..::Football III::..

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Manchester City 3-2 Aston Villa: Fernandinho scores crucial winner in top-four race

Fernandinho defied a valiant Aston Villa comeback as Manchester City edged to a 3-2 Premier League victory on Saturday.

Manuel Pellegrini's soon-to-be-deposed champions appeared to be cruising to back-to-back wins for the first time since February after Sergio Aguero and Aleksandar Kolarov put them 2-0 up.

Tom Cleverley’s first Villa goal reduced the arrears in the 68th minute and Carlos Sanchez coolly volleyed home from a corner with five minutes remaining.

But Tim Sherwood's team, who reached the FA Cup final in similarly rousing fashion by beating Liverpool last weekend, displayed set-piece frailties of their own in the 89th minute as Fernandinho snatched the points.

The win moves under-fire City boss Pellegrini and his team back up to second in the table, although Arsenal and Manchester United both have the chance to go back above them when they play on Sunday.

Villa are two points above the relegation zone in 16th following wins for fellow strugglers Hull City and Leicester City earlier on Saturday and they have played a game more than the three teams immediately below them.

It was a sluggish start from the away side, who had Jores Okore and Sanchez back in their line-up against an unchanged City, before goalkeeper Brad Guzan had a moment to forget.

The United States international, who had conceded nine times across his previous two visits to the Etihad Stadium, scuffed a clearance back towards his goalmouth to leave Aguero with the simplest of finishes to open the scoring.

Villa full-back Kieran Richardson made a vital last-ditch challenge when Jesus Navas raced onto Yaya Toure's lofted pass and the City captain volleyed wide when the resulting corner was only partially cleared.

Guzan misjudged Kolarov's 16th-minute free-kick, Fernando heading wide of an unguarded net, before an error-strewn Villa spell continued when Leandro Bacuna's ill-advised backpass almost let Aguero in for a second.

Christian Benteke should have equalised amid strong suspicions of offside in the 27th minute but City goalkeeper Joe Hart spread himself to save.

Toure appeared to be troubled by a hamstring problem as half-time approached and he was replaced by Fernandinho for the second period.

Aguero had a 52nd-minute penalty appeal rejected when he was pulled over by Bacuna as Navas cut a ball back across the penalty area, while Villa again tested referee Mike Dean when Okore dived into a challenge on David Silva inside his own box.

Sanchez brought down Fernandinho as City's attacks continued, and, after 66 minutes, Kolarov curled the resulting free-kick between Richardson and Bacuna in the Villa wall to find the bottom corner of the net.

City's two-goal advantage was short-lived when, two minutes later, Hart dashed out for a Jack Grealish set-piece that Fernandinho half cleared and Cleverley fired beyond the goalkeeper.

And the travelling support were sent into raptures when Hart was unable punch the ball clear in a crowded area and Sanchez equalised.

A marginal offside flag stalled Benteke as he stormed forward in search of an improbable win and then, with just a minute left, Villa's frustration was compounded as Fernandinho chested down and fired home from close range.

 

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Atletico Madrid 3-0 Elche: Griezmann at the double for champions

Atletico Madrid bounced back from their dramatic Champions League exit as Antoine Griezmann continued his rich vein of form with a brace in Saturday's 3-0 defeat of Elche in La Liga.

Having suffered late heartache against fierce rivals Real Madrid on Wednesday, Griezmann's second-half double and Raul Garcia's strike ensured the champions' grip on third was tightened.

It was by no means a vintage performance from Atletico, however, as coach Diego Simeone watched a laborious first-half display from the stands following his sending off against Deportivo La Coruna.

Seemingly jolted into life at the break, Atletico were much-improved in the second period and, following a couple of wasted chances, the breakthrough finally arrived with 55 minutes on the clock.

Unsurprisingly it was Griezmann who found the net, his seventh goal in five league games and 21st for the season, before Garcia doubled the advantage eight minutes later.The third came 13 minutes from time, with Griezmann stabbing home to open up a seven-point gap ahead of Valencia, who host Granada on Monday.

Atletico's attempts to put Wednesday's cruel finish behind them certainly did not get off to the start Simeone would have wished for, as Elche began the brighter of the two teams.

The first chance arrived in the 10th minute and it fell to the visitors, Adrian firing agonisingly wide of the bottom-right corner from the edge of the area.

Despite enjoying the better start, Elche only remained level in the 19th minute thanks to a fine reflex save from goalkeeper Przemyslaw Tyton, palming the ball wide after Guilherme Siqueira's low cross took a hefty deflection. Atletico eventually began to dictate proceedings and Fernando Torres should have capitalised in the 38th minute.

The former Chelsea man raced beyond the Elche defence to collect Koke's sumptuous delivery from the left, but his first-time effort was smashed over from 10 yards.Atletico began the second half with renewed urgency and crafted two decent chances in the opening four minutes.

Griezmann, who was quiet before the break, was the first to go close, sending Siqueira's cross over from inside the box, before Torres saw his close-range effort smothered by Tyton.Atletico's improvement was rewarded 10 minutes into the second half, though, as Griezmann nodded in from a few yards out after Tyton produced a fine save to deny Gabi.

