..::Football IV::..

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Conte: 'Fantastic' Fabregas deserving of his success

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte praised the "fantastic" Cesc Fabregas after his team took another step towards the Premier League title.

Fabregas made just his 11th league start of the season, setting up two goals in a 3-0 win over Middlesbrough on Monday.The Spaniard became the first player to record 10 assists in six different Premier League seasons as Chelsea moved seven points clear at the top and Middlesbrough's relegation was confirmed.

Fabregas initially struggled for starts under Conte, but the Italian hailed the midfielder after he set up goals for Diego Costa and Nemanja Matic, either side of Marcos Alonso's effort.

"Cesc is one of the best examples of our season. This season he didn't play a lot at the start," Conte said."Then, through hard work, he improved a lot and now he is playing in every game. This development of Cesc is our development.

"We started the season not in the right way, with a lot of problems, and only through hard work and finding the right solutions together have we found the right way.

"I think Cesc is showing he is a fantastic player and I'm pleased for him. I saw this season he put himself in this team in every moment if he played, or if he didn't play.
"Now he is deserving this."

With a seven-point advantage at the top and three games to play, Chelsea can win the title with a victory at West Brom on Friday.

 

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Monaco must attack Juventus without fear - Jardim

Monaco have to attack without fearing the threat Juventus pose on the counter in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final, says coach Leonardo Jardim.

Gonzalo Higuain's brace at the Stade Louis II last week means Juve are in control of the tie, while Gianluigi Buffon has kept six clean sheets in a row in the Champions League, leaving the odds firmly against Monaco.

But Jardim - whose side are on track to win Ligue 1 - said Monaco have to put the first-leg result behind them as they prepare for the return fixture in Turin on Tuesday.

"We will have to attack with our minds free of bad thoughts," Jardim told reporters. "In the first leg we had the same number of shots on goal as Juve, but they were more clinical.

"Obviously they are more mature than we are but we lost because we didn't make the most of our chances. Tomorrow we want to keep our dream alive: our objective is to reach the final. "I'm very proud of my players and what they have done so far, regardless of Tuesday's result."

Jardim hinted at his selection plans for the second leg, with a shift in tactics likely to deal with the attacking threat of Dani Alves, who provided assists for both of Higuain's goals in the opening match.

"Juventus gave us a lot of problems in the first leg so we will have to change something for sure," Jardim added. "Alves especially was very good but it's normal because he is a great player who is used to playing in this kind of game.

"Juve in general are a great team so we will have to be at our very best if we want to beat them. We are expecting great things from [Radamel] Falcao but [Benjamin] Mendy is not 100 per cent at the moment; it would be a risk to field him."

Despite Juve looking likely to book a final clash against Real Madrid - who lead Atletico Madrid 3-0 after their own first leg - Monaco right-back Djibril Sidibe said his side think they can overturn the two-goal deficit.

"We still believe we can qualify," Sidibe told reporters. "We might have lost the first leg but we are ready to play a great game. Buffon is a great goalkeeper, he is always very focused and made two great saves in the first leg.

"We have had a great season so far and tomorrow we will give our best to win. We were disappointed with the result of the first leg but we are still full of enthusiasm. We have many young players but we're very talented. The main objective is to end the game with no regrets.

"We are looking forward to playing here in this stadium; there will be a great atmosphere. We have proved that we can score plenty of goals this season so we still believe we can do it, we still have a chance. We are ready to play a great game against a very strong side in Juventus."

 

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Mourinho claims Man Utd under 'no pressure' despite making Europa League a top priority

Jose Mourinho claims his Manchester United side are under “no pressure” despite having just one route left into the Champions League.

The Red Devils can still secure a top-four finish in the Premier League this season, but a 2-0 defeat to Arsenal means their fate is no longer in their own hands.
Mourinho was quick to rule his side out of the running after making eight changes to his side at Emirates Stadium, with the Europa League considered to be a top priority.

United hold a slender 1-0 lead in their semi-final clash with Celta Vigo ahead of a return date at Old Trafford on Thursday, but their manager remains calm despite there being no guarantees that an expensively-assembled squad will be back among the continental elite next season.

