..::Football IV::..

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'Pogba tension at Man Utd is normal' - Players are never happy, says McClaren


Paul Pogba “tension” at Manchester United should be considered “normal”, says Steve McClaren, with the £89 million man frustrated at his form.Reports of a rift at Old Trafford have emerged following a recent benching of the midfielder and Jose Mourinho’s willingness to haul him off at regular intervals.

Such talk has been quickly played down by the Red Devils boss, with the Portuguese accusing critics of talking “bull****”, but Pogba was missing once again on Saturday after seeing a mystery illness rule him out of an FA Cup fifth round clash with Huddersfield.

His absence has only served to heighten speculation regarding a breakdown in relationship between player and coach, while also sparking summer transfer rumours, but McClaren believes the situation is under control and is merely another example of a player displaying his disappointment during an uncharacteristic dip.United’s former assistant manager told Sky Sports: "If you're a football manager, every day you deal with tension in the dressing room.

"Every day you deal with at least 11 unhappy players who haven't played on the Saturday, three players who have been brought off are unhappy, three players going on are unhappy because they should have gone on earlier.

"It's the life of a football manager that players are going to be unsettled, unhappy if they're not playing well. That's the situation at Manchester United with Pogba."He's the same as any other player and Mourinho has come out very strongly in a statement that's really said 'I'm in control' and it's about controlling players, not about keeping them happy.

"Sir Alex [Ferguson] once said to me: 'Steve, players are here to make us happy and pleased, not us to make them happy and pleased. They're here for us'."Pogba, as United’s record signing, has been placed squarely under the microscope since he returned to Old Trafford from Juventus in the summer of 2016.

Much has been made of his contribution and a supposed favoured position from which to produce his best, but McClaren believes recent wobbles are down to an early-season hamstring injury which disrupted a promising start to the 2017-18 campaign.The ex-England boss added: "What Mourinho has is a disappointed, unhappy player because he is not playing well. Before he got injured, he was the best Manchester United player and he's struggling after injury to get back to that form.

"That is all and this is normal, you ask any manager in any football club. They will have players who are exactly the same. It's only highlighted because it's Pogba and everybody assumes behind the scenes that there is tension and friction between the two. Of course there is, there always is with top players."

 

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Amazon get their money's worth as City's quadruple hopes dramatically die

Pep Guardiola's side have a documentary crew following them this season, but even they will struggle to tell the story of a manic Monday in Wigan
Given Manchester City are going into the entertainment business with their Amazon documentary series, you could easily imagine the opening scenes of the episode simply known as “Wigan”.

Claudio Bravo, up for a corner, wins a header in the box. Bernardo Silva, one of the most intricate players in the most intricate team, hoists the ball into the area. Sergio Aguero clashes with fans on the pitch. Fade to black. The caption reads: “90 minutes earlier.”

Nobody would switch off at that point.

 

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Lucas claims Tottenham can win Champions League


Lucas Moura feels Tottenham are capable of challenging to win the Champions League.

The winger left Paris Saint-Germain for the north London side in January after the arrival of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe pushed him out of the first team at Parc des Princes.Tottenham came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Serie A title-holders Juventus in the first leg of their round-of-16 tie last week.

And Brazil international Moura, speaking after starting and scoring in the dramatic FA Cup draw at Rochdale – also a 2-2 scoreline - on Sunday, backed Mauricio Pochettino's team to make an impact on the European stage."Every player wants to win trophies, to make history and I am here to make history with my new friends, my new team-mates," he said.

"I believe that because we have a lot of quality, a great structure – I am really impressed – and I think we can dream with the Champions League." When asked if Spurs have as much chance as PSG of winning the competition, he replied: "Why not?

"The Champions League is the most difficult cup but I think we have the capacity to win it if you always think in positives, always work hard. I think we did a big game against Juventus away. I am so happy with my new team."

 

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Malcom exit expected as Poyet hails 'special' Arsenal & Tottenham target


Arsenal and Tottenham have seen the transfer path cleared in their ongoing pursuit of Malcom, with Bordeaux boss Gustavo Poyet confirming that the Brazilian is likely to leave in the near future.The highly-rated 20-year-old became a much sought-after asset during the winter transfer window, with two north London rivals marking him out as a top target.

Bordeaux were able to see off that interest, but the youngster has conceded that he was open to a move and revealed that he expects a summer agreement to be pushed through.

Poyet appears resigned to that happening, with the former Chelsea midfielder acknowledging that his side need to brace themselves for the imminent departure of a “special” talent.

He told Marca: “He is a special player who can win matches on his own.“He is often double-marked because his talent is that special, and in January we were nervous because we almost lost him to the Premier League.

