Lautaro Martinez headed a late winner as Inter beat Torino 2-1 to move nine points clear at the top of Serie A.
Martinez steered substitute Alexis Sanchez’s cross into the corner with five minutes left to secure Inter’s eighth successive league victory.
Antonio Sanabria had earlier levelled for Torino after Romelu Lukaku opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
Second-placed AC Milan missed the chance to narrow the gap to six points when they lost 1-0 against Napoli.
The home side had the best chance of a scrappy first half when defender Lyanco headed Simone Verdi’s free-kick against the post.
Inter created little before they were awarded a penalty just after an hour when Armando Izzo barged into the back of Martinez, with Lukaku sending goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu the wrong way for his 23rd goal of the season.
Torino were level just seven minutes later when Antonio Sanabria forced the ball home from close range after a scramble at a corner.
That looked to be enough to earn Torino a point before Martinez beat Sirigu from eight yards for his 15th goal of the season.
Manchester United needed a Craig Dawson own goal to overcome West Ham and strengthen their grip on a Champions League place.
On loan from Watford, Dawson has been outstanding in the Hammers’ push for a top-four slot but settled the contest in the wrong way at the start of the second half as he turned Bruno Fernandes’ corner into his own net under pressure from Scott McTominay at the near post.
Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood also went close in a one-sided contest as West Ham failed to threaten until Said Benrahma’s introduction after an hour.
When the visitors finally pushed forward, Luke Shaw got in the way of Tomas Soucek’s goalbound shot as United kept a fourth successive clean sheet for the first time under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The result kept United in second but with the teams from fourth to seventh all failing to win this weekend, they now have a nine-point advantage over West Ham, who remain fifth, but do have a match in hand.
Cristiano Ronaldo scored the second-fastest hat-trick of his career, beaten only by the 20-minute treble he scored for Real Madrid against Espanyol in September 2015
Cristiano Ronaldo scored a hat-trick inside the opening 32 minutes as Juventus bounced back from their midweek Champions League exit by beating Cagliari 3-1.
Ronaldo, 36, opened the scoring with a header before a right-footed penalty and a drilled, left-footed finish completed a ‘perfect’ treble.
Giovanni Simeone pulled a goal back for Cagliari in the second half.
Juventus stay third but are now three points clear of fourth-placed Atalanta.
Ronaldo came in for some criticism afterย Juventus’ extra-time defeat against Portoย on Tuesday, the second year in a row they have been knocked out at the last-16 stage. But this performance was a reminder of just how devastating the former Manchester United forward can be.
He rose unmarked to meet Juan Cuadrado’s corner to send a towering header beyond Alessio Cragno after just 10 minutes, before drawing a foul from the goalkeeper for a penalty which he converted 15 minutes later.
The third goal was vintage Ronaldo, collecting Federico Chiesa’s pass just inside the area, shimmying away from a defender and powering the ball into the top corner.
Cagliari, who are just two points clear of the relegation zone, improved in the second half and got on the scoresheet when Simeone slid home Gabriele Zappa’s cross from the right.
Ronaldo could have scored his fourth goal with virtually the last kick of the game, but Cragno did well to rush out and block.
Elsewhere, Lautaro Martinez scored a late winner as Inter beat Torino 2-1 to move nine points clear at the top, while second-placed AC Milan were beaten 1-0 at home to Napoli
Arsenal came from behind to secure a fully deserved north London derby win and inflict damage on Tottenham’s hopes of a place in the Premier League’s top four.
The Gunners were vastly superior until a Spurs rally in the closing stages but fell behind to a piece of genius from Erik Lamela – on for the injured Son Heung-Min – when he curved a magnificent rabona finish beyond Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno in the 33rd minute.
Arsenal, who had seen Emile Smith Rowe’s long-range shot smack against the bar, then suffered more ill-luck when Cedric Soares hit the post, but were level on the stroke of half-time when Martin Odegaard’s effort was deflected out of the reach of Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris.
Mikel Arteta’s side continued to dominate a largely dreadful Spurs and took the lead from the penalty spot after 64 minutes when Alexandre Lacazette missed his kick but was fouled by Davinson Sanchez.
