..::Football IV::..

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Real Madrid 1-2 Celta: Blancos on the ropes after Copa del Rey defeat

Celta Vigo made it back-to-back defeats for Real Madrid as they stunned the Santiago Bernabeu with a 2-1 victory in the first leg of the Copa del Rey quarter-final.

Cristiano Ronaldo started to make his first appearance in the competition for two years, but Zinedine Zidane's side – aiming to bounce back from a dramatic late loss at Sevilla that halted their Spanish record unbeaten run – were unable to find a way a way through before the interval.When the breakthrough arrived it fell Celta's way, Iago Aspas' 15th goal of the season sparking a crazy six-minute period.

Marcelo's spectacular volley levelled matters, but Madrid switched off from the restart and Jonny was the gleeful beneficiary - condemning Zidane to his first home defeat since last February's LaLiga derby reverse against Atletico Madrid.

Madrid forward Lucas Vazquez had an early effort saved, but the hosts showed enough attacking ambition of their own, with Aspas a threat on the break and Theo Bongonda shooting wide having skipped past Raphael Varane's challenge.

Ronaldo, playing as Madrid's attacking spearhead, was still grasping for his best form by the time captain Sergio Ramos failed to make a clean contact from Vazquez's dangerous 26th-minute cross and goalkeeper Sergio Alvarez gathered.

Alvarez's opposite number Kiko Casilla – playing as Keylor Navas took a night out of the firing line – held a thudding drive from Marcelo Diaz after Bongonda instigated Celta's latest attacking raid.

Ronaldo lashed into the net as the whistle went to correctly penalise him for handball and the Ballon d'Or winner was aggrieved to have a 39th-minute penalty appeal turned down.

Marco Asensio was enjoying a rare start for the LaLiga leaders, but an early second-half tangle with Facundo Roncaglia saw him land awkwardly and appeared to leave him with an injured shoulder.It meant a 53rd-minute introduction for Alvaro Morata, who almost made a telling impact five minutes later as Toni Kroos picked him out in the area to blast just over with Alvarez rooted to the spot.

Madrid's growing threat appeared ominous for Celta, but it Eduardo Berizzo's men who stunningly hit the front in the 64th minute.

Bongonda was the instigator once more, tearing down the left and sending in a wicked cross that Marcelo stopped Daniel Wass from converting with an extravagant volleyed backheel.That was only sufficient to send the ball to Aspas, who stroked into the centre of the goal as Casilla went to ground.

Marcelo quickly extinguished any blame that could be sent his way when Roncaglia's headed clearance looped up and he lashed in a thunderous volley from the left-hand side of the box.

An astonishing period of play continued when Celta re-established their lead 58 seconds later – Vazquez guilty of ceding possession to Aspas, who played through Jonny to coolly slot home.Zidane threw on striker Karim Benzema for defender Danilo with 10 minutes to play and Marcelo almost had a second when another rasping strike deflected wide.

Varane glanced narrowly off target from the resulting corner and Benzema spurned a glorious opening from close range, meaning Celta will boast a hard-earned advantage when the sides reconvene at Balaidos next week.

Before that Madrid will look to avoid a fourth consecutive winless outing when they host Malaga in LaLiga on Saturday.

 

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Simeone will not tie Man Utd target Griezmann down

Diego Simeone is not surprised to see Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann linked to Manchester United and will not keep hold of the star against his will.

Griezmann has scored 12 goals in 25 appearances for Atletico this season, with United reportedly plotting a big-money move for the end of the campaign.

Simeone considers it natural that such clubs are interested in his striker, despite him only recently ending a three-month spell without finding the net in La Liga.And while the coach acknowledged Griezmann's importance to his side, he is not prepared to deny the Frenchman an eventual transfer.

"I don't tie anybody down, I simply keep working to continue getting better for the sake of the club," the Argentine told a press conference ahead of Thursday's Copa del Rey quarter-final first leg against Eibar at the Vicente Calderon.

"He is in an extraordinary moment, is working well, has got back on the scoresheet and his form is good."It is normal that the best teams in the world want him. I am not surprised that the teams who are looking are the ones who can afford him."

Jan Oblak is also rumoured to be attracting Premier League interest, with Manchester City thought to be keen on the Slovenia goalkeeper..Simeone said: "We hope he returns in the best way and continues helping to keep things going well.

