Serie A Report

AC Milan 1-2 Fiorentina

Late Amauri goal earns stunning victory and provides critical blow to title hopes of Rossoneri

Serie A leaders fail to banish their Champions League blues as they fall to a surprise defeat to at San Siro

AC Milan's title aspirations have been dealt a severe blow as Fiorentina snatched a 2-1 win at San Siro on Saturday afternoon.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic fired the home side in front from the penalty spot, but Stevan Jovetic levelled and a late, late winner from Amauri stunned the home fans into silence, and meant that Juventus went top with a victory at Palermo later Saturday.

Milan started the game half-asleep, the visitors making the most of their hosts stupor to go close early on through the lively Jovetic - who fired a warning across Abbiati's goal after just three minutes.

At the back, the Viola appeared to be coping well with Milan's new-look strikeforce of recalled Argentinian Maxi Lopez and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, while further forward Serbian Ljajic was looking dangerous - firing one free-kick over from a decent position. 

Slowly, but surely, however Milan started to dominate - Ibrahimovic increasingly involved in some dangerous link-up play. Unsurprisingly, it was the Swede who had the hosts' first effort on target - his 25-yard free-kick palmed away by Artur Boruc in the Fiorentina goal - with Sulley Muntari blazing his follow-up effort over the bar. 

Fiorentina briefly flickered into life as an attacking force, but was being forced to shoot from distance - both Jovetic and Behrami blazing long-distance efforts wide of the target.

Milan's corner count was rising almost by the minute, but it looked like it needed a spark - or a helping hand - if it was to think about taking the lead. It turned out to be the latter - Lopez winning the hosts a penalty after tumbling over the flat-footed Nastasic in the area while trying to latch onto an Ibrahimovic's cross. 

Ibrahimovic stepped up confidently to drill home a low penalty, which sent Boruc the wrong way. 

Up top, Milan's strike pairing was starting to click, Ibrahimovic finding Lopez with a lovely drifting pass, which the Argentine pulled down and smacked against Boruc's left-hand post from 15 yards. 

Milan finished the half on top - Ibrahimovic making a barnstorming run though the visitor's defense only to blaze over. 

With everyone expecting Milan to coast to victory in the second half, the last thing expected was a Fiorentina goal - but one arrived within minutes of the re-start when Jovetic took advantage of a suicidally high line from the hosts to run onto De Silvestri's through ball and slot home. 

Milan was stung into action with Abate seeing one shot heroically blocked by Di Natale and Boruc pulling over a double save from Ambrosini and Emanuelson. 

However, Milan's attacking efforts carried more than a whiff of desperation and were limited to blocked shots and penalty box melees. Lopez did hit the net, but saw his header disallowed after Ibrahimovic's cross drifted out of play. 

With a frustrated Milan mentally coming to terms with dropping two points, however, Amauri played a one-two with Jovetic, muscled Mexes off the ball and slotted home to throw the Scudetto wide open. 

Milan then watched Juventus overcome Palermo away from home to leapfrog the Rossoneri to the top of the table. Fiorentina, meanwhile, will be celebrating a famous victory that moves it well clear of the bottom three.

Palermo 0-2 Juventus

Bonucci and Quagliarella send dominant Bianconeri back to the top of Serie A

Two second-half goals see the Bianconeri emerge from Sicily with victory and a one point lead in first place, leaving the Rossoneri to chase in the race for the title

Juventus has ascended the Serie A summit once more, with a 2-0 over Palermo at the Stadio Renzo Barbera sending it one point clear at the top of the table.

AC Milan’s shock 2-1 loss at home to Fiorentina earlier on Saturday had left the door open for Antonio Conte's men, who were presented with the chance to turn a two point deficit to the Rossoneri with a win against Bortolo Mutti’s side.

Juve dominated the contest from start to finish, but a slew of missed chances had sent the tie into halftime with the deadlock yet to be broken.

However, Juve was able to finally break Palermo's resistance 10 minutes after the restart through a headed goal by Leonardo Bonucci. Fabio Quagliarella then sealed the victory with 20 minutes to go to hand the Bianconeri the advantage in the title race, and stretch their domestic unbeaten run to 31 games.

Ex-Juve striker Amauri had done his former club a huge favor earlier in the day, with a late winner at San Siro leaving Conte’s men with the knowledge that victory in Sicily would see them reclaim top spot for the first time since February.

Indeed, Juventus seemed determined to make the most of Milan’s slip up, dominating play right from the start of the match.

Mirko Vucinic came within inches of turning home a Quagliarella cross, before the Italian striker himself sliced wide after being put clean through with only the keeper to beat.

Juve was running Palermo ragged, but its wastefulness told, as it was unable to take one of the many chances that fell its way. A mix up between Ezequiel Munoz and Emiliano Viviano left Vucinic with an open goal, but the Montenegrin could not find the target from an angle.

Martin Caceres was next to try his luck, after a surging run into the box left him with space to shoot, but his finish was woeful, and bounced out of play off his shin.

Palermo was nowhere to be found, despite the cutting edge of Conte’s men tailing off slightly as the half wore on. Pirlo tested Viviano with a pair of efforts from range as the visitors continued to search for a breakthrough.

Artuo Vidal sent a shot straight into Viviano’s arms from the edge of the box in the 50th minute with Juve looking to make headway coming out of the break.

Juve finally got its breakthrough five minutes later, after Andrea Pirlo’s corner was glanced into the far corner by Bonucci to give Juventus a priceless lead.

Palermo continued to show precious little in the attacking third, as Conte’s men continued to control possession inside their half. Vucinic cut in from the left to sting the palms of Viviano with a drive from distance as the game crossed the hour mark.

Fabrizio Miccoli caused Juve hearts to flutter as he beat Giorgio Chiellini brilliantly towards the right byline, but his drilled center across the face of goal was just too far ahead of the waiting Josip Ilicic.

However, barely a minute later, Juventus was further ahead. Substitute Alessandro Matri held the ball up well at the top of the box, before teeing up Quagliarella for a cool finish into the corner to give the visitors a two-goal cushion.

Viviano then had to be alert to tip over a dangerous cross by Pirlo in the 77th minute, with Caceres lurking at the far post.

