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Inter 1 Crotone 1: Zenga returns to haunt struggling Nerazzurri
Crotone extended Inter's winless run in Serie A to eight matches as Andrea Barberis' second-half equaliser secured Walter Zenga's side a well-deserved 1-1 draw at San Siro.
Playing in place of the injured Mauro Icardi, Eder marked his first league start of the season by heading the Nerazzurri ahead in the 23rd minute, albeit visiting defender Davide Faraoni got the final touch on the ball.
Yet the out-of-sorts hosts laboured throughout and Crotone deservedly picked up a valuable point in their battle to beat the drop, Barberis reacting quickly to poke a loose ball beyond Samir Handanovic.
The result will be particularly pleasing for Zenga, a legendary name at Inter who is back coaching in his homeland after an unsuccessful spell at English Championship side Wolves.
As for his old employers, a fifth successive draw will see Inter retain fourth place in the table, though Roma can close to within a solitary point with victory away at Verona on Sunday.
After Inter won 2-0 in the previous meeting of the teams last September, they were riding high in the table having picked up maximum points from their first four outings in the campaign.
However, a miserable run of form either side of the mid-season break has emphatically ended talk of an unlikely title challenge and instead left Luciano Spalletti's side looking nervously over their shoulder in the battle to secure Champions League football next season.
There was a collective sigh of relief around the San Siro when Eder opened the scoring, the forward converting Marcelo Brozovic's corner home via a deflection off Faraoni's head.Inter had to rely on a set-piece opportunity to break the deadlock though, as they struggled in open play during a lethargic first-half display that highlighted the lack of confidence running through the team.
Faraoni made amends for his accidental involvement in the opening goal with a crucial clearance to prevent a second after the break, cutting out Antonio Candeva's low cross as two Inter players waited to apply the finish in the middle.The interception kept Crotone within touching distance, and the visitors grew in confidence with each minute that ticked by during the second half.
Their willingness to push extra bodies forward paid off with an equaliser on the hour mark, Marcello Trotta's attempted pass rebounding off the knee of Borja Valero to set up Barberis, who kept his composure to convert the one-on-one opportunity.Spalletti responded to conceding by summoning Rafinha from the bench, and the Brazilian was denied a late winner on his home debut when his goal-bound shot was acrobatically kept out by a diving Alex Cordaz.
Ivan Perisic failed to even hit the target when well-placed to convert Danilo D'Ambrosio's cut-back pass from the right in the closing stages, while Inter were relieved to see Trotta's left-footed drive on the angle fizz narrowly wide during an eventful finish to an otherwise tepid contest.
Crotone extended Inter's winless run in Serie A to eight matches as Andrea Barberis' second-half equaliser secured Walter Zenga's side a well-deserved 1-1 draw at San Siro.
Playing in place of the injured Mauro Icardi, Eder marked his first league start of the season by heading the Nerazzurri ahead in the 23rd minute, albeit visiting defender Davide Faraoni got the final touch on the ball.
Yet the out-of-sorts hosts laboured throughout and Crotone deservedly picked up a valuable point in their battle to beat the drop, Barberis reacting quickly to poke a loose ball beyond Samir Handanovic.
The result will be particularly pleasing for Zenga, a legendary name at Inter who is back coaching in his homeland after an unsuccessful spell at English Championship side Wolves.
As for his old employers, a fifth successive draw will see Inter retain fourth place in the table, though Roma can close to within a solitary point with victory away at Verona on Sunday.
After Inter won 2-0 in the previous meeting of the teams last September, they were riding high in the table having picked up maximum points from their first four outings in the campaign.
However, a miserable run of form either side of the mid-season break has emphatically ended talk of an unlikely title challenge and instead left Luciano Spalletti's side looking nervously over their shoulder in the battle to secure Champions League football next season.
There was a collective sigh of relief around the San Siro when Eder opened the scoring, the forward converting Marcelo Brozovic's corner home via a deflection off Faraoni's head.Inter had to rely on a set-piece opportunity to break the deadlock though, as they struggled in open play during a lethargic first-half display that highlighted the lack of confidence running through the team.
Faraoni made amends for his accidental involvement in the opening goal with a crucial clearance to prevent a second after the break, cutting out Antonio Candeva's low cross as two Inter players waited to apply the finish in the middle.The interception kept Crotone within touching distance, and the visitors grew in confidence with each minute that ticked by during the second half.
