..::Football IV::..

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Koeman admits Chelsea target Lukaku won't sign new Everton contract

Romelu Lukaku has told Ronald Koeman he will not sign a new contract at Everton, the Toffees boss said on Thursday.The Belgium international sits atop the Premier League scoring charts with 23 goals this season and has been linked with a return to former club Chelsea.

Lukaku is under contract at Goodison Park until 2019, but Koeman revealed an extension beyond that looks unlikely."He told me he won't sign a new contract," Koeman told a news conference ahead of Saturday's Premier League meeting with Burnley.

Former Chelsea striker Didier Drogba has backed Lukaku – who was on Thursday nominated for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award – to prove himself by heading back to Stamford Bridge, adding that he knows what the Everton man's future plans are without revealing them.

That came as news to Koeman, who responded to the comments – given in an interview to Sky Sports – by saying: "No [I don't know where Lukaku wants to go]. Maybe I wait for the call from Drogba to tell me where he wants to go."Ross Barkley's contract is set to expire at the end of next season and the midfielder has also been linked with a move to a Premier League rival.

Koeman hopes to match Barkley's ambition by securing Champions League football in the near future and wants the situation sorted by the end of the campaign.

He said: "I'm not involved [in the negotiations], but I know that the board is talking to his agent. We need to know the answer before the end of the season."We will offer him the contract that is good, that is normal for the player. I think with how he is improving this season, Everton is the best place for him.

"I spoke to Ross several weeks ago and he mentioned his ambition is the Champions League and I told him I have the same ambition and I think we are going in the right direction."Everybody has seen the difference between this season and last – the club is going in the right direction."

 

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Kompany available for crucial stage of Manchester City's season

Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany is fully fit ahead of what could be a crucial period in his side's season, manager Pep Guardiola has confirmed.

The Belgium international played the full 90 minutes of the 2-1 defeat to Chelsea but was an unused substitute for last weekend's 3-1 win over Hull City at Etihad Stadium.

City face Southampton this weekend before travelling to Wembley for the FA Cup semi-final against Arsenal on April 23, with the rearranged derby with Manchester United taking place just four days later.

Guardiola expects Kompany to play his part after confirming that the centre-back had been rested against Hull purely as a precaution."After the game against Chelsea he had a little problem in his legs, and we didn't want to take the risk," Guardiola told a news conference.

"Of course the good news is he was able to play 90 minutes in a tough game at Stamford Bridge at a high level."What I've seen in the last few days [suggests] he's ready for the next game. Hopefully in the next period and the future he can do that."

Guardiola confirmed that Bacary Sagna and Gabriel Jesus are still out with respective adductor and metatarsal injuries but City have an otherwise clean bill of health for the game at St Mary's Stadium.

The Catalan added: "Southampton are having an exceptional season. They have a good manager and players in all positions. They have very good midfielders, the strikers are so fast, the wingers can play inside, all of them good quality."I was really impressed when they came here [in October, in a 1-1 draw] in what was a busy time for us. It will be a really good test."

Guardiola would not reveal whether Claudio Bravo will keep his place in goal, after the Chile international replaced Willy Caballero for the Hull game, but yet again conceded the first shot on target he faced.

"Every weekend I will decide who will play," he said."I have confidence in both Bravo and Caballero. I will decide for Saturday. It depends on the way the opponent plays, what I see in the training sessions."

 

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Man Utd legend Schmeichel picks his dream five-a-side team

Peter Schmeichel achieved legend status at Manchester United during a glittering era for the club, with the iconic goalkeeper gracing some wonderful sides under Sir Alex Ferguson.Having worked with a number of world-class talents during his time at Old Trafford, narrowing down the pick of that bunch is no easy task.Schmeichel has, however, given that unenviable challenge a go by naming a dream five-a-side team.

The former Denmark international, who spent eight years with United between 1991 and 1999, has plucked star performers from across his spell at the Theatre of Dreams.

In a discussion with the Premier League’s official website, Schmeichel selected himself in goal, although he did acknowledge that Edwin van der Sar would be his choice if he had to make a choice from a different era.At the back, Dutch destroyer Jaap Stam was called upon to add steel and grit to an otherwise flamboyant side.

