..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Yaya Toure: I don't get recognition because I'm African

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure believes he is not recognised as one of the world's best players because he is African.

The Ivory Coast international, who has won league titles in England, Spain and Greece, as well as the Champions League with Barcelona, was among the six names shortlisted for the Professional Footballers' Association’s Player of the Year award on Friday.

Following the club’s Capital One Cup victory at Wembley in March, Samir Nasri claimed Toure would be considered as the best midfielder in the world if he wasn’t African.

“I think what Samir was saying was definitely true,” Toure told BBC’s Football Focus. "To be honest, proper recognition has only come from the fans.

“I don't want to be hard and I don't want to be negative, but I want to be honest.

"If you go to any part of Africa now, people will say 'yes, we know him [Lionel Messi]', but when you come to Europe and say 'Yaya Toure' people will say 'who is that?'

"Some will say they know my name but not know my face. But they will know Messi's face.

"I am very proud to be African, I want to defend African people and I want to show to the world that African players can be as good as the Europeans and South Americans."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Jallet: Cavani not the same as Ibrahimovic at all

Christophe Jallet has conceded that Paris Saint-Germain are struggling without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, admitting that Edinson Cavani "doesn't have the same game" as the Swede.

Laurent Blanc's men lost their top scorer to a hamstring injury during the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final clash with Chelsea at the Parc des Princes, which the French champions won 3-1, but, shorn of their enigmatic forward for the return, PSG slumped to a 2-0 defeat to bow out on away goals.

Given that Cavani fluffed a great chance at Stamford Bridge, and also failed to make an impact in last weekend's 1-0 loss to Ligue 1 rivals Olympique Lyonnais, the Uruguayan has come in for some heavy criticism.

Jallet insists that Cavani is a quality replacement but freely admits that PSG are sorely missing Ibrahimovic's presence up front.

"Edinson Cavani doesn't have the same game as Ibrahimovic at all," the defender told beIN Sport.

"When Ibra plays, we have often won. He might have been able to embarrass David Luiz, who controlled the game for Chelsea.

"Anyway, there are players of a high level to replace Ibra - this is not the problem. But the fact is there that opponents do not play the same way [when Ibra is missing].

"Whatever happens, we missed Ibra in that game [against Chelsea], even if the result could have been the same."

PSG will once again have to make do without the services of Ibrahimovic in Saturday's Coupe de la Ligue final against Lyon at the Stade de France.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cavani thamath out or form neh!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United have failed this season, admits Phil Neville

Phil Neville admits Manchester United have failed to meet "any levels of expectations" in David Moyes' first season in charge at Old Trafford.

United take on Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday sitting seventh in the Premier League, and are preparing for their first season without Champions League football for 18 years.

And Neville, a prominent member of Moyes' backroom team, concedes that no one at the club has any excuse for falling drastically short in the first season since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement.

"We have not fulfilled any levels of expectations this season," Neville told BBC's 'Football Focus'.

"We have failed on the football pitch and that doesn't sit kindly with anyone. We are not hiding away from the fact that we have underperformed.

"It's been difficult watching other teams above us do well and to even look at a league table.

"I find it difficult to watch Match of the Day on Saturday night. I find it almost impossible because we've suffered this season."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Guardiola let Ibrahimovic down - Raiola

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's agent, Mino Raiola, has slammed Pep Guardiola and Barcelona for the way they treated the striker, stating he has "no respect for the club", while insisting that Paris Saint-Germain will win the Champions League in the near future.

Ibrahimovic spent one year at the Catalan giants, joining from Inter for a big-money fee and a part exchange with Samuel Eto'o. However, the Sweden international had a fractious relationship with erstwhile coach Guardiola and was eventually sent on loan to AC Milan, where he would remain on a permanent deal.

And Raiola has criticised the reigning Spanish champions and Guardiola for the way they handled his player.

"Who was supposed to defend Zlatan in Barcelona if it hadn't been me? His wife? The whole club talked him down," he told 11 Freunde.

"He was the king at Inter and after his move he was suddenly a nobody. Pep Guardiola let him down, without any explanation.

