..::Football IV::..

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Darmian: Man Utd can overcome Bailly loss to win Europa League

Matteo Darmian believes Eric Bailly’s absence from the Europa League final will simply add to Manchester United’s motivation to bring the trophy home.

United face Ajax in the final in Stockholm on May 24, but they will be without centre-back Bailly following his sending-off in the final moments of the semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo.

However, Darmian has told reporters that United have the squad to cope without the Ivorian, who was not in the best of moods in the dressing room after his red card on Thursday.

“Of course he was not very happy for the red card, but we have other players to cope with that,” said the Italian. “He’s another reason to win the Europa League and I said that before if a player cannot be on the pitch.

“We miss a lot of players because I think also Marcos Rojo, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Luke Shaw, Ashley Young [are out] but it’s a big challenge to win the trophy also for this player.

“I think he’s very important for us, he’s a good player for us but like I said before we have other players who are also very good. Now we go every time to win with the same mentality.”

The 27-year-old added that while the Europa League now provides United with a great chance to qualify for the Champions League, there is still a job to be done in the Premier League run-in.

“It’s always good to reach a final,” he said. “It was very important for us to reach this final and it’s always good if there is a possibility to win a trophy. We go to Stockholm to win the Europa League because it’s a great opportunity for us to play Champions League next season.

“Now we are in the final we want to conclude the rest of the season well so we have to be focused. We have the last three matches of the Premier League and then this final.”

That run of fixtures begins with a trip to Tottenham on Sunday for the final fixture at White Hart Lane, and the former Torino, Palermo and Milan full-back believes his side will be concentrating hard on doing a job while there remains an outside shot of finishing in the top four.

“We are Manchester United and we always want to win every game. Also these three games of the Premier League, we go to London to Tottenham this weekend, away against Southampton and then at home on the last game of the season in front of our fans and we want to win every game to be ready for the final. Of course wins help to win so we want that.

“I think Tottenham is a very good team so it will be difficult. We only have a few days to recover but we have to be ready. We go there and try to win because I think playing this kind of game is always special, always a good feeling. We go there with the same mentality, same attitude and try to win.“Until the mathematics that we can reach the top four… [we keep going].

“I think playing against Tottenham is always hard not just because it is the last game at White Hart Lane. I think they have a very good team so we have to be ready. Like I said before we go there with the same attitude, same mentality and our mentality is to win every game.”

 

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OFFICIAL: Benatia agrees permanent deal with Juve

Juventus have converted Medhi Benatia's loan from Bayern Munich to a permanent deal worth €17 million.

Benatia initially moved to the Serie A champions on a temporary basis ahead of this season, and has since made 18 appearances across all competitions.He has agreed a deal until June 2020, with the fee to be paid to Bayern over two years.

With Giorgio Chiellini, Andrea Barzagli and Leonardo Bonucci forming Juve's fearsome first-choice back three, Benatia has had to settle for a marginal role as the club fight for the treble of Serie A, Coppa Italia and Champions League.

"I'm delighted," Benatia said. "Ever since arriving here I always had plans to stay. I didn't want to return to Bayern or go anywhere else."This is a very positive day for me and I hope the future will be full of great moments.

"I'm happy and I hope that next season I'll have even more opportunities to play because there won't be the Aftrica Cup of Nations."On Sunday, Benatia will face old club Roma, where a win will see Juve claim a record-breaking sixth successive Scudetto and what the Old Lady hopes will be the first leg of a remarkable treble.

 

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Guardiola hits back at Gary Neville over Premier League title claims

Pep Guardiola has hit back at Gary Neville after the former Manchester United defender suggested the Catalan would not be able to win the Premier League by playing his preferred style.Neville spent his entire playing career at United and pointed out earlier this week that only strong and physical teams have won titles in England.

The former England coach and Valencia boss also said he would be surprised if Guardiola's possession-oriented approach would ultimately prove successful.

The Manchester City boss, who has often suggested he is unhappy with the standard of refereeing in the Premier League, says football on the continent is just as physical as it is in England, but the only difference is that English officials are happy to let fouls go.And he says only footballers who have played in several countries should be able to make such comparisons.

"Gary Neville played in England, he didn’t play in another country so he can’t compare," he told reporters at a press conference on Friday. "He was a manager in another country, but not as a player.

