..::Football III::..

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Kuyt is the Ryan Giggs of Feyenoord - Van Geel

Dirk Kuyt is "the Ryan Giggs of Feyenoord" and has years to offer the club following his return, claims technical director Martin van Geel.Kuyt confirmed on Thursday that he will rejoin his former club in the summer after a nine-year absence, bringing to an end his association with Fenerbahce.

"After nine years abroad and three beautiful years at Fenerbahce, I am proud to announce that, from July 1, 2015 I will be with Feyenoord again," he posted on his Facebook page.

And Feyenoord director Van Geel has insisted that the 34-year-old can be held in the same regard in Rotterdam as Welsh legend Giggs is at Manchester United following his glittering career, despite the fact Kuyt has only signed a one-year deal to return to De Kuip."That says nothing of the intentions of both sides. Dirk still has years left in him yet," Van Geel told the club's official website.

"He is the Ryan Giggs of Feyenoord, we still remember well what he did for us all those years ago. Like any fan of Feyenoord, this news is music to my ears."Kuyt added that he is looking forward to finishing his time in Turkey on a high before his emotional reunion with the Feyenoord faithful.

"I was happy here in Turkey for three wonderful seasons and won everything there is to win. Now is a good time to return. I am very fit and feel a great desire to make a success of my time at De Kuip."

The 104-cap Netherlands international spent six years with Liverpool after ending his first spell with Feyenoord before making a €1 million move to Fenerbahce.

 

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Southampton face battle to keep Schneiderlin - Koeman

Ronald Koeman admits that Southampton face a battle to keep Morgan Schneiderlin at the club this summer, with several sides reportedly interested in acquiring his services.

Schneiderlin has previously admitted that he intends to play in the Champions League next season, with Arsenal credited with a concrete interest in the Frenchman.

Former Southampton manager Mauricio Pochettino has also been keen to reunite with the Frenchman at Tottenham, and Koeman concedes that the player will ultimately decide where his future lies.

"It will be hard when there is real interest in the player. It is up to the player what he likes to do," he is quoted as saying by the Daily Star.

"It is very hard but normally if we have the season like we have so far there will be interest in the players of Southampton.

"If he gets a big offer from a big team, there is always interest for the player and I understand that.

"That is normal, we know our level and that is a compliment for the players and the club."

Toby Alderweireld's future has also been called into question in recent months, with the Atletico Madrid loanee admitting that he would like to play with Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen, while Manchester City have also monitored the centre-back .

Koeman says that Alderweireld would like to remain at Southampton, with the club holding the option to purchase him for around €9.4 million at the end of the season, though Atletico have the right to cancel that agreement by paying a €2m compensatory fee.

"The player likes to stay but he is still the player of Atletico Madrid," Koeman added.

 

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Barclays Premier Legaue 2015.04.11 Fixtures

Barclays Premier Legaue 2015.04.11 Fixtures

Swansea City Vs Everton

Southampton Vs Hull City

Sunderland Vs Crystal Palace

Tottenham Vs Aston Villa

WBA Vs Leicester City

West Ham Vs Stoke City

Burnley Vs Arsenal

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La Liga 2015.04.11 Fixtures

La Liga 2015.04.11 Fixtures

Real Madrid Vs Eibar

Malaga Vs Atletico Madrid

Sevilla Vs Barcelona

Almeria Vs Granada

Celta Vigo Vs Rayo Vallecano​

 

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Serie A 2015.04.11 Fixtures

Serie A 2015.04.11 Fixtures

Genoa Vs Cagliari

Parma Vs Juventus

Hellas Verona Vs Inter​

 

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Bastia 0-4 PSG: Ibrahimovic and Cavani seal Coupe de la Ligue triumph

Paris Saint-Germain claimed the Coupe de la Ligue as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani sealed a 4-0 win over Bastia on Saturday.

Less than 48 hours ahead of the Stade de France showpiece, Ibrahimovic - who passed 100 goals for the club with a hat-trick in midweek versus Saint-Etienne - was given a ban for comments made after PSG's 3-2 Ligue 1 loss to Bordeaux.

With the fourth game of his ban suspended, that sanction will see him miss Ligue 1 matches with Nice, Lille and Metz, but he bounced back in the ideal manner with a double to deliver PSG their first major trophy of the season and their second overall after their Trophee de Champions triumph.

The holders were given a huge helping hand as Bastia centre-back Sebastien Squillaci was sent off for bringing down Ezequiel Lavezzi, with Ibrahimovic lashing home the resulting penalty.

Although the dismissal ruined the contest as a spectacle, it was welcome relief to a PSG side set to face Barcelona in the Champions League on Wednesday, with coach Laurent Blanc having recently complained about fixture congestion.

Bastia were powerless to prevent Ibrahimovic from taking advantage of the extra man and ending the encounter as a contest, with substitute Edinson Cavani scoring twice late on to seal the the maiden trophy of a prospective quadruple.

PSG created little in the opening stages but were presented with a gift in the 19th minute when Squillaci tripped Lavezzi, leaving referee Benoit Bastien with little choice to point to the spot and brandish a straight red card.

And Ibrahimovic, who had laid the ball off for Lavezzi in the build-up, made no mistake as he emphatically slammed the ball past PSG loanee Alphonse Areola from 12 yards.

