FOOTBALL: Real seal another epic comeback with Ronaldo treble

MADRID - Cristiano Ronaldo's fifth Champions League hat-trick inspired Real Madrid to a 3-0 comeback victory over VfL Wolfsburg on Tuesday that clinched a place in the semi-finals for a sixth successive season.

The prolific Portuguese got the 10-times European champions, 2-0 down from the first leg, off to a perfect start by tapping in Daniel Carvajal's cross after 16 minutes and heading a second goal less than a minute later from Toni Kroos' corner.

Ronaldo capped a 3-2 win on aggregate when he curled in a free kick after 77 minutes, his 16th goal in this season's competition taking him within touching distance of his record of 17 in 2013-14.

He also equalled Barcelona rival Lionel Messi's record of five Champions League trebles as he took his goal tally in all competitions this season to 46.

"It's a day for celebration," said Real coach Zinedine Zidane. "We won with character, fight and effort and I'm very proud of the players.

"The sensation is of a job well done because it wasn't easy. It was a special night...I'm very happy with the players because they did a phenomenal job."

Zidane's only change from the first leg was to replace the much-criticised Danilo at right back with Carvajal.

Opposite number Dieter Hecking kept the same lineup that served him so well at the Wolfsburg Arena.

GREAT FIGHTBACKS

Real have a reputation for staging great fightbacks in Europe but they had not overturned a first-leg deficit in the Champions League since 2002 when Zidane, as a player, helped them beat Bayern Munich 2-0 at the Bernabeu after a 2-1 reverse.

The home team's intent was clear when defender Sergio Ramos headed the ball against the crossbar early on and they soon started turning the tie back in their favour.

Carvajal vindicated Zidane's decision when he beat Julian Draxler to the ball in midfield before setting up Ronaldo's opening goal.

Wolfsburg tried to recover and they missed a couple of chances to get on the scoresheet.

The 31-year-old Ronaldo, top scorer this season in La Liga and the Champions League, had different ideas though and he sent the Bernabeu crowd wild with delight by scoring twice more.

"People can criticise me but I just keep on going and the numbers are there for all to see," said Ronaldo.

"I am very happy and with a month left of the season I can get even better. It was not the best but one of my best European nights."

(Reporting by Richard Martin; Editing by Tony Jimenez)

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FOOTBALL: Improved United draw with Chelsea, Arsenal go top

Improved United draw with Chelsea, Arsenal go top

Justin Palmer, Reuters
Manchester United's winless run continued but they gave under-fire coach Louis van Gaal crumbs of cheer with a committed display in an entertaining 0-0 draw with Chelsea while Arsenal went top of the table on Monday.

Arsenal beat Bournemouth 2-0 with goals from Gabriel and Mesut Ozil to move on to 39 points from 19 Premier League games, one ahead of Leicester City who are at home to Manchester City, in fourth, on Tuesday.

Champions Chelsea, who were minus the suspended Diego Costa and played without a recognised striker, are 14th with 20 points.

Tottenham Hotspur rose to third after Son Heung-Min netted a late goal in a 2-1 victory at 10-man Watford.

Spurs went ahead through Erik Lamela at Vicarage Road. In-form Odion Ighalo levelled with his 14th league goal of the season before South Korean Son flicked the ball past former Tottenham keeper Heurelho Gomes in the final minute.

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I won't quit, says defiant Van Gaal after United draw

Reuters
Under-fire manager Louis van Gaal said he would not quit after Manchester United extended their run without a victory to eight games in all competitions with a 0-0 draw with champions Chelsea in the Premier League on Monday.

Sixth-placed United produced an improved display at Old Trafford, having limped to a 2-0 defeat at Stoke City on Saturday, enjoying two-thirds of the possession without being able to break down Chelsea's defence.

Asked about the constant media speculation over his job, Van Gaal told BT Sport: "I cannot have any influence on that. I can only work with my players and you have seen my players are fighting for me and they have given a good performance.

"Even after this result, the fans were applauding so I cannot say I am very much concerned but in this football world you never know.

