..::Football III::..

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Khedira: Real Madrid forced me to leave

Sami Khedira has accused Real Madrid of forcing him out of the club, claiming that coach Carlo Ancelotti was instructed not to pick him.

The Germany midfielder has decided to leave the Santiago Bernabeu when his contract expires at the end of a season in which he has made only seven starts for the Spanish giants.The 28-year-old World-Cup winner has been troubled by injury, but stressed that fitness problems have nothing to do with his lack of game time.

"You always have to tell the truth. I did have a small injury, a pain in my right heel, but that wasn't why I wasn't playing. It wasn't a complicated injury, I was able to play," Khedira told Marca.

"I've always felt that I've had the coach's backing, but the message indirectly came through to me that I was no longer needed, I was frozen out and wouldn't have a chance to continue playing.

"Nobody from the club said anything to me directly. It's all feelings, incidents and comments saying I wouldn't play anymore. But nobody approached me.

"There were many meetings. The last one was in October. After many conversations, I wasn't sure about extending my contract by four years. I had doubts and in December I decided that it was better to go down another path and take on new challenges."

Khedira also hit back at critics who questioned his attitude as he prepares to end his five-year stay with the European champions.

"What has happened this season has hurt me to the bottom of my soul. It's not the end that I wanted" he added."It hurts that I'm accused of a lack of professionalism because I've always put the team ahead of myself. I've always gone with the truth.

"I've felt happy at Real Madrid. I leave with the respect of everybody who's worked alongside me and with a clear conscience. It's normal for the press and supporters to criticise me on occasions. That's football."

A summer return to Germany appears on the cards for Khedira, with Schalke the front-runners for his signature, but he has also reportedly attracted interest from a number of English clubs, as well as Italian duo Juventus and AC Milan.

 

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Rodgers: Liverpool fans should support Sterling

Raheem Sterling deserves the full support of Liverpool fans, despite the ongoing saga over his future, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.

Talks between Sterling's representatives and the club, which were planned for Friday, were cancelled after the England international's agent, Aidy Ward, insisted that he would not sign a deal worth "£900,000 a week".

Ward says he expects a flurry of bids from Premier League clubs for Sterling, with Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United all linked with potential moves for the 20-year-old.

Rodgers, though, has hailed Sterling's continued efforts to give his all for Liverpool on the pitch as the club prepare to face Stoke City in their final game of the season on Sunday.

"My message to the supporters would be: 'This is a young boy who, in my time as manager, has given the football club everything'," he told reporters.

"He was thrust into the team at 17 years of age. In the following period he has been exceptional for me. He has had dips in form and performances but only because his standards are so high.

"He's a young man who has obviously passed on his career to other people and, unfortunately, whether people perceive it as right or wrong, he is being led by the representative.

"But the young boy I see on a daily basis and who I work with is still the same boy who wants to learn and I think the supporters will just continue to show what they always do, which is wonderful support for every player in the Liverpool shirt."

 

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Xavi deserves the Ballon d'Or - Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho believes Barcelona star Xavi deserves to have won the Ballon d'Or and is frustrated that it seems he will never be given the award.

Many players and pundits felt either Xavi or Andres Iniesta should have won the accolade back in 2010 after Spain won the World Cup, but instead it went to Lionel Messi, who has now won it four times in his career.

Xavi has revealed he will be leaving Barca at the end of the season to join Qatari side Al Sadd, and Mourinho believes that, after everything the midfielder has achieved in his career, it is the one remaining award he deserves.

"Xavi is one of the world's best players over the past decade and he deserves to win what he will never have - a Ballon d'Or success", the Portuguese coach told reporters.

The 35-year-old's final game with the Blaugrana will be the Champions League final against Juventus on June 6 and Mourinho feels no teams deserve to be there more than the Spanish and Italian champions."Barcelona and Juventus both deserve to be in Berlin," he said.

"They had good seasons and proved to be far superior to the teams they faced in the semi-finals."