“We must prepare for this because sooner or later he will leave.”Malcom had netted seven times for Bordeaux before the January window opened, with those efforts bringing him to the attention of sides elsewhere.He has managed just one goal since the turn of the year, but others have been doing the business for the Ligue 1 outfit.

A 1-0 defeat to Marseille on Sunday brought a run of four successive victories to an end for Bordeaux, with Poyet pleased with the start he has made in the hot-seat since being handed the reins on January 20.

He added: “I've had a dream start, you always want to make an impact, especially when you take over a team where things aren't going well.“Winning three successive matches goes some way to making an impact, it does a lot to convince people.”

 

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Malcom godak hoda investment ekak wei join wena team ekatagodak hoda future ekak thiyana player kenek​

 

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Klopp considers Liverpool squad to be best he has worked with


Jurgen Klopp considers Liverpool’s star-studded class of 2017-18 to be the best squad he has ever worked with.

In a previous post at Borussia Dortmund, the German coach tasted Bundesliga title triumphs and reached a Champions League final.He had the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan at his disposal, but claims he never boasted the squad depth he now has at Anfield.

Liverpool have competition for places across the board, with Klopp in the enviable position of being able to rotate as he sees fit without fear of depleting the quality in his starting XI.He told the club’s official website on those at his disposal: “It’s really hard in the moment to make the squad.

“Wow, I’ve never had a situation like that with the quality of the players not being in the squad. “They all have made really big steps. Dom Solanke was not in the squad but is in outstanding shape at the moment. Ragnar Klavan, unbelievable. Ben Woodburn makes steps and is really close to everything.“It’s difficult, it’s getting more and more difficult, but that’s good for us of course.”

Among those to have further bolstered the Liverpool ranks over recent weeks is Danny Ings, with the England international back in contention following a frustrating run of injuries.

The 25-year-old made his Champions League debut off the bench in Liverpool’s 5-0 mauling of Porto in the first leg of their last-16 encounter and is being backed to figure prominently over the remainder of the campaign.

Klopp added: “It’s a wonderful story. Danny made it, he came on and it was nice to see.
“He needed time. A few months ago it was different, but a player like him when they come back they think ‘I am under pressure’ and they want to come in immediately and get game time.“Danny went the hard way. He played a lot of games for the under-23s."That he is back now is very important for us and fantastic for him.”

 

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Barcelona tie will not decide Conte's Chelsea future, says Deco


The outcome of Chelsea's Champions League round-of-16 clash with Barcelona will not have a decisive impact on head coach Antonio Conte's uncertain position, according to Deco.Chelsea have mounted a disappointing defence of their Premier League title and sit fourth in the table, 19 points behind runaway leaders Manchester City.

They face a demanding European encounter with La Liga frontrunners Barca at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, followed by meetings with Manchester United, City and Crystal Palace in the league before the return fixture at Camp Nou next month.
Conte has been widely tipped to depart the Blues at the end of the campaign after just two seasons in charge.

Nevertheless, former Portugal international Deco, who starred for both Barca and Chelsea during his playing career, does not expect club owner Roman Abramovich to dispense with the coach based on the two legs of the Barca showdown.

"I'm not in the daily routine of Chelsea, Chelsea nowadays is a big club and all big clubs have the pressure of [needing] victories, even being in England, where managers tend to stay longer," he told Omnisport .

"But Chelsea's history is not the same of other English teams, of course this will be a challenge. To be defeated by Barcelona won't be a disaster. Of course, Chelsea wants to get through, but I don't think their manager's work will be evaluated by this. That's a problem [for] them and they know what to do."

Deco feels the departure of two key players in the off-season has exerted a negative impact on the team's fortunes, as they battle to finish in the top four and retain their berth in UEFA's elite club competition.

"To lose Diego Costa and [Nemanja] Matic, they were two important players to Chelsea, even though [Alvaro] Morata had a very good beginning, he's not a substitute for Diego yet," he said."The way Chelsea played... [they haven't] found yet the same football they had last year.

"But problems are normal, when you don't win and don't achieve the goals of such a big club like Chelsea, it's always difficult."

 

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Diego Costa: Referees hate me and can't wait to get cards out


Diego Costa was booked again in his latest outing for Atletico Madrid, but claims “officials hate me” and that he is being unfairly singled out.

The Spain international was cautioned during a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao for contesting a decision.He also saw a penalty appeal waved away in that contest – a game in which he netted his fourth goal in eight appearances since returning to Atletico.

That return gives the 29-year-old plenty to smile about, but he believes referees have made him a scapegoat and are too quick to reach for their pocket when he gives them a decision to make.Costa, who was sent off on his La Liga return for Atletico in January, told reporters after another eventful outing on Sunday: “The officials hate me and there’s nothing I can do to change that.