"I have full confidence in the board and in my players. When the players can give such a performance under this pressure, then it is not any reason to resign for me. Maybe the media wants that but I shall not do that," added Van Gaal.

Hiddink pleased with striker-less Chelsea's point

Reuters
Interim manager Guus Hiddink was satisfied with Chelsea's 0-0 draw at Manchester United on Monday, especially as the Premier League champions played without a recognised striker.

Diego Costa was suspended after being booked in Saturday's 2-2 draw with Watford while fellow attackers Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao were sidelined by injury, forcing winger Eden Hazard to occupy the unfamiliar position of centre forward.

"Tactically it was okay, defensively we were well organised," Hiddink told reporters at Old Trafford.

"We didn't have full power to hurt United ... we have some problems in the striker position due to suspension and injuries so we had to think how to solve that problem.

"Hazard has done it before and he is capable of doing it because he's a very versatile player," added Hiddink who took over from the sacked Jose Mourinho earlier this month.

"I'm pleased because we had some good opportunities in the second half."

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Real Madrid's expulsion from King's Cup confirmed

Reuters
Real Madrid's expulsion from the King's Cup for fielding an ineligible player was upheld on Monday by the Spanish government's Disciplinary Committee for Sports (TAD) following an appeal by the 10-times European champions.

Real included Denis Cheryshev in their starting lineup in a last-32, first-leg game at third-tier Cadiz in early December when he should have been serving a one-match ban. The Russia forward opened the scoring in a 3-1 victory.

The TAD, which had already turned down attempts by Real Madrid to get their expulsion temporarily suspended, said in a written ruling it had rejected the appeal and that the decision was final.

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Hired, fired in same day - Barcelona sack 'insulting' player

Agence France-Presse

Diehard Real Madrid fan Sergi Guardiola's decision to write offensive tweets aimed at Barcelona came back to haunt him Monday when he was hired and fired by the Spanish giants on the same day.

The 24-year-old striker penned a deal with Barca's B team but was sacked just a few hours later when angry fans of the Catalan club made officials aware of Guardiola's Twitter tirade from 2013, www.lequipe.fr reported.

"FC Barcelona has decided to terminate the contract signed with Sergi Guardiola, after finding that he had published offensive tweets about the club and Catalonia," said a Barcelona statement.

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FOOTBALL WRAP: Ronaldo sets new record, United and City win

Record Ronaldo goal helps put Real top of La Liga

Real Madrid opened a two-point lead over Villarreal at the top of La Liga when Cristiano Ronaldo set a club scoring record in a 3-0 stroll at home to Levante on Saturday.

Marcelo fired Real ahead in the 27th minute at the Bernabeu when he exchanged passes with Ronaldo and blasted the ball past Ruben in the Levante goal.

Ronaldo made it 2-0 three minutes later when he cracked a long-range effort into the corner, his 324th Real goal putting him one clear of former Spain striker Raul.

It ended a rare four-match goal drought in Spain's top flight for the Portugal captain, his joint-worst run since he joined Real in 2009. -- Reuters

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Barca's four-goal Neymar coy on secret of success

Neymar was delighted after netting his first four-goal haul, including two penalties, for Barcelona on Saturday but the Brazil forward was not about to give away any clues to the secret of his success.

It was one of the 23-year-old's best performances since joining Barca in 2013 as the Spanish and European champions fought back from 1-0 down to beat a spirited Rayo Vallecano 5-2 at the Nou Camp.

After they fell behind in the 15th minute, Neymar won and converted a pair of spot kicks and added two more goals in the second period before teeing up Luis Suarez to score a fifth for the home side late on.

He is the first Barca player other than Lionel Messi to score four in a match since Samuel Eto'o in 2008 and his eight goals in La Liga this term are helping offset the impact of Messi's absence through injury. -- Reuters

Goals rained in for Manchester City and Manchester United but Juergen Klopp's first game as Liverpool manager was solid rather than spectacular as they drew 0-0 at Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Saturday.

Raheem Sterling's hat-trick and a Wilfried Bony double helped leaders City to a 5-1 home win against Bournemouth while a few miles down the motorway United thumped Everton 3-0 with Wayne Rooney scoring his first away league goal for 11 months.

