..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City were so, so good at Anfield - Guardiola


Pep Guardiola maintained his Manchester City side played well despite crashing to a 3-0 Champions League defeat against Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday.City will seal the Premier League title if they beat rivals Manchester United in Saturday's derby at the Etihad Stadium, although discussion of their midweek humbling in the first leg of a quarter-final tie still occupied plenty of time in Guardiola's Friday news conference.

Goals from Mohamed Salah, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Sadio Mane gave Jurgen Klopp's effervescent side a handsome lead inside 31 minutes, but, even as they struggled against the Red tide, Guardiola was happy with his players' efforts.

"I reviewed the game against Liverpool. They played like they always play at Anfield. The last 15-20 minutes of the first half they were much better than us," he said."In the first 25 minutes and in the second half we were so, so good. We played a good game.

"We played with a huge personality. I am so proud. I know how difficult it is going to Anfield, with five Champions Leagues in their pocket, going in their stadium when they believe they are so strong.

"Two times they crossed the halfway line and score two goals. That is so complicated mentally. That is why we suffered."But in the second half we were good, we were not so clinical. We did a good game. Even in the bad moments, we were good."

As such, the Catalan tactician is not ready to give up entirely on the hope of an improbable comeback in next week's second leg on home turf."It was a tough result. It will be so difficult for next Tuesday but, of course, we are going to try," he said.

"We will have our chance to be in the game to try to go through."Immediately after the game against United we are going to think to recover the players as much as possible to play with our fans, our people in our stadium to create a good rhythm, a good game to put them under pressure.

"They are almost qualified for the semi-finals but we have 90 minutes. The door is almost closed but also a little, little bit open. Maybe there are some spaces to get in. We are going to try."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.04.07

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.04.07

Full Time

Everton 0 Vs 0 Liverpool

Bournemouth Vs Crystal Palace

Brighton Vs Huddersfield

Leicester City Vs Newcastle

Stoke City Vs Tottenham

Watford Vs Burnley

WBA Vs Swansea

Manchester City Vs Manchester United

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[Wolverine GTR]

CITY home lesi wenne naha.Godak amarui.Loku fight ekak denna wenawa

Good Luck Manchester United!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.04.07

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.04.07

Alaves Vs Getafe

Celta Vigo Vs Sevilla

Real Betis Vs Eibar

Barcelona Vs Leganes​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A Fixtures 2018.04.07

Serie A Fixtures 2018.04.07

Benevento Vs Juventus

Roma Vs Fiorentina

Spal Vs Atalanta

Sampdoria Vs Genoa​

 

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.04.07

Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.04.07

Cologne Vs Mainz

Augsburg Vs Bayern

Monchengladbach Vs Hertha Berlin

Freiburg Vs Wolfsburg

Hamburg Vs Schalke​

 

[RottenCOLT]

liverpool match eka balannama hitiye. amathaka una.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

liverpool match eka balannama hitiye. amathaka una.

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[Wolverine GTR]

Half Time

Manchester City 2 Vs 0 Manchester United

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[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester United 1st half play karapu widiyath ekka balanakota hodatama penawa kochchara improvements wenna oneda kiyala team eke

Attacking / Defending godakma madi

Good Luck for the 2nd half Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

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[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Manchester City 2 Vs 3 Manchester United

Manchester City Goal(s)

V.Kompany 25'
I.Gundogan 30'

&

Manchester United Goal(s)

P.Pogba 53',55'
C.Smalling 69'


​

 

[Alucard_SxE]

patta match eka. first half city was excellent & utd was crap. Second half utd was good & city mediocre.
Great comeback!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Wow....What a matchThis is why I love Football!

Pattama match ekakPattama turnaround ekakHalf Time 2-0 down wela idala 3-2 win kala.Niyama comeback win ekak

Pogba 1st half nam Poor.ath 2nd half display ekanam superb!& Smalling's winning goal & Wow...De Gea ge 89th minute save eka

Well played Manchester United!Congratulations!

& next WBA home match eka)Good Luck for the next match Manchester United!
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[Wolverine GTR]

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[Wolverine GTR]

patta match eka. first half city was excellent & utd was crap. Second half utd was good & city mediocre.
Great comeback!

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Manchester City 2 Manchester United 3: Pogba at the double to spoil City's title party

Paul Pogba scored twice as Manchester United produced a stunning second-half fightback at the Etihad Stadium, preventing Manchester City from clinching the Premier League title with a 3-2 victory.

Pep Guardiola's side appeared on course to be crowned champions with a record six games to spare when they eased into a 2-0 half-time lead.Vincent Kompany's powerful header broke the deadlock before Ilkay Gundogan spun away from Nemanja Matic to double the home side's lead five minutes later.