Their willingness to push extra bodies forward paid off with an equaliser on the hour mark, Marcello Trotta's attempted pass rebounding off the knee of Borja Valero to set up Barberis, who kept his composure to convert the one-on-one opportunity.Spalletti responded to conceding by summoning Rafinha from the bench, and the Brazilian was denied a late winner on his home debut when his goal-bound shot was acrobatically kept out by a diving Alex Cordaz.
Ivan Perisic failed to even hit the target when well-placed to convert Danilo D'Ambrosio's cut-back pass from the right in the closing stages, while Inter were relieved to see Trotta's left-footed drive on the angle fizz narrowly wide during an eventful finish to an otherwise tepid contest.
Wenger hails instant impact from Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang
Arsene Wenger believes the arrivals of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have given Arsenal a fresh start and can lend their push for a top-four spot in the Premier League renewed impetus.Aubameyang – a £55 million club-record signing from Borussia Dortmund – marked his Gunners debut by getting on the scoresheet in Saturday's 5-1 demolition of Everton, with Aaron Ramsey helping himself to a hat-trick at Emirates Stadium.
Mkhitaryan's maiden Arsenal start was also one to remember as he chipped in with three assists, firing a feel-good factor in the red corner of north London far removed from the fractious days of the Alexis Sanchez transfer saga."I believe, yes," Wenger told Sky Sports when asked if this felt like a fresh start at this advanced stage of his long reign.
"We want to qualify for the Champions League through the Premier League and that is why the games coming up are so important."The two players who came in during the transfer window look like they have always played with us with us because they have the same mobility, same ability and same technical quality."
Wenger had suggested Aubameyang might not feature against Sam Allardyce's over-matched side due to illness, but the Gabon striker completed 90 minutes."He's not completely fit but of course you see the quality of him – movement, the sharpness, the quality of his finishing. It is very encouraging," the Arsenal boss added.
Arsenal sit on 45 points, five points out of the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot in the Premier League.
Arsene Wenger believes the arrivals of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have given Arsenal a fresh start and can lend their push for a top-four spot in the Premier League renewed impetus.Aubameyang – a £55 million club-record signing from Borussia Dortmund – marked his Gunners debut by getting on the scoresheet in Saturday's 5-1 demolition of Everton, with Aaron Ramsey helping himself to a hat-trick at Emirates Stadium.
Mkhitaryan's maiden Arsenal start was also one to remember as he chipped in with three assists, firing a feel-good factor in the red corner of north London far removed from the fractious days of the Alexis Sanchez transfer saga."I believe, yes," Wenger told Sky Sports when asked if this felt like a fresh start at this advanced stage of his long reign.
"We want to qualify for the Champions League through the Premier League and that is why the games coming up are so important."The two players who came in during the transfer window look like they have always played with us with us because they have the same mobility, same ability and same technical quality."
Wenger had suggested Aubameyang might not feature against Sam Allardyce's over-matched side due to illness, but the Gabon striker completed 90 minutes."He's not completely fit but of course you see the quality of him – movement, the sharpness, the quality of his finishing. It is very encouraging," the Arsenal boss added.
Arsenal sit on 45 points, five points out of the fourth and final Champions League qualification spot in the Premier League.
Pogba not being punished with bench role - Mourinho
Jose Mourinho says he did not leave Paul Pogba out of Manchester United's win over Huddersfield on Saturday to punish the midfielder, but felt Scott McTominay would be better suited to the game.
Pogba underwhelmed in midweek as United lost 2-0 to Tottenham in the Premier League and was subsequently left on the bench until the 65th minute as the Red Devils recovered with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.But Mourinho explained that he felt 21-year-old McTominay's "genius" in simplicity in place of Pogba would have been more effective in a compact midfield against the struggling visitors.
"I change a few players and the intention was not to punish anyone," Mourinho told reporters afterwards."To punish anyone I also need someone to punish me because we are a team and, when we win we win together, we lose together.
"But I made a few changes thinking about the characteristics of this game and I think this kid [McTominay] has a great desire to recover the ball when the team is not in possession, he's a kid that chases the ball, that tries to recover high up the pitch and when he has the ball it is always simple and against opponents like Huddersfield, so close and with so many bodies behind the ball, the simplicity sometimes is genius.
"You don't have space, you have to open spaces by playing simple, so was a decision to play the kid but Paul came on very, very well with a great attitude with the spaces that we had at that time because we were winning 1-0 and Paul could show his talents and his qualities.
"I always try to do what is best for the team in any moment. I prefer to look at it in the beautiful way of a little kid that arrived here with his mum at nine-years-old for the first training session, 10 or 11 years later the kid is playing in a Manchester United shirt in an important match in the Premier League at home at Old Trafford, so I prefer to look at that perspective.
