Suarez keeps LaLiga burning

Suarez keeps LaLiga burning

Six days after vanquishing Clasico rivals Real Madrid away from home, Barcelona took all three points with a hard-fought 3-0 derby win at Espanyol on Saturday night at Cornella-El Prat.

Things looked in doubt at half-time as Barcelona looked bereft of ideas in attack, but a massive error from Jurado gift-wrapped a Luis Suarez goal in the 50th minute before Ivan Rakitic sealed the result in the 76th minute thanks to Lionel Messi's playmaking. Barcelona then tacked on a late score, when a whiff from Espanyol defender Aaron paved the way for Suarez's second of the night.

It was a Barcelona derby through and through: Play was physical and there was plenty of acrimony between the two teams to keep referee Undiano Mallenco busy the whole night. In the end though, the three points went back to the Camp Nou, as Barcelona retook their place atop the La Liga table with 81 points.

Manager Luis Enrique reverted back to a 4-3-3 formation after fielding a 3-4-3 in the midweek walloping of Osasuna. Andre Gomes came in for the injured Andres Iniesta, while Neymar returned from his three-match suspension to fill out the MSN in attack.

It was a nervy start for Barcelona as Espanyol could have easily taken the lead early one when Felipe Caicedo found Jurado, but the shot from the former Real Madrid youth product rolled wide of the far post.

Barcelona were having difficulty dealing with Espanyol's physicality, with Neymar in particular bearing the brunt of a number of hard fouls. It all played to the Pericos' favour, as Barcelona were unable to find their desired rhythm and instead found themselves drawn into a backyard brawl.

And when Barcelona did threaten deep in the Espanyol half, they were met by Quique Sanchez Flores' rock-solid defensive block. Luis Enrique's men were resigned to passing the ball in a semi-circle around the area until a cross either was cleared or floated out of play.

For all of Espanyol's stellar defensive work in the first-half, it all went down the drain early in the second-half when Jurado committed an astounding error. The Perico midfielder tried to play a long back-pass, presumably to goalkeeper Diego Lopez, but it didn't have enough juice on it and Suarez gladly swooped in and finished for the 1-0 Barcelona lead.

Seeking a goal to get back on level terms, Sanchez Flores went to his bench as the banged up Caicedo made way for Leo Baptistao and Pablo Piatti was replaced with Hernan Perez.

Still, the bulk of play belonged to Barcelona. Espanyol were forced to roll the dice and push lines forward, giving Barcelona more room to operate with Messi pulling the strings.

La Pulga took over and right as the match ticked over into the final quarter-hour, the Argentine set the table for Barcelona's second by leading a break that saw him feed Rakitic on the left and the Croatian stroked the easiest of shots past Diego Lopez to make it 2-0.

Deflated after the Rakitic goal, a lapse in concentration cost Espanyol another goal, as Aaron completely whiffed on a clearance and against it was Christmas morning for Suarez, who pounced on the ball right in front of goal and easily scored past Diego Lopez for the 3-0 final.

Match Sheet:

0.- Espanyol: Diego Lopez; Javi Lopez, David Lopez, Diego Reyes, Aaron; Javi Fuego (Marc Roca, min. 80), Victor Sanchez, Jurado, Piatti (Hernan Perez, min. 66); Caicedo (Leo Baptisao, min. 61), Gerard Moreno.

3.- Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Sergi Roberto, Pique, Umtiti, Jordi Alba; Busquets, Rakitic, Andre Gomes (Mascherano, min. 78); Messi, Suarez, Neymar.

Goals: 0-1, min. 51: Suarez; 0-2, min. 76: Rakitic; 0-3, min. 87: Suarez

Referee: Undiano Mallenco (Navarra). Yellow Cards: Gerard Moreno (Min. 14) for Espanyol, Javi Fuego (Min. 68) for Espanyol

Red cards: None

Stadium: Cornella-El Prat

Attendance: 31.708

Real Madrid earn 17th late point of LaLiga season

Real Madrid earn 17th late point of LaLiga season

In what has become a running theme of Zinedine Zidane's first full campaign in charge of Real Madrid, the club has demonstrated an ability to win games late on with Los Blancos earning 17 points in the last 10 minutes of matches this term.

Dani Parejo's free-kick sent a wave of nerves around the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu as it appeared that the capital club would be surrendering the LaLiga title advantage to Barcelona only for Marcelo to step up with another late winner.

The Brazilian showed his technical prowess with a fine strike from inside the penalty area and it could well be a goal that is replayed for years to come if the club go on and secure the title.

Marcelo's finish was the 20th goal scored by Zidane's charges this season after the 80th minute.

Thanks to these late miracles the club has manage to earn a grand total of 17 points which could carry the club to their first domestic championship since Jose Mourinho's time in the Spanish capital.

Neymar the most influential footballer in the world

Neymar the most influential footballer in the world

Despite just being 25 years of age, Neymar is one of the most influential footballers in the world, and he joins only six other athletes in the yearly list.

