Goulart makes good start, holders win

Goulart makes good start, holders win

Record signing Ricardo Goulart gave Guangzhou Evergrande's new boss Fabio Cannavaro a flying start in the AFC Champions League when he snatched a 1-0 win over FC Seoul on Wednesday. The Brazilian joined the wealthy 2013 champions for a Chinese record of €15m last month, and it looked a shrewd investment as his first-half header sealed victory.

Goulart had a thunderbolt shot parried away but, from the resulting corner, he combined with fellow Brazilian newcomer Alan to settle what was a rematch of the 2013 final. Alan, an €11m acquisition from Red Bull Salzburg, nodded the high corner to the back post where the unmarked Goulart stooped to head home on 31 minutes.

Sharp-suited Cannavaro was appearing in front of the red hordes at Guangzhou's Tianhe stadium for the first time, and the Italian will be relieved to get off the mark in Group H. It was only the 2006 FIFA World player of the Year's second game in management following Guangzhou's shock Chinese Super Cup loss to Shandong Luneng on penalties earlier this month.

However, Guangzhou trail Western Sydney Wanderers on goal difference in Group H after the defending champions shrugged off woeful domestic form to beat Kashima Antlers 3-1. A Gen Shoji own goal helped the Wanderers on their way and, despite Shoma Doi's 68th-minute equaliser, late strikes from Yojiro Takahagi and Mark Bridge sealed the away win.

Australian agony in Brisbane
The victory will be a major boost for last year's surprise winners, who have registered just one victory from 16 Australian A-League games and lie bottom of the domestic table.

However, Australian champions Brisbane Roar were cruelly undone as they lost 1-0 to Beijing Guoan in Group G courtesy of a Shao Jiayi free-kick in the 90th minute. Shao's attempt from distance took a wicked deflection and sailed into the Brisbane goal as the ex-China international was mobbed by his team-mates.

Also in Group G, Oh Beom-Seok and Brazilian striker Leo netted in the second half as South Korea's Suwon Samsung came from behind to beat Urawa Red Diamonds 2-1.

Meanwhile in Dubai, UAE champions Al Ahli equalized three times to secure a 3-3 draw against their namesake Saudi rivals in a Group D clash. Ismail al-Hamadi struck twice for the Emirati side at Rashid Stadium to rescue a point after the Saudis had gone ahead three times in the match.

Brazilian Osvaldo struck in the very first minute of play, while Hussain al-Moqahwi and captain Taisir al-Jassim all helped themselves with a goal each for the Saudis. But with Ahmed Khalil also finding the net for the hosts, the teams shared the spoils to leave Uzbekistan's Nasaf at the top of Group D after they had beaten Iran's Tractorsazi Tabriz 2-1.

Qatari giants Al Sadd, the Asian champions in 2011, played out a goalless draw against Iran's Foolad Kouzestan in Ahwaz in Group C, while Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal defeated Uzbekistan's Lokomotiv Tashkent 3-1 thanks to goals from Saud Khariri, Yousef al-Salem and Thago Neves. Sardor Mirzayev pulled one back for the Uzbeks.

Liverpool return to scene of memorable triumph

Liverpool return to scene of memorable triumph

Liverpool return to the scene of the greatest moment in their recent history in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday as Tottenham Hotspur go to Italy just three days before the English League Cup final.

The Ataturk Olympic Stadium will forever be remembered by Liverpool fans as the scene of their remarkable triumph in the 2005 UEFA Champions League final, when they came from 3-0 down to draw level at 3-3 with AC Milan before winning a penalty shoot-out to lift the European Cup for the fifth time.

On this occasion, the only prize on offer in the round-of-32, second leg is a berth in the last 16, and Liverpool hold the upper hand in the tie after a late Mario Balotelli penalty secured a 1-0 win at Anfield last week. The Reds are unbeaten in seven games while Besiktas - who are playing at the Olympic Stadium while their own ground overlooking the Bosphorus is rebuilt - were knocked off the top of the Turkish Super Lig at the weekend after losing 1-0 to Eskisehirspor.

"We want to start a new winning streak starting with the Liverpool game," Besiktas coach Slaven Bilic told Turkish media after the weekend loss. "We did not show the fight and work rate we usually do, I expect all my players to put in a lot more effort on Thursday."

Spurs face four-day challenge
Meanwhile, Tottenham face a make or break few days in their campaign as they go to Florence having to score in the second leg of their tie against Fiorentina after drawing 1-1 at White Hart Lane. The match in Italy will be a huge test of Spurs' resolve with Fiorentina unbeaten in 10 games and with the small matter of the League Cup final against Chelsea at Wembley following on Sunday.

"It will be a difficult game," said Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino. "I think this is our first final before Sunday as Fiorentina are only one game from going into the next round. We know that we need to score, but we are confident."

Top goalscorer Harry Kane was one of those who sat out last week's first leg and may be kept back again with one eye on the Chelsea game. "We'd be gutted if we go out of the Europa League," added midfielder Nabil Bentaleb as he insisted that Spurs are not taking the continental competition lightly.

"We're going to go on Thursday to Fiorentina to win that game. If we start thinking like this we're not going anywhere. We have to keep that hunger we have inside us to want to win everything."

Toffees on the verge
Everton already have one foot in the next round as they host Swiss side Young Boys having won 4-1 in Bern last week with Romelu Lukaku scoring a hat-trick. As they struggle in the league, they could be forgiven for being distracted by Sunday's trip to Arsenal, but midfielder James McCarthy said Everton minds are only on continuing their European run.

"We have a big lead but we won't take any prisoners. We have come back from a great result in Europe and we need to try and get the wins at home. The fans have come out in their numbers and we need to go again on Thursday," he told the club's website.

