..::Football IV::..

[Wolverine GTR]

Zidane confirms Ronaldo rotation policy for Real Madrid

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane is leaving Cristiano Ronaldo out of away games in order to keep his star man fresh for the fight for titles on all fronts.

Ronaldo sat out his fourth consecutive La Liga away game at relegated Granada, as James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata hit first-half braces in a comfortable 4-0 win that keeps Madrid level with Barcelona at the summit.

Four-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo has hit back-to-back Champions League hat-tricks against Bayern Munich and Atletico Madrid since last travelling away domestically to Athletic Bilbao in March.And, with the return leg against Atleti in midweek, Zidane suggested he has a policy that is paying dividends.

Asked at a post-match news conference whether the 32-year-old was being left out of away games to give him a greater amount of rest, Zidane replied: "Yes."
James scored his two goals inside 11 minutes against a beleaguered Granada backline who were as vulnerable as Zidane expected.

The Colombia playmaker's future at Madrid has been a topic of debate throughout the season, with Zidane rarely seeing him as a first-choice starter, but his attitude won praise.

"James has always been committed, always there, trying to do the best possible, the same as the others," said Zidane."Granada are in difficulties, and if we begin the game as we did it is normal that they will have more problems."When you score after two minutes, it makes the game easier. But not easy for Granada, when you've nothing to play for it is difficult."

Zidane praised his team's freshness after nine months of toil at home and abroad but urged them to be on their mettle despite holding a 3-0 advantage over Atleti before Wednesday's second leg at the Vicente Calderon.After that come games against Sevilla, Celta Vigo and Malaga, with the destiny of the title still in Madrid's hands.

"Now we will relax, thinking about Wednesday, which is going to test us a lot more than tonight, and we are going to have to have a perfect game," Zidane added.
"We are thinking about ourselves, thinking of winning. Three finals remain."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.05.07

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2017.05.07

Liverpool Vs Southampton

Arsenal Vs Manchester United

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.05.07

LA Liga Fixtures 2017.05.07

Alaves Vs Athletic Bilbao

Valencia Vs Osasuna

Deportivo Vs Espanyol

Malaga Vs Celta​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Serie A Fixtures 2017.05.07

Serie A Fixtures 2017.05.07

Udinese Vs Atalanta

Chievo Vs Palermo

Empoli Vs Bologna

Genoa Vs Inter

Lazio Vs Sampdoria

Pescara Vs Crotone

Sassuolo Vs Fiorentina

AC Milan Vs Roma​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.05.07

Bundesliga Fixtures 2017.05.07

Hamburg Vs Mainz

Friedburg Vs Schalke​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal Vs Manchester United

Arsenal Starting Line-up

Petr Cech
Laurent Koscielny
Nacho Monreal
Rob Holding
Aaron Ramsey
Granit Xhaka
Kieran Gibbs
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Danny Welbeck
Alexis Sanchez
Mesut Ozil

&

Manchester United Starting Line-up

David De Gea
Chris Smalling
Phil Jones
Matteo Darmian
Axel Tuanzebe
Juan Mata
Ander Herrera
Michael Carrick
Wayne Rooney
Anthony Martial
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Ada Starting XI 1kath hodaiMata / Smalling / Jones is back!

& Martial wa start karawapu 1ka hodai

Good Luck Manchester United!


​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Full Time

Arsenal 2 Vs 0 Manchester United

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Hodatama madi ithin Manchester United peformance namhamadamath wage chances hariyata take karanne nathi 1ka thamai thiyana lokuma issue 1ka

Tottenham away match 1keth mona weida manda Mourinho Europa league focus karana nisa

Good luck for the next match Manchester United!​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Mbappe: Transfer talk won’t affect me

Kylian Mbappe has affirmed that he will not allow speculation over his future to affect his on-field performances.

It has been reported in the Spanish press that the 18-year-old Monaco striker has agreed to move to Real Madrid in the summer after a spectacular breakout campaign in Ligue 1.

