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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Chris Smalling has signed a new contract at Manchester United which keeps him at the club until at least June 2019,

Chris Smalling has signed a new contract at Manchester United which keeps him at the club until at least June 2019,” a statement on United’s official website read.  “The England international, 25, has won two Premier League medals with United, made 147 appearances, and scored nine goals since his debut against Chelsea in the Community Shield in August 2010.”  The 25-year-old claims it is the best time to be with the 20-times English champions and is delighted to be playing as a unit under Louis van Gaal.  “I’m delighted to sign my new contract. I am so proud to play for such a great club. We have developed as a team over the course of the season under Louis van Gaal and we are now playing as a complete unit,” Smalling said.  “This is a very exciting time to be at Manchester United, we are all determined to get back to where we belong and competing at the highest level.”  The England international’s previous contract was set to run down at the end of the next season. Initially, he struggled this season with injuries and form, which was then followed by a sending off in 1-0 defeat to Manchester City.  After the red card incident against the defending champions, the former Fulham defender has bounced back and impressed in key matches in this calendar year. He has been also find the back of the net on four occasions in 20 league matches.  He becomes the fourth player in recent months after Michael Carrick, Paddy McNair and Tyler Blackett to sign a contract extension. With United securing Smalling’s services until 2019, their next focus will be on tying down Ashley Young, Phil Jones and David De Gea.  United’s priority will be getting De Gea sign a new deal as the Spain international has been attracting interest from Real Madrid. But for now, the Red Devils’ supporters can enjoy the contract extension of Smalling.


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Dnipro 1-0 Club Brugge (Agg 1-0)

Finally, Yevhen Shakhov’s goal eight minutes from time sent Dnipro into the semi-finals at the expense of Club Brugge.
Brugge coach Michel Preud’homme predicted a “poker game” on the back of a goalless first leg in Belgium and there was little on display to quicken the pulse for the most part at Kiev’s Olympic Stadium.  Yevhen Seleznyov passed up Dnipro’s best chance during the first half but the hosts found regular openings hard to come by despite a typically inventive display from Yevhen Konoplyanka.  Dnipro passed eight hours without conceding a goal shortly before half-time and their miserly efforts were rewarded with eight minutes to play.  Brugge botched a short free-kick and a measured throughball from the excellent Ruslan Rotan found Shakhov, who cut inside Brandon Mechele and lashed a left-footed effort that clipped the defender and found the top-left corner.  Playmaker Konoplyanka was Dnipro’s most influential performer in the first leg and he served notice of his intentions during the opening stages, embarking upon a mazy run into the Brugge box before being crowded out.  Lior Refaelov was unable to get a shot off when he broke into the Dnipro box after 19 minutes and Brugge were largely restricted to probing on the counter-attack during the first-half.  Leo Matos was unable to work visiting goalkeeper Mat Ryan from Rotan’s free-kick, looping his back-header onto the roof of the net.  The best chance of the opening period arrived shortly after the half hour as Konoplyanka engineered space on the left for Seleznyov – selected ahead of Nikola Kalinic in attack – to head past the near post.  An increasingly ragged Brugge defence scrambled clear when Konoplyanka drilled the ball dangerously into the six-yard box, meaning the sides played out a third consecutive goalless half.  Roman Bezus made way at half-time for Dnipro, with Shakhov taking on the attacking role behind Seleznyov, but it was Konoplyanka once more who caused problems for Brugge.  He collected a quickly taken and wonderfully flighted 48th minute set-piece from Rotan to arrow an angled shot towards the bottom corner.  Ryan got down to save superbly, although the officials inexplicably awarded a goal-kick.  Seleznyov thumped emphatically into the net on the end of another fine Rotan pass in the 55th minute but was correctly flagged offside.  Obbi Oulare and Kalinic came on as their respective sides chased a winner and the Brugge man offered his team-mates a fleeting moment of encouragement with a muscular turn and shot from distance.  But it was an earlier substitute who would prove to be the hero for Dnipro, as Shakhov ensured Belgian Pro League leaders Brugge’s hopes of adding the Europa League to their Belgian Cup crown crumbled.



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Zenit 2-2 Sevilla (Agg 3-4)

Kevin Gameiro’s late strike snatched a dramatic win for Sevilla against Zenit Saint Petersburg.  The Russian giants responded to Carlos Bacca’s sixth minute penalty three minutes into the second half when Jose Rondon tapped home from close range.  Hulk’s stunning effort levelled the aggregate score but, with the game set for extra-time, Gameiro converted Vitolo’s pass to send the Spanish club in to the last-four.  

