..::Football III::..

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Ancelotti won’t risk Bale against Athletic Bilbao

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti says he is unwilling to risk Gareth Bale against Athletic Bilbao on Sunday in the hope of him being fit for Wednesday's Madrid derby.

The former Tottenham Hotspur man missed los Blancos' Copa del Rey quarter-final victory over Espanyol on Tuesday after picking up an impact injury against Granada last weekend.

Madrid face city rivals Atleti in the first-leg of their semi-final next week and Ancelotti is confident his cautious approach will pay dividends.

"[Gareth Bale] is fine, but I don't want to take risks,” he told a press conference.

"He's not available tomorrow because he didn't train this week. He's doing a good job and I think he'll be available for Wednesday.

"He doesn't need another pre-season, because the problem he has is very small.

"[Jese] is an option to replace Bale. We can also put [Asier] Illarramendi or [Angel] Di Maria on the right. We will look tomorrow.

While Bale is set to miss out, Real Madrid will be boosted by the return of Raphael Varane, who has been sidelined since November with a knee injury.

"Varane is on the list," Ancelotti added. "We need to be careful with him. The knee has responded very well, but he can't play every three days just yet."

Ancelotti also confirmed that he isn’t planning offloading either Casemiro or Fabio Coentrao, both of whom have been linked with moves away from the Bernabeu in recent months, while giving his backing to plans to renovate the stadium.

"Neither Casemiro nor Coentrao will leave the club," he said.

"I have seen the [new Bernabeu] project, it will be a fantastic stadium. I would enjoy it there, that's for sure."

The former Juventus, Milan and Chelsea boss also paid tribute to Spain's former Euro 2008-winning coach Luis Aragones, who passed away on Saturday.

"I'm very sorry for this loss, because he is a person who has been very important to football in Spain and around the world,” he said.

“Spain started to win in 2008 with Luis Aragones. He's been a figurehead for football.

"He gambled on a new way of playing, like [Arrigo] Sacchi or Ajax in the '70s."

Real Madrid sit third in La Liga, one point behind joint-leaders Barcelona and Wednesday's rivals, Atletico Madrid.

 

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Stoke 2-1 Manchester United: Visitors slump to sixth defeat in eight games

Charlie Adam scored twice on Saturday as Stoke City registered their first league win over Manchester United since 1984.

The result leaves David Moyes' men seventh in the Premier League, with fourth-placed Liverpool able to open up a nine-point gap over them if they beat West Brom on Sunday.

On a day where none of the top four sides played and Tottenham dropped points, United failed to take advantage, going down to an organised Stoke side at the Britannia Stadium.

In a first half largely dominated by United, Stoke went ahead after 38 minutes thanks to a deflected Adam free kick. The former Liverpool midfielder's effort hit Michael Carrick on the edge of the area, taking the ball beyond the reach of a helpless David de Gea.

United were level just two minutes after the break, however, Robin van Persie the man on target as he became the first player in Premier League history to score in eight successive appearances against a single opponent.

But the visitors' celebrations were cut short when Adam unleashed an unstoppable effort past De Gea from outside the area after 52 minutes. It proved to be the winner as United lost their eighth league game of the season and their third straight match on the road in all competitions.

United boss Moyes started the attacking trio of Juan Mata, Van Persie and Wayne Rooney together for the first time as they looked to claim a third victory over Stoke this season.

While United were able to field a full-strength forward line, Moyes was given a defensive injury headache just 10 minutes in when Jonny Evans was replaced by Rafael Da Silva having suffered what appeared to be a hamstring problem.

Rooney then had the first chance of the game, turning and firing wide inside the area after 14 minutes following Patrice Evra's cross from the left.

And from there, United began to pile on the pressure, Van Persie being next to go close with an effort that deflected wide past Asmir Begovic's right-hand post.

However, Stoke survived the strong United spell and perhaps should have engineered a shot on goal when Jonathan Walters was slow to react to a loose ball on the edge of the box - Phil Jones producing a well-timed tackle.

Van Persie then went close for the visitors when his close-range header took a deflection off Glenn Whelan and crept over the crossbar.

But seven minutes before the break, Adam's free kick, with the help of a large slice of luck and an inadvertent Carrick deflection, put the home side ahead.

And things got even worse for United before half-time, when Jones was taken off injured after a clash of heads in the air with Walters.

Yet Van Persie was again the man to haunt Stoke as he angled a finish past Begovic following Mata's carefully-weighted through ball.