 

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Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Werder Bremen: Klopp bids farewell with Europa League spot

Borussia Dortmund put on a show in an emotional Signal Iduna Park farewell for Jurgen Klopp by beating Werder Bremen 3-2 to secure a place in the Europa League.

The hugely popular Klopp will end his successful seven-year tenure as Dortmund coach after next weekend's DFB-Pokal final against Wolfsburg and his players read the script for his final Bundesliga game in charge on Saturday.Dortmund were bottom of the table earlier this year, but only needed a point to secure European qualification.

They took all three, however, courtesy of first-half goals from Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan.

Levin Oztunali scored his first Bremen goal after Aubameyang's 24th of the season to make it 2-1, and Theodor Gebre Selassie's late strike set up a tense finale but Bremen were unable to spoil the party and miss out on a European spot after finishing 10th.

Augsburg's 3-1 win at Borussia Monchengladbach ensured Dortmund finished seventh, which means that a defeat in the Pokal will see the extra European spot go to Klopp's men.

Long-serving midfielder Sebastian Kehl was also given a rapturous reception in his final home game before retiring, but Klopp took centre stage and it was fitting that his side delivered at a stadium where the charismatic coach has enjoyed so much success.

Backed by their vociferous supporters, Dortmund made a blistering start and were unfortunate not be in front when Marco Reus' cross was met by an unmarked Aubameyang, but the striker's close-range effort came back off the post just nine minutes in.

It appeared to be only a matter of time before Dortmund took the lead and the opening goal came with a helping hand from Jannik Vestergaard after 15 minutes.
The Bremen defender's sloppy pass was pounced upon by Ilkay Gundogan, who evaded a desperate challenge from Vestergaard before laying the ball off to Kagawa and the midfielder showed great composure to take his time before finishing with his left foot from inside the area.

Bremen looked rattled and Dortmund took advantage by doubling their lead two minutes later, when Aubameyang played a one-two with Kagawa before taking a touch and placing a clinical finish into the far corner of the net.Such was Dortmund's dominance, it was difficult to see a way back for Bremen, but they halved the deficit out of the blue after 26 minutes when Oztunali turned sharply in the area before firing under Roman Weidenfeller.

Bremen looked dangerous going forward, but wide open at the back and they were caught out on the break three minutes before the interval.

The visitors piled men forward for a corner and were undone by a rapid counter-attack, resulting in Kagawa delivering a fine pass for the unmarked Mkhitaryan and the Armenian controlled in an instant before beating Koen Casteels with a classy chipped finish.

The lively Aubameyang twice went close to adding a fourth and Mkhitaryan struck the crossbar as Bremen struggled to live with Dortmund's attacking threat.

Gebre Selassie converted Zlatko Junuzovic's free-kick five minutes from time when Dortmund should have been out of sight before Kehl was given a great ovation when he was brought off and the home side held on to ensure Klopp was able to toast an emotional victory.

 

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Klopp manage karapu last Bundesliga match 1ka & BVB la kohomahari Europa League qualified una

Congratzzzzzzzzz​

 

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Bayern Munich 2-0 Mainz: Guardiola's men end on a high

Bastian Schweinsteiger marked his 500th Bayern Munich appearance with a goal as the Bundesliga champions rounded off their season with a comfortable 2-0 win over Mainz.

Reported Manchester United target Schweinsteiger has been told by coach Pep Guardiola that he can leave Bayern if he wishes, and the Germany captain will have bowed out in style should he depart, producing a fine finish in the second half to wrap up an easy victory.

Bayern went into Saturday's match on the back of a dismal run of five losses in six games across all competitions, a sequence that saw their treble hopes dashed by Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.

But, with the Bundesliga trophy due to be presented at full-time at the Allianz Arena, a relaxed Bayern side played with freedom, finding the breakthrough via a Robert Lewandowski penalty 25 minutes in.

Schweinsteiger then added Bayern's second just after the interval to kill Mainz's slender hopes of a turnaround, as Guardiola's men brought their domestic campaign to a fittingly straightforward conclusion.

