..::Football IV::..

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Stoger undecided on Reus' Borussia Dortmund return from injury


Peter Stoger is waiting to make a decision on when Marco Reus will return to action, with the forward back in training with Borussia Dortmund and keen to play.

Reus suffered a partial tear to a cruciate ligament in his right knee during Dortmund's DFB-Pokal final victory last May - the latest in a series of serious injuries - and has not featured for club or country since.

With the 28-year-old having spent the past week in full training, Stoger must now decide when to bring him back into the fold.

"Reus has this week been training normally," the coach told a news conference on Thursday ahead of this weekend's Bundesliga clash with Hamburg."We know that he wants to play and he knows that we would like to have him there. We will decide in the near future.

"He can change a game seriously due to his quality, but I don't want to push him."
Michy Batshuayi netted twice and provided an assist on his debut against Cologne last week, having been signed on loan from Chelsea as a replacement for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on transfer deadline day.

Stoger is confident Aubameyang's departure has not impacted his fourth-placed side, despite Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke warning players he will not allow them to force a move like the Gabon international."In the team, the issue wasn't that big like in the press," he said."Clearly, he is one of the best strikers and an interesting player in the European or Chinese market. This is a story worth reporting on, but we weren't talking every day about the situation.

"Generally, I'm glad that the transfer period is over, because now we have a constant situation with our players until summer. The players are all ready to play for the club.

"But, as I have already said, the atmosphere during training wasn't bad at all. One or two things didn't go ideally but there weren't unhappy players."I have said it a few times and this is still true."

 

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Man Utd announce 9.6 per cent rise in revenues


Manchester United’s revenues continue to soar, with the club’s return to the Champions League helping to boost their broadcasting income by over 22 per cent over the first half of 2017-18.The club released their second quarterly figures for the current season on Thursday, and the report shows an overall £26.8 million (9.6 per cent) rise in revenues compared to 2016-17.

That comes thanks in large part to United receiving £99.7m in broadcasting revenue over the first half of the campaign, whereas last term they had pocketed £18.1m less from TV and radio rights over the same period.



Analysis showed that the return to the Champions League thanks to their successful Europa League campaign was the main driver behind the increased broadcasting revenue, while the fact two additional United games were shown live on TV over the period also had an effect.

Summing up the club’s financial results, executive vice-chair Ed Woodward said: “Our solid business model has allowed us to invest in the future of the Club with the extension of Jose Mourinho’s contract as manager and the acquisition of Alexis Sanchez. We look forward to the remainder of the season with confidence.”

The results do not include the figures pertaining to Sanchez’s contract, nor the Chilean’s swap-deal arrival which saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan leave for Arsenal, as the cut-off for the period is December 31.But while it is largely good news for United, accounts show a £21.1m loss over the first six months due to US president Donald Trump’s tax reform.

As a result of the change in US federal corporate income tax rates from 35 per cent to 21 per cent, United had to allow for a non-cash tax accounting write-off of £48.8m. However, the club’s principal debt remains unchanged at £328.6m.
Woodward is due to address investors in a conference call at 13:00GMT, during which he is expected to be grilled on the effect Sanchez’s reported £350,000 a week salary may have on United’s financial figures going forward.

The latest report reveals that United spent £69.6m in the three months between October and December on employee wages, an increase of 9.4 per cent on the previous year thanks in part to Champions League bonuses written into players’ contracts.

 

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Sane ahead of schedule and closing on Man City return


Manchester City winger Leroy Sane could be set for an ahead-of-schedule return from ankle ligament damage.

Sane was sidelined following a rash challenge from Cardiff City's Joe Bennett in a 2-0 FA Cup fourth round victory two weeks ago.The initial prognosis was for the Germany international to be out for between six to seven weeks, ruling him out of the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal at the end of this month.

But Sane was photographed working on the training pitches at his club's training base on Thursday and, although Guardiola insisted that merely amounted to running drills, he did not entirely rule him out of the Champions League last-16 tie against Basel.

The Premier League leaders travel to Switzerland for the first leg next week and, asked whether Sane would play, Guardiola replied: "I don't think so. He is much better but he is still not ready."

Top scorer Sergio Aguero is expected to once again lead the line for City when Leicester City visit the Etihad Stadium on Saturday but Brazil striker Gabriel Jesus is closing in on a return from medial knee ligament damage.

