..::Football IV::..

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'Everyone spends money' - Mourinho defends Man United transfers after defeat


Jose Mourinho dismissed suggestions that he has seen little return on his massive spending at Manchester United in the wake of Champions League elimination at the hands of Sevilla.Mourinho has enjoyed large investment in his squad, with huge transfer fees and wages spent to bring the likes of Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to the club.

Despite shelling out over £300 million, however, United trail rivals Man City by 16 points in the Premier League and saw their European dream end in the last 16 on Tuesday with a 2-1 defeat.

But the 55-year-old does not believe further spending would necessarily lead to an upturn in United's fortunes."Everybody spends money – it's not just us, right?" Mourinho told reporters after the final whistle.

"It's not just changes for changes sake, it's a natural process." "I don't think the performance was bad. The intention and the way we started was really good and really positive, then after 10 or 15 minutes of success without goals, Sevilla have a good team they have players who can hide the ball.

"I don't remember a dangerous situation for them, it was a good controlled performance by them without any danger. We had dangerous situations in the first half, a good start in the second half and chances to score. The first goal would always change the direction of the game."

Vincenzo Montella's decision to send on Ben Yedder for Luis Muriel proved a masterstroke, the striker scoring twice within six minutes of his introduction to settle the tie in spectacular fashion.In contrast, Mourinho's substitutions had little impact with Pogba, replacing Marouane Fellaini on the hour mark, was unable to wrest control of the contest away from the visitors.

"Sometimes I'm lucky with changes and sometimes other managers are lucky with their changes," Mourinho added.

"It was a good, happy move by Vincenzo to bring Ben Yedder and when they scored the first goal it's completely different."
"I don't have regrets. I did my best, the players did their best. We tried, we lost and that's football."

 

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No chance of signing genius Messi, says Man City sporting director Soriano


Manchester City will not be signing Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi, according to sporting director Ferran Soriano.

The Etihad club have flexed their financial muscles over the course of the last year to secure a number of high-profile players, notably twice breaking the transfer record for a defender by moving for Tottenham’s Kyle Walker and Monaco’s Benjamin Mendy.But Messi will not be following them to Manchester, despite a strong relationship with manager Pep Guardiola.

“There is no chance of signing Messi,” Soriano said.

“I know him and his family well and I know they are fine in Barcelona, which is where he needs to be.“We will make our way without him, which will be more difficult because he is the best player in the history of football.

“He changed everything, he is a genius.”While Soriano praised the attacker, he also revealed that he is relishing working with Guardiola, revealing the secret to the Catalan boss’ success.

“The main characteristic of Guardiola is his work rate,” he said. “He works more than anyone and sometimes people think that he is a genius, but it is because he works a lot.“He knows that football is very cruel and when you relax, you [can] concede four goals.

Patience is essential and one way to understand it is to see that the teams that have won consistently are not the ones that change a coach every two months or every year.

“The key is long-term planning and managers must have the strength to make the decisions they think are right, even though fans ask for something else.”On Wednesday, Messi and his Barcelona team-mates are aiming to join Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, having drawn 1-1 with Chelsea in their first-leg encounter at Stamford Bridge.

 

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Mourinho failed Man Utd's fans and might never win them back


As much as Manchester United knew what they were getting into with Jose Mourinho, Mourinho also knew what was going to be expected of him at Manchester United.

From the moment he was unveiled by the club in July 2016 he has been left in no doubt that there is a different set of expectations placed on the manager of Manchester United, that whatever his experiences and successes elsewhere he will be judged within quite specific parameters by the fans at Old Trafford.

The need to entertain supporters has always been every bit as important as silverware at the Theatre of Dreams – perhaps more so, even. From Matt Busby telling Bobby Charlton of the need to put a smile on the faces of factory workers in Trafford Park through to Alex Ferguson’s thirst for high-tempo, often thrilling attacking play, United’s modus operandi has rarely changed over a period of some decades.

And it wasn’t about to change for the sake of bringing in the Portuguese. There was always going to be some give and take, but Mourinho would have to play ball every bit as much as United's fans.

That is why Tuesday night’s shock Champions League exit to Sevilla has jarred so overwhelmingly with United fans. It wasn’t just that their side went out of the competition, but that they had done so by killing their own attacking instincts for most of the tie’s 180 minutes in a bid to stifle a far inferior team.

This Sevilla outfit have shipped five goals in a game five times so far this season, but United managed only four shots on target over two legs. A United team with the likes of Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard, all of them with an abundance of tremendous attacking potential, were restrained to such an extent that they managed just four shots in two games. It just wouldn’t make sense if their manager wasn’t Mourinho.