Elche had rarely threatened the Atletico goal in the opening hour and their chances of an unlikely win were all but vanquished with 27 minutes to go, Garcia squeezing a 25-yard effort inside Tyton's left-hand post.Atletico rounded off a good second-half display by scoring a third in the 77th minute, Griezmann prodding Saul's pass home from close range to seal a routine win.

 

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Meh season 1ke Atletico Madrid player of the Season Griezmann thamai​

 

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Udinese 2-1 AC Milan: Suffering goes on for Inzaghi's

AC Milan's slim hopes of qualifying for the Europa League were further dented by a 2-1 Serie A defeat to Udinese on Saturday.

Following what has so far been a disappointing season for Filippo Inzaghi's men, Milan headed to the Stadio Friuli hoping to make it five games unbeaten and narrow the gap to sixth-placed Fiorentina to just three points.

However, the visitors were on the back foot for the majority of a disappointing spectacle as Udinese claimed only their ninth win of the campaign.Giampiero Pinzi opened the scoring for the hosts, the midfielder rifling home from Antonio Di Natale's corner in the 58th minute.

That goal failed to provoke a response from Filippo Inzaghi's side and Udinese's lead was doubled by Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, who turned in from point-blank range 15 minutes from time.

Giampaolo Pazzini pulled one back late on, yet that proved to be nothing more than a consolation as Milan slipped to a loss that keeps them six points adrift of Fiorentina with six games remaining.

Udinese had the better of a low-key first half but struggled to create too many clear-cut chances as defences dominated early proceedings.

Agyemang-Badu forced Diego Lopez to turn a shot round the post in the third minute and headed narrowly wide of the right-hand upright half an hour later.
But the best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes fell to Silvan Widmer as he diverted a corner just off target before Guilherme lashed a volley over the crossbar from 25 yards out.

Luca Antonelli then had the ball in the net for the Rossoneri in the final minute of the half, however, the referee's whistle had already been blown for a push on Widmer in the build-up.

Milan's Gabriel Paletta was withdrawn and replaced by Adil Rami at half-time because of an injury, and the visitors' defence was threatened again seven minutes after the restart as Di Natale flashed an effort over.

Udinese finally made the breakthrough when Pinzi controlled Di Natale's delivery before steadying himself and powering the ball into the bottom-left corner.

Andrea Stramaccioni's men refused to sit back and protect their lead and were rewarded for showing attacking intent as Agyemang-Badu converted from Guilherme's cross after Lopez only managed to parry a fierce Di Natale strike.
Pazzini's downward header gave Milan some hope of a dramatic late comeback, but Udinese deservedly held firm on a day that provided another demonstration of how far the 18-time champions have fallen.

 

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Crystal Palace 0-2 Hull City: N'Doye eases pressure on Tigers

Premier League strugglers Hull City claimed their first win in seven matches as Dame N'Doye struck a double to sink Crystal Palace 2-0.

Steve Bruce's side had been winless since overcoming QPR 2-1 in February and faced the prospect of ending Saturday in the bottom three if they came away from Selhurst Park empty-handed.

N'Doye netted the decisive late goal against the Rs and he was Hull's hero once more here when he poked the ball home from close range seven minutes into the second half before sealing the points in stoppage time.

Palace had belatedly rallied prior to that second and substitute Yaya Sanogo saw a header disallowed for fouling Paul McShane.

Hull sub Liam Rosenoir then clattered the crossbar with a long-range volley in the closing moments but it was N'Doye who had the final word when he ran clear on the break and finished clinically to edge his team up to 16th - two places and a solitary point above the relegation zone.

Palace made changes in the full-back positions, with Martin Kelly and Pape Souare coming in for Joel Ward and Joe Ledley, while Alex Bruce made way for midfielder Robbie Brady as Hull opted for a back three.

Tigers defenders Michael Dawson and James Chester got in each other's way trying to clear a seventh-minute free kick and Hull goalkeeper Steve Harper saved brilliantly when Palace striker Glenn Murray looked to dispatch the loose ball.

Hull should have taken the lead in the 14th minute when Brady's magnificent left-wing centre picked out N'Doye but the forward inexplicably steered the ball away from goal despite being unmarked at the back post.

The visitors were enjoying the better of an end-to-end contest by the time that Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni pushed Tom Huddlestone's curling effort away from the top corner.

Palace crafted the next clear opening in the 27th minute when Jason Puncheon slipped a pass into the area for Wilfried Zaha, who drew a save from Harper after a superb first touch.

Speroni came off his line to parry Jake Livermore's chip as a breathless first half ended goalless.

Hull resumed on the front foot and Speroni turned an N'Doye header from Ahmed Elmohamady's searching cross round his near post.

N'Doye's luck in front of goal finally changed in the 52nd minute when Sone Aluko picked out Brady, who bundled the ball past Speroni to leave his team-mate with a tap-in. The Senegal striker almost doubled his tally three minutes later but dragged a shot wide after Huddlestone had beaten the Palace defence with a deft piece of footwork.

Hull continued to push Palace back inside their own half but Chester made a vital clearance when Yannick Bolasie broke clear.

