..::Football III::..

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Inzaghi: I can take Milan back to the top

AC Milan coach Filippo Inzaghi believes the club have a set-up that can take them back to the top of European football.

The Rossoneri take on city rivals in Inter in the 162nd Milan derby on Sunday, with both having endured disappointing seasons thus far which looks set to see them miss out on European football.

But Inzaghi, who has faced intense speculation that he will be lucky to last past his first season as a head coach, believes he and current president Silvio Berlusconi have what it takes to get the seven-time European champions back on track.

"I want to see a Milan side back at the top and that wins," Inzaghi told a press conference.

"Football goes in cycles, but I am convinced that with this President and the club directors we will go back to the top and win again. I am very happy about the president’s confidence in me and I hope that we can win for him.

"I will continue on my path with the same spirit and always motivated. I have only just started my coaching career, I am very calm and will continue on this path. I hope to repay all of the faith that has been shown in me."

Milan trail Inter in the derby head-to-head by 60 wins to their 50, have won only one of their last seven games against Inter in Serie A (losing four), and have managed just two wins in their last six league games.But Inzaghi says he has seen enough positives from his side to believe they can emerge victorious following last week’s 1-1 draw at home to Sampdoria.

"It is important for the league table and that’s not all. We’re taking on a great side, but we have to take to the pitch convinced that we can give a top performance," he said.

"Against Sampdoria we had 24 shots on goal. From those, 7 were on target but only one was a goal, which means that we have to improve… I am calm ahead of the match but it’s clear that the derby is a match that has to be won."Inzaghi also revealed he was hoping to welcome back Keisuke Honda, who has been out with a foot injury since the middle of March.

"Honda has recovered," Inzaghi said. "He has been training since Tuesday and he has recovered 10 days ahead of schedule.

"In the final training session, I will see whether to start him or not. He still feels a bit of pain when he strikes the ball hard, but it’s normal."Milan sit ninth in Serie A - seven points behind Fiorentina and a Europa League berth - just one point of Inter in tenth.

 

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Wenger: Reading were ready to die for an FA Cup final spot

Arsene Wenger has admitted Arsenal struggled to overcome a Reading side who were "ready to die" for a place in the FA Cup final.

Alexis Sanchez gave the Gunners the lead at Wembley, only for Gareth McCleary to equalise early in the second half to take the game into extra time, much like Wigan's showing against Arsenal 12 months ago.

However, Alexis netted again, his shot squirming between the legs of the otherwise impressive Adam Federici, to send Arsenal to a second consecutive FA Cup final, and Wenger praised the Championship strugglers.

"It was a difficult game against a resilient, well-organised, physically very strong and committed Reading team," he told reporters. "It was comparable to our game against Wigan last year.

"In the end we got through. We had a lot of possession but it was still difficult to find space. I was surprised how strong they were in the challenges. We suffered a little bit and lost some balls we were not used to losing.

"What was missing was some speed of combination and sharpness in the final third. The spirit and concentration was there ... Reading wanted it and were ready to die.

Per Mertesacker was forced off and replaced by Gabriel on the hour mark and Wenger revealed the initial prognosis of injury is concerning: "It is his ankle. He limps badly so that doesn’t look too good."

 

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PSV crowned Eredivisie champions

PSV claimed their 22nd Eredivisie title on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Heerenveen.

Two Luuk de Jong headers and a stunning Memphis Depay free-kick followed by a late goal from Luciano Narsingh secured the Dutch championship with three games to spare.

Second-placed Ajax meet host NAC Breda on Sunday but with just four games remaining are now unable to catch the runaway leaders, who have been top since week of the season.

It is the club’s first league title since 2008, and the first for coach Phillip Cocu, who claimed four Eredivisie-winners’ medals with the Dutch side as a player.

Depay's free-kick marked his 20th strike of the season for the 21-year-old Dutch international who has been linked with a big-money move to a host of Europe's top clubs, including Manchester United and Arsenal.

He has been the league's standout performer this term and will battle it out with team-mate De Jong to be the league's top scorer in the final weeks of the season.

De Jong has bounced back from a disappointing sting with Newcastle United in the Premier League and now sits just one goal behind Depay in the Eredivisie scoring charts.

PSV's triumph ends a four-year dominance of the league by Ajax.