Lacazette recovered to send Lloris the wrong way for his 12th goal of the season.
Spurs’ day got worse when Lamela was sent off for a second yellow card, shown by referee Michael Oliver for a hand-off into the face of Kieran Tierney with 14 minutes left.
But they almost snatched a point in the closing moments when Harry Kane’s free-kick bounced off the post, with Arsenal defender Gabriel heading Sanchez’s goal-bound shot off the line from the rebound.
Arsenal, who dropped captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for the game for disciplinary reasons, stay in 10th place but Spurs are now six points adrift of Chelsea in fourth, although with a game in hand.
UEFA have appointed Dutch referee Danny Makkelie as the man in charge of Tuesdayโs match between Real Madrid and Atalanta in the UEFA Champions Leagueโs Round of 16.
Danny Makkelie will referee the game betweenย Real Madridย and Atalanta at theย Alfredo Di Stรฉfano stadium, in the return leg of theย Champions Leagueย Last-16 tie (Tuesday, 9pm CET). The Dutch match official will refereeย Zidaneโs side for the first time in this competition.
Real Madrid have a 1-0 lead on aggregate, so any win and any draw would give them the ticket to advance to the Quarterfinals.
While the score on the first leg definitely makes Realโs job much easier, Los Blancos will still need to play with composure and effort. Atalanta have been improving in recent weeks and are a powerful offensive team, so it will be important for Madrid to be a solid defensive team on Tuesday.
Have Real Madrid reached the turning point with injuries?
The return game with Atlรฉtico at the Wanda last weekend seems to have been the turning point for Real Madrid as far as injuries are concerned.
Itโs a brighter picture all around for Zinedine Zidane. The stats donโt lie, and the number of players returning to fitness has increased since then. The coach included both Eden Hazard and Sergio Ramos in the squad against Elche yesterday, leaving Mariano Dรญaz and Dani Carvajal as the only two players currently unavailable through injury.
Itโs a far cry from the situation a month ago when Real Madrid had Nacho, Rodrygo, Fede Valverde, รlvaro Odriozola, Marcelo, Eder Militรฃo and Dani Carvajal all out with various injuries in addition to Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard.
Apart from Sergio Ramos making a welcome return to the team against Elche, another bonus for Real Madrid was Eden Hazard making an appearance from the bench in the 75th minute.
To say heโs not had the best of seasons would be the understatement of the year, but even though heโs taken a battering in the media, support from Zinedine Zidane and particularly the Belgian national team coach Roberto Martรญnez has been unwavering.
That says a lot in itself. Coaches can be quick to criticise playersโ injury records, yet thatโs never been the case where Zidane is concerned. The coach has always been a model of patience whenever discussions centred on Eden Hazard.
Occasions when Zidaneโs frustrations have surfaced in the past have been notably few and far between.
Likewise, Roberto Martรญnez has never been one to hesitate in saying his piece about Eden Hazardโs injury problems. As a physiotherapist himself, Roberto knows more than most about the challenges that players face.
Accordingly, he is also well aware that there is a constant demand for players to return to the team at the earliest opportunity.
It would have been easy for Zidane to take the approach favoured by several other high-profile coaches when asked about injuries.
Some coaches donโt appear to think twice about targeting their frustrations towards the medical teams or even the players themselves in an attempt to justify poor performances or results on the field.
Thereโs no doubt that injuries have been a significant issue at the club this season, and a classic example of this is the number of injuries that affect certain players more than others.
Dani Carvajal has suffered in this respect because players are often most at risk of injury when they have been out for a while, and like Eden Hazard, it is becoming a season for Dani to forget.
His recent injury, sustained in the Valencia game, has kept Dani on the side-lines since February. As discussed on previous occasions, the more this happens, the more difficult it becomes for players to return with the confidence that the same thing wonโt happen again.
People often say that a team is at its most vulnerable defensively immediately after theyโve scored, and the same can apply to players returning from injury.