"From the moment he arrived he gave us the best respect, work and consistency, to the club and the team."

 

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Man City ready to bid for Atletico Madrid keeper Oblak

Manchester City will make an offer for Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak in the summer, Goal understands.

The Slovenia international has grown to be one of Europe's best shot-stoppers since succeeding Thibaut Courtois and City, whose leaky defence is the cause of much recent concern, have taken notice.

Pep Guardiola's side have conceded 26 goals in the Premier League so far this season, with summer signing Claudio Bravo coming in for renewed criticism in the wake of their 4-0 loss to Everton.

Oblak, who is out injured until the end of February, has interested several English clubs. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all also said to have made early contact about his availability but City's interest is strongest.

Atletico, however, have no desire to sell and are pointing any suitors to the keeper's €100 million (£86.7m) release clause, as they did when they successfully fended off interest in star forward Antoine Griezmann last summer.

 

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Lyon near Memphis deal with Man Utd - Aulas

Lyon have reached an agreement "in principle" to sign Memphis Depay from Manchester United, confirmed club president Jean-Michel Aulas.

The Netherlands winger has not been part of Joe Mourinho's plans this season, with Lyon seemingly pulling ahead of Serie A rivals for his signature.Goal revealed earlier on Wednesday that Depay had sealed a switch to the Ligue 1 club, ending a nightmare spell at Old Trafford.

And Aulas has now stated his optimisim that a deal can be finalised with just the finer details to be hammered out.The official also suggested the numbers involved could be in excess of those being widely speculated – namely a transfer fee that could eventually rise to €25 million.

"I got an agreement in principle early in the afternoon with Manchester United that remains to be detailed but on a basis higher than the circulating information," Aulas told L'Equipe.

Depay inspired PSV to the Eredivisie title in 2014-15 but did not maintain his stellar form under his former Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal at United last season, scoring twice in 29 Premier League appearances.The 22-year-old has almost entirely fallen out of the first-team picture with Jose Mourinho at the helm this time around.

His solitary start came against Northampton Town in the EFL Cup and the last of four brief substitute cameos in the Premier League came in the 0-0 draw versus Burnley in October.

Lyon's official Twitter account started following Depay on Wednesday and he is poised to join the club fourth in Ligue 1 – 11 points behind leaders Monaco and Nice.

Bruno Genesio, Lyon's head coach, last week labelled Depay as his club's priority transfer target for the January window, while Mourinho said United were waiting for a "reasonable" bid that now appears to have arrived.

 

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Man Utd & Lyon agree £15m Memphis deal

Manchester United have agreed to sell Memphis Depay to Lyon for an initial fee of £15 million that could rise to £21.7m, Goal understands.

The Dutch winger arrived at Old Trafford from PSV for £22.3m in the summer of 2015, but having seen his importance quickly deteriorate under Louis van Gaal in 2015-16 he has found game time difficult to come by in Jose Mourinho’s side this season.

After initially attracting the attention of Everton, Memphis is now set to sign for Lyon after the French club agreed to pay around £15m up front, with further performance-related fees potentially taking the overall package up close to United’s outlay 18 months ago.

The 22-year-old’s signing for the Red Devils courted much publicity, with his being handed the famous number seven shirt increasing his early popularity among the fan base.

However, a series of disappointing performances during his first season with the club resulted in him receiving reduced opportunities, and he ultimately found himself excluded from the matchday squad for the FA Cup final victory against Crystal Palace in May 2016.

While that game proved to be Van Gaal’s last in charge of the club, Memphis has found it even tougher breaking into the first team since Mourinho took over. His only start under the Portuguese came in the 3-1 EFL Cup win over Northampton Town in September 2016, but even then he was replaced after just 55 minutes after an under-par performance.Mourinho then admitted in December that the Netherlands international would not be considered for selection until his future was decided.

“I have to say that in the past couple of months my decisions in relation to Memphis were influenced by the feelings and information that he would like to leave in January and that we were going to have a real offer that we would be willing to accept,” he explained.

Memphis is now expected to travel to France for personal negotiations with the Parc OL club. Should the transfer be finalised, he would become the second departure from United during the January transfer window following the exit of Morgan Schneiderlin to Everton for a fee rising to £24m.

In total, Memphis has made 53 appearances for United and scored seven goals.

 

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Depay th yai ahenam.