The France international, though, has affirmed that he is concentrated on his task at Stade Louis II.“We’ve got a common objective and I really want to win a title with the club that brought me through,” he said. “Until then, nothing will disturb me and I think that I’m going to continue like that until the end of the season.

“There will be two months, two and a half months, to make a decision as to what I’m going to do, so no, the rumours won’t affect me.”

Mbappe was only used off the bench during Saturday’s 3-0 win at Nancy, but in his brief cameo his did manage to create a goal for Thomas Lemar.


On Tuesday, Monaco go to Juventus in the Champions League semi-final second leg, in which they will attempt to turnaround a 2-0 deficit against one of Europe’s most highly regarded defensive sides – perhaps Mbappe’s biggest test yet in his short career.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd and Chelsea target Morata airs frustration at lack of Madrid game time

Alvaro Morata admits he had been hoping to see more minutes at Real Madrid as transfer talk continues to link him with Manchester United and Chelsea.The Blancos took up the option to re-sign the Spain international from Juventus in the summer of 2016 after seeing him impress in Turin.

Morata has delivered a personal best haul of 20 goals back at Santiago Bernabeu but faces fierce competition for places from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema.

Goal revealed earlier this week that United are considering an approach to bring him to England, and the 24-year-old concedes that he is looking for regular game time.“I’m not thinking about vindicating myself,” Morata told reporters.

“I want to win the League and Champions League like everyone else.“It’s going to be difficult, but if we win all our remaining games, we’ll be champions in two competitions.“I’d like to play in every game, like everybody else. You always want to contribute wherever you are.

“I always want to go out and score, but there are times when you can’t.“Playing less than I hoped? Sure, but I’m always ready for when the coach needs me and that’s the important thing.”

Morata has bettered the return of striking rival Benzema this season, with the Frenchman contributing 17 goals so far, but he is placing little importance on that record.

He added: “More goals than Benzema? The fans think this more than I do.“I don’t think about scoring more goals than a team-mate, only to score. I’m at 20 and it’s a good number.”

Morata has also been linked with a cross-city switch to Atletico Madrid over recent weeks, with Diego Simeone reported to have sounded him out during a Champions League semi-final clash between the arch-rivals.

Both men have, however, sought to play down those claims.In echoing Simeone, Morata said of the incident in question: “Talking to Simeone at the Bernabeu? It had nothing to do with football, we had a joke.”

Morata bagged a brace for Madrid on Saturday as they eased past Granada 4-0 to keep pace with Barcelona at the top of the La Liga, with Zinedine Zidane’s side still boasting a game in hand.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Genoa 1 Inter 0: Pandev strike sinks old club as Candreva pays the penalty

Former Inter striker Goran Pandev put a major dent in his old club's hopes of Europa League qualification by scoring the decisive goal in a priceless 1-0 win for Genoa, who survived a late penalty to cling on for the win.

Inter were on course for a goalless draw that would have done them few favours as they chase a top-six finish but Pandev pounced on a shot that rebounded off the crossbar in the 70th minute and scored his third goal of the season.

To make matters worse for the visitors, Antonio Candreva had a penalty saved by Eugenio Lamanna in the 87th minute before Geoffrey Kondogbia was sent off, leaving Stefano Pioli's men without a win in seven games and with just three matches left to haul themselves into the top six.

However, their performance at Stadio Communale Luigi Ferraris lacked the urgency they will need in order to leapfrog rivals AC Milan, who sit directly above them in the table with a three-point advantage ahead of hosting Roma later on Sunday.

Eder and Ivan Perisic went close in either half, while Roberto Gagliardini caused Genoa problems with his pace and movement, but leading goalscorer Mauro Icardi was kept quiet throughout the contest.

The win was only Genoa's second in their last 20 matches, and it ensured they remain 16th in the table, five points clear of the bottom three.

Despite their lowly position, the strugglers began brightly and Giovanni Simeone was about to convert a Luca Rigoni cross after five minutes when he went down under a challenge from behind by Gary Medel, but the referee judged the Chilean's tackle to be fair.

