Napoli reached their second Coppa Italia final in three years by overturning Roma's first-leg advantage in convincing style at the Stadio San Paolo. The 2012 cup winners, who will meet Italian Serie A rivals Fiorentina in Rome on 3 May, were trailing by one goal before kick-off on Wednesday having lost 3-2 to the Giallorossi in the capital last week.
Iconic striker Diego Maradona won the Coppa with Napoli in 1987 and danced for joy in the stands after watching his modern counterpart Gonzalo Higuain follow up Jose Callejon's early strike. Jorginho then scored his first goal for the Neapolitan club to add gloss to a one-sided 3-0 victory and Roma's miserable night was complete when midfielder Kevin Strootman earned a late red card.
There was an early scare for Napoli as goalkeeper Jose Reina went down hurt, but the on-loan Liverpool man was able to continue after treatment. The Azzurri threatened first, Marek Hamsik trying his luck from distance only for his left-footed shot to sail over the bar. Roma responded brightly and Strootman was unlucky not to smash home Gervinho's parried shot, the Dutchman instead clipping over under pressure from Christian Maggio.
Napoli's wing-back started the move that led to the first goal in the 33rd minute. His cross from deep evaded Roma defender Mehdi Benatia and Callejon rose highest to head the ball beyond Morgan De Sanctis. Napoli would not score again before the break but, once play resumed, they turned the screw in convincing fashion.
Napoli have Diego off his seat
In the 48th minute Maradona fell off his seat in exuberant celebration after watching Higuain anticipate Vasilis Torosidis' tackle to head the ball home from a corner. Three minutes later Napoli bagged the goal that all but booked their place in the May final.
It was a debut goal for former Hellas Verona midfielder Jorginho as he skipped past Michel Bastos to beat De Sanctis from a one-on-one confrontation. Strootman thought he had pulled one back for beleaguered Roma when loping forward to nod home a cross from deep, but the offside flag denied his side a way back into the tie.
Roma came no closer to forcing extra-time and their fate was finally sealed when Strootman saw red for sarcastically applauding the referee after being issued with a first yellow card for fouling Callejon.
sportoos's latest stats review is a tale of mixed fortunes, with Wes Brown’s red cards and Hamburg’s defeats featuring alongside the goalscoring exploits of Juan Pablo Angel, Javier Pastore and Adel Taarabt.
years and 105 days was the age at which Juan Pablo Angel became the week's oldest top-flight goalscorer last Thursday, striking twice to inspire Atletico Nacional to a 5-1 win over Allianza Petrolera. The Colombian striker is currently in the second season of a second spell with the team that kicked off his impressive career, having starred in Argentina,England and USA in the interim. His goal is to inspire Nacional, the reigning champions, to a 14th national title and, with it, a share in Colombia’s all-time record, currently held by Millonarios of Bogota. Angel will, though, have a fight on his hands if he also has his eyes on the top scorer’s prize. That particular race is currently being led by another 30-plus former Cafeteros international, Jose Moreno, who already has four goals to his name.
minutes was all that Adel Taarabt needed to make an instant impact at AC Milan on Saturday, scoring the second-fastest goal by a foreign Rossoneri debutant. The Moroccan midfielder’s opener at Napoli left him just a minute short of the record held by Milan legend George Weah, who struck just six minutes into his first appearance at Padova in 1995. Sadly for Milan, their new boy’s goal was the bright spot in an otherwise disappointing 3-1 defeat. I Rossoneri are now without a win against Napoli since 2011, and have lost home and away toI Partenopei in the same Serie A season for the first time since 1985/86. The game’s most striking image was of a tearful Mario Balotelli, and his distress was understandable. After all, the striker has now played five matches against Napoli with three different clubs – and lost all five. hours and seven minutes of Ligue 1 action without a goal was the run that finally came to an end for Javier Pastore on Sunday. The beleaguered Paris Saint-Germain forward scored the opener in his team's top-of-the-table clash at Monaco, although the hosts fought back to claim a 1-1 draw in the battle of France’s big spenders. Elsewhere in France, another scoring drought was ended when Nantes' Filip Djordjevic found the net with six minutes remaining of a 2-1 defeat to Lyon, ending a 956-minute wait. There was still time for Djordjevic to grab an equaliser and become the hero but, instead, he emerged as the villain, receiving his marching orders within three minutes of finding the net. In doing so, the Serbian became the first player since Floyd Ayite last March to score and be sent off in the same Ligue 1 match.
