Decimated: It's adios Mourinho as Madrid miracle falls short

The Real Madrid coach is set for the exit door with no Champions League success to boast after their aggregate defeat was completed on Wednesday

Jose Mourinho came so close in the end, but he was ultimately so far away. Real Madrid put up a gallant late fight, but their 2-0 victory was not enough to stop Borussia Dortmund reaching their first Champions League final in 16 years.

The fact that it is now 11 straight seasons without a visit to the showpiece occasion for Madrid speaks volumes about how Mourinho’s reign will be viewed when he moves on this summer. He had the luxury of an expensively assembled squad, just not the togetherness of a team unit. Whereas at Porto, Chelsea and Inter he was able to give it his all thanks to a group of players who offered exactly the same, the Blancos didn’t have it in them to give him what he wanted; what he had been brought to the club to do.

He hinted after the game that he won't be in the same job next season. "Maybe not. I like to be where I'm liked," he said when asked if he had another dig at the Champions League with Madrid in him. And it's clear to see that he hasn't forged the relationships in the Spanish capital that he had elsewhere.

When he needed his players to perform for him, they just didn’t have it in them. But for 20 minutes at the start of the game, they rarely looked like threatening until that manic final few moments after Sergio Ramos put them within one goal of a miracle.

Cristiano Ronaldo got in behind the Dortmund defence but could only send his volley straight at Roman Weidenfeller. Mesut Ozil was given acres of space down the right but dragged his shot wide of the near post. Gonzalo Higuain was beaten to a Ronaldo cross by Weidenfeller. Ronaldo blazed a free-kick well over. It initially looked promising, but soon became increasingly ragged and desperate.

By the time the second half kicked off it was Dortmund who were making all the moves goalwards. Madrid looked just as likely to concede three as score three. Robert Lewandowski alone could have bagged another four-goal haul. Last Wednesday was when almost all of the damage was done, but the first 80 minutes on Tuesday were just as damaging. When there needed to be greater heart and cooler heads, there were none. Ronaldo went missing, but so did Madrid’s gameplan after failing to get an early goal.

Karim Benzema side-footed home the first strike of the night to get the crowd on their feet for the last 10 minutes, and Sergio Ramos found the roof of the net two minutes from time to leave BVB on their nerves, but the right team went through in the end. Dortmund were worthy winners, and for the majority of Tuesday night were at least the equal of the Spanish giants. Even a 2-0 scoreline was harsh on them. Elimination would have been a scandal.

Jurgen Klopp had undone Mourinho with his tactics and his team’s pressing game, but the Portuguese nearly got away with it. His ability to throw everything in his might at his opponents almost got him through, and it is an attribute that he will always have in his locker. But there was only one of these two teams that deserved a ticket to Wembley and it was not the one coached by Mourinho.

One Liga title, a Supercopa and one Copa del Rey (potentially two) are a reasonable return, but Fabio Capello, Bernd Schuster and others have managed similar domestic successes. Mourinho was meant to be different, he was meant to be the Special One. And it was in the Champions League that he was expected to prove it. But while he’s taken them on from perennial last-16 failures to perennial semi-finalists, this is Real Madrid. Semi-final defeats remain failures all the same.

It is nailed on that he will leave in the summer, and he will do so without a Champions League title with Real Madrid. No longer is he the Special One. He kept us entertained right down to the last, but that is not what he was hired to do. Success in Europe has eluded him, just as a wresting of the supremacy in Spain.

He will leave Madrid with the club playing second fiddle to Barcelona, just as they were three years ago. He also departs with the capital club still searching for that elusive Decima. The long, long wait goes on.

Culled from Kris Voakes, GOAL.COM

Real Madrid 2-0 Borussia Dortmund (Agg 3-4): Visitors survive late bombardment to reach Wembley final

Los Blancos nearly pulled off the impossible with two goals in the last 10 minutes, but their comeback came too late to change the course of the tie as BVB progressed


The Bundesliga side survived an early onslaught by Jose Mourinho's men to hold onto their 4-1 first-leg advantage for most of the game – and had several chances to make the aggregate score even more humiliating for the wasteful hosts.

However, goals from Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos in the last 10 minutes suddenly set up the most frantic of finishes, but Dortmund hung on to clinch their first final berth since 1997, when they defeated Juventus 3-1 to win the trophy.

Angel Di Maria, benched for the first leg, started for the hosts, while Cristiano Ronaldo also returned after he was rested with a thigh complaint for the Madrid derby victory over the weekend.

Dortmund’s line-up picked itself, with Jurgen Klopp restoring the likes of Marco Reus and Ilkay Gundogan after resting his regulars during Saturday’s Bundesliga win over Fortuna Dusseldorf.

Mourinho’s men knew the magnitude of the task at hand, and their start to the match was suitably relentless. Gonzalo Higuain could have opened the scoring four minutes in, but his shot from Mesut Ozil’s pass was right at Roman Weidenfeller.

Madrid sent a series of warnings Dortmund’s way, but the Germans showed a glimpse of what they were capable of when Gundogan’s clip found Robert Lewandowski completely unmarked for a half-volley right at Diego Lopez.

However, Ronaldo immediately mirrored the chance at the other end, forcing Weidenfeller into a close range block, before Mesut Ozil somehow dragged wide when put clean through.

The visitors were then handed a huge blow just before the quarter hour mark, when Mario Gotze limped off clutching his hamstring and was replaced by Kevin Grosskreutz.

There was enough action in the first 15 minutes to fill an entire half of football, but after weathering the initial storm, Dortmund regained their composure and slowed things down – exactly what Madrid did not want.

In fact, the remainder of the half was rather monotonous by comparison, leaving Mourinho with plenty to ponder over the break.

But Madrid’s half-time plans were almost wrecked minutes after the restart, had Lewandowski kept his cool when Grosskreutz cleverly found him unmarked inside the box, instead of blasting the ball into orbit.

The Pole nearly made instant amends when latching onto Reus’ slipped pass, sprinting in behind and lashing at goal, but the ball cannoned off the underside of the bar.

There was only one side that looked like scoring and it was not the team that needed three goals to progress. The quietly impressive Reus teed up Gundogan with a virtually open goal, but somehow, Lopez recovered to make an unbelievable save.

Lewandowski missed from eight yards before Madrid finally showed signs of life in the second half, but true to form, Di Maria stroked wide of the far post from just inside the box, before Ronaldo poked over from a similarly promising position.

But substitute Benzema would give the hosts a glimmer of hope with seven minutes remaining, side-footing in from close range after Kaka teed up Ozil for the cross from the right.

And it got even better for the Spanish side when Ramos smashed the ball home from Benzema's layoff with two minutes plus stoppage time left in the game.

But with the home fans roaring them on, Madrid could not go that last step further as Dortmund survived a few late scares to edge over the finish line.

Now the only question that remains is whether Wembley will be an all-German affair, with Bayern Munich well on their way to taking the Bundesliga’s most high-profile rivalry onto the biggest stage of them all.

Mourinho: I never told Klopp I was going to Chelsea

The Portuguese coach has dismissed reports that claimed he is set to return to the Premier League giants and is focused on the match against Dortmund

Jose Mourinho has insisted that he never told Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp that he will leave Real Madrid for Chelsea at the end of the 2012-13 campaign.

German tabloid Bild reported after the first leg of the Champions League semi-final tie between both sides that the Portuguese had told his opposite number that he would return to Stamford Bridge this summer.

Klopp already stressed that he never told anyone that the former Inter boss will leave Madrid at the end of the season, though, and Mourinho himself has now added that he did not tell the BVB trainer anything about his plans for the future.

"I never told Klopp that I was going to Chelsea," Mourinho said at a press conference.

The 50-year-old then went on to state that the outcome of the tie against Borussia Dortmund will not influence his decision on his future.

"My future doesn't depend on what happens Tuesday," he continued.

"Will it be my last game? I am only thinking about the match against Dortmund. It's the most important game of the past 10 years for Madrid. My future is not on my mind."

Madrid will be looking to overturn a 4-1 first-leg deficit in the return leg at the Santiago Bernabeu on Tuesday.

Transfer Rumours!Transfer Rumours!!

Man City chief meets with Pellegrini  Manchester City's director of football Txiki Begiristain met with Manuel Pellegrini's agent, Jesus Martinez, in Madrid on Monday to discuss a potential move to the Etihad Stadium this summer. Source: AS


 Ancelotti accepts Real Madrid role  Paris Saint-Germain manager Carlo Ancelotti has already agreed to take charge of Real Madrid this summer. Jose Mourinho will leave the Spanish club this summer. Source: Cadena Cope


Manchester City target Mazzarri & Cavani  Manchester City are ready to pay the £53 million buy-out clause in Edinson Cavani's Napoli contract. The Manchester outfit are also considering Napoli coach Walter Mazzarri as a replacement for Roberto Mancini.

