..::Football IV::..

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Pochettino: Higuain is one of the greatest like Kane


Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino warned his players to be "careful" against Gonzalo Higuain as the Juventus striker, who he sees as one of the game's best along with Harry Kane, prepares for a timely return from injury.

The Argentina international trained on Tuesday to ease fears he would miss the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie at Wembley on Wednesday.
Higuain has been sidelined for Juve's last two matches with an ankle problem.

But the 30-year-old, who scored twice and missed a penalty in the 2-2 first-leg draw in Turin last month, now looms as a major threat to Spurs' hopes of reaching the quarter-finals, with Pochettino in no doubt over his quality.

"I think he is one of the greatest strikers in the world, with Harry Kane," Pochettino said of his compatriot."We know his talent very well and sometimes it is not easy to stop him. Like Paulo Dybala or Lionel Messi, this type of player.

"We need to be careful with him but also careful with all of their players we are going to play against on Wednesday."Spurs are in a strong position after Kane and Christian Eriksen both struck valuable away goals in the first leg, but Pochettino insists his side will not sit back and hold on for a low-scoring draw on the night.

"We are a brave team - very positive people that love the challenge," he said."We need to think we can win, we always think in this way, and then what happens will be a consequence of our performance."If we perform the way we usually do we will be close to winning and going through to the next stage."

 

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoops Arsenal goal of the month award


Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has won Arsenal’s February goal of the month award.

The Gabon international’s brilliant effort against Everton got 57 percent of votes casted by Gunners' faithful ahead of Aaron Ramsey goal in the same tie and Mesut Ozil’s effort against Ostersunds.

The forward teamed up with the Emirates outfit from German side Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window and impressed on his debut after finding the back of the net to the delight of the fans.

The Gabon forward scored 98 goals in 144 appearances across three seasons for Borussia Dortmund before his departure, however, he has struggled to regain that form having only managed to find the back of the net twice since his arrival in the English Premier League.

Aubameyang, cup-tied for Arsenal's Europa League round of 16 clash with AC Milan on Thursday, will be looking to rediscover his form when Arsenal play host to Watford in Sunday's top-flight clash.

The Gabon forward scored 98 goals in 144 appearances across three seasons for Borussia Dortmund before his departure, however, he has struggled to regain that form having only managed to find the back of the net twice since his arrival in the English Premier League.

Aubameyang, cup-tied for Arsenal's Europa League round of 16 clash with AC Milan on Thursday, will be looking to rediscover his form when Arsenal play host to Watford in Sunday's top-flight clash.

 

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UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2018.03.07

UEFA Champions League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2018.03.07​

AGG
(4-0)

Manchester City Vs Basel

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AGG
(2-2)

Tottenham Vs Juventus

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Manchester City 1 Basel 2 (5-2 agg): Guardiola's rotated side through despite defeat

Manchester City cruised into the quarter-finals of the Champions League despite falling to a 2-1 loss at home by Basel, Pep Guardiola's men progressing 5-2 on aggregate.

A comprehensive 4-0 win in Switzerland three weeks ago gave City a foot in the last eight and the chance of a Basel comeback was always extremely remote, but the hosts struggled for cohesion after nine changes and slipped to a first home defeat in any competition since December 2016.

Guardiola took the chance to rest stars including Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Ederson and David Silva, with Phil Foden starting to become the youngest English player to start a knockout game in the Champions League.

Teenager Foden featured alongside Yaya Toure - 17 years his senior - in midfield but the duo struggled to retain control of the contest, although City took an early lead on the night.

Leroy Sane carried the ball past a series of defenders and slipped it through to Bernardo Silva, whose low cross was ideal for Gabriel Jesus to score his first goal since returning from two months out with a knee ligament injury.

Basel came from behind to win at the Etihad Stadium, though, Mohamed Elyounoussi slamming a finish past reserve goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and then setting up Michael Lang for a fine strike to send the visiting supporters home happy despite their team's last-16 exit.

City may have held a huge first-leg lead but they wasted no time in extending it, opening the scoring in the eighth minute.

Sane's driving run created space on the right for Silva, whose low cross provided Jesus with a tap-in for his first goal since November.

Basel keeper Tomas Vaclik did well to deny Ilkay Gundogan and Basel immediately broke and equalised.

A Blas Riveros shot deflected straight to Elyounoussi, who thumped home into Bravo's bottom-right corner.

Dimitri Oberlin scored in each of his previous two Champions League away games and the forward almost extended that run, curling a free-kick into the side netting.

Basel continued to work openings but Riveros fired straight at Bravo in the 39th minute.

With both sides struggling for penetration after the restart, Guardiola sent on another of City's talented youngsters, Brahim Diaz, in the hope of sparking life into the contest.