“Some of them book me for the smallest issue and it did not matter what it was but [against Bilbao] the referee was going to book me no matter what.“You can look back at the replay and analyse it, but I did not overstep the mark and did not deserve it, but there is nothing I can do about it now.

“The penalty appeal? I think it is yes, I was knocked off balance by contact from the defender when I was going to shoot so I think it was!”Costa started against Bilbao alongside Antoine Griezmann.

The Frenchman failed to find the target and has just 12 efforts to his name this season.Transfer talk has provided an unwelcome distraction for the 26-year-old, amid links to Manchester United and Barcelona, but his strike partner insists he retains the full support of those around him at Wanda Metropolitano.Costa added: “I think people make a lot of stuff up.“The fans are behind Griezmann. He's got quality and, every summer, a big team want him.

“It's normal for him to get angry. I get angry too at times. It's part of football. But the fans are delighted that Griezmann can be here and hopefully he's here for many more years.”

 

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Real Betis 3 Real Madrid 5: Asensio at the double in LaLiga classic

Marco Asensio added to his burgeoning reputation with a brace in Real Madrid's thrilling 5-3 comeback win at Real Betis in a breath-taking LaLiga classic on Sunday.

Zinedine Zidane's side, who are again 17 points behind pace-setters Barcelona, had boosted morale and confidence with a 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16 on Wednesday.

And Los Blancos followed up that triumph with a victory in a goal-laden match at Benito Villamarin that swung back and forth between two teams who dazzled with a stunning display of attacking football.




Madrid took an early lead through Asensio but Betis, thanks largely to the evergreen, effervescent Joaquin, scored twice in four minutes to turn the match around before half-time through Aissa Mandi and a Nacho own-goal, strikes which followed Marcelo limping off with a hamstring injury for the visitors.

LaLiga's champions recovered brilliantly after the break, though, with Sergio Ramos heading in the equaliser, before Asensio struck a fine finish to put his side back in front - recording Madrid's 6,000th LaLiga goal in the process.


Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored twice against PSG to continue his blistering 2018 goalscoring form, seemingly wrapped up the points with Madrid's fourth goal after 65 minutes.

Zidane's men survived a late fightback from Betis after Sergio Leon struck, though, with Karim Benzema coming off the bench to score Madrid's fifth, and his side have a six-point cushion in the last of LaLiga's four Champions League qualification places, with league games against Leganes and Deportivo La Coruna to come for Los Blancos in the next six days.Madrid were without Toni Kroos due to injury and Zidane rested Luka Modric, Benzema and Isco, but despite the changes the visitors took the lead after just 10 minutes.

Former Madrid keeper Antonio Adan could only parry a powerful shot from Ronaldo back into the danger zone, with Asensio perfectly placed to guide a header home for his fifth league goal of the season.

Betis responded well, Keylor Navas making a sensational one-handed save high to his right to keep out Joaquin's whipped free-kick, but Betis soon earned just reward for their exerted pressure.Mandi had already headed one Joaquin corner wide but he was on target after 33 minutes, overpowering Casemiro in an aerial challenge to nod past Navas.

Ronaldo then had a goal rightly ruled out for offside and Betis went straight down the other end to take the lead.Joaquin was again instrumental, driving at the Madrid defence and slipping in Junior Firpo, whose shot squirmed through Navas and bounced in off the unfortunate Nacho.

Within five minutes of the restart Madrid were back on level terms, though, Ramos powering home a right-wing Lucas Vazquez corner with an unstoppable thumping header.

And the goals continued to flow, Asensio on target with his second of the game to restore the Madrid lead, cushioning home a lovely first-time finish from Dani Carvajal's cutback after a brilliant run down the wing from the right-back.The Madrid comeback was apparently completed after 65 minutes, Casemiro finding Ronaldo and the Portugal superstar smashing in his 10th goal in his last six appearances.

There was more drama to come as Madrid grew complacent, though, with Betis battling back again when Junior whipped a brilliant low ball in behind the defence for Leon to tap in at the back post.



But despite throwing everything at Madrid, Betis could not find the equaliser and substitute Benzema completed the scoring in the second minute of stoppage time, polishing off a slick one-two with Vazquez to score his first LaLiga goal since November.

 

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AC Milan 1 Sampdoria 0: Bonaventura makes it 10 unbeaten for Rossoneri

Giacomo Bonaventura scored the only goal of the game as AC Milan made it 10 matches unbeaten in all competitions with a 1-0 Serie A win over Sampdoria.The Rossoneri have experienced a significant upturn in fortunes under Gennaro Gattuso and they dominated an eventful contest at San Siro.

