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Borussia Dortmund fought back to defeat bitter rivals Bayern Munich 3-2 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final and shatter the Bavarian giants&#39; dreams of the double.

A brilliant strike from Ousmane Dembele 15 minutes from the end settled a tie at Munich&#39;s Allianz Arena which had seen Dortmund trail 2-1 at half-time.

It was a dramatic turn-around for Thomas Tuchel&#39;s Dortmund who were hammered 4-1 by runaway leaders Bayern in Munich in the Bundesliga just three weeks ago.

&quot;We came from 2-1 down and still won - that&#39;s crazy,&quot; beamed Tuchel.

&quot;We had completely written off our 4-1 defeat in the league. We played well for 20 minutes and then we let it slip.

&quot;After the break, we kept improving and improving, from the 60th minute we were very good. We certainly had a bit of luck too.&quot;

In a repeat of last year&#39;s final at Berlin&#39;s Olympic Stadium, which Bayern won in a penalty shoot-out, Marco Reus put Dortmund ahead after 19 minutes following a mistake by Munich&#39;s Javi Martinez.

The Spanish international&#39;s lazy back pass was snapped up by Dortmund midfielder Raphael Guerreiro, whose snot hit the post and Reus drilled the rebound.

Martinez made amends by equalising with a header nine minutes later before Mats Hummels put Bayern 2-1 ahead at half-time.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 2-2 on 69 minutes when he headed home a superb Dembele cross.

That paved the way for the French teenager to hit the winner with a curling left-foot shot.

Dortmund will play in a fourth consecutive final on May 27, when they face Eintracht Frankfurt, who reached the final on Tuesday with a penalty shoot-out win over Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The cup defeat in Munich leaves Bayern winless in their last five games following back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid which saw them crash out of the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

Carlo Ancelotti&#39;s Bayern are eight points clear in the Bundesliga with four games left, but their dreams of winning the double came a cropper at the hands of Dortmund.&nbsp;

(AFP)

Borussia Dortmund will meet Eintracht Frankfurt in the final

Borussia Dortmund fought back to defeat bitter rivals Bayern Munich 3-2 on Wednesday to reach the German Cup final and shatter the Bavarian giants' dreams of the double. A brilliant strike from Ousmane Dembele 15 minutes from the end settled a tie at Munich's Allianz Arena which had seen Dortmund trail 2-1 at half-time. It was a dramatic turn-around for Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund who were hammered 4-1 by runaway leaders Bayern in Munich in the Bundesliga just three weeks ago. "We came from 2-1 down and still won - that's crazy," beamed Tuchel. "We had completely written off our 4-1 defeat in the league. We played well for 20 minutes and then we let it slip. "After the break, we kept improving and improving, from the 60th minute we were very good. We certainly had a bit of luck too." In a repeat of last year's final at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, which Bayern won in a penalty shoot-out, Marco Reus put Dortmund ahead after 19 minutes following a mistake by Munich's Javi Martinez. The Spanish international's lazy back pass was snapped up by Dortmund midfielder Raphael Guerreiro, whose snot hit the post and Reus drilled the rebound. Martinez made amends by equalising with a header nine minutes later before Mats Hummels put Bayern 2-1 ahead at half-time. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made it 2-2 on 69 minutes when he headed home a superb Dembele cross. That paved the way for the French teenager to hit the winner with a curling left-foot shot. Dortmund will play in a fourth consecutive final on May 27, when they face Eintracht Frankfurt, who reached the final on Tuesday with a penalty shoot-out win over Borussia Moenchengladbach. The cup defeat in Munich leaves Bayern winless in their last five games following back-to-back defeats to Real Madrid which saw them crash out of the quarter-finals of the Champions League. Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern are eight points clear in the Bundesliga with four games left, but their dreams of winning the double came a cropper at the hands of Dortmund. (AFP)

German Cup: Dortmund stage fightback to overcome Bayern Munich

Diego Costa scored his 50th and 51st Premier League goals as Chelsea overcame spirited Southampton 4-2 on Tuesday to establish a seven-point lead at the top of the table.

Costa set up Eden Hazard&#39;s early opener, which was cancelled out by Oriol Romeu, before Gary Cahill restored the hosts&#39; lead at an unseasonably cold Stamford Bridge.

Costa sealed victory with a second-half brace, ending a seven-game goal drought and heaping the pressure on second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who visit in-form Crystal Palace on Wednesday.

&quot;Today I have to be pleased with the effort of my players. It wasn&#39;t easy after a tough game against Tottenham,&quot; said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte.

&quot;We must be confident for the future. It&#39;s important to look at ourselves and not the other (Spurs).&quot;

Having beaten Spurs in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, Chelsea&#39;s latest win reaffirmed the status of Conte&#39;s side as England&#39;s team to beat.

They face a thorny trip to Everton this weekend and have now gone 11 league games without a clean sheet -- their longest run since 1996 --&nbsp;but the finishing line is just five games away.

Hazard, Costa and Cesc Fabregas returned to the Chelsea XI after starting Saturday&#39;s 4-2 win over Tottenham on the bench and they combined for the fifth-minute opener.

Fabregas&#39;s pass from halfway sent Costa scampering away down the inside-right channel and his cut-back was swept into the bottom-left corner by Hazard.

The Belgian forward has now scored 15 goals in a Premier League season for the first time, his highest tally since netting 20 times for Lille in 2011-12.

The trio were at it again shortly after, Costa deftly cushioning Fabregas&#39;s pass into the path of Hazard, who curled well wide.

But there had already been nervy moments in the hosts&#39; penalty area -- an unmarked Jack Stephens volleying tamely at Thibaut Courtois -- and before long Southampton were level.

Terry ovation&nbsp;

James Ward-Prowse&#39;s corner from the left was inadvertently flicked on by Cesar Azpilicueta and reached the unattended Manolo Gabbiadini at the back post.

The Italian&#39;s cross-shot flicked off Courtois and was tapped in by ex-Chelsea midfielder Romeu, who had last scored in January 2016.

Set-pieces continued to prove the home side&#39;s Achilles heel, with Courtois obliged to swat away a dangerous Ward-Prowse free-kick before Sofiane Boufal thrashed into the side-netting at a corner.

A storming run by N&#39;Golo Kante forced Stephens into a desperate headed clearance and Costa had a penalty appeal turned down, but Chelsea were wavering until Cahill struck in first-half stoppage time.

Kante&#39;s deep cross was helped on by Marcos Alonso and with Costa launching himself into a mid-air scissors kick, the England centre-back charged in bravely to head home.

Costa would not be denied the next time he got a sight of goal in the 53rd minute as he brought up a half-century of league goals on his 85th appearance since signing from Atletico Madrid in 2014.

After a short corner with Hazard, Fabregas lofted a cross to the far post and Costa held off Bertrand to plant a header past Fraser Forster.

Dusan Tadic worked Courtois with a skidding effort and Gabbiadini hit the side-netting after again being left unmarked at a corner, moving Conte to angrily kick a bag beside the dug-out.

Chelsea club captain John Terry came on for the final five minutes and was afforded a standing ovation in his first appearance since announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season.

Costa made it 4-1 with a delightful goal in the 89th minute, swapping passes with first Hazard and then substitute Pedro before drilling a low shot past Forster.

&quot;We played a good team, but it&#39;s a harsh result,&quot; said Southampton manager Claude Puel, whose side added a stoppage-time consolation through another Bridge old boy, Ryan Bertrand.

&quot;Eden Hazard and Diego Costa made the difference today.&quot;

(AFP)

Chelsea overcame a spirited Southampton to establish a seven-point lead over Tottenham in the league standings

Diego Costa scored his 50th and 51st Premier League goals as Chelsea overcame spirited Southampton 4-2 on Tuesday to establish a seven-point lead at the top of the table. Costa set up Eden Hazard's early opener, which was cancelled out by Oriol Romeu, before Gary Cahill restored the hosts' lead at an unseasonably cold Stamford Bridge. Costa sealed victory with a second-half brace, ending a seven-game goal drought and heaping the pressure on second-place Tottenham Hotspur, who visit in-form Crystal Palace on Wednesday. "Today I have to be pleased with the effort of my players. It wasn't easy after a tough game against Tottenham," said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte. "We must be confident for the future. It's important to look at ourselves and not the other (Spurs)." Having beaten Spurs in the FA Cup semi-finals on Saturday, Chelsea's latest win reaffirmed the status of Conte's side as England's team to beat. They face a thorny trip to Everton this weekend and have now gone 11 league games without a clean sheet -- their longest run since 1996 -- but the finishing line is just five games away. Hazard, Costa and Cesc Fabregas returned to the Chelsea XI after starting Saturday's 4-2 win over Tottenham on the bench and they combined for the fifth-minute opener. Fabregas's pass from halfway sent Costa scampering away down the inside-right channel and his cut-back was swept into the bottom-left corner by Hazard. The Belgian forward has now scored 15 goals in a Premier League season for the first time, his highest tally since netting 20 times for Lille in 2011-12. The trio were at it again shortly after, Costa deftly cushioning Fabregas's pass into the path of Hazard, who curled well wide. But there had already been nervy moments in the hosts' penalty area -- an unmarked Jack Stephens volleying tamely at Thibaut Courtois -- and before long Southampton were level. Terry ovation James Ward-Prowse's corner from the left was inadvertently flicked on by Cesar Azpilicueta and reached the unattended Manolo Gabbiadini at the back post. The Italian's cross-shot flicked off Courtois and was tapped in by ex-Chelsea midfielder Romeu, who had last scored in January 2016. Set-pieces continued to prove the home side's Achilles heel, with Courtois obliged to swat away a dangerous Ward-Prowse free-kick before Sofiane Boufal thrashed into the side-netting at a corner. A storming run by N'Golo Kante forced Stephens into a desperate headed clearance and Costa had a penalty appeal turned down, but Chelsea were wavering until Cahill struck in first-half stoppage time. Kante's deep cross was helped on by Marcos Alonso and with Costa launching himself into a mid-air scissors kick, the England centre-back charged in bravely to head home. Costa would not be denied the next time he got a sight of goal in the 53rd minute as he brought up a half-century of league goals on his 85th appearance since signing from Atletico Madrid in 2014. After a short corner with Hazard, Fabregas lofted a cross to the far post and Costa held off Bertrand to plant a header past Fraser Forster. Dusan Tadic worked Courtois with a skidding effort and Gabbiadini hit the side-netting after again being left unmarked at a corner, moving Conte to angrily kick a bag beside the dug-out. Chelsea club captain John Terry came on for the final five minutes and was afforded a standing ovation in his first appearance since announcing he will leave the club at the end of the season. Costa made it 4-1 with a delightful goal in the 89th minute, swapping passes with first Hazard and then substitute Pedro before drilling a low shot past Forster. "We played a good team, but it's a harsh result," said Southampton manager Claude Puel, whose side added a stoppage-time consolation through another Bridge old boy, Ryan Bertrand. "Eden Hazard and Diego Costa made the difference today." (AFP)

Premier League: Costa inspires Chelsea to increase lead

Christian&nbsp;Benteke&#39;s double for Crystal Palace against his old club Liverpool dealt perhaps a fatal blow to their hopes of Champions League football whilst boosting Manchester United&#39;s chances on Sunday.

United had already done their chances no end of good earlier on Sunday as Anthony Martial responded positively to criticism by Jose Mourinho in scoring one and being involved in Wayne Rooney&#39;s second beating Burnley 2-0 to move up to fifth spot and a point off Manchester City -- who they play on Thursday.

However, it is Liverpool who will be the most worried about missing out on the lucrative Champions League spot next season as they are just two points clear of United who have two games in hand.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pondered how Palace had been in danger of relegation when their performance belied their lowly position.

Palace now look certain to preserve Sam Allardyce&#39;s proud record of never being in charge of a club that has gone down.

However, Klopp issued a rallying call to the fans and his players not to give up hope on the Champions League.

&quot;It is frustrating, disappointing of course,&quot; Klopp told the BBC.

&quot;Everyone thinks the Champions League has slipped through our fingers but we have one more month to stay positive.

&quot;We have to try everything to squeeze everything out of this season.&quot;

Allardyce, who has engineered victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and now Liverpool in recent weeks, said there was a sense of relief that there was clear breathing space now between them and the bottom three -- they are seven points clear of Swansea.

&quot;It has been hard work but we are looking up,&quot; he told BBC.

&quot;We have five games to go but Tottenham on Wednesday will come too early.

&quot;We will have to change the side to get fresh legs into the side. It is a big result today, it makes life so much easier,&quot; added Allardyce.

Palace forward Andros Townsend refused to accept they could relax and plan for another season in the Premier League.

&quot;We have seen the other teams at the bottom are winning matches. We are almost there,&quot; he told Sky Sports.

United may be down to the bare bones in certain areas because of injury but even with leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic out with a serious knee injury and Marcus Rashford rested till a late appearance as a substitute they made light work of a Burnley side who are not out of trouble yet.

However, Mourinho denied fourth place was their priority as United he said are in the business of winning trophies and it is what he is being paid for.

&quot;If we beat Celta Vigo (their Europa League semi-final opponents) we go to the final and yes it is important for us to play Champions League, but this club wants trophies,&quot; said Mourinho.

