..::Football III::..

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Thierry Henry hails Marcus Rashford’s stunning Premier League debut for Manchester United

Thierry Henry has praised Marcus Rashford after the 18-year-old’s stunning Premier League debut for Manchester United.

The forward was handed his first league start on Sunday after netting twice against FC Midtjylland in the Europa League on Thursday, and he scored another double as United sealed a 3-2 victory over Arsenal at Old Trafford.

“What I like about him, obviously he’s scored four goals in two games, is his movement, the way he holds the ball, there’s desire there,” Henry told Sky Sports.

“His awareness, he’s in the box, calm. His positioning is good, good header, on target. But he’s also doing the dirty jobs.

“It’s not only about the goals, holding the ball, awareness. Only he can now answer if he can carry on or not, but I love his all-round game.”

 

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Arsenal are weak, insipid and pussy-footed – Souness

Graeme Souness has slammed the performance of Arsenal as they crashed to a 3-2 defeat against Manchester United.

The Gunners went to Old Trafford in need of three points to keep pace with Leicester at the summit of the Premier League after the leaders won on Saturday, yet they now find themselves trailing by five points after an embarrassing loss against opponents ravaged by injury.

The Liverpool legend has slammed the attitude of the players and manager Arsene Wenger, and said that all their talk of mental toughness just shows how fragile they are.

"I can imagine that dressing room would have been silent at half-time," he told Sky Sports. “We’ve all been in dressing rooms where there are real people digging each other people out. I couldn’t imagine that from this group of Arsenal players, and they play like that.

"It worries me that Arsene continually talks about his team being mentally tough, they are together as a group, and they’ve got this confidence, it’s as if they lack it and he’s trying to persuade them that they really have it.

"They’ve come here today and been so weak, so insipid, and pussy-footed, all they’ve done today is say to the opposition: 'This team can be rolled over'.

"There's so much of this Arsenal team to like, but there's as much to dislike."

Arsenal play second-placed Tottenham in a derby match next Saturday that now appears critical for their title chances.

 

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Van Gaal apologises for touchline dive: It was wrong!

Manchester United boss Louis van Gaal has apologised for performing a dive in front of the forth official during his side's 3-2 win over Arsenal.

The Dutchman comically fell to the floor inside his technical area as he protested to Mike Dean having been unhappy at what he perceived to have been a dive by Gunners winger Alexis Sanchez.

But the United manager has confessed that he was in the wrong and suggested that the fans should not have cheered him for throwing himself to the ground.

He told reporters: "That was too emotional because at that time you are a bit too emotional.

"It is not good for the referee, for the linesman, for the fourth referee. I get criticism when I'm on the bench, now I do for getting off the bench! But it was wrong and I have to apologise.

"[But the fans loved it?] Okay, but the fans are not always wise."

 

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LVG mona karanawada manda.​

 

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meh tikata LVG ge dive meme's hama thanama​

 

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Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Hoffenheim: Tuchel's men stage dramatic comeback

An extraordinary last 10 minutes kept Borussia Dortmund's title hopes alive, as the Germans fought back to sink 10-man Hoffenheim 3-1 in a frantic finish.

Hoffenheim coach Julian Nagelsmann was seeking to maintain his promising start at the helm and saw Sebastian Rudy open the scoring against an out-of-sorts Dortmund 25 minutes in.

Nagelsmann's opposite number and former mentor with Augsburg's reserves Thomas Tuchel was without key centre-backs Sokratis Papastathopoulos and Mats Hummels as Dortmund struggled for momentum after their Europa League progression against Porto in midweek.

But second-placed Dortmund were handed a route back into the match when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was cynically brought down by Rudy just before the hour, earning him a straight red card.

And as Dortmund gradually applied pressure, Henrikh Mkhitaryan calmly slotted home the equaliser with 80 minutes on the clock before Adrian Ramos climbed highest to nod in the second following Lukasz Piszczek's lofted cross.

Aubameyang continued his fine campaign with a tap-in during stoppage time to leave Hoffenheim rooted in the bottom two after relegation rivals Werder Bremen and Hannover picked up points on Saturday.Dortmund, meanwhile, return to within eight points of leaders Bayern Munich.

