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..::Football IV::..
- Thread starter Wolverine GTR
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Bournemouth 0 Manchester United 2: Red Devils bounce back as Mourinho's changes pay off
Manchester United bounced back from their surprise home defeat to rock-bottom West Brom with a battling 2-0 win at Bournemouth, as Jose Mourinho made good on his threat to drop those who underperformed on Sunday.
That loss to West Brom handed United's bitter rivals City the Premier League title and Mourinho's side looked eager to put things right at the Vitality Stadium, ultimately cruising to a victory which sees them head into Saturday's FA Cup semi-final clash with Tottenham in confident fashion.
For all of Mourinho's changes, the breakthrough came through Chris Smalling, one of the four players to keep their place in the team, as he was left with an easy finish following good work from Ander Herrera and Jesse Lingard.Bournemouth were by no means outclassed by their visitors in the first half, though United's improvement from Sunday's West Brom horror show was significant.
Nevertheless, they were fortunate to avoid conceding a penalty early in the second half when Luke Shaw barged Callum Wilson to the ground.And United went on to capitalise on that let-off, as Romelu Lukaku – a second-half substitute – produced a fine finish to end Bournemouth's hopes of rescuing a late point.
Anthony Martial was one of those to benefit from Mourinho's tinkering and the Frenchman quickly looked to take the initiative, threatening in the third minute as he linked with Paul Pogba and beat Steve Cook, before seeing his cut-back blocked behind by the Bournemouth defender.
United had little difficulty dictating the tempo, though they looked defensively susceptible at times and got lucky in the 11th minute, as Jordon Ibe shot just wide of the bottom-left corner after Wilson had exploited space in the visitors' backline.At the other end, Asmir Begovic was eventually forced into a first save 28 minutes in – Marcus Rashford drilling at him from a tight angle, winning a corner.
And as a result of pressure from that corner, United broke the deadlock.Herrera sliced open the Bournemouth defence to find Lingard and he squared across the face of goal for Smalling to tap in.
United exerted pressure further up the pitch upon the restart and kept Bournemouth penned into their own area for periods, but they were lucky to not concede a penalty in the 56th minute.Josh King played the ball across the face of goal and Wilson looked destined to tap in, only for Shaw – making his first Premier League start since February 3 – to nudge him over and escape punishment.
Mourinho stepped things up soon after by introducing Lukaku for Lingard and the Belgian quickly made an impact, racing on to Pogba's throughball and lifting a fine first-time finish over the approaching Begovic with 20 minutes to go.
Bournemouth enjoyed some late pressure, but David De Gea's goal and United's lead were never threatened.
Real Madrid 1 Athletic Bilbao 1: Kepa heroics torment Madrid until Ronaldo leveller
January transfer target Kepa Arrizabalaga showed Real Madrid what they were missing with a stunning goalkeeping display as Cristiano Ronaldo left it late to snatch a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao.Inaki Williams stylishly chipped in the opener 14 minutes into a half that saw both sides have chances to score – Ronaldo having hit the crossbar.
The lacklustre feel that has loomed over Madrid's setbacks in LaLiga this season was not present as they laid siege to the Athletic goal, only to find a well-known figure in inspired form.Kepa was heavily linked with a move to the European champions during the last transfer window but ultimately opted to sign a seven-year contract at San Mames.
The catalogue of stops he made before the break arguably entitle him to even more lucrative terms and Madrid attacked more fitfully in the second period, but Ronaldo's instinctive 87th-minute backheel stole a share of the spoils.However, Atletico Madrid can move six points clear of their neighbours in second with victory of Real Sociedad on Thursday.
There were opportunities for both sides in an open start to the contest.Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas thwarted Mikel San Jose at his near post as Williams screamed for the cutback and a tap in, before Ronaldo powered Dani Carvajal's searching right-wing cross against the bar.
Toni Kroos swept a pass into Ronaldo's path on the counter-attack in the 12th minute but Madrid's star forward fired past the far post after cutting in from the left.But the breakthrough came at the other end as Williams charged on to Inigo Cordoba's perfectly-weighted pass to dispatch a sublime dinked finish over Navas.Kepa began to revel on the Santiago Bernabeu stage as he kept out Ronaldo's deflected strike low to his right before holding a rasping long-ranger from Marcelo.
Marco Asensio should have extended Kepa again when he blazed wastefully over in the 22nd minute and the 23-year-old showed lightning reactions after the half hour as Raphael Varane glanced Kroos' free-kick goalwards.Ronaldo was unable to turn home following a mazy run from Lucas Vazquez, with Asensio the next Madrid forward to skip through challenges – forcing the best save from Kepa's bulging body of first-half work.
The hosts did not recover their momentum after the break and they would have fallen further behind had Sergio Ramos not picked Williams' pocket when Raul Garcia won a 56th-minute knockdown.
Referee Juan Martinez Munuera had no interest in awarding a penalty when Ronaldo went down under a 61st-minute challenge from Unai Nunez and Athletic should have compounded Madrid's frustration when Garcia clattered the crossbar after Williams missed his kick from close range and Cordoba had a shot blocked by Carvajal.
Gareth Bale's 69th-minute introduction alongside Isco meant Karim Benzema's goal drought was prolonged and the Wales forward almost brought Zidane's men level, flicking a clever volley wide from Marcelo's cross, while Nunez slid in bravely to deny Ronaldo.
The was a sense of inevitability when Kepa beat Lucas' 87th-minute strike clear but Madrid kept the ball alive and Ronaldo diverted Luka Modric's speculative drive into the bottom corner to spare his team-mates from a sixth loss of their frustrating LaLiga campaign.
January transfer target Kepa Arrizabalaga showed Real Madrid what they were missing with a stunning goalkeeping display as Cristiano Ronaldo left it late to snatch a 1-1 draw against Athletic Bilbao.Inaki Williams stylishly chipped in the opener 14 minutes into a half that saw both sides have chances to score – Ronaldo having hit the crossbar.
The lacklustre feel that has loomed over Madrid's setbacks in LaLiga this season was not present as they laid siege to the Athletic goal, only to find a well-known figure in inspired form.Kepa was heavily linked with a move to the European champions during the last transfer window but ultimately opted to sign a seven-year contract at San Mames.
The catalogue of stops he made before the break arguably entitle him to even more lucrative terms and Madrid attacked more fitfully in the second period, but Ronaldo's instinctive 87th-minute backheel stole a share of the spoils.However, Atletico Madrid can move six points clear of their neighbours in second with victory of Real Sociedad on Thursday.
There were opportunities for both sides in an open start to the contest.Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas thwarted Mikel San Jose at his near post as Williams screamed for the cutback and a tap in, before Ronaldo powered Dani Carvajal's searching right-wing cross against the bar.
Toni Kroos swept a pass into Ronaldo's path on the counter-attack in the 12th minute but Madrid's star forward fired past the far post after cutting in from the left.But the breakthrough came at the other end as Williams charged on to Inigo Cordoba's perfectly-weighted pass to dispatch a sublime dinked finish over Navas.Kepa began to revel on the Santiago Bernabeu stage as he kept out Ronaldo's deflected strike low to his right before holding a rasping long-ranger from Marcelo.
Marco Asensio should have extended Kepa again when he blazed wastefully over in the 22nd minute and the 23-year-old showed lightning reactions after the half hour as Raphael Varane glanced Kroos' free-kick goalwards.Ronaldo was unable to turn home following a mazy run from Lucas Vazquez, with Asensio the next Madrid forward to skip through challenges – forcing the best save from Kepa's bulging body of first-half work.
The hosts did not recover their momentum after the break and they would have fallen further behind had Sergio Ramos not picked Williams' pocket when Raul Garcia won a 56th-minute knockdown.
Referee Juan Martinez Munuera had no interest in awarding a penalty when Ronaldo went down under a 61st-minute challenge from Unai Nunez and Athletic should have compounded Madrid's frustration when Garcia clattered the crossbar after Williams missed his kick from close range and Cordoba had a shot blocked by Carvajal.
Gareth Bale's 69th-minute introduction alongside Isco meant Karim Benzema's goal drought was prolonged and the Wales forward almost brought Zidane's men level, flicking a clever volley wide from Marcelo's cross, while Nunez slid in bravely to deny Ronaldo.
The was a sense of inevitability when Kepa beat Lucas' 87th-minute strike clear but Madrid kept the ball alive and Ronaldo diverted Luka Modric's speculative drive into the bottom corner to spare his team-mates from a sixth loss of their frustrating LaLiga campaign.
Caen 1 Paris Saint-Germain 3: Mbappe double keeps treble hopes alive
Paris Saint-Germain's treble aspirations remain alive after Kylian Mbappe's double led them to a late 3-1 win at Caen in the Coupe de France semi-finals.
Mbappe, back in the starting line-up after being an unused substitute in the 7-1 thrashing of Monaco on Sunday that clinched the Ligue 1 title due to illness, completed his double in the 81st minute as the defending champions set up a final that will pit the mega-rich PSG against amateur third-tier side Les Herbiers.