&quot;We cannot give the club the Premier League. We have 25 percent chance to win the Europa League and we have to put everything on it.&quot;

(AFP)

Liverpool's loss to Crystal Palace for the third straight year at Anfield has reignited United's top four hopes

Christian Benteke's double for Crystal Palace against his old club Liverpool dealt perhaps a fatal blow to their hopes of Champions League football whilst boosting Manchester United's chances on Sunday. United had already done their chances no end of good earlier on Sunday as Anthony Martial responded positively to criticism by Jose Mourinho in scoring one and being involved in Wayne Rooney's second beating Burnley 2-0 to move up to fifth spot and a point off Manchester City -- who they play on Thursday. However, it is Liverpool who will be the most worried about missing out on the lucrative Champions League spot next season as they are just two points clear of United who have two games in hand. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pondered how Palace had been in danger of relegation when their performance belied their lowly position. Palace now look certain to preserve Sam Allardyce's proud record of never being in charge of a club that has gone down. However, Klopp issued a rallying call to the fans and his players not to give up hope on the Champions League. "It is frustrating, disappointing of course," Klopp told the BBC. "Everyone thinks the Champions League has slipped through our fingers but we have one more month to stay positive. "We have to try everything to squeeze everything out of this season." Allardyce, who has engineered victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and now Liverpool in recent weeks, said there was a sense of relief that there was clear breathing space now between them and the bottom three -- they are seven points clear of Swansea. "It has been hard work but we are looking up," he told BBC. "We have five games to go but Tottenham on Wednesday will come too early. "We will have to change the side to get fresh legs into the side. It is a big result today, it makes life so much easier," added Allardyce. Palace forward Andros Townsend refused to accept they could relax and plan for another season in the Premier League. "We have seen the other teams at the bottom are winning matches. We are almost there," he told Sky Sports. United may be down to the bare bones in certain areas because of injury but even with leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic out with a serious knee injury and Marcus Rashford rested till a late appearance as a substitute they made light work of a Burnley side who are not out of trouble yet. However, Mourinho denied fourth place was their priority as United he said are in the business of winning trophies and it is what he is being paid for. "If we beat Celta Vigo (their Europa League semi-final opponents) we go to the final and yes it is important for us to play Champions League, but this club wants trophies," said Mourinho. "We cannot give the club the Premier League. We have 25 percent chance to win the Europa League and we have to put everything on it." (AFP)

Premier League: Benteke brace sinks Liverpool, Man United inch closer

Lionel Messi struck his 500th Barcelona goal with the last kick of the game to blow the La Liga title race wide open with a thrilling 3-2 win at Real Madrid on Sunday.

Messi had broken a three-year goalless drought against Madrid to cancel out Casemiro&#39;s opener for Madrid in the first-half.

Ivan Rakitic&#39;s stunning strike and a red card for Madrid captain Sergio Ramos for chopping down Messi 13 minutes from time put Barca on course for victory before James Rodriguez came off the bench to level four minutes from time.

However, fittingly, Messi had the final say with a brilliant finish deep into stoppage time to lift Barcelona&#39;s hopes of a third straight La Liga title.

Fresh from dumping Bayern Munich out the Champions League in a 4-2 thriller after extra-time in midweek, Madrid had started confidently in another breathless encounter at the Bernabeu.

Cristiano Ronaldo had strong appeals for a penalty waived away inside two minutes after he appeared to have been clipped by Samuel Umtiti.

Barca grew slowly into the game and had their first big chance when Luis Suarez dragged wide Jordi Alba&#39;s fine cut-back from the edge of the box 11 minutes in.

Shortly after Messi was left floored and bloodied after being caught by a stray elbow from Marcelo.

The Argentine was still down by Ronaldo drilled another fine effort towards goal that Marc-Andre ter Stegen did well to parry to safety.

Unsurprisingly given both Madrid&#39;s potency and Barca&#39;s inability to defend set-pieces, the opener arrived from a dead ball.

Marcelo picked up the loose ball from a corner and when Sergio Ramos volleyed his cross against the post, Casemiro was on hand to tap into an unguarded net.

The lead lasted just five minutes, though, as with a handkerchief still mopping the blood from his cheek, Messi danced past Dani Carvajal and Nacho to fire home his first goal against Madrid for three years.

Ter Stegen was called into action again to prevent Real immediately retaking the lead as he flew to his left to save from Luka Modric&#39;s long-range effort.

However, Barca ended the half feeling hard done by when referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez didn&#39;t show Casemiro a second yellow card for upending Messi as he led a promising counter-attack.

Madrid were rampant at the start of the second period, but were met with a wall of resistance in Ter Stegen.

The German dived low to his left to turn international teammate Toni Kroos&#39;s effort behind before diverting Karim Benzema&#39;s goalbound header to safety with his outstretched foot.

However, Keylor Navas was also busy at the other end as he came to Madrid&#39;s rescue on three occasions.

Firstly, he got a foot to Paco Alcacer&#39;s prodded effort before pulling off acrobatic saves to deny Gerard Pique and Suarez.

Ronaldo then missed a guilt-edged chance to put Madrid back in front as he somehow turned the ball over from point-blank range after unselfish play from Asensio.

There was nothing Navas could do to deny Barca 17 minutes from time when Rakitic took aim from 25 yards and drilled into the top corner.

The match seemed to have swung decisively in Barca&#39;s favour four minutes later when Ramos scythed down Messi to be shown the 22nd red card of his career.

However, even with 10 men, Madrid rallied and levelled when substitute James Rodriguez swept home Marcelo&#39;s cross four minutes from time.

There was still time for one huge twist in the title race, though, as Sergi Roberto&#39;s lung-bursting run led a Barca counter-attack to feed Jordi Alba and his cross was smashed into the corner by Messi.

(AFP)

Messi scored his 500th goal for Barcelona with the last kick of the game

Lionel Messi struck his 500th Barcelona goal with the last kick of the game to blow the La Liga title race wide open with a thrilling 3-2 win at Real Madrid on Sunday. Messi had broken a three-year goalless drought against Madrid to cancel out Casemiro's opener for Madrid in the first-half. Ivan Rakitic's stunning strike and a red card for Madrid captain Sergio Ramos for chopping down Messi 13 minutes from time put Barca on course for victory before James Rodriguez came off the bench to level four minutes from time. However, fittingly, Messi had the final say with a brilliant finish deep into stoppage time to lift Barcelona's hopes of a third straight La Liga title. Fresh from dumping Bayern Munich out the Champions League in a 4-2 thriller after extra-time in midweek, Madrid had started confidently in another breathless encounter at the Bernabeu. Cristiano Ronaldo had strong appeals for a penalty waived away inside two minutes after he appeared to have been clipped by Samuel Umtiti. Barca grew slowly into the game and had their first big chance when Luis Suarez dragged wide Jordi Alba's fine cut-back from the edge of the box 11 minutes in. Shortly after Messi was left floored and bloodied after being caught by a stray elbow from Marcelo. The Argentine was still down by Ronaldo drilled another fine effort towards goal that Marc-Andre ter Stegen did well to parry to safety. Unsurprisingly given both Madrid's potency and Barca's inability to defend set-pieces, the opener arrived from a dead ball. Marcelo picked up the loose ball from a corner and when Sergio Ramos volleyed his cross against the post, Casemiro was on hand to tap into an unguarded net. The lead lasted just five minutes, though, as with a handkerchief still mopping the blood from his cheek, Messi danced past Dani Carvajal and Nacho to fire home his first goal against Madrid for three years. Ter Stegen was called into action again to prevent Real immediately retaking the lead as he flew to his left to save from Luka Modric's long-range effort. However, Barca ended the half feeling hard done by when referee Alejandro Jose Hernandez didn't show Casemiro a second yellow card for upending Messi as he led a promising counter-attack. Madrid were rampant at the start of the second period, but were met with a wall of resistance in Ter Stegen. The German dived low to his left to turn international teammate Toni Kroos's effort behind before diverting Karim Benzema's goalbound header to safety with his outstretched foot. However, Keylor Navas was also busy at the other end as he came to Madrid's rescue on three occasions. Firstly, he got a foot to Paco Alcacer's prodded effort before pulling off acrobatic saves to deny Gerard Pique and Suarez. Ronaldo then missed a guilt-edged chance to put Madrid back in front as he somehow turned the ball over from point-blank range after unselfish play from Asensio. There was nothing Navas could do to deny Barca 17 minutes from time when Rakitic took aim from 25 yards and drilled into the top corner. The match seemed to have swung decisively in Barca's favour four minutes later when Ramos scythed down Messi to be shown the 22nd red card of his career. However, even with 10 men, Madrid rallied and levelled when substitute James Rodriguez swept home Marcelo's cross four minutes from time. There was still time for one huge twist in the title race, though, as Sergi Roberto's lung-bursting run led a Barca counter-attack to feed Jordi Alba and his cross was smashed into the corner by Messi. (AFP)

Messi heroics help Barcelona edge Real Madrid 3-2

N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s dynamic performances for double chasing Chelsea received the ultimate accolade from his peers on Sunday, the Professional Footballers&#39; Association (PFA) Player of the Year award.

The 26-year-old French midfielder saw off the likes of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Everton&#39;s marksman Romelu Lukaku for the prestigious award.

It may well not be the last piece of silverware he lifts this season as unlike his former team-mates at Leicester -- for whom he was the driving force of a stunning title success last year -- he stands on the brink of becoming the first player to win successive league titles with different clubs.

&quot;To be chosen by the players to be player of the year means a lot to me,&quot; said Kante.

&quot;It means the world to be chosen and it&#39;s been two beautiful seasons, one with Leicester, and we are in good form with Chelsea. To be player of the year, it&#39;s a great honour.&quot;

Kante, who also faces an FA Cup final date against Arsenal, said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, like Leicester&#39;s title winning manager Claudio Ranieri an Italian, had instilled a winning mentality into the players.

&quot;He knows what he wants from the players,&quot; said Kante.

&quot;He wants to win, and we work very, very, very hard in training for him. He put a winning mentality into the squad, and everyone wants to give their best for the team, and to make Chelsea win titles.&quot;

Kante, who had a modest playing career in France with Boulogne and then Caen, said the award will not go to his head as he acknowledges they face a tough battle to win either the league or the Cup -- Spurs are just four points behind them in the title race and Arsenal will be desperate to rescue a poor season with a trophy.

&quot;We&#39;re going to fight for both competitions,&quot; said Kante.

&quot;The cup is just one game, and the league six games, and we&#39;re going to give our best to win these two competitions.&quot;

Kante&#39;s performances this season has had former players eulogising about his ability especially after he totally overshadowed his compatriot and the world&#39;s most expensive player Paul Pogba in the 1-0 win over Manchester United in March.

&quot;I&#39;d go as far to say that he&#39;s (Kante) the best central midfield player in the world on current form,&quot; former England and Chelsea great Frank Lampard told the BBC.

&quot;Looking at the way he&#39;s performing this year, he may not be scoring lots of goals but what he&#39;s giving to the team in the way he&#39;s playing, the driving force that he is, I cannot see anyone else out there in world football better than him at the moment.&quot;

Former Barcelona and England striker Gary Lineker said he had the potential to be the greatest midfielder of all time if he corrected one facet of his game.

&quot;Bloody hell, if Kante starts scoring goals as well he&#39;ll become the best midfield player ever,&quot; tweeted Lineker&nbsp;

Tottenham Hotspur -- who would relish the title even more after being beaten 4-2 by Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final on Saturday -- didn&#39;t go away empty-handed.

Their goalscoring midfielder English international Dele Alli, whom many thought should have been a contender for the senior award, won the young player of the year award for the second successive year.

Other winners included Manchester City&#39;s Lucy Bronze who was the women&#39;s player of the year for a second occasion having won it in 2014. Birmingham City&#39;s Jess Carter won the young player of the year award.

English football icon Davd Beckham followed among another former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs in receiving the PFA&#39;s Merit award for his contribution to the game.

(AFP)

The midfielder saw off the likes of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Everton's marksman Romelu Lukaku for the prestigious award

N'Golo Kante's dynamic performances for double chasing Chelsea received the ultimate accolade from his peers on Sunday, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) Player of the Year award. The 26-year-old French midfielder saw off the likes of Tottenham striker Harry Kane and Everton's marksman Romelu Lukaku for the prestigious award. It may well not be the last piece of silverware he lifts this season as unlike his former team-mates at Leicester -- for whom he was the driving force of a stunning title success last year -- he stands on the brink of becoming the first player to win successive league titles with different clubs. "To be chosen by the players to be player of the year means a lot to me," said Kante. "It means the world to be chosen and it's been two beautiful seasons, one with Leicester, and we are in good form with Chelsea. To be player of the year, it's a great honour." Kante, who also faces an FA Cup final date against Arsenal, said Chelsea manager Antonio Conte, like Leicester's title winning manager Claudio Ranieri an Italian, had instilled a winning mentality into the players. "He knows what he wants from the players," said Kante. "He wants to win, and we work very, very, very hard in training for him. He put a winning mentality into the squad, and everyone wants to give their best for the team, and to make Chelsea win titles." Kante, who had a modest playing career in France with Boulogne and then Caen, said the award will not go to his head as he acknowledges they face a tough battle to win either the league or the Cup -- Spurs are just four points behind them in the title race and Arsenal will be desperate to rescue a poor season with a trophy. "We're going to fight for both competitions," said Kante. "The cup is just one game, and the league six games, and we're going to give our best to win these two competitions." Kante's performances this season has had former players eulogising about his ability especially after he totally overshadowed his compatriot and the world's most expensive player Paul Pogba in the 1-0 win over Manchester United in March. "I'd go as far to say that he's (Kante) the best central midfield player in the world on current form," former England and Chelsea great Frank Lampard told the BBC. "Looking at the way he's performing this year, he may not be scoring lots of goals but what he's giving to the team in the way he's playing, the driving force that he is, I cannot see anyone else out there in world football better than him at the moment." Former Barcelona and England striker Gary Lineker said he had the potential to be the greatest midfielder of all time if he corrected one facet of his game. "Bloody hell, if Kante starts scoring goals as well he'll become the best midfield player ever," tweeted Lineker Tottenham Hotspur -- who would relish the title even more after being beaten 4-2 by Chelsea in their FA Cup semi-final on Saturday -- didn't go away empty-handed. Their goalscoring midfielder English international Dele Alli, whom many thought should have been a contender for the senior award, won the young player of the year award for the second successive year. Other winners included Manchester City's Lucy Bronze who was the women's player of the year for a second occasion having won it in 2014. Birmingham City's Jess Carter won the young player of the year award. English football icon Davd Beckham followed among another former Manchester United team-mate Ryan Giggs in receiving the PFA's Merit award for his contribution to the game. (AFP)

Premier League: Chelsea's Kante wins player of the year gong

Alexis Sanchez earned Arsenal an FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea and gave Arsene Wenger renewed hope of salvaging a troubled campaign as the gritty Gunners fought back to beat Manchester City 2-1 on Sunday.

