Athletic Bilbao's Llorente: Defeating Manchester United is incredible and wonderful

The Spanish striker did not hide his happiness at overcoming the Premier League champions, but warned the team not to get carried away with the continental result

Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente is ecstatic that his side have sent Manchester Unitedpacking in the Europa League with a 5-3 aggregate victory.

The 27-year-old forward paved the way to Athletic's 2-1 victory at San Mames on Thursday, scoring the club's first goal before coming off on 40 minutes after suffering a recurrence of his hip problem.

"Eliminating United is incredible," Llorente told reporters after the match. "The truth is that this is wonderful, we had a great match. We had a hard time in the first half and we had to play closer to our goal at times, but against these teams that happens sometimes."

However, Llorente urged his side to stay focused as Athletic looks to enter the European qualification zone in Sunday's La Liga match against Valencia.

"Now we have to recover because on Sunday there is another complicated match against Valencia," he added. "We will see if we can continue to play like this." 

sumber :http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/68/europa-league/2012/03/15/2970128/athletic-bilbaos-llorente-defeating-manchester-united-is

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Hart and Kolo Toure focus on Premier League after Manchester City's Europa League exit

The duo look ahead to Wednesday's game against Chelsea as Manchester City looks to regain top spot in the Premier League from rival United as focus switches to the title chase

Joe Hart and Kolo Toure insisted that Manchester City is looking ahead despite knocked out of the Europa League by Sporting Lisbon.

The Portuguese side took a three-goal lead on aggregate, only for City to score three of its own, but fall just short of netting the fourth required to go through to the quarterfinals.

The 24-year-old goalkeeper went up for a last minute corner but saw his bullet header superbly saved by his opposite number, Rui Patricio.

"I can't believe it. I thought it was [in]. It didn't need to get to that, but football is football and it's about drama," Hart told ESPN. "In the second half I thought we were fantastic but in the first half we didn’t show what the fans deserved. We just need to take the positives out of the first half and move for the rest of the season."

Hart was disappointed with the nature of Sporting's goals and was doubly upset to see the tie slip away from his side.

"That's football," he said. "Sometimes you get exposed. The majority of the time I'm not so I'm not going to get hung up on that. You need to play well in every game, there aren’t many games like that. We can't afford not to play well in any game. We let ourselves down in the first half, but as I say if we keep rolling now we’ll be alright."

City's next game is against Chelsea in the Premier League and the 24-year-old is keen to get back to winning ways against Roberto Di Matteo's side.

sumber : http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/68/europa-league/2012/03/15/2970193/hart-and-kolo-toure-focus-on-premier-league-after-manchester 

"We can take positives because we are a great side. We are one point behind the leaders of the Premier League," Hart added. "We’re a good team. We’ve got nothing to worry about. We’ll go into that match [Chelsea] as favorites. We should be favorites. We’re a good side and I hope we will win."

Toure dubbed the match 'strange' and also insisted City is looking forward to the future and not the past.

"It has been a strange game. They scored two at the start and then we were chasing the game," he explained. "I think we did well and Joe Hart had a great header at the end but the goalkeeper managed to tip it out. It was really unlucky for us. We now need to keep our heads up and just think about the next game against Chelsea. For Manchester City, every trophy is very important. When we go out it is very difficult, but now we just need to think about the future because the past is the past." 

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Atletico Madrid's Simeone: We played a perfect second half against Besiktas

The Argentine coach was happy with the team's display against the Turkish side and was full of praise for Turan after his positive performance on Thursday night

Atletico Madrid coach Diego Simeone praised his side's display in the 3-0 victory at Besiktas in the Europa League at the Inonu Stadium.

A first half strike from Adrian and late goals from Radamel Falcao and Eduardo Salvio earned Atletico a comfortable 6-1 aggregate victory against the Turkish side after the first leg had finished 3-1 for the Spanish club.

"We are very happy," Simeone told reporters after the game. "We knew we would have to suffer in the opening 15 minutes. "But from then on, we started to build our game, we were more calm and we had a good end to the first half. The second half was perfect."

Simeone then had special words of praise for Arda Turan, who put in a good display on his return to the Turkish capital.

"He is a player who reads the game like few others," the Argentine coach said. "He just knows how to assist his teammates." 

sumber :http://www.goal.com/en-us/news/68/europa-league/2012/03/15/2970196/atletico-madrids-simeone-we-played-a-perfect-second-half-against-

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Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Manchester United (Agg 5-3): Llorente and De Marcos dump lackluster visitors out of Europe despite late Rooney wonder strike

Sir Alex Ferguson's men are outplayed by their hosts and never get close to qualifying for the next round as they are thoroughly beaten by the Marco Bielsa's side

A lackluster Manchester United were dumped out of the Europa League by Athletic Bilbao, thanks to goals from Fernando Llorente and Oscar de Marcos, and couldn't get anything out of the game despite a wonder goal late-on from Wayne Rooney.

