..::Football IV::..

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France 4 Iceland 0: Mbappe on target as Les Bleus maintain perfect start

France made it two wins from two in Euro 2020 qualifying Group H as they cruised past Iceland 4-0 at Stade de France on Monday.

Didier Deschamps' side got their campaign off to a routine start with a 4-1 win over Moldova on Friday and wasted little time setting up another comprehensive win upon their return to Paris, Samuel Umtiti heading home in the 12th minute.

Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe and Blaise Matuidi all missed opportunities to extend their advantage during the first half, however, and they were almost punished for their profligacy when Birkir Bjarnason tested Hugo Lloris shortly after the interval.


Giroud, Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann ensured a drama-free finish for the World Cup winners, though, all scoring inside the final 22 minutes as Les Bleus turned on the style to wrap up the most comfortable of three points.
France started with a spring in their step and forged head when Umtiti headed Mbappe's inswinging cross into the net via the right-hand post.

Iceland goalkeeper Hannes Thor Halldorsson did well to tip over Giroud's header five minutes later, before Mbappe and Matuidi both squandered chances from promising positions.They were almost punished for their failure to take those chances when Bjarnason's long-range drive was repelled by Lloris at the start of the second period.

Benjamin Pavard fizzed a half-volley narrowly past the post before turning provider for his side's second. His teasing cross from the right was missed by Halldorsson, giving Giroud the opportunity to find the net with his thigh from close range.

Mbappe then completed a superb individual display 12 minutes from time, collecting Griezmann's pass and showing marvellous strength and balance to hold off his man and poke past Halldorsson for his 12th international goal.

Those two combined again in stunning fashion six minutes later as Griezmann latched onto Mbappe's sumptuous backheel to clip over the onrushing Halldorsson and put the seal on a fine win.

 

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Montenegro 1 England 5: Barkley stars as rampant Three Lions hit five again

Ross Barkley was decisive with two goals and an assist as England thrashed Montenegro 5-1 in Podgorica on Monday to make it two wins from as many games in Euro 2020 qualifying.

Barkley – like full debutants Declan Rice and Callum Hudson-Odoi – was starting due to injuries, and he took full advantage of his opportunity, inspiring the rampant Three Lions by having a hand in three goals.

Marko Vesovic's well-taken opener had England on the back foot early on, but they went into the break ahead thanks to Michael Keane's first international goal and an instinctive finish from Barkley, who set up the equaliser.

England's play became sloppy at times early in the second period but Barkley effectively ended Montenegro's chances just before the hour, while Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling wrapped up the victory to add to Friday's 5-0 demolition of the Czech Republic at Wembley.

Although England controlled the early exchanges, Montenegro took the lead against the run of play in the 17th minute – Vesovic beating Jordan Pickford with a curling effort from 12 yards after playing the ball against Keane.

The England centre-back levelled at the half-hour mark, however, finding the bottom-right corner with a fine header from Barkley's free-kick.Barkley was vital again as England took the lead eight minutes later, diverting Hudson-Odoi's slightly wayward shot in from close range.

Danijel Petkovic was helpless in the 59th minute as Sterling's cutback was knocked straight to Barkley by Stefan Savic, and the Chelsea man swept home from the centre of the area.

Kane got in on the act with 19 minutes to play, tapping a squared pass from Sterling - who was released by Barkley - in from close range for his 17th goal in 20 England appearances under Gareth Southgate.

Manchester City star Sterling rounded things off in the 80th minute with a tidy finish following substitute Jordan Henderson's incisive pass.

 

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Portugal 1 Serbia 1: Ronaldo injured as Group B favourites draw again



Cristiano Ronaldo went off injured as Portugal were held to a 1-1 draw by Serbia in a frantic Euro 2020 qualifier in Lisbon.A goalless draw with Ukraine in their opening Group B fixture on Friday put the pressure on Portugal heading into Monday's encounter, and their task was made more difficult when Ronaldo appeared to suffer a hamstring injury before the half-hour mark.

