..::Football IV::..

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Manchester United 0 West Brom 1: Shock defeat hands title to Manchester City

Manchester United suffered a humiliating 1-0 defeat to rock-bottom West Brom at Old Trafford to confirm Manchester City's coronation as Premier League champions.

Jose Mourinho's side had prevented their neighbours winning the title with a stirring comeback last weekend, but an unlikely defeat to the Baggies secured a third Premier League title for their cross-city rivals.

United were second-best all afternoon and Darren Moore's men earned their reward for a spirited display thanks to Jay Rodriguez's close-range header 17 minutes from time.Romelu Lukaku was twice denied by smart saves from Ben Foster, while Jesse Lingard also came close after his introduction from the bench at half-time.

The hosts threw everything at West Brom in the closing stages, but were unable to find a breakthrough that would have delayed City's title confirmation until at least Wednesday when United take on Bournemouth.Victory for West Brom moves them up to 24 points, but they remain nine away from safety with just four games remaining.


Not for the first time this season at Old Trafford United started sluggishly and could have been a goal down after 12 minutes. Ander Herrera had his pocket picked midway through his own half by Rodriguez before the ball was rolled into the path of Jake Livermore. The England midfielder's effort lacked venom, though, and was parried to safety by David de Gea.

Herrera had a penalty appeal waved away after seemingly being tripped by Craig Dawson, while Lukaku's powerful drive from Juan Mata's through ball was kept out by the face of Foster.United's insipid half was then summed up when Paul Pogba received a yellow card for inexplicably trying to convert a deep cross with his hand.

Lingard replaced Herrera at the interval and the new man almost made an immediate impact with a fierce goal-bound drive that was bravely blocked by Dawson.Mata sliced wide from just outside the penalty area before the ineffective Pogba was hauled off for Anthony Martial just before the hour in a desperate attempt to inject some spark into United's lifeless attack.



Lukaku must have thought he had broken the deadlock after 65 minutes but former United goalkeeper Foster got down superbly to repel the Belgian's powerful header from Nemanja Matic's cross.And the importance of that save was brought into sharp focus eight minutes later as Rodriguez stole in unmarked to nod in Matic's wayward header from a corner.

United pushed numbers forward in the closing stages, but Foster never really looked in danger of being tested again as United succumbed to a defeat that was celebrated by the blue half of Manchester with even more vigour than usual.

 

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Newcastle United 2 Arsenal 1: Ritchie extends Gunners' wretched away run

Newcastle United came from a goal down to beat Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday and extend the Gunners' wretched run away from home in the Premier League.

Alexandre Lacazette's opener was overturned by strikes from Ayoze Perez and Matt Ritchie, as Rafa Benitez's side ended a 10-game losing streak against Arsenal and took another huge step towards safety.Arsenal, though, have now lost five in a row on their travels in the top flight for the first time since December 1984 and are just two points above seventh-place Burnley in the table.


Arsene Wenger, whose primary focus is on the Europa League, started Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang together for the first time and the duo combined to break the deadlock 14 minutes in at St. James' Park.

Perez levelled the scores just before the half-hour mark with his third goal in as many league games, though, after the Gunners failed to deal with a long ball from the impressive Jonjo Shelvey.Newcastle sensed the chance for a first home league win over Arsenal since 2005 and Ritchie proved to be the hero, finishing in style on 68 minutes to move the Magpies onto 41 points, 13 above the bottom three.


The Aubameyang-Lacazette partnership bore fruit early on, as the former Borussia Dortmund man latched onto Shkodran Mustafi's long pass and crossed for Lacazette to volley past Martin Dubravka on the slide.The home side drew level with a similar route-one approach, though. Shelvey's raking pass was cushioned back by Dwight Gayle to DeAndre Yedlin, and his low cross was cleverly steered into the net at Petr Cech's near post by Perez.

Calum Chambers had a great chance to restore the Gunners' lead before the break in very similar fashion to Lacazette's finish, but the full-back could only clip the outside of the right-hand post after stretching to meet Mustafi's header across the box.

Lacazette spurned another good opening with a poor pass to 18-year-old Premier League debutant Joe Willock, but Arsenal's attacking threat diminished entirely after the break as Newcastle began to push forward.And it was Ritchie – the man who got the winner against Manchester United in February – who struck the decisive blow, collecting Perez's flick and side-footing past Cech after Nacho Monreal had made a mess of a defensive header.

Kenedy clipped the woodwork on the break but the miss counted for little, with Arsenal's faint top-four hopes all but over as they now face a battle to stay in the top six.