Galatasaray target Robben  Galatasaray coach Fatih Terim wants to team up Arjen Robben with Netherlands team-mate Wesley Sneijder. The two previously played together at Real Madrid.  Source: Hurriyet

Villa no longer Arsenal's top target David Villa will look to leave Barcelona this summer but the striker may have missed his chance to join Arsenal as Arsene Wenger is now targeting a move for Fiorentina forward Stevan Jovetic. Source: Daily Mirror

Spurs looking to offload Adebayor Tottenham are looking to sell Emmanuel Adebayor this summer but are unlikely to find a club who are willing to match his £100,000-a-week salary.  Source: Daily Mirror

Aston Villa 6-1 Sunderland: Benteke batters Black Cats as hosts claim valuable win in relegation scrap

A second-half hat-trick from top goalscorer Christian Benteke helped secured a vital three points for Aston Villa against relegation rivals Sunderland in an exhilarating clash at Villa Park.

A frenetic start to the game set the tone for the game as Ron Vlaar, Danny Rose and Andreas Weimann all scored within seven first-half minutes.

A fiery and fast-paced second half saw Sunderland reduced to ten men after Stephane Sessegnon received a straight red card for a poor challenge on Yacouba Sylla before Benteke netted a hat-trick in 17 minutes and Gabriel Agbonlahor wrapped up a thumping win late on.

Paul Lambert made one change from the Aston Villa side that lost 3-0 to Manchester United last weekend, with Yacouba Sylla replacing Charles N'Zogbia.

Meanwhile, Paolo Di Canio made two changes to the side that beat Everton 1-0, with Craig Gardner coming straight back into the starting line-up after his two-match ban at the expense of James McClean, and Phil Bardsley replaced Jack Colback.

With both teams finding themselves firmly placed in the fight to avoid relegation, it was no surprise that the game started in frantic fashion, with both defences fully involved in absorbing several early attacking movements.

Aston Villa side carved out the first real chance of the game when Benteke and Agbonlahor linked up wonderfully with a well-worked one-two on the edge of the area, but the Englishman was unable to convert as he dragged his shot narrowly past the left post.

The close call spurred on the Villa, and just a few minutes later their pressure had paid off as captain Vlaar which sailed through a sea of red and white shirts to hammer a 30-yard low drive past the helpless Mignolet.

Sunderland replied immediately, however, and equalised just one minute and 48 seconds later when silky smooth play from Graham and Rose set up the latter to fire in from close range.

And the frantic nature of the opening period wasn't over yet as Villa embarked on a swift counterattack after Matthew Lowton stole the ball off the advancing Sunderland midfield and unleashed a wonderful long ball to an unmarked Weimann on the edge of the box. The Austrian striker's first touch was exquisite as he found space to pass the ball into the far corner to regain his side’s lead.

The second half started in a similar fashion to the first, with the momentum behind Aston Villa, and they were duly rewarded nine minutes into the half when Benteke headed into an open goal after Agbonlahor's deflected shot had been parried into his path by Mignolet.

Just five minutes later, Benteke was on hand to head in once again, rising high above the visitors’ defence and nodding in Ashley Westwood's corner to put Villa 4-1 up and all but end any Sunderland hopes of initiating a comeback.

And those were duly extinguished when Sessegnon was dismissed for an unruly lunge on Sylla 20 minutes from time, and just a minute later Benteke picked up a stray touch from Carlos Cuellar to slot home from an acute angle to record his first hat-trick in Villa colours and this 18th goal of the season.

With Sunderland dead and buried, Agbonlahor took advantage of poor defending to round Mignolet and score his side's sixth with just a minute of normal time left to play, putting the game to bed and wrapping up a win that is as important as it was emphatic.

De Gea, Bale & Suarez named in PFA Team of the Year

Manchester United goalkeeper David de Gea, Tottenham midfielder Gareth Bale and Liverpool striker Luis Suarez have all been named in the PFA's Team of the Year.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, who is in his second season with Sir Alex Ferguson's side, has been selected in goal, while in defence Ferdinand is joined by Manchester City full-back Pablo Zabaleta, Tottenham centre-back Jan Vertonghen and Everton's Leighton Baines.

Chelsea have two players included in midfield with Juan Mata and Eden Hazard. Manchester United's Michael Carrick and Tottenham's Gareth Bale are also named.

In attack, Robin van Persie, who leads the Premier League scoring chart with 25 goals this season is named, while Liverpool's Luis Suarez is included.

Spurs forward Bale lifts second PFA Player of the Year Award

Tottenham goal machine Gareth Bale has won the second PFA Player of the Year award of his career.

The 23-year-old Welshman adds this award to the one he received in 2011/12 and becomes just the fourth player to win the gong twice, joining Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo as two-time winners.

Bale, who has been absolutely explosive in front of goal thanks to a freer role under Andre Villas-Boas, has netted 22 times this season in all competitions for the London club.

The competition for this award was fierce with Bale having to overcome Liverpool’s Luis Suarez, Manchester United’s Robin van Persie and Michael Carrick and Chelsea’s Juan Mata and Eden Hazard to collect the peer-voted award.goal machine Gareth Bale has won the second PFA Player of the Year award of his career.

am back

Thanks for watching out for me! i am now officially back and better...coming up with a lot of juicy news, somewhat missed out of reporting the humiliation of the two Spanish Giants,Real Madrid and Barcerlona at the hand of Dortmund and Bayern Munich respectively. I wont miss out on the second leg...........
for course, we know in England that Manchester United has won the league, but the news of the weekend was that QPR and Reading has been relegated from the premier league. too bad for Redknapp and co. as there is no miracle  rescue this time around. in Germany Greuther Furth has been  relegated from the Bundesliga, while a lot is still undecided in Spain

time lapse

i am seriously sorry for not posting any of the latest happenings in the world of soccer recently. i have been sorting out some personal issues and i have kinda of been busy with with academic work. DON'T WORRY THOUGH, I WILL BE BACK NEXT WEEK

Fights break out as Borussia Dortmund sell out of Real Madrid tickets

A number of touts caused trouble at ticketing booths around the city as supporters camped outside for two nights to give themselves a chance of attending the semi-final


Fights have broken out around the city of Dortmund as the last remaining tickets for Borussia Dortmund's Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid went on sale.

It is believed a number of ticket touts were involved in trying to make their way to the front of queues as supporters waited to get their hands on one of the 66,000 tickets, and violence soon broke out, leading to the police being called.

Fans had camped out for two nights in the hope of seeing their side take on the Spanish champions in the last four of Europe's premier club competition, and were understandably angry at others trying to push in front and obtain tickets to sell on.

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke revealed the club had made a mistake in offering the tickets to the general public and admitted lessons would be learned from this incident.

"We underestimated the run on the tickets. We will draw our lessons and will not have a free sale like this again," he said in a statement.

Due to Uefa restrictions, the club's 80,000 capacity stadium, the Signal Iduna Park, cannot be fully used due to areas being standing only, meaning a number of regular supporters have been left empty-handed in their quest to watch their team on April 24.

One person was taken into police custody following the incidents while a further two were reported for aggravated battery and assault.

Messi gets green light for Bayern-Barcelona

Lionel Messi has been confirmed as fit to face Bayern Munich in Barcelona's Champions League semi-final first leg on April 23.

The 25-year-old was told at training on Tuesday he would be ready to play against the Bavarians next week with his hamstring problem a thing of the past.

The Argentine has missed the Blaugrana's last two Liga matches due to the injury, however, he did come off the bench in between Tito Vilanova's side's domestic matches to have a major impact in the Liga giants' second leg with Paris Saint-Germain earlier this month.

The Catalunya club were trailing 1-0 when the four-time Ballon d'Or winner was brought off the bench and he eventually set up Pedro for the crucial equaliser which ensured their progression into the semi-finals on away goals (3-3 on aggregate).

It remains to be seen whether Vilanova and his assistant Jordi Roura choose to risk playing the forward against Levante on Saturday, though it can be assumed that Messi being rested is a sensible option with second-placed Real Madrid 13 points behind with seven games to go.

Prior to his injury-induced absences, the attacker had gone on a record-breaking streak of scoring in 19 consecutive Liga  matches

Bayern Munich 6-1 Wolfsburg: Treble still on for rampant Bavarians

A six minute hat-trick from Mario Gomez was the icing on the cake for Bayern Munich as they destroyed Wolfsburg 6-1 at the Allianz Arena, which books Jupp Heynckes' men's place in the final of the DFB-Pokal.