Having weathered a spell of early pressure, Inter went on the offensive and Kondogbia hammered a left-footed drive from 30 yards that flew just past the post in the 14th minute.

Still suffering from an injury sustained from the early tackle by Medel, Simeone was forced off in the 18th minute and Ivan Juric sent on Pandev, who shot tamely at Samir Handanovic within two minutes of his introduction.

It was not until just before the half-hour mark that Inter threatened again, and Lamanna made a brilliant one-handed save from Eder's low drive shortly before Candreva's deflected volley tested him again.

Ivan Perisic burst down the left flank five minutes before the break and his cross squirmed under the body of Lamanna but there was no Inter player there to turn the ball into the empty goal.

Genoa's Darko Lazovic caused havoc down the right early in the second half, and he won a free-kick that Miguel Veloso bent towards goal, drawing a strong two-handed save from Handanovic.

Perisic found himself one-on-one with Lamanna after he linked up well with Eder, but the Croatian's shot was too close to the goalkeeper who saved one-handed, before Genoa turned the match in a moment of drama.

Veloso unleashed a vicious drive that rattled the crossbar and Pandev was ideally placed to gleefully ram the rebound back past Handanovic with a left-footed shot.

Rigoni almost made it two from inside the box but his low shot was easily saved by Handanovic, before Pioli sent on Ever Banega to try and turn the match.

In a tense finale, Nicolas Burdisso was judged to have handled a Perisic shot on its way towards goal but Lamanna saved Candreva's low attempt, sending the Genoa faithful wild and securing three points for his side before Kondogbia received his marching orders for dissent to sum up a miserable outing for Inter.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Liverpool 0 Southampton 0: Penalty prowess deserts Milner as Klopp's men falter

Liverpool left their Champions League qualification hopes in the balance as James Milner had a second-half penalty saved in a forgettable 0-0 draw against Southampton at Anfield.Jurgen Klopp's side did little to trouble an amply stocked and well-drilled Saints defence until Jack Stephens was penalised for handball in the 64th minute.

Milner headed into the match having converted seven spot-kicks from seven this season, but he was unable to preserve his perfect record as Fraser Forster saved brilliantly.The otherwise uneventful stalemate edged Liverpool up to third with two games to play, but Manchester City are one point in arrears with a game in hand.

Manchester United were five points worse off in fifth before facing Arsenal later on Sunday, the first of four remaining league games for Jose Mourinho's men this term – meaning Liverpool's top-four fate was, at least temporarily, out of their hands.

Southampton moved up to 10th, ahead of Bournemouth and West Ham on goal difference, with their boss Claude Puel extending an unbeaten career record against Liverpool to six matches.

Forster gathered a Georginio Wijnaldum header and Roberto Firmino had a shot blocked by Maya Yoshida as the Liverpool attack probed at a deep-lying Southampton defence during the opening stages.

Philippe Coutinho – fit to start after sustaining a dead leg at Watford last time out – drilled a stinging strike at the Southampton keeper, but the sight of Klopp angrily spilling water on himself after Lucas Leiva was penalised for a foul on Dusan Tadic amounted to the most entertaining action as the half-hour mark passed.

Liverpool were unable to turn their dominance of possession into anything approaching a clear chance as Southampton finished the half without registering a single shot.That remained the case as the hour passed, with Liverpool providing little more inspiration until Stephens handled when the ball looped up off Divock Origi.

Referee Robert Madley had little hesitation in pointing to the spot and Southampton had Cedric Soares and James Ward-Prowse booked for dissent and delaying the penalty respectively, while Forster made sure to share a few thoughts with Milner.

Those words seemingly paid dividends as the England international sprung brilliantly to his right to save a well-struck kick – Milner's first unsuccessful Premier League penalty for seven and a half years.

Klopp responded by sending on Daniel Sturridge and ex-Saints favourite Adam Lallana in search of badly lacking inspiration, but, on an afternoon of precious little encouragement from open play, it was hard to escape the sense their best opportunity had passed.