City have a two-point lead over United and Arsenal, who moved up to second with a 3-0 win at Watford. West Ham United, who won 3-1 at Crystal Palace, are a further two points adrift.

Liverpool's sixth draw in seven matches in all competitions left them down in 10th place but there was reason for optimism for Klopp who replaced the sacked Brendan Rodgers this month. -- Martyn Herman, Reuters

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Unstoppable Bayern beat Werder for record league start

Bayern Munich edged past struggling Werder Bremen 1-0 on Saturday courtesy of Thomas Mueller's first half goal to set a Bundesliga record for the best start to a season with their ninth consecutive victory.

Germany international Mueller, in sensational form this season, was left unmarked in the box to latch onto a superb Thiago Alcantara chip and tap in from close range in the 23rd minute for his ninth league goal as Bayern improved the record they had set themselves in the 2012/13 season.

Unbeaten Bayern, who did not need to hit top form and eased off late in the game granting Werder more space, have a maximum 27 points, seven more than second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who won 2-0 at Mainz 05 on Friday. Bayern face Arsenal in the Champions League on Tuesday. --Reuters

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Mourinho lauds Chelsea discipline after win without Hazard

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho said the struggling English champions will stick to their back-to-basics approach after a hard-fought 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Saturday in which Eden Hazard started on the bench.

He added that the Belgium winger, Chelsea's stand-out player in last season's title-winning team, was among the substitutes as part of a revamp to end his side's miserable run of form.

"I left out Hazard because we are conceding lots of goals, we need to defend better, we need our midfield players to be just in the central area of the pitch," Mourinho told reporters.

"When, for example, a central midfielder has to be worried about providing cover to one of the sides, it's like a blanket, you pull this side, you have your feet in the cold, you know?"

Hazard, the Premier League's player of the year last season, had previously started every league game for Chelsea this season but only came on as an 83rd minute substitute on Saturday.

By then, the game was effectively over, thanks to a first-half goal by Spain striker Diego Costa and a 53rd minute own-goal by Alan Hutton who deflected in a strike by Costa. -- William Schomberg, Reuters

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Confusion reigns over De Gea's Real Madrid move

MADRID - Confusion reigns over goalkeeper David De Gea's expected transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid after media reported the relevant paperwork was not delivered in time on Spain's deadline day.

The Spain stopper signed his new contract but the documents did not reach the professional league's offices by the midnight cut-off on Monday/Tuesday, said several reports without identifying the source of their information.

However, Cadena Ser radio said Real had proof that United sent the paperwork at one minute before midnight and the club were expecting the deal to go through.

Costa Rica keeper Keylor Navas is due to join United as part of the deal if the transfer is completed.

Neither Real nor the professional league could be reached for immediate comment.

If the transfer has failed it will leave De Gea in a difficult position because United coach Louis van Gaal has left him out of the squad for the Premier League club's opening games of the season.

Real want the 24-year-old former Atletico Madrid keeper as a long-term replacement for his Spain team mate Iker Casillas, the former club captain who joined Porto in July.

De Gea was selected last week by Spain for the forthcoming Euro 2016 qualifiers against Slovakia and Macedonia although coach Vicente Del Bosque hinted he could lose his place in the squad if his club situation remained unresolved. (Writing by Iain Rogers; Editing by Tony Jimenez)

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Barca facing tough task to retain La Liga title

MADRID - Champions Barcelona begin their bid for a sixth La Liga title in eight years at Athletic Bilbao on Sunday knowing that fellow heavyweights Real Madrid could, unusually, be just one of several challengers for their crown.

Under new coach Rafa Benitez, Real are desperate to recover from a 2014-15 season when they failed to win major silverware and will be looking to FIFA Ballon d'Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo to break more scoring records and hoping world record signing Gareth Bale can rediscover his best form.

Atletico Madrid proved they are genuine contenders by winning Spain's top flight in 2013-14 and inspirational Argentine coach Diego Simeone has overseen some canny business in the latest transfer window, including luring Colombia striker Jackson Martinez from Porto.