"I think it’s physical because of the way the referees conduct the games, you have to be more physical, but we are not talking about, for example, in Germany that the people are not physical, or another country. I don’t know, I can imagine going to San Sebastian or Bilbao or Atletico Madrid, they are physical. It’s quite similar [everywhere].

"They play more often here, the fouls which are fouls all around the world are not fouls here, contact is more allowed. That is the only difference I have found. The game is 11 v 11 so I think football is one ball and what quality you have, the more mentally strong you are the [more] chance you have to win the games.

"But sometimes to compare here and there, my advice has to be [you should] play in other countries to know that. He was lucky to play at Manchester United, and win a lot of titles."

 

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Neymar has everything it takes to become the best in the world - Paulinho

The 25-year-old, who has struck 10 goals and registered 10 assists in La Liga this season, is widely considered as a future Ballon d'Or contender.

And while Paulinho believes Neymar is still some way behind Barcelona colleague Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, the former Tottenham midfielder insists he has the attributes to surpass the record-breaking duo.

"Everybody knows that he is among the best in the world," Paulinho told Brasil Global Tour. "I do not know how long it will take or whether he will pass the rest, but he has everything to put up big numbers and I am very keen to see him become the best in the world.

"Neymar is a player who is improving every year, his evolution both on and off the field has been very impressive."Today, he is showing more leadership than before and a great maturity. He has everything it takes to be the best in the world for many years to come.”

Paulinho, who spent two years in the Premier League with Tottenham before leaving for Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015, also offered advice for Manchester City forward Gabriel Jesus.

The 20-year-old has impressed in his handful of showings for Pep Guardiola's side since arriving in January, scoring four goals and making two assists in just 381 minutes of top-flight football. Despite his successful start at the Etihad Stadium, Paulinho has warned that Jesus is still developing his game and must stay humble if he is to reach the top.

“Gabriel has been doing very well and even came back from injury with a goal, but he is still a boy," He added. "He has a very good head on his shoulders, he’s an intelligent lad and he has never done anything like try to dictate how we pass to him.

"He has to keep on doing the simple things he has always done, the things that got him to this stage of his career. He has to keep enjoying it, and stay confident because he has everything to be one of the biggest names in the Premier League.
"If he stays humble, he can go very far in English football.”

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.05.13

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.05.13

Manchester City Vs Leicester City

Bournemouth Vs Burnley

Middlesbrough Vs Southampton

Sunderland Vs Swansea

Stoke City Vs Arsenal

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LA Liga Fixtures 2017.05.13

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.05.13

Espanyol Vs Valencia

Osasuna Vs Granada​

 

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Serie A Fixtures 2017.05.13

Serie A Fixtures 2017.05.13

Fiorentina Vs Lazio

Atalanta Vs AC Milan​

 

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.05.13

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.05.13

Leverkusen Vs Cologne

Augsburg Vs Dortmund

Mainz Vs Frankfurt

Leipzig Vs Bayern

Frieburg Vs Ingolstadt

Darmstadt Vs Hertha Berlin

Scahlke Vs Hamburg

Weder Bremen Vs Hoffenheim

Wolfsburg Vs Monchengladbach​

 

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Manchester City 2 Leicester City 1: Silva, Jesus secure big step towards Champions League after disallowed Mahrez spot kick

Manchester City took a step closer towards guaranteeing a top-four finish in the Premier League with a 2-1 win over Leicester City at Etihad Stadium, but were helped by a disallowed Riyad Mahrez penalty.

Goals from David Silva and Gabriel Jesus were enough for Pep Guardiola's side to make it back-to-back wins in the top flight, despite a fine strike from Shinji Okazaki for the visitors.

Mahrez saw his converted second-half spot kick ruled out for touching the ball twice as Leicester pushed for an equaliser, but Manchester City held firm for an important, if not wholly convincing, victory.

Leicester, who saw their title officially taken from them by Chelsea on Friday, won the reverse fixture in December 4-2 but found themselves behind in controversial fashion here.

Silva's second goal in as many games was allowed to stand despite uncertainty over whether Raheem Sterling had made contact with the ball from an offside position as it found the net.

Jesus' penalty doubled the lead before Okazaki halved the deficit shortly before the break, and although Mahrez thought he had levelled the scores in the final 15 minutes, his penalty was disallowed after he touched the ball twice.

The victory moves Manchester City onto 72 points and above Liverpool into third in the table, with a six-point cushion between them and fifth-place Arsenal ahead of their trip to Stoke City.