Caen finished the match with 10 men following Ismael Diomande's red card for a lunge on substitute Javier Pastore, and Christopher Nkunku, a stoppage-time replacement for Angel Di Maria, completed the scoring within two minutes of coming on.
Mbappe tucked Edinson Cavani's wayward shot home in the 25th minute to put PSG ahead, but Diomande, Caen's hero in their first ever run to the semis with crucial goals in the victories over Metz and Lyon, equalised before half-time – though a wicked deflection off Adrien Rabiot was required.The match looked destined for extra time until Di Maria's backheel released Cavani to set up Mbappe once again, and Nkunku rounded off the win in the 95th minute.
Unai Emery's side consequently remain on course for an unprecedented fourth Coupe de France triumph in succession and third clean sweep of domestic trophies in four seasons, but it is unlikely to be sufficient to secure his long-term future in the capital.
PSG could have twice taken the lead in the opening 15 minutes, but Damien Da Silva made two important blocks to keep Cavani at bay.However, a poor clearance from goalkeeper Brice Samba went straight to the opposition and the swift break that ensued ended with Mbappe steering Cavani's cross-cum-shot into an open net.
Caen were level in the 43rd minute, though. Diomande's shot took a wicked deflection off the leg of Rabiot and had enough power to get past the fingertips of Kevin Trapp in the bottom-left corner.
The hosts got a reprieve from the video assistant referee after Cavani volleyed home from Di Maria's looped pass in the 47th minute, with the Argentine deemed offside upon review.Emery replaced Julian Draxler with Pastore in an attempt to bring some fresh ideas to his team, but it was Di Maria who proved the key to unlocking Caen's defence with a moment of magic that enabled Cavani to square for Mbappe to slot home nine minutes from time.
Diomande was shown a straight red card for his clumsy tackle on Pastore in the 90th minute and Caen's misery was compounded in stoppage time.Nkunku drove in from the left and played a one-two with Dani Alves, sent on for Cavani in the closing stages, before curling a fine finish past Samba, ensuring PSG still have something to play for this season.
Paris Saint-Germain's treble aspirations remain alive after Kylian Mbappe's double led them to a late 3-1 win at Caen in the Coupe de France semi-finals.
Mbappe, back in the starting line-up after being an unused substitute in the 7-1 thrashing of Monaco on Sunday that clinched the Ligue 1 title due to illness, completed his double in the 81st minute as the defending champions set up a final that will pit the mega-rich PSG against amateur third-tier side Les Herbiers.
Caen finished the match with 10 men following Ismael Diomande's red card for a lunge on substitute Javier Pastore, and Christopher Nkunku, a stoppage-time replacement for Angel Di Maria, completed the scoring within two minutes of coming on.
Mbappe tucked Edinson Cavani's wayward shot home in the 25th minute to put PSG ahead, but Diomande, Caen's hero in their first ever run to the semis with crucial goals in the victories over Metz and Lyon, equalised before half-time – though a wicked deflection off Adrien Rabiot was required.The match looked destined for extra time until Di Maria's backheel released Cavani to set up Mbappe once again, and Nkunku rounded off the win in the 95th minute.
Unai Emery's side consequently remain on course for an unprecedented fourth Coupe de France triumph in succession and third clean sweep of domestic trophies in four seasons, but it is unlikely to be sufficient to secure his long-term future in the capital.
PSG could have twice taken the lead in the opening 15 minutes, but Damien Da Silva made two important blocks to keep Cavani at bay.However, a poor clearance from goalkeeper Brice Samba went straight to the opposition and the swift break that ensued ended with Mbappe steering Cavani's cross-cum-shot into an open net.
Caen were level in the 43rd minute, though. Diomande's shot took a wicked deflection off the leg of Rabiot and had enough power to get past the fingertips of Kevin Trapp in the bottom-left corner.
The hosts got a reprieve from the video assistant referee after Cavani volleyed home from Di Maria's looped pass in the 47th minute, with the Argentine deemed offside upon review.Emery replaced Julian Draxler with Pastore in an attempt to bring some fresh ideas to his team, but it was Di Maria who proved the key to unlocking Caen's defence with a moment of magic that enabled Cavani to square for Mbappe to slot home nine minutes from time.
Diomande was shown a straight red card for his clumsy tackle on Pastore in the 90th minute and Caen's misery was compounded in stoppage time.Nkunku drove in from the left and played a one-two with Dani Alves, sent on for Cavani in the closing stages, before curling a fine finish past Samba, ensuring PSG still have something to play for this season.
Torino 1 AC Milan 1: Donnarumma error proves costly
Gianluigi Donnarumma's error proved costly for AC Milan as Gennaro Gattuso's side lost further ground on the Champions League places after a 1-1 draw with Torino in Serie A.Donnarumma pulled off one of the saves of the season to earn Milan a point against Napoli in their last outing, but the youngster was in no man's land when Lorenzo De Silvestri cancelled out Milan's lead on 70 minutes.
Giacomo Bonaventura's stunning ninth-minute strike had put the Rossoneri ahead against the run of play - Andrea Belotti having failed to convert from the spot early on.
Buoyed by the return of Leonardo Bonucci, Milan's defence were in fine form for much of Tuesday's clash, although Donnarumma was called into action to deny Belotti before Iago Falque squandered a gilt-edged chance as Torino pressed for a first-half equaliser.
Torino looked devoid of ideas for much of the second half, but Donnarumma's failure to claim Adem Ljajic's inswinging corner allowed De Silvestri - who saw red in stoppage time - to head home the equaliser.Milan are now without a win in five Serie A games and look destined to finish outside the top four, with Lazio's win over Fiorentina leaving Gattuso's men 10 points adrift in sixth place.
Torino were gifted an opportunity to go ahead inside three minutes when Franck Kessie bundled into Cristian Ansaldi, only for Belotti to hammer the resulting spot-kick against the woodwork.Milan wasted no time in making Torino pay - Bonaventura despatching an exquisite half-volley up and over Salvatore Sirigu.
Donnarumma was Milan's hero last time out, and the youngster was at his best again to tip over Belotti's looping header on the half hour.Falque was presented with a great opportunity from the resulting corner, only to shank his effort over after latching onto Ansaldi's cross.Kalinic should have extended Milan's lead before the interval, but the striker's dire form in front of goal continued as he headed wide from six yards out.
Former Fiorentina striker Kalinic turned provider after the interval with a neat pass into Fabio Borini, only for the forward to nudge the ball straight into the hands of Sirigu.Torino's goalkeeper was called into action again on the hour, but was not challenged by Suso's tame long-range effort.
Ansaldi was enjoying a fine game down Torino's left, and went close to marking his performance with a terrific goal with a venomous strike that whistled just over.
Torino did have their equaliser soon after, though - De Silvestri beating Donnarumma to Ljajic's wicked delivery and duly converting from close range.
Milan's goalkeeper atoned somewhat in the closing stages however, lunging to his left to tip another Ljajic effort wide.And there was to be more drama in stoppage time - De Silvestri receiving a second booking for a high tackle on Ricardo Rodriguez before Abate struck the woodwork with a long-range effort as both sides ultimately settled for a share of the spoils.
Gianluigi Donnarumma's error proved costly for AC Milan as Gennaro Gattuso's side lost further ground on the Champions League places after a 1-1 draw with Torino in Serie A.Donnarumma pulled off one of the saves of the season to earn Milan a point against Napoli in their last outing, but the youngster was in no man's land when Lorenzo De Silvestri cancelled out Milan's lead on 70 minutes.
Giacomo Bonaventura's stunning ninth-minute strike had put the Rossoneri ahead against the run of play - Andrea Belotti having failed to convert from the spot early on.
Buoyed by the return of Leonardo Bonucci, Milan's defence were in fine form for much of Tuesday's clash, although Donnarumma was called into action to deny Belotti before Iago Falque squandered a gilt-edged chance as Torino pressed for a first-half equaliser.
Torino looked devoid of ideas for much of the second half, but Donnarumma's failure to claim Adem Ljajic's inswinging corner allowed De Silvestri - who saw red in stoppage time - to head home the equaliser.Milan are now without a win in five Serie A games and look destined to finish outside the top four, with Lazio's win over Fiorentina leaving Gattuso's men 10 points adrift in sixth place.
Torino were gifted an opportunity to go ahead inside three minutes when Franck Kessie bundled into Cristian Ansaldi, only for Belotti to hammer the resulting spot-kick against the woodwork.Milan wasted no time in making Torino pay - Bonaventura despatching an exquisite half-volley up and over Salvatore Sirigu.
Donnarumma was Milan's hero last time out, and the youngster was at his best again to tip over Belotti's looping header on the half hour.Falque was presented with a great opportunity from the resulting corner, only to shank his effort over after latching onto Ansaldi's cross.Kalinic should have extended Milan's lead before the interval, but the striker's dire form in front of goal continued as he headed wide from six yards out.
Former Fiorentina striker Kalinic turned provider after the interval with a neat pass into Fabio Borini, only for the forward to nudge the ball straight into the hands of Sirigu.Torino's goalkeeper was called into action again on the hour, but was not challenged by Suso's tame long-range effort.
