..::Football III::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 1-1 Stoke City: Diouf cancels out Traore stunner

Mame Biram Diouf secured Stoke City a deserved 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge with an equalising header five minutes from full-time in the Premier League on Saturday.

Diouf, restored to the starting line-up by manager Mark Hughes, nodded home in the closing stages, cancelling out Bertrand Traore's first-half strike to earn Stoke a first ever Premier League point on Chelsea's home ground.

The defending Premier League champions were without Diego Costa - who has scored or assisted 12 goals in his last 10 Premier League appearances - due to a tendon injury, but Traore ensured his absence was not too sorely felt with a searing effort in the 39th minute.

Stoke played some impressive football in the second half as the game opened up, but Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois proved difficult to beat.

After Marko Arnautovic and Xherdan Shaqiri were denied by the Belgian, Diouf – who missed a pair of chances in the first half – finally breached the hosts' backline in the 85th minute with his first strike for the Potters since September.

The draw leaves Stoke in seventh position, while Chelsea sit 10th following a seventh draw in 12 Premier League matches since Guus Hiddink's return to the helm.

With one eye perhaps on the Champions League last 16 second leg at home to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, Hiddink opted to name Cesc Fabregas on the bench and deploy John Obi Mikel in midfield, while Baba Rahman returned and Willian was restored to the line-up due to Costa's enforced absence.

Chelsea may have been ruing the loss of the Spain international when Traore failed to take advantage of a fourth-minute cross from Cesar Azpilicueta, and the defending Premier League champions' early momentum ebbed away.

Ibrahim Afellay forced Courtois into a diving save with a powerful 20-yard strike, before his brilliant cross with the outside of his right boot following a rapid break was steered narrowly over by Diouf in the 21st minute.

The Senegalese striker was unable to hit the target when presented with his next opportunity, scuffing wide after another counter-attacking move, and the deadlock was broken six minutes before the interval.

Traore was afforded space 20 yards from goal by the Stoke defence and he used it to drill a brilliant effort inside the far post.
There were chances at both ends within five minutes of the restart. Arnautovic's swinging drive was palmed away by Courtois, before Eden Hazard's cross-goal strike arrowed wide.

Stoke continued to threaten and came close to a 59th-minute equaliser when Courtois got down to his left to parry Shaqiri's effort behind.

Chelsea responded well as the game opened up, but Jack Butland was equal to efforts from Willian and Gary Cahill.

Traore made way for Loic Remy with 22 minutes remaining, and Stoke took control of possession as they stepped up their attempt to find an equaliser.

Referee Mark Clattenberg gave Erik Pieters a reprieve by not showing him a second yellow card for a foul on Oscar, and Stoke pulled level with five minutes remaining.

Diouf headed the ball into the back of the net after Courtois failed to adequately clear Shaqiri's cross, but the Belgian produced a stoppage-time save to deny substitute Bojan a last-gasp winner.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Real Madrid 7-1 Celta Vigo: Ronaldo quadruple obliterates visitors

Real Madrid tore apart Celta Vigo, thanks in large part to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick, as they made an explosive continuation to their efforts to repair their Primera Division title challenge with a 7-1 triumph.

Pepe opened the scoring in the run-up to half-time before Ronaldo stepped up a gear after the break, netting his first three goals in a period of less than 15 minutes before going on to hit a fourth.

Iago Aspas had scored a consolation goal for the visitors but Jese Rodriguez and Gareth Bale completed the rout with efforts of their own.

The result provides huge relief to head coach Zinedine Zidane, who has now overseen two straight wins since facing criticism for the derby defeat by Atletico Madrid - a team who now sit just one point clear in second spot ahead of their game against Valencia on Sunday.

Madrid were boosted ahead of kick-off as Bale returned to the substitutes' bench, having been out since January with a calf injury, while Marcelo sat alongside him after missing the last two matches with a similar issue.

It was Celta who came closest to an early lead when Fabian Orellana sent in a cross from the right and Aspas rose to thump a header against the crossbar. The former Liverpool striker then seemed destined to score from the rebound but Keylor Navas produced a pivotal reaction save to deny him.

That prompted the hosts to respond, with Ruben Blanco impressively denying Isco after the midfielder had showed good composure to chest down Pepe's cross and work an opening from six yards out.

Celta were forced to bring off an injured Pablo Hernandez and the pressure was growing, with Ronaldo denied a penalty after he felt that Sergi Gomez had shoved him to the ground in the area.

