Empoli 4 - 2 Napoli [Serie A]

Three consecutive wins had left Rafa Benitez's side five points off third-placed Roma ahead of its game in hand at the Stadio Carlo Castellani.  However, the Spaniard could only watch on in horror as a woeful defensive showing – including two own goals – led to a sound beating.  Empoli captain Massimo Maccarone opened the scoring with a fierce low shot in the eighth minute before Riccardo Saponara's cross ended up in the net after Napoli goalkeeper Mariano Andujar's parry cannoned into Miguel Britos' face to double the advantage in comical fashion.  It was three before the break through Saponara, the ex-Milan man acrobatically turning home on the rebound after Andujar thwarted Manuel Pucciarelli.  Vincent Laurini scored a carbon-copy own goal with 25 minutes to go, giving Napoli hope of a comeback.  But those ambitions were extinguished 10 minutes from time as another clumsy own goal, this time from Raul Albiol, left Andujar stranded.  Marek Hamsik lashed the game's best goal past Luigi Sepe in stoppage time but it was scant consolation for Benitez.  Victory takes Empoli up to 15th in Serie A, mathematically out of the drop zone's reaches after an impressive campaign back in the top flight that has seen it lose just nine times so far.


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Real Madrid 3 - 0 Almeria [La Liga]

Real Madrid kept up the pressure on Barcelona as it moved back to within two points of the La Liga leader with a 3-0 victory over Almeria.
After Barca's comprehensive 6-0 win over Getafe 24 hours earlier, the pressure was on for Carlo Ancelotti's side and it ultimately claimed three points with ease despite a lacklustre first-half showing.  While title rival Barca netted five in the opening 45 minutes the previous day, Madrid took time to break through - James Rodriguez registering his club's 100th goal of the season with a stunning volley just before half-time.
The lead was doubled after 48 minutes when Mauro dos Santos turned a low cross into his own net and Alvaro Arbeloa added a third late on.  Ancelotti opted against introducing 16-year-old Martin Odegaard, the Norway wonderkid made to wait for his first-team debut as he remained an unused substitute.  A typically fast start from Madrid saw it go close three times in the opening exchanges, with Cristiano Ronaldo unsurprisingly at the heart of everything.  The first chance fell to Rodriguez, though, the Colombia star ghosting into the penalty area to meet Arbeloa's right-wing cross, but failing to divert his header on target.  Ronaldo's personal battle with Ruben in the Almeria goal then began as the forward made a rampaging run towards goal and saw his low shot saved by the goalkeeper's legs, before heading over from the resulting corner.  Some Almeria pressure followed but just before the half-hour the Ronaldo show restarted, the Ballon D'Or winner going close with two long-range free kicks - the first rippling the top of Ruben's net.  The deadlock was finally broken on the brink of half-time as poor defending saw the ball bounce into the path of Rodriguez, who unleashed a stunning volley from 20 yards that gave Ruben no chance.  Although Madrid had to wait for its opening goal, the second came quickly after the restart as Toni Kroos was released behind the Almeria defence. His low cross was inadvertently turned into the net by Dos Santos, with Ronaldo waiting behind.  Almeria again showed plenty of spirit to try and threaten Keylor Navas, but Raphael Varane was agonisingly close to adding a third midway through the second half as he headed a Kroos corner wide.  Javier Hernandez also spurned an opportunity to extend Madrid's advantage, poking wide at the near post from a pinpoint Ronaldo cross after 73 minutes.  The host still finished on a high, though, as Arbeloa stretched to convert a low ball in from Hernandez with five minutes to play, adding gloss to a victory that ensures the title race remains wide open.

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Leicester City 1 - 3 Chelsea [Premier League]

Chelsea came from behind to beat Leicester City 3-1 on Wednesday and move to within one win of clinching the Premier League title for the first time in five years. Lowly Leicester contained Chelsea for much of the opening period and took a deserved lead in stoppage time when Marc Albrighton kept his composure to fire the hosts ahead.
Didier Drogba equalised for Chelsea early in the second half before late goals from captain John Terry and Ramires ensured that victory over Crystal Palace on Sunday will seal Chelsea’s first league title since 2010. Chelsea have 80 points from 34 games with last season’s champions Manchester City second on 67. Third-placed Arsenal also have 67 but they have played a game less. Leicester, who had won their last four games, remained 17th with 31 points from 34 matches, one point ahead of 18th-placed Sunderland having played a game more.

