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..::Football IV::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
- Start date
Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.02.04
Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.02.04
Bayern Vs Schalke
Cologne Vs Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin Vs FC Ingolstadt
Hoffenhiem Vs Mainz
Monchengladbach Vs Freiburg
Dortmund Vs Leipzig
Bayern Vs Schalke
Cologne Vs Wolfsburg
Hertha Berlin Vs FC Ingolstadt
Hoffenhiem Vs Mainz
Monchengladbach Vs Freiburg
Dortmund Vs Leipzig
'Everything is wrong' - Ranieri wary of Leicester sack
Claudio Ranieri has lamented how everything has gone against Leicester City this season and admits he could be in for the sack.
The Italian led the Foxes to a stunning Premier League title win last season against all odds - a feat that saw him crowned FIFA Coach of the Year in 2016.
However, things have completely turned against Leicester this season, with the club unable to build on their success and sucked into the relegation fight.
The champions sit 16th in the table going into Sunday's clash with Manchester United having lost their last three Premier League outings and failing to score in all four of their games at the start of 2017.And Ranieri has confessed that his accomplishment last term will not be enough to save his job if things continue the way they are going.
"Everything [is possible]," he told Sky Sports in response to questions about whether he was above being fired. "Last season was completely different.
"Every decision of the referee, every shot that hit the post was a goal, the first shot went in, the opponents missed a chance and penalties against us weren't penalties and penalties for us were penalties.
"Everything is wrong but we have to fight for ourselves."When everything is going well there are so many people who say 'well done'. It's too easy."
Claudio Ranieri has lamented how everything has gone against Leicester City this season and admits he could be in for the sack.
The Italian led the Foxes to a stunning Premier League title win last season against all odds - a feat that saw him crowned FIFA Coach of the Year in 2016.
However, things have completely turned against Leicester this season, with the club unable to build on their success and sucked into the relegation fight.
The champions sit 16th in the table going into Sunday's clash with Manchester United having lost their last three Premier League outings and failing to score in all four of their games at the start of 2017.And Ranieri has confessed that his accomplishment last term will not be enough to save his job if things continue the way they are going.
"Everything [is possible]," he told Sky Sports in response to questions about whether he was above being fired. "Last season was completely different.
"Every decision of the referee, every shot that hit the post was a goal, the first shot went in, the opponents missed a chance and penalties against us weren't penalties and penalties for us were penalties.
"Everything is wrong but we have to fight for ourselves."When everything is going well there are so many people who say 'well done'. It's too easy."
Payet needs time to shine at Marseille - Gomis
Bafetimbi Gomis says Dimitri Payet will need time to recapture his best form at Marseille after his self-imposed exile at West Ham.
Payet moved back to the Stade Velodrome for £25 million in January after 18 months at West Ham where he delighted for the most part.
However, he left in acrimonious circumstances after refusing to train with the Premier League club in his attempts to force a deal through.The playmaker made substitute appearances against Lyon in the Coupe de France and in Friday's 1-0 defeat to Metz in Ligue 1.
Gomis believes his self-imposed lack of match practice in the final days at West Ham has left Payet short of sharpness, but the striker has backed his new colleague to make an impression."He's coming back, he did not play for a month," Gomis told L'Equipe. "With all that was said during his transfer, he needs time to digest. But we will put him back in confidence.
"I think he came back and did some good things, [against Metz] and against Lyon.
"He will be back. You know all the talent he has in his feet."
Bafetimbi Gomis says Dimitri Payet will need time to recapture his best form at Marseille after his self-imposed exile at West Ham.
Payet moved back to the Stade Velodrome for £25 million in January after 18 months at West Ham where he delighted for the most part.
However, he left in acrimonious circumstances after refusing to train with the Premier League club in his attempts to force a deal through.The playmaker made substitute appearances against Lyon in the Coupe de France and in Friday's 1-0 defeat to Metz in Ligue 1.
Gomis believes his self-imposed lack of match practice in the final days at West Ham has left Payet short of sharpness, but the striker has backed his new colleague to make an impression."He's coming back, he did not play for a month," Gomis told L'Equipe. "With all that was said during his transfer, he needs time to digest. But we will put him back in confidence.
"I think he came back and did some good things, [against Metz] and against Lyon.
"He will be back. You know all the talent he has in his feet."
'He's not thinking about leaving' - Zidane insists Morata wants Real Madrid stay
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists that striker Alvaro Morata does not want to leave the club at the end of the season.
The Spain international is reported to have grown frustrated with a lack of opportunities in the starting line-up since his return from Juventus and has been heavily linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
Some reports in England have claimed that Morata has even told close friends that he expects to join Premier League leaders Chelsea before next season, with Antonio Conte said to have identified the 24-year-old as the ideal replacement for Diego Costa, if he moves to China.
But although Zidane admits that Morata wants more first-team football, he has denied the suggestion that he is determined to force an exit."I think Morata is committed to what he's doing," he told a news conference.
"He wants to play more, like every player. He's going to have minutes - I don't know how many."He's not thinking about leaving here as this is his home."Zidane also refused to entertain speculation over the future of midfielder Isco, who continues to be linked with a move.
"I'm satisfied with Isco, he's doing well," he said. "He's a decisive player. He trains well, I'm happy with what he's doing and he's committed to the project. I'm not interested in the rest."Zidane was less certain about the future of centre-back Pepe, however, with the 33-year-old having entered the final few months of his contract.
The Portugal international is another to be linked with the lucrative Chinese Super League, but although Zidane is keen for him to extend his Madrid career, he appears unsure of Pepe's intentions.
"He's not thinking now about his situation, about what will happen in June," Zidane said. "He's just thinking about what he's doing now and we're also thinking about having Pepe until June. Then we'll see what will happen."With what Pepe has done in 10 years at the club, you have to respect what goes on.
"I would prefer Pepe to stay until he says so. He has been and he still is an important player in the squad. In June, we'll see what happens. Of course I want him to stay."
Real Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane insists that striker Alvaro Morata does not want to leave the club at the end of the season.
The Spain international is reported to have grown frustrated with a lack of opportunities in the starting line-up since his return from Juventus and has been heavily linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
Some reports in England have claimed that Morata has even told close friends that he expects to join Premier League leaders Chelsea before next season, with Antonio Conte said to have identified the 24-year-old as the ideal replacement for Diego Costa, if he moves to China.
But although Zidane admits that Morata wants more first-team football, he has denied the suggestion that he is determined to force an exit."I think Morata is committed to what he's doing," he told a news conference.
"He wants to play more, like every player. He's going to have minutes - I don't know how many."He's not thinking about leaving here as this is his home."Zidane also refused to entertain speculation over the future of midfielder Isco, who continues to be linked with a move.
"I'm satisfied with Isco, he's doing well," he said. "He's a decisive player. He trains well, I'm happy with what he's doing and he's committed to the project. I'm not interested in the rest."Zidane was less certain about the future of centre-back Pepe, however, with the 33-year-old having entered the final few months of his contract.
The Portugal international is another to be linked with the lucrative Chinese Super League, but although Zidane is keen for him to extend his Madrid career, he appears unsure of Pepe's intentions.
"He's not thinking now about his situation, about what will happen in June," Zidane said. "He's just thinking about what he's doing now and we're also thinking about having Pepe until June. Then we'll see what will happen."With what Pepe has done in 10 years at the club, you have to respect what goes on.
"I would prefer Pepe to stay until he says so. He has been and he still is an important player in the squad. In June, we'll see what happens. Of course I want him to stay."
Chelsea 3-1 Arsenal: Blues blast past sorry Gunners to move 12 clear at the top
An Eden Hazard-inspired Chelsea extended their lead at the Premier League summit with a dominant 3-1 win over title rivals Arsenal.Marcos Alonso gave Chelsea a 13th-minute lead, heading home the rebound when Diego Costa's header looped up off the crossbar.
The wing-back's robust challenge on Hector Bellerin that allowed him to score is likely to draw post-match rancour from Arsene Wenger, but the suspended Gunners manager could have no complaints when those alongside him in the stand were brought to their feet in the 53rd minute.Hazard made his mazy way from his own half to the edge of the Arsenal six-yard box to score the kind of goal that can come to define title triumphs.
Arsenal could muster little in the way of a response as they limply succumbed to a defeat more chastening than the one they dealt out to Antonio Conte's men in September, when the prospect of Wenger besting an elite opponent in the dugout briefly re-emerged.At Stamford Bridge, as substitute Cesc Fabregas collected Petr Cech's woeful clearance and lobbed into an unguarded net, it was nowhere to be seen.
By the time Olivier Giroud headed a stoppage-time consolation from Nacho Monreal's centre, the fact Liverpool can shave Chelsea's advantage to 10 points by beating Hull City later on Saturday felt of greater significance.
Chelsea's measured playing out from the back has been a feature of their transformation under Conte but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and David Luiz passed their way into trouble in the second minute.Mesut Ozil intercepted and Alex Iwobi's low drive deflected agonisingly wide with Courtois beaten.
The hosts' first opening came from a set-piece when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain brought down Victor Moses and Gary Cahill headed into the turf and over.
Arsenal failed once more to deal with their opponents’ aerial threat when they fell behind.
Costa planted a header from Pedro's excellent right-wing cross against the crossbar and, with Cech peeling himself off the turf, an onrushing Alonso emphatically beat the stationary Bellerin to the rebound.