  Zenit looked short of ideas, but the Russian Premier League leaders were gifted a way back into the tie when Beto, making his return from injury, inexplicably dropped a cross and Salomon Rondon turned the ball home just after half-time.  Three-time winners Sevilla then lost composure and Zenit capitalised, with Hulk putting them in front on the night in spectacular fashion with a sensational long-range lob to seemingly take the tie into extra time.  Gameiro had the final say, though, coming off the bench to fire home five minutes from time to seal a 4-3 aggregate victory, which keeps Unai Emery’s men on course to retain Europe’s secondary club competition.   Bacca was preferred to Gameiro in attack and the Colombia international made the most of his inclusion when he was on target again from the penalty spot after six minutes to extend Sevilla’s advantage.  Referee Nicola Rizzoli pointed to the spot after Luis Neto upended Vitolo with a rash sliding challenge and Bacca fired a fine penalty high into the top-left corner.  Zenit were stunned by that early setback and Portugal midfielder Danny was unable to restore parity when he surged into the penalty area before unleashing a shot which his compatriot Beto kept out at the near post.  The lively Bacca was denied a second goal on the night when his shot from a tight angle was bound for the back of the net after he rounded keeper Yuri Lodygin – Igor Smolnikov making a crucial intervention.  Danny, one of four Zenit players returning after sitting out the first leg due to suspension, clipped the outside of the post in stoppage time at the end of a frustrating first half for the home side.  Sevilla looked comfortable, but Beto gave Zenit a lifeline when he spilled a routine cross from Oleg Shatov and Rondon was on hand to apply a simpele finish just three minutes into the second half.  After appeared so assured in the first half, the Spanish side now looked jittery at the back and Hulk produced a moment of class 18 minute from time to embarrass Beto once again.  There seemed to be little danger when the Brazil forward picked the ball up more than 40 yards out, just in front the right touchline, and tried his luck with an audacious left-footed effort that just cleared the goalline via the underside of the crossbar.  Rondon had a chance to settle the tie, but Beto denied him on this occasion as Sevilla came under extreme late pressure.  Emery’s side had been dangerous on the break all night, though, and Gameiro took a pass from Vitolo before firing into the far corner of the net to dump Zenit out and put Sevilla a step closer to the final in Warsaw on May 27.


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Napoli 2-2 Wolfsburg (Agg 6-3)

Napoli and Wolfsburg produced an entertaining 2-2 draw at the Stadio San Paolo, but it was the Italian’s destructive 4-1 first-leg win which had all but sealed the tie.  The hosts opened up a 6-1 aggregate lead through Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens, before Miroslav Klose and Ivan Perisic clawed back some respectability on the night with two goals in three minutes.
Rafael Benitez remains on course to become only the second coach to win the UEFA Europa League on three occasions after a 2-2 draw saw Napoli stroll past Wolfsburg 6-3 on aggregate  Having already won the competition with Valencia – in its previous guise as the UEFA Cup – and Chelsea in 2013, Benitez could match Giovanni Trapattoni’s record after his Napoli side cruised into the semi-finals thanks to goals from Jose Callejon and Dries Mertens.  Wolfsburg dominated the opening half and could have wiped out their three-goal deficit in the first half but Ivan Perisic and Nicklas Bendtner both failed to take their chances.  Napoli made them pay five minutes after the break as Callejon converted a Gonzalo Higuain pass – albeit with the aid of a deflection.  The hosts were a completely different side in the second half and Mertens extended their lead after 65 minutes with a cheeky flick after Mariano Andujar had blocked his original shot.  A stirring fightback from the Bundesliga outfit saw Timm Klose and Perisic score in quick succession, but it was not enough to stop Napoli extending their unbeaten home run in European matches to 12 games.  Wolfsburg got the quick start they wanted and could have been ahead on the night inside the opening minute.  Daniel Caligiuri raced down the right and delivered a teasing cross into the penalty area for Perisic – one of five changes – who poked goalwards only for Andujar to claw the ball away.  The visitors were playing with a freedom brought out by their demoralising first-leg defeat, but as in Germany seven days earlier they struggled in the final third.  As Napoli failed to find any momentum, Wolfsburg wasted a second chance to give themselves a lifeline after 32 minutes, Bendtner rising above Raul Albiol but heading the wrong side of Andujar’s right-hand post.   The former Arsenal striker did much better with his next effort in the closing minutes, firing low towards the bottom-right corner only for Andujar to pull out a good save with his left hand.  Wolfsburg’s wastefulness in front of goal was punished early in the second half as Callejon controlled a pass from Higuain and fired into the top-right corner, albeit with the aid of a deflection off Ricardo Rodriguez.  Mertens doubled Napoli’s lead with 25 minutes remaining as he flicked home after Andujar had saved his first effort from a superb Higuain knock-down.  With Napoli appearing set for a comfortable end to the tie, Wolfsburg finally found their finishing skills as Klose and Perisic netted to bring them level on the night.  Klose rose majestically to head home a Max Arnold corner after 71 minutes, and from the visitors’ next attack Josuha Guilavogui crossed for Perisic to nod past Andjuar from close range.  The goals saved some pride for Dieter Hecking’s side, but it is Napoli who progress to the last four as they look to lift the trophy for the first time since 1989.

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Fiorentina 2-0 Dynamo Kiev (Agg 3-1)

Fiorentina booked their place in the Europa League semi-finals with a 2-0 win over Dynamo Kiev.  Mario Gomez struck late in the first half to establish an aggregate lead for the Italians, but they should have doubled their advantage before the break when Nenad Tomovic fired wide just before the break.  But Kiev were unable to make their hosts pay in the second half and were punished at the death when Juan Vargas’s struck a classy, angled finish into the top corner.  

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Monaco 0 - 0 Juventus [Champions League]

