Real struggle for Zizou to lift uninspired team

Real struggle for Zizou to lift uninspired team
MADRID • Zinedine Zidane urged his Real Madrid side to "give a little more" as Karim Benzema's goal was enough only for a 1-1 LaLiga underwhelming draw at Leganes.
Real have 61 points, 13 points adrift of leaders Barcelona, with Zidane's second reign as coach now delivering three wins, one defeat and a draw. They are four points behind Atletico Madrid (65) and finishing second, and above their city rivals, appears unlikely.
"It looks like we do not have much confidence," Zidane said. "We can play better, we must play better. The first half was not so good, the second a bit better.
"Even if this might have been a bad season, we must all give a bit more."
He was asked last month about the humiliation of playing on a Monday night, the time typically reserved for LaLiga's sides not involved in European competitions and so unpopular that it will be abolished next season.
Most of the Frenchman's press conferences have so far been dominated by questions about his players' futures and on this evidence, few will be feeling secure.
Benzema has been, by a distance, Real's most consistent player this season and he showed again why Zidane has already said the striker will stay.
Leganes might even have won it after Jonathan Silva gave them the lead shortly before half-time and while Benzema scored his 26th goal of the season, Real never looked like finding a winner.
Gareth Bale, meanwhile, was benched for the second time in three matches, with his prospects looking evermore bleak.
"It's a really tricky season, it's hard to explain and we all feel sad," said goalkeeper Keylor Navas. "But in this club there's always pressure and that cannot be an excuse."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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There's no doubt," Pochettino said. "There's no doubt that Hugo is one of the best and he's going to be in the goal. "It's a situation that is so painful because I think we deserved more (at Liverpool), but in that kind of situation, which happens in football, it's only to be strong and back our player.
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Chelsea can cope with transfer ban, says Sarri | The Guardian Nigeria News - Nigeria and World NewsSport — The opening goal of the English Premier League
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Soccer Football - FA Cup Third Round - Manchester United v Reading - Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain - January 5, 2019 Manchester United interim manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during the match REUT
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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah is stretchered off of the pitch after sustaining an injury. (Reuters) Liverpool will be without forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino when they face Barcelona in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final as they look to overturn a 3-0 deficit, manager Juergen Klopp said on Monday.
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Mauricio Pochettino labels two-game touchline ban 'completely unfair' - Mauricio Pochettino isn't happy in the slightest Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino has hit out at the FA by labelling their decision to hand him a t - March 7th, 2019
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LONDON: Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool's Premier League rivals that the leaders are laying the foundations for long-term success. Klopp's side sit four points clear at the top as they chase Liverpool's first English title since 1990.
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Liverpool vs. Barcelona score: Reds pull off monumental Champions League comeback, advance to final and both remaining matches can be watched on We've got you covered for the Women's World
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Football: Chelsea's success next season hinges on transfer ban being lifted, says former striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink 0:0 Comments Football: Former Man United player Wes Brown believes top four still within Red Devils' reach 0:0 Comments 6 vintage apparel stores in Singapore that bring it back on 0:0 Comments
Tottenham 0-1 West Ham: Michail Antonio goal ends Spurs
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West Ham ended Tottenham's 100 per cent record at their new stadium with a shock 1-0 victory in the Premier League. Michail Antonio scored the only goal of the game, the first Spurs have conceded in their five games at the Tottenham
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Football: Higuain eases pressure on Sarri as Chelsea cruise

