Canada 1 Guatemala 0

An early goal by Marcus Haber was all Canada needed to dispatch Guatemala 1-0 in an international friendly in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on Friday.  The game started out in Canada’s favour, with MLS players Kyle Bekker and Maxim Tissot combining well to establish a strong midfield presence from the outset.   Canada were rewarded for their early dominance when Haber opened the scoring in the 11th minute.  The England-based striker rose to meet a Bekker corner and powerfully nodded in the game’s only goal.  An injury suffered by starting Guatemala goalkeeper Juan Paredes at the quarter-hour mark slowed the proceedings quite a bit, eventually leading to a rare first half ‘keeper substitution.  The delay seemed to affect the rest of the half, as Canada’s dominance curtailed substantially and the match was much more even for the remainder of the opening 45 minutes.  The second half started out in similar fashion to the first, with the Canadians showing some good ball movement to put the Guatemalans on their heels.  And just as the Canadian dominance faded in the opening period, the game gradually became more level as the second half wore on.  The game opened up for stretches within the final 20 minutes, and Haber appeared to be denied a penalty kick after he outpaced the entire Guatemalan back line and looked to be hauled down inside the 18-yard box.  The officials waved play on, and with the Canadians still arguing the non-call, Guatemala streaked down field and got a shot past Milan Borjan – but off the post.  Substitute Marco Pappa also struck woodwork for the Guatemalans, as the Seattle Sounders midfielder nearly equalised just a few minutes from full time when he unleashed a shot from distance that rung off the crossbar.  However, the Central Americans would not get on the scoresheet, as Benito Floro’s side held on for their first win of 2015.  Canada will not have much time to celebrate Friday’s victory, as they face Puerto Rico in Bayamon on March 30.

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England 4 Lithuania 0:Harry Kane made an instant impact in an England shirt

Harry Kane made an instant impact in an England shirt as Roy Hodgson’s men cruised to a comfortable 4-0 Euro 2016 qualifying victory over Lithuania.  The previously uncapped Tottenham forward dominated the build-up to the Wembley fixture, but was made to wait for a first start as he was named among the substitutes on Friday.  However, within 79 seconds of having come on as a 71st-minute replacement for captain Wayne Rooney, Kane had opened his England account by heading in from a Raheem Sterling cross.  England dominated from the off and, after hitting the post early on, Rooney broke the deadlock with a simple header.  Danny Welbeck’s deflected second on the stroke of half-time gave England a well-earned cushion, before Sterling – scoring his first international goal – latched onto a low Rooney cross to make it 3-0 just short of the hour.  Kane’s memorable fourth gave the victory added gloss, as England maintained their 100 per cent record after five games in Group E.  Watching on from the bench, Kane might have felt he could have done a better job than Rooney when the captain struck the left-hand post from a promising position after five minutes.  However, Rooney – closing in on Bobby Charlton’s record of 49 goals for England – made amends by heading in two minutes later, after Giedrius Arlauskis’ save from a Welbeck strike bounced up kindly for him.  The goal was Rooney’s 47th in international football, taking him within one of second-placed Gary Lineker.  Lithuania had half-hearted appeals for handball in the penalty area turned down in the 16th minute, before Rooney was denied by the woodwork again – this time sending a looping header onto the crossbar.  England continued to dominate proceedings, but Phil Jones had to be alert to slide in and prevent Deivydas Matulevicius getting on the end of a low Vytautas Andriuskevicius ball in from the left.  The home side looked to be heading into the break with a narrow advantage until Welbeck’s header from a Jordan Henderson cross found the net via the thigh of Lithuania skipper Tadas Kijanskas to earn England a deserved second.  Fabian Delph drew an excellent save from Arlauskis with a left-footed volley four minutes into the second half, before Welbeck had appeals for a penalty turned down after tumbling under the challenge of Kijanskas.  Rooney was central to much of England’s attacking play throughout and was on hand to provide the assist as Sterling touched home from close range two minutes before the hour mark.  Kane – who has now scored 30 goals this season – got his chance in the 71st minute and wasted little time in announcing himself on the international stage, heading in from a Sterling cross to put the match to bed.

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Spain 1 Ukraine 0: Morata gave spain the victory

Alvaro Morata marked his first competitive start for Spain with the only goal as they battled past a stubborn Ukraine 1-0 in Euro 2016 qualifying on Friday.  Morata’s effort, scored just before the half-hour mark, saw Spain move three points ahead of their opponents in Group C, but they remain three adrift of leaders Slovakia, who beat Luxembourg 3-0.   Vicente del Bosque’s side had to withstand a series of Ukraine attacks, though, particularly in the second half, with goalkeeper Iker Casillas to thank for a pair of crucial saves.  Juventus forward Morata was included from the beginning after Diego Costa withdrew from the squad with a hamstring injury.  And he did not let his country down, scoring for the third successive game in all competitions to settle a tense contest in Seville.  Ukraine had to be alert early on as Yevhen Khacheridi intercepted David Silva’s dangerous cut-back when the Manchester City man got in behind their defence.  Andres Iniesta looked dangerous, and played in Morata, who could only shoot wide, while Ukraine goalkeeper Andriy Pyatov did well to tip a fierce Koke effort over.  Ukraine were not without their chances, as Artem Fedetskiy volleyed wide when free in the penalty area following a dangerous set-piece, and Ruslan Rotan narrowly missed the target after Fedetskiy found him with a clever header.  They were only half-chances but Ukraine were made to rue their failure to take them when Morata opened the scoring in the 28th minute.  The 22-year-old ran on to Koke’s excellent first-time ball and held off the attention of Khacheridi before lifting over Pyatov despite going to ground.  Morata had the ball in the back of the net again – only for his effort to be ruled out for offside – and the woodwork was next to deny Spain, as Sergio Ramos’ thumping header bounced off the crossbar from Silva’s free-kick four minutes before the break.  The hosts were sluggish after the interval, though, and were grateful to Casillas for an excellent save after Rotan’s free-kick was allowed to bounce and nearly crept in untouched.   Casillas then conceded possession in a dangerous area, but reacted well to keep out Rotan’s effort, and Spain’s malaise was summed up by a poor Iniesta pass – a true rarity.   Ukraine probably should have levelled when substitute Artem Kravets, an early substitution for the injured Roman Zozulya, centred for Rotan but he fired straight at Casillas from eight yards.  Jordi Alba limped off with a hamstring injury with 12 minutes remaining but Ukraine seemed to run out of energy in the latter stages, meaning there was no late rally from the visitors.   Instead it was Spain who could have scored again, after substitute Santi Cazorla and Isco linked well, but the former saw his shot superbly turned behind by Pyatov.  One goal was enough for Spain, though, as they recorded an important victory without hitting top form.

