..::Football III::..

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Messi ponders ending career in Argentina

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi says he dreams of finishing his career back in his homeland of Argentina.

Messi left Rosario as a 13-year-old to begin his journey to the top of world football in Catalonia.The 28-year-old won his fifth Ballon d'Or in Zurich on Monday and at the ceremony he told reporters that he would ideally complete his playing days at Barca, where his current contract ends in 2018.

But speaking to FIFA.com, Messi revealed that the lure of a return home – where his boyhood club was Newell's Old Boys – still holds considerable appeal.

"Yes, I've always said that I would like to play in Argentina," he said."It was always my dream when I was a boy, though I had to leave at a very early age because of my situation and it didn’t happen.

"I had to go to Europe, start out with Barcelona and make my career there. But I would like to return to Argentinian football one day. What happens after that, only God knows."Messi opened the scoring as Barcelona crowned a stellar 2015 by beating River Plate in the Club World Cup final last month and he conceded that helping defeat an Argentinian club was an unusual feeling.

"It was, for a number of reasons," he said, before reflecting on an almost apologetic goal celebration at Yokohama International Stadium.

"I know how much effort all those fans made in making that trip and how excited they were. And there was me, the Argentinian, scoring the first goal and ruining it all for them."I don’t know if I was actually saying sorry, but it was a type of apology."

 

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Chelsea 'in talks' to sign Lavezzi

Chelsea are in talks over a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Ezequiel Lavezzi, according to the Argentine’s representative.

The 30-year-old’s contract expires in the summer and he would be available on a free transfer.

But Alessandro Moggi, who works alongside Lavezzi’s agent Alejandro Mazzoni, claims that Chelsea and Inter are keen on the striker, who has scored only twice in 21 appearances for the French champions this season.

“Inter are the most interested team at the moment,” Moggi told Sport Mediaset.

“There was interest from Barcelona and Chelsea, and we’re talking with the Blues.

“I can’t rule out him only leaving Paris at the end of the season though, as Paris Saint-Germain have expressed an interest in keeping him.”

 

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Saul knows nothing about Manchester United links - father

Speculation that Atletico Madrid midfielder Saul Niguez could join Manchester United has been dismissed by the player's father.

Louis van Gaal's team were reported to be monitoring the 21-year-old, who has enjoyed a breakthrough campaign with Diego Simeone's Liga leaders this season.
Saul himself declared on Tuesday that he would happily spend the rest of his career at the Vicente Calderon and Jose Antonio Niguez, a former footballer with Elche, also denied his son had any desire to leave the Spanish capital.

Niguez senior also stated Saul has a release clause of €45million in his Atleti contract – considerably higher than the figure claimed to have piqued United's interest.

"I just heard about this through the newspapers and the TV, we knew nothing," Niguez told Deportes Cope."He has always said he wants to succeed at Atletico Madrid. Saul's release clause is €45m.

"The kid is happy at the club, they are counting on him, the team is doing well, top of La Liga. A lot of things would have to happen for him to leave."Saul spent the 2013-14 season on loan at Rayo Vallecano but is now an established first-team fixture at Atletico and has a long-term contract running through until June 2020.

"The coach is counting on him, he has his confidence," his father added."Logically things [can] change radically, because a player aged 21 who is not playing, he needs to look at other things.

"If he is not playing, it is logical for him not to be happy. But at the moment everything has changed, he is very happy with what is happening with the team, he is playing, and the team is doing well."

 

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Van Gaal lets two more Man United youngsters leave on loan

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has allowed two more promising youngsters to leave on loan in January with goalkeepers Dean Henderson and Kieran O'Hara joining Stockport County and Morecambe respectively

O'Hara, 19, will return to Morecambe for the remainder of the 2015/16 season, having already spent a temporary spell with the League Two outfit last September.

Henderson, 18, will join Stockport, meanwhile, for one month, with an option to extend the deal until the end of the current campaign.

United currently have seven players out on loan and Van Gaal has been criticised by some sections of support for allowing the likes of James Wilson and Adnan Januzaj, who has subsequently been recalled from Borussia Dortmund, to leave while the first team have struggled for goals.

 

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Messi: Suarez is the world's best striker

Barcelona star Lionel Messi believes team-mate Luis Suarez is the best out-and-out forward player in world football.

Messi won his fifth Ballon d'Or title on Monday, beating Real Madrid attacker Cristiano Ronaldo and the third member of his side's star studded forward line, Neymar, to the crown.

The Argentine star feels the success of Barcelona's 'MSN' is down to the rapport between the trio and insists that Suarez, who was the only member of the group not to make the Ballon d'Or final three, is one of the finest strikers he has ever played with.

"It is difficult to compare him to all the ones [goalscorers] I have played alongside," Messi told Fifa's official website.

"There have been so many. What I can say is that he is the best out-and-out forward there is in the game today.

"He has so much to offer the team and it is a pleasure to play alongside him. We also have a very good relationship off the pitch and I am very happy to be sharing everything with him."

