Новости за 18.03.2018

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte hailed the "character" of Alvaro Morata to overcome his long scoring drought in the FA Cup quarter-final success against Leicester City. Spain striker Morata broke the deadlock with a well-taken finish in the 42nd minute as last season's beaten finalists prevailed 2-1 in extra time. It was his first goal of any kind in 2018, marking a successful return to the starting XI having been overlooked for the last three matches. The 25-year-old went close to a second on a... Читать дальше...

Diego Simeone has accepted responsibility for the dramatic late loss at Villarreal that leaves Atletico Madrid's LaLiga title hopes hanging by a thread. Antoine Griezmann's controversial penalty looked to have given Atletico a 1-0 win to cut Barcelona's lead at the top of the table to eight points. But after Greizmann was substituted, having missed a great chance to seal the points, Unal stuck twice in the last 10 minutes to snatch victory for the hosts. Simeone's options were restricted by injuries to full-backs Juanfran and Filipe Luis... Читать дальше...

Borussia Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc has confirmed that the Bundesliga club are unlikely to make a decision regarding Peter Stoger's future until later in the season. Stoger, appointed at Signal Iduna Park until the end of the campaign in the wake of Peter Bosz's sacking, has guided the club to third place but also oversaw their elimination from the Europa League at the hands of RB Salzburg.  And, speaking to Eurosport prior to Dortmund's 1-0 victory over Hannover, Zorc acknowledged... Читать дальше...

Leicester City boss Claude Puel refused to criticise goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel despite his late blunder which enabled Chelsea to secure a 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium. Schmeichel came charging off his line on the stroke of half-time in extra-time, making it a more straightforward task for Pedro to nod in N'Golo Kante's speculative cross and give Chelsea a place in the FA Cup semi-finals. The Denmark international was earlier beaten by Alvaro Morata's first goal since Boxing Day before Jamie... Читать дальше...

Enes Unal came off the bench to score two late goals for Villarreal, denying Atletico Madrid victory and dealing Diego Simeone's men a huge blow in LaLiga's title race. Antoine Griezmann's controversial penalty had Atletico on track for a 12th win in 13 games in all competitions, the striker scoring from 12 yards at Estadio de la Ceramica after he was harshly adjudged to be brought down by Jaume Costa. Jan Oblak had been mostly untested in the Atletico goal but when Alvaro Gonzalez stood up a fine right-wing cross to the back post... Читать дальше...

Manchester United have been drawn against Tottenham in the FA Cup semi-finals while Chelsea are set to face outsiders Southampton. The four remaining clubs - all from the Premier League - learned their fate following Chelsea's extra-time win over Leicester City on Sunday. That kept alive the Blues' hopes of redeeming last year's final defeat to Arsenal, but first they will need to get past Southampton, who saw off third-tier Wigan Athletic in the quarter-finals. However, the majority of attention... Читать дальше...

Nikola Kalinic must improve his training standards if he is to return to AC Milan's first-team fold, Gennaro Gattuso has warned. Croatia striker Kalinic was excluded from Milan's 23-man matchday squad for the hard-earned 3-2 home win over Chievo on Sunday. Andre Silva and fellow young forward Patrick Cutrone were both on target to further jeopardise Kalinic's hopes of reclaiming his place in attack. The 30-year-old has only scored four competitive goals since his off-season move from Fiorentina... Читать дальше...

Lionel Messi is the inspiration behind Barcelona's charge towards a possible treble of LaLiga, Champions League and Copa del Rey titles, according to Paco Alcacer. The duo were on target as Barca cruised to a routine 2-0 win over Athletic Bilbao at Camp Nou on Sunday, Ernesto Valverde's men moving a step closer to regaining domestic glory from Real Madrid. Alcacer converted Jordi Alba's cutback in the eighth minute and Messi fired home from the edge of the box on the half-hour as Barca followed... Читать дальше...

