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..::Football IV::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
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LA Liga Fixtures 2017.04.09
LA Liga Fixtures 2017.04.09
Granada Vs Valencia
Celta Vigo Vs Eibar
Osasuna Vs Leganes
Las Palmas Vs Real Betis
Granada Vs Valencia
Celta Vigo Vs Eibar
Osasuna Vs Leganes
Las Palmas Vs Real Betis
Serie A Fixtures 2017.04.09
Serie A Fixtures 2017.04.09
Sampdoria Vs Fiorentina
AC Milan Vs Palermo
Bologna Vs Roma
Cagliari Vs Torino
Crotone Vs Inter
Udinese Vs Genoa
Lazio Vs Napoli
Sampdoria Vs Fiorentina
AC Milan Vs Palermo
Bologna Vs Roma
Cagliari Vs Torino
Crotone Vs Inter
Udinese Vs Genoa
Lazio Vs Napoli
Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.04.09
Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.04.09
Hertha Berlin Vs Augsburg
Ingolstadt Vs Darmstadt
Full Time
Sunderland 0 Vs 3 Manchester United
Manchester United Goal(s)
Z.Ibrahimovic 30'
H.Mkhitaryan 46'
M.Rashford 89'
Manchester United Goal(s)
Z.Ibrahimovic 30'
H.Mkhitaryan 46'
M.Rashford 89'
Sunderland 0 Manchester United 3: Ibrahimovic, Mkhitaryan keep top-four chase alive
Manchester United kept their hopes of a Premier League top-four finish alive with a routine 3-0 win over 10-man Sunderland on Sunday.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 28th goal of the season set the visitors on course at the Stadium of Light before Henrikh Mkhitaryan doubled the lead after Sebastian Larsson's red card.
Jose Mourinho made one or two surprising choices in his starting line-up, with Luke Shaw involved despite public criticism from his manager in the past week and Sergio Romero replacing the injured David de Gea in goal.
United nonetheless controlled things from the off against a home side with just five league wins all season and took the lead after 30 minutes through a brilliant Ibrahimovic strike.
Larsson was controversially dismissed for a tackle on Ander Herrera and United made their extra advantage count early in the second half, as Mkhitaryan struck to kill the game before Marcus Rashford had the final say late on.
United are back to within four points of fourth-place Manchester City, having played a game less, and now turn their attentions to a Europa League quarter-final first leg against Anderlecht on Thursday.
David Moyes' side remain 10 points adrift of safety at the foot of the table, though, and are looking almost certain to drop into the Championship with eight games remaining.
Jesse Lingard, fresh from signing a new contract worth a reported £100,000 a week, tested Jordan Pickford with an unchallenged strike from 20 yards as United dominated the opening exchanges.
The visitors seemed happy to play at a pedestrian pace and Sunderland began to grow in confidence, with Bryan Oviedo and Lee Cattermole both shooting straight at Romero from outside the area.
A good run and shot from Lingard forced Pickford into a strong one-handed save but the young goalkeeper was helpless when Ibrahimovic suddenly came to life on the half-hour mark.
Collecting Herrera's pass on the edge of the area, he twisted into space before blasting a low strike across goal and into the bottom-right corner.
Romero made a fine block to prevent Victor Anichebe equalising but matters went from bad to worse for Sunderland two minutes before the interval, with Larsson shown a straight red card for a lunging challenge that caught Ander Herrera on the shin.
Larsson remonstrated furiously with referee Craig Pawson and the fourth official and Sunderland appeared to still be thinking about the controversial decision when United doubled their lead a minute after the break.
The visitors worked possession forward from kick-off until Mkhitaryan collected Shaw's pass, strode into the penalty area from the left and fired low across goal and into the bottom corner, all before any Sunderland player had touched the ball.
Paul Pogba volleyed over from close range after good work from Ibrahimovic as Mourinho began to make some changes to his side, including Daley Blind for Shaw, who got what looked to be an encouraging embrace from his manager as he left the pitch.
Substitute Rashford added gloss to the scoreline in the 89th minute with his first league goal since September, collecting Ibrahimovic's throughball before drilling low across Pickford from 12 yards, as United inflicted further misery on their former boss.
AC Milan 4 Palermo 0: First-half blitz helps Rossoneri leapfrog Inter
AC Milan scored three first-half goals on their way to a 4-0 home victory over 10-man Palermo that moves them above Inter in the table just one week before the derby.
The Rossoneri sent a message to the sides above them in Serie A with a fluent attacking display and some clinical finishing, albeit against a Palermo side teetering on the brink of relegation.
Suso was at the heart of much of Milan's best work and he opened the scoring before turning provider for Mario Pasalic to add a second, and Carlos Bacca headed home to make it 3-0.
The pick of the goals came from Gerard Deulofeu and if both he and Suso can maintain fitness and this kind of form, Milan will have every chance of furthering their European qualification hopes by beating Inter on Saturday.
Second-bottom Palermo have now lost six of their last seven and while they have seven more games to try and avoid the drop, they will need to tighten up a defence that looked porous from the start at San Siro.
Keen to make amends following their disappointing 1-1 draw at Pescara, Milan wasted little time and Deulofeu's searing pace took him through on goal after five minutes but he was brought down by Edoardo Goldaniga.
Suso, back in the Milan side after missing their previous two games with a thigh injury, took the ensuing free-kick and ignored his team-mates awaiting a cross, instead curling the ball into the net at the near post with remarkable precision.
When the Spaniard found himself with time and space in the same position at the edge of the box 13 minutes later he opted to cross, deftly floating the ball to the far post where Pasalic bundled it into the net from close range.
Ivaylo Chochev had a header saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma in a rare Palermo attack, but Milan were in no mood to sit back, and Bacca stooped to head home his 13th league goal of the campaign from Davide Calabria's cross after 37 minutes.
Bacca should have scored his second when Juraj Kucka's exquisite pass down the right flank put him clean through after 54 minutes, but the Colombian fired wide with only Andrea Fulignati to beat.