Juventus are into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the first time since 2003 having ridden their luck at times to gain a 0-0 draw with Monaco on Wednesday.  Arturo Vidal’s first-leg penalty proved crucial in the tie as Massimiliano Allegri’s men booked an elusive semi-final berth, having fallen short at the quarters three times since their run to the final 12 years ago.  Allegri’s men were made to work hard for their progression by a Monaco side that had shocked Arsenal in the previous round and conceded just twice at home in this season’s competition.   Geoffrey Kondogbia went close twice before the break while Leonardo Jardim’s side saw penalty appeals turned down when the midfielder went down in the box.  That pressure continued after the break with Juve surprisingly sluggish on the counter-attack in their bid to kill off the tie.  Monaco ultimately ran out of steam towards the end of a low-key second leg as Juve displayed typical defensive strength to stay on course for a domestic and continental treble.  The hosts were perhaps made to pay for a first half that saw them make most of the running, Kondogbia flashed a fierce drive wide in a purposeful start before testing Gianluigi Buffon again from range 19 minutes in.  A series of fouls from both sides also punctuated play although Jardim’s men should perhaps have had a penalty when Kondogbia appeared to be bundled over inside the area.  Arturo Vidal and Giorgio Chiellini clumsily sandwiched the Frenchman but Scottish referee William Collum waved away protests.  Carlos Tevez offered a reminder of Juve’s threat with a shot narrowly wide from distance prior to the interval.  Throwing caution to the wind, Jardim introduced Dimitar Berbatov for Jeremy Toulalan at the interval and Monaco almost took the lead when Buffon flapped at a Joao Moutinho cross – though Patrice Evra was on hand to clear the loose ball.  Buffon redeemed himself to come out and save from Berbatov after Juve lost possession in overplaying at the back.  Juve gradually began to bring more composure to their game and kept hold of the ball well after the hour as they sought to see out the result and frustrate their hosts.  Allegri’s men could have wrapped up the tie in the dying embers when Andrea Pirlo’s free-kick grazed the crossbar a minute from time.  But any late Monaco surge failed to materialise, keeping Juve on course to add European silverware to their domestic dominance.

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Yaya Touré: Earning keep me in the Manchester City

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré  , says that auspicious salary package will it not at a club where he feels like he is not welcome. Future Touré has been in the air in recent weeks, especially after it became clear that Inter will do what it can to hunt down the striker in the summer. Roberto Mancini, the former manager of City, the Inter today and the town people are willing to pay Touré almost the same as it is today the next five years. "There are not earning keep me at a club where I feel good, or no challenge is offered, "says Touré in an interview with French site Foot Mercato. "It would just be unfair on my part. It comes to the point of earning can not stop a man. This goes beyond what even English newspapers will write about earning more than football. " "What the future, I do not know more than the next person, but I will always go there where new challenges are available. So I just, "says Yaya Touré.




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Real Madrid 1 - 0 Atletico Madrid [Champions League]

Real Madrid made ​​it into the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid ten players. Only one goal was scored in a duel teams. First half was pretty tíðindalítill. Atletico defended well and Real went very badly in creating some chances. Was markalaust in timeout. actors opens only in the second half but chances were, however, counted on the fingers of one hand. Real possession Atletico dangerous then rarely team attended. Fifteen minutes from time Confident in their lead. Arda Turan, Atletico received the controversial yellow card. His second of the game and therefore he had gone off with a red card. He tried to stop the judge from dragging the panel but had no communication effort. When all assembled in the extension of the managed Javier Hernandez, loan from Man. Utd, scooping the ball over the line and shoot Real Madrid in the semi-finals. The goal he scored after a nice pass from Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Everton have joined therace to sign Queens Park Rangers striker CharlieAustin.

The Mirror understands that Everton have joined the
race to sign Queens Park Rangers striker Charlie
Austin.
The 25 year old has hit seventeen goals for the
Hoops so far this season, leading to a number of
Premier League sides being linked with moves to
secure his services.
Newcastle United and Southampton are two of the
sides interested, but Toffees boss Roberto Martinez
is also keeping a close eye on the situation.
Belgium international Kevin Mirallas has been
strongly linked with a summer move away from
Goodison Park, with Tottenham Hotspur mooted as
a potential destination for the 25 year old who has
just one year remaining on his current deal.
Mirallas scored the winner as Everton beat Burnley
1-0 at the weekend, a result which has moved them
to within two points of the top half of the Premier
League table.
The next face Manchcester United on Sunday
afternoon, and can be backed at 9/4 to take all
three points.

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Henderson signs new Liverpool deal until the end ofthe 2019/2020

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson has put pen
to paper on a new five year deal with the club,
according to the Mirror .
The England international had just fourteen months
remaining on his previous contract, but is now set
to remain with the Merseyside outfit until the end of
the 2019/2020 campaign.
Henderson moved to Anfield in the summer of 2011,
and has since racked up one hundred and eighty
appearances for the club in all competitions,
scoring twenty goals and was part of the squad that
won the League Cup in 2012.
The former Sunderland man has also been capped
twenty times for his country, and featured in both
the 2012 European Championships in Poland and
Ukraine, and the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil.
Liverpool, who were knocked out of the FA Cup by
Aston Villa in the semi-finals at Wembley at the
weekend, return to league action at West Bromwich
Albion on Saturday with the away win priced at
10/11 .

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Barcelona 2 - 0 PSG [Champions League]

