LA LIGA: Suarez hits four in 8-0 rout, Ronaldo injured

MADRID, Spain -- Barcelona bounced back from their worst run of La Liga defeats for 13 years in emphatic fashion as Luis Suarez scored four in an 8-0 thrashing of Deportivo la Coruna on Wednesday.

Ivan Rakitic, Lionel Messi, Marc Bartra and Neymar were also on target as Barca reasserted their control on the Spanish title race.

Barca's superior head-to-head record keeps them ahead of Atletico Madrid at the top of the table with four games remaining as Fernando Torres's hot-streak continued with the winner in a 1-0 success at Athletic Bilbao.

Real Madrid remain a point behind in third as goals from Karim Benzema, Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric ensured a 3-0 win over Villarreal.

However, victory came at a cost as Cristiano Ronaldo limped off holding his right hamstring a few minutes from time.

"He got a frIght, but I don't think it is anything serious," said Madrid boss Zinedine Zidane, whose side face Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals next week.

"I am calmer now than when I saw him leave the pitch."

Barca's sensational return to form came after having taken just one point from their last possible 12 in the league.

"We are human, we aren't machines and we can all commit errors or have a bad game," Suarez told Spanish TV station Movistar+.

- Suarez on song -

"Today is a demonstration that the group is more united than ever and desperate to win the league. It is still in our hands."

Suarez settled the visitors' nerves after just 11 minutes when he outmuscled Sidnei to volley home.

Celso Borges then missed two huge chances to bring Deportivo level as he was denied by Claudio Bravo and a last-ditch block by Bartra before Suarez gave Barca a cushion when he latched onto Messi's sumptuous through-ball to slot low past Manu.

Suarez turned provider for Barca's third just after the break when his cross to the back post was volleyed home emphatically by Rakitic.

Messi created the fourth with another defence splitting pass and Suarez kept his composure to seal his sixth hat-trick of a prolific season.

Suarez was gifted his fourth of the night from Neymar's unselfish cross for his 49th goal of the season.

The former Liverpool striker then added a second assist to his four-goal haul as his cut-back was gratefully tapped home by Messi.

- Terrific Torres -

Bartra joined the party as he galloped forward from his own half before firing into the far corner.

And Neymar completed a perfect night for the Spanish champions when he tapped home at the far post for his first goal in six games from Suarez's third assist of a spectacular display.

Torres kept Atletico in the race as he scored for the fifth consecutive game with a towering header from Antoine Griezmann's cross seven minutes before half-time in Bilbao.

"I am happy because the goals have helped the team win the points that bring us closer to our objectives," said Torres.

Victory also came at a cost for Atletico as inspirational defender Diego Godin limped off with a hamstring injury that is likely to see him miss at least the first leg of their Champions League semi-final against Bayern Munich.

Real knew they had to win to remain realistically in the race as they kicked off two hours after Barca, but impressed again in racking up an eighth consecutive La Liga win.

Benzema headed home his 27th goal of the season four minutes before half-time after Sergio Asenjo could only parry Ronaldo's fierce effort.

Vazquez was handed a rare start by Gareth Bale's absence through injury, but took full advantage as he raced onto Benzema's layoff before firing low past Asenjo 21 minutes from time.

Modric volleyed home Danilo's cross in sensational style six minutes later to make it 3-0.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LA LIGA: Barca lose again at Sociedad, record for Ronaldo

BARCELONA - Leaders Barcelona's Anoeta Stadium jinx struck again when they lost 1-0 at Real Sociedad on Saturday, their second successive defeat in La Liga.

Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo became the first player to hit 30 La Liga goals in six consecutive seasons as he inspired Real Madrid to a 4-0 thrashing of Eibar while Fernando Torres was on target once more as Atletico Madrid triumphed 3-1 at Espanyol.

Winger Mikel Oiarzabal headed the only goal for Sociedad in the fifth minute.

"The game began in the worst way possible," said Barca coach Luis Enrique. "We played really badly in the first half.

"We didn't deserve to lose but we are still the leaders. Now we have to pick ourselves up after leaving this great stadium where we never do well."

Barca, without top scorer Luis Suarez through suspension, fielded a much-changed side and managed just five shots on target all game.

Luis Enrique's team have 76 points with six games to go, one ahead of Atletico and four in front of Real Madrid.

After going unbeaten in all competition for six months, Barca have followed last week's 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid with another slip-up.

The European champions are without a victory in three league outings, their longest stretch since Luis Enrique took charge in 2014.

The coach made four changes to the team that lost to Real Madrid, bringing back midfielder Rafinha after a six-month injury absence and starting without Andres Iniesta, Jordi Alba and Ivan Rakitic.

