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..::Football IV::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
- Start date
Crystal Palace Starting Line-up
Hennessey
Van Aanholt
Tomkins
Kelly
Wan-Bissaka
Milivojevic
McArthur
Schlupp
Townsend
Sorloth
Benteke
&
Manchester United Starting Line-up
De Gea
Young
Lindelof
Smalling
Valencia
Matic
McTominay
Pogba
Lingard
Sanchez
Lukaku
Adath 1st half performance nam anthimai
Miss place passes godai
Sanchez witharai 1st half deyak karanna try karanne
attack karanawa madi hodatoma
Good luck for the 2nd half Manchester United!
Miss place passes godaiSanchez witharai 1st half deyak karanna try karanneattack karanawa madi hodatomaGood luck for the 2nd half Manchester United!
Full Time
Crystal Palace 2 Vs 3 Manchester United
Crystal Palace Goal(s)
A.Townsend 11'
P.Van Aanholt 48'
&
Manchester United Goal(s)
C.Smalling 55'
R.Lukaku 76'
N.Matic 90+1'
Crystal Palace Goal(s)
A.Townsend 11'
P.Van Aanholt 48'
&
Manchester United Goal(s)
C.Smalling 55'
R.Lukaku 76'
N.Matic 90+1'
Congratulations Manchester United!
Niyama comeback win ekakkalekata passe balapu hodama match ekak
attack...another attack....and another attack
1st half play karapu team ekata wada sampurneyenma wenas team ekak widiyata 2-0 down unata passe play kaleLukaku ge finish eka
& Matic ge goal eka patta!
& match 2-2 wela thiyanakota De Gea Save ekacool:
match eka allround gatthama mistakes nam godak una comback ekata kalinDefending poor & miss place passes godak unaOnna oya wechcha mistakes ayeth wenna denne nathiwa hadagannawanam hoda fight ekak denna puluwan next matches waladi
& next thiyenne thawath amaruma match ekak.Liverpool homeGood luck for the next match Manchester United!
Niyama comeback win ekak
kalekata passe balapu hodama match ekakattack...another attack....and another attack
1st half play karapu team ekata wada sampurneyenma wenas team ekak widiyata 2-0 down unata passe play kale
Lukaku ge finish eka & Matic ge goal eka patta!
cool:match eka allround gatthama mistakes nam godak una comback ekata kalin
Defending poor & miss place passes godak unaOnna oya wechcha mistakes ayeth wenna denne nathiwa hadagannawanam hoda fight ekak denna puluwan next matches waladi& next thiyenne thawath amaruma match ekak.Liverpool home
Good luck for the next match Manchester United!
Crystal Palace 2 Manchester United 3: Late Matic stunner completes breathless comeback
A stunning late Nemanja Matic strike rounded off a sensational Manchester United comeback as Jose Mourinho's side wiped out Crystal Palace's two-goal lead to win 3-2 at Selhurst Park on Monday.
Goals from Andros Townsend and Patrick van Aanholt left Palace in the driving seat early in the second half, but United showed remarkable resilience to prevent defeat and claim all three points right at the death thanks to Matic, reclaiming second place from Liverpool in the Premier League.Although there was more than a hint of fortune about it, United found themselves trailing after just 11 minutes, as Townsend's strike from the edge of the area was deflected in.
Van Aanholt then blasted past David de Gea after taking advantage of the visitors' lack of concentration at the back, leaving United facing the prospect of suffering a third successive Premier League away defeat for the first time since January 1996.But an excellent Chris Smalling header soon after reduced Palace's lead and that led to a United onslaught, with Romelu Lukaku then showing great patience when drawing the away side level 14 minutes from time.
It seemed Palace had done enough to hold off United's advances and clinch a draw, but Matic stepped up in stoppage time, lashing in his first goal for the club from long range to clinch an unlikely victory and put Mourinho's side back up to second ahead of Saturday's clash with Liverpool.
An end-to-end start to proceedings seemed to promise an open and expansive contest, James Tomkins going close with an overhead-kick in the fifth minute shortly before Alexis Sanchez was denied at point-blank range by Wayne Hennessey.But a one-sided pattern emerged once Palace took the lead through Townsend – his 18-yard effort finding the top-right corner and leaving De Gea helpless thanks to a sizeable deflection off Victor Lindelof.
Palace sat back thereafter, inviting pressure onto themselves and United obliged by taking complete control of possession.Yet, for all their time on the ball, Mourinho's side created precious little to worry Hennessey in the Palace goal.
Jesse Lingard was the closest any United player went before the break, dragging a 25-yard effort harmlessly wide of the bottom-left corner in the 40th minute.Mourinho responded to United's underwhelming first half by introducing Marcus Rashford for Scott McTominay at the break. But within three minutes, Palace punished slack defending to go 2-0 up.
Jeffrey Schlupp's quick thinking at a free-kick just inside the United half allowed Van Aanholt to charge clean through on goal and he produced an emphatic finish to beat De Gea, who was rooted to the spot.But United responded well and pulled one back in the 55th minute – Smalling, who had threatened just a few moments earlier, meeting Antonio Valencia's cross with a fine header to usher in another period of dominance for Mourinho's men.