But it was Basel who nudged ahead with 19 minutes to go. Jesus lost possession on the halfway line and Elyounoussi led the sluggish Toure on a merry dance down the right wing before slotting Lang through on goal, the right-back beating Bravo with a powerful finish from a tight angle.

Diaz hammered a drive straight at Vaclik in the 79th minute as City tried to battle back, but Basel held firm to earn a memorable victory.

City's passage into the quarter-finals was never in doubt but a second Champions League defeat of the season – Guardiola's men lost a dead rubber at Shakhtar Donetsk in the group stage – may raise questions about their chances of claiming the Catalan's third European title.

 

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Tottenham 1 Juventus 2 (3-4 agg): Higuain and Dybala complete dramatic comeback

Juventus came from a goal down to beat Tottenham 2-1 at Wembley on Wednesday and secure a 4-3 aggregate victory in their Champions League last-16 tie.

Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala each scored in the space of three minutes in the second half to send the Serie A champions into the quarter-finals.

Spurs became the first team ever to overturn a two-goal deficit at the Allianz Stadium in the first leg and picked up where they left off at Wembley, with Son Heung-min giving them a deserved half-time lead.

However, a change in system and personnel from Massimiliano Allegri turned the match on its head, with Higuain levelling the match before setting up Dybala to score his first Champions League goal in 330 days.

Mauricio Pochettino's side pushed hard in the closing stages but they could not find a goal to send the tie into extra time, as Juve became the first team to beat Spurs in the competition this season and secure their spot in the last eight.

Spurs kept Juve pegged back in the opening exchanges but were dealt a huge slice of luck by referee Szymon Marciniak 17 minutes in, as Jan Vertonghen escaped punishment for a clumsy challenge on Douglas Costa in the penalty area.

Buffon was certainly the busier of the goalkeepers, though, the veteran making two good saves from Son and one smart stop from Dele Alli's volley, while Juve found it difficult to bring the front two of Higuain and Dybala into the action.

There was another controversial incident that escaped the referee's notice half an hour in, with Andrea Barzagli standing on Son before flicking a boot in his direction as the South Korean lay on the ground.

Son had the last laugh six minutes before the break, though, scuffing a shot over Giorgio Chiellini and Buffon and into the net after being picked out by Kieran Trippier's cross.

Allegri made a tactical switch 60 minutes in, bringing on Stephan Lichtsteiner and Kwadwo Asamoah, and the latter almost had an immediate impact when his cross was turned into Dybala's path, but the Argentina forward blazed wide.

The change did prove telling four minutes later. Lichtsteiner escaped down the right and clipped over a cross, Sami Khedira nodded the ball goalwards, and Higuain prodded it past Hugo Lloris and into the net.

It was Juve's first shot on target and they duly scored with their second just two minutes and 49 seconds later. Higuain drew Davinson Sanchez out of position and played a fine reverse pass to Dybala, who raced through on Lloris' goal and fired the ball into the top-right corner.

Spurs regrouped and pushed forward in search of an equaliser, with Chiellini making a vital interception right in front of goal and Son shooting inches wide of the left-hand post.

Harry Kane had made little impact but he almost snatched a 90th-minute equaliser, his header coming back off the post before being hooked off the line by Barzagli, as Juve just held on to keep their treble pursuit alive.

 

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Allegri: Juventus qualification was deserved


Massimiliano Allegri felt the patience shown by Juventus was the key reason behind his side's Champions League win at Tottenham.

The Serie A champions came from behind to seal a 2-1 victory at Wembley on Wednesday, moving into the quarter-finals 4-3 on aggregate.

Argentina internationals Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala struck in the space of three second-half minutes to turn the tie around.

And Allegri said Juventus timed their goals perfectly as last season's runners-up moved into the last eight of the Champions League.

"The lads and club deserve compliments for what they’ve been doing over the last few years," Allegri told Mediaset Premium.

"It was a prestigious victory at a stadium like Wembley.

"We waited for the right time, showed patience and won the game. Over the two legs, I think our qualification was deserved.

"We struggled in the first half, above all by losing the ball, and they were deadly in those situations.

"We kept splitting the team in two with misplaced passes, but after the break were more balanced, compact and kept it tight.

"The lads achieved something impressive."

Higuain returned from two games out with an ankle knock, while Dybala started after missing the first leg with a hamstring problem.

But although the duo came up trumps with the goals, Allegri believes introducing Kwadwo Asamoah and Stephan Lichtsteiner shortly before the strikes was a pivotal moment.

"I made changes because we needed players with different characteristics, as Asamoah is extraordinary in his passing and has been really underestimated throughout his career," Allegri added.

"Lichtsteiner did well working with [Sami] Khedira. We were tired on the flanks and needed some more pace and width. Tottenham hit the post in the final minute, but Harry Kane was offside.

