..::Football III::..

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Southampton 0-1 Swansea City: Shelvey scorcher downs 10-man Saints

A late goal from Jonjo Shelvey was enough to give Swansea victory over Southampton at St Mary's as Ronald Koeman's side slumped to a surprise 1-0 defeat.

The midfielder settled a low-key affair in the 83rd minute when he took aim from 25 yards and arrowed a shot into the top right-hand corner, before Southampton lost Ryan Bertrand to a straight red card in the closing stages for a dangerous challenge on Modou Barrow, who had to be carried from the field on a stretcher.
Shelvey had earlier struck the left-hand post with a low drive, but that was a rare threat for Swansea as Southampton dominated the ball for much of the encounter.

For all their possession, however, Southampton's best chance saw James Ward-Prowse superbly denied by Lukasz Fabianski inside the opening 10 minutes, as Ronald Koeman's side fell to a first Premier League defeat in seven.Victory marked Swansea's first in the Premier League over the south coast club, and also ended a four-match winless streak in the league.

Southampton miss out on the chance to climb back above Manchester United into third, while Swansea's win sees them move up a place to ninth at the expense of Stoke City.

Koeman made one change from Southampton's previous league outing as Maya Yoshida replaced Florin Gardos, who came in for criticism from his manager for his first-half performance in the 3-2 FA Cup defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend.

Swansea made four alterations to the side thumped 5-0 by Chelsea last time out in the league, including a debut for Kyle Naughton following his arrival from Tottenham and a first Premier League start of the season for Jay Fulton.

The home side began brightly and ought to have gone ahead in the seventh minute, but Ward-Prowse was superbly denied from eight yards out by the right boot of Fabianski.Swansea threatened for the first time six minutes later as Bafetimbi Gomis received a pass from Shelvey and fired an effort narrowly wide of the left-hand post.

Gomis then lost strike partner Marvin Emnes to injury as the latter gingerly walked off to be replaced by Barrow.

Dusan Tadic was unable to get a telling touch to Eljero Elia's teasing cross on the half-hour mark as Southampton continued to look the most likely to break the deadlock.

Ten minutes after the interval, Shelvey came agonisingly close to putting the visitors in front when he drove into space and hit a lot shot which defeated Fraser Forster but struck the left-hand upright and rebounded to safety.Ward-Prowse then brought two comfortable saves out of Fabianski with a weak header and a shot from the edge of the box as a turgid affair threatened to burst into life.

With seven minutes remaining, Shelvey picked up a pass from Barrow and fired a sweetly-struck shot into the top-right corner, with Forster's touch not enough to keep the ball out.

Swansea were grateful to Ashley Williams for twice clearing efforts off the line from Southampton replacement Sadio Mane, before Bertrand's frustration got the better of him, leaving referee Michael Oliver with no choice but to brandish a red card.

 

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Udinese 0-0 Juventus: Champions squander chance to extend Serie A lead

Juventus missed the chance to extend their lead at the top of Serie A on Sunday as they turned in a somewhat off-colour performance to draw 0-0 with Udinese at Stadio Comunale Friuli.

With Roma's mid-season struggles continuing thanks to Saturday's 1-1 draw against Empoli, Massimiliano Allegri could have seen his side move nine points clear at the summit.

However, the holders looked jaded following their 1-0 Coppa Italia success at Parma in midweek and could have been behind at the break if Bruno Fernandes and Cyril Thereau had been more clinical with first-half efforts.

The visitors ended the half well and saw Roberto Pereyra hit the crossbar soon after the interval, but still they failed to find a breakthrough against a side whose last win at home in the league came in October.

Andrea Stramaccioni was ultimately rewarded for a solid defensive showing - having survived a late scare when Carlos Tevez shot wide - but Allegri will no doubt be frustrated after seeing his side fail to score in a top-flight game for only the third time this season.

Juve had taken 13 points from their last five league games on the road, but it was the hosts who started the brighter despite missing the suspended Panagiotis Kone and injured midfielder Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu.

Allegri was without midfield pair Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio due to injury and suspension respectively, and Udinese almost made the most of their absences when Fernandes found himself clean through 12 minutes in – only to stutter and miss the chance to apply a finish.

Paul Pogba shot wide at the other end soon after, while Tevez continued to pose problems for the home side, but Udinese coped at the back and remained dangerous on the break.Thereau was next to go close but, like Fernandes, was unable to finish a slick counter-attack midway through the half.