The Brazilian in fact is the only footballer on the list, showing how important what he does off the pitch is alongside his on-pitch exploits.

Conor McGregor, Tom Brady, Lebron James, Simone Biles are amongst the other athletes on Time's prestigious list.

Cristiano Ronaldo is more decisive than Messi

Cristiano Ronaldo is more decisive than Messi

Real Madrid progressed to the Champions League semi-finals thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo, who appeared with five goals against Bayern Munich when it mattered most, at the same time as Lionel Messi was frustrated by the Juventus defence.

Not only did the No. 7 net his 100th Champions League goal during the tie, but he has now equalled Alfredo di Stefano with 32 goals between the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final of Europe's premier club competition.

Messi, on the other hand, could not find a way past Gianluigi Buffon and has now failed to score in his past nine quarter-final outings, while his tally for the final three rounds of the tournament remains at 16, half of Ronaldo's.

That gap could increase further given that the 32-year-old will take part in two, and perhaps three, more matches with the star-covered ball this season, whereas Messi will have to wait until the 2017/18 campaign for his next continental display.

A Clasico at the edge of the abyss

A Clasico at the edge of the abyss

Barcelona have no time to recover from their Champions League K.O. against Juventus, as Sunday's Clasico awaits just a few days later.

The current realities of each team couldn't be in starker contrast, as a euphoric Real Madrid have reached the Champions League semi-final for the seventh consecutive season, whereas the Blaugrana were once again knocked out in the quarters.

In LaLiga, Los Blancos sit three points ahead with a game in hand, so they are well within the driver's seat.

In other words, the pressure is clearly on Barcelona to attempt to salvage their season.

For such a high-intensity and profile clash, Real Madrid's extra day rest could tilt the match in their favour even further.

Neymar will miss out due to his ban, putting a dent into the Blaugrana attack and, ultimately, their chances.

"We have to win at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu," Iniesta said. "It is our last chance."

Ramos to Pique: Rewind and watch the PSG game

Ramos to Pique: Rewind and watch the PSG game

Controversy and Real Madrid create enough headlines on their own but when you put the pair together it is a goldmine and Los Blancos defender Sergio Ramos has responded to Gerard Pique by telling him to look back at Barcelona's 6-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain.

The latest spat comes after the Barcelona defender sent out a cryptic tweet after Madrid's second goal was controversially allowed to stand despite Cristiano Ronaldo being in an offside position.

Pique's tweet struck a nerve within the Real Madrid captain as he made clear that refereeing decisions also went in favour of Los Cules in the last round.

"He should rewind and look back to the PSG game and see if he thinks the same about the referees, let's wait and see what happens with Juventus in the second leg," he explained.

Tuesday evening's officiating has rather unsurprisingly sparked yet another debate about the impending introduction of a Video Assistant Referee [VAR] into the sport and the veteran defender is indeed an advocate for its use.

"You have to live with these decisions although I am in favour of the VAR," said Ramos.

On a more positive note it was actually the former Sevilla defender's 100th match in the Champions League on Tuesday night and he made clear just how proud he was to reach such a rare milestone.

"It is a beautiful figure to reach and I hopefully can continue here for many years as long as I enjoy my job," he said.

Despite still having a semi-final to play there are some within the Real Madrid fanbase that are already dreaming of an appearance in the Cardiff final, however the 31-year-old refused to entertain such a notion with so much football left to play.

"We can't talk about the final because we are only in the semi-final but it is clear," he added. "We want to be the champions and we are very happy to have eliminated Bayern, one of our biggest challengers."

Magnificent Marcelo inspires Real Madrid to victory

Magnificent Marcelo inspires Real Madrid to victory

Is he a left-back? Is he a box-to-box midfielder? No, he's simply Marcelo.

Technically he is a left-back because that's how he's listed on the team sheet, but if there's anything to take away from the Brazilian's performance in Real Madrid's frenetic 4-2 extra-time victory over Bayern Munich, it is that this is a player who refuses to - and is mercifully incapable of - playing within the conventional confines of his position.

The history books will show that Cristiano Ronaldo decided this game with a hat-trick (German and Catalan editions may choose to focus on refereeing errors) but it was Marcelo's flair, boundless energy and defensive diligence that helped his side weather a Bavarian storm at the Bernabeu.

The former Fluminense man made his first vital intervention as early as the 9th minute, putting his body on the line to block a goal-bound Thiago Alcantara effort.

Admittedly, the 28-year-old also gave Arjen Robben far too much space to receive cross-field passes and launch dangerous balls into the box.

But the vice-captain was left with far too much to do against the Flying Dutchman and roving right-back Philippe Lahm in the first half, as Real found themselves stretched and over-run by Carlo Ancelotti's charges.

However, in true Marcelo style, he refused to let defensive difficulties curtail his forward forays.