Christian Benteke cleared off the line from Matic but Palace's resolve was destroyed in the 76th minute as Lukaku wiped out their lead by taking his time and firing through a crowd of players after a deflected Sanchez effort came back off the crossbar.
De Gea had to be alert soon after to produce a remarkable stop from a Benteke header and that proved decisive, as United went on to claim all three points.Space opened up for Matic in the first minute of stoppage time and he sent a ferocious effort into the top-left corner from 30 yards, sparking huge celebrations on the United bench and wrapping up an incredible win.
'Luis Enrique a great coach' - Alonso praises ex-Barca boss amid Conte future speculation
Marcos Alonso considers Luis Enrique to be “a great coach”, with the former Barcelona boss among those being mooted as a possible successor to Antonio Conte.
Chelsea have yet to decide if they will be heading in a different direction this summer, but change is being widely discussed by those outside of Stamford Bridge.Conte is only contracted until 2019 and has been confirmed among those on a three-man shortlist for the vacant managerial post with the Italian national side.
If he were to move on, then Luis Enrique – who helped Barca to nine major honours during a trophy-laden spell at the Camp Nou helm – could be among those targeted as he remains without a club.
Blues wing-back Alonso admits to being a fan of the 47-year-old, telling Cadena COPE: “Luis Enrique has shown at Barcelona that he is a great coach with many qualities and I believe he would be good for any club, but I do not know him a lot on a personal level.”The Blues will not have to contend with Luis Enrique when they next lock horns with Barcelona, but the second leg of a Champions League last-16 encounter is fast approaching.
That tie is currently locked at 1-1, with Chelsea set to head for Catalunya aware that they will need to score at least once to keep themselves in contention for a quarter-finals berth.“When we face Barca in the Camp Nou we will have to put in a perfect performance to progress to the next round, this is clear,” added Alonso.
“We will go to the match with a lot of confidence and belief in what we are capable of doing, especially after the first leg.”While remaining confident when it comes to Chelsea’s continental campaign, Alonso admitted after a 1-0 reversal at Premier League rivals Manchester City that the Blues have issues to iron out.
He said: "I think it's an attitude problem and we have to make things clearer and improve quickly, because we have nine matches left and we want to be in the top four."I think that it is difficult, but we have to change the attitude, right?"I don't think we have a problem with quality, we have shown in many matches this season that we can be competitive against any team, like we were against Barcelona a couple of weeks ago.
"If we don't reach that kind of level of performance in every match it's because of our attitude."Alonso’s outing against City came a matter of hours after he learned that former Fiorentina team-mate Davide Astori had tragically passed away at the age of 31.
Adding his own tribute to those already paid to the Viola captain, the Spaniard said: “Davide Astori was a fantastic person who was in good health, the news about him is shocking for everyone who knew him.”
Marcos Alonso considers Luis Enrique to be “a great coach”, with the former Barcelona boss among those being mooted as a possible successor to Antonio Conte.
Chelsea have yet to decide if they will be heading in a different direction this summer, but change is being widely discussed by those outside of Stamford Bridge.Conte is only contracted until 2019 and has been confirmed among those on a three-man shortlist for the vacant managerial post with the Italian national side.
If he were to move on, then Luis Enrique – who helped Barca to nine major honours during a trophy-laden spell at the Camp Nou helm – could be among those targeted as he remains without a club.
Blues wing-back Alonso admits to being a fan of the 47-year-old, telling Cadena COPE: “Luis Enrique has shown at Barcelona that he is a great coach with many qualities and I believe he would be good for any club, but I do not know him a lot on a personal level.”The Blues will not have to contend with Luis Enrique when they next lock horns with Barcelona, but the second leg of a Champions League last-16 encounter is fast approaching.
That tie is currently locked at 1-1, with Chelsea set to head for Catalunya aware that they will need to score at least once to keep themselves in contention for a quarter-finals berth.“When we face Barca in the Camp Nou we will have to put in a perfect performance to progress to the next round, this is clear,” added Alonso.
“We will go to the match with a lot of confidence and belief in what we are capable of doing, especially after the first leg.”While remaining confident when it comes to Chelsea’s continental campaign, Alonso admitted after a 1-0 reversal at Premier League rivals Manchester City that the Blues have issues to iron out.
He said: "I think it's an attitude problem and we have to make things clearer and improve quickly, because we have nine matches left and we want to be in the top four."I think that it is difficult, but we have to change the attitude, right?"I don't think we have a problem with quality, we have shown in many matches this season that we can be competitive against any team, like we were against Barcelona a couple of weeks ago.
"If we don't reach that kind of level of performance in every match it's because of our attitude."Alonso’s outing against City came a matter of hours after he learned that former Fiorentina team-mate Davide Astori had tragically passed away at the age of 31.
Adding his own tribute to those already paid to the Viola captain, the Spaniard said: “Davide Astori was a fantastic person who was in good health, the news about him is shocking for everyone who knew him.”
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah clinches third PFA Fans’ Player of the Month award
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for February.
The 25-year-old clinched the monthly award for the third time after his haul of four goals and two assists in three league games after previous successes in November and December.
Salah notched a brace against Tottenham Hotspur in a league meeting on February 4 as the Reds were held to a 2-2 draw by Mauricio Pochettino's side at Anfield.