The unmarked Fernando Llorente headed wide from a corner and, while Juve ended the half on top, they were unable to find an opener before the change of ends.

As in the first half, Udinese began the second positively and forced Gianluigi Buffon into a smart save when Danilo flicked on Antonio Di Natale's corner.In a fast-paced opening to the half, Pereyra rattled the crossbar with a powerful strike from inside the area before Allegri opted to replace Llorente with Alvaro Morata - matchwinner against Parma on Wednesday.

The Spaniard nearly found himself clean through on goal following a careless pass from Giovanni Pasquale, but a last-ditch challenge from Ivan Piris cleared any danger.Morata's introduction gave Juve added impetus, with Tevez going close at the death with a close-range effort that went wide.

Ultimately the visitors had to settle for a draw that moves them back into a seven-point lead at the top, while Udinese are now winless in six at home, but will doubtless be content with their first point against Juve since 2011.

 

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Arsenal 5-0 Aston Villa: Ozil & Walcott on target as Gunners cruise

Arsenal cruised to an emphatic 5-0 victory over Aston Villa at the Emirates with a victory that makes it three straight Premier League wins for the first time this season.

Mesut Ozil and Theo Walcott were back in the starting line-up after long absences and set up an important victory, which sees Arsene Wenger's men climb above rivals Tottenham and into fifth position.

The German World Cup winner, making his first league start in four months, set up Olivier Giroud for Arsenal's early opener and the roles were reversed after half-time as Ozil made it 2-0.

Walcott added a third and there were further goals for Santi Cazorla, from the penalty spot, and Hector Bellerin as Paul Lambert's men faded badly.

Villa remain just three points above the relegation zone and are without a win in eight league matches, having failed to score in their last six - a new club record.

Alexis Sanchez was not risked but was barely missed as Arsenal exhibited their counter-attacking best in the second half and Villa's wait for a goal stretched past 10 hours.

The additions of Ozil and Walcott - the latter making his first league start since January 2014 - were the only changes Wenger made to the team that beat Manchester City last time out in the Premier League.

Both were involved early on, Walcott's pace enabling him to threaten in behind straight from the kick-off, before Ozil teed up the opening goal after just eight minutes.

The attacking midfielder showed the type of creative touch that persuaded Arsenal to make him their record signing, his smart flick-on putting Giroud clear on goal.

Giroud appeared to get the ball stuck under his feet as he went through one-on-one, but recovered to clip delicately past Brad Guzan.

Guzan was beaten again in the 26th minute, only the post preventing Cazorla from doubling Arsenal's lead as his effort bounced back off the frame of the goal .

The hosts were dominant, but Villa nearly snatched a rare goal three minutes before half-time.

A loose clearance from Laurent Koscielny allowed Carles Gil, on his maiden Premier League start, to find Andreas Weimann with a wonderful inswinging cross, but David Ospina got down well to stop the striker's header and preserve Arsenal's lead.

Villa emerged with added belief after the break but were still vulnerable on the break, and Arsenal capitalised in the 56th minute.

Walcott carried the ball out of defence at pace before finding Giroud, who poked through a delightful through ball for Ozil to slide past Guzan.

Villa were undone in similar fashion on 63 minutes as Walcott put the result beyond doubt.

Ospina found the England man wide on the left with a quick throw-out and a rapid one-two with Cazorla was followed by Walcott cutting in and finding the far corner with a curling shot from the edge of the box.

Things got worse for Villa on 75 minutes as Cazorla scored from the penalty spot, despite Guzan getting a strong hand on the ball, after the keeper had felled Chuba Akpom.

Bellerin piled more misery on Villa in stoppage-time with his first Arsenal goal, the right-back steering a side-footed effort into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box having been teed up by Cazorla.

 

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'Messi is God's reflection, but Ronaldo's not the devil'

Lionel Messi's is a "reflection of God's perfection", according to well-known nun and Barcelona supporter Sister Lucia Caram, who commented that Cristiano Ronaldo is not the devil despite his "cocky and unfriendly attitude".

Messi's claim to be the best footballer in the world has taken a knock over the past two years as Ronaldo, his Real Madrid rival, has won back-to-back Ballons d'Or.