"Ask Guardiola what his mistake was. He won't answer, because he can't admit he made a mistake - that would insult his intelligence.

"If you pay €79 million for a player and don't let him play, that's not just totally dumb but also financially damaging. Most of the agents wouldn't criticise this policy because they are afraid big Barcelona will never ever buy a player of theirs.

"I just don't care. I have no respect for a club if the club has no respect for my players.
"If the relationship doesn't work out, you have to end it."

The agent went on to say that he encouraged Ibrahimovic to join PSG as he saw the potential in their project with the Qatari Investment Authority before anyone else and expects them to dominate European football in the years to come.
"It's not just 100 per cent sure that PSG will win the Champions League but also the treble. Zlatan and I chose this project specifically because we believe in it.

"I already brokered Maxwell's move to them deliberately. He was my first player there because I understood earlier than everyone else what was growing there. That's also the reason why I am so successful.

"I can read the market, I know what happens and why it happens. I even affect it."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Moyes reveals Rooney & Fellaini fit for Everton trip

David Moyes has revealed that Wayne Rooney and Marouane Fellaini are back in contention for Manchester United's trip to Everton on Sunday.

The Belgian missed the Champions League quarter-final defeat to Bayern Munich earlier this month but has been passed fit for a return to his former club, while Rooney is also back in action.

The England international was below par in the 3-1 loss to Bayern and required a painkilling injection to see him through the 90 minutes but Moyes confirmed the 28-year-old is ready to feature at Goodison Park.

"Rooney trained great this week and has been in really good form," Moyes said. "We're getting him hopefully back as he wasn't quite right with his toe at times. He's trained great though.

"Felli didn't play against Bayern but we expect him back fit because he has trained all week."

The Scot also gave an injury update on Rafael and Robin van Persie, who remain sidelined through injury, but had more encouraging news on Jonny Evans' comeback.

"Evans is making progress but Rafa is the one player not available," he added.

"Robin is in Holland and improving but we always thought it would be four to six weeks. We'll have a better assessment in the next week or so as we'll see how he is coming along.

"Our medical team is heading out there to see him this week to get a better feel as to exactly where he is."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League 2014.04.19 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2014.04.19 Fixtures

Tottenham Vs Fulham

Aston Villa Vs Southampton

Cardiff City Vs Stoke

Newcastle Vs Swansea

West Ham Vs Crystal Palace

Chelsea Vs Sunderland

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

La Liga 2014.04.19 Fixtures

La Liga 2014.04.19 Fixtures

Osasuna Vs Valencia

Levante Vs Getafe

Real Sociedad Vs Espanyol​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A 2014.04.19 Fixtures

Serie A 2014.04.19 Fixtures

AC Milan Vs Livorno

Atalanta Vs Hellas

Catania Vs Sampdoria

Chievo Vs Sassuolo

Genoa Vs Cagliari

Lazio Vs Torino

Parma Vs Inter

Udinese Vs Napoli

Juventus Vs Bologna

Fiorentina Vs Roma​

 

[charitha chandi]

Liverpool BPL ussana wagi....!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool BPL ussana wagi....!

Yesterday Sunderland loss 1ka Chelsea lata loku paduwak.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Olympique Lyonnais 1-2 Paris Saint-Germain: Clinical Cavani clinches Coupe de la Ligue for Blanc's boys

Edinson Cavani proved his worth to Paris Saint-Germain with a double in a 2-1 victory over Olympique Lyonnais in the Coupe de la Ligue final.

Following their Champions League exit to Chelsea and defeat to Lyon in Ligue 1, much of the build-up to Saturday's showpiece had centred around coach Laurent Blanc and reported uncertainty over his future at the Parc des Princes.

Cavani's role has also come under scrutiny in recent weeks, though, after his apparent unhappiness at being played out of position, and his failure to live up to his big-money price tag for much of the campaign.

However, both were left smiling after a solid performance at the Stade de France, as Cavani struck twice in the first half to help PSG add the Coupe de la Ligue to their Trophee des Champions title - with the defence of their Ligue 1 crown all but certain to follow.