The Palermo keeper was called into action once more to deny Alessandro Del Piero on the stroke of injury time with his legs from close range, but by that point, Juve already had the result in the bag.

Juventus now leads Milan by a single point at the top of the Serie A table, with only seven games remaining until the end of the season. Palermo meanwhile remains in 11th place, and continue to sputter in mid-table mediocrity.

Cagliari 2-2 Inter Milan

Second half Cambiasso equalizer preserves Stramaccioni's unbeaten start but Nerazzurri lose ground on Champions League spots

The Chilean forward was sent off in controversial fashion after scoring for the Sardinians, as the sides shared the spoils in pulsating Serie A encounter

Inter came back from a goal down to secure a 2-2 draw with Cagliari at the Stadio Nereo Rocco in Trieste on Saturday. 

The Sardinians struck through goals from Davide Astori and Mauricio Pinilla, while Diego Milito continued his recent fine goalscoring form to net alongside compatriot Esteban Cambiasso. 

The Nerazzurri started brightly as Mauro Zarate tested Michael Agazzi in the opening minutes, but it was the Rossoblu who struck first. The home side took advantage of Inter's vulnerability from set pieces as Astori fought off the challenge of Andrea Ranocchia to strike into the top corner of the net. 

However, Inter responded immediately. Following some industrious play from Dejan Stankovic, Zarate teased his way into the box to lift through a fine ball to Milito and the forward turned, and slotted home to bring the two teams level. 

Both sides were encouraged by their respective coaches to attack, and this set the tone for the match. Home custodian Agazzi was again involved in the action, producing a fingertip stop to deny Cambiasso following a penetrating cross from Fredy Guarin.

Cagliari was content to attack on the counter, with Radja Nainggolan evading a host of challenges to strike from distance and trouble Luca Castellazzi, while Zarate continued to threaten for the Nerazzurri. 

The first half was played in boisterous fashion, with Mauricio Pinilla entering the referee’s notebook for an off the ball altercation with Stankovic, while the Inter man also collected a yellow later in the half. 

Massimo Ficcadenti’s men started the second half on the front foot, with Albin Ekdal forcing his way through the Inter defense only to be fouled by Cambiasso.

Cagliari nearly gained the lead once more as Alessandro Agostini’s cross eluded the Inter defense with Ribeiro heading against the post, providing an ominous warning to the Inter defense. 

The home side increased the tempo dramatically and its efforts were finally rewarded. Daniele Conti’s whipped in cross was met by Pinilla who headed home completely unmarked. From the resulting goal, the Chilean was given his marching orders for over exuberant celebrations and the hosts had to play the remainder of the match with ten men. 

The action did not stop there, as Inter again struck to level proceedings. Diego Forlan’s cross found Cambiasso who wriggled through the Cagliari defence to poke home and send the away fans into raptures. 

The remaining 20 minutes were pulsating, as both sides attacked at will. Conti forced a splendid reflex stop out of Castellazzi, firing a strong header at the veteran custodian. 

But Inter also threatened, as Zarate’s drive from distance was only just kept out by Agazzi. 

The concluding minutes to the match saw the Nerazzurri drive forward for the winning goal but ultimately fail. 

As a result, Inter is six points adrift of the last Champions League spot, while Cagliari cemented its position in mid table. 

Source: goal.com

Champions League

Real Madrid 5-2 APOEL 

Stunning Ronaldo free kick the highlight as Mourinho's men book semifinal clash with Bayern Munich

There was to be no miracle for the Cypriot side, as a dominant performance from Mourinho's men saw them march into the next round.

Real Madrid can boast the highest-scoring trio in Spanish football's history as the Spanish club strolled into the Champions League semifinals with an absorbing 5-2 victory over APOEL in their second-leg encounter at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema have now scored 101 goals between them in the 2011-12 season, beating the 100 goal mark of Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o and Thierry Henry, set during Barcelona's treble winning campaign of 2009-10. 

It was an enticing game from start to finish, with a brace from Ronaldo, alongside further strikes from Kaka, Jose Callejon and Angel Di Maria doing the buisness for the hosts, who ended the fairytale run of the brave outfit from Cyprus with an 8-2 aggregate scoreline. 

However, Jose Mourinho will no doubt be frustrated with two lapses in concentration that allowed Gustavo Manduca to finish off a great APOEL move, before Esteban Solari struck from the spot after an infraction by Hamit Altintop. 

With a 3-0 deficit to overcome after the first leg, APOEL was always going to need a near miracle to progress, particularly against a Madrid team in imperious form in Europe. The Spanish outfit had won eight of its nine matches on the continent this season while conceding only four times, the lowest in the competition.

Indeed, Mourinho’s men picked up where they left off after the initial encounter in Cyprus, unsurprisingly dominating play right from the start of the match.

Higuain nodded a Ronaldo cross off target. Ronaldo was blocked expertly by Urko Pardo from point-blank range, all in the first five minutes.

APOEL’s threat was non-existent as the club kept every man behind the ball inside its own half, with the tie already looking like an exercise in damage limitation as Madrid continued to press forward.

Ronaldo sent a towering header just over the bar from Nuri Sahin’s free kick with 20 minutes gone, but the Portuguese forward would not be denied much longer, as six minutes later, he turned home a teasing cross by Marcelo at the far post to score his 48th goal of the season.

Ten minutes later, and Madrid was 2-0 in front after a goal of undeniable quality from Kaka. The Brazilian received a pass from compatriot Marcelo 25 yards from goal and took one touch before unleashing an unstoppable shot that bent past the helpless Pardo into the top corner.

It was one-way traffic in the direction of the visitors’ goal, and Kaka nearly repeated the trick four minutes before halftime with another attempt from distance, but this time sent his shot just the wrong side of the post.

Madrid took its foot off the gas coming out of the interval, with APOEL well and truly floored by the 5-0 aggregate score. The home side saw a succession of efforts fly harmlessly off target as it seemed content to stay in cruise control.

APOEL gained some encouragement from the lethargic play of the hosts, and managed to grab itself consolation with a well worked goal after 67 minutes. Some slick interplay in the Madrid half ended with a clever reverse pass from Ailton to Manduca, who coolly sidefooted home to send the away fans into raptures.