Missing their first-choice defensive pairing of Sokratis and Hummels, Dortmund struggled to get going as a sloppy touch from Marco Reus – also an injury doubt in the build-up – cut short their first foray forward.

Reus and Shinji Kagawa combined for Dortmund's first moment of real quality 21 minutes in – the latter's cross cut out by Fabian Schar – before Hoffenheim stunned the hosts just past the midway point of the half.

The visitors calmly played the ball out of defence and, when Kevin Volland saw his effort palmed away by Roman Burki on the break, Rudy followed up to open the scoring on his 26th birthday.

Burki will have been disappointed at failing to deal with Volland's initial effort, but when the striker cut inside Julian Weigl and shot at goal again before half-time, the Dortmund goalkeeper redeemed himself with a smart stop.

Tuchel introduced Ilkay Gundogan for Kagawa at the break and the midfielder almost made an immediate impact when he jinked past a clutch of defenders and rattled Oliver Baumann's right-hand post.

And Dortmund's search for an equaliser was aided when Rudy received his marching orders for bringing down Aubameyang when Nuri Sahin and Mkhitaryan were surging forward either side on the break.

With Dortmund already starting to ask questions, the hosts made the most of Rudy's absence to impose their quality as Mkhitaryan collected Gundogan's pass and rolled the ball past Baumann 10 minutes from time.

The turnaround was complete when Ramos, nine minutes after his introduction, headed in his first goal since mid-December before Aubameyang's 22nd Bundesliga goal of the season rounded off the scoring as Dortmund's quality eventually shone through.

 

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Van Gaal: Rashford is a special talent like Kluivert, Xavi & Muller

Louis van Gaal has hailed Manchester United’s two-goal hero Marcus Rashford, putting the teenager’s impact on a par with the likes of Patrick Kluivert and Thomas Muller.

The Dutch coach has put his faith in youngsters throughout his long career, notably with his Champions League-winning Ajax team, and named a hugely inexperienced side to face Arsenal on Sunday.

Fresh from his midweek heroics in the Europa League, Rashford capped his Premier League debut with a brace in a 3-2 victory against the Gunners, later setting up Ander Herrera’s winner.

And Van Gaal is already seeing similarities between United’s 18-year-old sensation and several youngsters who developed into superstars under his guidance at Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

“I can imagine a lot – you want to hear? I don’t think so!” joked Van Gaal when asked by the BBC if he could recall any youngsters making such an explosive impact as Rashford.

“But Kluivert makes the winning goal in the Super Cup in Netherlands. Xavi made a fantastic goal, it was Barcelona against I think Valladolid. And then also a fantastic debut was Muller, and he scores a lot of goals as you know in Bayern Munich, and he was playing in the second team.”
As well as Rashford, fellow teenager Timothy Fosu-Mensah was also given a run out against Arsenal – becoming the 20th United youth product to feature in the matchday squad this term.

Van Gaal says he has no hesitation in leaning on the younger members of his squad, despite taking on one of the favourites for the Premier League title, and was not taken back by how well Rashford in particular slotted into the team.

“No, I’m not surprised,” he explained. “That’s why we have a small selection, so we can give young players a chance.

“If you have a wide selection you cannot give these youngsters a chance. I have done that in all my clubs and you can see that. In my experience, the youngsters are always playing the first match very good, the second match is different. But Marcus also did the second match so he’s a special talent I think.”

 

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Wenger: Intelligent Rashford surprised me

Arsene Wenger was surprised and impressed by Manchester United youngster Marcus Rashford in Arsenal's 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford.

Rashford scored twice inside five minutes in the first half on Sunday - just three days after opening his United account with a double on his debut in the Europa League against FC Midtjylland.

And despite all the expensive signings on display, it was the 18-year-old who caught Wenger's eye in a damaging defeat for the Gunners.

"They had still a few millions on the pitch today, from [David] De Gea, to the midfield and even [Memphis] Depay," he told reporters.

"The player who was suprising for me was Rashford. The timing of his movement, [and] the intelligence of his movement was excellent."

Arsenal responded to Rashford's double through a Danny Welbeck header, but fell further behind in the second half after Ander Herrera's shot deflected off Laurent Koscielny and beyond Petr Cech.

