..::Football III::..

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Arsenal star Alexis is key to Chile's Copa America hopes - Zamorano

Chile legend Ivan Zamorano has praised Alexis Sanchez's "superhuman efforts" and believes he will be the leading man for his country at this summer's Copa America.

Arsenal star Sanchez has had a fine debut season in English football, having scored 24 goals for the club in all competitions since joining from Barcelona last summer.

His performances have helped Arsenal reach the FA Cup final and finish the Premier League season strongly and Zamorano feels the 26-year-old will be crucial to the hosts' hopes of winning the tournament for the first time.

"He is the leading figure for us," Zamorano told Goal. "Because of the level that he has displayed at Arsenal, he is the card we can play to do something different.

"When he has the ball something always happens and that is a good thing. If he plays well, we have a good chance. Let's hope the other 10 are also in top form. He can be as good as he wants, although he can still improve. He will do very well for the team."

Zamorano, who enjoyed a formidable partnership with Marcelo Salas during the 1990s, also highlighted some of the other key components of Jorge Sampaoli's current squad a year on from their World Cup elimination at the hands of Brazil.

"[Claudio] Bravo has amply demonstrated that he has the leadership qualities to take the team forward. Through his attitude and courage, Gary Medel can lift the side.

"Arturo Vidal, with what it means to have triumphed in Italian football which I believe is the most difficult in the world, can affect many from a human and sporting viewpoint - he is very mature.

"We already know what Alexis represents, he is a boy you enjoy watching play, the superhuman effort he puts in.

Chile will take on Mexico, Ecuador and Bolivia in Group A, while Argentina are in Group B alongside Uruguay, Paraguay and Jamaica, with Brazil battling Colombia, Peru and Venezuela in Group C.

 

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Kaka backs Bale: 'Even Cristiano Ronaldo gets whistled at the Santiago Bernabeu'

Former Real Madrid midfielder Kaka has defended Gareth Bale in the wake of recent criticism and has pointed out that not even Cristiano Ronaldo has escaped the wrath of the fans at the Santiago Bernabeu.

The Welshman has been struggling to find his best form this season after helping Madrid to Champions League and Copa del Rey glory last term and has been whistled by his side's fans on more than one occasion.

Additionally, Bale was the victim of a scathing verbal attack from ex-Manchester United star Roy Keane following his disappointing performance in the Champions League defeat versus Juventus.Nevertheless, Kaka has stressed that the winger should not take the criticism personal as the Madrid fans always demand the best from everybody.

"I’ve never played with Bale, but I would say to him to use the pressure to help himself grow his motivation and confidence," Kaka told Sky Sports.

"At Madrid, pressure is normal. It’s not just with him, it’s with everybody. Even Cristiano Ronaldo, who has won two Ballons d’Or with Real Madrid, receives whistles from the Bernabeu.

"He needs to use this opportunity to get stronger. That is my advice for Bale."
The 25-year-old has been heavily linked with a return to the Premier League, but Madrid will not let go of the attacker on the cheap if they were to allow him to leave.

The Bernabeu side paid €94 million for the former Tottenham man in 2013 and he has a contract until June 2019.Bale has made 45 appearances in all competitions for Madrid in 2014-15, scoring 17 goals in the process.

 

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UEFA Europa League Semi-Finals 1st Leg Fixtures 2015.05.07

UEFA Europa League Semi-Finals 1st Leg Fixtures 2015.05.07

Napoli Vs Dnipro

Sevilla Vs Fiorentina

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Messi patta

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Messi just like Maradona - Sacchi

Arrigo Sacchi says Lionel Messi just like Diego Maradona after watching the Barcelona star's masterclass in the Champions League win over Bayern Munich.

The 27-year-old scored twice in his side's 3-0 win in the first leg of their semi-final tie at Camp Nou on Wednesday, before creating Neymar's goal that effectively decided the tie."Messi has overcome a difficult period and has found back his extraordinary form," Sacchi was quoted as saying by La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"He is a unique and very complete player. He is a lethal finisher, but he is also able to drop into midfield and help the team."It is impossible to man-mark someone like him. The entire team and tactics have to be perfect in order to keep him quiet.

"We are looking at a true football genius. He is like Maradona. There is no one around in the game with his abilities."The Barcelona forward has netted 53 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions in 2014-15.

 

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De Bruyne 'happy' at Wolfsburg but leaves exit door ajar

Kevin De Bruyne insists he is happy at Wolfsburg but has refused to rule out the possiblity of leaving the club this summer.

