Atletico Madrid 3 - 0 Almeria [La Liga]

Atletico Madrid began a run of potentially-
crucial fixtures with a comfortable 3-0 La Liga
home victory against Almeria on Saturday.
Atletico Madrid started what could be a season-
defining run of fixtures with a convincing 3-0 La
Liga win against Almeria at Vicente Calderon on
Saturday.
Mario Mandzukic scored an early penalty before
teeing up two first-half goals for strike partner
Antoine Griezmann, as Diego Simeone's side
cruised past their struggling visitors – although
they played the last few minutes with 10 men
after Guilherme Siqueira was sent off for a
second booking late on.
It was still a welcome win for the champions,
who currently sit third behind rivals Real Madrid
and Barcelona having lost to Celta Vigo last time
out.
They face Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA
Champions League last 16 on Wednesday before
back-to-back meetings with fellow top-four
contenders Sevilla and Valencia.
The home side's intentions were clear from the
outset, but the breakthrough came with the help
of a contentious spot-kick.
Mandzukic and Griezmann demonstrated their
developing partnership for the next two goals to
put the result beyond doubt before half-time,
allowing Simeone to rotate his squad after the
break.
Almeria, meanwhile, saw their three- match
unbeaten run end, meaning results on Sunday
could drag them closer to the drop zone.
Simeone's side started the match with plenty
of purpose and intensity to their play and got
their reward in the 13th minute, albeit in
controversial circumstances.
Diego Godin was adjudged to have been fouled
in the penalty area while attempting to meet
Gabi's floated free-kick.
Mauro Dos Santos was identified as the chief
offender, although he and his team-mates, two
of whom also jumped with the Uruguayan, looked
bemused at the penalty award.
Mandzukic ignored all of the arguments to coolly
convert the spot-kick and give Atleti the lead.
Things got worse for the visitors in the 20th
minute, and this time there were few doubts
about the main culprit.
Fran Velez inexplicably played the ball to the
feet of Mandzukic 40 yards from goal and the
former Bayern Munich frontman was able to send
his strike partner Griezmann through to double
the lead with a composed finish.
The game was all-but over as a contest nine
minutes later when Griezmann and Mandzukic
combined once again to add a third goal.
The Frenchman managed to get the wrong side of
his defender inside the six-yard box to latch on
to Mandzukic's knockdown and fire past Julian
on the turn, as Almeria failed to deal with
another aerial ball.
Almeria did their best to respond in the opening
minutes of the second half and did increase
their tempo, but Atleti managed
to maintain their superiority.
With one eye clearly on their return to European
action, Simeone was able to withdraw Mandzukic
and Griezmann to standing ovations in the
second period, to be replaced by Fernando
Torres and Raul Garcia.
Garcia almost marked his return from suspension
with a goal, but he dragged his shot across goal
from six yards out, after a strong surge into the
box in the 77th minute.
That was as close as either side came to adding
a second-half goal, and the only blot on
otherwise fantastic evening for Atleti was
the late sending off for Siqueira.
The defender was shown a second yellow card for
deliberate handball on the half-way line, but it
mattered little to the overall context of the
match.

Read More

PSG 3 - 1 Toulouse [Ligue 1]

PSG avoided a repeat of last week's Ligue 1 draw
with Caen, beating Toulouse 3-1 on Saturday to
keep up their title chase.
PSG kept up the pressure on their Ligue 1 title
rivals after with a 3-1 home win against
Toulouse on Saturday.
Laurent Blanc's side sat third heading into the
weekend, level on points with Marseille and two
behind leaders Lyon, after dropping points
against Caen last time out.
Despite missing a host of key names, PSG
banished the demons of last weekend's 2-2 draw,
when they squandered a 2-0 lead, to claim a
vital three points.
Adrien Rabiot scored either side of half-time for
the hosts, both following good work from Javier
Pastore.
Alain Casanova started with top scorer Wissam
Ben Yedder on the bench, but the striker came
on before half-time and pulled one back three
minutes after Rabiot's second.
PSG responded in positive fashion, unlike the
previous week, and Thiago Silva added a third 16
minutes from time to send the champions top,
at least until their rivals are in action on
Sunday.
The build-up to this match had been dominated
by Blanc's shortage of options, with the manager
claiming to have only 13 outfield players to pick
from.