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Italian giants AC Milan are keen on Borussia Dortmund striker Ciro Immobile

Italian giants AC Milan are keen to add Borussia Dortmund striker Ciro Immobile to their ranks in the summer, Tuttosport has suggested.  The Millionaires are reportedly ready to offload the Italian forward after he struggled to prove his worth following the summer switch from Torino.  And while Fiorentina and Napoli are believed to be keen on his signature, AC Milan were the first side to make a concrete move.  According to Tuttosport, the Rossoneri wasted no time as vice-president Adriano Galliani met with the player’s agent Alessandro Moggi.  Milan officials are still debating whether to turn Mattia Destro’s loan deal into permanent move and they may decide to go with Immobile instead.  The striker, who finished the previous season as Serie A’s top goalscorer, has only managed 3 goals in 17 league appearances, albeit netting four times in six Champions League outings.  Despite the lack of first team action, Immobile should start for Italy against Bulgaria tomorrow, with the Azzurri 9/10 to win in Sofia.

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Petr Cech set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season

Petr Cech looks set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season, according to the Mail Online.  The 32 year old has been limited to just five league appearances so far this season, with Thibaut Courtois first choice since returning from his three year loan spell with Atletico Madrid.  Cech has played regularly in the cup competitions, but is not willing to continue as an understudy and will seek a new challenge in the summer.  A number of clubs have been linked with a move for the Czech Republic international, including Liverpool and European Champions Real Madrid.  The shot-stopper moved to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2004, and has since racked up four hundred and eighty-four appearances for the club in all competitions.  During his time with the Blues, he has won a whole host of major honours including three league titles, four FA Cups, three League Cups, the Europa League and the Champions League.

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South Korea 1-1 Uzbekistan:Zokhir Kuziboyev's debut goal ensured Uzbekistan held Korea Republic to a 1-1 draw in Friday's practice match at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium.

Zokhir Kuziboyev’s debut goal ensured Uzbekistan held South Korea to a 1-1 draw in Friday’s friendly at the Daejeon World Cup Stadium.  Mash’al Mubarek forward Kuziboyev’s scrappy first-half equaliser cancelled out a header from captain Koo Ja-cheol as South Korea failed to repeat their Asian Cup quarter-final win over Uzbekistan back in January.  Uli Stielike’s side needed extra-time to see off Uzbekistan in that last-eight encounter and they were once again unable to secure victory in 90 minutes.  Stielike would have seen plenty of room for improvement in South Korea’s first game since their Asian Cup final defeat against Australia as he selected an experimental side.  Lee Jae-Sung made his senior South Korea debut, while QPR defender Yoon Suk-Young started after missing the Asian Cup and Kim Bo-kyung made his first international appearance since the World Cup.  Son Heung-min scored both goals in South Korea’s 2-0 victory over Uzbekistan in Melbourne and the winger turned provider for the opening goal 15 minutes in.  The Bayer Leverkusen man’s inviting corner from the left was met by Koo, who planted a header into the back of the net from inside the six-yard box.  Koo had an opportunity to double his tally nine minutes later, but this time header over the crossbar with goalkeeper Eldorbek Suyunov stranded.  Uzbekistan also posed a threat going forward and they were level on the half-hour mark courtesy of a somewhat fortunate goal from Kuziboyev.  Sardor Rashidov’s heavy touch looked to have wasted a golden opportunity to equalise, but his cross from the byline struck Kuziboyev and then Kim Ki-Hee, who was unable to prevent the ball from crossing the line.  The hosts lost Lee Jung-Hyub and Jeong Dong-Ho to injury before half-time and they could have been behind at the break, but Rashidov’s effort was wide of the far post.  Son fired a free kick over the crossbar nine minutes into the second half as South Korea looked to restore their advantage, but they continued to look vulnerable at the back.  Lutfulla Turayev’s strike from 20 yards out was palmed away by a diving Kim Seung-Gyu midway through the second half as Uzbekistan strived to gain revenge for their Asian Cup defeat.  Koo thought he had won it 18 minutes from time, but he was flagged for offside as Stielike’s men had to settle for a draw.




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Japan 2-0 Tunisia:Kagawa & Honda gave japan the victory

Honda – who has struggled for form at club level with Milan – was integral in both goals for the host in Oita, creating the first for Shinji Okazaki, before finding the net himself with eight minutes to play.  Mainz striker Okazaki needed six minutes to break the deadlock after coming on midway through the second half, the 28-year-old heading home Honda's deep cross much to the relief of his new coach.  Victory was assured when an unmarked Honda slid home Kagawa's cross four minutes later, enabling the healing process to begin after Japan's early exit at the Asian Cup two months ago.  Halilhodzic – who replaced Javier Aguirre earlier this month – saw his side dominate possession throughout, but in the first half it lacked a finishing touch.  Kengo Kawamata went closest with a header that struck the crossbar after 21 minutes, while Makoto Hasebe and Yoshinori Muto both wasted good openings with weak efforts.  The introduction of Kagawa and Honda was the catalyst for Japan's change in fortunes, the pair entering the fray 13 minutes after the break.  Honda was immediately involved as his corner was converted by Maya Yoshida only for the referee to disallow the goal for a foul in the penalty area.  The Milan playmaker's creativity soon fashioned another chance, though, as he and Kagawa combined before Okazaki rose at the back post to finally beat Moez Ben Cherifia.  With the deadlock broken, Japan immediately grew in confidence and Honda secured the win, the sub converting after Tunisia failed to deal with Kagawa's right-wing cross.  Takashi Usmai could have added a third in stoppage time, but the forward was denied a debut goal by the post, however it mattered little as Japan made a positive start to a new era.

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Danny Rose ruled out of England's squad for the Euro 2016 qualifier because of his injury

Fullback Danny Rose became the fifth player to withdraw from England's squad for the Euro 2016 qualifier with Lithuania and the friendly against Italy next Tuesday due to injury.  The 24-year-old Tottenham star - a former stalwart of the England Under-21 side - had only been called up after Manchester United's Luke Shaw withdrew on Saturday.  "Tottenham Hotspur's Danny Rose has withdrawn from the England camp through injury," said the FA in a statement.  "The left-back will play no further part in preparation for the forthcoming fixtures against Lithuania and Italy and has returned to his club."
Aside from Rose and Shaw, injury has deprived coach Roy Hodgson of goalkeeper Fraser Forster, whose season is over after undergoing knee surgery, and Liverpool duo Daniel Sturridge and Adam Lallana.  In the absence of both Shaw and Rose, Everton's Leighton Baines looks set to start at left-back in both matches, provided he does not sustain an injury against Lithuania at Wembley.  No one has been called up as a replacement for Rose, although Southampton's Ryan Bertrand has earned praise for his performances this season.
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England striker Wayne Rooney is ready to enter the record books, with Bobby Charlton's all-time scoring record up for grabs.