Mario Mandzukic, Arjen Robben and Xherdan Shaqiri were also on target for die Roten as they disposed of the visitors, who briefly threatened to get back into the contest thanks to a fantastic strike from Diego just before half-time.

With the Bundesliga title secured and a massive Champions League semi-final with Barcelona on the horizon, Bayern hosted Wolfsburg on Tuesday evening still in the hunt for an historic treble. Despite resting the likes of Franck Ribery, there was no let-up from the Bavarians as they went straight on the offensive, hungry for victory in the semi-final.

With just a handful of minutes on the clock, the home side almost opened the scoring. An intelligent pass from Arjen Robben opened the right flank for Phillipp Lahm, and the Bayern captain fired low into the box. Bastian Schweinsteiger was on hand to meet the ball, and his first-time effort slipped agonisingly past the near post. It would not be long, however, before the hosts were on target.

Despite matching the champions across the field, Wolfsburg always looked vulnerable when their rivals countered; and it was a swift break that yielded the first goal. Xherdan Shaqiri held on to the ball just long enough to release Robben on the overlap, and the Dutchman's pass was met by Mario Mandzukic, who smashed into the roof of the net to give his side the perfect start.

Shaqiri was on form and with 35 minutes gone, the Switzerland international capped another break to play in Robben, and the provider turned scorer as he deftly chipped past Diego Benaglio to double the lead.

Wolfsburg did not despair after falling two behind, and stepped up their efforts to come back into the game. Naldo saw a header fly just wide of the post, before Vierinha broke through and was only thwarted by a strong save from Manuel Neuer.

On the stroke of half-time, the visitors got what they were looking for. Taking the ball on the edge of the area, Diego chose to go alone and hit a wonderful strike that gave Neuer no chance, cutting Bayern's advantage and giving Wolfsburg a lifeline for the second 45 minutes.

Buoyed by that strike, Wolfsburg came out after the interval in an aggressive, ebullient mood and looked to level the game. Bayern's attack, however, should never be underestimated. A short corner from Thomas Muller went to Robben, and the winger reacted well to open up the game for Shaqiri on the edge of the box with a raking pass. Xherdan had time to pick his spot, and smashed his effort along the floor and into the corner of the net, adding Bayern's third and putting one foot in the final.

The home support had been in great voice all evening, but Shaqiri's goal was the cue for a party atmosphere at the Allianz Arena as they sensed that the final was within reach.

Wolfsburg never stopped trying to get back in the game, but could not find a way back and steadily ran out of ideas. Bayern had few problems in seeing out what remained of the match, as they continued their march towards a domestic double. Mario Gomez capped a dominant display with a late double, netting a simple tap-in at the end and then converting a Schweinsteiger pass shortly afterwards to leave the home fans ecstatic as they saluted their heroes in full voice.

Gomez still wasn't done, however, and sealed his hat-trick in just six minutes with another cool finish to complete Wolfsburg's humiliation.

The Bundesliga champions therefore book their place in the final of the DFB-Pokal, where they will face the winner of Stuttgart against Freiburg. The second semi-final will take place on Wednesday evening.

thanks

I have been blogging for the past few days and it has been fun for me. i just want to say  thanks to all the people who have viewed this Blog for the past few days and especially to those who have been following the Blog. I promise to improve as time goes by and render better blogging services

Cherished Mancini closes on Cup glory

Rafael Benitez knows he's leaving but might like to stay. Roberto Mancini would like to stay but might be leaving. The Italian now has by the far the better chance of getting his wish.

The FA Cup offered the surest route to salvation. FA Cup finals have not yielded a shock result since 1988 when Wimbledon beat Liverpool. With all due respect to Wigan Athletic's outstanding achievement, the winner of Sunday's second semi-final will expect to beat the victor of Saturday's first. Even if Wigan do pull off the improbable, both Premier League and FA Cup will be residing in Greater Manchester.
Chelsea paid for 65 minutes of flat football. Once they found a route back they were denied by loose finishing, and even looser refereeing. Chris Foy is this season's Tom Henning Ovrebo. Sergio Aguero should have been dismissed and so might Vincent Kompany for denying Fernando Torres an equalising goalscoring opportunity.

"I think we played very well in the first half and we have everything under control," said Mancini. "After the second we played as if we had already won the game."

City beginning fresher was understandable in the light of six of Chelsea's starters having lined up for Thursday's Europa League trip to Moscow and the eventual victors might have been three clear by the time Chelsea's limbs eventually loosened.

City have spent much of the season looking ponderously predictable yet their interchanges flowed where Chelsea's did not. They possessed far greater power in midfield and attack too. An early skirmish between Eden Hazard and Yaya Toure was hardly a fair fight. Until Torres' arrival, Demba Ba looked lonesome ahead of the Belgian, Oscar and Juan Mata. Chelsea's first genuine attack did not arrive until the 23rd minute, when Oscar's poorly-hit shot from a clearance had to be headed clear by Vincent Kompany.

It has long been a complaint against Benitez-coached teams that they begin games too slowly, and here was a costly case in point. Until their goal, Chelsea's sole point of concerted pressure preceded City's opening goal.

The habitual 16th minute of applause for Roberto Di Matteo was not observed but fans' complaints about their current manager can quickly return to the surface. Benitez had spent all of the game on his feet but scuttled to his seat in muttering disappointment when Samir Nasri scored. The Frenchman was fortuitous enough to get a second go after his initial reception of an Aguero pass but his second touch was a fine finish.

Manchester City fans sang throughout for Mancini. A group of fans who went 35 barren years without silverware will always remember the man who won them this trophy in 2011, the Premier League in 2012 and now looks set fair for a third trophy in three seasons. Even if Benitez wins the Europa League, there will be no such chorus for him in Amsterdam.

Benitez has never asked to be liked, but he is entitled to call for better defending. Yaya Toure had tanked through Chelsea's midfield in the attack leading up to Nasri's strike, and only Tevez got in the way of preventing James Milner doubling the deficit. Toure should have done so before half-time after Milner's shot was parried by Cech into the Ivorian's path.

Nasri almost always plays better when David Silva is not around, and he took a much fuller role in City's passing triangles from a left-wing playmaking position. On the opposite flank, Milner showed why his hard work is so appreciated by his manager.

Another maligned midfielder in Gareth Barry provided City's second. His chip left Aguero plenty to do, but the Argentinian's header back across goal was superb. As it bounced down from the angle and into the net, Benitez could be seen cursing again. Behind him sat John Terry, face a picture of bemused disassociation. Frank Lampard's shuttle run down the line suddenly got quicker. With Didier Drogba now in Turkey via Shanghai, Chelsea were suffering from a distinct lack of Wembley heroes from seasons past. At one point, as Chelsea made a rare attack, Lampard could be seen offering advice to his onfield colleagues, a practice probably not signed off by his manager. It was Lampard's greatest contribution. Terry and Lampard were not offered a singled kick, the latter unused even as his team needed a cool finisher.

While the disgruntled pair remained in orange-bibbed exile, another substitute made an instant impact. Torres' 65th minute arrival for Mikel caused confusion and Ba replicated his quarter-final finish against Manchester United to pull Chelsea into a game they should already have lost. A team previously second-best in all departments had sudden momentum. Mata was robbed by City 'keeper Pantilimon when preparing to pull the trigger, and then Ba's effort was clawed away. To paraphrase a Benitez cliché, Chelsea were creating chances and they were controlling the game. Those in a lighter hue of blue were living in fear of a deadly outbreak of 'City-itis'.

"With Torres on the pitch you could see a team with more determination and confidence," said Benitez.

Yet 'Typical City' means something else now. The faint-hearted strugglers of old have been replaced by a group that fights 'to the end', as their fans sing. And they had to, too, as Chelsea pushed them hard. Some took that advice too literally. Aguero was lucky to escape a red card for a two-footed lunge on David Luiz's rear end; Vincent Kompany had his hands all over Torres as he boomed into the penalty area. Foy ran back to the halfway line with Torres retreading the steps of outrage with which Michael Ballack chased Ovrebo against Barcelona in 2009.

"I don't like to point out players," said Benitez, when asked about Aguero's lunge. "The main one is the penalty not given. These decisions can make a difference."

"I need glasses. I didn't see it," said an unconvincing and smiling Mancini. "Sergio is a good guy," he offered weakly.