"Higuain had been out for two weeks, Dybala only really returned on Saturday, so we need to get the others back to full fitness. Now we have a couple of games coming up in Serie A that will be crucial."

 

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Chiellini: It’s in Tottenham’s history to miss out


Giorgio Chiellini believed history was on Juventus’ side against Tottenham, as the Serie A champions battled back to advance past Spurs in the last-16 of the Champions League.

Tottenham had snatched a 2-2 draw in Turin, and managed to further take a grip on the tie during the first half at Wembley Stadium with Heung-Min Son’s goal giving Spurs a 1-0 advantage on the evening.

Juventus, however, would find the two goals they needed over a three minute span in the second half, with the Argentine duo of Gonzalo Higuain and Paulo Dybala finding the net in the 64th and 67th minute respectively.

Spurs came close late to equalising, with Harry Kane seeing a header that bounce off the inside of the post late on, but the Bianconeri did enough to hold on for the 4-3 win on aggregate and secure a place in the Champions League quarter-finals.

Despite the difficulties Juventus faced, and the quality of the Spurs side they were up against, Chiellini said Spurs' lack of history in the competition and gave them hope.

"Tottenham have a lot of great players - Kane, [Christian] Erisken, [Dele] Alli - but we knew they always give up a lot of chances,” Chiellini told BT Sport. “It's the history of Tottenham. They always create a lot of chances but they always miss out. We always believe in the history.

Chiellini even referenced Real Madrid's victory over PSG on Tuesday as further proof the history and mentality of a club can make the difference.

Chiellini added: “You see in the game between Madrid and Paris, the history is important. We used our skill and arrived at the win."

Higuain also praised Tottenham after the game, but said Juventus knew the Premier League outfit would give up chances to get back on top in the tie — it was on Juventus to take them.

“It was a very difficult match against a great side like Tottenham, who always give their best and are aggressive, but we know English teams always leave gaps at the back and would give us opportunities,” Higuain told Mediaset Premium.

“We had to make the most of them and we did. I’m very happy with this win, as a comeback at Wembley is not easy.”

 

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Man City end 36-game unbeaten home run with shock Basel defeat


Manchester City's incredible unbeaten run at the Etihad Stadium came to an end in shock fashion as Pep Guardiola's men were downed by Basel on Wednesday.

City, 4-0 up from the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in Switzerland, took the lead after just eight minutes with Gabriel Jesus marking his first start of 2018 with a goal.The hosts must have thought that another routine home win was imminent - but Basel had other ideas.

Mohamed Elyounoussi levelled the game less than 10 minutes after Jesus' opener, before Michael Lang swooped in the second half to send Basel home with a memorable win.

The Citizens nevertheless march into the quarter finals with a 5-2 aggregate win, but the loss ends an incredible run of form in front of their own fans since Pep took over.City last lost a home match on December 3, 2016, when eventual Premier League champions Chelsea inflicted a 3-1 defeat.

Since that date Guardiola's men had gone no less than 36 matches without losing at the Etihad, a run that included 29 wins and seven draws.The Premier League leaders will be back in action at home on April 7 against local rivals Manchester United - a match that could see City seal the Premier League title.

 

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Borussia Dortmund 1 Red Bull Salzburg 2: Berisha's brace puts Austrians in control

Valon Berisha scored twice as away specialists Red Bull Salzburg upset Borussia Dortmund 2-1 in the first leg of their last-16 Europa League tie.
The Austrian side stretched their unbeaten record on the road in Europe to 10 matches, handing Dortmund coach Peter Stoger his first home defeat since taking charge in the process.


After being the better of the two sides in a scoreless first half, Salzburg struck first when Berisha converted a penalty following Omer Toprak's foul on Hwang Hee-chan.The midfielder struck again to double his side's lead in the 56th minute, a vicious first-time strike from Stefan Lainer's cross putting the visitors in control.


Andre Schurrle bundled in from close range to halve the deficit just after the hour, and Dortmund piled on the pressure in search of an equaliser.However, they paid the price for a sluggish first hour that has left the Bundesliga club needing to score at least twice in the return fixture if they are to progress to the quarter-finals.


Marc Bartra's presence lifted the home crowd prior to kick-off, with the Spanish defender – who joined Real Betis in January after requesting a move back to his homeland – given a rousing reception on his return.His old team-mates struggled in his presence, though, mustering just one on-target attempt – and that was a speculative 30-yard drive from Mahmoud

Dahoud easily saved by Alexander Walke – before the break.


Salzburg, in contrast, were bright and busy and they were denied a deserved half-time lead by the woodwork, Hwang rattling the post with a right-footed effort from the edge of the penalty area in the final minute.Yet the visitors were handed the chance to break the deadlock in the early stages of the second half.


Hwang managed to wriggle his way beyond marker Toprak wide on Salzburg's right, forcing the defender to desperately grab hold of his shirt and gift Berisha the chance to score from the spot.