Rooney only requires four goals to become the nation's all-time leading scorer with 50, which will see him eclipse Gary Lineker (48) and Charlton (49), as England prepares to host Lithuania in Saturday's (AEDT) UEFA EURO 2016 Group E qualifier.  "Obviously I am close. It will be a fantastic moment for myself, a proud moment if I can do that," the 29 year-old said.  "Hopefully one day it will happen and sooner rather than later, I have to keep concentrating on what has got me to this position and try to do my best for the team and hopefully I can get goals along the way."  Rooney and Charlton, who is a director at Manchester United, speak often but the England record is not something the pair discuss.  "I speak to him quite regularly at the club especially after games. He's a great for Manchester United and England. I don't want to bring it up and say, 'I'm close to beating it'. He always gives me great advice and I have great chats with him," Rooney said.  "He comes in and speaks about the game. I speak to him about my game, certainly – when I was playing midfield.   "He was an attacking midfielder so he spoke to me a lot about my role there. He knows the game well and he gave me some advice."Rooney only requires four goals to become the nation's all-time leading scorer with 50, which will see him eclipse Gary Lineker (48) and Charlton (49), as England prepares to host Lithuania in Saturday's (AEDT) UEFA EURO 2016 Group E qualifier.  "Obviously I am close. It will be a fantastic moment for myself, a proud moment if I can do that," the 29 year-old said.  "Hopefully one day it will happen and sooner rather than later, I have to keep concentrating on what has got me to this position and try to do my best for the team and hopefully I can get goals along the way."  Rooney and Charlton, who is a director at Manchester United, speak often but the England record is not something the pair discuss.  "I speak to him quite regularly at the club especially after games. He's a great for Manchester United and England. I don't want to bring it up and say, 'I'm close to beating it'. He always gives me great advice and I have great chats with him," Rooney said.  "He comes in and speaks about the game. I speak to him about my game, certainly – when I was playing midfield.   "He was an attacking midfielder so he spoke to me a lot about my role there. He knows the game well and he gave me some advice."

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Liverpool Fans not happy about New Sturridge Injury

Daniel Sturridge looks set to be ruled out for up to a month with a hip injury. The England striker was sent home from International duty earlier in the week and scans have revealed the injury is worse than first feared. He has suffered a torn hip muscle in last Sunday's 2-1 defeat by Manchester United. It is not good news for Liverpool fans as the forward is set to miss Liverpool's crucial clash at Arsenal.
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France 1-3 Brazil:Super neymar goal gave brazil confidence

The visitor went into the game at the Stade de France having won six from six under Dunga after its humiliating semi-final exit at last year's FIFA World Cup on home soil.  Brazil produced another demonstration of its progress with a resilient performance against a France side which had not suffered defeat since their World Cup elimination at the quarter-final stage.  With the heroes of France's 3-0 win over Brazil at the 1998 World Cup final at the same venue watching from the stands, Didier Deschamps - the man who lifted the trophy that day - saw his team take a 21st-minute lead through Raphael Varane.  The Real Madrid defender produced a header reminiscent of Zinedine Zidane's opening goal in that famous showdown to put France ahead, only to be pegged back as Oscar equalised from close range in the 40th minute.  Barcelona forward Neymar lashed home Brazil's second at the near post 12 minutes after the break, with Luiz Gustavo then converting from Willian's corner to make sure of triumph for the South Americans.  France went close in the eighth minute as captain Karim Benzema's header was brilliantly kept out by a flying save from Jefferson at the far post.  But, shortly after Neymar had been thwarted by a Steve Mandanda stop at the other end, Varane did put France ahead.  Varane rose highest to meet Mathieu Valbuena's left-wing corner with a powerful header into the bottom-right corner.   Mandanda was tested again by a low drive from Roberto Firmino, who then supplied the key pass as Brazil was rewarded for its attacking initiative.  The Hoffenheim man - making his first start for Brazil - slipped Oscar through to level matters with a cool low finish.  Mandanda needed to be alert after the restart, the Marseille goalkeeper demonstrating his reflexes once more by throwing himself down to his right to keep out a Gustavo strike.  But Mandanda could do nothing to prevent Neymar from completing the turnaround with a fierce strike after he had latched on to Willian's well-placed pass.  France responded with an almost immediate flurry that saw Moussa Sissoko denied as Jefferson flew off his line to make a close-range stop, before Benzema fired over the crossbar from Valbuena's far-post cross.   A long-range Antoine Griezmann strike drew another acrobatic Jefferson save, but the game was put beyond the host by Gustavo in the 69th minute.  Oscar had a curling shot from the edge of the area turned behind by Mandanda, but France failed to deal with the resulting corner, allowing Gustavo to find the net with a precise header into the ground.  Further heroics from Mandanda prevented Willian from netting Brazil's fourth, but that mattered little as Dunga's men cruised to another confidence-boosting result ahead of the Copa America in June.

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BET TIPS:FRIDAY ROSE

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International - Friendly (Under 21)
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SURE 5 FRIDAY GIFT:THIS TIPS CAN BE USED AS BANKERS

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Arsenal forward Theo Walcott has denied making huge wage demands and insists he has no problem with Arsene Wenger.

Theo Walcott has rubbished talk of a rift with Arsene Wenger and revealed he has not yet entered contract talks with Arsenal.  Walcott's current deal expires at the end of next season and Liverpool has been linked with a move for the England forward.  Wenger recently stated that he is expecting contract negotiations to be a long-drawn affair, saying Walcott is "very quick on the pitch, but off the pitch not always".  Walcott on Thursday moved to clarify his situation, denying reports that all is not well between himself and Arsenal boss Wenger.   He tweeted: "I don't normally comment on false stories about myself but reports about contract demands & bust-ups with the boss are complete nonsense.  "There have been no contract talks as yet and my current focus is not on contracts but on doing my best for Arsenal FC."  The former Southampton man has started just five games for the London club this season after recovering from a serious knee injury.

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Iran 2-0 Chile

Copa America hosts Chile saw their preparations for the competition hit a bump on Thursday as they were beaten 2-0 by Iran at St Polten’s NV Arena in Austria.  In one of Chile’s final friendlies before they open the South American showpiece against Ecuador in June, Jorge Sampaoli saw his side fall to goals in either half from captain Javad Nekounam and Vahid Amiri.  Carlos Queiroz’s Iran started brightly and were rewarded after 21 minutes when Nekounam converted Andranik Teymourian’s corner.  Sampaoli, who named Arturo Vidal and Alexis Sanchez on the bench, introduced the latter at the break, although Amiri added to Chile’s frustrations when he doubled Iran’s advantage early in the second half.  Brazil are next up for Chile – as the sides meet for the first time since their last-16 World Cup clash – while Iran face Sweden following victory in their first outing since the Asian Cup.  Eduardo Vargas fired over following a smart turn 12 minutes in, after Chile had survived some early Iran pressure.  Masoud Shojaei then went down under a clumsy challenge from Gonzalo Jara, although the referee waved away the half-hearted penalty protests.  Nekounam eventually made Iran’s pressure pay when the skipper bundled home the opener amid slack marking from Rodrigo Millar and questionable goalkeeping from Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo.  The goal sparked Chile into life, with Juan Cornejo flashing a shot wide before the half-hour mark, before Fabian Orellana hit the side-netting from close range.  Mark Gonzalez saw a header beaten away by Alireza Haghighi as Chile piled on the pressure prior to the interval to no avail.  Sampaoli opted to introduce star man Alexis at the interval, but it was Iran who found the target next as Reza Ghoochannejhad latched on to a throughball and picked out Amiri.  The Naft Tehran forward calmly finished from inside the area to put Queiroz’s side firmly in control.  Matias Fernandez almost reduced the deficit with a fierce drive prior to the hour with Jose Fuenzalida angling a strike wide of the far post as Sampaoli’s men continued to knock on the door.  Veteran David Pizarro was brought on to try to find a way back into the game for the South Americans, but Chile found Haghighi in fine form as the goalkeeper smartly kept out Fernandez’s free kick going into the final 20 minutes.  Despite the late pressure, Chile failed to avert a second defeat in eight post-World Cup outings, leaving Sampaoli questions to answer with the Copa clash against Ecuador in Santiago less than three months away.
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Bahrain 0-6 Colombia