The capital club unsurprisingly controlled proceedings with their numerical advantage, and Ibrahimovic capitalised in the 41st minute to effectively put the game beyond doubt.

Ibrahimovic powered a precise low finish into the bottom-left corner from just outside the box after Bastia had failed to fully clear Serge Aurier's right-wing cross.

Only a strong one-on-one save from Areola prevented PSG from making it 3-0 through Lavezzi, who then rolled an effort narrowly wide of the right-hand post less than 90 seconds after the restart.

Bastia named striker Brandao on the bench eight months after his infamous headbutt on PSG midfielder Thiago Motta after their league clash in August, which saw him receive a six-month ban.

Squillaci's red defeated the object of the Brazilian's presence - although he did come on in the closing stages - but the Corsicans went close to pulling a goal back, Florian Marange heading wide from Ryad Boudebouz's free kick.

Areola thwarted Marco Verratti and Marquinhos either side of Lucas Moura's return for the Trophee des Champions winners after two months out with a groin injury.

Thiago Silva cleared a Floyd Ayite effort off the line, before Cavani steered in a third 10 minutes from another Aurier delivery and slotted in his second in stoppage-time to put the gloss on a successful cup defence.

 

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Hellas Verona 0-3 Inter: Handanovic the hero after Icardi and Palacio strike

Samir Handanovic saved a second-half penalty as Inter got back to winning ways with a 3-0 victory over Hellas Verona on Saturday.

Coach Roberto Mancini had warned in the week that "simply being Inter" was not enough to ensure success and that his side would need to put in more effort than their opponents to reap the rewards.

And the former Manchester City boss could have few complaints on Saturday, as a bright start in each half yielded two unanswered goals.

Inter's first came courtesy of Mauro Icardi – returning from suspension – although Verona felt play should have been halted for an injury to Panagiotis Tachtsidis on the edge of the box.

Verona pushed for a leveller but lacked quality in the final third, and Rodrigo Palacio finished from close range three minutes into the second half to give Mancini's side breathing space.

Luca Toni saw a late penalty saved by Samir Handanovic - who has kept out six of the last seven spot-kicks he has faced in Serie A - and Verona's evening went from bad to worse when Vangelis Moras scored an own goal in stoppage-time.

Victory for Inter moved them above AC Milan and Genoa into eighth, although their city rivals are yet to play this weekend.

Inter started the match visibly determined to end their disappointing run, and Fredy Guarin felt he should have been awarded a free-kick on the edge of the box when he went down under the challenge of Jacopo Sala in the opening few minutes.

The visitors continued to press and their 11th-minute opener came in controversial circumstances.

A Tachtsidis slip in the build-up had left the midfielder stricken on the edge of the box, but Inter played on and Palacio's cross deflected off Eros Pisano into the path of Icardi, who applied a simple finish.

Verona were enraged but despite growing into the game as the half progressed, they failed to really test Inter goalkeeper Handanovic.

Inter could easily have been two up at half-time, but Marcelo Brozovic pulled wide of the left-hand post after being played in by Palacio.

It did not take long for Mancini's men to make amends after the interval, though, as an incisive counterattack ended with Palacio poking home from an Icardi cross.

Mounir Obbadi unleashed a shot that squirmed through a host of Inter defenders to be punched away by Handanovic, who then rose to his feet to deny Moras seconds later.

With time running out, Verona saw penalty appeals for an alleged Nemanja Vidic handball turned down, before Palacio missed a chance to put the result beyond doubt when he struck a post at the other end.

That squandered opportunity looked set to be punished when Verona were awarded a penalty with 14 minutes left to play - Vidic somewhat harshly penalised for a coming together with Javier Saviola.

However, Toni saw his effort expertly saved by spot-kick specialist Handanovic and Verona's misery was compounded by a late own goal from Moras, who turned in a Danilo D’Ambrosio cross.

 

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Sevilla 2-2 Barcelona: Gameiro completes comeback to give Madrid title hope

A late equaliser from Kevin Gameiro saw Sevilla recover from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Barcelona on Saturday.

Luis Enrique's side appeared to be cruising at 2-0 up in the 31st minute, as Lionel Messi and Neymar scored fine goals, but the hosts battled back to stretch their unbeaten run at home to 24 league matches thanks to substitute Gameiro.

Barca looked rampant at times in the first half, Messi putting them ahead with 14 minutes gone before Neymar followed suit just after the half-hour mark with a similarly stylish finish.

But a Claudio Bravo error allowed Ever Banega to net for the hosts seven minutes before the break, spurring Sevilla on for an improved display in the second half.

The hosts' saw a couple of chances go begging, with Carlos Bacca the culprit on both occasions.

But the Colombian's replacement, Gameiro, finished off a trademark counterattacking goal for Unai Emery's side, blowing La Liga's title race wide open following Real's 3-0 defeat of Eibar earlier on Saturday and ending Barca's nine-game winning streak in all competitions.

Barcelona, who now have a two-point cushion over Madrid at the top, unsurprisingly dictated play in the early stages, patiently probing as Sevilla sat back and looked for opportunities on the counterattack.