 

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Atletico Madrid 3 Levante 0: Torres reaches milestone as Simeone's side clinch top-four finish

Atletico Madrid secured Champions League football for next season thanks to a routine 3-0 victory over LaLiga strugglers Levante on Sunday.Having lost 1-0 to Sporting CP on Thursday, the home side appeared to be suffering a Europa League hangover until Angel Correa broke through Levante's resistance in the 33rd minute.

Antoine Griezmann maintained his scoring streak in the league with the second goal soon after the break, as Diego Simeone's side coasted to a 10th successive win at the Wanda Metropolitano in all competitions - all secured without conceding.The France international's fierce strike from Sime Vrsaljko's volleyed cross saw him on the scoresheet for a fourth successive league outing, while also taking his tally for the season to 26 in all competitions.

Fernando Torres also found the net in the week he confirmed his impending departure, the substitute firing home Correa's cross to score his 100th LaLiga goal for his boyhood club.While the win does little to bother champions-elect Barcelona in terms of the title race in Spain, Atletico are now certain of a top-four finish with six games remaining.


Looking over their shoulder at the opposite end after Deportivo La Coruna's surprise 3-2 win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday closed the gap to the bottom three to five points, Levante kept Atletico quiet until Correa fired the hosts ahead just after the half-hour mark.Allowed to drift in from the right flank while retaining possession, a meandering Vitolo run created the opportunity for his team-mate to break the deadlock, Correa cleverly cutting the ball onto his right foot to fire a low drive beyond visiting goalkeeper Oier Olazabal.

Atletico felt aggrieved they were not afforded the opportunity to double their lead from the spot in the closing minutes of the opening half, referee Jesus Gil Manzano not only dismissing the strong appeal for a penalty but also carding Griezmann for what he considered to be a dive.

In the clear, the Atletico forward pushed the ball beyond the advancing Olazabal before the pair came into contact with each other. A baying home crowd waited for the official to point to the spot, only for an exasperated Griezmann to instead be punished for simulation.

Frustrated at the end of the first half, Griezmann was all smiles early in the second when he thumped home Vrsaljko's cut-back ball from the right, the Croatian full-back cushioning the ball perfectly into the path of his team-mate's advancing run.The scorer made way before the hour for Torres, with the incoming forward giving a rousing reception in his first home outing since confirming he will leave the club at the end of the campaign.

The Atletico supporters were back on their feet to cheer the former Spain international again in the 77th minute, Correa's chipped pass allowing Torres to roll back the years with a volleyed finish beyond Olazabal.His milestone moment capped another comfortable home outing for Simeone's men, who remain on course to finish the campaign behind Barca in the table.

 

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AC Milan 0 Napoli 0: Donnarumma wonder save means Sarri's men slip up again

Napoli put themselves at risk of losing more ground to Juventus in the Serie A title race as they were held to a 0-0 draw by AC Milan at San Siro.

Maurizio Sarri's side controlled much of Sunday's encounter, but could not carve a way through Milan's dogged rearguard, with Gianluigi Donnarumma pulling off an incredible save to deny Arkadiusz Milik in stoppage time.

Before that, Lorenzo Insigne and Marek Hamsik had passed up decent opportunities either side of the interval, while the offside flag had denied Mateo Musacchio a goal for Milan late in the first half.


Milan's determined display gave them a platform to hit Napoli on the counter, and only terrific defending from Raul Albiol prevented Nikola Kalinic putting Gennaro Gattuso's side ahead midway through the second period.Napoli left it late to edge past Chievo last time out and substitute Milik looked set to win this game late on, but he failed to beat Donnarumma from point-blank range.

A third draw in five league games moves Napoli on to 78 points - three shy of leaders Juve, who could move six clear with a victory over Sampdoria later on Sunday.Pepe Reina, who looks likely to join Milan at the end of the season, was the first goalkeeper to be called into action, pulling off a fantastic save from Giacomo Bonaventura's third-minute effort.


Milan's fast start should have resulted in the opening goal 11 minutes in, but Kalinic was unable to head home from close range.Napoli's first chances came soon after - Jose Callejon slicing wide before Dries Mertens combined excellently with Insigne and forced Donnarumma into action.

Sloppy Milan defending almost allowed Hamsik to capitalise at the other end, while Insigne flashed a strike across the face of goal at the culmination of a fantastic run.

Musacchio thought he had given Milan the lead six minutes before the interval after he hammered in the rebound from Hakan Calhanoglu's venomous shot, but the goal was correctly ruled out.Insigne continued to prove a thorn in Milan's side after the restart as he teed up Hamsik, who failed to apply the finish from a tight angle.

Napoli's domination failed to produce another clear opening, however, and Kalinic would almost certainly have put Milan ahead on the hour if not for Albiol's last-ditch interception.Milan were subsequently restricted to nothing more than fleeting moments on the break as Napoli searched for a winner.