Sanogo's 83rd-minute celebrations were cut short when he was adjudged to have fouled McShane, as Palace headed towards back-to-back losses for the first time in the Premier League under Alan Pardew.

After Rosenior's spectacular effort against the woodwork, Palace debutant Lee Chung-Yong then gave away possession and N'Doye stormed through confidently to wrap up all three points.

 

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Espanyol 0-2 Barcelona: Neymar & Messi give visitors the derby win

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar were in scintillating form on Saturday, inspiring 10-man Barcelona to a comfortable 2-0 Catalan derby win over Espanyol to move them five points clear at the top of La Liga.

Despite Friday's Champions League semi-final draw pairing Barca with club legend Pep Guardiola and Bayern Munich, Luis Enrique's side's focus could not be questioned, with their stellar attacking trio taking their collective goals tally to an incredible 97 for the season.

Luis Enrique's men had already seen several fine opportunities go to waste before Neymar's opener 17 minutes in - the in-form Brazilian's fifth goal in as many games.And their second followed shortly after, Suarez - who also starred for Neymar's goal - setting up Messi for his 47th of the season across all competitions.

The brilliant front three continued to torment Espanyol and, although Jordi Alba's 54th-minute dismissal cast some doubt over Barca's position, a turnaround never looked likely as the visitors cranked up the pressure on second-placed Real Madrid ahead of their trip to Celta Vigo on Sunday.

Barcelona's pairing with Guardiola's Bayern dominated the build-up, but the visitors showed no signs of being distracted early on, carving through Espanyol at will.

The home side had to rely on Kiko Casilla twice inside the first six minutes to keep the score level, the goalkeeper denying Neymar and Suarez in quick succession.
Casilla was rendered helpless soon after, however, as Barca took a deserved lead in delightful fashion.

Alba raced on to Messi's pinpoint cross-field pass, knocking it into the area first-time and Neymar stabbed home after Suarez nonchalantly stepped over the ball eight yards out.

Barca's second arrived just eight minutes later, Andres Iniesta and Suarez combining on the edge of the area, before Messi found the net from a tight angle following a controlled pass across the face of goal from the Uruguayan.

The impressive Suarez almost inspired a third goal four minutes before the break, flicking a brilliant pass into the path of Neymar, whose half-volley was palmed wide by Casilla. Barca should have grabbed a third in the 51st minute, but Neymar failed to beat the onrushing Casilla following an incisive throughball from Sergio Busquets.

Two yellow cards in a matter of seconds for dissent a few minutes later meant an early bath for Alba, but that had little effect on Barca's attacking fluency, with Messi hitting the post almost immediately after.

Espanyol had a little more joy towards the end, with Christian Stuani blazing over from 12 yards with 16 minutes to go, before Hector Moreno was also shown two quick yellows late on.

But Barca - who introduced Xavi for his 500th La Liga appearance two minutes from time - held firm to clinch a routine win that keeps them firmly in charge of the title race.

 

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West Brom 0-0 Liverpool: Balotelli starts but Reds fail to fire

Steven Gerrard's 500th Premier League appearance was not one to remember as Liverpool were held to a goalless draw at West Brom that leaves their chances of securing a Champions League spot looking even more remote.

Gerrard was denied a farewell appearance in the FA Cup final when Aston Villa beat Brendan Rodgers's side 2-1 in the semi-final last time out and they also look likely to miss out on a top-four finish in the long-serving captain's final season before moving to LA Galaxy.

Liverpool had the better of Saturday's encounter at the Hawthorns but were unable to respond to their Wembley heartbreak with a victory as the Baggies dug deep to move a point closer to safety.

Jordon Ibe struck the crossbar in the second half and Gerrard came close with a free kick before the break but it proved to be a frustrating afternoon for Rodgers's men.

Rodgers, who insisted in the build-up that he is the best man to manage the Reds, will surely have to settle for a Europa League spot at best with five matches remaining of a disappointing campaign.

Mario Balotelli made his first Premier League start since November for Liverpool, while Ibe and Glen Johnson also started as Lazar Markovic, Joe Allen and Alberto Moreno dropped to the bench.

Liverpool were caught napping five minutes in, when West Brom's Craig Dawson headed a Chris Brunt free kick back for Craig Gardner to try his luck with a scuffed shot from long range that fizzed through a crowded penalty area and out for a goal kick.

Gerrard came close to marking his landmark appearance by curling in a 26th-minute free kick but the captain's measured effort went just over the crossbar.

Both sides were lacking quality in the final third but Balotelli was not too far away with a venomous first time strike from around 20 yards out 10 minutes before half-time.

The Merseysiders continued to look the more likely to open the scoring after the interval and somehow failed to break through in the 55th minute when they were denied by a combination of Boaz Myhill and Joleon Lescott. Philippe Coutinho's effort was bound for the back of the net until Myhill saved at full stretch and Jordan Henderson was first to react but his shot was blocked by the alert Lescott.

The lively Ibe beat Myhill with a rasping strike after playing a neat one-two with Balotelli but the winger's effort struck the top of the crossbar.

Liverpoool were almost caught out after 62 minutes, though, when Dejan Lovren had to intervene with a last-ditch clearance to stop James Morrison's header from going in after a bad mistake from Martin Skrtel.