Mourinho told ESPN Brazil: “There’s no pressure.“We tried. We tried with everything. We try first to get to the final, then if we do it, we try to win the final. The pressure is normal.”

Mourinho is expected to bring his big hitters back in for a midweek meeting with Celta, with United now being careful not to expose the likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Eric Bailly and Antonio Valencia to unnecessary domestic outings.

“Now, it’s impossible for the players to play all the games,” added Mourinho.“It’s impossible for the players to play on Thursday, on Sunday, on Thursday, on Sunday like they’ve been doing all season.“I want to give the players the conditions to compete on Thursday with a team that is resting all of their players in the Spanish league.

“They rest eleven, I rest eight. We’re going with everything on Thursday.”United’s cause has been aided by the fact that Juan Mata, Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have all returned to action after spells on the sidelines, with all three involved against Arsenal.

Mourinho does now have more options at his disposal, but he has already suggested that he will include a number of youngsters in his Premier League plans if United are able to reach the Europa League final.

 

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Liverpool eye Roma's Salah after moving on from Brandt

Liverpool are looking into a number of wide options as Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt is unwilling to risk his appearances diminishing next season.

The 21-year-old, who has been scouted by the club for years and was pursued in January as well as ahead of this summer, is targeting a place in Germany’s squad for the 2018 World Cup.

He does not want to jeopardise his chances of making the cut by supplementing rather than assuming a starring role in Liverpool’s attack.

With Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho proving how destructive they can be in tandem, Brandt knows regular run-outs from the off would not be guaranteed if he transferred to Anfield as he adapts to a new country and league."If you make the move, there is no guarantee that you'll play,” he told Focus on his future.

“I believe that it's important that I get a lot of games next season, and that is a given here at Leverkusen."One of the candidates Liverpool are looking into to enhance their frontline is Roma’s Mohamed Salah.

The Reds have been long-term admirers of the Egypt international, who can operate across the forward line as well as an attacking midfielder.The Merseysiders initially tried to recruit Salah in January 2014, having opened talks with Basel and the player in October the previous year.

The 24-year-old was eager to make the switch, but Liverpool had multiple offers rejected by the Swiss club, before a phone call from Jose Mourinho convinced him to choose Chelsea instead.His £11 million transfer to Stamford Bridge ultimately proved unsuccessful before loan spells followed at Fiorentina and Roma, the latter making the transfer permanent last August.

He has been a revelation at the Stadio Olimipico, where he is the only player to reach double figures in goals (13) and assists (10) this term. Salah, who along with Daniele De Rossi and Radja Nainggolan was the subject of a recent threat from Lazio fans , has a contract until 2019.

There are currently no discussions to extend that deal with Roma having more pressing issues at hand, although they would not be receptive to losing such an influential player - certainly not cheaply.Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who is of interest to Liverpool given his ability to cover a number of positions, is understood to be a more likely addition at present.

The 23-year-old will entire the final 12 months of his agreement with Arsenal this summer and the Reds are willing to pay in the region of £20m to land the England international.

 

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'Real Madrid squad one of most complete ever' - Ramos hails double chasers

Sergio Ramos feels the current Real Madrid squad is one of the most complete in the club's history and has hailed the European champions' strength in depth ahead of the second leg of their semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid.

Players such as Alvaro Morata, James Rodriguez, Marco Asensio and Isco have not been regular starters this term, but have impressed whenever called upon and Ramos has paid triubute to the quality of Madrid's so-called second string.

"This might be one of the most complete squads we have had," Ramos said at a news conference ahead of Wednesday's short trip to the Vicente Calderon, which will hold its final Champions League encounter."We have had many of the best players in the world over the years and it is no different now.

"We are not just 11 players, we are 24, 25 who are always pushing, and those who play less do a great job, and we are benefitting from having those guys ready and able to step in."

Madrid defend a handsome 3-0 lead from the first leg and Ramos is adamant they have no concerns ahead of the return."We are not feeling the pressure. We have things in our own hands," he added.