The outrage was Chelsea's. The FA Cup looks more than likely to be headed back to Manchester City's trophy cabinet. And that should keep Mancini at Eastlands.

Culled from Espnsoccernet

Mel and Igiebor issue apologies

The fallout from Friday night's thrilling 3-3 Seville city derby has continued with Real Betis boss Pepe Mel and midfielder Nosa Igiebor both apologising for celebrating their side's last-gasp equaliser with offensive gestures and Sevilla defender Fernando Fazio reportedly fighting with his own team's fans hours after the game.

The eagerly-awaited clash at the Estadio Benito Villamarin saw Sevilla race into a 3-0 first-half lead with two goals from Ivan Rakitic and one from Alvaro Negredo, before Dorlan Pabon pounced on a Gary Medel mistake to pull one back for Betis just before the break.

The second period was even more dramatic with Ruben Castro's penalty making it 3-2 to Betis, a harsh red card for Medel giving the home team further hope, and substitute Igiebor equalising with an 89th-minute header.

The excitement did not end there, however, with the last-gasp goalscorer, unpopular at Betis after returning a full month late from this year's African Nations Cup, celebrating by apparently directing two one-finger salutes at his own fans.

The Nigeria international clarified the situation on Monday morning by saying he wanted to apologise to Betis fans, but not to the few who had racially abused him earlier as he had warmed up on the sidelines.

"I want to apologise to the fans for the gesture, which was not directed at them," Nosa told Estadio Deportivo. "But I will not tolerate the racial abuse which I was receiving from some brainless fanatics. The act came from frustration."

Mel was caught on camera reacting with a similar gesture as he leapt from the bench amid delirium inside the ground. He denied after the game that he had directed his peineta at former Sevilla boss Joaquin Caparros, with whom he has not always seen eye to eye.

"I made a gesture, but everyone here knows my respect for Sevilla," the ex-Betis striker said. "The person himself knows who it was for. It had nothing to do with Sevilla."

The coach offered a more complete apology via his Twitter account on Saturday.

"I insist that the unfortunate gesture was not for Sevilla nor for 'sevillismo'," the tweet read. "Even still I apologise for my stupidity. I am sorry."

Fazio was reportedly insulted by a member of his side's Biris ultras as he picked up his car near Sevilla's Estadio Sanchez Pizjuan in the early hours of Saturday morning. The Argentine defender got out of the vehicle to confront the supporter, and blows were exchanged, before team-mates Manu del Moral and Andres Palop intervened to calm the situation.

This is not the first altercation between Sevilla's ultras and players this season, with Rakitic, Emir Spahic and Diego Perotti all having been involved in similar unsavoury incidents with Biris angry at the team's poor performances.
Betis remain in seventh place, still six points ahead of their neighbours, and are well set for a Europa League spot, with an outside chance of making the top four and the Champions League.

Sevilla are now tenth, and still in with a shout for European qualification, which president Jose Maria del Nido has said is vital if they are to hang on to star names such as Negredo and Rakitic during the summer transfer window.

Stoke City 0-2 Manchester United: Van Persie ends goal drought and sends Red Devils 15 points clear

Manchester United moved a step closer to regaining the Premier League trophy with a comfortable 2-0 win away at lowly Stoke on Sunday afternoon.

An early goal from Michael Carrick and a second-half Robin van Persie penalty wrapped up all three points for Sir Alex Ferguson’s men, but they were rarely troubled by a disappointing Potters side who now find themsleves more deeply embroiled in a relegation fight to stay in England’s top flight.

United made four changes to the side that was defeated 2-1 by rivals Manchester City on Monday, with Antonio Valencia, Shinji Kagawa, Chicharito and Nemanja Vidic all coming into the starting XI. Potters chief Tony Pulis also rung the changes after his side were well beaten by Aston Villa last time out, welcoming Charlie Adam, Glenn Whelan and Andy Wilkinson back into the first team.

It took just four minutes for the champions-elect to take the lead, as the Potters failed miserably to clear a Van Persie corner.

After several hacks at the ball by the home defenders, it eventually fell to Carrick, who toe-poked into the corner of the net from the edge of the six-yard box to give the league leaders an early advantage.

That was United’s 100th goal of the season in all competitions, but they did not look like adding to that tally for the rest of the opening period.

In fact, a Robert Huth header from a free-kick aside, neither team created any opportunities of note in what was a flat and uninspiring first 45 minutes.

The second started much brighter, however, with the visitors’ attacking trio of Wayne Rooney, Van Persie and Chicharito forming a dangerous unit and causing several problems to Stoke’s backline.

The home side also improved their intensity and created several half-chances, notably when Jonathan Walters blazed over the bar from the edge of the six-yard box just 10 minutes into the second half.

Strikes from distance from Adam and Kenwyne Jones also forced De Gea into action on the hour mark, but five minutes later the game was up as United were awarded a penalty.

It came after right-back Wilkinson clumsily felled Van Persie in the area, and the Dutch striker stepped to powerful place the spot kick past a helpless Begovic to double the visitors' advantage, and end a personal Premier League barren spell dating back to mid-February.

The game looked to be up for Stoke, but with 10 minutes left they stirred into action, and almost got themselves back into the contest through captain Ryan Shawcross.

The defender found himself free at the far post and launched himself at a Adam free kick, but De Gea reacted sharply to get down to his right and turn his effort around the post.

Pulis threw on Peter Crouch and former United striker Michael Owen in the closing stages in a bid to mount an unlikely comeback, but the Potters failed to muster any real openings for their former England strike partnership, and slipped to a second consecutive home defeat which leaves their Premier League survival hopes in the balance.

The reforms Italian football must make to return to the top of Europe

After his Juventus side had been knocked out of the Champions League on Wednesday, Antonio Conte was honest and forthright in his assessment of calcio’s place in the European game.

“I can’t see an Italian team winning the Champions League in the coming years,” admitted the former Bari and Siena coach. “It makes me laugh when I hear that with just two or three new signings we can win the Champions League. Italian football has come to a standstill and that should be a concern for everyone.”

A Juve side arguably better-equipped than the Chelsea outfit which was triumphant on the continent 11 months ago bowed out with their tails between their legs after a 4-0 aggregate loss to Bayern Munich, but comparisons to the over-achieving English side are misleading. It is the comparative strength of some of Europe’s top clubs which has Conte worried for the future of Italian football.

While the Bavarians continue to excel in their push to topple Barcelona and Real Madrid as the game’s powerhouses, German football in general is growing. And while the Premier League continues to attract attention come rain or shine, Serie A is foundering.

“When was the last time an Italian team reached the semi-finals?” asked Conte, knowing full well that Lazio’s subsequent failure to overcome Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday leaves the peninsula without representation in a European semi-final for the third successive season, a first for Italian football.

“I think everyone has to pull together to try to change things. When I say everyone, I mean the clubs, the supporters, the media and all the institutions,” he continued. And with that statement he hit the nail on the head.

For while other leagues continue to prosper despite severe global economic issues, times are hard in Italy’s national game. The Azzurri’s continued good form from Euro 2012 into the ongoing World Cup qualifiers has shown that there is talent at the very top, but the depth, appeal, organisation and marketing is simply not in evidence.

And now is the time for action. Italian football must prepare itself for a massive overhaul if it is not to fall even further off the pace in the years to come, and there are many different areas in which improvements must be made.

BUILD NEW STADIA, WITH OR WITHOUT LEGGE STADI

  




n October 2009, authorities drafted a law which would aid clubs in the construction of their own stadiums. However, as recently as December 2012, FIGC president Giancarlo Abete warned that “save for miracles, it will remain only a proposal”.

At present, only Juventus own their own stadium, with the remaining 19 renting from local bodies for match days. The Bianconeri are the only ones who can take advantage of the financial boon of collecting all gate receipts, hosting concerts and other such events which can be staged during each week.

Currently, the Legge Stadi remains tied up in red tape. “It is a typical Italian story,” Abete explained. “New buildings are needed, but if the law doesn’t go through we will just have to forget about it.”

The change of law, which would force councils to make a judgement on a stadium planning application within 90 days, is desperately needed by Italian football. But there are ways of getting around it should there be no redrawing of the lines.

As happened when Juve knocked down the old Stadio delle Alpi and constructed Juventus Stadium, it is permitted for new stadia to be built on existing sites. This should prompt clubs to follow a similar pattern. There is nothing to stop boards making the decision to buy the land of their ground from the local council and then putting plans in place to build a new stadium on the site. Clubs could either play at a nearby Serie A ground for the duration of the work or build the new structure in two phases to allow football to continue throughout.