The two substitutes combined in the 79th minute, with Sturridge brilliantly shimmying past Stephens, but he was unable to direct his shot far enough away from the ever-imposing Forster.In Sturridge, Liverpool at least had an effective attacking focal point and the England striker curled a low shot against the back stanchion.

Another Reds replacement, the largely forgotten Marko Grujic, almost snatched the points with an injury-time header, but – to conclude a theme – Forster saved brilliantly.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Arsenal 2 Manchester United 0: Welbeck helps end former side's 25-match unbeaten run

Danny Welbeck helped end Manchester United's 25-match unbeaten run in the Premier League, scoring Arsenal's second in a 2-0 win over his former team which handed Arsene Wenger a first top-flight triumph over Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese coach tempted fate by making eight changes from Thursday's Europa League win over Celta Vigo and it ultimately backfired, with the hosts consigning them to their first league defeat since losing 4-0 to Chelsea in October.

After a particularly frenetic start which saw each side waste good opportunities, Arsenal looked the more purposeful going forward and spent long periods probing a stubborn United defence which included Premier League debutant Axel Tuanzebe.But the best chance of the half fell to Wayne Rooney, who pounced on a defensive error before being denied by Petr Cech.

Arsenal ultimately took charge in the second half, though, with Granit Xhaka's deflected strike breaking the deadlock, before Welbeck scored against his old club for the third time to effectively wrap things up before the hour mark.

United rarely looked like battling back as Arsenal saw things out in professional fashion and gave their slender Champions League hopes a boost, while Mourinho and his men turn their attentions back to the Europa League semi-finals after beating Celta 1-0 in Spain in the first leg.

The two sides produced a frenetic start and both went close inside the first eight minutes.Arsenal were the first to be carved open, as Rooney fed Anthony Martial and the Frenchman saw his poked attempt turned around the post by Cech.

Alexis Sanchez then found Aaron Ramsey with an inch-perfect pass a few moments later, only for David De Gea to brilliantly palm his effort past the right-hand post.

Things soon settled down and Arsenal became the dominant force, troubling United twice just before the half-hour mark.

Both chances fell to Welbeck, who first saw a six-yard effort crucially blocked by Phil Jones following a corner, before Chris Smalling produced a similarly important intervention to get in the way of the striker's first-time shot.

United should have made the breakthrough soon after, but Cech bailed out Rob Holding following a horribly misplaced backpass which was seized upon by Rooney.

Arsenal made the most of that let-off early in the second half and left United with a mountain to climb.Xhaka broke the deadlock in fortuitous fashion in the 54th minute as his 30-yard drive took a wicked deflection off Ander Herrera and looped over the helpless De Gea.

And just three minutes later Welbeck put Arsenal two up, rising to meet Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's right-wing cross with a fine header which found the net via the crossbar.

Mourinho attempted to claw United back into the contest by introducing Jesse Lingard and Marcus Rashford form the bench, but neither had a huge impact.
The visitors' final throw of the dice saw 20-year-old attacker Scott McTominay thrown on for his Premier League debut six minutes from time.

Proceedings had long since lost any real tempo, though, and Arsenal comfortably held on to move to within two points of United and six of Manchester City, while the Gunners still have a game in hand on both.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg 2017.05.09

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg 2017.05.09

AGG

2-0

Juventus Vs Monaco

​

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Neville: Mourinho did not care about losing to Arsenal – he was smiling!

Jose Mourinho did not care about Manchester United's defeat to Arsenal, according to the club's former defender Phil Neville.United's hopes of securing a top-four finish in the Premier League suffered a major blow as they lost 2-0 at Emirates Stadium, with second-half goals from Granit Xhaka and Danny Welbeck making the difference.

But Mourinho had made eight changes for the game with the second leg of his side's Europa League semi-final tie against Celta Vigo on Thursday in mind, and Neville feels the Arsenal match was simply an inconvenience for the manager.

Neville thinks seeing Mourinho smiling and laughing during post-match interviews proved his focus was always elsewhere as he discussed the decline in importance of the Arsenal v United fixture, once the biggest game in English football.