Coutinho's long range drive landed on top of the net as Liverpool continued to probe but Simon Mignolet was required to keep out Callum McManaman's late effort before Lovren went close with a header in injury time.

 

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QPR 0-0 West Ham: Austin penalty miss proves costly for relegation-threatened Rs

QPR were left to lament Charlie Austin's saved first-half penalty as their Premier League survival hopes took a further dent with a goalless draw against West Ham at Loftus Road.

Austin's spot-kick - which was just too close to Adrian - proved to be QPR's golden opportunity in a game otherwise devoid of clear-cut chances, as Chris Ramsey's side slipped four points off safety.

Wins for fellow strugglers Hull City and Leicester City compounded the result but it could have been so different had the hosts capitalised on the penalty - awarded when Bobby Zamora's prodded ball struck James Collins on the hand.

However, Adrian - who was excellent throughout - got down to make the save and, though QPR were the better side after the interval, there was to be no breakthrough.

On his 100th QPR appearance, former West Ham goalkeeper Rob Green was also kept relatively busy - required to deny Aaron Cresswell from a free kick before the hour.

West Ham were unable to sink their London rivals further into the mire, as their own late-season malaise continued, with Ramsey's men further frustrated going into their final four games when Richard Dunne's header was disallowed late on.

In a frenetic start, Sandro tested Adrian at his near post after just two minutes, while Enner Valencia went close after a break at the other end.

Reece Burke then almost made a dream start to his Premier League debut with a header cleared off the line by Nedum Onuoha.

As the pace of the game slowed, chances proved few and far between until Collins handled inside the area before the half-hour mark.

However, the West Ham defender was bailed out by his goalkeeper as Adrian got down to save Austin's straight, driven penalty with his legs and keep the scores level.

QPR continued to apply pressure and Zamora should have made Adrian work harder early in the second but the striker could only side-foot tamely at the Spaniard.

Opposite number Green was called on to palm Cresswell's free kick over the crossbar, while Sandro and Zamora both flashed shots off target before the hour at the other end.

Stewart Downing almost finished off a quick break but Green got to the ball first - Sam Allardyce's side able to offer a reminder of the attacking form on show in the early stages of the season.

The sight of Leroy Fer - making his first appearance since February following a knee problem - will have buoyed the Loftus Road faithful, who were denied a late winner when Dunne's goal was chalked off for a foul on Adrian.

QPR continued to press, with Karl Henry shooting powerfully at the target before Onuoha's dangerous cross eluded his team-mates in the box, while there was still time for the impressive Adrian to keep out Matt Phillips's long-range drive.

 

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Stoke City 1-1 Sunderland: Adam denies Black Cats precious win

Sunderland slipped into the Premier League relegation zone despite collecting a point in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Stoke City.

With Leicester City recording a fourth win in succession against Burnley at Turf Moor, Dick Advocaat's side dropped into the bottom three for the first time this season as a result of their stalemate at the Britannia Stadium.

A frantic start saw Connor Wickham open the scoring for Sunderland inside the first minute with his fifth goal of the season, but Stoke were level before the half-hour through Charlie Adam.

Having held off Stoke prior to half-time, Sunderland threatened to grab the initiative after the break but failed to convert any of their chances, with Billy Jones guilty of missing the best opportunity after 63 minutes.

Mame Biram Diouf and Peter Crouch could have snatched three points for the hosts in the closing stages, only to be denied by resilient defending and a fine performance from Costel Pantilimon.

Even the introduction of the fit-again Peter Odemwingie - for his first Stoke appearance since August - could not bring a winner, yet Sunderland face an anxious end to the season even though they claimed a share of the spoils.

Dick Advocaat had called for a reaction from Sunderland - who left out Adam Johnson after he was charged with three counts of sexual activity with a girl under the age of 16 and an additional count of grooming on Thursday – following their defeat to Crystal Palace, and he got just that as Wickham opened the scoring after 58 seconds.

A low cross from Will Buckley should have been claimed by Asmir Begovic, but he fumbled the ball and Wickham pounced from close-range.

Stunned at being behind, Stoke responded well with Adam, in for Glenn Whelan as their only change from last weekend's win over Southampton, Marko Arnautovic and Jonathan Walters all going close.

While the hosts appeared in control, they were nearly two behind midway through the half as Philipp Wollscheid misjudged a long pass forward and the loose ball dropped to Jermain Defoe, but his strike rippled the side-netting.

Having already missed two chances in the half, Adam finally brought Stoke level with a stunning strike, the Scot lashing the ball into the top-right corner from just inside the area after 27 minutes.

Stoke could have gone into the break ahead as Adam was presented with another opportunity, but his effort whistled over the crossbar.The visitors then started the second period brightly, but Defoe shot straight at Begovic after receiving a pass into his stride from Wickham.

Wave after wave of Sunderland attacks followed, with Jones wasting a glorious chance as the full-back raced into the penalty area before seeing his close-range effort pushed wide by Begovic.

The visitors were grateful to Costel Pantilimon for keeping them level six minutes later as a free-kick found its way to Diouf, the goalkeeper getting something on the striker's volley from five yards.