"We can win two trophies and we will do our best to do so. We will respect all our opponents as we always do."Wednesday, we will see who gets to the final and then we have LaLiga over the coming weeks too."

 

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Juventus 2 Monaco 1 (4-1 agg): Alves leads serene charge into Champions League final

Dani Alves orchestrated another brilliant Juventus performance in this season's Champions League as a 2-1 win over Monaco on home turf secured a 4-1 aggregate triumph and a place in the final.

Juventus' half-decade dominance of Serie A is yet to translate into success on the continental stage, but the Bianconeri have never looked better placed to win a third European crown than Massimiliano Allegri's current crop do.

Along with Sami Khedira and Mario Mandzukic, Alves is one of just three players in this squad to have won the big trophy and the Brazilian followed up two assists at Stade Louis II with another star turn, helping Mandzukic to the nerve-settling opener before blasting in before the break to allow 45 minutes of joyous celebrating and frantic seeking of hostelries in Cardiff.Kylian Mbappe's zip and zeal was rewarded with a second-half goal that rounds off a stunning debut season for the 18-year-old.

Though Monaco's brilliant babes will not share a European crown before they are sold off to the highest bidder, they are tantalisingly close to the Ligue 1 crown, and surely the likes of Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar and Mbappe will have greater tales to tell in this competition over the next decade.

But those prodigies and their wise old figurehead Radamel Falcao barely laid a glove on Juve over two legs and the determined, drilled - and occasionally dastardly - trio of Andrea Barzagli, Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini will relish a showpiece battles of 'BBC' line-ups, with Real Madrid - of Bale, Benzema and Cristiano - 3-0 up on neighbours Atletico in the other semi-final.

The Juve defence is still to be breached from open play in this season's competition and, having played the underdog to Barcelona two years ago, Allegri's stronger, slicker side may well head to the Welsh capital as favourites this time around.

Defiance rumbled down from the stands pre-match as the home fans bellowed 'CHAMPIONS' amid the pre-match anthem and a 'Time for Cardiff' banner greeted the players out of the tunnel and a nervy opening was ridden out in typically stubborn fashion.

Gianluigi Buffon stretched out a tweaked back in the warm-up and flapped at an early cross before Mbappe beat him to a high ball and struck a post amid the raising of an offside flag and there were further signs of danger for Juve when Khedira twanged a hamstring and had to be replaced by Claudio Marchisio.

But as the storm passed, Juventus thundered back into the contest, Kamil Glik and Danijel Subasic desperately denying Gonzalo Higuain and Mandzukic before the Croatian striker finally found a way through.

As in the first leg, Alves found the key to unlock Monaco, his pin-perfect cross finding Mandzukic, who lashed high into the net after Subasic brilliantly denied his initial header.

Juve smelled blood and Higuain was denied a goal by the assistant's flag before Chiellini celebrated a geometrically thrilling goalline clearance as if he had scored - soon the stadium would do so again.

Subasic denied Paulo Dybala one-on-one but was left flailing when he punched the resulting corner onto Alves' right boot and the three-time Champions League winner returned with interest, smashing a laser-guided volley into the net.

Buffon was beginning to look unbeatable as he sprawled to deny Mbappe one-on-one but the teenager would have his goal soon after as he turned in from inches after Joao Moutinho got to the byline from a short corner.

Higuain was left enraged after collecting some war wounds from former Torino defender Glik as the visitors grew tetchy in the closing stages, but the Argentine will recover for another assault on a major final where he will look to improve on a desperate record with Argentina.

Poorer omens follow in Juve last beating Monaco at this stage of the Champions League before losing to Real Madrid in the 1998 final, but Allegri's vintage are made of the stern stuff required to turn history on its head.

 

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'Reaching the final counts for nothing' - Buffon determined to lift Champions League crown

Gianluigi Buffon is once again in touching distance of his "dream" after Juventus reached a second Champions League final in three years.

Buffon has lost two European finals with Juve, in 2003 and 2015, but the Italy great will get a third bite at the cherry after the Serie A champions beat Monaco 4-1 on aggregate after a 2-1 win at Juventus Stadium on Tuesday.