The groggy Spain right-back was substituted shortly afterwards after failing to recover and Costa fired into the side netting as Chelsea scented blood.
Shkodran Mustafi was redeployed to right-back and earned a booking for clattering Hazard, although the Belgium playmaker recovered sufficiently to orchestrate a flowing 32nd-minute move that ended with Cech unconvincingly spilling Pedro's attempt behind.
Bellerin's replacement Gabriel had a glorious chance to equalise before the break but could not keep his free header down and Courtois acrobatically clawed to safety.
Early in the second period, Laurent Koscielny made a vital challenge on Hazard as the last man but, shortly afterwards, the mercurial Belgian effortlessly shimmied past the France centre-back - having unceremoniously shrugged off Francis Coquelin – to score a stunning solo goal.
Wenger shuffled his pack to little effect – as if rearranging the deck chairs on a once-famous ocean liner – and an increasingly understaffed midfield appeared ever more to Hazard's liking.
His old protege Fabregas applied the final insult in the 85th minute and declined to celebrate. The midfielder was in a small majority as Stamford Bridge lapped up a famous triumph – Giroud offering the briefest punctuation to the party atmosphere.
An Eden Hazard-inspired Chelsea extended their lead at the Premier League summit with a dominant 3-1 win over title rivals Arsenal.Marcos Alonso gave Chelsea a 13th-minute lead, heading home the rebound when Diego Costa's header looped up off the crossbar.
The wing-back's robust challenge on Hector Bellerin that allowed him to score is likely to draw post-match rancour from Arsene Wenger, but the suspended Gunners manager could have no complaints when those alongside him in the stand were brought to their feet in the 53rd minute.Hazard made his mazy way from his own half to the edge of the Arsenal six-yard box to score the kind of goal that can come to define title triumphs.
Arsenal could muster little in the way of a response as they limply succumbed to a defeat more chastening than the one they dealt out to Antonio Conte's men in September, when the prospect of Wenger besting an elite opponent in the dugout briefly re-emerged.At Stamford Bridge, as substitute Cesc Fabregas collected Petr Cech's woeful clearance and lobbed into an unguarded net, it was nowhere to be seen.
By the time Olivier Giroud headed a stoppage-time consolation from Nacho Monreal's centre, the fact Liverpool can shave Chelsea's advantage to 10 points by beating Hull City later on Saturday felt of greater significance.
Chelsea's measured playing out from the back has been a feature of their transformation under Conte but goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and David Luiz passed their way into trouble in the second minute.Mesut Ozil intercepted and Alex Iwobi's low drive deflected agonisingly wide with Courtois beaten.
The hosts' first opening came from a set-piece when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain brought down Victor Moses and Gary Cahill headed into the turf and over.
Arsenal failed once more to deal with their opponents’ aerial threat when they fell behind.
Costa planted a header from Pedro's excellent right-wing cross against the crossbar and, with Cech peeling himself off the turf, an onrushing Alonso emphatically beat the stationary Bellerin to the rebound.
The groggy Spain right-back was substituted shortly afterwards after failing to recover and Costa fired into the side netting as Chelsea scented blood.
Shkodran Mustafi was redeployed to right-back and earned a booking for clattering Hazard, although the Belgium playmaker recovered sufficiently to orchestrate a flowing 32nd-minute move that ended with Cech unconvincingly spilling Pedro's attempt behind.
Bellerin's replacement Gabriel had a glorious chance to equalise before the break but could not keep his free header down and Courtois acrobatically clawed to safety.
Early in the second period, Laurent Koscielny made a vital challenge on Hazard as the last man but, shortly afterwards, the mercurial Belgian effortlessly shimmied past the France centre-back - having unceremoniously shrugged off Francis Coquelin – to score a stunning solo goal.
Wenger shuffled his pack to little effect – as if rearranging the deck chairs on a once-famous ocean liner – and an increasingly understaffed midfield appeared ever more to Hazard's liking.
His old protege Fabregas applied the final insult in the 85th minute and declined to celebrate. The midfielder was in a small majority as Stamford Bridge lapped up a famous triumph – Giroud offering the briefest punctuation to the party atmosphere.
'We have the resilience, I don't question that' - Arsenal boss Wenger defiant after Chelsea defeat
Arsene Wenger refused to question Arsenal's resilience despite their weak surrender at the hands of Chelsea on Saturday.
Wenger's men were beaten 3-1 at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea edged another step towards the Premier League title with a powerful performance which was simply too much for their London rivals to cope with.
Marcos Alonso put the hosts in front with a goal described by Wenger as "a 100 per cent foul" and "dangerous play" - the Spaniard towering above Hector Bellerin and making contact with his countryman's face to nod home - before a sublime Eden Hazard strike made it 2-0. Cesc Fabregas rubbed salt in the Arsenal wound with the third against his former club before Olivier Giroud netted a late consolation.
Wenger told Sky Sports: "We had the right attitude but our experienced players were not at their best. The team gave everything to the end but they lacked some maturity in the build-up.
"They [Chelsea] looked more powerful but that is the impression you get when your team tries to make 10 passes to be dangerous and the other team plays on the break."They have powerful players and their second goal typified it.
"We have the resilience, I don't question that. It's just that today everything went against us. I think on the first goal we made a tactical mistake and we were unlucky for the second, naive."Then we tried to come back but having five strikers on the pitch made us vulnerable to the counter attack.
"We have to accept it and prepare for the next one."The defeat leaves Arsenal 12 points behind Chelsea and Wenger was in no mood for discussing the Gunners' fading title chances, adding: "I wouldn't like to talk about that right now after that defeat.
"Chelsea are in a very strong position. They look solid, difficult to beat and we needed to be better today."They don't lose against the big teams and that is always the secret to win a championship."
Arsene Wenger refused to question Arsenal's resilience despite their weak surrender at the hands of Chelsea on Saturday.
Wenger's men were beaten 3-1 at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea edged another step towards the Premier League title with a powerful performance which was simply too much for their London rivals to cope with.
Marcos Alonso put the hosts in front with a goal described by Wenger as "a 100 per cent foul" and "dangerous play" - the Spaniard towering above Hector Bellerin and making contact with his countryman's face to nod home - before a sublime Eden Hazard strike made it 2-0. Cesc Fabregas rubbed salt in the Arsenal wound with the third against his former club before Olivier Giroud netted a late consolation.
Wenger told Sky Sports: "We had the right attitude but our experienced players were not at their best. The team gave everything to the end but they lacked some maturity in the build-up.
"They [Chelsea] looked more powerful but that is the impression you get when your team tries to make 10 passes to be dangerous and the other team plays on the break."They have powerful players and their second goal typified it.
"We have the resilience, I don't question that. It's just that today everything went against us. I think on the first goal we made a tactical mistake and we were unlucky for the second, naive."Then we tried to come back but having five strikers on the pitch made us vulnerable to the counter attack.
"We have to accept it and prepare for the next one."The defeat leaves Arsenal 12 points behind Chelsea and Wenger was in no mood for discussing the Gunners' fading title chances, adding: "I wouldn't like to talk about that right now after that defeat.
"Chelsea are in a very strong position. They look solid, difficult to beat and we needed to be better today."They don't lose against the big teams and that is always the secret to win a championship."
Bayern Munich 1-1 Schalke: Champions fail to make superiority count
Bayern Munich failed to take their chances against Schalke on Saturday and paid for their missed opportunities with a disappointing 1-1 draw.
The Bundesliga champions extended their lead at the top of the table to four points over RB Leipzig, who take on Borussia Dortmund later on Saturday, but will rue not securing a precious win nevertheless.
Robert Lewandowski had put the hosts ahead after good work by Arjen Robben freed Arturo Vidal to make the decisive pass to the striker, who dinked home with ease.
But Naldo equalised for Schalke just minutes later with a trademark fizzing strike past Manuel Neuer, with Bayern unable to break down the visitors' wall from then on.
Philipp Lahm came on for his 500th Bayern appearance late on, but his introduction from the bench - despite carrying a knee injury - was a sign of Carlo Ancelotti's growing desperation late in the game.
Though Schalke remain without a win in 13 games against Bayern, avoiding four defeats away from home for the first time in 17 years will boost the confidence of a side that remain in the bottom half of the table amid an inconsistent season under Markus Weinzierl.
Bayern were rewarded for a probing start when Lewandowski chipped over Ralf Fahrmann after Arturo Vidal's throughball bisected the Schalke defence.But the visitors' search for an equaliser was brief, Naldo slamming a 25-yard free-kick around the wall and beyond a grasping Manuel Neuer.
Schalke gave as good as they got, Sead Kolasinac smashing straight at Neuer before Juan Bernat did likewise at the other end.
Weinzierl's side were creating the better chances, Leon Goretzka slashed wide after touching past Rafinha smartly and the young midfielder saw another chance go begging as he delayed a shot one-on-one, allowing Bernat to recover and make a crucial tackle.
Guido Burgstaller hit the bar from Kolasinac's cut-back as Schalke stayed on top, but Lewandowski kept them on warning just before the break, also hitting the woodwork after shifting into space in the six-yard box.
Daniel Caligiuri was correctly denied a goal on his first Schalke start after touching home Nabil Bentaleb's shot as the visitors continued to threaten on the break and the Allianz Arena rose to salute Holger Badstuber just before the hour - the on-loan Bayern defender substituted on his Schalke debut.