Schmeichel said of the no-nonsense centre-half: "He is the best defender I've ever come across in my life."He's very skilful and very technical. You’re thinking he's got to be slow because he's so big, but he's lightning quick."Moving into midfield and a couple of long-serving club stalwarts made the cut in Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs.

Schmeichel says ex-England international Scholes is the type of player that nobody wanted to play against, while Welsh wizard Giggs is considered to be “the best Premier League player ever”.Finally, adding a touch of enigmatic brilliance to the front line, Eric Cantona was picked to fill the forward berth.

All in all, not a bad side, and one that tells you all you need to know about the calibre of player Schmeichel worked with at United, with there no room for the likes of Gary Neville, Roy Keane, David Beckham and Andy Cole.

 

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Dybala praises Allegri after signing new Juventus contract

Paulo Dybala lauded Massimiliano Allegri's role in his development after signing a contract tying him to Juventus until 2022 on Tuesday.

Dybala joined from Palermo in 2015 and has established himself as one of Europe's leading forwards, evidenced in his exquisite double in the 3-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg victory over Barcelona on Tuesday.

This season the 23-year-old has been deployed in a freer role behind main striker Gonzalo Higuain, and he has enjoyed how Allegri has managed the early stages of his time in Turin.

"This week is filled with very strong feelings and emotions, I'm very happy for what I've done so far," Dybala, who has ended speculation linking him with Barca and Real Madrid by extending his contract, told Juve's official website.

"When I signed the first contract [was my best moment at Juventus], because I knew I would have become part of this club. Being part of Juventus, of what this team represents in the world, that was an unforgettable emotion.

"Allegri initially fielded me in a very cautious way, he knew exactly what he was doing. He allowed me enough time to understand and get to know this club better.

"I really like my current position, I already played that way when I was a youngster in Argentina, it gives more freedom and more options."

 

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Ajax 2 Schalke 0: Classy Klaassen to the fore but Fahrmann keeps visitors alive

Davy Klaassen's double earned Ajax a richly-deserved 2-0 victory over Schalke, who were thankful to goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann for keeping them in the Europa League quarter-final tie.

Ajax have not reached a major European semi-final since 1996-97 Champions League, but Thursday's impressive first-leg performance at the Amsterdam ArenA put Peter Bosz's side on track to be included in the last-four draw.

The only concern for Bosz from this result will be that his side failed to come away with a more comprehensive lead, Fahrmann in inspired form throughout to continually deny the likes of Bertrand Traore and Amin Younes.Fahrmann could do little about Klaassen's brace, however - the first a thunderous penalty following Alessandro Schopf's foul on Younes in the opening period.

If Klaassen's opener was a triumph for brute force, his second - a superbly taken half-volley soon after the interval - was testament to the captain's finesse.

The pick of Fahrmann's remarkable highlight reel arrived 13 minutes from time with a fingertip stop onto the crossbar from Donny van de Beek - a save that could prove crucial come next week's return in Gelsenkirchen.

Roared on by a vociferous home crowd, Ajax made the brighter start that reaped its rewards midway through the half thanks to Klaassen's emphatic spot-kick.Younes picked the ball up on the left and darted between Thilo Kehrer and Schopf, who was guilty of a clumsy challenge and Klaassen hammered home into the top-right corner.It was almost two just after the half-hour as Davinson Sanchez's deflected header rebounded off the top of the crossbar.

Ajax took little time to regain their stride after the interval and doubled their lead in the 52nd minute, Klaassen expertly steering home on the half-volley after Justin Kluivert's cross picked him out unmarked inside the box.

Schalke were rocking, another poor pass out of defence allowing Younes to play in Traore who was superbly denied by the onrushing Fahrmann.Four minutes later Younes and Traore combined again, but once more Fahrmann made himself big to deny the Chelsea loanee.

Schalke were unable to quell the relentless wave of Ajax attacks, Fahrmann again haring from his line to thwart Younes, before getting down low to keep out Traore's drive.

The visitors showed some signs of life as the game entered its final 20 minutes, Daniel Caligiuri testing Andre Onana with a low drive.Fahrmann kept out Younes at his near post as Ajax went in search of a third, which almost arrived from the resulting corner, the keeper somehow tipping Van de Beek's rasping drive onto the bar.