Sevilla's numbers at the back seemed to be proving a frustrating obstacle for Barca, as Andres Iniesta and Neymar both forced Sergio Rico into easy saves with efforts from distance.

But the visitors eventually worked an opening in the 14th minute and it proved effective, as Messi cut inside Benoit Tremoulinas and curled a delightful effort beyond Rico to break the deadlock.

Barca's intensity prevented Sevilla from gaining a foothold in the contest and they doubled their lead with 31 minutes on the clock.

Luis Suarez won a free kick from Grzegorz Krychowiak right on the edge of the area and Neymar sensationally arced an effort right into the top-left corner, far beyond the reach of Rico.

Sevilla were back in it seven minutes later, though, as Banega struck from 30 yards and beat Bravo, who failed to keep the ball out despite getting two hands to it.

Barca should have restored their two-goal advantage four minutes into the second half, but Suarez blazed over an empty goal from 18 yards after Rico rushed out to deny Iniesta.

Sevilla remained a threat on the break, though, and they crafted a decent opportunity six minutes later, but Bacca sliced over after working space for himself inside the area.

That proved to be Bacca's final involvement before his 75th-minute withdrawal for Gameiro, with that change ultimately appearing a masterstroke from Emery.

Sevilla caught Barca on the break in lethal fashion with seven minutes to go, leaving Gameiro with an easy tap-in following Aleix Vidal's lung-busting run, securing an unlikely draw for the home side, a result likely to be celebrated at the Santiago Bernabeu.

 

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Burnley 0 - 1 Arsenal: Ramsey on target as Wenger's men march on

Arsenal recorded their eighth consecutive Premier League win as Aaron Ramsey secured a 1-0 victory over struggling Burnley.

Arsene Wenger's men are the first team to compile such a prolific run in the English top flight this season and they move to within four points of Chelsea ahead of the leaders' London derby at QPR on Sunday.In a game of few chances, Ramsey struck decisively early in the first half after the lively Alexis Sanchez spurned a fine opportunity to open the scoring.

Burnley’s sustained attempts to get back on terms failed to bear clear openings as a lack of cutting edge in the final third once again undermined their gutsy fight for Premier League survival.

George Boyd's strike in the 1-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City last month is the only goal Sean Dyche's team have scored in their past six outings and they lie second bottom, two points from safety, with six games remaining.

Two unchanged teams provided a fluent start to the match and Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina was out sharply to thwart Sam Vokes after the Burnley striker outpaced Per Mertesacker down the left channel.

There was a fortunate escape for Burnley when Sanchez blasted over from David Jones' loose interception, but they were unable to stop Arsenal taking a 12th-minute lead.

Goalkeeper Tom Heaton saved well with his legs to deny Mesut Ozil and Kieran Trippier blocked Sanchez's follow up before Ramsey marked his 150th Premier League appearance by lashing into the top corner.

Set-piece specialists Trippier and Santi Cazorla came close with free-kicks for their respective sides as the first half ticked past its midway point.Goalmouth action faded towards half-time as Arsenal dominated possession and frustration began to creep into Burnley's play.

The hosts began the second period with renewed vigour and Ospina was well-placed to stop Ashley Barnes' shot on the turn when Michael Duff knocked down a 50th-minute corner.

Heaton kept out a stinging low drive from Sanchez, while Trippier briefly feared he would be culpable for an own goal when Hector Bellerin's cross struck him on the shins and trickled behind.

Boyd had another chance to be Burnley's hero against a Premier League high-flyer but missed his kick at the back post in the 70th minute after full-back Ben Mee had bustled down the left flank.

Top scorer Danny Ings then failed to make clean contact with an acrobatic effort as Turf Moor roared their team towards a rousing finale that they were unable to provide.

Substitute Danny Welbeck was unable to give Arsenal breathing space, shooting wide on the angle as Sanchez's pass proved a little too heavy, but they head into next weekend's FA Cup semi-final against Reading in high spirits.

 

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Parma 1-0 Juventus: Rock-bottom hosts stun Scudetto holders

Jose Mauri scored only his second Parma goal as they sprung the biggest surprise of the Serie A season with a 1-0 win over Juventus, who suffered their first league defeat since October.

Financially stricken Parma went into Saturday's clash at the Stadio Ennio Tardini 13 points adrift of safety following a campaign that will be remembered for their off-the-field problems rather than any exploits on the pitch.But Roberto Donadoni's men managed to give their suffering fans a stunning victory that they could not have envisaged courtesy of a determined performance against the runaway leaders, who are 14 points clear at the top of the table.

Juve dictated play for long periods and created the better the opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, but Parma goalkeeper Antonio Mirante kept them at bay.

With Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final clash against Monaco perhaps playing on their minds, a Juve side without the services of Carlos Tevez and Andrea Pirlo slumped to their first Serie A defeat since losing to Genoa over five months ago.

Mauri's cool finish from the edge of the area on the hour mark sealed a memorable fifth league win of the season for Parma and their second this week after beating Udinese on Wednesday.

It took 20 minutes for Juve to carve out their first opportunity, Roberto Pereyra's low curling effort turned past the post by Mirante before Ishak Belfodil bent an effort wide at the other end.