Barca were handed their fifth defeat in six visits to Sociedad after 18-year-old Oiarzabal nodded in a cross from Xabi Prieto.

The visitors struggled to get back in the game and home goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli did well to save from Lionel Messi twice, substitute Iniesta and Arda Turan.

Ronaldo netted for Real Madrid in the 19th minute and also provided passes for Lucas Vazquez and Jese to score as the hosts stormed into a 4-0 halftime lead against Eibar.

James Rodriguez had opened Real's account with a curling free kick in the fifth minute.

EIGHT CHANGES

Coach Zinedine Zidane made eight changes to the team that suffered a shock 2-0 defeat at VfL Wolfsburg in the Champions League in midweek with only Ronaldo, Pepe and Casemiro keeping their places.

Brazilian right back Danilo was booed by the home fans for his disappointing display at Wolfsburg when he came on in the second half but it was an otherwise positive afternoon for Real who host Wolfsburg in their quarter-final second leg on Tuesday.

Rodriguez was criticised for being caught laughing on the sidelines in Germany in midweek but the Colombia international lifted the crowd by scoring early on, his first goal in just under two months.

A fine piece of skill from Ronaldo allowed Vazquez to pass the ball into an empty net in the 18th minute before the record-breaker finished off a cut-back from the lively Jese a minute later.

Ronaldo returned the favour for the 23-year-old in the 39th minute as Real made it 4-0.

Eibar's top scorer Borja Baston hit the crossbar in a rare attack for the visitors who are 10th in the table.

Torres bounced back from his sending-off in the midweek Champions League defeat to Barca by scoring his third goal in as many games, cancelling out Papa Diop's opener in the 29th minute for Espanyol.

France international Antoine Griezmann grabbed his 20th league goal of the season to put the visitors ahead on 58 minutes and midfielder Koke sealed the points for Diego Simeone's side with a close-range finish in the 89th.

Simeone made one change from the team that lost 2-1 at the Nou Camp, replacing Saul Niguez with Augusto Fernandez.

Torres hit the bar early on but Senegal midfielder Diop headed Espanyol in front from a corner.

The former Chelsea and Liverpool striker equalised by converting a pass from Koke.

Torres was then also involved in the other goals by Griezmann and Koke.

(Editing by Tony Jimenez)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

FOOTBALL: Barca beat 10-man Atletico, Bayern edge Benfica

Suarez double sees Barca recover to beat 10-man Atletico

Richard Martin, Reuters

Barcelona's Luis Suarez netted twice for a 2-1 win over 10-man Atletico Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final, first leg on Tuesday after the visitors' Fernando Torres opened the scoring and was later sent off.

After a flurry of chances for the home side, Suarez levelled from close range in the 63rd minute and then headed the winner in the 74th, giving the European champions the edge before next week's second leg at the Vicente Calderon.

Atletico got off to the ideal start when Torres fired Koke's pass through the legs of keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen after 25 minutes but 10 minutes later he was dismissed for a second booking as they suffered a seventh straight loss to Barca.

"We are still alive in the tie," Atletico coach Simeone said. "They had a chance to score another goal with an extra man and they didn't, so that gives us hope and belief. The second leg is going to be a great game."

-----------------------------------------

Bayern edge resolute Benfica with early Vidal goal

Reuters

Bayern Munich will take a slender lead into the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final against Benfica after Arturo Vidal's early goal earned a 1-0 win over the resolute Portuguese side on Tuesday.

Benfica, aiming to reach the European Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1990, have conceded 13 goals in their three previous visits to Bayern and must have feared the worst when Vidal headed home after two minutes.

But the floodgates failed to open after that as the visiting defence stood firm on a frustrating evening for the hosts who beat Benfica's arch-rivals Porto 6-1 at home at the same stage of the competition last season.

Five-times European champions Bayern had also found goals easy to come by in the Champions League this season, blasting 18 in their previous four home matches, but came up against some dogged defending as they pushed to extend their advantage.

-----------------------------------------

U.S. women's soccer star Wambach pleads innocent to drunk driving charge

Dan Whitcomb, Reuters

Former U.S. women's soccer star Abby Wambach pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to driving under the influence of alcohol and was given permission by an Oregon judge to travel out of the state for work reasons, prosecutors said.

Wambach, who helped lead the U.S. women's team to the 2015 World Cup title and retired as the world's leading international goal-scorer, was arrested late Saturday night in Portland.

Portland Police said Wambach, 35, had run a red light in her 2014 Range Rover and was taken to Multnomah County Jail on charges of driving under the influence after failing a field sobriety test. She was later released on her own recognizance.

Wambach, who retired from soccer in October, was not in court for the arraignment and her not guilty plea was entered by a defense lawyer, Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Susan O'Connor said.