"Paul is a fantastic player, no doubt for me one of the most talented midfield players in the world but to sit on the bench one day is not the end of the world."Despite having been limited to just 16 appearances in the Premier League this season, Pogba is third in the assist chart with nine to go along with his three goals.
McTominay, meanwhile, was making just his fourth outing in the English top flight in 2017-18.
Jose Mourinho says he did not leave Paul Pogba out of Manchester United's win over Huddersfield on Saturday to punish the midfielder, but felt Scott McTominay would be better suited to the game.
Pogba underwhelmed in midweek as United lost 2-0 to Tottenham in the Premier League and was subsequently left on the bench until the 65th minute as the Red Devils recovered with a 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.But Mourinho explained that he felt 21-year-old McTominay's "genius" in simplicity in place of Pogba would have been more effective in a compact midfield against the struggling visitors.
"I change a few players and the intention was not to punish anyone," Mourinho told reporters afterwards."To punish anyone I also need someone to punish me because we are a team and, when we win we win together, we lose together.
"But I made a few changes thinking about the characteristics of this game and I think this kid [McTominay] has a great desire to recover the ball when the team is not in possession, he's a kid that chases the ball, that tries to recover high up the pitch and when he has the ball it is always simple and against opponents like Huddersfield, so close and with so many bodies behind the ball, the simplicity sometimes is genius.
"You don't have space, you have to open spaces by playing simple, so was a decision to play the kid but Paul came on very, very well with a great attitude with the spaces that we had at that time because we were winning 1-0 and Paul could show his talents and his qualities.
"I always try to do what is best for the team in any moment. I prefer to look at it in the beautiful way of a little kid that arrived here with his mum at nine-years-old for the first training session, 10 or 11 years later the kid is playing in a Manchester United shirt in an important match in the Premier League at home at Old Trafford, so I prefer to look at that perspective.
"Paul is a fantastic player, no doubt for me one of the most talented midfield players in the world but to sit on the bench one day is not the end of the world."Despite having been limited to just 16 appearances in the Premier League this season, Pogba is third in the assist chart with nine to go along with his three goals.
McTominay, meanwhile, was making just his fourth outing in the English top flight in 2017-18.
Manchester United vs Huddersfield 2-0 - All Goals & Extended Highlights - EPL 03/02/2018 HD
Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.02.04
Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.02.04
Crystal Palace Vs Newcastle
Liverpool Vs Tottenham
LA Liga Fixtures 2018.02.04
LA Liga Fixtures 2018.02.04
Getafe Vs Leganes
Espanyol Vs Barcelona
Girona Vs Athletic Bilbao
Atletico Madrid Vs Valencia
Getafe Vs Leganes
Espanyol Vs Barcelona
Girona Vs Athletic Bilbao
Atletico Madrid Vs Valencia
Serie A Fixtures 2018.02.04
Serie A Fixtures 2018.02.04
Verona Vs Roma
Atalanta Vs Chievo
Bologna Vs Fiorentina
Cagliari Vs Spal
Juventus Vs Sassuolo
Udinese Vs AC Milan
Benevento Vs Napoli
Verona Vs Roma
Atalanta Vs Chievo
Bologna Vs Fiorentina
Cagliari Vs Spal
Juventus Vs Sassuolo
Udinese Vs AC Milan
Benevento Vs Napoli
Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.02.04
Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.02.04
Augsburg Vs Frankfurt
Hamburg Vs Hannover
Augsburg Vs Frankfurt
Hamburg Vs Hannover
Juventus 7 Sassuolo 0: Higuain hat-trick puts Napoli on notice
Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat-trick as Juventus sounded an ominous warning to rivals Napoli by overwhelming Sassuolo in a comprehensive 7-0 victory at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
The champions scored four times in a one-sided first 45 minutes, and added three more through Higuain in the second half, to ease to their 10th consecutive victory in all competitions, bolstering their Serie A title defence.
Massimiliano Allegri named Gianluigi Buffon for his first league appearance since December and the 40-year-old could hardly have asked for a more comfortable clean sheet, his side's sixth straight in all competitions.
Alex Sandro opened the scoring after nine minutes and the contest was all but over by the half-hour mark as Sami Khedira hit a quickfire double to improve his season tally to six.
Miralem Pjanic's fine fourth prompted Allegri, who was forced to withdraw the injured Blaise Matuidi amid the goal glut, to make a further two changes at the break in a sign of the comfort enjoyed by the Bianconeri.Higuain stole the spotlight with a classy treble – his first for the club – after the restart to further compound the away side's misery and cap off a win that momentarily moves Juve two points ahead of Napoli, who visit Benevento later on Sunday.
With Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa all still sidelined by injury, Juve were searching for fresh avenues to goal and immediately found one in Alex Sandro.
The full-back pounced on a kind ricochet inside the area to punish the visitors for failing to clear a short corner.Sassuolo stemmed the damage for a further 15 minutes until Khedira single-handedly opened the floodgates midway through the half.
Alex Sandro's flick-on from a Pjanic corner enabled the Germany international to open his account with a simple tap-in and he made it 3-0 moments later, exposing a high line to finish coolly past Andrea Consigli.Juve's superb start did sour somewhat as Matuidi limped off between those two strikes, but that minor frustration was softened by a fourth first-half goal.
Pjanic – provider of Khedira's second – this time got in on the scoring, rounding off a thoroughly dominant 45 minutes by firing a sweet strike into the bottom-left corner from just outside the area.
Allegri opted to safeguard against further injuries by removing Khedira and Daniele Rugani at the interval and the changes hardly appeared to upset his side's rhythm.
Higuain almost got on the end of Mario Mandzukic's low cross, while Federico Bernardeschi slammed a low effort into Consigli.But Juve did get their fifth in the 63rd minute when Higuain expertly fired through Federico Peluso and into the net for his 11th of the Serie A season.
The Argentina international took centre stage from there, rounding Consigli to convert again in the 74th minute before he claimed the match ball with his seventh goal in his last five top-flight meetings Sassuolo late in proceedings.
Gonzalo Higuain scored a hat-trick as Juventus sounded an ominous warning to rivals Napoli by overwhelming Sassuolo in a comprehensive 7-0 victory at Allianz Stadium on Sunday.
The champions scored four times in a one-sided first 45 minutes, and added three more through Higuain in the second half, to ease to their 10th consecutive victory in all competitions, bolstering their Serie A title defence.
Massimiliano Allegri named Gianluigi Buffon for his first league appearance since December and the 40-year-old could hardly have asked for a more comfortable clean sheet, his side's sixth straight in all competitions.
Alex Sandro opened the scoring after nine minutes and the contest was all but over by the half-hour mark as Sami Khedira hit a quickfire double to improve his season tally to six.
Miralem Pjanic's fine fourth prompted Allegri, who was forced to withdraw the injured Blaise Matuidi amid the goal glut, to make a further two changes at the break in a sign of the comfort enjoyed by the Bianconeri.Higuain stole the spotlight with a classy treble – his first for the club – after the restart to further compound the away side's misery and cap off a win that momentarily moves Juve two points ahead of Napoli, who visit Benevento later on Sunday.
With Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado and Douglas Costa all still sidelined by injury, Juve were searching for fresh avenues to goal and immediately found one in Alex Sandro.
The full-back pounced on a kind ricochet inside the area to punish the visitors for failing to clear a short corner.Sassuolo stemmed the damage for a further 15 minutes until Khedira single-handedly opened the floodgates midway through the half.
Alex Sandro's flick-on from a Pjanic corner enabled the Germany international to open his account with a simple tap-in and he made it 3-0 moments later, exposing a high line to finish coolly past Andrea Consigli.Juve's superb start did sour somewhat as Matuidi limped off between those two strikes, but that minor frustration was softened by a fourth first-half goal.
Pjanic – provider of Khedira's second – this time got in on the scoring, rounding off a thoroughly dominant 45 minutes by firing a sweet strike into the bottom-left corner from just outside the area.
Allegri opted to safeguard against further injuries by removing Khedira and Daniele Rugani at the interval and the changes hardly appeared to upset his side's rhythm.
Higuain almost got on the end of Mario Mandzukic's low cross, while Federico Bernardeschi slammed a low effort into Consigli.But Juve did get their fifth in the 63rd minute when Higuain expertly fired through Federico Peluso and into the net for his 11th of the Serie A season.
The Argentina international took centre stage from there, rounding Consigli to convert again in the 74th minute before he claimed the match ball with his seventh goal in his last five top-flight meetings Sassuolo late in proceedings.
Udinese 1 AC Milan 1: Donnarumma OG denies 10-man Rossoneri
Suso's spectacular early strike was cancelled out by a Gianluigi Donnarumma own goal as Udinese came from behind to deny 10-man AC Milan in a 1-1 draw at Stadio Friuli.