There was something of a sparse crowd at the Etihad for the early kick-off but the home fans should have had a goal to celebrate in only the third minute, with Fernandinho heading wide from six yards after meeting Leroy Sane's corner totally unchallenged.

Wilfred Ndidi missed a similarly clear opening for Leicester, making a mess of a clear header from point-blank range, before Sane scuffed a shot wide after a spell of mounting pressure from Pep Guardiola's men.

The home side's dominance proved telling on 29 minutes as they broke the deadlock, albeit in controversial fashion. Silva's scuffed shot from a low Sane cross bounced into the bottom-right corner, but only after Raheem Sterling had taken a swing at the ball to help it on its way while standing in an offside position.

Referee Bobby Madley allowed the goal to stand despite the Leicester protests, but the visitors could have no complaints about Manchester City's second seven minutes later. Yohan Benalouane flattened Sane with a careless challenge six yards from goal, allowing Jesus to step up and sweep the ball confidently into the corner of the net from the spot.

Leicester responded quickly to that set-back, however, with Okazaki arrowing a fine left-foot volley into the roof of the net from 12 yards following Marc Albrighton's cross from the left, ensuring that the visitors had a lifeline heading into half-time.

They could have drawn level four minutes after the restart after Jamie Vardy raced down the right and pulled the ball back for Albrighton, but the winger's volley was poor and made for a comfortable save for Willy Caballero.

Albrighton was then involved in another moment of controversy, with the former Aston Villa man left with a heavily swollen right cheek after being caught, seemingly accidentally, by a raised elbow from Fernandinho – an incident that went unpunished.

City were struggling to make any inroads in the Leicester half, allowing Craig Shakespeare's side to grow in confidence in their pursuit of a leveller, and they were given a golden opportunity when Mahrez skipped beyond Gael Clichy and was felled just inside the box by the full-back's outstretched leg.

However, the Algerian slipped when taking the penalty and kicked the ball off his standing foot and into the top corner, prompting Madley to correctly award a free-kick to City and disallow the goal, allowing Guardiola to breathe a sigh of relief.

 

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Ancelotti: No Conte miracle at Chelsea, just courage

Carlo Ancelotti has praised Antonio Conte's "courage" to change his tactics to help turn Chelsea's season around and claim the Premier League title.

Friday's 1-0 win over West Brom secured a second crown in three years for the Stamford Bridge outfit.

Conte got off to a mixed start in England as Chelsea followed three straight wins with a draw and two losses in their first six Premier League matches under the Italian.

A change to a formation with a back three helped spark an incredible 13-game winning streak in the top flight as Chelsea marched to the top of the table.And Ancelotti, who managed Chelsea between 2009 and 2011, believes that sharp tactical mind of the former Juventus boss has been key in their rise.

"Conte has not performed a miracle, but he did very well," the Bayern Munich coach told Sky Sport . "He managed to impose his idea of football and had the courage to change when he needed to.

"When he settled into what he knew best, it made the difference. When he realised that things were not going well, he changed it immediately, and the system has been the key to the season. "Buying N'Golo Kante turned the season, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa are back to their levels, David Luiz has done a great season with no mistakes.
"Conte has been really good."

Chelsea are back in action on Monday in their penultimate league match of the season against fellow London club Watford.The Blues have an FA Cup final to look forward to later this month against Arsene Wenger's Arsenal.

 

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Augsburg 1 Borussia Dortmund 1: Aubameyang salvages draw

Borussia Dortmund's grip on an automatic Champions League place loosened a little on Saturday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Augsburg in the Bundesliga.Thomas Tuchel's side needed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to rescue a point at the WWK Arena, the Gabon international cancelling out Alfred Finnbogason's opener.

However, with Hoffenheim beating Werder Bremen 5-3 the two sides are now level on 61 points with one game remaining - Dortmund needing to hold onto third to secure a safe passage into the group stages of next season's Champions League.

Finnbogason had handed Augsburg the lead when he tapped home from a rebound, but Aubameyang salvaged a draw for BVB with a clever finish from close range just minutes later.

Dortmund's preparation for the game was somewhat marred by reports of a rift between Tuchel and CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, with the head coach even suggesting during a news conference on Friday he could be on the move come the end of the season.

Tuchel stressed his focus lies on ending the 2016-17 campaign on a high for now, though, and that is only confirmed by Saturday's stalemate.BVB host Bremen next week in their final league game, while Hoffenheim have a home game against Augsburg in store.

