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Arsenal building a world-class side - Giroud

Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud believes the additions of attacking trio Mesut Ozil, Alexis Sanchez and Santi Cazorla have given his side the firepower to take on any club in the world.

The Gunners moved up to third in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, with Cazorla and Giroud both on target at Selhurst Park.

And the continued success of his team-mates has left the Frenchman enthusiastic about Arsenal's future.

"The club had some reinforcement in recent years with players like Mesut and Alexis," he told Telefoot. "We’re building a team that can go toe-to-toe with the greatest.

"We call Alexis 'Duracell' in the dressing-room; he repeats his efforts and displays and he has the determination and ambition of a 20-year-old.

"Mesut has a quiet strength. He is very quiet, almost introverted. He is very comfortable from a technical aspect and when he is concentrated enough, he often makes the difference.

"Cazorla reads the play very well. I enjoy a particular relationship with him, as we arrived together at Arsenal and find each other well on the pitch.”

The Gunners have now won eight of their last nine matches in all competitions and face Monaco in the last 16 of the Champions League on Wednesday.

 

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'Lewandowski isn't a dodgy purchase'

Robert Lewandowski's critics are deluded if they think the striker is a "dodgy purchase", according to Bayern Munich legend Stefan Effenberg.

The Poland international, 26, was left on the bench for the first leg of the club's last 16 Champions League tie with Shakhtar Donetsk last week having scored just once in his last five Bundesliga appearances.

However, Lewandowski was back in the starting XI on Saturday and scored twice as the reigning champions thrashed Paderborn 6-0, with Arjen Robben also bagging a double to add to goals from Franck Ribery and Mitchell Weiser.

Effenberg, who had two spells with the Bavarians during his playing career, is adamant the striker is the same player who blossomed at BVB and says he offers much more than just goals.

“People who say that Lewandowski was a dodgy purchase have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to football,” he told Sky. “He is extremely important to the team.

“The charisma and quality that he had at Dortmund, he has at Bayern. The difference is that at the Allianz Arena he has three or four other world-class attackers alongside him.”

Bayern are back in Bundesliga action on Friday when they host Koln.

 

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'Ibrahimovic wanted Madrid move to spite Guardiola'

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s agent Mino Raiola says the PSG star almost joined Real Madrid after leaving Barcelona in a bid to exact the "perfect revenge" on his former boss Pep Guardiola.

The striker moved to Camp Nou in 2009 but departed after just one season following a series of bust-ups with the 44-year-old.

And Raiola claims that Ibrahimovic wanted to reunite with his former Inter coach Jose Mourinho at the Bernabeu in a move he says would have been the perfect response to his ill-treatment. “Zlatan wanted to play for Real when he left Barça. It would have been the ideal move. The perfect revenge against Guardiola,” Raiola told Marca.

“Real Madrid is a political club and not a normal club. I don't understand the way they do things.“It would have been the perfect club for him because he's a great player, he's passionate and because he can do something amazing at any moment."

Raiola went on to describe current Bayern Munich boss Guardiola’s behaviour as “shocking”, insisting the Spaniard was to blame for Zlatan’s early exit from Camp Nou.

“Only 'The Philosopher' [Guardiola] knows [What happened between him and Zlatan],” he said.“As a person, his behaviour was terrible, shocking. He's a great coach. He was calling Zlatan for one year. About 10 times.

“At Barcelona he told him whatever he needed or wanted he would be helped with. Then all of a sudden he stopped talking to him.”

 

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Mourinho: I don't understand why Arsenal aren't title challengers

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that Arsenal should be challenging his side for the Premier League title, taking a swipe at Arsene Wenger's recent record.

The Gunners are 12 points behind Mourinho's men with 12 games to go, and while the Portuguese manager was full of praise for their squad and style play, he noted that his old rival has "a dream job", with enough credibility from his past success to be able to just "wait and wait" for more.