Football: Higuain eases pressure on Sarri as Chelsea cruise

LONDON (AFP) - Gonzalo Higuain eased the pressure on Maurizio Sarri as the Chelsea striker's first goals for his new club inspired a 5-0 demolition of Huddersfield on Saturday (Feb 2).
Blues boss Sarri had been under fire after Chelsea suffered their heaviest Premier League defeat for 23 years in a humiliating 4-0 loss at Bournemouth on Wednesday.
Amid reports the Italian is already in danger of the sack less than a year after taking charge, he was indebted to his old friend Higuain for lifting the gloom around Stamford Bridge.
Higuain, signed on loan from Juventus at Sarri's behest after their successful spell together at Napoli, opened his account early in the first half of Chelsea's biggest win of the season.
It was the start of an influential display from the Argentine and, with Eden Hazard free to return to his preferred role on the flanks after a spell up front, Chelsea looked far more vibrant.
Hazard's controversial penalty doubled Chelsea's lead before half-time after referee Paul Tierney ruled Cesar Azpilicueta was fouled inside the area, when the offence actually took place just outside.
That welcome piece of good fortune for Sarri was followed by further goals for Hazard, Higuain and David Luiz after the interval as Chelsea ended a run of two successive league defeats in emphatic fashion.
After winning for only the second time in their last five league matches, Chelsea climb back into fourth place above Arsenal, who trail by three points and face Manchester City on Sunday, as they battle to qualify for the Champions League.
While Chelsea's winter of discontent won't seem so bleak for Sarri now, the Blues remain at a crossroads.
Much sterner tests await than Huddersfield, who are rooted to the bottom of the table and look destined for relegation after an 11th defeat in their last 12 league games.
Chelsea face a season-defining period that includes the League Cup final against Manchester City and meetings with Manchester United in the FA Cup and City and Tottenham in the league.
Sarri hasn't helped his cause with rigid tactics and dubious man-management - conducting a long inquest with his players after the Bournemouth mauling and claiming they don't understand even the basics of his system.
The 60-year-old is adamant his philosophy will work if he is given time.
But for 'Sarri-ball' to succeed, he needs Higuain to hit the ground running.

Finished with a flourish

The Argentine had been off the pace in his first two Chelsea appearances, but he brings a more physical and authoritative presence than the unlamented Alvaro Morata.
Chelsea had failed to score in three of their last four league games, but Higuain ended that barren streak in the 16th minute.
When N'Golo Kante slipped a neat reverse pass towards Higuain, the 31-year-old timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap, held off his marker and smashed a fierce first-time finish into the roof of the net.
Higuain isn't all brute force. His clever movement was too much for Huddersfield to handle, and he was just off-target after gliding onto Marcos Alonso's cross.
Chelsea's constant pressure was rewarded with that dubious penalty on the stroke of half-time.
With Huddersfield offering so little threat, Azpilicueta was free to roam forward and the Chelsea defender's run was ended by a crude shove from Elias Kachunga.
Hazard ignored Huddersfield's protests as he calmly sent Jonas Lossl the wrong way from the spot.
That was Hazard's 16th goal of the season and the 17th arrived in the 66th minute.
Ross Barkley's fine pass put Hazard through on goal and he produced a deft first touch to round Lossl before finishing with a flourish from a tight angle.
Chelsea had their swagger back now and Higuain unfurled a majestic 20-yard strike that whistled into the top corner in the 66th minute.
Luiz's 86th minute header deflected in off Kachunga to seal the rout.

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Football: Newport 'keeper Joe Day skips FA Cup celebrations after stunning Boro as wife goes into labour
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My buddies and I are big college football fans, and we love traveling to new places for games. We're working on a blog that gives tips to other football fans when they travel to away stadiums for games. I'm trying to review all the Big Ten schools, and I was hoping you'd indulge me on some questions about Penn State football games.
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London (AFP) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer blamed Manchester United's lack of ruthlessness as the Norwegian suffered his first domestic defeat as caretaker manager in a 2-0 loss at Arsenal on Sunday
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Football: Mohamed Salah retains African award to seal great day for Egypt Liverpool's Mohamed Salah (front) celebrates scoring a goal with Adam Lallana and Virgil van Dijk. PHOTO: REUTERS
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LONDON: Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud wants to move back to France when his contract expires at the end of the season after growing frustrated by a lack of playing time under manager Maurizio Sarri. Giroud has not started a Premier League game for Chelsea since the club signed Argentina international striker Gonzalo Higuain in January.
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Football: Kepa Arrizabalaga has full respect for Maurizio Sarri after 'misunderstanding'

Football: Kepa Arrizabalaga has full respect for Maurizio Sarri after 'misunderstanding'