Ansaldi was enjoying a fine game down Torino's left, and went close to marking his performance with a terrific goal with a venomous strike that whistled just over.
Torino did have their equaliser soon after, though - De Silvestri beating Donnarumma to Ljajic's wicked delivery and duly converting from close range.
Milan's goalkeeper atoned somewhat in the closing stages however, lunging to his left to tip another Ljajic effort wide.And there was to be more drama in stoppage time - De Silvestri receiving a second booking for a high tackle on Ricardo Rodriguez before Abate struck the woodwork with a long-range effort as both sides ultimately settled for a share of the spoils.
Napoli 4 Udinese 2: Scudetto race alive ahead of tantalising Turin trip
Napoli twice came from behind to register a vital 4-2 home win over struggling Udinese that moved them closer to Serie A leaders Juventus ahead of Sunday's crunch clash in Turin.
Maurizio Sarri's men confidently responded to the sight of their title bid slipping away by piling on three goals in the space of 11 second-half minutes, taking full advantage of Juve's surprise 1-1 draw at Crotone.Raul Albiol cancelled out a Svante Ingelsson strike that had put the out-of-sorts visitors ahead for a second time, before Arkadiusz Milik - starting in place of Dries Mertens - and Lorenzo Tonelli combined to ease the nerves which had mounted over an underwhelming opening hour.
The Partenopei had earlier been fortunate to reach the interval with scores level, Lorenzo Insigne striking in the second minute of added time to cancel out Jakub Jankto's 41st-minute opener.It was far from a straightforward night from there, but the 57th-minute introduction of Mertens sparked the barrage that means Sarri's side are now back to within four points of the champions, a deficit they can further reduce in a pivotal encounter at Allianz Stadium.
Udinese almost set up a grandstand finish with just over five minutes remaining, but Stipe Perica headed against the crossbar as their Serie A losing streak stretched to 10 matches, Napoli instead banking what they hope will be the first of two victories over teams wearing black and white in the space of five days.
Napoli should have been ahead in the 10th minute, as Piotr Zielinski escaped down the right and squared invitingly for Insigne, but Albano Bizzarri read the scuffed finish and palmed clear.
It was one of several early occasions in which Napoli pushed forward to promising effect, with Bizzarri earlier keeping out a swerving Marek Hamsik shot.A collision between Udinese defender Samir and his goalkeeper, along with a brave block from Bram Nuytinck, summed up the visitors' desperation to avoid a deficit at any cost.
And, having seen off those early scares, their perseverance paid off with a shock opener in the 41st minute, Jankto turning home at close-range after Albiol's hesitation allowed Francesco Zampano's pass to squirm across the face of goal.But the joy would only be fleeting as Insigne helped Sarri breathe a sigh of relief in first-half stoppage time. The Italy international this time perfectly seized upon Zielinski's ball inside, taking Nuytinck out of the equation with a fine first touch before he rolled a cool finish into the bottom-right corner from just inside the box.
There was still time in the first half for Pepe Reina to spare Napoli from a second deficit when he backpedalled to tip over a dipping Jankto header.The second period seemed to follow the script of its predecessor with Hamsik first at fault for side-footing Insigne's cut-back wide of the far post.
Just as they had earlier, Napoli once again paid the price for profligacy in the 55th minute, Ingelsson restoring Udinese's lead with an expert volley into the bottom-left corner from Zampano's delightful right-sided cross.
The home side needed nine minutes to wipe out the advantage this time around as Albiol, in contrast to his earlier defensive indecision, rose well and met Jose Callejon's corner to powerfully head home despite Bizzarri's best efforts.
Mertens had been thrown on prior to the equaliser and though his presence gave Napoli verve every time they pushed forward, it was his replacement at the point of attack that buried the all-important third.It could hardly have been easier for Milik to score his third and arguably most important goal of the Serie A season, with Bizzarri's parry from Callejon's initial attempt falling kindly for a point-blank finish.
And, following that 70th-minute strike, the onslaught was capped when Tonelli joined fellow defender Albiol on the scoresheet with an equally commanding header from a Callejon corner, sealing a crucial triumph just as news of Crotone's equaliser against Juve filtered through.
Napoli twice came from behind to register a vital 4-2 home win over struggling Udinese that moved them closer to Serie A leaders Juventus ahead of Sunday's crunch clash in Turin.
Maurizio Sarri's men confidently responded to the sight of their title bid slipping away by piling on three goals in the space of 11 second-half minutes, taking full advantage of Juve's surprise 1-1 draw at Crotone.Raul Albiol cancelled out a Svante Ingelsson strike that had put the out-of-sorts visitors ahead for a second time, before Arkadiusz Milik - starting in place of Dries Mertens - and Lorenzo Tonelli combined to ease the nerves which had mounted over an underwhelming opening hour.
The Partenopei had earlier been fortunate to reach the interval with scores level, Lorenzo Insigne striking in the second minute of added time to cancel out Jakub Jankto's 41st-minute opener.It was far from a straightforward night from there, but the 57th-minute introduction of Mertens sparked the barrage that means Sarri's side are now back to within four points of the champions, a deficit they can further reduce in a pivotal encounter at Allianz Stadium.
Udinese almost set up a grandstand finish with just over five minutes remaining, but Stipe Perica headed against the crossbar as their Serie A losing streak stretched to 10 matches, Napoli instead banking what they hope will be the first of two victories over teams wearing black and white in the space of five days.
Napoli should have been ahead in the 10th minute, as Piotr Zielinski escaped down the right and squared invitingly for Insigne, but Albano Bizzarri read the scuffed finish and palmed clear.
It was one of several early occasions in which Napoli pushed forward to promising effect, with Bizzarri earlier keeping out a swerving Marek Hamsik shot.A collision between Udinese defender Samir and his goalkeeper, along with a brave block from Bram Nuytinck, summed up the visitors' desperation to avoid a deficit at any cost.
And, having seen off those early scares, their perseverance paid off with a shock opener in the 41st minute, Jankto turning home at close-range after Albiol's hesitation allowed Francesco Zampano's pass to squirm across the face of goal.But the joy would only be fleeting as Insigne helped Sarri breathe a sigh of relief in first-half stoppage time. The Italy international this time perfectly seized upon Zielinski's ball inside, taking Nuytinck out of the equation with a fine first touch before he rolled a cool finish into the bottom-right corner from just inside the box.
There was still time in the first half for Pepe Reina to spare Napoli from a second deficit when he backpedalled to tip over a dipping Jankto header.The second period seemed to follow the script of its predecessor with Hamsik first at fault for side-footing Insigne's cut-back wide of the far post.
Just as they had earlier, Napoli once again paid the price for profligacy in the 55th minute, Ingelsson restoring Udinese's lead with an expert volley into the bottom-left corner from Zampano's delightful right-sided cross.
The home side needed nine minutes to wipe out the advantage this time around as Albiol, in contrast to his earlier defensive indecision, rose well and met Jose Callejon's corner to powerfully head home despite Bizzarri's best efforts.
Mertens had been thrown on prior to the equaliser and though his presence gave Napoli verve every time they pushed forward, it was his replacement at the point of attack that buried the all-important third.It could hardly have been easier for Milik to score his third and arguably most important goal of the Serie A season, with Bizzarri's parry from Callejon's initial attempt falling kindly for a point-blank finish.
And, following that 70th-minute strike, the onslaught was capped when Tonelli joined fellow defender Albiol on the scoresheet with an equally commanding header from a Callejon corner, sealing a crucial triumph just as news of Crotone's equaliser against Juve filtered through.
Schalke 0 Eintracht Frankfurt 1: Kovac to face Bayern Munich in DFB-Pokal final
Niko Kovac will face his future employers Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal final after Eintracht Frankfurt edged past Schalke 1-0 in a tense semi-final at the Veltins-Arena.
Kovac will take over the Bavarian giants at the end of the season but not before facing off against them in what will be his last game in charge of Frankfurt on May 19.
They will face an ominous task against Jupp Heynckes' side, who booked their place in the final with a crushing 6-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.A closely-fought game looked to be heading for extra-time when Luka Jovic met Jonathan de Guzman's corner in the 74th minute with an acrobatic back heel into the far corner of the net.
Until then Schalke had looked more likely to find a winner, with Guido Burgstaller and Yevhen Konoplyanka both denied by excellent saves from Lukas Hradecky.Substitute Gelson Fernandes received a straight red card after 81 minutes – just three minutes after coming off the bench.
And Franco Di Santo was controversially denied an equaliser for handball deep into injury time, referee Robert Hartmann opting not to employ VAR, as the visitors held on to set up an eye-catching final against the Bundesliga champions.
Frankfurt did their best to silence the partisan home crowd early on, but Ralf Fahrmann got down well to thwart Jovic's whipped strike from Kevin Prince-Boateng's knock down.Thilo Kehrer then headed over from a teasing free-kick for the hosts before they twice came close to breaking the deadlock just after the half-hour.
