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Sergio Aguero netted a 69th-minute equaliser in a gripping 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday to prevent Manchester City losing ground in the battle for a top-four Premier League finish.

Liverpool looked poised to leapfrog City into third place after James Milner silenced the boos from fans of his former club to give the visitors the lead with a penalty early in the second half.

But Aguero&#39;s strike kept City a point above their rivals, who have played a game more, and provided a moment of solace after their mid-week Champions League elimination at Monaco&#39;s hands.

Both sides had chances to win the game in a breathless finale, Kevin De Bruyne hitting a post for City and Adam Lallana horribly miscuing with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Pep Guardiola had come in for criticism after City&#39;s 3-1 loss at Stade Louis II, but his side will approach back-to-back trips to Arsenal and Chelsea on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league.

While Jurgen Klopp failed to become the first manager to do a league double over Guardiola, his Liverpool team are now unbeaten in 10 games against their fellow top-six sides this season.

A rain-slicked pitch and two attack-minded teams made for a furious first half at the Etihad Stadium, characterised by City possession and Liverpool counter-attacks.

City unambiguously targeted the flanks, Leroy Sane on the left and ex-Liverpool man Raheem Sterling on the right whipping a succession of low, pacy crosses across Simon Mignolet&#39;s six-yard box.

Twice, Aguero felt he had been unfairly impeded as he tried to get on the end of them, first by Joel Matip and then Ragnar Klavan.

The latter incident, in the 43rd minute, also saw Sterling taken out by a despairing Milner as the pair stretched for David Silva&#39;s low cross, with Fernandinho sliding the ball wide at the back post.

City&#39;s clearest opening of the half saw Silva thrash the ball inches wide of the left-hand post after Mignolet had jutted out his left foot to fend off a drive from Sane.

Lallana misses kick&nbsp;

But the best chances of the first period were all Liverpool&#39;s.

An under-hit John Stones back-pass let in Sadio Mane, only for an authoritative sortie by goalkeeper Willy Caballero, allied to a subtle tug from Nicolas Otamendi, to save the day.

Philippe Coutinho bent a shot just over, Matip headed wide at a free-kick and Caballero showed agility to claw away a Roberto Firmino curler and touch over a thumping Lallana volley.

After Mane had seen a shot blocked by Stones, Liverpool went ahead in the sixth minute of the second half.

Gael Clichy was penalised for a high, untidy challenge on Firmino as the Brazilian chested down Emre Can&#39;s flighted pass and Milner swept the penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Firmino looked poised to double the visitors&#39; lead from Coutinho&#39;s measured through ball, but Caballero stood up well to save.

Eight minutes later it was all square as De Bruyne&#39;s brilliantly measured cross from the right was unerringly dispatched by Aguero.

Aguero looked poised to put City ahead in the 76th minute, but after a neat one-two with Sane he stumbled, De Bruyne scuffing the loose ball against the post.

An increasingly end-to-end contest then spat out a glorious chance for Lallana, but from Firmino&#39;s knock-down and with Mignolet&#39;s goal at his mercy, he missed his kick.

As the noise levels rose, Sterling and Aguero -- twice -- spurned late chances, but a draw felt an appropriate outcome.

(AFP)

Aguero's strike kept City a point above their rivals

Sergio Aguero netted a 69th-minute equaliser in a gripping 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday to prevent Manchester City losing ground in the battle for a top-four Premier League finish. Liverpool looked poised to leapfrog City into third place after James Milner silenced the boos from fans of his former club to give the visitors the lead with a penalty early in the second half. But Aguero's strike kept City a point above their rivals, who have played a game more, and provided a moment of solace after their mid-week Champions League elimination at Monaco's hands. Both sides had chances to win the game in a breathless finale, Kevin De Bruyne hitting a post for City and Adam Lallana horribly miscuing with only the goalkeeper to beat. Pep Guardiola had come in for criticism after City's 3-1 loss at Stade Louis II, but his side will approach back-to-back trips to Arsenal and Chelsea on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league. While Jurgen Klopp failed to become the first manager to do a league double over Guardiola, his Liverpool team are now unbeaten in 10 games against their fellow top-six sides this season. A rain-slicked pitch and two attack-minded teams made for a furious first half at the Etihad Stadium, characterised by City possession and Liverpool counter-attacks. City unambiguously targeted the flanks, Leroy Sane on the left and ex-Liverpool man Raheem Sterling on the right whipping a succession of low, pacy crosses across Simon Mignolet's six-yard box. Twice, Aguero felt he had been unfairly impeded as he tried to get on the end of them, first by Joel Matip and then Ragnar Klavan. The latter incident, in the 43rd minute, also saw Sterling taken out by a despairing Milner as the pair stretched for David Silva's low cross, with Fernandinho sliding the ball wide at the back post. City's clearest opening of the half saw Silva thrash the ball inches wide of the left-hand post after Mignolet had jutted out his left foot to fend off a drive from Sane. Lallana misses kick But the best chances of the first period were all Liverpool's. An under-hit John Stones back-pass let in Sadio Mane, only for an authoritative sortie by goalkeeper Willy Caballero, allied to a subtle tug from Nicolas Otamendi, to save the day. Philippe Coutinho bent a shot just over, Matip headed wide at a free-kick and Caballero showed agility to claw away a Roberto Firmino curler and touch over a thumping Lallana volley. After Mane had seen a shot blocked by Stones, Liverpool went ahead in the sixth minute of the second half. Gael Clichy was penalised for a high, untidy challenge on Firmino as the Brazilian chested down Emre Can's flighted pass and Milner swept the penalty into the bottom-left corner. Firmino looked poised to double the visitors' lead from Coutinho's measured through ball, but Caballero stood up well to save. Eight minutes later it was all square as De Bruyne's brilliantly measured cross from the right was unerringly dispatched by Aguero. Aguero looked poised to put City ahead in the 76th minute, but after a neat one-two with Sane he stumbled, De Bruyne scuffing the loose ball against the post. An increasingly end-to-end contest then spat out a glorious chance for Lallana, but from Firmino's knock-down and with Mignolet's goal at his mercy, he missed his kick. As the noise levels rose, Sterling and Aguero -- twice -- spurned late chances, but a draw felt an appropriate outcome. (AFP)

Premier League: Manchester City vs Liverpool ends in 1-1 draw

Runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea continued their relentless progress, moving 13 points clear at the top of the table as Gary Cahill scored a late winner in a hard-earned and feisty 2-1 win at Stoke City on Saturday.

Even without the injured Eden Hazard, Antonio Conte&#39;s men, who have lost just one game in 2017, triumphed again when Cahill struck three minutes from time to make amends for giving away a first-half penalty.

With only 10 games left, it seems wholly unlikely that the leaders can be caught now and their ecstatic celebrations at the end of a tough game suggested that they believed it may have been the victory that assures their title triumph.

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<h5>Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. &#39;We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team,&#39; he told the BBC</h5>
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Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. &quot;We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team,&quot; he told the BBC.

Others think the race is already won, though. &quot;It is Chelsea&#39;s title now and you could see from their celebrations, we ran them close,&quot; said Stoke manager Mark Hughes.

Chelsea had looked set for a comfortable afternoon when Willian scored a 13th-minute free kick, his shot squeezing into the net after a blunder from Stoke keeper Lee Grant, who could only fumble the ball over his own line.

Yet Stoke hit back when Jon Walters, having been fouled by Cahill, picked himself up to score from the penalty spot seven minutes before the break.

Diego Costa became embroiled in running battles with Stoke&#39;s defenders, who appeared to try to wind up the volatile striker as he endured a frustrating afternoon chasing his 50th Premier league goal.

He earning himself an early booking and was also involved in incidents which saw yellow cards shown to Bruno Martins Indi and Phil Bardsley.

Chelsea would not be denied and created most of the second-half chances, with Marcos Alonso hitting the bar with a free kick and Pedro being denied by Grant before Cahill swept in the winner.

It ultimately sealed their 19th win in their last 22 league games, with Stoke&#39;s misery completed when Bardsley received his marching orders in the dying seconds after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Cesc Fabregas.

(Reuters)

They are now 13 points clear at the top of the table

Runaway Premier League leaders Chelsea continued their relentless progress, moving 13 points clear at the top of the table as Gary Cahill scored a late winner in a hard-earned and feisty 2-1 win at Stoke City on Saturday. Even without the injured Eden Hazard, Antonio Conte's men, who have lost just one game in 2017, triumphed again when Cahill struck three minutes from time to make amends for giving away a first-half penalty. With only 10 games left, it seems wholly unlikely that the leaders can be caught now and their ecstatic celebrations at the end of a tough game suggested that they believed it may have been the victory that assures their title triumph. Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. 'We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team,' he told the BBC × Not that Conte was remotely entertaining any complacency. "We need to take 21 points for the title win. Today was a great win, a good signal, but it is important to continue with the same commitment and work rate as a team," he told the BBC. Others think the race is already won, though. "It is Chelsea's title now and you could see from their celebrations, we ran them close," said Stoke manager Mark Hughes. Chelsea had looked set for a comfortable afternoon when Willian scored a 13th-minute free kick, his shot squeezing into the net after a blunder from Stoke keeper Lee Grant, who could only fumble the ball over his own line. Yet Stoke hit back when Jon Walters, having been fouled by Cahill, picked himself up to score from the penalty spot seven minutes before the break. Diego Costa became embroiled in running battles with Stoke's defenders, who appeared to try to wind up the volatile striker as he endured a frustrating afternoon chasing his 50th Premier league goal. He earning himself an early booking and was also involved in incidents which saw yellow cards shown to Bruno Martins Indi and Phil Bardsley. Chelsea would not be denied and created most of the second-half chances, with Marcos Alonso hitting the bar with a free kick and Pedro being denied by Grant before Cahill swept in the winner. It ultimately sealed their 19th win in their last 22 league games, with Stoke's misery completed when Bardsley received his marching orders in the dying seconds after receiving a second yellow card for a foul on Cesc Fabregas. (Reuters)

EPL: Chelsea keep on keeping on, beat Stoke City 2-1

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he had made a decision about his future following his side&#39;s dispiriting 3-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Wenger, Arsenal&#39;s manager since 1996, has come under heavy pressure since his team&#39;s 10-2 Champions League thrashing by Bayern Munich and fans made renewed calls for him to step down at The Hawthorns.

&quot;I know what I&#39;ll do in my future&nbsp;and you&#39;ll know very soon,&quot; he told reporters after the game.

Rival groups of Arsenal supporters paid for planes trailing banners that were both critical and supportive of Wenger to fly over the stadium during the game.

A banner that read &quot;NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT&quot; was seen flying above the stadium shortly before kick-off.

But in the 16th minute, with the score 1-1, another plane was spotted overhead with a banner that read: &quot;IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW&quot;.

Several fans brandished &quot;WENGER OUT&quot; banners at the final whistle.

The 67-year-old Frenchman is believed to have been offered a new two-year contract by the club.

Arsenal&#39;s support is split over Wenger, who won seven trophies in his first nine seasons as manager but has won only two FA Cups in the 12 years since.

(AFP)

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he will announce his decision 'very soon'

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said he had made a decision about his future following his side's dispiriting 3-1 defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Wenger, Arsenal's manager since 1996, has come under heavy pressure since his team's 10-2 Champions League thrashing by Bayern Munich and fans made renewed calls for him to step down at The Hawthorns. "I know what I'll do in my future and you'll know very soon," he told reporters after the game. Rival groups of Arsenal supporters paid for planes trailing banners that were both critical and supportive of Wenger to fly over the stadium during the game. A banner that read "NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT" was seen flying above the stadium shortly before kick-off. But in the 16th minute, with the score 1-1, another plane was spotted overhead with a banner that read: "IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW". Several fans brandished "WENGER OUT" banners at the final whistle. The 67-year-old Frenchman is believed to have been offered a new two-year contract by the club. Arsenal's support is split over Wenger, who won seven trophies in his first nine seasons as manager but has won only two FA Cups in the 12 years since. (AFP)

Under-fire Wenger has made decision about future at Arsenal

Arsenal fans again rounded on under-fire manager Arsene Wenger as defender Craig Dawson scored twice in a comprehensive 3-1 victory for West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Dawson headed home from corners either side of half-time to book-end the goalscoring action in West Brom&#39;s eighth win in their last 10 Premier League home games.

In between Dawson&#39;s goals, Alexis Sanchez equalised for Arsenal before substitute Hal Robson-Kanu restored the home side&#39;s lead.

But it was the renewed criticism of Wenger that grabbed the attention as fans displayed &quot;Wenger Out&quot; banners after two aeroplanes had towed banners above The Hawthorns with rival views on the Frenchman.

One banner read &quot;NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT&quot;, while another proclaimed &quot;IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW&quot;.

Wenger&#39;s decision to replace Sanchez late on prompted more abuse from travelling fans, who had earlier engaged in a muted chorus of &quot;We want Wenger out!&quot; as their side slid to a fourth defeat in five league games.

The result prevented Arsenal from whittling down the five-point gap separating them from the top five, further compromising their hopes of qualifying for next season&#39;s Champions League.

Compounding Arsenal&#39;s disappointment, the visitors also lost goalkeeper Petr Cech to an apparent muscular injury during the first half, with David Ospina taking his place.

West Brom began purposefully, with James McClean heading Nacer Chadli&#39;s cross tamely at Cech before bursting forwards and stinging the Arsenal goalkeeper&#39;s hands.

It was little surprise when West Brom went ahead from the corner that followed.

Chadli delivered it from the left and Dawson rose above Laurent Koscielny to head home as Cech flapped.

The visitors were level within four minutes as Granit Xhaka floated a pass to Sanchez, who coolly finished off the underside of the crossbar with his right foot.

West Brom responded well to the equaliser, though, and threatened the visitors on the break when Chadli raced down the right flank and threaded a pass to the feet of Salomon Rondon.

Cech injured&nbsp;

But the striker dragged his shot across goal and wide of the far post.

West Brom repelled an Arsenal attack when goalkeeper Ben Foster saved from Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott was crowded out as he tried to turn in the rebound.

Then Cech made a smart save to his right to keep out a dipping half-volley from Darren Fletcher.

Shortly afterwards the Arsenal goalkeeper limped off, having appeared to injure himself when he landed awkwardly while collecting a routine through-ball.

West Brom should have doubled their lead six minutes into the second half when Chris Brunt peeled out wide and delivered a superb cross to Rondon in the centre.

The striker beat Koscielny to a header, but glanced his effort wide.

That was Rondon&#39;s last action of the game and replacement Robson-Kanu grabbed the second Albion goal just a minute after stepping off the bench.

He pounced after Chadli&#39;s lofted pass from the edge of the area was spilt by substitute goalkeeper Ospina, the Wales striker firing home between the legs of McClean.

The goal was awarded despite Arsenal&#39;s appeals that the offside McClean had been interfering with play.

Arsenal had been sluggish, but they almost levelled again from a corner on 66 minutes, with Danny Welbeck heading against the crossbar.

