Steven Gerrard said he was surprised by England coach Gareth Southgate's decision to drop Trent Alexander-Arnold from the squad for their World Cup qualifiers and described the Liverpool defender as the "best English right back in the country".

Alexander-Arnold was left out of Southgate's 26-man squad last week for this month's 2022 World Cup qualifying matches against San Marino, Albania and Poland.

The 22-year-old has been a regular in the England squad since breaking into the side ahead of the 2018 World Cup but Southgate said his form had cost him his spot.

Southgate has an abundance of options at right back and named Manchester City's Kyle Walker, Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier and Chelsea's Reece James for the upcoming games.

Rangers manager Gerrard, who spent 17 seasons at Liverpool as a player, said the defender needed support to get him back on track.

"I think Trent is the best English right back in the country," former England midfielder Gerrard told British media.

"One thing I've learnt from being a player is you can't always be 10 out of 10. When you do come off, you need that support, love and attention from your manager more than anyone else.

"So I was surprised by the decision but that's my opinion and my opinion is not important in this. Gareth Southgate makes the decisions there. I don't necessarily agree with that decision, but I’m not the England manager."

England host San Marino on Thursday before playing away against Albania on Sunday and at home against Poland on March 31.

Steven Gerrard said he was surprised by England coach Gareth Southgate's decision to drop Trent Alexander-Arnold from the squad for their World Cup qualifiers and described the Liverpool defender as the "best English right back in the country".

Steven Gerrard said he was surprised by England coach Gareth Southgate's decision to drop Trent Alexander-Arnold from the squad for their World Cup qualifiers and described the Liverpool defender as the "best English right back in the country". Alexander-Arnold was left out of Southgate's 26-man squad last week for this month's 2022 World Cup qualifying matches against San Marino, Albania and Poland. The 22-year-old has been a regular in the England squad since breaking into the side ahead of the 2018 World Cup but Southgate said his form had cost him his spot. Southgate has an abundance of options at right back and named Manchester City's Kyle Walker, Atletico Madrid's Kieran Trippier and Chelsea's Reece James for the upcoming games. Rangers manager Gerrard, who spent 17 seasons at Liverpool as a player, said the defender needed support to get him back on track. "I think Trent is the best English right back in the country," former England midfielder Gerrard told British media. "One thing I've learnt from being a player is you can't always be 10 out of 10. When you do come off, you need that support, love and attention from your manager more than anyone else. "So I was surprised by the decision but that's my opinion and my opinion is not important in this. Gareth Southgate makes the decisions there. I don't necessarily agree with that decision, but I’m not the England manager." England host San Marino on Thursday before playing away against Albania on Sunday and at home against Poland on March 31.

Gerrard surprised Southgate axed Alexander-Arnold

Jose Mourinho said Tottenham's dressing room is divided by "selfish" players and agents who have their own relationships with the press.

Mourinho was speaking after a vital win in the chase for a top-four Premier League finish.

Spurs responded to an embarrassing Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb with a 2-0 victory at Aston Villa on Sunday, courtesy of goals from Carlos Vinicius and Harry Kane.

Captain Hugo Lloris had criticised the underlying culture at the club in a stinging interview following Thursday's loss in Croatia, pointing the finger at fringe players who were not fully committed.

Mourinho appeared to agree with that assessment, saying it was difficult to keep a harmonious dressing room in the modern game.

"Football nowadays is not easy in relation to that," he told Sky Sports. "The selfishness is around, the individual interests are around, the agents are around, the connections between agents and press are around.

"And instead of developing a feeling of a team, empathy, 'I do for you, you do for me', 'I win if I play 90 minutes, I win if I am in the stands'.

"This is something that you need time to develop in a group. Nowadays you need time because society and the psychological profile of younger people is not an easy one."

Mourinho, who made a number of changes for the Aston Villa match, was happy with the response of his side -- the win leaves them just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.

"I'm very happy with the result, I'm very happy with the performance, I'm very happy with the attitude," said the Portuguese.&nbsp;

"I'm not happy with the feeling that if you did it tonight, why you didn't do it 48 hours ago? That match on Thursday will be a scar for a long time.

"It's not going to heal just because we won, but total credit to the players. They were a team. They fought together. They put in the game that honesty, that dignity that football players should put in every match."

Tottenham forward Lucas Moura said the players were behind the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss, adding: "We lose together, we win together".

"What happened in Croatia was our fault," said the Brazilian. "We believe in the coach because we know his history. We just want to be successful here."

With nine league games left to seal a top-four place and a League Cup final against Manchester City looming in April, Lucas issued a call to arms.

"We have nine games to play, we have a final, let's finish the season well," he said. "Top four is still possible of course. We'll fight until the end to give everything."

Jose Mourinho said Tottenham's dressing room is divided by "selfish" players and agents who have their own relationships with the press. Mourinho was speaking after a vital win in the chase for a top-four Premier League finish.

Jose Mourinho said Tottenham's dressing room is divided by "selfish" players and agents who have their own relationships with the press. Mourinho was speaking after a vital win in the chase for a top-four Premier League finish. Spurs responded to an embarrassing Europa League exit at the hands of Dinamo Zagreb with a 2-0 victory at Aston Villa on Sunday, courtesy of goals from Carlos Vinicius and Harry Kane. Captain Hugo Lloris had criticised the underlying culture at the club in a stinging interview following Thursday's loss in Croatia, pointing the finger at fringe players who were not fully committed. Mourinho appeared to agree with that assessment, saying it was difficult to keep a harmonious dressing room in the modern game. "Football nowadays is not easy in relation to that," he told Sky Sports. "The selfishness is around, the individual interests are around, the agents are around, the connections between agents and press are around. "And instead of developing a feeling of a team, empathy, 'I do for you, you do for me', 'I win if I play 90 minutes, I win if I am in the stands'. "This is something that you need time to develop in a group. Nowadays you need time because society and the psychological profile of younger people is not an easy one." Mourinho, who made a number of changes for the Aston Villa match, was happy with the response of his side -- the win leaves them just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. "I'm very happy with the result, I'm very happy with the performance, I'm very happy with the attitude," said the Portuguese. "I'm not happy with the feeling that if you did it tonight, why you didn't do it 48 hours ago? That match on Thursday will be a scar for a long time. "It's not going to heal just because we won, but total credit to the players. They were a team. They fought together. They put in the game that honesty, that dignity that football players should put in every match." Tottenham forward Lucas Moura said the players were behind the former Chelsea and Manchester United boss, adding: "We lose together, we win together". "What happened in Croatia was our fault," said the Brazilian. "We believe in the coach because we know his history. We just want to be successful here." With nine league games left to seal a top-four place and a League Cup final against Manchester City looming in April, Lucas issued a call to arms. "We have nine games to play, we have a final, let's finish the season well," he said. "Top four is still possible of course. We'll fight until the end to give everything."

Spurs dressing room divided by 'selfish' players, says Mourinho

Lorient midfielder Armand&nbsp;Lauriente&nbsp;scored one of the greatest free-kick goals of all-time against Nantes in Ligue 1.&nbsp;Lauriente's&nbsp;40-yard belter is being tipped as one of the Puskas Award contenders as the midfielder defied physics to net one of the finest free-kicks of all-time.&nbsp;

With Lorient 1-0 down in the 87th&nbsp;minute of the match against FC Nantes in Ligue 1,&nbsp;Lauriente&nbsp;was given a go at the free-kick from 40 yards out. While several of his team-mates were waiting in the box in anticipation that&nbsp;Lauriente&nbsp;would cross the ball into the box, they were left astonished by what followed.&nbsp;

The midfielder ran and shot the ball towards the goal. At first, it seemed like the ball was going to sail over the bar. The Nantes goal-keeper Alban Lafont was also positioned a few yards off his line, anticipating a cross. However, he had to adjust quickly as the ball started to dip&nbsp;and curve&nbsp;viciously&nbsp;in the final few&nbsp;metres&nbsp;of the shot.&nbsp;

The French youth international was left bamboozled as the ball nestled into the top corner of the net as&nbsp;Lauriente&nbsp;completed a breathtaking strike.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/xabi-alonso-to-be-named-the-new-manager-of-borussia-monchengladbach-reports-372278" hreflang="en">Xabi Alonso to be named the new manager of Borussia Monchengladbach: Reports</a>

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✨ "𝑳𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌-𝒆𝒏𝒅" signé <a href="https://twitter.com/ArmandLauriente?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArmandLauriente</a> x <a href="https://twitter.com/FCLorient?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCLorient</a> ! 😱 <a href="https://t.co/TZyFGOYFl2">pic.twitter.com/TZyFGOYFl2</a>
— Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ligue1UberEats/status/1373921849051078656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 22, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The slow-motion replays suggested that the ball was heading towards the&nbsp;centre&nbsp;of the goal before swerving mid-air. Fans and pundits have been tipping the goal as one of the Puskas Award contenders – one that could go on to win the coveted award.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/important-for-players-other-than-leo-to-score-goals-says-ronald-koeman-372245" hreflang="en">'Important for players other than Leo to score goals', says Ronald Koeman</a>

Lauriente's&nbsp;goal meant that Lorient once again were saved from dipping into the relegation zone.&nbsp;Lauriente&nbsp;has come up with a couple of crucial goals already this season. He had scored twice in what was a thumping 30-min cameo against St. Etienne in February to&nbsp;hand his side a 2-1 win.&nbsp;

Lorient midfielder Armand Lauriente scored one of the greatest free-kick goals of all-time against Nantes in Ligue 1. Lauriente's 40-yard belter is being tipped as one of the Puskas Award contenders as the midfielder defied physics to net one of the finest free-kicks of all-time.

Lorient midfielder Armand Lauriente scored one of the greatest free-kick goals of all-time against Nantes in Ligue 1. Lauriente's 40-yard belter is being tipped as one of the Puskas Award contenders as the midfielder defied physics to net one of the finest free-kicks of all-time. With Lorient 1-0 down in the 87th minute of the match against FC Nantes in Ligue 1, Lauriente was given a go at the free-kick from 40 yards out. While several of his team-mates were waiting in the box in anticipation that Lauriente would cross the ball into the box, they were left astonished by what followed. The midfielder ran and shot the ball towards the goal. At first, it seemed like the ball was going to sail over the bar. The Nantes goal-keeper Alban Lafont was also positioned a few yards off his line, anticipating a cross. However, he had to adjust quickly as the ball started to dip and curve viciously in the final few metres of the shot. The French youth international was left bamboozled as the ball nestled into the top corner of the net as Lauriente completed a breathtaking strike. ALSO READ: Xabi Alonso to be named the new manager of Borussia Monchengladbach: Reports ✨ "𝑳𝒆 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒅𝒖 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌-𝒆𝒏𝒅" signé @ArmandLauriente x @FCLorient ! 😱 pic.twitter.com/TZyFGOYFl2 — Ligue 1 Uber Eats (@Ligue1UberEats) March 22, 2021 × The slow-motion replays suggested that the ball was heading towards the centre of the goal before swerving mid-air. Fans and pundits have been tipping the goal as one of the Puskas Award contenders – one that could go on to win the coveted award. ALSO READ: 'Important for players other than Leo to score goals', says Ronald Koeman Lauriente's goal meant that Lorient once again were saved from dipping into the relegation zone. Lauriente has come up with a couple of crucial goals already this season. He had scored twice in what was a thumping 30-min cameo against St. Etienne in February to hand his side a 2-1 win.

Watch: Have you seen a better free-kick? Armand Lauriente nets 40-yard stunner in Ligue 1

Leicester sent Manchester United crashing out of the FA Cup as Kelechi Iheanacho's double sealed a 3-1 win, while Chelsea will face Manchester City in the semi-finals after beating Sheffield United on Sunday.

Brendan Rodgers' side can look forward to meeting Southampton in their first FA Cup semi-final since 1982 thanks to Iheanacho's predatory finishing at the King Power Stadium.

He put Leicester ahead in Rodgers' 100th game in charge before Mason Greenwood equalised late in the first half.

Youri Tielemans restored Leicester's lead and Nigeria striker Iheanacho wrapped up only their second win over United in 23 years and their first since 2014.

Leicester, who have never won the FA Cup and last reached the final in 1969, will head to Wembley to face Southampton in April.

"I'm obviously delighted. It was a great performance. Every aspect of the game was complete," Rodgers said.

"We showed courage to play against one of Europe's greatest teams. I told the players they were three games from history. Now it's two."

United's limp exit ended their run of 29 away games without defeat in all domestic competitions since losing at Liverpool in January 2020.

Without a trophy since the 2017 Europa League, that competition is now their last realistic chance of winning the first silverware of boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign.

"We didn't have the spark but it's understandable. We played every three days and been on a great run. It just caught up with us, all the games and travels," Solskjaer said.

"Thursday in Milan was a big night and took a lot of out of us physically. We didn't have the extra zip, authority and confidence today.

"We've got the Europa League and Premier League to concentrate on. Yes we would've liked to go to Wembley but now all the focus is on the games we do have."

After reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with a win at AC Milan in midweek, Solskjaer made five changes and United's reshuffled line-up never looked comfortable.

Fred paid the price for a woeful mistake in the 24th minute.

When Harry Maguire played a risky ball out to Fred on the edge of the United area, the Brazilian's panicked response was a weak back-pass towards United keeper Dean Henderson.

Iheanacho nipped in to intercept it before rounding Henderson and tapping into the empty net to make it eight goals in his last nine games.

United equalised in the 38th minute when Pogba's cross was cleverly dummied by Donny van de Beek and Greenwood slammed his shot past Kasper Schmeichel from 12 yards.

Lacklustre United were still out of sorts and Tielemans put Leicester back in front in the 52nd minute.

The Belgian midfielder advanced unchecked as United backed off and he took full advantage with a fine low finish from the edge of the area.

Iheanacho killed off United in the 78th minute with a clinical header from Marc Albrighton's free-kick.

<h2>- Chelsea set up City clash -</h2>

At Stamford Bridge, Thomas Tuchel's much-changed side were below their best but still earned a potentially thrilling showdown with quadruple chasers Manchester City by beating Sheffield United 2-0.

Oliver Norwood's 24th-minute own goal, the midfielder turning Ben Chilwell's shot into the net, put them on course for the last four.

Hakim Ziyech came off the bench to finish Chilwell's pass in second-half stoppage time.

The Blues are back in the FA Cup semi-finals for a fourth time in the last five seasons after losing last year's final against Arsenal.

Chelsea won the last of the club's eight FA Cups under Antonio Conte in 2018.

"We had a good first half where we controlled everything. We lost control in the second half. After 14 consecutive matches I could feel we were tired and we made many little mistakes," Tuchel said.&nbsp;

Since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard in January, Tuchel is unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions.

Chelsea have kept 12 clean sheets in that period, shutting out the opposition in their last seven matches.

Leicester sent Manchester United crashing out of the FA Cup as Kelechi Iheanacho's double sealed a 3-1 win, while Chelsea will face Manchester City in the semi-finals after beating Sheffield United on Sunday.

Leicester sent Manchester United crashing out of the FA Cup as Kelechi Iheanacho's double sealed a 3-1 win, while Chelsea will face Manchester City in the semi-finals after beating Sheffield United on Sunday. Brendan Rodgers' side can look forward to meeting Southampton in their first FA Cup semi-final since 1982 thanks to Iheanacho's predatory finishing at the King Power Stadium. He put Leicester ahead in Rodgers' 100th game in charge before Mason Greenwood equalised late in the first half. Youri Tielemans restored Leicester's lead and Nigeria striker Iheanacho wrapped up only their second win over United in 23 years and their first since 2014. Leicester, who have never won the FA Cup and last reached the final in 1969, will head to Wembley to face Southampton in April. "I'm obviously delighted. It was a great performance. Every aspect of the game was complete," Rodgers said. "We showed courage to play against one of Europe's greatest teams. I told the players they were three games from history. Now it's two." United's limp exit ended their run of 29 away games without defeat in all domestic competitions since losing at Liverpool in January 2020. Without a trophy since the 2017 Europa League, that competition is now their last realistic chance of winning the first silverware of boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's reign. "We didn't have the spark but it's understandable. We played every three days and been on a great run. It just caught up with us, all the games and travels," Solskjaer said. "Thursday in Milan was a big night and took a lot of out of us physically. We didn't have the extra zip, authority and confidence today. "We've got the Europa League and Premier League to concentrate on. Yes we would've liked to go to Wembley but now all the focus is on the games we do have." After reaching the Europa League quarter-finals with a win at AC Milan in midweek, Solskjaer made five changes and United's reshuffled line-up never looked comfortable. Fred paid the price for a woeful mistake in the 24th minute. When Harry Maguire played a risky ball out to Fred on the edge of the United area, the Brazilian's panicked response was a weak back-pass towards United keeper Dean Henderson. Iheanacho nipped in to intercept it before rounding Henderson and tapping into the empty net to make it eight goals in his last nine games. United equalised in the 38th minute when Pogba's cross was cleverly dummied by Donny van de Beek and Greenwood slammed his shot past Kasper Schmeichel from 12 yards. Lacklustre United were still out of sorts and Tielemans put Leicester back in front in the 52nd minute. The Belgian midfielder advanced unchecked as United backed off and he took full advantage with a fine low finish from the edge of the area. Iheanacho killed off United in the 78th minute with a clinical header from Marc Albrighton's free-kick. - Chelsea set up City clash - At Stamford Bridge, Thomas Tuchel's much-changed side were below their best but still earned a potentially thrilling showdown with quadruple chasers Manchester City by beating Sheffield United 2-0. Oliver Norwood's 24th-minute own goal, the midfielder turning Ben Chilwell's shot into the net, put them on course for the last four. Hakim Ziyech came off the bench to finish Chilwell's pass in second-half stoppage time. The Blues are back in the FA Cup semi-finals for a fourth time in the last five seasons after losing last year's final against Arsenal. Chelsea won the last of the club's eight FA Cups under Antonio Conte in 2018. "We had a good first half where we controlled everything. We lost control in the second half. After 14 consecutive matches I could feel we were tired and we made many little mistakes," Tuchel said. Since replacing the sacked Frank Lampard in January, Tuchel is unbeaten in 14 games in all competitions. Chelsea have kept 12 clean sheets in that period, shutting out the opposition in their last seven matches.

Leicester rock Man Utd to reach FA Cup semis, Chelsea face Man City in last four

Juventus' hopes of winning a 10th consecutive Serie A title took another blow on Sunday with a 1-0 home loss to lowly Benevento as AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Fiorentina.

Adolfo Gaich scored the only goal in the 69th minute at Juve's Allianz Stadium following a bad pass across his own penalty area by midfielder Arthur.

Andrea Pirlo's side stay third, 10 points behind Inter whose match against Sassuolo was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the league leaders.

Second-placed Milan are four points ahead of the reigning champions after they recovered from their Europa League exit to Manchester United by cutting the deficit to Inter to six points with a 3-2 win over Fiorentina.