Manuel Baum's Augsburg, meanwhile, defend a two-point lead over 16th-placed Hamburg in the battle against relegation with a superior goal difference, with Mainz and Wolfsburg not safe yet either.

Augsburg made an encouraging start to the game and perhaps should gone a goal up when Philipp Max presented Finnbogason with a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring in the 17th minute, only for BVB goalkeeper Roman Burki to deny the Iceland international with a sublime save.

There was no denying Finnbogason just before the half hour, though, as the attacker tapped home from close rebound after Burki failed to deal adequately with Max's low shot from the left side of the area following a long ball from shot stopper Andreas Luthe.

However, they were not in front for long as Aubameyang restored parity just four minutes later with his 29th goal of the Bundesliga campaign. Shinji Kagawa tried his luck from just outside the box after some poor defending from Augsburg and the Gabon international cleverly directed the ball past the helpless Luthe.

Aubameyang continued to cause the Augsburg defence all kinds of trouble after the break and he nearly handed BVB the lead with an opportunistic volley that eventually sailed just over the target.

The former AC Milan youngster was then unfortunate to be denied a second goal by Luthe shortly after, the Augsburg goalkeeper reacting superbly to palm his strong header wide for a corner.

Kagawa could have won it for the visitors with 14 minutes left on the clock, but Luthe once more showed his class to keep out the midfielder's header from a narrow angle as it ended all square.

 

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RB Leipzig 4 Bayern Munich 5: Alaba and Robben complete stunning stoppage-time turnaround

Sensational stoppage-time strikes from David Alaba and Arjen Robben saw Bayern Munich come from behind to beat RB Leipzig 5-4 in a pulsating match at the Red Bull Arena.

Leipzig looked to have the match sewn up as they led 4-2 in the 84th minute, but Robert Lewandowski pulled one back to set up a grandstand finish before Alaba and Robben produced moments of real quality to seal a remarkable turnaround.

Alaba's 91st-minute free-kick was added to by a sublime individual effort from Robben in the last minute of injury time, completing an astounding comeback and a display worthy of champions.

Despite their late collapse, Leipzig clinched second position as Borussia Dortmund were held to a 1-1 draw at Augsburg and can set a Bundesliga record points tally for a promoted club with victory at Eintracht Frankfurt next weekend.Marcel Sabitzer opened the scoring after just 65 seconds but Lewandowski levelled from the penalty spot with his 150th goal in Germany's top flight.

A spot-kick from Timo Werner and a deflected Yussuf Poulsen effort put Leipzig two goals clear shortly after half-time, but Thiago Alcantara's header reduced the deficit.

Werner capitalised on shoddy defending from Philipp Lahm and Jerome Boateng to seemingly put the result beyond doubt, but Lewandowski headed home his 30th Bundesliga goal of the season with six minutes of normal time remaining.

Alaba and Robben then stunned the home crowd to spark scenes of jubilation among the Bayern players, who were whistled as they rightly celebrated long past the game's conclusion.

The match was explosive from the start and Leipzig took just over a minute to open the scoring, Emil Forsberg surging down the left and picking out Sabitzer to powerfully head beyond Tom Starke.

Werner rattled the base of the post but Ralph Hasenhuttl's side by no means had it all their own way and a handball decision when Lahm's cross struck Bernardo resulted in a penalty that Lewandowski sent beyond Peter Gulacsi.

The match continued in an end-to-end fashion with Starke denying Sabitzer and Bernardo before Alonso's trip on the quick-footed Forsberg conceded a spot-kick that Werner drilled into the bottom-left corner.

Franck Ribery took a blow to the ribs and had to be replaced by Douglas Costa before half-time and Bayern found themselves further behind within two minutes of the restart, Forsberg teeing up Poulsen whose scuffed shot was deflected past Starke by a touch off Alonso.

Lewandowski spurned a great chance to reduce the deficit but Thiago did not fail in the 60th minute, heading home unmarked at the back post after Alonso nodded Lahm's delivery across goal.

Werner punished Lahm's loss of possession and Boateng's weak challenge by slotting between the legs of Starke from a tight angle, but Leipzig would again surrender their advantage - this time in decisive fashion.

Lewandowski turned a square pass from Lahm onto the outside of the post before getting his second by heading into a vacant net after Robben's deflected strike crashed down off the bar.