"I would like to give [Aguero] a rest sometimes but he is the only striker we have,"Guardiola added, with commitments across four competitions on the agenda this month."He is making a huge effort and doing really well."Gabriel is coming back soon. Maybe in one week, 10 days or two weeks he will be ready."

 

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Rooney dreaming of Everton manager role


Wayne Rooney wants to manage Everton following the conclusion of his playing career.

Rooney returned to boyhood side Everton last July after 13 years at Manchester United, where he won five Premier League titles, the 2007-08 Champions League and became the club's record scorer.But Rooney has not been a guaranteed starter for the Toffees since the appointment of Sam Allardyce as Ronald Koeman's successor at Goodison Park.

And the 32-year-old is already planning the next move in a distinguished career that saw him captain England and hit a record 53 goals in 119 international appearances.

"The main thing I want to have a go at is management," Rooney told the Telegraph."I would love to stay at Everton in a coaching role or hopefully manager one day. "It is something I want to do, to stay involved, but if that is not possible I will look to see where the opportunities are for me. I am determined to become a manager.

"From next season I want to be doing some coaching sessions with the Under-14s at Everton. It would be good to have all my [coaching] badges by the time I have finished [playing], but it is also about having the chance to carry on when I have, so I can get straight into coaching."

A switch to the dugout is not imminent for Rooney, who has hit 10 Premier League goals for Everton this term to top the club's goal charts, although scoring against Liverpool at Anfield ticked off one of his remaining career goals.

"Obviously my first objective is to do well as a player over the next few years," Rooney added. "Then I hope the role can grow into something beyond that. It is something I will talk about with the club when they and I feel the time is right.

"There were things I had been dreaming of I had not done for Everton. What I really regretted was I had not scored against Liverpool for Everton. I did it for Manchester United but as a youngster it was never a dream of mine to score at Anfield for Manchester United.

"I was an Everton fan, so as a young Everton fan I was dreaming of scoring at Anfield for Everton. When I came back I was thinking about the chance to do that. So to do it this year fulfilled that."

 

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Man City agree £44.5m deal in principle to sign Fred this summer


Manchester City have agreed a deal in principle to sign Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Fred for £44.5 million this summer, Goal understands.

City had been working to sign the 24-year-old throughout January; having initially been happy to bring him to the Etihad Stadium at the end of the season, they then stepped up their efforts midway through the month and attempted to recruit him before the winter transfer deadline.

The Blues were unable to break Shakhtar's resolve to keep the midfielder for the remainder of their Champions League campaign, but they have been in constant talks with the Ukrainians over the past week to put together an agreement which will come into effect this summer.

It is believed that all parties have agreed on the terms of the move, although nothing is officially signed.Former Arsenal midfielder Gilberto Silva is one of Fred's representatives and has helped broker the move.

Goal first reported City's interest in Fred before Christmas , and it became apparent during the January transfer window that a deal worth roughly £40m was close to being agreed.Sources have told Goal that Fred has been determined to join City ever since they first made their interest clear towards the end of 2017.Midway through January, City decided to bring their summer transfer business forward and sign as many of their long-term targets as quickly as possible.

Having sealed a deal for Aymeric Laporte by paying his £57m buy-out clause, City also pushed ahead with moves for Fred and Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez.

The Blues failed to meet Leicester's demands for Mahrez and could not persuade Shakhtar to sell Fred, but they have continued negotiations for the latter and will bring him in this summer, barring any hiccups.

City agreed deals of this nature for Ilkay Gundogan and Laporte in 2016, and Bernardo Silva in 2017. Laporte pulled out of his move at the last moment, but Gundogan and Silva were announced in June and May respectively.

 

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New Man Utd contract a 'natural consequence' for Shaw, says Mourinho


Jose Mourinho says it is a "natural consequence" that Luke Shaw will be rewarded with a new Manchester United contract due to the effort he has shown to adapt to his style of play.

The full-back's future at Old Trafford has at times been unclear, with Shaw often falling out of favour with the Portuguese.However, Shaw has started seven of United's last nine games in all competitions despite battling Ashley Young for the spot at left-back.

The Red Devils were said to be looking for a new option for the position, but Mourinho stated in January that there was no need due to his form.

And the impressive displays have convinced the manager that the England international is doing enough to earn a new deal."With Luke it's not about changing my mind, it's just the evolution or no evolution of his potential," Mourinho told reporters on Friday. "It's just about that. "Because I know Shaw since he arrived in the Premier League with Southampton and I know his potential, his quality.