A party atmosphere engulfed the Allianz in the lead up to kick-off, with various former Bayern stars paraded on the pitch as the club began the celebrations for their latest title triumph.There was little to get excited once proceedings finally got underway, though, as Bayern dictated the tempo without a great deal of urgency.

But Mainz's inability to keep hold of the ball unsurprisingly played into Bayern's hands and the champions broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, with Lewandowski coolly steering home a penalty after Niko Bungert handled in the area.

Dante should have doubled their lead 10 minutes later when the Brazilian guided a glancing header just wide from eight yards, though Mainz appeared incapable of punishing such let-offs.

Mainz will have been content to still be within touching distance of Bayern at the break, though the home side made their task considerably tougher just two minutes into the second half.

The visitors' defence failed to deal with Lewandowski's knock-down and Schweinsteiger was on hand, caressing a delicate finish just inside the right-hand post from the edge of the area.

Bayern could have seen their lead halved 16 minutes from time, but Manuel Neuer acrobatically turned Pablo de Blasis' drive over shortly after Claudio Pizarro failed to convert when one-on-one with Loris Karius.

The hosts remained in control, however, and almost added a third in the 79th minute when Pizarro tested Karius from point-blank range.But that miss had no bearing on the outcome, as Bayern ended the season on a high with their first Bundesliga win for almost a month.

 

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Ancelotti will return to AC Milan if Real Madrid sack him - Berlusconi

Carlo Ancelotti will return to AC Milan this summer if he is sacked as Real Madrid boss, according to Silvio Berlusconi.

The Italian coach looks set to be sacked by the Santiago Bernabeu side after their last game of the season against Getafe on Saturday, and Milan CEO Adriano Galliani has said he is contact with him.

Ancelotti has long been linked with a return to the Rossoneri, where he won two European Cups as a player and a further two Champions League titles as coach.

Club president Berlusconi insists he would be delighted to welcome the 55-year-old back to Milan, currently coached by Filippo Inzaghi, should he find himself out of work this summer.

“I am not a fan of comebacks. We have had them in the past and they never worked,” Berlusconi said to Napoli TV.“But I still have a strong personal friendship with Carletto. He will also have some personal assistants to help him.

“I think it will be a positive comeback. If Real Madrid let him go, then he will return to us.”Milan take on Torino on Sunday in their penultimate Serie A game of the season.

 

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Klopp bids farewell to Dortmund fans

Jurgen Klopp waved goodbye to the Borussia Dortmund fans after his final Bundesliga game in charge of the club.

The coach will end a seven-year spell with BVB at the end of the season, with the upcoming DFB-Pokal final against Wolfsburg his last match at the helm.

Klopp, who won two Bundesliga titles and took the team to a Champions League final during his tenure, saw his side beat Werder Bremen 3-2 at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday to ensure they will play in the Europa League next season.And the coach waved goodbye to the club's fans after the game, saying that the iconic stadium had become home to him.

"Our seven years of being together ends next week," he said to the supporters. "We are together for the last time in this stadium, which has become my home."I enjoyed every second of my time here. Inside the stadium and in general. We were very fortunate to come here in 2008. It was a win-win situation.

"I take with me a bag full of the most positive memories. Thanks to each and every employee at the club. It was a great pleasure to work with you."It was an honour to be working for this club."

Klopp will be replaced by former Mainz boss Thomas Tuchel at Dortmund and he feels the club will grow under the new boss."I advise you not to compare me with the new coach," said Klopp.

"This will reduce the memory. He will build a great future but first we have a final in Berlin."Many thanks for everything. See you. Most certainly. Sometime. Somewhere."

 

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Good Bye Klopp!​

 

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Guardiola: Bayern will be stronger next year

Pep Guardiola says his Bayern Munich team will be even stronger next season after they lifted a third consecutive Bundesliga title.

The Bavarian side wrapped the league title in late April, but followed that up with a dismal run of form in which they lost five of their next six games and were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal and Champions League semi-finals.

The title celebrations began officially on Saturday, though, after they ended the campaign on a high with a 2-0 win over Mainz.