His decision to select Marouane Fellaini over Paul Pogba was a lightning rod for criticism even before Wissam Ben Yedder had come off the bench to score twice, and it will remain an unfathomable selection for years to come for most United supporters. But then again, others will simply look at it as an example of Mourinho’s blatant disregard for his club in his quest for personal vindication.The man himself was right when he said in his post-match press conference that elimination from the Champions League is not the end of the world. There is, indeed, always next season.

But the way in which he sent his side out to deliberately play within themselves in some twisted belief that they couldn’t be trusted to see off Sevilla will take some getting over among the United fan base. As will what he added about his previous Old Trafford achievements in the Champions League.

“It’s not the end of the world. I sit in this chair twice in the Champions League and I knock out Man Utd at home, at Old Trafford. I sit in this chair with Porto - Man Utd out. I sit in this chair with Real Madrid - Man Utd out... So I don’t think it’s something new for the club.”

To kick your own club’s supporters in the gut like that so soon after presiding over an abomination of a performance is remarkable. By cherry-picking through his personal experiences and fingering United failures as the common denominator he has made a deliberate attempt to shift the blame from himself at a moment when he knows full well he has let the club down.

He went on to claim that United’s wasn’t a bad performance and that it was little more than a piece of fortune which saw Sevilla grab the all-important first goal, but it all felt disingenuous in the least.

With both his decision-making on the training field and his antics in front of the microphone, Mourinho proved that he has fundamentally misjudged Manchester United as a club and his task as its manager.

If he thought he could serve up performances like that and have fans just brush it off, he was sadly mistaken. And if he believed that he could taunt his own supporters by dismissing Champions League failure as somehow par for the course, then he is in for a rude awakening.

For most United fans, Mourinho has been seen as a necessary evil. His style of management was considered the quickest route back to the top and there was a hope that he would begin to bring about a more fluid approach to the beautiful game at some point along the way.

There were always going to be a few who would take longer to come around to his charms, but it feels like Tuesday was the night he may have lost many of them for good. Even his allies will find it hard to defend him.

Some have even begun to call for his head. It would seem to be a premature sentiment given that the Champions League exit is Mourinho’s first real failure as United boss and they were unlikely to win the competition even had they progressed past Sevilla, but the fact that it was almost entirely of his own making and was then compounded by his childishness after the match has given the fans a variety of sticks with which to beat him.

Mourinho could yet go on to win more trophies as Manchester United manager, but in so outrageously misjudging the mood at Old Trafford he has ensured that he will never truly win over the United fans.

 

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Tottenham confirm Kane sidelined until April


Harry Kane has damaged the ligaments in his right ankle and should return to training in April, Tottenham have announced.The England striker sustained the injury during the first half of Spurs' 4-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday and was replaced by Erik Lamela.

After the game, manager Mauricio Pochettino admitted he was "concerned" by the issue, sparking fears that Kane's club season could be over, while his participation in England's World Cup campaign in Russia was also thrown into doubt.

In light of those worries, Wednesday's announcement shed something of a more positive light on the situation, with the club confirming the forward, who has 24 goals from 29 Premier League appearances in 2017-18, should return to train with the squad at some point next month."Preliminary assessments have confirmed that @HKane has damaged lateral ligaments in his right ankle," read a post on Spurs' official Twitter account.

"The England striker sustained the injury following a challenge in our 4-1 win over Bournemouth on Sunday and is expected to return to first team training next month."

Tottenham were trailing 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium, but recovered impressively to chalk up a fourth successive Premier League victory, which leaves them third in the table with eight matches remaining.

Their next outing is a trip to face Swansea City in the FA Cup quarter-final on Saturday, while England's first game of Russia 2018 is against Tunisia on June 18.

 

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Pep would make United as good as Man City – Wright


Ian Wright has said that Pep Guardiola would make Manchester United as good as his Manchester City side given the opportunity.

Red Devils manager Jose Mourinho has been heavily criticised after the club’s shock Champions League exit to Sevilla on Tuesday, while there is no prospect of redemption in the Premier League as they lie a distant 16 points behind the league leaders.Wright believes, however, that would not be the case if Guardiola was in charge at Old Trafford.

“If you put the two sides up together and playing at their full capacity, that would be some game,” the former Arsenal ace told ‘The Debate’ on Sky Sports.“Because when you look at City's team, they are so collectively on the same wavelength. If you look at Man Utd's team, in respect of individuals, I think they are great players and just as good as City's players.

“But they are not a collective, they are not together collectively and if they could put it together in the way they are being coached like Man City, I believe they could be in and around City.

“If they swapped managers, I think United would be doing exactly what City are doing because they have the kind of players that Pep would be able to get a tune out of, without a doubt, because he would not play how Mourinho plays.”

Mourinho’s style has also come under fire, and Wright says that the manner in which his side are playing now must be jarring for some key figures.