Palermo pushed forward, playing with an urgency befitting of their desperate plight and substitute Roland Sallai flashed a shot wide after 66 minutes. But their attempts to salvage a goal left them exposed and vulnerable to conceding a fourth, which duly arrived after 70 minutes.Deulofeu, whose incisive runs had made him a handful for Palermo all afternoon, embarked on a mazy dribble down the left flank and he still had Sinisa Andjelkovic and Chochev to beat when he bent a shot that beat them both as well as Fulignati.
Giancarlo Gonzalez was sent off for a second bookable offence after 83 minutes and a suspended defender is the last thing coach Diego Lopez needs as he attempts to keep Palermo up in the final weeks of the season.
AC Milan scored three first-half goals on their way to a 4-0 home victory over 10-man Palermo that moves them above Inter in the table just one week before the derby.
The Rossoneri sent a message to the sides above them in Serie A with a fluent attacking display and some clinical finishing, albeit against a Palermo side teetering on the brink of relegation.
Suso was at the heart of much of Milan's best work and he opened the scoring before turning provider for Mario Pasalic to add a second, and Carlos Bacca headed home to make it 3-0.
The pick of the goals came from Gerard Deulofeu and if both he and Suso can maintain fitness and this kind of form, Milan will have every chance of furthering their European qualification hopes by beating Inter on Saturday.
Second-bottom Palermo have now lost six of their last seven and while they have seven more games to try and avoid the drop, they will need to tighten up a defence that looked porous from the start at San Siro.
Keen to make amends following their disappointing 1-1 draw at Pescara, Milan wasted little time and Deulofeu's searing pace took him through on goal after five minutes but he was brought down by Edoardo Goldaniga.
Suso, back in the Milan side after missing their previous two games with a thigh injury, took the ensuing free-kick and ignored his team-mates awaiting a cross, instead curling the ball into the net at the near post with remarkable precision.
When the Spaniard found himself with time and space in the same position at the edge of the box 13 minutes later he opted to cross, deftly floating the ball to the far post where Pasalic bundled it into the net from close range.
Ivaylo Chochev had a header saved by Gianluigi Donnarumma in a rare Palermo attack, but Milan were in no mood to sit back, and Bacca stooped to head home his 13th league goal of the campaign from Davide Calabria's cross after 37 minutes.
Bacca should have scored his second when Juraj Kucka's exquisite pass down the right flank put him clean through after 54 minutes, but the Colombian fired wide with only Andrea Fulignati to beat.
Palermo pushed forward, playing with an urgency befitting of their desperate plight and substitute Roland Sallai flashed a shot wide after 66 minutes. But their attempts to salvage a goal left them exposed and vulnerable to conceding a fourth, which duly arrived after 70 minutes.Deulofeu, whose incisive runs had made him a handful for Palermo all afternoon, embarked on a mazy dribble down the left flank and he still had Sinisa Andjelkovic and Chochev to beat when he bent a shot that beat them both as well as Fulignati.
Giancarlo Gonzalez was sent off for a second bookable offence after 83 minutes and a suspended defender is the last thing coach Diego Lopez needs as he attempts to keep Palermo up in the final weeks of the season.
Crotone 2 Inter 1: Falcinelli double downs disappointing Nerazzurri
Diego Falcinelli netted twice to help Crotone to a 2-1 shock win over Inter at the Ezio Scida and revive their chances of Serie A survival while dealing a hammer blow to the Nerazzurri's hopes of Champions League qualification.
Falcinelli opened the scoring in the 18th minute when he converted a penalty, before doubling his tally just minutes later with a delicate finish, with Danilo D'Ambrosio's goal in the second half eventually proving only a consolation for Inter.
Inter had collected just one point from their previous two games but could afford to be confident of victory this time around having won 3-0 in the reverse fixture back in November.
However the disappointing performance in Calabria keeps them nine points adrift of third-placed Napoli, who face Lazio later on Sunday.Crotone ended their eight-game winless streak by beating Chievo last week, and their second straight success moves Davide Nicola's men within three points safety with seven games left.
Crotone started the match the better of the two sides and went close to opening the scoring after just two minutes, Aleandro Rosi latching onto Falcinelli’s throughball only to be denied by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
The home side continued to impress early on and they eventually got their goal in the 18th minute. Referee Marco Guida pointed to the spot after Gary Medel handled the ball inside his own area and Falcinelli found the bottom-left corner from 12 yards.
It was all Crotone in the opening stages and Falcinelli made it two in the 22nd minute with a superb finish, chipping the ball over Handanovic from a difficult angle after being sent clean through on goal by Marcello Trotta.
Marcus Rohden nearly made it three in the closing stages of the first half following a good move down the left, but the midfielder was unfortunate to see his powerful shot cleared off the line by Miranda.Inter somewhat improved after the break and Ivan Perisic almost pulled one back in the 58th minute, blasting a volley narrowly wide of the goal after beating his marker to a cross from the right.
And the Nerazzurri did find a way back into the game when D'Ambrosio tapped home from close range midway through the second half after Geoffrey Kondogbia had headed Ever Banega's corner into his path.
Stefano Pioli's men pushed hard for an equaliser and they were unfortunate not to salvage a draw when Eder hit the upright with a low shot from outside the box as Crotone clung on for a vital win.
Diego Falcinelli netted twice to help Crotone to a 2-1 shock win over Inter at the Ezio Scida and revive their chances of Serie A survival while dealing a hammer blow to the Nerazzurri's hopes of Champions League qualification.
Falcinelli opened the scoring in the 18th minute when he converted a penalty, before doubling his tally just minutes later with a delicate finish, with Danilo D'Ambrosio's goal in the second half eventually proving only a consolation for Inter.
Inter had collected just one point from their previous two games but could afford to be confident of victory this time around having won 3-0 in the reverse fixture back in November.
However the disappointing performance in Calabria keeps them nine points adrift of third-placed Napoli, who face Lazio later on Sunday.Crotone ended their eight-game winless streak by beating Chievo last week, and their second straight success moves Davide Nicola's men within three points safety with seven games left.
Crotone started the match the better of the two sides and went close to opening the scoring after just two minutes, Aleandro Rosi latching onto Falcinelli’s throughball only to be denied by goalkeeper Samir Handanovic.
The home side continued to impress early on and they eventually got their goal in the 18th minute. Referee Marco Guida pointed to the spot after Gary Medel handled the ball inside his own area and Falcinelli found the bottom-left corner from 12 yards.