"Could he come in my direction and the way I see and think football, the way I like my players on the pitch and in training? He made a big effort. Now, for a few months he is free of minor injuries and I'm really happy."So, I think the natural consequence is that he will have his [new] contract and he will be a Manchester United player for years."

United travel to St. James' Park on Sunday to take on Newcastle United, Mourinho renewing his rivalry with Rafael Benitez at a stadium at which he has never won as a manager.

"I think it's the only stadium in the Premier League [he has not won at], also Huddersfield, but I played there only once," Mourinho said. "I think it's difficult, honestly, I always felt we had beautiful but difficult matches."I like to go there, I like the feeling of being at Mr [Bobby] Robson's home, I like the stadium, it is really nice and I like the atmosphere, they are good and enthusiastic. I like the Geordies. I like to go there, but I couldn't win, I lost and drew a few times.

"I hope the result is different this time but I know that the characteristics of the game are not going to be different. I think they are a good team and I think they have a very good transfer window with Kenedy and [Islam] Slimani, two players I know well who can improve their team.

"Benitez knows how to get points so I think it is going to be difficult. They are a big club. What I know of the club, it has an incredible army of fans, a city that lives for the club and supports the club. Normally good players, normally good managers.

"I can remember many of them, some of the best ones in the country. Benitez, another example. It is difficult to understand [Newcastle's problems]."But if you ask me if they will be in the Championship next season, I say immediately no way. They know how to get the points to stay in the division."Daley Blind and Eric Bailly are unavailable for the trip to Newcastle, but Mourinho confirmed Zlatan Ibrahimovic has returned to team training.

 

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'Lacazette could be sold in the summer' - Arsenal striker under 'massive pressure', says Petit


Alexandre Lacazette is under “massive pressure” at Arsenal and could be sold in the summer, says Emmanuel Petit.Having pursued the France international for several years, the Gunners finally got their man in 2017 when completing a £46 million deal with Lyon.The 26-year-old striker enjoyed a positive start to his time in England, netting eight times by early December.

He has, however, managed just one effort in his last 12 appearances and seen Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang snapped up for £55m to see questions being asked of his ongoing presence in north London.

Former Gunners midfielder Petit believes his fellow Frenchman could be moved on at the end of the season, telling The Sun: “Lacazette is under massive pressure.“He needs to improve or face the exit this summer. Aubameyang’s signing tells me it might already be too late.

“Arsene Wenger’s belief in Lacazette has gone.“After six months his statistics are not exactly tremendous.“Auba is exactly the man Arsenal need.”Lacazette, like Aubameyang, was acquired on the back of a prolific record at his former club.

He arrived at Arsenal having netted 129 times for Lyon in just 275 appearances.
The Premier League has, however, presented quite the challenge to a man experiencing life outside of his homeland for the first time.

His form and confidence has dipped noticeably, with Aubameyang’s impressive goal-scoring performance on debut against Everton – and his strong understanding with fellow new arrival Henrikh Mkhitaryan – doing little to aid the cause of a man who could slip into the shadows.

 

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Fiorentina 0 Juventus 2: Bernardeschi haunts Viola as Juve go top

Federico Bernardeschi had the last laugh as he returned to his former club Fiorentina with their historic rivals Juventus and scored in a 2-0 victory which puts the reigning champions top of Serie A.

The 23-year-old angered Fiorentina fans in pre-season when he crossed the rivalry that was intensified by Robert Baggio's switch to Juve in 1990 and he silenced the jeers with a second-half free-kick, before Gonzalo Higuain wrapped things up late on in Massimiliano Allegri's 200th game in charge.

For the most part, the first half was a cagey affair, with a controversial VAR decision which ultimately denied Fiorentina an early penalty chief among the few highlights.




The best opportunity in a first period otherwise devoid of them fell to the hosts just before the break and Juve could count themselves lucky to escape, as the lively Gil Dias fired against the right-hand post of Gianluigi Buffon, who was making his 500th league appearance for the Turin giants.Initially, proceedings were not hugely improved upon the restart, but Bernardeschi – who has been hit-and-miss since costing Juve €40million – managed to heat things up, netting 10 minutes into the second half.