Neymar took his tally for the season to 30 goals with a double as Barcelona eased into the UEFA Champions League semi-finals by beating Paris Saint-Germain 2-0 to secure an emphatic 5-1 aggregate triumph.
Despite the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Marco Verratti from suspension, PSG headed into the quarter-final second leg with a mountain to climb having lost the first leg at the Parc des Princes 3-1.  And the French champion never looked pulling off a remarkable comeback at Camp Nou, Neymar instead putting the tie beyond doubt with an excellent performance highlighted by two first-half goals.  The Brazil striker was the beneficiary of the sparkling creativity of Andres Iniesta as he netted an early opener, taking advantage of a fragile PSG defence without the services of injured captain Thiago Silva.  And a fine delivery from right-back Dani Alves, heavily linked with a transfer to PSG in the close season, set Neymar up to head home his second - and his fifth in four games against PSG this season - 11 minutes before the break.  From there Luis Enrique's side proceeded to take its foot off the gas, coasting into the last four for the sixth time in the last seven seasons with a display that gives further credence to the idea that it could well win a Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey treble.  Barca needed just 14 minutes to break the deadlock thanks to a piece of brilliance from Iniesta.  The Spain star jinked his way beyond three players and played an expertly-placed pass into the path of Neymar, who coolly rounded Salvatore Sirigu and tapped the ball into the empty net.  PSG responded well to going behind but only the reflexes of Sirigu prevented Barca from extending its lead soon after. The goalkeeper palmed a long-range strike from Dani Alves away and then kept out Neymar's header on the rebound.  But Sirigu could do nothing to stop Neymar from doubling his tally in the 34th minute as he was given the simple task of nodding home Dani Alves's excellent in-swinging right-wing cross.  Iniesta was withdrawn and replaced by Xavi at half-time and Barca did lose some of its attacking impetus in a low-key second half.  Yet it was rarely threatened by a PSG team which never looked like it believed it could reverse last week's demoralising defeat at home.  Verratti lashed wide from the edge of the area and Ibrahimovic stung the palms of Barca keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but that was all the visitor could muster as Barca - which nearly added a third through Lionel Messi in injury-time - marched on in ominous fashion.




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Bayern Munich 6 - 1 Porto [Champions League]

Bayern Munich booked its place in the last four of the UEFA Champions League for the fourth season in succession with a 6-1 hammering of Porto.
Trailing 3-1 from the quarter-final first leg, Pep Guardiola's side produced a devastating first-half display, scoring five times in the opening 40 minutes to leave the visitor shell-shocked.  Defensive errors had cost Bayern dear in the opening encounter, but it was its supreme attacking quality that came to the fore at the Allianz Arena.  Club doctor Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt resigned in the wake of last week's reverse, claiming his medical team had been blamed for the defeat, but even without the absent trio of Bastian Schweinsteiger, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Guardiola's team simply had too much for the 2004 winner.  Thiago Alcantara - who netted Bayern's away goal at the Estadio do Dragao - opened the scoring inside quarter-of-an-hour and it was 3-0 before the 30th minute thanks to further goals from Jerome Boateng and Robert Lewandowski.  Thomas Muller's deflected effort made it four, before Lewandowski doubled his tally with a clinical finish as Porto failed to live with Bayern's movement and incisiveness.  With the job done for the Bundesliga champion, the second half proved a low-key affair, Jackson Martinez's goal 17 minutes from time proving nothing more than consolation, especially as there was still time for Xabi Alonso to curl home a late free-kick after a tackle that saw Marcano sent off for his second booking.  Bayern suffered a nightmare first 10 minutes in the opening leg when it found itself 2-0 down, but there were no such mishaps here and it proved a sign of things to come when Muller's shot was saved by Fabiano and Lewandowski sent the rebound against the upright.  Guardiola's men did not have to wait long to break the deadlock, however, as Thiago headed in Juan Bernat's left-wing cross in the 14th minute.  And eight minutes later, Bayern doubled the advantage.  Holger Badstuber - selected ahead of Dante in Bayern's only change from the first leg - nodded a cross towards Boateng, who headed beyond Fabiano into the bottom right-hand corner.  Porto's night went from bad to worse in the 27th minute as Muller flicked on Philipp Lahm's driven cross and Lewandowski was left unmarked to plant his header into the net from eight yards.  Muller then got in on the act for Bayern as his speculative shot from distance took a wicked deflection off Bruno Martins Indi, wrongfooted Fabiano and trickled beyond the goalkeeper's feeble attempt and into the net.  With five minutes still to go until the break, Muller teed up Lewandowski, who made space for himself inside the area and shot low into the left-hand corner as Bayern ran riot.  Badstuber was perhaps fortunate only to receive a yellow card for a dangerous lunge on Ricardo Quaresma before Martinez's close-range header from Hector Herrera's cross left Porto needing two more.  Martinez went close with a low shot soon afterwards, but Porto's faint hopes were extinguished when Marcano was dismissed for a second bookable offence and Alonso curled the resulting free-kick into the left-hand corner.  The result capped a fine way for Bayern to celebrate Guardiola's 100th match in charge in style, this marking his 77th win in that time, and few can have come more convincingly than this.



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Mourinho-Eden Hazard is among the best three players in the world

Chelsea star Eden Hazard is among the best three players in the world, according to manager Jose Mourinho.  The Belgium international has been nominated for the PFA Player of the Year Award after a fine Premier League campaign.  Hazard, 24, was the hero as Chelsea extended their lead at the top to 10 points after he scored the winner in his side’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.  Mourinho had lauded his attacking midfielder in the lead-up, and he went further after the game by labelling him one of the world’s best.  “He’s a kid, but he is also a family man and he knows he is one of the three best players in the world, responsibility comes with that and he is coping with that responsibility,” he said.  “If people want to be fair, he gets that award [Player of the Year]. But the award I want him to win is the Premier League.  “I’ve had lots of stars, but he’s the humble star. He’s a great kid.  “Physically, mentally he’s getting very, very strong. He understands his role. He understands his talent is fundamental for the team.”
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Franck Ribery's Younger Brother Steven Scores a wonderfull goal for Bayern Munich II

It must be great for Bayern Munich; not only are they one of the finest producers of young talent in world football, but when they sign a continental superstar, they sometimes bring their prodigious younger siblings with them.  This was evidenced by Franck Ribery's younger brother, Steven, scoring a wonder goal for the Bavarian's B Team in their recent game with Gorching, which Bayern won 2-0.
The 19-year-old is just one of countless young talents coming out of France. Add him to the list with Pogba, Laporte, Thauvin, Kondogbia, Lacazette and, well, you get the idea. The French are currently in a purple patch of youth development that the rest of the world should be very worried about.
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Mauricio Pochettino congratulates 30-goal Kane