Read More

Hull City 2 - 1 QPR [Premier League]

Close-season signing and Senegal international
Dame N'Doye headed the 89th-minute winner
for Hull on his 30th birthday after a Nikica
Jelavic shot opened the scores for the hosts
and a Charlie Austin header had levelled the
scores five minutes before half-time.
The result leaves QPR, who played for an hour
with 10 men, in 17th place on 22 points, level
with next to bottom Aston Villa and Burnley,
while Hull climb to 15th on 26 points.
Barton had already been on a Premier League
record run of seven yellow cards in seven games
when he was sent off at Hull's KC Stadium in
the 33rd minute for punching Hull's Tom
Huddlestone between the legs during a general
scrap.
Hull were at that time 1-0 up after Jelavic
produced a slick strike on 16 minutes to beat
'keeper Robert Green, and Rangers were
pushing for an equaliser when Darnell Furlong,
on his QPR debut, fouled Jelavic.
Hull's players reacted with fury and, while a
major shoving session ensued, Barton produced
his punch on Huddlestone, leaving the home
number eight bent double and gasping as
referee Anthony Taylor produced a straight red.
That means Barton has now had seven yellows
and a red card in his last eight Premier League
outings while Furlong was booked on his debut.
Austin then grabbed an equaliser for 10-man
QPR on 39 minutes after latching on to a Matt
Phillips cross from the right wing.
He rose near the penalty spot and headed low
and right past Hull 'keeper Allan McGregor to
make it 1-1.
N'Doye only arrived at Hull during the winter
transfer window from Lokomotiv Moscow, and
his winner was his first goal for his new club on
his second appearance.
Neither of the two relegation strugglers had
won two consecutive games this season but
both had won last time out, with QPR grabbing
a first victory in eight at Sunderland and Hull
beating Aston Villa 2-0.
In 2008 Barton was jailed for six months on
charges of common assault and affray after
CCTV footage caught him punching one man 20
times before attacking a teenager, who lost
teeth in the attack.

Read More

Aston Villa 1 - 2 Stoke City [Premier League]

A stoppage-time penalty from Victor Moses
spoiled Tim Sherwood's first match in charge of
Aston Villa as Stoke City earned a 2-1 victory in
Saturday's Premier League match.
Sherwood saw his side remain in the bottom
three after Ron Vlaar hauled down Moses, with
the forward coolly converting from 12 yards after
the defender had seen red.
Scott Sinclair was able to take one of the few
chances the home side created as he headed
in his first top-flight goal since August 2012
after 20 minutes, but Stoke restored parity
before the break.
Mame Biram Diouf met Stephen Ireland's cross
seven yards from goal and placed his header
past Brad Guzan on the goalkeeper's 100th
successive league start.
A second half devoid of quality and chances
failed to lift the atmosphere inside Villa Park,
with Stoke slightly edging proceedings before
Moses' winner.
Villa drop a place in the table after the
defeat, while Stoke remain mid-table.

Read More

Barcelona 0 - 1 Malaga [La Liga]

Barcelona were once again left frustrated by
Malaga as the Liga title challengers slumped to
a 1-0 home defeat and saw their 11- match
winning run come to a halt.
Malaga claimed a 0-0 draw after successfully
nullifying Lionel Messi and Neymar when the two
sides met at La Rosaleda in September, and they
were just as effective again, producing a
determined display to claim their first Camp Nou
victory since 1999.
Luis Suarez, who missed their last meeting, was
unable to inspire a change in Barca's fortunes
this time around, as their usually lethal frontline
struggled after Juanmi capitalised on an early
Dani Alves error to break the deadlock.
The hosts unsurprisingly dictated the tempo of
the match, though Malaga's hard-working
defence held firm in admirable fashion, while
Javi Gracia's side posed a significant threat on
the break.
Rafinha and Andres Iniesta saw Barca's best
chances go begging in the first half, while
opportunities were even rarer after the break, as
Malaga proved impenetrable.
Malaga ultimately scraped over the finish line to
claim a famous and surprising win despite
Barca's intense late pressure, sealing a result
that will raise smiles at title rivals Real Madrid.
Despite resting few key players in the lead up to
Tuesday's UEFA Champions League trip to
Manchester City, Barca trailed after just seven
minutes, proving to be their own worst enemy.
Dani Alves sold Claudio Bravo short with a poor
back-pass and Juanmi pounced, skipping beyond
the goalkeeper before prodding home, doing
little to help the Brazilian's bid for a new
contract.
Barca almost hit back just two minutes later, but
Weligton, who infamously clashed with Messi in
this season's reverse fixture, crucially blocked
Rafinha's powerful goal-bound effort.
Though the hosts continued to dominate,
Malaga's dogged defending ensured that clear-
cut opportunities were something of a rarity.
And the visitors proved particularly dangerous
on the counter-attack, nearly adding to their
lead twice in quick succession just after the half-
hour mark.
Barca should have restored parity five minutes
before the interval, though Iniesta could only
send his tame header straight at Carlos Kameni.
The hosts' monopolisation of the ball continued
into the second half without much to show for
their efforts, as the impressive Weligton and
Roberto Rosales remained solid at the back.
Neymar and Messi attempted to force the issue,
driving forward with intent and forcing the
Malaga defence back, but generally the hosts'
final ball fell flat, as opportunities eluded Luis
Enrique's men.
Substitute Pedro sent their best chance into the
side netting, leaving Luis Enrique with much to
ponder ahead of their trip to face the Premier
League champions.