Meanwhile, Celtic also go to Italy needing to score as they face Inter at the San Siro after a thrilling 3-3 draw in Glasgow.

Inter have the edge in the tie and have been gradually improving recently under Roberto Mancini but Celtic captain Scott Brown is hopeful the Scottish champions can pull off a shock. "We will probably go there, try to press them high up the park again and prey on their mistakes. If we do that who knows what can happen," he said.

Other second-leg ties to look out for on Thursday include holders Sevilla's trip to Germany to defend a 1-0 first-leg lead against Borussia Monchengladbach. Meanwhile, a week after their 1-1 draw with Roma, Feyenoord welcome the Serie A side to Rotterdam.

Five key talking points from Manchester City v FC Barcelona

Five key talking points from Manchester City v FC Barcelona

ROGER BOGUNYÀ 

The managers' approaches, Suárez's finishing and Messi's excellence all played their part in the result at the Etihad



FC Barcelona got a great result in Manchester, a 2-1 win that leaves them within touching distance of a place in the Champions League quarter finals. Here are five key factors that we’ve picked out from Tuesday’s game.

• The managers’ approaches. Both Luis Enrique and Pellegrini went for attacking methods. That was not much of a surprise as far as Barça are concerned but perhaps it was somewhat from Man City. The Chilean opted to start with two strikers, Agüero and Dzeko, a brave and unexpected choice. But Barça won the tactical battle by swarming the midfield with Sergio, Rakitic and Iniesta and with Messi dropping back to great effect.

• Suárez’s finishing. The Uruguayan had only ever scored once against Man City, but he got two more tonight. He produced a fine finish for the opener and was in the right place for the second. And he had chances to get even more goals in the first 45 minutes.

• Stunning from Messi. He may have missed a penalty, but the Argentinian provided a terrific assist for the first goal and broke through the City rearguard in the build-up to the second. He finished with an extraordinary 90% in completed passes and created danger every time the ball came near him.

• Second half resistance. Man City came out much stronger after the break. But lack of accuracy in their shooting, the security generated by Ter Stegen and some fine interventions from the centre backs, especially Piqué, presented Man City from getting any further back into the match than Agüero’s 69th minute goal.

• Keeping control. Agüero’s goal didn’t stop FC Barcelona from controlling the game towards the end. Mathieu and Adriano injected some fresh blood into the team and when Clichy was sent off it was as good as game over. And they even managed to force a penalty in injury time.

Messi's great performance in Manchester in detail

Messi's great performance in Manchester in detail

WWW.FCBARCELONA.COM 

The Argentine was the foundation upon which the victory in the Etihad was built 



Lionel Messi put in a complete performance against Manchester City. Aside from the penalty, an excellent save by Joe Hart, the Argentine showed that even though he is the all time top scorer in the Champions League and is second top scorer this season with eight goals, he not only shines in this area of the game. He played an important role in both Luis Suárez’s goals and was a constant threat to the home side’s defence.


The statistics from the game only serve to back this up:

- 69 complete passes from 76 attempted, a success rate of 91%

-10 successful dribbles from 13 attempted

- He was involved on 114 occasions (Only beaten by Iniesta with 117)

-He won the ball 7 times  (only beaten by Piqué, Sergio and Dani Alves)

-In defence he cleared the ball 5 times (only beaten the four defenders and Sergio)

El Barça da un recital e indulta al Manchester City 1-2

1-2: El Barça da un recital e indulta al Manchester City

El Barça aplasta al City con un gran Luis Suárez en la primera parte, pero lo deja con opciones para la vuelta

Doblete del uruguayo y penalti fallado por Messi en la última jugada del partido

Joan Poquí | Manchester (Enviado especial) 

Una exhibición del Barça en la primera parte, con doblete de Luis Suárez, pudo haber dejado sentenciado el pase del Barça a los cuartos de final de la Champions, pero una serie de ocasiones desperdiciadas y, sobre todo, un penalti fallado por Messi en el último instante, dejan al City con alguna opción después de un partidazo de fútbol, vibrante y que acabó con el público inglés ovacionando a los dos equipos.


Messi ofreció un recital, igual que Suárez, pero tuvo la desgracia de fallar esa pena máxima, cometida por Zabaleta sobre él mismo, y la eliminatoria sigue abierta gracias a un gol de 'Kun' Agüero logrado en los mejores momentos del City, antes de quedarse con diez. Un gol insuficiente pero que mantiene las constantes vitales del conjunto 'citizen'.

El recital del primer tiempo lleva la rúbrica de Luis Suárez, autor material del estropicio de la primera parte, pero es colectivo. Posesiones largas, circulación rápida, recuperaciones rápidas tras las escasas pérdidas, concentración y tensión competitivas máximas y hasta detallazos técnicos como un control de espuela de Rakitic o un recorte de Neymar a Zabaleta que sentó al lateral argentino, que no le perdonó y anduvo buscando sus tobillos toda la noche.

Ciertamente, Pellgrini no mentía cuando dijo que iba a intentar tener el balón. El problema del City es que sus posesiones fueron inocuas, con David Silva desaparecido, un Djeko combativo pero aislado ante la defensa azulgrana y un Kun agazapado hasta el último minuto del primer acto, cuando aceleró y pasó a Milner, cuyo remate fue detenido por Ter Stegen.


El Barça fue todo lo contrario. Bien aposentado, supo aprovechar la fragilidad del doble pivote del City (nefastos Fernando y Milner) y de un Demichelis que continúa siendo una calamidad. Pero, aunque las pérdidas de balón del City en la media eran terreno abonado para la pegada del tridente barcelonista, los goles llegaron en jugadas de ataque estático.


