..::Football IV::..

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Europa League draw: Arsenal handed Atletico Madrid test in semi-finals

Arsenal will face Atletico Madrid in the Europa League semi-finals, with Marseille paired with Red Bull Salzburg in the other last-four encounter.With the Gunners having slipped out of contention for a top-four finish in the Premier League, continental glory is now required in order to rejoin the Champions League elite.Like Manchester United in 2017, Arsenal are having to prioritise European football over their domestic endeavours in an effort to secure a seat at the top table.

Arsene Wenger saw his side put in a nervy showing against CSKA Moscow in their last outing on Thursday, with two late goals required in Russia to put that encounter to bed.

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They did prevail 6-3 on aggregate, but not before being given a scare.​

The Gunners will know that they cannot afford any more wobbles if they are to emerge victorious, with Atletico set to provide a stern test of their credentials.Diego Simeone’s team also endured a stumble in the second leg of their quarter-final, as they eventually edged out Portuguese side Sporting 2-1 on aggregate, but boast the firepower to trouble the best in the business.

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Arsenal will need no introduction to former Chelsea strikers Diego Costa and Fernando Torres, while Antoine Griezmann has the potential to be a serious thorn in their side.Wenger does, however, have plenty of attacking threat of his own, with World Cup-winning playmaker Mesut Ozil having shown during his time at Real Madrid that he knows how to trouble Atletico.

He could have a key role to play as the battle continues to book a place in the final at Lyon’s Groupama Stadium on May 16.

On the other side of the draw to Arsenal and Atletico, Marseille will have their sights set on a final outing on French soil.They overturned a 1-0 first-leg deficit against RB Leipzig in the quarter-finals to prevail 5-2 in the return date and keep their dreams alive.Salzburg are next up for them, with Serie A heavyweights Lazio having been stunned by the Austrians in the last eight – as they won 4-1 at home on Thursday to secure their progress.​

 

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Arsenal la Atletico Madrid beat kaloth nam Arsenal lata loku chance ekak thiyenne Europa League title ekata
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Football Thread එකේ හැමෝටමත් ලැබුවාවූ සිංහල අලුත් අවූරුද්ද ඔබටත් ඔබගේ පවුලේ සැමටත් සාමය සතුට පිරි සෞභාග්‍යමත් වාසනාවන්ත සුභ අලුත් අවූරුද්දක් වේවා!!!

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Liverpool can win the Champions League - Salah


Liverpool can win the Champions League this season, according to 39-goal star man Mohamed Salah.

The Reds brushed Premier League leaders Manchester City aside in the quarter-finals to earn a draw against Salah's old club Roma, fresh from knocking out Barcelona, in the last four.

Egypt winger Salah concedes there is still a way to go before Liverpool can think about a sixth top European title, but he is backing his side."We can [win it] - we are in the semi-final," he told CNN. "I always say that we take it step by step, but we are in the semi-final and anything can happen.

"Everyone went into the quarter-final with this emotion that we have to win, we can do it. Now, with the semi-final, it's two games to the last step."Salah is locked in a battle with Tottenham's Harry Kane for the Premier League's Golden Boot, and he claims his centre-forward rivals have it "easier" - despite his four-goal advantage.

"Harry Kane and Sergio Aguero are strikers, " Salah added. "They play number nine - I play as a winger more."It's easier for them because they're always in front of the goal, but I'm on the wing. It's a little bit more difficult because I have to give assists. I have to give the ball up, create the chances."

And while Salah has drawn comparisons with Barcelona great Lionel Messi, he is keen to leave discussions of his standing in world football up to others. He said: "I will leave that for other people. They can say what they see, but each game I'm thinking about helping the team to get points, to score goals."

 

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Inter are running out of Champions League chances, concedes Spalletti


Inter coach Luciano Spalletti recognises his side are running out of opportunities to get back into the Champions League spots.After starting the season well, Inter tailed off and have looked to be in danger of missing out on the top four for a while.

They managed to claw themselves back up to fourth, but a draw and defeat in their last two have seen them drop down to fifth again, a point behind Lazio and Roma.

And Spalletti accepts Inter cannot afford to keep dropping points if they want to secure a return to Europe's elite competition, which they have not featured in since 2011-12.