Read More

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Arsenal [Premier League]

Glenn Murray, the Palace substitute, replied in
injury time and almost grabbed an improbable
point for the South London side when his last-
gasp header rebounded off the post.
In the end it was not as comfortable a form of
preparation for Wednesday's Champions League
visit of Monaco as it appeared for most of the
game, but it was good enough to lift Arsene
Wenger's side to third place.
Alan Pardew's Palace are now 13th and
although their unimpressive home record
continues to be a concern, they will take heart
from the battling second-half display that
almost brought them an unlikely draw.
With on-loan Yaya Sanogo ineligible to face his
parent club and former Arsenal striker
Marouane Chamakh injured, it was no surprise
the home team struggled to make a first-half
impression.
Arsenal manager Wenger had no such problems,
and after eight minutes his side extended their
run of scoring inside the first 30 minutes to
nine successive matches.
Palace left-back Pape Soare took too long to
make a clearance and was closed down by
Danny Welbeck.
Attempting to rectify his error, Soare tripped
Welbeck as the England forward charged into
the penalty area, and Cazorla calmly converted
the ensuing spot-kick.
It was also the 10th time in their 13 home
games this season that Palace have conceded
first, giving their willing but limited team a
stiff task.
They swarmed forward and tackled
enthusiastically -- rather too enthusiastically at
times -- but Arsenal looked more dangerous,
and should have done better when Laurent
Koscielny headed Giroud's flick-on wide.
In reply, Dwight Gayle fired a free-kick inches
over the bar after Calum Chambers had felled
Fraizer Campbell on the left.
When Francis Coquelin meted out similar
treatment to the same player, Gayle crashed his
kick into the defensive wall.
More subtlety was required, but at least Gayle
was trying. Just before half-time he pilfered
possession from the dozing Koscielny and hit
an angled shot that was deflected behind for a
corner by Mesut Ozil.
The Palace fans -- who unfurled a banner
attacking the recent Premier League television
rights deal that read: "£5 billion in the trough
yet supporters still exploited" -- were also
unhappy about many of the officials' decisions.
And they vainly appealed for offside as Arsenal
went 2-0 ahead on the stroke of half-time.
Replays suggested that they had a case, but
the flag stayed down as Welbeck ran onto
Alexis Sanchez's pass and although his shot
was parried by Julian Speroni, Giroud crashed
home the loose ball.
Palace looked for an early reply after the
interval but Wilfried Zaha, played in by
Campbell, took the ball too far wide. And when
he later found Jason Puncheon, Cazorla flew in
to block the Palace man's shot.
It could have been all over when Arsenal broke
away and Ozil fed Sanchez, whose shot with the
outside of his right foot beat Speroni but
drifted past the far post.
But still Palace attacked and after Murray had
scrambled home an injury-time effort after
inadvertently blocking Zaha's goal-bound shot,
he almost salvaged a point with a header that
struck the foot of the upright.