The Serie A match on Sunday was a showdown between two teams coached by 2006 World Cup winners and former Milan team-mates in Gennaro Gattuso and his Zebrette counterpart Massimo Oddo.
Both men have exerted a positive impact after being appointed by their respective clubs in November, but the Rossoneri, who had Davide Calabria sent off in the 68th minute, were forced to settle for a share of spoils after the hosts battled back to earn a deserved point in front of a noisy home crowd.
Kevin Lasagna had come closest to scoring for Udinese and the striker was heavily involved when Milan's backline was finally breached, his chipped cutback hitting both Leonardo Bonucci and then goalkeeper Donnarumma before finding the back of the net.
The result saw Gattuso's eighth-placed team remain unbeaten from their last seven matches in all competitions, but stunts their progress in mounting a late charge for the Europa League qualification places, while Udinese are just two points behind them in ninth spot.
Next up for Milan is a winnable fixture away to struggling SPAL on Saturday, while Udinese are also on the road at Torino a day later.The match exploded into life in the ninth minute, when Suso took possession about 30 yards out, held off the challenge of two opponents and unleashed a spectacular left-footed shot that beat goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri and struck the frame of the goal before nestling over the line.
The opening goal triggered a high tempo to the contest that persisted, but clear chances proved hard to come by.
Lasagna sent a shot wide from just outside the area and then headed over the crossbar after climbing above Alessio Romagnoli at the back post, as Udinese searched for an equaliser. Andre Silva narrowly failed to nod Milan into a 2-0 lead after a deflected free-kick wrong-footed Udinese's defence and left Bizzarri unprotected.
Two more presentable opportunities came and went for Lasagna late in the half, the striker drawing a smart save from Donnarumma at the near post after doing well to control a long ball forward, flicking it into his path and racing clear of the defence before getting a shot away from a narrowing angle.And he stooped to meet a Rodrigo de Paul cross with his head in the 43rd minute, flashing the attempt narrowly wide to permit Milan to reach the half-time break with their lead intact.
After struggling to find a way through the Milan defence in the second half, Udinese were offered hope when Calabria was sent off for a second bookable offence, the full-back having flicked out a leg at Jakub Jankto after losing possession.
Moments later, Donnarumma did well to save Jankto's effort and Antonin Barak was narrowly unable to connect with the loose ball at the back post.The long-awaited equaliser finally arrived for Udinese with 14 minutes to go, Lasagna's persistence finally paying off when Bonucci and Donnarumma inadvertently combined to undo their dogged defending by diverting a chipped cross into their own net.
Nikola Kalinic went close to snatching back all three points for Milan in injury time, but the substitute's header from Franck Kessie's cross went over, much to Udinese's relief.
Suso's spectacular early strike was cancelled out by a Gianluigi Donnarumma own goal as Udinese came from behind to deny 10-man AC Milan in a 1-1 draw at Stadio Friuli.
The Serie A match on Sunday was a showdown between two teams coached by 2006 World Cup winners and former Milan team-mates in Gennaro Gattuso and his Zebrette counterpart Massimo Oddo.
Both men have exerted a positive impact after being appointed by their respective clubs in November, but the Rossoneri, who had Davide Calabria sent off in the 68th minute, were forced to settle for a share of spoils after the hosts battled back to earn a deserved point in front of a noisy home crowd.
Kevin Lasagna had come closest to scoring for Udinese and the striker was heavily involved when Milan's backline was finally breached, his chipped cutback hitting both Leonardo Bonucci and then goalkeeper Donnarumma before finding the back of the net.
The result saw Gattuso's eighth-placed team remain unbeaten from their last seven matches in all competitions, but stunts their progress in mounting a late charge for the Europa League qualification places, while Udinese are just two points behind them in ninth spot.
Next up for Milan is a winnable fixture away to struggling SPAL on Saturday, while Udinese are also on the road at Torino a day later.The match exploded into life in the ninth minute, when Suso took possession about 30 yards out, held off the challenge of two opponents and unleashed a spectacular left-footed shot that beat goalkeeper Albano Bizzarri and struck the frame of the goal before nestling over the line.
The opening goal triggered a high tempo to the contest that persisted, but clear chances proved hard to come by.
Lasagna sent a shot wide from just outside the area and then headed over the crossbar after climbing above Alessio Romagnoli at the back post, as Udinese searched for an equaliser. Andre Silva narrowly failed to nod Milan into a 2-0 lead after a deflected free-kick wrong-footed Udinese's defence and left Bizzarri unprotected.