The 28-year-old took up the role of chief counterattacking outlet, and also created a boatload of quality chances when his side had possession of the ball.

Indeed his attacking verve was crucial to relieving his embattled defensive colleagues, and enabled Real to somehow stumble into the dressing room at halftime without conceding.

The second half began as did the first - with the vice-captain saving his team's bacon, this time heading Robben's chipped shot off the line with Keylor Navas well beaten.

So determined was the Brazil international to thwart Bayern's goalscoring attempts that, in hindsight, it might not have been the worst idea to hand him the goalkeeping gloves for Robert Lewandowski's penalty kick.

The 64th minute introduction of Marco Asensio helped Los Blancos defend their left channel with more assuredness, and Marcelo promptly set about lifting his performance to ludicrous heights.

At times, it seemed like he was playing as a defender, left winger and No.10 at the same time.

There were fizzing low balls, whipped-in crosses, slipped-in through passes, a plethora of dribbles and even a solid shot on target.

However, the No.12 offered far more than just attacking bravado, as he set an example with his work rate and indefatigable running.

His tireless approach was embodied by one laborious, lung-bursting run in the 93rd minute to keep the ball in play near the halfway line, fists pumping into his chest like a marathoner at the final stretch.

However, the club veteran saved his most memorable play of the game, and arguably his career, for extra-time.

Taking possession in his own half, the left-back looped the ball forward to Toni Kroos, accepted the return pass to feet and proceeded to maraud right through the heart of the Bayern defence, before unselfishly laying the ball off to Ronaldo to complete his hat-trick.

It was a move that was strikingly similar to his extra-time goal against Atletico Madrid in the 2014 Champions League final, in that he spotted a tiring opponent and decided to catch them off-guard with a sudden burst of energy and directness.

This time however, the Rio de Janeiro-born man chose to pass up an easy one-on-one goalscoring opportunity to instead pick out Ronaldo, whose goal will unfortunately be tarnished by the fact that he was in an offside position.

It feels like a great shame that Marcelo didn't score himself as he would've earned a thoroughly deserved spot on the scoresheet, with a goal that would have surely gone down as one of the greatest in the history of the Champions League knockout stages.

But perhaps it's only appropriate that he looked for a teammate instead, as it exemplified how his flair, energy and audacity were dedicated towards the collective cause rather than the pursuit of personal plaudits.

The Brazilian finished his 400th game for Real with 68 passes (second only to Toni Kroos), creating as many chances (8) as Robben, Franck Ribery, Alcantara, Arturo Vidal and Xabi Alonso combined and completing more dribbles than anybody else on the pitch.

This was truly a performance for the ages from Marcelo, and one that Madridistas will be well advised to look back to if their team go on to become the first side to successfully defend their Champions League crown.

Cristiano Ronaldo: I just ask that the Bernabeu never jeers me

Cristiano Ronaldo: I just ask that the Bernabeu never jeers me

With five goals to his name over the two legs against Bayern Munich, Cristiano Ronaldo hauled Real Madrid to the semi-finals of the Champions League and the Portuguese man sought to remind the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu boo-boys of his value.

A hat-trick on the night helped Los Blancos to a 4-2 win and a 6-3 aggregate triumph, although it was far from smooth sailing.

Ronaldo's goal looked to have set Real on their way, but a Robert Lewandowski penalty kick and Sergio Ramos own goal took the game to extra-time until the winger's brace helped his side over the line.

"I just ask that the Bernabeu never whistle me," Real's all-time leading goalscorer told Antena 3 after the final whistle.

"I try to give my best in every game and even if I don't score, I try to work to help the team."

Although the capital club enjoyed a man advantage again in this second leg, Ronaldo was left assured as to his team's superiority.

"I have no doubts that Madrid were better tonight, it's not easy to score six goals against Bayern Munich," he stated.

"We knew we had to play very well or Bayern would hurt us, because they're a team who can score goals in any stadium.

"They showed that they're a great team but we played very well ourselves and had several opportunities in the first half.

"In the second half, we conceded two goals but we're used to suffering, and we're happy with the result."

With a semi-final spot secured, Ronaldo was inevitably asked about the team's ultimate goal of being the first side to successfully defend the Champions League.

"We're still far from winning the Champions League but we will try our best," he assured.

"It's still too early, but I hope [we can win it]."

Cristiano Ronaldo scores crucial goal from offside position

Cristiano Ronaldo scores crucial goal from offside position

As Real Madrid strolled to a extra-time victory over Bayern Munich, the Germans can feel unhappy that Cristiano Ronaldo's second goal on the night was offside.

"The Portuguese is offside when he receives Ramos' pass," said Andjar Oliver on Radio MARCA. "He is clearly ahead of the Bayern defence before cushioning the ball and beating Manuel Neuer ".

In the 52nd minute, referee Vitkor Kassai made a potentially tie-altering call in deciding to award a penalty to Bayern Munich which Robert Lewandowski duly converted.