It was not to be, however, with Donnarumma producing a stunning save at full stretch - diving low to his left - to keep out Milik's effort and potentially end Napoli's title challenge.

 

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Schalke 2 Borussia Dortmund 0: Konoplyanka and Naldo earn Ruhr derby glory

Yevhen Konoplyanka and Naldo struck as Schalke beat rivals Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in a hard-fought Ruhr derby to boost their Champions League qualification hopes.

Schalke battled back from 4-0 down away to Dortmund to claim a sensational draw earlier in the campaign but no such dramatics were needed at the Veltins-Arena on Sunday.

Konoplyanka struck early in the second half with his third Bundesliga goal of the season, the winger beating Roman Burki with a powerful strike after great work from full-back Daniel Caligiuri.


Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann was almost untested in the home goal, bar a simple save from a Marco Reus free-kick, as Domenico Tedesco's men successfully stifled their rivals.

The visitors rarely looked like launching a comeback - Naldo doubling Schalke's lead late on with a spectacular curling free-kick - and Dortmund are now winless in five away games in all competitions with problems mounting for coach Peter Stoger as striker Michy Batshuayi was stretchered off with an apparent ankle injury.

Tedesco continues to work wonders in his first season in the Bundesliga, with Schalke moving four points clear in second place, albeit 20 behind champions Bayern Munich.


Dortmund made a flying start in the reverse fixture but Schalke began on top this time around, Alessandro Schopf forcing a fine save from Burki, who got down well to his right.

Amine Harit and Guido Burgstaller fired efforts wide as the hosts continued to dominate the opening exchanges, with the derby played at a typically ferocious pace.A dipping Reus free-kick called Fahrmann into action in the 24th minute, but the Schalke captain made a comfortable save high to his right.

An unmarked Thilo Kehrer should have hit the target with a header from a terrific Caligiuri set-piece delivery, but, after Konoplyanka whipped a shot narrowly wide of the far post after cutting in off the left wing, the half ended goalless.

Konoplyanka's effort proved a sighter as he hammered Schalke in front in the 50th minute.

Dortmund captain Marcel Schmelzer lost possession to Caligiuri, who raided through midfield and fed the pass to Konoplyanka on the left side of the penalty area, a thumped left-footed finish giving Burki no chance.A tame 66th-minute Reus effort caused no problems for Fahrmann as Schalke - without Matija Nastasic due to an injury that could rule the Serbia centre-back out of the World Cup - held firm.

Reus blasted wide on the volley as Dortmund, beaten 6-0 at Bayern in their last away game, desperately sought an equaliser, with Stoger turning to teenager Jadon Sancho in the closing stages.Batshuayi sent a diving header wide from Lukasz Piszczek's right-wing cross with 10 minutes to play, but the hosts claimed bragging rights and took a step towards returning to Europe's top table in stunning fashion.



A short free-kick was swiftly worked wide of the wall for defender Naldo to hammer an unstoppable drive that curled dramatically away from the helpless goalkeeper Burki, a strike worthy of settling any derby clash.

And the day got even worse for Dortmund in stoppage time as Batshuayi left the field on a stretcher after seemingly damaging his ankle in a challenge from Benjamin Stambouli.

 

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Man City crowned 2017-18 Premier League champions


Manchester City have been crowned as the winners of the 2017-18 Premier League after rivals United slumped to defeat at the hands of West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.Pep Guardiola's men now hold an unassailable 16-point lead at the top of the table, meaning that with just five games to play nobody can catch the runaway leaders.

City could have sealed the title last week, but for a spirited comeback from United in the Manchester derby as Jose Mourinho's men claimed a 3-2 win at the Etihad Stadium.

A 3-1 victory over Tottenham on Saturday, however, meant that defeat for the Red Devils at home to relegation-threatened West Brom would confirm the title win.

Despite dominating possession at Old Trafford, Mourinho's side fell to a 1-0 loss thanks to Jay Rodriguez's goal - meaning the title celebrations could begin for United's neighbours.With 33 games played, City have won an impressive 28, with three draws and just two defeats.The champions have scored 93 times and conceded on 25 occasions.

Now the title is in the bag, the club's next challenge will be to claim the record for most points in a single season.
Chelsea currently hold that milestone, having picked up 95 points under Mourinho in 2004-05; in order to surpass the Portuguese, Guardiola's side must take at least nine points from the 15 still up for grabs. United, meanwhile, will attempt to hold onto second place and automatic qualification into the Champions League group stages next season.

Liverpool are just one point behind the Red Devils with 70 points, albeit having played one more game, while Tottenham lie three points further back on 67.