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Barcelona 6-0 Getafe

Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez scored twice as Barcelona thrashed Getafe 6-0 to hand Real Madrid an ominous La Liga title warning on Tuesday.  Getafe had held Luis Enrique’s side to a goalless stalemate in December’s reverse fixture and drew 2-2 at Barca last season, but any hopes of masterminding another surprise result were emphatically curtailed by a devastating five-goal first-half blitz at Camp Nou.  Barca’s rout started with Messi’s cool chipped penalty and he turned provider for Suarez to make it 2-0 with a stunning volley in the 25th minute.  The duo have formed part of a thrilling attacking trio alongside Neymar that has fired Barca to the top of La Liga, into the Copa del Rey final and the last four of the UEFA Champions League. And Neymar made it 3-0 to make it 100 goals across all competitions between the triumvirate this term.   Xavi rolled back with the years with an excellent fourth before Suarez added his second five minutes before the break.  The superb Messi made it 38 Liga goals for 2014-15 with an exquisite effort shortly after the break and the only surprise was that Barca failed to add to their tally.  Luis Enrique’s men have now gone 10 Liga matches unbeaten and hold a five-point lead over Real, who host Almeria on Wednesday.  It took just nine minutes for Barca to break Getafe’s resistance. Suarez’s sharp turn drew a trip from Alvaro Arroyo just inside the area and Messi confidently dinked his spot-kick straight down the middle.   Fredy Hinestroza almost caught Barca cold when he lobbed Claudio Bravo, only for the goalkeeper to scramble back and scoop the ball off the line.  It proved a momentary scare, though, as Barca doubled their lead in some style.  Messi’s delightful cross from the right was met with a stunning volley from Suarez that nestled in the top-right corner.  Not to be outdone, Neymar got in on the act when he twisted his way into the area and drilled a low shot into the left-hand corner to make it six goals in as many games for the Brazilian.   Worse was to come for Getafe as Xavi, who celebrated his 500th Liga appearance against Espanyol on Saturday, picked up the ball from the left and bent an exquisite 20-yard shot into the far corner.  Amazingly it was 5-0 in the 40th minute. Messi’s pass was flicked into the path of Suarez by Xavi and the Uruguayan curled an unstoppable shot high past the outstretched hand of Vicente Guaita.  The romp continued two minutes after the break when Messi glided into the area from the right before effortlessly curling his shot into the far top corner.  Suarez twice went close to netting a hat-trick, while Getafe almost grabbed a consolation when Hinestroza’s low shot span past Bravo and came back off the post.  Guaita denied Messi a third in the closing stages when he got a strong palm to the Argentine superstar’s bending 20-yard free-kick, but Barca had done more than enough to crank up the pressure on Real. 

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Hull City 1-0 Liverpool

Hull City took an important step towards Premier League survival with a 1-0 win over Liverpool that leaves their opponents’ chances of UEFA Champions League qualification in tatters.  As in their goalless draw at West Brom on Saturday, Liverpool’s pleasing work on the ball was undermined by a lack of end product as Mario Balotelli and Raheem Sterling turned in abject performances in attack.  It meant Hull’s breakthrough late in the first half, when Michael Dawson was afforded ample room to head home, proved decisive as Steve Bruce’s men backed up Saturday’s 2-0 win at Crystal Palace with another vital three-point haul.  They sit four points above the relegation zone with as many matches to go and three of those games will be played before a KC Stadium that roared euphorically at the full-time whistle.  A run of one win in five league games means Liverpool lie seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester United, with the odds stacked against them overturning the deficit.  Bruce named the same team that triumphed at Selhurst Park, while Joe Allen came into the Liverpool side for Steven Gerrard – the club captain not featuring in Brendan Rodgers’ matchday squad.  Dame N’Doye was Hull’s two-goal hero at the weekend and could have opened the scoring for the hosts after seven minutes, but his header from Robbie Brady’s superb left-wing cross was too close to Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.  A cleverly worked corner routine saw Philippe Coutinho test Mignolet’s opposite number Steve Harper with a crisp half volley in the 19th minute, with Tom Huddlestone alert to clear the rebound to safety.  City went ahead when a 37th-minute corner reached Ahmed Elmohamady on the right. He hoisted the ball back into the box and, although three Hull players were in offside positions as the Liverpool defence pushed out, Dawson timed his run perfectly to plant a header past Mignolet.  Balotelli was enduring a familiarly lacklustre evening in Liverpool colours and failed to touch a low Glen Johnson cross into an unguarded net before the half-time whistle sounded.  Sterling found himself outmuscled when trying to convert Henderson’s searching ball from the right, with the visitors failing to turn their dominance of possession into chances.  One arrived in the 63rd minute as Henderson met Coutinho’s chipped pass with left-footed volley on the turn, although Harper was down brilliantly to turn behind.  Rodgers sent on Adam Lallana and Rickie Lambert for Jordon Ibe and Balotelli shortly afterwards – the enigmatic Italian departing to ironic cheers from the home faithful.  Harper’s handling let him down behind Henderson’s 71st-minute drive, but he was able to collect the rebound with no Liverpool forwards lurking.  They were no more incisive in the opposition box during the closing stages as Rodgers endured a second loss at the KC Stadium in as many seasons.