The best chance of a disappointing first half came in the 32nd minute when Arturo Vidal met Claudio Marchisio's free kick, only for Mirante to deny him with a fine far post save from the midfielder's header.

Forward Kingsley Coman then forced the impressive Mirante into action again after finding half a yard of space in the box as Juve finished the first half on the front foot.But the game became more open upon the restart, and Mauri took advantage by firing Parma into a shock lead.

The midfielder raced on to a lay off from Belfodil on the edge of area and coolly angled the ball into the top-right corner beyond the helpless Marco Storari.
Juve, despite their obvious superior quality, showed little signs of mounting a comeback in the closing stages, with the leaders' forward line frustrated by a determined Parma side.

Parma had little difficulty in holding firm for three points in another defiant display despite their uncertain future.

 

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Malaga 2-2 Atletico Madrid: Griezmann salvages point for champions

An Antoine Griezmann brace spared Atletico Madrid's blushes on Saturday, but the 2-2 draw at Malaga dealt a further hefty blow to their faltering La Liga title defence.

Samu Garcia seemingly secured Malaga a vital win in their bid for a Europa League place and, although Griezmann netted his second 12 minutes from time to claim a point, a draw will unlikely prove particularly helpful in their bid to keep pace with leaders Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Despite hosting Real in the Champions League on Tuesday, Diego Simeone could not afford to rest key players and, for the first half an hour, Malaga caused few problems.

Indeed, it was the visitors who broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, Griezmann capitalising on a Carlos Kameni error to score his 17th league goal of the season – his best ever Liga campaign.

The champions failed to hold on until the break, though, as Fernando Torres directed a cross into his own goal and that spurred Malaga on in the second half, as Samu celebrated his new contract with a clever finish 19 minutes from the end.
Griezmann scored his second of the day seven minutes later to secure a point for Atletico, but the draw does little in their pursuit of Real and Barca.

Atletico began the brighter of the two sides and generally controlled possession during the early exchanges, although chances were infrequent.

The only real opportunity of the first 20 minutes fell to Torres, as a Juanfran cross dropped at the feet of the former Chelsea striker and he smashed his half-volley well over.With chances few and far between it came as little surprise to see the opener come as a result of an individual error and it was Griezmann who profited.

Kameni failed to keep hold of Jesus Gamez's long throw-in and the France striker pounced, stabbing home from close range.Malaga restored parity eight minutes before the break, though, and it came via an unlikely source.

Recio fired a powerful delivery in towards the near post from the left flank and Torres diverted it into his own goal, despite Jan Oblak's best efforts to keep it out.

Malaga came out full of purpose after the break, putting Atletico under intense pressure as they looked to take charge.And they almost edged ahead in the 53rd minute, but Samu Castillejo could only direct Nordin Amrabat's cross just wide of the mark.

Despite finding themselves under the cosh, Atletico remained a potent threat on the break and went close a minute later, as Koke headed off target under pressure from Kameni.

Samu made Atletico pay for that miss, racing on to Amrabat's througball and clipping over the advancing Oblak to put Malaga ahead with 19 minutes left.
But there proved to be one final twist in the 78th minute, as Griezmann smashed home left-footed following a precise cut-back by Raul Jimenez.

 

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West Ham 1-1 Stoke City: Late Arnautovic leveller denies Hammers

Marko Arnautovic's injury-time strike rescued a 1-1 draw for Stoke City at West Ham on Saturday.

Aaron Cresswell opened the scoring with a stunning free-kick in the seventh minute but Arnautovic, who already had two efforts ruled out for offside, found the net moments before the final whistle to end Stoke's three-game run of defeats.

The draw leaves both sides on 43 points in the Premier League, with West Ham in ninth and Stoke City a place below.

Stoke made a sluggish start and it was quickly punished by the hosts. Glenn Whelan bundled Enner Valencia to the floor 25 yards from goal, leaving Cresswell to step up and whip a superb strike beyond Asmir Begovic and into the top corner.

Cheikhou Kouyate sauntered past a pitiful challenge from Steven N'Zonzi to test the Stoke goalkeeper in the 16th minute, although Winston Reid was forced into a last-ditch block to deny Jonathan Walters as Stoke belatedly stirred.

Mark Hughes' men were carrying the greater attacking threat by the time Jonathan Walters cut in from the left to ripple the side netting and home goalkeeper Adrian turned a Victor Moses snapshot behind six minutes before the break.

But the on-loan Chelsea forward endured an early end to his afternoon, injuring his left knee when he sent another shot narrowly wide in the closing moments of the half.

That brought Mame Biram Diouf into the action and, early in the second half, Stoke full-back Erik Pieters came on as Marc Wilson hobbled from the field.

The next enforced change was for West Ham, with Carlton Cole replacing the injured Diafra Sakho before the hour, and the stoppages went a long way to explaining an uneventful and disjointed start to the second half.

Charlie Adam dragged wide from the edge of the area under pressure from James Collins before the midfielder - who scored a stunning goal from the halfway line in last weekend's loss to Chelsea - picked out Arnautovic to slot home a tidy finish from an offside position.

West Ham's sharpness in attack diminished in Sakho's absence, but Kouyate found space in the box after 71 minutes and forced Begovic to beat a low strike out of the bottom corner.