De Bruyne has had a stellar season at the Volkswagen Arena, scoring 10 goals and making 18 in the Bundesliga as Dieter Hecking's men continue to push for a Champions League qualifying spot.

Goal understands members of the Manchester City hierarchy are due to hold talks with representatives of the 23-year-old, who is also interesting Paris Saint-Germain.

Belgium international De Bruyne is happy to hedge his bets for now, claiming he is not angling for a move but also hinting he would be interested if the right offer presented itself.

"Actually yes," he told Kicker when asked if he would stay at Wolfsburg. "But in football you never know what will happen. It may be that any club offers a sum which Wolfsburg is happy with and I am happy with. At the moment I say that I will stay in Wolfsburg.

"I think it's annoying when a player says he will surely stay - and then leaves after the first offer."

Wolfsburg go into the final seven games of the Bundesliga season in second place and De Bruyne is surprised how well the season has gone.

"I did not expect that we would be in such good shape," he added. "When you give assists you always need someone to convert them to goals. It's worked wonderfully."

Goal revealed last month that De Bruyne had been identified as a key target for recently deposed Premier League champions City, who are looking to revamp their midfield following a disappointing defence of their title.

City are also monitoring Jack Wilshere’s situation at Arsenal and will be looking to bankroll a major spending spree by sanctioning the sales of Yaya Toure, Edin Dzeko and Samir Nasri, while James Milner is set to leave on a free.

 

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Yaya Toure '90% certain' to leave Man City, says agent

Yaya Toure is “90 per cent certain” to leave Manchester City this summer, according to the midfielder’s agent.

In April, Toure, who has two years remaining on his current deal worth €265,000-a-week before bonuses, is set to hold crunch talks with City’s chiefs ahead of the summer transfer window.

Inter coach Roberto Mancini has publicly expressed his interest in signing the midfielder, who turns 32 on May 13, and Toure’s agent, Dimitri Seluk, admits the player’s future is likely to be away from the Premier League.

“It's 90% certain he'll leave Manchester City this summer,” Seluk told Sky Sports News.

“Nothing has been decided - we are waiting until the end of the season."

Toure joined Man City from Barcelona in 2010 and has won two Premier League titles and one FA Cup, he also won the African Cup of Nations with Cote d'Ivoire this year.

 

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Kaka eager for Gerrard's MLS arrival

Orlando City star Kaka is relishing the opportunity to pit his wits against Steven Gerrard in MLS next season.The Liverpool captain is set to join LA Galaxy in July, bringing an end to a 26-year association with the Anfield club.

Kaka moved to Orlando ahead of the 2015 MLS season and he believes Gerrard - who he faced in two Champions League finals during his time with Milan - will be a big boost to the league."I have good memories of Gerrard," the Brazilian told Sky Sports.

"He was one of the players I loved to watch. I like the way that he plays and the way that he moves on the field. I'm so happy he's coming to play here. It's going to help the league a lot."I'm not sure I'm in a position to give him some advice for the league, but it's very competitive, so he will need to be ready to be competitive with his new team.

"It's a great experience to play in America in this league with this team and this project. I'm so happy here. Being the superstar of the league is not a pressure, it's a big motivation."

 

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Ter Stegen: Barcelona's third goal was an injustice

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen has stressed his side's 3-0 Champions League win over Bayern Munich was not as easy as the final score suggests.

Two goals from Lionel Messi and a single Neymar strike in the final 15 minutes of the game helped Luis Enrique's men to a vital win at Camp Nou in the first leg of their semi-final tie.

However, Ter Stegen has admitted it was not an easy game for Barcelona and feels the final scoreline was harsh on Bayern."It wasn’t as easy as the score might suggest," Ter Stegen was quoted as saying on the official Bayern website.

"We kept going after opening the scoring and made it 2-0, but the third was almost an injustice, hard on Bayern but fantastic for us."A 3-0 lead sounds comfortable, but you always have a fight on your hands in Munich. I think the return will be very difficult."

The German shot stopper then went on to praise Messi following his man-of-the-match performance on Wednesday."We regard Messi as the best in the world. It’s great having him in the team."

 

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Cuadrado needs time to settle at Chelsea, says Bacca

Sevilla striker Carlos Bacca has backed Colombia team-mate Juan Cuadrado to eventually find his feet and start impressing at Chelsea.

Cuadrado joined Chelsea from Fiorentina in the January transfer window, but he has so far been unable to live up to the high expectations, having failed to score or assist in nine Premier League games.

