Gonzalo Higuain lifts Napoli over Torino in a controversial goal 1-0

Goal.com 

Immobile missed an open goal
after his shot went over the bar

Gonzalo Higuain scored a dramatic late winner as Napoli drew level on points with Roma in Serie A's battle for second place with a 1-0 victory at Torino on Monday evening.

In truth, a draw would have been a solid result for the Partenopei, with the hosts having twice struck the woodwork through Cesare Bovo and Riccardo Meggiorini and then seen a gilt-edged opportunity go begging when Ciro Immobile fired over while totally unmarked in the area.

However, they stole all three points right at the death when Higuain finished with aplomb after being released by Marek Hamsik.

Giampiero Ventura sprung a couple of surprises with his team selection, as the Torino boss opted to leave star men Alessio Cerci and Immobile on the bench, preferring instead to start with Meggiorini and Paulo Vitor Barreto up front.

Rafael Benitez, meanwhile, elected to recall Dries Mertens at the expense of Lorenzo Insigne, while Federico Fernandez, Gokhan Inler and Jorginho also returned after being left on the bench for the 1-0 Europa League loss to Porto.

Despite the changes, Napoli started sluggishly and it was Torino who had the first chance of the game 19 minutes in, Meggiorini doing well to control an Omar El Kaddouri pass with this head before unleashing a right-footed volley that drew a smart stop from Pepe Reina.

The Partenopei had an even luckier escape just before the half-hour when Bovo struck the woodwork with a thumping 30-metre drive.Napoli responded with a couple of long-range strikes from Hamsik and Inler, but there was no disguising the fact that the visitors had struggled dismally to impose themselves on a first half that finished without them having managed a single shot on target.

Napoli finally showed some signs of life moments later when Higuain tested Daniele Padelli for the first time with a low strike that the goalkeeper got down well to deal with.

However, Torino should have been in front in the 53rd minute but they were again denied by the woodwork, with Meggiorini striking the base of the left post after being slipped in on goal by Barreto.  Reina then pulled off a spectacular save from Matteo Darmian's shot from the edge of the area as Torino ramped up the pressure on the Partenopei.

Higuain was presented with a decent chance to open the scoring when Mertens was felled right on the edge of the area but the Argentine lost his footing just as he was taking the resulting free kick, and the ball flew wide. By this stage, Torino had sent on top scorer Immobile and he should have broken the deadlock with just 17 minutes remaining but he fired horribly over the bar after being teed up by Jasmin Kurtic, who had stripped Valon Behrami of possession.

Benitez threw on Insigne for the closing stages and his introduction undoubtedly lifted Napoli, with Mertens going close with just over a minute of normal time remaining. The Belgian was denied by a brilliant save from Padelli but there was to no stopping Higuain, who produced a fine finish to win the game after latching onto a Hamsik pass.

Aduritz saves Bilbao from Villareal 1-1

Ariz Aduritz

Yahoo UK Sports

Villarreal goalkeeper Sergio Asenjo saved Aritz Aduriz's 40th-minute penalty at the Madrigal before teenager Oliver Torres slipped the ball across goal for Tomas Pina to fire the home side ahead two minutes into the second half.

The match turned when Villarreal defender Gabriel earned a second yellow card and was sent off in the 66th minute and Aduriz atoned for his penalty miss with a fine headed equaliser seven minutes from time. With 10 games left, Bilbao have 52 points in fourth, six ahead of Basque rivals Real Sociedad, who are fifth on 46 points thanks to Sunday's 1-0 win at home to Valencia.

Promoted Villarreal, who have impressed on their return to the top flight, have 45 points in sixth, one ahead of seventh-placed Sevilla.

"The penalty was a bit of a blow but we managed to regroup after their goal and get the draw," Aduriz said.

"We started to dominate towards the end and we are more or less satisfied. There is still a long way to go and we have to take things step by step."

Villarreal midfielder Torres, on loan from Atletico Madrid, said: "The penalty save gave us a bit of a boost and we came out strongly in the second half. We managed to get ahead on the scoreboard but the sending off changed things and you really notice when you have a man less against such a good team," added the 19-year-old. "We got a point but we are disappointed because we wanted the win."

Real Madrid are three clear at the top on 70 points after they won 1-0 at Malaga on Saturday.

