..::Football IV::..

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'He will be here for sure' - Mourinho adamant Shaw has Man Utd future

Jose Mourinho has reiterated that Luke Shaw’s future lies at Manchester United, with the England international still working his way back from an “ugly injury”.The 21-year-old defender suffered a double leg break last season, with a long road to recovery leading him back to the first team fold.

Shaw has had to prove himself all over again under new coaching staff at Old Trafford, with Mourinho needing to be convinced that he is deserving of a regular role.

He is yet to see enough to suggest that the youngster is ready to be a prominent part of his plans, with there an element of trust that needs to be established.The Portuguese tactician is, however, prepared to give Shaw time and has once again sought to bring an end to the ongoing rumours claiming that a sale could be sanctioned in the summer.

Mourinho said ahead of United’s FA Cup fifth round clash with Blackburn Rovers: “He had a very ugly injury, really, really ugly.

“Not just from the physical point of view, but also by the mental impact. So this season he has had a couple of small injuries and he needs to adapt.“He knows what I like in a defender, he knows that I like stability, that I don’t like mistakes, that for me it is to trust a player totally and he has to work to get it.

“And when he is on the pitch again he has to try to give me that step by step because he is still only a young player, sometimes people forget he is only a young player with a lot to learn but I like the player and I like the boy.“No, he will be here for sure, that is out of the question.”

Shaw has made just 14 appearances in all competitions this season, with only one of those coming in 2017 – against Wigan in the FA Cup.

 

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'I trust in the squad' - Conte delighted with Chelsea's fringe players

Antonio Conte insisted he has faith in his entire squad after fielding a number of fringe players in the 2-0 FA Cup fifth round win over Wolves.

Chelsea noted seven changes in their starting line-up and included the likes of captain John Terry, Cesc Fabregas, Nathan Ake - recalled from a loan spell at Bournemouth last month - and Nathaniel Chalobah, who have not been regulars this season.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho claimed this week that some foreign managers fail to treat the FA Cup with respect when making their team selections.
However, Conte believes the result at Molineux - secured through second-half goals from Pedro and Diego Costa - justified his decision and merely highlighted the strength in depth at his disposal."I trust in the squad and these players. They gave me good attitude," he told BT Sport.

"Don't forget that I made seven changes from the last game. It's important that when I decide to put them in the starting XI I get a good reply."They gave me a good answer."

Conte urged his team not to relax in their fight for silverware as the Blues kept alive their hopes of completing a league and cup double.The Italian coach expressed his disagreement with those who suggest that Chelsea – currently eight points clear at the top of the Premier League table – have already won the title.

"It was a good result because we won the game and our target was to reach next round," he added."In the FA Cup there are no easy games and [the match] showed this, but after the first half where we suffered a bit, we created chances in the second half.

"It was very difficult for Wolves to continue to play with this high intensity and in the second half they paid for it. In the second half we created many chances.

"I hear a lot that Chelsea have won the league but it's not true. We have to have the will to fight and the will to win."Wolves manager Paul Lambert pointed to a missed opportunity in the opening few minutes of the game as a turning point for his side.

Former Chelsea youth player George Saville hit the post with a shot after an early error by Kurt Zouma and Wolves struggled to create chances as the game progressed, but Lambert praised the efforts of his side.

Lambert said: "I'm not one for getting beat and being happy about it, but I thought the performance was outstanding."We needed that one to go in from George, but we went toe-to-toe with one of the best teams in European football."

 

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'I don't think it's anything serious' - Man City boss Guardiola plays down Kompany injury fears

Pep Guardiola does not believe the latest injury suffered by Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is a serious problem.Kompany has been dogged by calf injuries over recent seasons and began the current campaign on the sidelines after undergoing groin and thigh surgery.

The 30-year-old then suffered knee ligament damage as a result of a collision with goalkeeper Claudio Bravo at Crystal Palace in November, keeping him out until a 3-0 win in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Selhurst Park last month.

The Belgium centre-back was an unused substitute in City's three subsequent Premier League matches and had been expected to return for Saturday's fifth-round cup tie at Huddersfield Town.

However, Kompany was absent from Guardiola's matchday 18 for the 0-0 draw at the John Smith's Stadium, leaving his manager to allay fears over his fitness at a post-match news conference."Two days ago he felt something in his leg," Guardiola said when asked about his skipper.