It was all Crotone in the opening stages and Falcinelli made it two in the 22nd minute with a superb finish, chipping the ball over Handanovic from a difficult angle after being sent clean through on goal by Marcello Trotta.
Marcus Rohden nearly made it three in the closing stages of the first half following a good move down the left, but the midfielder was unfortunate to see his powerful shot cleared off the line by Miranda.Inter somewhat improved after the break and Ivan Perisic almost pulled one back in the 58th minute, blasting a volley narrowly wide of the goal after beating his marker to a cross from the right.
And the Nerazzurri did find a way back into the game when D'Ambrosio tapped home from close range midway through the second half after Geoffrey Kondogbia had headed Ever Banega's corner into his path.
Stefano Pioli's men pushed hard for an equaliser and they were unfortunate not to salvage a draw when Eder hit the upright with a low shot from outside the box as Crotone clung on for a vital win.
Bologna 0 Roma 3: Dzeko helps keep Juventus in sight
Edin Dzeko produced a goal and an assist as Roma kept pace with Serie A leaders Juventus by comfortably overcoming Bologna 3-0 at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
Dzeko added to first-half strikes from Federico Fazio and Mohamed Salah as Luciano Spalletti's side moved six points adrift of Juventus, who had temporarily extended their lead at the summit by beating Chievo 2-0 on Saturday.
It was far from a routine victory for Roma, however, as they laboured in the second half before Dzeko's 24th goal of the Serie A campaign secured all three points 15 minutes from time.
Roberto Donadoni's team began strongly but found themselves behind when Stephan El Shaarawy's corner fell for Fazio to lash a fierce first-time finish into the back of the net.
Salah doubled Roma's advantage four minutes before half-time, holding off Adam Masina to loop Dzeko's deft flick in behind over the top of onrushing Bologna goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.
The hosts had opportunities to get back into the game early in the second half, but neither Blerim Dzemaili nor Daniele Gastaldello could guide their headers beyond Wojciech Szczesny.
It proved costly for Bolgona, who shipped a third when Salah released Diego Perotti and the Argentine squared for Dzeko to slot home a simple finish that secured a sixth successive win in all competitions.
Edin Dzeko produced a goal and an assist as Roma kept pace with Serie A leaders Juventus by comfortably overcoming Bologna 3-0 at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
Dzeko added to first-half strikes from Federico Fazio and Mohamed Salah as Luciano Spalletti's side moved six points adrift of Juventus, who had temporarily extended their lead at the summit by beating Chievo 2-0 on Saturday.
It was far from a routine victory for Roma, however, as they laboured in the second half before Dzeko's 24th goal of the Serie A campaign secured all three points 15 minutes from time.
Roberto Donadoni's team began strongly but found themselves behind when Stephan El Shaarawy's corner fell for Fazio to lash a fierce first-time finish into the back of the net.
Salah doubled Roma's advantage four minutes before half-time, holding off Adam Masina to loop Dzeko's deft flick in behind over the top of onrushing Bologna goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.
The hosts had opportunities to get back into the game early in the second half, but neither Blerim Dzemaili nor Daniele Gastaldello could guide their headers beyond Wojciech Szczesny.
It proved costly for Bolgona, who shipped a third when Salah released Diego Perotti and the Argentine squared for Dzeko to slot home a simple finish that secured a sixth successive win in all competitions.
Edin Dzeko produced a goal and an assist as Roma kept pace with Serie A leaders Juventus by comfortably overcoming Bologna 3-0 at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
Dzeko added to first-half strikes from Federico Fazio and Mohamed Salah as Luciano Spalletti's side moved six points adrift of Juventus, who had temporarily extended their lead at the summit by beating Chievo 2-0 on Saturday.
It was far from a routine victory for Roma, however, as they laboured in the second half before Dzeko's 24th goal of the Serie A campaign secured all three points 15 minutes from time.
Roberto Donadoni's team began strongly but found themselves behind when Stephan El Shaarawy's corner fell for Fazio to lash a fierce first-time finish into the back of the net.
Salah doubled Roma's advantage four minutes before half-time, holding off Adam Masina to loop Dzeko's deft flick in behind over the top of onrushing Bologna goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.
The hosts had opportunities to get back into the game early in the second half, but neither Blerim Dzemaili nor Daniele Gastaldello could guide their headers beyond Wojciech Szczesny.
It proved costly for Bolgona, who shipped a third when Salah released Diego Perotti and the Argentine squared for Dzeko to slot home a simple finish that secured a sixth successive win in all competitions.
Edin Dzeko produced a goal and an assist as Roma kept pace with Serie A leaders Juventus by comfortably overcoming Bologna 3-0 at the Stadio Renato Dall'Ara.
Dzeko added to first-half strikes from Federico Fazio and Mohamed Salah as Luciano Spalletti's side moved six points adrift of Juventus, who had temporarily extended their lead at the summit by beating Chievo 2-0 on Saturday.
It was far from a routine victory for Roma, however, as they laboured in the second half before Dzeko's 24th goal of the Serie A campaign secured all three points 15 minutes from time.
Roberto Donadoni's team began strongly but found themselves behind when Stephan El Shaarawy's corner fell for Fazio to lash a fierce first-time finish into the back of the net.
Salah doubled Roma's advantage four minutes before half-time, holding off Adam Masina to loop Dzeko's deft flick in behind over the top of onrushing Bologna goalkeeper Antonio Mirante.
The hosts had opportunities to get back into the game early in the second half, but neither Blerim Dzemaili nor Daniele Gastaldello could guide their headers beyond Wojciech Szczesny.
It proved costly for Bolgona, who shipped a third when Salah released Diego Perotti and the Argentine squared for Dzeko to slot home a simple finish that secured a sixth successive win in all competitions.
Everton 4 Leicester City 2: Lukaku double settles classic clash
Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Everton beat Leicester City 4-2 in an enthralling Premier League clash to keep their faint hopes of Champions League qualification alive.An unbelievable first half started with Tom Davies netting after just 30 seconds, the joint-fastest Premier League goal this season.