“You cannot tell me that the players United have got do not look over there enviously at how brilliant and free they are playing,” he said. “You cannot tell me that is not how Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial all want to play.“That is how they all want to play because they look like they are having fun as well.”

Man Utd’s last chance of glory lies with the FA Cup; they face Brighton in a quarter-final on Saturday.

 

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Juventus 2 Atalanta 0: Higuain, Matuidi open four-point gap to Napoli




Juventus eased four points clear at the top of Serie A with a straightforward 2-0 win over at Atalanta at Allianz Stadium on Wednesday.

Gonzalo Higuain and Blaise Matuidi netted either side of half-time as the Bianconeri took full advantage of their game in hand on title rivals Napoli.Scoreless in his two previous league outings, Higuain made the breakthrough just prior to the half-hour mark with his eighth goal in 10 top-flight games against Atalanta.The hosts never looked like surrendering that lead, encountering few concerns on their way to a ninth consecutive Serie A clean sheet.

Atalanta's chances of a late rally became even more remote when Gianluca Mancini was sent off for two yellow cards in as many minutes.And Matuidi immediately made the advantage count with a second in the 81st minute, putting the seal on a 12th straight league win.


Juve welcomed Mario Mandzukic back into the starting XI after the forward returned from a thigh problem as a late substitute in the weekend win over Udinese.

Matuidi also came in as one of six changes to that team and might have opened the scoring if not for Jose Luis Palomino, the defender throwing himself in front of a goal-bound shot after the France international had brought down Miralem Pjanic's corner.Higuain dragged the next opening well wide, but the striker found his radar with a carbon-copy chance in the 29th minute.

Brazil forward Douglas Costa sliced through the midfield from within his own half before laying the ball right to Higuain, who fired low and hard across Etrit Berisha to open the scoring.

The Argentina international went close to a second before the break, curling a fine effort around the far post as Atalanta survived to the interval without further damage.

Both teams had opportunities within five minutes of the restart, Paulo Dybala first drawing a save from Berisha before Mancini headed a corner wide. Costa should have killed off the contest when he was put through by Higuain in the 64th minute, but the winger lacked his team-mate's conviction in front of goal.

Atalanta's chances of taking something from the game were all but ended by Mancini's sending off, the defender booked for a shirt pull on Higuain and a trip on Giorgio Chiellini in quick succession.

Matuidi then kept a cool head to cap off unselfish work from Dybala and Higuain to wrap up a potentially crucial victory in the context of the Scudetto race.

 

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Besiktas 1 Bayern Munich 3 (1-8 agg): Heynckes' men cruise into quarter-finals

Thiago Alcantara scored but was substituted due to injury as Bayern Munich won 3-1 at Besiktas to cruise into the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
A 5-0 victory in last month's first leg in Munich had put Bayern in a commanding position and there was never any sign of a miraculous comeback in Istanbul on Wednesday.

Thiago finished from a Thomas Muller cross to extend Bayern's advantage and score their 100th goal of the season, but the Spain international was withdrawn before the break, coach Jupp Heynckes perhaps wishing he had rested more key names after picking a strong side.



Gokhan Gonul's own goal in the first minute of the second half appeared to settle the tie for good, before Vagner Love scrambled home his first Champions League strike since 2011 to spark Besiktas' best period of the tie.Sandro Wagner, though, restored Bayern's two-goal cushion with his first strike in the competition in the 84th minute.

Heynckes' men could claim the Bundesliga title at the weekend if results go their way and they remain on track for another treble, the veteran coach having won the Champions League among three trophies before departing Bayern at the end of his third spell in 2013.Bayern, who have reached the Champions League semi-finals in six of the last eight seasons, will find out their quarter-final opponents in Friday's draw.

Despite their massive first-leg lead Bayern made a bright start, Arturo Vidal heading wide.Thomas Muller scored twice in last month's game and he should have opened the scoring in the 10th minute, blasting over the rebound after Tolga Zengin parried David Alaba's free-kick.

But Muller created a fine goal for Thiago to get Bayern up and running, the midfielder timing his run into the box perfectly to tuck away a first-time finish from a pinpoint right-wing cross.

Thiago limped off before half-time, giving Bayern an injury concern for the rest of the season.Besiktas had played reasonably well in the first period but the Turkish champions gifted Bayern their second moments after the restart.

An innocuous right-wing cross from Rafinha should have been easy to clear, but Gonul poked the ball past Zengin under no pressure whatsoever.Referee Michael Oliver then had to briefly pause the game as a cat invaded the pitch.

Besiktas gave their fans something to cheer in the 59th minute, Alaba losing the ball in his own half, with Gonul setting up Love to squeeze the ball past Jerome Boateng on the line.Mustafa Pektemek forced a save from Sven Ulreich as Besiktas tried to level the game on the night, Bayern understandably lacking energy given their comfortable position.