At the other end, Adrian found himself comfortably beaten when he gratefully saw Diouf's well-directed effort cannon back off the upright.

Arnautovic cut a furious figure when the assistant's flag curtailed his celebrations for converting substitute Stephen Ireland's pass, but he finally found the equaliser in the fifth and final minute of added time.

The Austria international drove purposefully at a tiring West Ham defence and lashed into the bottom left-hand corner.

 

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Tottenham 0-1 Aston Villa: Benteke hands Sherwood winning White Hart Lane return

Christian Benteke maintained his fine goalscoring form to give Aston Villa a 1-0 win over Tottenham as manager Tim Sherwood enjoyed a victorious return to White Hart Lane.

Sherwood's positive six-month spell in charge of the north London club finished at the end of last season and the former Spurs boss saw his current side pick up three vital Premier League points despite a late Carlos Sanchez red card.

Belgium striker Benteke hit a hat-trick in Tuesday's 3-3 draw with QPR and again underlined his importance to Villa's survival bid when he made the most of a rare first-half opportunity on Saturday.

Benteke glanced Leandro Bacuna's delivery past Michel Vorm to register his 10th league goal of the season, with Gabriel Agbonlahor then coming within a post's width of doubling the lead before half-time.

Harry Kane - given his first regular run in the Spurs line-up under Sherwood last term - had the second half's best chance but neither the Tottenham skipper nor his team-mates could find an elusive equaliser.

While Sherwood saw Ciaran Clark and Agbonlahor limp off prior to Sanchez being dismissed, the Villa boss was able to celebrate a result made all the more important by defeats for Sunderland and Hull City beneath them.

Mauricio Pochettino brought Federico Fazio and Andros Townsend into the Spurs XI and both he and Sherwood will have been pleased with their sides’ positive starts despite the lack of clear-cut chances.

Villa's momentum was quelled somewhat when Clark limped off before being replaced by Nathan Baker.

Danny Rose had the game's first effort on target as he forced Brad Guzan into a smart stop just prior to the half-hour mark, while Nacer Chadli was set through on goal by Kane only to be caught by Bacuna.

Full-back Bacuna then had a crucial role to play at the other end as he supplied the in-form Benteke with a pinpoint cross 35 minutes in.

The Belgian stole in ahead of Fazio and nodded a majestic opener past Vorm to make it eight goals in his last six Premier League appearances.

After Guzan had saved a long-range effort from Kane, Villa almost doubled their advantage ahead of the interval when Agbonlahor struck Vorm's left-hand post.

Spurs piled on the pressure in the second half, with Kane again going close before the hour - cutting onto his left foot before unleashing a strike that skimmed off the roof of the net.

Villa should have made the result more convincing when, following Agbonlahor's injury, Fabian Delph was thwarted by Vorm.

Neither the missed opportunity nor Sanchez's two second-half yellow cards for tackles on Ryan Mason and Rose proved crucial as Sherwood's men moved up to 15th and took another step closer to safety.

 

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West Brom 2-3 Leicester City: Vardy stunner completes miraculous Foxes comeback

Leicester City's Premier League survival hopes received a huge boost at The Hawthorns as two late goals earned them a 3-2 win over West Brom.

Jamie Vardy struck the decisive goal for Nigel Pearson's side in stoppage time as Leicester recorded back-to-back wins to move just three points behind fourth-bottom Hull City with a game in hand.

Darren Fletcher had given Albion the lead inside the opening 10 minutes with his first goal for the club, only for David Nugent to bring Leicester level with his fifth goal of the campaign.

Craig Gardner's perfectly executed volley gave Tony Pulis' side the lead once again before the break, but Leicester posed more of an attacking threat in the second half and were rewarded in a dramatic finale.

A Robert Huth header restored parity with 10 minutes to play, before Vardy sealed a huge win in their fight against relegation.

It was a second successive home defeat for Albion, who are seven points above the drop zone.

Wearing a commemorative 1968 kit in honour of former striker Jeff Astle, West Brom made a vibrant start and fired an early warning as Joleon Lescott headed over after six minutes.

Leicester – who made one change from their victory over West Ham – failed to heed that caution as the home side took the lead two minutes later.

Fletcher rose unmarked at the front post to flick in Chris Brunt's corner, with goalline technology awarding the goal despite Esteban Cambiasso's attempts to clear.

Leicester restored parity after 20 minutes as Leonardo Ulloa beat Gareth McAuley in the air from a quick free-kick, his knock-down perfect for Nugent to poke the ball under Boaz Myhill.

They were not level for long, though, as Wes Morgan failed to clear Brunt's teasing cross and Gardner lashed in from 12 yards – much to the frustration of Leicester, who felt the ball had gone out for a throw in the build-up.

Ulloa should have sent the sides in level at half-time as Leicester's strike partnership combined again after 42 minutes, but he blazed over from eight yards.

Pearson will have been pleased with Leicester's promising start to the second half, but the visitors lacked quality in front of goal and they struggled to stretch Myhill.

Victor Anichebe's introduction on the hour-mark gave Albion more attacking threat, while fellow substitute Jonas Olsson could have also extended their lead further with two headed chances in the space of a minute.