Substitute Crouch was also denied late on by a Jack Rodwell block as Stoke - closing in on their highest points tally in the Premier League - pushed in vain for a winner.

 

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Newcastle United 2-3 Swansea City: Cork sends Carver’s flops further into the mire

Newcastle United's dismal Premier League form continued as they slumped to a club-record seventh straight defeat in the top-flight with a 3-2 loss to Swansea City.

The game took place amid a backdrop of fan frustration, with some supporters choosing to continue the boycott from last week's reverse to Tottenham and others electing to 'stand up to Mike Ashley' in the 34th minute in protest at the Newcastle owner's running of the club.John Carver's side nevertheless took the lead after 20 minutes as Spanish striker Ayoze Perez capitalised on some haphazard defending from the visitors.

Yet Newcastle failed to build on the goal and allowed Swansea to turn the game on its head, the Welsh club securing a record Premier League points tally of 50 in the process.

Portuguese forward Nelson Oliveira levelled in first-half injury time with his maiden goal in English football, and a confidently taken second from Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 50th minute put Swansea ahead.

Oliveira turned provider to set up Jack Cork for a third from point-blank range, with substitute Siem de Jong's 87th-minute goal in his first appearance since August proving immaterial as Swansea held on to leave Newcastle just five points above the bottom three.

Newcastle started the better of the two teams and, after surviving a scare as Ashley Williams headed wide from a corner for Swansea, took the lead thanks to a large slice of fortune.

Emmanuel Riviere - in for Yoan Gouffran as one of two Newcastle changes - beat Angel Rangel for pace down the left and sent a low ball into the box, which Swansea defender Jordi Amat inadvertently turned into the path of Perez to tap into an empty net.

Swansea responded well without creating much of note and interest soon turned to matters off the pitch as the home fans stood up to voice their disapproval at the reign of Ashley, who was once again conspicuous by his absence.

Undeterred by the unrest among the home support, Newcastle pressed for a second, Riviere denied by a brilliant low save down to his left by Lukasz Fabianski after the former Monaco forward had risen highest to meet Vurnon Anita's left-wing cross at the end of a free-flowing move from Carver's men.

But right on the stroke of half-time Oliveira capitalised on poor marking from the Newcastle defence to power Sigurdsson's corner into the net with a header into the ground that left goalkeeper Tim Krul with no chance.And the visitors completed a turnaround five minutes after the restart, Sigurdsson taking advantage of the space afforded to him in the box by coolly converting Jefferson Montero's low cross from the left.

Newcastle's hopes were dealt a further blow on the hour when Ryan Taylor was forced to switch to right-back as Daryl Janmaat limped off injured to be replaced by Mehdi Abeid.

Cork capped off a quick and well-worked Swansea attack in the 71st minute to make it 3-1 and, despite De Jong marking his long-awaited return with his first Premier League goal by turning in Jack Colback's far-post cross, Newcastle could not rescue a point as they were dragged further into the relegation mire.

 

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Burnley 0-1 Leicester City: Vardy hands Foxes crucial lifeline

Burnley were left to rue Matt Taylor's missed penalty as Leicester City immediately went upfield and sealed a 1-0 win that lifts them out of the Premier League relegation zone.

Jamie Vardy's goal was enough to give the visitors three vital points in Saturday's crucial relegation clash at Turf Moor, as Nigel Pearson's side climbed to 17th on the back of their fourth successive win - the first time they have done so in their Premier League history.

Burnley, meanwhile, remain at the foot of the table, five points from safety.
It could so easily have been a different story, with the hosts awarded a spot-kick just before the hour mark, only for Taylor - who took the ball ahead of regular penalty taker Danny Ings - to send his effort against the post with Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel having dived the wrong way.

A minute later, Leicester took full advantage when Michael Duff turned Marc Albrighton's cross goalwards and Vardy bundled the ball over the line after Tom Heaton's initial save.

It could be a decisive blow for the survival hopes of Sean Dyche's side, who have now failed to score in all five matches since a 1-0 win over reigning champions Manchester City last month.The hosts were slow to get going, with Vardy turning and shooting straight at goalkeeper Heaton with the game's first chance.

Burnley grew into the encounter after that, and they went close themselves in the 31st minute when Taylor - selected in place of the suspended Ashley Barnes - failed to get a telling touch on Duff's header and Schmeichel clawed the ball away.
Duff got his head to another cross five minutes into the second half, and this time Leonardo Ulloa diverted the ball over the crossbar from just in front of Schmeichel.That chance came during a period of Burnley dominance, but then in a breathless 60-second spell the game swung in Leicester's favour.

After Ings' drive had been parried by Schmeichel, Taylor took advantage of hesitancy from Paul Konchesky and was felled by the full-back in the area.

However, the midfielder slipped slightly in taking the spot-kick, which thumped against the right-hand upright and went behind for a goal kick.

Then, as Leicester attacked immediately from the restart, Duff deflected Albrighton's cross and although Heaton just managed to keep it out, Vardy was on hand to knock home the ball on the line.