 

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Congratulations PSV!​

 

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Barclays Premier League 2015.04.19 Fixtures

Barclays Premier League 2015.04.19 Fixtures

Manchester City Vs West Ham

Newcastle United Vs Tottenham

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FA Cup Fixture Semi-Final Fixture 2015.04.19

FA Cup Fixture Semi-Final Fixture 2015.04.19

Aston Villa Vs Liverpool

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La Liga 2015.04.19 Fixtures

La Liga 2015.04.19 Fixtures

Rayo Vallecano Vs Almeria

Granada Vs Sevilla

Villareal Vs Cordoba

Eibar Vs Celta Vigo​

 

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Serie A 2015.04.19 Fixtures

Serie A 2015.04.19 Fixtures

Sassuolo Vs Torino

Roma Vs Atalanta

Chievo Vs Udinese

Empoli Vs Parma

Palermo Vs Genoa

Cagliari Vs Napoli

Inter Vs AC Milan​

 

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Inter 0-0 AC Milan: Mancini's men forced to settle for a draw

Inter and AC Milan played out a dreary 0-0 derby draw on Sunday that encapsulated their respective disappointing seasons in Serie A.

There was a notable lack of quality in attack for both sides, perhaps showcasing how the two giants of Italian football have fallen from grace in recent seasons.

That feeling was particularly evident in a first half that provided little in terms of goalmouth action, although Milan did see Alex have a goal ruled out for offside.
Inter, the designated hosts, improved after the break and Rodrigo Palacio had a goal of his own disallowed, before Roberto Mancini's men had penalty claims against Luca Antonelli turned away.

Milan's Philippe Mexes had his blushes spared with just under 20 minutes remaining when he turned into his own net, only for a foul off the ball to curtail Inter's celebrations.A draw means that Milan stay one place and one point above their rivals in ninth.

Inter started at a quick tempo and Hernanes almost opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a spectacular 35-yard effort that Diego Lopez parried high to his left.

Milan grew into the game and Suso - making his first start since joining from Liverpool in January - twice tested Samir Handanovic with long-range shots.
Handanovic was then forced into a great save when Nigel de Jong met Suso's free-kick from the right at the back post, Alex slammed home the rebound but the whistle had already gone for offside against the defender.It was Inter's turn to be denied by the offside flag after the break.

Hernanes led a swift breakaway and slipped a superb ball into the left channel for the quiet Mauro Icardi, but the forward had strayed offside and by the time he squared for Palacio to side-foot home, the whistle had already gone.That marked the start of a spell of sustained pressure from Inter and Mexes had to be on hand to make a crucial block when Palacio had worked the angle to shoot past Lopez.

Inter saw appeals for a penalty dismissed after Hernanes' shot hit the hand of Antonelli.And they were again up in arms when Mexes steered the Brazilian's cross past his own goalkeeper, only for the referee to blow for a foul from Palacio on Antonelli.

Mancini's side continued to press – Palacio forcing a point-blank stop from Lopez before Icardi lashed wide – but the contest ended in a goalless draw, arguably as much as either side deserved as the full-time whistle was met with frustrated whistles from the stands.

 

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Wolfsburg 1-1 Schalke: De Bruyne curler cancels out Sane solo brilliance

Kevin De Bruyne saved Wolfsburg from their second home defeat of the week with an immaculate curled effort to secure a 1-1 draw against Schalke on Sunday.

The visitors were pegged back for most of the first half and were essentially kept in the game by shot-stopper Ralf Fahrmann, who marauded his area with great presence and continually saved Wolfsburg efforts.

On the 53-minute mark, Leroy Sane sprinted with the ball from inside his own half on a solo Schalke counterattack all the way into the opposition area to finish an excellent individual attempt.

But Wolfsburg pushed hard for an equaliser and it came late in the game when De Bruyne placed his 10th Bundesliga goal of the season effortlessly into the bottom corner from 25 yards out.

The draw leaves the hosts 12 points away from Bayern Munich at the top of the league, while Schalke leapfrogged Augsburg into fifth by virtue of goal difference.

Wolfsburg started the match in positive fashion, with De Bruyne's incisive cross looking set to allow Andre Schurrle to nip in the opener, but Fahrmann came off his line to intercept the attack.

The Belgian winger then locked his eyes on goal to loop an outrageous shot from the left flank which had Fahrmann scrambling over his line, but it dipped inches over the crossbar.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who had not scored in 11 Schalke games, went down from the feeblest of touches when Naldo tackled him inside the area and the visitors' only attack of note was ended by the referee waving away his half-hearted penalty protests.