Messi was also thrilled to hear the words of Neymar, who described himself as being "completely in love" with the Barca talisman.

"The fact is that I get on very well with Neymar," said Messi. "He has said nice things about me ever since he arrived at the club. It makes me feel very happy to hear a friend and a colleague talk like that.

"I think [MSN's success] is all down to the chemistry between the three of us, both on and off the pitch and the type of people that we are too.

"We all want the best for the team, for the squad. That is more important than anything else."

 

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'Not Arsenal, not Barca, not the moon' - Aubameyang vows to stay at Dortmund

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has reiterated that he will not be leaving Borussia Dortmund in the near future.

The striker had been linked with moves to Arsenal and Barcelona, but the 26-year-old has insisted that he has no plans to leave Signal Iduna Park until certain goals are met.

"My contract expires in 2020," he told Sport Bild. "I am feeling very well here and want to achieve much more with BVB and win titles.

"I am here and nowhere else, not at Arsenal, not at Barcelona and not on the moon."

Having recently stated that it would not be impossible for BVB to catch Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, Aubameyang turned his attention to rival striker Robert Lewandowski, whom the Gabonese hitman believes is the best in the world.

"Lewandowski is complete. He can hold on to the ball and build play, he can dribble, he can score goals from anywhere.

"He is fast, strong in the air. For me, he is the best striker in the world at the moment. He is more complete than I am."

 

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De Gea can be a great like Van der Sar and Schmeichel - Steele

David de Gea has the potential to build a legacy like Manchester United greats Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar after reaching 200 games for the club, former goalkeeping coach Eric Steele says.The 25-year-old shot-stopper reached the milestone in Tuesday's 3-3 Premier League draw at Newcastle United, having arrived at Old Trafford from Atletico Madrid in 2011.

As well as reflecting on United's decision to sign the keeper as a 19-year-old, Steele predicted the Spain international will get significantly better in the years ahead.

"He has got the potential to be a great like Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar," Steele told United Review.

"The boy could be held in that regard because he is only going to get better. He came to United at 19, so you are looking now at a mature, physically developed goalkeeper.

"He has got better and he is going to get even better. He is 25 now. Schmeichel didn't go to United until he was 28, so this boy – this man, now – has got so much more to come."

On the decision to sign De Gea, who Steele watched while the keeper was playing for Atletico, he added: "Ultimately he was very well scouted and the decision was made by the main man, the manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

"We bought young potential. Sir Alex was never afraid to bring young players into the club and blood them by putting them into the team. In terms of a goalkeeper, that is what we did for the first time with David."There is always a chance being taken while you are scouting, but I saw David in the Europa League semi-final at Liverpool and that clinched it for me. He was phenomenal.

"He did things in the first 25 minutes of that game that made my mind up. I could have left after half an hour with the decision made. You think of the atmosphere, the state of the game - he didn't look an 18-year-old lad.

"He is a very special talent in the goalkeeping world. We looked all around the world for a replacement for Edwin, but we always came back to David."

 

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Manchester City 0-0 Everton: Toffees frustrate Pellegrini’s men

Title-chasing Manchester City were frustrated by Everton at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday as the visitors withstood heavy second-half pressure to claim a 0-0 draw.

Kicking off earlier than top two Arsenal and Leicester City, Manuel Pellegrini's men were on top for long spells against Everton, especially after the break, but failed to find the breakthrough and were frustrated by the lack of a penalty award when John Stones appeared to bring down Raheem Sterling late on.

Taking on League Cup semi-final opponents Everton a week on from their defeat at Goodison Park, Pellegrini's men tested a somewhat makeshift defence in the first half through Kevin De Bruyne and Yaya Toure.

Roberto Martinez shifted Stones to right-back following Seamus Coleman's calf injury and Everton's main threat came through surprise starter Leon Osman late in the first half.

City - missing Wilfried Bony, Fernandinho, Eliaquim Mangala and captain Vincent Kompany - bombarded the visitors' goal in the second half and saw referee East wave away City's penalty appeals in the final minute of injury time.

But - in front of a depleted crowd due to local traffic problems - the league's leading scorers were denied maximum points and remain without back-to-back Premier League wins since early October.

In the even opening exchanges, the first chance fell De Bruyne's way as the Belgian poked Sterling's pass wide seven minutes in.

As the game sparked into life, Tim Howard was required to claw away a powerful Toure header before Joe Hart, on his 250th Premier League appearance, smothered a Ross Barkley shot at the other end midway through the half.

A well-timed Mo Besic challenge denied Sergio Aguero a one-on-one with Howard, while Gerard Deulofeu's delivery was diverted precariously behind City's goal by Nicolas Otamendi.

Osman - making his first Premier League start of the season - sent Romelu Lukaku's expert cross marginally wide of Hart's left-hand post prior to the half-hour, although an entertaining first period drew to a close with City on top.

De Bruyne's cross almost deflected fortuitously into Aguero's path, with Howard quick to collect, before City maintained that momentum after the break.