 

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Malaga 1 Real Madrid 2: Isco downs struggling former side

Isco's first LaLiga free-kick and a Casemiro tap-in earned Champions League semi-finalists Real Madrid a 2-1 win at Malaga on Sunday, nudging the Spaniard's former side closer towards relegation.

Zinedine Zidane left stars including Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale out of his squad after Madrid survived a dramatic fightback by Juventus in midweek, with Marcelo and Toni Kroos named on the bench.But despite the changes made by the Frenchman, Madrid eased to a fifth consecutive away victory in all competitions thanks to a sublime showing from the increasingly influential Isco.

A fine free-kick from the playmaker that curled away from Roberto Jimenez was the 25th set-piece goal scored by Madrid, more than any LaLiga club this season, giving Zidane's men a first-half lead. Isco then teed up Casemiro to slot home the decisive second after the break for the visitors, who won the title on their visit to La Rosaleda last season, Madrid moving above Valencia into third place in the table despite Diego Rolan's 93rd-minute consolation.

Malaga had opportunities to rescue an unlikely draw before Casemiro's goal, Manuel Iturra guilty of wasting a fine one-on-one chance, but Madrid closed out victory to leave Jose Gonzalez's men - 14 points adrift of safety with six games to go - on the brink of dropping out of the top flight.

Karim Benzema, given extra responsibility in the absence of Ronaldo and Bale, fired a pair of early efforts off target as Madrid sought a fast start.
Isco's superb chipped throughball sent Lucas Vazquez through on goal in the 23rd minute but he snatched at a rushed finish, smashing the ball well over the crossbar.Benzema nodded a free header wide at the back post from Casemiro's deep cross, but Isco gave Madrid the lead with a superb free-kick against his old club in the 29th minute.

The set-piece, central and 25 yards out, was in a perfect position and Isco whipped the ball over the wall and beyond the despairing dive of goalkeeper Jimenez, the Spain international opting not to celebrate and being rewarded with warm applause from the home fans.

Roberto Rosales hit a free-kick just over the crossbar and sloppy Madrid play led to a great chance for the hosts just before the break as Casemiro was robbed by Iturra, but the midfielder fired into the legs of Keylor Navas.Malaga started the second half with increased confidence but an off-target Alberto Bueno header was the closest they came to levelling the scores.

Perhaps inevitably, Madrid then killed the game off with a clinical 63rd-minute attack, with Isco - who left Malaga for Madrid in 2013 - at the heart of the move again.

Benzema's good work put Isco into the box and, despite being given a clear sight of goal, he unselfishly squared for Casemiro to roll in his fifth LaLiga goal of the season.

Although Malaga were thereafter playing for pride - Isco having departed to a standing ovation - substitute Maxime Lestienne whipped a sharp strike narrowly wide of Navas' right-hand post with 10 minutes to go.

And Rolan gave the home fans something to cheer with the last kick of the game, taking advantage of poor defending from Jesus Vallejo to slam in a close-range finish.

 

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Paris Saint-Germain 7 Monaco 1: Seventh heaven as sensational PSG regain the Ligue 1 title

Paris Saint-Germain cruised to a fifth Ligue 1 title in six years thanks to an astonishing 7-1 win over defending champions Monaco at the Parc des Princes on Sunday.Leonardo Jardim's young team caused an upset in winning the title last term, but PSG responded with significant investment in the form of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, and have been in charge for the majority of the campaign, ultimately regaining their crown in emphatic style with five games to spare.

A stunning six-minute spell in the first half put PSG in complete control as they scored three times through Giovani Lo Celso, Edinson Cavani and Angel Di Maria, before former got his second of the day and the team's 100th this season just before the half-hour mark.Rony Lopes at least prevented PSG from claiming a clean sheet, though it was nothing more than a consolation and things only became more humiliating for Monaco, as Di Maria, a Radamel Falcao own goal and Julian Draxler's late strike in the second period capped a memorable night for the Parisians.


Yet, despite PSG easing to the Ligue 1 and Coupe de la Ligue titles, with the chance of Coupe de France glory still to come, such domestic success is unlikely to be enough to save Unai Emery's job, with the Basque coach's expiring contract not expected to be renewed.

Emery was hired for the European knockout expertise he exhibited with three successive Europa League triumphs at Sevilla, but consecutive last-16 eliminations in the Champions League are likely to cost him an extension, with Thomas Tuchel reportedly identified as the man to take them to the next level in Europe.

Although luck was on Monaco's side early on when Cavani missed a glorious opportunity, PSG were playing with a ruthlessness that was not going to see them slip up.Cavani was soon involved for the better in the 14th minute, as he cleverly fed Dani Alves into the area and the Brazilian set up Lo Celso for an easy finish.Their lead was then doubled soon after when Cavani rose to meet Yuri Berchiche's left-wing cross with a bullet header into the bottom-left corner.