With time running out Leicester finally got the goal their pressure deserved, Nugent clipping a cross back into the six-yard box where Marcin Wasilewski and Huth combined to bring the sides level again.

And Leicester were not finished yet, as Vardy teased the Albion defence before slotting home a low shot to secure a precious win.

 

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Sunderland 1-4 Crystal Palace: Bolasie hat-trick piles on the misery on Black Cats

A stunning 11-minute hat-trick from Yannick Bolasie helped steer Crystal Palace to a resounding 4-1 win over struggling Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

Glenn Murray bagged his sixth goal in as many games to open the deadlock for Palace before Bolasie took centre stage to send Sunderland slumping to another emphatic home defeat following the setback against Aston Villa by the same scoreline last month.

Bolasie had scored just once in the league prior to his treble on Saturday, but ruthlessly put Sunderland to the sword as Dick Advocaat's side were emphatically brought back to earth after beating local rivals Newcastle United last weekend.

Connor Wickham did pulled one back in the 90th minute for the hosts, but it was a scant consolation.

The result leaves Advocaat's men still hovering just three points above the drop zone, while Palace are pushing for a top-10 finish.

The return to fitness of Jack Rodwell had handed Sunderland a pre-match boost, with Palace also given a given lift as they welcomed back a key figure in the form of skipper Mile Jedinak, who had missed the previous four games through suspension.

Roared on by a vociferous crowd, Sunderland made most of the early running, but were a touch fortunate not to be reduced to 10 men after 15 minutes, Rodwell escaping with a yellow card following a reckless challenge on midfield counterpart James McArthur.

And from the resulting free-kick, home skipper Lee Cattermole came close to gifting the visitors the opening goal as his attempted clearance flew just wide of the post.

Having weathered the early storm, Palace began to assert themselves, with the pace and movement of Wilfried Zaha, Bolasie and Jason Puncheon keeping a nervy-looking Sunderland defence on its toes.

The best Sunderland could muster before the break was an acrobatic volley from Steven Fletcher that forced goalkeeper Julian Speroni into a regulation save.

The game exploded into life at the start of the second half, however, as the visitors unleashed a quickfire, four-goal barrage.

Murray got things going when he nodded home a superb Bolasie cross at the back post after 48 minutes and the in-form striker then returned the favour almost immediately, providing a headed assist for the DR Congo winger to make it 2-0.

Sunderland were still all at sea three minutes later when Bolasie beat John O'Shea to Jedinak's throughball before calmly lobbing the advancing Costel Pantilimon.

That goal prompted a number of home fans to head for the exits and that became a mass exodus when Bolasie claimed his third and Palace's fourth after 62 minutes, with Murray again creating the opening.

Wickham did provide a last-minute reply for the visitors, but it was too little, too late for Advocaat's men, who need to regroup quickly ahead of next weekend's crunch trip to Stoke City.

 

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Real Madrid 3-0 Eibar: Ronaldo, Jese and Hernandez shine for Blancos

Cristiano Ronaldo continued his fine goalscoring form as a much-changed Real Madrid side claimed a 3-0 win over Eibar to remain hot on Barcelona's heels in the Liga title race.

Carlo Ancelotti made numerous changes ahead of Tuesday's Champions League quarter-final first leg clash at Atletico Madrid, but Real secured a comfortable win at Santiago Bernabeu to keep the pressure on leaders Barca.

The European champions dominated and deservedly went ahead in the 21st minute, Ronaldo finding the net directly from a free-kick for the first time in La Liga since March 2014 to take his tally to eight goals in his last four league matches.
Javier Hernandez, making his first Liga start since October, nodded in the second just after the half-hour mark, converting the delivery of another of Ancelotti's fringe players – Alvaro Arbeloa.

Although Real were less rampant after the break, they remained in complete control and were only denied more goals due to good saves from Xabi Irureta.
Eibar attempted to pull one back in order to set up a nervous finish, but lacked quality in the final third and Jese Rodriguez added a third goal seven minutes from time.

Despite giving rare starts to the likes of Hernandez and Jese, Ancelotti's changes did not seem to have a negative impact on the hosts' fluency during the early stages.

Isco crafted the first chance of the game with only three minutes played, delightfully jinking between a couple of defenders before seeing a 25-yard effort deflected just wide. Real continued to dominate and should have been rewarded with an opening goal in the 19th minute.

Sergio Ramos smashed Arbeloa's delivery against the crossbar from close range, before Ronaldo's 18-yard follow-up effort hit both posts and then Hernandez saw his strike on the rebound disallowed due to offside.

Real finally opened the scoring two minutes later, as Irureta inexplicably allowed Ronaldo's 30-yard free kick to bounce straight past him and into the net.
Real only had to wait another 10 minutes before doubling their advantage, with Hernandez guiding a glancing header beyond Irureta following a fine Arbeloa cross.Ancelotti's men remained firmly on the front foot at the beginning of the second period and went close twice in quick succession.

Luka Modric tested Irureta with a left-footed effort following Marcelo's precise cut-back in the 50th minute, before Hernandez headed another Arbeloa cross at the keeper.

Eibar became more ambitious, but they never looked like salvaging a result and Jese rounded off the scoring with a late third goal.