Atletico Madrid are second on 67 thanks to their 1-0 success at home to Espanyol and champions Barcelona, who play at Real on Sunday in the Clasico, are a point further back in third after they thrashed Osasuna 7-0 on Sunday.

Arsenal held Tottenham at bay 1-0

Arsenal.com

North London is red – again.

With their sleeves rolled up and their backs against the wall, Arsenal secured a gritty 1-0 win at Tottenham on Sunday.

Tomas Rosicky’s thunderbolt strike put them ahead after only two minutes. They had to soak up serious pressure after that but, with Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny magnificent in central defence, they kept Tottenham at bay.

Only Nacer Chadli spurned a real, clear-cut chance whileAlex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Mertesacker had open opportunities to calm the visitors nerves. This win was crucial in every sense – the Premier League table, north London pride, the team’s confidence. It just goes on.

Arsenal are back in the thick of the title race again. But, with this wonderful, wonderful win - their first in six attempts at White Hart Lane - they have already secured local bragging rights for another season.

SETTING THE SCENE

Arsène Wenger made three changes from the side that had snatched a draw at Bayern Munich in midweek.

Keeper Wojciech Szczesny was back from suspension to replace Lukasz Fabianski. Elsewhere Rosicky replaced the injured Mesut Ozil while Kieran Gibbs came in for Nacho Monreal at left back.

Tottenham had endured a difficult week; beaten 3-1 at home to Benfica on Thursday and 4-0 at Chelsea the previous Sunday.

The defeat of the Jose Mourinho’s side at Aston Villa gave Arsenal the chance to close the gap on the leading team in the Premier League. However weekend wins for Manchester City and Liverpool meant the visitors really required victory to keep pace with the other contenders.

FIRST HALF

Arsenal were ahead before you could blink with a goal you could not see. Oxlade-Chamberlain led visitors charge out of defence and found Rosicky on the right. His thunderous drive whistled past Hugo Lloris and found the top corner of the net.

It was perhaps Arsenal’s goal of the season and maybe their most important. You might have expected Tottenham to go into their shell as a result. But they responded with courage.

Szczesny was barely tested but the host put the pressure on. However the next chance would fall to Arsenal – and it should have been 2-0.

Rosicky fed Oxlade-Chamberlain in the right-hand channel. He skipped past his marker and raced half the length of the pitch before miscuing his chip horribly with Podolski screaming for the ball on the left-hand side. A glaring miss.

So Arsenal had the better chances but Tottenham were still dangerous. Andros Townsend got around the back of the defence and fired across the face of goal then Adebayor flicked the ball wide of the far post.

In between, Cazorla released Podsolski down the left and Oxlade-Chamberlain rifled an effort well wide. In the 36th minute, after more Tottenham pressure, Gibbs set up Podolski to fire a fierce shot into the side-netting. Arsenal reached the break in the lead but under pressure.

SECOND HALF

Chadli might have equalised twice within five minutes of the restart.

Szczesny spilled a high, hanging cross and the Belgian collected. He beat the stranded keeper and a combination of Koscielny and Mertesacker blocked his shot with the goal gaping. Then Townsend’s dangerous cross was mis-flicked by Chadli again with the goal at his mercy.

Tottenham had come out with drive and determination. They had dominated territorially in the first half. If anything they were tightening their grip. After that, Adebayor nodded wide from Bentaleb’s deep cross.

But time ticked away and, gradually, Arsenal eased the pressure. The substitutions for Rosicky and Podolski for Mathieu Flamini and Nacho Monreal helped their cause. Tottenham ran out of steam.

Arsenal might have won it 11 minutes from time when Mertesacker turned a low shot goalwards from Cazorla’s free-kick but Lloris made a superb save on the goalline.

The game had been in the balance since the second minute and, in the dying moments, it was still there. Adebayor tried to curl a shot past Szczesny from range but the Pole held on.

It was the last chance for the home side. Tottenham kept pressing, Arsenal kept holding them off. It is gritty, gutsy and nervy to the end. But, at the final whistle, Arsenal had the a crucial win. After a massive weekend, Wenger's men are four points off leaders Chelsea with a game in hand.

And, next weekend, they go to Stamford Bridge.

Andrea Pirlo's rocket free kick lifts Juventus past Genoa 1-0

SB Nation

Genoa were better than Juventus for large chunks of their match at the Luigi Ferraris, though Andrea Pirlo's last-gasp free-kick broke grifone hearts.