Kawda ethakota ape next NO 7?Griezmann or?​

 

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Manchester United overtake Real Madrid to top Football Money League

Manchester United have been named the world's highest grossing club in the 2015-16 edition of Deloitte’s Football Money League.

The study, which is the 20th annual check on the finances of the planet’s top clubs, has placed the Red Devils in pole position ahead of Barcelona and Real Madrid. Madrid slip to third having topped the standings when the previous edition was published 12 months ago.

United's income has jumped dramatically over that intervening period from £395.2 million to £515.3m. That gives them a significant advantage of over 10 per cent to second-placed Barcelona (£463.8m) and third-placed Madrid, who are less than £100,000 behind their great rivals.

Bayern Munich and Manchester City each move up one spot to complete the top five, with Paris Saint-Germain sliding down to sixth as a result.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Juventus round out the top 10, each unchanged from seventh to 10th respectively.Two new clubs break into the top 20, with West Ham moving into 18th and Premier League champions Leicester City sneaking in at 20th following their dramatic success last season.

The headlines, though, are dominated by United, who move back to the dominant spot in the League for the first time since 2003-04, boasting formidable growth well in excess of the average of 12% - a record in itself – mustered by clubs in the top 20 as a whole. It is the first time in 11 years that Real Madrid have not taken first place.

United's revenue is the highest ever recorded for a football club and while this was partly due to the club’s return to the Champions League, they also enjoyed a significant jump in commercial revenue growth of £71m. Now, they earn more money in that department than any other club in the world, with PSG having previously held that accolade.

But while their success is commendable, the experts believe it will be a challenge for them to maintain their status.

Dan Jones, partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, commented: “Manchester United have had to wait 11 years to regain their position as the world’s leading revenue-generating club and it has taken phenomenal commercial revenue growth to help them achieve this.

"In recent years, their ability to secure commercial partnerships with value in excess of that achievable by their peers has been the crucial factor in enabling the club to regain their place at the top of the Money League.

“That said, they’ll face strong competition from Barcelona and Real Madrid to retain the top spot in next year’s edition due to their lack of Champions League football, the weakening of the pound against the euro and, over the longer term, as other clubs enter the commercial market demanding similar deals, using United as the precedent.”

United also lead the way in terms of revenue generated by matchday income (£102.8m) but their broadcast revenue of £140.4m is ranked only seventh in the world. Madrid continue to lead the way in that regard at £170.3m, followed by Manchester City’s £161.4m.

 

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Congratulations!

but money walin witharak newei kohomahari success 1kenuth NO1 wenna thamai balanna one

GGMU!​

 

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Henry: Alexis could join Vidal at Bayern

Thierry Henry has admitted that Alexis Sanchez could be tempted to leave Arsenal and join up with compatriot Arturo Vidal at Bayern Munich. The Chilean has become a firm favourite at the Emirates Stadium since joining from Barcelona, but talks over a new contract have stalled due to his wage demands.

And while the Gunners idol would love to see Alexis stay put, he is aware that the club must play a fine balancing act with him and another superstar. "I want him to sign, everybody wants him to sign," Henry explained to Sky Sports. "That’s a tricky one for the club. That’s why you have guys there to be able to deal with that.

"But, as an Arsenal fan, I want Alexis Sanchez to stay for life because he is the future of the club. Same with Mesut Ozil."

When asked where the forward could end up, Henry signalled that the chance to play alongside Vidal could prove decisive."If he ever leaves then you would think the likes of Bayern are going to come, Paris Saint-Germain," he added.

"Maybe joining his friend Vidal at Bayern Munich so we’ll see. But stay… don’t listen to anyone, find a way, stay!"

 

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Memphis arrives in Lyon for contract negotiations

The transfer of Memphis Depay from Manchester United to Lyon is nearing completion after the 22-year-old arrived in the French city to begin negotiations.

Lyon confirmed the Netherlands international's arrival on their official Twitter account, posting a photograph of Memphis with the caption "Memphis Depay has arrived in Lyon to discuss the terms of his future contract with OL, accompanied by his agents who will arrive on Thursday."

The Ligue 1 side are expected to pay an initial £15 million for the winger, but that fee could reach up to £21.7m due to bonuses and add-ons.

