WEEKLY | RESULTS

02 March 2015
Italian Serie A
Roma	1 - 1	Juventus	Olimpico
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Belenenses	0 - 1	Paços de Ferreira	Estadio do Restelo
Spanish La Liga
Celta de Vigo	1 - 1	Elche	Balaidos

01 March 2015
Absa Premiership
SuperSport United	2 - 5	AmaZulu	Lucas Moripe Stadium
Bloem Celtic	2 - 0	Platinum Stars	Free State Stadium
Angola Girabola
Domant (Domant FC Bula A Tumba)	1 - 1	Recreativo Da Caála	Campo Da Açúcareira Heróis De Caxit, Caxito
Botswana Premier League 2014-2015
BMC FC	2 - 2	FC Satmos	New Lobatse Stadium
CAF U17 Championship
South Africa	0 - 2	Mali	Stade General Seyni Kountche
Nigeria	1 - 3	Guinea	Stade General Seyni Kountche
English Barclays Premier League
Arsenal	2 - 0	Everton	Emirates Stadium
Liverpool	2 - 1	Manchester City	Anfield
English Football League Championship
Norwich City	2 - 0	Ipswich Town	Carrow Road
English League Cup
Chelsea	2 - 0	Tottenham Hotspur	Wembley
French Ligue 1
Monaco	0 - 0	Paris Saint Germain	Stade Louis II
Montpellier	2 - 1	Nice	Stade de la Mosson
Nantes	1 - 0	Guingamp	La Beaujoire-Louis-Fonteneau
German Bundesliga
SV Werder Bremen	3 - 5	VfL Wolfsburg	Weserstadion
Borussia Monchengladbach	2 - 0	SC Paderborn 07	Borussia-Park
Italian Serie A
Torino	1 - 0	Napoli	Olimpico di Torino
Internazionale	0 - 1	Fiorentina	Giuseppe Meazza
Atalanta	1 - 2	Sampdoria	Atleti Azzurri d'Italia
Cesena	1 - 0	Udinese	Dino Manuzzi
Palermo	0 - 0	Empoli	Renzo Barbera
Sassuolo	0 - 3	Lazio	Città del Tricolore
Cagliari	1 - 2	Verona	Sant'Elia
Portuguese Primeira Liga
FC Porto	3 - 0	Sporting Lisbon	Estadio do Dragao
Académica de Coimbra	1 - 1	Arouca	Cidade de Coimbra
Penafiel	1 - 2	Moreirense	Estádio Municipal 25 de Abril
CD Nacional	3 - 0	Vitória Setúbal	Estádio da Madeira
Spanish La Liga
Real Madrid	1 - 1	Villarreal	Santiago Bernabeu
Sevilla	0 - 0	Atletico de Madrid	Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan
Eibar	0 - 1	Athletic Club	Estadio Municipal de Ipurua
Valencia CF	2 - 0	Real Sociedad	Mestalla
Tanzania VPL 2014/2015
Stand United	2 - 0	Kagera Sugar	Kambarage, Shinyanga

28 February 2015
Absa Premiership
Maritzburg Utd	0 - 0	Free State Stars	Harry Gwala Stadium
Orlando Pirates	3 - 1	Polokwane City	Orlando Stadium
University of Pretoria	2 - 1	Black Aces	Tuks Stadium
Angola Girabola
Kabuscorp SC Do Palanca	2 - 1	Académica Do Lobito	Estádio Municipal dos Coqueiros
Onze Bravos (FC Onze Bravos Do Maquis)	3 - 2	1º de Agosto (Primeiro De Agosto)	Estádio das Mangueiras
Petro de Luanda (Atlético Petróleos Luanda)	0 - 0	Interclube Luanda	Estádio 11 de Novembro
Sagrada Esperança	0 - 0	Progresso Lunda Sul	Estádio Quintalão
Sporting Petróleos De Cabinda	1 - 1	ASA (Atlético Sport Aviação)	Estádio Municipal do Tafe
CAF Champions League 2015
Mamelodi Sundowns	3 - 0	St Mitchel United	Lucas Moripe Stadium
Township Rollers	0 - 1	Kaizer Chiefs
English Barclays Premier League
West Bromwich Albion	1 - 0	Southampton	The Hawthorns
Newcastle United	1 - 0	Aston Villa	St. James' Park
Manchester United	2 - 0	Sunderland	Old Trafford
Burnley	0 - 1	Swansea City	Turf Moor
Stoke City	1 - 0	Hull City	Britannia Stadium
West Ham United	1 - 3	Crystal Palace	Boleyn Ground
English Football League Championship
Rotherham United	2 - 1	Millwall	New York Stadium
Bournemouth	0 - 0	Blackburn Rovers	Goldsands Stadium
Bolton Wanderers	1 - 0	Brighton and Hove Albion	Macron Stadium
Charlton Athletic	3 - 0	Huddersfield Town	The Valley
Fulham	2 - 0	Derby County	Craven Cottage
Cardiff City	0 - 1	Wolverhampton Wanderers	Cardiff City Stadium
Blackpool	1 - 3	Wigan Athletic	Bloomfield Road
Birmingham City	1 - 0	Brentford	St. Andrew's Stadium
Sheffield Wednesday	2 - 0	Middlesbrough	Hillsborough
Leeds United	2 - 3	Watford	Elland Road
Reading	0 - 3	Nottingham Forest	Madejski Stadium
French Ligue 1
Bordeaux	1 - 1	Reims	Stade Jacques Chaban-Delmas
Lens	0 - 1	Rennes	Stade de la Licorne
Lorient	2 - 0	Bastia	Stade du Moustoir
Toulouse	1 - 1	St Etienne	Stadium Municipal
Metz	1 - 2	Evian Thonon Gaillard	Stade Saint-Symphorien
Lille	2 - 1	Lyon	Stade Pierre-Mauroy
German Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt	2 - 1	Hamburger SV	Commerzbank Arena
Hertha BSC	1 - 0	FC Augsburg	Olympiastadion
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim	2 - 0	1. FSV Mainz 05	WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena
Hannover 96	1 - 1	VfB Stuttgart	HDI-Arena
Borussia Dortmund	3 - 0	FC Schalke 04	Signal Iduna Park
Bayer 04 Leverkusen	1 - 0	Sport-Club Freiburg	BayArena
Italian Serie A
Chievo	0 - 0	Milan	Marc'Antonio Bentegodi
MultiChoice Diski Challenge
University of Pretoria	2 - 2	Mamelodi Sundowns	Nike Centre - Soweto
SuperSport United	1 - 2	Mpumalanga Black Aces	Nike Centre - Soweto
National First Division
Black Leopards	2 - 1	Witbank Spurs	Thohoyandou Stadium
Thanda Royal Zulu FC	2 - 1	Maluti FET College	Umhlathuze Sports Complex
Milano United AFC	2 - 2	Garankuwa United	Athlone Stadium
Royal Eagles	2 - 1	Santos	King Zwelithini Stadium
Highlands Park	1 - 2	Baroka FC	Makhulong Stadium
African Warriors	0 - 0	Golden Arrows	Charles Mopeli Stadium
FC Cape Town	1 - 1	Jomo Cosmos	NNK Rugby Stadium
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Rio Ave	0 - 2	Sporting Braga	Estádio do Rio Ave F.C.
Benfica	6 - 0	Estoril Praia	Estadio da Luz
Gil Vicente	1 - 1	Boavista	Estádio Cidade de Barcelos
Spanish La Liga
Malaga	3 - 2	Getafe	La Rosaleda
Almeria	0 - 0	Deportivo de La Coruna	Juegos Mediterraneos
Rayo Vallecano	4 - 2	Levante	Campo de Futbol de Vallecas
Granada CF	1 - 3	Barcelona	Estadio Los Carmenes
Tanzania VPL 2014/2015
Mbeya City	1 - 1	Ruvu Shootings	Sokoine, Mbeya
Mgambo JKT	0 - 1	Coastal Union	Mkwakwani, Tanga
Simba SC	5 - 0	Tanzania Prisons	National Stadium, Dar Es Salaam