When Sergio Aguero put City ahead in the second half of a bruising semi-final, Wenger&#39;s side were on the verge of another dispiriting defeat in arguably the worst season of the Frenchman&#39;s 21-year reign.

But, despite being out-played for long periods, Arsenal summoned a spirit and desire too often missing from their performances this term.

Nacho Monreal&#39;s equaliser forced extra-time and Sanchez&#39;s predatory finish in the additional period secured a final date with Premier League leaders Chelsea back at Wembley on May 27.

Arsenal&#39;s third FA Cup final in the last four years -- they won it in 2014 and 2015 -- gives them a record 20 appearances in the showpiece match of the famous old competition.

Crucially, it presents Wenger with a chance to mute the mounting criticism from his club&#39;s supporters who want him to resign.

The Gunners&#39; failure to challenge for the Premier League title has been compounded by their slide out of the top four.

But those close to Wenger believe he is still leaning towards staying.

With fourth placed City well adrift of leaders Chelsea, boss Pep Guardiola is destined to finish his first season empty-handed.

He now faces the difficult task of lifting his players before a vital derby against Manchester United as the top four battles heats up on Thursday.

City came close to striking first when the diminutive David Silva rose to meet Aguero&#39;s cross with a header that Petr Cech pushed over.

Silva departed due to injury soon after, but City monopolised possession and Arsenal were often reduced to kicking their opponents out of their rhythm.&nbsp;

Aguero and Raheem Sterling combined to bundle the ball into the net just before half-time, but the goal was controversially ruled out because Leroy Sane&#39;s cross was adjudged to have gone out as it looped over the bar before curling back into play.

Off the canvas&nbsp;

To City&#39;s frustration, television replays suggested a tiny part of the ball was still in play before it reached Aguero.

Yet Arsenal&#39;s play still lacked conviction and by the 62nd minute the scoreline finally reflected City&#39;s dominance.

When Yaya Toure seized the ball after Aaron Ramsey&#39;s mistake deep in City&#39;s half, the Ivorian spotted Aguero and sent a long pass towards the striker.

Aguero surged away from Monreal and, although his first touch almost ruined the chance, he recovered to lift a deft finish over Cech for his 30th goal this season.

If that felt like the knockout blow, Monreal had other ideas and he hauled the Gunners off the canvas in the 71st minute.

Having laboured for so long, Arsenal suddenly sprang to life and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain swung over a superb cross to the far post, where Monreal timed his run perfectly to slot home from close-range for his first Arsenal goal in over two years.

City almost hit back immediately, with Toure&#39;s 25-yard volley pushed onto a post by Cech before Fernandinho headed against the crossbar from Kevin de Bruyne&#39;s corner.

Danny Welbeck couldn&#39;t win it for Arsenal with a fine curling strike before extra-time, but Sanchez came to Wenger&#39;s rescue with a far more prosaic effort in the 101st minute.

Sanchez has been a problem for Wenger with his mood swings this season and he was well below his best for long periods once again.

But he was in the right place at the right time when a goalmouth melee ended with the Chilean beating Gael Clichy to the loose ball and firing in from close-range.

(AFP)

The Gunners entered the final for a record 20th time after an Alexis Sanchez winner capped off a spirited comeback

Alexis Sanchez earned Arsenal an FA Cup final showdown with Chelsea and gave Arsene Wenger renewed hope of salvaging a troubled campaign as the gritty Gunners fought back to beat Manchester City 2-1 on Sunday. When Sergio Aguero put City ahead in the second half of a bruising semi-final, Wenger's side were on the verge of another dispiriting defeat in arguably the worst season of the Frenchman's 21-year reign. But, despite being out-played for long periods, Arsenal summoned a spirit and desire too often missing from their performances this term. Nacho Monreal's equaliser forced extra-time and Sanchez's predatory finish in the additional period secured a final date with Premier League leaders Chelsea back at Wembley on May 27. Arsenal's third FA Cup final in the last four years -- they won it in 2014 and 2015 -- gives them a record 20 appearances in the showpiece match of the famous old competition. Crucially, it presents Wenger with a chance to mute the mounting criticism from his club's supporters who want him to resign. The Gunners' failure to challenge for the Premier League title has been compounded by their slide out of the top four. But those close to Wenger believe he is still leaning towards staying. With fourth placed City well adrift of leaders Chelsea, boss Pep Guardiola is destined to finish his first season empty-handed. He now faces the difficult task of lifting his players before a vital derby against Manchester United as the top four battles heats up on Thursday. City came close to striking first when the diminutive David Silva rose to meet Aguero's cross with a header that Petr Cech pushed over. Silva departed due to injury soon after, but City monopolised possession and Arsenal were often reduced to kicking their opponents out of their rhythm. Aguero and Raheem Sterling combined to bundle the ball into the net just before half-time, but the goal was controversially ruled out because Leroy Sane's cross was adjudged to have gone out as it looped over the bar before curling back into play. Off the canvas To City's frustration, television replays suggested a tiny part of the ball was still in play before it reached Aguero. Yet Arsenal's play still lacked conviction and by the 62nd minute the scoreline finally reflected City's dominance. When Yaya Toure seized the ball after Aaron Ramsey's mistake deep in City's half, the Ivorian spotted Aguero and sent a long pass towards the striker. Aguero surged away from Monreal and, although his first touch almost ruined the chance, he recovered to lift a deft finish over Cech for his 30th goal this season. If that felt like the knockout blow, Monreal had other ideas and he hauled the Gunners off the canvas in the 71st minute. Having laboured for so long, Arsenal suddenly sprang to life and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain swung over a superb cross to the far post, where Monreal timed his run perfectly to slot home from close-range for his first Arsenal goal in over two years. City almost hit back immediately, with Toure's 25-yard volley pushed onto a post by Cech before Fernandinho headed against the crossbar from Kevin de Bruyne's corner. Danny Welbeck couldn't win it for Arsenal with a fine curling strike before extra-time, but Sanchez came to Wenger's rescue with a far more prosaic effort in the 101st minute. Sanchez has been a problem for Wenger with his mood swings this season and he was well below his best for long periods once again. But he was in the right place at the right time when a goalmouth melee ended with the Chilean beating Gael Clichy to the loose ball and firing in from close-range. (AFP)

FA Cup: Arsenal overcome City to set up Chelsea showdown

Late goals from Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matric settled a rip-roaring FA Cup semi-final 4-2 in Chelsea&#39;s favour over title rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Saturday.

It was only the fourth time in the famous old knockout competition that a semi-final had featured the current top two in the top flight and it did not disappoint.

Brazilian Willian, surprisingly selected ahead of Hazard in the starting line-up, twice put Chelsea ahead in a sizzling contest, first after four minutes with a free kick and then close to halftime from the penalty spot.

Twice Tottenham roared back with Harry Kane heading them level after 18 minutes and fellow England international Dele Alli making it 2-2 with a superb finish in the 52nd minute.

Tottenham, who are four points behind Chelsea in the Premier League after a brilliant run of seven successive wins, dominated at times but their hopes of a first FA Cup final since 1991 were sunk late on by two moments of magic.

First Hazard, who replaced Willian with half an hour remaining, buried a low shot past Hugo Lloris after 75 minutes, then Matic&#39;s 25-metre piledriver sank Spurs who have won only one of their last nine matches at Wembley and have now lost in seven successive FA Cup semi-finals.

It was a huge win for Chelsea who have wobbled lately with two league defeats and they will face either Arsenal or Manchester City in the final when a &quot;double&quot; could be on offer.

After a resounding ovation for former England defender and Tottenham&#39;s Under-23 coach Ugo Ehiogu who died on Friday the semi-final began at a high tempo.

Chelsea, with Diego Costa and Hazard surprisingly on the bench, settled quickly and struck first.

Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld was a touch fortunate to escape a red card when his desperate tackle ended Pedro&#39;s marauding run, but greater punishment was exacted by Willian who curled a beautiful free kick past a flat-footed Lloris.

Tottenham were rattled as Chelsea swarmed around the pitch threatening a second goal but Chelsea&#39;s lead lasted only 13 minutes.

Delicate header

Christian Eriksen&#39;s corner was blocked but when the ball came back to the Dane he curled in a low cross and Kane, almost kneeling, feathered a delicate header beyond Thibaut Courtois for his 26th goal of the season.

Alli was becoming more involved and left David Luiz in agony after accidentally treading on the Chelsea defender&#39;s ankle.

As Tottenham assumed control Eric Dier went close to giving them the lead with a glancing header from Jan Vertonghen&#39;s teasing delivery that floated just wide.

Chelsea regained the lead out of the blue.

Eating up the ground on a forward run N&#39;Golo Kante slipped a ball towards the overlapping Victor Moses down the right and he was sent sprawling to the turf by Son Heung-min, playing as a left wing back, who needlessly slid in.

After a short delay referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the penalty spot and Willian dispatched it past Lloris.

Tottenham hit back again in brilliant fashion seven minutes after the break when Eriksen&#39;s teasing ball left Luiz floundering and Alli, timing his run to perfection, stabbed the ball high past Courtois.

Conte reacted by introducing Costa and Hazard with Willian making way and it was Hazard who stunned Tottenham when he was allowed to much space and he fired home through a crowd.

Matic then sent Chelsea&#39;s fans into ecstasy with an unstoppable fourth. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Chelsea 4-2 their rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the rip-roaring FA Cup semi-final

Late goals from Eden Hazard and Nemanja Matric settled a rip-roaring FA Cup semi-final 4-2 in Chelsea's favour over title rivals Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley on Saturday. It was only the fourth time in the famous old knockout competition that a semi-final had featured the current top two in the top flight and it did not disappoint. Brazilian Willian, surprisingly selected ahead of Hazard in the starting line-up, twice put Chelsea ahead in a sizzling contest, first after four minutes with a free kick and then close to halftime from the penalty spot. Twice Tottenham roared back with Harry Kane heading them level after 18 minutes and fellow England international Dele Alli making it 2-2 with a superb finish in the 52nd minute. Tottenham, who are four points behind Chelsea in the Premier League after a brilliant run of seven successive wins, dominated at times but their hopes of a first FA Cup final since 1991 were sunk late on by two moments of magic. First Hazard, who replaced Willian with half an hour remaining, buried a low shot past Hugo Lloris after 75 minutes, then Matic's 25-metre piledriver sank Spurs who have won only one of their last nine matches at Wembley and have now lost in seven successive FA Cup semi-finals. It was a huge win for Chelsea who have wobbled lately with two league defeats and they will face either Arsenal or Manchester City in the final when a "double" could be on offer. After a resounding ovation for former England defender and Tottenham's Under-23 coach Ugo Ehiogu who died on Friday the semi-final began at a high tempo. Chelsea, with Diego Costa and Hazard surprisingly on the bench, settled quickly and struck first. Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld was a touch fortunate to escape a red card when his desperate tackle ended Pedro's marauding run, but greater punishment was exacted by Willian who curled a beautiful free kick past a flat-footed Lloris. Tottenham were rattled as Chelsea swarmed around the pitch threatening a second goal but Chelsea's lead lasted only 13 minutes. Delicate header Christian Eriksen's corner was blocked but when the ball came back to the Dane he curled in a low cross and Kane, almost kneeling, feathered a delicate header beyond Thibaut Courtois for his 26th goal of the season. Alli was becoming more involved and left David Luiz in agony after accidentally treading on the Chelsea defender's ankle. As Tottenham assumed control Eric Dier went close to giving them the lead with a glancing header from Jan Vertonghen's teasing delivery that floated just wide. Chelsea regained the lead out of the blue. Eating up the ground on a forward run N'Golo Kante slipped a ball towards the overlapping Victor Moses down the right and he was sent sprawling to the turf by Son Heung-min, playing as a left wing back, who needlessly slid in. After a short delay referee Martin Atkinson pointed to the penalty spot and Willian dispatched it past Lloris. Tottenham hit back again in brilliant fashion seven minutes after the break when Eriksen's teasing ball left Luiz floundering and Alli, timing his run to perfection, stabbed the ball high past Courtois. Conte reacted by introducing Costa and Hazard with Willian making way and it was Hazard who stunned Tottenham when he was allowed to much space and he fired home through a crowd. Matic then sent Chelsea's fans into ecstasy with an unstoppable fourth. (Reuters)

Chelsea edge Tottenham in thrilling Cup semi

Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s magical season with Manchester United appears over after the club announced he had suffered a serious knee injury in Thursday&#39;s Europa League clash with Anderlecht.