"There are increasingly fewer and fewer opportunities, which means they are worth more than ever and must be exploited," said Spalletti ahead of Saturday's trip to Atalanta."We have to pick up a good result [against Atalanta] and give ourselves a chance to get back into the first four before the Rome derby.

"Everything is still in our hands, it all still depends on us. Myself, the team and the whole environment at Inter. We all know fully well who we are and what our situation is."We're where we expected to be and this is what we were aiming for at the start of the season. We're prepared for this final rush."

Midfielder Rafinha, who is on loan from Barcelona, was recently quoted saying he wants to remain at the Italian club permanently, and Spalletti is clearly an admirer of his. "Rafinha is a good footballer who can give us a big hand," he said. "Inter knows and knew in the past how to get by even without such players.

"He has to be evaluated from time to time, but he's certainly a strong player and he's currently in the right shape to be picked for a strong team such as Inter."

 

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Atletico confirm Diego Costa hamstring injury


Atletico Madrid have confirmed striker Diego Costa suffered a hamstring injury in Thursday's Europa League clash with Sporting CP.The Spain international was withdrawn in the second half of the 1-0 quarter-final second-leg loss to the Portuguese side in Lisbon and was sent for further tests.

"After undergoing medical exams this Friday, April 13, he has been diagnosed with a hamstring injury to his left leg," Atleti confirmed in a statement via their official website.The club were unwilling to put an estimated time frame on the former Chelsea forward's recovery.

It is expected Costa will at least miss Sunday's LaLiga clash with Levante, while he is also likely to be a doubt for the following two games against Real Sociedad and Real Betis.
Atleti will hope to have the 29-year-old available for the first leg of their Europa League semi-final tie against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium on April 26.

 

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Klopp rubbishes thoughts of 'easy' Roma draw for Liverpool in Champions League semi-finals


Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has rubbished suggestions his side have been given an easy semi-final tie against Roma.

The Reds will meet Eusebio Di Francesco's men in the last four, with Bayern Munich taking on holders Real Madrid in the other match-up.Roma produced a stunning second-leg performance to knock Barcelona out at the quarter-final stage, but they were largely regarded as the preferable opponent heading into Friday's draw in Nyon.

Klopp, however, does not think anyone who watched the matches against the Catalans could consider Liverpool to be fortunate."It was not that I thought 'thank God not Bayern, thank God not Real Madrid, yippee Roma' or the other way around," he told the club's official website.

"It is just the draw and I know it is very exciting, but it is good because the most important news is we are still in the competition. Whichever opponent we would have got, I would have said there is a chance because it is football – so there is a chance against Roma.

"But if anybody thinks this is the easiest draw then I cannot help this person; they obviously didn't see both games against Barcelona. In the first result, the 4-1, it was not like the game was – it was [Lionel] Messi genius against a good side of Roma. The second leg was outstanding, it was outstanding what they did. They should have probably won four or five-nil – I was really impressed."It is work and no problem with that and now we are looking forward of course to the first game."

The tie will see Mohamed Salah face his old club for the first time since his transfer to Anfield last June for an initial fee of €42 million.

Klopp believes Roma have underlined their quality by reaching the semi-finals, despite losing a player who has managed 39 goals and 11 assists in his first season with Liverpool."For sure it will be interesting for Mo, but that shows all the quality of Roma," he said. "Everybody knows how big Mo's impact on our season has been – and they've played a season without him. Where would they be if Mo was still there?

"It makes it a really interesting thing and for him, it will be 100 per cent special. He is already of interest wherever we go, but it might go crazy when we go to Rome! He can deal with that, I am sure."

 

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Herrera in extension talks with Man Utd but no deal done


Ander Herrera has revealed that he is in contract extension talks with Manchester United, but no deal has been done as yet.

The Spain international has been at Old Trafford since 2014 and is tied to terms for another 12 months.He was named United’s Player of the Year in 2016-17, having been transformed into a dogged holding midfielder by Jose Mourinho.

Added competition for places has restricted his game time in the current campaign, but he remains an important part of the Red Devils squad and they have moved to retain his services past 2019.

Herrera told Mundo Deportivo on his future: “I am going to fulfil the year that I have left but I do not know if I will renew. We have started talking but nothing has been decided yet.”

He added on his rotation role this season: “Obviously you are happier when you play, but it also comforts me to be physically well, to train to the fullest and go home with the assurance of having given the maximum.”