Ricardo Rodriguez saw a seventh-minute penalty saved, but Milan were not punished for his profligacy and Bonaventura netted what proved to be the decisive goal six minutes later.




But the remaining 77 minutes were filled with incident, Milan seeing a Leonardo Bonucci effort ruled out for offside while Hakan Calhanoglu struck the crossbar.A lifeless Sampdoria team did not offer a genuine threat until Gianluca Caprari squandered a late chance to equalise and seventh-placed Milan now move level with them on 41 points, just seven points adrift of a Champions League qualification berth.

Next for Milan is the second leg of a Europa League round-of-32 tie with Ludogorets that they appear to have wrapped up thanks to a 3-0 victory in the first meeting, before Gattuso's credentials will receive their sternest test yet with league games against Roma and Inter either side of the second leg of the Coppa Italia semi-final with Lazio.


Milan threatened inside the first three minutes as Bonaventura headed straight at Emiliano Viviano from a Riccardo Montolivo cross but a better opportunity was squandered by Rodriguez four minutes later.Samp left-back Nicola Murru blocked a cross from the right with his arm and referee Daniele Doveri duly pointed to the spot.

However, Rodriguez's penalty was a tame one and Viviano got down low to his left to turn the ball behind.But Viviano was picking the ball out of his net soon after as Milan broke the deadlock with a wonderful move.

Suso played in Davide Calabria down the right and he whipped in a magnificent delivery for the onrushing Bonaventura, the unmarked midfielder firing a first-time volley into the ground and underneath Viviano.

Suso and Calhanoglu both had efforts deflected wide as Milan spent much of the first half camped in the Samp half, but the visitors were aggrieved not to be awarded a penalty of their own, the VAR opting not to punish Calabria's apparent handball with a spot-kick.

But Samp were grateful to the VAR shortly before half-time when Suso and Calhanoglu orchestrated a well-worked free-kick, the latter's low cross turned in by Bonucci, only for the centre-half to be correctly adjudged to have been offside on review.The frame of the goal rescued Samp seven minutes after the restart as Calhanoglu's fierce effort from the edge of the area cannoned off the top of the crossbar, before Suso shot across the face of goal with the net at his mercy at the far post.

Vivano denied both Calhanoglu and Calabria to keep Samp in it but, despite a late scare when substitute Caprari fired wide at the far post, Milan gained ground on fourth-placed Inter to perhaps open another avenue back into the Champions League.

 

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Wigan Athletic 1 Manchester City 0: Grigg ends Guardiola's quadruple dream

Will Grigg ended 10-man Manchester City's bid for an unprecedented quadruple as League One Wigan Athletic stunned the Premier League leaders with a 1-0 win in the fifth round of the FA Cup.Wigan famously beat City by the same scoreline in the 2013 FA Cup final before dumping them out of the same competition the following season.

Even so, the prospect of Paul Cook's current Latics vintage repeating the dose seemed a fanciful notion against a City team who have been imperious at home and abroad over recent weeks.




But Fabian Delph altered the complexion of the contest with a rash challenge on Max Power – the England international's first-half red card meaning his is set to miss Sunday's EFL Cup final against Arsenal and subsequent Premier League matches against the Gunners and Chelsea.

Referee Anthony Taylor approached Delph with a yellow card in his hand while being harangued by Wigan players and that seemingly contributed to the angry reaction from City's players and bench when the left-back's dismissal was confirmed.

As was to be expected given the abundance of excellent ballplayers in Pep Guardiola's side, the numerical disadvantage did not stop them dominating possession, but an error from Kyle Walker allowed Grigg to bring the house down 11 minutes from time and book a quarter-final home tie against Southampton.


Sergio Aguero almost gave City a third-minute lead but headed over when he stole in front of Dan Burn to meet Bernardo Silva's cross from the right.Ilkay Gundogan then forced Wigan goalkeeper Christian Walton into a sharp save down to his right before the hosts showed their capabilities as an attacking force.

Right-back Nathan Byrne bustled into the box and a loose ball trickled under Danilo's boot, forcing Claudio Bravo to fling himself at Gary Roberts' feet.
More poor work from Danilo allowed Grigg to get the run on John Stones and fire into the side netting.

An apparent hamstring injury forced off former Manchester United midfielder Nick Powell, interrupting Wigan's momentum, and City should have led when record signing Aymeric Laporte failed to convert Gundogan's flick-on from Leroy Sane's 26th-minute corner.

A similarly glaring miss came when Fernandinho smashed Stones' knockdown over and City were left to regret such profligacy when their task became taller on the stroke of the interval. Walton saved well from Aguero and, after Wigan partially cleared the resulting corner, Delph dived in over the ball on Power to earn his red card.The enraged Guardiola brought on Walker for Sane at the start of the second half, moving Danilo to the left-back slot Delph vacated.