Burnley threw everything forward in search of an equaliser, but they were denied by Schmeichel seven minutes from time when the goalkeeper produced a superb reaction save from Robert Huth's deflection following Ben Mee's driven cross.
Schmeichel made a more routine stop from substitute Ross Wallace three minutes later, as Leicester held on to take another giant step towards safety.

 

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Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Eintracht Frankfurt: Hosts' battle for Europe gains steam

First-half strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Shinji Kagawa sealed a 2-0 Bundesliga triumph for Borussia Dortmund against Eintracht Frankfurt at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.

Amid reports that he is close to finalising a switch to Manchester United, Dortmund midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was a high-profile omission for the hosts as he sat out the game due to a throat infection, but his absence was not keenly felt, with Aubameyang stealing the show in the first half.

After putting Dortmund ahead 24 minutes in with a delightful penalty, the Gabon forward then turned provider just after the half-hour mark, playing in Kagawa to grab their second.

Having not featured since Dortmund's loss to Bayern Munich earlier in April, Marco Reus made his return to action after the interval, and he went close to snatching a third with what would have been his first touch.

The win lifts the hosts up into eighth – just a point behind Hoffenheim – and Jurgen Klopp will now turn his attention to the midweek DFB-Pokal semi-final against Bayern Munich as he looks to cap his final season in charge with silverware.

Dortmund, who hope to have Gundogan back fit for that game in Munich on Tuesday, made a bright start, with Matthias Ginter going close with a long-range effort.

However, Klopp's side, also without Roman Weidenfeller due to a back problem, would have been behind after six minutes had Haris Seferovic not strayed offside before drilling a low strike into the corner.

Aubameyang should have opened the scoring 10 minutes later, but Dortmund's top scorer headed over from close range after latching on to Jakub Blaszczykowski's floated ball.

However, the striker was given the opportunity to atone for that miss when Blaszczykowski's cross struck the hand of Sonny Kittel in the area – Aubameyang stepping up to dink home the resulting penalty for his 14th Bundesliga goal of the season.

Dortmund were further ahead within eight minutes, Aubameyang this time linking up with Erik Durm down the right flank before squaring to Kagawa in the box, who duly found the net.

The host's dominance continued after the restart, Aubameyang having claims for another penalty waved away after going down under pressure from Carlos Zambrano on the hour mark before Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp saved well from Kagawa.

Reus replaced Blazczykowski soon afterwards, and the Germany international would have made it 3-0 just a minute after coming on had he managed to connect with Kagawa's cross at the back post.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan shot just wide of the left-hand upright as the game drew to a close, with Frankfurt unable to trouble a Dortmund side who secured back-to-back Bundesliga victories to continue their bid for Europa League qualification.

 

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Southampton 2-2 Tottenham: Chadli earns Pochetino a point on St Mary's return

Southampton twice took the lead through Graziano Pelle but were twice pegged back as they drew 2-2 with Tottenham in the Premier League on Saturday.

As Mauricio Pochettino returned to the stadium that he left last summer to join Spurs, the hosts took the lead when the Italian striker capitalised on a defensive nightmare from the north Londoners, with both Ryan Mason and Ben Davies at fault.

Erik Lamela, however, got one back just before the break when his slight touch came off goalkeeper Kelvin Davis on its way through.

A powerful Pelle header restored the Saints' advantage in the second half but, five minutes later, Nacer Chadli outmuscled Maya Yoshida to fire a low shot past Davis, leaving neither side with what would have been a valuable points boost in the race for the Europa League.

Tottenham saw plenty of the ball early on but the game's first meaningful chance did not arrive until the 25th minute, when Morgan Schneiderlin's cushioned volley from a James Ward-Prowse corner forced Hugo Lloris to dive to his left and pull off a fine save.

Lloris was left helpless four minutes later, however, as Tottenham gifted the lead to their opponents. Mason slipped and played a pass back towards his own goal after a Southampton counterattack had broken down. Davies was then caught out as he attempted to shield the ball, with the alert Pelle sticking out his left boot and prodding past the keeper.

An unmarked Steven Davis should have done better when side-footing wide from 15 yards in the 39th minute and that miss was punished as an Eric Dier cross took a slight deflection and appeared to strike Lamela on the left arm to wrong-foot Kelvin Davis.

Having missed a presentable opportunity before to the interval, midfielder Davis failed to test Lloris on two further occasions inside the first nine minutes of the second half, dragging a shot wide from the edge of the box before missing the target once more after excellent work from Pelle.

Tottenham came close to taking the lead against the run of play when a Chadli cross deflected off Nathaniel Clyne and narrowly over the crossbar.

Ward-Prowse, who had come in for Dusan Tadic in Southampton's only change pregame, was replaced by Shane Long after 62 minutes as the hosts sought a winner and the substitute made a swift impact, crossing for Pelle to capitalise on poor marking with a firm header into the top-left corner.

Tottenham dug deep to find another response, Chadli holding off Yoshida and directing a low finish across Davis for his 10th Premier League goal of the season following Dier's slide-rule pass into the right channel.

After Spurs left-back Davies was forced off with an apparent shoulder injury, Southampton came closest to a winner - Jose Fonte seeing one header blocked by Federico Fazio and another fly just over - but Pochetino had reason to be content on his return to a club whom he claimed to "still love" prior to kick-off.