Guardiola was happy with his players after picking up his second league title since taking over from Jupp Heynckes, but says they must improve next year.

"I must congratulate the team, my staff and our fans," he said after the game. "They gave us great support, especially against Barcelona.

"Next season we will come back stronger. I'm hoping to build the best possible squad."

Bastian Schweinsteiger scored on his 500th appearance for Bayern in the victory and the midfielder says he is delighted with the campaign overall.

"We had a very good season. We have won the title for the third year in a row, which is not easy," he said.

"In the Champions League semi-final, we lost it in the first leg in Barcelona in the last 10 minutes, otherwise we might have reached the final.

"We were getting close to two finals with that and the DFB-Pokal. If you look at the whole season, we have done very well."

 

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Michu likely to leave Swansea - Monk

Swansea City striker Michu is likely to leave Swansea City this summer, according to manager Garry Monk.

The striker enjoyed a stellar debut campaign at the Liberty Stadium, scoring 18 Premier League goals in 35 appearances, but an injury-hit campaign saw him play just 17 times in the league in 2013-14, and he subsequently departed for Napoli on a season-long loan in July.

The Spaniard has been blighted by more injuries this season, making just six appearances in all competitions for the Serie A side, and Monk has confirmed the 29-year-old will probably leave the Liberty Stadium on a permanent basis when the transfer window reopens.

"We'll speak in the summer and see how he feels about where his future lies and sort it out from there," he said.

"It was Michu's decision last summer to move to Napoli and I supported that decision for various reasons.

"It's unlikely Michu's opinion has changed suddenly after being away from the club for a full year and wanting to try something new.

"You would imagine he'd want the same, but until I hear from him I don't know what he wants to do this time around."

 

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Juventus 3-1 Napoli: Champions' unbeaten streak continues

Serie A champions Juventus rounded off their efforts at home for the season with a 3-1 win against Napoli on Saturday.

With the hosts having secured the second trophy of a potential treble by winning the Coppa Italia on Wednesday, the Juventus Stadium was in party mode and Roberto Pereyra set the celebrations in full swing as he scored the opener in the 13th minute.Napoli needed the points to close the gap to Lazio and Roma - who play each other on Monday - in the Champions League spots.

They were handed a way back into the game as Kwadwo Asamoah blatantly handled inside the penalty area and David Lopez scored on the rebound after the spot kick was saved.

However, Stefano Sturaro's wonderfully composed effort put Juventus back in front and Simone Pepe rounded off the win in stoppage time with a penalty, conceded by Miguel Britos - who savagely headbutted Alvaro Morata after pulling the striker's shirt and was sent off.

The victory was Juve's 16th from 19 home games in Serie A this term, underlining the dominance Massimiliano Allegri's side have held over their rivals this term as they continue to build form for next month's Champions League final against Barcelona.

Juventus paraded the Coppa trophy before the match, having beaten Lazio after extra time in midweek, and all but two players were afforded a rest after the exertions, as Paul Pogba and Andrea Barzagli were the only men to feature again.
One of Allegri's additions saw Asamoah return to Juve's line-up for the first time in six months after a knee injury.

Despite a much-changed line-up, Juve's fearsome home record rarely looked in doubt and Pereyra set them on their way.

Kingsley Coman's chipped throughball beat a static Napoli backline and Pereyra nipped in to finish past a helpless Mariano Andujar.

The game became more notable for the colourful displays in the stands as Juve took control of the contest prior to the interval, with Napoli unable to convert any promising moves into clear-cut chances.However, the carnival atmosphere was spoiled five minutes into the second half as Asamoah blocked Dries Mertens' attempted pass with his hand, and Lopez spared Insigne's blushes after Gianluigi Buffon had made a fine save to his right.

Buffon was able to keep out Spanish midfielder Lopez's vicious volley and turn substitute Marek Hamsik's header past the post.