Suárez, auténtica bestia negra del meta Hart, al que acribilló en el Mundial del pasado verano, inauguró el marcador a centro de Messi desde la derecha, un balón de los de toda la vida de extremo a 'nueve' pero a pierna cambiada: centro de un zurdo desde la derecha. El control de Suárez, afortunado, descolocó a Kompany, que dejó toda la portería para el charrúa, que marcó con la izquierda.


El segundo, que llegó después de otra ocasión a pase de Neymar que desperdició tratando de chutar por debajo del cuerpo de Hart, lo marcó con la derecha. Otra vez cambió de ritmo Messi para encontrar la subida de Alba, que centró al área pequeña y encontró al 'killer' Suárez presto para marcar.


Neymar y Alves tuvieron el 0-3 antes del descanso. Neymar se quedó solo ante Hart tras pase largo al hueco de Leo, pero trató de colocar el balón por encima del portero. Y unos minutos después, Alves robó un balón en terreno inglés y, con el tridente esperando el centro, le salió un centro-chut que se estrelló en el larguero.


Habiendo llegado con un marcador no del todo desastroso a la segunda parte, el City salió en tromba del vestuario. Djeko cabeceó a las manos de Ter Stregen desde la frontal de la pequeña completamente solo y el 'Kun' cruzó demasiado después de jugada personal.

La entrada en juego de Agüero, con libertad de movimientos entre líneas, estaba haciendo daño a un Mascherano impreciso y al Barça. El argentino acortó distancias tras un balón largo de Clichy que le llegó después de que Mascherano no llegase al despeje. El 'Kun' fusiló a Ter Stegen. Luis Enrique reaccionó situando a Mathieu de central y a Mascherano en la media, protegiendo mejor el eje. El sacrificado, Rakitic.


En estas circunstancias de partido, emergieron Piqué, mariscal de la defensa, e Iniesta, necesario para apostar una dosis de control. Cualquier posibilidad de que el conjunto de Pellegrini diese la vuelta al partido quedó en nada cuando Clichy, que ya tenía una tarjeta, no dudó en entrar con una plancha terrible sobre el tobillo de Alves, con lo que dejó a los suyos con diez. 


Y, si en la primera parte el Barça había perdonado, en el último minuto tuvo la sentencia definitiva desde el punto de penalti. Leo volvió a fallar desde los once metros. Hart detuvo su lanzamiento y el argentinio cabeceó fuera el rechace.

Lyon reclaim lead, Etienne and Marseille split points

Lyon reclaim lead, Etienne and Marseille split points

Lyon moved back to the top of the French Ligue 1 standings thanks to a 1-0 win over Nantes. Nabil Fekir scored the only goal of the game in the 66th minute to ensure his side leapfrogged Paris Saint-Germain and reclaimed top spot after the capital club had beaten Toulouse on Saturday. Lyon were awarded a late penalty after keeper Remy Riou felled Fekir but Maxime Gonalons fired wide with the last kick of the match.

A late equaliser from Mevlut Erding earned Saint-Etienne a 2-2 draw against Marseille. All the goals came in the second half, with Les Verts taking the lead through a penalty from Max Gradel.

But the introduction of Michy Batshuayi changed the game - the Marseille substitute netting twice within five minutes of his introduction in the 62nd minute. The visitors were unable to claim the three points, though, and slipped four points behind Lyon after Erding made sure Saint-Etienne's pressure paid off with an injury-time header.

Montpellier boosted their hopes of breaking into the top four with a 2-0 win against Guingamp. Morgan Sanson opened the scoring for the visitors in the second minute before Kevin Berigaud wrapped up the points early in the second half.

Reims made it just one win from their last seven league games after being held to a goalless draw by bottom side Metz.

Dost double downs Hertha, Gladbach get late point

Dost double downs Hertha, Gladbach get late point

Bas Dost scored his eighth and ninth goals of 2015 as Wolfsburg claimed a 2-1 German Bundesliga victory over Hertha Berlin on Sunday. The Dutchman, who netted only twice in the first half of the season, put the Wolves in front after ten minutes before supplying the winner after Julian Schieber equalised.

The Wolves were good value for their win, which puts them ten points clear of third-placed Borussia Monchengladbach and, more importantly, 12 ahead of Schalke in fourth, meaning they are on course for a place in the UEFA Champions League next season.

Monchengladbach snatched a last-gasp equaliser at Hamburg to maintain their two-point advantage over Schalke. Zoltan Stieber gave the hosts the lead in the 75th minute, but it was not enough to earn Josef Zinnbauer's men a much-needed victory. Branimir Hrgota made it 1-1 with a stoppage-time header to leave Hamburg just two points above the relegation zone.

Kane to the rescue, Everton snatch point

Kane to the rescue, Everton snatch point

Harry Kane again provided the heroics for Tottenham as he equalised with the final kick of the game to prevent West Ham collecting a third successive win at White Hart Lane. The England U-21 international, brimming with confidence having scored 11 in his previous ten English Premier League games, saw a last-gasp penalty saved but tucked away the rebound to secure what could prove to be a vital 2-2 draw for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

The visitors had been the better side for much of the game and held a two-goal lead with ten minutes remaining courtesy of Senegalese pair Cheikhou Kouyate and Diafra Sakho. But Danny Rose halved the deficit to set up a grandstand finish and the stage was set for Kane when he was brought down in the box by Alex Song at the end of stoppage time.

It was the Hammers who broke the deadlock, after Mousa Dembele's under-hit pass was collected by Enner Valencia. The ball was worked to Mark Noble who then threaded a ball into the run of Aaron Cresswell, with the full-back's cross headed home by the unmarked Kouyate.