According to ex-international referee and current MARCA pundit Andujar Oliver, this was the correct decision as it is a late challenge from Casemiro that didn't touch the ball.

Nonetheless, five minutes earlier, Arturo Vidal should have been sent off with a second yellow for a challenge on Casemiro.

Marcelo: Those that criticise Cristiano Ronaldo have a serious problem, envy

Marcelo: Those that criticise Cristiano Ronaldo have a serious problem, envy

Following his side's 2-1 comeback against Bayern Munich, Marcelo didn't seem to have much time or sympathy for those who seek to criticise the match-winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

Despite the Portuguese star's illustrious career for club and country, on both an individual and collective level, he still somehow has his critics, although Marcelo had one possible explanation.

"I think they have a problem, maybe it's envy," he began.

"I don't know what's wrong with them, he works hard and helps his team.

"It must be envy, you only have to look at this numbers and he still keeps on producing," he continued.

"He's happy to gave scored, but he's even happier about the result."

The left-back didn't deny that the sending off of Javi Martinez had been a boon for the holders.

"We made the most of it," he admitted. "We put in a great performance, but we also let in a goal."

Guardiola: Syria is scary for the whole world and I hope Trump and Putin solve it

Guardiola: Syria is scary for the whole world and I hope Trump and Putin solve it

When facing the media on Thursday, Pep Guardiola was more interested in talking about the state of world peace rather than Manchester City's next game against Southampton.

Clearly, the attack on Borussia Dortmund's team bus has shaken everyone within football to the core.

"It's a little scary how the world now is," he said to reporters.

"And it's getting crazier ... what happened in Syria ... I hope the President of the United States, the President of Russia and the President of China can intervene and solveit because if not, we don't know where we'll end up.

"We must continue to live without fear and I wish Marc Bartra a huge recovery for what has been frightening and serious."

Gabriel Jesus isn't available for selection and Guardiola played his cards close to his chest concerning which goalkeeper he would choose for the game against the Saints.

"Gabriel is not ready yet, but he's much better," Pep continued.

"Goalkeepers? It depends on whether the opposing team pushes us up, it depends on how the training has gone ... I like having my two goalies playing with confidence, that's why I choose week by week."

It took Ancelotti four months to lay the ghost of Guardiola to rest

It took Ancelotti four months to lay the ghost of Guardiola to rest

Four months is all the time it took for Carlo Ancelotti and Bayern Munich to forget Pep Guardiola; his automatisms, his philosophy and his special way of spying on his players for 24 hours a day.

Pep wanted to impose a certain way of playing, but there was no way to change the mentality of some players.

In any event, Ancelotti didn't like the system and the totalitarian ideas because his style is, above all, for a direct, vertical game.

This does not mean that he despised all of Guardiola's methods, but the be all and end all for the Italian is the result, and if that means operating in different ways, so be it.

On his arrival at Bayern he found some players who only saw a winning solution by creating a beautiful game with lots of touches of the ball.

Team talks have continued throughout the season because, even after the winter break, the influence of Guardiola is still prevalent in some aspects of team play, meaning Ancelotti is struggling to get players to move position.

The best example has been and is Thiago Alcantara, considered the most talented player in the group.

Ancelotti believes he is a successor to Andrea Pirlo and wants to move him to where his football will yield more and better results in the very near future - just ahead of the defence.

Thomas Muller has not been well throughout the season and physical problems have not allowed him to play as he used to.

He's not completed many games, something that has also afflicted Renato Sanches.

Douglas Costa, the man capable of turning a match, has the opposite problem and often doesn't start because of injuries.

Ancelotti awaits Wednesday's match without the need for revenge because he still feels madridista.

He wants to win to eliminate the opposition, but nothing more than that.

Last minute injuries could prove problematic and with the Bundesliga virtually wrapped up, the Italian knows that everything is on the line against Real.

Luis Enrique calls tense team meeting

Luis Enrique calls tense team meeting

In an attempt to get to the bottom of Barcelona's listless showing against Juventus in Turin on Tuesday night, Luis Enrique held a meeting with players before training on Wednesday.

The Blaugrana's hopes of advancing in the competition look to be all but extinguished after they fell to a 3-0 defeat at the Juventus Stadium.

Players arrived for training with long faces and prior to the session, Luis Enrique discussed what went wrong in Italy with the squad and why the mistakes were made.

The final message from the coach to his players was that they simply must bounce back in the return leg, although very few people truly believe a PSG-esque comeback is possible.

Relations between the coach and his players have been strained once again after his words in the press conference following the game, when he accused them of a lack of intensity.

After the game in Paris, it was the players who reproached the coach for some of the decisions he made on the night of that 4-0 defeat.

Lionel Messi did not take part in Wednesday's training session and stayed in the gym with Neymar, although the club did not report on any fitness problems for the Argentine, but it is not the first time that he hasn't trained on the day following a game.