The hosts then went close to wrapping up the game when Robson-Kanu raced onto a through-ball and was denied by a low save from Ospina, Nacho Monreal blocking Chadli&#39;s follow-up effort.

However, the third Albion goal arrived with 15 minutes remaining as McClean delivered a corner from the right and the unmarked Dawson dispatched another header.

Wenger responded by replacing fans&#39; favourite Sanchez with Alex Iwobi and was immediately derided by visiting fans, who sang: &quot;You don&#39;t know what you&#39;re doing!&quot;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Craig Dawson scored twice on a day when two planes towed contrasting banners about manager Arsene Wenger's future

Arsenal fans again rounded on under-fire manager Arsene Wenger as defender Craig Dawson scored twice in a comprehensive 3-1 victory for West Bromwich Albion on Saturday. Dawson headed home from corners either side of half-time to book-end the goalscoring action in West Brom's eighth win in their last 10 Premier League home games. In between Dawson's goals, Alexis Sanchez equalised for Arsenal before substitute Hal Robson-Kanu restored the home side's lead. But it was the renewed criticism of Wenger that grabbed the attention as fans displayed "Wenger Out" banners after two aeroplanes had towed banners above The Hawthorns with rival views on the Frenchman. One banner read "NO CONTRACT #WENGER OUT", while another proclaimed "IN ARSENE WE TRUST #RESPECTAW". Wenger's decision to replace Sanchez late on prompted more abuse from travelling fans, who had earlier engaged in a muted chorus of "We want Wenger out!" as their side slid to a fourth defeat in five league games. The result prevented Arsenal from whittling down the five-point gap separating them from the top five, further compromising their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Compounding Arsenal's disappointment, the visitors also lost goalkeeper Petr Cech to an apparent muscular injury during the first half, with David Ospina taking his place. West Brom began purposefully, with James McClean heading Nacer Chadli's cross tamely at Cech before bursting forwards and stinging the Arsenal goalkeeper's hands. It was little surprise when West Brom went ahead from the corner that followed. Chadli delivered it from the left and Dawson rose above Laurent Koscielny to head home as Cech flapped. The visitors were level within four minutes as Granit Xhaka floated a pass to Sanchez, who coolly finished off the underside of the crossbar with his right foot. West Brom responded well to the equaliser, though, and threatened the visitors on the break when Chadli raced down the right flank and threaded a pass to the feet of Salomon Rondon. Cech injured But the striker dragged his shot across goal and wide of the far post. West Brom repelled an Arsenal attack when goalkeeper Ben Foster saved from Aaron Ramsey and Theo Walcott was crowded out as he tried to turn in the rebound. Then Cech made a smart save to his right to keep out a dipping half-volley from Darren Fletcher. Shortly afterwards the Arsenal goalkeeper limped off, having appeared to injure himself when he landed awkwardly while collecting a routine through-ball. West Brom should have doubled their lead six minutes into the second half when Chris Brunt peeled out wide and delivered a superb cross to Rondon in the centre. The striker beat Koscielny to a header, but glanced his effort wide. That was Rondon's last action of the game and replacement Robson-Kanu grabbed the second Albion goal just a minute after stepping off the bench. He pounced after Chadli's lofted pass from the edge of the area was spilt by substitute goalkeeper Ospina, the Wales striker firing home between the legs of McClean. The goal was awarded despite Arsenal's appeals that the offside McClean had been interfering with play. Arsenal had been sluggish, but they almost levelled again from a corner on 66 minutes, with Danny Welbeck heading against the crossbar. The hosts then went close to wrapping up the game when Robson-Kanu raced onto a through-ball and was denied by a low save from Ospina, Nacho Monreal blocking Chadli's follow-up effort. However, the third Albion goal arrived with 15 minutes remaining as McClean delivered a corner from the right and the unmarked Dawson dispatched another header. Wenger responded by replacing fans' favourite Sanchez with Alex Iwobi and was immediately derided by visiting fans, who sang: "You don't know what you're doing!" (AFP)

West Brom's win over Arsenal leaves Wenger's job in peril

Holders Real Madrid were drawn to face their former coach Carlo Ancelotti&#39;s Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday.

Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona, but face the daunting task of muting the competition&#39;s top marksman Lionel Messi.

English champions and wily underdogs Leicester landed last year&#39;s beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, a draw which prompted British bookmakers to slash the odds making Atletico third favourites to lift the trophy in the June 3 final at Cardiff behind Barcelona and Bayern.

France&#39;s free-scoring Monaco were drawn to meet Thomas Tuchel&#39;s Borussia Dortmund at home and away legs to be played on April 11-12 and April 18-19.

Bayern Munich, the 2012 champions, host ten-time winners Madrid in the first leg as they target a sixth consecutive semi-finals appearance.

(AFP)

Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona

Holders Real Madrid were drawn to face their former coach Carlo Ancelotti's Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals on Friday. Italian giants Juventus can take revenge for their 2015 final defeat against Barcelona, but face the daunting task of muting the competition's top marksman Lionel Messi. English champions and wily underdogs Leicester landed last year's beaten finalists Atletico Madrid, a draw which prompted British bookmakers to slash the odds making Atletico third favourites to lift the trophy in the June 3 final at Cardiff behind Barcelona and Bayern. France's free-scoring Monaco were drawn to meet Thomas Tuchel's Borussia Dortmund at home and away legs to be played on April 11-12 and April 18-19. Bayern Munich, the 2012 champions, host ten-time winners Madrid in the first leg as they target a sixth consecutive semi-finals appearance. (AFP)

Champions League quarter-finals: Real Madrid clash against Bayern Munich, Juventus to play Barcelona

Jose Mourinho said &quot;enemies&quot; were undermining his team after Paul Pogba was injured in a 1-0 victory over FC Rostov that sent Manchester United into the Europa League quarter-finals.

Pogba, who turned 24 on Wednesday, hobbled off with a hamstring injury early in the second half of Thursday&#39;s 1-0 win, which completed a 2-1 aggregate last 16 success.

United had previously played on Monday, losing 1-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals after going down to 10 men, and travel to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Sunday.

In an apparent reference to United&#39;s domestic fixture schedulers, Mourinho complained: &quot;We have lots of enemies. Normally the enemies should be Rostov, but we have a lot of enemies.

&quot;It&#39;s difficult to play Monday with 10 men. It&#39;s difficult to play now. It&#39;s difficult to play 12 o&#39;clock on Sunday. We have a lot of enemies.&quot;

Mourinho said Pogba would be out for around three weeks, ruling him out of the trip to Middlesbrough and France&#39;s forthcoming games against Luxembourg and Spain.

Asked if Pogba would be out for around three weeks, Mourinho replied: &quot;Yeah. I don&#39;t know for sure, but for sure, no Middlesbrough and no national team.&quot;

Warming to his theme, Mourinho suggested the compression of matches meant United were likely to lose at struggling Middlesbrough, who on Thursday sacked his former Real Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka.

&quot;A lot of people might say we should have scored more goals. But a lot of things are going against us,&quot; he told BT Sport at Old Trafford.

&quot;The boys are amazing boys. We will probably lose the game on Sunday. Fatigue has a price. I will remember forever when I spoke to the UEFA delegate in Rostov.

&quot;He told me if any of our players gets injured, the insurance paid. Whoever decided the Monday and Sunday games probably thinks the same way.&quot;

Banana baton

In a curious scene, Mourinho was seen relaying a banana to Argentine centre-back Marcos Rojo during the second half, which the United manager said was an attempt to combat fatigue.

&quot;If you were tired any time in your life, I was tired many times, I know what the body needs,&quot; said the Portuguese.

&quot;It needs anything. The player asked for a banana. But it&#39;s not to laugh at all. It&#39;s to respect the players.&quot;

France star Pogba departed in the 47th minute after pulling up as he chased an opponent towards the halfway line, with Marouane Fellaini taking his place.

United prevailed on the night thanks to a 70th-minute goal by Juan Mata, who finished from close range after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had flicked Henrikh Mkhitaryan&#39;s cross towards goal.

United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their quarter-final opponents in Friday&#39;s draw.

Russian club Rostov came close to taking the game to extra time late on, with United goalkeeper Sergio Romero obliged to save from substitute Aleksandr Bukharov and Christian Noboa.

&quot;It&#39;s another historic game for us,&quot; said beaten manager Ivan Daniliants, whose side had never previously gone so far in European competition.

&quot;We played against one of the best teams in the world. They were obviously stronger, but we fought until the end. We&#39;re thankful to our fans for their support.&quot;

(AFP)

In an apparent reference to United's domestic fixture schedulers, Mourinho complained: 'We have lots of enemies'

Jose Mourinho said "enemies" were undermining his team after Paul Pogba was injured in a 1-0 victory over FC Rostov that sent Manchester United into the Europa League quarter-finals. Pogba, who turned 24 on Wednesday, hobbled off with a hamstring injury early in the second half of Thursday's 1-0 win, which completed a 2-1 aggregate last 16 success. United had previously played on Monday, losing 1-0 at Chelsea in the FA Cup quarter-finals after going down to 10 men, and travel to Middlesbrough in the Premier League on Sunday. In an apparent reference to United's domestic fixture schedulers, Mourinho complained: "We have lots of enemies. Normally the enemies should be Rostov, but we have a lot of enemies. "It's difficult to play Monday with 10 men. It's difficult to play now. It's difficult to play 12 o'clock on Sunday. We have a lot of enemies." Mourinho said Pogba would be out for around three weeks, ruling him out of the trip to Middlesbrough and France's forthcoming games against Luxembourg and Spain. Asked if Pogba would be out for around three weeks, Mourinho replied: "Yeah. I don't know for sure, but for sure, no Middlesbrough and no national team." Warming to his theme, Mourinho suggested the compression of matches meant United were likely to lose at struggling Middlesbrough, who on Thursday sacked his former Real Madrid assistant Aitor Karanka. "A lot of people might say we should have scored more goals. But a lot of things are going against us," he told BT Sport at Old Trafford. "The boys are amazing boys. We will probably lose the game on Sunday. Fatigue has a price. I will remember forever when I spoke to the UEFA delegate in Rostov. "He told me if any of our players gets injured, the insurance paid. Whoever decided the Monday and Sunday games probably thinks the same way." Banana baton In a curious scene, Mourinho was seen relaying a banana to Argentine centre-back Marcos Rojo during the second half, which the United manager said was an attempt to combat fatigue. "If you were tired any time in your life, I was tired many times, I know what the body needs," said the Portuguese. "It needs anything. The player asked for a banana. But it's not to laugh at all. It's to respect the players." France star Pogba departed in the 47th minute after pulling up as he chased an opponent towards the halfway line, with Marouane Fellaini taking his place. United prevailed on the night thanks to a 70th-minute goal by Juan Mata, who finished from close range after Zlatan Ibrahimovic had flicked Henrikh Mkhitaryan's cross towards goal. United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their quarter-final opponents in Friday's draw. Russian club Rostov came close to taking the game to extra time late on, with United goalkeeper Sergio Romero obliged to save from substitute Aleksandr Bukharov and Christian Noboa. "It's another historic game for us," said beaten manager Ivan Daniliants, whose side had never previously gone so far in European competition. "We played against one of the best teams in the world. They were obviously stronger, but we fought until the end. We're thankful to our fans for their support." (AFP)

After Pogba's injury, Mourinho says 'enemies' undermining his team

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals.

Mata struck 20 minutes from the end of a subdued game, completing a 2-1 aggregate win that sent United into the last eight of Europe&#39;s second-tier club competition for the first time since 1985.

But victory came at the cost of an injury to world-record signing Paul Pogba, who left the fray with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half at an unseasonably cold Old Trafford.

United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday&#39;s draw in Nyon.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s men are seeking to add the trophy to the League Cup they won last month and have the added incentive of knowing it will yield a place in next season&#39;s Champions League.

Mourinho kept faith with the back three he had deployed in Monday&#39;s 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea, but whereas it was a defensive tactic at Stamford Bridge, there was very little defending to do against Rostov.

Decried for a below-par display at Chelsea, Pogba was able to spray diagonal passes around to his heart&#39;s content, such was the Russian side&#39;s stubborn determination to defend the edge of their own box.

Marcos Rojo had an early header swatted away by visiting goalkeeper Nikita Medvedev, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting the rebound against the post from a tight angle.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan ran through and chipped wide from Mata&#39;s pass and might have won a penalty in the 27th minute following a push by Medvedev, but Lithuanian referee Gediminas Mazeika said no.

Ibrahimovic also saw a shot deflected over by Medvedev and later left the right-hand post quaking with a thunderous shot, while Pogba&#39;s left-foot curler drew a full-length save from Medvedev.

Pogba departed in the 47th minute, Marouane Fellaini taking his place, and Rostov briefly threatened to take the upper hand, Sergio Romero saving from Sardar Azmoun and Christian Noboa.

United also lost Daley Blind after he took a bang to the head, which resulted in the curious sight of Phil Jones coming on as a jobbing left wing-back.

The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute after Mata intercepted a loose pass in midfield and spread the ball wide to Mkhitaryan on the United right.

The Armenian&#39;s low cross was back-heeled towards goal by Ibrahimovic and Mata charged in at the back post to slam home from close range.

Aleksandr Bukharov, Rostov&#39;s scorer in the first leg, threatened to peg United back in the 79th minute, but Romero was equal to both his glancing header and Noboa&#39;s dangerous stoppage-time free-kick. 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov

Juan Mata scored the only goal as Manchester United recorded an underwhelming 1-0 victory over FC Rostov on Thursday to reach the Europa League quarter-finals. Mata struck 20 minutes from the end of a subdued game, completing a 2-1 aggregate win that sent United into the last eight of Europe's second-tier club competition for the first time since 1985. But victory came at the cost of an injury to world-record signing Paul Pogba, who left the fray with an apparent hamstring injury early in the second half at an unseasonably cold Old Trafford. United, who have never previously won the Europa League, will discover their last-eight opponents in Friday's draw in Nyon. Jose Mourinho's men are seeking to add the trophy to the League Cup they won last month and have the added incentive of knowing it will yield a place in next season's Champions League. Mourinho kept faith with the back three he had deployed in Monday's 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Chelsea, but whereas it was a defensive tactic at Stamford Bridge, there was very little defending to do against Rostov. Decried for a below-par display at Chelsea, Pogba was able to spray diagonal passes around to his heart's content, such was the Russian side's stubborn determination to defend the edge of their own box. Marcos Rojo had an early header swatted away by visiting goalkeeper Nikita Medvedev, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic putting the rebound against the post from a tight angle. Henrikh Mkhitaryan ran through and chipped wide from Mata's pass and might have won a penalty in the 27th minute following a push by Medvedev, but Lithuanian referee Gediminas Mazeika said no. Ibrahimovic also saw a shot deflected over by Medvedev and later left the right-hand post quaking with a thunderous shot, while Pogba's left-foot curler drew a full-length save from Medvedev. Pogba departed in the 47th minute, Marouane Fellaini taking his place, and Rostov briefly threatened to take the upper hand, Sergio Romero saving from Sardar Azmoun and Christian Noboa. United also lost Daley Blind after he took a bang to the head, which resulted in the curious sight of Phil Jones coming on as a jobbing left wing-back. The hosts finally made the breakthrough in the 70th minute after Mata intercepted a loose pass in midfield and spread the ball wide to Mkhitaryan on the United right. The Armenian's low cross was back-heeled towards goal by Ibrahimovic and Mata charged in at the back post to slam home from close range. Aleksandr Bukharov, Rostov's scorer in the first leg, threatened to peg United back in the 79th minute, but Romero was equal to both his glancing header and Noboa's dangerous stoppage-time free-kick. (AFP)

Manchester United beat FC Rostov to reach Europa League quarter-finals

Schalke 04 hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 and overcome fellow Germans Borussia Moenchenglach on away goals in their Europa League last 16 tie while Manchester United edged Rostov 1-0 to progress on Thursday.