If conceding first did not wake up a drowsy Dortmund, they were finally stunned into life when Berisha ran onto Lainer's clever pass from the right flank to thunder home via the underside of the bar.Stoger sent on Christian Pulisic in response and the substitute wasted little time in making an impact, his low cross from the right allowing the onrushing Schurrle to force the ball over the line.


The goal gave Dortmund's comeback bid wings, yet the away side valiantly held firm in the heavy rain to make sure they will have a lead heading into the reverse fixture at the Red Bull Arena Salzburg.

 

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Atletico Madrid 3 Lokomotiv Moscow 0: Saul strike lights up low-key first leg

Saul Niguez, Diego Costa and Koke were all on target as Atletico Madrid took firm control of their last-16 Europa League tie with a 3-0 home win against Lokomotiv Moscow.

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The two-time champions were rarely at their best in Thursday's first leg, but Diego Simeone's men have a foot in the quarter-finals after Koke's last-minute strike wrapped up a convincing win.Saul's stunner gave Atleti the lead, the midfielder picking out the top corner with a sensational long-range drive that lit up a quiet first half at the Wanda Metropolitano.



When Diego Costa turned in a rebound after Antoine Griezmann was denied by Guilherme immediately following the restart, the result was effectively set in stone.


Atletico, winners of the Europa League in 2010 and 2012, have now won their last six home games in all competitions without conceding a single goal after easing to another comfortable victory, secured by Koke sweeping home Juanfran's cutback.


Russian Premier League leaders Lokomotiv - who failed to test goalkeeper Axel Werner on his debut - will hope they can battle their way back into the tie on home soil in next week's second leg, but their chances of progressing appear slim.


Angel Correa's eighth-minute shot was blocked after a clever Griezmann one-two created space, but using Juanfran on the overlap was perhaps a better option.Vladislav Ignatjev sliced wide when Manuel Fernandes held the ball up well, Koke offering Guilherme a comfortable save from a curling 25-yard strike at the other end.


But Guilherme could do little about Atleti's next effort, as Saul found the top corner from 30 yards in the 22nd minute.With no Lokomotiv players closing the midfielder down, Saul advanced into space and thundered an unstoppable left-footed drive into Guilherme's top-right corner.


More slack Lokomotiv defending should have led to a second for Atletico, but after robbing Guilherme wide on the left flank when the goalkeeper wandered out of his area to collect a loose ball, Griezmann could only roll his finish wide of the open goal.


Aleksey Miranchuk was then booked for simulation after diving over Jose Gimenez's challenge in an attempt to win a penalty.Atleti had struggled to create chances before the break but they doubled their lead within two minutes of the restart, Costa scoring his sixth goal since rejoining from Chelsea in January.


Saul's excellent cross found Griezmann, but while Guilherme did well to get down to his right to push the shot away, Costa was on hand to hold off the defender and convert the rebound.
Lokomotiv had lost only one of their last nine European away fixtures but Yuri Semin's side appeared to lack belief in their chances of knocking out the tournament favourites.Costa's penalty appeals were rejected by referee Jakob Kehlet after Vedran Corluka blocked his shot with an arm, but Atleti were cruising.



Simeone was able to rest attacking trio Griezmann, Costa and Correa in the closing stages and Mikhail Lysov forced a rare easy save from Werner with 12 minutes to go.But Koke completed the scoring with a neat first-time finish after Juanfran won the ball deep in Lokomotiv territory and put a low cross on a plate for the captain.


Atletico may have been dealt a blow in the LaLiga title race with a 1-0 defeat at Barcelona on Sunday, but they will be hard to stop as they hunt a record-equalling third Europa League title.

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AC Milan 0 Arsenal 2: Mkhitaryan's first goal lifts Gunners gloom

Arsenal seized control of their Europa League last-16 tie with AC Milan courtesy of a 2-0 win at San Siro on Thursday, easing the pressure on Arsene Wenger.Goals from Henrikh Mkhitaryan, his first for the club, and Aaron Ramsey were enough to give the Gunners a valuable first-leg advantage and bring an end to their four-game losing run.


Questions over the future of manager Wenger had dominated the pre-match talk, but the 68-year-old will have been delighted with a clinical and disciplined display from his players against a Milan side who had gone 13 games without defeat.Mkhitaryan played a key role in Manchester United's triumph in last season's tournament and he continued his fine form in continental competition with the opening goal 15 minutes in.


Milan struggled to turn their possession into meaningful chances and they were punished again seconds before the interval, when Ramsey beat the offside trap to score his seventh goal of the season.Gennaro Gattuso's men fought hard in the second half but were comfortably kept at arm's length by the visitors, leaving them with a significant task to come at the Emirates Stadium next week.