However, Ronaldo brought the visitors back down to earth with a stunning set piece with quarter of an hour to go. Taking aim from a tricky angle on the left side of the box, the Portugese sent the ball past the despairing fingertips of Pardo into the top corner for his first goal direct from a free-kick this season.

Halftime substitute Callejon got in on the act in the 80th minute, smashing home Di Maria’s pass at the near post for the home side’s fourth.

Madrid was breached once again within two minutes though, after a foul by Altintop was spotted by the referee, allowing Solari the chance to beat Iker Casillas with a composed finish from the spot.

Di Maria was able to add further gloss to the scoreline in the 84th minute with an impudent chip over Pardo, after sprinting in unopposed from midfield.

The match ended frantically as Di Maria and Solari both went close, but the result was never in doubt as the home side finished with confidence.

Madrid marches into an enticing semifinal matchup against Bayern Munich, with the first leg set to be played on April 17 at the Allianz Arena in Germany.

Chelsea 2-1 Benfica

Lampard & Meireles on target as Blues set up Champions League semi-final date with Barcelona

Chelsea managed to qualify for the last four of the Champions League, but there were a few scary moments for the Stamford Bridge faithful as Javi Garcia scored late on

A penalty by Frank Lampard and a strike by Raul Meireles deep into injury-time helped Chelsea secure a Champions League semi-final place. But their evening was not without a scare after Javi Garcia’s late goal nearly cost the English side against Benfica.

The victory over the Portuguese outfit sees Chelsea continue on the path towards the final in Munich, but they must first overcome the large roadblock of defending champions Barcelona.

Roberto Di Matteo opted to make two changes from the first leg triumph in Lisbon, bringing back Branislav Ivanovic and Lampard in place of Paulo Ferreira and Raul Meireles, while Michael Essien and Didier Drogba were left on the bench.

His opposite number Jorge Jesus decided to give starts to former Stamford Bridge fringe-player Nemanja Matic and former Spanish international full back Joan Capdevila, who replaced injured duo Luisao and Jardel.

Chelsea found themselves on the back foot early on in the game as Benfica looked to level the tie early on, with Nicolas Gaitan posing the threat down the left wing, but the Blues defence stood firm to protect both Petr Cech and their first leg lead.

The home side were given a golden opportunity to take the lead as Ashley Cole broke into the box and was cruelly barged down by Javi Garcia, leaving the referee with no option but to point to the spot. Damir Skomina showed a yellow card to Benfica skipper Maxi Pereira, which would cost the full back later on.

That allowed Lampard to drive the ball under the outstretched arms of Artur and into the back of the net to give Di Matteo’s side a comfortable two-goal lead on aggregate.

Midway through the first half, David Luiz attempted one trick too many and allowed Gaitan to race forward, but the Argentinian midfielder’s cross was blocked by John Terry.

The Chelsea skipper came to the rescue again a minute later after a good move from a free kick found Axel Witsel at the back post and he knocked it down for Oscar Cardozo, who was free on the penalty spot, but his drive towards goal was cleared by Terry on the line.

Five minutes before the break, things went from bad to worse for the Portuguese outfit as Pereira was shown his second yellow card of the evening for a lunge on John Obi Mikel, leaving his side left to play out the rest of the match with 10 men.  

The visitors came out with a purpose for the second half and were nearly rewarded straight away as a slick passing move saw the ball arrive at the feet of Cardozo, but his strike was superbly tipped round the post by Chelsea stopper Cech.

Di Matteo’s side should have wrapped up the game as they broke down the left-hand side of the penalty area, with Salomon Kalou leaving Ramires with a mere tap-in from a yard out but the Brazilian midfielder somehow failed to convert.

The English side continued to search out the goal that would ultimately kill the game off as a contest, with both Juan Mata and Torres having strikes on goal within seconds of each other, but neither could find a way past Artur.

Benfica nearly claimed a goal back as the Chelsea defence seemed to fall asleep, allowing the ball to eventually find substitute Yannick Djalo, but his striker from just inside the area was blocked by the home defence and went out for a corner.

Mata could have finished off the game Kalou picked out his bursting run into the box, but the Spanish midfielder’s strike could only go across the face of Artur’s goal and out for a goal kick.

After so many missed chances, the Stamford Bridge faithful must have feared the worst when a corner from the left wing in the 85th minute found Javi Garcia free in front of goal and he headed the ball into the back of the net to give Benfica a glimmer of hope.

But with Benfica moving everyone forward, the Blues broke and substitute Raul Meireles unleashed an unstoppable strike to send Chelsea into the semi-final stage of the Champions League.

Source: goal.com

Champion League

Barcelona 3-1 AC Milan 

Messi breaks tournament scoring record and Iniesta fires clincher as holders book last-four berth

The Argentine claimed the record for most goals in a single Champions League season, but the visitors will feel that refereeing decisions went against them at Camp Nou

Barcelona have advanced to the Champions League semi-finals after a 3-1 win over AC Milan at Camp Nou in their quarter-final second-leg encounter.

Lionel Messi stole the headlines once again, with two penalties in the first half either side of an Antonio Nocerino strike, bringing him up to 14 Champions League goals for the season, a record for a single campaign. 

Andres Iniesta sealed the victory early in the second half, as the home side progressed to the last four for a record fifth straight year at the expense of the Italian champions, who will be left feeling aggrieved after some refereeing decisions did not go their way.

With a 0-0 result from the first leg under their belts, Milan knew that a score draw would be enough to take them through. Barca coach Pep Guardiola had already suggested that a Rossoneri goal was inevitable, and clearly set up to counter such an eventuality, with his side, and Messi in particular, dictating the opening exchanges.

A blistering counterattack after only four minutes saw the Barca forward glide into the penalty area in the blink of an eye, but his finish was put straight into the grateful arms of Christian Abbiati.

Moments later and Messi was at it again, this time poking the wrong side of the post after being put clean through by a beautiful piece of combination play from Cesc Fabregas and Dani Alves.