"Arsenal? I don't understand why they are not where we are, with Manchester City, because I like their team," Mourinho said on Sky Sports' 'Goals on Sunday'.

"I think they have very good players. Alexis Sanchez, Danny Welbeck - important players added to an already very good squad. I think they are more of a team.

"At this moment Wenger has a dream job that we would all love to have. He has the stability and has the time to buy and sell and wait for success, and wait and wait. I think he has the dream job.

"What he did to get so many titles in a certain period gives him the credibility that he deserves. Obviously he is a fantastic manager but he's in a fantastic position to be successful. When I look at the players, I really think they have to win."

 

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Rooney: We should have beaten Swansea

Wayne Rooney was unable to make sense of Manchester United's 2-1 defeat to Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday.

Ander Herrera's third Premier League goal gave Louis van Gaal's men the lead in south Wales just before the half-hour mark but Swansea quickly drew level through Ki Sung-yueng.

The visitors piled on the pressure in the second half but lacked a clinical touch in and around the box and they paid the price as Jonjo Shelvey's 73rd-minute shot deflected off Bafetimbi Gomis and in to secure three points for the Swans.

Skipper Rooney was left frustrated at seeing his side lose a game he felt they should have won easily, putting their place in the top four in jeopardy.

"Of course, it is hard to take," he told MUTV. "Certainly, in the second half, I thought we dominated up until they scored and I thought we got a great goal to go 1-0 up.

"In the second half they were struggling to get out but then they hit us with a sucker punch, a shot from 30 yards and a deflected goal. These things happen but it was a disappointing day for us.

"As I said before, I thought we dominated but maybe didn't test the keeper enough up until they scored; that's disappointing given the play we had.

"It was one-way traffic and it felt like that on the pitch, it felt like a matter of time. We were putting them under pressure but they did defend the box well, putting bodies in front of the ball but this is a blow for us, coming away from today with no points having played like that."

United will look to make amends for their fifth reverse of the campaign when Sunderland visit Old Trafford, although they could start that match outside the top four if Southampton beat Liverpool on Sunday.

 

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Mourinho: Cuadrado needs time to settle at Chelsea

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says that patience is required to allow new signing Juan Cuadrado to settle in.

The Colombia international completed a €33 million deadline-day move to Stamford Bridge from Serie A in the winter window, signing a four-and-a-half-year deal.

Saturday's 1-1 draw with Burnley saw Cuadrado make his fourth appearance for the club and Mourinho is willing to give the 26-year-old time to hit top form.

"He is adapting," the Chelsea boss told the press. "He needs to adapt to everything.

"The pace of the game, in Italy it's completely different. The intensity is much higher here, it is different to play at the intensity we play – especially for 90 minutes."

Cuadrado's performances in Italy over the past two-and-a-half seasons brought him to the attention of Europe's top clubs, with his impact for Colombia at the World Cup speeding up his departure.

Mourinho admits that his new winger may have to modify his style of play but remains certain that the new recruit wll repay his faith given time.

"At Fiorentina he was playing as a wide player; here he has to go to areas where he's not adapted to it," he observed. "I truly believe we are not seeing the player we know we have because the kid needs to adapt."

 

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Abidal: PSG would be a good fit for Messi

Former Barcelona star Eric Abidal believes Paris Saint-Germain would be a good fit for Lionel Messi should he decide to leave the Spanish club.

The Argentina international has endured a fractious relationship with new coach Luis Enrique this season, increasing speculation the 27-year-old could be considering a Camp Nou exit.

Any move would undoubtedly require a world-record transfer fee, limiting his potential suitors to Europe’s opulent elite, and Abidal believes big-spending PSG could suit the four-time Ballon d’Or winner.

"As he has won everything at Barcelona, he would perhaps consider a new challenge in order to win new things," Abidal told Telefoot."It’s possible. PSG has recently forged a group of players with determination and big objectives to reach. It may be a club that could please Messi."

