..::Football III::..

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'Very, very tough' for Zidane and ageing Ronaldo to match Barcelona - McManaman

Former Real Madrid winger Steve McManaman thinks Zinedine Zidane is capable of being a successful coach at the club, but feels it will be "very, very tough" to usurp Barcelona in the short-term.

Zidane replaced the sacked Rafael Benitez as head coach in January and has yet to suffer a defeat after eight matches in charge ahead of his side's crucial home derby against Atletico Madrid on Saturday.

McManaman backed the former World Cup winner to do well in his new role, but believes the combination of Barcelona's continued improvement and the fact that Madrid's key man Cristiano Ronaldo is advancing in years makes immediate success extremely difficult.

"I think Zizou will be a wonderful coach, I really do," he told Omnisport."But the fact that he is chasing down this Barcelona side - it is going to be very, very tough for them because the best player at Real by a long way is Ronaldo and he is 31 now.

"Whether he is coming to the end of his superpowers I don't know but he is certainly the wrong end of 30, while Barca seem to be getting better and better to be very honest."The team that are formed at Barcelona at this moment are wonderful so I think it is going to be very hard for Real Madrid to catch them in the near future, certainly over these next couple of years.

"Unless they go out and spend trillions of pounds - which of course they can't at this moment in time [due to their FIFA transfer ban] - I think it is going to be difficult for Zizou."But I think he is going to be a great Real Madrid manager anyway."

 

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Mourinho speculation is an absolute scandal, rages Van Gaal

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal labelled continued reports linking Jose Mourinho to his job as "an absolute scandal".

Former Chelsea boss Mourinho has been heavily touted as the next man to take over in the Old Trafford dugout despite the under-fire Dutchman still being at the helm.

And Van Gaal, who has guided his team to back-to-back wins in the FA Cup and Europa League, is furious about the constant speculation and urged his club not to react to the reports."He has said things a number of times with a lot of words, but he does not have to tell me anything - I find the whole thing ridiculous," the Old Trafford boss told RTL7 about Mourinho.

"No, I don't want United to do something either. I don't even want them to react to things which I read in the media or which are being created.

"We, the club and I, are not going to help the media right now by denying things. I think what is happening is an absolute scandal."United crushed Midtjylland 5-1 in the second leg of their last-32 Europa League clash on Thursday, setting up a mouth-watering tie against rivals Liverpool in the next round.

Van Gaal feels the focus on his performance had been good for his players, who have avoided criticism despite sitting fifth in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's clash against Arsenal at Old Trafford.He said: "Every day I am preventing the players from being under pressure because every arrow is shot at me, not one at the players.

"It is all aimed at me. In a bizarre way this situation with me has an advantage for the players. I can see that they are not being criticised - only me."

 

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Liverpool captaincy will be judged on silverware - Henderson

Jordan Henderson acknowledges his time as Liverpool captain will be judged on the amount of silverware he wins in the role.Henderson, 25, took over as skipper at Anfield following great Steven Gerrard's departure at the end of last season.

The England international will have the opportunity to lead his team out at Wembley for the first time in Liverpool colours when the club face Manchester City in the League Cup final.

Ahead of Sunday's decider, Henderson is hoping he can use the inspiration of Liverpool's past winning captains to guide the club to glory."What other captains of this club have achieved has to inspire you really," he told the Liverpool Echo.

"You will always get judged as a player but as well, as a captain, you will be judged on what you win basically."If you’re doing well and the team is doing well, winning everything, you become a very good captain.

"At the other end if you’re not playing so well, if you’re not winning trophies, you will be judged in a different way."I knew that before I took on the role. Sunday is a big occasion not only for me but for all the players and the club as well.

Henderson added: "It’s not about me or whether I’m a good captain or not, it’s about lifting a trophy. It doesn’t matter who lifts it at the end of the day."I just want to lead by example, help others around me and give us the best opportunity to do that. The main thing is winning that trophy."