Juventus moved ever closer to picking up another scudetto by beating Genoa 1-0 on Sunday, though the game was considerably less routine than expected. The mid-table hosts were excellent throughout, and missed a late penalty before Andrea Pirlo netted a spectacular last-gasp free-kick to send the points back to Turin.

Juve's Pablo Osvaldo twice put the ball in the back of the net in the first half, though on each occasion was denied by the offside flag. But don't let that fool you; it was far from 45 minutes of Juve domination. Their hosts looked to make the most of the raucous crowd by pressing the league leaders as high up the field as they could, in a frenetic high-tempo opening period.

It was a classic Gasperini performance, with thegrifone denying Juventus time and space from front to back. The bianconeri were never able to patiently pick a pass; metronome Andrea Pirlo unable to dominate the midfield. Genoa were a little less convincing going forward; often giving the ball away with overambitious direct passes or being crowded out by the energetic Juve midfield, but they were still level when the halftime whistle blew.

Genoa managed to sustain their high tempo into the second half, and ten minutes after the restart, it almost paid dividends. With a quick stepover midfielder Andrea Bertolaccighosted beyond Giorgio Chiellini on the edge of the area, only to tamely blast the ensuing shot straight against Gianluigi Buffon when face-to-face with the goalkeeper. The ensuing rebound fell kindly for Juve loanee Marco Motta, but for the first time in history he proved useful for the bianconeri, lashing wide of the far post.

Still, Antonio Conte's side looked unusually rattled by Genoa's dogged persistence, and the hosts should've finally had their reward with 20 minutes remaining. A handball in the penalty area by Arturo Vidal was punished with a spot-kick, though substitute Emanuele Calaiò's tame effort was comfortably held by a diving Buffon.

As if that wasn't bad enough for the grifone, there was still time for Juventus to net a winning goal and leave the plucky hosts with no points whatsoever. Cometh the hour, cometh the Andrea Pirlo free-kick, with the veteran midfielder curling a wonderful shot beyond Mattia Perin and into the top corner with just a minute of normal time left on the clock.

Mere mathematics is now all that is keeping Juventus' from getting their hands on a third consecutive scudetto.

Genoa: Perin; Marchese, De Maio, Burdisso; Antonelli, Bertolacci, Matuzalém, Sturaro, Motta; Gilardino (Calaiò 64'), Sculli.

Juventus: Buffon; Chiellini, Bonucci, Cáceres; Asamoah, Pogba, Pirlo, Vidal (Padoin 85'), Lichtsteiner (Isla 85'); Osvaldo (Quagliarella 79'), Llorente.

Goals: Pirlo (89').

Samuel Etoó mocks in celebration as Chelsea bury Tottenham 4-0

By Chris BevanBBC Sport

Chelsea moved seven points clear at the top of the Premier League after sinking Tottenham with four second-half goals. There was little in the game until Jan Vertonghen's error let Samuel Eto'o in to fire the Blues ahead.

Younes Kaboul was sent off for fouling Eto'o soon afterwards, and Eden Hazard slotted home the resulting penalty.  Demba Ba made it 3-0 late on following a slip by Sandro, then completed the scoring when he latched on to Kyle Walker's disastrous back-header.

Chelsea's rivals in the title race all have games in hand, but Manchester City will have to win all three of theirs to replace the Blues at the summit. What could turn out to be a crucial victory for Jose Mourinho's men had an unlikely beginning when Fernando Torres was injured in the warm-up. Eto'o came into the team instead but he also needed lengthy treatment after just 30 seconds when he was sent tumbling by Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris. 

The offside flag was already up, but TV replays showed the Cameroon striker was onside when he ran on to Hazard's pass. It did not take long for Chelsea to tear through Tottenham again, but Hazard skewed his shot wide from a tight angle after rounding Lloris and it was a long time before his side next threatened.

Spurs were focused on their defensive duties but they did manage the only shot on target of the first half when Sandro tested Petr Cech with a fizzing first-time drive.

At the start of the second half, Chelsea looked short of ideas but a disjointed display from the league leaders was completely turned on its head after 56 minutes when Vertonghen slipped and inadvertently played in Eto'o as he tried to recover. The Cameroon striker, who turns 33 on Monday, mocked his manager'srecent jibes about his age with his celebrations by the corner flag.