Despite Barca underperforming in 2014, the forward elicited praise for captaining Argentina to the World Cup final and has scored an amazing 31 goals in 29 games for the Catalans this season.

"For me the evidence for the existence of God is manifested in goodness and beauty, and when I see Messi play I see that," Sister Lucia Caram, who is from Argentina but has been based in Spain for over two decades, told Sport.

"One looks entranced, like by a beautiful painting or a sunset, when one faces Messi. I'm not saying he's God, but he's a reflection of God's perfection. He dazzles everyone."

She was also critical of Ronaldo's attitude and demeanour in comparison to Messi's, but the nun stopped short of suggesting the Madrid forward has satanic motivations.

"Is Messi an angel and Ronaldo the devil? Well Messi has the virtue of being a great player but he is also a good person," he added. "He is humble.

"Cristiano plays football very well, but he has a very cocky and unfriendly attitude. He's not my greatest enemy, I think he plays very good football, but there is not harmony in him."

The Christianity follower took one final dig at Ronaldo - as well as Barca forward Luis Suarez and referencing Arda Turan's recent infamous boot throw - in her criticism at the idolisation of footballers in modern society.

"I worry that it's a weakness for people to defend their idols against the indefensible," Sister Lucia Caram continued.

"You cannot defend Suarez's bite or applaud the throwing of a shoe at a linesman, and the attitude of Cristiano Ronaldo recently [for his red card last month] was not good."

 

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Diego Costa: I’m no angel and I won't change

Diego Costa admits he is "no angel" on the pitch but the Chelsea striker is adamant that he has never intended to injure other players.

The 26-year-old is currently serving a three-game ban after television replays showed the forward standing on Emre Can’s leg during Chelsea’s 1-0 extra-time win over Liverpool in the League Cup last Tuesday.

"As far as what happened on Tuesday, the main thing is when I get home I can go home and I can go to sleep knowing that I’ve not done anything wrong, because I never meant to do that and it was not on purpose," Costa told the Daily Telegraph.

"And you can clearly see that on the video. But it is a suspension. I have to accept that, I have to take it. Obviously I feel sad because I’m not going to be able to help the team, to play. But I have accept it and respect it.

"I’m not saying I’m an angel. I’m no angel. You can see that. But every time I play I will play the same way because that’s the way I am. That’s what I need to do in order to support my family. That’s my bread and butter, also that’s what I need to do for this club and for the fans of this club, for the supporters and for all the people involved in this club.

"On the pitch I will always be like that. That’s my character and I will always compete and compete - always. I’m a different guy off the pitch, as you can see, but on the pitch I will not change."

Costa has faced criticism over his physical and confrontational approach but the Chelsea striker maintains he has no plans to change his style of play.

"On the pitch I transform myself, I really, really want to win," he continued.

"I want to be competitive, I want to run all over - I want to win. I can accept defeat but I love to win and be competitive.

"It is my job and I love it. I train all week just to play for 90 minutes. I love playing games and so during those 90 minutes, it’s always 100 per cent.

"How many times have I injured someone? Never. I’ve never injured another colleague, another player on purpose. Yes, I’ve had loads of incidents, maybe even more in Spain. But that’s the way I play. I’m not going to change the way I play because I got banned for a few games now."

 

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Matri returning to Juventus, claim Genoa

Alessandro Matri is set to return to Juventus and reunite with former coach Massimiliano Allegri, according to Genoa's president.

The striker spent two years on the Bianconeri's books until 2013, when he left Turin for AC Milan, although he subsequently bounced on loan to Fiorentina then Genoa.

However, his temporary stay under Gian Piero Gasperini's tutelage looks set to be over after Genoa chief Enrico Preziosi announced Roma's Marco Borriello was set to replace the Juve-bound Matri imminently.

"Matri will go to Juventus," he told Sky Sport. "We'll announce Borriello on Sunday and Matri will go to Juve."

The 30-year-old, who has six caps for Italy, is currently out of action but has played under Allegri on two occasions before - at Cagliari for two years and then for six months with Milan before the coach's sacking at the start of 2014.

Allegri is faring much better in 2014-15, having taken over from Antonio Conte's title-winning team, as Juve can go nine points clear of second-placed Roma with a victory over Udinese on Sunday.

Matri's enjoying a decent campaign too, having scored seven goals in 16 appearances for Genoa - his best tally since his final year with Juve in 2012-13 when he scored eight times in their triumphant Serie A efforts.