 

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Rooney named Britain's second richest sportsman

Wayne Rooney has been named Britain’s second richest sportsman behind Lewis Hamilton.

The Manchester United striker has amassed a wealth of €100 million, according to the Telegraph, and thus sits only behind the Formula One world champion in terms of the wealthiest British sports stars, with Hamilton worth €120m.

The list, released on Saturday, features six other football figures, with QPR defender Rio Ferdinand fifth on the list, with a personal fortune of €60m.

Steven Gerrard and Jose Mourinho also feature, with riches of €58m and €55m respectively, while Manchester City midfielder Frank Lampard’s wealth of €54m earns him a spot on the rankings.

Ryan Giggs and Arsene Wenger round off the football-related rankings, with the two both boasting a wealth of €53m.

Golfers Rory McIlroy and Sir Nick Faldo, basketball player Luol Deng, tennis star Andy Murray and Hamilton’s F1 rival Jenson Button round off the list.

 

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Garcia: Roma desperate to beat Inter

Roma coach Rudi Garcia says his side are desperate to avoid a third conductive Serie A draw by beating Inter at San Siro on Saturday.

The Giallorossi had hoped to mount a serious title challenge this season, but 10 draws in their last 14 league outings have left them 15 points behind reigning Italian champions Juventus.Garcia’s side romped to a 4-2 victory when the two sides met back in November, and the French coach is hoping for a repeat performance as they hope to pull clear of rivals Lazio, with whom Roma currently share second place.

"We showed great intensity in the reverse fixture and we’ll need to show that again,” Garcia told a press conference.

“We need the attitude we showed [in victories] against Cesena, Napoli and Torino. As always, we’re going there to win, but to achieve that we’ll need to show the intensity we had in the reverse fixture. Definitely."

Inter, languishing in 10th place and set to miss out on European football next season, are without a win over Roma since February 2011 and have secured just one victory in their last seven Serie A outings.

And Garica is delighted to be able to welcome back Miralem Pjanic and Gervinho, with the Ivory Coast international set to return after a month out through injury.
"I’ve spoken with them and they’ve confirmed what I thought – they’re both at 100 per cent,” Garica said.

“They’re a good side with lots of quality players. With the return of some of our players, we too have grown in strength. I’ll have to make some tough decisions, but that’s better for the team.”

Failure to beat Roma would see Inter go five home games without a win for the first time since March 2012.

 

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Shaqiri is not leaving Inter - Mancini

Inter coach Roberto Mancini rubbished suggestions attacker Xherdan Shaqiri could already be on his way out of the Serie A club.

Reports suggested the Switzerland international, who signed a four-and-a-half year deal in January, may leave with Inter unlikely to qualify for European competition.
But Mancini said the reports were untrue, and insists he sees a big future for the 23-year-old at the club."This Shaqiri thing is completely made up," he told reporters.

"We bought Shaqiri last January because we think that he can have a big future at Inter. Then during the season, there might be a moment when a player's form drops, and there are other players that in that moment are able to step in. So that's the only situation going on right now."Shaqiri has our full confidence. He is our player. Then he has also changed his team, so it's normal that he might struggle at a certain stage.

"It's not that he can join a new club and altogether be the one that single-handedly wins games by himself.

"He will always have a drop in form at a certain stage so in that moment there are other players ready to step in - they are normally there for that reason. So one only plays when he deserves to play."

Mancini believes Shaqiri, who has scored once in 11 league appearances for Inter this season, can play an enormous role for his team in 2015-16.

"Well, we bought Shaqiri because we believe in his qualities," Mancini said.
"Then if Bayern [Munich] decided to sell him, it's because they have so many players that eventually they have reached the conclusion that Shaqiri is a young player and that he needs to play.

"Inter could be the right solution for him and we are happy about this. I am sure that Shaqiri next season will achieve great things."

 

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‘If it was easy, you wouldn’t lose 3-1 to Monaco,’ - Mourinho hits back at Wenger jibe

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has responded to jibes from Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger ahead of the two sides’ clash at the Emirates on Sunday.

The Gunners boss - who has yet to defeat Mourinho in 12 attempts - said on Thursday, with regards to Sunday’s game, that: "It’s easy to defend. If we have to defend, then we will defend.”

However, Mourinho swiftly hit back, highlighting the Gunners’ shock Champions League exit to Monaco as evidence to the contrary.

“It’s not easy, not easy,” he told reporters. “If it was easy, you wouldn’t lose 3-1 at home to Monaco. If he defends well he draws 0-0 against Monaco and wins in Monte Carlo. It’s not easy to defend.”

Mourinho also took time to explain how his team’s strategy has changed in recent months as the Blues close in on a first Premier League title since 2010.

“Injuries and suspensions: we lost progressively the balance of our team,” he added.

“We played amazingly well during the most part of the season, scoring a lot of goals and controlling games very well through the quality of our possession. In the last period we are more strategic, less artistic, because from a certain moment Diego injured or suspended; [Nemanja] Matic suspended, injured; [Cesc] Fabregas injured, suspended; Diego injured again.