The scores were level for just five minutes, though, as Adam registered his sixth league goal of the season with a magnificent left-footed strike.

And Stoke, who were in the relegation zone prior to kick-off, held on to move 11th in the table with their first league win since December.

 

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Manchester United boss Moyes confirms Jones concussion and Evans calf strain

Manchester United defender Phil Jones suffered a concussion during the first half of the 2-1 defeat against Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.

The centre-back clashed heads with Jonathan Walters and appeared to be knocked out before hitting the ground.

He was surrounded by medical staff and loaded onto a stretcher after around five minutes of treatment, before having a scan at a local hospital.

"Phil Jones looks like a concussion, he's been checked and he looks ok. The medical team dealt with it very well," David Moyes told Sky Sports after the match.

Danny Welbeck replaced his fellow England international, with Michael Carrick dropping into the defence alongside Chris Smalling.

Moyes also confirmed that Jonny Evans picked up a calf injury in the first 10 minutes.

The Northern Ireland international was replaced by Rafael early on.

Stoke were 1-0 up thanks to a deflected Charlie Adam strike by the time Jones was withdrawn.

Robin van Persie equalised after half-time but Adam struck his second to inflict a sixth defeat in eight games on Moyes' men, including the penalty shoot-out loss to Sunderland in the Capital One Cup.

 

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Get Well Soon for Phil Jones & Evans!

Defending option unath adui dananemanda​

 

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Arsenal hit by Kallstrom injury blow

Kim Kallstrom is set to miss Arsenal's crucial upcoming fixtures with a back injury after signing for the club on transfer deadline day.

The 31-year-old Swede, who has joined the Gunners on loan from Spartak Moscow, sustained the injury before arriving in north London and the club were aware of it before they completed the move.Kallstrom, who was Arsenal's only January arrival, will miss the club's immediate upcoming matches but is not set to be sidelined for two to three months as has been reported in his native Sweden.

Scans during the former Lyon star's medical on Friday confirmed an injury to the midfielder's back, which will likely see him miss crucial fixtures against Liverpool, Manchester United and Bayern Munich. The issue has kept Kallstrom out of training since his arrival at the club, with Arsene Wenger's men set to face Crystal Palace on Sunday.

Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere will both miss the visit of Tony Pulis' side to the Emirates, with Mathieu Flamini also out due to suspension.

 

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Debut 1kata kalinma injured welane

 

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Barcelona 2-3 Valencia: 10-man Blaugrana stunned at Camp Nou

The Liga title race was thrown wide open on Saturday after 10-man Barcelona fell to a 3-2 defeat to Valencia at Camp Nou.

Gerardo Martino's side got off to a great start as Alexis Sanchez’s seventh-minute effort fortuitously beat Valencia keeper Diego Alves and although they dominated the first half, the visitors drew level just before the break.

Dani Parejo finished off a move he started to peg the hosts back and the diminutive Pablo Piatti put Juan Antonio Pizzi's men ahead with a header early in the second half.

Lionel Messi then equalised for Barca from the penalty spot on 54 minutes to end a run of three matches in all competitions without a goal, but Valencia's determination shone through and Paco Alcacer guided Sofiane Feghouli's cross past Victor Valdes five minutes later.

Things went from bad to worse for Barca when Jordi Alba was sent off with 12 minutes to go, and Valencia held on to become the first Liga side apart from Real Madrid to leave the Camp Nou without a defeat since Sevilla snatched a 0-0 draw October 2011.
The hosts were without the services of Neymar, who is still sidelined with an ankle injury, while new signings Seydou Keita - a former Barca player - and Vinicius Araujo were not involved for Valencia.

Camp Nou was hushed in a minute of silence before the match following the death of former Spain coach Luis Aragones, but the hosts were typically business-like once the game started and it took them just seven minutes to take the lead.

Sanchez collected Messi’s low cross at the back post and though the winger hit his first-time effort into the ground it still ended up in the net from a tight angle.

Valencia went agonisingly close to drawing level, 37 minutes in, as Ricardo Costa headed wide of an open goal following Valdes' failed attempt to clear a corner, but their next opportunity was not wasted.

Parejo launched a swift counter-attack after stealing possession in the middle, with the former Madrid youngster laying the ball off to Sofiane Feghouli before tapping in the Algerian's low cross.
The visitors began the second half in excellent fashion and took an unlikely lead three minutes after the restart. Alcacer flicked on Antonio Barragan's cross and Piatti beat Alves in the air to head beyond Valdes.

Barca were soon level again, however. Costa was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area and Messi confidently buried the penalty in the top-right corner, but their parity only lasted until the 59th minute.