Making that transition from full-scale practice matches on the training ground can be a difficult gap to bridge when you take into account the differences in intensity between training games and proper league or cup fixtures.
The two may not seem to differ much with the empty stadiums and lack of atmosphere, but playing against outside opposition results in a higher intensity of competition than taking part in games against your teammates ever will.
However hard players may appear to be competing, thereโs always the likelihood that they wonโt go in for challenges in training in the same way they would do in a competitive fixture, either for fear of inflicting an injury on a colleague or even themselves.
The latter happens when people are in their final stages of training before making a return to competitive play and may be hesitant about making full-blooded challenges, either subconsciously or otherwise. Either way, the real test of fitness comes when the game starts.
Moving forward, Zinedine Zidane will likely spend his Sunday by assessing the progress of those who returned against Elche with Tuesdayโs game against Atalanta in mind.
Neither Marcelo or รlvaro Odriozola were in the squad for Elche, so on that basis, it will be interesting to see who Zidane includes to face the Italian club on Tuesday.
His main worry at the moment will be whether anyone has picked up minor injuries on Saturday. If so, the question will be if these are likely to respond to treatment in the next 48 hours.
The Welsh attacker has been impressive for Tottenham in recent weeks and Mourinho tried to explain why it took him so long.
Tottenham manager and formerย Real Madridย coach Jose Mourinho talked to the press about Gareth Bale, who has been completing quality performances for the London-based club lately, even if it took him almost an entire half of the season to reach that kind of level. bale is still a Real Madrid player, so his current performances could eventually decide his future if Tottenham are interested in prolonging his current loan deal for another season.
โFor the last two years, he had what he had in Madrid. Ask Real Madrid, then maybe you will understand why it took him time to reach this good form. Maybe staying patient was the main reason why he was able to show his level in the last two weeks,โ said Mourinho.
If Tottenham decide not to keep Bale for another season, it wonโt be easy for Real Madrid to find him a new club willing to pay his salary, especially when he is set to become a free agent in the summer of 2022.
Right now, Real Madrid fans should want Bale to keep performing this way so that Tottenham think the loan deal is worth another season.
Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane says he is unsure whether captain Sergio Ramos will stay at the club.
Centre-back Ramos, 34, is out of contract at the end of the season.
The Spain international has won four Champions League, four Club World Cups and five La Liga titles in 16 years at the Bernabeu since arriving from Sevilla in 2005.
“I want to be honest and I have to say I don’t know what’s going to happen with him,” Zidane said.
“We want him to stay here. He’s always going to be an important player and I want him to remain here, that’s what I’ll say as a coach.”
Ramos, who has scored 100 goals in 668 appearances for Real, has said he wants to remain at Real.
Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho says he is concerned only with challenging for the Premier League top four, and not North London rivals Arsenal, before their meeting on Sunday.
Mourinhoโs side are seven points above the Gunners going into the match at Emirates Stadium.
They have finished above their rivals for the past four seasons.
“I look up, I don’t look down. If Arsenal was seven points ahead of us, I would look to them,” said Mourinho.
“But because we have seven points more than them, I don’t look down.โ
Tottenham are seventh in the table and sit five points behind Chelsea, who occupy the Premier Leagueโs fourth and final Champions League place.
They have won their past five games in all competitions by an aggregate score of 15-1, following a 4-1 win against Crystal Palace last weekend and Thursdayโs 2-0 Europa League last-16 first-leg win over Dinamo Zagreb.
โWe look always to the next match. If instead of Arsenal it was Villa or Newcastle, the next matches we’re going to play [with] exactly the same feeling,โ added Mourinho, who has won both his meetings with Arsenal as Spurs manager.
“We feel we’re better than the position we have in the table and we want to improve our position so we need points for that.
โIt doesn’t matter the opponent, doesn’t matter if it is a London derby. It’s a Premier League match, three points are there to fight for and that’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Addressing his history with Arsenal and rivalry with former Gunners boss Arsene Wenger when in charge at Chelsea and Manchester United, Mourinho said: “I want to be respectful, I don’t want to go in that direction.โ
He added: โIn spite of the rivalry between us and Arsenal I want to be respectful. Arsenal is a big club with a big history, a little bit like us they’re trying to build a better future. I have total respect for them.”
