Villarreal stun Madrid, United come unstuck

Villarreal will go into Monday's round of 32 draw buoyed by a win against Real Madrid after a weekend that brought a big victory for Dortmund and defeat for Manchester United.

Villarreal will be full of confidence going into Monday's UEFA Europa League round of 32 draw after posting a 1-0 victory against Real Madrid on Sunday night.

Former Madrid forward Roberto Soldado grabbed the winning goal to move the Yellow Submarine within three points of the third-placed Merengues in Spain, while Gary Neville's first Liga outing at the Valencia helm ended in a 1-1 draw at Eibar.

German hopefuls Dortmund and Leverkusen both racked up big successes, meanwhile, and the tussle between knockout contenders Augsburg and Schalke produced a notable triumph for the former. Elsewhere, Manchester United suffered a shock loss at promoted Bournemouth, and Fiorentina lost to resurgent Juventus in Italy.

nguon: www.uefa

No Felipe Anderson Lazio exit agreed amid Man United, PSG links - agent

Lazio attacking midfielder Felipe Anderson has reportedly interested a number of top European clubs.

Felipe Anderson's representatives have told ESPN FC that rumours suggesting the reported Manchester United target has agreed a deal to leave Lazio are wide of the mark.

Anderson, 22, who joined Lazio in a €7.5 million move from Santos in 2013, is regarded as one of the best young talents in Europe after catching the eye at the Stadio Olimpico.

Recent reports in the Italian media suggest Anderson has a gentleman's agreement with the Serie A club that will allow him to leave the club if one of Europe's big clubs come calling.

But Anderson's agents Base Soccer, who represent the player along with his sister Juliana Gomes, have played down talk linking the player with a move away from Lazio.

"Contrary to reports, Felipe Anderson has not agreed a deal to leave Lazio and join anyone else," read a statement from Base Soccer to ESPN FC.

"Felipe is doing well at Lazio and is only focused on doing his best for them."

United have been long-term admirers of the Brazilian attacker and reportedly tried to sign Anderson during last summer's transfer window.

Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain have also been credited with an interest in Anderson as Europe's top clubs look to lure him from the Italian capital.

nguon:  www.espnfc

Serie A: Lazio stay on Roma's tail with 3-1 win at Cagliari

Lazio kept the heat on second-place Roma by clinching a seventh consecutive Serie A success, 3-1 at 10-man Cagliari.

Miroslav Klose put the Roman outfit ahead in the 31st minute only for Marco Sau to pull Cagliari level four minutes into the second half.

Lucas Biglia put the visitors back in front on the hour from the penalty spot after Lorenzo Crisetig brought substitute Keita down in the area.

Former Lazio defender Mobido Diakite was shown a straight red eight minutes later when he fouled Keita in the box, but Biglia sent the resulting penalty over the crossbar.

Lazio put the game out of reach with seconds remaining when Marco Parolo struck from outside the area to make it 3-1.

The win allowed Lazio to stay hot on the heels of Roma, who remained one point clear in second place, one point clear. Roma beat Napoli 1-0 earlier in the day for their second straight victory.

Cagliari, meanwhile, have not won since January 24. They have now lost four times in the last five outings at the Sant' Elia stadium and are 18th in the standings, five points adrift of safety.

Lazio dominated early possession and went ahead in the 31st minute when Felipe Anderson picked out Stefano Mauri in the box and he sent the ball through to Klose, who was left with an easy tap-in.

The hosts first tested Federico Marchetti in the 35th minute but Daniele Dessena's bullet strike from 25 yards was kept out by the visiting goalkeeper.

Lazio almost made it 2-0 early in the second half. Antonio Candreva fed Mauri in the area but his left-footed attempt was saved by Cagliari goalkeeper Zeljko Brkic.

Cagliari made no mistake at the other end. Dessena set up Sau in the box and his diagonal shot beat Marchetti as Cagliari levelled the contest.

However, the Sardinians' joy was short-lived as Lazio went back in front 11 minutes later.

The referee pointed to the spot after Keita fell in the box following contact from Crisetig and Biglia struck the spot-kick towards the near post and out of Brkic's reach.