Two more presentable opportunities came and went for Lasagna late in the half, the striker drawing a smart save from Donnarumma at the near post after doing well to control a long ball forward, flicking it into his path and racing clear of the defence before getting a shot away from a narrowing angle.And he stooped to meet a Rodrigo de Paul cross with his head in the 43rd minute, flashing the attempt narrowly wide to permit Milan to reach the half-time break with their lead intact.
After struggling to find a way through the Milan defence in the second half, Udinese were offered hope when Calabria was sent off for a second bookable offence, the full-back having flicked out a leg at Jakub Jankto after losing possession.
Moments later, Donnarumma did well to save Jankto's effort and Antonin Barak was narrowly unable to connect with the loose ball at the back post.The long-awaited equaliser finally arrived for Udinese with 14 minutes to go, Lasagna's persistence finally paying off when Bonucci and Donnarumma inadvertently combined to undo their dogged defending by diverting a chipped cross into their own net.
Nikola Kalinic went close to snatching back all three points for Milan in injury time, but the substitute's header from Franck Kessie's cross went over, much to Udinese's relief.
Espanyol 1 Barcelona 1: Pique plays pantomime villain
Gerard Pique was a deeply unpopular goalscorer at Espanyol as Barcelona battled back to preserve their unbeaten LaLiga record with a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
This clash was the rivals' third meeting in two and a half weeks after Barca prevailed 2-1 over two legs of a closely contested Copa del Rey quarter-final last month.
Pique prompted an Espanyol complaint to the Spanish Football Federation after the first leg of that tie following comments he made disputing the clubs' rivalry over the location of Espanyol's stadium.
It looked as though the home fans would have the last laugh at a sodden RCDE Stadium when Gerard Moreno got in ahead of Pique to head home Sergio Garcia's excellent cross midway through the second period.
Seemingly with one eye on Thursday's Copa semi-final second leg against Valencia, Ernesto Valverde opted to start Lionel Messi on the bench and the Argentine genius had only been on the field seven minutes when Moreno struck.
Barca seemed to be heading for a first LaLiga loss under Valverde as the saturated pitch prevented the leaders implementing their slick passing style but the equaliser arrived via a more conventional route as Pique rose highest to head home Messi's free-kick eight minutes from time.Pique, whistled throughout the contest, signalled for the home fans to be quiet and he was subsequently involved in an altercation with Moreno in the closing stages as the defender revelled in his role as the pantomime villain.
The relentless downpour seemed to slow the early stages as the opening 20 minutes were something of a damp squib before Philippe Coutinho almost lit up an otherwise drab affair.
Receiving the ball towards the left of the box, the Brazilian worked space for a 20-yard shot which had Diego Lopez comfortably beaten before it crashed off the crossbar and away to safety.
That near miss appeared to spark Espanyol into life as Leo Baptistao stung the palms of Marc-Andre ter Stegen before the same player headed over an excellent chance from Marc Navarro's fine cross. Luis Suarez's free-kick and Paulinho's header were both off target as Barca sought the opener before half-time without success.
After a largely turgid first period, Espanyol almost lit the blue-touch paper within a minute of the restart as Baptistao set up Esteban Granero to smash home, only for the officials to correctly rule the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.Valverde decided enough was enough and sent on Messi prior to the hour and Barca gained a lift, Suarez firing straight at Lopez on the turn from a tight angle.
But it was an Espanyol replacement who made the telling intervention, Garcia delivering a superb right-wing cross within five minutes of coming on that Moreno nodded beyond Ter Stegen.
Garcia was perhaps fortunate to only see yellow for a wild lunge on Samuel Umtiti and, as Barca cranked up the pressure, Espanyol finally cracked when Pique thumped in a header to rub further salt into Espanyol's wounds.
Gerard Pique was a deeply unpopular goalscorer at Espanyol as Barcelona battled back to preserve their unbeaten LaLiga record with a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
This clash was the rivals' third meeting in two and a half weeks after Barca prevailed 2-1 over two legs of a closely contested Copa del Rey quarter-final last month.
Pique prompted an Espanyol complaint to the Spanish Football Federation after the first leg of that tie following comments he made disputing the clubs' rivalry over the location of Espanyol's stadium.
It looked as though the home fans would have the last laugh at a sodden RCDE Stadium when Gerard Moreno got in ahead of Pique to head home Sergio Garcia's excellent cross midway through the second period.
Seemingly with one eye on Thursday's Copa semi-final second leg against Valencia, Ernesto Valverde opted to start Lionel Messi on the bench and the Argentine genius had only been on the field seven minutes when Moreno struck.
