegal international having got a touch, the goalkeeper sought to retrieve the situation by diving on the ball outside the area, earning him a red card.

Cole made way as Jaaskelainen came on, but the Finn was surprisingly kept quiet initially, watching on as Pelle fired well over the crossbar when well placed.

Southampton continued to force the issue, though, and substitute Dusan Tadic looked to have an opportunity to shoot when he collected James Ward-Prowse's deep cross, but the Serbian dallied and the chance escaped him.

Filip Djuricic, a loan signing from Benfica, was brought on for his Southampton debut for the final 10 minutes, though his first 30 seconds on the field were spent watching a pitch invader, who was eventually escorted away by stewards.

Tadic showed good feet in the area late on, but could not get a shot away and Jose Fonte finally forced a good save from Jaaskelainen in the first of five minutes of time added on, but there was no way through for Southampton, who subsequently slipped to fourth.

 

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Chelsea 1-0 Everton: Willian scores crucial late winner

A late Willian volley helped Chelsea to a dramatic victory over Everton at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday night.

Jose Mourinho's side looked set to be frustrated by a stubborn Toffees outfit as the game entered the closing stages, with Nemanja Matic seeing a goal ruled out after his strike deflected off Branislav Ivanovic, who was stood in an offside position.

But the Brazilian's deflected effort in the closing stages beat Tim Howard to maintain Chelsea's advantage at the top of the table.

Earlier, Petr Cech who was preferred to Thibaut Courtois in goal, made an incredible reflex save to deny former Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku from close range.

Gareth Barry was sent off for the visitors late on before Willian sealed a win with only stoppage time remaining.

Juan Cuadrado, making his first start for Chelsea, looked a threat and the big-money deadline-day recruit dragged a shot wide of the far post, before Tim Howard saved a Loic Remy header in a frantic start.

The lively Eden Hazard went agonisingly close to getting on the end of Cesar Azpilicueta's fine cross as Everton struggled to contain the leaders, but Chelsea were unable to find the back of the net before the break.

Everton manager Roberto Martinez replaced Muhamed Besic, who was shown an early yellow card, with James McCarthy at half-time and Chelsea were soon back on the front foot after the break.

Hazard was a constant menace to the Everton defence and the Belgium winger fired the ball across the face of the goal, but Bryan Oviedo was well positioned to avert the danger.

The outstanding Hazard then surged into the area, after producing some fine close control, before forcing a save from Howard. The Everton goalkeeper also had to be at his best to save Matic's well executed free-kick.

The busy Howard again demonstrated why Martinez was so eager to recall him when he produced a diving stop to keep out a measured Willian effort, before Cech showed his class at the other end to thwart an unmarked Lukaku.

Belgium striker Lukaku looked certain to convert Oviedo's ball in from the left, but Cech stood up to keep out his finish from only six yards out.

Mourinho replaced Cuadrado and Remy with Cesc Fabregas and Didier Drogba 20 minutes from time and Chelsea had a late goal disallowed when Matic's shot was deflected in off Ivanovic, who was offside.

Barry was then dismissed for a challenge on Willian which sparked a mass confrontation and there was more drama to come, as Howard fisted away a cross into Willian's path and he rifled home with the aid of a defletion to stun Everton.

 

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Stoke City 1-4 Manchester City: Aguero shines to get Pellegrini's men back on track

Sergio Aguero netted a brace as Manchester City thrashed Stoke City 4-1 at the Britannia Stadium on Wednesday.

The Argentine marksman had been without a goal in five games across all competitions in 2015 since returning to action after a knee injury - and his fitness concerns resurfaced again at the Britannia Stadium.
City were also winless during that period, allowing Chelsea to open up a commanding seven-point lead in the title race, and the champions endured a torrid opening on Wednesday.

James Milner was fortunate to escape punishment for handling Peter Crouch's goalbound header before then setting up Aguero for a superb 33rd-minute opener.

Crouch levelled with his fifth career goal against the Manchester club five minutes later before Aguero was barracked by the home crowd having had a goal disallowed for handball in first-half stoppage time.

But, after Milner had restored Manchester City’s advantage, Aguero netted his 21st goal of the season from the penalty spot.