Bayern made sure of their win, though, substitute Wagner chesting home from close range with six minutes to go after Alaba's cross deflected up perfectly for him.

 

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Barcelona 3 Chelsea 0 (4-1 agg): Ton-up Messi blows Blues away

Lionel Messi brought up 100 Champions League goals with a strike in each half as Barcelona dumped Chelsea out of the competition with a 3-0 win at Camp Nou.
The sides were locked together at 1-1 after Messi's equaliser in the first leg of the last-16 tie at Stamford Bridge and Antonio Conte's men held their own for long periods once again, only to be undermined by uncharacteristic defensive errors.

Messi scored the earliest goal of his professional career in the third minute, with Ousmane Dembele opening his Barcelona account in style to ground an encouraging Chelsea response.Thibaut Courtois was tamely beaten in the first instance and Barca's ruthless qualities on the break were in full view as Dembele clattered into the top corner and Messi secured his latest landmark after the hour.

Chelsea's attentions now turn to scrapping for a top-four place in the Premier League and a face-saving tilt at the FA Cup, with Conte's prospects of seeing out his contract until the end of next season done few favours by Wednesday's result.

By contrast, opposite number Ernesto Valverde has gone from seemingly managing a damage-control operation at the start of the campaign to being on course for a sensational treble.


The hosts rumbled straight into their familiar passing rhythm, pushing and shifting Chelsea whichever way they desired from kick-off, and the breakthrough came after a mere 128 seconds.

Messi began one of his trademark dribbles towards the right edge of the Chelsea area and, even though the angle was against him when Luis Suarez sent the ball back in his direction, Courtois contrived to let a speculative right-footed prod through his legs.Chelsea's response was encouraging, with Eden Hazard sparkling, but ex-Barcelona midfielder Cesc Fabregas left his team-mates with a mountain to climb.

There was much for Messi to do when he pickpocketed Fabregas on halfway, but he glided past a wild challenge from Andreas Christensen and drew some defensive detente from a backpedalling Cesar Azpilicueta.Once in the area, Messi picked out Dembele, who seemed to put every ounce of frustration from his injury nightmare this season into a vicious, rising right-footed finish.

Barcelona goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen repelled Marcos Alonso's strike from Willian's cutback in the 37th minute and, after N'Golo Kante bustled into the box with the second ball, Fabregas got in the way and his team-mate slashed wide.Alonso then struck the outside of the post with a superb free-kick in the 45th minute, ensuring the half started and finished with frustration for the reigning Premier League champions.

Courtois resumed in howling fashion, passing to Suarez, but at least stood firm to keep out the resulting shot. Conte's touchline fury reached new levels in the 50th minute when Alonso tumbled in the box under clumsy pressure from Gerard Pique, but no penalty was given.

Pique halted Alonso by indisputably legal means after the hour passed, launching a sliding block as the marauding wing-back fired goalwards.Alonso was the standout performer of a tireless Chelsea performance, but their efforts were compromised as they surrendered possession again in the 63rd minute.

Suarez tore at the away defence and fed Messi to ease around the outside of Azpilicueta and clip the ball home – once more via a nutmeg of Courtois.The Belgium goalkeeper at least kept out a Paulinho header five minutes from time before the crossbar denied Antonio Rudiger a consolation goal that the visitors' toils merited.

 

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Messi delighted to reach 100 Champions League goals


Barcelona star Lionel Messi was delighted to reach the 100-goal landmark in the Champions League after leading his side past Chelsea.

Messi scored a brace and set up Ousmane Dembele as the La Liga giants beat Chelsea 3-0 in their last-16 second leg, completing a 4-1 aggregate win.The Argentina star was thrilled to get to the milestone and was pleased his team managed to move into the last eight.

"I'm happy to have reached 100 goals in such a beautiful competition, but the important thing was to move forward in a difficult match against a team with lots of really good players," Messi told UEFA."We managed to score early and this was important. I'm happy with how it all happened.

"This was a tough match and we were strong as a team. When we scored the third then the tie was practically ours." Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte lauded Messi post-match, saying the 30-year-old was the world's best and made the difference in the tie.

Messi was appreciative of the Italian's comments, but his focus was on his side progressing."I didn't hear him, but they told me what he said and I thank him for his words," he said."I am happy for how this night has ended and for reaching the quarter-finals, which is what we wanted."

 

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Chelsea made Barcelona suffer - Valverde


Barcelona's 4-1 aggregate win over Chelsea in the Champions League was not as straightforward as the scoreline suggests, according to head coach Ernesto Valverde.

Lionel Messi's equaliser at Stamford Bridge last month ensured the last-16 tie headed to Camp Nou all square and Barca's all-time leading goalscorer nutmegged visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois to fire his team ahead after three minutes.