Nick Viergever became the latest Ajax man to be denied by Fahrmann two minutes later, the home side forced to settle for a significant but not decisive advantage heading into the second leg.

 

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Celta Vigo 3 Genk 2: Defensive errors blight Spanish side's win

Celta Vigo moved a step closer to a maiden European semi-final by beating Genk 3-2 but the Belgians' away goals leave the Europa League quarter-final tie finely poised.

The sole Spanish representatives in the last eight had to come from behind after Jean-Paul Boetius gave Genk a dream start when he headed them into a 10th-minute lead.

The in-form Belgians found themselves behind just seven minutes later, after Pione Sisto and Iago Aspas took full advantage of Celta's first shooting opportunities, and John Guidetti made it 3-1 before half-time.

Genk were facing a mountain to climb in the second leg until substitute Thomas Buffel narrowed the deficit and they will take two precious away goals into the second leg at Cristal Arena, where they are unbeaten in European competition this season.

However, Celta have won their last three Europa League away games and if the likes of Guidetti and Aspas are firing they will be hard to stop, but Genk will hope that home advantage in the second leg proves decisive.Genk themselves have been prolific scorers on their travels in Europe this season and it took just 10 minutes for them to open the scoring.

Leandro Trossard skilfully turned Andreu Fontas before his cross found the head of Boetius, whose close-range effort bounced off the body of Sergio Alvarez on its way into the net.

The visitors' lead was cancelled out four minutes later when Jonny's through-ball found Guidetti and the Swede's instinctive back-heel flick put Sisto through to side-foot the ball past Mat Ryan.

The turnaround was complete three minutes later when Aspas pounced on Omar Colley's poor clearance and struck a sweet, low drive that arced inside the far post, sending the home supporters into raptures.

Timothy Castagne fired over the crossbar from close range as Genk tried to regain the momentum they briefly enjoyed in the opening stages, but they were dealt a hammer blow seven minutes before half-time.

Celta broke with Guidetti, who exchanged passes with Aspas and then netted his fourth Europa League goal of the campaign from just inside the penalty area to give the hosts a two-goal cushion at the break.

Ryan saved well from Hugo Mallo early in the second half, but the introduction of Buffel after 62 minutes proved to be an important moment in the tie.The 36-year-old had been on the field just five minutes when Trossard's cross was left to run by Jonny and though Alvarez saved Buffel's first shot, the goalkeeper was beaten with a header on the rebound.

Pablo Hernandez struck a thunderbolt that Ryan could only parry over the crossbar and Aspas forced the Australian goalkeeper to make a superb fingertip save as Celta pressed for a fourth goal that would have made the second leg much more comfortable.

That goal failed to transpire and Genk coach Albert Stuivenberg will fancy his side's chances in the second leg.

 

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Anderlecht 1 Manchester United 1: Late Dendoncker leveller denies Mourinho's men

Leander Dendoncker's late equaliser gave Anderlecht hope as a superior Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final.

Jose Mourinho's men generally looked a cut above their Belgian hosts for much of the match, but United were made to rue not taking their chances as Dendoncker salvaged a potentially vital draw four minutes from time.

Although Anderlecht initially looked bright, United soon took over and were impressive in the first half, with Sergio Romero completely untested in the visitors' goal.The only surprising aspect of United's goal was that it took 36 minutes to arrive, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan scoring for the fourth successive Europa League away game with a straightforward finish.

Anderlecht were significantly more positive once again upon the start of the second period, but United should have finished them off when Paul Pogba spurned a late one-on-one chance.

And Dendoncker took full advantage to give the Belgians a ray of optimism ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford, where Mourinho will need more from his side amid a brutal April schedule.

Neither side looked happy to sit back and absorb pressure, resulting in an open encounter during the early exchanges, which Anderlecht slightly shaded - Frank Acheampong and Massimo Bruno shooting off-target.But United improved quickly and the hosts were lucky to remain level in the 17th minute.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic met Marcus Rashford's teasing left-wing cross and saw his first-time effort saved by Ruben, before Jesse Lingard turned the rebound onto the post.The lively Rashford was involved again shortly after, sending a fierce 30-yard drive agonisingly wide of the top-right corner.