Samir Nasri scored a brilliant fourth to secure the victory but by that stage Aguero had hobbled out of the action - while a late winner by Willian against Everton at Stamford Bridge preserved Chelsea's advantage.

Eliaquim Mangala and Aleksandar Kolarov were named in a revamped Manchester City defence while Crouch and Milner - included in their respective team's starting line-ups on the back of late weekend equalisers - were involved in an early flashpoint.

Joe Hart turned a stinging sixth-minute effort from Victor Moses behind and Crouch’s header from the resulting corner was blocked in the goalmouth by Milner, with television replays showing Stoke had a strong case in their appeals for handball.

Hart and the Manchester City backline were unconvincing during the opening exchanges and the England goalkeeper was spared by an offside flag in the 20th minute when he spilled Moses’ low cross for Crouch to convert.

A venomous drive from Steven N’Zonzi was parried by Hart and Moses smashed the rebound wide before Aguero took centre stage.

Collecting a long ball forward from Milner, the Argentine grappled with Marc Muniesa on the halfway line and drove purposefully towards the Stoke box before clinically firing into the bottom.

Marko Arnautovic then blasted a shot off target when Hart mishandled again from a corner but the Stoke attacker soon atoned for his error with a superb right-wing cross for Crouch to head home the equaliser.

Aguero then thought he had scored a second on the stroke of half-time, as he converted a David Silva cross from close-range, but he was booked by the referee after handling the ball.

Stoke goalkeeper Asmir Begovic saved with his feet from Kolarov two minutes into a second half that Manuel Pellegrini's team began with far greater conviction.

They were rewarded when Milner planted home a fine 55th-minute header from Nasri's searching right-wing cross to restore the champions' lead.

Moses curled a 68th-minute free-kick off target as Stoke looked to respond but their attacks were increasingly sporadic, and Aguero extended the visitors' advantage from 12 yards after Geoff Cameron had brought down Silva.

Nasri stylishly sealed the points 14 minutes from time, running at a backpeddling Stoke defence to rifle in a 20-yard shot, leaving Manchester City to sweat on their talisman Aguero.

 

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Manchester United 3-1 Burnley: Smalling & Van Persie move hosts up to third

Chris Smalling made a telling impact from the bench with a first-half double as Manchester United ground out a 3-1 victory over battling Burnley at Old Trafford on Wednesday.

Having replaced the injured Phil Jones, substitute Smalling scored with his first touch thanks to a sixth-minute header, but the visitors dug deep to make light of the gulf in stature between two clubs scrapping at opposite ends of the Premier League.

Danny Ings responded with his fifth goal in his last six league games to equalise and went close to doubling his tally as second-bottom Burnley threatened to cause a major upset in their survival fight.

Smalling, though, eased the nerves of the home faithful just before the interval with another header and Robin van Persie converted a late penalty to propel United up to third. 
 
Defeat was another harsh Premier League lesson for Burnley – winless at Old Trafford since 1962 – although the character on show from the Lancashire club bodes well for the relegation run-in.

Paddy McNair, fresh from signing a new deal this week, and Jonny Evans came in for United at the expense of the suspended Luke Shaw and Antonio Valencia.

Burnley, forced to change their starting XI for the first time in 11 games as Dean Marney's season-ending injury paved the way for Michael Kightly to deputise, went close early on as former United defender Michael Keane headed Kieran Trippier's third-minute corner wide.

And United punished Sean Dyche's men three minutes later as Smalling made an instant impact from the bench to break the deadlock.

Tom Heaton, another Burnley player with Old Trafford connections, palmed over McNair's 35-yard volley to force a corner that Wayne Rooney whipped in. Headed flicks from Van Persie first at the front post and then Radamel Falcao at the back post eventually dropped kindly for Smalling and he nodded across Heaton and into the net.

While Dyche will have been disappointed to see his side concede yet again from a set-piece, Burnley's response was typical of the spirit he has instilled into his players.

Kightly fired tamely at David de Gea before Ings continued his recent purple patch in front of goal to make it 1-1 with 12 minutes gone.

Trippier's superb cross from the right looped over Smalling and Ings was lurking at the back post to steer a neat header past De Gea.