For Juve, who have 11 games left to play this season, it was another blow after being dumped out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Porto earlier this month.

"We performed poorly, in every aspect," said Pirlo.&nbsp;

"We have to continue to believe in the title. The objective does not change, it's the mindset which must."

Serie A top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who has netted 23 times in the league this season, drew a blank in Turin a week after reaching 770 goals to beat Pele's all-time mark of 767, with Benevento goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo pulling off a string of fine saves.

<h2>- Zlatan hails 'important' win -</h2>

Benevento broke the deadlock following Arthur's horrendous pass across the face of goal towards Danilo, which allowed Gaich to pounce and score his second goal in five games since arriving on loan from CSKA Moscow.

Montipo denied Ronaldo twice late on as Juve pushed for a leveller, first from close range with 10 minutes to go and again in the final minute, with Danilo sending the subsequent rebound over the bar.

Benevento now sit seven points away from the drop zone in 16th.

In Florence, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to the starting line-up for Milan for the first time in over three weeks and scored after nine minutes following Simon Kjaer's ball over the top.

But Milan needed Brahim Diaz's 57th-minute strike and a Hakan Calhanoglu winner with quarter of an hour to go to snatch victory.

A curling Erick Pulgar free-kick had pulled Fiorentina level with Franck Ribery then putting the hosts ahead six minutes after the break.

"It was very important to win like this after the defeat against Manchester United," said Ibrahimovic, who at 39 became the oldest player to score 15 goals in a single Serie A season.&nbsp;

<h2>- Mertens century -</h2>

Atalanta bounced back after their Champions League exit to Real Madrid with a 2-0 win at Hellas Verona to consolidate fourth place, equal on points with Juventus.

Ruslan Malinovskyi scored the first from the penalty spot after a Federico Dimarco handball in the 33rd minute in Verona.

Duvan Zapata added a second before the break, after an earlier effort hit the post, the Colombian sweeping the ball past Marco Silvestri into an empty net, as Verona fell to a third successive defeat to stay ninth.

Atalanta are two points ahead of Napoli who beat Champions League rivals Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to a Dries Mertens brace.

Mertens curled in the opener from a free-kick in the 27th minute and nodded in a Matteo Politano cross seven minutes later to bring his tally to 100 Serie A goals since joining Napoli in 2013.

Roma are the only Italian side left in Europe and showed signs of fatigue after their Europa League trip to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday.

"Perhaps we don't have the mentality required to compete against these sort of teams," said Roma coach Paulo Fonseca, whose side have struggled for results against Serie A's top teams.&nbsp;

"In the first half the team looked to be without courage ... When we are afraid of losing, or afraid of playing, it all becomes a lot harder."

Lazio recovered from their Champions League elimination to Bayern Munich with a 1-0 win at Udinese thanks to an Adam Marusic goal.

Simone Inzaghi's side are seventh but now just one point behind their city rivals with a game in hand.

Juventus' hopes of winning a 10th consecutive Serie A title took another blow on Sunday with a 1-0 home loss to lowly Benevento as AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Fiorentina.

Juventus' hopes of winning a 10th consecutive Serie A title took another blow on Sunday with a 1-0 home loss to lowly Benevento as AC Milan closed the gap on leaders Inter Milan with a hard-fought 3-2 win at Fiorentina. Adolfo Gaich scored the only goal in the 69th minute at Juve's Allianz Stadium following a bad pass across his own penalty area by midfielder Arthur. Andrea Pirlo's side stay third, 10 points behind Inter whose match against Sassuolo was postponed because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the league leaders. Second-placed Milan are four points ahead of the reigning champions after they recovered from their Europa League exit to Manchester United by cutting the deficit to Inter to six points with a 3-2 win over Fiorentina. For Juve, who have 11 games left to play this season, it was another blow after being dumped out of the Champions League at the last 16 stage by Porto earlier this month. "We performed poorly, in every aspect," said Pirlo. "We have to continue to believe in the title. The objective does not change, it's the mindset which must." Serie A top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo, who has netted 23 times in the league this season, drew a blank in Turin a week after reaching 770 goals to beat Pele's all-time mark of 767, with Benevento goalkeeper Lorenzo Montipo pulling off a string of fine saves. - Zlatan hails 'important' win - Benevento broke the deadlock following Arthur's horrendous pass across the face of goal towards Danilo, which allowed Gaich to pounce and score his second goal in five games since arriving on loan from CSKA Moscow. Montipo denied Ronaldo twice late on as Juve pushed for a leveller, first from close range with 10 minutes to go and again in the final minute, with Danilo sending the subsequent rebound over the bar. Benevento now sit seven points away from the drop zone in 16th. In Florence, Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to the starting line-up for Milan for the first time in over three weeks and scored after nine minutes following Simon Kjaer's ball over the top. But Milan needed Brahim Diaz's 57th-minute strike and a Hakan Calhanoglu winner with quarter of an hour to go to snatch victory. A curling Erick Pulgar free-kick had pulled Fiorentina level with Franck Ribery then putting the hosts ahead six minutes after the break. "It was very important to win like this after the defeat against Manchester United," said Ibrahimovic, who at 39 became the oldest player to score 15 goals in a single Serie A season. - Mertens century - Atalanta bounced back after their Champions League exit to Real Madrid with a 2-0 win at Hellas Verona to consolidate fourth place, equal on points with Juventus. Ruslan Malinovskyi scored the first from the penalty spot after a Federico Dimarco handball in the 33rd minute in Verona. Duvan Zapata added a second before the break, after an earlier effort hit the post, the Colombian sweeping the ball past Marco Silvestri into an empty net, as Verona fell to a third successive defeat to stay ninth. Atalanta are two points ahead of Napoli who beat Champions League rivals Roma 2-0 at the Stadio Olimpico thanks to a Dries Mertens brace. Mertens curled in the opener from a free-kick in the 27th minute and nodded in a Matteo Politano cross seven minutes later to bring his tally to 100 Serie A goals since joining Napoli in 2013. Roma are the only Italian side left in Europe and showed signs of fatigue after their Europa League trip to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk on Thursday. "Perhaps we don't have the mentality required to compete against these sort of teams," said Roma coach Paulo Fonseca, whose side have struggled for results against Serie A's top teams. "In the first half the team looked to be without courage ... When we are afraid of losing, or afraid of playing, it all becomes a lot harder." Lazio recovered from their Champions League elimination to Bayern Munich with a 1-0 win at Udinese thanks to an Adam Marusic goal. Simone Inzaghi's side are seventh but now just one point behind their city rivals with a game in hand.

Juve's title hopes rocked as Milan keep pressure on Inter

Manchester United were paired with Spanish side Granada in Friday's draw for the quarter-finals of the Europa League, while Arsenal will take on Slavia Prague.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United, who beat AC Milan in the last 16, are due to play away in the first leg on April 8 but it remains to be seen where that match will take place.

The Old Trafford club faced Spanish opponents in Real Sociedad in the last 32 but the first leg of that tie was moved to Turin in Italy because of restrictions on travel from the UK to Spain as a result of the pandemic.

Granada are in Europe for the first time after finishing seventh in La Liga last season. The team from southern Spain notably beat PSV Eindhoven away in the group stage and eliminated Napoli in the last 32 before defeating Solskjaer's old club Molde of Norway in the round of 16.

Granada coach Diego Martinez has won the Europa League before, during his time as an assistant coach at Sevilla.

Meanwhile, Ajax will face Roma with the winners of that quarter-final playing either United or Granada in the last four. United beat Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final.

Arsenal are set to host Slavia in the first leg of their quarter-final and will be wary of the runaway Czech league leaders who have eliminated Leicester City and Scottish champions Rangers in the last two rounds.

However if the Gunners get through they could face their former coach Unai Emery in the semi-finals.

Emery's Villarreal will take on Dinamo Zagreb, last-16 conquerors of Tottenham Hotspur, in the other quarter-final.

Emery took Arsenal to the final of the Europa League in 2019, when they lost to Chelsea in Baku.

The final of this season's competition is set to be played in the Polish city of Gdansk on May 26.

Manchester United were paired with Spanish side Granada in Friday's draw for the quarter-finals of the Europa League, while Arsenal will take on Slavia Prague. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United, who beat AC Milan in the last 16, are due to play away in the first leg on April 8 but it remains to be seen where that match will take place.

Manchester United were paired with Spanish side Granada in Friday's draw for the quarter-finals of the Europa League, while Arsenal will take on Slavia Prague. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's United, who beat AC Milan in the last 16, are due to play away in the first leg on April 8 but it remains to be seen where that match will take place. The Old Trafford club faced Spanish opponents in Real Sociedad in the last 32 but the first leg of that tie was moved to Turin in Italy because of restrictions on travel from the UK to Spain as a result of the pandemic. Granada are in Europe for the first time after finishing seventh in La Liga last season. The team from southern Spain notably beat PSV Eindhoven away in the group stage and eliminated Napoli in the last 32 before defeating Solskjaer's old club Molde of Norway in the round of 16. Granada coach Diego Martinez has won the Europa League before, during his time as an assistant coach at Sevilla. Meanwhile, Ajax will face Roma with the winners of that quarter-final playing either United or Granada in the last four. United beat Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final. Arsenal are set to host Slavia in the first leg of their quarter-final and will be wary of the runaway Czech league leaders who have eliminated Leicester City and Scottish champions Rangers in the last two rounds. However if the Gunners get through they could face their former coach Unai Emery in the semi-finals. Emery's Villarreal will take on Dinamo Zagreb, last-16 conquerors of Tottenham Hotspur, in the other quarter-final. Emery took Arsenal to the final of the Europa League in 2019, when they lost to Chelsea in Baku. The final of this season's competition is set to be played in the Polish city of Gdansk on May 26.

Man Utd to face Granada in Europa League quarter-finals

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-finals and semi-finals draw took place on Friday (March 19) at&nbsp;Nyon, Switzerland. The UCL 2020-21 quarter-finals draw gave mouth-watering fixtures for the football fans as&nbsp;FC Bayern Munich drew Paris Saint-Germain in what can be termed as the biggest match from the final eight.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Eight teams involved in the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 quarter-finals and semi-finals draw&nbsp;were: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, FC Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The first-leg UCL quarter-final matches are scheduled for April 6 and 7 while the second leg will be played on April 13 and 14. The first leg of the semi-final will be played on&nbsp;27-28 April while the second leg is scheduled for 4-5 May.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tuchel-makes-chelsea-champions-league-contenders-but-man-city-bayern-the-teams-to-beat-371494" hreflang="en">Tuchel makes Chelsea Champions League contenders but Man City, Bayern the teams to beat</a>

<h2 lang="EN-US" paraeid="{161381fd-1b2e-46c6-9b4e-113b7de15ab6}{39}" paraid="275802817" >Here's the full UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2020-21 quarter-final and semi-final draw:</h2>

<h2>UCL Quarter-Final Draw:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund</li>
	<li>FC Porto vs Chelsea</li>
	<li>FC Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain</li>
	<li>Liverpool vs Real Madrid</li>
</ul>

<h2>UCL Semi-Final Draw:</h2>

<ul>
	<li>Semi-Final 1: FC Bayern Munich/Paris Saint-Germain VS Manchester City/Borussia Dortmund</li>
	<li>Semi-Final 2: Liverpool/Real Madrid VS FC Porto vs Chelsea</li>
</ul>

<h2>UCL Final:&nbsp;</h2>

Winner Semi-Final 1 (Home Team) vs Winner of Semi-Final 2

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-finals and semi-finals draw took place on Friday (March 19) at Nyon, Switzerland. The UCL 2020-21 quarter-finals draw gave mouth-watering fixtures for the football fans as FC Bayern Munich drew Paris Saint-Germain in what can be termed as the biggest match from the final eight.

The UEFA Champions League (UCL) quarter-finals and semi-finals draw took place on Friday (March 19) at Nyon, Switzerland. The UCL 2020-21 quarter-finals draw gave mouth-watering fixtures for the football fans as FC Bayern Munich drew Paris Saint-Germain in what can be termed as the biggest match from the final eight. Eight teams involved in the UEFA Champions League 2020-21 quarter-finals and semi-finals draw were: Bayern Munich, Manchester City, FC Porto, Borussia Dortmund, Paris Saint-Germain, Chelsea, Liverpool and Real Madrid. The first-leg UCL quarter-final matches are scheduled for April 6 and 7 while the second leg will be played on April 13 and 14. The first leg of the semi-final will be played on 27-28 April while the second leg is scheduled for 4-5 May. ALSO READ: Tuchel makes Chelsea Champions League contenders but Man City, Bayern the teams to beat Here's the full UEFA Champions League (UCL) 2020-21 quarter-final and semi-final draw: UCL Quarter-Final Draw: Manchester City vs Borussia Dortmund FC Porto vs Chelsea FC Bayern Munich vs Paris Saint-Germain Liverpool vs Real Madrid UCL Semi-Final Draw: Semi-Final 1: FC Bayern Munich/Paris Saint-Germain VS Manchester City/Borussia Dortmund Semi-Final 2: Liverpool/Real Madrid VS FC Porto vs Chelsea UCL Final: Winner Semi-Final 1 (Home Team) vs Winner of Semi-Final 2

UCL quarter-final, semi-final draw in full: Bayern Munich face PSG, Liverpool to take on Real Madrid

Paul Pogba scored the winner on his return from injury as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to join Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals, while Dinamo Zagreb knocked out Tottenham Hotspur after extra time in Croatia.

The France midfielder struck the only goal at the San Siro four minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford as a half-time substitute, scooping home after an ugly scramble inside the Milan area.

United goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced an excellent reflex save to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic an equaliser against his old club and secure a 2-1 aggregate victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team.

"We've come through a very difficult tie against a fantastic club and we've overcome some difficulties," Solskjaer told BT Sport.

"We've missed Paul, he's been out for almost two months. He was just getting into his best form. He's going to give us a big boost for the rest of the season."&nbsp;

The three-time European champions are one of two English clubs in Friday's draw for the last eight, as Arsenal also qualified despite suffering a 1-0 loss to Olympiakos in the second leg.

Youssef El-Arabi's deflected second-half strike earned Olympiakos another victory at the Emirates but Arsenal advanced 3-2 on aggregate, avenging their exit to the Greeks on away goals last season.

"Really happy to be through. We had a tough opponent, so happy to be through. Sometimes we have to be fair with ourselves -- we were nowhere near the levels we could be," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta.

Jose Mourinho's Spurs crashed out of the competition after surrendering a 2-0 lead from the first leg, with Dinamo forward Mislav Orsic scoring a brilliant hat-trick for the Croatian champions.&nbsp;

Dinamo coach Zoran Mamic resigned this week after being sentenced to four years and eight months in jail for multi-million euro fraud involving Luka Modric's move to Tottenham and other transfers.

However, Orsic curled in a marvellous shot from the corner of the area to give Dinamo the lead on 62 minutes and then capped off a fine move with a thumping finish to send the match to extra time.

Orsic completed his treble in style as he ran past three players and hammered a low drive beyond Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from the edge of the box on 106 minutes.

Harry Kane nearly snatched a late goal that would have put Spurs through on away goals but his effort was clawed out by Dinamo goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic as the hosts won 3-2 on aggregate.

<h2>- 'Basics of life' -</h2>

"My team didn't bring to the game the basics of football or life –- to respect our jobs and give everything. I can only apologise to the Tottenham supporters," said Mourinho.

"If I forget the last 10 minutes of extra time, where we did something to get a different result, the 90 minutes and first half of extra time was one team leaving everything on the pitch.

"My team didn't look like it was playing an important match. Another attitude is needed. To say I feel sad is not enough. What I feel is much more than sadness."

Steven Gerrard's Rangers finished with nine men in a 2-0 home loss to Slavia Prague, as the Czech side won 3-1 on aggregate.

Peter Olayinka gave Slavia an early lead at Ibrox and Rangers' hopes of a comeback suffered a double blow with Kemar Roofe and then Leon Balogun sent off for the Scottish champions in the second half.

Nicolae Stanciu's free-kick immediately after Balogun's dismissal ensured victory for Slavia.

Ajax made sure of their passage into the next round as a David Neres goal and Dusan Tadic penalty rounded off a 5-0 aggregate win over Young Boys.

Gerard Moreno's double in Spain gave Villarreal a second 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev in as many weeks, while Granada extended their debut run in Europe, going through 3-2 overall despite a 2-1 loss to Norway's Molde in Budapest.

Roma also progressed as a 2-1 victory courtesy of two goals from Real Madrid loanee Borja Mayoral against Shakhtar Donetsk in Kiev wrapped up a 5-1 win on aggregate.

Paul Pogba scored the winner on his return from injury as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to join Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals, while Dinamo Zagreb knocked out Tottenham Hotspur after extra time in Croatia.

Paul Pogba scored the winner on his return from injury as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to join Arsenal in the Europa League quarter-finals, while Dinamo Zagreb knocked out Tottenham Hotspur after extra time in Croatia. The France midfielder struck the only goal at the San Siro four minutes after replacing Marcus Rashford as a half-time substitute, scooping home after an ugly scramble inside the Milan area. United goalkeeper Dean Henderson produced an excellent reflex save to deny Zlatan Ibrahimovic an equaliser against his old club and secure a 2-1 aggregate victory for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team. "We've come through a very difficult tie against a fantastic club and we've overcome some difficulties," Solskjaer told BT Sport. "We've missed Paul, he's been out for almost two months. He was just getting into his best form. He's going to give us a big boost for the rest of the season." The three-time European champions are one of two English clubs in Friday's draw for the last eight, as Arsenal also qualified despite suffering a 1-0 loss to Olympiakos in the second leg. Youssef El-Arabi's deflected second-half strike earned Olympiakos another victory at the Emirates but Arsenal advanced 3-2 on aggregate, avenging their exit to the Greeks on away goals last season. "Really happy to be through. We had a tough opponent, so happy to be through. Sometimes we have to be fair with ourselves -- we were nowhere near the levels we could be," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Jose Mourinho's Spurs crashed out of the competition after surrendering a 2-0 lead from the first leg, with Dinamo forward Mislav Orsic scoring a brilliant hat-trick for the Croatian champions. Dinamo coach Zoran Mamic resigned this week after being sentenced to four years and eight months in jail for multi-million euro fraud involving Luka Modric's move to Tottenham and other transfers. However, Orsic curled in a marvellous shot from the corner of the area to give Dinamo the lead on 62 minutes and then capped off a fine move with a thumping finish to send the match to extra time. Orsic completed his treble in style as he ran past three players and hammered a low drive beyond Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris from the edge of the box on 106 minutes. Harry Kane nearly snatched a late goal that would have put Spurs through on away goals but his effort was clawed out by Dinamo goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic as the hosts won 3-2 on aggregate. - 'Basics of life' - "My team didn't bring to the game the basics of football or life –- to respect our jobs and give everything. I can only apologise to the Tottenham supporters," said Mourinho. "If I forget the last 10 minutes of extra time, where we did something to get a different result, the 90 minutes and first half of extra time was one team leaving everything on the pitch. "My team didn't look like it was playing an important match. Another attitude is needed. To say I feel sad is not enough. What I feel is much more than sadness." Steven Gerrard's Rangers finished with nine men in a 2-0 home loss to Slavia Prague, as the Czech side won 3-1 on aggregate. Peter Olayinka gave Slavia an early lead at Ibrox and Rangers' hopes of a comeback suffered a double blow with Kemar Roofe and then Leon Balogun sent off for the Scottish champions in the second half. Nicolae Stanciu's free-kick immediately after Balogun's dismissal ensured victory for Slavia. Ajax made sure of their passage into the next round as a David Neres goal and Dusan Tadic penalty rounded off a 5-0 aggregate win over Young Boys. Gerard Moreno's double in Spain gave Villarreal a second 2-0 victory over Dynamo Kiev in as many weeks, while Granada extended their debut run in Europe, going through 3-2 overall despite a 2-1 loss to Norway's Molde in Budapest. Roma also progressed as a 2-1 victory courtesy of two goals from Real Madrid loanee Borja Mayoral against Shakhtar Donetsk in Kiev wrapped up a 5-1 win on aggregate.