 

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Cuadrado is a special player, says Henry

Thierry Henry believes Juan Cuadrado will be a hit at Chelsea, with the Fiorentina winger poised to complete a €33 million move to Stamford Bridge before the transfer deadline.

Fiorentina head coach Vincenzo Montella confirmed on Friday that Cuadrado’s move to the Premier League leaders is all but completed, with the player himself posting an emotional goodbye to the Viola on Instagram.

And Henry is sure Cuadrado will showcase his qualities in England once his move is finalised, with Andre Schurrle set to join Wolfsburg to make way for the incoming Colombian.

"Everybody saw the World Cup, the way he performed – he’s a special player," Henry told Sky Sports.

"He can beat anyone at any time and he’s a proper winger also – that’s something you don’t see often now, guys that want to go down the line and beat people and cross.

"That’s what you want if you’re a striker, so I think he will be – if he comes to Chelsea – a special player.

"He won’t surprise people because everybody saw him at the World Cup, but he’s a special talent."

 

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Benzema: Madrid must be careful

Karim Benzema has urged Real Madrid to be cautious of conceding early goals following their comeback win over Real Sociedad.

David Moyes' men took the lead in the first minute at the Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday but it did not take long for James Rodriguez's equaliser to level the playing field, with Sergio Ramos putting the Blancos ahead before half-time.

Benzema then scored twice in the latter 45 minutes to ensure a 4-1 victory, but the Frenchman aired his concerns that Madrid are making a habit of needing to come back from behind from conceding early on having needed to do the same at Cordoba last weekend.

"I'm pleased with the goal, but more for the win," the striker told reporters after the match. "We had to win because it was a tough game against a great team. But we were fine.

"We have to be careful conceding early goals, because it is not the first time, but at least we are reacting to them.

"With my second goal, I knew I hit it well but I did not know it would be quite that good! We have secured these three points and now we will prepare for Wednesday."

Real Madrid host fifth-placed Sevilla in midweek, looking to extend their gap at the top of La Liga by winning the game in hand they have on challengers Barcelona and Atletico.

 

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Wenger: Arsenal's target is the Premier League title

Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal’s target remains the Premier League title, but admits his side will need to be “realistic” in their aims for this season.

The Gunners sit 14 points behind Premier League leaders Chelsea but could narrow the gap slightly with a victory at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Wenger has urged his players to show consistency and aim for the top, but admits that their chances are slim.

"A title challenge is our target, but we have to be realistic,” the Arsenal manager told reporters.

“What we want is to win every game we can, but at the moment we are 14 points behind Chelsea, they need to lose five games, and they have lost only two until now.

"What we want to do is focus on our performances and show that we can produce consistent results. After, where we will finish, it is difficult to say."

 

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Vertonghen excited by Tottenham's form

Jan Vertonghen is loving life at Tottenham, with his team still competing in three competitions this term.Spurs continued their impressive Premier League form on Saturday with a 3-0 win at West Brom.

The London outfit have only lost one of their past nine league fixtures to sit fifth in the table, two points outside the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot.

Tottenham also booked a showdown with Chelsea in the League Cup final at Wembley during the week, while Mauricio Pochettino's men are preparing for their Europa League round of 32 tie against Fiorentina."It is very exciting times," said Vertonghen on Saturday."It’s a shame we are out of the FA Cup as we wanted to keep active in four competitions but we're still in the Europa League.

"We have big games coming up in February and obviously the League Cup final on the 1st of March but we have a lot of games to win before we go there."Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane were both on target at The Hawthorns as Kane bagged a brace to take his season tally to 20 goals in all competitions after Eriksen opened the scoring with a superb free-kick.

Vertonghen said the duo are crucial to Tottenham's hopes heading into the business end of the 2014-15 campaign."Just beforehand, I said to Danny Rose, 'If Eriksen scores this again, it's unbelievable'. And he did it again," Vertonghen added.

"He deserves it. He practices those every day and you can see that it has paid off.
"Harry is another one that deserves it. He keeps working hard in training, he keeps showing the right mentality, and you saw that again."

 

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Everton can catch up with the rest - Martinez

Roberto Martinez hopes Everton's win at Crystal Palace will provide his side with a catalyst to improve.