The hosts were on the front foot for almost the entire match, as United were put to the sword thanks to some high intensity play with plenty of technique on display.

United attacked straight from the off, as Park found Rooney down the left, but the striker got his chip all wrong as it went across the face of goal.

It looked certain to be an end-to-end game, with the home side swarming around the ball when United were in possession, and attacking with vigor when on the ball.

Young was the next player to go close, put through by Cleverley but seeing his shot blocked before Marcelo Bielsa's men almost put the tie beyond United.

Llorente played a neat reverse pass through to Muniain, open on the edge of the area, and when his low drive cannoned back off the post and back to De Marcos, it looked grave for the English champions.

But De Marcos conspired to heave an effort over the bar with David de Gea out of position after the initial shot. It was a huge let off for United.

It wasn't long before the visitors were behind, to a fantastic finish by Llorente. A simple long ball over the top from Amorebietta exposed Rio Ferdinand, and the Spanish striker volleyed it across the face of goal and into the far corner, giving De Gea no chance.

It meant that United went 4-2 down on aggregate and would need at least three goals to advance to the next stage.

A fabulous cross from Young to the back post five minutes later found an unmarked Ryan Giggs, but his header was brilliantly blocked by one of the Athletic defenders to deflect it over the bar.

The next flash point came when Cleverley controlled a ball on the edge of the box and took a knock on the led from a Bilbao defender, but nothing was given as the midfielder went down fairly easily.

The half ended with both sides already nursing injuries, as goal scorer Llorente was substituted five minutes before the end, and Rafael fell awkwardly on a soft patch of grass, but seemed to recover before the break.

Going into the second half Ferguson's side still needed three goals, and didn't look like getting anywhere near that target as Athletic bombarded them.

The hosts were inches away from an astounding goal as Andoni Iraola threw in a couple of step-overs on the edge of the box, rolling the ball past first Carrick then Ferdinand, but placing his shot just wide of the post, with the home crowd about to take the roof off the stadium.

Time and again United was forced to kick the ball long under immense pressure from the hosts, and it just could not get its own game going with Rooney looking out of sorts after little time at all on the ball.

Ferguson perhaps gave a telling sign of how he thought the game was progressing just after the hour mark when he withdrew Ferdinand and Carrick for Chris Smalling and the promising but inexperienced midfielder Paul Pogba.

And two minutes later United's European misery was all but sealed. A cross in towards Toquero was well blocked by Smalling, but the rebound fell to De Marcos 10 yards out, and his shot was deflected past De Gea by the outstretched foot of Jonny Evans.

Even as the match progressed and Danny Welbeck was introduced, United continued to struggle and failed to create any chances. 

It was, in fact, Athletic who was coming closer and closer to adding a goal, as Iraola's great cross was inexplicably headed over from six yards by Toquero.

It was another poor European night for United, and the final one of the season for them. Rooney went down with what looked like a nasty tackle on his ankle, but recovered to carry on.

Rooney recovered so well, in fact, that he was able to curl a beautiful effort into the top corner to bring a goal back for the visitors, and it was even applauded by the home fans.

United was starting to look like it had a way back into the game, with Rooney the chief player creating. But De Marcos almost snatched another with a little under five minutes remaining.

Welbeck came close from long range, forcing the first save of the night from Iraizoz, but the keeper did well to push it around the post.

Ultimately though, United was nowhere near its peak, and suffered as it was outplayed by the hosts in every department, and deservedly knocked out of Europe for a second time this season.

sumber :http://www.goal.com/en-us/match/77163/athletic-bilbao-vs-manchester-united/report

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Manchester City 3-2 Sporting Lisbon (Agg 3-3): Aguero double sees City complete turnaround but hosts crash out on away goals

The Citizens pay for sluggish start as they have to come from behind to score four goals in order to progress but fall agonizingly short in the closing minutes

Sporting made the brighter start to the game, closing down the City team at every opportunity and Xandao went close with a header in the opening stages but the low-key beginning from both teams was indicative of the atmosphere at the Etihad Stadium, which was barely full despite the relative importance of the game.

Manchester City fell valiantly short of an epic comeback in its Europa League game against Sporting despite beating its Portuguese opponents 3-2 on the night.

