..::Football IV::..

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Chelsea 3 West Brom 0: Hazard inspires victory for stumbling champions

Eden Hazard's brilliant brace lifted the gloom around Chelsea as Premier League basement boys West Brom were dispatched 3-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Heavy back-to-back defeats against Bournemouth and Watford led to evermore voluble questions surrounding the future of head coach Antonio Conte and placed the reigning champions' hopes of a top-four finish in jeopardy.Captain Gary Cahill dropped to the bench but the error-strewn element of recent outings was again in evidence and Salomon Rondon and Jay Rodriguez both could have put Albion ahead before Hazard did so for Chelsea.




There was further defensive generosity to enrage Conte until Victor Moses doubled the Blues' advantage after the hour and a sublime 15th of the campaign from Hazard made the points safe.Chelsea climb back up to fourth, a point above Tottenham, ahead of their next Premier League assignment at Manchester United at the end of the month.


Daniel Sturridge was making his second start for West Brom but the on-loan Liverpool striker's injury jinx struck again, a hamstring injury forcing him off in the fourth minute.

Replacement Rodriguez almost had an instant impact, thumping wide before Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas crashed into him. Referee Lee Mason was not interested in his penalty claims.Salomon Rondon then headed off target from Matt Phillips' brilliant, fizzed cross and Rodriguez dragged wastefully wide after Moses' woeful backwards header left him through on goal.

Chelsea hauled themselves out of an abject slumber as Davide Zappacosta and full-debutant Olivier Giroud forced close-range saves from Ben Foster and they led in the 25th minute.Hazard effortlessly shimmied around Gareth Barry and fed Giroud for precisely the type of centre-forward play Conte sought during the January transfer window.The ex-Arsenal man spun Ahmed Hegazi and completed a one-touch lay-off for Hazard to thrash into the bottom corner.

Giroud required a large head bandage after taking an accidental boot to the head from Hegazi, nodded narrowly wide from Pedro's dinked cross and limped gingerly to the touchline after being clattered by Jonny Evans. He was probably glad to hear the half-time whistle.Rondon should have equalised in the 57th minute when he outmuscled a dithering Andreas Christensen but failed to beat Thibaut Courtois. From the resulting corner an unmarked Evans headed over.

A battered and bruised Giroud took his applause from an appreciative Stamford Bridge crowd after the hour, with Alvaro Morata introduced up front, and, as in the first half, Chelsea gathered themselves to punish West Brom's wastefulness.

Fabregas looked for Morata with a dinked pass and it fell kindly for Moses to rifle beyond Foster.Moses cut inside seeking a second, only to be denied by the West Brom goalkeeper's boot before Hazard showed him how it was done in the 71st minute – leaving Evans in his wake and unleashing an unerring left-footed finish.

It proved a harsh lesson in expert finishing for Albion, whose situation at the foot of the table and seven points from safety with 11 games to play is a desperate one.Up next for Conte are the contrasting challenges of Hull City and Barcelona in the .FA Cup and Champions League, and a season that can still be salvaged.

 

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Ryan Mason forced to retire from football aged 26 due to serious head injury

Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason has been forced to retire from football following the head injury he sustained at Chelsea in January 2017, the Championship club has confirmed.

Mason, 26, has not played since a clash of heads with Gary Cahill at Stamford Bridge left him with a fractured skull and requiring surgery.The former Tottenham man, who spent a week in hospital following his operation, said he felt "lucky to be alive" after the incident.

Mason won a single cap for England - against Italy in 2015 - and had been hopeful of a return to action, saying in May that he was looking forward to "returning a better player".However, Hull released a statement on Tuesday to announce that Mason had retired from the sport with immediate effect.

"Ryan has sought the guidance of numerous world-renowned neurologists and neuro surgeons who have all advised that a return to competitive football is not advised," read the release. "Ryan would like to put on record his thanks to all at the club who have aided his recovery to this point and he his is indebted to them for their support and compassion over the past 12 months."

Mason joined Hull in August 2016 having made 70 appearances for Tottenham, where he had come through the youth system.Chelsea later tweeted: "Everybody at Chelsea Football Club sends our best wishes to Ryan Mason following his retirement."Good luck in whatever you choose to do next, Ryan."And Mason has revealed he had "no option" but to retire after working hard on his return to action.