Monaco had no answer to PSG's brilliance and Di Maria added a third after just 20 minutes, the winger racing on to Cavani's pass and outrageously scooping the ball over the helpless Danijel Subasic.And things got even uglier in the 27th minute as Javier Pastore's cross with the outside of his right foot found Lo Celso, who nodded in his second.

Lopes tapped in Almamy Toure's right-wing cross at the back post to pull one back for Monaco late in the first half.It never looked like being the start of an incredible comeback, even if PSG evidently eased off slightly after the restart.PSG still had enough to restore their four-goal advantage, though, as Di Maria found the bottom-right corner after being fed into the box by Pastore in the 58th minute.

And to add insult to injury, Falcao put past his own goalkeeper 14 minutes from time when trying to get out of the way of a corner delivery, and Draxler rounded off a remarkable day for champions PSG by scoring a seventh, slotting into the bottom-left corner from the edge of the box.

 

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Congratulations PSG!

Ligue 1 Champions 2017/18
​

 

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Mourinho: Don't say Man City won the title because we lost... it's not fair!


Jose Mourinho played down the significance of Manchester United's home surrender to West Brom on Sunday, signalling that Man City deserved to win the Premier League on their own merits.Having put title celebrations on ice at the Etihad Stadium thanks to a stunning 3-2 win over City last week, United folded at the hands of the relegation-threatened Baggies.

Jay Rodriguez's goal at Old Trafford meant that City finally got their hands on the crown, leading their rivals by 16 points with five games to play.

But Mourinho argued after the final whistle that the title win was inevitable, and that the exact game in which the Premier League was secured mattered little."I congratulated Man City face-to-face when I had the chance because I knew they would do it," the manager told reporters.

"If I was them I would be very disappointed if people said they won because West Brom beat Man United. They won because they were the best team. They only lost two games."I won eight titles and I am not on the moon because I won against Manchester City."I saw lots of people in the moon because we won against City. You could see the difference in the attitude to players compared to last week."

"We deserve to be punished, but the defeat was too heavy."The two games lost by Pep Guardiola's men compares favourably to the six times United have tasted defeat in the Premier League this season.

Both West Brom and Huddersfield, two teams near the foot of the table, beat the Red Devils, while fellow relegation candidates Southampton and Stoke also took points off United.

For Mourinho, that lack of consistency goes a long way to explaining the fate of this year's title."I trust in my work. Eight titles. Three Premier League. Last not 20 years ago, it was three," he added."I know how to win. I believe in myself. You don't win titles with inconsistency. You need consistency at every level. The mental level, day by day."

 

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Torres reaches 100 La Liga goals ahead of Atletico Madrid departure


Fernando Torres hit his 100th La Liga goal at the end of the week he announced he is to leave Atletico Madrid.Torres confirmed he will depart the club, where he made his name as a young striker, when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The 34-year-old, who returned to Atletico in 2015 on an initial loan deal, has been waiting for his 100th La Liga goal since hitting the net against Las Palmas in January.

And the former Spain international brought up three figures in the 3-0 beating of Levante on Sunday, volleying in a superb finish from Angel Correa's cross to complete the scoring.

Torres, the fifth Atletico player to score 100 LaLiga goals for the club, has yet to confirm his next move.The former Liverpool and Chelsea striker has been linked with a switch to the Chinese Super League or MLS.

 

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Kompany already thinking of Man City title defence


Vincent Kompany basked in the glory of clinching the Premier League in unexpected fashion on Sunday - then immediately challenged Manchester City to defend their title next season.City were confirmed as champions without kicking a ball after nearest rivals Manchester United suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home to bottom club West Brom at Old Trafford.

Pep Guardiola's side fluffed their lines at home to their neighbours last weekend but the 3-2 derby defeat only delayed the inevitable, as the blue half of Manchester were crowned courtesy of Jay Rodriguez's second-half header.

City have won the league twice before in the Premier League era but failed on each occasion to retain the trophy, something captain Kompany hopes this squad can put right next year."You can't take it for granted. Before you know it, it's gone. I've been lucky to win three but I've missed some as well," the experienced defender told Sky Sports.

"Today I'm happy. I suppose my team-mates will probably roll their eyes a bit but now I want to see the reaction."I've never been able to retain a title and I want to see if this team can be even more successful.

"At my age I can still learn and I enjoy every minute of it, but I think we share one thing of having the hunger and desire to never be satisfied."I may be the first one thinking about next season. I want to stay humble. It's not a dynasty, it's one title. It's brilliant, but I want to unlock the full potential."

Guardiola failed to pick up a trophy in his first year at the Etihad Stadium but has now won the league and EFL Cup - secured with victory over Arsenal at Wembley in February - this season.