Nacer Chadli’s opener was cancelled out by Jack Colback with Christian Eriksen restoring Spurs’ lead at St James’ Park before Kane sealed the victory late on.   In finishing off a quick counter-attack, Kane became the first Tottenham player to reach the 30-goal mark in a single season since Gary Lineker in 1991-92.  It was Kane’s first goal since returning from international duty at the start of the month and Pochettino was full of praise for the England man.  The Argentinian said: “I want to congratulate him, he deserves this moment because he works a lot.  “He’s happy in the changing room and his team-mates are happy for him.   “I think he has big potential, he’s young and this is his first full season with the first team. We need to push him to try to improve his level.  “He has the potential to improve. He has another challenge maybe now because we have five games ahead. We need to score and win games.   “It’s important to finish as high as possible, we don’t need to put too much pressure on him. We need to be calm and let him improve.”  The victory also moves Spurs up to sixth – level on points with Liverpool having played a game more than Brendan Rodgers’ side.  “I think we fully deserved the three points, our performance was good, better than Newcastle and I’m very pleased for the players,” Pochettino added.  “After the last two games the feeling wasn’t good and it’s important to feel that victory again.”

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Aston Villa 2 - 1 Liverpool [FA Cup]

All the talk had been of whether Gerrard could finish his Liverpool career by lifting the FA Cup next month on his birthday in his final game before joining LA Galaxy, but there will no fairytale end for the long-serving captain.  Philippe Coutinho put the Merseyside club in front after half-an-hour to put it on course for a clash against Arsenal on 30 May, but Villa fought back to reach its first FA Cup final for 15 years.  Christian Benteke equalised shortly after Coutinho's strike, continuing his incredible run of form with a ninth goal in seven matches.  Tim Sherwood's men continued to impress after the break and took the lead through a Delph goal with 54 minutes on the clock, forcing Liverpool to play more expansively.  Mario Balotelli had a late goal wrongly ruled out for offside and Villa held on to keep its dreams of winning the FA Cup for the first time since 1957 well and truly alive.  Gerrard and Martin Skrtel both slotted back into the Liverpool team after their respective bans, but the talismanic captain had little effect during the early exchanges as Villa began brightly.  Villa youngster Jack Grealish looked particularly threatening, but it was Charles N'Zogbia who had the first attempt at goal with a 25-yard drive which was tipped over the crossbar by Simon Mignolet in the 12th minute.  Despite its superiority, Villa struggled to craft goal-scoring opportunities and Liverpool capitalised on hesitant defending to take a 30th-minute lead.  Jores Okore - on for Nathan Baker after he took a blow to the head - and Delph both failed to clear and Coutinho burst into the penalty area and coolly slotted past Shay Given after racing on to Raheem Sterling's throughball.  The joy was short-lived, however, as Villa deservedly levelled only six minutes later.  A fine move down the left resulted in Grealish releasing Delph in the area and his cut-back was dispatched beyond Mignolet by the lurking Benteke, his fifth goal in seven games against the Merseyside club.  Brendan Rodgers introduced Balotelli for the anonymous Lazar Markovic at half-time, but that switch changed little with regards to Villa's control and Sherwood's side soon had a well-earned lead.  The impressive Grealish produced a clever reverse pass into the area for Delph and the England international jinked past Dejan Lovren, before sliding past Mignolet.  Falling behind forced Liverpool's hand and it began to open up, finding itself exposed on the break on a couple of occasions.  However, Villa was unable to punish it again and Liverpool piled the pressure on towards the end, Gerrard – who was far from his best – having a header cleared off the line by Kieran Richardson with four minutes to go.  There was further frustration for Liverpool as Balotelli incorrectly had an 88th-minute strike disallowed for offside and that proved to be a costly decision, as Villa held on to book another trip to Wembley.

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Newcastle United 1 - 3 Tottenham Hotspur [Premier League]

Newcastle United failed to halt their dismal run of Premier League form on Sunday as they were beaten 3-1 by Tottenham at a sparse St James’ Park.   Some supporters boycotted the game in protest at the running of the club and a perceived lack of ambition from the board.  And for those who were in attendance, there was little cause for cheer as goals from Nacer Chadli, Christian Eriksen and Harry Kane eclipsed Jack Colback’s effort to inflict a sixth consecutive defeat on the hosts.  Chadli gave Mauricio Pochettino’s side a half-time lead with a long-range strike 29 minutes in, though Tim Krul might have been able to do more to keep it out.  However, as in the reverse fixture, Newcastle equalised early in the second half – Colback restoring parity 18 seconds after the restart.  If there was any doubt about Krul’s role in Spurs’ first goal, there was nowhere for the goalkeeper to hide with the second, as Eriksen’s 53rd-minute free-kick eluded the Dutchman’s grasp and found the back of the net.  Kane’s 20th league goal of the campaign added to John Carver’s woes, with Newcastle remaining seven points clear of the relegation zone, while Spurs move above Southampton into sixth.  Skipper Fabricio Coloccini returned from suspension and was required to snuff out an early Kane opportunity in a low-key opening 10 minutes on Tyneside.  Ayoze Perez had the first effort on target, side-footing a Yoan Gouffran cross at Michel Vorm, as Spurs initially struggled to convert their possession into clear-cut chances.  However, when Gouffran carelessly lost possession in midfield, Chadli made the most of the time and space afforded to him to fire past Krul and further dampen an already muted atmosphere.  Newcastle demonstrated a stark lack of attacking invention in the first half, but Carver introduced Sammy Ameobi and Gabriel Obertan at the break and the reshuffle paid dividends almost immediately when Colback levelled.  After Perez’s perseverance, Daryl Janmaat saw a shot blocked before Colback steered home the loose ball inside a minute of the second half.  It was only Newcastle’s second Premier League goal in six outings, but Newcastle quickly fell behind again when Krul failed to deal with Eriksen’s curled delivery.  The Dane’s free-kick evaded a host of Spurs players as well as the Newcastle goalkeeper to restore the visitors’ advantage, before Nabil Bentaleb came close to heading home a third – grazing the roof of the net following Chadli’s cross.  Krul atoned for his error by keeping out Kane’s point-blank header, only to be beaten by the England striker’s one-on-one finish in stoppage time to complete a miserable day for the hosts.
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Manchester City 2 - 0 West Ham [Premier League]