In the absence of injured talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cavani finally proved that he was the man for the big occasion, despite Blanc suggesting recently that he had one eye on the World Cup, when he edged PSG in front after just four minutes.

His close-range finish settled any PSG nerves following their recent blip and the Uruguayan then doubled his side's advantage from the penalty spot shortly after the half-hour mark.

Cavani made no mistakes after Anthony Lopes had brought down Lucas Moura while attempting to clear a lofted ball, although Alexandre Lacazette's 21st goal of the campaign shortly after the break kept the contest alive.

It mattered little, however, as PSG saw out the game comfortably to win the competition for a record fourth time and put themselves on the verge of a league-and-cup double.

Having been handed the chance to lead the line, Cavani gave the Ligue 1 champions-elect an ideal start when he nudged home the opener from close range after great play down the left flank from Ezequiel Lavezzi and Maxwell.

The Argentine forward backheeled the ball into Maxwell's path and, after the Brazilian had dinked an attempt over Lopes, Cavani prodded home.

It was harsh on Lyon, who had started brightly despite the absence of injured duo Clement Grenier and Yoann Gourcuff, and Bafetimbi Gomis perhaps should have done better with his effort from inside the area that only found the side netting.

After a frantic opening 20 minutes, the game settled down until Cavani doubled his tally from the spot.

Following a long ball from Thiago Silva, Lopes looked to clear but instead missed the ball and brought Lucas down, although Lyon will likely question whether the incident took place inside or outside the area.

Cavani stepped up to score, and the Uruguayan almost had his hat-trick before the break but lost his composure when played through on goal by Lucas - blazing his effort high over the crossbar.

However, Lyon were determined not to let PSG saunter to the title and Lacazette produced a stunning virtuoso goal after 56 minutes to make life uncomfortable for Blanc's men.

The forward ran much of the length of the PSG half and, when Alex continued to back off, he fired past Nicolas Douchez into the far left-hand corner.

It proved to be a consolation, though, as they could not find a second.

The result meant that Remi Garde's third major final in as many seasons at the helm ended in defeat, with Lyon finishing runners-up, as they did to Olympique de Marseille in the final two years ago.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 1-2 Sunderland: Borini penalty stuns Blues

Sunderland dealt a blow to Chelsea's Premier League title hopes as a late Fabio Borini penalty secured an unlikely 2-1 win for the Black Cats at Stamford Bridge.

Borini, who was once on the books at Chelsea, converted an 82nd-minute penalty after Cesar Azpilicueta had fouled substitute Jozy Altidore to end Jose Mourinho's 77-match unbeaten run in home league encounters as Blues boss.

It is the second time this week that Sunderland have bolstered Liverpool's cause following the 2-2 midweek draw with third-placed Manchester City.

And the result simultaneously provided a huge lift to the survival chances of Gus Poyet's side, who are now only three points from safety.

Having scored a brace in Wednesday's encounter at the Etihad Stadium, Connor Wickham struck in the 18th minute to cancel out a Samuel Eto'o opener for Chelsea.

An error from Vito Mannone had handed City a point but Chelsea found Sunderland's goalkeeper in superb form as he produced an inspired string of saves before half-time.

Eto'o and substitute Demba Ba spurned chances in the second period before Borini struck - meaning that Liverpool can now open up a five-point cushion ahead of the top two's crunch meeting at Anfield next week if they beat Norwich City in Sunday's early kick-off.

Chelsea went into the match boasting nine consecutive home clean sheets - a record that 41-year-old goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer had to protect on his Premier League debut, with Petr Cech laid low by a virus.



The veteran Australian watched Borini fire a seventh-minute drive wide following some impressive hold-up play from Wickham.



Eto'o was then denied by a perfectly timed sliding tackle from Santiago Vergini but responded to volley home the resulting 12th-minute corner.



The lead was soon wiped out, though, when Schwarzer spilled Marcos Alonso's dipping drive and Wickham reacted quicker than John Terry to convert the rebound.



Slack set-piece marking almost undermined Sunderland again in the 37th minute but Mannone grasped Branislav Ivanovic's header at the second attempt via the crossbar.