After falling down the pecking order under Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, Memphis was linked with a move to Everton, but United were unwilling to let him leave on loan.
The 22-year-old arrived at Manchester in the summer of 2015, but played just 33 total Premier League games despite a solid start under then manager Louis van Gaal.

Memphis has made just one start for the Red Devils this season, playing 55 minutes of the EFL Cup clash with Northampton Town, and will join Lyon in the next few days once a contract is agreed with the club.

 

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'Madrid are in a bad moment' - Zidane wants more energy after latest loss

Zinedine Zidane conceded Real Madrid are experiencing a "bad moment" after Celta Vigo condemned them to back-to-back defeats.

Iago Aspas and Jonny were on target either side of Marcelo's equaliser at the Santiago Bernabeu as Eduardo Berizzo's men secured a 2-1 first-leg advantage in Wednesday's Copa del Rey quarter-final.

The setback came after Sevilla stunningly ended Madrid's record run of 40 matches unbeaten at the weekend and Zidane accepts all is not as it should be with the La Liga leaders."We played a strange game," he told reporters after a third consecutive game without victory. It is a bad moment, we will not hide this. Two games [lost] in a row, something is happening.

"We must analyse things, look at it now and see what we can do to rapidly change this run. We were playing against very good rival who made it difficult for us. We did not know how to manage properly the game."We know what we must do there, there are 90 minutes or maybe more left in the tie. We must play differently, return to playing as we can."

Zidane's men will seek to arrest their mini-slide at home to Malaga this weekend and the former France star wants to see greater intensity in their performance.

"It is good for us to have another game on Saturday. Football is like that, it's a bad moment, but we will come out of it all together," he said."We did not play as we had prepared for the game, the intensity was not good at the start.

"We played well at Sevilla, today a bit worse, but there is no reason to be worried.
"We are fine physically, but maybe in the head the La Liga [defeat] was tough."The squad is annoyed at the defeats, but we must be more intense, more energetic, and that will bring us out of this disappointment."

 

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Spanish Copa del Rey Fixtures 2017.01.19

Spanish Copa del Rey Fixtures 2017.01.19

Atletico Madrid Vs Eibar

Real Sociedad Vs Barcelona​

 

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Coppa Italia Fixture 2017.01.19

Coppa Italia Fixture 2017.01.19

Roma Vs Sampdoria​

 

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Wenger: Arsenal don't need Payet

Arsenal do not need to sign Dimitri Payet and are unlikely to make any major moves in the remaining days of the transfer window, according to manager Arsene Wenger.

The France international has refused to play as he attempts to engineer a departure from West Ham, with former club Marseille the favourites to sign him this month.

Wenger has plenty of admiration for the player but insists that, with Danny Welbeck returning from injury, Arsenal have no real need for reinforcements in attack before the window closes.

"I expect it to be a very quiet period because we have Welbeck coming back now.We are very strong, we have many players [in the squad] who can come in," he said ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Burnley.

"Overall I don't expect to do anything special."I don't need Payet because we have so many creative players. I rate Payet, of course, but it's not an area where we're looking for something.

"We have many players who can play in this position. You're interested in the quality of the player, but there has to be a need as well."

While the chances of players coming to Emirates Stadium are slim, Wenger did confirm that full-back Carl Jenkinson could complete a move to Crystal Palace if he agrees personal terms with Sam Allardyce's side."It's a possibility, yes, but it's not finalised," he said. "It's basically down to him now to find an agreement with them."

Wenger says Jenkinson's impending exit is unlikely to see Mathieu Debuchy return to the first-team fold, adding: "Not really because recently we've played Gabriel and I'm very happy with Gabriel in this position."

 

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Mertesacker signs Arsenal contract extension

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has confirmed defender Per Mertesacker has signed a one-year contract extension with the Gunners.

The former Germany international's current deal was due to come to an end in June, but the north London outfit have taken up an option to keep hold of him for an extra season.Mertesacker is yet to feature this season due to an injury, though Wenger is hopeful he will be back in action in the coming weeks.

"It's an option we've taken on Per Mertesacker. He's back in training, not with the squad, but he's maybe two weeks away now," Wenger revealed.

"We have a number of games and it's important to have our experienced players back."Wenger, meanwhile, admitted there were no further updates on the futures of Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez, who are both locked in contract talks amid reports they could leave the Emirates Stadium.