Inter striker Mauro Icardi holds no grudge against Argentina coach Jorge Sampaoli for not selecting for him for upcoming friendlies, acknowledging others are more deserving of international recognition at the moment. Argentina face Italy and Spain in international friendlies on March 23 and 27, with Icardi not featuring as the Albiceleste prepare for the World Cup. An injury to Sergio Aguero appeared to offer him some hope of receiving a late call-up, but Sampaoli instead opted for Atletico Madrid forward Angel Correa. Читать дальше...

Mark Hughes backed his Southampton players to defy their critics and end the season on a high after they beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 in his first game as manager. Goals from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Cedric Soares helped the Saints overcome League One Wigan in their FA Cup quarter-final at DW Stadium, Hughes' men improving dramatically in the second half to turn the game in their favour. Southampton remain third bottom of the Premier League, but Hughes told reporters he was excited by what he had seen... Читать дальше...

Nice expect Mario Balotelli to leave the club when the striker's contract expires at the end of the season. Balotelli has scored 22 goals in all competitions this season, 14 of which have come in Ligue 1, but Nice are eighth and unlikely to qualify for Europe. The 27-year-old's agent Mino Raiola has suggested Serie A title contenders Napoli would be "ideal" for his client, but leaders Juventus have confirmed they are not interested in Balotelli. Nice president Jean-Pierre Rivere and coach Lucien... Читать дальше...

Marcel Halstenberg has extended his contract with RB Leipzig, the Germany defender committing his future to the Bundesliga club through to 2022. Halstenberg is recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury that is expected to rule him out of being named in Joachim Low's World Cup squad. But Leipzig, who are battling to qualify for the Champions League for the second season running, have moved to tie the left-back down to fresh terms. "I feel incredibly well here and I am full of anticipation... Читать дальше...

Monchi says Roma are yet to receive an offer for star goalkeeper Alisson and do not fear losing the Brazil international. Alisson has established himself as one of Europe's top goalkeepers this season, playing a key role in Roma's run to the Champions League quarter-finals. His form has reportedly attracted the attention of Liverpool and Real Madrid, but sporting director Monchi insists there is nothing in rumours of bids as of yet. "We are not afraid of losing Alisson," Monchi told Mediaset Premium's Serie A Live. Читать дальше...

Having offered a damning verdict of their previous performance, Inter boss Luciano Spalletti was thrilled with the reaction of his players after Mauro Icardi inspired the Nerazzurri to a resounding 5-0 victory at Sampdoria. With Ivan Perisic's first goal since December putting the visitors ahead, Icardi came to the fore against his former side, netting a 14-minute hat-trick to put the game beyond all doubt before the interval, and surpassing a century of Serie A goals in the process. The Argentina... Читать дальше...

Mauro Icardi said scoring his 100th Serie A goal against former side Sampdoria was his "destiny" after leading Inter's 5-0 rout with a haul of four. Inter blew their hosts away on Sunday, with Ivan Perisic opening the scoring before Icardi took over. The striker was given his first taste of senior football by Sampdoria before joining Inter for €6million in July 2013, where he has blossomed into one of Serie A's best attackers, as evidenced by his four-goal showing in Genoa. His first on the day... Читать дальше...

Peter Stoger feels Mario Gotze has responded well after the Borussia Dortmund coach criticised the Germany international. Stoger singled out Gotze after Dortmund's surprise Europa League exit at the hands of RB Salzburg this week, saying: "We were not at all happy with Mario." Dortmund's coach indicated Gotze failed to carry out his instructions and the playmaker has been omitted from Germany's squad for games against Spain and Brazil by Joachim Low. Stoger's men beat Hannover 1-0 in the Bundesliga... Читать дальше...

Paris Saint-Germain captain Thiago Silva is confident Neymar will remain at the Parc des Princes beyond this season. Neymar arrived from Barcelona for a world-record €222million fee but has been heavily linked with a close-season return to LaLiga, with Real Madrid said to be aiming to secure his signature. The forward is recovering from surgery on a broken metatarsal and it remains to be seen if he will be fit in time to return for the conclusion of PSG's campaign. Unai Emery's side have lost... Читать дальше...