The Egyptian also grabbed a goal and an assist in each games against Southampton and West Ham United on February 11 and 24 respectively as Jurgen Klopp’s men extended their unbeaten run to five games in the English top-flight since their loss against Swansea City on January 22.
Salah took 37 percent of the total votes to fend off competition from Stoke City’s Jack Butland, Manchester United’s Chris Smalling, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.
Salah has been impressive for the Reds this campaign, with 24 goals in 28 league appearances this season.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has been named the PFA Fans’ Player of the Month for February.
The 25-year-old clinched the monthly award for the third time after his haul of four goals and two assists in three league games after previous successes in November and December.
Salah notched a brace against Tottenham Hotspur in a league meeting on February 4 as the Reds were held to a 2-2 draw by Mauricio Pochettino's side at Anfield.
The Egyptian also grabbed a goal and an assist in each games against Southampton and West Ham United on February 11 and 24 respectively as Jurgen Klopp’s men extended their unbeaten run to five games in the English top-flight since their loss against Swansea City on January 22.
Salah took 37 percent of the total votes to fend off competition from Stoke City’s Jack Butland, Manchester United’s Chris Smalling, Brighton and Hove Albion’s Pascal Gross and Chelsea’s Eden Hazard.
Salah has been impressive for the Reds this campaign, with 24 goals in 28 league appearances this season.
Hazard: I wouldn't have got a touch against Man City if we played three hours
Eden Hazard is upset with Chelsea's submission against Manchester City after they were flattered to lose just 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The 27-year-old did not have a shot and looked frustrated as he failed to have any impact in the game in a false nine role, with Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud both left on the bench. Antonio Conte defended his team selection after the game, but Hazard believes the tactics were wrong.
"I wouldn't have got a touch even if we played for three hours, even if we improved in the last 10 or 15 minutes," the Belgium international said after the match. "We were better with the ball, but we needed to do that during the whole match.
"For me personally, it's hard to play well if you only get the ball three times. But, when we got the ball, we had to use it better - we made the wrong choices."Hazard was particularly frustrated by the direct approach of the team, which he felt did not suit him.
"I was trying to jump, but it's not easy to win duels against Nicolas Otamendi and Aymeric Laporte," he said. "We didn't play to our strengths today. If Morata or Giroud played, it would have been easier to play with long balls. I did my best."Conte put me up front, I tried to do my maximum, but I don't think we played a good match."
The attacker believes that City compared favourably to Barcelona, who Chelsea face in the last-16 of the Champions League next week, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge."We have had opportunities against Barcelona, but nothing at all today," he said. "It was difficult, especially to get out of their pressing.
"If you have the ball, you immediately have three, four men on your skin. We also missed easy passes. We did not play a good game collectively, but we are going to work hard to do better next week."
Chelsea face a battle to finish in the top four to earn their place in the Champions League next season. Their next two league games are against Crystal Palace and Tottenham at home.They also have key Champions League and FA Cup games against Barca and Leicester in the coming weeks.
Eden Hazard is upset with Chelsea's submission against Manchester City after they were flattered to lose just 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
The 27-year-old did not have a shot and looked frustrated as he failed to have any impact in the game in a false nine role, with Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud both left on the bench. Antonio Conte defended his team selection after the game, but Hazard believes the tactics were wrong.
"I wouldn't have got a touch even if we played for three hours, even if we improved in the last 10 or 15 minutes," the Belgium international said after the match. "We were better with the ball, but we needed to do that during the whole match.
"For me personally, it's hard to play well if you only get the ball three times. But, when we got the ball, we had to use it better - we made the wrong choices."Hazard was particularly frustrated by the direct approach of the team, which he felt did not suit him.
"I was trying to jump, but it's not easy to win duels against Nicolas Otamendi and Aymeric Laporte," he said. "We didn't play to our strengths today. If Morata or Giroud played, it would have been easier to play with long balls. I did my best."Conte put me up front, I tried to do my maximum, but I don't think we played a good match."
The attacker believes that City compared favourably to Barcelona, who Chelsea face in the last-16 of the Champions League next week, having drawn 1-1 in the first leg at Stamford Bridge."We have had opportunities against Barcelona, but nothing at all today," he said. "It was difficult, especially to get out of their pressing.
"If you have the ball, you immediately have three, four men on your skin. We also missed easy passes. We did not play a good game collectively, but we are going to work hard to do better next week."
Chelsea face a battle to finish in the top four to earn their place in the Champions League next season. Their next two league games are against Crystal Palace and Tottenham at home.They also have key Champions League and FA Cup games against Barca and Leicester in the coming weeks.
Manslaughter investigation opened into Astori’s death
Italian authorities have confirmed that they have opened manslaughter proceedings into the death of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori.
The 31-year-old Italy international centre-back died on the night of Saturday into Sunday, on the eve of his team’s Serie A trip to Udinese, which was subsequently postponed.Police are now set to investigate the death, the cause of which is currently unknown, it has been confirmed.
“We have opened criminal proceedings over the hypothesis of manslaughter,” Antonio De Nicolo, Udine chief prosecutor, told Radio Rai.“For now, it’s been brought against unknown persons. We’ve arranged an autopsy, which will be performed soon.”Under Italian law, the only way an autopsy could take place on Astori in order to discover the cause of death was to open such a case.