And Sturaro backed up the efforts of the veteran goalkeeper, turning sharply past his marker on the edge of the box, before continuing into the penalty area and curling high into Andujar's right-hand corner.Britos' ugly attack on Morata after fouling the Spaniard left a slightly sour taste, but Pepe was able to convert the spot kick to lighten things up before the post-match trophy parade of the Scudetto.

 

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Barcelona 2-2 Deportivo: Salamao the hero as visitors survive relegation

Deportivo La Coruna escaped relegation by the skin of their teeth after drawing 2-2 with Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday.

In what was Xavi's final outing as a Barca player, Lionel Messi stole the show for the opening hour and gave the home side the lead after just five minutes.

The Argentina ace doubled his tally for the day with his 56th goal of the season across all competitions - a tap-in just shy of the hour mark putting the visitors on course for relegation. However, Lucas Perez's 67th-minute strike gave Deportivo hope and they continued to battle away in the hope of pulling off a great escape.

Diogo Salomao then lashed home an equaliser with 14 minutes to go, sparking scenes of jubilation on the bench as Victor Sanchez's men secured their top-flight status at the expense of Eibar and Almeria - who also finished on 35 points.

Xavi was unsurprisingly the centre of attention before kick-off, as the Barca fans held aloft a huge banner in tribute to the legendary midfielder.And Barca appeared to be spurred on by the atmosphere created by their supporters, as they opened the scoring early on.

Rafinha pounced on a half-hearted punch by Fabricio and chipped an inviting delivery to the back post, with Messi arriving late to nod past the helpless goalkeeper.

Things should have got worse for Deportivo 13 minutes later, but on this occasion Fabricio proved a vital last line of defence, tipping away Messi's 25-yard effort before thwarting Pedro from the rebound.

Barca continued to dominate proceedings, though clear-cut chances were few and far between.

Xavi look destined to mark his Camp Nou farewell with a goal in the 42nd minute, only to see his 20-yard effort deflect wide after the goal had seemingly opened up for him.The second half began with Barca looking to increase their urgency and they were rewarded for their improvement with 59 minutes on the clock.

Neymar raced through on goal and unselfishly prodded a pass to his right for Messi, who was left with the simplest of finishes.But Deportivo gained a lifeline eight minutes later, Lucas finding the top-left corner in emphatic fashion from the edge of the area.

And shortly after, the visitors completed what had seemed an impossible turnaround as Salomao smashed a half-volley into the bottom-right corner after Barca failed to clear a free-kick.Barca pushed for a late winner, but the only incident to bring the home fans to their feet was the departure of Xavi.

The Qatar-bound midfielder was substituted four minutes from time to rapturous applause, bringing his time at the club to an emotional close, while Deportivo celebrated an incredible relegation survival story.

 

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Granada 0-0 Atletico Madrid: Simeone's men secure third spot

Atletico Madrid secured third place in La Liga with a 0-0 draw away to Granada on the final day of the season.

Granada were destined for the drop at various times on Saturday with other results going against them, but a point was enough to extend their stay in the top flight to five seasons as Almeria and Eibar went down with Cordoba.

Diego Simeone's side only needed a point to secure third spot – as well as a place in next season's Champions League group stage - and they got the job done in unspectacular fashion.

Neither side fashioned a clear-cut chance in a tense encounter which will not live long in the memory, but Granada will not care about that as they celebrate a great escape which looked so unlikely before they strung together three consecutive wins before this dire stalemate.

Atleti ended the season without a win in four matches, 12 months after they were celebrating being crowned champions and preparing for a Champions League final against Real Madrid.

Simeone, without Mario Mandzukic, Arda Turan and Fernando Torres due to injury, cut a frustrated figure on the touchline for much of the game and will now turn his attention to ensuring Atleti hit the heights of the 2013-14 campaign next season.Both sides offered very little going forward in a cagey first half which lacked quality, with a frustrated Antoine Griezmann starved of service.

Piti gave Atleti a scare with a free-kick from wide on the right which evaded everybody and prompted goalkeeper Jan Oblak to berate his defence.