 

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Martial: Ronaldo was my idol growing up

Anthony Martial has revealed that he was a big fan of Ronaldo growing up - but not the man who preceded him as an exciting young forward at Manchester United.The Red Devils have helped to nurture plenty of young wingers down the years, with a certain Portugal international brought onto their books back in 2003.

Martial was just eight years old when Cristiano Ronaldo burst onto the scene at Old Trafford, with early steps taken on a road that would lead to a record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid and four Ballons d’Or.

He did, however, find himself performing in the shadow of a namesake during those formative years, with a Brazilian World Cup winner dominating the Ronaldo moniker around that time.

And it was ‘Il Fenomeno’ that Martial looked up to during his childhood, with his exploits at Barcelona, Inter and Real Madrid helping to convince the Frenchman that he too wanted to forge a career as a dangerous frontman.Martial told United’s official matchday programme on his heroes growing up: “Ronaldo, the Brazilian one, and Ronaldinho.”

The 21-year-old, who has been on United’s books for 16 months now, will be hoping to tread a similar path to those iconic figures of the past over the coming years.

He certainly made a bright start to his career at Old Trafford upon signing in September 2015, with a debut goal against fierce rivals Liverpool considered to be the finest he has scored.

Martial said of that individual strike: “It has to be the one against Liverpool on my United debut. Hopefully, I can score against them again.”

Becoming a regular goalscorer for United remains the immediate aim for Martial, with the future looking bright for the France international.If he could turn the clock back, though, then there is one fixture in particular that he would have loved to have graced.He said: “I’d go for the French national team in 1998 – the one that won the World Cup.”

For now, Martial must set his sights on chasing down major honours with the Red Devils, while a shot at winning a World Cup medal of his own could be on the cards in 2018 if he continues to impress at club level.

 

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Payet's departure is not inevitable, insists West Ham boss Bilic

West Ham boss Slaven Bilic is adamant there is still a chance Dimitri Payet will stay put and he hopes to solve the Frenchman's situation sooner rather than later.Payet has made no secret of his desire to leave, with the winger reportedly keen on a return to Marseille, and he appears determined to force his departure.

West Ham are reluctant to sell their star man, though, and Bilic has stressed a transfer is by no means a certainty."Payet's departure is not inevitable," said Bilic. "I like to solve situations in-house to protect the team.

"I said everything then and what has changed now? Nothing. We took our stand very clearly and it stays the same. We are not going to sell our best players on the cheap just because somebody wants to sign them."It is not a good situation for the club, it is not good for football in general."

Meanwhile, West Ham have been heavily linked with Southampton defender Jose Fonte, but Bilic has denied the Portugal international is due to undergo a medical on Thursday."Fonte is not having a medical," Bilic added.

"We are not talking about transfers, we are working on some though. There are one or two players we need, it will not be easy, but we are trying."Hopefully we'll have something to announce in 24 hours."

 

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'Zlatan can play for United for another five years' - Ibrahimovic backed to carry on into his 40s

Michael Andersson handed Zlatan Ibrahimovic his debut as a 17-year-old and believes the enigmatic striker is capable of turning out at Manchester United “for another three or five years”.The Swedish frontman moved to Old Trafford as a free agent last summer, having forged a successful career plundering goals and collecting trophies across Europe.

He is now 35 years of age but is showing no sign of slowing down, with his appetite for the game as strong as ever.

Ibrahimovic has netted 19 times in all competitions this season, with 14 of those placing him joint-top of the Premier League scoring charts.

United have already moved to trigger an extension to keep the former Barcelona and Juventus forward on their books for another 12 months, while Jose Mourinho is said to be keen on striking a two-year contract.

Andersson sees no reason why Ibrahimovic would not commit to such a deal, with it possible that he could join Edwin van der Sar and Ryan Giggs in an elite group of players to have represented United in their 40s.

He said: “Zlatan’s skills fit United very well. He always adapts to whatever league he is in. I don’t think him playing until he’s 40 is impossible.“He has been lucky not to have any serious injuries in his career.“But it’s not impossible he can play for United for another three or five years.”Andersson believes a player he worked with at Malmo has found another perfect home at Old Trafford, with Ibrahimovic at his talismanic best when revered and respected.

He added: “Zlatan has always wanted to be the centre of attention, the central figure of a club, even from a young age. It’s his personality, the way he is, he wants the pressure.