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.02.27

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.02.27

West Ham Vs Sunderland

Leicester City Vs Norwich City

Southampton Vs Chelsea

Stoke City Vs Aston Villa

Watford Vs Bournemouth

WBA Vs Crystal Palace

​

 

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LA Liga Fixtures 2016.02.27

LA Liga Fixtures 2016.02.27

Real Madrid Vs Atletico Madrid

Getafe Vs Celta Vigo

Sporting Vs Espanyol

Real Betis Vs Rayo Vallecano

Real Sociedad Vs Malaga​

 

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Serie A Fixtures 2016.02.27

Serie A Fixtures 2016.02.27

Empoli Vs Roma

AC Milan Vs Torino​

 

[Alucard_SxE]

Real 0 -1 Atletico

Well... Shit

 

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Wenger searching for answers for goal drought

Arsene Wenger admits he is trying to find a solution to Arsenal' s recent struggles in front of goal, netting just six goals in their last eight games.

Since a 3-3 draw against Liverpool in mid-January, the Gunners have been kept scoreless in five of the following eight fixtures.

Olivier Giroud has failed to find the net in all eight, while Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez have just two goals between them.Wenger is hoping the team can find their scoring touch and help Sanchez - who was the club's top scorer in 2014-15 - out of his rut.

"I wish I had an obvious answer [to the lack of goals], it’s going through my head at the moment," Wenger said ahead of the Premier League clash with Manchester United.

"Our goals have dried up seriously, we have to find a solution."It’s not down to individuals. If you look at the goals he has scored, Sanchez has not scored in a long time. I don’t think it’s especially down to him. In the recent games we’ve struggled to score.

"There’s many aspects that we’re analysing at the moment, I have to find a quick>

 

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Mahrez free to leave if he wants, says Ranieri

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri insists he will not force Riyad Mahrez to stay at the King Power Stadium if he wants to move to an elite club.

Mahrez, 25, has been in stunning form for the surprise Premier League leaders this season, scoring 14 goals in 25 appearances.

His performances have reportedly attracted the interest of several top European clubs, and Ranieri says he will not stand in the way of any player who wants to leave.

"We want to keep all our players. We believe in them," the Italian said. "But if a player comes to me and says, ‘Boss, I want to go there because it’s my ambition’, I’ll say, ‘Go and enjoy and have good luck’.

"I want only players who are happy to stay here. Sooner or later we will grow as a club and be a very good team but, of course, not like Barcelona or Real Madrid."

However, Ranieri has warned Mahrez that he must maintain his current level of performance if he is to earn a headline-grabbing summer move.

"If I am Riyad I say to myself, ‘There are a lot of teams who want me, so I have to show more if I want to go there’," he added.

"He must think, ‘I have to show my best, because if I do then maybe they want to buy me’.

"Of course if we got Champions League football, it makes it easier to keep him and for that reason the next five matches are very important – they could prove to be key."

Leicester host Norwich City on Saturday as they look to maintain their lead atop the standings.

 

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Mahrez summer 1ke LA Liga join wenna loku chance 1kak thiyanawa.​

 

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Carrick encouraged by Manchester United youth

Michael Carrick believes the performances of Manchester United's younger players have given the club some hope amid a nightmarish season.

United are currently six points outside the top four and failed to progress from the Champions League group stages, with the team struggling with a huge pile up of injuries ahead of a crunch fixture with title chasers and fierce rivals Arsenal.

Wayne Rooney, David de Gea, Anthony Martial, Antonio Valencia, Luke Shaw and Ashley Young are just some of the players who have been struck down with injury and, while manager Louis van Gaal is hopeful of having some of those players back for the Arsenal clash, it is likely he will have to field a young line-up.

Carrick, 34, will marshal the team from midfield but he insists that the performances of the youngsters, most recently Marcus Rashford's two-goal haul in the 5-1 thrashing of Midtjylland, gives fans plenty of cause for optimism.

"He's trained with us quite a lot this season," Carrick said of Rashford. "I've seen plenty of him. He's lively, he's pacey, he's enthusiastic. To get two goals it's the stuff of dreams, to see his reaction and what it means to him.

"That's what it's all about, getting the young lads through."

Carrick also expects Rashford to build on his debut brace as United continue their quest to qualify for the Champions League.

Carrick added: "We'll have to see who's fit and available for the weekend.

"I'm sure after that performance he's going to have bags of confidence.

"You don't know until you're thrown in there but that's the beauty this season.

"We've played a lot of lads who maybe wouldn't have been close to getting a chance, but they've got the chance and a lot of them have taken it.

"I think Cameron [Borthwick-Jackson] is a prime example of that.