Ancelotti was not pressed into changes until the 71st minute when Douglas Costa replaced Robben, and the sense of need was heightened when senior full-backs Lahm and Alaba replaced Rafinha and Bernat.
As well as Lahm, Xabi Alonso was another milestone man on his 100th Bayern appearance and he lashed over to prompt a late wave of chances for the hosts.
The best chance came for Javi Martinez, picked out by Alaba in the right channel, but the Spaniard dragged his shot wide to end Bayern's seven-game winning run and give Leipzig - four points off the pace - a sniff of top spot again.
Bayern Munich failed to take their chances against Schalke on Saturday and paid for their missed opportunities with a disappointing 1-1 draw.
The Bundesliga champions extended their lead at the top of the table to four points over RB Leipzig, who take on Borussia Dortmund later on Saturday, but will rue not securing a precious win nevertheless.
Robert Lewandowski had put the hosts ahead after good work by Arjen Robben freed Arturo Vidal to make the decisive pass to the striker, who dinked home with ease.
But Naldo equalised for Schalke just minutes later with a trademark fizzing strike past Manuel Neuer, with Bayern unable to break down the visitors' wall from then on.
Philipp Lahm came on for his 500th Bayern appearance late on, but his introduction from the bench - despite carrying a knee injury - was a sign of Carlo Ancelotti's growing desperation late in the game.
Though Schalke remain without a win in 13 games against Bayern, avoiding four defeats away from home for the first time in 17 years will boost the confidence of a side that remain in the bottom half of the table amid an inconsistent season under Markus Weinzierl.
Bayern were rewarded for a probing start when Lewandowski chipped over Ralf Fahrmann after Arturo Vidal's throughball bisected the Schalke defence.But the visitors' search for an equaliser was brief, Naldo slamming a 25-yard free-kick around the wall and beyond a grasping Manuel Neuer.
Schalke gave as good as they got, Sead Kolasinac smashing straight at Neuer before Juan Bernat did likewise at the other end.
Weinzierl's side were creating the better chances, Leon Goretzka slashed wide after touching past Rafinha smartly and the young midfielder saw another chance go begging as he delayed a shot one-on-one, allowing Bernat to recover and make a crucial tackle.
Guido Burgstaller hit the bar from Kolasinac's cut-back as Schalke stayed on top, but Lewandowski kept them on warning just before the break, also hitting the woodwork after shifting into space in the six-yard box.
Daniel Caligiuri was correctly denied a goal on his first Schalke start after touching home Nabil Bentaleb's shot as the visitors continued to threaten on the break and the Allianz Arena rose to salute Holger Badstuber just before the hour - the on-loan Bayern defender substituted on his Schalke debut.
Ancelotti was not pressed into changes until the 71st minute when Douglas Costa replaced Robben, and the sense of need was heightened when senior full-backs Lahm and Alaba replaced Rafinha and Bernat.
As well as Lahm, Xabi Alonso was another milestone man on his 100th Bayern appearance and he lashed over to prompt a late wave of chances for the hosts.
The best chance came for Javi Martinez, picked out by Alaba in the right channel, but the Spaniard dragged his shot wide to end Bayern's seven-game winning run and give Leipzig - four points off the pace - a sniff of top spot again.
Crystal Palace 0-4 Sunderland: Defoe at the double in big win for Moyes' men
Jermain Defoe scored twice inside two minutes as Sunderland secured a valuable three points with a 4-0 victory over fellow Premier League relegation candidates Crystal Palace.
Defoe's quickfire double in first-half stoppage time came as part of a sensational five-minute spell in which Sunderland struck three times and put the game beyond doubt to end a run of six winless top-flight matches.
The Black Cats join Palace on 19 points but remain bottom due to Hull City's surprise 2-0 victory over Liverpool, with former Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce failing to build on his first Premier League triumph in charge of the Eagles in midweek.
Allardyce named an unchanged line-up from Tuesday's 2-0 win at Bournemouth, but they fell behind to Lamine Kone's strike - though questions may be asked as to whether Billy Jones fouled Wayne Hennessey in the build-up.
Didier Ndong scored his first Sunderland goal with a brilliant 25-yard strike in the 43rd minute, before Defoe's brace prompted jeers from the Selhurst Park faithful with one fan running on to remonstrate with defender Damien Delaney.
David Moyes' team, who held title challengers Tottenham to a goalless draw in midweek, rested on their comfortable cushion in the second period, seeing out a confidence-boosting victory in which they matched the amount of goals scored in their previous nine away matches.
Palace came under early pressure and fell behind in controversial circumstances after 10 minutes.
Hennessey spilled the ball under a challenge from Jones which referee Andre Marriner did not deem a foul, and Kone reacted quickly by following up his initial header with a volley from the floor.
Palace found it difficult to break down Moyes' well-organised side and James Tomkins failed to make the most of a rare chance when he headed wide from inside the six-yard box.Yohan Cabaye was unable to run off a knock and was replaced by Joe Ledley in the 27th minute, and a loose touch from the Wales international was punished by Ndong when he rifled a brilliant 25-yard shot in off the right-hand post.
That kick-started a sensational end to the first half, with Defoe making an untracked run into the area and drilling a cool finish across Hennessey in the first minute of stoppage time.
The former England striker added his second two minutes later, latching onto Adnan Januzaj's excellent throughball before turning Tomkins and firing home to send Palace down the tunnel amid a chorus of boos.
Injuries to Jack Rodwell – who ended his remarkable run of 37 winless Premier League starts for the Black Cats – and John O'Shea enabled Darron Gibson and Joleon Lescott to make their Sunderland debuts shortly after the restart.
Palace's lacklustre attempts to try to reduce the deficit proved fruitless, Christian Benteke sending an overhead kick way off target in the 72nd minute.Januzaj arrowed an effort narrowly wide before injury saw him make way for Steven Pienaar.
Jason Denayer produced a brilliant goal-line clearance to stop Jason Puncheon's shot from the edge of the box, and Benteke shot narrowly wide, ensuring a fourth top-flight clean sheet of the season for Sunderland.For Palace, the afternoon ended with angry fans hurling abuse at their players as they left the field.
Jermain Defoe scored twice inside two minutes as Sunderland secured a valuable three points with a 4-0 victory over fellow Premier League relegation candidates Crystal Palace.
Defoe's quickfire double in first-half stoppage time came as part of a sensational five-minute spell in which Sunderland struck three times and put the game beyond doubt to end a run of six winless top-flight matches.
The Black Cats join Palace on 19 points but remain bottom due to Hull City's surprise 2-0 victory over Liverpool, with former Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce failing to build on his first Premier League triumph in charge of the Eagles in midweek.
Allardyce named an unchanged line-up from Tuesday's 2-0 win at Bournemouth, but they fell behind to Lamine Kone's strike - though questions may be asked as to whether Billy Jones fouled Wayne Hennessey in the build-up.
Didier Ndong scored his first Sunderland goal with a brilliant 25-yard strike in the 43rd minute, before Defoe's brace prompted jeers from the Selhurst Park faithful with one fan running on to remonstrate with defender Damien Delaney.
David Moyes' team, who held title challengers Tottenham to a goalless draw in midweek, rested on their comfortable cushion in the second period, seeing out a confidence-boosting victory in which they matched the amount of goals scored in their previous nine away matches.
Palace came under early pressure and fell behind in controversial circumstances after 10 minutes.
Hennessey spilled the ball under a challenge from Jones which referee Andre Marriner did not deem a foul, and Kone reacted quickly by following up his initial header with a volley from the floor.
Palace found it difficult to break down Moyes' well-organised side and James Tomkins failed to make the most of a rare chance when he headed wide from inside the six-yard box.Yohan Cabaye was unable to run off a knock and was replaced by Joe Ledley in the 27th minute, and a loose touch from the Wales international was punished by Ndong when he rifled a brilliant 25-yard shot in off the right-hand post.
That kick-started a sensational end to the first half, with Defoe making an untracked run into the area and drilling a cool finish across Hennessey in the first minute of stoppage time.
The former England striker added his second two minutes later, latching onto Adnan Januzaj's excellent throughball before turning Tomkins and firing home to send Palace down the tunnel amid a chorus of boos.
Injuries to Jack Rodwell – who ended his remarkable run of 37 winless Premier League starts for the Black Cats – and John O'Shea enabled Darron Gibson and Joleon Lescott to make their Sunderland debuts shortly after the restart.
Palace's lacklustre attempts to try to reduce the deficit proved fruitless, Christian Benteke sending an overhead kick way off target in the 72nd minute.Januzaj arrowed an effort narrowly wide before injury saw him make way for Steven Pienaar.
Jason Denayer produced a brilliant goal-line clearance to stop Jason Puncheon's shot from the edge of the box, and Benteke shot narrowly wide, ensuring a fourth top-flight clean sheet of the season for Sunderland.For Palace, the afternoon ended with angry fans hurling abuse at their players as they left the field.
Lukaku makes Premier League history with hat-trick
Romelu Lukaku has scored the 300th hat-trick in Premier League history in Everton's match against Bournemouth.Moments after the Belgian had secured his treble, he added a fourth goal to make it 5-2 to the rampant Toffees at Goodison Park.
The game also marks the first time Lukaku has scored four in a game in his professional career.Everton eventually ran out 6-3 winners in a frantic game at Goodison Park with James McCarthy and Ross Barkley also on target for the Toffees.