Read More

Swansea 2 - 1 Manchester United [Premier League]

Swansea City recorded a third 2-1 win over
Manchester United in four meetings with victory
in the Premier League on Saturday.
Swansea City scored a deflected winner to
record yet another 2-1 victory over Manchester
United in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Welsh club beat United by the same
scoreline in last season's FA Cup third-round tie
at Old Trafford, before pulling off a repeat away
performance on the opening day of the current
league campaign.
And Jonjo Shelvey's thunderous 73rd-minute
strike, which deflected off the head of Bafetimbi
Gomis, who was ultimately credited with the
goal, means three of the last four meetings
between these sides have finished 2-1 in
Swansea's favour.
After Swansea had looked the more dangerous in
the opening stages, it was the visitors who went
in front thanks to Ander Herrera's deflected shot
shortly before the half-hour mark.
Yet Swansea were level two minutes later, when
Ki Sung-yueng got his boot to a Shelvey cross
from the left.
United put Swansea under sustained pressure
for long spells of the second half, but the hosts
struck late on to subject Louis van Gaal's men to
a first defeat in five league matches.
Robin van Persie's return from injury saw
Radamel Falcao drop to the bench following a
disappointing display at Preston North End in
the FA Cup on Monday, while Swansea adopted
an unfamiliar narrow formation as Gylfi
Sigurdsson made his comeback from a three-
match ban.
Garry Monk's new set-up almost paid off in the
opening stages as Wayne Routledge found a gap
in the United defence, but Sigurdsson's eventual
effort deflected wide.
Gomis' powerful header from the resulting
corner looked destined for the bottom left-hand
corner before being cleared off the line by
Herrera, and the French striker nodded over soon
after.
United offered little in attack early on and Van
Persie was unable to find the target from a tight
angle when goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski flapped
at a Wayne Rooney cross.

Read More

Paderborn 0 - 6 Bayern Munich [Bundesliga]

Bayern Munich opened up an 11-point lead at
top of Bundesliga as Robert Lewandowski and
Arjen Robben shone in 6-0 win over 10-man
Paderborn.
Bayern Munich made it 14 goals in two
Bundesliga matches on Saturday with a clinical
6-0 thrashing of 10-man Paderborn.
Pep Guardiola's men were held to a 0-0 draw by
Shakhtar Donetsk in the first leg of their UEFA
Champions League last-16 tie on Tuesday.
However, the German champions got back on the
goal trail at the Benteler Arena as they followed
up last weekend's 8-0 league victory over
Hamburg with another resounding triumph.
Robert Lewandowski marked his recall to the
starting XI, in place of Mario Gotze, with two
goals in a first half of few chances.
And Bayern picked off the hosts almost at will
following the dismissal of Paderborn's Florian
Hartherz in the 62nd minute, Arjen Robben
scoring twice either side of Franck Ribery
and substitute Mitchell Weiser also finding the
net.
Paderborn remain in a position of peril near the
foot of the table, while Bayern hold an 11-point
advantage at the summit ahead of second-placed
Wolfsburg's meeting with Hertha Berlin on
Sunday.
The visitors dominated possession from the
outset, but were unable to fashion a clear sight
of goal early on as Paderborn, adopting a 5-4-1
formation, packed men behind the ball and
defended with discipline.

Read More

Chelsea 1 - 1 Burnley [Premier League]