The £40 million signing of Nemanja Matic by Mourinho in 2017 has nudged Herrera down the pecking order, but the 28-year-old has no complaints at having to compete with one of the best in the business.He said: “[Sergio] Busquets is the great reference in that position and Matic is also among the best. What I like is to give the coach options.“Mourinho backs you up if you give it your all. Whether you play or not, this is a group and the group is most important.”

Herrera has given no thought to turning his back on Mourinho and United as yet, and has also rubbished any suggestion that he could be targeted by Barcelona as a possible successor to World Cup winner Busquets.“I have never been close to them before,” said Herrera.

“You may have sometimes thought of me as one of the 15 alternatives on your list, but I can say that I have never been close to signing.”For now then, Herrera’s focus can remain locked on the end of the 2017-18 campaign with the Red Devils.

A runner-up finish in the Premier League appears to be on the cards, while FA Cup glory remains up for grabs having reached the semi-final stage of that competition.

 

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Barcelona cannot dwell on Roma defeat – Valverde


Ernesto Valverde admits Barcelona let their fans down in Tuesday's Champions League defeat to Roma, but he does not want to dwell on that loss.The Blaugrana were stunned in Italy, giving up a 4-1 first-leg lead to crash out on away goals, having been favourites for the competition.

Barca have been widely criticised for their display but still lead LaLiga and Valverde says his side must move on quickly, with a tough test against Valencia to come on Saturday.

"We lost the possibility of staying in a competition we were excited about being in – it's a big disappointment," he said."It's not just for us, but also for the fans. We feel responsible for letting them down. What you really want is to get back to playing, to put things behind us. We've still got two trophies we can win this season.

"It doesn't matter how many times we look back at the game on Tuesday, it's always a defeat. On Wednesday, we had still lost on Tuesday. On Thursday, we had still lost on Tuesday. "We can't keep looking back at games in the past. We can't dwell on it. We lost. We need to re-engage with the fans and achieve the challenges we have ahead. It's important to keep focused."

And Valverde now wants a reaction at home to Valencia, harking back to a pair of Supercopa de Espana reverses at the hands of Real Madrid back in August as inspiration for how to recover."I would like the reaction to be positive," he said.

"It was the same as with the Supercopa at the start of the season – for three days it looked like the world had ended. It was a catastrophe. We got over things and now it's the same."

 

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Bayern Munich confirm Kovac will replace Heynckes as coach


Bayern Munich have confirmed Niko Kovac will replace Jupp Heynckes as the club's coach next season.

Widespread reports in Germany over the past couple of days had suggested the former Bayern defensive midfielder had won the race to succeed Jupp Heynckes, but Eintracht Franfurt board member Fredi Bobic said on Thursday the coach's current club were unaware of any deal .However. Bayern sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic confirmed the following day that an agreement has been made.

Salihamidzic said: "We agreed a three-year contract on Thursday."We are very happy that we can have Niko Kovac as the new coach of FC Bayern. Niko was a player at Bayern, he knows the characters, the structures and the DNA of the club very well.

"We are convinced that he is the right coach for the future of FC Bayern."Kovac will be assisted by his brother Robert, who fulfils a similar role at Eintracht.

The appointment continues a remarkable upward trend for 46-year-old Kovac, who will take over on July 1, after an impressive spell in Frankfurt - his maiden job in club management.

After being overlooked for the RB Salzburg job in 2012, having coached the reserve team, Kovac took over as national team boss for his native Croatia.

He led them to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil but was then sacked after a disappointing qualifying campaign for Euro 2016.Kovac was appointed at Eintracht in March 2016 and helped the club survive a relegation play-off that season before guiding them to a respectable 11th-place finish in 2017.

The club’s resurgence has continued this term with Kovac’s men fifth in the Bundesliga, just two points behind Bayer Leverkusen, who occupy the final Champions League qualifying spot.Kovac will succeed Heynckes in Bavaria following another hugely impressive stint in charge from the 72-year-old.

Heynckes returned in an interim capacity – his fourth time in charge of Bayern, with the previous three reaping a Champions League title as well as four Bundesliga crowns and a DFB-Pokal – in October 2017 after Carlo Ancelotti was sacked.Bayern clinched a sixth successive Bundesliga last weekend and were on Friday drawn against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League.