Juve were forced to withstand plenty of pressure towards the end, though their ever-dependable backline held firm and they hit Fiorentina on the break, as Higuain rounded things off four minutes from the end to move them two points ahead of Napoli at the top of the table, with Maurizio Sarri's men facing Lazio on Saturday.


Although Juve dictated possession during the early exchanges, Fiorentina did an excellent job of restricting their flow of chances, with a Claudio Marchisio effort from 30 yards – which was easily saved by Marco Sportiello – all they could muster.Fiorentina then seemed to be presented with the perfect chance to take the lead 18th minutes in, as Giorgio Chiellini was penalised for appearing to handle Marco Benassi's cross inside his own area.

But, after much deliberation, Jordan Veretout was denied the opportunity to take the kick, as VAR identified Benassi in an offside when he received the ball even though it appeared to be played to him by Alex Sandro.

Despite that disappointment, Fiorentina seemed to improve thereafter and went agonisingly close to the opener six minutes before the break - Dias breezing past Stephan Lichtsteiner and shooting right-footed on to the left-hand post.Juve were no better as an attacking entity at the start of the second half, with the pattern of the game initially unchanged.

But Bernardeschi's quick feet on the edge of the box in the 56th minute secured Juve a free-kick and the Italy international picked out the bottom-left corner, exploiting Sportiello's poor positioning.That forced Fiorentina to become more forward-thinking, though that almost resulted in Juve catching them on the break 11 minutes later – Mario Mandzukic shooting just wide after Douglas Costa's cut-back.Buffon had to be alert soon after, rushing out to block Cyril Thereau's close-range effort following a driving run courtesy of Giovanni Simeone.

And Juve capitalised on Fiorentina's desperation for an equaliser, hitting them on the break towards the end as Higuian coolly swept past Sportiello for his sixth goal in four games across all competitions.

 

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'I had a lot of success' - Mkhitaryan defends troubled Man Utd stint


Arsenal midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan has defended his stint at Manchester United despite struggling for consistent game time at Old Trafford.Having moved to Old Trafford for a fee of around £26.3 million, Mkhitaryan made 63 appearances in 18 months for Red Devils, scoring 13 goals.

The Armenia international was not always an automatic starter under Jose Mourinho, however, and spent two long periods out of the team under the former Chelsea boss.

He eventually left United in January as part of the swap deal that saw Alexis Sanchez move from the Emirates Stadium in the other direction, and laid on three goals in his first start for the Gunners against Everton.

Despite having spent less than two years at United, Mkhitaryan insists that his time under Mourinho was worth it, citing his goal in the Europa League final against Ajax as a highlight."I think I left an impression in Manchester, although I had difficulties," he told SFR Sport. "We won three titles in a year and a half — not every club does that.

"We won the Europa League, and I scored a goal in the final. If people say that I did not have enough success it is their opinion but I believe that I had a lot of success at the club."Mkhitaryan's relationship with Mourinho came under plenty of scrutiny during his time with the 20-time English champions.

And though he retains the belief that Mourinho never had any personal issue with him, Mkhitaryan thinks new manager Arsene Wenger's more understanding nature should help him thrive in north London.

"Mourinho required a lot from his players, he was very hard," he said.
"Arsene Wenger is more friendly, he understands and can think about players' situations. He is calmer — that's the difference.

"Wenger's philosophy in three words? Play football, win the match and enjoy.
Asked whether he felt Mourinho had confidence in him at United, he added: "Yes, of course."Mkhitaryan is set for his first taste of a North London Derby on Saturday as Arsenal travel to Wembley Stadium to take on Tottenham.

 

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Wenger likens Aubameyang to Henry but urges caution


Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger likened Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Thierry Henry and hopes the forward can follow in the footsteps of the club great.

After joining the Premier League side on deadline day, Aubameyang said he wanted to be like Henry – the club's all-time leading goalscorer.The reported £56 million signing made a fine start to life at the Emirates Stadium, scoring on his debut in a 5-1 win over Everton.

While he was cautious about comparing Aubameyang to Henry, Wenger said the Gabon international had similar traits."I would say [he is like] Thierry Henry with his quality of runs, but it's a bit too early to compare him to the best player ever who played here," the Frenchman said."He has played one game. But it's a good example to follow.

"His finish was brilliant. His finishing is good. You don't score by coincidence for so many years, if you score many goals. Even in five-a-side he's able to score goals, so when the guys can repeat that at the top level it means they have that quality.