Naby Keita's foul on Lewandowski was capitalised upon by Alaba with a sweet free-kick from 25 yards to level, and there was more drama at the death.

Released by substitute Thomas Muller, Robben raced away down the right before beating Stefan Ilsanker and Marvin Compper to get into the box and finish past Gulacsi in the 95th minute to cap a breathless finale.

Naby Keita's foul on Lewandowski was capitalised upon by Alaba with a sweet free-kick from 25 yards to level, and there was more drama at the death.

Released by substitute Thomas Muller, Robben raced away down the right before beating Stefan Ilsanker and Marvin Compper to get into the box and finish past Gulacsi in the 95th minute to cap a breathless finale.

 

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Middlesbrough 1 Southampton 2: Rodriguez and Redmond end winless run

Jay Rodriguez scored one and assisted another as Southampton won 2-1 at relegated Middlesbrough to record their first victory in six games and move up to ninth in the Premier League.

Forward Rodriguez had not netted since January, but struck late in the first half to give Saints the early advantage.And he set up half-time substitute Nathan Redmond to strike after the break, shortly before Shane Long struck the crossbar with a penalty.

Boro, playing their first match since their top-flight relegation was confirmed by defeat to Chelsea on Monday, got one back when Patrick Bamford headed in with 18 minutes remaining, the striker's first goal in over two years.

But there was no way back for the hosts - who have now won just once in 20 league games - as Saints boss Claude Puel was rewarded for making seven changes to his starting line-up.

Middlesbrough made one change to their team and it was the player they brought in, Bamford, who threatened first when his shot was impressively blocked by Martin Caceres.Caceres, who was making his first Southampton start along with Jeremy Pied, then headed off target from Sofiane Boufal's corner at the other end.

Referee Anthony Taylor awarded Boro a controversial free-kick, making the award even though he had previous played advantage in allowing Bamford to shoot at Fraser Forster, but Alvaro Negredo wasted the set-piece opportunity, shooting straight into the wall from 25 yards.A quiet first half did produce a goal, though, with Rodriguez striking three minutes before the break.

Jordy Clasie's pass down the right channel released Long and he clipped in a cross towards the penalty spot, allowing Rodriguez to sweep in a low first-time finish past Brad Guzan.The home side initially made a solid start after the break, Adam Forshaw firing wide with a deflected effort and Bamford slicing over after Negredo's flick-on.

But Saints doubled their advantage after 57 minutes, Redmond – who had replaced Boufal at the break - collecting Rodriguez's pass and cutting inside Fabio da Silva before unleashing a fine finish into the top corner, the winger's seventh league goal of the season.

Boro made a double substitution in response, Grant Leadbitter and Viktor Fischer coming on, with Agnew's men getting a reprieve soon after as Long missed his spot-kick having been taken out himself by Guzan after being sent through on goal by Ryan Bertrand.

And the hosts got a goal back when Bamford got up inside the six-yard box to head in Fischer's corner and score his first Premier League goal, with Forster rooted to his spot.

Middlesbrough, though, only had one opportunity for an equaliser when Calum Chambers' late drive was kept out by Forster and Saints' win was made all the sweeter as Charlie Austin came off the substitutes' bench to make his first appearance since December after injury.

 

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SPAL return to Serie A for first time in 49 years

Defeat to Ternana on the penultimate weekend of the Serie B season did not ruin SPAL's celebrations, as they sealed promotion to the Italian top flight for the first time in almost half a century.

The Ferrara club went down 2-1 on Saturday, but Benevento's victory over Frosinone meant that they cannot be caught amongst the top two with just one game left to play in 2016-17.

SPAL had last played in Serie A way back in 1967-68, 49 years ago, and the coming season will be their 22nd in total amongst the elite. Promotion also marks the second successive season SPAL have climbed up a division, after winning a place in Serie B this time last year.

The team's success owes a great deal to Mirco Antenucci, who starred with 19 goals over the course of the campaign. Goalkeeper Alex Meret, on loan from Udinese, also made the difference with his performances behind one of the meanest defences in the division.

With SPAL now safely celebrating promotion, focus now shifts on the teams hoping to join them amongst the likes of Juventus, Inter and Milan next season.

Hellas Verona failed to assure their place in Serie A after drawing with Carpi, but can go up next week in second if they match or better Frosinone's final result of the season.