Man Utd, Arsenal into Europa League quarters as Spurs collapse

Paul Pogba returned from injury to score the winner as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate.

World Cup winner Pogba had been sidelined for over five weeks with a hamstring injury.

But the 28-year-old Frenchman scored four minutes after coming off the bench at the start of the second half in the last 16, second leg clash at the San Siro.

Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer welcomed Pogba's return as "a big, big boost for us".

"The boys have done remarkable without Paul but we know his qualities.

"He makes a very, very big difference to us. Paul has been working really hard, but you could see he couldn't play more han 45 minutes.

"We had to readdress a couple of things in the second half when I think we were much, much better

"We want to go all the way, it was hard to lose in the semi-finals (last year)."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic also returned from a thigh injury for Milan, the Swede coming on after an hour but despite threatening could not find a way past his former club.

"This elimination is a big disappointment," said coach Stefano Pioli.

"We played like a great team but we should have scored a goal in the first half tonight.

"Manchester are a very strong team that got to the semi-finals of the Europa League last year, a team that beat Manchester City 10 days ago.

"It's tough be we have to bounce back immediately in the league."

Milan had a slight advantage against 2017 winners United thanks to Simon Kjaer's stoppage-time away goal in the first leg at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer named&nbsp;an unchanged side from the first leg, sticking with the team that beat West Ham at the weekend in the Premier League.

Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani remained out injured but Marcus Rashford returned as a starter, with Pogba and Donny van de Beek back on the bench.

<h2>- Pogba's strength 'no secret' -</h2>

United put the hosts under pressure early, but the 'Rossoneri' got into their stride&nbsp;as the first half progressed.

Samu Castillejo pulled a pass back for Franck Kessie after 25 minutes, but a Victor Lindelof sliding tackle averted the danger for United.

Kessie was impressive in midfield, the Ivorian sending through an unmarked Alexis Saelemaekers only for Dean Henderson beat away the Belgian's effort.

Rade Krunic missed a chance to break the deadlock before the break when he shot wide just before half time.

Pogba came off the bench in place of Rashford after the break and had an immediate impact.&nbsp;

The former Juventus player blasting into the top of the net from close range following a scramble on front of the Milan goal.

Mason Greenwood&nbsp;tried his chance from a distance just after but Gianluigi Donnarumma made a save.

Ibrahimovic came on after 65 minutes in place of Castillejo along with Manchester United loanee Diogo Dalot.

And the Swede almost broke through seven minutes later, getting his head to a Hakan Calhanoglu cross, rising above Luke Shaw with Henderson doing well to punch the header out.

United held on with Pogba almost doubling their account with a header two minutes from time.

"I was sure my header would go in but it didn't," said Ibrahimovic.&nbsp;

"We did well throughout the game, we created many chances, but if you don't score then the moment comes when their pressing led us to an error that cost us dearly because of Pogba's goal.&nbsp;

"Everyone knows how strong (Pogba) is, it's no secret. He's not strong, he's very strong."

Paul Pogba returned from injury to score the winner as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate.

Paul Pogba returned from injury to score the winner as Manchester United beat AC Milan 1-0 on Thursday to advance to the Europa League quarter-finals 2-1 on aggregate. World Cup winner Pogba had been sidelined for over five weeks with a hamstring injury. But the 28-year-old Frenchman scored four minutes after coming off the bench at the start of the second half in the last 16, second leg clash at the San Siro. Coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer welcomed Pogba's return as "a big, big boost for us". "The boys have done remarkable without Paul but we know his qualities. "He makes a very, very big difference to us. Paul has been working really hard, but you could see he couldn't play more han 45 minutes. "We had to readdress a couple of things in the second half when I think we were much, much better "We want to go all the way, it was hard to lose in the semi-finals (last year)." Zlatan Ibrahimovic also returned from a thigh injury for Milan, the Swede coming on after an hour but despite threatening could not find a way past his former club. "This elimination is a big disappointment," said coach Stefano Pioli. "We played like a great team but we should have scored a goal in the first half tonight. "Manchester are a very strong team that got to the semi-finals of the Europa League last year, a team that beat Manchester City 10 days ago. "It's tough be we have to bounce back immediately in the league." Milan had a slight advantage against 2017 winners United thanks to Simon Kjaer's stoppage-time away goal in the first leg at Old Trafford. Solskjaer named an unchanged side from the first leg, sticking with the team that beat West Ham at the weekend in the Premier League. Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani remained out injured but Marcus Rashford returned as a starter, with Pogba and Donny van de Beek back on the bench. - Pogba's strength 'no secret' - United put the hosts under pressure early, but the 'Rossoneri' got into their stride as the first half progressed. Samu Castillejo pulled a pass back for Franck Kessie after 25 minutes, but a Victor Lindelof sliding tackle averted the danger for United. Kessie was impressive in midfield, the Ivorian sending through an unmarked Alexis Saelemaekers only for Dean Henderson beat away the Belgian's effort. Rade Krunic missed a chance to break the deadlock before the break when he shot wide just before half time. Pogba came off the bench in place of Rashford after the break and had an immediate impact. The former Juventus player blasting into the top of the net from close range following a scramble on front of the Milan goal. Mason Greenwood tried his chance from a distance just after but Gianluigi Donnarumma made a save. Ibrahimovic came on after 65 minutes in place of Castillejo along with Manchester United loanee Diogo Dalot. And the Swede almost broke through seven minutes later, getting his head to a Hakan Calhanoglu cross, rising above Luke Shaw with Henderson doing well to punch the header out. United held on with Pogba almost doubling their account with a header two minutes from time. "I was sure my header would go in but it didn't," said Ibrahimovic. "We did well throughout the game, we created many chances, but if you don't score then the moment comes when their pressing led us to an error that cost us dearly because of Pogba's goal. "Everyone knows how strong (Pogba) is, it's no secret. He's not strong, he's very strong."

Pogba downs Milan to send Man United into Europa League last eight

The postponed Spanish Copa del Rey final from last year will be played without fans, the Spanish football federation confirmed on Thursday.

Reports in Spain had suggested a 20 to 25 per cent-capacity could be allowed for the match in Seville next month between Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.&nbsp;

The final was postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic and then put off to April 3, in the hope supporters could attend the much-anticipated derby.

But the federation has said the final will still take place behind closed doors, with travel restrictions in Spain ensuring local Bilbao and La Real fans would not be able to go.

A statement from the federation said the regional Health Ministry in Andalusia had identified a "moderate risk" if the fixture was opened up to the public.

It added: "The current situation with the virus and the established measures that ensure the restriction of travel, including for both the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, mean it would not be feasible for fans not living in the province to attend the game."

The federation are still to confirm whether this year's Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona will also go ahead without fans.

That game is scheduled to take place on April 17, two weeks after the 2020 final, also at La Cartuja stadium in Seville.

Suggestions that supporters could be allowed to attend the finals were rejected on Wednesday by Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias.

"Let me be clear and blunt. It is not appropriate. It is not timely and it is not convenient," Darias told a press conference.

The Covid-19 infection rate has increased slightly in several regions recently which may mean that a weeks-long decline in the national infection rate has bottomed out, she added.

Yet La Liga president Javier Tebas said he hoped some fans could return to league matches in late April.

"It's been a year, we've learned a lot, and we hope that by the third week of April we can start to have a percentage back in the stadiums," Tebas told a press breakfast, adding "if circumstances allow".

Spain has suffered more than three million Covid-19 cases and 72,565 deaths.

Spaniards traditionally take holidays in the week running up to Easter Sunday, which falls on April 4 this year.

"Everyone is cautiously watching Easter, a key moment to see how things are going," said Tebas, adding that it would provide an indication of whether fans could return to La Liga matches.

"We all hope that after Easter we can set a quick date."

Tebas was echoing a sentiment expressed by Irene Lozano, the Spanish Secretary of State for Sports, who said recently: "If we see that a fourth wave has not started, we can begin to raise very important questions for fans, supporters and the clubs themselves."

Spectators have been barred from top-flight Spanish football matches since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The postponed Spanish Copa del Rey final from last year will be played without fans, the Spanish football federation confirmed on Thursday. Reports in Spain had suggested a 20 to 25 per cent-capacity could be allowed for the match in Seville next month between Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad.

The postponed Spanish Copa del Rey final from last year will be played without fans, the Spanish football federation confirmed on Thursday. Reports in Spain had suggested a 20 to 25 per cent-capacity could be allowed for the match in Seville next month between Basque rivals Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad. The final was postponed last year because of the coronavirus pandemic and then put off to April 3, in the hope supporters could attend the much-anticipated derby. But the federation has said the final will still take place behind closed doors, with travel restrictions in Spain ensuring local Bilbao and La Real fans would not be able to go. A statement from the federation said the regional Health Ministry in Andalusia had identified a "moderate risk" if the fixture was opened up to the public. It added: "The current situation with the virus and the established measures that ensure the restriction of travel, including for both the autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville, mean it would not be feasible for fans not living in the province to attend the game." The federation are still to confirm whether this year's Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona will also go ahead without fans. That game is scheduled to take place on April 17, two weeks after the 2020 final, also at La Cartuja stadium in Seville. Suggestions that supporters could be allowed to attend the finals were rejected on Wednesday by Spanish Health Minister Carolina Darias. "Let me be clear and blunt. It is not appropriate. It is not timely and it is not convenient," Darias told a press conference. The Covid-19 infection rate has increased slightly in several regions recently which may mean that a weeks-long decline in the national infection rate has bottomed out, she added. Yet La Liga president Javier Tebas said he hoped some fans could return to league matches in late April. "It's been a year, we've learned a lot, and we hope that by the third week of April we can start to have a percentage back in the stadiums," Tebas told a press breakfast, adding "if circumstances allow". Spain has suffered more than three million Covid-19 cases and 72,565 deaths. Spaniards traditionally take holidays in the week running up to Easter Sunday, which falls on April 4 this year. "Everyone is cautiously watching Easter, a key moment to see how things are going," said Tebas, adding that it would provide an indication of whether fans could return to La Liga matches. "We all hope that after Easter we can set a quick date." Tebas was echoing a sentiment expressed by Irene Lozano, the Spanish Secretary of State for Sports, who said recently: "If we see that a fourth wave has not started, we can begin to raise very important questions for fans, supporters and the clubs themselves." Spectators have been barred from top-flight Spanish football matches since March 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

First Copa del Rey final will be without fans, Spanish federation confirms

Among the many eyebrow-raising comments made by Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli recently was the suggestion that clubs involved in the Champions League would no longer be allowed to buy or sell players among themselves.

In his role as head of the European Club Association, Agnelli is at the forefront of plans to reshape the Champions League which include the likely expansion of the group stage to 36 teams, each playing 10 group games against 10 different opponents in a so-called 'Swiss system'.

The discussed reforms are widely seen as a compromise between European football's governing body UEFA and the continent's most powerful clubs, preventing the threat of a breakaway 'Super League' but entrenching the positions of the richest teams.

Agnelli's Juve are one of those, but they will be absent from Friday's quarter-final draw following their shock last-16 defeat by Porto.

Yet rather than the transfer of a player between two clubs, it is a coach who started the season in charge of one of Europe's elite before joining another who made the biggest impression in the Champions League this week.

Thomas Tuchel was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in December despite winning a Champions League group also containing RB Leipzig and Manchester United.

In January he joined Chelsea and the impact the German has had in seven weeks has been remarkable. On Wednesday they saw off La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to win their last-16 tie 3-0 on aggregate.

Tuchel took over a side struggling for consistency under Frank Lampard and immediately turned them into a supremely disciplined unit that has conceded just two goals and remains unbeaten in his 13 games in charge.

They made Diego Simeone's Atletico look thoroughly ordinary in both legs and few teams will relish the prospect of facing Chelsea in the last eight.

"We feel that we deserve this. We are in the last eight which is already a big step. From there on we go, there is no need to be afraid, we will take what we get and will prepare in the best way possible," Tuchel said on Wednesday.

<h2>- Pressure on Man City? -</h2>

Chelsea's 2012 Champions League triumph came after they changed manager mid-season and Tuchel will be determined to go one better than last season, when PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the final.

A reunion with PSG in the next round would be fascinating, and not one the French club would likely welcome as they struggle to impress under Tuchel's successor Mauricio Pochettino, their 4-1 win in Barcelona aside.

There are six former winners in the last-eight draw, with a total of 29 European Cups between them.

Only Manchester City among the quarter-finalists have never reached the final, but they look formidable: Pep Guardiola's team have won 24 of their last 25 games and are chasing an unprecedented quadruple.

Perhaps the only thing counting against them is the growing pressure to win the trophy after quarter-final exits in the last three years.

"Since the first year I arrived they told me that you have to win the Champions League," Guardiola admitted after his side beat Borussia Moenchengladbach.

<h2>- Money talks -</h2>

With Liverpool also still alive, England have three representatives in the draw, yet Bayern -- with 18 wins and one draw in 19 Champions League games since the start of last season -- remain the team to beat.

Defeats for Juventus and Atalanta mean there is no Italian team in the last eight for the first time since 2016, and Porto, despite eliminating Juve, are surely the side most teams would prefer to face.

The Portuguese champions have lifted the trophy twice before and are regulars on Europe's biggest stage, but given how much money talks at this level it would be a huge surprise if they went any further.

Porto are way down the list of the continent's richest clubs and a recent KPMG Football Benchmark report put their income last year at 87.3 million euros ($104m), less than a quarter that of Dortmund, the club closest to them financially.

Among the many eyebrow-raising comments made by Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli recently was the suggestion that clubs involved in the Champions League would no longer be allowed to buy or sell players among themselves.

Among the many eyebrow-raising comments made by Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli recently was the suggestion that clubs involved in the Champions League would no longer be allowed to buy or sell players among themselves. In his role as head of the European Club Association, Agnelli is at the forefront of plans to reshape the Champions League which include the likely expansion of the group stage to 36 teams, each playing 10 group games against 10 different opponents in a so-called 'Swiss system'. The discussed reforms are widely seen as a compromise between European football's governing body UEFA and the continent's most powerful clubs, preventing the threat of a breakaway 'Super League' but entrenching the positions of the richest teams. Agnelli's Juve are one of those, but they will be absent from Friday's quarter-final draw following their shock last-16 defeat by Porto. Yet rather than the transfer of a player between two clubs, it is a coach who started the season in charge of one of Europe's elite before joining another who made the biggest impression in the Champions League this week. Thomas Tuchel was sacked by Paris Saint-Germain in December despite winning a Champions League group also containing RB Leipzig and Manchester United. In January he joined Chelsea and the impact the German has had in seven weeks has been remarkable. On Wednesday they saw off La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to win their last-16 tie 3-0 on aggregate. Tuchel took over a side struggling for consistency under Frank Lampard and immediately turned them into a supremely disciplined unit that has conceded just two goals and remains unbeaten in his 13 games in charge. They made Diego Simeone's Atletico look thoroughly ordinary in both legs and few teams will relish the prospect of facing Chelsea in the last eight. "We feel that we deserve this. We are in the last eight which is already a big step. From there on we go, there is no need to be afraid, we will take what we get and will prepare in the best way possible," Tuchel said on Wednesday. - Pressure on Man City? - Chelsea's 2012 Champions League triumph came after they changed manager mid-season and Tuchel will be determined to go one better than last season, when PSG lost to Bayern Munich in the final. A reunion with PSG in the next round would be fascinating, and not one the French club would likely welcome as they struggle to impress under Tuchel's successor Mauricio Pochettino, their 4-1 win in Barcelona aside. There are six former winners in the last-eight draw, with a total of 29 European Cups between them. Only Manchester City among the quarter-finalists have never reached the final, but they look formidable: Pep Guardiola's team have won 24 of their last 25 games and are chasing an unprecedented quadruple. Perhaps the only thing counting against them is the growing pressure to win the trophy after quarter-final exits in the last three years. "Since the first year I arrived they told me that you have to win the Champions League," Guardiola admitted after his side beat Borussia Moenchengladbach. - Money talks - With Liverpool also still alive, England have three representatives in the draw, yet Bayern -- with 18 wins and one draw in 19 Champions League games since the start of last season -- remain the team to beat. Defeats for Juventus and Atalanta mean there is no Italian team in the last eight for the first time since 2016, and Porto, despite eliminating Juve, are surely the side most teams would prefer to face. The Portuguese champions have lifted the trophy twice before and are regulars on Europe's biggest stage, but given how much money talks at this level it would be a huge surprise if they went any further. Porto are way down the list of the continent's richest clubs and a recent KPMG Football Benchmark report put their income last year at 87.3 million euros ($104m), less than a quarter that of Dortmund, the club closest to them financially.

Tuchel makes Chelsea Champions League contenders but Man City, Bayern the teams to beat

Holders Bayern Munich cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Lazio in Wednesday's last-16 second leg sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory.

Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty before a deft chip from his second-half replacement Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled the advantage on the night.

Lazio grabbed a consolation when Marco Parolo was left unmarked to head in a late free-kick from close range.

"The win is very important to us. It's in our DNA that we want to win every game," Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich told Sky.

"We played confidently, even if it wasn't a brilliant performance and it was annoying to concede a goal."

Their passage into the last eight takes Bayern past Barcelona's tally of 18 Champions League quarter-final appearances since the competition was rebranded from the European Cup.

Snow fell during the game at the Allianz Arena, but Bayern made light work of the wintry conditions.

They extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 19 games over two years.

"We needed a good performance and we bow out of the competition with a positive game," Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi told Sky.

"Some teams are unplayable: Bayern are one of them."