Enjoying the lion's share of possession, City went close through Jesus Navas' deflected effort, before Sterling was crowded out when a pass to Aguero was perhaps the better option five minutes into the second half.

Sterling had another effort blocked prior to the hour before Navas found the side-netting from the edge of the area, Everton coming under increasing pressure prior to Toure's effort being blocked by Rodrigo Funes Mori and Aguero's close-range header being smartly saved by Howard.

Howard was forced into a one-on-one save from Aguero before De Bruyne was replaced by David Silva 17 minutes from time in a bid to add an extra dimension to City's attacking efforts.

While the visitors stood firm, Martinez will have watched on nervously as Stones and Phil Jagielka tangled with Aguero on the edge of the area late on before the former appeared to bring down Sterling in the box amid vociferous appeals from the home bench and the City fans.

However, Everton survived to earn a point and frustrate City ahead of the second leg of their League Cup semi at the Etihad next week.

 

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Wolfsburg striker Dost out for six weeks with broken metatarsal

Wolfsburg striker Bas Dost is set for at least six weeks on the sidelines after suffering a broken metatarsal during training.

Netherlands international Dost has scored seven goals in 16 Bundesliga appearances this season following a prolific campaign last term, although he has only started 10 matches in 2015-16.

The 26-year-old had been linked with a January transfer to Newcastle United but a move is now unlikely, with the forward set for an operation.

"At the moment, we expect Bas will have to undergo surgery," Wolfsburg sporting director Klaus Allofs told his club's official website.

"We had some very positive talks with Bas just before the injury and the result of those discussions was an enormous drive to press on.

"It's very unfortunate that his plans have now been disrupted. We wish Bas all the best for a speedy recovery."

 

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Mondragon hospitalised following alleged suicide attempt

Faryd Mondragon is in a stable condition in hospital following a reported suicide attempt.

The former Galatasaray and Metz goalkeeper was admitted to the Fundacion Valle del Lili clinic in Cali on Tuesday night and has suffered a "metabolic imbalance", with Colombian media suggesting it was the result of an attempted overdose.

Mondragon, who became the oldest player to feature at a World Cup when he came on as a substitute in Colombia's 4-1 win over Japan at 43-years-old in Brazil in 2014, posted a cryptic message on social media, which has since been deleted, hours before his admission.

"Only I can judge my life, and I'm tired of being judged by others without the possibility of defending myself," he wrote.The Fundacion Valle del Lili has confirmed Mondragon is in a stable condition and remains under observation.

"Yesterday [Tuesday] night time Mr Faryd Mondragon was admitted to our institution with a metabolic imbalance," a statement read."The patient is in good condition, under medical observation and awaiting their evolution."

 

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Chelsea 2-2 West Brom: Late McClean strike denies Hiddink’s men victory

West Brom twice came from behind to earn a hard-fought 2-2 Premier League draw at Chelsea, who saw their mini revival under Guus Hiddink checked slightly.

Since the sacking of Jose Mourinho last month, Chelsea had won three and drawn two of their five games in all competitions ahead of Wednesday's meeting at Stamford Bridge, to raise optimism after a dreadful opening to their title defence.

But they came up against a stubborn West Brom side who had won each of their last two league outings and McClean capped his return to the side with the equalising goal four minutes from time.

The winger had been sent off for a wild hack on Bournemouth's Adam Smith last month, but his contribution here will have undoubtedly pleased head coach Tony Pulis.

Chelsea were ahead midway through the first half thanks to Cesar Azpilicueta, before Craig Gardner - on as a seventh-minute substitute for James Morrison - levelled matters in the 33rd minute.

Gareth McAuley's own goal 17 minutes from time looked to have handed Chelsea the win that would see them leapfrog their opponents in the table, but McClean struck to further frustrate the reigning champions.

There had been doubts about Diego Costa's availability after he picked up a knock in the weekend's FA Cup win over Scunthorpe United, but the Spain striker showed no ill effects here as he surged forward and shot narrowly off target in the second minute.

Willian - so often a bright spark in Chelsea's troubled season - also fired just wide but the home side did not have to wait long for their lead, which arrived in the 20th minute.

A fine team move saw Costa and Willian combine to set up Branislav Ivanovic, whose low cross from the right was tapped home by Azpilicueta at the far post.

Costa ought to have doubled the lead when he collected Oscar's superb backheel only to blaze wildly off target.

And the hosts were made to pay for that miss as Pedro surrendered possession and the ball ran to Gardner, who arrowed a shot into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards.

Pedro was replaced by Kenedy at half-time, but the change initially failed to spark Chelsea into life as Salomon Rondon - also back in the side after getting sent off for a headbutt against Bournemouth - crossed for McClean to head weakly at Thibaut Courtois.

Claudio Yacob had perhaps been fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for a tangle with Oscar in the first half, and a similar incident involving Costa saw Pulis substitute the Argentinian and send on Saido Berahino on the hour.

Chelsea forged ahead again as Kenedy and McAuley challenged for Willian's cross and the ball struck the knee of the defender before defeating Boaz Myhill at his near post.