Dusan Tadic's penalty had put Serbia ahead early on, though Portugal overcame Ronaldo's injury to level through Danilo Pereira's rasping 42nd-minute strike.


Portugal were awarded a spot-kick with 17 minutes remaining only for referee Szymon Marciniak to change his mind after consultation with his assistant and Serbia held firm to frustrate their hosts.William Carvalho had a goal disallowed against Ukraine and should have put Portugal ahead inside four minutes here, but he failed to apply a finish from point-blank range.

Portugal were made to pay for Carvalho's miss three minutes later, Tadic making no mistake from the spot after Rui Patricio barged into Mijat Gacinovic, though Serbia's lead would have been short lived if not for a pair of superb saves from Marko Dmitrovic.

Ronaldo's injury looked to have knocked the wind out of Portugal's sails, but the hosts drew level when Danilo picked out the top-right corner with an outstanding strike from 30 yards.

The reigning European champions failed to recapture the same intensity after the restart and were fortunate that Adem Ljajic blazed over in the 56th minute,while Nemanja Maksimovic made a vital block to deny Andre Silva at the other end.

Portugal looked to have been handed a lifeline when Marciniak initially deemed Antonio Rukavina handled in the area, but the assistant referee came to Serbia's rescue when he instructed the official to change his decision.

The hosts' frustrations only grew in stoppage time when Bernardo Silva and Pepe squandered chances to secure a dramatic win.

 

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Czech Republic 1 Brazil 3: Jesus double seals unconvincing win

Substitute Gabriel Jesus scored a late double as Brazil came from behind to beat the Czech Republic 3-1 despite an underwhelming performance from the Selecao in Prague on Tuesday.

Tite's team faced strong criticism after being held to a 1-1 draw by Panama in Porto on Saturday and they struggled against a Czech Republic side that went down 5-0 to England in Euro 2020 qualifying on Friday.

David Pavelka put the hosts ahead with his first international goal before half-time, but Roberto Firmino pounced on a mix-up between Theodor Gebre Selassie and Marek Suchy to equalise early in the second half.


Jesus replaced Philippe Coutinho in the 72nd minute and struck twice to help ease the pressure that seemed to be mounting on Tite ahead of a Copa America on home soil.

After a tepid start the first shot on target came in the 22nd minute, with Patrik Schick's deflected free-kick pushed aside by Alisson before Pavelka miscued on the follow-up.

The Czech Republic looked more dangerous and their positivity was rewarded in the 37th minute when Schick helped Lukas Masopust's pass beyond Marquinhos and Pavelka drilled a pinpoint finish into the bottom-left corner.

Brazil equalised four minutes after the restart when Gebre Selassie and Suchy contrived to present Firmino with a golden opportunity he did not pass up.The Czech Republic lost Darida and Ondrej Celustka to injury - and Jiri Pavlenka did superbly to keep out Coutinho and debutant David Neres, who replaced Richarlison in the 63rd minute.

Neres' direct running and pace caused the hosts problems and he latched onto a throughball from Danilo to tee up Jesus, who converted despite sending a bobbling pass uncomfortably close to the crossbar in the 83rd minute.

Manchester City striker Jesus finished off another clinical move seven minutes later to wrap up a seventh win in eight matches for Brazil.

 

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Italy 6 Liechtenstein 0: Quagliarella makes history in Azzurri romp

Fabio Quagliarella became the oldest goalscorer in his country's history as Italy romped to a 6-0 win over 10-man Liechtenstein in Euro 2020 qualifying.
Aged 36 years and 54 days, Quagliarella scored two first-half penalties and was later substituted to a standing ovation having marked his first competitive start since October 2009 in style.

It was a night of milestones in Parma, Stefano Sensi getting his first international goal in only his second appearance to open the scoring, and Marco Verratti netting his first for Italy in over six years.