While it is not an ideal scenario, and may not resolve problems for the Milanese and Roman clubs who share their homes, it sure beats standing still. For as long as there is no change to the status quo, calcio is falling further behind, grounds are becoming even older and more decrepit, and clubs simply cannot make money from matchday revenue.

Until a new law is finally passed, it remains about the only option left open to clubs, and as such needs to be taken seriously.

STOP BURYING BAD NEWS

    

It is an all too regular occurrence in Italian football for people to want to overlook issues within the game. Whether that be the widespread ignorance of racist behaviour from supporters (this writer has witnessed on several occasions very noticeable chanting which has been completely passed over by the media and authorities), the continuation of poor results on the field, or the lenient sentences for match-fixing, there is a very real need to start taking such problems seriously.

Attention needs to be drawn to these issues if they are ever to go away, with the practice of allowing them to go on almost forgotten in the background adding fuel to the fire of the problems.

When the Calcioscommesse scandal broke in the summer of 2011, it was Italian football’s chance to show that it really wanted to get to the root of the problem of match-fixing in the country’s pastime. Instead, the news soon moved from page one to page 17 or 25, and before long it was being explained away as a largely misunderstood sequence of events. Players, agents and others implicated in the scandal sat out short suspensions for the most part, and many of them are back doing their jobs once more. Bans should have been far longer, if not permanent, in order to send a message that calcio will not stand for match-fixing.

Similarly, results in Europe cannot continually just be accepted and passed off as the result of clubs like Manchester City, Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain having been injected with foreign cash. Instead, there should be deep inquests into the elimination of every single Italian club from Europe. Hopefully, on this point at the very least, Antonio Conte’s words will be heeded.

But the trend has not been thus in calcio of late. Bad news has instead been buried, and the practice has to stop if people are ever going to feel the pressure to push the country’s football forward.






 

FAVOUR EUROPA LEAGUE CLUBS MORE

 
Uefa are not going to change their mind. As brain-dead as the current country coefficients clearly are, they are here to stay. So now it is up to Italian football to do whatever possible to help clubs who represent the country on foreign shores.

A system which dictates that Europa League semi-finalists Benfica have so far this season gained the same number of coefficient points as Juventus, despite them failing in the Champions League group stages, needs reforming. But it will not be.

Instead, calcio needs to come to terms with the fact that the Europa League needs greater attention if Italy are to hold on to their third Champions League place, let alone regain the fourth place lost to Germany in recent years.

At present, there is little at stake for clubs who play in the little sister competition, with minimal prize money offered and at least 17 games needing to be negotiated in order to win the trophy. It seems to many in the Italian game that the number of injuries suffered can sometimes be greater than the proceeds in Euros a decent run on Thursday nights can provide.

However, calcio needs to offer greater incentives to clubs who do more to gain coefficient points for their country. Prize money from Serie A should be weighted towards those who go further in the Champions League and Europa League rather than simply on league finishes in order for clubs to take their Thursday football more seriously.

There is currently only €5 million available to the Europa League winners, but if Italian authorities agree to offer independent financial incentives to clubs who progress into the latter stages of the tournament, perhaps the likes of Udinese, Napoli, Sampdoria, Genoa, Palermo etc. will place greater stock in their hopes of going further on the continent the next time they are representing Italy.

Until such a system is considered, clubs will continue to put their own targets of Champions League qualification or Serie A respectability a long way above the Europa League in their list of priorities.


 

REDUCE THE NUMBER OF TEAMS IN SERIE A

 
It was not really a decision made for the wider benefit of Italian football when Serie A was expanded to contain 20 teams back in 2004, but rather a misjudged reaction to the Caso Catania as calcio looked for a way to alleviate the issues growing in an expanded Serie B.

Nine years on, it is fair to say the expansion of the top flight has not really worked. Yes, teams have two extra home games from which to make money, but it is not as though they are coining it in to the tune of millions. And in other regards the 20-team format has many downsides.

Too often come the latter weeks of each season there are too large a number of teams with nothing to play for, and the tendency is for those already safe to go through the motions in the final weeks of the campaign. Bologna’s reaction to reaching 40 points with eight games to play in 2010-11 was to take the final two months off. They collected just two points from their remaining matches, scoring two goals and conceding 15, and finished just two places above the drop zone.

And that case is typical. But it also damages the integrity of the sport, too. While Bologna played both Milan and Napoli in their run-in, losing to both, they had already taken on Inter twice, meaning that the three-way title race was partly conditioned by the calendar. Yes, that can be said of the schedule in almost all countries, but given the Italian trait of not caring too much once your destiny is fixed exaggerates the issue in Serie A. Therefore, there needs to be greater competition for longer.

Serie A should return to being an 18-team league. In each club’s 34 games there would be that bit more urgency for points, such as there is in the thriving Bundesliga. The tendency to believe that bigger is better doesn’t really apply. If Italian football is to become more appealing to the masses, it will not suffer for the loss of a couple of provincial clubs from the top flight.
 

STAGGER KICK-OFF TIMES

The growing world market has helped to ensure that the English Premier League and Spanish La Liga receive more attention than ever before, and it is high time Serie A got a piece of the action.

With football TV audiences growing by the day in Asia, the Lega Calcio have made note of the appeal but have so far not gone far enough in cashing in. The Supercoppa Italiana was taken to Beijing for three years and one Serie A fixture was moved to 12:30CET each week in a bid to win over fans in the Far East who may otherwise be drawn to English and Spanish football.

But that has not gone quite far enough, especially considering some of the third-rate match-ups rescheduled for the lunchtime appointment over the course of the season. Inter and Juventus have each played in the early slot only twice so far in 2012-13, while Milan’s trip to Fiorentina last week was their first such fixture.

If Italy is serious about drawing an audience from Asia, then staggering kick-off times has to be considered. Given that every game is televised on the peninsula, there is little chance of affecting either attendances or viewing figures too much at home by moving more games to the early afternoon for the benefit of those abroad.

While a completely staggered fixture list may not sit well with traditionalists, it is vital that there is more than a cursory nod given towards attracting what is a huge foreign market. For instance, this Sunday for potential Italian football fans in Tokyo there is the appetite-whetting clash between Palermo and Bologna at 19:30 in the evening, while Milan-Napoli kicks off at 03:45 in the morning. That in itself is a great example of why calcio doesn't help itself sometimes.

Culled from Kris Voakes,Italian Football Writer, GOAL.COM.

Cagliari 2-0 Inter: Pinilla double all but ends Nerazzurri's top-three hopes

Inter's chances of competing in the Champions League next season took a severe blow as they succumbed to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Cagliari in Trieste.

The Nerazzurri were the dominant force for much of the game but as they failed to take their chances in front of goal, a second-half double from Mauricio Pinilla condemned them to their fourth defeat in five games.

The hosts were forced to withdraw Andrea Cossu after just seven minutes due to injury and Inter's patient start to the game enabled them to control the ball during the opening stages.

A tame shot from Daniele Dessena early on was the only goal-mouth action until a sudden attacking injection saw Esteban Cambiasso and Tommaso Rocchi carve apart the Cagliari defence. After some sublime interplay the Argentine looked to set to round off the move with a delightful chip but was denied by the post.

Rocchi and Ricardo Alvarez continued to work hard in the final third, but neither could find a decisive touch with the latter of the pair seeing his shot blocked after a coruscating dribble into the box midway through the half.

Centre-backs Davide Astori and Juan Jesus both saw their attempts on goal drift harmlessly wide at either end before Victor Ibarbo missed a golden opportunity in the 35th minute.

The Colombian looked a certainty to convert from Nicola Murru's cross from six yards out. but Alvaro Pereira remained alert and managed to divert the effort behind.

The Nerazzurri continued to dictate the tempo of the game after the break and Michael Agazzi was called into action twice soon after the restart. Having stayed tall to keep Rocchi's powerful effort out at the near post, he then got a hand to Fredy Guarin's shot to send it behind.

Cagliari were content to play on the counterattack and after having two penalty claims rejected, the referee pointed to the spot in the 63rd minute when Matias Silvestre felled Pinilla, who stepped up and rifled the ball straight down the middle to put Ivo Pulga's men ahead.
It could have been two six minutes later had it not been for a lack of direction on Thiago Ribeiro's header which enabled Handanovic to make a comfortable save.

Inter continued to prove profligate in front of goal and their fate was sealed in the 76th minute. Once more it was Pinilla with the goal, stabbing the ball into the roof of the net after a delightful give-and-go with Matias Cabrera.

Ibarbo almost compounded the misery of the Nerazzurri faithful but he could not keep his late effort down and watched it clip the crossbar and go behind.