Branislav Ivanovic had given Chelsea a first-half
lead, but Matic was sent off after the interval
and struggling Burnley took advantage to
snatch a shock point thanks to Ben Mee's
header nine minutes from full-time.
Blues boss Jose Mourinho may feel his side
were hard done by as they had three penalty
appeals turned down by referee Martin
Atkinson, while Matic's dismissal for retaliation
was sparked by a nasty tackle from Ashley
Barnes.
It was a depressing end to a troubled few days
for Chelsea, who could see their lead at the top
reduced to five points if Manchester City beat
Newcastle later on Saturday.
The club's pre-scheduled "game of equality"
came in the aftermath of the shocking incident
on the Paris Metro on Tuesday in which a black
man was blocked from getting on a train by
some of the club's supporters, who were
chanting a racist song.
Both captain John Terry and chairman Bruce
Buck asserted the club's commitment to anti-
racism campaigns in their programme notes
and some Chelsea fans also produced banners
denouncing racism.
But their attempt to move on was complicated
by reports that police are investigating
complaints that Chelsea supporters were
involved in more racist chanting on their return
from the Paris Saint Germain match at St
Pancras train station.
For 90 minutes at least, Chelsea could focus on
football and Juan Cuadrado offered the first
threat with a looping header that Tom Heaton
tipped over the bar.
Cuadrado was also instrumental to the home
side taking the lead after 14 minutes, even if
Ivanovic's goal was all about Eden Hazard's
sublime assist.
Having lost the ball near the by-line, Cuadrado
did well to win it back, before feeding the
Belgian.
Hazard then danced through the Burnley
defence, beating two players, and squared for
Ivanovic, who finished from close range for his
sixth goal of the season.
Chelsea could have been much further ahead
by half-time, as Burnley offered virtually no
threat of their own, but Atkinson waved away
two penalty claims.
For the first, Ivanovic powered a shot at goal,
only for it to strike Michael Kightly's hand.
The Burnley midfielder seemed to have his arm
stretched out, but Atkinson allowed play to
continue. Towards the end of the half, then,
Costa surged into the box but was pushed by
Michael Keane.
Costa probably didn't help his case by going
down easily, although there was a definite
shove from the defender.
The second half continued in much the same
vein, with Chelsea in total control, and also
having more claims for penalties.
Within minutes of the resumption, Filipe Luis
burst into the box, only to be felled by Kieran
Trippier. Again, Atkinson shook his head.
Chelsea almost made it 2-0 from the resulting
corner but Ivanovic couldn't quite get a good
enough touch on Costa's header.
Cuadrado was having a hugely productive game
and almost scored his first goal.
He slid in for a Hazard cross, only for Mee to
just about divert the ball away.
But in the 70th minute Matic was sent off for
serious foul play and after the midfielder
challenged Barnes, who somewhat dangerously
left his foot up, catching Matic on the shin.
The Serbian reacted furiously, confronting
Barnes, shoving him to the ground, and
Atkinson immediately showed the red card.

Read More

VfB Stuttgart 2 - 3 Borussia Dortmund [Bundesliga]

Borussia Dortmund's revival goes on to keep
Stuttgart firmly rooted to the foot of the
Bundesliga.
Borussia Dortmund made it three Bundesliga
wins in a row for the first time this season with
a 3-2 success at rock-bottom Stuttgart on Friday.
Jurgen Klopp's side have found life difficult so
far this term and, prior to their recent run, had
only registered four wins in 19 league matches,
leaving them bottom of the table.
However, Dortmund have shown signs of turning
things around of late and climb to 10th with
their win in Stuttgart, ahead of the weekend's
programme of fixtures.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang opened the scoring
for the visitors after 25 minutes at the Mercedes-
Benz Arena, but that lead was cancelled out
when Florian Klein netted from the penalty spot
seven minutes later.
Ilkay Gundogan restored Dortmund's advantage
from close range after a clever lay-off from Shinji
Kagawa, before Marco Reus pounced on a
defensive error late on to apparently put the
result beyond doubt.
Georg Niedermeier, who had won the penalty in
the first half, pulled a goal back in stoppage
time, exposing defensive gaps that Dortmund
must plug ahead of Tuesday's trip to Juventus in
the UEFA Champions League.
Klopp had his players training on a deliberately
poor pitch ahead of the trip to Stuttgart, for
whom Timo Werner became the youngest player
to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances

Read More

Liverpool 1 - 0 Besiktas [Europa League]