But there was to be one final twist as McClean curled home a precise effort with his weaker right foot from 20 yards to earn his side a point and leave Chelsea frustrated.
There had been doubts about Diego Costa's availability after he picked up a knock in the weekend's FA Cup win over Scunthorpe United, but the Spain striker showed no ill effects here as he surged forward and shot narrowly off target in the second minute.

Willian - so often a bright spark in Chelsea's troubled season - also fired just wide but the home side did not have to wait long for their lead, which arrived in the 20th minute.

A fine team move saw Costa and Willian combine to set up Branislav Ivanovic, whose low cross from the right was tapped home by Azpilicueta at the far post.

Costa ought to have doubled the lead when he collected Oscar's superb backheel only to blaze wildly off target.

And the hosts were made to pay for that miss as Pedro surrendered possession and the ball ran to Gardner, who arrowed a shot into the bottom-left corner from 25 yards.

Pedro was replaced by Kenedy at half-time, but the change initially failed to spark Chelsea into life as Salomon Rondon - also back in the side after getting sent off for a headbutt against Bournemouth - crossed for McClean to head weakly at Thibaut Courtois.

Claudio Yacob had perhaps been fortunate not to receive a second yellow card for a tangle with Oscar in the first half, and a similar incident involving Costa saw Pulis substitute the Argentinian and send on Saido Berahino on the hour.

Chelsea forged ahead again as Kenedy and McAuley challenged for Willian's cross and the ball struck the knee of the defender before defeating Boaz Myhill at his near post.

But there was to be one final twist as McClean curled home a precise effort with his weaker right foot from 20 yards to earn his side a point and leave Chelsea frustrated.

 

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Southampton 2-0 Watford: Long and Tadic ease pressure on Koeman

Goals from Shane Long and Dusan Tadic gave Southampton a comfortable 2-0 win over Watford on Wednesday in the Premier League to ease the pressure on manager Ronald Koeman.

Former Reading star Long played a key role throughout and it was his flick at the near post that put the hosts ahead after 17 minutes at St Mary's Stadium.

Substitute Tadic killed the game off when he tapped the ball home in the 73rd minute to help ensure the Saints secured just their second victory in 11 matches in all competitions, with Watford losing for only the third time in the league on the road this season.

Koeman's men dominated the opening exchanges with Matt Targett and Long impressing down the left-hand side.

And Long's bright start was rewarded when he was played in by Targett and the cross was inch perfect for the Republic of Ireland forward, who steered his header into the bottom corner past Heurelho Gomes.

The Brazilian was then called into action to stop Sadio Mane, who was allowed time and space on the edge of the area, and his acrobatic save forced a corner. From the resulting set-piece, the former Tottenham goalkeeper nervously punched the ball and Targett's deflected effort went just inches wide of the top corner.

The visitors had to wait until the 28th minute to have their first shot, but Odion Ighalo's left-footed effort was deflected wide after a strong challenge from Jose Fonte.

Targett continued to catch the eye with his testing balls into the area and Long could have had a second but for a save from Gomes and a clearance from Jose Holebas.

It should have been 2-0 when Jose Jurado's poor back-pass sold Sebastian Prodl short, but Mane's interception was wasted when he hit the outside of the post.

The hosts could have scored straight after the break when Mane's header was cleared off the line by Prodl, who was back in the first XI at the expense of Craig Cathcart.

Midfielder Steven Davis thought he had doubled Southampton's lead after hitting a sublime volley, but the linesman flagged him offside.

Mane was eventually brought off for Tadic after missing several key chances and the Serbia international scored within two minutes as he slotted the ball past a helpless Gomes.

Watford introduced Victor Ibarbo and Ikechi Anya, but neither could change the momentum of the game as Fraser Forster enjoyed an easy night on his comeback.

The former Celtic star was named in the starting line-up for the first time since March and he did not have a save to make.

Goals from Shane Long and Dusan Tadic gave Southampton a comfortable 2-0 win over Watford on Wednesday in the Premier League to ease the pressure on manager Ronald Koeman.

Former Reading star Long played a key role throughout and it was his flick at the near post that put the hosts ahead after 17 minutes at St Mary's Stadium.

Substitute Tadic killed the game off when he tapped the ball home in the 73rd minute to help ensure the Saints secured just their second victory in 11 matches in all competitions, with Watford losing for only the third time in the league on the road this season.

Koeman's men dominated the opening exchanges with Matt Targett and Long impressing down the left-hand side.

And Long's bright start was rewarded when he was played in by Targett and the cross was inch perfect for the Republic of Ireland forward, who steered his header into the bottom corner past Heurelho Gomes.

The Brazilian was then called into action to stop Sadio Mane, who was allowed time and space on the edge of the area, and his acrobatic save forced a corner. From the resulting set-piece, the former Tottenham goalkeeper nervously punched the ball and Targett's deflected effort went just inches wide of the top corner.