Romelu Lukaku's early goal proved enough to end an eight-game winless streak for Everton, who moved up to 12th in the table and have a Europa League last-32 tie against Young Boys to look forward to, leaving Martinez optimistic for the rest of the season.

"The players are refreshed and we've got 15 games left in the league and we now want to show what we can do, and in Europe we want to enjoy a really good run of the knockout stages as well", he said."In the league we know that we have to catch up, but what happens is that we want to get as many wins as we can before the final third of the season.

"Once we get into the final third we'll see where we can finish and that's the approach that we are going to have now. But we all know we have the quality in the squad and that we have an incredible support."

Next up for Everton is the Merseyside derby against Liverpool at Goodison Park next weekend.

 

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Nobody's better than Guardiola - Robben

Arjen Robben does not believe there is a coach in the world who lives, breathes and thrives in football like Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola.

The Dutchman has shone under the ex-Barcelona leader's tutelage at the Allianz Arena, and narrowly missed out on making the final three for the 2014 Ballon d'Or with his performances for Bayern and Netherlands.

Guardiola guided Bayern to four trophies in his opening season and Robben does not think any other coach is at the same level as the Spaniard.

“Pep Guardiola breathes football, he thinks about it 24/7," the experienced winger told Telefoot. "Tactically, he’s the best in the world.

"It’s a privilege to work with him. I am 31-years-old but I still learn things from him."

Robben also discussed Bayern's desire to become European champions for the second time in three years, especially with the showpiece in June set to be played on German soil, and reveals his secret attacking ingredient is keeping the opposition clueless.

"The Champions League is our main objective," he added, "what with the final being played in Berlin. We don’t need to get accustomed to each other now as we still have the same team and the same coach as last year. I think we have improved.

"What's my secret? It’s all about timing. I always try to do something different. You have to surprise the defenders. It’s a game between you and them.

"I get a lot of pleasure playing football and I hope I’ll be able to keep doing it for a long time."

 

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Cabaye: I won't flee from PSG troubles

Yohan Cabaye has insisted that he has no intention of fleeing from Paris Saint-Germain despite his first 12 months being fraught with first-team difficulties.

The France international, 29, has not been incredibly popular with fans at Parc des Princes and has only started one of the club's last 10 Ligue 1 matches, which PSG lost to relegation-troubled Bastia.

As a result, the midfielder had been linked with a swift return to the Premier League, where he had forged a reputation as a top central midfielder with Newcastle United, with Tottenham most recently named as an interested party.

However, Cabaye is determined to make an impression in Laurent Blanc's side and is refusing to entertain the idea of leaving his homeland, instead stressing his desire to stay with the French champions and prove a point.

"I respect my coach and I’m in a great club," he told Telefoot. "Having a negative state of mind serves no purpose. You have to show spirit so you can show what you are capable of.

"I’m not the type of person that flees when they encounter difficulties. I’ve never talked about leaving because I don’t want to leave.

"I’m with great players and I take pleasure from that. I don’t want to leave as a failure. The most important thing is to show a positive demeanour and behaviour."

Cabaye will be hoping to be part of the matchday squad when PSG are back in action in a Coupe de la Ligue semi-final against Lille on Tuesday.

 

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Pellegrini confident Man City can catch Chelsea

Manuel Pellegrini remains confident Manchester City can claw back Chelsea's lead at the top of the table after Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge.

The visitors fell behind to Loic Remy's 41st-minute strike but soon pulled things level as David Silva fired home just before the interval.

City pushed for the winner but had to settle for a share of the spoils, as Pellegrini rued a missed chance to close the gap on Jose Mourinho's men - but believes the title race is far from over.

"Of course it was important to try to close the gap," he told reporters. "We tried but we couldn't."We still have 45 points more to play for. I said before the game that this was a very important game but it is not a final.

"We have time to try to recover those five points and if we continue playing in the way we did it will be more easy."

City face Hull next weekend and have matches against Stoke City and Newcastle United before the end of February.

 

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Drogba: I’ll be at Chelsea next season

Chelsea striker Didier Drogba says he will remain at the club next season, despite his current deal expiring in the summer.

The 36-year-old returned to Stamford Bridge in July after stints with Shanghai Shenhua and Galatasaray, signing a one-year contract with the Blues.

Drogba has made 27 appearances, many as a substitue, in all competitions for Jose Mourinho’s men this season and says he is happy to continue in west London.