Yet City crucially failed to land the knockout blow, allowing United to climb off the canvas after the break and make sure their rivals have to wait to secure the trophy for a third time in the Premier League era.At the end of a week where Guardiola had revealed to the media Pogba was offered to City in the January transfer window, the Frenchman scored twice in the space of two minutes to draw his team level.

Chris Smalling volleyed home the winner in the 69th minute, handing City a second straight defeat following their 3-0 Champions League reverse at Liverpool on Wednesday. Raheem Sterling hit the post and David De Gea saved superbly from Sergio Aguero in a frantic last five minutes, but United just about held on.


City's form throughout the campaign had made it less of a title race and more like a procession. However, despite having the finishing line in sight, Guardiola had to also look ahead to the return leg with Liverpool.With that game in mind, the Spaniard decided to keep Kevin De Bruyne in reserve, the Belgian among a powerful bench that also included the fit-again Aguero.

United made the short trip hoping to delay the inevitable, and for 25 minutes they stifled their hosts. Yet a City side who have rarely required much help this season were assisted by errors for both of their first-half goals.Antonio Valencia's miscued clearance gave away the corner that Kompany emphatically headed in, the defender out-muscling Smalling to thump home a finish reminiscent of his derby goal at the same ground six years ago.

The usually reliable De Gea triggered City's second with a weak clearance, Gundogan's pirouette allowing him to toe-poke the ball into the left corner of the Spaniard's net.A shell-shocked United were fortunate not to be even further behind at the break, with Sterling twice blazing over, before Jose Mourinho's half-time words sparked his side into the most unlikely of comebacks.

Pogba scored twice in the space of three minutes to stun the City crowd, the first a brave finish beyond the advancing Ederson after Ander Herrera had chested the ball into his team-mate's path.Alexis Sanchez provided the assist for the equaliser, dropping deep to float over a pass his midfield team-mate met ahead of Nicolas Otamendi to head home.

City struggled to recover from the quick one-two, allowing Smalling to provide the knockout blow with a side-footed volley. The defender made amends for losing Kompany for the opener, running in at the back post to convert Sanchez's deep free-kick from the left.

Guardiola summoned Aguero and De Bruyne in the hope of at least avoiding a second league defeat in the campaign, and the former was denied a 200th goal for the club when De Gea acrobatically tipped over a close-range header.

Sterling hit the post from the resulting corner, but City failed to find a leveller. While the result does not change the title race, with the gap still at 13 points, United at least silenced their noisy neighbours for the time being.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Stoke City 1 Tottenham 2: Eriksen double seals victory on Kane's return

Christian Eriksen stole the headlines off Harry Kane on his return to Tottenham's starting XI with both goals as Spurs beat struggling Stoke City 2-1.

Mauricio Pochettino's men were far from their best, but they did just enough as Eriksen netted a brace to move Spurs level on to 67 points with third-placed Liverpool, who were held by Everton earlier in the day.Aside from an early Stoke chance, Spurs were on top for most of the first period, though clear-cut opportunities were by no means a regular occurrence.




Son Heung-min wasted their most presentable first-half chance when through on goal – otherwise Stoke's compact defence limited their openings.Spurs' persistence eventually paid off just after the interval, as they sliced through Stoke and Eriksen got the goal, but their lead lasted just five minutes – Mame Biram Diouf punishing a Hugo Lloris error.

The away side ultimately took all three points, however, with a 63rd-minute Eriksen free-kick going all the way in despite Kane – back in the starting XI for the first time since March 11 due to an ankle injury – trying to claim the goal, and Spurs held firm in the face of Stoke's late onslaught.


Despite Kane's return to the starting XI, Spurs were guilty of making a laboured start and they were nearly punished in the 12th minute, when Erik Pieters found Diouf with a low cross, only for the Senegalese forward to guide his effort over while stretching.That seemed to jolt Spurs into life, as they soon became the dominant force and should have taken the lead 10 minutes later – Son shooting straight at Jack Butland when played through on goal.

Bruno Martins Indi then had to be alert just after the half-hour mark, with the Dutchman making a vital block to deny Serge Aurier after good play by Dele Alli.Spurs struggled to craft further chances for the remainder of the half, however, as they failed to click in the final third.But Spurs finally carved the hosts open in the 52nd minute.

Alli latched on to a pass played over the Stoke defence, patiently waited for support in the penalty area and picked out Eriksen with a well-placed cut-back, the Denmark international stroking the ball into the bottom-left corner.Stoke levelled soon after, however, as Lloris smashed a clearance against Diouf and the striker tapped into the empty goal.

Spurs' lead was restored just after the hour as Eriksen doubled his tally, the playmaker awarded the goal despite Kane claiming to have got the slightest of touches to his free-kick.