The club revealed that both the 35-year-old Swedish striker and Argentinian defender Marco Rojo had suffered knee injuries in the same match.

&quot;Detailed investigations on the injuries sustained by Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during Thursday&#39;s Europa League match have confirmed significant knee ligament damage in both players that requires specialist opinions over the coming days,&quot; read the United statement on their website.

&quot;Estimations of time to full recovery will only be possible once definitive treatment plans have been decided after these consultations.&quot;

Ibrahimovic didn&#39;t have his finest game agianst Anderlecht -- Marcus Rashford edging United through to the semi-finals on aggregate after extra-time -- but his goals this season have been the main reason for an improvement in the club&#39;s fortunes, albeit without ever being title challengers.

Ibrahimovic has defied many doubters since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last year, scoring 28 goals and inspiring United to victory in the League Cup.

Rojo&#39;s injury is also a serious bodyblow to United&#39;s depleted resources at the back with both England international central defenders Phil Jones and Chris Smalling expected to be out till mid May.

(AFP)

Marcos Rojo's injury is also a serious body blow to United's depleted resources at the back

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's magical season with Manchester United appears over after the club announced he had suffered a serious knee injury in Thursday's Europa League clash with Anderlecht. The club revealed that both the 35-year-old Swedish striker and Argentinian defender Marco Rojo had suffered knee injuries in the same match. "Detailed investigations on the injuries sustained by Marcos Rojo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic during Thursday's Europa League match have confirmed significant knee ligament damage in both players that requires specialist opinions over the coming days," read the United statement on their website. "Estimations of time to full recovery will only be possible once definitive treatment plans have been decided after these consultations." Ibrahimovic didn't have his finest game agianst Anderlecht -- Marcus Rashford edging United through to the semi-finals on aggregate after extra-time -- but his goals this season have been the main reason for an improvement in the club's fortunes, albeit without ever being title challengers. Ibrahimovic has defied many doubters since joining on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain last year, scoring 28 goals and inspiring United to victory in the League Cup. Rojo's injury is also a serious bodyblow to United's depleted resources at the back with both England international central defenders Phil Jones and Chris Smalling expected to be out till mid May. (AFP)

Man United's Ibrahimovic suffers 'significant knee ligament damage'

A graffiti portraying Lionel Messi on tiptoes kissing arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo has caused a stir in Barcelona, just two days before the seaside city&#39;s team faces Real Madrid in a crux game.

The graffiti on a bus stop in central Barcelona shows the Argentina and Barcelona star embracing and tenderly kissing his Portuguese Real Madrid rival, a football at their feet and a rose in Messi&#39;s hand, drawing many camera-wielding tourists.

The artist Tvboy said he had been inspired by the fact that Sunday&#39;s El Clasico game happens to fall on April 23 -- which is when people in Barcelona and the wider region of Catalonia celebrate their very own Valentine&#39;s Day.

&quot;I&#39;m looking for a message of hope and positivity. With all the clashes there have been in football between hooligans, I want to say: &#39;be calmer&#39;,&quot; he told AFP.

&quot;Messi and Cristiano are opponents, I know they would never kiss. But art must portray an ideal world, it must astonish, provoke.&quot;

Tvboy is an Italian from Milan who has lived for 13 years in Barcelona, whose streets have become his canvas.

His latest project dubbed &quot;Love is blind&quot; started during the US election campaign, during which he drew Republican candidate and current president Donald Trump kissing his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton.

(AFP)

The graffiti on a bus stop in central Barcelona shows Messi and Ronaldo tenderly kissing each other

A graffiti portraying Lionel Messi on tiptoes kissing arch-rival Cristiano Ronaldo has caused a stir in Barcelona, just two days before the seaside city's team faces Real Madrid in a crux game. The graffiti on a bus stop in central Barcelona shows the Argentina and Barcelona star embracing and tenderly kissing his Portuguese Real Madrid rival, a football at their feet and a rose in Messi's hand, drawing many camera-wielding tourists. The artist Tvboy said he had been inspired by the fact that Sunday's El Clasico game happens to fall on April 23 -- which is when people in Barcelona and the wider region of Catalonia celebrate their very own Valentine's Day. "I'm looking for a message of hope and positivity. With all the clashes there have been in football between hooligans, I want to say: 'be calmer'," he told AFP. "Messi and Cristiano are opponents, I know they would never kiss. But art must portray an ideal world, it must astonish, provoke." Tvboy is an Italian from Milan who has lived for 13 years in Barcelona, whose streets have become his canvas. His latest project dubbed "Love is blind" started during the US election campaign, during which he drew Republican candidate and current president Donald Trump kissing his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton. (AFP)

Messi, Ronaldo kissing graffiti causes stir in Barcelona

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta acknowledged on Tuesday that his team has to provide a perfect performance to turn around the result against Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Camp Nou stadium, after a thrashing 0-3 first leg defeat.

Barcelona had made a historical comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the fourth round, after a 0-4 defeat at the Parc des Princes, wrapping up the match with&nbsp;a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou.

Barcelona finds itself in the same situation today, but this time against Juve&#39;s almost impregnable&nbsp;defense.

On the first leg in Turin, Iniesta said: &quot;It was a tough loss, but we&#39;re potent. We can sow doubt in our opponents and try to turn the tables.&quot;

&quot;We have to play a perfect game. We have to create the maximum number of chances and score goals,&quot; he added.

Asked whether Bar&ccedil;a can make another comeback, the veteran midfielder said: &quot;Twice? It&#39;s complicated, but if we can get close and create uncertainty in our opponents, the team will have a chance.&quot;

Iniesta also believes that Wednesday&#39;s match has many similarities to the PSG encounter, explaining that &quot;it&#39;s similar in that we have to score goals and give our rivals little chance to do so.&quot;&nbsp;

He added &quot;mentality is key from the opening minute. We have to score goals, and the earlier, the better.&quot;

(Agencia EFE)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Barcelona is set to clash against Juventus at Camp Nou today hoping to turn the three goal deficit suffered in the first leg

Barcelona midfielder Andres Iniesta acknowledged on Tuesday that his team has to provide a perfect performance to turn around the result against Juventus in the second leg of the Champions League quarterfinals at Camp Nou stadium, after a thrashing 0-3 first leg defeat. Barcelona had made a historical comeback against Paris Saint-Germain in the fourth round, after a 0-4 defeat at the Parc des Princes, wrapping up the match with a 6-1 victory at Camp Nou. Barcelona finds itself in the same situation today, but this time against Juve's almost impregnable defense. On the first leg in Turin, Iniesta said: "It was a tough loss, but we're potent. We can sow doubt in our opponents and try to turn the tables." "We have to play a perfect game. We have to create the maximum number of chances and score goals," he added. Asked whether Barça can make another comeback, the veteran midfielder said: "Twice? It's complicated, but if we can get close and create uncertainty in our opponents, the team will have a chance." Iniesta also believes that Wednesday's match has many similarities to the PSG encounter, explaining that "it's similar in that we have to score goals and give our rivals little chance to do so." He added "mentality is key from the opening minute. We have to score goals, and the earlier, the better." (Agencia EFE)

We have to play a perfect game against Juventus: Iniesta

Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao struck early as Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in an enthralling game on Wednesday that sealed a 6-3 aggregate victory.

French prodigy Mbappe and Colombia striker Falcao scored in the third and 17th minutes before Marco Reus gave the visitors hope with a 48th-minute goal, only for substitute Valere Germain to wrap up the win for the French side nine minutes from time.

Monaco joined Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the last four of Europe&#39;s premier club competition, becoming the first French team to achieve the feat since Olympique Lyonnais in 2010.

&quot;We&#39;re happy to be in the semi-finals, it&#39;s important for French football,&quot; Falcao said.

Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was philosophical after a difficult tie from the moment his team&#39;s bus was attacked before the first leg last week.

&quot;Over both games we have the feeling that everything that could go wrong went wrong,&quot; he said.

The kickoff was delayed by five minutes after the German team arrived late at the Louis-II stadium due to traffic problems. Dortmund said on their Twitter feed that the bus had been held up by police at their hotel for 20 minutes.

The incident occurred a week after the first leg was postponed by 24 hours after the Borussia team bus was attacked with explosives on its way to the stadium.

Monaco fans unveiled a &quot;You&#39;ll Never Walk Alone&quot; banner, with the German team&#39;s anthem, which they share with British clubs Liverpool and Celtic.

Monaco, who have now scored three goals in each of their last five Champions League games, made a fast start.

Benjamin Mendy&#39;s fierce 25-metre strike was parried by Roman Burki into the path of Mbappe, who coolly slotted home to put the hosts ahead.

Dortmund came close to an equaliser when Nuri Sahin&#39;s free kick hit Danijel Subasic&#39;s left-hand post.

Monaco, however, doubled their tally three minutes later as Falcao perfectly timed his header to beat Burki from Thomas Lemar&#39;s cross from the left.

That left Dortmund with three goals to score to force extra time and Tuchel replaced midfielder Erik Durm with forward Ousmane Dembele.

The German side looked transformed after the break and they were quickly rewarded as Reus reduced the arrears when he volleyed home from Dembele&#39;s cross after a dazzling run by the Frenchman.

It spurred the visitors into action and Monaco started to look shaky as the 19-year-old Dembele proved a constant threat.

Monaco, however, had a golden chance to wrap up their qualification shortly after the hour but Falcao&#39;s chip went over the bar.

Germain replaced Mbappe and had an immediate impact as he latched on to Lemar&#39;s cross to score seconds after coming on.

(Reuters)

French prodigy Mbappe and Colombia striker Falcao scored in the third and 17th minutes

Kylian Mbappe and Radamel Falcao struck early as Monaco reached the Champions League semi-finals with a 3-1 home win over Borussia Dortmund in an enthralling game on Wednesday that sealed a 6-3 aggregate victory. French prodigy Mbappe and Colombia striker Falcao scored in the third and 17th minutes before Marco Reus gave the visitors hope with a 48th-minute goal, only for substitute Valere Germain to wrap up the win for the French side nine minutes from time. Monaco joined Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid and Juventus in the last four of Europe's premier club competition, becoming the first French team to achieve the feat since Olympique Lyonnais in 2010. "We're happy to be in the semi-finals, it's important for French football," Falcao said. Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was philosophical after a difficult tie from the moment his team's bus was attacked before the first leg last week. "Over both games we have the feeling that everything that could go wrong went wrong," he said. The kickoff was delayed by five minutes after the German team arrived late at the Louis-II stadium due to traffic problems. Dortmund said on their Twitter feed that the bus had been held up by police at their hotel for 20 minutes. The incident occurred a week after the first leg was postponed by 24 hours after the Borussia team bus was attacked with explosives on its way to the stadium. Monaco fans unveiled a "You'll Never Walk Alone" banner, with the German team's anthem, which they share with British clubs Liverpool and Celtic. Monaco, who have now scored three goals in each of their last five Champions League games, made a fast start. Benjamin Mendy's fierce 25-metre strike was parried by Roman Burki into the path of Mbappe, who coolly slotted home to put the hosts ahead. Dortmund came close to an equaliser when Nuri Sahin's free kick hit Danijel Subasic's left-hand post. Monaco, however, doubled their tally three minutes later as Falcao perfectly timed his header to beat Burki from Thomas Lemar's cross from the left. That left Dortmund with three goals to score to force extra time and Tuchel replaced midfielder Erik Durm with forward Ousmane Dembele. The German side looked transformed after the break and they were quickly rewarded as Reus reduced the arrears when he volleyed home from Dembele's cross after a dazzling run by the Frenchman. It spurred the visitors into action and Monaco started to look shaky as the 19-year-old Dembele proved a constant threat. Monaco, however, had a golden chance to wrap up their qualification shortly after the hour but Falcao's chip went over the bar. Germain replaced Mbappe and had an immediate impact as he latched on to Lemar's cross to score seconds after coming on. (Reuters)

Champions League: Monaco beat Borussia Dortmund 3-1, reach semi-final

Barcelona&#39;s hopes of staging another sensational Champions League comeback fell flat against a hardened Juventus side who held the Catalans to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday at the Nou Camp to reach the semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate.

The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope of repeating their historic turnaround against Paris St Germain in the last 16 and protected their healthy advantage from the first leg by starving the hosts of space and clear sights of goal.

Lionel Messi came closest to giving Barca a route back into the contest with four strikes at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them and frequently came up short against Juve&#39;s intimidating centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci.

Twice European champions Juve lacked the spark and power of their thrilling first-leg victory in Turin, but there was rarely any doubt they would exact revenge for their defeat to Barca in the 2015 Champions League final by reaching a 12th semi-final.

Barca coach Luis Enrique had said before the game that if Barca managed to strike early then the noise of the Nou Camp would suck the other goals in.