Christian Eriksen was introduced at the break as Pochettino hauled off the ineffectual Dembele but it was Sakho who wasted the best chance at the start of the second half as he failed to beat Lloris one-on-one having been slipped in by Noble. The Hammers' top goalscorer made amends shortly afterwards, however.

Noble collected a deep cross and played the ball to the back post where Sakho arrived to coolly slot home his 11th goal of the season. Kane thought he had tucked home a 12th goal in his last 11 league appearances to give Spurs a foothold with 15 minutes remaining but he was flagged offside.

The goal did come five minutes later as Rose fired into the ground to beat Adrian, who had flapped at a ball into the box and was out of position. With almost all of the five minutes of added time played, Song clipped the back of Kane's heels as he looked to break clear and the referee pointed for a penalty. With Kane in electric form, many would have expected him to score but Adrian kept out his well-struck penalty, only to see the forward sweep home the rebound with the last kick of the game.

Foxes denied by Toffees
Leicester were denied a vital victory in their push for survival as Everton grabbed a last-gasp equaliser at Goodison Park. Leicester looked set to register their fifth win of the season when David Nugent and Esteban Cambiasso put them 2-1 up after Steven Naismith had broken the deadlock. But with less than two minutes left Christian Atsu crossed for Romelu Lukaku, whose diving header flew past Mark Schwarzer after taking a big deflection off Matthew Upson.

Jeffrey Schlupp was Leicester's most dangerous player in the opening stages, firing a low drive at Howard. Schlupp burst into the box moments later and it needed the combined efforts of three Everton players to stop the Ghanaian. Everton wasted the few chances they had in the first half. Barkley curled a 20-yard free-kick into the Park End and Lukaku did the same moments later. Andrej Kramaric came close at the other end when he curled his shot a foot over Howard's goal.

The game was a far more entertaining affair in the second period. Just two minutes after the break, Howard parried Matty James' shot, but Schlupp dragged the follow-up wide. Four minutes later, Everton took the lead. Lukaku held the ball up brilliantly and laid the ball off to Naismith, who squeezed his shot between Wes Morgan and Robert Huth and the ball trickled past Mark Schwarzer.

Nigel Pearson made a double change, bringing Nugent and Jamie Vardy on. Just over one minute later, the pair combined to equalise. Vardy pulled away down the right and drove a low shot goalwards which Howard spilled straight into the path of Everton fan Nugent, who tapped in. Lukaku should have put Everton back in front when he meandered through the Leicester defence, but he somehow contrived to clear the bar from ten yards.

The hosts were punished immediately by the Foxes. Howard flapped at a cross and Vardy pulled the ball back to Cambiasso, who drilled the ball in from inside the box. The Everton fans groaned as Lukaku wasted yet another chance to score as the former Chelsea striker could only muster a weak shot after being played in by Naismith. The Belgian made a telling impact in the dying minutes, though, when his diving header hit Upson and flew in to steal a fortuitous point for Roberto Martinez's side.

Liverpool extend unbeaten run
Philippe Coutinho's exceptional strike helped Liverpool overcome Southampton 2-0 in what could prove a crucial result in the chase for a UEFA Champions League place. There was no lack of vim and vigour on display in miserable conditions at St Mary's, where Brendan Rodgers' side moved within two points of the top four as the season enters the home straight.

Raheem Sterling wrapped up the points by adding to Coutinho's early wonder goal, extending Liverpool's unbeaten Premier League run to ten games, including seven wins.

Hitz: There was no going back

Hitz: There was no going back

Goalscoring hero Marwin Hitz admitted there was no going back when he went up from his goal for a corner in the dying stages of Augsburg's 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen. Hitz became only the third goalkeeper in the history of the German Bundesliga after Frank Rost and Jens Lehmann to score a goal from open play when he converted in injury time.

Yet he did not know he was even going to play until shortly before kick-off. A serious knee injury had kept him sidelined since November but coach Markus Weinzierl chose him over Alex Manninger, saying afterwards: "I didn't realise I'd put our goalscorer in goal."

It was Weinzierl who sent Hitz forward in the 94th minute at the Augsburg Arena, and Hitz explained the rest to reporters.

I used to always prefer to take shots on goal rather than be stood in goal during training. Maybe that's paid off.

Marwin Hitz, Augsburg's goalscoring goalkeeper.

"He waved me forward and I stood near the back post because I was sure nobody would spot me there," he said. "I then ran into the middle, but the corner was too short and it was cleared. We kept possession and I thought I may as well stay up because it was too far to go all the way back, and there I was in the right place.

"I've always been a goalkeeper but when I was younger, I used to always prefer to take shots on goal rather than be stood in goal during training. Maybe that's paid off."

Once the ball did hit the back of the net, he did not want to wait around and leave his own goal gaping as his natural goalkeeper instincts set in.

"I just wanted to celebrate quickly and then run back, but my team-mates swamped me so I just had to celebrate a bit more with them," he said. "But I was already concerned about the kick-off again. I'm not the sort to celebrate like crazy when we score goals, which is why I wanted to get back into my goal as quickly as possible and follow the game."

The goal and consequent draw ensured Augsburg kept their place above Leverkusen in the standings.

Happy Birthday to you!

Happy Birthday to you!

In our regular Sunday feature, FIFA.com presents you with some of the biggest names in football who will be celebrating their birthdays over the coming week.