"I don't think it's anything serious. [His injury is] the same as Gael Clichy."City are back in action on Tuesday in the last 16 of the Champions League at home to Monaco and they will entertain David Wagner's Championship high-flyers in a replay at the Etihad Stadium seven days later.

Guardiola had no complaints over his side's performance – he made eight changes with an eye on facing Leonardo Jardim's free-scoring Ligue 1 side next week – and chose to praise Huddersfield's efforts in earning a deserved return."No. It is not frustrating, it was a tough game against one of the best teams in the Championship.

"Two days ago there was a rugby game on the pitch which made it slow but we made a good performance. They are a really good team, congratulations to Huddersfield."When you play against teams at the top of the Championship, it is obviously difficult. There were no complaints, my team did what I asked them to do."

It means further fixture congestion for Wagner's promotion-chasers but the former Borussia Dortmund II coach feels his players' impressive reserves of fitness will come to the fore, having made seven changes himself to keep key men fresh for Tuesday's crunch clash with Reading.

"We are still in the competition which is great," he told a post-match news conference."Another match in this busy footballing period but that is not a problem for us. For sure we are one of the fittest teams in the division.

"We were able to make them uncomfortable, they were the better team with chances which is no surprise to anybody but we showed great attitude and passion.

"We don't have the biggest budget or squad so we needed to rotate since the beginning of December. The players are used to it and they always deliver.

"A clean sheet against Manchester City makes our chest bigger."

 

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Too early to talk about Chelsea double, insists Conte

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte dismissed talk of his side completing a domestic league and cup double after their 2-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over Wolves.

The Premier League leaders took over an hour to break down Paul Lambert's side at Molineux, but Pedro's headed goal in the 65th minute and Diego Costa's late strike booked Chelsea's place in the draw for the quarter-finals.

Chelsea are eight points clear at the top of the table and go into the last eight of the cup along with the likes of National League side Lincoln City, but Conte warned against complacency.

He said: "It is early to talk about this. For sure we are in these two competitions, in the league we are doing a great job to stay on top of the table. Now in the FA Cup we are in the quarter-final, I am pleased for this because it shows that we are working very well.

"Honestly, even after this game it is important to understand that nothing is easy. If someone thinks that in the league Chelsea for sure will become the champions and in the FA Cup you can win this trophy, it will be very difficult. We know that.

"We want to try to at the end win some trophies. Because when you are with a good club your work is this: to try to fight to the end and win some trophies."We are in a good position now, but we have to work very hard."

Conte defended his decision to field a number of players who have struggled to break into Chelsea's first team this season, such as John Terry and Cesc Fabregas.
After Burnley were knocked out by Lincoln earlier in the day, the former Italy coach said he impressed upon his team the danger of suffering an upset."I made seven changes, I think they played very well," he said. "It is not easy when you don't play every game. I think John, Cesc and all the players showed me to have a good form and it means that they are good professionals.

"This challenge was very tough, but after the result this afternoon I tried to warn the changing room about the difficulty of this game, of this competition. I like to repeat in England in every competition there isn't an easy game."

On Lincoln's historic achievement in becoming the first non-league side to reach the sixth round since 1914, Conte said: "This a great achievement for them. It is the beauty of the FA Cup. In Italy it is impossible for this to happen.

"It shows that anything can happen in football if you have a great will to fight and have the challenge. They deserve to have a great compliment from me, Chelsea and the whole country."

 

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Manchester United forward Martial bemused by pace score on FIFA

Anthony Martial may be one of the quickest players in the Premier League, but even the Manchester United forward cannot record a pace rating of 99 on FIFA 17.The latest upgrades, and downgrades, for the cream of the English top-flight crop have been announced for the popular video game.Martial, though, remains short of a magical mark in one particular area.

He prides himself on his speed, with his ability to eat up the ground helping to make him a frightening prospect for opposition defenders.The France international has, however, queried what he has to do in order to move off a score of 93.

If the 21-year-old can maintain the standards he has set over recent weeks, then maybe his ratings will be reassessed.Martial took his goal tally for the season to seven in all competitions with a particularly impressive display put in during United’s last Premier League outing against Watford.

The Hornets were unable to contain him that day and many more opponents can expect to be tested by his pace before the season is out, even if he is not considered by FIFA compilers to be the ultimate speedster.