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Valencia 4-0 Granada

Valencia regained fourth spot in La Liga with a straightforward 4-0 victory over relegation-threatened Granada on Monday.  Defeat to Barcelona last time out had opened the door for Sevilla in the race for the final UEFA Champions League spot, the Andalusians capitalising with a 2-0 win over Rayo Vallecano on Sunday.  However, an unchallenged Javi Fuego nodded Dani Parejo’s 36th-minute corner home before the Valencia captain doubled the advantage from the penalty spot five minutes before the interval.  Things went from bad to worse for Granada in the second half as left-back Emanuel Insua was stretchered from the field, seemingly injuring himself as he attempted a long-range pass.  Sofiane Feghouli and Alvaro Negredo compounded Granada’s misery in the closing stages, capping a dominant display with a goal apiece.  Defeat for Abel Resino’s men leaves them six points adrift of safety, while negative head-to-head records against two of the three teams directly above the drop zone will only add to the sense of doom at Granada.

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Celta Vigo 2-4 Real Madrid

Javier Hernandez’s Real Madrid resurgence continued with a vital brace in Sunday’s 4-2 win at Celta Vigo to keep the capital club within two points of La Liga leaders Barcelona.  The Mexico striker netted the crucial winner in Real’s 1-0 defeat of Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday and he proved decisive once again as Carlo Ancelotti’s men made hard work of a vibrant Celta side.  Former Barca winger Nolito opened the scoring for Celta with a fine individual effort early on, though any celebrations in the Catalan capital will have been short-lived as Toni Kroos quickly equalised.  Hernandez, again playing in place of the injured Karim Benzema, put the visitors ahead, but their risky high defensive line allowed Santi Mina to score his fifth goal in three games before the half-hour mark.  James Rodriguez’s deflected effort just before the break gave Real the lead once again, though the second half proved a serious assessment of their credentials, the visiting defence withstanding periods of intense pressure.  Nevertheless, Hernandez coolly stroked home the clincher with 21 minutes to go, sparing Ancelotti’s blushes once again as Real avoided a repeat of last season’s crucial slip-up at Balaidos which ended their title hopes.  A repeat of that result had been on the cards as Celta’s positive start was rewarded with just nine minutes played. Nolito brilliantly slalomed between Dani Carvajal and Asier Illarramendi cutting in from the left flank, before tucking a shot just inside the left-hand post.  But Real’s reply was swift, restoring parity just seven minutes later.  Cristiano Ronaldo caused havoc in the Celta backline with a darting run into the right side of the area and Kroos was on hand to steer home in emphatic fashion from 12 yards despite Hugo Mallo’s initial interception.  Hernandez completed the turnaround in the 24th minute, placing a cool finish under Sergio Alvarez after combining with Rodriguez down the right to devastating effect.  But Celta rallied and hit back within a few moments, as Mina raced beyond the Real defence and finished at the second attempt, after hitting the post when running on Iker Casillas’ goal.  Real’s chances of retaking the lead before the break seemed to end with Ronaldo striking the post in the 40th minute, though luck proved to be on their side in their next attack, Rodriguez finding the net from 20 yards via a deflection off Andreu Fontas.  Celta enjoyed victory at Barcelona in November and showed no sign of holding back. Their attacking endeavour perhaps should have been rewarded with a penalty near the hour when Kroos tripped Fabian Orellana in the box.  However, Real were happy to hit on the counter and Sergio Ramos’ exquisite chipped pass released Hernandez to clinically beat Alvarez to cap a fine week individually and seal a result for Real which keeps life in Spain’s title race.