As such, there is currently no suggestion of foul play involved in the passing of the former AC Milan youth player, who subsequently starred at the likes of Cagliari and Roma before moving to Fiorentina.
"We have a duty to ascertain whether Astori’s death was a tragic fatality of if someone knew something," De Nicolo subsequently clarified to ANSA."For now, no-one is responsible, neither is there anyone who seems as if they could answer anything.
"The start of this judicial procedure allows us to identify any responsibility on the part of anyone."Fiorentina confirmed on Monday that a funeral for Astori will be held at the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence at 10am local time.
UEFA also announced that all Champions League and Europa League matches this week will have a minute's silence in respect of the player's passing.The footballing world united in grief on Sunday for Astori, with the entire card of Serie A matches postponed as a mark of respect.
Italian authorities have confirmed that they have opened manslaughter proceedings into the death of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori.
The 31-year-old Italy international centre-back died on the night of Saturday into Sunday, on the eve of his team’s Serie A trip to Udinese, which was subsequently postponed.Police are now set to investigate the death, the cause of which is currently unknown, it has been confirmed.
“We have opened criminal proceedings over the hypothesis of manslaughter,” Antonio De Nicolo, Udine chief prosecutor, told Radio Rai.“For now, it’s been brought against unknown persons. We’ve arranged an autopsy, which will be performed soon.”Under Italian law, the only way an autopsy could take place on Astori in order to discover the cause of death was to open such a case.
As such, there is currently no suggestion of foul play involved in the passing of the former AC Milan youth player, who subsequently starred at the likes of Cagliari and Roma before moving to Fiorentina.
"We have a duty to ascertain whether Astori’s death was a tragic fatality of if someone knew something," De Nicolo subsequently clarified to ANSA."For now, no-one is responsible, neither is there anyone who seems as if they could answer anything.
"The start of this judicial procedure allows us to identify any responsibility on the part of anyone."Fiorentina confirmed on Monday that a funeral for Astori will be held at the Basilica di Santa Croce in Florence at 10am local time.
UEFA also announced that all Champions League and Europa League matches this week will have a minute's silence in respect of the player's passing.The footballing world united in grief on Sunday for Astori, with the entire card of Serie A matches postponed as a mark of respect.
No Neymar, but Mbappe ready for PSG return against Real Madrid
Kylian Mbappe has handed Paris Saint-Germain a fitness boost ahead of Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.
The Ligue 1 leaders' hopes of turning around a 3-1 first-leg deficit in the last-16 tie were dealt a hammer blow when Neymar suffered a broken metatarsal in the 3-0 Ligue 1 win over Marseille a week ago.To compound matters, Mbappe sustained an ankle injury against the same opponents in the Coupe de France but the teenage France forward is ready to face Zinedine Zidane's European champions.
Speaking at a pre-match news conference, PSG head coach Unai Emery said: " Kylian Mbappe trained normally with the squad yesterday. The only player, apart from Neymar, who did not, was Javier Pastore."Normally, all players will be ready for tomorrow's match against Madrid, except Neymar."
This near-clean bill of health means Thiago Motta and Lassana Diarra offer more experienced options in the holding midfield role, where Argentine youngster Giovani Lo Celso struggled at times during the defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe will also contest the two centre-back slots once more after Emery controversially left club captain Silva on the bench in Madrid."Both Lassana Diarra and Thiago Motta possess the experience for this sort of big European match," he said.
"All three central defenders are ready to play against Real Madrid. We will see after the final training session."The 11 starters and the substitutes will all be important against Real. Everybody will need to chip in."
Although their late collapse in the Spanish capital makes PSG the underdogs, a 4-0 win over Barcelona at this stage on home turf last season gives cause for optimism and Emery called on the Parc des Princes faithful to greet their illustrious opponents with a cacophony of noise.
"It is a very important moment of the season, a unique moment for all the PSG supporters and all of France. The Champions League is a major objective for the club," he added.
"This match is different. Above all, it is in Paris. We will be 12 with the support of the fans."We need to stay united on the inside and also show that from the outside. We want unity with the PSG fans."It is the first time that we have played an important Champions League return leg at the Parc des Princes. This is something different."
Kylian Mbappe has handed Paris Saint-Germain a fitness boost ahead of Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Real Madrid.
The Ligue 1 leaders' hopes of turning around a 3-1 first-leg deficit in the last-16 tie were dealt a hammer blow when Neymar suffered a broken metatarsal in the 3-0 Ligue 1 win over Marseille a week ago.To compound matters, Mbappe sustained an ankle injury against the same opponents in the Coupe de France but the teenage France forward is ready to face Zinedine Zidane's European champions.
Speaking at a pre-match news conference, PSG head coach Unai Emery said: " Kylian Mbappe trained normally with the squad yesterday. The only player, apart from Neymar, who did not, was Javier Pastore."Normally, all players will be ready for tomorrow's match against Madrid, except Neymar."
This near-clean bill of health means Thiago Motta and Lassana Diarra offer more experienced options in the holding midfield role, where Argentine youngster Giovani Lo Celso struggled at times during the defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Thiago Silva, Marquinhos and Presnel Kimpembe will also contest the two centre-back slots once more after Emery controversially left club captain Silva on the bench in Madrid."Both Lassana Diarra and Thiago Motta possess the experience for this sort of big European match," he said.