"I can confirm that following specialist medical advice I am having to retire from playing professional football," Mason said in a statement."I have worked tirelessly in order to be able to return to the pitch. Unfortunately, having taken expert medical advice I now have no option but to retire due to the risks involved given the nature of my injury.

"I am and always will be eternally grateful for the incredible network of people around me who have helped me to recover from what was a life-threatening injury in January 2017."Thank you to my amazing fiance, Rachel, who has been by my side and lived every single day with me since the injury, helping to give me the strength I've needed no matter how tough things got.

"We are so lucky to have now become the proud parents of our perfect baby boy George." Mason is a product of the Tottenham youth system and won his only England cap against Italy in March 2015 before departing for Hull in the August of the following year."I am so proud to have come through the ranks to play for my club, the club I love," he added. "To have had the honour of captaining the team fills me with immense pride.

"Representing my country is an honour that nobody can ever take away from me and something that I am so proud to have achieved."I'm retiring from the game with my head held high having done everything in my power over these past 13 months to have given myself every opportunity to return to the pitch.

"I love the game, I always will and I am excited to see where football will take me next."

 

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Kluivert name-drops Man Utd, Barcelona, Arsenal & more as Ajax star plots transfer move


Justin Kluivert has admitted he hopes to play for one of the Premier League's top teams, while Barcelona and Real Madrid are also of appeal to the young striker.

The 18-year-old has impressed for the Amsterdam side since since returning from a brief spell out of the starting XI this season, scoring six goals and setting up four in the Eredivisie.

Manchester United have been reported to have an interest in the winger and although he aims to stay in his homeland for a while, he admits he would consider a move to some of the top sides in England.

"If you get a nice offer, you never know," he told Helden ."England appeals to me: Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea or Manchester United are nice clubs where I can see myself playing in a few years."And Kluivert, son of legendary Barcelona striker Patrick, is also not ruling out a move to Spain. He added: "Everywhere I go abroad they know my father, he often asked: 'Come to Barcelona, I'll give a tour of Camp Nou'.

"I really wanted to go to Barcelona instead of Real Madrid. Barcelona is in my heart, but who am I to say no to Real Madrid?"Kluivert's contract expires in June 2019 and talks have begun over a new deal with the capital club, but director of football Overmars says they have had to deal with approaches for him and a few of his highly-rated team-mates.

"I am discussing his contract with his agent Mino Raiola and I still have good hope that we will reach an agreement," Overmars told De Telegraaf ."There is a lot of interest for a lot of the boys. Clubs have reported for Hakim Ziyech, Andre Onana, Matthijs de Ligt, David Neres and Justin Kluivert.

"Last year we showed what we can do in the Europa League, we'd prefer to experience another season like that and if we keep our current selection together, there is a good basis."

 

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'Messi can't be stopped' - Morata calls for defensive Chelsea approach against Barca


Chelsea forward Alvaro Morata has warned his team-mates Lionel Messi will be unstoppable in their Champions League tie against Barcelona.The Blues will face the five-time Ballon d'Or winner once again when they host the Catalan side for the first leg of their last-16 clash at Stamford Bridge on February 20.

Although Messi has some bad memories of trips to Chelsea, having missed a penalty against them in the 2012 semi-final that saw the Premier League side advance to the final with a 3-2 aggregate win.

Messi may have been left devastated by that incident, but Morata has warned Antonio Conte's side that containing the Argentine icon is dangerous enough to leave Chelsea in tears next week."Messi can't be stopped," the former Real Madrid striker told Movistar+."If we can get a good result here, we have to play a defensive game with spaces and try to bother them as much as possible."

The Spaniard is not the only Chelsea star to sing Messi's praises recently.Eden Hazard recently insisted the 30-year-old is "not from this world" and urged the Blues to be careful against the Camp Nou outfit.

Messi has already scored 27 goals in 36 games in all competitions this season and is the top scorer in La Liga with 20, but has netted just three times in six Champions League appearances.

 

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Bayern and FC Dallas announce partnership


Bayern Munich and FC Dallas have announced a partnership centred on youth development.The two clubs will "exchange talent", allowing players to experience both the coaching in place at Bayern and at the MLS club.