The Argentine sprinted clear of the Milan back line once more in the 11th minute, but initially appeared to waste the chance with a square pass to Xavi. However, the ball was soon back at his feet, and Luca Antonini, so assured in the first leg, slid in far too rashly, conceding a penalty.

Messi himself stepped up to take the spot-kick and made no mistake, beating Abbiati with a low shot into the left corner to score a record 13th Champions League goal of the season and 50th of his career.

The Rossoneri were nowhere to be found, and with Guardiola’s men dominating possession and looking eminently at ease, the tie seemed to be heading to an inevitable conclusion.

However, out of nowhere, Milan were level just after half an hour. Robinho found Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the top of the box, who in turn slid in the unmarked Nocerino on the left for a low finish past Victor Valdes to put the visitors ahead on aggregate.

Milan were heading through as things stood thanks to their away goal, but could only hold onto their advantage for nine minutes. From a corner, a tug on the shirt of Sergio Busquets by Alessandro Nesta was spotted, and referee Bjorn Kuipers awarded Barca another penalty, much to the chagrin of the Rossoneri players, who protested vehemently to the match official.

Messi steadied himself once more from the spot, this time sending the ball into the right corner to put the home side back in front with a 2-1 aggregate lead at the end of the first half.

Despite a promising start to the second period from Milan, the Catalans were able to increase their advantage within eight minutes of the restart. Iniesta was perhaps fortunate to see a block by Philippe Mexes loop into his path, but did not hesitate, and stroked home from six yards out.

The Rossoneri were floored by the goal, with Barca playing comfortably on the back of a two-goal cushion. They nearly added another just past the hour mark, as Messi played in substitute Thiago Alcantara for a shot that was dragged just wide.

At this point, the sting was well and truly taken out of the game, with the fans inside Camp Nou already looking forward to a place in the last four. Further half-chances for Adriano and Messi were foiled, but it mattered little as the home side ran out comfortable winners in the end.

Barca now advance to their fifth consecutive Champions League semi-final, a tournament record, and will face the winner of the Chelsea-Benfica tie, with the first leg set for April 18.

Bayern Munich 2-0 Olympique de Marseille 

Olic proves able deputy to absent Gomez as his double ensures semi-final spot for Bavarians

The veteran Croatia international struck twice as the German giants sealed a second-leg victory, booking their place in the last four of Europe's elite club competition

Bayern Munich advanced to the Champions League semi-finals following a 4-0 aggregate victory over Marseille. 

The German giants were in pole position to progress heading into the clash, having won the first leg 2-0 in France. And another 2-0 triumph in the return fixture saw them book their place in the last-four of Europe's elite club competition.

Ivica Olic, who two years ago scored a memorable hat-trick against Lyon, scored twice for Bayern before half-time, and his goals were all the hosts needed to advance.

The visitors made a bright start, and Loic Remy tested Manuel Neuer in the opening minutes after making a clever turn. Shortly thereafter, Benoit Cheyrou made an impressive run from deep and found Jeremy Morel, but the left-back's finish was kicked clear by the goalkeeper.

OM would rue their missed chances, as in the 13th minute, Olic opened the scoring. Franck Ribery made a mazy run into the right side of the box before crossing low, and the Croatian striker stabbed home from close range.

The visitors reacted well and continued their positive play, with Stephane Mbia's long-range blast forcing Neuer to tip over the bar. But Bayern gained full control of the match before the half-hour mark, as Toni Kroos and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk both forced fine saves from Steve Mandanda.

Thomas Muller, who before half-time was withdrawn due to an apparent hamstring injury, forced Mandanda into action on 30 minutes, with a glancing header, and Kroos shortly thereafter rattled the left post with another strong effort from outside the box.

Bayern kept up the pressure, and on 37 minutes, Olic completed his double on the counterattack. Ribery and David Alaba exchanged passes from deep in their own half before the Austrian crossed to Olic, who again finished from close range.

After the half-time break, the hosts stepped off the throttle as Marseille enjoyed more of the possession than before, but lacked incisiveness in the final third.

Ribery continued to be dangerous and forced a couple fine challenges to deny a look at goal before Kroos flashed another attempt narrowly wide. 

As the final quarter of the match approached, Marseille had their best chance of the game, but Brandao's open header from inside the six-yard box missed over the bar.

The Brazilian striker's attempt would be an anomaly, however, as the final 20 minutes had a training ground feel about them. This suited Kroos, who was substituted without having been booked, as well as Jerome Boateng and Luiz Gustavo, who also avoided bookings that would have seen them slapped with a ban.

The result sees Bayern advance to the semi-finals, where they will face the winner of Real Madrid's tie with APOEL. Marseille will have to focus on Ligue 1 play from now to season's end.

Source: goal.com

Bundesliga Report

Nurnberg 0-1 Bayern Munich

Robben strike wins derby as visitors close gap on Dortmund

The Dutchman scored the only goal of the game as Jupp Heynckes' side secured their fourth consecutive league win to cut the gap at the top of the Bundesliga to just three points

Bayern Munich secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Nurnberg at the EasyCredit-Stadion on Saturday.

With the hosts providing stalwart opposition it took Bayern 69 minutes to find the net and the breakthrough came courtesy of Arjen Robben.

Neither team were able to take charge of the game early on and were seemingly highly laboured when on the ball.

Chances were limited in the first half but in the 15th minute Timothy Chandler whipped in a left-footed cross which eluded every Bayern defender. Adam Hlousek stole in behind Philipp Lahm but his connection was poor and Manuel Neuer saved comfortably.

Just moments later Holger Badstuber got on the end of Robben’s free kick from wide on the right but saw his header deflected over the bar.

Nurnberg were matching their visitors in all departments with the fantastic work rate of Timmy Simons and Hanno Balitsch in midfield heavily disrupting Bayern’s usually fluid attacking quartet.

Bayern’s best attacking move came in the 34th minute when a few slick passes ended at the feet of Danijel Pranjic on the left. The Croatian’s cross found an unmarked Robben in the box but the winger headed wide.

Just before the half-time interval Nurnberg almost put themselves ahead. Hlousek’s corner evaded a scrambling Neuer and was met by the head of Simons but he failed to turn his attempt on target.