“When you lose crucial pieces, the team loses certain qualities but we are still achieving results. It’s like if you are at sea and your boat sinks, you need something to survive. A raft. In football, team spirit and team ethics, and strategy, is this.

“We have been top of the league since day one. We are the second team in terms of goals scored. We are the second-best team for goals conceded.

“The team with fewest defeats. We have some of the most spectacular team goals of the season. So, if we manage to win the league, we did everything right.”

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bayern Munich 1-0 Hertha Berlin: Schweinsteiger makes the difference for hosts

Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the only goal of the game as Bayern Munich beat in-form Hertha Berlin to all but secure the Bundesliga title.

The Bavarian giants knew victory at the Allianz Arena on Saturday would practically end Wolfsburg's slim hopes of denying them a third consecutive league success, but had to wait until 10 minutes from time for Schweinsteiger to secure all three points.

Wolfsburg can delay Bayern's official coronation by winning at Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday, but Pep Guardiola's side would still be 12 points clear with a vastly superior goal difference heading into the final four rounds of fixtures.

Bayern hammered Porto 6-1 in midweek to set up a Champions League semi-final against the head coach's former club Barcelona and remain on course for a famous treble, with a DFB-Pokal semi-final against Borussia Dortmund to come on Tuesday.Hertha have now lost their last eight games against the champions, but gave a great account of themselves and had a clear chance to open the scoring when Nico Schulz was denied by Manuel Neuer when clean through in the second half.

Germany captain Schweinsteiger proved to be the match-winner on his return to the starting line-up, though, applying a fine finish soon after hitting the post.

Hertha would have been forgiven for heading into the game with some trepidation following Bayern's midweek display, but they could have been in front after only 13 minutes when an unmarked Valentin Stocker volleyed wide from close range at the back post.Guardiola's men were soon playing with their usual swagger and Robert Lewandowski came close with a header which looped just wide of the far post.

Hertha were clearly not lacking confidence themselves, though, and Salomon Kalou should have done better when he cut inside the penalty area from the left but blazed a wild shot well off target.The champions lost their way in what transpired to be a frustrating half as Pal Dardai's side more than held their own.

Teenage midfielder Sinan Kurt made his Bundesliga debut as a half-time substitute, with fellow youngster Gianluca Gaudino withdrawn by Guardiola.

Bayern looked vulnerable at the back and ought to have been behind 10 minutes into the second half, when Schulz raced clear from the halfway line, only for Neuer to pull off a fine save from the Hertha man's measured finish.

Schweinsteiger snatched at a chance from close range after Hertha goalkeeper Sascha Burchert flapped at a corner from the left as the opening goal continued to be elusive.

Burchert also produced a fine reflex save to keep out a Lewandowski header and Schweinsteiger clipped the post before eventually popping up with the winner.
Mitchell Weiser was the architect, surging to the byline and pulling the ball back for Schweinsteiger to apply a composed finish.

 

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Iniesta: Every Barca match is a cup final now

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta has branded the final few matches of Barcelona's season as "cup finals" after they defeated Espanyol 2-0 on Saturday.

Goals from Neymar and Lionel Messi helped the Catalans to a temporary five point lead at La Liga's summit ahead of Real Madrid's clash with Celta Vigo on Sunday, despite being down to 10 men for much of the second half after Jordi Alba's sending off.

Iniesta, who played all but two minutes of the clash at the Cornella El Prat, is looking at the big picture as Barca fight to reclaim the league title from Atletico Madrid, win the Champions League for the first time since 2011 and defeat Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey final.

"This represents another step to the title, but we have to look at the games we still have left," the midfielder told Canal Plus. "All the games we have left now are cup finals. To win La Liga we really need to win every match left."

Barca president Josep Maria Bartomeu passed his judgement on the performance and looked ahead to next month's Champions League semi-final clashes with Bayern Munich, who are now coached by Camp Nou legend Pep Guardiola.

"It was not an easy game against Espanyol," the club chief said. "We have to take things game-by-game to remain at the top of La Liga. First we have to look Getafe, but there are few games left in which we must maintain our lead over Real Madrid.

"We will try to do our best against Bayern. Pep Guardiola is a Barcelona man and I hope our fans will receive him with an ovation and respect him."

Barca are back in action with a home tie against Getafe on Tuesday.

 

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Pogba could return for Madrid showdown - Allegri

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri is hopeful that Paul Pogba will be available for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final at Real Madrid.

The midfielder has been out of action since mid-March having suffered a hamstring injury in the second leg of his club's last-16 tie with Borussia Dortmund.The France international will miss the next few games but Allegri believes he could recover on time for the meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu on May 13.

"We are doing everything possible to have him back for the second leg of the semi-final," he said at a press conference ahead of Sunday's match against Torino."We'll be playing against the European champions, a galactic team."

Victory over Torino will put the Serie A holders on the brink of a fourth successive title - and a first under Allegri, who revealed Patrice Evra will not be available on Sunday."It's difficult to play against Torino, we can't underestimate this one at all," added the former AC Milan coach.

"Torino are a well-organised side with good players."Six more points are required to mathematically win the title. Tomorrow will be a very tough game.

"I've got everyone available bar Evra. I'll work out my best starting XI after Saturday's session."