"All three central defenders are ready to play against Real Madrid. We will see after the final training session."The 11 starters and the substitutes will all be important against Real. Everybody will need to chip in."
Although their late collapse in the Spanish capital makes PSG the underdogs, a 4-0 win over Barcelona at this stage on home turf last season gives cause for optimism and Emery called on the Parc des Princes faithful to greet their illustrious opponents with a cacophony of noise.
"It is a very important moment of the season, a unique moment for all the PSG supporters and all of France. The Champions League is a major objective for the club," he added.
"This match is different. Above all, it is in Paris. We will be 12 with the support of the fans."We need to stay united on the inside and also show that from the outside. We want unity with the PSG fans."It is the first time that we have played an important Champions League return leg at the Parc des Princes. This is something different."
Mourinho relieved to not rue Manchester United's 'disgraceful, childish' defending
Jose Mourinho was relieved Manchester United were not made to rue "disgraceful, childish" defending as they secured a dramatic 3-2 win at Crystal Palace from 2-0 down.Andros Townsend gave Palace an early lead thanks to a deflected strike, but their second just after half-time raised serious concerns for Mourinho.
Jeffrey Schlupp took a quick free-kick just inside the United half and played a ball in behind the defence for Patrick van Aanholt, who ran clean through and smashed past David de Gea.
But United fought back thanks to goals from Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic, with the latter's stunning strike from 30 yards coming in stoppage time.And although he was ultimately upbeat at full-time, Mourinho was not impressed with his team's defensive focus.
"It was a difficult match for me because my team made so mistakes," he told Sky Sports. "We had an amazing attitude, very good quality in second half, but we made so many defensive mistakes, and I don't just mean my defenders, I'm speaking about the team in general.
"So the game was not a game that moved me in the moment because I don't like my teams to lose organisation like they did, but it was an amazing match and an amazing comeback.
"If we didn't concede the second goal and went straight from dressing room to changing the result, then I would say I did something good at half-time, but with that disgraceful, childish second goal, everything changed. "But then the players kept an amazing attitude. I think [Jesse] Lingard on the right as a fake right-back created problems and [Juan] Mata found spaces inside.
"We moved the ball quicker, [Marcus] Rashford on the left at least brought their right-back wide and gave more space in the middle."Then there was the attitude and you need a little bit of luck to win a game in the last couple minutes."
The win moved Mourinho's side back to second in the table, a position they will be looking to hold onto as they face third-placed Liverpool next Saturday.
Jose Mourinho was relieved Manchester United were not made to rue "disgraceful, childish" defending as they secured a dramatic 3-2 win at Crystal Palace from 2-0 down.Andros Townsend gave Palace an early lead thanks to a deflected strike, but their second just after half-time raised serious concerns for Mourinho.
Jeffrey Schlupp took a quick free-kick just inside the United half and played a ball in behind the defence for Patrick van Aanholt, who ran clean through and smashed past David de Gea.
But United fought back thanks to goals from Chris Smalling, Romelu Lukaku and Nemanja Matic, with the latter's stunning strike from 30 yards coming in stoppage time.And although he was ultimately upbeat at full-time, Mourinho was not impressed with his team's defensive focus.
"It was a difficult match for me because my team made so mistakes," he told Sky Sports. "We had an amazing attitude, very good quality in second half, but we made so many defensive mistakes, and I don't just mean my defenders, I'm speaking about the team in general.
"So the game was not a game that moved me in the moment because I don't like my teams to lose organisation like they did, but it was an amazing match and an amazing comeback.
"If we didn't concede the second goal and went straight from dressing room to changing the result, then I would say I did something good at half-time, but with that disgraceful, childish second goal, everything changed. "But then the players kept an amazing attitude. I think [Jesse] Lingard on the right as a fake right-back created problems and [Juan] Mata found spaces inside.
"We moved the ball quicker, [Marcus] Rashford on the left at least brought their right-back wide and gave more space in the middle."Then there was the attitude and you need a little bit of luck to win a game in the last couple minutes."
The win moved Mourinho's side back to second in the table, a position they will be looking to hold onto as they face third-placed Liverpool next Saturday.
Mourinho comes to Conte and Chelsea's defence after 'ridiculous' criticism
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho surprisingly came to the defence of former club Chelsea and embattled coach Antonio Conte, calling criticism of them "unfair".Mourinho and Conte have not seen eye-to-eye for the majority of the latter's time in England, with the pair engaging in a protracted and often unseemly war of words this season.
During their spat, Mourinho questioned Conte's integrity for becoming embroiled in a match-fixing scandal – from which the Italian was later exonerated – and the Blues boss responded by calling his rival a "little man".
But their relationship appeared to have mellowed during Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to United on February 25, with the pair shaking hands.
That game saw United make a slow start and they did so again on Monday in the dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, with comparisons made between the two contests, but Mourinho insists the only common denominator is strong opposition.
"Honestly, I know what you are writing as a consequence of yesterday," Mourinho told reporters at Selhurst Park, 24 hours after Conte's side came under fire for their defensive approach in a 1-0 defeat at runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City.