 

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Liverpool star Salah makes more history with Premier League Player of the Month prize

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah has become the first player to be named Premier League Player of the Month on three occasions in the same season.

In what has already been a remarkable campaign for the Egypt international, he has now made more English top-flight history.His goal haul across all competitions has been taken to 39, with 29 of those efforts coming in the league.

Salah found the target six times in four Premier League outings throughout March, with the month opened by helping to down Newcastle 2-0 at Anfield.A rare blank was drawn in a 2-1 defeat to Manchester United, but the 25-year-old made amends for that disappointment in some style.

He hit four of Liverpool’s goals in a 5-0 drubbing of Watford, before snatching a dramatic 84th-minute winner at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace were edged out 2-1.That contribution has seen him picked out as the cream of the Premier league crop, adding to the honours he has already collected in November and February.

Salah told the Premier League’s official website on his history-making achievement: “I feel good to win it again, we had good results in the month so that’s the most important thing.”

It could be that there are more honours to come for Salah before the season is out, with his sights being set on another record.At present, the best goal return across a single 38-game Premier League season stands at 31 – with Alan Shearer, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luis Suarez having all achieved that feat.

Salah has that tally within reach, with Liverpool still having five fixtures to come in their ongoing efforts to wrap up a top-four finish.Salah added: “I’m very proud to see myself fighting to break the record for the Premier League. I’m thinking about each game. That’s my target, I want to score, I want to help the team to win again.

“It’s still five games to go, there’s a big chance, let’s see.”Elsewhere, Burnley boss Sean Dyche has seen his own stunning efforts in the Premier League recognised with the Manager of the Month award for March.

The Clarets collected nine points from three outings against Everton, West Ham and West Brom last month to cement a standing in seventh spot and remain in the hunt for European qualification.

 

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Congratulations Salah!

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It's time for Buffon to retire, says Kahn


Gianluigi Buffon should retire from football at the end of the season, according to goalkeeping legend Oliver Kahn.

Buffon has enjoyed an illustrious career at the top of the game, winning the World Cup and reaching a European Championship final with Italy, and claiming several Serie A titles at Juventus.

Despite reaching three finals, the 40-year-old has never won the Champions League and was deprived of another chance to claim the illustrious title after his side's elimination from this season's quarter-finals.

The Bianconeri's campaign ended controversially on Wednesday when Buffon was sent off in second-half injury time after protesting the award of a penalty, allowing Cristiano Ronaldo to put Madrid 4-3 up on aggregate.

Although it means the iconic shot-stopper will likely finish his career without a winner's medal, Kahn says he has done enough to solidify his reputation as one of the best ever.

"It is an important question, if he finds the right time to end his career," the former Germany and Bayern Munich star told Bild. "He could have missed out on a lot - the World Cup with Italy or the events in Madrid on Wednesday, for example - if he was not driven by ever new records and also the dream of necessarily winning the Champions League.

"If you can not make that step into retirement in time, then it will hurt someday. Philipp Lahm, for example, has made the jump very well. "For me, in 2006, after the World Cup third-place playoff match, it was very clear that it was time to leave the national team. And in 2008 I could have hung on for another two or three years, but for what?

"At some point, it's time to decide to jump. I would not overreact to what happened. Buffon's career is not rated on this red card or because he did not win the Champions League. He was a world champion and world-class goalkeeper. These are the things that count."

 

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Southampton 2 Chelsea 3: Two-goal substitute Giroud inspires turnaround

Olivier Giroud came off the bench to inspire a stunning Chelsea turnaround, scoring his first Premier League goals for the club as they fought back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 at Southampton.

Chelsea looked destined to suffer a sixth defeat from nine league outings when Jan Bednarek put Saints 2-0 up after an hour, but Antonio Conte's decision to throw Giroud on from the bench proved a masterstroke, the visitors scoring three times in eight minutes.Despite appearing to be in the ascendancy early on, Chelsea's lack of craft meant Southampton were comfortable, and that encouragement ultimately led to the home side breaking the deadlock.



Ryan Bertrand did well down the left before setting up Dusan Tadic for a straightforward fourth goal of the season.Chelsea were not much better immediately after the restart and, after failing to heed a warning courtesy of Shane Long, the Saints' lead was doubled thanks to a fine finish from Bednarek, who was making his first start for the club.