Juan Mata&#39;s second-half goal gave the English Premier League&#39;s only survivors in the competition a 2-1 aggregate win over the Russians.

Olympique Lyon clung on to eliminate AS Roma 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat, while former European trophy winners Ajax Amsterdam and Anderlecht also went through along with Racing Genk.

Russia&#39;s interest in this season&#39;s European competitions ended as Krasnodar threw away a promising position at home to Celta and lost 2-0 for a 4-1 aggregate defeat.

Besiktas hammered Olympiakos Piraeus 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate) despite having Vincent Aboubakar, scorer of their first goal, sent off six minutes before halftime.

Schalke, trailing at halftime to a deflected shot from Andreas Christensen and a 30-metre rocket from Mahmoud Dahoud, were helped by a bumpy pitch as they hit back against Gladbach.

Leon Goretzka&#39;s low shot appeared to be going straight to Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer but hit a divot and looped over the Swiss and into the net in the 54th minute. &quot;It&#39;s tough, I can&#39;t say anything other than that,&quot; said Sommer.

Dahoub then turned villain as his handball led to a Schalke penalty converted by Nabil Bentaleb in the 68th to give the Royal Blues an away goals win after a 3-3 aggregate draw.

Mata Strikes

Manchester United, who held Rostov 1-1 on a difficult pitch in the first leg, needed a 70th minute goal from Juan Mata, who turned the ball home from Zlatan Ibrahimovic&#39;s back-heel, and two good saves from Sergio Romero.

However, midfielder Paul Pogba was forced off with an injury in the second half, putting a dampener on the win.

Lyon took a 4-2 lead to the Stadio Olimpico and quickly added to it when Mactour Diakhaby was allowed a free header from six metres in the 16th minute against Roma.

Kevin Strootman levelled within a minute, turning in Daniele De Rossi&#39;s free kick at the back post, and it was one-way traffic after that as the home side poured forward.

Lyon&#39;s Lucas Tousart turned Stephan El Shaarawy&#39;s cross into his own net to put Roma 2-1 ahead on the hour and the hosts thought they had done enough to progress with an Edin Dzeko effort but the Bosnia forward was ruled offside.

First-half goals from Bertrand Traore and Kasper Dolberg gave Ajax a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen which took the four-times European champions through 3-2 on aggregate.

Frank Acheampong&#39;s second half goal was enough for former European Cup Winners&#39; Cup and UEFA Cup holders Anderlecht to beat APOEL 1-0 and go through2-0 on aggregate.

Racing Genk coasted through 6-3 on aggregate against fellow Belgians Gent after a 1-1 draw.

Besiktas, who drew 1-1 at Olympiakos last week, got off to a flying start as Aboubakar and Ryan Babel scored inside the first 22 minutes.

The Greek side pulled one back with Tarik Elyounoussi&#39;s acrobatic volley in the 31st and were given more hope when Aboubakar was dismissed for violent conduct eight minutes later.

But Olympiakos left themselves too open and further late goals from Babel and Cenk Tosun saw the Turks ease through.

The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on Friday.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

Manchester United went through after beating Rostov 1-0

Schalke 04 hit back from two goals down to draw 2-2 and overcome fellow Germans Borussia Moenchenglach on away goals in their Europa League last 16 tie while Manchester United edged Rostov 1-0 to progress on Thursday. Juan Mata's second-half goal gave the English Premier League's only survivors in the competition a 2-1 aggregate win over the Russians. Olympique Lyon clung on to eliminate AS Roma 5-4 on aggregate despite a 2-1 defeat, while former European trophy winners Ajax Amsterdam and Anderlecht also went through along with Racing Genk. Russia's interest in this season's European competitions ended as Krasnodar threw away a promising position at home to Celta and lost 2-0 for a 4-1 aggregate defeat. Besiktas hammered Olympiakos Piraeus 4-1 (5-2 on aggregate) despite having Vincent Aboubakar, scorer of their first goal, sent off six minutes before halftime. Schalke, trailing at halftime to a deflected shot from Andreas Christensen and a 30-metre rocket from Mahmoud Dahoud, were helped by a bumpy pitch as they hit back against Gladbach. Leon Goretzka's low shot appeared to be going straight to Gladbach goalkeeper Yann Sommer but hit a divot and looped over the Swiss and into the net in the 54th minute. "It's tough, I can't say anything other than that," said Sommer. Dahoub then turned villain as his handball led to a Schalke penalty converted by Nabil Bentaleb in the 68th to give the Royal Blues an away goals win after a 3-3 aggregate draw. Mata Strikes Manchester United, who held Rostov 1-1 on a difficult pitch in the first leg, needed a 70th minute goal from Juan Mata, who turned the ball home from Zlatan Ibrahimovic's back-heel, and two good saves from Sergio Romero. However, midfielder Paul Pogba was forced off with an injury in the second half, putting a dampener on the win. Lyon took a 4-2 lead to the Stadio Olimpico and quickly added to it when Mactour Diakhaby was allowed a free header from six metres in the 16th minute against Roma. Kevin Strootman levelled within a minute, turning in Daniele De Rossi's free kick at the back post, and it was one-way traffic after that as the home side poured forward. Lyon's Lucas Tousart turned Stephan El Shaarawy's cross into his own net to put Roma 2-1 ahead on the hour and the hosts thought they had done enough to progress with an Edin Dzeko effort but the Bosnia forward was ruled offside. First-half goals from Bertrand Traore and Kasper Dolberg gave Ajax a 2-0 win over FC Copenhagen which took the four-times European champions through 3-2 on aggregate. Frank Acheampong's second half goal was enough for former European Cup Winners' Cup and UEFA Cup holders Anderlecht to beat APOEL 1-0 and go through2-0 on aggregate. Racing Genk coasted through 6-3 on aggregate against fellow Belgians Gent after a 1-1 draw. Besiktas, who drew 1-1 at Olympiakos last week, got off to a flying start as Aboubakar and Ryan Babel scored inside the first 22 minutes. The Greek side pulled one back with Tarik Elyounoussi's acrobatic volley in the 31st and were given more hope when Aboubakar was dismissed for violent conduct eight minutes later. But Olympiakos left themselves too open and further late goals from Babel and Cenk Tosun saw the Turks ease through. The draw for the quarter-finals will be held on Friday. (Reuters)

Football: Schalke, Lyon and Ajax also advance to Europa League last eight

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg on Wednesday.

Slovenia international Oblak made an outstanding triple save to deny Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland in the second half and he made further impressive stops late in the game to shut out the Germans and secure a 4-2 aggregate success.

Atletico had the better of the first half and it took a top-class save from Oblak&#39;s opposite number Bernd Leno to prevent Angel Correa giving the Spaniards the lead before the break, flying to his left to tip away a goalbound shot.

The impressive Correa nearly crafted an outstanding goal in the second half but could not find the target while top scorer Antoine Griezmann also came close to putting Atletico out of sight, sending a classy chip just wide.

Atletico&#39;s ruthless counter-attacking in Leverkusen meant the second leg was always going to be less tense than the last time the sides met at the Vicente Calderon in 2015, when the Spaniards sneaked through to the last eight after a penalty shootout.

Playing their first European game under new coach Tayfun Korkut, Leverkusen sought an early advantage and had the chance to do so when Volland broke into the area but flashed a shot beyond the far post.

The Germans had more wayward efforts but Atletico came closer at the other end, first Koke drawing a save from Leno then Correa forcing the Germany international into action.

The most stunning intervention between the posts, however, came from Oblak who made himself big to deny Brandt before getting up immediately to dive in front of Volland&#39;s shot and blocking the German forward&#39;s follow-up.

Oblak then thwarted Karim Bellarabi on two separate occasions, keeping an exciting end-to-end spectacle goalless.

&quot;It feels great for Atletico to reach the quarter-finals four years in a row, it&#39;s very important for us and we have had to fight to get there,&quot; said Oblak, who was on the losing side in last year&#39;s Champions League final with Atletico against Real Madrid.

&quot;It hasn&#39;t been easy at all to get this far four years in a row and I hope we continue to grow as we have done in those years.&quot;

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Oblak made an outstanding triple save and further impressive stops late in the game to shut out Bayer

Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Jan Oblak was the hero as the Spanish side reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the fourth year in a row after drawing 0-0 with Bayer Leverkusen in an open last-16 second leg on Wednesday. Slovenia international Oblak made an outstanding triple save to deny Julian Brandt and Kevin Volland in the second half and he made further impressive stops late in the game to shut out the Germans and secure a 4-2 aggregate success. Atletico had the better of the first half and it took a top-class save from Oblak's opposite number Bernd Leno to prevent Angel Correa giving the Spaniards the lead before the break, flying to his left to tip away a goalbound shot. The impressive Correa nearly crafted an outstanding goal in the second half but could not find the target while top scorer Antoine Griezmann also came close to putting Atletico out of sight, sending a classy chip just wide. Atletico's ruthless counter-attacking in Leverkusen meant the second leg was always going to be less tense than the last time the sides met at the Vicente Calderon in 2015, when the Spaniards sneaked through to the last eight after a penalty shootout. Playing their first European game under new coach Tayfun Korkut, Leverkusen sought an early advantage and had the chance to do so when Volland broke into the area but flashed a shot beyond the far post. The Germans had more wayward efforts but Atletico came closer at the other end, first Koke drawing a save from Leno then Correa forcing the Germany international into action. The most stunning intervention between the posts, however, came from Oblak who made himself big to deny Brandt before getting up immediately to dive in front of Volland's shot and blocking the German forward's follow-up. Oblak then thwarted Karim Bellarabi on two separate occasions, keeping an exciting end-to-end spectacle goalless. "It feels great for Atletico to reach the quarter-finals four years in a row, it's very important for us and we have had to fight to get there," said Oblak, who was on the losing side in last year's Champions League final with Atletico against Real Madrid. "It hasn't been easy at all to get this far four years in a row and I hope we continue to grow as we have done in those years." (Reuters)

Champions League: Atletico march into quarters as Oblak shines

Tiemoue Bakayoko&#39;s superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarter-finals as Wednesday&#39;s 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals.

Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home side&#39;s second just before the half hour.

Leroy Sane&#39;s 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemar&#39;s free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win.

Monaco go through to Friday&#39;s draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germain&#39;s shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager.

&quot;We played an exceptional second half, but the first one we forgot to be there,&quot; Guardiola told BT Sport.

&quot;In the second half we were much, much better but it was not enough. It happens and we&#39;ll learn, we have a team with not a lot of experience in this competition.&quot;

Monaco hero Bakayoko will miss the first leg of the quarter-final through suspension but was delighted to advance.

&quot;It&#39;s an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didn&#39;t expect this,&quot; he said.

&quot;Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going.&quot;

The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain.

Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure.&nbsp;

Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that year&#39;s quarter-finals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals.

And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europe&#39;s most promising talents amid Monaco&#39;s thrilling pursuit of the French title this season.

Fast start dazzles City

Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappe&#39;s crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silva&#39;s driven low cross just a minute later.

City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over.&nbsp;

Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes.

Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of City&#39;s this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero.

Mbappe&#39;s electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterling&#39;s hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero.

The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area.

Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left.

Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie.&nbsp;

However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit. 
 
(AFP) 
&nbsp;

The two sides were 6-6 on aggregate after both the home and away match but Pep's side had to go on the away goals rule

Tiemoue Bakayoko's superb header fired Monaco into the Champions League quarter-finals as Wednesday's 3-1 victory condemned Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to a painful exit on away goals. Trailing 5-3 from the first leg in England, teenage starlet Kylian Mbappe put Monaco ahead on the night after just eight minutes at the Stade Louis II and Brazilian midfielder Fabinho converted the home side's second just before the half hour. Leroy Sane's 71st-minute goal handed City a 6-5 advantage on aggregate, but Bakayoko turned home Thomas Lemar's free-kick 13 minutes from time as Monaco claimed a famous win. Monaco go through to Friday's draw for the last eight in Nyon carrying French hopes following Paris Saint-Germain's shock elimination, while Guardiola suffered his earliest Champions League exit as a manager. "We played an exceptional second half, but the first one we forgot to be there," Guardiola told BT Sport. "In the second half we were much, much better but it was not enough. It happens and we'll learn, we have a team with not a lot of experience in this competition." Monaco hero Bakayoko will miss the first leg of the quarter-final through suspension but was delighted to advance. "It's an immense joy to score in the Champions League. I didn't expect this," he said. "Over two games we deserved to qualify. Now we want to keep going." The French league leaders suffered a blow before kick-off as Radamel Falcao, who scored twice in the first leg, failed to recover from a hip injury in time and was replaced by the versatile Valere Germain. Jemerson returned in place of the suspended Kamil Glik in defence, while Guardiola, who took charge of his 100th game in Europe, made two changes with Gael Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov given the nod ahead of Nicolas Otamendi and Yaya Toure. Coach Leonardo Jardim had challenged Monaco to draw inspiration from the side which dumped out Real Madrid en route to the 2004 final, recovering from a 4-2 defeat in the first leg of that year's quarter-finals before knocking the Spanish giants out on away goals. And the hosts were inspired by 18-year-old Mbappe, who has emerged as one of Europe's most promising talents amid Monaco's thrilling pursuit of the French title this season. Fast start dazzles City Willy Caballero stood tall to repel Mbappe's crisp early strike as he knifed through the City defence, but the Argentine goalkeeper was helpless as the teenager poked home Bernardo Silva's driven low cross just a minute later. City recovered from twice falling behind in the first leg, but the opening goal emboldened Monaco as Germain unleashed a searing strike from distance that zipped not too far over. Guardiola had emphasised the best form of defence would be attack for City, yet the visitors struggled to settle and Monaco grabbed their second goal in not dissimilar fashion on 29 minutes. Lemar fed the ball into the overlapping run of Benjamin Mendy, a reported target of City's this summer, and the left-back picked out Fabinho to side-foot beyond Caballero. Mbappe's electrifying pace posed a constant threat for City, but the Premier League side gradually began to pose Monaco problems as well although Raheem Sterling's hesitancy allowed the hosts to clear as the England winger looked to tee up Sergio Aguero. The Argentine striker then skied over from close range after Sane skipped past Andrea Raggi down the the left-hand flank, before Danijel Subasic thrust himself superbly in the way after Aguero was picked out by David Silva inside the area. Sane broke in behind the Monaco backline once more but steered his effort the wrong side of the near post with Subasic charging off his line, but City finally broke through with 19 minutes left. Sterling broke in from the right and his low shot was palmed away by Subasic, but Sane reacted quickest to thump the rebound into the roof of the net and change the complexion of the tie. However that merely drew an immediate response from Monaco as Lemar whipped in a devilish free-kick that Bakayoko expertly planted into the far corner to consign Guardiola to a first-ever last 16 European exit. (AFP)

Monaco beat Man City 3-1, enter Champions League quarter-finals

Silvio Berlusconi would retain ownership of AC Milan if the Chinese consortium currently struggling to purchase the Serie A giants fails to complete the deal, his son Pier Silvio said.