Feghouli charged into the right side of the area before cutting a low cross back into the area and Alcacer stroked a first-time effort past the helpless Valdes.
Alba compounded Barca's misery by picking up a second yellow card in the final 13 minutes and Valencia held on for a famous victory.

 

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Stoke 2-1 Manchester United: Visitors slump to sixth defeat in eight games

 

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Barcelona 2-3 Valencia: 10-man Blaugrana stunned at Camp Nou

 

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Arsenal hit by Kallstrom injury blow

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Moyes illan kawa Welbeckwa dala

 

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AC Milan 1-1 Torino: Rami salvages point for Seedorf's men

Adil Rami's deflected strike was enough to earn AC Milan a 1-1 draw against a dogged Torino side on Saturday.

Clarence Seedorf suffered his first Serie A loss as Rossoneri boss having previously enjoyed wins over Hellas Verona and Cagliari in his opening two league games and, while his new side fought back from a goal down, they could not extend their winning league run.

Ciro Immobile put Torino ahead with an impressive solo effort, cutting inside Daniele Bonera when through on goal before sidefooting home past Christian Abbiati.Rami was perhaps an unlikely candidate to level the scores, but the defender struck early in the second half to bring Milan back into the game.Despite enjoying plenty of the possession and threatening late on, Milan lacked a cutting edge without the in-form Mario Balotelli - missing due to suspension.

Giampaolo Pazzini scored his first Serie A goal since April against Cagliari last Sunday and was rewarded with a starting spot - replacing Balotelli up front.
And the former Inter striker almost opened the scoring when he turned well in the area and forced Daniele Padelli into a smart save in the second minute.

However, while Milan enjoyed plenty of possession, the visitors looked dangerous on the break and went ahead after 17 minutes through Immobile. Having done well to spring the offside trap, the 23-year-old kept his composure and evaded the attentions of Bonera to slot home his 11th league goal of the season.

Padelli was called into action soon afterwards to deny Pazzini for a second time, saving from an acrobatic effort before Alexander Farnerud headed over Alessio Cerci's cross following another dangerous break just before the half-hour mark.The Torino goalkeeper was in fine form right through to the interval, denying long-range strikes from Sulley Muntari and Kaka to keep his side ahead.

Milan were level four minutes after the break when Rami registered his first goal for the club with a powerful drive from outside the area. The Valencia loanee's shot took a deflection on its way and beat Padelli as the French defender opened his account for Milan.Robinho thought he had put the hosts ahead shortly before the hour, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside, as they continued to dominate.

Kaka's deep cross was well dealt with by Padelli late on as Torino held on to come away with a point, while Milan failed to come from behind and win in Serie A for a fourth time this season.

 

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Barca mistakes inexplicable, says Martino


Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino could not explain how his side collapsed in the second half of their 3-2 home loss to Valencia on Saturday.

The defeat ended a run of 25 straight league victories at Camp Nou, stretching back to round seven of the 2012-13 season when they were held to a 2-2 draw by Real Madrid.

The reigning Spanish champions went into the half-time break at 1-1 after Daniel Parejo had equalised Alexis Sanchez’ opener but second-half goals from Pablo Piatti and Paco Alcacer - either side of a Lionel Messi strike - gave los Che a famous victory.

"After the first 30 minutes, I can’t explain how the game changed after that. We were a different team in the second half,” Martino told a press conference.

"Before the game I said that one pays dearly for every mistake from now on and we made several today.

"When you have the chance to finish off your opponent, you must do it. You shouldn't give them chances to come back. Today we did that and Valencia took advantage."

The defeat means second-placed Atletico Madrid will have the chance to go three points clear at La Liga’s summit when they host Real Sociedad on Sunday, while Real Madrid can leapfrog Barca with a win at Athletic Bilbao.

 

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Moyes rues 'bad luck' as Manchester United lose to Stoke

Manchester United manager David Moyes rued his side's profligacy and "bad luck" after slipping to a 2-1 defeat at Stoke City.

Saturday's reversal at the Britannia Stadium was United's eighth Premier League loss this season as a Charlie Adam double either side of Robin van Persie's brief equaliser handed Stoke the points.

After Stoke's first league win over United since 1984, Moyes bemoaned the fact his players failed to make the most of the possession they enjoyed in and around the penalty area.

"I thought the performance was really good. I thought we played well," Moyes told reporters. "We had bad luck, we really did.