Following the defeat, Inter could now find themselves 11 points off of third place should arch-rivals AC Milan overcome Napoli later on Sunday. Cagliari, meanwhile, move into the top half of the table.

AC Milan 1-1 Napoli: Flamini scores & is dismissed as Pandev earns point for visitors

AC Milan secured a 1-1 draw against close rivals Napoli on Sunday at San Siro to keep up their bid for Champions League football next season, with Mathieu Flamini playing the role of hero and villain.

Walter Mazzarri's Scudetto contenders entered the battle for second place with a four-point advantage over their hosts, after the Milan giant's bid for direct qualification to the next edition of Europe's premier club competition stalled in the last round with a contentious 2-2 draw away to Fiorentina.

The Rossoneri wasted no time setting the tone for the encounter as Ignazio Abate forced several early openings down the right. One of the full-back's deliveries found Kevin-Prince Boateng lurking outside Napoli's area, where the Ghana international let fly with a shot that forced Morgan De Sanctis to make a smart intervention following a deflection off Paolo Cannavaro's heel.

Cristian Zapata failed to test the visitors' goalkeeper after heading over from Riccardo Montolivo's corner in the ninth minute, but the respite was not to last as Kevin Constant's deflected effort required a save, before the Guinean nearly turned provider when his lofted pass was side-footed wide by Boateng.

A succession of Napoli corners did not succeed in blunting their hosts's endeavour however, and a fantastic set of interchages between Robinho and Boateng on the edge of the area in the 30th minute teed up Flamini for his left-footed thunderbolt, which the 29-year-old emphatically crashed low into the corner beyond De Sanctis' reach.

Proceedings had just sprung to life, with the set-back failing to break the Southerners' resolve when they found the equaliser just three minutes after going behind. Goran Pandev escaped Zapata's attention to pick up Hamsik's exquisite through-ball, slotting high into the back of the net to spark wild celebrations from Mazzarri and the Napoli bench.

It was now Milan's turn to weather the storm, and the San Siro faithful watched on in baited breath as Cavani effortlessly controlled a searching ball before attempting to lob Christian Abbiati, the burly keeper showcasing his reflexes in the process of tipping the ball over as referee Gianluca Rocchi called time on an electric first half.

Flamini failed to trouble De Sanctis with an opportunistic attempt as the Milan giants began the second-half seeking to regain the initiative, but teenage striker M'Baye Niang wasted an opportunity by scooping a free-kick on the edge of the box well over the bar.

Hopes of re-taking the lead took a heavy blow when Flamini's high-footed challenge on Juan Zuniga prompted a scuffle on the byline in the 72nd minute though, leading to a straight red card being produced for the Frenchman. Allegri promptly responded by introducing Stephan El Shaarawy to provide additional impetus in the final third.

The match had already begin running out of steam though and, with neither side able to gain the ascendency despite Napoli's numerical advantage, action began to get bogged down in midfield. Several half-chances, penalty area altercations and Emanuele Calaio's scuffed golden opportunity to capture the lead for the Partenopei later, Rocchi called time on the spectacle.

Milan's 14th game unbeaten coincides with Napoli going within eight points within Juventus at the pinnacle of Serie A, with the Italian champions only due to play at Lazio on Monday.

Athletic Bilbao 0-3 Real Madrid: Ronaldo reaches 50 for the season in resounding San Mames triumph

Ronaldo celebrating his goal against Bilbao

Real Madrid's clinical edge told in the end as they overcame Athletic Bilbao 3-0 at San Mames in their Liga clash on Sunday

But the scoreline did little to tell the story of the game, particularly the first half, as los Merengues were put under considerable pressure at times by the intense attacking style that Marcelo Bielsa's team are famed for.

Cristiano Ronaldo reached a half-century of goals for the season and needed only two minutes to break the deadlock in stunning fashion, before heading home another on 68 minutes to provide some much-needed breathing room for his team.

And Gonzalo Higuain arrowed home a third goal shortly after his arrival as a substitute to put any lingering hopes of a Bilbao comeback to rest, and restore Madrid's three-point cushion over third-placed Atletico Madrid, who were victorious over Granada earlier in the day.

What the Basques really could have done without was a poor start, but they made just that, when Ronaldo belted a 25-yard free kick into the top corner of Gorka Iraizoz’s net.

But it was hardly a sign of things to come. Bilbao would soon work themselves onto the front foot through their energetic attacking play that caused the Madrid defence no end of trouble.
Markel Susaeta was growing into the game with every passing moment, and with 19 minutes gone, drifted into a great shooting position on the right, but was denied by Diego Lopez at full stretch.

The home side continued to keep Madrid penned back in the first half. Their attacking players barely saw the ball and were in fact forced into some last-ditch defending - Angel Di Maria teaming up with Xabi Alonso to rob Susaeta from close range.

The Argentine though would almost make headway at the other end just before the interval, driving into the area on the counterattack and ignoring the option of a Karim Benzema cutback to smash towards goal, but he was thwarted by the crossbar.

But Ander Herrera would nearly have the last laugh at the very end of the half when he lashed an effort towards the top corner from the edge of the box that shifted inches wide, with Lopez appearing beaten.

Madrid showed signs of improvement early in the second half when Marcelo’s cross was beaten away by Iraizoz, who also recovered in time to stop Benzema’s follow up.

But the visitors could not quite build on the momentum earned from that opening, and walked a tightrope as the second-half progressed, with Bilbao still harbouring the potential to carve them apart.

However, with 22 minutes to go, relief would arrive for Madrid from the head of a familiar source. Alonso’s free-kick was met emphatically at the far post by Ronaldo, who soared above Jonas Ramalho to steer home.
And eight minutes later, Madrid would put the icing on the cake. Higuain, who had been on the pitch for barely five minutes, angled home a fine effort into the corner after Ronaldo's flick freed him for the shot.

Substitute Jose Callejon could have added a fourth goal late on after wriggling into a great position inside the area, but steered his finish within a whisker of the post.

Zaragoza 0-3 Barcelona: Tello fires double to stake claim for regular start

Tello celebrating his goal

Barcelona sauntered to a comfortable 3-0 win over a Zaragoza side who never looked like they were fighting for their Liga lives at La Romareda.


Gerard Pique, David Villa, Pedro and Lionel Messi - the latter of whom was not even among the matchday squad - were all rested for the fixture but that did not stop the Blaugrana from completely outclassing their opponents. Thiago opened the scoring after 20 minutes before Cristian Tello netted a goal in either half to leave his team needing just three wins to wrest the Primera Division title from Real Madrid.

Barca's superiority was instantly clear as they got an effort away at the hosts' goal after just 45 seconds. After a brilliant first touch, Tello just could not muster enough bend on his effort to bring it inside the far post.

The Catalan giants did not continue at such an explosive pace, but still monopolised possession of the ball even though a compact Zaragoza defence kept their options limited in the final third.

However, with the hosts committing men forward for a corner Tito Vilanova's side broke the deadlock with a goal on the counterattack. Thiago surged forward from deep and, after playing the ball wide to Alexis Sanchez, he raced into the box to sweep the return pass into the net.

With minimal pressure coming from the hosts the Blaugrana could afford to play at a canter. That they did, until another injection of pace saw them double their lead 19 minutes later.

Thiago bided his time in possession before threading a ball through the defence to put Tello one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The winger shaped to hit the ball towards the far corner but instead guided the ball in at the near post.

Alexis was desperate to continue the form that saw him score twice against Mallorca last weekend but luck was not on his side. Having been denied a first-half goal by the legs of Roberto Jimenez, he then saw his elegant chip come back off the bar shortly after the restart.

The third goal did come soon after,wards and once more it was Tello who got it. With space to run into, he passed Glenn Loovens down the left with a stepover and then rolled the ball into the far corner.

Manolo Jimenez will no doubt have been disappointed at his team's inability to test the makeshift Barca defence but the visitors' brilliant ball retention kept the pressure off the backline.

Tello was denied a hat-trick when Roberto raced out of goal to block the youngster's 69th-minute attempt but the three points had already been wrapped up.

Barca therefore open up a temporary 16-point lead over Real Madrid to bring the title well within their grasp, though Madrid will try to push them as far as possible by winning against Athletic Bilbao later on Sunday. Zaragoza, meanwhile, end the weekend in the relegation zone following Deportivo La Coruna's fourth consecutive win

Barcelona are Good for the title. just three winns and i dont see how they wont achieve that with seven games to spare

Chelsea 1-2 Manchester City: Aguero goal secures FA Cup final berth for Mancini’s men

Aguero scoring the winner against Chelsea

Manchester City out-powered a jaded Chelsea to clinch a 2-1 FA Cup semi-final win and book their second final appearance in three years


Goals from Samir Nasri and Sergio Aguero put City two goals up after 47 minutes but Demba Ba’s hooked volley midway through the second period guaranteed a riveting finale.