27 February 2015
Absa Premiership
Ajax Cape Town	2 - 0	Chippa United	Cape Town Stadium
Botswana Premier League 2014-2015
Ecco City Greens	0 - 2	Gaborone United	Francistown Stadium
Orapa United	6 - 1	Motlakase Power Dynamos	Itekeng Stadium
Nico United	2 - 1	Police XI	Selebi Phikwe Stadium
French Ligue 1
Marseille	2 - 3	Caen	Stade Vélodrome
German Bundesliga
FC Bayern Munchen	4 - 1	1. FC Koln	Allianz Arena
National First Division
Cape Town All Stars	2 - 1	Vasco Da Gama	Phillipi Stadium
Portuguese Primeira Liga
Vitória Guimarães	1 - 0	Marítimo	Estádio D. Alfonso Henriques
Spanish La Liga
Espanyol	1 - 0	Cordoba	Power8 Stadium

26 February 2015
Botswana Premier League 2014-2015
Mochudi Centre Chiefs	3 - 1	Sankoyo Bush Bucks	Molepole Sports Complex
CAF U17 Championship
Mali	2 - 1	Guinea	Stade General Seyni Kountche
UEFA Europa League
Feyenoord	1 - 2	Roma	De Kuip
Club Brugge	3 - 0	Aalborg BK	Jan Breydel
Olympiakos	2 - 2	Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk	Karaiskaki Stadium
Athletic Club	2 - 3	Torino	San Mames
Everton	3 - 1	BSC Young Boys	Goodison Park
Napoli	1 - 0	Trabzonspor	San Paolo
Sporting Lisbon	0 - 0	VfL Wolfsburg	Estadio José Alvalade
Besiktas	1 - 0	Liverpool	Ataturk Olympic Stadium
FC Red Bull Salzburg	1 - 3	Villarreal	Red Bull Arena Salzburg
Internazionale	1 - 0	Celtic	Giuseppe Meazza
Borussia Mönchengladbach	2 - 3	Sevilla	Borussia-Park
Legia Warsaw	0 - 3	Ajax	Pepsi Arena
Dynamo Kyiv	3 - 1	Guingamp	Kiev Olympic Stadium
Fiorentina	2 - 0	Tottenham Hotspur	Artemio Franchi
Dinamo Moscow	3 - 1	RSC Anderlecht	Arena Khimki
Zenit St Petersburg	3 - 0	PSV	Petrovski Stadium

25 February 2015
Botswana Premier League 2014-2015
Extension Gunners	0 - 1	Letlapeng	New Lobatse Stadium
CAF U17 Championship
Nigeria	0 - 1	South Africa	Stade General Seyni Kountche
Champions League
Bayer 04 Leverkusen	1 - 0	Atlético de Madrid	BayArena
Arsenal	1 - 3	Monaco	Emirates Stadium
English Football League Championship
Nottingham Forest	2 - 1	Bournemouth	City Ground
Ghana First Capital Plus Premier League 2015
Ashanti Gold	2 - 2	Heart of Lions	Obuasi
Bechem United	2 - 0	Olympics	Bechem
Berekum Chelsea	1 - 1	Asante Kotoko	Berekum
Hearts of Oak	3 - 2	Aduana Stars	Accra
Inter Allies	2 - 0	BA United	Tema
Medeama SC	1 - 1	Liberty	Tarkwa
WA All Stars	3 - 1	Hasaacas	WA
WAFA	3 - 1	Edubiase FC	Sogakope
Nedbank Cup
University of Pretoria	2 - 1	Moroka Swallows	Tuks Stadium
SuperSport United	4 - 1	Polokwane City	Lucas Moripe Stadium