Blanco then denied Madrid again with an excellent one-handed save to keep out a Casemiro header from Isco's cross and, from the resulting corner, the breakthrough did arrive four minutes before half-time when Pepe powerfully headed home Isco's delivery from 10 yards.

Zidane was smiling on 50 minutes when Ronaldo showed his class to make it two. Collecting possession from Sergio Ramos, the Portugal international turned and unleashed a powerful, dipping strike from 25 yards which was too good for Blanco.

Ronaldo played on after appearing to suffer an injury from a Hugo Mallo challenge and was presented with a free-kick opportunity on 58 minutes after Marcelo Diaz fouled Isco. The 31-year-old stepped up and dipped a brilliant shot over the wall and into the top corner.

Blanco did well to keep out another free-kick from Ronaldo soon after, before Celta struck just after the hour mark. A huge long ball from Gomez completely caught out the home defence and Aspas confidently chipped over Navas.

But Ronaldo completed his hat-trick within two minutes of that goal, capping off a fine passing move with a simple close-range finish, as the influential Isco claimed the assist.

Bale and Marcelo both came on to make their returns in the closing stages and were on the pitch 14 minutes from time as Ronaldo headed in from Jese's corner to move past Zarra's mark, with the Bernabeu crowd lapping it up.

Jese then made it six within a minute after creating the opportunity himself with a purposeful run and accurate finish and Bale marked his return with a similar strike, running unchallenged before picking his spot as Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Roma on Tuesday in stunning style.

 

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Congratulations Ronaldo!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Southampton 1-1 Sunderland: Van Dijk rescues late Saints draw

Virgil van Dijk grabbed an injury-time equaliser for 10-man Southampton as a 1-1 draw denied Sunderland a precious win in their bid to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Wearsiders appeared on course for a third away win of the season when substitute Jermain Defoe put them ahead with five minutes to go, six minutes after Southampton's Jose Fonte was red-carded for dragging down Fabio Borini.

But Fonte's central defensive partner Van Dijk slammed home Dusan Tadic's centre with time running out to hand Southampton a point they undoubtedly deserved on the balance of play.The draw means Sunderland move a point clear of the bottom three but does little to further the Saints' bid to end the season in a European qualifying place.

Ronald Koeman made five changes in response to the limp midweek defeat at AFC Bournemouth but it did little to aid the fluency of the hosts in the opening exchanges.

Although they enjoyed the bulk of the possession, Sunderland goalkeeper Vito Mannone was rarely troubled. Ryan Bertrand whipping an 11th-minute free-kick over the crossbar was the closest the home side came to scoring.

Sunderland were content to play on the break and it was an approach which almost paid dividends midway through the first half, Dame N'Doye setting Borini clear down the left but his shot was deflected wide by Van Dijk.

Mannone made the first save of note after 26 minutes, reacting smartly to turn Tadic's deflected effort over the bar.

His Southampton counterpart Fraser Forster was less convincing at the other end six minutes later as an over-hit Wahbi Khazri free-kick drifted over his head and onto the post with no Sunderland player on hand to tuck away the loose ball.

Both sides had chances before the break, Jack Rodwell slicing a volley horribly wide after excellent work down the left by Patrick van Aanholt before Mannone blocked a close-range effort from Oriol Romeu.

Borini twice came close in the first 15 minutes of the second period, hammering a volley over the bar from the edge of the box and then forcing Forster into a smart low save with a shot from a narrow angle.

Defoe's introduction just before the hour mark did little to stem the tide towards the Sunderland goal, although clear-cut chances remained few and far between.

The momentum swung away from Southampton with 11 minutes to go, Jan Kirchhoff's throughball sent Borini clear only for Fonte to bring him down on the edge of the area, prompting referee Neil Swarbrick to issue the Saints' skipper with a red card.

Sebastian Larsson should have put Sunderland ahead after 83 minutes when he shot over when well-placed but his fellow replacement Defoe made no mistake two minutes later when he was picked out by a Lamine Kone centre.

Juanmi saw a shot deflected wide as Southampton pushed for an equaliser and it duly arrived in the 93rd minute, Tadic crossing for Van Dijk to finish well and deny Sam Allardyce a potentially crucial victory.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 0-0 Montpellier: Pionnier heroics deny wasteful champions

Paris Saint-Germain maintained their 23-point lead at the top of Ligue 1 despite being held to a surprise 0-0 home draw by Montpellier.