-----------------------------------------

Real must be wary of Wolfsburg, says Zidane

Reuters

Real Madrid know they cannot rest on their laurels after beating Barcelona and must beware a VfL Wolfsburg transformation in Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final, first leg, said coach Zinedine Zidane.

The Frenchman, who took over in January from Rafael Benitez, said the Germans may have been going through a rough patch in the Bundesliga in recent weeks but they will be tough opponents at this stage of the competition.

"It will be a complicated match, very difficult," he told reporters. "A team transforms itself at this stage and even if they have problems in the league this is the Champions League. The players know it, the club knows it."

"The are physically very fit. They are quick in attack."

-----------------------------------------

Rangers return to elite after four-year exile

Reuters

Rangers ended a four-year exile from the Scottish Premiership when they beat Dumbarton 1-0 with a second-half goal by James Tavernier to clinch the Championship title and automatic promotion at Ibrox Stadium on Tuesday.

The victory means they will be back among the elite next season after being demoted to the lowest, fourth-tier of the Scottish League for financial irregularities in 2012 which left the Glasgow club 134 million pounds ($190.24 million) in debt.

The club was liquidated and reformed since when Rangers, who have won a world record 54 domestic league titles, have climbed back to the top flight with three promotions in four years, including claiming the one automatic place this season.

-----------------------------------------

Infantino "dismayed" after name found in Panama Papers

Brian Homewood, Reuters
Recently-elected FIFA president Gianni Infantino was "dismayed that his integrity was being doubted" in media reports about a contract he signed several years ago, the global soccer body said in a statement on Tuesday.

The reports from multiple news organisations, citing leaked documents, said Infantino had signed off on a contract with two Argentine businessman, Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, who were later indicted in the United States.

Reuters could not determine if the contract Infantino signed was related to the conduct underlying the indictments.

The reports said Infantino, at the time an official with European soccer body UEFA, signed a contract with the pair for the broadcast rights to Europe's elite Champions League club competition in South America.

The pair, who owned an Argentine company called Cross Trading, then allegedly sold the rights for a price almost three times higher to Teleamazonas, a broadcaster in Ecuador, the reports said.

Reuters, which has not seen the documents, was unable to confirm this.

"I am dismayed and will not accept that my integrity is being doubted by certain areas of the media, especially given that UEFA has already disclosed in detail all facts regarding these contracts," Infantino said in a FIFA statement.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LA LIGA: Suarez hat-trick helps Barca to crush Celta 6-1

BARCELONA- Luis Suarez completed a hat-trick thanks to a cheeky Lionel Messi assist from the penalty spot as Barcelona crushed Celta Vigo 6-1 to restore their three-point cushion over Atletico Madrid at the top of La Liga on Sunday.

Atletico made sure they did not lose further ground on the leaders as Fernando Torres's 101st goal for the club gave them a 1-0 win at Getafe.

Barcelona have 57 points but will reach 60 in 24 matches, six clear of Atletico and seven ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, if they beat Sporting Gijon in the match they have in hand on Wednesday.

Messi, who could have scored a record 300th La Liga goal with a late penalty, chose to cheekily kick the ball square allowing Suarez to charge into the box and complete his hat-trick to goalkeeper Sergio Blanco's surprise.


"There will be those who like it and those who don't. Here (at Barcelona) we try, as well as winning titles, to give enjoyment to our members," coach Luis Enrique told reporters.

Messi opened the scoring with a superb free kick in the 28th minute, given for a foul by Carles Planas on Suarez. It was his 13th goal in La Liga this season.

Celta, who had beaten Barca 4-1 at home in September, equalized with a penalty 11 minutes later taken by John Guidetti after the striker was brought down by Jordi Alba.


Suarez put Barca in front again just before the hour was up when he volleyed home a superb pass from Messi.

The Uruguayan struck again 15 minutes from time as he finished off a fine move started by Messi and continued by Neymar.

Suarez then scored his third from Messi's penalty tap for a league tally of 23, overtaking Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo as the top scorer in La Liga after the Portuguese had scored twice on Saturday.

Substitute midfielder Ivan Rakitic scored Barca's fifth in the 84th with a lob over Blanco and Neymar completed the rout in the final minute.

Torres scored in the opening minute at Getafe and they then held on for a 1-0 win.

Winger Yannick Carrasco's low cross from the left in Atletico's first attack beat the defence and reached the far post where the unmarked Torres tapped the ball home.

The dangerous Carrasco was injured early in the second half defending a Getafe corner and had to come off with what the club later reported was a damaged right ankle ligament.

Getafe are 13th with 26 points.

(Writing by Rex Gowar, editing by Pritha Sarkar)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com