The visitors had to wait until the 28th minute to have their first shot, but Odion Ighalo's left-footed effort was deflected wide after a strong challenge from Jose Fonte.

Targett continued to catch the eye with his testing balls into the area and Long could have had a second but for a save from Gomes and a clearance from Jose Holebas.

It should have been 2-0 when Jose Jurado's poor back-pass sold Sebastian Prodl short, but Mane's interception was wasted when he hit the outside of the post.

The hosts could have scored straight after the break when Mane's header was cleared off the line by Prodl, who was back in the first XI at the expense of Craig Cathcart.

Midfielder Steven Davis thought he had doubled Southampton's lead after hitting a sublime volley, but the linesman flagged him offside.

Mane was eventually brought off for Tadic after missing several key chances and the Serbia international scored within two minutes as he slotted the ball past a helpless Gomes.

Watford introduced Victor Ibarbo and Ikechi Anya, but neither could change the momentum of the game as Fraser Forster enjoyed an easy night on his comeback.

The former Celtic star was named in the starting line-up for the first time since March and he did not have a save to make.

 

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Stoke City 3 Norwich City 1: Walters and Joselu punish 10-man Canaries

Goals from Joselu and Jonathan Walters helped inspire Stoke City to a 3-1 victory over 10-man Norwich City in the Premier League on Wednesday.

The visitors were rightfully reduced to 10 men just after half an hour when Gary O'Neil was shown a red card for a two-footed challenge on Ibrahim Afellay, and Stoke made their numerical advantage count just after half-time when FA Cup hero Walters followed up his weekend winner over Doncaster Rovers to steer home Marko Arnautovic's inviting cross.

Jonathan Howson powered home a stunning effort from the edge of the area to restore parity, but any hope of salvaging a point was extinguished on 67 minutes courtesy of Joselu's pinpoint drive from just outside the box.

A bad day for the visitors was compounded 13 minutes from time as Stoke secured a well-deserved three points with Ryan Bennett turning into his own net.
The result propels Mark Hughes's men up to seventh, three points behind West Ham in the Europa League spot.

Meanwhile, a disappointing outing for Alex Neil means Norwich will continue to look nervously over their shoulder, with the Canaries still five points clear of the relegation zone.

Despite missing the attacking talents of Xherdan Shaqiri, Stoke made the brighter start, and top scorer Arnautovic forced Declan Rudd into action with a fizzing low drive inside seven minutes.

Howson curled over from 25 yards 10 minutes later as Norwich sought a way into the game, but Stoke continued to probe, with Arnautovic predictably at the centre of their efforts.A teasing Arnautovic throughball from the left set Joselu free inside the area, but he somehow skewed wide.

Wes Hoolahan nearly made Stoke pay for their profligacy just before half an hour, but his speculative effort from distance drifted wide after Jack Butland's poor clearance.Butland had to be alert again moments later to keep out Bennett's venomous effort as Norwich began to build momentum.

But their hopes of capitalising on that bright spell were dealt a blow on 31 minutes when O'Neil was shown a straight red card for a reckless two-footed lunge on Afellay as the ball drifted out of play.

Stoke took full advantage and made the deadlock four minutes into the second half, with the lively Arnautovic the architect, winning the ball deep inside the opposing half before whipping in an inviting cross that was duly tucked away by Walters.

However, Norwich refused to surrender, and were level in emphatic style six minutes later when Vadis Odjidja-Ofoe teed the ball up for Howson to fire home on the edge of the area. But Norwich's hopes of earning a point were dashed when Joselu drilled home from 25 yards.

And a successful shift for the hosts was given the gloss of a third when Bennett headed Afellay's free-kick into his own net on 77 minutes.

 

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Espanyol 0-2 Barcelona (agg. 1-6): Munir double sends visitors into Copa quarters

A rotated Barcelona squad strolled into the quarter-finals of the Copa del Rey, downing Espanyol 2-0 in Cornella to record a 6-1 aggregate victory over the two legs.

The holders had done most of the hard work against their city rivals by claiming a 4-1 victory in the first leg at Camp Nou.

Lionel Messi did the damage in that game with a double in a contest in which Espanyol were reduced to nine men.And it was Messi - fresh off winning his fifth Ballon d'Or earlier this week - who played a starring role at Cornella-El Prat.

Messi provided Barca's main threat in front of goal in the first half and, although he was unable to find the net, he did set up Munir in the 32nd minute with a magnificent pass.

With a place in the last eight all but secured, Barca took their foot off the gas in a low-key second half but were still able to make it two with a second from Munir despite replays indicating both he and Aleix Vidal had been offside during a free-flowing move.

Messi was the first to test Espanyol goalkeeper Francesco Bardi, who parried away the Argentina forward's volley from just inside the area in the 11th minute.

It was Messi who pulled the strings for much of the first half and he went close to opening the scoring in spectacular fashion 23 minutes in, surging towards goal and unleashing a left-footed curling effort only to be denied by a fine diving save from Bardi.Barca finally broke the deadlock nine minutes later as Munir raced onto a perfectly weighted throughball from Messi and rounded Bardi to tap into the empty net.