It was only after Giroud's introduction in the 61st minute that Chelsea took charge, as the France international scored twice either side of an emphatic Eden Hazard finish to wrap up an unlikely victory and leave Southampton languishing in the bottom three.


Chelsea's early control was hindered by a lack of imagination in the final third, the visitors frequently hooking the ball into the box in the hope Alvaro Morata could make something out of it.

He did eventually threaten just before the half-hour mark, heading over from close range, but at that stage Chelsea had already been trailing for six minutes.Former Chelsea defender Bertrand was the inspiration behind Southampton's breakthrough, charging up the left flank and outstripping Cesar Azpilicueta before teeing up Tadic for an easy finish.

Chelsea avoided further damage seven minutes before the break – James Ward-Prowse's long-range effort forcing Thibaut Courtois into action.Marcos Alonso was then lucky to escape a red card on the stroke of half-time for catching Long on the calf with a studs-first challenge.

Southampton went agonisingly close to a second just after the restart – Long catching Chelsea on the break and seeing his effort tipped over by a desperate Courtois.But the Belgium goalkeeper was helpless in the 60th minute. Ward-Prowse's deep free-kick was played towards the back post and Bednarek converted the delivery with a cushioned volley into the bottom-right corner.

Conte responded by introducing Giroud for Morata and the Frenchman quickly had an impact, heading Alonso's cross in from just inside the area.Chelsea then equalised through Hazard with 15 minutes to go, as the Belgian smashed in from close range after Willian found him with a cut-back.



And Giroud completed the remarkable turnaround soon after, drilling into the bottom-right corner after Hazard's cross was not cleared, dealing a cruel blow to Saints' survival chances as they remain three points adrift of safety.

 

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Crystal Palace 3 Brighton and Hove Albion 2: Zaha double helps Eagles to derby delight


Crystal Palace surged six points clear of the Premier League drop zone in an action-packed 3-2 win over bitter rivals Brighton and Hove Albion at Selhurst Park on Saturday.All five goals came amid a frenzied first half as Wilfried Zaha's brace either side of James Tomkins' second goal in three matches secured a much-needed first home win in four attempts.

The Eagles had seemed likely to claim derby honours in fine style as they twice opened up two-goal advantages, although the Seagulls were able to stay within touching distance by elevating their tally of top-flight away goals from seven to nine.



But the visitors' vulnerability at the back proved their undoing, with Zaha and Tomkins both netting from corners inside the opening 14 minutes.Glenn Murray was first to reduce the deficit when he netted against his former club for the second time in all competitions this term, only for Zaha to strike again in the 24th minute – his first headed goal in the Premier League.

And it proved decisive. Jose Izquierdo did bring Brighton back to within one when he skilfully scored 11 minutes prior to the interval, but it stayed that way throughout a nervy second half, Roy Hodgson's men thankful for a poor late Murray miss as they battled to an invaluable three points in their bid for survival.


Zaha spoke pre-match of his desire to exact revenge for their FA Cup exit at Brighton in January and he seemed to take the responsibility upon himself from the earliest exchanges. The winger's first could hardly have been easier as he tapped in at point-blank range after Milivojevic, dribbling into the area following a short corner, unleashed an effort that burst through Mat Ryan's hands.

The raucous home fans were buoyant again less than 10 minutes later when Tomkins doubled the advantage, the defender firing through a sea of bodies after Milivojevic's curling corner led to an almighty scramble.Brighton were creaking at the back but, against the run of play, they soon lit the embers of a comeback, Murray cleverly anticipating Lewis Dunk's goal-bound header to hook the ball into the roof of the net.

Halving the deficit only served to paper over the cracks in the Seagulls' under-fire back four. Ezequiel Schelotto was at fault for the concession of a third midway through the half, losing Zaha on the way to the 25-year-old dispatching a diving header from Milivojevic's superb ball over the top.

That restored the home side's two-goal buffer and it seemed as though the stream of goals might be stemmed somewhat by the exhausting back-and-forth nature of the contest.Izquierdo, though, had other ideas of how a chaotic half should end, getting in behind the recalled Joel Ward and curling a sublime curling finish inside the far post for a fifth goal by the 34th minute.