Roberto Di Matteo had Fahrmann to thank for still having a clean sheet at half-time, with the keeper pulling off a superb double-save to deny Ivan Perisic then De Bruyne from close-range with a couple of minutes left on the clock.

Wolfsburg bounced into the second half in style as Switzerland international Ricardo Rodriguez smashed the crossbar with a strike from 25 yards out.

However, it was Schalke who took the lead despite the home team's dominance as Sane picked up the ball in his own half during a Wolfsburg attack and sprinted two-thirds of the pitch into the opposition 18-yard box.

After initially getting the ball stuck between his feet, the young German regained his composure to force to ball past Diego Benaglio.

Schurrle forged a fine chance to equalise but Fahrmann's brilliance between the sticks continued as he denied the January signing a goal with yet another save.

It took 79 minutes for Fahrmann to finally be beaten, with Daniel Caligiuri's mazy run being deflected into the path of De Bruyne who did not even need a touch as he bent the ball first time into the bottom corner.

Wolfsburg threw Bas Dost on in hopes they could sneak a win they might argue their dominance deserved, but Schalke held off the intense pressure to earn a point at the Volkswagen Arena.

 

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Newcastle 1-3 Tottenham: Kane wraps up comfortable Spurs win

Newcastle United failed to halt their dismal run of form on Sunday as they were beaten 3-1 by Tottenham at a sparse St James' Park.

Some supporters boycotted the game in protest at the running of the club and a perceived lack of ambition from the board.

And for those who were in attendance, there was little cause for cheer as goals from Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane eclipsed Jack Colback's effort to inflict a sixth consecutive defeat on the hosts.

Chadli gave Mauricio Pochettino's side a half-time lead with a long-range strike 29 minutes in, though Tim Krul might have done more to save the effort.

However, Newcastle equalised early in the second half - Colback restoring parity 18 seconds after the restart.

If there was any doubt about Krul's role in Spurs' first goal, there was nowhere for the goalkeeper to hide with the second, as Eriksen's 53rd-minute free-kick eluded the Dutchman's grasp and found the back of the net.

Kane's 30th goal of the campaign added to John Carver's woes, with Newcastle remaining just seven points clear of the relegation zone, while Spurs moved above Southampton into sixth.

Skipper Fabricio Coloccini returned from suspension and was required to snuff out an early Kane opportunity in a low-key opening 10 minutes on Tyneside.

Ayoze Perez had the first effort on target, side-footing a Yoan Gouffran cross at Michel Vorm, as Spurs initially struggled to convert their possession into clear-cut chances.

However, when Gouffran carelessly lost possession in midfield, Chadli made the most of the time and space afforded to him to fire past Krul and further dampen an already muted atmosphere.

Newcastle demonstrated a stark lack of attacking invention in the first half, but Carver introduced Sammy Ameobi and Gabriel Obertan at the break and the reshuffle paid dividends almost immediately when Colback levelled.

After Perez's perseverance, Daryl Janmaat saw a shot blocked before Colback steered home the loose ball inside a minute of the second half.

It was only Newcastle's second Premier League goal in six outings, but Newcastle quickly fell behind again when Krul failed to deal with Eriksen's curled delivery.

The Dane's free-kick evaded a host of Spurs players as well as the Newcastle goalkeeper to restore the visitors' advantage, before Nabil Bentaleb came close to heading home a third - grazing the roof of the net following Chadli's cross.

Krul atoned for his error by keeping out Kane's point-blank header, only to be beaten by the England striker's one-on-one finish in stoppage time as the hosts miserable day was completed.

 

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Aston Villa 2-1 Liverpool: Benteke & Delph strike to send Villans into FA Cup Final

Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph scored as Aston Villa came from behind to beat Liverpool 2-1 on Sunday and book their place in the FA Cup final.

Philippe Coutinho opened the scoring in the semi-final clash, but the Belgian striker hit back just six minutes later, before Delph completed the turnaround in the second-half.

Villa will now face Arsenal in the showpiece on May 30, with Steven Gerrard’s hopes of a fairytale end to his Liverpool career left in tatters.

All the talk had been of whether Gerrard could finish his Liverpool career by lifting the FA Cup next month on his birthday in his final game before joining LA Galaxy, but there will no fairytale end for the long-serving captain, with Villa instead reaching their first FA Cup final for 15 years.