Ings then had a goalbound effort cleared following another Trippier corner and Ashley Barnes curled just wide from 20 yards as Burnley enjoyed a dominant spell.

United were dealt a second injury blow of the first half when Daley Blind departed six minutes before half-time, replaced by Ander Herrera.

For all Burnley's supremacy, however, familiar defensive frailties returned to haunt them on the stroke of half-time as Smalling edged United back in front.

Rooney and Angel di Maria played a short corner and the latter stood up a cross to the back post that Smalling met with an unstoppable header.

The second half failed to match the levels of a breathless first period, although that could have been very different had Ings not shot straight at De Gea from close range immediately after the restart as George Boyd's cross forced a defensive mix-up between Smalling and Herrera.

It was left to Van Persie to put the result beyond any doubt with eight minutes remaining after Di Maria cut in from the left and was clumsily upended by Scott Arfield, the Dutchman sending Heaton the wrong way from the resulting penalty.

Heaton then kept out a rasping Di Maria drive and Adnan Januzaj's follow-up was well blocked by Jason Shackell as United finished the game well on top, moving into the top three as the final whistle blew.

 

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Barcelona 3-1 Villarreal: Messi and Iniesta seal first-leg advantage

Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta were both on target as Barcelona secured a 3-1 win over Villarreal in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final.

Goals from Messi, Iniesta and Gerard Pique secured victory for the Catalan giants, although Manuel Trigueros momentarily stunned Camp Nou with a stunning long-range effort for the visitors.

Messi opened the scoring after 41 minutes following superb work from Luis Suarez, the Argentine netting his 11th goal of 2015 in all competitions.

Despite all of Barca's dominance, though, they could not stop Villarreal scoring for a 28th consecutive game in all competitions as Trigueros fired home a vicious strike early in the second half.

But Iniesta restored the lead for Luis Enrique's side one minute later after more good work from Suarez, before Pique added a third with a back-post header.

Victory gives Barca – who saw Neymar have a second-half penalty saved - the advantage ahead of the second leg at El Madrigal on March 4.

After their scintillating 5-2 victory over Athletic Bilbao on Sunday, Barcelona were quickly into their stride, with Messi at the heart of their play.

He played a neat one-two with Suarez and fired an early effort at goal, but Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo was equal to the task.

Barca were relentless in their quest for a goal, though, and after another chance passed Messi by, he eventually broke the deadlock four minutes before the break.

Suarez caught Mateo Musacchio on the ball and played a perfectly weighted pass into his team-mate, who swept the ball past Asenjo with a clever finish.

Having spent much of the first half on the back foot, Villarreal went close to levelling in stoppage time, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a superb save to deny Luciano Vietto.

That late effort should have served as a warning to Barca but Villarreal did square things up in the 48th minute, as Trigueros lashed home a stunning 25-yard strike that swerved wickedly to give Ter Stegen no chance.

But parity lasted just one minute as Iniesta and Suarez exchanged a number of passes before the former curled home from 12 yards.

Pique extended their advantage 19 minutes into the second half as he rose above Musacchio at the back post to head home Messi's corner from the right.

Having contributed to Barca's opening goal, things got worse for Musacchio after 70 minutes when he was penalised for handling inside the area, but he was let off as Asenjo kept out Neymar's spot-kick.

That save could prove handy in the second leg but Barca will be the happier of the two sides as they moved closer to winning the tournament for a record 27th time and avenging last season's heart-breaking final defeat to arch-rivals Real Madrid.

 

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Dybala: I dream of joining Barcelona or Manchester City

Palermo forward Paulo Dybala has admitted he "dreams" of playing for either Barcelona or Manchester City.

Manchester United have been linked with the 21-year-old - who has 11 goals and six assists in Serie A this season - in recent weeks as the player continues to impress in Italy.

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has admitted his relationship with Dybala has deteriorated recently, hinting that the player's head has been turned, and the Argentine has now spoken about leaving the club.

"When I play with the Playstation, I always choose Barcelona or Manchester City," he told Guerin Sportivo. "I dream to play one day with one of those clubs."