 

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FA Cup Fixtures 2017.02.19

FA Cup Fixtures 2017.02.19

Fulham Vs Tottenham

Blackburn Vs Manchester United​

 

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Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

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LA Liga Fixtures 2017.02.19

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.02.19

Real Sociedad Vs Villareal

Valencia Vs Athletic Bilbao

Celta Vigo Vs Osasuna

Barcelona Vs Leganes​

 

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Serie A Fixtures 2017.02.19

Serie A Fixtures 2017.02.19

Bologna Vs Inter

Chievo Vs Napoli

Pescara Vs Genoa

Sampdoria Vs Cagliari

Udinese Vs Sassuolo

Roma Vs Torino

AC Milan Vs Fiorentina​

 

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.02.19

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.02.19

Monchengladbach Vs Leipzig

Cologne Vs Schalke​

 

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Full Time

Blackburn 1 Vs 2 Manchester United

Blackburn Goal(s)

Graham 17'

&

Manchester United Goal(s)

Rashford 27'
Ibrahimovic 75'


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Congratulations Manchester United!
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Bologna 0-1 Inter: Gabriel Barbosa emerges to secure the win

Gabriel Barbosa's long wait for a first Serie A goal ended as the Brazil international came off the bench to seal a 1-0 win for Inter at Bologna.

Stefano Pioli's men looked set to miss out on the opportunity to regain fourth place in the top flight as Bologna displayed the type of defensive resilience entirely absent from their 7-1 thrashing at the hands of Napoli at Stadio Renato Dall'Ara earlier this month.

But Gabriel – who arrived amid much fanfare from Santos but offered little to back up his famed 'Gabigol' nickname across five previous substitute cameos in Italy's top flight – provided a headline-grabbing turn worthy of a forward talent who helped to fire the home nation to gold-medal glory at Rio 2016, alongside Neymar and Gabriel Jesus.The finish was of a welcome routine nature for the 20-year-old, who tore off his shirt and streamed towards the delirious travelling support to bask in the moment.

Inter are back above surprise package Atalanta and Lazio in the jostle for European qualification ahead of next weekend's crunch clash with second-place Roma.Pioli's side got on the front foot from kick-off and only a dreadful 12th-minute miss by captain Rodrigio Palacio prevented their efforts from being rewarded.

Ivan Perisic burst clear down the Bologna right and arrowed in a dangerous low cross that seemed to catch Palacio by surprise, with the veteran Argentine forward skying hopelessly over from five yards.

Often by accident as much as design, Roberto Donadoni's hosts repelled Inter's pressure and they belatedly grew into the half – Blerim Dzemaili sending a 25-yard strike narrowly wide in the 39th minute.

Palacio was again ill-prepared to convert a headed chance shortly afterwards and the sight of Bologna skipper Angelo Da Costa gathering an awkwardly dipping drive from Roberto Gagliardini meant the deadlock would remain intact at the break.It was home forward Simone Verdi who displayed wayward finishing early in the second period when he got underneath Ladislav Krejci's cutback.

The contest was starting to become a touch stretched by the time Danilo D'Ambrosio unpicked the Bologna backline and Da Costa thwarted Perisic at close quarters.

Eder shot too close to Da Costa when well-placed before the hour and Perisic, by some distance the most vibrant attacking presence on the field, sent a rasping effort just beyond the crossbar.A yellow card for Miranda midway through the second half meant Pioli will be without the Brazilian defender for Roma's visit to San Siro.

D'Ambrosio conceded a potentially more damaging foul when he brought down Verdi on the edge of the box after 73 minutes but the Bologna man was unable to convert.

But Gabriel, on for the ineffective Antonio Candreva, would have no such problems eight minutes later, when D'Ambrosio picked him out for a simple back-post finish that prompted prolonged celebrations, bursting with joy and relief.Inter's matchwinner was denied a second by Adam Masina's goalline clearance – suggesting the trials of six torturous months might be behind him already.

 

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'It is my future at stake' – Isco could leave Real Madrid

Real Madrid playmaker Isco offered no guarantees over his future, suggesting that he may have to leave the club.Isco, 24, took his chance in the first-team on Saturday, setting up both goals in a 2-0 victory over Espanyol at Santiago Bernabeu.The Spain international was linked with a surprise move to Barcelona in January, while Premier League clubs are also reportedly interested.

Goal understands Madrid have pushed back talks over Isco's contract to the end of the season and the midfielder has hinted he may have to quit if he does not get more regular first-team football.