Barca seemed to be heading for a first LaLiga loss under Valverde as the saturated pitch prevented the leaders implementing their slick passing style but the equaliser arrived via a more conventional route as Pique rose highest to head home Messi's free-kick eight minutes from time.Pique, whistled throughout the contest, signalled for the home fans to be quiet and he was subsequently involved in an altercation with Moreno in the closing stages as the defender revelled in his role as the pantomime villain.
The relentless downpour seemed to slow the early stages as the opening 20 minutes were something of a damp squib before Philippe Coutinho almost lit up an otherwise drab affair.
Receiving the ball towards the left of the box, the Brazilian worked space for a 20-yard shot which had Diego Lopez comfortably beaten before it crashed off the crossbar and away to safety.
That near miss appeared to spark Espanyol into life as Leo Baptistao stung the palms of Marc-Andre ter Stegen before the same player headed over an excellent chance from Marc Navarro's fine cross. Luis Suarez's free-kick and Paulinho's header were both off target as Barca sought the opener before half-time without success.
After a largely turgid first period, Espanyol almost lit the blue-touch paper within a minute of the restart as Baptistao set up Esteban Granero to smash home, only for the officials to correctly rule the ball had gone out of play in the build-up.Valverde decided enough was enough and sent on Messi prior to the hour and Barca gained a lift, Suarez firing straight at Lopez on the turn from a tight angle.
But it was an Espanyol replacement who made the telling intervention, Garcia delivering a superb right-wing cross within five minutes of coming on that Moreno nodded beyond Ter Stegen.
Garcia was perhaps fortunate to only see yellow for a wild lunge on Samuel Umtiti and, as Barca cranked up the pressure, Espanyol finally cracked when Pique thumped in a header to rub further salt into Espanyol's wounds.
Swansea City’s Wilfried Bony set to undergo surgery
Wilfried Bony is set to undergo surgery after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Swansea City’s 1-1 draw with Leicester City in Saturday’s English Premier League outing at the King Power Stadium.
The Cote d'Ivoire international suffered the knee injury when he landed awkwardly moments after coming in for Nathan Dyer.The forward along with Leroy Fer who also ruptured his Achilles in the encounter will be operated.
“A scan confirmed the Dutch midfielder {Leroy Fer} had ruptured his Achilles and he is now expected to undergo surgery,” read a statement on the club website.
“The same fate also awaits Bony after a scan revealed the striker had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.
“The Ivory Coast international suffered the knee injury when he landed awkwardly just moments after coming on as a second-half substitute at the King Power Stadium.”The extent to which the former Manchester City player will be sidelined has not been confirmed.
Wilfried Bony is set to undergo surgery after he tore his anterior cruciate ligament in Swansea City’s 1-1 draw with Leicester City in Saturday’s English Premier League outing at the King Power Stadium.
The Cote d'Ivoire international suffered the knee injury when he landed awkwardly moments after coming in for Nathan Dyer.The forward along with Leroy Fer who also ruptured his Achilles in the encounter will be operated.
“A scan confirmed the Dutch midfielder {Leroy Fer} had ruptured his Achilles and he is now expected to undergo surgery,” read a statement on the club website.
“The same fate also awaits Bony after a scan revealed the striker had torn his anterior cruciate ligament.
“The Ivory Coast international suffered the knee injury when he landed awkwardly just moments after coming on as a second-half substitute at the King Power Stadium.”The extent to which the former Manchester City player will be sidelined has not been confirmed.
'I wanted to leave' - Arsenal & Tottenham target Malcom wanted January move
Bordeaux star Malcom has admitted he was keen to leave the club in January amid links to Arsenal and Tottenham, but he was persuaded to stay until the end of the season.The 20-year-old forward has scored eight Ligue 1 goals this term to emerge as one of the brightest prospects in European football.
Premier League sides Spurs and Arsenal were both strongly rumoured to be keen on signing the Brazilian during the January transfer window, although the Gunners soon backed out of the race and Mauricio Pochettino then dismissed his club's interest .
But Malcom's "dream" move to England did not materialise, he says, because the Ligue 1 side were desperate to keep him for a bit longer."I wanted to leave, I tell the truth," Malcom said to Telefoot . "It's my dream to progress in my career.
"I spoke with the president [Stephane Martin], he told me that he knew it was my dream, but that he needed me. "I told him he could count on me until the end [of the season]. I will do everything to bring Bordeaux to the top six in Ligue 1."
With the Brazilian having scored only one goal since the start of December, Malcom is now setting fresh aims for the rest of the campaign.