 Radamel Falcao sent a timely reminder to Louis van Gaal on Thursday as he scored twice and set up another in Colombia’s 6-0 demolition of Bahrain.  The striker has struggled to impress his Manchester United manager in recent weeks amid concerns over his fitness, but he showed no signs of rustiness with an impressive display in Riffa.  Having previously not found the back of the net since late January, Falcao was among the goals before the break with two composed finishes – albeit against slack defending – while he also created the opener for Carlos Bacca.  Substitute Adrian Ramos added a fourth for Colombia after 59 minutes, while Johan Mojica and Andres Renteria completed the rout in the closing minutes after Falcao had been replaced.  Falcao’s night had been productive enough as Colombia began their Copa America preparations in perfect style.  Keen to impress ahead of the tournament in Chile, the visitors applied pressure to the Bahrain goal from kick-off and were denied an opener as early as the sixth minute as Juan Cuadrado saw an effort thud against the post.  It did not take long for the deadlock to be broken, though, as Falcao took centre stage in all three goals before the break.  The on-loan Monaco striker rose to head down a Juan Quintero chip for strike partner Bacca in the 15th minute, and the Sevilla man lashed home from seven yards.  Colombia were in complete control of proceedings and the inevitable second goal duly arrived two minutes after the half-hour mark, Falcao given plenty of time to compose himself inside the penalty area before firing past Sayed Jaafar.  The 29-year-old doubled his tally four minutes later as he raced through the centre of Bahrain’s defence, his low effort deflecting off a defender on its way in.  Falcao’s hat-trick should have arrived after 49 minutes as Bahrain failed to clear a free kick, but the striker’s lunge at the back post was not enough to seal his treble.  Two half-time substitutes then combined to extend Colombia’s lead, Fredy Guarin sliding a pass into Ramos, who converted his second goal in as many international appearances.  Falcao’s impressive display was brought to an end after 72 minutes, but Colombia were far from finished as Mojica and Renteria put a gloss on the win, capitalising on more poor defending with late goals.

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Scotland 1-0 Northern Ireland:Christophe Berra scored a late winner as Scotland prepared for a crucial Euro 2016 qualifier with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on Wednesday

Christophe Berra scored a late winner as Scotland prepared for a crucial Euro 2016 qualifier with a 1-0 win over Northern Ireland at Hampden Park on Wednesday.  Both teams have performed well in qualification so far; Scotland sit third in Group D with seven points going into Sunday’s clash with Gibraltar while Northern Ireland are second in Group F with three wins from four ahead of a home game against Finland.  It was the hosts who eventually claimed a deserved triumph in Glasgow, edging a contest that provided little in terms of entertainment.  Manchester United’s Jonny Evans captained Northern Ireland – in his first appearance since receiving a six-match ban for spitting at Newcastle United’s Papiss Cisse – and it was his defence that received the sterner test as Scotland created the better opportunities during a dour affair.  Indeed, Scotland – who beat the Republic of Ireland in their last qualifier in November – perhaps would have claimed a more comfortable win had they not found Northern Ireland goalkeeper Michael McGovern in good form.  McGovern appeared equal to everything thrown at him by Gordon Strachan’s side, but five minutes from time Berra settled things with a header into the bottom-right corner.  Scotland started brightly and would have taken the lead in the fourth minute if not for the reflexes of McGovern.  The Hamilton Academical goalkeeper produced a low stop down to his right to deny Sunderland striker Steven Fletcher following good work from Ikechi Anya.  Anya was Scotland’s most dangerous player in the first half and drew another save from McGovern before then firing wide following a quick counter-attack.  The hosts continued to dictate matters but found McGovern in good form, Fletcher again thwarted after a precise Shaun Maloney pass.  There was no let-up in the pressure from Scotland upon the restart but they also remained profligate, with substitute Steven Naismith heading over from Craig Forsyth’s left-wing cross.  Jordan Rhodes was thrown on for Scotland in the 63rd minute for his first international appearance since 2013.  Forward Josh Magennis then flashed an effort wide in a rare chance for Northern Ireland, but they were on the back foot for the majority of the encounter and McGovern was forced into action again as Naismith headed straight at him from a corner.  Scotland’s chance of victory appeared to have passed, yet Berra took advantage of some poor defending to grab a late winner.  The centre-back met a corner from Matt Ritchie – making his first visit to Scotland after receiving a maiden call-up from Strachan – with a precise header that defender Lee Hodson failed to clear off the line as the hosts’ pressure finally told.
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Germany 2-2 Australia:Germany forward Lukas Podolski immediately set about talking down his goal, which helped his country to a 2-2 draw against Australia.

Lukas Podolski played down his first goal of 2015, which helped Germany salvage a 2-2 draw with Australia in Kaiserslautern midweek.  The world champion trailed after goals to James Troisi and Mile Jedinak cancelled out Marco Reus' opener.  But Podolski denied the Socceroos a second straight win over Joachim Low's men, slamming home with his left boot from Andre Schurrle's centred ball in the 81st minute.  Podolski's loan spell at Inter finishes at season's end but there is uncertainty around whether he will return to parent club Arsenal after a dry spell.  The 29-year-old has started eight times for the Serie A club but is yet to produce a goal, however, Podolski was quick to downplay his late equaliser for his country.  "One should not exaggerate over 15 minutes now," the second-half substitute said of his cameo.  "In recent months it went the other way and now after 10 or 20 minutes it's back in that direction.  "I'm here, want to play well and train well, so the coach sees, he can rely on me and trust me in the future.   "Everything else is not a concern right now.   "The game against Georgia is important, and that we get the three points.   "If we do not win, it does not look dramatic, but not good, so the focus is now on Georgia."  Germany will travel to Tbilsi for its European Championship Group D qualifier this weekend, sitting second in the group on seven points behind leader Poland (10).