Juve reached the 1998 final after beating the Ligue 1 club before losing to Real Madrid, and Los Blancos - 3-0 up over Atletico in the other semi-final - are likely opponents in Cardiff.

Buffon remains unbeaten from open play in the entire competition this season, but says reaching the final will not mean anything if they do not go on and secure the Bianconeri's third European Cup.

"It was damn difficult, regardless of winning 2-0 in the first leg. If we had come here tonight with an arrogant approach, we would have experienced some very difficult moments," Buffon told Mediaset Premium.

"We still did, but when you've got the right mentality, you can overcome those obstacles."We are in the final, but now reaching the final counts for nothing.

"I am very happy, because I've got here in good shape and if I wasn't in a big club and with great team-mates, I would never have come back into the Champions League final.

"Two years ago everyone assumed it was my last Champions League final, and I thought that too, but you have to keep believing in your dreams."

 

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Falcao: Monaco can improve on Champions League run

Radamel Falcao wants Monaco to improve on this season's run to the Champions League semi-finals after the Ligue 1 champions-elect were outclassed by Juventus.

Dani Alves set up Gonzalo Higuain's first-leg double before doing likewise for Mario Mandzukic at Juventus Stadium on Tuesday and blasting in to put the Italian champions four goals to the good by half-time in the return fixture.

Kylian Mbappe became the youngest scorer in Champions League semi-final history with a strike after the break in Turin, but it was too little too late.Mbappe is just one of several young stars turning heads for Monaco this season, along with the likes of Bernardo Silva, Thomas Lemar and Tiemoue Bakayoko, as the principality club close on the league title.

Though next season's Monaco could have a significantly different makeup to the current crop, Falcao believes progress can be made and highlighted the Italians' clinical edge as the difference in the semi-final tie."They played really well and took their chances," Falcao told beIN Sports.

"We weren't clinical enough when we had opportunities. We fought hard all season for Monaco and for French football and we hope we'll be better next season."

 

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Monaco did French football proud - Jardim

Leonardo Jardim believes Monaco did French football proud in their exhilarating run to the Champions League semi-finals.

The Ligue 1 champions-elect came up short against Scudetto holders Juventus, going down 2-1 on Tuesday in Turin after a 2-0 defeat on home soil the previous week.

Jardim's young stars have lit up the tournament, however, with Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar, Bernardo Silva and others thrilling in goal-laden ties against Manchester City and Borussia Dortmund.

It remains to be seen whether Monaco's leading lights will still be at Stade Louis II next season, with Jardim himself also linked with a move away, but the Portuguese was happy to reflect on a campaign of many positives on the continent.He told beIN Sports: "On one side was a team with a lot of experience and the other a lot of youth.

"We are very happy to have been in this semi-final, I'm very proud of the players. We played today after we played on Saturday [against Nancy], and the players did their best."We could not have played for the draw. It is a result that makes us leave with our heads held high.

"We represented French football well. Now let's focus on the championship. Let's recover well, the players made a lot of effort here in Turin."Gonzalo Higuain's first-leg double in Monaco badly hampered the Ligue 1 club's chances of progression, but Jardim praised his side's never-say-die attitude.

"Juventus had not conceded goals for several games, and the first leg was a bit of a blow to our ambitions, but today we played a good game with a lot of aggression," he added.

"We continued to play well, we wanted to score and we scored a goal."We've had a great Champions League [season], we are proud of the players, it was the first experience at this level of many of them."

 

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Mertens Napoli extension imminent and Sarri can stay for life, says De Laurentiis

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis expects Dries Mertens' future to be resolved in a week and says coach Maurizio Sarri can stay at the club for life.Mertens has been on fire for Napoli this season, scoring 30 goals in 43 games in all competitions for a side pushing for a second-place finish in Serie A.

The Belgium international is contracted until 2022 but the Stadio San Paolo outfit are looking to tie him to a longer deal, while Manchester United are reportedly interested.