However, Bacca believes the 26-year-old attacker just needs time to settle in England before showing his best form for Jose Mourinho's men."I know Cuadrado well as I see him in the national team," Bacca said on Wednesday.

"He's a great player and there's a reason Chelsea signed him - one of the best teams in the world."But we know that when you change leagues from Italy to England they are different leagues that have different ways of playing.

"I think that he signed for a team that has a very demanding manager and he also has to adapt to the league and the team with a squad that had already gelled.
"I think that he will very soon start to show what he's made of."Cuadrado has made nine Premier League appearances so far this season, but has yet to score or provide an assist.

 

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If Van Gaal can't succeed at Man Utd, no-one can - Van der Sar

Louis van Gaal is the only manager who can bring Manchester United back to the top of English and European football, Edwin van der Sar believes.

Van der Sar, who played for United between 2005 and 2011 and won four Premier League titles, worked under Van Gaal during his spell at Ajax.

After staging a mini revival that included wins over Tottenham and Liverpool United have since lost their last three games without scoring, but Van der Sar insists that his countryman is the right man to return the club to the Premier League summit.

“Louis never has a lot of doubts in his life, so that’s great,” he is quoted as saying by the Daily Express. “I think it is important to have a strong manager who really know his stuff.

“He had success with Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich and the national team. If he couldn’t turn the team around, it would be difficult to find someone else who could.

“The manager – who I have a lot of faith in and experienced a lot with at Ajax in the mid-90s and also with the national team – has his own philosophy of how to work and how to produce the kind of football he wants to see.”

United face Crystal Palace, Arsenal and Hull City in their final three games of the season.

 

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Benitez set to decide Napoli future

Rafael Benitez's future as Napoli coach could become clearer as his agent is set to meet with club president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

The Spaniard's future with the Serie A outfit has been up in the air for some time, while recent reports have linked him to moves to Newcastle United and West Ham.

Furthermore, a banner bearing the words 'Rodgers out Rafa in' was flown above Anfield Road at the weekend, with some fans calling on Benitez to return to former club Liverpool.

The 55-year-old, however, insists that his focus remains on guiding Napoli to a first European final since 1989 as they prepare for Thursday's Europa League semi-final first leg against Dnipro,."The chairman knows my thoughts and he will speak with my agent," Benitez told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

"But after 26 years, the most important thing is this semi-final."We know that the final goal is historic for us and for the fans."After 26 years, we have a historic opportunity, we have to focus our attentions on this."

Benitez has been in charge of Napoli since the summer of 2013. He guided them to Coppa Italia glory in his first season, before winning the Supercoppa Italiana this term.

 

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Manchester United agree deal for PSV forward Memphis Depay

PSV and Manchester United have confirmed that they have reached an agreement over the transfer of Memphis Depay.

The Netherlands international had also attracted the interest of Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool, but he has made the decision to continue his career at Old Trafford instead.

The 21-year-old has already agreed personal terms with United and will undergo a medical in the upcoming days, with a reported €30 million deal to be completed once the transfer window opens in June.

"PSV and Manchester United have reached an agreement over the transfer of Memphis to the English giants," a statement on the club's official website reads."Memphis (21) has agreed personal terms with Manchester United, too.

"All the formalities will be taken care of in the upcoming days and the player has yet to undergo a medical."Depay later alluded to his move to the Premier League being a "dream" after an incredible 2014-15 winning the Dutch championship, in which he is likely to finish as the top goalscorer having scored 21 goals with two games to go.

"I always say: dream, believe and achieve," he wrote on Twitter. "I was dreaming and believing of becoming the champions of the Eredivisie with PSV and we achieved it.

"I’m extremely grateful towards PSV and all the fans for believing in me. Now it's time to set my goals again on winning trophies with Manchester United."

Sporting director Marcel Brands, meanwhile, has stressed that PSV are proud to see one of their own youth products make the step up to one of Europe's biggest clubs."We are very proud of this transfer. Memphis came through the ranks of the PSV youth academy and played an important role in our Eredivisie title this season.

"He is an amazing product of our youth academy and will make a nice step up to a great club in a great league."Of course, we are losing a fantastic player, but we are happy for him to make this step."