“The United States is home to our very first international office, highlighting our commitment to engaging and growing FC Bayern’s fan base in the Americas,” said Bayern’s Executive Board Member for Internationalization and Strategy, Jörg Wacker.“Our intention from the beginning has been to help support the growth of soccer in the U.S., supporting the existing development of players. For us FC Dallas is the ideal partner."

The two clubs will also create fixtures that will allow the young players to play against each other, in both Germany and America."We are thrilled to join FC Bayern Munich in this groundbreaking collaboration," said FC Dallas chairman and CEO Clark Hunt.

"One of our primary goals is to develop an academy and a club that can compete at the highest level on a global scale. This unprecedented partnership with one of the most successful clubs in the world marks a significant step toward that goal, and we look forward to working closely with the outstanding leadership at FC Bayern."Twenty academy players signed for Dallas' first-team - an MLS high - and at least 28 players from the club's youth set-up have been capped by the United States, Canada or Mexico at youth level.

Three homegrown players of the club have already been sent to Germany, including 17-year-old Paxton Pomykal, who became the club's youngest ever starter in March.

 

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Emerson Palmieri ready to make Chelsea debut


Emerson Palmieri insists he is ready to make his Chelsea debut following his January transfer window arrival from Roma.

The 23-year-old tore his cruciate ligament on the final day of last season and only made one start and one substitute appearance for Roma before moving to Chelsea in a £17.5 million deal last month.Just like he was at Roma, the left-back is being eased back into first-team action by Chelsea boss Antonio Conte and he has been on the substitutes' bench for the last two Premier League games.




Chelsea's FA Cup fifth-round tie at home to Hull City on Friday is likely to provide Emerson with the opportunity to make his debut, with Conte expected to rotate his squad, with Barcelona in the Champions League coming up next week.Emerson is confident his injury is in the past and he cannot wait to get going for the Premier League champions.

"Physically, I feel great," Emerson told Chelsea's match-day programme for Monday's game against West Brom. "The injury is now in the past. "They were six difficult months for me but what is important is right now and I feel good. I couldn’t feel better so I only have in mind the idea of training with my team and helping us achieve success.

“I came here because this is a great club with a great history. English football is something I have been watching since I was 15 years old. It’s a really beautiful game over here and it’s going to be even more beautiful to play it. I’m coming here with great expectations."I learned so much in Italy. Before I went there I used to be a player who just dribbled and shot at goal, but what I saw there was that the tactical game can really help your performance.

"So now I am a better player and I think in some way that is because I managed to combine the two games, Italian and Brazilian. Now I am definitely going to improve here at Chelsea."

 

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Arsenal confirm Lacazette out for up to six weeks with knee injury


Arsenal have confirmed that striker Alexandre Lacazette will be out of action for up to six weeks with a knee injury.The 26-year-old forward underwent surgery on Tuesday and is now expected to be out of action for at least a month as he recovers.A statement on the club's official website read: "Striker Alex Lacazette had an arthroscopy on his left knee in London on Tuesday morning.

"The minor procedure was a success and he will now undergo a period of rehabilitation. It is envisaged that he will return to the squad within four to six weeks."

Lacazette initially impressed following his £46 million move from Lyon in the summer, scoring eight goals up to the beginning of December.He has, however, struggled to find the back of the net since then, with just one strike coming in the 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on January 20.

And the Frenchman was further criticised following his brief cameo in the north London derby defeat to Tottenham, with Lacazette missing the target with two presentable chances towards the end of the game.

That led manager Arsene Wenger into suggesting that the forward may have had his confidence knocked since the club-record arrival of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Dortmund.

He said: "For him, one against one with the goalkeeper, he is a good goalscorer. He has gone through difficult periods before. He works hard in training, works on his finishing."I don't know what happened [with his second miss against Spurs], did he not touch the ball well? It can happen, it is a fraction of a second.

"Maybe the confidence is not at its highest because he has seen a competitor coming in for him."

 

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Basel 0 Manchester City 4: Guardiola's men roll Swiss champions

Manchester City took a giant step towards the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a 4-0 thrashing of Basel at St Jakob-Park.Pep Guardiola's side tore Leicester City to pieces 5-1 in the Premier League at the weekend and resumed in similarly menacing mood against the Swiss champions.