24 February 2015
Absa Premiership
AmaZulu	0 - 1	Mamelodi Sundowns	Moses Mabhida Stadium
Champions League
Manchester City	1 - 2	Barcelona	Etihad Stadium
Juventus	2 - 1	Borussia Dortmund	Juventus Stadium
English Football League Championship
Brentford	4 - 0	Blackpool	Griffin Park
Brighton and Hove Albion	2 - 0	Leeds United	Amex Stadium
Ipswich Town	4 - 2	Birmingham City	Portman Road
Middlesbrough	1 - 0	Bolton Wanderers	Riverside Stadium
Millwall	1 - 3	Sheffield Wednesday	The New Den
Wigan Athletic	0 - 1	Cardiff City	DW Stadium
Huddersfield Town	3 - 0	Reading	John Smith's Stadium
Blackburn Rovers	1 - 2	Norwich City	Ewood Park
Wolverhampton Wanderers	3 - 0	Fulham	Molineux Stadium
Watford	3 - 0	Rotherham United	Vicarage Road
Derby County	2 - 0	Charlton Athletic	iPro Stadium
Italian Serie A
Sampdoria	1 - 1	Genoa	Luigi Ferraris

Liverpool announce first profit for seven years

he Reds have enjoyed an upturn in revenue, which has been primarily attributed to the rise in income from the Premier League's lucrative television rights deal

Liverpool returned to profit for the first time in seven years in the last financial year, new figures have revealed.

A statement released by the Premier League club on Tuesday confirmed they posted a "small profit" in the year ending May 31, 2014 - a stark contrast to a loss of around £50 million (€69m) reported 12 months previously - while their revenue increased by 19 per cent to £255.6m (€351).

This upturn in revenue has been primarily attributed to the rise in income from the Premier League's lucrative television rights deal, with Liverpool moving back up to ninth from 12th in the Deloitte Football Money League.

"Since Fenway Sports Group completed its takeover of Liverpool F.C. in October 2010, revenue has steadily increased year on year and the club has transformed to a sustainable business," Liverpool's statement added.

Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre commented: "We continue to make good financial progress. Although these results are nearly 12 months old, they demonstrate that the transitional period we've been through over the past four years have stabilised the club and provided a platform for growth.

"Revenue has been consistently increasing from around £170m (€233m) in 2009 to over £250m (€343m) today and our commercial revenues continue to add strength to our overall results.

"During these past transitional years, it was important that we took a measured approach to bring back financial stability by ensuring the club is properly structured both on and off the pitch.

"We continue to add strength and depth to our playing squad while continuing to develop young talent."

The Goal Rich List 2013

The 2014 Goal Rich List revisited

Ahead of the launch of the 2015 Goal Rich List on Thursday March 5, we take a look back at last year's top 10 - which players will still be there this time around?

The 2013 Goal Rich List revisited

Ahead of the launch of the 2015 Goal Rich List on Thursday March 5, we take a look back at the line up from two years ago - which players will still be there this time around?

Transfer Talk

Barca ready to sell Pedro  

Barcelona are open to selling Pedro for around £20 million at the end of the season. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United are all monitoring the 27-year-old.

Doyen Group would like Castaignos transfer

The Doyen Sports Group would like to see that Luc Castaignos changes clubs this summer. The investment company has a share in FC Twente and wishes to see something of their investment back if the striker makes a transfer.                 

Former Tottenham captain Dave Mackay dies aged 80

The north Londoners have paid tribute to the man George Best described as "the hardest man I have ever played against"                                                   
Tottenham have announced that former captain Dave Mackay has passed away at the age of 80.

The former Scotland international won the Double for Spurs in 1961 and also led Derby to the league title as manager.

Mackay won 22 caps for Scotland, scoring four times, and was once described by George Best as “hardest man I have ever played against and certainly the bravest”.

Mackay joined Spurs from Hearts, where he won the league and both cups and the north Londoners have paid tribute to their former skipper.

“We were saddened to hear of the death of our former captain Dave Mackay who passed away at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, this evening [Monday 2 March]. He was 80,” it read.

“He was a superb player who possessed all the technique, passing ability and talent to be the complete footballer.

“He was the heart-beat of our 1961 ‘Double’ side, was then a key member of the team that retained the FA Cup the following season and, although injury kept him out of our 1963 European Cup Winners’ Cup final triumph, he had played a vital role in getting us there.

“He formed a marvellous midfield combination with Danny Blanchflower and, when the Northern Ireland international left us in 1964, Mackay took over as Spurs captain and led us to another FA Cup triumph in 1967. He twice broke the same leg in our cause but, each time, came back stronger than ever.”

Tevez: I'm as p****d off as Allegri after Roma draw

The Argentine was disgusted that the Bianconeri failed to defeat their Serie A title rivals despite having a one-goal and one-man advantage

Tevez

Carlos Tevez admitted that he was just as "p****d off" as Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri after Monday's 1-1 draw at Roma.

The Argentine opened the scoring 64 minutes into the top-of-the-table clash at San Siro with a sublime, curling free-kick that had been awarded for a foul that had resulted in Giallorossi defender Vasilis Torosidis being shown a second yellow card.