Mesut Ozil closed the gap but the Gunners could not find an equaliser and finish the weekend five points behind Premier League leaders Leicester City and three adrift of rivals Tottenham.

Asked what impact the defeat would have on the title race, Wenger responded: "Nobody knows. We dropped three important points today.

"We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. Mathematically what it means, we will know at the end of the season."

 

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Wenger's excuse after Arsenal defeat: Manchester United have spent a lot of money

Arsene Wenger has taken a swipe at Manchester United’s spending following Arsenal’s 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Marcus Rashford’s double, along with Ander Herrera’s strike, has left a huge dent in the Gunners’ title challenge as they now sit five points behind Premier League leaders Leicester City.

But in his post-match press conference, Wenger highlighted the amount of money United have spent on their squad.

"Let's not got overboard. They had a very experienced midfield and spent a lot of money,” the Arsenal boss said.

"They stopped us a lot with little fouls, that was frustrating, I could not question our commitment or desire.

“We lost three points, but we have to show we are up for the fight. Yes, their strikers were young, but they had quality.”

Louis van Gaal also mocked Alexis Sanchez for supposedly diving by taking a tumble in the technical area, but Wenger refused to comment on the Dutchman’s actions.

"You will have to ask him the question, he will call me a bitter loser but I am in fact!" said the Frenchman.

 

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Henry destroys Arsenal after Man Utd defeat: That team can't be champions

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has blasted Arsene Wenger's side for their performance against Manchester United, insisting that they do not look like a team who can be crowned champions this season.

The Gunners fell to a 3-2 defeat at Old Trafford as two goals from Marcus Rashford and a deflected second-half effort from Ander Herrera ensured United claimed all three points.

The result means the north Londoners are five points behind Premier League leaders Leicester City, and three behind second-placed Tottenham, and Henry is now unconvinced that the Gunners can recover and win the title.

He told Sky Sports: "I don't think that would have happened [when I played for Arsenal]. Things did happen in my time, we did lose 6-1 but we were the wounded team when we came here [at Old Trafford].

"That wasn't a performance from a team who want to be champions. That's where, as an Arsenal fan, I'm looking at it, I'm not sure that team can be champions, can they show me they can be champions? Today, they didn’t reassure me on anything.

"The only thing that’s good is that they are still in the title race, other than that they were second best in everything. It was a really poor performance."

 

[after]

one of my proudest moments..
superb match i never watched ..

 

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Liverpool 1-1 Manchester City (aet, 1-3 on pens): Pellegrini’s men win League Cup after shootout

Manchester City lifted the League Cup at Wembley after beating Liverpool 3-1 on penalties after the game had finished 1-1 after extra-time.

Liverpool had won all five of their previous cup finals that had gone to a shoot-out, but the City goalkeeper – playing in place of Joe Hart in domestic cup competitions this term – saved three penalties to allow Yaya Toure to net the winning spot-kick.

In the match itself, Sergio Aguero had forced Simon Mignolet to tip his shot onto the post, but the Liverpool goalkeeper should have kept out Fernandinho's strike from a tight angle early in the second half.

City squandered a number of chances to win it in 90 minutes and paid the price when Coutinho powered home late on with Liverpool's first shot on target and extra-time did not produce a winner.

But Caballero's star turn means City win the competition for the second time in three seasons and the fourth time overall in what is manager Manuel Pellegrini's final season in charge of the club.

City's previous success in 2014 was followed up by a Premier League crown and that trophy remains up for grabs this season, along with the Champions League.

Jurgen Klopp, meanwhile, has now lost four consecutive finals as a manager and Liverpool have still only won silverware once since 2006.

After a quiet start to the contest, City came so close to finding an opener midway through the first half.

David Silva's through ball released Aguero and the striker raced past Mamadou Sakho before shooting right-footed towards the bottom corner, with Mignolet getting down to tip it onto the post with a crucial one-handed save.

That incident prompted Klopp to replace the France defender, who was struggling having received a blow to the head in an accidental clash with team-mate Emre Can and Kolo Toure came on as a visibly furious Sakho protested against the decision.

Alberto Moreno then had a penalty appeal turned down by referee Michael Oliver after he went down under Fernandinho's challenge at the corner of the box.