Things quickly got worse for Spurs when referee Michael Oliver ruled that Kaboul had shoved over Eto'o in the box as the pair raced to meet Hazard's cross.  The decision looked harsh on the Spurs defender, whose misery was compounded when Oliver showed him a red card to go with the penalty, which Hazard coolly converted. There was no way back for Tottenham's 10 men from there. Hazard and Oscar both wasted good chances to extend the home side's lead before further gifts gave substitute Ba his late brace.

First, Sandro stumbled as he tried to clear Oscar's cross from the right, allowing Ba in to beat Lloris. Then, Walker inexplicably tried to head a Lloris clearance back to his keeper, instead setting up Ba to complete the rout.

The defeat leaves Tottenham still four points adrift of the top four, but they have played more games than the three teams immediately above them and their hopes of a Champions League place now appear remote.

Borussia Monchengladbach defeats Borussia Dortmund anew 2-1

Bundesliga

Dortmund - Ten-man Borussia Mönchengladbach put an end to a nine-game winless streak in emphatic fashion by collecting a 2-1 win on the road against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday afternoon.A perfectly executed gameplan allowed the Foals to race out to a two-goal lead at half-time, with Raffael and Max Kruse getting on the scoresheet and, though Havard Nordtveit’s sending off threatened to ruin Gladbach’s good work as Milos Jojic reduced the arrears, Lucien Favre’s side battled valiantly to move back within a point of the European qualification spots. 

No daylight

In the absence of first-team regulars Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Dortmund head coach Jürgen Klopp opted for youth over experience by handing Jonas Hofmann his first start of the current campaign. The youngster wasted little time in imposing himself on proceedings by forcing Marc-Andre ter Stegen to make the first save of the game, but it was as close as either side came to breaking the deadlock in the evenly-contested opening exchanges. The hosts had established an early control of possession, but were regularly thwarted by Gladbach’s deep-lying and disciplined backline, who denied their hosts time and space on the ball. 

Restricted to creating chances on the counter, the Foals often sought the most direct route to goal and twice managed to carve out goalscoring chances only for Patrick Herrmann to fire off target on both occasions. Quickfire double Reacting to the early warnings, Dortmund pushed forward in search of an opener, but to no avail as Mats Hummels was denied by ter Stegen, before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang rattled the woodwork with a ferocious effort. However, the visitors’ threat on the break never diminished and soon produced the opener when Raffael bundled Herrmann’s cut-back in at the front post shortly after the half-hour mark. 

Dortmund looked visibly shocked to have fallen behind, but had salt rubbed in their wounds shortly afterwards. After conceding possession in the final third, Gladbach were able to break forward with numbers and Juan Arango fed the unmarked Kruse, who demonstrated great composure to shift the ball beyond Roman Weidenfeller and Lukasz Piszczek, firing into the empty net and ending a run of 870 minutes without a goal. 

Naughty Nordtveit 

Dortmund hadn’t overturned a two-goal half-time deficit since May 1982, but came out after the restart determined to fly in the face of the statistics as Robert Lewandowski sent an early snap-shot just past the near post. With BVB taking more risks and the game subsequently becoming an increasingly open affair, neither side were afforded the opportunity to catch their breath. Lewandowski was denied by ter Stegen at full stretch, but with 20 minutes remaining the hosts were handed a lifeline when Nordtveit picked up two bookings within two minutes to reduce the visitors to ten men. 

Dortmund piled forward in an attempt to capitalise on Gladbach’s vulnerability and Klopp was rewarded for throwing on Marvin Duksch and Jojic, when the Serbian’s deflected volley found the back of the net in the 77th minute. It was a backs-to-the-wall ending for the visitors, but after Duksch had a goal ruled out with time winding down, the Foals managed to hang on to pick up a hard-earned three points.

Paris Saint Germain firms grip on French Ligue title beat Bastia 3-0

sokkaa.com

Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Ezequiel Lavezzi scored as Paris Saint-Germain strengthened their lead at the top of Ligue 1 after recording a 3-0 victory over Bastia on Saturday to increase the lead over second-placed Monaco looking healthy.

The Former Milan striker headed in Lucas Moura’s  cross to give the capital club an early lead just after six minutes with a goal that brought up PSG’s century and marked his 38th of the season in all competition.

Ezequiel Lavezzi smashed in the second in the 19th minute when Ibrahimovic  produced an acrobatic back-heel which saw the ball land in Lavezzi’s path and the former Napoli man finished well from 18 yards, under the Bastia keeper.