De Laurentiis said earlier this month that Mertens' future is in doubt because of a "family situation", but is now sure he will stay."I believe we are there and therefore the signature should arrive soon, we can say that in a week we will confirm everything we said," he told Corriere dello Sport.

The film producer was asked if there are any other lingering renewals, replying: "Marek Hamsik, Jose Callejon, Raul Albiol, Kalidou Koulibaly, Lorenzo Insigne. They take time, in some cases, unlike film where everything happens faster."

Napoli have impressed under Sarri since he replaced Rafael Benitez at the helm in 2015 and now sit a point behind second-place Roma in the league.And De Laurentiis believes there is more to come from the 58-year-old boss.


"My intuition about Sarri was right. He coach Napoli for much longer because he has a long-term contract with a clause that doesn't come into effect next year. This is his home, I think he can keep living in Naples for life and can take on a Sir Alex Ferguson role.

 

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I'm not an easy guy to manage - Lukaku

Romelu Lukaku has conceded that he is not an easy player to manage and thanked Everton boss Ronald Koeman for helping him reach a new level.

The Belgium striker has been in superb form for the Toffees this season and tops the Premier League goalscoring charts with 24 strikes.Lukaku's form saw him take home the Player of the Season and Players' Player of the Season at the club's awards evening on Tuesday.

However, his future at Goodison Park remains shrouded in doubt and earlier this year Toffees boss Koeman stated that Lukaku had told him he will not be signing a new contract, with Manchester United and former club Chelsea said to be among his suitors.But Lukaku has continued to perform to a high standard, something he says is down to Koeman's coaching skills.

"I'm very happy," the Liverpool Echo report Lukaku as saying after accepting his awards."I want to thank the manager for pushing me, even though sometimes I'm not always an easy guy. He's taken me to the next level.

"As a young guy, I just try to learn every day and give my best. Sometimes there are ups and downs but it's always with the best intentions."I want to help my team-mates win and I have tried my best this season."

 

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Manchester United release new away kit for 2017-18 season

The design is inspired by the strip which the club had in the early 1990s, when Ryan Giggs made his debut, and wore in the 1992 League Cup final against Nottingham Forest. It is a mix of dark grey, black and white and has a crew-neck collar.

The three adidas stripes, club badge and logo are all in white. It will be worn by Jose Mourinho's side for the first time during their pre-season tour.
United have scheduled six friendlies to be played in the United States and Norway starting with La Galaxy on July 15. Mourinho's side will also face Real Salt Lake, Manchester City, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Valerenga.

In a statement on United's website, adidas said: "Manchester United fans of all ages will recognise the bold graphic pattern from the 1990-92 away jersey that defined football shirt design for an era. Connecting the past to the future, the new kit pays homage to the historic design, celebrating the rich history of the club.

"The graphic design of the original kit has been reimagined on a black backdrop with white hues, with the classic adidas three stripes, club badge and adidas logo all in white. A crew-neck collar gives the kit a modern makeover, making it a jersey that's as much at home on the streets as it is on the pitch.

"The kit features all the technological innovations of adidas' jersey technology used by the world's leading clubs, including breathable fabrics and mesh engineering.
"Alongside the replica jersey, there is also an authentic shirt available [as worn by the players], a long-sleeved version and shirts specifically for children and women."

 

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Lassanai Manchester United 2017/18 Away Kit 1ka​

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixture 2017.05.10

Barclays Premier League Fixture 2017.05.10

Southampton Vs Arsenal

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UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg Fixture 2017.05.10

UEFA Champions League Semi-Final 2nd Leg Fixture 2017.05.10

AGG
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Atletico Madrid Vs Real Madrid

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Rooney wants to be at Man Utd next season

Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney says he does not want to leave the club at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old has seen his importance to the first team diminish under manager Jose Mourinho this term and has made only 12 starts in the Premier League.

Rooney has been heavily linked with a move away from Old Trafford before next term, with clubs in the United States and China and former side Everton all reportedly interested.But England's record goalscorer, who rejected the chance to leave United in January, insists that he wants to stay at the club he joined as a teenager in 2004.