"If you ask him, he probably wasn't hoping to be around the first team this season, but he gets his chance and he's looked comfortable and at home.

"Sometimes you don't know what you've got until you throw them in and you don't want to be throwing them in all at once, but I suppose you see who can deal with it and who can't and most of them have."

 

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Wolfsburg 0-2 Bayern Munich: Coman and Lewandowski seal comfortable victory for Bavarians

Bayern Munich put the disappointment of their midweek capitulation against Juventus behind them with a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg to move 11 points clear at the Bundesliga summit.

Pep Guardiola's side surrendered a two-goal lead in Turin to draw 2-2 in the Champions League on Tuesday, but second-half strikes from Kingsley Coman and Robert Lewandowski kept them well on course on the domestic front.

Though far from their fluent best at the Volkswagen Arena, Bayern made it 20 victories from 23 top-flight games this term against a Wolfsburg side they thrashed 5-1 in September, when Lewandowski scored all five of the hosts' goals in nine second-half minutes.

Coman's close-range volley finally broke the deadlock after 66 minutes, while Lewandowski's 33rd goal of the campaign in all competitions settled matters 16 minutes from time, leaving Wolfsburg with just one win in their last 10 league games.Bayern started well and it required a superb tackle from Ricardo Rodriguez to thwart Thomas Muller as he looked to pull the trigger eight yards out.

Xabi Alonso, one of two changes made by Guardiola from midweek, drilled narrowly wide in the 13th minute as the champions continued to press.

The visitors, having dominated from the off, almost handed Wolfsburg the lead when Joshua Kimmich – who shouldered the blame for Bayern's collapse against Juve – underhit a backpass to Manuel Neuer, with the goalkeeper rushing out to deal with the danger.

Neuer, making his 150th Bundesliga appearance for the club, was called into action again in the 18th minute, getting down low to keep out Max Kruse's header from Julian Draxler's set-piece delivery.

Still it was the league leaders who looked the more likely, Muller testing Koen Casteels with a volley and the Belgian claiming a low cross as Coman – in for Arturo Vidal – was lurking.The hosts could have snatched the advantage just before the interval, but Marcel Schafer's first-time half-volley flew wide of the far post.

A questionable offside call saw Lewandowski's tap-in chalked off early in the second half, with Guardiola calling on Franck Ribery from the bench to replace Arjen Robben soon after.

But Bayern made the breakthrough midway through the half when Lewandowski's shot looped into the air off a defender and Coman kept his cool to turn home the dropping ball with a side-foot volley.

While his claim to an assist for the opener may have been dubious, there was no doubt about the Polish striker's goal as he collected Ribery's chested pass and steered the ball into the bottom-right corner with the outside of his boot in the 74th minute.

That effectively ended Wolfsburg's hopes of taking anything from a game in which, for long spells, they had proven a match for their lofty visitors, who may have a close eye on second-placed Borussia Dortmund's fixture against Hoffenheim on Sunday.

 

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Courtois: I was sad to see Mourinho sacked

Thibaut Courtois admits he was saddened by Chelsea's decision to sack Jose Mourinho following a poor run of form.

The Blues axed the Portuguese in December, with the club nearer to the relegation zone than the Premier League summit, following a dismal start to their title defence.

Courtois was sidelined for a large portion of Chelsea's poor run due to a meniscus tear and admits that it was difficult for him to watch his team-mates flounder from the sidelines, adding that Mourinho's sacking upset him.

“It was strange for me,” Courtois is quoted as saying by the Daily Telegraph. “When you get injured for a long time it’s not nice because you are out of the team and not involved anymore. Sometimes you just go to watch training to be with the players a bit and have the feeling of being part of the group. When it’s not going well, you want to help.

“We had a wonderful season being champions, but this season has been different. I was sad when a top manager like Mourinho got sacked, but you have to move forwards.

"You cannot look to the past, you have to look forwards and we were in a bad situation so the club took a decision and, as players, we knew we had to improve.”

Chelsea currently sit in 12th in the Premier League, trailing fourth-placed Manchester City by a staggering 14 points, and Courtois admits that he and his team-mates have no chance of qualifying for Europe's elite club competition this term.

“We are doing well and we can maybe move up the table, but top four is out of the question,” Courtois added. “I think the most important is the FA Cup and the Champions League. That’s our main aim.