In the 44th minute, after Mannone had parried from Willian, Sebastian Larsson out-muscled Ramires as the Brazilian looked to convert into an empty net.



Perhaps still suffering the frustration of that incident, Ramires was then fortunate to escape punishment when he struck Larsson with his elbow.



Chances continued to flow for Chelsea and Eto'o guided the ball wide after Willian had driven forward on the counter-attack in the 48th minute.

Mourinho sent on Ba in place of the ineffective Oscar but the player who netted vital goals in the recent triumphs over Paris Saint-Germain and Swansea City found the Midas touch had deserted him, losing his footing when trying to get on the end of Willian's 66th-minute cutback with the goal gaping.

Sunderland weathered further pressure before Azpilicueta clumsily bundled Altidore to the floor and Borini stole the points from the spot with eight minutes left.

Poyet's team remain bottom of the table but three of their four remaining games are at home against fellow strugglers Cardiff City, West Brom, Swansea City.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Juventus 1-0 Bologna: Pogba piledriver puts Bianconeri on brink of title

Paul Pogba produced a trademark piledriver to earn Juventus a crucial 1-0 victory over Bologna that edges the Italian champions ever closer to a third successive Serie A title.

Antonio Conte's men initially suffered frustration against their struggling opponents in Turin on Saturday, before their France midfielder found the breakthrough in the 64th minute.

Regardless of other results, Juventus can secure the Scudetto with wins over Sassuolo and Atalanta before they visit second-placed Roma on May 9, while the reigning champions could even retain their title sooner should Rudi Garcia's side slip up.

Pogba saw two promising chances go begging within the first quarter of an hour, but from there Bologna kept things tight with a solid defensive display.

That trend continued after the break, but Pogba ultimately found a way through to ease the tension in Turin.

The result was somewhat harsh on Bologna, who sit just one place above the drop zone - level on points with 18th-placed Sassuolo - and must quickly regroup ahead of a home game against Fiorentina next weekend.

Juve carved open the visiting defence as early as the fifth minute. Fernando Llorente held the ball up well before laying into the path of Pogba, who sent a tame shot straight at goalkeeper Gianluca Curci when he should have done better.

Pogba was once more guilty of wastefulness from Juve's next opportunity, the France international heading Andrea Pirlo's superb corner over the crossbar from eight yards.

Having survived those early scares, Bologna improved at the back and restricted the home side to a series of fruitless crosses, although Juve may have moved ahead had Claudio Marchisio made contact with Llorente's centre shortly before the half-hour mark.

Llorente had tentative claims for a penalty turned down soon after when he claimed Bologna centre-back Mikael Antonsson had tugged his shirt. The Spaniard appeared to go to ground too easily and referee Piero Giacomelli waved play on.

Juventus looked for more thrust in attack after the break, and a neat flick from Sebastian Giovinco found its way to Mauricio Isla – playing in place of the suspended Stephan Lichtsteiner - but Curci was quick to react and made a smart save.

Juve's frustrations continued as Pogba curled a left-footed shot from the edge of the box wide of the far post.

Pogba was not to be denied, however, and finally broke Bologna's brave resistance in the 63rd minute. The France international received Isla's pass before drilling a low effort into the bottom left-hand corner.

From the next attack Isla almost doubled the lead but he was denied as Curci sprung to his left to make a stop. Pogba again went close in the closing stages, the 21-year-old hitting a half-volley straight at Curci from eight yards.

However, one goal proved to be enough for Juventus, who can now look forward to Thursday's encounter at Benfica in the first leg of a Europa League semi-final.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Newcastle 1-2 Swansea: Bony heroics secure huge three points

Swansea secured a dramatic win over Newcastle at St James’ Park with a late penalty from Wilfried Bony giving the visitors a 2-1 victory.

The striker kept his cool from the spot in the first minute of time added on at St James' Park to move the Welsh side six points clear of the drop zone with three games remaining after substitute Marvin Emnes had been brought down by Cheikh Tiote.The Ivorian had earlier equalised with a powerful header in first-half stoppage time after Shola Ameobi's first top-flight goal since December 2012 put the home side in front.