"Of course you want to play every game. I've had to try to take my chance when called upon. I try to do my best for the team," he told a news conference ahead of the Europa League semi-final second leg against Celta Vigo."I've been at this club for 13 years; of course I want to play football. Here? Of course.

"The more I can play, the better for me and the more I can help team. I haven't thrown my toys out of the pram but I do want to play to help the team."Football changes. You have different challenges in your career. I would like to play more but I've tried to help the team on and off pitch."

Rooney is in the squad for Thursday's match at Old Trafford, with United looking to build on a 1-0 first-leg win to secure their place in the final against either Ajax or Lyon.

With Sunday's 2-0 loss to Arsenal leaving their hopes of a top-four finish in the league looking slim, Rooney accepts that winning the Europa League - and returning to the Champions League as a result - is now a must."It's important for us to be back in the Champions League," he said. "This club belongs there. Realistically, it's going to be difficult to do it through the league.

"This is a European semi-final. It's the biggest competition we've had a realistic chance of winning in the last two or three years."

Victory in the tournament will see United end their first season under Mourinho with Europa League, EFL Cup and Community Shield trophies, and Rooney believes that it points to further success under the former Chelsea boss.


"This club will be successful under Jose Mourinho," he said. "If we can win Europa League, that will be three trophies [this season]. We're not far away from challenging again."

 

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'FIFA investigation does not affect Paul' - Mourinho says Pogba not distracted by off-field matters

Jose Mourinho insists Paul Pogba will not be affected by a FIFA investigation into his world-record transfer to Manchester United.The France international returned to Old Trafford from Juventus in August in an £89million deal.

Alleged details of the transfer were leaked earlier this week and documents purportedly relating to the France international's move showed that his agent Mino Raiola stood to benefit to the tune of £41m off the deal.

FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that details of the transfer will be probed, but United boss Mourinho told a pre-match news conference ahead of the Europa League semi-final second-leg with Celta Vigo that Pogba will not be distracted by off-field matters.

"The question is simple," he said. "It does not affect Paul."
The deal to sign Pogba broke the previous record set by Gareth Bale's £86million switch from Tottenham to Real Madrid.

 

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Atletico Madrid 2 Real Madrid 1 (2-4 agg): Calderon comeback falls short as Isco sets up Juventus showdown

Real Madrid reached a third Champions League final in four years after seeing off Atletico Madrid despite a 2-1 defeat in the second leg of their semi-final tie on Wednesday.

Two goals in the first 16 minutes from Atleti threatened to produce another memorable comeback in this season's tournament, until Isco's strike just before half-time effectively ended those hopes and sealed a 4-2 aggregate win.

The players were greeted with a tifo from the home fans proclaiming 'proud to be different to you' as they walked out onto the pitch for the last European game at Vicente Calderon, but Atletico's electric start was very much in the mould of Madrid's in the first leg.Saul Niguez thumped in a header with 12 minutes gone before Antoine Griezmann converted a penalty to get Diego Simeone's side believing in a turnaround.

Madrid have made a habit of digging deep to salvage results this term, though, and Isco's finish from close range on 42 minutes – his first in the Champions League this season – handed Zinedine Zidane's side a crucial away goal.

Atleti persevered but there was little real hope in their second-half efforts, as they suffered European heartbreak against their city rivals for the fourth time in as many seasons.

Madrid's hopes of becoming the first team to defend the Champions League remain intact, however, and they will face Juventus – the team Zidane left as a player to move to Santiago Bernabeu, who knocked out Monaco on Tuesday – in next month's final in Cardiff.

Atletico went in hunt of the opening goal from kick-off and it took a fine low save at the near post from Keylor Navas to stop Koke's prodded effort from giving the hosts the lead after only five minutes.

Jan Oblak was equally impressive at the other end to keep out Casemiro's header with a flying one-armed stop, but Atleti's pressure on the Madrid defence told in the 13th minute, as Saul rose highest to power a header beyond Navas from six yards out from a Koke corner.