Juventus, however, showed in the opening stages that they are made of sterner stuff than PSG, who gave up a 4-0 first-leg advantage.

Massimiliano Allegri&rsquo;s side pressed Barca in their own half and limited the supply to the front three.

Messi almost managed to pick out Jordi Alba with a hooked pass and later played a one-two with the Spaniard before dragging narrowly wide of the far post.

Ivan Rakitic and Neymar also missed the target with hopeful efforts but Juventus&#39; aggressive gameplan limited how much attacking Barca could do without leaving themselves exposed.

Gonzalo Higuain cracked a shot over the bar before the break while the probing Juan Cuadrado almost picked out the Argentine striker in the middle, but was thwarted by a brilliant block from Gerard Pique.

Barca increased their grip on possession after the break and spent most of the remainder of the game in their opponents&#39; half trying to carve out chances, but Juve were always ready for them.

Messi whipped a free kick onto the roof of the net and slammed another shot wide before spurning his best chance, a volley which fizzed over the bar.

Barca right back Sergi Roberto attempted a repeat of his heroic strike against PSG, but also missed the target, unable to prevent his side&#39;s second successive elimination at the quarter-final stage, which will provoke much soul-searching at the five-times European champions.

(Reuters)

The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope by starving them of space and clear sights of goal

Barcelona's hopes of staging another sensational Champions League comeback fell flat against a hardened Juventus side who held the Catalans to a 0-0 draw on Wednesday at the Nou Camp to reach the semi-finals 3-0 on aggregate. The Italian champions barely gave Barca a glimmer of hope of repeating their historic turnaround against Paris St Germain in the last 16 and protected their healthy advantage from the first leg by starving the hosts of space and clear sights of goal. Lionel Messi came closest to giving Barca a route back into the contest with four strikes at goal but failed to hit the target with any of them and frequently came up short against Juve's intimidating centre-back pairing of Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. Twice European champions Juve lacked the spark and power of their thrilling first-leg victory in Turin, but there was rarely any doubt they would exact revenge for their defeat to Barca in the 2015 Champions League final by reaching a 12th semi-final. Barca coach Luis Enrique had said before the game that if Barca managed to strike early then the noise of the Nou Camp would suck the other goals in. Juventus, however, showed in the opening stages that they are made of sterner stuff than PSG, who gave up a 4-0 first-leg advantage. Massimiliano Allegri’s side pressed Barca in their own half and limited the supply to the front three. Messi almost managed to pick out Jordi Alba with a hooked pass and later played a one-two with the Spaniard before dragging narrowly wide of the far post. Ivan Rakitic and Neymar also missed the target with hopeful efforts but Juventus' aggressive gameplan limited how much attacking Barca could do without leaving themselves exposed. Gonzalo Higuain cracked a shot over the bar before the break while the probing Juan Cuadrado almost picked out the Argentine striker in the middle, but was thwarted by a brilliant block from Gerard Pique. Barca increased their grip on possession after the break and spent most of the remainder of the game in their opponents' half trying to carve out chances, but Juve were always ready for them. Messi whipped a free kick onto the roof of the net and slammed another shot wide before spurning his best chance, a volley which fizzed over the bar. Barca right back Sergi Roberto attempted a repeat of his heroic strike against PSG, but also missed the target, unable to prevent his side's second successive elimination at the quarter-final stage, which will provoke much soul-searching at the five-times European champions. (Reuters)

Barcelona fail to breach Juventus' steely defence, crash out of Champions League

Barcelona clash against Juventus today in a Champions League match with an uphill task to overturn a 3-goal deficit suffered in the first leg.

Champions League: Barcelona ready for Juventus duel

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to send Real Madrid through to the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-2 extra-time win against 10-man Bayern Munich to seal a 6-3 aggregate victory in controversial circumstances.

A bizarre Sergio Ramos own goal forced the extra period after Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern from the penalty spot and Ronaldo equalised.

Marcelo twice cleared off the line for Madrid and Jerome Boateng did the same for Bayern in a thrilling game, which was tilted in Madrid&rsquo;s favour by Arturo Vidal&rsquo;s dismissal for two yellow cards, the second of which was harsh.

Ronaldo put Madrid level at 2-2 on the night in the first period of extra time when he scored his 100th Champions League goal, from a clearly offside position, before he wrapped up his treble and Marco Asensio added a fourth.

Carlo Ancelotti&rsquo;s Bayern began well, with Thiago Alcantara&#39;s close-range shot brilliantly blocked on the goal line by Marcelo. Arjen Robben lashed the rebound into the side-netting.

Vidal crashed a strike inches over the crossbar and Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas had to be quick off his line to beat Ribery to a through-ball.

Madrid began to find their feet and were soon dominating, with the effervescent Marcelo crossing for Karim Benzema, who headed wide, and Dani Carvajal also firing an effort just off target.

Ramos nearly put the hosts ahead after the otherwise superb Manuel Neuer spilled a shot, but Jerome Boateng somehow blocked his effort on the line to keep his side in the tie.

Toni Kroos fired over and Ronaldo shot when he should have passed to Benzema as Madrid ended the first half looking far more dangerous than their opponents.

However, it was Bayern who took the lead when Casemiro fouled Robben in the area and Lewandowski sent Navas the wrong way from the spot.

Ronaldo levelled the score, heading beyond Neuer in the 76th minute from a fine cross by Casemiro, but Bayern restored overall parity within a minute.

Ramos, so used to being Madrid&#39;s hero, turned villain when he shinned the ball into his own net after a scramble in the area.

With the game heading towards extra-time Vidal was sent off for a second booking after appearing to win the ball cleanly from Asensio.

It gave Madrid the upper hand going into the added 30 minutes and they took advantage when Ronaldo scored the crucial second from Ramos&#39;s cross, despite being in an offside position.

Madrid added two more late on, leaving Bayern exhausted and angry.

(Reuters)

Ronaldo put Madrid level at 2-2 on the night in the first period of extra time when he scored his 100th Champions League goal

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick to send Real Madrid through to the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-2 extra-time win against 10-man Bayern Munich to seal a 6-3 aggregate victory in controversial circumstances. A bizarre Sergio Ramos own goal forced the extra period after Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring for Bayern from the penalty spot and Ronaldo equalised. Marcelo twice cleared off the line for Madrid and Jerome Boateng did the same for Bayern in a thrilling game, which was tilted in Madrid’s favour by Arturo Vidal’s dismissal for two yellow cards, the second of which was harsh. Ronaldo put Madrid level at 2-2 on the night in the first period of extra time when he scored his 100th Champions League goal, from a clearly offside position, before he wrapped up his treble and Marco Asensio added a fourth. Carlo Ancelotti’s Bayern began well, with Thiago Alcantara's close-range shot brilliantly blocked on the goal line by Marcelo. Arjen Robben lashed the rebound into the side-netting. Vidal crashed a strike inches over the crossbar and Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas had to be quick off his line to beat Ribery to a through-ball. Madrid began to find their feet and were soon dominating, with the effervescent Marcelo crossing for Karim Benzema, who headed wide, and Dani Carvajal also firing an effort just off target. Ramos nearly put the hosts ahead after the otherwise superb Manuel Neuer spilled a shot, but Jerome Boateng somehow blocked his effort on the line to keep his side in the tie. Toni Kroos fired over and Ronaldo shot when he should have passed to Benzema as Madrid ended the first half looking far more dangerous than their opponents. However, it was Bayern who took the lead when Casemiro fouled Robben in the area and Lewandowski sent Navas the wrong way from the spot. Ronaldo levelled the score, heading beyond Neuer in the 76th minute from a fine cross by Casemiro, but Bayern restored overall parity within a minute. Ramos, so used to being Madrid's hero, turned villain when he shinned the ball into his own net after a scramble in the area. With the game heading towards extra-time Vidal was sent off for a second booking after appearing to win the ball cleanly from Asensio. It gave Madrid the upper hand going into the added 30 minutes and they took advantage when Ronaldo scored the crucial second from Ramos's cross, despite being in an offside position. Madrid added two more late on, leaving Bayern exhausted and angry. (Reuters)

Real beat Bayern 4-2 (agg 6-3) to reach Champions League semi-final

Long-serving Chelsea defender John Terry will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, the English Premier League club said on Monday.

The 36-year-old former England international played more than 700 games for Chelsea and has been their most successful captain.

&quot;John has given us more than two decades of dedicated and exceptional service,&quot; Chelsea said in a statement.

&quot;In that time he has displayed the utmost pride at wearing the Chelsea shirt.&quot;

Terry made the third-highest number of appearances for Chelsea, captained them a record 578 times and scored 66 goals.

&quot;After 22 years there is so much to say and so many people to thank at this great football club,&quot; Terry said.

&quot;From coaches, team-mates and staff to the fans who have given me so much support down the years, I can&rsquo;t thank you enough,&quot; he added.

&quot;I will decide on my future in due course, but for now I am committed to helping the team achieve success this season.&quot;

Terry has made only four Premier League starts this season as Chelsea have moved to the top of the table, four points clear with six games remaining.

&quot;I will, of course, always be a Blue and am desperate to end my final season as a Chelsea player with more silverware,&quot; Terry said.

&quot;I&#39;ve always been conscious that I depart at the right time, in the right way, and I feel that the end of this season is the right time for the club and I.&quot;

Terry, who made his Chelsea debut in 1998, won the 2012 Champions League, four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Europa League.

He played 78 times for England.

(Reuters)

Terry made the third-highest number of appearances for Chelsea, captained them a record 578 times and scored 66 goals

Long-serving Chelsea defender John Terry will leave Stamford Bridge at the end of the season, the English Premier League club said on Monday. The 36-year-old former England international played more than 700 games for Chelsea and has been their most successful captain. "John has given us more than two decades of dedicated and exceptional service," Chelsea said in a statement. "In that time he has displayed the utmost pride at wearing the Chelsea shirt." Terry made the third-highest number of appearances for Chelsea, captained them a record 578 times and scored 66 goals. "After 22 years there is so much to say and so many people to thank at this great football club," Terry said. "From coaches, team-mates and staff to the fans who have given me so much support down the years, I can’t thank you enough," he added. "I will decide on my future in due course, but for now I am committed to helping the team achieve success this season." Terry has made only four Premier League starts this season as Chelsea have moved to the top of the table, four points clear with six games remaining. "I will, of course, always be a Blue and am desperate to end my final season as a Chelsea player with more silverware," Terry said. "I've always been conscious that I depart at the right time, in the right way, and I feel that the end of this season is the right time for the club and I." Terry, who made his Chelsea debut in 1998, won the 2012 Champions League, four Premier League titles, five FA Cups, three League Cups and the Europa League. He played 78 times for England. (Reuters)

John Terry to leave Chelsea at end of season

He has been at Stamford Bridge for more than two decades, playing for them 713 times

Terry set to leave Chelsea at the end of the season

Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil ended Arsenal&#39;s run of four successive away defeats with a scratchy 2-1 victory over struggling Middlesbrough in their Premier League clash on Monday.

The Gunners&#39; performance was far from convincing but will still bring some relief to their beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger.

There was a period after Alvaro Negredo scored an equaliser when Middlesbrough, who have won only four league games this season, looked capable of going on to claim their fifth scalp.

Arsenal are now seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with a game in hand, while Middlesbrough lie six points from safety and have also played one game fewer than most of the teams above them.

At least Arsenal&rsquo;s trip to Teesside began far more smoothly than their previous away game at Crystal Palace when they were caught in London traffic and arrived shortly before the kick-off.

They reached Middlesbrough&rsquo;s Riverside Stadium with plenty of time to spare, yet there was still a lack of direction on the pitch as they searched for a route to goal in the opening stages.

Wenger had made the sort of selection decisions that he usually reserves for cup ties against teams from lower divisions.

The French manager announced six changes from the team that lost 3-0 at Palace seven days earlier and, even more significantly, employed wing-backs alongside a defensive trio for the first time since 1997.

His tactical alterations did not provide instant results, although they did enjoy the bulk of the early possession and Olivier Giroud&#39;s claims for a penalty when he was floored by Daniel Ayala certainly had some merit.

Arsenal&rsquo;s attacking difficulties were not unexpected because Middlesbrough went into the game after conceding only 37 goals -- two fewer than Wenger&rsquo;s under-performing side.

Deadlock broken

Marten de Roon headed past the Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech midway through the opening half, but was offside -- Middlesbrough were unimaginative and with 42 minutes gone, they were behind.

A foul by Adam Clayton on the edge of the area was a gift for Sanchez, the Chilean star flighted his free-kick over the wall and inside the post.

It was his 19th Premier League goal of the season and only three fewer than the entire Middlesbrough team going into this game, so it was a surprise that the home side suddenly looked capable of producing a response in the second half.

Middlesbrough were immediately on the front foot and levelled inside five minutes after Sanchez lost possession.

The hosts broke quickly down the right through Stewart Downing, whose cross was missed by Laurent Koscielny before Negredo steered it past Cech.

Suddenly, the game burst into life, with Downing heavily involved. The former England winger wasted an excellent opportunity when George Friend&#39;s cross was allowed to reach him at the far post, then the pair combined again to carve out a chance for Ayala.

Downing&#39;s cross was headed back towards goal by Friend and Ayala looked certain to score before he directed his header too close to Cech.