Liechtenstein's Daniel Kaufmann was sent off just before half-time when conceding Quagliarella's second penalty, with Juventus star Moise Kean scoring for a second successive game before substitute Leonardo Pavoletti notched a debut goal.

The breakthrough arrived in the 17th minute, Sassuolo midfielder Sensi heading high past Benjamin Buchel from 10 yards after a left-wing cross from Leonardo Spinazzola.

Gianluca Mancini fired over from six yards as he missed the chance to mark his debut with a goal, but Verratti made no mistake in the 32nd minute, dispossessing Sandro Wolfinger and sending a fine finish into the far corner from 12 yards.Moments after Alessio Romagnoli had a header cleared off the line, Nicolas Hasler handled in the box, allowing Quagliarella to score from the spot, the veteran sending his effort straight down the middle.

Kean hit the bar as Italy threatened a fourth, which arrived three minutes into first-half stoppage time when Kaufmann was dismissed having been adjudged to have stopped Verratti's effort on the line with his arm, Quagliarella this time slotting into the bottom-left corner.

After the break, Maximilian Goppel hacked Spinazzola's chip off the line and Romagnoli tapped a glorious close-range chance wide.But a fifth goal did arrive with 21 minutes left, Kean heading in from two yards out after Spinazzola's cross was flicked on by strike partner Quagliarella.

Pavoletti, who had just replaced Quagliarella, struck next in the 76th minute, converting on the rebound after Buchel had saved his initial header.

 

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Malta 0 Spain 2: Morata nets brace as La Roja labour to victory

An Alvaro Morata brace proved decisive as Spain laboured to a 2-0 win away to Malta in the absence of coach Luis Enrique, making it two wins in as many games in Euro 2020 qualifying.

It was announced earlier on Tuesday that Luis Enrique would not be at the game due to a family emergency, though there never looked to be any danger of an upset under the guidance of assistant Robert Moreno.

Although it took them longer to make the breakthrough than they would have wished, Morata put Spain ahead in the 31st minute, with Malta having just 16 per cent of the ball in the first half.


The visitors continued to underwhelm despite their dominance in the second half, though Morata doubled his tally towards the end to wrap up a comfortable – albeit unimpressive – victory.

Spain unsurprisingly dominated proceedings and Saul Niguez looked their most likely route to goal. The midfielder shot agonisingly wide from distance in the 16th minute, shortly before slicing a more presentable opportunity over from 12 yards out. Morata made no such error just past the half-hour mark, however, racing on to Mario Hermoso's pass and beating Henry Bonello – who got a hand to the ball – from a tight angle.

Spain stepped things up again around the hour, going close three times in as many minutes, Morata sending a header just wide before Marco Asensio forced Bonello into two smart saves.

But Bonello was helpless 17 minutes from time, as Morata rose to meet the cross of Jesus Navas – introduced for Saul a few moments earlier – and finish Malta off.

 

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Congratulations Spain!

VAMOS ESPANA!​

 

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Barcelona ready to listen to offers for Man Utd-linked Umtiti


Barcelona are ready to listen to offers for centre-back Samuel Umtiti, Goal understands.

The French World Cup winner has previously been linked with Manchester United, with Premier League clubs likely to be on alert as Barca get ready to sell for a potential fee in the region of €70 million (£60m/$79m) to €90m (£77m/$101m).

Umtiti joined the Catalan giants from Lyon in 2016 with the hope being that he would be a long-term solution in central defence.

His stock has since fallen dramatically, however, with the defender now third choice in the pecking order, behind both Gerard Pique and Clement Lenglet.
Barca remain keen on luring Ajax centre-back Matthijs de Ligt to Camp Nou in the summer although they will need to offload three defenders to make room for the Dutchman.

The Liga leaders do not currently have the transfer budget to fund a move for De Ligt, with the renovation of Camp Nou due to take place in the summer for a significant financial outlay.Goal understands that, as a result of the need to raise funds, Umtiti is seen as an expendable member of the squad.