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Pele is confident his status as Brazil's greatest player is secure, with not even Neymar able to challenge him.

A three-time FIFA World Cup winner and the scorer of more than 1,000 goals in a glittering career, the ex-Santos and New York Cosmos striker has already seen off plenty of challengers to his mantle since retiring, including Ronaldo and Romario, who earlier this month backed Neymar to surpass Pele's tally of 77 international goals.  Whether or not the 23 year-old Barcelona forward is able to do so remains to be seen, but Pele is not worried about the challenge of his fellow Santos graduate.  Asked on Wednesday in Melbourne if Neymar can replace him as Brazilian football's favourite son, he said: "I think not."  "I think to be the new king, the new Pele, is impossible. Because my mother and my father closed the machine. I think he's a good player, an excellent young player and he's going to be a big star, no doubt."  While Neymar is Brazil's great hope, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo - playing at a higher tempo than ever before - have proven worthy challengers to the all-time greats in recent years.  But Pele insisted he would still have been a force of nature in the modern game.  "If you ask, would Beethoven be important now? Of course," he said.  "If I was in this moment and prepared to play in this moment. The thing people forget is I was given a gift to play football, this is something no-one can judge."  Appearing in Australia for a series of speaking engagements, Pele - in his capacity as the unofficial ambassador of Brazilian football - could not avoid inevitable questions about his country's shock 7-1 loss to Germany in the World Cup semi-final on home soil last year.  Watching on while the hopes of a nation were shattered, what was he thinking as goal after goal flew in during that nightmare game in Belo Horizonte?  "I didn't think - I cried," he said.  "It's unfortunate that the two World Cups played in Brazil, in 1950 when I was nine years old, we lost. And now we lost again. This is something no-one can explain."  The Brazilian Football Confederation's response to the debacle was to hand Dunga - who coached the South American nation at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa - a return to the national team hot seat after Luiz Felipe Scolari's departure.  Captain of the team that won the tournament for a fourth time in the United States in 1994, the 51 year-old was not a universally popular choice, but he at least has the support of an illustrious predecessor.  "I think with Dunga... (he) has a different style to Felipe (Scolari), more defensive but I believe in Dunga," Pele said.  "He could make a good national team."  Quizzed on whether or not Brazil can win a sixth World Cup in Russia in 2018, Pele said: "I hope so."
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Fraser Forster will miss the remainder of the season after undergoing successful surgery on his left knee, Southampton has confirmed.

The 27-year-old goalkeeper was carried off on a stretcher after 14 minutes of Southampton's Premier League clash with Burnley last weekend, and went under the knife on Wednesday.
"We can confirm that Fraser Forster underwent successful surgery this afternoon after damaging his left patellar tendon," a statement from Southampton read. "Forster will be ruled out for the rest of the season. A long-term prediction of when he will return will be made in due course.  "While the news comes as a blow to Southampton and the player himself, the club's medical staff are confident he will make a full recovery.  "In the meantime, the club is focused on ensuring Forster receives the best possible medical care and support in order for him to return to action as soon as possible.""We can confirm that Fraser Forster underwent successful surgery this afternoon after damaging his left patellar tendon," a statement from Southampton read. "Forster will be ruled out for the rest of the season. A long-term prediction of when he will return will be made in due course.  "While the news comes as a blow to Southampton and the player himself, the club's medical staff are confident he will make a full recovery.  "In the meantime, the club is focused on ensuring Forster receives the best possible medical care and support in order for him to return to action as soon as possible."
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Denmark 3 - 2 United States: Bendtner hat-trick complete Denmark come-back

Nicklas Bendtner netted his first international hat-trick as Denmark twice came from behind to beat the United States 3-2 in Aarhus on Wednesday.  Having initially brought the hosts level in the first half, Bendtner stole the headlines when he struck twice in the closing minutes to seal a hard-earned victory, giving captain Christian Eriksen something to celebrate on his 50th international appearance.  Jozy Altidore had earlier given the US the lead in the first half, but the Bendtner show began 12 minutes before the break when he converted from close range.  Despite controlling the game for long spells, Morten Olsen’s side were punished again just after the hour mark, as Aron Johannsson tapped home.  However, it was not enough as Bendtner scored a late brace to deny USA a win that would have boosted their CONCACAF Gold Cup preparations.  With Eriksen leading Denmark on his landmark appearance in the absence of Daniel Agger, the hosts made a promising start, with Lasse Vibe particularly impressive down the right.  The Gothenburg forward delivered two threatening crosses into the USA penalty area early on, but John Brooks and Michael Orozco were on hand to clear the danger.  Denmark’s control of proceedings quickly disappeared in the 19th minute, though, as a swift attack from the visitors saw Altidore net his 27th international goal.  Having muscled his way past Daniel Wass and Simon Kjaer to meet Timothy Chandler’s long diagonal cross, the Toronto striker thumped a left-foot volley beyond Stephan Andersen from a tight angle.  Three minutes after the half hour, Denmark pegged the visitors back with a well-worked move, Bendtner converting from close range after Vibe had flicked on Wass’ low cross.  Vibe was at the heart of all the positive play from the hosts in the opening 45 minutes, and they should have gone into the break ahead as he put a low cross into the path of Bendtner, but the Wolfsburg striker was unable to double his tally.  Denmark kept up their fast pace after the restart and saw another two chances go begging before the hour – Bendtner and Vibe both volleying wide from inside the penalty area when well placed.  In an almost carbon copy of the first half, Denmark were then made to pay for their profligacy as USA took the lead for a second time through Johannsson, the 24-year-old tapping home Altidore’s pass after 66 minutes.  That appeared likely to be enough as Johannsson’s goal looked decisive, but with time running out Bendtner returned to fire low past Nick Rimando to level things for a second time.  And the former Arsenal striker was not finished there, as deep into stoppage time he expertly converted a volley from 15 yards into the bottom corner to snatch victory for the Danes.  There was still time for Brooks to waste a glorious chance to earn a draw with a late header when unmarked, the Hertha Berlin defender inexplicably nodding wide having lost his covering defender.
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Nigeria 0 - 1 Uganda:Vincent Enyeama’s 100th Nigeria appearance proved an unhappy one for the goalkeeper as Uganda picked up a 1-0 win at the Akwa Ibom Stadium

Vincent Enyeama’s 100th Nigeria appearance proved an unhappy one for the goalkeeper as Uganda picked up a 1-0 win at the Akwa Ibom Stadium.  Farouq Miya scored the winner nine minutes from time in Wednesday’s friendly to dampen the occasion for Enyeama – who joined Joseph Yobo in securing 100 caps for Nigeria.  Having made a slow start to Wednesday’s clash, the Super Eagles gradually got into gear prior to the break with Ogenyi Onazi and Ahmed Musa proving threatening.  Musa felt he should have had a penalty shortly before the interval when he was brought down by Dennis Onyango.  Referee William Agbovi waved away appeals and did so again in the second half when Cologne forward Anthony Ujah tumbled under a challenge from Shafiq Bakaki.  As Uganda looked to finish with a flourish, Geofrey Massa’s trickery gave Nigeria a warning, only for Nelson Ogbonanya to miss the target.  Miya then popped up with the decisive goal after patient build-up play, Enyeama unable to prevent his team falling behind despite getting a hand to the shot.