It only took the visitors four minutes after the restart to test Raphael Schafer. Robben’s free kick was miscontrolled by Mario Gomez and fell to Thomas Muller. He snatched at the ball and sent his volley straight at Schafer.

With 10 minutes of the second half played, Heynckes signalled his intent to change the game by bringing on Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery in quick succession.

Bayern began to impose themselves on the game and a few moments after Muller had a goal ruled out for offside, the visitors took the lead with 69 minutes played. 

Ribery latched onto Toni Kroos’ exquisite lofted pass but fired straight at Schafer. Fortunately for the Frenchman, Robben was on hand to fire the rebound into the bottom corner.

The visitors came close to adding another when Lahm clipped a great ball into the box after 87 minutes but Gomez's header rattled the bar.

The three points almost completely slipped away when Neuer failed to hold Almog Cohen's ambitious strike. The keeper was rescued by the frame of his own goal which kept the ball out of the net.

The victory means that Bayern close Borussia Dortmund’s advantage at the Bundesliga summit to just three points while Nurnberg fall down the table and join Freiburg in 12th position.

Source: goal.com

La Liga Report

Osasuna 1-5 Real Madrid

Ronaldo & Higuain at the double & Benzema hits stunner as Mourinho's men make a statement in La Liga

Los Blancos reached the 100-goal mark in the league this season as they shifted the pressure back on to Barca in the battle for La Liga with a comprehensive victory in Pamplona

Real Madrid remain six points clear of title rivals Barcelona at the top of La Liga after a comfortable 5-1 victory over Osasuna at the Reyno de Navarra on Saturday. 

Karim Benzema netted the first of the night with a stupendous volley before Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain extended Madrid's lead before the break. Osasuna clawed a goal back early in the second half through Nino, but it was in vain as Ronaldo and then Higuain completed the rout, ending the Navarrans' six-game unbeaten streak. 

Benzema fired Los Blancos ahead with a truly remarkable strike, connecting with Ronaldo's deep cross. The ball hung in the air, allowing the Frenchman to set himself up before showing perfect technique as he unleashed an unstoppable volley into the opposite corner from a tight angle.

In pursuit of a second, Madrid counterattacked at pace ending in Ronaldo's dipping effort narrowly missing the target. The visitors had manufactured the chance after the referee had let play continue following Esteban Granero's crunching tackle, a challenge that Mendilibar contested, resulting in the Osasuna coach being sent to the stands. 

As the quality of play subsided, the Navarrans drew a number of fouls, one of which saw Sergio Ramos harshly cautioned, ruling the defender out of Valencia's visit to the Bernabeu next weekend. 

Ronaldo then explosively put his side two up as he netted his first-ever goal at the Reyno de Navarra. Picking the ball up all of 40 yards from goal, the Portuguese international took one look before rifling a stunning effort into the top corner. 

Mourinho's side found a third not long after when Xabi Alonso's precise pass found Higuain. The Argentine international, clean through, provided a cutely clipped finish over Andres Fernandez to net his 100th Madrid goal five minutes before the break.

Dejan Lekic was introduced for the second half as Osasuna looked to reduce the three-goal deficit, which they did after just two minutes. Roversio won the ball deep in Madrid territory before crossing toward the far post where Nino was on hand to send a bullet header past Casillas. 

Higuain would have re-established Madrid's three-goal cushion after rounding Fernandez, but for a moment of pure comedic value. Ronaldo collided with the Argentine as both men looked to provide the finishing touch, but instead they watched in despair as the ball trickled behind for a goal kick. 

Osasuna remained in the ascendancy as the half progressed but Madrid always threatened on the break, and Los Blancos were awarded a free kick on the edge of the area after a fluent counter. Ronaldo stepped up and drilled in a low strike that took a deflection to wrong-foot Fernandez as he registered his 37th Liga goal this season. 

The Portuguese then turned provider with beautiful footwork on the wing, as Madrid put the game to bed. The former Manchester United man danced past his marker before presenting Higuain with the easiest of headers to double his goal tally for the evening. 

As the game drew to a close Roland Lamah was shown two consecutive yellow cards as Osasuna finished the match with 10 men. 

Madrid's five strikes on the night saw them reach the 100-goal mark in La Liga this season, now just seven shy of their club record. Mourinho's side return to Champions League action in midweek against APOEL, whilst Osasuna face Rayo Vallecano next weekend. 

Barcelona 2-0 Athletic Bilbao

Iniesta & Messi goals see Catalans stay six points behind Real Madrid

Pep Guardiola's side kept up the chase at the top of the table thanks to a comfortable victory over a tired Basque outfit at Camp Nou

Barcelona cut Real Madrid's lead at the top of the Spanish Primera Division back to six points with a 2-0 victory over Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou on Saturday evening.

The visitors struggled to make an impact on the match, and looked very fatigued having played just 48 hours before in the Europa League. The Catalan side duly took advantage, with goals from Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi sealing the three points.

The Blaugrana, who had entered the game nine points adrift of Real Madrid after the capital club won 5-1 at Osasuna in the earlier kick-off, thought they had taken the lead with a fantastic move on the edge of the box just seven minutes into the match, with Messi and Dani Alves combining to set up Thiago for an easy finish inside the box. However the goal was correctly ruled offside by the linesman and Athletic were let off the hook.

Pep Guardiola's men came within inches of grabbing the opening goal of the match in the 25th minute, but for a world-class clearance off the line from Jon Aurtenetxe to save the visitors. Messi picked out Gerard Pique at the back post, who thought he had scored when he slid in with a looping shot but the 20-year-old was there to head clear.

But the deadlock was eventually broken just five minutes before the half-time whistle through a thunderous finish from Iniesta. Alexis Sanchez was the catalyst for the attack after he tracked back to rob Athletic of possession before giving the ball to Messi, who slipped a pass down the channel. Iniesta then drove towards goal before smashing a shot into the roof of the net past Iraizoz.

Marcelo Bielsa made a couple of positive changes at half-time, with Ander Herrera and Iker Muniain being introduced to the action. This sprung the visitors into life, as they looked more dangerous on the counterattack in the final third.