With his side trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Inzaghi opted to rest top-scorer Ciro Immobile, with the 1.94m-tall Vedat Muriqi starting up front.

Bayern had captain and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sidelined by a cold as understudy Alexander Nuebel made only his third start of the season.

Bayern were awarded a penalty on 31 minutes when Muriqi brought Leon Goretzka down in the area.

After a VAR review, Lewandowski smashed in the resulting spot-kick.

It was the Poland star's 39th goal in all competitions this season and fifth in the Champions League.

Lewandowski hit the post with Lazio goalkeeper Pepe Reina beaten on 67 minutes.

It was one of his last involvements as he and Thomas Mueller made way for Choupo-Moting and 18-year-old Jamal Musiala.

Less than two minutes later, David Alaba slid a pass through for Choupo-Moting to sprint onto and flick a shot over Reina.

Bayern were guilty of sloppy defending eight minutes from the final whistle when Andreas Pereira's free-kick was headed home by Muriqi's replacement Parolo.

Serge Gnabry fired wide late on as Bayern kept Lazio under pressure.

Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi said the Italians played better than in their heavy first-leg defeat, but admitted that "Bayern are probably the best in the world".

Holders Bayern Munich cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Lazio in Wednesday's last-16 second leg sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory. Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty before a deft chip from his second-half replacement Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled the advantage on the night.

Holders Bayern Munich cruised into the Champions League quarter-finals as a 2-1 win over Lazio in Wednesday's last-16 second leg sealed a 6-2 aggregate victory. Robert Lewandowski converted a penalty before a deft chip from his second-half replacement Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubled the advantage on the night. Lazio grabbed a consolation when Marco Parolo was left unmarked to head in a late free-kick from close range. "The win is very important to us. It's in our DNA that we want to win every game," Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich told Sky. "We played confidently, even if it wasn't a brilliant performance and it was annoying to concede a goal." Their passage into the last eight takes Bayern past Barcelona's tally of 18 Champions League quarter-final appearances since the competition was rebranded from the European Cup. Snow fell during the game at the Allianz Arena, but Bayern made light work of the wintry conditions. They extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 19 games over two years. "We needed a good performance and we bow out of the competition with a positive game," Lazio coach Simone Inzaghi told Sky. "Some teams are unplayable: Bayern are one of them." With his side trailing 4-1 from the first leg, Inzaghi opted to rest top-scorer Ciro Immobile, with the 1.94m-tall Vedat Muriqi starting up front. Bayern had captain and Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer sidelined by a cold as understudy Alexander Nuebel made only his third start of the season. Bayern were awarded a penalty on 31 minutes when Muriqi brought Leon Goretzka down in the area. After a VAR review, Lewandowski smashed in the resulting spot-kick. It was the Poland star's 39th goal in all competitions this season and fifth in the Champions League. Lewandowski hit the post with Lazio goalkeeper Pepe Reina beaten on 67 minutes. It was one of his last involvements as he and Thomas Mueller made way for Choupo-Moting and 18-year-old Jamal Musiala. Less than two minutes later, David Alaba slid a pass through for Choupo-Moting to sprint onto and flick a shot over Reina. Bayern were guilty of sloppy defending eight minutes from the final whistle when Andreas Pereira's free-kick was headed home by Muriqi's replacement Parolo. Serge Gnabry fired wide late on as Bayern kept Lazio under pressure. Lazio defender Francesco Acerbi said the Italians played better than in their heavy first-leg defeat, but admitted that "Bayern are probably the best in the world".

Bayern down Lazio to stroll into Champions League quarter-finals

Thomas Tuchel said "super hungry" Chelsea have their sights set on reaching the Champions League final after Hakim Ziyech ended his goal drought to inspire a 2-0 win against Atletico Madrid in the last-16 second leg on Wednesday.

Morocco forward Ziyech grabbed his first goal since October to put the hosts ahead in the first half at Stamford Bridge.

Emerson came off the bench to score the late goal that sealed a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory over the lacklustre La Liga leaders.

Adding to Atletico's misery, Stefan Savic was sent off in the closing stages for elbowing Antonio Rudiger in the stomach.

While Chelsea were the superior side for long periods, Atletico could justifiably claim they should have had penalty for Cesar Azpilicueta's challenge on Yannick Carrasco when the score was still 0-0.

Tuchel admitted it could have been a penalty, saying: "Azpi got a bit frightened because his ball was short, I was a bit frightened as well."

But Atletico boss Diego Simeone added: "We are not looking for excuses. We were beaten by a better team. We tried to press them up the field, but couldn't attack the way we like."

That was the only major scare for Chelsea as they extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches since Tuchel replaced the sacked Frank Lampard in January.

Tuchel boasts the longest ever unbeaten start by a Chelsea boss after moving past Luiz Felipe Scolari.

Revitalised by Tuchel, Chelsea have conceded just two goals in his brief reign and are on a run of six consecutive clean sheets in all competitions.

"A very good performance, unbelievable effort. I could feel we totally wanted it," Tuchel said.

"We enjoyed the battle. The guys were totally on and sharp. We were super hungry to go through."

Leading Chelsea into the last eight for the first time since 2014 is another feather in Tuchel's cap as the German eyes a return to the Champions League final following his defeat with Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich last season.

"They play with a special bond. Fixtures and results like this give you a certain edge to achieve special things. I'm pretty sure no-one wants to play against us," Tuchel said.

"Quarter-final means there's only four games (until the final). It's a big step and feels excellent."

Chelsea, Champions League winners for the only time in 2012, had been eliminated in the first knockout stage in their last four appearances.

But they never looked in danger of losing the 1-0 lead given to them by Olivier Giroud's overhead kick in the first leg in Bucharest.

<h2>- Azpilicueta escape -</h2>

Crucially, Azpilicueta escaped without punishment when the defender's under-hit back-pass allowed Carrasco to nip ahead of him in the penalty area.

Azpilicueta responded with a panicked tug that sent Carrasco tumbling but Atletico's penalty appeal was controversially rejected by referee Daniele Orsato, with VAR bizarrely opting not to intervene.

Simeone's anger only increased as Chelsea made the most of their good fortune to take the lead in the 34th minute.

Timo Werner now has just two goals in his last 27 appearances for Chelsea.

But Tuchel backed Werner to come good this week and the Germany forward repaid his manager's faith with a strong performance capped by the key contribution to Ziyech's opener.

Breaking at pace after Werner blocked Kieran Trippier's cross, Kai Havertz fed his team-mate on the left flank.

Werner accelerated away from the out-of-position Atletico defence before clipping a perfectly-weighted pass into Ziyech's path.

Unmarked 10 yards from goal, Ziyech finished Chelsea's thrust with a clinical strike.

Savic's frustration boiled over in the 81st minute as he was dismissed for a needless elbow that drew a theatrical fall from Rudiger.

With Chelsea's injured defender Thiago Silva roaring on Emerson from the stands, the left-back blasted home from Christian Pulisic's pass in stoppage-time, sparking a wild celebration that encapsulated the feel-good factor fuelling the Blues at present.

Thomas Tuchel said "super hungry" Chelsea have their sights set on reaching the Champions League final after Hakim Ziyech ended his goal drought to inspire a 2-0 win against Atletico Madrid in the last-16 second leg on Wednesday.

Thomas Tuchel said "super hungry" Chelsea have their sights set on reaching the Champions League final after Hakim Ziyech ended his goal drought to inspire a 2-0 win against Atletico Madrid in the last-16 second leg on Wednesday. Morocco forward Ziyech grabbed his first goal since October to put the hosts ahead in the first half at Stamford Bridge. Emerson came off the bench to score the late goal that sealed a comfortable 3-0 aggregate victory over the lacklustre La Liga leaders. Adding to Atletico's misery, Stefan Savic was sent off in the closing stages for elbowing Antonio Rudiger in the stomach. While Chelsea were the superior side for long periods, Atletico could justifiably claim they should have had penalty for Cesar Azpilicueta's challenge on Yannick Carrasco when the score was still 0-0. Tuchel admitted it could have been a penalty, saying: "Azpi got a bit frightened because his ball was short, I was a bit frightened as well." But Atletico boss Diego Simeone added: "We are not looking for excuses. We were beaten by a better team. We tried to press them up the field, but couldn't attack the way we like." That was the only major scare for Chelsea as they extended their unbeaten run to 13 matches since Tuchel replaced the sacked Frank Lampard in January. Tuchel boasts the longest ever unbeaten start by a Chelsea boss after moving past Luiz Felipe Scolari. Revitalised by Tuchel, Chelsea have conceded just two goals in his brief reign and are on a run of six consecutive clean sheets in all competitions. "A very good performance, unbelievable effort. I could feel we totally wanted it," Tuchel said. "We enjoyed the battle. The guys were totally on and sharp. We were super hungry to go through." Leading Chelsea into the last eight for the first time since 2014 is another feather in Tuchel's cap as the German eyes a return to the Champions League final following his defeat with Paris Saint-Germain against Bayern Munich last season. "They play with a special bond. Fixtures and results like this give you a certain edge to achieve special things. I'm pretty sure no-one wants to play against us," Tuchel said. "Quarter-final means there's only four games (until the final). It's a big step and feels excellent." Chelsea, Champions League winners for the only time in 2012, had been eliminated in the first knockout stage in their last four appearances. But they never looked in danger of losing the 1-0 lead given to them by Olivier Giroud's overhead kick in the first leg in Bucharest. - Azpilicueta escape - Crucially, Azpilicueta escaped without punishment when the defender's under-hit back-pass allowed Carrasco to nip ahead of him in the penalty area. Azpilicueta responded with a panicked tug that sent Carrasco tumbling but Atletico's penalty appeal was controversially rejected by referee Daniele Orsato, with VAR bizarrely opting not to intervene. Simeone's anger only increased as Chelsea made the most of their good fortune to take the lead in the 34th minute. Timo Werner now has just two goals in his last 27 appearances for Chelsea. But Tuchel backed Werner to come good this week and the Germany forward repaid his manager's faith with a strong performance capped by the key contribution to Ziyech's opener. Breaking at pace after Werner blocked Kieran Trippier's cross, Kai Havertz fed his team-mate on the left flank. Werner accelerated away from the out-of-position Atletico defence before clipping a perfectly-weighted pass into Ziyech's path. Unmarked 10 yards from goal, Ziyech finished Chelsea's thrust with a clinical strike. Savic's frustration boiled over in the 81st minute as he was dismissed for a needless elbow that drew a theatrical fall from Rudiger. With Chelsea's injured defender Thiago Silva roaring on Emerson from the stands, the left-back blasted home from Christian Pulisic's pass in stoppage-time, sparking a wild celebration that encapsulated the feel-good factor fuelling the Blues at present.

Chelsea cruise into Champions League quarters as Ziyech sinks Atletico

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has cast doubt over whether Son Heung-min will be released to play for South Korea against Japan next week.

Son has been named in South Korea's squad for the friendly match on March 25 despite limping off during Sunday's north London derby defeat to Arsenal with a hamstring injury.

The forward is ruled out of Spurs' Europa League last-16 second-leg tie with Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday. The London side are 2-0 up after the first leg.&nbsp;

Mourinho said if Son missed Sunday's game against Aston Villa he could not be expected to play for his country in Yokohama.

"If a player is injured it doesn't matter if it's a friendly or official match," Mourinho said.

"If we get to next week and he is injured and we can prove that to the Korean association then what can they do?

"If a player cannot play for the club he cannot play for the country."

Winning the Europa League is the most likely route for Spurs to qualify for next season's Champions League and Mourinho said Harry Kane would play on Thursday despite upcoming England commitments.

England face San Marino, Albania and Poland in World Cup qualifiers in the upcoming international break and Mourinho is keen that his star man does not to feature in all three.

"If we could choose we wouldn't like the players to play three matches, but it's not in our hands. It's in the hands of their national team managers," said Mourinho.

"There is nothing we can say. If one of you ask me 'is he going to play tomorrow or is he going to rest?' I answer already that he's going to play. The game is open, it's an important game for us so he plays tomorrow."

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has cast doubt over whether Son Heung-min will be released to play for South Korea against Japan next week. Son has been named in South Korea's squad for the friendly match on March 25 despite limping off during Sunday's north London derby defeat to Arsenal with a hamstring injury.

Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho has cast doubt over whether Son Heung-min will be released to play for South Korea against Japan next week. Son has been named in South Korea's squad for the friendly match on March 25 despite limping off during Sunday's north London derby defeat to Arsenal with a hamstring injury. The forward is ruled out of Spurs' Europa League last-16 second-leg tie with Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday. The London side are 2-0 up after the first leg. Mourinho said if Son missed Sunday's game against Aston Villa he could not be expected to play for his country in Yokohama. "If a player is injured it doesn't matter if it's a friendly or official match," Mourinho said. "If we get to next week and he is injured and we can prove that to the Korean association then what can they do? "If a player cannot play for the club he cannot play for the country." Winning the Europa League is the most likely route for Spurs to qualify for next season's Champions League and Mourinho said Harry Kane would play on Thursday despite upcoming England commitments. England face San Marino, Albania and Poland in World Cup qualifiers in the upcoming international break and Mourinho is keen that his star man does not to feature in all three. "If we could choose we wouldn't like the players to play three matches, but it's not in our hands. It's in the hands of their national team managers," said Mourinho. "There is nothing we can say. If one of you ask me 'is he going to play tomorrow or is he going to rest?' I answer already that he's going to play. The game is open, it's an important game for us so he plays tomorrow."

Mourinho warns Son may not be released for South Korea duty

The Football Association (FA) has been found guilty of inexcusable “institutional failings" in delaying the implementation of measures to safeguard children between 1995 and 2000 by an independent review of historical sexual abuse.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The review said high-profile convictions – including one for serial abuser Barry Bennell in the United States in 1995 – should have been the point of change, however, it took another five years for the FA to lay out necessary processes in place.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure that safeguarding was taken sufficiently seriously by those involved in the game," the report said.&nbsp;

"These are significant institutional failings for which there is no excuse. During this period, the FA did not do enough to keep children safe."&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/man-city-cruise-into-champions-league-quarter-finals-371071" hreflang="en">Man City cruise into Champions League quarter-finals</a>

&nbsp;Bennell, in February 2018, was sentenced to 31 years in jail for 50 cases of child abuse against 12 boys aged between eight to 15 for the period of 1979 and 1991.&nbsp;Judge Clement Goldstone described Bennell as "the devil incarnate". He was sentenced to a further four years&nbsp;in 2020.&nbsp;

The independent review, led by barrister Clive Sheldon, also took a look at how the FA and individuals at clubs with links to suspected or convicted abusers dealt with the reports of abuse.&nbsp;

It stated that, in some cases, "clubs acted too slowly, or inappropriately" in response to such reports.&nbsp;The review said it had identified 240 suspects and 692 survivors from the data passed to it in August 2020.&nbsp;The review makes 13 recommendations for the FA to improve safeguarding.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/real-madrids-old-guard-see-off-atalanta-to-reach-champions-league-last-eight-371068" hreflang="en">Real Madrid's old guard see off Atalanta to reach Champions League last eight</a>

"Understanding and acknowledging the appalling abuse suffered by young players in the period covered by the review is important for its own sake," said Sheldon.&nbsp;

"Survivors deserve to be listened to, and their suffering deserves to be properly&nbsp;recognised.&nbsp;

"As well as&nbsp;recognising&nbsp;and facing up to what happened in the past, it is also important that this terrible history is not repeated, and that everything possible is done now to safeguard the current and future generations of young players.&nbsp;

"I hope that this report will make some contribution towards that."&nbsp;

The Football Association (FA) has been found guilty of inexcusable “institutional failings" in delaying the implementation of measures to safeguard children between 1995 and 2000 by an independent review of historical sexual abuse.

The Football Association (FA) has been found guilty of inexcusable “institutional failings" in delaying the implementation of measures to safeguard children between 1995 and 2000 by an independent review of historical sexual abuse. The review said high-profile convictions – including one for serial abuser Barry Bennell in the United States in 1995 – should have been the point of change, however, it took another five years for the FA to lay out necessary processes in place. "The FA acted far too slowly to introduce appropriate and sufficient child protection measures, and to ensure that safeguarding was taken sufficiently seriously by those involved in the game," the report said. "These are significant institutional failings for which there is no excuse. During this period, the FA did not do enough to keep children safe." ALSO READ: Man City cruise into Champions League quarter-finals Bennell, in February 2018, was sentenced to 31 years in jail for 50 cases of child abuse against 12 boys aged between eight to 15 for the period of 1979 and 1991. Judge Clement Goldstone described Bennell as "the devil incarnate". He was sentenced to a further four years in 2020. The independent review, led by barrister Clive Sheldon, also took a look at how the FA and individuals at clubs with links to suspected or convicted abusers dealt with the reports of abuse. It stated that, in some cases, "clubs acted too slowly, or inappropriately" in response to such reports. The review said it had identified 240 suspects and 692 survivors from the data passed to it in August 2020. The review makes 13 recommendations for the FA to improve safeguarding. ALSO READ: Real Madrid's old guard see off Atalanta to reach Champions League last eight "Understanding and acknowledging the appalling abuse suffered by young players in the period covered by the review is important for its own sake," said Sheldon. "Survivors deserve to be listened to, and their suffering deserves to be properly recognised. "As well as recognising and facing up to what happened in the past, it is also important that this terrible history is not repeated, and that everything possible is done now to safeguard the current and future generations of young players. "I hope that this report will make some contribution towards that."

Football child sex abuse report finds FA guilty of 'significant institutional failings'

Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players to forget their previous Champions League failures after cruising into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday that sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory.

The Champions League is the one trophy that has remained elusive to Guardiola during his five years in Manchester with City failing to ever get beyond the last eight under the Catalan.

But the runaway Premier League leaders will get the chance to break that barrier next month as they showed why they are the bookies' favourites for the competition with another classy performance in Budapest, which hosted both legs of the tie due to coronavirus restrictions on travel between England and Germany.

Early goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan killed off any hope of a fightback from the Germans as City recorded a 24th win in their last 25 games in all competitions.

"What happened in the past is the past," said Guardiola, who won the Champions League twice as coach of Barcelona but has been unable to replicate that success with Bayern Munich or City.

"In the quarter-finals one bad game, (a few) bad minutes can punish you.

"Now it is the best teams in Europe. The quality every time is higher and hopefully we can maintain this mood."

De Bruyne and Gundogan were two of a host of first-team regulars left out by Guardiola for Saturday's 3-0 win at Fulham and City looked refreshed in a fast start.

De Bruyne blasted in the opener from outside the box off the underside of the bar on 12 minutes.

Six minutes later a flowing move from back to front saw Phil Foden release Gundogan in behind the Gladbach defence to score his 15th goal of the season.