Messi laid on Ousmane Dembele for a rasping second and scored his 100th Champions League goal when he got the better of Courtois once more after the hour.

Barcelona provided an object lesson in ruthlessness as Chelsea matched them for long periods in general play, hitting the post and the crossbar through Marcos Alonso and Antonio Rudiger respectively."We suffered a lot in this game because they were pressing really hard and creating a lot of danger," Valverde told a news conference, echoing the pre-match mantra of suffering voiced by opposite number Antonio Conte.

"They showed they were a great team with great players and we were lucky enough to knock them out. "I have to admit they have been a great rival, a great team. It's been a very difficult tie, both legs."I think we scored with the first chance we had."For giving his side that clinical edge, Valverde hailed Messi's peerless talent.

"That goes with Messi's personality, the sense of responsibility that he has," he said. "He knows in certain moments stars have to come out. He forces himself to do that.

"There's no guarantee that he's going to score but he is a fantastic player. We enjoy him."We're lucky enough to be seeing something that will go down in history."

 

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Man United's Bailly asks for forgiveness after Champions League loss


Eric Bailly has apologised after Manchester United suffered a shock Champions League exit at the hands of Sevilla.United were beaten 2-1 at Old Trafford by the La Liga side on Tuesday, with Bailly one of the few players to emerge with any credit.

The centre-back denied Joaquin Correa what looked a certain goal with a terrific tackle at 0-0, but Wissam Ben Yedder came off the bench to strike twice in six minutes to down Jose Mourinho's men.

Mourinho claimed his side had not given a "bad" performance as they failed to reach the quarter-finals, but Bailly acknowledged in a social media post that United were substandard.

"We ask the fans for forgiveness following our exit," Bailly wrote on Twitter. "Last night was terrible and we must all reflect and take note so it doesn't happen again.

"It's painful, but we have to get right back up, dust ourselves off, and look ahead."
Manchester United will look to bounce back on Saturday in the FA Cup quarter-final against Brighton.

 

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'Same old story' - Ballack criticises referee as Chelsea crash out of Champions League


Former Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack criticised the referee's decisions after his old club were knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona.Lionel Messi scored twice and set up Ousmane Dembele in a 3-0 win for Barca at Camp Nou that sent his side into the quarter-finals 4-1 on aggregate.

But former Germany international Ballack felt Chelsea were unfairly treated by referee Damir Skomina, who rejected a penalty appeal when Gerard Pique challenged Marcos Alonso in the box, with the score at 2-0.

"Same old story #referee," Ballack wrote on Twitter, seemingly referring to the infamous semi-final between Chelsea and Barca in the 2008-09 Champions League.
On that occasion, Chelsea felt wronged by a series of controversial calls from Norwegian official Tom Henning Ovrebo, who told the media he received death threats following the match.

Ballack was playing for Chelsea as Ovrebo rejected a handful of penalty appeals made by the Blues, who were eventually knocked out by a dramatic late goal scored by Barca midfielder Andres Iniesta.

The 41-year-old later offered a more clear-minded assessment of the game on Wednesday, writing: "Messi made the difference."

 

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UEFA Europa League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2018.03.15

UEFA Europa League Round of 16 2nd Leg Fixtures 2018.03.15

Lokomotiv Moscow Vs Atletico Madrid

Athletic Bilbao Vs Marseille

Dynamo Kiev Vs Lazio

Victoria Plzen Vs Sporting Gijon

Zenit Vs Leipzig

Arsenal Vs AC Milan

Lyon Vs CSKA Moscow

Red Bull Salzburg Vs Dortmund

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Red Bull Salzburg 0 Borussia Dortmund 0 (2-1 agg): Stoger's men suffer shock exit

Red Bull Salzburg comfortably held Borussia Dortmund to a goalless draw in their last-16 second leg clash to dump Peter Stoger's men out of the Europa League 2-1 on aggregate.

The Austrian side, unbeaten since August, secured a shock 2-1 lead in Germany last week through Valon Berisha's double, but goalkeepers Alexander Walke and Roman Burki were equally tested in this return stalemate despite Dortmund's need for at least two goals - a tally they never came close to achieving.Stoger's gameplan made it easy for the hosts, Dortmund's attempts to play the game entirely in Salzburg's half opening up space for the energetic Hwang Hee-chan to run free.




Burki twice denied the 22-year-old forward and then produced a wonderful stop to thwart Xaver Schlager as the visitors somehow reached the break level on the night and still in with a chance of progression.Their improvement after the restart was minimal, though, Dortmund managing to keep Salzburg at bay but doing little to muster the requisite attacking response.

Dortmund's season is far from over as they remain well placed to seal Champions League qualification, but this shock exit for one of the tournament favourites will come as a blow to Stoger's hopes of staying in the dugout beyond the end of the campaign.