22. Sergio Romero (28) was Argentina’s last line of defence at the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™, where La Albiceleste reached the final for the first time since 1990. He played in all seven of his team’s matches, conceding just four goals and emerging as the hero of the semi-final shoot-out victory over the Netherlands. The athletic goalkeeper also starred for his country at South Africa 2010 and at the 2011 Copa America, as well as at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup and 2008 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament, both of which were won by Argentina. A product of Racing Club’s youth academy, Romero represented the senior side for one season before joining Dutch outfit AZ Alkmaar, where he captured the Eredivisie title and Johan Cruyff Shield. In 2011, he signed for Sampdoria and has since – following a twelve-month loan at Monaco – established himself as the Genoa side’s No1.

23. Joe-Max Moore (44) took part in three World Cups with the United States, in 1994, 1998 and 2002. In 1999, the diminutive forward helped the Stars and Stripes to finish third at the FIFA Confederations Cup, having previously appeared at the Olympic Football Tournament at Barcelona 1992. Moore pulled on the jerseys of Saarbrucken, Nuremberg, Everton, Emelec and New England Revolution during his club career.

24. Denis Law (75) is a living legend of Scottish football, having played at the 1974 World Cup and having earned the European Footballer of the Year award in 1964. The prolific goal machine started out at Huddersfield Town, before moving on to Manchester City and Torino. In the summer of 1962, the Aberdeen native returned to English football, beginning a productive 11-year spell with Manchester United during which he would claim two Charity Shields, an FA Cup, two English League titles and a European Cup, finishing top scorer of the last-named competition.

25. Jenny Bindon (42) played for New Zealand at the 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup™ tournaments, as well as at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. The USA-born keeper turned out for Three Kings United, Glenfield Rovers and Bay Olympic during her domestic career.

26. Griedge Mbock Bathy (20) was a key member of the French side that lifted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in 2012, at the culmination of which she was awarded the adidas Golden Ball. The solid defender subsequently helped her team-mates to secure a third-place finish at the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, where this time she finished second in the voting for the Golden Ball. Mbock Bathy has turned out for Guingamp since 2010.

27. Kakha Kaladze (37) was a tremendous ambassador for Georgian football throughout his playing days. After turning professional with Dinamo Tbilisi, with whom he bagged five Georgian League titles and four Georgian Cups, the five-time Georgian Footballer of the Year moved to Dynamo Kiev, where he added three Ukrainian League crowns and three Ukrainian Cups to his CV. In 2001, the talented defender was transferred to AC Milan, where he collected more silverware in the shape of a Serie A title, an Italian Cup, an Italian Super Cup, two UEFA Champions League trophies, two UEFA Super Cups and the FIFA Club World Cup.

28. Christian Poulsen (35) participated in Korea/Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010 with Denmark, as well as in the UEFA EURO in 2004 and 2012. The defensive midfielder rose to prominence with Copenhagen, where he gained a Danish League winners’ medal, prior to putting pen to paper with Schalke, where he hoisted the German League Cup. A successful two-year stint at Sevilla, during which he held aloft the Copa del Rey, Super Copa de Espana, UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup, was followed by spells at Juventus, Liverpool, Evian and Ajax, where he landed two Eredivisie titles and a Johan Cruyff Shield. In September 2014, Poulsen returned to Copenhagen.

Real beat Elche as Sociedad win seven-goal thriller

Real beat Elche as Sociedad win seven-goal thriller

Second-half goals from Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo earned Real Madrid a 2-0 win at struggling Elche that moved them four points clear at the top of the Spanish La Liga.

Benzema, who had earlier had a goal ruled out for offside, tapped home the opener before Ronaldo powered home a header to seal the points. Victory ensured the visitors took full advantage of Barcelona's home defeat to Malaga to further strengthen their hold on top spot.

A last-minute winner from captain Xabi Prieto saw Real Sociedad win a seven-goal thriller against Sevilla 4-3. Imanol Agirretxe volleyed David Moyes' side in front shortly after a quarter of an hour, but Timothee Kolodziejczak headed in an equaliser just before half-time.

Prieto restored La Real's lead from the penalty spot at the start of the second half, but Sevilla turned the game around thanks to a header from Carlos Bacca and a penalty from substitute Kevin Gameiro. However, with nine minutes remaining, Alejandro Arribas put the ball through his own net to make it 3-3 and Prieto struck again in injury time to decide the game.

Villarreal moved within one point of Sevilla as Luciano Vietto came off the bench to secure an under-par Yellow Submarine side a 1-0 victory over Eibar. Elsewhere, Aritz Aduriz netted a late winner as Athletic Bilbao edged a 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano.

Infographic: All the key facts and figures about Manchester City

Infographic: All the key facts and figures about Manchester City

BARCELONA&MANCHESTER-CITY

The countdown to Barça’s quarter-final first leg match up with The Sky Blues has begun. We take a look at the stats of Manuel Pellegrini’s side ahead of the game on Feb 24th

FC Barcelona arrive in Manchester

WWW.FCBARCELONA.COM

The team's flight touched down in England at 11.55am GMT

FC Barcelona have arrived in Manchester for Tuesday’s Champions League game. Luis Enrique has taken 21 players on the trip and their flight departed El Prat Airport at 10.40am CET and landed in England at 11.55am GMT.

The group is being led by vice-president Javier Faus, directors Susana Monje, Jordi Moix, Josep Ramon Vidal-Abarca and Pau Vilanova. President Josep Maria Bartomeu, vice-presidents Jordi Mestre and Manel Arroyo and directors Silvio Elías and Dídac Lee will be travelling on the day of the match.

The squad are staying at the Lowry Hotel. At 7.00pm CET Gerard Piqué and Luis Enrique will be giving a press conference and an hour later there will be a training session on the City of Manchester pitch. The game kicks off on Tuesday night at 8.45pm CET.