The young forward darted past Raul Navas and fired into the bottom-left corner in the 83rd minute as Real secured a third win in the space of six days.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Southampton 2-0 Hull City: Pelle ends drought to keep Saints in Europa League hunt

Hull City defender Alex Bruce was left to rue a clumsy challenge after conceding the penalty that sent Southampton on their way to a 2-0 Premier League victory on Saturday.

Relegation-threatened Hull had shown signs of picking up a much-needed result in the first half, with Sone Aluko proving a constant nuisance to the Southampton back line.

However, Bruce lunged in on former Hull striker Shane Long to concede a 56th-minute spot-kick, and James Ward-Prowse – previously without a league goal to his name – made no mistake in finding the net.

James Chester came agonisingly close to restoring parity soon after when he saw a header cleared off the line by Ryan Bertrand, but Graziano Pelle made sure of maximum points with his first Southampton goal of 2015 nine minutes from time.

The result leaves Hull two points clear of the drop zone with just six matches left to play, including clashes with Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United.

Wins for Burnley or QPR, who face Arsenal and Chelsea respectively this weekend, would see Hull slip into the bottom three.

Goalkeeper Allan McGregor was dropped to the bench following a disappointing performance in a 3-1 defeat at Swansea City last weekend and replacement Steve Harper – one of five changes for the visitors – soon came under pressure from Long, who was unable to make the most of a loose Jake Livermore backpass.

An open start to proceedings saw Aluko poke just wide at the other end moments later, before the striker tested Kelvin Davis with a low drive.

Harper went some way to justifying his selection by making himself big to keep out Pelle from close range after 20 minutes, while Aluko continued to give the home defence plenty to think about.

The Nigeria international's next effort swerved just wide from 25 yards, and Morgan Schneiderlin was lucky to escape a booking for a frustrated lunge on the Hull forward on the half-hour mark.

An advancing Aluko was then tugged back by Victor Wanyama, who was shown the yellow card and will miss Southampton's next two matches as a result.

Davis got down well to his left when Livermore - teed up by Aluko - fired a low drive at the bottom corner early in the second half, but a clumsy Bruce challenge on Long in the box proved costly.

Ward-Prowse coolly slotted home from the resulting penalty, but Chester would have restored parity soon after had his header not found a well-placed Bertrand on the line.

Any hopes of a turnaround were dashed after 81 minutes, when Pelle - who had not scored since December - tucked in a low strike from a Schneiderlin cutback.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Gladbach 3-1 Borussia Dortmund: Klopp's men trampled on by third-place hosts

Patrick Herrmann starred for Borussia Monchengladbach as they ran-out 3-1 winners over Borussia Dortmund at Borussia-Park, holding onto third place in the Bundesliga in the process.

Monchengladbach suffered a shock DFB-Pokal exit at the hands of third-tier Arminia Bielefeld on Wednesday, but Lucien Favre's side made the perfect start on Saturday when Wendt fired them ahead after just 28 seconds.

And their lead was doubled just after the half-hour mark - reported Manchester United target Herrmann surging forward at blistering pace before teeing up Raffael to slot into an open goal.

Shinji Kagawa squandered two chances in quick succession as Jurgen Klopp's men - beaten by Bayern Munich last time out - appeared rejuvenated after the interval.Those misses proved costly just over 10 minutes later, Havard Nordtveit scooping in from close range following poor Dortmund defending from a corner.

Ilkay Gundogan did restore some pride for the visitors with a well-taken goal in the 77th minute, but Monchengladbach held firm to extend their unbeaten league run to eight games.It was the hosts who raced ahead inside the opening minute.

Following good combination play with Raffael, Herrmann carved through Dortmund's defence before squaring to Fabian Johnson, who had replaced Thorgan Hazard in the starting line-up.

Though the United States international's shot was well saved by Roman Weidenfeller, Wendt - charging in from outside the area - was on hand to fire home the rebound.

Dortmund, once again shorn of injured star forward Marco Reus, did go close to restoring parity 15 minutes in, Henrikh Mkhitaryan's ambitious effort going just wide of the left-hand upright.

And the visitors' troubles were compounded after 32 minutes, Hermmann once again the catalyst for another sweeping move as he charged through the heart of the defence after picking up possession inside his own half.

The dynamic winger raced past the floundering Neven Subotic and, as Weidenfeller rushed out to close him down, calmly picked out Raffael, who duly netted his ninth league goal of the campaign.

After Weidenfeller had made a good save from Herrmann, Dortmund finally managed to get in behind Monchengladbach five minutes after the restart – Marcel Schmelzer making headway down the left before crossing to Kagawa, but he failed to tap home from close range.

Kagawa was guilty of missing another gilt-edged opportunity two minutes later, this time after being set up by Jakub Blaszczykowski, but the midfielder once again failed to tuck in the cross.Monchengladbach should have extended their advantage when Raffael setting up Wendt in the box, but the left-back skewed his strike wide.

However, they did not have to wait much longer for a third - Nordtveit on hand to tap home after Sebastian Kehl had headed the ball into the back of second-half substitute Adrian Ramos.

Klopp introduced Jeremy Dudziak in place of Schmelzer with 20 minutes remaining, and the youngster did well to find Gundogan, who drilled a low effort past Yann Sommer to give the visitors some hope.