The 25-year-old provides Barca with the best chance of receiving the highest possible amount among all the defenders on the club's books, particularly with the reported interest from England's top flight.

Thomas Vermaelen and Jeison Murillo are also expected to leave when their contracts expire in the summer, while Jean-Clair Todibo could be given more time to develop having only joined from Toulouse in January 2019.

Umtiti's situation at Barca has been made worse by the negotiations for his new contract in 2018, with the player unwilling to relax his salary demands in light of the club's attempts to appease FFP limits.

There have also been persistent issues with his knee, with the 25-year-old having initially suffered the injury a little over a year ago before deciding to play through the pain at the World Cup, thus aggravating the problem.Umtiti twice rejected surgery, before and after France's World Cup exploits in Russia, and has had to receive preventative treatment since.

The knee problem, coupled with the form of Lenglet, who is now very much first choice alongside Pique, means he has played just 10 games for Barca in 2018-19 and, despite it seeming unthinkable last year, a sale is now a very real possibility.

Should Barca manage to offload Umtiti, De Ligt is seen as a long-term replacement for Pique, with Barca confident of luring the Ajax star having already agreed a deal to sign his club and international team-mate Frenkie de Jong.There is, however, no guarantee that Umtiti, who started both of France's Euro 2020 qualifying wins in the latest international break, will be sold.

Umtiti has a contract until 2023 with a €500m (£426m/$563m) release clause, with Ernesto Valverde's side likely to ignore bids that are lower than the €70m mark, given their strong position in any potential negotiations.

 

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Ole's at the wheel! Man Utd hand Solskjaer three-year contract

Manchester United have confirmed the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their next permanent manager on a three-year contract.

A Treble-winning hero of the club’s past returned to Old Trafford in December on an initial interim agreement.With Jose Mourinho having been ushered through the exit door, the Red Devils turned to a familiar face for inspiration.

Solskjaer delivered an immediate reversal in fortune, overseeing 14 wins from his 19 games at the helm.

That run has included notable victories over Arsenal and Tottenham, along with a stunning Champions League triumph over Paris Saint-Germain.A 3-1 win at Parc des Princes saw United overturn a first-leg deficit in a heavyweight Champions League contest to book their place in the quarter-finals.

Lionel Messi and Barcelona are next up for Solskjaer and his side, but that challenge should hold no fear for a rejuvenated Red Devils.A feel-good factor has been returned to the Theatre of Dreams, with a top-four finish also on the cards this season.

United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, believes Solskjaer is the man to help the club deliver on expectation in the present and future.“Since coming in as caretaker manager in December, the results Ole has delivered speak for themselves,” he told United’s official website.

“More than just performances and results, Ole brings a wealth of experience, both as a player and as a coach, coupled with a desire to give young players their chance and a deep understanding of the culture of the club. This all means that he is the right person to take Manchester United forward.

“I want to thank Ole and the coaching team for everything they have done so far and congratulate him on this richly deserved appointment.“The fans and everyone at the club are behind him as he looks to take us where we need to be and build the next stage of our history.”

Solskjaer has admitted that being in charge of United is a job he has “always dreamed of doing”.He now has three years in which to help bring the good times back to Old Trafford.

His appointment on a full-time deal had been mooted for some time, so impressive has he been since taking the reins, and brings an end to the uncertainty surrounding his future, with Mauricio Pochettino having also been linked to the role.

 

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Congratulations Ole!

​

 

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Deportivo Alaves 0 Atletico Madrid 4: Costa curler helps Simeone's side back to winning ways


Atletico Madrid returned to winning ways with a stylish 4-0 victory over Champions League-chasing Deportivo Alaves at Mendizorroza on Saturday.Goals from Saul Niguez, Diego Costa, Alvaro Morata and Thomas Partey were enough to send Atletico back to within 10 points of LaLiga leaders Barcelona and five ahead of third-place Real Madrid, who play on Sunday.