Juve thus looked perfectly poised to put 12 points between themselves and second-placed Roma but they allowed their hosts to snatch a draw through Seydou Keita's late, deflected header.

Bianconeri boss Massimiliano Allegri was furious that his side had thrown away two points and his frustration was shared by his star striker.

"The coach is right to be annoyed," Tevez told Sky Sport Italia.

"We cannot give away an important game like this, with a man more in the final 20 minutes after having done well for 70 minutes.

"I'm also very p****d off. We're a strong team and the character of the squad pleased me this evening, but we cannot throw away games right at the end."

As for his fantastic free-kick, Tevez admitted that he had been taking pointers from Juve's regular dead-ball specialist Andrea Pirlo, who missed the trip to Rome through injury.

"I always see Andrea in training and it's important for me to copy his style a little," the former Manchester City striker added.

"He's my model. Who'll have precedence when he returns? Andrea, without a doubt."

Ancelotti bemoans lack of zip after draw

Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti complained his players had lacked zip and shooting accuracy after the La Liga leaders let slip a one-goal advantage and were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Villarreal on Sunday.

The stalemate at the Bernabeu, when Cristiano Ronaldo's 52nd-minute penalty was cancelled out by a fine Gerard Moreno strike in the 64th, left Real two points clear of second-placed Barcelona, who host their great rivals in three weeks, with 13 games left.

It was the first game the European champions have failed to win at home in La Liga since they were beaten 2-1 by Atletico Madrid in September and was their first draw in Spain's top flight this season.

"In the first half, our rhythm was very low," Ancelotti told a news conference.

"We put in a lot of crosses because the ball circulation was slow," added the Italian.

"The rhythm changed in the second half but we weren't efficient with the chances we created.

"We didn't have good fortune with our efforts on goal. We had 24 shots and only seven were on target."

Sunday's stalemate was Real's latest stumble since the turn of the year after they set a Spanish record of 22 consecutive victories in all competitions at the end of 2014.

They were beaten 2-1 at Valencia in La Liga, knocked out of the King's Cup by Atletico and suffered a humiliating 4-0 reverse at their city neighbours in the league last month.

The Real faithful made their anger clear when they whistled Ancelotti in a subsequent La Liga game at home to Deportivo La Coruna and they vented their ire again on Sunday when he took off fan favourite Isco in the second half.

"A coach is on the pitch and makes changes because he believes it's best for the team," Ancelotti said.

"If the fans don't understand it I am sorry but I made the decision and made the change to give the team more balance."

Before their trip to the Nou Camp, Real face a potentially tricky La Liga clash at Athletic Bilbao and take a 2-0 lead into their Champions League last 16, second leg at home to Bundesliga side Schalke 04 on March 10.

Keita salvages point for Roma v Juve

Seydou Keita salvaged a point for 10-man Roma in a 1-1 draw with Juventus on Monday that saw the champions retain their nine-point lead at the top of Serie A.

Carlos Tevez curled a free-kick over the Roma wall for his 15th league goal of the season that took him top of the Serie A scoring charts. But Malian veteran Keita equalised in the 78th minute as Roma set club record sixth straight home draw.

Roma welcomed the Bianconeri to the Stadio Olimpico desperate for the win that would maintain their unlikely title challenge.

Rudi Garcia's men had drawn six of their last seven league games but had never drawn six times consecutively at home, until Monday.

Under the circumstances, Roma – who have been ravaged by injuries to key players and only recently welcomed back Ivorian striker Gervinho from the Africa Cup of Nations – would be happy with a point.

Garcia told Sky Sport: his side had shown "character" to fight back into the game.

"In games like this we know it can come down to dead ball situations and in fact that's how both goals were scored.

"We were down to 10 men and a goal down so to come back into the game like we did in those circumstances showed character."

However Juventus remain unbeaten against Roma this season and with a nine-point advantage look to have one hand on what would be a fourth consecutive title.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri said his side had "taken a step forward," but told Sky Sport "The season is still long."

He added: "We played well up until 70 minutes and then we stopped playing. We need to keep our concentration for the entire game."

Roma started with influential midfielders Radja Nainggolan and Juan Iturbe on the bench while Juventus were without Andrea Pirlo and Paul Pogba – two of their most creative players – as they sought to make it two wins from two over the Giallorossi following a bad-tempered 3-2 win in Turin early in the campaign.

After an insipid first half without clear-cut chances, the hosts suffered a blow just after the hour when Vasilis Torosidis saw red for a second bookable offence.

In the absence of free kick specialist Pirlo, who is out for three weeks with a calf injury, Tevez stepped up shot over the Roma wall with Morgan De Sanctis rooted to the spot.

It sent the Argentine back to the top of the Serie A scorers ahead of compatriot Mauro Icardi, of Inter Milan, who has netted 14 times.

Tevez almost had a second minutes later but Kostas Manolas's boot blocked the Argentine's half-volley to the right of goal.

Despite their disadvantage, Roma pressed for the equaliser and almost found the breakthrough when Claudio Marchisio caught the heel of Miralem Pjanic on the left flank.

Alessandro Florenzi, who came on for Adem Ljajic just after Torosidis's sending-off, crossed the ball to Manolas whose glancing header forced Gianluigi Buffon to tip the ball to safety down low.

Roma's insistence finally paid off.

Juan Iturbe won a free kick to the right of the area after a solid challenge from Giorgio Chiellini. The Colombian's free kick found Keita at the back post and the Malian's header bounced over the line past the foot of Marchisio.

Iturbe should have done better minutes later when he was set up on the edge of the area but somehow bundled a mimis-hit shot wide.