“It’s nice to win a trophy every season and say every year: ‘OK I won something.’ Winning a trophy would be a good way to finish a bad season in a positive way. But I’m not obsessed by the fact I have to win a trophy every year – it’s a nice thing, but I know it’s sometimes impossible.”

 

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Aubameyang latest injury concern for Dortmund

Thomas Tuchel has several fitness concerns ahead of Borussia Dortmund's clash against Hoffenheim, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang struggling through illness while captain Mats Hummels and Lukasz Piszczek are injury doubts.

Aubameyang has enjoyed a fine Bundesliga campaign for Dortmund this term and his return of 21 league goals is bettered only by Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski.However, the Gabon forward has been training away from the squad as a precaution and it remains to be seen whether he will start at Signal Iduna Park on Sunday.

"Aubameyang has caught an infection," Tuchel said at a news conference ahead of the contest with relegation-threatened Hoffenheim."He now feels better but, as of now, he is not training with the team because it could be contagious."

Hummels was withdrawn at half-time during Thursday's 1-0 Europa League last-32 second-leg tie at Porto - which secured a 3-0 aggregate triumph - with hip and back problems, while Piszczek missed out altogether with a muscular issue."We are still not sure about Hummels' condition," added Tuchel. "We have a couple of players that are doubtful."

Midfielder Ilkay Gundogan was also ill against Porto, while goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller has been contending with flu and Marco Reus has a slight groin problem.

Tuchel will make a late check on the latter pair, but he says no risks will be taken with any of his players."With Ilkay you could see he was not back to 100 per cent against Porto," he commented. "We want to have a fresh set of players on the field on Sunday.

"Hoffenheim played a lot of different systems and shapes. They are highly flexible. I expect Hoffenheim to tactically align to our playing style. We have to work on some individual tactical tweaks."

 

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Real Madrid 0-1 Atletico Madrid: Griezmann seals another Bernabeu victory

Atletico Madrid boosted their La Liga title hopes while simultaneously putting a huge dent in Real Madrid's chances as Antoine Griezmann's goal settled the derby 1-0.

The city rivals came into Saturday's meeting at the Santiago Bernabeu knowing anything other than victory would represent a significant blow to their title challenge, with leaders Barcelona looking close to unstoppable.

In the event, Griezmann's well-taken goal early in the second half settled the encounter, as Atletico closed the gap to Luis Enrique's side to five points ahead of Barca's home clash with Sevilla on Sunday.

Madrid, however, are nine points adrift in third as coach Zinedine Zidane's hopes of a league crown to go with the one he won as a player in the Spanish capital fade away.And a section of the Bernabeu faithful made their discontent known, as chants of 'Florentino, resign' rang out, in reference to the club's president Florentino Perez.

Those calls were soon drowned out by whistles as Perez's supporters showed their backing, but the poisonous atmosphere only served to exacerbate another disappointing day for the hosts.

Atleti, meanwhile, retain hopes of a second Liga title in three years as Diego Simeone's side once again displayed their defensive solidity in recording a fourth successive clean sheet in all competitions.

The opening exchanges were frantic but low on goalmouth action, Cristiano Ronaldo and Augusto Fernandez firing harmlessly off-target for either side before Raphael Varane glanced Toni Kroos' free-kick wide.

Fernando Torres - one of three Atletico changes from Wednesday's 0-0 Champions League draw with PSV - was next to threaten as he looked to turn and shoot inside the area but Sergio Ramos was on hand to thwart the former Chelsea striker.

The first shot on target arrived in the 32nd minute as Jan Oblak parried away Ronaldo's thumping free-kick, before Karim Benzema scuffed an effort wide as Real kept the attack alive.

Oblak's opposite number Keylor Navas was similarly impressive shortly before the break, first leaping to tip Griezmann's effort over and then denying a firm strike from Koke at his near post.

Three minutes after the restart, Ronaldo wasted a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock when he fired narrowly wide of the left upright with just Oblak to beat.
And Madrid were left to rue that miss as Atleti went in front five minutes later.

Griezmann found the overlapping Filipe Luis on a counter, and the defender cut the ball back into the path of the France international, who swept a confident finish beyond Navas.Atletico almost doubled their lead midway through the second half, but Navas was quick to rush from his line and deny Saul Niguez with a sprawling save.