First, Daniel Caligiuri's low strike after a flowing attack was diverted just past his own post by the outstretched foot of captain David Abraham.And from the resulting corner, Burgstaller's powerful header was acrobatically tipped over by Hradecky.
Any hopes the game would burst into life at the start of the second period were soon extinguished as it settled into its familiarly tepid pattern.Marco Fabian tried to liven things up for the visitors, but his half-volley flashed comfortably over the crossbar.Schalke then carved out two quick-fire chances but found Hradecky in inspired form.
The Finn got a strong palm to Burgstaller's clipped effort after a mazy run from Caligiuri and then repelled Konoplyanka's fierce drive from the middle of the penalty area.The importance of those saves was highlighted 16 minutes from time as Jovic showed superb improvisation to divert an in-swinging corner past Fahrmann.
Kovac sent on Fernandes to shore things up in midfield, but the Portuguese received his marching orders soon after for a late challenge on Leon Goretzka, after the referee had consulted VAR.
Di Santo dramatically saw a goal ruled out with almost the last kick of the game after being deemed to have controlled the ball with his arm, as Frankfurt ultimately held on to set up a fairytale final for Kovac.
Niko Kovac will face his future employers Bayern Munich in the DFB-Pokal final after Eintracht Frankfurt edged past Schalke 1-0 in a tense semi-final at the Veltins-Arena.
Kovac will take over the Bavarian giants at the end of the season but not before facing off against them in what will be his last game in charge of Frankfurt on May 19.
They will face an ominous task against Jupp Heynckes' side, who booked their place in the final with a crushing 6-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday.A closely-fought game looked to be heading for extra-time when Luka Jovic met Jonathan de Guzman's corner in the 74th minute with an acrobatic back heel into the far corner of the net.
Until then Schalke had looked more likely to find a winner, with Guido Burgstaller and Yevhen Konoplyanka both denied by excellent saves from Lukas Hradecky.Substitute Gelson Fernandes received a straight red card after 81 minutes – just three minutes after coming off the bench.
And Franco Di Santo was controversially denied an equaliser for handball deep into injury time, referee Robert Hartmann opting not to employ VAR, as the visitors held on to set up an eye-catching final against the Bundesliga champions.
Frankfurt did their best to silence the partisan home crowd early on, but Ralf Fahrmann got down well to thwart Jovic's whipped strike from Kevin Prince-Boateng's knock down.Thilo Kehrer then headed over from a teasing free-kick for the hosts before they twice came close to breaking the deadlock just after the half-hour.
First, Daniel Caligiuri's low strike after a flowing attack was diverted just past his own post by the outstretched foot of captain David Abraham.And from the resulting corner, Burgstaller's powerful header was acrobatically tipped over by Hradecky.
Any hopes the game would burst into life at the start of the second period were soon extinguished as it settled into its familiarly tepid pattern.Marco Fabian tried to liven things up for the visitors, but his half-volley flashed comfortably over the crossbar.Schalke then carved out two quick-fire chances but found Hradecky in inspired form.
The Finn got a strong palm to Burgstaller's clipped effort after a mazy run from Caligiuri and then repelled Konoplyanka's fierce drive from the middle of the penalty area.The importance of those saves was highlighted 16 minutes from time as Jovic showed superb improvisation to divert an in-swinging corner past Fahrmann.
Kovac sent on Fernandes to shore things up in midfield, but the Portuguese received his marching orders soon after for a late challenge on Leon Goretzka, after the referee had consulted VAR.
Di Santo dramatically saw a goal ruled out with almost the last kick of the game after being deemed to have controlled the ball with his arm, as Frankfurt ultimately held on to set up a fairytale final for Kovac.
Crotone 1 Juventus 1: Nwankwo stuns Serie A leaders with spectacular equaliser
Lowly Crotone put a dent in Juventus' bid to secure a seventh successive Serie A title by holding the leaders to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.Massimiliano Allegri's much-changed side appeared on course to record a 10th away win in their last 11 league outings after Alex Sandro's 16th-minute header broke the deadlock.
Meeting Douglas Costa's whipped cross from the left ahead of the near post, the Brazilian defender used the pace on the ball to angle it past goalkeeper Alex Cordaz and into the far corner of the net.
While never shifting out of second gear, Juventus appeared in complete control of proceedings until Simeon Nwankwo scored a spectacular equaliser in the 65th minute.
The striker's wonderfully executed bicycle kick secured Walter Zenga's strugglers an unlikely point in their battle to beat the drop, and potentially re-opened a title race that had threatened to become a procession.
While the Bianconeri still remain clear at the summit, Napoli's 4-2 home win over Udinese means the gap is down to just four points ahead of Sunday's pivotal clash between Italy's top two in Turin.
Allegri, who had warned his players against looking beyond Crotone in his pre-match news conference, unsurprisingly shuffled his pack, only Daniele Rugani, Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala were retained in the starting XI, though the side on display only served to demonstrate their strength in depth.
Juve took the lead with their first attempt on target too, Costa’s excellent delivery from the left teeing up compatriot Alex Sandro to flick the ball beyond Cordaz.
The home side had to wait until the 44th minute to call Wojciech Szczesny into action at the other end, though Gianluigi Buffon's understudy was alert enough to get down quickly to collect Nwankwo's left-footed effort. However, Crotone - who had lost all three previous top-flight meetings between the clubs - posed far more problems for their illustrious opponents after the break.
Bruno Martella fired into the side-netting from a tight angle on the left in the early stages before Szczesny was required to snuff out a dangerous situation, smothering an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area after referee Michael Fabbri had judged the falling Medhi Benatia to have passed the ball to his goalkeeper when under pressure.There was nothing the Poland international could do about the equaliser, though. After substitute Marcello Trotta's acrobatic attempt was blocked, Nwankwo succeeded where his team-mate failed, flashing his ambitious volley into the net.
Stunned into life by conceding, Juventus suddenly upped the tempo in search of a winner, only for Cordaz to deny them with two spectacular saves.
After flying high to his right to tip Matuidi's rising drive from distance wide, the Crotone captain clinched his team a famous draw by flinging himself across his goal to block Gonzalo Higuain's crisp volley.
Lowly Crotone put a dent in Juventus' bid to secure a seventh successive Serie A title by holding the leaders to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday.Massimiliano Allegri's much-changed side appeared on course to record a 10th away win in their last 11 league outings after Alex Sandro's 16th-minute header broke the deadlock.
Meeting Douglas Costa's whipped cross from the left ahead of the near post, the Brazilian defender used the pace on the ball to angle it past goalkeeper Alex Cordaz and into the far corner of the net.
While never shifting out of second gear, Juventus appeared in complete control of proceedings until Simeon Nwankwo scored a spectacular equaliser in the 65th minute.
The striker's wonderfully executed bicycle kick secured Walter Zenga's strugglers an unlikely point in their battle to beat the drop, and potentially re-opened a title race that had threatened to become a procession.
While the Bianconeri still remain clear at the summit, Napoli's 4-2 home win over Udinese means the gap is down to just four points ahead of Sunday's pivotal clash between Italy's top two in Turin.
Allegri, who had warned his players against looking beyond Crotone in his pre-match news conference, unsurprisingly shuffled his pack, only Daniele Rugani, Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala were retained in the starting XI, though the side on display only served to demonstrate their strength in depth.
Juve took the lead with their first attempt on target too, Costa’s excellent delivery from the left teeing up compatriot Alex Sandro to flick the ball beyond Cordaz.
The home side had to wait until the 44th minute to call Wojciech Szczesny into action at the other end, though Gianluigi Buffon's understudy was alert enough to get down quickly to collect Nwankwo's left-footed effort. However, Crotone - who had lost all three previous top-flight meetings between the clubs - posed far more problems for their illustrious opponents after the break.
Bruno Martella fired into the side-netting from a tight angle on the left in the early stages before Szczesny was required to snuff out a dangerous situation, smothering an indirect free-kick inside the penalty area after referee Michael Fabbri had judged the falling Medhi Benatia to have passed the ball to his goalkeeper when under pressure.There was nothing the Poland international could do about the equaliser, though. After substitute Marcello Trotta's acrobatic attempt was blocked, Nwankwo succeeded where his team-mate failed, flashing his ambitious volley into the net.
Stunned into life by conceding, Juventus suddenly upped the tempo in search of a winner, only for Cordaz to deny them with two spectacular saves.
After flying high to his right to tip Matuidi's rising drive from distance wide, the Crotone captain clinched his team a famous draw by flinging himself across his goal to block Gonzalo Higuain's crisp volley.
'Aguero will not be 100 per cent for World Cup' - Argentina doctor
Sergio Aguero will struggle to recover from knee surgery in time for the World Cup, according to Argentina Football Association doctor Homero D'Agostino.
Manchester City striker Aguero underwent an arthroscopy after aggravating a knee problem during their derby defeat to rivals Manchester United, Pep Guardiola citing a challenge from Ashley Young that went unpunished by referee Martin Atkinson for the injury.