Liverpool beat Besiktas 1-0 in the UEFA
Europa League on Thursday thanks to a
late Mario Balotelli penalty.
Mario Balotelli came off the bench to
score a late penalty and earn Liverpool a
1-0 win over Besiktas in the first leg of
their UEFA Europa League last-32 tie.
Brendan Rodgers' men dropped into
the competition after failing to make it
out of the UEFA Champions League group
stage, having only managed one victory in
the campaign.
It looked as though Liverpool's
underwhelming fortunes in Europe would
continue at Anfield on Thursday, despite
dominating possession for the most part.
Demba Ba was thwarted by Simon
Mignolet having been sent clean through
for Besiktas' best chance in the first half,
before Alberto Moreno saw an effort
tipped over by goalkeeper Cenk Gonen.
Chances were few and far between for
both sides in the second half, despite the
addition of Balotelli to Liverpool's
frontline, but the Italy international was
on hand to convert from the spot
five minutes from time after Jordon Ibe
had been felled by Ramon.
Steven Gerrard was sidelined with a
hamstring injury, ruling him out of a
reunion with Besiktas frontman Ba, who –
then with Chelsea – pounced on a now-
infamous slip by the Liverpool captain to
contribute to the downfall of the Anfield
club's Premier League title challenge last
season.
Nevertheless, it was the hosts who made
the early running, and Daniel Sturridge
drew a save from goalkeeper Gonen with
a close-range strike in the opening four
minutes after some trickery in the
Besiktas box.
An intruder on the pitch caused a
momentary delay before the visitors' first
chance fell the way of midfielder Veli
Kavlak, but his shot was dragged wide of
the left-hand post.
Kavlak came close once again shortly after
the half-hour mark when he headed wide
from a corner, and Mignolet had to get
down well to keep out an effort from Ba
after the Senegalese had been sent clean
through on goal – the goalkeeper
demonstrating what he should have done
against Chelsea back in April.
And so it was Besiktas who enjoyed the
better goalscoring opportunities in a first
half that saw Liverpool have the majority
of the ball, although Sturridge curled over
a free-kick and Moreno forced Gonen to
tip over with a stunning 30-yard strike.
Jordan Henderson pulled wide from
another set-piece with Gonen flat-footed
before the interval, and Liverpool started
the second half on the front foot, but
Adam Lallana scooped a glorious chance
to break the deadlock over the crossbar
following a mix-up between the keeper
and Pedro Franco.
Manager Rodgers brought on Balotelli to
give his side a greater attacking presence
with just over an hour on the clock and
the Italian was almost instantly involved,
curling a free-kick into the arms of Gonen.

Read More

Celtic 3 - 3 Inter Milan [Europa League]

Celtic claimed a last-gasp 3-3 draw with
Inter in the first leg of their last-32 UEFA
Europa League clash on Thursday.
John Guidetti's well-taken 93rd-minute
equaliser rescued a 3-3 draw for Celtic in
an enthralling first leg of their last-32
UEFA Europa League encounter against
Inter on Thursday.
A goalkeeping howler from Celtic's Craig
Gordon looked like giving victory to Inter,
as Rodrigo Palacio pounced on the stroke
of half-time to restore Inter's lead in
Glasgow.
The Scotland international dived at full
stretch to collect a routine Gary Medel
long ball with Palacio chasing in hope,
only to drop the ball upon making contact
with the ground, allowing the striker to
tap into an empty net.
But Gordon would have breathed a sigh of
relief when substitute Guidetti chested
down a clever ball from Liam Henderson
before firing into the roof of the net in
the third minute of stoppage time.
The draw sets up next week's second leg
at San Siro fascinatingly and if the return
clash is anything like the opener then fans
are in for a treat.
Inter – who remain unbeaten in this
season's competition – had earlier
claimed a two-goal lead, as Xherdan
Shaqiri and Palacio struck inside the first
12 minutes, but Celtic pegged them back
quickly.
Stuart Armstrong first scored in the 24th
minute, and less than 60 seconds later,
Hugo Campagnaro netted an own goal,
giving Ronny Delia's side all the
momentum.
Palacio's fortunate second swung things in
Inter's favour but Manchester City loanee
Guidetti was on hand to level in dramatic
circumstances at the end of a half Celtic
controlled.
Inter defender Nemanja Vidic spoke of
the "intimidating" Celtic Park atmosphere
before kick-off, but the home fans were
quickly silenced by Shaqiri.
The Switzerland international, who joined
from Bayern Munich in January, fired his
side in front after his initial first-time
volley from a Zdravko Kuzmanovic ball
was kept out by Gordon.
Shaqiri pounced on the rebound to slot
under the goalkeeper and he then set up
Inter's second, swinging a cross back into
the penalty area after a corner had been cleared

Read More

Tottenham Hotspur 1 - 1 Fiorentina [Europa League]