&quot;If the Chinese walk away, it wouldn&#39;t be very pleasing to my father because selling the club is a very emotional experience for him,&quot; Pier Silvio Berlusconi, a vice-president of AC Milan, told Italian radio.

&quot;If that was the case, we would happily forge on ahead.&quot;

Sino-Europe Sports (SES), led by mystery figure Yonghong Li, was scheduled Thursday to make a third down payment of 100m euros as part of a deal that values AC Milan at 740 million euros ($825.4 million).

Despite already making two separate down payments of 100m euros totalling 200m, there was growing speculation the takeover of one of Italy&#39;s most successful and emblematic clubs could collapse.

Silvio Berlusconi has already given SES several extensions and reports from New York on Wednesday said key backer, Haixia Capital Management Co, has been forced to pull out amid a Chinese government clampdown on investments made outside the country.

After SES failed to meet a March 3 deadline for the takeover, Milan and SES were pilloried on social media with fans and rivals alike comparing the saga to Michael Ende&#39;s &#39;Never Ending Story&#39;, which has been adapted to both film and theatre.

Berlusconi&#39;s patience is reportedly wearing thin, although his son suggested that would be tempered by his father walking away with the down payments already made. As part of the agreement between Li and Berlusconi, the Italian media tycoon would retain SES&#39;s deposits in the event the deal collapses.

&quot;From an economic point of view it wouldn&#39;t be damaging (for AC Milan) given the penalty, if we can call it that, is quite substantial,&quot; added Pier Silvio.

&quot;But the agreements and the down payments give me faith.&quot;

If the takeover collapses, the 80-year-old Berlusconi is unlikely to put the club up for sale again, said his son: &quot;I&#39;m sure the deal will be completed. But if we don&#39;t sell to the Chinese, there will be only one other owner: my father.&quot;

Berlusconi has overseen the most successful period in the club&#39;s history, Milan winning eight Serie A and five Champions League titles since he took over as president in 1986.

(AFP)

There is uncertainty over Chinese-owned Sino-Europe Sports' ability to buy the club

Silvio Berlusconi would retain ownership of AC Milan if the Chinese consortium currently struggling to purchase the Serie A giants fails to complete the deal, his son Pier Silvio said. "If the Chinese walk away, it wouldn't be very pleasing to my father because selling the club is a very emotional experience for him," Pier Silvio Berlusconi, a vice-president of AC Milan, told Italian radio. "If that was the case, we would happily forge on ahead." Sino-Europe Sports (SES), led by mystery figure Yonghong Li, was scheduled Thursday to make a third down payment of 100m euros as part of a deal that values AC Milan at 740 million euros ($825.4 million). Despite already making two separate down payments of 100m euros totalling 200m, there was growing speculation the takeover of one of Italy's most successful and emblematic clubs could collapse. Silvio Berlusconi has already given SES several extensions and reports from New York on Wednesday said key backer, Haixia Capital Management Co, has been forced to pull out amid a Chinese government clampdown on investments made outside the country. After SES failed to meet a March 3 deadline for the takeover, Milan and SES were pilloried on social media with fans and rivals alike comparing the saga to Michael Ende's 'Never Ending Story', which has been adapted to both film and theatre. Berlusconi's patience is reportedly wearing thin, although his son suggested that would be tempered by his father walking away with the down payments already made. As part of the agreement between Li and Berlusconi, the Italian media tycoon would retain SES's deposits in the event the deal collapses. "From an economic point of view it wouldn't be damaging (for AC Milan) given the penalty, if we can call it that, is quite substantial," added Pier Silvio. "But the agreements and the down payments give me faith." If the takeover collapses, the 80-year-old Berlusconi is unlikely to put the club up for sale again, said his son: "I'm sure the deal will be completed. But if we don't sell to the Chinese, there will be only one other owner: my father." Berlusconi has overseen the most successful period in the club's history, Milan winning eight Serie A and five Champions League titles since he took over as president in 1986. (AFP)

Berlusconi to keep hold of AC Milan if takeover talks collapse

Back from the depths of despair Leicester City once again scaled improbable heights with a tumultuous 2-0 victory over Spanish club Sevilla to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday.

Skipper Wes Morgan&#39;s 28th minute effort and Marc Albrighton&#39;s precise shot after the break saw Craig Shakespeare&#39;s team overturn the 2-1 defeat they suffered in former manager Claudio Ranieri&#39;s final match in charge.

Sevilla missed a penalty and had Samir Nasri sent off as their hopes of a first ever quarter-final in the Champions League evaporated inside a rocking King Power Stadium.

Leicester, who are battling relegation in the Premier League, have now won all three games since Ranieri was sacked and replaced by Shakespeare.

Sevilla, who had not conceded an away goal in this season&#39;s competition, piled forward in the closing minutes but Champions League debutants Leicester held firm on a tumultuous night.

It looked ominous for Leicester in the early exchanges as Sevilla sought an away goal that would have put them in complete control of the tie.

Leicester keeper Schmeichel was forced into a great save to keep out Nasri&#39;s stinging shot after the former Manchester City player turned neatly in the box.

Sevilla struggled to find their passing rhythm though as Leicester worked tirelessly to press their opponents.

A well-organised Leicester looked increasingly dangerous from set pieces and it was from a Riyad Mahrez free kick that they took the lead with skipper Morgan bundling the ball into the Sevilla net with his thigh.

Ahead on away goals the situation played perfectly into Leicester&#39;s hands as they sat deep and broke quickly with Jamie Vardy always a threat on the counter-attack.

Sevilla began the second half with more purpose and came within a coat of paint of equalising in the 54th minute when Sergio Escudero&#39;s dipping effort from 30 metres beat Schmeichel but struck the underside of the crossbar.

It proved a pivotal moment as less than a minute later the ball dropped kindly for Marc Albrighton just inside the penalty area and he was allowed time and space to dispatch a left-foot shot past Sevilla keeper Sergio Rico.

Just when Sevilla were beginning to pin Leicester back in their own area Nasri needlessly got himself sent off after squaring up to Vardy with both players bumping foreheads.

Nasri received a second yellow card while Vardy, an irritation all night to Sevilla, was cautioned.

Sevilla were handed a lifeline almost immediately though when Schmeichel clattered into Vitolo and the referee awarded a penalty. N&#39;Zonzi was handed the task of putting Sevilla back into the tie but his weak kick was saved by Schmeichel. 
 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

Leicester, battling relegation in the Premier League, have now won all three games since Ranieri was sacked and replaced by Shakespeare

Back from the depths of despair Leicester City once again scaled improbable heights with a tumultuous 2-0 victory over Spanish club Sevilla to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Tuesday. Skipper Wes Morgan's 28th minute effort and Marc Albrighton's precise shot after the break saw Craig Shakespeare's team overturn the 2-1 defeat they suffered in former manager Claudio Ranieri's final match in charge. Sevilla missed a penalty and had Samir Nasri sent off as their hopes of a first ever quarter-final in the Champions League evaporated inside a rocking King Power Stadium. Leicester, who are battling relegation in the Premier League, have now won all three games since Ranieri was sacked and replaced by Shakespeare. Sevilla, who had not conceded an away goal in this season's competition, piled forward in the closing minutes but Champions League debutants Leicester held firm on a tumultuous night. It looked ominous for Leicester in the early exchanges as Sevilla sought an away goal that would have put them in complete control of the tie. Leicester keeper Schmeichel was forced into a great save to keep out Nasri's stinging shot after the former Manchester City player turned neatly in the box. Sevilla struggled to find their passing rhythm though as Leicester worked tirelessly to press their opponents. A well-organised Leicester looked increasingly dangerous from set pieces and it was from a Riyad Mahrez free kick that they took the lead with skipper Morgan bundling the ball into the Sevilla net with his thigh. Ahead on away goals the situation played perfectly into Leicester's hands as they sat deep and broke quickly with Jamie Vardy always a threat on the counter-attack. Sevilla began the second half with more purpose and came within a coat of paint of equalising in the 54th minute when Sergio Escudero's dipping effort from 30 metres beat Schmeichel but struck the underside of the crossbar. It proved a pivotal moment as less than a minute later the ball dropped kindly for Marc Albrighton just inside the penalty area and he was allowed time and space to dispatch a left-foot shot past Sevilla keeper Sergio Rico. Just when Sevilla were beginning to pin Leicester back in their own area Nasri needlessly got himself sent off after squaring up to Vardy with both players bumping foreheads. Nasri received a second yellow card while Vardy, an irritation all night to Sevilla, was cautioned. Sevilla were handed a lifeline almost immediately though when Schmeichel clattered into Vitolo and the referee awarded a penalty. N'Zonzi was handed the task of putting Sevilla back into the tie but his weak kick was saved by Schmeichel. (Reuters)

Leicester reach Champions League quarter-finals after beating Sevilla

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to face disciplinary action after appearing to elbow Bournemouth&#39;s Tyrone Mings during Saturday&#39;s fiery 1-1 draw in the Premier League.

Mings appeared to stamp on Ibrahimovic&#39;s head with his left foot as he jumped over him late in the first half and the Swedish striker seemed to elbow him in retaliation moments later.

Ibrahimovic, who also squandered a penalty, told BBC Sport: &quot;You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he (Mings) jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone.&quot;

Elsewhere, champions Leicester City continued their smooth adaptation to life after Claudio Ranieri by winning 3-1 at home to fellow strugglers Hull City.

Marcos Rojo put United ahead in the 23rd minute at Old Trafford, but Joshua King levelled from the spot five minutes before half-time following a foul on Marc Pugh by Phil Jones.

Adam Smith&#39;s handball gave Ibrahimovic a chance to restore United&#39;s lead from the penalty spot, but his spot-kick was brilliantly palmed away by Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc.

Victory would have taken United into the Champions League places, but they remain sixth, a position they have occupied since November.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s side could lose ground in the race for Champions League qualification later on Saturday when fifth-place Liverpool welcome fourth-place Arsenal to Anfield.

Ibrahimovic was already on a booking when he tangled with Mings, but both players avoided punishment, raising the prospect of violent conduct charges from the Football Association.

The standard punishment for violent conduct in the Premier League is a three-game ban.

United captain Wayne Rooney felt Mings&#39;s stamp had been deliberate, saying: &quot;There&#39;s no place for it and I&#39;m sure there will be punishment for it after the game.&quot;

But Mings, whose side remain 14th, said the contact with Ibrahimovic had been accidental.

&quot;I would never do that. That&#39;s not in my game,&quot; Mings said. &quot;Hard and fair is how I like to tackle, but off-the-ball stuff like that isn&#39;t part of my game.&quot;

Boro into drop zone&nbsp;

Referee Kevin Friend also sent off Bournemouth&#39;s Andy Surman for two bookable offences, although he had to be reminded by United left-back Luke Shaw that the midfielder had already been booked.

United manager Mourinho said Friend had been &quot;very good&quot;.

&quot;Who can I blame?&quot; Mourinho said. &quot;Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances.&quot;

Leicester&#39;s resurgence continued as they beat Hull 3-1 to pull five points clear of the relegation zone.

The champions beat Liverpool 3-1 last Monday in their first game since the sacking of popular manager Ranieri and caretaker coach Craig Shakespeare saw them record back-to-back wins for the first time since last April.

Sam Clucas gave Hull a 14th-minute lead, but Leicester stormed back to win through strikes from Christian Fuchs and Riyad Mahrez and a Tom Huddlestone own goal.

&quot;Results give players confidence,&quot; said Shakespeare. &quot;Back-to-back wins will give confidence for the last 11 games of the season.

&quot;Everyone looked at the game against Liverpool on Monday and to get the three points under pressure was important, but to back that up with another win was vitally important.&quot;

Hull are now four points from safety and they were joined in the bottom three by Middlesbrough, who fell to two Marko Arnautovic goals in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City.

Swansea City also pulled five points clear of the bottom three after Fernando Llorente&#39;s 92nd-minute header gave Paul Clement&#39;s improving side a precious 3-2 win at home to Burnley.

Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend struck in the second half as Sam Allardyce&#39;s Crystal Palace moved three points clear of danger with a 2-0 success at West Bromwich Albion.

Meanwhile, Manolo Gabbiadini scored his sixth goal in four games as Southampton bounced back from last weekend&#39;s League Cup final loss to United by winning 4-3 in an entertaining game at Watford.