However, just over 10 minutes after the break, Barcelona doubled their lead thanks to a penalty from Messi. The spot-kick appeared to be the correct decision after Cristian Tello got the wrong side of Javi Martinez in the box and was brought down by a push from behind. The Argentine coolly dispatched the penalty in the bottom right corner.

Athletic then introduced Fernando Llorente into the fold, but he, much like his team-mates, failed to inspire his side's attack, although Muniain did have an effort cleared off the line by Pique 10 minutes from time after the teenager had rounded Victor Valdes.

Barcelona closed out the match for their seventh league win in a row. They now have 72 points but remain six behind rivals Real Madrid at the top of the table. Athletic Bilbao are in 11th on 38 points, nine points adrift of the coveted Champions League places, but they could drop further after Sunday's round of matches.

Source: goal.com

5 Reasons to Believe Fernando Torres Will Be Good Again for Chelsea

Fernando Torres' first few years at Chelsea haven't lived up to the expectations ...

 ... but there's plenty of reason to believe he can return to top form for the historic West London club.

Torres has begun to get his game back this season for Chelsea, becoming more of a creator and an asset to a lagging Chelsea team who fear their worst Premier League finish in over a decade. 

The future is bright for Torres, who hasn't been put in the ideal situation to succeed compared to the position he had for Liverpool during their latest solid run.

Torres' full game has begun to be on full display for Chelsea and future moves within the organization look to put him in the best spot possible to succeed and become—yet again—an elite Premier League player.

Let's take a look at some reasons why Torres will return to greatness with Chelsea.  

Reason nr. 1:

The shockingly short tenure of former manager Andre Villas-Boas couldn't end soon enough for Torres, who wasn't honored to his full ability by his former manager. AVB was too busy winning over players like John Terry and Didier Drogba to worry about arguably their best player. 

Since Roberto Di Matteo took over for Chelsea in early March, Torres has been treated the way he "deserves", according to his management company. 

Torres has scored a respectable two goals since the managerial switch, but Di Matteo is giving him the playing time and attention that his £50 million contract deserves.

He has become a much more explosive and creative player since the switch. Chelsea was cruising to a 1-0 victory against Manchester City behind Torres' pesky play before he was substituted. They went on to lose, 2-1.   

The Spaniard became one of the world's best players at Liverpool by being the team's main striker on the pitch, something he couldn't be under AVB. 

Reason nr. 2

Didier Drogba has had his good times and his bad times at Chelsea, but both of those seem to be reaching their final days this season.

After rejecting a deal that would keep him in Chelsea for one more year, it looks inevitable that he will land with the highest bidder.

Many teams have been courting Drogba from all over, from the Premier League to the MLS to Shanghai. The 34-year-old Drogba most likely isn't pulling in the biggest offer from Chelsea.

Torres and the Ivory Coast native Drogba have been essentially competing for Chelsea's lone striker position and rarely see similar time on the pitch. Drogba's departure opens the door for Torres, who will play at his top potential behind a manager that believes in him and a striker position that's all his own.

Torres won't have to worry about Chelsea's long-time star breathing down his neck anymore once Drogba departs. 

Reason nr. 3:

Torres won't be able to do much of his damage beside Drogba and Frank Lampard, two players who want the shot and have a goal-scoring knack similar to Torres. He'll be able to thrive playing beside forwards Juan Mata and Salomon Kalou much more so.

Torres' game revolves so much around him being the main option offensively, which is what fueled his elite run with Liverpool. He hasn't been given the star of Chelsea's offense, which he'll have playing in front of Mata and Kalou.

Kalou's transfer rumors have died down in the last few months, but there's still a big possibility for the Ivory Coast native to depart along with his countryman, Drogba. If Chelsea is trying to build behind Torres, Kalou would be a big piece to keep around. 

Chelsea pulled out the checkbook to bring in Mata, who boosts Chelsea's aging midfield and allows fellow Spaniard Torres to do what he does best—invade the penalty area and score goals. 

Reason nr. 4: 

If you've seen this sight of Fernando Torres in a Spain jersey, cherish it, because it isn't around too often anymore.

Torres became irrelevant for his national team during their run to a World Cup victory in 2010, getting replaced in key games with the likes of Fernando Llorente, not exactly a high-caliber replacement for a Spanish team. 

Fortunately for Spain, they had enough talent to bring them to a championship, but they didn't get much of that help for Torres. Since then, he's only appeared in two competitive international matches for Spain with no goals.

Spain's depth of top talent is ridiculous, and they won't miss Torres if he's diminished to a smaller role in Euro 2012 and beyond, but it should help him to focus more on his club game, which desperately needs it. 

Reason nr. 5:

After an incredibly woeful beginning to Torres' time at Chelsea, he has started to pick his game up greatly and is become the Fernando Torres of old.

It couldn't have come sooner for Chelsea fans.

Chelsea is amidst its worst season in years as they threaten to finish outside of the top four for the first time since the 2001-02 season. Torres was just 17 years old at the time. 

Torres needs to be in top form both physically and mentally in order to flourish with Chelsea. He seems to be getting closer to the game he displayed in his run with Liverpool.

Source: Bleacher Report

Premier League Reports

Queens Park Rangers 2 Arsenal 1

Just like that: Adel Taarabt (second left) scored the opening goal in Queens Park Rangers's defeat of Arsenal at Loftus Road - Mark Hughes's second big scalp in as many weeks

There has always been something of the Tommy Cooper about Adel Taarabt – some of his tricks work, most do not – but QPR’s Moroccan magician took comparisons to a new level by donning a red fez after he scored his first Premier League goal.
Taarabt set QPR on their way to an invaluable victory over a subdued Arsenal, who were criticised for their poor attitude by Arsène Wenger afterwards.
Despite getting back into the game when Theo Walcott equalised Taarabt’s superb opening goal, Arsenal were second best for most of the match. The only surprise about QPR’s victory in the end was that the winning goal came from Samba Diakité, better known for breaking up play than breaking opposition hearts.
The result ended Arsenal’s run of seven successive league victories, while also giving QPR three points in their battle against relegation. Although they are still third from bottom, this win, following a draw with Everton and victory over Liverpool 10 days ago, has inspired optimism in manager Mark Hughes. “The bigger the challenge, the better we are,” he said. “Against Everton we did enough to win, Liverpool we overcame, and today was the best of the lot. To a man I thought we were exceptional, against a team who had brushed everyone aside in recent weeks. We thoroughly deserved the victory.”
Wenger paid tribute to the commitment of Hughes’s side, but was not so generous with his own players. “It was very frustrating because they left us the ball and waited for our mistakes. We took the ball, didn’t do a lot with it, and made mistakes.