City held firm to end Chelsea’s notable run of seven consecutive FA Cup Wembley wins, including final triumphs in four of the six previous seasons.

City are building a creditable record of their own in the world’s oldest cup competition and the 2011 winners remain on course to salvage a trophy from what has been an underwhelming campaign.

Roberto Mancini’s team will be the strong favourites to lift their second cup in three years when they face Wigan Athletic here again in the final on May 11.

Despite Chelsea's late comeback, City were good value for their second distinguished 2-1 triumph of the week, with Yaya Toure at his buccaneering best in central midfield.

The match was played in good spirit and, thankfully, there was no repeat of the disharmony in the stands that marked Saturday's semi-final, when Millwall's fans traded punches with one another while their team slid to defeat to Wigan.

Once again, Rafa Benitez rang the changes to contend with Chelsea’s punishing schedule, making seven alterations to the team that started against Rubin Kazan in Moscow less than 72 hours earlier. Branislav Ivanovic, Ryan Bertrand, John Obi Mikel, Eden Hazard, Juan Mata, Oscar and Demba Ba came in for John Terry, Paulo Ferreira, Frank Lampard, Yossi Benayoun, Victor Moses, Nathan Ake and Fernando Torres.

By contrast, Roberto Mancini made only two changes from the team that won Monday’s Manchester derby but they were both notable ones. Sergio Aguero replaced the injured David Silva, while Costel Pantilimon was surprisingly given the nod over Joe Hart to maintain his sequence of playing every minute of the club's FA Cup run this season.

It was all City early on as the 2011 winners carried on from where they had left off at Old Trafford six days earlier.

Aguero and Tevez both came close to scoring but, despite all their dominance, it was Chelsea who nearly took the lead after 23 minutes.

Pantilimon was left stranded after he had raced out of his goal only to get nowhere near Juan Mata’s free kick, but the Romanian’s blushes were spared when Eden Hazard’s volley was cleared off the line by Vincent Kompany.

Toure was at the heart of City’s best moves and it was the big Ivorian who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck after 35 minutes to set up the opening goal.

Spotting a gap in the middle of the vast Wembley pitch, Toure charged forward in the bulldozing manner that only he can and then rolled the ball into the path of Tevez, who laid it off to Nasri. The Frenchman was fortunate that his first touch deflected off Cesar Azpilicueta and back to him but he was utterly ruthless at the second attempt, calmly lifting the ball over Petr Cech.

On the stroke of half-time, Kompany should have prompted a second mass Poznan but, perhaps exhausted after racing upfield to support a counterattack, the City skipper side-footed wide from 15 yards.

Chelsea’s players were first back on the pitch after the break, but once again it was City who were quickest out of the starting blocks.

Two minutes into the second period, Gareth Barry was afforded too much space to float a tantalising cross into the area and Aguero, wrestling free of the attention of Ivanovic and Azpilicueta, accepted the invitation with the most precise of headers. There was not much pace on either Barry’s cross or Aguero’s finish, but the Argentine’s effort was so devastatingly accurate that Cech barely moved a muscle in goal. 

Bizarrely, Rafa Benitez waited 16 minutes before introducing Fernando Torres and throwing caution to the wind. It paid immediate dividends.

With two forwards to contend with, City failed to deal with a hopeful long ball and Ba, in a manner reminiscent of his brilliant winner in the quarter-final replay against Manchester United 13 days previously, hooked a splendidly acrobatic volley past Pantimilon.

Suddenly, the comeback was on and City were rocked. Pantilimon was not exactly radiating authority but he did brilliantly block another effort from Ba and then to claw away the ball from Mata just as the Spaniard was about to pull the trigger in the penalty area.

With 10 minutes left, Toure almost made the game safe for City but he shot narrowly wide from the edge of the box.

Aguero was then fortunate to avoid a red card after he appeared to launch into a two-footed lunge on a prone David Luiz. Referee Chris Foy failed to spot the incident, and he was again in Chelsea's bad books two minutes from time when Kompany pulled the shirt of Torres as the Spaniard bore down on goal.

Hazard fired the Blues' last chance high into the Wembley crowd in stoppage time as Mancini's men held on to earn their place in the final.

Millwall 0-2 Wigan: Maloney & McManaman secure Latics’ FA Cup final spot

Wigan Athletic produced an assured performance at Wembley to reach their first ever FA Cup final courtesy of a 2-0 semi-final victory over Millwall on Saturday.


Shaun Maloney gave the Latics a deserved lead mid-way through the first half after sliding in to convert a curling cross from Arouna Kone.

And despite a spirited second-half showing from their Championship opponents, Callum McManaman doubled Wigan's lead to seal the result after 78 minutes.

Wigan boss Roberto Martinez recalled Ali Al-Habsi for the first time since the beginning of March but kept an otherwise unchanged line-up from the Latics' 1-1 draw at QPR last Sunday.

Millwall, meanwhile, made three changes from the Lions’ 2-1 loss to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday as Jack Smith and James Henry returned to the side, while the experienced Rob Hulse was overlooked in favour of Andy Keogh.

And it was Keogh who got the ball rolling inside the first minute, rising above Antolin Alcaraz to direct a glancing header at Al-Habsi’s goal.

McManaman was next to come close as the Wigan forward stung the palms of David Forde from range.

But there was nothing Forde could do to stop Maloney 20 minutes later as the Scotland international reacted superbly to a pinpoint cross from Kone to edge his side into the lead.

The Ivorian was sensational in the build-up, picking the ball up inside the Millwall half and surging forward to pick his teammate out with supreme precision. Maloney was on the stretch inside the danger area but produced a fine finish to give Wigan the lead they deserved.

Minutes later, Scharner drew the Millwall keeper into action once again and the signs were worrying for the Championship side.

The Lions kept things tight until the break, however, despite Jordi Gomez coming close late in the half and Wigan enjoying a remarkable 72% of possession in spells.

More was needed from Kenny Jackett's side as a squad bereft of form looked overwhelmed by the occasion and offered very little going forward.

But no immediate improvement came forth and, instead, Wigan continued to press. McManaman threatened once more on the 50-minute mark, cutting in from the left and curling an effort just past the far-post.

Millwall enjoyed their best chance on 58 minutes, though, as Chris Taylor burst forward only to be brought down just outside the Wigan danger area. James – usually a reliable set-piece taker – stepped up to the ball and curled the ensuing free kick just over the bar.

Then, Alan Dunne sent a dangerous low cross into the area and Keogh was denied by a last-ditch tackle. The Lions were starting to roar.

But on 78 minutes, Wigan made sure of the tie – and who else but McManaman to do it. Kone started the move off once again but it was Gomez who slid an incisive pass through to the 21-year-old, who rounded the keeper to finish off in style.

Martinez’s men had completed the job – and a day of destiny now awaits them in the final - but in-fighting amongst the Millwall fans soured the otherwise good natured contest.

Congrats to Wigan, who will likely make it to Europe next season, if at least they stay up in the English premier league

Troyes 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain: Matuidi moves perfunctory Parisiens 10 points clear

Paris Saint-Germain tightened their grip on Ligue 1’s top spot thanks to a 1-0 success in Troyes on Saturday that was far from straightforward.






Carlo Ancelotti’s side had to weather a great storm from their opponents before Blaise Matuidi struck midway through the second half against his former club to secure a victory that puts les Parisiens 10 points clear of Olympique de Marseille.

The signs were that PSG were going to endure another frustrating away day before Gregory van der Wiel’s cross on 65 minutes was met at the back post by the France international, whose sweelty-struck shot beat Yohan Thuram.

Although the Troyes goalkeeper had not been overworked prior to that moment, he had proven a big obstacle. After just three minutes he denied Kevin Gameiro when the striker was clear on goal and shortly afterwards he would push away a fierce Lucas Moura drive.

Ligue 1’s bottom side were the more impressive for long stretches of this encounter, particularly in the first period, when Salvatore Sirigu was regularly called into action.

Before the Italy international really started to work, though, he had to rely on the frame of his goal to keep out Stephane Darbion, who was the benefactor of some excellent work from the cunning Benjamin Nivet.