The win moves Ronald Koeman's men to within just two points of Manchester United in sixth.
Lukaku, meanwhile, now tops the Premier League top scorer charts with 16 goals ahead of Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa with 15.
Romelu Lukaku has scored the 300th hat-trick in Premier League history in Everton's match against Bournemouth.Moments after the Belgian had secured his treble, he added a fourth goal to make it 5-2 to the rampant Toffees at Goodison Park.
The game also marks the first time Lukaku has scored four in a game in his professional career.Everton eventually ran out 6-3 winners in a frantic game at Goodison Park with James McCarthy and Ross Barkley also on target for the Toffees.
The win moves Ronald Koeman's men to within just two points of Manchester United in sixth.
Lukaku, meanwhile, now tops the Premier League top scorer charts with 16 goals ahead of Alexis Sanchez and Diego Costa with 15.
Hull 2-0 Liverpool: Tigers leave Reds’ title hopes in tatters
Jurgen Klopp's 2017 went from bad to worse as Liverpool's 2-0 loss at Hull City was secured by a goal from Everton loanee Oumar Niasse.The Reds have endured a miserable recent run and their FA Cup victory over fourth-tier Plymouth Argyle remains their only win this year.
Even the return of the influential Sadio Mane to the starting line-up failed to inspire a revival, with Simon Mignolet again at fault for debutant Alfred N'Diaye's opener on the stroke of half-time.
The visitors, who did not register a shot on target in the first half, carried a greater threat after the interval, but saw Philippe Coutinho squander the best of their chances.
Having recorded a 5-1 win over Hull in September, the contrast in the fortunes of Klopp's side then and now was underlined by Niasse's 84th-minute goal – his first in the Premier League.For the Tigers, revitalised under Marco Silva, a fourth consecutive home win in all competitions has breathed new life into their flourishing survival bid.
Silva made five changes from the battling 0-0 draw against Manchester United, with Kamil Grosicki and Villarreal loanee N'Diaye coming in for maiden outings.The Portuguese had one alteration forced upon him as Michael Dawson limped out of the warm-up, with Andrea Ranocchia handed a full Premier League debut.
Mane – so often Liverpool's key creative force – was recalled, having been a substitute for the draw with Chelsea following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
N'Diaye had an early sight of goal but fluffed his lines to shoot tamely at Mignolet from the edge of the box.Fellow loanee Omar Elabdellaoui required treatment for a nasty facial injury after an unintentional elbow from James Milner, but returned apparently untroubled by the blow.
The hosts escaped unscathed from a moment of danger in the 21st minute, with Eldin Jakupovic and Harry Maguire getting in each other's way and the loose ball falling to Coutinho, whose effort deflected wide.
And on the stroke of half-time Silva's side had the lead, N'Diaye presented with the simplest of finishes after Mignolet failed to deal with Maguire's header.Jakupovic was finally tested soon after the restart and initially fumbled Emre Can's diving header, but gathered at the second attempt.
He was much more impressive in keeping out Mane's looping header as the visitors cranked up the pressure, though Abel Hernandez raced through at the other end and may have doubled the lead but for a heavy touch that favoured Mignolet.Hull were almost made to pay for that in the 66th minute when Coutinho was left with a free strike six yards out, but made a poor connection to slash well wide.
Klopp made two late changes as Divock Origi and Alberto Moreno were thrown into the mix, but within minutes Mane conceded possession high up the pitch to prompt a swift Tigers counter that ended with Niasse coolly slotting in the second.
Jordan Henderson's strike forced a stunning last-minute save from Jakupovic, denying Liverpool even a consolation on another miserable afternoon for the Merseysiders, whose title bid is now surely over.
Jurgen Klopp's 2017 went from bad to worse as Liverpool's 2-0 loss at Hull City was secured by a goal from Everton loanee Oumar Niasse.The Reds have endured a miserable recent run and their FA Cup victory over fourth-tier Plymouth Argyle remains their only win this year.
Even the return of the influential Sadio Mane to the starting line-up failed to inspire a revival, with Simon Mignolet again at fault for debutant Alfred N'Diaye's opener on the stroke of half-time.
The visitors, who did not register a shot on target in the first half, carried a greater threat after the interval, but saw Philippe Coutinho squander the best of their chances.
Having recorded a 5-1 win over Hull in September, the contrast in the fortunes of Klopp's side then and now was underlined by Niasse's 84th-minute goal – his first in the Premier League.For the Tigers, revitalised under Marco Silva, a fourth consecutive home win in all competitions has breathed new life into their flourishing survival bid.
Silva made five changes from the battling 0-0 draw against Manchester United, with Kamil Grosicki and Villarreal loanee N'Diaye coming in for maiden outings.The Portuguese had one alteration forced upon him as Michael Dawson limped out of the warm-up, with Andrea Ranocchia handed a full Premier League debut.
Mane – so often Liverpool's key creative force – was recalled, having been a substitute for the draw with Chelsea following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations.
N'Diaye had an early sight of goal but fluffed his lines to shoot tamely at Mignolet from the edge of the box.Fellow loanee Omar Elabdellaoui required treatment for a nasty facial injury after an unintentional elbow from James Milner, but returned apparently untroubled by the blow.
The hosts escaped unscathed from a moment of danger in the 21st minute, with Eldin Jakupovic and Harry Maguire getting in each other's way and the loose ball falling to Coutinho, whose effort deflected wide.
And on the stroke of half-time Silva's side had the lead, N'Diaye presented with the simplest of finishes after Mignolet failed to deal with Maguire's header.Jakupovic was finally tested soon after the restart and initially fumbled Emre Can's diving header, but gathered at the second attempt.
He was much more impressive in keeping out Mane's looping header as the visitors cranked up the pressure, though Abel Hernandez raced through at the other end and may have doubled the lead but for a heavy touch that favoured Mignolet.Hull were almost made to pay for that in the 66th minute when Coutinho was left with a free strike six yards out, but made a poor connection to slash well wide.
Klopp made two late changes as Divock Origi and Alberto Moreno were thrown into the mix, but within minutes Mane conceded possession high up the pitch to prompt a swift Tigers counter that ended with Niasse coolly slotting in the second.
Jordan Henderson's strike forced a stunning last-minute save from Jakupovic, denying Liverpool even a consolation on another miserable afternoon for the Merseysiders, whose title bid is now surely over.
Everton 6-3 Bournemouth: Lukaku nets four as Toffees survive visitors' fightback
Ronald Koeman marked his 100th game as a Premier League manager in style as Romelu Lukaku inspired Everton to a thrilling 6-3 victory over Bournemouth by scoring four times.
Eddie Howe's side inflicted Koeman's first league defeat as Everton boss back in September, and the dramatic 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium last term was typical of the Toffees' defensive woes under Roberto Martinez.
Bournemouth looked well beaten by half-time at Goodison Park, though, Lukaku having put the hosts ahead 30 seconds in before teeing up James McCarthy for his first goal of the season in the 23rd minute.
Simon Francis' calamitous error enabled Lukaku to double his tally with just under 30 minutes played, but Josh King's brace hauled Bournemouth back into proceedings after the interval.Yet Bournemouth's resilience was finally ended late on, Lukaku sealing his second hat-trick of the season before adding a fourth - and Everton's fifth - moments later.
Neither side were finished there, though, Harry Arter clawing one back for the visitors prior to Ross Barkley tucking in Everton's sixth in stoppage time to cap another remarkable meeting between the two sides.
McCarthy was one of three changes Koeman made from the draw at Stoke City, and he wasted no time in repaying his manager's faith as Everton raced ahead inside a minute.
Republic of Ireland midfielder McCarthy regained possession in combative fashion before finding Lukaku , who duly curled a sublime strike into the top-left corner - the joint-quickest goal in the Premier League this season.That goal set the tone for Everton, and they very nearly had a second soon after - full debutant Ademola Lookman dragging a strike wide after getting the better of Arter.
Everton did not have to wait too long to double their lead though, Lukaku turning provider in fortuitous circumstances as his pull back was bundled home by McCarthy .Bournemouth gifted Everton a third soon after - Lukaku pouncing upon Francis' wayward back-pass before dinking a delicate finish over the onrushing Artur Boruc.
Both goalkeepers were called into action prior to the interval, Boruc reacting sharply to deny Seamus Coleman before Joel Robles parried away Steve Cook's venomous strike.Robles was beaten after the restart, though - King nudging in after latching onto a fantastic Jack Wilshere pass.
McCarthy should have immediately restored Everton's three-goal cushion, but his hesitation allowed Boruc to make a fine save, with Lookman unable to finish on the follow-up.And Everton were made to pay for that miss when King hit home once more from point-blank range, setting up a manic final 20 minutes.
Arter brought a superb stop out of Robles as Bournemouth rallied, but it was Lukaku who all-but wrapped up the points when he sealed his hat-trick - the 300th in Premier League history - with a brilliant volley.Lukaku soon had his fourth, calmly slotting past Boruc after getting on the end of Barkley's pass.
Arter managed to snatch a third for Bournemouth as full-time approached, even though the ball had gone out of play in the build-up, though the final say belonged to Barkley when he raced through in the last minute of stoppage/
Ronald Koeman marked his 100th game as a Premier League manager in style as Romelu Lukaku inspired Everton to a thrilling 6-3 victory over Bournemouth by scoring four times.