A combination of wasteful finishing and inspired goalkeeping from Laurent Pionnier prevented Laurent Blanc's from taking full advantage of second-placed Monaco being held to a draw by Caen on Friday.

The disappointing draw continues a league blip for the hosts, which began last weekend with their first defeat of the Ligue 1 season – a 2-1 reverse at Lyon.

With one eye firmly on Wednesday night's Champions League last-16 return leg against Chelsea, Blanc opted not to risk Blaise Matuidi who continues to nurse a slight hamstring strain and he also left several of his other key men, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Luiz, Javier Pastore and Thiago Motta, on the bench.Angel Di Maria did start, however, having recovered from a thigh strain and was a constant threat before being replaced by Ibrahimovic on the hour-mark.

The men from the capital have now gone 34 home league games unbeaten and remain very much on course to wrap their fourth successive Ligue 1 title up before the end of the month.

Montpellier, meanwhile, came into the game having won their last three on the bounce to climb up to 14th in the table and they defended heroically to maintain their revival under new coach Frederic Hantz.PSG came absolutely tearing out of the blocks and Edinson Cavani went close to handing his side the lead twice in the opening six minutes.

The Uruguayan's first effort struck the crossbar and his second drew a superb reflex save from Pionnier, with stand-in skipper Maxwell surging down the left flank to provide the assist on both occasions.

To their credit, Montpellier refused to buckle under the early pressure and during their occasional forays forward, Casimir Ninga and Jerome Roussillon troubled the home defence with their pace down the left.Blanc's side continued to look much the more likely, however and Di Maria duly forced Pionnier into action three times with long-range efforts midway through the half.

And the overworked Pionnier was again equal to the Argentinian on 36 minutes, diving bravely at his feet after a swift PSG breakaway had split the visitors' defence wide open.On the stroke of half-time, Montpellier enjoyed yet another reprieve as Lucas Moura just failed to slide home Di Maria's cross-shot at the far post.

PSG seemed to take their foot off the gas at the start to the second half, with some last-ditch defending required to block two goalbound efforts from the lively Ninga.
The hosts' efforts became increasingly frantic late on, but star man Pionnier had the last say, denying Ibrahimovic one-on-one in stoppage time to preserve a share of the spoils.

 

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Hiddink sets new Premier League record for latest Chelsea reign

Guus Hiddink has set a new Premier League record following Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Saturday.

Bertrand Traore's first-half opener was cancelled out by Mame Biram Diouf in the second half, while the match was Hiddink's 12th in the Premier League since he took over from Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

The Dutchman remains unbeaten in the Premier League since he returned to Chelsea, and no manager in the division's history has gone 12 games without a defeat from when their reign started.

The draw has kept Chelsea 10th in the Premier League and 10 points behind Manchester City, who currently occupy fourth place.

 

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Vazquez: Nobody can doubt Ronaldo

Lucas Vazquez has hit back at critics of Cristiano Ronaldo after he scored four times in Real Madrid 's 7-1 rout of Celta Vigo.

The Portugal international moved onto 252 goals in La Liga, above Telmo Zarra and behind only Lionel Messi in the all-time standings, thanks to a stunning performance in Saturday's 7-1 thrashing at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ronaldo seemed to criticise the standard of some of his team-mates - including Vazquez - following last weekend's defeat to Atletico Madrid, and he cupped his ear to the crowd when celebrating against Celta after a number of whistles were directed his way during the first half.

Yet Vazquez insists his team-mate deserves adulation following his display, though he also stressed that Madrid are grateful for their fans' support.

"I didn't hear anything. Nobody can doubt Cristiano. Today he scored four goals and you have to congratulate him," he said afterwards, as quoted by AS .

"The Bernabeu crowd are very good, they always support us. We're very appreciative of them. "We knew it would be a difficult game because they play good football. We had chances to go into the break with a few goals in our favour.

"After the break we went out stronger and settled the game. There are phases to matches, and we played better in the second. The coach always asks for more goals from us and that's what we did.

"I work the same as always. I'm going to help the team in every way I can. There are phases to the season and at the moment we're looking after ourselves and we will do the best we can."

 

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Borussia Dortmund 0-0 Bayern Munich: Bavarians maintain five-point lead

Bayern Munich stay five points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table after recording a 0-0 draw away to second place Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening.

Thomas Tuchel's men had the opportunity to cut Bayern's lead to just two points after the German champions suffered a shock defeat at home to Mainz in midweek.