Gerrard and Martin Skrtel both slotted back into the Liverpool team following their respective bans, but the talismanic captain had little effect during the early exchanges as Villa began brightly.

Villa youngster Jack Grealish looked particularly threatening, but it was Charles N'Zogbia who had the first attempt at goal with a 25-yard drive which was tipped over the crossbar by Simon Mignolet in the 12th minute.

Despite their superiority, Villa struggled to craft goal-scoring opportunities and Liverpool capitalised on hesitant defending to take a 30th-minute lead.

Jores Okore - on for Nathan Baker after he took a blow to the head - and Delph both failed to clear the ball, and Coutinho subsequently burst into the penalty area and coolly slotted past Shay Given after racing on to Raheem Sterling's through ball.

Their joy was short-lived, however, as Villa deservedly levelled only six minutes later.

A fine move down the left resulted in Grealish releasing Delph in the area and his cut-back was dispatched beyond Mignolet by the lurking Benteke, his fifth goal in seven games against the Merseyside club.

Rodgers introduced Balotelli for the anonymous Lazar Markovic at half-time, but that switch changed little with regards to Villa's control and Sherwood's side soon had a well-earned lead.

The impressive Grealish produced a clever reverse pass into the area for Delph and the England international jinked past Dejan Lovren, before sliding past Mignolet.

Falling behind forced Liverpool's hand and they began to open up, finding themselves exposed on the break on a couple of occasions.

However, Villa were unable to punish them again and Liverpool piled the pressure on towards the end, Gerrard – who was far from his best – having a header cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson with four minutes to go.

There was further frustration for Liverpool as Balotelli incorrectly had an 88th-minute strike disallowed for offside and that proved to be a costly decision, as Villa held on to book another trip to Wembley.

 

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Arsenal hoda chance 1kak thiyanawa FA Cup 1ka win karanna​

 

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Manchester City 2-0 West Ham: Silva stretchered off as Aguero seals win

David Silva's head injury overshadowed Manchester City's comfortable 2-0 Premier League win over West Ham as the hosts eased the pressure on manager Manuel Pellegrini.

Pellegrini admitted ahead of the game at the Etihad Stadium that he could be sacked if City fail to finish in the top four, with the reigning champions having lost four of their previous six top-flight matches.

Despite the absence of the likes of Vincent Kompany and James Milner through injury, City were able to see off an ineffective West Ham side and move seven points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, who do have a game in hand.

A bizarre 18th-minute own goal from James Collins put City ahead before Sergio Aguero doubled the lead with his 20th league goal of the campaign.

West Ham never threatened a fightback, but a routine victory was soured when Silva was caught by an elbow from Cheikhou Kouyate midway through the second half, with the Senegalese earning only a booking.

The former Valencia midfielder received lengthy treatment from the City medical team before being taken off on a stretcher.

City had the better of the opening stages as West Ham struggled to retain possession and, after Alexander Kolarov had gone close with a curling free-kick, the hosts took the lead through a huge stroke of fortune after 18 minutes.

Jesus Navas picked up the ball on the right wing following a poor goal kick from Adrian and the Spain international's cross was inadvertently turned home by Collins, whose attempted clearance looped over Adrian and in off the underside of the crossbar.

Collins did somewhat atone for that error as he produced a goal-saving tackle to prevent Silva from adding a second at the end of a well-worked City move.

West Ham grew into the game and provided a sporadic attacking threat, yet they were given a mountain to climb when Aguero finished off a sparkling counter-attack in the 36th minute.

Yaya Toure won the ball in midfield and set Aguero free, the Argentina striker then rounding off the attack with a clever low finish under Adrian after combining brilliantly with Navas.

Only an excellent last-ditch Carl Jenkinson tackle stopped Aguero from converting Toure's sublime reverse pass in the 49th minute as City continued to dominate after the restart.

Aguero spent a short time on the sidelines after seemingly picking up a knock in that tackle.

While Aguero recovered to make his way back onto the field, Silva was not so fortunate, the Spaniard receiving eight minutes of treatment on the field.

West Ham showed some positive intent in the time that remained, Enner Valencia and Kevin Nolan both spurning chances to pull one back late on.

But it is now one win in 11 league games for the visitors, while the attentions of a doubtlessly relieved Pellegrini will surely turn to the stricken Silva.

 

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Tevez: I've not decided if I'll stay at Juventus

Carlos Tevez has called for an end to the constant speculation surrounding his future at Juventus yet admitted that he has yet to decide if he will stay in Turin beyond the summer.