"It was a match between the teams in fifth and sixth place in the Premier League but it felt more like it was ninth versus 10th, in one of those dead rubbers you get at the end of the season," Neville told BBC Sport."Yes, Arsenal won, to end United's long unbeaten run, but nobody really cared - including United manager Jose Mourinho.

"It was the first time Gunners boss Arsene Wenger has beaten him in a competitive game, at the 16th attempt and after 13 years of trying. But watching Mourinho afterwards, it was probably the first time in about six months that I have seen him relaxed and smiling.

"It was a game that was clearly a nuisance for him, sandwiched between the two legs of United's Europa League semi-final against Celta Vigo that he has made it obvious is his priority."So, for United, Sunday was just a case of survival - to get off that pitch without getting any more injuries - or at least that was how it looked."

Comparing the match to his own playing days, Neville added: "When I played for Manchester United, Arsenal was always our biggest game of the season - the build-up was electric and I felt as if I was going into battle against our greatest rivals.
"In those days, between 1995 and 2005, it was often a title decider. Everything was completely different about Sunday's game at Emirates Stadium, and it summed up where both teams are at right now.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Conte has made Chelsea click' - Mendieta hails Blues boss's amazing impact

Antonio Conte's ability to quickly identify his best system and strongest line-up has been the catalyst for Chelsea's apparent surge to the Premier League title.
That is the view of ex-Valencia and Spain midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, whose former club Middlesbrough take on the champions-elect on Monday.

Having slumped to a mid-table finish last season, the Blues have been resurgent under Conte in 2016-17, sitting four points clear of Tottenham with a game in hand, with an FA Cup final also on the horizon.

Mendieta has been surprised by the relative comfort with which the Stamford Bridge club have risen to the summit, but cited Conte's early-season switch to a 3-4-3 formation as vital.He told Omnisport : "I would never have thought, like many people, that it would be so – I wouldn't say easy – but with such an advantage in the table.

"I think the game last weekend [a 3-0 win over Everton] was very important for them as Spurs were getting quite close, but I always thought Manchester United and Manchester City would be higher up."I think it was important for Conte to click and find his 11, that team that has been playing most throughout the season and has been so successful – the goals from [Diego] Costa, [Eden] Hazard coming back to top form, Pedro.

"I think the players like Cesc [Fabregas], although not playing regularly, understand the importance of their role in the team and I think that's what Conte has achieved this season.

"As I said, finding the team, finding the players and getting the commitment of the players so early in the season for someone that is new to the team [has been responsible] for so many players changing so drastically compared to the last season."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'Of no interest to Milan' - Mirabelli denies scouting Madrid's Morata

Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata is not a target for AC Milan, according to director of sport Massimiliano Mirabelli.

Morata returned to Madrid after the LaLiga giants exercised a buyback clause to sign the Spain international from Serie A champions Juventus in the off-season, but he has not played as much football as he expected

The 24-year-old has been linked with moves to Premier League duo Chelsea and Manchester United, while Milan have emerged as a possible destination after Mirabelli was spotted in the Spanish capital for the Champions League semi-final between Madrid and Atletico Madrid.But Mirabelli insisted Milan will not be making a move for Morata, who has netted 15 goals in LaLiga this term.

"I went to Madrid to watch a game and not for Morata. He is of no interest to Milan," Mirabelli told Mediaset Premium prior to Milan's 4-1 loss at home to Roma. "Our strategy will be independent of the final placement."

Mirabelli added: "Our plans will not change based on our final position in the table."We currently have a young squad, a good squad, and there are some loan players here too who will return to their clubs. We know that we must introduce players to raise the current quality level. When the transfer window opens, we'll act accordingly."We have clear ideas, we know that there's a lot of responsibility on our shoulders, as over the next few years Milan cannot be in the position they hold now."

Milan - sixth in Serie A - have also been linked with a move for Atalanta midfielder Franck Kessie and Mirabelli said: "We like many players, but it's premature to talk about it now. Players can be convinced by many things, not just playing in Europe.
"Milan and the prestige of Milan go beyond any position in the table. That is what we are.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

'We will keep on trying' – Juan Mata reassures Manchester United fans

Juan Mata says the Manchester United squad will ‘keep on trying until the last game’ to finish the Premier League season in the top four.