Arsenal&#39;s response was impressive in the 63rd minute as Sanchez&#39;s through ball picked out Ozil, but goalkeeper Brad Guzan sensed the danger and did well to save at the feet of the German international.

However, the outcome was different in their next confrontation eight minutes later.

Sanchez was involved again with a cross that was chested down by Aaron Ramsey, leaving Ozil with the chance to drill Arsenal back in front from close range.

(AFP)

The Gunners' performance was far from convincing but will still bring some relief to their beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger

Goals from Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil ended Arsenal's run of four successive away defeats with a scratchy 2-1 victory over struggling Middlesbrough in their Premier League clash on Monday. The Gunners' performance was far from convincing but will still bring some relief to their beleaguered manager Arsene Wenger. There was a period after Alvaro Negredo scored an equaliser when Middlesbrough, who have won only four league games this season, looked capable of going on to claim their fifth scalp. Arsenal are now seven points behind fourth-placed Manchester City with a game in hand, while Middlesbrough lie six points from safety and have also played one game fewer than most of the teams above them. At least Arsenal’s trip to Teesside began far more smoothly than their previous away game at Crystal Palace when they were caught in London traffic and arrived shortly before the kick-off. They reached Middlesbrough’s Riverside Stadium with plenty of time to spare, yet there was still a lack of direction on the pitch as they searched for a route to goal in the opening stages. Wenger had made the sort of selection decisions that he usually reserves for cup ties against teams from lower divisions. The French manager announced six changes from the team that lost 3-0 at Palace seven days earlier and, even more significantly, employed wing-backs alongside a defensive trio for the first time since 1997. His tactical alterations did not provide instant results, although they did enjoy the bulk of the early possession and Olivier Giroud's claims for a penalty when he was floored by Daniel Ayala certainly had some merit. Arsenal’s attacking difficulties were not unexpected because Middlesbrough went into the game after conceding only 37 goals -- two fewer than Wenger’s under-performing side. Deadlock broken Marten de Roon headed past the Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech midway through the opening half, but was offside -- Middlesbrough were unimaginative and with 42 minutes gone, they were behind. A foul by Adam Clayton on the edge of the area was a gift for Sanchez, the Chilean star flighted his free-kick over the wall and inside the post. It was his 19th Premier League goal of the season and only three fewer than the entire Middlesbrough team going into this game, so it was a surprise that the home side suddenly looked capable of producing a response in the second half. Middlesbrough were immediately on the front foot and levelled inside five minutes after Sanchez lost possession. The hosts broke quickly down the right through Stewart Downing, whose cross was missed by Laurent Koscielny before Negredo steered it past Cech. Suddenly, the game burst into life, with Downing heavily involved. The former England winger wasted an excellent opportunity when George Friend's cross was allowed to reach him at the far post, then the pair combined again to carve out a chance for Ayala. Downing's cross was headed back towards goal by Friend and Ayala looked certain to score before he directed his header too close to Cech. Arsenal's response was impressive in the 63rd minute as Sanchez's through ball picked out Ozil, but goalkeeper Brad Guzan sensed the danger and did well to save at the feet of the German international. However, the outcome was different in their next confrontation eight minutes later. Sanchez was involved again with a cross that was chested down by Aaron Ramsey, leaving Ozil with the chance to drill Arsenal back in front from close range. (AFP)

Premier League: Sanchez, Ozil secure 2-1 win for Arsenal over Middlesbrough

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona&#39;s title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2 as Spain&#39;s top two edged five-goal thrillers ahead of next weekend&#39;s El Clasico.

Earlier on Saturday, Isco struck at the death to keep Real Madrid three points clear and with a game in hand at the top of the table after twice coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-2.

Barcelona will need Messi on this form if they are to produce another miracle Champions League fightback against Juventus on Wednesday from a 3-0 first leg defeat suffered in midweek.

&quot;I am more than happy with the performance of the players and their ability to manage the frustration after what we experienced in the Champions League this week,&quot; Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar.

The Argentine is now just two off his 500th Barca goal as he smashed home an effort from 25 yards to open the scoring.

Messi then took his tally to 45 goals in 44 games this season with a far less spectacular finish as he bundled home from close range after Geronimo Rulli had saved from Luis Suarez.

However, Barca passed up the chance to enjoy a comfortable evening in a three-goal spell in as many minutes just before half-time.

Firstly, Samuel Umtiti turned Inigo Martinez`s driven effort into his own net.

Paco Alcacer, deputising for the suspended Neymar, briefly restored Barca&#39;s two-goal lead with a composed finish from Messi&#39;s pass.

Yet, Sociedad scored again almost straight from kick-off as Xabi Prieto cushioned William Jose&#39;s cross into the bottom corner. Madrid can all but secure a first league title in five years with victory when they host Barca next weekend.

But not for the first time this season they needed a late show after Duje Cop and Mikel Vesga put Sporting in front early in both halves.

Isco&#39;s fine individual effort and a towering header from Alvaro Morata ensured neither lead lasted more than a few minutes. And Isco sealed the comeback when he drilled home from the edge of the box.

&quot;This is the spirit of Real Madrid,&quot; said Isco.

&quot;It is in the DNA of this shirt and this badge, we have shown it so many times and again today. Until the referee blows the full-time whistle it is not over.&quot;

The Spanish international is yet to agree a new contract with his current deal expiring at the end of next season.

And Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insists he wants Isco to stay despite his lack of starts and interest from Barcelona.

&quot;You know what I think of Isco, he is a player I like a lot and his place is here.&quot;

Isco&#39;s late intervention bailed out his coach after Zidane made nine changes from the side that beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were left out of the squad entirely alongside the injured Gareth Bale, while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Marcelo had to settle for a place on the bench.

&quot;I feel like I am unfair with those that don`t play,&quot; added Zidane.

&quot;There are 24 players that can play in all positions. It is the difficult part of this job.&quot;

Atletico Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Leicester City with a comfortable 3-0 win over rock bottom Osasuna despite missing two penalties in the same game for the second time this season.

Coach Diego Simeone also left out a number of his first-team regulars with top scorer Antoine Griezmann on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

Yannick Carrasco`s low strike and back-post header put Atletico comfortably ahead either side of half-time.

Left-back Filipe Luis then added his third goal in five games.

However, Atletico&#39;s problems from the spot continued as they have now failed to score any of their last six penalties in La Liga.

Carrasco was denied his hat-trick by a fine save from Salvatore Sirigu before the Italian `keeper made an even better stop to deny Thomas Partey seconds later.

Victory takes Atletico four points clear of Sevilla in third.

(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona's title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2

Lionel Messi kept Barcelona's title hopes alive with two goals and an assist to see off Real Sociedad 3-2 as Spain's top two edged five-goal thrillers ahead of next weekend's El Clasico. Earlier on Saturday, Isco struck at the death to keep Real Madrid three points clear and with a game in hand at the top of the table after twice coming from behind to beat Sporting Gijon 3-2. Barcelona will need Messi on this form if they are to produce another miracle Champions League fightback against Juventus on Wednesday from a 3-0 first leg defeat suffered in midweek. "I am more than happy with the performance of the players and their ability to manage the frustration after what we experienced in the Champions League this week," Barca boss Luis Enrique told Spanish TV station Movistar. The Argentine is now just two off his 500th Barca goal as he smashed home an effort from 25 yards to open the scoring. Messi then took his tally to 45 goals in 44 games this season with a far less spectacular finish as he bundled home from close range after Geronimo Rulli had saved from Luis Suarez. However, Barca passed up the chance to enjoy a comfortable evening in a three-goal spell in as many minutes just before half-time. Firstly, Samuel Umtiti turned Inigo Martinez`s driven effort into his own net. Paco Alcacer, deputising for the suspended Neymar, briefly restored Barca's two-goal lead with a composed finish from Messi's pass. Yet, Sociedad scored again almost straight from kick-off as Xabi Prieto cushioned William Jose's cross into the bottom corner. Madrid can all but secure a first league title in five years with victory when they host Barca next weekend. But not for the first time this season they needed a late show after Duje Cop and Mikel Vesga put Sporting in front early in both halves. Isco's fine individual effort and a towering header from Alvaro Morata ensured neither lead lasted more than a few minutes. And Isco sealed the comeback when he drilled home from the edge of the box. "This is the spirit of Real Madrid," said Isco. "It is in the DNA of this shirt and this badge, we have shown it so many times and again today. Until the referee blows the full-time whistle it is not over." The Spanish international is yet to agree a new contract with his current deal expiring at the end of next season. And Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane insists he wants Isco to stay despite his lack of starts and interest from Barcelona. "You know what I think of Isco, he is a player I like a lot and his place is here." Isco's late intervention bailed out his coach after Zidane made nine changes from the side that beat Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in midweek. Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema were left out of the squad entirely alongside the injured Gareth Bale, while Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Marcelo had to settle for a place on the bench. "I feel like I am unfair with those that don`t play," added Zidane. "There are 24 players that can play in all positions. It is the difficult part of this job." Atletico Madrid warmed up for the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Leicester City with a comfortable 3-0 win over rock bottom Osasuna despite missing two penalties in the same game for the second time this season. Coach Diego Simeone also left out a number of his first-team regulars with top scorer Antoine Griezmann on the bench for the full 90 minutes. Yannick Carrasco`s low strike and back-post header put Atletico comfortably ahead either side of half-time. Left-back Filipe Luis then added his third goal in five games. However, Atletico's problems from the spot continued as they have now failed to score any of their last six penalties in La Liga. Carrasco was denied his hat-trick by a fine save from Salvatore Sirigu before the Italian `keeper made an even better stop to deny Thomas Partey seconds later. Victory takes Atletico four points clear of Sevilla in third. (AFP)

La Liga: Messi keeps Barca alive ahead of El Clasico

Title-chasing Tottenham thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea, while Manchester City climbed to third place after a 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday.

Mauricio Pochettino&#39;s side are hot on Chelsea&#39;s heels as the title race enters the final furlong and their dominant display at White Hart Lane keeps them in with a chance of being crowned champions for the first time since 1961.

Mousa Dembele opened the scoring with a close-range strike in the 16th minute and Son Heung-Min&#39;s cool finish doubled Tottenham&#39;s lead three minutes later.

Harry Kane, making his first start since suffering an ankle injury five weeks ago, scored his 20th league goal this season with a predatory 48th minute effort.&nbsp;

Vincent Janssen bagged a rare goal in second-half stoppage time as Tottenham chalked up seven successive league wins for the first time since 1967.

Kane is the first Tottenham player to score at least 20 league goals in three successive seasons since Jimmy Greaves in the 1960s.

Chelsea responded last weekend after Tottenham had trimmed their lead, beating Bournemouth 3-1, but Antonio Conte&#39;s men face a far more testing trip to Manchester United on Sunday.

&quot;I am proud of our players after that performance. We have to wait to see what happens,&quot; Pochettino said.

&quot;At the end of the season when everyone is tired, we need everyone to have the right mental attitude and happiness helps.&nbsp;

&quot;The three points are very important to keep our dream.&quot;

At St Mary&#39;s, City captain Vincent Kompany was given only his fourth league start of an injury-plagued campaign and he made up for lost time in the 55th minute.

The Belgian defender scored for the first time since August 2015 as his header from David Silva&#39;s corner evaded a weak attempted save by Fraser Forster.

Leroy Sane finished a flowing move to make it two in the 77th minute and Sergio Aguero headed home three minutes later as City moved one point above Liverpool, who travel to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday.

&quot;This result is so important for our qualification for the Champions League,&quot; City manager Pep Guardiola said.

&quot;Up front we could be better but our quality of play meant we had control.&quot;

Everton improved their prospects of qualifying for Europe as they rose above Arsenal and United into fifth place after a 3-1 win against Burnley.

Phil Jagielka broke the deadlock in the 49th minute before Sam Vokes equalised from the penalty spot for Burnley three minutes later.

Ross Barkley started for Everton amid the controversy over a British tabloid columnist&#39;s unsavoury criticism of the England midfielder and it was his shot that deflected off Ben Mee for a 71st minute own goal.

Everton striker Romelu Lukaku struck three minutes later for his 24th league goal this season.

Fightback&nbsp; 
 
Leicester suffered a dispiriting warm-up for their decisive Champions League quarter-final clash as they squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace.

Craig Shakespeare made only two changes ahead of Tuesday&#39;s home second leg with Atletico Madrid, when Leicester will try to overturn a 1-0 deficit.

Beaten by a controversial penalty from Antoine Griezmann in Madrid, the Foxes took the lead in the less glamourous surroundings of Selhurst Park thanks to a Robert Huth header in the sixth minute.

Jamie Vardy doubled Leicester&#39;s advantage in the 52nd minute.

But Palace got one back through Yohan Cabaye two minutes later before Christian Benteke capped the fightback with a 70th minute header.

Hull&#39;s hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a blow as they lost 3-1 at Stoke.

Marko Arnautovic put Stoke in front in the sixth minute before Hull drew level through Harry Maguire in the 51st minute.

Peter Crouch nodded Stoke back ahead in the 66th minute and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed the points in the 80th minute to leave fourth bottom Hull only two points above the relegation zone.

Third bottom Swansea were unable to take advantage of Hull&#39;s slip as they lost 1-0 at Watford after Etienne Capoue netted in the 42nd minute.

Sunderland remain on the brink of relegation despite salvaging a 2-2 draw against West Ham at the Stadium of Light.