There was drama in the first minute as the ball struck referee Chris Foy in the face, although the official was initially able to continue after being assessed by the Newcastle physio.

Newcastle fans soon became restless as Swansea got the upper hand and Pardew was forced into a change only 21 minutes in, when Papiss Cisse picked up an injury and fit-again full-back Mathieu Debuchy replaced him.Pardew's side had looked devoid of ideas, but they were in front out of the blue after 23 minutes.

Recalled striker Luuk de Jong took advantage of some poor Swansea defending as he turned in the penalty area and picked out Ameobi, who got the ball out of his feet and finished past Michel Vorm to end Newcastle's goal four-game goal drought.Fourth official Anthony Taylor then replaced Foy on the half-hour mark as a result of his early blow to the face.

Newcastle were forced to make another change five minutes before the break, with leading scorer Loic Remy making his eagerly-awaited return from injury in place of De Jong after the Dutchman landed awkwardly on his ankle.

The home side looked set for a half-time advantage, but Bony had other ideas as he rose highest to head home Ben Davies' inviting corner a minute into time added on.Newcastle almost restored their advantage just after the break, but Swansea keeper Vorm got down to his left to keep out Dan Gosling's strike.

Vurnon Anita then flashed a left-foot strike just wide of the far post, but both sides lacked quality in the final third in a frantic second half.Swansea's Jonathan de Guzman came close 12 minutes from time, but his right-foot strike found the roof of the net.

Bony scented a winner when he raced clear eight minutes from time only to be thwarted by Tim Krul, but he was not to be denied from 12 yards as he sent the Dutchman the wrong way after Tiote had upended Emnes.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Cardiff City 1-1 Stoke City: Whittingham penalty keeps hosts alive in relegation battle

Peter Whittingham's second-half penalty ensured Cardiff City drew 1-1 with Stoke City in Wales on Saturday.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men fell behind to a Marko Arnautovic spot-kick on the stroke of half-time, but Whittingham's strike levelled proceedings, before Cardiff saw Juan Cala's winner ruled out.

Cala fired home following a melee in the Stoke box but was correctly ruled offside, much to Solskjaer's chagrin, though the result leaves the Bluebirds within touching distance of safety as the season draws to a close.

While Cardiff were able to leapfrog Fulham - beaten by Tottenham earlier in the day - on goal difference in the Premier League table, they missed the chance to move level on points with Norwich in 17th, who are in action on Sunday against Liverpool.

Despite plenty of industry, the hosts could only manage a draw at the Cardiff City Stadium as Mark Hughes' Stoke edged closer to securing a top-half finish for the first time in the Premier League.

In a first half of relatively few chances, Stoke took the lead through Arnautovic's penalty just before the interval.

The Austrian made no mistake with the spot-kick after Peter Odemwingie was adjudged to have been brought down in the area by Kim Bo-kyung, although television replays suggested that the decision was harsh.

Referee Howard Webb was at the centre of the action once more when he pointed to the spot again early in the second half - Steven N'Zonzi this time penalised for bringing down Fraizer Campbell - with Peter Whittingham levelling the scores.

Aside from a Cala effort that was ruled out for offside, Cardiff did not show enough going forward to merit a second goal and what would have been a vital three points in their survival battle.

Indeed, in the end they were fortunate to escape with a point after Jon Walters struck the crossbar for Stoke late on.

In an entertaining start, Mats Daehli's deflected early effort had the potential to cause Asmir Begovic in the Stoke goal problems, but it drifted just wide, and the Norwegian was involved again shortly afterwards.

He played Jordon Mutch in behind the Stoke backline with an incisive pass, only for the Cardiff youngster to shoot straight at Begovic.

Stoke - who were without midfielder Charlie Adam as a result of his broken nose - gradually grew into the game but still remained somewhat sluggish as they struggled to muster forward momentum.

Hughes' side headed into the game having won just twice away in the Premier League all season but Cardiff struggled to find a way through their well-organised backline, with Mutch and Campbell limited to shots from distance prior to the half-hour mark.