Kompany praised the Spaniard's impact at City and admits he wished the pair had worked together earlier in his career."If I had met him when I was 20 years old, I would have improved so much," the Belgium international said.

"Any player who has played under him has had success because of him and because of the way he has improved them as individuals and enabled them to unlock their full potential.

"I think we all believed in the style, otherwise it wouldn't have happened. I think there was a period of adaptation that was needed, for him and us.
"The conditions were different to what he had at other clubs, but his methods were right and were what we believed in."

 

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Torres: Griezmann needs trophies to be alongside Messi and Ronaldo


Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann only needs trophies to be considered alongside Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Fernando Torres.Griezmann has enjoyed another fine campaign for Atletico, scoring 26 goals in all competitions – the same total he finished with last season.

The France international, who arrived at Atletico a season after the club won the La Liga title, has been strongly linked with a summer move to Barcelona.

Torres believes Griezmann, 27, would be spoken about alongside Ronaldo and Messi – if he could win more trophies."To be considered at the level of Messi and Cristiano, he is missing titles," he told Cadena SER."I hope he gets them at Atletico."

Torres, who has announced he is leaving Atletico at season's end, wants Griezmann, goalkeeper Jan Oblak and coach Diego Simeone to remain at the club.Oblak, 25, has also been linked with a move and Torres was full of praise for the shot-stopper."I've never seen a better goalkeeper than Oblak," he said. "I'd pay anything for him to stay."

 

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Gundogan: No reason why Man City can't keep winning titles


Ilkay Gundogan says more Premier League titles could follow for Manchester City after Pep Guardiola's side were crowned champions.

Manchester United's surprise home loss to bottom side West Brom on Sunday ensured they cannot catch their rivals City at the summit even though there are five games remaining.Although Guardiola's men exited the Champions League at the quarter-final stage, the Catalan will end the season with two trophies after February's EFL Cup triumph against Arsenal.

And Gundogan has predicted further honours will be on the cards for City in the coming years if they can continue to deliver their devastating attacking football."Although some of our players have won it before, it's our first title as a group of players under the new manager," Gundogan told the City website.

"That step is always a difficult one but we have worked hard all season and we are delighted to achieve it. We have developed together and there is a lot of potential. What we all have to do now is to work hard and believe in our ability to keep succeeding."I think he [Pep] is one of the best coaches in the world and I'm really grateful to be able to work with him. But the competition in the Premier League is much harder than in Germany.

"We have five or six teams who are all able to win the league and that makes it incredibly difficult. But we are ambitious and we aim to win every game."If we continue with this mentality then there's no reason we can’t continue in this way. We [he and Pep] share our idea of the game."

Gundogan was on target in a 3-1 win at Wembley against Tottenham to put City on the brink of claiming the title but with United not expected to slump against West Brom, the Germany international went to see former club Borussia Dortmund take on Schalke in the Bundesliga's Ruhr derby. "I didn't get to watch the United game," Gundogan added. "We'd been given a few days off by the manager and so I travelled over to Germany to watch the Schalke v Dortmund game.

"I was still in the stadium with my cousin and uncle enjoying dinner after the game when news came through. Schalke v Dortmund is obviously a pretty big deal in Germany and the most important derby in the Bundesliga so it was great to be there.

"I'd made my plans as soon as I realised that it wouldn't interfere with our own matches, but it's fair to say I didn't expect to hear the news that United had lost."I spent a really nice evening with my family and friends at home. It was a great moment for me - my first Premier League title. I'm obviously very happy. We have worked so hard for this and to win the title means so much to all of us having spent the season performing well.

"There were no big parties for me though. Everyone was getting in touch to congratulate each other in our team WhatsApp group. None of us really expect it to happen last night but it was great that it did and I know the whole team have been celebrating."

 

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Pogba & Sanchez places under threat for semi-final as Mourinho promises changes


Jose Mourinho has warned the likes of Paul Pogba and Alexis Sanchez that they could lose their places for Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham as he gets set to make changes on Wednesday against Bournemouth.

The high-profile pair were among a number of players who turned in disappointing displays in Sunday’s lifeless 1-0 home defeat to the Premier League’s bottom-placed club West Bromwich Albion, and the United manager says he will be shuffling his pack at the Vitality Stadium on Wednesday having called his attacking players "masters of complication" following Sunday's game.

But Mourinho insists he will not be so much rotating against Eddie Howe’s side as he will be looking for better options ahead of the semi-final against Tottenham on Saturday.