The striker was included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on Wednesday after scoring 30 times in all competitions for newly crowned champions City.
But D'Agostino doubts whether the 29-year-old will be fully fit for the World Cup, with Argentina opening their campaign in Russia on June 16 against Iceland."That a player has undergone an arthroscopy with 60 days to go before the World Cup is worrying," D'Agostino told Radio 10.
"The recovery process will require at least five weeks. When one has old injuries, the recovery process is not as fast as one would like it to be. It's never going to be less than three or four weeks, or even more."I imagine that he will not arrive 100 per cent fit with the limited time that is left before the World Cup. The anatomy is the anatomy. The injury is what it is. He can try but I don't think he will arrive 100 per cent.
"The important thing is to know what he had. The doctors would have tried to resolve the issue in a conservative manner, non-surgically, but they were unsuccessful. The arthroscopy is a process that you do when there are old injuries."
Should Jorge Sampaoli be unable to rely on Aguero for the World Cup, the Argentina coach could turn to Inter captain Mauro Icardi or Juventus striker Paulo Dybala, both of whom were left out of his most recent squad.
Former City forward Carlos Tevez, back playing for boyhood club Boca Juniors in Argentina, has also indicated he retains hope of being called up the World Cup.
Sergio Aguero will struggle to recover from knee surgery in time for the World Cup, according to Argentina Football Association doctor Homero D'Agostino.
Manchester City striker Aguero underwent an arthroscopy after aggravating a knee problem during their derby defeat to rivals Manchester United, Pep Guardiola citing a challenge from Ashley Young that went unpunished by referee Martin Atkinson for the injury.
The striker was included in the PFA Premier League Team of the Year on Wednesday after scoring 30 times in all competitions for newly crowned champions City.
But D'Agostino doubts whether the 29-year-old will be fully fit for the World Cup, with Argentina opening their campaign in Russia on June 16 against Iceland."That a player has undergone an arthroscopy with 60 days to go before the World Cup is worrying," D'Agostino told Radio 10.
"The recovery process will require at least five weeks. When one has old injuries, the recovery process is not as fast as one would like it to be. It's never going to be less than three or four weeks, or even more."I imagine that he will not arrive 100 per cent fit with the limited time that is left before the World Cup. The anatomy is the anatomy. The injury is what it is. He can try but I don't think he will arrive 100 per cent.
"The important thing is to know what he had. The doctors would have tried to resolve the issue in a conservative manner, non-surgically, but they were unsuccessful. The arthroscopy is a process that you do when there are old injuries."
Should Jorge Sampaoli be unable to rely on Aguero for the World Cup, the Argentina coach could turn to Inter captain Mauro Icardi or Juventus striker Paulo Dybala, both of whom were left out of his most recent squad.
Former City forward Carlos Tevez, back playing for boyhood club Boca Juniors in Argentina, has also indicated he retains hope of being called up the World Cup.
Man City are set up to dominate, says Conte
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte acknowledges Manchester City are set up to dominate in the Premier League, and again suggested he has not been fully supported this season.
The Blues' reign as Premier League title-holders was officially ended at the weekend as Manchester City's 3-1 win over Tottenham, coupled with Manchester United's shock 1-0 loss to rock-bottom West Brom, confirmed Pep Guardiola's men as champions.
City swashbuckled their way to glory this term, with Guardiola heavily backed in the transfer market as the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker and Ederson joined during the close-season, while Aymeric Laporte arrived in January.
Conte has made little secret of the fact he believes Chelsea have failed to invest sufficiently to reinforce their title-winning squad from last season, something he alluded to in praising City's backing of Guardiola."They dominated this season and I think it's right to give them compliments," Conte said ahead of Chelsea's trip to Burnley on Thursday.
"Don't forget, this league is not simple, it's very tough to win, but the way they did this was incredible and for this reason it's right to give them our compliment."They did a great job this season in and out of the pitch, they did very good to prepare for this season in the right way, to improve the team and improve the squad and to continue to improve the idea of football of this coach.
"I think Manchester City is one club that can continue to dominate, to win, not only in England but also to fight for the Champions League. I think Manchester City has the possibility to do this."They as a club are very strong, they have a squad with great players, and they want to invest, to improve the situation. There are a lot of things right, in the right place.
"We try to finish this season in the best possible way. To look at the future is not right, we are struggling a lot this season and we must try to finish in the best position possible in the league and try to reach the final [of the FA Cup]. Our focus must be on the present."
Chelsea are eight points off fourth-place Tottenham, but Spurs' draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday opened the door for Conte's men to close the gap in the race for Champions League qualification.
And the former Juventus coach insists his team will battle to the end.He added: "We have to try until the end to reach this target. If we want to be realistic, with five games to go, it's not simple to reduce the gap. But we must have the will to fight, the desire to try to make this target. Why not?"We have a really important game against Burnley, a really strong team. They are having a fantastic season and it won't be easy to get three points."
Chelsea manager Antonio Conte acknowledges Manchester City are set up to dominate in the Premier League, and again suggested he has not been fully supported this season.
The Blues' reign as Premier League title-holders was officially ended at the weekend as Manchester City's 3-1 win over Tottenham, coupled with Manchester United's shock 1-0 loss to rock-bottom West Brom, confirmed Pep Guardiola's men as champions.
City swashbuckled their way to glory this term, with Guardiola heavily backed in the transfer market as the likes of Bernardo Silva, Kyle Walker and Ederson joined during the close-season, while Aymeric Laporte arrived in January.
Conte has made little secret of the fact he believes Chelsea have failed to invest sufficiently to reinforce their title-winning squad from last season, something he alluded to in praising City's backing of Guardiola."They dominated this season and I think it's right to give them compliments," Conte said ahead of Chelsea's trip to Burnley on Thursday.
"Don't forget, this league is not simple, it's very tough to win, but the way they did this was incredible and for this reason it's right to give them our compliment."They did a great job this season in and out of the pitch, they did very good to prepare for this season in the right way, to improve the team and improve the squad and to continue to improve the idea of football of this coach.
"I think Manchester City is one club that can continue to dominate, to win, not only in England but also to fight for the Champions League. I think Manchester City has the possibility to do this."They as a club are very strong, they have a squad with great players, and they want to invest, to improve the situation. There are a lot of things right, in the right place.
"We try to finish this season in the best possible way. To look at the future is not right, we are struggling a lot this season and we must try to finish in the best position possible in the league and try to reach the final [of the FA Cup]. Our focus must be on the present."
Chelsea are eight points off fourth-place Tottenham, but Spurs' draw at Brighton and Hove Albion on Tuesday opened the door for Conte's men to close the gap in the race for Champions League qualification.
And the former Juventus coach insists his team will battle to the end.He added: "We have to try until the end to reach this target. If we want to be realistic, with five games to go, it's not simple to reduce the gap. But we must have the will to fight, the desire to try to make this target. Why not?"We have a really important game against Burnley, a really strong team. They are having a fantastic season and it won't be easy to get three points."
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah has started constructions of a hospital and a school in his native Egypt.
Salah who is enjoying an amazing stint in his debut campaign with the Reds has extended his philanthropic gesture to his countrymen by providing some basic amenities in Nagrig.
According to SunSport, the 25-year-old is funding the construction of a medical centre and a school for girls in his hometown – a development that will help local girls get easy access to education without travelling out of town.
Salah who guided Egypt to the World Cup finals for the first time since 1990, also paid for the first ambulance in Nagrig and bought medical equipment to help his people.
And the manager of Mohamed Salah Charity Foundation and Mayor of Nagrig, Maher Shatiyah has stated the forward’s desire to keep helping the less-privileged with a specific amount of funds monthly.
“Salah is a refined person who, despite his popularity, has never forgotten about his town," Shatiyah told SunSport."[He has provided] many forms of assistance, the first of which was a series of foodstuff outlets under the municipality’s management, as well as the town’s first ambulance unit.
"Salah had always subsisted unable fellow villagers, but wanted to [formalise] that assistance."The establishment of the charity caters for a larger number of families, [he spends between] £2,000 and £3,500 monthly."
A relative of Salah, Amr Abul-Naga added that the forward is always dedicated to making things easier in his village."Salah donated £1,000,000 to the Tanta University Hospital to supply it with modern medical equipment,” Abul-Naga said.
"He considers such donations something that should not be publicised to the media. He wants his village to be self-sufficient with all services."He even plans to install a railway connecting the village with Basyoun."In appreciation for his kind gestures, a secondary school in the city of Basyoun and a sports centre Nagrig have been named after the 2017 African Footballer of the Year.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has declared he will be going to the World Cup – although he refused to state whether he will play at the tournament.
It has been speculated for some weeks that the LA Galaxy star will come out of international retirement to play at the finals in Russia, where Sweden begin their campaign against South Korea in Nizhny Novgorod on June 18.
Ibrahimovic tweeted last week to say his chances of going to the tournament were "sky high", with his three goals in three appearances since moving to MLS showing he has recovered well from the knee injury that blighted his second season at Manchester United.