Real held at home by Villarreal

La Liga leaders Real Madrid dropped points at home for only the second time this season when Villarreal fought back from a goal down in an entertaining 1-1 draw that left Real two points ahead of Barcelona on Sunday.

Champions Atletico Madrid also stumbled, a 0-0 stalemate at Sevilla denting their chances of a second consecutive Spanish title and leaving them five points behind Barca in third.

With a King's Cup semifinal second leg against Barca looming on Wednesday, Villarreal coach Marcelino fielded a weakened side at the Bernabeu but it took Real until seven minutes into the second half to break the deadlock.

Eric Bailly hauled Cristiano Ronaldo down in the penalty area and the Portugal captain picked himself up and sent goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo the wrong way with his spot-kick for his 30th goal of the campaign.

Villarreal had the best chances in an even first half. Real keeper Iker Casillas did well to block a close-range Moises Gomez effort in the 12th minute and fullback Dani Carvajal cleared Gerard Moreno's follow-up shot off the line.

Moreno made up for his earlier miss and stunned the European champions when he lashed a shot low into the corner in the 64th minute.

Ronaldo had two chances to restore Real's lead but was twice denied by excellent Asenjo saves before substitute Jese missed an open goal after the Villarreal keeper had misjudged a cross.

The visitors could even have claimed their first win at the Bernabeu when Luciano Vietto, another substitute, tested Casillas with a diving header four minutes from time.

Villarreal withstood intense pressure in the final minutes, Ronaldo again going close with a header.

It was the first game Real have failed to win at home in La Liga since they were beaten 2-1 by Atletico in September and was their first draw in Spain's top flight this season.

Carlo Ancelotti's side lead on 61 points with 13 games left, with Barca, who host their great rivals at the Nou Camp in three weeks, on 59 after they won a scrappy game at Granada 3-1 on Saturday.

Atletico have 54 points in third, one ahead of Valencia, who won 2-0 at home to Real Sociedad on Sunday and play at Atletico next weekend. Sevilla are seven points further back in fifth

Allegri angry after Juve drop points

Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri left the Stadio Olimpico pitch in angry mood after seeing his team squander a one-goal lead against 10 men in their 1-1 draw at AS Roma on Monday.

Juventus were poised to open up a 12-point lead over their opponents at the top of Serie A after Roma had Vasilis Torosidis sent off and Carlos Tevez put the visitors in front from a free kick.

Instead, Juventus lost concentration and finished the game on the back foot after Seydou Keita levelled for Roma.

"I was angry when we left the pitch," Allegri told touchline television reporters.

"Considering the way the match was going, it's disappointing to come away with a draw and to have run the risk of losing the game. We've conceded too many goals recently and we need to make better use of possession when we're in front."

"I'm happy with what we did in the first 70 minutes and we continued playing well for a while after taking the lead, but after six or seven minutes we stopped playing," he added.

Although Juventus, with a nine-point lead, are still well on course for a fourth successive Serie A title, Allegri said there was a long way to go.

"We need to improve as we sometimes lose our focus," he said. "We are still a long way off our target. It's not easy for Roma but there are still plenty of points up for grabs."

Tevez only the took the free kick because playmaker and specialist Andrea Pirlo was missing through injury.

"I was trying to copy him," the Argentine told reporters. "He inspires me, I watch him in training."

Barcelona close in on Madrid

Barcelona trimmed Real Madrid's lead at the top of La Liga to one point when in-form forward Luis Suarez played a part in all three of their goals in a scrappy 3-1 victory at Granada on Saturday.

Barca struggled to find their rhythm at the Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium on a poor pitch but took the lead in the 25th minute when Ivan Rakitic smashed the ball in from close range after Granada defender Cala failed to clear a Suarez centre.

Lionel Messi twice went close before Suarez ran on to a chipped Rakitic pass and slipped the ball past goalkeeper Oier to make it 2-0 three minutes into the second half.

Barca appeared to be cruising against their second-bottom opponents but Granada pulled a goal back five minutes later when Marc Bartra felled Lassane Bangoura in the penalty area and Fran Rico stroked the spot kick past Claudio Bravo.

Suarez then sped clear in the 70th minute, left Oier floundering and unselfishly set up Messi to find the empty net.

FINE PERFORMANCE

It capped another fine performance from Uruguay international Suarez who struck twice in Tuesday's 2-1 Champions League victory at Manchester City after Barca had been beaten 1-0 at home by Malaga last weekend.

Messi fluffed two chances in the closing stages when sent clear by Neymar, leaving the Argentina captain on 27 league goals this season, two behind top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo of Real.

Barca have 59 points from 25 matches with Real on 60 from 24 ahead of their game at home to sixth-placed Villarreal on Sunday. Champions Atletico Madrid are six points adrift of Barca in third and visit Sevilla, who are fifth, on Sunday.

"I think it was important for us to keep racking up points after a tough game against Malaga," Rakitic told Spanish television.

"It's always a difficult challenge here but I think we worked really hard and deserved the win."

"What was really impressive was the intensity of the team from the kickoff and we have to continue in the same way," added the Croatia midfielder.

FOUR-GOAL BUENO

In Saturday's other games, seventh-placed Malaga stayed in the hunt for a European qualification berth and closed to within three points of Villarreal when they won 3-2 at home to Getafe.

Juanmi followed up his goal at Barca with the early opener, Sergi Darder's thunderbolt made it 2-1 after Alvaro Vazquez had levelled for the visitors 10 minutes into the second half and Ricardo Horta added an acrobatic third for the Qatar-owned club.