Milan spurned two good openings in the first 10 minutes, with Giacomo Bonaventura just missing a cross at the left-hand post and Patrick Cutrone firing into the side-netting after escaping Shkodran Mustafi.



Hakan Calhanoglu perhaps could have won a penalty had he decided to go to ground after beating David Ospina to the ball, and Gattuso must have wished he had when the Gunners broke the deadlock.Mkhitaryan, collecting Mesut Ozil's pass, turned past Davide Calabria and sent a shot off the boot of Leonardo Bonucci and into the net, with Gianluigi Donnarumma wrong-footed in goal.


It was the first goal Milan had conceded in 599 minutes and they should really have been punished further, with Danny Welbeck shooting straight at Donnarumma one-on-one and Mkhitaryan clipping the crossbar with the goal at his mercy.But on the brink of half-time, Arsenal did score a second. Ozil played a fine pass into Ramsey's path and the Wales midfielder rounded Donnarumma for an easy finish.


Milan ended the first half without a shot on target and they nearly started the second by gifting Arsenal another goal, with Donnarumma doing just enough to deny Welbeck after Franck Kessie wildly kicked the ball into the striker's path.



Gattuso introduced Nikola Kalinic and Andre Silva to bolster Milan's limp attack, but speculative efforts from Bonaventura and Kessie were about the best the home side could muster, allowing Arsenal to head back to London with a solid lead and a major boost in confidence.

 

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CSKA Moscow 0 Lyon 1: Marcelo header makes the difference

Lyon put themselves on track for the Europa League quarter-finals after securing a precious 1-0 win at CSKA Moscow in the first leg of their last-16 tie.


Marcelo headed the only goal in the 68th minute of a largely drab affair at VEB Arena, giving Bruno Genesio's side their first victory of any kind since they beat Villarreal last month.Winless in their last six Ligue 1 outings, the visitors had appeared more than happy to return to France with nothing more than a clean sheet.



But they are now in the driving seat to advance and, having only conceded four goals in the competition to date, will be confident of finishing the job next week.And they should have captain Nabil Fekir back in time for that match after the star midfielder missed the trip to Russia with a knee complaint.


CSKA commanded the bulk of the territory throughout a muted first 15 minutes and almost made their superiority count, but Ahmed Musa was unable to beat a well-positioned Anthony Lopes at his near post.Musa's loose touch had scuppered an earlier opening while Lyon were similarly wasteful with their occasional counter-attacks, Bertrand Traore and Houssem Aouar both guilty of rushed attempts.


Lopes was again alert in the 35th minute to parry Aleksandr Golovin's dipping drive in what proved a rare moment of alarm in an otherwise laboured first half.The away side displayed little desire to increase the tempo after the restart, although Memphis Depay did force Igor Akinfeev into an acrobatic save with a curling free-kick on the hour.


The goalkeeper was less assured for the game's decisive moment. Beaten by the flight of Depay's corner, Akinfeev could only watch as Marcelo rose high and nodded home at the far post.Kenny Tete next sliced wastefully wide but the miss mattered little as, despite a late penalty area scramble, the Russians failed to truly test Lopes.

 

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RB Leipzig 2 Zenit 1: Bruma and Werner earn first-leg lead


Bruma and Timo Werner scored second-half goals to earn RB Leipzig a 2-1 first-leg win in their last-16 Europa League tie at home to Zenit.Roberto Mancini's visitors were second-best throughout Thursday's tie at the Red Bull Arena, Leipzig missing a string of opportunities before finally finding a way through in the 56th minute.


Bruma swapped passes with Timo Werner on the edge of the penalty area, bursting into the box to place his finish past Zenit goalkeeper Andrey Lunev.Werner doubled Leipzig's lead when he brilliantly chipped Lunev after Naby Keita sent him through, but a brilliantly floated late free-kick from Domenico Criscito gave Zenit a crucial away goal.


Werner and Jean-Kevin Augustin wasted decent openings in a slow start to the game, before Emil Forsberg came close to breaking the deadlock.



The Sweden international had Lunev well beaten with a 30-yard free-kick, but the ball curled too far and cracked against the inside of the post.Werner missed good chances either side of the half-time break, with the Germany international's radar in front of goal faltering.


Those wasted opportunities were forgotten, though, as Werner's cute backheel sent Bruma into the box to bend a fine finish beyond Lunev to open the scoring.



Werner continued to frustrate in front of goal, however, the striker fluffing his lines when sent through by Keita allowing Lunev making an easy save from his poor effort.But when Keita slotted Werner into the box, the forward would not miss again, lifting a cute finish over the onrushing Lunev to put Leipzig in control.


Zenit lost the first leg against Celtic in the last round before roaring to a 3-0 success at home, so the 2008 champions still believed in their chances of reaching the quarter-finals.