successive Bundesliga defeats – the longest losing sequence in the club’s history – is the run currently being endured by Hamburg. Der Dinosaurier take great pride in their record of having never been relegated from the German top flight, but this miserable recent streak of results has put that status in doubt. Already, Hamburg have conceded 46 goals – more than any other team in the league, and their highest-ever tally at this stage of the season – and lost three goals in each of their last five league encounters. Their home record of seven defeats from ten is also the worst in the club’s history. Werder Bremen, meanwhile, are faring only marginally better. Die Werderaner have picked up only 20 points from as many matches this season, their worst tally at this stage of a Bundesliga campaign since 1974/75 – 39 years ago.
red cards have been flashed at Wes Brown in the English Premier League this season, giving the Sunderland central defender a share in the division’s all-time record. David Batty, Slaven Bilic, Vinny Jones, Franck Queudrue and Craig Short are the men in whose footsteps Brown trod with his latest dismissal in the Black Cats' 2-0 defeat to Hull City, and making the record his own will be a real danger in the remainder of the season. History of a much better kind was made by Eden Hazard, meanwhile, with the Belgian – at 23 years and 32 days – becoming the youngest player to score a Premier League hat-trick for Chelsea. Liverpool also shone, racing into a 4-0 lead against Arsenal inside the opening 20 minutes at Anfield – the first time in Premier League history they have ever established such a commanding advantage so early in a match. Martin Skrtel kicked off the scoring after just 52 seconds, giving Liverpool a first-minute opener for the first time since Robbie Fowler struck at Middlesbrough in December 1996. Coincidentally, that match also finished 5-1 to the Reds .
Having now racked up over 700 appearances for Barcelona, more than any other player in the history of the Catalan giants, Xavi Hernandez has certainly come a long way from the days he had to endure unfavourable comparisons with his midfield predecessor Pep Guardiola.
The heartbeat of a Barça side whose football wowed lovers of the beautiful game the world over, the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ winner spoke to Sportoos about his future, club coach Gerardo 'Tata' Martino, his partnership with Andres Iniesta and, of course, Lionel Messi: "The greatest player of all time".
sportoos: Despite starting the season with a 20-game unbeaten run in all competitions, there has still been criticism of Barcelona’s performances under new coach Gerardo Martino. Has taking the Barça helm become more difficult since Pep Guardiola’s reign?
Xavi:Over and above Guardiola, who did an excellent job as coach - while we also did excellently in terms of results and the football we played, the issue is more down to the legacy we left. We scaled the heights in pretty much every way: footballistically, tactically, technically and physically. The standard of play was excellent and, since then, you have to expect comparisons to be made. And often, as the saying goes, ‘comparisons are odious’. So, in that sense we’re left open to criticism, as we know how difficult life can be withinCan Barça, butTatahas both experience and character. The players really respect him and he’s proving he’s got what it takes to coach Barcelona. And not just results-wise: the team’s play is also improving. We’re doing well and are in good form.
We’d be remiss not to ask you about Guardiola’s current club, Bayern Munich. Can they hit the heights that Barcelona did?
Well, that’s where it comes down to other teams to try and stop them. One of them being Barcelona, for example, right? I think that we’re still capable of big things in La Liga and in Europe, though clearly Bayern are very strong. Last year they won practically everything and this year they’re still on course [to do so again]. They have to be considered among the real favourites to win the Champions League again.
Being at Barcelona has given you the chance to line up alongside the likes of Ronaldinho, Messi, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Iniesta and Neymar. Is there anyone else you would have liked to play with?