Dortmund made a particularly laboured start and might have fallen further behind in the tie within just six minutes as poor defending allowed Hwang in, Burki blocking his clipped finish.

The visitors assumed complete control of possession but another error at the back then let Hwang run clear once more, the South Korea international this time pushed wide and drilling hard and low for Burki to save again.And Burki continued to single-handedly keep Dortmund in the contest, diving to his right to brilliantly tip Schlager's curler around the post.

A spectacular punch from Berisha's teasing cross-cum-shot was next for Burki to deal with, Dortmund's aimless possession only inviting snappy Salzburg tackles as the opening 45 minutes passed without event for Walke in the home goal.

Powerful efforts from half-time substitute Maximilian Philipp and Marcel Schmelzer worked Walke after the restart, before the goalkeeper was forced into action again when the latter stooped to head on target.Walke came up with a more difficult stop to keep a stumbling Alexander Isak out, then parrying from Philipp and watching on as Stefan Lainer stepped in front of a goal-bound strike.

Salzburg did grow a little nervy but were never troubled, the scale of the task in the closing stages too much for Dortmund as Walke earned a clean sheet.And the hosts could have themselves stolen victory at the last as Munas Dabbur cracked the crossbar after Fredrik Gulbrandsen led a breakaway.

 

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Lyon 2 CSKA Moscow 3: (3-3 agg): Away goals dash OL's home final dreams

Lyon's quest to reach the Europa League final at their home stadium is over after CSKA Moscow eliminated Bruno Genesio's men from the round of 16 on Thursday.

The Ligue 1 side held the advantage in the tie after winning the first leg 1-0, but it was CSKA who broke the deadlock through Aleksandr Golovin in the first half at Groupama Stadium, where the tournament's decider will be staged in May.

Maxwel Cornet equalised for Lyon on the night, but two goals in the space of five minutes from Ahmed Musa and Pontus Wernbloom proved decisive.Mariano's 71st-minute effort was not enough to save Les Gones, as the Russian Premier League club progressed on away goals following a 3-3 aggregate draw, sealing a place in Friday's quarter-final draw.


Lyon missed several good chances to take the lead, with Cornet particularly culpable, and the visitors punished that wastefulness in the 39th minute, Alan Dzagoev's well-weighted throughball releasing Golovin into space down the left.
Advancing into the area, the midfielder cut inside and curled a brilliant dipping effort over Anthony Lopes and into the top corner.

Lyon equalised in controversial circumstances in the 58th minute, Cornet turning home Jordan Ferri's cut back despite the ball appearing to have crossed the byline before the midfielder could pick out his team-mate.CSKA responded just two minutes later, Musa slamming home from close range after running onto Kirill Nababkin's inviting delivery from the right flank.



Wernbloom then benefited from some questionable Lyon defending to connect with Konstantin Kuchaev's pass and slot home a third in the 65th minute.Lyon refused to give up, though, Mariano leaving Igor Akinfeev no chance when he met Bertrand Traore's cross and crashed home to pull one back with 19 minutes to go.

Sustained pressure in the closing stages failed to produce the equaliser that would have sent Lyon through, as Viktor Goncharenko's side marched on, perhaps with ambitions of emulating the club's success in the 2004-05 UEFA Cup.

 

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Arsenal 3 AC Milan 1 (5-1 agg): Welbeck at the double as Gunners reach quarters

A controversial penalty helped Danny Welbeck to a brace as Arsenal overcame a scare to beat AC Milan 3-1 on the night and 5-1 on aggregate to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg at the San Siro, Arsene Wenger's men found themselves behind to a superb Hakan Calhanoglu strike 10 minutes before half-time.

But any momentum Milan were building up dissipated when one of the additional assistant referees indicated Ricardo Rodriguez had fouled Welbeck when contact was minimal at best.




On the day he received an England recall, Welbeck made no mistake from the spot to score his first European goal since a hat-trick against Galatasaray in October 2014.

Milan continued to ask plenty of questions until a dreadful error from their goalkeeping protege Gianluigi Donnarumma meant Granit Xhaka's speculative strike put the overall result beyond doubt and Welbeck struck again in the 86th minute.


Arsenal allowed Swedish minnows Ostersunds to make inroads into a healthy first-leg lead in the previous round and they started sloppily once more, gifting Fabio Borini space to advance down the right and cross for Andre Silva to lash into the side netting.

Laurent Koscielny's 11th-minute departure with an apparent back injury increased the defensive anxiety for the hosts, with Calum Chambers filling the void at centre-back, but they were warming to their task in an attacking sense.A simmering contest burst into life 10 minutes before half-time when Calhanoglu unleashed a brilliant strike that swerved away from David Ospina and flew low into the right corner.