The enterprise the home side showing was commendable for a team at the foot of the standings and they were rewarded with a number of chances. Sirigu, however, made a string of saves, denying Marcos, Fabien Camus and Nivet in the first half-hour of the game.

Early in the second period it became quickly apparent that there was more vigour in PSG’s performance. Matuidi, in particular, was getting into the box more readily and even before he found the net the ex-Troyes man would crack a shot just wide.

After their midweek exertions, the visitors were content to simply see the game out with a narrow success and made a series of defensive changes in order to secure maximum points, though a late strike from Camus drew another fine stop from Sirigu.

Ultimately Matuidi’s sole goal was enough to secure Ancelotti’s men maximum points and move them closer to a first league title in close to 20 years, and increase the likelihood of this entertaining Troyes side sliding into Ligue 2. The performance was not of a particularly thrilling nature but without the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic the result was all important for PSG.

Bayern Munich 4-0 Nurnberg: Bundesliga champions send message to Barcelona by blitzing Bavarian rivals

Bayern Munich fired a warning shot in the direction of Barcelona by fielding a veritable 'B' team in an impressive 4-0 rout of in-form Nurnberg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon.


Having seen his side clinch both the Bundesliga title and a place in the semi-finals of the Champions League in the preceding seven days, coach Jupp Heynckes understandably elected to rest a number of key personnel for this Bavarian derby.

However, worryingly for Barca, there was no discernible dip in the quality of Bayern's play, with the hosts racking up first-half goals from Jerome Boateng, Mario Gomez and Rafinha. Reserve goalkeeper Tom Starke was finally called into action to save a penalty from Timmy Simons before Xherdan Shaqiri added a fourth goal for the thoroughly-dominant hosts soon after.

The Allianz Arena was in a celebratory mood, particularly in light of last weekend's title-winning triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt, but the home side's players seemed solely concerned with making Nurnberg suffer, taking taking just five minutes to break the resistance of a side that had been unbeaten in nine coming into this game.

Indeed, Shaqiri, Daniel van Buyten and Franck Ribery had all gone close to opening the scoring before Boateng broke the deadlock with an acrobatic half-volley, after the visitors had failed dismally to deal with a corner from the left-hand side.

Bayern continued to exhibit an unquenchable thirst for goals and, after a further spell of sustained pressure, they double their advantage 17 minutes in, Boateng turning creator this time, stepping out of defence before playing a wonderfully-weighted ball through to Gomez, who fired low past Raphael Schafer.

The hapless Nurnberg goalkeeper was beaten again midway through the first half, this time more culpably at his near post, by Rafinha, who had been slipped in on goal by Claudio Pizarro.

Nurnberg managed to keep Bayern at bay for the remainder of the half and they should even have got themselves off the mark just after the break when Rafinha bundled Mike Frantz over in the area. However, Simons saw his subsequent spot-kick catch Starke flush in the forehead, and the ball rebounded away to safety.

Unsurprisingly, the visitors were punished for their profligacy, with Shaqiri restoring the natural order of things by shooting low past Schafer after controlling a Ribery corner and then quickly shifting the ball onto his left foot.

Bayern repeatedly threatened to add to their tally, with Pizarro lifting the ball over the bar when he really should have found the back of the net, but there was no dampening the spirits of the home fans, who were treated to another stunning demonstration of their side's remarkable strength in depth.

Warning for madrid; Greuther Furth 1-6 Borussia Dortmund: Gotze & Gundogan at the double as Klopp’s men strengthen grip on second spot

BVB stormed to a resounding victory over the Bundesliga basement club with a brilliant first-half performance, which included five goals, keeping them on target to finish second











In front of Jose Mourinho, scouting ahead of his Real Madrid side's meeting with BVB in the Champions League, the visitors were indomitable. Mario Gotze opened the scoring after just 12 minutes and Ilkay Gundogan and Jakub 'Kuba' Blaszczykowski added goals before the half-hour mark.

Gundogan and Gotze both then doubled their respective tallies for the afternoon before Edgar Prib managed to net a consolation goal for the hosts. Robert Lewandowski then finally got in on the act, wrapping up the scoring with his side's sixth.

The Cloverleaves have not managed to win at home this season and it was clear they were going to have a tough time trying to correct that with Wolfgang Hesl called into action after just 10 minutes.

It only took BVB two more minutes to find the net as Sebastian Kehl passed the ball out wide to Gotze, who then shimmied inside Jozsef Varga and drilled a shot past the keeper and in at the near post.

Three minutes later, Dortmund doubled their advantage as Kuba rushed across the face of the defence and drove a low cross to Gundogan who was on hand to convert with a simple tap-in.

Furth were powerless to resist the fluid attack of BVB and after seeing a close-range effort go wide on the rebound from Lewandowski's shot which had hit the bar, Gotze recovered by supplying the cross for Kuba to dive and head the ball into an empty net.

Kuba turned provider again in the 34th minute as he surged down the right and showed great vision to cut the ball back for Gundogan who guided a brilliant effort into the bottom corner.

Makeshift left-back Kevin Grosskreutz almost got in on the act before the break and although his shot was saved, there was still to be a fifth. Gotze superbly glided along the top of the box from the left and with the defence offering him space to move into he rifled the ball into the back of the net.

Following Gotze's half-time withdrawal, Furth were allowed to have a lot more of the ball after the restart but for much of the game they struggled to string together a meaningful attack.

That was, however, until the 71st minute when Prib combined with Thomas Pledl to break into the area from the left. He kept off the challenge of Lukasz Piszczek and poked the ball past Weidenfeller and inside the far post.

There was still time for one more from the rampant visitors as Lewandowski, refusing to be denied a goal, raced in to slide home from Kuba's pass across the face of goal 10 minutes from time.

Jurgen Klopp's men subsequently open up a temporary gap of nine points over third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while Greuther Furth move closer to the drop, 11 points adrift of a relegation play-off position.

Arsenal 3-1 Norwich: Late comeback sees Gunners leapfrog Tottenham

Arsenal left it late to move up to third in the Premier League table as a remarkable comeback gave them a 3-1 victory against Norwich on Saturday.


Arsene Wenger’s side dominated a tense affair but a flat first-half display meant they could not break down a resolute Norwich back-line, and matters were made worse when Michael Turner opened the scoring for the Canaries on the hour-mark.

But a late penalty from Mikel Arteta was followed by strikes from Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski at the death as Arsenal sealed their seventh league win in eight games in the most dramatic of circumstances.

The headline team news was undoubtedly the return of England midfielder Jack Wilshere, who replaced the injured Tomas Roiscky in one of three changes from Arsenal’s 2-1 win at West Brom. Kieran Gibbs replaced Nacho Monreal, while skipper Thomas Vermaelen came in for the suspended Per Mertesacker.

Norwich boss Chris Hughton, meanwhile, also made three changes from his side’s 2-2 draw against Swansea as Steven Whittaker replaced Javier Garrido, Alexander Tettey came in for Elliot Bennett and skipper Grant Holt returned in place of Wes Hoolahan.

From the off, the creative trio of Wilshere, Gervinho and Santi Cazorla sparked to life as the home side pursued the strong start boss Wenger had stressed the importance of before kick-off.

Aaron Ramsey, Giroud and Gervinho all came close thereafter as the home side began to knock on the Norwich door with some determination.

And the hosts’ persistence would continue after the break as a melee in the penalty area saw several attempts at goal either palmed away by Bunn or blocked by a Canaries defender.

But minutes later, it was the visiting fans who were celebrating against all the odds as Turner headed home a Robert Snodgrass free kick.

Wenger’s response was immediate: off went Wilshere and Gervinho, on came Lukas Podolski and Theo Walcott.
And after 64 minutes, the England winger almost made an impact as he surged into the box only to be brought down by Whittaker. Once again, though, referee Mike Jones dismissed any penalty appeals as the atmosphere at the Emirates Stadium grew more and more tense.

Fifteen minutes later, it was Walcott’s fellow substitute who came close as Podolski smashed a sweet strike towards goal that needed a superb Bunn save to send it crashing against the crossbar.

But Arsenal would finally get their equaliser with just five minutes left – though it came in the most controversial of circumstances.

Giroud was felled in the box and the assistant referee signalled for a spot-kick as Kei Kamara was penalised for a foul. The decision was dubious but Arteta’s penalty was not, with the Spaniard converting to level the scores.

And the Gunners were not done there as a surging run and cross into the box from substitute Oxlade-Chamberlain late on ended with a timely tap-in from Giroud, though the last touch may have come off Sebastien Bassong.

Shortly after, Podolski smashed home from the edge of the area and Arsenal's remarkable comeback was complete.