And they boosted their hopes by claiming what could be a key away goal with four minutes remaining, captain Criscito stepping up to curl home a delightful free-kick and leave the tie in the balance.

 

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Marseille 3 Athletic Bilbao 1: Ocampos at the double as Thauvin injured


Lucas Ocampos scored after 36 seconds to help Marseille to a 3-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 encounter on Thursday.The influential Ocampos struck the quickest goal of the competition this season and added another after half-time to put Rudi Garcia's side within reach of a quarter-final berth.


Dimitri Payet was also on target for the hosts inside a blistering first 20 minutes as Athletic, now beaten in four of their last six outings, struggled to cope.Aritz Aduriz did pull one back courtesy of a contentious penalty, but Ocampos' second left the Basque club needing to score at least twice in the reverse fixture to the turn the tie around.


The only blight on Marseille's victory was an apparent ankle injury for Florian Thauvin, who has scored 18 goals this season and is now in serious doubt for next week's return leg at San Mames after being taken off on a stretcher.


Winless in their last five competitive fixtures, Marseille quickly put their poor form behind them with a breathtaking start.



Ocampos netted the first inside the opening minute, caressing a calm finish past Iago Herrerin after Thauvin expertly picked out his run to the far post.The advantage was doubled in the 14th minute when Xabier Etxeita's horrendously hooked clearance dropped perfectly for Payet, who chested the ball down and rifled in a thumping finish.


And Marseille would have been out of sight midway through the half if not for Herrerin, the goalkeeper twice denying Valerie Germain in a quickfire pair of one-on-one opportunities.


Instead, they were gifted hope on the stroke of half-time as Aduriz converted from the spot after Adil Rami was harshly ruled to have handled the striker's close-range effort, referee Jorge Sousa awarding a penalty after consultation with his assistant.


Any confidence Athletic gained from that goal eroded 12 minutes after the restart, Ocampos squeezing Payet's low cross through Herrerin.The 23-year-old went close to making it a hat-trick late on, but Etxeita redeemed himself as he desperately cleared Ocampos' goal-bound effort off the line to keep the two-goal margin intact.

 

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Roma 3 Torino 0: Manolas dedicates header to Astori

Kostas Manolas powered home a header and paid tribute to Davide Astori during his celebration as Roma beat Torino 3-0 in Serie A.Italian football resumed on Friday night after Sunday's fixtures were postponed following the shock death of Fiorentina captain Astori.

The atmosphere was understandably subdued at the Stadio Olimpico, where Roma were shorn of attacking edge in the absence of leading scorer Edin Dzeko, who missed out through suspension.But Manolas came up with a memorable header, thumping home a towering effort after Alessandro Florenzi kept an overhit corner alive and hung up a superb cross to the back-post.

Manolas fell to his knees and pointed to the sky in tribute to Italy international Astori following his goal, which put Roma on track to follow up a 4-2 win over leaders Napoli with another three points.Captain Daniele De Rossi added a 73rd-minute second by stretching to divert a high ball home, with Lorenzo Pellegrini wrapping up the points in injury-time with a close-range finish.



Eusebio Di Francesco's men move four points clear of fourth-placed city rivals Lazio as the battle for Champions League qualification heats up, Roma guaranteeing they will end the weekend in third.

 

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Conte: I don't regret playing Hazard as false 9 against Man City


Antonio Conte has no regrets over his use of Eden Hazard, despite the forward's interview in which he seemed to criticise his role as a false 9. Hazard said "we didn't play to our strengths" after he failed to get a shot away as Chelsea were dominated in a 1-0 loss at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

Chelsea have now lost four of their past five Premier League games and, although Conte is likely to use Alvaro Morata and Olivier Giroud against Crystal Palace, he defended his decision to put Hazard up front.

"If I think it's right for the team to play this way, it's OK," Conte said at Cobham Training Centre. "Otherwise I can take another decision and play with a striker.Maybe I can take different decisions. There are three players for two places. One has to go on the bench. Then I have to decide who has to go on the bench.

"For sure, [Giroud] is ready. He has specific characteristics, Olivier. He's a strong player and has a lot of physicality. I think that, in some games, it's right to start with him. In other games, it's right to start with Morata.

"In others, it's right to continue with Hazard as a No.9. Olivier, he played against West Brom from the start, and played against Hull, and then came on in every game, I think. But he's ready to play. But I repeat, I don't like to speak to the press what happens with one player, with two players, with the team.

Conte emphasised it is his job to make those decisions and deal with any issues that may arise with the players as a result in private, rather than trading barbs in the press."I like to talk with the players face to face, or in meetings with all the players," he added.

Conte also spoke on the criticism of the tactics themselves, highlighting that they were similar to the strategy used against Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie.