(AFP)

Manchester United's profligacy in front of goal denied them the opportunity to move back into the top four in months

Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is likely to face disciplinary action after appearing to elbow Bournemouth's Tyrone Mings during Saturday's fiery 1-1 draw in the Premier League. Mings appeared to stamp on Ibrahimovic's head with his left foot as he jumped over him late in the first half and the Swedish striker seemed to elbow him in retaliation moments later. Ibrahimovic, who also squandered a penalty, told BBC Sport: "You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and he (Mings) jumps into my elbow. It is not my intention to hurt someone." Elsewhere, champions Leicester City continued their smooth adaptation to life after Claudio Ranieri by winning 3-1 at home to fellow strugglers Hull City. Marcos Rojo put United ahead in the 23rd minute at Old Trafford, but Joshua King levelled from the spot five minutes before half-time following a foul on Marc Pugh by Phil Jones. Adam Smith's handball gave Ibrahimovic a chance to restore United's lead from the penalty spot, but his spot-kick was brilliantly palmed away by Bournemouth goalkeeper Artur Boruc. Victory would have taken United into the Champions League places, but they remain sixth, a position they have occupied since November. Jose Mourinho's side could lose ground in the race for Champions League qualification later on Saturday when fifth-place Liverpool welcome fourth-place Arsenal to Anfield. Ibrahimovic was already on a booking when he tangled with Mings, but both players avoided punishment, raising the prospect of violent conduct charges from the Football Association. The standard punishment for violent conduct in the Premier League is a three-game ban. United captain Wayne Rooney felt Mings's stamp had been deliberate, saying: "There's no place for it and I'm sure there will be punishment for it after the game." But Mings, whose side remain 14th, said the contact with Ibrahimovic had been accidental. "I would never do that. That's not in my game," Mings said. "Hard and fair is how I like to tackle, but off-the-ball stuff like that isn't part of my game." Boro into drop zone Referee Kevin Friend also sent off Bournemouth's Andy Surman for two bookable offences, although he had to be reminded by United left-back Luke Shaw that the midfielder had already been booked. United manager Mourinho said Friend had been "very good". "Who can I blame?" Mourinho said. "Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances." Leicester's resurgence continued as they beat Hull 3-1 to pull five points clear of the relegation zone. The champions beat Liverpool 3-1 last Monday in their first game since the sacking of popular manager Ranieri and caretaker coach Craig Shakespeare saw them record back-to-back wins for the first time since last April. Sam Clucas gave Hull a 14th-minute lead, but Leicester stormed back to win through strikes from Christian Fuchs and Riyad Mahrez and a Tom Huddlestone own goal. "Results give players confidence," said Shakespeare. "Back-to-back wins will give confidence for the last 11 games of the season. "Everyone looked at the game against Liverpool on Monday and to get the three points under pressure was important, but to back that up with another win was vitally important." Hull are now four points from safety and they were joined in the bottom three by Middlesbrough, who fell to two Marko Arnautovic goals in a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City. Swansea City also pulled five points clear of the bottom three after Fernando Llorente's 92nd-minute header gave Paul Clement's improving side a precious 3-2 win at home to Burnley. Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend struck in the second half as Sam Allardyce's Crystal Palace moved three points clear of danger with a 2-0 success at West Bromwich Albion. Meanwhile, Manolo Gabbiadini scored his sixth goal in four games as Southampton bounced back from last weekend's League Cup final loss to United by winning 4-3 in an entertaining game at Watford. (AFP)

Manchester United held at home by Bournemouth, Leicester continue resurgence

Leicester City's chances of winning the Champions League this season are still less than one percent despite qualifying for the quarterfinals of the competition, according to FiveThirtyEight's Soccer Power Index (SPI)

Leicester goes through to Champions League quarter finals

A first-half penalty from Paulo Dybala helped fire Juventus into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday after a 1-0 win sent the Serie A champions through 3-0 on aggregate.

Porto coach Nuno Espirito Santo had hailed Juve&#39;s 20-game unbeaten home run in Europe as he played down the Portuguese side&#39;s chances of overturning a 2-0 first leg defeat at the Estadio do Dragao.&nbsp;

And the 43-year-old was right not to talk up their chances.

Despite enjoying plenty of possession in a first half that saw the hosts squander a number of chances, their bid ended when right-back Maxi Pereira saw red after handling Gonzalo Higuain&#39;s goal-bound shot five minutes before the break.

Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan pointed to the spot and Argentinian playmaker Dybala stepped up to drill into the bottom-right corner as Iker Casillas dived the other way.

Juventus stretched their unbeaten home record in Europe to 21 games -- the last time they suffered a home defeat in Europe was a 2-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, in the quarter-finals, in April 2013.

However, Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri warned his side must improve, whoever they are drawn against in the last eight.

&quot;We&#39;ll need a different kind of performance when we come up against better sides,&quot; he said.

&quot;In the second half, with 11 against 10, we did the opposite of what we achieved in Oporto.&quot;

Juventus won 2-0 in Portugal thanks to goals from Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves after Alex Telles was sent off on 27 minutes.

Nuno lamented his side&#39;s failure to score a &quot;deserved&quot; goal, but said: &quot;The expulsions in both games changed everything for us, and when you&#39;re playing against a big side like Juventus it becomes difficult.

&quot;They&#39;re one of the top four or five sides in Europe.&quot;

Casillas record 
 
Allegri deployed an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Higuain lead the Turin giants&#39; attack.

But it was Dybala, whose only previous Champions League goal this campaign came in a 4-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb last September, who had the majority of the chances.

The Argentinian had spoken on Monday of his desire to add to his tally in Europe, but fired wide twice in the opening stages as the hosts set the tone.&nbsp;

At the other end, Brazilian Francisco Soares curled directly into Gianluigi Buffon&#39;s arms, but it was one of too few opportunities for the visitors.

Mario Mandzukic&#39;s header was smothered by Spanish goalkeeper Casillas, who was making a record 175th appearance in European competition.

The imposing Croatian forward went closer with a header whistling wide of the far post from a corner, before Pereira flew to save Higuain&#39;s shot with his hand after Alex Sandro&#39;s header was parried by Casillas.&nbsp;

That left the visitors a man down and Dybala made no mistake from the spot to claim his third goal in the competition.

&quot;I felt more pressure taking the penalty against AC Milan than tonight,&quot; said Dybala, who hit a crucial, last-gasp winner in a controversial 2-1 league defeat of Milan on Friday.

&quot;I&#39;m happy with the goal, but also with the win and the fact we&#39;re through.&quot;

Juve could have had a second goal just after the restart but Casillas produced a fine reflex save at his near post to stop a wayward header by Porto midfielder Danilo.

Minutes later Buffon rushed out to close down Soares after he escaped Sandro to fire an angled shot wide of the &#39;keeper&#39;s far post.

Allegri replaced Juan Cuadrado with Pjaca for the start of the second half and the Croatian starlet saw an angled effort spin past Casillas&#39;s far post after he controlled well under pressure on the edge of the area.&nbsp;

Higuain, on 66 minutes, then fired just wide after holding off two markers in the area in what was Juve&#39;s last real chance to add to their tally.

(AFP)

Juventus stretched their unbeaten home record in Europe to 21 games

A first-half penalty from Paulo Dybala helped fire Juventus into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday after a 1-0 win sent the Serie A champions through 3-0 on aggregate. Porto coach Nuno Espirito Santo had hailed Juve's 20-game unbeaten home run in Europe as he played down the Portuguese side's chances of overturning a 2-0 first leg defeat at the Estadio do Dragao. And the 43-year-old was right not to talk up their chances. Despite enjoying plenty of possession in a first half that saw the hosts squander a number of chances, their bid ended when right-back Maxi Pereira saw red after handling Gonzalo Higuain's goal-bound shot five minutes before the break. Romanian referee Ovidiu Hategan pointed to the spot and Argentinian playmaker Dybala stepped up to drill into the bottom-right corner as Iker Casillas dived the other way. Juventus stretched their unbeaten home record in Europe to 21 games -- the last time they suffered a home defeat in Europe was a 2-0 Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, in the quarter-finals, in April 2013. However, Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri warned his side must improve, whoever they are drawn against in the last eight. "We'll need a different kind of performance when we come up against better sides," he said. "In the second half, with 11 against 10, we did the opposite of what we achieved in Oporto." Juventus won 2-0 in Portugal thanks to goals from Marko Pjaca and Dani Alves after Alex Telles was sent off on 27 minutes. Nuno lamented his side's failure to score a "deserved" goal, but said: "The expulsions in both games changed everything for us, and when you're playing against a big side like Juventus it becomes difficult. "They're one of the top four or five sides in Europe." Casillas record Allegri deployed an attack-minded 4-2-3-1 formation that saw Higuain lead the Turin giants' attack. But it was Dybala, whose only previous Champions League goal this campaign came in a 4-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb last September, who had the majority of the chances. The Argentinian had spoken on Monday of his desire to add to his tally in Europe, but fired wide twice in the opening stages as the hosts set the tone. At the other end, Brazilian Francisco Soares curled directly into Gianluigi Buffon's arms, but it was one of too few opportunities for the visitors. Mario Mandzukic's header was smothered by Spanish goalkeeper Casillas, who was making a record 175th appearance in European competition. The imposing Croatian forward went closer with a header whistling wide of the far post from a corner, before Pereira flew to save Higuain's shot with his hand after Alex Sandro's header was parried by Casillas. That left the visitors a man down and Dybala made no mistake from the spot to claim his third goal in the competition. "I felt more pressure taking the penalty against AC Milan than tonight," said Dybala, who hit a crucial, last-gasp winner in a controversial 2-1 league defeat of Milan on Friday. "I'm happy with the goal, but also with the win and the fact we're through." Juve could have had a second goal just after the restart but Casillas produced a fine reflex save at his near post to stop a wayward header by Porto midfielder Danilo. Minutes later Buffon rushed out to close down Soares after he escaped Sandro to fire an angled shot wide of the 'keeper's far post. Allegri replaced Juan Cuadrado with Pjaca for the start of the second half and the Croatian starlet saw an angled effort spin past Casillas's far post after he controlled well under pressure on the edge of the area. Higuain, on 66 minutes, then fired just wide after holding off two markers in the area in what was Juve's last real chance to add to their tally. (AFP)

Dybala fires Juventus past depleted Porto into Champions League quarter-finals

Manchester United have been charged with failing to control their players during Monday&#39;s 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Chelsea, the FA said. 
 
The charge relates to an incident in the 35th minute of the match at Stamford Bridge. United have until 1800 GMT on Friday to respond to the charge. 
 
Referee Michael Oliver was surrounded by several United players after Ander Herrera was sent off for a second yellow card after two ill-judged tackles on Chelsea forward Eden Hazard. 
 
United manager Jose Mourinho, returning to the club where he won seven major trophies, and Chelsea&#39;s Italian coach Antonio Conte also had to be separated after an angry exchange shortly after the sending off.

(Reuters) 
 
 
&nbsp;

Referee Michael Oliver was surrounded by several United players after Ander Herrera was sent off for a second yellow card

Manchester United have been charged with failing to control their players during Monday's 1-0 FA Cup quarter-final defeat at Chelsea, the FA said. The charge relates to an incident in the 35th minute of the match at Stamford Bridge. United have until 1800 GMT on Friday to respond to the charge. Referee Michael Oliver was surrounded by several United players after Ander Herrera was sent off for a second yellow card after two ill-judged tackles on Chelsea forward Eden Hazard. United manager Jose Mourinho, returning to the club where he won seven major trophies, and Chelsea's Italian coach Antonio Conte also had to be separated after an angry exchange shortly after the sending off. (Reuters)

Manchester United charged with failing to control players after FA Cup loss to Chelsea

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos struck another late winner as the European champions usurped Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday.

Earlier, Barca boss Luis Enrique accepted his side had struggled to shrug off the euphoria of a remarkable Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain as the Spanish champions slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat at Deportivo la Coruna.

Victory for Madrid moves Real two points clear of Barcelona and with a game in hand still to come.

&quot;I would be happier if we scored two or three goals at the start,&quot; said Real coach Zinedine Zidane.

&quot;But we remain calm because we know we can score at any moment.&quot;

However, Madrid&#39;s win was mired in controversy as goalkeeper Keylor Navas was extremely lucky to avoid an early red card before making a brilliant stoppage time save to deny Antonio Sanabria.

Navas clearly cleaned out Darko Brasanac on the edge of the Madrid area as he raced from his goal after just 20 minutes, but referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz inexplicably waived play on.

The hosts didn&#39;t benefit from Navas&#39;s presence just four minutes later, though, as he bundled Sarabia&#39;s shot into his own goal having appeared to have the effort under control.

&quot;The most important thing for me is the support Keylor received from his teammates,&quot; added Zidane.

&quot;They know how important he is and in the end he made a great save to get us the three points.&quot;

Cristiano Ronaldo ensured Madrid went in level at the break as he rose unmarked to power home Marcelo&#39;s cross from close range for his 26th goal of the season.

The visitors&#39; chances of escaping with a point were dealt a huge blow when Cristiano Piccini saw a second yellow card 12 minutes from time.

And just three minutes later, fresh from scoring two vital away goals at Napoli to ease Madrid into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, Ramos powered home another Toni Kroos header for the winner.

Betis could still have salvaged a point, but Navas made amends for his early mistakes with a brilliant stop from Sanabria&#39;s powerful header.

Much-changed Barca flop 
 
At Riazor, a much-changed Barcelona side from the one that hammered PSG 6-1 suffered a body blow to their hopes of a third successful title with a first league defeat since October.

Joselu had fired Deportivo into a first-half lead before Luis Suarez levelled in the first minute of the second period.

However, Alex Bergantinos rose highest from a corner to seal Deportivo&#39;s first victory over Barcelona since 2008.

&quot;Obviously it was difficult. Only those that have experienced what we have this week knows what it means, but as professionals we know nothing is gifted to you,&quot; said Enrique.

Two-goal hero in midweek Neymar was one of five changes to the Barca side due to an abductor injury.

It took Deportivo 40 minutes to force Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a serious save as the German leapt to his left to brilliantly turn Joselu&#39;s volley behind.

However, from the resulting corner Ter Stegen was found wanting as he spilled Javier Mascherano&#39;s miscued clearance and Joselu was on hand to smash into an unguarded net.

Barca got off to a flyer in the second-half as Suarez lashed home a loose ball inside the area to equalise just a minute after the restart.

Enrique turned to Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic for a winner in the final half hour as Arda Turan and Andre Gomes were sacrificed.

But Barca found it difficult to create clear-cut chances against the mass ranks of Deportivo defence, whilst the hosts were always a threat on the break.

Alejandro Arribas saw his header come back off the post, but once again having survived the initial threat, Barcelona conceded from the resulting corner.

This time Bergantinos got above Jordi Alba to head into the bottom corner at the far post.