O Real Madrid quer aumentar a vantagem na liderança em Elche

NOTÍCIA | JAVIER GARCÍA

Os brancos procuram uma vitória no Martínez Valero para aumentar para quatro os pontos de vantagem sobre o Barcelona. 

Em estádios como o Martínez Valero ganham-se Ligas. O Real Madrid está consciente disso e sabe que neste momento da temporada todos os jogos começam a ser decisivos. Assim, enfrenta o jogo desta noite (20:00 h portuguesa) com a intenção de conseguir a vitória em Elche e aumentar para quatro pontos a vantagem sobre o Barcelona, que perdeu contra o Málaga.

O confronto acontece depois das importantes vitórias contra o Deportivo e Schalke 04. Agora, o objectivo é dar continuidade a essa linha num jogo que será de intensidade máxima. “Será um jogo difícil que acontece no final de uma semana em que estivemos bem e assim queremos continuar ”, advertiu Ancelotti,  que alcança os 100 jogos oficiais no clube. 

O MADRID PROCURA A VIGÉSIMA VITÓRIA NA LIGA. 

O técnico italiano convocou 20 futebolistas; entre eles os canteranos Diego Llorente e Álvaro Medrán. Continuam de fora Ramos, Coentrão, Modric, Khedira e James. Por seu lado, Cristiano Ronaldo já é o terceiro melhor marcador da história madridista, e enfrenta um adversário a quem marcou quatro golos no jogo da primeira volta.

 O adversário
O Elche recebe o conjunto branco em trajectória ascendente. Os comandados por Fran Escribá ocupam a décima sétima posição, com 23 pontos, e vão tentar continuar a somar pontos para se distanciarem dos lugares de descida. “É difícil mas temos muita ilusão na vitória. Há que estar muito concentrados e imprimir intensidade", assinalou técnico. Jonathas, com nove golos é a principal arma ofensiva.  

Pellegrini: City will test Barça

Pellegrini: City will test Barça

Manuel Pellegrini believes Manchester City are in far better form to take on Barcelona in this season's UEFA Champions League than they were when they lost to the same opponents in the competition 12 months ago. The Catalan club visit the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday for the first leg of the last 16 tie, a repeat of last season's two-legged meeting from which Barça emerged as 4-1 aggregrate winners and City had players sent off in each game.

But, after a 5-0 victory over Newcastle United hauled City to within five points of English Premier League leaders Chelsea, Pellegrini claimed that his side will be far tougher opponents in 2015.

"It is better because last year we arrived in February after we played 18 games, nine in December and nine in January," said Pellegrini. "Of those 18, we won 16 and drew two. I think we arrived not in our best moment. It was important also the sending-off of Martin Demichelis. In this year we played less games in January so we will try to continue in the Champions League.

"All the games are different but we are going to try from the beginning as we did today to be an aggressive team and to try and score goals. Maybe it is not a normal game because it is 180 minutes so you must try to score but try not to concede. But on Tuesday I am sure you will see our team trying to play in the same way."

Victory over Newcastle came courtesy of two goals from David Silva, a Sergio Aguero penalty, Samir Nasri and a goal from Edin Dzeko, his first since late September.

When he is 100 per cent he always makes a difference. It is always very important for the team to have him in good condition.Manuel Pellegrini, Manchester City coach on David Silva.
New £28m striker Wilfried Bony came off the bench as a second-half substitute and his introduction to the City squad seemed to have the desired effect on his fellow forwards who looked in scintillating form, none more so than Dzeko.

"For Edin it is very important," said Pellegrini of the Bosnia-Herzegovina international. "Maybe one of the things that happened in January was that Edin was just coming from a long injury and Sergio also. Both of them as they have minutes will return to their normal performance. Edin not only scored but worked very well the whole game.

"And I think David already improved a lot, last game also against Stoke he came from an important injury to his knee. Maybe he was not playing 100 per cent a few weeks ago but when he is 100 per cent he always makes a difference. It is always very important for David and the team to have him in good condition."

City could have ended the day ten points behind leaders Chelsea but their emphatic win over Newcastle was preceded by the leaders surprisingly dropping two home points against Burnley in a 1-1 draw. The memory of last season, when City overcame a seven-point deficit with six games remaining to pip Liverpool to the title, is still fresh in the manager's mind.

"The experience is always important but last season we had two or three games in hand," he said. "In this season we now have 36 points more to play for and we must try not to drop points. I think all the teams will drop points from now until the end of the season so we will see which team will drop least points."

Dortmund pick up third consecutive win

Dortmund pick up third consecutive win

Borussia Dortmund picked up their third win in a row to pull away from the Bundesliga's relegation zone while leaving Stuttgart rooted to the bottom of the standings with a 3-2 victory at the Mercedes-Benz Arena.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang put Dortmund in front in the 25th minute, but a Florian Klein penalty brought Stuttgart back on level terms. Ilkay Gundogan restored Dortmund's lead before Marco Reus gave Dortmund a deserved cushion late on. Georg Niedermeier made things a little more interesting in stoppage time, but Stuttgart could count themselves fortunate to get two goals as their future looks bleaker with every game.

Dortmund were quick to stamp their authority on the game with Nuri Sahin seeing his header turned behind by Sven Ulreich before Aubameyang saw a goal disallowed for offside. Only Dortmund were doing any attacking and it seemed inevitable that they would make the breakthrough sooner or later. It happened in the 25th minute when Aubameyang tucked in Shinji Kagawa's pass from eight yards out, this time with the offside flag staying down.

Stuttgart showed some rare signs of life, and suddenly they were given a lifeline when Sahin took Niedermeier's leg from under him as he was preparing to tuck a loose ball into a practically unguarded goal from three yards out. Klein converted the penalty right into the bottom left-hand corner, beyond the reach of Roman Weidenfeller who dived the right way.