Madrid's defence had not settled and Atleti took advantage again on 16 minutes. Raphael Varane's clumsy challenge felled Fernando Torres in the penalty area, allowing Griezmann - who missed from the spot in normal time of last year's final - to double the lead, even though Navas got a hand to his effort.

Madrid began to dictate possession without creating much of a threat as the first half descended into a scrappy affair in which five players were shown yellow cards, including captains Sergio Ramos and Gabi, both for dissent.

With three minutes to play before the interval, Madrid's increasing control bore a priceless away goal. Karim Benzema's magnificent footwork saw him beat three players as he cut into the area from the left, and although Oblak saved Toni Kroos' shot from the striker's cut-back, Isco was on hand to turn in the rebound.

The visitors suddenly looked comfortable, with Isco and Luka Modric taking command of proceedings, and another fine piece of skill from the former sent Madrid on their way to a promising attack early in the second half that finished with a wayward first-time strike from Cristiano Ronaldo.

Atleti's attack was lacking the intensity they showed in the first but Navas was needed to stop the home side grabbing another lifeline, making a good low block to deny Yannick Carrasco before scrambling up to turn substitute Kevin Gameiro's rebound wide of the goal.

Madrid had the ball in the net again after Ronaldo scuffed Modric's mishit volley into the bottom corner, only for an offside flag to be raised, before Benzema's diving header rippled the side-netting following a fine Marcelo cross.

A late push from Atleti was not enough to threaten the result as they missed out on a return to the final, while Madrid remain well placed to secure a league and Champions League double.

 

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& Its Juventus Vs Real Madrid UEFA Champions League Final!

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Southampton 0 Arsenal 2: Sanchez hits 20 for season as Gunners dream of top four

Alexis Sanchez reached 20 league goals in a season for the first time as he inspired Arsenal's 2-0 win at Southampton that narrows the gap to the Premier League's top four.

A home win over Jose Mourinho's depleted Manchester United on Sunday meant Arsenal could cut the gap to fourth-placed Manchester City to three points with victory at St Mary's Stadium, but they never looked likely in a second-rate first half.

Sanchez and Mesut Ozil had been guilty for letting the air out of numerous attacks for Arsene Wenger's side, but the duo combined sublimely to puncture the Saints' back line on the hour.

Making his 100th Premier League appearance, Sanchez celebrated his fine strike by tapping the badge on his chest in front of the travelling fans as his, and Ozil's, futures remain shrouded in doubt as their contracts wind down.

Sanchez was again involved as Olivier Giroud emerged from the bench to make the points safe and take Arsenal fifth in the table.

Arsenal face games against Stoke City, relegated Sunderland and Everton in their bid to sneak Champions League qualification for the 20th season in succession, and interventions as divine as Sanchez's in this game will be crucial.

There had been little sign of Arsenal trying to chase down the top four as the game began in soporific manner, devoid of any intensity at either end, and it was Saints who had the best chances when a contest finally broke out around the half-hour mark.

Shkodran Mustafi's tackle on Dusan Tadic presented Manolo Gabbiadini with a one-on-one chance, but Petr Cech narrowed the angles well and the Gunners' slackness was surmised when Danny Welbeck's excellent flick found Ozil but the German rejected a physical battle with Jack Stephens and the chance dissipated.

Hector Bellerin was summoned from the bench after Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain limped off, but Arsenal remained half-paced and Gabbiadini curled a free-kick wide before Nathan Redmond's arrowing 30-yarder was clawed out of the top corner by Cech.

Sanchez was anonymous in the first half and was guilty of passing straight to Saints players to kill two chances shortly after the interval, but the Chilean's next involvement was breathtaking.

Ozil too came to the party with an incisive first-time pass to dissect the Saints backline and find Sanchez, who sat Maya Yoshida and Stephens down with a juddering turn before beating the onrushing Fraser Forster.Forster was sharp to keep out Granit Xhaka's deflected thunderclap of a shot and the goal clearly sent jolts of confidence through the visitors as they controlled possession and stifled Saints' attacking chances.

And the late-season hunt of the top four was set in motion when Sanchez picked out Ramsey and his cross was nodded home by an unmarked Giroud.