“Rotating is not the right word. If I play a player against Bournemouth and the player is phenomenal, he plays the semi-final,” said the Portuguese in a pre-match press conference. “So it’s not rotating because rotating looks like a player that plays against Bournemouth is to give a rest to somebody that is going to play against Spurs in the semi-final.“So the word is not rotation, the word is an opportunity for some people to play and to try to get a place in the team for Spurs. And some of the guys that played on Sunday, they don’t have a place in that team.”

When asked if players had played their way out of his thinking for the semi-final with their showing against West Brom, he added: “What is the criteria for a manager to choose a team? I only know one criteria, it’s the way you play. That’s the only way I can select players. Or do you want me to go for the price they cost? Or their salary? Or their beautiful face? The only way is to go with performance.”

Pogba returned to United in the summer of 2016 from Juventus for a then-world record £89.5 million, while Sanchez is the highest-paid player in the Premier League with a basic salary of around £350,000 per week. However, both underperformed against West Brom, with Pogba being hauled off after 57 minutes.

Questioned specifically over his disappointment in Pogba’s display, Mourinho went on: “It was not just him, and he had a yellow card so he was in a more difficult position than others. But in terms of the way he played he was not worse than some of the players who were on the pitch for 90 minutes.”

United’s loss on Sunday handed the Premier League title to Manchester City, and the Red Devils still need five points from their remaining five matches to clinch a place in next season’s Champions League.

 

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Batshuayi sees season ended by injury, but World Cup dream remains


Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that an untimely injury has ended Michy Batshuayi’s season, but he remains in contention for World Cup duty.

The Belgium international striker, who is currently on loan in Germany from Premier League side Chelsea, suffered ankle damage during a Ruhr derby date with Schalke on Sunday.He was forced from the field on a stretcher during that contest, with fears immediately raised as to his possible participation at this summer’s World Cup in Russia.

Dortmund have refused to rule him out of that event, but have conceded that he will not come back into contention for them before the 2017-18 campaign comes to a close.

A statement from the Bundesliga club read: “Michy Batshuayi suffered an ankle injury in the derby with Schalke and will be probably be out of action for the remainder of the season.“Participation with the Belgian national team at the World Cup in Russia remains in the realms of possibility.“Get well soon, Michy!”

Dortmund boss Peter Stoger had told Dortmund’s official website in the wake of a 2-0 defeat to Schalke that he feared the worst when it came to Batshuayi’s fitness. He said: “I didn't think it looked like the kind of injury that he would be back from quickly.”

A spell on the sidelines comes at the worst possible time for the 24-year-old frontman, as he had started to rediscover his form in Germany.Having seen game time limited at Chelsea, a January switch to Dortmund had delivered nine goals in just 15 appearances.

He will, however, be unable to add to that tally before the summer, meaning that he is relying on Belgium boss Roberto Martinez taking a calculated gamble on him.Batshuayi faces plenty of competition for attacking berths within the Red Devils international set-up and could have done with more games and goals to cement his standing.

He has shown enough, though, during his spell in the Bundesliga to underline his quality and may yet prove to be a valuable asset for his country and Chelsea heading through the rest of 2018 – with a return to Stamford Bridge now on the cards before a decision on his long-term future is made.

 

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Real Madrid target Donnarumma: My future is in Raiola's hands


Gianluigi Donnarumma says he does not know where his future lies as speculation continues to swirl ahead of the summer transfer window.Donnarumma has been tipped as one of the finest young goalkeepers in world football, having established himself as the club's No.1 as a teenager.

However, the 19-year-old's spell at the club has proved divisive, and a contract dispute led to the club's fans subjecting him to a banner calling for his departure during Milan's Coppa Italia tie against Hellas Verona.

Indeed, his agent, Mino Raiola, has repeatedly suggested that Donnarumma will leave the club this summer, with Milan eyeing a free transfer for Napoli goalkeeper Pepe Reina.

And Donnarumma has now revealed that his fate lies in his representative's hands, as both Real Madrid and PSG reportedly monitor his situation."The transfer market? I don't know anything," he told Mediaset. "Reina as my backup? I don't know, he's a great goalkeeper and it will be tough competition. I do everything for this shirt."

The teenager made a superb last-minute save from Arkadiusz Milik against Napoli at the weekend, earning his side a hard-fought 0-0 draw.The result leaves Napoli six points behind leaders Juventus with six matches to play, and while Donnarumma was proud of the save, he does not know if it will decide the Serie A title race.

"My save on Milik? I don't know if this will be the decider for Juventus in the Scudetto race," he added."I hope that Napoli will fight until the end. It was a nice save. Goalkeepers can have ups and downs, I always try to do everything as I've always done, we have goals to reach."

 

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Mata challenges Man Utd to salvage season after Premier League title surrender


Juan Mata has challenged Manchester United to salvage their season with a runner-up finish in the Premier League and FA Cup glory.