At the other end, David Marshall was called upon to beat away N'Zonzi's effort following a quick break, before Stephen Ireland - who this week agreed a new three-year deal - and Arnautovic combined, the latter having dispossessed Kim, and crossed for Peter Crouch, but he failed to make clean contact.

However, the decisive moment of the half came in the closing moments as first Begovic tipped Whittingham's curling free-kick onto his left-hand post, before Stoke took the lead thanks to Kim's foul on Odemwingie.

The former Cardiff striker went down under a challenge from the South Korean and Webb pointed to the spot, despite replays suggesting that the decision may have been harsh, with Arnautovic slotting the resulting penalty down the middle.

Five minutes into the second half, Webb awarded a second penalty when N'Zonzi brought down Campbell - leading the line for Cardiff as Kenwyne Jones was left on the bench after his recent kidney problem.

Whittingham kept his cool to equalise from the spot, and the hosts thought they were ahead soon afterwards when Cala nodded the ball in from close range - only for it to be ruled out for offside.

That, though, was as close as Cardiff went to a winner as their wait for back-to-back league victories this term continued.

And Walters almost stole a late win for the visitors in injury time, but his curled effort from distance struck the crossbar.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

West Ham 0-1 Crystal Palace: Jedinak seals fifth straight win for in-form Eagles

Mile Jedinak's strike from the penalty spot gave Crystal Palace a 1-0 victory over West Ham at Upton Park on Saturday.

Pablo Armero was adjudged to have fouled Cameron Jerome in the second half and the Australian skipper made no mistake from 12 yards, as Palace chalked up their fifth straight win at the Hammers' expense.

Sam Allardyce, however, was booed by some sections of the home support, with chants of 'you don't know what you're doing' ringing out around the ground.

Palace completed a double over their fellow Londoners, having triumphed by the same scoreline at Selhurst Park earlier in the campaign, with a fifth consecutive top-flight win – a run on a par with their previous best mark, set in December 1992.

Jedinak, an ever-present in the league this season, netted his maiden Premier League goal with aplomb.

Until that point, West Ham had crafted the clearer openings but centre-forward Andy Carroll passed up chances to press his claims for a place in England's World Cup squad.

Palace are now mathematically safe from relegation with three games of the season remaining, while West Ham should have already done enough as they lie seven points clear of the bottom three.

Before kick-off, Upton Park paid poignant tribute to young West Ham forward Dylan Tombides – the 20-year-old who died on Friday following a three-year battle with testicular cancer.

Tombides wore squad number 38 and fans later stood to applaud throughout the 38th minute of the match.

West Ham captain Kevin Nolan, back from the hamstring strain that kept him out of the midweek defeat at Arsenal, hooked an eighth-minute cross to the back post where Carroll headed over under pressure from Adrian Mariappa.

Carroll was soon involved at the other end, clearing off the line to deny Kagisho Dikgacoi a first Premier League goal from Yannick Bolasie's corner.

Mariappa, who played in a protective mask having sustained a broken nose in Palace's 3-2 win at Everton last time out, drilled goalwards from a cleverly worked 19th-minute set-piece.

His shot appeared to strike Nolan on the arm, but no penalty was given and referee Martin Atkinson was similarly unmoved after 32 minutes when Jedinak bundled Carroll to the floor.

In between those two incidents, Julian Speroni tipped over a rasping drive from Mohamed Diame and the Crystal Palace goalkeeper superbly denied Diame and Carroll from close range in quick succession as West Ham ended the half on the front foot.

Carroll pulled a 50th-minute shot wide of the near post having collected Stewart Downing’s left-wing cross and the striker was then denied by Damien Delaney’s last-ditch block.

Yet it was Palace who broke the deadlock from the spot in the 59th minute.

Having survived a penalty claim from Bolasie earlier in the half, Armero was not afforded another reprieve as he sent Jerome clumsily to ground and Jedinak dispatched the resulting penalty emphatically.

The visitors then swarmed forward with intent and wingers Bolasie and Jason Puncheon both had chances to extend Palace's advantage.