Zamparini warned suitors in November that Dybala would cost in the region of €40 million [£31m] to sign him, but the player feels he has not proven himself enough to warrant such a price tag.

He continued: "I honestly think it's an exaggeration. I still have a lot to prove, I try not to think too much about these labels and concentrate solely on my performance on the pitch."

 

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Players applauded Reus - Klopp

Marco Reus was applauded by his Borussia Dortmund team-mates inside the dressing room after signing a new contract, the club's coach Jurgen Klopp revealed on Wednesday.

The 25-year-old was widely expected to leave Signal Iduna Park in the summer, with his previous deal containing a €25 million buy-out clause that had reportedly attracted interest from Real Madrid and several other top European clubs.

But, while Dortmund themselves had admitted they were helpless to prevent his departure had he opted to leave, Reus sprung a surprise by committing his future to BVB until the summer of 2019, a decision which was greeted warmly by his team-mates.

"I am really happy he came to his decision," Klopp said at a press conference.
"Marco is very relaxed now, very free. Ideally we can convert this into a performance. There was even applause in the dressing room which I thought was pretty cool. Ideally this will happen at the stadium, too.

"I am not only happy Marco decided for us, I am happy he decided for us this early. That was important to us. It was a decision on a joint future. I am glad he receives the recognition he deserves."

In agreeing his new contract, Reus added to the renewed sense of optimism at Dortmund on the back of Saturday's 3-0 win over Freiburg, a result that saw the club climb off the bottom of the Bundesliga table and into 16th place.

Klopp believes the winger's actions set a valuable example to the rest of the dressing room, while praising his conduct throughout the negotiations. "I believe in the symbolic strength of his actions.

"Marco is a top player and there were many clubs interested. He behaved great all this time and did not comment on everything. He never doubted his way and now he has committed to BVB with everything he has. That is important."

As well as securing the future of Reus, Dortmund also added 16-year-old prospect Christian Pulisic to their ranks on Tuesday, and Klopp believes the youngster has joined the right club at which to continue his development.

"He is a great football player, he knows how to play," the coach praised. "He did not leave a negative impression yesterday. We will do everything we can so he can develop quietly here. That is something not so easy with talented, young players as you could see with [Martin] Odegaard."

Klopp also revealed that Erik Durm is likely to miss Friday's clash with Mainz with flu, while Sven Bender will also be absent as he bids to return to training next week. Striker Adrian Ramos was left out of Klopp's last squad completely on Saturday but could earn a recall.

"In Freiburg I decided to have one striker on the bench, not two. Adrian showed a very good reaction in training. If we have more fit players than we can take with us, there'll always be tight decisions. I did not specifically decide against Adrian Ramos."

 

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Bayern should go for Mourinho or Ancelotti, says Matthaus

Lothar Matthaus has advised Bayern Munich to go for either Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho or Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti if current head coach Pep Guardiola decides to leave the club in 2016.

The Spanish coach's existing contract is due to expire at the end of the 2015-16 campaign and he is in no rush to open talks over a renewal.Matthaus has therefore urged Bayern to start looking at potential successors and sees only a few coaches who could be right for the job.

"Just like Jupp Heynckes and Louis van Gaal before him, Pep Guardiola is an alpha male as well," Matthaus told Sport Bild."They are all coaches who had been successful abroad. There is no coach like them available in the Bundesliga.

"There are only two coaches abroad who fit Bayern's profile: Jose Mourinho and Carlo Ancelotti. These two should be right at the top of Bayern's shortlist if they are available in the summer of 2016."Joachim Low could also be a good candidate if he leaves the Germany job after Euro 2016."

 

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No Premier League manager is better than me - Allardyce

West Ham manager Sam Allardyce argues that there is no manager in the Premier League "more sophisticated" than he is.

Allardyce has overseen a remarkable transformation at Upton Park this season, with the Hammers flying high in eighth place following Sunday's 1-1 draw against Manchester United.

The 60-year-old was on the verge of being sacked last year amid unrest from the stands due to his long-ball tactics but, with West Ham now playing a more stylish brand of football, such talk has been dispelled and he now believes that he is as good a boss as anyone in the division.