Eddie Howe's side inflicted Koeman's first league defeat as Everton boss back in September, and the dramatic 3-3 draw at the Vitality Stadium last term was typical of the Toffees' defensive woes under Roberto Martinez.
Bournemouth looked well beaten by half-time at Goodison Park, though, Lukaku having put the hosts ahead 30 seconds in before teeing up James McCarthy for his first goal of the season in the 23rd minute.
Simon Francis' calamitous error enabled Lukaku to double his tally with just under 30 minutes played, but Josh King's brace hauled Bournemouth back into proceedings after the interval.Yet Bournemouth's resilience was finally ended late on, Lukaku sealing his second hat-trick of the season before adding a fourth - and Everton's fifth - moments later.
Neither side were finished there, though, Harry Arter clawing one back for the visitors prior to Ross Barkley tucking in Everton's sixth in stoppage time to cap another remarkable meeting between the two sides.
McCarthy was one of three changes Koeman made from the draw at Stoke City, and he wasted no time in repaying his manager's faith as Everton raced ahead inside a minute.
Republic of Ireland midfielder McCarthy regained possession in combative fashion before finding Lukaku , who duly curled a sublime strike into the top-left corner - the joint-quickest goal in the Premier League this season.That goal set the tone for Everton, and they very nearly had a second soon after - full debutant Ademola Lookman dragging a strike wide after getting the better of Arter.
Everton did not have to wait too long to double their lead though, Lukaku turning provider in fortuitous circumstances as his pull back was bundled home by McCarthy .Bournemouth gifted Everton a third soon after - Lukaku pouncing upon Francis' wayward back-pass before dinking a delicate finish over the onrushing Artur Boruc.
Both goalkeepers were called into action prior to the interval, Boruc reacting sharply to deny Seamus Coleman before Joel Robles parried away Steve Cook's venomous strike.Robles was beaten after the restart, though - King nudging in after latching onto a fantastic Jack Wilshere pass.
McCarthy should have immediately restored Everton's three-goal cushion, but his hesitation allowed Boruc to make a fine save, with Lookman unable to finish on the follow-up.And Everton were made to pay for that miss when King hit home once more from point-blank range, setting up a manic final 20 minutes.
Arter brought a superb stop out of Robles as Bournemouth rallied, but it was Lukaku who all-but wrapped up the points when he sealed his hat-trick - the 300th in Premier League history - with a brilliant volley.Lukaku soon had his fourth, calmly slotting past Boruc after getting on the end of Barkley's pass.
Arter managed to snatch a third for Bournemouth as full-time approached, even though the ball had gone out of play in the build-up, though the final say belonged to Barkley when he raced through in the last minute of stoppage/
Smalling warns Manchester United not to underestimate Leicester
Chris Smalling feels Leicester City are stronger than their place in the Premier League table suggests and has warned his Manchester United team-mates not to underestimate the reigning champions.
Leicester find themselves battling against relegation this term after their surprise title win in 2015-16, but Smalling is not taking Claudio Ranieri's men lightly.
"Yes, I am surprised with where Leicester are right now," Smalling told the official United website ahead of Sunday's encounter."And I think a lot of people are. Whether they were going to be challenging for the title again or not, I would expect them to be higher than they are.
"But I do not think we can forget their qualities which made them the champions, the current champions, so I think we need to be more wary of their potential threats and what they did last year rather than the situation they find themselves in now."
Jamie Vardy remains Leicester's main attacking threat, even if the England international has found it hard to replicate last year's form as well, and Smalling has acknowledged the striker can cause him trouble.
"Whether or not Jamie is on a roll of scoring however many goals last season, I think he is someone who will always give his all for the team and no matter their situation or how many goals he has scored, he will not let it rest," Smalling added."You know that when you have got the ball, you will have a few seconds less than you would in the majority of games."
Barcelona 3-0 Athletic Club: Messi helps to close the gap on Madrid
Paco Alcacer ended his long wait for a La Liga goal as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday.The Spain international marked a rare start with his first top-flight goal in 11 appearances for the champions before Lionel Messi's free-kick and an Aleix Vidal strike settled matters against Ernesto Valverde's side.
Barca were fortunate to escape with a point from their last league outing against Real Betis and they were caused plenty of problems early on by a hard-working Athletic side, although Alcacer's well-taken finish in the 18th minute sapped some of their early confidence.
The visitors, who handed a start to Yeray Alvarez for the first time since his successful cancer surgery in December, missed a couple of good chances to get back into the match before Messi's free-kick flummoxed goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and effectively ended the game as a contest.
Vidal's scuffed finish made it 3-0 with a little over 20 minutes to play to cap an important win for the champions, who move back to within a point of leaders Real Madrid, having played two games more.
Barca were even able to take off Messi with just over an hour played, allowing him extra rest ahead of the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid next week, but Luis Enrique will have been concerned at losing Gerard Pique to an adductor problem and Rafinha to a nasty head injury with games against Atletico, Alaves and Paris Saint-Germain to come in the next 10 days.
There were chances at both ends within the opening three minutes, Neymar fluffing his lines after a slip from Oscar de Marcos before Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen got a faint touch to tip Raul Garcia's low shot from close range onto the base of the post.
Jeremy Mathieu almost picked out Alcacer, starting in place of the rested Luis Suarez, but Athletic should have taken the lead moments later when Inaki Williams headed wide after being picked out unmarked near the penalty spot.
That miss was duly punished on 18 minutes as Alcacer at last got off the mark. Neymar collected Rafinha's pass and, having burst beyond De Marcos and into the area, Alcacer expertly steered his cut back into the bottom-left corner.
Athletic continued to cause problems for Barca's defence with their high-pressing game and Ter Stegen was forced into a smart low save to deny Williams after a strong run from the left, but a far more inglorious piece of goalkeeping gifted the hosts their second before the break.Messi whipped a free-kick goalwards from a tight angle to the right of the area, and Iraizoz, attempting to palm the ball away, succeeded only in deflecting it off the turf and into the roof of the net.
Neymar, who had been promised a tough 90 minutes by De Marcos this week, continued to look the most dangerous player on the pitch and he almost bagged a third before the break after gliding into the area from the left before slotting the ball narrowly wide of the far post.
Rafinha came close with a header just after the restart but his match came to an end soon after, the Brazilian replaced by Ivan Rakitic after suffering a serious-looking cut to his head following an accidental collision with Ter Stegen.
Athletic continued to see a lot of the ball without showing any real cutting edge in attack, and their defeat was made certain on 67 minutes, with Vidal hitting a rather scuffed half-volley into Iraizoz's bottom-right corner from just inside the area after he had boldly nudged Neymar out of the way.
Paco Alcacer ended his long wait for a La Liga goal as Barcelona beat Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at Camp Nou on Saturday.The Spain international marked a rare start with his first top-flight goal in 11 appearances for the champions before Lionel Messi's free-kick and an Aleix Vidal strike settled matters against Ernesto Valverde's side.
Barca were fortunate to escape with a point from their last league outing against Real Betis and they were caused plenty of problems early on by a hard-working Athletic side, although Alcacer's well-taken finish in the 18th minute sapped some of their early confidence.
The visitors, who handed a start to Yeray Alvarez for the first time since his successful cancer surgery in December, missed a couple of good chances to get back into the match before Messi's free-kick flummoxed goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz and effectively ended the game as a contest.
Vidal's scuffed finish made it 3-0 with a little over 20 minutes to play to cap an important win for the champions, who move back to within a point of leaders Real Madrid, having played two games more.
Barca were even able to take off Messi with just over an hour played, allowing him extra rest ahead of the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final against Atletico Madrid next week, but Luis Enrique will have been concerned at losing Gerard Pique to an adductor problem and Rafinha to a nasty head injury with games against Atletico, Alaves and Paris Saint-Germain to come in the next 10 days.
There were chances at both ends within the opening three minutes, Neymar fluffing his lines after a slip from Oscar de Marcos before Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen got a faint touch to tip Raul Garcia's low shot from close range onto the base of the post.
Jeremy Mathieu almost picked out Alcacer, starting in place of the rested Luis Suarez, but Athletic should have taken the lead moments later when Inaki Williams headed wide after being picked out unmarked near the penalty spot.
That miss was duly punished on 18 minutes as Alcacer at last got off the mark. Neymar collected Rafinha's pass and, having burst beyond De Marcos and into the area, Alcacer expertly steered his cut back into the bottom-left corner.
Athletic continued to cause problems for Barca's defence with their high-pressing game and Ter Stegen was forced into a smart low save to deny Williams after a strong run from the left, but a far more inglorious piece of goalkeeping gifted the hosts their second before the break.Messi whipped a free-kick goalwards from a tight angle to the right of the area, and Iraizoz, attempting to palm the ball away, succeeded only in deflecting it off the turf and into the roof of the net.
Neymar, who had been promised a tough 90 minutes by De Marcos this week, continued to look the most dangerous player on the pitch and he almost bagged a third before the break after gliding into the area from the left before slotting the ball narrowly wide of the far post.
Rafinha came close with a header just after the restart but his match came to an end soon after, the Brazilian replaced by Ivan Rakitic after suffering a serious-looking cut to his head following an accidental collision with Ter Stegen.
Athletic continued to see a lot of the ball without showing any real cutting edge in attack, and their defeat was made certain on 67 minutes, with Vidal hitting a rather scuffed half-volley into Iraizoz's bottom-right corner from just inside the area after he had boldly nudged Neymar out of the way.