LONDON (AFP) - Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga insisted he has full respect for manager Maurizio Sarri after refusing to be replaced in the final stages of his side's League Cup final loss to Manchester City on penalties.
Sarri was visibly furious when Arrizabalaga refused to leave the field after needing treatment, but the Italian coach later claimed his anger was the result of a "misunderstanding".
"At no time has it been my intention to disobey the coach or any of his decisions," Kepa wrote in a statement issued on his Twitter feed.
"I think everything has been misunderstood in the heat of the final part of the match for a title.
"The coach thought I was not in a position to play and my intention was to express that I was in good condition to continue helping the team, while the docs that had treated me arrived at the bench to give the message.
"I feel the image that has been portrayed was not my intention. I have full respect for the coach and his authority."
Arrizabalaga saved Leroy Sane's penalty in the shoot-out, but could have done better with Sergio Aguero's effort that slipped under his body as City retained the trophy 4-3 on penalties after a goalless draw.
Sarri repeatedly gestured at Arrizabalaga to come off, then began to storm down the tunnel in rage before returning to the touchline for the final minutes of extra-time and penalties.

 
However, speaking after the match, Sarri backtracked as he suggested it was a communication issue that caused the problem.
"In that situation there was a big misunderstanding," Sarri said.
"I understood there was a problem and we needed a change. I didn't find out until the doctor arrived to the bench after a few minutes.
"It was a big misunderstanding. I understood the goalkeeper had cramp and for me he was unable to go to penalties but the problem was not cramp so he was able to go to penalties."
The controversy casts a further cloud on Sarri's future with reports prior to the match suggesting he could be sacked if Chelsea failed to beat the English champions.
"If I was in the dressing room I would expect the manager to come in and deal with it straight away," said former Chelsea captain John Terry in his role as a TV pundit.
There have been several reports that Chelsea's players have lost faith with his methods and Arrizabalaga's behaviour only added to that perception.
The Blues are languishing in sixth in the Premier League, but did put in a far more spirited display than the one that saw them thrashed 6-0 by City just two weeks ago.
"After this match I have to say that I'm sure (I have the backing of the players) because they played exactly how I asked today and I am proud of my players," insisted Sarri.
"We showed to everyone we could become a very solid team. Against Manchester City is not easy so I am really very happy with my players, proud of my players."

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LONDON (AFP) - Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino was charged with improper conduct by the Football Association on Monday (Feb 26) following his side's defeat to Burnley on Saturday..
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Atletico title bid suffers with defeat at Betis in Morata debut Soccer Football - La Liga Santander - Real Betis v Atletico Madrid - Estadio Benito Villamarin, Seville, Spain - February 3, 2019 Atletico Madrid's Alvaro Morata in action with Real Betis' Andres Guardado REUTERS/Marcelo del Pozo
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Football: Jesus shines as City regain top spot, Eriksen fires Spurs Manchester City's Brazilian striker Gabriel Jesus (second right) celebrates scoring with team mates. PHOTO: AFP
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Man Utd legends thrash Bayern in 1999 charity rematch 4 days ago Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tormented Bayern Munich as soon as again because the Manchester United supervisor scored in his membership's 1999 treble winners' reunion on Sunday.
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City will pounce if Liverpool slip up: Guardiola, Football

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Azpilicueta issues rallying call to 'angry' Blues

Azpilicueta issues rallying call to 'angry' Blues

LONDON • Chelsea captain Cesar Azpilicueta hopes Maurizio Sarri's decision to hold a lengthy inquest after their defeat by Bournemouth can reignite their stuttering season, as they prepare to host bottom club Huddersfield today.
Sarri's side were crushed 4-0 on Wednesday in a shocking setback that was Chelsea's heaviest Premier League loss since 1996.
Not for the first time this season, the Blues paid the price for failing to turn first-half possession into goals, collapsing after the interval as Bournemouth punished the sloppy defending of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger.
Chelsea's fifth defeat in their last 12 league games cost them their place in the top four. Arsenal moved above them on goals scored and Sarri, who arrived from Napoli in July, is fighting for his job.
The furious Italian asked his backroom staff to leave the Chelsea dressing room at Dean Court as he staged a 40-minute post-mortem alone with his squad.
Azpilicueta admitted that tempers had frayed because the performance was so far below the expected standard for the 2016-17 Premier League champions.
"Afterwards, we spoke as men between the manager and players," he said. "To lose 4-0 as Chelsea players is unacceptable. We are very angry and have to find solutions."
Sarri, 60, has risked losing the backing of his players with several scathing assessments of their displays this season.