Basel were left to rue Dimitri Oberlin failing to punish City's early defensive vulnerability and having a penalty shout turned down as a blistering spell of three goals in the space of nine first-half minutes from Ilkay Gundogan, Bernardo Silva and Sergio Aguero took the game away from them.




Gundogan did his World Cup hopes no harm with a sublime second as Germany boss Joachim Low looked on from the stands and, by the time that showpiece comes around, Guardiola could be reflecting on a history-making return in Manchester.League One Wigan Athletic are up next in the fifth round of the FA Cup before a Wembley date with Arsenal in the EFL Cup final.

Throw in a 16-point lead in the Premier League and this coruscating form, and a belief that all things are possible might start to course strongly through the Etihad Stadium.Oberlin gave an early demonstration of his pace, streaming clear of the City defence before his touch around the onrushing Ederson entirely lacked conviction.

Centre-backs Vincent Kompany and Nicolas Otamendi were unsettled by Oberlin, although penalty claims against the latter found no sympathy from referee Jonas Eriksson.

Raphael Wicky's men undermined such encouraging moments by switching off in their own box and allowing Gundogan to head in Kevin De Bruyne's 14th-minute corner at the near post.


Valentin Stocker was the next Basel forward to almost undo City via the direct route, but the difference in cutting edge was born out once more by Silva's sublime chest control and volleyed finish from Raheem Sterling's chipped 18th-minute cross.Goalkeeper Tomas Vaclik found himself caught out on that occasion and was rooted to the spot when Aguero seized upon a loose ball to clatter home from 25 yards.

Vaclik regained his poise to scamper out and deny Sterling, but the first half had long become on ordeal for Basel by the time De Bruyne lifted a crisp half-volley narrowly over.De Bruyne stung Vaclik's palms shortly after the restart, while opposite number Ederson was at full stretch to push Mohamed Elyounoussi's swerving strike around the post.

Seeing De Bruyne and Elyounoussi frustrated in their pitches for the spectacular, Gundogan elected to show them how it was done, curling majestically into the top corner to crown a clockwork move that began with Kompany and Kyle Walker in the City half.Such a handsome lead allowed Guardiola to give Leroy Sane and David Silva runouts on their returns from injury, with Sterling and De Bruyne afforded a rest.

To their credit, Basel kept asking questions in attack, with Oberlin failing to convert Stocker's cross at the far post and Elyounoussi drilling at Ederson.
Gundogan should have beaten Vaclik from close range to claim the matchball, but his and City's focus remain fixed upon more enduring prizes.

 

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Juventus 2 Tottenham 2: Eriksen completes comeback to give Spurs the edge

Tottenham came from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Juventus in Tuesday's Champions League last-16 first-leg clash in Turin.An early double from Gonzalo Higuain appeared to have set the Serie A champions up for a comfortable victory, before Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen gave Spurs a slight advantage to take back to Wembley with two away goals.

Juve, unbeaten at home in the competition since losing to Bayern Munich in April 2013, took the lead inside the first two minutes through a fine volley from Higuain, although he was perhaps lucky not to be penalised for offside.




The Argentina striker made it 2-0 in the ninth minute from the penalty spot, but Spurs – buoyed by their weekend win over fierce rivals Arsenal – began to take control from then on and Kane's 33rd goal of the season, the first conceded by Gianluigi Buffon in 694 minutes for club and country, gave Spurs a lifeline.

Higuain missed a second penalty before the break during an uncharacteristically nervous performance from Massimiliano Allegri's side, and Spurs secured a fine result 19 minutes from time, when Eriksen wrong-footed Buffon with a free-kick.The result ends Juve's 11-game winning run in all competitions and leaves them facing a sizeable task if they are to keep their quest alive for a third final appearance in four years.


Juve's lightning start saw them take the lead with their fastest goal in a Champions League match since Alessandro Del Piero scored against Manchester United in 1997 inside 30 seconds.Miralem Pjanic won a free-kick against Mousa Dembele and clipped the ball cleverly into the path of Higuain, who watched the ball drop over his shoulder before volleying across Hugo Lloris' goal and into the bottom-left corner.