Andre Ayew put West Ham ahead in the fifth minute before Wahbi Khazri equalised in the 26th minute.

James Collins restored West Ham&#39;s lead two minutes after half time, but Fabio Borini rescued a 90th-minute equaliser before Hammers defender Sam Byram was sent off in stoppage time.&nbsp; 
 
(AFP)

Title-chasing Tottenham thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea

Title-chasing Tottenham thrashed Bournemouth 4-0 to move within four points of Premier League leaders Chelsea, while Manchester City climbed to third place after a 3-0 win at Southampton on Saturday. Mauricio Pochettino's side are hot on Chelsea's heels as the title race enters the final furlong and their dominant display at White Hart Lane keeps them in with a chance of being crowned champions for the first time since 1961. Mousa Dembele opened the scoring with a close-range strike in the 16th minute and Son Heung-Min's cool finish doubled Tottenham's lead three minutes later. Harry Kane, making his first start since suffering an ankle injury five weeks ago, scored his 20th league goal this season with a predatory 48th minute effort. Vincent Janssen bagged a rare goal in second-half stoppage time as Tottenham chalked up seven successive league wins for the first time since 1967. Kane is the first Tottenham player to score at least 20 league goals in three successive seasons since Jimmy Greaves in the 1960s. Chelsea responded last weekend after Tottenham had trimmed their lead, beating Bournemouth 3-1, but Antonio Conte's men face a far more testing trip to Manchester United on Sunday. "I am proud of our players after that performance. We have to wait to see what happens," Pochettino said. "At the end of the season when everyone is tired, we need everyone to have the right mental attitude and happiness helps. "The three points are very important to keep our dream." At St Mary's, City captain Vincent Kompany was given only his fourth league start of an injury-plagued campaign and he made up for lost time in the 55th minute. The Belgian defender scored for the first time since August 2015 as his header from David Silva's corner evaded a weak attempted save by Fraser Forster. Leroy Sane finished a flowing move to make it two in the 77th minute and Sergio Aguero headed home three minutes later as City moved one point above Liverpool, who travel to West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. "This result is so important for our qualification for the Champions League," City manager Pep Guardiola said. "Up front we could be better but our quality of play meant we had control." Everton improved their prospects of qualifying for Europe as they rose above Arsenal and United into fifth place after a 3-1 win against Burnley. Phil Jagielka broke the deadlock in the 49th minute before Sam Vokes equalised from the penalty spot for Burnley three minutes later. Ross Barkley started for Everton amid the controversy over a British tabloid columnist's unsavoury criticism of the England midfielder and it was his shot that deflected off Ben Mee for a 71st minute own goal. Everton striker Romelu Lukaku struck three minutes later for his 24th league goal this season. Fightback Leicester suffered a dispiriting warm-up for their decisive Champions League quarter-final clash as they squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw at Crystal Palace. Craig Shakespeare made only two changes ahead of Tuesday's home second leg with Atletico Madrid, when Leicester will try to overturn a 1-0 deficit. Beaten by a controversial penalty from Antoine Griezmann in Madrid, the Foxes took the lead in the less glamourous surroundings of Selhurst Park thanks to a Robert Huth header in the sixth minute. Jamie Vardy doubled Leicester's advantage in the 52nd minute. But Palace got one back through Yohan Cabaye two minutes later before Christian Benteke capped the fightback with a 70th minute header. Hull's hopes of avoiding relegation suffered a blow as they lost 3-1 at Stoke. Marko Arnautovic put Stoke in front in the sixth minute before Hull drew level through Harry Maguire in the 51st minute. Peter Crouch nodded Stoke back ahead in the 66th minute and Xherdan Shaqiri sealed the points in the 80th minute to leave fourth bottom Hull only two points above the relegation zone. Third bottom Swansea were unable to take advantage of Hull's slip as they lost 1-0 at Watford after Etienne Capoue netted in the 42nd minute. Sunderland remain on the brink of relegation despite salvaging a 2-2 draw against West Ham at the Stadium of Light. Andre Ayew put West Ham ahead in the fifth minute before Wahbi Khazri equalised in the 26th minute. James Collins restored West Ham's lead two minutes after half time, but Fabio Borini rescued a 90th-minute equaliser before Hammers defender Sam Byram was sent off in stoppage time. (AFP)

Football: Manchester City 3-0 Southampton, Tottenham thrash Bournemouth

Cristian Zapata hit a dramatic late leveller as AC Milan snatched a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan at the San Siro on Saturday in the city&#39;s first Chinese-owned derby.

Long-suffering Milan fans had reason to feel positive on Easter weekend after the club was taken over by Chinese-led consortium Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux two days ago in a multi-million euro deal.

But until Zapata&#39;s bundled effort hit the crossbar and bounced over the line following a corner in the seventh minute of added-on time, the Rossoneri were on their way to another morale-sapping defeat.

Despite a brilliant start from Vincenzo Montella&#39;s nominal visitors in the ground the two clubs share -- Carlos Bacca firing just over and on-loan Everton man Gerard Deulofeu hitting the upright in the opening minutes -- Inter were more clinical when it mattered.

Antonio Candreva, who hit Inter&#39;s opener in the corresponding fixture earlier this season which also finished 2-2, did well to hold off his marker and chip a long ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on 36 minutes.

Inter captain Mauro Icardi had the hosts 2-0 up on 44 minutes when he strolled in unmarked to poke Ivan Perisic&#39;s cross past the 18-year-old goalkeeper.

Inter, owned by Chinese group Suning since June 2016, had further chances early in the second half and although keeper Samir Handanovic was decisive more than once, the big Slovenian was left stranded when Alessio Romagnoli met Suso&#39;s cross at the back post to hit what initially seemed a late consolation on 83 minutes.

Inter looked nevertheless to be heading for a win that would have taken them up to sixth, one point ahead of Milan as both clubs fight for a Europa League place.

But Nerazzurri hopes were dashed when Bacca got on the end of Suso&#39;s corner to set up Zapata to bundle home from a tight angle.

The draw left Montella&#39;s men sixth, one point behind Atalanta in fifth and the final Europa League qualifying place. Atalanta travel to title-chasing Roma, who are six points behind leaders Juventus, later in the day.

Inter remain seventh, still two points behind their city rivals.

Milan enjoyed a great start, Bacca firing over from four yards seconds into the game after a mix-up in the Inter defence following Matias Fernandez&#39;s charge through the middle.

Icardi bundled over from five yards at the other end after a promising run by Portugal midfielder Joao Mario.&nbsp;

And after seeing Deulofeu hit the upright from a tight angle, the hosts took command when Candreva held off Mattia De Sciglio to beat Donnarumma with a fine chip.

The red and black section of the San Siro fell deadly silent when Icardi was allowed to run in unmarked on 44 minutes to poke Ivan Perisic&#39;s pinpoint delivery into the net.

Inter were far more enterprising after the break, Icardi breaking clear down the left and delivering for Perisic but the Croatian&#39;s effort was straight at Donnarumma.&nbsp;

Deulofeu, though, started exerting his influence and forced a great one-handed save from Handanovic with a bouncing strike before narrowly failing to reach Bacca&#39;s ball to the back post.

Montella urged his men up the pitch and with seven minutes remaining Romagnoli launched the fightback with a volley from Suso&#39;s cross that beat Handanovic.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Zapata put the smiles on Milan faces with an awkward effort that required goalline technology to confirm it had crossed the line.

(AFP)

Inter Milan were 2-0 up by the 44th minute before AC Milan leveled dramatically in the dying stages of the match

Cristian Zapata hit a dramatic late leveller as AC Milan snatched a 2-2 draw with Inter Milan at the San Siro on Saturday in the city's first Chinese-owned derby. Long-suffering Milan fans had reason to feel positive on Easter weekend after the club was taken over by Chinese-led consortium Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux two days ago in a multi-million euro deal. But until Zapata's bundled effort hit the crossbar and bounced over the line following a corner in the seventh minute of added-on time, the Rossoneri were on their way to another morale-sapping defeat. Despite a brilliant start from Vincenzo Montella's nominal visitors in the ground the two clubs share -- Carlos Bacca firing just over and on-loan Everton man Gerard Deulofeu hitting the upright in the opening minutes -- Inter were more clinical when it mattered. Antonio Candreva, who hit Inter's opener in the corresponding fixture earlier this season which also finished 2-2, did well to hold off his marker and chip a long ball past goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on 36 minutes. Inter captain Mauro Icardi had the hosts 2-0 up on 44 minutes when he strolled in unmarked to poke Ivan Perisic's cross past the 18-year-old goalkeeper. Inter, owned by Chinese group Suning since June 2016, had further chances early in the second half and although keeper Samir Handanovic was decisive more than once, the big Slovenian was left stranded when Alessio Romagnoli met Suso's cross at the back post to hit what initially seemed a late consolation on 83 minutes. Inter looked nevertheless to be heading for a win that would have taken them up to sixth, one point ahead of Milan as both clubs fight for a Europa League place. But Nerazzurri hopes were dashed when Bacca got on the end of Suso's corner to set up Zapata to bundle home from a tight angle. The draw left Montella's men sixth, one point behind Atalanta in fifth and the final Europa League qualifying place. Atalanta travel to title-chasing Roma, who are six points behind leaders Juventus, later in the day. Inter remain seventh, still two points behind their city rivals. Milan enjoyed a great start, Bacca firing over from four yards seconds into the game after a mix-up in the Inter defence following Matias Fernandez's charge through the middle. Icardi bundled over from five yards at the other end after a promising run by Portugal midfielder Joao Mario. And after seeing Deulofeu hit the upright from a tight angle, the hosts took command when Candreva held off Mattia De Sciglio to beat Donnarumma with a fine chip. The red and black section of the San Siro fell deadly silent when Icardi was allowed to run in unmarked on 44 minutes to poke Ivan Perisic's pinpoint delivery into the net. Inter were far more enterprising after the break, Icardi breaking clear down the left and delivering for Perisic but the Croatian's effort was straight at Donnarumma. Deulofeu, though, started exerting his influence and forced a great one-handed save from Handanovic with a bouncing strike before narrowly failing to reach Bacca's ball to the back post. Montella urged his men up the pitch and with seven minutes remaining Romagnoli launched the fightback with a volley from Suso's cross that beat Handanovic. With virtually the last kick of the game, Zapata put the smiles on Milan faces with an awkward effort that required goalline technology to confirm it had crossed the line. (AFP)

AC Milan snatch late draw with Inter in first 'Chinese' Derby di Milano

Real Madrid beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal. Novy Kapadia discusses what went wrong for Bayern Munich and Cristiano Ronaldo's remarkable feat in European Football

Champions League: Novy Kapadia discusses Real Madrid's win over Bayern Munich (WION Sports)

The Kings XI Punjab star heaps praise of Punjab's crop of young domestic bowlers, crediting them for the team's impressive start to the season in conversation with Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo

David Miller Exclusive: IPL's rare One-team overseas star (WION Sports)

Serie A giants AC Milan were sold to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux on Thursday in a deal which sees the Chinese-led consortium take a 99.9% stake in the club.

The seven-time European champions who are Italy&#39;s most successful club in international competition, have been owned by former three-time Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi since 1986.

A joint statement by AC Milan&#39;s holding company Fininvest and Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux said: &quot;Today Fininvest has completed the sale of the entire stake owned in AC Milan - equal to 99.93% - to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux.&quot;

(AFP)

Italy's celebrated Serie A giants AC Milan were sold to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux

Serie A giants AC Milan were sold to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux on Thursday in a deal which sees the Chinese-led consortium take a 99.9% stake in the club. The seven-time European champions who are Italy's most successful club in international competition, have been owned by former three-time Italy prime minister Silvio Berlusconi since 1986. A joint statement by AC Milan's holding company Fininvest and Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux said: "Today Fininvest has completed the sale of the entire stake owned in AC Milan - equal to 99.93% - to Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux." (AFP)

Italian football club AC Milan sold to China-backed consortium

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal on Wednesday to give holders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg.

Arturo Vidal headed Bayern into a first-half lead, but then skied a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo volleyed the defending champions&#39; level.

Bayern played the last half an hour a man down after centre-back Javi Martinez was sent off for two fouls on Ronaldo within three minutes of each other.

Four-time world player of the year Ronaldo then slotted in the winner between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer&#39;s legs for the winner 13 minutes from time.

Security was tight at the Allianz Arena in the wake of Tuesday&#39;s attacks on the Borussia Dortmund team bus and both teams arrived with a heavy police escort.

There was a large police presence and inside the stadium, there was polite applause before kick-off when the announcer made reference to Dortmund&#39;s ordeal in the preceding 24 hours.&nbsp;

Bayern suffered a blow before kick-off when top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 38 goals this season, dropped out with a bruised shoulder and Thomas Muller deputised as striker.

Bayern were also missing injured Germany defender Mats Hummels against Real&#39;s formidable BBC attack - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo.

Bayern went ahead on 25 minutes when playmaker Thiago Alcantara swung in a corner from the right which Vidal powered through Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas&#39;s hands.

The Chile midfielder could have added a second when he headed Arjen Robben&#39;s cross wide of the post soon after.

Real made a poor start, rarely threatening Germany&#39;s goalkeeper Neuer, back after minor foot surgery a fortnight ago.

A strong drive from Ronaldo on 41 minutes which Neuer blocked having palmed a Benzema header onto the woodwork with 18 minutes played were their best first-half chances.