It was surprising, then, that the first real chance of the second half did not arrive until the hour, with Murray's outstretched boot diverting Beram Kayal's cross past the far post.

Patrick van Aanholt's lazy, closed-down clearance then gave the Englishman a second chance at bagging a brace of his own, only to have his shot blocked.Palace managed to inject a measure of calm and were content to keep the Seagulls at bay for much of the final half hour, although a dipping Dale Stephens strike from well outside the box to did force Wayne Hennessey into a scrambling save.

Their best chance for an equaliser arrived deep into stoppage time and it was a golden opportunity for that man Murray again, but he could not deny his ex-employers on this occasion as he somehow conspired to skew a gilt-edge chance wide after being spotted unmarked in the area by Anthony Knockaert.

 

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Barcelona 2 Valencia 1: Suarez, Umtiti strike as leaders break unbeaten record

Barcelona made it a record 39 LaLiga matches without defeat with a 2-1 win over Valencia at Camp Nou on Saturday.

Goals from Luis Suarez and Samuel Umtiti earned the league leaders a slice of history and helped to banish thoughts of Wednesday's Champions League capitulation against Roma, despite Dani Parejo's penalty.

A rainy day and a subdued crowd of just 69,544 spectators – well short of the 99,354 capacity – was reflected in a turgid opening spell for Barca, until Suarez struck to break the deadlock and restore some cheer to the stands 15 minutes in.Valencia had chances to level the scores, with Goncalo Guedes and Rodrigo Moreno wasting clear opportunities, before the under-fire Umtiti responded to his critics by heading in the second goal after 51 minutes.

Marcelino's Champions League hopefuls got a goal back through Parejo's late penalty but could not complete the turnaround, ensuring Barca surpassed the previous record of 38 games unbeaten that they shared with Real Sociedad in winning fashion.

The result also moves the leaders 14 points clear at the top of the table, with second-place Atletico Madrid playing their game in hand against Levante on Sunday.


Guedes forced Marc-Andre ter Stegen to claw away a fine strike during a sluggish opening spell from Barca, but Suarez soon had the fans on their feet.Philippe Coutinho, restored to the side after being cup-tied for the Roma loss, threaded a fine throughball into Suarez's path and the striker side-footed past Neto at the right-hand post.

Valencia responded well, though, Guedes seeing a low striker saved by Ter Stegen before firing a deflected effort just wide after picking up a loose ball in the Barca box.

Ter Stegen gifted the visitors another chance with a poor clearance but made amends in style, turning Rodrigo's effort onto the crossbar with an excellent one-handed save.Rodrigo should have punished an Umtiti error early in the second half but his effort was cleared off the line by Gerard Pique after Santi Mina had played him into clear space in the penalty area.

The miss proved costly. A minute later, Coutinho's corner was headed into the bottom-right corner by Umtiti, despite Neto's best efforts to keep the ball out.Dani Parejo came close with a 35-yard free-kick but captain Andres Iniesta could have made it 3-0, with Neto reacting well to parry his volley from Lionel Messi's cross.

Messi himself shot just wide at the end of a mazy run before Parejo squeezed an 87th-minute penalty beneath Ter Stegen, after Ousmane Dembele carelessly brought down Jose Gaya, but it made little difference to Barca's record-breaking day.

 

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Bayern Munich 5 Borussia Monchengladbach 1: Wagner double kicks off Heynckes' farewell with win

Sandro Wagner scored a quickfire double as a much-changed Bayern Munich came from behind to kick off Jupp Heynckes' farewell matches with a comfortable 5-1 Bundesliga victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Germany international Wagner proved a capable deputy for Robert Lewandowski, who dropped to the bench as one of seven alterations from the side that clinched a Champions League semi-final spot with a 0-0 draw against Sevilla on Wednesday, with two goals in the space of four first-half minutes.

It inspired Bayern to a 37th home league match without defeat in their first outing since it was announced Heynckes, who set a record by participating in his 1,034th Bundesliga match as a player or coach, would make way for Eintracht Frankfurt boss Niko Kovac from next season.



The Bavarian giants wrapped up a sixth successive top-flight crown with a 4-1 win at Augsburg last weekend but, although Heynckes said in his pre-match news conference they would not "ease off", they started slowly and were punished by Josip Drmic in the ninth minute.Gladbach opted to play on the counter-attack thereafter and Wagner punished their reluctance to get forward with a pair of strikes, the second of which Yann Sommer should have done more to keep out.