"My project for next year will be on a pitch with Chelsea," he told Telefoot.

Drogba was left out of Chelsea’s starting line-up for the clash with Manchester City on Saturday, despite Diego Costa’s suspension, featuring only as a late substitute as the Blues drew with Manuel Pellegrini's men.

Loic Remy was preferred to the Ivorian and scored the opening goal of the game, but Drogba says he has no problems with the decision to start him on the bench.

"He played a great game against City. That shows that he is resourceful," he added.

"We’ve showed that we can present a strong offensive force despite the absentees.

"It's obvious that I would like to play, but I’m not miserable."

 

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Sassuolo 3-1 Inter: Mancini's men slump to second successive league loss

Sassuolo ended their dismal run of form against Inter on Sunday with a 3-1 victory over Roberto Mancini's side in Serie A, as both sides finished with 10 men.

The Nerazurri had won all three previous meetings between the two sides and scored 15 goals without reply, but that all changed at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore with a comfortable home win piling the pressure on Mancini.

Simone Zaza broke the deadlock with a powerful effort from 18 yards, with Nicola Sansone - who, along with Isaac Donkor, was later sent off - extending the hosts' advantage before half-time.

Xherdan Shaqiri led Inter's charge after the break, but was denied a first Serie A goal for the club when a low shot struck the foot of Andrea Consigli's post.The introduction of top scorer Mauro Icardi gave Inter late hope with an 83rd-minute strike, but - following a red for Sansone - Donkor was given his marching orders in conceding a penalty that Domenico Berardi converted.Victory moves Sassuolo above their opponents in the league, Eusebio Di Francesco's side climbing into eighth, while Inter fall to 12th.

Mancini handed a first start to Shaqiri since his move from Bayern Munich, with Lukas Podolski also in the first 11, while fellow new arrival Marcelo Brozovic was named among the substitutes.

The visitors started well and twice went close to scoring inside the opening five minutes as Donkor and Nemanja Vidic were both denied from close range – the latter seeing his header well saved by Consigli.

After soaking up the early Inter pressure, Sassuolo opened the scoring with 17 minutes on the clock as a swift counter-attack finished with Zaza firing them into the lead.

The striker collected a pass on the edge of the penalty area and, having held off Vidic, fired a stunning strike into the top corner, giving Samir Handanovic no chance.Inter struggled to mount a meaningful response to the setback and were punished on the half hour as Sassuolo doubled their advantage.

Having seen his corner cleared, Sansone was given the ball back and, after cutting in from the left, unleashed a ferocious drive off the crossbar and past Handanovic.
Sassuolo felt they should have had two penalties before the break as Donkor twice clashed with Sansone, but both were waved away by referee Paolo Valeri.

With the words of Mancini no doubt ringing in their ears Inter made a better start to the second half, with Shaqiri going closest to halving their deficit with a curling effort from 20 yards.The visitors were posing much more of an attacking threat as the game passed the hour mark and Shaqiri would have had his first Inter goal had the woodwork not intervened.

As space opened up 20 yards from goal, the Switzerland international fired a low effort past Consigli, but the shot rebounded off the post to safety.

Sassuolo were limited to counter-attacks in the second half, but failed to threaten Handanovic's goal, while Dodo brought a good save out of Consigli.The Brazilian rose unmarked at the back post to meet Brozovic's cross, but the Sassuolo goalkeeper made a superb reflex save.

However, Inter were given a way back into the match with seven minutes to play as Icardi latched on to a under-hit backpass to pull a goal back.Sansone's late dismissal for a challenge on Shaqiri slightly soured Sassuolo's day, but they restored their two-goal advantage in stoppage time.

Donkor received a second booking for a foul inside the area on Zaza, and Berardi ensured Sassuolo's third home win of the season from 12 yards.

 

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'Inter are playing well,' insists Mancini

Serie A games.

The Nerazzurri followed up a 1-0 defeat at home to Torino on January 25 with a 3-1 reversal at Sassuolo on Sunday to slip to 12th in the Serie A standings.

Mancini conceded that mistakes were made - particularly in defence - in their latest setback, at the Stadio Citta del Tricolore, with Simone Zaza and Nicolas Sansone both netting inside the opening half hour, before Domenico Berardi sealed Inter's fate with a late penalty.