"But Chelsea is a fantastic team and, I know it looks a bit strange because you know we had problems in the past, but it's quite ridiculous that I have to say how unfair it is to speak the way people are speaking about the English champion."They are still the English champion. Chelsea was strong against us. They started very strong and created difficulty in that initial part of the game.
"And tonight [Monday] I think Roy [Hodgson, Palace manager] was strong. We were expecting [Jairo] Riedewald in defensive midfield and [Alexander] Sorloth out left, but he came with a 4-4-2, two aggressive strikers together, strong in the air then dropping back to defend.
"Roy was very good. I don't even want to blame my players and say the start was not good."The start was not good because they [Palace] were good and matches like this [going behind early], it's only possible if the two teams are good."Monday's win gave Mourinho's side a nine-point edge over fifth-placed Chelsea, with the Blues sitting just five points back of Spurs in the race for the top four.
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho surprisingly came to the defence of former club Chelsea and embattled coach Antonio Conte, calling criticism of them "unfair".Mourinho and Conte have not seen eye-to-eye for the majority of the latter's time in England, with the pair engaging in a protracted and often unseemly war of words this season.
During their spat, Mourinho questioned Conte's integrity for becoming embroiled in a match-fixing scandal – from which the Italian was later exonerated – and the Blues boss responded by calling his rival a "little man".
But their relationship appeared to have mellowed during Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to United on February 25, with the pair shaking hands.
That game saw United make a slow start and they did so again on Monday in the dramatic 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, with comparisons made between the two contests, but Mourinho insists the only common denominator is strong opposition.
"Honestly, I know what you are writing as a consequence of yesterday," Mourinho told reporters at Selhurst Park, 24 hours after Conte's side came under fire for their defensive approach in a 1-0 defeat at runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City.
"But Chelsea is a fantastic team and, I know it looks a bit strange because you know we had problems in the past, but it's quite ridiculous that I have to say how unfair it is to speak the way people are speaking about the English champion."They are still the English champion. Chelsea was strong against us. They started very strong and created difficulty in that initial part of the game.
"And tonight [Monday] I think Roy [Hodgson, Palace manager] was strong. We were expecting [Jairo] Riedewald in defensive midfield and [Alexander] Sorloth out left, but he came with a 4-4-2, two aggressive strikers together, strong in the air then dropping back to defend.
"Roy was very good. I don't even want to blame my players and say the start was not good."The start was not good because they [Palace] were good and matches like this [going behind early], it's only possible if the two teams are good."Monday's win gave Mourinho's side a nine-point edge over fifth-placed Chelsea, with the Blues sitting just five points back of Spurs in the race for the top four.
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2018.03.06
UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2018.03.06
AGG
(5-0)
Liverpool Vs Porto
AGG
(1-3)
PSG Vs Real Madrid
AGG
(5-0)
AGG
(1-3)
Paris Saint-Germain 1 Real Madrid 2 (2-5 agg): Ronaldo, Casemiro send holders striding through
Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday gave them a 5-2 aggregate victory.Cristiano Ronaldo's second-half header and a deflected strike from Casemiro were enough to keep the holders on track for a third trophy in a row, either side of a goal from Edinson Cavani.PSG's frustrations were compounded when Marco Verratti was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for dissent.
Madrid seized the advantage in the tie with two late goals in their 3-1 first-leg win and they managed the clash at Parc des Princes in professional fashion, as PSG, without the injured Neymar, struggled for inspiration in the attacking third.
Zinedine Zidane somewhat surprisingly started Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez on the wings and the two combined to set up Ronaldo for the killer goal in the second half, as the Portugal star kept up his run of scoring in every game in this season's competition.
Verratti's dismissal ended any lingering hope of a comeback for PSG, with Casemiro sealing the win after Cavani's equaliser, meaning their wait for a European crown goes on and the pressure on head coach Unai Emery grows after a second consecutive last-16 exit.
There was a scrappy start to the match, which began after a minute's applause in memory of former Fiorentina captain Davide Astori, with Sergio Ramos seeing the first half-chance well saved by Alphonse Areola following a corner.
Madrid began to look a threat every time they broke forward, with PSG lacking any real attacking quality in a nervy first half, and Areola had to race off his line smartly to save at the feet of Karim Benzema, making his 100th appearance in the competition.That close call seemed to spur PSG into life and Keylor Navas had to be alert to deny Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe, as Zidane made his frustration with Madrid's defending very clear on the touchline.
PSG turned up the pressure early in the second half, as fans lit flares in vast numbers in a bid to breathe life into the team, but Ronaldo doused any hope of a comeback 51 minutes in.Asensio raced down the left wing, turned infield and slipped a brilliant throughball to Vazquez, whose clipped cross was headed down and into the net by Ronaldo at the far post.
Verratti's foolish remonstrations with referee Felix Brych earned him a second yellow card 15 minutes later, but Cavani at least gave the boisterous PSG fans something to cheer when Di Maria's diving header rebounded off Casemiro and then the Uruguay striker before nestling into the net.
Benzema and Ronaldo each came close as space began to open up in the home side's defence, but it was Casemiro who brought an end to PSG's 100 per cent winning record at home this season, intercepting Adrien Rabiot's poor clearance before seeing his shot deflect over Areola and in with 10 minutes remaining.