Clear chances were proving hard to come by for the depleted City and Guardiola introduced Kevin De Bruyne with 25 minutes remaining.Gundogan was unable to turn in De Bruyne's corner five minutes later and the Belgium midfielder's arrival lifted the intensity.

Aguero's touch let him down after De Bruyne raided down the Wigan left, leaving Grigg to cast himself as the match-winning striker when Walker inexplicably let Elder's pass run under his boot.Still with plenty to do, the Northern Ireland favourite kept his cool to slot his seventh of the competition past Bravo and claim a place in FA Cup history.

Wigan survived a couple of late scares and the full-time whistle sparked wild scenes of celebration as many home fans jubilantly invaded the pitch.

 

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Bayern Munich 5 Besiktas 0: Two-goal Muller inspires emphatic win after Vida red

Thomas Muller inspired Bayern Munich to a commanding lead in their Champions League round of 16 tie with Besiktas, as they took full advantage of Domagoj Vida's early red card to run out comprehensive 5-0 winners in the first leg at the Allianz Arena.

Besiktas' first ever knockout match in the competition looked like being a frustration occasion as soon as Vida was dismissed and, while they were not punished immediately, Bayern ultimately had little difficulty in Munich as a Muller double helped them take a huge leap towards the quarter-finals.

The Turkish side's positive start was wrecked after just 16 minutes when Vida, played into a hopeless situation by Atiba Hutchinson, was sent off for a mistimed tackle as the last man.A Bayern breakthrough always looked like a formality and Muller was the man to deliver it four minutes before half-time.Bayern's lead was doubled soon after the interval – Kingsley Coman neatly tucking into the bottom-left corner to make the task facing Besiktas even more daunting.


Muller doubled his tally for the day just after the hour mark and a Robert Lewandowski brace rounded things off late on, putting Jupp Heynckes' men within touching distance of the last eight. After a laboured start, Bayern tested Fabri for the first time in the ninth minute – Coman cutting in from the left and seeing his curling effort pushed away by the Spaniard.

The visitors' chances were then dealt a massive blow seven minutes later, as Hutchinson's woeful back pass fed Lewandowski and Vida hauled him down as the last man, unsurprisingly earning a straight red.

Although Bayern became dominant as a result, Besiktas managed to trouble them on the break – Vagner Love shooting just over from the edge of the box, while Ricardo Quaresma tested Sven Ulreich from a tight angle.But Bayern's persistence paid off just before half-time, as Muller scuffed in from close range after David Alaba nudged Coman's cut-back to the Germany international.

James Rodriguez was forced off in the aftermath having appeared to succumb to a blow to the head received earlier in the game.But that did not appear to have any great impact on their performance, as they started the second half looking just as imperious as before, with Lewandowski striking the top of the right-hand post with a free-kick.

Besiktas were not so lucky soon after, though, as the Poland international did well to pick out Coman with a cut-back and the young Frenchman finished well.The away side could muster no response as Bayern's pressure suffocated them.And Muller got his second 24 minutes from time, diverting Joshua Kimmich's right-wing cross into the net despite Fabri's best efforts.

But there was still plenty of time for Lewandowski to get in on the act.His first came in the 79th minute, Lewandowski pouncing after Fabri parried Mats Hummels' deflected strike, before he capped off an immensely productive day for the German champions by tapping in Muller's low cross late on.

 

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Chelsea 1 Barcelona 1: Messi breaks Blues hoodoo to leave tie in the balance

Lionel Messi scored for the first time against Chelsea as Barcelona came from behind to take a vital away goal into the second leg of their last-16 Champions League tie.

Willian hit the post twice but finally found the net with what looked to be the winning goal, only for Messi to score for the first time in six games to earn a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday, leaving the clash finely balanced.

Chelsea and Barca were facing each other for the 13th time in the Champions League, renewing their rivalry after a classic semi-final clash in 2012, and for much of the contest there was nothing between the sides despite Barca's inevitable dominance of the ball.



Barcelona had 75 per cent possession in the first half but the Catalans were perhaps fortunate to go into half-time level, Willian having been denied by the woodwork on two occasions.He fine-tuned his radar after the interval, however, rifling home into Marc-Andre ter Stegen's bottom-left corner to give Chelsea the lead.

But Messi pounced on his only chance of the game, capitalising on sloppy Chelsea defending to slot in from Andres Iniesta's pass to give Barca a narrow advantage ahead of the second leg on March 14.