Having prevented arch-rivals Manchester City from toasting a title triumph on derby day at the Etihad Stadium, the Red Devils surrendered the crown a week later in a shock 1-0 defeat to West Brom.Those two outings, against top and bottom in the table, have highlighted the flaws and inconsistencies which still exist at Old Trafford.

Mata is, however, aware that a testing campaign can end on a high, with second spot up for grabs and more silverware on the line after reaching the semi-final stage of English football’s oldest knockout competition.

The Spain international told MUTV in the wake of a disappointing home reversal against West Brom which gifted the Premier League crown to City: "Second position was not done before the game. It was not done even if we won.“It is even more important for the next games and we know we have to compete until the last week.

“It’s been a long season but we need to make sure we can compete until the end, that we keep that second position and we fight for being in another FA Cup final and try to win it.”

Mata added, with a Wembley showdown against Tottenham fast approaching: “It's the FA Cup, we all know how important it is.“And then to get second in the league which is not the ideal position, but it’s the position we want to finish now.”

United will need to perform considerably better against Spurs than they did when hosting West Brom if they are to secure a shot at major silverware, with Mata conceding that the Red Devils deserved little from a meeting with the relegation-threatened Baggies.

He said, after seeing a solitary effort from Jay Rodriguez down Jose Mourinho’s men: “We are frustrated ourselves with the performance and what we have to do is think about the next game and keep going, because we have very important weeks ahead.

Mata is, however, aware that a testing campaign can end on a high, with second spot up for grabs and more silverware on the line after reaching the semi-final stage of English football’s oldest knockout competition.

The Spain international told MUTV in the wake of a disappointing home reversal against West Brom which gifted the Premier League crown to City: "Second position was not done before the game. It was not done even if we won.“It is even more important for the next games and we know we have to compete until the last week.

“It’s been a long season but we need to make sure we can compete until the end, that we keep that second position and we fight for being in another FA Cup final and try to win it.”Mata added, with a Wembley showdown against Tottenham fast approaching: “It's the FA Cup, we all know how important it is.“And then to get second in the league which is not the ideal position, but it’s the position we want to finish now.”

United will need to perform considerably better against Spurs than they did when hosting West Brom if they are to secure a shot at major silverware, with Mata conceding that the Red Devils deserved little from a meeting with the relegation-threatened Baggies.

He said, after seeing a solitary effort from Jay Rodriguez down Jose Mourinho’s men: “We are frustrated ourselves with the performance and what we have to do is think about the next game and keep going, because we have very important weeks ahead.

“It’s one of those days that we didn’t play good enough and we tried to create some chances in the first half and in the beginning of the second, but we didn’t play quickly enough.“We made life quite difficult for ourselves so we are all frustrated, and we understand the frustration of the fans.”

United travel to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Wednesday, before heading to London to take on Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday.

 

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Vidic demands better from Man Utd: It's not acceptable to lose or draw!


Nemanja Vidic has urged Manchester United to develop a winning mentality within the squad, insisting that they must not accept a defeat, or even a draw, as being good enough.The Red Devils were beaten 1-0 at home by bottom of the table West Brom on Sunday, a result that confirmed Manchester City as 2017-18 Premier League champions.

And Vidic was not impressed with what he saw at Old Trafford, making it known that he wants to see the United players show more desire, energy and speed of movement.

He told Sky Sports: "Today they didn't show what we expected, the energy going forward, that burst or sprint. It was too slow, which was disappointing.

"That is my worry, I'd like to see United playing faster, quicker with the ball. It's too many touches, that's the problem, especially against smaller teams."They have a good team, good players, but sometimes I think the players have to show desire, show energy, run more than other teams.

"They didn't move well without the ball, they didn't move fast. The players didn't perform the way they wanted."It's sad to see Man United lose at home to West Brom, a team who have won just three games all season."

Vidic won five league titles during his time as a Manchester United player, as well as the Champions League in 2008, and the Serb emphasised how important it is to generate a winning mentality within the camp."It hurts [losing to West Brom], because United need a good spirit ahead of the Tottenham match [FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday], an important match," he added.

"It seems like he is saying there is a problem with mentality in the players. I think the Man United players know every game is important and they have to win."You play for Man United, it's not acceptable to draw or lose, always you have a high expectancy.

"We won the Champions League and we didn't celebrate. We had two hours of celebration, go on holiday, and the manager was thinking: 'Who will we bring in next season to compete?'"

 

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"Today they didn't show what we expected, the energy going forward, that burst or sprint. It was too slow, which was disappointing.

"That is my worry, I'd like to see United playing faster, quicker with the ball. It's too many touches, that's the problem, especially against smaller teams."They have a good team, good players, but sometimes I think the players have to show desire, show energy, run more than other teams.
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