But goals from Islam Slimani and Marc Albrighton ensured Leicester, who made five changes ahead of their huge Champions League quarter-final away to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, were ahead by the time the match reached the 10-minute mark.Everton fought back, though, Lukaku heading in midway through the half to score for a seventh consecutive home league game.
Another aerial effort, this time from Phil Jagielka, had Ronald Koeman's men in front at half time, before Lukaku's 23rd top-flight goal of the season sealed victory after the break.
Everton had only collected one point from crucial away matches with Liverpool and Manchester United coming into the game, but have now won seven home league fixtures in a row.
Koeman's men move level on points with sixth-placed Arsenal – who have played three games fewer – and seven behind Manchester City in fourth, while Leicester stay 11th after manager Craig Shakespeare's six-match winning streak since taking charge came to an end.In a stunning start, Davies scored to celebrate signing a new contract with the club earlier this week.
Kevin Mirallas was the creator, surging past Daniel Amartey and Yohan Benalouane before being brought down on the edge of the area, with Davies making the most of the referee's advantage to take one touch and stab a left-footed finish inside Kasper Schmeichel's near post.
But Leicester were level in the fourth minute, Demarai Gray embarking on a magnificent run on the counter-attack from midway inside his own half and ultimately feeding Slimani to slot a cool finish through the legs of Joel Robles.
The visitors completed a remarkable turnaround inside 10 minutes after Jamie Vardy was fouled by Matthew Pennington, who started in place of suspended centre-back Ashley Williams. Joel and the home defence anticipated a cross and were caught out when Albrighton, who may not have meant it, whipped his free-kick into the top corner from an acute angle.
Joel got down to make a key save from Gray and an extraordinary game then took another twist when Ross Barkley's superb right-wing cross perfectly found Lukaku to guide in a header from six yards.
Mirallas and Robert Huth went head to head and earned bookings in a flashpoint caused by the Leicester defender's foul on the Belgium international, before Everton moved back in front in the 41st minute.After Schmeichel raced out to deny Barkley one on one, defender Jagielka rose to head in the resulting corner - delivered by Mirallas - from close range.
Lukaku extended Everton's advantage 12 minutes into the second half. Barkley's corner deflected off Jagielka and Andy King, allowing the striker to fire home a right-footed finish at the far post and extend his lead over Harry Kane in the Golden Boot race to four.
Leicester introduced Riyad Mahrez, Ahmed Musa and Leonardo Ulloa from the bench but failed to test Joel in the second half until the keeper parried the Argentine's header in the closing minutes, with the Atletico match and the next chapter of the Foxes' remarkable story now awaiting them.
Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Everton beat Leicester City 4-2 in an enthralling Premier League clash to keep their faint hopes of Champions League qualification alive.An unbelievable first half started with Tom Davies netting after just 30 seconds, the joint-fastest Premier League goal this season.
But goals from Islam Slimani and Marc Albrighton ensured Leicester, who made five changes ahead of their huge Champions League quarter-final away to Atletico Madrid on Wednesday, were ahead by the time the match reached the 10-minute mark.Everton fought back, though, Lukaku heading in midway through the half to score for a seventh consecutive home league game.
Another aerial effort, this time from Phil Jagielka, had Ronald Koeman's men in front at half time, before Lukaku's 23rd top-flight goal of the season sealed victory after the break.
Everton had only collected one point from crucial away matches with Liverpool and Manchester United coming into the game, but have now won seven home league fixtures in a row.
Koeman's men move level on points with sixth-placed Arsenal – who have played three games fewer – and seven behind Manchester City in fourth, while Leicester stay 11th after manager Craig Shakespeare's six-match winning streak since taking charge came to an end.In a stunning start, Davies scored to celebrate signing a new contract with the club earlier this week.
Kevin Mirallas was the creator, surging past Daniel Amartey and Yohan Benalouane before being brought down on the edge of the area, with Davies making the most of the referee's advantage to take one touch and stab a left-footed finish inside Kasper Schmeichel's near post.
But Leicester were level in the fourth minute, Demarai Gray embarking on a magnificent run on the counter-attack from midway inside his own half and ultimately feeding Slimani to slot a cool finish through the legs of Joel Robles.
The visitors completed a remarkable turnaround inside 10 minutes after Jamie Vardy was fouled by Matthew Pennington, who started in place of suspended centre-back Ashley Williams. Joel and the home defence anticipated a cross and were caught out when Albrighton, who may not have meant it, whipped his free-kick into the top corner from an acute angle.
Joel got down to make a key save from Gray and an extraordinary game then took another twist when Ross Barkley's superb right-wing cross perfectly found Lukaku to guide in a header from six yards.
Mirallas and Robert Huth went head to head and earned bookings in a flashpoint caused by the Leicester defender's foul on the Belgium international, before Everton moved back in front in the 41st minute.After Schmeichel raced out to deny Barkley one on one, defender Jagielka rose to head in the resulting corner - delivered by Mirallas - from close range.
Lukaku extended Everton's advantage 12 minutes into the second half. Barkley's corner deflected off Jagielka and Andy King, allowing the striker to fire home a right-footed finish at the far post and extend his lead over Harry Kane in the Golden Boot race to four.
Leicester introduced Riyad Mahrez, Ahmed Musa and Leonardo Ulloa from the bench but failed to test Joel in the second half until the keeper parried the Argentine's header in the closing minutes, with the Atletico match and the next chapter of the Foxes' remarkable story now awaiting them.
Shaw was solid and made no mistakes - Mourinho
Jose Mourinho was delighted with Luke Shaw's performance in Manchester United's 3-0 Premier League victory at Sunderland on Sunday.
The full-back was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up and set up Henrikh Mkhitaryan's goal in what proved to be a routine win over the league's bottom club, who had Sebastian Larsson sent off in the first half.
Shaw has been criticised on more than one occasion by Mourinho this season and the United boss claimed after the 1-1 draw with Everton that the 21-year-old had been playing with "his body and my brain".
Mourinho embraced Shaw and appeared to give him words of encouragement after replacing him with Daley Blind just past the hour mark, and the Portuguese said afterwards that the ex-Southampton man played well.
"I took Shaw off because of the yellow card and the pressure from the crowd," he told BBC Sport. "It was good to protect him but was also good for him to play one hour with a good solid performance and no mistakes, so I'm really pleased for him."