"I'm calm. What worries me is to have minutes," he told beIN Sports. "A player's career is small."I'm happy here and would stay many more years.

"From now until the end of the season, we will make a decision. It is my future at stake."Isco has made just 11 league starts this campaign, while he has featured in the Champions League only once.

 

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Fulham 0-3 Tottenham: Kane hat-trick books Spurs a place in FA Cup quarters

An impressive hat-trick from Harry Kane eased Tottenham to a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Fulham in the fifth round of the FA Cup on Sunday.

The visitors came into the game at Craven Cottage off the back of disappointing defeats to Liverpool and Gent, but they made a strong start and deservedly took the lead when Kane converted Christian Eriksen's low cross in the 16th minute.The same combination of playmaker and striker successfully unlocked the home defence again early in the second half, Kane applying the neat, close-range finish.

And the third arrived 17 minutes from time, Alli supplying the through-ball and Kane timing his run perfectly before calmly finding the net to take his tally for the season to 19 in all competitions.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino opted to start with seven members of the side who began the game against Liverpool last weekend and they ultimately proved far too strong for Slavisa Jokanovic's men, who occupy eighth place in the Championship.Starved of possession and unable to counter Tottenham's impressive movement, the hosts rarely looked capable of securing the upset that would have seen them reach the last eight for the first time since 2010.

Instead it was the Premier League side who cruised to what was just their third away win since the end of September, but their fourth in as many visits to Craven Cottage.

Tottenham looked bright and purposeful during the early exchanges, creating two decent chances within the opening five minutes.

Alli provided the assist for the first, heading the ball down to Kane, who saw his low shot palmed away by Marcus Bettinelli in the Fulham goal.

And the second fell the way of Alli himself, the England midfielder dragging a well-struck shot wide from just inside the box.The visitors were not to be denied for long, however, as Kane duly broke the deadlock.

Fulham were guilty of switching off when Kieran Trippier took a quick throw, allowing Eriksen to make ground down the right and deliver a fine cross which Kane slid home at full-stretch.

A poor clearance from Michel Vorm almost gifted the home side an immediate equaliser, but the Dutch goalkeeper's blushes were spared as Tom Cairney failed to find the target from 25 yards out.

The Fulham skipper then almost gifted Spurs a second goal, surrendering the ball cheaply to Kane, who subsequently played Eriksen in, only for the Dane to blaze wildly and wastefully over from a narrow angle.That second goal did arrive six minutes into the second half, however, with Eriksen and Kane again combining to great effect.

The England striker ghosted away from his marker to reach a fine cross from the former Ajax man and neatly clip the ball past Bettinelli.

Alli almost made it 3-0 moments later, firing over after yet more neat approach work from the effervescent Eriksen, but the reprieve proved to be a temporary one for Fulham as Kane raced clear to clinch his hat-trick and add some extra gloss to a very satisfying afternoon for the North London side.

 

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Chievo 1-3 Napoli: Sarri's men bounce back from Champions League disappointment

Napoli brushed Chievo aside 3-1 to secure a sixth Serie A win in seven matches and bounce back from their Champions League setback at Real Madrid.Maurizio Sarri's men were outclassed by the same scoreline in Madrid on Wednesday, though it was they who cruised in Verona, making light work of their hosts to move back to within nine points of Juventus at the summit.

Chievo kept Napoli at bay for 31 minutes before Lorenzo Insigne curled a sumptuous 20-yard effort beyond the helpless Stefano Sorrentino.

And captain Hamsik added a second shortly after – stabbing home from close range after Allan seized on a defensive mix-up and squared to his midfield colleague.

The talented Piotr Zielinski effectively ended Chievo's slim chances just before the hour mark with a deflected 25-yard finish at the end of a flowing move.The hosts did manage to get a consolation goal, though, as Riccardo Meggiorini beat Pepe Reina with a clever finish after Kalidou Koulibaly failed to clear a routine lofted pass.

 

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Blackburn 1-2 Manchester United: Ibrahimovic strike saves Red Devils' blushes

Jose Mourinho's substitutions worked like a charm as Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic came off the bench to combine for the winning goal and secure Manchester United's place in the FA Cup quarter-finals with a 2-1 victory at Blackburn Rovers.

United looked devoid of craft and decisiveness for much of the match at Ewood Park on Sunday and such a situation forced Mourinho's hand in the second half.Pogba and Ibrahimovic duly showed why the Portuguese entrusted the visitors' fate to them, as the Frenchman set up the in-form striker for a 75th-minute winner.