David Silva’s head injury overshadowed Manchester City’s comfortable 2-0 Premier League win over West Ham as the hosts eased the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini.  Pellegrini admitted ahead of the game at the Etihad Stadium that he could be sacked if City fail to finish in the top four, with the reigning champions having lost four of their previous six top-flight matches.  Despite the absence of the likes of Vincent Kompany and James Milner through injury, City were able to see off an ineffective West Ham side and move seven points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool, who do have a game in hand.  A bizarre 18th-minute own goal from James Collins put City ahead before Sergio Aguero doubled the lead with his 20th league goal of the campaign.  West Ham never threatened a fightback, but a routine victory was soured when Silva was caught by an elbow from Cheikhou Kouyate midway through the second half, with the Senegalese earning a booking.  The former Valencia midfielder received lengthy treatment from the City medical team before being taken off on a stretcher.  City had the better of the opening stages as West Ham struggled to retain possession and, after Alexander Kolarov had gone close with a curling free-kick, the hosts took the lead through a huge stroke of fortune after 18 minutes.  Jesus Navas picked up the ball on the right wing following a poor goal kick from Adrian and the Spain international’s cross was inadvertently turned home by Collins, whose attempted clearance looped over the West Ham goalkeeper and in off the underside of the crossbar.  Collins did somewhat atone for that error as he produced a goal-saving tackle to prevent Silva from adding a second at the end of a well-worked City move.  West Ham grew into the game and provided a sporadic attacking threat, yet they were given a mountain to climb when Aguero finished off a sparkling counter in the 36th minute.  Yaya Toure won the ball in midfield and set Aguero free, the Argentina striker then rounding off the attack with a clever low finish under Adrian after combining brilliantly with Navas.  Only an excellent last-ditch Carl Jenkinson tackle stopped Aguero from converting Toure’s sublime reverse pass in the 49th minute as City continued to dominate after the restart.  Aguero spent a short time on the sidelines after seemingly picking up a knock in that tackle.  While Aguero recovered to make his way back onto the field, Silva was not so fortunate, the Spaniard receiving seven minutes of treatment on the field.  West Ham showed some positive intent in the time that remained, Enner Valencia and Kevin Nolan both spurning chances to pull one back late on.  It is now one win in 11 league games for the visitors, while the attentions of a doubtlessly relieved Pellegrini will surely turn to the stricken Silva.

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inverness 3 - 2 celtic[Scottish Cup final]

David Raven grabbed a late winner in extra time to book Inverness Caledonian Thistle's place in the Scottish Cup final as it ended 10-man Celtic's treble dream with a 3-2 victory in controversial circumstances at Hampden.
Celtic had taken an 18th-minute lead thanks to a curling Virgil van Dijk free-kick, before it was controversially denied a penalty on the stroke of halftime when Josh Meekings stopped a Leigh Griffiths header with his arm.  Greg Tansey then levelled from the spot in the 58th minute after Celtic 'keeper Craig Gordon was sent off for hauling down Marley Watkins.  Edward Ofere fired Inverness in front in the 96th minute before a blunder from Inverness 'keeper Ryan Esson allowed substitute John Guidetti's free-kick to bounce over him as Celtic grabbed a 103rd-minute equaliser.  With time running out, Raven blasted home a winner in the 117th minute as Inverness, who famously knocked Celtic out of the same competition in 2000 while a part-timer, claimed a place in the final for the first time in its history.  Inverness will face Falkirk on 30 May 30 athe Bairns defeated fellow-Championship side Hibernian 1-0 in Saturday's semi-final thanks to Craig Sibbald's headed goal.

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Reading 1 - 2 Arsenal [FA Cup]