The Parisiens  were able to cruise through the remainder of the match but still managed to add a third through Lavezzi late on as they edged ever closer to a second successive league crown.

Blanc’s men are eight points clear of second-placed Monaco, who kept pace with a 2-1 home win against relegation battlers Sochaux while Bastia played four straight league games without a win.

Saint Etienne beat Falcao less Monaco 2-0

Yahoo News

PARIS (AP) — Saint-Etienne made up ground in the race for a Champions League spot by defeating Monaco 2-0 in the French league to provisionally move into third place on Saturday. Fabien Lemoine fired a half-volley into the top corner in the 17th minute and Romain Hamouma doubled the lead for the hosts with a long-range strike in the 66th.

"We had an off day," Monaco midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia said. "We're disappointed by our performance and the result."

Paris Saint-Germain holds a five-point lead over Monaco at the top of the league and hosts Marseille on Sunday.

Lemoine shone in the first half, pouncing on a corner poorly cleared by the Monaco defense to score from 30 meters. The Saint-Etienne midfielder came close to adding a second goal in the 41st when Brandao set him up, but goalkeeper Danijel Subasic turned around the post his diagonal strike. Lemoine also saved his team by clearing off the line a close-range effort from Monaco defender Nicolas Isimat-Mirin in the 39th.

Monaco coach Claudio Ranieri made a tactical shift at halftime by replacing Joao Moutinho and Anthony Martial with Lucas Ocampos and Nabil Dirar.

Saint-Etienne nearly caught Monaco off guard at the restart when Josuha Guilavogui connected with a free kick from Hamouma, but Subasic stopped the header from the Saint-Etienne midfielder in the 46th. Goalkeeper Stephane Ruffier protected Saint-Etienne's lead in the following minute by parrying a powerful drive from Valere Germain and denying James Rodriguez, who was clean through on goal.

Hamouma dashed Monaco's hopes of coming back with a solo run from his own half. The Saint-Etienne winger outpaced four players and notched his eighth league goal with a swerving shot that Subasic could only palm into his own net.

"We have no big stars but we pull for each other a lot," Saint-Etienne defender Francois Clerc said. "We will need to be consistent for a good finish at the end of the season."

Paris Saint Germain tames Olympique Marseillle 2-0

UK Eurosport

Paris Saint-Germain gained a comfortable 2-0 win over rivals Marseille as Maxwell and the returning Edinson Cavani got the goals at Parc des Princes. 

Momentous return of Edinson Cavani

The game got off to an explosive start as both sides started on the front foot and produced an end-to-end spectacle. Ezequiel Lavezzi had a huge chance early on as he was sent past a static Marseille backline, but after rounding Steve Mandanda, the Argentine somehow missed an open goal, managing to shoot far enough wide of the post but not close enough for the lurking Zlatan Ibrahimovic to make amends.

Marseille were looking shaky in defence, and it was exploited in sensational style as Lucas Moura almost scored one of the goals of the season. The Brazilian picked up the ball deep in his own half before charging through the centre of the pitch at breakneck speed, beating four men before coolly dinking the ball over the advancing Mandanda - only for Rod Fanni to cover back and clear off the line.

Marseille went close themselves, with Mathieu Valbuena forcing Sirigu into a fine save with a curling effort to the far corner, but PSG remained on top and wasted another chance late in the opening period. Lavezzi did well to get down the right once again and provided Ibrahimovic with a fine cross, but the Swede nodded wide with a free header.

PSG didn't take long after half-time to put themselves ahead, however - Ibrahimovic found Maxwell in the Marseille area and the former Barcelona man made no mistake, sidefooting confidently past Mandanda to put his side in the lead.

PSG opted to sit deeper after their goal, and Marseille simply couldn't find any meaningful way of creating a chance against them. The hosts then duly spurned several opportunities from counter-attacks - Lucas Moura twice shot wide after getting down the right channel, and Matuidi also ballooned an effort over the bar after a fine pass from Verratti.

Cavani was then introduced after a month-long absence, and the Uruguayan didn't take long to make his presence known. Gregory van der Wiel did well to get down the right and send in a fine cross which Cavani fired home with a bullet header, ending any hopes of a comeback for the visitors.