"Running-wise, he's a good example to follow. But Thierry came a bit more to the ball as well, participated more in the game."Aubameyang scored prolifically for Borussia Dortmund before his switch to Arsenal in January.

Wenger has liked what he has seen from the forward, who will look to impress when his side visit Tottenham on Saturday."He looks to be a happy boy," Wenger said. "He has a positive smile and very professional attitude. It's a bit early for me to tell you more about him – it's only one week.

"I met him a few times before by coincidence and he looks highly focused on his job. He looks a guy who needs to be completely focused, involved in his team. He looks to me like that."

 

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Emery says struggling Madrid still the 'best team in the world'


Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery insisted that Real Madrid are still the best team in the world, despite their poor form this season.The Ligue 1 leaders meet Zinedine Zidane's side in the Champions League round of 16, with Madrid badly slumping domestically.

But Emery said he would not underestimate Madrid – who are 19 points behind Barcelona in La Liga – because they had a squad of players that stepped up in key moments.

While Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has struggled in La Liga this season, the Portuguese star has netted nine times in six Champions League games.That has helped Madrid into the last 16 in their bid to win three consecutive Champions League titles."Right now, Real Madrid are the best team in the world, in terms of the number of trophies they've won and the fact that they have the best players," Emery told a news conference Friday.

"Cristiano Ronaldo is an example. In the biggest games, the best players turn up.
"They have those kinds of players and we do too."The first leg of the last-16 tie will be played at the Santiago Bernabeu Wednesday.

 

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Kane among the greats – Pochettino


Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino labelled Harry Kane one of the "greatest strikers" as he offered a comparison to the likes of Lionel Messi and Pele.

Kane, 24, has continued to star this season, scoring 22 Premier League goals to take his tally to 100 overall in the competition.The England international has won back-to-back Premier League Golden Boots and is on track to better his tallies of previous campaigns.

While Pochettino was unwilling to say whether Kane could dominate elsewhere, he believes the same could be said about some of the greatest players ever."It is too difficult to know. Only I know that a striker like him in England, in Germany, in Spain, he is top," he said."People say if Messi moved to England would he be the same? It’s like [Diego] Maradona, if he played today would he be the same?

"The same with [Alfredo] Di Stefano, [Johan] Cruyff, Pele."Kane has scored at least 20 Premier League goals in four consecutive seasons and Pochettino lauded the forward's improvement.

"It is difficult to find another striker who has improved like he has improved," he said."And the impact in Premier League, the best league in the world, because you listen, people in Spain say Spain is the best league, the same in Italy but come on, I was in France, in Spain. People keep their eyes on England, the best league is here.

"To have the impact Harry has had is so difficult and that is why for me he is one of the greatest strikers."

 

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Alexis: I joined Man Utd to 'win everything'


Alexis Sanchez insists he left Arsenal for Manchester United because he believes he has a better chance of winning "everything" at Old Trafford.The Chilean's future had been the subject of speculation for months, particularly since entering the final year of his Arsenal contract in July.A move to Manchester City collapsed in late August, forcing Alexis to remain at the Emirates Stadium as his contract continued to wind down.

City again looked to sign him in January, but United provided the Chile international with a better offer and his eventually linked up with Jose Mourinho's men on January 22 as Henrikh Mkhitaryan went the other way.

And Alexis has now been given the chance to explain the motives behind his move, with trophies in his sights.Speaking to Sky Sports , he said: "I think that Manchester United, since I was young - and I'm not just saying this because I'm here, I'm an honest guy and I never lie - I think it's the biggest club in England. That's what I think.

"There are lots of big clubs, and having played for Arsenal, they are also one of them. It's a huge club and I was there."But coming here, looking at the badge, I think United have to win everything because it's such a big club. The club crest says it all.

"I came here to win [trophies]. I left Arsenal because I wanted to develop and learn as a player, and get to experience a new club."Manchester United are a huge club on the global stage. I came here to win everything, otherwise I wouldn't have come here."

Alexis got off the mark for United in their win over Huddersfield Town last week and is set to be included again for Sunday's trip to Newcastle.