Lux made a great save to deny Suarez a second equaliser, but Deportivo held out to give their hopes of survival a huge boost as they move eight points clear of the bottom three and up to 15th.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Victory for Madrid moves Real two points clear of Barcelona and with a game in hand still to come

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos struck another late winner as the European champions usurped Barcelona at the top of La Liga with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Real Betis on Sunday. Earlier, Barca boss Luis Enrique accepted his side had struggled to shrug off the euphoria of a remarkable Champions League comeback against Paris Saint-Germain as the Spanish champions slumped to a shock 2-1 defeat at Deportivo la Coruna. Victory for Madrid moves Real two points clear of Barcelona and with a game in hand still to come. "I would be happier if we scored two or three goals at the start," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane. "But we remain calm because we know we can score at any moment." However, Madrid's win was mired in controversy as goalkeeper Keylor Navas was extremely lucky to avoid an early red card before making a brilliant stoppage time save to deny Antonio Sanabria. Navas clearly cleaned out Darko Brasanac on the edge of the Madrid area as he raced from his goal after just 20 minutes, but referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz inexplicably waived play on. The hosts didn't benefit from Navas's presence just four minutes later, though, as he bundled Sarabia's shot into his own goal having appeared to have the effort under control. "The most important thing for me is the support Keylor received from his teammates," added Zidane. "They know how important he is and in the end he made a great save to get us the three points." Cristiano Ronaldo ensured Madrid went in level at the break as he rose unmarked to power home Marcelo's cross from close range for his 26th goal of the season. The visitors' chances of escaping with a point were dealt a huge blow when Cristiano Piccini saw a second yellow card 12 minutes from time. And just three minutes later, fresh from scoring two vital away goals at Napoli to ease Madrid into the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday, Ramos powered home another Toni Kroos header for the winner. Betis could still have salvaged a point, but Navas made amends for his early mistakes with a brilliant stop from Sanabria's powerful header. Much-changed Barca flop At Riazor, a much-changed Barcelona side from the one that hammered PSG 6-1 suffered a body blow to their hopes of a third successful title with a first league defeat since October. Joselu had fired Deportivo into a first-half lead before Luis Suarez levelled in the first minute of the second period. However, Alex Bergantinos rose highest from a corner to seal Deportivo's first victory over Barcelona since 2008. "Obviously it was difficult. Only those that have experienced what we have this week knows what it means, but as professionals we know nothing is gifted to you," said Enrique. Two-goal hero in midweek Neymar was one of five changes to the Barca side due to an abductor injury. It took Deportivo 40 minutes to force Marc-Andre ter Stegen into a serious save as the German leapt to his left to brilliantly turn Joselu's volley behind. However, from the resulting corner Ter Stegen was found wanting as he spilled Javier Mascherano's miscued clearance and Joselu was on hand to smash into an unguarded net. Barca got off to a flyer in the second-half as Suarez lashed home a loose ball inside the area to equalise just a minute after the restart. Enrique turned to Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic for a winner in the final half hour as Arda Turan and Andre Gomes were sacrificed. But Barca found it difficult to create clear-cut chances against the mass ranks of Deportivo defence, whilst the hosts were always a threat on the break. Alejandro Arribas saw his header come back off the post, but once again having survived the initial threat, Barcelona conceded from the resulting corner. This time Bergantinos got above Jordi Alba to head into the bottom corner at the far post. Lux made a great save to deny Suarez a second equaliser, but Deportivo held out to give their hopes of survival a huge boost as they move eight points clear of the bottom three and up to 15th. (AFP)

La Liga: Ramos strikes again as Real Madrid prosper from Barca hangover

Antonio Conte got the better of Jose Mourinho for the second time this season as Chelsea beat 10-man Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to reach the FA Cup semi-finals on Monday.

N&#39;Golo Kante&#39;s fine 51st minute strike was enough for Conte&#39;s double-chasing side to break United&#39;s resistance after the visitors had Ander Herrera sent off after 35 minutes for a second yellow card -- both for crude fouls on Eden Hazard.

Runaway Premier League leaders&#39; Chelsea&#39;s reward was a Wembley clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, while the other semi-final will be between Arsenal and Manchester City.

United, who face a Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday against Russian club Rostov, were missing the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic and injured Wayne Rooney and offered little threat once Kante had beaten David de Gea with a precise low shot.

While Mourinho was spared the humiliation of the 4-0 thrashing his old club dished out in October&#39;s&nbsp;Premier League meeting -- his first return to Stamford Bridge since being sacked last season -- he was again found wanting as Chelsea&#39;s fans delighted in chanting the name of his successor Conte.

Mourinho&#39;s frustration boiled over at times and the Portuguese and Italian Conte had to be separated after an angry exchange shortly after Herrera&#39;s sending off.

Chelsea dominated possession and could have scored more goals, though FA Cup holders United, who have already lifted the League Cup this season, had their moments and battled gamely despite being a man down for most of the contest.

Their best chance fell to Marcus Rashford on the hour but, after leaving David Luiz and Gary Cahill trailing, he was denied by a smart save from an otherwise untroubled Thibaut Courtois.

Livewire hazard

Much was made of United&#39;s lack of striking options ahead of the game but Mourinho&#39;s somewhat depleted side started in confident fashion and Henrikh Mkhitaryan fired just wide in the 13th minute following a strong run by Rashford.

That escape sparked Chelsea into life though, especially the livewire Hazard who was soon skipping his way past defenders to force De Gea into a great save from his deflected shot.

United&#39;s keeper then did equally well to claw out Nemanja Matic&#39;s low shot from the resulting corner.

Hazard was causing real alarm in the United defence and Herrera took matters into his own hands.

After being harshly booked for a foul on Hazard, the Spaniard then followed that with a rash tackle that gave referee Michael Oliver little option but to reach for his pocket again.

When Belgium forward Hazard went to ground again it proved too much for a furious Mourinho who raced across his technical area where he was met by an equally impassioned Conte.

&quot;You&#39;re not special anymore,&quot; Chelsea&#39;s fans sang to Mourinho, who responded by holding up three fingers to his tormentors -- his tally of Premier League titles delivered in two spells at Stamford Bridge.

Mourinho reacted quickly to Herrera&#39;s red card, hauling off Mkhitaryan and sending on the combative Marouane Fellaini.

United camped deep in Chelsea&#39;s half looking to frustrate their opponents but were undone six minutes after the break when Kante was given too much space and he nipped across the turf before dispatching a shot beyond the reach of De Gea. 
 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

Conte got the better of Mourinho for the second time this season as Chelsea beat Manchester United 1-0

Antonio Conte got the better of Jose Mourinho for the second time this season as Chelsea beat 10-man Manchester United 1-0 at Stamford Bridge to reach the FA Cup semi-finals on Monday. N'Golo Kante's fine 51st minute strike was enough for Conte's double-chasing side to break United's resistance after the visitors had Ander Herrera sent off after 35 minutes for a second yellow card -- both for crude fouls on Eden Hazard. Runaway Premier League leaders' Chelsea's reward was a Wembley clash with London rivals Tottenham Hotspur, while the other semi-final will be between Arsenal and Manchester City. United, who face a Europa League last 16 tie on Thursday against Russian club Rostov, were missing the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic and injured Wayne Rooney and offered little threat once Kante had beaten David de Gea with a precise low shot. While Mourinho was spared the humiliation of the 4-0 thrashing his old club dished out in October's Premier League meeting -- his first return to Stamford Bridge since being sacked last season -- he was again found wanting as Chelsea's fans delighted in chanting the name of his successor Conte. Mourinho's frustration boiled over at times and the Portuguese and Italian Conte had to be separated after an angry exchange shortly after Herrera's sending off. Chelsea dominated possession and could have scored more goals, though FA Cup holders United, who have already lifted the League Cup this season, had their moments and battled gamely despite being a man down for most of the contest. Their best chance fell to Marcus Rashford on the hour but, after leaving David Luiz and Gary Cahill trailing, he was denied by a smart save from an otherwise untroubled Thibaut Courtois. Livewire hazard Much was made of United's lack of striking options ahead of the game but Mourinho's somewhat depleted side started in confident fashion and Henrikh Mkhitaryan fired just wide in the 13th minute following a strong run by Rashford. That escape sparked Chelsea into life though, especially the livewire Hazard who was soon skipping his way past defenders to force De Gea into a great save from his deflected shot. United's keeper then did equally well to claw out Nemanja Matic's low shot from the resulting corner. Hazard was causing real alarm in the United defence and Herrera took matters into his own hands. After being harshly booked for a foul on Hazard, the Spaniard then followed that with a rash tackle that gave referee Michael Oliver little option but to reach for his pocket again. When Belgium forward Hazard went to ground again it proved too much for a furious Mourinho who raced across his technical area where he was met by an equally impassioned Conte. "You're not special anymore," Chelsea's fans sang to Mourinho, who responded by holding up three fingers to his tormentors -- his tally of Premier League titles delivered in two spells at Stamford Bridge. Mourinho reacted quickly to Herrera's red card, hauling off Mkhitaryan and sending on the combative Marouane Fellaini. United camped deep in Chelsea's half looking to frustrate their opponents but were undone six minutes after the break when Kante was given too much space and he nipped across the turf before dispatching a shot beyond the reach of De Gea. (Reuters)

Chelsea beat Manchester United to reach FA Cup semi-finals

Emre Can&#39;s superb shot guided Liverpool to a 2-1 home win over Burnley on Sunday and maintained their bid to qualify for next season&rsquo;s Champions League.

Ashley Barnes, with his club&rsquo;s first goal at Anfield since 1975, had given Burnley a deserved early lead only for Georginio Wijnaldum to equalise in first-half injury-time.

And Can struck just after the hour mark to secure victory for Liverpool, although it was a far from convincing performance by Jurgen Klopp&rsquo;s side.

German international Can collected a short pass from Divock Origi and was allowed space to unleash a right-foot shot from 25 yards which the Burnley goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, might have been expected to save before it reached the bottom left-hand corner of his net.

Victory saw Liverpool remain fourth, still in the final Champions League place open to English clubs.&nbsp;

The win moved them to within a point of third-placed Manchester City but, more significantly, saw Liverpool go five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal.

&quot;The performance was good enough to win the game but the result is massive for us, it&#39;s the first ugly game we have won,&quot; Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports. &quot;Usually when we are not that good we lose.&quot;

Meanwhile Burnley boss Sean Dyche was left bemoaning his side&#39;s lack of good fortune.

&quot;It&#39;s a tough one to take, because everyone gave a really good account of ourselves and we went up with a sublime goal,&quot; he told the BBC. &quot;We just needed a scratch of luck along the way.&quot;&nbsp;

Liverpool had gone in at the half-time interval level although it was a scoreline that even the most ardent home supporter would have admitted was harsh on Burnley.

With just two away points to their name all season -- from a still impressive tally of 31 -- Dyche&rsquo;s team opened the game aggressively and took the lead in just the seventh minute.

Right-back Matt Lowton crossed low into the area from the wing and, after Andre Gray narrowly missed making contact, Barnes slid in ahead of his marker to force the ball past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Burnley, without a victory at Anfield since 1974, would have hoped to reach the interval without conceding an equaliser and looked well on course for that target for the majority of the half.

Unlikely equaliser

Not until the 45th minute did Liverpool enjoy a &#39;shot&#39; on target and that was actually an over-hit defensive header from Burnley&rsquo;s Joey Barton which forced Heaton into a comfortable diving save, his first of the game.

But a minute into first-half injury-time, Liverpool claimed an unlikely equaliser which raised the mood around the stadium.

Origi, starting in place of the injured Roberto Firmino, crossed from the left and Wijnaldum made a lazy attempt to control the ball, flicking out a boot and benefitting from a fortunate rebound from defender Ben Mee, before drilling home an unstoppable finish from six yards.

Even before the goal, Burnley&rsquo;s crosses from the right had caused concern, with Gray&rsquo;s chip almost finding Barnes after five minutes.

Solid at the back, Burnley also looked the more likely to score a second goal after Barnes&rsquo;s opener.

But the second half opened with Liverpool in far more determined mood, although their suspect defending always gave Burnley hope.

Barnes sent a speculative first-time shot wide soon after the restart before Liverpool finally threatened, with Joel Matip&#39;s shot from a Philippe Coutinho cross blocked

Can&rsquo;s goal was still harsh on Burnley, although the visitors almost responded just three minutes later, when Mee headed a free-kick across goal and Barnes&rsquo;s effort was blocked by Ragnar Klavan.

Both teams squandered late chances for further goals. Sadio Mane had only Heaton to beat but saw the Burnley keeper tip his 12-yard shot over the bar in the closing stages before Lowton missed a glorious opportunity to equalise, shooting wide from a scramble in the area in stoppage-time.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Victory saw Liverpool remain fourth, still in the final Champions League place open to English clubs

Emre Can's superb shot guided Liverpool to a 2-1 home win over Burnley on Sunday and maintained their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Ashley Barnes, with his club’s first goal at Anfield since 1975, had given Burnley a deserved early lead only for Georginio Wijnaldum to equalise in first-half injury-time. And Can struck just after the hour mark to secure victory for Liverpool, although it was a far from convincing performance by Jurgen Klopp’s side. German international Can collected a short pass from Divock Origi and was allowed space to unleash a right-foot shot from 25 yards which the Burnley goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, might have been expected to save before it reached the bottom left-hand corner of his net. Victory saw Liverpool remain fourth, still in the final Champions League place open to English clubs. The win moved them to within a point of third-placed Manchester City but, more significantly, saw Liverpool go five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal. "The performance was good enough to win the game but the result is massive for us, it's the first ugly game we have won," Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports. "Usually when we are not that good we lose." Meanwhile Burnley boss Sean Dyche was left bemoaning his side's lack of good fortune. "It's a tough one to take, because everyone gave a really good account of ourselves and we went up with a sublime goal," he told the BBC. "We just needed a scratch of luck along the way." Liverpool had gone in at the half-time interval level although it was a scoreline that even the most ardent home supporter would have admitted was harsh on Burnley. With just two away points to their name all season -- from a still impressive tally of 31 -- Dyche’s team opened the game aggressively and took the lead in just the seventh minute. Right-back Matt Lowton crossed low into the area from the wing and, after Andre Gray narrowly missed making contact, Barnes slid in ahead of his marker to force the ball past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. Burnley, without a victory at Anfield since 1974, would have hoped to reach the interval without conceding an equaliser and looked well on course for that target for the majority of the half. Unlikely equaliser Not until the 45th minute did Liverpool enjoy a 'shot' on target and that was actually an over-hit defensive header from Burnley’s Joey Barton which forced Heaton into a comfortable diving save, his first of the game. But a minute into first-half injury-time, Liverpool claimed an unlikely equaliser which raised the mood around the stadium. Origi, starting in place of the injured Roberto Firmino, crossed from the left and Wijnaldum made a lazy attempt to control the ball, flicking out a boot and benefitting from a fortunate rebound from defender Ben Mee, before drilling home an unstoppable finish from six yards. Even before the goal, Burnley’s crosses from the right had caused concern, with Gray’s chip almost finding Barnes after five minutes. Solid at the back, Burnley also looked the more likely to score a second goal after Barnes’s opener. But the second half opened with Liverpool in far more determined mood, although their suspect defending always gave Burnley hope. Barnes sent a speculative first-time shot wide soon after the restart before Liverpool finally threatened, with Joel Matip's shot from a Philippe Coutinho cross blocked Can’s goal was still harsh on Burnley, although the visitors almost responded just three minutes later, when Mee headed a free-kick across goal and Barnes’s effort was blocked by Ragnar Klavan. Both teams squandered late chances for further goals. Sadio Mane had only Heaton to beat but saw the Burnley keeper tip his 12-yard shot over the bar in the closing stages before Lowton missed a glorious opportunity to equalise, shooting wide from a scramble in the area in stoppage-time. (AFP)

Premier League: Liverpool 2-1 Burnley

Oumar Niasse boosted Hull&#39;s chances of avoiding relegation from the Premier League as the Senegal forward inspired a crucial 2-1 victory over Swansea, while Bournemouth won for the first time in 2017 thanks to Josh King&#39;s treble in a 3-2 success against West Ham.

Niasse, on loan from Everton, came off the bench to score twice in the second half at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday and Marco Silva&#39;s side are now just one point from safety.

After a tense first half, Niasse broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when he played a one-two with Abel Hernandez and drilled past Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Niasse sealed Hull&#39;s third win over Swansea in all competitions this season with a blistering strike from inside the penalty area in the 78th minute.