Ruben Rochina had an opportunity to ease the tension when he stood over a free-kick from 25 yards out three minutes before half-time, but the Granada striker's effort failed to test Oblak after Piti had been replaced by Fran Rico due to injury.
It was the same story early in the second half, as Atleti seemed content to sit behind the ball, although Koke finally brought a save out of Roberto with a long-range volley 11 minutes after the break.

Granada fans raised the noise inside the Calderon as news of results elsewhere going in their favour continued to filter through, while also in the knowledge that an Atletico goal could send them down.

But last season's champions never really looked likely to break Granada, with a draw all they needed to avoid an early start to the season in the Champions League play-offs.

The closing stages were played out by Granada's defence tapping the ball around their own half, and the final whistle was greeted by a pitch invasion as they celebrated an unlikely survival.

 

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Xavi: Barcelona are the best in the world

Barcelona legend Xavi has thanked the club’s supporters and spoken of his pride at having played for the “best team in the world” after making his final league appearance in the 2-2 draw with Deportivo.

The 35-year-old midfielder, who this week confirmed his decision to join Al Sadd in Qatar this summer after a 24-year association with the club, started the game before being withdrawn to a standing ovation on 86 minutes.

Despite Luis Enrique’s men losing a two-goal lead as the visitors fought back to seal their top-flight survival in dramatic fashion, there was still a positive atmosphere on Saturday as Barca were presented with their La Liga trophy as well as bidding farewell to the club icon.

Xavi spoke to the crowd following the full-time whistle and spoke of his appreciation for their support, while urging them to get behind the team with the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals still to play."Good afternoon everyone, thank you for everything,” said Xavi. “Thank you very much, for today and all these seasons.

“You do not know how proud I am to be a Barca player, we are the best team in the world whatever they say.

“I would like to thank my wife, parents, friends, they are amazing. See you in 15 days, this is not over, we want the cup and the Champions League. Visca Barça and Visca Catalunya!”

Andres Iniesta, who has wreaked havoc alongside Xavi in midfield for Barca and Spain over the course of his 13 seasons in the Camp Nou first team, paid tribute to his departing team-mate.

"This is a very special day, but we also want the cup and the Champions League,” he said. “We want to return on June 7 to celebrate the titles with you.“Secondly, we have the privilege of saying goodbye to Xavi. Thank you for all these years. Thank you very much.”

 

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Eibar and Almeria suffer La Liga relegation while Deportivo miraculously survive

Barcelona were crowned champions of La Liga a week ago but the final day of the season on Saturday saw a number of clubs still facing a nail-biting finish at both ends of the table.

Atletico Madrid's 0-0 draw at home to Granada was enough for Diego Simeone's side to secure third spot and a place in the Champions League group stage.

The result also saw the visitors survive relegation, with a point seeing them finish in 17th place, as Eibar dropped into the Segunda Division despite beating Cordoba 3-0.

Valencia ended their campaign with a 3-2 victory away to Almeria, which clinched the fourth and final qualifying position for Europe's premier club competition ahead of Sevilla, while relegating the hosts in the process.

Almeria's defeat gave Deportivo La Coruna the chance to pull off a dramatic relegation survival story and they did just that by coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Barca at Camp Nou.

That game also saw midfielder Xavi make his final appearance for the Catalans, as both sets of supporters had cause for celebration at the full-time whistle.

 

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Real Madrid 7-3 Getafe: Ronaldo claims golden boot with final day hat-trick

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to win the European Golden Boot as Real Madrid beat Getafe 6-3 in their final league game of the season.

Ronaldo's eighth treble of the campaign took his tally for the season to 61 goals in all competitions as he took the Pichichi with 48 strikes, seven more than Barcelona's Lionel Messi.

He was also involved in a moment of history just before the hour mark, when he was replaced by 16-year-old Martin Odegaard, who became Real's youngest ever Liga debutant.

Ronaldo, whose treble completed his most prolific league season, headed Real in front, but Getafe took a shock lead through superb strikes from Sergio Escudero and Diego Castro.