The Argentina international has made it clear that he intends to return to Boca Juniors, his first professional club, when his current contract with the Italian champions expires next year.

However, Boca president Daniel Angelici made headlines when he claimed that the Buenos Aires club were "close to bringing Carlos home".

The striker's agent dismissed the claim, insisting that his client fully intends to honour his contract with Juve, but the rumour mill went into overdrive again on Saturday when Tevez celebrated his strike in a 2-0 win over Lazio with a chicken dance, which was interpreted as a reference to a crucial goal for Boca in a Copa Libertadores semi-final clash with great rivals River Plate in 2004.

The 31-year-old promptly rubbished the link and admitted that he has grown weary of all of the speculation over his next move.

"That game [against River] does not come into it. I celebrated like that because I promised my people that I would and I will do the same if I score against Monaco [on Wednesday]," Tevez told Sky Sport Italia.

"As for my future, enough! It's not right to speak about me. Juve are what count.
"Both Juve and I are going through an extraordinary moment and I'm thinking only of Juve right now.

"I don't know if I will leave. I've not yet decided what to do."But it's not right to speak about it now and, as I said, the Bianconeri fans will be the first to know what I decide."

Tevez, who joined Juve from Manchester City in 2013, is the top scorer in Serie A this season, with his strike against Lazio taking his goals tally to 18 in 28 games.

 

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Manchester City & Chelsea are 20 years behind Liverpool - Rodgers

Brendan Rodgers claims that Liverpool and Manchester United are the two biggest clubs in England – and that it will take "20 years" for new-money sides like Manchester City, and even Chelsea, to catch up.

Rumours are swirling that Raheem Sterling could quit Anfield either to join either Jose Mourinho's team or Manuel Pellegrini's but Rodgers argues that such a move would represent a step down for the England international.

The Reds may only occupy fifth spot in the Premier League – and have not won the title in 25 years – but the Northern Irishman is adamant that City are incomparable to Liverpool and are instead scrapping with Chelsea and Arsenal to be the country's third-biggest club.

"I wouldn't say that this was a development ground for going to bigger clubs. If you say that Manchester City is a bigger club than Liverpool, you're wrong," Rodgers told reporters ahead of an FA Cup semi-final showdown with Aston Villa.

"At this moment in time, Manchester City are on a great project. They're a wonderful club, I've seen it for myself a few years ago when I spoke with them. I've got big respect for what they're doing there.

"They're trying to build it the right way and hopefully they'll get young players through at this Sport City, all of that, but, at this moment in time, you can't compare as a club the size of the two.

"You've got Liverpool and Manchester United, the two biggest clubs in this country, and the rest of them are fighting to be there over the next 20 years."

Liverpool have won the league title on 18 occasions, as well as lifting the Champions League – or European Cup – five times, whereas City have one Cup Winners' Cup and four top-flight titles, two of those coming in the last four years.

 

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I'd love to play with Cristiano, says Brazil legend Ronaldo

Brazil legend Ronaldo has revealed that if he could play alongside anybody in the modern game, it would be Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming that the pair would form a "spectacular" partnership.

The 38-year-old brought the curtain down on his illustrious career in 2011, though he recently hinted that he might occasionally turn out for Fort Lauderdale Strikers, a North American Soccer League outfit that he now co-owns.

Consequently, while Ronaldo says that there is little hope of him making a comeback at the highest level, he would dearly love to play alongside namesake Cristiano.

“If [Fort Lauderdale] reach the playoffs, I might give it a go again but I’d have to train very hard," the iconic striker is quoted as saying by AS. "But my time has passed."If I could play anywhere today, though? I’d love to play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.

"It’s not possible but it would be spectacular!"Cristiano, of course, is consistently compared to Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi but Ronaldo refused to be drawn into the debate over who is the superior talent.

“It’s wonderful to see how they play and how they score goals," the two-time Ballon d'Or winner stated. "I love watching both of them."

Ronaldo represented both Madrid and Barcelona during his playing days and he is expecting the pair's battle for this year's Liga title to be decided on the final day of the season.

“It will go down to the wire," he added.Barca currently top the table but are just two points clear of Madrid, with six rounds of the season remaining.

 

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James: Madrid worried by Modric injury

James Rodriguez has admitted that Real Madrid are worried by the prospect of having to face the rest of the season with Luka Modric.