 

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Stoke City 1 Arsenal 4: Ozil, Sanchez key to crucial win in top-four race

The Arsenal futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez remain in doubt but the duo proved key to avoiding a potential slip-up in their Premier League top-four ambitions at a historic bogey ground with a 4-1 win over Stoke City.

Ozil and Sanchez will be out of contract at Arsenal at the end of next season and negotiations over extensions have been stalling, but they proved their worth with a goal each to send the Gunners one point behind fourth-placed Liverpool, who take on West Ham on Sunday.

After Olivier Giroud's 42nd-minute opener, the pair combined for a sensational second - Sanchez's pinpoint pass finding Ozil in the box and the German obliged with a lovely dink beyond Jack Butland.

Stoke pulled a goal back in controversial fashion as substitute Peter Crouch steered Marko Arnautovic's cross into the back of the net with his hand, but Sanchez eased Arsenal's nerves when his deflected strike found the bottom-left corner with 14 minutes remaining.

Prior to scoring his 50th Premier League goal the Chilean signalled to the bench that he was experiencing discomfort in his left thigh and he was swiftly substituted, and his replacement Aaron Ramsey set up Giroud for his second - the Frenchman justifying his selection ahead of Danny Welbeck.

The result means that should Liverpool fail to pick up maximum points at London Stadium, Arsenal will qualify for next season's Champions League by winning their final two home games against Sunderland and Everton.Shkodran Mustafi came close to putting Arsenal ahead in the ninth minute but his looping header from Ozil's corner was tipped over by Butland.

Arsenal continued to press and a cross from the returning Hector Bellerin could only be helped towards the back post by Ryan Shawcross, though Nacho Monreal saw his header come back off the upright.

Stoke began to see more of possession but were unable to test Petr Cech on his 400th Premier League appearance and were dealt a blow three minutes before the interval when Bellerin's low delivery from the right was turned in by Giroud.

Arsenal doubled their advantage in fine fashion 10 minutes after the break. Ozil offloaded to Sanchez and darted towards the box, with the Chilean biding his time before sliding an excellent throughball to the German's feet for a fine finish.

After Mame Biram Diouf spurned an opportunity in the six-yard box, Stoke looked to have set up a tense finale when Crouch illegally diverted Arnautovic's cross into the net without the officials noticing.

The game quickly descended into a scrappy affair but Sanchez reasserted Arsenal's dominance with a cross-goal finish from the edge of the box, a touch off Shawcross helping it on its way.

The Chilean made way for Ramsey and, after being denied by Butland, the Welshman latched onto Ozil's pass in behind the Stoke defence and teed up Giroud for his second.

It was a goal that ended any hope Stoke had of mounting a comeback, though the injury to Sanchez will provide Arsenal with cause for concern ahead of their run-in and the FA Cup final.

The Chilean made way for Ramsey and, after being denied by Butland, the Welshman latched onto Ozil's pass in behind the Stoke defence and teed up Giroud for his second.

It was a goal that ended any hope Stoke had of mounting a comeback, though the injury to Sanchez will provide Arsenal with cause for concern ahead of their run-in and the FA Cup final.

 

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Atalanta 1 AC Milan 1: Deulofeu spares Donnarumma's blushes

Gerard Deulofeu spared Gianluigi Donnarumma's blushes as his late strike salvaged a 1-1 Serie A draw at Atalanta in what could prove a crucial point for AC Milan's Europa League hopes.

Milan are locked in a three-way battle for sixth with city rivals Inter and Fiorentina and headed into the contest against high-flying Atalanta having failed to win their past four matches – including a 4-1 drubbing at home to Roma last time out.

And their misery worsened in the first half when a costly error from goalkeeper Donnarumma allowed Andrea Conti to put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time.It looked as though that would be enough for Gian Piero Gasperini's men to take home the points, but Deulofeu intervened with three minutes left on the clock.

The Everton loanee may have been in an offside position when his effort took a huge deflection off Andrea Masiello and nestled in the goal to rescue a point for Vincenzo Montella's men.

Fifth-place Atalanta are now unbeaten in eight matches and are now guaranteed a place in the Europa League next term, while Milan occupy sixth - just one point ahead of Fiorentina and four in front of Inter, who own a game in hand.

Though Milan were boosted by Riccardo Montolivo's return from a long-term knee injury, it was the hosts who started brighter – Alejandro Gomez's drawing cross-shot forcing Donnarumma into action.