"The start obviously helps a lot," said De Bruyne. "We were patient in the beginning and then scoring the two goals gives us a bit of a cover knowing they need to come out a little bit more. I think we controlled the game."

Gladbach have now lost all seven games since manager Marco Rose announced he will be leaving the club at the end of the season to join Borussia Dortmund.

<h2>- Rock solid City -</h2>

Defensive frailties have been the cause of City's previous Champions League exits under Guardiola.

They conceded six goals to Monaco over two legs in 2017, five to Liverpool a year later, four to Tottenham in 2019, and suffered a shock 3-1 defeat to Lyon last season in a one-off tie in Lisbon.

However, the signing of Ruben Dias has transformed Guardiola's men into the complete team this season as they remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup.

City have now kept seven consecutive Champions League clean sheets.

"We cannot deny Ruben and John (Stones) make an incredible step forward for the team," added Guardiola.

"But we need everyone. Everyone runs a lot, the important thing is to understand we defend with the ball."

With no key players missing through injury, the wealth of options Guardiola has to choose from is another reason this could finally be City's year for a major breakthrough in Europe.

Fernandinho, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling were all introduced off the bench in the second half to give Dias, Joao Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodrigo and Bernardo Silva an early night ahead of Saturday's trip to Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

By then, City will know their next Champions League opponents. On this form, they are the side to avoid in Friday's quarter-final draw.

Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players to forget their previous Champions League failures after cruising into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday that sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory.

Pep Guardiola told his Manchester City players to forget their previous Champions League failures after cruising into the quarter-finals with a 2-0 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Tuesday that sealed a 4-0 aggregate victory. The Champions League is the one trophy that has remained elusive to Guardiola during his five years in Manchester with City failing to ever get beyond the last eight under the Catalan. But the runaway Premier League leaders will get the chance to break that barrier next month as they showed why they are the bookies' favourites for the competition with another classy performance in Budapest, which hosted both legs of the tie due to coronavirus restrictions on travel between England and Germany. Early goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan killed off any hope of a fightback from the Germans as City recorded a 24th win in their last 25 games in all competitions. "What happened in the past is the past," said Guardiola, who won the Champions League twice as coach of Barcelona but has been unable to replicate that success with Bayern Munich or City. "In the quarter-finals one bad game, (a few) bad minutes can punish you. "Now it is the best teams in Europe. The quality every time is higher and hopefully we can maintain this mood." De Bruyne and Gundogan were two of a host of first-team regulars left out by Guardiola for Saturday's 3-0 win at Fulham and City looked refreshed in a fast start. De Bruyne blasted in the opener from outside the box off the underside of the bar on 12 minutes. Six minutes later a flowing move from back to front saw Phil Foden release Gundogan in behind the Gladbach defence to score his 15th goal of the season. "The start obviously helps a lot," said De Bruyne. "We were patient in the beginning and then scoring the two goals gives us a bit of a cover knowing they need to come out a little bit more. I think we controlled the game." Gladbach have now lost all seven games since manager Marco Rose announced he will be leaving the club at the end of the season to join Borussia Dortmund. - Rock solid City - Defensive frailties have been the cause of City's previous Champions League exits under Guardiola. They conceded six goals to Monaco over two legs in 2017, five to Liverpool a year later, four to Tottenham in 2019, and suffered a shock 3-1 defeat to Lyon last season in a one-off tie in Lisbon. However, the signing of Ruben Dias has transformed Guardiola's men into the complete team this season as they remain on course for an unprecedented quadruple of Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and League Cup. City have now kept seven consecutive Champions League clean sheets. "We cannot deny Ruben and John (Stones) make an incredible step forward for the team," added Guardiola. "But we need everyone. Everyone runs a lot, the important thing is to understand we defend with the ball." With no key players missing through injury, the wealth of options Guardiola has to choose from is another reason this could finally be City's year for a major breakthrough in Europe. Fernandinho, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling were all introduced off the bench in the second half to give Dias, Joao Cancelo, Gundogan, Rodrigo and Bernardo Silva an early night ahead of Saturday's trip to Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals. By then, City will know their next Champions League opponents. On this form, they are the side to avoid in Friday's quarter-final draw.

Man City cruise into Champions League quarter-finals

Real Madrid avoided another early Champions League exit on Tuesday by beating Atalanta 3-1 to win the tie 4-1 on aggregate and reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three years.&nbsp;

Sergio Ramos marked his return from injury by converting a penalty after Karim Benzema continued his scoring streak by capitalising on a glaring error from Atlanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello.&nbsp;

Sportiello's scuffed clearance in the first half resulted in Benzema being given an easy finish at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium and after an electric start, Atalanta never really recovered.&nbsp;

Luis Muriel pulled one back for the visitors late on but any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed as substitute Marco Asensio fired in a third for Madrid.&nbsp;

Zinedine Zidane's side will be in Friday's draw for the last eight and with their old guard fit and firing again, they will be hopeful of exceeding what are now dampened expectations of La Liga's reigning champions.&nbsp;

"We showed tonight how much hunger there still is in this team," said Luka Modric. "We can go far. How far let's see but today was an important step."

Ramos played just over an hour in his second appearance since recovering from a knee injury while Benzema's goal was his eighth in as many games and 70th in the Champions League, making him only the fifth player to reach that number.&nbsp;

The 35-year-old Modric and Toni Kroos were dominant in the absence of the suspended Casemiro.&nbsp;

"I feel 27!" joked Modric. "The years on your passport don't matter, it's about what you do on the pitch."

How Madrid's veterans would fare against more polished opposition remains to be seen, after they came up short against Manchester City last year and Ajax the year before that, both in the last 16.

<h2>- Madrid punish Atalanta errors -</h2>

They will be unlikely to benefit from the same generosity Atalanta afforded them across the two legs.

Remo Freuler's red card and a late goal spoiled the Italians' night in Bergamo and it was individual errors from Sportiello and then Rafael Toloi for the penalty that let them down again here.

"We started strong and we were succeeding with our pressing," said Muriel. "It's a shame because from our two mistakes came the two goals that cut our legs from under us."

Atalanta tore into Madrid early on, with the intensity of their press giving their opponents no time to settle and Robin Gosens could have scored, only to fail to connect with Muriel's cross.

The early storm weathered, Madrid found their feet as Kroos began to dictate from deep and the tireless Modric popped passes around Atalanta's midfield.&nbsp;

The lively Vinicius Junior took too long after a neat one-two with Benzema, who then showed the youngster how it should be done.&nbsp;

Sportiello's clearance was tamed by Modric, whose second touch pushed the ball into the box before a third cut the ball back to Benzema, who had an open net.&nbsp;

The goal killed Atalanta's belief and Vinicius almost added a second after half-time, only to prod wide after a surging run to the edge of Atalanta's six-yard box.&nbsp;

But the warning was not heeded and Vinicius raced past Toloi, whose dangling leg made enough contact to concede the penalty, which Ramos whipped into the corner.

Ramos signalled to the bench that his work was done and he departed shortly after, before Benzema headed Lucas Vazquez's cross at Sportiello and the rebound against the post.

Muriel gave Atalanta hope by curling in a superb free-kick with eight minutes left but in an instant it was gone again, as Asensio drove in a third.

Real Madrid avoided another early Champions League exit on Tuesday by beating Atalanta 3-1 to win the tie 4-1 on aggregate and reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three years.

Real Madrid avoided another early Champions League exit on Tuesday by beating Atalanta 3-1 to win the tie 4-1 on aggregate and reach the quarter-finals for the first time in three years. Sergio Ramos marked his return from injury by converting a penalty after Karim Benzema continued his scoring streak by capitalising on a glaring error from Atlanta goalkeeper Marco Sportiello. Sportiello's scuffed clearance in the first half resulted in Benzema being given an easy finish at the Alfredo di Stefano stadium and after an electric start, Atalanta never really recovered. Luis Muriel pulled one back for the visitors late on but any hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed as substitute Marco Asensio fired in a third for Madrid. Zinedine Zidane's side will be in Friday's draw for the last eight and with their old guard fit and firing again, they will be hopeful of exceeding what are now dampened expectations of La Liga's reigning champions. "We showed tonight how much hunger there still is in this team," said Luka Modric. "We can go far. How far let's see but today was an important step." Ramos played just over an hour in his second appearance since recovering from a knee injury while Benzema's goal was his eighth in as many games and 70th in the Champions League, making him only the fifth player to reach that number. The 35-year-old Modric and Toni Kroos were dominant in the absence of the suspended Casemiro. "I feel 27!" joked Modric. "The years on your passport don't matter, it's about what you do on the pitch." How Madrid's veterans would fare against more polished opposition remains to be seen, after they came up short against Manchester City last year and Ajax the year before that, both in the last 16. - Madrid punish Atalanta errors - They will be unlikely to benefit from the same generosity Atalanta afforded them across the two legs. Remo Freuler's red card and a late goal spoiled the Italians' night in Bergamo and it was individual errors from Sportiello and then Rafael Toloi for the penalty that let them down again here. "We started strong and we were succeeding with our pressing," said Muriel. "It's a shame because from our two mistakes came the two goals that cut our legs from under us." Atalanta tore into Madrid early on, with the intensity of their press giving their opponents no time to settle and Robin Gosens could have scored, only to fail to connect with Muriel's cross. The early storm weathered, Madrid found their feet as Kroos began to dictate from deep and the tireless Modric popped passes around Atalanta's midfield. The lively Vinicius Junior took too long after a neat one-two with Benzema, who then showed the youngster how it should be done. Sportiello's clearance was tamed by Modric, whose second touch pushed the ball into the box before a third cut the ball back to Benzema, who had an open net. The goal killed Atalanta's belief and Vinicius almost added a second after half-time, only to prod wide after a surging run to the edge of Atalanta's six-yard box. But the warning was not heeded and Vinicius raced past Toloi, whose dangling leg made enough contact to concede the penalty, which Ramos whipped into the corner. Ramos signalled to the bench that his work was done and he departed shortly after, before Benzema headed Lucas Vazquez's cross at Sportiello and the rebound against the post. Muriel gave Atalanta hope by curling in a superb free-kick with eight minutes left but in an instant it was gone again, as Asensio drove in a third.

Real Madrid's old guard see off Atalanta to reach Champions League last eight

Jurgen Klopp said he had no problem with winning "three dirty points" as Diogo Jota returned to haunt Wolves with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Molineux on Monday.

A wretched run of six successive home league defeats has left Liverpool with an uphill task to qualify for the Champions League next season.

But Klopp's men have now won six of their last seven games away from Anfield.

Victory moved the English champions back up to sixth and within five points of fourth-placed Chelsea.

"It's all about the result," said Klopp. "It was a big fight. We won three dirty points, I am completely fine with that. We need that to get back on track."

A disappointing night for Wolves ended with a bigger concern than just the result as goalkeeper Rui Patricio had to be stretchered off after 15 minutes of treatment for a head injury following a collision with his own player Connor Coady in the closing stages.

However, Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo allayed fears over the Portuguese international's health.

"He's OK. He's conscious, he remembers what happens, he's aware, so they tell me he's OK," said Nuno. "He's going to recover, so it's OK."

Wolves have already been badly affected by a serious head injury this season. Their top scorer for the past two seasons, Raul Jimenez, has been out since fracturing his skull against Arsenal in November.

The absence of Jimenez means Nuno's men have missed Jota even more since he joined the English champions for an initial £41 million ($57 million) in September.

Jota has also been missed by Liverpool for much of the past three months due to a knee injury that halted his flying start to life at Anfield.

But the winger is hopeful his return can inspire a strong end to the season to secure Champions League football either via the Premier League or winning Liverpool's seventh European Cup.

"Hopefully this can be a great start of a run towards the end of the season," said Jota.

<h2>- Alisson escapes -</h2>

Klopp named the same side that bounced back to form with a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig last midweek to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

However, the visitors should have been punished for a slow start as goalkeeper Alisson Becker somehow escaped without conceding a penalty when he crashed into Nelson Semedo after just two minutes.

Sadio Mane missed two big chances at the other end to open the scoring for the visitors, but the Senegalese did have a part to play in the only goal of the game in first-half stoppage time as he exchanged passes with Mohamed Salah before teeing up Jota for a low shot that should have been kept out by Patricio low to his right.

Liverpool's lack of fluency compared to the side that romped to the title last season was even more clear after the break as they were happy to sit on their lead and would have been punished by a more clinical opponent.

Coady headed wide a great chance to score against his former club, while Adama Traore stung the palms of Alisson and Fabio Silva's weak header floated into the grateful Liverpool 'keeper's arms.

But with Jimenez watching on from the stands, even Liverpool's makeshift central defensive pairing of Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak were not asked serious questions.

Salah had a second goal for Liverpool ruled out for offside five minutes from time. During his attempt to stop the Egyptian, Coady inadvertently caught his goalkeeper.

A lengthy stoppage ensued before the game restarted in the 100th minute and Wolves used a concussion substitute as John Ruddy replaced Patricio.

Despite a nervy finale, Liverpool held out to take advantage of a weekend in which a host of the other contenders for the top four all faltered.

Jurgen Klopp said he had no problem with winning "three dirty points" as Diogo Jota returned to haunt Wolves with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Molineux on Monday.

Jurgen Klopp said he had no problem with winning "three dirty points" as Diogo Jota returned to haunt Wolves with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Molineux on Monday. A wretched run of six successive home league defeats has left Liverpool with an uphill task to qualify for the Champions League next season. But Klopp's men have now won six of their last seven games away from Anfield. Victory moved the English champions back up to sixth and within five points of fourth-placed Chelsea. "It's all about the result," said Klopp. "It was a big fight. We won three dirty points, I am completely fine with that. We need that to get back on track." A disappointing night for Wolves ended with a bigger concern than just the result as goalkeeper Rui Patricio had to be stretchered off after 15 minutes of treatment for a head injury following a collision with his own player Connor Coady in the closing stages. However, Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo allayed fears over the Portuguese international's health. "He's OK. He's conscious, he remembers what happens, he's aware, so they tell me he's OK," said Nuno. "He's going to recover, so it's OK." Wolves have already been badly affected by a serious head injury this season. Their top scorer for the past two seasons, Raul Jimenez, has been out since fracturing his skull against Arsenal in November. The absence of Jimenez means Nuno's men have missed Jota even more since he joined the English champions for an initial £41 million ($57 million) in September. Jota has also been missed by Liverpool for much of the past three months due to a knee injury that halted his flying start to life at Anfield. But the winger is hopeful his return can inspire a strong end to the season to secure Champions League football either via the Premier League or winning Liverpool's seventh European Cup. "Hopefully this can be a great start of a run towards the end of the season," said Jota. - Alisson escapes - Klopp named the same side that bounced back to form with a 2-0 win over RB Leipzig last midweek to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League. However, the visitors should have been punished for a slow start as goalkeeper Alisson Becker somehow escaped without conceding a penalty when he crashed into Nelson Semedo after just two minutes. Sadio Mane missed two big chances at the other end to open the scoring for the visitors, but the Senegalese did have a part to play in the only goal of the game in first-half stoppage time as he exchanged passes with Mohamed Salah before teeing up Jota for a low shot that should have been kept out by Patricio low to his right. Liverpool's lack of fluency compared to the side that romped to the title last season was even more clear after the break as they were happy to sit on their lead and would have been punished by a more clinical opponent. Coady headed wide a great chance to score against his former club, while Adama Traore stung the palms of Alisson and Fabio Silva's weak header floated into the grateful Liverpool 'keeper's arms. But with Jimenez watching on from the stands, even Liverpool's makeshift central defensive pairing of Nat Phillips and Ozan Kabak were not asked serious questions. Salah had a second goal for Liverpool ruled out for offside five minutes from time. During his attempt to stop the Egyptian, Coady inadvertently caught his goalkeeper. A lengthy stoppage ensued before the game restarted in the 100th minute and Wolves used a concussion substitute as John Ruddy replaced Patricio. Despite a nervy finale, Liverpool held out to take advantage of a weekend in which a host of the other contenders for the top four all faltered.

Klopp happy to win 'dirty' as Jota returns to haunt Wolves

Lionel Messi scored a spectacular double the same night he equalled Xavi Hernandez's appearance record for Barcelona, the Argentinian inspiring his team to a 4-1 win over Huesca on Monday.&nbsp;

Messi tied Xavi's 767 games in all competitions for Barca and marked yet another milestone with a brilliant brace, a curling effort in the first half flying in off the crossbar at Camp Nou before a late shot nestled in the corner.&nbsp;

"He's the most important man in the history of Barca," said coach Ronald Koeman. "Even better that he's still with us."

Antoine Griezmann had earlier followed suit with another impressive shot into the top corner before Huesca pulled one back, Rafa Mir converting a doubtful penalty on the stroke of half-time.&nbsp;

But Messi helped Barca pull away, sending in a cross for Oscar Mingueza to head in and then scoring his second as the Catalans moved to within four points of league leaders Atletico Madrid.

Messi's performance had all the key elements of the 33-year-old's genius. In a game that celebrated his longevity, he showed his class with perhaps his best goal of the season, his creativity with an assist and his consistency, by making it 13 consecutive campaigns that he has reached 20 La Liga goals.&nbsp;

"He's so decisive," said Huesca's Mir. "They play with one man extra."

Huesca stay bottom, four points adrift of safety, while Barcelona continue their own excellent form.

They have now managed 11 wins and a draw from their last 12 matches, putting them within sight of Atletico, who they still have to play at home in May.&nbsp;

Messi should break Xavi's record on Sunday against Real Sociedad and the club toasted his achievement with a video that included tributes from numerous current and former team-mates including Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Carlos Puyol and Xavi himself.&nbsp;

"You're still breaking records," said Suarez. "I think this one says a lot about you as a player and what you represent for Barcelona."

"We think you're extraordinary, something from another planet," said Neymar.&nbsp;

Koeman played Frenkie de Jong again in the centre of a back three but he was replaced in the second half by Ronald Araujo, whose return from injury should also be a major boost to Barca during the run-in.&nbsp;

Messi rose to the occasion in the 13th minute. He darted back to receive a pass from Busquets and flicked his first touch around the sliding Jorge Pulido. The ball was still spinning when he tapped it forward and whipped a shot that flew off the crossbar and in.&nbsp;

Barcelona were dominant and Jordi Alba thrashed a shot against the crossbar before Griezmann made it two, played into space by Pedri and driving another thundering effort into the same corner Messi had picked out.&nbsp;

De Jong poked a cross onto bar and Huesca were given hope at the end of the half when a scintillating counter-attack was rewarded with a mysterious penalty, Mir failing to connect with Ferreiro's cross but given a spot-kick anyway, seemingly for a late challenge from Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Mir made no mistake.&nbsp;

Yet Barca gave themselves breathing space when Mingueza headed in his first Barcelona goal from a cross by Messi, who had the last word, cutting in from the right and firing into the bottom corner for his 661st.