Max Kruse went close to adding a fourth for Monchengladbach, but the forward failed to nudge in Herrmann's cross, though that miss made little difference as they ended Dortmund's five-match unbeaten streak on the road.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern Munich 3-0 Eintracht Frankfurt: Lewandowski fires injury-hit Bavarians to win

Bayern Munich tightened their grip on a third straight Bundesliga title after Robert Lewandowski's brace inspired a 3-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Allianz Arena.

Coach Pep Guardiola claimed he only had 14 fit players available in the run up to Saturday's game and named just four substitutes as a result, but runaway leaders Bayern made light of their injury problems and were led superbly by Lewandowski The Pole struck first after quarter of an hour, producing a superb touch on the edge of the area with his back to goal before turning to lash home an unstoppable effort.

Mario Gotze crashed a drive against the post just after the hour before Lewandowski doubled his tally with a close-range header.Only the woodwork denied Lewandowski a hat-trick late on, with Thomas Muller adding a third with a cool slotted finish.

The result boosts Bayern's bid for a domestic and European treble and leaves them in confident mood ahead of their Champions League quarter-final first leg with Porto on Wednesday.

Despite their recent injury worries, Bayern dominated possession during the opening exchanges and were rewarded for their early efforts in spectacular fashion after 15 minutes.

A chipped ball from Muller found Lewandowski with his back to goal on the edge of the area before a deft touch allowed the Pole to turn and fire a vicious volley into the top corner.

The legs of goalkeeper Kevin Trapp prevented Lewandowski from doubling his tally five minutes later and another smart save was enough to keep out the bustling striker's poked finish soon after.

Bayern goalkeeper Pepe Reina, preferred ahead of regular number one Manuel Neuer, was eventually called into action just before the break to deny Sonny Kittel after a rare Eintracht foray forward, but the hosts remained largely untroubled.
The home side had the ball in the net when Muller slotted home moments later, but a second goal was ruled out for offside after much deliberation between referee Markus Schmidt and his assistant.

The hosts continued to attack with purpose after the break, with Gotze rattling the post with a low drive just after the hour.Eintracht, missing Bundesliga top scorer Alex Meier, still could not fashion any notable opportunities and were inevitably punished after 66 minutes.

A brilliant breakaway move allowed Gotze to get a shot away inside the area that was initially well blocked on the line by Makoto Hasebe, only for Lewandowski to head the rebound into an unguarded net.

Sebastian Rode was introduced late on to face his former club, but Lewandowski remained the star attraction, hitting the post 15 minutes from time.

But Bayern were not to be denied a third, with Muller bursting into the box before slotting past an onrushing Trapp and round off a thoroughly satisfying afternoon for the defending champions.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Swansea City 1-1 Everton: Shelvey penalty denies Martinez a fourth straight league win

Swansea City recovered from an injury to Bafetimbi Gomis to salvage a 1-1 draw with Everton at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday, equalling their record Premier League points tally in the process.

The in-form Frenchman, who has become Swansea's focal point up front since Wilfried Bony's exit to Manchester City in January, was forced off 16 minutes into a clash that saw the spoils shared following goals from Aaron Lennon and Jonjo Shelvey.

Gomis' withdrawal proved a turning point after early Swansea pressure, with Lennon's calm 41st-minute strike giving Roberto Martinez's men the lead despite having been on the back foot.

Everton appeared on course for a fourth consecutive league win until Seamus Coleman's handball allowed Shelvey an opportunity to equalise from the penalty spot.

Shelvey made no mistake to ensure a stalemate that maintains Everton's unbeaten league record against their Welsh opponents, with Garry Monk's side moving to a record-equalling 47 points for the season.

It takes Swansea level with their haul from 2011-12, with Monk's men having six games remaining to surpass that figure.

Swansea, who brought in Angel Rangel for the injured Kyle Naughton, made much of the early running in a low-key start and saw Gomis go close 12 minutes in.

Gomis brought a smart save out of Tim Howard before his involvement was cut short when he was forced off having appeared to tweak a hamstring.

Marvin Emnes replaced the former Lyon striker and gradually the hosts got back into the ascendancy, with Shelvey beating Howard only to see his effort ruled out for a foul in the build-up.

While Martinez's men struggled to get into their stride initially, Everton finished the half strongly as Seamus Coleman saw a strike saved before Lennon went one better shortly before half-time.

After James McCarthy's cross evaded two Swansea defenders, Lennon lost marker Neil Taylor and angled an effort into the far corner to register his second goal for the club since joining on loan from Tottenham.

Monk's side set about finding their way back into the game after the break and were gifted an opportunity when Coleman handled inside the area under pressure from Emnes.

The substitute harried the Everton man into an inexplicable handball and Shelvey tucked home the equaliser shortly after the hour mark.

McCarthy wasted an opportunity to have the final say, when he opted to pass to Lennon instead of shooting in the final third, before Gylfi Sigurdsson curled a free-kick narrowly over the crossbar for the hosts.

However, both sides left with a point apiece, as Everton edged closer to Premier League safety, while Monk will hope for a positive prognosis on Gomis' fitness going into the final few games of another positive campaign.