Arsenal's response was purposeful rather than panicked – Donnarumma palming an Aaron Ramsey shot to safety – and Welbeck converted coolly from 12 yards, even if the decision to award a penalty against Rodriguez for a foul on the England forward bordered on farcical.

Donnarumma saved from Ramsey as Arsenal looked to settle the issue early in the second period and Henrikh Mkhitaryan was unable to outfox the Italy international at his near post.

Back came Milan, with Suso flashing a shot past the bottom right corner from the edge of the area, although Ramsey should have done better than clattering over in the 56th minute after Mesut Ozil and Mkhitaryan pulled the Serie A side apart down their left-hand side.Before the hour Milan forward Patrick Cutrone was unable to turn home an acrobatic volley with Ospina rooted on his line.

Suso's booking for simulation in the 61st minute did nothing for Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso's deteriorating mood, but his call to send on Nikola Kalinic almost proved inspired as the Croatia striker nearly headed home Leonardo Bonucci's raking pass with his first touch.

Wenger brought on Mohamed Elneny for Mkhitaryan to shore up his midfield and that freed up Xhaka to venture a little further forward and score from a shot Donnarumma should have dealt with in routine fashion. Instead, he seemingly dived beyond the ball and pushed it back into his own net.

Opsina thwarted Andre Silva and saw Suso thump a strike just over from the resulting corner, but it fell to Welbeck to have the final word, nodding in after Donnarumma denied Ramsey from Jack Wilshere's cross.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Dynamo Kiev 0 Lazio 2 (2-4 agg): Lucas and De Vrij send dominant visitors through


Lazio were victorious in Ukraine as a pair of goals from set-pieces earned a 2-0 win to knock out Dynamo Kiev 4-2 on aggregate in the Europa League's last 16.

Although the sides' 2-2 draw in Rome had set up a tricky second leg for Simone Inzaghi's men, the Serie A side were on the front foot from the off and Lucas Leiva's 23rd-minute effort was followed by a host of missed chances from profligate 34-goal forward Ciro Immobile.But Stefan de Vrij, another unlikely scorer, struck in the closing stages to seal victory and deservedly book Lazio's place in the quarter-final draw.

Lazio quickly set about chasing an away goal to turn the tie back in their favour and only Tamas Kadar's desperate lunge kept Immobile from breaking the deadlock as he rounded Denys Boyko and looked to slide a finish into the net.

And the goalkeeper was again all at sea when the opener arrived, ex-Liverpool midfielders Luis Alberto and Lucas combining as the latter headed home the former's corner.

Dynamo offered little in response and Boyko's first half scarcely improved, the Ukraine international blocking from the wasteful Immobile but then clumsily handling a second effort from the forward at the very edge of his area.

Chances did not fall quite as easily in the second half after Patric somehow blazed over the top with the goal gaping, Felipe Anderson able to create an opening for himself but shooting straight at Boyko.

Dieumerci Mbokani arrived from the bench for Dynamo as they sought some forward momentum, but the decisive goal instead came at the other end as De Vrij stabbed into the net following a corner seven minutes from time to put the result beyond doubt.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Zenit 1 RB Leipzig 1 (2-3 agg): European debutants reach last eight


RB Leipzig secured a 1-1 draw away to Zenit to progress to the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a 3-2 aggregate win as an impressive first foray into UEFA competition continued on Thursday.

A surprise second-place finish in the Bundesliga last season saw Leipzig qualify for the Champions League for the first time. And while they were unable to get out of a group that contained Monaco, Porto and Besiktas, the German side could at least console themselves with a spot in Europe's second-tier competition. Ralph Hasenhuttl's side made their presence felt by ousting Serie A title-contenders Napoli in the round of 32 and they did so again across two legs against Russian Premier League club Zenit, conquerors of Celtic at the previous stage. After a 2-1 victory in the first leg at Red Bull Arena, Jean-Kevin Augustin's strike saw the visitors take control of the return fixture.

Sebastian Driussi's equaliser in first-half injury time was not enough for Roberto Mancini's Zenit to mount a comeback after the break.And while Timo Werner missed a late opportunity to settle it from the penalty spot, Leipzig were nevertheless able to progress with a degree of comfort.

After losing key player Aleksandr Kokorin to an early injury, a lacklustre Zenit fell behind in the 22nd minute, when Werner was allowed to cut in from the left.
The Germany striker beat two defenders before slipping in Augustin, who did well to turn and slide his low finish past goalkeeper Andrey Lunev.



The hosts grew into the contest and threatened to equalise through eye-catching attempts from Anton Zabolotny and Emiliano Rigoni, but it was Driussi who made the breakthrough late in the opening half, jumping at the back post to volley home Domenico Criscito's well-judged cross.