The 36-year-old has now confirmed he will be heading to the finals in two months' time, even if the exact details of his participation remain to be seen.Speaking on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show, he said: "I'm going to the World Cup, yes. If I say more, they will hang me, so I have to be careful what I say."A World Cup without me wouldn't be a World Cup."
Ibrahimovic made an instant impact in the United States, scoring twice on his Galaxy debut to help them to a 4-3 derby win over Los Angeles FC, with his first goal a spectacular 40-yard effort.The former Barcelona, Inter and Paris Saint-Germain forward thinks he has already made his mark on American football and culture.
"I had a vision before I came," he said. "I know there are some earthquakes in Los Angeles, but this is me stepping in Los Angeles. I wanted to make a statement.Every movie has a good start."In Europe, football is huge, so people get crazy and they told me, 'when you come to Los Angeles, you can walk on the street'. But it's my own fault: if you play the way I do, I mean...
"My confidence is very high. I chose football. I'm sorry for the fans cheering for other sports, because it would be the same thing."People are very kind with me. Football is the biggest sport in the world. Imagine when you play football, and you're on the top, how you feel."
Ibrahimovic was also asked about the root of his nicknames and explained why he would prefer to be called his full title."My name in the Balkan language means 'gold', so I would prefer that, but I know people have difficulty pronouncing that," he said. "So, somebody was like 'Ibra', and now it's 'The Lion'."I'm not a typical Swedish guy but I put Sweden on the map."
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has set a new career high for goals in a season.
Lukaku netted in the second half of Wednesday's 2-0 win over Bournemouth, his 27th strike in all competitions in 2017-18. The Belgium international set his previous career best last season by scoring 26 goals with Everton, all but one of which came in the Premier League.
Following the 2016-17 campaign, Lukaku joined Man Utd for an initial fee of £75 million.
Lukaku's strikes have been more spread out this season, with 16 coming in the league, five apiece in the FA Cup and Champions League, and one in the UEFA Super Cup.
Lukaku was joined in setting a personal mark on the day by goalkeeper David de Gea, who posted his 21st clean sheet of the season across all competitions for the club, his best tally for United.
The 27-year-old has been in outstanding form for the club all season, with Jose Mourinho's side boasting the second-best defensive record in the Premier League having conceded just 26 goals through 34 matches.
Only Manchester City (25 goals in 33 matches) have allowed fewer.
Lukaku and De Gea will both be hoping to add to their season totals on Saturday when Manchester United square off with Tottenham in an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley Stadium.
Real Sociedad 3 Atletico Madrid 0: Barca's title party set to start
Atletico Madrid effectively handed the LaLiga title to Barcelona as a 3-0 loss at Real Sociedad on Thursday left them at risk of slipping out of second.
A classy double from substitute Juanmi added to Willian Jose's first-half opener in a result that means Barca can confirm themselves as champions with a win at Deportivo La Coruna next weekend, seven days before Real Madrid head to Camp Nou for El Clasico.
Atleti's third away league defeat in their last four on the road boosts Madrid's hopes of leapfrogging their city rivals, though, with Diego Simeone's men ahead by just three points with five matches remaining.Simeone had spoken pre-match of his desire to push Barca as far as possible in the title fight to help convince Antoine Griezmann he is in the right place.
But a lifeless display from player and team alike will have done little to strengthen Atleti's pitch as the France forward failed to fire against his ex-employers, held to a first blank in five league outings.
Instead, it was interim Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil - now unbeaten in his four matches in charge - who enhanced his claims to retain his position on a full-time basis amid suggestions the club are eager to turn to Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery.
Atleti needed 20 minutes to pose any sort of threat to the fit-again Geronimo Rulli, a deflected Diego Godin header comfortably held by the goalkeeper in his first appearance for two months.
Godin had earlier made a timely intervention to snuff out a promising Sociedad opening, but the visitors did not escape punishment for their sluggish start. Willian Jose was left free to drill the opener in off the base of the left post from Adnan Januzaj's clever cutback.Griezmann immediately blazed over a half-volley at the other end and his lack of conviction was contrasted by Januzaj, who went close to doubling the margin with a fierce effort that flashed across the face of goal.
Simeone responded by introducing Fernando Torres in place of Angel Correa at the interval, but the presence of the departing striker inspired little impetus after the restart.Jan Oblak got down low to smother another effort from the influential Januzaj, before Torres and Sime Vrsaljko missed the target with a pair of quickfire headers.
Willian Jose drove a good opportunity wide, but the miss never look like coming back to haunt Sociedad. The Brazilian striker instead turned provider in the 80th minute, his fine touch freeing Juanmi - who replaced Mikel Oyarzabal eight minutes earlier - for for a delightful dinked finish.
Juanmi rounded off a comprehensive victory with a well-taken header in the second minute of stoppage time, looping in his side's third from Alberto de la Bella's measured cross to put Barca on the brink of glory.
Atletico Madrid effectively handed the LaLiga title to Barcelona as a 3-0 loss at Real Sociedad on Thursday left them at risk of slipping out of second.
A classy double from substitute Juanmi added to Willian Jose's first-half opener in a result that means Barca can confirm themselves as champions with a win at Deportivo La Coruna next weekend, seven days before Real Madrid head to Camp Nou for El Clasico.
Atleti's third away league defeat in their last four on the road boosts Madrid's hopes of leapfrogging their city rivals, though, with Diego Simeone's men ahead by just three points with five matches remaining.Simeone had spoken pre-match of his desire to push Barca as far as possible in the title fight to help convince Antoine Griezmann he is in the right place.
But a lifeless display from player and team alike will have done little to strengthen Atleti's pitch as the France forward failed to fire against his ex-employers, held to a first blank in five league outings.
Instead, it was interim Sociedad boss Imanol Alguacil - now unbeaten in his four matches in charge - who enhanced his claims to retain his position on a full-time basis amid suggestions the club are eager to turn to Paris Saint-Germain coach Unai Emery.
Atleti needed 20 minutes to pose any sort of threat to the fit-again Geronimo Rulli, a deflected Diego Godin header comfortably held by the goalkeeper in his first appearance for two months.
Godin had earlier made a timely intervention to snuff out a promising Sociedad opening, but the visitors did not escape punishment for their sluggish start. Willian Jose was left free to drill the opener in off the base of the left post from Adnan Januzaj's clever cutback.Griezmann immediately blazed over a half-volley at the other end and his lack of conviction was contrasted by Januzaj, who went close to doubling the margin with a fierce effort that flashed across the face of goal.
Simeone responded by introducing Fernando Torres in place of Angel Correa at the interval, but the presence of the departing striker inspired little impetus after the restart.Jan Oblak got down low to smother another effort from the influential Januzaj, before Torres and Sime Vrsaljko missed the target with a pair of quickfire headers.
Willian Jose drove a good opportunity wide, but the miss never look like coming back to haunt Sociedad. The Brazilian striker instead turned provider in the 80th minute, his fine touch freeing Juanmi - who replaced Mikel Oyarzabal eight minutes earlier - for for a delightful dinked finish.
Juanmi rounded off a comprehensive victory with a well-taken header in the second minute of stoppage time, looping in his side's third from Alberto de la Bella's measured cross to put Barca on the brink of glory.
Leicester City 0 Southampton 0: Saints' survival bid suffers fresh blow
Southampton's hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a blow after as they were held to a dour 0-0 draw by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
A point moves Southampton within four points of 17th-placed Swansea City, but the Welsh side have a game in hand over Mark Hughes' beleaguered outfit.The Saints will have the opportunity to forget their Premier League struggles this weekend when they face Chelsea in an FA Cup semi-final, but go into it knowing they have missed a golden opportunity to strengthen their survival chances.
Perhaps not surprisingly for a team that had lost two in a row, Leicester never looked at ease and rarely threatened their visitors from the south coast.Southampton, on the other hand, had a number of clear openings with Shane Long in particular guilty of showing a lack of composure in front of goal.
After their Wembley clash at the weekend, Southampton face Bournemouth, Everton, Swansea and Manchester City in their final four games – a daunting prospect for a team that has now failed to win in eight league outings.
Leicester started with a spring in their step and tested Alex McCarthy early on when Riyad Mahrez whipped a low shot towards goal after an incisive move involving Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy.
Iheanacho then showed superb improvisation to spin Oriol Romeu after his initial shot had been blocked, but his curled strike flashed past McCarthy's right-hand post.Dusan Tadic drilled a half-volley wide as Southampton belatedly posed an attacking threat of their own, while Ryan Bertrand's drive after cutting in from the right was comfortably held by Ben Hamer.
The unlikely figure of Cedric Soares wasted a fine opportunity to at least test Hamer shortly before the interval, scuffing his back-post volley from Long's deep cross past the post.
Long then made a real mess of a two-on-one break on the stroke of half-time, the Irishman getting caught in two minds and only succeeding in stabbing harmlessly into the arms of Hamer.Long's woe continued after the restart as he latched onto Tadic's deflected effort and saw his powerful drive well smothered by the Leicester goalkeeper.