Arda Turan did return to training with the group and could reappear on Saturday against Real Sociedad, particularly given Neymar's suspension.

Neymar will miss El Clasico with three-match ban

Neymar will miss El Clasico with three-match ban

With Zinedine Zidane's Real Madrid in the driver's seat in LaLiga, Barcelona's title ambitions took another blow as Neymar will not be allowed to play in El Clasico on April 23.

In a 2-0 defeat to Malaga, a rash challenge made in frustration meant his second yellow card and an automatic one-match suspension, but it was his sarcastic applauding after being sent off towards the fourth official that will mean he can't play against Los Blancos.

According to the official Spanish body, the act shows 'clear contempt' for the officials and three-matches is a just punishment.

The Brazilian will also miss the matches against Real Sociedad and Osasuna.

El desconocido Guardiola

El desconocido Guardiola

Pep Guardiola está en una situación inusual. Desconocida. Por primera vez en su carrera no está en disposición de ser campeón de Liga. Con el Barcelona, tras 31 jornadas, sólo en la 2011-2012 era segundo. Fue la única vez en sus siete temporadas de carrera en la élite en la que se quedó sin cantar el alirón, que fue para el Real Madrid de Mourinho. Y con el Bayern ya tenía en sus tres campañas en Alemania la Bundesliga en el bolsillo. Todo ha cambiado en Mánchester. "La Premier se ha ido. Tenemos que pensar en los últimos partidos para clasificarnos para la Champions League", confesó el técnico catalán tras caer (2-1) ante el Chelsea. El City es cuarto, a 14 puntos del liderato, y a Pep se le amontonan los problemas. La sexta derrota en lo que va de Premier se transformó en un récord negativo en su carrera. Es su peor momento.

Derrotas en Liga de Guardiola como técnico

Barcelona 2008-2009: 5 derrotas

Barcelona 2009-2010: 1 derrotas

Barcelona 2010-2011: 2 derrotas

Barcelona 2011-2012: 3 derrotas

Bayern 2013-2014: 2 derrotas

Bayern 2014-2015: 5 derrotas

Bayern 2015-2016: 2 derrotas

Manchester City 2016-2017 (sin terminar): 6 derrotas

Guardiola nunca había perdido seis encuentros en una misma Liga. Con el Barcelona en la 2008-2009 y con el Bayern en la 2014-2015 sucumbió en cinco choques. Ése era su tope. Si en el Camp Nou y en Alemania superó el 70% de victorias respecto a sus duelos ligueros, en el City se queda en el 57%. Tottenham (2-0), Leicester (4-2), Liverpool (1-0), Everton (4-0) y Chelsea en el Etihad (1-3) y en el Bridge (2-1) han podido con el equipo celeste en Premier. Nunca antes un equipo había ganado a un conjunto de Guardiola los dos partidos de un torneo doméstico. Conte y sus 'blues' lo han hecho. Se le acumulan las marcas negativas al preparador catalán: es la primera vez en su carrera que pierde tres partidos recibiendo cuatro goles (Leicester, Everton y Barcelona) en una misma campaña y por primera vez ha estado seis partidos seguidos sin ganar (entre el 28 de septiembre al 29 de octubre (Celtic, Tottenham, Everton, Barcelona, Southampton y United). Una mala racha que cortó sus 10 victorias iniciales (récord en la historia del City) y sus 11 choques sin perder con los que abrió su aventura inglesa. Ahora su escuadra lleva cuatro partidos sin catar triunfo (Mónaco, Liverpool, Arsenal y Chelsea). No ganan desde el 11 de marzo (0-2 al Middlesbrough en los cuartos de la FA Cup).

Derrotas totales en una temporada de Guardiola

Barcelona 2008-2009: 7 derrotas

Barcelona 2009-2010: 7 derrotas

Barcelona 2010-2011: 6 derrotas

Barcelona 2011-2012: 4 derrotas

Bayern 2013-2014: 6 derrotas

Bayern 2014-2015: 9 derrotas

Bayern 2015-2016: 4 derrotas

Manchester City 2016-2017 (sin terminar): 9 derrotas

"Mis expectativas eran ganar el título y cambiar el fútbol inglés", ironizó Guardiola. Por primera vez en su carrera, Pep no estará en las semifinales de la Champions (su City fue eliminado en octavos por el Mónaco). La FA Cup aparece en el horizonte como la única copa que podría ganar el conjunto celeste en el primer curso de Guardiola dirigiendo la nave 'citizen'. Con Arsenal y United a cuatro puntos de su cuarta plaza (con un partido menos 'gunners' y 'red devils' que 'skyblues') amarrar la Liga de Campeones es su principal meta. "Es imposible ganar todos los partidos, sé que vamos a perder", aseguró Pep cuando aún no había tropezado. Con nueve derrotas entre todas las competiciones, ya ha igualado su peor marca (nueve con el Bayern en la 2014-2015) cuando queda mes y medio para el final del curso. No están finos en las áreas. De los cinco primeros de la Premier, los 'citizens' son los que menos marcan (57 goles a favor) y los terceros que más encajan (34). Demasiado.