Eden Hazard, playing a central attacking role with Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud benched, flashed a drive over as Chelsea made a bright start.Antonio Rudiger flicked Willian's right-wing corner wide, then Paulinho missed an even better aerial chance when picked out by Messi, planting his header wide of the post.

Ter Stegen made a comfortable save to keep out Willian's free-kick after the Brazilian had been brought down by Ivan Rakitic, who earned the game's first booking.

Willian was even closer with his next effort after 33 minutes but, although Ter Stegen was well beaten, the 25-yard curler cracked against the post and rebounded to safety.And from an almost identical position Willian hit the woodwork again, this time clipping the outside of Ter Stegen's right-hand post with a strike that curled away from the goalkeeper.

Luis Suarez flashed a strike across goal as Barcelona built pressure, but they were caught out by the sucker punch as Willian finally found his range after 62 minutes.

A short corner from the left was worked to Willian on the edge of the box and he used Rudiger as a shield to bend a superb strike into Ter Stegen's bottom-left corner.Suarez had a strong penalty appeal rejected after Rudiger challenged the striker in the box, but Barca drew level with 15 minutes to play.Andreas Christensen, preferred to captain Gary Cahill, gave the ball away on the edge of the Chelsea area, with Iniesta working the ball to Messi for a straightforward low finish.

Both sides thereafter appeared to settle for a draw, Christensen's lapse in concentration proving costly ahead of next month's second leg.

 

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Valverde: Barcelona away goal not definitive for progression


Ernesto Valverde believes Barcelona's away goal in a 1-1 Champions League draw at Chelsea is not a "definitive" sign the La Liga team will progress to the quarter-finals.Willian's goal looked set to give the Premier League champions a narrow lead to take into the second leg of the last-16 tie.

But when Andreas Christensen's sloppy pass to Cesc Fabregas let the visitors in, Andres Iniesta squared for Lionel Messi to tuck home his first goal in nine appearances against the Blues.

And while Valverde conceded Messi's strike was a big moment in the context of the tie, he does not think it necessarily means Barca will be going through."The equaliser was very important, scoring here," Valverde told a post-match news conference. "They might be happy with the result and we have to be respectful with their style of play.

"They didn't make as many passes as us, but they pressed high and made it difficult for us. The away goal isn't definitive but it is important."We make it a very positive thing. It was a clash of styles. We tried to control the game. We had a lot of possession and tried to get close to the goal. They tried to get us on the counter.

"We had a lack of quality in the final third. There was a lot of congestion and they defended well. Willian hit the post a couple of times. We lacked clear-cut chances."But we managed to get an error out of them and get the equaliser and it is a good result in the end."

Valverde opted to leave Ousmane Dembele as an unused substitute, only making two of his three changes, but the Barcelona coach defended the selection of Paulinho in a midfield four.

"When I went to choose the team I had to think about the best way to play, as much as having to choose Paulinho and having [Aleix] Vidal to come on," Valverde said."I made that decision and be respectful of the way they play. [Paulinho] had a chance in the first half but missed."

 

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Chelsea close to a perfect game against Barcelona - Conte


Antonio Conte felt Chelsea were close to delivering a "perfect" game against Barcelona in the Champions League before Lionel Messi's leveller salvaged a 1-1 draw for the Catalan giants.

Willian, denied twice by the woodwork in the first half, gave the Blues the lead after 62 minutes with a pinpoint drive from the edge of the penalty area.Chelsea looked set to hold firm against Barca and take a one-goal lead into the return leg on March 14 at Camp Nou, only to shoot themselves in the foot.

Andreas Christensen gave up possession with a sloppy pass deep in his own half, and Andres Iniesta fed Messi to score his first goal in nine appearances against Chelsea.

Conte was left frustrated by Chelsea's failure to close out the victory. Messi's strike was with 15 minutes to go and was his only shot of the game, yet the Italian was delighted with the way his team delivered a defensive masterclass - barring one costly slip.

"I think we were very close, very close to a perfect game," Conte told BT Sport. "I think only one mistake and when you make a mistake against Barcelona, players like Messi, [Luis] Suarez, Iniesta, you have to pay. "It's a pity, I'm very proud of my players for the game, they followed our plan. It's a pity. It's a pity because also I think tonight we were a bit unlucky.

"I think when we have to have a plan for this game, respect the characteristics of the opponent and understand the best way to face them. Our plan was really really good and the effort was great, it's a pity because we are talking about 1-1 and maybe we deserved more tonight."

Barcelona's away goal gives them the edge ahead of next month's second leg but Conte believes Chelsea can cause an upset when their rivalry renews with the Catalans at Camp Nou."This team is very strong, a fantastic team, but I think the result means the tie is open," Conte said.