Lionel Messi scored a spectacular double the same night he equalled Xavi Hernandez's appearance record for Barcelona, the Argentinian inspiring his team to a 4-1 win over Huesca on Monday.

Lionel Messi scored a spectacular double the same night he equalled Xavi Hernandez's appearance record for Barcelona, the Argentinian inspiring his team to a 4-1 win over Huesca on Monday. Messi tied Xavi's 767 games in all competitions for Barca and marked yet another milestone with a brilliant brace, a curling effort in the first half flying in off the crossbar at Camp Nou before a late shot nestled in the corner. "He's the most important man in the history of Barca," said coach Ronald Koeman. "Even better that he's still with us." Antoine Griezmann had earlier followed suit with another impressive shot into the top corner before Huesca pulled one back, Rafa Mir converting a doubtful penalty on the stroke of half-time. But Messi helped Barca pull away, sending in a cross for Oscar Mingueza to head in and then scoring his second as the Catalans moved to within four points of league leaders Atletico Madrid. Messi's performance had all the key elements of the 33-year-old's genius. In a game that celebrated his longevity, he showed his class with perhaps his best goal of the season, his creativity with an assist and his consistency, by making it 13 consecutive campaigns that he has reached 20 La Liga goals. "He's so decisive," said Huesca's Mir. "They play with one man extra." Huesca stay bottom, four points adrift of safety, while Barcelona continue their own excellent form. They have now managed 11 wins and a draw from their last 12 matches, putting them within sight of Atletico, who they still have to play at home in May. Messi should break Xavi's record on Sunday against Real Sociedad and the club toasted his achievement with a video that included tributes from numerous current and former team-mates including Gerard Pique, Sergio Busquets, Luis Suarez, Neymar, Andres Iniesta, Carlos Puyol and Xavi himself. "You're still breaking records," said Suarez. "I think this one says a lot about you as a player and what you represent for Barcelona." "We think you're extraordinary, something from another planet," said Neymar. Koeman played Frenkie de Jong again in the centre of a back three but he was replaced in the second half by Ronald Araujo, whose return from injury should also be a major boost to Barca during the run-in. Messi rose to the occasion in the 13th minute. He darted back to receive a pass from Busquets and flicked his first touch around the sliding Jorge Pulido. The ball was still spinning when he tapped it forward and whipped a shot that flew off the crossbar and in. Barcelona were dominant and Jordi Alba thrashed a shot against the crossbar before Griezmann made it two, played into space by Pedri and driving another thundering effort into the same corner Messi had picked out. De Jong poked a cross onto bar and Huesca were given hope at the end of the half when a scintillating counter-attack was rewarded with a mysterious penalty, Mir failing to connect with Ferreiro's cross but given a spot-kick anyway, seemingly for a late challenge from Marc-Andre ter Stegen. Mir made no mistake. Yet Barca gave themselves breathing space when Mingueza headed in his first Barcelona goal from a cross by Messi, who had the last word, cutting in from the right and firing into the bottom corner for his 661st.

Messi celebrates levelling Xavi record with double against Huesca

Zinedine Zidane opened the door to Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Real Madrid on Monday, admitting a comeback is "possible" for the striker.

Asked by Sky Italia if there is any truth to rumours that Ronaldo could rejoin Madrid, Zidane said: "It's possible, it's possible."

"We know Cristiano," Zidane added. "We know the person he is and everything he's done at Real Madrid. But now he's a Juventus player and you have to have respect both him and the club."

Asked if he would like to coach Ronaldo again, Zidane said: "I did what I had to do with Cristiano. Let's see what will happen in the future."

Reports in Spain have suggested Ronaldo is keen on returning to Real Madrid, where he enjoyed a hugely successful nine years before leaving in 2018 for 100 million euros.

The 36-year-old increased speculation last week with a cryptic post on social media, in which he wrote: "It's true the past belongs in museums (I should say!) but fortunately, football has memory... and so do I!"

Ronaldo's time at Juventus has not been as successful as was hoped. The team sit third in Serie A while defeat by Porto last week meant they went out in the Champions League last 16 for a second consecutive year.

Zinedine Zidane opened the door to Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Real Madrid on Monday, admitting a comeback is "possible" for the striker. Asked by Sky Italia if there is any truth to rumours that Ronaldo could rejoin Madrid, Zidane said: "It's possible, it's possible.

Zinedine Zidane opened the door to Cristiano Ronaldo returning to Real Madrid on Monday, admitting a comeback is "possible" for the striker. Asked by Sky Italia if there is any truth to rumours that Ronaldo could rejoin Madrid, Zidane said: "It's possible, it's possible." "We know Cristiano," Zidane added. "We know the person he is and everything he's done at Real Madrid. But now he's a Juventus player and you have to have respect both him and the club." Asked if he would like to coach Ronaldo again, Zidane said: "I did what I had to do with Cristiano. Let's see what will happen in the future." Reports in Spain have suggested Ronaldo is keen on returning to Real Madrid, where he enjoyed a hugely successful nine years before leaving in 2018 for 100 million euros. The 36-year-old increased speculation last week with a cryptic post on social media, in which he wrote: "It's true the past belongs in museums (I should say!) but fortunately, football has memory... and so do I!" Ronaldo's time at Juventus has not been as successful as was hoped. The team sit third in Serie A while defeat by Porto last week meant they went out in the Champions League last 16 for a second consecutive year.

Zidane says Ronaldo return to Real Madrid 'possible'

Paris Saint-Germain forward Angel Di Maria was the victim of a burglary during Sunday's loss to Nantes, while robbers also targeted the family home of captain Marquinhos, the latest in a spate of thefts at the club.

Thieves stole jewellery and watches from the house of Argentine international Di Maria in the western Paris suburbs, but "there was no violence" involved, sources told AFP on Monday.

According to the police's special anti-robbery squad, the player's family was home at the time but "didn't come across" the thieves, a source close to the case explained.

They "didn't hear anything" during the ransacking of a safe located upstairs in the home in Neuilly, a police source added. The value of stolen goods has yet to be assessed but is said to be less than 500,000 euros ($600,000).

Di Maria last week signed a one-year extension to his PSG contract until 2022. He was replaced an hour into the 2-1 loss to Nantes following a discussion between sporting director Leonardo and coach Mauricio Pochettino.

The family home of Brazil international Marquinhos was also robbed in the Paris region.

The player's father and two sisters were home during the break-in. A police source said the father was struck in the ribs by the attackers but no injuries were sustained. Several bags containing valuables were stolen, the contents of which have yet to be determined.

PSG forward Mauro Icardi was the victim of a break-in at his home last month. Thiago Silva, Dani Alves and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were also robbed in recent years while playing for the club.

The commotion off the field seemed to affect PSG's players as Nantes dealt the French champions a seventh Ligue 1 defeat of the season.

"It's not an excuse but there has been an unusual drop in energy," Pochettino said after the match. "We spoke with the players but not about what happened in terms of the football."

"There are situations outside the game which must be considered."

Di Maria previously admitted that an attempted robbery on his family's home during his one year at Manchester United, in 2014-15, had left him keen to leave the Premier League club.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Angel Di Maria was the victim of a burglary during Sunday's loss to Nantes, while robbers also targeted the family home of captain Marquinhos, the latest in a spate of thefts at the club.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Angel Di Maria was the victim of a burglary during Sunday's loss to Nantes, while robbers also targeted the family home of captain Marquinhos, the latest in a spate of thefts at the club. Thieves stole jewellery and watches from the house of Argentine international Di Maria in the western Paris suburbs, but "there was no violence" involved, sources told AFP on Monday. According to the police's special anti-robbery squad, the player's family was home at the time but "didn't come across" the thieves, a source close to the case explained. They "didn't hear anything" during the ransacking of a safe located upstairs in the home in Neuilly, a police source added. The value of stolen goods has yet to be assessed but is said to be less than 500,000 euros ($600,000). Di Maria last week signed a one-year extension to his PSG contract until 2022. He was replaced an hour into the 2-1 loss to Nantes following a discussion between sporting director Leonardo and coach Mauricio Pochettino. The family home of Brazil international Marquinhos was also robbed in the Paris region. The player's father and two sisters were home during the break-in. A police source said the father was struck in the ribs by the attackers but no injuries were sustained. Several bags containing valuables were stolen, the contents of which have yet to be determined. PSG forward Mauro Icardi was the victim of a break-in at his home last month. Thiago Silva, Dani Alves and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting were also robbed in recent years while playing for the club. The commotion off the field seemed to affect PSG's players as Nantes dealt the French champions a seventh Ligue 1 defeat of the season. "It's not an excuse but there has been an unusual drop in energy," Pochettino said after the match. "We spoke with the players but not about what happened in terms of the football." "There are situations outside the game which must be considered." Di Maria previously admitted that an attempted robbery on his family's home during his one year at Manchester United, in 2014-15, had left him keen to leave the Premier League club.

PSG loss overshadowed by thefts at Di Maria, Marquinhos homes

Brazilian legend Pele on Sunday congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo on “breaking his record" of goals scored in official matches after the Portuguese stalwart netted a hat-trick for Juventus in a 3-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A to complete a whopping 770 goals.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Ronaldo, took to the photo-blogging platform Instagram, as he said that he could now claim the record while adding he could have never dreamed of breaking Pele's record. Ronaldo had matched Pele's record of 767 goals on March 2.&nbsp;

"I'm filled with joy and pride as I acknowledge the goal that puts me on top of the World's goalscoring list, overcoming Pele’s record, something that I could never have dreamed of while growing up as a child from Madeira," Ronaldo wrote.&nbsp;

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Pele, 80, wrote on Instagram that he admires Ronaldo a lot and love watching him play. The Brazilian great added that his only regret is not being able to give Ronaldo a hug today.&nbsp;&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ronaldo-hits-back-with-hat-trick-inter-extend-lead-370556" hreflang="en">Ronaldo hits back with hat-trick, Inter extend lead</a>

Brazilian great Pele, 80, wrote on Instagram to his 5.8 million followers: "Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone.&nbsp;&nbsp;

"My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today."&nbsp;

"Cristiano life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having!"&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Pele, who is the only player in football history to win three World Cups – has claimed to have scored a total of 1,283 goals including the ones in unofficial matches.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/arsenal-beat-10-man-tottenham-man-utd-hold-off-west-ham-370553" hreflang="en">Arsenal beat 10-man Tottenham, Man Utd hold off West Ham</a>

Whereas, Ronaldo's tally&nbsp;includes&nbsp;668 for his club sides&nbsp;- five with Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid and 95 for Juventus. He has also scored 120 for Portugal.&nbsp;&nbsp;

However, social media has put Czech legend Josef Bican on 805 goals, ahead of both Ronaldo and Pele.&nbsp;

Former Brazilian striker Romario also claims to have scored 1,000 career goals including unofficial matches. Other sources attribute 772 to him.&nbsp;

(With AFP inputs)&nbsp;

Brazilian legend Pele on Sunday congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo on “breaking his record" of goals scored in official matches after the Portuguese stalwart netted a hat-trick for Juventus in a 3-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A to complete a whopping 770 goals.

Brazilian legend Pele on Sunday congratulated Cristiano Ronaldo on “breaking his record" of goals scored in official matches after the Portuguese stalwart netted a hat-trick for Juventus in a 3-1 win over Cagliari in Serie A to complete a whopping 770 goals. Ronaldo, took to the photo-blogging platform Instagram, as he said that he could now claim the record while adding he could have never dreamed of breaking Pele's record. Ronaldo had matched Pele's record of 767 goals on March 2. "I'm filled with joy and pride as I acknowledge the goal that puts me on top of the World's goalscoring list, overcoming Pele’s record, something that I could never have dreamed of while growing up as a child from Madeira," Ronaldo wrote. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) × Pele, 80, wrote on Instagram that he admires Ronaldo a lot and love watching him play. The Brazilian great added that his only regret is not being able to give Ronaldo a hug today. ALSO READ: Ronaldo hits back with hat-trick, Inter extend lead Brazilian great Pele, 80, wrote on Instagram to his 5.8 million followers: "Congratulations on breaking my record of goals in official matches. "I admire you a lot, I love watching you play and this is no secret to anyone. "My only regret is not being able to give you a hug today." "Cristiano life is a solo flight. Each makes his own journey. And what a beautiful journey you are having!" View this post on Instagram A post shared by Pelé (@pele) × Pele, who is the only player in football history to win three World Cups – has claimed to have scored a total of 1,283 goals including the ones in unofficial matches. ALSO READ: Arsenal beat 10-man Tottenham, Man Utd hold off West Ham Whereas, Ronaldo's tally includes 668 for his club sides - five with Sporting Lisbon, 118 for Manchester United, 450 for Real Madrid and 95 for Juventus. He has also scored 120 for Portugal. However, social media has put Czech legend Josef Bican on 805 goals, ahead of both Ronaldo and Pele. Former Brazilian striker Romario also claims to have scored 1,000 career goals including unofficial matches. Other sources attribute 772 to him. (With AFP inputs)

'I admire you a lot': Pele congratulates Cristiano Ronaldo for breaking his goal record

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton has&nbsp;analysed&nbsp;what helped Virat Kohli roar back into form during the second T20I against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where the Indian skipper scored an unbeaten 73 off 49 deliveries to help India&nbsp;equalise&nbsp;the five-match series 1-1 on Sunday.&nbsp;

Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the first T20I and fans and pundits had started to worry about Indian skipper's dip in form. However, the swashbuckling batsman looked at his best as he hammered the England bowlers all over the park to seal a comprehensive win for the hosts.&nbsp;

Atherton reckons Kohli was helped out by the debutant Ishan Kishan, who smashed 56 runs off 32 deliveries to lay the platform for India. The former England cricketer said that&nbsp;Ishan's blistering knock took the pressure off Kohli and helped him play his natural game.&nbsp;

"I think Virat felt under a little bit of pressure in that first game because of what he'd said in the press conference about India playing a slightly more aggressive game," the former England skipper told Sky Sports.&nbsp;

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-kishan-help-india-register-convincing-win-over-england-in-2nd-t20i-370454" hreflang="en">Kohli, Kishan help India register convincing win over England in 2nd T20I</a>

"The problem in that first game, with the line-up that India had was that they had quite a lot of similar players in the top-order and I think Kohli felt pressured. 'I've talked the talk, let's walk it now' and it's not really his game.&nbsp;

"He's (Kohli) an elite player and scores very quickly but not like a (Rishabh) Pant or, indeed, an Ishan Kishan.&nbsp;So&nbsp;when that young man came in and played the way that he did, I think that just allowed Kohli to come in and play his natural game," he added.&nbsp;

"He's not playing the type of shot he got out to the other day, where he is backing away and trying to manufacture something. He's just playing a more orthodox type of innings for him, even though he's still striking quickly and getting those fast hands through the ball in those leg-side shots that he plays so well," he said.&nbsp;

"I definitely felt this was a more Kohli-like performance than in the first game," Atherton signed off.&nbsp;

ALSO WATCH:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/england-favourites-to-win-t20-world-cup-virat-kohli-369784" hreflang="en">England favourites to win T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli</a>

Kohli, after the seven-wicket win in the second T20I against England, lauded Ishan's fearless knock as he said he is a calculated character and is not restless.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“I tried to do what I can but he kept following his instincts and it was a quality innings on debut. When you play in the IPL with such dominance like he has and he is a fearless character and he knew that he was hitting the ball well and he is very calculated and not restless. Today that counterattacking innings from him and that partnership was needed. I had to shift the focus back to the basics of the game and I always take pride in doing the job for the team,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation to the host broadcasters.&nbsp;

India will look to take a lead in the five-T20I series when they play England in the third T20I on Tuesday in Ahmedabad.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton has analysed what helped Virat Kohli roar back into form during the second T20I against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where the Indian skipper scored an unbeaten 73 off 49 deliveries to help India equalise the five-match series 1-1 on Sunday.

Former England cricketer Michael Atherton has analysed what helped Virat Kohli roar back into form during the second T20I against England at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad where the Indian skipper scored an unbeaten 73 off 49 deliveries to help India equalise the five-match series 1-1 on Sunday. Kohli was dismissed for a duck in the first T20I and fans and pundits had started to worry about Indian skipper's dip in form. However, the swashbuckling batsman looked at his best as he hammered the England bowlers all over the park to seal a comprehensive win for the hosts. Atherton reckons Kohli was helped out by the debutant Ishan Kishan, who smashed 56 runs off 32 deliveries to lay the platform for India. The former England cricketer said that Ishan's blistering knock took the pressure off Kohli and helped him play his natural game. "I think Virat felt under a little bit of pressure in that first game because of what he'd said in the press conference about India playing a slightly more aggressive game," the former England skipper told Sky Sports. ALSO READ: Kohli, Kishan help India register convincing win over England in 2nd T20I "The problem in that first game, with the line-up that India had was that they had quite a lot of similar players in the top-order and I think Kohli felt pressured. 'I've talked the talk, let's walk it now' and it's not really his game. "He's (Kohli) an elite player and scores very quickly but not like a (Rishabh) Pant or, indeed, an Ishan Kishan. So when that young man came in and played the way that he did, I think that just allowed Kohli to come in and play his natural game," he added. "He's not playing the type of shot he got out to the other day, where he is backing away and trying to manufacture something. He's just playing a more orthodox type of innings for him, even though he's still striking quickly and getting those fast hands through the ball in those leg-side shots that he plays so well," he said. "I definitely felt this was a more Kohli-like performance than in the first game," Atherton signed off. ALSO WATCH: England favourites to win T20 World Cup: Virat Kohli Kohli, after the seven-wicket win in the second T20I against England, lauded Ishan's fearless knock as he said he is a calculated character and is not restless. “I tried to do what I can but he kept following his instincts and it was a quality innings on debut. When you play in the IPL with such dominance like he has and he is a fearless character and he knew that he was hitting the ball well and he is very calculated and not restless. Today that counterattacking innings from him and that partnership was needed. I had to shift the focus back to the basics of the game and I always take pride in doing the job for the team,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation to the host broadcasters. India will look to take a lead in the five-T20I series when they play England in the third T20I on Tuesday in Ahmedabad.

'The problem in that first game...': Michael Atherton explains what helped Virat Kohli roar back to form

Two seasons ago as Manchester City won the first ever domestic treble of trophies in England, Pep Guardiola branded the possibility of ever doing a quadruple "almost impossible".

A season characterised by injuries, fixture congestion, player fatigue, coronavirus infections, and for City no pre-season, should have made the feat more improbable than ever.

Yet, City remain on course to prove Guardiola's prediction wrong.

A commanding 14-point lead at the top of the Premier League means it is a matter of when not if a third title in four years is sealed.

On Tuesday, Guardiola's men head to Budapest for what should have been the home leg of their Champions League last 16 tie holding a 2-0 first leg advantage over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Next weekend they travel to Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals, while a League Cup final with Tottenham awaits in April.