Real Madrid secured their place in the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday gave them a 5-2 aggregate victory.Cristiano Ronaldo's second-half header and a deflected strike from Casemiro were enough to keep the holders on track for a third trophy in a row, either side of a goal from Edinson Cavani.PSG's frustrations were compounded when Marco Verratti was sent off after picking up a second yellow card for dissent.
Madrid seized the advantage in the tie with two late goals in their 3-1 first-leg win and they managed the clash at Parc des Princes in professional fashion, as PSG, without the injured Neymar, struggled for inspiration in the attacking third.
Zinedine Zidane somewhat surprisingly started Marco Asensio and Lucas Vazquez on the wings and the two combined to set up Ronaldo for the killer goal in the second half, as the Portugal star kept up his run of scoring in every game in this season's competition.
Verratti's dismissal ended any lingering hope of a comeback for PSG, with Casemiro sealing the win after Cavani's equaliser, meaning their wait for a European crown goes on and the pressure on head coach Unai Emery grows after a second consecutive last-16 exit.
There was a scrappy start to the match, which began after a minute's applause in memory of former Fiorentina captain Davide Astori, with Sergio Ramos seeing the first half-chance well saved by Alphonse Areola following a corner.
Madrid began to look a threat every time they broke forward, with PSG lacking any real attacking quality in a nervy first half, and Areola had to race off his line smartly to save at the feet of Karim Benzema, making his 100th appearance in the competition.That close call seemed to spur PSG into life and Keylor Navas had to be alert to deny Angel Di Maria and Kylian Mbappe, as Zidane made his frustration with Madrid's defending very clear on the touchline.
PSG turned up the pressure early in the second half, as fans lit flares in vast numbers in a bid to breathe life into the team, but Ronaldo doused any hope of a comeback 51 minutes in.Asensio raced down the left wing, turned infield and slipped a brilliant throughball to Vazquez, whose clipped cross was headed down and into the net by Ronaldo at the far post.
Verratti's foolish remonstrations with referee Felix Brych earned him a second yellow card 15 minutes later, but Cavani at least gave the boisterous PSG fans something to cheer when Di Maria's diving header rebounded off Casemiro and then the Uruguay striker before nestling into the net.
Benzema and Ronaldo each came close as space began to open up in the home side's defence, but it was Casemiro who brought an end to PSG's 100 per cent winning record at home this season, intercepting Adrien Rabiot's poor clearance before seeing his shot deflect over Areola and in with 10 minutes remaining.
Liverpool 0 Porto 0 (5-0 agg): Low-key Reds book quarter-final spot
Liverpool booked their Champions League quarter-final place with an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Porto at Anfield.The Reds' lacklustre performance hardly mattered, though, after a devastating 5-0 win in Portugal three weeks ago all-but secured a first appearance in the last-eight since 2008-09.
That first-leg cushion enabled Jurgen Klopp to make five changes to the side that beat Newcastle United 2-0 on Saturday, with leading goalscorer Mohamed Salah dropping to the bench for Adam Lallana, who was making his first start in two months.Sadio Mane had two clear chances to open the scoring in the first half, the second of which crashed against the post, while Dejan Lovren headed over.
James Milner and Roberto Firmino also squandered opportunities in the second period and Lovren blocked a late effort from Oliver Torres to ensure the Reds remain one of three unbeaten sides in this year's competition alongside Tottenham and Barcelona.Liverpool were a long way from their swashbuckling Premier League form and Klopp will hope they have not lost any impetus ahead of the crunch clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
After a sluggish opening, the hosts burst into life midway through the half with Mane inches away from opening the scoring. The Senegal forward – who scored six goals in his previous three Champions League games – met Joe Gomez's fizzed cross with an acrobatic volley, which flashed agonisingly over.
Mane went even closer just after half-hour mark when he pulled Milner's pass out of the sky and drove a low half-volley against the inside of Iker Casillas' right-hand post.Milner was the architect again soon after, whipping in a teasing free-kick that Lovren could only head just high of the target.
Milner had a chance of his own two minutes after the restart, but he failed to make a clean connection with Lallana's cross and the ball bobbled harmlessly wide.Porto finally carved out an opening when Majeed Waris shrugged off the attention of two Liverpool defenders to fire a low shot towards goal, which was kept out by the under-worked Loris Karius.
Firmino saw a goal-bound effort blocked by Porto captain Felipe moments before being withdrawn for Danny Ings.Salah was brought off the bench with 16 minutes remaining and, unsurprisingly, went close to adding to his 32 goals this season, though Casillas was equal to his drilled attempt.
Oliver almost spoiled Liverpool's outing late on, while Ings should have scored his first Champions League goal with a looping header that Casillas did well to paw away and keep the Reds off the scoreboard.
Liverpool booked their Champions League quarter-final place with an uninspiring 0-0 draw against Porto at Anfield.The Reds' lacklustre performance hardly mattered, though, after a devastating 5-0 win in Portugal three weeks ago all-but secured a first appearance in the last-eight since 2008-09.
That first-leg cushion enabled Jurgen Klopp to make five changes to the side that beat Newcastle United 2-0 on Saturday, with leading goalscorer Mohamed Salah dropping to the bench for Adam Lallana, who was making his first start in two months.Sadio Mane had two clear chances to open the scoring in the first half, the second of which crashed against the post, while Dejan Lovren headed over.
