Mourinho hopeful of new deal for Fellaini

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is upbeat on the chances of keeping Marouane Fellaini at the club next season after the Belgian’s injury time header secured a 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday.

Fellaini, 30, is out of contract at the end of the season, but Mourinho is confident that a new deal will be agreed.

“The position is that we are almost there, but in football almost is not enough,” said Mourinho.

“I want to see the white paper with the United crest and (executive vice-chairman) Ed Woodward’s signature and Marouane’s signature.”

Fellaini has been much-criticised since arriving at Old Trafford from Everton in 2013.

However, he has been a favourite of Mourinho’s for his physical presence in the opposition box and the Portuguese coach hailed his impact off the bench after Romelu Lukaku limped off injured early in the second-half.

“We needed somebody who could give us something different to replace Lukaku’s height and power and aerial game. In the end we got the goal I think we deserved,” added Mourinho.

Discarded by Mourinho in a swap deal that brought Alexis Sanchez to Old Trafford, Henrikh Mkhitaryan cancelled out Paul Pogba’s early opener against his old club.

A much-changed Arsenal side were on course for their first point away from home in the league this year until Fellaini rose highest to flick home Ashley Young’s cross.

“For 70 minutes we were not bad, but we were a bit slow, slow-thinking, not really intense,” bemoaned Mourinho.

“But then after their goal, I reacted, the players reacted, the fans reacted, the intensity of the game improved.

“(The substitutions) gave width, gave us crosses, gave us set-pieces, but the crosses and set pieces needed a target.”

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Mourinho hopes to face Wenger again after Arsenal

Manchester (United Kingdom) (AFP) – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho hopes he gets the chance to face Arsene Wenger again after the outgoing Arsenal manager’s final visit to Old Trafford as Gunners’ boss ended in a 2-1 defeat on Sunday. 

Wenger was greeted by former United boss Alex Ferguson and Mourinho before kick-off and even presented with a glass momento.

However, Wenger was left empty-handed when it came to points as defeat left sixth-placed Arsenal mathematically out of the race for a top-four finish.

Marouane Fellaini rose highest to flick home the winner in stoppage time after Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s second-half strike against his former club had cancelled out Paul Pogba’s early opener.

“I hope I play against him again,” said Mourinho, who has a history of spats with Wenger, most famously describing the Frenchman as a “specialist in failure” for his inability to win the Premier League since 2003/04.

“I hope that can happen again. If not in the Premier League, who knows (where) we can have a big match somewhere?”

United have now sealed their place in the Champions League next season and moved closer to their target of finishing at least second best to champions Manchester City by opening a five-point gap on Liverpool.

“Ok progress at many levels, but (it’s) not enough to be first instead of second and not enough to win the Champions League instead of the Europa League,” added Mourinho.

“It’s enough to finish second, to be stable, to win some trophies, to reach some finals, but we need more.”

‘Classy’ gesture

Ferguson told the United website ahead of the game that his clashes for many years with Wenger’s strongest Arsenal sides over a decade ago “made the Premier League.”

But it was a sign of how far Arsenal have fallen that Wenger made eight changes from the side that drew 1-1 with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final on Thursday as he had already given up hope of a top-four finish.

“It goes to show you, once you are not a danger any more, people love you,” said Wenger on his fond farewell from the United fans.

“I am thankful to Manchester United. They had a nice gesture before the game, it was the first time I got a trophy before the game. It was very classy from them.

“I want to have a glass of wine now with Sir Alex because he has always good wine.”

Alexis Sanchez became the latest of a number of leading Arsenal players to leave towards the end of Wenger’s reign in search of more success and more money in January.

And in his first appearance against his former club, the Chilean was heavily involved in the opening goal on 16 minutes.

Romelu Lukaku picked out Sanchez at the back post and after his header was deflected onto his own post by Hector Bellerin, Pogba had the simple task of tapping into an unguarded net.

Wenger included club record signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan, who was the makeweight for Sanchez to move in the other direction, among a side littered with youngsters.

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Simeone hat-trick buries Napoli as Juventus close in on seventh heaven

Milan (AFP) – Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off early as Napoli succumbed to a Giovanni Simeone hat-trick in a shock 3-0 defeat at Fiorentina that edged Juventus closer to a seventh successive Serie A title on Sunday.

With just three games left, Juventus have a four-point lead on closest challengers Napoli and could wrap up yet another ‘Scudetto’ next weekend.

Koulibaly, labelled a hero when he scored the last-gasp header that kept Napoli’s ambitions alive with a 1-0 win over Juventus in Turin last week, turned villain in Florence after he was sent off after just eight minutes.

Argentina forward Simeone — the son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone — scored all three goals in a spectacular display to keep Fiorentina’s Europa League hopes alive.

Juventus battled past 10-man Inter Milan in a San Siro thriller on Saturday to prevail 3-2 thanks to two late goals in three minutes.

Massimiliano Allegri’s champions host Bologna on Saturday and will be assured of a seventh straight title if Napoli fail to win at home against Torino on Sunday.