"It will be difficult, it's not simple to play away against them, but our performance will give us confidence to try and do something."

 

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Sanchez move down to Champions League frustration at Arsenal - Mourinho


Alexis Sanchez's frustration at Arsenal's failure to qualify for the Champions League last season was central to his decision to join Manchester United, says Jose Mourinho.Chile forward Sanchez completed his move to Old Trafford last month in a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan join the Gunners.

Sanchez is set to make his European bow for the Red Devils when United tackle Sevilla in the first leg of their last-16 Champions League tie on Wednesday.

Mourinho described the former Barcelona star as a player United "needed" and believes the 29-year-old's desire to play in Europe's premier competition was the motivating fact for his move."It is true that we have a new player, Alexis Sanchez, and we could have waited for the transfer market in the summer but we decided to go now in the transfer market," Mourinho said.

"We felt we needed him. Manchester United in the Champions League is quite a big thing, Alexis came with all his efforts to play on the Champions League stage.

"We know it has been hard for me as a coach to motivate my players for a competition we didn't want to play [the Europa League]. But because we won it we got to qualify for the Champions League so motivation is always there - we always want to play against the best teams.

"So Alexis wanted to come to a team to play in the Champions League."Mourinho has won the Champions League as a coach with Porto and Inter, and enjoyed European success with United in the Europa League last year.

And the Red Devils boss feels his current squad is somewhere in between the sides he coached to success on Europe's biggest stage in terms of experience, but suggested his side are not among the favourites for the tournament."I won with Porto, very young, inexperienced team at this level, so many playing the Champions League for the first time," he added.

"It was the opposite at Inter, lots of over 30s with lots of players with great experience at high level but not successful."This squad is more in the middle a bit. We have some players with experience and others without experience but I think in the end I normally say Champions League dreams they start around the quarter-finals and not in last 16, it still looks a long way to go.

"When a team reaches the quarter-final, this is the moment. Even when they are not favourites, like us, they start realising anything is possible."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Pogba poised to make Man Utd return after Mourinho 'lies' storm


Jose Mourinho has indicated Paul Pogba will be ready to face Sevilla on Wednesday in the away first leg of Manchester United's Champions League last-16 tie.

Pogba missed the FA Cup win at Huddersfield Town due to illness after Mourinho had told reporters the France international would definitely play in the fifth-round clash.

Asked about his absence before United's 2-0 win at the John Smith's Stadium, the United manager said "I don't know and, honestly, I don't care" how long the player would be out.

The midfielder has struggled for form in recent weeks, with Mourinho replacing him during Premier League defeats away to Tottenham and Newcastle United.Mourinho subsequently hit out at reports claiming his relationship with Pogba had broken down, repeatedly calling the speculation "lies".But after Pogba played a full part in training on Tuesday, Mourinho suggested the club's record signing was ready to come back into the side.

"I opened training today and in a period where we normally don't open - we normally do warming-up and the simple drills," Mourinho told reporters."This time we did it for a long time and in the last period so you could see the players in a competitive situation. When the player is in that competitive situation it is because they are normally ready and without problems.

"You could see in that training some people who didn't play v Huddersfield like Pogba, [Antonio] Valencia, [Marcus] Rashford, [Ander] Herrera. So I think in an objective way you could look at it."

Pogba's recent performances have been criticised, but Mourinho suggested the France star should not be judged harshly simply because he cost United £89 million."I don't think it's fair to speak about the responsibilities of a player," Mourinho said. "I don't like the fact that the player cost X million doesn't have the same responsibility as a player who cost three times X.

"The responsibility is for everyone, I don't like that approach. I understand for you [the media], but not for me. When I decide a team I don't look at age, salary, transfer fee, because I think that's not fair."

 

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'Arsenal have to prioritise Europa League' - Pires sees top-four finish out of reach


Arsenal need to prioritise Europa League success as a route to the Champions League, says Robert Pires, with their top-four hopes fading.The Gunners could only muster a fifth-place finish in 2016-17, with Arsene Wenger slipping out of the continental elite for the first time in his iconic reign.

Inconsistency in the current campaign has Arsenal on the outside looking in once again, with the north London outfit currently sat sixth, eight points adrift of the Champions League spots.

They are, however, through to the last-32 of the Europa League and emulating Manchester United’s achievements from last season – when they took the trophy – could provide the Gunners with the clearest path back to European football’s top table.Pires believes the time has come for Wenger to shift focus, with the former Arsenal star telling The Sun: "The Europa League has to be Arsenal's priority now, already.

"The objective has to be to do what Manchester United did last season – they are a good example. "United won the Europa League and went straight into the Champions League – for Arsenal it is very important to get this state of mind.