Deulofeu was the first Milan player to forge an attempt on goal as the visitors struggled to find space, but the Spaniard's strike was well-blocked by Rafael Toloi.The winger was the architect of Milan's next opportunity with a neat pass into Gianluca Lapadula's path, but the striker failed to apply the finish from close range.

Gomez should have made Milan pay shortly after, only for the Argentine to be denied by an excellent Donnarumma save, but Milan's goalkeeper turned from hero to villain moments later.Donnarumma failed to hold onto Leonardo Spinazzola's low effort and Conti was on hand to bundle the ball over the line.

Milan should have restored parity straight from the restart, but Mario Pasalic somehow fired wide of an open goal from Juraj Kucka's cross.Pasalic could have atoned for that miss shortly afterwards, only to head wide after connecting with Suso's free-kick.

For all Milan's pressure, they would have been further behind if not for a fantastic stop from Donnarumma, who made up for his earlier mistake by brilliantly tipping Frank Kessie's blistering attempt wide.

And that save proved vital in the closing stages as Lapadula's pass pin-balled to Deulofeu – whose stray run offside was not spotted by the officials – and the former Barcelona man's strike deflected into the bottom-left corner to secure a share of the spoils.

 

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Benfica clinch fourth straight Primeira Liga title

Benfica have clinched a fourth successive Primeira Liga title by thrashing Vitoria Guimaraes 5-0.

Rui Vitoria's men came into Saturday's penultimate match of the season five points clear of closest rivals Porto, who do not play until Sunday, knowing a win would see them crowned champions again and reach four in a row for the first time in their history.

Benfica wasted no time in making sure of title glory, racing into a four-goal half-time lead courtesy of Franco Cervi, Raul Jimenez, Pizzi and Jonas.Jonas then added a second-half penalty amid a party atmosphere at Estadio da Luz.

Portugal's most successful team have reasserted themselves as the dominant domestic force in recent years after Porto won 20 of the 29 titles between 1985 and 2013.

Benfica had seen their run of consecutive championship victories ended at three on five previous occasions, but they finally made it to four by lifting the trophy for the 36th time courtesy of the Vitoria victory.'

Top goalscorer Kostas Mitroglou, strike partner Jonas and creative midfielder Pizzi have been crucial contributors going forward this season, while a defence including in-demand duo Nelson Semedo and Victor Lindelof as well as veteran Luisao has only leaked 16 goals in 33 games.

Benfica have only lost twice and this win ensures they have gone through the whole campaign without suffering a home defeat.
They will have a chance to make it a domestic double when they take on Vitoria again in the Taca de Portugal final on May 28.

 

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Congratulations Benfica!​

 

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Manchester City confirm Pablo Zabaleta exit

Pablo Zabaleta will leave Manchester City at the end of the season, the club have confirmed.Zabaleta and City have reached a mutual agreement that his contract, which ends in July, will not be extended.

The Argentine signed for City from Espanyol in 2008, one day before the Abu Dhabi takeover, and has played a major role in establishing the club as one of the biggest in England.

The announcement that he will leave the Etihad Stadium comes five years to the day since City clinched their first Premier League title against Queens Park Rangers, with Zabaleta scoring the opening goal in a famous 3-2 victory.In total the 32-year-old has won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and two League Cups during his time in English football.

"Pablo Zabaleta will leave City at the end of the season, bringing the curtain down on an incredible nine-year association with the Blues," the club wrote in a statement published on their official website.

"The 58-times capped Argentina international is out of contract in the summer and has informed the Club he will move to pastures new, but leave behind many happy memories.

"Fans will have the opportunity to show their appreciation for one of the Club’s most loyal and loved servants of recent times against West Brom on Tuesday evening, which will be Pablo’s last home appearance."Though there are a number of first-team player contracts currently under consideration, Pablo's situation is the only one that has been fully finalised.

"One of the most popular players of recent times, Pablo has been a firm crowd favourite with the City supporters who have resonated with his passion, heart and willingness to put his body on the line time and time again."


Zabaleta is one of seven City players out of contract this summer, alongside Willy Caballero, Gael Clichy, Bacary Sagna, Tosin Adarabioyo, Yaya Toure and Jesus Navas.

Navas and Adarabioyo have been offered new deals, while it is understood Toure and Caballero are yet to hear about their futures beyond this summer. Sagna and Clichy are expected to follow Zabaleta out of the Etihad.

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.05.14

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.05.14

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