Napoli never recovered from Koulibaly’s expulsion, the towering Sengalese defender inititally shown a yellow card for kicking out at Simeone as he charged towards goal.

But a video assistant referee (VAR) review at the Stadio Franchi in Florence upgraded the yellow to red, with a free-kick given instead of a penalty.

Napoli coach Maurizio Sarri replaced midfielder Jorginho with central defender Lorenzo Tonelli.

But Napoli struggled to contain their rivals, Simeone breaking the deadlock by firing through the legs of goalkeeper Pepe Reina after 34 minutes.

Simeone pounced to fire in the second on 62 minutes after the ball initially bounced off Elseid Hysaj and Reina cleared with his leg.

The 22-year-old completed his hat-trick three minutes into injury time to claim his 13th goal this season.

“My father will be very happy with the hat-trick!” said Simeone as Fiorentina moved to within four points of the Europa League places.

– AC Milan back winning –

Earlier, AC Milan maintained their Europa League hopes with a 2-1 win at Bologna.

Milan had dropped to seventh after a six-game winless streak including last week’s shock reverse to bottom club Benevento.

But first-half goals from Hakan Calhanoglu and Giacomo Bonaventura ensured Milan — one point behind sixth-placed Atalanta, who beat Genoa 3-1 — keep touch with the Europa League places. 

“It was not easy after the week we’ve just had, the tension inside (the club’s training complex) Milanello after the defeat to Benevento,” said Milan coach Gennaro Gattuso.

“We hadn’t won a match in 40 days and have done everything to complicate life.

“We’ve got to get back on our feet and some players who are struggling physically. We’ve got Verona next, then the Italian Cup final (May 9) against Juventus and then Atalanta. We can’t drop points.”

Turkish midfielder Calhanoglu latched onto a Patrick Cutrone cross after 34 minutes at the Stadio Dall’Ara.

Riccardo Orsolini thought he had equalised but the VAR disallowed the goal for a Rodrigo Palacio handball in the build-up.

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Bronze sends Lyon into Champions League final with Wolfsburg

Paris (AFP) – England star Lucy Bronze’s magnificent volley sealed Lyon a 1-0 win over her former club Manchester City on Sunday as the holders set up a Champions League final against Wolfsburg, who saw off Chelsea.

The French side, bidding for a third straight title and outright record fifth overall, had been held to a goalless draw in last week’s semi-final first leg in England.

But they took only 17 minutes to move ahead in the tie as full-back Bronze met Amel Majri’s left-wing cross at the back post with a fierce first-time strike that flew into the top corner.

The 26-year-old, who only joined Lyon from Man City last year, has now scored two Champions League goals for her new club.

The visitors plugged away but never threatened an away goal as they failed to even manage a shot on target, with their hopes of becoming the first English side to reach the final since Arsenal won the 2007 title coming to an end.

Later on Sunday, German giants Wolfsburg wrapped up a comfortable 5-1 aggregate win over Chelsea with a 2-0 victory in Germany.

Danish striker Pernille Harder and Polish youngster Ewa Pajor scored second-half goals to set up a repeat of the 2016 final, which Lyon won on penalties after a 1-1 draw.

The third final between the teams — Wolfsburg beat Lyon 1-0 in 2013 — will take place on May 24 in Kiev, two days before the men’s final in the same city.

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Keita shown fourth red card of season as Mainz stun Leipzig

Berlin (AFP) – Liverpool-bound Naby Keita was sent off for the fourth time this season as 10-man RB Leipzig crashed to a shock 3-0 Bundesliga defeat to Mainz on Sunday.

Keita, who will join Liverpool in the summer, was shown a yellow card, then a red in quick succession late on for fouling Mainz scorers Alexandru Maxim and Bote Baku.

“That was completely unnecessary,” Leipzig’s captain Willi Orban fumed about Keita’s dismissal.

The 23-year-old Keita stormed off the pitch and will be suspended for Saturday’s home match against Wolfsburg. 

It was the defensive midfielder’s third expulsion for Leipzig in 2017/18.

He was also sent off for Guinea in a World Cup qualifier against Tunisia, the first of two red cards he earned last October before being dismissed in Leipzig’s German Cup defeat to Bayern Munich.

This was Leipzig’s fifth game without a win and leaves them sixth in the table, just hanging on to a Europa League berth.

Mainz boosted their survival hopes as Maxim and Baku hit late goals after Pablo de Blasis netted a first-half penalty.

Victory lifted Mainz out of the bottom three and into 14th with a three-point buffer from the relegation places.

Wolfsburg replaced them in 16th, which carries a two-legged play-off at the end of the season against the team which finishes third in the second division.

Mainz took the lead against the run of play when de Blasis converted a penalty on 29 minutes.

The hosts were awarded the spot-kick after Japan striker Yoshinori Muto was sent tumbling in the area.

Mainz kept pushing and deservedly went 2-0 up five minutes from time.

– Dortmund held by Bremen –

Moments after coming off the bench, Romanian midfielder Maxim fired home when the ball landed at his feet from a cross.