"It’s a trophy, a good trophy, so it’s very important. And this season it is the last opportunity Arsenal have of making the Champions League."Unfortunately, but if you see the table it’s very difficult for Arsenal to reach the top four.

"I want to see Arsenal playing again in the Champions League. But it is very difficult with Tottenham, Liverpool and Chelsea all above them. "Arsenal look to be heading forward in Europe, having established a 3-0 first leg lead in a last-32 meeting with Osterstunds, and Pires believes they can go all the way if the draw remains kind and they can avoid fellow heavyweights.

He added: "Atletico and Arsenal are the favourites, for me this is the final in Lyon."They both have a lot of experience, especially in the Champions League."They just need to avoid each other and Celtic if they want to face each other in the final.

"I love Celtic. It is not easy for any team, especially in Celtic Park. The atmosphere is amazing."When you are a player, inside, playing against Celtic, it is a great atmosphere. It is still very close to the pitch, maybe only Liverpool has a similar atmosphere."That’s why it is very difficult to win in Celtic Park."

 

[Wolverine GTR]

FA confirms Aguero escapes punishment but Man City & Wigan both charged


The Football Association has charged both Manchester City and Wigan with failing to control their players following Monday night's ill-tempered FA Cup clash.
It has also been confirmed that Sergio Aguero will face no action for his role in a fracas with Wigan fans on the pitch at full-time, as reported by Goal on Tuesday afternoon.

The governing body has also confirmed that there will not be any action taken against either club for a confrontation between City boss Pep Guardiola and Wigan counterpart Paul Cook in the tunnel at half-time.However, both sides are likely to be punished for the reaction of their players following Fabian Delph's first-half red card.

"Both Wigan Athletic and Manchester City have been charged for failing to control their players in relation to the dismissal of Fabian Delph during last night's [Monday] Emirates FA Cup fifth round tie," an FA statement reads. "The clubs have until 6pm [GMT] on Friday 23 February 2018 to respond."

Several Wigan players surrounded referee Anthony Taylor as he deliberated over Delph's punishment, while City's players waded in once the red card was shown. Aguero, Guardiola and Cook were also involved in a touchline row but none of them will face specific action.

Those rows continued into the tunnel at half-time, with television footage showing Guardiola and Cook arguing as they made their way to the dressing rooms, but after speaking to relevant parties throughout the day on Tuesday the FA has decided not to act.

City were fined £35,000 for failing to control their players on two occasions last season, against Chelsea in December 2016 and Liverpool in March 2017.The FA has also asked both clubs for further information on security arrangements at the DW Stadium and the behaviour of both sets of fans.

The statement continued: "In addition, both clubs have been asked to provide their observations following the crowd trouble at the end of the game and have until Monday 26 February 2018 to respond."

Wigan and Greater Manchester Police are both looking into how hundreds of Wigan fans were able to invade the pitch at full-time, and why it took police and stewards so long to prevent home supporters approaching the away end.Goal understands City are also considering a formal complaint to police over a fan who allegedly attacked Aguero. It is claimed the fan hit the striker, spat in his ear and said "suck my d***".

It is also alleged that City supporters removed an advertising hoarding and threw it at police.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Boost for Man Utd as Pogba and Ibrahimovic both train ahead of Sevilla tie


Paul Pogba and Zlatan Ibrahimovic were both involved in Manchester United training on Tuesday as they prepare to face Sevilla in the Champions League last 16.France star Pogba was struck down by a mystery illness ahead of the Red Devils' FA Cup win over Huddersfield Town last weekend.

However, the midfielder was reported to have trained on Sunday and was again involved with the rest of the team as they completed final preparations to face the Spanish side in Wednesday's away first leg.

It remains to be seen if Pogba will start with his form and relationship with manager Jose Mourinho under intense scrutiny, although the manager slammed reports of a falling out with his player as "lies" before the meeting with Huddersfield.The Red Devils boss told reporters: "When you say 'a lot of speculation' you should say a lot of lies. Because I accept and Paul accepts that he has not been playing well in the last few matches. But that's all.

“It is my problem, it is the player's problem. A big lie that our relationship is not good, a big lie that we don't communicate, a big lie that we don't agree with his positions and his involvement in the dynamic of the team

“So, be objective and say what we all know: in the last couple of matches he didn't play well. Period. End of story. Now, it's my problem and Paul's problem to deal with it and try to improve his performance level."Ibrahimovic was also involved at Carrington, the Swedish legend having not featured since the 2-2 draw against Burnley on December 26 as he works his way towards full fitness following a serious knee injury sustained in April.

Ander Herrera, Antonio Valencia and Marcus Rashford, who all missed the Huddersfield game, were also present at training.