“Our performance was not good enough to win this kind of game. In the duels they had a little bit of extra special commitment. We can only congratulate QPR for their attitude and be unhappy with our own performance.”
Pressed on whether his side looked complacent, he added: “It is difficult to say but why not? We played against a team fighting for survival. I felt subconsciously something was missing today. In the Premier League, if you miss something on the commitment front you are beaten.”
Wenger refused to criticise Thomas Vermaelen, who was at fault for both goals: “I do not want to single anybody out but we made defensive mistakes today.”
Vermaelen was beaten far too easily when Taarabt put QPR ahead in the 22nd minute. The Moroccan took a pass from Clint Hill with his back to goal, turned past Vermaelen with a clever flick and ran on to curl a delicious shot past Wojciech Szczesny from the edge of the penalty area. It was his first goal in 32 games at this level. His exuberant celebrations, which were capped by team-mate Joey Barton plonking a fez from the crowd on his head, earned Taarabt a booking from referee Mike Dean.
Rangers were well on top at that stage, with Bobby Zamora putting a free header over from close range and firing a shot straight at Szczesny. But the visitors equalised in the 37th minute when Robin van Persie flicked the ball to Walcott, whose first shot hit the post but rebounded kindly for him to drill the ball high past Paddy Kenny.
Rangers regained control and the lead when Diakité scored his first goal for the club. The Mali international, on loan from Nancy, had been dominant in his midfield holding role, but got forward to superb effect in the 66th minute. Barton released Jamie Mackie down the right, Vermaelen slipped and the ball was cut back for Diakité to place it high into the corner of Szczesny’s goal.
Chances came and went. Kenny punched away a fierce free-kick from Van Persie, then made an even better save from the Dutchman, tipping his drive away spectacularly.
Rangers could have scored more. Taarabt and Mackie set up Zamora but the striker dithered and his shot was blocked, Diakité shot just wide from the centre circle and a Barton shot was tipped over by Szczesny.
There was an agonising delay in stoppage time for QPR’s fans after one of their number threw what appeared to be a coin at an assistant referee as Van Persie prepared to take a free-kick. They greeted the final whistle with raucous acclaim.
Barton, who had been dropped for last weekend’s defeat at Sunderland having been booed by QPR fans the previous week, had written in his programme notes about the need for supporters to get behind all the players and make Loftus Road “a fortress”. He returned to the team and played a vital part in the victory, drawing praise from Hughes for his strength of character.
“Joey was different class and led from the front,” he said. “He got a lot of stick last time out because his performance level wasn’t high and he acknowledged that. The crowd willed him into a top-class performance. It was an outstanding performance from him and every one of them.”
It was a terrific collective performance from QPR, with Zamora leading the line bravely despite missing chances, while Hill and Anton Ferdinand held firm against a subdued Van Persie, who has now gone more than five hours of football without a goal.
Taarabt had the extra touch of class, as he showed in the Championship last season. “It was too easy for him at times last year, when he scored goal after goal. But his goal today was excellent and will do him the world of good,” said Hughes, who believes his side can get out of trouble. “If we play like that from now until the end of the season we will win more games – it’s a given.”

Aston Villa 2 Chelsea 4

At last: Fernando Torres celebrates ending his six-month Premier League goal drought

It began with a ripple as Petr Cech gathered a harmless throughball and developed into a throaty noise that watered eyes and made hairs stand on end.

As soon as the clock turned to 19 minutes, the Villa Park crowd stood for a minute’s applause in honour of Stiliyan Petrov, who was diagnosed with acute leukaemia on Friday, with two sets of balloons in the red, white and green of the Bulgarian flag drifting over the heads of the Chelsea supporters.

One can only begin to imagine the emotions felt by Petrov and his family as they looked on from a hospitality box followed by the pride when his young team-mates laid down a marker of defiance, coming from two goals down to threaten to earn what would have been a remarkable comeback.

The effort expended by this collection of youngsters – six of the starting line-up were 23 or younger – says much about their character.

Petrov, 32, faces an uncertain battle when he begins his treatment in London tomorrow, but he has been left in no doubt about the way his sport feels about him. Both sets of players wore T-shirts with his name on to warm up and there were banners everywhere, particularly in the Holte End.

Chelsea did their bit but looked ready to depart with an easy win thanks to goals from Daniel Sturridge and Branislav Ivanovic. But James Collins and Eric Lichaj pulled Villa level with 10 minutes left to set up what looked likely to be a remarkable comeback.

Yet it was not to be as Ivanovic scored his second before Fernando Torres broke away to score his first Premier League goal in more than five months.

Petrov’s programme notes, written in the days before Friday’s announcement, added further poignancy, with the Bulgarian renewing his message of support for Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba, who continues to recover from his cardiac arrest, and talking up the young Austrian forward Andreas Weimann, who was given his first start by Alex McLeish.

They were sentiments that Petrov also alluded to in a statement that was read out moments before kick-off as pictures of him in his seat were shown on the big screens, as his intention to fight with a determination inspired by Muamba was expressed over the speakers.

There is something reassuring that not all tribalistic tendencies are forgotten in such circumstances. Despite their

T-shirts, the visiting players were gently jeered as they came out before the game. And after Villa fans sang “One Stiliyan Petrov”, they applauded the visitors’ song without realising it was 'One team in Europe’ being belted out of the away end.

When it came to it, a Villa team full of youth and purpose ultimately looked limited against a Chelsea side that faces Benfica next week with the chance to move into the Champions League semi-finals. However, David Luiz and Didier Drogba are both doubtful for that game with respective ankle and foot problems.

Chelsea will be delighted with Torres’s performance, even though he saw an early effort blocked by Shay Given after he raced on to a David Luiz pass, but he was soon involved again as the visitors took the lead.