Ref Watch: Zlatan Ibrahimovic offside goal call correct, says Dermot Gallagher

 Ref Watch: Zlatan Ibrahimovic offside goal call correct, says Dermot Gallagher

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's offside header was a correct decision, according to Dermot Gallagher

Former Premier League referee Dermot Gallagher returns for a look at the midweek Premier League action, including Zlatan Ibrahimovic's offside goal.

There may have only been four top-flight games so far this week, but there were plenty of talking points for Gallagher to get to grips with on Premier League Daily.

Drop balls, sending offs and a hilarious corner attempt also feature in the latest Ref Watch...

Premier League,Today, 21:00pm

Chelsea v Manchester City

REQUESTABET SPECIALS 11/1 TO 28/1

Costa, Otamendi, Luiz & Fernandinho to be carded28 / 1

Pedro to score, Chelsea to win and Otamendi & Luiz to be carded28 / 1

BTTS, 3+ corners each team and Alonso, Fernandinho & Zabaleta to be carded25 / 1

Sane to score, Manchester City to win, BTTS and Costa to be carded25 / 1

Manchester City to win, BTTS, 12+ match corners and 70+ match booking pts25 / 1

BTTS, over 2.5 goals, 6+ corners each team and 30+ booking pts each team25 / 1

Costa & Sane to score, over 2.5 goals, 4+ corners each team and 20+ booking pts each team22 / 1

Sane to score, Manchester City to win, BTTS and Otamendi to be carded22 / 1

Costa to score, BTTS and Aguero & Luiz to be carded22 / 1

BTTS in both halves, 10+ match corners and 20+ booking pts each team22 / 1

£10 Free Bet, No Deposit Needed

Man Utd 1-1 Everton - Ibrahimovic offside goal

INCIDENT: With Everton 1-0 ahead, Man Utd striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic heads home in the 71st minute from an Ander Herrera cross, but it is ruled out for offside.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct.

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Was Zlatan Ibrahimovic offside?

DERMOT SAYS: I think it is a really tough call because you look at it and where the line is, it goes through his head effectively, which is what he scored with. You look at one angle and it is 100 per cent right, an excellent decision but at another angle, it looks slightly different and I think that's the trouble.

Unless you have a line straight down the middle of the park, you are just going to have to trust the linesman's judgement.

'Give the advantage to the attacking player' is a great phrase, and then you draw the line across the pitch and the player is offside. Nobody is interested then because they say 'well he's offside'. To me, he is either offside or onside and what the view showed is that the line goes through his head so he is offside.

Man Utd 1-1 Everton - Robles kicking away the ball

Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles got a talking to from referee Neil Swarbrick after kicking the ball away

INCIDENT: After Ibrahimovic scored the late equalising penalty, Everton goalkeeper Joel Robles kicked the ball away, which would usually be a yellow card offence. He escaped a booking and had already earned a yellow card earlier in the game.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct.

DERMOT SAYS: I think what the referee has done here is decided that it wasn't dissent, but it was frustration. He's let a goal in during the last minute, they are hanging on at the end and it's the 93rd minute. I think the referee has told him to calm down and he only has a few seconds left so he should take it easy.

I think if you can diffuse things without using yellow or red cards, it has to be a good thing. The cards have to have significance and mean something.

Man Utd 1-1 Everton - Drop ball situation

Everton and Manchester United players square up after Ashley Young's foul on Kevin Mirallas

INCIDENT: Referee Neil Swarbrick decides on a drop ball for both sides, but Kevin Mirallas is the only player to take it up before Ashley Young fouls him. The two teams square up to each other, before Young is booked for his tackle on Mirallas.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct for the booking but poor overall from the referee.

DERMOT SAYS: The tackle isn't good, but I have to say I am stunned at the way the referee restarted the game. On Sunday, we saw an incident with Swansea v Middlesbrough and for me, if I was watching the match, I would've been alerted to that.

I just think the referee has not taken control of the situation from the outset. To drop the ball as he did, with no United player there, why did he not have one there or why did he not make sure he was in control of the situation?

 

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I'm saying that the referee needs to protect himself. On Sunday, we saw a referee have an unfortunate incident because he dropped the ball and allowed a player to come from behind to take it. If you look at Mirallas here, he just allows him to take it in the middle of the park and that's why Young has reacted like he did. I'm not saying he's right, but I think that could be avoided.

I think referees will see both incidents on Sunday and Tuesday and go into their games thinking 'I'm not going to take that chance. I'm going to drop the ball like so and be in control of the situation'.

Burnley 1-0 Stoke

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Charlie Adam slips at the corner flag to concede a free kick

INCIDENT: Stoke midfielder Charlie Adam goes to take a corner, but slips on the surface and kicks the ball with his foot before rolling it back into place. He is then penalised for a handball and Burnley are awarded the free kick.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Correct.