“If you look over his history, he does best for clubs where he is the main man.“It’s possible United can still win the title, but it will be tough. It’s the sort of challenge Zlatan loves.“United are starting to play well and, compared to last season, look like another team. Zlatan is responsible for that, along with coach Mourinho.

“And Zlatan and Paul Pogba also fit so well together. To win the title with United would confirm his reputation — he’s an all-time European great, plus Sweden’s greatest player.

“And it would end all arguments about him, particularly in Britain where he’s had critics.”

 

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'Hopefully I can play in Manchester all my life' - Bailly

Eric Bailly is hoping to become “a great player” at Manchester United, with there a desire on his part to remain at Old Trafford “all my life”.The 22-year-old defender completed a move to England last summer, with Jose Mourinho snapping him up from Villarreal.

Bailly settled quickly into new surroundings, winning United’s Player of the Month award for August.A couple of untimely knee problems have hampered his progress somewhat, while he is currently away on international duty with Ivory Coast at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The cultured centre-half is, however, thoroughly enjoying his time in the Premier League and is already planning a long and successful career with the Red Devils.He told sport360: “Hopefully I can play in Manchester all my life.“I'm very happy here because it is such a great club. It's such an honour to play for United and I hope I can continue giving my best to become a great player in this club.

“It's difficult to claim the position of being a first-team player, but I have to enjoy every minute I get because it's a wonderful club and I'm very happy to be there and to be part of it.

“I'm happy to be at such a big club. I never dreamed a better dream than playing for Man United. Hopefully I can enjoy every bit of it every day.”

Bailly has also hailed the progress made by United this season under Mourinho, with a slow start to the campaign making way for a 16-match unbeaten run in all competitions.He added: “There are a lot of new players and the coach is new.

“Now we are noting that the team is gelling together and creating a good atmosphere, and we are having the results too."We know that with a coach like Mourinho, he can bring the best out of players, so I'm very confident that this team can go further. The players are getting a good understanding both on and off the pitch.”

 

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Atletico Madrid 3-0 Eibar: Simeone's men march to big Copa victory

Antoine Griezmann, Angel Correa and Kevin Gameiro were all on target as Atletico Madrid took control of their Copa del Rey quarter-final by beating Eibar 3-0 in the first leg at the Vicente Calderon on Thursday.Clinical Atletico dominated the match, winning their fourth home game in five to leave Eibar facing an uphill battle to qualify for the semi-finals.

After a slow start and a goal disallowed for offside, Griezmann - clearly unaffected by increasing speculation linking him with a move to Manchester United - put Atletico ahead by taking advantage of poor goalkeeping from Yoel Rodriguez to guide home a simple header.

Eibar should have prevented the second goal too, when Correa reacted first to a scramble in the box and poked home Atleti's 500th goal in all competitions under Diego Simeone.

More slack defending enabled substitute Gameiro to head home the third goal just five minutes after replacing Correa, ensuring Atletico have one foot in the semi-finals.

Eibar look to have very little chance of progressing after the second leg at Ipurua on Wednesday having now only beaten the club from the capital once in 10 meetings.

The first shot of the game took 20 cagey minutes to arrive, with Bebe leading a break down the right to test Miguel Angel Moya with an audacious drive that may have crept inside the near post.

Atletico thought they had opened the scoring after 24 minutes, only for the offside flag to deny them after Stefan Savic flicked Koke's free-kick in off the post.
But Simeone's men took the lead four minutes later, with Yoel clearly at fault.

Jose Maria Gimenez beat the out-of-position Eibar goalkeeper to another Koke set-piece and Griezmann diverted a header from the second ball into the unguarded net for his fourth goal of 2017.

Moya saved another speculative Bebe strike after 51 minutes as both sides struggled to create clear chances in a tight match, but Atletico then took control of the tie with another goal.

Yannick Carrasco raced clear through the left channel and cut inside before having a shot saved by Yoel. Eibar missed multiple chances to clear the rebound and Correa punished them by tucking the ball away.

Poor marking from the visitors then allowed Atletico to score an easy third with just their third shot on target after 68 minutes, Griezmann heading across goal for Gameiro to nod in at the back post.

Eibar were unable to grab a goal to improve their hopes of qualifying in the closing minutes. Imanol Sarriegui wasted their best chance by shooting wide with six minutes to go, with Atletico near-certain to book their place in the last four next week.