United were without goalkeeper David de Gea, who has a minor hip problem, but Mourinho felt it was a good opportunity for Sergio Romero to play before he lines up against Anderlecht in the Europa League on Thursday.The former Chelsea boss hopes to have as many players as fresh as possible ahead of that trip to Belgium as United look to secure a commanding first-leg advantage.
"[De Gea] has a problem with his hip. When he dives he feels it a little bit. It's good for him to have a rest," Mourinho explained."It's good for Sergio Romero to play before Brussels. De Gea will probably be fit for Chelsea [next Sunday] - yes, if he's in good condition.
"Before the match against Rostov we played with 10 men for about an hour.Today was the opposite thing. We played with one more for a long time. Hopefully the plane is at the airport and we can go back to Manchester and rest."We want to fight in the Premier League until it is mathematically impossible. The Premier League we cannot win, but Europa League we can.
"We had lots of players that were not here and the most important thing after the three points was to have no more injuries. Only [Antonio] Valencia is the one I really expect to recover and play the next match."
Jose Mourinho was delighted with Luke Shaw's performance in Manchester United's 3-0 Premier League victory at Sunderland on Sunday.
The full-back was a surprise inclusion in the starting line-up and set up Henrikh Mkhitaryan's goal in what proved to be a routine win over the league's bottom club, who had Sebastian Larsson sent off in the first half.
Shaw has been criticised on more than one occasion by Mourinho this season and the United boss claimed after the 1-1 draw with Everton that the 21-year-old had been playing with "his body and my brain".
Mourinho embraced Shaw and appeared to give him words of encouragement after replacing him with Daley Blind just past the hour mark, and the Portuguese said afterwards that the ex-Southampton man played well.
"I took Shaw off because of the yellow card and the pressure from the crowd," he told BBC Sport. "It was good to protect him but was also good for him to play one hour with a good solid performance and no mistakes, so I'm really pleased for him."
United were without goalkeeper David de Gea, who has a minor hip problem, but Mourinho felt it was a good opportunity for Sergio Romero to play before he lines up against Anderlecht in the Europa League on Thursday.The former Chelsea boss hopes to have as many players as fresh as possible ahead of that trip to Belgium as United look to secure a commanding first-leg advantage.
"[De Gea] has a problem with his hip. When he dives he feels it a little bit. It's good for him to have a rest," Mourinho explained."It's good for Sergio Romero to play before Brussels. De Gea will probably be fit for Chelsea [next Sunday] - yes, if he's in good condition.
"Before the match against Rostov we played with 10 men for about an hour.Today was the opposite thing. We played with one more for a long time. Hopefully the plane is at the airport and we can go back to Manchester and rest."We want to fight in the Premier League until it is mathematically impossible. The Premier League we cannot win, but Europa League we can.
"We had lots of players that were not here and the most important thing after the three points was to have no more injuries. Only [Antonio] Valencia is the one I really expect to recover and play the next match."
Man Utd needed Ibrahimovic to break Sunderland - Mourinho
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Manchester United's inspiration as they swept aside 10-man Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, manager Jose Mourinho said.
Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with his 28th goal of the season by arrowing home a brilliant strike and the Swede later set up Marcus Rashford to cap a 3-0 Premier League victory.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan also on target early in the second half as United extended their unbeaten run to 21 games in the top flight.
Mourinho felt the magic provided by Ibrahimovic - who has hit nine goals in his last eight Premier League appearances away from home - helped his side get on course for a good result before Sebastian Larsson's red card made Sunderland's task even tougher."It was open at 0-0," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "We were in control without danger.
"We were playing quite compact and solid. You need these players to break it. Every team has a couple of them. Zlatan did that. "We felt the game was in our pocket. In this beautiful weather the game was played at a more slow intensity."
Mourinho felt it was important for United to collect all three points after the Premier League's top four all won on Saturday, admitting that a first-half goal was vital in giving them control against their "sad" opposition."The result was good," Mourinho said. "We resisted the results of yesterday when Manchester City and Liverpool won, they left us in a position of 'yes' or 'no'. It was 'yes'.
"We got three points and it was a solid display. It was against a team that is sad, it's normal. Against a team that is sad, if you score before then it's difficult for them to react."You could feel the negative feeling around the team. That is felt with a team close to relegation."
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was Manchester United's inspiration as they swept aside 10-man Sunderland at the Stadium of Light, manager Jose Mourinho said.
Ibrahimovic opened the scoring with his 28th goal of the season by arrowing home a brilliant strike and the Swede later set up Marcus Rashford to cap a 3-0 Premier League victory.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan also on target early in the second half as United extended their unbeaten run to 21 games in the top flight.
Mourinho felt the magic provided by Ibrahimovic - who has hit nine goals in his last eight Premier League appearances away from home - helped his side get on course for a good result before Sebastian Larsson's red card made Sunderland's task even tougher."It was open at 0-0," Mourinho told Sky Sports. "We were in control without danger.
"We were playing quite compact and solid. You need these players to break it. Every team has a couple of them. Zlatan did that. "We felt the game was in our pocket. In this beautiful weather the game was played at a more slow intensity."
Mourinho felt it was important for United to collect all three points after the Premier League's top four all won on Saturday, admitting that a first-half goal was vital in giving them control against their "sad" opposition."The result was good," Mourinho said. "We resisted the results of yesterday when Manchester City and Liverpool won, they left us in a position of 'yes' or 'no'. It was 'yes'.
"We got three points and it was a solid display. It was against a team that is sad, it's normal. Against a team that is sad, if you score before then it's difficult for them to react."You could feel the negative feeling around the team. That is felt with a team close to relegation."
Davies strike equals fastest goal record
Tom Davies scored for Everton after just 30 seconds of their game against Leicester City to equal the record for the fastest goal scored in the Premier League this season.
Kevin Mirallas surged forward and beat two Leicester players in the opening moments at Goodison Park and, after the Belgian was brought down, Davies pounced on the ball and poked it past Kasper Schmeichel and into the net.
The 18-year-old became the third player in the division to score after 30 seconds this season, after Chelsea's Pedro achieved the feat against Manchester United in October and Everton teammate Romelu Lukaku did the same against Bournemouth in February.