Matters got worse for Spurs just six minutes later. Ben Davies felled Federico Bernardeschi inside the penalty area and Higuain swept low past Lloris from the spot, despite the France keeper again getting a glove to the ball.

Kane felt aggrieved not to win a spot-kick of his own after going down under pressure from Medhi Benatia, and the England striker wasted a glorious chance to get a goal back 26 minutes in, heading straight at Buffon from point-blank range.But Kane gave the visitors hope with 35 minutes played, racing onto Dele Alli's pass before beating the onrushing Buffon and firing home.

Spurs were in the ascendancy, but Juve spurned the chance to make it 3-1 seconds before half-time, when Higuain blasted his second penalty of the game off the crossbar after Serge Aurier had brought down Douglas Costa.The second half was a much more balanced and less open affair, with Juve coming closest to the critical fourth goal in the tie when Bernardeschi's drive was tipped past the post by Lloris.

Mauricio Pochettino's side were still the more composed of the two teams, though, and they got the second goal their performance deserved with 71 minutes played, as Eriksen fizzed a free-kick into the bottom-left corner past the uncertain Buffon, setting up a tantalising second leg on March 7.

 

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Madrid target Skriniar open to Inter exit after 'incredible offer' rejected in January


Milan Skriniar admits he would consider leaving Inter at the end of the season after "an incredible offer" was rejected in the January transfer window.

The centre-back's agent confirmed last month that a bid in the region of €60million from an unnamed club was turned down by the Nerazzurri.Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Manchester City have all been linked with an interest in the Slovakia international and he has named all four as ideal destinations if he leaves Serie A.

However, Skriniar made it clear he is not prepared to move from Inter to sit on the bench at another club.

"I know an incredible offer came in the winter," he told Slovakian daily Sport ."I left everything in my agent's hands. I would have gone had it been for the best.I'm happy with the interest of big clubs, but at the same time I was delighted that Inter decided not to sell. "I really like Real Madrid and Barcelona but the same applies to the two in Manchester. The Premier League is the most beautiful in the world."

Despite being open to an exit, the defender wants to make sure the situation for him is right before making a move. "My eventual departure would depend on many things, such as the agreement between the clubs and the role I would be adopting. If I had to change just to be on the bench, or to only play in the cup, I would stay at Inter.

"There were so many rumours about me in the winter but I never considered leaving, certainly not in January. I want to continue to do well and grow. We'll see what happens in the summer."Skriniar has been ever-present in Inter's back four since arriving from Sampdoria last July.Inter currently sit third in the Serie A table but face a fight for a Champions League place this season, with fifth-placed Lazio just two points back and Roma sitting fourth.

 

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Salah is ‘best Liverpool signing in the past 15 years’ - Mikky Quinn


Mohamed Salah is Liverpool’s best signing in the past ten to 15 years, ahead of the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Luis Suarez and Fernando Torres, according to ex-footballer Mikky Quinn.According to the former Newcastle United striker, the winger has surpassed expectations since his summer move to Anfield from AS Roma.So far in the ongoing season, Salah has scored 29 goals across all competitions, shattering several records to reach the figure.

“He’s just taken Anfield by storm,” Quinn told talkSport. “He’s scored 29 goals this season, as a winger! It’s unheard of!“This is a kid who everybody wrote off at Chelsea and there were raised eyebrows when Liverpool signed him in the summer.“The skill he’s got – that goal he scored against Spurs, going past two players and lifting it over the goalkeeper, I can only think of a player like Messi scoring a goal like that.“He’s got strength, he’s got pace to die for and he’s playing with a smile on his face.”

On how the 25-year-old compares to other recent Liverpool marquee players, the former striker said: “Luis Suarez was an unbelievable player, but he came with a lot of baggage – this kid has no baggage.

“Fernando Torres was a breath of fresh air when he came to Liverpool and scored spectacular goals, be he was an out-and-out centre-forward and Salah is a midfielder.

“With Coutinho, I think he was yet to really fulfil his potential at Liverpool and he probably will do with Barcelona, but Salah now is at the very top of his game.“I think he’s been one of the most important Liverpool signings and probably the best Liverpool signing in the last ten to 15 years.”