Espanyol would have levelled shortly before half-time if not for Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.Ter Stegen tipped Felipe Caicedo's dinked effort over after the Ecuadorian had been put through one-on-one with the German.

Caicedo got in behind the Barca defence again nine minutes into the second half only for Ter Stegen to leave him frustrated once more by sticking out a leg to preserve the visitors' advantage.Following that opportunity clear openings proved few and far between in the second 45 minutes as Barca sought to preserve energy.

But there was still time for one final flourish from Barca as Messi and Arda Turan combined to play in Vidal who - with the flag staying down - squared for Munir to convert with a simple finish.

 

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Liverpool 3-3 Arsenal: Last-gasp Allen salvages thrilling draw

Joe Allen was Liverpool's saviour as he smashed home a dramatic late equaliser to hold Arsenal 3-3 in a game the hosts had led twice.

The midfielder latched on to fellow sub Christian Benteke's header to volley home at the death as an end-to-end clash finished all square.Roberto Firmino had given the home side an early lead with a shot on the rebound, but Aaron Ramsey swiftly levelled.

Firmino put Liverpool back in front with an impressive strike, only for Olivier Giroud to net either side of half-time to move on to 12 Premier League goals this season and seal what looked like it would be a dramatic victory, before Allen's last-gasp impact.

The draw means Arsenal have won only one of their last five Premier League away games and now only top the table on goal difference from Leicester City, who won at Tottenham, although Manchester City's draw with Everton keeps Manuel Pellegrini's men three points off the pace.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, has overseen victories in two of Liverpool's last seven in the league, dropping them down to ninth position, but will be buoyed to have escaped with a point.

In a game that sparkled from the word go, the first meaningful attack produced the opening goal in the 10th minute.

Emre Can's powerful effort from the edge of the area was only parried away as far as Firmino by Petr Cech, who was rooted to the spot as the forward sharply spun and shot left-footed.

But Arsenal responded within four minutes. The hosts were unable to deal with a long clearance from Cech and Joel Campbell found space to slip an accurate pass through to Ramsey, with the midfielder's low effort beating Simon Mignolet at his near post.

A thrilling game continued when Klopp's men went back in front just five minutes later. After they had pressed the Arsenal backline high up the pitch to regain possession, James Milner fed Firmino 20 yards out and the Brazil international took one touch before unleashing a brilliant strike into the top corner.

Arsenal, though, produced another response within six minutes. Ramsey had almost equalised when he raced on to Giroud's flick-on and dinked a delicate finish over Mignolet, only to see Mamadou Sakho recover to head clear from the goal-line.

From the resulting corner, Giroud got the faintest of touches to Ramsey's in-swinging delivery and his effort somehow found its way through Mignolet's legs.

Giroud missed a golden opportunity to put the Gunners ahead a few moments later when Campbell and Theo Walcott combined on the right, with the England forward's cross cutting out Mignolet. The goal was gaping, but the France striker could only divert his effort back into the keeper's hands.

Firmino almost had a hat-trick on the stroke of half-time when his left-footed shot on the turn had Cech beaten, but clipped the top of the crossbar after good work from Jordon Ibe down the right.Alberto Moreno flashed an attempt over from a presentable opportunity early in the second half, while Walcott produced an excellent solo run at the other end before firing just wide.

But Arsenal moved ahead for the first time on 55 minutes when Hector Bellerin and Campbell combined to find Giroud in the area and he slickly turned Kolo Toure to plant a finish into the far corner.

Klopp brought on Benteke in an attempt to find a spark, as well as throwing debutant defender Steven Caulker up top, and the Belgian's muscularity helped find parity as a knockdown fell at the feet of Allen, who swept home in front of a jubilant Kop to snatch a point.

 

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Tottenham 0-1 Leicester City: Foxes strike late to sink Spurs

Robert Huth's late header sent Leicester City joint-top of the Premier League table with Arsenal as they beat top-four rivals Tottenham 1-0 on Wednesday evening.

Just four days after contesting a full-blooded 2-2 draw in the FA Cup third-round on Sunday, the sides returned to White Hart Lane in a Premier League battle that could decide the Champions League places come May.

And it was fourth-placed Tottenham who created the better opportunities on home turf with their top scorer Harry Kane - whose late penalty rescued a replay in the cup - hitting the crossbar in the second half.

Erik Lamela also saw two chances go begging after the break, and their profligacy ultimately proved costly as Huth headed home Christian Fuchs' corner in the 83rd minute.

Leicester, who named the returning Jamie Vardy in their XI after he missed the cup fixture due to minor groin surgery, had failed to win or score in their past three league matches.

But their late show in north London, coupled with Liverpool's 3-3 draw against Arsenal, means the east Midlands club are level with Arsene Wenger's men on 43 points, while Tottenham are now seven points off the pace.

