MONDAYBenfica 2-0 União (Jonas 5 76)The Eagles wasted no time in taking the initiative in a game postponed for 24 hours after adverse weather conditions in Madeira prevented their opponents from being able to travel. Jonas put them ahead inside five minutes and struck again midway through the second half – his 28th of the season in all competitions – to seal a win that helps Benfica close to within a point of Liga leaders Sporting CP, who were held elsewhere.SUNDAYBarcelona 2-1 Sevilla (Messi 31, Piqué 48; Vitolo 20)Luis Enrique's men equalled Real Madrid's Spanish rec...
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Rashford does it again, Dortmund leave it late
Teenage forward Marcus Rashford made another big splash as Manchester United returned to the Premier League in style, while their next UEFA Europa League opponents Liverpool lost in the English League Cup final.Fresh from scoring twice for United on his debut against Midtjylland on Thursday, Rashford hit another double in his first top-flight outing to help the Red Devils see off Arsenal 3-2. It was a painful weekend for Liverpool, on the other hand, as they lost on penalties to Manchester City at Wembley, while Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to defeat Swansea and stay two points behind league leaders Leicester City.In G...
Suárez shines for Barcelona, Arsenal leave it late
SUNDAYArsenal 2-1 Leicester (Walcott 70, Welbeck 90+5; Jamie Vardy 45pen)Danny Welbeck made an instant impact on his return from injury with a last-gasp winner as third-placed Arsenal moved to within two points of Premier League leaders Leicester. The England international, making his first appearance since 26 April 2015 for the hosts, came off the bench to nod Mesut Özil's free-kick past Kasper Schmeichel in added time. Jamie Vardy's first-half penalty had given the visitors the lead before the Foxes were reduced to ten after the interval, losing Danny Simpson to a second bookable offence. Theo Walcott struck nine minutes after entering the ...
Gent leave it late, Juventus through, Barcelona win
THURSDAYGent 2-1 Club Brugge (Dejaegere 59, Kums 90+2; Diaby 38)Sven Kums struck in added time to give Gent victory against Club Brugge in the first leg of their Belgian Cup semi-final. Despite Dian Cools's 23rd-minute sending off, the visitors took the lead before half-time through Abdoulay Diaby. However, Brecht Dejaegere deflected in a Lasse Nielsen shot in the 59th minute to equalise and Kums's well-placed shot ensured Gent will be ahead of the holders for the second leg on 3 February.Luzern 1-2 Dynamo Kyiv (Schachten 42; Júnior Moraes 22 33)Two Júnior Moraes goals ensured Dynamo bounced ba...
Higuaín heroics leave Napoli sitting pretty
Only one player, István Nyers back in 1949/50, has scored more goals than Gonzalo Higuaín's 18 at the halfway stage of a Serie A campaign.'El Pipita' finished one goal short of the Hungarian striker's all-time record after netting twice in Sunday's 5-1 success at Frosinone – his fourth brace in his last six league games. That win secured Napoli the title of 'Scudetto d'Inverno' (winter champions), with the Partenopei two-points ahead of Juventus and Inter, and on target for a first scudetto since the Diego Maradona-era triumphs of 1987 and 1990."No team has ever won the Scudetto in January," Higuaín said after the match in Frosinone. "But we are top of the league and w...
Matikainen to leave Wales set-up
Jarmo Matikainen will step down from his role as coach of the Football Association of Wales (FAW) women's national teams in March to return home for personal reasons.Since his appointment in October 2010, the 53-year-old Matikainen has played a pivotal role in developing the women's game in Wales but the popular Finnish coach has now decided to return to his homeland. "I have really enjoyed my time in Wales,” he said, in a statement released by the FAW. "It has been a fantastic challenge and experience both on and off the field. I hope the women's game continues to go from strength to strength in this country. I am very grateful to have been part of the Welsh football family."During
Lampard: I expected to leave Chelsea
Frank Lampard has revealed he spent much of 2013 "fully expecting" to leave Chelsea this summer, but insisted that he would never have signed for another Premier League side. GettyImagesFrank Lampard joined Chelsea from West Ham in 2001 • Blog: Blues wave Rafa goodbye Lampard, 34, who broke the club's all-time scoring record and signed a new one-year contract extension with the Blues earlier this month, admitted he had all but given up hope of prolonging his stay at Stamford Bridge. Yet the club's attitude towards his future changed over the last couple of weeks and the midfielder is delighted to have signed a new deal. Manchester United were strongly linked with a move to sign Lampard if he were to leave Chelsea, yet any notion