A Ronaldo free-kick and penalty restored Madrid's advantage, but the sides went in level at the break as Mehdi Lacen equalised following a corner.

Quickfire goals at the start of the second half from Javier Hernandez and James Rodriguez put the hosts two clear for the first time, before Jese Rodriguez and Marcelo completed the rout.An entertaining end-of-season affair ensured that if Carlo Ancelotti is to depart the Bernabeu, he will do so on the back of a crowd-pleasing performance.

After a quiet start to proceedings, Madrid went in front in the 13th minute through a familiar source.Marcelo delivered a teasing cross from the left, and Ronaldo was left unmarked to power a header beyond Jordi Codina and into the far corner of the net.

But if Madrid thought they were in for a straightforward victory, Escudero and Castro demonstrated that the visitors had other ideas.

With 23 minutes gone, Escudero unleashed a rasping left-foot shot from 30 yards that flew past Iker Casillas into the bottom-right corner and, three minutes later, Castro curled a superb finish into the same portion of the goal from just outside the box.

Getafe's lead lasted just six minutes, however, as Ronaldo took centre stage once more with a fizzing free-kick that curled around the wall and into the bottom-left corner with laser-like accuracy.

And with just 34 minutes on the clock the Portuguese had his hat-trick. Hernandez was bundled to the ground by Carlos Vigaray and Ronaldo made no mistake from the spot, blasting his kick straight down the middle.

Yet as half-time approached back came Getafe, who pulled level once more when Lacen hammered home from eight yards after Real failed to deal with a corner.

The entertainment continued at the start of the second half as Madrid scored twice in the first six minutes.

Hernandez drilled in a rebound after Ronaldo had somehow headed another excellent Marcelo delivery against the woodwork, before Rodriguez curled a stunning free-kick over the wall and into the top-right corner from 25 yards.

The scoring did not stop there, as Jese curled in a sublime finish from the left-hand side of the box after exchanging passes with Rodriguez.

Casillas, who has come in for criticism in recent weeks, was given a rousing ovation by the crowd during a break in play late on and Jese then teed up Marcelo for a simple 90th-minute tap-in as Real took their Liga goals tally to 118 for the campaign.

 

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Congratulations C.Ronaldo!​

 

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Genoa 3-2 Inter: Nerazzurri's European hopes dented

Inter's hopes of playing European football next season are all but over after they lost 3-2 to Genoa.

Juraj Kucka headed home a dramatic late winner to decide a pulsating encounter, which leaves Roberto Mancini's men needing a miracle to qualify for the Europa League.

Earlier this week it was confirmed that Genoa - who started the game in sixth - would not be granted a Uefa licence to play in Europe next season, meaning that even if they maintain their current standing the team finishing seventh will play in Europe's secondary competition.

But Inter twice let the lead slip in a pulsating encounter at Luigi Ferraris, meaning they are two points behind seventh-placed Sampdoria - who play Empoli on Sunday - with just one game to play.In an action-packed first half Mauro Icardi prodded Inter ahead just before the 20-minute mark, only for Leonardo Pavoletti to restore parity.

Rodrigo Palacio finished a swift breakaway to put Inter back in front, but again Genoa responded when Maxime Lestienne - who had earlier rattled the crossbar - capitalised on a defensive mix-up.

The second half was just as exciting and the woodwork denied Hernanes and Marcelo Brozovic a winner for Inter in the same attack, and there was worse to come when Kucka netted in the 89th minute as Genoa climbed to fifth.

In a high-octane start Samir Handanovic kept the scores level with a stunning save when he flung himself to the right to keep out Lestienne's point-blank header on the goalline.

Having survived that scare, Inter made the breakthrough in the 19th minute. Icardi's header from Hernanes' cross hit Edenilson on the back and the striker pounced quickest to prod past Mattia Perin.

The lead lasted just five minutes, though, as Pavoletti turned Andrea Ranocchia on the edge of the box and rifled an unstoppable half-volley past Handanovic.Inter were back in front on the half-hour mark as Palacio collected Icardi's flick and calmly slotted past Perin when one-on-one to finish a lightening counter-attack.