Dortmund had chances to unlock the Bavarians' defence on the break, while Arturo Vidal smashed the crossbar via the fingertips of Roman Burki, but neither side could find a decisive breakthrough.
Both sides had chances to strike first in the early stages. Thomas Muller should have done better with a presentable opportunity for Bayern as he shot over after a weak Roman Burki punch, before Vidal diverted a Douglas Costa cross wide.

At the other end, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang raced into the opposition penalty area but saw his shot shovelled away by Manuel Neuer, while Erik Durm fired into the side netting after a sharp turn in the box.

A crucial challenge from Bayern's Joshua Kimmich prevented Marco Reus from pulling the trigger in prime position, before Douglas Costa raced clear from Robben's pass in a rapid counter-attack and failed to beat Burki one-on-one, with the goalkeeper's legs rescuing his side as an end-to-end battle continued.

Burki saved Robben's curling attempt, before the Netherlands winger fired inches wide a few moments later in a strong finish to the first half from the visitors.

Aubemeyang was denied by Neuer for a second time shortly after the break, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan unable to covert the rebound for Dortmund.

Another Robben attempt was gathered by Burki and Vidal headed Muller's delivery just wide as Bayern searched for a potentially decisive goal in the title race.

The lively Robben was involved again shortly after, but should have done better as he blasted over from Xabi Alonso's pass.

Guardiola's men were continuing to look the most likely and they were so close to striking through Vidal.

Muller helped on a corner and the Chile international latched on to the bouncing ball to power in a shot from 10 yards out, with Burki making a magnificent reaction save to divert it on to the crossbar.

Aubameyang and Robben both exchanged off-target efforts and Alonso almost caught out Burki with an ambitious long-range strike as a goalless draw began to look increasingly likely.

Bayern brought on Franck Ribery, while Tuchel called on Adrian Ramos from the bench and the Colombia international headed wide from a decent chance after Aubameyang's cross in the final minutes, but there was to be no crucial goal.

 

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Watford 0-1 Leicester City: Magical Mahrez goal extends Foxes' lead

A sensational strike by Riyad Mahrez saw Leicester City restore their five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory against Watford.

After a largely even first half, the Algerian midfielder produced some magic just before the hour as he curled a beautiful finish into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.

After Tottenham's 2-2 draw with Arsenal earlier in the day, it puts Claudio Ranieri's side in a commanding position with only nine more games left in the season.

Leicester had numerous chances to put the game beyond doubt but were not made to pay for their profligacy as Watford struggled to create much in the final third. Indeed, the Foxes had little trouble in seeing the game out - the only worry coming in the form of a hamstring injury to Mahrez, who was substituted late on.

Leicester went close to opening the scoring in the fourth minute, with Heurelho Gomes only able to parry Christian Fuchs's low drive before Nathan Ake produced an excellent tackle to prevent Shinji Okazaki from turning in the follow-up.

Ake headed Ben Watson's free-kick against the top of the crossbar at the other end seven minutes later but it was Leicester who continued to have the better of the play. The visitors spurned a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring in the 23rd minute as Jamie Vardy played in Mahrez down the left-hand side but the Premier League's top scorer could only fire wide from the Algeria international's return pass.

Mario Suarez saw a long-range effort deflected into the arms of Kasper Schmeichel as Watford started the second half brightly but they fell behind courtesy of a piece of magic from Mahrez, who curled a superb left-footed strike beyond Gomes from just inside the area after Watford had failed to fully clear Fuchs's left-wing cross.

Robert Huth then had a close-range header beaten away by Gomes as Leicester sought to kill off the game, before Wes Morgan turned Vardy's dangerous low ball over.

Gomes was called into action again to keep out a less venomous effort from the excellent Mahrez. Huth then headed wide a Fuchs free-kick in the 71st minute, while Watford's best chance to level fell to leading scorer Odion Ighalo.

The striker could only nod straight at Schmeichel, though, as Leicester held firm on what could prove to be a pivotal day in their quest for a momentous title win.

 

[akilar25]

Hiddink sets new Premier League record for latest Chelsea reign

Guus Hiddink has set a new Premier League record following Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Stoke City on Saturday.

Bertrand Traore's first-half opener was cancelled out by Mame Biram Diouf in the second half, while the match was Hiddink's 12th in the Premier League since he took over from Jose Mourinho at Stamford Bridge.

The Dutchman remains unbeaten in the Premier League since he returned to Chelsea, and no manager in the division's history has gone 12 games without a defeat from when their reign started.