First-half goals from Matias Fernandez and Ricky Van Wolfswinkel gave Sporting a deserved 2-0 lead as City started sluggishly to leave the English club with the mountainous task of scoring four goals in the second half.

But Roberto Mancini rung the changes and his team got back into the game through two goals from Sergio Aguero on either side of a Mario Balotelli penalty.

Aguero’s goal gave the home side’s fans hope with the third goal nine minutes from time but despite throwing everything at Sporting, they couldn’t find the fourth.

Midfielder David Pizarro was given a rare start after Gareth Barry failed to recover from a back injury in time, while Joleon Lescott missed out again. Sergio Aguero started alongside Balotelli as City knew it needed goals. Alexandre Xandao, who scored the back-heeled goal in the first leg, started for Sporting.

The first real incident of note came after 20 minutes as Sporting players and fans were left incensed as they were denied a penalty claim after Matias Fernandez fell under the challenge of the clumsy Stefan Savic. Unimpressed with his histrionics, the referee booked the midfielder five minutes later for diving just outside the area - even if it did look like David Pizarro made contact with him.

City seemed bereft of rhythm in the first half as it looked for long balls, while Fernandez kept the away side ticking.

And it was Fernandez who opened the scoring with a fabulous free kick from 25 yards on the 32nd minute. The Chilean went down under the challenge of Balotelli and he stepped up with aplomb to fire a strike into the far post that had too much power on it for the diving Joe Hart to keep out, despite getting a strong hand on it.

Sporting deservedly extended its lead less than ten minutes later against the lackluster City with a brilliant team goal, finished off by Van Wolfswinkel. A cross-field ball was headed down by Van Wolfswinkel who spread the ball wide, which sucked Aleksandar Kolarov out of position. Sporting then got the ball into the vacant area to Marat Izmailov, who expertly found the waiting Van Wolfswinkel at the back post, having freed himself of the attention of both Stefan Savic and Kolo Toure.

Sensing his team needed to score goals in the second half, Mancini brought off Adam Johnson – who showed a few bright spots in the first half – for holding midfielder Nigel de Jong.

That moved was swiftly followed by the substitution of the absent Pizarro, who was replaced by Edin Dzeko.

City got itself back in the game on the hour mark with its most fluent piece play of the game as Yaya Toure drove towards the area with the ball before expertly finding Aguero, who does well to finish in the top corner.

The goal brought City to life from its deep slumber and the team immediately took control of proceedings as Sporting began to look nervous and tried to protect its lead.

City’s pressure told 15 minutes later as Aguero was tripped by Renato Neto – whether it was in the area or not is hard to call – and Balotelli, who had been virtually absent for the whole evening, steps up to draw the teams level on the night.

Aguero then sent the home fans into raptures with just under 10 minutes to go after putting City within one goal of progressing. A corner was flicked on by Dzeko towards the Argentine, who was all alone at the back, to flick the ball goalwards.

City had time for one last chance as Joe Hart of all people got on the end of a cross with a header that looked destined for the back of the net until Rui Patricio somehow got his hand to the ball to divert it agonisingly wide.

sumber :http://www.goal.com/en-us/match/77157/manchester-city-vs-sporting/report

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In Pictures: Eric Cantona returns to action starring in his latest film 'Switch'

The former Manchester United talisman who featured in 'Looking For Eric' two years ago continues to try to forge an acting career in the wake of his footballing success

Eric Cantona may have retired from football 15 years ago but the man nicknamed 'King Eric' by the Stretford End continues to seek new avenues of exposure turning to acting once more.

Never far from the headlines, Cantona made an attempt to run for the French presidency earlier this year.

He has also teamed up with former NASL side New York Cosmos - the one-time home of Pele - and aims, through his role as Director of Soccer, to make them "one of the best clubs in the world in the coming years".Cantona had his fair share of controversies and not solely in England where fans old enough will recall his kung-fu kick on a Crystal Palace supporter that landed him a four month ban. In fact he has always been in hot water.

There was the time at Marseille when, after kicking the ball at the fans during a friendly, he tore his shirt off and threw it at his manager, receiving a one month ban. Or in 1991 when he threw the ball at the referee after disagreeing with a decision.

After receiving a one month suspension from the French footballing body for this particular infraction, Cantona approached the panel members and called them all 'idiots'.

All of the above make the idea of handing a gun to Cantona an extremely unwise move. Nonetheless that is what the directors of this particular film have done.

'Switch' is a French police-chase movie set in Los Angeles. It is also heading straight to DVD.  

 

sumber : http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/4160/extra-time/2012/03/10/2958145/in-pictures-eric-cantona-returns-to-action-starring-in-his 

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