Paris Saint-Germain deserved their Champions League defeat to Real Madrid as they have signed great individuals but not a team, according to Mario Balotelli. Unai Emery's PSG were beaten 5-2 on aggregate by European champions Madrid in the last 16, coming up well short as record signing Neymar missed the second leg with a fractured foot. And while Nice forward Balotelli concedes that Neymar's absence played a part, he was not impressed by PSG, calling their exit "shameful". "PSG are just like... Читать дальше...

Everton forward Cenk Tosun says he is glad a move to Crystal Palace fell through as it gave him the opportunity to join a "bigger club" at Goodison Park. Tosun has scored four goals in his last three games, including a match-winning brace at Stoke City on Saturday, having initially endured a slow start following his January move from Besiktas. And the Turkey international is delighted with how things are panning out at Everton as he enjoys life in the Premier League. "Crystal Palace wanted to... Читать дальше...

Mauro Icardi ended a 10-week wait for his 100th Serie A goal in style with a first-half hat-trick against his former club Sampdoria. The Inter captain has only made three appearances in that time due to injury but Sampdoria were unable to cope with the striker at Stadio Luigi Ferraris on Sunday. Icardi opened the scoring from the penalty spot to score his 100th Serie A goal, quickly adding a second with a superb backheel, a third with a powerful close-range finish and an improvised fourth shortly after the break. Читать дальше...

Real Madrid captain Sergio Ramos is absent from Zinedine Zidane's squad to face Girona in LaLiga. Madrid - fourth in the league after Valencia's win over Alaves on Saturday - have offered no explanation for Ramos' unexpected absence from the 18-man squad for Sunday's game at the Santiago Bernabeu. Jesus Vallejo returns from two months out with a hamstring injury to take Ramos' place in the squad. But there is still no place for Dani Ceballos, while Marcos Llorente also misses out against Girona, who are seventh in the table. Читать дальше...

Inter striker Mauro Icardi has reached 100 goals in Serie A, fittingly doing so against his former club Sampdoria on Sunday. The Argentina international confidently rolled home from the penalty spot on the half-hour at Stadio Luigi Ferraris to put Inter 2-0 up after Ivan Perisic's opener, Icardi bringing up his century in his 180th Serie A match. He then made it 3-0 and moved on to 101 soon after, beating Sampdoria goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano with an audacious backheel from close range. Icardi... Читать дальше...

The Championship clash between high-flying Cardiff City and fifth-placed Derby County on Sunday has been postponed due to snow. Cardiff were looking to close back to within three points of pacesetters Wolves - who beat Burton Albion 3-1 on Saturday - as the end of the season edges closer. Derby had hoped to end a run of seven matches without a win, having drawn five in that period. But the fixture was called off a few hours before kick-off, with the rescheduled date yet to be announced. #DCFC... Читать дальше...

West Ham defender Angelo Ogbonna has been called up to the Italy squad as cover for the doubtful Giorgio Chiellini ahead of upcoming international friendlies. Chiellini was forced off late on in Juventus' Serie A stalemate with SPAL on Saturday after suffering a muscular injury. Although Juve coach Massimiliano Allegri did not expect it to be a serious problem, a medical update is yet to be provided by the club. The 33-year-old is now a doubt for Italy's pending friendlies against Argentina and England... Читать дальше...

Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo believes "no one will be compared" to him because there are not many who can rival his "talent" or "dedication". Ronaldo came through the ranks at Sporting CP before joining Manchester United in 2003, developing into one of the world's best under Alex Ferguson. He claimed his first Ballon d'Or while at United in 2008, but he has undoubtedly enjoyed the best years of his career in Madrid, creating an incredible legacy at the club. His long personal duel with Lionel Messi has become a hot topic of debate... Читать дальше...