A second away goal proved elusive, while West Ham substitute Joe Cole twice blasted off target inside the final 10 minutes, but it was a satisfactory win for Tony Pulis and his team to conclude a week dominated by accusations of team-leaking ahead of their recent win at Cardiff City.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Aston Villa 0-0 Southampton: All square as hosts edge closer to safety

Aston Villa played out a drab goalless draw against Southampton at Villa Park as Paul Lambert’s side ended a turbulent week with a vital point.

Rickie Lambert, Steven Davis and Adam Lallana were all guilty of spurning gilt-edged opportunities as Southampton missed out on the chance to further deepen Villa's relegation fears.

The hosts came into the game on a run of four consecutive Premier League defeats and after a difficult week that saw two members of the backroom staff suspended, but will be happy to earn a point as Southampton dominated possession.Luke Shaw put in yet another impressive performance at left-back, which will no doubt have caught the eye of the on-looking David Moyes in the stands.

The 18-year-old carved out glorious chances for both Lambert and Lallana, but neither could convert as the visitors were left frustrated at having to settle for a point.Southampton controlled the early stages, Lambert wasting two good chances inside the opening five minutes.

First, Lambert headed Shaw's cross tamely into the arms of Brad Guzan before seeing his effort from Davis' cut-back deflected wide by Nathan Baker's challenge.
Former Villa man Davis was involved again in the 32nd minute, seeing his shot from 10 yards well parried by Guzan after James Ward-Prowse's cross had rebounded off Lambert.Villa finally showed some attacking intent a minute before the break, Ryan Bertrand's dangerous cross deflecting just wide off Dejan Lovren.

Karim El Ahmadi found some space on the edge of the box four minutes after the interval, but his weak effort was comfortably held by Artur Boruc, back in the side after recovering from a back problem.Lallana missed a golden chance to break the deadlock six minutes later as once again Shaw proved a threat down the left-hand side.

After breaking clear, Shaw squared for his fellow England international, but Lallana got the ball stuck under his feet with just Guzan to beat and the chance went begging.In a rare Villa attack, Marc Albrighton stung the palms of Boruc from 25 yards before the visitors had penalty appeals waved away by referee Lee Mason 10 minutes from time when Nathaniel Clyne's cross struck the arm of Bertrand.

It summed up a frustrating day for Pochettino's side, who were left to curse their wastefulness in front of goal they stay eighth, while Villa are five points clear of the bottom three.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Borussia Dortmund 4-2 Mainz: Hosts move ahead in battle for second place

Borussia Dortmund sealed their place in next season's Champions League with an enthralling 4-2 win over Mainz on Saturday.

In a high-tempo encounter, the hosts took the lead after just six minutes at Signal Iduna Park courtesy of Milos Jojic's deflected opener, before Shinji Okazaki levelled with a deflected effort of his own eight minutes later.Robert Lewandowski restored the advantage after finishing a wonderful breakaway, only for Okazaki to pounce on a Nuri Sahin mistake to restore parity again shortly after the break.

However, from that point, Dortmund stepped up the pace to seal the points, and a Lukasz Piszczek header put them back in front before Niko Bungert was sent off for handling in the box.

Marco Reus stepped up to convert the resulting spot kick, securing a fourth consecutive league victory that also handed Jurgen Klopp's side Champions League football for another season.

Klopp had previously hailed the progress of his former club, where he spent a total of 19 years as a player and then manager before leaving for Dortmund in 2008, but there seemed to be no room for sentiment as the hosts made a vibrant start.Reus fired an early warning after three minutes, striking the post with a thumping 30-yard free-kick.

And Dortmund, buoyed by their 3-0 win over champions Bayern Munich last week, were celebrating three minutes later as Jojic's strike from the edge of the area took a fortunate deflection off Oliver Kirch, leaving goalkeeper Loris Karius with no chance.

The visitors protested at a suspected handball from Kirch, but any sense of injustice was eased just before the quarter-hour mark.Okazaki's speculative effort from the edge of the area cannoned off the boot of Mats Hummels and looped over the head of Australian Mitch Langerak and into the net.