Vardy was denied a spectacular opener 20 minutes from time when McCarthy tipped over his acrobatic volley from Marc Albrighton's arrowed ball over the top.
And if anyone was going to find a winner in the closing stages it was the hosts, with Southampton seemingly content to hold on for a point that hardly injects life into their survival bid.
Southampton's hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a blow after as they were held to a dour 0-0 draw by Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
A point moves Southampton within four points of 17th-placed Swansea City, but the Welsh side have a game in hand over Mark Hughes' beleaguered outfit.The Saints will have the opportunity to forget their Premier League struggles this weekend when they face Chelsea in an FA Cup semi-final, but go into it knowing they have missed a golden opportunity to strengthen their survival chances.
Perhaps not surprisingly for a team that had lost two in a row, Leicester never looked at ease and rarely threatened their visitors from the south coast.Southampton, on the other hand, had a number of clear openings with Shane Long in particular guilty of showing a lack of composure in front of goal.
After their Wembley clash at the weekend, Southampton face Bournemouth, Everton, Swansea and Manchester City in their final four games – a daunting prospect for a team that has now failed to win in eight league outings.
Leicester started with a spring in their step and tested Alex McCarthy early on when Riyad Mahrez whipped a low shot towards goal after an incisive move involving Kelechi Iheanacho and Jamie Vardy.
Iheanacho then showed superb improvisation to spin Oriol Romeu after his initial shot had been blocked, but his curled strike flashed past McCarthy's right-hand post.Dusan Tadic drilled a half-volley wide as Southampton belatedly posed an attacking threat of their own, while Ryan Bertrand's drive after cutting in from the right was comfortably held by Ben Hamer.
The unlikely figure of Cedric Soares wasted a fine opportunity to at least test Hamer shortly before the interval, scuffing his back-post volley from Long's deep cross past the post.
Long then made a real mess of a two-on-one break on the stroke of half-time, the Irishman getting caught in two minds and only succeeding in stabbing harmlessly into the arms of Hamer.Long's woe continued after the restart as he latched onto Tadic's deflected effort and saw his powerful drive well smothered by the Leicester goalkeeper.
Vardy was denied a spectacular opener 20 minutes from time when McCarthy tipped over his acrobatic volley from Marc Albrighton's arrowed ball over the top.
And if anyone was going to find a winner in the closing stages it was the hosts, with Southampton seemingly content to hold on for a point that hardly injects life into their survival bid.
Burnley 1 Chelsea 2: Conte's men boost top-four chances with FA Cup warm-up
Victor Moses struck the winner as Chelsea edged a tight 2-1 Premier League victory against Burnley, Antonio Conte having named Eden Hazard among the substitutes with an eye on the FA Cup semi-finals.Burnley looked set to claim a point thanks to Ashley Barnes' lucky equaliser, but Moses came up with the decisive goal in the 69th minute to boost his side's slim hopes of Champions League qualification.
Winning at Turf Moor on Thursday moves Chelsea within five points of London rivals Tottenham in the battle for a top-four finish, Conte's decision to leave Hazard and Willian on the bench at kick-off ahead of Sunday's clash with Southampton at Wembley justified by the result.Kevin Long's own goal gave Chelsea the lead, the defender bundling a Moses centre in after Gary Cahill's long pass sent the wing-back behind the Clarets' back line.
Barnes inadvertently deflected in Johann Gudmundsson's shot past Thibaut Courtois for his eighth Premier League goal of the season but Sean Dyche's side saw their five-game winning streak end thanks a rapid response.Moses was a threat down the right all game and the wing-back thumped in a low drive that beat birthday boy Nick Pope at his near post to claim all three points for the visitors.
Conte paired Olivier Giroud and Morata in attack and the Spain forward had the game's first chance from a tight angle, Pope saving with his right boot.Pope was helpless as Chelsea took the lead in the 20th minute, though, the goalkeeper touching on a Moses cross that deflected into his net off defender Long.
Burnley were struggling to cope with Chelsea's front two and Pope had to be quick off his line in the 32nd minute to deny Morata after the striker was played into the box by Giroud.
The visitors were given a golden chance to double their lead after the break when N'Golo Kante intercepted a poor Matt Lowton pass and sent Morata clear, but despite Pope's hesitance the striker somehow fired wide of the post.Moses burst away from a static Burnley midfield to get into the box but fired straight at Pope, who was again keeping club captain Tom Heaton on the bench.
The Clarets promptly levelled with their first shot on target of the match in the 64th minute, although there was a huge slice of luck involved.Gudmundsson cut inside from the right and fired at goal, his strike taking a massive deflection off Barnes - onside despite Chelsea protests - to wrongfooted Courtois.
Within five minutes Chelsea were back in front, Burnley again exposed on their left flank.Emerson Palmieri - making his first Premier League start - saw his deep cross come through to Moses, who rifled in past an unsighted Pope to restore the Blues' lead.
Dyche sent on Sam Vokes and the substitute striker headed a left-wing Gudmundsson corner straight at Courtois seconds after his 72nd-minute introduction.A bright Hazard cameo from the bench helped Chelsea close out consecutive Premier League away wins following Saturday's comeback at Southampton, who they face again at Wembley in three days' time.
Victor Moses struck the winner as Chelsea edged a tight 2-1 Premier League victory against Burnley, Antonio Conte having named Eden Hazard among the substitutes with an eye on the FA Cup semi-finals.Burnley looked set to claim a point thanks to Ashley Barnes' lucky equaliser, but Moses came up with the decisive goal in the 69th minute to boost his side's slim hopes of Champions League qualification.
Winning at Turf Moor on Thursday moves Chelsea within five points of London rivals Tottenham in the battle for a top-four finish, Conte's decision to leave Hazard and Willian on the bench at kick-off ahead of Sunday's clash with Southampton at Wembley justified by the result.Kevin Long's own goal gave Chelsea the lead, the defender bundling a Moses centre in after Gary Cahill's long pass sent the wing-back behind the Clarets' back line.
Barnes inadvertently deflected in Johann Gudmundsson's shot past Thibaut Courtois for his eighth Premier League goal of the season but Sean Dyche's side saw their five-game winning streak end thanks a rapid response.Moses was a threat down the right all game and the wing-back thumped in a low drive that beat birthday boy Nick Pope at his near post to claim all three points for the visitors.
Conte paired Olivier Giroud and Morata in attack and the Spain forward had the game's first chance from a tight angle, Pope saving with his right boot.Pope was helpless as Chelsea took the lead in the 20th minute, though, the goalkeeper touching on a Moses cross that deflected into his net off defender Long.
Burnley were struggling to cope with Chelsea's front two and Pope had to be quick off his line in the 32nd minute to deny Morata after the striker was played into the box by Giroud.
The visitors were given a golden chance to double their lead after the break when N'Golo Kante intercepted a poor Matt Lowton pass and sent Morata clear, but despite Pope's hesitance the striker somehow fired wide of the post.Moses burst away from a static Burnley midfield to get into the box but fired straight at Pope, who was again keeping club captain Tom Heaton on the bench.
The Clarets promptly levelled with their first shot on target of the match in the 64th minute, although there was a huge slice of luck involved.Gudmundsson cut inside from the right and fired at goal, his strike taking a massive deflection off Barnes - onside despite Chelsea protests - to wrongfooted Courtois.
Within five minutes Chelsea were back in front, Burnley again exposed on their left flank.Emerson Palmieri - making his first Premier League start - saw his deep cross come through to Moses, who rifled in past an unsighted Pope to restore the Blues' lead.
Dyche sent on Sam Vokes and the substitute striker headed a left-wing Gudmundsson corner straight at Courtois seconds after his 72nd-minute introduction.A bright Hazard cameo from the bench helped Chelsea close out consecutive Premier League away wins following Saturday's comeback at Southampton, who they face again at Wembley in three days' time.
Arsenal & Man Utd alerted as Bordeaux chairman confirms likely Malcom sale
The chairman of Ligue 1 side Bordeaux has confirmed Malcom is likely to be sold in the second half of this year.
The 21-year-old attacker has scored nine goals and added six assists this season for the Ligue 1 outfit, surpassing his previous highs in the French top division.Malcom has previously stated that he desired a move away from the club this past January, but later confirmed he would be allowed to depart Bordeaux in the summer.
And now Nicolas de Tavernost, chairman of M6 which is the majority shareholder of the club, admitted at a shareholder’s general meeting the club’s losses in the first half of the year stemmed from not selling a player they are likely to sell in the second half.He followed that up by saying ‘a major Brazilian’ who wishes to leave will be allowed to.
"There are always purchases and sales being made, and there is a major Brazilian player whom you know he wants to leave the club and we will do it in the most absolute respect of our interests," he said in quotes published by sudouest. "That's why we first bought this player and then [will eventually sell him] in the offseason."
Though Malcom was not named directly and is not the only Brazilian at the club, the reference toward a desire to depart Bordeaux would seem to indicate he is the player de Tavernost referred to.