After a 2-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday, United are four points behind rivals Manchester City in fourth place, with the possibility of finishing in a Champions League spot dropping over recent weeks.Mata, writing in his weekly blog said: “Our options of entering the Champions League through the Premier League have decreased after this week”

With an eye on Thursday's Europa League semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo, United played a mostly second-choice side in the defeat to Arsenal
The loss brought an end to the club's 25 games unbeaten run, with the Red Devils not losing a league match since October 23rd.Failing to pick up any points has now meant Thursday’s game will be even more significant if the Red Devils are to keep Champions League fate in their own hands.

The semi-final second leg will be United’s chance to go one step closer to winning the Europa League and qualifying for the Champions League, and Mata wants to be part of it.“Now I’m back and I hope to finish the season in great shape, celebrating a European title and winning the remaining games in the Premier League.”

After controversially being sold by Mourinho when at Chelsea, Mata has attempted to regain the faith of his boss by leading from the front.Making a return to action on Saturday was a relief to the Spaniard after several weeks out with an injury.

He wrote: “Thank you very much for your messages of support after the defeat, and also for your support during the weeks of my recovery."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Chelsea 3 Middlesbrough 0: Conte's men relegate visitors and move closer to title glory

Diego Costa, Marcos Alonso and Nemanja Matic were all on target as Chelsea moved a step closer to the Premier League title with a 3-0 home win over Middlesbrough, who are relegated as a result.

Chelsea will be crowned champions if they are able to win at West Brom on Friday, while Boro drop back to the Championship after a single season's stay in the top flight.Costa gave Chelsea a deserved lead after a dominant opening to the game, finishing off a fine pass from Cesc Fabregas, via a touch off Cesar Azpilicueta.

Within 10 minutes the Chelsea lead was doubled, Alonso stealing in at the back post to steer home his sixth league goal of the season thanks to a deflection from Brad Guzan's thigh.

The goalkeeper was nutmegged again by Matic, Fabregas supplying his 10th assist of the campaign for a record sixth different season, as Antonio Conte's men ran riot to register Chelsea's 300th Premier League home win.A crushing triumph extends the Blues' series of successes against Boro to seven without conceding a single goal, as Steve Agnew's side were unable to cope with the quality of the champions-elect.

Chelsea almost took the lead in the second minute when a lovely lofted Fabregas pass picked out Alonso, but Guzan got enough on the wing-back's volley to deflect the ball on to the crossbar.

Fabregas - selected in place of injured Player of the Year winner N'Golo Kante - had Chelsea's next chance when Eden Hazard picked him out with a low cutback, but the Spaniard's placed strike fizzed wide of Guzan's right-hand post.

Costa felt he should have had a penalty after 20 minutes when George Friend brought him down, with Hazard's cross only needing a touch, but the striker would not be denied moments later.

Fabregas was given too much space to find Costa in the box and, following a touch from Azpilicueta, the Spain international centre-forward rolled a calm finish between Guzan's legs for his 20th league goal of the season.

Boro could not hold the champions-elect at bay and the second goal duly arrived after 34 minutes.

This time it was Azpilicueta who was left in the same pocket of space outside the area, with Alonso timing his run perfectly and exploiting slack Boro marking to finish through Guzan's legs.The interval failed to stem the flow of chances, with Conte's men hitting the woodwork again immediately after the restart, Pedro firing a strike that clipped the crossbar.

Fabregas picked up his landmark assist after 64 minutes following patient approach play, flicking the ball up to Matic's chest, the midfielder controlling before firing home with Guzan beaten between his legs for the third time on the night.

Tottenham's loss at West Ham on Friday opened the door to Chelsea and their coronation as champions is now imminent, with Conte even able to give captain John Terry a cameo from the bench - to a rapturous reception - as he nears his departure from the club.