City's breakthrough arrived after just four minutes of the second half. Aguero fed an overlapping Fernandinho on the right and the midfielder drilled in a shot form a tight angle that somehow squirmed under Mignolet to find the far corner.

It then could have been game over for Liverpool as they survived two major scares in quick succession. First, a slick counter-attack ended with Silva creating a brilliant opening and the goal was at Raheem Sterling's mercy from eight yards out, but he could only shoot wide against his former club.

A few moments later, Aguero was felled by Moreno's challenge as he bore down on goal, but Oliver was unmoved, prompting major City penalty protests.

Pellegrini's men continued to make all the running and Klopp threw on Lallana and Divock Origi as his team appeared to be slipping towards defeat.

And it was Liverpool's first shot on target that produced a dramatic equaliser with seven minutes remaining.

Daniel Sturridge's teasing cross found Lallana at the far post and the substitute struck his close-range attempt against the post, but Coutinho made no mistake, smashing the rebound past Caballero.

City immediately rallied and were denied twice by Mignolet, who made crucial stops from Fernando and Toure as the game moved into extra-time.

The best chance of the added 30 minutes saw the Belgium goalkeeper make another pivotal save, sticking out a strong left hand to keep out Aguero after his impressive run and shot.

It was then Caballero's turn to keep his team in it, getting down sharply to block Origi's header from James Milner's cross.

Then came penalties as Fernandinho struck the post with City's first attempt, but Lucas' effort was impressively saved by Caballero, who then kept out a weak spot-kick from Coutinho and made a stunning stop from Lallana.

That allowed Yaya Toure to step up, beating Mignolet with a low strike to send City players and supporters alike wild.

 

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Capital One Cup Winners 2016-Manchester City

Congratulations Manchester City!​

 

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Carragher: It was 'stupid' that Sturridge didn't take a penalty

Jamie Carragher labelled Daniel Sturridge's omission from Liverpool's group of penalty takers as "stupid" after the Reds suffered a shootout defeat to Manchester City in the League Cup final.

Emre Can scored the Reds' first with a delicate chip down the centre of the goal but that is where the fortune ended for Jurgen Klopp's side, with Willy Caballero producing fine saves to keep out Lucas Leiva, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana.

Manager Jurgen Klopp confirmed after the game that James Milner was set to take the fifth and final regulation spot-kick for the eight-time tournament winners, leaving their main central attacker out of the list of participants.

Former defender Carrager, who lifted the three-handled trophy on three occasions during his playing career, questioned the reasoning behind the decision to leave out Sturridge from the game-deciding shootout.

"He looked upset and he had cramp towards the end there but unless he’s got an injury I don’t know why he hasn’t taken a penalty," he told Sky Sports.

"He’s one of the few real technical players Liverpool have got out there. Sometimes it won’t go to the fifth penalty and you want your best players to take them.

"You think there’d be more chance of Daniel Sturridge scoring than Lucas Leiva. The fact that the shootout has gone on and Daniel Sturridge hasn’t taken one for Liverpool is just stupid."

 

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Rashford: Scoring twice against Arsenal is amazing

Marcus Rashford says his elevation from fringe youngster to Manchester United hero has been a "crazy" experience as the teenager aims to continue his match-winning exploits.

An injury to Anthony Martial in the warm-up prior to the Europa League match at home to Midtjylland on Thursday has proved to be the trigger for one of the highlights of United's season.

Academy player Rashford scored twice on his first-team debut, with a 5-1 win firing the Red Devils into the round of 16.

Rashford kept his place for the visit of Arsenal to Old Trafford scoring twice and assisting the third goal as United won 3-2 and he admits his rise is difficult to explain."It's just crazy," he told Sky Sports after being named the man of the match. "You can't explain it when you're out there.

"It was a shock playing in midweek … but that kind of benefited me, not thinking about the game too much.

"Obviously it's been amazing. To score two is a bonus so hopefully we just carry it on and go again [in the] next game."Midfielder Michael Carrick also praised the striker as well as Dutch midfielder Timothy Fosu-Mensah who made his debut off the bench in Sunday's win.