Ronaldo's frustrating outing continued as he headed another golden chance tamely into the arms of Oblak before Borja Mayoral - a half-time substitute for Benzema - failed to make a telling contact as the goalkeeper parried away.Ronaldo and Danilo both went close in the final 10 minutes, but Atletico’s unflappable backline remained solid.

 

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Stoke City 2-1 Aston Villa: Arnautovic double downs Garde's men

Marko Arnautovic's double fired Stoke City to a comfortable 2-1 win over Aston Villa at the Britannia Stadium and dealt another blow to the visitors' slim hopes of survival.

Remi Garde's Villa improved from their 6-0 Premier League rout at the hands of Liverpool a fortnight ago but remained on the back foot for long spells against a Stoke side who struggled to muster much of a threat in the first half.

But Arnautovic - one of three players brought in by Mark Hughes - ensured Villa another miserable away day with two goals in five second-half minutes.

On a rare start amid Stoke's defensive injury troubles, Phil Bardsley earned a penalty six minutes into the second half that Arnautovic slotted home comfortably.
And the winger scored from close range soon after as Villa again showed their fragility against a backdrop of audible anger from the travelling faithful.

That frustration eased somewhat when Leandro Bacuna pulled one back with a calm finish 11 minutes from time, but Villa remain eight points from safety while Stoke's European aspirations live on.

With Glen Johnson, Marc Muniesa and Ryan Shawcross injured, Hughes welcomed Geoff Cameron back into his defence but was given a scare when Bacuna lunged at Erik Pieters.

Stoke dominated early on with Villa making just one change from their hapless display against Liverpool, with Alan Hutton replacing Micah Richards.

Arnautovic - in for Mame Biram Diouf - saw a cross almost deflect in off Jores Okore but Stoke struggled to convert their possession into chances during the opening half-hour.An expert last-ditch Okore tackle denied Ibrahim Afellay a shot on goal and Stoke continued to press after the break as the Dutch attacker burst forward only to be crowded out.

But Stoke were eventually handed a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when Ashley Westwood clumsily clattered into Bardsley.Arnautovic, who provided most of Stoke's limited threat, stepped up and struck down the middle to give the hosts a deserved lead.

Villa briefly rallied after falling behind but dismal defending combined with attacking desire from Arnautovic allowed the Austrian to settle a low-quality contest before the hour.

Arnautovic got his head to Xherdan Shaqiri's deep cross and, under half-hearted pressure from Okore and Joleon Lescott, got another touch on the loose ball to force home his and Stoke's second.

Bacuna's finish offered hope - though Rudy Gestede was fortunate to survive a handball appeal in the build-up - but Garde's men failed to mount a comeback as they slipped closer to Championship football.

 

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Southampton 1-2 Chelsea: Ivanovic seals comeback win for unbeaten Blues

Branislav Ivanovic headed in a late winner for Chelsea as they claimed a come-from-behind 2-1 victory at Southampton, whose mammoth run without conceding finally came to an end.

Ronald Koeman's men went into Saturday's match at St Mary's Stadium on a run of six league games unbeaten and six consecutive clean sheets.

They looked solid for much of the encounter with Guus Hiddink's rejuvenated Chelsea, with goalkeeper Fraser Forster reaching 667 minutes of top-flight football without conceding to set a new club record.

Shane Long then opened the scoring courtesy of a defensive error at the other end, taking full advantage of a poor header from Chelsea left-back Baba Rahman with a 42nd-minute strike that looked like it would prove decisive.

However, Southampton's backline fell asleep in the 75th minute, allowing Cesc Fabregas to level as Forster was beaten after 708 minutes with a cross-cum-shot.

And there was last twist in the tale, with Ivanovic meeting Willian's corner with a powerful header to complete a dramatic turnaround with one minute remaining.

Hiddink stuck with the same team that hammered Manchester City 5-1 in the FA Cup but Chelsea were dealt a blow inside six minutes when Pedro sustained a suspected hamstring injury and was replaced by Oscar.

Southampton had the better of much of the first half, although Forster was forced into action in the 26th minute, making a comfortable save from Oscar's low drive.

Charlie Austin curled wide at the other end before Forster took possession of Southampton's top-flight record for not conceding as the game passed the 34-minute mark.