Memphis made his official first-team debut at PSV in 2011-12 and had since developed into a key player at the Eindhoven side, making over 100 appearances in all competitions.The attacker currently leads the Eredivisie goal scoring charts with 21 goals in 28 appearances.​

 

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Pattama deal 1kakApita onama karana type 1ke player kenek

Congratulations Depay

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Sevilla 3-0 Fiorentina: Rojiblancos run riot to leave Viola on the brink

Sevilla took a major step towards retaining their Europa League crown by routing Fiorentina 3-0 in the first leg of their semi-final showdown at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Thursday.

Unai Emery's side lifted the trophy last season thanks to a penalty shootout victory over Benfica and are bidding to become the first club to win the competition four times.They are now clear favourites to at least reach the final in Warsaw, aftern Aleix Vidal double and late Kevin Gameiro strike put them in firm control of the tie.

Vidal's first was a low driven shot from 18 yards, before the Spaniard made it two with a calm finish early in the second half, although Fiorentina goalkeeper Neto made his job easier with a poor effort to deny him.

Then Gameiro, who came off the bench to replace Carlos Bacca, scored with his first touch to cap yet another strong home performance from Sevilla, who have now won nine consecutive matches at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in this competition.

Fiorentina, meanwhile, will regret their first-half profligacy, with Mario Gomez, Matias Fernandez and Mohamed Salah all spurning excellent chances either side of Vidal's opener.Gomez was the first to waste a golden opportunity, firing off target following Joaquin's incisive pass in the fifth minute.

Fiorentina were left to rue that miss 12 minutes later as Bacca teed up Vidal, who placed a first-time finish into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the area.
The visitors ought to have been level almost immediately, but, after more good work by Joaquin close to the byline, Fernandez somehow stabbed the former Real Betis man's cutback wide from five yards.

Vincenzo Montella's men continued to look dangerous going forward and Sevilla keeper Sergio Rico had to produce excellent saves to deny Fernandez and then Salah at close range.

Deep in first-half stoppage time, Sevilla thought they should have had a penalty when Grzegorz Krychowiak went down under Stefan Savic's challenge, but rather than point to the spot, referee Felix Brych blew his whistle to signal the end of the period.

Sevilla's sense of injustice did not last long, however, as Vidal doubled his tally seven minutes after the restart.The full-back found himself in space down the right flank and, after being picked out by Vitolo's pass, side-footed in at the near post, with Neto diving too early in the wrong direction.

Vidal turned provider with 15 minutes left, diverting Benoit Tremoulinas' cutback goalwards, where Gameiro was on hand to slot home from six yards and compound Fiorentina's woes as their 12-match unbeaten run away from home in Europe came to a grinding halt.

 

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Napoli 1-1 Dnipro: Profligate Partenopei punished by offside equaliser

Napoli's hopes of reaching the Europa League final took a hammer blow as they were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Dnipro in the first leg of their last-four tie at the San Paolo on Thursday.

David Lopez had put the home side in front at Stadio San Paolo with his first Napoli goal and the Serie A outfit looked nailed on for victory.

However, Yevhen Seleznyov came off the bench to net a close-range equaliser - and what could prove to be a crucial away goal - 10 minutes from time.Napoli looked brightest early on and came close to an opener when Lorenzo Insigne struck the outside of the left-hand post.Dnipro settled as the half progressed, but rarely threatened and it took Napoli little time to forge ahead after the interval.

Gonzalo Higuain spurned numerous chances to extend the advantage after Lopez had opened the scoring and Seleznyov pounced to punish that profligacy, denting Napoli's hopes of reaching a first European final since 1989.

Both sides struggled to get a meaningful shot away in the opening stages, although Napoli were on the front foot and very nearly went ahead in the 10th minute when Insigne's half-volley from 25 yards drifted wide via the post.

Napoli continued to look most likely to break the deadlock against a Dnipro side who were struggling to find fluency, but Insigne could not tuck the ball under goalkeeper Denys Boyko from close range having been played in by Lopez.

Dnipro's first chance came midway through the half when Jaba Kankava's low strike from outside the box was palmed wide by Mariano Andujar, although the Georgian became the first man to go into the referee's book moments later for a reckless lunge on Jorginho.

Frustrations among home fans and players grew as Dnipro started to establish more of a foothold in the match and the visitors will have been delighted to make it to the break without any further threats on their goal.

Leo Matos' desperate last-ditch header denied Napoli a goal early in the second half, but it proved to only be a momentary respite as Lopez sent the hosts in front soon after.The Spaniard rose highest to nod home from a corner, with Boyko having wandered into no-man's land.