Zabolotny had the ball in the back of the net in the 68th minute, but was rightly flagged offside and Werner saw a poor effort from the spot saved after he was fouled by Miha Mevlja inside the area with six minutes to go.

Zenit went for broke in the closing stages and were almost hit on the counter-attack as Werner raced away to square for Bruma, who was denied by a fine save from Lunev in the last action of the match.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Athletic Bilbao 1 Marseille 2 (2-5 agg): Payet inspires visitors to victory


Dimitri Payet and Lucas Ocampos haunted Athletic Bilbao for a second time in the Europa League as Marseille cruised into the quarter finals 5-2 on aggregate.Both Payet and Ocampos found the back of the net in the first leg at the Stade Velodrome last week and they were at it again on Thursday, Marseille running out 2-1 winners at San Mames.

However, their progress was marred by reports of trouble before the match between Marseille fans and security staff, while flares were also reportedly thrown from the travelling supporters.That could well bring sanctions from UEFA, but on the pitch Marseille were excellent with the impressive Payet a shining light.

A marauding run, including a one-two with Kostas Mitroglou, was ended by Inigo Lekue's crude challenge, Payet converting the resulting spot kick with aplomb.


Ocampos took his opportunity early in the second period as Athletic gave him far too much room on the left, the Argentine cutting in and firing into the bottom corner – out of Iago Herrerin's reach.Inaki Williams was lucky to stay on the pitch in the second half after escaping punishment for a challenge on Jordan Amavi when already on a yellow card.



He took advantage to halve the deficit on the night with a close-range finish after the ball ricocheted around the visitors' penalty area.Any hope of an Athletic comeback quickly disappeared two minutes later, however, as Aritz Aduriz was shown a second yellow for a poorly-timed challenge on Ocampos, the striker having earlier been booked for dissent.

That enabled Marseille to comfortably see out the victory and ensure progression into the quarters, their first last-eight appearance in a European competition since the 2011-12 Champions League.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Lokomotiv Moscow 1 Atletico Madrid 5 (1-8 agg): Torres double helps pile misery on Russians

Fernando Torres hit a second-half brace as Atletico Madrid showed no mercy and reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League with a dominant 5-1 win at Lokomotiv Moscow.

Diego Simeone's men took a 3-0 first-leg advantage to the Russian capital and, although star man Antoine Griezmann started on the bench and Diego Costa did not travel, there was no let-up from the LaLiga high-flyers.Angel Correa made and finished a fine early opener and Atletico's extra class emphatically showed during the second period after Maciej Rybus' spectacular equaliser had given the hosts some cheer.




Spain midfielder Saul Niguez ensured he claimed goals in each leg and a Lokomotiv side running out of steam did not need to see Griezmann primed on the touchline with half an hour remaining.

He won a penalty for Torres to net in the 65th minute, the former Chelsea forward doubling his tally soon after, and an exquisite chip five minutes from time rounded off the scoring in a game where Simeone's well-honed side were at their ruthless best.

Atletico tightened their grip as early as the 11th minute when Correa exchanged passes with Koke and skipped past Mikhail Lysov – leaving the defender prone on the turf – before sliding a low finish into the far corner.

Lokomotiv were not cowed by their dismal chances of progressing and Jefferson Farfan and captain Igor Denisov forced Atletico's understudy keeper Axel Werner into saves from long-range strikes before pulling level.The corner following Denisov's effort was played short and worked to Rybus 30 yards from goal, the Poland full-back unleashing a venomous 20th-minute shot that shaped away from a partially unsighted Werner and flew into the net.

A shoot-on-sight policy remained at both ends, with Manuel Fernandes sending an attempt just beyond Werner's crossbar before Anton Kochenkov tipped Juanfran's 36th-minute drive onto the top of his crossbar and parried to safety from Thomas Partey.

Some horribly lax defending from Lokomotiv allowed their visitors to retake the lead on the night two minutes into the second half.Saul was allowed to drift into the area unmarked and side-foot home a return ball from Filipe Luis with the minimum of fuss.

Partey tried his luck once more in the 58th minute – his sweetly struck 25-yarder matched by Kochenkov's acrobatic one-handed save.Filipe Luis left the pitch on a stretcher and in considerable pain in the 62nd minute, having received a hefty kick on the calf from Lokomotiv substitute Eder, who expected to make contact with the ball and not a brave piece of last-ditch defending.

Lucas Hernandez came on in the Brazilian's place moments after Griezmann's introduction and the France star soon made his presence felt.A drop of the shoulder allowed him to glide away from Vedran Corluka and Kochenkov rushed out to bring Griezmann down.

Torres converted the penalty and slotted home his second 20 minutes from time, profiting from Correa's deft footwork and excellent throughball.Atletico left the best until last – Correa pirouetting past his man and passing for Griezmann to apply the coup de grace. They will take some stopping in this competition.