However, Vazquez got his second of the night for Getafe 14 minutes from time to set up a nervous finale for the home side.

Rayo Vallecano midfielder Alberto Bueno hit four goals in 15 first-half minutes as the Madrid club recovered from conceding early on to beat struggling visitors Levante 4-2.

Almeria played almost the entire second half with 10 men and had a second player sent off in stoppage time but still managed to hold on for a 0-0 draw at home to Deportivo La Coruna, with both teams hovering just above the relegation places.

Elche, Celta Vigo share spoils

Relegation-threatened Elche scored a penalty two minutes from time to secure a 1-1 draw away to Celta Vigo in the Spanish league on Monday.

Midfielder Victor Rodriguez made the most of a brush against Celta Vigo left-winger Michael Krohn-Dehli to earn a penalty that defender David Lomban converted in the 88th minute.

Krohn-Dehli had given Celta the lead in the 61st minute when he tapped-in Jonathan Castro's perfect cross after the defender had timed his run forward to beat the Elche defenders' offside trap.

Celta stay eighth place on 32 points after 25 rounds while Elche are 17th on 24, two clear of the relegation zone.

Real Madrid lead the standings with 61 points, two ahead of Barcelona.

Bayern target top gear in Cup

Holders Bayern Munich aim to hit top gear in their bid to reach the German Cup quarterfinals, while the authorities brace themselves for Borussia Dortmund's trip to Dresden on Tuesday.

Third-division Dynamo Dresden host Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund in the cup's third round against the backdrop of the riots which blighted their 2011 second-round clash.

Borussia beat Dynamo 2-0 on October 25 2011 amidst ugly scenes as Dresden fans rioted and clashed violently with Dortmund police. Both groups of supporters have a notorious reputation in Germany.

The German Football Association (DFB) initially threw Dresden out of the competition for a year for the violence in Dortmund, then reduced the punishment to a €100 000 fine and a game behind closed doors on appeal.

But the DFB banned Dresden entirely from the 2013/14 cup competition after Dynamo fans rioted after losing a penalty shoot-out at Hanover 96 in October 2012 in a second-round clash.

On their first season back in the cup, Dresden in particular need to be on best behaviour, especially with the game to be televised.

"Dynamo is a cool draw," said Dortmund coach Klopp, but the DFB and police will be paying close attention.

Dortmund routed Schalke 3-0 on Saturday in the Ruhr Valley derby to move up to tenth in the Bundesliga after four straight wins having started the month bottom of the table, while Dresden are eighth in Germany's third tier after relegation last season.

Holders Bayern host second-division Eintracht Braunschweig on Wednesday having scored 20 goals with just one in reply in their last four league games.

Coach Pep Guardiola is set to rotate his squad for the third-round clash at Munich's Allianz Arena with one eye on their Champions League clash the week after.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern are at Hanover 96 on Saturday, then host Shakhtar Donetsk the following Wednesday after the last 16, first-leg clash finished goalless in Ukraine.

"We are on the right path, but we have to get back to staying focused for 90 minutes and put in a top display," said defender Jerome Boateng after Bayern conceded during a lull period in Friday’s 4-1 win over Cologne.

"Then I'm confident we can progress in the cup and Champions League."

The only all-Bundesliga tie of the round sees strugglers Freiburg host mid-table Cologne, who put in a battling display at Bayern.

"It’s a 50-50 chance, because Freiburg are in a similar situation to us, but the cup is a different ball game," said Cologne's Nigeria striker Anthony Ujah, who scored their consolation in Munich.

"There have been surprises right from the first round so we will go there and try to go through to the next round.

"The cup is very important to our fans and we want to give them something to cheer about."

Real Madrid Line Up Pogba Bid

Real Madrid Want Paul Pogba to Headline a New Generation of Galactico Signings

Reports in Spain and France claim Real Madrid will pay whatever it takes to bring Paul Pogba to Spain in the summer.

The Champions League holders want the Frenchman to be the headline signing in a third generation of galacticos.

Daily newspapers in both countries, such as Marca and L’Equipe, claim that Pogba, 21, is keen to leave Italy in order to play for a bigger club so that he can cash in on big-money sponsorship deals on offer from both Nike and Adidas. The sportswear giants are believed to be offering Pogba around £3 million per year in sponsorship if he moves to one of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Despite Real’s determination, they will meet opposition from arch rivals Barcelona in their attempts to sign Juventus’ powerhouse midfielder, with Manchester United, Manchester City and PSG also keeping tabs on the situation.

It is thought that Real Madrid Castilla coach Zinedine Zidane is pushing hard for Madrid to break the bank for Pogba.

‘Brown red card not mistaken identity’

Sunderland defender Wes Brown's dismissal during his side's 2-0 loss at Manchester United on Saturday was not a case of mistaken identity, according to referee Roger East.

Brown was shown a straight red card in the 64th minute at Old Trafford after Radamel Falcao went down inside the Sunderland penalty area with Brown and his teammate John O'Shea in close attendance.

It was O'Shea who appeared to have hauled Falcao back and managers and players expressed confusion over what had happened after the game, but Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) said East felt that Brown had also committed a foul on the Colombian.

"From his position Roger East, the match referee, believed he saw contact from John O'Shea and Wes Brown on Radamel Falcao," PGMOL, the body that manages referees in the Premier League, said in a statement.

"As he thought Brown made a foul on Falcao while he was in the act of shooting, he dismissed Brown. After the incident the match referee consulted with his team of officials, but none were better placed to offer guidance."

Wayne Rooney scored the resulting penalty and then added a late second goal to give United victory.

Sunderland manager Gus Poyet indicated in his post-match press conference that he was contemplating whether to appeal against Brown's dismissal.