Salomon Kalou sent over a cross from the left and Torres was fed by Mata, but the striker was stopped in his tracks by Stephen Warnock before Sturridge swept in from close range. Soon after John Obi Mikel saw his thumping drive deflect off both Baker and James Collins only to finish up in the arms of Given before Collins headed over at the other end as he went close to ending the minute’s applause in style.

Mata always looked the most dangerous player on the field and after a flurry of quick passes involving Kalou and Torres, he guided a shot past Given only to see it come back off the inside of a post, while a Gabriel Agbonlahor effort, which was blocked by Cech’s legs, was the best effort from the home side.

Petrov is renowned for his local charity work and there is no sign of that stopping, with the Villa captain pledging £500 for each spot-kick missed in a half-time penalty shoot-out against former England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.

Any prospect of a comeback appeared to have been halted within six minutes of the restart, when Ivanovic prodded in from close range from a Mata corner.

But with 12 minutes left, a long throw from Lichaj was met with a powerful header from Collins as Villa pulled one back and within three minutes, Lichaj was at the far post to touch in from a cross from Marc Albrighton to level the scores.

It made the climax even harder to take for Villa’s fans. Ivanovic prodded in from a Florent Malouda corner three minutes later and there was even time for Torres to end that long wait for a Premier League goal.

Although this was less convincing than it should have been, with six wins from his eight matches in charge Chelsea’s Roberto Di Matteo is staking a strong claim to become more than an interim manager and he was pleased with the character shown by his players, not just Torres.

“He’s been providing goals for his team-mates and now he’s scored as well,” Di Matteo said. “We’re happy we can score four goals.

“Before the game our thoughts were with Petrov and his family but once the game starts, you have to focus on the task.

“We keep this positive momentum and spirit. Every game and win helps us continue and believe.

“After they drew level they could have capitulated but you saw the spirit and desire to win the game and we reacted in a positive way.”

Source: The Telegraph

Manchester City 3-3 Sunderland

Kolarov grabs late equaliser but Larsson double dents hosts' title challenge

The Blues produced a stunning comeback, grabbing two late goals to rescue a potentially crucial point after the Black Cats had raced into a 3-1 lead

Sunderland were denied their first ever win over Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, as the Blues produced a stunning comeback to grab a 3-3 draw and potentially save their Premier League title hopes.

The Black Cats took a deserved first-half lead through Sebastian Larsson. City hit back through a Mario Balotelli penalty but Nicklas Bendtner restored the lead with a terrific header.

Larsson grabbed his second in the second half, yet with the points seemingly in the bag, City rallied late on and claimed a potentially crucial point thanks to goals from Balotelli and Aleksandar Kolarov.

Roberto Mancini made four changes to the side that struggled to a 1-1 draw at Stoke a week ago, the most notable being the return of Vincent Kompany, who replaced Pablo Zabaleta after three weeks out with a calf strain.

Kolarov was given the nod ahead of Gael Clichy at left-back, while James Milner and Nigel de Jong replaced Samir Nasri and Gareth Barry in the City midfield.

For the visitors, Martin O’Neill made just two changes to the side dumped out of the FA Cup by Everton on Tuesday. With Wayne Bridge unable to play against his parent club, Jack Colback started in an unorthodox left-back role, while Matthew Kilgallon was handed just his fourth league start of the season at the expense of Sotirios Kyrgiakos.

Sunderland had never won at the Etihad Stadium, but the visitors looked in the mood to change that statistic early on, with the City rearguard having to be at their absolute best to deny James McClean and then Stephane Sessegnon.

But it didn’t take long for Mancini’s men to get into their stride, and it took a smart save from Simon Mignolet to deny Kolarov’s vicious free-kick.

A relatively one-sided half ensued, with City providing much of the game’s attacking threat, yet O’Neill’s men remained a constant threat on the counterattack and they had a glorious opportunity to take the lead.

After the Black Cats had worked the ball out to Sebastian Larsson, the Swedish midfielder cut it back to Sessegnon, who unselfishly squared for the unmarked Craig Gardner, yet the former Villa man fired inexplicably wide from just 12 yards.

However, with half an hour on the clock the visitors did grab the lead. Following some patient build-up play, Sessegnon eventually played the ball to Larsson on the edge of the area, who used Kolo Toure as a shield and whipped the ball into the unsighted Joe Hart’s bottom corner.

The goal clearly panicked the home side, with Balotelli throwing himself to the ground in the penalty area on numerous occasions without success.

Yet Mancini’s side eventually got the penalty they had been craving, when Edin Dzeko tumbled over the left leg of Craig Gardner. Balotelli stepped up and sent Mignolet the wrong way, restoring parity for his side.

With the game seemingly heading towards a half-time stalemate, Sunderland won a free-kick on the halfway line in the 48th minute. Larsson opted to play it quickly, catching City cold, and when Sessegnon whipped in a fantastic cross, Bendtner out-jumped Micah Richards at the back post and planted his header in the bottom corner, giving Sunderland a shock half-time lead.

A clear pattern began to emerge in the second-half, with the visitors sitting deep and letting City play in front of them.

Yet the Black Cats were still looking menacing on the break, and they stretched their lead with a fantastic break 10 minutes in.

The instrumental Sessegnon played Bendtner through with a sublime ball, the Dane looked up and found the unmarked Larsson at the back post, who was left with the simple task of slotting home, sending the travelling Wearsiders into raptures.

City needed a hero, and Mancini summoned Carlos Tevez from the bench in an attempt to rescue something from the game.

But the Argentine had little impact on the game, and with David Silva the man chosen to be replaced by Tevez, the home fans began to grow increasingly frustrated at their side’s lack of creativity.

Balotelli offered late hope for the home side with five minutes to play, after cutting into the box and lashing his right-footed effort into the top corner.

And just a minute after the restart, City had done what seemed almost impossible, as Kolarov produced a stunning drive from the edge of the area which flew past Mignolet into the bottom corner, without the Belgian moving.

As the game drew to a close, City pressed for a winner but without success, as Mancini's men failed to win a Premier League home game for the first time in 21 games, leaving them two points behind United but having played a game extra.

Source: goal.com