The fairytale win was complete when Baku, 20, who has risen up through the ranks from the club’s Under-10 team, scored on his debut.

The midfielder outsprinted Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano to fire home in the 90th minute to the delight of the Mainz bench.

“That was unbelievable,” said Baku after his dream debut. “It couldn’t have gone better for me.”

The win does not guarantee Mainz’s survival, but is a big help with matches against Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen to come.

Dortmund later squandered the chance to go second when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen.

Marco Reus continued to boost his chances of going to the World Cup with Germany by netting his sixth goal since February after overcoming a serious knee injury.

The winger fired Dortmund ahead with a well-placed shot on 19 minutes.

However, sloppy Dortmund defending allowed Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney to head Bremen level just before half-time.

Dortmund had the ball in the Bremen net with an hour played, but Omer Toprak’s effort was ruled offside.

Borussia wasted two great chances to grab the winner to leapfrog Schalke into second.

Andre Schuerrle had a shot blocked by Bremen goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka before English youth international Jadon Sancho hit the crossbar.

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Simeone hat-trick buries Napoli as Juventus close in on Serie A title

Milan (AFP) – Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off early as Napoli’s title hopes took a severe knock on Sunday with a Giovanni Simeone hat-trick giving Fiorentina a shock 3-0 win which allows Juventus to close in on the Serie A title.

With just three games left, Juventus have a four-point lead and could wrap up a seventh straight league title next weekend.

Koulibaly, the hero who scored the last-gasp header that kept Napoli’s ambitions alive with a 1-0 win over Juventus in Turin last week, was sent off after just eight minutes.

Argentina forward Simeone — the son of Atletico Madrid boss Diego Simeone — scored all three goals in a spectacular display to keep Fiorentina’s Europa League hopes alive.

Maurizio Sarri’s side fell four points behind Juventus who battled past 10-man Inter Milan in a 3-2 San Siro thriller on Saturday night with two late goals in three minutes.

Massimiliano Allegri’s side play at home against Bologna on Saturday and could win the Scudetto if Napoli fail to win at home against Torino on Sunday.

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Keita shown fourth red card of season as Mainz stun RB Leipzig

Berlin (AFP) – Liverpool-bound Naby Keita was sent off for the fourth time this season as 10-man RB Leipzig crashed to a shock 3-0 Bundesliga defeat to Mainz on Sunday.

Keita, who will join Liverpool in the summer, was shown a yellow card, then a red in quick succession late on for fouling Mainz scorers Alexandru Maxim and Bote Baku.

“That was completely unnecessary,” Leipzig’s captain Willi Orban fumed about Keita’s dismissal.

The 23-year-old Keita stormed off the pitch and will be suspended for Saturday’s home match against Wolfsburg. 

It was the defensive midfielder’s third expulsion for Leipzig in 2017/18.

He was also sent off for Guinea in a World Cup qualifier against Tunisia, the first of two red cards he earned last October before being dismissed in Leipzig’s German Cup defeat to Bayern Munich.

This was Leipzig’s fifth game without a win and leaves them sixth in the table, just hanging on to a Europa League berth.

Mainz boosted their survival hopes as Maxim and Baku hit late goals after Pablo de Blasis netted a first-half penalty.

Victory lifted Mainz out of the bottom three and into 14th with a three-point buffer from the relegation places.

Wolfsburg replaced them in 16th, which carries a two-legged play-off at the end of the season against the team which finishes third in the second division.

Mainz took the lead against the run of play when de Blasis converted a penalty on 29 minutes.

The hosts were awarded the spot-kick after Japan striker Yoshinori Muto was sent tumbling in the area.

Mainz kept pushing and deservedly went 2-0 up five minutes from time.

– Dortmund held by Bremen –

Moments after coming off the bench, Romanian midfielder Maxim fired home when the ball landed at his feet from a cross.

The fairytale win was complete when Baku, 20, who has risen up through the ranks from the club’s Under-10 team, scored on his debut.

The midfielder outsprinted Leipzig defender Dayot Upamecano to fire home in the 90th minute to the delight of the Mainz bench.

“That was unbelievable,” beamed Baku after his dream debut. “It couldn’t have gone better for me.”

The win does not guarantee Mainz’s survival, but is a big help with matches against Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen to come.

Dortmund later squandered the chance to go second when they were held to a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen.

Marco Reus continued to boost his chances of going to the World Cup with Germany by netting his sixth goal since February after overcoming a serious knee injury.

The fleet-footed winger fired Dortmund ahead with a well-placed shot on 19 minutes.

However, sloppy Dortmund defending allowed Danish midfielder Thomas Delaney to head Bremen level just before half-time.

Dortmund had the ball in the Bremen net with an hour played, but Omer Toprak’s effort was ruled offside.

Borussia wasted two gold-plated chances to grab the winner to leapfrog Schalke into second.

Andre Schuerrle had a shot blocked by Bremen goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka before English junior international Jadon Sancho hit the crossbar with the rebound.

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