"The referee told the players there were two fouls committed," said Poyet. "One by John O'Shea, one by Wes Brown, and he gave the Wes Brown one. Wes Brown didn't touch anyone, so I don't know what he saw.

"We will put everything on the table and speak to the players and make a decision whether to appeal."

Zouma Is The New Desailly – Mourinho

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has described Kurt Zouma as the new Marcel Desailly after his display in the Capital One Cup final victory.

With Nemanja Matic suspended for the Wembley showpiece, Mourinho opted to play the French centre-back in a holding role to combat Tottenham’s midfield threat.

Zouma played a composed role in front of the back four, and the Chelsea boss was quick to compare him to Blues legend Desailly.

Mourinho said: “It’s very difficult for a central defender to play there, because they don’t have pressure from behind.

“In that position you are surrounded by players and you have to think quicker. He’s our new Marcel Desailly.

“We were preparing him to play that role and the kid did a fantastic job for us.

“Tottenham move the ball very well and with Cesc Fabregas and Ramires in there we knew we couldn’t reach them. We didn’t give them the game they were expecting.”

Mourinho, who in victory picked up his first trophy since returning to Stamford Bridge in 2013, praised both sides for their performance in the final.

He said: “We played to win. We changed the triangle in midfield, we pressed them well and I’m very happy.

“The game we played is that of a mature team, which is what we’re not.

“Tottenham brought a fantastic team to the final. They gave us a hard final, they made us think strategically

'Di Maria will get back to his best at United'

Angel Di Maria is a great player and will rediscover his best form for Manchester United after enduring a difficult time of late, captain Wayne Rooney said.

The 27-year-old Argentine has done little to justify the British record transfer fee of 59.7 million pounds ($92 million) United spent to recruit the flying winger from Real Madrid.

Di Maria, who has scored three goals in 19 Premier League games this season, was taken off at halftime during United's 2-0 victory over Sunderland on Saturday but Rooney believes the Argentine will come good at Old Trafford.

"It (Saturday) was just one of those days that every footballer has," Rooney told the club's website (www.manutd.com).

"He is a great player, he has shown that and you don't lose your talent overnight. Hopefully, he will get back to his best and start giving some great performances for us.

"He has got a lot of experience and I think he will figure it out, we all have to do that sometimes. There is nothing worse than when everyone keeps going on at you.

"You have to come to it in your own way and I am sure he will be a big player for us between now and the end of the season."

Rooney has been deployed as a midfielder by manager Louis van Gaal for much of the season but he struck twice against Sunderland to end a run of eight games without a goal.

"Everyone knows I've played midfield for the majority of the season but my record shows that I score goals so I'm not worried about that at all," he said.

"I was obviously pleased that the manager played me up front and I was delighted to get the two goals but the victory was the main thing today because after last week (when United lost toSwansea) it was important that we bounced back."

United, who are fourth in the Premier League table with 50 points from 27 matches, travel to Newcastle United on Wednesday.

No Party Yet, Reveals Fabregas

Cesc Fabregas revealed that Chelsea will not be holding a special party to celebrate their League Cup victory over Tottenham on Sunday.

Captain John Terry fired the Premier League leaders ahead at Wembley when Spurs failed to clear a corner on the stroke of half-time.

The west London side then doubled their lead in the 56th minute when Kyle Walker diverted Diego Costa’s shot into his own net as the Blues wrapped up a comfortable win.

Sunday’s triumph marked the first trophy of Jose Mourinho’s second spell at Stamford Bridge.
But with Chelsea still fighting for silverware in the Premier League and Champions League, Fabregas revealed that he and his team-mates would be returning home to rest up on Sunday night ahead of their Premier League trip to West Ham United in midweek.

Speaking to BBC Sport after Sunday’s win, Fabregas said: “We will stay here at Wembley for a while then get back on the bus to Stamford Bridge. But then we will get into our cars and go home to rest for Wednesday’s game against West Ham.

“We want to win the Premier League too – maybe we can have a big party at the end of the season.”

The Spaniard, who joined Chelsea from Barcelona in the summer, was thrilled to lift his first trophy with the west London club.

“It is always great to have this winning feeling,” he said. “It’s my first trophy at Chelsea so I’m very happy. It’s going the right way – we have a young team but also have a good mixture of experience, too.”

Pellegrini: Title Race Not Over Yet

Manuel Pellegrini has refused to write off his Manchester City side’s title chances, despite their 2-1 defeat at Liverpool.

City sit five points behind league leaders Chelsea in the race for the championship, with the London club also holding a game in hand.

But Pellegrini, who led City to the title last term, says his side aren’t throwing in the towel yet.

“It is three points less with one game less” explained the former Real Madrid and Malaga coach.
“Of course it is difficult to reach the top of table if you lose three points. But we must keep going and try to return to our normal performance and see where it takes us.”

Pellegrini saw his side succumb to a loss at Anfield for the second year running after a stunning second-half strike from Philippe Coutinho.

Edin Dzeko had earlier cancelled out Jordan Henderson’s excellent opener and Pellegrini reckoned that the only difference between the side were the two “beautiful” goals.

“It was a close game but Liverpool won because they scored two beautiful goals.
“But in the first half we lost too many balls, especially in the first 15 minutes.

“After that we equalised and then hit the post through Aguero.”

And Pellegrini, who came under fire in midweek for starting with two strikers against Barcelona – doing so again today – refused to blame his tactics for the defeat at Anfield.

“Playing two up front at Anfield was the best decision,” declared the Chilean.

“It was a close game and they won the game when we had one striker on. I’m concerned that we are losing the ball too much – pressure is a factor.