Zinedine Zidane spoke to the media on Friday lunchtime, previewing Real Madridโs Saturday afternoon clash with Elche and answering questions a wide range of topics. Discussing the game itself, he said: โThere are no easy games. We know our opponents are in the lower half of the table, but theyโre a good team.
Theyโve had a lot of good games in this season, with their new coach too. So, we know we need to play a good game to take the three points. Weโve welcomed back Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard for tomorrowโs game. They could have minutes, but I wonโt reveal my line-up now of course.โ
Coach Zidane was asked about Christiano Ronaldo especially on the possibility of his return to Real Madrid. On that, Zidane said: โYou know what Cristiano Ronaldo means for Real Madrid. You know the affection we have for him at Real Madrid. What he did here was magnificent. Right now heโs a Juventus player and heโs doing really well there. I canโt say anything about all the many things they say. I can only say that he is a Juventus player and we have to respect that.โ
Real Madrid is on the lookout for Erling Haaland despite the fact that other clubs are arguably interested.
Erling Barut Haaland
Erling Haaland – who by the way is the fastest player to reach 20 Champions League goals, might be the new No 1 target for Real Madrid this summer, since he is probably a more possible signing than Kylian Mbappe.
However, there is a good chance thatย Barcelona might be in the race for his signingย as well. Borussia Dortmundโs finances arenโt the best theyโve been and this gives Los Blancos some hope for the move. On the other hand, Barcelonaโs financial situation is well known, and they might have to sell before they can fund such a move for the young star.
Let’s keep our fingers crossed. It will be interesting to see how this yearโs transfer saga plays out.
The Blaugrana were extremely wasteful in the last 16 as their hopes of qualifying for the quarter finals evaporated
Antoine Griezmann
Antoine Griezmann has revealed the regret in Barcelona’s dressing room after their inability to cash in on first-half chances doomed them to a 5-2 aggregate defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League last 16.
The forward said the team deserved better following its “big” second-leg performance that ended 1-1 despite the Catalans owning 72 per cent of possession and putting 10 shots on target.
In addition to an array ofย opportunities from open play, including one that saw Sergino Dest have an effort tipped on to the post, Lionel Messi had a spot kick blocked by Keylor Navas.
“We don’t deserve to leave so soon in Champions League, neither do the fans, but that’s the way it is,”
“They didn’t know how to defend,” the attacker added to RMC Sport. “There is this incredible goal from Leo and then the penalty. But Navas was amazing.
“We played a big game, especially in the first half.
โWe can have regrets about going there. It’s a shame but that’s how it is, this is football, this is the Champions League.
“We have [Messi], we have possession, we knew we were going to have chances but we didn’t know how to put them [away]. There is still a long way to go to finish the season.”
Griezmann also commented on his inconsistent playing time of late at Barcelona, dismissing speculation he’s unhappy.
โSometimes I am on the bench, sometimes I play 90 minutes,” he said. “I am at the service of the team. I’m trying to have fun and prepare well for the end of the season including the Eurosย because we have a big competition ahead of us with the national team.”
Egypt and Senegal internationals inspired Jurgen Kloppโs men to the quarter-finals of the European competition
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane scored to help Liverpool secure a 2-0 victory over RB Leipzig in Wednesdayโs Champions League game.
The victory at Anfield helped the Reds advance into the quarter-finals of the European competition on a 4-0 aggregate after securing a 2-0 win in the first leg.
Salah has been the standout performer for the Reds this season and against the Red Bulls, he shone to ensure his side progressed in the tournament. Mane was afforded his eighth appearance in the Champions League this season and utilized the opportunity to add to his tally.
RB Leipzig dominated the first half of the game but failed to get the ball into the back of the net, missing a few chances which they paid for in the second half.
After the restart, Liverpool seemed to awake from their slumber as they pressed aggressively for the opener.
Their efforts paid off when Salah broke the deadlock in the 70th minute after receiving a timely assist from Diogo Jota.