That was the final nail in the coffin for Marseille, who after a scrappy opening period failed to really threaten Sirigu's goal for most of the evening. Valbuena had another opportunity to score a consolation late on, but once again Sirigu was there to keep him out and ensure another clean sheet and another clean points for Paris Saint-Germain. Laurent Blanc's men will now be clear favourites to take the Ligue 1 title, while Marseille's Champions League push has suffered a setback.

Arjen Robben hat trick leads Bayern Munich's demolition against Schalke 5-1

 Mario Mandzukic's header made it 3-0

BBC Sport

Arjen Robben's hat-trick helped Bayern Munich thrash 10-man Schalke and extend their Bundesliga lead to 20 points, a league record after 23 games.

David Alaba opened the scoring in the third minute before Netherlands forward Robben chipped in his first goal. Mario Mandzukic's header made it 3-0 and Robben's angled drive put Bayern 4-0 ahead within the first 30 minutes. Bayern's Rafinha put through his own net but Robben scored a penalty as Kyriakos Papadopoulos was sent off.

The victory extended Bayern's record unbeaten league run to 48 matches, dating back to October 2012, and earned their 15th straight league victory. The defending Bundesliga and European champions entertain Arsenal on 11 March with a 2-0 lead from the first leg in their Champions League last-16 first leg tie.

Having been hammered 6-1 at home by Cristiano Ronaldo's Real Madrid on Wednesday in the Champions League last 16, Schalke were again put to the sword as Bayern cruised to victory. With just three minutes gone, left-back Alaba netted a free-kick, then Robben scored either side of Mandzukic's headed goal from a superb Alaba cross to make it 4-0 at the break.

Schalke were gifted a goal when Jefferson Farfan's corner was turned into his own net by Munich right-back Rafinha with 25 minutes left.

To compound Schalke's misery at Munich's Allianz Arena, Greece centre-back Papadopoulos was shown a straight red card for bringing down Mandzukic in the area.

His foul allowed Robben to wrap up his hat-trick with a 77th-minute penalty.

Genoa escapes Napoli with a late goal 1-1

Emanuele Calaio grabbed a late equaliser

Skysports

Genoa substitute Emanuele Calaio grabbed a late equaliser to deny his former club Napoli their third straight win in Serie A on Monday evening.

The hosts looked to be heading for their 16th victory of the campaign after Gonzalo Higuain had put them ahead in the 18th minute. Genoa goalkeeper Mattia Perin put in a solid performance in goal to keep the visitors in the game, however, and then Calaio snatched a point for his team with a superb free-kick six minutes from time.

The outcome saw third-placed Napoli remain six points clear of fourth-spotted Fiorentina, who were held to a 2-2 draw at Parma earlier on Monday, and extended 11th-placed Genoa's unbeaten run to three games. Napoli went into the match on the back of Thursday's goalless result at Swansea in their Europa League last-32 first leg.

The hosts were first to threaten in the eighth minute when Dries Mertens played a one-two with Higuain before turning in the area and firing a right-footed shot that was kept out by Perin. Higuain put Napoli ahead shortly after when he was put through on goal by an intelligent assist from Marek Hamsik, the Argentina striker beating Perin with a left-footed shot towards the far post.

Genoa almost equalised two minutes later, but Sebastian De Maio's header from Francesco Matuzalem's cross flew just over the bar. Moussa Konate was also close to notching a leveller midway through the first half, but his goal-bound effort was cleared by Napoli defender Federico Fernandez with goalkeeper Jose Reina off his line. Konate then tested Reina's reflexes with a powerful header which the on-loan Liverpool goalkeeper had to palm over the bar.

Napoli almost doubled their lead before half-time when Mertens got past his marker and fired a low shot towards the far post, only for Perin to make the save.

Genoa coach Gian Piero Gasperini made a surprising substitution after the interval, with Ioannis Fetfatzidis replacing the team's top scorer Alberto Gilardino. On the hour mark, Jose Maria Callejon's close-range effort was blocked by a Genoa defender as Napoli struggled to kill the game off.

Napoli played down the clock in the latter stages of the game and were made to pay as Genoa pulled level, Calaio's free-kick stunning Reina and finding the top-right corner.

Real Madrid draws Atletico Madrid, maintains La Liga lead

From: SB Nation

Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid played to a 2-2 draw in a fantastically entertaining match at the Vicente Calderón Stadium. Karim Benzema gave the visitors an early lead but Atléti fought back to take a lead at halftime. Cristiano Ronaldo's goal with seven minutes to play helped Madrid grab a point and maintain their three point lead at the top of La Liga.