Modric was forced off with a suspected sprained knee 60 minutes into Saturday's Liga win over Malaga and early reports have suggested that the Croatia international could be sidelined for six weeks.

That would represent a hammer blow for the European champions, whose form nosedived when the influential midfielder picked up an injury earlier in the season.
“We’re worried about him but hopefully he’s okay," James told Canal Plus after the 3-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu.

"He’s a great player, with a great touch and capable of scoring goals."Gareth Bale also picked up an injury against Malaga, with the Welshman having to be replaced just five minutes in after pulling up with a suspected calf muscle tear.

As a result, coach Carlo Ancelotti now looks set to be without two key players for Wednesday's decisive Champions League quarter-final clash with Atletico Madrid, with the tie finely balanced after a 0-0 draw at the Vicente Calderon.

"Hopefully, we’ll all be fit for the match," added James, who netted the Blancos' second goal in their 3-1 triumph over Malaga.

"They’re a very tough rival and our matches are always difficult. We need to concentrate."

 

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Van Gaal: United played their best match of the season at Chelsea

Louis van Gaal was in a bad mood with a BBC interviewer following Manchester United's 1-0 defeat by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

The Dutchman, who had earlier given a calmer interview to Sky Sports, took on a spikier approach later on when questioned about his feelings on United's display.

VAn Gaal claimed that his men produced their best performance of the season so far but, when his adversary asked if he really rated it so highly, he found that the tables had been turned and it was the United boss asking the questions.

Here is a full transcript of the two-minute exchange between the journalist (BBC) and Van Gaal (VG):

BBC: Louis, do you feel unlucky not to have won this game?

VG: It doesn't matter how I feel, I think.

BBC: But on possession, and on the amount of time you spent in Chelsea's half, you would say that you were at least as good as they were?

VG: I don't have to say it. In football it's only counting the goals and they scored one goal. It was the first shot on the goal and, against Crystal Palace, I believe it was in the 90th minute, so they did better today.

BBC: Are you frustrated by what you've seen?

VG: I am not frustrated, I am very proud of my team. Why do I have to be frustrated?

BBC: Just at losing the game...

VG: We played the best match of the season.

BBC: Is that how highly you rate the performance, yeah?

VG: Yeah, you don't?

BBC: No, I'm just interested in how you see it...

VG: Okay, that's good ... that you are interested.

BBC: You changed things around today because you had to. Did it work exactly as you intended it to, with Wayne Rooney back in midfield?

VG: When I say that we played the best match of the world, and is this a rhetorical question, I think.

BBC: What about the incident at the end? Should you have had a penalty?

VG: When you want to evaluate the referee then also you have to evaluate the first goal. In my opinion, that's the main decision of the referee.

BBC: Are you taking issue with what you feel maybe is a foul on [Radamel] Falcao?

VG: Maybe you can watch on television. Repetition, maybe.

BBC: Do you think it was a foul on Falcao in the build-up?

VG: So! You know that?! Okay...

BBC: Thanks, Louis.

 

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Real Madrid reeling as Modric ruled out for six weeks

Real Madrid have been rocked by the news that Luka Modric will miss the rest of their Liga campaign after being ruled out of action for six weeks.

The midfielder hobbled off 60 minutes into Saturday's Primera Division clash with Malaga at the Santiago Bernabeu and the capital club subsequently revealed that he had sprained a ligament in his right knee.

However, the Croatian Football Federation announced on Sunday that Modric will be sidelined for six weeks, meaning he will play no part in the conclusion of the Spanish season, which wraps up on May 24.

Consequently, the former Tottenham playmaker will miss the upcoming clashes with Celta (away), Almeria (home), Sevilla (away), Valencia (home), Espanyol (away) and Getafe (home).

More immediately, of course, Modric will also sit out Wednesday's pivotal Champions League quarter-final, second-leg showdown with city rivals Atletico at the Santiago Bernabeu.However, the 29-year-old would, in theory, be available for the final, should Madrid make it all the way to Berlin to defend their European crown on June 6.

Worryingly for the Blancos, though, Carlo Ancelotti is also sweating on the fitness of winger Gareth Bale, who was also forced off in the 3-1 win over Malaga.

The €100 million man last just five minutes before pulling up with a suspected muscle tear that could see him ruled out of the derby and the remainder of Madrid's bid to overturn their two-point deficit to Barcelona at the top of the Liga standings.