“There is much we must analyse to improve.”

Qatar 2022 shift gives Japan winter blues

A November start to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar would cause severe disruption to Japan's domestic football schedule, the head of the J-League told AFP on Monday.

A Fifa taskforce has recommended the controversial tournament take place in November and December to avoid the scorching summer heat in the Gulf state, a proposal which could be ratified by the body's executive committee next month.

"If the World Cup does start in November, it would come right at the peak of the Japanese season," J-League chairman Mitsuru Murai said in an interview.

"It would therefore have an extremely big impact on our schedule. But it's a World Cup in Asia -- and so we will have to cooperate by cramming in games in order to help make it a success."

Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, who heads the taskforce, has circled November and December because stifling heat between May and September leave few alternative options.

A January-February tournament would clash with the Winter Olympics, while April is the month of Ramadan in 2022.

"I'm also taking part in the taskforce meetings," said Murai. "While no final decision has been made, it looks as though a November start is likely. That comes in the middle of the season in Europe, but in Japan it clashes with the season run-in."

The J-League season traditionally begins in March and runs until early December, but Murai expressed concern about bringing forward the start of the 2022 campaign due to freezing winter temperatures in large parts of Japan.

"It would be quite difficult to simply kick off early," he said. "There's a lot of snow around in January and February. We could tweak the schedule to some degree, but there are parts of Japan where you just can't play football in January or February.

"We would have to cram the schedule in the middle of the season," he added. "As a result, beginning the season in March and finishing at the start of November will be a tough logistical challenge for Japan."

Fifa has come under fire over the choice of Qatar as 2022 hosts and if the taskforce's proposal is rubber-stamped in Zurich, it is likely to spark renewed criticism from European leagues, despite Uefa's support for a winter World Cup.

Summer temperatures in Qatar can exceed 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), raising fears a summer tournament would endanger the health of players and fans.

"Europe has its own challenges," said Murai. "Usually the World Cup comes at the end of their season. In Japan we have two months of snow in winter. Germany has a winter break but England doesn't have one. They will all have scheduling issues too of course.

"We still have some time until 2022. In the really remote, snowy areas, Japan needs to make efforts to build more training grounds, roofed facilities and modernise stadiums to make it easier to play in winter, so it's a challenge that could result in being a positive for Japan."

Wenger Hails Arsenal Win Over Everton As “Significant”

Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal’s win over Everton will be significant in their race for the top four.

Goals from Olivier Giroud and Tomas Rosicky secured a 2-0 success for the Gunners, as they went third and closed the gap on Manchester City in second to just four points.

It came on the back of a dismal Champions League showing against Monaco in midweek, which saw the home side start somewhat nervy against Everton.

And while Wenger admits the display was far from perfect – he refused to play down the importance of the three points.

“You could see we suffered on Wednesday night against Monaco and that was still in our mind but we were patient, that got us a good chance and we got a good win today,” he told BBC Sport.

“We were a bit cautious. We just wanted to do our job and win. I am very happy with the mental aspect of our response.

“With the ball we could do better but the win was the focus today. We just needed the win because the result was very significant for the rest of the season.

“It is tight at the top of the table. It is down to consistency.

Chelsea fans caught in new racism claims

British police said on Monday they had launched an investigation into reports of racist behaviour by Chelsea fans, weeks after their supporters were filmed blocking a black man from boarding a Paris Metro train.

British Transport Police were called to deal with claims that fans were behaving in a racist and abusive manner on a train from London to Manchester, northwest England.

Officers boarded the train in Stoke, central England, and asked four men to leave, according to a police spokesman. Four more fans left voluntarily.

"Shortly after 10.30pm on Sunday, 1 March, officers were called to meet a Euston to Manchester Piccadilly train at Stoke, following reports of racist and abusive behaviour by a number of passengers, said to be football fans," explained the spokesman.

"Officers asked four men to leave the train at Stoke. We have spoken to two witnesses, and investigations continue."

Premier League giants Chelsea had been playing in the League Cup final at London's Wembley Stadium, in which they beat local rivals Tottenham 2-0.

Footage posted online last month showed supporters blocking a man named as Souleymane S from boarding a train in the French capital and chanting: "We're racist and that's the way we like it".

The incident ahead of their Champions League draw with Paris St Germain sparked widespread condemnation.

Chelsea have promised to ban anyone proved to have been involved for life, while manager Jose Mourinho said the club were "appalled" by the behaviour.

British police are also seeking a group of men believed to be Chelsea supporters who were heard shouting racist chants at a London train station on their return from Paris.

Liverpool accounts show annual profit

Liverpool on Monday revealed their annual financial report showed the Premier League club have recorded a profit for the first time in seven years.

Figures released for the financial year ended May 31, 2014 show the club made a pre-tax profit of £0.9 million, which is a considerable improvement on the £49.8 million loss of the previous year.

The figures underline the progress the club have made since their takeover by Fenway Sports Group, the American investment company run by John W Henry, in 2010.

FSG inherited huge debts from previous owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and saved the club from financial catastrophe.

The latest figures, which show a 19 percent rise in revenue, also come just a week after the club were cleared of breaching Uefa's Financial Fair Play regulations following an investigation by the European governing body.

On the negative side, the club's net debt has increased by £12.2 million to £57.3 million.

Revenue has increased year on year under FSG, with the latest increase to £255.6 million attributed largely to a rise in income from the Premier League's TV deal.

The club list TV money in a media revenue category, which overall has risen by 46 percent to £100.9 million.

Commercial revenue has also increased by five percent to £103.8 million with the club having tied up seven new partnership deals.