It was a commendable display from the visitors, who lost back-to-back matches to Juventus and Athletic Bilbao before the international break to effectively end their hopes of finishing the season with a trophy to add to last August's UEFA Super Cup triumph.


Saul, having been denied by a good Fernando Pacheco save, had better luck with only five minutes played when he drilled a left-footed shot beneath the goalkeeper after being sent clear by Antoine Griezmann.

Atleti doubled their lead only six minutes later, Costa collecting Koke's pass 25 yards out before bending a fine strike beyond the static Pacheco and in off the right-hand post for his first league goal since November.

The visitors eased off and nearly paid the price before the break, with Saul heading the ball off the line after Tomas Pina flicked on a corner, and Alaves were furious when Thomas Lemar escaped a second yellow card for a high foot as their pressure continued in the second half.

Those frustrations were compounded moments later when Lemar slid a fine throughball into the path of Morata, who side-footed past Pacheco with aplomb from 12 yards.

Pacheco denied Griezmann a fourth with a fine one-handed stop that sent his attempted chip onto the left-hand post, but Diego Simeone's side reserved their best moment until last, with Thomas bending a stunning strike in off the woodwork with six minutes left.

 

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Sampdoria 1 AC Milan 0: Donnarumma error costs visitors

AC Milan suffered a second successive defeat as Sampdoria ignited the Champions League race in Serie A once more with a 1-0 home win gifted to them by Gianluigi Donnarumma's error.

The Rossoneri's 10-match unbeaten run in all competitions was ended before the international break as bitter rivals Inter won at San Siro - and Gennaro Gattuso's men were beaten again on Saturday.

A dreadful Donnarumma error handed Gregoire Defrel a first-minute opener and the visitors never recovered on a difficult evening in Genoa.

Milan remain fourth but, ahead of Sunday's fixtures, fifth-placed Roma are four points back and have played a game less, while Lazio - a further two points behind their city rivals - have two matches in hand. Eighth-placed Samp are six points behind Saturday's opponents.
Sampdoria led after just 33 seconds when Donnarumma's weak pass inexplicably teed up the onrushing Defrel for a first-time finish into a gaping goal from just outside the six-yard box

The goalkeeper was more impressive as he turned Fabio Quagliarella's low drive around the post, however, before Emil Audero expertly parried Suso's curling effort away at the other end.

Defrel volleyed over the top from a glorious Nicola Murru cross early in the second half, while Suso continued to pose a threat for Milan and his deflected effort wrongfooted Audero and bounced just wide.

Quagliarella, chasing his 22nd league goal of the season, saw a powerful strike deflected against the crossbar and Defrel shot straight at Donnarumma, but Samp were made to settle for a narrow victory.

Milan kept chasing until the dying seconds but Krzysztof Piatek was first denied a penalty after a lengthy VAR delay and then directed a header straight at Audero.

 

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Juventus 1 Empoli 0: Kean continues superb month

Teenage sensation Moise Kean scored his third goal in as many Serie A matches to help Juventus bounce back from their first defeat of the season with a 1-0 win over battling Empoli.

It took Massimiliano Allegri's men 72 minutes to break down their determined visitors in a game made all the more difficult for the hosts by an injury to Paulo Dybala, who pulled up with a thigh problem during the warm-up.

Without Dybala and the hamstrung Cristiano Ronaldo, the Bianconeri lacked their usual dynamism in the final third and they looked set to add to the frustration of their 2-0 defeat at Genoa two weeks earlier by dropping points at home.


But Allegri sent on Kean and the 18-year-old quickly justified that decision with a deflected goal to strengthen his growing reputation as Italian football's hottest prospect.

Empoli set out to rattle their hosts early on as Rade Krunic fired over the crossbar and then split the Juventus defence before dragging a low shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box.