Vidal could have finished with a first-half hat-trick when he stepped up to take a penalty after Dani Carvajal&#39;s handball from a Franck Ribery shot.

However, the Chilean smashed the spot-kick high over the crossbar.

It was a miss Bayern were soon to regret.

Real were level two minutes after the break when Carvajal found space on the right and fired in a cross which Ronaldo volleyed past Neuer.

Bale, who has laboured with an ankle injury recently, came off on 58 minutes and Real raised the tempo after he trudged off.

Having already picked up a yellow card for pulling Ronaldo back on 58 minutes, Martinez was shown a red for again fouling the Portugal captain just three minutes later.

Real&#39;s superstar then hit the winner as substitute Marco Asensio, on for Bale, put in a low pass for Ronaldo to tap the ball home between Neuer&#39;s legs.

Real defender Sergio Ramos had the ball in the Bayern net with time running out, but the goal was ruled offside but the Spaniards have the upper hand for the second leg at home next Tuesday.

(AFP)

Real Madrid made a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg

Cristiano Ronaldo netted his 100th European goal on Wednesday to give holders Real Madrid a 2-1 comeback win at 10-man Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-final, first-leg. Arturo Vidal headed Bayern into a first-half lead, but then skied a penalty attempt on the stroke of half-time before Ronaldo volleyed the defending champions' level. Bayern played the last half an hour a man down after centre-back Javi Martinez was sent off for two fouls on Ronaldo within three minutes of each other. Four-time world player of the year Ronaldo then slotted in the winner between goalkeeper Manuel Neuer's legs for the winner 13 minutes from time. Security was tight at the Allianz Arena in the wake of Tuesday's attacks on the Borussia Dortmund team bus and both teams arrived with a heavy police escort. There was a large police presence and inside the stadium, there was polite applause before kick-off when the announcer made reference to Dortmund's ordeal in the preceding 24 hours. Bayern suffered a blow before kick-off when top-scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 38 goals this season, dropped out with a bruised shoulder and Thomas Muller deputised as striker. Bayern were also missing injured Germany defender Mats Hummels against Real's formidable BBC attack - Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo. Bayern went ahead on 25 minutes when playmaker Thiago Alcantara swung in a corner from the right which Vidal powered through Real goalkeeper Keylor Navas's hands. The Chile midfielder could have added a second when he headed Arjen Robben's cross wide of the post soon after. Real made a poor start, rarely threatening Germany's goalkeeper Neuer, back after minor foot surgery a fortnight ago. A strong drive from Ronaldo on 41 minutes which Neuer blocked having palmed a Benzema header onto the woodwork with 18 minutes played were their best first-half chances. Vidal could have finished with a first-half hat-trick when he stepped up to take a penalty after Dani Carvajal's handball from a Franck Ribery shot. However, the Chilean smashed the spot-kick high over the crossbar. It was a miss Bayern were soon to regret. Real were level two minutes after the break when Carvajal found space on the right and fired in a cross which Ronaldo volleyed past Neuer. Bale, who has laboured with an ankle injury recently, came off on 58 minutes and Real raised the tempo after he trudged off. Having already picked up a yellow card for pulling Ronaldo back on 58 minutes, Martinez was shown a red for again fouling the Portugal captain just three minutes later. Real's superstar then hit the winner as substitute Marco Asensio, on for Bale, put in a low pass for Ronaldo to tap the ball home between Neuer's legs. Real defender Sergio Ramos had the ball in the Bayern net with time running out, but the goal was ruled offside but the Spaniards have the upper hand for the second leg at home next Tuesday. (AFP)

Ronaldo hits 100th European goal as Real win at Bayern

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team&#39;s bus.

Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net.

Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time.

German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday&#39;s attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra.

Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post.

One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe&#39;s knee and into the net.

Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net.

Thomas Tuchel&#39;s double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro&#39;s cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele&#39;s path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal.

It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie.

Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki.

The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres.

(Reuters)

Kylian Mbappe bundled Monaco ahead on 19 minutes with Sven Bender heading into his own net to compound Dortmund's problems

Teenager Kylian Mbappe scored twice to give AS Monaco a 3-2 win at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in a Champions League quarter-final first-leg match that was postponed following an attack on the home team's bus. Mbappe gave Monaco a 19th-minute lead shortly after Fabinho had missed a penalty for the visitors, and they went further ahead when Dortmund defender Sven Bender headed into his own net. Ousmane Dembele pulled one back for Dortmund in the 57th minute but another defensive mistake allowed Mbappe to break away and grab a third goal for the Ligue 1 side. Shinji Kagawa gave the German side hope with a neat finish six minutes from time. German media had questioned whether the game should have gone ahead so soon after Tuesday's attack in which three explosions went off as the Dortmund team bus travelled to the stadium, injuring their Spanish defender Marc Bartra. Monaco, who beat Manchester City on away goals after a 6-6 aggregate draw in the last 16, should have gone ahead in the 18th minute after Mbappe won a penalty but Fabinho pulled his spot-kick wide of the post. One minute later Bernardo Silva burst out of the Monaco half and flicked a clever pass to Thomas Lemar whose low ball across the face of goal bounced off Mbappe's knee and into the net. Monaco went further ahead in the 35th minute when Andrea Raggi sent an inswinging cross towards Radamel Falcao and, although Bender got to it first, he only succeeded in heading it past Roman Buerki and into the net. Thomas Tuchel's double substitution at halftime galvanized Dortmund who went out on the attack and deservedly pulled one back in the 57th minute. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang cleverly flicked Raphael Guerreiro's cross into the path of Kagawa and the Japanese laid the ball into Ousmane Dembele's path for the 19-year-old to tap into an open goal. It was the first time two teenagers had scored in a Champions League knockout tie. Falcao missed an open goal for Monaco before Mbappe, 18, intercepted a poor Lukasz Piszczek pass, ran on and calmly fired his shot past Buerki. The drama continued as Kagawa grabbed another goal for Dortmund and Aubameyang headed over the bar in stoppage time from six metres. (Reuters)

Champions League: Monaco beat Dortmund 3-2 day after bus attack

Eden Hazard fired Premier League leaders Chelsea to a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City, but Tottenham are hot on their heels after a sensational fightback in their 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday.

Chelsea remain seven points clear of second placed Tottenham with eight games to play, yet with just minutes left on a dramatic evening it seemed the Blues would have a much greater lead.

Rocked by Saturday&#39;s shock 2-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea side took only 10 minutes to take the lead through Hazard&#39;s 12th goal of the season.

Hazard&#39;s effort deflected off Vincent Kompany and beat Willy Caballero, whose weak attempted save drew a frustrated look from City boss Pep Guardiola as he contemplated the latest in a growing list of gaffes from his goalkeepers this season.

Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was guilty of an even worse blunder, spilling David Silva&#39;s shot to Sergio Aguero, who tapped in City&#39;s 26th minute equaliser.

Conte&#39;s team were back in front after 35 minutes when Fernandinho conceded a penalty with a foul on Pedro.

Hazard&#39;s spot-kick was saved by Caballero, but the Belgian recovered quickly to finish off the rebound.

Kompany, back in the line-up for the first time since November, hit the crossbar with a second half header, but fourth placed City crashed to their first defeat in nine games, while Chelsea are still in pole position for the title.

&quot;Another step, a big step, against a great team,&quot; Conte said.

&quot;We must think that Tottenham could win all their games. We are playing a great season but to win the title there is a long way to go.&quot;

Guardiola added: &quot;We created enough to score goals. It&#39;s our problem. In the boxes we are not good enough.&quot;

At the Liberty Stadium, Tottenham fell behind in the 11th minute when Wayne Routledge turned in Jordan Ayew&#39;s cross for Swansea.

But Tottenham staged an incredible finale as England midfielder Dele Alli equalised with an 88th minute tap-in.

A minute into stoppage-time, South Korea forward Son Heung-Min bagged his 16th goal of the season with a clinical finish and there was still time for Christian Eriksen&#39;s strike to put the seal on Tottenham&#39;s fifth successive win.

&quot;It is crazy how the goals came in the last few minutes but we pushed and we created chances to win. This season we are fighting again,&quot; Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said.

Arsenal eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger and climbed back into the race for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over West Ham.

Wenger had endured repeated calls for his resignation from frustrated fans in recent weeks, but the protests at the Emirates Stadium were more muted for once as Arsenal ended a three-match winless run with only their second victory in their last seven league games.

Mesut Ozil broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Sucker punch&nbsp;

Theo Walcott bagged Arsenal&#39;s second in the 68th minute and Olivier Giroud&#39;s superb strike in the 83rd minute ensured his side moved above Manchester United into fifth place, four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand.

&quot;We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly,&quot; Wenger said.

West Ham&#39;s fifth successive defeat leaves them just three points above the relegation zone.

Liverpool were hit by a late sucker punch as Bournemouth snatched a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Benik Afobe struck for Bournemouth in the seventh minute, but Philippe Coutinho bagged Liverpool&#39;s equaliser with a typically cool 40th minute finish.

That made Coutinho the joint highest Brazilian scorer in Premier League history, alongside former Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho, with 29 goals.

Divock Origi put Liverpool in front in the 59th minute, but Josh King blasted his eighth goal in eight appearances to rescue Bournemouth in the 87th minute.

Liverpool&#39;s latest slip against lowly opposition leaves Jurgen Klopp&#39;s third-placed side six points above fifth place in the race for the Champions League.

Hull climbed out of the relegation zone with a priceless 4-2 win over relegation rivals Middlesbrough at the KCOM Stadium.

The Tigers move two points above the bottom three, while second bottom Middlesbrough are seven points from safety.

Southampton defender Maya Yoshida&#39;s first Premier League goal for 14 months inspired a 3-1 win over struggling Crystal Palace at St Mary&#39;s.

(AFP)

Tottenham scored three late goals against Swansea to remain in the title hunt

Eden Hazard fired Premier League leaders Chelsea to a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City, but Tottenham are hot on their heels after a sensational fightback in their 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday. Chelsea remain seven points clear of second placed Tottenham with eight games to play, yet with just minutes left on a dramatic evening it seemed the Blues would have a much greater lead. Rocked by Saturday's shock 2-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte's Chelsea side took only 10 minutes to take the lead through Hazard's 12th goal of the season. Hazard's effort deflected off Vincent Kompany and beat Willy Caballero, whose weak attempted save drew a frustrated look from City boss Pep Guardiola as he contemplated the latest in a growing list of gaffes from his goalkeepers this season. Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was guilty of an even worse blunder, spilling David Silva's shot to Sergio Aguero, who tapped in City's 26th minute equaliser. Conte's team were back in front after 35 minutes when Fernandinho conceded a penalty with a foul on Pedro. Hazard's spot-kick was saved by Caballero, but the Belgian recovered quickly to finish off the rebound. Kompany, back in the line-up for the first time since November, hit the crossbar with a second half header, but fourth placed City crashed to their first defeat in nine games, while Chelsea are still in pole position for the title. "Another step, a big step, against a great team," Conte said. "We must think that Tottenham could win all their games. We are playing a great season but to win the title there is a long way to go." Guardiola added: "We created enough to score goals. It's our problem. In the boxes we are not good enough." At the Liberty Stadium, Tottenham fell behind in the 11th minute when Wayne Routledge turned in Jordan Ayew's cross for Swansea. But Tottenham staged an incredible finale as England midfielder Dele Alli equalised with an 88th minute tap-in. A minute into stoppage-time, South Korea forward Son Heung-Min bagged his 16th goal of the season with a clinical finish and there was still time for Christian Eriksen's strike to put the seal on Tottenham's fifth successive win. "It is crazy how the goals came in the last few minutes but we pushed and we created chances to win. This season we are fighting again," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said. Arsenal eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger and climbed back into the race for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over West Ham. Wenger had endured repeated calls for his resignation from frustrated fans in recent weeks, but the protests at the Emirates Stadium were more muted for once as Arsenal ended a three-match winless run with only their second victory in their last seven league games. Mesut Ozil broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area. Sucker punch Theo Walcott bagged Arsenal's second in the 68th minute and Olivier Giroud's superb strike in the 83rd minute ensured his side moved above Manchester United into fifth place, four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand. "We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly," Wenger said. West Ham's fifth successive defeat leaves them just three points above the relegation zone. Liverpool were hit by a late sucker punch as Bournemouth snatched a 2-2 draw at Anfield. Benik Afobe struck for Bournemouth in the seventh minute, but Philippe Coutinho bagged Liverpool's equaliser with a typically cool 40th minute finish. That made Coutinho the joint highest Brazilian scorer in Premier League history, alongside former Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho, with 29 goals. Divock Origi put Liverpool in front in the 59th minute, but Josh King blasted his eighth goal in eight appearances to rescue Bournemouth in the 87th minute. Liverpool's latest slip against lowly opposition leaves Jurgen Klopp's third-placed side six points above fifth place in the race for the Champions League. Hull climbed out of the relegation zone with a priceless 4-2 win over relegation rivals Middlesbrough at the KCOM Stadium. The Tigers move two points above the bottom three, while second bottom Middlesbrough are seven points from safety. Southampton defender Maya Yoshida's first Premier League goal for 14 months inspired a 3-1 win over struggling Crystal Palace at St Mary's. (AFP)

Premier League round-up: Chelsea beat City, Liverpool trip & Arsenal gain ground

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