Goalkeeper Adam Federici conceded the softest of extra-time goals as Arsenal avoided a semi-final upset in a 2-1 victory over Reading at Wembley.  Arsene Wenger’s men, who required penalties to see off Wigan Athletic at this stage last year, struggled to find the momentum that has seen them embark on an eight-match winning run.  Nevertheless, Alexis Sanchez put the holders in front six minutes before the break with a cool finish having been fed by Mesut Ozil.  But the Arsenal section of the ground was stunned into silence after 54 minutes when Wojciech Szczesny failed to keep out a Garath McCleary volley.  Arsenal hit the woodwork twice as they looked to avoid extra time – once via a superb save from Federici – but the Australia international will have wanted the ground to swallow him whole when he allowed another Sanchez effort to squirm underneath him at the end of the first period of additional time, dashing Reading hopes of a first final.  The result sees Arsenal become the outright record holders for most appearances in the FA Cup final, their 19th moving them one clear of Manchester United.  Arsenal welcomed back defender Mathieu Debuchy for his first appearance since January following shoulder surgery and, after a bright start from Reading, the holders began probing their opponents’ back line.  Federici got down well at the feet of Danny Welbeck to thwart an early attack, before tipping around his left-hand post when Per Mertesacker threatened to open the scoring with a header from a corner.  But Reading weathered that storm and Jordan Obita unleashed a powerful strike from 25 yards at the other end, albeit straight at Arsenal goalkeeper Szczesny, while Nathaniel Chalobah saw a volleyed effort deflected wide.  Having seen an earlier chance fizzle out courtesy of a heavy touch, Sanchez made no mistake with his next opportunity, showing great composure in the box to bring down an Ozil pass, see off his marker and send the ball between Federici’s legs.  Reading refused to go down without a fight, though, and pulled level nine minutes into the second period.  Pavel Pogrebnyak crossed from the byline for McCleary to volley home via a deflection off Kieran Gibbs, although birthday boy Szczesny should have done better.  Reading then had appeals for handball against Debuchy in the Arsenal box waved away by referee Martin Atkinson, before Danny Williams skewed wide from a promising position.  Gabriel Paulista came off the bench for Mertesacker shortly after the hour mark and one of his first contributions was to draw a fantastic save from Federici, who pushed the Arsenal defender’s header onto his crossbar.  Chalobah tried his luck from 20 yards out with seven minutes left of normal time, forcing Szczesny into an unconvincing save, before Aaron Ramsey – Arsenal’s goal hero when they won last season’s competition – hit the post after forcing his way into the Reading box under pressure from Obita.  Reading then squandered a two-on-one situation as the match headed for extra time, and Ramsey gave the Championship side a scare when his effort bounced over off Federici.  The match looked set to be heading for the second period of additional time with the sides all square until Sanchez burst into the Reading penalty area from the left and fired a shot straight at Federici.  The Reading stopper was unable to hold the low strike and somehow allowed the ball to sneak through his legs and over the line, sending Arsenal into a final clash with the winner of Sunday’s semi-final between Liverpool and Aston Villa.
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Juventus 2 - 0 Lazio [Serie A]

Juventus made a mockery of second-placed Lazio’s eight-game winning run in Serie A by beating them 2-0 at Juventus Stadium to go 15 points clear at the top of the table with just seven games remaining.  Carlos Tevez was at the heart of things for the defending champions, as he moved onto 18 league goals for the season – extending his lead at the top of the scoring charts.  Tevez’s latest strike comes 24 hours after his agent hinted that the Argentine will leave Turin in just one year’s time to return to boyhood club Boca Juniors.  There is no doubt the former Manchester City striker will be missed if that is the case, but central defender Leonardo Bonucci showed Juventus have goalscoring potential throughout their squad.   Picking the ball up on the halfway line, Bonucci was allowed the space to run to the edge of the Lazio penalty area, thanks in part to an unselfish run from Tevez, before powering a low shot into the net.  Lazio, who also had Danilo Cataldi sent off late on, rarely threatened from that point on despite battling hard, summing up Juventus’ cruise towards another league title.  The physical intensity of the game was clear early on, with Arturo Vidal needing attention for a hip problem and Lucas Biglia getting his head bandaged inside the first 15 minutes.  Juventus were unperturbed, however, and opened the scoring with 17 minutes played as Tevez collected Vidal’s flick-on, beating Lazio’s dubious offside trap in the process, and sent a powerful low strike into the far corner of the net from 15 yards out.  Lazio’s own in-form striker Miroslav Klose had an outstanding chance to level midway through the half, collecting a loose ball in the area but sending his right-footed shot well over from 12 yards.  The German was made to pay for his profligacy moments later as Bonucci made an extraordinary foray forward to double the home side’s advantage.  Collecting Andrea Pirlo’s pass on the halfway line, Bonucci drove through the heart midfield before slamming a low strike beyond Federico Marchetti from 20 yards.  It could well have been 3-0 before the interval, too, as Patrice Evra beat Danilo Cataldi to a Simone Padoin cross from the right, but sent his low header wide of the far post.  Lazio head coach Stefano Pioli brought on midfielder Antonio Candreva at half-time for left-back Edson Braafheid but the visitors could still not get in behind a stubborn Juventus defence.  Indeed, it was Lazio defender Mauricio who had to pull off a brilliant sliding tackle to stop Alessandro Matri from going one-on-one with Marchetti after a deflected pass from Vidal.  Lazio did go close soon after as Candreva smashed a free-kick towards goal from just outside the area that deflected off Tevez and onto the bar – proving once and for all that the little striker can do no wrong.  Another late foray forward from Tevez forced Cataldi into a cynical tackle from behind that earned him a straight red card, summing up the most frustrating of nights for the visitors.
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Chelsea 1 - 0 Manchester United [Premier League]