Jose Basanta cancelled out Roberto
Soldado's strike as Fiorentina claimed a
1-1 draw at Tottenham in the UEFA
Europa League last-32 clash.
Tottenham were left to rue early missed
chances as Fiorentina claimed a valuable
1-1 draw at White Hart Lane in the UEFA
Europa League.
Head coach Mauricio Pochettino made six
changes for the first leg of the last-32
clash as Tottenham tackled the first of six
games in 17 days across three
competitions, but his remodelled line-up
dominated the opening exchanges after
recalled forward Roberto Soldado scored
a fine sixth-minute opener.
But Soldado was partly culpable for the
Fiorentina equaliser, bringing down
Joaquin before the subsequent free-kick
fell kindly for Jose Basanta to score a vital
away goal.
Nacer Chadli struck the crossbar late in
the first half for Tottenham, but their
Serie A opponents matched them
throughout the second period.
Vincenzo Montella's Fiorentina were good
value for extending their unbeaten to
nine matches as the Premier League
team's earlier rhythm eluded them.
Soldado slipped a clever pass through the
Fiorentina defence for Chadli to draw a
sharp save from Ciprian Tatarusanu and
the Spain international fired his team
ahead in style from the resulting corner.
Paulinho's outswinging delivery found
Soldado in ample room 15 yards from
goal and the striker swivelled to rifle
home an excellent volley.

Read More

Young Boys 1 - 4 Everton [Europa League]Romelu Lukaku gave Everton a comfortable win over young boys with his hat-trick

Romelu Lukaku silenced any doubts over
his commitment to Everton with a hat-
trick to down Young Boys 4-1 in the UEFA
Europa League.
Romelu Lukaku displayed his top-level
credentials with a 'perfect' hat-trick as
Everton demolished Young Boys 4-1 in
the first leg of their UEFA Europa League
last-32 tie.
The Belgium striker was quoted last week
outlining his desire to leave Everton for a
"top club" in the future, but his
commitment to his current employers
could not be questioned in a devastating
display at the Stade de Suisse on
Thursday.
In an opening quarter largely dominated
by the visiting team, it was the hosts who
went ahead through Guillaume Hoarau's
impressive curled effort.
But Everton had always looked
comfortable on the artificial surface –
despite manager Roberto Martinez's pre-
match concerns – and hit back through
quickfire Lukaku and Seamus Coleman
goals midway through the first half.
Another from Lukaku put Martinez's men
in the driving seat and he completed his
treble – his first for the club – with a
neatly taken strike in the second half.
Hoarau missed a penalty soon after, while
John Stones was dismissed in giving the
spot-kick away.
But it mattered little as Young Boys'
seven-match winning streak in home
European games was snapped, putting
Martinez's side in firm control of the tie.
Undaunted by their hosts' impressive
home form, Everton twice went close
early on, but Hoarau made them pay for
slack marking with nine minutes gone
when, left in the clear 25 yards out, he
despatched with ease beyond Tim
Howard.

Read More

Basel 1 - 1 Porto [Champions League]

Danilo scored a late penalty as Porto drew
1-1 at Basel in the first leg of their UEFA
Champions League last-16 tie.
Danilo's 79th-minute penalty gave Porto a
deserved equaliser as their 1-1 draw at
Basel moved them a step closer to the
UEFA Champions League quarter-finals.
Wednesday's first leg of the round of 16
clash in Switzerland was completely
dominated by the visitors, who fell behind
in the 11th minute to a Derlis Gonzalez
strike.
That would prove be Basel's only
meaningful attack of the game though, as
two-time winners Porto ramped up the
pressure, with Cristian Tello denied a
leveller by the offside flag late in the first
half.
Casemiro was next to have a goal chalked
off, after his flick from a corner was ruled
out for interference on Basel goalkeeper
Tomas Vaclik.
Porto were celebrating for an extended
period following the goal but, following
consultation from his officials, referee
Mark Clattenburg – correctly – ruled that
Vaclik had been impeded by both Jackson
Martinez and Ivan Marcano in his attempt
to save the effort.
Julen Lopetegui's men finally got back on
level terms with 11 minutes to play,
however, after Walter Samuel was
penalised for a handball from Danilo's
cross.
Samuel's intervention was not deliberate
but it was a clear penalty, with Danilo
dispatching the spot-kick into the
bottom-left corner to give his side an all-
important away goal.
Porto will now be favourites to progress
to the last eight when they host the
second leg on March 10.
Porto, who had won just one of their last
13 away matches in the competition's
knockout stages, made the brighter start,
but it was Basel who would take the lead
with their first chance of the game.
Fabian Frei's ball in and behind the Porto
defence sent Gonzalez free and his
excellent first touch set up a chance on
goal.
Defenders Alex Sandro and Maicon were
closing in but Gonzalez did just enough to
prod the ball past onrushing goalkeeper
Fabiano and into the bottom-left corner
before the pair collided.