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Torino 2-1 Juventus

Fabio Quagliarella returned to haunt his former club Juventus, settling a 2-1 win to give Torino their first Turin derby triumph in 20 years and delaying their rivals’ title celebrations.  Victory at Stadio Olimpico coupled with Chievo beating Lazio would have wrapped up a fourth consecutive Scudetto for Juve, but the bragging rights were all Torino’s on Sunday, though a draw in Rome keeps the league leaders within touching distance of the trophy.  Giampiero Ventura’s side went into the match on the back of 17 winless games against their neighbours and, although they began the contest well, Andrea Pirlo’s inch-perfect free-kick 10 minutes before the break looked like continuing Juve’s dominance.  But Matteo Darmian restored parity just before half-time as Juve’s hopes of clinching a 31st Serie A title on their neighbours’ patch began to slip away.  Pirlo almost doubled his tally as he struck the woodwork with another delightful free-kick early in the second half, but Torino made the most of that let-off, Quagliarella – who left Juve at the beginning of the season – poking past Gianluigi Buffon.  Juve piled men forward towards the end and went desperately close to equalising when Simone Padoin’s cross hit the post, but Torino held on for their first derby win since April 1995’s success by the same scoreline at Stadio delle Alpi.  Victory was richly deserved and the hosts began full of attacking intent and went close twice inside the first eight minutes, as Marco Benassi hit off-target and Quagliarella forced Buffon into action, though Alessandro Matri ought to have put Juve ahead after bringing down a Pirlo pass on 12 minutes.  Torino were threatening on the break, with wing-backs Bruno Peres and Darmian looking particularly lively.  But there was little the home side could do when Pirlo stepped up to a 35th-minute free-kick and nonchalantly clipped his effort over the wall and in off the crossbar from 25 yards.  Torino’s threat out wide remained, though, and they went in at the break level thanks to Darmian prodding home from close range after darting onto Quagliarella’s cut-back.  Juve began the second half with something of an improvement and Pirlo almost scored a second free-kick, curling a 30-yard effort on to the right-hand post.  And Quagliarella made Juve rue that missed opportunity, converting at the near post from a teasing Darmian delivery.  Juve still had over half an hour to get back into the contest, but their chances looked to be running out when Padoin’s cross hit the post and Simone Pepe was denied on the line by Daniele Padelli on the goal line, who cemented hero status with a smart stop to deny Arturo Vidal.  The final whistle was met with jubilation as Torino clung on to a famous victory which also keeps them firmly in the hunt for a European return next season.

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Everton 3-0 Manchester United

Roberto Martinez outwitted Louis van Gaal as Everton earned a richly deserved 3-0 victory over Manchester United at Goodison Park.  Martinez has come in for criticism from certain quarters of the Goodison faithful during a testing second season on Merseyside, but the Spaniard got his tactics spot on to earn a morale-boosting win on Sunday courtesy of goals from James McCarthy, John Stones and Kevin Mirallas.  Heeding the blueprint of Chelsea’s victory over United last week, Everton sat deep throughout, allowing the visitors to dominate possession before breaking quickly with Aaron Lennon, Ross Barkley and Romelu Lukaku.  Predictably, Everton’s fifth-minute opener came via a swift counter, with McCarthy applying a superb finishing touch to a move that he started.  And the hosts’ second goal also arrived after a spell of United pressure, with Stones’ brilliant near-post header from Leighton Baines’ corner giving Martinez a two-goal cushion 35 minutes in.  Van Gaal introduced Radamel Falcao for Marouane Fellaini – who missed United’s best chance of the game in a miserable return to Goodison – at the break in an attempt to sharpen his side’s cutting edge.  But it made no difference, as an Everton substitute, Mirallas, rounded the scoring off 16 minutes from time to condemn United to a second straight loss after last week’s defeat at Stamford Bridge.  United began on the front foot but were caught out by an incisive Everton breakaway early on.  McCarthy began the move by spreading wide to Seamus Coleman, whose cross was only partially cleared by the recalled Daley Blind.  McCarthy then collected the loose ball, skipped beyond weak challenges from Blind and Paddy McNair and calmly slotted low beyond David de Gea.  Fellaini should have marked his first appearance at Goodison as an opposing player with an immediate equaliser, but the Belgian tamely side-footed over the bar with only Tim Howard to beat after nicking possession off Gareth Barry.   Van Gaal’s side continued to probe but, for all their territorial dominance, found themselves two down 10 minutes before the break when Stones glanced home his first Everton goal from Baines’ inch-perfect delivery.   The pattern of the first half remained in place despite Van Gaal’s introduction of Falcao and Angel di Maria, with United continuing to toil in the final third.  And Everton once again punished United on the counter when Mirallas raced onto a Barkley pass that was intended for the offside Lukaku before slotting past De Gea at his near post.   Mirallas was clearly in the mood, and forced De Gea into a fine save to keep the score at three with five minutes remaining.  In a rare positive for Van Gaal, Robin van Persie then came on following a two-month injury lay-off, but the day belonged to Martinez and United’s place in the top four – which appeared rubber-stamped after their derby win over Manchester City – remains insecure.



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