And it would be no great surprise if Valencia, flush with cash following last year's takeover by Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, and Europa League champions Sevilla, who gave Barca a mighty scare in this month's European Super Cup, are in the mix at the top of the table come May.

"In Spain we don't just have Barcelona," Benitez told daily El Pais this week.

"There is Atletico, Valencia, Sevilla, who are all performing very well," added the much-travelled 55-year-old, who began his coaching career in Real's academy after his nascent playing career was ended by injury.

"But it's true that Barcelona are the champions and the reference point."

Bilbao showed Barca are vulnerable when they thrashed them 4-0 in the first leg of the Spanish Super Cup last week, going on to seal a 5-1 aggregate success in the return on Monday, and the pressure on the Catalan club to match last term's haul of Champions League, La Liga and King's Cup titles will be immense.

Much will depend on the form of talismanic forward Lionel Messi, who with strike partners Neymar and Luis Suarez rattled in a Spanish record 122 goals in all competitions last term.

Andalusian rivals Sevilla and Malaga get the new season under way on Friday when they clash at the Rosaleda (1830 GMT), before Atletico host promoted Las Palmas (1830) and Valencia play at Rayo Vallecano (2030) on Saturday.

After Barca play at Bilbao on Sunday (1630), Real are at another promoted side, Sporting Gijon (1830), and second-division champions Real Betis host Villarreal (2030). (Editing by Martyn Herman)

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Messi renews Ronaldo rivalry in battle to be world's best

Madrid - Lionel Messi can take his record tally for Barcelona to a stunning 400 goals when the Catalans face Real Madrid in one of the biggest matches in world football on Sunday.

Here, AFP sports compares the Argentine's stats with his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo in the quest to be La Liga's top dog.

In early January, Barcelona and Messi appeared to be mired in a crisis after losing at Real Sociedad, whilst Ronaldo picked up his third career Ballon d'Or. In less than three months the tables have turned significantly as Messi has stormed ahead of Ronaldo in the race to be La Liga's top scorer with 20 goals in his last 17 games.

Ronaldo's production has dropped to nine in 14 matches in the new year, only three of those from open play in La Liga.

Messi now has 32 La Liga goals this season to Ronaldo's 30.

The Champions of Champions

At least in goalscoring terms, the story has been different in the Champions League as Ronaldo rescued Madrid with three goals in an unexpectedly tight 5-4 aggregate win over Schalke to reach the quarter-finals.

Messi's weaved his magic as Barca dismissed Manchester City in midweek, but was unusually wasteful in front of goal and also missed a penalty in the first leg.

Ronaldo's treble saw him move level with Messi on 75 Champions League goals and set a new all-time record for goals in European competitions with 78.

Messi king of the Clasico

It is Messi who leads the way in the scoring charts in the history of one of the biggest fixtures in world football. The 27-year-old has struck 21 times in 29 meetings with Madrid, including two hat-tricks.

Ronaldo is joint fourth on the all-time list, tied with Madrid legends Ferenc Puskas and Francisco Gento and Barca's Cesar Rodriguez with 14 goals in 22 Clasicos.

400-club beckons for Messi

A third career hat-trick against Madrid for Messi would also see him reach 400 goals for Barca in all competitions.

Messi currently has 397 goals in 464 official games for the Blaugrana to go with his 45 strikes in 97 caps for Argentina.

Ronaldo is edging closer to 500 career club goals as he has found the net 468 times with Madrid, Manchester United and Sporting Lisbon in 726 appearances.

The Madeira-born star also has a marginally better international record with 52 in 118 caps to make him Portugal's all-time leading scorer.

Leaders of the most expensive frontlines in history

Ronaldo and Messi just form part of their sides' star-studded, three-pronged attacks.

Madrid's "BBC" front three of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Ronaldo have amassed 77 goals and 42 assists this season with respected transfer website transfermarkt.com valuing the trio at 250 million euros.

Barca's South American triumvirate of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez are fractionally ahead in the stats with 82 goals and 47 assists between them and in value at an estimated 260 million euros.

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