Новости за 04.03.2018

Diego Simeone praised Lionel Messi's star quality and admitted the difficulties of repeating Atletico Madrid's "impossible" title win of 2013-14. Messi guided in a superb first-half free-kick to secure a 1-0 victory over Barca's nearest title rivals on Sunday, moving the league leaders eight points clear at the top. It was his 600th career goal and marked a major moment in the Blaugrana's bid to win LaLiga. Simeone claimed the Camp Nou result would have been reversed had Messi been on his side. Читать дальше...

Barcelona boss Ernesto Valverde admits he is unsure of how best to replace the injured Andres Iniesta in his starting XI. Iniesta is a doubt for the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie with Chelsea on March 14 after sustaining a hamstring problem in the 1-0 win over Atletico Madrid. The 33-year-old attempted to play through the injury before he eventually made way for Andre Gomes in the 36th minute. And with Philippe Coutinho ineligible for European competition, Chelsea's visit to Camp... Читать дальше...

Bayern Munich coach Jupp Heynckes heaped praise on his "flawless" side after they opened up a 20-point lead at the summit of the Bundesliga on Sunday. A resounding 4-0 win over Freiburg marked a return to winning ways after last weekend's surprise 0-0 draw with Hertha Berlin and took them one step closer to a sixth consecutive Bundesliga title. An Alexander Schwolow own goal and stunning Corentin Tolisso strike gave them a two-goal lead at the break before Sandro Wagner and Thomas Muller added gloss to the scoreline after the interval. Читать дальше...

Antonio Conte responded to the claim Chelsea committed "a crime against football" with their display against Manchester City by stating that an attacking approach would have been stupid. Chelsea did not register a single shot on target across 90 minutes of the 1-0 defeat at the Etihad Stadium, with Eden Hazard, Pedro and Willian barely involved as City controlled proceedings throughout. Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp was highly critical of what he branded "anti-football" from the Blues, but Conte... Читать дальше...

Chelsea boss Antonio Conte paid tribute to "fantastic guy" Davide Astori, who he coached during his time in charge of Italy. Astori, 31, was found dead in his hotel room ahead of Fiorentina's match at Udinese on Sunday, with all Serie A matches consequently postponed. The cause of the defender's death remains unclear, but an autopsy is due to be conducted while the rest of the squad fly back to Florence. Astori earned four of his 14 Italy caps under Conte between 2014 and 2016. "[The news] really hurt me. Читать дальше...

Lionel Messi celebrated yet another milestone on Sunday with his 600th career goal as Barcelona met Atletico Madrid in a crucial top-of-the-table LaLiga clash. The 30-year-old came into the game at Camp Nou on 599 for club and country and reached the latest landmark of a phenomenal career in the 26th minute. After being brought down by Thomas Partey 25 yards out, Messi curled a sumptuous trademark free-kick over the wall and into the top-right corner, Jan Oblak unable to keep it out despite getting a hand to the effort. Читать дальше...

Arsenal ended a difficult week in miserable fashion as they lost 2-1 to Brighton and Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Sunday. First-half goals from Lewis Dunk and Glenn Murray secured all three points for the home side, despite Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang halving the deficit before the break. The result is certain to pile more pressure on Gunners manager Arsene Wenger, who was the subject of angry chants from visiting fans demanding his departure. Arsenal went into the match on the back of consecutive... Читать дальше...

Fiorentina captain Davide Astori was found dead in his hotel room at the age of 31 on Sunday. The tragic news prompted the postponement of all the day's Serie A matches, including Fiorentina's game away to Udinese. An AC Milan youth product, Astori enjoyed his best years with Cagliari and later in Florence.  The defender was also capped 14 times by Italy and scored once for the Azzurri, at the Confederations Cup in Brazil in 2013.  Here, we look at Astori's career from his development in the academy... Читать дальше...

Ashley Young insists Manchester United have not been in awe of Manchester City's performances this season. Pep Guardiola's side won the EFL Cup final against Arsenal last week and are cruising towards the Premier League title, with a 15-point lead at the top ahead of their meeting with champions Chelsea on Sunday. Barring a dramatic collapse in the coming weeks, it will be the second time City have been crowned champions in the last five seasons, while United have not been close to a title triumph since Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013. Читать дальше...

Believe it or not, some footballers have transitioned successfully to the acting world. Vinnie Jones isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but he’s carved out a niche for himself as a stone-faced hatchet man (a real stretch). Eric Cantona also just plays himself in his most acclaimed role,Looking for Eric, but does so with panache. Plus he’s great in those beer adverts.Cantona’s countryman Frank Leboeuf actually featured in an Oscar-winning film, playing a doctor in Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything. Читать дальше...

Chelsea star Eden Hazard says Kevin De Bruyne has become one of the best players in the world at Manchester City. The midfielder has been the standout performer in an exceptional City side this season, with 11 goals and 19 assists in all competitions. Hazard, who will face his Belgium team-mate at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, believes De Bruyne is thriving given the confidence with which he plays in Pep Guardiola's side. "He's fantastic," Hazard told Sky Sports. "He's clever on and off the pitch. Читать дальше...

Lokomotiv Moscow star Manuel Fernandes insisted he is focused on winning titles in Russia and representing Portugal at this year's World Cup following interest from Serie A giants Inter. Fernandes has enjoyed a re-emergence in 2017-18, scoring two hat-tricks in the Europa League, while he was pursued by Inter in January. But the 32-year-old, who has had spells with Benfica, Everton, Valencia and Besiktas in his career, is determined to lead Lokomotiv to glory, despite the Nerazzurri's enquiry. In an interview with Omnisport... Читать дальше...

Western Sydney Wanderers earned an important point in their bid to secure a finals spot, drawing 1-1 with Perth Glory in the A-League on Sunday. Mark Bridge's opener for the Wanderers at Spotless Stadium was cancelled out by a Xavi Torres penalty as the game's only goals came in the opening 13 minutes. Both teams had their chances to find a winner but had to settle for a draw, a result that suited the sixth-placed Wanderers more than their visitors, who had goalkeeper Liam Reddy sent off late. With five games remaining in the regular season... Читать дальше...

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri feels Juventus are clear favourites to win Serie A after his team's loss to Roma on Saturday. The league leaders suffered a 4-2 loss at the Stadio San Paolo and, while they hold a one-point advantage at the top, Juve have a game in hand. Sarri said his side would do their best to make life difficult for Juventus, who have won six straight league titles, but he feels Massimiliano Allegri's men are favourites. "We have the power to make it difficult for Juventus in the title race," he told Mediaset Premium. Читать дальше...

Toronto's MLS title defence started with a surprise loss, while Houston Dynamo opened the season with a resounding win on Saturday. Last season's champions, Toronto suffered a 2-0 defeat to the Columbus Crew at BMO Field. Goals either side of half-time from Federico Higuain and Gyasi Zardes saw Columbus to their victory. Higuain volleyed in the opener in the 44th minute, getting on the end of a Milton Valenzuela cross from the left. Just 52 seconds into the second half and it was 2-0, Zardes... Читать дальше...

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised Loris Karius and feels he would be proven an "idiot" if the goalkeeper was not a good shot-stopper. Karius kept a clean sheet as Klopp's side recorded a 2-0 win over Newcastle United in the Premier League on Saturday. The German goalkeeper has become first choice at Anfield, having arrived from Mainz in 2016. Klopp said he had been pleased with the progress the 24-year-old Karius has made since joining the club. "Look, if he was not a good goalkeeper I would... Читать дальше...