James Milner and Roberto Firmino also squandered opportunities in the second period and Lovren blocked a late effort from Oliver Torres to ensure the Reds remain one of three unbeaten sides in this year's competition alongside Tottenham and Barcelona.Liverpool were a long way from their swashbuckling Premier League form and Klopp will hope they have not lost any impetus ahead of the crunch clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday.
After a sluggish opening, the hosts burst into life midway through the half with Mane inches away from opening the scoring. The Senegal forward – who scored six goals in his previous three Champions League games – met Joe Gomez's fizzed cross with an acrobatic volley, which flashed agonisingly over.
Mane went even closer just after half-hour mark when he pulled Milner's pass out of the sky and drove a low half-volley against the inside of Iker Casillas' right-hand post.Milner was the architect again soon after, whipping in a teasing free-kick that Lovren could only head just high of the target.
Milner had a chance of his own two minutes after the restart, but he failed to make a clean connection with Lallana's cross and the ball bobbled harmlessly wide.Porto finally carved out an opening when Majeed Waris shrugged off the attention of two Liverpool defenders to fire a low shot towards goal, which was kept out by the under-worked Loris Karius.
Firmino saw a goal-bound effort blocked by Porto captain Felipe moments before being withdrawn for Danny Ings.Salah was brought off the bench with 16 minutes remaining and, unsurprisingly, went close to adding to his 32 goals this season, though Casillas was equal to his drilled attempt.
Oliver almost spoiled Liverpool's outing late on, while Ings should have scored his first Champions League goal with a looping header that Casillas did well to paw away and keep the Reds off the scoreboard.
Astori autopsy reveals Fiorentina captain died of cardiac arrest
Fiorentina captain Davide Astori passed away due to a cardiac arrest, an autopsy has revealed.
The Serie A club confirmed on their official Twitter account on Sunday that the defender, 31, had tragically passed away.Fiorentina were due to play Udinese in the Italian top flight but that game - along with all other Serie A fixtures - were called off.
And an initial autopsy has revealed that Astori most likely suffered bradyarrhythmia - meaning his heartbeat got slower and slower until it stopped - while he was sleeping from Saturday night into Sunday morning.
"Based on the evidence of the autopsy examination, carried out on March 6, 2018, on the body of Davide Astori, with reference to the cause of death, this cause can be indicated as of a cardiac nature, most likely a bradyarrhythmia with pluri-visceral congestion and a pulmonary oedema," Antonio De Nicolo, the chief prosecutor of Udine, told RAI television.
"From the preliminary results, it does not seem like there is any external causes other than that of a natural death, but prudently our advisors are telling us that we must wait for the result of histological examinations before making a definitive statement."There will be further and deeper investigations into Astori's passing with the results expected in 60 days.
Italian authorities confirmed on Monday that they had opened manslaughter proceedings into the death of the 14-cap Italy international.Under Italian law, the only way an autopsy could take place on Astori in order to discover the cause of death was to open such a case.
Astori started his career out at AC Milan, where he never played a Serie A match, before moving to Cagliari.The centre-back turned out 174 times for the Sardinians in a six-year spell, during which he made his national team debut with Italy.
Astori was sent on loan to Roma in 2014 and then a year later made a similar transfer to Fiorentina, but with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.Fiorentina and Cagliari have since announced that they will be retiring their No. 13 shirts in the wake of Astori's death.
Fiorentina captain Davide Astori passed away due to a cardiac arrest, an autopsy has revealed.
The Serie A club confirmed on their official Twitter account on Sunday that the defender, 31, had tragically passed away.Fiorentina were due to play Udinese in the Italian top flight but that game - along with all other Serie A fixtures - were called off.
And an initial autopsy has revealed that Astori most likely suffered bradyarrhythmia - meaning his heartbeat got slower and slower until it stopped - while he was sleeping from Saturday night into Sunday morning.
"Based on the evidence of the autopsy examination, carried out on March 6, 2018, on the body of Davide Astori, with reference to the cause of death, this cause can be indicated as of a cardiac nature, most likely a bradyarrhythmia with pluri-visceral congestion and a pulmonary oedema," Antonio De Nicolo, the chief prosecutor of Udine, told RAI television.
"From the preliminary results, it does not seem like there is any external causes other than that of a natural death, but prudently our advisors are telling us that we must wait for the result of histological examinations before making a definitive statement."There will be further and deeper investigations into Astori's passing with the results expected in 60 days.
Italian authorities confirmed on Monday that they had opened manslaughter proceedings into the death of the 14-cap Italy international.Under Italian law, the only way an autopsy could take place on Astori in order to discover the cause of death was to open such a case.
Astori started his career out at AC Milan, where he never played a Serie A match, before moving to Cagliari.The centre-back turned out 174 times for the Sardinians in a six-year spell, during which he made his national team debut with Italy.
Astori was sent on loan to Roma in 2014 and then a year later made a similar transfer to Fiorentina, but with an obligation to buy at the end of the season.Fiorentina and Cagliari have since announced that they will be retiring their No. 13 shirts in the wake of Astori's death.