The goal was Davies' second for the club after he opened his Toffees account with the third in a 4-0 win over Manchester City in January but Leicester hit back quickly through Islam Slimani and Marc Albrighton as three goals were scored inside 10 minutes of a Premier League game for the first time since Newcastle United and Arsenal drew 4-4 in February 2011.
Tom Davies scored for Everton after just 30 seconds of their game against Leicester City to equal the record for the fastest goal scored in the Premier League this season.
Kevin Mirallas surged forward and beat two Leicester players in the opening moments at Goodison Park and, after the Belgian was brought down, Davies pounced on the ball and poked it past Kasper Schmeichel and into the net.
The 18-year-old became the third player in the division to score after 30 seconds this season, after Chelsea's Pedro achieved the feat against Manchester United in October and Everton teammate Romelu Lukaku did the same against Bournemouth in February.
The goal was Davies' second for the club after he opened his Toffees account with the third in a 4-0 win over Manchester City in January but Leicester hit back quickly through Islam Slimani and Marc Albrighton as three goals were scored inside 10 minutes of a Premier League game for the first time since Newcastle United and Arsenal drew 4-4 in February 2011.
David Silva is Man City's greatest ever - Zabaleta
Pablo Zabaleta believes David Silva is the greatest player in the history of Manchester City.
Silva joined City from Valencia in 2010 and has become a key figure at the Etihad Stadium, with two Premier League titles, a pair of EFL Cups and an FA Cup triumph among his accomplishments.
The 31-year-old made his 300th appearance for the club in the 3-1 win over Hull City on Saturday and Zabaleta emphasised his importance."I could keep talking about David all day because I love him so much. For me he's the greatest City player ever," Zabaleta told the club's official website.
"I must say he is my favourite player at City, for sure. I love him. I am so lucky to have been playing in the same side as great players but especially David because he is so good.
"It is a pleasure watching him playing football. He is class, his vision to play football."Probably one of my best seasons at City was when I was overlapping all the time and making runs because I knew the ball would always be there.
"He is fantastic, so special. We are so lucky to have David at Manchester City; he has been fantastic for so many years. Different class."
Pablo Zabaleta believes David Silva is the greatest player in the history of Manchester City.
Silva joined City from Valencia in 2010 and has become a key figure at the Etihad Stadium, with two Premier League titles, a pair of EFL Cups and an FA Cup triumph among his accomplishments.
The 31-year-old made his 300th appearance for the club in the 3-1 win over Hull City on Saturday and Zabaleta emphasised his importance."I could keep talking about David all day because I love him so much. For me he's the greatest City player ever," Zabaleta told the club's official website.
"I must say he is my favourite player at City, for sure. I love him. I am so lucky to have been playing in the same side as great players but especially David because he is so good.
"It is a pleasure watching him playing football. He is class, his vision to play football."Probably one of my best seasons at City was when I was overlapping all the time and making runs because I knew the ball would always be there.
"He is fantastic, so special. We are so lucky to have David at Manchester City; he has been fantastic for so many years. Different class."
Paris Saint-Germain 4 Guingamp 0: Cavani bags brace as champions back up to second
Goals from Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani and Blaise Matuidi ensured Paris Saint-Germain kept the pressure on Ligue 1 leaders Monaco with a 4-0 win over Guingamp at Parc des Princes.
After victories for Monaco and Nice on Saturday and Friday respectively, the champions were third in the table going into the game and they laboured for the best part of an hour against a Guingamp side coached by former PSG boss Antoine Kombouare.The introduction of Javier Pastore as a second-half substitute seemed to turn the game and Di Maria opened the scoring three minutes after his Argentine compatriot came on.
Cavani provided the assist for the opener and spent the rest of the game tormenting the Guingamp defence, taking his tally for the league season to 29 with a well-taken pair of goals to forge a win made in South America. Matuidi then added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time.
Before kick-off, PSG coach Unai Emery set his side the task of winning all their remaining Ligue 1 games and, while they only found their stride in the latter stages of this game, they look capable of doing just that.
In the absence of Marquinhos and Thiago Silva, Emery moved Serge Aurier into the centre of defence, while the right-back spot went to Thomas Meunier.
Belgium international Meunier forced a corner in the opening minute from which Aurier headed Di Maria's delivery narrowly wide, before Guingamp countered and Marcus Coco hit a shot that struck Layvin Kurzawa on its way over the crossbar.
Another Di Maria corner after 17 minutes found the head of Cavani, who sent the ball crashing onto the crossbar, but as the half drew on PSG struggled to break down a well-organised Guingamp side who restricted their hosts to long-range attempts.
Limited space in midfield forced PSG to play a more intricate passing game and, when Di Maria threaded a neat ball through to Matuidi, Guingamp goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson did well to parry his left-footed shot away from danger.
PSG's injury woes were compounded at the end of the first half, when Kurzawa took a knock and had to be replaced by Maxwell, before Jimmy Briand collected Presnel Kimpembe's poor clearance but shot over the crossbar.
Guingamp's patience almost paid off when Alexandre Mendy, on as a second-half substitute, put a close-range shot just wide under pressure from Kimpembe, and Emery sent on Pastore for Julian Draxler as he sought to bring the champions to life after 53 minutes.The change had the desired effect three minutes later when Matuidi cut out Christophe Kerbrat's pass and squared to Cavani, who swept the ball to the edge of the box where Di Maria lifted it over Johnsson with the tip of his left boot.
Guingamp repeated their mistake four minutes later, giving the ball away cheaply in midfield and Adrien Rabiot surged forward before picking out Cavani, who cut inside to beat Kerbrat and placed his shot in the far corner of the net.Cavani blasted a free-kick narrowly wide and then went close with two headed attempts as he worked tirelessly for his 29th goal of the campaign.
That goal arrived when Di Maria switched the play from left to right with a precision pass that Cavani took in his stride before beating Johnsson with a low, right-footed shot, taking his tally in all competitions to 42.
Emery gave Lucas Moura a run out in the final few minutes and he made an impact, crossing to Matuidi, who arrived ahead of Jordan Ikoko to side-foot home PSG's fourth on his 30th birthday.