The draw has kept Chelsea 10th in the Premier League and 10 points behind Manchester City, who currently occupy fourth place.

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Coquelin 'really sorry' for north London derby dismissal

Arsenal midfielder Francis Coquelin has apologised for his red card in the Gunners' 2-2 draw against Tottenham.

Coquelin was dismissed after collecting a second booking for a challenge on Harry Kane with his side leading 1-0 after 55 minutes.

Seven minutes later Arsenal were 2-1 down after goals from Toby Alderweireld and Kane, but Alexis Sanchez hit back late on to keep Arsene Wenger's team within three points of their north London rivals.

"I didn’t really see the goal [because I was in the dressing room] but someone came and told me that we scored the second one - it was a relief for me," Coquelin told Arsenal Player.

"I did not want us to lose today because at 1-0 I thought we were doing great. A point today is a good point, it is a great result for us."I think with 11 against 11 we could have won the game as we were playing really well. This red card changed the game. I’m really sorry to the club, to the team and all the fans.

"I actually thought I could get the ball when I slide tackled [Harry Kane] - that is why I went for it. I touched him and [the referee] gave me the second yellow.
"But at the end of the day, it’s a good point and hopefully it will be an important point for the title."

 

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Poor finishing to blame for draw, says Blanc

Paris Saint-Germain coach Laurent Blanc bemoaned his side's profligacy in front of goal after they were held to a 0-0 home draw by Montpellier.

Angel Di Maria and Edinson Cavani were among those to squander opportunities at the Parc des Princes, with visiting goalkeeper Laurent Pionnier producing a string of superb saves to keep his side in the contest.

The hosts remain 23 points clear at the top of the table but they failed to take full advantage of second-placed Monaco being held to a 2-2 draw by Caen on Friday.And Blanc was quick to make his displeasure known.

"There is no reason to be satisfied with the result," he said. "There was room to win, but we were not effective offensively and I regret that there was no conviction in that area."

With the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Chelsea to come on Wednesday, Blanc did derive some comfort from the fact that his key men appeared to come through the game unscathed.

Di Maria returned from a thigh strain to complete an hour, while the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Motta, David Luiz and Javier Pastore all started on the bench. "The essential thing, and what gives me the most pleasure, is that we did not pick up any injuries," he said.

"We decided to allow some to play and others to rest, and the end result was a satisfactory one."PSG lead 2-1 heading into the second leg against Chelsea.

 

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Guardiola gives Kimmich Pep talk on the pitch after Dortmund draw

Joshua Kimmich was on the receiving end of some intense praise from Pep Guardiola on the pitch following Bayern Munich's 0-0 draw with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Bayern maintained their five-point advantage at the top of the Bundesliga, with Kimmich playing in the heart of defence and keeping the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang at bay. The 21-year-old also caught the eye with a last-ditch tackle to deny Marco Reus.

Guardiola was quick to seek out Kimmich after the game and embraced him following his impressive display.

Guardiola said after the game: "I love Joshua Kimmich. He has everything to achieve everything he wants."

He added: "He's played against big strikers in the Champions League and against Aubameyang today. Please don't tell me he isn't a centre-back."

 

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Wenger can't predict next title twist

Arsene Wenger was unwilling to predict the outcome of the Premier League title race after 10-man Arsenal battled to a pulsating 2-2 draw at Tottenham on Saturday.

Aaron Ramsey opened the scoring six minutes before half-time in the north London derby but a red card for Francis Coquelin checked Arsenal's progress.Toby Alderweireld equalised with an hour played before Harry Kane fired a stunning second.

Wenger's men secured a share of the spoils when the impressive Alexis Sanchez struck 15 minutes from time at White Hart Lane.Quizzed on which team is now likely to finish first, the manager said: "I don't know, I don't know what to say any more about that because everybody drops points.

"So let's see what happens over the weekend. I think we have to take encouragement from our performance today and reproduce that until the end of the season. Then we might have a chance.

"I don't know [if it is our best chance for a number of years], maybe you are right. Last year we had no chance, three or four years ago I think were in the race."

Heavy criticism followed consecutive Premier League losses against Manchester United and Swansea City, Wenger acknowledging the Gunners are weighed down by the burden of expectation: "I must tell you, the pressure of our supporters is relentless and I am in a good position to tell you that."We have to deal with that and we now have to go on a run again.

"If Leicester win the game at Watford they are in a very strong position," he added, referring to Saturday's late kick-off between the league leaders and the Hornets at Vicarage Road."We are in a position where we need to rely on other teams like Leicester."