Blackburn gave a fine account of themselves in the first half and broke the deadlock with an exceptional goal inspired by Marvin Emnes and finished by Danny Graham.United ensured the score was level at the break, as Marcus Rashford showed great composure to net his sixth goal of the season.

But that goal failed to bring about much of an improvement from United, though, and Mourinho - clearly unenthusiastic about the prospect of a replay - deployed Pogba and Ibrahimovic from the bench with just under 30 minutes to go.

Ibrahimovic then made the most of a Pogba pass 15 minutes from time to kill Blackburn's resolve once and for all, booking United's place in the last eight of the competition they won last season.

United saw more of the ball early on, but Blackburn looked a threat in attack and caused the Premier League side problems.Emnes was particularly lively and worried Sergio Romero from distance with a fierce drive 16 minutes in.Romero was helpless soon after, though, as Emnes terrorised United.

The Dutchman tied Marcos Rojo in knots, as he produced an effective step-over and then turned back on himself, before finally finishing the defender off with a fine reverse pass into the area and Graham clipped a lovely left-footed finish into the right side of the net.But their lead did not last.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan caught Blackburn on the break and fed Rashford with an inch-perfect pass through the centre, which the striker latched on to and stroked home after coolly skipping beyond Jason Steele.

Another swift United counter almost resulted in a chance just before the break, though Mkhitaryan ultimately tried to take on too many defenders and was crowded out.

United looked rather more controlling of both the tempo and possession at the start of the second half, though they struggled to break down Blackburn's compact defence.

In response to United's continued frustration, Pogba and Ibrahimovic replaced Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial respectively, and the Swede nearly made an immediate impact as he got agonisingly close to Ander Herrera's wayward shot.
Herrera produced a better effort 20 minutes from time, seeing a 20-yard drive go just wide of the bottom-left corner.United finally found a way through Blackburn's stubborn defence, though.

Pogba lofted a brilliant pass over the hosts' defence from just inside the Blackburn half and picked out the run of Ibrahimovic, who brought it down and calmly placed his effort into the bottom-right corner.

Anthony Stokes did then see a late goal correctly disallowed for offside, but that proved to be the hosts' only chance to worry United, whose attempt to defend the cup continues.

 

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Roma 4-1 Torino: Dzeko strikes again

Edin Dzeko's superb run of form continued as the striker netted once to help Roma to a 4-1 win over Torino in Sunday's Serie A encounter at the Stadio Olimpico.The Bosnia-Herzegovina international had netted 10 times in his past seven games in all competitions and he needed just 10 minutes to add to his tally.

Radja Nainggolan set up the prolific striker on the edge of the box and Dzeko coolly beat goalkeeper Joe Hart to make it 29 goals in 2016-17.Roma continued to force the issue and Mohamed Salah doubled their lead just seven minutes later with a low left-footed strike.

Salah was then unfortunate not to add a third when he struck the woodwork in the 20th minute, but the home side got their three-goal lead midway through the second half as Leandro Paredes found the net with a powerful long-range strike.

Maxi Lopez pulled one back for Torino with six minutes left, but it was nothing more than a consolation goal as Nainggolan had the last word after being set up substitute Francesco Totti.


Roma sit second, seven points behind Juventus.

 

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Barcelona 2-1 Leganes: Late Messi penalty saves sorry Luis Enrique

Lionel Messi's last-gasp penalty spared Luis Enrique and Marc-Andre Ter Stegen's blushes as Barcelona responded to their midweek Champions League humiliation with an unconvincing 2-1 win over struggling Leganes on Sunday, but it did little to mask a dreadful display.

Paris Saint-Germain thumped Barca 4-0 in their last-16, first-leg tie on Tuesday to heap the pressure on coach Luis Enrique, and while Messi's late winner prevented a second embarrassing result in six days, the Catalans failed to produce the commanding response that many expected.

Early on Barca looked every inch a side desperate to respond emphatically to that humbling result in Paris and it was hardly surprising to see Messi put them ahead after just four minutes at Camp Nou.

But the hosts fluttered between attacking vibrancy and wastefulness throughout the first period, while Leganes were also afforded several good chances, perhaps more than they would have expected.

Barca did not produce an improvement after the break and few would have suggested spirited Leganes did not deserve a share of the spoils, with a Ter Stegen error allowing Unai Lopez to level 19 minutes from the end.