Monaco 3-0 Nice: Falcao double keeps Jardim's men top
Radamel Falcao scored a double to help Monaco strike a big blow in the Ligue 1 title race with a 3-0 win over Nice in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at the Stade Louis II.
Valere Germain - who spent last season on loan at Nice - opened the scoring early in the second half with a strong header from close range, before Falcao's brace sealed a vital win.
Both sides went into the game level on 49 points - with Monaco holding the edge on goal difference - after Bernardo Silva salvaged a point for Leonardo Jardim's men against holders Paris Saint-Germain last week with his stoppage-time equaliser.
It was all Monaco in the opening 45 minutes and Silva came close to opening the scoring on two occasions, goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale thwarting the Portugal international each time.
There was no denying the leaders after the break, though, as Germain and Falcao struck to make amends for the 4-0 defeat from the reverse fixture back in September.Monaco's victory puts them at least temporarily six points clear of PSG, who face Dijon later on Saturday.
The hosts started the game with attacking intentions and had their first chance when Dante failed to properly clear Benjamin Mendy's cross from the left in the 10th minute, Silva picking up the loose ball on the edge of the area and forcing Cardinale into a low save.
A poor ball from Malang Sarr allowed Falcao to set up Silva on the right-hand side of the area, but Cardinale again pulled off a fine stop.
Nice struggled to make much of an impact going forward as Monaco did well to keep Mario Balotelli quiet, with Valentin Eysseric's wayward opportunistic volley from outside the box the visitors' only noteworthy attempt in the opening 45 minutes.
Monaco got the goal they deserved in the 47th minute as Mendy sent in a pinpoint left-wing cross after yet another impressive run and the unmarked Germain had little trouble beating Cardinale from close range with a sublime header.Things went from bad to worse for Nice from then on and Falcao doubled Monaco's lead on the hour mark.
Mendy was once more at the heart of it with a fine low delivery and the Colombia international fired home from just yards out for his 13th league goal of the season.
There was still more to come from the home side, though, and Falcao piled even more misery on Nice in the 81st minute when he beat Cardinale with a composed finish into the bottom-right corner after being set up by Thomas Lemar for Monaco's 100th goal of the season in all competitions.
Nice almost added a consolation late on as Valentin Eysseric struck the post, but the season's surprise package will now have to regroup after seeing their title aspirations suffer a significant blow.
Radamel Falcao scored a double to help Monaco strike a big blow in the Ligue 1 title race with a 3-0 win over Nice in Saturday's top-of-the-table clash at the Stade Louis II.
Valere Germain - who spent last season on loan at Nice - opened the scoring early in the second half with a strong header from close range, before Falcao's brace sealed a vital win.
Both sides went into the game level on 49 points - with Monaco holding the edge on goal difference - after Bernardo Silva salvaged a point for Leonardo Jardim's men against holders Paris Saint-Germain last week with his stoppage-time equaliser.
It was all Monaco in the opening 45 minutes and Silva came close to opening the scoring on two occasions, goalkeeper Yoan Cardinale thwarting the Portugal international each time.
There was no denying the leaders after the break, though, as Germain and Falcao struck to make amends for the 4-0 defeat from the reverse fixture back in September.Monaco's victory puts them at least temporarily six points clear of PSG, who face Dijon later on Saturday.
The hosts started the game with attacking intentions and had their first chance when Dante failed to properly clear Benjamin Mendy's cross from the left in the 10th minute, Silva picking up the loose ball on the edge of the area and forcing Cardinale into a low save.
A poor ball from Malang Sarr allowed Falcao to set up Silva on the right-hand side of the area, but Cardinale again pulled off a fine stop.
Nice struggled to make much of an impact going forward as Monaco did well to keep Mario Balotelli quiet, with Valentin Eysseric's wayward opportunistic volley from outside the box the visitors' only noteworthy attempt in the opening 45 minutes.
Monaco got the goal they deserved in the 47th minute as Mendy sent in a pinpoint left-wing cross after yet another impressive run and the unmarked Germain had little trouble beating Cardinale from close range with a sublime header.Things went from bad to worse for Nice from then on and Falcao doubled Monaco's lead on the hour mark.
Mendy was once more at the heart of it with a fine low delivery and the Colombia international fired home from just yards out for his 13th league goal of the season.
There was still more to come from the home side, though, and Falcao piled even more misery on Nice in the 81st minute when he beat Cardinale with a composed finish into the bottom-right corner after being set up by Thomas Lemar for Monaco's 100th goal of the season in all competitions.
Nice almost added a consolation late on as Valentin Eysseric struck the post, but the season's surprise package will now have to regroup after seeing their title aspirations suffer a significant blow.
Atletico Madrid 2-0 Leganes: Torres brace stretches unbeaten La Liga run
Fernando Torres rolled back the years with a fine two-goal display on Saturday as Atletico Madrid cruised past struggling Leganes 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon.
Diego Simeone picked Torres from the start for only the fifth time in LaLiga this season and that decision paid off, as the Spaniard put in a strong performance leading the line and gave Leganes problems throughout.
Torres made his Atletico debut against Leganes in May 2001 so it was fitting that the fans' favourite was crucial for the opening goal – converting the rebound after Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty won by the former Liverpool star.Proceedings turned somewhat tepid for the remainder of the first period, but Atletico returned after the break with renewed focus and doubled their lead shortly after, with Torres again silencing the visitors.
Leganes rallied and did craft a couple of good chances in the final 30 minutes, though Atletico were able to see the win out with minimal fuss, ending a four-match winless run across all competitions and closing to within three points of third-place Sevilla ahead of their hosting of Villarreal on Sunday.
Torres was one to benefit from Simeone's rotating after Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg defeat to Barcelona and the experienced striker looked sharp early on.
Atletico's first chance fell to the 32-year-old in the second minute, as he raced on to Griezmann's pass over Leganes' high defence and sent an audacious chip just wide of the left-hand post.
Torres was decisive upon his next venture forward, though, as he lured Dimitrios Sivas into a foul in the area with a clever touch and then stabbed home from close range after Griezmann's spot-kick was kept out by Iago Herrerin.
Atletico struggled to build on that goal and Leganes looked more comfortable as the half progressed.But they had trouble testing Atletico goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya, with Victor Diaz's 20-yard drive into the side-netting just before the break the closest they went.
There was a better tempo to proceedings at the start of the second half and Atletico made the most of that by doubling their lead after 51 minutes.
Half-time substitute Angel Correa had made a difference and he was at the centre of things for the goal, feeding Torres into the box with a fine pass and the striker applied a lovely, dinked finish beyond the approaching Herrerin.
Leganes went close to pulling one back twice in the 68th minute - debutant Alberto Bueno first seeing his 16-yard effort deflected just wide by Diego Godin, before Diaz diverted the resulting corner towards goal and forced Moya into a good save down to his left.
Correa almost scored the brilliant goal that his second-half display deserved when seeing a stinging left-footed drive go just wide, but that miss mattered not, as Atletico comfortably saw things out.
Fernando Torres rolled back the years with a fine two-goal display on Saturday as Atletico Madrid cruised past struggling Leganes 2-0 at the Vicente Calderon.
Diego Simeone picked Torres from the start for only the fifth time in LaLiga this season and that decision paid off, as the Spaniard put in a strong performance leading the line and gave Leganes problems throughout.
Torres made his Atletico debut against Leganes in May 2001 so it was fitting that the fans' favourite was crucial for the opening goal – converting the rebound after Antoine Griezmann missed a penalty won by the former Liverpool star.Proceedings turned somewhat tepid for the remainder of the first period, but Atletico returned after the break with renewed focus and doubled their lead shortly after, with Torres again silencing the visitors.
Leganes rallied and did craft a couple of good chances in the final 30 minutes, though Atletico were able to see the win out with minimal fuss, ending a four-match winless run across all competitions and closing to within three points of third-place Sevilla ahead of their hosting of Villarreal on Sunday.
Torres was one to benefit from Simeone's rotating after Wednesday's Copa del Rey semi-final first-leg defeat to Barcelona and the experienced striker looked sharp early on.
Atletico's first chance fell to the 32-year-old in the second minute, as he raced on to Griezmann's pass over Leganes' high defence and sent an audacious chip just wide of the left-hand post.
Torres was decisive upon his next venture forward, though, as he lured Dimitrios Sivas into a foul in the area with a clever touch and then stabbed home from close range after Griezmann's spot-kick was kept out by Iago Herrerin.
Atletico struggled to build on that goal and Leganes looked more comfortable as the half progressed.But they had trouble testing Atletico goalkeeper Miguel Angel Moya, with Victor Diaz's 20-yard drive into the side-netting just before the break the closest they went.
There was a better tempo to proceedings at the start of the second half and Atletico made the most of that by doubling their lead after 51 minutes.
Half-time substitute Angel Correa had made a difference and he was at the centre of things for the goal, feeding Torres into the box with a fine pass and the striker applied a lovely, dinked finish beyond the approaching Herrerin.
Leganes went close to pulling one back twice in the 68th minute - debutant Alberto Bueno first seeing his 16-yard effort deflected just wide by Diego Godin, before Diaz diverted the resulting corner towards goal and forced Moya into a good save down to his left.