Wenger accepted Coquelin's dismissal was deserved, but the Arsenal boss was critical of referee Michael Oliver for not issuing a second yellow card to Eric Dier when the Tottenham midfielder pulled back Olivier Giroud during the closing stages.

"I think referees should come in a press conference after a game," he said. "We are questioned so they should be questioned as well."Sanchez's display, crowned by his first Premier League goal since October, gave Wenger cause for more positive reflection.

"He had a great attitude and I hope that will give him the confidence and encouragement he needs," he said."I hope the goal will give him a lift and we will see a different Alex now."

 

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Ranieri: Mahrez hamstring is fine

Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri will be breathing a sigh of relief after receiving good news on the hamstring complaint that was threatening to keep Riyad Mahrez out of his side.Mahrez scored a sensational 56th-minute winner as Leicester moved five points clear of Tottenham at the Premier League summit, but he was forced off with a hamstring injury five minutes from full time.

But thankfully for Leicester, Ranieri said the injury was simply cramp, as opposed to a more serious strain or tear."There's no injury," Ranieri said in his television interview after the game.

"Just that he was tired, maybe a little cramp, and then I changed him in just the last minute to give more support to the midfield."Leicester, who have collected 60 points from 29 matches, continue their title charge at home to Newcastle United on March 14.

 

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Barcelona to hold talks over Neymar's summer commitments

Luis Enrique says Barcelona will hold talks with Brazil coach Dunga over the availability of their big-name players for both the Olympic Games and the Copa America later this year.

The Copa America is scheduled to take place in the United States in June, while the Rio Games will get underway in August.

Brazil coach Dunga will be desperate to ensure that the likes of Neymar, Rafinha and Dani Alves can play in the high-profile tournaments, and Luis Enrique seems open to the possibility."That's something we're going to have to talk about," the Barca boss said on Saturday.

"Dunga is coming and wants to talk about the situation of his players and it is the right time for him to come and talk about things."We'll talk about what's best for him, what's best for the club and what's best for his country."

Luis Enrique went on to reveal that Rafinha is closing in on full fitness having been forced to undergo knee surgery last year.

The midfielder tore ligaments in his right knee during September's Champions League clash with Roma, but could now be in line for a return to action before the end of the season."It's good news if he's thinking about playing in the Olympics for Brazil," said Luis Enrique.

"It's been an unlucky season for him because of the injury, but we're hanging on what that doctors have to say."His recovery is going as well as we could hope.

"He was able to take part in almost the whole training session today. "There's still the final stage in his recovery to come and he needs to get medical clearance from the doctors.

"Hopefully he can come back and enjoy competitive matches; we'll have to wait and see how things develop."La Liga leaders Barca are next in action on Sunday when they visit Eibar.

 

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Bale delighted with scoring return

Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale was thrilled to mark his return to the first team with a goal as Zinedine Zidane's men demolished Celta Vigo 7-1 at Santiago Bernabeu on Saturday.

The Wales international has been out of action since January 17, missing eight matches with a calf problem, but came off the bench in the second half of the match and netted with a low finish on 81 minutes.

Bale loved being back on the pitch and feels a faster playing style was the key to a masterful Madrid performance in which team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo stole the show by netting four times.

"It's great to return in this way and to score," the 26-year-old told reporters. "I have spent four days training with my team-mates - now I have to train well and keep improving.

"It's nice to be back and to score, but the most important thing was taking all three points."In the dressing room we have talked about playing a faster style so that we can do more damage to our opponents.

"The most important thing was being able to continue building up our confidence and taking three points from the game"We want to go into our games hand in hand with the fans - with them we hope to achieve great things."

Real Madrid, who are third in La Liga, host Roma on Tuesday in the second leg of their Champions League round-of-16 tie, holding a 2-0 aggregate lead from the first match.

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.03.06

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2016.03.06

Crystal Palace Vs Liverpool

WBA Vs Manchester United

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Watford home match 1ke Manchester United performance echchara hari naha Arsenal match 1ke thibba wageSo ada thiyana WBA away match 1kath lesi wena 1kak naha kohomatath.hoda fight 1kak denna wei win karanna

Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

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LA Liga Fixtures 2016.03.06

LA Liga Fixtures 2016.03.06

Real Betis Vs Grenada

Eibar Vs Barcelona

Real Sociedad Vs Levante

Sporting Gijon Vs Athletic Bilbao

Valencia Vs Atletico Madrid​