NO ROOM FOR ERROR
We are in trouble after dropping six points in the last two games. It's become harder, but we have to get the three points on Saturday; there is no other option.
CESAR AZPILICUETA , Chelsea captain, on what the team must do against Huddersfield today.

But the Italian, yet to win a major trophy as a manager, conceded he might also be to blame as he admitted needing to find a better way to motivate his stars.
While it might be too soon for Sarri to worrying about his job, he desperately needs a repeat of the solid form Chelsea showed during the 18-game unbeaten run that marked the start of his reign.
Since then, he has come under fire from Chelsea fans, who chanted "You don't know what you're doing" at him when he took off new striker Gonzalo Higuain against Bournemouth.
Playing Eden Hazard out of position as a forward and sticking with Jorginho as a defensive midfielder instead of the proven N'Golo Kante have been the two biggest issues with Sarri's tactics.
As the race to qualify for the Champions League grows tighter, with sixth-placed Manchester United only two points behind Chelsea, Azpilicueta knows every match is crucial.
"It is very tight. Two weeks ago, we were in a better position. We have put ourselves at risk," he said.
"We are in trouble after dropping six points in the last two games. It's become harder, but we have to get the three points on Saturday; there is no other option.
"The minimum we should do is qualify for the Champions League."
New Huddersfield boss Jan Siewert has identified Chelsea's vulnerabilities, but said his own side must simply focus on building on their encouraging display in the 1-0 home defeat by Everton on Tuesday.
The German said: "I saw some situations in which they were vulnerable but, to be honest, it will be a totally different game.
"I know Maurizio Sarri is a fantastic manager and we have to face everything which they give us."
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
CHELSEA V HUDDERSFIELD
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Football pundit Paul Merson has expressed fears that Man United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer might be having his last game as the Red Devils boss this weekend. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer only took over as Man United boss in December last year after former manager Jose Mourinho was sacked and he started on a high note […]
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's toughest test as Manchester United

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City will pounce if Liverpool slip up: Guardiola LONDON • Pep Guardiola said that he has no "magician's ball" to tell him how many points his Manchester City side may need to retain their Premier League title, following Monday's 3-0 win over Wolves that cut leaders Liverpool's lead to four points.
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Rangers have signed Bournemouth striker Jermain Defoe and Southampton midfielder Steven Davis on loan. Ex-Tottenham forward Defoe, 36, who won 57 England caps, has made only eight appearances for
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Feb 23, 2019 · Mauricio Pochettino somewhat lost the plot at the final whistle on Saturday, as Tottenham Hotspur lost 2-1 at Burnley in controversial fashion. Tottenham's manager confronted referee Mike Dean
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Lloris, the club captain, accepts they must quickly return to the level of performance that made them title contenders until a little over a fortnight ago and produce a flawlesss run-in if they
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An alarming run has brought just one point from the last four league games with Mauricio Pochettino, the manager, reacting to Saturday's defeat at Southampton by accusing his players of demonstrating misplaced arrogance during a second half when the game slipped from their grasp.
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Jose Mourinho rules himself out of Benfica job Former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has ruled himself out of the vacant job at Benfica, saying he has no intention of coaching in his native Portugal for the time being.
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Women's World Cup 2019 saw its first goalless draw as Argentina took on Japan in Paris. Women's World Cup: Dogged Argentina Hold Japan to Goalless Draw; FootBall .
Women's World Cup 2019: Argentina hold former champions Japan

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That is part of football." File photo: Anfield stadium is home of Liverpool Football Club one of the most successful English Premier League football clubs. Image: shutterstock. Liverpool could end a 29-year wait for the league title if they can hold on until the end of the season and Klopp knows the club's fans are likely to be feeling tense.
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Barcelona Give Fresh Hope To La Liga Rivals After Bilbao Stalemate Updated: 11 February 2019 08:53 IST The draw makes it three games without a win for Barcelona.
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Salah retains African award to seal great day for Egypt. Mohamed Salah completed a memorable day for Egyptian football by retaining his African Player of the Year award in Senegal Tuesday.
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