Malcom previously moved to the club from Corinthians in January 2015, for a reported €5 million. He signed a new deal in September 2017 that ties him to Bordeaux until 2021.
An electric first half of the year raised his profile and drew links to clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United. However, Malcom’s form has dipped a bit in the second half of the season, as he has only two goals and two assists since January 1.
Bordeaux sit 10th in the Ligue 1 table.
The chairman of Ligue 1 side Bordeaux has confirmed Malcom is likely to be sold in the second half of this year.
The 21-year-old attacker has scored nine goals and added six assists this season for the Ligue 1 outfit, surpassing his previous highs in the French top division.Malcom has previously stated that he desired a move away from the club this past January, but later confirmed he would be allowed to depart Bordeaux in the summer.
And now Nicolas de Tavernost, chairman of M6 which is the majority shareholder of the club, admitted at a shareholder’s general meeting the club’s losses in the first half of the year stemmed from not selling a player they are likely to sell in the second half.He followed that up by saying ‘a major Brazilian’ who wishes to leave will be allowed to.
"There are always purchases and sales being made, and there is a major Brazilian player whom you know he wants to leave the club and we will do it in the most absolute respect of our interests," he said in quotes published by sudouest. "That's why we first bought this player and then [will eventually sell him] in the offseason."
Though Malcom was not named directly and is not the only Brazilian at the club, the reference toward a desire to depart Bordeaux would seem to indicate he is the player de Tavernost referred to.
Malcom previously moved to the club from Corinthians in January 2015, for a reported €5 million. He signed a new deal in September 2017 that ties him to Bordeaux until 2021.
An electric first half of the year raised his profile and drew links to clubs like Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United. However, Malcom’s form has dipped a bit in the second half of the season, as he has only two goals and two assists since January 1.
Bordeaux sit 10th in the Ligue 1 table.
Should Pogba leave Man Utd? Yorke states case against summer salePaul Pogba remains “an entertainer” and should not be sold by Manchester United this summer, says Dwight Yorke.
Amid another testing campaign for a man brought back to Old Trafford in a record-breaking £89 million, questions are being asked of his ongoing presence.Jose Mourinho’s opinion of the 25-year-old has veered between superstar and benchwarmer, with it that inconsistency across the board which has sparked talk of a possible switch elsewhere.
Yorke, though, is of the opinion that Pogba’s services should be retained as he remains a talent with plenty of potential to still be unlocked.The former United striker told talkSPORT: “No, I don’t think he should leave United.
“When you join United, you are under so much scrutiny, and if you underperform there are always people likely to criticise you – it’s just part and parcel of the game.“He’s still in that development stage and he’ll embrace all this and understand he can’t just perform when he feels like.”
Pogba was more like his talismanic self during a 2-0 victory over Bournemouth on Wednesday, with the France international proving once again – following a two-goal showing on derby day against Manchester City – how productive he can be when given the freedom to play to his strengths.
Yorke, who formed part of United’s Treble-winning squad in 1999, added: “I don’t think he goes out there deliberately trying not to perform, I just think he’s not been able to express himself.
“It’s all about character, and understanding the character of the people you have brought to the football club. He’s a showman, Paul Pogba, and a great guy – you can’t take that away from him because that is his personality and he likes to express himself.
“I feel at times he has been restricted – defensively he has to contribute to the team, and it’s not just about Paul Pogba, it is about the team – but when it comes to the character of the person, Pogba is an entertainer.“He wants to entertain, and sometimes he is not allowed to do that.”
Mourinho doesn't need to show anyone he's one of the best - Pochettino
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino believes Jose Mourinho deserves more credit for his work this season and does not think his Manchester United counterpart needs to prove his credentials as one of the world's best.
Pre-season hopes that United could challenge for the Premier League failed to come to fruition, while the Red Devils were dumped out of the Champions League by Sevilla in the last 16.
Put to Pochettino that Mourinho has not enjoyed the kind of plaudits he, Manchester City's Pep Guardiola and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp have been afforded, the former Southampton coach insisted there was no questioning the Portuguese's quality."For me, Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers in the world," he said. "I don't think he needs to show anyone that he is one of the best.
"Manchester United, for me, are having a fantastic season. Of course they will be disappointed like us to be out of the Champions League - it was massive obviously for them and for us."Yes we are in a similar position. They are better than us because they have more points in the Premier League.
"For me, he is doing a fantastic show in his second season in Manchester."Tottenham meet United in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, with a much-changed Red Devils side having bounced back from a 1-0 home defeat to West Brom last weekend with a 2-0 win at Bournemouth on Wednesday.And Pochettino says his players must be ready for whatever XI Mourinho opts for at Wembley.
"I'm sure that the team that will play against us on Saturday will be tough," he added. "It will be a tough game to play, they have an unbelievable squad. "Of course Mourinho is a great manager who will know what he needs to do and I think it's an exciting semi-final because both teams are going to play to try to get to the final."
Asked which of the four semi-finalists needed the trophy most, Pochettino said: "It's fantastic Southampton, Chelsea, Manchester United or Tottenham will win the title, but it's not going to change our life.
"Who needs it more? I don't know."Every team is going to fight to try to win but it's not about need, it's about a title that would be a fantastic finish to the season."But it's not about who needs the trophy more."
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino believes Jose Mourinho deserves more credit for his work this season and does not think his Manchester United counterpart needs to prove his credentials as one of the world's best.
Pre-season hopes that United could challenge for the Premier League failed to come to fruition, while the Red Devils were dumped out of the Champions League by Sevilla in the last 16.
Put to Pochettino that Mourinho has not enjoyed the kind of plaudits he, Manchester City's Pep Guardiola and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp have been afforded, the former Southampton coach insisted there was no questioning the Portuguese's quality."For me, Jose Mourinho is one of the best managers in the world," he said. "I don't think he needs to show anyone that he is one of the best.
"Manchester United, for me, are having a fantastic season. Of course they will be disappointed like us to be out of the Champions League - it was massive obviously for them and for us."Yes we are in a similar position. They are better than us because they have more points in the Premier League.
"For me, he is doing a fantastic show in his second season in Manchester."Tottenham meet United in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, with a much-changed Red Devils side having bounced back from a 1-0 home defeat to West Brom last weekend with a 2-0 win at Bournemouth on Wednesday.And Pochettino says his players must be ready for whatever XI Mourinho opts for at Wembley.
"I'm sure that the team that will play against us on Saturday will be tough," he added. "It will be a tough game to play, they have an unbelievable squad. "Of course Mourinho is a great manager who will know what he needs to do and I think it's an exciting semi-final because both teams are going to play to try to get to the final."
Asked which of the four semi-finalists needed the trophy most, Pochettino said: "It's fantastic Southampton, Chelsea, Manchester United or Tottenham will win the title, but it's not going to change our life.
"Who needs it more? I don't know."Every team is going to fight to try to win but it's not about need, it's about a title that would be a fantastic finish to the season."But it's not about who needs the trophy more."
Shaw eyeing FA Cup semi-final start after fight for Man Utd spot
Luke Shaw hopes his performance in Manchester United's 2-0 Premier League victory over Bournemouth on Wednesday will earn him a start in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham.Shaw was handed his first start since February as Jose Mourinho rung the changes in the wake of Sunday's humiliating 1-0 home defeat to bottom club West Brom - a result that crowned Manchester City champions.
The Portuguese said after the match that he would not play the same XI at Wembley and that Antonio Valencia, Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku were among the players who would "obviously" come back into the first team.
But Shaw, who has endured a largely frustrating time at Old Trafford since signing from Southampton in 2014, hopes to have given Mourinho something to think about as he plots a way past Spurs to the FA Cup final.
"When a manager makes changes like this, people are fighting for positions," Shaw told MUTV. "It's an opportunity for people to come in and showcase what they can do.
"Everyone wants to be playing on the weekend and it's down to the manager for that."That's why I think the team was so good, because they know the big game is on the weekend and everyone wants to play in it, everyone wants to be in that starting XI, including me."Chelsea face Southampton in the second semi-final on Sunday.
Luke Shaw hopes his performance in Manchester United's 2-0 Premier League victory over Bournemouth on Wednesday will earn him a start in Saturday's FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham.Shaw was handed his first start since February as Jose Mourinho rung the changes in the wake of Sunday's humiliating 1-0 home defeat to bottom club West Brom - a result that crowned Manchester City champions.
The Portuguese said after the match that he would not play the same XI at Wembley and that Antonio Valencia, Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku were among the players who would "obviously" come back into the first team.
But Shaw, who has endured a largely frustrating time at Old Trafford since signing from Southampton in 2014, hopes to have given Mourinho something to think about as he plots a way past Spurs to the FA Cup final.
"When a manager makes changes like this, people are fighting for positions," Shaw told MUTV. "It's an opportunity for people to come in and showcase what they can do.
"Everyone wants to be playing on the weekend and it's down to the manager for that."That's why I think the team was so good, because they know the big game is on the weekend and everyone wants to play in it, everyone wants to be in that starting XI, including me."Chelsea face Southampton in the second semi-final on Sunday.