After naming a much-changed team for the cup tie, the hosts reverted to type with seven changes and dominated the opening exchanges with Dele Alli - who penned a new contract with Spurs until 2021 on Tuesday - curling a low 25-yard effort wide of the right-hand post.

As has been the case so often this season, though, Leicester grew into the game and Shinji Okazaki shot wide on the turn after some sloppy Tottenham defending.

N'Golo Kante, one of just two players retained in Leicester's XI from Sunday, then rifled over from a tight angle before Danny Drinkwater's well controlled volley from the edge of the box drew a fine stop from Hugo Lloris.
Having weathered that mini storm, Tottenham finished the half strongly with Christian Eriksen's dipping effort parried well by Kasper Schmeichel.

Tottenham survived some early second-half pressure from Leicester to carve out the first opening after the break as Ben Davies' teasing low cross was met by Lamela and deflected wide.

Lamela was at the heart of Tottenham's next opportunity just after the hour when he brilliantly slipped Kane in behind the Leicester defence, but the England striker's effort was excellently saved by Schmeichel before bouncing agonisingly onto the crossbar.

More good work from Davies led to another Lamela chance with 15 minutes remaining, but the Argentine winger curled over the top from 10 yards.

But with seven minutes remaining Spurs were caught cold. Fuchs' excellent whipped corner was powerfully headed into the top left corner by the unmarked Huth much to the delight of the travelling supporters.

 

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PSG 2-1 Lyon: Lucas Moura sends hosts through to last four

Lucas Moura's winning goal gave Paris Saint-Germain their third victory over Lyon this season as they ran out 2-1 winners at Parc des Princes in the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue.

The Brazilian was a second-half substitute for the French champions, and he scored within seven minutes of his introduction to clinch a place in the semi-finals.

Laurent Blanc's side took the lead when Adrien Rabiot profited from a scramble in the penalty area, poking the ball through a crowd of players after it appeared to have left the field of play.

Lyon hit back with a superb strike from Corentin Tolisso, but Lyon never quite looked capable of overcoming a side who dealt them a humiliating 5-1 defeat in Ligue 1 in December.

PSG remain on course for their third straight title in the competition – a feat only Marseille have achieved before them.

Both sides rested key players and, with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Alexandre Lacazette looking on from the sidelines, there was a distinct lack of attacking threat in the early stages.

PSG went ahead in controversial circumstances when referee Benoit Bastien failed to spot the ball going out of play during a scramble in Lyon's penalty area, and Rabiot took full advantage of the chaos by stroking the ball past Mathieu Gorgelin to make it 1-0.

Lyon's Christophe Jallet, who crucially gave away possession shortly before PSG scored, surged forward and crossed superbly for Claudio Beauvue, but Salvatore Sirigu protected the hosts' lead with a fine save from point-blank range.

David Luiz could have doubled PSG's lead but he blazed a free header wide, before Benjamin Stambouli was allowed to stroll towards goal unchallenged only to fire a tame shot that Gorgelin saved easily.

PSG were punished for their wastefulness just before the break, when Jordan Ferri's chipped pass found Tolisso, who had the time to set himself and lash the ball into the top of the net, giving Sirigu no chance.

Lyon started confidently after the interval, and Jallet combined with Jeremy Morel to cause PSG problems on the right flank, while Edi Cavani was caught just offside at the other end when he broke through on goal with only Gorgelin to beat.

PSG ramped up their attacks as the visitors slowly began to tire and Layvin Kurzawa spurned a one-on-one with Gorgelin shortly before Stambouli lofted a shot over the bar from inside the box.

Laurent Blanc sent on Angel Di Maria, and the presence of the Argentine seemed to further energise the home side.

Cavani struck a superb shot from 20 yards that drew a brilliant diving save from Gorgelin, before Lyon went close when Arnold Mvuemba hit a swerving 30-yard drive that Sirigu had to punch out for a corner.

But PSG counter-attacked from the ensuing set piece, and Di Maria led a sweeping move that culminated in Lucas' cool finish, low into the net to seal the victory.

 

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Swansea City 2-4 Sunderland: Defoe hat-trick gives Allardyce's men thrilling win

Sunderland came from behind to beat 10-man Swansea City 4-2 thanks to Jermain Defoe's hat-trick, but the match was dominated by questionable refereeing decisions.

Defoe gave Sunderland an early lead, turning home the rebound after Lukasz Fabianski could only parry Fabio Borini's shot to the marginally-offside former England international.

Gylfi Sigurdsson then scored from the penalty spot after 22 minutes when Wes Brown was adjudged by referee Graham Scott to have impeded Andre Ayew in the box.

Scott, a late replacement for Andre Marriner, was making just his fourth Premier League appearance and harshly sent off Kyle Naughton for a high boot on Yann M'Vila after 37 minutes.

Sunderland were level shortly after half-time when Patrick van Aanholt's shot took a wicked deflection off Federico Fernandez and flew into the top corner.

Defoe then defied the assistant referee again, sweetly finishing off Adam Johnson's through ball, before Angel Rangel saw a strike ruled out for offside and Defoe completed his treble by tucking in Van Aanholt's low cross.