Mario Mandzukic should have put Juve in front when he met a looping Blaise Matuidi cross from the left with a diving header at close range but Empoli goalkeeper Bartlomiej Dragowski got down smartly to keep it out.

Bernardeschi volleyed a shot from 10 yards that clipped the crossbar on its way over the top five minutes into the second half, before Matuidi missed with a header as Allegri cut an increasingly frustrated figure in the home dugout.

But three minutes after Kean replaced Matuidi the hosts were in front as Mandzukic's superb knock-down gave the substitute the space he needed to rattle the ball in from 12 yards with a touch from Cristian Dell'Orco helping it on its way.

Kean almost added a second but Dragowski made a superb one-handed save to deny him at close range and ensure the result did not flatter Juventus, who were pushed hard by an Empoli side who look good enough to avoid the drop.

 

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Barcelona 2 Espanyol 0: Sanchez costs visitors as Messi strikes twice

Lionel Messi and Barcelona were aided by a dismal error from Espanyol captain Victor Sanchez as they secured a patient 2-0 win in Saturday's Catalan derby.Blaugrana skipper Messi had missed Argentina's midweek friendly with Morocco and revealed he has been managing a pelvic injury since December, but he was available for LaLiga action and typically netted both goals.

The forward carried Barca's chief threat as he moved past Andres Iniesta into second place on the club's all-time appearance list, yet he may not have broken the deadlock had Sanchez not foolishly directed a 71st-minute free-kick into his own net.

That mistake cost Espanyol a battling draw as goalkeeper Diego Lopez excelled, with Messi sealing the points late on as he doubled the league leaders' advantage.
There was no hint at Messi's ongoing fitness problems as he dazzled from the outset, seeing one close-range effort superbly blocked by Naldo before prompting an attack that concluded with Ivan Rakitic fizzing a shot just wide.

Messi's inswinging free-kick was then almost deflected past Lopez on the 30-minute mark - drawing a smart stop - while Barcelona supporters shared confused glances when the Argentina international uncharacteristically missed the target as his one-man assault on Espanyol's goal continued.

Barca were dismayed by a couple of refereeing calls early in the second half, with Nelson Semedo denied a penalty, and Lopez again foiled the hosts as substitute Malcom's rising strike was expertly palmed clear.

However, Sanchez's moment of madness saw the Espanyol skipper dive in on Messi just outside the box and then, as the Barca number 10 stepped up, dart back to the goal-line and beat Lopez to the free-kick, awkwardly flicking a header beyond the goalkeeper, who looked to have the strike covered.

A low sweeping finish a minute from the end of normal time saw Messi double his and Barca's tally and make the victory safe, taking another step towards the title.

 

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Manchester United 2 Watford 1: Solskjaer's full-time reign off to shaky winning start

Manchester United marked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's appointment as permanent manager with an unconvincing 2-1 victory over Watford on Saturday.Goals in each half from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial got the Red Devils back to winning ways after losses to Arsenal and Wolves in the Premier League and FA Cup, despite Abdoulaye Doucoure's late strike.

It was a mostly uninspiring performance from United at Old Trafford, but the result moves them back into the top four at the end of a week in which Solskjaer was confirmed as their next full-time boss on a three-year deal.


Doucoure dragged a shot wide from inside the United box as the home side endured a strangely sluggish start in the Manchester sun, but they took the lead 28 minutes in, with Rashford clipping a clever finish over Ben Foster after Luke Shaw won back the ball on the edge of his own area and sent his England team-mate through on goal.
Foster made a smart save with his legs to deny Martial before half-time, as United began to dictate proceedings thanks largely to Solskjaer's decision to shift Juan Mata from the right wing into a number 10 role.

Watford were the better side after the break once more, though, with David de Gea saving well from Roberto Pereyra and Will Hughes curling a shot wide after Nemanja Matic lost the ball in his own area.

Martial struck 18 minutes from time, scooping the ball into the net after he reacted quickest following a tangle with goalkeeper Foster, and it proved just enough for the victory despite Doucoure slotting past De Gea after a clever link-up with Isaac Success and Troy Deeney.