A chance to make it 2-0 swiftly followed - Higuain's effort bouncing wide off Boyko's thigh – before the Argentine fired straight at the Dnipro stopper having beaten Douglas down the right.Napoli clearly wanted a second goal, throwing players forward at every counter attack, with Boyko again on hand to keep out Higuain.

The duel continued as Boyko tipped over a Higuain chip, before Dnipro, whose attacking threat was largely non-existent during the second half, pulled level to stun the stadium into silence.

Artem Fedetskiy whipped in a perfect cross from the right, allowing Seleznyov to touch home from close range amid claims of offside against the substitute.

 

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Godak durata Sevilla Vs Napoli Europa League Final 1kak yai​

 

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Dnipro got lucky at Napoli, admits Markevich

Dnipro coach Miron Markevich has conceded his side were fortunate to come away from their Europa League semi-final first leg against Napoli with a 1-1 draw on Thursday.

David Lopez's second-half opener looked set to give Rafa Benitez's men a slender victory at the Stadio San Paolo, but Yevhen Seleznyov's offside effort was allowed to stand - a decision with triggered a furious rant from Partenopei president Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Markevich attempted to deflect reporters' questions about Dnipro's goal being offside by alleging he had yet to see a replay of the incident, though he did admit Napoli's profligacy had handed the Ukrainians a lifeline ahead of next week.

"We managed to do what we wanted, which was to get a result here and prevent Napoli from winning," the coach told reporters.

"Gonzalo Higuain had the chances to score more goals and he did not take them, so we were lucky. There is no doubt that Napoli played better than we did, but we still have a very good chance of qualifying for the Europa League final."

When pressed on Dnipro's equaliser, Markevich added: "Was our goal offside? I haven’t seen the footage yet."

 

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Montella: Fiorentina didn't deserve Sevilla spanking

Fiorentina are not necessarily facing a Europa League exit despite being spanked 3-0 by Sevilla on Thursday, according to Vincenzo Montella.

A double from Aleix Vidal and an additional strike from Kevin Gameiro allowed Unai Emery's men - holders in the continental competition - to stamp their authority on their semi-final ahead of next week's second leg in Italy.

Montella is refusing to accept that the odds are stacked too heavily against his players and is adamant the three-goal deficit in Sevilla's favour was not representative of Fiorentina's performance.

"The result is unfair for Fiorentina," he told reporters. "We played a good first half and we went close several times to scoring a goal. I hope we can play well too in the second leg. We can still qualify, I believe it!

"Football is simple: the team who scores the most goals win the game. We played well in the match, we created chances, and we think that we could create more chances to score more than three goals in the second leg.

"We need to bring all the positivity in our possession for the second leg to inspire the city and win the semi-final. With the players we have in our team, we can still win this. I remain optimistic."

 

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'Sevilla not in the final yet' - Emery calls for calm after Fiorentina thrashing

Sevilla head coach Unai Emery insists the Europa League holders are not in this year's final just yet - despite thrashing Fiorentina 3-0 in the first leg of their last-four tie on Thursday.

Aleix Vidal scored twice - in the 12th and 52nd minutes - to put the hosts in a commanding position at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan before Kevin Gameiro tapped home a late third, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb ahead of next week's return fixture at the Artemio Franchi.

Emery guided Sevilla to surprise Europa League glory last season and he will assure them of a Champions League place next campaign if he can triumph in the final once again, but the coach is reluctant to suggest that Fiorentina are finished.

"It was an important step for the return leg, but Sevilla are not yet in the final," he told reporters. "Fiorentina have proven to be a great team with plenty of talent in attack.

"We've executed the first 90 minutes nicely, but now we must continue our work for the return leg in Florence. We need to continue to mature with our experience in Europe. This is a spiriting win, though."

Vidal had scored only three goals in 2014-15 heading into the tie but - playing at right-back rather than his usual position as a winger - the goalscorer heralded the way Sevilla are careering towards their second successive Europa League final against the odds.

"Personally, I thought I played really well, but it's difficult to do so without the help of my team-mates," the Spaniard said. "I always want to get better and moments like this are a chance to gain confidence and keep going.

"I'm not a defender, I try to do the best in my position and I'm improving myself. We knew it would be so hard to qualify for two consecutive finals, but we are having a spectacular season and we will try to reach the final in Warsaw."

Stephane Mbia was transferred to a local hospital as a precaution after suffering a blow to the head and had to be replaced by Vicente Iborra with 17 minutes to go, though he is not thought to be seriously injured.