Real Madrid wasted no time sucking the air out of the stadium, scoring an early goal to take the lead in the third minute. Angel di María's cross from the right wing found the foot of Karim Benzema, who'd snuck past the defensive line, for a toe poke past Thibault Courtois. Diego Simone was furious, claiming Benzema was offside, but replays showed Atléti fullback Filipe Luis had failed to step up quickly enough and kept the striker onside.

Atléti were denied a clear penalty in the 11th minute when the referee missed Sergio Ramos clipping Diego Costa on the left side of the box. Arda Turan ended up seeing yellow after blowing up at the referee and the fans were less than pleased as well, showering the corner of the pitch with debris.

Courtois was tested twice midway through the first half and came up big both times. The first came in the 23rd minute when di María again found Benzema with a ridiculous long pass. The striker's shot was blocked away by the Atléti goalkeeper for a corner. A minute later Courtois denied Cristiano Ronaldo's close-range back heel attempt.

In the 28th minute Atléti found a much-needed equalizer off the foot of Koke. Good ball movement from Los Colchoneros helped create the chance as Madrid's defense got spread out, creating space for Koke on the right side of the 18-yard box. Arda Turan found him with a low cross and Koke sent a low shot past Diego López and inside the far post to even the match at 1-1.

Atléti weren't done though.

After putting Real Madrid under heavy pressure over the final 15 minutes of the first half, Gabi put his team ahead in stoppage time with a missile from nearly 40 yards out. The chance came after Atléti were awarded a free kick deep in the midfield.

Luka Modrić was shifted over in front of Koke, acting as a one-man wall and creating the large pocket of space that Gabi would exploit. After Koke sent a short pass to the Atléti captain, Modrić couldn't close fast enough, allowing Gabi to uncork a curling shot that caught López off guard, finding the back of the net to give Atléti a 2-1 lead at the break.

After more no-calls from the match referee, Atlético Madrid assistant coach Germán Burgos had seen enough and talked his way into a sending off from referee Carlos Delgado Ferreira. Burgos immediately got in Delgado's face and it took nearly 10 players and fellow coaches to pull him away and prevent a potentially ugly incident.

Ronaldo just missed an equalizer in the 74th minute, sending a snap header just wide of the post.

In the 82nd minute however, Ronaldo did not miss and pulled Madrid even at 2-2. Some poor defending by Atléti created the chance as a blocked cross in the box trickled right to Ronaldo, who took advantage of the scramble and beat Courtois low and to the left.

Real Madrid remains three points clear of Atléti at the top of La Liga but should the teams end up tied at the end, the result gives Atléti the head-to-head tiebreaker over their rivals.

Atlético Madrid: Courtois, Juanfran, Miranda, Godín, Filipe Luis, Suarez, Gabi, Koke, Raúl García, Turan (Rodriguez 83'), Diego Costa

Goals: Benzema (3'), Ronaldo (82')

Real Madrid: Diego López, Arbeloa (Carvajal 71'), Pepe, Sergio Ramos, Coentrão (Marcelo 59'), Xabi Alonso, Modrić, Di María (Isco 72'), Bale, Benzema, Ronaldo

Goals: Koke (28'), Gabi (45'+1')

Matias Fernandez saves Fiorentina, scores a draw with Parma 2-2

It was a night of dances as Cuadrado returns the favor
of a dancing Antonio Cassano

Skysports

Parma and Fiorentina shared four goals and three red cards in an action-packed 2-2 draw at the Stadio Ennio Tardini.

After weathering an early storm, Parma took the lead through Antonio Cassano in the 39th minute, but Juan Cuadrado levelled almost immediately. Amauri put Parma in front once again before Viola defender Modibo Diakite was sent off.

Mati Fernandez levelled for the visitors five minutes from time before Gianni Munari and Borja Valero were dismissed in a tense finale. Fiorentina started brightly and pegged Parma back in their own half almost permanently through 30 minutes.

For all their excellent build-up play, they lacked a cutting edge with David Pizarro showing a particular reluctance to take a shot on goal, despite the ease with which he was able to waltz through the Parma defence. Alberto Aquilani was unable to get Alessandro Matri through on goal either as the Viola failed to turn their dominance into goals.