 

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UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg Fixtures 2018.02.14

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 1st Leg Fixtures 2018.02.14

Porto Vs Liverpool

Real Madrid Vs PSG

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Basel vs Manchester City 0-4 All Goals & Highlights 13/02/2018 HD

 

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Juventus vs Tottenham 2-2 - All Goals & Extended Highlights - Champions League 13/02/2018 HD

 

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Porto 0 Liverpool 5: Mane hat-trick inspires Reds rout

Sadio Mane struck a superb hat-trick as Liverpool put one foot in the Champions League quarter-finals with a comprehensive 5-0 victory over Porto on Wednesday.

Jurgen Klopp's side are the top scorers in this season's competition and they showed all of their attacking prowess as Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino put the tie to bed before the second leg at Anfield.

Mane opened the scoring after 25 minutes with the help of some questionable goalkeeping from Jose Sa, the Porto number one diving over his low shot after a driving run from Georginio Wijnaldum.The visitors were two ahead before the half-hour as Salah made it 30 for the season, becoming the first Liverpool player to reach that figure since Luis Suarez in 2013-14.

Liverpool's attacking trident combined for their third goal and Mane's second after the break, and Firmino ensured all three got on the scoresheet with 21 minutes remaining.There was still time for Mane to complete his hat-trick and effectively end any hopes Porto had of a second-leg recovery, with Liverpool's progression looking assured already.

A positive start from the hosts was nearly rewarded in the opening 10 minutes as Otavio wriggled free after good work from Moussa Marega, but Dejan Lovren did superbly to deflect his low shot over.Liverpool's electrifying front three took time to click, with Salah wasting their first sight of goal with a misplaced pass for Mane inside the penalty area.

But they soon found their feet and in the space of four minutes Liverpool found themselves two goals ahead.Sa gifted Mane the opener as he got his dive all wrong trying to save the forward's low shot, the ball creeping under his body and over the line – leaving the goalkeeper thumping the pitch in anger.

His frustrations were doubled four minutes later as Salah extended Liverpool's advantage, with the Egyptian juggling the loose ball into the net after James Milner's shot had thudded against the upright.Porto should have reduced their deficit before the interval but Tiquinho Soares fired wide from Yacine Brahimi's beautifully weighted throughball.

If Porto had hoped that late chance would spark them into life after the restart they were left disappointed as Liverpool moved further ahead thanks to Mane's second. After latching onto Salah's precise pass, Firmino's scuffed shot was well saved by Sa but the goalkeeper was unable to hold it and Mane coolly slid home the loose ball.

That seemed to finally bring the hosts into life but, as they chased the game, they were caught on the break by Liverpool's deadly trio.Mane turned provider with a surging run and pass to Milner, the England international finding the unmarked Firmino to give him a deserved goal.Liverpool were not finished there, either, as Mane completed his hat-trick with a fine solo run and shot from 20 yards – becoming the fourth Reds player to complete a treble in the competition.

 

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Real Madrid 3 Paris Saint-Germain 1: Record-breaking Ronaldo inspires comeback

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Real Madrid came from a goal down to beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.Adrien Rabiot's away goal had put the Ligue 1 leaders in front in the Champions League last-16 tie, but Ronaldo's double and Marcelo's late strike gave the home side the victory.

The clash has been billed as potentially critical to the futures of head coaches Zinedine Zidane and Unai Emery, with both under pressure to deliver the biggest prize in European football this season, but the Madrid boss will be the happier ahead of the return fixture at Parc des Princes.Madrid, winners of the tournament in three of the last four years, were the stronger side in the opening half-hour but suffered a blow when Rabiot broke the deadlock 33 minutes in.

The visitors had defended well in the absence of captain Thiago Silva, who was benched in favour of Presnel Kimpembe, but Ronaldo made no mistake from the penalty spot to make it 1-1 with his 100th goal in the competition for Madrid.Ronaldo added a fortunate second before Marcelo struck a third just three minutes later, as the holders secured a valuable first-leg lead ahead of the visit to the French capital on March 6.