The fall-out with Luis Enrique has sparked speculation that Messi has too much power at the Camp Nou club, but Abidal, who spent six years alongside him in Catalonia, has denied suggestions that he causes rifts at the club and that he has any say over team selection.

“His influence on Barca is total. With his goals, he masks tensions, administrative or legal problems. He carries the team on his shoulders and allows it to live peacefully. He’s part of a group of deciders,” Abidal continued.“I’ve never seen Leo ask for anything. Even regarding the team selection.”

 

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Messi PSG join welanam therumak naha​

 

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Navas: I came to Madrid to be a champion

Keylor Navas says he chose to join Real Madrid because he considered the club his best chance to win silverware.

The Costa Rica international had a host of suitors following a remarkable World Cup in Brazil that saw him inspire his side to a best-ever quarter-final finish.

And the 28-year-old is desperate to earn his place in the side and improve on his Club World Cup and Uefa Super Cup-winning medals he picked up with los Blancos last year.“I like challenges and this is a great one for my career,” he told La Nacion.

“I'll work with humility to earn my place in the team. I want to win lots of titles with this club. I chose Real Madrid to be here for a long time and I will succeed, I have faith that I'll get it.”Navas remains behind captain Ikar Casillas in the pecking order and has made just two Liga starts since his summer arrival, but insists their rivalry is purely professional.

“My relationship with Iker Casillas is very good - he is a great companion,” Navas continued.“Not only are these players great professional athletes, but also a great group of people.”

Barcelona's defeat to Malaga on Saturday means that Navas and Real Madrid will extend their lead at the top of La Liga to four points with a win over Elche on Sunday.

 

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Elche 0-2 Real Madrid: Benzema & Ronaldo fire Blancos four points clear of Barcelona

Carlo Ancelotti celebrated his 100th game in charge of Real Madrid by moving four points clear at La Liga's summit courtesy of a 2-0 win at Elche.

Barcelona's surprise 1-0 home reverse at the hands of Malaga on Saturday gave Real the chance to extend their advantage at the top 24 hours later, and they overcame a profligate first half to seal maximum points.

After seeing an acrobatic effort wrongly ruled out for offside before the break, Karim Benzema struck from close range 11 minutes after the interval for his 18th goal of the season in all competitions.

Cristiano Ronaldo had endured a frustrating first half that saw him hit the woodwork and miss two presentable opportunities, but the Portuguese netted his 38th goal of the campaign with a trademark header midway through the second period.

It was Ronaldo's seventh in just three appearances against Elche, who failed to seriously trouble Iker Casillas - making his 500th La Liga appearance - in the Real goal.

Victory sees Ancelotti's side put further daylight between themselves and the chasing duo of Barca and Atletico Madrid, while defeat for Elche leaves them 17th in the table, four points clear of the bottom three.

Ronaldo, fresh from ending a three-game scoreless run against Schalke in midweek, went close to the opener in the fourth minute when he curled a superb effort against the outside of the post.

The visitors threatened again seven minutes later, but Elche goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton was able to smother Gareth Bale's effort from close range.

Tyton had to be alert to save from Ronaldo again soon afterwards as Real continued to dominate, and the Portuguese uncharacteristically made a mess of Bale's square pass when it seemed he would tap home from six yards.

Real ought to have been in front five minutes prior to the interval when Benzema produced a superb overhead finish to convert Bale's centre, but the assistant referee incorrectly ruled the Frenchman to have been offside.

After a first half that saw one-way traffic towards the Elche goal, Casillas was tested for the first time two minutes into the second period when he got down to keep out Aaron Niguez's low drive.Niguez was then perhaps fortunate to only receive a yellow card for a studs-up challenge on Bale, before Real finally took the lead through Benzema in the 56th minute.

Ronaldo broke away down the left and delivered a low ball into the box, where David Lomban's attempted clearance ricocheted kindly off Tyton into the path of Benzema, who could not miss from a yard out.