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Liverpool defender Martin Skrtel has been given a three-match ban for stamping on Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea in last weekend's Anfield clash.

In injury-time of United's 2-1 Premier League victory, the Slovakia international - chasing a throughball - stood on the right leg of De Gea as the keeper gathered the ball.  No action was taken at the time by referee Martin Atkinson and, after the Football Association decided to sanction Skrtel retrospectively, he denied the charge.  However, the 30-year-old was served with a suspension on Wednesday.  An FA statement read: "Liverpool's Martin Skrtel will serve a three match suspension with immediate effect after a charge of violent conduct against him was found proven."  The ban will see Skrtel miss league matches against Arsenal and Newcastle United, as well as the FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn Rovers on 8 April.  Skrtel will sit on the sidelines alongside Steven Gerrard, who was dismissed 38 seconds after coming on as a half-time substitute for a similar foul on Ander Herrera, which was spotted by Atkinson.
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Frank Lampard is looking forward to play angainst Steven Gerrard at LA Galaxy in MLS.

Ex-Chelsea midfielder Lampard said the two England internationals shared mutual respect, and the MLS clash was one he was looking forward to.  "I am pleased for Stevie. I think it is a very good move for him. What more can he do for Liverpool? He has had a fantastic career," he said.  "It helps with the interest here, people seeing it on TV over here now.  "I look forward to being competitive against Stevie. We get on very well, particularly in our latter years as captain and vice-captain of England.  "I have a huge amount of respect for him and I look forward to going up against him."  Lampard left Chelsea having not been offered a contract at the end of last season, despite wanting to stay.  The 36 year-old said it may be tougher for Gerrard, who has decided he will leave Liverpool after 2014-2015 to join Galaxy.  "Only individuals know the right time for them. I wasn't sure about my time as a Chelsea player. The decision got made for me," Lampard said.  "When the decision is not made for you and you have to make it yourself then it's more difficult maybe.  "Only he knows that and I think at the minute I would say yes, because what more can he do? If he's not their greatest player he will be right up there with the greatest players ever.  "Maybe there's a time [when it's up] at a club. When I look back at my time at Chelsea, you accept they will move on and I am sure Stevie will look at Liverpool and see it the same way. Then you look at yourself and think, 'How can I finish in the right way?' Stevie will do that."
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Andres Iniesta failed to make Assist Or Scored A Goal For Nearly A Year

Andres Iniesta scored the winning goal in the 2010 World Cup Final for Spain. The Barcelona midfield is also well known for his numerous goals and assists for the team, especially during the Pep Guardiola era.   The former Ballon d'Or runner-up has seemingly become more important to the side with Xavi, his former midfield partner, getting to the age of 35 and spending most of his time as a substitute. Playing alongside the more defensive Sergio Busquets and the ever energetic Ivan Rakitic it would be safe to assume that Iniesta's role would be to sit in the middle of the park and keep the team ticking with his usual precise passing. And whilst that might be exactly what Iniesta is doing what is surprising is his lack of goals and even more so lack of assists.  The six time La Liga winner has failed to assist or score a league goal since 26th March 2014, thats 361 days!   And with the international break now in full swing Iniesta is guaranteed to extend his wait beyond a year.
Whilst Barcelona may be top of La Liga they will no doubt be hoping for more of a quantifiable output from their midfielder to take some of the pressure of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar to be the scorer of all of the team's goals.  With Xavi possibly leaving the Catalan club at the end of the season and Barcelona being banned from making transfers in the next two windows Iniesta is set to become and even more important player.

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Cristiano Ronaldo Linked With Manchester City

And Ronaldo is being linked with a moved away from Real Madrid, again. Although this time, it’s not Manchester United. According to Sky Sports’ Graham Hunter, players at Manchester City beleive the club will make an offer for the Portuguese superstar.   The Real Madrid superstar has been heavily linked with a move away from the Santiago Bernabeu in recent weeks after the European champions were booed off the field following their 4-3 loss to FC Schalke in the Champions League.  And according to Graham Hunter, the forward's future is still not certain, but says the decision will always lie with the player rather than Real Madrid.  "I know that the players at Manchester City were talking very, very firmly that they believed there was a successful move coming from that club over the last couple of weeks.

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Simeone is now tied to Atletico until 2020

Diego Simeone says Atletico Madrid must look to continue along the same path after he agreed a new long-term contract at the Vicente Calderon.
Simeone is now tied to Atletico until 2020 after winning plenty of silverware since arriving in 2011.  Having helped the reigning Spanish champion to domestic and European success in recent seasons, Simeone is clear what the immediate future should look like for Atleti.  Asked about the club's aims, he told reporters: "To be at least, for the next three years, in third place or better and to have economic stability that allows us to grow in sporting terms.  "It is not going to be easy, because our rivals, in this case Sevilla, Valencia, Villarreal, grow as well - they work hard.  "But we have to stay on our path. We have to try and grow in sporting terms, of course growing accordingly to what our budget allows. But our path is clear, to improve every year.  "I think this is the best thing the club has, very clear ideas. This allows us all to push forward in the same direction."  Atletico looks set to relinquish its Liga title this season - it trails Barcelona by nine points with 10 games remaining - although Simeone maintains the future looks bright.  "We don't think about the team we'll have next year, we think about the team we have today," he added.  "We think about making the most out of [Fernando] Torres's arrival, about having Raul Garcia at his best level, in the daily improvement Raul Jimenez is showing, in [Mario] Mandzukic's moment, about [Antoine] Griezmann, who is very close to scoring more goals than he has ever scored before.  "These are the players who will carry us to the goals we need to achieve."  The former Argentina international was due to be out of contract in 2017 but, amid speculation of interest from the likes of Manchester City, Simeone has now committed his immediate future to the club.  Sister and agent Natalia suggested recently that a new deal was on the cards for the former Atleti midfielder, with the club confirming the agreement on Tuesday.  "I choose to be here because I'm sure the club is going to keep growing. I see strength and enthusiasm," Simeone told reporters.  "It'll be exciting to be part of the inauguration. The club is enjoying a period of huge growth.  "I choose to be where I am. It's hard to make choices in life.  "I'm sure that I'm making the right choice and I choose to be here, because I'm sure the club is going to keep growing."  Since arriving from Racing in 2011, Simeone has won silverware in every season - enjoying UEFA Europa League, Copa del Rey and La Liga successes.  Last season's Spanish title was the club's first since 1996 with Simeone receiving plaudits for his side's tenacity and aggression as it held off traditional heavyweights Real Madrid and Barcelona.  Simeone's side remains in the running for UEFA Champions League glory this season - it will come up against city rival Madrid in the competition's quarter-finals next month in a rematch of last year's final, won 4-1 after extra-time by Carlo Ancelotti's side.