Madrid made a flying start but the game soon became a little cagier, with neither team eager to over-commit in attack, and a frustrating opening 20 minutes for Neymar was compounded when he was booked for kicking Nacho Fernandez.

Ronaldo was denied by Alphonse Areola with the first clear chance of the match, the PSG goalkeeper racing out to block his effort from Marcelo's brilliant pass, but Rabiot made the most of the visitors' best opening of the half.Nacho cut out Kylian Mbappe's cross but only turned it into the path of Rabiot, who swept the ball past Keylor Navas from just inside the box.

Ronaldo fired over from another promising opening but he drew the home side level a minute before the interval, blasting into the bottom-left corner from the penalty spot after Giovani Lo Celso had tugged back Toni Kroos in the box.It was an equaliser the home side deserved but they could have been behind three minutes into the second half, with Navas making a good low stop from Mbappe after he was played into space by Neymar, a man heavily linked with a move to Madrid at the end of the season.

The second half was a nervier affair but Dani Alves was just inches from making it 2-1, the Brazilian failing to connect with Yuri Berchiche's cross-cum-shot from the left of the box.But PSG, dumped out by Barcelona after a 6-1 second-leg defeat in the round of 16 last year, suffered another late collapse to hand Madrid the advantage.



Ronaldo was on hand to knee the ball into the net after Areola parried Marco Asensio's cross, and Marcelo combined brilliantly with the Spain winger down the left before firing in a deflected effort to secure a two-goal lead.

 

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Congratulations Ronaldo!

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Neymar plays down Real Madrid rumours: 'I only think about my story here'


Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar insisted he was happy with the Ligue 1 giants amid persistent links to Real Madrid.

Neymar and PSG suffered a 3-1 loss to Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday.The Brazil international has been linked with a stunning move to Madrid despite only joining PSG in a world-record €222million switch from Barcelona last year.

But, speaking after the first leg, Neymar said he was happy at PSG, where he is contracted until 2022."I have a contract with PSG. I am happy with my team-mates and I only think about my story here," he told reporters, via Sport .

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi was also insistent that his star man would not be leaving in the summer, claiming that the 26-year-old would '100 per cent' still be with the French side next season . However, PSG are facing a huge battle to advance to the Champions League quarter-finals after their first-leg loss against the twice-defending champions.But Neymar hopes they can deliver in the return leg in Paris on March 6.

The Brazilian was part of the Barcelona team who overturned a 4-0 first-leg thrashing by PSG with a 6-1 win in the second leg of the round of 16 to move on. "It's hard now, but nothing's impossible," he said on Esporte Interativo. "Last year I went through much worse [at Barcelona] and we managed to overcome. I hope we can have a better game so we can advance"

The Parisians face two Ligue 1 matches prior to their second clash with Madrid, but the club hold a 12-point lead at the top of the league table.

 

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The tie is not over yet – Ronaldo warns Madrid


Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo has warned his team that their Champions League tie against Paris Saint-Germain is not over yet, urging them to attack in the return leg.

Ronaldo became the first player to score 100 goals for one club in Europe's elite club competition during Wednesday's 3-1 first-leg win at the Santiago Bernabeu.
The Portuguese star scored a brace to cancel out Adrien Rabiot's 33rd-minute opener for PSG before Marcelo added a third late on.

Despite his team's strong position, Ronaldo warned there was still work to do heading into the second leg in Paris on March 6."The fans have helped us a lot and we felt their warmth. It has to be that way," he told reporters.

"Marcelo's goal was very important, he played a good match and he deserved it.
"When goals are scored and your team wins, it is always special. Today it started and I scored two."The tie is not over yet. We have to go to Paris to win and to score goals, to be calm and to qualify for the next phase."

After Rabiot's opener, Ronaldo struck from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time before putting his team ahead with seven minutes remaining.Ronaldo was particularly pleased with his team's performance in the second half as they took control of the tie."This was an important victory. We started the match well, but we let in a goal," the 33-year-old said.

"But this is the Champions League and Madrid have the experience. Games last 90 minutes and, at home, we wanted to play a good game. We have a good advantage for the return thanks to those two late goals."We knew [PSG] were a very dangerous team with the forwards they have. We knew we had to press them to win the ball."In the second half we waited a little bit, we played better, and we had more opportunities."