Few inside the stadium really seemed convinced that Stuttgart were going to be able to build on their equaliser, though, as Dortmund hit straight back. They regained the lead five minutes before half-time when Kagawa's backheel was helped on by Carlos Gruezo to Gundogan, who slotted his shot inside Ulreich's near post.

Dortmund continued to have an air of superiority in the second half, but struggled to translate that into goal. Kagawa saw his angled shot saved by Ulreich after good work from Reus and Aubameyang before Reus pounced on a weak backpass from Timo Baumgartl to round Ulreich and make it three late on.

It gave a more realistic look to the result, even though Niedermeier's header from a corner in the first minute of stoppage time gave Stuttgart some unexpected and ultimately unfulfilled hope.

City crush Newcastle as Burnley hold Blues

City crush Newcastle as Burnley hold Blues

Manchester City cut Chelsea's advantage at the top of the English Premier League to five points after hammering a hapless Newcastle United 5-0. Manuel Pellegrini's side wasted no time in taking full advantage of the leaders dropping points in the 1-1 draw at home to struggling Burnley, winning a penalty within 30 seconds of kicking off against the visitors.

They raced into a 3-0 lead within 21 minutes with Edin Dzeko having a hand in all three, scoring his first league goal since September after Sergio Aguero, from the spot, and Samir Nasri had done the early damage. David Silva scored twice after the break before £28million January signing Wilfried Bony was handed his debut from the bench but was denied a maiden goal by the outstretched leg of goalkeeper Tim Krul.

Ten-man Chelsea slipped up despite defender Branislav Ivanovic's fourth goal in six appearances giving them an early lead after Eden Hazard had brilliantly skipped past four players. However, Nemanja Matic was dismissed midway through the second half after reacting violently to an excessive challenge by Ashley Barnes, meaning he now misses next weekend's English League Cup final. Nine minutes from time Ben Mee headed in an equaliser from a corner.


Arsenal leapfrogged Manchester United, who slipped to a first defeat in seven matches at Swansea City, into third after a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace. Danny Welbeck had a hand in both goals - both disputed by the Eagles. He was brought down by Papa Souare for Santi Cazorla's eighth-minute penalty, and then had a shot parried by Julian Speroni for Olivier Giroud to convert from close range for his eighth in 11 matches. Glenn Murray notched a late consolation for the home team.

Swansea recorded their first league double over an in-form United, who had taken 34 points from the last 45, by coming from behind to triumph 2-1. Midfielder Ander Herrera's second goal in six days put the visitors ahead midway through the first half but Ki Sung-yueng, who scored in the 2-1 win at Old Trafford on the opening day, converted Jonjo Shelvey's pass two minutes later before Shelvey drilled home from 30 yards after the break.

Tim Sherwood's first match in charge could not halt Aston Villa's losing run as they slipped to a sixth successive defeat to Stoke City. A glancing header from on-loan Manchester City winger Scott Sinclair - his second in as many games - was cancelled out by Mame Biram Diouf on the stroke of half-time. Victor Moses then converted a 90th-minute penalty after he was brought down by Ron Vlaar - a challenge which earned the Villa captain a second yellow card.

Joey Barton was sent off for the ninth time in his career as Queens Park Rangers lost 2-1 at Hull City. The Hoops captain, already on an English Premier League record run of seven consecutive yellow cards, was dismissed for a below-the-belt blow on Tom Huddlestone.

QPR striker Charlie Austin, back from injury, scored his 14th of the season to cancel out Nikica Jelavic's 16th-minute opener only for Dame N'Doye to snatch victory a minute from time.

A goalless draw at home to West Bromwich Albion did little to ease Sunderland's worries near the foot of the table, with Adam Johnson's disallowed goal the closest either side came to breaking the deadlock at the Stadium of Light.

PSG take down Toulouse to go top, Bastia win

PSG take down Toulouse to go top, Bastia win

Paris Saint-Germain moved to the top of France's Ligue 1 as Adrien Rabiot's brace helped guide them to a 3-1 win over Toulouse. Rabiot's double had the champions two ahead and, while Wissam Ben Yedder pulled a goal back for the visitors, PSG captain Thiago Silva sealed the win.

Both Lyon and Marseille could remove Les Parisiens from the summit with wins on Sunday but Laurent Blanc's men look to be finding their form at the right time after making it six league games unbeaten.

Wahbi Khazri scored a second-half penalty which salvaged a 1-1 draw for Bordeaux at Rennes. Paul-Georges Ntep had put the hosts ahead in the 11th minute and they looked on course for all three points until Khazri converted from the spot in the 77th. The draw meant Les Girondins missed the chance to go level on points with fourth-placed Monaco, who defeated Nice 1-0 on Friday.

Bastia extended their unbeaten run to nine league games by coming from a goal down to beat Lille 2-1. Ryan Mendes' 17th-minute opener looked to have put their recent run in danger of ending, but Giovanni Sio replied within five minutes and then Floyd Ayite won it in the 40th.

Caen also kept up their recent fine form as a brace of goals from Emiliano Sala helped them to a 4-1 victory against Lens at the Stade Michel d'Ornano. Julien Feret gave the hosts a seventh-minute lead and Sala doubled their advantage in the 35th minute before Herve Bazile capped off a fine first-half display with a third one minute later.

Alharbi El Jadeyaoui pulled a goal back for Lens on the stroke of half-time by scoring from the penalty spot, but Sala scored his second and Caen's fourth 15 minutes from time to secure a fifth league win in their last six game.

The match between Evian and Lorient was postponed after heavy snowfall at the Parc des Sports d'Annecy.