DERMOT SAYS: It was so funny, even Mark Hughes found it funny on the bench. The linesman couldn't have let him get away with it because if he had taken it again and scored, everyone would have said 'well he's played the ball twice', so he's got to but it was funny.

Watford 2-0 West Brom

INCIDENT: Miguel Britos is sent off for two yellow cards. The first for a foul of Hal Robson-Kanu before another on Salomon Rondon in the second half. The bookings and eventual sending off promoted an angry response from Watford manager Walter Mazzarri, who argued with the officials and his own staff before kicking the dugout.

DERMOT'S VERDICT: Britos should not have been sent off but Mazzarri should have been.

Watford boss Walter Mazzarri was fuming after Miguel Britos was sent off against West Brom

DERMOT SAYS: I feel sorry for Britos with the first booking, I think it is a borderline yellow. The referee will say he is stopping the premise of the attack maybe, but for me it could go either way. It's the referee's choice.

I defend referees when it comes to players pulling each other down, but the assistant is closest and he has the best view but he doesn't flag. I think both players are clashing but for me, I felt really sorry for him again. He has a little shirt grab but it is not enough to bring him down. I didn't think it was good enough to send him off.

Britos' sending off was harsh, according to Gallagher

When you see Mazzarri's reaction, I was astonished he was still on the bench because it just goes on. He will argue that it is at his own coaches but it's just such a bad display... There are protocols there.

Arsenal 2-2 Man City

INCIDENT: After Laurent Koscielny was substituted at half-time for Arsenal during Sunday's match against Manchester City, it appears that Arsene Wenger did not appoint another player to be the captain for the second half, going against Premier League rules.

Wenger admits captain confusion

Arsene Wenger has conceded he does know who captained Arsenal for the second half against Man City.

DERMOT SAYS: The rule in this is that someone has to wear the captain's armband. I think where it has got lost is because of the tragedy a few weeks ago and the wearing of the black armbands, nobody has checked to see if it is a captain's armband or not. It has not got picked up until later.

You need a captain so the referee has someone to go to if a player is acting up, they can go to them and say 'I don't want to resort to yellow or red cards, can you have a word with him and calm him down'. They're also there to communicate with the team in general.

Trumpcare 2.0

                 

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Trumpcare won’t die.

The White House, with Vice President Mike Pence as the point man, is trying to resuscitate the effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, and the House may produce a new bill this week. Republicans have a big reason to do so: They’ve been promising repeal for seven years and now control both Congress and the White House.

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But they also still have a big problem, the same one that doomed Trumpcare 1.0. Republican leaders don’t have a coherent health care plan. The only bills they have come up with would deprive millions of people of health insurance, and the party hasn’t been willing, at least so far, to accept the political costs of doing so.

These two recent columns of mine have more details. Josh Barro, of Business Insider, put it well yesterday: If the Republicans come up with a new proposal, Barro wrote, it “will be very unpopular, with a loud and angry constituency opposing it, and no significant political constituency eager for it, except for rich people who want the tax cut embedded within” the bill.

To follow the debate the rest of this week, I recommend both traditional news sources and Twitter. In particular, you can learn a lot from the Twitter accounts of Margot Sanger-Katz, Sarah Ferris, Matt Fuller, Peter Suderman,Topher Spiro, Sarah Kliff and Jonathan Cohn, among others.

Puyol: "El Barcelona de Guardiola revolucionó el fútbol"

Puyol: "El Barcelona de Guardiola revolucionó el fútbol"

Carles Puyol, el capitán del equipo que maravilló al planeta fútbol con Guardiola, dio una entrevista a la página de la UEFA en la que repasó los mejores momentos de su carrera, centrándose, principalmente, en las tres Champions League que ganó con el Barça.

Mis recuerdos de la infancia están todos relacionados con el fútbol"

Puyol comenzó hablando de su infancia y de la pasión que desde pequeño siente por el fútbol. "Era mi pasión. Nunca habría soñado con la carrera que tuve, pero siempre me he sentido muy feliz con un balón en las manos o en los pies. Mis recuerdos de la infancia están todos relacionados con el fútbol". Sobre el hecho de haber sido capitán del Barça, tiene claro que es lo mejor que le pudo pasar. "Es casi una carrera soñada. No podía pedir más. Es algo de lo que me siento muy orgulloso. Ha sido un honor"

Haber ganado la máxima competición de fútbol europeo es otro de los logros que ha conseguido el jugador nacido en Lérida. "Para mí es fantástico, una competición increíble. Siempre soñé con jugarla. Ganar la Champions League es un sueño, ¡imagina ganar tres!