He said: "He [Rashford] has done unbelievable. What a week for him, what a week for us. I think you can see what that meant to us."The young lads that came in have done ever so well.

"It's a real breath of fresh air. For me it's bringing back memories of when you're starting your career. You get your chance and you want to take it.
"That's a massive bonus for us, it has given us a massive boost."

 

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Fernandinho hails 'amazing' spot-kick hero Caballero

Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho led the tributes to "amazing" goalkeeper Willy Caballero after he saved three penalties in a dramatic League Cup final shoot-out victory against Liverpool.

Caballero kept out successive spot-kicks from Lucas Leiva, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana as City came from 1-0 down to win 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Wembley.

Fernandinho put City ahead in normal time before Coutinho levelled with just seven minutes to go to send the final to extra-time and then penalties.

City boss Manuel Pellegrini kept faith with Caballero – who has played in domestic cup competitions this term – as he resisted the urge to turn to Joe Hart and Fernandinho hailed the 34-year-old's coolness under pressure when it mattered most. "After all it feels very good - the emotion," Fernandinho told BBC Radio 5 live. "The team worked very hard and we deserved victory.

"Caballero – amazing! He was so fast and waited to the last second to go to the ball and he did it very well.

"We are very happy. I hope we can win more trophies."Now it is time to think about the next Premier League game and then it is the Champions League."

 

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Thiago Silva: I asked Neymar to join PSG

Paris Saint-Germain centre-back Thiago Silva has revealed he advised his international team-mate Neymar to leave Barcelona for the Ligue 1 champions.

Neymar, 24, is enjoying another successful campaign with the Catalan giants, helping Barca rise to the summit of La Liga with 18 goals in 22 league games.

Silva admitted prior to PSG's game against Lyon that he had spoken to the former Santos forward about a move but was yet to hear back about the proposition.

"Neymar? If he comes here it would be wonderful, I told him, but he hasn't responded," he told Canal+.

Ex-Milan defender Silva is enjoying a fine run of form this term, with PSG having gone unbeaten to date in the league.

The 31-year-old has failed to represent his country since Brazil's humiliating World Cup 2014 semi-final exit but believes his domestic form has been aided by the support of club boss Laurent Blanc.

"I don't know why I'm not called," Silva admitted. "Although I have been guilty, I did not play against Germany, it is not my fault that the team was eliminated 7-1.
"After the World Cup, I suffered to return to my best. It was not easy to digest. After the second-leg [Champion League] match against Chelsea, my confidence returned."The coach has been great with me. He supported me and helped me to keep trust."

 

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Barcelona 2-1 Sevilla: Pique sends champions eight points clear

Barcelona moved eight points clear at the top of La Liga after coming from behind to beat Sevilla 2-1 at Camp Nou thanks to goals from Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique.

The Spain defender coolly slotted home the winning goal of an entertaining contest just after half-time, ensuring the hosts – who saw closest rivals Atletico Madrid beat Real Madrid on Saturday – avoided a slip-up against the last team to beat them in the top flight.

The win extends Barca's unbeaten run to 34 games, but they were made to work hard against a Sevilla side that showed no fear against the league leaders.

Sevilla came into the match on the back of a seven-game streak without defeat and Vitolo gave them a deserved lead after 20 minutes, before Messi soothed Barca's nerves when he scored from a brilliant free-kick.

Pique's goal just after the interval gave the home side a slender lead that they held onto throughout a captivating second half, in which their title credentials were tested by a buoyant Sevilla.

In the game's early exchanges, Neymar's dancing feet failed to break down a packed Sevilla defence and Unai Emery's men went close to opening the scoring when Timothee Kolodziejczak flashed a shot over the crossbar from close range.

Sevilla's strong start brought Barca to life and Messi hit the post with a curling corner kick, which rebounded straight to Luis Suarez, who unleashed a hammer of a shot that smashed onto the crossbar before Sevilla cleared their lines.

Rather than sitting back as so many sides do at Camp Nou, Sevilla continued to attack. A brilliantly worked passing move down the left flank saw Benoit Tremoulinas cross to the far post where the unmarked Vitolo side-footed a volley past the stranded Claudio Bravo.