Goals from Angel Di Maria, Edinson Cavani and Blaise Matuidi ensured Paris Saint-Germain kept the pressure on Ligue 1 leaders Monaco with a 4-0 win over Guingamp at Parc des Princes.
After victories for Monaco and Nice on Saturday and Friday respectively, the champions were third in the table going into the game and they laboured for the best part of an hour against a Guingamp side coached by former PSG boss Antoine Kombouare.The introduction of Javier Pastore as a second-half substitute seemed to turn the game and Di Maria opened the scoring three minutes after his Argentine compatriot came on.
Cavani provided the assist for the opener and spent the rest of the game tormenting the Guingamp defence, taking his tally for the league season to 29 with a well-taken pair of goals to forge a win made in South America. Matuidi then added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time.
Before kick-off, PSG coach Unai Emery set his side the task of winning all their remaining Ligue 1 games and, while they only found their stride in the latter stages of this game, they look capable of doing just that.
In the absence of Marquinhos and Thiago Silva, Emery moved Serge Aurier into the centre of defence, while the right-back spot went to Thomas Meunier.
Belgium international Meunier forced a corner in the opening minute from which Aurier headed Di Maria's delivery narrowly wide, before Guingamp countered and Marcus Coco hit a shot that struck Layvin Kurzawa on its way over the crossbar.
Another Di Maria corner after 17 minutes found the head of Cavani, who sent the ball crashing onto the crossbar, but as the half drew on PSG struggled to break down a well-organised Guingamp side who restricted their hosts to long-range attempts.
Limited space in midfield forced PSG to play a more intricate passing game and, when Di Maria threaded a neat ball through to Matuidi, Guingamp goalkeeper Karl-Johan Johnsson did well to parry his left-footed shot away from danger.
PSG's injury woes were compounded at the end of the first half, when Kurzawa took a knock and had to be replaced by Maxwell, before Jimmy Briand collected Presnel Kimpembe's poor clearance but shot over the crossbar.
Guingamp's patience almost paid off when Alexandre Mendy, on as a second-half substitute, put a close-range shot just wide under pressure from Kimpembe, and Emery sent on Pastore for Julian Draxler as he sought to bring the champions to life after 53 minutes.The change had the desired effect three minutes later when Matuidi cut out Christophe Kerbrat's pass and squared to Cavani, who swept the ball to the edge of the box where Di Maria lifted it over Johnsson with the tip of his left boot.
Guingamp repeated their mistake four minutes later, giving the ball away cheaply in midfield and Adrien Rabiot surged forward before picking out Cavani, who cut inside to beat Kerbrat and placed his shot in the far corner of the net.Cavani blasted a free-kick narrowly wide and then went close with two headed attempts as he worked tirelessly for his 29th goal of the campaign.
That goal arrived when Di Maria switched the play from left to right with a precision pass that Cavani took in his stride before beating Johnsson with a low, right-footed shot, taking his tally in all competitions to 42.
Emery gave Lucas Moura a run out in the final few minutes and he made an impact, crossing to Matuidi, who arrived ahead of Jordan Ikoko to side-foot home PSG's fourth on his 30th birthday.
Lazio 0 Napoli 3: Insigne double sees off Champions League rivals
In-form Lorenzo Insigne scored twice as Napoli won 3-0 away to Lazio in Serie A and took a massive step towards securing Champions League qualification.
Victory for third-placed Napoli saw them increase their lead over Lazio to seven points on a weekend that had also seen Atalanta drop points in a home draw with Sassuolo.
The shake-up leaves Maurizio Sarri's men in an extremely strong position to seal a Champions League spot and puts them back within four points of Roma in second.
Lazio had the chance to move within one point of Napoli, but fell behind after 25 minutes when Jose Callejon tapped in from close range after good work from Marek Hamsik and Dries Mertens to create the opportunity.
Insigne – who later cleared a Patric effort off the goal-line - got his first of the match six minutes into the second half, latching on to Allan's throughball to find the bottom corner from a tight angle.
And the Italy international struck again in the second minute of stoppage time, scoring his seventh goal in five Napoli appearances by finishing off a neat touch from Piotr Zielinski, who had latched on to a cross from fellow substitute Arkadiusz Milik.
In-form Lorenzo Insigne scored twice as Napoli won 3-0 away to Lazio in Serie A and took a massive step towards securing Champions League qualification.
Victory for third-placed Napoli saw them increase their lead over Lazio to seven points on a weekend that had also seen Atalanta drop points in a home draw with Sassuolo.
The shake-up leaves Maurizio Sarri's men in an extremely strong position to seal a Champions League spot and puts them back within four points of Roma in second.
Lazio had the chance to move within one point of Napoli, but fell behind after 25 minutes when Jose Callejon tapped in from close range after good work from Marek Hamsik and Dries Mertens to create the opportunity.
Insigne – who later cleared a Patric effort off the goal-line - got his first of the match six minutes into the second half, latching on to Allan's throughball to find the bottom corner from a tight angle.
And the Italy international struck again in the second minute of stoppage time, scoring his seventh goal in five Napoli appearances by finishing off a neat touch from Piotr Zielinski, who had latched on to a cross from fellow substitute Arkadiusz Milik.
Kante is unbelievable but Hazard is the best in the league, says Arter
Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter picked out Eden Hazard, not N'Golo Kante, as his toughest opponent of the season as Chelsea ran out 3-1 winners at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Kante got his first Chelsea assist in the Premier League in his 30th appearance for the Blues, but Hazard finished off the move by brilliantly rounding Artur Boruc.
Arter was directly involved in a midfield battle with the France international but he thinks that although Kante deserves his praise, it was Hazard that impressed him the most.
“Kante is an unbelievable player," he said after the match. "He has got as lot of praise this season but defensively he’s unbelievable - he probably doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is on the ball as well.
"He’s very good but it’s hard to pick one player out in their side. They have got Hazard who I feel is the best I’ve played against this season. He was very difficult to play against."
Bournemouth gave a good account of themselves against Chelsea and were chasing a draw after Joshua King's strike pulled one back after Adam Smith's own goal and Hazard's strike.
Marcos Alonso's free-kick in the second half ended the Cherries' hopes in front of their own fans and Arter admits that the Blues have very few weaknesses.