And that advantage was doubled 13 minutes later as Isco got to the byline and dug out a cross from the left, which Ronaldo planted into the top left-hand corner with a powerful header from 12 yards.

The remainder of the game proved to be largely uneventful, as Real took full advantage of Barca's unexpected slip-up.

 

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Ancelotti: I was surprised to see Barcelona lose

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti has admitted that he was shocked by Barcelona's 1-0 loss at home to Malaga but still expects the Liga title race to continue until the last day of the season.The Catalans had been on an 11-game winning streak in all competitions before succumbing to an early goal from Juanmi at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Madrid then triumphed 2-0 at Elche 24 hours later - courtesy of goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo - to pull four points clear of Barca, much to the delight of Ancelotti.

"It was an important game after what happened to our rivals on Saturday and above all to take a bigger lead over Barcelona," the Italian told reporters."It is clear that their defeat surprised everyone, as Barca had been in very good form, playing very well.

"We do have a lead now, but as I have said many times this title will be decided on the last day of the season."Madrid were rocked by a 4-0 derby defeat at Atletico on February 7 but have since responded with three consecutive 2-0 wins in all competetions.

Ancelott was thus particularly pleased to see his players keep their clean sheet record going at Elche, in what was his 100th game in charge of the club."These 100 games with Real Madrid have gone well," the former Chelsea boss added.

"But I hope to improve in the next 100 and with the attitude of this game we will win many more. We have been focused and everyone has worked very well. "After Atletico we have improved on our defensive work. Elche's players have got great quality, but we have not allowed them to prove it. I had no doubts that we would win this game."

 

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Henderson: Liverpool produced perfect away performance at Southampton

Jordan Henderson believes Liverpool produced the "perfect away performance" to earn a vital away win over top-four rivals Southampton.

The Reds took a third-minute lead at St Mary's when Philippe Coutinho scored magnificently from 30 yards but withstood waves of pressure from the home side - along with a pair of early penalty appeals - before Raheem Sterling sealed all three points 17 minutes from time.

The victory lifts Brendan Rodgers' men up to sixth in the Premier League table, a point behind Southampton and two shy of fourth-placed Manchester United as the battle for Champions League qualification continues to heat up.

"It's a big win," Henderson told Sky Sports. "We knew coming here would be difficult because they're a good side and they've shown that all season.

"We knew we had to be at our best, [to] work really hard first and foremost. With the quality we've got we know we can hurt teams going forward, but I thought from the defence, right through the team, we were outstanding.

"It's a perfect away performance really."

Dropped points for top-four rivals United and Tottenham added to a pleasing weekend for Liverpool, but Henderson - who was captain at St Mary's Stadium in Steven Gerrard's absence - is determined that events elsewhere will not distract his team from the task at hand.

"It is a good weekend for us but the most important thing is we win, we keep winning and just concentrate on what we need to do," he added.

"The rest will take care of itself. Overall, we're delighted with the performance and the result."

 

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Isco will become Spanish football's most important player, says Casillas

Real Madrid captain Iker Casillas says team-mate Isco is destined to become "the most important player in Spanish football".

Isco has been in sensational form for Los Blancos in recent months and played another starring role in Sunday's 2-0 win at Elche, setting up Cristiano Ronaldo for his side's second goal with a fine cross from the left.

The €30 million signing from Malaga now has eight Liga assists to his name and Casillas in no doubt that the 22-year-old, who was applauded off the field by the home fans, is only going to get better as he matures."Isco will be the most important player in Spanish football in the coming years," the goalkeeper told Canal Plus .

"We are delighted with him but he must take care, focus on his game and go step by step. Too much flattery can weaken players."

The game at Elche was Casillas' 500th in La Liga for Madrid, taking him to within 50 of Raul. However, the 33-year-old shot stopper insists he does not have his eye on his former team-mate's record."I am thankful to have reached such a milestone," Casillas said.