While the Blues boss did not deny improvement is needed against that type of opposition, he emphasised while his side lost the game against City, the result may not have reflected the effectiveness of his defence against the league leaders' potent attack.

"The tactics were the same against Barcelona," Conte said. "Defensively, we were very good in both games. If you look at the stats, we conceded only two shots to Manchester City: one they scored, and another after a free-kick and [Cesar Azpilicueta] saved it on the line. I don't see a lot of shots on goal from Manchester City, and this is very strange.

"Usually when you play against Manchester City they shoot about 20 or 25 times every game. For sure, compare that with the Barcelona game, I think we were not so good in ball possession. We missed a lot of last passes. And, for sure, we have to improve.

"We have to improve in personality, especially when there is a lot of pressure from our opponent. But the tactics were the same against Barcelona and, against Barcelona, I didn't hear anyone complaining. But, I repeat, we have to improve. We have to improve, especially with the ball."Conte may opt to use Hazard as a false 9 again at the Camp Nou, after he performed in the role more successfully in the first leg against Barcelona.

Going back to Hazard would make him a bit different than Marcelo Lippi at Juventus, who Conte recalls took a different tact when, as a player, the Chelsea boss criticised Lippi's use of him on the pitch. "We played a game, a massive game against Parma when they were first and we were second," Conte said. "We won 3-1. After the game, there was an international break.

"During the international break [I gave] an interview. The journalists asked me if I was happy with the team and with this important win. My stupid answer was, 'We are winning, but I'm not happy because I'm not enjoying the role the coach decided to give me.'

"When I came back to Turin, it was a meeting with Lippi and all the players and he killed me. He killed me in a bad way, not in a soft way, in front of the players. "After training, the club called me. They killed me another time and gave me a big,big fine.And then, in the next game, I didn't play. I was on the bench against Piacenza. He told me it was a lack of respect for my team-mates, first of all, and then for him, the club and the fans."He killed me. But I took this experience to heart and, after that, I improved a lot. Not to be selfish. I started to think for the team. I became a captain of the team after that."

Conte cautioned he and Hazard are not in the same spot, but indicated it allowed him to understand the Belgian international's mindset over a frustrating outing.

"You can check. That's in the past. This is a funny story," he said. "No, I think there are different situations [between me at Juventus and Hazard]. I don't think this is the same situation. When we are players, the risk of making a lot of mistakes, it's enormous. It's big.

"The players, it's normal... When I was a player, until one point of my career, I was selfish. Because you think about yourself if you play. If you don't play, you're unhappy. You don't think about the team. When you arrive at that point in your career, though, you start to have your mind more open, to be less selfish, and to start to think for the benefit and best of the team, and not only for yourself.

"I'm talking about my experience — not the others. This is the best way. I'm saying that I was selfish until one point in my career, and then I became a team player with my mind."

 

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Mata: Manchester United-Liverpool the biggest game for both clubs

Juan Mata believes the Premier League rivalry between Liverpool and Manchester United makes it the biggest game in English football.

The Spain midfielder hit a brace at Anfield in March 2015, including a superb scissor-kick volley.But while his manager Jose Mourinho just deemed it another important game in the run up to Saturday's match, Mata ranks the United-Liverpool rivalry above games such as the north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal, as well as the Manchester derby.

"It is the biggest game for both teams and maybe in English football as well," Mata told MUTV, "The rivalry, the history of both clubs and the atmosphere as well.
"Any game against Liverpool is special and, if you are able to score a fantastic goal or have a great performance, it will be remembered forever.

"I think if you ask fans what my best moment at United is, it would probably be that game and, specifically, that goal. "It was a fantastic day for me: playing at Anfield, scoring twice and scoring the winning goal."

United host Liverpool on Saturday on the back of a thrilling comeback win at Crystal Palace on Monday, Mourinho's men claiming a 3-2 victory thanks to a late Nemanja Matic screamer.

"It was a tough game," Mata said. "We were lucky to come back after being 2-0 down, especially playing away from home. The result was a great boost of confidence as well as beating Chelsea the week before. "Liverpool are a good team. Everything is going quite well for them, especially with their attacking players. They're scoring a lot of goals especially from Mohamed Salah, who's having a fantastic season. We need to be ready for them.

"Every player prefers to play at home. We need to make that count. We are at Old Trafford, where we feel comfortable, and we need to give 100 per cent to create an atmosphere for the fans."

 

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Barcelona captain Iniesta doubtful for Chelsea - Valverde


Andres Iniesta remains a doubt for the second leg of Barcelona's Champions League last-16 tie against Chelsea, coach Ernesto Valverde has confirmed.The Barca captain had to be substituted in the first half of Sunday's 1-0 LaLiga win against Atletico Madrid with a hamstring injury.

Iniesta is expected to miss Barca's league game at Malaga on Saturday and Valverde is unsure whether the midfielder will be available to face Chelsea, with the sides tied at 1-1 after the first leg.