The pulsating action continued as Pavoletti crashed a fierce volley against the crossbar, before Icardi twice had the ball in the back of the net only to be rightfully denied for offside on both occasions.

Genoa made the visitors pay with an equaliser four minutes before half-time as Handanovic and Ranocchia got their wires crossed when dealing with a throughball and Lestienne slotted into the empty net.

The hosts piled forward at the start of the second half and Pavoletti had claims for a penalty turned down when he went to ground under a challenge from Juan Jesus.
Handanovic made another fine stop to deny Andrea Bertolacci's long-range effort, before Nicolas Burdisso headed narrowly wide of the right-hand post from Lestienne's corner with under 20 minutes remaining.

Inter were then visibly frustrated as Hernanes' low drive rebounded off the left-hand post and Brozovic curled the follow-up against the bar.

Hernanes and Icardi both missed chances as Inter pushed for winner, and Kucka dealt the sucker punch when he leapt highest to meet Edenilson's free-kick a minute from time.

There was almost one last twist when Icardi claimed for a penalty in injury-time when he went tumbling from Burdisso's challenge, but referee Paolo Tagliavento was uninterested.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 Reims: Cavani double fires champions to victory

Paris Saint-Germain ended their Ligue 1-winning campaign with a 3-2 victory over Reims, which saw Edinson Cavani score twice.

Laurent Blanc's men retained their status as champions with a 2-1 victory at Montpellier last time out and, with the trophy presented at full-time on Saturday, PSG marked the occasion with some fine football, particularly during the first half.
In the absence of the injured Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Cavani proved a constant nuisance to the Reims backline, eventually opening the scoring with half an hour played.

While Reims had little answer to the Uruguayan's movement. Javier Pastore and Lucas Moura terrorised the visitors in their respective supporting roles and the latter teed up Adrien Rabiot for the Parisians' second on the stroke of half-time.
Reims did improve after the interval, with Aissa Mandi's header eight minutes into the second half reducing their deficit.

However, PSG added a third through Cavani - prior to a late consolation from Grejohn Kyei - and will now turn their attention to next Saturday's Coupe de France final against Auxerre having ended the league season with nine straight wins.PSG showed no signs of being distracted by their imminent title celebrations during the early exchanges, looking lively and full of attacking intent right from the start.

Some areas of the Parc des Princes crowd thought the hosts had broken the deadlock as early as the fifth minute, though Pastore's effort was cleared off the line by Franck Signorino following an excellent run by Lucas.

Pastore was at the centre of things again shortly after, this time turning creator as the Argentine picked out Cavani, who ultimately saw his effort deflect off a defender and then Kossi Agassa in the Reims goal.

Lucas soon began to rival Pastore as PSG's biggest threat, tormenting Reims with his powerful runs and blinding pace, but he was denied a fine solo effort by Mohamed Fofana's last-gasp intervention in the 26th minute.The breakthrough finally arrived four minutes later, though, as Cavani latched on to a Marco Verratti through pass and slid a shot under Agassa.

Rabiot doubled PSG's lead just before the break, slamming home emphatically from 20 yards after being released by the brilliant Lucas.

The hosts' start to the second half was no by means ideal, though, as Reims showed a marked improvement and pulled a goal back in the 54th minute, Mandi heading Signorino's excellent delivery beyond Nicolas Douchez.

Olivier Guegan's men almost restored parity two minutes later. This time, however, Douchez was able to thwart Gaetan Charbonnier, who had fought his way past Thiago Silva and shot from a tight angle.

PSG remained a threat, but Reims continued to find joy on the break and Diego should have levelled 72 minutes in, blazing over from 16 yards after pouncing on Zoumana Camara's failed clearance.

Blanc's side made the most of that let-off seven minutes from time, Cavani collecting Ezequiel Lavezzi's low left-wing cross and sweeping into the bottom-right corner.

Although Kyei pulled one back in the 89th minute after striding past David Luiz, PSG did enough to secure all three points and their title celebrations duly followed.