Xherdan Shaqiri almost secured Stoke a share of the spoils 10 minutes from time, but his free-kick came back off the crossbar and Spurs held on to the victory which leaves them only behind third-placed Liverpool on goal difference.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Leicester City 1 Newcastle United 2: Shelvey and Perez fire visitors into top half


Newcastle United enjoyed a rare 2-1 win at Leicester City to pull further clear of the Premier League's relegation zone and climb into the top half.Goals from Jonjo Shelvey and Ayoze Perez now have Rafael Benitez's resolute side on the brink of top-flight safety after three straight successes, denting Leicester's hopes of European qualification in the process.

Newcastle have not typically fared well at the King Power Stadium, failing to taste victory in their only five prior visits – including Benitez's first game in charge in 2016 – and scoring just once.But Saturday's clash was a decidedly happier affair for the visiting supporters as Shelvey – tipped for an England call-up by his manager – struck his first Premier League goal for the club before the Magpies dug deep in an all-action defensive display.

Perez, who netted an own goal in the reverse fixture, added a bizarre second to take Newcastle within just two points short of Benitez's 40-point target and up to 10th with six games remaining, despite a late Jamie Vardy goal.


Claude Puel's Leicester slip to six points shy of seventh-placed Burnley and a possible Europa League spot.Newcastle started brightly and Kasper Schmeichel was forced into an early stop from Perez's flicked header, comfortably claiming a second Dwight Gayle effort shortly afterwards.And the opener deservedly arrived after 18 minutes. Perez led a counter-attack and picked out Shelvey in the middle, who sold two defenders with a dummy before coolly placing a shot into the bottom-right corner.

Harry Maguire was perhaps then fortunate to escape with a yellow card as he appeared to aggressively shove Gayle in the face, the pressure rising as players from either side went head to head.

Fousseni Diabate dragged well wide after a lovely piece of skill created a rare Leicester opening, before the home crowd reacted with fury as referee Stuart Atwell deemed Paul Dummett to have pulled out of a challenge with Riyad Mahrez just in time inside the area. Leicester ended the first half on top and, although Gayle then sent a free-kick dipping just over the top, that continued after the restart.

But the Foxes failed to trouble visiting goalkeeper Martin Dubravka and they were undone a second time when Florian Lejeune's long ball bounced between Maguire and Wes Morgan, allowing Perez to nip in and lob Schmeichel.

The home side belatedly rallied in the final 10 minutes, however, and Vardy pounced a yard from goal to toe Shinji Okazaki's header across the line, setting up a nervy finish but not one on which Leicester could capitalise.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Everton 0 Liverpool 0: Reds fail to fire without Salah

Liverpool missed the striking prowess of Mohamed Salah as they passed up a chance to go second in the Premier League with a 0-0 draw against rivals Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Salah, who has scored 38 goals in all competitions this season, was absent for Saturday's clash at Goodison Park due to the groin injury he sustained in the 3-0 victory over Manchester City in the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, and Liverpool's second string failed to deliver.

Dominic Solanke, starting down the middle with Roberto Firmino on the bench, was the main culprit as he wasted the two clearest chances of a drab encounter in front of England manager Gareth Southgate, while Loris Karius only had one Everton effort to deal with across the entire 90 minutes.The Toffees' approach played a large part in reducing the spectacle and their performance will do little to stop criticism of Sam Allardyce from Everton fans.

The home supporters would have left happy had Cenk Tosun, Seamus Coleman or Dominic Calvert-Lewin made the most of openings inside the final three minutes, but they had to settle for holding Liverpool to a draw that damages their quest to finish above Manchester United.

Should Jose Mourinho's side win their derby and stop Manchester City claiming the title later on Saturday, they will open up a four-point gap to Jurgen Klopp's side and retain a game in hand.


Without the attacking threat of Salah, Liverpool struggled to pose much danger in the final third as Sadio Mane, Solanke and Danny Ings – starting his first game in 916 days – all struggled to find room.Patience was key for the visitors and had Solanke done better on the rare occasions the Everton defence was unlocked they would have gone into the break ahead.

James Milner's cross from the left was headed wide by the 20-year-old, and when he was gifted a chance six yards out he fired straight at Jordan Pickford.Everton finally broke out of their defensive formation midway through the half when Yannick Bolasie cut inside from the left, but his curling effort was superbly pushed around the post by Karius.

Liverpool resumed their dominance as Everton retreated back into their shell after the restart, much to the ire of the home faithful.Wayne Rooney's game came to an end just before the hour when he was replaced by Idrissa Gueye, England's record goalscorer snubbing Sam Allardyce as he left the pitch.

The introduction of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Firmino failed to spark Liverpool into life, but Everton finished the encounter well.A fine run from Leighton Baines brought a dangerous cross from the left but Tosun – so often bereft of service – failed to connect in the six-yard box.

He wasted another golden opportunity in the closing minutes from Theo Walcott's delivery, with Coleman agonisingly close to tapping it in at the back post.

Calvert-Lewin blasted off target one minute later as the spoils were shared, doing little for either side – although Liverpool will be delighted to avoid any injuries ahead of a massive game against City on Tuesday.