United showed no sign of relinquishing their control and eventually got the away goal they deserved nine minutes before the break.Rashford forced Ruben into a smart save from Antonio Valencia's cross, but Mkhitaryan was there to smash home the rebound.

nderlecht were resurgent at the start of the second half and caused United problems – Valencia hooking Bruno's deflected goal-bound effort away before crucially blocking an Acheampong half-volley.

United served another warning shortly after, though, as Mhitaryan met Matteo Darmian's cross and guided an improvised effort just wide of the right-hand post.Pogba should have wrapped things up seven minutes from the end when he smashed an effort at Ruben after a clever flicked pass courtesy of Ibrahimovic.
And the hosts made them pay.

Ivan Obradovic charged up the left flank and delivered a fine cross which Dendoncker powered onto and sent an arrowed header beyond Romero, leaving United with work to do at Old Trafford.

 

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Lyon 2 Besiktas 1: Calamitous Fabri hands Ligue 1 side the advantage

A calamitous error from Besiktas goalkeeper Fabri allowed Lyon to snatch a dramatic 2-1 victory in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final, though the game was soured by crowd disturbances prior to kick-off.

Just a minute after Corentin Tolisso had cancelled out Ryan Babel's early opener, Spaniard Fabri turned into trouble in his area, allowing Jeremy Morel to tuck home Lyon's winner.

There was a 45-minute delay to proceedings at Parc Olympique Lyonnais, after sections of the crowd were forced onto the pitch to take refuge from projectiles launched from the upper tier, which housed the travelling supporters.

Babel's third Europa League goal of the season put Besiktas ahead after a positive start, though Bruno Genesio's side almost levelled immediately when Nabil Fekir struck the woodwork.

Besiktas continued to exploit poor Lyon defending from set-pieces, with both Marcelo and Anderson Talisca squandering gilt-edged opportunities to extend the visitors' advantage.

Lyon dominated the second half though and, after Tolisso made amends for a dreadful miss with a close-range effort, Fabri's mistake enabled Morel to seal the victory six minutes from time, giving the Ligue 1 side a slim advantage heading into the second leg.Besiktas looked sharp despite the lengthy delay to kick-off and wasted no time in testing Lyon's resolve early on - Marcelo seeing an overhead kick saved by Anthony Lopes before he was denied again by Mouctar Diakhaby.

Alexandre Lacazette drilled an effort into the side netting as Lyon carved out an opening themselves, but it was Besiktas who took a deserved lead 15 minutes in.
Talisca played a clever pass in the right channel to Babel from a free-kick, and the Dutchman made no mistake with a well-struck finish into the bottom-left corner.

ekir's scuffed half-volley looked set to restore parity soon after, only for the ball to deflect away off the underside of the crossbar.Marcelo was causing havoc for Lyon at set-pieces, and the defender went close again as half-time approached - directing a close-range header over the bar from Oguzhan Ozyakup's corner.

Talisca should have doubled Besiktas' tally after the restart, but the playmaker somehow failed to hit the target with a header from six yards out.Besiktas were spared moments later, Lacazette was clumsily felled by Fabri, but the Lyon man was offside and penalty appeals were swiftly extinguished.

Referee Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz dismissed another Lyon appeal after the hour-mark - rightly deeming that Fekir had dived under pressure from Atiba Hutchinson.Marcelo's sloppy pass gifted Lacazette a golden chance with 20 minutes remaining, but Besiktas escaped unscathed as, having rounded Fabri, the forward skewed his effort wide.

Lyon's hopes of salvaging a result looked all-but over when Tolisso hit the post from point-blank range soon after, but the midfielder atoned to bundle in the equaliser from the hosts' next attack.


And, having kept Besiktas in the game for so long, Fabri ended up as the villain of the piece when he took one touch too many under pressure from Morel, who nipped the ball away and scored the simplest of goals.

 

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'Sloppy is the right word' - Mourinho calls out United attackers for Anderlecht failure

Jose Mourinho called out his attacking players for failing to make the most of Manchester United's superiority as Anderlecht secured a late 1-1 draw in the Europa League on Thursday.