The Egypt international, thus, took his goal tally to 25 this season, scoring the most across all competitions among the Premier League stars.
Four minutes later, Mane doubled Liverpoolโs lead with a fine effort after benefitting from Divock Origiโs assist.The forward has now bagged 12 goals in the knock-out stage of the elite European competition since he made his
debut and only Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has scored more than him since the 2017-18 season.
Mane has now scored 12 goals and provided five assists across all competitions in the 2020-21 campaign for Liverpool.
Salah was recently rewarded for his impressive goalscoring form, winning Liverpool’s Goal of the Month for February and has now clinched the individual accolade six times on the bounce.
The forward along with Mane will hope to continue their impressive performances in front of goal when the Reds take on Wolverhampton Wanderers in their next league game on March 15.
Real Madridย defender Raphael Varane is considering a departure from the club as soon as next summer, according to a report published on AS. Varaneโs contract expires in the summer of 2022 and Real Madrid would sell the player this summer if he refuses to sign a contract extension with Los Blancos, per that same report.
Varane is 28 years old and Real Madrid donโt want to lose him as a free agent in 2022 when they could cash in some money for him this summer. That said, selling Varane is not a priority and it would only be done if the defender proves that he doesnโt want to extend his contract.
Itโs been more than 10 years since Real Madrid signed Varane away from Lens for โฌ10 million, and while that deal definitely paid off, it would be a pity to lose him in the current financial context now that he has reached his peak as a player.
The French defender is probably trying to get a better deal than his current contract, but if he truly wants to find a new challenge Real Madrid should probably sell and then focus on finding a replacement in the transfer market.
ASโ report mentions Alaba, Joules Kounde and Pau Torres as the main candidates to join Real Madrid if Varane leaves the club this summer.
Sergio Ramos and Eden Hazard completed Wednesdayโs training session with the rest of Real Madridโs squad as they have recovered from their respective injuries. Both of them should be ready to play when Madrid face Elche this Saturday.
Sergio Ramos
Mariano Diaz and Dani Carvajal are now the two only injured players for Madrid, who have recovered most of the depth they lost during the last weeks and will be able to rely on a very strong team when they take on Atalanta in the return leg of the Champions League.
All things considered, coach Zinedine Zidane will likely take a cautious approach with both of them. Varane and Nacho have been getting the job done defensively and Hazardโs issues with muscle injuries are problematic enough to make sure that he is slowly worked back into the team.
Furthermore, Ramosโ injury was a serious one, so it would be better for both Real Madrid and the defender to be patient.
It was a gathering of football stars in Port Harcourt on Tuesday when Minister of Youth and sports Development, Mr Sunday Dare unveiled the Real Madrid Football Academy.
While commissioning the academy that combines football with education, the minister gave the assurance that the institution would not only create jobs, but produce world class future stars.
Dare said from time immemorial, Rivers State had a reputation for producing notable sports people like the Great Jaja of Opobo, Alfred Diette Spiff, Justice Karibe Whyte, foremostย viriologist Professor Tam David West as well as two Sports Ministers Alabo Graham Douglas and Tammy Danagogo.
He said โTodayโs event is therefore not only epochal but special and monumental. Iโmย confident that the Real Madrid Academy willย produce fantastic playersย in the mould of Paul Hamilton,ย Justice Adokiye Amaesimaka,ย Jossy Dombraye,ย Taribo West, Furo Iyenemi andย Nigeriaโsย most cappedย player Josephย Yobo. The foundation for the actualisation of this dream has been laid todayโ.
Minister Dare unveils the academy
Dare went on to say that even as the duo of Emmanuel Amuneke and Gbenga Okunowo had played for Real Madrid bitter rivals Barcelona, no Nigerian has played for the Galaticos.
He, however, opined that the brand new academy could change that trajectory by producing new Raul Gonzalez, Roberto Carlos, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo and a host of others.โ
The minister, therefore, assured the Rivers State Government of the unflinching support of the Federal Ministry of Youth and sports Development to ensureย the implementation of the academyโsย mandate.