Thiago Alcantara got the third before David Alaba marked his return from a back injury by scoring a Bundesliga goal with his weaker right foot for the first time, and Lewandowski - a 70th-minute replacement for Wagner - rounded off a resounding triumph that damages Gladbach's European aspirations.


Bayern started like a side with nothing to play for and they paid the price for allowing Gladbach to control possession in the opening stages when Drmic cut inside Niklas Sule and curled a fine shot beyond Sven Ulreich and inside the far post. Rather than push on, Gladbach sat back and enabled Bayern to build momentum, which proved costly.

After Corentin Tolisso warmed the gloves of Sommer from 20 yards, the hosts were level in the 37th minute.A delightful dummy from Thiago let Sule's throughball run to Thomas Muller, who took Sommer out of the equation with a centre that Wagner tucked home first time.

The same duo combined for Wagner to get his second before the break, the striker towering over Matthias Ginter and producing a header that bounced underneath the outstretched arms of Sommer and into the bottom-left corner.

Wagner was denied a hat-trick by Sommer six minutes after the restart, but the rebound fell kindly for Thiago to extend Bayern's lead. The hosts looked ready to run away with the match and only the post stopped James Rodriguez, a half-time replacement for Muller, from getting their fourth.It came in the 67th minute, though. Alaba cut inside Thorgan Hazard and lashed a venomous effort beyond the idle Sommer with his unfavoured foot.

Wagner made way for Lewandowski and the Poland international tucked Joshua Kimmich's cross past Sommer in the 82nd minute, but he scuffed a chance at the death that would have seen Bayern register six for the third successive Bundesliga home match.

 

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Liverpool 3 Bournemouth 0: Salah reaches 40 goals in comfortable win

Mohamed Salah hit his 40th goal of the season as Liverpool capped an excellent week with a 3-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth at Anfield.The Egypt winger was slightly below par on this occasion by his lofty standards, but a header 21 minutes from time took him to 40 in all competitions in a Reds shirt and 30 in the league, adding to Sadio Mane's first-half strike before Roberto Firmino netted a late third.

The Reds - inspired by Salah - booked their place in the Champions League semi-finals with a win at Manchester City on Tuesday, but their attention returned to domestic action in a victory that puts pressure on second-placed rivals Manchester United.Jurgen Klopp named a full-strength starting XI and it quickly became clear that Bournemouth would not improve on their winless record at Anfield.

It still looked for long periods as though Liverpool would fail to add to the lead secured early by Mane in a one-sided match, but Salah predictably sealed the win to move five clear of Harry Kane in the Golden Boot race ahead of the Tottenham man's clash with City later in the day.And Firmino got in on the act in the final stages as Klopp's side move within a point of United, who have two games in hand.

Pre-match tributes were held on the eve of the 29th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster, before Liverpool began on the front foot and Salah toed Trent Alexander-Arnold's pass from deep just wide of the right-hand post.

It took only seven minutes for the opener to arrive. Jordan Henderson crossed following a half-cleared corner and Mane flicked a header towards goal, then pounced to slam home the rebound when Asmir Begovic could only parry.Routine Begovic saves from Alexander-Arnold and Salah followed, with the home side relentless in attack and their pace terrorising a scrambling Bournemouth back-line.

Further clear openings did not arrive before the break, though, and Bournemouth dealt with the dominant hosts rather more confidently after the restart.Still there remained very little goal threat at the other end - with Jermain Defoe anonymous - allowing Salah time to finally find his range.

The winger looped a sublime header over Begovic to settle the contest and reach another scoring milestone, before teeing up Mane for a shot that skidded wide.Firmino somehow failed to add his name to the scoresheet shortly afterwards when he rounded Begovic and could not finish, but he got his goal in the closing stages, squeezing a low effort in between goalkeeper and post.

Liverpool will now surpass a year unbeaten in home league games before Stoke City visit in a fortnight - by which time Roma will have been to town for a Champions League semi-final clash that has rather more riding on it than this game.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Tottenham 1 Manchester City 3: Leaders battle back to winning ways

Manchester City avoided a repeat of the second-half collapses that have haunted them this week as they moved to within a win of the Premier League title with a 3-1 victory at Tottenham.