"It was our own downfall that we didn't score our chances. We must have got to the byline eight, nine, 10 times but we never pulled the ball back or never picked someone out in the box so it's our own undoing.

"We created numerous opportunities, we played well, but we didn't pick anyone out around the box. We lose to a free kick from 30 yards with a wicked deflection and a worldy.

"I thought we were the better team. They get a goal, we get back in it, I thought we were the team more likely.

"We only have ourselves to blame. The amount of opportunities we had today we should’ve won the game out of sight. It was a good performance, we just couldn’t take those chances.

"I thought on the day we certainly did enough to get something out of the game."

Van Persie, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney all started together for the first time and, despite failing to win, the United manager with pleased with their performances.

"I thought they all played well today," Moyes added. "Robin played well and got us a goal, Juan Mata played well, Wayne played well. We just couldn’t get the second or third goals which were required to get something out of the game."

 

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Roma without Dodo for at least a month

Roma left-back Dodo has been ruled out of action for at least a month after suffering a hamstring strain in his left thigh during training.

The 21-year-old has made 10 starts in Serie A so far this season, three more than his total in the league last term, and has grown in confidence and stature under Rudi Garcia.Initial reports from Italy suggested that Dodo would not return until April - despite Roma's refusal to give an official return date - but the former Corinthians defender hinted at a shorter spell on the sidelines.

"Four-to-five weeks out will be really hard, now so much therapy and rest," Dodo wrote on Twitter.

"Thank you for all of your messages, I hope to see you soon at the Stadio Olimpico."The Brazilian is at least expected to miss key Giallorossi games such as Coppa Italia semi-final ties with Napoli, a home clash with Inter and a Rome derby with bitter rivals Lazio.

 

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Camp Nou can feel like an away ground - Dani Alves

Dani Alves says Barcelona bemoaned that Camp Nou felt like an away ground due to a lack of support as they slipped to a 3-2 loss to Valencia on Saturday.

Alexis Sanchez and Lionel Messi each had to help the Catalans restore parity after Daniel Parejo and Pablo Piatti twice put the visitors in front, but Gerardo Martino's men were powerless to stop Pablo Alcacer's winner.

Alves believes the team needs all the help they can get from the crowd, despite claiming the loss of points and putting their top-of-the-table status at risk did not worry him.

"Sometimes it feels like we're playing away from home," the Brazilian full-back told reporters after the match. "The connection [between the team and fans] has to be positive.

"We lost and have to get back up. There's no time for regrets. We have to be mature and learn from defeat so it does not happen again. We must aim to control the whole game, not just a stretch.

"We dropped three points whilst controlling the game. We scored, then became too predictable. It is not a problem of overconfidence. Losing the lead in La Liga today is not important."

Defeat to Juan Antonio Pizzi's men still leaves Barcelona at the top of the Liga, although title rivals Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have a golden chance to go clear on Sunday.

 

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Kallstrom injured for six weeks half-hour into Arsenal loan

Kim Kallstrom will be out injured for up to six weeks after aggravating a back injury during the first half-hour of his Arsenal career.

The Gunners' only January signing arrived at the club with a minor back injury that was highlighted in the medical he undertook when he signed on Friday on loan from Spartak Moscow.

However, Arsene Wenger was told that the damage to Kallstrom's back was not significant, sanctioned the move and the staff agreed a five-day programme to get the player fit. The midfielder was pencilled in to begin full training with the squad two days before the crunch Premier League trip to Liverpool next Saturday.
Kallstrom had a one-on-one session with an Arsenal fitness coach on Saturday morning but aggravated his back problem within 30 minutes and immediately headed for the treatment table.

Tests showed that the Sweden international will face a lengthy spell on the sidelines, with the club not expecting him to play for up to six weeks.The farcical start to Kallstrom's Arsenal career raises further questions about the injury prevention methods used by the Premier League leaders.

Coincidentally, the predicted timeframe for the 31-year-old's unavailability is the same as that of the player he had principally been brought in to replace - Aaron Ramsey will also be out for up to six weeks after suffering a recurrence of a thigh injury in training on Monday.

Kallstrom is also expected to be out until mid-March, ruling him out of a demanding set of fixtures in which the Gunners play Liverpool and Bayern Munich twice each, and Manchester United.

Like Kallstrom and Ramsey, the injured Jack Wilshere and the suspended Mathieu Flamini are unavailable for Sunday's home league match against Crystal Palace.

However, Tomas Rosicky has been passed fit after missing three matches with a broken nose. The Czech Republic international has been pencilled in for a central role alongside Mikel Arteta.