Correa almost scored the brilliant goal that his second-half display deserved when seeing a stinging left-footed drive go just wide, but that miss mattered not, as Atletico comfortably saw things out.
Tottenham 1-0 Middlesbrough: Spot-on Kane cuts gap to Chelsea
Tottenham overcame a stubborn Middlesbrough side 1-0 on Saturday to record their first Premier League victory in three matches and cut the gap to leaders Chelsea to nine points.
It was Bernardo's charitable contribution that undid Middlesbrough's worthy cause early in the second half at White Hart Lane, the defender giving away a penalty that Harry Kane gratefully scored.
One goal proved to be all that was needed to get the job done, with the toothless visitors ill-equipped to trouble fit-again Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Marten de Roon - scorer of a late equaliser in the dramatic 1-1 draw away to Manchester City in November - dragged Boro's best chance wide in injury time.
The victory sees second-placed Spurs, who had drawn at Sunderland and Manchester City in their previous two leagues outings, stay nine points behind Chelsea, the runaway leaders having briefly extended their advantage thanks to a dominant 3-1 win at home to Arsenal in the early kick-off.
Mauricio Pochettino's team will now focus on their trip to spluttering Liverpool on Saturday, while Middlesbrough remain just one point outside the relegation zone, with a home game against Everton coming up next weekend.
A hectic start to the game produced chances at both ends, Alvaro Negredo heading over the bar in the fourth minute after Adama Traore did well to get past Toby Alderweireld and swing a dangerous cross into the area.
Tottenham responded by pouring forward, Dele Alli finding Son Heung-min in space and the South Korea international drawing a smart save from Victor Valdes.
Ben Davies then sent an inviting delivery across the face of goal that Kane could not get to and Alli shot narrowly wide of the near post from Christian Eriksen's clever pass, as Spurs laid siege to the Middlesbrough goal in a four-minute spell.
Valdes, though, was fortunate the match officials did not spot his confrontation with Alli, the Spanish goalkeeper appearing to raise his hands to the face of the England midfielder.The visitors successfully weathered that early storm and it took until the 25th minute for Tottenham to trouble them again, when Alderweireld met Eriksen's corner to head against the post.
With 10 minutes remaining in the half, Kane headed just over from a Son cross after some lovely football in the build-up, including a one-touch Alli pass to free the former Bayer Leverkusen man down the left.
The onslaught continued in the second half and Spurs were finally rewarded for their persistence in the 58th minute. Bernardo felled Son inside the area, leaving it for Kane to stroke home the opener from the spot. Spurs enjoyed chances to extend their lead, Eriksen and Son - who caused Calum Chambers continual problems down Tottenham's left flank - both calling Valdes into action.
Despite Aitor Karanka throwing on Patrick Bamford with 11 minutes to go, Middlesbrough continued to toil without reward in the Tottenham half, De Roon dragging a good chance wide in injury time to sum up his team's attacking travails.
Tottenham overcame a stubborn Middlesbrough side 1-0 on Saturday to record their first Premier League victory in three matches and cut the gap to leaders Chelsea to nine points.
It was Bernardo's charitable contribution that undid Middlesbrough's worthy cause early in the second half at White Hart Lane, the defender giving away a penalty that Harry Kane gratefully scored.
One goal proved to be all that was needed to get the job done, with the toothless visitors ill-equipped to trouble fit-again Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Marten de Roon - scorer of a late equaliser in the dramatic 1-1 draw away to Manchester City in November - dragged Boro's best chance wide in injury time.
The victory sees second-placed Spurs, who had drawn at Sunderland and Manchester City in their previous two leagues outings, stay nine points behind Chelsea, the runaway leaders having briefly extended their advantage thanks to a dominant 3-1 win at home to Arsenal in the early kick-off.
Mauricio Pochettino's team will now focus on their trip to spluttering Liverpool on Saturday, while Middlesbrough remain just one point outside the relegation zone, with a home game against Everton coming up next weekend.
A hectic start to the game produced chances at both ends, Alvaro Negredo heading over the bar in the fourth minute after Adama Traore did well to get past Toby Alderweireld and swing a dangerous cross into the area.
Tottenham responded by pouring forward, Dele Alli finding Son Heung-min in space and the South Korea international drawing a smart save from Victor Valdes.
Ben Davies then sent an inviting delivery across the face of goal that Kane could not get to and Alli shot narrowly wide of the near post from Christian Eriksen's clever pass, as Spurs laid siege to the Middlesbrough goal in a four-minute spell.
Valdes, though, was fortunate the match officials did not spot his confrontation with Alli, the Spanish goalkeeper appearing to raise his hands to the face of the England midfielder.The visitors successfully weathered that early storm and it took until the 25th minute for Tottenham to trouble them again, when Alderweireld met Eriksen's corner to head against the post.
With 10 minutes remaining in the half, Kane headed just over from a Son cross after some lovely football in the build-up, including a one-touch Alli pass to free the former Bayer Leverkusen man down the left.
The onslaught continued in the second half and Spurs were finally rewarded for their persistence in the 58th minute. Bernardo felled Son inside the area, leaving it for Kane to stroke home the opener from the spot. Spurs enjoyed chances to extend their lead, Eriksen and Son - who caused Calum Chambers continual problems down Tottenham's left flank - both calling Valdes into action.
Despite Aitor Karanka throwing on Patrick Bamford with 11 minutes to go, Middlesbrough continued to toil without reward in the Tottenham half, De Roon dragging a good chance wide in injury time to sum up his team's attacking travails.
Borussia Dortmund 1-0 RB Leipzig: Aubameyang silences talk of future with winner
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winner as Borussia Dortmund boosted their Champions League qualification hopes with a 1-0 home Bundesliga victory over RB Leipzig.
Leipzig came into the match knowing a victory would move them to within one point of leaders Bayern Munich after the champions' surprise draw with Schalke earlier on Saturday, but instead the gap has increased to four over the weekend.Dortmund move up to third in the table, above Hoffenheim on goal difference and within eight points of Ralph Hasenhuttl's side above them.
Leipzig were greeted by negative banners attacking their ownership at Signal Iduna Park and their day did not get better when Aubameyang ended a two-match league spell without a goal by netting with a first-half header to move onto 17 league goals this season.
Thomas Tuchel had called for focus from his forward ahead of the game after he had publicly discussed transfer speculation and got the response he was looking for as the Gabon international's strike proved decisive.
Leipzig's away form is becoming a huge concern to their hopes of keeping pace with Bayern – they have lost three straight top-flight matches on the road - although they can count themselves unlucky that substitute Federico Palacios-Martinez's injury-time strike was ruled out after he strayed marginally offside.
Leipzig were without key players Timo Werner, Emil Forsberg and Marcel Sabitzer, but still threatened first when Willi Orban sent a header straight at Roman Burki after being found by Rani Khedira, one of the visitors' three changes.
Dortmund responded when Ousmane Dembele – in as one of Tuchel's three alterations – showed superb pace down the right and crossed for Aubameyang, who headed over.
That duo combined again in the 35th minute and this time there was no mistake with the finish, Dembele cruising past defenders Marvin Compper and Orban before his cross took out goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi to leave Aubameyang with a simple task to head in from inside the six-yard box.
Dortmund wasted a glorious chance to double their lead early in the second half when Aubameyang led a rapid counterattack and fed Reus, but the Germany international scuffed a left-footed finish wide with only Gulacsi to beat.Another opportunity went begging when Aubameyang raced clear after Reus had turned creator, the league's top scorer working half a yard of space away from Compper before sending a poor finish straight at Gulacsi.
Dortmund suffered a major blow when the impressive Dembele pulled up with an injury on the hour mark, Christian Pulisic replacing him.
The hosts' profligacy continued when Reus fired another excellent chance wide after Lukasz Piszczek produced a clever throughball on his 250th club appearance.Reus then failed to beat Gulacsi with yet another opportunity from close range before Leipzig's Dayotchanculle Upamecano somehow cleared substitute Matthias Ginter's effort off the line.
Leipzig failed to force Burki into a single second-half save, but almost grabbed a stoppage-time leveller when Palacios-Martinez found the bottom corner, only for the assistant to correctly flag for offside as Dortmund held out for a deserved victory that extended their unbeaten home league run to 30 games.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the winner as Borussia Dortmund boosted their Champions League qualification hopes with a 1-0 home Bundesliga victory over RB Leipzig.
Leipzig came into the match knowing a victory would move them to within one point of leaders Bayern Munich after the champions' surprise draw with Schalke earlier on Saturday, but instead the gap has increased to four over the weekend.Dortmund move up to third in the table, above Hoffenheim on goal difference and within eight points of Ralph Hasenhuttl's side above them.
Leipzig were greeted by negative banners attacking their ownership at Signal Iduna Park and their day did not get better when Aubameyang ended a two-match league spell without a goal by netting with a first-half header to move onto 17 league goals this season.
Thomas Tuchel had called for focus from his forward ahead of the game after he had publicly discussed transfer speculation and got the response he was looking for as the Gabon international's strike proved decisive.
Leipzig's away form is becoming a huge concern to their hopes of keeping pace with Bayern – they have lost three straight top-flight matches on the road - although they can count themselves unlucky that substitute Federico Palacios-Martinez's injury-time strike was ruled out after he strayed marginally offside.
Leipzig were without key players Timo Werner, Emil Forsberg and Marcel Sabitzer, but still threatened first when Willi Orban sent a header straight at Roman Burki after being found by Rani Khedira, one of the visitors' three changes.