Lazio were awarded another penalty shortly after when Keita was brought down in the box by Diakite - but this time Biglia struck his effort over the crossbar.

The Biancoceleste killed off any hopes of a Cagliari equaliser when Parolo made it 3-1 following a set-piece situation.

Danilo Cataldi set up Parolo outside the area and his 30-yard bullet strike beat Brkic.

nguon: skysports

Napoli 0-1 Lazio: Senad Lulic sends Lazio into Coppa Italia final

Substitute Senad Lulic struck late to send Lazio through to the final of the Coppa Italia with a semi-final second leg win at holders Napoli.

Lulic steered home a low cross from Felipe Anderson in the 79th minute to seal a 2-1 aggregate win after a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico last month.

The result will put more pressure on Napoli boss Rafael Benitez, whose side dominated for much of the game but could not find a breakthrough.

Lulic performed more heroics late on when he cleared a late effort off the line as Lazio held on to reach their eighth Coppa Italia final.

Serie A: Lazio move up to second with 4-0 victory over Empoli

Lazio leapfrogged Roma into second place in Serie A with a resounding 4-0 triumph over Empoli at the Stadio Olimpico on Sunday.

The Biancoceleste, who last week defeated Napoli to reach the Coppa Italia final, took a fourth-minute lead against the visitors from Tuscany through captain Stefano Mauri, while Miroslav Klose added a second in the 31st minute.

Antonio Candreva made it 3-0 before half-time and Felipe Anderson put an exclamation mark on proceedings in the 53rd minute to ensure an eighth straight Serie A win for Stefano Pioli's men.

Lazio cruised to victory, despite being forced to play a man down from the 58th minute after substitute Diego Novaretti was sent off for a second yellow card.

The winners have climbed one point clear of Roma, who drew 1-1 at Torino on Sunday.

The top two teams in Serie A will qualify directly for next season's Champions League.

Empoli, with just one victory away from home this season, have dropped to 15th place.

The Roman outfit went in front when Mauri nodded Luis Cavanda's cross past Empoli goalkeeper Luigi Sepe.

Lazio doubled their lead in the 31st minute. A perfect cross from Cavanda found Klose in the area and his header towards the bottom left corner of goal beat Sepe.

The hosts made their first substitution in the 40th minute when Novaretti replaced an injured Stefan de Vrij.

Lazio made it 3-0 one minute before the break when Candreva got past his marker and drilled a right-footed bullet from 30 yards past Sepe, who was rooted to the spot.

The home side continued where they left off after the re-start and got their fourth after Sepe could not hold on to Felipe Anderson's powerful shot.

The Brazilian midfielder was first to the rebound and smashed the ball into the back of the net.

Novaretti was then sent off following his late challenge on Empoli's Mario Rui but it did not hinder Lazio, who kept a clean sheet for the fifth time in their last six games and remained the hottest team in Italy.

nguon: skysports

Spanish coach rued his team's profligacy at the San Paolo, while Lazio boss Stefano Pioli relished having reached the Coppa Italia final

Rafa Benitez conceded that "nobody is happy" at Napoli after they were eliminated from the Coppa Italia byLazio on Wednesday.

The Partenopei hosted the second leg having held Lazio to a 1-1 draw at the Stadio Olimpico last month but the capital club followed Juventus in securing an away win to seal a final spot.

Senad Lulic scored the only goal of the game at the Stadio San Paolo, converting in the 79th minute after coming off the bench, and Benitez was left to rue his side's missed chances as they surrendered the chance to defend their trophy against the Serie A champions.

"We just lacked a goal," Benitez told Rai Sport. "Congratulations Lazio for qualifying. We had seven chances to score, didn’t take them and the other team took their chance.

"I think getting to the semi-final and the Europa League quarter-final is nothing to be sniffed at. The attitude of the team and the chances we create are obvious. What did club president Aurelio De Laurentiis say? Well, nobody is happy."

Stefano Pioli, on the other hand, was delighted that his Champions League-chasing team were able to eliminate the Coppa Italia holders on their own turf.