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!​

 

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Fulham 0 Manchester City 2: Guardiola’s men back on top

First-half goals from Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero earned Manchester City a 2-0 win over Fulham that moved Pep Guardiola’s men back to the top of the Premier League ahead of Liverpool’s clash with Tottenham on Sunday.

Cottagers caretaker boss Scott Parker saw his side make early mistakes that were punished by City’s clinical forwards, who all but condemned the West Londoners to an eighth consecutive Premier League defeat within the opening half hour.

Bernardo Silva never let Fulham rest and he followed up his crisply struck goal on five minutes with an assist for Aguero, who scored his fourth goal in five top flight starts against Fulham after 27 minutes.


Parker sent out a more resilient Fulham side after the interval but City, with Kevin De Bruyne restored to their midfield after he recovered from a hamstring injury, remained dominant to move a point ahead of Liverpool at the summit.
City had Fulham pinned in their own penalty area from the off and pounced on the hosts' first error, De Bruyne intercepting Timothy Fosu-Mensah’s sloppy pass before Aguero teed up Bernardo Silva for a raking drive into the far corner of Sergio Rico’s net.

The next error came from Joe Bryan, who gifted possession to Bernardo Silva and the ball was quickly fed to Aguero, who darted between two defenders before glancing a side-footed finish across Rico and into the top corner.

Aguero was replaced by Gabriel Jesus after 56 minutes as City pressed for a third, with Raheem Sterling having a shot clawed away by Rico before Bernardo Silva narrowly missed out on the rebound.

Kyle Walker almost made the scoreline a fairer reflection of the play when Sterling teed him up for a rasping shot onto the outside of the post with 11 minutes left, but City did not need a third goal on an afternoon when they were by far the better side.

 

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Borussia Dortmund 2 Wolfsburg 0: Alcacer's last-gasp double puts hosts two points clear

Paco Alcacer scored twice in stoppage time as Borussia Dortmund moved two points clear of Bayern Munich at the Bundesliga summit with a dramatic 2-0 home win over Wolfsburg, one week before they meet their title rivals in Der Klassiker.

Bayern drew 1-1 away to Freiburg, and it looked like Dortmund would also only pick up a point until Alcacer netted a powerful free-kick and finished off a swift counter-attack in a sensational climax.

Marco Reus, Dortmund's influential captain and the matchwinner in November's reverse fixture, missed Saturday's match as his partner was due to give birth, while Christian Pulisic was out injured.


Without Reus, Lucien Favre's men struggled for attacking fluidity before Alcacer's late intervention against Wolfsburg, who drop to eighth after their defeat, despite faring much better than they did in their last away game, a 6-0 loss to Bayern.
Alcacer fired over from a good early opportunity created by Mario Gotze, but the best moment of the first half saw Roman Burki produce a superb reaction save to tip Wout Weghorst's curling shot wide.

Dortmund failed to trouble Wolfsburg keeper Koen Casteels before the break, with Dan-Axel Zagadou missing a headed opportunity as a pigeon that defiantly remained around the pitch provided more entertainment for the Signal Iduna Park crowd.

Jadon Sancho forced a save from Casteels just after the hour mark, while the lively Raphael Guerreiro was also denied as Dortmund lost Abdou Diallo and Achraf Hakimi to injury on what was becoming a frustrating afternoon.

But Dortmund will take a title-race lead to the Allianz Arena in seven days' time after Alcacer blasted a free-kick past the weak hands of Casteels from 20 yards, before being set up by Sancho to finish off a late break four minutes into added time.

 

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Freiburg 1 Bayern Munich 1: Champions held ahead of Der Klassiker

Bayern Munich failed to produce a second-half winner against a gutsy Freiburg as they were held to a 1-1 draw that allowed Borussia Dortmund to move two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.Lucas Holer put the hosts in front after just three minutes but Robert Lewandowski soon got the champions back on level terms with his 199th Bundesliga goal.