The visitors' hard work was undone when Adil Rami was adjudged to have brought down Suarez on the edge of the box and Messi levelled the scores with an unstoppable free-kick that curled into the top corner.

Luis Enrique's charges finished the first half strongly and continued to press after the break, with Neymar firing an acrobatic volley straight at the gloves of Sergio Rico.

A few moments later, Pique joined the Barca attack and played a neat ball to Suarez, who held it up and fed it back to the Spaniard to slide the ball home from the edge of the six-yard box.

Kevin Gameiro should have made it 2-2, firing straight at Bravo's legs when played in by a superb back-heel from Vicente Iborra.

The game swung from end to end and Sergio Busquets' powerful drive drew a superb diving save from Rico, before Sergi Roberto's thumping header was blocked by his own team-mate as the ball hit Suarez's head when it appeared to be goal-bound.

Sevilla did not go down without a determined fight and Steven N'Zonzi had their best chance to level matters late in the game, but his shot flew wide.

 

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Barcelona equal Real Madrid's record of 34 matches unbeaten

Barcelona have equalled Real Madrid's Spanish record of 34 matches unbeaten in all competitions after seeing off Sevilla 2-1 at Camp Nou on Sunday.

Goals from Lionel Messi and Gerard Pique were enough to secure victory for Luis Enrique's side after they fell behind to a goal from Vitolo.

The win sees Barca move eight points clear of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table after they beat rivals Real 1-0 on Saturday.

Sevilla were the last side to beat Barcelona in La Liga, recording a 2-1 win over the Catalan giants back in October at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan Stadium.

Barca have gone onto record 27 victories since that defeat and Luis Enrique's side are now on target to beat Real's unbeaten record, set in 1988/89, when they face Vallecano on Thursday night in La Liga.

 

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Juventus 2-0 Inter: Bonucci and Morata seal the win in Derby d'Italia

Leonardo Bonucci's fierce close-range volley and a late penalty from Alvaro Morata saw Juventus beat Inter 2-0 in the Derby d'Italia to move four points clear of Napoli at the top of Serie A.Juventus led a minute after the interval in Turin on Sunday, Bonucci smashing in a volley from four yards after a poor defensive header by Danilo D'Ambrosio.

Morata made sure of the victory by beating Samir Handanovic from the penalty spot with 10 minutes to go after the striker was fouled by Miranda shortly after entering the game as a substitute.

The defeat means Inter's poor 2016 form continues - they have won just two of their nine league games since leading the table at the mid-season break - as they struggled to create clear chances against a Juventus defence that has now kept eight successive clean sheets in Serie A.

Hernanes almost opened the scoring against his old employers within five minutes, smashing a thunderous 25-yard drive that was brilliantly tipped on to the crossbar by Handanovic.

The league leaders started on top and Handanovic had to save another long-range effort after 14 minutes, diving low to his left to deny Hernanes again, before the Slovenia international saved a Mario Mandzukic header.

Alex Sandro almost headed into his own goal under close attention from D'Ambrosio after 23 minutes, then Icardi missed a terrific chance as Inter grew into the match.

Rodrigo Palacio shrugged off Paul Pogba and bent a delightful cross into the box, but Inter's captain, who had scored six goals in six Serie A games against Juventus, got his finish all wrong.

Palacio should have done better with a header from an Alex Telles free-kick after 43 minutes, planting his effort straight at Gianluigi Buffon.Juventus took the lead a minute into the second half and the visitors only had themselves to blame.

D'Ambrosio headed Paulo Dybala's free-kick directly to Bonucci, who made no mistake with a powerful volleyed finish from close range.Serie A's defending champions almost scored a second goal six minutes after the interval but Dybala scuffed his shot just wide.

Substitute Adem Ljajic hit an effort off target after 63 minutes as Inter, who have not beaten Juventus since November 2013, battled to break Allegri's side down.
Juventus sealed the points with a late penalty, Morata confidently converting from 12 yards after Miranda bundled him over in the box.

Buffon made his first save of note with just two minutes to go, turning a 30-yard free-kick from Ljajic away and catching Felipe Melo's rebound strike. He then denied Eder from a shot on the turn in the six-yard box as Inter proved unable to breach the watertight champions' rearguard.