“A lot of sides you can always pick out one player that a team will try and use and you can come up with a game plan to stop them, but Chelsea have got so many individuals there it comes to a point where it’s almost impossible to play against them.
“If everyone is not completely at it then you are not going to beat a side like that and unfortunately we weren’t. And it was disappointing to lose the game in the fashion we did.”
“It was a very tough game. Mentally and physically it was very demanding and it’s easy to see why they are top of the league. Maybe they felt when it went to 2-1 they had to put more pressure on us.
"Their shape has got them a lot of success this season and it’s tough to play against. They are obviously very consistent with it and for a lot of teams it’s hard to come up with a game plan to counter it."
Bournemouth midfielder Harry Arter picked out Eden Hazard, not N'Golo Kante, as his toughest opponent of the season as Chelsea ran out 3-1 winners at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Kante got his first Chelsea assist in the Premier League in his 30th appearance for the Blues, but Hazard finished off the move by brilliantly rounding Artur Boruc.
Arter was directly involved in a midfield battle with the France international but he thinks that although Kante deserves his praise, it was Hazard that impressed him the most.
“Kante is an unbelievable player," he said after the match. "He has got as lot of praise this season but defensively he’s unbelievable - he probably doesn’t get enough credit for how good he is on the ball as well.
"He’s very good but it’s hard to pick one player out in their side. They have got Hazard who I feel is the best I’ve played against this season. He was very difficult to play against."
Bournemouth gave a good account of themselves against Chelsea and were chasing a draw after Joshua King's strike pulled one back after Adam Smith's own goal and Hazard's strike.
Marcos Alonso's free-kick in the second half ended the Cherries' hopes in front of their own fans and Arter admits that the Blues have very few weaknesses.
“A lot of sides you can always pick out one player that a team will try and use and you can come up with a game plan to stop them, but Chelsea have got so many individuals there it comes to a point where it’s almost impossible to play against them.
“If everyone is not completely at it then you are not going to beat a side like that and unfortunately we weren’t. And it was disappointing to lose the game in the fashion we did.”
“It was a very tough game. Mentally and physically it was very demanding and it’s easy to see why they are top of the league. Maybe they felt when it went to 2-1 they had to put more pressure on us.
"Their shape has got them a lot of success this season and it’s tough to play against. They are obviously very consistent with it and for a lot of teams it’s hard to come up with a game plan to counter it."
Chelsea have seven finals left starting with Man United, says Marcos Alonso
Marcos Alonso says Chelsea have "seven finals left" as they bid to win the Premier League in a title battle with their rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The 26-year-old's stunning second-half free-kick provided a crucial third goal on Saturday as it calmed Chelsea's nerves in a 3-1 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
The goal was Alonso's fifth of the season, and the left wing-back got to celebrate in front of his family members watching in the away stand. Alonso admitted that he and his teammates are tracking title-rival Spurs but said they can handle the pressure of the final month-and-a-half of the season.
“We knew the Tottenham score before the game, so we knew we could only win," he said. "I think the team does well whenever we have pressure on us. We know what we are playing for, motivation is 100 per cent and I think we played a good game.“We have seven finals left, every game is going to be massive, we are going to have to play each game as the last one because we need the points to get closer to the title. Every game we win is a strong message for the other teams.
"We’ve been there almost all season, we are showing we want to be there, we’re playing very good and fighting for it, and that’s what we need keep doing. The group is fantastic. We all know where we are going, we are all going in the same direction, and that’s very important.
"The starting XI and the players who are not playing so much, the staff are all together and that’s very important. That’s a big thing, and it’s going very well this year."
Chelsea signed Alonso from Fiorentina for £23 million on the summer transfer deadline day in August. Since November, Alonso has scored more goals than any other Premier League defender as he repays the fee that Antonio Conte decided to spend on him.
However, Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last nine league games, and Alonso put that down partly to sides figuring out ways to get past the 3-4-3 formation that has served his team so well.
“I think we saw last week, we defended very well, we were compact together, we are conceding more goals but credit to the other teams as well," he said. "They do well and we will try to keep more clean sheets, but there’s always a good team in front us trying to score goals. So we need the same focus, same concentration and onto the next one.
"We knew it was going to be a very tough game, we controlled it after scoring first but they got that goal and we ended the first half as we started and we came out there in the second half and played a good 45 minutes to get the three points."
Marcos Alonso says Chelsea have "seven finals left" as they bid to win the Premier League in a title battle with their rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
The 26-year-old's stunning second-half free-kick provided a crucial third goal on Saturday as it calmed Chelsea's nerves in a 3-1 win over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium.
The goal was Alonso's fifth of the season, and the left wing-back got to celebrate in front of his family members watching in the away stand. Alonso admitted that he and his teammates are tracking title-rival Spurs but said they can handle the pressure of the final month-and-a-half of the season.
“We knew the Tottenham score before the game, so we knew we could only win," he said. "I think the team does well whenever we have pressure on us. We know what we are playing for, motivation is 100 per cent and I think we played a good game.“We have seven finals left, every game is going to be massive, we are going to have to play each game as the last one because we need the points to get closer to the title. Every game we win is a strong message for the other teams.
"We’ve been there almost all season, we are showing we want to be there, we’re playing very good and fighting for it, and that’s what we need keep doing. The group is fantastic. We all know where we are going, we are all going in the same direction, and that’s very important.
"The starting XI and the players who are not playing so much, the staff are all together and that’s very important. That’s a big thing, and it’s going very well this year."
Chelsea signed Alonso from Fiorentina for £23 million on the summer transfer deadline day in August. Since November, Alonso has scored more goals than any other Premier League defender as he repays the fee that Antonio Conte decided to spend on him.
However, Chelsea have failed to keep a clean sheet in each of their last nine league games, and Alonso put that down partly to sides figuring out ways to get past the 3-4-3 formation that has served his team so well.
“I think we saw last week, we defended very well, we were compact together, we are conceding more goals but credit to the other teams as well," he said. "They do well and we will try to keep more clean sheets, but there’s always a good team in front us trying to score goals. So we need the same focus, same concentration and onto the next one.
"We knew it was going to be a very tough game, we controlled it after scoring first but they got that goal and we ended the first half as we started and we came out there in the second half and played a good 45 minutes to get the three points."