Alfie Mawson&#39;s 90th minute goal was no consolation for Swansea, who have lost their last three away games and are only three points above third bottom Hull.

&quot;We got three important points, so of course I&#39;m happy,&quot; Silva said.

&quot;It was a tough game. We improved in the second half and after that we controlled the game.&quot;

At Dean Court, Bournemouth overcame two missed penalties and a late equaliser to end their nine-match winless run in all competitions.&nbsp;

King had netted with a penalty in last weekend&#39;s draw at Manchester United, but the Bournemouth striker fired wide with another spot-kick in the early stages against the Hammers following Sofiane Feghouli&#39;s foul on Charlie Daniels.

Just 48 seconds later, West Ham winger Michail Antonio marked his return from suspension with a cool finish after taking Feghouli&#39;s pass and spinning away from his marker in the 10th minute.

King made amends for his penalty howler in the 31st minute when the striker flicked the ball up in the penalty area before firing home.

Remarkably, Bournemouth missed another penalty, this one awarded for Jose Fonte&#39;s foul on March Pugh late in the first half, as Benik Afobe&#39;s effort was saved by Darren Randolph.

Perfectly placed 
 
King struck again in the 48th minute when his close-range effort from Afobe&#39;s flick-on was allowed to stand despite West Ham&#39;s appeals for handball.

West Ham&#39;s Andre Ayew tapped into an empty net from Sam Byram&#39;s 83rd minute cross, but King bagged the winner from close-range in stoppage-time to lift Bournemouth six points clear of the relegation zone.

&quot;Relief is the overwhelming feeling,&quot; Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said.

&quot;Josh King has had an outstanding season and is beginning to show true potential.&quot;

Everton improved their prospects of a Europa League berth with a 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion at Goodison Park.

Ronald Koeman&#39;s seventh placed team are just two points behind sixth placed Manchester United after recording their fifth successive home victory.

With British boxer and Everton fan Tony Bellew watching from the stands after his recent heavyweight success against David Haye, Kevin Mirallas landed the first blow for the hosts in the 39th minute.

Ross Barkley&#39;s shot was parried by Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster and Mirallas was perfectly placed to slot home.

Morgan Schneiderlin doubled Everton&#39;s lead on the stroke of half-time, the midfielder unleashing a ferocious strike for his first goal since a January move from Manchester United.

Romelu Lukaku sealed the rout with a header in the 82nd minute for his 19th league goal of the season.&nbsp;

Liverpool host Burnley on Sunday in the weekend&#39;s only other league action due to FA Cup quarter-final fixtures. 
 
(AFP)

 
&nbsp;

Niasse inspired a crucial 2-1 victory over Swansea. Bournemouth won for the first time in 2017 thanks to Josh King's treble against West Ham

Oumar Niasse boosted Hull's chances of avoiding relegation from the Premier League as the Senegal forward inspired a crucial 2-1 victory over Swansea, while Bournemouth won for the first time in 2017 thanks to Josh King's treble in a 3-2 success against West Ham. Niasse, on loan from Everton, came off the bench to score twice in the second half at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday and Marco Silva's side are now just one point from safety. After a tense first half, Niasse broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when he played a one-two with Abel Hernandez and drilled past Swansea goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski. Niasse sealed Hull's third win over Swansea in all competitions this season with a blistering strike from inside the penalty area in the 78th minute. Alfie Mawson's 90th minute goal was no consolation for Swansea, who have lost their last three away games and are only three points above third bottom Hull. "We got three important points, so of course I'm happy," Silva said. "It was a tough game. We improved in the second half and after that we controlled the game." At Dean Court, Bournemouth overcame two missed penalties and a late equaliser to end their nine-match winless run in all competitions. King had netted with a penalty in last weekend's draw at Manchester United, but the Bournemouth striker fired wide with another spot-kick in the early stages against the Hammers following Sofiane Feghouli's foul on Charlie Daniels. Just 48 seconds later, West Ham winger Michail Antonio marked his return from suspension with a cool finish after taking Feghouli's pass and spinning away from his marker in the 10th minute. King made amends for his penalty howler in the 31st minute when the striker flicked the ball up in the penalty area before firing home. Remarkably, Bournemouth missed another penalty, this one awarded for Jose Fonte's foul on March Pugh late in the first half, as Benik Afobe's effort was saved by Darren Randolph. Perfectly placed King struck again in the 48th minute when his close-range effort from Afobe's flick-on was allowed to stand despite West Ham's appeals for handball. West Ham's Andre Ayew tapped into an empty net from Sam Byram's 83rd minute cross, but King bagged the winner from close-range in stoppage-time to lift Bournemouth six points clear of the relegation zone. "Relief is the overwhelming feeling," Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe said. "Josh King has had an outstanding season and is beginning to show true potential." Everton improved their prospects of a Europa League berth with a 3-0 win over West Bromwich Albion at Goodison Park. Ronald Koeman's seventh placed team are just two points behind sixth placed Manchester United after recording their fifth successive home victory. With British boxer and Everton fan Tony Bellew watching from the stands after his recent heavyweight success against David Haye, Kevin Mirallas landed the first blow for the hosts in the 39th minute. Ross Barkley's shot was parried by Albion goalkeeper Ben Foster and Mirallas was perfectly placed to slot home. Morgan Schneiderlin doubled Everton's lead on the stroke of half-time, the midfielder unleashing a ferocious strike for his first goal since a January move from Manchester United. Romelu Lukaku sealed the rout with a header in the 82nd minute for his 19th league goal of the season. Liverpool host Burnley on Sunday in the weekend's only other league action due to FA Cup quarter-final fixtures. (AFP)

Premier League: Hull boost survival bid, Bournemouth end winless run

David Silva and Sergio Aguero scored in each half as Manchester City became the first team to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 win at Premier League rivals Middlesbrough on Saturday.

A dominant City cruised into the last four after Silva gave them a third-minute lead and Aguero struck in the 67th minute, with the visitors missing numerous chances to win by a bigger margin.

Pep Guardiola&#39;s attacking formation, featuring Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane behind Aguero, paid instant dividends as City carved open the home team&#39;s defence.

Yaya Toure fed Pablo Zabaleta on the right flank with a defence-splitting pass and the Argentine defender drove a perfect ball across the face of goal for Silva to shoot home from close range.

Middlesbrough kept getting undone on either wing as Sane and Silva gave their markers a roasting and the home team&#39;s goalkeeper Brad Guzan made a string of good saves.

Aguero hit the woodwork after another lightning raid down the right but made no mistake when he steered a first-time shot past the helpless Guzan at the near post from a fizzing low cross by Sane.

City threatened to run riot in the closing stages as acres of space opened up, but Guzan spared the home side a heavier defeat by denying Sterling and Silva.

Arsenal host non-league Lincoln City later on Saturday. 
 
(Reuters)

Pep Guardiola's attacking formation, featuring Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane behind Aguero, paid instant dividends

David Silva and Sergio Aguero scored in each half as Manchester City became the first team to reach the FA Cup semi-finals with a comfortable 2-0 win at Premier League rivals Middlesbrough on Saturday. A dominant City cruised into the last four after Silva gave them a third-minute lead and Aguero struck in the 67th minute, with the visitors missing numerous chances to win by a bigger margin. Pep Guardiola's attacking formation, featuring Silva, Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne and Leroy Sane behind Aguero, paid instant dividends as City carved open the home team's defence. Yaya Toure fed Pablo Zabaleta on the right flank with a defence-splitting pass and the Argentine defender drove a perfect ball across the face of goal for Silva to shoot home from close range. Middlesbrough kept getting undone on either wing as Sane and Silva gave their markers a roasting and the home team's goalkeeper Brad Guzan made a string of good saves. Aguero hit the woodwork after another lightning raid down the right but made no mistake when he steered a first-time shot past the helpless Guzan at the near post from a fizzing low cross by Sane. City threatened to run riot in the closing stages as acres of space opened up, but Guzan spared the home side a heavier defeat by denying Sterling and Silva. Arsenal host non-league Lincoln City later on Saturday. (Reuters)

Manchester City ease into FA Cup semis with 2-0 win at Middlesbrough

Arsenal ended Lincoln City&#39;s historic FA Cup run and eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger with a 5-0 victory over the valiant non-league side in Saturday&#39;s quarter-finals.

After Tuesday&#39;s&nbsp;humiliating Champions League exit against Bayern Munich, Wenger had endured calls for his resignation and the Gunners boss must have breathed a sigh of relief as Arsenal avoided even greater ignominy.

A contest that should have been a mismatch given the supposed gulf in class between fifth-tier Lincoln and their illustrious opponents was actually a tense affair until first-half stoppage time when Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead.

But even after goals from Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and a Luke Waterfall own goal, the day belonged to the fifth-tier leaders, for whom the competition has generated a &pound;1.6 million ($1.9m) cash windfall.

For a club whose record signings, Dean Walling and Tony Battersby, each cost &pound;75,000 in 1997 and 1978, respectively, that is quite a sum.

The 9,000 travelling Lincoln supporters certainly brought their voices and generated more noise than the Emirates Stadium has heard during many Premier League games this season.

Almost 10 minutes had elapsed before Arsenal created an opening. Hector Bellerin slid the ball along the ground from the right-hand side but Ramsey swept his shot just wide of the post.

Four minutes later Walcott connected sweetly with a volley only for Lincoln keeper Paul Farman to plunge to his left to palm the ball on to the same upright.

Arsenal were forced into a change after 26 minutes, although if the non-league side were glad to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain go, the sight of German World Cup-winner Mesut Ozil coming on to replace him was less welcome.

Lincoln&#39;s compactness in defence was limiting Arsenal to very few chances.&nbsp;

Urgency 
 
And in contrast to Lincoln&#39;s collective discipline, inspired by the organisational skill of their impressive young manager Danny Cowley, it was the Arsenal players who were guilty of impetuosity in the tackle, with both Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny booked for lunging challenges.

Nathan Arnold, who scored the winning goal against Ipswich Town in the third-round replay, came closest to a goal for the visitors as the half-hour approached.

Cutting inside Kieran Gibbs, he forced Petr Cech to fling himself to his right for a fine save.

Ramsey sent a stabbed effort over the bar as half-time approached, but just as it seemed that Lincoln would deservedly reach the interval on level terms, the Premier League side struck.

Farman had difficulty in dealing with an Ozil cross and from the resulting corner a goalmouth melee ended with Gibbs setting up Walcott to put Arsenal ahead with a deflected effort.

Wenger&#39;s side re-emerged with a sense of urgency that had been largely absent in the first half.

The goal that effectively sealed Arsenal&#39;s passage to a Wembley semi-final arrived after 53 minutes.

Bellerin swapped passes with Sanchez before laying the ball back for Giroud to sidefoot home.

Five minutes later, Arsenal led 3-0. Gibbs drove in a low hard cross that was deflected into his own net by the unfortunate Waterfall.&nbsp;

Sanchez then made it four after 73 minutes, riding two challenges before curling home beautifully.

The scoreline began to look unjustifiably one-sided when Ramsey walked the ball home following a Sanchez cross.

At the other end, midfielder Alan Power forced a save from Cech as Lincoln sought the most glorious of consolation goals.

Arsenal progressed to Wenger&#39;s relief, but it is Lincoln who will take home all of the memories.

(AFP)

The win eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger who endured calls for resignation after the humiliating Champions League exit against Bayern

Arsenal ended Lincoln City's historic FA Cup run and eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger with a 5-0 victory over the valiant non-league side in Saturday's quarter-finals. After Tuesday's humiliating Champions League exit against Bayern Munich, Wenger had endured calls for his resignation and the Gunners boss must have breathed a sigh of relief as Arsenal avoided even greater ignominy. A contest that should have been a mismatch given the supposed gulf in class between fifth-tier Lincoln and their illustrious opponents was actually a tense affair until first-half stoppage time when Theo Walcott put Arsenal ahead. But even after goals from Olivier Giroud, Alexis Sanchez, Aaron Ramsey and a Luke Waterfall own goal, the day belonged to the fifth-tier leaders, for whom the competition has generated a £1.6 million ($1.9m) cash windfall. For a club whose record signings, Dean Walling and Tony Battersby, each cost £75,000 in 1997 and 1978, respectively, that is quite a sum. The 9,000 travelling Lincoln supporters certainly brought their voices and generated more noise than the Emirates Stadium has heard during many Premier League games this season. Almost 10 minutes had elapsed before Arsenal created an opening. Hector Bellerin slid the ball along the ground from the right-hand side but Ramsey swept his shot just wide of the post. Four minutes later Walcott connected sweetly with a volley only for Lincoln keeper Paul Farman to plunge to his left to palm the ball on to the same upright. Arsenal were forced into a change after 26 minutes, although if the non-league side were glad to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain go, the sight of German World Cup-winner Mesut Ozil coming on to replace him was less welcome. Lincoln's compactness in defence was limiting Arsenal to very few chances. Urgency And in contrast to Lincoln's collective discipline, inspired by the organisational skill of their impressive young manager Danny Cowley, it was the Arsenal players who were guilty of impetuosity in the tackle, with both Granit Xhaka and Laurent Koscielny booked for lunging challenges. Nathan Arnold, who scored the winning goal against Ipswich Town in the third-round replay, came closest to a goal for the visitors as the half-hour approached. Cutting inside Kieran Gibbs, he forced Petr Cech to fling himself to his right for a fine save. Ramsey sent a stabbed effort over the bar as half-time approached, but just as it seemed that Lincoln would deservedly reach the interval on level terms, the Premier League side struck. Farman had difficulty in dealing with an Ozil cross and from the resulting corner a goalmouth melee ended with Gibbs setting up Walcott to put Arsenal ahead with a deflected effort. Wenger's side re-emerged with a sense of urgency that had been largely absent in the first half. The goal that effectively sealed Arsenal's passage to a Wembley semi-final arrived after 53 minutes. Bellerin swapped passes with Sanchez before laying the ball back for Giroud to sidefoot home. Five minutes later, Arsenal led 3-0. Gibbs drove in a low hard cross that was deflected into his own net by the unfortunate Waterfall. Sanchez then made it four after 73 minutes, riding two challenges before curling home beautifully. The scoreline began to look unjustifiably one-sided when Ramsey walked the ball home following a Sanchez cross. At the other end, midfielder Alan Power forced a save from Cech as Lincoln sought the most glorious of consolation goals. Arsenal progressed to Wenger's relief, but it is Lincoln who will take home all of the memories. (AFP)

Arsenal 5-0 Lincoln City, move to FA Cup semi-finals

Henrikh Mkhitaryan bagged a precious away goal as Manchester United came away from their trip to Russia with a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Rostov on Thursday.

On an awful pitch, the state of which had United manager Jose Mourinho fuming on the eve of the game, Mkhitaryan turned in the opener 10 minutes before half-time.

But Aleksandr Bukharov levelled for the home side in the 53rd minute at the Olimp 2 stadium, keeping Rostov hopes alive ahead of next week&#39;s return at Old Trafford.