Dortmund responded when Ousmane Dembele – in as one of Tuchel's three alterations – showed superb pace down the right and crossed for Aubameyang, who headed over.
That duo combined again in the 35th minute and this time there was no mistake with the finish, Dembele cruising past defenders Marvin Compper and Orban before his cross took out goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi to leave Aubameyang with a simple task to head in from inside the six-yard box.
Dortmund wasted a glorious chance to double their lead early in the second half when Aubameyang led a rapid counterattack and fed Reus, but the Germany international scuffed a left-footed finish wide with only Gulacsi to beat.Another opportunity went begging when Aubameyang raced clear after Reus had turned creator, the league's top scorer working half a yard of space away from Compper before sending a poor finish straight at Gulacsi.
Dortmund suffered a major blow when the impressive Dembele pulled up with an injury on the hour mark, Christian Pulisic replacing him.
The hosts' profligacy continued when Reus fired another excellent chance wide after Lukasz Piszczek produced a clever throughball on his 250th club appearance.Reus then failed to beat Gulacsi with yet another opportunity from close range before Leipzig's Dayotchanculle Upamecano somehow cleared substitute Matthias Ginter's effort off the line.
Leipzig failed to force Burki into a single second-half save, but almost grabbed a stoppage-time leveller when Palacios-Martinez found the bottom corner, only for the assistant to correctly flag for offside as Dortmund held out for a deserved victory that extended their unbeaten home league run to 30 games.
Dijon 1-3 Paris Saint-Germain: Thiago Silva gets champions out of jail
Late goals from Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani helped Paris Saint-Germain respond to Ligue 1 leaders Monaco's win at Nice with an unconvincing 3-1 victory at Dijon.
Monaco had struck a significant blow in the title race as they followed up Sunday's draw at PSG with a comfortable 3-0 win over surprise package Nice.That put the onus firmly on the defending champions, but Unai Emery's men looked unlikely to keep pace with their rivals at the Stade Gaston Gerard.
Dijon, who went into the game just two points above the relegation zone, seemed to relish their task and had the better of the early going, until Lucas Moura fired PSG ahead in the 29th minute.
But PSG's joy was short-lived as they paid the price for conceding possession inside their own half, Julio Tavares slamming home a 31st-minute equaliser.
Dijon looked to have seen off the second-half pressure from PSG, but Silva and Cavani each struck in the final 10 minutes to keep the capital club within three points of Monaco.
There was a scare inside the first 10 seconds for PSG as Serge Aurier's weak defensive header forced Alphonse Areola to race off his line and prevent Lois Diony from having a chance to put Dijon ahead.
PSG did not learn from that near-miss and only the woodwork prevented Marvin Martin from opening the scoring, his swerving strike hitting the left-hand upright after Layvin Kurzawa had dawdled on the ball.
The visitors' first opening saw them have a penalty appeal waved away, Cavani's first touch upon collecting Marquinhos' pass was poor and, though he was sent tumbling under the challenge of goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet, referee Amaury Delerue was unmoved.
Cavani had the ball in the net shortly after, only to be denied by the assistant's offside flag.Dijon's defence was breached just before the half-hour mark, though, as they failed to deal with a right-wing cross from Serge Aurier.
Fouad Chafik did brilliantly to clear Lucas' initial effort off the line after the ball had fallen to the Brazil winger, who made no mistake with the rebound and lashed PSG ahead.
But parity was restored just two minutes later. Adrien Rabiot was robbed of possession by Pierre Lees-Melou and he laid the ball off for Tavares to curl beyond Areola.
Thiago Motta had a chance to re-establish PSG's advantage in the 42nd minute, however, Kurzawa's left-wing cross came at an awkward height and he volleyed wide.PSG started the second half on the front foot and Julian Draxler saw a curling effort deflected over the bar.
Another blocked Draxler effort was clawed away by Reynet, but PSG looked to be running out of ideas and the Dijon goalkeeper barely had to work to keep out Blaise Matuidi's drive from the edge of the area.
However, captain Silva bundled home from point-blank range nine minutes from time after Reynet had tipped Motta's header onto the post before Cavani flicked home Goncalo Guedes' drive following neat build-up play from Draxler and Hatem Ben Arfa.
Late goals from Thiago Silva and Edinson Cavani helped Paris Saint-Germain respond to Ligue 1 leaders Monaco's win at Nice with an unconvincing 3-1 victory at Dijon.
Monaco had struck a significant blow in the title race as they followed up Sunday's draw at PSG with a comfortable 3-0 win over surprise package Nice.That put the onus firmly on the defending champions, but Unai Emery's men looked unlikely to keep pace with their rivals at the Stade Gaston Gerard.
Dijon, who went into the game just two points above the relegation zone, seemed to relish their task and had the better of the early going, until Lucas Moura fired PSG ahead in the 29th minute.
But PSG's joy was short-lived as they paid the price for conceding possession inside their own half, Julio Tavares slamming home a 31st-minute equaliser.
Dijon looked to have seen off the second-half pressure from PSG, but Silva and Cavani each struck in the final 10 minutes to keep the capital club within three points of Monaco.
There was a scare inside the first 10 seconds for PSG as Serge Aurier's weak defensive header forced Alphonse Areola to race off his line and prevent Lois Diony from having a chance to put Dijon ahead.
PSG did not learn from that near-miss and only the woodwork prevented Marvin Martin from opening the scoring, his swerving strike hitting the left-hand upright after Layvin Kurzawa had dawdled on the ball.
The visitors' first opening saw them have a penalty appeal waved away, Cavani's first touch upon collecting Marquinhos' pass was poor and, though he was sent tumbling under the challenge of goalkeeper Baptiste Reynet, referee Amaury Delerue was unmoved.
Cavani had the ball in the net shortly after, only to be denied by the assistant's offside flag.Dijon's defence was breached just before the half-hour mark, though, as they failed to deal with a right-wing cross from Serge Aurier.
Fouad Chafik did brilliantly to clear Lucas' initial effort off the line after the ball had fallen to the Brazil winger, who made no mistake with the rebound and lashed PSG ahead.
But parity was restored just two minutes later. Adrien Rabiot was robbed of possession by Pierre Lees-Melou and he laid the ball off for Tavares to curl beyond Areola.
Thiago Motta had a chance to re-establish PSG's advantage in the 42nd minute, however, Kurzawa's left-wing cross came at an awkward height and he volleyed wide.PSG started the second half on the front foot and Julian Draxler saw a curling effort deflected over the bar.
Another blocked Draxler effort was clawed away by Reynet, but PSG looked to be running out of ideas and the Dijon goalkeeper barely had to work to keep out Blaise Matuidi's drive from the edge of the area.
However, captain Silva bundled home from point-blank range nine minutes from time after Reynet had tipped Motta's header onto the post before Cavani flicked home Goncalo Guedes' drive following neat build-up play from Draxler and Hatem Ben Arfa.
CONFIRMED: Real Madrid match against Celta postponed due to storm damage
Real Madrid's La Liga match against Celta Vigo on Sunday has been postponed due to damage caused to the underdogs' stadium by a heavy storm.On Friday, the fixture between Deportivo La Coruna and Real Betis was called off because of the strong winds across the northwest region of Spain.
The storm has damaged Celta's Balaidos stadium, affecting the area reserved for away fans, leading to inspections from the city's local council on Saturday morning and the mayor of Vigo saying "the game needs to be postponed".La Liga confirmed the postponement on Saturday night and said that the exact date for the fixture to be played is yet to be decided.
"Following a report from the city of Vigo, the organisation believes that Balaidos Stadium is not safe for spectators and players to attend on Sunday, February 5," a statement released on its website said.
"Therefore, having received this information, La Liga and the Real Club Celta have transferred this report to the Spanish FA (RFEF)."La Liga will propose possible dates to the clubs and broadcasters, and the president of the RFEF will decide on the matter."
Madrid are one point clear of Barcelona and have a four-point cushion to Sevilla, although the latter could close the gap if they defeat Villarreal on Sunday.The scrapping of the Celta-Real Madrid fixture will deprive Cristiano Ronaldo of the chance to score on his 32nd birthday.
Real Madrid's La Liga match against Celta Vigo on Sunday has been postponed due to damage caused to the underdogs' stadium by a heavy storm.On Friday, the fixture between Deportivo La Coruna and Real Betis was called off because of the strong winds across the northwest region of Spain.
The storm has damaged Celta's Balaidos stadium, affecting the area reserved for away fans, leading to inspections from the city's local council on Saturday morning and the mayor of Vigo saying "the game needs to be postponed".La Liga confirmed the postponement on Saturday night and said that the exact date for the fixture to be played is yet to be decided.
"Following a report from the city of Vigo, the organisation believes that Balaidos Stadium is not safe for spectators and players to attend on Sunday, February 5," a statement released on its website said.
"Therefore, having received this information, La Liga and the Real Club Celta have transferred this report to the Spanish FA (RFEF)."La Liga will propose possible dates to the clubs and broadcasters, and the president of the RFEF will decide on the matter."
Madrid are one point clear of Barcelona and have a four-point cushion to Sevilla, although the latter could close the gap if they defeat Villarreal on Sunday.The scrapping of the Celta-Real Madrid fixture will deprive Cristiano Ronaldo of the chance to score on his 32nd birthday.