When it comes to striking up an understanding and enjoying your football, you always want to play alongside the very best, right? But in my view, Messi is the greatest player of all time. He’s the best there is.
I’d love to hang up my boots at Barcelona and stay involved with the club... I’ve felt that way since I was a boy and still feel the same today.
Xavi on his desire to remain at Barcelona
After a recent interview with Panenka magazine, there has been media speculation surrounding whether or not you will end your career at Barcelona. Can you clear up the issue?
(Laughs) Yes, of course! What I said was more about how demanding it is [atBarça], rather than not wanting to [retire in the club’s colours]. On the contrary, I’d love to hang up my boots at Barcelona and stay involved with the club, which I think is the best in the world, for many years. I’ve felt that way since I was a boy and still feel the same today. I’d like to still be at Barcelona when I retire, but I know how demanding it is. That’s why I said it’s not my decision: to retire here I’ll have to keep performing at the highest level. Let’s hope I can do it, it’s my biggest dream.
Do you usually read the press and does it bother you when you words are twisted?
No, no. I understand what journalism is about and I get that there's a need to generate controversy. With everything that surrounds the game, I know how all this works.
It’s quite eye-catching how you and Iniesta are so often grouped together, how “Xavi andIniesta” make Barcelona tick, how “Xavi and Iniesta” make Spain so strong…
We are often referred to in the same sentence and that’s good, right? Years ago there were people that said we couldn’t play together. So, it’s more than welcome as praise always goes down well, particularly when you look at what we’ve been through. We didn’t used to win anything and now we’re being successful at both team and individual level, enjoying a wonderful era that I hope will last a few years longer.
You come across as very laid-back. Is that how you are generally?
Me? No, I’m quite restless. I wouldn’t say nervous, but when it comes to football I’ve got a curious mind. I like to analyse the game, like we’ve talked about before. I really like watching football and dissecting the play, taking in a bit of everything.
Is there anything that gets on your nerves?
Nothing! I’m happy and I feel very privileged. I feel good, I’m happy and I’m where I want to be. I’ve earned individual recognition and had success as part of a team too. It’s fantastic and I hope it continues! I’d like it to last many more years and be able to keep enjoying it.
Finally, given that footballing intelligence is your main strength, do you see yourself being able to carry on a good while yet?
I think so, though we’ll have to see how my legs hold up and the games go. But I’m really excited about competing for La Liga, the Champions League, the World Cup… I’m genuinely enjoying myself, both with Barcelona and the national team. Playing football is what I’m passionate about, what I enjoy doing most. All I can do is put in the effort, keep looking at myself and listening to my body, and see how long I can keep going.
Arsene Wenger has described Arsenal's 5-1 thrashing at Liverpool as an "accident" and encouraged his players to respond by beating Manchester United on Wednesday.
The Gunners lost their hold on first place in the Premier League after their demolition at Anfield on Saturday, but their manager is confident that they will show their worth against United at the Emirates Stadium.
"It is always a disappointment to lose a game, but I think it was an accident because we have been very stable defensively and we have to treat it like that," Wenger told a press conference on Tuesday. "We have just been on a ten-game unbeaten run.
"You cannot consider one game as the trend, the pattern of our season. It is an accident, not a welcome [one] of course, a very disappointing one, but a successful season is decided by how you respond to that."
He didn't have the best of games on Saturday, but that can happen. He knows when he is not good enough, he will get questioned.
Arsene Wenger on Mesut Ozil's performance against Liverpool
Wenger spoke out in defence of record signing Mesut Ozil, who produced an anonymous performance at Liverpool that was in keeping with some below-par recent displays.
"He didn't have the best of games on Saturday, but that can happen," the Frenchman said of the Germany playmaker. "He works very hard to adapt to the physical level of the Premier League and for me he is an exceptional player.
"I wouldn't like to put too much pressure on him because he has been a top-class player until now. He knows when he is not good enough, he will get questioned. That is normal."