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Former manchester united young star Paul Pogba's Quotes On Love For United Fuel Transfer Talk

Transfer speculation surrounding Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba refuses to go away and this week the Sunday Telegraph ran a story saying that the former Manchester United player would be heading back to the club for 60 million euros this summer.  Despite having a huge future United had to let the Frenchman go on a free transfer to Juventus in 2012 when he refused to sign a new contract at Old Trafford due to a lack of game time. However Pogba has never lost his love for United and his quotes in a recent article in Four Four Two suggests he would be open to a return;  "The coach [Sir Alex Ferguson] had faith in me but didn’t put me on. He said that I was too young. He said ‘your time will come’ but it never did. It didn’t come. But it does not mean I will speak ill of Manchester United. I love the club."
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West Ham Fans Fight Each Other Outside Upton Park before kick off.

Shocking footage has been captured from West Ham's last home game with Sunderland, it shows a group of West Ham fans fighting each other as tempers flared up before kick off.
Police jump in to calm the situation down and luckily the brawl ends quite quickly. But, West Ham may find themselves in trouble when this footage is analysed. This isn't what we want to see in our game.
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Steven Fletcher Defends His new £260,000 Lamborghini Aventador on social media

Steven Fletcher did not do himself and fellow footballers a favour when he posed next to his new £260,000 Lamborghini Aventador on social media hardly dispelling the idea that members of his profession are paid too much.   With Sunderland sitting perilously close to the relegation zone and Fletcher having scored seven goals in two seasons with the club it would hardly be advisable for the 'striker' to pose stood next to one of the world's most expensive cars outside a luxury house but that is exactly what the Scottish forward did.   Unsurprisingly Fletcher received a torrent of abuse for his stupidity of showing off what his none earned wealth had afforded him. But his agent has come out in defence of his client. Talking to the Daily Record agent Scott Fisher took the blame away from Fletcher saying; “It wasn’t Steven that put the picture up. The company who were doing advertising on it done it."
One response to Fletcher's latest car, to go along with the Bentley Continental also seen in the picture, nailed the issue pretty well; “This is where the Sky money goes, into mediocre players’ pockets while lower league clubs can barely afford their academy."   Some might feel that Fletcher is welcome to spend his money how he likes but flaunting it on social media might not be the best life decision, especially when you're hardly amongst the goals.
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Mario Balotelli Thanks liverpool Fans for support

Liverpool were let down by their captain Steven Gerrard during Sunday's match with Manchester United and they were in determined mood to not allow one of their other players see red. So determined in fact that they stopped Mario Balotelli doing something stupid after a coming together between Mario and Chris Smalling.  Liverpool were down to 10 men after Gerrard, on as a half-time substitute, was sent off for stamping on Ander Herrera just 46 seconds into the second half. Balotelli came on later on in the second half, replacing Alberto Moreno on 66 minutes, and picked up a booking just a minute later for a stupid challenge of Phil Jones.   A tussle between Balotelli and Smalling later left the Italian striker tumbling into the advertising hoardings. When 'Super Mario' got up it looked as if the former Manchester City striker was about to go after Smalling, that was until a few Liverpool fans, sat behind the hoarding, intervened to hold Balotelli back and stop him from doing something he might regret.
Balotelli hasn't always had the best time since moving to Anfield in the summer but the Italian international has at least embraced the fans and seems to be enjoying his time with the club.  It was a good job the fans held him back as Mario is hardly well known for keeping his cool and Liverpool could hardly have afforded to lose another player.  The incident brought a new meaning to fans being the twelfth man, or eleventh on this occasion.
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Real Madrid forward Gareth Bale's car was punched and kicked by angry fans after its 2-1 El Clasico defeat to arch-rival Barcelona.

Team-mate Jese Rodriguez made the mistake of winding the window down as he left the complex before being greeted with abuse despite only playing 10 minutes at Camp Nou as a second-half substitute. Defender Sergio Ramos confronted the fans upon his departure from Valdebebas, asking them 'what's the matter?' and 'do you think that's the right attitude?'.  Madrid slipped four points behind league leader Barca with defeat in Catalonia, which came as Luis Suarez scored a 56th-minute winner after Cristiano Ronaldo had cancelled out Jeremy Mathieu's opener.  The out-of-form Bale had a first-half goal chalked off due to Ronaldo being in an offside position and received heavy criticism from the Spanish press for his performance, with Marca stating that Madrid president Florentino Perez had paid '€100million for a player worth €20m'.
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Loic Remy expressed delight at proving his goal-scoring ability after he claimed the winner in Chelsea's 3-2 win at Hull City in the English Premier League on Monday (AEDT).

Chelsea looked set to drop points at the KC Stadium, with goals from Eden Hazard and Diego Costa cancelled out by strikes from Ahmed Elmohamady and Abel Hernandez, who capitalised on an error from goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.  But, just two minutes after coming off the bench, Remy - who has made only seven starts this season - made his mark with his first touch of the ball as his low shot squirmed under Allan McGregor, securing a win that keeps Chelsea six points clear of Manchester City at the top of the table.  "I was really pleased to score this goal and give the winner to my team-mates," Remy told Chelsea's official website. "It was just a question of being in the right place at the right time and we are just looking forward to the next step.  "Hopefully we will win this title but we could see again in this game that it is not an easy league to win and that is why we will try to fight every game to win.  "It was a really tough game against Hull City. After the two goals we scored they reacted in the right way and put us in a difficult situation. The two goals they scored in a row gave them confidence and it was a bit difficult but the most important is the win.  "It is true it is frustrating sitting on the bench but the manager knows all the team and he has very good quality in the squad.  "That is why when I came on I just played with my quality. Scoring goals is my job as a striker but I know there are only 11 players on the pitch and as soon the manager needs me I am here.  "The goal was a good moment for me but it was the work of all the team and we are working properly at training every day to achieve success.  "For us it is really important to win this kind of game. We are still of top of the league and we keep going in this way and will see what happens the season."


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Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is not about to give up the ghost in the pursuit for the English Premier League title.

Leader Chelsea is seven points ahead of third-placed Arsenal and has the added bonus of a game in hand.  But Arsene Wenger's men are a team in form, having won nine of their past 10 Premier League matches.  Wales international Ramsey is well aware that Arsenal needs favours from its rivals, but is remaining cautiously optimistic.  "We just have to focus on ourselves and believe other teams around us will be on the end of upsets," he said.   "We just have to try and win every game until the end of the season.  "In this division teams can lose against anyone. We have just got to be switched on and make sure it doesn't happen to us and maintain this run.  "Stranger things have happened."  Arsenal returns from the international break with a match against Liverpool, while the fixture at home to Chelsea at the end of the month is surely must-win for the FA Cup holder.
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Bayern Munich has revealed Arjen Robben will miss 'several weeks' after tearing an abdominal muscle.