United spent most of the quarter-final first leg on top in Belgium and looked good value for their lead when Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored nine minutes before the break.Anderlecht improved after the interval, though United remained the better side and should have gone on to win.

But Leander Dendoncker salvaged Anderlecht the draw late on and Mourinho was left agitated by the performances of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and substitute Anthony Martial.

"Marcus Rashford? I think he was the same as the others," Mourinho said to BT Sport. "Jesse Lingard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Anthony Martial – I thought they were all similar."Sloppy is the right word - in my poor English I cannot find a better word. We need to play more seriously.

"If you put together the performances of the four attacking players, you squeeze and squeeze and squeeze and you don't get much juice out of it.

"We have to kill matches. We have chances, control, but we don't score goals - you risk."[We had] good chances, lots of half chances that we didn't transform into full chances because of bad decisions or bad control. There were very bad decisions in the last third."

 

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Mourinho: United defence can be upset with attackers

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho said his team's defenders could be "very upset" with their attack after drawing with Anderlecht.United went ahead through Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the Europa League quarter-final first leg on Thursday, but Leander Dendoncker equalised late on for the hosts in Belgium.Mourinho was left upset by United's failure to secure a win and said his attackers were to blame at the Stade Constant Vanden Stock.

"The result is positive. To play at home with an advantage is a good result in any case," he told a news conference."But I think the result should be much better and we can only blame ourselves because we had an easy game to play in the second half and we didn't play in attack with that instinct and we lost the ball easily one too many times.

"We stopped our counter-attacks because of sloppy decisions and then we gave them opportunity to have some counter-attacks."Luckily, our defenders were very much in the game and resolved some of our problems.

"But if I was a United defender I would be very upset with the attacking players because they could have killed the game and they didn't."The draw is still a positive result for United heading into the return leg at Old Trafford on April 20.
Mourinho said he was happy with some aspects of his side's play, but he lamented their decision making."I'd say it was a strong performance by the team from the defensive point of view. [Jesse] Lingard, Mkhitaryan and [Marcus] Rashford, they did defensively what we asked them to do, to compact the team, to control the opponents, to cover some spaces," he said."We were very solid defensively, and that is not just about the defenders, it is about the team as a team.

"But then, when the team is broken because we have to counter-attack, we cannot lose so many balls. It is not just about the chances we miss, because we didn't miss so many chances, it's about half chances, the chances where you feel the space is there, the time is there, but then the decision is wrong."

 

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Montella gets backing from new AC Milan owners

AC Milan have expressed their total support of head coach Vincenzo Montella following the takeover of the club by a Chinese consortium.

Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux completed their purchase of a 99.9 per cent stake in the club on Thursday in a deal worth €740million.Montella later admitted that he could not offer any guarantees over his future, despite insisting that he was happy to stay on at San Siro.

However, speaking at a media conference on Friday to introduce the new owners, general manager Marco Fassone made it clear that they are firmly behind the 42-year-old.

"Vincenzo has all our respect and support and has had it since last June when together we decided to appoint him as AC Milan's coach," Fassone said.Former president Silvio Berlusconi admitted in an open letter to fans that it had become essential to find wealthy buyers for Milan in order to help them return to the summit of European football.

The new owners even affirmed their commitment "to undertake significant capital increases and liquidity injections aimed at strengthening AC Milan's financial structure" in the statement confirming the closure of the sale.

Fassone hinted at significant spending to come before next season as he underlined Milan's goal to return to the Champions League within a year."We have some ideas. The key step is to sit down at the table with the coach and then to work on the market," he said.

"The budget is important. From the beginning, the president and Mr Han have not hidden from me that the goal is to build a very competitive and ambitious Milan, so I will have the economic means to ensure that we can achieve those goals in the short term.

"The idea is to get back into the Champions League as soon as possible. It's very important in terms of visibility, prestige and for economic reasons."UEFA's decision to grant four spots for the Champions League to Italy makes it our primary objective to take part in the 2018-19 season."Key among Milan's priorities will be finalising a new contract for goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has been linked with a move away.


"From our side, there's a desire to resolve this issue soon," Fassone said. "We want Donnarumma to be a pillar of our future. It's certainly one of our priorities."