Long then provided more for Southampton to celebrate, racing through on goal after Rahman inadvertently headed the ball into his path and coolly lofting the ball over Thibaut Courtois.
Chelsea started the second half the brighter, John Obi MIkel heading wide in the 53rd minute after Southampton failed to clear from a corner.

More good attacking play from Chelsea went to waste five minutes later, Diego Costa miscuing a volley at the far post as he sought to convert from Eden Hazard's superb right-wing delivery.

Long limped off for Southampton, who were aggrieved not to have been awarded a penalty in the 70th minute when Gary Cahill appeared to handle the ball in a challenge with Austin.

And Martin Atkinson's decision to wave away those claims was made more pivotal soon after as Fabregas curled beyond a stricken Forster following good work from Costa.

Willian fired narrowly wide nine minutes time, but saw his superb set-piece delivery converted emphatically by Ivanovic to seal the points and extend Chelsea's unbeaten Premier League run to 11 games under Hiddink

 

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Leicester 1-0 Norwich: Late Ulloa strike sends Foxes five points clear

Leicester City moved five points clear at the top of the Premier League table after a 1-0 win over Norwich at the King Power Stadium, thanks to Leonardo Ulloa's 89th minute winner.

It was the visitors who had the best opening of a goalless first half when Cameron Jerome missed a glorious headed opportunity shortly before the break.

Leicester improved slightly as the game progressed but struggled to seriously threaten the Norwich goal, Nathan Redmond flashing an effort wide as an off-colour outing for the Foxes dragged on.

But Ulloa tapped home at the far post as the game looked to be moving towards a draw to preserve Leicester's fairytale run.

Claudio Ranieri's men kept a fifth consecutive Premier League clean sheet at home and their win piles the pressure back on their closest title rivals Tottenham and Arsenal, who face Swansea City and Manchester United respectively on Sunday.

Norwich remain 17th in the standings and only sit above Newcastle United, who have a game in hand, on goal difference.

Daniel Amartey replaced the suspended Danny Simpson to make his debut in the hosts' only change, while Ryan Bennett, Ivo Pinto and Alex Tettey came into Norwich's team as Alex Neil shuffled his pack and switched to a three-man defence.

Jerome was indecisive after being slipped in on goal by Redmond in the early stages, while Shinji Okazaki had a flicked attempt well blocked by Bennett at the other end after good work from Jamie Vardy down the right.

A golden chance went begging for Norwich when Robbie Brady floated in an enticing corner but, from inside the six-yard box, Jerome somehow failed to find the target with his header.

Redmond then saw an effort pushed wide by Kasper Schmeichel and Jerome had appeals for a penalty turned down by referee Neil Swarbrick after Wes Morgan blocked his shot with an arm from close range.

Leicester registered their first attempt on target just before the hour mark when Vardy drilled in a low free-kick that was dealt with by John Ruddy, before the goalkeeper also comfortably gathered Marc Albrighton's shot.

Jeffrey Schlupp returned from injury to make his first appearance since December 5, while Andy King and hero-in-waiting Ulloa also came off the substitutes' bench as Ranieri searched for a winner.

Schmeichel was left grasping at air as Redmond darted in from the left flank and sent a fizzing 25-yard effort just past the far post.

But Leicester's late show arrived as the otherwise-stifled Riyad Mahrez fed Albrighton down the right and his perfect low cross was finished by Ulloa from close range, sending the King Power Stadium wild.

 

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West Brom 3-2 Crystal Palace: Hosts hold on after Wickham double

West Brom held on for a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace at the Hawthorns thanks to first-half goals from Craig Gardner, Craig Dawson and Saido Berahino, despite Connor Wickham scoring twice after the break.

Gardner gave West Brom the lead in the 11th minute, tapping in after Wayne Hennessey turned Salomon Rondon's low shot back into the danger zone.

And it was 2-0 nine minutes later - Dawson headed in Gardner's precise free-kick to give Tony Pulis a dream start against the club he kept in the top flight in the 2013-14 season.

West Brom's third came as Berahino volleyed in his first Premier League goal since October from Stephane Sessegnon's wonderful diagonal cross following some fine build-up play.

Wickham gave Palace a lifeline shortly after the interval when Jonas Olsson and Ben Foster got in a muddle and the striker thumped in a late second goal, but West Brom held on for maximum points.