Both managers rotated their squads after weekend defeats in the FA Cup, with Leon Britton making his 500th Swansea appearance.

The game began at a frantic pace and Sunderland took the lead inside three minutes - Defoe scoring for the third Premier League match in a row against Swansea.

Fabianski's poor goal-kick found Johnson 30 yards out, so the winger fed Fabio Borini and the goalkeeper spilled the Italy international's shot at Defoe's feet for a simple finish, although the striker looked just offside.

The hosts were handed a soft penalty when Brown was deemed to have bumped Ayew over in the box, but contact was minimal and the Ghana international seemed to kick the ground and trip himself. Sigurdsson stepped up to send Vito Mannone the wrong way and level the scores.

Sunderland's hopes of securing their first win at Swansea since 1963 then got a huge boost when Naughton saw red for catching M'Vila, although the defender appeared to get the ball.

Despite being reduced to 10 men Swansea took the lead after 40 minutes. Fabianski claimed a high ball and found Ayew with a long clearance. The forward had a lot to do but shrugged off Lee Cattermole and hammered a low finish across Mannone for his seventh Premier League goal.

Sunderland levelled the scores within four minutes of the restart when Van Aanholt cut inside and hit a powerful drive that flew into the top corner via a deflection off Fernandez.

Jeremain Lens was then inches away from putting his side ahead, but his low shot from a tight angle cannoned back off the face of the post.

That miss was forgotten moments later when Defoe raced on to Johnson's pass to beat Fabianski easily to score his second, although the striker again looked just offside.

Swansea thought they were immediately level when Angel Rangel capitalised on poor Mannone goalkeeping to slot home, but this time the offside flag went up and the goal was disallowed.

The officials were having a torrid time and Defoe had the ball in the net for a third time on 70 minutes, only for the assistant to correctly raise his offside flag.

Sunderland sealed the points with five minutes to go when Van Aanholt pulled the ball back for Defoe to slot in his hat-trick goal.

The visitors held on for a crucial win - their second away victory of the season - that lifts them above local rivals Newcastle United into 18th place and within a point of Swansea.

 

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AC Milan 2 Carpi 1: Hosts edge into semi-finals

AC Milan were made to work for their place in the semi-finals of the Coppa Italia as Carpi produced a spirited second-half performance in a 2-1 defeat at San Siro.
Carlos Bacca scored a flamboyant opener and set up M'Baye Niang for Milan's second, as the home side controlled territory and possession before half-time against the Serie A strugglers and looked to be strolling into the last four.

The hosts' task was made somewhat harder when Matteo Mancosu netted within five minutes of coming off the bench at the break and Carpi – who began the night with only two away wins to their name all season – threatened to make a shock recovery.

Kevin Lasagna failed to make the most of a handful of chances and the visiting frontline were unable to find an equaliser, however, and Milan will now face either Spezia or Alessandria, who face each other in their quarter-final clash on Monday, in the next round of the competition.

Cristian Zapata had Milan's first sight of goal in the eighth minute, but the Colombian steered his header wide from Niang's right-wing corner.

Six minutes later, Keisuke Honda's free-kick drew a fine save out of Zeljko Brkic – low to the Carpi goalkeeper's left – after Riccardo Montolivo had been upended by Riccardo Gagliolo 25 yards from goal, but within 60 seconds the visitors' defence had been breached.A Honda pass played in Bacca, who rounded Brkic and produced a cheeky rabona finish into the empty net to put Milan in front.

Brkic had to be alert to keep out Juraj Kucka's shot in the 18th minute and Zapata's deflected header looped into the relieved goalkeeper's arms midway through the opening period, as Carpi swayed under immense pressure.

Lasagna had the ball in the net for Carpi in the 27th minute, but the striker's effort was chalked off for a blatant push on Zapata, and soon the action returned to the visitors' penalty area.

In the 28th minute, Milan doubled their lead.Bacca burst down the left and played an excellent pass across the face of goal to Niang, who was left with the simplest of finishes.

Carpi's first attempt on goal came three minutes before the break, when Gagliolo headed wide, as Milan enjoyed a comfortable and dominant lead at half-time.
The visitors came out with renewed enthusiasm after the interval and Lasagna drilled a shot into the midriff of Christian Abbiati, before the flying forward set up substitute Mancosu to give Carpi a lifeline in the 50th minute.

Mancosu, on his club debut following his loan switch from Bologna, was left with an easy tap-in at the back post after Lasagna darted down the right and found his team-mate inside the Milan six-yard box.

Carpi were buoyed and Lasagna wasted a golden chance by shooting wide when his side were three on three with the Milan defence with 20 minutes remaining, as the visitors continued to threaten a comeback.

It took 25 second-half minutes for Milan to renew their examination of Brkic, with Kevin-Prince Boateng and Kucka bringing saves out of the shot-stopper, but their defensive resolve – and Carpi’s wastefulness – ultimately saw them through.