But Neymar won a penalty in the 90th minute and Messi coolly slotted it home to salvage the win which keeps Barca second in LaLiga, though Luis Enrique will undoubtedly have more questions to answer after another poor display.

Barca's purpose was clear during the early exchanges and they swiftly established control, breaking Leganes' resolve early on.

Luis Suarez was released down the left flank by Neymar and delivered an inch-perfect cross with the outside of his right foot for Messi to tap in from close range.
Barca were almost punished on the break in the 18th minute, though, as Nabil El Zhar was thwarted when one-on-one with Ter Stegen, before forcing the German into a fine save down to his left at the second attempt.

That let-off appeared to jolt Barca back into life and Messi almost doubled his tally shortly after, racing on to Suarez's throughball into the right side of the area only to see his flicked effort kept out by Iago Herrerin.But Ter Stegen had to be at his best again just before the break to keep Barca's lead intact, reacting well to El Zhar's deflected effort.

Barca looked no sturdier at the back after the break and had to rely on Ter Stegen for a third time, as Miguel Angel Guerrero burst into the left side of the box and got a powerful shot away from a tight angle.

The hosts eventually crafted their first opportunity of the second period, though Neymar's effort was well saved by the right leg of Herrerin after he cut in from the left.Leganes took full advantage and Ter Stegen's previous efforts were undone in the 71st minute.

Sergi Roberto was robbed in a compromising position and Darwin Machis showed great awareness to pick out Lopez on the edge of the box, with his controlled effort slipping under the out-stretched right leg of Ter Stegen.

Barca ultimately rescued themselves soon after Andres Iniesta's entrance in the 80th minute, as the Spaniard became only the second player to reach 400 league appearances for Barca.

Neymar was felled in the area by Martin Mantovani and the referee showed no hesitation in pointing to the spot, from where Messi converted to spare Barca, though his lack of celebration highlighted that the overwhelming feeling was one of relief.

 

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AC Milan 2-1 Fiorentina: Deulofeu strike keeps Milan's European hopes alive

First-half goals from Juraj Kucka and Gerard Deulofeu helped AC Milan keep their Europa League qualification hopes alive with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Fiorentina at San Siro.

Kucka rose highest to nod home a Jose Sosa free-kick on 16 minutes, only for Nikola Kalinic to get the visitors back on level terms almost immediately as he bagged his 11th goal of the season from close range.

But on 31 minutes, Deulofeu claimed what proved to be the winner, bending home his first Serie A goal from the edge of the box.

The victory was a welcome one for Vincenzo Montella's side who had picked up only eight points from their previous seven games and were seeking to avoid a third successive home defeat.The result moved the hosts to within four points of Atalanta who currently occupy the final Europa League place.

Fiorentina, in contrast, had come into the game in decent form having lost only one of their last five games in all competitions but they missed the chance to climb above the home side.

The visitors looked lively going forward right from the off, but it was Milan who took the lead with what was their first meaningful effort on goal. Sosa delivered the outswinging free kick and Kucka took advantage of some slack marking to glance an unstoppable header past Ciprian Tatarusanu.

The hosts were to enjoy that lead for just four minutes, however, before Kalinic deservedly got the visitors back on level terms. Borja Valero fed Federico Chiesa down the right, he checked inside to deliver a left-footed cross and Kalinic reacted quickest to prod the ball home at the far post.

Having played a key role in his side's opener, Valero then undid his good work by giving possession away cheaply in the build up to Milan's second goal on 31 minutes.The Spaniard allowed himself to be robbed by Mario Pasalic who duly found Deulofeu and the on-loan Everton midfielder surged to the edge of the box before beating Tatarusanu with a superb curling shot.

And Milan came very close to taking a 3-1 lead into the break, Tatarusanu doing brilliantly to keep out a rasping drive from Pasalic.

It was the Tuscan side who began the second half on the front foot and Carlos Sanchez really should have made it 2-2 on 55 minutes, but instead, the Colombian blazed wastefully over from close range having been picked out by Valero's free-kick.

And although the hard-working Chiesa then dragged two cross-shots across the face of goal as the home defence continued to creak, the visitors faded a little in the final quarter, perhaps feeling the effects of Thursday's Europa League trip to Borussia Monchengladbach.


They were unable to seriously test Gianluigi Donnarumma late, allowing Milan to hang on for a battling win against Montella's former charges.