City's 23rd win in 24 games in all competitions at Fulham on Saturday exemplified how Guardiola has managed his side into this position.

Fresh from beating Liverpool at Anfield and just one defeat in six games, Fulham were swotted aside 3-0 despite City making seven changes.

That took Guardiola's tally of changes in the Premier League this season to a league high 94.

Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez were among the star names to spend the full 90 minutes resting on the bench, while Raheem Sterling was not even included in the matchday squad.

"What we have done the last two, three, four months, everybody is involved," said Guardiola.

"Sometimes it is difficult but everyone has to make a contribution to win games and we will arrive at the end of the season fighting as best as possible."

<h2>- Pandemic proof squad -</h2>

As the crunch of a year without fans through the gates due to Covid-19 restrictions has hit even European football's wealthiest clubs, it is perhaps no surprise that backed by Abu Dhabi state wealth, City have proved more pandemic proof.

After being thrashed 5-2 at home by Leicester in their second game of the season, Guardiola was afforded the funds to splash out £62 million ($86 million) on centre-back Ruben Dias from Benfica.

City had already previously spent over £300 million on defenders in Guardiola's reign on Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Nathan Ake.

On top of the arrivals of Dias and Ake, the signing of Ferran Torres took City's summer spend over £120 million.

But it is Dias' presence that has had a transformational impact.

The Portuguese international is one of the few men Guardiola refuses to rotate, starting all but one Premier League game since he joined the club in September.

Dias has also brought the best out of John Stones after two poor seasons since a starring role at the 2018 World Cup for the England international.

"We all know our roles and responsibilities," said Stones after opening the scoring against Fulham.

"We've all played so many games. We know the squad's rotated because of the schedule or whatever it might be the manager decides."

For all City's domestic success, Guardiola's team selection at the weekend made it perfectly clear that the Champions League remains the priority.

The only major trophy to escape the Catalan since he arrived in Manchester five years ago is the one the club's owners brought him to the club to deliver.

But rarely have City's resources also given them such an advantage in Europe.

With Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain still involved in tight title races and Barcelona and Juventus already out of the competition, City can afford the luxury of cruising towards the finishing line in the Premier League, while saving their energy for the Champions League.

Two seasons ago as Manchester City won the first ever domestic treble of trophies in England, Pep Guardiola branded the possibility of ever doing a quadruple "almost impossible".

Two seasons ago as Manchester City won the first ever domestic treble of trophies in England, Pep Guardiola branded the possibility of ever doing a quadruple "almost impossible". A season characterised by injuries, fixture congestion, player fatigue, coronavirus infections, and for City no pre-season, should have made the feat more improbable than ever. Yet, City remain on course to prove Guardiola's prediction wrong. A commanding 14-point lead at the top of the Premier League means it is a matter of when not if a third title in four years is sealed. On Tuesday, Guardiola's men head to Budapest for what should have been the home leg of their Champions League last 16 tie holding a 2-0 first leg advantage over Borussia Monchengladbach. Next weekend they travel to Everton in the FA Cup quarter-finals, while a League Cup final with Tottenham awaits in April. City's 23rd win in 24 games in all competitions at Fulham on Saturday exemplified how Guardiola has managed his side into this position. Fresh from beating Liverpool at Anfield and just one defeat in six games, Fulham were swotted aside 3-0 despite City making seven changes. That took Guardiola's tally of changes in the Premier League this season to a league high 94. Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez were among the star names to spend the full 90 minutes resting on the bench, while Raheem Sterling was not even included in the matchday squad. "What we have done the last two, three, four months, everybody is involved," said Guardiola. "Sometimes it is difficult but everyone has to make a contribution to win games and we will arrive at the end of the season fighting as best as possible." - Pandemic proof squad - As the crunch of a year without fans through the gates due to Covid-19 restrictions has hit even European football's wealthiest clubs, it is perhaps no surprise that backed by Abu Dhabi state wealth, City have proved more pandemic proof. After being thrashed 5-2 at home by Leicester in their second game of the season, Guardiola was afforded the funds to splash out £62 million ($86 million) on centre-back Ruben Dias from Benfica. City had already previously spent over £300 million on defenders in Guardiola's reign on Kyle Walker, Benjamin Mendy, Joao Cancelo, Aymeric Laporte, John Stones and Nathan Ake. On top of the arrivals of Dias and Ake, the signing of Ferran Torres took City's summer spend over £120 million. But it is Dias' presence that has had a transformational impact. The Portuguese international is one of the few men Guardiola refuses to rotate, starting all but one Premier League game since he joined the club in September. Dias has also brought the best out of John Stones after two poor seasons since a starring role at the 2018 World Cup for the England international. "We all know our roles and responsibilities," said Stones after opening the scoring against Fulham. "We've all played so many games. We know the squad's rotated because of the schedule or whatever it might be the manager decides." For all City's domestic success, Guardiola's team selection at the weekend made it perfectly clear that the Champions League remains the priority. The only major trophy to escape the Catalan since he arrived in Manchester five years ago is the one the club's owners brought him to the club to deliver. But rarely have City's resources also given them such an advantage in Europe. With Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain still involved in tight title races and Barcelona and Juventus already out of the competition, City can afford the luxury of cruising towards the finishing line in the Premier League, while saving their energy for the Champions League.

Man City's rich resources make 'impossible' quadruple quest a reality

Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics with a quick-fire hat-trick as Juventus brushed aside Cagliari 3-1 on Sunday, five days after their Champions League elimination, while Inter Milan moved nine points clear at the Serie A summit.

Portuguese star Ronaldo bore the brunt of the criticism for Juve's latest European flop after failing to score in either leg of the last-16 defeat by Porto, while also being partly at fault for what proved to be the winning goal.

But the 36-year-old scored a header after less than nine minutes at the Sardegna Arena, added a second from the penalty spot, and completed a 'perfect' treble on 32 minutes with a fine left-footed strike.

Defending champions Juventus are 10 points behind Inter Milan, who beat Torino 2-1 earlier Sunday, but with a game in hand.

Andrea Pirlo's side pulled just one point behind second-placed AC Milan, who host Napoli later Sunday, as they try to keep their push for a 10th consecutive Scudetto alive.

Ronaldo broke the deadlock early on, rising high to nod in a Juan Cuadrado corner.

But he could have been sent off after a quarter of an hour, receiving only a yellow card for dangerous play as his boot struck Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in the face while attempting to meet a Federico Chiesa cross.

Ronaldo's second came from the penalty spot in the 24th minute after being brought down by Cragno.

He completed the 57th treble of his career when he collected Chiesa's pass and blasted a left-footed strike into the Cagliari net, at the only stadium in the Italian top flight where he had not previously scored.

Ronaldo is the leading scorer in Serie A with 23 goals this season, ahead of Inter's Romelu Lukaku, who has 19.

It was his third hat-trick for Juventus since joining in 2018, after also putting three past Cagliari in the league last season and in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in 2019.

Before kick-off, Juventus chief football officer Fabio Paratici dismissed talk about Ronaldo's future.

"It makes me laugh. I would never have imagined discussing the value of Cristiano Ronaldo," said Paratici.

"It's a privilege to have him with us, he's part of our future."

Cagliari, two points above the relegation zone, pulled a goal back through Giovanni Simeone in the 61st minute.

<h2>- Martinez pulls Inter clear -</h2>

Lautaro Martinez scored a brilliant 85th-minute winner for Inter in a tight game against 18th-placed Torino.

Antonio Conte's Inter once again needed their strike duo of Lukaku and Martinez to find a way to win in Turin.

Christian Eriksen came off the bench on 56 minutes and had an immediate impact, playing a part in the move which resulted in Torino defender Armando Izzo fouling Martinez in the penalty area.

Lukaku fired home the resulting spot-kick in the 62nd minute.

Inter looked to be wobbling when Antonio Sanabria pulled Torino level eight minutes later, finishing off goalmouth scramble.

But Martinez snatched the victory by getting his head to an Alexis Sanchez cross for his 14th league goal this term.

Inter stretched their winning run to eight matches to move further ahead of AC Milan.

"Victories like these are crucial," said Inter assistant coach Cristian Stellini, with Antonio Conte serving a touchline ban.

"The three points were also vital for Torino who gave little away."

Injury-hit Roma dropped to fifth, two points behind Atalanta and the Champions League berths after falling 2-0 at 19th-placed Parma who earned their first win since November 30.

Valentin Mihaila opened the scoring on nine minutes following a cross from fellow Romanian Dennis Man.

Hernani added a second from the spot in the second half to secure a valuable win which moves Parma a point behind Torino, who have played two games fewer because of a coronavirus outbreak, and three from safety.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics with a quick-fire hat-trick as Juventus brushed aside Cagliari 3-1 on Sunday, five days after their Champions League elimination, while Inter Milan moved nine points clear at the Serie A summit.

Cristiano Ronaldo hit back at his critics with a quick-fire hat-trick as Juventus brushed aside Cagliari 3-1 on Sunday, five days after their Champions League elimination, while Inter Milan moved nine points clear at the Serie A summit. Portuguese star Ronaldo bore the brunt of the criticism for Juve's latest European flop after failing to score in either leg of the last-16 defeat by Porto, while also being partly at fault for what proved to be the winning goal. But the 36-year-old scored a header after less than nine minutes at the Sardegna Arena, added a second from the penalty spot, and completed a 'perfect' treble on 32 minutes with a fine left-footed strike. Defending champions Juventus are 10 points behind Inter Milan, who beat Torino 2-1 earlier Sunday, but with a game in hand. Andrea Pirlo's side pulled just one point behind second-placed AC Milan, who host Napoli later Sunday, as they try to keep their push for a 10th consecutive Scudetto alive. Ronaldo broke the deadlock early on, rising high to nod in a Juan Cuadrado corner. But he could have been sent off after a quarter of an hour, receiving only a yellow card for dangerous play as his boot struck Cagliari goalkeeper Alessio Cragno in the face while attempting to meet a Federico Chiesa cross. Ronaldo's second came from the penalty spot in the 24th minute after being brought down by Cragno. He completed the 57th treble of his career when he collected Chiesa's pass and blasted a left-footed strike into the Cagliari net, at the only stadium in the Italian top flight where he had not previously scored. Ronaldo is the leading scorer in Serie A with 23 goals this season, ahead of Inter's Romelu Lukaku, who has 19. It was his third hat-trick for Juventus since joining in 2018, after also putting three past Cagliari in the league last season and in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid in 2019. Before kick-off, Juventus chief football officer Fabio Paratici dismissed talk about Ronaldo's future. "It makes me laugh. I would never have imagined discussing the value of Cristiano Ronaldo," said Paratici. "It's a privilege to have him with us, he's part of our future." Cagliari, two points above the relegation zone, pulled a goal back through Giovanni Simeone in the 61st minute. - Martinez pulls Inter clear - Lautaro Martinez scored a brilliant 85th-minute winner for Inter in a tight game against 18th-placed Torino. Antonio Conte's Inter once again needed their strike duo of Lukaku and Martinez to find a way to win in Turin. Christian Eriksen came off the bench on 56 minutes and had an immediate impact, playing a part in the move which resulted in Torino defender Armando Izzo fouling Martinez in the penalty area. Lukaku fired home the resulting spot-kick in the 62nd minute. Inter looked to be wobbling when Antonio Sanabria pulled Torino level eight minutes later, finishing off goalmouth scramble. But Martinez snatched the victory by getting his head to an Alexis Sanchez cross for his 14th league goal this term. Inter stretched their winning run to eight matches to move further ahead of AC Milan. "Victories like these are crucial," said Inter assistant coach Cristian Stellini, with Antonio Conte serving a touchline ban. "The three points were also vital for Torino who gave little away." Injury-hit Roma dropped to fifth, two points behind Atalanta and the Champions League berths after falling 2-0 at 19th-placed Parma who earned their first win since November 30. Valentin Mihaila opened the scoring on nine minutes following a cross from fellow Romanian Dennis Man. Hernani added a second from the spot in the second half to secure a valuable win which moves Parma a point behind Torino, who have played two games fewer because of a coronavirus outbreak, and three from safety.

Ronaldo hits back with hat-trick, Inter extend lead

Arsenal bounced back from Erik Lamela's stunning Rabona to open the scoring in the north London derby to beat Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday, as Manchester United and Leicester tightened their grip on a top-four finish in the Premier League.

United edged out fifth-placed West Ham 1-0 thanks to Craig Dawson's own goal to remain a point ahead of Leicester, who thrashed bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United 5-0.

On a costly afternoon for Spurs' hopes of a top-four finish, Tottenham also lost Son Heung-min to a hamstring injury at the Emirates, while Lamela went from hero to villain for the visitors with a needless second-half red card.

Arsenal's afternoon did not start well with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dropped to the bench for a breach of discipline, reportedly after turning up late for the squad's pre-match meeting.

Lamela was introduced to replace Son early on and the Argentine opened the scoring in sensational style against the run of play as he wrapped his left foot around his right to fire into the bottom corner.

Emile Smith Rowe and Cedric Soares hit the woodwork either side of Lamela's strike but the hosts finally got their reward for a dominant first-half performance when Martin Odegaard's shot deflected in off Toby Alderweireld for his first Premier League goal.

"I think we played really bad in the first half," said Spurs boss Jose Mourinho. "The 1-1 was not a fair reflection of the first half. We were poor, defending bad, no intensity, no pressing, some important players hiding."

Alexandre Lacazette captained the Gunners in Aubameyang's absence and also took the Gabon international's duties from the penalty spot after the French striker was brought down by Davinson Sanchez inside the area.

Lacazette sent his international teammate Hugo Lloris the wrong way from the spot to claim a much-needed win to keep Arsenal's slim hopes of finishing in the top four alive.

Lamela was given his marching orders 15 minutes from time for a second bookable offence.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, though, Tottenham's best spell came with 10 men as Harry Kane had a goal ruled out for offside before the England captain hit the post and Sanchez's follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Gabriel Magalhaes.

"The last 10 minutes was the worst we've played," said Arteta. "We could not manage the game, we could not manage the tension."

Arteta's side are now 10 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand, while Spurs remain six points behind the Blues in seventh.

<h2>- More Man Utd misery for Moyes -</h2>

West Ham missed the chance to move into the top four as former Man Utd boss David Moyes remains winless in 15 visits to Old Trafford as the opposition manager.

The Hammers' conservative approach was punished by one moment of misfortune eight minutes into the second half as Dawson turned a Bruno Fernandes corner into his own net.

Mason Greenwood also hit the post either side of half-time for United, who close the gap on runaway league leaders Manchester City to 14 points.

"It was a big weekend for us," said Solskjaer as Chelsea and Everton also lost ground in the top-four race on Saturday.

"This is a big three points because we know West Ham are challenging to get into the top four."

Kelechi Iheanacho scored a hat-trick as Leicester showed no mercy against the Blades in their first match since manager Chris Wilder departed on Saturday.

Iheanacho opened the floodgates seven minutes before half-time with a close-range finish from Jamie Vardy's pass after a flowing move.

Ayoze Perez's fine strike from the edge of the area 26 minutes from time doubled the Foxes' lead before Iheanacho produced two more fine finishes to take his tally to five goals in three games.

Ethan Ampadu's own goal sealed the rout for Brendan Rodgers' side, who now enjoy an eight-point cushion over West Ham.

In the battle to beat the drop, Brighton edged three points clear of third-bottom Fulham with a game in hand by winning a frenetic south-coast derby 2-1 over Southampton thanks to goals from Lewis Dunk and Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal bounced back from Erik Lamela's stunning Rabona to open the scoring in the north London derby to beat Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday, as Manchester United and Leicester tightened their grip on a top-four finish in the Premier League.

Arsenal bounced back from Erik Lamela's stunning Rabona to open the scoring in the north London derby to beat Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday, as Manchester United and Leicester tightened their grip on a top-four finish in the Premier League. United edged out fifth-placed West Ham 1-0 thanks to Craig Dawson's own goal to remain a point ahead of Leicester, who thrashed bottom-of-the-table Sheffield United 5-0. On a costly afternoon for Spurs' hopes of a top-four finish, Tottenham also lost Son Heung-min to a hamstring injury at the Emirates, while Lamela went from hero to villain for the visitors with a needless second-half red card. Arsenal's afternoon did not start well with captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang dropped to the bench for a breach of discipline, reportedly after turning up late for the squad's pre-match meeting. Lamela was introduced to replace Son early on and the Argentine opened the scoring in sensational style against the run of play as he wrapped his left foot around his right to fire into the bottom corner. Emile Smith Rowe and Cedric Soares hit the woodwork either side of Lamela's strike but the hosts finally got their reward for a dominant first-half performance when Martin Odegaard's shot deflected in off Toby Alderweireld for his first Premier League goal. "I think we played really bad in the first half," said Spurs boss Jose Mourinho. "The 1-1 was not a fair reflection of the first half. We were poor, defending bad, no intensity, no pressing, some important players hiding." Alexandre Lacazette captained the Gunners in Aubameyang's absence and also took the Gabon international's duties from the penalty spot after the French striker was brought down by Davinson Sanchez inside the area. Lacazette sent his international teammate Hugo Lloris the wrong way from the spot to claim a much-needed win to keep Arsenal's slim hopes of finishing in the top four alive. Lamela was given his marching orders 15 minutes from time for a second bookable offence. Despite their numerical disadvantage, though, Tottenham's best spell came with 10 men as Harry Kane had a goal ruled out for offside before the England captain hit the post and Sanchez's follow-up effort was cleared off the line by Gabriel Magalhaes. "The last 10 minutes was the worst we've played," said Arteta. "We could not manage the game, we could not manage the tension." Arteta's side are now 10 points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand, while Spurs remain six points behind the Blues in seventh. - More Man Utd misery for Moyes - West Ham missed the chance to move into the top four as former Man Utd boss David Moyes remains winless in 15 visits to Old Trafford as the opposition manager. The Hammers' conservative approach was punished by one moment of misfortune eight minutes into the second half as Dawson turned a Bruno Fernandes corner into his own net. Mason Greenwood also hit the post either side of half-time for United, who close the gap on runaway league leaders Manchester City to 14 points. "It was a big weekend for us," said Solskjaer as Chelsea and Everton also lost ground in the top-four race on Saturday. "This is a big three points because we know West Ham are challenging to get into the top four." Kelechi Iheanacho scored a hat-trick as Leicester showed no mercy against the Blades in their first match since manager Chris Wilder departed on Saturday. Iheanacho opened the floodgates seven minutes before half-time with a close-range finish from Jamie Vardy's pass after a flowing move. Ayoze Perez's fine strike from the edge of the area 26 minutes from time doubled the Foxes' lead before Iheanacho produced two more fine finishes to take his tally to five goals in three games. Ethan Ampadu's own goal sealed the rout for Brendan Rodgers' side, who now enjoy an eight-point cushion over West Ham. In the battle to beat the drop, Brighton edged three points clear of third-bottom Fulham with a game in hand by winning a frenetic south-coast derby 2-1 over Southampton thanks to goals from Lewis Dunk and Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal beat 10-man Tottenham, Man Utd hold off West Ham

Manchester United tightened their grip on a return to the Champions League next season with a 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday, but midfielder Scott McTominay lamented letting Manchester City storm clear at the top of the Premier League.