Robben caught the eye against Borussia Monchengladbach, before a collision with Gladbach right-back Tony Jantschke resulted in him hobbling off just 24 minutes in to his comeback from a minor back problem.  It proved to be just the start of Bayern's worries as a Raffael double put it to the sword in a 2-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena.  Bayern still looks good for the Bundesliga title, sitting 10 points clear of second-placed Wolfsburg.  But with a two-legged UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Porto to come next month, Pep Guardiola will be desperate for Robben to make a speedy recovery, given his astonishing form this term.  In 20 Bundesliga appearances, the Netherlands star has plundered 17 goals, with a further two strikes coming from his seven European outings.
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Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet said his axing earlier this season gave him much-needed time to reflect on his game.

The Belgium international was dropped for his side's clash against Manchester United in December after a run of poor form.  Mignolet got his place back on Boxing Day, when an injury to Brad Jones at Burnley led to the 27-year-old been given another chance.  He has been a key player in Liverpool's resurgence, and said the axing did him good earlier in the campaign.  "At that time, it gave me a chance to reflect on my game, something you don't really have the chance to when you are playing two games a week," Mignolet said.  "You are going in from the game, then after the game you are thinking about recovery, you are analysing the last performance and preparing for the next performance.  "You don't really have the chance to think about things to improve, and that gave me the chance – it was only two weeks because of the injury to Brad – it gave me the time to sit down with the coaches and the gaffer, reflect on a couple of occasions, took me out of it a bit to come back stronger."  Brendan Rodgers's men face United at Anfield on Monday (AEDT) in a crucial clash in the top-four race.  Mignolet knows a poor performance against Louis van Gaal's men would lead to all his previous good work being forgotten.  "As a goalkeeper, you are only remembered for your last game," he said.  "I had a half-decent game against Swansea on Monday night, but if things turn for me again against United, then that Swansea game will be forgotten.  "That's how it goes. You have to accept that and when things weren't going well for me, I always knew that something better was around the corner.  "I was disappointed when I wasn't playing. When the boss called me into his office the day before we played United to tell me that I wasn't playing, I told myself I could do two things.  "I could let my head drop or you could be positive and make sure the period on the sidelines was as short as it could be. And that's what we did."
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Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has been ruled out of France's upcoming games after suffering a knee injury.

Lloris collided with team-mate Kyle Walker just 90 seconds into Tottenham's 4-3 Premier League win over Leicester City.  The shot-stopper was substituted and taken to hospital with a right knee injury.  It has seen Lloris ruled out of France's games against Brazil and Denmark.  Rennes goalkeeper Benoit Costil has been called into the squad to replace the skipper, the French Football Federation announced.  The 27-year-old is uncapped at senior level but has played for France's Under-21s.comment on this post

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Suarez:El Clasico goal is my most important goal for Barcelona

Barcelona forward Luis Suarez described his winning goal against Real Madrid on Sunday as his most important yet for the La Liga giants.  The Uruguayan was put in behind by a long Dani Alves pass and finished clinically past Iker Casillas in the 56th minute to secure a 2-1 win for Barca on Sunday.  Cristiano Ronaldo had cancelled out Jeremy Mathieu’s opener in the first half at Camp Nou, where Barca opened up a four-point lead atop La Liga.  Suarez said it was the most crucial goal of his short Barcelona career so far.  “For now it is the most important goal I have done with the club and has an extra meaning, because of the opponent,” he told TV3.   “The squad is very happy.”  With 10 league games remaining, Barca are well-placed atop La Liga.  But Suarez said it was important for his team to stay focused and avoid becoming complacent.  “We know that the league is very difficult,” he said.   “We must seize this advantage against a very strong team like Real Madrid. As in all leagues, you never know what can happen if you relax a little.”
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Barcelona 2 - 1 Real Madrid [La Liga]

Luis Suarez’s second-half strike ensured Barcelona beat Real Madrid 2-1 at Camp Nou to go four points clear of their arch-rivals at the top of La Liga in a typically enthralling Clasico.  Suarez endured a miserable Barca debut when the Catalan giants were beaten 3-1 at the Santiago Bernabeu back in October, but gained revenge by scoring his first goal in the biggest fixture in club football on Sunday to secure three precious points.  Jeremy Mathieu’s first Liga goal for Barca put them in front in the first half, but Cristiano Ronaldo rounded off a fine move to equalise with his 42nd goal of the season before half-time.  Gareth Bale – much maligned in the game’s build-up – had a goal ruled out before the break, with Ronaldo just offside, and Suarez’s seventh goal in as many games settled it to put Barca in command of the title race heading into the international break.  Defeat for Real will lead to further questions over Carlo Ancelotti’s future, with reports in the Spanish media claiming the Italian’s job would be under threat in the event of a loss.  Barca have now won seven games in a row and their dreams of winning a famous treble are very much alive.  Familiar recent struggles in front of goal came back to haunt Real, though a highly charged atmosphere was almost silenced early on when Ronaldo’s close-range volley struck the crossbar after Karim Benzema picked him out 11 minutes in.  Isco fired a shot narrowly wide from the edge of the penalty area as Barca were forced onto the back foot in a typically frantic start with so much at stake.  But Real’s failure to finish was punished as Barca went in front after 19 minutes.  Mathieu was the unlikely scorer, evading Sergio Ramos to head home Lionel Messi’s inviting free-kick with only his second goal for the club.  An unmarked Neymar somehow failed to double their lead with a tame finish from inside the six-yard box and he was made to pay when Ronaldo equalised with a well-worked goal just after the half-hour.  Luka Modric played the ball forward for Benzema, whose clever first-time backheel allowed Ronaldo to surge ahead of Dani Alves and beat Claudio Bravo with a neat finish.  Bale thought he had put Real in front, but Ronaldo was adjudged to have been offside when he nodded the ball on for the Wales forward to tap in.  The former Tottenham man ought to have made up for that disappointment, but fired wide after the ball fell kindly for him in the penalty area late in a first half in which Ronaldo was also booked for diving.  Real continued where they left off after the break and Bravo did well to keep out Benzema’s strike after the France striker again linked up well with Ronaldo.  Barca were back in front 11 minutes into the second half, though, with Ramos this time caught out by a ball over the top from Alves which sent Suarez clear and the Uruguay striker showed great control before guiding the ball into the far corner of the net with a fine finish.  As Real frantically sought an equaliser, they were left exposed at the back – Neymar and Messi shooting off-target when well-placed before the agile Bravo saved kept Barca in front by saving Benzema’s deflected effort.  A late charge from the visitors failed to materialise, Jordi Alba and Messi were denied by Iker Casillas in the closing stages as Barca attempted to kill the game off, but two goals proved to be enough to seal a potentially pivotal victory.

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