Siempre es mejor tener jugadores como Ronaldinho de tu parte"

Aparte de ser uno de los mejores centrales de la historia, Puyol ha podido jugar con grandes jugadores. Uno de ellos es Ronaldinho del que únicamente tiene buenas palabras. "Es mejor siempre tener ese tipo de jugadores de tu parte.Vivíamos una época complicada cuando lo fichamos, cuatro años sin ganar nada, pero llegó con esa sonrisa, calidad, estilo de juego. Siempre se quitaba la presión, era feliz jugando al fútbol".

Por último, el antiguo central azulgrana haló de dos de las personas que han marcado su carrera, Guardiola como entrenador y Abidal como compañero. Del primero sólo tiene buenas palabras. "Es un visionario entre el resto de entrenadores, un fenómeno que nos enseñó mucho y revolucionó el mundo del fútbol. Creó un equipo brillante, que jugaba un gran fútbol. No es solo lo que ha ganado, también cómo lo hizo".

Del lateral francés guarda un gran recuerdo, sobre todo por la forma en la que supero su enfermedad. "Estuve pensando en ello antes de la final. estábamos en un campo de entrenamiento y un par de meses antes le detectaron la enfermedad. Fue un duro golpe para el vestuario. No creo que hubiera nadie mejor que él para levantar ese trofeo (la Champions de 2011)"

CR7, Bale y Kroos, descanso en Leganés

CR7, Bale y Kroos, descanso en Leganés

Zinedine ZIdane ha dejado fuera de la convocatoria para el partido ante el Leganés de esta noche en Butarque (21:30 horas) a tres jugadores claves en su esquema: Toni Kroos, Gareth Bale y Cristiano Ronaldo.

El portugués está apercibido y de este modo se asegura jugar el derbi madrileño ante el Atlético de Madrid en el Bernabéu del próximo sábado (16:15 horas).

Por su parte, Gareth Bale no ha mostrado su mejor nivel desde su regreso tras la lesión y Zidane ha preferido darle descanso de cara a los difíciles compromisos que le vienen a los blancos (Atlético de Madrid, Bayern, Sporting, Bayern de nuevo y Barça).

Toni Kroos, indiscutible para el técnico francés, había sido el que menos había descansado del tridente del centro del campo en los últimos encuentros.

Convocatoria completa:

Porteros: Keylor, Kiko Casilla y Yáñez.

Defensas: Carvajal, Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Nacho, Marcelo, Danilo.

Medios: James, Casemiro, Kovacic, Modric, Asensio e Isco.

Delanteros: Benzema, Lucas Vázquez, Mariano y Morata.

Zidane: I want Isco to renew his deal and stay at Real Madrid

Zidane: I want Isco to renew his deal and stay at Real Madrid

Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane would like for Isco to sign a new contract and stay at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu for the foreseeable future, after the Spain international's well-struck goal helped Los Blancos during a 3-0 LaLiga win over Alaves.

The ex-Malaga midfielder made it 2-0 in a tricky game, rattling home a brilliant finish from a tight angle when the chance had appeared to have escaped him.

"I want him to renew, he is an important player," Zidane told his post-match press conference.

"He wants to stay here, to play here. I am happy with his performance, not only for the goal but for what he did between the lines, what he helped the others do.

"Every three days there is an important game. Everyone can have their opinions but to win LaLiga and the Champions League makes every player important.

"When Isco plays, he does well, but we have 24 players and they are all important."

Real Madrid found it tough against Alaves, who did well in the second half, but eventually the hosts showed their quality with some clinical finishing.

"We played against a team who are doing very well, who haven't lost that many games," he added.

"In the first half we were much better, we started the game well. In the second it was worse, above all due to our possession of the ball.

"We lost the ball a lot, which we can't keep doing. We scored three goals, but we kept a clean sheet which is important. We know that we always have to improve, but playing every three days doesn't allow you to always play a perfect 90 minutes.

"What we have to think about is that we will always do good things. The first half was spectacular, but in the second we lost the ball very easily. We were in difficulty, it wasn't a great time."

Having watched Isco kill the game off, Zidane was satisfied that Real Madrid have the power to bypass any side.

"The ball arrived at Cristiano [Ronaldo], he passed to Isco and we scored," he explained. "We know that at any moment we can do damage to our opponent."

Alcacer: I am happy to help Barcelona from the bench

Alcacer: I am happy to help Barcelona from the bench

coming off the bench to grab the winning goal in Barcelona's 4-1 beating of Granada was more than enough to satisfy Paco Alcacer.

The ex-Valencia man has been used sparingly since moving to the Camp Nou last summer, although that hasn't stopped him from putting together a decent run of form when required.

"I'm happy to help the team in any way I can, the coach asked me to come off the bench and that's what I did," the striker said after the game.

"Any player in this squad must be prepared to go out and perform.

"Although the pitch was difficult, we played a very professional game and we are looking forward to continuing our form and winning more games."

Also attending to Rafinha's injury that saw him get his chance at Estadio Nuevo Los Carmenes, Alcacer was optimistic that the midfielder can return to playing action sooner rather than later.

"Hopefully it won't be much," he noted.