Victory over the fifth-placed Hammers moved United back above Leicester into second in the table and closed the gap on the runaway leaders to 14 points.

City have won 17 of their last 18 league games with their only defeat in that run coming against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men last weekend.

But United eased their local rivals' route to a third title in four years with a run of just two wins in eight games in prior to winning the Manchester derby.

"It's difficult to look at top four at the minute because we had a time when we were looking at the league," said McTominay, who was the closest United player to Craig Dawson when the West Ham defender headed into his own net for the only goal at Old Trafford.

"It was the chance for all of us to have a big push and show really what good players we are, but Man City have had a terrific run of games and we're just trying our best to keep on them."

Despite also having a game in hand on City, the Red Devils are unlikely to haul in Pep Guardiola's men but do now enjoy a nine-point cushion over West Ham in the battle for Champions League places.

"It was a big weekend for us," said Solskjaer as Chelsea, Everton and Tottenham also lost ground in the top-four race over the past two days.

"This is a big three points because we know West Ham are challenging to get into the top four."

Former United boss David Moyes has failed to win in 15 attempts as the visiting manager at Old Trafford and the Scot was left to rue an overly cautious approach before falling behind early in the second half.

Without the ineligible Jesse Lingard, who is on loan from United, Moyes also dropped Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma as club captain Mark Noble returned with full-back Ben Johnson playing in a more advanced midfield role.

"The way we set up didn't quite work," said Moyes. "We never really got up the park."

The home side were without the firepower of Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani due to injury, so Mason Greenwood got the chance to lead the line and came closest to opening the scoring in a first half of few chances.

Greenwood's fierce left-footed shot was brilliantly turned onto the post by Lukasz Fabianski as the 35-year-old Pole showed why he was handed a new one-year contract this week.

There was nothing Fabianski could do to stop the only goal as Dawson's header flashed into his own net from Bruno Fernandes's corner eight minutes into the second period.

Fabianski produced another fine save to deny Fernandes doubling United's lead shortly afterwards.

Moyes sent on Manuel Lanzini and Benrahma for the final 28 minutes and West Ham finally came to life as an attacking force.

As the visitors pushed forward, though, United became more dangerous on the counter-attack and Greenwood smashed against the post for a second time after a lung-bursting run from inside his own half.

The second goal did not come for the hosts, but an improved defensive record has been key to another season of progress under Solskjaer, which is reportedly set to see the Norwegian rewarded with a new contract.

United held out for a fourth consecutive Premier League clean sheet to close in on the much-needed resources of Champions League football next season after a full year without crowds at their 75,000 capacity home.

Manchester United tightened their grip on a return to the Champions League next season with a 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday, but midfielder Scott McTominay lamented letting Manchester City storm clear at the top of the Premier League.

Manchester United tightened their grip on a return to the Champions League next season with a 1-0 win over West Ham on Sunday, but midfielder Scott McTominay lamented letting Manchester City storm clear at the top of the Premier League. Victory over the fifth-placed Hammers moved United back above Leicester into second in the table and closed the gap on the runaway leaders to 14 points. City have won 17 of their last 18 league games with their only defeat in that run coming against Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men last weekend. But United eased their local rivals' route to a third title in four years with a run of just two wins in eight games in prior to winning the Manchester derby. "It's difficult to look at top four at the minute because we had a time when we were looking at the league," said McTominay, who was the closest United player to Craig Dawson when the West Ham defender headed into his own net for the only goal at Old Trafford. "It was the chance for all of us to have a big push and show really what good players we are, but Man City have had a terrific run of games and we're just trying our best to keep on them." Despite also having a game in hand on City, the Red Devils are unlikely to haul in Pep Guardiola's men but do now enjoy a nine-point cushion over West Ham in the battle for Champions League places. "It was a big weekend for us," said Solskjaer as Chelsea, Everton and Tottenham also lost ground in the top-four race over the past two days. "This is a big three points because we know West Ham are challenging to get into the top four." Former United boss David Moyes has failed to win in 15 attempts as the visiting manager at Old Trafford and the Scot was left to rue an overly cautious approach before falling behind early in the second half. Without the ineligible Jesse Lingard, who is on loan from United, Moyes also dropped Pablo Fornals and Said Benrahma as club captain Mark Noble returned with full-back Ben Johnson playing in a more advanced midfield role. "The way we set up didn't quite work," said Moyes. "We never really got up the park." The home side were without the firepower of Anthony Martial and Edinson Cavani due to injury, so Mason Greenwood got the chance to lead the line and came closest to opening the scoring in a first half of few chances. Greenwood's fierce left-footed shot was brilliantly turned onto the post by Lukasz Fabianski as the 35-year-old Pole showed why he was handed a new one-year contract this week. There was nothing Fabianski could do to stop the only goal as Dawson's header flashed into his own net from Bruno Fernandes's corner eight minutes into the second period. Fabianski produced another fine save to deny Fernandes doubling United's lead shortly afterwards. Moyes sent on Manuel Lanzini and Benrahma for the final 28 minutes and West Ham finally came to life as an attacking force. As the visitors pushed forward, though, United became more dangerous on the counter-attack and Greenwood smashed against the post for a second time after a lung-bursting run from inside his own half. The second goal did not come for the hosts, but an improved defensive record has been key to another season of progress under Solskjaer, which is reportedly set to see the Norwegian rewarded with a new contract. United held out for a fourth consecutive Premier League clean sheet to close in on the much-needed resources of Champions League football next season after a full year without crowds at their 75,000 capacity home.

McTominay left with title race regret as Man Utd close in on top-four finish

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters on Friday said that the English league could open gates for 10,000 fans for the final two rounds of matches this season.&nbsp;

Last month, the UK government set out a four-stage easing of England's COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. According to the third stage, very large outdoor stadiums will - if all conditions are met - from May 17 be able to have up to 10,000 people or 25% capacity, whichever is lower.

"Hopefully the final two fixtures of our season will have up to 10,000 supporters in them all," Masters was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"We've got to go past those first initial steps in the government's roadmap to get there, so hopefully that will be a fantastic finale to end the season."

May 15 and 23 are listed as the final two weekends of the Premier League season.

Masters said the suspension of the 2019-20 season and the absence of fans amid the COVID-19 crisis came at a heavy cost.

"Towards the end of this season we'll get towards 2 billion pounds ($2.78 billion) lost since the start of the pandemic in matchday and broadcast revenue," said Masters.

"Clubs have continued to invest in competitive match-day squads and the Premier League has continued to make good all of its contributions throughout the pyramid and wider football.

"But the ramifications are that ultimately if there's less money coming into football, then there'll be less money going out in the short term."

Should the vaccination programme in the UK go according to plan, Masters is optimistic football in Britain could be back to normal next season.

"From the beginning of next season, our goal is to have full stadia and the Government’s roadmap offers us that opportunity," he explained.

Masters went on to talk about 'No Room for Racism' campaign.&nbsp;

"You will see for the rest of this season more anti-racism messages on player's shirts and the continuation of taking the knee until the end of the season," he told Sky Sports.

"We will discuss with the players in the close season what we are going to do to continue to make our feelings clear about anti-discrimination messaging going forward."

(Inputs from Reuters)

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters on Friday said that the English league could open gates for 10,000 fans for the final two rounds of matches this season.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters on Friday said that the English league could open gates for 10,000 fans for the final two rounds of matches this season. Last month, the UK government set out a four-stage easing of England's COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. According to the third stage, very large outdoor stadiums will - if all conditions are met - from May 17 be able to have up to 10,000 people or 25% capacity, whichever is lower. "Hopefully the final two fixtures of our season will have up to 10,000 supporters in them all," Masters was quoted as saying by the BBC. "We've got to go past those first initial steps in the government's roadmap to get there, so hopefully that will be a fantastic finale to end the season." May 15 and 23 are listed as the final two weekends of the Premier League season. Masters said the suspension of the 2019-20 season and the absence of fans amid the COVID-19 crisis came at a heavy cost. "Towards the end of this season we'll get towards 2 billion pounds ($2.78 billion) lost since the start of the pandemic in matchday and broadcast revenue," said Masters. "Clubs have continued to invest in competitive match-day squads and the Premier League has continued to make good all of its contributions throughout the pyramid and wider football. "But the ramifications are that ultimately if there's less money coming into football, then there'll be less money going out in the short term." Should the vaccination programme in the UK go according to plan, Masters is optimistic football in Britain could be back to normal next season. "From the beginning of next season, our goal is to have full stadia and the Government’s roadmap offers us that opportunity," he explained. Masters went on to talk about 'No Room for Racism' campaign. "You will see for the rest of this season more anti-racism messages on player's shirts and the continuation of taking the knee until the end of the season," he told Sky Sports. "We will discuss with the players in the close season what we are going to do to continue to make our feelings clear about anti-discrimination messaging going forward." (Inputs from Reuters)

'Fantastic finale': Premier League chief says fans can return by end of season

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says he believes Eden Hazard is "going to do very well" at the club as the Belgium star prepares for his latest comeback from injury.

Hazard has missed Madrid's past seven games with a thigh problem but could return, as could captain Sergio Ramos, against Elche on Saturday, a timely boost ahead of next week's Champions League clash with Atalanta.

"We're happy we're getting back Sergio and Eden for tomorrow. Our idea is they get some minutes, and then we'll see," Zidane told a news conference Friday.

Signed for 100 million euros from Chelsea in July 2019, Hazard has been restricted to just nine starts this season. He has suffered a series of injuries and also missed a game after testing positive for Covid-19.

"He looks well physically and emotionally. He's overcome all these injures, these aches and now he looks good, that's why he's with us and I hope he can play," said Zidane.

"He had a lengthy injury, that he hadn't had before, but he has a long contract and I think he's a player who, when he gets fit, is going to be great, I'm certain of it."

"It's difficult when a player has an injury and isn't 100%, but I'm sure he's going to do very well here," added Zidane. &nbsp;

Ramos, who turns 35 later this month, is available again following knee surgery in February. He hasn't played since January 14 and is out of contract at the end of the season.

"I don't know what's going to happen. What we want is for Sergio to stay here, that's what I can say as coach because he's an important player for us," said Zidane.

Ramos said Thursday "there is no news" regarding an extension but spoke of his desire to play until he is 40.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says he believes Eden Hazard is "going to do very well" at the club as the Belgium star prepares for his latest comeback from injury.

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane says he believes Eden Hazard is "going to do very well" at the club as the Belgium star prepares for his latest comeback from injury. Hazard has missed Madrid's past seven games with a thigh problem but could return, as could captain Sergio Ramos, against Elche on Saturday, a timely boost ahead of next week's Champions League clash with Atalanta. "We're happy we're getting back Sergio and Eden for tomorrow. Our idea is they get some minutes, and then we'll see," Zidane told a news conference Friday. Signed for 100 million euros from Chelsea in July 2019, Hazard has been restricted to just nine starts this season. He has suffered a series of injuries and also missed a game after testing positive for Covid-19. "He looks well physically and emotionally. He's overcome all these injures, these aches and now he looks good, that's why he's with us and I hope he can play," said Zidane. "He had a lengthy injury, that he hadn't had before, but he has a long contract and I think he's a player who, when he gets fit, is going to be great, I'm certain of it." "It's difficult when a player has an injury and isn't 100%, but I'm sure he's going to do very well here," added Zidane. Ramos, who turns 35 later this month, is available again following knee surgery in February. He hasn't played since January 14 and is out of contract at the end of the season. "I don't know what's going to happen. What we want is for Sergio to stay here, that's what I can say as coach because he's an important player for us," said Zidane. Ramos said Thursday "there is no news" regarding an extension but spoke of his desire to play until he is 40.

Zidane confident Hazard will be success at Madrid

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says David de Gea is "touch and go" for Manchester United's Premier League clash with West Ham on Sunday after returning to England following the birth of his first child.

Despite the potential coronavirus-related quarantine headaches, the Red Devils boss allowed the 30-year-old to fly to Spain to be with his partner.

Dean Henderson has had a run in the side in the absence of United's number one, who has been inconsistent this season.

He impressed in Sunday's 2-0 win against Premier League leaders Manchester City but was criticised for allowing an injury-time header to beat him as AC Milan snatched a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the last-16 tie in the Europa League on Thursday.

Asked on Friday about De Gea's availability for the visit of West Ham, Solskjaer said: "David is back in Manchester. He is quarantining or self-isolating.

"He's just touch and go for Sunday, I think. I can't really know when he came back, so I'm not really sure if it was Monday or Tuesday that he arrived back in Manchester."

Current regulations allow travellers from Spain to be released from quarantine if they test negative for Covid-19 after five days of isolation.

Pushed to clarify De Gea's situation, the United boss added: "I think the rules are that he's got to stay at home.

"He's not training with us anyway. It's different if you travel away and compete so, no, he's not been training since he came back."

United, second in the Premier League, are counting the cost of a spate of injuries in forward positions.

Anthony Martial is a doubt after a hip complaint forced him off at half-time on Thursday, compounding the absence of fellow frontmen Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani.

"Anthony, he got a whack on his hip so that's another forward that we need to scan and have to look at," Solskjaer said.

"Definitely hope Marcus is back for next Thursday in Milan. I'm not sure if he'll make Sunday, but fingers crossed because we will need him.

"Edinson I don't think will be ready for Sunday."

Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and Juan Mata are also set to be unavailable to face the high-flying Hammers.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says David de Gea is "touch and go" for Manchester United's Premier League clash with West Ham on Sunday after returning to England following the birth of his first child.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says David de Gea is "touch and go" for Manchester United's Premier League clash with West Ham on Sunday after returning to England following the birth of his first child. Despite the potential coronavirus-related quarantine headaches, the Red Devils boss allowed the 30-year-old to fly to Spain to be with his partner. Dean Henderson has had a run in the side in the absence of United's number one, who has been inconsistent this season. He impressed in Sunday's 2-0 win against Premier League leaders Manchester City but was criticised for allowing an injury-time header to beat him as AC Milan snatched a 1-1 draw in the first leg of the last-16 tie in the Europa League on Thursday. Asked on Friday about De Gea's availability for the visit of West Ham, Solskjaer said: "David is back in Manchester. He is quarantining or self-isolating. "He's just touch and go for Sunday, I think. I can't really know when he came back, so I'm not really sure if it was Monday or Tuesday that he arrived back in Manchester." Current regulations allow travellers from Spain to be released from quarantine if they test negative for Covid-19 after five days of isolation. Pushed to clarify De Gea's situation, the United boss added: "I think the rules are that he's got to stay at home. "He's not training with us anyway. It's different if you travel away and compete so, no, he's not been training since he came back." United, second in the Premier League, are counting the cost of a spate of injuries in forward positions. Anthony Martial is a doubt after a hip complaint forced him off at half-time on Thursday, compounding the absence of fellow frontmen Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani. "Anthony, he got a whack on his hip so that's another forward that we need to scan and have to look at," Solskjaer said. "Definitely hope Marcus is back for next Thursday in Milan. I'm not sure if he'll make Sunday, but fingers crossed because we will need him. "Edinson I don't think will be ready for Sunday." Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and Juan Mata are also set to be unavailable to face the high-flying Hammers.

Solskjaer unsure about De Gea's return to Man Utd side after Spain trip

Jose Mourinho expects Harry Kane to be fit to face Arsenal on Sunday after he had ice applied to his knee following a knock in Tottenham's 2-0 Europa League win over Dinamo Zagreb.

The 27-year-old England captain scored both Spurs goals in the first leg of the last-16 tie in London on Thursday.

He now has 26 goals and 16 assists in all competitions this season and was hailed by Dinamo boss Zoran Mamic as a "master of football."

Spurs manager Jose Mourinho is optimistic Kane will be fit for the north London derby.

"I hope so, I believe so," he said. "It is a big match, only big problems stop him to be there. Let's see the reaction tomorrow (Friday) but I am sure he will be fine."

Mourinho agreed with Mamic's glowing assessment of Kane, highlighting his intelligence.

"Some strikers score lots of goals and that is the most important thing in football for a striker, which he does," he said.

"But apart from that he understands every tip we give him, in terms of his positioning, movement, he understands the game very well.

"He feels the spaces, he looks around to see where other players are and he can affect the game. He is really a very good player."

Mourinho is delighted with the way his team have rebounded after a poor spell, winning their past five matches in all competitions.

They are now seventh in the Premier League table, five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with a game in hand. Arsenal are 10th.

Winning the Europa League would be another route into next season's Champions League.

The 58-year-old Portuguese boss would have liked one extra goal against Dinamo to give his side a bigger cushion.

"The result could be a little bit bigger," he said.

"A third goal would have come and fit very well in the reality of the game, but it is what it is.

"It's still open. We have to go there and play a serious match because at 2-0 we are not yet in the quarter-finals."

Jose Mourinho expects Harry Kane to be fit to face Arsenal on Sunday after he had ice applied to his knee following a knock in Tottenham's 2-0 Europa League win over Dinamo Zagreb.

Jose Mourinho expects Harry Kane to be fit to face Arsenal on Sunday after he had ice applied to his knee following a knock in Tottenham's 2-0 Europa League win over Dinamo Zagreb. The 27-year-old England captain scored both Spurs goals in the first leg of the last-16 tie in London on Thursday. He now has 26 goals and 16 assists in all competitions this season and was hailed by Dinamo boss Zoran Mamic as a "master of football." Spurs manager Jose Mourinho is optimistic Kane will be fit for the north London derby. "I hope so, I believe so," he said. "It is a big match, only big problems stop him to be there. Let's see the reaction tomorrow (Friday) but I am sure he will be fine." Mourinho agreed with Mamic's glowing assessment of Kane, highlighting his intelligence. "Some strikers score lots of goals and that is the most important thing in football for a striker, which he does," he said. "But apart from that he understands every tip we give him, in terms of his positioning, movement, he understands the game very well. "He feels the spaces, he looks around to see where other players are and he can affect the game. He is really a very good player." Mourinho is delighted with the way his team have rebounded after a poor spell, winning their past five matches in all competitions. They are now seventh in the Premier League table, five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea, with a game in hand. Arsenal are 10th. Winning the Europa League would be another route into next season's Champions League. The 58-year-old Portuguese boss would have liked one extra goal against Dinamo to give his side a bigger cushion. "The result could be a little bit bigger," he said. "A third goal would have come and fit very well in the reality of the game, but it is what it is. "It's still open. We have to go there and play a serious match because at 2-0 we are not yet in the quarter-finals."

Spurs boss Mourinho expects 'master' Kane to be fit to face Arsenal

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