"I think the whole team has earned praise for a superb battling performance in this difficult stadium," he said. "I knew this side deserved to reach the final after a long road to get here and we’re very satisfied at having done so.

"Now we must focus on Serie A again as we want to continue our good run there too."
nguon: goa

The best performers in the latest round of Italian league action are recognised by Goal in our all-star XI

In one of those rare weeks when Juventus were beaten, there is no surprise to see a Parma player get recognition in the Goal Team of the Week for Serie A. However, there is hot competition elsewhere after a fascinating weekend across the country.

Inter bounced back to form with a storming victory at Verona, with Samir Handanovic as responsible as anyone else for the 3-0 win having made yet another penalty save from Luca Toni and produced a number of other key stops.

Alessandro Florenzi may prefer to be playing regularly in the Roma midfield but he could find himself playing at right back a whole lot more with further performances like the one in the 1-1 draw at Torino. The young Italian struck a penalty and was excellent defensively too. Facundo Roncaglia lines up alongside him after a commanding performance on the right in Genoa's 2-0 win against Cagliari, and he partners a local rival in Matias Silvestre after the Argentine out-performed Mattia Destro in Sampdoria's draw with Milan.Achraf Lazaar completes the defensive line after his barnstorming display and crucial first goal in Palermo's impressive 3-1 success at Udinese.
Lazaar's team-mate Ivaylo Chochev also earned a mention with his performance in midfield, while Dries Mertens was a goalscoring star of Napoli's 3-0 win over Fiorentina. But Jose Mauri was the headline act of the week, netting the only goal and overcoming an all-star Juventus midfield as top beat bottom in Parma.

The front line predictably includes Miroslav Klose following his magnificent shift in Lazio's 4-0 demolition of Empoli to move into second place, while Rodrigo Palacio also stood out in Inter's win at Verona. Over in Bergamo, German Denis was in top form as he grabbed a double for Atalanta which gave them a 2-1 lead to hold onto win 10 men late on as they overcame Sassuolo.

Stefano Pioli's side have been in stellar form in 2015 and the veteran Italy playmaker wants to see a strong attitude when they resume Serie A duties

Andrea Pirlo has called on Juventus to take confidence from the Champions League triumph over Monaco when they take on a Lazio side eyeing second spot in Serie A.

Arturo Vidal's second-half penalty gave Juve the first-leg honours in their quarter-final tie with Monaco - when Pirlo returned from a calf injury - and represented a strong response to last Saturday's shock 1-0 loss to rock-bottom Parma.

Massimiliano Allegri's side had previously gone 20 matches unbeaten in the league and Pirlo lauded the coach's impact ahead of Saturday's clash against Stefano Pioli's men at the Juventus Stadium.

"He [Allegri] has brought tranquillity," he told Sky Sport Italia. "He did not give too much importance to individual matches, as though we had to win them all to go forward.

"This gave us more confidence. The same attitude will also serve us well against Lazio."

Despite Juve's setback at Parma, they remain firmly on course for a fourth consecutive title, boasting a 12-point lead over Lazio with eight games remaining.

That Lazio are their nearest challengers is testament to the Rome club's remarkable form, which has seen them win eight top-flight games in a row.

With that in mind, Juve winger Simone Pepe is taking nothing for granted.

"We've got two important matches coming up in the shape of Lazio and Monaco, but we're focusing our attention solely on the former," he told the club's official website.

"We haven't won the Scudetto yet, but we'd like to do so as soon as possible. Due to our healthy advantage at the top, Saturday's game with Lazio could prove pivotal in the title race.

"This has been the most intense campaign I've ever played in, it’s vital we remain level-headed."

Lazio, who will also face Allegri's side in the Coppa Italia final on June 6, have a poor record against Juve and have not recorded a league win over them since December 2003.

Juve were 3-0 victors in November's return fixture, with a brace from Paul Pogba and Carlos Tevez's strike 

doing the damage.

Lazio sat sixth after that result, but a return to the Champions League is now firmly on the agenda. If they do manage to qualify, it will be the first time they have taken a seat at European football's top table since the 2007-08 campaign.

nguon: goal

The president is furious at the form being shown by Rafa Benitez's side and has issued them an ultimatum if they cannot prove themselves

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has slammed his players' "squalid" performances and threatened to cancel their holidays unless they find form.