 

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Pardew: Newcastle must deal with Cabaye exit

Alan Pardew admits Newcastle United missed Yohan Cabaye in Saturday's derby defeat to Sunderland - but insists his side must learn to live without him.

The Newcastle boss saw his side fall to a 3-0 loss against Gus Poyet's men in the 149th Tyne-Wear derby, capping a miserable week in which midfielder Cabaye joined Ligue 1 champions Paris-Saint Germain.

And Pardew felt his team did not do enough at St James' Park to trouble Sunderland, who completed a league double over Newcastle for the first time since 1967.

"It's been a tough week there's no doubt about that," Pardew told reporters. "We lost Cabaye and no transfer comes in, so it's been a tough week.

"I think when you lose a player of Cabaye's class you want a replacement, it didn't arrive and I have to accept that and I have to get the best out of the group.

"We didn't have [Loic] Remy [who was suspended], that was a big loss. We created big chances but we lacked conviction and he doesn't lack that.

"It would have been nice to have a player to give me a boost for the second half of the season. The bottom line is the players have to find a game plan that's going to work for us."

Pardew added that he felt the first goal changed the complexion of the game, with Sunderland profiting from Vurnon Anita's clumsy challenge on Phil Bardsley.

He added: "There's disappointment in the result and the performance. The first goal was very, very important. They got it, after that we lacked composure."

 

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No point saying Inter will win - Mazzarri fears the worst at Juventus

Walter Mazzarri is fearing the worse ahead of Sunday's Derby d'Italia and thinks there is "no point" in suggesting Inter will beat Juventus.

The Bianconeri have won all of their games in Turin this season and are on course to defend their league crown with a six-point lead at the top of Serie A.

In stark contrast, the Nerazzurri are yet to win a single game in 2014 and Mazzarri says the only way his team stand a chance in Turin against Antonio Conte's reigning champions is by maintaining focus.

"If Juventus are yet to drop any points in Turin this season it means their stadium is a big help for them," the 52-year-old told reporters.

"We'll do well to remember what sort of influence it can have. So far they've shown no weaknesses on their own patch. I'm just thinking about playing the best we can.

"There's no point making making bold statements before the game. We'll see tomorrow if we're capable of producing the sort of performance needed for a match like this.

"If we do everything the way we should, we can give anyone a game."

Inter's relationship with Juve soured during the January transfer window when new Nerazzurri chief Erick Thohir attempted to swap Fredy Guarin with Mirko Vucinic, before a fan backlash caused him to pull the plug on the deal at the last minute.

However, the Milan-based giants were active late in the month, with the signings of Hernanes and Danilo D'Ambrosio, and Mazzarri hopes the new faces can give his side a necessary boost.

"Hernanes is a player who can play in the hole or further back - anywhere in midfield really," the coach continued. "He's a versatile, all-round player who can shoot from range and take a tidy free kick.

"As for D'Ambrosio, I hope he can become an even better footballer by playing in my system. It's nice to know that he was so determined to come to Inter.

"The club sent out a message to others during the transfer window. We've tried to do things that can be useful going forward. With these new players I think we can do better than what we've done so far."

 

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Martinez: Aston Villa win is most satisfying of Everton's season

Roberto Martinez believes Everton's win over Aston Villa was his side's most satisfying victory of the season after they came from behind to stay in the race for a Champions League berth.

Kevin Mirallas' late free kick wrapped up the three points after a much improved second half showing saw Steven Naismith cancel out Leandro Bacuna's opener, and Martinez was proud of the way his side fought their way back into the match.

"I thought it was, from our point of view, the most satisfying victory of the season," he told reporters.

"You could see in the first half we were very cagey and very irresponsible in our performance. We were wary of the things we have been working on in training, and that isn't our normal selves.

"When you get a situation where you hit the post then concede at the other end, it becomes a real test of character, and I thought the way that we reacted in the second half was one of the most pleasing aspects that you can have as a manager. I couldn't be prouder."

Mirallas' goal was the obvious highlight on what was a frustrating afternoon for the Belgium international as he replaced Romelu Lukaku as the lone striker, but Martinez was pleased with the way the 26-year-old reacted to seal victory.

"Kevin found it very frustrating. He was surrounded by Aston Villa players and he couldn't get into the final third.

"You could see by the way Aston Villa set up that they were trying to stop him high up the pitch, and Kevin was working extremely hard without getting any joy.

"But the way he took that free kick showed he is ready for those moments where he can take control of the situation of the game, and that is shown by the calibre of the player."