The build-up to the match had been overshadowed by United&#39;s complaints about the playing surface and about concerns travelling fans could be targeted by Russian hooligans.

However, the evening passed off without incident inside the ground, where a little over 200 United supporters were in attendance along with ex-United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz, who is these days in charge of Iran.

They saw the visitors extend their recent unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 games as Mourinho made seven changes to the team held by Bournemouth last weekend.

One of those brought back into the starting line-up was Mkhitaryan, and it was he who swept United in front in the 35th minute from close range after good build-up play involving Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Nevertheless Rostov, who are seventh in the Russian Premier League and had already won at home to Ajax and Bayern Munich in Europe this season, drew level thanks to a fine goal shortly after the break.

Timofei Kalachev delivered a ball over the top that was controlled on the chest inside the box and then fired home by Bukharov to secure the draw.

Elsewhere, FC Copenhagen beat Ajax 2-1 in Denmark with Rasmus Falk putting the hosts in front inside a minute.

Danish prodigy Kasper Dolberg levelled for the Dutch giants but Andreas Cornelius headed in the winner for Copenhagen on the hour.

Anderlecht beat APOEL 1-0 in Cyprus with a Nicolae Stanciu goal.

(AFP)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan opened the scoring for the visitors before Rostov's Aleksandr Bukharov levelled the match after half-time

Henrikh Mkhitaryan bagged a precious away goal as Manchester United came away from their trip to Russia with a 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Rostov on Thursday. On an awful pitch, the state of which had United manager Jose Mourinho fuming on the eve of the game, Mkhitaryan turned in the opener 10 minutes before half-time. But Aleksandr Bukharov levelled for the home side in the 53rd minute at the Olimp 2 stadium, keeping Rostov hopes alive ahead of next week's return at Old Trafford. The build-up to the match had been overshadowed by United's complaints about the playing surface and about concerns travelling fans could be targeted by Russian hooligans. However, the evening passed off without incident inside the ground, where a little over 200 United supporters were in attendance along with ex-United assistant boss Carlos Queiroz, who is these days in charge of Iran. They saw the visitors extend their recent unbeaten run in all competitions to 10 games as Mourinho made seven changes to the team held by Bournemouth last weekend. One of those brought back into the starting line-up was Mkhitaryan, and it was he who swept United in front in the 35th minute from close range after good build-up play involving Marouane Fellaini and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Nevertheless Rostov, who are seventh in the Russian Premier League and had already won at home to Ajax and Bayern Munich in Europe this season, drew level thanks to a fine goal shortly after the break. Timofei Kalachev delivered a ball over the top that was controlled on the chest inside the box and then fired home by Bukharov to secure the draw. Elsewhere, FC Copenhagen beat Ajax 2-1 in Denmark with Rasmus Falk putting the hosts in front inside a minute. Danish prodigy Kasper Dolberg levelled for the Dutch giants but Andreas Cornelius headed in the winner for Copenhagen on the hour. Anderlecht beat APOEL 1-0 in Cyprus with a Nicolae Stanciu goal. (AFP)

Europa League: ManU come away with draw against Rostov

Barcelona scored three goals in seven late minutes to pull off a stunning comeback against French champions&nbsp;Paris Saint-Germain to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday.

Sergi Roberto&#39;s last-gasp goal meant Barcelona thrashed PSG 6-1 to memorably overcome a 0-4 deficit.

Despite Luis Suarez&#39;s early opener, a Layvin Kurzawa own goal and Lionel Messi&#39;s penalty, Barca, who lost the first leg 4-0, looked down and out when Edison Cavani volleyed home what seemed to be the vital away goal for PSG.

However, Neymar restored Barca&#39;s belief as he firstly fired home a sensational free-kick two minutes from time and then converted from the penalty spot.

And Roberto capped the biggest comeback in Champions League history when he stretched to turn home Neymar&#39;s dinked cross to the delight of a near 100,000 at a rocking Camp Nou, making the score 6-5 on aggregate.

Barca also enter the record books by reaching the quarter-finals for a 10th straight season.

Outgoing Barca coach Luis Enrique warned the French champions on Tuesday that his side were capable of scoring six and they needed the full 95 minutes to pull of a miracle revival.

No side had ever come back from a 4-0 first leg deficit in the Champions League, but after much pre-match hype of a historic turnaround, Barca truly believed when Suarez opened the scoring after just three minutes.

The PSG defence was stationary as Marquinhos headed Rafinha&#39;s cross high into the air and Suarez nipped in ahead of the flapping goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to nod in despite Thomas Meunier&#39;s best efforts to clear off the line.

In a role reversal from the first leg, Barca&#39;s high pressing wasn&#39;t allowing the visitors any restbite, whilst PSG failed to take advantage of the huge spaces in behind the Barca defence on the counter-attack.

Neymar was inches away from delivering a spectacular second when he drilled just wide from well outside the area before Trapp easily collected a Suarez effort from an acute angle.

However, Barca&#39;s hopes were further raised five minutes before the break thanks to more shambolic PSG defending.

Andres Iniesta reached Suarez&#39;s hopeful through ball and his backheel provoked Kurzawa into shanking the ball into his own net on his weaker right foot.

The second period started just as the first ended as Barca edged closer to the history books when Neymar was clipped by the prone Meunier and, after consultation with one of his assistants, German referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot.

Messi made no mistake with the penalty to rifle home his 11th Champions League goal of the season.

Only when 3-0 down did PSG begin to come out in search of the crucial away goal and were nearly rewarded immediately as Meunier got to the by-line and his low cross was turned onto the post by Cavani.

The Uruguayan had to wait just 10 minutes more, though, to find the net.

Kurzawa made amends for his earlier error by heading down a free-kick and Cavani connected sweetly on the volley to register his 38th and seemingly most important goal of the season.

PSG were then to rue to huge missed chances to put the tie completely beyond Barca.

Firstly, Cavani should have had his second as he was played in by Draxler, but this time Marc-Andre ter Stegen stood up to block with an outstretched leg.

PSG&#39;s two-goal hero from the first Angel di Maria had started on the bench, but the former Real Madrid man should have rubbed salt in Barca&#39;s wounds five minutes from time when he somehow skewed wide with just Ter Stegen to beat.

Just when Barca looked down and out Neymar restored hope when he curled home a sensational free-kick high into the top corner.

And as the match entered stoppage time, Barca were awarded a second controversial penalty when Suarez tumbled under a challenge form Marquinhos.

Neymar this time took responsibility to send Trapp the wrong way.

And the Brazilian also showed a cool head amongst a mad final minute when he cut inside before chipping into the box for substitute Roberto to extend his right leg just enough to beat Trapp and leave PSG floored.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Trailing 0-4 after first leg against Paris Saint-Germain, Neymar-inspired Barca pumped in 3 late goals to propel his team to the last eight

Barcelona scored three goals in seven late minutes to pull off a stunning comeback against French champions Paris Saint-Germain to reach the quarter-finals on Wednesday. Sergi Roberto's last-gasp goal meant Barcelona thrashed PSG 6-1 to memorably overcome a 0-4 deficit. Despite Luis Suarez's early opener, a Layvin Kurzawa own goal and Lionel Messi's penalty, Barca, who lost the first leg 4-0, looked down and out when Edison Cavani volleyed home what seemed to be the vital away goal for PSG. However, Neymar restored Barca's belief as he firstly fired home a sensational free-kick two minutes from time and then converted from the penalty spot. And Roberto capped the biggest comeback in Champions League history when he stretched to turn home Neymar's dinked cross to the delight of a near 100,000 at a rocking Camp Nou, making the score 6-5 on aggregate. Barca also enter the record books by reaching the quarter-finals for a 10th straight season. Outgoing Barca coach Luis Enrique warned the French champions on Tuesday that his side were capable of scoring six and they needed the full 95 minutes to pull of a miracle revival. No side had ever come back from a 4-0 first leg deficit in the Champions League, but after much pre-match hype of a historic turnaround, Barca truly believed when Suarez opened the scoring after just three minutes. The PSG defence was stationary as Marquinhos headed Rafinha's cross high into the air and Suarez nipped in ahead of the flapping goalkeeper Kevin Trapp to nod in despite Thomas Meunier's best efforts to clear off the line. In a role reversal from the first leg, Barca's high pressing wasn't allowing the visitors any restbite, whilst PSG failed to take advantage of the huge spaces in behind the Barca defence on the counter-attack. Neymar was inches away from delivering a spectacular second when he drilled just wide from well outside the area before Trapp easily collected a Suarez effort from an acute angle. However, Barca's hopes were further raised five minutes before the break thanks to more shambolic PSG defending. Andres Iniesta reached Suarez's hopeful through ball and his backheel provoked Kurzawa into shanking the ball into his own net on his weaker right foot. The second period started just as the first ended as Barca edged closer to the history books when Neymar was clipped by the prone Meunier and, after consultation with one of his assistants, German referee Deniz Aytekin pointed to the spot. Messi made no mistake with the penalty to rifle home his 11th Champions League goal of the season. Only when 3-0 down did PSG begin to come out in search of the crucial away goal and were nearly rewarded immediately as Meunier got to the by-line and his low cross was turned onto the post by Cavani. The Uruguayan had to wait just 10 minutes more, though, to find the net. Kurzawa made amends for his earlier error by heading down a free-kick and Cavani connected sweetly on the volley to register his 38th and seemingly most important goal of the season. PSG were then to rue to huge missed chances to put the tie completely beyond Barca. Firstly, Cavani should have had his second as he was played in by Draxler, but this time Marc-Andre ter Stegen stood up to block with an outstretched leg. PSG's two-goal hero from the first Angel di Maria had started on the bench, but the former Real Madrid man should have rubbed salt in Barca's wounds five minutes from time when he somehow skewed wide with just Ter Stegen to beat. Just when Barca looked down and out Neymar restored hope when he curled home a sensational free-kick high into the top corner. And as the match entered stoppage time, Barca were awarded a second controversial penalty when Suarez tumbled under a challenge form Marquinhos. Neymar this time took responsibility to send Trapp the wrong way. And the Brazilian also showed a cool head amongst a mad final minute when he cut inside before chipping into the box for substitute Roberto to extend his right leg just enough to beat Trapp and leave PSG floored. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Barcelona barnstormer spurs stunning comeback against PSG

Barcelona became the first team in history to overturn a 4 goal deficit from the first leg?in the knock-out stage of champions league competition

Barcelona creates history

A hat-trick by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic&#39;s dazzling display fired Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 thrashing of Benfica on Wednesday.&nbsp;

The result saw Dortmund win the round-of-16 tie 4-1 on aggregate after Aubameyang&#39;s early goal cancelled out Borussia&#39;s 1-0 defeat in Lisbon last month.

The Gabon hot-shot has now scored seven times in his last three games and has seven Champions League goals in as many matches this season.

He is on 28 goals for the season as Dortmund reached the last eight in Europe for the first time since 2013/14.

But it fell to US international Pulisic, who only turns 19 in September, to net the Germans&#39; crucial second on 59 minutes, which put Dortmund ahead for the first time on aggregate.

Pulisic, in for injured Germany winger Marco Reus, claimed his first Champions League goal and set up Aubameyang&#39;s opening goal in an impressive all-round display.

After Kostas Mitroglou sealed Benfica&#39;s 1-0 first-leg victory, Dortmund took just four minutes to cancel out the advantage.

Ousmane Dembele&#39;s corner was flicked on by Pulisic to Aubameyang, who headed home at the far post to delight the sell-out Signal Iduna Park crowd.

It was redemption for the Gabon striker, who had a night to forget in the first leg, missing four clear chances including a penalty in Lisbon.

After a strong start from the hosts, Benfica clawed their way back with captain Luisao heading straight at Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki from a free-kick midway through the half.

Dembele showed his youth, needlessly picking up a booking from English referee Martin Atkinson late in the first half for bitterly complaining after conceding a free-kick with a push on Andreas Samaris.

Benfica grew in confidence as the half wore on and Dortmund&#39;s defence wobbled, but it finished 1-0 at the break.

Dortmund had a big let-off soon after when Lukasz Piszczek failed with a clearance, which Franco Cervi snapped up on the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked.

Aubameyang then squandered three golden chances at close range before Pulisic finally got the breakthrough.

The US starlet chipped his shot over the advancing Ederson on 59 minutes after Piszczek&#39;s superb pass into the area.

Aubameyang grabbed his second just two minutes later when he stabbed home Marcel Schmelzer&#39;s pass.

He hit his third goal of the night on 85 minutes when Erik Durm&#39;s run and cross from the right handed him a simple tap-in.

(AFP)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's goals helped his side overcome a 0-1 disadvantage at their home ground

A hat-trick by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Christian Pulisic's dazzling display fired Borussia Dortmund into the Champions League quarter-finals with a 4-0 thrashing of Benfica on Wednesday. The result saw Dortmund win the round-of-16 tie 4-1 on aggregate after Aubameyang's early goal cancelled out Borussia's 1-0 defeat in Lisbon last month. The Gabon hot-shot has now scored seven times in his last three games and has seven Champions League goals in as many matches this season. He is on 28 goals for the season as Dortmund reached the last eight in Europe for the first time since 2013/14. But it fell to US international Pulisic, who only turns 19 in September, to net the Germans' crucial second on 59 minutes, which put Dortmund ahead for the first time on aggregate. Pulisic, in for injured Germany winger Marco Reus, claimed his first Champions League goal and set up Aubameyang's opening goal in an impressive all-round display. After Kostas Mitroglou sealed Benfica's 1-0 first-leg victory, Dortmund took just four minutes to cancel out the advantage. Ousmane Dembele's corner was flicked on by Pulisic to Aubameyang, who headed home at the far post to delight the sell-out Signal Iduna Park crowd. It was redemption for the Gabon striker, who had a night to forget in the first leg, missing four clear chances including a penalty in Lisbon. After a strong start from the hosts, Benfica clawed their way back with captain Luisao heading straight at Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki from a free-kick midway through the half. Dembele showed his youth, needlessly picking up a booking from English referee Martin Atkinson late in the first half for bitterly complaining after conceding a free-kick with a push on Andreas Samaris. Benfica grew in confidence as the half wore on and Dortmund's defence wobbled, but it finished 1-0 at the break. Dortmund had a big let-off soon after when Lukasz Piszczek failed with a clearance, which Franco Cervi snapped up on the edge of the box, but his shot was blocked. Aubameyang then squandered three golden chances at close range before Pulisic finally got the breakthrough. The US starlet chipped his shot over the advancing Ederson on 59 minutes after Piszczek's superb pass into the area. Aubameyang grabbed his second just two minutes later when he stabbed home Marcel Schmelzer's pass. He hit his third goal of the night on 85 minutes when Erik Durm's run and cross from the right handed him a simple tap-in. (AFP)

Aubameyang scores hat-trick to help Dortmund flip deficit against Benfica

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