Malaga beat Barcelona, Atleti cruise

Malaga beat Barcelona, Atleti cruise

Barcelona's preparations for their UEFA Champions League clash with Manchester City were rocked as they suffered a shock 1-0 defeat at home against Malaga. 21-year-old Juanmi scored the only goal after just seven minutes following a glaring mistake by Dani Alves and Barcelona never recovered, producing a sluggish display which knocks a huge dent in their Spanish La Liga title hopes.

The Catalans passed up the opportunity to go top of the table and instead remain a point behind league leaders Real Madrid, who have the opportunity to extend their advantage to four points when they face Elche on Sunday evening. Barcelona must now regroup for the trip to Manchester and the last-16 European clash with City on Tuesday evening.

Antoine Griezmann's brace helped Atletico Madrid take full advantage of Barcelona's slip up as they cruised to a 3-0 victory over Almeria. Mario Mandzukic opened the scoring with a controversial penalty before Griezmann's double ensured the game was over as a contest inside the first half-hour. Guilherme Siqueira was sent off in stoppage time for the Rojiblancos but it made little difference as they moved within three points of the Catalans.

Valencia tightened their grip on fourth place in the standings by beating Cordoba 2-1 thanks to a late winner by Pablo Piatti. Andre Gomes gave the visitors the lead towards the end of the first half but Nabil Ghilas levelled for the league's bottom side in the 72nd minute, only for Piatti to put Valencia in charge again with nine minutes remaining.

Elsewhere, Celta Vigo claimed a Galician derby double as second-half goals from Charles and Joaquin Larrivey earned them a 2-0 victory at Deportivo La Coruna. Celta, who also beat their rivals 2-1 in September, took the lead through Charles' deft chip 36 seconds into the second half, before Deportivo centre-back Alberto Lopo was sent off for a second bookable offence in the 73rd minute and Larrivey rounded off the win late on.

Ancelotti: Modric will be ready for El Clasico

Ancelotti: Modric will be ready for El Clasico

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has insisted that midfielder Luka Modric will be fit by the time his side face Barcelona in a crucial Spanish La Liga clash on 22 March.

Modric returned to training this week after three months out due to a torn thigh muscle. The Croatian's influence has been badly missed by the Madrid midfield in recent weeks as Barca have closed to within a point of Real at the top of the table, whilst Los Blancos were also dumped out of the Copa del Rey by city rivals Atletico Madrid.

Ancelotti has also been short on numbers in midfield as James Rodriguez faces two months on the sidelines due to a broken bone in his right foot, whilst Sami Khedira has a hamstring injury. "He feels good, but we will take it slowly," Ancelotti said on Saturday. "He hasn't done a full session with the team yet, but he will do next week and by the 22nd he will be ready. We hope he can play before the Camp Nou."

Ancelotti will oversee his 100th game in charge of the European champions tomorrow night when they travel to Elche. Despite winning four trophies in that time, the Italian's hold on the job has been questioned in recent weeks, particularly after Real were humbled 4-0 by Atletico earlier this month.

However, the 55-year-old said he wasn't concerned that talks over an extension to his contract, which runs until 2016, seem to have stalled and that the matter will be resolved at the end of the season. "I feel valued and happy here. There is no rush for the renewal of my contract, we have a year-and-a-half.

"Since I arrived here I knew we need to win, but that isn't something new, in all the teams I have coached the objective was to win titles. I don't think I will renew only if we win. The end of the season will be a good time to talk about the renewal, but if not then there is no rush. I have a contract here until 2016."

Barça test exciting Bony

Barça test exciting Bony

Wilfried Bony is hoping to make his mark on the UEFA Champions League after finally arriving at Manchester City just before the competition resumes.

The striker joined City from Swansea for an initial £25m last month but City fans were kept waiting to see him in action due to his involvement in Côte d'Ivoire's CAF Africa Cup of Nations win. The prospect of playing Champions League football helped entice the former Vitesse Arnhem and Sparta Prague forward to the Etihad Stadium and he could be thrown straight in at the deep end against Barcelona on Tuesday.

City came through a troubled group campaign to reach the knockout stages in dramatic fashion in December and their reward is a daunting last-16 tie with the Catalan giants for a second successive year. Bony said: "It is a great opportunity for me and another experience in my life. I am happy to be here.

"The Barcelona game will not be easy. Barcelona are in good form now. But we will do our best on the pitch and try to play to our strengths and try our best to win that game. We know the game back in Barcelona will not be easy but we are confident we can do something."

European turnaround
City might not have been able to offer Champions League opportunities to Bony for the remainder of this season had they not turned around a perilous situation in the group stages. Manuel Pellegrini's men looked to be heading out of the competition prematurely after collecting just two points from their opening four games.

They roared back to form with successive wins over Bayern Munich and Roma - notably without suspended talisman Yaya Toure - and kept their interest going against the odds. But the task ahead of them is a tough one. Barca have returned to form in Spain and City are still trying to still trying to pick up their Barclays Premier League challenge after a frustrating January.

City were also outplayed by Barça at the same stage last season, losing the tie 4-1 on aggregate. The first leg at Eastlands hinged on a controversial decision that saw Martin Demichelis concede a penalty and get sent off - for an offence that seemed outside the area - but City were still a distinct second best in the 2-0 loss.

The tie could not be retrieved at the Nou Camp and City's woes were compounded when Pablo Zabaleta was dismissed. They will again be without Toure for the first leg, as Bony's international team-mate completes his three-match ban for his red card against CSKA Moscow in November.

In addition to that, top scorer Sergio Aguero, Gael Clichy, Edin Dzeko and Zabaleta are all just one booking away from a suspension.