 

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Allegri backs Dybala and Neymar as 'world stars of the future'

Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has tipped Paulo Dybala and Neymar to become world football's leading stars in the coming years.Dybala scored twice as Juve dispatched Barcelona 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday and capped a fine week by signing a new five-year contract two days later.

Allegri has been impressed with the way the 23-year-old has developed since his move from Palermo in 2015 and expects him and Neymar to set the bar in the modern game.

"I was pleased but he deserves all the credit for the way he has developed," Allegri told a news conference when asked about Dybala's renewal."He and Neymar will be the world stars of the future."Juve's resounding win over Barca has put them firmly on course for the semi-finals, ensuring that their hopes of a treble remain intact.

Allegri, however, has urged his side not to become complacent as they prepare to face Pescara in Serie A on Saturday before the return leg at Camp Nou next week."It's normal that after a 3-0 win over Barcelona, there is this wave of great enthusiasm and excitement. And that can be a dangerous moment," he said.

"We played the first game, it went well, but we still have to deal with the return match in Barcelona, where we will have to give a better performance than we did on Tuesday."Balance is the force of a great team. In football, you can win or lose, but the important thing is to keep your balance because that will always lead to success."

Allegri went on to pay tribute to former AC Milan president Silvio Berlusconi, who stepped down after the sale of the club to a Chinese consortium was finalised on Thursday.

"I'd like to say a thanks to president Berlusconi and to [CEO Adriano] Galliani for the opportunity they gave me to coach and to win with Milan," added Allegri, who guided the Rossoneri to their last title triumph in 2011."Italian football will definitely miss them, they made history in Italian football."

 

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Chelsea clash is 'just a game, no difference' for Mourinho

Jose Mourinho says there is no extra emotion attached to Chelsea's visit to Manchester United on Sunday, insisting it is "just a game, no difference" despite the abuse he suffered on his return to his former club last month.

United suffered a 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Stamford Bridge on March 13 with Mourinho taunted with chants of 'Judas' and 'you're not special any more' from a home support that used to worship the Portuguese for delivering three Premier League crowns over two spells in charge.

Mourinho responded after the game by suggesting "Judas is still number one" in terms of success achieved at Chelsea but, despite that acrimonious backdrop, was quick to play down any lingering ill-feeling ahead of the teams' meeting at Old Trafford at the weekend.

Speaking after the 1-1 Europa League draw at Anderlecht on Thursday, Mourinho was asked about his emotions in the build-up to Sunday, to which he replied: "You say the word emotion but for me it is just a game, one more game, no difference for me."He also claimed it was not a special occasion for him, adding: "No, not at all."

Chelsea go into the weekend seven points clear of Tottenham at the summit and 18 in front of a United side languishing in fifth.The Londoners' absence from European competition has been put forward as one reason for their success and it was a point not lost on Mourinho.

"First of all, some guys are fresh [Chelsea], some guys are tired [United]," he said.
"That's very important in football. But, for some reason, they are top of the league. It's not just because they are fresh. It's also because they have individual quality and they have collective quality. They have a certain style of play, they stick to it, they do it very well.

"Not every team defends with 11 players and they defend with 11 players. Not every team is so objective in their counter-attacks. They are very objective in the counter-attack and they have individual players out of the context of the game that can also resolve the problems, so they are a very strong team."


Mourinho confirmed Spanish midfielder Juan Mata would miss the rest of the season with his comeback from injury not scheduled until the end of May while defenders Chris Smalling and Phil Jones could be back in the middle of next month.

 

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Conte: Ibrahimovic has never been better

Antonio Conte is preparing to stifle Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the peak of his powers when Chelsea travel to Manchester United on Sunday.The Premier League leaders face the toughest assignment of their run-in at Old Trafford, with United unbeaten in the league since taking a 4-0 pasting at the hands of Chelsea in October.

Though United's long sequence without defeat has not vaulted them into title contention, due to too many draws, Ibrahimovic's performances have been consistently excellent, helping him net 17 goals already in his first season in England.

Conte would not be drawn on whether any of United's players would get into his Chelsea team, but lauded Ibrahimovic's development into one of the world's most lethal strikers.

"Yes, I agree. I always said this. I think now, Zlatan is at the top of his form in his career," he said."I think he's a great player now, a top player. Not only a finisher, but he plays for the team. "It's good to have this type of player because it's very good to play for the team. It's great. For me, he's one of the best players in the world, Zlatan.