"I don't think there is any coach more sophisticated than me anymore," Allardyce told the press. "That's not trying to criticise any other coaches but there is only Arsene Wenger who has done it longer than me.

"They may well have gained more experience by managing abroad like Louis van Gaal, Ronald Koeman and people like that but, in this country, with the experience they've got, I don't think there is any coach that would be in that position as more sophisticated. I'm just as good as everybody at this stage.

"That comes from the amount of time you do the job, how much experience you gain in the job and how much knowledge you strive for on a regular basis to keep the cutting edge.

"The cutting edge is what's new in football, what's the next level, where is it going to be, how can you find it, how can you implement it into your club.

"I've always been that way inclined. I've never stood still and it's probably why I am still here managing in the Premier League for the last 13-14 years."

 

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No Premier League manager is better than me - Allardyce

Are you sure Big Sam?​

 

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Lampard right to stay at Man City - David Villa

David Villa insists that he has no problem with Frank Lampard's decision to delay his arrival at New York City.

The former Barcelona striker agreed to join the new Major League Soccer team in June 2014 and scored during the club's first official match on Tuesday, netting the opening goal in a 2-0 victory over St Mirren in Manchester.

Unlike Villa, Lampard chose to take in a loan spell at Manchester City before linking up with his new team-mates at the end of the season and the Spaniard says that he has no qualms about the former England international's decision.

"It would have been great if he was here now but obviously for the football club the best thing is for him to stay in Manchester," Villa told reporters.

"We are only going to be focused on working hard so that, when he joins in July, we can be a team that is really good and he can only improve us."

Coach Jason Kreis, meanwhile, expects Lampard to be well received by New York’s fans and does not believe that there will be any lingering bad feeling regarding the midfielder sojourn at the Etihad Stadium.

"I think they will receive him well," he said. "I think at the end of it all, when everybody is calmed down and settled down a little bit, that everybody can forgive and forget."

 

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Zamparini: I'd rather sell Dybala to Juventus than to Man United

Palermo president Maurizio Zamparini has stressed that he would rather sell Paulo Dybala to Juventus than to Manchester United or any other foreign team.

The Argentine attacker has attracted the interest of some of Europe's biggest clubs with his fine performances in 2014-15 and both Juve and United are keeping a close eye on the 21-year-old's situation.

However, Zamparini, who revealed that his relationship with the player has completely broken down, would prefer it if Dybala were to stay in Serie A, although he has stressed that money will eventually be the decisive factor, citing Javier Pastore's move to Paris Saint-Germain as an example.

"There has not been any contact with Napoli, but it is true that Marotta has been in touch for Juventus," Zamparini told Tuttosport."He told me that Juventus will be right there if we decide to sell Dybala. They are very much interested in signing him and are ready to open talks.

"I told him that I would be more than happy to sell Paulo to Juventus if possible. I would actually prefer for him to stay in Italy."I know Marotta, though, so I immediately made it clear that I will not give him a discount. We all know what happened with Pastore."

Dybala has a contract with Palermo until June 2016.The attacker has already netted 11 goals in 21 Serie A appearances for the Sicilians this term.

 

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Navas not leaving Real Madrid, insists father

Keylor Navas' father has stressed that the Costa Rica international is not thinking about leaving Real Madrid just yet and is determined to fight for his place in the first-team.

The 28-year-old joined Madrid from Levante after an impressive 2013-14 campaign and World Cup, but has so far been unable to displace Iker Casillas as the club's No.1.

But despite his lack of playing time at the Santiago Bernabeu, Navas refuses to give up and will continue to give his utmost in order to convince head coach Carlo Ancelotti to play him."Keylor told me he is not leaving Real Madrid. He is very happy. He is a fighter who wants to work hard and triumph at the club," Freddy Navas told La Nacion.

"He knows that he has to fight for a place. It's a process that he's accepting very well. In the press, some people are claiming that he is not good enough, but he is very strong."

Meanwhile, his agent Kristhian Arguedas has stressed that Navas is keen to sit out his contract until 2020."He's happy living the dream at Real, on a six-year contract that he intends to see out here in Madrid."

The shot stopper has made seven appearances for Madrid in all competitions, keeping two clean sheets in the process.