 

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Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.02.10

Barclays Premier League Fixtures 2018.02.10

Tottenham Vs Arsenal

Everton Vs Crystal Palace

Stoke City Vs Brighton

Swansea Vs Burnley

West Ham Vs Watford

Manchester City Vs Leicester City

​

 

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LA Liga Fixtures 2018.02.10

LA Liga Fixtures 2018.02.10

Villareal Vs Alaves

Malaga Vs Atletico Madrid

Leganes Vs Eibar

Real Madrid Vs Real Sociedad​

 

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Serie A Fixtures 2018.02.10

Serie A Fixtures 2018.02.10

Spal Vs AC Milan

Crotone Vs Atalanta

Napoli Vs Lazio​

 

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Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.02.10

Bundesliga Fixtures 2018.02.10

Leverkusen Vs Hertha Berlin

Dortmund Vs Hamburg

Frankfurt Vs Cologne

Hannover Vs Freiburg

Hoffenheim Vs Mainz

Bayern Vs Schalke​

 

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Bayern Munich 2 Schalke 1: Lewandowski equals Bundesliga record to lift Heynckes' spirits

Bayern Munich provided the perfect tonic for absent manager Jupp Heynckes as they restored their 18-point cushion at the Bundesliga summit with a 2-1 victory over Schalke on Saturday.Robert Lewandowski equalled Heynckes' record of scoring in each of his side's first 11 home league games this season as he put the hosts ahead in the sixth minute at the Allianz Arena.

However, the Bavarians' boss was not present to witness the historical moment; struck down by flu, the 72-year-old remained at home as assistant coach Peter Hermann took charge.




Schalke belied their recent poor run of form with an impressive display on the road, yet Domenico Tedesco's side have now picked up just four points from their five games since the winter break.

They recovered from the early setback of conceding to equalise through Franco Di Santo, only for Thomas Muller to catch out goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann from a tight angle and restore Bayern's lead before the break.

Bayern were below-par in the second half, but held firm to clinch a 12th straight win in all competitions and continue their imperious march towards a 28th title in Germany.


Lewandowski did not waste any time in equalling Heynckes' record, set back in the 1972-73 season, reacting quickly to tuck home the rebound after Fahrmann had only parried Muller's rising shot straight up in the air.

Yet the early opener was sandwiched in between two excellent chances at the other end, as Schalke demonstrated a willingness to fight fire with fire at the home of the runway leaders.

Breel Embolo ended a swift counter-attacking move with a low drive that drew a smart save out of Sven Ulreich, while the Bayern goalkeeper was grateful to see visiting defender Thilo Kehrer miss the target with a towering header from a corner.

Schalke's adventurous approach was eventually rewarded with a deserved equaliser from Di Santo, his sweetly struck half-volley whistling into the bottom left corner of Ulreich's net after the Bayern-bound Leon Goretzka had failed to connect with an ambitious bicycle kick.Parity did not last long, though. Muller nudged Bayern back in front seven minutes later with a goal that caught out Fahrmann.

The home team's captain appeared to be aiming for a team-mate when cutting the ball back from the byline on the right, only to instead poke the ball between the goalkeeper and his near post.

Still, Heynckes will have found his side's start to the second half tough to watch from his sick bed.The home crowd held their breath when Guido Burgstaller fell under pressure from Ulreich until referee Tobias Stieler brandished a yellow card to the flattened forward for simulation, a decision that was soon vindicated by replay footage.

Embolo fluffed his lines when found in space at the back post soon after, scuffing a weak effort with his left foot when he had time to take a touch, as Schalke fell short in their attempts to draw level for a second time.

 

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Manchester City 5 Leicester City 1: De Bruyne inspires as Aguero scores four

A three-day rest clearly did the trick for Manchester City, as they thrashed Leicester City 5-1 thanks to four goals from Sergio Aguero and a treble of Kevin De Bruyne assists to go 16 points clear at the Premier League summit.

Much of the build-up was dominated by Riyad Mahrez's return to Leicester's squad after missing 10 days of training in response to not securing a move to the hosts, but he was benched as City – who were afforded a few days off beforehand – ultimately cruised, with De Bruyne and Aguero stealing the show.

Although City enjoyed an electric start, going ahead in the third minute thanks to Raheem Sterling's 15th league goal of the season, they appeared to lack a little sharpness in the first half.




And a Nicolas Otamendi error 24 minutes in was punished in ruthless fashion by Jamie Vardy, reminding City there is more to Leicester than just Mahrez – who was eventually introduced in the 62nd minute.


But Pep Guardiola's men stepped things up a notch after the break, with De Bruyne setting up a quick-fire Aguero double to effectively end Leicester's chances, with the Argentinian scoring for the seventh successive game at the Etihad across all competitions.