However, the 50-year-old, who has now overseen four Serie A defeats since replacing Walter Mazzarri as coach in November, rejected the suggestion that he got his tactics wrong at Sassuolo and claimed that they were unlucky to lose.

"I don't think that we took the wrong approach to the game," the Inter boss told Sky Sport Italia. "We played well in the first half but we conceded a goal from Sassuolo's first chance."We made some errors in certain situations and we gave them a second goal but in the first 20 minutes of the game, and in the second half, we played well.

"We made some errors at the back. We know that their attackers are good and we left them too much space."We're improving in possession of the ball but we need to do better in the offensive phase in the final third.

"So, things are going badly right now for us and it's clear that we must improve in many aspects. We're also a little fragile because the slightest difficulty adds to the negativity."But we're trying to play. I'm disappointed for the boys. They absolutely did not deserve to lose these last two games.

"But results are what count and, at the moment, we're not doing well. However, we will continue working hard to try to win. That's all we can do."

Inter next travel to the San Paolo in midweek for a Coppa Italia semi-final showdown with Napoli.

 

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Wolfsburg: No agreement with Chelsea yet for Schurrle

Wolfsburg have admitted that negotiations to sign Chelsea winger Andre Schurrle have stalled.

With the Blues having agreed to meet the €35 million buy-out clause for Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado, coach Jose Mourinho is willing to allow Schurrle leave for the Volkswagen Arena.

However, Wolfsburg have now revealed that Chelsea have not accepted their bid for Schurrle and have warned Jose Mourinho's men that time is running out to complete a deal, with the winter window set to close on Monday.

"There is no agreement at the moment," sporting director Klaus Allofs told Wolfsburger Nachrichten. "The clock is running out. Our options are getting less hour by hour.

“It depends on money. We still would like to sign him."

Schurrle, who was a part of the Germany squad that won last year's World Cup in Brazil, joined Chelsea from Bayer Leverkusen for €21 million in the summer of 2013, but the versatile attacker has failed to nail down a regular berth in Mourinho's starting line-up.

 

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Strootman out for the season, confirms Roma boss Garcia

Roma boss Rudi Garcia has confirmed fears that midfielder Kevin Strootman will be out for the remainder of the season.

Despite initial claims from the player and his coach that the Dutch midfielder would only be sidelined for a short length of time, the subsequent operation discovered significant damage in his knee that was not expected.

Initially, the club did not reveal when the perennially injured player would return but, following the Giallorossi's 1-1 draw with Empoli on Saturday, Garcia confessed that Strootman would not be back in action until 2015-16.

"Losing him, especially after a long injury, is a catastrophe for us," he told reporters after the game. "The season is over for Strootman."

Roma's injury list, which also includes Daniele De Rossi and Federico Balzaretti, grew even longer on Saturday when Argentine attacker Juan Iturbe was forced off in the first half against Empoli.

"Iturbe underwent tests this morning that revealed a distortive trauma to his right knee, with damage to the lateral collateral ligament," the club said in a statement.

"Iturbe also suffered a strain to his right ankle and potential ligament damage. The player has already started treatment on the injury."

Although Roma once again refused to predict when Iturbe will have recovered from ligament damage in both his knee and his ankle, it is widely expected that the 21-year-old will not make another appearance for the Italian giants this campaign.

 

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Januzaj revels in return to Manchester United starting XI

Adnan Januzaj has shared his delight at returning to the Manchester United starting XI in Saturday's 3-1 win over Leicester City.

The Belgian starlet completed the full 90 minutes for only the third time in the Premier League this term, and will hope to retain his place for Tuesday's FA Cup fourth round replay against Cambridge United.

The Red Devils raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time thanks to goals from Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, though conceded late in the second half, and Januzaj was relieved that his fitness held up.

"I haven't played too much, so it was good to get 90 minutes," he told MUTV after the victory at Old Trafford, which exacted revenge for September's 5-3 loss at Leicester.

"I was tired and had cramp in the last 15 minutes, but I knew I had a job to do.

"We played well, especially in the first half. We fought for each other. The second half wasn't as good, but we’re happy with the result.

"We were good going forward and could have scored more than three goals, but hopefully we can take this into Tuesday night [against Cambridge] and win the game.

"We played at a higher tempo, especially in the first half. We moved the ball quickly and our finishing was also good.

"We went into the break 3-0 up, which was great. Although we should have scored more goals, at least we have the three points and we’re all happy with that."