"At another club, it would have been more difficult to get there. I hope I can get more, but I don't think about Raul's record. He is a legend at Real Madrid and his numbers are outrageous."

Madrid's latest win saw them move four points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga and Casillas said he was thrilled with the way in which Madrid have responded to their humiliating 4-0 defeat at Atletico with three successive 2-0 wins in all competitions."Three weeks ago the team was criticised and now it seems that everything is quiet again," he added.

"The important thing is that the team did not collapse. There are always good and bad times but we have done well to recover from the puncture at the Vicente Calderon. It has not been easy and now we have another tough month."Madrid next host Villarreal on March 1 before travelling to San Mames to take on Athletic Bilbao six days later.

 

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Reus: I can win the Bundesliga with Dortmund

Marco Reus believes Borussia Dortmund are the best possible club for him and says he is no doubt that he can one day win the Bundesliga with his hometown club.

Reus was widely expected to become the next star player to leave Signal Iduna Park, with the likes of Bayern Munich, Manchester City, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid all credited with an interest in signing the attacker, whose buy-out clause was set to drop to €25 million this summer.

However, the Germany international signed a new contract on February 10, committing his future to Dortmund until 2019 and providing the club with a timely boost after a poor first half of the season.Reus could have earned more money by moving elsewhere but says he is driven by the desire of winning the Bundesliga with his local team.

"I decided on BVB because Borussia is best for me," the 25-year-old told Kicker ."Dortmund is my home town, my family lives here and I have my friends here. And anyway there is a life after football, you know?

"But winning the Bundesliga remains a big goal of mine. I want to experience once what will happen in the city then! "I will give my best to make it happen and I have a strong feeling that we will reach it one day."

Jurgen Klopp's side won back-to-back league titles in 2011 and 2012 before finishing second to Bayern Munich, who also beat them in the 2013 Champions League final, in each of the last two campaigns following Reus' €17 million arrival from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Dortmund have found this season much more difficult, but they have recently surged clear of the relegation zone to 12th in the Bundesliga after a run of three straight wins and face Juventus in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.

 

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Koeman: Southampton were much better than Liverpool

Ronald Koeman believes bad refereeing decisions and poor finishing were responsible for Southampton's agonising home defeat to Liverpool.

A magnificent 30-yard strike from Philippe Coutinho gave the visitors an early lead at St Mary's on Sunday, while Filip Djuricic had a pair of strong penalty appeals rejected on his first Saints start.

Liverpool then withstood plenty of pressure from the home side before Raheem Sterling made the points safe in the 73rd minute, and afterwards Koeman insisted he was happy with the manner of his side's performance - but not their lack of a cutting edge up front.

He told Sky Sports: "We know in football, it's all about scoring goals. We played much better than Liverpool, we had more possession, more chances.

"I call it unlucky in the decisions of the referee. The second situation is a clear penalty to Filip Djuricic. Two-nil down, I'm very disappointed about the result, but not our performance.

"With the quality up front maybe we are struggling a bit in last few games because in the last four games we score one goal."

Koeman also praised Coutinho's moment of inspiration as Southampton goalkeeper Fraser Forster was left with little chance of keeping out a shot that clattered home via his crossbar.

"It is a great goal, the keeper can't do anything about it," Koeman added. "Great goal but we had a great start in the game and we didn't deserve to be 1-0 down.

"We have more ball domination, we create four or five good positions to score and the referee didn't whistle for a clear penalty. Sometimes you need that luck on your side and in the last few games we don't have that."

 

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Rodgers: Referee got every decision right against Southampton

Brendan Rodgers praised referee Kevin Friend in the wake of a number of debatable decisions in Liverpool's 2-0 win at Southampton.

Goals from Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling earned the Reds all three points at St Mary's, and the Saints were left to rue a number of rejected penalty appeals.

Filip Djuricic appeared to be pulled back by Dejan Lovren in the area inside two minutes, before Joe Allen brought him down with a slide tackle just seconds after Coutinho's wonder strike.