It will be recalled that the Real Madrid Football Academy, Port-Harcourt was founded in 2019 by the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike having been given the Franchise to operate by the Real Madrid Foundation.
The Round of 16 games of our much-loved competition continue on Wednesday. More specifically, weโve got:
Liverpool vs RB Leipzig (current agg. 2-0), and of course
Paris Saint Germain VS Barcelona (current agg. 4-1)
Thereโs probably little point in asking which one most of us are more interested in. It will be quite interesting to see whether Barcelona can pile the pressure on PSG and pull a comeback likeย thatย comeback, though this Paris Saint Germain team have a point to prove and wonโt easily let qualification slip through their fingers.
As for the other game, it may be unwise to consider the job done already, as Liverpool have been anything but commendable at home lately and Leipzig are aย veryย decent team. All in all, this ought to be an interesting night of football (or day, depending on where you live).
So whatโs your take? What do you think will happen in these games?
Brazil’s iconic Maracana stadium is to be named in honour of the country’s legendary footballer Pele.
The move follows a vote by the Rio de Janeiro state legislature to change the venue’s name to the Edson Arantes do Nascimento – Rei Pele stadium.
Edson Arantes do Nascimento is the 80-year-old’s full name, while Rei means king in Portuguese.
The Rio de Janeiro’s state governor must approve the name change before it becomes official.
Pele, who won three World Cups as a player for Brazil, scored his 1,000th goal at the stadium in 1969 when playing for Santos against Vasco da Gama.
The Maracana held the 1950 and 2014 World Cup finals, as well as the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympics.
More than 200,000 spectators are reported to have been in the stadium to watch Uruguay beat Brazil in the 1950 final, although its capacity is now 78,838.
It was named after Mario Filho, a journalist who lobbied for its construction in the 1940s, but was known as the Maracana after the area in which it is located.
John Barnes scored one of England’s most iconic goals against Brazil in 1984 at the Maracana
Manchester United striker Edinson Cavani “does not feel comfortable” and could move back to his native South America, his father said.
The Uruguay international, 34, joined United on a free transfer last October on an initial one-year deal having left Paris St-Germain.
He has scored seven goals in 25 appearances this season.
“There is a 60% chance that Edinson will come to South America,” Luis Cavani told the TyC Sports network.
Edison Cavani
However, on Tuesday night Cavani posted a photo on his Instagram account of him playing for United with the caption “proud to wear this shirt”.
In the interview with TyC Sports Luis Cavani said: “We are very anxious. We have always been to visit him, he has been in very beautiful places where people have received him very well.
“He has made himself loved, he has made many friends, but today he does not feel comfortable where he is.
“He has been thinking for more than two years that he wants to be closer to his family and that is the reason why I think Edi is going to end up playing for a team from here in South America.”
Cavani’s father said he could move to Boca Juniors in Argentina.
“I know that he would like to play and be close to his country, so that we could be closer to him,” Cavani senior added.Edinson Cavani missed Manchester United’s win over Manchester City on Sunday through injury
Sergio Oliveira’s 115th-minute goal shocked Juventus to send Porto through in a stunning Champions League round of 16 tie despite a 3-2 second-leg win for the Italian side.
Oliveira’s long-range free-kick deep into the second half of extra time went through the legs of Cristiano Ronaldo in the Juventus wall to make it 2-2 on the night and give Porto the lead over two legs.
Adrien Rabiot’s thumping header two minutes later gave Juventus hope, only for Porto goalkeeper Agustin Marchesin to produce a stunning save in the final moments to ensure the Portuguese champions advanced on away goals.
Porto had opened up a 3-1 aggregate lead through Oliveira’s 19th-minute penalty after Merih Demiral brought down Porto’s Mehdi Taremi.
But Juventus’ Federico Chiesa found the far corner from a tight angle in the 49th minute before Taremi was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away.
And Chiesa headed in a Juan Cuadrado cross after 63 minutes to level the tie on aggregate.
It looked Juventus would capitalise on their man advantage but Porto defended superbly to take the match extra time where Oliveira’s decided the tie.
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