Read More

Schalke 0 - 2 Real Madrid [Champions League]Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo where on target

Goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcelo
handed Real Madrid a 2-0 victory over
Schalke in the UEFA Champions League
on Wednesday.
Real Madrid equalled the longest winning
run in UEFA Champions League history as
they beat Schalke 2-0 in Wednesday's
last-16, first-leg clash in Gelsenkirchen.
Cristiano Ronaldo's 73rd goal in the
competition set the defending champions
on their way in the first half, before
Marcelo sealed victory with a stunning
79th-minute strike into the top corner.
It was the 10th consecutive win in the
tournament for the visitors, equalling a
record set by Bayern Munich just two
years ago.
Ronaldo's perfectly placed header lit up a
first half that was otherwise lacking in
clear-cut chances, the Portugal
international losing Joel Matip to score his
58th Champions League goal in as many
games for Madrid.
Having scored six on the road against
Schalke at the same stage last season,
Real pushed for further goals in the
second half, but their attacking play was
largely devoid of the quality normally on
show from the 10-times winners of
Europe's premier competition.
Roberto Di Matteo's side had posed some
threat in the final third in the first
half and came closest to getting on the
scoresheet in the 74th minute as Felix
Platte crashed a volley against the
crossbar.

Read More

Shakhtar Donetsk 0 - 0 Bayern Munich [Champions League]

A lacklustre performance from 10-man
Bayern Munich saw the German
champions held to a 0-0 draw by Shakhtar
Donetsk on Tuesday.
Xabi Alonso saw red in a feisty 0-0
stalemate between Bayern Munich and
Shakhtar Donetsk in Wednesday's UEFA
Champions League last-16 first leg.
Bayern playmaker Alonso – making his
100th Champions League appearance –
was sent off for a second bookable
offence midway through the second half
in Lviv to cap a frustrating evening for Pep
Guardiola.
Guardiola's side dominated possession
even after Alonso's dismissal, but were
uncharacteristically wasteful in front of
goal just three days after hammering
Hamburg 8-0 in the Bundesliga.
Thomas Muller was presented with
Bayern's best openings in a slow-paced
first half but was unable to get enough on
either of his shots at Andriy Pyatov's goal.
Alonso's red card robbed the game –
which saw referee Alberto Undiano dish
out eight bookings – of its tempo, and
even the introduction of Robert
Lewandowski from the bench could not
spark Bayern into life.
The draw leaves the tie in the balance
ahead of the return leg in Munich on
March 11, with Shakhtar – who had not
played a competitive fixture since their
final group game against Porto over two
months ago due – hoping that Bayern will
be just as wasteful on home turf.

Read More

PSG 1-1 Chelsea: Mourinho - We Got Lucky And Courtois Was In Top Form

A second-half header from Edinson Cavani
ensured Paris Saint-Germain held Chelsea
to a 1-1 draw in the UEFA Champions
League.
Edinson Cavani's 17th goal of season
maintained Paris Saint-Germain's long
unbeaten home record in Europe but
Chelsea will be favourites to reach the
UEFA Champions League quarter-finals
after drawing 1-1 at the Parc des Princes.
Branislav Ivanovic's first-half header put
the Premier League leaders in front in
Tuesday's round-of-16 first leg, but that
was harsh on injury-hit PSG – unbeaten at
home in UEFA competition since 2006.
Laurent Blanc's side suffered a
heartbreaking quarter-final defeat against
Chelsea on away goals last season – after
winning the first leg in the French capital
3-1 – and Ivanovic's opener was a blow to
their hopes of gaining revenge.
The Ligue 1 champions were deservedly
level just nine minutes into the second
half, though, when Uruguay striker Cavani
rose unmarked to head home.
PSG looked the more likely to fashion a
winner but were routinely denied by off-
target finishing and returning Chelsea
goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, whose goal
they will certainly have to breach again in
second leg at Stamford Bridge next
month.
Counting the cost of a dramatic draw
against Caen at the weekend, PSG were
without Yohan Cabaye, Serge Aurier and
Lucas Moura but made a composed start
nevertheless as Blaise Matuidi drew
Courtois into action with a firm header.
Courtois had to deal with Zlatan
Ibrahimovic's header soon after and
Cavani also worked the Belgian with a
similar effort after Chelsea were caught
napping from an Ezequiel Lavezzi corner
11 minutes before the break.

Read More