"We must have good defensive organisation, and we must pay attention because, when he attacks the box, he's very dangerous. "Also when he receives the ball, he's dangerous. He's a dangerous player. "For this reason, I think my players must pay great attention and great concentration tomorrow to stop him, and not only one player, but the team."

Conte's fiery touchline antics drew the ire of Jose Mourinho in October's thrashing at Stamford Bridge, the Portuguese caught on camera saying his counterpart's celebrations were "a humiliation".But the former Juventus coach says there is no tension between the pair, outside of their respective desires to win.

"I have zero problems," he explained. "It's only a sporting competition between him and me. "There is a game of football. I want to try and win with my team. He wants to try and win with his team. It's normal to be a conflict during the game, but only a sporting conflict."

 

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Guardiola: Don't blame Bravo when Man City concede

Pep Guardiola says Manchester City's goalkeeping woes this season have been due to his players' inability - or unwillingness - to defend properly.

Claudio Bravo has endured a torrid debut season in English football and was taken out of the firing line at the turn of the year having conceded six goals from six shots on target.

Willy Caballero had proven a capable stand-in, though was caught out by a deflection after Eden Hazard strolled through the City midfield in the game at Chelsea earlier in April.

Bravo was recalled to the line-up for last weekend's game against Hull City, where he conceded his seventh goal from seven shots on target late on.

But Guardiola was annoyed with his side's defending after the Hull game, and returned to the point on Thursday when asked about Bravo's struggles this season.

"The problem when we concede goals is not the goalkeeper - it's not Claudio, it's not Willy," he insisted. "So the problem with the goal against Hull was six players didn't want to defend. There was a corner, a second ball and six players said 'OK, that's not my business'. We defended in the box four against six."The problem is not the goalkeepers. Everyone can make mistakes, make a good save, a lot of players miss clear, clear goals."

 

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Conte: Man United can finish in top four

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte believes Manchester United are still capable of a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Ahead of hosting Conte's league leaders at Old Trafford on Sunday, Jose Mourinho's United are fifth in the table.But while they are four points behind fourth-placed Manchester City, they have played at least one game less than every team above them.

Conte dismissed suggestions United would be more focused on their Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht, saying top four was still possible."I think Manchester United have the possibility to arrive in the table in the first four places," he told UK newspapers."But I'm sure United's players know this situation. They want to fight to arrive in this position.

"It's not right to be concentrated only on one target if you have the possibility with two [options] to reach the Champions League."The Chelsea clash begins a tough finish to the season for United, who must also face Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Sunday's encounter sees Mourinho come up against his former club once more, with the Portuguese tactician having already exchanged words with Conte earlier this season."I have zero problems," Conte said. "It's only a sporting competition between him and me. There is a game of football.

"I want to try and win with my team. He wants to try and win with his team. It's normal to be a conflict during the game, but only a sporting conflict."

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.04.15

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.04.15

Tottenham Vs Bournemouth

Crystal Palace Vs Leicester City

Everton Vs Burnley

Stoke City Vs Hull City

Sunderland Vs West Ham

Watford Vs Swansea

Southampton Vs Manchester City

​

 

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LA Liga Fixtures 2017.04.15

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.04.15

Deportivo Vs Malaga

Sporting Gijon Vs Real Madrid

Atletico Madrid Vs Osasuna

Barcelona Vs Real Sociedad​

 

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Serie A Fixtures 2017.04.15

Serie A Fixtures 2017.04.15

Inter Vs AC Milan

Cagliari Vs Chievo

Fiorentina Vs Eampoli

Genoa Vs Lazio

Palermo Vs Bologna

Pescara Vs Juventus

Roma Vs Atalanta

Torino Vs Crotone

Sassuolo Vs Sampdoria

Napoli Vs Udinese​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.04.15

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.04.15

Dortmund Vs Frankfurt

Augsburg Vs Cologne

Hoffenheim Vs Monchengladbach

Mainz Vs Hertha Berlin

Leipzig Vs Freiburg

Wolfsburg Vs Ingolstadt

Leverkusen Vs Bayern​