Their joy at restoring parity lasted just three minutes, though, as Sahin's wonderful throughball from midfield found Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who burst into the penalty area before squaring to Lewandowski, who gladly slotted home for his 18th Bundesliga goal of the season.Despite struggling to contain a lively Dortmund midfield, Mainz still managed to create chances before the break. First, Maxim Choupo-Moting headed wide, before Yunus Malli's vicious 25-yard drive went whistling over the crossbar.

However, Dortmund remained the better side and nearly extended their lead 10 minutes before the break courtesy of Reus, who sent a low shot just wide of the post after some good work down the left by Piszczek.Reus had another great chance just after the interval, spurning a one-on-one with the goalkeeper after getting in behind the Mainz backline.

The Germany international's wastefulness was punished after 53 minutes when a poor back pass from Sahin was pounced on by Okazaki, who sprinted past Langerak to slot home.But once again, Dortmund responded with a goal of their own three minutes later, as a whipped free-kick from Reus on the left found the head of Piszczek, who rose highest to glance the ball beyond Karius.

Lewandowski should have secured a fourth goal after 63 minutes when he was played clean through on goal, only to be denied by an inspired Karius save.The hosts were awarded a penalty 11 minutes from time, after Lewandowski's effort hit the hand of Bungert, who was shown a red card.

Reus duly obliged with the resulting spot-kick, Klopp secured his sixth consecutive win over his previous employers, denting their Europa League hopes in the process.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Braunschweig 0-2 Bayern Munich: Champions leave it late against bottom club

Bayern Munich left it late to end their three-match winless run in the Bundesliga after beating Eintracht Braunschweig 2-0 on Saturday.

Since being crowned league champions in record time last month, Pep Guardiola's men have drawn once and lost twice in their last three games after previously going 53 unbeaten in the Bundesliga.Rock-bottom Braunschweig provided stern opposition in the first half, but Bayern eventually found the breakthrough in the final 15 minutes thanks to goals from Claudio Pizarro and Mario Mandzukic at Eintracht-Stadion.

Jan Hochscheidt went close to putting the home side ahead with a 17th-minute header before Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg smashed over for the Bavarian giants.

Braunschweig troubled Bayern throughout the first half, but the visitors looked far superior after the break and Pizarro finally gave them the lead in the 75th minute before substitute Mandzukic made sure of the win 11 minutes later.

Bayern winger Arjen Robben challenged his team-mates in the build-up to end their recent poor form and boost confidence ahead of their upcoming Champions League semi-final clash against Real Madrid, and he nearly got them off to a great start.With 13 minutes played, Franck Ribery latched on to a pass threaded in behind the Braunschweig defence before squaring to the Netherlands international, but Matthias Henn charged back to poke away with an open goal at Robben's mercy.

Braunschweig almost capitalised on that let-off four minutes later, but Hochscheidt headed Omar Elabdellaoui's right-wing cross just wide of the left-hand post.

After a somewhat laboured first 20 minutes, Bayern started to take control of proceedings and should have taken the lead just before the half-hour mark.

Guardiola's men did well to keep possession inside the Braunschweig area and Robben eventually cut a pass back to the edge of the box, only for Hojbjerg – making just his second Bundesliga start – to blaze a wild effort over.

Chances were at a premium at both ends at the start of the second half as Braunschweig crowded their defensive third.

Bayern did not muster a meaningful shot at goal until the 61st minute, when Daniel Davari in the home goal comfortably dealt with Hojbjerg's long-range attempt.

With the champions' creativity lacking in the centre, Philipp Lahm attempted to seize the initiative with 66 minutes played and his excellent cross was met by Jerome Boateng, who could only head wide.Bayern finally got themselves ahead when Pizarro pounced on Mario Gotze's clever pass into the area and the Peruvian emphatically blasted past Davari.

Mandzukic then added a second when he collected a long ball to coolly slot under the goalkeeper four minutes from time.

Defeat leaves Braunschweig bottom on 25 points with three games left as relegation looms, while Bayern will be relishing Wednesday's semi-final first-leg trip to Madrid.