"He is training separately at the moment," Valverde told a news conference. "Obviously we do not want to rush things, it's too early to say if he will be available for next week."We have similar players, although he is unique. We have similar profile players, Denis [Suarez] and [Philippe] Coutinho, Andre Gomes as well.

"Their characteristics are comparable and they could play in [Iniesta's] position."Ousmane Dembele is a contender to fill in too, although the former Borussia Dortmund winger has struggled to settle since joining Barca, with his campaign disrupted by injury.

The France international played 63 minutes of Barcelona's Supercopa de Catalunya victory over Espanyol on penalties in midweek and Valverde is willing to be patient with Dembele's development."Tomorrow's game, any game - it's good for a player," Valverde said. "Of course he needs to play so we need to see, but we have high expectations of him as a player.

"Dembele likes to take players on, he's a dribbler and a power player who likes to break into space, he has the ability to do this. He has a lot of virtues."He is 20 years old and there are things for him to fine-tune over time. With experience, he will start to perfect areas."

Barca defender Gerard Pique has been battling a knee injury but Valverde indicated the Spain international will play against Malaga and is available for Chelsea. "If he couldn't train it would be a bad sign, but he is completing training," Valverde said.

"There is no problem with managing the situation, it's a question of asking him how he feels."It's a light injury, bothersome maybe. It's more of a knock."

 

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Mourinho expects more from Alexis Sanchez next season


Alexis Sanchez signed for Manchester United at the "worst moment" and he will produce better performances next season as a result, according to manager Jose Mourinho.

Sanchez has struggled to make an impact at Old Trafford since a January move from Arsenal, only scoring once in eight competitive appearances.The 29-year-old was reportedly close to signing for Premier League champions-elect Manchester City before cross-city rivals United swooped to complete a swap deal that saw unwanted Armenia international Henrikh Mkhitaryan move to Arsenal.

And while Mourinho acknowledges Sanchez is yet to display his best form for United, the manager says the timing of the Chile international's arrival has been a factor.

"He came in the worst moment of the season, which is the winter market," Mourinho told reporters ahead of Saturday's Premier League game at home to Liverpool."That's why I don't like the winter market very much.

"I think this [signing Alexis] was a chance that we didn't want to lose and we made it."But we don't believe a lot in the winter market and, for sure, next season it will be better for him."He's fine. He's happy that the team is getting results. Lately, he wasn't happy when we lost matches with him but he's a guy with great maturity, with great attitude and we couldn't be happier."

Although Sanchez has struggled in front of goal and has been criticised for wastefulness in possession, Mourinho praised the all-round impact of the forward on United's attacking play.
"He's not afraid to take responsibility," Mourinho added."Not afraid to try to make things to happen, when he feels that he's not as dangerous as you'd like him to be."He drops back, he tries things, he tries to come to building up areas. When he makes mistakes, he tries to compensate immediately."

 

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It's all about winning - Klopp interested in points, not footballing philosophies


Jurgen Klopp will be happy if he is accused of parking the bus when Liverpool visit Manchester United, provided his team earn a positive result at Old Trafford.Saturday's game is about much more than just pride and bragging rights, as second-placed United sit two points clear of their opponents in the Premier League table.

Their last meeting failed to catch fire at Anfield, with United boss Jose Mourinho criticised for his defensive tactics during the forgettable 0-0 draw last October.

Klopp expects the hosts to be more aggressive in the reverse fixture, even if they do have a "specific way of playing football" under their Portuguese coach.

"I've no problem with defending – I know how the situation is, that teams play a specific type of football, but it's all about winning and there are different ways to win football games," he said at his pre-match press conference.

"In the last few years Manchester United have been more successful than us. We respect that, and this United team has a specific way of playing football. "If we have to defend there, we have to do so with all we have. It's not a battle of systems or philosophies – just two very good teams facing each other.

"When they attack, I hope all my players are involved. If people want to say that's parking the bus, I'm okay with that."There are reasons they have two more points than us. We don't want to show how good we are, we just want a good result."

Liverpool have kept four clean sheets in their last five outings in all competitions, with the 0-0 home draw against Porto in midweek securing a place in the last eight of the Champions League.

Yet Klopp acknowledges the size of the task his side face against opponents who have only lost once at home - against champions-elect Manchester City - this season.

"You have to bring the right things on the pitch constantly. Counter-pressing against such a strong counter-attacking team is so important," the German added.

"We have to play football against a very strong side. If they defend deep it won't make our life easier, but I don't think they will do that all the time."It's not an attacking team against a defending team. They have massive quality and I respect that.

"It's a good moment to go there, but it's still unbelievably difficult. They have outstanding quality and are at home, they're a very experienced team with a very experienced manager."