As in their 3-2 derby defeat to Manchester United last weekend and the confirmation of their Champions League exit against Liverpool on Tuesday, Pep Guardiola's side were close to their scintillating best during the opening exchanges at Wembley and established a 2-0 lead inside 25 minutes.

Gabriel Jesus' 10th Premier League goal of the season and an Ilkay Gundogan penalty – replays showed the contact from Hugo Lloris' lunge on Raheem Sterling occurred fractionally outside the box – put City in the driving seat but Christian Eriksen reducing the arrears in the 42nd minute left the runaway league leaders again looking vulnerable.They held firm under probing Tottenham pressure early in the second half before Sterling rescued his latest scattergun showing in front of goal with a game-sealing strike in the 72nd minute.

City will be crowned champions on Sunday in the unlikely event of rock-bottom West Brom beating Manchester United, but glory will be there's regardless if they beat Swansea City next weekend.


Leroy Sane almost gave City the lead in stunning fashion after four minutes, crashing a back-post volley against the post following Sterling's delivery from the right.Sterling teed up Gundogan for a shot that was deflected behind in the 19th minute and Spurs barely left their own half for an extended passage of play following the resulting corner.

Just when they appeared to have pushed City back to where they wanted them, Vincent Kompany lifted a raking ball over the top of the home defence and Jesus kept his cool under pressure from Davinson Sanchez to slot home.Heads did not clear in the home defence and, after Jesus failed to capitalise on the referee's advantage with a second goal, play was brought back for Lloris' indiscretion.

The Tottenham goalkeeper could not atone for his rashness by denying Gundogan, who coolly converted as he did from 12 yards on this ground in the 2013 Champions League final for Borussia Dortmund.Lloris beat away a rasping David Silva drive in the 33rd minute but City's level dropped markedly before half-time to allow Spurs back into the contest.

Having succeeded in taking a goal off his team-mate this week, Harry Kane cutely played in Eriksen, who enjoyed a slice of luck when Aymeric Laporte's challenge played the ball back against him and it flew past Ederson.City struggled during the opening stages of the second half, ceding possession regularly to Guardiola' clear irritation.

Tottenham's pressure eased after the hour passed and Jesus should have restored the two-goal cushion, skewing wide on the end of Gundogan's excellent throughball.

Sterling's misses preceded City's fall from grace against United and his was the greatest relief of all when, having inexplicably dallied with the goal at his mercy in the 71st minute, he slammed home the rebound after Lloris brilliantly denied Jesus.Kevin De Bruyne's majestic volleyed pass gave Sterling the chance to add a second but he skewed wide with Sanchez in close attendance.

Tottenham remain fourth, their advantage over Chelsea in fifth trimmed to seven points by their rivals' comeback from 2-0 down at Southampton - heroics they threatened only briefly to replicate.

 

[Wolverine GTR]

Man Utd star Lukaku boasts: 'I always knew I'd get 100 Premier League goals'


Romelu Lukaku has become a Premier League centurion with Manchester United and claims to have always known that he would hit 100 goals.

The Belgium international reached a notable landmark on March 31 when finding the target in a 2-0 victory over Swansea.That effort was his 15th in the English top-flight this season and built on previous hauls of 17 at West Brom and 68 with Everton.

Lukaku says he never doubted his ability to be a prolific frontman, even after enduring a testing start in England at Chelsea, with his consistent performances down to hard work and natural ability.

He told MUTV on a memorable campaign for him on a personal level: "In the Premier League, I started at 19 [years old], so I knew that I will be one of those guys that’s going to reach 100."That’s just the belief that I have in my qualities, but it all starts with the work that I put in.

"Hard work eliminates fear. That’s how I think."So, the more I put the work in, the more confident I am in certain situations because I’ve worked on it. I know what to do, I know where to do it and I don’t fear anything. If I fail, it’s no problem. There’s another opportunity."

Lukaku’s belief in his own ability has been tested at times this season, with a barren run between October and December seeing him net just once in 12 appearances.

He has, however, rediscovered his best form in 2018, with the target found 11 times since the turn of the year.His tally across all competitions now stands at 26, with an immediate return offered on the £75 million investment United made in him during the summer of 2017.