Leicester caused some problems towards the end, but Aguero added to an emphatic second-half performance by capitalising on a Kasper Schmeichel error before thumping in an injury-time fifth, as City bounced back from their disappointing draw with Burnley in style.It did not take the home side long to establish an advantage, Sterling tapping in from close range following an exquisite De Bruyne cross between Schmeichel and his defenders.The early goal was not a sign of things to come, however, as City's performance became a little flat and Leicester equalised in the 24th minute.

Otamendi's poor pass inside was intercepted by Vardy and the striker rode two challenges, before running at Aymeric Laporte and firing into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.Sterling looked destined to restore City's lead just before the break, only for Aleksandar Dragovic to produce a vital block after the England international had skipped past Schmeichel.

City did find themselves ahead once again in the 48th minute, however, as Aguero collected De Bruyne's teasing low cross from the left and tapped in from a couple of yards out.And the home side effectively wrapped things up soon after.De Bruyne was the inspiration yet again, playing an intricate pass into the area and Aguero fired past Schmeichel, despite the goalkeeper getting a hand to it.

Claude Puel introduced Mahrez from the bench to a chorus of ironic cheers just after the hour mark, giving him his first appearance since January 20.But the Algerian's introduction was far too late to influence the outcome, as Aguero rounded off a sensational second-half performance in the final 13 minutes.

His third goal came via a Schmeichel gift, after the Denmark international had passed the ball straight to him and the Argentinian delightfully chipped into the net.


And he took his season tally to 21 late on, smashing in off the crossbar from 25 yards.

 

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Toulouse 0 Paris Saint-Germain 1: Neymar stretches Ligue 1 lead ahead of Real Madrid tie



Neymar scored a deflected winner as Paris Saint-Germain warmed up for their Champions League clash with Real Madrid with a battling 1-0 win at Toulouse in Ligue 1 on Saturday.

Marseille's 2-2 draw at Saint-Etienne on Friday opened the door for Unai Emery's men to stretch their lead at the top of the table to 13 points.Neymar appeared to collect an early injury but he completed the full 90 minutes ahead of Wednesday's trip to the Spanish capital, although Edinson Cavani missed out with a hip problem.




And the Brazilian provided the key moment after 68 minutes of a game short of chances, Neymar beating two Toulouse defenders and seeing his strike flash in after a nick off home captain Issa Diop.

Neymar's 19th Ligue 1 goal since joining PSG from Barcelona was a sign of why the French club made him the world's most expensive player, and after being rested for a midweek Coupe de France win at Sochaux, he was twice denied a late second by the woodwork.Emery rested captain Thiago Silva and Marco Verratti with an eye on the Madrid clash, but a below-par performance was not ideal preparation for facing the Champions League holders.


Alban Lafont made a spectacular save to deny Presnel Kimpembe in the fifth minute, the PSG defender turning Neymar's low cross into the goalkeeper's chest from point-blank range.

Max Gradel had scored five goals in his last seven Ligue 1 games and the winger shot away from Dani Alves to cross for Yaya Sanogo, but Alphonse Areola parried the striker's header.Kylian Mbappe, leading the line in Cavani's absence, tricked his way clear of Issiaga Sylla after 26 minutes, but Lafont made a fine save down to his right to tip the teenager's shot wide.

Intricate PSG play saw Mbappe burst into space down the left but when Neymar turned the low cross goalwards, Lafont was there to deny the leaders again with a strong right foot.

Mbappe teed up Neymar again before half-time with a clever flick but the Brazilian fired over, then the influential Lafont got enough of a touch on Angel Di Maria's inswinging corner to turn the ball against the woodwork.

Di Maria arrived at the back post too late to turn in Neymar's cross-shot after 54 minutes, then the former Barcelona star whipped a free-kick just over the angle as PSG toiled.Toulouse had won their two previous matches 1-0 to ease relegation fears and Mickael Debeve's men continued to frustrate the runaway leaders, Emery's men requiring a stroke of luck to find a way through Lafont.

Neymar wriggled away from a pair of Toulouse challenges before firing a shot on target, with a small deflection off Diop enough to give Lafont no chance of keeping the ball out.

PSG were inches away from making the final scoreline more comfortable, but Neymar drilled a shot against the post and floated a curler on to the top of the crossbar.