Eden Hazard’s 18th goal of the season ensured Chelsea took another giant stride towards winning the Premier League title by beating Manchester United 1-0 to move 10 points clear at the top of the table.  Hazard demonstrated why he is a strong favourite to be crowned the PFA Player of the Year when he rounded off a slick move with a clinical finish to give Chelsea the lead during a first half in which they were distinctly unimpressive.  Wayne Rooney, moved back into a midfield role, wasted a great early chance when he fired into the side-netting and Radamel Falcao struck the woodwork as United missed the chance to move above Arsenal into second place.  Louis van Gaal’s side remain on course to secure a place in the UEFA Champions League with five games remaining, but any slight hopes they may have had of winning the title are surely gone after their six-game winning league run came to an end at Stamford Bridge.  Victory for Chelsea stretched their unbeaten run to 14 games in all competitions and there appears to be no stopping Jose Mourinho’s men in their quest to secure a first Premier League title for five years.  Kurt Zouma and Oscar came into Chelsea’s starting line-up at the expense of Brazil duo Willian and Ramires, who dropped to the bench.  Falcao made his first start since February for United, while Luke Shaw also returned to the starting line-up along with Paddy McNair, as Michael Carrick, Daley Blind and Phil Jones were ruled out due to injury.  Rooney had a great opportunity to open the scoring after only three minutes when Shaw cut the ball back and the England captain fired into the side-netting.  David de Gea clearly thought Rooney had scored as he celebrated with clenched fists at the other end, and the Spain goalkeeper ought to have had another moment to forget when he handled Cesc Fabregas’ cross just outside the area, but the officials did not spot his infringement.  De Gea had very little to do in the first half, but he was picking the ball out of the net when Hazard opened the scoring out of the blue eight minutes before half-time.  Falcao was robbed of possession by John Terry on the halfway line and Fabregas picked out Oscar, whose clever backheel set Hazard free and the winger surged into the area before firing under De Gea with his left foot.  Didier Drogba almost doubled Chelsea’s lead early in the second half when he raced away and went close with a deflected shot that looped over De Gea and Hazard arrived beyond the back post to hit the crossbar from a tight angle.  Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois palmed away a stinging drive from McNair on the hour mark and Juan Mata was denied an equaliser against his former club with an effort that looped just over the crossbar.  There would be no further chances for the Spain midfielder, who was given a great reception by both sets of fans when he replaced by Angel Di Maria.  Van Gaal opted against bringing on Robin van Persie, back on the bench after two months out, and United were unable to break down a stubborn Chelsea side.  Ander Herrera was booked for simulation after going down in the area late on and that proved to be the last action, as Chelsea celebrated another hard-earned victory that means a positive result against Arsenal next weekend would leave them just one win from the title.




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Athletic Bilbao 4 - 0 Getafe [La Liga]

Athletic Bilbao maintained their hopes of qualifying for Europe after a 4-0 thrashing of Getafe in La Liga on Saturday.  A brace from Aritz Aduriz and late goals from Ibai Gomez and Markel Susaeta saw Ernesto Valverde’s men end a three-game winless run.  The win lifted Bilbao into eighth in the table, eight points adrift of Villarreal – who are sixth and occupy the final European place.  Getafe, who sit 13th and eight points clear of the bottom three, were reduced to 10 men in the 44th minute when Emiliano Velazquez saw red, and it proved costly.  Velazquez denied Bilbao an obvious goalscoring opportunity just before the break, and Aduriz sent Vicente Guaita the wrong way from the penalty spot.  Aduriz doubled Bilbao’s advantage early in the second half with a good finish after being played through by Andoni Iraola.  The hosts needed until late on to seal the win, with Ibai heading in a Susaeta cross before the latter tapped in the fourth.
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Nice 1 - 3 PSG [Ligue 1]

Javier Pastore filled the goalscoring void left by the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a brace as Paris Saint-Germain went back to the top of Ligue 1 with a 3-1 win at Nice.  Having seen their UEFA Champions League dreams effectively dashed by a 3-1 quarter-final first-leg defeat to Barcelona in midweek, PSG turned their attentions back to an enthralling battle for the domestic title with seven-time champions Lyon on Saturday.  And, despite the absence of Ibrahimovic – banned for three games for a foul-mouthed rant following last month’s 3-2 loss at Bordeaux – and injured captain Thiago Silva, PSG did enough to see off a determined Nice side at the Allianz Riviera.  The defending champions took the lead thanks to an assured 39th-minute finish from Pastore, only for former PSG man Mathieu Bodmer to equalise just before the interval.  Laurent Blanc’s men found another gear in the second half, though, and Pastore duly restored PSG’s advantage with a powerful finish into the bottom-right corner.  A 69th-minute penalty from Edinson Cavani made sure of the points after the Uruguay striker had been fouled by Jordan Amavi, securing a victory that sends PSG a point clear of Lyon – who host Saint-Etienne on Sunday.  Nice started brightly and went close to opening the scoring in the 15th minute when Algerian forward Said Benrahma curled narrowly wide of the left-hand post.  PSG, also without the presence of the banned Marco Verratti, struggled to get into any sort of rhythm in the opening 45 minutes, which Nice largely controlled without creating much in the way of goalscoring opportunities.  The hosts’ failure to take advantage of their period of superiority was punished by Pastore six minutes before the break.   The Argentina international latched on to Lucas Moura’s pass and coolly slotted the ball beyond Simon Pouplin.  But Nice responded well and equalised on the stroke of half-time, as Bodmer flicked home Benrahma’s low drive after PSG had only half cleared a left-wing free-kick.  Pouplin was forced to show brilliant reactions to preserve parity three minutes minutes after the interval, the goalkeeper turning David Luiz’s close-range strike over the crossbar following Nice’s failure to deal with a corner.  Salvatore Sirigu then demonstrated his reflexes at the other end, as the Italy international dived to his left to tip Carlos Eduardo’s header against the right-hand post.  Yet it was Pouplin whose goal came under more sustained pressure in the second half. The former Rennes man did well to cut out Lucas Digne’s cross-cum-shot before seeing Luiz clatter the underside of the crossbar with a header.  Pouplin’s goal was finally breached for a second time in the 63rd minute, though, Pastore lashing a shot in on the rebound after his initial volley had been blocked by the Nice shot-stopper.  Just six minutes later, the game was put beyond Nice as Amavi tripped Cavani in the box, allowing the former Napoli man to emphatically fire home from 12 yards.

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