Southampton then appealed for a red card when Simon Mignolet charged down Eljero Elia's effort and looked to handle the ball outside the area, but Rodgers praised Friend's performance during the match.

When asked about the repeated appeals, Rodgers told Sky Sports: "The player has gone over far too easy, no way that was a penalty. I thought referee Kevin Friend was excellent and I think all his decisions were right.

"To come here and keep a clean sheet is a great effort."

Rodgers also praised Liverpool's control throughout the game, with the Reds in action just three days after their 1-0 win over Besiktas in the Europa League.
"It was a game we wanted a positive result from," he added. "Through winning it we would go three points behind third place, it would be a huge result and it was.

"We controlled the game as it went on. Our passing could have been better but the conditions were bad. To come here after a European game and get a win, it's a great result from the players."

 

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Mancini: Kovacic is the future of Inter

Roberto Mancini has dismissed the suggestion that he does not have faith in Mateo Kovacic, claiming the midfielder is the future of Inter.

Kovacic has started on the bench for the Nerazzurri's last two Serie A games as well as the midweek Europa League draw with Celtic, but the coach has denied having an issue with the Croatia international, insisting he is merely being cautious with the 20-year-old's development.

"Mateo is a first-choice player, as are others," he told reporters on Sunday. "He must be allowed to grow calmly and to be helped by experts, as he is the one on whom we will build the future of Inter.

"Kovacic is extraordinary. He works and he works. He only needs to understand some difficult tactical ideas that are hard for a 20-year-old, but he will have his opportunities."We are playing lots of games at the moment so we will definitely mix things up a bit against Cagliari. We have good players who are performing exceptionally well."

Mancini also says he retains the utmost belief in Lukas Podolski, even though the German is still waiting to score his first goal since arriving at Inter on loan from Arsenal during the winter transfer window.

"I hope Podolski is settling in well," the former Manchester City boss added.
"He is improving a lot on the pitch and I hope he can get the goal he needs as soon as possible."

Inter currently sit 11th in Serie A but can go as high as sixth with a victory over Cagliari on Monday.

 

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Benitez: I am too busy to discuss Napoli future

Napoli coach Rafael Benitez has once again refused to commit himself to the club beyond the end of the season.

The Spaniard signed a two-year deal when he was named Partenopei boss in May 2013, meaning he has just over three months remaining on his current contract with the Serie A side.

With Benitez having led Napoli to Coppa Italia glory last season and his team currently going well both domestically and in the Europa League, club president Aurelio De Laurentiis wants the 54-year-old to extend his stay at the San Paolo.
Benitez, though, says he is only focusing on a busy run of fixtures and has no intention of discussing a new deal at this point in the campaign.

"I have already said that the most important thing and what really counts is to do our best in the next three months we have to face," the former Liverpool boss told Radio Kiss Kiss ."I am busy and focused on continuing our campaign. We have many games in many competitions where we have set objectives to fulfill.

"There will be time to talk about my future. At the moment we are focused only on the Sassuolo clash and to give continuity to our positive run."

Napoli will have to make do without top scorer Gonzalo Higuain at Sassuolo but Benitez is in no doubt he has sufficient strength in depth to cope with the Argentine striker's unavailability.

"We have different options and I believe that is good for the team," he added.
"Manolo Gabbiadini is doing a great job and Jose Callejon as well, as he has scored nine goals so far. "Duvan Zapata has always given a great help on the pitch. Marek Hamsik and Jonathan de Guzman have proven they can both make assists and score goals as well, while Dries Mertens is a talented palymaker.

"We can say with no doubt that we have quality up front and we have a squad which provides us with many alternatives. "If that were considered a problem, I would call it a ‘good problem’ because having all of those options is always very positive for any coach."

Napoli, who routed Trabzonspor 4-0 in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie on Thursday, sit third in Serie A, two points ahead of fourth-placed Lazio ahead of their game in hand at Sassuolo.