Pulis recalled Dawson, Gardner, Claudio Yacob and Gareth McAuley after his side exited the FA Cup in a 3-1 defeat at Championship side Reading, while Alan Pardew named the same team that knocked Tottenham out of the cup last weekend.

After a tight first 10 minutes, Berahino played in strike partner Rondon and Hennessey could only block the Venezuela international's shot back into Gardner's path for an easy finish.

Gardner turned provider for West Brom's second, finding Dawson with a well-taken free-kick from near the byline - the defender planting a firm header into the corner.

Confidence was flowing through West Brom and their third goal duly arrived just after the half-hour.

Dawson's pass found Rondon and the striker fed Sessegnon, who superbly picked out Berahino's run into the penalty area - the volleyed finish giving Hennessey no chance.

Jordon Mutch headed Martin Kelly's cross wide after 38 minutes as shell-shocked Palace tried to find a way back into the game before Chris Brunt, who was hit by a coin thrown by a West Brom supporter at Reading last weekend, was stretchered off with a knee injury.

Gardner almost scored a fourth goal for West Brom when his 25-yard free-kick hit the post after a big deflection off Joel Ward, with Joe Ledley's shot blocked on the line to round off a busy half.

Palace were gifted a goal back just three minutes into the second half. Olsson and Foster left a bouncing ball for each other and Wickham took advantage, nipping in to lob the goalkeeper and tap into the open goal.

Berahino almost restored West Brom's three-goal cushion moments later, cutting in off the left flank and hitting the crossbar with a curling shot, before Hennessey saved from Sessegnon after 70 minutes.

Palace grabbed another goal back with 10 minutes to go when Wickham lashed a powerful drive into the top corner for only his third Premier League goal of the season.

The visitors pressed hard for an equaliser, with Gardner clearing Scott Dann's header off the line and Ward volleying just off target, but West Brom held on to climb above Palace to 13th place in the Premier League table.

 

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Milan 1-0 Torino: Antonelli seals victory for Rossoneri

Luca Antonelli's instinctive finish on the stroke of half-time earned AC Milan a 1-0 win over mid-table Torino at San Siro on Saturday.

Sinisa Mihajlovic has seen his side climb back into European contention with a lengthy unbeaten run that continued with a 1-1 draw with title contenders Napoli on Monday, and they made it nine Serie A games without defeat against Torino.

After seeing Keisuke Honda strike the crossbar, Milan got what proved to be the winner in the final stages of the first half as Antonelli reacted quickest to a knocked down corner to score his first league goal since October.

That strike proved the difference against an out-of-form Torino side, although Carlos Bacca had a goal disallowed for offside while Ciro Immobile brought an impressive stop out of Gianluigi Donnarumma.

But Giampiero Ventura's men - who faded after a bright start - have still not won against Milan in Serie A since 2001 as the hosts applied pressure on rivals Inter, who occupy the final European place ahead of their trip to leaders Juventus on Sunday.

Milan, who replaced suspended captain Riccardo Montolivo with Andrea Bertolacci, saw Cristian Zapata deny Andrea Belotti with a strong block amid a frenetic start.Donnarumma thwarted Bruno Peres' surge into the box before clawing away Immobile's follow-up shot as the visitors continued to fashion chances.

The 17-year-old goalkeeper was called on again to save Kamil Glik's header with Milan's first chance coming 26 minutes in when Honda rattled the crossbar from a free-kick.

After Immobile found Milan's side-netting, the hosts continued to grow into the game and led a minute before the break.

Juraj Kucka got his head on a corner, with Antonelli quickest to react and divert the loose ball past Daniele Padelli.

Peres' dipping strike caused Donnarumma problems as Torino started the second half strongly but, when the Brazilian gave away possession in midfield, Giacomo Bonaventura almost capitalised as he curled a shot wide of the far post.Bacca thought he had put the contest beyond Torino when he nodded in Antonelli's header, only for the offside flag to cut home celebrations short.

Torino then went in search of a late equaliser, Peres blasting high and wide before Immobile's long-range effort was once again denied by the impressive Donnarumma.

But Milan saw out a deserved win in relative comfort as Antonelli's strike moved his side within a point of fifth-placed Inter.