Wenger is hoping that France U-21 forward Yaya Sanogo will be available to feature against United, having spent five months on the sidelines with a back problem.
Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu has described the upcoming redevelopment of the Camp Nou as "absolutely necessary" to the club's finances.
Bartolomeu's predecessor Sandro Rosell announced last month the club will convert the current structure of the Camp Noup into a new 105,000-seat stadium after abandoning plans to build a new ground on land adjacent to the Avinguda Diagonal in L'Hospitalet.
Decisions concerning the preferred external and internal appearances of the remodelled Camp Nou, already the largest ground in Europe with a capacity of 99,354, will be made at a referendum to be held on either April 5 or 6.
The budget for the new project is €600m with construction work set to begin in May 2017 and is slated to conclude in February 2021.
Bartomeu revealed estimated maintenance costs for the Camp Nou through to 2021 would hit €56m and said that, despite concerns over funding for the redevelopment, "the Espai Barça is economically viable and absolutely necessary".
He added on the club's official website: "The Espai Barça is an ambitious project. It's a club project, not the board of directors'.
"Anyone in our position would do this, I'd even venture to say that we're a bit late in starting the process."
The other news to come out of Monday's meeting of Barça's board of directors was the restructuring of the board, with Manel Arroyo elected as a fifth vice-president with responsibility for media and communications.
The position of spokesperson will be retired as a result, with incumbent Toni Freixa instead presiding over the club's discipline committee in addition to his role as board secretary.
Javier Bordas, the club's representative to the Spanish Football Federation, will also take on responsibility for liaising with other national federations regarding Barça's players.
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino said Lionel Messi had answered his critics in the best way possible as the Argentine scored his first two goals from open play in 10 league games as the Catalan giants won 4-1 at Sevilla on Sunday.
Sevilla had gone ahead early on under the torrential rain at the Sanchez Pizjuan, but Messi led his side's revival as he firstly crossed for Alexis Sanchez to bundle home the equaliser before finishing off a fine counter-attack with a stunning half-volley just before half-time.
The four-time FIFA World Player of the Year doubled his tally for the evening with another sweet finish from Andres Iniesta's pass 11 minutes after the break and Cesc Fabregas rounded off the scoring three minutes from time.
Messi had been questioned for his poor goalscoring form since returning from a hamstring injury at the start of the year, but Martino insisted it was only a matter of time before he returned to form in front of goal.
Those that do say something negative about him sometimes don't realise what they are doing is affecting his pride and, when you do that to the best player in the world, this is what happens.
Barcelona coach Gerardo Martino
"I always say the same with respect to Leo," Martino said. "I never run the risk of going over the top with him.
"Those that do say something negative about him sometimes don't realise what they are doing is affecting his pride and, when you do that to the best player in the world, this is what happens."
Victory moved Barcelona back to the top of La Liga on goal difference over Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid with all three sides tied on 57 points.
The Catalans had started the weekend off top spot for the first time in 59 league matches following a shock 3-2 defeat at home to Valencia last weekend.
And Martino is determined not to hand the advantage to their title rivals again in the 15 league games that remain.
"To have the opportunity to recover and regain the lead just a week after losing it is reassuring," he said. "We start again now and we will see which of the three teams make a mistake first. We hope it won't be us again."
Fully-fit Iniesta shines
The game was also notable for Iniesta's return to form. The Spanish international hadn't played 90 minutes since the 4-0 win over Elche on 5 January, but was undoubtedly his side's best performer in midfield as they recovered control after a difficult opening.
However, despite his own contribution, Iniesta was also keen to laud the difference made by Messi.
"Leo never goes missing, he is one of the few players in the world that in a few seconds or in a few metres can turn a game. He does it all the time and he did it again today," he told Spanish TV station Canal Plus.
"It was important to win today and to return to the top of the table. We lost the leadership last week and it is good to return so quickly. The conditions weren't the best but we managed to take the three points.
"The equality between all the teams is good for everyone. We will see what happens come the end of the season."