"I know I can do better," Malcom said. "I will try to do everything because I like Bordeaux."I will give everything until the end to show that I stayed to help and do better."Bordeaux, who replaced coach Jocelyn Gourvennec with Gustavo Poyet in January, are eighth in Ligue 1 after Saturday's 2-0 win at Strasbourg.
Bordeaux star Malcom has admitted he was keen to leave the club in January amid links to Arsenal and Tottenham, but he was persuaded to stay until the end of the season.The 20-year-old forward has scored eight Ligue 1 goals this term to emerge as one of the brightest prospects in European football.
Premier League sides Spurs and Arsenal were both strongly rumoured to be keen on signing the Brazilian during the January transfer window, although the Gunners soon backed out of the race and Mauricio Pochettino then dismissed his club's interest .
But Malcom's "dream" move to England did not materialise, he says, because the Ligue 1 side were desperate to keep him for a bit longer."I wanted to leave, I tell the truth," Malcom said to Telefoot . "It's my dream to progress in my career.
"I spoke with the president [Stephane Martin], he told me that he knew it was my dream, but that he needed me. "I told him he could count on me until the end [of the season]. I will do everything to bring Bordeaux to the top six in Ligue 1."
With the Brazilian having scored only one goal since the start of December, Malcom is now setting fresh aims for the rest of the campaign.
"I know I can do better," Malcom said. "I will try to do everything because I like Bordeaux."I will give everything until the end to show that I stayed to help and do better."Bordeaux, who replaced coach Jocelyn Gourvennec with Gustavo Poyet in January, are eighth in Ligue 1 after Saturday's 2-0 win at Strasbourg.
Ramos bemoans Real Madrid's 'worst year' after another slip up
Sergio Ramos believes this season has been one of Real Madrid's worst as they have done a lot wrong to fall so far behind Barcelona in La Liga after dropping more points on Saturday.Despite taking the lead twice against Levante, Madrid were held to a 2-2 draw at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia and, if Barca beat Espanyol Sunday, Zinedine Zidane's men will be 21 points behind their rivals.
Ramos, who became the first defender in La Liga history to score in 14 consecutive seasons with his opener, said his team had continually let good positions slip.
"We will continue fighting to stay as high as possible. The Champions League and the rest of the season should serve to try to recompose the group," he said.
"It is not normal to be at this distance. Something we have done wrong, letting out many points in games that were controlled. It has been one of our worst years.
"The team works, nobody is hiding, everyone goes to the front and when there is a complicated situation you have to be protected, be united, and it is the only way to do something worthwhile in the Champions League."
With their Liga hopes dashed, Madrid will focus on winning a third straight Champions League crown, with Paris Saint-Germain awaiting in the last 16.Ramos, whose side host the first leg against PSG on February 14, called on his team to stay positive and improve.
"We are disappointed because it was a game that we had controlled in general and in the end the points escaped us," he said.
"We had a good first half, playing well and overtaking, but on their first occasion they tied us."It is true that this season has happened to us several times but things improve with work. You have to keep working and not lower your arms."In this situation, we must be united and strong, and be positive to improve. We believe in our capacity."
Sergio Ramos believes this season has been one of Real Madrid's worst as they have done a lot wrong to fall so far behind Barcelona in La Liga after dropping more points on Saturday.Despite taking the lead twice against Levante, Madrid were held to a 2-2 draw at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia and, if Barca beat Espanyol Sunday, Zinedine Zidane's men will be 21 points behind their rivals.
Ramos, who became the first defender in La Liga history to score in 14 consecutive seasons with his opener, said his team had continually let good positions slip.
"We will continue fighting to stay as high as possible. The Champions League and the rest of the season should serve to try to recompose the group," he said.
"It is not normal to be at this distance. Something we have done wrong, letting out many points in games that were controlled. It has been one of our worst years.
"The team works, nobody is hiding, everyone goes to the front and when there is a complicated situation you have to be protected, be united, and it is the only way to do something worthwhile in the Champions League."
With their Liga hopes dashed, Madrid will focus on winning a third straight Champions League crown, with Paris Saint-Germain awaiting in the last 16.Ramos, whose side host the first leg against PSG on February 14, called on his team to stay positive and improve.
"We are disappointed because it was a game that we had controlled in general and in the end the points escaped us," he said.
"We had a good first half, playing well and overtaking, but on their first occasion they tied us."It is true that this season has happened to us several times but things improve with work. You have to keep working and not lower your arms."In this situation, we must be united and strong, and be positive to improve. We believe in our capacity."