Defending champions Napoli suffered a 1-0 home defeat to Lazio on Wednesday in the Coppa Italia, with Senad Lulic's 79th-minute goal eliminating them 2-1 on aggregate at the semi-final stage.

Rafa Benitez refrained from tearing into his players after the game but De Laurentiis had no such issue as he criticised the Stadio San Paolo stars, saying he'll drag them to a training camp at the end of 2014-15 if they don't arrest form which has seen them win just one of their last nine matches.

"We have a commitment to the fans, who are quite right to be unhappy," De Laurentiis told SportItalia.

"From today until the end of the season - if we don't change course and the players are incapable of honouring the jersey on their back - then they are going into a training retreat for an undetermined length of time.

"I hope all of this will serve as a turning point to spark some pride. We have put in some squalid performances that are unworthy of Napoli.

"From today, we change. We need a training session on mentality, and more respect for the fans, the club, the coach and for themselves."

Next up for Napoli - who have slumped down to sixth in Serie A from third place - is a home clash with fourth-placed Fiorentina, whom they can leapfrog if they claim a rare victory.

nguon: goal

The Brazilian, who says he is honoured to be compared to Cristiano Ronaldo, has been linked with the Liga leaders in recent days

Lazio star Felipe Anderson is not currently a transfer target for Barcelona, according to the club's transfer chief Ariedo Braida.

The Brazilian has been the inspiration behind Lazio's charge for the Champions League places this term, with 10 goals and six assists in 24 Serie A appearances to date.

Barcelona are the latest European heavyweight to be linked with a possible bid for the 21-year-old, but Braida has distanced the club from such claims.

Speaking to 'LaLazioSiamoNoi', the sporting director said: "There is nothing to say about Felipe Anderson.

"The papers write so many things. In one day, Barca have approached 10 names.

"At this time, Felipe Anderson is not a player we are following."

The attacking midfielder himself admits he is flattered to have been compared to one of Barca's nemeses of late.

"I'm like Cristiano Ronaldo? That's a comparison that honours me," he told O Globo.

"Last year was difficult because I was injured and had to adapt to the tactics of Italian football. I worked a lot, though, and I'm showing my qualities this season thanks to my team-mates and coaches."

nguon: goal

The best performers in the latest round of Italian league action are recognised by Goal in our all-star XI

The Milan derby might only have delivered one representative for Goal's Team of the Week in Serie A, but the rest of the Italian top flight could have easily provided an 18-man squad of star performers in round 31.

Fiorentina knocked hard at the door but couldn't break through on Monday night as Rafael saved a penalty and a whole lot more on the way to Verona's 1-0 win.

Danilo D'Ambrosio has been one of Inter's better buys in recent times and turned in another great performance against Milan in the 0-0 derby draw at San Siro, while Lorenzo Tonelli has become a regular in the Serie A star XI with his excellent performances for Empoli. His goal-scoring turn against Parma sees him line up alongside Leonardo Bonucci, who also netted after walking straight through the Lazio defence as Juventus won 2-0 to move within sight of a fourth straight Scudetto. Achraf Lazaar produced a second fine showing in succession in Palermo's superb win over Genoa.
Alessandro Florenzi is clearly attempting to appear in every position in our Team of the Week. A recent star at right-back, he shone from midfield this week in Roma's 1-1 draw with Atalanta, while Ivaylo Chochevstruck twice to take Palermo past Genoa. Meanwhile, Marek Hamsik followed his wonderful display at Wolfsburg with an assist-laden showing at Cagliari, setting up two of Napoli's three goals.

Ishak Belfodil scored for the first time in 700 days to earn Parma a point at Empoli, while Sergio Pellissier showed he still has Serie A calibre at the age of 36 by finding the net against Udinese. And while he might not have scored himself, Paulo Dybala followed a week of speculation regarding a probable switch to Juventus by leading Palermo from the front with a fantastic all-round performance against Genoa.
nguon: goal