Parma punished them by taking the lead with only their second shot of the game, after Jonathan Biabany's curled effort missed the target, when Amauri cut into the area from the left and pulled the ball back to Cassano, who turned it home from eight yards out.

Their joy was short lived, though, with Fiorentina levelling within two minutes. Aquilani sent Matri down the left and his powerful cross was met beyond the near post by Cuadrado, who found the target despite the tight angle and speed of the delivery.

Parma regained the lead early in the second half when a foul by Pizarro gave them a penalty. Amauri stepped up to send Neto the wrong way, putting Parma in front for a second time.

It looked like they would keep their lead this time when Fiorentina were reduced to 10 men with Diakite picking up his second booking, but the visitors did not give up and Mario Gomez was sent on as Viola boss Vincenzo Montella gambled with an extra striker. Their pressure paid off with Fernandez curling a 25-yard free-kick beyond the reach of Antonio Mirante to bring Fiorentina level again five minutes from time.

Tempers flared going into stoppage time and the referee brandished his red card twice to send Munari and Valero off seconds before ordering the remaining 19 players down the tunnel with the final whistle.

Osasuna clamps down Atletico Madrid 3-0

The Guardian

Alvaro Cejudo scored the opening goal for Osasuna

Atlético Madrid's La Liga title challenge faltered when they slumped to a shock 3-0 defeat at Osasuna on Sunday that left Real Madrid three points clear at the top.

Barcelona and Real were held to draws at Osasuna's El Sadar stadium earlier in the season and Atlético fell behind in the sixth minute when Álvaro Cejudo arrived unmarked at the back post from a corner to volley into the net.

An error by the Atlético full-back Juanfran allowed Emiliano Armenteros space to score with a long-range drive in the 21st minute and Roberto Torres nodded in the third three minutes before the break. It was the first time Atlético had conceded three goals in the first half since Diego Simeone took over as coach at the end of 2011.

The Argentinian rested several regulars before bringing on the attacking midfielders Koke, Arda Turan and Raúl Garcia in the second half. Diego Costa, who has 21 goals in La Liga this season, toiled up front but a typically gritty defensive performance from Osasuna kept him at bay as the Pamplonese team climbed to 12th on 29 points.

Barcelona, Real and Atlético were level on 60 points before the latest round of matches but after Real cruised to a 3-0 win over Elche on Saturday with the help of a Gareth Bale wonder strike, Barça werebeaten 3-1 at Real Sociedad as Gerardo Martino also saw a decision to rest key players backfire.

Real, who are now unbeaten in 26 matches in all competitions, visit Atlético next Sunday.

Ibrahimovic hat trick secures Paris Saint Germain win over Toulouse 4-1

Ibrahimovic mobbed by teammates after scoring a header

The Daily Mail UK 

Zlatan Ibrahimovic netted a hat-trick as his sensational form this season continues. The big Swede was almost left with egg on his face, however. His chipped last-minute 'panenka' penalty - for what would have been his third goal - was saved, but the striker reacted quickest to poke home the rebound and make it 37 goals this term. The win means PSG maintain a five-point lead ahead of Monaco at the top of Ligue 1.

PSG took the lead in the 33rd minute when Serbian defender Uros Spajic brought down Lavezzi, and Ibrahimovic drilled his spot kick down the middle. They should have scored again in the 43rd when Ibrahimovic crossed from the left and center back Thiago Silva failed to hit the target as he lunged in at the far post.  A minute later, Toulouse punished PSG for that miss when Wassim Ben Yedder volleyed in a cross from midfielder Etienne Didot. But PSG regained the lead in the 56th when Ibrahimovic again crossed from the left, midfielder Blaise Matuidi let the ball run and Lavezzi finished with a first-time shot.

Ibrahimovic then seemed to have put the result beyond doubt, heading in substitute Yohan Cabaye's free-kick after the impressive Lavezzi had been fouled, but sloppy play let Toulouse back into the game three minutes later.  After PSG midfielder Thiago Motta went to challenge forward Martin Braithwate, the ball bounced into the penalty area and Ben Yedder beat goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu with a calm finish. Ibrahimovic then got lucky with his spot kick in the final minute.

He now has 22 league goals this season and is closing in on his career-best mark of 30, which he set last season. Monaco had cut the deficit on the league-leaders with a 3-2 win over Stade Reims on Friday.