The visitors began to dominate but Freiburg stood firm, with a fantastic defensive performance and a series of saves from Alexander Schwolow denying Bayern, who also hit the post late on through Leon Goretzka.


Dortmund's win over Wolfsburg ensured they moved two points clear of Bayern at the top of the table ahead of the two clubs meeting in next weekend's Der Klassiker.
Freiburg made an excellent start and were rewarded almost instantly when Christian Gunter delivered a wonderful cross from the left which Holer met and headed into the far corner.

Mike Frantz dragged a shot wide when he could have done better before Freiburg had another great chance to double their lead. Gunter went on a brilliant run and fed Janik Haberer, and he elected to pull the ball back for Franz, whose shot beat Sven Ulreich but was blocked heroically on the line by a combination of Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng.

The miss proved costly. After Freiburg failed to clear their lines from a corner, Goretzka chipped the ball to Lewandowski, who controlled the ball, pivoted and volleyed it left-footed into the back of the net in the 22nd minute.

After the restart, Bayern came out with more intensity, with Kingsley Coman looking threatening down the left but they were still vulnerable at the other end, with Haberer sending a shot wide after robbing Joshua Kimmich in possession.

Schwolow had to make two saves in quick possession, first to block Boateng’s deflected drive, then to deny James Rodriguez’s curling effort. A brilliant turn of pace from Serge Gnabry saw him burst through the defence but again Schwolow was there to beat the ball away.

The 26-year-old keeper’s most impressive save yet came with a little over 10 minutes left on the clock as he denied Lewandowski brilliantly after yet more impressive work from Gnabry.

Lewandowski still had a brilliant chance to win it in stoppage time but mistimed his header, and there was a final flourish as Goretzka's header crashed against the woodwork, but Bayern could not force a winner.

 

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Wolves 2 Manchester United 1: Young dismissed as Solskjaer's side miss chance to go third

Ashley Young was sent off as Manchester United's Champions League qualification hopes were dented by a 2-1 Premier League defeat at Wolves on Tuesday.

United would have moved up to third in the table, ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham, with victory at Molineux but Nuno Espirito Santo's side came from behind to win thanks to a Chris Smalling own goal.

Scott McTominay's first Manchester United goal put his side ahead but Diogo Jota, who scored as Wolves knocked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men out of the FA Cup last month, levelled.


Young's dismissal, the 100th of Mike Dean's Premier League career, came for a foul on Jota and in the 77th minute Smalling bundled the ball into his own net to ensure United have now lost three of their last four matches in all competitions.

United started rapidly and Jesse Lingard fired wide after just six seconds before Romelu Lukaku headed a brilliant Diogo Dalot cross straight at Rui Patricio.They did lead in the 13th minute, however. Fred fed McTominay and the Scotland midfielder steadied himself before arrowing a skimming 25-yarder across Patricio and into the bottom-left corner.

It was Fred's first Premier League assist but Wolves equalised when the Brazilian lost possession, Raul Jimenez splitting the United defence with a clever throughball for Jota to finish well.Leander Dendoncker fired over from six yards and Matt Doherty nodded Joao Moutinho's free-kick wide but Lukaku went close to restoring United's lead before half-time.

Patricio's excellent reflexes kept out McTominay's header in the 55th minute after Paul Pogba flicked on Lukaku's left-wing cross.Referee Dean then reached his milestone by sending off Young, the United captain shown a second yellow card after catching Jota with a high challenge.

And although Wolves had failed to record an effort on the United goal since the interval, Moutinho's sensational cross caused chaos in David de Gea's box and Smalling nudged the ball home, the United goalkeeper's flimsy challenge not helping.

De Gea prevented Smalling scoring a second own goal and Wolves almost extended their lead in added time, substitute Ivan Cavaleiro holding off Victor Lindelof but rattling the woodwork.